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White House/Pete Souza(HANOI, Vietnam) -- President Obama may have lunched with Vietnamese president Tran Dai Quang in the Presidential Palace, but he spent dinner in more modest surroundings: at a local restaurant in Hanoi.

Obama joined TV personality and travel guru Anthony Bourdain for a meal at a restaurant called Bun cha Huong Lien.

Bourdain shared a photo of the pair with the caption "The president's chopstick skills are on point. The president is seen holding a bottle as he chats with Bourdain over bowls of noodles.

The TV host noted on Twitter that the two were eating bun Cha, a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodles. Bourdain said he picked up the $6 tab.

Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer. pic.twitter.com/KgC3VIEPQr  Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) May 23, 2016

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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.
Welcome to non league daily news now - your number one spot for all things relating to the National League System. Our dedicated reporters have come straight from the sidelines to bring you news fresh from the dugout - but not before theyve stopped off at the burger van first!

We know that non league football fans are full of heart, passion, and belief. You trust the manager, you believe in the team, and, for some strange reason, you trust those rickety stands, too! Here at Non League Daily, we hope we can become your trusted non league news resource - a platform thats just as passionate about non league daily news now as you.

Come rain or shine, well be out reporting on the latest non league fixtures. Well also be scouring the news, refreshing social media, and sourcing information from team websites in the hopes of finding the latest breaking non league daily news for our readers.

As youll soon see, weve got exclusive match reports on the Vanarama National League, weve got transfer speculation thatll affect the National League South, weve found great stories thatll spice up the National League North, and weve even got news on the latest giant killers of the FA Cup.

We may not be able to agree on who is going up this year, but we can all agree that any news on the NLS worth knowing will be published here, at Non League Daily.
Welcome to nonleaguedaily.coms news provision, your go-to source for all non league updates, rumours, interviews, and much more besides.

Founded by a team with a genuine passion for the world of non league football, nonleaguedaily.com understands exactly what supporters of the so-called lower leagues are looking for. You want the high-quality reporting, in-depth analysis, and match reporting that matches that is more commonly found in the journalism for the top flights, but with the focus firmly fixed on the national leagues.

We understand that your passion, interest, and dedication is constant, and we believe you need a news service that matches that commitment with its own dedication and thoroughness  so thats what you can expect from our site.

The latest non league news, as and when it happens

Conventionally, non league news has always travelled fairly slowly, especially when compared to the instantaneous, constant breaking news cycles found in the upper leagues. Tales are told on terraces, rumours passed between pub patrons and circled between supporters at the latest game, often forced to remain somewhat local initially before word eventually spreads to other locales.

For us, this slow spread may be fairly organic in nature, but it simply isnt compatible with the modern football environment. Its also not conducive to the current fast-paced, always-available media landscape, nor the way that people tend to consume news nowadays. Thats why we have put together a non league news source that fans can turn to for the latest updates, as and when they happen, and as and when you want to read them. Non-league news now is the only acceptable speed at Betting.co.uk.

We update our non-league football news coverage constantly, bringing you all the latest developments and seeking to spread the word as quickly and accurately as possible. So if youre wondering whats happening both with your local team and with the lower leagues as a whole, you can visit us for non league news now, and be confident the stories you find are completely up to date.

News reported by passionate fans

Our efforts to bring you the very best non league football news are undeniably a professional concern, and one that we take seriously. We are  if youll excuse the uncharacteristic tooting of our own horns  good at what we do, and we know that the efforts we make in this regard are one of the reasons our site has enjoyed such success thus far.

However, everyone who writes for us also shares our readers enthusiasm for non league football. Were not just churning out content in the hopes of cashing in on a professional dream; were here because we want to be, and will always be dedicated and committed to non league football as an entity and thriving in the experience of being able to talk about our favourite subject whenever we can. We create non-league news now that is written by genuine fans and enthusiasts, for fans. We know what you want to know and what matters most to an ardent non league supporter, and we always ensure that focusing on these elements is our guiding principle as we seek to solidify our status as an online non league paper fans can always rely on.

When compiling non league news, we think with the mind of a fan first and foremost. We cover the angles and stories that we find compelling and that we know our fellow non league enthusiasts also care about. News doesnt have to be dry and formulaic, in our opinion. When its written by people who are genuinely as fascinated by the stories they are reporting on as their readership will be, we believe news can be interesting, compelling, and even have a sense of personality and humour.

News content written with passion and expertise

We believe that thanks to our dedication, insightfulness, and commitment to our subject matter of non league today, we are offering the best of both worlds to those searching for an online non league paper. We give you the professional approach we feel is appropriate for news about one of the most intriguing aspects of UK football; an aspect that we genuinely feel does not receive the interest and plaudits that it should be generating. Nevertheless, we dont let that professionalism take over everything we do: we remain committed fans, nurturing our own personal interest in non league football and ensuring every word we compose is infused with a sense of passion and dedication that enhances the posts we create.

Its therefore obvious that our non-league content today isnt ever going to be dry, basic, or put together by a tired staff writer who has never heard of any team below the Championship before they rush off to the pub for the evening. Our writers are genuine experts: were covering non league football because we want to, because we believe in it, and because its where our strengths lie. The result is informed content that capitalises on our deep knowledge of the history, as well as the present-day realities, of non league football in the UK.

Beyond news: the nonleaguedaily.com interview series

One of our goals with nonleaguedaily.com is to not just dryly report the news from an outsiders perspective, effectively regurgitating press releases that are devoid of genuinely illuminating information. We also go right to the source of the stories: the managers and club insiders who have direct experience, and often influence, on the sport and how it is managed.

We regularly conduct interviews as part of our news provision, asking the questions that are on everyones lips and providing the best possible view into the non league world. We have reporters pitchside at matches, microphone to hand and plentiful questions ready to be asked. The end result for you, the reader, is the kind of information and close-up looks into the non league world that just cant be found anywhere else.

As our commitment to providing interesting interviews amply demonstrates, we want to be involved in breaking the stories that everyone then talks about, rather than following along and focusing solely on what everyone already knows. If youre looking for leading content that you cant find anywhere else, and that goes right to the centre of the non league world, then you can turn to nonleaguedaily.com for all the benefits of a conventional non league paper, but in electronic, easily-accessed form.

A host of other content to enjoy alongside the non league today

Our focus on providing non league news will always be maintained: we consider this aspect the most important of what we do, and it will always be the recipient of our time, dedication, and interest. Well be here, a consistent and trustworthy news portal, for as long as non league football news exists.

With that said, when you have read up on the latest goings-on, were here with further content for you to enjoy. Naturally, given our partnership with leading brand Betting.co.uk, we provide guidelines for those interested in the world of sports betting. Well help you find the best UK bookmaker with our plentiful coverage of existing brands; ideal if youre looking to put your newfound knowledge, courtesy of us, about non league to use and place a few bets.

Furthermore, we also provide highlights of all the latest UK betting offers, so you can ensure youre achieving the best value with all the latest betting deals whenever youre betting on the latest non league matches. Youll find all of this coverage is as consistent and reliable as our non league news provision,

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Returning to the world of non league football, we also provide a range of feature content that goes deeper and further into the non league world than ever before. Less instantaneously topical but still hugely relevant to the modern game, our features are the dream deep dives that we feel non league fans deserve. Were always striving to do better, offer more, and ensure that non league fans can enjoy the same wealth of content as followers of the top tiers, so you can expect top-flight content with the same commitment and dedication as found throughout the upper echelons of the sport.

So whether youre looking to find the most recent non league football news, seeking a new bookmaker for your non league bets, or hoping to delve deep into a niche non league-related topic, nonleaguedaily.com is always going to be worth a visit.

Return to nonleaguedaily.com for all your non league news needs

Weve told you what you can expect from nonleaguedaily.coms news; now we need to put our confidence where our promises are, make sure we deliver on those promises, and establish trust as an online non league paper you can trust. We look forward to welcoming you back to our news section and showcasing the best we have to offer, from exciting new non league interviews to cutting-edge news to transfer speculation. If you want to truly have your finger on the non league pulse, then nonleaguedaily.com is always going to be here for you.
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This article was originally published in the New York Times on May 23, 2016.

By Nancy C. Loeb

While the shale gas industry has been depressed in recent years by low oil and gas prices, analysts are predicting that it will soon rebound. Many of the environmental hazards of the gas extraction process, called hydraulic fracturing or fracking, are by now familiar: contaminated drinking water, oil spills and methane gas leaks, exploding rail cars and earthquakes.

A less well-known effect is the destruction of large areas of Midwestern farmland resulting from one of frackings key ingredients: sand.

Fracking involves pumping vast quantities of water and chemicals into rock formations under high pressure, but the mix injected into wells also includes huge amounts of frac sand. The sand is used to keep the fissures in the rock open  acting as what drilling engineers call a proppant  so that the locked-in oil and gas can escape.

Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota are home to some of the richest agricultural land anywhere in the world. But this fertile, naturally irrigated farmland sits atop another resource that has become more highly prized: a deposit of fine silica sand known as St. Peter sandstone. This particular sand is valued by the fracking industry for its high silica content, round grains, uniform grain size and strength. These qualities enable the St. Peter sand to withstand the intensity of fracking, and improve the efficiency of drilling operations.

In the Upper Midwest, this sandstone deposit lies just below the surface. It runs wide but not deep. This makes the sand easy to reach, but it also means that to extract large quantities, mines have to be dug across hundreds of acres.

At the end of 2015, there were 129 industrial sand facilities  including mines, processing plants and rail heads  operating in Wisconsin, up from just five mines and five processing plants in 2010. At the center of Illinoiss sand rush, in LaSalle County, where I am counsel to a group of farmers that is challenging one mines location, The Chicago Tribune found that mining companies had acquired at least 3,100 acres of prime farmland from 2005 to 2014.

In the jargon of the fracking industry, the farmland above the sand is overburden. Instead of growing crops that feed people, it becomes berms, walls of subsoil and topsoil piled up to 30 feet high to hide the mines.

But the effects cannot be hidden indefinitely. These mines are destroying rural communities along with the farmland. Homesteads and small towns are being battered by mine blasting, hundreds of diesel trucks speed down rural roads dropping sand along the way, stadium lighting is so bright it blots out the night sky, and 24-hour operations go on within a few hundred feet of homes and farms. As a result, some farmers are selling and moving away, while for those determined to stay, life is changed forever.

Quality of life is not their only concern. Silica is a human carcinogen and also causes lung disease, including silicosis. Because of its dangers, silica is heavily regulated in the workplace, but there are generally no regulations for silica blown around from the sand-mining operations. These mines also use millions of gallons of groundwater every day. Local wells are running dry, and the long-term availability of water for homes and farms is threatened.

Because of the recent slowdown in the fracking industry, many of the sand mines stopped or slowed production, providing temporary respite to these rural communities. But with oil edging back up toward $50 a barrel, and projected to go higher, the Midwest farmlands face a renewed threat.

The sand mines do promise jobs. But its shortsighted to rely on a new fracking boom when weve already seen how vulnerable the business is to cyclical dips. Americas frac sand industry shrank to about $2 billion last year from $4.5 billion after the price of oil plummeted in 2014. As mines were mothballed or shuttered, hundreds of miners and truckers were laid off.

Even assuming a coming recovery, there may be as few as 20 to 30 jobs in a mine covering hundreds of acres  a mine that may operate for only 20 years. When the sand is exhausted, the mine is a hole in the ground and the jobs are gone. The farms that it replaced provided employment and sustenance for centuries.

There are alternatives to this despoliation. Not all frac sand is buried under prime farmland. Texas, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma all have usable frac sand that is not burdened by rich prairie earth, and transportation costs there are often lower.

In the Midwest, we badly need more legal restraints on how frac sand mines operate. People must be protected from blowing silica. Sand piles should be covered and mines set a safe distance from homes, farms, schools and public spaces. At present, such regulations are often lax, and local residents have rarely won the needed protections from local or state governments eager to cash in on the boom.

Groundwater, too, needs stronger safeguards. A good example to follow is LaSalle County, which in 2013 placed a moratorium on new high-capacity wells needed for mining pending the results of a United States Geological Survey study in part funded by Northwestern, where I teach, of the capacity of groundwater supplies to support new mines.

Unfettered frac sand mining is ruining the rural communities of the Midwest. All people are left with are thousands of acres of holes in the ground in place of what was once rich, productive farmland. That is too high a price to pay.
Warriors outside back Matt Allwood will be available for selection in Round 12 after accepting an early guilty plea for his high tackle charge, the only player cited by the NRL match review committee in Round 11.

Allwood was charged with a grade one careless high tackle and a previous good record means that the former Canberra centre will narrowly avoid suspension for his shot on Jordan Rapana.
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NORRISTOWN, Pa.  She called him "Mr. Cosby" and considered him a trusted friend and mentor.

But 20 minutes after Bill Cosby offered her three blue pills and told her to take them with the wine he had set out, Andrea Constand's legs began to wobble "like jelly," her eyes went blurry and her head began to throb.

Cosby helped her to a couch in his living room, where she later realized he violated her as she lay helplessly in a stupor, she told police in 2005.

On Tuesday, a judge ordered the 78-year-old Cosby to stand trial on sexual assault charges on the strength of Constand's decade-old police statement, sparing the former Temple University employee the need to testify at the preliminary hearing.

Cosby could get 10 years in prison if convicted in the case, the only criminal charges brought against the comedian out of the barrage of allegations that he drugged and molested dozens of women over five decades. He is free on $1 million bail.

A trial date was not immediately set.

Cosby, looking less frail than he did when he was arrested five months ago, seemed unfazed by District Judge Elizabeth McHugh's decision.

"Mr. Cosby is not guilty of any crime, and not one single fact presented by the commonwealth rebuts this truth," his lawyers said in a statement afterward.

The hearing was not the face-to-face confrontation between accuser and accused that some had anticipated: Constand, who is now a massage therapist in Toronto, was not in the courtroom, and the judge ruled that she did not have to testify at this stage. Instead, prosecutors had portions of her 2005 police statement read into the record.

While authorities in recent months have paraphrased her account and quoted fragments, this was apparently the first time that large sections of her statement  or Cosby's, for that matter  were made public.

Constand told police that the comedian penetrated her with his fingers and fondled her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004 after giving her what he said was herbal medication. After taking the pills, she said, "everything was blurry and dizzy."

"I told him, 'I can't even talk, Mr. Cosby.' I started to panic," she told police.

She said she awoke with her bra askew and did not remember undoing it.

Cosby's lawyers argued unsuccessfully that having a police officer read Constand's statement instead of putting her on the stand would be third-hand testimony and would deprive him of his right to confront his accuser. But reading a police statement into the record is common practice at preliminary hearings in Pennsylvania.

The defense also argued that Constand was having a relationship with a married man and that they had engaged in "petting" during her two or three earlier visits to his home.

In his own 2005 statement to police, excerpts of which were also read in court, Cosby said Constand never said "no" as he put his hand down her pants. He told police the pills were over-the-counter Benadryl that he takes to help him sleep.

Cosby attorney Brian McMonagle also questioned why Constand continued to see the comedian and even returned to the house to meet with him after the alleged assault.

In addition, the defense seized on discrepancies in the three police statements Constand gave, including her shifting memory of precisely when the encounter occurred.

Cosby settled with Constand for an undisclosed sum in 2006 after testifying behind closed doors about his extramarital affairs, his use of quaaludes to seduce women and his efforts to hide payments to former lovers from his wife.

But prosecutors reopened the criminal case last year after dozens of women leveled similar allegations and after Cosby's sealed testimony in Constand's lawsuit was made public.

Cosby's lawyers are trying to get the case thrown out, arguing that a previous prosecutor made a binding promise a decade ago that the comic would never be charged.

He is also fighting defamation lawsuits across the country for allegedly branding his accusers liars and is trying to get his homeowner insurance to pay his legal bills.

The Associated Press does not normally identify people who say they were victims of sex crimes unless they agree to be named publicly, which Constand has done.
EAST CHICAGO  Federal law enforcement officers took part in an investigation Tuesday in the city's Calumet neighborhood.

The Times received a report of FBI agents near the intersection of 148th and Grasselli Avenue. The area is a residential neighborhood on the southeast corner of Riley Park.

Drew Northern, a spokesman for the FBI, said, "The FBI is conducting criminal investigation activity in East Chicago." He declined further comment.

East Chicago police said they responded to the area to assist another agency in serving a warrant. No further information was available.
CROWN POINT  A Gary man facing the death penalty has repeatedly refused to sign a certified oath, putting his petition for post-conviction relief on hold, according to court records.

Kevin Isom, 50, is on death row after a Lake County jury in 2013 found him guilty of killing his wife and stepchildren. Cassandra Isom, 40; Michael Moore, 16; and Andria Cole, 13, were killed in their home in the 5700 block of Hemlock Avenue in Gary.

Every death penalty case is subject to three types of reviews, according to the Indiana Public Defender Council website. The Indiana Supreme Court last year upheld Isom's conviction and sentence.

The next level of review is known as post-conviction relief, which looks at factual issues in the case. Capital cases also are subject to the third type, federal review, to determine if a defendant's constitutional rights were violated. This third type of review is not at issue at this time.

In January, Isom's public defense attorneys filed a petition for post-conviction relief, arguing that Isom's trial attorneys didn't do a number of things including not presenting his social mental history during the penalty phase of the trial.

Lake County Magistrate Natalie Bokota took the petition under advisement pending the filing of notarized affirmation of the documents.

According to court records, Isom has refused to sign a notarized oath, which is required for the petition to be reviewed. During two court hearings in front of Bokota, Isom has refused to sign the petition.

Bokota then determined that the time for Isom to file the petition expired, since the original deadline was Jan. 13. Earlier this month, she asked the Indiana Supreme Court to vacate the previously scheduled Nov. 28 hearing for the petition.

Defense attorneys Joanne Green, Laura Volk and Anne Kaiser filed three motions asking Bokota to reconsider Isom's petition.

One of the motions they filed argues that Isom is not making a rational decision and is not competent to waive his rights to post-conviction relief.

The motion outlines how Isom has refused to meet with his attorneys on several occasions and an investigator to sign the oath.

According to the motion, Isom did meet with Indiana Public Defender Stephen Owens who offered to assign new public defenders to the case. Isom said he didn't want to waive his right to file the petition, but he also did not want to sign the proper paperwork, nor did he want new attorneys. Isom had complained about the attorneys assigned to the case.

His attorneys argue Isom's behavior is consistent with how he has shut down during stressful situations in the past, including during his trial when he refused to attend a portion of the proceedings.

The motion argues Isom's mental health issues date back to his time growing up in Chicago's public housing projects where he was exposed to trauma that causes people to "emotionally withdraw in order to survive."

Another death row inmate told one of the attorneys that Isom stays in bed 22 hours a day with a cover over his head, according to the motion.

Bokota has given the attorneys for the state until June 3 to file a response to the defense's motions.
PORTAGE  Misdemeanor marijuana charges have been dropped against hip-hop artist Twista and two others, who were arrested March 24 while on their way to a show in South Haven.

The charges were dismissed when the driver of the vehicle, Johnnie Euell, 42, of Frankfort, Illinois, admitted the drug was his and pleaded guilty, according to Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel.

The arrest, which attracted national attention, occurred during a police saturation in Portage and South Haven that was triggered out of concern about potential violence among fans of Twista and Montana of 300, the latter of whom was scheduled to appear the following night at the same venue  Big Shots, 391 W. U.S. 6.

Twista, whose legal name is Carl Terrell Mitchell, 42, of Chicago, was taken into custody at 10:38 p.m. after the eastbound black Rolls-Royce he was riding in was stopped by police just east of Willowcreek Road on U.S. 6 for following an SUV too closely.

Police said they found a half ounce of marijuana hidden in a fake can at a spot in the vehicle that was accessible to all. All four occupants denied ownership of the drug and were taken into custody.

In addition to Euell and Mitchell, others arrested included Michael Moore, 43, of Matteson, Illinois, and Darrin Woody, 26, of Harvey, Illinois, police said.

Police later said their decision to bring out as many as 45 officers from seven agencies was not triggered by the artists or any specific genre of music, but rather the reports of a fan following involving guns, drugs and gangs.

A similar police saturation May 18 in Burns Harbor, this time involving 60 officers from 11 different agencies, was triggered by a flier promoting an event at a bar hosted by the notorious Hells Angels motorcycle group.

Teresa Wright, one of the owners of The Mill Bar & Grill at 295 Melton Road, later said the event was a charitable, fundraising event with proceeds benefiting SELF School and a home-school program for cancer patients.
A lawsuit filed on behalf of a man arrested July 15 by Gary police alleges an officer used excessive force by allowing a K-9 to attack the man after the man raised his hands to surrender.

Daiquan McFerson was being taken into custody July 15 when "realizing he could not escape, raised his hands and gave up," the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit alleges Officer Brian Gilden allowed his K-9 to "brutally attack" McFerson despite his surrender. McFerson claims the attack violated his constitutional rights and was excessive and unreasonable.

The lawsuit names Gilden and the city of Gary.

City spokeswoman LaLosa Dent Burns on Tuesday declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

"However, we want to reaffirm the citys commitment to ensuring officers of the Gary Police Department treat citizens with the utmost respect," she said.

No information about McFerson's arrest could be found in a search of online Lake County court records.
WESTCHESTER TOWNSHIP  A 19-year-old Whiting man faces a battery charge on allegations of hitting a young woman as they drove back from having her senior photos taken.

The 18-year-old woman told police Gerardo Hernandez, of the 2000 block of Schrage Avenue, appeared to have been drinking alcohol and was acting belligerent and making rude comments to the photographer.

She said Hernandez confronted her on the drive home about having dated someone in the past and then began cursing at her, hitting her in the head with his fists and grabbing the steering wheel of her car, police said. The woman said she pulled over temporarily at Brummitt Elementary School to avoid crashing her vehicle and then told Hernandez she would drive him home, but continued on to the Chesterton Police Department instead.

Police said Hernandez denied striking the woman, but said he has anger issues and admitted to confronting the woman about dating another man.

The woman had a cut on her forehead that she said was from Hernandez striking her, police said.
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DYER  With Ward 2 Councilman Jeff Dekker abstaining, the Dyer Town Council recently passed a responsible bidding practices ordinance on first reading that would cover every public works construction job bid in excess of $300,000.

Prepared by Town Attorney Bill Enseln, the ordinance will be considered for second reading approval and adoption at the councils June 9 meeting due to Dekkers abstention. Council members voting for approval of the ordinance were Mary Tanis, Debbie Astor, Joe Cinko and Cathy Lareau.

This ordinance would require contractors bidding on the public works construction projects to submit a statement including a statement of staffing capabilities, including labor sources; a statement that individuals who will perform work on behalf of the bidder will be properly classified as either an employee or an independent contractor and a list of projects of similar size and scope of work that the bidder has performed in the State of Indiana within three years prior to the bid due date.

The town reserves the right to demand supplemental information from the bidder, additional verification of any of the information provided by the bidder, and may also conduct random inquiries of the bidders current and prior customers, the ordinance reads.

Ten other sections in the ordinance deal with such items as post-bid submission from subcontractors, incomplete submission by bidders, responsive and responsible bidder determination, and penalties for false, deceptive or fraudulent statements/information.

Randy Palmateer, business manager for the Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council, attended the meeting and congratulated the Town Council on the first reading passage of the ordinance.

In other business, the Dyer Town Council established a LOIT (local option income tax) distribution fund so that Dyer can deposit its share of the $31 million Lake County will receive from the State of Indiana about June 1.

Lake County began collecting the local option income tax in 2013. The state has held the money in trust, and 75 percent of this one-time payback must be used for roads, bridges and other infrastructure, said Enseln. The remaining 25 percent can be spent on any other lawful use, he said.

Dyers share is estimated at $211,000, said Town Manager Tom DeGiulio.
MUNSTER  The town is working to identify the trees along the north edge of Clayhole Lake at Centennial Park that need to be cut to accommodate its major realignment of Calumet Avenue.

The realignment calls for a temporary train track called a shoo-fly to be built along 45th Street. Before that can be constructed, NIPSCO must install electrical service, which will require the trees to go, according to the utility and engineers.

On Monday morning, a coalition of Munster residents called Friends of Clayhole Lake, Munster Town Council members Lee Ann Mellon and Dave Nellans, Town Manager Dustin Anderson and representatives from NIPSCO and Robinson Engineering gathered to walk around Clayhole Lake to identify which trees would be cut.

Friends of Clayhole Lake want alternatives to cutting down the trees to facilitate the electrical service. Breeding grounds for such waterfowl as the great blue heron, the great white egret and the mallard duck are along the lake, according to group members.

Twin Creeks subdivision resident Erik Andersen, an architect and member of Friends of Clayhole Lake, said the walk is part of engaging in conversation with all parties.

To stabilize NIPSCO's electric poles, 7-foot anchors must be driven into the ground, requiring cutting back trees, according to NIPSCO representatives. A 50-foot-wide area must be available from the center of the NIPSCO poles. Orange stakes where the poles will be installed were placed last year.

The poles must be installed before construction of the shoo-fly begins, said Joe Nordman, of Robinson Engineering. Cutting the trees will take three months; installing the NIPSCO poles will take another three months.

We all sat down last week with NIPSCO and walked through the basics of the projects, Anderson, town manager, said Monday. Items discussed at last week's roundtable included other solutions and replanting possibilities, he said. But "the engineering was deemed unfeasible, he said.

The group, including Friends of Clayhole Lake, on Monday also looked at aerial maps of the area, its topographical profile and the best and worst case scenarios, Mellon said.

We moved here from Chicago and love Centennial Park and this lake, said Salina Andersen, Erik Andersen's wife, who was part of the walk.

John Stout, an arborist with NIPSCO, led the walk, pointing out the trees that would need to be removed and what could be done to enhance the path through the north shore of Clayhole Lake.

What must go, and why

Trees with branches growing away from the lake would need to be removed, while those growing toward the lake could stay, Stout said. Cutting would be selective, depending on the species and growth pattern.

For example, cottonwoods would need to be cut, because they grow to be 70 to 80 feet tall. So would such invasive species as the autumn olive, which tends not to be friendly to animal life, Stout said. However native species such as the gray dogwood are animal-friendly he said.

NIPSCO spokesman Rick Calinski said the utility companys environmental team has evaluated what can and cant be done.

The utilitys existing electrical pole line serves thousands of residents and businesses, Calinski said. Our goal is to work with the town and residents to meet the needs of the town.

Replanting the area is estimated to cost between $20,000 and $50,000, depending on the plant materials, Stout said, adding that includes planting saplings.

Erik Andersen said his own estimates run to $500,000.

Its a significant cost, whether we go to plan A, B, C or D, Nellans said.

We appreciate you listening to us, said Robyn Paulsen, a Friends of Clayhole Lake member and Twin Creeks resident. And if the answer is the same, its the same.
Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana is looking for a few good drivers to deliver meals to residents in Gary's Miller section and Lake Station.

Training and orientation sessions for new volunteers are scheduled for 10 a.m. June 14 and 1 p.m. June 23 in the nonprofit's community room at 8446 Virginia St., Merrillville.

Applicants who attend the sessions will be able to tour the facility and ask questions, volunteer manager Joan Vith said.

Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver more than 1,500 meals a day throughout Lake County. Volunteers' scheduled vary.

To register for training, or for information on individual or corporate volunteering opportunities, contact Vith at (219) 756-3663 or joan@mownwi.org.

Read more about Meals on Wheels at www.mownwi.org.
COLUMBIA, S.C.  South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is among 10 Republican governors  including Gov. Mike Pence  urging the Federal Communications Commission to give states more autonomy in combatting cellphone use by inmates who have them illegally in prison.

Haley on Monday wrote to FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler encouraging him to give states "flexibility and authority" to deal with the issue, universally seen as a security threat.

States need FCC permission to block cell signals, and Haley has been vocal in her opposition to required FCC approval. Testifying last month at an FCC field hearing in Columbia, Haley said the state had tried multiple other methods, but none are as effective as blocking.

The letter also was signed by governors from Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah.

___

Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Read more of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/meg-kinnard/
BALTIMORE  After two trials and no convictions, Baltimore's top prosecutor faces criticism that she moved too quickly to file charges against six officers in the case involving a 25-year-old black man who died a week after he was critically injured in police custody, triggering protests and riots a year ago.

Even the judge overseeing the cases  in his verdict Monday acquitting the latest officer to stand trial in the death of Freddie Gray  said the state failed to prove its case on any of the charges.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams acquitted Officer Edward Nero of the assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment charges in connection with Gray's arrest outside a West Baltimore housing complex.

Gray died on April 19, 2015, a week after his neck was broken while handcuffed, shackled, but left unrestrained by a seat belt in the back of a police van. The circumstances of his arrest and his death triggered protests demanding justice for Gray. On the day of his funeral, rioting and looting broke out. The National Guard responded, and a curfew was imposed.

Nero, 30, who is white, was the second of six officers charged to stand trial. The manslaughter case against Officer William Porter ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked. Prosecutors plan to retry him in September.

Williams delivered his verdict in the racially charged case before a packed courtroom Monday. Nero's parents and his brother sat in the front row; a few rows away, Gray's stepfather. Noticeably absent, however, was State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who was present when Williams declared a mistrial in the trial for Porter in December.

After announcing charges against the officers last May  one day after receiving the police department's investigation while a tense city was still under curfew  Mosby did not shy from the spotlight. She posed for magazine photos, sat for TV interviews and even appeared onstage at a Prince concert in Gray's honor.

After the acquittal, Nero's lawyers sought to send a strong message to her.

"Officer Edward Nero, his wife and family are elated that this nightmare is finally over," wrote Marc Zayon and Allison Levine in a statement. "The state's attorney for Baltimore city rushed to charge him, as well as the other five officers, completely disregarding the facts of the case and the applicable law. His hope is that the state's attorney will reevaluate the remaining five officers' cases and dismiss their charges."

Mosby spokeswoman Rochelle Ritchie, citing a gag order in the case, declined comment.

David Weinstein, a Florida attorney and former federal civil rights prosecutor, said the verdict will probably serve as a "wake-up call" for prosecutors.

"This speaks to the notion a lot of people had when this first happened, which is that it was a rush to judgment," Weinstein said. "The state's attorney was trying to balance what she had with the public outcry and call to action given the climate in Baltimore and across the U.S. concerning policing, and I think she was overreaching."

Harvard University professor Alan Dershowitz said he believed the judge's verdict was an example of the legal system looking at the facts of the case without being influenced by race or community pressure. He said he "absolutely" believed Mosby overreached in bringing charges against the six officers.

"There's no question she acted irresponsibly," Dershowitz said in a telephone interview. "She acted politically. She acted too quickly, and the public ought to make her pay a price for seeking to distort justice."

Although the judge's ruling referred specifically to Nero's case  the other officers will be tried separately for their alleged roles  he rejected nearly every claim the state made at trial, repeatedly telling prosecutors they'd failed to prove any of the counts beyond a reasonable doubt.

Prosecutors had argued that Nero and colleague Garrett Miller illegally detained and arrested Gray without probable cause, and that Nero was reckless when he failed to buckle Gray into a seat belt during the van's second stop blocks from the arrest. Zayon argued Nero wasn't involved in Gray's arrest, having only arrived after Gray was in handcuffs. As for the seat belt, Zayon said not only was Nero unaware of a newly revised policy requiring officers to buckle in prisoners  the previous policy gave officers discretion based on circumstances  but that it was the van driver's responsibility to make sure Gray was safe.

In his verdict, Williams said he believed Miller, who took the stand as the state's principal witness and testified that he alone detained and handcuffed Gray. The judge told prosecutors they failed to prove Nero did anything wrong.

"The state's theory from the beginning has been one of negligence, recklessness, and disregard for duty and orders by this defendant," Williams said. "There has been no information presented at this trial that the defendant intended for any crime to happen."

Warren Brown, a Baltimore attorney who observed much of Nero's trial, said the verdict proved how thin the state's cases are against the officers.

"It was clearly a case where the state decided that come hell or high water they were going to prosecute Nero and Miller, and I think that the ridiculous prosecution was borne out," Brown said. "This thing may extend on and on, quite frankly. It's the prosecution that keeps on giving."

Trial No. 3  that of van driver Caesar Goodson, who prosecutors believe is most culpable in Gray's death  is set to begin in two weeks. He is charged with second-degree murder.
WASHINGTON  Beg, borrow and steal: Zika preparation involves a bit of all three as federal, state and local health officials try to get a jump on the mosquito-borne virus while Congress haggles over how much money they really need.

With that financing in limbo, health officials are shifting resources and setting priorities  and not just in states where mosquitoes are starting to buzz. All but six states so far have seen travel-associated cases of Zika.

"Stealing money from myself" is how Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health describes raiding his agency's malaria, tuberculosis and influenza programs to fund a Zika vaccine.

He needs more cash by the end of June to keep the vaccine on schedule. And there's no guarantee those other critical diseases will recoup about $20 million.

"If we don't get something soon, then we're going to have a real problem," Fauci said.

Adding to the stress: What if another health emergency comes along at the same time?

"It's Zika now, but three months from now, who knows what it might be?" said Dr. Tim Jones, state epidemiologist in Tennessee, where few counties have mosquito eradication efforts.

Yet with funding pleas unanswered, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shifted $44 million to Zika from emergency preparedness grants that help state and local health departments with crises from flu outbreaks to hurricanes.

"You have to be careful when you take cuts from core infrastructure for the disease of the day," Tennessee's Jones said. "That's a risky way to do things."

Zika can cause devastating birth defects and fetal death if pregnant women become infected. Mosquitoes aren't yet spreading Zika in the continental U.S., but the epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean has experts predicting small outbreaks here as mosquito season heats up. The more than 540 U.S. cases diagnosed so far involve travel to outbreak areas or sex with infected travelers. The CDC is tracking the outcomes of 157 Zika-infected pregnant women in the U.S., plus another 122 in U.S. territories.

Three months ago, President Barack Obama requested $1.9 billion in emergency funding to fend off Zika. The House and Senate are arguing over how much to grant  and whether the money should come from cuts to other programs  with no final agreement in sight. House Republicans say the administration has padded its Zika request.

The Obama administration already shifted nearly $600 million from funds for Ebola flare-ups in West Africa and other accounts. On Friday, the president said lifetime care for a child born with Zika-caused brain damage may cost up to $10 million.

"Add that up. It doesn't take a lot of cases for you to get to $1.9 billion. Why wouldn't we want to make that investment now?" Obama said.

Many state and local health departments aren't waiting, but efforts vary widely:

Florida is no stranger to mosquito-borne outbreaks  it has handled small outbreaks of dengue, carried by the same mosquito as Zika  and is squeezing money out of its usual budget to step up training and traps for areas that need extra help. Officials opened a Zika information hotline that has fielded more than 1,700 calls since February. Miami-Dade County is stepping up enforcement of standing water violations and statewide, residents are being told to screen windows and rid their property of containers that trap rainwater.

Gov. Rick Scott has said the threat of a Zika outbreak should trigger the same response as an approaching hurricane and last week lobbied in Washington for more resources. While Scott hasn't named a dollar figure, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has supported Obama's request. "It's a mistake for Congress to try and deal with Zika on the cheap," he said on Friday.

New Orleans' health department has begun sending staffers into neighborhoods to educate residents about Zika and advise them on making their yards less mosquito-friendly  workers also preparing for hurricane season.

"Whether we get money or not, we're going to do what we got to do," said health director Charlotte Parent. "But it sure would help to have those extra bodies to get that work done."

Virginia took about $700,000 remaining from a federal Ebola grant to hire two mosquito biologists, pay for some testing of mosquitoes and travelers, and educate the public, including plans to hang information on 450,000 doors.

This marks Virginia's first mosquito surveillance program since 2007.

Texas can perform dozens of blood tests a week for Zika, but that capacity could easily be overwhelmed if there's an outbreak, Health Commissioner John Hellerstedt said.

The state is spending $2 million in federal emergency preparedness money on public awareness but can't estimate how much more it needs, in part because mosquito control, like in many states, is funded almost entirely at the county and local level.

Savannah and surrounding Chatham County has Georgia's best-funded mosquito-control department at $3.8 million and will send some mosquitoes for Zika testing at the University of Georgia.

"A lot of these counties wouldn't be able to afford to do that," said Savannah mosquito control director Jeff Heusel.

____

Associated Press writers Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee; Jennifer Kay in Miami; Cain Burdeau in New Orleans; Alanna Durkin Richer in Richmond, Virginia; Will Weissert in Austin, Texas; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.
The Federal Transit Administration recently gave Region rail commuters, transportation planners and all friends of development a reason to cheer.

The federal agency approved a plan from the South Shore Line operator for the development stages of a double-tracking proposal.

At a proposed $210 million, the project would add a second track to a 25-mile stretch of railroad between Gary and Michigan City. Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District officials, who operate the South Shore Line, believe the extra tracks are key to speeding, and thus shortening, train commute times between Northwest Indiana and Chicago.

The transit administrations recent approval opens the door for the double-tracking proposal to receive up to 50 percent of its funding from federal sources.

If all goes as planned, double-tracking construction could begin by 2019 and be completed in 2020. In the big picture, thats not very far off.

Northwest Indianas local, state and federal leaders must continue to push for this important project. Commuter railroad expansion is one of the important legs of a map to developing the Region for future generations.

We were disappointed earlier this year after learning the double-tracking project wont receive any of the $126 million in Regional Cities Initiative economic development funds awarded to state projects this year.

But the new federal approval is grounds for celebration. The Regional Cities Initiative should take a long, hard look at this federal approval and put the double-tracking proposal at the top of its next list of state grant recipients.

There are obvious economic benefits of increasing access of Region residents to higher-paying Chicago jobs by creating a speedier, more efficient rail service.

Double-tracking would be an important way forward for our Regions transportation infrastructure that would have ripple-effect benefits for the rest of the state. The Federal Transit Administration just removed a critical obstacle from the tracks.
INDIANAPOLIS  A Noblesville educator will be the new principal at an Indianapolis school that lost its principal when she was struck and killed by a school bus while pushing students to safety.

The School Board of the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township on Monday evening approved the appointment of Jered Pennington to be principal at Amy Beverland Elementary. The school's principal, Susan Jordan, died Jan. 26 when a school bus struck and killed her and injured two students.

Pennington is assistant principal at Promise Road Elementary in Noblesville. He previously taught third through fifth grade. He'll take the Amy Beverland position effective July 1.

Pennington will meet parents and students during an open house on Tuesday evening. He says he's "blessed and humbled" to have the position.
ANGOLA Just in the nick of time, Angola-based Trine University voted Monday to authorize the Drexel Foundation to continue operating Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, a public charter school in Gary.

The charter school lost its authorization from Ball State University in January and was set to close June 30 if Drexel Foundation, which operated as a school board, was unable to gain authorization from another state-approved authorizer.

An alternate group of parents who formed a separate organization was standing by to take over operating the school with the support of Ball State, if the Drexel Foundation had not been able to secure a new authorizer.

Earl Martin Phalen, president of the Indianapolis-based George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academies, which operates two charter schools in Indianapolis, went before the Office of Charter Schools at Trine University during its Monday meeting.

The Phalen Group has partnered with the Drexel Foundation as its management company, and will begin running Bowman immediately.

Phalen said Trine awarded Drexel a three-year authorization.

"The board gave careful consideration to some of the deficiencies that existed, many of which have been corrected," Phalen said.

"There is a totally new Drexel Foundation and a new management company in Phalen Leadership Academies. They felt the kids in Gary deserve to have a high-quality school. Though it has struggled, Thea Bowman has been a strong school and has been a great place for children.

"We will come aboard immediately. Obviously, we need to communicate with teachers, staff and parents. We need to begin talking with everyone, so they are not in limbo," Phalen said.

Bowman supporters said state Rep. Robert Behning, R-Indianapolis, and state Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, who are chairmen of the House and Senate education committees, have strongly supported Bowman's effort to get a new charter. Kruse also is on the Trine Board of Trustees.

Bowman has gained the authorization in time to be on the agenda for the State Board of Education meeting June 1. State law requires Trine consult with Ball State and gain SBOE approval before the new charter authorizer can go forward.
HANOI, Vietnam  President Barack Obama on Tuesday pressed Vietnam to allow greater freedoms for its citizens, arguing that better human rights would improve the communist country's economy, stability and regional power.

On his second full day in the southeast Asian nation, Obama met with activists, including a pastor and advocates for the disabled and sexual minorities, to underscore U.S. support for improved rights. Yet a handful of others were prevented from meeting with Obama, prompting the White House to protest to Vietnam's government.

"Vietnam has made remarkable strides in many ways," Obama said, but "there are still areas of significant concern."

The visit included the lifting of one of the last vestiges of Vietnam War-era antagonism: a five-decades-old arms sale embargo. In a speech at the National Convention Center, Obama sought to balance a desire for a stronger relationship with Vietnam with efforts to hold its leadership to account over what activists call an abysmal treatment of government critics.

Nations are more successful when people can freely express themselves, assemble without harassment and access the internet and social media, Obama said.

"Upholding these rights is not a threat to stability but actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress," Obama told the audience of more than 2,000, including government officials and students from five universities across the Hanoi area. "Vietnam will do it differently than the United States does ... But there are these basic principles that I think we all have to try to work on and improve."

Freedom of expression is where new ideas happen, Obama said. "That's how a Facebook starts. That's how some of our greatest companies began."

Obama's deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, told reporters that a number of activists set to meet with Obama were either prevented from doing so or made to feel uncomfortable attending, "using a variety of different methods." He said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and White House officials raised the issue with Vietnam, adding that the U.S. would follow up to ensure those activists are free and aren't being punished.

"Clearly this was something that was the source of significant discomfort for the government," Rhodes said of Obama's meeting with activists.

Obama also said that journalists and bloggers can "shine a light on injustice or abuse" when they are allowed to operate free of government interference or intimidation. He said stability is encouraged when voters get to choose their leaders in free and fair elections "because citizens know that their voices count and that peaceful change is possible."

The president also traced the transformation of the U.S.-Vietnamese relationship, from wartime enemies to cooperation. He said the governments are working more closely together than ever before on a range of issues.

"Now we can say something that was once unimaginable: Today, Vietnam and the Unites States are partners," he said, adding that their experience was teaching the world that "hearts can change."

He referred in the speech to China's growing aggression in the region, something that worries many in Vietnam, which has territorial disputes in the South China Sea with Beijing.

Obama got a round of applause when he declared that "big nations should not bully smaller ones," an allusion to China's attempt to push its rivals out of disputed territory. Obama said the United States will continue to freely navigate the region and support the right of other countries to do the same.

After Hanoi, Obama flew to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. He visited the Jade Emperor Pagoda, considered one of the most beautiful pagodas in southern Vietnam and a repository of religious documents that includes more than 300 statues and other relics. A strong smell of incense hung in the air as visitors frequently burn incense outside the main temple to announce to the heavens their arrival.

As Obama paused before one statue, a guide explained that if he wanted to have a son, he should pray to her.

"I like daughters," Obama replied.

Shifting from the historical to the modern, Obama also stopped by the Dreamplex business complex in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, a space for startup entrepreneurs that fits with Obama's message about the potential benefits of closer ties to Vietnam's growing economy and its burgeoning middle class.

Obama visited with several entrepreneurs at the modern Dreamplex, learning about a virtual game that helps people recover from nerve injuries and a smart phone that can serve as a laser cutter. But Obama cautioned that you have to "be careful where you point it."

The meeting gave him another chance to promote the benefits of what he says will be enhanced trade under a 12-nation trade deal that is stalled in Congress and opposed by the leading U.S. presidential candidates. He said the pact, if approved, will accelerate economic reforms in Vietnam, boost its economic competitiveness, open up new markets and improve labor and environmental standards.

During his address, he said the agreement would give Vietnamese workers the right to form labor unions and would prohibit forced and child labor. He also predicted it would lead to greater regional cooperation.

"Vietnam will be less dependent on any one trading partner and enjoy broader ties with more partners, including the United States," Obama said.
Police are investigating a robbery in Brooklyn after a construction worker was shot on the job.

Police say the 21-year-old male victim was working at a construction site around 11 a.m. Monday near Belmont Avenue and Shepherd Avenue.

According to authorities, the robber knocked the victim down while trying to steal his gold chain.

After a struggle, cops say the man fired several shots, striking the victim twice in the abdomen and once in the elbow.

We spoke with a woman who was there.

"When I saw him bleeding there, I just had to do something," the witness said. "So, another bystander came along and applied pressure to the other side of the wound until EMS came."

Police say the suspect fled in a dark-colored Suburban.

The victim was taken to Brookdale University Hospital in serious condition.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
A Bronx man who allegedly supports the Islamic State was arrested Tuesday on charges of trying help an undercover agent travel to Syria to fight with the terror group. Bronx reporter Erin Clarke has the story.

22-year-old Sajmir Alimehmeti, also known as Abdul Qawii, is the latest in a series of alleged Islamic State sympathizers arrested in the city, this time in the Bronx.

"It was really shocking to here that it was right above me," said a neighbor. "For all I know they could be making explosives."

Alimehmeti lived at 3464 Knox Place with his parents. Federal law enforcement officers raided their apartment and picked him up early Tuesday morning.

"It was like a big noise it was like a boom," said another neighbor.

Prosecutors say Alimehmeti twice tried to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State.

But he was turned back when he tried to enter Britain and authorities found images of the Islamic State flag, bomb attacks, and audio files about jihad in his computer and cell phone.

He then allegedly bought military-type equipment weapons and attempted to get a passport for an undercover agent who he thought was trying to join the terrorist organization.

"It amazes me how people can be radicalized somewhat easy, in an easy manner like getting on the computer or the Internet," said third neighbor.

Neighbors say Alimehmeti seemed like a normal young man until about two years ago.

"A few years back he started changing his clothes and after that he didn't speak to nobody," said one.

"He started wearing traditional Muslim garb, attending mosque, he grew a beard and he became very quiet," said another.

Down the block at a mosque where neighbors say Alimehmeti sometimes prayed, members denounced the crimes he's been accused of and those we spoke to said they didn't know him.

"We hate this terrorist whether it is ISIS or whether it's al-Quaida," said one worshiper.

"They're lost," said another. "They are not real Muslims. Real Muslims never hurt nobody."

And there was no answer at Alimehmeti's home when we knocked this afternoon. Neighbors say the family doesn't speak much English but is cordial.

No one else in the home has been implicated.
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When I last saw Matthew Morrison at Feinsteins/54 Below, his close friend and co-star on the television series Glee, Cory Monteith, had just died. As Mr. Morrison sang What I Did for Love, from A Chorus Line, in tribute, the room vibrated with a collective sorrow and dismay. That sentimental but tough show-business anthem, with its implicit message that the show would go on, hit just the right note at a sensitive moment.

Three years have passed, and at Saturdays opening-night performance of his show at the same club, he commemorated the tragedy with a performance of the much more anguished Coldplay song Fix You, sung in a keening semi-falsetto. It was the most emotional moment in a show that revealed Mr. Morrison as a versatile, hard-driving musical frontiersman leveling the territory separating genres.

Mr. Morrison, who recently starred in the Broadway musical Finding Neverland, has a farsighted vision that encompasses rock, jazz and swing. By opening the show with a Frank Sinatra signature song, Come Fly With Me, followed by The Lady Is a Tramp, he boldly staked his claim to the realm occupied by Michael Buble, who is three years older and whom he resembles physically and vocally, although Mr. Morrison is a tenor and Mr. Buble a baritone. It was another of many signs that the Sinatra lounge tradition is not about to vanish anytime soon.

Accompanying Mr. Morrison was a quintet, directed by Brad Ellis on piano, that nimbly followed him from place to place. Mr. Morrison broke into some aggressive dance moves that showed him to be more of fighter than a floater.
LOS ANGELES  Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the new vice chairman and second-largest investor in Tribune Publishing, is believed to be the wealthiest physician in the world and the richest person in this city, surpassing all the Hollywood moguls.

Much of that fortune, valued at $11.9 billion by Forbes, came from selling generic drugs and from developing one new type of drug to treat cancer.

But his meteoric rise has not been without controversy, either, as he has developed a reputation for exaggerating his prospects and accomplishments.

He thinks big and sometimes his statements come off hyperbolic, said Dr. Eric Topol, professor of genomics at the Scripps Research Institute. Only time will tell how much he really accomplishes, Dr. Topol said.
At first, Nick Denton, the founder of Gawker Media, thought it an unlikely conspiracy theory.

Now, hes starting to believe it himself.

For the last several years, Mr. Denton has been the target of a lawsuit brought by the wrestler Hulk Hogan in the now-infamous defamation case over Gawkers publication of a sex tape  an editorial choice that recently resulted in a $140 million jury award to Mr. Hogan. The appeals process is likely to drag on for years, and some legal experts predict that the judgment will ultimately be overturned or the award greatly reduced.

During the trial, a low hum of speculation emerged within the legal community that Mr. Hogans legal case, which dragged on for more than three years, might be funded by someone other than Mr. Hogan  and for reasons other than simply inflicting financial pain on Gawker. At the time, the questions were provoked by several strategic decisions on Mr. Hogans side that didnt appear economically rational. More on that in a moment. Back then, Mr. Denton dismissed the idea of a third party secretly underwriting Mr. Hogans case as rather conspiracy-theorylike.

But in recent weeks, in the face of several new lawsuits brought against Gawker that are unrelated to Mr. Hogans case and seem to personally attack certain Gawker writers, Mr. Denton is having second thoughts. All of the new cases, like Mr. Hogans, were brought by Charles J. Harder, a Los Angeles-based litigator, working on a contingency basis, who has most likely run up huge legal bills and expenses. Gawker has said it has already spent as much as $10 million on its side of the case.
A federal appeals court dealt a blow to the federal governments effort to hold Bank of America accountable for the sale of shoddy mortgages before the financial crisis, overturning a $1.27 billion penalty the bank had been ordered to pay in the so-called hustle case.

A three-judge panel ruled on Monday that federal prosecutors had failed to prove that Bank of Americas Countrywide unit had defrauded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage firms, when it sold them troubled loans.

The judges said that while Countrywide employees may have sold loans in 2007 and 2008 that were not of the quality that was promised in the contracts with Fannie and Freddie, there was no evidence that these sales  an element of a loan program at Countrywide that was known informally as hustle  were part of a deliberate deception.

The trial evidence fails to demonstrate the contemporaneous fraudulent intent necessary to prove a scheme to defraud, Judge Richard C. Wesley wrote in a 31-page ruling.
The vote for unionizing, which took place on Friday, was 21 to 4, the union said.

Its a sign of how much we love this place, said Lena Solow, who said she had worked at Babeland for three years. We want it to be the best place it can be.

Babeland sells a variety of sex toys, accessories and books, and the workers proudly consider themselves sex educators. But that also makes them a target for invasive questions and even harassment, they said.

People dont go into the Gap and ask what shirt fits you best, added Phoenix Casino, who has worked at Babeland for two years.

The employees have advocated better training and support from management to deal with problematic customers. They had pushed for caller ID, for example, to help weed out the threatening phone calls workers said they received on a daily basis. Two of the three stores now have caller ID, Babeland said.
Artan Haraqija and Visar Duriqi helped me get started, setting up appointments and translating for me during my interviews. We drove around the country visiting Muslim clerics, local politicians and ordinary townspeople who recounted how radical Islamists had taken over mosques and drawn hordes of young students to their lectures, threatening anyone who got in their way.

Despite sudden flashbacks from the war, it was a joy to rediscover Kosovo: Though roads and buildings had been modernized, the beauty of the hillside villages and snow-capped mountains was unspoiled.

But it was hard to contemplate the new pain afflicting families whose children had been lured into Syria, almost always without the parents knowledge. We talked to a few who had come back from Syria, though some denied they had been there, perhaps fearing prosecution (since it is now a criminal offense to join an armed group outside Kosovo).

Kosovars are invariably welcoming and hospitable, and generally regard foreign reporters favorably because we helped expose the atrocities of the war. But some didnt want to be interviewed  weary as they were of journalists questions, or troubled and ashamed by the violent jihadism thats infiltrated their families.

Several women were outspoken in their criticism of the fundamentalists, but they asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. One had been threatened with death as she walked to work; another complained that her grandfather had struggled to educate his six daughters but her niece had then rejected everything they had achieved and adopted a medieval lifestyle.

After a few weeks I had a good idea of how much Kosovo had changed since the war, but my editors urged me to keep digging. We wanted to uncover the origins of this newfound radicalism.
Few things give me more joy than helping writers and artists whose work I admire reach a wider audience. And so, early this month, I found myself sitting with Ms. Alexievich in a breakfast room high up in a hotel overlooking peaceful Gothenburg, Sweden, where the day before, in a lovely house on a tranquil lake, there had been an illuminating conference on her work organized by the University of Gothenburg.

Ive been lucky enough to interview a few other Nobel laureates for The Times. In 2005 I met V.S. Naipaul at his home in Wiltshire, England  I was terrified before that one, as he had a reputation for being fearsome  and last year in Paris I spoke to Patrick Modiano, the 2014 winner, who was reluctant to elaborate on the biographical details of a life he had fictionalized in his work.

I was relieved that Ms. Alexievich, one of the most seasoned interlocutors on earth, was so easy to talk to. She was frank, and friendly. I was lucky that Kajsa Oberg Lindsten, who had translated three of Ms. Alexievichs books into Swedish, and her husband, Johan Oberg, were able to translate during the interview. They were old, close friends of the authors, and the atmosphere was relaxed and intimate, helping to ease the language barrier. (It was these Swedish translations, along with translations into French and German, that had caught the attention of the Swedish Academy.)

We discussed Secondhand Time, Ms. Alexievichs 2013 oral history of post-Soviet Russia, which appears in an English translation this week. That book had also blown me away. Her conversations with people across the former Soviet Union had such pathos and complexity  the history of a country and an era is told through each precious life. Bela Shayevich, who translated the book into English, told me she had suffered from secondhand trauma in the process, and Im not surprised.

At the conference the day before, I liked how Sara Danius, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, had described Ms. Alexievichs work as an anthropology of the human heart, with the field work carried out in the Soviet Union. Ms. Danius added: What she has achieved is an atlas of emotion, tracing the inner life of an entire epoch.
The Lees building, at 220 West 57th Street, was originally a clubhouse for the American Society of Civil Engineers, whose members no doubt appreciated its delicate facade as they filed in and filled its 400-seat auditorium  until the building became a Schraffts restaurant. Lees, which had been across the street in a 500-square-foot storefront, leased the ground floor in the 1970s.

The owners of Lees bought the entire building in the 1990s and spent $8 million on renovations in 2001 and 2002 that increased the retail space to 40,000 square feet from 7,500 square feet. The extra room was on three largely unused floors upstairs. New escalators were brought in (through a hole in the roof) and installed at night. That let the store stay open by day.

In 2013  five years after the death of Gilbert Steinberg, who had owned Lees since the early 1950s, and six years after the death of his wife, Ruth, who was known as Ricki and also had a hand in the store  the two children who had taken over signed a contract to sell the building for $65 million.

That deal crumbled, and in 2014, Thor Equities, a longtime commercial landlord, and General Growth Properties struck a new deal with the Steinberg children. The Real Deal website reported that the price was $85 million and that the closing was expected to take place next month. Lees, which has no plans to reopen in some other location, will continue its final sale until then, although many of its shelves and display cases are already empty. (David Steinberg, the chief executive of Lees, did not return a call seeking comment.)

So artists will have to look elsewhere for supplies. The Art Students League of New York, across the street, has its own store. Anyone whos mourning the loss of Lees can come across the street and pick up what they need, Ken Park, a spokesman for the school, said.

But longtime customers like Ms. Simon, the photographer, will be left without the help that they counted on from Lees employees like Hector Alburez. I have these silver gelatin prints and if one corner is dog-eared, the whole deal is off, she said, adding that Mr. Alburez for years has packed them so that they were never damaged in shipping.

He never talks about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, even though I would see them in a magazine at Lees Art Supply, she said. I would say something to Hector, and he would never talk about it. And hes somebody Ive known for 38 years. I dont want to overemphasize that particular star couple, but theyre there all the time. And Tony Bennett would be there all the time.

Other customers, though, said the demise of Lees seemed almost inevitable.

What in New York isnt different from what it used to be? Marty Merkley asked, checking discounted merchandise on Friday. What was quaint is chichi and what was chichi is astronomically expensive. But thats progress, whether we like it or not. Gentrification on any level is the lifeblood of any city.
Workers arrived at Maspeth Federal Savings Bank on Monday only to discover that several dozen safe deposit boxes were missing.

They did not have to look far to find them.

When the police arrived at the bank branch in Rego Park, Queens, they found the boxes piled on the roof, next to a wide hole through which, it appeared, thieves had broken into the vault over the weekend.

The full extent of the theft remained unclear; the vault held not only safe deposit boxes but also tellers cash, the bank said in a statement on Monday evening. The branch is expected to remain closed for several days, the statement said, and the bank will keep our customers informed as to whether or not their safe deposit boxes were affected by the burglary.

Outside the bank on Woodhaven Boulevard, caution tape roped the front doors as customers arrived to see if their belongings had been taken. Dozens of pilfered boxes had been left piled on the roof, according to the police, next to a makeshift plywood scaffold that appeared to have been constructed over the hole.
The nine correction officers who are on trial in the July 2012 beating of an inmate at Rikers Island, New York Citys main jail complex, will not be telling their side of the story in court.

Lawyers for all nine defendants unexpectedly rested their case on Monday without calling a single witness or presenting any evidence in State Supreme Court in the Bronx. One after another, the defense lawyers informed Justice Steven Barrett and the jurors of their decision shortly after prosecutors concluded their case after weeks of testimony from more than a dozen witnesses, including the former inmate who was beaten, Jahmal Lightfoot.

In response, Justice Barrett told the jurors, Weve taken a long journey together and the journey is coming to an end, for better or worse.

The case has drawn public scrutiny at a time when persistent violence at Rikers Island has received intensifying criticism and prompted calls by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, and others to shut it down.
Avigdor Liebermans previous stints as Israels foreign minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were a disaster for Israeli-American relations. Mr. Liebermans ultranationalist positions on Palestinians, settlements and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rendered him effectively unwelcome in Washington and toxic to Palestinians. Yet to shore up his coalition in the Israeli Parliament, Mr. Netanyahu has now offered Mr. Lieberman the office of minister of defense  widely considered to be the second most powerful position in the Israeli government, with a critical role in dealing with the United States and the Palestinians.

Mr. Netanyahu may think his political needs are more important than relations with the soon-to-end Obama administration, relations that are already severely strained by the nuclear agreement with Iran. But the administration had at least established a working relationship with Moshe Yaalon, the tough but pragmatic defense minister who resigned once the offer to Mr. Lieberman became known. The timing of this changing of the guard is particularly sensitive because a critical 10-year defense agreement establishing new levels of American military aid for Israel is in the final stages of negotiations.

Its hard to imagine peace talks moving rapidly forward in the immediate future, for a number of reasons. But it is entirely possible to imagine Israels relations in the region and beyond moving backward with a defense minister who has threatened, among other things, to conquer Gaza or bomb the Aswan Dam in the event of a war with Egypt. Mr. Liebermans ties with Israels own military establishment are frayed, most recently by his defense of an Israeli soldier arrested for executing a wounded Palestinian.
Like everything related to criminal justice, this is a race issue. If a white man and a black man commit the same crime, the black man is far more likely to be arrested and convicted. African-Americans make up 12 percent of drug users, for example  but 32 percent of people arrested for drug possession. A criminal record allows these biases to last forever.

The bias is greatest in arrests that do not lead to conviction or even charges. In many cities, arrests are used in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods as a means of intimidation and social control. Move along, the police say, and those who dont are brought in for loitering or disorderly conduct.

In Baltimore in 2005, under Mayor Martin OMalley, the Zero Tolerance campaign included 108,000 arrests  in a city of only 640,000. Tens of thousands of young minority men were arrested for simply hanging around or littering. The vast majority were either never charged with a crime, or released once they saw a judge.

Theres a word for people who arent convicted of a crime: innocent. So why should an arrest record hurt? One reason is ignorance. In Maryland, when prosecutors drop a case, its listed as nolle prosequi. Do you know what that means? Many employers dont.

They dont understand that a particular charge did not result in conviction, said Michael Pinard, professor and a director of the Clinical Law Program at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Or they know, but find that this particular charge is offensive  they might look more at the charge than at the result. Others think that if a person has interacted with the criminal justice system, he must have done something wrong.

Then add race to the mix. A record might confirm a stereotype about an applicant based on race and socioeconomic status, said Pinard. Given all we know about bias, stereotype, notions of criminality, its really important for many employers and landlords to look beyond a criminal record when dealing with a person of color.

Employment is the single most important factor in the rehabilitation of someone with a prison record. Yet it is far harder to get a job with a prison record  in one influential study published in 2009, having served time for possessing drugs with intent to distribute reduced callbacks for entry-level jobs by 50 percent for white applicants and by 64 percent for blacks.
As mighty a city as New York claims to be, its power and pride seem nowhere in evidence on Hart Island, a desolate spot off the Bronx shore where the most pauperous and forgotten citizens are buried in tiers of coffins for their eternal rest in a potters field. Since the Civil War, the lives and misfortunes of those anonymously interred in bulldozed pits have gone untold and unmourned while the rest of the city teems with life around them.

Now, however, an investigation by The Timess Nina Bernstein has penetrated some of those lost histories and uncovered gruesome bureaucratic failures in a burial ritual in great need of reform. She found a scramble of laws and procedures that by far favor enrichment of the living  particularly nursing homes and court-appointed guardians in an end-of-life industry  over respect for the 1,500 unclaimed dead who turn up each year.

The report was able to identify people buried on Hart Island despite having plots elsewhere and their own adequate burial funds; they had outlived anyone who knew this. Others wound up on the island because of a lack of effort by authorities to reach the next of kin. So they were classified as officially unclaimed, leaving only a few days by law to catch errors that could block a Hart Island burial.

Even worse, some of the unclaimed dead were requisitioned as teaching cadavers by medical and mortician schools under questionable laws dating to the bygone era of body snatching. One body remained in a limbo-like state of student experimentation for two years before arriving at Hart Island. The investigation uncovered family enmities and deep poverty behind some decisions to allow a relative to be sent to the potters field. There were also families who fought valiantly to reclaim their own for reburial.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.  I AM a trans woman, meaning I identify as a woman rather than the sex I was assigned at birth. I transitioned all at once in 2013 while working at a call center; one day I came in a man, and the next I came in a woman. Things went well at first, with co-workers taking it in stride and customers reading my voice as female, but then one of my bosses demanded to speak with me.

She wanted to talk about bathrooms.

Have you had the surgery? she asked. (Have you ever talked about your genitals with a superior at work? Its not exactly a party.) I told her no. Well, then, youll have to use the mens until you do. We cant risk a lawsuit.

I headed to the mens room, where I waited for the solitary stall to open up. I considered going all punk rock, hiking up my skirt at a urinal and flipping off any man who looked at me funny. But there is probably no meeker creature on earth than a newly transitioned woman.

The man who emerged from the stall looked at me as if I were a jug of spoiled milk. I waited on the toilet until the bathroom was empty again, but as soon as I started washing my hands, another man entered. He looked at me for a long time and then made a beeline for the urinal next to the sink, inches away from me, his stare never breaking.
Detention Center

The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility Monday was 65, with 49 from Platte County and 16 from out of county.

Police

April 29

11:54 a.m.  At the intersection of 30th Avenue and 23rd Street, Samia Mohammed, 29, Schuyler, was cited for a traffic signal violation.

April 30

12:50 a.m.  In the 3100 block of East 17th Avenue, Ciera Cemper, 18, 423 SE 39th Ave., was cited for driving under the influence.

May 1

8:33 p.m.  In the 800 block of 33rd Avenue, Seth Davies, 27, Shelby, was cited for failure to maintain his lane, driving without headlights and driving under the influence.

May 4

9:04 p.m. At the intersection of Third Avenue and 23rd Street, Gregoria Reyes-Hernandez, 34, Schuyler, was cited for a traffic signal violation and no operators license.

May 5

11 a.m.  At 1611 17th St., Edgar Flores-Palomo, 33, 1611 17th St., was cited for over limit of chickens (82), no proof of rabies vaccination, three counts, and no city license, three counts.

May 13

3 p.m.  At 2210 Seventh St., David Shonka, 51, 2210 Seventh St., was cited for destruction of property and no city license, two counts.

4:34 p.m.  At 1855 Sunset Lane, Roman Coria, 28, 1855 Sunset Lane, was cited for over limit of chickens (four).

May 16

4:10 p.m.  At the intersection of 36th Avenue and 23rd Street, Yosniel Blanco, 23, Miami, Florida, was cited for an improper turn.

5:47 p.m.  In the 2100 block of 33rd Avenue, Dustin Miller, 20, Rising City, was cited for no valid registration and no seat belt.

May 18

7:53 a.m.  At the intersection of 15th Street and 41st Avenue, Angela Niedbalski, 34, 962 21st Ave., was cited for failure to maintain control.

May 19

12:40 a.m.  In the 2500 block of 23rd Street, Sheyla Perez, 23, 2919 27th St., was cited for no operators license.

2:51 p.m.  At the intersection of East 14th Avenue and East 23rd Street, Bonnie Cyza, 70, 2076 141st Road, was cited for failure to yield right of way.

May 20

9:27 p.m.  Theft at 2429 32nd St., safe stolen, no loss amount.

May 21

7:46 a.m.  Theft at 2220 Fourth St., alcoholic beverages stolen, no loss amount.

9:44 a.m.  Criminal mischief at Micek Apartments, 3323 26th St., vehicle damaged, $75 loss.

3:34 p.m.  Theft from vehicle at Parkview Trailer Court, 858 33rd Ave., M-1, stereo equipment stolen, $175 loss.

May 22

8:50 a.m.  Criminal mischief at 2316 17th St., house spray painted, $50 loss.

6:25 p.m.  Theft at Pawnee Park East, 355 26th Ave., pink iPod Touch stolen, $195 loss.

9:12 p.m.  Theft at 753 13th Ave., laptop computer stolen, no loss amount.

Sheriff

May 20

8:19 a.m.  At mile marker 89 on Highway 22, Tracy Finkral of Newman Grove cited for speeding.

8:38 p.m.  Dispute at the Platte County Detention Facility, 1125 E. 17th St., Francisco Valenzuela-Ochoa of Columbus cited for second-degree assault.

May 21

7:46 a.m.  Assault at the county jail, Jonathan Palmer cited for assault on a confined person.

9:33 a.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of East 29th Avenue and U.S. Highway 30, David Rodriguez cited for a stop sign violation and no operators license.

9:44 a.m.  Criminal mischief at the intersection of 370th Avenue and 340th Street, sign damaged, $150 loss.

12:58 p.m.  Criminal mischief at 2419 E. 14th Ave., window damaged, $100 loss.

11:16 p.m.  Criminal mischief at 1851 E. 32nd Ave., vehicle window damaged, $250 loss.

May 22

10:18 a.m.  Domestic dispute at 4057 E. 25th St., Adan Cruz of Columbus jailed for domestic assault.

9:05 p.m.  Traffic violation on U.S. Highway 81 north of 430th Street, Homero Hernandez-Jaimes of New Mexico cited for speeding.

Fire

May 20

10:09 a.m.  In the 2100 block of 44th Avenue, medical.

11:18 a.m.  In the 2700 block of 28th Street, medical.

1:08 p.m.  In the 4100 block of Howard Boulevard, medical.

1:23 p.m.  In the 2200 block of Seventh Street, medical.

3:07 p.m.  In the 100 block of South Road, medical.

4:14 p.m.  In the 3000 block of 23rd Street, medical.

8:46 p.m.  In the 1100 block of East 17th Street, medical.

May 21

2:49 a.m.  In the 500 block of 24th Avenue, medical.

5:59 a.m.  In the 4500 block of 38th Street, medical.

11:05 a.m.  In the 1100 block of 16th Street, medical.

3:51 p.m.  Accident at the intersection of 18th Avenue and 17th Street, one patient transported.

May 22

12:46 a.m.  In the 29000 block of 160th Street, medical.

10:47 a.m. - In the 2700 block of 28th Street, medical.
As simple as possible is a central philosophy behind the Stockholm-based luxury outerwear brand Stutterheim, which opens its first stateside store this month. The hole-in-the-wall NoLIta shop, which was chiefly inspired by the brands newly-relocated flagship in the Sodermalm neighborhood of Stockholm, is starkly minimal. With steel fixtures, unvarnished hardwood floors and whitewashed brick walls, the space allows Stutterheims rows of colorful raincoats to be the focus. We have worked long and hard to create context and circumstances for our collection to look as good as it can, says Johan Loman, the brands co-founder and director of marketing.

Image From left: the storefront of the SoHo shop; inside, a row of colorful raincoats, which have become the brands signature. Credit... Seth Caplan

Alexander Stutterheim  who founded the brand with Loman in 2010  drew initial inspiration from a classic 1960s fishermans raincoat that belonged to his grandfather. (The raincoat has remained the brands signature style.) Since it launched, Stutterheim has built a steadfast following in both streetwear and high fashion worlds  and now offers two full unisex collections per year, as well as a permanent core collection. Following the hiring of a new head designer, Patric Wallertz, last year, the brand will introduce a wider range of materials and styles, like bonded cotton long coats and rain-resistant puffers, for fall/winter 2016.

Stutterheim has also recently broadened its range to include quilted vests and streamlined bomber jackets, as well as accessories. (One popular item is a rubberized cotton bucket hat that calls to mind a streetwise Paddington Bear.) While expansion proved necessary back home, theyre taking a modest approach when it comes to New York  at least to start. Its not like were opening up a perfect retail store, says Loman. But were learning as we go, and its going to be very exciting, for sure.
SAN FRANCISCO  Facebook said on Monday that an internal investigation found no evidence of systemic political bias in the selection of news presented in a section of its app called Trending Topics.

Even so, the social network, which is making a tour of contrition after accusations that it actively suppresses conservative content, said it would make some changes to Trending Topics, including no longer referring to a list of national news sources  like Fox News, The New York Times and BuzzFeed News  to boost topics appearing on its Trending Topics.

These improvements and safeguards are designed not only to ensure that Facebook remains a platform that is open and welcoming to all groups and individuals, but also to restore any loss of trust in the Trending Topics feature, Colin Stretch, Facebook general counsel, said in a statement posted to the companys site.

The move is the latest attempt by Facebook to control political criticism after a report from Gizmodo, the technology news site, which cited two former Facebook news curators as saying some conservative news was not promoted on Trending Topics, depending on the individual biases of staff members. Trending Topics shows up as the list of the most-talked-about items of interest on Facebook, and appears in the top right corner of the desktop site for hundreds of millions of users.
SAN FRANCISCO  Microsoft has largely stood by as other technology giants like Facebook and Google have begun work on grand plans for balloons, satellites, drones, simplified apps and even bicycle hot spots to deliver Internet access to the four billion or so people around the world who are not yet online.

The venerable software company, still best known for the Windows software that runs most of the worlds personal computers, did buy the handset business of Nokia, the Finnish cellphone maker, in 2014  a platform that could have been the basis of a mobile access strategy  only to write off most of the business a year later and sell the low-end side of it last week.

But now Microsoft finally seems to be settling on a strategy for addressing the great global disconnect: It is going to fund other businesses developing local solutions and help build the ones that show the most promise.

On Tuesday, the company, which is based in Redmond, Wash., announced the first winners of grants under a new program called the Affordable Access Initiative. The 12 recipients, who will get $70,000 to $150,000 apiece, include a company in Rwanda franchising solar-powered mobile kiosks that provide Wi-Fi and battery recharges, and an Argentine firm that uses monitoring technologies and chatbots so that farmers can keep tabs remotely on the health of their cattle.
Guards at the Taj, Rajiv Josephs bloodstained drama about humble sentries in 17th-century India, won the Obie Award for best new American play at a ceremony celebrating the best of Off Broadway on Monday night. Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed, the actors in the Atlantic Theater Company production, were singled out for their performances as well.

Among the other award winners: playwrights Lucas Hnath, hailed for The Christians and Red Speedo, and Stephen Karam, whose family drama, The Humans has since transferred to Broadway, where it is up for a Tony Award as best play.

An award for musical theater went to the composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and the book writer Steven Levenson for Dear Evan Hansen, now playing at Second Stage Theater. The shows 23-year-old star, Ben Platt, won an Obie for his performance as an anxious high schooler caught up in a lie; other new faces singled out included Khris Davis, who played a boxer in Lincoln Center Theaters The Royale, as well as the veterans Georgia Engel (for John at the Signature Theater Company) and Tamara Tunie (for Familiar at Playwrights Horizons.)

The ensemble of Eclipsed, now on Broadway after a run at the Public Theater, shared an acting prize as well.
Michael Mariotte, a leading national opponent of nuclear power and an advocate for alternative, sustainable sources of energy, died on May 16 at his home in Kensington, Md. He was 63.

The cause was pancreatic cancer, his wife, Tetyana Murza, said.

As executive director and president of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service in Takoma Park, Md., for three decades, Mr. Mariotte was at the forefront of two successful landmark efforts: to prevent the repeal of a federal ban on interstate shipment of radioactive waste, and to bar the construction of new nuclear plants in Maryland and Louisiana.

He also organized antinuclear campaigns in Eastern Europe after the fatal power plant catastrophe in 1986 at Chernobyl, in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. And his information service acted as a clearinghouse for groups that opposed nuclear power, both in the United States and overseas.

In 2014, Mr. Mariotte (pronounced like the hotel chain) received a lifetime achievement award from Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate, on behalf of a dozen environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Public Citizen and the Sierra Club.
After years of frustration, proponents of releasing 28 classified pages of a congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks were seeing real progress in their push for disclosure of findings that are said to show high-level Saudi Arabian support for the hijackers.

We seem to be coming to a point of decision as to whether to release it or not and in what form, said Bob Graham, the former Democratic senator from Florida, who served as a co-chairman of the 2002 inquiry and has made disclosure of the pages a personal cause since leaving Congress.

But last-minute obstacles, often by design, have a way of cropping up in Washington and slowing things down. Mr. Graham hopes he is not seeing an example of that, he said, after suggestions from James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, that Congress will ultimately be left to decide what to do with the pages once intelligence officials finish a review as early as next month.

That approach  first raised in a private meeting last week among Mr. Clapper, Mr. Graham and lawmakers  took Mr. Graham by surprise. It threatens to add a new layer of complexity to a process that those backing the release thought was reaching its long-sought end.
WASHINGTON  Early on Saturday, a middle-aged Pashtun man used forged documents to cross from Iran into Pakistan. A few hours later, on a lonely stretch of highway, he was incinerated by an American drone.

It is not exactly clear how the Americans tracked Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, leader of the Afghan Taliban, to a white sedan rattling across the arid expanse of Baluchistan Province. The United States picked up a mix of phone intercepts and tips from sources, American and European officials said, and there were reports that Pakistan also provided intelligence. President Obama described Mullah Mansours death on Monday as an important milestone  but the strike was also an illustration of the tangled relationship between Washington and Islamabad.

Not since Mr. Obama ordered Navy SEALs to hunt down Osama bin Laden in May 2011 has he authorized a military incursion in Pakistan as audacious as this one. The White House did not inform the Pakistanis in advance of the operation, which occurred outside the frontier region near Afghanistan, the one place where Pakistan has tolerated American drone strikes in the past.

By using the militarys Joint Special Operations Command rather than the C.I.A. to carry out the attack, the United States denied Pakistan the fig leaf of a covert operation, which in the past has given the Pakistanis the ability to claim they had been consulted beforehand.
Donald J. Trump met privately on Monday with Woody Johnson, the New York Jets owner and a top Republican fund-raiser, as the presumptive nominee looks to secure the support of some of the partys largest financial backers in order to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for his general election effort.

Mr. Trump confirmed the meeting in a brief interview with The Times.

Woodys a great guy, Mr. Trump said. Woody will support me. Hes a terrific guy, hes been a friend of mine a long time.

Mr. Johnson supported Jeb Bush during the Republican primary, a decision he made early in 2015, at a time when many people were still uncertain whether Mr. Trump was mounting a serious campaign. An aide to Mr. Johnson declined to comment on the meeting.

The move came as Mr. Trump begins to build a fund-raising operation in order to raise roughly $1 billion through a joint fund-raising agreement among his campaign, the Republican National Committee and 11 state parties.
WASHINGTON  Facing a backlash over long security lines and management problems, the head of the Transportation Security Administration shook up his leadership team on Monday, replacing the agencys top security official and adding a new group of administrators at Chicago OHare International Airport.

In an email to staff members, Peter V. Neffenger, the T.S.A. administrator, announced a series of changes that included the removal of Kelly Hoggan, who had been the assistant administrator for the Office of Security Operations since 2013.

Beginning late that year, Mr. Hoggan received $90,000 in bonuses over a 13-month period, even though a leaked report from the Department of Homeland Security showed that auditors were able to get fake weapons and explosives past security screeners 95 percent of the time in 70 covert tests.

In addition, several employees who say they were punished with reassignments to other airports after filing whistle-blower complaints have alleged that Mr. Hoggan played a role in their forced transfers.
RIO DE JANEIRO  Brazils interim president, Michel Temer, on Monday suffered a major setback in his campaign to win over the country when a report of recordings surfaced suggesting that one of his ministers had plotted to head off the huge Petrobras corruption investigation by pursuing the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

The minister, Romero Juca, an influential leader in the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, or PMDB, though denying accusations of wrongdoing, said he would step down on Tuesday and return to the Senate. Earlier in the day, the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo published excerpts from a recorded conversation between Mr. Juca and a former business executive that indicated they were seeking to impede the sprawling investigation in which both were caught up.

Mr. Temer temporarily took over the presidency on May 12 after Ms. Rousseff was suspended for up to 180 days following a vote by the countrys Senate to start an impeachment trial against her.

He replaced the entire cabinet, seeking to win Brazilians trust and also investors confidence that he could find a way out of the nations worst economic crisis in decades. Yet he named many ministers already ensnared in the corruption inquiries.
COLUMBUS  Columbus Police are still searching for a 27-year-old man they believe is responsible for several vehicle thefts over the past week.

Anthony Mattison, who led law enforcement authorities on multiple chases, is being sought by police for motor vehicle theft, flight to avoid arrest and possession of a controlled substance in Platte County.

The suspect is approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 160 pounds with numerous tattoos.

Police believe Mattison was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS that crashed near Columbus High School on May 17 after the driver fled from an officer responding to a complaint of a loud vehicle in the 2500 block of 47th Avenue.

Police mounted a manhunt in the area, but were unable to find the suspect, who ran from the crash scene on foot.

A 31-year-old woman who was a passenger in the vehicle was taken into custody by police, although she was not charged. The woman helped identify the suspect, whose name was not released by police until a warrant was issued this week.

Authorities believe Mattison, who was wanted for probation violations, stole a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado from Ernst Auto Body in Columbus before heading toward Grand Island, where he was involved in a pursuit involving the Nebraska State Patrol later on May 17. The pickup was abandoned in Grand Island, and another vehicle was reported stolen a short time later.

Other vehicle thefts have been reported in Columbus recently and police are recommending local residents keep their vehicles locked.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Platte County Crime Stoppers at 402-563-4000 or the Columbus Police Department at 402-564-3201.
NEW DELHI  Three police officers were killed by gunmen in two separate shootings on Monday in Srinagar, India, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir State, the police said.

Attacks on police and army officials have become relatively rare in Srinagar, and more often take place outside the city or closer to the disputed border with Pakistan. A once-steady stream of armed militants crossing the border has also declined in recent years.

Kashmir has been a source of conflict between Pakistan and India since independence and partition in 1947. Pakistan has never accepted the states inclusion in India and has tried repeatedly to dislodge it, both with military incursions and by supporting Kashmiri insurgents.

In Mondays attacks, attackers suspected of being militants fatally shot the police officers at close range at two separate locations.
SINGAPORE  When President Obama announced Monday that he was ending a half-century-long arms embargo against Vietnam, it was another milestone in his long-running ambition to recast Americas role in Asia  a pivot as he once called it, designed to realign Americas foreign policy so it can reap the benefits of Asias economic and strategic future.

Yet as Mr. Obamas time in office comes to an end, Asian nations are deeply skeptical about how much they can rely on Washingtons commitment and staying power in the region. They sense that for the first time in memory, Americans are questioning whether their economic and defense interests in Asia are really that vital.

Mr. Obama is the first president to have grown up in the region  he lived in Indonesia as an elementary school student  and he has never doubted that America is underinvested in Asia and overinvested in the Middle East.

In visit after visit, he has capitalized on the palpable nervousness about Beijings intentions while also cautioning that Chinas growing influence and power are unstoppable forces of history. In Mr. Obamas view, that means both the United States and the rest of the region will have to both accommodate and channel Chinas ambitions rather than make a futile attempt to contain them, while reassuring the Chinese of Americas peaceful intentions.
PARIS  One man stumbles onto a soil-covered stage, warily flattens himself against the rear wall, then runs on. More people follow, hurtling along the perimeters, then stop like deer caught in headlights before rushing up the aisles of the theater. Gasps of breath are the only sounds.

This is the panic-stricken opening of Pina Bauschs 1984 work, On the Mountain a Cry Was Heard, performed by Tanztheater Wuppertal at the Theatre du Chatelet here through Thursday. The immediate association in Europe is of streams of refugees evading the authorities as they flee conflict in their countries.

What catastrophic event was Ms. Bausch thinking of? Perhaps simply the perennial existence of war, brutality and suffering, which is conveyed here with a relentlessness that may explain the negative reception the piece got the first time it was presented in New York. (The pornography of pain, Arlene Croce wrote in a 1984 review in The New Yorker titled Bad Smells.)

On the Mountain a Cry Was Heard (Auf dem Gerbirge hat man ein Geschrei Gehort in the original German) is rarely seen these days. Until it was revived in 2014, it had not been performed for almost 20 years. (Its tempting to speculate whether Ms. Bausch, who died in 2009, would have brought it back.)
BEXHILL-ON-SEA, England  Hailed as one of the greatest museum directors of the last century, Willem Sandberg organized some 800 exhibitions as head of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam from 1945 to 1963. He introduced film screenings and live music to the museum, which is devoted to Modern art; added design and photography to its collection; and increased annual attendance fivefold, to 300,000 people.

Yet, in a feat of creativity and sheer energy, Mr. Sandberg also found time to design all the posters and catalogs for the Stedelijks exhibitions, as well as its stationery, invoices, tickets and invitations. Now, much of that work is on display in an important solo show, his first survey in Britain.

The exhibition, Willem Sandberg from type to image, running through Sept. 4 at the De La Warr Pavilion here, is drawn from the Stedelijks collection, to which Mr. Sandberg, who died in 1984, bequeathed his personal archive. The show portrays him as an unusually resourceful and expressive graphic designer who applied design to advance his vision of culture as a progressive force in society.

In our age, in which museum directors sometimes seem more adept at administrative duties and extracting money from donors, Mr. Sandberg, who championed abstraction, kinetic art and other avant-garde movements, stands out as a creative force of his own, through his passion for design.
The group resurrecting New York City Opera from bankruptcy announced on Tuesday that it would be collaborating with an important figure from the companys past: the director Harold Prince, who plans to stage Leonard Bernsteins Candide next season.

Its all about City Opera: I want the peoples opera back in New York, said Mr. Prince, 88, who directed a number of celebrated productions for the old City Opera, including the well received company premiere of Candide in 1982, which helped change perceptions of the piece.

Mr. Prince said in a telephone interview that he had been outraged to see the old company, which was founded by Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia in 1943 to bring opera to the masses, descend into mismanagement and, ultimately, bankruptcy. When that happened I was appalled, furious, he said. You know, my God, Fiorello gave us this!

The new Candide, which will open on Jan. 6 at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center and will be based on the productions Mr. Prince mounted at City Opera and on Broadway, is a centerpiece of the companys 2016-17 season. The companys other operas at the Rose Theater next season will include a double bill that pairs Rachmaninoffs rarely seen Aleko with Leoncavallos crowd-pleasing staple, Pagliacci; Respighis La Campana Sommersa (The Sunken Bell), a coproduction with the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari; and Peter Eotvoss Angels in America, based on the Tony Kushner play, which will receive its New York premiere on June 10, 2017.
NORRISTOWN, Pa.  Prosecutors in Pennsylvania on Tuesday crossed their final hurdle to bring Bill Cosby to trial on charges that he drugged and sexually assaulted a woman he once mentored, with a judge ruling that enough evidence existed for the case to move forward.

While Mr. Cosby is fighting numerous civil cases involving similar accusations, the ruling, by Judge Elizabeth A. McHugh, means that the once popular entertainer must face at least one of his accusers in a criminal proceeding, likely to take place here this year.

This case will move forward, Judge McHugh told the crowded courtroom in Montgomery County Courthouse.

The hearing, while routine, attracted widespread attention, with more than 100 members of the news media and public packed into the courtroom, and 50 others were seated in an overflow room nearby.
How did that final scene change your understanding of Hodor?

It didnt change it at all. Obviously it gave me the answers to the reality of the character, but it was very true to him and to, I hope, the way I played him. There was a lot of humanity there and I think he always had a lot of humanity. I think thats exactly what Hodor would have wanted. Well, I dont think he wanted to die. But I think he happily did.

Why do you think people are taking Hodors death so hard?

Theres no one else like Hodor on Game of Thrones. Theres no other character with that warmth, humanity and a little bit of comic relief. People are taking it badly. Hes just such a nice guy and its so rare on this show, and he didnt deserve it. But thats just Game of Thrones for you. I think it was set up earlier in the episode, Jaqen Hghar asks Arya something like, Does death only come for the wicked and leave good people behind? Because Hodor is such a good person and hes about to get slaughtered.

What was the final day like?



It was emotional, man. It was the day either before or after my birthday. It was a really heavy day  youve got these 100-mile-per-hour winds being blown into your face with false snow. I was really holding the door  there were like eight people pushing from the other side and I was really holding them back. Its definitely Method acting [laughs]. It was a very intense day but one of the nice things was they let Isaac wrap me. He got to come over and say Mr. Nairn, thats a wrap. It was very emotional. Its always been a little group of us together and it felt like our little group was breaking up. And its sad!

How many different ways are there to say Hodor?



Theres infinite ways to say it, but its not all about the word, man. Its about body language as well.

Do you have a favorite one?

My favorite one I think was back in Season 3 and Osha was complaining about, Why do we always have to do the work? Why do we build the tent and light the fire while Bran talks to the Reeds? And I just looked up at her and gave her this sort of Why are you telling me this Hodor. What do you want me to do about it? It was such an obscure Hodor but everyone got it. It was fantastic.

You have other shows and films coming up, as well as your music career. But have you made your peace with the fact that youll always be Hodor for many people?
Part of the longing is for Russias old intellectual life. One woman says: In one arm, my baby is dying, and with my free hand, Im holding Solzhenitsyn. Books replaced life for us. They were our whole world.

Image The Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich. Credit... Erik Refner for The New York Times

A man comments: We stepped out of our kitchens and onto the streets, where we soon discovered that we hadnt had any ideas after all  that whole time, wed just been talking. Completely new people appeared, these young guys in gold rings and magenta blazers. There were new rules: If you have money, you count  no money, youre nothing. Who cares if youve read all of Hegel? Humanities started sounding like a disease.

Ms. Alexievich takes us into a lot of kitchens, once the soul of Russian dissident life. A section of this book is titled Snatches of Street Noise and Kitchen Conversations (1991-2001).

For us, the kitchen is not just where we cook, its a dining room, a guest room, an office, a soapbox, the author is told. Kitchens are where we could criticize the government and, most importantly, not be afraid, because in the kitchen you were always among friends.

The implication in Secondhand Time is that todays Russian kitchens are often soulless places, filled merely with knockoffs of high-end appliances. Less talk happens. So does less cooking. One interviewee talks about the opening of a McDonalds: Educated, intelligent adults saved boxes and napkins from there and would proudly show them off to guests.

In an introduction to this book, Ms. Alexievich writes about her method. I dont ask people about socialism, she says, I want to know about love, jealousy, childhood, old age. Music, dances, hairdos. The myriad sundry details of a vanished way of life.

In this lucid translation by Bela Shayevich, she gets these details onto the page. But the stories in Secondhand Life can also be baggy and repetitive. Occasionally you are made to feel adrift in narrative Siberia, left to dream about condensation and editing, about the knife skills an oral historian should have in her kit.
LONDON  The European Commission said on Tuesday that it had signed off on Anheuser-Busch InBevs more than $100 billion merger with SABMiller after the companies agreed to sell SABMillers premium brands in Europe and some other European operations.

The combination of SABMiller and Anheuser-Busch would create a beer industry giant that would account for about 30 percent of global beer sales. In hopes of winning regulatory approval, Anheuser-Busch has entered into a number of agreements to sell a variety of assets from the combined company.

In April, it accepted an offer by Asahi Group Holdings of Japan to buy the beer brands Grolsch, Meantime and Peroni, as well as associated SABMiller operations in Britain, Italy and the Netherlands, for 2.55 billion euros, or about $2.9 billion.

Anheuser-Busch also said in April that it would be willing to sell SABMillers assets in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia as part of a package of divestments to win approval from European regulators.
LONDON  The London-based financial services firm Old Mutual said on Tuesday that it was approached by several potential buyers interested in its controlling stake in OM Asset Management.

The company, which is listed in London and Johannesburg, said in March that it would split into four main businesses. Old Mutuals operations include insurance, asset management and banking.

Old Mutual decided to pursue a breakup after a strategic review announced in November when the former Standard Bank executive Bruce Hemphill took over as chief executive.

The company did not indicate who had approached it regarding the OM Asset Management stake.

There can be no certainty that these approaches will lead to any transaction or any certainty as to the terms on which any such transaction might proceed, the company said in a news release on Tuesday.
COLUMBUS  Local teachers got a hands-on look at the skills needed to fill math, science, technology and engineering careers.

Nebraska Public Power District brought a STEM Connections Lab to Columbus High School on Monday for a teachers' workshop. The new portable lab connects work force skills with educational requirements, said Chad Johnson, educational specialist with NPPD.

The lab, which was paid for through a $30,000 American Public Power Association grant and matching funds, will officially launch in the fall when it will be set up in 15 different schools in the state. Through its education program, NPPD provides learning opportunities to the community and schools with science-based activities. The lab is an expansion of that program.

Its the biggest, grand-scale project weve done for the education program, Johnson said.

The 10-station lab was set up in the schools media center, and educators were able to visit each station that touched on areas like robotics, 3-D printing, data collecting and product branding. Bringing the lab to the school was a good fit because the new CHS building will house a STEM academy that promotes technical careers through robotics, mechatronics and electronics programs.

The lab gave teachers a chance to learn how they can incorporate STEM into their classrooms.

For some teachers, STEM is a natural fit with their curriculum, but even art and business educators and school counselors were seeing the benefit of working in the lab.

Through the business department, we teach a career education class and this type of thing could be incorporated just to expose students to the types of technology needed for various types of careers, said CHS business teacher Kris Wurtz.

CHS counselor Jenna Christensen, who was using wires and clips at one station to test the conductivity of Play-Do, said she can use what she learned to help guide students when they come to her seeking advice on what to study in high school and or what colleges to look at for careers in science, technology, engineering and technology.

One goal of the STEM lab is to get teachers to think outside the box and allow students to explore, question and find answers.

The idea is setting the foundation that instead of doing an assignment, they move into the idea of doing a project, Johnson said.

Megan Graybill, an art teacher at Columbus Middle School, was using a program on an iPad to guide a sphere-shaped robot around plastic cups on the floor. She said art incorporates STEM through technology and engineering combined with architecture and making blueprints. She likes the idea of letting students investigate and discover.

I like the exploring component, just letting the kids explore and learn things on their own. Id like to use that in the art room, she said.
By covered wagon and jetliner, from East Coast to West, Rust Belt to Sun Belt, Americans propensity to be on the move  to new jobs and new places  has historically provided the economy with a critical dose of oomph.

But as fewer and fewer Americans are loading up the moving van in search of opportunity, that advantage may be slipping away. In recent years, economists have become increasingly worried that a slide in job turnover and relocation rates is undermining the economys dynamism, damping productivity and wages while making it more difficult for sidelined workers to find their way back into the labor force.

Its possible that one reason people arent changing jobs is because theyve all found jobs that are great for them and theyre happy, Betsey Stevenson, an economist at the University of Michigan and a former member of President Obamas Council of Economic Advisers, said. But the other possibility is that people stay in jobs that arent as good for them because theyre terrified of changing, and thats bad for the overall economy.

Staying put can mean that workers are not moving to jobs where they would be more productive. At the same time, many are forgoing the raises and ascents on the career ladder that often come with a job switch. Fewer openings can also have a ripple effect, shrinking the bargaining power of workers in general, making it tougher to ask for a bump up in pay.
November 13, 2015 Hollande: My dear compatriots Anchor1: Horrific breaking news story tonight. Terror across Paris. It is a city under siege. (FR) Flash urgent, un drame se deroule : Paris est attaquee. La ville est en etat de siege. Anchor2: Six connected terrorist attacks here. (FR) Six attentats coordonnes. Anchor3: At this hour, the death-toll stands at 129 lives lost, and the worst violence this country has seen since world war 2. (FR) Pour linstant, le bilan se chiffre a 129 morts, lattentat le plus sanglant en France depuis la Seconde Guerre mondiale. SUPER: TWO WEEKS LATER TITLE (FR): DEUX SEMAINES PLUS TARD COFFEE SCENE VO: France is still shellshocked. Tensions are high. But one group was expecting this. We told you so, they say. VO (FR): La France est encore sous le choc, et reste sous haute tension. Mais certains ne sont pas surpris :  on vous lavait bien dit . FLYERING SCENE VO: They are the National Front  Frances far right, conservative party. anti-immigrant. anti-EU. Ultra-nationalist. And all across europe, far right parties like these are exerting influence across Europe. VO (FR): Ils sont au Front National, un parti dextreme-droite, qui defend une ligne anti-immigration et anti-europeenne. Partout en Europe, des partis similaires tissent leur toile. VO: The leader on the ground here, is Stephan Revier. VO (FR): Voici Stephane Ravier, lun de leur chefs de file. BIKINI SCENE VO: Hes an open critic of Muslim immigration And luckily for him, a national election is days away. And this climate of fear may be their ticket to victory. VO (FR): Il soppose ouvertement a limmigration musulmane. Hasard du calendrier, nous sommes a quelques jours des regionales. Ce climat de peur pourrait bien lui etre favorable. VO: These are just the regional elections, but a win would be their biggest yet and would further legitimize the party for a 2017 presidential run. But not everyone is a fan... VO (FR): Il ne sagit que de regionales, mais une victoire serait inedite et favoriserait le FN pour lecheance presidentielle de 2017. Mais tous ne sont pas pour. END OF LEAFLET SCENE - go f**k yourselfa VO: This is marseille, part of the french riviera, almost 500 miles south of Paris, and on track to become Europes first muslim majority city. VO (FR): Nous sommes a Marseille, a 800 km de Paris. La cite phoceenne est en passe de devenir la premiere ville europeenne a majorite musulmane. END WITH ANTI-NATIONAL FRONT PROTESTER IN MARKET TITLE: Frances Far Right Rise TITLE (FR): La montee de lextreme-droite en France Nona: Their main idea is to keep their jobs, the housing and the social benefits to the french. Its the same cry and its the same cry all over europe. French first here, danish first there, austrian first there. These are nativist parties and of course they are fueled on fear. Nona (FR): Ce quils veulent, cest que les emplois, les logements et les allocations reviennent en priorite aux Francais. Cest pareil partout en Europe. Les Francais dabord, les Danois dabord, les Autrichiens dabord... Il sagit de partis xenophobes que la peur alimente. VO: In the wake of the refugee crisis, debt showdowns, and terrorism in the streets. Far right movements across Europe have been gaining momentum. VO (FR): Avec la crise des refugies, lausterite, et des scenes de guerre en pleine rue, les partis europeens dextreme-droite montent en puissance. VO: for the National Front the message is clear: The left has failed you, the right has failed you, now its time for something new. VO (FR): Le message du Front National est clair : la gauche a echoue, la droite a echoue, il faut changer de methode. Marine Le Pen: Our politicians need to open their eyes. Yes there is a link between massive migration, anti-French communalism and Radical Islamism. <crowd cheers> VO: Leadership in the party is a family affair. Marine Le Pen is the president and face of the party. She shocked the nation by placing third in the 2012 presidential election and continues attract a loyal and passionate following. VO (FR): Le Front National est une affaire de famille. Marine Le Pen est a la fois la presidente et le visage du FN. Elle est arrivee troisieme a la presidentielle de 2012, et peut compter sur une base qui lui est devouee. NEWS CLIP OF MARINE: Multiculturalism stands for multiconflict. VO: Her father Jean marie le pen founded the party in 1972. Under his reign, the party earned a xenophobic reputation. VO (FR): Jean-Marie Le Pen, son pere, a fonde le parti en 1972. Sous sa presidence, le FN a ete taxe de xenophobie. NEWS CLIP: holocuast pop Once again, minimizing the holocuast - I speak freely, and people dont like that - he says NEWS CLIP VF - Faisant preuve une nouvelle fois de negationnisme... / J.-M. LE PEN:  Je parle librement, ce qui choque un certain nombre de gens  VO: In 2015, his own daughter expelled him from the party to detoxify their image and broaden their appeal. More recently he endorsed Donald Trump on Twitter. VO (FR): En 2015, sa propre fille lexclut du Front pour tenter de dediaboliser le parti. Plus recemment, Jean-Marie Le Pen a soutenu Donald Trump sur Twitter. TWITTER SCREENSHOT TWITTER SCREENSHOT FR: Si jetais americain, je voterais pour Donald Trump... Que Dieu le benisse ! VO: Her niece is the partys rising star. Marion Marechal-Le Pen. Just 26 years old. Sarah Palin calls her, her Political crush. Shes running to lead this region in southern france, and Her right hand man is stephane ravier. VO (FR): Sa niece est letoile montante du parti. Elle na que 26 ans. Sarah Palin dit avoir eu un coup de cur pour elle. Elle sest portee candidate pour la presidence de la region PACA. Son bras droit ? Stephane Ravier. SARAH PALIN QUOTE FR:  Jai un coup de cur pour elle, mais je ne peux pas voter pour elle puisquelle se presente en France.  VO: SR fashions himself as a man of the people. While the Le Pen family controls things from afar, Stephan is the man on the ground. Hes a senator, district mayor, and the son of an Italian immigrant. VO (FR): Stephane Ravier se presente comme un homme du peuple. Tandis que la famille Le Pen teleguide le parti, Ravier est sur le terrain. Il est a la fois senateur, maire darrondissement, et le fils dun immigre italien. VO: Hes known for public anti-muslim spectacles. He defiantly served bacon at a public function, and once even stopped a muslim wedding because the bride word an illegal veil. VO (FR): Il est connu pour ses prises de position anti-Islam. Il a servi du porc lors dun rassemblement public, et a interrompu un mariage musulman en raison du voile illegal porte par la mariee. I grew up in Marseilles northern neighborhoods. In the working-class neighborhoods. My Dad was an electrician at construction sites. I grew up there and it hurts me to see what has happened. Stephane Ravier: These are the neighborhoods where, lets say 50, 60, 70 percent of the population is Muslim, to begin with. They speak French there too, but these are foreign enclaves. Except when it comes to claiming social benefits. Thats when they claim to be French. VO: Now, hes out before the first round of voting. If they win, there will be a run off one week later. VO (FR): Il bat la campagne avant le premier tour. SUPER: Voting day round 1 TITLE (FR): Jour de vote, premier round VO: The first round results are in. VO (FR): Les resultats du premier tour viennent de tomber. -TV reporter: Its in Provence-Alpes-Cote dAzur That the National Front got its best score with Marion Marechal Le Pen, 41.2 percent of the votes. VO: The national front won the first round by 15 percent. And their leading in 6 of the 13 regions across the country. VO (FR): Le FN gagne le premier tour avec une avance de 15 points. Ils sont en tete dans 6 regions sur 13. song: To the health of france and shit for the king of england who declared war against us! Ravier: If you love France, you love wine! Ravier (FR ST): Si vous aimez la France, vous aimez le vin ! VO: Its a resounding victory, but far from over. VO (FR): Une victoire assourdissante, mais tout reste a faire. VO: The record breaking win has shocked opponents into action and now, the national front is about to face a full frontal assault from all sides. VO (FR): Lampleur inedite de la victoire a electrise les concurrents du FN, qui se trouve attaque de toutes parts. VO: The liberals are in panic mode. Their new strategy is to stop the national front at any costs. VO (FR): Branle-bas de combat a gauche. Leur nouvelle strategie : faire barrage au FN a tout prix. VO: The attacks have Stephane on the defense. VO (FR): Ravier est sur la defensive. -Socialist: Ive just heard Mr Ravier stigmatize Muslim people in a non acceptable way. Ravier: What? When? When have you heard this? This is defamation. -Ive heard it now. -Youre a liar. Youre doing again a trial. -The Stalinist roots are still there. -Youre manipulating people. Its incredible to listen to this. -Its a scandal. VO: With the numbers as they are now, the National Front is all but certain to win the region. To block them socialists make a game changing move. They pull out of the race. Forcing their supporters to vote Republican  Its a familiar strategy in French politics. And the move is just enough to give the republicans a slight lead. VO (FR): Au vu des chiffres, le FN semble a deux doigts de prendre la region. Pour leur faire barrage, les socialistes tentent un coup de poker. Ils se desistent au profit de la droite republicaine. De quoi donner aux Republicains une petite avance. VO: The National Front is pushing back, vying for every last vote. VO (FR): Le FN joue son va-tout. -littering -jewish lady -son is a good guy SUPER: Election day TITLE (FR): Le jour des elections Stephan: [a text from] Le Pen, Marion. Who tells me we lost. Democracy is crying tonight. VO: The national front has lost here by 10 percent and failed to capture any other regions in France. VO (FR): Le FN a perdu de 10 points, et na conquis aucune region. Nona: For the moment, I think that all the factors that have helped the progression of the National Front are still there. Were in the middle of an economic recession thats not going to stop. And the international context- the rise of the Islamic state. Nona (FR): Je pense que tous les facteurs qui ont aide a la progression du FN sont toujours intacts. Nous sommes en pleine recession. Quant au contexte international, avec lemergence de Daech... They are on their way. They have been getting close to power. (FR) Ils poursuivent leur route. Ils ne sont pas loin du pouvoir. Nona: But you also see its limitations. They make very good scores in the first round of elections, but then when comes the second round; nobody yet, wants to make an alliance with them. They are unknitting the social and political fabric of the country. Nona (FR): Mais on entrevoit leurs limites. Si leurs scores au premier tour sont tres eleves, pour lheure, personne ne veut forger dalliance avec eux au second tour. Ils sont en train de detricoter le tissu social et politique de la France. Stephan: Its a beautiful victory despite it all. We make progress election after election, so we can win.
The Internet is going the way of the Weblog, the Electronic Message and the World Wide Web.

The New York Times announced on Tuesday that it would join The Associated Press in lowercasing the name of the global network that lives in our pockets and in front of our faces, keeping us pinned to various feeds like caged mice pressing the button that summons another hit of sugar water.

The changes will take effect at both news outlets on June 1 (which explains the incongruity of Internet being capitalized throughout this article).

Jill Taylor, who manages the copy desks at The Times, announced the change in a memo to the newsroom, acknowledging, It will probably take a while to get shift-I out of our muscle memory.

The Timess decision comes after an announcement by The A.P. in a tweet in early April during the 2016 conference of the American Copy Editors Society, the annual event where the grammar geeks, punctuation freaks and syntax-obsessed snobs (as its website says) drill their fellow editors on the latest rules governing American journalese.
Sumner M. Redstone confirmed on Tuesday the appointment of two new members to his irrevocable trust, which will control the future of his companies, as well as new directors to National Amusements, the private theater chain company through which he controls his $40 billion media empire.

The individuals have close ties to his daughter, Shari Redstone, and have been characterized by Viacom executives as evidence of her manipulation of her father, who is 92 and in poor health.

Named to the trust, which will control his companies after he dies or is declared not competent, are Thaddeus Jankowski, the general counsel of National Amusements, and Jill Krutick, a former media executive. Ms. Krutick was also named to the board of National Amusements, along with Ms. Redstones daughter, Kimberlee Ostheimer.

This is my trust and my decision, Mr. Redstone said in a statement, through a spokesman. I have picked those who are loyal to me and removed those who are not.
Seemingly overnight, treatment of men with early-stage prostate cancer has undergone a sea change. Five years ago, nearly all opted for surgery or radiation; now, nearly half are choosing no treatment at all.

The approach is called active surveillance. It means their cancers are left alone but regularly monitored to be sure they are not growing. Just 10 percent to 15 percent of early-stage prostate cancer patients were being treated by active surveillance several years ago. Now, national data from three independent sources consistently finds that 40 percent to 50 percent of them are making that choice.

In recent years, major research organizations have begun to recommend active surveillance, which for years had been promoted mostly by academic urologists in major medical centers, but not by urologists in private practice, who treat most men. In 2011, the National Institutes of Health held a consensus conference that concluded that it should be the preferred course for men with small and innocuous-looking tumors. Last year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology issued guidelines with the same advice.

The data includes a large new national registry established by the American Urological Association involving 15,000 men nearly all treated by urologists in private practice through 2015; a national registry of 45 mostly private urology practices; and a Michigan registry of mostly private urology practices. In addition, preliminary 2016 data from the urology association indicates that the numbers are growing, with even more than 50 percent of patients choosing active surveillance.
ALBANY  It was to be the salvation of Buffalo, a billion-dollar godsend from the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo that promised to revitalize the depleted city with bold investments there and across western New York.

But the so-called Buffalo Billion is in danger of becoming an albatross for many involved. Federal investigators are examining how money and contracts were distributed. Delays have bruised several projects, and one of the states key corporate partners  SolarCity, a power company backed by Elon Musk that intends to open a huge solar-panel factory on the Buffalo River  has watched its stock price plunge over the past year.

In the latest indication of the Buffalo Billions woes, state officials unexpectedly postponed approving an infusion of nearly $500 million for the SolarCity project last week, as legislators in Albany hinted they would exercise more oversight of the governors banner economic initiative.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, has repeatedly praised the Buffalo Billions successes, citing new jobs, new buildings and a new optimism in the city. But federal investigators interest seems to lie less with whether the people of Buffalo will ultimately benefit than with those who already have: a tangle of well-connected players  including developers and frequent donors to the governor  who have feasted on Buffalo Billion money.
As the Islamic State burst into the international spotlight in 2014, claiming a wide swath of territory in Syria and Iraq and spreading its message through a stream of bloody propaganda videos over the Internet, a young man from the Bronx watched with increasing admiration, according to law enforcement officials.

Twice in less than two months that fall, the man, Sajmir Alimehmeti, tried without success to enter Britain, according to a federal complaint unsealed in Manhattan on Tuesday. The first time, he was found carrying camouflage pants and shirts, and a pair of nunchucks tucked away in his bag at the airport in Manchester. He was denied entry, the complaint says.

The second time, he was stopped at Heathrow Airport in London. When the British authorities looked at his cellphone and computer, they found photos of the Islamic State flag and the groups attacks, according to the complaint, and he was again sent back to the United States.

After he grew frustrated with his own attempts to join the Islamic State, according to the authorities, he tried to help another man who said he was looking to fight for the terrorist group, unaware that the man was an undercover federal law enforcement employee.
The retrial of the man accused of killing Etan Patz, the 6-year-old boy who vanished in 1979, will begin after Labor Day, a judge ruled on Tuesday.

The man, Pedro Hernandez, 55, of Maple Shade, N.J., was tried in May 2015, but jurors deliberated for 18 days without reaching a decision. The trial ended with hung jury, with only one juror steadfastly voting against conviction.

Etan was walking alone for the first time from his familys SoHo loft to a school bus stop when he disappeared. He was among the first children pictured on a milk carton, and his disappearance helped focus awareness on missing children. His case remained unsolved for decades, though reports periodically surfaced that the boy had been spotted in foreign countries or walking the streets of New York.

Mr. Hernandez was a teenager working in the bodega next to the bus stop when Etan disappeared. He was not arrested until 2012, when relatives told the authorities that he had implicated himself in the killing of a child.
To the Editor:

Re Perils of a Gap in the Resume (Business Day, May 20): It was not until my late 40s that I contemplated accepting seemingly insurmountable roadblocks in returning to my professional life as a doctor after time at home with my children.

I limped into my 50s with the prospect of being permanently unemployed, and only then did I recklessly list my 18-year hiatus from full-time work outside the home as child-rearing responsibilities on my resume.

An employer, partly desperate, partly curious, took a chance on me. I havent looked back since. Now in my 60s, I am contemplating many productive years ahead, and that resume line is just one of many in a varied and valuable career  a forgotten blip, diminishing daily as my recent experience solidifies.

Too bad for all those unfortunate employers who missed out on me before!

LYNN K. RUDICH

Woodbridge, Conn.
We killed the leader of the Taliban driving across Baluchistan in a taxi, a former senior State Department official told The New York Times. I think we have some questions to ask of Pakistan.
To the Editor:

David Brooks, in Why Is Clinton Disliked? (column, May 24), argues that Hillary Clintons unpopularity stems from her lack of interests to supplement her professional focus on public service: Even a socially good vocation can swallow you up and make you lose a sense of your own voice.

Less than 100 years have passed since women in the United States were granted the right to vote in national elections. For women, the right to meaningful careers outside the home is the result of a hard-fought struggle to gain a voice in the public world, a voice for which they still must fight as they navigate the demands of work and home in the 21st century.

Yet Mr. Brooks holds that having been a wife and mother in the White House, as well as a senator, secretary of state and presidential candidate, is inadequate because Mrs. Clinton lacks the hobbies and diversions through which we have come to know male candidates.

RENATA KOBETTS MILLER

Bronxville, N.Y.

To the Editor:

David Brooks does not focus on the most important point in his criticism of Hillary Clintons purported workaholic persona: the fact that she is a woman. There is a misogynist double standard at work here.
To the Editor:

In Stop the Polling Insanity (Op-Ed, May 20), Norman Ornstein and Alan I. Abramowitz cited the Reuters/Ipsos poll as Exhibit A in an indictment of cringeworthy polling-based articles.

Their swipe at us is based on a flawed argument. They say our and other polls showed a big swing to Donald Trump during a time when there were no major events. Thats not true. During that time, Mr. Trump clinched the Republican nomination and consolidated his support. Meanwhile, the battle between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton raged on and arguably intensified.

Still, the writers go on: The chances that the shifts seen in these polls are real are close to zero. Close to zero? Who knows how they came to that number? The writers dont explore margins of error and credibility intervals and sample sizes, basic tools of polling.

They also slight online polling, the method we use. Online polling  done right  has a good track record. The Reuters/Ipsos poll and the YouGov online polls were among the most accurate national polls leading up to the 2012 election, a Fordham University study found.
In 1987, Timothy Tyrone Foster, an 18-year-old black man from Georgia, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a 79-year-old white woman named Queen Madge White.

On Monday, the Supreme Court invalidated Mr. Fosters conviction and sentence because prosecutors had struck every black prospective juror at his trial  a violation of his constitutional rights. The ruling sends the case back to the Georgia courts, where the state may choose to retry Mr. Foster.

This was clearly the correct result. The prosecutors in Mr. Fosters case kept notes that served as a remarkably explicit road map of how to discriminate in jury selection. For example, they highlighted the names of black prospective jurors on one list with a B and, on another list, ranked them against one another, in case it comes down to having to pick one of the black jurors.

Those notes were locked away in prosecution files for nearly 20 years, until lawyers for Mr. Foster obtained them through a state open-records law. Before then, the prosecutors got away with lying about their motivations thanks to Georgia courts that looked the other way. Even after the notes were revealed, prosecutors continued to concoct far-fetched explanations for their behavior.
The squids are all right  as are their cephalopod cousins the cuttlefish and octopus.

In the same waters where fish have faced serious declines, the tentacled trio is thriving, according to a study published Monday.

Cephalopods have increased in the worlds oceans over the last six decades, Zoe Doubleday, a marine ecologist from the University of Adelaide in Australia, and lead author of the study, said in an email. Our results suggest that something is going on in the marine environment on a large scale, which is advantageous to cephalopods.

Dr. Doubleday and her team compiled the first global-scale database of cephalopod population numbers, spanning from 1953 to 2013. It included historical catch rates for 35 cephalopod species, including the Japanese flying squid, the giant Pacific octopus and the common cuttlefish. The species inhabit marine ecosystems all over the world, from Australia and the United States to Morocco and Madagascar, among other countries.
SAN FRANCISCO  Automakers are looking toward a technology-driven future, one where they increasingly acknowledge that getting around may not require owning a car.

On Tuesday, two of the worlds largest automakers, Toyota and Volkswagen, said they were stepping up to invest in technology start-ups that are working to change the way people travel by car. Toyota said it had formed a partnership with and invested an undisclosed amount in Uber, the biggest ride-hailing company. Gett, the app popular in Europe, said it was working with Volkswagen, and the automaker was investing $300 million in the start-up.

The alliances are the latest in a string of pairings between technology companies and traditional automakers that are scrambling to reposition themselves. For decades, automakers had abided by the well-worn formula of making bigger and more powerful cars to fuel their growth.

But start-ups like Uber and Lyft and technology companies like Google and Tesla have disrupted that cadence. These companies, mostly located in Silicon Valley, have in the last few years sped the development of self-driving cars, electric vehicles and ride services.
PARIS  A stage production with a birth-of-a-nation theme and actors who speak in contemporary language has swept its countrys top theater honors. No, it wasnt Hamilton, but Ca ira (1) Fin de Louis, a play about the early years of the French Revolution, which won Moliere awards for best director, best playwright and best play on Monday night.

The more than four-hour-long play, written and directed by Joel Pommerat, is an exploration of the early years of the French Revolution dating back to 1788. The characters speak in contemporary language, are dressed in clothing from the 1970s, and are led by a king who poses for a selfie.

As in Hamilton, the smash Broadway hip-hop musical that netted 16 Tony nominations this year, the 14 actors in Ca ira developed some of the dialogue with weeks of improvisation during rehearsals.

French critics have compared the theatrical experience to watching a revolution live, and the honors for Ca ira come as demonstrations against an overhaul of the labor code have swept across France.
WASHINGTON  More than 4,300 federal inmates were kept in prison beyond their scheduled release dates from 2009 to 2014  some of them for an extra year or more, according to a report released on Tuesday that highlighted wide confusion in the prison system.

The findings by the Justice Departments inspector general are a potential embarrassment for the United States Bureau of Prisons at a time when the Obama administration has assailed what it says are unfair and unduly harsh sentences for many inmates, particularly minorities and nonviolent offenders.

While it is unusual for an inmate to be held past his sentence, the consequences can be extraordinarily serious, the report said. The delayed releases deprive inmates of their liberty, and have led to millions of dollars in added prison costs and legal settlements with former inmates, it concluded.

The investigation found that in the most egregious cases, avoidable errors by prison staffers led to 152 inmates being imprisoned beyond their release dates.
The questions, taken from a Common Core fourth-grade reading test, came to a Columbia professor in an email from an anonymous teacher, part of a blistering critique of the exam. The professor put the questions and the critique on her blog, and before she knew it, her posting ignited on the Internet, fueling a new round of anger about nationwide standardized testing.

As fast as the company that manages the tests played Whac-a-Mole, trying to get the questions taken down, teachers, parents and education experts kept spreading them on blogs and Twitter  despite the fact that the questions are still being used in testing. Some argued that robust public discussion of test items and their shortcomings was the best way to ensure better tests.

Ever since most states adopted the Common Core  guidelines for kindergarten through high school reading and math  parents and teachers have pushed back, with many parents choosing not to have their children take the exams. Although a new federal education law has lowered the stakes for testing, the viral response to the anonymous teachers critique highlights the strong feelings that standardized testing continues to evoke.

This is what weve come to  its an act of brave rebellion, a risk to career and livelihood, to publish some questions from PARCCs Big Standardized Test, Peter Greene, wrote on his blog Curmudgucation, referring to the company that administers the test.
I dont want to hear none of her foolishness, Ms. Jones said. I want her to go forward and do her job, and at the end of the day, if she dont do her job, Im going to be very upset.

Ms. Mosby, barred by a judges order from talking to the news media about the Gray cases, ran for office in 2014 vowing to combat police misconduct. That year, in a speech at Tuskegee University in Alabama, she had sharp words for prosecutors who had not indicted officers in the high-profile deaths of other black men, including Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner on Staten Island. Mr. Grays death in April 2015 gave her a platform to make good on her promises.

To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America: I heard your call for No justice, no peace, she said then, in a nationally televised news conference on the steps of the War Memorial. Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man.

The spotlight, though, has had its challenges. Ms. Mosby is married to City Councilman Nick Mosby, who ran for mayor this year. He withdrew after failing to gain traction; many said Baltimore did not need two Mosbys in high offices. Their home has been picketed by protesters, who recently shouted down Ms. Mosby at a public meeting.

As a mother of a 5- and a 7-year-old, I would appeal to them to stop coming to my house, because its scaring my children, The Baltimore Sun quoted her saying at the meeting.

Legal experts have long said it will be difficult to obtain convictions against the six officers; the Nero case posed particular challenges. Prosecutors used it to test a novel theory: that the arrest of Mr. Gray was a crime. And the states star witness, Officer Garrett E. Miller, who is also facing charges and was compelled to testify, provided the evidence that in the end exonerated Officer Nero. All that raised questions about the prosecutors strategy.

In pursuing officers so aggressively, Ms. Mosby has risked her relationship with an important constituency: the Police Department itself, whose cooperation she needs to win convictions.
Two years after a little-known college professor pulled off a stunning upset by defeating the House majority leader, Eric Cantor, in a Republican primary contest, another obscure professor is hoping to replicate that feat in Florida, riding a wave of progressive fervor that seeks to upend the Democratic Partys leadership.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, frustrated by how he has been treated by Democratic Party officials in his primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, bolstered that effort over the weekend when he endorsed Tim Canova, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Canova is hoping to unseat Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, in a primary contest in August.

The support of Mr. Sanders led to an infusion of more than $250,000 into Mr. Canovas campaign in less than two days, arming him for a more vigorous fight against the veteran congresswoman.

Shes certainly out of touch with the grass-roots of the Democratic Party, Mr. Canova, 56, said of Ms. Wasserman Schultz in an interview. She has been a very out-of-touch political insider and she has not been representing her constituents well.
One of the super PACs supporting Donald J. Trump said Tuesday that it was hiring former aides to Rudolph W. Giuliani and George E. Pataki to advise the group as it seeks to raise money.

Great America PAC is bringing aboard Jake Menges, a longtime adviser to Mr. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, and Rob Cole, a veteran adviser to Mr. Pataki, the former governor of New York. Mr. Cole was also an adviser to the Mitt Romney presidential effort in 2008.

The pair will join Edward J. Rollins, a veteran Republican strategist. Officials with the group approached Mr. Giuliani several weeks ago about the possibility of hosting events, and they hope to be able to deploy him in the coming months.
The House is set to pass a bill on Tuesday intended to overhaul the nations 40-year-old law governing toxic chemicals, a measure that would for the first time subject thousands of household chemicals to regulation. The House vote will send the bill to the Senate, where it is expected to pass this week or early next, moving the measure to President Obamas desk.

Public health advocates and environmentalists have complained for decades that the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act is outdated and riddled with gaps that leave Americans exposed to harmful chemicals. Under current law, around 64,000 chemicals are not subject to environmental testing or regulation.

Efforts to tighten the law have stalled for years, in part because of opposition from the chemical industry. The bipartisan authors of the bill say their breakthrough represents a pragmatic, politically viable compromise between better environmental standards and the demands of industry. In particular, Senator Tom Udall, Democrat of New Mexico, worked closely with the American Chemistry Council to come up with language that would win the support of the industry and pass through the generally regulation-averse Republican Congress.

The new bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to begin conducting tests on those 64,000 chemicals, but at a fairly slow pace: It would require the agency to be conducting tests on about 20 chemicals at a time, with a deadline of seven years per chemical. It would also allow the agencys regulations to pre-empt stronger state-level rules.
WASHINGTON  The feud on Capitol Hill over responding to the rapidly spreading Zika virus would seem to be largely a fight over how much money is needed to fight the mosquito-borne scourge.

But lurking just beneath the surface are issues that have long stirred partisan mistrust, including Republicans fears about the use of taxpayer money for abortion and possible increased use of contraception, and Democratic worries about protecting the environment from potentially dangerous pesticides.

Public health officials warn that the virus will not stop to check party affiliation  the mosquitoes that carry it bite Republicans and Democrats alike.

This is no way to fight an epidemic, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
The Republican Jewish Coalition, a group heavily financed by the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, on Tuesday condemned what it called a rising tide of anti-Semitic invective against journalists covering the presidential race.

The statement came amid a torrent of Twitter posts and comments against Jewish journalists, many of whom have written about Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

We abhor any abuse of journalists, commentators and writers whether it be from Sanders, Clinton or Trump supporters, the statement said.

There is no room for any of this in any campaign. Journalists, regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity should be free to do their jobs without suffering abuses, anti-Semitic or otherwise, the statement went on.
This is a historic moment, said Elaine C. Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on the presidential nomination system, who noted that the parties could choose two very different paths.

One possibility is that the system moves even in a more public direction than it has, Ms. Kamarck said. She suggested that the parties could open their primaries to even more voters in a way that reduces the influence of activists and leaders.

The other end of the continuum is the possibility that parties begin to take back some of their prerogative to nominate their candidates, she said.

The question at this inflection point, she said, is which way does it go?

The superdelegate system in the Democratic Party has become the subject of fervent criticism from Mr. Sanders and his supporters because of the outsize role it gives to members of the party elite in choosing the nominee. That would be one obvious target for reform, Democrats said.

How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Learn more about our process.

But the changes being considered by Republicans have been more thoroughly discussed. And they include several proposals for reordering the political calendar, which has traditionally begun with Iowa as the first state to vote, followed by New Hampshire, South Carolina and, since 2008, Nevada.

In one possibility that members of the Republican National Committee have floated, the early voting states, also known as carve-out states, would retain their special status. But to bring more states into the process earlier, each would be paired with a nearby state that would vote on the same day. So Iowa would still hold the first contest in 2020, but on the same day as Minnesota. New Hampshire would vote next, but on the same day as Massachusetts. And the same-day pairings would change: In 2024, Iowa would be twinned with South Dakota, and New Hampshire with Maine.

I think there will be a serious discussion about the carve-out states and how that process works, said Henry Barbour, the national committeeman from Mississippi and a member of the convention Rules Committee.
Robert A. McDonald, the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, drew bipartisan criticism after comparing the waiting times for veterans receiving medical care to standing in line for a ride at Disneyland.

At an event with reporters on Monday, Mr. McDonald was asked why the department did not publicly report the so-called create date when veterans first ask for medical care, which could be used to calculate how long they are waiting in lengthy backlogs for their appointments.

The days to an appointment is really not what we should be measuring, Mr. McDonald responded. What we should be measuring is the veterans satisfaction. What really counts is how does the veteran feel about their encounter with the V.A.? When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? What is important is, what is your satisfaction with the experience.

He continued: What I would like to move to actually is that kind of measure. We are in the process of creating that kind of measure, validating that kind of measure.
NEW DELHI  The former president of the Maldives has been granted refugee status in Britain, his office said in a statement late Monday, months after he entered the country on medical leave from a 13-year prison sentence on terrorism charges.

The former president, Mohamed Nasheed, the countrys first democratically elected head of state, was jailed for ordering the military to arrest a sitting senior judge, which the court said was an abduction punishable under a section of an antiterrorism law. Mr. Nasheeds supporters denounced the action as politically motivated, imposed by a government loyal to the longtime leader he had replaced, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Mr. Nasheed and his supporters have been joined by a chorus of countries that have objected to his imprisonment, including Canada, India and the United States. His trial was described as deeply unfair by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and human rights lawyers, including Amal Clooney, have lobbied for his release.

The Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean with nearly 400,000 people, has experienced continued turmoil in the months since Mr. Nasheeds sentencing. The government has ousted or arrested officials whose loyalty to the current president, Abdulla Yameen, Mr. Gayooms half brother, has been questioned, and it has cracked down on protest rallies.
HONG KONG  A landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar has killed at least 12 people, and dozens more might have been buried by the collapsed hillside, an official said on Tuesday.

The landslide in Kachin State on Monday night came after heavy rainfall in recent days. Twelve bodies were recovered, but as many as 100 people were feared missing, said U Tin Soe, a member of Myanmars lower house of Parliament from the Hpakant area, the center of jade mining in Kachin.

Although many large-scale mining operations had stopped because of the monsoon, individual workers who pick over scrap piles were still laboring in Weikha village outside Hpakant when they were caught in the deluge, Mr. Tin Soe said.

Hand-pickers were still digging there, he said. That is very risky.

Many informal workers comb the waste piles from mining operations looking for jade that has been left behind. In November, about 120 such miners in the Hpakant area were killed in a landslide that engulfed a village of flimsy shacks and tents.
HONG KONG  A poet in Myanmar who wrote in October that he had a tattoo of the countrys president on his penis was found guilty on Tuesday of defamation and sentenced to a six-month jail term.

The poet, Maung Saungkha, 24, had been held since November and was released on Tuesday based on time served, according to a court in Yangon, Myanmars largest city.

A short poem in which he made his assertion, apparently about U Thein Sein, who was president until the end of March, received wide attention last fall because of its off-color material and its timing.

Mr. Maung Saungkha posted the poem on Facebook in October, one month before the landmark election that brought the Nobel Peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy to power.
HANOI, Vietnam  President Obama won enthusiastic applause here on Tuesday with a supportive reference to Vietnams disputes with China, saying in a speech that big nations should not bully smaller ones. But several activists who had been scheduled to meet with him before the speech were prevented from doing so, underscoring the gulf with Hanoi on human rights.

The White House had requested the meeting as a signal to Vietnams Communist government that the United States cares about human rights here. Mr. Obama spent more than his allotted time with the six Vietnamese civil society leaders who did attend the meeting at a JW Marriott hotel, but he said that several others had been prevented from coming.

Vietnam has made remarkable strides, the economy is growing quickly, the internet is booming, and theres a growing confidence here, Mr. Obama said when a group of reporters were briefly allowed into the meeting. But as I indicated yesterday, theres still areas of significant concerns in terms of areas of free speech, freedom of assembly, accountability with respect to government.
NAGASAKI, Japan  When Miyako Jodai was 6 years old, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on her hometown, the port city of Nagasaki.

She was knocked unconscious, and her home was destroyed. She spent the next several days huddling with dozens of others in a cave on the side of a mountain.

I was so scared, she said. I was crying and I stepped on some of the bodies of the injured people, because there was no room to walk. When she finally ventured out, the city was still ablaze with towering flames.

Ms. Jodai was one of the fortunate ones. The bomb dropped on Nagasaki the morning of Aug. 9, 1945, killed about 74,000 people, about half as many as those who died in the bombing of Hiroshima three days earlier.
President Obama will speak on Friday at the site where the United States first used an atomic bomb at the end of World War II. What should he say?

In announcing Mr. Obamas visit to Hiroshima, Japan, the White House said he would not revisit President Harry S. Trumans decision to drop the bomb or apologize for the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But some New York Times readers who answered our request for suggestions for the presidents speech said he should do just that.

Maki Wakiyama from Urawa, Japan, said Mr. Obama should apologize because the bombs killed indiscriminatingly. David Rothauser, of Brookline, Mass., said an apology by the president would set a tone of reconciliation that all nations can respond to.

Prime Minister Abe can take Obamas cue and give heartfelt apologies for Japans WWII atrocities against her Asian neighbors thereby engendering lasting respect from former enemies, Mr. Rothauser added, referring to Shinzo Abe of Japan.
ATHENS  The Greek authorities began moving hundreds of refugees on Tuesday out of a sprawling makeshift camp near the village of Idomeni, on the border with Macedonia, a crucial point on the so-called Balkan trail for migrants that has been closed off for months.

A police operation started around 6 a.m., and by early evening more than 2,000 refugees had been taken by bus to state-run encampments near Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece.

Riot police officers were stationed outside the area, as there were concerns that the operation would lead to unrest. But a spokesman for the Greek police, Lt. Col. Theodoros Chronopoulos, said the evacuation of the camp, which had 20,000 migrants at its peak in March and until Tuesday morning about 8,000, most of them Syrians, was carried out completely smoothly and would continue through the end of the week.

Its going much better than we expected, or than wed hoped even, he said.

A police helicopter monitored the evacuation. Journalists were denied access to the camp to avoid exciting the refugees, according to the authorities.
GENEVA  The authorities in Switzerland said on Tuesday that they had begun criminal proceedings against one of the countrys oldest banks, BSI, after allegations that it had laundered huge sums for politically exposed individuals linked to a scandal-plagued Malaysian state investment fund.

The Swiss attorney generals office said in a statement that it suspected deficiencies in the internal organization of the BSI S.A. bank and believed that due to these deficiencies, the bank was unable to prevent the commission of offenses currently under investigation in the criminal proceedings relating to the investment fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

The prosecution arose from an investigation that Switzerland started last year into suspected misappropriation of billions of dollars from the Malaysian fund, also known as 1MDB, and that it has pursued in cooperation with the authorities in Luxembourg, Singapore and the United States.

The investigation has strained relations with Malaysia and embarrassed its prime minister, Najib Razak, who is fighting a scandal that has roiled Malaysian politics involving allegations that $681 million was paid into his bank accounts.
TEHRAN  An Iranian council that would have the authority to select a new supreme leader elected an 89-year-old hard-liner as its chairman on Tuesday, Iranian state news media reported.

The council, the Assembly of Experts, holds an increasingly important role in light of concerns about the health of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who received treatment for prostate cancer in 2014.

We should act in such a way that both God and the leader are satisfied with us, the new chairman, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, told the semiofficial Fars News Agency after his election.

The selection of Ayatollah Jannati, who won a majority of the 86 votes, suggested that seniority was a higher priority than the preference of voters. During parliamentary elections in February, Ayatollah Jannati managed to secure the last of 16 seats in the Tehran constituency.
Like a common virus, the experience of rape invades not only the body but the mind of its victims, and it can do so in startlingly similar ways. Dissociation kicks in, mercifully and efficiently, almost like a response of the immune system, as well as a twisted, desperate desire on the part of the victim to please the rapist, in the desperate hope of a quicker conclusion, a better chance for survival. And yet, while these reactions appear to be almost universal, their emotional wake is intensely personal, possessing  at times obsessing  each individual in a unique way. Consider, for example, these two memoirs, which explore the 20-year aftermath of being raped by a stranger.

Jane Doe January, by the crime novelist Emily Winslow, chronicles in relentless detail the drama of the justice systems attempt to indict her rapist after matching DNA evidence is finally secured. Her story reveals a stark, maddening reality: that rape victims must often become their own legal advocates if they want an opportunity for retribution. In Winslows case, this required more than 20 years of persistent inquiry before the scattered legal and forensic components of her 1992 rape coalesced into something the police and prosecutors were able to pursue.

During her junior year at Carnegie Mellon University, Winslow was sexually assaulted by a man who followed her into her apartment building. Less than a year later, a man raped another young woman in the same Pittsburgh neighborhood; thus the two victims became Jane Doe January and Jane Doe November. In the decades that followed, Winslow would encounter a revolving door of detectives, reacquainting them with her case, keeping it alive mostly through her own persistence. By pure luck, a friend of the second victim reached an aggressive detective, who was able to match the DNA sample in the womens evidence kits to a man named Arthur Fryar.

Fryar had also been convicted of rape in the 1970s, but it was a 2002 drug conviction that put his DNA into the system. By the time Winslow learns this, she is living in Cambridge, England, now happily married and the mother of two sons. As she assembles a detailed composite of the rapists legal profile, she returns again and again to the same official documents. Yet she is wary of researching Fryars personal life, content with surface-skimming Google searches and speculation drawn from the Facebook pages of his sister and his supposed girlfriend.
The roughly 4,000 migrants who remain on Lesbos are mostly detained in camps. There is still plenty to do to help. Travelers can volunteer in a large-scale effort to remove boat parts and life jackets from miles of beaches and sea floor, or help distribute food and clothing to migrants stuck on Lesbos. But most of the island remains tranquil, unaffected by the crisis.

The two of us, American journalists reporting out of Jerusalem, wanted to meet the people fleeing wars on our doorstep. We felt a personal pull, too, as the descendants of Eastern European immigrants who crossed the sea for a better life in America. And we heard that the islands ouzo and sardines were among the worlds best. We experienced both faces of Lesbos, an asylum seekers portal and a sanctuary of slow Greek rhythms, and came away enriched.

A 45-minute flight from Athens landed us in Mytilene, the capital of Lesbos, in late February. We rented a car and headed north for Molyvos, a picturesque town of stone homes and wisteria-covered alleyways that cascade down a hill under a Byzantine fortress, within sight of the Turkish coast. We ambled along the small harbor where octopus tentacles hang to dry before grilling, arriving at the seaside Captains Table fish restaurant for dinner. Donations from tourists helped the restaurateur Melinda McRostie found the Starfish Foundation, one of the first grass-roots aid groups on the island. Volunteers unwind in the small dining room, where a bulletin board advertises yoga classes and sharing circles where volunteers can debrief one another about their experiences.

The next morning, we joined a retired Canadian teacher, an Australian road tripper and other Starfish volunteers to greet about 50 Syrians and Iraqis in waterlogged shoes, brought ashore by the Hellenic Coast Guard. We distributed bottled water and dry socks, and activated an iPhones Wi-Fi hot spot so Mahmoud Qadi, 21, could let his father in Syria know that he and his teenage brother had made it. Boat arrivals are rare now, so Starfishs international volunteers have been making about 1,000 sandwiches a day for migrants held at a closed facility in the village of Moria.

Elsewhere in the Molyvos area, visitors can join the Dirty Girls of Lesvos Island, an islandwide laundry operation founded by an Australian tourist to wash and dry clothing and blankets for people in camps, or the Swedish group Lighthouse Relief, which is leading one of several efforts to clear the beaches of items migrants discarded on their arrival. A short walk from the Lighthouse home base is charming Skala Sikaminias, the village made famous by its fishermens valiant rescues.

We wound back to Mytilene, a bustling port city, to chop carrots and onions in a food truck that the Dutch group Movement on the Ground drives around Lesbos, serving hot curries at camps. Volunteers are still needed to cook and hand out food, said Mr. Izemrane, a founder of the group. Near Mytilene is the Kara Tepe camp, where the Humanitarian Support Agency seeks volunteers to distribute food, tea and supplies. Although hotel reservations have fallen in most of Lesbos, in Mytilene many budget hotels were filled with volunteers and aid workers.
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Ages: 12-14

Cost: $175

Dates: July 11, 18, 26 and Aug. 8; no camp on July 25 due to holiday

Time: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about bouldering, top-roping, belaying, and rappelling, including harness fit and figure-eight follow-through knots!

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A lobbyist said Tuesday that his company handled what state prosecutors are calling illegal transactions between the Alabama Republican Party and indicted Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, on the first day of Hubbards felony ethics trial.

Tim Howe, a lobbyist and partner with the Montgomery-based political consultant firm Swatek, Azbell, Howe and Ross, told attorneys that the Alabama Republican Party paid money to his intermediary media buying firm The Howe Group, which in turn wrote checks to Network Creative Media -- an affiliate of Hubbards consulting firm, the Auburn Network -- while Hubbard was the partys chairman.

Howes firm, in exchange for handling the payments, received a 5 percent cut. Howe said he was unsure why the payments were handled as they were, though prosecutors previously said it was done to hide the fact that the party was paying Hubbards company.

I know I got 5 percent. I don't know how that got handled on either end, he said.

Howe was the prosecutions second witness. His business partner and former ALGOP executive John Ross took the stand about an hour before Howe on Tuesday afternoon.

Ross was questioned by Deputy Attorney General John Gibbs and lead defense attorney Bill Baxley about his knowledge of ALGOP payments to Craftmaster Printers, of which Hubbard holds partial interest, while Hubbard served as chairman.

Ross said he and others knew of Hubbards affiliation with the business, but decided to use it anyway for its low rates and reputable quality. He said the companies did a good job, from what he could recall, and that the party had used Craftmaster in the past before Hubbard served as chairman.

Special Prosecutor Matt Hart, in opening arguments Tuesday morning, accused Hubbard of funneling $961,431 to Craftmaster and the Auburn Network.

Asked if Ross knew of any instances in which Hubbard pocketed money from the transactions, he said no.

Hart says Hubbard made $2.3 million while chairman

Hart began delivering opening statements just after 10 a.m.

He started by explaining to the jury the attorney general's office's position in the case, and provided an overview of the responsibilities of state government.

He explained which programs are funded by state government, and how funding is generated.

"The state generally gets that money from the people," Hart said. "You're providing some of that money that the state is going to use."

But there are often disagreements about where and how monies should be allocated, he said.

"There are lots of disagreements about that. ... But in our society, we have a way to make those difficult choices."

Societies choose how to spend money, he said, by electing officials to represent the will of the people. In this case, the people elected Hubbard.

The legislative branch is composed of working citizens who maintain jobs in addition to serving in office. Because of that, Hart said, there is a law in place to prevent unfair or negative actions from taking place between the two. Thats the Alabama Ethics Law.

The ethics law prevents those in office from allocating money to businesses or entities with which they are affiliated. The law also prevents politicians from creating or voting on legislation in which they have a conflict of interest, as well as soliciting or receiving something of value in exchange for lobbying on behalf of another entity for personal gain.

Hart said Hubbard violated that state ethics law by directing approximately $961,431 to Craftmaster Printers, an Auburn business in which he holds a partial interest, and his consulting firm, The Auburn Network, while serving as chairman of the ALGOP.

He said Hubbard took $733,848 in consulting contracts from four different agencies that had business before the Alabama Legislature.

Hart accused Hubbard of further violating the law by voting for legislation that would have given a consulting client of Hubbard's, the American Pharmacy Cooperative Inc., a monopoly to provide drugs to Medicaid, while also soliciting or receiving a thing of value from a principal.

He said Hubbard also used his position to obtain a consulting contract with the Southeast Alabama Gas District and lobbied Gov. Robert Bentley and others for initiatives related to that organization. Hubbard also used his office to seek monthly consulting contracts from online education agency Edgenuity and cup manufacturing company CV Holdings LLC, Hart said, in addition to lobbying officials for the company.

He also accused Hubbard of seeking $150,000 Craftmaster investments from Jimmy Rane, James Holbrook, Will Brooke and Robert Burton. He said Hubbard sought an undisclosed amount of money from lobbyist Dax Swatek, in addition to soliciting things of value from former governor and current lobbyist Bob Riley and his daughter, Minda Riley Campbell, and Business Council of Alabama officials Billy Canary and Will Brooke.

"The evidence is going to show in this case, you may hear that Mr. Hubbard is a salesman ... who is also a legislator.

"Whether he's a salesman or not, the law simply says you can't use that power to direct money to your businesses. If you cant do that, get out and do something else," said Hart, later adding, "I promise you, you're going to convict on all counts of this indictment."

His arguments concluded after an hour and 45 minutes.

Baxley: 'A bunch of mumbo jumbo

Baxley began presenting opening arguments for the defense just before a lunch recess.

He said Hubbard has done nothing wrong and that witnesses for the state will prove such.

"I think when you see it, it's going to be a bunch of mumbo jumbo," he said of the state's reported evidence.

After returning from recess, Baxley continued his arguments for about an hour, responding to the charges against the speaker.

Baxley said Hubbard did nothing illegal in any of the actions described in the indictment, and instead painted Hubbard as an everyday businessman with many connections due in large part to his background in sports broadcasting.

He said he "couldn't wait" for the state's witnesses to take the stand and prove his client's innocence.

"Mike Hubbard did not have to give up his livelihood or his way or life how he made his living when he became a member of the Legislature, "said Baxley, adding that the money Hubbard allegedly pocketed from ALGOP business with Craftmaster and the Auburn Network actually went to the party, printing and postage expenses.

"It'll be interesting to see what they say when ... Mike never took a penny in commission or salary," he said.

Baxley discussed Hubbard's background in radio broadcasting at both the University of Georgia and later Auburn University. He said it was business connections, not his position as house speaker, that opened the doors for contracts and other consulting matters for the Auburn Republican.

"It appears to me they've indicted Mike and charged him with being friends," he said.

Baxley said CV Holdings LLC hired Hubbard because of his background in college football and his potential ability to get the company's cups into collegiate football settings.

He said Hubbard never solicited investments from lobbyists as house speaker, but that he asked friends to help him with his financial situation, circumstances for which there are exceptions in the ethics law.

In regard to charges related to the Southeast Alabama Gas District, Baxley said that Hubbard received a letter from the Alabama Ethics Commission giving Hubbard permission to maintain a contract for economic development with the agency.

Hubbard voting on the 2014 General Fund budget despite holding a consulting contract with the American Pharmacy Cooperative Inc. was not a crime, Baxley said, and the language Hubbard attempted to insert -- which spanned "two or three lines" -- did not end up in the final budget.

"He did just the opposite of flaunting his mantle as speaker," said Baxley. "He tried to follow every part of the ethics law."

Baxley added that the defense is confident the jury will vote not guilty on all counts.

About 60 turned out for day 1

Hubbards felony corruption trial -- one of the most high-profile trials in the state in recent years  officially got underway Tuesday morning more than a year and a half after the indictment was handed down.

About 60 people turned out to witness day one of the trial at the T.K. Davis Justice Center in Opelika.

Deputy Attorney General John Gibbs and lead defense attorney Bill Baxley began the morning debating again over prior motions filed by the state, in which prosecutors sought to prevent any arguments by the defense related to the conduct of the attorney general's office.

Lee County Circuit Court Judge Jacob A. Walker III said matters will be addressed on a case-by-case basis before witnesses take the stand, as he stated at a pretrial conference last month.

Baxley requested a judge's order for each side to announce their witnesses the day before they are called throughout the trial. The judge and prosecution obliged.

Whats next

The state will continue to call witnesses throughout the day Wednesday, beginning at 9 a.m. Among those expected to take the stand are Josh Blades, Barry Whatley, Bertha Mary Lawrence, Don Williamson, Chris Hines and Steve Clouse.

Hubbard was indicted in October 2014 on 23 felony ethics charges of using his political office for personal gain. If convicted, Hubbard faces a maximum penalty of two to 20 years imprisonment and fines of up to $30,000 for each count.

He has long maintained his innocence and continued to serve as speaker of the house during the 2016 legislative session.

Trial updates will be posted frequently at www.oanow.com and on the Opelika-Auburn News Facebook and Twitter (@oanow) accounts.
Lee County Sheriffs Office

 Second-degree theft of property, unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle and third-degree criminal trespass were reported Sunday at 3:46 a.m. in the 100 block of Lee Road 682 in Opelika.

 First-degree theft of property was reported Sunday at 3:27 a.m. in the 50 block of Lee Road 2052 in Phenix City.

 Third-degree domestic violence was reported Saturday evening in Cusseta.

 Third-degree burglary and fourth-degree theft of property were reported Saturday at 10:27 a.m. in the 6600 block of U.S. Highway 431 North in Opelika.

 First-degree burglary, third-degree domestic violence and fourth-degree theft of property were reported Friday evening in Smiths Station.

 Identity theft was reported Friday at 2:22 p.m. in the 1800 block of Lee Road 208 in Phenix City.

 Second-degree burglary and third-degree theft of property were reported Friday at 4:08 a.m. in the 300 block of Lee Road 2085 in Cusseta.

Auburn Police Division

 Third-degree burglary, auto theft and fourth-degree theft of property were reported Sunday at 3:54 p.m. in the 1200 block of South College Street.

 Christopher Onwar Jordan, 40, of Opelika, was arrested Sunday and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

 Third-degree domestic violence was reported Saturday evening.

 Third-degree assault was reported Saturday afternoon.

 Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Shell Toomer Parkway.

 Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle and illegal possession/use of a credit/debit card were reported Saturday at 11:07 a.m. on Wrights Mill Road.

 Third-degree domestic violence was reported Saturday morning.

 Third-degree domestic violence was reported Friday evening.

 Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported Friday at 1:52 p.m. in the 100 block of South Dean Road.

 Amanda Shea Gill, 35, of Opelika, was arrested Friday and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

 Kenton John Newberry, 52, of Auburn, was arrested Friday and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Opelika Police Department

 An unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle and theft occurred Sunday in the 2600 block of Gateway Drive.

 Theft was reported Sunday in the 2100 block of Waverly Parkway.

 An unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle and theft occurred Sunday in the 1200 block of Rocky Brook Road.

 An unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle and theft occurred Saturday in the 800 block of India Road.

 An unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle and theft occurred Friday between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at 1051 Fox Run Avenue, Cracker Barrel.

 Johnny Lee Burris, 40, of East Spencer, N.C., and DaQuilla Shaneal Rankin, 34, of East Spencer, N.C., were both arrested as Fugitives from Justice Friday at 8:16 p.m. on Interstate 85 North during a traffic stop. Both subjects had numerous felony warrants from East Spencer.

 A burglary occurred Friday between 7:50 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the 1900 block of Creekstone Drive.

 A third-degree theft of property occurred Friday at approximately 10:45 a.m. at 2640 Enterprise Drive, Target.

Chambers County Sheriffs Office

 Randal Lashon Daniel, 33, of LaFayette, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with driving under the influence, domestic violence-strangulation and third-degree domestic violence-harassment.

 Travinta D. Carter, 22, of Valley, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with failure to appear-no license.

 Kenneth Michael Brown, 37, of Valley, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with failure to appear-second-degree assault.

 Rhonda Albright, 42, of Roanoke, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with failure to appear-chemical endangerment of a child.

 Samantha Margrett Carlisle, 25, of Lanett, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with a probation violation.

 Orlando Osborne Williams, 27, of LaFayette, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with failure to pay-possession of a controlled substance.

 Bailey Alexiss House, 21, of Birmingham, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with unlawful breaking and entering a motor vehicle, first-degree receiving stolen property and second-degree receiving stolen property.

 Christopher Michael Smith, 26, of Valley, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with first-degree theft of property, first-degree receiving stolen property and second-degree receiving stolen property.

 Matthew Ryan Allen, 27, of Valley, was arrested between Friday and Monday and was charged with first-degree receiving stolen property.

Valley Police Department

 Second-degree theft of property was reported between Friday and Monday in the 3500 block of 20th Avenue.

Identity theft was reported between Friday and Monday in the 1200 block of County Road 271.

 Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle and fourth-degree theft of property were reported between Friday and Monday in the 3500 block of 20th Avenue.

Four counts of third-degree domestic violence were reported between Friday and Monday.

Tallapoosa County Sheriffs Department

 A resident of Campbell Road in Dadeville filed a report Sunday for domestic violence.

 A subject of Coosa County Road 26 in Alexander City was arrested Saturday on an active child support warrant.

 A subject of County Road 9 in Waverly was arrested Saturday on an active child support warrant.

 A resident of Wood Duck Point in Jacksons Gap filed a report Saturday for a dog bite.

 A resident of Gilmer Avenue in Tallassee filed a report between Friday for lost property.
UPDATE: On May 25, 2016, Gov. Nikki Haley (R-S.C.) signed into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, banning abortions after 19 weeks.

In a surprising move, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) vetoed a controversial bill that would have made performing an abortion a felony in the state.

The governor, known for her stanch anti-abortion beliefs, struck down the legislation on May 20, saying it would not withstand a court challenge.

Gov. Mary Fallin

The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain what medical circumstances would be considered necessary to preserve the life of the mother,  Gov. Fallin said in a statement. The absence of any definition, analysis, or medical standard renders this exception vague, indefinite, and vulnerable to subjective interpretation and application.

The news was welcomed by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which had sent Gov. Fallin a letter urging the veto.

We were excited to see the veto, said Dr. Dana Stone, legislative liaison for ACOGs Oklahoma section. I was not expecting that at all. We considered this a very dangerous law, and the most extreme law brought forward in Oklahoma.

At this articles deadline, the anti-abortion groups Oklahomans For Life, National Right to Life, and Americans United for Life had not responded to requests for comments. Oklahoma Sen. Nathan Dahm (R), who authored Senate Bill 1552, also did not respond to requests. On May 20, Sen. Dahm told the Associated Press he was undecided on whether he would attempt to override the governors veto.

Dr. Dana Stone

SB 1552 would have classified the act of performing an abortion as unprofessional conduct by a physician, and prevented abortion providers from maintaining, obtaining, or renewing a medical license. Physicians convicted under the measure could have faced 1-3 years in prison. The bill contained a provision that excluded abortions necessary to save a womans life.

If Oklahoma legislators successfully override the veto, the measure would likely be headed to the courts, Dr. Stone said. Abortion rights groups have said the bill is a direct violation of Roe v. Wade and that they would sue over the legislation if it stands.

ACOG is also keeping a close eye on a South Carolina bill that would ban abortions after 19 weeks, even if women are victims of rape or incest. The South Carolina legislature passed SB 3114 on May 17, and the bill is currently before South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R). She has indicated that she will sign the bill.

Similar abortion laws are in effect in 12 states, according to statistics from the Guttmacher Institute, but most measures are facing court challenges. In a letter to Gov. Haley, ACOG urged her to veto SB 3114, saying the bill will tie the hands of doctors seeking to help patients.

It is bad medicine, based on the thoroughly debunked fallacy that a 20-week fetus  which is not viable  can feel pain, doctors with ACOGs South Carolina section wrote to the governor. It would undoubtedly place us in the unconscionable position of having to watch our patients and their loved ones undergo additional emotional trauma, illness, and suffering during what is already a difficult time.

South Carolina Rep. Wendy Nanney (R), the bills sponsor, said SB 3114 protects life, and that she hopes the bill will effectively end all abortions in South Carolina.

Life begins at conception, she said on her website. By giving legal status to life in the womb, this bill would be a huge step in the right direction towards ending abortion in our state.

agallegos@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @legal_med
Hillary Clinton will visit Buena Park Wednesday, part of a quick-hit tour of the state as part of the campaign for Californias June 7 primary.

Clintons first stop will be at the UFCW Union hall in Buena Park (UFCW Local 324, 8530 Stanton Ave.), at 10:15 a.m.

Her campaign says the topic will be simple:

She will ask Californians for their support and urge them to go out and vote on Election Day. She will also discuss why she is the best candidate to raise incomes for California families, to lower health care costs and improve education, and to break down the barriers that hold too many Americans back.

Doors for the event will open at 8:15am and if you want to go, RSVP Here.

Later in the day, Clinton will head north to Salinas and San Jose.
NORRISTOWN, Pa.  She called him Mr. Cosby and considered him a trusted friend and mentor.

But 20 minutes after Bill Cosby offered her three blue pills and told her to take them with the wine he had set out, Andrea Constands legs began to wobble like jelly, her eyes went blurry and her head began to throb.

Cosby helped her to a couch in his living room, where she later realized he violated her as she lay helplessly in a stupor, she told police in 2005.

On Tuesday, a judge ordered the 78-year-old Cosby to stand trial on sexual assault charges on the strength of Constands decade-old police statement, sparing the former Temple University employee the need to testify at the preliminary hearing.

Cosby could get 10 years in prison if convicted in the case, the only criminal charges brought against the comedian out of the barrage of allegations that he drugged and molested dozens of women over five decades. He is free on $1 million bail.

A trial date was not immediately set.

Cosby, looking less frail than he did when he was arrested five months ago, seemed unfazed by District Judge Elizabeth McHughs decision.

Mr. Cosby is not guilty of any crime, and not one single fact presented by the commonwealth rebuts this truth, his lawyers said in a statement afterward.

Constand, who is now a massage therapist in Toronto, was not in the courtroom, and the judge ruled that she did not have to testify at this stage. Instead, prosecutors had portions of her 2005 police statement read into the record.

Although authorities in recent months have paraphrased her account and quoted fragments, this was apparently the first time that large sections of her statement  or Cosbys, for that matter  were made public.

Constand told police the comedian digitally penetrated and fondled her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004 after giving her what he said was herbal medicine. After taking the pills, she said, Everything was blurry and dizzy.

I told him, I cant even talk, Mr. Cosby. I started to panic, she told police.

She said she awoke with her bra askew and did not remember undoing it.

Cosbys lawyers argued unsuccessfully that having a police officer read Constands statement instead of putting her on the stand would be thirdhand testimony and would deprive him of his right to confront his accuser.

But reading a police statement into the record is common practice at preliminary hearings in Pennsylvania.

The defense also argued that Constand was having a relationship with a married man and that they had engaged in petting during her two or three earlier visits to his home.

In his own 2005 statement to police, excerpts of which were also read in court, Cosby said Constand never said no as he put his hand down her pants. He told police the pills were over-the-counter Benadryl that he takes to help him sleep.

Cosby settled with Constand for an undisclosed sum in 2006 after testifying behind closed doors about his extramarital affairs, his use of quaaludes to seduce women and his efforts to hide from his wife payments to former lovers.

But prosecutors reopened the criminal case last year after dozens of women leveled similar allegations and after Cosbys sealed testimony in Constands lawsuit was made public.
VIENNA  A pro-European Union candidate eked out a victory Monday over a right-wing, anti-migrant rival to become Austrias next president, in a tight contest viewed Europe-wide as a proxy fight pitting the continents political center against its growingly strong populist and anti-establishment movements.

European mainstream parties joined Austrian supporters of Alexander Van der Bellen in congratulating him on his victory over Norbert Hofer, with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier declaring. All of Europe is now breathing more easily.

But with less than a percentage point separating the two, Hofers Freedom Party and its allies across Europe also had reason to celebrate what they cast as a major political surge by one of their own.

Hofer had been narrowly ahead of Van der Bellen, a Greens politician running as an independent, after the counting of votes directly cast on Sunday. But around 700,000 absentee ballots still remained to be tallied Monday, and those numbers swung the victory to Van der Bellen.

Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said Van der Bellen collected 50.3 percent of the votes compared with 49.7 percent for Hofer of the Freedom Party. Only a little more than 31,000 votes separated the two, out of more than 4.6 million ballots cast.

The results diminish the scenario that Austrias political landscape could immediately move away from its centrist political image through a new president who could oppose the governments EU-friendly policies and increase pressure for tighter migrant controls.

Still, the narrow margin for Van der Bellen is the latest indication that Europes anti-establishment parties are gaining influence.

Hofer announced his defeat shortly before the official announcement in a Facebook post thanking his backers for their support.

He acknowledged he is naturally sad, adding: I would have been happy to have cared for our wonderful country as federal president. His post said that the work of his supporters during the election is not lost but an investment in the future.

With the results close, Herbert Kickl, secretary general of Hofers party, said it might demand a recount in case of significant signs of abuses during the absentee vote count. A Freedom Party meeting was called for Tuesday.

Hofers Freedom Party has exploited anti-EU sentiment and fear that Austria could be overrun by refugees to become the countrys most popular political force. Van der Bellen was generally supported by pro-European Union Austrians favoring humane immigration policies and others opposed to the right.

Despite pledges by both candidates to be the president of all Austrians, the split vote revealed unprecedented polarization over which direction the nation should now take, particularly over migration and the EUs future. Van der Bellen sought to smooth over the differences in post-result comments.

Were equals, the 72-year old economist told reporters. Its two halves that define Austria  and together we make this beautiful Austria.

But one thing united Hofer and Van der Bellen despite their ideological differences. Both were protest candidates, mirroring the depth of Austrian dissatisfaction with the status quo. Contenders for the Social Democrats and the centrist Peoples Party  the two parties that form the government coalition  were eliminated in last months first round of voting.

Those parties have dominated Austrian politics since the end of World War II and winners of all previous presidential elections since then have been backed by one of the two.

Hofers strong showing reflects the growth of support for anti-establishment parties across the continent to the detriment of the political middle. Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, a Social Democrat, described it as a continuation of a trend.

People are dissatisfied with the traditional, standard political parties, he said on arrival at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. I really believe its time for us to reflect upon it because we must be doing something wrong.

In a tweet reflecting a collective sigh of European establishment relief, Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky of the centrist ANO party hailed Van der Bellens narrow but for Europe important victory. German President Joachim Gauck described Van der Bellen as a convinced European who wants to work for a strong, steady, and in the long run stronger European Union.

Europes right, meanwhile, praised Hofers close finish as a milestone on the path of international dominance for the right. Frances National Front offered warmest congratulations, adding This historic performance certainly ensures future success for all patriotic movements, in Austria and elsewhere in the world.

Comments from Austrias foreign minister before the final tally was announced showed the government bracing for the worst in terms of international reaction had Hofer won.

President Kurt Waldheim, who was backed by the centrist Peoples Party, already was boycotted by most of the world decades ago after revelations that he served in a German unit linked to atrocities in World War II. In Brussels, Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz appealed to everyone to respect the results, totally independently from  whether they are happy with it or not, because this was a democratic Austrian election.

Hofer as president may have been unwelcome in some European capitals as governments there try to keep their populist Euroskeptic parties in check. And the Freedom Partys anti-Muslim campaigning also could have led to Mideast governments avoiding him.
TOKYO  Two very different visions of the hell that is war are seared into the minds of World War II survivors on opposite sides of the Pacific.

Michiko Kodama saw a flash in the sky from her elementary school classroom on Aug. 6, 1945, before the ceiling fell and shards of glass from blown-out windows slashed her. Now 78, she has never forgotten the living hell she saw from the back of her father, who dug her out after a U.S. military plane dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan.

People were walking like zombies, with their flesh scraped and severely burned, asking for help, for water. A little girl looked up, straight into Michikos eyes, and collapsed.

Lester Tenney saw Japanese soldiers killing fellow American captives on the infamous Bataan Death March in the Philippines in 1942. If you didnt walk fast enough, you were killed. If you didnt say the right words you were killed, and if you were killed, you were either shot to death, bayonetted, or decapitated, the 95-year-old veteran said. He still has the bamboo stick Japanese soldiers used to beat him across the face.

Different experiences, different memories are handed down, spread by the media and taught in school. Collectively, they shape the differing reactions in the United States and Japan to Barack Obamas decision to become the first sitting American president to visit the memorial to atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima later this week.

The U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki three days after Hiroshima, and Japan surrendered six days later, bringing to an end a bloody conflict that the U.S. was drawn into after Japans surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Japan identifies mostly as a victim rather than a victimizer, Stephen Nagy, an international relations professor at the International Christian University in Tokyo, said. I think that represents Japans regional role and its regional identity, whereas the United States has a global identity, a global agenda and global presence. So when it views the bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, its in the terms of a global narrative, a global conflict the United States was fighting for freedom or to liberate countries from fascism or imperialism. To make these ends meet is very difficult.

A poll last year by the Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of Americans believe the use of nuclear weapons was justified, while 34 percent do not. In Japan, 79 percent said the bombs were unjustified, and only 14 percent said they were.

Terumi Tanaka, an 84-year-old survivor of the Nagasaki bombing, said of Obama: I hope he will give an apology to the atomic bomb survivors, not necessarily to the general public. There are many who are still suffering. I would like him to meet them and tell them that he is sorry about the past action, and that he will do the best for them.

The White House has clearly ruled out an apology, which would inflame many U.S. veterans and others, and said that Obama would not revisit the decision to drop the bombs.

A lot of these people are telling us we shouldnt have dropped the bomb  hey, what they talking about? said Arthur Ishimoto, a veteran of the Military Intelligence Service, a U.S. Army unit made up of mostly Japanese-Americans who interrogated prisoners, translated intercepted messages and went behind enemy lines to gather intelligence.

Now 93, he said its good for Obama to visit Hiroshima to bury the hatchet, but theres nothing to apologize for. Ishimoto, who was born in Honolulu and rose to be an Air Force major general and commander of the Hawaii National Guard, believes he would have been killed in an invasion of Japan if Japan had not surrendered.

It would have been terrible, he said. There is going to be controversy about apologizing. I dont think there should be any apology.  We helped that country. We helped them out of the pits all the way back to one of the most economically advanced. Theres no apology required.

Beyond the deaths  the atomic bombs killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 73,000 in Nagasaki by the end of 1945  the effects of radiation have lingered with survivors, both physically and mentally.

Kodama, the Hiroshima schoolgirl, faced discrimination in employment and marriage. After her first love failed because her boyfriends family said they didnt want radiated peoples blood in their family, she married into a more understanding one.

The younger of her two daughters died of cancer in 2011. Some say she shouldnt have given birth, even though multi-generational radiation effects have not been proven.

Obama doesnt have to apologize, Kodama said, but he should take concrete actions to keep his promise to seek a nuclear-free world.

For me, the war is not over until the day I see a world without nuclear weapons. she said. Mr. Obamas Hiroshima visit is only a step in the process.

Nagasaki survivor Tanaka views the atomic bombings as a crime against humanity. A promise by Obama to survivors to do all he can for nuclear disarmament would mean an apology to us, he said.

He added that his own government also should take some of the blame for the suffering of atomic bomb victims. It was the Japanese government that started the war to begin with, and delayed the surrender, he said, adding that Japan has not fully faced up to its role in the war.

Japan did issue apologies in various forms in the 1980s and 1990s, but some conservative politicians in recent years have raised questions about them, said Sven Saaler, a historian at Sophia University in Tokyo.

In particular right now when Japan has a government that is  backpedaling in terms of apologizing for the war, if now the U.S. apologized, that also would be, I think, a weird signal in this current situation, Saaler said.

Tenney, one of only three remaining POWs from the Bataan Death March, wants Obama in Hiroshima to remember all those who suffered in the war, not just the atomic bomb victims.

From my point of view, the fact that the war ended when it did and the way it did, it saved my life and it saved the life of those Americans and other allied POWs that were in Japan at the time, he said at his home in in Carlsbad. I was in Japan, shoveling coal in a coal mine. No one ever apologized for that.  I end up with black lung disease because they didnt take care of me in the coal mine, and yet there is no apology, no words of wisdom, no nothing.

Obamas visit is firmly supported by Earl Wineck, who scanned the skies over Alaska for Japanese warplanes during World War II.

Hes not going there like some of them might, and keep reminding them of all their transgressions, the 88-year-old veteran of the Alaska Territorial Guard said. That should have ended after the war, and I think a lot of it did, but of course, theres always people who feel resentment.

Japan occupied two Alaskan islands during the war. The battle to retake one of them, Attu Island, cost about 3,000 lives on both sides.

We hated them, Wineck said But things change, people change, and I think people in the world should be closer together.

How so?

One Tokyo high school student has a suggestion. Mayu Uchida, who said she cried when she heard survivors recount their memories on a school trip to Hiroshima, wants Obama to bring home what he learns and tell any supporters of nuclear weapons how horrifying they are.

He could also suggest, promoting opportunities for more Americans to visit Hiroshima, or to hear the story of Hiroshima, the 18-year-old said. It will be even better if those opportunities are available for younger generations like us.

Watson reported from Carlsbad. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, and Ken Moritsugu in Tokyo also contributed to this report.
LOS ANGELES  After three military combat tours in war-torn Iraq, Chase Millsap returned to California to get on with a civilian life. But there was one thing he couldnt do: leave a comrade behind, certainly not one who had saved his life.

Especially not the former Iraqi military officer who had worked with the Americans and was now living a precarious existence as a refugee dodging Islamic State militants seeking to kill him.

For the past two years, Millsap has been fighting a different kind of battle, one to gain asylum for the brother in arms he simply calls The Captain.

The Captain is the epitome of my personal commitment to take care of people, said Millsap, 33, who served in the Marine Corps and later joined the Army and became a Green Beret.

For the time being, The Captain lives in southern Turkey, struggling to obtain refugee status in what he hopes will be the first step toward seeking permanent asylum in the United States.

If I go back, Im sure I die, the 37-old Muslim and married father of two said recently during an interview over Skype. He agreed to speak, but, fearing for his safety, only wanted to be identified by his former rank.

As he spoke, his 3-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son played in the familys living room.

Millsap visited his friend last year at his cramped apartment, hoping he might help him expedite his refugee application.

After running into one obstacle after another  The Captain couldnt get an interview at one government office because his papers were in English, not Turkish  Millsap returned to the United States and formed the nonprofit Ronin Refugee Project with a handful of other military veterans.

Its dedicated to helping those who fought alongside Americans find safe harbor here or in other Western countries. After helping The Captain, they hope to turn their attention to others.

Hes one of millions thats stuck in a system that is broken and hes just gonna continue to wait, Millsap said. And so we decided to step up, me and a few other veterans.

He will be in Washington on Tuesday to meet with members of Congress and others to discuss just how the U.S. might go about doing that.

Thats really become my mission, said the newlywed who obtained his masters degree from the University of Southern California and then went to work this month as a community liaison helping U.S. veterans reintegrate into civilian life.

Friendly and outgoing, Mills was a fresh-faced second lieutenant when he arrived in Iraq in 2006 to lead a contingent of U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers. The Captain, a lieutenant himself then, was among the latter group.

When I met The Captain, I was unimpressed at first, Millsap said, chuckling now.

He was a Marine, after all, he is quick to add, and no decent Marine thinks anyone can do the job better than he can. Never mind that they were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by danger in a foreign country where they didnt know the culture.

His attitude began to change as The Captain patiently explained why he and his troops werent getting buy-in from the locals or the Iraqi soldiers. It changed dramatically, however, after a sniper tried to take Millsaps head off during a routine patrol.

He quickly pushed me down and ran towards the gunfire and because of that, saved my life, Millsap recalled.

The sniper, seeing an angry Iraqi soldier charging at him, chose to run rather than shoot again.

And that, Millsap added with a laugh, is when I truly realized that this guys OK.

It was a coincidence that the two crossed paths a year later during Millsaps second tour. He was again in charge of a Marine contingent, and The Captain was now his Iraqi counterpart. The bearded soldier stared at him, incredulous that hed returned to that hell.

Millsap left the Marines after that tour to join the Armys Green Berets, rising to the rank of captain himself. The two didnt cross paths but kept in touch by phone and email  until one day, the communications stopped.

The Captain, Millsap would learn a year later, had nearly been killed when an improved explosive device blew up his Jeep. He recovered and soldiered on until the Islamic State group began moving in and the death threats began. When calls to his home began identifying his children by name, he gathered up his family and fled to Turkey.

Now, a typical day begins with physical therapy on his right arm, still damaged by the IED. Thats followed by tasks like teaching his children the English alphabet, then studying English grammar himself so he can fine-tune his United Nations application for refugee status.

The last time he met with a U.N. official, he said, he was told a decision might come within three months. That was four months ago. Now hes heard maybe in a month or two. Or maybe a year.

He and Millsap check in by Skype once a week. During a recent call, he praised Ronin Refugee Project for not forgetting him.

I feel like you are my family. You are my brother. You and the other group of Marines are really gentlemen, he said before his voice began to break.
SANTA ANA  Two men were wounded Monday night in an apparent gang-related shooting in Santa Ana, police said.

The incident was reported about 8:30 p.m. in the 3500 block of West 11th Street, said Santa Ana police Cmdr. Matt Sorenson.

The victims were each shot in the lower torso. They were transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital in stable condition and are expected to survive, Sorenson said.

The men were on the street when they were fired upon by someone in a vehicle, he added. Details about what prompted the shootings were not immediately available.

No suspects had been identified as of late Monday night.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7767 sschwebke@ocregister.com Twitter: @thechlakoutline
SANTA ANA  A 45-year-old Santa Ana man pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Monday for his role in the kidnapping and killing of a man whose body was dumped on an Irvine roadway in 1995.

Shannon Ray Gries faces 25 years to life in prison when he returns to court for sentencing on July 15. As part of his plea deal, Gries will be eligible for parole in his mid-to-late 60s, Senior Deputy District Attorney Mike Murray said.

After he entered his guilty plea, Gries turned to two relatives of the victim, 24-year-old Gonzalo Ramirez, in court and apologized.

I want to tell you Im sorry, Gries said. Im really sorry and I hope you get some closure.

Prosecutors said Gries and two other men kidnapped Ramirez and hacked him to death with a meat cleaver as revenge for allegedly raping Norma Esparza, who was then a 21-year-old college student in Pomona.

Esparza had met Ramirez at the El Cortez bar in Santa Ana. She later told her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Gianni Anthony Van, that Ramirez had rapped her in a dorm room, a scenario that is unclear if it occurred.

Prosecutors said Van plotted to kill Ramirez as revenge and enlisted help from Gries and another man, Kody Tran, who died in a standoff with police in 2012.

In the early morning of April 16, 1995, prosecutors said, the three men followed Ramirez in a van as he drove away from a bar and intentionally rear-ended Ramirezs vehicle in Santa Ana, forcing him pull over.

When Ramirez exited his car, Gries and Van attacked and dragged him into the van. The men tied him up, killed him and dumped his body on the side of Sand Canyon Road, prosecutors said.

Santa Ana police investigated the case, but it went cold.

Esparza later moved to France and went on to become a respected psychology professor. The case drew international attention in 2012 when Esparza re-entered the United States and was arrested after new evidence surfaced about her role in the killing.

Prosecutors contend that Esparza pointed out Ramirez to Van and lied to police about the killing.

Esparza, in 2014, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against Van in return for a shorter prison sentence. Van was convicted of murder and sentenced in July to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Like Gries, Esparza is expected to be sentenced in July.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com
ANAHEIM  Bernie Sanders didnt cast his gaze far Tuesday when he launched into his attack on corporate greed, targeting the Walt Disney Co. during an Anaheim Convention Center rally filled with 1,500 enthusiastic supporters.

People are asking is it right that at Disneyland you have a CEO making $46 million while theyre paying their workers starvation wages, he said after asking how many in the crowd worked for Disney and then how many were making a living wage. Many responded Yes to the first question and No to the second.

It was his second Orange County rally in three days  and one of nine Southern California events within a week  as he makes a Hail Mary-campaign bid to catch Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Both Sanders and his backers seemed oblivious to the odds.

Its better that we come (to the rally) than dont do anything at all, said Abby Marin, a Santiago Canyon College student from Garden Grove. Like several attendees interviewed by the Register, she sounded unprepared to answer what she would do if Clinton was the nominee. Not Trump, she said, finally.

At the center of Sanders call for a political revolution  and an alternative to what he called the big-money special interests behind both Clinton and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump  is his conviction that the political system as well as the nations economy are rigged against the working person, in favor of the most wealthy.

So it wasnt surprising that he attacked Disney, the countys biggest employer with 29,000 workers.

ATTACKING DISNEY

We are a nation of people where a lot of people are in trouble, he said, then focused on Disneyland employees.

Many of them are forced to live in hotels because they cant afford a home, he said. He contrasted that with CEO Bob Igers pay and Disneys record profits.

The Wall Street Journal estimated Igers total compensation at $46.5 million in 2014 and $45 million in 2015. Disneys latest earnings report said the companys parks and resorts division, which includes Disneyland Resort, set a record with $3.9 billion in revenue in the second quarter of the current fiscal year, a 4-percent increase year-over-year.

Sanders also claimed that Disney used H1B visas to hire cheap foreign labor in Florida.

The Disney attacks were embraced by many in the crowd

Lifelong Anaheim resident Jade Gonzalez, 23, said she has friends and family members who work for Disney  and she thought Sanders was spot on.

We as customers pay all this money, but the workers dont get paid that much, she said, and pointed to the Sanders comments as an example of how hes willing to take on interests that are others do not.

Sandra Romero, an 18-year-old Anaheim resident, said that Disney was able to control Anaheim and the City Council and influence the appearance of the city. But she also noted the upside of theme park.

Well always have tourism here because of Disney, she said. So its a steady job source.

Some of her neighbors have worked at Disneyland for years, Romero added, and they seem happy.

An emailed response from Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown said, Mr. Sanders clearly doesnt have his facts right.

However, Brown did not dispute the specific attacks by Sanders. Instead, she said that the Disneyland Resort generated more than $5.7 billion annually to the local economy and its track record in bringing more and more jobs to the area would continue.

BERNIE OR BUST

Sanders is facing an uphill battle not only nationwide, where Clinton only needs to hold on to her current superdelegates and win 90 more pledged delegates to secure the nomination, but also in California.

One-on-one interview with Bernie Sanders:

Sanders has said that winning California, which has more pledged delegates than any other state and holds its primary June 7, is critical to convincing superdelegates to change allegiances.

But an ABC7-Southern California News Group poll out Monday showed likely Democratic primary voters favored Clinton over Sanders, 57 percent to 39 percent.

Sanders supporters at Tuesdays rally offered mixed predictions on how theyll vote if Clinton wins the nomination.

It would be so difficult, said Barbara Smith, 64, who was in town from the Bay Area to help take care of a new granddaughter. But I wouldnt want to stay home.

A few people expressed hesitation to vote for Clinton  even if not doing so could help Trump.

But Sandra Romero, 18, and Jessica Peralta, 17, both of Anaheim, disagreed with that strategy.

We would have to vote for Hillary, Romero said. Shes a better candidate than Trump.

Peralta, who turns 18 after the November general election and cant vote, said of the so-called Bernie or bust movement: Thats not a very smart strategy. If they dont vote, how do you think they can change anything.

Part of Sanders pitch, which he reiterated at the Anaheim rally, is that polls show him outperforming Clinton in general election matchups against Donald Trump, particularly in battleground states.

RealClearPolitics.coms aggregation of the most recent major national polls show Clinton and Trump deadlocked at 43 percent in a head-to-head matchup, while Sanders leads Trump 50 percent to 40 percent.

Jim Radcliffe and Joseph Pimentel contributed to this story.

Contact the writer: mwisckol@ocregister.com
At first, writing a letter for an active-duty member of the military was difficult for Brea Canyon High School sophomore Zaida Cruz.

I didnt know what to put, but our teachers wife came in and she was telling us stories about how she had watched on television how they are sleeping uncomfortably, that made us realize how they are sacrificing their lives for us, she said. That kind of got my head turning.

Cruz led the schools leadership class in Letters to Heroes, a project that had students write to soldiers.

Any student could volunteer, and 26 letters were handed over to representatives from each branch of the military Monday afternoon.

This is something that didnt cost our students anything, but still they can be honored and they can do something productive, Principal Carol Christman said.

The continuation school has from 75 to 80 students at a time. The leadership class, a relatively new elective, offers students an opportunity to organize events and activities for peers.

This year, the class designed a shirt for the school, collected and organized meals for a Thanksgiving food drive and hosted a blood drive on campus.

This is the first year the school participated in Letters to Heroes, which leadership class teacher Steven Orme hopes to continue.

Theres nothing in it for them, he said, its just the gratitude of helping out someone whos newly recruited or a veteran.

For troops, a simple letter can mean everything.

Ive been on two deployments, and to get letters out there from anybody, it just says so much, said Marine Staff Sgt. Trevor Haskell, who is stationed at the recruiting office in Brea. It reminds us why we are doing this, why we are out there. Its good to see that we are appreciated.

Contact the writer: aratzlaff@ocregister.com 714-796-7381
To generate a lot of energy from rooftop solar panels, you need two things  a lot of sunshine and a lot of roof space.

Orange County, it turns out, has both, making it one of the most solar-ready regions in the country, according to a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Mission Viejo topped a list of 47 cities studied, with rooftops capable of generating 88 percent of the citys electricity consumption. Since apartments make up just 15 percent of the citys housing, roughly half the state average, Mission Viejo has a very high proportion of rooftop per resident, and a lot of space for solar panels, according to the report.

But Mission Viejo isnt unique in Orange County. It was just the local city that researchers happened to study. Researchers said the characteristics that make Mission Viejo a potential solar hub are found throughout the county.

You guys have a fantastic place for solar  theres no question about that, said Pieter Gagnon, the reports lead author who is based in Golden, Colo.

California, overall, fared well in the rooftop survey. The state could generate 74 percent of its 2013 electricity demand using rooftop solar panels  the highest percentage in the nation, according to the report. And a typical roof of a small building in the Los Angeles County/Orange County region has enough space for solar panels to generate more electricity than the building consumes, the report said.

The local solar market is strong for a couple of key reasons:

 Buildings here generally are more energy-efficient than buildings nationally.

 Also, compared with many other regions, there are fewer trees or other high objects that can block sunlight from solar panels.

The potential for solar energy already is translating into real-life production.

Southern California Edison, which provides electricity to most of Orange County, connected more solar panels to the grid last year than any utility in the country  1,258 megawatts, roughly enough power for 943,000 households. San Diego Gas & Electric, which delivers energy to south Orange County, came in fourth, with 441 megawatts, or about 308,000 homes.

In all, about a quarter of the energy sold by Southern California Edison and more than one-third of the energy sold by San Diego Gas & Electric came from renewables, figures that dont include residential rooftop solar, indicating the real percentage of renewables is higher. By 2030, half of the electricity sold by California utilities must come from renewable sources, such as solar, according to a state mandate.

To sort out which roofs have the most potential for solar production, researchers used three-dimensional city maps created by the Department of Homeland Security. The security agency had used airplane-mounted lasers to collect data on urban areas, and the energy researchers built on that by measuring how much sun would hit roofs in each community during different seasons and times of day.

The report excluded small roofs and roofs that tilt north because they arent suitable. And researchers examined only existing roof space, though they said that adding solar panels to carports, the sides of buildings and unusable plots of land could generate even more energy.

Gagnon, the reports author, noted another big opportunity: Though most solar technology is installed on residential roofs, commercial rooftops ultimately could generate even more electricity; panels on office buildings could take advantage of energy generated at midday, when most people are at work and houses are empty.

Commercial solar is challenging, however, because office rooftops come in many shapes and often require unique panel designs. Also, the people who pay for solar installation on commercial properties, building owners, sometimes dont get direct benefits from cheaper energy bills.

In the short term, solar energy is likely to keep coming from two sources  residential rooftops and huge solar power plants that use mirrors to direct intense amounts of sunlight at molten salt and other materials, which stay hot late into the night and can be used to generate electricity.

But to really boost solar power, Gagnon said lawmakers and regulators will need to craft policies that foster the technology and industry.

With solar, its probably going to be mostly dependent on policies going forward, Gagnon said.

Two cases in point: Last year, Nevada changed its solar rules to make residential solar rooftops less attractive, while still allowing growth for big, utility-size solar production. California, meanwhile, ruled that utilities must continue to compensate homeowners for solar energy at a rate close to what they currently pay, a decision viewed as a win by the solar industry and clean-energy advocates.

Another key to solars future is the development of batteries that can store solar-generated electricity, said Micah Fromkin, director of Southern California operations for Sunrun, a solar installer.

Such batteries are important because they can help solve a basic problem of solar energy, keeping energy flowing at night and during cloudy days, when there isnt enough solar production to meet demand. Fromkin said batteries could dramatically boost solar power production if they follow the model of other technologies, becoming cheaper for consumers even as they become more efficient.

Thats the next big step forward.

Contact the writer: aorlowski@ocregister.com. Twitter: @aaronorlowski
Sexual misconduct. Job retaliation. Unfair politics.

All three are elements in the back-and-forth allegations in the race for the Orange County Superior Court seat held by Judge Scott Steiner.

The challenger, Orange County prosecutor Karen Schatzle, says she was sent to do low-level attorney work in retaliation for running against Steiner and that her character has been under attack by bloggers.

Schatzle, a 24-year veteran at the District Attorneys Office, says that last year she was assigned to file cases in the Westminster courthouse after previously leading a team of younger attorneys at the Superior Court in Santa Ana. She says the change in assignments came soon after she let it be known she was considering a run June 7 against Steiner.

Its a big farce, cronyism and nepotism, said Schatzle, 51. She added her decision to run against Steiner violates an unwritten rule about challenging sitting judges and that the result has been career suicide.

Schatzles boss, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, denies the allegations.

But Rackauckas is among several local politicians and law enforcement officials who support Steiner, 42, who two years ago was censured for having sex with two former law students in his judges chambers.

I am disappointed that one of my prosecutors, especially one that is running to be judge, would make a false statement about her employment status, Rackauckas said.

That confirms that I made the right choice of joining judges, elected officials, law enforcement officers and crime victims in supporting Judge Steiner.

Besides the sexual trysts in 2012, the California Commission on Judicial Performance censured Steiner for trying to help one of his sex partners get a job at the District Attorneys Office. He also was rebuked for failing to disqualify himself in a case involving a longtime friend and for other violations related to conflicts of interest.

Engaging in sexual intercourse in the courthouse is the height of irresponsible and improper behavior by a judge, the commission wrote. It reflects an utter disrespect for the dignity and decorum of the court, and is seriously at odds with a judges duty to avoid conduct that tarnishes the esteem of the judicial office.

State prosecutors declined to charge Steiner, the son of well-liked ex-county supervisor and childrens advocate Bill Steiner. Scott Steiner was allowed to keep his job and his $181,292-a-year salary.

Anybody else in any other place would have been fired, Schatzle said. Scott Steiner has made a mockery of what our community expects of our judiciary. I feel strongly that the public should be made aware and that integrity be restored to his position.

There have been some repercussions for Steiner. He no longer teaches at Chapman Universitys Dale E. Fowler School of Law. And the Orange County Bar Association gave Steiner its lowest rating for a judicial candidate, not qualified, while rating Schatzle well qualified, the groups second-highest rating.

Still, Steiner has been racking up endorsements, including the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, one of the largest police unions in the state.

Judges are hardly superior, flawless human beings who rule from above; they are imperfect and flawed human beings charged with overseeing the determination of guilt and innocence of other imperfect human beings, said the groups president, Tom Dominguez, in an email.

Judge Steiner was forthcoming regarding his missteps and he has accepted his punishment. That is all we can ask.

Rackauckas, in a recorded segment on Steiners website, said, Judge Steiners tough on crime, he supports the death penalty and he protects victims rights. So re-elect Judge Steiner.

In a statement to the Register, Rackauckas added: There is no debate that he was a great prosecutor and that he has superior intellect and work ethic as a judge.  I accept his apology for his failings on the bench and believe he deserves a second chance.

Although their names are featured prominently on Steiners website, some supporters sought for comment by the Register either did not call back or wanted to go off the record. I wouldnt touch that with a 10-foot pole, one supporter said when asked about endorsing Steiner.

Steiner did not return telephone messages left by the Register with his clerk. As of late April, he had outspent Schatzle this year, $82,000 to $30,000.

Steiner, who is married and a father of two, said on his website that family is important to me and that, as a judge, he will do what he can to protect the safety of families. He joined the District Attorneys Office in 1999 and was elected to the bench in 2010 after the retirement of longtime Judge Margaret Anderson.

The Republican Party of Orange County is backing Schatzle, after a heated vote.

Shes a good and godly woman who took on a seated judge who had extramarital sex in his chambers  and she took a lot of grief for it, said Deborah Pauly, a candidate for the 68th Assembly District. As Republicans, we must be ethical.

Attorney Travis Burch, a former alternate public defender, also is endorsing Schatzle.

Shes somebody who brought integrity to the position and was concerned seeing justice was done, Burch said.

Schatzle, who has three adult children, has spent much of her career prosecuting child abuse cases.

She also has drawn criticism during her time as a prosecutor.

In 2002, she raised the ire of some defense attorneys who said she misled the public after agreeing to a plea deal in which a father received a light punishment after burning his childs hand over an open flame as a punishment for shoplifting. Schatzle blamed the judge for the sentence in that case, and critics said she was shifting blame away from herself.

Schatzle said this month she signed off on the plea deal only after the judge reduced the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, despite her objections.

I felt strongly then I did the right thing, she said.

Other critics point to a brief period in 2002 when Schatzles law license was made inactive, causing her to practice without a license for that period. Her license since has been restored. Officials at the State Bar confirmed her license was previously inactive, but said she was never disciplined, indicating she was not at fault.

Contact the writer: tsaavedra@ocregister.com
One takes a pint-size dog named Toby almost everywhere, smokes electronic cigarettes and wears his silver hair in a flowing pompadour.

The other has a portrait of Richard M. Nixon tattooed on his back, boasts that he owns more shoes than Imelda Marcos and traffics in conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination.

The 2016 election, filled with ugly insults, whispered innuendo and sordid character attacks, features two central antagonists known for their colorful traits and devotion to the dark arts of politics: David Brock and Roger J. Stone Jr.

Each has a passion for his side  Brock for Hillary Clinton and Stone for Donald Trump  and a zeal for attacking critics of his candidate. Their intensity and pugnacity make them either perfect villains or misunderstood masterminds, depending on your point of view.

Brock, 53, divides his time between Washington and the West Village in Manhattan, throwing lively salons and wooing liberal donors on both coasts, often accompanied by Toby, his schnoodle  a schnauzer-poodle mix.

Stone, 64, has a fashion blog and likes to quote Gore Vidals advice to never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television. He divides his time between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan crammed with political memorabilia and Le Corbusier furniture.

Socially, hes a very charming, likable, intelligent guy, Stone said of his rival in a telephone interview Saturday. He praised Brocks style, saying he is a dapper guy and likening his hairstyle to that of the title character in Eraserhead, David Lynchs 1977 surrealist horror film.

But in recent weeks, as sexual assault allegations against former President Bill Clinton surfaced in the campaign, the intersections of Brocks past with Stones attacks on the Clintons have made for a deeper kind of intrigue.

Last week, when Trump brought up a decades-old rape allegation against Clinton in a Fox News interview, Hillary Clintons allies saw the influence of Stone. His thinly sourced 2015 book, The Clintons War on Women, which he wrote with Robert Morrow, focuses on Bill Clintons sexual misconduct and accuses Hillary Clinton of silencing women who came forward to complain about it.

But it is reporting by Brock that Stone has used to help Trump make that case.

Before Brock became the man at the center of a multimillion dollar operation built to defend the Clintons, he was a self-described conservative hit man intent on taking them down. He and Stone knew each other socially and would occasionally compare notes.

Reporting for The American Spectator, a conservative newsmagazine, Brock asserted in 1994 that Arkansas state troopers facilitated sexual liaisons for Bill Clinton when he was the states governor, allegations that have been central to Stones attacks.

Today, Brock claims his American Spectator stories exposing Bill Clinton were false, Stone wrote in his book. Hes lying.

Brock declined to be interviewed about Stone.

Brock now runs Correct the Record, a super PAC that coordinates with the Clinton campaign to defend Hillary Clinton, and American Bridge, a related group that digs up opposition research to defeat Trump. (Enough to knock Trump Tower down to the subbasement, as Brock put it in remarks to liberal donors, according to Politico.)

His mission now will largely be to get inside Stones complicated head to anticipate, and stay ahead of, Trumps attacks. Hillary Clintons allies have vehemently denied that she was involved in silencing Bill Clintons accusers, but Trump will continue to push that assertion as the two candidates battle for the support of women voters.

Both men operate outside the official campaigns, though Brock directly coordinates with the Clinton campaign through Correct the Record. Stone said he had no formal or informal role within the Trump campaign, but he is close to Trump and has had a major influence on strategy.

And both have taken risky moves that have created drama and tensions within the campaigns they are ostensibly helping.

Stone hit a rough patch with Trump after the first Republican primary debate in August, when he advised Trump to stop attacking Megyn Kelly of Fox News. Trump said he fired his longtime friend and adviser. Stone said he quit.

Since then, a detente has occurred.

Hillary Clinton has embraced Brock ever since his flattering 1996 biography of the first lady, The Seduction of Hillary Rodham, and, later, his 2002 book, Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative, which Clinton said provided evidence of a vast right-wing conspiracy against her and her husband.

The Clintons encouraged Brock to start Media Matters, and Bill Clinton used to hand out copies of Blinded by the Right that he kept in the couples Chappaqua, New York, home.

As the campaign intensifies, Brock and Stone are likely to keep clashing.

When CNN barred Stone from the network in February, after he had used racial and gendered slurs in describing two of the networks commentators, he accused Brock of influencing the cable channel. As Media Matters continues its campaign to highlight the worst of Roger Stones history, we encourage other networks to follow suit, Bradley Beychok, the president of Media Matters, said at the time.

Stone said the move was part of Brocks suppression game with mainstream news outlets that he said were increasingly irrelevant in the social-media era. He wrote on Twitter: My exposing Bill Clintons serial rapes and Hillarys bullying his victims seems to have gotten under @davidbrockdcs skin.

Not long after that, Brocks Correct the Record said it would spend $1 million to defend Hillary Clinton against attacks on social media. Perhaps it will start with Stones Twitter feed.
PARIS  So, Stan Wawrinka was asked, were you aware that in the long history of the French Open, no defending champion ever had lost in the first round?

No, Wawrinka replied quickly, his arms crossed, the hint of a smirk on his scruffy face. After waiting a comedic beat, he added with a chuckle: And its still not the case, so its good.

Sure, by then, it was easy for the 2015 champion at Roland Garros to kid around, because he barely avoided making the sort of history no athlete would embrace. Eventually warming up on a gray, chilly afternoon, and twice coming back from a set down, Wawrinka edged 59th-ranked Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic, 4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, on Monday to sneak into the second round.

I know that physically Im stronger than he is, and I knew that he was going to decline a little bit, the third-seeded Wawrinka said. Thats exactly what happened.

Something similar transpired several hours later, when No.2 seed Andy Murray faced an even greater deficit, dropping the first two sets against 128th-ranked qualifier Radek Stepanek, who at 37 is the oldest man in the field. Their match didnt finish, though, suspended until Tuesday because of darkness.

After the net-charging Stepanek raced to a 6-3, 6-3 lead, his legs began to falter, and Murray started to work his way back into the match.

The two-time major champion took the third set, 6-0, and was up a break at 4-2 in the fourth when they stopped. As dusk began to arrive  there are no artificial lights at Roland Garros  Murray accused his opponent of gamesmanship, complaining to the chair umpire that Stepanek was trying to delay the proceedings.

How many things can he do to slow the play down? Murray said after Stepanek headed to the locker room following the third set. He added: Keep an eye on how long this toilet break is.

After returning to the court, Stepanek changed shirts, drawing a warning for wasting time.

If he was hoping to force the match to another day, it worked. The way he and Rosol challenged two of the top three seeded men was emblematic of the way Day2 went.

There were no bracket-busting stunners, but the surprises included 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilics 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 loss to 166th-ranked qualifier Marco Trungelliti of Argentina. No.33 Steve Johnson of Orange lost his opener to Fernando Verdasco, 7-5, 6-4, 7-5. Four seeded women exited, most notably No.7 Roberta Vinci, the Italian who ended Serena Williams Grand Slam bid at last years U.S. Open.

Twelve matches were postponed, six were suspended in progress.

While Stepanek can rest and regroup, Rosol had no such opportunity to gather himself as he unraveled.

The key moment came with Wawrinka trailing 15-40 while serving at 2-all in the fourth set. Wawrinka saved both of those break points  Rosol helped matters by missing two backhands  and never faced another the rest of the way.

He (started) to be a little bit tight, Wawrinka noted.

The temperature was in the 50s (about 15 degrees Celsius) and rain delayed the start for roughly 2-1/2 hours, conditions favoring Rosol. Early on, nothing went Wawrinkas way. Even his terrific backhand was problematic, including one shank that ended the third set. In all, Wawrinka made 46 unforced errors, 17 on the backhand side.

This should have been easier for him.

Wawrinka is a two-time Grand Slam title winner; Rosol never has made it past the third round in 20 major tournaments and is 110-137 in tour-level matches. His most noteworthy accomplishment was defeating Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012, displaying the same go-for-broke, flat groundstrokes and intimidating serve he used to such great effect against Wawrinka.

Wawrinka and Rosol played four times previously, with Wawrinka winning each one, most recently Friday at Geneva.

I wanted  payback, Rosol said.

Mondays match was at Court Philippe Chatrier, where Wawrinkas near-perfect performance beat Novak Djokovic in the 2015 final. That day, Wawrinka produced what he called certainly one of the best matches of my career  if not the best.

His play was a far cry from that against Rosol in the first and third sets, when Wawrinka produced more than half of his unforced errors. But he eventually turned things in his favor.

Asked what emotions he felt returning to the site for the first time since holding the trophy, Wawrinka said he didnt let those great feelings linger.

I came back to play a match, he said, not to enjoy and think about what I did last year.
Tim Bengel, a young artist from Stuttgart, Germany, has returned to the childhood pastime of playing with sand for his latest art series. He uses only black and white sand on a sticky board to create spectacular paintings of people and places.

Bengel, 24, starts off by covering a blank canvas board with a special type of adhesive that takes a long time to dry. He then sprinkles black and gold sand over the drying glue in the shape of the design he has in mind, and sometimes even adds individual grains of sand using a very fine scalpel. This drawing stage can take him weeks to complete.

When the design is completed, he spreads white sand all over the canvas. Then, he shakes off all the excess sand in one sweeping motion to reveal the completed artwork underneath. The dramatic effect of this final step is well worth the hours of effort that he puts into each piece.

Bengels work is being described as a whole new take on building sandcastles. The last work step at my artworks have this wow-effect, he explained. It generally takes him a month, or 80 hours, to complete each piece, but he did spend 300 hours on one particular creation  a sand painting of the Palace of Versailles.

Born in Ostfildern, Bengel is currently studying art and philosophy at the University of Tubingen. My curiosity for art first presented itself when as a child I tried to imitate these works I saw at my first visit to art museum Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, he said. I won my first art competition at school, age of 18. A few years ago I asked myself what do I have to do to be a successful artist? My answer was: Find something unique!

So Bengel started experimenting with sand art, but the first few attempts at shaking off the excess sand were disastrous. But now, after years of practice, hes happy to say that nearly every picture becomes perfect. The full collection of his extraordinary sand paintings can be viewed on his website.

In order to truly appreciate Tims sand art, you have to witness the creative process and the unveiling of the masterpiece beneath the grains of sand. Its simply awe-inspiring.

via Business Insider
A couple of wine experts from San Francisco are apparently able to perform a miracle otherwise credited to Jesus Christ himself  they claim they can turn water into wine in a mere 15 minutes! The synthetic wine, made without the use of grapes, is produced by combining water and ethanol with flavor-compounds that can mimic the taste of real wine.

Mardonn Chua and Alec Lee, founders of the start-up Ava Winery, said they were inspired to create the grape-free artificial wine after spotting a bottle of award-winning Chardonnay at a winery in Californias Napa Valley last year. They couldnt afford the bottle of Chateau Montelena, but they got to thinking of ways to make wine that anyone can buy. I was transfixed by this bottle displayed on the wall, Chua said. I could never afford a bottle like this, I could never enjoy it. That got me thinking.

So they skipped the expensive step of growing and fermenting grapes, and instead started off with ethanol, the major component in most alcoholic beverages. Then they added compounds like ethyl hexanoate for that fruity flavor. Their initial attempts were disastrous, but they kept trying and eventually achieved some decent results, including a very close replica of the sparkling Italian white wine Moscato dAsti.

The duo have also managed to identify the flavor compounds  like esters ethyl isobutyrate and ethyl hexanoate  in other varieties of wine like chardonnay and pinot noir, using hi tech methods like gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. All their synthetic wines consist of 85 percent water, 13 percent ethanol, and two percent flavor compounds, glycerin, sugar and tannins. Inspired by their success, Chua and Lee have also created a grape and yeast-free champagne. Their version of the 1992 Dom Perignon champagne costs only a quarter of the original price of $200 per bottle.

As interesting as the concept of cheap synthetic wine may be, not everyone is excited about it, and that includes wine connoisseurs. Its nonsense, to be honest with you, asserted Alain Deloire, director of the National Wine and Grape Industry Center at Charles Sturt University in Australia. Deloire argues that the landscape where the grapes grow have a definite impact on the quality of real wine, and this is what customers always look for.

Tony Milanowski, a winemaking expert at UKs Plumpton College has his doubts about the product as well  he believes that some flavor compounds that are gradually produced when microbes ferment grapes can never be dissolved straight into a batch of synthetic wine. And Lisa Grossman, who tasted an early version of the artificial Moscato dAsti was very disappointed with the product. The smell was the first thing that gave the synthetic stuff away, she wrote, adding that it smelled astringent, more like cleaning alcohol or plastic.

But Chua and Lee are not worried about the contradicting opinions and criticism. The big secret here is that most compounds in wine have no perceptible impact on the flavor or the aroma, Lee said. Its absolutely going to be substantially cheaper. And they could be right  the curiosity around the product is probably going to boost sales, at least until the initial buzz dies out.

Sources: Daily Mail, New Scientist
Who needs a boat when youve got incredible core strength and balance? Two simple bamboo poles will do if youre anything like this 51-year-old Chinese man who is able to cross a large river standing on one pole and rowing with the other!

A video of Fang Shuyuns unique commute has recently gone viral on Chinese social media and millions were left baffled by the ease with which the middle-aged man navigates the waters of Fuchun River, sailing smoothly and swiftly on a 23-foot bamboo cane. He was reportedly traveling at a speed of 100 to 164 feet per minute.

Fang, a native of Hangzhou city, first tried out the feat one night in 2014 after he missed the last boat ride home from work. He spotted a bamboo pole floating in the river and decided to use it to get to the other side. He failed in that first attempt, but came away with the feeling that he could complete the ride if he worked on his sense of balance. So Fang spent the past two years practicing, and it appears that he has finally managed to master the skill. The leg you put forward carries the center of the body weight so you should use it to step on the bamboo pole evenly, he explained, speaking to local media. Then you use the big toe of your other leg to stop the stick from rolling in water. As long as you achieve a balance and stop the bamboo from turning, its possible to cross a river on a single bamboo pole given youre fit enough.

Fang also added that the pole needs to be over 13 feet in length in order to gain enough buoyancy. You just step onto the bamboo and take advantage of the forces of the current and wind, he said. Now even if I miss the last boat, no matter how late it is I will be able to go home.

Internet users in China are in awe of Fangs special ability, comparing him with a legendary fifth-century monk who is believed to have crossed a river while standing on a single reed. Others are hailing him as a master of light body Kung Fu.

This is too incredible. Hes so talented, a Weibo user commented, while another expressed a desire to become Fangs disciple. Real masters live among the people, another user wrote.

Sources: CCTV News, China.org
Stealth passage of a measure allowing an eruv in Westhampton Beach, aided by collusive media, looms June 2 unless citizens become aroused.

New York Times, after nearly 3.5 years of benign neglect of the story, has assigned staffer Matt Chaban. who joined NYT two years ago, to write about the proposed Jewish boundary but nothing has appeared so far. We talked to Chaban on the phone but when we tried to tell him about essays by law professors declaring eruvim unconstitutional and provide other information, he hung up. He has told us he will not deal with us again.

Southamptons passage of an eruv deal last Aug. 25 was branded as shameful by Jewish People for the Betterment of WHB because it came as the last of 38 motions before the SH Council that night, was a walk-on not on the agenda, and was passed with no discussion. Townspeople never got to say one word about it.

Two of the main participants in the action, SH Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst and Town Attorney Tiffany Scarlato, are now gone from SH government. Throne-Holsts tour ended Dec. 31 and Scarlato resigned in early January. Jay Schneiderman was elected as the new supervisor. James Burke is the new Town Attorney.

A similar trick is being pulled in WHB. Mayor Maria Moore has announced an intention to have a vote on an agreement at the board meeting June 2 but will not, as of this report, provide the wording of the agreement.

Agreement Probably Similar to SH Deal

It will no doubt be similar to the agreement signed by SH.

Lawyers say such an agreement would be hard, but not impossible to break. It would give EEEA, Verizon and Long Island Light essentially carte blanche to put whatever they want on all the utility poles in Westhampton Beach in perpetuity.

This agreement handcuffs WHB going forward, a lawyer told us. WHB should push for arbitration if there is any dispute on the placement of religious symbols, the lawyer said. WHB could also handcuff the EEEA by forbidding any litigation on this issue, said the lawyer, even in the event of a breach by WHB.

Residents need to go over every word of the proposed agreement but thus far are being denied this although there is just over one week left before the vote on it.

Helping to keep the public in the dark is local media. The Southampton Press has editorialized in favor of the eruv, saying it is invisible. NYT has long neglected the story and now assigns recently arrived reporter Chaban who specializes in real estate. Newsday has had virtually no stories on it and Patch, the local news service, completely avoids the issue. Dans Papers, the biggest weekly on Long Island, mostly avoids it.

A new element is that Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Hampton Synagogue, who spearheaded the drive for an eruv in WHB, was dismissed by the Synagogue earlier this year. A new Rabbi could decide that the ill will being generated by the eruv battle outweighs any benefit and could call off the move. Power at the Synagogue reportedly is in the hands of five men who are the owners.

Suggested Town Hall Never took Place

Moore, responding to nearly 25 minutes of complaints by residents about failure to communicate about the eruv battle, on Aug. 6, 2015 said, Perhaps it would be more helpful to the community to hear it at a meeting, to have an update to the extent possible. No such meeting ever took place.A new administration could be voted in June 17. Mayor Moore was only elected by 97 votes, 284 to 187 for Conrad Teller, in June 2014.



Rob Rubio garnered 240 votes and Brian Tymann garnered 248 votes in winning election last year on a no eruv platform. It would only take a few more such votes to defeat Mayor Moores candidacy.

Moore Dropped Twin Police Chiefs

About 60 residents filled the meeting room Feb. 5, 2015 and got the Moore administration to back down from its proposal to have a police commissioner in addition to Chief Trevor Gonce who would get as much as 5% more than Gonce. Total package would be around $350,000 when there are only about ten full-time police in WHB. Southampton for many years has proposed taking over administration of the WHB police dept. and saving money.



A program by Governor Cuomo urges small municipal depts. to merge with larger ones and save costs.



27east.com said the administration received an unprecedented amount of backlash at the twin chiefs proposal and voted it down at a work session Feb. 12. The Trustees listened to the people and they should again on the eruv issue since 95% of residents want no such designation, according to Mayor Teller. No one has ever contradicted him.



The ODwyer website covered this Feb. 16, 2015 and 27east.com covered it Feb. 17.



Letters to the editor show the heat generated by the twin chiefs proposal.



Why not simply get ride of the 10-officer police dept. and use the money saved to reduce taxes? asked one letter. The writer noted the small number of arrests and asked for accountability.



Why would a tiny rinky dink dept. like WHB need a commissioner? asked another letter. They are glorified night watchmen, not real cops!



Another writer, noting no one can find the lechi markers for the Jewish boundary, said Lets get the WHB police on this immediatelyThe case of the missing lechis! Wait, they just referred the case to the Suffolk County Police...that was a close call, a Village police officer might have had to look up at a few telephone poles. Its a dangerous assignment, might have gotten a crimp in their neck from looking up and had to go on 100% disability pay for the next 60 years.

A copy of the agreement with SH has been obtained in which SH agrees that the lechi markers attached to utility poles are not signs and that the erection of the eruv is not an unconstitutional establishment of religion under the First Amendment.



Opponents of eruvim, which include about 95% of WHB residents according to previous Mayor Teller, say both statements are false.



Lechis cannot only be seen by someone who looks closely at utility poles, but the eruv of the Hampton Synagogue in WHB is depicted in color and detail on the Synagogues website as are eruvim throughout the U.S.



Residents say its common sense that placing religious symbols permanently on utility poles is a violation of the First Amendment and cite legal opinions by law professors Alexandra Susman of UCLA Law School and Marci Hamilton of Yeshiva University that support that view.



Indicating the sentiment of WHB residents is that they elected two new trustees last June 19 on the promise they would never sign an agreement allowing an eruvBrian Tymann and Rob Rubio.



In previous years, four trustees who won election had openly opposed allowing an eruv in WHBHank Tucker, Joan Levan, Sue Farrell and Toni-Jo Birk. Their quotes are in a legal filing of the EEEA.



WHB Could not Challenge Verizon, LIPA



Under terms in the proposed agreement, WHB could never challenge Verizon and LIPAS authority to enter into contracts with EEEA permitting attachment of lechis to utility poles. Defendants likewise agree not to contest or otherwise challenge the June 16, 2014 ruling of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, including, without limitation, that the Transportation Corporations Law and the LIPA Act provide sufficient authority for Verizon and LIPA to enter into private contracts for the use of their utility poles, unrelated to the provision of electric or telephone services.



WHB would also agree not to adopt any ordinance or resolution prohibiting the attachment, existence, restoration, maintenance, repair or placement of lechis pursuant to EEEAs licenses with Verizon or LIPA, or Plaintiffs successor entities or replacement entities and managers.
The Halden Reactor Project has been in operation at the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) in Norway since 1958 and is the oldest NEA joint project. It brings together a large international technical network in the area of nuclear safety ranging from fuel safety and operational margins in commercial reactors, including fuel and cladding performance and behaviour both at normal operation and transient conditions, with emphasis on extended fuel utilization, ageing and degradation of BWR and PWR reactor core materials under the combined effects of water chemistry and nuclear environment and plant control/monitoring and human factors. The project programme of work is updated every three years and the current mandate is from January 2021 to December 2023.

Since January 2021, the project has been split into two separate projects: one addressing the nuclear fuels and material thematic area and one addressing the human, technology and organisation (HTO) area.

The Halden fuel and materials project is currently supported by about eighty research, regulation and industry organisations in 17 countries.

From the very beginning, investigations in the fuel and material area were built around in-pile experiments at the Halden boiling water reactor and complementary out of pile investigations. Numerous valuable experiments have been performed in the frame of the Halden Reactor Project and have led to an improved understanding of the behaviour of nuclear fuels and materials in various conditions for the entire nuclear community.

Halden LOCA tests series have served, for example, to enhance knowledge regarding the critical safety issues of pellet-clad interaction in transients and fuel fragmentation, relocation and dispersal in LOCA transients. Halden tests data have also been extensively used in the validation of fuel performance codes and LOCA transient analysis codes with a number of completed international benchmarks under IAEA and NEA auspices:

In June 2018, technical and financial challenges led to the decision by the board of directors of IFE to permanently close the Halden Reactor. The reactor was regarded in many countries as a strategic asset for testing fuel and components for commercial reactors. To sustain and develop such in-reactor testing capacities, the NEA has implemented the FIDES (Framework for Irradiation Experiments) framework.

A revised nuclear fuels and materials work programme was developed for the 2018-2020 period. The work programme focuses on postirradiation examinations (PIE) and experiments in hot-cells, including hot cells at Studsvik in Sweden, in the areas of:

fuel safety and operational margins;

cladding performance and behaviour;

ageing and degradation of core material.

The 2018-2020 programme aims at completing experimental investigations in the above areas. Some investigations are still pending in 2022 due to delays in transports of material to Studsvik.

Another important aspect of the 2018-2020 work programme was the compilation, preservation and treatment of the Halden fuel and material legacy data, as well as the development of an improved experimental database. A substantial effort for the project data preservation was completed by IFE and the legacy database was released to the project members at the end of 2020.

The 2021-2023 programme aims at closing the Halden fuel and material project with the establishment of synthesis reports in the following topical areas: fission gas release, dimensional changes and pellet-cladding mechanical interaction, loss-of coolant accident transients, cladding corrosion and creep and crack growth initiation and rate for core material. Some activities are also planned to enhance the data quality assurance and preservation. In addition, it is planned to transfer the Halden legacy database to the NEA early 2023 so that NEA administers the data after the project closure.

Some of the data sets from the Halden project can be made available to NEA member countries organisations upon request at International Fuel Performance Experiments (IFPE) database
Primary school pupils from Scoil Bhride Edenderry along with pupils from 11 other schools, will take part in the national final of the Our World Irish Aid Awards 2016 in The Printworks, Dublin Castle, on Tuesday, June 14.

By Damian Moran

e-mail: damian@offalyexpress.ie

Twitter: @offaly_express

The Our World Irish Aid Awards invited pupils across Ireland to create projects, in any medium, about the lives of children in developing countries. The projects highlighted the challenges facing these children and their families and the progress which is being achieved by Ireland and other countries through the global effort to fight poverty.

All 12 schools were chosen to participate in the national final based on the creativity, understanding of the theme and the impact of their project. All schools competing in the national final will be presented with a trophy recognising their outstanding efforts, with one school being announced as overall winners, taking home the overall Our World Irish Aid Awards trophy.

The One World, One Future theme of the 2016 awards asks pupils to imagine how they would like their world to look in 2030, and to learn about the new United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development which seek to address the root causes of poverty and environmental damage worldwide.

At the national final, 6th class pupils from Scoil Bhride Edenderry with their teacher Richard Casey will exhibit their project, Global Calls for Children.

Over 1,000 primary schools throughout Ireland have been participating in the Our World Irish Aid Awards in 2016.
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China mulls extending Nepal rail connectivity to India: A Chabahar impact?

Feature

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

After having expanded its influence in Nepal with infrastructure like road and rail network through Tibet, China is now thinking of stretching the railway connectivity to Bihar to better the communication with India and South, the state-run Chinese media said on Tuesday.

A cross-border rail road link to Rasuwagadhi area in Nepal has already been discussed between the two countries, said a PTI report. [Chabahar versus Gwadar: Geopolitics of ports]

"The railroad connection to China not only is important for Nepal and Nepalese people's future development, but also has the capacity to build connectivity with the whole of South Asia. The government of Nepal has the chance to make history," an article in Global Times said, adding that China's railroad is expected to reach Nepal's border by 2020.

For Bihar, this link will be more helpful than the one via Kolkata as it will save time and cost.

China also said on Monday that it will speed up negotiations on the boundary issue. [President Pranab Mukherjee reaches China]

Are the Chinese taking a step back in the wake of India's game-changing pact with Iran on the Chabahar Port, which will enable the latter to avoid the China-Pakistan arc to get closer to Iran, Afghanistan and beyond in central Asia? [India, Iran ink Chabahar, 11 other pacts]

China focusing on cooperation with India since it knows conflict isn't the only option against it today

Beijing knows fully well that under Modi, New Delhi has shown more intent in its foreign policy. The two sides, more than enemies, have engaged in a strong competition to make strategic and economic gains and with the Americans showing more support for Modi than either Pakistan or China, Beijing has the extra responsibility to remain close to New Delhi in matters of economic cooperation.

Any step towards a conflict with India could tilt the balance of the power game in South Asia against China any moment.

International politics is about mind game and the Chinese know that it requries cooperation from India as an emerging economy and can not really depend on weak states like Pakistan when it comes to dealing with a US-India axis.
Kashmir militancy may escalate, IB warns of more fidayeen strikes on security forces

Feature

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The twin attacks in Srinagar in which three police personnel were killed is a grim reminder of how terrorist outfits are stepping up the ante. They are on over drive mode and are likely to carry out several such attacks in the days to come. It has become a race for groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen who are desperately trying to outdo other terror outfits.

The problem however for the security agencies is that groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the Hizbul Mujahideen are in competition mode. This means each one of these groups will be plotting attacks individually. Only a few hours after the twin strikes in Srinagar, the security agencies in another incident managed to gun down two Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives.

Fidayeen attacks to rise:

Intelligence Bureau officials have warned the number of fidayeen or suicide strikes in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to go up. Security has to be tight at all times and any let up would lead to a strike, the IB has warned. The IB further states that the attacks would target only the security forces.

The militants have decided that there would be no civilian casualty and the attacks would only be targeted at the army or the police. The decision not to target the civilians is an obvious one as they fear losing their support base. Terrorist groups do not want support which generates out of fear. Instead they want to show that they fighting for a cause against the Indian army.

The Hizbul Mujahideen in particular is looking for locals. They want more local youth to be roped into the outfit. They want to paint the picture that the battle in Kashmir is a local one and not a Pakistan proxy battle.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 15:44 [IST]
India always views war as last resort, but... : PM Modi to armed forces in Kargil

The importance of Chabahar port explained in 5 points

Feature

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Narendra Modi who became the first Prime Minister in 15 years to visit Iran inked 12 pacts. Among these pacts the one which is considered to be the most important is the one in which both countries have decided to develop the Chabahar port.

The developing of the Chabahar port has several advantages for both countries. While it signals economic cooperation between the two countries, it would also allow Indian to by pass Pakistan while accessing the global markets.

The importance of the Chabahar port:

The port will allow India to bypass Pakistan and reach out to the global markets. It would counter China's growing influence on the Indian Ocean. China is currently developing the Gwadar Port in Pakistan which is also 100 kms away from the Chabahar port. This port would help in evolving bi-lateral investments with Iran. The railway line to be set up by IRCON International will help transport good to Afghanistan. The rail line would also link India to Iran's railway network.
Fact Check: This BJP worker from Gujarat is not rooting for AAP in the state

AAP dares BJP to disclose details of its funding

India

oi-PTI

Panaji, May 23: The Goa unit of AAP today accused the ruling BJP of accepting donations from undisclosed sources and challenged it to make details of its funding public.

"I would like to challenge him (BJP MLA Vishnu Wagh) to come on public platform with accounts of BJP and I will come with the accounts of AAP, let the public see who is hiding what," AAP Goa Secretary Walmiki Naik said here. Wagh, who is the Deputy Speaker of Goa Assembly, had earlier alleged that AAP's funding was dubious.

"The accusation has come from a party (BJP) whose 80 per cent donations comes from unknown sources," Naik said. "(The source of) every single rupee of AAP is revealed on our website. BJP is using the rule that cash donations below Rs 25,000 are not required to be identified, to mask its donations from undisclosed sources," the AAP leader said.

BJP's allegation was a "sign of its fear" following Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's successful rally in Panaji yesterday, he said.

PTI
India always views war as last resort, but... : PM Modi to armed forces in Kargil

Big B to host PM Modi govt's 2-year anniversary event at India Gate

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and most of his ministerial colleague are expected to attend an event at India Gate to be hosted by mega star Amitabh Bachhan on May 28 to mark the second anniversary of the government.

The government is organising the event-- 'Zara Muskura Do' (Smile Please)-- which will have several performances and programmes highlighting its "achievements".

The show will be beamed across the country by Doordarshan. Various schemes and programmes, particularly Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Digital India and Rural Electrification, will be highlighted during the show.

Programmes to mark the completion of Modi government's second year in office will also be held in various other cities.

The government had formed a panel of ministers, headed by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and comprising Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, to supervise preparations for the show.

The panel has had extensive discussions regarding the government schemes which need to be highlighted. Last year, the Modi government had celebrated its first year in office with a tagline 'Saal Ek, Shuruaat Anek'.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had asked various ministries to provide details of their achievements.

BJP has also planned to hold over 200 events across the country between May 26 and June 10 to highlight the government's "successes" and Modi is likely to address rallies in different places, starting with an address in Saharanpur on May 26.

PTI
Prashant Kishor claims Nitish Kumar in touch with BJP says don't be surprised if he joins hands with it again

BJP demands apology from Kejriwal for 'insulting' Goans

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Panaji, May 24: The BJP's Goa unit on Monday demanded that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should apologisefor reportedly saying that the western state is known for sex, drugs and casinos.

State Bharatiya Janata Party president Vinay Tendulkar also warned that candidates of Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party would lose their election deposit in all 40 constituencies, should the party consider contesting the upcoming state legislative assembly polls.

AAP can't repeat Delhi in Goa: Laxmikant Parsekar

"The Delhi chief minister during the AAP rally on Sunday said that Goa is known for sex, drugs and casinos. Kejriwal should apologise to the people of Goa... He has come to Goa and insulted Goans.

He should apologise to Goans or he should be ready to face consequences, which will be bad," Tendulkar told a press conference at the BJP state headquarters here.

When reporters tried to point out that Kejriwal on Sunday, had in fact said in his public address that drugs, sex and casinos was how the BJP-led coalition government perceives tourism in Goa, Tendulkar remained adamant. "No. He has insulted Goa," he said.

Tendulkar however conceded that his party government could not succeed to shift casinos and do away with the casino industry as promised in their 2012 poll manifesto.

The issue of relocation of casinos, majority of which were permitted by the previous Congress-led coalition government, has been a major political issue for the last decade, with both the Congress as well as the BJP accusing each other of pandering to the powerful casino lobby.

IANS
Congress names Sulabh toilet after Rishi Kapoor in Allahabad

India

oi-Preeti

Allahabad, May 24: Six days after Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor trained his guns at the Congress, criticising them to name important places after the Gandhi family, the party named a Sulabh toilet after the actor.

Congress supporters in Allahabad protested against Rishi Kapoor and named a public toilet in Shivaji park area after his name, by hanging a placard bearing his name over the toilet door.

While reacting over the christening of toilet after his name, Kapoor ws quoted as saying to the Mid Day, "I am thrilled. At least I will be of some use to someone. These people (Congress loyalists) are of no use to anyone. I take pride in the fact that the Sulabh Shauchalaya is named after me because it is the Prime Minister's pet project right now."

"On a serious note, it really doesn't matter to me what they do. They seem to have not understood what I implied by my tweets. I have nothing against the Nehru or Gandhi family. I am against the people exploiting their family name. I have been trying to say that I am against how blindfolded these people are to such issues. I am not saying anything wrong or disrespectful of Gandhi or Nehru or their family members", he further said.

"What I am saying is of national importance; people should realise the folly of naming everything after two families. This is just an observation by a citizen of the country and I have every right to voice my opinion. I know I have ruffled a few Congress feathers but they have misunderstood my intentions", he added.

On May 17, Kapoor in a series of tweets, lashed out at the Gandhis, saying, "Change Gandhi family assets named by Congress. Bandra/Worli Sea Link to Lata Mangeshkar or JRD Tata link road. If roads in Delhi can be changed why not Congress assets/property ke naam? Was in Chandigarh wahan bhi Rajeev Gandhi assets? Socho? Why?."

He went on to add that important assests of the country should be named after people of have contributed to the society. "We must name important assets of the country who have contributed to society. Har cheez Gandhi ke naam? I don't agree. Sochna log!"

[Congress names Sulabh toilet after Rishi Kapoor in Allahabad]

The actor further said: "Raj Kapoor has made India proud over the years all over even after his death. Certainly more than What has been perceived by politics."

On Wednesday, Congress workers pelted stones and shouted slogans against Rishi Kapoor outside his residence in Bandra in Mumbai.

OneIndia News
Congress to boycott oath-taking ceremony of TMC govt

India

oi-PTI

Kolkata, May 24: The Congress, which emerged as the number two party in West Bengal in the just-concluded Assembly election, on Tuesday said it would boycott the swearing-in of the new Mamata Banerjee-led government on May 27 and questioned the rationale for the proposed "lavish" event.

"We will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mamata Banerjee on Friday," PCC president Adhir Chowdhury told PTI.

If Congress-Left & BJP's votes add up in Bhabanipur, Mamata loses!

On why the party has taken such a decision, Chowdhury said, "There is no meaning in attending the programme when our partymen are attacked by Trinamool Congress workers in post-poll violence."

He said the the party was also planning a demonstration at Esplanade in central Kolkata on Friday when Banerjee would take oath as the chief minister.

He also questioned the need to spend crores of rupees for the swearing-in ceremony of the new government and said it was in sharp contrast to the severe financial crisis faced by the state.

"West Bengal is the highest debt-ridden state in the country... and when the state is heading towards financial bankruptcy, does it look proper to organise such celebration blocking the entire Red Road?" Chowdhury told reporters at the party office here.

On who could be the Leader of Opposition from Congress, which won on 44 of 294 assembly seats, Chowdhury said that the party's central leadership would take a decision on this matter.

"We have sent a few names to the central leadership," he said. Asked if the Congress would be present at the Left Front's two-day sit-in on May 25 and 26 at Esplanade in protest against post-poll attacks on its supporters, Chowdhury said, "Obviously we will be there... After all we are in an alliance."

PTI
Eknath Khadse has Courted too Many Controversies

News

oi-Lisa

By Lisa

Eknath Khadse is a prominent leader of BJP in Maharashtra. Recently he has been in news for all wrong reasons. His name has got embroiled in three controversies back to back.

The first one was that his PA was caught demanding bribe of Rs. 30 crore, second one was about he having conversations with India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and the third one is about minister buying MIDC land at throwaway price on his wife and son-in-law's name.

About Eknath Khadse:

He had been elected as Leader of Opposition in 2010's Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. He is an excellent orator and coming from a farmer's family has advocated farmers issues all through his political career.

Currently he is serving as Minister of Revenue, Agriculture, State Excise in the Government of Maharashtra. He was the most popular choice for becoming Chief Minister of Maharashtra when BJP and Shiv Sena alliance formed government in 2014.

Controversy:

Two ethical hackers Manish Bhangale and Jayesh Shah allegedly hacked into the database of pakistan Telecommunication LTD and managed to get the call records of four landline telephones. The landlines have been registered in the name of Dawood Ibrahim's wife Mehjabeen Shaikh.

Preeti Sharma Menon from AAP created a controversy by stating that Eknath Khadse's number was seen in Dawood Ibrahim's call logs. She said it was really shocking.

In reply to the allegation Eknath Khadse said that number did belong to him but it was not in use since last one year. However, bill records proved otherwise. Khadse then said that it was a possibility that his sim was cloned and thus shows calls coming to Dawood Ibrahim to the number.

The minister had told two days back that he will drag Preeti Sharma Menon to court for her baseless allegation. Adding that she has few defamation cases already against her.

On the 14th of May Eknath Khadse also got involved in another controversy when his PA was caught seeking a bribe for Rs. 30 crore. Opposition mentioned that no PA can seek such huge amount as bribe without the knowledge of the minister.

His name is also come up in the of purchase of a 3-acre plot in the MIDC, from the original owner. It is said the land was sold to MIDC by the original owner 25 years back. Pune based builder Hemant Gavande presented documents that show the land was purchased on the name of minister's wife and son-in-law.

Positives for Eknath Khadse:

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit president Raosaheb Danve called allegations levelled against Eknath Khadse as unsubstantiated and said that BJP stood by the minister.

No calls were made or received on Maharashtra Revenue Mins #EknathKhadse 's phone from underworld don #DawoodIbrahim 's number: MumbaiPolice  All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) May 22, 2016

Negatives for Eknath Khadse:

Did Eknath Khadse lie about his phone being out of service? Received calls from Dawood b/w 5/9/15 to 5/4/16! #SackEknathKhadse  Aam Aadmi Party- AAP (@AamAadmiParty) May 21, 2016

Ethical Hacker Manish Liladhar Bhangale has refuted Eknath Khadse's claim that the no. 9423073667 is not in operation.#SackEknathKhadse  Aam Aadmi Party- AAP (@AamAadmiParty) May 21, 201

In first 3 months of 2015, 7 calls exchanged between Dawood landline & Khadse mobile. Longest call 5:22 minutes. Charge Rs 46.41 Pak.  Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) May 23, 2016

Here's what Pakistan Telecom invoice looks like. These are Khadse-Dawood call details for first three months of 2015 pic.twitter.com/07Ss4FeoAy  Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) May 24, 2016

Onus on Eknath Khadse to make his Call Detail Records for last 7 months public. Hacker has demolished each line of defence so far.  Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) May 24, 2016

Maharashtra Government's stand:

The Maharashtra government has ordered an inquiry after media reports were published which claimed that Eknath Khadse's phone number was the most-dialled number by India's most-wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 11:58 [IST]
Prashant Kishor claims Nitish Kumar in touch with BJP says don't be surprised if he joins hands with it again

Revealed! BJPs plan to replicate Assam success mantra in UP polls

India

oi-Mukul

New Delhi, May 24: BJP which recently registered thumping victory in Assam Assembly polls is now gearing up for next year Uttar Pradesh polls.

Reportedly, party is planning to replicate its success story in the UP polls, where Akhilesh led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati's Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) are top contenders.

Reportedly, party's top leadership is brainstorming about how to turn the table in BJP's favour in the high staked poll.

Sources say that party has big planning, starting with 'vikas parv', then next month National executive meet in Allahabad and many more high profile rallies for the same.

BJP is set to observe a week-long 'Vikas Parv' in which teams led by union ministers would be sent across the country to spread awareness about the schemes launched by the Centre.

"The PM will address a meeting in Saharanpur on May 26, marking the beginning of week long 'vikas parv' to highlight Modi government's achievements," party spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

It is being said top leadership is all set to energize ground workers, activists through these programmes. Reportedly, around 45 Union ministers and nearly a dozen senior leaders are all set to attend events across 29 districts in Uttar Pradesh.

During 'vikas parv' week the MPs would participate in 'jan chaupal' programmes up to block levels and would tell about the achievements and programmes of the Centre, Pathak added.

Poll Result Updates: BJP sweeps to power in Assam; Congress-DMK combine wrests power in Puducherry

The party workers would also cover 20,000 'gram sabhas' which were left out during 'Gram Uday to Bharat Uday' campaign, he added.

Pathak said that it had been decided to constitute divisional and district level units between May 31 and June 7 respectively.

Reports say that BJP is poaching many important leaders from rival camps. On Monday veteran BSP leader Jagdish Rana who was earlier minister in Mulayam Singh Yadav government, joined party.

BJP is also zeroing out on naming Chief Ministerial candidate for State election. Sources say party may announce CM candidate in October. Many names are doing rounds for the post including Yogi Aditynath, Mahesh Sharma and HRD Minister Smriti Irani. A top leader was quoted, "Smriti Irani has become the face of the fight against the Gandhis, is from Moradabad and a popular figure.

She has the calibre of enthusing the rank and file of the party and going by her profile, she has a pan-UP presence".

Experts say that BJP has tough task in Uttar Pradesh as party has been out of power since long time in State Vidhan Sabhas. One can understand party's performance with the fact that BJP's seat plummeted from 174 in 1996 to 47 in 2012.

It looks like BJP this time will not leave single stone unturned to gain power in UP, which is a pathway to get reins in 2019 Lok Sabha polls too. Riding high on Assam success, party is trying hard to replicate the winning theory in UP.

OneIndia News
"Even an ant can trouble elephant": Harish Rawat warns PM Modi

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 24: "Sometimes even an ant can trouble an elephant," Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said on Tuesday, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, hours after appearing before the CBI in the sting CD case involving him.

"We are not here to fight against Modiji or (BJP chief) Amit Shah. But if they keep pinching us, then they should not forget that sometimes even ant can trouble an elephant," Rawat said addressing his supporters here.

Though insisting that he did not want a confrontation with the Centre as he was "more concerned about the development of my state", Rawat, who was reinstated as Chief Minister following a court-ordered floor test in the legislative assembly, however, said the Modi government was trying to achieve "what it could not" by getting a CBI probe instituted against him.

"We chose to respect the CBI probe. We could have taken a stand (against the probe) for the government which had transferred the matter to CBI wasn't an elected government, it was a decision taken during President's rule.

And what is President's rule? Centre's rule. And Centre only has asked its agency to probe the matter," Rawat told the gathering at his 9, Trimurti Lane residence.

Rawat said after its Uttarakhand debacle, the Centre will think twice before imposing President's rule in any state. He said his government wants an "atmosphere of cooperation" to prevail with the Centre and that he does not intend to "challenge the authority of the Prime Minister".

We are not here to fight against Modiji or (BJP chief) Amit Shah: Rawat

Rawat said he will appear before the CBI again on June 7 and "present my side of the story before the agency".

The Congress leader said it was "unfortunate" that he had to appear before the CBI when he was supposed to be back in the state monitoring the situation after yesterday's landslide which claimed 12 lives.

CBI had registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) on April 29 to probe the sting operation in which Rawat was purportedly shown negotiating a deal to buy the support of rebel Congress MLAs ahead of the floor test.

Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul had recommended a CBI probe when the state government was under President's rule.

However, days after Rawat's reinstatement, the state Cabinet met under Indira Hridayesh and decided to withdraw the notification recommending CBI inquiry.

The premier investigative agency, however, decided to proceed with the investigation, claiming legal opinion obtained by it was in its favour. PTI ENM SK SK

PTI
How did Modi govt handle internal security in two years- Part 2

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, May 24: There have been several hits where the handling of Internal Security by the two year old Narendra Modi government is concerned. In the first part we dealt with the hits or achievements on this front.

In this second part, we take a look at where the government has failed on the internal security front.

The two glaring misses of the government on this front would be the Pathankot attack and the terrorism problem in Kashmir. The Pathankot attack was a result of some lapses. However the bigger challenge for the Modi government is Kashmir and the rapid rise in militancy.

Two years of Modi govt: Hits and misses in handling internal security- Part 1

The Pathankot attack:

Before commenting on this attack, one should bear in mind that a terrorist needs to be lucky once, but the security agency needs to be lucky all the time. In the Pathankot attack, what one must need to look at is the advance intelligence that India had. An attack despite pretty concrete intelligence in advance.

It all begins with the border problem. The drug mafia operates freely along the Indo-Pak border at Punjab. It is these drug smugglers who sneak in the terrorists too. There was a complete lapse at the border and the security was caught napping.

The government was aware that this is a dangerous border and could have worked on securing it since day one.

The complaint by the Punjab SP about being abducted by the terrorists should have been treated more seriously. The problem was that at first many doubted the SP and due to this crucial time was lost.

The other decision was to send in the NSG ahead of the Special Forces is also a very debatable decision considering that the former specialises in situations where there is a hostage crisis.

The Kashmir issue:

Kashmir is on the boil and there have been a spate of incidents. Take for instance the Udhampur attack on the BSF personnel. Yesterday twin strikes in Srinagar was also a major wake up call. Many would argue that the reaction was slow when it came to the problem of terrorism in Kashmir.

Not every one in a terrorist organisation is an ideologically driven person. There are many in Kashmir who have complained that slow reforms in providing employment is one of the reasons why many youth have become gullible.

It is probably for the first time that we are witnessing the advent of the social media where terrorism in Kashmir is concerned.

When the young Burhan Wani an educated youth joined the Hizbul Mujahideen and posted pictures of himself on the social media, it should have been dealt with immediately. Instead it took nearly one year to wake up to the situation and in the meantime several youth had already joined.

The other issue is with regard to the alliance in Kashmir. Keeping Kashmir under Governor's rule for too long is a blunder.

The state needs a local government so that the local issues are addressed. In the absence of a government for over three months, the state was under the control of the governor and during this period some elements had spun out of control.

Points of infiltration:

Identifying the infiltration points should have been the first priority. Terror from Pakistan is India's biggest concern and to resolve this the border needs to be secure. The infiltrations started to increase in the year 2013 and went on for a long time.

The security agencies and also the intelligence bureau were not able to immediately identify the infiltration points. The BSF complained that due to the lack of radars they are unable to man such a huge border. The decision to mend the borders in Punjab came only after the Pathankot attack.

OneIndia News
Blow to Nitish Kumar as 5 of 6 MLAs from JD(U) join BJP in Manipur

Bodies of 6 Assam Rifles troopers flown to native places

India

oi-Shalini

Manipur, May 24: Nation on Tuesday paid tribute to the sacrifice of six soldiers of 29 Assam Rifles who died during an encounter in Chandel district, Manipur on Sunday, (May 22).

Soldiers who martyred during operation

The incident took place between Holingjang and Hensing villages at around 1pm on Sunday (May 22). Reportedly, a suspected valley based insuregent group suddenly attacked Assam rifles soldiers who were returning after assessing a landslide situation at Holingjang.

The bodies of the six troopers of 29 Assam Rifles who were killed in an ambush in Manipur's Chandel district on Sunday, were flown to their homes on Tuesday (May 22) for the last rites.

The martyrs who fell victim in the incident include Subedar BK Sharma from Himachal Pradesh, Hav Surjeet Barla from Jharkhand, Rifleman Mahesh Gurung from Uttrakhand, Rifleman AK Pandey from Bihar, Rifleman Pawan Kumar from Jammu and Kashmir and Rifleman Bhupinder Singh from Himachal Pradesh.

In the similar incident a year before, seventeen soldiers of Dogra regiment were killed and another sixteen got injured in the ambush.

On Tuesday, May (24) Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh and Deputy CM Gaikhangam also paid tribute to Assam Rifles jawans who sacrified there life for the motherland.

On this occasion, the bereaved family and friends too paid tribute at Wreath laying ceremony of Assam Rifles jawans in Imphal.

Imphal: Manipur CM Ibobi Singh & Deputy CM Gaikhangam paid tribute to Assam Rifles jawans killed in militant ambush. pic.twitter.com/otC7CQcLVV  ANI (@ANI_news) May 24, 2016

Imphal: Wreath laying ceremony of Assam Rifles jawans who lost their lives in ambush laid by militants in Chandel pic.twitter.com/Eut3ttVJtA  ANI (@ANI_news) May 24, 2016

OneIndia News
India seeks rights to operate Iran oil field

India

oi-PTI

Tehran, May 24: India has sought a discovered oilfield from Iran for raising crude oil imports from the Persian Gulf nation as part of efforts to widen economic and energy ties post lifting of sanctions.

Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nation's largest oil firm, has proposed to Iran that it be given rights to operate and produce crude oil from the discovered field to help move away from buyer-seller relationship to a strategic partnership, sources privy to the development said.

The oil produced from the field can then be shipped home, the IOC has said. IOC had last fiscal imported 1.2 million tons of crude oil from Iran. In the fiscal year that began from April 1, it is looking to raise it by at least three-fold.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Iran was aimed at boosting trade and commerce between the two countries. His trip came just months after lifting of international sanctions on Iran following Tehran's historic nuclear deal with the Western powers over its contentious atomic programme.

Besides IOC, ONGC Videsh Ltd has also sought two discovered fields from the 16 fields that Iran is likely to put on auction shortly. The fields sought by OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), is besides the Farzad-B offshore field for which it is in advanced talks to secure developmental rights. OVL had in 2008 discovered the Farzad-B field in the Persian Gulf.

The importance of Chabahar port explained in 5 points

The field holds 12.5 Trillion cubic feet of recoverable reserves. Sources said Iran has so far not responded to the requests by the Indian firms.

It has, however, shown willingness to give Farzad-A, which holds 283 billion cubic meters of reserves. The field besides holding smaller reserves is more challenging, OVL feels.

PTI
ISIS prefers engineers, doctors from India, consider others as weaklings

India

oi-Vicky

Hyderabad, May 24: The ISIS clearly does not want Indians in its fold when it comes to fighting a battle. What the ISIS prefers are an educated lot of youth who can contribute in promoting propaganda material and handling the social media for the outfit.

While analysing the 10 month old video which was released last week by a bunch of Indians part of the ISIS, it becomes clear that they were belting out message after message in a desperate attempt to ensure that they are heard.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that Indians are not preferred by the ISIS when it comes to battle. They lack endurance, brutality and guts.

Moreover, getting radicalised on the internet does not give them a ticket to hold a gun and enter the battle field in Syria or Iraq.

However, if the ISIS does find an educated youth such as an engineer, computer science graduate or a doctor, they are ready to rope them in.

A harsh reality for gullible fools:

Most of the Indian Muslims who have been radicalised on the web and have wanted to join the ISIS are nothing but gullible fools. They feel that the grass is green on the other side. The case of Areeb Majeed should be a case study for all those who are trying to join the ISIS.

Battered, bruised, scared and dejected he pleaded to return. It is a well known fact that he did nothing but clean toilets and utensils in the Hind camp of the ISIS. While on one hand they carry out menial jobs, there is one thing that satisfies them.

They are allowed to pose with a uniform and gun so that the image can be uploaded on the social media. This is more of an advertisement says the Intelligence Bureau official while also pointing out that most of them are not allowed into the battle field.

Moreover the ISIS feels it is a waste or time and their resources in training the Indian recruits as the failure rate is 90 per cent.

Commit a crime first:

The ISIS has also known to follow a method that most other terrorist groups follow. They would prefer if the recruit has committed a crime first in his home country. This was learnt during the investigations into the Paris and Belgium attacks.

When a person has committed a crime, then he gets stuck into that web and has no where to go. This would also ensure that a person does not return from an ISIS camp dejected.

He is basically stuck to the outfit and this would ensure that he would remain there. Such persons are trained and then sent back to their home country. These persons then execute attacks.

OneIndia News
Islam not a religion of peace even for a day, says ISIS' Indian recruit

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, May 24: Islam was not a religion of peace even for a day was the message given out by Abu Salha al Hindi, a former Indian Mujahideen operative who features now in a video that was released allegedly by the ISIS.

A video that is over 10 months old was released by members of the ISIS from India in what is being seen as a desperate attempt to spread their propaganda in the country.

There has been an attempt by the Indian government to counter the ISIS narrative by roping in the moderate Muslims to spread the message of peace in a bid to stop recruitments into terrorist outfits. However, the ISIS video looks to counter the same.

Islam never a religion of peace:

The video clip has several Indians speaking in it. There are brazen messages and attempts made to belt out sentiments by quoting Babri or Godhra. However the most desperate attempt is made by Abu Salha who tries to counter the narrative that Islam is a religion of peace.

In the video he is heard saying, " stop listening to those who say Islam is a religion of peace. It was never a religion of peace. It was not a religion of peace even for one single day. Those who say Islam is a religion of peace are cowards. Are you all cowards to listen to these persons, he also states.

Six messages:

The video has messages from the six persons who are seen in it. Abu Salman says all should spend time preparing for jihad. Abu Salha says Islam was never a religion of peace for one single day.

Aman Tandel is the one who speaks about avenging Godhra and Babri. He also says the deaths caused due to the Muzzafarnagar riots too will be avenged. Abu Ammar invites Muslims of the Indian sub-continent to join the fight for jihad.

Abu Omar Farooq goes on to state that after the Batla House encounter it was difficult to live in India. Bada Sajid who died in September 2015 says that India is a place of idol worship which is forbidden in Islam.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 8:32 [IST]
J-K separatists call for shutdown on Thursday

India

oi-PTI

Srinagar, May 23: Even as authorities ruled out exclusive colonies for Kashmiri Pandits or Sainik colonies in the Valley, the issues brought the divided separatist camp together with chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF calling for a shutdown on Thursday to counter "plans to change the demography" of Jammu and Kashmir.

Chairman of moderate Hurriyat Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF Chief Mohammad Yasin Malik called on hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani at his Hyderpora residence this evening and held a closed door meeting for about one-and-a- half hours in which they decided to call for the general strike on May 26, a statement issued by hardline Hurriyat said.

"The leaders held a detailed discussion over the serious situation prevailing in the Jammu and Kashmir and deliberated upon the future course of action in this regard," the statement said.

The leaders also called for a peaceful protest after the Friday prayers against the "proposed plans of creation of the separate clusters for the Pandits, establishment of Sainik colonies, harassment of the Jammu Muslims, new anti-Kashmir industrial policy and the attempts of demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir," it said.

Appealing for people's support to make the proposed shutdown call a success, they said, "It is our collective fight for our collective existence and every citizen should play his part in this regard."

PTI
LCA naval platforms begin night flying from SBTF in Goa

India

oi-Oneindia

By Dr Anantha Krishnan M

Bengaluru, May 24: The naval prototypes of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) - NP-1 (trainer) and NP-2 (fighter) - have begun their night flying activities for the first time from the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa.

This is virtually a back-to-back campaign for the NLCA team, considering they only finished the previous trials at the end of April. The detachment includes scientists and engineers from Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The current trials began on May 21 and are expected to continue through this week.

"The night trials are critical for the project. This is for the first time that both NP-1 and NP-2 are undertaking night operations from SBTF. Both have done extensive night trials from normal runways," says an official.

So far both platforms have carried out four sorties with the time duration ranging from 25 to 30 minutes.

"It's important that we complete these sets of trials before Monsoon sets in. Pre-Monsoon winds are favourable for undertaking the tests. We are also fine-tuning some of the parameters we have tested in April. Ahead of the current campaign, both platforms underwent some stress analysis tests in Bengaluru," says the official.

During the April campaign at SBTF, NP-2 demonstrated the fuel jettison test successfully. This is the capability to dump/jettison fuel in case of a requirement arising due to an emergency after launch of an aircraft from an aircraft carrier. The excess fuel is dumped into the ocean in a systematic manner, to reduce the weight of the aircraft.

"Typically the landing mass is much lower than the take-off mass and is a feature required on all naval aircraft operating from a ship. Ahead of this, we have undertaken extensive design and simulation tests. A Sea Harrier (now decommissioned) was the chase aircraft capturing the event," says the official.

Radar and data link too tested

In the last campaign, preliminary evaluation of air-to-sea mode of the radar was carried out to gather data. The data link (only on naval version) evaluation was carried out with the Sea Harrier in flight. Sea Harrier also had the same data link of NLCA.

"Other test points required to gather data at sea level were the parametric identification (PIDs) sorties with LEVCON (Leading Edge Vortex Controller) deflected to minus-30 degrees. The flutter test (vibration) points were also captured," says the official.

Hot refueling routinely carried out in Goa

The hot-refueling concept, widely tested in Bengaluru, was continuously been carried out in Goa on NP-2. This is an activity wherein the aircraft after its sortie, instead of switching off, is refueled with the engine running and pilot in the cockpit. It then immediately takes off again.

"This is thus a game changer as the sortie productivity is enhanced. This has given two sortie worth of test point coverage in a single sortie. This is currently the only fighter aircraft in the country with this capability. We could incorporate this feature on the IAF version (Tejas) also," adds the official.

(The writer is an author, blogger and seasoned defence journalist in India. His just-launched book 'Precious Souls' captures inspiring stories of special children and their families. He is the Consulting Editor (Defence) with OneIndia. He tweets @writetake.)

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 15:11 [IST]
'Mahagathbandhan' is 'rock solid': Lalu

India

oi-PTI

Patna, May 23: Discounting any strain with JD(U), RJD boss Lalu Prasad on Monday said the 'mahagathbandhan' is "rock solid".

Lalu thus broke his silence over the utterances made by some of his party leaders in recent days and asked them to share their concerns, if any, instead of airing "unnecessary statements".

"The mahagathbandhan is rock solid and whoever will try to hammer on it (mahagathbandhan's unity) will prove to be a failure. I suggest my partymen to share their concerns, if any, and avoid making unnecessary statements," he said in a series of tweets.

"I can understand the restlessness of RSS, BJP, Paswan ji, and Manjhi ji...Everything is fit and fine (in alliance). They (these leaders) are unnecessary getting tensed," he said.

NDA people should not create any confusion among the people as they are not going to be benefitted at all from their tactics, Prasad said, adding that they (NDA) all are a "tired and defeated people".

Noting that NDA has been in 'coma' for past six months and they should rather think about themselves, the RJD satrap said RSS and BJP leaders including the Prime Minister carried a hugely negative campaign on the issue of 'jungle raj' besides trying to create polarisation on communal lines in Bihar but people of the state swept them (BJP and RSS) away from the state in the hustings.

"NDA leaders are vomiting as they are not able to digest the grand success Mahagathbandhan got" in the assembly polls due to the faith and trust reposed by poor, deprived, Dalits, backwards and minorities in the polls, Lalu said while predicting severe drubbings for NDA in the Lok Sabha elections.

The entire NDA opposition is completely a harassed and dejected lot due to the popularity of mahagathbandhan government, the RJD leader claimed.

PTI
Manish Sisodia warns govt school teachers over inefficiency

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 24: Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia today warned government school teachers of strict action if inefficiency on their part impeded the development of the education sector.

"My government is willing to do anything to support a sincere teacher.However, we will not hesitate to take strongest action against those who impede the mission to achieve excellence in education," he said in an open letter to teachers.

Sisodia expressed disappointment over a recent agitation by a few teachers and boycotting of a workshop over the action taken by the Delhi government against teaching and non-teaching staff of certain schools who were found violating rules.

"Recently I visited remedial classes organised by schools during summer holidays. The children in a school told me three of their teachers use abusive language, subject them to corporal punishment and send them on menial errands like fetching tea.

"In order to ascertain the veracity of these complaints, I talked to senior students and immediately decided to take strict action against the three teachers. Similarly, I have show-caused three other teachers who had been perpetually coming late to school over months," he said.

Sisodia, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, said that he was extremely disappointed when a group of teachers created a ruckus against the government's action.

"I am surprised their sympathies lie with the teachers who misbehave with young children. At a time when government schools have started to excel in terms of board results, surpassing their private counterparts, why should we allow a minuscule number of such teachers to tarnish this movement," he added.

PTI
Minorities' confidence in Modi has gone up: say BJP's Muslim faces

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 24: Often accused by the opposition of creating a sense of insecurity among the minorities, BJP today claimed communal riots have gone down by 82 per cent and the share of minorities in central government jobs has risen substantially under the Modi government.

As the NDA government completes two years in office on Thursday, BJP fielded two of its Muslim ministers who asserted that the faith of the minorities in Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been "strengthend".

Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla and her junior Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also cited the party's win in assembly polls in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir to suggest that Muslims, who are in large numbers in both states, have supported it due to its developmental agenda.

"The mantra of the government for minorities has been education, prosperity and security. That is why their share, especially that of Muslims, in the central government jobs has gone up to 8.7 per cent from 6.91 per cent in 2013-14 under the UPA," Naqvi told a press conference at the party office.

While there were 823 and 144 communal riots in 2013 and 2014 respectively in which 113 and 94 persons died, the numbers went down to 64 in 2015 and one in 2016. Naqvi, citing Home Ministry figures, claimed while three persons died in communal riots in 2015, one has been killed so far this year.

"The incidents of communal riots have gone down by 82 per cent," he claimed. "The faith of minorities in Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strengthened," he said while playing down controversial comments of some BJP leaders, maintaining what Modi, party president Amit Shah and spokespersons say should alone be taken as the party's stand.

PM Modi gets thumbs up, 70% want him to be PM till 2024: Survey

"The problem with opposition parties is that they have no real issue and that is why they manufacture issues but the myth of Muslims not supporting BJP has been broken by the community," Naqvi claimed. He said the number of successful Muslim civil services aspirants has also gone up.

"The government has been able to instil a mood of development and trust," he said. Under the Prime Minister's 15 point programme, a scheme that envisages various ministries spending 15 per cent of their budget in areas with strong presence of minorities, he said 7667 schools were constructed under 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan' besides 829 anganwadi centres. Rs 4365 crore was spent in 138 areas where there was concentration of minorities in 2015-16, he said.

PTI
Ordinance will give NEET statutory status: JP Nadda

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, May 24: As President Pranab Mukherjee signed an ordinance on the NEET exams on Tuesday, Health Minister J.P. Nadda said this will provide it statutory status.

The ordinance exempts certain state boards from the ambit of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for a year.

The exempted states include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab.

The health minister, addressing a press conference here, said while states will be able to hold the undergraduate exams, the postgraduate exams to be held in December will be under NEET.

The central government was committed to implementing NEET but the states expressed their concerns which had to be addressed, Nadda said.

"State governments wanted exemption and the issues were related to parity of syllabus and option of giving exam in regional languages," Nadda said.

"After due consultation, we came out with an ordinance which provides NEET a statutory basis and where we give state governments an option to conduct examination and those who have conducted exams to go forward in that direction," he said.

IANS


Pakistan has been given documents against Dawood, he would be nabbed soon: Rajnath Singh

India

oi-Pallavi

New Delhi, May 24: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured that India's most wanted fugitive-Dawood Ibrahim will be nabbed soon and brought to India. He, however, has not mentioned any specific time for the same.

Speaking to a news channel, Rajnath Singh said, "Dawood will be nabbed soon. He will be brought back to India at any situation. He is an International terrorist. However, there is need to take the help of international agencies to nab him."

He further added, "All the relevant documents against Dawood have been given to Pakistan."

The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier said that it will persue Pakistan to hand over Dawood although the former has been claiming that the gangster was not in Pakistan.

The Union Minister also assured that there was no threat from ISIS after a video emerged showing Indian jihadis in its ranks warning to avenge the death of Muslims in the country and fall of the Babri Masjid.

Showing confidence in the integrity of the country, Singh further said, "There is no threat from ISIS. Along with the alertness of the security, the Muslims of the country are also against the ISIS. In India, the Muslim community won't allow them to do so."

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 15:38 [IST]
Passengers of Delhi-bound Prayagraj Express looted

India

oi-PTI

Ghaziabad, May 23: Around 12 passengers of Prayagraj Express, going to Delhi from Allahabad, were allegedly looted of cash and jewellery at gunpoint by miscreants early this morning, GRP officials said.

The miscreants boarded the train at Aligarh under the guise of passengers and carried out the loot before Khurja station arrived, they said. When the train arrived at Ghaziabad station, the passengers raised a hue and cry and claimed that seven miscreants had carried out the loot.

A case has been registered in this regard and investigation is on, GRP Inspector Pankaj Lawania said, adding, since it comes under the purview of Aligarh GRP the case has been transferred to them.

PTI
Pro-Vidarbha activists to intensify stir from August

India

oi-PTI

Nagpur, May 23: Pro-Vidarbha leaders today decided to take on the ruling BJP for "not keeping its promise" of carving out a separate state and step up their agitation to press for the demand.

The pro-Vidarbha supporters would stage a demonstration in front of BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's residence in the city on August 9, Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti (VRAS) chief and former MLA Wamanrao Chatap said in a meeting here.

"Before the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in 2014, BJP had promised that if the party comes to power it would grant statehood to Vidarbha. Now they are in power both at the Centre and the state. Why are they not fulfilling their promise?" he asked.

"Besides Gadkari, even Fadnavis, before becoming the Chief Minister, had promised a separate Vidarbha and given an undertaking through letters that they would support the movement," Chatap claimed.

He alleged that going by the leaders' promises, BJP recorded a resounding victory in Maharashtra and saw the first-ever BJP-led government in the state. However, they are doing nothing in that direction. "As creation of a new state is the prerogative of the Centre, VRAS will target Gadkari, who had personally promised to take up the statehood issue," Chatap said.

PTI
To get Mallya back, why invoking MLAT over extradition request is a better bet

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, May 24: Invoking the UK Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to bring Vijay Mallya back from the United Kingdom is considered to be a better bet for the Enforcement Directorate. After much consultation with the legal experts, the ED decided to invoke the MLAT rather sending in an extradition request.

Legal experts explain that this is a better option for the Enforcement Directorate considering the amount of time an extradition request can take. The MLAT makes it clear that during a criminal investigation, the custody of a person can be sought.

Why MLAT is a better option for the ED?

Officials explain that if one were to seek the extradition of a person, then the process is a long drawn one. A chargesheet would need to be filed and shared with the UK. The authorities would then take a call on the issue. Moreover the extradition request can also be challenged before a court by the person in question.

One must also bear in mind that the success rate where extraditions from the UK to India is concerned is more than poor.

However if the MLAT is invoked, then there is a clause in the agreement between the two nations that the person in question can be transferred. It states that in the course of a criminal investigation, the person can be transferred for the purpose of questioning or to give evidence.

It is a clause that is usually invoked when the probe agency wants assistance in the investigation and is considered to be less time consuming.

For the MLAT with the UK which was signed in the year 1992 to be invoked, then the ED would need to provide a set of documents.

These would include the non bailable warrant that had been issued by the court against Vijay Mallya. A court in Mumbai had issued a non bailable warrant against Mallya last month.

OneIndia News
Two years of Modi govt: Hits and misses in handling internal security- Part 1

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, May 24: The union government under Narendra Modi has completed two years. The last year has been an eventful one and it goes without saying that there are hits and misses. For Narendra Modi national security was a major issue during his election campaign.

In this two part series we will analyse the performance of the government on the issue of internal security. While the first part would deal with the hits, the second one will go into the misses.

The ISIS issue:

Handling of the ISIS issue is probably one of the biggest hits for this government. The strategy itself while dealing with this foreign terror outfit prowling on citizens across the world was a good one.

No matter what propaganda material may put up and how much the media may scream, the ISIS is still a long way before it becomes a reality in India. [Modi govt's 2 years: Ups and downs]

Modi along with his national security advisor, Ajit Doval have been meeting with the moderate Muslims time and again in a bid to spread the message to the youth that the ISIS does not stand for Islam.

Giving those who have been radicalised on the internet, but have actually not joined the ISIS the benefit of the doubt is also a move that paid off. Such persons are counselled and the return rate has been hardly one per cent.

Border security:

Although there have been lapses, the government has taken measures to ensure that border security is not compromised. The formation of a committee under former Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to suggest measures to step up border security was one good move.

There is a lot of work on the borders still remaining, but the government is moving in the right direction to make it more fool proof. The Bangladesh border was a perennial problem for all governments. However under this government, the situation is improving considerably.

The decision to seal the India-Bangladesh border is another good move. It not only curbs illegal immigrants, but also stops the free flow of terrorists from Bangladesh.

Sanity among the agencies:

Under this government there is a great deal of coordination between all the agencies dealing with terrorism.

The NIA has been given a free hand and cases of interference from the Home Ministry have not been found. Moreover the NIA gets ample support from the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing.

Investigations seem more coordinated and unlike the past officials do not murmur about interference and lack of coordination any more. Due credit must go to the National Security Advisor a former IB man who assured that coordination between all the agencies would be a top priority.

Coordination with foreign nations:

The sharing of intelligence with other countries has marginally improved. India's decision to coordinate on intelligence sharing where the ISIS is concerned has paid dividends. Another good decision by India was not to join the global war against the ISIS.

This is a good move as any such decision would have led to sectarian violence among the Muslims in India.

The Gulf nations are also a crucial part of the fight against terror. It is a well known fact that the who is who in the terror circles from India end up taking shelter in these nations. However the number of people who have been sent back from the Gulf for their involvement in various acts of terror has gone up.

The other change in scenario when dealing with the UAE is the manner in which India has an upper hand over Pakistan.

In a recent incident, Pakistan had tried to pressurise UAE into not sending Ahmed Siddibappa an alleged Indian Mujahideen operative to India. However India got the better of Pakistan and the alleged operative was back in India last week.

In this context one must also note the recent trip that the PM made to Iran. It was decided to closely coordinate and combat terrorism.

Terrorism and extremism are major challenges and the coordination of Iran and India would go a long way in combating that. The pact with Iran would help combat terror from both Afghanistan and Pakistan. It would also help curb the problem of drug trafficking and cyber crime.

The trip to Pakistan:

Modi faced both criticism and praise for his sudden trip to Pakistan. This was in fact a very good move by the Prime Minister. Many may say that there is no point in trusting Pakistan. What those people need to understand that war is not an option with that country.

The only way out of the problem is continue talking. Engaging Pakistan in trade has a direct impact on curbing incidents of terror from that country. Several experts on the subject say that if a trade route is created, Pakistan would ensure that the same is secured as there is economic involved.

The Pathankot attack may have derailed the talks and the efforts made by the Prime Minister. However both countries only postponed peace talks.

At no point in time did anyone try to call off the talks entirely. India does realise that there is a section in Pakistan which does not want peace with India.

The fact of the matter however is that the Indo-Pak foreign policy cannot be decided by a bunch of mindless jihadis.

OneIndia News
Central Vista to be unveiled by PM Modi today | 7 things to know

Venkaiah Naidu informs How Parliament Functioned in Last Two Years

News

oi-Lisa

By Lisa

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu expressed the hope that Parliament would continue to function effectively with growing demand from the people for the same as evident in recent social media campaigns.

Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu at the press conference on the completion of 2 years of Union Govt. pic.twitter.com/X4uOCR27OL  MIB India (@MIB_India) May 24, 2016

Speaking to media persons on the occasion of two years of the Government in office he said "After some avoidable disruptions of Parliament and particularly, during the Monsoon and Winter sessions last year, both the Houses have evolved to a new equilibrium i.e balance. Opposition is raising some issues with all the might they can muster but legislative work is going on. I hope this balance will continue to stay in the days ahead".

LIVE: After some avoidable and prolonged disruption of Parliament, both Houses have evolved to a new functional equilibrium: @MVenkaiahNaidu  PIB India (@PIB_India) May 24, 2016

Mr. Naidu stated that during the last two years, number of sittings of both the Houses, Bills introduced and Bills passed by the Lok Sabha have increased in comparison to that of previous ten years.

On pending bills:

Referring to 44 Bills pending in Rajya Sabha, the Minister said that he would like to take up this matter with Chairman of Rajya Sabha and leaders of other parties so that there could be more synchrony in the transaction of legislative business by both the Houses.

Elaborating on improvements over the last two years, he said that 101 Bills were introduced in both the Houses of Parliament of which 96 were introduced in Lok Sabha and 5 were introduced in Rajya Sabha.

LIVE: Lok Sabha passed 96 Bills @ 48 per year and Rajya Sabha cleared 83 Bills @ over 46 per year - @MVenkaiahNaidu  PIB India (@PIB_India) May 24, 2016

Lok Sabha passed 96 Bills at the rate of 48 bills per year marking an improvement of 3 Bills per year over the previous ten years. Rajya Sabha cleared 83 Bills at the rate of over 41 per year marking a decline of 4 Bills per year.

On pending GST Bill:

Replying to a question on the feasibility of change of composition of Rajya Sabha and passage of GST Bill, he said "Finance Minister has over the last one year clarified the government's position on the Bill and the Government has the numbers".

Number of sittings:

Lok Sabha held a total of 149 sittings at the rate of 75 per year while the Upper House held 143 sittings at the rate of 71 marking an increase of 4 sittings per year in both cases over the previous ten years.

On disruptions in future:

"From now on, any disruptions and delaying tactics will invite a price. I am sure all political parties will read the writing on the wall and enable effective functioning of both the Houses of Parliament" said the Minister.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 15:11 [IST]
Trump is convinced Russia didnt interfere in 2016 polls; blames US for sour ties with Moscow

Battling tycoons: Clinton mocks Trump's business skills, turns down invitation to debate Sanders

International

oi-Pallavi

Detroit, May 24: Hillary Clinton has turned down an invitation to debate Bernie Sanders ahead of California's primary, said her campaign.

The comment came, monets after Clinton criticized Donald J. Trump's business skills. Sander, last week, accepted an invitation of debate by Fox News before the California primary on June 7. While Hillary Clinton was invited too, she turned down the offer.

Spokeswoman of Hillary Clinton's campaign, Jennifer Palmieri, said that Mrs Clinton's team would contest California, but also keep an eye on "turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses."

She further added, "We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands."

Citing that many Americans believe that Trump is a disaster waiting to happen in America, Clinton said, "He could bankrupt America like he's bankrupted his companies. I mean, ask yourself: How can anybody lose money running a casino? Really."

Taking on him, Clinton further said that his economic policies consisted of piling up debt, leading the country into trade wars and letting Wall Street run amok, with devastating consequences.

Criticizing his approach to curb immigration, Clinton said, "What kind of country would we be if we let Donald Trump rip our families apart?" Calling him "hysterically funny" Clinton said that Trump may even be lying about his net worth. "Trump is a multibillionaire - or so he tells us, We don't know what is true or not because, you know, he lies every day, so probably he's broke."

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 13:15 [IST]
Fact Check: Did Trump thank Musk for welcoming him back to Twitter

Donald Trump gets it back! N korea dubs pledge to talk with Kim nonsense

International

oi-Pallavi

USA, May 24: Donald Trump may make pledges, but no one cares. His promise of engaging with North Korea is not being taken lightly by Pyongyang.

So Se Pyong, the country's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said that Trump's call for speaking with the North Korean chief is just a political gimmick.

"It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his [Trump's] idea or talk is nonsense," he said.

He further added, "It's for utilization of the presidential election, that's all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement. This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election."

In a matter-of-fact statement, Trump said last week that he would speak to North Korea about their nuclear ambitions. "I would speak to him, I would have no problem speaking to him," he had said.

North Korea has been launching nuclear missiles, much to the discomfort of the neighboring countries like China and South Korea. In January, Kim's regime launched a nuclear test about 100 kiolometers from China-North Korea border, which caused an earthquake in Yanji, a Chinese city. Similar experiments were done in February.

While UN stands helpless, US has not engaged with North Korea since 2012, when North Korea promised a moratorium on nuclear development in exchange of food aid from the US.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 12:02 [IST]
India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022: Date, time, where and when to watch it LIVE and more

Dubai set to woo tourists with Bollywood-themed park

International

oi-PTI

Dubai, May 24: Dubai is all set to woo tourists with the world's first Bollywood-themed amusement park where visitors will be able to enjoy immersive 3-D and 4-D rides and stunts from movies such as 'Krrish' and 'RA.One' and savour a "Mughal-e-Azam" style banquet.

Dubai Parks and Resorts complex, a Dh 10.5 billion (about USD 2.75 billion) venture, will have 16 cinematic rides, six themed restaurants and 30 live shows inspired by contemporary Hindi-language blockbusters such as superstar Salman Khan's 'Dabangg', Shah Rukh Khan's 'Don', Aamir Khan's 'Lagaan' and Hrithik Roshan's 'Krrish' as well as classics like 'Sholay' and 'Mughal-E-Azam' among others.

General Manager Bollywood Parks Dubai Thomas Jellum said he is sure that apart from Indians, people from other countries will also come to Dubai to experience the vibrant celebration of India's film industry at this attraction, spread over 1.7 million square feet.

The theme park will also include Broadway-style live shows with fine-dining. Tourists will have to shell out extra at Rajmahal, a 850-seat theatre that will house a separately ticketed Broadway-style Bollywood musical.

The theme park will have a glittering opening ceremony in October attended by some of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Jellum said. Unveiling an exclusive preview and tour of the upcoming park at a press conference here, Chief Destination Management Officer of Dubai Parks and Resorts Vinit Shah said he and his team members have tried to take all the ingredients that go into a Bollywood movie to create an experience that stays with people visiting the park.

"We went directly to the production houses to talk about the films for the concept development and for insights for the story development for our rides," Shah said.

Director, Branding and communication, Muna Harib Al Muhairi and Director Marketing, Neelabja Chowdhury said they have started selling annual passes for its parks, which will grant pass holders unlimited year-long access to as many as 100 rides and attractions across its three theme parks and one water park, among other benefits.

"Dubai Parks and Resorts is encouraging sales of the passes by throwing in exclusive preview access to the parks with early purchase," they added. They said that the immersive 3-D and 4-D rides and stunts will offer visitors a first-hand look at behind-the-scenes action from movies such as 'Krrish' and 'RA.One'.

PTI
No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister

Pranab Mukherjee arrives in China to boost bilateral ties

International

oi-PTI

Guangzhou, May 24: President Pranab Mukherjee arrived here today on a four-day visit to China that will see significant political and economic push to bilateral ties while irritants like Beijing's opposition to India's membership of NSG and the blocking of UN bid to blacklist JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist will also figure.

Mukherjee, who is making his first visit to China as President, has made a number of trips to this country in various capacities including as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Defence Minister.

In Guangzhou, the highly industrialised city in China, Mukherjee will address the India-China Business Forum in which some top Indian industrialists will also be present.

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province in southern coastal China that contributes 12 per cent of the country's GDP and is home to a wide-ranging set of multinational and Chinese corporations.

The President will arrive in Beijing on Thursday where he will meet with President Xi Jinping and other top Chinese leadership including Premier Li Keqiang and National People's Congress Chairman Zhang Dejiang. In discussions with the Chinese leadership, the issues of Chinese reservations on India's membership in the Nuclear Supplier Group and the UN ban on Azhar are expected to figure prominently.

Bilateral ties have been on an upswing since Xi's landmark India visit in September, 2014 during which both countries had signed 12 agreements and China pledged an investment of USD 20 billion in India's infrastructure sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited China in May last year during which both sides had resolved to further deepen ties in a range of areas.

However, irritants in ties cropped recently after China blocked India's move to get a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar and opposed granting India membership of NSG, saying it must sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to get an entry into the 48-member group.

India had countered the Chinese contention of signing NPT before becoming a member of NSG as "confusion" as NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries.

Ahead of his state visit to China, Mukherjee had told the Chinese state-run television that India seeks a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question which will help in achieving full potential of Sino-India relationship.

PTI
Blacklisting Mahmood blocked by China: The man who raised funds under garb of religion in India

UN condemns IS bombings in Syria, concerned about escalation

International

oi-PTI

United Nations, May 23: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned bombings claimed by the Islamic State group in two Syrian coastal cities and voiced concern about the military escalation in and around Damascus.

More than 148 people were killed in the bomb blasts at bus stations, hospitals and a power station in the cities of Jableh and Tartus, two strongholds of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Ban "condemns the terrorist attacks today that claimed the lives of dozens of civilians in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartus," said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. He expressed "great concern of the escalating military activity in many areas in and around Damascus", particularly in Daraya, Aleppo and Idlib and in northern Homs, especially Al-Houla, he added.

Fourteen civilians -- four of them children -- were killed when a barrage of barrel bombs hit the town of Al-Houla and neighboring villages last week, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Barrel bombs are indiscriminate weapons typically dropped from helicopters.

Their use in Syria's war has come under fierce criticism by rights groups but the regime denies using them. Ban renewed his call to all warring factions to spare civilians and said those responsible for such attacks must face justice.

AFP
3 threatens 211! Bengal BJP chief warns TMC after attack on Roopa Ganguly

Kolkata

oi-Shubham

Kolkata, May 24: Even as the BJP's top brass congratulated Mamata Banerjee over her Trinamool Congress's (TMC) sweeping victory in the recently held Assembly election, the state leadership of the saffron party is not ready to let the TMC go.

In the election, while the TMC won 211 of the 294 Assembly seats, the BJP won three. The Left-Congress alliance could win only 76.

On Monday, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, who is one of the three BJP candidates who won this time, threatened the TMC with dire consequences outside the state's boundary if attacks did not stop against them. He also warned that the BJP could also gherao Red Road where Banerjee is set to take oath as the chief minister for the second time on May 27.

The TMC, however, did not give Ghosh much importance.

BJP leader Roopa Ganguly, who contested in this election but lost, was assaulted allegedly by TMC supporters on Sunday while she was returning from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district where she had gone to see a party worker who was also attacked.

Ghosh said if attacks on BJP did not stop, then the TMC's parliamentarians could face the consequences. He said the TMC MPs will be detained and made to starve. He said the TMC is limited to Bengal while the BJP has a presence across the country.

The BJP called a protest rally till Banerjee's residence in South Kolkata following the attack on Ganguly but it was stopped by the police soon after it started. Another actor-politician of the BJP, Locket Chatterjee, also took part in the rally which saw scuffle with the policemen.

When asked, TMC's Rajya Sabha MP and chief spokesperson Derek O'Brien asked: "who is Dilip Ghosh".

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Police in Western Highlands region of Papua New Guinea arrested an elderly man on Friday for allegedly forging the signature of Mt Hagen National Court judge Justice Goodwin Poole.

Provincial police commander, Chief Supt Martin Lakari told The National yesterday that Humble Paul, of Lumusa sub district in Mul-Baiyer, Western Highlands who pretended to be a lawyer, allegedly forged Justice Pooles signature on two occasions on a fake court order and a warrant of execution.

Lakari said the court order was dated January 31, 2014, and the fake warrant of execution was dated February 12, 2016.

He said both documents were alleged to have been forged based on a purported writ of summons taken by Sam Paro against Digicel in 2013.

He said that Paro engaged Paul, who claimed to be a lawyer, in his case against Digicel PNG for a tower erected on his land at Surinki in Lagaip-Porgera district, Enga.

Lakari said Paul, without going to court, obtained a National Court order for K486,400 for his client which was never paid by the defendant.

He said that the court order was allegedly stamped by a female clerk of the Mt Hagen National Court. She has died.

Lakari said Paro paid Paul K16,000 to take his case without knowing that he was not a genuine lawyer.

He said Justice Poole, after finding out about the fake court documents bearing his signature, laid a complaint with Mt Hagen police in 2014 which resulted in the arrest of Paul. Lakari said Paul was arrested and charged last Friday with forgery and uttering.

He was refused bail and is likely to be slapped with other charges following investigations.

This is the first case police discovered but I believe there were more fake court documents bearing signatures of National and Supreme Court judges floating around in the province, he said.

Lakari appealed to the people and businesses to check the court registry when served with a court order. The National
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Florida seems to be on the verge of becoming a hedge fund hotspot. In April, David Tepper made news when it was confirmed that his Appaloosa Management had left New Jersey for Miami. Other hedge funds including Skybridge Capital and RWC Partners also have satellite offices there and it's not just the billion dollar club making the move. When Hanming Rao decided to start his own hedge fund firm in 2009 he chose Boca Raton. He recently sat down with Matthias Knab on Opalesque TV to discuss getting started as a new hedge fund manager. "I was invited by the Palm Beach investment group, and the organizer convinced me that this was the best play to grow my business," Rao said of the decision to set up shop in Florida. Rao started $300 million Global Sigma Group in 2009. The firm trades weekly expiry options on the S&P500, using a model-driven, high-turnover approach. Rao decided to start the firm after working at several hedge funds including Ellington Management, SAC Capital, and Millennium Partners. At those firms, Rao developed a skill set that included trading global macro and quantitative programs. From there he developed his own model that informs his S&P500 options strategy. Now, Global Sigma Group is one of the largest traders of weekly expiry options. "In general, short-dated options are overpriced," Rao explains. "We trade frequently and are able to make money each trade. Those returns accumulate over time and provid...................... To view our full article Click here
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

Paul Tudors $11.6bn hedge fund firm Tudor Investment Corp. announced on Monday it would slash down fees of one of its biggest fund to 2.25% of assets and 25% of profits amidst backlash arising from poor performance, Bloomberg reported.

The move was revealed in a letter to investors released on Monday. Tudor made the decision after the hedge fund was hit by about $1bn withdrawals from clients in the last quarter and following losses in 2016. The funds investors have called on Tudor to lower its fees because of this.

Industry observers were quick to react to the move. Erik Gordon, a professor of business and law at the University of Michigan, commented, "A half-percent cut in management fees and 2% cut in the carry wont make a fund that was losing investors attractive enough to keep them. Its like having a former slugger who now hits .173 offer to take a pay cut from $10m to $9m."

The report added that the hedge fund is planning to launch a new pool for clients with a minimum investment of $50m that will be charged a reduced fee of 2% of assets and 25% of profits. However, Tudor said it would maintain its fees for the firms main funds oldest share class at 4% of assets and 23% of profits.

......................

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Did you ever have a recurring dream that you were chasing someone or some thing and just as you were about to catch it you woke up?



Well, trainer Keith Desormeaux has had that same dream since last June when he started chasing Nyquist. Each time he would get closer, whether with Swipe or Exaggerator, but would always wake up to the harsh realization that it was not a dream after all. Nyquist was not a phantom of his subconscious, but a living breathing entity that was always one step ahead of him.



Well, thanks to a sloppy track that he relishes, kamikaze tactics with Nyquist, and just plain improvement combined with talent and a new souped up engine, Exaggerator finally has caught up with his nemesis.



Perhaps Kimberly McCormack, manager of Stoneleigh Farm, where Exaggerator was born and prepped for the sale, put it best when she said several days before the race, Good lord I hope he gets the Preakness. Hes due.



As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.



The Exaggerator alarm clock was deafening. Keith Desormeaux woke up from his dream after having finally caught the elusive Nyquist. And those who thought of Exaggerator as a one-turn horse and not classic material after the San Felipe woke up as well.



Although it was sad to see Nyquist suffer his first defeat when he ran such a gallant race after battling through a suicidal opening quarter as the meat in a speed sandwich, no one was more deserving of nailing down a classic victory than Exaggerator, who has been a remarkable horse in his own right since he set foot on the racetrack nearly a year ago.



In his four losing efforts against Nyquist, hes gotten closer to him each time. This is a horse who has finished in the money at seven different distances from six furlongs to 1 1/4 miles at seven different racetracks from New York to California to Kentucky to Louisiana, and hes done it on fast, muddy, and sloppy racetracks. Since his career debut when he finished fifth, hes been on the board in 10 consecutive races, including five grade I stakes, three grade II stakes, and a grade III stakes.



What has been most remarkable about him is the how Desormeaux was able to change his running style from mostly a one-paced stalker, who would lay one to three lengths off the lead without a great deal of acceleration in the stretch to a stone closer with a devastating turn of foot, who came from 16 lengths back to win the Santa Anita Derby by 6 1/2 lengths with a spectacular last-to-first move on the far turn and from 17 lengths back to finish a fast-closing second in the Kentucky Derby. In the Preakness, he came from nearly a dozen lengths back, quickly moving into contention down the backstretch. As hes shown in his last four starts, he can lag far back and turn on the afterburners at any point in the race. This was as dramatic a transformation as anyone has seen in years, or ever for that matter.



Ever since he was baby, Exaggerator endeared himself to those around him with his engaging personality.



I named him Buster, McCormack said. He was always a playful colt in the field, but was a workhorse to prep. He was a very confident colt. (His dam) Dawn Raid seems to stamp this in her offspring. He loved Jolly Balls and would gallop down the fence line and throw it over the fence if someone walked by. He would throw it directly at them, as if he wanted to play fetch. The few visitors we had would get a real kick out of it. He also did the same thing with feeders, salt holders, etc. If someone would throw it back, he would run after the ball or feeder and throw it over the fence again. He would do this as long as he found it entertaining. I could usually find the Jolly Ball outside of the gate with him looking at it.



He would always lie down in his stall during the day and demanded to be fed this way. He would never get up for his feed. He would just lie there and wait for me to put it under his face and then eat it while lying down. Buster never went through a real awkward stage other than catching up to his legs a bit. He always looked great and took new things in stride as if he was expected to do them.



I called him Buster because he was just a Cool Buster Boy. Id call to him out in the field and it just stuck. He was all business when it came to work. He was never mean, and if he got a little playful and nippy or light on his feet, Id call, Hey, Buster quit! And hed go right back to work. He learned things very quickly, almost as if to say, Well, what next?



Exaggerator sold at the Keeneland September yearling sale for $110,000 to Big Chief Racing. At the time of the sale, we werent sure how the Curlins were selling, and we were satisfied with the price, McCormack said.



At the sale, he was turned over to Warrendale Sales, who acted as agent.



The only time that we had him was when he shipped in to the sales grounds, and while he was there he was nothing but a gentleman, said Warrendales Hunter Simms. He was shown quite a bit between the two show days that he was there and never really turned a hair. As you know, the sales experience for horses can be very hard on them and he did everything right while he was there. I have actually had quit a few people reach out asking about his demeanor from those who are interested in investing in him as a stallion.



Exaggerator was a top-class 2-year-old right from the beginning, breaking his maiden at Del Mar in his second start and then shipping cross-country to Saratoga, where he captured the grade II Saratoga Special in a sharp 1:16 1/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs. Stretching out to two turns in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders Futurity at Keeneland, he ran a winning race, coming from sixth to take the lead by a length at the eighth pole, but got nailed in the final sixteenth by the late-closing Brodys Cause. He followed that up with a strong fourth-place finish in the Breeders Cup Juvenile, beaten three lengths by Nyquist and missing third by a neck to Brodys Cause.



Despite having six starts in top company, he then headed to Delta Downs in Louisiana for the $1 million Delta Jackpot, which he won by a neck over a muddy track in a gutsy effort.



Not much was known about Keith Desormeaux until he captured the Breeders Cup Juvenile in 2014 with Texas Red, who inhaled his field before drawing off to a six-length victory. When Desormeaux reverted to old school training and dropped Texas Red back in distance into a sprint (the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes) for his 3-year-old debut, he was also drawing up the blueprint for Exaggerator to do the same thing the following year.



I wish that I could say that I did research to prove what I had been thinking, but I must say that it just felt right, Desormeaux said. The decision with Texas Red was based on past experience along with the horses build and personality. Also, Ive always been more concerned about conditioning horses through both training and racing, therefore, my win percentage is not a crux. I do remember Unbridled putting away Housebuster in the seven-furlong Deputy Minister Handicap at Gulfstream a few years back and that performance has always been etched in my mind. I always thought it was a sign of true class and one of the reasons why we love classic horses.



So, Desormeaux, went the same route this year with Exaggerator, who he thought benefited from the light training following the Delta Jackpot and he felt confident he was coming up to winning effort. But he again ran into Nyquist, who was also making his 3-year-old debut, and it took a sizzling seven furlongs in 1:20 3/5 for Nyquist to get the better of Exaggerator by 1 1/2 lengths.



Following the San Vicente, owner Sol Kumin, who races under several stable names and owns the remarkable filly Lady Eli along with fellow Sheep Pond partner Jay Hanley, was looking to buy into a Derby horse and was able to secure a 20 % interest in Exaggerator under the name Head of Plains Partners.



There wasnt much not to like about Exaggerator, Kumin said. As you know a big part of my program is buying horses that are already running. We didnt think we had anything in our current stable that had a shot at the Derby this year (My Man Sam really came on strong late and surprised us), so we looked at all the potential Derby horses in January and tried to find the ones we thought had the talent to get there and win and that were owned by someone you could potentially buy from. Shadwell, Paul Reddam, Mike Repole, etc. are not sellers when they have a nice colt, so it really came down to two horses, Exaggerator and Danzing Candy, that we liked and felt like we might have a chance to buy.



We focused on Exaggerator and we were able to get a deal done. We liked the 2-year- old foundation, he had numbers to run back to as a 3-year-old, and if we saw a little improvement he would be right there. We loved the sire, and we knew if we won a grade 1 with him there would be tremendous financial return. I think Keith is an excellent trainer and the owners are great guys and have been easy to partner with. They were reasonable on the price and it worked out extremely well for all of us. Our only concern with the deal was could he get the distance. After the San Felipe, we were not sure, but we figured if we were wrong about the distance he would be a great Kings Bishop horse and we would have a chance to do fine financially.

In the San Felipe, Exaggerator uncharacteristically dropped far back, something hed never done before, and then turned in an electrifying run to reach contention, but was unable to sustain it, finishing third. Even Desormeaux, after looking at Exaggerators Trakus fractions, which are based on GPS, started having some doubts about his ability to go classic distances.



Exaggerator had run very fast second and third quarters in :23.09 and :23.89, but slowed down significantly after that. Some believed those inner fractions were too fast to sustain such a pace and Exaggerator, by coming from far back for the first time in his life, wasnt as in control of his move as one would have liked. This was something brand new for him.



Although Desormeaux still was unsure how far Exaggerator wanted to go, he hoped the San Felipe performance was more a case of the colt regressing (bouncing) off his blazing fast time in the San Vicente.

I sure hope he bounced, he said. He deserves another shot. It will be great fun and challenging to try and get this done, but I have no pressure. He has been a great investment either way.



The fact that this horse, with his precocious speed, can relax the way he did after a race in which he cut out a half in :44 and change is a total credit to his class. And this ability to rate will be a godsend if were lucky enough to go to the Kentucky Derby.



It would take Kumin, the other owners, and Desormeaux only one more race, the Santa Anita Derby, to wipe out all thoughts of the Kings Bishop and set their sights on the Kentucky Derby.



It really is amazing to see the change in the horse, Kumin said. Keith is very good. Look what he is spending for these horses and the results he is getting.



It not only was a credit to the colts class, but to Desormeauxs ability to get into a horses head and have him do things most horses wouldnt be able to. Hey, any horse who can play fetch with a Jolly Ball by throwing it over his fence and likes to eat while laying down in his stall is intelligent enough to be taught just about anything, right?



It took Exaggerator only that one race to figure out his new role. All he was being asked to do was transform himself from stalker to Silky Sullivan. In the Santa Anita Derby, he turned in one of the most explosive moves seen in years, blowing by the field in a flash and drawing off to a resounding victory. Many attributed it to the slop and a scorching pace set by Danzing Candy, but this performance was so spectacular it transcended simply relishing a wet track and fast pace.



Desormeaux now knew he had a legitimate classic horse on his hands, and one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, but still wasnt sure how much of the victory to attribute to the pace meltdown.



Its been interesting trying to deal with all the hoopla, he said after the Santa Anita Derby. I actually didn't think it would be this wild. I think it all comes down to the fact that horses are not measurable in hard numbers. It was more about his demeanor. He was as confident as any horse Ive seen and he was not that way in San Felipe. It is probably that simple.



In the Kentucky Derby, Exaggerator came from 15th, some 17 lengths back, sliced his way through traffic and came flying down the stretch, only to fall 1 1/4 lengths short of catching Nyquist. Sol Kumin summed it up as an amazing experience.



Desormeaux showed not an ounce of disappointment or second guessing, but was thrilled with Exaggerators performance, and felt it was a great accomplishment to finish second to an undefeated champion who had now beaten him eight times, including six seconds.



Its been a whirlwind couple of weeks, Desormeaux said. As you know, there are always nuances in training these volatile animals and Exaggerator is no different. He can be tough at times. With that being said, I have a new set of hands on him performing his daily gallops in Kentucky. Exaggerator has really taken a liking to this new guy. Im optimistic that he can get better and close this gap on Nyquist. At least it will help fuel my confidence, false or not, in order to challenge him again. Nyquist is one tough s.o.b.



Anyway, its supposed to be fun. I try and always keep this in mind. I can honestly say that I did not have any disappointment after the race. My horse gave it his best, came back sound, and got beat by the champion. Im sure that my lack of negative emotions stems from the fact that I was very honored and excited to do so well in my first Derby. How could I complain? Hopefully it is not my last.



In the Preakness, things started looking favorable for Exaggerator when he drew post 5, while Nyquist drew post 3, with speed horses directly inside and outside of him. Then steady rains overnight night and prior to the race turned the track into a sea of slop.



Exaggerators chances really started to look good when Mario Gutierrez gunned Nyquist to the lead, despite having two horses intent on the lead on either side of him. When that first quarter in :22 1/5 flashed on the board it was like a dagger in the heart of owner Paul Reddam, who knew right then Nyquist was in big trouble. His horse had just run the fastest opening quarter in the history of the Preakness. Nyquist never got a break, dueling back and forth with Uncle Lino, who was like a terrier refusing to let go of a pant leg. Although they were able to slow the pace down with each subsequent quarter, it is that first quarter that does the damage, ultimately taking its toll down the stretch, especially when youre running in a quagmire.



Kent Desormeaux, meanwhile, had Exaggerator down on the rail, nearly a dozen lengths back, as Keith tried to figure out what his brother was doing on the inside. But like last year, also run in the slop, the inside actually looked to be the best part of the track, if you go by Exaggerators trip and Cherry Wines powerful stretch run along the inside.



Kent took advantage of Exaggerators rapid-fire middle move and quickly sent him into a contending position right behind the dueling Nyquist, ready to strike at any time. By the time they turned for home it was the two favorites battling it out again, as Exaggerator came off the rail to launch his bid. But with those opening fractions and never getting a breather, it took its toll on Nyquist, and Exaggerator roared past him and quickly opened a clear lead. Nyquist tried gallantly to fight back after being pulled out when Exaggerator cut in front of him, but he was spent, and just got nipped right on the wire for second by Cherry Wine, who got banged up pretty good after hitting his head on the gate.



It was a taxing effort on Nyquist, who came out of the race with over a 102-degree fever after leaving feed both Saturday and Sunday night, suggesting he may have been incubating a virus and it came to a head from the stress of the race. If so, it says a lot about the horse, trying as hard as he did. But it shouldnt detract from Exaggerators performance. He won convincingly, and this was his day.



Nyquist is unbeaten no longer, and Exaggerator finally has pulled that thorn from his and his trainers side.



That was unbelievable; I was going crazy, said Sol Kumin, watching the race from the infield. Kumin, in just a few years in the business, has had more unforgettable moments than most owners do in a lifetime.



Well, he looked fit and ready and cool, said Kimberly McCormack. I was so very confident that he would win. It wasn't a win because Nyquist had a different ride, it was a win because Exaggerator was the better horse Saturday.



As for Keith Desormeaux and his dream, he said the following morning, The dream, honestly, is just having a horse that is consistent and has the ability to compete at this level. We do our best to prepare and hope and make sure that weve done all we can to get the horse to the race in the best shape. Goodness, the actual feeling of winning, honestly, is still sinking in. Ive been pretty good with these things all week, but Im at a loss for words. Im still processing it all.



So, there will be no undefeated horse trying to sweep the Triple Crown this year, but there is one heck of a rivalry forming between two exceptional Thoroughbreds, who first faced each other way back last June when they were just the 7-1 first-time starter Nyquist and the 28-1 first-time starter Exaggerator. Now they are the kings of the 3-year-old division with 20 starts between them and the brilliance, courage, and toughness to keep the division at the highest level all year.



For Exaggerator, he no longer is Buster, but hes still just as cool. He is now a finely conditioned athlete who has shown remarkable adaptability and who thrives on competition, much as he did playing fetch as a youngster. But now, unlike their first four meetings, not even Nyquist can take that Jolly Ball away from him.

All photos are courtesy of Kimberly McCormack



Dinner in bed was the norm for Exaggerator





And they call it a dog's life





Exaggerator with his Jolly Ball nearby





Exaggerator and a new friend





Exaggerator had the fire even back then


Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

Hedge funds showed their resilience in the first two weeks of May, outperforming global equity indices. The Lyxor Hedge Fund Index posted mild losses (-0.1%) as of mid-May (-2.8% YTD) while the MSCI World index was down 1.2% during the same period (-1.63% YTD), reported Lyxor Asset Management.

Event driven funds outperformed last week (+0.1%) and month to date, with special situations leading the gains (+0.4%); investments in Akorn and Athabasca Oil stocks paid off. The rebound in oil prices brought different results across strategies: supportive for L/S credit strategy but detrimental for global macro managers. CTAs were down 0.4%, hit by their long exposures to German and U.S. fixed income.

Philippe Ferreira, senior strategist at Lyxor AM, commented, "Global risk appetite has faded away as concerns over the strength of the global economy resurfaced and the Brexit risk is getting closer. Industrial production in China grew by 6% year-on-year in April, below expectations and down from 6.8% in March. Meanwhile, the minutes released by the Fed last week led markets to reappraise their expectations on the Feds dovishness. This pushed the USD higher, translating into downward pressures on emerging market assets. Global equities are down month to date, but investors found one area of support in high yield credit on both sides of the Atlantic."

He added that in this environment, hedge ......................

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A Philadelphia Public Bank





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Like cities and states all across the United States, Philadelphia faces chronic budget shortfalls. The problem has worsened during the Great Recession, but it was there before the recession began and it will persist after the recession eases - whenever that might be.

And like other cities and states, Philadelphia is working to meet the challenge with the same tools as in previous years, having to choose its own poison: cut services, lay off, seek employee give-backs, take on more debt or raise taxes.

The mayor proposes a new tax, on soda beverages. Arguably, this was not as bad as some other taxes, because it will be paid not only by city residents, but by everybody who travels into the city.

But you have to ask, what about next year? A tax on soft pretzels? Cheese steaks?

There is an alternative for the long term, a new tool for the municipal finance tool kit which City Council has taken up, along with other city councils and mayors from Manchester to Trenton, Pittsburgh to Santa Fe and Seattle to Oakland: creation of a municipal public bank.

The model is the almost 100 year old state owned Bank of North Dakota (BND).

The BND in not a retail, commercial bank. It does not compete with the local community banks and credit unions for deposits or borrowers, but instead partners with these financial institutions and uses their existing infrastructure to get affordable credit into the community, for new businesses and mortgages.

It makes direct low interest loans to school districts, invests with state agencies in infrastructure and consolidates student loans at below market rates.

In 2015, the BND partnered with local financial institutions, municipalities or agencies to help more than 300 new and small businesses and hundreds of new homeowners, construct roads and water systems, build new schools and rehabilitated more than two dozen existing schools, in a state with a population about half that of Philadelphia.

A public bank can also assist municipalities to re-finance existing debt at significant savings, providing a reduction of the debt service paid by taxpayers.

Because it is not a retail bank, a public bank has no branches, tellers, ATMs or retail advertising. It provides no incentive in the form of bonuses and commissions for risk taking. This low cost business model is profitable. The profits -- at the BND, tens of millions of dollars a year -- return every year to the general fund as non-tax revenue.

In its 2015 Annual Report, the BND posted an 18.1% return on the state's investment in the bank. That is easily 250% greater than the returns Philadelphia or any city earns on its pension funds and other investments.

And the public bank holds the state's or city's deposits safely away from the risk ridden, failure prone Wall Street banks, while providing municipal banking services at lower cost. Security and savings.

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Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it -- George Santayana

The Democratic Party establishment appears poised to repeat the same mistakes that handed the White House to Richard Nixon in 1968.

The angry protest to the underhanded purge of Bernie Sanders delegates at the Nevada "Democratic" Convention should have served as an ominous warning. If party's elites follow-up their cynical manipulation of the nomination process with a decision to shut out the voices and democratic aspirations of millions via the exclusion of Sanders delegates from the Democratic National Convention's Committees, they will court disaster for the party and for our nation.

1968

In 1968 the Democratic Party establishment, led by the authoritarian Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, rigged the nominating process at the Democratic National Convention.

In the run-up to the Convention, over 80% of Democratic primary voters sided with the two anti-war candidates, Sen. Robert Kennedy (D-NY), the victim of an assassination, and Sen. Eugene McCarthy (D-MN). The will of the electorate was ignored by party elites. Daley's backroom maneuvers secured the nomination for a candidate who had not won a single primary -- Vice President Humbert Humphrey.

Daley's authoritarian manipulation of the process produced chaos and violence both inside and outside of the convention. During a Convention speech, Sen. Abraham Ribicoff (D-CT) denounced what he described as the "Gestapo tactics" of the Chicago PD -- tactics that a federal commission later described as a "police riot" orchestrated by Daley. The violence and chaos inside and outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention, not to mention the betrayal of the anti-war sentiments of the electorate by the party establishment, led to the party's demise that November and six more years of carnage in Vietnam.

2016

This time around the Democratic establishment's process manipulations preceded the primaries. Since her appointment as the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former co-chair of the Clinton 2008 campaign, has essentially transformed the ostensibly neutral DNC into an adjunct of the Clinton 2016 campaign.

Last August, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), led by its authoritarian chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and the Clinton campaign initiated their effort to rig the nominating process via a joint fundraising effort known as "The Hillary Victory Fund." That agreement, which ostensibly would provide funding for 33 state parties, was both designed to evade individual political contribution limits and to insure the support of super-delegates in those 33 states. To date, under the terms of The Hillary Victory Fund, "the state parties have served only as a pass-through for their share of the funds" to the DNC and Clinton campaigns.

Super-delegates, or what Salon's Ben Norton aptly described as the "unelected party nobility," are the antithesis of the democratic aspirations of the Sanders-led political revolution. After the backroom deals that led to The Hillary Victory Fund agreement -- and long before the first vote was cast in the Iowa Caucus -- the Clinton campaign boasted that it had already secured 1/5 of the delegates needed to secure the nomination.

Wasserman Schultz has displayed a remarkable disdain for grassroots democracy. She defended the undemocratic super-delegate system that handed Clinton an equal number of Convention delegates in New Hampshire despite a Sanders 60 -- 38 landslide by proclaiming they were needed to ensure that party elites should not have to run "against grassroots activists." In conjunction with a corporate owned mainstream media that has done its level best to either distort or blackout the Sanders message altogether, she has done her level best to tilt the playing field by severely constricting the timing and number of Democratic Debates.

Worse, according to Bill Moyers, Wasserman Schultz has perversely turned the DNC into an instrument of the ruling class by opening "the floodgates for Big Money, brought lobbyists into the inner circle and oiled all the moving parts of the revolving door that twirls between government service and cushy jobs in the world of corporate influence." She's even "aligned herself with corporate interests out to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's effort to create national standards for the payday-lending industry."

Aristocratic arrogance

The one common thread that links the Mayor Daley of 1968 with Debbie Wasserman Shultz, Hillary Clinton and the bulk of today's Democratic Party elites can be found in their shared form of aristocratic arrogance. They are comfortable in deploying undemocratic means to preserve their positions of wealth and power. They appear to share a perverse sense of entitlement. They see the great masses who make up the American electorate as undeserving peasants who can be easily manipulated via lip service to the language of the Sanders-led revolution even as they close the door to meaningful democratic reforms via a rigged Democratic National Convention in which key committees are headed by and exclusively made up of Clinton delegates.
After a big announcement on May 16, 2016, The Intercept made 166 documents available to the public. At this rate, it will take an estimated 600 years to read all of the documents! I would like to ask The Intercept, "Where's the beef?"

Last updated on May 16, 2016, Pierre Omidyar's The Intercept released its first data dump of the Snowden NSA files. For a long time, I wondered why the Snowden files weren't available to us like the WikiLeaks files were. After all, the information could further research on US "asymmetric warfare."I wanted to search them just as I had done with WikiLeaks. And then, perhaps it was fate that gave me a partial answer: I used Wikileaks documents for my dissertation and was forced to scrub every WikiLeaks reference in order to get my dissertation published and receive my Ph.D.

You see, in its zeal to crack the whip on whistleblowers revealing the government's multitudinous dirty dealings and to deter even more acts of conscience from potential whistleblowers, the Obama Administration chose to prosecute and imprison journalist Barrett Brown who had merely republished via hyperlinks some of the same WikiLeaks sources found in my dissertation.

Thus, my institution foreclosed a similar fate for me and I can write this article from a comfortable room rather than the federal penitentiary -- where Barrett Brown currently is located. In one place, I had compiled Operation Condor, COINTELPRO, and WikiLeaks documents pertaining to America's use of "asymmetric warfare" against inconvenient states and their leaders, as well as US actions against inconvenient civil society leaders.

Our knowledge of COINTELPRO helps us to understand that what was done at home to organizations like the Black Panther Party is also done abroad. In fact, many US political prisoners today are incarcerated as a result of the illegal actions of the US government against organizations like the American Indian Movement as well as the Black Panther Party. If the US would carry out such actions against its own citizens, why wouldn't it do such things to foreigners?

My dissertation captures some of what was done abroad to President Hugo Chavez of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and places these actions in the larger context of US practice of asymmetric warfare against people and states it doesn't like. Therefore, I relished the new information revealed in WikiLeaks about US attitudes toward Venezuela and Chavez written by American bureaucrats who believed that their words would be cloaked by classification.







So, when the Snowden leaks became known, I rushed to all sites political to find the treasure trove of US misdeeds -- er, asymmetric warfare -- that I knew would be buried inside the raw data. But, alas, it was nowhere to be found! I wrote emails to everyone I could think of who might have access to the information, but continued to draw a blank. The dribble of stories, sanitized by a suspect press, was not good enough for me. I began to have my doubts about whether I would ever see the data for myself and search it for my research needs. Indeed, articles began to question if we would ever see the Snowden data.

Cryptome, a digital library site especially for whistleblowers, began to keep a count of the released data versus the total number of pages. On May 14, 2016, Cryptome estimated that at its current rate of release, it would take as many as 620 years for the public to see all of the Snowden documents. On May 16, 2016, Omidyar's Intercept released a fully-searchable tranche of 166 Snowden documents and promised that more are on the way. Sadly, this pace may take more than 600 years as there are hundreds of thousands or even millions of documents to be released.

The Intercept has set aside a special section for its signals intelligence directorate newsletter releases, known in the National Security Agency (NSA) as SIDtoday. By scrolling down the page, one can find a download button to download all 166 documents, which I have done. Here, The Interceptexplains its methodology of unveiling the oldest documents from 2003 first and then working its way through to its most recent 2012 articles.

The Intercept requests readers to contact them if something of public interest is found, while also noting that the names of low-level functionaries have been redacted by its staff. Additionally, it writes that its innovative approach is to partner with newspapers like Le Monde to go through the documents. The Intercept warns that some documents will not appear because of the speculative nature of accusations leveled against individuals by government operatives at NSA. The Intercept maintains that it chose a different route from WikiLeaks (fully searchable complete archive of all documents) because of different conditions set for release of the documents by different whistleblowers which The Intercept is bound to honor.


Bernie Sanders for President

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by Walter Brasch

In 1967, the United States was digging itself deeper into the war in Vietnam.

The anti-war movement was being forged by the youth, energetic and willing to stand up to establishment values. They were the peace-loving environmentally-friendly hippies, the more radical but fun-loving Yippies, and those who held weekday establishment jobs and resented the structure and rules of an older generation that had survived the economic depression of the 1930s, the war years of the 1940s and early 1950s, and now wanted the "Happy Days" comfort of the 1950s.

But it was during this decade that the Cold War emerged; the right-wing surfaced and declared anyone with non-establishment views were Communists. The witch hunts of the 17th century colonies had morphed into the fear, panic, and undermining of the Constitution by the demigods of business and government who decided that anyone with liberal views, especially those in the arts and sciences, were anti-American and needed to be condemned.

A string tied the country to Southeast Asia where a civil war had begun, one that led Americans to believe in a false political philosophy known as the Domino Theory--if Vietnam fell to the Communists, then Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand would next fall to the Communists--and then, like dominos, one country after another would fall until the Red Menace would eventually invade and overcome the United States.

John F. Kennedy sent military "advisors" into Vietnam to save the south from Communism. And then, Lyndon B. Johnson escalated the war. By 1967, more than 400,000 Americans were in combat, the majority of civilians were cheering what they believed would be a successful end of Communism--and the anti-war movement was developing.

From Minnesota, U.S. Sen. Eugene McCarthy, a white-haired 51-year-old former teacher and college professor became the political leader of the anti-war movement, catching up to the political activism of the youth.

The media, always behind the cutting edge of society, didn't report about McCarthy--and largely ignored the increasing youth marches and rallies. After all, Johnson was president, soldiers were in Vietnam, and the youth--and the millions of anti-war, pro-civil rights, pro-environment liberals--were just rabble to be ignored.

The establishment media were certain that McCarthy had no chance to defeat the incumbent president. But in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, McCarthy got 42 percent of the vote to Johnson's 49 percent. That shook up the party and the media. In the Wisconsin and Oregon primaries, McCarthy won even more delegates. Johnson, a Southerner who had pushed through Congress a liberal agenda, especially in Civil Rights, surprised the establishment by announcing that in the interest of the country, and because he didn't wish to further divide it, he would not run for re-election.

Robert F. Kennedy soon entered the primary, dividing the anti-war vote, but was murdered in June 1968.

At the Democratic convention in Chicago two months later, McCarthy faced Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, a long-time liberal with strong ties to labor and the civil rights movement, but tainted by having supported his president's war record. The largely peaceful anti-war movement clashed with the political establishment and the largely-conservative police who wanted people to believe that the hundreds of injuries to the youth were caused by the youth deliberately banging their heads onto police billy clubs.

Humphrey won the nomination, but lost the presidency to Richard Nixon, who would resign six years later, enmeshed within scandal. Had hundreds of thousands of McCarthy's supporters not become disillusioned with establishment politics, and not been nursing their own injuries from the convention three months before the general election, Humphrey might have become president, the nation might have been freed from the war sooner than 1975, thousands of Americans would not have died or sustained permanent war injuries, and Nixon's unconstitutional attacks upon the opposition would not have added a blemish to American history.

Flash forward almost five decades.

From Vermont comes Bernie Sanders, a 74-year-old white-haired liberal senator who is challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Only the rabid right-wing, who believe lies are facts and propaganda is truth, doubt Clinton's intelligence or her knowledge of domestic and foreign affairs. But, even within her own party, she is seen as the embodiment of establishment politics, with a moderate, even conservative, edge. Her wall of advisors protect her from the masses; she seems aloof, while Sanders seems to be the kindly, intelligent Jewish grandfather with a soul burning for social justice that liberals identify with.

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Reprinted from Consortium News

MEMORANDUM FOR: The President

FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

SUBJECT: Those "Damn Emails" -- "Really a Concern"

Introduction

Last Wednesday Robert Gates, CIA Director under President Bush-41 and Defense Secretary under President Bush-43, publicly commented that Secretary Hillary Clinton's "whole email thing " is really a concern in terms of her judgment," adding, "I don't know what originally prompted her to think that was a good idea."

What originally prompted her does not matter. As your Secretary of State and your subordinate, she willfully violated laws designed to protect classified information from unauthorized disclosure. It may be somewhat difficult for those not as immersed in national security matters as we have been to appreciate the seriousness of the offense, including the harm done in compromising some of the most sensitive U.S. programs and activities. This is why we write.

Pundits and others are playing down the harm. A charitable interpretation is that they have no way to gauge what it means to expose so much to so many. We do know, and our overriding concern is to protect the national security of our country from further harm. It would be a huge help toward this end, if you would order Attorney General Loretta Lynch to instruct the FBI to stop slow-walking the email investigation and release its findings promptly.

If you choose, instead, to give precedence to politics over national security, the American people will be deprived of timely appreciation of the gravity of the harm done; national security officials who do follow the rules will be scandalized; FBI investigators will conclude that that their job is more political than professional; and the noxious impression will grow that powerful people cannot be held accountable when they break the law. Worse: if the results of the FBI investigation remain under lock and key, dangerous pressures are likely to be exerted on the most senior U.S. officials by those who have the key -- as we explain below.

* * *

We the undersigned Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) have spent 400 years working with classified information -- up to and including TOP SECRET, Codeword, and Special Access Programs (SAP). Given that experience, we believe that much of the commentary on the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton email controversy has been misplaced, focusing on extraneous issues having little or nothing to do with the overriding imperative to protect classified information.

As intelligence, military, and foreign service professionals, we are highly aware not only of that compelling need, but also of the accompanying necessity to hold accountable those whose actions compromise -- whether for reasons of convenience or espionage -- sensitive operations, programs and persons. In addition, we know that successful mutual cooperation with foreign intelligence services depends largely on what they see as our ability to keep secrets secret.

Background

Last August, Secretary Clinton handed over her private email server to the FBI, five months after she acknowledged she had used it for work-related emails as Secretary of State. She admitted to having deleted about 31,000 emails she described as personal. Media reports last fall, however, indicated that the FBI was able to recover the personal emails, and was reviewing them, as well as the 30,000 others she had described as work-related.

In January, the Department of State announced that, of the 30,000 work-related emails, at least 1,340 contained classified material. The Department retroactively classified 22 of those TOP SECRET and prevented their release. Among the 22 were some that, according to media reports, included information on highly sensitive Special Access Programs (SAP).

The White House has said it will do nothing to impede the FBI investigation and possible filing of charges against Clinton, if the facts should warrant that kind of action. Inasmuch as the outcome of the investigation is bound to have major political consequences, such White House assurances stretch credulity.
Now-a-days, the uncertain scenario prevails once again in the US-Pak affable kinship. In fact, this podium is replete with many zigzags since the inception US-Pak diplomatic relations in 50s. Similar to usual, the down-town in this proximity is gauged in the following manners: USA is wavering in return of Pakistan's quest for the delivery of F.16. This war machine in Pakistani view-point is said to have efficacy by dint of its tested agility against the militants in the porous terrains of FATA. The experts in the aerospace school of strategic thoughts also affirm it to be unique in the present 4.5 generation military assets. Contrarily, the US lawmakers suspect Pakistani demand and term it ambitious acquisition in South Asia. They argue that Pakistan while fighting militancy does not need F.16 a strategic hardware to be utilized only in the international theater. Hence, the suspicions and grudges on both sides are tangible. The other spectrum where the said uncertain scenario is realized is the Indo-US propinquity. In this phenomenon, the Indian side's bravado stances for enlarging the nuclear arsenal on one hand and the enhancement of anti ballistic missile system on the other are the direct outcome of the Indo-US proximity. Again this is a fork in the way both (Washington and Islamabad) sides cannot enjoy candidness profoundly because Pakistan is locked in the acerbic security dilemma. Obviously, the adventures that disturb Pakistani security calculus influence Islamabad's rationale behavior. Hence, the cracks erupt between the US-Pak relational milieus when Washington gets closer to New Delhi. Eventually, suspicions and odds take way in the diplomatic fraternity.

Accordingly, these are the prominent factors which have the negative impacts on the certain diplomatic closeness in the two capitals in the present scenario. This is really a pathetic situation that an analyst can observe in subject of US-PAK strategic kinship. For the foreseen apathy in the US-Pak friendly preferences, there are many reasons: firstly, the US policy shift in the foreign policy according to analysts heralds that Pakistan has lost the top-notch priority in the US policy making. Although Pakistan is not pursued as non-friendly state, yet US policy making have positioned it on the second line rather than the most preferred one. This is one reason the two sides are found slightly distant. Secondly, Pakistan's liaison with Haqani Group is often quoted in anti-Pakistani lobby in the international community. Therefore, Washington time and again asserts pressure on Islamabad to bend down to the adverse conditions. The impasse on the sale of F.16 is said to be a measurement, designed to convince Pakistan for further conclusive surgical strikes against the said Haqani network. Finally, the sympathies in the international relations are not the solid attributes one can ever expect. These alter in outcome with the change of interests. Same is the fortune of US-PAK diplomatic affinity.
This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

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Colonel Mark Cheadle, a spokesman for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), recently made a startling disclosure to Voice of America (VOA). AFRICOM, he said, is currently mulling over 11 possible locations for its second base on the continent. If, however, there was a frontrunner among them Cheadle wasn't about to disclose it. All he would say was that Nigeria isn't one of the countries in contention.

Writing for VOA, Carla Babb filled in the rest of the picture in terms of U.S. military activities in Africa. "The United States currently has one military base in the east African nation of Djibouti," she observed. "U.S. forces are also on the ground in Somalia to assist the regional fight against al-Shabab and in Cameroon to help with the multinational effort against Nigeria-based Boko Haram."

A day later, Babb's story disappeared. Instead, there was a new article in which she noted that "Cheadle had initially said the U.S. was looking at 11 locations for a second base, but later told VOA he misunderstood the question." Babb reiterated that the U.S. had only the lone military base in Djibouti and stated that "[o]ne of the possible new cooperative security locations is in Cameroon, but Cheadle did not identify other locations due to 'host nation sensitivities.'"

U.S. troops have, indeed, been based at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti since 2002. In that time, the base has grown from 88 acres to about 600 acres and has seen more than $600 million in construction and upgrades already awarded or allocated. It's also true that U.S. troops, as Babb notes, are operating in Somalia -- from at least two bases -- and the U.S. has indeed set up a base in Cameroon. As such, the "second" U.S. base in Africa, wherever it's eventually located, will actually be more like the fifth U.S. base on the continent. That is, of course, if you don't count Chabelley Airfield, a hush-hush drone base the U.S. operates elsewhere in Djibouti, or the U.S. staging areas, cooperative security locations, forward operating locations, and other outposts in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Senegal, the Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda, among other locales. When I counted late last year, in fact, I came up with 60 such sites in 34 countries. And just recently, Missy Ryan of the Washington Post added to that number when she disclosed that "American Special Operations troops have been stationed at two outposts in eastern and western Libya since late 2015."

To be fair, the U.S. doesn't call any of these bases "bases" -- except when officials forget to keep up the fiction. For example, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 included a $50 million request for the construction of an "airfield and base camp at Agadez, Niger." But give Cheadle credit for pushing a fiction that persists despite ample evidence to the contrary.

It isn't hard, of course, to understand why U.S. Africa Command has set up a sprawling network of off-the-books bases or why it peddles misinformation about its gigantic "small" footprint in Africa. It's undoubtedly for the same reason that they stonewall me on even basic information about their operations. The Department of Defense, from tooth to tail, likes to operate in the dark.

Today, TomDispatchregular Bill Hartung reveals another kind of Pentagon effort to obscure and obfuscate involving another kind of highly creative accounting: think slush funds, secret programs, dodgy bookkeeping, and the type of financial malfeasance that could only be carried out by an institution that is, by its very nature, too big to fail (inside the Beltway if not on the battlefield).

Rejecting both accurate accounting and actual accountability -- from the halls of the Pentagon to austere camps in Africa -- the Defense Department has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to keeping Americans in the dark about the activities being carried out with their dollars and in their name. Luckily, Hartung is willing to shine a bright light on the Pentagon's shady practices. Nick Turse

The Pentagon's War on Accountability

Slush Funds, Smoke and Mirrors, and Funny Money Equal Weapons Systems Galore

By William D. Hartung Now you see it, now you don't. Think of it as the Department of Defense's version of the street con game, three-card monte, or maybe simply as the Pentagon shuffle. In any case, the Pentagon's budget is as close to a work of art as you're likely to find in the U.S. government -- if, that is, by work of art you mean scam. The United States is on track to spend more than $600 billion on the military this year -- more, that is, than was spent at the height of President Ronald Reagan's Cold War military buildup, and more than the military budgets of at least the next seven nations in the world combined. And keep in mind that that's just a partial total. As an analysis by the Straus Military Reform Project has shown, if we count related activities like homeland security, veterans' affairs, nuclear warhead production at the Department of Energy, military aid to other countries, and interest on the military-related national debt, that figure reaches a cool $1 trillion. The more that's spent on "defense," however, the less the Pentagon wants us to know about how those mountains of money are actually being used. As the only major federal agency that can't pass an audit, the Department of Defense (DoD) is the poster child for irresponsible budgeting. It's not just that its books don't add up, however. The DoD is taking active measures to disguise how it is spending the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars it receives every year -- from using the separate "war budget" as a slush fund to pay for pet projects that have nothing to do with fighting wars to keeping the cost of its new nuclear bomber a secret. Add in dozens of other secret projects hidden in the department's budget and the Pentagon's poorly documented military aid programs, and it's clear that the DoD believes it has something to hide. Don't for a moment imagine that the Pentagon's growing list of secret programs and evasive budgetary maneuvers is accidental or simply a matter of sloppy bookkeeping. Much of it is remarkably purposeful. By keeping us in the dark about how it spends our money, the Pentagon has made it virtually impossible for anyone to hold it accountable for just about anything. An entrenched bureaucracy is determined not to provide information that might be used to bring its sprawling budget -- and so the institution itself -- under control. That's why budgetary deception has become such a standard operating procedure at the Department of Defense.

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By David Swanson, American Herald Tribune



Obama

(Image by ahtribune.com) Details DMCA



Consider this a friendly reminder to President Obama on his way to Hiroshima.

No matter how many years one writes books, does interviews, publishes columns, and speaks at events, it remains virtually impossible to make it out the door of an event in the United States at which you've advocated abolishing war without somebody hitting you with the what-about-the-good-war question.

Of course this belief that there was a good war 75 years ago is what moves the U.S. public to tolerate dumping a trillion dollars a year into preparing in case there's a good war next year, even in the face of so many dozens of wars during the past 70 years on which there's general consensus that they were not good. Without rich, well-established myths about World War II, current propaganda about Russia or Syria or Iraq would sound as crazy to most people as it sounds to me.

And of course the funding generated by the Good War legend leads to more bad wars, rather than preventing them.

I've written on this topic at great length in many articles and books, especially this one. But perhaps it would be helpful to provide a column-length list of the top reasons that the good war was not good.

1. World War II could not have happened without World War I, without the stupid manner of starting World War I and the even stupider manner of ending World War I which led numerous wise people to predict World War II on the spot, without Wall Street's funding of Nazi Germany for decades (as preferable to commies), and without the arms race and numerous bad decisions that do not need to be repeated in the future.

2. The U.S. government was not hit with a surprise attack. President Franklin Roosevelt had committed to Churchill to provoking Japan and worked hard to provoke Japan, and knew the attack was coming, and initially drafted a declaration of war against both Germany and Japan on the evening of Pearl Harbor -- before which time, FDR had built up bases in the U.S. and multiple oceans, traded weapons to the Brits for bases, started the draft, created a list of every Japanese American person in the country, provided planes, trainers, and pilots to China, imposed harsh sanctions on Japan, and advised the U.S. military that a war with Japan was beginning.

3. The war was not humanitarian and was not even marketed as such until after it was over. There was no poster asking you to help Uncle Sam save the Jews. A ship of Jewish refugees was chased away from Miami by the Coast Guard. The U.S. and other nations would not allow Jewish refugees in, and the majority of the U.S. public supported that position. Peace groups that questioned Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his foreign secretary about shipping Jews out of Germany to save them were told that Hitler might very well agree to that but it would be too much trouble and require too many ships. The U.S. engaged in no diplomatic or military effort to save the victims in the camps. Anne Frank was denied a U.S. visa.

4. The war was not defensive. FDR lied that he had a map of Nazi plans to carve up South America, that he had a Nazi plan to eliminate religion, that U.S. ships actually assisting British war planes were innocently attacked by Nazis, that Germany was in fact a threat to the United States. A case can be made that the U.S. needed to enter the war in Europe to defend other nations, which had entered to defend yet other nations, but a case could also be made that the U.S. escalated the targeting of civilians, extended the war, and created more damage than might have been, had it done nothing, attempted diplomacy, or invested in nonviolence. To claim that a Nazi empire could have grown to someday include an occupation of the United States is wildly far fetched and not borne out by any earlier or later examples of other wars.

5. We now know much more widely and with much more data that nonviolent resistance to occupation and injustice is more likely to succeed, and that success more likely to last, than violent resistance. With this knowledge, we can look back at the stunning successes of nonviolent actions against the Nazis that were not well organized or built on beyond their initial successes.

6. The good war was not for supporting the troops. In fact, lacking intense modern conditioning to prepare soldiers to engage in the unnatural act of murder, some 80 percent of U.S. and other troops in World War II did not fire their weapons at the enemies. That those soldiers were treated better after the war than soldiers in other wars had been, or have been since, was the result of the pressure created by the Bonus Army after the previous war. That veterans were given free college was not due to the merits of the war or in some way a result of the war. Without the war, everyone could have been given free college for many years. If we provided free college to everyone today, it would take way more than World War II stories to get people into military recruiting stations.

7. Several times the number of people killed in German camps were killed outside of them in the war. The majority of those people were civilians. The scale of the killing, wounding, and destroying made this war the single worst thing humanity has ever done to itself in a short space of time. That it was somehow "opposed" to the far lesser killing in the camps -- although, again, it actually wasn't -- can't justify the cure that was worse than the disease.

8. Escalating the war to include the all-out destruction of civilian cities, culminating in the completely indefensible nuking of cities took this war out of the realm of defensible projects for many who had defended its initiation -- and rightly so. Demanding unconditional surrender and seeking to maximize death and suffering did immense damage and left a legacy that has continued.

9. Killing huge numbers of people is supposedly defensible for the "good" side in a war, but not the "bad." The distinction between the two is never as stark as fantasized. The United States had an apartheid state for African Americans, camps for Japanese Americans, a tradition of genocide against Native Americans that inspired Nazis, programs of eugenics and human experimentation before, during, and after the war (including giving syphilis to people in Guatemala during the Nuremberg trials). The U.S. military hired hundreds of top Nazis at the end of the war. They fit right in. The U.S. aimed for a wider world empire, before the war, during it, and ever since.
Long gone are the days when the path to the White House was open to anyone who met the Constitution's bare minimum requirements of being a natural born citizen, a resident of the United States for 14 years, and 35 years of age or older.

Today's presidential hopefuls must jump through a series of hoops aimed at selecting the candidates best suited to serve the interests of the American police state. Candidates who are anti-war, anti-militarization, anti-Big Money, pro-Constitution, pro-individual freedom and unabashed advocates for the citizenry need not apply.

The carefully crafted spectacle of the presidential election with its nail-biting primaries, mud-slinging debates, caucuses, super-delegates, popular votes and electoral colleges has become a fool-proof exercise in how to persuade a gullible citizenry into believing that their votes matter.

Yet no matter how many Americans go to the polls on November 8, "we the people" will not be selecting the nation's next president.

While voters might care about where a candidate stands on healthcare, Social Security, abortion and immigration--hot-button issues that are guaranteed to stir up the masses, secure campaign contributions and turn any election into a circus free-for-all--those aren't the issues that will decide the outcome of this presidential election.

What decides elections are money and power.

We've been hoodwinked into believing that our votes count, that we live in a democracy, that elections make a difference, that it matters whether we vote Republican or Democrat, and that our elected officials are looking out for our best interests. Truth be told, we live in an oligarchy, and politicians represent only the profit motives of the corporate state, whose leaders know all too well that there is no discernible difference between red and blue politics, because there is only one color that matters in politics--green.

The powers-that-be will not allow anyone to be elected to the White House who does not answer to them.

Who are the powers-that-be, you might ask?

As I point out in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, the powers-that-be are the individuals and corporations who profit from America's endless wars abroad and make their fortunes many times over by turning America's homeland into a war zone. They are the agents and employees of the military-industrial complex, the security-industrial complex, and the surveillance-industrial complex. They are the fat cats on Wall Street who view the American citizenry as economic units to be bought, sold and traded on a moment's notice. They are the monied elite from the defense and technology sectors, Hollywood, and Corporate America who believe their money makes them better suited to decide the nation's future. They are the foreign nationals to whom America is trillions of dollars in debt.

One thing is for certain: the powers-that-be are not you and me.

In this way, the presidential race is just an exaggerated farce of political theater intended to dazzle, distract and divide us, all the while the police state marches steadily forward.

It's a straight-forward equation: the candidate who wins the White House will be the one who can do the best job of ensuring that the powers-that-be keep raking in the money and acquiring ever greater powers. In other words, for any viable presidential candidate to get elected today that person must be willing to kill, lie, cheat, steal, be bought and sold and made to dance to the tune of his or her corporate overlords.

The following are just some of the necessary qualifications for anyone hoping to be appointed president of the American police state. Candidates must:

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When the rain started around 4 a.m. Saturday in Carlisle, Baltasar Bruno and Chrissey Hoss were sleeping outside in cardboard boxes.

We were hopeful that (the rain) would hold off at first, Bruno said. But then the rain started to hit and just about everyone got wet.

Bruno and Hoss were two of 12 students participating in a simulation of homelessness held at the Bethel Assembly of God church on the Holly Pike in South Middleton Township. These students, who will travel to the Atlanta Dream Center in Georgia this July to participate in missionary work, were going through a boot camp of sorts to gain firsthand knowledge of the people they will be helping.

This is kind of a precursor for the kids (going to Atlanta), said Youth Pastor Dustin Kipe. We will be ministering to homeless people, homeless moms, victims of sex trafficking (and) other people. We wanted to try to open their eyes a little to what they might be seeing this summer in Atlanta.

The simulation took place from Friday evening through Saturday morning.

We were given a cardboard box, which could already be considered generous for a homeless person, and we were tasked with living outside behind the church in a box, using whatever we could find to make our own little home, Bruno said.

Participants were given very little food and were tasked with rationing it between themselves. They also built a fire.

We were given one apple when we started, Bruno said. Then we were given a bag with half a bag of chips, two cans of soda, a couple hot dogs and about half of a cookie. We had to figure out who was going to get what food for the night.

Additionally, simulation organizers arranged for several unexpected events to occur throughout the night without participant knowledge, adding an element of unpredictability and ultimately a thick layer of realism.

There was a simulation where one of our guys went unresponsive in his cardboard box, so an ambulance came and they did CPR to try to revive him, Hoss said. The chaplain came over and prayed with us for him. Then they took him off. They didnt tell us any of it was going to happen. It was really interesting to experience because we are going to go into the missions field and that could actually happen.

I was actually worried for a little bit, Bruno said. Then I saw that one of the other leaders was taking video with his phone, so then I kind of knew what was going on.

After the simulation concluded, the group traveled to Carlisle CARES to provide brunch and other services. Additionally, fundraising from the simulation was given to the shelter.

We (also) did some weeding around the facility and some cleaning, Kipe said. (The students) were able to talk with a couple different residents as well. So they got to hear some stories of how people ended up there and what their dreams and goals are to get out of there.

Bruno said the experience was humbling.

I have known a lot of homeless people, and you can hear a lot that it is incredibly difficult to basically survive, but you never really realize just how difficult it is until you get put in that same situation, Bruno said. It really opened my eyes to just how hard it is for them to live like normal people.

I would say they learned a lot, Kipe said. While this was a lot easier than what it would actually be like to be homeless, they did have to weather the rain last night (and) the food rations. (Those are) true life things that happen to homeless people.
Reprinted from Paul Craig Roberts Website

e have been watching for nearly a month a steady buildup of American and NATO forces along Russia's borders -- on land, on sea and in the air. There has been nothing like this on Russia's borders, such an amassing of hostile military force, since the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941."

So concludes America's leading Russian expert, Professor Stephen Cohen (Princeton and New York University).

Professor Cohen asks if Washington is sleepwalking and needs to wake up or whether Washington has gone crazy and intends war.

Pepe Escobar advises Washington to "beware what you wish for: Russia is ready for war."

Escobar reports that recently the Rand Corporation, "essentially a CIA outpost," concluded that "Russia could over-run NATO in a mere 60 hours, if not less." On the level of nukes and missile systems, Russia is four generations ahead of the US military/security complex, which is mainly interested in inflating profits with cost overruns. US weapons systems are simply outclassed.

Nevertheless, the Russian high command is concerned with the Russian government's low-key response to Washington's aggression. The generals blame the "Atlanticists Integrationists" who infect Putin's government. This faction is believed to be organized around Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and believes Russia should make concessions to Washington in order to be accepted as part of the West. The incompetent Russian central bank and neoliberal economists are part of the faction whose goal is to be part of the West regardless of its impact on Russian independence from Washington's Empire.

Stephen Cohen and Alastair Crooke, a former British secret agent, almost alone in the West have noticed that the Russian military and the predominant part of the government that emphasizes national sovereignty are putting pressure on President Putin to eliminate those in the government who are willing to compromise Russia's independence in order to gain acceptance by Washington.

This has been my own opinion for some time. It is impossible to adequately stand up to an external threat when unreliable elements are part of the threatened government.

If Putin is forced to remove Washington's agents from his government, as he must do if Russia is to survive Washington's plots, he must not let them leave Russia. If they escape, they will end up in Washington to be used as Washington's Russian government in exile. If Putin doesn't want to put them on trial for treason, then a form of national house arrest would be a solution.

Alastair Crooke writes that Washington is miscalulating by seeking unipolar hegemony and, thus, is forcing Putin into the camp of the nationalists who value Russia's sovereignty more than Western acceptance. Washington's use of NATO in an effort to corner Russia with military buildups on Russia's land and sea borders is forcing compromise out of Russia's response to Washington's aggression.

Regardless of Escobar's description of Russian military superiority over the West, Russian independence is between a rock and a hard place. The rock is the American neoconservatives' determination to achieve hegemony over Russia. The hard place is those within the Russian government who are more Western than Russian in their orientation.

If Trump becomes US president, there is some possibility, perhaps, that the neoconservatives will cease to dominate US foreign and military policies. Should this turn out to be the case, the Russian nationalists might ease their pressure on Putin to remove the Atlanticist Integrationists from the government.

If Hillary becomes US president, the neoconservative threat to Russia will escalate. The Atlanticist Integrationists will be eliminated from the Russian government, and Russia will move to full war standing.

Remember what an unprepared Russia did to the German Wehrmacht, at that time the most powerful army ever assembled. Imagine what a prepared Russia would do to the crazed Hillary and the incompetent neoconservatives.

As I have previously written, pushing Russia to war means the demise of the US and Europe and, considering the destructive power of nuclear weapons, most likely of all life on earth.
The PLEEC project - Planning for energy efficient cities

http://model.pleecproject.eu/

http://pleecproject.eu/results/documents/viewcategory/14-reports.html

www.pleecproject.eu

More than 50% of all people globally are living in cities today. Enhancing sustainability and efficiency of urban energy systems is thus of high priority for global sustainable development.What is the PLEEC project?The PLEEC project is a three-year international research project funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission. 18 partners from 13 European countries are collaborating to make European cities more energy efficient.PLEEC is using an integrative approach to achieve the sustainable, energy efficient, smart city. By connecting scientific excellence and innovative enterprises in the energy sector with ambitious and well-organized cities, the project aims to reduce energy use in Europe contributing to the EUs 20-20-20 targets.Through the run of the project, the project consortium developed individual Energy Efficiency Action Plans for the six PLEEC cities on how to improve their energy efficiency in a strategic and holistic way considering their technological, structural and behavioral capabilities. In order to make this knowledge accessible to further European cities a model for energy efficiency and sustainable urban planning has been developed.ObjectivesThe core objectives of the PLEEC project are: To assess the energy-saving solutions and potentials for a comprehensive city planning To demonstrate how integrative planning is more efficient than separate measures To create Energy Efficiency Action Plans to be presented to decision-makers in the cities To develop a synergized model for energy efficiency and sustainable city planning To identify the future research agenda on the issue of energy smart cities.PartnershipThe consortium consists of 18 partners from 13 different European countries comprising six medium-sized PLEEC model cities (Eskilstuna/Sweden, Tartu/Estonia, Turku/Finland, Jyvaskyla/Finland, Santiago de Compostela/Spain, Stoke-on-Trent/UK), nine universities (Malardalen University, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Vienna University of Technology, University of Copenhagen, Delft University of Technology, University of Rousse, Santiago de Compostela University and University of Ljubljana) and three industry partners (LMS Imagine-Siemens/France, Smart Technologies Association SMARTTA/Lithuania, Eskilstuna Energy & Environment/Sweden).The methodology of the projectThe PLEEC project follows a place-based approach to enforce endogenous urban development by considering local conditions. By supporting a forward-looking and evidence-based strategic planning approach, cities have identified their strengths and potentials (Smart City Profiles (WP2)).Based on the city profiles technological, structural and behavioral energy efficiency solutions (WP3, 4 and 5) have been elaborated for each PLEEC city as the aim of urban energy efficiency should be seen in the transition to a fully sustainable urban energy system. Therefore it is crucial that measures are not tackled isolated, but rather integrated into a holistic approach taking into consideration each citys individual preconditions.The integration of technology, structures and behaviour is a crucial aspect for a sustainable transition into a truly energy efficient smart city. The Energy Efficiency Action Plans (WP6) developed by the cities have integrated the individually best matching solutions into a strategic approach guiding the cities on their way to become energy smart.Results  what did the PLEEC project achieve? One of the core outputs of the PLEEC project is the PLEEC model for energy efficiency and sustainable urban planning (WP6): It is a guide for European city planners how to successfully develop an Energy Efficiency Action Plan (EEAP). The guide consists of the PLEEC partners joint experiences from developing six EEAPs. By taking part of the model content, through literature studies, checklists, movies and city partners' advice, the reader gets a strong base to initiate the Action Plan. One of the lessons from PLEEC is that understanding local conditions in different cities is key to developing an EEAP which can be successfully implemented. No action can be copied from one city to another but by sharing experiences we can come a long way towards a more energy efficient future. All PLEEC model partner cities have developed individual Energy Efficiency Action Plans (WP6) Green Thoughts, Green Futures: This booklet presents the main findings of the project in a popularized, easy-to approach mannerThese results and all further Work Package reports can be found at the following link:The PLEEC project is a three-year international research project funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission. 18 partners from 13 European countries are collaborating to make European cities more energy efficient.M.A. Julia HaselbergerResearch and Transfer Centre 'Applications of Life Sciences'Hamburg University of Applied SciencesFaculty of Life SciencesUlmenliet 20, 21033 Hamburg/GermanyTel.: +49-40-42875-6358; Fax: +49-40-42875-6079julia.haselberger@haw-hamburg.de
Biostimulants Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends and Forecast 2016  2023

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http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/biostimulants-market.html

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Biostimulant is an organic substance that significantly impacts plant health. It is applied in small quantities in order to promote plant growth. Microorganisms, enzymes, plant hormones, and trace elements are mixed in precise quantities to make biostimulants. Hence, biostimulants cannot be categorized as fertilizers that are used to supply nutrients to plants with nutrition deficiencies. Biostimulants boost nutrient availability, metabolism, water holding capacity of the plants, and enhance the production of chlorophyll and antioxidants. Biostimulants encourage plant growth, thereby improving crop yield and quality. Based on active ingredients, the biostimulants market can be segmented into acidic biostimulants (including humic, amino, and fulvic biostimulants) and extract biostimulants (including seaweed extract-based biostimulants). Based on key crop type, the application market has been segmented into row crops, ornamental crops, vegetables, fruits, and turf.Request FREE Sample Pages Of Premium Research Report :Climate is one of the key driving factors for the biostimulants market. Consistent changes in climate owing to global warming has resulted in fluctuation in yields of various food and cash crops. This has led to growing preference for usage of biostimulants by farmers. Easy availability has further augmented the market, since biostimulants are readily accessible to farmers across the world. Increase in population is another key factor driving the biostimulants market. Farmers employ biostimulants instead of synthetic stimulants, as the former not only boost crop yield but also enhance land fertility, while the latter may harm land fertility at the cost of boosting crop yield. Organic origin and ecofriendly nature of biostimulants are also boosting market growth.Europe was the largest market for biostimulants in 2014, owing to rapid development of innovative biostimulants due to their property of boosting yields. Countries in Western Europe such as Germany, France, Spain, and the U.K. are expected to be hotspots for biostimulants in the region. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing regional market for biostimulants due to rising awareness and preferences for biostimulants in major agricultural economies such as China, India, and Australia. Asia Pacific accounts for major share of the biostimulants market. This trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. In terms of demand, the biostimulants market in North America is estimated to be predominantly driven by the U.S. owing to increasing preference for bio-based products in the region. The biostimulants market in Latin America is projected to be driven by agricultural economies such as Brazil and Argentina owing to increasing preferences for bio-based agricultural stimulants in these countries. South Africa is likely to offer bright prospects for growth of the biostimulants market in Middle East and Africa due to higher preferences for bio-based agricultural stimulants in the region. Formation of various organizations such as the European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) and the BioStimulant Coalition has further boosted the global biostimulants market and research in these fields. Establishment of the European Biostimulants Industry Council in Europe has significantly impacted the biostimulants market in the region, with major players providing support to the councils research ideologies. Similarly, the BioStimulant Coalition has propelled the biostimulants market in North America in the past few years. This trend is likely to continue during the forecast period.Browse The Full Research Report At :The number of companies operating in the biostimulants market has been increasing every year. This intensifies the competition in the market. Some of the key players in the biostimulants market include BASF SE, Bayer AG, Italpollina spa, Valagro, Biovert S.A., Arysta LifeScience Limited, Agrinos, ILSA spa, Biostadt India Limited, and Koppert B.V.The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactMr. Sudip. STransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: transparencymarketresearch.com/Visit :
Nanochemicals Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends and Forecast 2016  2023

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Chemicals generated by using nanotechnology on conventional chemical building blocks such as ethane, propane, and butane are called nanochemicals. Nanochemicals exhibit beneficial properties such as self-catalysis and anti-corrosion as compared to other conventional chemicals. These chemicals carry out chemical reactions in less time.Nanochemicals are segmented based on end-user applications into construction chemicals, semiconductors and IC process chemicals, mining chemicals, rubber chemicals, pesticides, printing ink, plastic additives, pigments, specialty polymers, and water treatment. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are among the chemicals that are widely used in semiconductors and IC process chemicals. Growth in the electronic sector is expected to boost demand for these chemicals in the near future. Carbon nanotube, graphene, and fullerenes have gained wide applications due to their distinct mechanical and electrical properties.Download And Get FREE Research Report :Carbon nanotubes are primarily used in the bicycle manufacturing industry as the material produced is very dense and lightweight. Increased awareness regarding pollution-free environment and enhanced focus on health and fitness are key factors fueling demand for bicycles. This, in turn, would result in rising demand for carbon nanotubes in the near future. Printing ink is produced by titanium dioxide pigments due to its properties such as brightness and high refractive index. Nanochemicals are used in the manufacture of nano-sized ceramic ink, which gives high color strength to ceramics in different applications.Global increase in demand for nano chemical-based products is due to factors such as enhancement of multiphase chemical reaction and maximum product yield. These factors have driven demand for nanochemicals globally, thus acting as chief driver for the nanochemicals market. In addition increase in applications of nanochemicals in sectors such as agrochemicals, manufacturing and multifunctional coating are expected to further propel the demand for nanochemicals globally. Development in nano chemistry would lead to increase in application of nanochemicals. This, in turn, is anticipated to propel demand for nanochemicals in the next few years. Restraining governmental regulations regarding the manufacture of chemicals is estimated to offer high growth opportunities to the nanochemicals market in the next few years.The global nanochemicals market is segmented based on regions into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. North America is anticipated to be the largest market for nanochemicals followed by Europe and Asia Pacific during the forecast period. Technological developments and increase in regulatory efforts to use nanochemicals in materials have driven demand for nanochemicals in North America. Europe being the second-largest market for nanochemicals has large number of suppliers for titanium-based products. Increased growth in the pigment and printing ink sector is anticipated to boost demand for nanochemicals in the near future. Asia Pacific is expected to experience high demand for nanochemicals in the near future due to various factors such as industrial development and shifting of companies from convectional chemicals to nano-based chemicals. Growing applications of nanochemicals in sectors such as construction, electronics, and rubber is projected to fuel the market in Asia Pacific as these sectors are experiencing significant growth in developing economies such as India and China. Increase in foreign investment and governmental support such as tax benefits in developing economies is anticipated to create strong market opportunities for nanochemicals in Asia Pacific during the forecast period.Browse The Full Research Report At :Some of the key global companies operating in the nanochemicals market are ANP Co.,Ltd, BASF SE, E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company, Akzo Nobel N.V and Graphene NanoChem amongst others.The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactMr. Sudip. STransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: transparencymarketresearch.com/Visit :
unblu listed by Gartner in CRM Vendor Guide for third consecutive year

www.unblu.com

unblu listed by Gartner in CRM Vendor Guide for third consecutive yearunblu recognized as key player in CRM Software Community, focused on revolutionizing customer engagement, increasing revenue and reducing operational costs.Sarnen, Switzerland May 24th, 2016The latest CRM Vendor Guide 2016 from leading analyst house Gartner, which aims to aid those charged with selection of CRM technology to identify vendors in multiple categories of CRM, listed unblu under both Co-browsing and European CRM Application software specialists. This is the third year in a row that unblu was recognized for its market presence.Gartners guide recognizes the evolution of the customer services business application space to a multi-channel center incorporating numerous media channels and devices. The aim of this is to further revolutionize digital customer engagement and experience on multiple channels to ultimately increase customer satisfaction and revenue.According to Gartner the focus of CRM technology now lies on transforming customer interactions. In this context, collaborative browsing and live engagement as offered by unblu has become a key capability when designing customer engagement journeys.We are excited to be recognized as an established part of the global CRM software community. Building on our strength in collaborative browsing, we have now launched the unblu Customer Engagement Suite. We are looking forward to being acknowledged as a suite player in forthcoming Gartner research said Luc Haldimann, CEO of unblu.A summary of the report can be found on the Gartner webpage.unblu provides web customer engagement software with a vision to bring personal online guidance and interaction to every website. With hundreds of organizations already using unblus co-browsing solutions, the company is helping its customers to transform the way online business is done. unblus products are available on premise and in the cloud. To learn more about unblu, please visitJens Rabeunblu inc.Kernserstrasse 176060 SarnenSwitzerland+41 (41) 511 27 11jens.rabe@unblu.com
SRMA announces 2016 board and executive director The Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association (SRMA) is pleased to announce the new 2016 leadership roster to drive its educational, legislative, networking and economic development initiatives in the year ahead.



Brian Rist of The Smart Companies will serve as chair of the board of directors, composed of Doug Gyure of S4J Manufacturing, longtime manufacturer and entrepreneur Peter Bagwell, Bruce Vanderveen of All American Printing, Connie Ramos-Williams of CONRIC PR & Marketing and Joe Janoschka of BB&T Business. Dana Brunett of Cape Coral Economic Development and B. Pat O-Rourke of Lee County Economic Development will serve as advisory liaisons. Cape Coral Mayor Marni Sawicki is the organizations membership chair. Board member Peter Bagwell has also been named the new executive director of SRMA.



Our goal is to provide valuable support and opportunities for manufacturers here in Southwest Florida. Monthly roundtable discussions, after hour socials, plant tours, marketing, awards and recognitions are all part of the annual membership benefits, says Bagwell. All manufacturers that sign up or renew membership prior to June 30 will receive additional marketing perks on our regional website.



To discover the many benefits of membership in SRMA for manufacturers and affiliate businesses, visit srma.net or contact Peter Bagwell at peter.bagwell@gmail.com or (239) 689-3649.



About the Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association

The purpose and objective of the Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association is to bring together manufacturers to encourage the economic development of Southwest Florida through manufacturing, and to act as a forum for the expression and exchange of ideas and information among its members. The SRMA provides the platform to promote the general welfare of our members in relation to economic, civic, and educational challenges. We encourage the cooperative interchange of information and assistance in all matters of mutual interest, fostering social relationships and community involvement among our membership. Visit srma.net for more information.



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Paclights  Providing the Best Variants in LED Flood Lights

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Paclights is a recognized company that offers a variety of wide-spectrum of clienteles with a unique range of LED light fixtures. The company was known for delivering clients with the best variants of LED lighting with UL/ETL and DLC listing. Several clients vouch for its LED Flood Lights that have consistently proven to be cost-efficient. These variants of LED lighting are popular for the high-quality illumination they offer to its customers. The prime characteristic of LED Flood Lights was that it was performance-centric and affordable. Paclights is known for its delivery system, in providing the best LED illuminative variants to clients with efficiency.The company is known for its extensive network, comprising of prominent illuminative suppliers under it. LED Flood Lights have been a sure-shot standout amongst several lighting options for their use in homes and offices. It is of no surprise as to why these variants have been hailed as one of the fast-selling LED fixtures amidst its range of varied lighting. The company has consistently been particular about embodying the best quality LED chips and Drivers for optimizing performance in its range of LED illumination. With high-quality drivers installed in its range, Paclights has balanced aesthetics and longevity in all its lighting fixtures.With superior materials used in manufacturing lighting devices, LED Flood Lights are not prone to cracking up due to heat. It is for this reason that generic light bulbs have gone down in demand. LED Flood Lights from Paclights has embedded the best variant of thermal management technology. All its LED Flood Light items come with a warranty and are good value-for-money buy. The FL series is one of the formidable variant of LED Flood Lights. These variants have proved to emit light beams for over 50,000 hours. The superior wiring technology along with 5000K color light has rendered its clients with cost-effective options with the inclusion of ballasts.LED Flood Lights from Paclights have been recognized as one of the best lighting options for everyday use. The company renders its customers with an extensive line of product catalogue, from where they can select from amongst several variants of LED illumination. The technology embedded in LED Flood Lights is similar to the high-end technology that is inherent in the variants of LED Canopy Lights, LED Retrofit Kit, LED Wall Packs, Area Lights, Parking Lot Lights, amongst several other LED lighting variants. Clients can select their favored lighting variant based on factors such as illuminating intensity, dimensions, and wattages. VisitPacLights is a renowned LED company in California. It is recognized for a wide-spectrum of LED lighting fixtures, each of its variant inheriting the most advanced technology. The company has all its LED variants DLC and UL/ETL listed. The company has provided customers with optimized LED Flood Lights.Contact :P.O BOX 928,Chino Hills, CA. 91709United StatesPhone Number: 800-988-6386Fax Number: 800-685-5689Email Id: info@paclights.com
Explosions, Leaks, and Health Contamination: Frackings Effects Even if You Dont Live Near Well Pads

Train engines pulling 100 oil tank cars that derail causing fires and explosions, trucks and 50-year-old pipelines that leak and explode into fireballs releasing toxic methane into the air, contributing to leaks in the protective ozone layer, are just three problems related to fracking, according to an expert on fracking.You can live 100 miles away from the nearest gas or oil pump and you will be affected, says Dr. Walter Brasch, author of Fracking America: Sacrificing Health and the Environment for Short-Term Economic Benefit. Toxic fumes dont stop at the nearest county but travel with the winds, says Brasch.Almost three-fourths of the oil produced in the Bakken Shale in North Dakota is transported by trains through middle America to Gulf Coast and mid-Atlantic refineries, mostly for export to the Middle East and southeast Asia; the remainder, also for export, is transported to terminals in the Pacific Northwest and southern California. By January 2015, railroads were transporting about one million barrels per day, up from about 55,000 barrels per day in 2014. Canadas railroads carried only about 500 carloads of crude oil in 2009. Four years later, Canadas railroads carried almost 140,000 carloads, says Brasch. Most of that train traffic enters the U.S. American railroads in 2014 carried more than 415,000 tanker cars of crude oil, more than 40 times what was hauled in 2008, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.Train derailments accounted for more than one million gallons of spilled crude oil last year, more than all spills in the 40 years since the federal government began collecting data, says Brasch. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) had issued a safety alert in January 2014, pointing out that crude oil being transported from the Bakken region may be more flammable than the traditional heavy crude oil. About 92,000 of the 106,000 tanker cars currently in service were built before 2011 when stricter regulations mandated new design. The older cars (DOT-111), which have a 30,000 gallon capacity of crude oil, have an inadequate design and are susceptible to leaks and explosions in derailments, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.It isnt always tanker cars that derail, explode, and send toxic fumes into the air. Several derailments involved hopper cars carrying silica sand, a necessary part of fracking. The hopper cars have a capacity of 130 tons of silica sand. Hopper car derailments often lead to airborne pollution and subsequent health issues, says Brasch.The U.S. Department of Transportation predicts an average of 10 derailments a year in a two decade period beginning 2015, with estimated damage of about $4.5 billion. About 25 million Americans live within one mile of an Impact Zone in case of an oil train explosion or fire.About 40 percent of the nations freight is shipped by truck on the nations four million miles of roads and interstates. Each day, says Brasch, trucks transport about five million gallons of hazardous materials. Damage on state-maintained roads for each unconventional well in Pennsylvania is between $13,000$23,000 per road, according to the Rand Corp. However, says Brasch, the greater problem is that trucks carrying radioactive waste from fracking pits often leak, contaminating roads, and both agriculture and animal grazing fields.About half of the nations 2.6 million miles of pipelines are at least 50 years old; during the past two decades there were more than 10,800 major incidents of spills, contamination, injuries, and deaths, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. There is at least one major natural gas explosion, fire, or leak every week, according to documentation compiled by Natural Gas Watch. Dozens more each week are less hazardous. During the past two decades, pipeline spills and explosions accounted for about $6.35 billion in damage. However, because there are only 460 state and federal inspectors, and most spills are reported by the companies, There is a high probability there are more pipeline events than are being reported, according to oil/gas industry analyst Dory Hippauf of Dallas, Pa.Most states dont regulate Class 1 pipelines, which are pipelines located in areas with 10 or fewer buildings intended for human occupancy within 220 yards of the center-line of the pipeline, according to PHMSA. A one year investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed that PHMSA regulates only about 20,000 of 200,000 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines (such as those at condensers) and only about 4,000 of the estimated 30,00040,000 miles of hazardous liquid gathering pipelines. Only about one-fourth of all oil, natural gas, and propane pipelines have been inspected since 2006, according to Public Employees for Environmental Response (PEER).The 690-page critically-acclaimed Fracking America also discusses the collusion between politicians and the fossil fuel industry, innumerable health and environmental problems, how drilling for oil and gas in the United States doesnt give the country independence from the Arab world as long as the drillers continue to ship fuel overseas, the industrys fallacious claims of providing economic benefits and more jobs while not paying taxes, the theological base of the anti-fracking movement, corruption and collusion between academic research and the fossil fuel industry, the effects that drilling has upon the nations food supply, and how renewable energy diminishes reductions in fuel costs while being safer than fossil fuel drilling and consumption.Fracking America is available at Greeleyandstone.com, amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and local bookstores.Greeley & Stone is a publishing company, specializing in social issues books and scripts by professional journalists.Greeley & Stone, Publishers2351 Wyda Way, suite 1113Sacramento CA 95825att: Corey Ellen, operations manager
Hurix unveils hurixdigital with a new responsive website and logo

www.hurix.com

www.hurix.com

www.hurix.com

Hurix, the leading digital content solutions provider to global educational publishers, institutions and corporates, has launched hurixdigital - a refresh of its corporate brand, unveiling a new logo and website. The new site can be accessed atThe evolution of our brand is showcased in our new logo. The use of blue in logo symbolizes trust, efficiency, and strength  the qualities we value and which serve as our guiding force in all our endeavors. The reinvention of our logo symbolizes the ever-evolving spirit of Hurix and our commitment to innovating brilliant solutions that truly add value to our clients.The new website has improved in design, content, navigation and functionality to provide the visitors with a more rewarding usability experience. Navigation is often what stands between users and their experience on the website  to make the distance as short as possible, we have added even more up-to-date information about our product innovations, services and solutions, case studies, clients, awards and events on the homepage itself.While the homepage provides a snapshot of our services, solutions, client testimonials and contact details, visitors can access details information by scrolling or clicking on the service or solution of interest.Social Media is now integrated on our website to foster better communications. We will be constantly updating our content with blogs, articles, newsletters, awards and recognition, client successes, company announcements, and other helpful information.We invite you to browse through our website,and welcome your suggestions and feedback. You can write to us at marketing@hurix.com.About HurixHurix is the leading digital content and mobility solutions provider to global educational publishers, institutions and corporate. Hurix Services provides effective, compelling, and engaging digital content that is platform agnostic. Our end-to-end digital publishing platform, KITABOO, allows customers to create, publish and distribute their eBooks securely across multiple platforms and Dictera enables customers to generate content.Hurix has won multiple awards (Brandon Hall 2013, 2014 & 2015) for its platforms, KITABOO and Dictera in the field of learning technologies, Mobile & Content Authoring. Hurix has been named among the leading training outsourcing companies watch list in 2015 by the Training Industry Inc. Recently, the company has won 2015 Red Herring Top 100 Asia Award and is named among the Top 20 Authoring Tools Companies. For more information, visitFor further details, please contact:Somya Sharma, somya.sharma@hurix.com, +91-22-61914888. Hurix Systems Pvt. Ltd.Hurix Systems Pvt. Ltd.Unit#102, Multistoried Building, SEEPZ-SEZ, Andheri East,Mumbai - 400096Somya Sharma
97th Floor Wins Eight Stevies at the 2016 American Business Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE97th Floor Wins Eight Stevies at the 2016 American Business AwardsLEHI, UtahMay 19th, 2016Local digital marketing company 97th Floor has been honored with eight Stevie awards at this years American Business Awards, including a Gold Stevie Award for Executive of the YearAdvertising, Marketing and Public Relations, awarded to CEO Chris Bennett.The company also won a Silver Stevie Award for Marketing or Advertising Agency of the Year, and COO Wayne Sleight has been given a Silver Award for Maverick of the Year in the Business Service Industries category.Of the award, Sleight said, Marketing Agency of the Year is a great recognition for each member of the 97th Floor team. We keep our heads down and focused on our work so much that it's nice to receive a recognition like this, just to take some time to celebrate our achievements as an agency.I'm really honored to receive the Maverick award and it's a good reminder to be proud of what I've done at 97th Floor. That said it really just involves listening a lot to what our team members are saying, and a deep love for the company, combined with a passion to make it the best agency for both clients and employees.Other honorees include Paxton Gray and Josh Moody, who received Bronze Stevie Awards for Marketing Executive of the Year and Marketer of the Year, respectively. 97th Floor has also been awarded Bronze Awards for campaigns created for clients O.C. Tanner and Blendtec.The awards will be presented at the 14th annual American Business Awards banquet on Monday, June 20th, 2016 in New York City. For the full list of winners, visit the official website.Founded in 2005, 97th Floor is a Utah-based, award-winning, full service digital marketing agency focused on creativity and innovation. 97th Floor thrives in ideation, creation and execution and is a full service team that understands the connection between content and customers.For media inquiries please contact:Shante Schroedershante@97thfloor.com801.448.42552600 Executive Pkwy #180Lehi, UT 84043
The Shippensburg Borough Council is considering the purchase of equipment that would allow its staff to more cost-effectively monitor its sewer lines.

Last week, wastewater treatment plant manager Lance Hoover gave an update on the inflow and infiltration study that was required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection following the accidental release and subsequent cleanup of plastic discs into Middle Spring Creek in 2014.

The study involves cleaning and videotaping of the sewer lines to look for cracks or breaks in the line that would need to be repaired. Work on King Street was completed recently, in anticipation of future repaving that will be done by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, at a cost of $33,900.

Hoover told the council last week that 70,000 to 90,000 feet of sewer line remains to be studied, which will cost an additional $238,000 to $306,000. However, the borough could purchase its own equipment for $167,179.63 to $202,650.00 and do the work itself.

If we were to purchase our own equipment, it would save more money for repairs, Borough Manager John Epley said. We could buy the equipment much cheaper than to hire someone. Then we would have the equipment to use anytime we need it.

Ultimately, what we are looking for is a way to get all of the work required by PDE done as cost effectively as possible, Hoover said.

Hoover said the sewer lines will need to be monitored on a regular basis, even after the study is completed. He said that during cleanup from the accident in 2014, substantial infiltration of groundwater into the system was found  a problem many municipalities face when their sewer systems age.

Hoover said that as systems age, they become more vulnerable to infiltration by groundwater, and that adds a lot of volume to the plant that we dont need to be treating.

Parts of our system are very old, he said. We found evidence of I & I on King Street, and we expect I & I in other parts of the system.

The benefit of owning our own equipment is that well always have it. The I & I program is going to be ongoing, and owning our equipment will allow us to do the study as cost effectively as possible.

Other action

In other business, the council approved the hiring of Nicholas Nagy, of Steelton, as a full-time police officer.

The approval came on the recommendation of the Civil Service Commission.

According to Epley, there were three applicants for the position, and Nagy was the highest scoring candidate.

The council is also seeking two people to serve on the commission. Interested individuals may apply at the borough office.

They mostly deal with the hiring of police officers, Epley said of commission members. Theyll look at applicants and make recommendations to the borough council.

Also at last weeks meeting, the council gave its blessing to the plans of the Friends of Memorial Park Pool to launch a capital fundraising campaign to build a new bathhouse at the pool.

They (the Friends) want to get with someone to come up with a good design and go from there, Epley said. The pool house is very outdated, and they want to make it more user friendly and modern.

Step 1 was going to council (for support). Step 2 is the design. Once they know the cost, theyll start fundraising.

In addition, the council appointed Josh Diehl to a three-year term as its representative to the library board, and approved a request from the Corn Festival Committee to close King Street from 2 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 27 for this years Corn Festival.
Global Electrochromic Glass Analysis, Segment & Forecast up to 2020

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Electrochromic glasses are smart glasses that can alter its properties according to the needs of its environment. This glass modulates heat and spread light transmission. This glass can available in different size and it can be tinted, clear, colored, and opaque. Due to these attributes electrochromic glass is used in numerous applications such as buildings, corporate, commercial, and residential buildings, malls, restaurants and other outlets.Global Electrochromic Glass Market is mainly driven by increasing demand from automotive industries. The demand of electrochromic glass for luxury cars is rapidly increasing and expected to support the market growth over the forecast period. Another important factor that will drive the market is growing green building construction application segment. However, lack of awareness and knowledge about electrochromic glass may hinder the market growth. Emerging electrochromic coatings films industries are supposed to offer potential opportunities to the electrochromic glass market.Browse full reportThe global electrochromic glass market is segmented on the basis of materials, product, applications and regions. The electrochromic glass market is classified based on materials into transition metal oxides (TMOs), polymers, reflective hydride, nanocrystals and violegons. The products covered in this report include electrochromic mirrors, windows, and displays among others. Applications covered for electrochromic glass market includes commercial, residential, transportation and others. Furthermore, commercial segment is bifurcated into educational buildings, corporate and healthcare & lab facilities and the transportation segment includes automotive, aerospace and marine.In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view on the electrochromic glass market, we have included a detailed value chain analysis. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters Five Forces model for the electrochromic glass market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein product segments and application segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.The study provides the comprehensive perspective on the electrochromic glass market growth, throughout the forecast period in terms of revenue (in USD Million), across different region including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S. Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India and Brazil. In terms of revenue, the electrochromic glass market for each application and each of these regions has been forecast in the report for the period from 2014 to 2020.Get Request Sample atSome of the key players operating in global electrochromic glass market include Asahi Glass Company, PPG Industries, SAGE Electrochromic, Inc., View Inc, Magna Glass & Window, Inc., Guardian Industries, Gentex Corporation and amongst others.Key segments of the Global Electrochromic Glass MarketGlobal Electrochromic Glass Market: Material Segment Analysis Transition Metal Oxide (TMO) Nanocrystal Viologen Polymer Reflective HydrideGlobal Electrochromic Glass Market: Product Segment Analysis Mirrors Windows Displays OthersGlobal Electrochromic Glass Market: Application Segment Analysis Commercialo Educational Buildingso Corporateo Healthcare and Lab Facilities Residential Transportationo Automotiveo Aerospaceo Marine OthersGet Illustrative Sample before buying:Global Electrochromic Glass Market: Regional Segment Analysis North Americao U.S. Europeo UKo Franceo Germany Asia Pacifico Chinao Japano India Latin Americao Brazil Middle East & AfricaSyndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact US3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442,USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWeb:
Rising Occurrence of Chronic Diseases Globally to Boost Skilled Nursing Care Services Market

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A new market research report by Transparency Market Research, titled Skilled Nursing Care Services Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015  2023, encapsulates a comprehensive analysis of this market. This report also estimates the size and growth potential of the market, the key companies, and analyzes the market on the basis of a SWOT analysis. A comprehensive review of the market challenges, drivers, opportunities, and inhibitors has also been compiled in this study. An assessment of the major products in the market and their sales scope in forthcoming years also forms a key part of this report. The use of Porters five forces model aids businesses to plan development strategies in this market. An analysis of the market competition is aimed at encouraging strategic decision making by emerging players in the market for nursing care services.Reference Link:Skilled nursing care services are recommended when 24X7 nursing care is necessary mainly in case of elderly individuals who might stray if left unattended, unable to eat by their own, for medication and portability and when more help is needed than family or present caregiver can give. Based on the type of connectivity, global skilled nursing care services market is segmented as follows:Connected to hospitalConnected to assisted living communityConnected to both hospital and assisted living communityFreestandingFactors such as aging of population globally, increasing incidences of chronic diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers disease, are driving the global skilled nursing care services market towards growth. While on the other hand, social stigma associated with residential nursing care services and high cost are some of the factors that are restraining the growth of the global skilled nursing care services market.Skilled nursing care services are designed to offer short term as well as long term care for people who have serious or chronic diseases. These services provide inpatient nursing, living quarters, and rehabilitation services for individuals suffering from chronic ailments. Care is primarily provided for an extended time periods to people who need help in day-to-day activities. These services also include the dressing of post-operative wounds, monitoring of interventional medications, laundry services, educational and social activities, and assisting physical therapists.According to the report, the key factors responsible for the growth of this market include the rising occurrence of chronic diseases such as Alzheimers and dementia globally. On the other hand, factors such as the soaring costs involved in using these services and social stigmas related to residential nursing care services may impede the growth of the market in the coming years.In terms of type of connectivity, the report segments the market for skilled nursing care services on four fronts, namely, connected to assisted living community, connected to hospital, freestanding, and connected to both hospital and assisted living community.Geographically, the report segments the market into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, North America led the global skilled care services market and is trailed by the region of Europe. The reason for the dominance of North America is the highly advanced healthcare infrastructure, the increasing awareness about skilled nursing care services, and a well-defined regulatory framework of this region. On the other hand, the Asia Pacific skilled nursing care services market is also a promising space for investors and market players. The reason for the dominance of this region is the enhancement of healthcare facilities, especially within China and India, owing to the rapidly developing medical tourism industry within these two nations.Request Brochure:As per the report, the prominent players dominant in the market are ManorCare, Kindred Healthcare, National HealthCare Corporation, and Tyco International Limited, among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Olive Oil in Food and Beverages Market Size, Shares, Segment & Forecast up to 2020

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Olive oil refers to the oil obtained from the fruit of olive trees. Olive oil has been used worldwide for thousands of years and now it has gain popularity in food and beverages, due to its many proven health benefits and culinary usefulness. Olive oil used to cure many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, alzheimer's, cancer etc. The global market of olive oil will grow at a moderate due to the expansion of its end-use segments. ] Food industry, pharmaceutical industry and beauty care and cosmetics industry are the key end-users of olive oil.Browse Full Report atThe overall demand of olive oil in food and beverages industry is expected to grow at a rapid rate, due to its growing food and beverages market worldwide. Olive oil offer high nutritional value to the food items. Growing consumption of olive oil in the Asia Pacific and North America is expected to fuel market growth in the next few years. The growing demand from industries such as confectionery, prepared food and bakery helps to drive the olive oil in food and beverages market. However, some issues like limited production environment is expected to hamper the market growth.The report segments the olive oil in food and beverages market on the basis of product type and geography. Major product segments covered in this report includes virgin olive oil, refined olive oil, and extra virgin olive oil.Get Request SampleOn the basis of the geography, the olive oil market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S., Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India and Brazil. Europe was the leading region for olive oil market followed by North America and Asia Pacific.In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view on the olive oil in food and beverages market. The report includes detailed competitive scenario and product portfolio of key vendors. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of porters five forces model for the olive oil in food and beverages market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein product type segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.Get Illustrative Sample before buying:The report provides comprehensive competitive analysis and profiles of prominent market players, such as Borges, Salov, Deoleo, Pompeian, Colavita, Sovena Group, and Ybarra.Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact US3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442,USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Spice Market Size, Shares, Segment & Forecast up to 2020

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Spices are the ingredients used to enhance the taste and quality of food. It helps to improve the aroma of food and sustained the nutritional value of food. Spices are available in different forms like seed, fruit, root, bark, berry, bud or vegetable substance. Spices are also used for coloring or preserving food items. Some spices like turmeric are used as an antiseptic. Generally, spices used in food item are typically in dried form which leads to longest shelf life.Browse Full Report AtThe overall Spices Market is expected to grow at a fast pace, due to its rising demand for convenience foods. The main opportunity lies with spices is its application as natural preservative for meat and poultry which is expected to grow exponentially with growing food industry. The global spices demand has increased substantially over the past few years and is expected to rise especially in Asia Pacific region. The growing demand from industries such as confectionery, prepared food and bakery helps to drive the spices market. However, uncertain climatic conditions and stringent government regulations in spice manufacturing, in countries like Canada, U.K., France is expected to affect the growth of this market.The report segments the spice market on the basis of product type, applications and geography. Major product segments covered in this report includes pepper, cumin, clove, cardamom, ginger and others. Frozen food, sauces, soups, meat, bakery, poultry food, convenience foods and others are the application segments of spice market.Get Request SampleOn the basis of the geography, the spice market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S., Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India and Brazil. North America was the leading region of spice market followed by Europe and Asia Pacific.In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view on the spice market. The report includes detailed competitive scenario and product portfolio of key vendors. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters Five Forces model for the spice market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein product type segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.Get Illustrative Sample before buying:Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact US3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442,USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Kombucha Market Size, Shares, Segment & Forecast up to 2020

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Kombucha is fermented tea which is produce using sugar with the microbial culture like yeast, bacteria, mold and sometimes fruit juice and other flavors. After fermentation, kombucha is carbonated and integrated with amino acids, vinegar, antioxidants and vitamins. It can be added with numerous essences to add different tastes to the drink. Citrus, herb and spice, berries, apple, coconut, mangoes, flowers and others are the different essence of kombucha. Kombucha is used in medicine and drugs.Browse Full Report AtThe Kombucha Market is mainly driven by the rising health awareness, increasing consumer disposable income and changing lifestyle. Increasing demand for natural, fortified and healthy food & beverages and rising consumption of alcoholic beverages are some of the factors that support the demand for kombucha. Increasing incidences of chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and osteoporosis are another key factor to drive the kombucha market. Kombucha is a health drink and of the fastest-growing segments in the efficient beverages market., Thus, the market for this beverage is expected to witness high growth in the next few years. Microbial sourcing and nonsterile packaging of the product are expected to be major restraints of kombucha market.This report provides detailed analysis and forecast of the kombucha market on a global and regional level. The report includes detailed competitive landscape of the global kombucha market and an analysis of Porters five forces model for the kombucha market has also been included. It includes company market share analysis, product portfolio of the major industry participants. The report provides detailed segmentation of the kombucha market based on type, flavor and region segment.Get request SampleBased on different type, kombucha market is segmented as yeast, bacteria and mold. Major flavor covered in this report include herbs & spices, berries, apple, coconut & mangoes, citrus, flowers and others.Key regional segments analyzed in this study include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S., Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India, and Brazil. This segmentation includes demand for kombocha based on individual applications in all the regions and countries. In 2014, North America was dominated Kombucha market in terms of revenue.Asia Pacific and Europe are growing at a moderate rate due to increasing health awareness among people and increasing initiatives undertaken by the government.Get Illustrative Sample before buying:Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirementsContact US3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442,USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Medical Equipment Rental Market to Exhibit 5.80% CAGR from 2014 to 2020

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Transparency Market Research, a global market intelligence firm, has recently announced the publication of a new market research report made available on the company website. The research study, titled Medical Equipment Rental Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020, talks about the global medical equipment rental market, presenting an overview of the market, along with the drivers and barriers that will determine the growth of the market throughout the forecast period.Browse the full Medical Equipment Rental Market (Device Types: Personal/Home Care Equipment, Electronic/Digital Equipment, Surgical Equipment, Durable Medical Equipment, Storage & Transport; End Users: Personal/Home Care & Institutional) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 report atAccording to the research report, in 2013, the global market for medical equipment rental was valued at US$33.4 bn and is estimated to reach a value of US$49.1 bn by the end of 2020. The market is projected to register a 5.80% CAGR between 2014 and 2020.The rising pressure to reduce expenses in hospitals, the growing incidence of chronic diseases, increasing geriatric population, and safety against obsolescence of technologies are some of the major factors that are expected to boost the demand for medical equipment rental throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the expansion of the distribution network in developing countries is further expected to fuel the growth of the market. However, the poor pricing flexibility and absence of appropriate regulatory policies are projected to hamper the growth of the global medical equipment rental market in the near future.The global medical equipment rental market has been classified on the basis of device category into surgical equipment, electronic/digital equipment, personal/home care equipment, durable medical equipment, and storage and transport. In 2013, the durable medical equipment segment held a 40% share of the global medical equipment rental market. This segment is projected to remain in its leading position in the forecast period, exhibiting a 5% CAGR between 2014 and 2020.Furthermore, the global medical equipment rental market has been categorized on the basis of end use into medical equipment rental, personal/home care, and institutional medical equipment rental. In 2013, the chronic and geriatric patient sub-category of personal/home care held a 50% share of the overall personal/home care segment.On the basis of geography, the global medical equipment rental market has been divided into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World. In 2013, Europe led the global market, accounting for a 30% share in the overall medical equipment rental market, followed by the North America medical equipment rental market. The North America market is estimated to surpass Europe in the next few years. On the other hand, the Asia Pacific market for medical equipment rental is anticipated to register the highest growth rate  a 6% CAGR between 2014 and 2020.Download Brochure:Furthermore, the research study covers the competitive landscape of the global medical equipment rental market, including detailed profiles of the major players operating in the market. As per the study, the global medical equipment rental market is extremely fragmented, owing to the dominance of a few large players such as Siemens Financial Services, Apria Healthcare Group, Stryker Corporation, and Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.Some of the other players in the market are Universal Hospital Services, Inc., Port Huron Hospital Medical Equipment, Hill-Rom Holdings, Centric Health Corporation, Westside Medical Supply, Woodley Equipment Company Ltd., US Med-Equip, Nunns Home Medical Equipment, and Walgreen Co.Key Segments of the Global Medical Equipment Rental Market:Global Medical Equipment Rental Market, by Device CategoryPersonal/Home Care EquipmentElectronic/Digital EquipmentSurgical EquipmentDurable Medical EquipmentStorage and TransportGlobal Medical Equipment Rental Market, by End UsePersonal/Home CareMedical Equipment RentalInstitutional Medical Equipment RentalGlobal Medical Equipment Rental Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Mr. Sudip STransparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Beige Market Intelligence Identifies Top 5 Vendors in Global Coding and Marking Market

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Beige Market Intelligence has recently published a new report on Coding and Marking Market and the report has thrown some intresting insights.Coding or marking is essential for the establishment of the authenticity of the product. It is required to inform the supply chain about the information and current destination about a product. It sets a unique identity to the product and enhances its traceability. Previously, the coding procedure was done manually. This used to be labor intensive and was prone to errors. After the advent of highly reliable coding and marking machinery, it was largely adopted by companies across varied industries. The market is expected to boom in future.There are a variety of print techniques used by manufacturers depending on the technology and the usability. Also variety of industries use this system.It is required to take five key factors into consideration while coding.1) The complexity of the code depending on the application2) Speed of manufacturing3) Interdependence of the coding and marking machinery and the supply line4) The material on which the code is applied5) Information technology system to co-ordinate the coding processDepending on these factors the specific printer and the technology is selected. Primary Coding is required for marking information about expiry date of a product, bar codes, and date of production of a product. Technology and printers required for this purpose includes the laser printer, thermal transfer overprint printer. It is mainly required in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, personal care, food and beverage industry. Secondary coding includes marking and labelling shelf-ready products. These products include package of shelf-ready products which can be easily loaded in a refrigerator or cupboard. Print and apply labelling and large character ink jet printing is used for this purpose. The main purpose of tertiary coding is to enable the traceability of the product after its manufacture. The product is loaded in carton for shipment or transportation. Coding on these packaging helps in identifying its location during course of distribution.The competitive scenario in the Worldwide Coding and Marking market is intensifying currently. The market leaders are providing high quality products with additional features such as RFID system, QR codes required to enhance the performance of the products, while local vendors such as Macsa ID and Iconotech are providing less expensive products offering only basic features. The rapidly changing technological environment is adversely affecting vendors as customers expect continual innovations and upgrades. The present scenario is forcing vendors to alter and refine their unique value proposition in order to achieve a strong market presence.The five major leaders in the Worldwide Coding and Marking market are Dover Corp., Danaher Corp., Domino Printing Sciences PLC, ITW Inc., and Matthews International Corp. All these companies have global presence across minimum of three major geographic regions such as North America, the APAC region, Europe, Latin America, and the MEA region. However, there are local vendors providing products with similar specifications at lower prices. The continuous inkjet systems provided by local vendors are 6-7 percent less priced than the international vendors.Currently Dover is leading the market. Having said that the competition is too tight any the next three competitors are too close to each other. In fact couple of big deals can change the competitive landscape and any top 4 can become the TOP vendor.The mantra for success is simple, play on your strength and tap the untapped opportunity.To read the full report along with TOC, please visitDoverAccording to Beige Market Intelligence the biggest strength of Dover is a strong geographical presence. The coding and marking products of the company are distributed across 130 countries, which helps in market penetration. Dover need to now expand in different industries across the geographies and countries. Another strength of the company is product performance and innovation.Success CODE: Build the portfolio across countries and industries by acquiring companies producing coding and marking product. Report the same style of acquisition that was done in 2014, but this time the geography should be APAC and Middle-East & Africa.DanaherThe key strength of Danaher is widespread geographical distribution and huge customer base of more than 11,000 customers which is driving its recurring revenue and add-on sales. The brand owners such as P&G, Pepsi, Alcon, Target, Unilever, LOreal, Coca Cola, Motorola, 3M, and Walmart are few of its customers.Success CODE: Danaher success mantra should be localization Emerging markets could help the company in accruing more revenue and market share. The company has already made an initiative in these developing regions. In 2013, it builds US$800 million business in Latin America, as well as in Russia, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. It accrued US$500 million business in Africa and Middle East, and US$250 million revenue in India. Capture the high growth emerging countries to be a clear leader in coding and marking market.Domino PrintingAccording to Beige Market Intelligence, Domino Printings key strength lies is focus on resource efficiency, which, in turn, results in high quality and efficient products. For example, Domino A420i has low service routine and extended ink life. It minimizes waste and service mileage. Also, the upgrade of the product is 40 percent lighter than the previous models. Also, Dominos board range of offering enables it to serve diversified industries such as Beverage, Food, Cosmetics, Pharma, Tobacco, Electronics, Construction, and Cable and WireSuccess CODE: Consistent high level of investment in development of products, which caters to specific industries would help increasing the growth of the company. Growing initiative to cater to demand by companies for developed solutions would help in further market penetration.ITWAccording to Beige Market Intelligence, the core strength of ITW is its strong patent portfolio creates market exclusivity for its products, providing a competitive advantage over its competitors. The company had about 16,000 granted and pending patents. The coding and marking equipment which is covered in the Specialty segment has total of 3,766 patents.Success CODE: ITW should focus on new product development in the Specialty domain. This is one of the core competitive advantage of the company. Lag in development of new products due to delays in research, development, commercialization, and production of products can adversely affect the revenue of the company. Thus, tapping on this opportunity along with other strategies would ensure that the company would achieve the aimed goal of 20 plus returns on capital by 2017.Matthew InternationalContinuous product innovation is the key strength of the company. Matthew International spent a huge portion of its revenue on R&D which exhibits the companys seriousness in innovation new product and capturing the market. The company should continue doing it as the product within coding and marking offered by different vendors are same and only product differentiation will help the company to tap the market.Success CODE: Matthew International should focus more outside US. The company accrues the majority of its revenue from US market. Thus, it has an opportunity for further market penetration and increase in customer base by providing more solutions across Europe, Australia, and Asia. In 2015, marking and fulfillment manufacturing offices are present across Pittsburgh, Beijing, Cincinnati, Germantown, Gothenburg, Ixonia, Tualatin, and Tianjin City.The top vendors should also be watchful of some of the emerging players in the market. The prominent one who can give tough competition to the TOP 5 areTo know more about the Strategic Assessment of Worldwide Coding and Market  Forecast Till 2021 report, please visitControl PrintThe company has installed base of more than 4,000 continuous ink jet printers across India. The company has partnered with KBA Metronic and Macsa for provision of technologically developed coding solutions. The key products of the company includes CIJ, large character print, hot roll coder, TTO, laser, TIJ, high resolution ink jet printer, and consumables such as ink.ID TechnologyThe company is manufacturer and integrator of coding, labeling, and marking equipment. The products of the company are mainly distributed across the US. The company has six label converting plants in Canada and the US. The products of the company mainly cater to industries such as food and beverage, healthcare, industrial, manufacturing, logistics, personal care, and cosmetics.IconotechThe company serves the Europe and the US market. The company has competitive advantage since it researches the market and the characteristics. It recognized the basic mimeo graphic process, and thus developed printers suitable for varied environmental conditions.Macsa IDThe company is very focused around product innovation. Annually, the company spends approximately 8 percent of its revenue in R&D. The company serves industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and household care, automotive, medical devices, electronics, and textile.Weber Marking SystemsWeber Marking Systems is a developer, and manufacturer of coding and labeling for industrial marking. It has wide product portfolio to offer under coding and marking. Weber offers system print code, TJI Printer. The company also offers label dispensers, labeling machines, pallet applicator, and desktop printer.XaarXaar is a manufacturer of digital inkjet technology, piezoelectric DOD industrial print heads, VIJ printers, TIJ printers, piezoelectric printers. It has high focus on innovating new products. For this purpose, the company invests 12 percent of its overall revenue in R&D. It has large patent profile comprising of 250 patents and applicationsTo end up, the leading as well as emerging vendors should now focus on APAC region to increase their top & bottom line. The company which will establish itself in APAC sooner will come out winner in next five years. APAC market is growing faster than any other region (more than 9 percent CAGR during 2016-2021). The high urbanization proportion of 33 percent in South Asia is triggering the growth of many industries such as cement and textiles. These have a positive impact on the market. Thus the vendors, investors, new entrants should focus on improving their product offerings in the APAC region especially in China, Japan, and India.Please contact Beige Market Intelligence atMail: contactus@beigemarketintelligence.comUS: +1 347 903 9949UK: +44 20 323 99499APAC: +91 99 012 75473Beige Market Intelligence: We are a new-age provider of competitive business intelligence, working across various industry verticals. Our expertise and knowledge ensures that the market analysis Beige provides is comprehensive, detailed and complete. The analysis helps our client organizations become aware and make educated decisions, as far as investing or devising a marketing strategy is concerned. The actionable insights delivered through our market research provide a comprehensive market analysis for every level of market segmentation in an industry. Beige Market Intelligence is a quality driven high end Market Research organization. Our team of experts ensure the analysis you receive is not just analyzed and smartly presented, but is completely customized based on the clients requirement. Our deliverables guarantee our current global client base does not look beyond Beige when it comes to any kind of industry and market analysis.Name of the company: Beige Market IntelligencePostal Address: Chinnapanahalli Main Road,Doddanekundi Village, Bangalore Bangalore KA 560037, IndiaPress Contact: Jency Jacob (media@beigemarketintelligence.com)
Bluetooth Smart Market Worth $3 Billion by 2021- Predicts Beige Market Intelligence

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Bluetooth Smart Market is a new market research report recently published by Beige Market intelligence with a worldwide coverage as well as a segmentation by device type (Bluetooth smart device, Bluetooth smart ready device) by shipment (classic Bluetooth module shipment, Bluetooth smart module shipment, Bluetooth smart ready module shipment) by application (automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare, home automation, industrial automation, retail and wearables) and by geography (APAC, EMEA, Latin America, and North America). The market research report provides growth trends, analysis and forecasts for the period 2016  2021 and predicts the market to be worth close to US$ 3 billion by 2021.Industrial IoT is one of the largest end-markets for Bluetooth Smart. The market is expected to extend from personal area networks (PAN) to wider area networks (WAN). The Industrial Internet Consortium was founded in March 2014 to bring together the organizations and technologies necessary to accelerate the growth of Bluetooth smart within this sector. The organization is backed by companies such as AT&T, Cisco, Intel and IBM.To order a free sample copy of the report, please visitAPAC to contribute to more than 50 percent of the revenue in the Bluetooth Smart Market in 2021The demand for Bluetooth smart modules in the APAC region is driven by the rapid growth of organized retail in the region. As the regions growth centres such as India, Indonesia, China and Thailand ease their FDI policies in multi-brand and E-commerce retailing, an influx of investments into the regions retail sector is expected to exceed $20 billion during the forecast period. The high adoption of wearables will also add to the growth for Bluetooth smart in the region especially in the fitness segment with an emphasis on healthcare.Healthcare sector expected to contribute to close to US$ 100 million of the Bluetooth Smart Market in 2021The healthcare sector consists of devices such as hearing aids, blood pressure monitors, glucose monitors, smart drug delivery devices and thermometers. All of these are expected to contribute to the growth of the market. Continuous glucose monitors are a significant segment in healthcare sector owing to the growing prevalence of diabetes in the emerging economies of Latin America and Asia Pacific. Within the healthcare sector, North America is expected to contribute to the most of the Bluetooth smart market.To know more about Strategic Assessment of Worldwde Bluetooth Smart Market, please clickClose to 4 billion Bluetooth Smart Ready Modules to be shipped in 2021With the introduction and realization of Internet of Things (IoT) in every aspect of a consumers life, ranging from health, fitness and wellness to retail and smart homes, Bluetooth Smart technology is turning out to be the de-facto standard for wireless connectivity. Bluetooth smart has also enabled the rise of several low cost pieces of hardware that eventually established new application segments itself. One such device, whose horizon of application is constantly expanding is beacons. Shipments of beacons, working on proximity sensing is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 50% between the period 2016-2021.Key Vendors in the Bluetooth Smart MarketThe Bluetooth Smart market has a number of large players that are playing a pivotal role in the market. These companies are Broadcom, Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR plc), Dialog Semiconductor, Nordic Semiconductor ASA, Silicon Labs and Texas Instruments (TI).Other vendors operating in the market include Apple, Bluegiga Technologies, Blueradios, Cypress Semiconductor, Lapis Semiconductor, Marvell Technology, Mediatek, Microchip Technology, Murata, NXP Semiconductors, STMicroelectronics, and Toshiba.Please contact Beige Market Intelligence atMail: contactus@beigemarketintelligence.comUS: +1 347 903 9949UK: +44 20 323 99499APAC: +91 99 012 75473Beige Market Intelligence: We are a new-age provider of competitive business intelligence, working across various industry verticals. Our expertise and knowledge ensures that the market analysis Beige provides is comprehensive, detailed and complete. The analysis helps our client organizations become aware and make educated decisions, as far as investing or devising a marketing strategy is concerned. The actionable insights delivered through our market research provide a comprehensive market analysis for every level of market segmentation in an industry. Beige Market Intelligence is a quality driven high end Market Research organization. Our team of experts ensure the analysis you receive is not just analyzed and smartly presented, but is completely customized based on the clients requirement. Our deliverables guarantee our current global client base does not look beyond Beige when it comes to any kind of industry and market analysis.Name of the company: Beige Market IntelligencePostal Address: Chinnapanahalli Main Road,Doddanekundi Village, Bangalore Bangalore KA 560037, IndiaPress Contact: Jency Jacob (media@beigemarketintelligence.com)
CHARE makes mobile communication charitable

CHARE makes mobile communication charitable

https://itunes.apple.com/app/chare/id940383748?l=en&mt=

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.advancedprogressive.charenew

http://www.chare.one

Frankfurt,May24, 2016  Groups of people, organizations and all kinds of companies have come to relyheavily on mobile communication methods. The disadvantage of conventional communication platformslike Whatsapp is that the servers are not hosted in Europe or Germany, and users never have full controlover their data. This is one reason why such communication platforms are ruled out for the exchange ofbusiness information. CHARE gives users security and makes communication charitable. With eachhour spent online, donations will be made to a selected organization  without the users spending anymoney themselves.Secure communication, full controlCHARE began in 2014 with the idea of creating a secure communication platform whose services wouldbe hosted in Europe. "We wanted to give our users full control over all content," explains BjornBeyersdorff, the CEO of CHARE GmbH. Sent messages are neither tracked nor stored. If data isdeleted, then it is deleted completely and consistently, including from the devices of the communicationpartners, both online and offline.The bigger the CHARE community, the higher the amount of donationsThose who download CHARE will select (at the start of the program), the organization, which is tobenefit from time spent online. They are then kept informed of how much has already been donated just by using CHARE without having spent a single euro. 5 cents will be donated to charitable causesper online hour. 100 can quickly accumulate per week with 1,000 users.Donations are generated from advertising revenue. The displayed banners are discreet and attention ispaid to ensure that the selected advertising is of high quality. A large portion of the revenue istransferred to the recipient organizations, while a small part goes toward further development of CHARE.The functionalities and security aspect make CHARE interesting  including to largecompaniesCHARE is hosted in Europe and focuses on security. "Various large companies have already becomeaware of us and are evaluating CHARE as a communication tool for themselves," says Beyersdorff.CHARE can be used in a similar way to Whatsapp for the exchange of messages, but it also providesthe possibilities for secure onetoone chats, hotlines, todo lists or surveys. Different channels can becreated and participants can be invited.Overview of the advantages of CHARE1. Charitable orientation2. 100 percent control over your own information3. Optimally tailored to group communicationThose who are interested can download CHARE for iOS here:8 and for Android here:Further information can be found at: Chare GmbH is a German startup that was founded in 2015 and has its seat inGlashutten / Taunus. Its namesake, the communication platform CHARE helps organizations to maketheir mobile communication efficient, purposeful and charitableCHARE GmbHGlaskopfweg 6c61479 GlashuttenBjorn BeyersdorffCEO Cellphone: 015142547774EMail: info@chare.one
Drill Bits Market Research | Industry Analysis | Application | Supplier 2016-2020

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/market-analysis/drill-bits-market.html

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/request-for-sample.html?flag=S&repid=50880

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/

Drill Bits Market - Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2014  2020Read More @Drill bits machine are cutting tools used to remove material to create holes, always of circular cross-section. Drill bit is a tool designed to create a cylindrical hole in the earths crust by the rotary drilling machine method for the extraction of hydrocarbon such as natural gas, petroleum, and crude oil. Drill bits are mainly classified into two types such as rolling cutter and fixed cutter bits. The structure of rolling cutter drill bits are tooth shape. Rolling cutter is used to two or more cone shaped element that roll across the borehole as the bite is rotated. Fixed cutter mostly use in natural or synthetic diamond, to remove material by grinding action as the bit is rotated.Increasing world energy demand with high cost of natural oil and gas is the major driving factors for the global drill bits market for oil and gas application. Large scale drilling and Exploration and Production (E&P) activities in both onshore and offshore oilfields, is the another key driving factor for drill bit. Moreover, Advancement in technology to provide better services expected to fuel the drill bit market over the forecast period. However, government control over oil and gas price hamper adoption of new technologies.The global drill bits market is segmented on the basis of products and region. Based on different product market is segmented as roller cutter bits and fixed cutter bits. Roller cutter bites are includes milled-tooth bits and tungsten carbide inserts. Similarly, fixed cutter bits are includes polycrystalline diamond bits (PDC), natural diamond bits.The report provides a comprehensive view on the drill bits market we have included a detailed value chain analysis. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters Five Forces model for the drill bits market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein product segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness. It includes company market share analysis, product portfolio of the major industry participants. The report provides detailed segmentation of the drill bits market based on product, and region segment.Sample Report @Major regional segments analyzed in this study include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S., Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India, and Brazil. This segmentation includes demand for drill bits market based on individual products in all the regions and countries.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include National Oilwell Varco, NewTech Drilling Products LLC, Halliburton, Baker Huges, Inc., Atlas Copco, Scientific Drilling International, Inc., Torquado Drilling Accessories Inc. and Varel International, Inc.Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite:
Costs for renovating the stage at Shippensburg Area Senior High School and replacing the roof at Nancy Grayson Elementary School are $200,000 and $670,000, respectively.

Joseph Wachter, director of operations and maintenance for the Shippensburg Area School District, told school board directors Monday night that those projects are two of his main budgetary concerns.

According to Wachter, the high school stage is 46 years old and needs major updates.

When it was built, it was state-of-the-art, he said. But this is 2016, and it is not state-of-the-art any longer.

He said the cost of $200,000 would restore the stage to state-of-the-art condition.

Wachter said the roof at Nancy Grayson was previously scheduled for replacement, but the project was delayed when the high school roof developed leaks and needed to be repaired.

Wachter also asked the board to consider adding a maintenance/custodial position. He said his maintenance staff currently spends 33 hours per week directing after-school traffic.

In other matters, board president Mark Buterbaugh responded to a letter presented previously to the board that was essentially a personal attack on Superintendent Beth Bender.

The letter was in response to a demand by the Pennsylvania Department of Education that Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School abide by the districts enrollment procedure, which does not allow Luhrs school to give top priority to the applications of children of university employees.

Luhrs school is located on the Shippensburg University campus but is part of the Shippensburg Area School District.

Buterbaugh praised Bender for her leadership and guidance during her 30-plus years in education and called the comments unfounded. He said the board responded to the individual (who wrote the letter) by letter and dismissed the allegations.

Buterbaugh and board Vice President Andrew Alosi, who serve on the boards GLBUES committee, both stepped down. Board members Herb Cassidy, Charles Suders and Geno Tori were appointed to replace them.

Tori reported that the district will meet with university representatives in the near future regarding the operating agreement between the district and the university. That agreement must be in place by June 30.

If its not, we dont have a legal and binding agreement to send kids there, Buterbaugh said.

Also at the meeting, Bender presented a plaque to Tyler Gustafson, who has served as a school board student representative since 2014, and congratulated The Sharps, a select choir from the senior high school that placed first at the Music in the Parks Festival in Hershey on May 13.

The Sharps are under the direction of Jennifer Deiber. Members of the group are Michaela Cameron, who was also recognized as the Outstanding Accompanist; Andrea Crawford; Catelyn Gipe; Stephanie Jones; Hannah Britcher; Hannah Famulare; Nicole Weaver; Luke Lyman; David Hewitt; Luke Hershey; Noah Stewart; Luke Byers; and Cole Souders.

Among other actions taken by the board were:

Accepted the resignation of Lindsey P. Elder, sixth-grade ELA/social studies teacher at the middle school.

Approved the appointments of Kara A. Chestnut, seventh-grade learning support teacher at the middle school; Jamie E. La Vergne, part-time gifted teacher at the middle school; Shawn D. McCreary, seventh- and eighth-grade intensive learning support teacher at the middle school; and Susan Nealy, seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher at the middle school.
Celebrating The 50 Years of Founders Journey

www.iskoconnaperville.org for

http://www.iskoconnaperville.org

Celebration of our 50 years anniversary. The celebration will include a brief presentation about ISKCONs 50 year journey, cultural programs, and free delicious vegetarian feast for everyone.Naperville, IL, USA, May 24, 2016 -- Fifty years ago, on August 13, 1965, a lone elderly pilgrim and teacher, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami boarded the cargo ship in Calcutta, India for the one month sea voyage to New York City. While it was not unusual for immigrants from India to head to the US, what separated Swamiji was the mission that urged him onward.More than forty years before, during their first meeting, Swamijis guru had instructed him to spread the message of Lord Krishna to the English speaking world. Thus, after a lifetime of preparation, at the age of 69, Bhaktivedanta Swami, later to be known as Srila Prabhupada, left for the New World not seeking riches, but to teach and distribute the greatest wealth of India and the Eastknowledge of God, or Krishna Consciousness.Today, fifty years later members of the society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and other admirers and followers around the world will be honoring this unique spiritual teacher and his achievements on August 13th, 2016.Several community leaders, Academicians, Businesses professionals, and Naperville community in general will be joining us to celebrate the festivities. The celebration will include a brief presentation about ISKCONs 50 year journey, cultural programs, and free delicious vegetarian feast for everyone in the Matea valley high school auditorium, Aurora IL. The invitation is open to all supporters, well-wishers and general public. Please visitmore information and rsvp.Celebration of our 50 years anniversary. The celebration will include a brief presentation about ISKCONs 50 year journey, cultural programs, and free delicious vegetarian feast for everyone.Contact:Premananda DDISKCON temple of Greater Chicago1505 McDowell RoadNaperville, IL 60563630-886-4619nsharma@simplyvedic.org
Molding Compound Market Projected to Reach 10.96 Billion USD by 2020

Molding Compound Market

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/molding-compounds-market-240465448.html

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=240465448

http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical

The report "Molding Compound Market by Thermoset Resin Type (Phenolic, Epoxy, Polyester and Others), by Applications (Electricals, Aerospace, Automotive and Others), and by Region- Global Forecasts to 2020", The global molding compounds market by thermoset resin type is projected to grow from USD 8.04 Billion in 2015 to USD 10.96 Billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.40% between 2015 and 2020.Browse 69 market data Tables and 47 Figures spread through 121 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Molding Compound Market - Global Forecasts to 2020"Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.This market is majorly dominated by the electrical application. They are widely used in automotive and aerospace applications, as they are flexible and can be molded into complex shapes and sizes. The increase in the demand for corrosion an heat resistant products, improved electrification and need for safety at home and commercial building, encourages use of reliable components such as thermoset molding compounds in electricals that are heat resistant and thermally stable and availability of new innovative products are the factors driving the thermoset molding compounds market.Rising need for thermally stable and corrosion resistant components will drive the molding compounds market by thermoset resin type for various applicationsThe major forces driving the thermoset molding compounds market are replacement of traditional materials thermoset molding compounds products. These products offer superior properties including corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and dimensional stability. Lightweight and increase in fuel efficiency have always been the foremost drivers for using thermosets in the automotive industry, the benefits of reducing the weight of a car or a truck include lower fuel consumption and operating costs, resulting in fewer emissions as well.Request for Sample PDF:Asia-Pacific is the largest market for thermoset molding compoundsChina contributes a major market share in the global as well as Asia-Pacific thermoset molding compounds market. The growing economy, industrial development with the availability of low-cost labor in the region, and the increasing demand of low-maintenance products are some of the factors driving the thermoset molding compounds market in Asia-Pacific.The major players in the thermoset molding compounds market include: Hexion Inc. (U.S) Hitachi Chemical Company (Japan) BASF SE (Germany) Huntsman International LLC (U.S.) Eastman Chemical Company (U.S)MarketsandMarkets broadly segments the thermoset molding compounds market on the basis of resin type; region and applications. The study covers more than 10 countries for the four main regions namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW.About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets is the worlds No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.M&Ms flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.Contact:Mr. RohanMarkets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India.Tel: +1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.comVisit MarketsandMarkets Blog @Visit MarketsandMarkets @ marketsandmarkets.comMarketsandMarkets is the worlds No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals.
Graphene: Progress, not quantum leaps

http://www.univie.ac.at/en

http://www.fwf.ac.at/en

http://www.prd.at/en

The interactions between graphene and its environment have a significant influence on the use of this promising material by the semiconductor industry. Thanks to the comprehensive findings of an international research project, these interactions are now better understood and can be controlled as a result.Graphene is an atom-thin layer of carbon. Thanks to its unique structural and electronic characteristics, the material has enormous potential and has been the focus of many high expectations  however, concrete uses and applications have yet to materialise. As is so often the case when it comes to viable application, the devil is in the detail. A project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF has managed to come to grips with some of these "devils".Targeting semiconductors"Individual components based on graphene already present outstanding characteristics", explains project leader Thomas Pichler from the Electronic Properties of Materials Department at the University of Vienna. "However, the major breakthrough in its application as an integrated electronic component has not yet emerged. It has simply not been possible to use this material for established semiconductor technology in a way that can be reliably replicated." One of the biggest obstacles up to now was the lack of control of how graphene interacts with its environment at atomic level. As a result, it has been almost impossible to deploy the material in a predictable and targeted way up to now. Even the interaction between graphene and the substrate, to which it must be applied due to its extreme thinness, was only understood in part. Pichler and his research team have succeeded in changing exactly this.Strain with chargeThe team was also immediately successful in gaining some surprising new insights. "We were able to demonstrate a correlation between charge transfer  the shifting of electrons  and mechanical strain in graphene for the first time", says Pichler, explaining one outstanding result of the recently concluded project. "This observation could be of major practical significance, as it means that the entirely contactless measurement of internal strain in graphene-based components may be possible in the future." The team also achieved significant successes in the targeted control of the environment of graphene: within the framework of the project it was possible to control the interface between graphene and traditional semiconductors like germanium on the atomic level for the first time. Many view this as an important step towards making graphene-based nanoelectronic components usable for semiconductor technology.Success with methodCrucial to the success of the cooperative project was its optimal combination and implementation of two methodically different processes. Pichler and his team therefore used the very latest spectroscopy measurement techniques and complemented them with so-called ab-initio calculations, which were carried out by a team headed by Ludger Wirtz from the Institute for Electronics, Microelectronics and Nanotechnology at the University of Lille.Extensive samplesThe second secret of the project's success was the fact that it succeeded in producing extensive samples of electronically insulated graphene. This provided an optimal starting material for the experimental work. "We then deliberately manipulated the electronic structure of the graphene", says Pichler, explaining the approach adopted by the project. "To do this, for example, we replaced certain atoms in the graphene substrate with hydrogen or nitrogen atoms and measured the impact of this substitution on the graphene." Another approach adopted by Pichler and his team involved a method known as intercalation. With this method, wafer-thin layers of potassium, lithium or barium are inserted between the graphene and the substrate and the resulting impact on the graphene is characterised.These steps paved the way for many other advances arising from the FWF project, which are still needed to enable the comprehensive use of the miracle material graphene. Many challenges remain to be overcome before a "miracle-worker" like graphene can be put to practical use. Basic research will play a key role in overcoming these challenges.FWF Austrian Science FundThe Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is Austria's central funding organization for basic research.The purpose of the FWF is to support the ongoing development of Austrian science and basic research at a high international level. In this way, the FWF makes a significant contribution to cultural development, to the advancement of our knowledge-based society, and thus to the creation of value and wealth in Austria.Scientific Contact:Prof. Thomas PichlerUniversity of ViennaFaculty of PhysicsBoltzmanngasse 51090 Vienna, AustriaM +43 / 664 / 60277 - 51466E thomas.pichler@univie.ac.atAustrian Science Fund FWF:Marc SeumenichtHaus der ForschungSensengasse 11090 Vienna, AustriaT +43 / 1 / 505 67 40 - 8111E marc.seumenicht@fwf.ac.atCopy Editing and Distribution:PR&D  Public Relations for Research & EducationMariannengasse 81090 Vienna, AustriaT +43 / 1 / 505 70 44E contact@prd.at
Why outsource mobile app development to India?

When it comes to outsourcing, India is the destination thats been preferred by companies from different corners of the world. It is not only the reasonable manpower, but also the expertise you get in limited amount that matters.Pune, Maharashtra, March 23, 2016: India is the known destination when it comes to outsourcing services and product development is the world. It is not behind when it comes to outsourcing mobile app development tasks. There are certain factors that play role in decision making, one of which is the cost-effectiveness.Nonetheless, below are 10 reasons why you should consider India when youre thinking to hire dedicated developers.1) Pool of talents: The nation has a pool of talented people who are well versed with the current trends and always keep themselves update. Be it cross platform apps or native apps, you would find an expert in this nation. Not only that, these experts have good experience in app development that makes it easy to rely on their judgement and task.2) Understanding about development environment: An app would fail if it lacks good user interface and fail to enhance user experience. App developer in India know how to enhance that and make sure that the app provides exceptional user experience.3) Cost-effectiveness: This is one of the factors that influence the final decision. Companies outsource since they know they would get good product at quite a reasonable price.4) Benefit from time zone: There is a difference between western and eastern time zones, that provides a benefit of 24/7 support to the companies, which would be little difficult to get from the local companies.5) Government support: The government supports IT industries with some tempting policies. The government is even paying attention to the infrastructure, thus helping companies to open a branch here.These five important factors that attract people from the western countries to focus on India when it comes to outsourcing services and development. Moreover, in India one has many option that makes it easy to hunt for a new developer, in the worst case scenario. Thus, make sure you consider these factors whilst youre looking forward to hire dedicated developers for your project.About the Company:Mobisoft Infotech is a Houston based company with backend team in Pune, India. It provides mobile, web and cloud solutions to startups, SMEs and enterprises. It addresses their issues with latest mobility solutions.With the help of innovation, companies can maintain their strong foothold in the competitive world. Mobisoft delivers customized innovative solutions to organizations thus helping them meet their specific requirement.1811 Bering Dr, Suite 200,Houston,TX,USA,77057
Europe Latex Pillow Industry Report 2016

Global QY Research

http://globalqyresearch.com/europe-latex-pillow-industry-2016

http://globalqyresearch.com/download-sample/53352

The recently published report titled Europe Latex Pillow Industry 2016 Market Research Report is an in depth study providing complete analysis of the industry for the period 2016  2021. It provides complete overview of Europe Latex Pillow market considering all the major industry trends, market dynamics and competitive scenario.The Europe Latex Pillow Industry Report 2016 is an in depth study analyzing the current state of the Europe Latex Pillow market. It provides brief overview of the market focusing on definitions, market segmentation, end-use applications and industry chain analysis. The study on Europe Latex Pillow market provides analysis of market covering the industry trends, recent developments in the market and competitive landscape. Competitive analysis includes competitive information of leading players in market, their company profiles, product portfolio, capacity, production, and company financials. In addition, report also provides upstream raw material analysis and downstream demand analysis along with the key development trends and sales channel analysis. Research study on Europe Latex Pillow market also discusses the opportunity areas for investors.View Full Report With Complete TOC, List Of Figure and Table:With 153 tables and figures, the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.7 Analysis of Latex Pillow Industry Key Manufacturers7.1 Dunlopillo7.1.1 Company Profile7.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.1.2.1 Type I7.1.2.2 Type II7.1.2.3 Type III7.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.1.4 Contact Information7.2 Reverie7.2.1 Company Profile7.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.2.2.1 Type I7.2.2.2 Type II7.2.2.3 Type III7.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.2.4 Contact Information7.3 Aisleep7.3.1 Company Profile7.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.3.2.1 Type I7.3.2.2 Type II7.3.2.3 Type III7.3.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.3.4 Contact Information7.4 Zhulian7.4.1 Company Profile7.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.4.2.1 Type I7.4.2.2 Type II7.4.2.3 Type III7.4.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.4.4 Contact Information7.5 DeRUCCI7.5.1 Company Profile7.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.5.2.1 Type I7.5.2.2 Type II7.5.2.3 Type III7.5.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.5.4 Contact Information7.6 SUITBO7.6.1 Company Profile7.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.6.2.1 Type I7.6.2.2 Type II7.6.2.3 Type III7.6.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.6.4 Contact Information7.7 SINOMAX7.7.1 Company Profile7.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.7.2.1 Type I7.7.2.2 Type II7.7.2.3 Type III7.7.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.7.4 Contact Information7.8 KingKoil7.8.1 Company Profile7.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.8.2.1 Type I7.8.2.2 Type II7.8.2.3 Type III7.8.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.8.4 Contact Information7.9 noyoke7.9.1 Company Profile7.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.9.2.1 Type I7.9.2.2 Type II7.9.2.3 Type III7.9.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.9.4 Contact Information7.10 Serta7.10.1 Company Profile7.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.10.2.1 Type I7.10.2.2 Type II7.10.2.3 Type III7.10.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.10.4 Contact Information7.11 SOFINA7.11.1 Company Profile7.11.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.11.2.1 Type I7.11.2.2 Type II7.11.2.3 Type III7.11.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.11.4 Contact Information7.12 Natulaidiya7.12.1 Company Profile7.12.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.12.2.1 Type I7.12.2.2 Type II7.12.2.3 Type III7.12.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.12.4 Contact Information7.13 JIATAI7.13.1 Company Profile7.13.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.13.2.1 Type I7.13.2.2 Type II7.13.2.3 Type III7.13.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.13.4 Contact Information7.14 Latex7.14.1 Company Profile7.14.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.14.2.1 Type I7.14.2.2 Type II7.14.2.3 Type III7.14.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.14.4 Contact InformationDownload Sample this Report:Global QY Research is the one spot destination for all your research needs. Global QY Research holds the repository of quality research reports from numerous publishers across the globe. Our inventory of research reports caters to various industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. With the complete information about the publishers and the industries they cater to for developing market research reports, we help our clients in making purchase decision by understanding their requirements and suggesting best possible collection matching their needs.Unit1, 26 Cleveland Road, South Woodford, London, E182AN, United KingdomEmail: sales@globalqyresearch.com
Software Services for Logistics Companies in USA, Canada and UK

http://www.sumasoft.com/bpo-services-usa/logistics-bpo-solutions-usa/

Texas (USA), Canada (Toronto) & India (Business Network)Suma Soft offers Software Services for Logistics Companies in USA, Canada and UK. The need for software services for Logistics companies in USA, Canada and UK has increased exponentially as companies are look at unlocking value in the global market. For a business as extensive as supply chain that includes material handling, packaging, warehousing, freight transportation, physical distribution, sales order processing and several other intricate processes, having a third party logistics software support can result in major cost-reduction and time-saving.What are the advantages of using a transport and logistics software?1. A logistics software helps automate several functions such as load tendering to carriers, paperwork and load planning2. The scope of human error in handling vast data and multiple checks decreases with the help of a software3. Software automation helps the business processes to work accurately and speedily4. A web based transport software can help quoting, rating, shipping and tracking the packages5. With a mobile app, logistics enterprises can increase mobility and real-time monitoring of packages6. Supply chain management software also helps in increasing scalability while keeping costs under controlThe above facts state that automating logistics services can add multiple advantages to your business process. In order to gain a competitive advantage in the global logistics market, enterprises need to adopt the latest technology and software expertise.With a deep understanding of industrys best practices and proven benchmarks providing customized software solutions, Suma Soft is a reliable partner for adding value to your supply chain management. The company offers software such as shipping portal development, mobile application development, legacy logistics application migration and open source platform to streamline your logistics services.For Free Consultation, leave a message here...Name : Stuart SmithFor USA : +1 281 764 1825info@sumasoft.comSuma Soft offers Software Services for Logistics Companies in USA, Canada and UK.Suma Soft Pvt. Ltd.Stuart SmithFor USA : +1 281 764 1825
Global Analysis of Lip Care Product Industry by Market Size, Value,Billions, Growth, Shares & 2016 Region Forecasts

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=721838&type=E

Global Lip Care Product Industry 2016 Market Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Technology, Applications, Growth, Market Status, Demands, Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2016-2020.Constant developments in the Global Lip Care Product Market make it especially important for key players to conduct a thorough research to understand the markets current scenario, restraints, and areas of operation. As the global Lip Care Product market is expected to boom, it is a tough task for the key companies to study various elements of the market by only using the internal resources. This is when external sources come into the picture. The report conducted by analysts highlight the summary of the global Lip Care Product market along with the major factors that drive the growth. The influence of Porters five forces on the global Lip Care Product market is highlighted by analysts in the report. The study forecasts new projects and applications, size, and the revenue of the global Lip Care Product market for the forecasting period.The study reveals information about leading players operating in the global Lip Care Product market by considering various factors such as production capacity, the list of products, and their geographical coverage. The report highlights the value chain of the global Lip Care Product market by considering downstream and upstream components. The constantly changing demand and supply trends are emphasized in the report by considering various factors that boost the demand from numerous applications. The analysts have studied important data about the growth of the global Lip Care Product market across various geographical locations.Leading companies in the global Lip Care Product market are profiled by reports authors by considering factors such as annual revenue, products, applications, capacity production, areas of coverage, and more. New developments, trends, and future growth opportunities in the global Lip Care Product market are emphasized by the reports authors while studying the global Lip Care Product market. With an industry-standard tool, SWOT analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of leading players in the global Lip Care Product market are measured.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @QYResearchReports.com is the trusted source of market research reports among clients that include prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SMEs, and private equity firms. Our market research reports focus on categories including but not limited to: Chemicals, Energy, Alternative and Green Energy, Machinery, Manufacturing, Glass, Pharmaceuticals and Materials.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Fashionablyin launches Google search engine for global fashion trade, pitching to raise $2 million at Rise

Mumbais fashion search and discovery service Fashionablyin which recently got seed funded by Hong Kong based apparel conglomerate, Epic Group, has started a one of a kind search engine targeting the fashion industry. A fashion search engine in collaboration with Google which instantly connects to various business listings, groups, events, and discussions on the site.The idea is to create a single search for fashion trade on a global scale, states Tarun Thadani, the founder of the company.The search connects to directory listings with company reviews and a free community platform where fashion companies can share their collections and directly connect with interested buyers to grow their businesses. Users can also interact with each other, give support and share their experiences.The companies tie up with Asia Inspection enables buyers to book company audits and inspections immediately with suppliers all over the world.The company has also be been shortlisted for the Alpha program at the Rise conference in Hong Kong this June, where it will be pitching to raise $2 million to facilitate the opening of its global offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Bangladesh.Fashionablyin.comFASHIONABLYIN IS A GLOBAL DIRECTORY CONNECTING EVERYONE IN FASHIONTHE VISION IS TO MAKE FASHION SOURCING QUICK, RELEVANT AND EASYGeolocating every fashion company in the globeDeveloping an intuitive rating system based on credibility, price and quality #CPQratingCreating digital catalogs with detailed product search and social sharingMarketing and online sales reps connected directly to buyersFashionablyin42 Onlooker bldg.14 PM Road, Fort, Mumbai-1+91 9699990069
Performance Testing Services India

Performance Testing Services India

http://www.sumasoft.com/qa-and-testing-services/performance-testing-services-india/

Texas (USA), Canada (Toronto) & India (Business Network) : Suma Soft specializes in delivering efficient Performance Testing Services in India that solve performance defects and are designed to meet demands at any stage of the software development life cycle. Our testing team helps clients determine how a system performs in terms of responsiveness and stability of an application under particular load. By conducting extensive research, our experienced testers develop testing frameworks to accelerate your business process and optimize testing.1. End-To-End Performance Testing:Making use of all leading commercial, licensed and open source performance engineering tools; we provide end-to-end performance testing of software. This helps you detect, determine and verify the speed, stability and reliability of the system.2. Application Performance Measurement:Being the top performance testing company in Maharashtra, Suma Soft conducts load testing, stress testing, soak testing and volume testing at different levels of application for analyzing the capacity of the system and servers response time.3. Testing At The Development Stage:Softwares performance issues are usually difficult to identify before an application is launched. However, when tested after launch, it involves costly remedial work. We, at Suma Soft test new systems in the development stage and render corrective measures.The highly customized performance test of Suma Soft helps businesses quickly verify the performance prior to implementation. Our skilled performance testing resources understand systems, networks and software architecture. We perform several performance testing to break bottlenecks and work directly with the developers to help them analyze systems. For more information -Suma Soft has been an industry leader for over 16 years. We provide advanced BPO Solutions in USA-based environment, Software Development Solutions across USA and India, Technical Support Services, IT Security Audit Solutions USA and IT Security Consulting and Implementation Services.Rick CooperSuma Soft Pvt. Ltd.Call : +12817641825Address: 7880 San Felipe Street, Ste 120, Houston TX 77063
Indispensable Additives: Ceresana's Fourth Filler Report

Market Study: Fillers (4th ed.)

www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/additives/fillers/

www.ceresana.com/en

Fillers are more than just cheap filling materials: They can also improve characteristics, such as stability, weather-resistance, and electrical conductivity, of numerous products. Many plastics would not be of any use without fillers. For the fourth time now, Ceresana analyzed the whole market for fillers: from ground calcium carbonate (GCC), precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), kaolin, talc, and carbon black, up to specialties such as feldspar, mica, quartz, wollastonite, dolomite, and barium sulfate. The market research company expects global revenues generated with fillers to increase until 2023 to USD 31.76 billion. Thus, fillers belong to the economically most important raw materials.Growth Market Asia-PacificFillers are mainly utilized in paper, plastics, paints & varnishes, elastomers, adhesives & sealants. Regarding demand of the various regions of the world, significant differences are observable: While application in the paper industry accounts for a market share of 33% in Western Europe, the share is below 20% in Asia. Vice versa, manufacturers of elastomer products in Asia hold a share of over 32% on the filler market - in Western Europe the share amounts to 21%. Asia-Pacific accounted for around 48% of global demand for fillers in 2015. Due to above-average growth rates, demand in this region will presumably rise to just below 39 million tonnes. The second largest sales market for fillers is Western Europe.Positive Trend in Case of Calcium CarbonateWith a market share of 34%, the most commonly used filler on the global market is ground calcium carbonate (GCC), followed by precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). Until 2023, Ceresana forecasts an annual increase in case of GCC at rates of 2.7%. Worldwide, the largest application area for GCC is the segment plastics which is also characterized by above-average growth rates. The segment paints and varnishes ranked second, followed by paper. Calcium carbonates offer high chemical purity, a high degree of whiteness, a low refractive index, and low abrasiveness which makes them useful in the plastics industry. Possibilities of application range from PVC to polypropylene and polyethylene up to polyurethane foams. Many properties of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) are identical with those of GCC. The most important difference is the greater purity of PCC, which results in a considerably larger surface. PCC is mainly used in the production of paper which accounts for 47% of global demand.Carbon Black Enhances Stability of TiresCarbon black is not only used as a pigment: It is the third largest filler market worldwide, accounting for a demand of 11.4 million tonnes. The rubber and elastomer industry utilizes carbon black as reinforcing filler, mainly to improve abrasion resistance of tire rubber. Highly reinforcing carbon blacks are used in tire treads and conveyor belts. Semi-active carbon blacks are primarily used in tire side parts or air hoses. The second largest application area of carbon black as a filler are elastomer products for the sector industry & construction: This sector consumes around 1.3 million tonnes.The Study in Brief:Chapter 1 provides a presentation and analysis of the global market for fillers  including forecasts up to 2023: Demand for and revenues generated with fillers are provided for the world and each region.Chapter 2 analyzes the 16 most important countries and their filler revenues and demand. Demand is split by individual applications and product types; furthermore, demand of the particular product type is split by applications. Additionally, all important manufacturers are listed according to countries.Chapter 3 offers a substantiated analysis of the application areas for fillers: paper, plastics, paints & varnishes, elastomers, adhesives & sealants.Chapter 4 examines demand for individual types of fillers: GCC, PCC, carbon black, kaolin, talc, and other fillers. Demand is clearly arranged for each of the 16 countries analyzed in chapter 2 and all world regions.Chapter 5 provides profiles of the largest manufacturers, clearly arranged according to contact details, turnover, profit, product range, production sites, profile summary, and products. In-depth profiles of 109 producers are given, including e.g. 3M Company, Acron Group JSC, Aditya Birla Group, Alcoa, Inc., BASF SE, Bridgestone Corporation, Huber Engineered Materials, Imerys SA, Merck KGaA, Omya AG, PPG Industries, Inc., Rio Tinto plc, SCR-Sibelco N.V., and Showa Denko KK.Further information:Ceresana is a leading international market research and consultancy company for the industrial sector. For more than 10 years, Ceresana has been supplying several thousand customers from 60 countries with up-to-date market intelligence. Extensive market knowledge creates new prospects for strategic and operational decisions. Ceresana's clients profit from implementation-oriented consulting services, tailor-made single-client studies and more than 100 independent multi-client market studies. Ceresana's analysts are experts in the following markets: Chemicals, plastics, additives, commodities, industrial components, consumer goods, packaging, agriculture, and construction materials.Learn more about Ceresana atCeresanaMainaustr. 3478464 ConstanceGermanyPhone: +49 7531 94293 10Fax: +49 7531 94293 27Press Contact: Martin Ebner, m.ebner@ceresana.com
The email is as salty as fracking fluid.

It was sent by Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Quigley on April 13 and obtained by ABC27 on Monday. Though the recipients were blacked out, its apparently directed at environmental groups. These groups are supposed to be the friends of the DEP secretary, but the tone of the email is neither warm nor collegial, and it reportedly led to Quigleys abrupt resignation late last week.

Where the f were you people yesterday? Quigleys email said. The House and Senate hold Russian show trials on vital environmental issues and theres no pushback at all from the environmental community? Nobody bothering to insert themselves in the news cycle?

Is there no penalty for D apostasy, at least, or shaming of the gas-shilling Rs? Apparently so, he continued.

That sentence apparently angered both Republican and Democratic lawmakers because it seems to be pushing the environmental groups to retaliate against lawmakers who arent tough enough on oil and gas drillers.

The email continues: Do some of you think staying on your moratorium hobby horse does anything to advance the cause of protecting the environment and public health? Do you really think the Governor will veto this s with NO support?

The environmental community is without influence in Harrisburg. What will you do about it? the email concludes.

Sources say the email was the final straw in a souring relationship among the DEP secretary, the legislature and Wolf administration.

Its a shame, says Greg Vitali, D-Montgomery/Delaware, the Democratic chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. I think the governor bowed to pressure. I think the governor made a huge mistake. I think hes getting bad advice from his senior staff.

Vitali is one of the most ardent environmentalists in the legislature and a huge supporter of Quigley. He believes Quigley was pushed out because he stood up to big oil and gas. The Wolf administration denies thats the case but isnt commenting other than to say it has accepted Quigleys resignation.

They want him (Quigley) to compromise, Vitali said with great passion on Monday when discussing the former DEP secretary. They want him to bend. They want him to weaken regulations needed to protect public health. John would not weaken those regulations. John stuck up for the people of Pennsylvania, and I think thats the political pressure people brought to bear on John that brought him down.

But lawmakers in oil and gas country say Quigleys DEP overregulated and pestered the industry.

It just seemed to me like his insistence on alternative fuels was far out of balance with how we make electricity and heat our homes, said Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Indiana/Armstrong/Butler. Much of our economy is based on fossil fuel recovery, coal, gas, oil. Were not sad about this.

Others are sad to see Quigley resign.

I always appreciated that Secretary Quigley was honest and straightforward, Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery, said. He said what he meant and meant what he said.

But what he said in an email, and the straightforward way he said it, cost Quigley his job. Whats been unsaid is that the email suggests that the environmental community in Pennsylvania is fractured over the issue of fracking. For an environmentalist like Quigley, that clearly led to frustration.

Some groups think there shouldnt be any (fracking), Harper said. Others feel if it is done safely, it would be OK.
Etech to Unveil Integrated Solution for Great Customer Experience at IRCE 2016

Etech Logo

www.etechgs.com

Nacogdoches, TX MAY 24, 2016 Etech Global Services will introduce several exciting new tools at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE) on June 7-10 in Chicago, Illinois.During the show, trendsetting tech company Etech will show clients how its Integrated Customer Engagement (ICE) product is a key differentiator as a customer experience solution. This innovative collection of tools leverages Etech s 20 years of expertise into a bundle that combines the functionalities of live-chat, email and quality evaluation.ICE software can help businesses in various retail industry verticals reach a higher level of efficiency with these three solutions:Click-to-Chat: Live-chat software is the ideal answer for today s customer-service challenges. Click-to-Chat combines immediacy and live engagement into a personal experience that can lead to higher sales conversions. The software includes a keystroke indicator so the customer service specialist can have a quick response on hand, and it also collects visitor-behavior data to boost business intelligence information. Live-chat representatives will have the support of Knowledgebase integration for efficient responses to questions and an enhanced customer experience.Email: The ICE email management system is perfect for the high-volume setting. It automatically manages and organizes large numbers of incoming emails so that each one receives appropriate attention and a fast response. Customer service agents will appreciate the software s flexibility and its ability to improve their efficiency while helping them achieve better customer satisfaction.QEval: The quality-assurance solution monitors both inbound and outbound communications, including chats, emails and phone calls. The software captures valuable metrics and crafts them into intelligent reporting to improve performance, compliance and overall service quality. QEval allows businesses in the customer-experience field to access a seamless blend of skilled resources, smart processes and innovative technology.Etech President and COO Matt Rocco said the company expects an enthusiastic reaction at the show to the new customer-experience tools."We are confident that visitors who stop by booth #856 for a demonstration will be blown away," Rocco said. We can t wait to share our innovative ICE technology and elevate the customer engagement field.###Press Contact:Veronica Chimneyveronica.chimney@etechgs.comEtech Global Services is a leading provider of customer engagement solutions for many of the world s most trusted brands. They trust us with their most precious assets: their customers. Why? Because Etech s commitment to continuous improvement, next-generation technology and growing and empowering our people results in solutions that work. Voice, chat, email, social media, Etech is here to communicate with your customers when and how they choose. For more information:Etech Global Services1903 Berry Drive,Nacogdoches, TX 75964
Global Water Analysis Instrumentation Industry 2016 Outlook of Leading Market Segments(US,Europe,Asia) & Companies(HACH,Metrohm,Horiba)

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-water-analysis-instrumentation-market-professional-survey-report-2016.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=721530&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

This research report focusing on the global Water Analysis Instrumentation market has been compiled using primary and secondary research methodologies. For a detailed analysis of the market, the research report uses Porters five forces analysis to point out the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products or services, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of established rivals. This analysis addresses a range of problems and issues that might be present in the global Water Analysis Instrumentation market to help the businesses and readers formulate strategic moves to maximize their profits. The report also assesses the feasibility of the new investments that are likely to flow into the market, breathing life into several projects in the coming years.The investigative approach taken by this report provides an exclusive insight into the market segmentation. The global Water Analysis Instrumentation market has been segmented on the basis of application, service, technology, product, and geography. The segmentation allows the readers to understand the factors that are likely to drive these segments and the ones that will hamper the growth of certain segments in a given geographical location. The report has also factored in the economic indicators, important market highlights, market size, and forecast.The research report dedicates a special chapter to the competitive landscape of the global Water Analysis Instrumentation market. It delves into the nitty-gritties of the financial overview, investment outlook, research and development activities, business and marketing strategies, branding ideas, and expansion plans of the important players of in the global Water Analysis Instrumentation market. This chapter also provides clarity on matters of management styles of these companies and the changes that market enthusiasts need to expect in the foreseeable future.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsChapter One Water Analysis Instrumentation Industry Overview1.1 Water Analysis Instrumentation Definition1.1.1 Water Analysis Instrumentation Product Pictures & Product Specifications1.2 Water Analysis Instrumentation Classification & ApplicationChapter Two Water Analysis Instrumentation Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis2.1 Water Analysis Instrumentation Raw Material & Equipments Supplier and Price Analysis2.3 Water Analysis Instrumentation Labor & Other Cost Analysis2.5 Water Analysis Instrumentation Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis2.6 Water Analysis Instrumentation Manufacturing Process AnalysisChapter Three Water Analysis Instrumentation Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Water Analysis Instrumentation Capacity and Commercial Production Date3.2 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Water Analysis Instrumentation Manufacturing Plants DistributionTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
North Florida Land Trusts Land Protection Director selected for prestigious program

Marc Hudson, North Florida Land Trust Land Protection Director

www.northfloridalandtrust.org

Jacksonville, Fla., May 24, 2016  North Florida Land Trust is proud to announce Marc Hudson, NFLTs Land Protection Director, has been selected for the Kinship Conservation Fellows Program. Hudson is the only applicant from the United States and one of only 18 people from around the world chosen to participate in this prestigious program in 2016. The fellows come from diverse regions and have varying interests in environmental issues. The Kinship Conservation Fellows Program trains the experienced conservationists in the use of market-based principles to address environmental challenges.I am so honored that I was selected for this program, said Hudson. Under the fellowship I can broaden my spectrum of knowledge and bring some skills back to Northeast Florida that will help broaden our range of conservation opportunities.The Kinship Conservation Fellows Program will take place June 26 through July 27 in Bellingham, Washington. During the month-long program, the fellows will participate in expert-led discussions, peer learning sessions, systems-thinking exercises, role-play, skills practice, and field visits. The purpose will be to improve how practitioners interpret and respond to complex environmental conservation problems.Each fellow must bring a project to the program, either an activity from their current work or a future initiative. During the session work, fellows will develop the project and ideas in the mutually supportive peer-working activities. They will present the project twice; first to fellows for informal feedback and at the end of the month-long program they will present to fellows, faculty, advisory council members, and guests to show what has been done to advance the project.Its not every day you get to showcase a local conservation project in front of panels of international experts, said Hudson.Kinship Conservation Fellows Director Nigel Asquith believes collaboration is key to solving environmental problems. He says the peer-to-peer learning focus will guide the fellows as they tackle real-life challenges, from establishing a trading platform for improved conservation outcomes in tropical commodities to exploring biodiversity offsets in Mexican Protected Areas.Hudson will use the knowledge gained towards the creation of a multi-million dollar sea level rise resiliency fund for Northeast Florida. Doing so will allow NFLT and its many partners to research and experiment with ways of saving our coastal habitats from the threat of sea level rise.Hudson has been the Land Protection Director at NFLT since 2012. He oversees the land trusts real estate acquisitions, restoration, programmatic partnerships, GIS and develops the strategic conservation plan.Once Hudson completes the program, he will be included in the prestigious list of Kinship Conservation Fellows which currently includes 228 fellows from 51 countries and all seven continents.About North Florida Land TrustNorth Florida Land Trust is a non-profit organization who serves as a champion of land conservation primarily in Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. NFLT was founded in 1999 and has protected thousands of acres of environmentally significant land including land at Big Talbot Island, the River Branch Preserve, Pumpkin Hill, Moccasin Slough, along the St. Marys River and other valued natural areas in Northeast Florida. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with private landowners and other public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visitClient Focused Media1611 San Marco BoulevardJacksonville, FL 32207Kelly Whitekelly.white@cfmedia.net904-232-3001
Anger And Bigotry Toward Muslims Is Damaging To Americas Position In The World Says Author Frances Fuller, In Response To Washington Post Article

Author Frances Fuller

http://www.payhip.com/francesfuller

http://www.inborrowedhouseslebanon.com

A recent op-ed piece in the Washington Post by David Patreous put forth the idea that discrimination against Muslims plays directly into the hands of terrorists. Frances Fuller, author of 'In Borrowed Houses' has an unusual background that allows for unique insights into the mindset of the Middle East and America's position on the world stage. She spent thirty years in the Middle East, twenty four of those years as a Christian publisher in Lebanon. Fuller agrees with Patreous. She recently posted an article that sheds light on this highly contested approach."I am grateful to David Petreous for saying what I have been thinking," Fuller stated. "Expressions of anger and bigotry toward Muslims is damaging to Americas position in the world.In the op-ed in the Washington Post on May 13, Petreous said:'The terrorists explicit hope has been to try to provoke a clash of civilizations  telling Muslims that the United States is at war with them and their religion. When Western politicians propose blanket discrimination against Islam, they bolster the terrorists propaganda.'He warns us, 'As policy, these concepts are totally counterproductive. Rather than making our country safer, they will compound the already grave terrorist danger to our citizens. As ideas, they are toxic and, indeed, non-biodegradable  a kind of poison that, once released into our body politic, is not easily expunged.'While Petreous is thinking of politicians, I would like to wave this caution flag at all of us. We need to be accountable for our attitudes and judgments. Fear is contagious and anger is destructive. Before we spread them, we need to verify that they are not based on falsehood. The first victim of a careless opinion is our own country, its values and ideals, its very success as a pluralist democracy.A politician need only speak once, and we help to spread that comment to the ends of the world, which has big ears and knows that somehow its fate is hinged to what Americans think.ISIS hears and uses our words against us, turning them into a recruiting tool. (See, we told you they hate us.) In cities under attack by ISIS, vulnerable Muslim families hear and wonder what they have done. Fleeing refugees hear and despair. Even American citizens who are Muslims may feel like outcasts. And, as Petreous points out, all of us become less safe."Frances Fuller puts a face on the Middle East many Americans have not yet seen. Her award-winning memoir, 'In Borrowed Houses', gives readers a penetrating glimpse of the Middle East from the inside.Told in short episodes, Fullers book reveals the alienation, confusion and courage of civilians in the Lebanese civil war, introducing to the reader a variety of real people with whom the author interacts: editors, salesmen, neighbors, refugees, soldiers, missionaries, lawyers, shepherds, artists, students. With these people she works, studies, plays games, prays, laughs and cries, all to the accompaniment of gunfire. Together these small stories tell what war is like for civilians caught on a battlefield, and they create the impression of the Lebanese as a fun-loving, witty, patient and resilient people. Fuller's stories compose not a political history, but a historical document of a time and a place.Critics have praised In Borrowed Houses. A judge in the 22nd Annual Writers Digest Self-Published Book Awards called 'In Borrowed Houses'  . . a well written book full of compassion . . . a captivating story . . . . Another reviewer described the book as Wise, honest, sensitive, funny, heart-wrenching . . .. Colin Chapman, lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut said,  . . . western Christians and Middle Eastern Christians need to read this storyfull of remarkable perceptiveness and genuine hope.Frances Fuller is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at frances0516@att.net. The full text of her latest article is available at her website. Fuller's book is available at Amazon and other book retailers. A free ebook sample from 'In Borrowed Houses' is available at. Frances Fuller also blogs on other issues relating to the Middle East on her website.Frances Fuller spent thirty years in the violent Middle East and for twenty-four of those years was the director of a Christian publishing program with offices in Lebanon. While leading the development of spiritual books in the Arabic language, she survived long years of civil war and invasions.PO Box 1613Shallotte, NC 28459
For around half a century, Scotch-Irish settlers made up a large percentage of the population in what is now Cumberland County. As one writer stated in a history of Silver Spring, no matter how far (the Scotch-Irish) ventured into the wilderness, there they built  a church.

This observation was validated in the Silver Spring area when early settlers began the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, a church that was established before German, Swiss and other settlers had even arrived in the area.

The present stone church building was built in 1783, the same year that Dickinson College was started in Carlisle. However, it is assumed that the congregations first preaching service preceded this construction by nearly 50 years and was likely held outside. At that time, the congregation was known as The People over the Susquehanna.

The church received several other designations as it grew, including Lower Part of the Settlement of Conodoguinet and Lower Pennsborough. Its much shorter current name came from the fact that the church edifice stood on land originally owned by James Silver, an early Irish settler to the area and eventual namesake to Silver Spring Township.

The Rev. Samuel Thompson was the first installed pastor of the congregation, beginning in 1739. At the time of the church buildings construction, The Rev. Samuel Waugh served as pastor. At least 12 other pastors have led the church since Waughs death in 1807.

The church was remodeled in 1866. Its gallery was torn out and its doors were moved from its west side to its south side. Additionally, a vestibule was built and the walls were frescoed.

The churchs adjoining cemetery contains headstones dating back to the mid-1720s and includes the graves of several Revolutionary War soldiers.

Today, the church remains active and offers a variety of fellowship groups, activities and worship services, according to its website.
u.s. federal courthouse.JPG

A 63-year-old Canby man pleaded guilty on May 23 to stealing more than $300,000 in his dead grandmother's Social Security benefits. He will be sentenced in September.

(The Oregonian/file)

A Canby man admitted to stealing more than $300,000 in Social Security benefits mistakenly paid to his dead grandmother over nearly three decades.

Rick L. Carlson, 63, pleaded guilty to theft of government funds in U.S. District Court in Portland on Monday.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7 and is being recommended to serve one year and one day in prison under a plea agreement.

Carlson's grandmother had two different names and two different Social Security numbers, court records show. When she died in 1986, only benefits under one name stopped being paid.

According to court records, Carlson began taking federal funds in March 1986, opened a bank account in his grandmother's name in April 1995 to have money directly deposited there and continued writing himself checks and making ATM withdrawals from that account until the benefits stopped in September 2013.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

503-221-8343;
OSP road rage case pickups.jpg

Oregon State Police say they are seeking the drivers of similar pickups involved in a possible road rage incident along I-205 near Clackamas early May 24. One of the drivers is accused of threatening the other with a tire iron and breaking a driver's side mirror.

(Oregon State Police)

Oregon State Police are seeking the public's help to get more details on a possible case of road rage between two pickup drivers that disrupted traffic along Interstate 205 near Clackamas on Tuesday morning.

Troopers are seeking the male drivers of a navy blue 2014 Ford F-150 and a tan or light-gray 1987 Toyota SR-5, who witnesses say were driving south on I-205 near Southeast Sunnyside Road, police said.

Witnesses reported one of the drivers became agitated while in traffic around 6:10 a.m., stopped while still in the southbound lanes, got out of his pickup and threatened the other driver with a tire iron, police said. The armed driver smashed one of the other motorist's side mirrors, then returned to his pickup and sped away.

It is not clear which pickup the tire iron-wielding motorist was driving. Police ask anyone with more information on the case, the drivers involved or their pickups to contact Oregon State Police Senior Trooper Jason Bledsoe at

or 503-731-3020 ext. 407.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
For some sushi chefs, choosing the wood for their counter is as important as which knife they use or fish they buy. At elite restaurants such as New York's Masa or Los Angeles' Urasawa, long slabs of Japanese cypress are gently sanded before service, perfuming the room with the faint smell of wood.

At the new Nodoguro, the Southeast Portland home for creative Japanese cuisine (and, two nights a week, Portland's best sushi) the counter is made from bamboo. The material, made and stained to a dark walnut by the folks at Bamboo Revolution, was selected for practical reasons.

Yet the material is oddly perfect. Nodoguro started as a pop-up, settled briefly on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard before hitting the road again. What better than bamboo -- hardy, versatile, fast-growing -- for their new forever home.

The 16-seat bamboo counter is front-and-center at Ryan and Elena Roadhouse's new Nodoguro, which took over the venerable Genoa space last week. Here, the minimal dining room is framed by sets of shoji, or Japanese rice paper walls, here made by Roadhouse's dad. There's also a small lounge with cushy seats and fur throws. The cozy space, dubbed "the study," will eventually offer Japanese whiskies and drinking snacks for guests not sitting at the counter.

Ryan Roadhouse started his sushi career in Denver nearly two decades ago, eventually making his way to the fish markets of Japan, working a short stint at Urasawa along the way. After moving to Portland, Roadhouse took over the kitchen at West Burnside's 10-year-old Masu, then launched Nodoguro, his creative Japanese cuisine pop-up, in 2014. After settling in the space next door to the Southeast Hawthorne Pastaworks, Roadhouse launched a "Hardcore Sushi" night. We named it the best sushi in Portland last year. But with Pastaworks closing, Nodoguro had to hit the road.

For owners Ryan and Elena Roadhouse, losing the Pastaworks space was "really poorly timed."

"When you printed the idea that we would be looking for another space, a bunch of developers reached out," Ryan Roadhouse says. "But the Genoa space? I wasn't exactly excited to look at it. We went down there, looked at it. Since arriving in Portland, I've definitely worked in worse kitchens. I was optimistic. But after Elena looked at it she got really excited."

The new space brings a natural evolution to the restaurant's theme dinners. Before, the experience was immersive. For their "Twin Peaks" dinner, customers walked in to find a redecorated dining room, doughnuts on a sheet of wax paper and paper "clues" crumpled here and there. "It was a little over-the-top," Roadhouse says. Upcoming theme dinners could focus on Salvador Dali, the Japanese ramen flick "Tampopo" or revisit "Twin Peaks." But they won't be quite so on-the nose.

Then again, it was that "on-the-nose "Twin Peaks" meal that led Roadhouse to cook for David Lynch at LA's Chateau Marmont. As detailed in "SomethingToFoodAbout," the new culinary ideas and interviews book from "The Roots" drummer Questlove, conditions for the meal were less than ideal, but getting to meet the great surrealist director made up for it.

"We're prepping, getting ready, there's personal assistants running around everywhere, and then the main organizer of Questlove's food thing comes in and says, "Ok, everyone, David Lynch will be here, he will park over there, he will have a guest or maybe some guests. Don't look at him too much. Photographers don't ask him to pose. He's here to enjoy this. Don't bother him.'" Then she turns around and looks at me and she's like, 'David is really excited.' And I was like, 'oh yeah, it sounds like it.'"

"But he came in and gave me a bottle of his special reserve David Lynch Dom Perignon, which I didn't know existed. We gave him a pound of Sterling coffee beans. He sat down, smoked cigarettes, dinner started, and he was just like super cool. Really enthusiastic. He made a lot of hilarious comments. Something about, 'Back when I had money, I didn't appreciate enough getting invited to these amazing free dinners.' He loved all the wine, he loved all the food.

The new Nodoguro can be found at 2832 S.E. Belmont St. Tickets for the Roadhouses' 11-course sousaku ryori -- creative Japanese cuisine -- dinners ($95) and Hardcore Omakase sushi nights ($125) are already on sale, and selling out fast. Visit nodoguropdx.com for more information.

-- Michael Russell
California Storms

Lake Shasta in a July 22, 2015 file photo near Redding, Calif. (Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight via AP, File)

A University of Oregon fraternity issued a statement and apology late Monday regarding what it called the "unacceptable" level of trash and personal belongings left at a Lake Shasta campground.

The apology from the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity appears to be a confirmation that some UO students from the Zeta Omicron Zeta chapter may have been involved in the weekend partying at the Northern California lake and subsequent trashing of the recreation site.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest rangers discovered 90 tents, piles of garbage and lawn chairs and ice coolers filled with food and alcohol Sunday following the annual trip to the popular lake.

Viral Facebook photos from the Slaughterhouse Island campground showed several pieces of UO-related personal belongings left behind on the island. The university issued a statement condemning the trash and pledging to investigate the situation and discipline any students who might've been involved.

The Shasta trip is an annual, and unsanctioned, party that is not specific to UO students.

According to a Shasta-Trinity National Forest spokeswoman, the trip draws fraternity and sorority members from throughout the West Coast and the tradition dates back at least 20 years.

Here is what a group of University of Oregon students left (they are gone) on Slaughterhouse Island on Lake Shasta. Way to represent your school... Please feel free to share this post. Posted by Jennifer Cox on Sunday, May 22, 2016

One purple cooler with Greek lettering appeared to implicate the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, though it's not clear the UO chapter was specifically involved.

"We will, in no uncertain terms, hold the individuals who did this accountable," the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity said in a statement. "Though it is not known who all was involved at this time, we find this situation to be absolutely unacceptable. On behalf of any of our members involved, the UO Zeta Omicron Zeta Chapter would like to extend our deepest apologies for any destruction of Lake Shasta resort and the surrounding environment. Our Chapter has reached out to the United States Forest Service to arrange for our members to help in the clean-up of the environment."

Here's the rest of the statement:

Also, on behalf of any of our members involved, we apologize to the entire Fraternity and Sorority Life Community at the UO and our university. The actions in which these individuals participated do not reflect our Fraternity's values, nor do they reflect the values of our community here at the UO.

Our Chapter leadership has been in contact with the UO and our Fraternity's international headquarters. Until the investigation into this matter is complete, and all disciplinary actions have been implemented, effective immediately there will be no Chapter activities of any kind. We are taking this seriously and are working to come through this showing our alumni, our university, and our community exactly what it means to be a Lambda Chi Alpha Brother.

The Men of Lambda Chi Alpha, Zeta Omicron Zeta Chapter

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
For Edith Garcia, it didn't matter that the incident happened 35 miles away or that one of the students who hung the "build a wall" banner had apologized.

What happened in Forest Grove last week -- when hundreds of Washington County teenagers left school to protest the banner as an attack on Latino immigrants -- mattered. And Garcia, a junior at

in North Portland, didn't want to forget it.

"The Latino community has been experiencing racism and discrimination for far too long," Garcia said. "I was feeling the same things the Latino students in Forest Grove were feeling. Thanks to their walking-out demonstrations last week, it enabled me to follow in their footsteps."

Friday night, she started spreading the word. Portland students needed to walk out, too.

She left school mid-morning Monday, just after English class, and headed downtown. Technically,

.

She and hundreds of other students from public and private high schools marched and chanted. They carried signs and flags. But as she and others fumbled with the megaphone, what Portland students shared wasn't a slogan.

What they shared was a story about what it means to be young and Latino in a world where Donald Trump, a politician who's promised to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, could be catapulted from a celebrity businessman to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

"We are worthy. We are smart," said another organizer,

senior Zanya Andrade Fitz. "Tomorrow, we'll be nurses. We'll be lawyers. We'll be doctors. We are Americans and we are here, and we are staying."

Before last week, Garcia was not an activist. The 17-year-old wasn't even a member of MEChA, the Chicano-student organization that promotes Latino culture in most high schools, before Sunday.

But tension was building.

White teachers always seemed to expect less of Latino students, she said. It hurt when staff members suggested she might not graduate on time, she said, or when they made comments implying Latino students might not grasp lessons quickly.

Lately, though, that hurt had turned to fear. Trump's pledge to build a wall between the United States and Mexico wasn't just an immigration policy. It was a flash point. With every Trump rally, she felt like people seemed to hate Latinos more. Garcia had watched on television as his rallies turned violent.

What would happen to her if he becomes president?

When two students hung a "build a wall" banner in Forest Grove last week, Garcia's fear deepened. But she wasn't content to worry in the shadows anymore.

"We need to take proactive steps so everyone can feel accepted," she said. "Especially in schools, where everyone has a right to education."

Soon after Garcia wrote on Facebook that she planned to walk out Monday, a Lincoln High School senior contacted her.

"They tell me I'm a gang member, that I'm here to deal drugs," said Iris Hernandez, a junior at St. Mary's. "No, I'm here to get an education. And to be someone in life."

Two Franklin High School students recounted the time in biology class a fellow student said a "cell wall," a layer outside the plasma membrane, would be better suited to keeping immigrants out. Madison High School's Rose Festival princess said she had been mistaken for a foreign exchange student while traveling with the other princesses.

And one teenager, whose mother had come to the United States from Honduras, spoke about the pre-dawn morning this spring when U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers took her mom to a Tacoma detention facility. Her mother has been in Tacoma 40 days, she said. Next month, the teenager has to take final exams. Her mother has court the same day.

"I'm telling everyone I'm going to kick those finals' butts anyway," she said.

Garcia watched from the back, empowered, but saddened, too.

"Their stories shocked me," she said. "We fight every day. It's an everyday basis we encounter racism and discrimination. But there's a lot of hope there, too."

For every story of discrimination, another Latino student stood and spoke of the time they earned straight A's or earned a near-perfect ACT score. No presidential candidate, she said, no banner could take away their drive.

-- Casey Parks

cparks@oregonian.com

503-221-8271;
California Storms

Lake Shasta behind Shasta Dam in Lake Shasta, Calif., is seen Sunday, March 13, 2016. The lake is a popular recreation spot for an annual fraternity and sorority trip (Nathan Solis/The Record Searchlight via AP)

Park rangers on a routine patrol Sunday discovered an "incredible amount of trash" left at a popular Lake Shasta island campsite that included a number of University of Oregon-related items.

Photos of the trash left on Slaughterhouse Island at the Northern California lake went viral Monday -- and work crews are still cleaning up the remnants.

Phyllis Swanson, a spokeswoman for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest said about 60 houseboats were docked at the site this weekend. It's an annual, and unsanctioned trip for fraternity and sorority members along the West Coast. It's not out of the norm to have upwards of 1,000 college students on the lake, she said.

"What was different about this one," Swanson said, "is they left behind an incredible amount of trash."

Crews discovered about 90 tents, some of them brand new, sleeping bags, ice chests filled with food and alcohol, personal items and a lot of trash along the lake's edge. The island doesn't have a restroom or garbage area -- lake users typically carry their belongings in -- then out of the area. But that didn't happen this year, and the photos of the refuse went viral.

Here is what a group of University of Oregon students left (they are gone) on Slaughterhouse Island on Lake Shasta. Way to represent your school... Please feel free to share this post. Posted by Jennifer Cox on Sunday, May 22, 2016

Pictures posted to Facebook show a UO shopping bag and sandals.

While the trip is not sanctioned by the university or the school's fraternity and sorority system, that didn't stop school leaders from blasting the behavior.

The University of Oregon took the rare stance of commenting on the situation.

"The manner in which the forest was left was absolutely unacceptable and disgraceful," said Robin Holmes, the vice president for student life.

While the university can't confirm that UO students were at the site, Holmes acknowledged that Duck gear was strewn across the landscape. She added the school could discipline students who are involved in the situation, adding those students would have violated the school's code of conduct.

In a statement, Holmes said national fraternity Zeta Omicron Zeta was suspending all of its chapters' activities until the "situation is addressed."

One photo showed a cooler emblazoned with one of that fraternity's chapters, Lambda Chi Alpha's Greek lettering and the phrase, "Do you wanna do some blow man?"

UO has roughly 4,000 students who participate in about 30 different sororities and fraternities in Eugene.

Evan Anderson, the inter-fraternity council president, said he couldn't say whether any fraternities from UO were at Lake Shasta. But Anderson said he had been speaking with chapter presidents to see what they knew, and they were considering putting together a trip to Shasta to do some community service or help clean up the area.

Swanson said she and other forest rangers "can't point a finger at anybody" or any particular school regarding the trash left at the lake.

But, she noted, it's illegal to abandon property in a national forest. "And it's illegal to litter," she added.

Three rangers spent all day Sunday cleaning up the mess, and they collected about 10 yards of garbage thus far.

She added that crews believe they spotted a potential other site Monday where more trash was left.

"It's going to be days until it's cleaned up," she added. "We hope to have it done by Memorial Day."



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
Forest Grove police car 2.jpg

The following is a list of calls, provided by the Forest Grove Police Department, that officers responded to during the past week.

May 15

* A caller reported that an 8-year-old showed up at his residence claiming to have been abandoned and asking if she could live there. Police determined the child was a runaway and brought her back home.

* A citizen reported that a woman was trying to get into the caller's Jeep parked outside. Officers located a very intoxicated woman and transported her home, where she was left with a sober family member.

* A woman reported her boyfriend took her car without her permission following an argument. She wanted police only to find the car but not pursue charges. An officer left a message for the boyfriend asking him to return the car.

May 16

* An officer stopped a vehicle after it was weaving all over the road and into a bike path. The driver was arrested on suspicion of DUII and submitted a breath sample showing three times the legal limit of alcohol their system.

* Two children were released to their parents after they were reportedly caught starting a small fire with a candle and matches.

* Police spoke with kids after they reportedly were trying to block a road off using toilet paper.

May 17

* A caller from the lobby of the Tigard Police department reported a sexual assault in Forest Grove that occurred in 1986. Police determined this did not occur, and that the caller was experiencing mental health issues.

* Police responded to a domestic dispute where a man's boyfriend was refusing to leave the residence. Peace was restored when the boyfriend eventually agreed to leave, however police were later called to another domestic disturbance in the street several blocks away where the two men were arguing. Both were advised to go their separate ways.

* A subject reported that his mother had just thrown a glass of "bovine lactate" (milk) at him and was not allowing him to close his bedroom door. Officers advised both mother and son to try to give each other more "boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction" (space).

May 18

* Officers rescued a 3-year-old child who locked himself in the bathroom.

* Police checked on a woman who reportedly was depressed and wanting to end her life. The woman agreed to voluntarily go to the hospital for an evaluation.

* A caller reported a man sitting in garbage near the library.

May 19

* An employee at a local establishment called to report that an intoxicated patron was trying to drive away. Police arrived and stopped the man from driving and called him a cab.

* Officers were called to assist with an intoxicated woman who had fallen face first onto the street. She was transported by ambulance to the hospital for her injuries.

* A landlord complained that a tenant stole his TV remote.

May 20

* A woman reported the alleged theft of property by her sister, who is also now sleeping with her ex-boyfriend. Police were not able to assist in either matter.

* Police responded to a report of a fight and found three people arguing over a vape pen.

* While patrolling at night along Hwy 47, an officer noticed a motorist with a flat tire. The officer changed the tire for the motorist. Later, another officer found a stranded motorist in the Safeway parking lot nearly out of gas. The officer escorted the woman to a gas station where he purchased $25 of gas for her and sent her on her way.

May 21

* Police responded to report of a man in a red hoodie making "finger guns" and refusing the leave an establishment. Officers issued a trespass order to the man and warned him not to return.

* Police recovered stolen property from several area thefts from unlocked vehicles in a vacant house. The investigation is ongoing.

* Pacific University Campus Public Safety called police after finding a woman in a university laundry area claiming the laundry was "for a student." Officers determined the woman was doing her own laundry and additionally had a warrant for her arrest. She was lodged at the Washington County Jail.
-3a03bf7bfdf3f63d.JPG

(Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian)

Oregon is expected to take in about $43 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana this year under a revised estimate by state economists.

The state's unexpectedly large tax haul so far prompted economists to revisit their original projections, which had put revenue somewhere between $2 million to $3 million for the whole year.

But Oregon has already collected $10.5 million in taxes in the first three months. That translates into at least $42 million worth of pot sold on the regulated market so far this year. And that figure doesn't account for medical marijuana sales, which are untaxed. Marijuana sold on the recreational market is subject to a 25 percent tax.

The new estimates, prepared by the Office of Legislative Revenue, were submitted to the Legislature's joint committee overseeing implementation of marijuana programs. The committee is one of many meeting this week in Salem to hear updates on key programs and policies in preparation for the 2017 session.

The committee got a broad overview from four agencies charged with regulating marijuana as well as collecting taxes from pot sales.

Economists expect about $12 million in tax revenue will go toward the cost of regulating marijuana, which Mazen Malik, a state economist, estimates will cost about $25 million overall in the current budget cycle. The rest of those expenses will be covered by licensing fees, he said.

The rest will be distributed according to a formula spelled out by law: 40 percent to the state's Common School Fund, 20 percent to mental health, alcoholism and drug services, 15 percent to Oregon State Police, 10 percent for city law enforcement, 10 percent for county law enforcement and 5 percent to the Oregon Health Authority for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention and treatment services.

Malik, a senior economist with the Office of Legislative Revenue, estimates that tax collections from pot sales will drop to $31 million in 2017, when a lower tax rate goes into effect.

Oregon's medical marijuana stores have been allowed to sell a limited amount of cannabis flowers, as well as starter marijuana plants and seeds, to anyone 21 and older since last October. The state's temporary 25 percent tax didn't kick in until Jan. 1.

Starting June 2, recreational marijuana shoppers will be able to buy cannabis-infused edibles, extracts and non-psychoactive topical products. Those products, too, are subject to the state tax.

That tax eventually will be replaced with one ranging from 17 percent to 20 percent once the Oregon Liquor Control Commission takes over regulation of recreational marijuana sales later this year. The Legislature set the base tax rate at 17 percent, but cities and counties can adopt ordinances that add up to 3 percent more.

The higher-than-anticipated tax collections prompted officials with the Oregon Department of Revenue this week to ask for additional staff to help handle the influx of cash payments, a revenue official told lawmakers Monday.

Deanna Mack, the agency's legislative liaison, said a "large percentage" of dispensary owners are making cash payments. She said the agency has received individual cash payments as large as $90,000.

The federal prohibition on marijuana complicates the pot industry's ability to do conventional banking; most banks won't work with the cannabis industry so businesses typically deal in cash.

Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, a member of the marijuana committee, asked Mack and JoLene Swint, another revenue official, about those payments.

"It's fascinating that you have remittances that are not in cash," he said. "What form are those remittances taking?"

"Don't tell me product," he added to laughter from the packed hearing room.

Check or money orders, the revenue officials said. Mack said she expects the number of dispensaries making cash payments to increase because business owners say they've gone through multiple bank accounts as institutions discover the nature of their work.

The committee heard about a wide range of issues, among them: Oregon Liquor Control Commission officials are worried about the lack of marijuana testing labs in the pipeline for licensing.

Danica Hibpshman, director of marijuana licensing and compliance for the agency, said the lack of labs is a "major concern." Six labs have applied; only one is in the process of becoming certified, a requirement of pot labs.

Certified and licensed labs are critical to the launch of recreational marijuana sales later this year because products must undergo testing for pesticide and potency.

Rep. Carl Wilson, R-Grants Pass, pressed liquor commission officials about the agency's security requirements for marijuana production. He said representatives of the wine industry in the Applegate and Williams areas - both popular centers of outdoor marijuana cultivation -- are unhappy about the sight of "8-foot-high wood fencing that looks like a bunch of Fort Apaches out there."

State rules require outdoor marijuana production be hidden from public view. The liquor commission also allows growers to request an exemption from the rules.

"The question the wine industry has is: How can they help to get that requirement dispensed with?" Wilson asked.

Commission officials said they didn't know how many marijuana producers have asked to be exempted from the requirement.

Sen. Lee Beyer, D-Springfield, called the security requirement "ridiculous."

"We don't do that for any other crop," he said. "I don't know why we do it for this."

An official with the Oregon Health Authority's medical marijuana program told lawmakers that the number of people applying for or renewing their medical marijuana patient card during the 12-month period ending in March increased by 4.5 percent compared to the previous year.

Andre Ourso, manager of the program, speculated that the larger marijuana possession limits for patients, as well as the wider range of products they can buy, could be factors in the increase.

He added that more than half of people applying for medical marijuana cards qualify for a reduced fee because they receive government benefits or are veterans.

-- Noelle Crombie

503-276-7184; @noellecrombie
jungle.JPG

Tents line a small green space below Interstate 90 and a short walk to a homeless area known as the Jungle May 17 in Seattle.

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

By Malka Davis

In June 2014, I was admitted to a women's homeless shelter in Northeast Portland. This was my second attempt to lift myself out of homelessness through the assistance of Transition Projects, which runs the shelter.

Like most of the residents, I was there because I had run out of options. None of us was thrilled about living with as many as 60 other women. Our only task was to make the most of it so we could transition into something better.

A few weeks into my stay, I returned to find a number of women in distress. Reportedly, one woman had even fled the shelter in terror.

What was wrong? What was the uproar about? An answer soon followed: The shelter had admitted a man who "self-identified" as a woman. No doubt this was not a first for the shelter; it was, however, a first for those of us who were relative newcomers.

The realization that a man was going to be sharing sleeping and bathroom space with us (in this particular area, there are no private or even semi-private rooms) was understandably met with tremendous anxiety, and, yes, even outrage. After all, not a few of these women were escaping domestic and sexual abuse committed by men, a trauma that doesn't magically disappear once you're away from your abuser. They thought they had found a haven exclusively for women. Little did they know that because of anti-discrimination laws any man who claims to identify as a woman can be admitted.

Over the next few months, most of the women came to tolerate, or even accept to one degree or another, "Clarence's" presence. I became acquainted with him early on, and he often sought me out to talk about his experiences both inside and outside the shelter. In return, I listened and sometimes offered words of consolation. But at no point did I come to regard Clarence as a woman, nor did I refer to him as one. I saw him as an intelligent, sensitive, but very fragile and confused man. That is to say, I afforded him the dignity he deserved as a human being without denying the truth of his gender.

Nonetheless, I believe the shelter was wrong for admitting him. It jeopardized the security of a dozen or so women for the benefit of one man's sense of belonging. Not only that, but for every man who is admitted into a women's shelter under the speciousness of gender ideology, untold numbers of bona fide women are left waiting on the streets. That is not just unfair, it's unjust.

When I see how this debate is being portrayed in the liberal media, though, I have to wonder if these so-called champions of transgender rights have any concept of how this issue impacts people -- especially women -- on the fringes of society. Many of us, like those in homeless shelters, do not have the luxury of choosing how much we're going to be impacted by the liberal zeitgeist's latest cause celebre, or the ability to exercise other options. The issue is thrust upon us when we are at our most vulnerable.

*

Malka Davis lives in North Portland.
There are few details to explain what happened on April 21, when Portland Police Chief Larry O'Dea shot his friend in the back during a hunting trip in Harney County. Even the name of the 54-year-old victim has not been divulged, much less the circumstances that led to his injury. Oregon State Police and justice department officials may well conclude that the non-fatal shooting was simply an unfortunate accident.

But what's not accidental is O'Dea's and Mayor Charlie Hales' intentional and cowardly response: They have kept the matter quiet for nearly a month until reporters forced them to confirm that a shooting occurred. Rather than being honest with the community, the two men withheld any information about the incident and the ongoing criminal and internal investigations of the chief. Their actions reflect their disrespect for the public and a lack of understanding of what accountability means.

O'Dea's dishonesty may run even deeper. Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward told The Oregonian/OregonLive's Maxine Bernstein that O'Dea misled the deputy who responded to the shooting by suggesting that the injured man may have accidentally shot himself. O'Dea also failed to identify himself to authorities as a police officer, Ward said. While not required, it is standard for officers who get involved in matters while off-duty to identify themselves as law enforcement.

http://media.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/photo/agenda-2013jpg-da8a3522a991b9c6.jpg

Editorial Agenda 2016



Get Oregon centered

Better leadership in education

Make Portland a city that works

Build Oregon prosperity

Protect and expand personal freedom

Get pot right

_______________________________

If additional information shows O'Dea lied or sought to cover up his role in the shooting, he should step down immediately or be removed from office. A law enforcement officer who lies about his role in a shooting has no business serving in a position of public trust, much less leading a police bureau

with the federal government for excessive force.

But Hales owes Portlanders a show of good faith as well. He made a start on Tuesday when he finally placed O'Dea on administrative leave pending the investigations. It's a step that any police commissioner with even a passing interest in accountability would have taken weeks ago.

The mayor also needs to come forward and explain in detail the account that O'Dea shared with him, including why the two decided to keep the incident under wraps and what he knows of O'Dea's account to investigators.

Finally, Hales should step away from the ongoing negotiations with the police union. He has already shown his penchant for choosing cronyism over accountability, staying mum instead of demonstrating a commitment to Portlanders that the city would police its police. There is no reason to believe he understands what is in Portlanders' best interests, and we cannot afford to have him cement in place concessions negotiated under his compromised compass.

O'Dea's handling of the incident is insidious -- not just with regard to how he allegedly sought to cover up his culpability. If true, it only confirms what so many Portlanders already suspect. There are special rules that protect police officers from taking responsibility for mistakes, no matter the harm to the public. When even the police chief seeks to evade scrutiny in a non-fatal incident involving a friend, how can the rank and file not be expected to do the same in shootings of much greater consequence?

Oregonian editorials

reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom.

are Helen Jung, Erik Lukens, Steve Moss and Len Reed.

To respond to this editorial:

Post your comment below, submit a

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If you have questions about

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contact Erik Lukens, editorial and commentary editor,

at

or 503-221-8142.

Hales' spokeswoman, Sara Hottman, contends the mayor "followed standard procedure" by keeping quiet. "Generally, with off-duty issues of all kinds, media are not immediately notified unless a sworn member is arrested (or charged later) for a crime," she said in an email. "There are both internal and criminal investigations that occur without contacting media at the start. This is standard in handling incidents such as the Chief's." She added that "it's not the Mayor's Office role to announce investigations."

This ignores, of course, that a shooting incident involving the chief is anything but standard. It ignores, too, that Portland Police has notified the public in the past of off-duty incidents involving police officers. It also ignores that Hales, as police commissioner, does have a role in supervising his direct reports. He failed to do so here, and his excuses only compound the fact that he is trying to dodge responsibility for cutting his friend a break.

Leave it to Sheriff Ward, whose integrity was on full display during militants' occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January, to once again show what leadership is. He called in the Oregon State Police to assist in the investigation when he learned that the Portland Police chief was involved in the shooting. And as others sought to obscure the record, he stepped forward to correct it.

Hales and O'Dea would be well-served to compare their actions with his and tally up all the ways that they have fallen short.

- The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board

This editorial has been updated to reflect Tuesday's announcement that the mayor is putting O'Dea on leave.
More than seven decades after being killed during World War II, Pvt. Earl Joseph Keating finally came home to his native New Orleans after his remains were discovered on the Pacific island where he died in 1942.

Its a journey long in the making.

Keatings nephew, Nadau du Treil Michael Keating Jr., was only 6 months old when his 28-year-old uncle was killed Dec. 5, 1942. The private died at a place that came to be known as the Huggins Roadblock on the island of New Guinea just north of Australia  part of the bloody campaign to defeat the Japanese in the Pacific theater.

But the nephew remembers his grandmothers message to him when he was just 12 years old and she was on her deathbed.

She said I want you to remember to please find Earl with your Dad. Help your dad find Earl, he said.

Pvt. Keating was part of a group manning the roadblock when it came under withering attacks by the Japanese. The group repelled the onslaughts but suffered heavy casualties, including Keating and fellow Pvt. John H. Klopp, 25, also of New Orleans. Fellow soldiers buried them together.

But for Keatings mother back home, the loss of one of her three sons never left. She wrote the military repeatedly, beseeching them to find her sons remains, and the family frequently remembered him in prayers.

It wasnt until decades later that the younger Keating Jr., who lives in Lafayette, Louisiana, was able to answer that death bed request with the help of villagers in Papua New Guinea. A villager out hunting came across the remains of the two men and some personal effects.

He dug around and found a helmet and some artifacts such as the dog tags, said Tyler Lege, Michael Keatings young nephew. Word that some remains and effects had been found was eventually passed along to the U.S. military, which sent a team to investigate.

The U.S. military runs an extensive effort to recover the remains of missing troops from conflicts around the world. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency investigates reports of service members missing in action from Vietnam, World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. There are 82,729 people unaccounted for from all conflicts, according to the organizations website. Yet troops from World War II make up the vast majority  73,159.

To help identify Keatings remains, the U.S. military needed more DNA, said Keating, a search that eventually led him about a year and a half ago to Tulane University where he tracked down a cousin, Sue duTreil. Both she and her brothers also provided DNA samples and eventually the military was able to positively identify the remains.

Im so glad that hes getting the attention that he deserves. He went through a lot from what weve learned, said Sue duTreil. I wasnt born yet when Earl died and du Treil was only 6 months old but somehow we have become the ones to help bring him home.
Affordable Care Act: Gary Sinnen's op-ed is spot on. So many people have been able to obtain health care with Obamacare, but so many people are still priced out or otherwise unable to receive care. Sinnen is absolutely accurate that there is no reason the U.S. could not have a one-payer system -- no reason, that is, but for the powerful insurance companies who fund politicians.

My family is insured, but that wasn't always the case. We can see whomever we need to see to maintain our health. It is a shame and a scandal that the U.S. continues to enrich insurance companies at the expense of its people.

Sharii E. Rey

Beaverton
Adam Moore thought there must have been a "heck of a car wreck" when he stopped near his younger brother's Oregon City apartment on Saturday, but he couldn't get to the door because of the yellow caution tape, ambulance and police cars blocking his path. He couldn't find any signs of a crash.

Moore had driven about 30 minutes north from Molalla at the request of his 38-year-old brother, Travis, to give him $20 to buy cigarettes. Once he arrived, calls to the younger brother's phone immediately went to voicemail. The elder brother called their mom, confused that the sibling had apparently turned off his phone knowing the money was coming.

Adam Moore then left and went back home.

"It never even crossed my mind that all those cop cars and other vehicles were there for him," said Adam Moore, 40, on Monday. It wasn't until he called their younger sister later that he learned a

.

He and his mother went to the Molalla Police Department around 5:30 p.m. after being told to do so by a Clackamas County detective responding to their inquiries from a non-emergency 911 line. Detectives at the police station told the mother and son that Travis Moore was the man who died.

Adam Moore said police still haven't told them much about his brother's deadly encounter with two Oregon City police officers. He said he knows they arrived Saturday afternoon to arrest Travis Moore on a warrant for allegedly not appearing in court and that an altercation ensued.

He said he fears officers may not have known his brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2009 or 2008. He worries they were quick to use deadly force instead of trying alternate means to subdue him.

"(Travis) was out of control in a lot of ways, but he didn't mean to be and he didn't want to be," said Adam Moore. "But he wasn't a violent person. He owned no firearms and had no dangerous weapons that I know of. This all just doesn't make sense to any of us."

Oregon City police patrol officers David Plummer and David Edwins are on paid administrative leave following Saturday's shooting in the 200 block of South Second Avenue.

Plummer, who has been with the Oregon City department for five years and has 17 years of experience as an officer, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries after the shooting, according to Oregon City Police Sgt. Matthew Paschall. Edwins, an 11-year police veteran, was not injured.

Both officers were aware of Moore's mental health issues and had received crisis intervention training geared toward people in mental distress, Paschall said.

They arrived to Moore's apartment at 1:40 p.m. to arrest him on suspicion of failing to appear in Oregon City Municipal Court on a harassment accusation, Paschall said. Moore was arrested in January when his next-door neighbor reported the 38-year-old hit him while he was checking his mailbox, called him a gay slur and accused him of stealing his cell phone, according to an Oregon City police report.

The neighbor denied any theft. Moore admitted to officers that he hit his neighbor and used the slur. He claimed the neighbor "used his mind to teleport (Moore's) phone out of his pocket," then later warped it back into Moore's apartment, the report said.

Edwins was one of the three officers who responded to the apartments on that call, and Moore was arrested without incident, the report said.

Moore was supposed to appear in court May 5, but didn't show, according to the Oregon City Municipal Court.

Both officers were aware of Moore's mental health issues, Paschall said, and had received crisis intervention training geared toward people in mental distress. Moore fought with Edwins and Plummer as they tried to arrest him and six minutes after they arrived, the officers radioed that Moore had been shot, Paschall said.

A Taser was used before the shooting, but it didn't stop Moore, Paschall said. Moore died at the scene despite being given first aid for the gunshot wound.

Paschall said only one of the officers opened fire. He said he couldn't say which officer fired, citing an ongoing investigation by the Clackamas County Interagency Major Crimes team. Paschall also declined to release further information about why deadly force was used.

Adam Moore said his brother was once a good father to his two kids and very responsible until he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The illness made him delusional, paranoid and later caused a rift dividing himself from his teen children and their mother, his older brother said.

He said the family was able to convince Travis to get treatment and medication through Clackamas County a few years ago after he didn't speak or bathe, and often holed himself inside his room while living with his mother. Travis stopped seeing doctors and taking medication in November or December, the older brother said. He said they didn't know until months later when they checked with the county after noticing Moore's behavior become more erratic. He said they didn't know he had been arrested in January.

He said they all begged Travis to resume taking his medication and continue treatment, but he refused.

"He convinced himself that he was fine and that he didn't need any of that anymore," Adam Moore said. "My brother needed help badly and we just couldn't make him do it no matter how hard we tried. Now he's dead and we don't know what to do."

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

503-221-8343;
Oregon City Police shooting.jpg

The Clackamas County Major Crimes Team is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Oregon City, according to the sheriff's office.

(Oregon City Police Department)

Travis Moore in January 2016

Two Oregon City patrol officers are on paid leave after Saturday's fatal shooting of a 38-year-old man, police announced Monday.



Travis A. Moore was shot six minutes after officers David Plummer and David Edwins arrived to arrest him on suspicion of failing to appear in Oregon City Municipal Court on a harassment accusation, said Oregon City police Sgt. Matthew Paschall. Moore later died at the scene in the 200 block of South Second Avenue.



Paschall said Moore has had past struggles with mental health and became violent when Plummer and Edwin arrived at 1:40 p.m. He said officers first Tased Moore, but declined to release further information about why deadly force was used. He said only one officer fired his gun, though he would not say which, citing the ongoing investigation by the Clackamas County Interagency Major Crimes team.

Edwins is an 11-year police veteran. Plummer has been with the Oregon City department for five years and has 17 years of experience as an officer. He was transported to a hospital with minor injuries after the shooting, Paschall said.



The harassment complaint stemmed from an arrest in January after Moore's neighbor called police and reported the 38-year-old attacked him and made a derogatory remark about his sexual orientation, Paschall said.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
A 623-foot vessel that ran aground early this spring in the Columbia River is headed to Japan -- with a boulder lodged inside its hull.

The Sparna, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier, ran aground March 21 in a narrow part of the river near Cathlamet, Washington. It arrived at the Port of Kalama for temporary repairs two days later and departed from its mooring Monday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard previously said the vessel sustained multiple fractures -- the largest of which was about 25 feet high and 5 feet wide and had the boulder inside. The boulder remains aboard the vessel and has been encased in concrete and steel, the Coast Guard said in a news release Monday.

Two of the vessel's compartments flooded because of the damage it sustained when it ran aground, the agency previously said. It was headed to Japan at the time.

After running aground, the vessel was placed under a captain of the port order that required it to receive emergency hull repairs before getting permanent repairs at a foreign shipyard, the Coast Guard said.

"We have inspected the Sparna and have approved the temporary repairs to make the vessel seaworthy," Lt. Cmdr. Ben Russell, chief inspections department, Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Portland, said in a statement.

"Our inspection team has monitored the planning and implementation of the repairs over the last two months. We are comfortable with the outcome and wish the crew of the Sparna a safe voyage across the Pacific Ocean."

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
A former Deschutes County sheriff's captain pleaded guilty Monday to embezzling $205,000 in taxpayer money, an official said.

Scott Raymond Beard of Bend, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts apiece of money laundering and theft of funds from a federally finances program, Gerri Badden, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said in a news release. He faces as much as 20 years in prison and will repay the county, Badden said.

Beard will be sentenced in late August. A count of passport fraud was dismissed as part of a plea agreement, Badden said.

Beard, who was in charge of the sheriff's office's detectives division, is accused of devising a scheme to embezzle, steal and fraudulently obtain money to pay for personal items beginning in at least January 2014, according to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in February.

The personal items include payments to Krista Jean Mudrick, a former sheriff's office employee with whom he had a sexual relationship until at least September 2015, according to the court documents. Beard was one of her supervisors.

The personal items also included money given to Mudrick for a motorcycle, vacations, concert tickets, gym membership, tanning expenses, rent, household expenses and cosmetic surgeries, according to court documents.

Mudrick of Bend, 35, was also indicted in February for making a false statement to federal law enforcement agents. She pleaded not guilty the next week, according to court records. Beard also pleaded not guilty to his charges at that time, the records show.

The Bulletin reports Beard was fired the same week he was charged. He had been on paid leave from the agency since the previous fall.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
A 12-year-old girl from Oregon drowned Sunday night north of Long Beach, Washington, according to the Chinook Observer.

The newspaper reports Daniela Garcia of Warrenton died at an Ilwaco hospital. A 911 caller reported around 7 p.m. that the girl may have been playing in or near the water in the Klipsan Beach area, local sheriff's deputies said in a news release.

The girl had been out of her caregiver's sight for "a very short time," according to the Pacific County Sheriff's Office.

Officials in a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that was there within 20 minutes spotted Daniela, and a rescue swimmer was deployed. She was taken to Ocean Beach Hospital in Ilwaco.

The Chinook Observer reports it's likely she was in approximately 55-degree water for at least a half hour. Responders found her unconscious and unresponsive, Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda Norcross, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, told the newspaper.

"This drowning is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with that little girl's family," Sheriff Scott Johnson said in a statement.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
pjimage.jpg

Donald Trump (left) and Bernie Sanders will take different routes but land at the same place: their party's nominee for president in Washington state.

(AP file photos)

Updated at 7:32 p.m.

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Washington's statewide presidential primary doesn't hold much, if any, intrigue. Donald Trump is the sole candidate standing in the Republican race, and Democrats don't use the results to allocate their delegates to the national convention.

Regardless, about 1.3 million voters have already sent in their ballots for Tuesday's election.

"I think there's value in the sense that it's a million-plus people sending the message that they want to participate in this," said Todd Donovan, a political science professor at Western Washington University. "It demonstrates there's much more interest this year, even in a meaningless primary."

Washington has both a presidential primary and a caucus system, but Democrats will ignore the primary results, having chosen to keep using the party caucus system to allocate their delegates. Bernie Sanders handily won the Democratic caucuses in March.

Republicans in Washington will allocate all 44 delegates to their national convention based on the primary results.

Even though Trump is the only candidate remaining in the GOP contest, John Kasich and Ted Cruz are still on the ballot because they suspended their campaigns after the ballots were printed. Ben Carson's name also appears because he never submitted a withdrawal of candidacy. Sanders and Hillary Clinton are listed for the Democratic race.

The inevitability of the Republican race doesn't sit well with some voters who say they are not ready to support Trump.

Daniel Emborg said Tuesday he voted for Cruz. Emborg, who was depositing his ballot at a drop box in Everett, said if Trump is the GOP nominee, he will vote for a third-party candidate.

However, Tom Lasswell said he voted for Trump because "you need to instigate change."

"I like Ted Cruz, but I believe Donald Trump can pull this together, and I'm willing to give him a chance," he said.

The secretary of state's office said 28 percent of voters returned their ballots ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

Election officials said that as of Tuesday evening, 31 percent of voters have returned their ballot. There are more than 4 million registered voters in Washington state, who can either vote by mail or by dropping their ballot at an election drop box.

The record number of presidential primary ballots counted in Washington was nearly 1.4 million in 2008, according to the secretary of state's office. The record percentage return was 42.6 in 2000. Both of those elections were held in February. Under state law, the presidential primary is held on the fourth Tuesday of May, unless the parties agree to change it, which they did in both of those years.

Last year, Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman pushed to have this year's primary moved to March, but the move, opposed by Democrats, failed to get the two-thirds vote required by the Presidential Primary Date Selection Committee.

Sanders overwhelmingly won the district caucuses March 26. Following the congressional district caucuses over the weekend, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party said 74 delegates will go to Sanders and 27 to Clinton.

Cornell Clayton, director of the Foley Institute for Public Policy at Washington State University, said even though the Democratic primary is nothing more than a poll, there's still value for the campaign that prevails.

"They're going to tout this as the will of the people," he said.

State Republicans will send 44 delegates to the July national convention in Cleveland. Thirty will be allocated proportionally based on candidate percentages in the congressional districts -- three delegates from each of the 10 districts.

Fourteen at-large delegates, which include three Republican National Committee members, will be allocated according to the statewide primary votes. Those delegates are allocated proportionally to candidates with at least 20 percent of the statewide vote.

The delegates were chosen over the weekend at the state Republican convention. Of the 41 elected delegates, 40 were Cruz supporters. However, under party rules, each delegate is bound to the primary results for the first round of voting at the national convention.

-- The Associated Press
A Portland-area Shetland sheep dog was on the verge of being put to sleep due to his failing health and paralysis, when a student veterinarian found a tick behind his ear. After removing the tick, the dog was fully mobile in about 10 hours, and the remarkable recovery has made headlines nationwide.

Ollie's near death experience has made headlines all over the country, including stories from ABC News, CNN, and NBC affiliates.

The owners and the dog had been camping in southern and eastern Oregon where it's likely the dog picked up the tick. According to a blog post on the DoveLewis website, 10-year-old Ollie began to show signs of illness about a week after returning from camping. Owners Al and Joelle Meteney noticed that Ollie was increasingly lethargic. He was very weak, finding it difficult to walk, and would only eat when he was hand fed.

A visit to Ollie's regular vet included a full range of tests, including blood work, a urinalysis, and a variety of X-rays. But no reason was found for Ollie's diminishing health.

Because Ollie couldn't eat on his own, and was unable to walk, his owners made the decision to put him down. Veterinarian Adam Stone was charged with Ollie's end-of-life care, but couldn't help wondering why an otherwise perfectly healthy dog was experiencing paralysis. He and extern Neena Golden were preparing for the procedure, when Golden took a moment to comfort Ollie. "She was scratching behind his ears when she felt a strange lump in his thick fur," DoveLewis reports.

The lump turned out to be a tick. Even though Ollie was wearing a tick collar during his outdoor trip, the creature had still managed to lodge itself in Ollie's skin.

According to the DoveLewis blog, Stone then diagnosed Ollie with tick paralysis. The condition occurs when the saliva secreted by the tick gets into the dog's system over a prolonged period of time. Getting the tick off of Ollie did the trick. The dog was up and walking around in just 10 hours.

Portland archaeoentomologist Martin E. Adams examined the tick and found it to be specimen of the American dog tick or wood tick , Dermacentor variabilis. Martin notes it is primarily a species of central and eastern North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, and also commonly found in California.

It is a known carrier of several afflictions in both humans and animals, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Q-fever, tularemia, human monocytic ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis. Martin also verified this species can transmit the neurotoxin from its salivary glands responsible for tick paralysis.

The graphic shows the front and back of the engorged tick, and also the same species "empty."

Martin's report to DoveLewis notes that this species range has extended into the Pacific Northwest. The image of the "empty" (unengorged) tick is of one he picked up at another clinic only a few weeks ago. Any season is "tick season" in Oregon, but it's common for ticks to be more active in the early spring to late fall.

A DoveLewis spokesperson said it's much more common for dogs in the Portland area to pick up a tick than most than people think. But on the positive side, DoveLewis does not see a lot of cases with tick-related illnesses. While some ticks do carry diseases, it's not common that they affect the dog to the point of emergency treatment, especially since people are using tick prevention medicine more frequently.

Check for ticks frequently:

Carefully go over your dog periodically to check for ticks. The creatures will often attach around the head, neck, ears and eyes. But the Humane Society of the United States also recommends checking between the toes, under armpits, and around the torso.

Ticks vary in size, but will get bigger as they feed on your dog. Specialized tools can help you remove a tick, but many people just use tweezers.

The Humane Society also recommends people wear gloves when removing the tick (as ticks can transmit diseases to people, too).

Grasp the tick as close to the dog's skin as possible, but be gentle. Try not to pinch the skin.

Pull outward in a straight, steady motion, making sure the entire tick is removed - anything left behind could lead to an infection.

Drop the tick in a small container that contains isopropyl alcohol (the alcohol will quickly kill the tick), and mark the date on the container.

If your pet becomes ill, your vet may want to see the tick to identify and test it.

There are collars, topical and oral tick preventatives, but no one product is 100 percent effective. Make sure to regularly check your pets for ticks.
Many conservatives are waving off concerns about Facebook manipulating its Trending News feature because its a private company. In addition to legal concerns related to the fact the feature was deceptively misrepresented, there is a bigger reason Facebooks conduct should set off alarm bells: the company has long advocated regulatory changes that could eventually make mandatory for the whole Internet the type of content manipulation that Facebook has been imposing on its own site.

During Obamas first term, Facebook was a member of the so-called Open Internet Coalition, which included among its members the neo-Marxist group Free Press. The founder of Free Press, Robert McChesney infamously praised Hugo Chavez and suggested that America should emulate his regimes oppressive media policies, saying: Aggressive unqualified political dissent is alive and well in the Venezuelan mainstream media, in a manner few other democratic nations have ever known, including our own.

Quite a bedfellow for Facebook. And their key ally on the FCC, who voted for the so-called Open Internet Order, was another interesting fellow named Michael Copps.

Copps gave away what the regulatory push branded with the happy name net neutrality was really about when he said said: Can you tell me that minority and womens voices on the Internet are getting through to major audiences  really being heard  like the big corporate sites? Should we just take it for granted that the small d democratic potential of new information technologies will somehow be magically realized without questions being raised about how they are designed and managed?

That sounds eerily similar to what Facebook got caught doing. Facebook got a lot of pressure about not having a trending topic for Black Lives Matter, a whistleblower told Gizmodo. They realized it was a problem, and they boosted it in the ordering. They gave it preference over other topics. When we injected it, everyone started saying, Yeah, now Im seeing it as number one.

Although Facebook has denied that they inject stories, their own guidelines have detailed instructions for how to inject a topic. It is a stonewall reminiscent of Lois Lerner (a name likely unfamiliar to people who rely on Facebook for news).

Which brings us back to the FCC, which also denies it would ever regulate Internet content  despite the Copps confession. Yet when the 2010 order was struck down as illegal, rather than go to Congress for a sensible compromise that Senator Thune has long had on offer, Facebook and its allies escalated their fight for FCC regulatory control of the Internet.

Their new lobbying group, the Internet Association, picked up where their old one left off and lobbied successfully for the FCC to adopt the nuclear option: reclassifying the Internet as an old-fashioned public utility under a Depression-era law.

Facebook even met with an FCC commissioner to echo their trade groups demand for regulation and stated in Orwellian terms: Facebook has long supported a free and open Internet that is accessible to people around the world, and urged the FCC to adopt enforceable rules against paid prioritization or the creation of Internet fast lanes, so that the Internet remains an open platform for speech and commerce.

But why would an open platform require heavy-handed government regulation? Whose speech were they talking about? Would the Internet have to be designed and managed to promote minority and womens voices, as their ally had explained a few years ago?

Now private broadband investment is plummeting. The FCC has voted to start replacing that private investment with government spending. The big tax hike to pay for that decision looms. One FCC commissioner helpfully explained: One might reasonably suspect that this decision is conveniently being put off until after the November elections.

As private investment continues to decline under the weight of federal regulation it will be replaced by higher and higher taxes and spending. Then the Internet will likely be subject to public interest regulation, content controls, equal-space requirements, and worse as a condition of continued government funding.

In practice that means a heavy thumb on the scale for promoting politically correct liberal stories that are not actually popular but that elites think should be  just as the Fairness Doctrine once did on radio. And just as Facebook has been caught doing with Trending News.

When Facebook does it, people can vote with their clicks and head somewhere else. When the whole Internet is designed and managed in the same fashion there will be nowhere to go. And thats why it is imperative that if the courts dont overturn Obamas Internet regulations, the next president and Congress must.

Phil Kerpen is the president of American Commitment and the author of Democracy Denied. Email him at phil@americancommitment.org.
God bless the Little Sisters of the Poor. They just put our overzealous federal government back in its constitutional place.

The Little Sisters of the Poor is an international congregation of Roman Catholic nuns who have devoted their lives to caring for the elderly poor. Since the orders 1839 founding in France, its mission has been to give dignity and love to the frail and weak in the very last stage of their lives.

When ObamaCare became the law of the land, it demanded that the sisters purchase insurance policies for the orders employees that cover the cost of contraception, abortive drugs and sterilization. But the nuns could never do so because their vow is to advance the dignity of life for every person, including the unborn.

The Little Sisters sought a religious exemption from the rules, but, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a legal group that defended the sisters in court, the government said the nuns were not religious enough to be exempt. The government insisted that the ObamaCare exemption applied only to churches and church-controlled ministries.

The government threatened massive fines against the 27 retirement homes that the sisters operate in the United States  at a cost of $100 per employee per day or $70 million in fines per year. This amount represents one-third of the Little Sisters operating budget and would have severely hampered the sisters ability to care for the elderly poor.

So, in 2013, the good sisters sued the government.

They argued that their constitutional right to freely practice their faith was being obstructed by our ever-growing government. The federal district court in Denver, Colo., ruled against them.

Thankfully, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued an injunction siding with the sisters. Her injunction temporarily stopped the fines as the case worked its way through the legal process.

The sisters appealed the district court ruling. They lost again in 2015 when the 10th Circuit Court ruled against them and sided with ObamaCare.

The Little Sisters filed a petition to the Supreme Court. Finally, last week, the Supreme Court gave the sisters a huge win.

According to the Becket Fund, The Supreme Court unanimously overturned the lower court rulings against the Little Sisters, ordered the government not to fine the Little Sisters, and said the lower courts should provide the government an opportunity to arrive at an approach going forward that accommodates the petitioners religious beliefs.

What is most puzzling about the whole situation, however, is that none of this was necessary.

The sisters never sought to prevent the government from providing these (contraception) services, but have simply asked that the government pick a way that doesnt force them to deliver services  like the week-after pill  that violate their faith.

President Obama himself acknowledged that the government can continue to provide these services without the Little Sisters and their health plan, according to the Becket Fund.

So why did our government attack the wonderful sisters who have dedicated their lives to caring for the elderly poor?

It beats me, but it is a textbook case of why I and others worry about the erosion of our countrys most basic freedoms as our overzealous government extends its tentacles more deeply into every aspect of our everyday lives.

In our current state, it takes the incredible fortitude of a group of selfless nuns to protect and restore our freedoms.

They fought the good fight against a mighty foe so that they may continue to practice their faith freely in what is supposed to be the freest nation on Earth.

God bless the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Tom Purcell is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. Email him at Tom@TomPurcell.com.
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Recognize this woman?

Shes sandwiched between the needs of aging parents and the demands of young children. Her frustration is palpable. Shes fed up with her employers inflexibility over her schedule and with her bosss attitude that equates motherhood with undedicated slacking off.

True, her schedule has to accommodate occasional doctors appointments and school events for children, as well as the emotional rollercoaster of watching her parents health decline. But she has a full-time career and a track record of success in a business that she dearly loves.

Guess what. This woman is now a man.

Among the more interesting findings of a new report on work/life conflicts is the dramatic rise in lawsuits by men who feel discriminated against as they try to manage it all. Welcome to the workplace, gentlemen.

Its a sad commentary on gender, but the fact that men are increasingly being moved to sue their employers over family responsibilities will help change attitudes and policies. And they have to change.

The massive rise in discrimination lawsuits involving family responsibilities like child care, elder care, and maternity and paternity leave is the biggest challenge employers never (saw) coming, according to Cynthia Thomas Calvert, the author of Caregivers in the Workplace.

More fathers than mothers now report work/life conflict, according to the study, which was conducted by the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings.

That shift is reflected by an astonishing 269 percent rise in lawsuits decided in the last decade that involved family responsibilities. The 4,400 cases studied cost employers nearly a half-billion dollars in verdicts and settlements between 2006 and 2015, yet these likely constitute only a fraction of what actually went through the courts.

Most of these cases go forward through a patchwork of protections. But Calvert also points out that no federal law exists that explicitly bans discrimination based on family responsibilities.

The majority of cases studied involved pregnancy and maternity leave. But men, as their numbers grow as caregivers, are now fighting attitudes that working women have long faced. WorkLife Law, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on ending employment discrimination against caregivers, runs a hotline, and 25 percent of the calls are now from men.

Increasingly, it is fathers who are offended when denied a plum assignment based on the perception that they wont be as committed to their company. Now it is men who are angered that they are denied paternity leave or are passed over for promotion because they spend time caring for a disabled child.

A lot of the problems are the result of employees being penalized at work not for their actual job performance but based on assumptions and biases that too often are not recognized  at least until the lawsuit is filed.

Calverts study shows that the complaints occur in virtually every industry and at every level of employment, including top managers. And all races and genders were represented in the cases studied  although racial bias can further complicate workplace assumptions about how employees with family duties will or should behave.

Most employees will at some point in their careers become a caregiver. The study found that of the 43.5 million adults who gave unpaid care to either an adult or a child with special needs in 2014, nearly a quarter were millennials.

Its tempting to believe that the country is sorting these issues out and heading in a better direction, that the gains of technology and awareness of our aging population are causing workplaces to realign policy and practices.

In reality, we are in the midst of ideological battles about work in general. Consider the fights over efforts to strip workers of their right to collective bargaining, debates about the minimum wage and the growing gap between what CEOs earn and the salaries of everyone employed beneath them. The relationship between work and life is in turmoil in America.

So much of modern politics skirts these issues. However, judging by this 44-page report, they are urgently important to most voters. Forget the culture wars, Donald Trumps bluster and Hillary Clintons email server. The concerns of the average voter are closer to home and work. Yet who is speaking for families struggling to manage it all?

Mary Sanchez is an opinion-page columnist for The Kansas City Star. Email at msanchez@kcstar.com.
Tuesday 24 May 2016 9:23am



AIDS Epidemiology Group Director Associate Professor Nigel Dickson

224 people were diagnosed with HIV in New Zealand in 2015  a similarly high figure to the previous year  according to data released today by the AIDS Epidemiology Group based at the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine at the University of Otago.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) were the largest group affected. Of all those diagnosed 153 (68%) were MSM and 42 (19%) were heterosexually infected men and women. There were four people infected thorough injecting drug use, and one child was infected overseas having being been born to a woman with undiagnosed HIV. For most of the remainder the means of infection was not reported.

Of particular concern is that the number of MSM diagnosed and infected in New Zealand continues at the high rate seen in 2014, says AIDS Epidemiology Group Director Associate Professor Nigel Dickson.

While the number diagnosed each year will not necessarily reflect the number newly infected, for the past two years there has been a higher number of MSM being diagnosed with evidence of a relatively newly acquired infection, suggesting an increase in recent incidence in this group.

This does not necessarily mean there has been more risk behaviour, as a rising prevalence resulting from ongoing new infections and longer survival could in itself drive a increase in incidence, even if behaviour is unchanged, Associate Professor Dickson says.

While regular HIV testing of those at risk is important, people with HIV are most infectious to their sexual partners in the weeks and months after they have been infected, so continued condom use is essential both to prevent acquiring and spreading HIV even among those who last test was negative.

Associate Professor Dickson says the increasing number of infections in recent years suggests that all possible means of decreasing infection risk and spread should be considered.

Internationally many countries now fund antiretroviral treatment for all people with HIV  whatever their level of immune deficiency  to reduce their infectivity. Some are even considering providing such treatment to high-risk uninfected people, which trials have shown effective in reducing the risk of acquiring HIV.

Of those men and women diagnosed with heterosexually acquired HIV in 2015, about half were infected in New Zealand and half overseas. The number infected in New Zealand has been relatively stable over the past decade.

There was evidence of greater immunodeficiency among those heterosexually infected in this country than the equivalent MSM, suggesting more delay in their diagnoses, which could result in a worse outcome.

Associate Professor Dickson says that while the epidemic is focused on the gay and bisexual community, anyone sick with symptoms that could be due to HIV should be offered an HIV test whatever their sexual behaviour.

He adds: It is also important that efforts are made to combat the stigma about HIV and the groups most affected, as when this exists testing could be discouraged, and people be less receptive to health promotion messages.

There were a small number of people infected in other ways in 2015. Four people were diagnosed who had been infected through injecting drug use; one child who had been infected overseas was diagnosed having being born to an HIV-infected woman.

Commenting on these, Associate Professor Dickson says New Zealand continues to have only a small number of HIV diagnoses among people who inject drugs thanks to New Zealands early introduction of the Needle Exchange Programme.

Nor are we now seeing children contracting HIV from their pregnant mothers in New Zealand as there is a national programme encouraging all pregnant women to be tested, and ensuring treatment to prevent mother to child transmission for those found to be infected.

The AIDS Epidemiology Group is funded by the Ministry of Health.

For further information contact:

Associate Professor Nigel Dickson

Department of Preventive and Social Medicine

University of Otago

Email nigel.dickson@otago.ac.nz
Tuesday 24 May 2016 12:41pm



Credit: Elaine Leung

Reports last week of serious under-reporting of fish catches in New Zealand fisheries and lack of prosecution of alleged perpetrators is mirrored in reporting of marine mammals bycatch, say University of Otago marine mammal experts.

Using Government documents and data just released to them under the Official Information Act, Associate Professor Bruce Robertson and Dr Stefan Meyer of Otagos Department of Zoology have revealed today that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) only legally required the New Zealand fishing industry to report all instances of marine mammal bycatch as late as 2008.

This is despite 30 years earlier the Government making it a legal requirement for fishermen to do so under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1978.

Perhaps not surprisingly, fishermen have consistently not reported instances of bycatch for New Zealand Fur Seals, common dolphins and New Zealand Sea Lions at the same rate as when Government observers are on vessels, says Dr Robertson.

This means management of New Zealands marine mammals has been based on incomplete information.

Of major concern is that these practices apparently have continued since 2008 when MPI started policing marine mammal bycatch reporting by fishermen.

He added that these findings indicate that it is not just illegal practices such as fish dumping occurring in the New Zealand fishing industry. Importantly, this shows that the recent instance of marine mammal misreporting of two Hectors Dolphins as noted in MPIs Achilles Report is not an isolated instance.

Our findings point to widespread, ongoing, illegal practices in marine mammal bycatch reporting. It seems that just like the fish dumping, MPI is not concerned with marine mammal management in New Zealand fisheries, especially given there have been no instances of fishermen being prosecuted.

We back calls for expanding the recently-announced MPI inquiry into fish dumping to include issues with marine mammal bycatch reporting.

They also urged the Government to put marine mammal management back into the hands of the Department of Conservation and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

They add that this level of non-compliance brings into question the environmental impact of fishing and also fishing industry accolades, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of the New Zealand hoki fishery. MSC certification of the hoki fishery occurred in 2001, 2007 and 2012. For two certifications, MPI was not enforcing marine mammal bycatch reporting, so presumably these certifications were based on incomplete environmental impact data of the hoki fishery.

Drs Robertson and Meyer assessed OIA data for the West Coast of the South Island hoki fishery between 2004 and 2013 by comparing the rate at which fishermen report fur seal bycatch to the rate for Governmental observer. They say the numbers are concerning; in many years, fur seal bycatch numbers reported by fishers in the absence of a Government observer were just a fifth to half the rate recorded by observers.

For all trawl fisheries nation-wide, the picture for fur seal bycatch is the same. Between 2008 and 2013, fishermen-reported fur seal bycatch was consistently less than the rate reported when an observer was present, noting that the observer coverage was low at only 11 per cent of fishing effort.

This is not just an issue for fur seals, but also for common dolphins on the West Coast North Island mackerel trawl fishery. Here, between 2000 and 2011, with only 22 per cent average observer coverage of the fishery, observers recorded 117 dolphin captures, but fishermen only reported five dolphin captures. Between 2008 and 2011, when MPI were policing bycatch reporting, the observers reported 42 captures to only 4 for fishermen.

The same is true for New Zealand Sea Lions. Between 1996 and 2011, for 14 out of the 16 years, the fishermen-reported bycatch number (when an observer was not present) was below the 95 per cent confidence interval determined by bycatch modelling, says Dr Meyer.

So it is clear, instances of marine mammal bycatch were and still are not reported by fishermen working in New Zealands fisheries, despite the MMPA and Fisheries Act making these actions illegal.

For further information, contact:

Associate Professor Bruce Robertson

Department of Zoology

University of Otago

Email: bruce.robertson@otago.ac.nz

Tel 03 479 4110
US lifts embargo on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam

Published: May 24, 2016

United States has fully lifted its embargo on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam, its one-time enemy. This move of US removed a lingering vestige of the Cold War that was seen in South East Asia in 1970s.

It was announced by US President Barack Obama during his official state visit to Vietnam and after talks with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

He is the third US President to visit Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Other two Presidents were Bill Clinton (visited in 2000) and George W. Bush (2006).

US Arms embargo on Vietnam has been in place since 1984 over the human rights issue. In recent times Vietnam had been arguing for an end to this embargo, which was partially lifted in 2014.

Comment

Experts believe that US is trying to bolster its relationship with its Pacific allies, as China asserts territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea. Vietnam is one of several South east Asian countries in the region involved in maritime disputes with China.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2016

Topics: China  International  South China Sea  US  Vietnam

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Thirteen middle and high school students from the Midland area will receive CEO status on Wednesday at the 2016 Young Entrepreneurs Academy commencement at 6 p.m. in the Griswold Auditorium on the campus of Northwood University.

This years instructors, Bill Gagliardi and Sharon Miller, owner of ITH of Michigan, will award the class members their diplomas, alongside the programs director, Tina Lynch. The event will be emceed by Rama Yelkur, dean and professor of the College of Business and Management at Saginaw Valley State University.
I had promised myself some time ago that any articles written by Daily News columnist Chris Stevens on politics I would simply ignore as not worthy of reading. But with each of his headlines I become curious if the latest will sink to a new low. His articles are really not journalism, but one-sided rants against our president and anyone that is a Democrat or in disagreement with Stevens right wing extremist point of view. It appears that for information, he consults Fox News, which is not news but opinions that have been fact checked as 60 percent false.

His article on Ferguson, Mo., Take the Race Out of Ferguson showed a lack of understanding of the racial problems of that area and the minority abuse by predatory police that has been going on for years. I brought his editor an analysis of the Ferguson situation from Business Week, but I imagine Stevens did not read it. He certainly did not publish any follow up to show that he had benefited from a more objective article. The U.S. Justice Department found plenty of illegal and improper police practices in Ferguson and a number of other U.S. cities where unarmed black people have died at the hands of trigger happy police.

The state of Missouri has a law that police departments cannot have more than 14 percent of their budget coming from fines. Several police departments in that St. Louis vicinity far exceed that, one even to 40 percent, showing a consistent abuse of minority populations of those towns. Has Stevens far reaching journalism discovered that? I believe that Stevens grew up in Flint and went to a high school where he might have been in the minority. He must have resented that because he seems to take particular aim at President Obama as the source of all our countrys problems. Has he forgotten that the Republican Tea Party types hijacked the Congress, refusing to work with their more moderate members let alone the Democrats to craft compromise legislation. The result of Republican obstruction: virtually no legislation for the last four years. Ted Cruz even shut down the government briefly trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act instead of passing a clean budget bill. Is that leadership? Who is lying to the American public?

The Republicans in Congress have said that they want to solve problems when in reality their objective has been to cram an ideology down everybodys throat regardless of the harm to the American public. Stevens seems to have a common theme that President Obama and anyone in his administration is constantly lying to the American people. It is surprising to me that he gives a pass to all the right wing lies coming from people like Sean Hannity, Bill OReilly and their merry band of shills for Foxs owners. I have not seen any commentary from Stevens on the lies of Fox or Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. Remember when Hannity called Cliven Bundy a great American patriot until Bundy spewed racist comments and Hannity and the rest of Fox went running for cover? Bundy was no more than a deadbeat cowboy, disowned by the Cattlemens Association, refusing to pay his cattle grazing fees for 20 years worth over a million dollars. When the federal government, his creditors, attempted to seize his cattle for his debts, Bundy gathered a bunch of gun-toting folks to his ranch to prevent the legal seizure of his cattle for his past debt. Bundy is now in jail for his unpaid debts, while his idiot son Ammon and his friends tried to take over a national park property illegally and are also in jail.

Oh, and Stevens doesnt seem to understand that Planned Parenthood has been exonerated from the false accusations of selling fetal tissue. And the perpetrators of the false accusation have been arrested. By the way, Chris should know that Planned Parenthood provides many health care services for women who could not afford other health care services.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, is the King of all Liars. He even one-ups Fox. In the process he has called Mexicans rapists, called all Muslims terrorists, has made disparaging comments about women and womens rights, mocked a disabled reporter, has no comprehension about any aspect of the operations of government, has never held any political office, has no idea how to solve any problem of this country let alone understand what those problems are, wants to isolate America from the rest of the world, and is a hypocrite. But I guess in Stevens world, Trump gets a pass.

A recent quote in the Midland Daily News characterizes Trump pretty well: In politics and life, ignorance is not a virtue. Its not cool to not know what youre talking about. Thats not keeping it real or telling it like it is. Thats just not knowing what youre talking about. President Obama said that.

That is a quote that Chris should really think about before writing another article.

Ron Parmele is a resident of Midland.
Last week, President Obama passed an important historic milestone. The occasion was not marked with ceremony, and no statements were issued by the White House. In spite of its significance, most of the national media allowed the occasion to pass with little comment or in-depth analysis. Which is why you may not be aware that Obama now has the ignominious distinction of being continuously at war longer than any other American president in U.S. history.

The New York Times noted the irony that the longest-serving wartime president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize only nine months into his first term in office. Yet the article characterized Obama as a reluctant warrior laboring under a heavy burden inherited from his predecessor. The article also focused on Obama's efforts to transform the nature of how the United States wages war, relying more on drone strikes and targeted special forces operations than traditional intervention with ground forces. But in doing so, the Times told only half of the story.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it awarded the 2009 Peace Prize to President Obama because "(h)is diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority."

Four years later, Christof Heyns, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, summary or arbitrary executions, told a conference in Geneva that President Obama's drone strike program threatens 50 years of international law by encouraging other states to violate long-standing human rights standards.

The extent to which Obama's drone strike program has institutionalized the practice of extrajudicial killings -- in violation of international law -- is documented in "The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government's Secret Drone Warfare Program," a new book by Jeremy Scahill and the staff of the online news publication The Intercept.

Appearing on "Democracy Now!" to discuss the book, Jeremy Scahill rejected the Obama administration's absurd claim that drone strikes are a cleaner, more humane way of waging war.

"Obama has codified assassination as a central official component of American foreign policy," Scahill said. "This is a global assassination program that is authorized and run under what amounts to a parallel legal system ... where the president and his advisers serve as the judge, jury and executioner of people across the globe."

One of the most startling revelations in "The Assassination Complex" involves the disclosure of secret government documents on Operation Haymaker, a drone strike program operating in northeastern Afghanistan. According to the government's own documents, nearly 90 percent of the people killed in U.S. airstrikes during one five-month period were not the intended targets.

The New York Times also reported that President Obama has taken military action in a total of seven countries -- Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen -- without the authorization of Congress. If you include covert military actions taken by special operations forces, the list is longer and the impact much broader.

The metastasizing of U.S. military force under the Joint Special Operations Command was first documented in Scahill's 2013 book and documentary film "Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield."

Nick Tursa has done additional reporting on the issue for The Nation magazine.

"During the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, 2014, U.S. Special Operations forces (SOF) deployed to 133 countries -- roughly 70 percent of the nations on the planet -- according to Army Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, a public affairs officer with U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM)," Tursa reported in a January 2015 article in The Nation. "This capped a three-year span in which the country's most elite forces were active in more than 150 different countries around the world, conducting missions ranging from kill/capture night raids to training exercises."

In a second article, published in April 2015, Tursa reported that "(i)n 2014, the United States carried out 674 military activities across Africa, nearly two missions per day, an almost 300 percent jump in the number of annual operations, exercises, and military-to-military training activities since U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) was established in 2008."

Awarding a Nobel Peace Prize on the basis of expectations was unprecedented. But after eight years of continuous warfare, the Nobel Committee should take another unprecedented action: It should revoke Obama's peace prize and demand repayment of the prize money.
More than 40 Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Department of Defense civilians gathered to attend the first U.S. Pacific Command Medical Logistics Workshop held on Okinawa.



The three-day workshop was hosted by the Theater Lead Agent Medical Materiel - Pacific and enabled leadership throughout the PACOM theater to look at the mission requirements and determine the best way to overcome operational constraints from a joint perspective.



"Working groups such as this one help us iron out the wrinkles in the medical supply distribution program in the Pacific," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Deidre Lockhart, U.S. Army Pacific Surgeon's Office support operations chief. "This in turn ensures we can get supplies to providers and medics with the mission to care for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines, Not to mention their families as well; in both peacetime and crisis."



The DoD provides medical care to its service members whether they're at home station or deployed to locations all over the world.



"To provide care to patients, the DoD must ensure its health care providers have the proper medical materiel resources and equipment to deliver effective health care," said Lt. Col. Randall Ivall, Air Force Medical Operations Agency medical logistics deputy chief.



Communication between medical personnel is vital to maintaining warfighting capabilities and providing aid on humanitarian missions. If supplies are not distributed to the right place at the right time, the consequences can be paramount.



"Medical supplies two weeks late are too costly; both monetarily and in lives lost, said Lockhart, "and that's true in war and with natural disasters,"



Operating in an overseas environment with limited resources requires logistics teams to come up with creative solutions in order to deliver medical supplies to forces on the ground, including members from allied nations, such as Australia, South Korea and Japan.



Unlike normal operations where many logisticians are required to communicate with each other from overseas locations, participants used the face-to-face opportunity to better communicate their different needs, capabilities and ideas to improve operations.



"People are walking away from this with a better understanding of each other's capabilities and limitations, and that's the key," said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Olusegun Olabode, 3rd Medical Logistics Company, 3rd Supply Battalion commander. "It all goes back to understanding what each and every one of us brings to the fight. This way, we can leverage each other and fill any gaps in our methods so we can provide optimum patient care."
To serve and protect: Andersen defenders honor fallen wingmen during Police Week

Security forces Airmen from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam participated in events throughout the week of May 14-21 to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.



This week allows us to recognize the sacrifices law enforcement officers have made, said Master Sgt. Scott Larson, 36th Security Forces Squadron superintendent of installation security. Most of the time in the news we hear negative things, but we have a lot of fallen warriors. This year we had several defenders die in combat, so this gives us time to reflect and realize they gave their lives up for their country.



In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation, which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week.



This year, Police Week kicked off May 14 with a 5K run as more than 75 runners tightened their laces and lined up along Tarague Beach at approximately 11 p.m. to begin the run at the same moment participants started next to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C.



On May 17, Airmen from the 36th and 736th Security Forces Squadrons and Air Force Office of Special Investigations Det. 602 displayed their gear and skillsets to Andersen students. During the demonstrations, children explored the inside of a Humvee; OSI demonstrated basic fingerprinting techniques; combat arms training and maintenance Airmen taught weapon safety and displayed weapons that Andersen AFB security forces use on a daily basis; and military working dogs and their handlers presented K9s attack procedures.



"More than just showcasing our people and equipment, events like this allow us to engage with our community and build the trust and support from the very people we serve and protect, said Maj. Michael Jewell, 36th SFS commander. After all, we all live and work in the Andersen community. Building that rapport is key to creating a cohesive team of police and residents - a team committed to the safety and security of our community."



Later in the week, the 36th SFS hosted the 2016 Police Week Defender Challenge, pitting Airmen against a variety of obstacles and navigational tasks.



The defender challenge was opened to the wing to show what Police Week and security forces is all about, said Tech. Sgt. Alicia Goetschel, 36th SFS NCO in charge of training. We wanted to get them motivated for Police Week.



Nine teams from the 554th RED HORSE Squadron, 36th Operations Support Squadron, 36th Civil Engineer Squadron and 36th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, as well as an all-chief master sergeant team from the 36th Mission Support Group, suited up in flak jackets and helmets to prove they could keep up with the 36th SFS.



While battling Guams mid-day heat, contestants prevailed through the nearly two-mile course, overcoming obstacles that included flipping an oversized tire, carrying a dummy in a litter, pushing a Humvee up an incline and finishing off with a shooting competition at the CATM range.



Everyone did awesome, they completed the course a lot faster than I expected, Goetschel said. They were all very motivated. They all could be defenders in my eyes.



A retreat ceremony was the capstone event for the week. Throughout the day, Airmen honored the fallen with a memorial wreath laying and took turns as vigil guards, similar to the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia.



This week was a mixture of mourning and joy, Larson said. It gave us the chance to join the community that we serve and protect and show that we support them, we are here for them and willing to give up our lives to protect them.


WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- A primary benefit to participation in Pacific Pathways, said 1st Sgt. Christian E. Lopez, is that it provides for Soldiers ample opportunity to develop for the future.

"We set conditions at the Soldier level, and going into Pacific Pathways, it helps build future leaders," said Lopez, who serves in 5-1 Calvary Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. "Our Soldiers were able to train on live-fire exercises with the Japanese and Koreans. Noncommissioned officers conducted small-unit tactics with the Japan army, and we were also able to conduct force-on-force operations with both Japan and Korea."

Lopez participated in Pacific Pathways 2015-3. For that Pathways deployment, some members of his unit went to Mongolia to participate in exercise Khaan Quest, while he and others went instead to Japan to participate in Orient Shield, as well as Korea, to participate in Hoguk. He discussed the effects of participation in Pacific Pathways on his Soldiers, May 18, in the Pentagon.

"The reason why this is important is because it accelerates our Soldiers' development," Lopez said. "Those young Soldiers and leaders will be the key principals going forward into Pacific Pathways in the future."

Lopez said that while on the Pathways deployment, his Soldiers built trust with their counterparts in both the Korean and Japanese armies. That trust and familiarity may be important in the future, were there a need for American forces to fight alongside those militaries. But there was no need to wait for future conflict to see evidence of the benefits of that trust, Lopez said -- it was evident during his own Pathways deployment.

Without trust between the multi-national Soldiers participating in Pathways, "leaders might have hesitated on certain decisions," Lopez said. But that didn't happen. "Because we had good partnership, [because] we had that base of trust, they made those decisions where we could maneuver."

DOCTORAL-LEVEL WORK

Col. Scott W. Kelly, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, participated in Pacific Pathways 15-02. That Pathways deployment involved exercise Hamel in Australia, Garuda Shield, in Indonesia, and Keris Strike, in Malaysia.

Before embarking on Pathways, Kelly said his unit went for some training at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

"When we came out of there, we were doing graduate-level work as a BCT," Kelly said.

But involvement in Pacific Pathways upped their game substantially.

"At the end of that, we were doing doctorate-level work," Kelly said. "That's because of the complexity of the multiple deployments into and out of these different countries, the mission command we had to execute, being able to command and control forces back on Schofield Barracks, and execute the exercises forward was extremely challenging for us. My brigade was more ready at the end of Pathways than it was at the beginning."

In the past, units participating in an overseas exercise would leave home station, go to the exercise and work with a partner nation, and then return home when it was over. Under the Pacific Pathways model, they deploy overseas to the first of multiple exercises, work with a partner nation, and then move on from there to additional exercises. It requires the planning of the movement of both people and equipment from home station to a foreign country, and then movement between foreign countries as well.

"As I'm moving into Australia, I'm already having to plan and prepare to move to my next country, into Indonesia and Malaysia," Kelly said. "The complexity of planning and executing that makes Pacific Pathways much more valuable at least at the brigade and higher level. It forces that engagement of theater logistics ... that's how we develop agile leaders and adaptive staffs to sort through all that."

The complexity of Pacific Pathways, Kelly said, makes it an ideal environment in which to prepare new Soldiers for the future, and to also build readiness in the force beyond the counter-insurgency expertise the Army has been honing for well over a decade in the Middle East.

During the Pathways deployment, Kelly said, "young Soldiers who may have never deployed were getting that connection with their counterparts, all the way up to literally theater logistics units and planners having to work through the difficulty of operationalizing these three exercises together into one Pacific Pathways."

And with Pathways, Kelly said, Soldiers who participated must bring everything they need with them, and be prepared for anything, which is unlike past deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan, where most of the infrastructure was already in place.

"What Pathways is doing for us is [developing] that expeditionary mindset," Kelly said. "My formation used to deploy to a forward operating base, [and] there was a chow plan for feeding the formation, easy maintenance, repair parts right there. Contractors took care of everything. When you go out on Pathways, that infrastructure is not there. It's not a mature theater you're in. It's not even a theater. You have to literally go in and build all that stuff yourselves. So [we're] getting some great repetitions on the sustainment and logistics side specifically because of Pacific Pathways."

While Kelly said the Army wants to focus now more on decisive action and combined arms maneuver -- and Pacific Pathways helps develop that -- he said the Army doesn't want to lose the knowledge it built in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"As we come out of Iraq and Afghanistan -- a very counter-insurgency/asymmetric type of warfare -- those are lessons we don't want to leave behind," Kelly said. "We do not want to forget all the things we learned, all the doctrine, all the capabilities we've brought from our experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan."

OPERATING WITH PACIFIC PARTNERS

Early on in their deployment, Lopez said there were communications problems between his own Soldiers and the soldiers they worked alongside in Japan and Korea. Those problems would have to be solved to be effective partners, he said.

"We figured out we need to have liaisons within the units so we could communicate," he said. "There was a liaison that would be in one of my Strykers ... being able to communicate back and forth with their formation. That was very beneficial."

They also created a bilateral tactical operations center that allowed the units to better communicate with each other, he said.

"The coordination piece was very important, especially in Japan where we were initially trying to conduct a foreign link-up," he said. "That coordination between the U.S. and Japanese commander had to be on-point in order for the ground elements to conduct that link-up safely."

Lopez said that their creation of a bilateral TOC enabled a successful link-up.

"It helped us track the reconnaissance elements, [and] understand the way they maneuver their elements," Lopez said. "It was all because we were able to communicate bilaterally, working together in the same TOC. In Korea it was the same way."

IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS

"The Pacific region is strategically important to our nation," Kelly said. "If you look at the primary threats we have in terms of nation state threats ... the bulk of them are out there. [There are] huge economic ties we have in Asia. The vast majority of the world's population is out there."

Pacific Pathways, Kelly said, helps the Army strengthen its readiness for a decisive action fight, and also helps strengthen existing partnerships in the Pacific region.

As the U.S. rebalances to the Pacific region, Kelly said, "the Army's portion of that is reengaging or reinvigorating some of these partnerships with these various countries and allies and partners we have in the region."

Pathways, he said, helps make that re-engagement happen.

"I think the value of it is [that] it helps us with our interoperability, so we can work better," he said. "It improves our capabilities and their capabilities. And it reassures them that the U.S. is committed to the Pacific region. The fact you have American Soldiers out there with the shoulder patch on, it really makes a difference."

When talking to his peers in the Pacific, Kelly said, he learned that they share many of the same concerns that the U.S. has, and U.S. presence in the region reinforces the message that the U.S. will stand behind its partners.

"In Australia and Indonesia and Malaysia, China was a topic for every counterpart I had," he said. "They clearly are concerned with China."

Kelly said that for Americans, concerns about Chinese assertiveness can seem distant -- but not for American allies in the Pacific region.

"To a smaller country like Indonesia and Malaysia, it's very real for them," he said. "It's very tangible ... I think the Pacific Pathways, having American Soldiers out there with them, having us engage with them, I think it helps reassure them in terms of the U.S. commitment to that region, how important it is. The fact that we are putting boots on the ground, the fact we physically have people out there with them -- I think it helps them with their calculus, as they are thinking through the issue out there."
Joint Statement: Between the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

At the invitation of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang, President of the United States of America Barack Obama paid an historic visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries and to advance their shared vision for the future. On the occasion of the visit and the May 23, 2016 meeting between the two leaders, the United States and Vietnam adopted this Joint Statement.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the rapid, substantive, and comprehensive growth of U.S.-Vietnam relations over the past year, guided by the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership of 2013 and the Joint Vision Statement issued during the historic visit to the United States by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong in July 2015.

The common interests of the United States and Vietnam continued to expand through intensifying exchanges of delegations at all levels and maintaining dialogue mechanisms; promoting economic growth thanks to enhanced trade and investment relations; and deepening cooperation in education, science and technology, health, security and national defense, people-to-people ties, human rights, humanitarian, and war legacy issues. The increasingly enhanced U.S.-Vietnam relations have positively contributed to the joint efforts of the international community in maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and respect for international law in the region, and building a rules-based region. Together, we are addressing regional and global challenges, including climate change, sustainable development, global health, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peacekeeping, and wildlife trafficking.

Toward that end, the two countries reaffirmed their obligations to observe the UN Charter and commitments to respect international law, their respective political systems, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The United States and Vietnam also committed to strengthening and developing the ASEAN Community, and to working with the international community to respond to global challenges. Both sides committed to work together to advance the Comprehensive Partnership in the following areas:

Strengthening Political and Diplomatic Ties

Both sides pledged to continue to exchange delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations, and to strengthen dialogue between agencies of the two governments. The two sides also intend to expand annual high-level dialogues between their two foreign ministries to discuss measures to strengthen the Comprehensive Partnership and discuss other issues of mutual interest. The two sides concurred that strengthening mutual trust plays a crucial role in enabling sustainable, healthy, and long-term friendship and cooperation.

Advancing Economic Ties

The two countries resolve to focus on fostering economic cooperation, including trade, investment, science and technology, human resource training, and climate change. The two sides stated that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is economically and strategically important, and would promote trade and investment between them, accelerate inclusive economic growth, and create jobs. The two sides reaffirmed their commitments to seek early ratification and full implementation of this high-standard agreement, including commitments on investment, business facilitation and development, intellectual property, textile, services, labor, and environment. The United States pledged to support Vietnam through robust technical assistance and capacity-building programs to effectively implement and meet the high standards of the TPP. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that economic growth is inclusive and creates opportunity for all, which is furthered by fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic development. The two sides highlighted that development cooperation continues to be a driving force in the bilateral relationship. Both countries pledged to promote bilateral trade and investment, and would continue to work toward access for industrial, agricultural, and aquacultural goods. The United States and Vietnam committed to consult through the enhanced bilateral working group in a cooperative and comprehensive manner regarding Vietnams desire to be recognized as a market economy. Both countries welcomed the conclusion of major commercial deals on the occasion of the visit, such as VietJets purchase of 100 Boeing aircraft and Pratt & Whitney engines, as well as a wind energy MOU between GE and the Vietnamese government.

Deepening People-to-People Ties

Both sides affirmed their support for the enhancement of people-to-people ties to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation, and friendship between the two peoples. The United States welcomed the Vietnamese governments approval of the Peace Corps to teach the English language in Vietnam. The United States and Vietnam hailed the establishment of Fulbright University Vietnam, which will be a world-class Vietnamese university. Both sides welcomed the bilateral arrangement granting one-year, multiple-entry visas for short-term business and tourism travelers from both countries. Both sides highly valued and recognized the success of the Vietnamese-American community and their contributions to the promotion of bilateral ties.

Enhancing Security and Defense Cooperation

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation in 2011 and the U.S.-Vietnam Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations signed in 2015, giving priority to humanitarian cooperation, war legacy, maritime security, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Both sides reiterated they would continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, combatting transnational crime, and cyber security. Vietnam welcomed the U.S. government decision to fully lift the ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam. Vietnam welcomed U.S. maritime security assistance  including through the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI), the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, and Foreign Military Financing  and looked forward to working with the United States to enhance Vietnams maritime capabilities. The United States and Vietnam signed a letter of intent to establish a working group for the Cooperative Humanitarian and Medical Storage Initiative (CHAMSI), which will advance cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The United States reaffirmed its support for Vietnams peacekeeping efforts with an aim of assisting Vietnams first deployment of UN peacekeeping forces by 2017.

Both countries expressed their satisfaction with their joint efforts to advance humanitarian and war legacy issues. In particular, the United States valued Vietnams active cooperation to support the humanitarian mission of providing the fullest possible accounting for U.S. personnel still missing from the war. Both sides committed to continue their cooperation on unexploded ordnance removal. Vietnam welcomed cooperation leading to the successful conclusion of the first phase of dioxin remediation at Danang International Airport, with the final phase already underway. The United States committed to partnering with Vietnam to make a significant contribution to the clean-up of dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Air Base.

Promoting Human Rights and Legal Reform

Both countries pledged to continue supporting the promotion and protection of human rights in conformity with their own constitutions and respective international commitments. The two countries welcomed the results of positive, frank, and constructive dialogues on human rights, especially the 20th round of the U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue in April 2016, to narrow differences and continue to build trust. The United States welcomed Vietnam's ongoing efforts in improving its legal system and undertaking legal reform in order to better guarantee the human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone in accordance with the 2013 Constitution. Vietnam informed the United States of its plan to revise, amend, and draft new laws, including the Law on Religion and Belief, Law on Association, the Amended Law on Legal Aid, the Amended Law on Legal Record, and Law on the Promulgation of Administrative Decisions. Both sides recognized the contributions that social and religious organizations continue to make in the fields of education, healthcare, and social services in both countries. Both sides encouraged further cooperation to ensure that all people  regardless of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation, and including persons with disabilities  fully enjoy their human rights. The United States and Vietnam welcomed a letter of agreement on law enforcement and justice sector assistance.

Addressing Regional and Global Challenges

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their shared commitment to the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes, including full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force in accordance with the UN Charter and international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Both countries underscored the commitments of parties to the disputes to refrain from actions that aggravate or broaden the disputes and recognize the importance of strictly implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) and working to accelerate negotiation with substantive results toward the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC). In this regard, both countries expressed serious concerns over recent developments in the South China Sea that have caused tensions, eroded trust and threatened peace, security, and stability. Both countries recognized the imperative of upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea, called for non-militarization and self-restraint in addressing disputes, reaffirmed shared commitments under the Sunnylands Declaration, and committed to working closely with other ASEAN partners in implementing that Declaration.

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to actively coordinate with and support Vietnam in successfully organizing APEC 2017.

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to addressing climate change and implementing the Paris Agreement. They shared a desire to see the early entry into force of the Agreement, and are both committed to formally joining the Agreement in 2016. The United States and Vietnam pledged to take a number of practical actions to advance climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as enhance transparency and capacity building in the U.S.-Vietnam Climate Partnership, including in the Mekong River Delta. Future work will build on the results of collaboration between the United States and Vietnam in implementing programs under the Lower Mekong Initiative. The United States pledged its continued support for Vietnam in responding to the latters worst drought in over 90 years and salinization, and in advancing sustainable economic development in the lower Mekong basin. As a development partner of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the United States expressed its commitment to supporting cooperation among MRC members and between MRC members and other regional mechanisms in using, managing, and developing trans-boundary water resources in an effective and sustainable manner.

The two countries expressed support for an expanding civil nuclear partnership as we seek to reduce emissions from the global power sector, the signing of the Administrative Arrangement under the U.S.-Vietnam Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy ("123" Agreement), and the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation. Both countries welcomed the successful outcomes of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit and pledged to continue to work together to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture. The two sides intend to establish the U.S.-Vietnam Joint Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation to facilitate the implementation of the 123 Agreement.

The two countries committed to sustain their successful cooperation and joint leadership under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), particularly with respect to collaboration on the emergency operations centers and outbreak detection and response in humans and animals, as well as implementation of a national roadmap to achieve each of the GHSA targets. The United States pledged its support to improve Vietnams capacity in coastal medicine. The United States and Vietnam committed to work together regionally and globally to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic threats, and both countries affirmed to undertake a joint evaluation of these efforts in 2016.

Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and protecting biodiversity under the new U.S.-Vietnam Partnership to Combat Wildlife Trafficking.

Deepening a Long-Term Partnership

Both sides agreed to further enhance the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, making it deeper, more substantive, and more effective in order to better serve the interests of the two peoples for peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world.
FIVE HILLS TRAINING AREA, Mongolia - The Mongolian Armed Forces and U.S. Pacific Command are hosting the multinational peacekeeping exercise Khaan Quest 2016, which commenced May 22 with an opening ceremony at the Five Hills Training Area near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

This years Khaan Quest, held annually in Mongolia, is serving as the capstone exercise for the United Nations Global Peace Operations Initiative program, which provides pre-deployment training to GPOI partner countries preparing to support UN Peacekeeping Missions and is scheduled to take place May 22-June 4.

The ceremony was attended by the president of Mongolia, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, the U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia, Jennifer Zimdahl Galt, and the U.S. PACOM commander, Admiral Harry Harris Jr.

(Participants) have come from near and far to our beautiful country bound by a single cause of world peace, said Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj.

Today, Khaan Quest is universally recognized as one of the most prestigious regional events with ever-increasing reputation, significance and participation.

The needs of people worldwide serve as a constant reminder to us of the necessity of peaceful resolution of disputes and global service, which is the driving force behind these peacekeeping operations, according to Elbegdorj.

After Elbegdorjs opening remarks, Harris addressed the audience, detailing the importance of multinational relationships and training.

This years training will take us to the next level, said Harris. The Five Hills Training Facility will be home to militaries from around the world  about 2,000 soldiers from more than 40 countries. This facility will provide them with a specialized setting to learn and train together and will work to enhance interoperability and develop common tactics. All of this will ultimately enhance our collective effectiveness to support global peacekeeping operations.

After the opening remarks, platoons from participating countries marched past the reviewing stand and flags flown to signify patriotism and the developing relationship between participating countries.

In 2003, Khaan Quest began as a joint training endeavor between Mongolia and the U.S., said Harris. Now, its a premier peacekeeping exercise involving dozens of nations from around the world. This is a testament to the power of partnership.

The exercise will consist of four main events: Command Post Exercise (CPX), Field Training Event (FTE), Engineering Civic Action Program (ENCAP) projects, Health Services Support Engagement (HSSE) as well as training on critical enabler capabilities such as unmanned aerial systems, explosive ordnance disposal and counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED). USPACOM is the Organization Coordinating Event (OCE) for the exercise and provides command and control for all KQ 16 activities.

The field training exercise aims to hone service members skills in peacekeeping operational procedures through training in weapons familiarization, small boat operations, survival training and a multinational platoon competition.

The command post exercise aims to support Mongolian modernization goals by establishing and globally deploying battalion assets during peacekeeping operations by utilizing scenario-based exercises.

The need for teamwork is proven again and again, the most recent examples being the tragic earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador, said Harris. It reminds us that all nations, no matter how rich or powerful, can use the help of our global community from time to time. And the best time to develop these partnerships is before world events demand them. Harnessing the wealth of capabilities represented by the many militaries here today is a priority. Its a necessity to successfully address the range of transnational threats present in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

The ceremony closed with a final march past the reviewing stands followed by group photos with the guests of honor in the center of the parade deck.

The U.S. is committed to the Indo-Asia-Pacific and we work diligently with Mongolia and other like-minded partners to build PKO capacity throughout the region, said Harris. Mongolia is a model PKO partner, not just with the U.S., but also with NATO and has supported many multinational operations around the world.
Readout of Admiral Harris' Call with Chairman of the Japanese Joint Staff Admiral Kawano By U.S. Pacific Command

ADM Harry B. Harris, Jr. spoke by phone with ADM Kawano, Chairman of the Japanese Joint Staff, on 23rd May.



ADM Harris conveyed his sadness and his regret over the murder of a young woman in Okinawa and extended his sincere apologies to the victims family and friends. ADM Harris pledged that PACOM will cooperate with the Government of Japan regarding this case.



ADM Harris and ADM Kawano reaffirmed that the U.S.-Japan alliance remains steadfast and continues to serve as the cornerstone of peace and security in the region.
U.S. Sailors, Soldiers Teach Combat Medical Care Course at Khaan Quest 2016 By Petty Officer 3rd Class Marc Castaneda American Forces Network Pacific

FIVE HILLS TRAINING AREA, Mongolia - Fleet Marine Force (FMF) corpsmen from 3rd Medical Battalion and medics from the Hawaii National Guard taught a casualty control familiarization class to soldiers of the Mongolian Armed Forces, May 23, at the Five Hills Training Area in Mongolia during the multinational peacekeeping exercise Khaan Quest 2016.



The class is part of a five-day course that will train the Mongolian soldiers in basic life-saving skills and casualty care to prepare them for deployments in support of United Nations peacekeeping or other missions.



Our training that were providing for the Armed Forces of Mongolia are things like, hemorrhage control, basic splints, tactical field care, things that you would normally encounter in the field, said FMF Hospitalman Charles Lebaron, with 3rd Medical Battalion. This training will be beneficial for the soldiers of Mongolia because we want to be able to treat those possible injuries in combat situations.



The course reemphasizes information that the Mongolian soldiers are already familiar with, but it also introduces the soldiers to new techniques and tactics critical to life-saving in combat situations. Some of these topics include extensive training in hemorrhage control and how to provide immediate care while under fire.



This is a very good training for us, especially for the soldiers who are not combat medics, said Mongolian Armed Forces Senior Sgt. Purevdorj Javkhlan. So they [soldiers] will know how to treat casualties in the battlefield. We really appreciate the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps instructors.



The course instructors are helping shape the way Mongolian forces prepare and train for future operations, but this training stretches far beyond the wind-swept hillsides of the training areas of Mongolia.



The training is just as beneficial for the U.S. Forces as it is for Mongolian forces, said Lebaron. Because if and when we do partner up in the future together, we can rely on our Mongolian counterparts to take care of us, as we would with them. It also allows us to bridge the gap between soldier and medic, in a sense that every soldier in a combat environment will be able to take care of casualties as well.



Khaan Quest 2016 is an annual, multinational peacekeeping operations exercise hosted by the Mongolian Armed Forces, co-sponsored by U.S. Pacific Command, and supported by U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific. Khaan Quest, in its 14th iteration, is the capstone exercise for this years Global Peace Operations Initiative program. The exercise focuses on training activities to enhance international interoperability, develop peacekeeping capabilities, build to mil-to-mil relationships, and enhance military readiness.


BLOOMINGTON  Kamorah Carter was sure her principal was joking.

"I was just like, 'Wait, this isnt true,' but because I finally see the horse now, Im like, 'Man she wasnt joking!'" said the fourth-grader. "I was super excited to see that I was going to ride a horse.

Kamorah was one of 52 Irving Elementary School students who rode horses Monday as a reward for good behavior. Of 370 students, only 14 percent received fewer than three disciplinary "marks" through the entire school year  which ends Tuesday  said Principal Christina Lammers.

Its not that complicated if you know the right people to hang out with, said Kamorah of avoiding marks, which can be given to students for poor behavior or failing to deliver on their responsibilities. "If you dont, youll end up messing around or getting in trouble a lot.

Schools throughout Bloomington District 87, which includes Irving, use rewards to encourage students to stay on the straight and narrow, but few are as interesting as horses.

"We usually have quarterly celebrations," said Joy Searby, a first-grade teacher at Irving and leader of the school's positive-behavior program, which has put together pizza parties, a cocoa party this spring and make-your-own-candy day last fall. "We've never had anything like this."

Members of the positive-behavior team came up with the horse concept, and East White Oak Bible Church, which sponsors the school, ran with it.

I contacted a couple from our church (Ron and Kris Miller) that had horses, and you saw the end result today, said Larry Van Gundy, associate pastor of outreach and care at the rural Carlock church. Some of those boys and girls maybe havent seen a horse, certainly havent ridden a horse.

The Millers, who own Miller Farms in Towanda, brought in two horses  a miniature 7-year-old named Ginger Snap and a full-sized 30-year-old named Jay for older students  and helped students ride them in a small loop in front of the school.

Kamorah, who rode a pony in Chicago a few years ago, said what she learned then came flooding back Monday.

"I was a little anxious, but when I got on I felt better, she said of riding Jay.

Tavarrea Austin, a second-grader, was also also nervous about the ride.

"This is my first time," he said of riding Ginger Snap. "It was a little bumpy. ... I would do it again."

Several students said they hope the activity becomes a tradition at Irving.

Katie Dawson, a second-grade teacher who had five riders Monday, agreed.

"If we go in tomorrow and we say, 'Those of you who earned more than two marks, this is something you could look forward to next year,' maybe this would help them curtail their behavior issues," she said. "Maybe we'll go to roller coasters next year."
BLOOMINGTON  A Vietnam veteran who has been involved in efforts to build schools, clinics and peace parks there for two decades will be a guest speaker at Illinois Wesleyan University at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The lecture by Mike Boehm of Madison Quakers is taking place in conjunction with a May Term course, The Vietnam Wars, taught by Thomas Lutze, professor of East Asian history. It is free and open to the public.

Boehm's latest stop at IWU comes as President Barack Obama is making a three-day visit to Vietnam in an effort to improve relations between the two countries. On Monday, Obama lifted an arms embargo that had prevented the sale of weapons to the country.

The presentation, Hands in the Rice Paddy: 20 Years of Humanitarian Work in Vietnam, will be in the Ames Library's Beckman Auditorium and will include a question-and-answer session. It is sponsored by the history department and the Asian studies program.

Boehm served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969, but did not see combat. In the early 1990s, he began projects to help people in Vietnam, particularly in the area where the 1968 My Lai massacre occurred.

In a 2013 article in The New Yorker, Boehm said he found himself in emotional turmoil when he returned to Vietnam for the first time after the war.

I had to go to My Lai," he said. "For me it came to symbolize the entire war.

Boehm has said his work was intended to promote reconciliation between people of the United States and Vietnam.
BLOOMINGTON  Employing new technology to better control traffic signal timing, paying for a traffic consultant and/or hiring an engineer to make the system work are ideas the City Council may be asked to greenlight in the future.

Public Works Director Jim Karch and Fire Chief Brian Mohr told the City Council on Monday night that updating the city's 147 traffic signals is overdue. They discussed ways to improve the system for emergency vehicles, city snowplows, Connect Transit buses and the driving public.

"We haven't updated our traffic signal timing since 2009," said Karch. "Normally, (under) best management practices you need to do that every five years."

The council took no action, but members generally favored the idea of an update.

"I think this is real important," said Ward 5 Alderman Joni Painter. "I can't tell you how many constituents I have make comments about the timing on Veterans Parkway. If we could get the timing down, it would take the traffic off of the side streets. like Hershey Road, perhaps."

Being able to respond to a fire within six minutes or less is more crucial than ever, given the materials now used to build homes, said Mohr.

Back in the 1970s most homes were built and furnished "with more natural fiber types of things," said Mohr. "We say that fire will double in size every 30 seconds.

"We're fighting a different animal than what we had back in the '70s. Everything is made of plastic. What is plastic? It's made out of petroleum products, which is fuel."

The council was not asked Monday to approve money for making improvements, but the staff sought direction on how to proceed.

"Tonight was just laying out that vision for where the city could go and acknowledging some of our current inefficiencies with our existing traffic system," said Karch after the meeting.

Karch and Mohr told the council the city needs adaptive traffic control, which uses electronics to read and adjust signals in real time for when there is heavy traffic or emergency vehicles racing to a scene.

The city staff will seek council approval at a later time to hire a traffic consultant "to help the city with some long-term planning on where the city goes with this adaptive traffic control system," Karch said.

Karch said there is money in his public works department budget to hire a consultant to help with a traffic study.

"There needs to be some sort of plan to make sure that there is safe passage for our emergency vehicles and also safe, efficient ways for our citizens to be able to get to where they are going," said Karch.

Karch said he also would like to see the city hire a traffic engineer.

"In most communities the benchmark is if you have 75 signals you need a traffic engineer," said Karch. "We have 147 and no dedicated traffic staff."

The Bloomington Fire Department now uses two systems to preempt normal operation of traffic signals  the Opticom system that lets fire trucks signal a traffic light to change as it approaches and dispatcher-controlled "fire lane" routes through the city.

But the technology involved is 25 years old and there have been equipment failures, said Mohr.

Ward 1 Alderman Kevin Lower said he would support traffic control improvements.

"I think this on the backside could save us money in the long run," said Lower. "This is truly quality of life. Emergency response times are paramount."

Karch said the cost of the improvements could be phased in through the budget process after a pilot project.

Because many of the traffic signals are along state routes that run through the city, state grants or Illinois Department of Transportation funding possibly could help pay for the cost, said Karch.
BLOOMINGTON  Three agencies that won't receive United Way of McLean County money after its annual fundraising campaign fell short are determining whether they can continue certain programs for at-risk youths.

"We have a commitment to serve these kids," said George Clay, scout executive of the W.D. Boyce Council of Boy Scouts of America. "We need to figure out how to do that."

"Can the program continue without United Way funding?" asked Pam Kovacevich, CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois. "If so, how? We don't know the answers to those questions yet. But we do not want girls to be out a Girl Scout experience because of a lack of resources."

United Way on May 6 made its funding decisions for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Sixty-four programs operated by 30 agencies will receive money.

But because the annual fundraising campaign that ended earlier this year raised $3.5 million  compared with $4.2 million the year before  most of the programs received less funding than last year. The following programs, all at agencies with longtime partnerships with United Way, will receive no money: Bloomington-Normal YMCA's Y-FI (Youth Fitness Intervention), $70,560 last year; Boy Scouts' Life Skills 101 or Scout Reach, $41,680 last year; and Girl Scouts' Leadership Experience Outreach, $24,709 last year.

YMCA Executive Director B.J. Wilken said after the United Way decision that the Y was "deeply troubled at this news" because Y-FI uses evidence-based practices to help medically challenged children to combat obesity.

"We were caught off-guard," Clay said Monday after learning there is no United Way funding appeals process. "We were expecting  with a down campaign  to be cut but we didn't expect all (program) funding to end."

"We were shocked and disappointed," Kovacevich said.

United Way determines funding based on agencies' program applications and how they address community needs, using measurable results.

"We were told that our score was below the threshold they established to fund programs," Clay said.

Life Skills 101 gives at-risk boys help with healthy lifestyles, decision-making skills, drug awareness and budgeting, Clay said. In McLean County, 624 boys were served in the fiscal year ending June 30.

Leadership Experience Outreach provides underserved girls who don't have access to a Girl Scouts' troop with anti-bullying, self-esteem, financial literacy, healthy living, environmental stewardship and character-building help. In the last fiscal year, 550 girls were served.
You could say that it all depends on how you define "lie." Or, perhaps, that it's hell to have a public record.

Either way, Hillary Clinton's vast resume of, shall we say, inconsistencies, is the dog that caught the car and won't let go. A viral video collection of her comments on various subjects through the years is bestirring Republican hearts.

To those who'd rather vote for a reality show host than a Clinton, the video merely confirms what they've believed all along. For independents and even Democrats, it's a reminder of how often Clinton has morphed into a fresh incarnation as required by the political moment.

Most of the highlights would be familiar to anyone who follows politics  her varying takes on Bosnia, health care, Wall Street, NAFTA  but the juxtaposition of these ever-shifting views is more jarring than one might expect. Politicians count on Americans' short attention spans (and memories) as much as they do their own policies and/or charms. This video (https://youtu.be/-dY77j6uBHI), inartfully titled "Hillary Clinton lying for 13 minutes straight," clarifies blurred recollections and recasts them in an order that, among other things, reminds us how long the Clintons have been around.

If you're looking for a fresh face or an anti-establishment candidate, Hillary Clinton isn't it. But then, neither are Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, both of whom have been haunting the public square nearly all of their adult lives  one a raging radical, the other a radical rager.

Presumptive nominees Clinton and Trump are equally egregious in their misstatements, if in substantively different ways. Clinton is measured, poised, concentrated and studied when she revises her personal history. Trump just says whatever tiny thought penetrates his prefrontal cortex where inhibitory functioning is obviously kaput, blurting absurdities and bromides the way pirates toss plastic beads from papier-mache ships at Mardi Gras.

Lacking a policy record to defend or reverse, Trump gets to gloat and sneer at his female foe. He did reverse himself on his irrelevant position regarding the Iraq War, but the number of real estate developers whose opinions entered into the nation's military calculus in 2003 was exactly zero. Otherwise, his evil-clown act toward women, minorities, the disabled and others is apparently acceptable to the Republican Party.

Clinton's record is something else. The woman who would become president promises a continuation of President Obama's policies, even though she rejected many of them in 2008. The candidate who hates NAFTA almost as much as she now despises Wall Street is captured in several clips praising NAFTA.

A review of her bizarre accounting of landing in Bosnia under sniper fire in 1996 is almost entertaining. Audacious, really. Rather than ducking and dodging across the tarmac where no welcoming committee was present, film footage reminds us that she and daughter Chelsea Clinton calmly walked from the plane, posed for photographs with students there to greet them, and shook hands with a little girl.

No news here, just a rehash of history. One web author who posted the video  sent to me by several readers  insists that it would be impossible to vote for Clinton after viewing the 13-minute montage. This may or may not be true given the alternative, but a refreshed memory does invite fresh consideration of Clinton's character.

On questions of honesty and trustworthiness, Clinton consistently polls low, including among Democrats, which partly explains Sanders' support. His economic plan may be fantastical, but at least he's honest!

Well, maybe. With Clinton, there's no maybe, as the 13 minutes make clear. For whatever reason, she simply can't seem to stick to the truth, which, at times, needs neither embellishment nor denial. Wasn't it enough to have gone to Bosnia to conduct the nation's all-important soft diplomacy?

Clinton has been in public life long enough to have made some honest mistakes and even changed her mind a few times, which aren't sins. But trustworthiness requires honesty, which often begets forgiveness.

After all these decades, Clinton still wants everything every which way, just never straightforward. Her lengthy tenure as a public figure has become her greatest obstacle. This isn't only because of her lack of forthrightness, but also because, having lived under such intense scrutiny for so long, she seems incapable of allowing herself the ultimate dodge: She's merely human.

A person who can admit to mistakes, express genuine remorse, apologize for errors of judgment or failures to act, and who revises history only in the service of truth  that person could become president of the United States.

If only.
The University of Tennessee is now prohibited from supporting an event known as "Sex Week," according to a state law. The law prohibits the university's flagship campus based in Knoxville from putting any state funds into the student-organized event while also defunding the university's office of diversity.

Lawmakers were angered by the university's recommendations to use gender-neutral pronouns for transgender students. The law also explicitly bars the school from using state funds to support the use of gender-neutral pronouns.

The diversity office, however, clarifies that their office was simply providing information when a student might request the use of gender-neutral pronouns. Despite the diversity office playing no role in the event, conservative lawmakers were also upset about the annual student-run event held at the school.

A bill pushed by state Republicans, Gov. Bill Haslam (R) signed the bill to become a law on Friday. Haslam allowed the bill to transform into a law by failing to sign or veto the legislation, according to Huffington Post.

The new law is only in effect for one year, according to ABC News. However, legislators are keeping a close eye on the school.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education argues that banning the university from supporting Sex Week, based on the nature of the event would be a violation of free speech rights. In April 2015, students on campus protested the recently signed bill.

Lawmakers of the state have repeatedly tried to impede "Sex Week" due to anger towards to university's recommendation to use gender-neutral pronounces for transgender students. In 2013, students withdrew more than $11,000 to use as funds for "Sex Week" which sparked the issue. By 2014, the state legislature pressured the University of Tennessee to require students to pay fees when supporting student-organized events.

Despite no protests or mass effort against the event on campus, lawmakers believe that the event is inappropriate for both students and adults. The event features workshops and forums that touch on the different types of sexuality and sexual orientation. "Sex Week" also teaches students about healthy relationships, body image, consent and other types of sexual education.
The burgeoning learning gap is perhaps one of major issues that are plaguing higher education today. That's why education experts are calling for policy reforms and higher quality solutions to provide to education development opportunities.

In addition to the large learning gap, ineffective educators and poor accountability are also among the key issues in education. Fortunately, the global community is prompting world leaders to give importance on education such as funding in times of crises and emergencies, Huffington Post notes.

How Technology Affect The Evolution Of Higher Education

Did you know technology can either be a major disruptor and innovator in higher education? According to The Economic Times, technology has a huge potential to disrupt the higher education in three major categories - administration's efficiency, student's preparation and educator's effectiveness.

Personalized and self-learning tools can help students learn and progress at their own pace and when integrated with higher education, teachers will be able to follow the learning data of every student and offer individual intervention. However, technology's ability to provide intensive and diversified learning can also easily disrupt education, especially for teacher development.

How Artificial Intelligence Will Change Higher Education

In addition to technology, the rise of artificial intelligence also has an impact on the evolution of higher education. In fact, most if not all professions, including education, has been significantly affected as a result of the knowledge economy's eruption.

With the accumulation of specialized knowledge, the world has experienced an increase in specialization and sub-specialization, making it difficult to focus on one are of studies. Fortunately, artificial intelligence can address the fragmentation of knowledge in sub-domains, University World News reveals.

In addition, artificial intelligence can also customize knowledge and make higher education more flexible. That's why recent studies appear to show the demand to control individual's education path through selectively accessing knowledge is increasing.

How Donald Trump's Education Platform Will Affect Higher Education

Donald Trump's higher education policy has been quite nonexistent during his victorious Republican presidential primaries. But according to Morningside College Economics professor and Trump's policy director and national co-chair Sam Clovis, some of the higher education ideas of the 69-year-old 2016 U.S. Presidential nominee could be "revolutionary," Inside Higher Ed reports.

Clovis said the Trump campaign expects higher education as a major issue during the fall general election and among the proposals under consideration would be the upending of the current system of student loans. However, final decisions have yet to be made or when the ideas will be formally unveiled.

What are your thoughts on higher education? Sound off below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
High school scholar and athlete Andrew Jones graduated as the valedictorian of his class, but officials at the Amite High School in Louisiana barred the straight-A student from marching during the ceremony held May 18. Their reason? The student refused to shave his facial hair and the controversy has sparked a protest against the school.

School superintendent Mark Kolwe has released an official statement following the incident involving Andrew Jones. He cited the Tangipahoa School Board Student Dress Code Policy, which disallowed beards among its students. He also cited that Andrew Jones was reminded about shaving his beard more than once. He knew that if he came to the graduation ceremony without a clean-shaven face, he will not be allowed to participate, per WBRZ.

Teachers apparently spoke with Andrew Jones before the ceremony and the principal also talked to his parents. However, the boy insisted to keeping his facial hair and he chose to sit at the back to watch his fellow graduates. He wasn't able to make his valedictory speech as well.

Wow. Andrew Jones was at the top of his class, but officials denied him his shining moment...because of this: https://t.co/NrRoxJ2qNU  JET magazine (@GetJETmag) May 21, 2016

"Andrew made that decision for himself by failing to comply with the reasonable requests made by his parents and school officials that he comply with the rules applicable to all other students," the letter stated. But BET reports that Andrew Jones refused to comply because the rule was never imposed in school except for this one time.

Meanwhile, The Advocate reports that the NAACP, which spearheaded a protest on the controversy, is imploring the school superintendent and three of its board members to resign. NAACP chapter president Patricia Morris reasoned that other schools in the district actually allowed students with facial hair to march in the graduation ceremony.

Morris cited that the school officials violated Andrew Jones' First Amendment rights and the stance against the student was discriminatory. The boy's aunt also defended him. "He is not a spoiled child," said Sabrina Davis. "He chose to work hard to have a 4.0 and it paid off, so why take that away from him like that?"


Parents who want their children to land a career in Hollywood should listen to the unsolicited warning of American actor Elijah Wood. The "Lord of the Rings" star revealed one ugly truth about Hollywood by claiming that cases of child sex abuse are widespread in the home of the motion picture industry of the U.S.

Child Sex Abuse In Hollywood Is Comparable To The Jimmy Savile Abuse Scandal

In a recent interview with Sunday Times, Elijah Wood divulged that his long career in Hollywood has exposed him to the harsh reality that there "are a lot of vipers" in the motion picture industry of the U.S. The "Lord of the Rings" actor, who bagged his first movie role at the age of 8, compared the child sex abuse cases in Hollywood to the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal that rocked the U.K.

"Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organized. There are a lot of vipers in this industry - people who only have their own interests in mind," Elijah Wood revealed.

The 35-year-old actor, who became a household name after playing the role of Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's epic film trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit," said that child sex abuse cases are still rampant in Hollywood up to the present. He reasoned out that such crimes persist because victims "can't speak as loudly as people in power."

Thanks To His Mother, He Was Spared From Child Sex Abuse In Hollywood

Elijah Wood disclosed that he was spared from the child sex abuse in Hollywood because he had been protected by his mother, Debbie Wood, who was more concerned about his welfare as a child than his Hollywood career. He relayed that his mother never allowed him to attend parties where most of his friends were regularly "preyed upon."

"If you don't have some kind of foundation, typically from family, then it will be difficult to deal with," the "Lord of the Rings" actor stated. "If you're innocent, you have very little knowledge of the world and you want to succeed, people with parasitic interests will see you as their prey."

According to The Guardian, allegations about the rampant child sex abuse in Hollywood have been mounting throughout the years. Among those who came out as child sex abuse victims is Corey Feldman who claimed that as a young actor in 1980s, he was "surrounded" by sex abusers.

Do you agree with Elijah Wood that child sex abuse is rampant in Hollywood? Share your thoughts below.
Because of its virtual nature, most are concerned about the safety of information they put online, which is why technology goons put high premium on security. Google is one of the companies that values security and easiness of its users so it has taken the initiative to develop a secure system without the use of passwords.

Tech Radar reports that Google is almost done with its new trust system as it was announced on last year's Google I/O conference. Part of Project Abacus, the new feature boasts a "Trust Score" that will make the phone acquainted with the user at all possible, measurable costs such as the surrounding environment of the user, his/her typing style, face and voice. It then logs the user in his/her online accounts.

According to cybersecurity firm Telesign as per Daily Mail, passwords are easily accessible by skilled hackers. One in five people use one password for ten years and three-quarters of online users use the same passwords for multiple accounts. People often forget long codes which prompted Google to start a new security measure, Abacus.

Good news for developers because, as reported by Engadget, the company announced on Google I/0 2016 conference that the security system, Abacus, will be out before this year ends. Google's Advanced Technology and Projects Division Head Daniel Kaufman said that Google will be testing Abacus in June. It started last year with universities getting first dibs on the feature and now financial institutions will get to see how it works.

Moreover, it's already functional as Google's SmartLock feature which unlocks a phone if the user's face and environment are recognizable (via Tech Radar). However, the drawback is it's not available for other developers to take advantage of.

Meanwhile, the coming security feature, Abacus, is an API that can be used by developers. The settings are also customizable, depending on the intensity of security needed for a particular app. Say a PayPal app needs to be more secure than a Musical.ly account to which the user can customize security settings accordingly (via Tech Radar).

Not everyone is comfortable without passwords so we have the next months to find out if Google's Abacus will be well-accepted by the public. How about you? Do you feel comfortable relying your security on a trust measure than a password? Share us your thoughts below in the Comments section!
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is making stronger efforts to help teachers and educators adapt to Common Core education standards better. Some schools aren't wholly prepared for the transition to Common Core.

Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann said Common Core materials can be challenging for numerous school districts, the Washington Examiner reported. Desmond-Hellmann said teachers spend more time adjusting or forming curriculum in schools, creating lessons and looking for additional teaching materials.

The Gates Foundation was a significant figure in the creation of Common Core years ago. The organization donated tens of millions of dollars to fund the standard and to promote its implementation in schools across the U.S., the Washington Post wrote. Common Core is an educational reform that introduces a more concentrated and clearer set of math and reading skills to K-12 students.

Shortcomings

Desmond-Hellmann admitted that the Gates Foundation didn't anticipate the challenges schools will face under Common Core. She added that the foundation should have provided strong resources and support that public education systems need to properly implement Common Core.

Desmond-Hellmann, however, said Kentucky is seeing positive results in its implementation of Common Core. Kentucky is the first state to take on Common Core five years ago.

How The State Of Kentucky Fared

Funded with federal money from the Obama administration, 54 percent of Kentucky's elementary school students were proficient in the English language in 2015 while 49 percent of the pupils were deemed to have proficiency in math, according to the Hechinger Report. One problem arose in the state despite the improvement: African-American students scored lower than their white peers.

Only 33 percent of black students in elementary schools are proficient in reading and 31 percent have proficiency skills in math. Sonja Brookins Santelises, vice president of K-12 policy and practice at research group Education Trust, said students need Common Core standards to succeed in college, the news outlet further reported.

As for why black students fared poorer, she said schools in low-income areas populated with people of color usually have low standards for their students. That education inadequacy didn't prepare black students enough for Common Core.

Protests

Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Michigan are all ditching Common Core standards from their education systems, MLive listed. The states claimed that Common Core didn't deliver on its promise to increase students' academic performance and success.

In New York, thousands of students refused to take Common Core-aligned standardized tests, the Daily Caller wrote. Critics claimed that the standardized tests are harder and more time-consuming.
Yoga does not only have a positive effect on adults, but it is beneficial for school aged children as well. Brightwood Education Campus in Washington D.C. made a remarkable step by adding yoga and meditation into their curriculum.

According to Yoganonymous, the U.S. Department of Education took note of the benefits of yoga and meditation among school-aged children during their trip to Brightwood. They were then surprised with the benefits of meditation and yoga among the students.

Incorporating yoga and meditation into the school's curriculum isn't new to the U.S. educational system as several schools already took note of the benefit it offers to their students. Yoga and meditation do not only have a positive impact on the child's health, but it also impacted their school performance as well.

"After the exercises the students had a chance to sit up tall, close their eyes, and breathe in unison," an intern of U.S. Department of Education wrote. "Beyond just physical fitness, students and teachers participated in meditation and stretching in order to ease their minds and connect with other people around them. Planting the seed of healthy living at an early age will allow the students to feel more supported as their lives become more stressful both academically and personally."

Adding yoga to the school's curriculum encouraged peace and order into the classroom. According to Parents, yoga and meditation help the students de-stress after being bombarded with school work.

Yoga and meditation help the students focus on the school work as they are trained to clear their mind and focus on what they are doing. Several studies backed the reports that practicing meditation helps students focus on school work giving them good grades.

As yoga and meditation continually increase in popularity among school curriculum, students continually improve their grades. As a parent, teacher, guardian or student, are you in favor of adding yoga and meditation into the school's curriculum? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
It looks like Princess Charlotte is going to attend Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday parade on June 11. It has been said Prince William and Kate Middleton are thinking to bring their youngest child and Prince George to join the Royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

"The plan is for Charlotte to join Prince George and the Duke and Duchess on the balcony for [the event] 'Trooping the Colour,'" a source from the Royal Watch revealed. However, Princess Charlotte's appearance depends what will be her mood that day, according to Vanity Fair.

But, Prince William and Kate Middleton believe that it will be a good idea to bring Princess Charlotte unto the event. In fact, the Duke of Cambridge revealed that the public will see more of their children in the Queen's birthday celebration.

The Duke and Duchess are very happy to be able to share these important family moments, ahead of their daughter's first birthday. A photo posted by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on May 1, 2016 at 3:04am PDT

If it's indeed true, it will be the third time Princess Charlotte will be seen by the royal fans in public, International Business Times reported. To recall, the 1-year-old Princess of Cambridge is first introduced to everyone when she is brought home by Prince William and Kate Middleton from the hospital in 2015.

The second one is on Princess Charlotte's christening in July 2015. The rest of her public appearance is only made by her mother, Kate Middleton, by giving the public a glimpse of her by publishing her by personally taken pictures.

Speaking of snaps, Kate Middleton is commended by Queen Elizabeth's official photographer, Hugo Rittson Thomas, as per Daily Mail. He said that the Duchess of Cambridge has a talent and skills in holding the camera and taking gorgeous shots.

In fact, Hugo Rittson Thomas finds her like a pro and disclosed that she has the capability to have a career in the world of photography. "She captured the joy, happiness and youth of her children which is a wonderful thing and sometimes hard to do as a parent," he said.

Kate Middleton is known for doing creative shots of her kids, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, by her own and not minding to call professional and their official cameramen. Evidently, she is being recognized for her love for photography.
An emergency fund worth billions will provide education to children in countries hit with wartime conflicts, disease outbreak and natural disasters. The humanitarian fund was a joint effort between global and national organizations to help children attain education.

Education Cannot Wait, which was announced during the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul this week, aims to raise $3.85 billion over the next five years to reach 13.6 million young people in crisis-hit countries. By 2030, the project aims to help 75 million children and youth, according to a report from UNICEF.

Gordon Brown, United Kingdom's former prime minister and the UN's special envoy for global education, headed Education Cannot Wait with the support of UNESCO head Irina Bokova, BBC reported. Dubai Cares, the European Union, Netherlands, Norway, the U.K. Department for International Development and the government of the United States have contributed financially to the program.

Program Will Restore Hope

Brown said Education Cannot Wait will help restore hope among families affected by the tragedies, BBC noted. Brown said the project is the first humanitarian fund focused on providing education to warzone children. He added that the project will fund years of children's development, instead of the usual weeks or months.

The project will also help end the cycle of violence in countries facing conflict. Providing education and directing communities on a path towards peace can help these nations recover for the better.

According to UNESCO, education funds for crisis-hit countries are underfunded and currently comprise 2 percent of humanitarian aid only. Figures from UNESCO and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, indicated that only 50 percent of refugee children are in primary school and 25 percent of adolescents are in secondary education.

Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria have caused the displacement of numerous young children, though the exact number of those displaced is unknown. Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Sudan and South Sudan have high displacement rates since 2003, TRT World wrote.

Risks Of Wartime Violence

Out-of-school children in crisis-hit nations are vulnerable to being young brides, young laborers and young soldiers. They are also easily recruited into terrorism and radicalization, as well as slavery.

Students' teachers are being abducted and killed, while classrooms are converted into torture chambers and playgrounds become stockrooms for weapons, Time reported. Schools and universities have been attacked in more than 70 nations between 2009 and 2013. On average, four schools or hospitals were attacked or occupied by extremist groups per day, BBC noted.
England's teenage pregnancy rate has been reduced by half thanks to resilient efforts from the government. Young people under 18 years old are staying away from early pregnancy more due to high-quality sex and relationships education.

A group of researchers from London analyzed data gathered from 148 local authority areas in England from two five-year periods: 1994 to 1998 and 2009 to 2013. The information displayed under-18 conceptions, abortions and birth rates that are linked with England's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, or TPS.

TPS was implemented in 1999 with the aim of reducing under-18 pregnancy rates by 50 percent. Between 1998 and 2013, conception rates among teenagers aged 15 to 17 years old have dropped to 25 pregnancies (from 47 counts in 1998) per 1000 young women living in deprived areas, Mirror reported.

England's TPS Should Be Emulated By Other Countries

Alison Hadley, who led TPS, said the World Health Organization is seeking her help on how to teach other countries to follow England's example in reducing teenage conception, the Guardian reported. The WHO said that few nations in the world attained the same success like England's TPS.

One of the reasons attributed to TPS' success is the generous length of time intended for the program. There's also the program's broad and multi-agency approach, which includes youth workers and social workers visiting schools and colleges. Thanks to effective education programs and easier access to contraceptives, young people are being encouraged to be more responsible and informed in their choices.

Adam Balen, who is from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and chair of the British Fertility Society (BFS), said sex and relationships education doesn't just teach the youth to avoid pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. It also teaches fertility and the appropriate time to start a family, Mirror further reported.

New data from the Office for National Statistics, or ONS, found under-18 conception rates in England were at its lowest in 2014 since 1969. Only 22.9 pregnancies per 1000 women aged 15 to 17 occurred in 2014, but that number is still isn't enough to bring England at par with the Netherlands and Scandinavia, according to Balen.

Teenage Pregnancy Rates In The US

The U.S. is also seeing reductions in teenage pregnancy rates. In 2014, conception rates among teens plummeted to more than 50 percent from 1991's high pregnancy number, Miami Herald reported.

That decrease the U.S. is experiencing can be attributed to teenagers waiting longer before becoming sexually active. Young people are also learning to use birth control methods effectively.
There are interventions to address binge drinking in colleges across America. However, a study has found that the interventions have failed when it came to members of fraternities and sororities.

The interventions are not working to the extent that members of a fraternity would drink the same amount of alcohol even if there were no interventions done, Raw Story reported. The study, published in the journal Health Psychology revealed that some members actually increased the amount of alcohol they drank after the intervention.

The study reviewed 15 previous studies done between 1987 and 2014 with 21 various alcohol interventions. Some of the interventions were discussion groups, addressing misperceptions of campus and Greek practices and strategies to identify high-risk situations for drinking.

Interventions Do Nothing To Solve The Binge Drinking Problem Among Greek Life College Students https://t.co/MYjkDTmhMS #world  World Medical News (@worldmedi) May 19, 2016

New Type Of Intervention Needed To Counter Binge Drinking

"Current approaches to reduce alcohol consumption and problems among fraternity, and possibly sorority members, have limited effectiveness," said Dr. Lori Scott-Sheldon, the study's lead researcher, as per Medical Daily. "We need to refine or develop new interventions that work better for these students."

According to the study, drinking alcohol is an integral part of fraternities and sororities. Hence, there is a great possibility that this is why its members have a harder time giving up binge drinking compared to non-members of Greek organizations.

Sorority Members Left Out In Interventions

"In particular, sorority members are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than nonsorority members; this increased risk has been attributed to higher rates of alcohol consumption by both perpetrators and victims," the researchers said, according to Pacific Standard. Still, there were no interventions that were aimed at sorority members.

The 15 different studies reviewed involved 6,026 members of fraternities and sororities but only 18 percent were female. "Thus, evaluating interventions targeted specifically to sorority members is an important but neglected area of research," said the researchers.

What are your suggestions for countering binge drinking in college? Share your thoughts below.

What are your suggestions for countering binge drinking in college? Share your thoughts below.
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After one of Apple's most concentrated business trips to India, Bloomberg reports that "India's Foreign Investment Promotion Board ruled Apple must comply with regulations to procure 30 percent of components locally if it wants to sell through its own retail stores. The company makes most of its products in China and doesn't currently meet that criteria. While India can provide waivers for cutting-edge technology companies, the panel decided it can't certify Apple for that exception, the people said, asking not to be identified as the decision isn't public. The FIPB decision needs to be ratified by the government and it could still be overruled."

Of course that could all change very quickly should Foxconn finally sign a deal for an iPhone plant in India as has been reported. Should that come to pass, the Indian Board would have no cause to hold back providing Apple with a license to build Apple Stores.

For now, however, Apple is being denied the green light to proceed. That was somewhat obvious over the weekend when Prime Minister Modi made no announcements regarding this matter, which many were hoping to hear to end Apple's business trip on a high note. Yet Apple expanding into India with a series of flagship Apple Stores isn't a matter of if but rather when.

Vishal Tripathi, research director at Gartner told Reuters that "The trip was more about understanding the Indian market, but was also about signaling to the world that Apple has arrived in India." There's more news from Reuters on Apple's business trip in a report titled "More challenges than cheer for Apple chief on Asia tour."

In the end, it comes down to Prime Minister Modi's "Make in India" initiative. Whenever Apple announces along with Foxconn that iPhones will be manufactured in India, the Indian PM will most certainly ensure that Apple gets fast tracked for its stores.

Yet it's a little disappointing considering that Apple will be opening a new Maps development office hiring 4,000 Indians. For some reason the government seems to be mentally stuck on iPhones having to be manufactured in India before Apple Stores are allowed in.

In all fairness, the Indian government should give Apple the green light on a limited number of Apple Store licenses to show good faith for the first moves Apple has made to this point. The fact that that the Indian Government wants to play hardball and only by its rules, is likely why large multinationals are reluctant to enter their country.

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Patna: Seven weeks after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav announced the merger of the six 'Janata Parivar' parties was done, Janata Dal  U state President Vashisht Narayan Singh, at a press meet in Patna on Sunday, declared the proposed 'marriage' was cancelled due to certain differences between the two parties.

Vashist's announcement came a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar backed out at the last moment to appear with the RJD chief at a Nishad rally at Patna's Gandhi Maidan on Saturday instead sending JD-U President Sharad Yadav to fill in for him.

That the merger was already on the rocky road and was doomed to fail from the very moment Nitish Kumar floated the idea of a grand secular alliance, it was the recent refusal of the Chief Minister to appear side by side with Yadav that put the final nail in the coffin of the merger process. The fact that Yadav refused to project Kumar as the Janata Parivar's Chief Ministerial candidate only hastened the death of the 'secular alliance'.

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan, along with the readers of PatnaDaily in an online poll, had repeatedly predicted the ultimate collapse of the merger talks mostly due to the large egos of the two former enemies but it was Nitish Kumar who refused to acknowledge that the attempt to forge a larger coalition, that for some unknown reason included a Samajwadi Party (SP) that has zero presence in Bihar, had failed.

Blaming the media for spreading rumors about the collapse of the merger talks, Kumar had, until as recent as last Friday, maintained that the talks were on track and it was only a matter of days before a formal announcement was made.

Talking to the reporters in Patna, the JD-U state President said that merger talk was off the table now but the two parties could still reach a consensus about sharing seat in Bihar to take on the BJP juggernaut in the coming Assembly elections.

"There won't be any grand merger but a great alliance now," Singh said.

The JD-U will launch its election campaign on June 18 with a series of party meetings and public appearances by Nitish Kumar who would hold a conference of the party workers in Patna on June 3 to chalk out the election strategy, he said.

With the JD-U and RJD now headed for the 'divorce court', the Congress in Bihar announced its decision to back Kumar's candidacy saying between Lalu and Nitish, it was the latter who tried to bring positive changes in the state thus earning the support of the Congress.
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"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 helped Syria hold Daesh back: Soleimani

05/24/16

Source: Press TV

The Commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Qassem Soleimani says Daesh terrorists would have overrun Syria if it were not for Iran's assistance.





Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps

(photo by

Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency

"If the Islamic Republic did not help the Syrian government's resistance, today Daesh would be ruling all over the country," IRNA quoted Soleimani as saying during a speech in the holy city of Qom on Monday.

Soleimani also hailed the Iranian military advisers who had given their lives in the battle against terrorism in Syria. Earlier in the month, the IRGC announced that 13 of its advisers have been killed and 21 others wounded in the town of Khan Tuman, located in the southwest of the Syrian province of Aleppo.

He further stressed that by utilizing the enemy's "logic and errors," Iran has emerged victorious from the battle with all its enemies.

"Today the victor in the battle against the Takfiris is the Islamic Republic," he said.







Soleimani added that the US has also been forced to abandon all its objectives in the region, and despite its endeavors, it has not been able to undermine Iran's influence in the Middle East.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. Damascus says Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are the main supporters of the militants fighting the government forces.

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian crisis.
Iran Says It Will 'Speed Up' Case Of Jailed Advocate For Internet Freedom

05/24/16

Source: RFE/RL

For the first time, Iran has officially acknowledged that it has imprisoned a U.S. permanent resident who advocates for Internet freedom. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said Tehran "will try to speed up" the case of Lebanese citizen Nizar Zakka, who disappeared in Tehran in September after attending a government-sponsored conference.



Nizar Zakka



Although no charges have been announced, Iranian media has accused him of being an American spy. His family and associates reject the allegation.

"The Iranian government will try to speed up the process of addressing this issue and provide any help possible, but ultimately a legal case should be addressed by judicial authorities," Ansari said. "Any verdict by the judicial authorities will be the final ruling and we do not intervene in judicial rulings."

Zakka heads a nonprofit group that received $730,000 in grants from the U.S. government, AP reported.

Zakka's family is pressing the U.S. government to try to obtain his release, arguing he was arrested because of his U.S. ties.

They said Zakka traveled to Iran "with the knowledge and approval of the U.S. State Department, and his trip was funded by grants" from it.

Based on reporting by AP, Fox News, and Iran News Update

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
India Cements Role in Iran with Chabahar Deal

05/24/16

By Sumitha Narayanan Kutty (source: LobeLog)



Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tehran on May, 23, 2016. (source:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tehran on May, 23, 2016. (source: Islamic Republic News Agency

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi made his first-ever visit to Iran on Sunday. It was also the first visit by an Indian head of state since the Iranian nuclear deal last year. Topping Modis agenda were two key agreements-the trilateral transit pact between India, Iran and Afghanistan and the bilateral contract between India and Iran on the first phase of development of the Chabahar port.

With these crucial transit deals in the bag, India will cement its role in Irans infrastructure development.

The trilateral transit agreement, over a decade in the making, will allow Indian goods to reach Afghanistan through Iran. The route will link ports on Indias western coast to the port city of Chabahar in southeast Iran. It will also establish rail links north to the Iranian border city of Zahedan and, subsequently, into Afghanistan.

Negotiators from India, Iran, and Afghanistan finalized the text of the agreement in New Delhi last month, though the exact routes are still being chalked out. India will also hammer out a separate deal with Iran to supply steel rails to build that railway line connecting Chabahar to Zahedan.

The Indian prime ministers agenda for his two-day visit is bittersweet. On the one hand, several strategic projects between India and Iran (particularly infrastructure-related) are on track - either completed or well into the last stages of negotiations. On the other, New Delhi found itself hitting a payment wall (now partially sorted out) as it attempted to clear its $6.5 billion oil debt to Iran through European banks.

Iranian Frustration with US

Indias payment struggle underscores the problems currently plaguing the Iranian investment climate some six months after sanctions were lifted-European bankers remain reluctant to do business with Iran given the uncertainty over restrictive American laws.

In this setting, during separate meetings with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and, more significantly, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Indian leader will discover considerable frustration with the United States, one of Indias important strategic partners. In recent comments, the Supreme Leader seems yet again in no mood to tolerate the Great Satan (a term he used this week after a gap of eight months) and its efforts to scare foreign investors from going to Iran.

And heres where Indias dealings stand in stark contrast. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the development of Irans Chabahar port in May last year even before the nuclear deal was sealed. The agreement, now finalized, will allow India to develop and operate two berths on a ten-year lease at the Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar. The Indian government has already approved a $150-million credit line.

Indian companies will also invest an additional $20 billion in the citys free trade zone. Last year also saw frequent visits by both Indian and Iranian ministers to both Tehran and New Delhi to follow up on various projects and expedite discussions when needed.

Of course, this period has not been without bumps. In the months right after the July nuclear deal, Iranian officials drove harder bargains with the Indians. The great expectation of European investments into Irans prime sectors, like oil and gas and infrastructure, drove them to strike while the iron was hot.

Tehran successfully pushed Indian companies to renegotiate lower prices on contracts to export steel rail tracks. It withdrew its long-standing offer to an Indian consortium to develop the Farzad B gas field-the companies had already begun exploration-and, after months of back-and-forth discussion, agreed to follow through in April. The development, financial and commercial terms are now expected to be sealed by October.

Chabahar Port

A final contentious negotiation took place over the development of the Chabahar port. The main disagreement, according to Indian officials, was that the Iranians failed to disclose, when the MoU was signed last year, that they had leased out the port to an Iranian company Arya Bandar. After three rounds of negotiations and three extended deadlines, the sticking points are resolved and a win-win agreement reached.

The development of the Chabahar port will be Indias most prized infrastructure investment in Iran. Indias planned investment in Chabahar has in turn piqued the interest of some of its closer strategic partners. Japan has recently expressed interest in teaming up with India in Chabahar, and the Japanese prime minister is likely to visit Iran in August to follow up.

Modis maiden visit to Iran signals new energy in bilateral ties. It reinforces his governments decision to prioritize infrastructure development in Iran alongside energy.

On his part, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani must hope that Indias commitment to invest in Chabahar, followed by a high-profile photo-op with the leaders of India and Afghanistan, will send out the right signal to investors- that despite setbacks, Tehran is very much in business and successfully engaging its regional partners.



About the author:

Sumitha Narayanan Kutty is associate research fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore. Her work focuses on Indias foreign and security policies toward the Middle East. She has contributed to numerous publications and broadcast programs including The Washington Quarterly, Asia Policy, BloombergNews, CNBC, Channel News Asia, Business Standard, Al-Monitor among others. On Twitter: @sumithakutty
Kamancheh Master Kayhan Kalhor Plays in Tehran amid Conservative Backlash against Concerts

05/24/16

Source: Radio Zamaneh

After six years of silence in Iran, music of kamencheh master Kayhan Kalhor blared out in Vahdat Concert Hall once more. On Saturday night, May 21, Kalhor and his ensemble performed to a full hall of ardent fans in Tehran.



Kayhan Kalhor performing at Vahdat Hall in Tehran

(photo by ISNA)



Kalhor last played in Vahdat Hall with Turkish Baglama player Erdal Erzincan in 2010. This time he was accompanied by Navid Afghah on Tombak, Ali Bahramifard on Santur and Hadi Azarpira on Tar.

The concert began with a piece by Ali Bahrami entitled Sarmast and proceeded with Parishan by Hadi Azarpira, work based on Kurmanji melody and finally the performance of Taragheh which Kalhor first recorded in his Night, Silence, Desert album in 2000.

In his earlier albums Kalhor played Taragheh on Setar while in his latest concert, he rendered a Kamancheh performance of the piece.

Kayhan Kalhor is the only Iranian musician to have won the Grammy awards four times. Prominent Iranian composer Hossein Alizadeh has referred to Kalhor as Irans most universal musician.

Kalhor in his most recent concert tour in Iran was supposed to also be playing at the city of Neyshapur for two nights on Tuesday 17 and 18 May. Although the promoter of the program had secured all the necessary permits from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the Neyshapur concerts were cancelled at the eleventh hour by the citys prosecutor.





(photo by ISNA)





In recent years, over twenty concerts in various cities across Iran have been cancelled or banned by city authorities even though Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has issued permits for their performance.

The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance oversees cultural affairs including the publishing of media, books, music and the public displays of art and culture including concerts. This ministry works as an apparatus of the president of Iran that is Hassan Rouhanis government. Local authorities in other cities however, might not agree with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidances politics and if hardliners are among these local authorities, they might just enforce their own rule of law.

Ali Moradkhani, deputy head Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidances Arts Department said earlier at every level of government a group is taking decision to cancel concerts based on their own taste and discretion. He stressed that it is vital to have a central decision making process based on the government policies for the performance of concerts in Tehran and all other cities.

The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ali Jannati, has also said that he has made every effort possible to prevent the cancellation of concerts to no avail. He added that concerts are vital for battling the rising level of depression in the country.





cartoon by Ali Miraei, Ghanoon daily





Meanwhile women musicians are being prevented from performing in many cities and their presence is being used as an excuse to cancel concerts.

Shahram Nazeri, another prominent Iranian musician performed a concert in Isfahan on Friday 20 May. In the opening of the concert Nazeri said: The female members of our orchestra are missing today and it is not fair to prevent someone from expressing their art because of their gender.

Shahram Nazeris concert in Neyshapur was cancelled like that of Kalhors and Ali Zand Vakilis concert in Mashhads Shandiz village was also cancelled.

Hossein Noushabasi a spokesman for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance announced on Friday that a coordinated effort is trying to shut down all concerts in the country. Noushabadi appears to be refering to the ultra-conservative backlash taking shape across the country since the reformist government of Hassan Rohani took power in 2013.

The conservative efforts appear to be geared toward discrediting Rohani by preventing his government from providing some relative social liberties to the public as promised in his campaign.

Last June, Kayhan Kalhors concert with Brooklyn Rider in Milad Tower was cancelled by security forces again discrediting the Ministry of Guidance which has issued the concert permit. Despite his disappointment and earlier decisions not to perform in Iran again, Kalhor finally managed to perform in Tehran on Friday night but the fate of his following performances scheduled in Yazd, Kermanshah and Khorramabad with all necessary permits remains to be seen.
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LogicMonitor is a well known and mature web and application management suite and network monitoring solution that's worked to make its product attractive to those with significant infrastructure assets in the cloud. To do this, it's designed unlike most other agentless systems, in that LogicMonitor is a hybrid Software as a Service (SaaS) system. The interface lives in the cloud, but a lightweight collector lives on your networks, hopefully giving you the best of both worlds. There's a free 14-day trial version is available off the website, but you'll have to jump through some hoops to get it started. That'll be a phone call or two and to understand your pricing will be at least another call as LogicMonitor only prices its product on a customer-by-customer basis. That and its need for a web connection keep it just slightly behind our Editors' Choice winners in this category, Progress WhatsUp Gold and Paessler PRTG Network Monitor. However, those who need to manage infrastructure in multiple places should definitely give LogicMonitor a try.

Installation and Setup

Like Datadog, LogicMonitor delivers most of its platform as a cloud service, so you'll need to setup an account once you've paid for access. Once your account is set up, installing LogicMonitor is typically a guided process. However, I opted to take the controls to get a better feel of how the underlying engine worked. Once you first log into the account, youll need to install collectors on each network segment that you want to monitor. These serve as windows to the world behind your firewall and allow LogicMonitor to sniff out and track your systems. There are two variations of the collector. There's a Windows collector that can cover all types of devices and is what nearly everyone will want when administering a mixed or Microsoft only environment. For those that dont have to live with Microsoft environments, then the Linux collector is your path.

What was particularly interesting about the install process is that it asks you to execute a command line string that automates installing the collector. For Windows, this will be a Linux command. For Linux users, this will be a Bash command. Once you copy and paste it to the appropriate command line, it kicks off installation automatically. For most, this will run without troubles, though I did have a few minor glitches with the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service after the collector launched. However, after restarting the service, everything worked well.

Once the collector is installed, LogicMonitor can "see" into your network, which means you can proceed to the next part of the online wizard. You can automatically scan, add devices from a list, or add devices individually, which for the most part the same process as the other tools in this roundup. For the initial test, I decided to automatically scan. To do this, LogicMonitor requires that you enter credentials. This could be an SNMP string, Windows credentials, VMware ESXi credentials, and a number of other authentication possibilities. Once youve done this, it goes to work finding devices and adding them to the list. Adding individual devices is basically the same process, except youll give it an IP address or Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). If it finds the device, it will add it to the list, and youll be good to go.

For those with lots of virtual infrastructure, VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V systems are also well supported, though ManageEngine OpManager still has the overall best support for virtual infrastructure of all the tools in the roundup. If you add one of these two hypervisors to your discovery process, LogicMonitor will not only figure out what the virtual machines (VMs) are, but it will intelligently monitor the hypervisor as well. Knowing the current RAM and CPU usage is a hot item when dealing with a large scale VM farm. Whats even better is that no additional add-ons are required. This is significantly better than Nagios XI, which requires you to install a separate plugin for this information.

Once devices are added, the user interface (UI) is clean and polished. As a rule, dashboards tend to be a bear to set up on other platforms, but LogicMonitor has obviously worked hard on this aspect. The software makes it easy to build your own dashboards by providing well thought out templates that you can clone. Every section can be accessed via a toolbar along the left hand side of the screen. There are a number of ways to visualize your data as well, including not only a hierarchical view of your equipment, but also the ability to build graphical topology maps that help with visualizing your networks and speeding the trip to root cause analysis. While this isnt automatic yet, a picture is always worth a thousand words, so this capability is something most IT pros would do well to investigate early.

Alerts and Reporting

Alerts are fairly powerful in LogicMonitor, but likely not quite as powerful as some other agentless systems we tested, including both our Editors' Choice winners and even slightly lower-scoring products, like NetCrunch. You have the typical ability to send an alerting email, SMS message, and such, and you can execute web based services, like IFTTT or use an HTTP request if your service is publicly available.

However, there isnt anything to let you execute a behind-the-firewall action directly. That could allow you to apply instant fixes and access systems in a round about way in case of trouble. Overall, we found the alerting abilities to be decent enough, but we'd like to see them expanded, since they're lagging slightly behind much of the field where most products let you execute a wider range of action types.

Gathering your alerting and monitoring data into a digestible format is fairly easy. LogicMonitor provides sixteen report types that can be customized to meet your particular business needs. You'll find all the most common output formats, including CSV, PDF, and HTML. Reports can, of course, be run on demand or scheduled and emailed. While not an overt feature, having a SaaS environment means that you wont have to fool with your own SMTP server. For those averse to fussing with mail server settings, this can be a significant bonus.

If you're looking to customize LogicMonitor, then there are a few minor hiccups. For one, the LogicMonitor API is more geared toward automation than custom data collection. That said, it does have a fully functional REST API. If you're looking to collect custom data, you can always leverage the scripting portion of the application. Its also worth mentioning that the supported device database in LogicMonitor is huge and grows on a weekly basis, so you may not even need a custom data scraping script. That said, if you need it, LogicMonitor can get you there, but I think that Nagios XI does this piece better. However, you really cant get that level of functionality from the SaaS model that LogicMonitor uses, so its forgivable.

Overall, LogicMonitor is an excellent tool even if it is slightly behind our Editors' Choice winners. Its SaaS delivery model means its very well positioned for those who have lots of geographically dispersed infrastructure they need to monitor, likely moreso than those tools that rely on the on-premises model. While you can probably find more features and device support in Progress WhatsUp Gold and Paessler PRTG, the SaaS environment that LogicMonitor offers wins the scale game every time.

LogicMonitor 4.0 (Opens in a new window) See It Visit Site at LogicMonitor (Opens in a new window) Starts at $375.00 Pros Service is cloud based

Agentless operation

Rich and useful user interface Cons Requires web connectivity

Alerts missing local network actions

Quote-only pricing The Bottom Line If your devices are geographically distributed and all your sites have internet connectivity, then its hard to find a solution better than Logic Monitor. For smaller networks that could be walled off from the internet, you will need to look elsewhere.
Microsoft Word, like all text-based programs, uses a numeric character code called ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) for each alphabetic, numeric, and special character on your keyboard. This code is the reason we can use open text files in almost any software program, and the reason why some programs passwords are case-sensitive (e.g., the uppercase A is ASCII number 65 and the lowercase  a is ASCII code 97). You can insert any or all of these codes/characters (individually) with one easy combination keystroke: the Alt key+ the decimal code on the numeric keypad (note that the numbers across the top of your keyboard do not work)or you can use the Symbols Library.

Insert Symbols from the Symbols Library

The Symbols Library is the most common and familiar method for inserting non-keyboard characters into a document. The process is simple:

1. Select the Insert tab

2. Click the Symbols button

3. Choose a symbol from the small dialog window of 20 samples, or

4. Select More Symbols and choose one from the Symbols Library (from the normal text font).

Word remembers the last 20 symbols you inserted and places them in the dialog window (sort of like a symbol speed-dial). For occasional usage, this is a nice feature. But what if you use the copyright and trademark symbols 25 to 30 times in a single document? Or what if you use em dashes in every other paragraph, or lots of fractions, or accent marks in every five to six words (theres over three dozen accent characters alone)?

JD Sartain / IDG

01 Insert Symbols from the Symbols Library

Notice that Word provides the number of the Character Code from the ASCII Decimal table plus the name of the symbol and the Alt+ key combination (or Shortcut key) at the bottom of the Symbols dialog window.

For volume entries, try the ASCII Codes instead

Its certainly a lot faster to type Alt+0169 (the copyright symbol) than to search for it and insert it from the Symbols library, especially if you have to insert it 40 times a day.

But there are also other reasons for using the ASCII codes, such as availability and broken keys. Some characters may not be available in your Symbols Library because your fonts dont support them. And what happens if one of the keys on your keyboard is damagedfor example, it seems like the space bar (32) is always the first key to malfunction (Alt+ 032).

The Internet provides dozens of websites that chart the ASCII and symbol tables. Two Ive visited are ascii-code.com and another is Special Characters  Alt Code Sequences . Remember to press and hold the Alt key and enter a 0 (zero) before each code; for example: if the chart shows 169 as the copyright symbol, you must enter 0169 (that is, from 0 through 255).

Somewhere around the decimal code 256, the preceding zero is no longer necessary. You can test this yourself by entering both versions of these numbers. For example, Alt+ 0251 = u (the Latin small letter u with circumflex symbol above it) while Alt+ 251 =  (the square root sign)and so forth until you reach 256, which is the same as 0256 (both produce the pronunciation symbol for an uppercase long A; that is, A).

In addition to the keyboard characters, youll find decimal codes for Greek and Latin letters, accent letters, pronunciation symbols over the alphabet, and mathematical symbols, such as the division and square root operators, the accent grave and circumflex symbols, plus worldwide currency symbols, and more. But the coolest of all are the graphics and icon symbols.

Alt Key Symbols

There are hundreds of Alt symbols. In fact, Alt+ 1 through Alt+ 31 (without the preceding zeroes) are icon symbols (such as happy faces, card suits, astrology icons, etc.) and 176 through 223 are graphic lines and polygons. Thats why so many users get discouraged when looking for the British pound symbol  (Alt+ 0163) and end up with the lowercase Latin letter acute accent u (Alt+ 163)which is also found at Alt+ 0250.

The Alt+ codes extend out five digits, so if you cant find the symbol youre looking for, play around with the numbers and see what you get. Start with 1,000 and try some random numbers through 10,078. Notice that many of the 9,000-level symbols are repeats of the original set (1 thru 255).

Its always fun to insert a happy face (Alt+ 1)  or (Alt+ 9786) or a snowman (Alt+ 9731) .

See the charts (above and below) for several dozen interesting and useful symbols to decorate your documents and emails. These symbols also work in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. In Excel, the Alt+ symbols after 255 are inconsistent, but the ASCII codes work fine.

NOTE: If the ASCII decimal code does not display the symbol you expected, try entering the Unicode / ASCII Hex code instead, followed by Alt+ X; for example 006A plus Alt+ X.

JD Sartain/IDG

ASCII Decimal, ASCII Hex, or Unicodes?

Notice that all of the Alt codes in the charts above are represented by numbers; for example, the White Queen is Alt+ 9813. But notice that some of the new symbols also have letters in the codes such as the Hex ASCII code (aka Unicode) 006A, which is supposed to display a decorative heart from a downloaded symbol font called KR All About the Heart.

The ASCII decimal code for this same symbol is Alt+ 106, but that code and both the Unicode and ASCII Hex codes (006A plus Alt+ X displays the Latin lowercase letter j. This means some symbols (especially the downloaded ones) may only be available through the Insert > Symbol commands on the Ribbon menus.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not enter the plus signs, just the Alt key and the following number OR the characters followed by the simultaneous Alt and X keys.

Special characters on laptop or tablet keyboards

Some laptops and tablets dont have numeric keypads. If thats the case, the Number Lock keypad is generally on several of the inside keyboard keys, sharing with other characters. Some systems also provide an Fn (function key) button, which must also be depressed in order to use the Alt+ key codes. The most commonly shared keys are the 7, 8, 9, u, i, j, k, l, and m keys.

You can also try Fn + the F11 key to open a calculator-type keypad. If that doesnt work, try toggling on both the Number Lock and Scroll Lock keys, then press Alt+ the key code. And last, if all else fails, press down the Fn button and hold, then press and hold the Alt key, then enter the number and release all three keys simultaneously.

At this point, it would be easier to use the menus. In other words, if your laptop or tablet is missing the numeric keypad, its faster (and likely more efficient) to just select Insert > Symbol > More Symbols and choose one, then click Insert.

Locate & install new symbols

The only symbols available on your computer now are the ones that came pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows fonts, and those do not include a lot of artsy symbols. For example, Windows 10 includes the Bookshelf Symbol 7 and Symbol fonts (minimal collections) plus Web Dings, Wing Dings (1, 2, 3), and Zaph Dingbats, which all have some great symbols.

Some software programs such as the Adobe Creative Suite and the Corel Draw suite include a number of new fonts with the programs, which are generally pre-installed if you choose the standard installation. If you do not have one of these programs, you can locate hundreds of symbol fonts on the Internet.

For example, 1001 Fonts advertises that it has 587 Dingbat fonts in its library, which include categories such as Holiday, Flowers, Animals, Retro, Religious, Romantic, plus dozens more. Downloading these fonts is a breeze: Just browse through the collection, choose a symbol font, and click the Download button.

A dialog box appears and asks where/what to do with this Zip file? Choose Save File and click OK. The directory/folder dialog appears. Browse to Downloads and click Save. Its a good idea to always save your downloaded files to the Downloads folder first, then copy/paste, move, or Unzip to the applicable folders.

Unzip or Extract the file back to the Downloads folder, or you can extract directly to the Windows Font folder. Note that its safer to extract to the Downloads folder, then copy and paste the font file to the Windows Font folder.

Test your new symbol font. Open a Word file, select Insert > Symbol, scroll down to the new font, choose one of the symbols, and click Insert. Notice the character code at the bottom right side of the screen. You can now insert this symbol using the ALT+ character code. If not, see the ASCII Decimal, ASCII Hex, or Unicodes section above.

Tips: If you require a lot of mathematical symbols (such as fractions, square roots, etc.) in your document, choose the MS Special Reference symbol fonts. For business or office symbols, download the  Computer or Office Dingbat symbols from 1001 Fonts. For additional unique symbol fonts such as the signing alphabet and/or music notes, choose Symbol from the Dingbat symbols at 1001 Fonts.

Can icon symbols be converted to vector graphics?

Yes! And this wonderful feature gives clip art a whole new meaning, especially since many clipart vendors charge for their products. If you have Corel Draw, Illustrator, InDesign, or Photoshop, you can convert any symbol icon to a vector graphic, which means youll have a graphic that can be altered and sized without compression noise (aka fuzzy pixels).
After a pair of successful Kickstarter campaignstwo of the most successful campaigns of all timePebble is launching three products with its third Kickstarter campaign starting Tuesday.

Two of the new products are, naturally, smartwatches: Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2. However, the real news is Pebbles first product thats not a watch. Pebble Core is a small, unassuming square made of plastic that adds more capabilities to your Pebble Watch, standing in for a smartphones GPS, cellular connectivity, and storage when you want to leave your phone behind.

Next-gen Pebble smartwatches

Adding to the companys newfound focus on fitness applications, the Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2 are equipped with heart rate sensors. The heart monitor will record your heart rate every 10 minutes, unless you begin a workout on the watch, or it automatically detects youre running or walking, after which it will continuously record your heart rate until youve finished.

Pebble Pebble 2

Weve watched as Pebble has progressed from a company with a focus on fine-tuning its smartwatch experience, to rapidly improving upon the fitness features of its watches. Heart rate monitoring was the next logical step.

I recently sat down with Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky to get a look at the companys new wares. During our time, he also walked me through a new software feature that will debut alongside the watches.

The most notable software change revolves around what Pebble is calling Actions. The company found that people didnt want to click through menus and apps in order to do something as simple as order an Uber, or begin composing a text to a loved one. With the new software, when you press the up button, the watch will immediately display a series of actions. Highlight the task you want to complete, press the middle button, and youre done. You can set up actions within the Pebble app. Sticking with Pebbles previous promise to support older products, the new software will also be available for current Pebble Time watches.

Pebble 2 hits on all the same points as previous-generation devices: Battery life of about a week, water resistance up to 30 meters, iOS and Android compatibility, and a microphone for voice interaction. It will be available in five colors, is priced at $99 during the Kickstarter campaign, and will begin shipping in September. Retail pricing for Pebble 2 will be $129.

Pebble Pebble Time 2

Pebble Time 2 eliminates one issue Ive long had, but accepted as just something I had to deal with: screen size. With Time 2, Pebble kept the body of the watch the same size and shape as the Time Steel, but increased screen size by 50 percent. And thanks to better backlight technology and a bonded display, its easier to view indoors than the previous model. I briefly used a Time 2 last week, and can say the display looks much better than the Times display.

Pebble Time 2 will offer 10 day battery life. Offered in three colors, its priced at $169 on Kickstarter (after which it will go to $199), and will begin shipping in November. All in all, both watches look to be solid upgrades to the Pebble lineup.

Pebble Core

And now for something completely different: Pebble Core is a little plastic square with a magnetic latch to attach to your clothing. Its purpose? A little bit of everything. Instead of increasing the size of Pebble watches in order to add storage, cellular connectivity, or GPS capabilities, Migicovsky told me the company opted to instead create an entirely new product that can let you leave your smartphone at home while you work out.

When turned on, the Core can track a workout using built-in GPS, play music from the devices 4 GB of storage (Spotify Premium support is baked in), and help keep track of your workouts through apps like Runkeeper and Strava.

Pebble Pebble Core

Theres even a microphone and small speaker should you need to place a phone call in a pinch. Yes, that means Core has 3G connectivity built-in, but youll have to furnish your own SIM card to use it.

On the front of the device youll find two divots. Each divot acts as a button for carrying out various tasks. Tap the bigger button to activate GPS mode, while the smaller button can be programmed to call an Uber or send an emergency SMS to a loved one should you encounter trouble.

Core runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, and Pebble plans on openly encouraging its community to tinker and alter the behavior or Core.

Think of it as Amazons Dash button, but its always on you, Migicovsky told me as I tried to make sense of the Core. Short-term, Migicovsky sees Core as something that his companys user base will enjoy altering and customizing.

Long-term, Migicovsky sees Core as a more of a central hub for the various devices we carry around with use daily. Right now, that hub is our phone. But phones arent getting any smaller, and despite LTE being added devices such as smartwatches, paying a service fee for each one isnt feasible.

Core is priced at $69 during the Kickstarter Campaign, with retail pricing expected to be $99. However, youll have to wait until January before Core starts shipping.

You can visit Pebbles new campaign on Kickstarter.
For a few years, Amazons protected users against immediate price drops after purchase with an informal price protection policy that refunded you the difference if the cost of something you bought was slashed mere days later. It appears those good times are over.

Over the past month, Amazon customers began complaining that the online retailer was no longer honoring price protection refunds on anything, with the sole exception of televisions.

GroovyPost was the first to notice the change in early May after readers reached out. Most recently, Recode spoke to Earny, a startup that helps people find price difference refunds on items theyve purchased online, about the price protection policy.

Amazons price change policy has changed several times over the years. At one point the company allowed price refunds for 30 days after your purchase, which later changed to just 7 daysprices on Amazon change often.

Its not clear why Amazon decided to cease the informal price protection policy. Perhaps too many people were taking advantage of the offer or prices became too volatile to continue supporting it. Recode suggests that startups like Earny were making the price difference policy too easy for customers. Whatever the reason, its over now.

The impact on you at home: Unless youre buying a television theres seems to be little point in hoping for a price difference refund from Amazon. If that kind of guarantee is important to you, other retailers still offer pricing protection, including Best Buy, Dell, and Walmart. Otherwise, youll just have to accept the prices Amazon offers and be done with it.
French police have raided Googles Paris office as part of an investigation into the companys tax affairs.

The raid began at 5 a.m. Tuesday, Paris time, according to local newspaper Le Parisien, and involved five public prosecutors, 25 computer experts, and investigators from the French tax office and the Central Office for the Prevention of Corruption and Financial and Tax Crimes (OCLCIFF), the public prosecutors office told local media.

French prosecutors began investigating Googles finances last June, following allegations from the tax authorities that the company was involved in serious tax fraud.

Google channels much of its European advertising sales through its Irish subsidiary, Google Ireland, profiting from low tax rates there. Tax officials in other European countries are concerned about the resulting loss in tax revenue.

Directing profit to a low-tax jurisdiction by having a subsidiary there send out invoices is not necessarily illegal, if there is some justification for the transfer. In manufacturing industries, its relatively easy to see where the work is done and the value added, but with cloud services such as programmatic advertising, its much harder to pin down where the work is done or the service delivered.

In January, Google came under fire when it agreed to pay 130 million (US$186 million) in back taxes in the U.K. in settlement of a 10-year investigation there. Fair tax campaigners such as John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network say that sum represented a tax rate of just 3 percent, when the nominal tax rate was over six times higher, at around 20 percent.

French officials believe Google owes 1.6 billion (US$1.8 billion) in back taxes, and unlike the U.K. tax authority, they are disinclined to negotiate a settlement, local media reported in February.

Its not just Google that has felt the wrath of French tax investigators: In 2012 almost 100 tax and police officials raided a Microsoft office on the outskirts of Paris following the discovery at another company of invoices from Microsofts Irish subsidiary for services officials believed were performed in France by staff of its French subsidiary.

Google officials in Paris did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesdays raid.
Oracle and Googles fierce court fight over the code inside Android went to a jury on Monday after closing arguments that sharply differed on the most basic issues.

The federal jury in San Francisco is now deciding whether Googles use of copyrighted Java code constitutes fair use, an exemption that would free the company from having to pay Oracle damages.

At issue is declaring code thats part of 37 Java APIs Google used. Google says it simply used selected parts of Java to create something new in the form of Android.

What fueled the success of Android is all the things that went into it that are new and different, said attorney Robert Van Nest of Keker & Van Nest, representing Google.

That makes Android a transformative work, so its a fair use of the copyrighted code, Van Nest said. He also gave other reasons its fair use, including that Google only used a small part of Java, that Android isnt a substitute for Java and that its use of the code didnt harm the market for Java.

Oracles attorney argued Google copied the code because it couldnt build a mobile OS fast enough without it.

They knew they were breaking the rules, they knew they were taking shortcuts, and they knew it was wrong, said Peter Bicks of Orrick Herrington.

Google described the declaring code as nothing more than functional components it needed to call resources and make the Java programming language more effective. Oracle argued the relatively small amount of code has outsize significance.

If this wasnt important, why did Google copy it? Bicks asked the jury.

After Google used the code to build Android, Oracle said it considered developing a phone platform but concluded it couldnt compete with the free OS. It also saw Java licensing revenue from companies like Samsung shrink.

The companies used competing metaphors to help a jury of average citizens see the issues their way. Google compared the declaring code in the APIs to a filing cabinet with labeled folders, while Oracle said it was something more creative and substantial, like the books, chapters and topic sentences in the Harry Potter series.

This is the second time a jury has considered the fair use issue. Jurors in Oracle and Googles last trial, in 2012, couldnt reach a verdict on that issue. If this jury finds the Java in Android isnt covered by fair use, the trial will immediately turn to the question of damages. Oracle wants US$8.8 billion.

Both sides invoked bigger issues in their closing arguments to the jury. Google said the fair-use exemption protects the kind of innovation that Northern California excels at. Oracle, itself a 132,000-person behemoth valued at more than $160 billion, cited Googles far-reaching influence.

It takes somebody with strength and courage to stand up to somebody like Google, Bicks said.
Later this year, Google Maps users will start seeing new ads as theyre driving down the road and planning trips using its mobile app.

The company announced a new promoted pins feature on Tuesday that will show users special pins on the map with a brands logo in different situations, like when theyre planning trips, driving by and searching for places to go. For example, when someone searches for coffee, they might see a pin with a Starbucks logo show up on their map, while another user might have Maps suggest that they stop by a McDonalds while following directions.

Alongside that, advertisers will be able to set up pages that let users explore what items they have on hand and view special offers.

These changes mean that Google should be able to make more money from Maps, and advertisers will be able to try and reach users at times when theyre most likely to go and visit a physical location. Its part of a push from the companys advertising division to create more ads targeting smartphone users.

Previously, Google only showed ads inside Google Maps that were basically copies of traditional search ads, and they werent able to specifically target the companys mapping software.

Jerry Dischler, Googles vice president of product management for AdWords, said that the company is still honing its first release of promoted pins. In general, Google is trying to optimize for two things: making sure people see the ads, and not distracting folks as theyre trying to operate a car.

Thats why even though the Maps app will show promoted pins as users are driving, Google isnt going to call them out in the middle of navigation. However, Google also doesnt have any plans to make it possible to turn them off.

With the launch of these products, Google is building on the tools it has to try and get users to visit physical businesses from the web. Tuesdays launch comes almost two years after Google released AdWords store visits, a tool that uses anonymized location information from customers to tell businesses how many people visited retail locations after seeing their ads online.

In some ways, these ads are similar to ones run by Waze, the mapping and navigation app that Google bought in 2013. Right now, the Waze team continues to operate independently of Google Maps, and the ads users see in Waze are separate from the ones in Maps.

Sridhar Ramaswamy, Googles senior vice president of ads and commerce, said that would continue for the near future, but that at some point, Waze and Google Maps will integrate their advertising products.

All of this comes as Google has also announced a number of other changes to its advertising products, including a redesign of AdWords that lets marketers bid differently to reach users on mobile, desktop and tablet devices.
Many states arent confident of their ability to respond to cyberattacks on physical infrastructure such as water and electric systems, U.S. emergency response officials say.

The U.S. government could do several things to help states improve their response to cyberattacks, including increased funding for technology training programs, cybersecurity experts told a House of Representatives committee Tuesday.

States have difficulty hiring top cybersecurity employees, said Steven Spano, president and COO of the Center for Internet Security. Cybersecurity workers are a high-demand, low-density asset, the former Air Force general told two subcommittees of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Meanwhile, states are uncertain about their ability to respond to cyberattacks, lawmakers noted. For four years in a row, states have ranked their ability to respond to cyberattacks at the bottom of a list of emergency response competencies when surveyed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, noted Representative Dan Donovan, a New York Republican.

I am worried that its only a matter of time before the hackers are successful in compromising the electric grid, the water system, or some other essential service, added Representative Donald Payne, a New Jersey Democrat.

Part of the problem for states is a lack of funding, said Mark Raymond, CIO for the state of Connecticut and vice president National Association of State Chief Information Officers.

Most states spend just 1 percent to 2 percent of their IT budgets on cybersecurity, while the federal government spends about 15 percent, Raymond said.

Like Spano, Raymond noted the difficulty of hiring cybersecurity professionals, with states competing with private industry for the best people. Cybersecurity workers are the most difficult to recruit and retain for states, he said. State government salary rates and pay structures are the biggest challenges in bringing on IT talent.

Neither Spano nor Raymond gave lawmakers statistics about open cybersecurity positions in state governments.

Another area of concern is cyberthreat information sharing, witnesses said. While sharing between the federal government and states has improved in recent years, much of that information is classified, said Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Cooney, assistant deputy superintendent in the Office of Counter Terrorism for the New York State Police.

We cannot share useful contents with many of customers unless the classification is downgraded, he said.
If you manage your whole LAN in the cloud, why not add in the desk phones, too?

Thats what Ciscos Meraki division has done. Its first phone, the MC74, can be managed on the same dashboard Meraki provides for its switches, Wi-Fi access points, security devices, and other infrastructure.

Cisco bought Meraki in 2012 when it was a startup focused on cloud-managed Wi-Fi. The wireless gear remains, but Cisco took the cloud management concept and ran with it. Now Merakis approach is the model for Ciscos whole portfolio.

Merakis goal is to simplify IT, said Pablo Estrada, director of marketing for Ciscos cloud networking group. The idea appeals to smaller companies with small or non-existent IT staffs, but also to some large enterprises that need to set up and run networks at remote offices, he said. Since Cisco bought Meraki, the customer base has grown from 15,000 to 120,000.

The MC74 extends Merakis platform to phones, giving customers the chance to combine voice calling with their data networks and remove a separate system that can be complicated to manage. The MC74 is available now in the U.S. and will gradually roll out to other countries.

While Merakis cloud has a single pane of glass in its software to manage different kinds of infrastructure, its phone literally has a single pane of glass: an elegant, smartphone-like touchscreen. Other than volume and mute buttons and the corded handset, all the controls pop up on that screen.

Cisco is working on added features for Meraki phones that would tie them into the companys broader communications portfolio later this year. For example, if two employees were in a text chat on Ciscos Spark messaging app and decided to switch to voice, a user with a Meraki phone might be able to make that shift with one click, Estrada said.

The MC74 has a list price of US$599. Service to tie it into the public switched telephone network is list-priced at $8.95 per month. A Meraki cloud license for one phone costs $150.

Meraki is also upping its game in Wi-Fi. Two new access points, the MR52 and MR53, are equipped for so-called Wave 2 of the IEEE 802.11ac standard. That standard boosts Wi-Fis theoretical top speed to 2.3Gbps (bits per second) from 1.3Gbps in the first wave of 11ac. But the main point of the Wave 2 APs is to be able to serve more devices in the same area, Estrada said.

Along with the new access points, Meraki is introducing wired switches with ports equipped for 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps. Those are to handle the higher throughput from Wave 2 access points without upgrading to 10-Gigabit Ethernet, which requires better cabling. Theres no formal Ethernet standard for these speeds, but the Meraki switches use NBase-T, a specification that should make them upgradable to the standard via software, Estrada said.
If cherry picking is on your bucket list, have at it.

Your last chance to hit Guldseth Orchard in Cherry Valley will be this weekend. Because of an early bloom, all 16 varieties of these luscious little jewels hanging on 400 trees will be picked by June 1, said Sue Guldseth.

A soft breeze cooled the gazebo where she sat sifting through hundreds of cherries for sale. The pecked or imperfect discards dont go to waste. She freezes them to make healthy snacks.

Meanwhile, John Guldseth, her husband of 44 years, ambled through their organic, pesticide-free orchard, telling visitors how how to properly pick among the cornucopia of cherries swaying from the trees.

He showed how to snap off a pristine cherry, unblemished by bird pecks or untouched by bugs. Isnt this beautiful? John said, admiring a heart-shaped, dark red Lambert.

Dont pull down and yank the stem, he told Russell Kitahara, 58, an organic grapefruit farmer from Thermal. Kitahara and his wife, Anna Rodriguez, 51, a school psychologist, couldnt resist a sudden craving for cherries.

Push back against gravity on the stem, John said, demonstrating. You dont want to hurt the skin and give it a bacterial infection. And you want to keep the bud from breaking off.

Sue, 71, sorting cherries and John, 71, talking about them to guests, have created the fabric of their traditional spring tableau for more than four decades. The Guldseths built their 2,200-square-foot home and initially planted 100 cherry trees in 1971 on 5 1/2 acres.

The orchard has always been a hobby, rather than a livelihood from the ka-ching of cherry sales. John, a College of the Desert and UC Riverside graduate, taught high school chemistry and biology in San Pedro for 31 years. Sue raised their two sons, David and Stephen, now in their early 40s, who bring own their children to help out during cherry season.

Since the familys first crop in 1975, Guldseth Orchard typically has invited the public in late May and stayed open through the next four weekends. Thats how we get rid of the cherries, John said. People picking them.

But for the first time ever, the drought prevented them from opening last spring. It was all red ink, John said.

He noted that Guldseth Orchard and Mile High Ranch are among the few surviving you-pick cherry places in an area that was once home to 50 such orchards.

Even so, the dearth of this prized fruit hasnt deterred the Beaumont Cherry Festival from holding its 98th annual event, which will run June 2-5 at Stewart Park.

Scott Riley, owner of Providential Heritage Academy at Mile High Ranch, is opening his cherry orchard to pickers Saturday. He partly blames the birds, bears and bugs for reducing this years crop by 40 percent.

The major reason is water, John Guldseth said. Its expensive. He figures he spends between $4,000 and $10,000 annually to buy water from Northern California.

Orchards have also eliminated cherry picking because of damage from bark beetles, Japanese fruit flies and the liability risk of pickers climbing 8-foot ladders.

The darker, sweeter, sun-ripened cherries peek from his orchards leafy crowns Although some trees can grow to 80 feet, John prunes his below 16 feet to comply with the fire departments regulations.

A productive season can yield 4-5 tons of cherries at Guldseth Orchards. The couple sells about 40 percent of it; 20 percent lands on the ground, wasted; another 20 percent is devoured by the crows, jays and black bears; and the final 20 percent is gobbled by pickers as they fill their buckets.

The latter reason is why the Guldseths began charging admission in addition to fees per pound: pickers came to eat rather than buy the fruit.

You can just come and gorge yourself, Sue said.

A warm spell in January broke down the dormancy of the trees, resulting in early blooming. Since opening May 14, the Guldseth Orchard has been mobbed, especially on weekends, she said. You hear every language, John said. But the majority of pickers are Asian.

Kitahara and Rodriguez left after paying $18 for 4 1/2 pounds theyd plucked from the trees.

I ate too many, Rodriguez said.

Contact the writer: llucas@pressenterprise.com, 951-368-9559
The Eastvale City Council on Wednesday, May 25, will continue hearing from residents on how to draw districts for city elections until the 2020 census when district lines will be redrawn due to population shifts.

Council members voted last month to change the citys election system so that City Council members are elected from geographic areas instead of from anywhere in the city under threat of a potentially costly lawsuit by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The second of three public hearings on the change from an at- large to a by-district election system is set for tonights meeting.

The Eastvale City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. at Rosa Parks Elementary School, 13830 Whispering Hills Drive, Eastvale.

The third public hearing on the change is set for June 8 when council members are scheduled to adopt an emergency ordinance so the new system is in place for the Nov. 8 election.

The Latino civil rights group  known commonly as MALDEF  challenged Eastvales at-large system of elections under the California Voting Rights Act, arguing that it deprived Latino voters of the opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.

The citys consultant, National Demographics Corp., presented council members with two choices: to divide the city into four districts and have a mayor elected at-large to serve a four-year term or divide the city into five districts and continue the practice of having council members rotate into the mayors seat.

At their May 11 meeting, council members decided by consensus that they preferred dividing the city into five districts with a mayor selected from the five council members to serve a one-year term.

Now the issue is which of two versions of that five-district map appeals most to residents.

Council members just felt it would be easier to have five districts and a rotating mayor, Eastvale city attorney John Cavanaugh said this week. This way it follows what theyve been doing.

Councilman Joe Tessari said he favors keeping the current system of having council members select a colleague to serve a one-year term as mayor because it gives everyone a chance to be mayor.

It gets away from the perception that there is one person that has more power than anyone else, Tessari said.

Tessari said constituents he has been in touch with have expressed apprehension about having the city divided into districts.

They are concerned that council members will be pitted against each other to get projects for their districts, Tessari said. Thats what we dont want to see. A divided city.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9647 or sstokley@pressenterprise.com
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton on Monday declined an invitation from Fox News to participate in a debate with rival Bernie Sanders in California before that states June 7 primary.

Clinton and Sanders are competing aggressively in California as primaries wrap up.

But Clinton is close to getting the delegates she needs to seal the nomination. Sanders says he has a chance to pass her in pledged delegates, though he admits he faces tough odds. Then he would have to persuade many superdelegates to switch their support to him.

Campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said Clinton will compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while also turning her attention to presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. She said Clintons time is best spent meeting voters and campaigning.

Bill Sammon, Fox News vice president and Washington managing editor, said the decision was unfortunate.

Naturally, Fox News is disappointed that Secretary Clinton has declined our debate invitation, he said, especially given that the race is still contested and she had previously agreed to a final debate before the California primary.

PLATFORM PACT

Earlier Monday, the Democratic National Committee made a bid to quell an escalating feud with Sanders by giving him more clout on the panel that will write the partys platform, a decision made with an eye toward coalescing the party around likely nominee Hillary Clinton.

With Clinton having all but locked up the nomination and looking for ways to bring Sanders supporters into the fold before the general election, the DNC gave the Vermont Senator five picks for the Philadelphia conventions platform drafting committee. Clinton gets six members and four others are appointed by DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who Sanders has accused of tilting the nomination process in Clintons favor.

Sanders said he was satisfied with the compromise plan.

We believe that we will have the representation on the platform drafting committee to create a Democratic platform that reflects the views of millions of our supporters who want the party to address the needs of working families in this country and not just Wall Street, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry and other powerful special interests, he said in a statement.

Sanders selections run the gamut of the Democratic Partys left-wing and progressive causes: civil rights activist Cornel West, environmentalist Bill McKibben, Native American advocate Deborah Parker, pro-Palestine activist James Zogby and Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress.
A 54-year-old Mead Valley man has been charged with one count of felony animal cruelty and one count of felony negligent discharge of a firearm that could have hurt or killed a person in connection with the death of a neighbors dog last month.

Christopher Samuel faces arraignment in the case on Friday, May 27, in Riverside County Superior Court, according to court records.

Samuel was arrested April 2 on suspicion of shooting his neighbors dog and released on bail with a court date. The criminal complaint filed Monday, May 23, gave the dogs name as Baddie.

Riverside County Sheriffs deputies were called to the 17500 block of Clark Street after receiving reports of gunshots the afternoon of April 1, and found a dead dog outside a home in the unincorporated community of Mead Valley near Perris.

A video that begins about 30 seconds before the shooting was posted on Facebook and exceeded 150,000 views within three days. The footage shows a man training a gun on a dog that is running around off-leash in a yard, behind a gate. A gunshot is heard, and the dogs owner screams at the man who fired.

After the incident, Debbie Meindl-Lemmon said in an interview that her stepson, Michael Lemmon, owned the dog, a 2-year-old pit bull. She said her family mourned the loss of their dog.

RELATED

Investigation pending against man accused of shooting neighbors dog

Man arrested on suspicion of shooting neighbors dog

Contact the writer: 951-368-9075 or gwesson@pressenterprise.com
Cara Shoup of Murrieta returns from Sedona, Arizona as a cellphone artist.

Her work graces the Bob Pratte Cellphone Art Gallery, an exhibit of readers smartphone photos on the P-E columnists Facebook page, facebook.com/CellphoneArt. You can be an exhibitor in Cellphone Art Gallery, too. Simply email your best full-resolution photographs directly from your smartphone to bpratte@pressenterprise.com. Be sure to include your name, where you live and where the photo was taken. Feel free to include phone photo tips and the stories behind the pictures. See lots of readers art on the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/CellphoneArt page and follow Bob on his blog at pressenterprise.com/blogs/bobpratte; Facebook page facebook.com/PE.BobPratte; and on Twitter: @bpratte
Re: Series of gun-control bills gets state Senate approval [News, May 20]: The forced handover of magazines over 10 rounds sounds like the start of the Australian gun grab. If I had a 30 round magazine, I would claim I lost it.

You want to drop the crime rate? Get rid of the sanctuary cities and toughen penalties for possessing an illegal gun. By illegal gun, I mean someone who didnt buy it legally.

These bills will not drop the crime rate by any means. Look at Chicago, with the toughest gun laws in the nation they have a great deal of shootings, seemingly every day.

John W. Burns

Fontana

Arming enemies

In a quest to boost his flailing presidential legacy, President Obama has just announced that he is lifting the arms embargo against Vietnam.

Yet, even now, the Vietnamese government still subscribes to a totalitarian communist ideology that, by conservative estimates, is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths.

All the more appalling, while Obama seeks to arm totalitarian regimes and despots worldwide, here at home he seeks to disarm law-abiding Americans that only wish to defend themselves by utilizing their Second Amendment freedoms.

Adding insult to injury, many of these Americans whose constitutional freedoms are put in jeopardy by President Obama are military veterans, many of whom honorably faced down communism during the Cold War and even served in Vietnam.

Rick Reiss

Temecula

Tips for candidates

As a baby boomer, I have seen many candidates come and go. One thing I know for sure, to run for president, you must be a natural-born citizen, be 35 years of age, be able to change your stand on a subject in a split second, give a good reason you said something different than you did in your past and, most important, you must be able to insult other candidates while defending your own views or lack of them.

Rick Raum

Banning
Temecula businessman John Kelliher has been appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the California Travel and Tourism Commission.

Kelliher said the governor was looking for somebody to represent Inland Southern California on the commission, also known as Visit California. It is a nonprofit organization that markets the state to the rest of the world.

Its recognized that as a region were becoming more and more important to Californias tourism, Kelliher said.

The governors announcement last week was quickly followed by Kellihers first board meeting, in Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula.

Kelliher is aware that California is filled with well-known tourist destinations, from San Francisco, Hollywood and San Diego to beaches, mountains and wine regions other than Temeculas.

Really, our mission is to make sure that California as a great place to come visit  and consequently to spend your money  is well known both nationally and internationally, he said.

When there are opportunities to promote all of California by interweaving some information about some of the cool assets here in the Inland Empire, I think Im better qualified to pull that to the front than anyone else.

Kelliher and his wife, Kim, founded Grapeline Wine Tours in 2002 to get visitors to local wineries. John said it was always envisioned as a multibranch operation. It now serves Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley as well. In 2007 the Kellihers launched Stryder Transportation to provide corporate and leisure conveyance with a fleet of sedans, limousines, SUVs and buses.

Kelliher said he has learned a lot about tourism from his customers.

Were accounting for something like 100,000 winery visits per year, and a lot of those people give feedback to our hosts. They give feedback to me eventually through our email systems. And they give feedback through these public forums called online review sites, Yelp and TripAdvisor.

I read every single review that comes for us. It tells me a lot about what are the customers looking for.

Kelliher was already a local booster. He is an executive officer of Visit Temecula Valley and received a Citizen of the Year award from the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2015.

He said the state commission will give him the opportunity to expand his horizons.

I really try to wear the appropriate hat on each organization Im involved in, he said.

Contact the writer: fbuck@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9551.
A jury found two now-former Indio police officers not guilty Monday, May 23, of using excessive force during a 2014 arrest and leaving out details in the crime report.

Officer Charles Holloway had been charged with a felony count of assault under color of authority and Officer Gerardo Martinez was charged with one misdemeanor count of being an accessory after the fact, according to court records.

A jury trial for the pair started last week at the Banning Justice Center in the case involving the arrest of Ruben Joshua Martinez on Sept. 12, 2014 along Highway 111 in Indio. A bystander videotaped the encounter.

Obviously were ecstatic that the jury understood the evidence and in doing that, understood the nearly impossible job that police officers are tasked with doing in this day and age, and rendered the right verdict, Michael Schwartz, Holloways attorney, said by phone.

Schwartz said this was a case in which a snippet of video did not tell the entire story.

John Hall, spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorneys Office, wrote in an email: We filed the charges we believe were supported by the evidence in this case.

The complaint alleged Holloway assaulted and beat Ruben Martinez under color of authority. Officer Martinez was accused of making a material false statement regarding the commission and investigation of a crime.

The city, through its insurance carrier, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, reached a civil lawsuit settlement with Ruben Martinez, who was paid $140,000, according to a news release last month. That release stated that the officers were no longer employed by the city.

The defendants were among five officers who responded to a predawn report of a domestic disturbance in which a man was angry because he was not being allowed to see his girlfriend, and had a pit bull with him, according to court records. No information was shared with officers, including whether the suspect was armed with a weapon, was a gang member or had a criminal history.

After a foot chase ended in a restaurant parking lot, Ruben Martinez was met by Officer Martinez, who had his service baton raised, and the suspect complied with commands. Holloway arrived and punched and kicked the suspect 10 times, according to court records.

After Ruben Martinez was identified, dispatch notified officers there were two felony warrants for his arrest.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9075 or gwesson@pressenterprise.com
A 73-year-old driver suffered a medical emergency and crashed into a Moreno Valley house, causing $100,000 damage, slightly injuring a child, and displacing a family of four, say Riverside County sheriffs and fire officials.

The wreck was reported at 10:27 a.m. Monday, May 23, along the 23300 block of Via Montego, about a block west of Sunnymead Ranch Road and Old Lake Drive.

A 5-year-old child who was playing in the garagewas struck by debris and suffered a complaint of pain to his arm, sheriffs officials said in a written statement.

The Moreno Valley motorist suffered an undisclosed medical problem, causing him to lose control of his vehicle and hit the building, according to the sheriffs statement.

An ambulance crew took the driver to a hospital for what fire officials described in a separate statement as minor injuries. Roughly $100,000 damage to the house and garage forced the family to relocate.

The crews of three fire engines and a ladder truck were assigned to the incident.

The intersection of Via Montego and Via Apolina was closed for about two hours while firefighters stablized the front of the building.

Anyone with additional information may call traffic investigators at 951-486-6900.
If you were looking to feel the Bern or shout Im with her, the Inland Empire was the place to be Tuesday as both top candidates for the Democratic nomination for president staged rallies here.

Bernie Sanders spoke at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium at 3 p.m. and at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino in the evening.

And Hillary Clinton took the stage at UC Riverside a little after 6 p.m.

DECISION 2016: Share your Clinton, Sanders Riverside rally photos

Supporters of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump also held a rally today in the Inland area, though their candidate was not present.

Here is a feed from our reporters on the scene. Continue below for a snapshot of the rest of our coverage.

Supporters and protesters showed up early for Clintons rally at UC Riverside. Clinton took the stage a little after 6 p.m.

The country needs more jobs to build infrastructure and those are good union jobs, too, she told supporters at the event which ended around 7 p.m.

Heres what folks were saying at the Clinton rally.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders took the stage at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium just before 3 p.m. In an almost hour-long speech he said Americans need to ask hard questions.

Heres what folks sere saying at the Sanders rally.

Before the start, hundreds lined up in downtown Riverside.

The Riverside Municipal Auditorium is filling up with Bernie Sanders supporters as they wait his arrival . pic.twitter.com/1gg96IA2XV  PE Photo (@PE_Photo) May 24, 2016

Crowds assembled in an orderly fashion along Mission Inn Avenue, near the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, hoping to see Sanders. The line stretched more than three blocks long.

Sanders held an impromptu meeting with supporters in basement while vendors hawked T-shirts, buttons outside.

In San Bernardino Sanders called supporters brothers and sisters.

No president alone can transform this country, he said. We need a political revolution.

Before his stop in Riverside, Sanders was in Anaheim. He referenced Disney as an example of the downside of modern capitalism during his campaign speech Tuesday. The event saw hundreds of supporters lining up early to hear the candidate speak.

Riverside Police spokesman Mike Barney said his agency, along with California Highway Patrol and the U.S. Secret Service, were cooperating to provide security for both events. Barney said UC police also assisted with security for Clintons visit.

Sanders is making a major campaign push in California in hopes of gaining ground on Democratic nomination frontrunner Hillary Clinton, but faces an 18-percentage point gap among the states voters likely to participate in the Democratic primary, according to an ABC7-Southern California News Group poll released Monday.

Trump supporters held their rally at the Mill Creek Cattle Company in Mentone.

Clinton, Sanders, and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will all be campaigning throughout Southern California on Wednesday.

Did you attend any of the events? Share your stories and photos with us at talktous@pressenterprise.com.

RELATED

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Clinton takes Democratic campaign battle to UC Riverside

Bernie Sanders promises change at Riverside, San Bernardino rallies

Sanders takes aim at Disney during speech in Anaheim

Clinton, Sanders put Inland Empire on the political map

Poll says Clinton over Sanders for president, Harris and Sanchez for Senate

Where to go Wednesday to see the presidential candidates
Altura Credit Unions longtime president and CEO will step down next year.

Mark Hawkins will stay on through February while Alturas board of directors finds his replacement.

Its time, Hawkins said in phone interview Tuesday. The marketplace seems to be resolving itself, and the credit union is in great shape. And Im very proud, as Ive told our board, to return it safely back into their hands.

Hawkins remembers the date he took the job with what was then called Riverside Schools Credit Union.

I accepted it on my wifes birthday, on Dec. 16 of 1987, and been here ever since.

Hawkins came to the Inland Empire from Lakeland, Fla., a city he said has much in common with Riverside, including a history in citrus farming and being about as far from Disney World as Riverside is from Disneyland.

Lakeland was a third or a fourth the size of Riverside, but Riverside didnt feel large.

When we came here, we felt immediately welcomed, he said. I think that big town-small town dichotomy of Riverside was very evident to us immediately, and I think its still evident today. It makes Riverside a very special place.

Hawkins father Waymon was a credit union leader in Indiana, and Mark Hawkins said they have always been a part of his life. He likes the member-owner quality of the institution.

One member, one vote. Our members are our owners.  Everything goes back to them in one form or another.

Under his leadership, Altura has grown from $37 million in assets, 28 employees and 14,000 members to $1.205 billion in assets, 375 employees and 116,000 members. according to the credit union.

Changes Hawkins has seen include the splitting of the 909 area code, the rise of online banking and a generational shift from baby boomers to millennials.

Adopting Altura, a name that spoke to the heritage of Southern California, in 2004 was one of the bigger changes.

We were very anxious to get a name that would allow us to move out beyond Riverside County, and it still holds a lot of promise for us in the future.

Hawkins expects an easy transition into retirement in the next nine months.

Hopefully, it will be pretty much like the last few months. Were adding new members at a rate that we havent seen for probably 10 years.  Were very pleased with that. Weve got a lot of good things going on.

Contact the writer: fbuck@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9551
A registered sex offender and neighborhood handyman accused of killing two San Bernardino women and sexually assaulting one of them should face trial, a judge ruled at a preliminary hearing this month.

Jerome Anthony Rogers, 60, pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Monday, according to San Bernardino County Superior Court records.

He is accused of killing Wanda Lee Paulin, 86, on Dec. 12, 2010, on North Mountain View Avenue, and Mary Beth Blaskey, 76, at her Fremontia Drive home on Nov. 14, 2012. He has been charged with two counts of murder, one count of sexual penetration of victims against their will by force and other enhancements that could lengthen his sentence if he is convicted.

Rogers was first charged in 2013 in the death and sexual assault of Blaskey, who was a retired clerk and secretary for the San Bernardino City Unified School District.

Her home had been ransacked, and her 2001 Lexus was missing; it was found abandoned more than two weeks later in the northeast part of the city. Some items believed to have been taken from her home were found in one of the residences where Rogers was sleeping.

Rogers, a transient, was known for going door-to-door looking for work doing landscaping and household chores, a San Bernardino police spokesman said after Rogers was linked to the crime by DNA evidence and charged in the first homicide.

Without revealing the manner of death, then-San Bernardino Police Chief Rob Handy said at the time that Blaskey was viciously attacked.

While Rogers was in jail, he was linked to Paulins slaying through DNA evidence  and tenacious work by investigators, a police spokesman said, noting there were few witnesses.

A second case was filed in January 2015, which incorporated the charges tied to the Blaskey homicide.

Paulin had been the bookkeeper at First Presbyterian Church on D Street in San Bernardino  which Blaskey also attended  for 20 years.

Paulins home also was ransacked, and rings were taken off her fingers.

Police had appealed to the community for assistance in solving the crimes. Tipsters saw Rogers with items in December 2012 that they felt were out of place for him, and police began investigating him, officials said at the time.

Judge Cheryl Kersey presided over the preliminary hearing May 13, where a snapshot of evidence was presented and the judge found sufficient cause for trial. Rogers next hearing is June 17. No trial date has been set.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9075 or gwesson@pressenterprise.com
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders told an enthusiastic Riverside crowd that political change requires struggle, but their efforts will help make the country a better place for everyone in it.

An estimated 3,000 people filled the Riverside Municipal Auditorium and more spilled onto the surrounding streets Tuesday afternoon, May 24, hoping to see or at least hear the Vermont senator, who also spoke in San Bernardino in the evening.

My point is that what seems impossible today, 20 years from now people will say, Oh, no big deal, Sanders said after referencing movements for civil rights, womens rights and gay rights.

What the system always tries to make us feel is that real change is impossible.

PHOTOS: See photos from the Riverside rally

In a nearly hour-long stump speech that won cheers for promising to raise the federal minimum wage, expand health care access and advance immigration reform, Sanders pumped up his supporters, an ethnically diverse crowd that looked to be mostly under 30.

Sanders campaign is about putting the power of the government back in the hands of the people, said Justin Myers, 28. He and his wife, Leslie Robinson, 26, came from Moreno Valley to see the candidate.

Robinson, who was discreetly nursing 17-month-old daughter Ruby under a shawl, said the couple is worried about affording college for their four kids. She also doesnt think the Affordable Care Act went far enough in getting more people insured.

People began arriving before noon for the 2 p.m. rally, forming a line that snaked around three blocks. When organizers stopped letting people in around 1:30 p.m., some began pushing forward at the auditorium gate in hopes of getting inside, but they quickly became orderly again.

Those who didnt get a spot inside the rally were told they could listen from loudspeakers outside or attend an evening rally at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino.

Before making his entrance in the auditorium, Sanders grabbed a microphone and stopped on the lower level to speak to supporters who werent able to get in.

Inside the main event, the crowd periodically chanted, This is what democracy looks like, and Ber-nie! Ber-nie! Ber-nie! while waiting for the speech to begin.

Sanders hit many of the same notes as in other Southern California appearances, touching on problems such as Flint, Michigans contaminated water supply, the nationwide opiate addiction epidemic and a broken criminal justice system that disproportionately punishes Latinos, blacks and Native Americans.

The crowd roared in appreciation when Sanders said marijuana should be removed from the federal list that says its as dangerous as heroin, and they cheered for the idea that drug addiction should not be seen as a crime issue, but as a health issue. Legalization of marijuana should be a state issue, Sanders said.

The candidate proposed expanding Social Security and offering paid family leave for new moms, and he promised to support a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented people in the U.S.

He described the struggles of those who fought for civil rights, women who sought the right to vote, supporters of gay marriage and fast food workers who pushed for a $15 minimum wage in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Real change never occurs from the top on down, Sanders said. It always occurs from the bottom up.

The speech had a rousing effect on the crowd but offered few specifics on how Sanders would achieve his goals despite the resistance many predict from Congress. His suggestions for the audience were to support the campaign, vote, and encourage others to vote.

Supporters seemed to leave satisfied. Emilio Perez, a 19-year-old Riverside resident, said he wished Sanders would have talked more about immigration reform and was surprised the candidate didnt challenge Republican opponent Donald Trump, but he appreciated the comments on marijuana legalization and the prescription drug crisis.

Alex Meza, a 17-year-old Perris resident, is something of a Sanders super-fan. He attended the senators Los Angeles rally and planned to head from Riverside to his San Bernardino appearance Tuesday evening.

Hes undaunted by pundits assumption that Sanders cant overcome Hillary Clintons lead to win the Democratic party nomination. Clinton held a rally later Tuesday at UC Riverside.

Some Sanders supporters are just enraged more than anything else at the idea that its all over, Meza said. Nothings been decided yet.

Scott Mann, chairman of the Riverside County Republican Party, said the GOP doesnt support any issues on which Clinton or Sanders are campaigning.

Republicans stand for limited government, lower taxes and deregulation of business and no free stuff, Mann said.

I think government has given away far too many things, he said. We cant handle another administration with either one of those as president of the United States.

San Bernardino rally

Sanders brought his campaign of unity and diversity to a crowd of more than 5,200 supporters at the National Orange Show Events Center.

He took on Wall Street and corporations like Walmart, saying the middle class should not have to subsidize the wealthiest family in America, the Waltons, through the low wages paid to workers.

In a high energy atmosphere, Sanders tackled topics such as poverty, living in a rigged economy and social security. He explained that America is not supposed to be a country where the top 1 percent own almost as much as the bottom 99 percent.

Our message to Wall Street: They cannot have it all; this country belongs to all of us, Sanders said.

Long lines of Sanders supporters waited hours to get inside and hear him talk about investing in young people, in jobs and education, not in jails or incarceration. He also pledged to overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision.

Video: Crowds gather inside National Orange Show for Sanders speech

Sanders called for demilitarization of police and abolishing private prisons. The overwhelming majority of police officers in this country are honest and hardworking and do a very difficult job, he said.

But, like any other public officials, if they break the law, they have to be called to account.

Ashley Mendez, a UC Riverside student who lives in Chino, said she loves everything about Bernie.

Cynthia Farr, 23, a physics student at Cal State San Bernardino, said she originally favored Hillary Clinton, but after seeing her flip-flop, Farr now favors Bernie Sanders.

But not everyone who attended the event was a Sanders supporter.

Neither Kurt Ludlow, 25, of Claremont, nor Kaitlyn Oefinger, 22, of Long Beach, will vote for him, they said. Both came to San Bernardino to experience the political movement Sanders has inspired  but theyre voting for Clinton.

Video: Claremont resident Kurt Ludlow talks about Bernie Sanders

Contact the writer: 951-368-9461 or arobinson@pressenterprise.com | 951-368-9292 or swall@pressenterprise.com
A Hemet High School senior who was an orphan in Russia and who is active as a volunteer in the community was honored this month as a Student of the Year.

Dmitry Shultz was one of seven Students of the Year honored May 12 at The Country Club at Soboba Springs. Each received a $2,000 scholarship.

Since September, high school seniors have been recognized for their individual achievements at the Hemet and San Jacinto Unified School Districts Student of the Month Program. It culminated in the Soboba Springs ceremony in which one of the monthly winners at each school was named Student of the Year.

What is really great is listening to the stories of the students and how much they have overcome to be where they are, said Jordan Reeves, a former San Jacinto High School principal who now works at the district office.

Reeves is a strong supporter of the Student of the Month program.

The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians is a platinum level sponsor for the program and hosts the annual banquet. Its chairwoman, Rosemary Morillo, greeted the crowd and explained she knows the struggles parents go through to get their children to school each day and help them do their best.

But its all worth it when you see them here tonight, she said.

Dmitry was the first student of the year announced. He reflected on his life, which included being an orphan in Russia.

When I was adopted, thats when my life really changed, he said.

Dmitry came to the United States almost 10 years ago and said he was determined to do all he could with his new life. His numerous contributions to school and community were noted by the scholarship selection committee.

Dmitry spent several years in Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle Scout; he performed many community service hours with Central County United Way; and he was an active student body member. After being accepted at numerous top universities he has decided to attend UC Berkeley.

College Prep High Schools Ziyaad Qureshi was its Student of the Year winner.

I honestly just expected to enjoy the event and have a nice evening and was not expecting to win, he said. I strive to save endangered wildlife and I feel like this money will help me reach this goal.

Ziyaads altruistic ambitions fit perfectly with the judging committees consideration criteria of how students plans to use their higher education toward the good of our society. He will attend UCLA as a marine biology major.

San Jacinto High Schools seven nominees were narrowed down to Claude Vargas, who is also valedictorian. His academic excellence and promise will be realized as he starts his higher education career this summer at UC Berkeley.

I will take advantage of the scholarship and continue to be a role model to younger students, said Claude, who also had perfect attendance throughout high school.

Amid the sentiments of gratitude and mention of future academic plans, the atmosphere was filled with pride and hope. Even the announcement of the first recipient for the Daniel Lopez Jr. Memorial Scholarship by his father was a positive, although emotional, moment.

The $500 scholarship is named for a Mt. View High senior who died in a vehicle accident three days before his scheduled graduation last June. He had been honored as a student of the month the prior December.

Daniel Lopez Sr. told the seniors in attendance about how these awards mean a lot to parents, as it did for him.

We are still proud of our son. He had a lot of dreams, like you do, he said.

Hemet High Schools Mekayla Sandoval was the recipient of the scholarship but she had to choose between attending the ceremony or playing her part in a school band concert.

In an email message Mekayla said she felt extremely bad that she wasnt able to make it to the ceremony. The future music major said she was humbly honored to be chosen.

If I could say one thing to Daniels family it would be how grateful I am for this. His life has made a lasting impact, Mekayla said.

Karena Chum, organizer of the local program that was modeled after ones that Sally Myers created in other areas, said the amount of scholarships are based on sponsorships and has increased since the first student of the year Night of the Stars in 2014.

Other winners were Kate Barker, Hamilton; Denisse Dominguez Llamas, Mountain View; Ben Jones, West Valley; and Kyle Pagdayunan, Tahquitz.

Information, www.hsjsom.com

Contact the writer: dianerhodes.writer@gmail.com
With two presidential candidates blowing through the city today, Riverside will see heightened security.

Bernie Sanders will be making a 2 p.m. appearance at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium. And, at 5:30, Hillary Clinton will speak at UC Riverside.

Sanders will also be that National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino at 7 p.m.

Riverside Police spokesman Mike Barney said his agency, along with California Highway Patrol and the U.S. Secret Service, will be cooperating to provide security for both events. Barney said UC police would also assist with security for Clintons visit.

UCR spokesman James Grant said police from other UC campuses were being called in to assist, but did not have numbers on personnel.

No road closures are expected for the UCR event, but some streets will be closed in downtown Riverside for Sanders appearance:

 Lime Street, between Sixth Street and Mission Inn Avenue: Closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic 5 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

 Lemon Street, between Sixth Street and Mission Inn Avenue: Closed to vehicle traffic 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

DECISION 2016: Closures for candidates visits

While the Secret Service is the lead agency for such events, Rob Savage, special agent in charge of the Los Angeles field office, said it relies on assistance.

We are dependent on our sate and local partners, Savage said. All of those agencies impacted in the jurisdiction all support us, he said.

Neither Savage nor Barney would say how many officers might be involved in the two operations. Barney said he did not know what the cost to the city would be.

He said his officers would not be involved in security checks for people attending the event.

Sanders website advises those attending to arrive early

For security reasons, please do not bring bags and limit what you bring to small, personal items like keys and cellphones, his website says. Weapons, sharp objects, chairs and signs or banners will not be allowed through security.

UCR spokesman Grant said he did not have details on security measures there, but added that he expected those attending should expect the kind of checks they would encounter at any major public event.

Contact the writer: mmuckenfuss@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9595
Representatives from the Riverside County Sheriffs Department will discuss marijuana at a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 26 at the Anza Community Building.

Capt. Joseph Borja and Lt. Dean Spivacke will tentatively be joined by a member of the departments marijuana eradication team.

The Anza Community Building is at 56630 Highway 371.
A couple of weeks ago when I was busy celebrating Winneba Aboakyer, the Electoral Commission was registering new voters. My daughter, Abena Annan, was nearly prevented from registering. Some party agents, for some strange reasons, challenged her to prove that she is from Winneba.



This is the weirdest and deliberately annoying party activism I have ever witnessed. Otherwise how could anyone challenge Abenas eligibility when in fact one of the polling centers in question is cited right on my own school, Challenging Heights school.



My daughter is a widely known person in Winneba. She follows me around to most places, so much so that at one point she was referred to as my hand bag.



Well Abena tells me she took a cue from the problems Zenator is currently facing. Who knows, she may decide to contest one of the dead Unit Committee seats.



Anyway Zenator Rawlings registered as a voter, gaining her first eligibility to vote in Ghana. She recently also won round one of her title challenge when the Supreme Court ruled that the High Court has no jurisdiction over the instant case Zenator Rawlings versus Nii Armah Ashietey.



Regardless of the outcome of the substantive court case, I think our friend, Nii Armah Ashiety should allow Zenator to represent their party for the primaries in the Klotey Korle constituency. She won the NDC Parliamentary primaries.



Having or not having a voters card did not matter to the delegates. The will of the people can be likened to a flowing water. It takes its own course, no matter how hard you try to stop it.



Of course Zenator may have questions to answer in court, but remember whatever the decision of the court, she is now more than qualified to contest again, and I fear that she may defeat her opponent more resoundingly should there be a re-run.



But the questions to answer are not only in the courts. It is also to Zenator herself. One of the pillars of achieving success is taking personal responsibility for our own success.



Oftentimes people of privilege miss out on taking their future in their own hands. They become too protected, to the extent that they see their future in the shadows of their parents.



A few years ago I mistakenly knocked on a wrong door while I was selling books on campus. This lady whose door I knocked became extremely angry, yelled at me, and actually told me her piece of mind. A friend of hers tried to calm her down, but she was super furious.



When her friend tried to warn her that it was a mistake, and that she should know that she is a student, and that she might one day need my help for a job, this lady responded thus: as for me I dont need anyones help.



My father is there to do everything I want for me, so I dont need anyones help after school. I stood calmly while this young lady spewed rot on me, and I walked away.



Three years later I met this same lady at the premises of an advertising company in Accra, with her application letters looking for a job. When she saw me she thought I worked in the company so she became nervous. I had a very brief chat and wished her well as I walked upstairs for my meetings.



It so turned out that the Chief Executive Officer of the company was my friend from Legon Hall. The Chief Operating Officer was also my friend from Legon Hall. The HR Director was one of my closest friends from Volta Hall.



This my father will do everything for me lady later took my number upon realizing that I knew most of the top directors of the company. That evening she called me, to apologies for her behavior a few years ago, and that she was desperate so I should help her to secure that job. I asked of her dad, and it turned out that he had passed a couple of years back.



You see, such privileged children may not be able to learn the challenges of street life. They will not go out on their own to play with other children. She will have access to all required books, so she does not have to struggle to learn how to search for non existing books.



Sometimes the temptation is for such privileged children to think that life will be the same all the time, that, they will continue to be the most privileged amongst their friends, that their parents will be there for them all the time.



Going out there to queue, to register, and to be eligible to vote must be a personal civic responsibility that must go beyond the shells of privileged glass houses. Knowing how to fill passport and university application forms should be one of the personal responsibilities to do for ones self.



Looking for a job must, and should, be a personal responsibility, not to be delegated. Serious employers would insist that would-be employees write their own application letters, scout their own jobs, secure their own interviews, and earn their own jobs.



No one will be truly successful in achieving your full potentials if all the above were been done by your house helps, and you only played games and watched television.



If you have not acquired the basic disciplines of life, you cannot begin from the top. You will only end up trying to cheat the system, and that will bring you back to where you should have started from, registering to vote at 40.



In 2006 when I had planned to quit my job at Barclays Bank, I rented a small store around Awudome Estates, near TV Africa, where I started Challenging Heights (the NGO), and Challenging Steps (the printing press) offices. I then recruited a young university graduate as my first employee, to tend the office while I still worked in the bank.



As at 12 noon the following day when I checked, this young employee had not reported for work. When I called his phone, he told me (and I quote his exact words) Im not interested in that stupid work.



Apparently when I offered him the job he was expecting to be working from a giant nice storey office space with air conditions, where he would be proud to direct his friends to come for visits. He told me he was not a fool to go through all these difficult university courses only to end up working in a kiosk.



Four years later when Challenging Heights had gained huge international recognition, and was filled with several graduates working in various departments, I met this young man again. He was teaching in a school at Bubiashie, still looking for his dream job. Today Challenging Heights employs over 100 staff, including Masters and PhD holders.



This guy was obviously ambitious of his future, and he saw the realization of his ambitions in the degrees he had acquired. He was therefore not interested in starting small. Remember no matter how big your destiny is, you will need to be born, you need to cry, you need to pee, and you need to diaper before your first smile.



Somewhere in 1995 while working as a clerk with Ekem Art Pottery Limited, I discovered that the company had two old abandoned typewriters in the office. As a clerk my busiest days were the beginning and the endings of the month.



Without thinking of the benefits of having typing skills, I dusted these typewriters, bought a typing manual, and educated myself on how to type. Within six months I could challenge any typist in Ghana with my typing skills, and that skill has stayed with me till today.



As an employer I have come across so many university graduates who can be described as illiterate. They have solid certificates. They may have obtained first class or more.



And they think highly of themselves. If that person employing you is not doing you a favor for a favor, if that person is not adding you to the crowds of idle corrupt public servants, then he will not employ your certificate, he will employ what is in you.



Your history, of parentage and of education, of richness or of poverty, none matter unless you have allowed that history to give you ample critical like skills, and unless it has allowed you to acquire critical values for life. Then it is no longer your parents heritage. It is now your own route to life.



Whether we are poor or rich, powerful or less powerful, we must learn how to queue. We must learn how to be poor. We must learn how to wait in line to register, and to vote, then we can contest for votes.

Source: James Kofi Annan/ email: [email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former President Jerry John Rawlings has described the educational system in Ghana as lacking substance and essence.



He said at a time when the country was inundated with so many universities the quality of education has dwindled churning out superficial graduates every year.



Mr Rawlings said although the educational system in the country had transformed over the years the standard had fallen with graduates becoming a liability to the economy.



This he explained was due to the fact that students lack the political will to utilise and implement what they learn in school.



Speaking at a meeting with Cuba trained Ghanaian professionals who paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra on Tuesday, Mr Rawlings said Cuba was a shining example when it comes to education especially in their efforts at training medical doctors and other professionals throughout the world.



Cuban scholarship programme



The wife of the former president, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings contributing to the discussions said the personal relationship that existed between her husband and former Prime Minister of Cuba, Fidel Casto made it possible for the creation of Cuban scholarship scheme which enabled needy but brilliant Ghanaian students to be trained in Cuba.



She explained although the economy was in bad shape without an IMF and World Bank support former president Rawlings initiated and sustained the scholarship programme.



Mr Kofi Asafo Agyei, President of the Association of Cuban trained graduates in Ghana said the need to pay attention to the country's human resource development cannot be overemphasized that is why he and his colleagues came back to Ghana to contribute their quota to national development.



He said it was only appropriate to pay a courtesy call on the former president for the bold and courageous decisions he took to send hundreds of brilliant needy Ghanaians students to Cuba on scholarship despite the criticisms and misconceptions about the programme by sections of the population.



He pointed out that former president Rawlings had exemplified visionary leadership by taking a bold decision to ensure that foreign scholarship projects could serve as a catalyst for rapid development especially for a developing country like Ghana.



He said although it was an unpopular decision in 1983 to send some 609 young Ghanaian students to Cuba, he had envisioned the human resource needs of the country, many years down the line and made a strategic move, very few could comprehend back then.



On behalf of his colleagues Mr Asafo Agyei expressed gratitude to former president Rawlings and the people of Ghana for the scholarship opportunity and encouraged subsequent governments to continue it.



Portions of the citations read On behalf of all those whose lives you have touched, directly and indirectly, over the past several decades, through the Cuban Scholarship Project, we the members of the Cuban Trained Ghanaian Graduates Association (ESBECANS) would like to say a big thank you to you for making such a monumental difference in our lives.

Source: Graphic.com.gh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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One person is reportedly dead following series of shootings in Chieftaincy clashes at Kato, a suburb of Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region.



The incident occurred on Monday.



The shooting comes in the wake of clashes between two factions in ongoing chieftaincy litigation.



Some residents are said to be opposing the installation of a new chief in the town.



The aggressors blocked principal roads and burned car tyres to register their displeasure.



Reports further indicate that Queen mother, Nana Afia Sraa and her elders were also held hostage by some irate youth at her palace.



According to an eye witness, two people are currently fighting for their lives at the holy family hospital in Berekum.



Superintendent Asare Bediako, the Berekum municipal police commander, told Peacefmonline.com that calm has been restored to the town with a heavy police presence as they continue with their investigations.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi and Emmanuel Henryson Okrah/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, will arrive in Accra Tuesday for an official visit to Ghana.



Prince Edward is the youngest child of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

A statement issued by the British High Commission said while in the country, Prince Edward would meet senior Ghanaian figures including President John Dramani Mahama and Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye.



It said the Earl and President Mahama would together present the Head of State Awards to young Ghanaians who have successfully participated in the scheme over the past few years.



It said he would also meet some Ghanaian youth groups including the Head of State Awards Military cadets, Chevening Scholars and some young Ghanaians who were successfully chosen as Queens Young Leaders.



The Earls visit, as well as our Chevening Scholarship Scheme and The Queens Young Leaders Awards, signifies the importance that the UK places on young Ghanaians. Their active involvement is key to Ghanas continued development. Ghanas future depends on these young people and I am very proud to be working alongside so many of them, in many different fields, it said.



The statement said the visit of the Earl, which ends on May 26, 2016, formed part of his role with The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Scheme.



The Duke of Edinburghs Award scheme is associated with the Head of State Awards Scheme in Ghana. The Earl has been deeply committed to the work of The Duke of Edinburghs Award since undertaking his own award in 1986, it explained.



It said The Duke of Edinburghs Award was about empowering young people, adding that this scheme was available to all 14-24 year olds and was the worlds leading youth achievement award.



It equips those who participate for life regardless of their background, culture, physical ability, skills and interests. Doing the award is a personal challenge and not a competition against others; it pushes young people to their personal limits and recognises their achievements consistently, it said adding Selma Baba, a staff at the British High Commission had completed the Head of State Award.



Other achievers



The statement mentioned Bernard Avle of Citi FM and Sammy Bartels as some of those who have benefitted from the prestigious Chevening Scholarships Award.



Elsewhere, Paul-Miki Akpabile, the 2015 winner of Her Majesty the Queens Young Leader Award, has used his company, Kadi Energy, to provide reliable energy solutions to communities who cannot afford consistent energy supplies; and there is Kwabena Danso of Boomers International Ltd whose innovative bamboo bikes are now being exported across Europe. Young, innovative and creative Ghanaians making a difference to the lives of their fellow citizens, it added.





Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), under its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, has yet again chalked another success.



This time, the Chief Officer has secured for the city of Accra a whopping $750 million for various projects in the city.



The cash was made possible as a result of Dr. Okoe Vanderpuijes successful negotiation with the Chinese province of Shezhen, which culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.



At a press conference at the AMA head office yesterday to give details of the MOU, which was signed between him and the executive vice Mayor of the city of Shenzhen in China, Dr. Okoe Vanderpuije explained that the city of Shenzhen in China, Dr. Okoe Vanderpuije explained that the securing of the money was in furtherance of a sister-city relationship between the city of Accra and the Shenzhen province.



The entire MOU is targeted at businesses, trade, agriculture, energy development and information communication technology.



According to Dr. Okoe Vanderpuije, who returned to Accra last week, out of the $750 million, a total of $150 million has been set aside for the development solar energy in Accra.



Dr. Vanderpuije, who was thrilled by the components of the MOU, also indicated that $500 million has been set aside to build logistical centers and storage facilities.



The Shenzhen City Investment Company, which is spearheading the implementation of the MOU, according to Dr. Okoe Vanderpuije, is already in Accra.



The smooth implementation of the MOU, Dr. Vanderpuije pointed out will lead to the creation of jobs which the government is dedicated to providing.



He was optimistic that a land sixe putting up of the facilities outlined in the MOU, will be made available with the support of the chiefs in Accra.



The Chinese city of Shenzhen is the fourth largest economy in China. It was demolished in 2000 for reconstruction of the entire province to begin.



With negotiations which were started towards the development of the Memorandum of Understanding in November. Last year, in China, officials of the Shenzhen province also visited Accra in March, this year, to further final one was signed in China on May 13, this year.







Source: The Enquirer









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The politicisation of the Ghana Police Service is making it difficult for the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, to effectively combat crime in an increasingly dangerous and insecure environment, Dr Kwesi Aning, a security analyst at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has noted.



According to him, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander has mettle as far as the fight against crime is concerned. However, the incessant pressure and threats of dismissal and transfers from politicians against him and other police officers who are firm in their duties, are the main challenges confronting the work of the police in Ghana.



The Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, within a week, has witnessed two deadly armed robbery attacks. Over the weekend, one person was shot dead and two others sustained severe injuries when three suspected robbers, who reportedly wielded AK47 assault rifles, invaded a house at Ahenema Kokoben New Site and fired gunshots indiscriminately before making away with GHS4,000 and mobile phones.



The attack came on the heels of a similar one on a police officer with the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit of the Ghana Police Service in the Ashanti Region. He was shot dead at Open Space Hotel at Denkyembuoso, Kumasi, on Thursday.



Speaking on Class FM on Monday, May 23, Dr Aning noted that the Police know all the strategies in combating these criminals but it is the meddling by politicians that makes it impossible for them to protect you and [me].



He said: Mr Kofi Boakye is fighting an increasingly dangerous and insecure environment with his arms almost tied behind his back. That is where the challenge is. Let us release his hand and I can assure you, knowing my dear friend Kofi Boakye, he will be able to respond to these challenges and the Ghana Police Service will be able to respond.



He added, More often than not when he does his work right, it is politicised and people want to get him sacked. It is not with logistics and men and women; it is about political meddling by DCEs and MCEs who, when the Police do proper work, they threaten to get them sacked or transferred.



Dr Aning revealed that there had been several attempts by politicians to get DCOP Kofi Boakye removed from office in spite of his professionalism.



Whenever Mr Kofi Boakye does something people will be demonstrating and calling on Mr President to sack him. When you have undue political meddling in the performance of professional service, people become cautious and particularly in an election year, he told Emefa Apawu.

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Scores of hawkers have invaded the Kejetia Bus Terminal in Kumasi and are causing myriad problems to the contractors that are reconstructing the terminal into a modern edifice.



Even though the entire area has been properly cordoned off to pave way for the construction works to go ahead, some hawkers have positioned themselves just behind the barrier and are transacting business.



The presence of the numerous hawkers is said to be impeding the free movement of heavy trucks operating at the project site. And health experts claim that it also causes health and safety problems for them (hawkers) and the over 400 workers on site.



Mr. Tony Yeboah-Asare of Avangarde Design Services, who is the Project Management Consultant, expressed concern about the development, and has asked the authorities concerned to drive away the hawkers.



He also complained bitterly about the existence of some old buildings at Kejetia  from the Zoo area  that were left untouched, noting that they are shielding the beauty of the terminal under construction.



Mr. Yeboah-Asare appealed to people in authority to as a matter of urgency, negotiate with the owners of those buildings so that an agreement could be reached for their demolition to accelerate the construction pace of the Kejetia project.



He made these observations when the Ashanti Regional Minister, John Alexander Ackon, accompanied by Kojo Bonsu, the Kumasi Mayor and other top officials in the region visited Kejetia on Thursday to inspect the progress of work.



On his part, Mr. Alexander Ackon urged the consultant and the contractors to officially brief him (minister) on paper about the technical problems that those old buildings pose to the edifice being built for the appropriate action to be taken.



The regional minister, who was visiting the project site for the first time, stated that he was highly impressed about the level of work done so far, assuring that the government was committed in completing the project as planned.



Kojo Bonsu, in his succinct remarks, said parts of the facility would be completed latest by October this year for use by traders, stressing that he was highly elated that the work was going on smoothly.



Carlos Gala, Project Manager for Contracta, a Brazilian firm handling the project, disclosed that about 400 workers, including 340 Ghanaians, are engaged in constructing the facility, and disclosed that the first phase was expected to be completed on January 2018.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Tragedy struck at Mamobi, an Accra suburb, on Sunday when four girls from the area drowned at the Mensah Guinea segment of the Accra Beach near the Arts Centre.



The Mensah Guinea beach is notorious for such accidents.



Mamobi was thrown into mourning following news of the deaths of the four school girls. Two of them were identified as Farida and Hamdiya, but the identities of the two others were still unknown as at press time yesterday. They have since been buried at the Madina cemetery under Islamic tradition. One had earlier been buried on Sunday.



Daily Guide learnt that they had gone to the beach to swim to while away the time.



It is usual for teenagers to go swimming at the beach but most of them are normally not good swimmers and with no lifeguards around, tragedies have often been recorded.

As if he had a premonition, Daily Guide learnt, the father of one of the girls warned her not to go to the beach but she defied her fathers advice.



The cause of the tragedy was unknown but speculations are rife that the Sunday early morning downpour might have resulted in high tide leading to the mishap.



Police were unaware of the tragic incident as at press time yesterday.



Accra Floods



Meanwhile, parts of the national capital were inundated with the perennial floods as most residential areas, particularly low lands, came under floods.



A 43-year-old woman was reported to have lost her life at Pokuase on the outskirts of the city when a collapsed wall fell on her during Sundays torrential rain.



Deputy Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Joseph Yamin, who told Citi Fm about the mishap, was unable to state the actual cause of the incident, suspecting that the situation might have occurred because the victim was living in a flood-prone area.



It is reported that a 43-year-old woman lost her life because a wall fell on her. We are yet to confirm from the mortuary the exact cause of the incident but clearly the place the lady was living was flooded It is reported that she died as a result of a broken wall. That is the only casualty recorded as far as the weekends rains are concerned, Mr Yamin recounted.



The Saturday and Sunday downpours created inconveniences to residents in Accra.



The rains, which affected low-lying areas such as Mallam, Awoshie, Santa Maria, Kwashiebu, Circle Odawna and Kaneshie among other places, left several people displaced and destroyed some properties.



Yamin said residents who were greatly affected by the floods would be given relief items. Lately, NADMO is said to be facing a shortage of relief materials.



We are yet to have a full assessment of the flooding to determine what relief items to send out, he said.



While emphasising the need for citizens to do their best to ensure that floods are prevented, Mr Yamin also asked NADMO to play its role in ensuring that Ghanaians are educated on effective measures to prevent flooding in these areas.





Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Majority Chief Whip Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has accused the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) of undermining President John Mahamas quest to end the erratic power situation [dumsor] which has bedeviled the country for the past four years.



Consumers have expressed unhappiness about recent overbilling by the state power distributor.



Speaking on the floor of parliament Tuesday May 24, the Member of Parliament for Asawase said: Reports suggest that in several cases, the cost of consumption has more than doubled and this has imposed undue hardship on virtually all Ghanaians, especially on the ordinary masses.



It has come to my notice that where some individuals have complained to ECG, the errors in their billing were corrected and the problems were somehow resolved, but for the majority of consumers, the overbilling still persists. It has come to my notice that the overall effect of this is that the effort of President John Dramani Mahama to permanently solve the long-standing power crisis is severely being undermined and the crisis in the supply of electricity is being deepened, he added.



The Asawase legislator said errors in the billing of the newly installed pre-paid meters; administrative lapses due to poor supervision of technical officers and their superiors; deliberate efforts by some unscrupulous ECG officials to take advantage of the new billing arrangement for personal gains; and over estimation of bills by consumers on postpaid meters, have all conspired to culminate in the current billing anomaly.



ECG, he recommended, should take the immediate steps to correct the technical errors that are associated with the meters [and the] Public Utility and Regulatory Commission (PURC) should work with ECG to review the fault and restore the life line state for the underprivileged.

Source: Classfmonline.com









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Featured Video
I love bacon. Betting you probably do, too.

I dont really need anyone to sell its virtues to me, cos Ive tasted its many forms and long ago declared it to be one of my favourite foods.





NSW bacon purveyor Jeff Rapley not only felt the need to increase sales of bacon at this shop, but he decided a sign stating that the consumption of his award-winning rashers would help keep terrorism at bay would be the right way to go about it.

Specifically, that eating it reduces your chance of being a suicide bomber.

Heres the sign that unsurprisingly graduated from Jeffs Narooma shopfront to the Internet after a customer complaint.

The signs been taken down, and Jeff insists hes unfairly being labelled racist because  wait for it  he employs a Muslim shop assistant.

Im definitely not a racist and didnt mean for it to cause offence, he told the local paper.

SMDH.

Source and photo: Narooma News.
Bill Cosby, the American entertainer who has been subject of numerous sexual assault allegations over the past ten years, will stand trial for felony indecent assault over a 2004 case involving Andrea Constand, an employee at his alma mater, Temple University.

Constand alleges that in 2004, Cosby invited her back to his home and drugged her with two pills. after which she was sexually assaulted.

Cosby has faced a number of allegations in recent years, many of which apparently happened long ago, thus making it difficult to get past the statute of limitations and prosecute him. Constand was the first of more than 50 women to come forward and accuse Cosby of misconduct and assault.

A Pennsylvania judge found that there was enough evidence to go to trial. If convincted, Cosby could face up to 30 years in prison.

At the July arraignment, Cosby will not have to appear. Judge says goodluck to you, sir. He replies: Thank you.  Bobby Allyn (@BobbyAllyn) May 24, 2016

Cosbys team dismissed the claims, as they have in the past. The evidence presented today was evidence of nothing. They had 12 years to bring an accuser to confront Mr. Cosby. They chose not to, defense attorney Brian McMonagle said.

The Constand case ended initially in 2006 with a civil settlement between the parties, but was reopened after new evidence came up  including a whole array of other accusers with similar stories about assault as Cosbys hands. Cosby was charged in December, but now it is clear that this is going to trial.

More than 50 women have accused Cosby. It is likely that many of these cases will not result in charges. Cosby continues to fight defamation suits across the country thanks to his repeated assertions that the women who have accused him are liars.

Source: CNN.

Photo: Getty Images.
Sexual fetishes, amirite?

As ubiquitous as Tinder has become, if you wanna get to bang-town with someone whose tastes are a little out of the ordinary, its not exactly the most time efficient method of doing so. But since Tinder ~blew the top off~ dating in the 21st Century by making it not just socially acceptable to meet someone online but also a fun past time, hundreds (if not thousands) of similar apps have sprung up.

And while there are plenty that claim to be the anti-Tinder  a.k.a. theyre for people whore in for a long time not just a quick time  were not really interested in the eHarmony repackaged as Tinder 2.0 apps of the world.

Here are some for those of you with more singular tastes.

3nder

One of the first Tinder, but for XYZ apps out there, 3nder was originally conceived as a way for hooking up threesomes (hence the name), but quickly evolved into a dating marketplace for all kinds of sexual fetishes. You can avoid bumping into anyone you know on Facebook by choosing Incognito Mode, and you can anonymously invite friends to join the app. If you got really into a fetish with an ex and now dont know how to find that again, this may be for you.

More: https://www.3nderapp.com

Bristlr



How strange, to witness the encapsulation of peak 2014 (yes, this is two years old) and find it *not* a chain of cereal cafes. Weird. Anyway, Bristlr is Tinder but for beards, with the aim of connecting beard owners with beard lovers. Creator John Kershaw tells PEDESTRIAN.TV that in Australia (the app is primarily based in the UK) there is a real shortage of good beards  but plenty of ladies. Gentlemen, step right this way.

More: http://www.bristlr.com/

Trek Dating



This is exactly what it sounds like: a dating website for Star Trek fans. Its where Trekkies can go to find someone who shares their passions, who can talk dirty in Klingon, who can beam them up into pleasure town. Is this you? The website does advise one should work on your Star Trek knowledge because this is what turns our members on, so safe to say Id have all the erotic pull of a wet tissue.

More: http://www.trekdating.com/UK.html

Awake Dating



This is  no fucking joke  a dating website for people who believe Bush did 9/11. Or who believe in chem trails or aliens or something called Jewish mind control. Really its for anyone who is awake and ready to mingle. We interviewed the Australian dude who launched it a while back, and he told us that talking about socially inconvenient conclusions distances you from all the sheeple suffering reality denial syndrome. An inconvenient truth, indeed.

More: https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and-culture/an-aussie-launched-a-dating-site-for-people-who-be/358a82c7-b039-42e1-9beb-8e4c527d84d5.htm

Gluten Free Singles



Nope, I cannot with this website. But shout-out to the most worrying disclaimer yet:



More: http://www.glutenfreesingles.com/ (Dont click this link.)

Tastebuds



At last, here is a dating app for anyone who just cant even with anyone who doesnt know, for example, The Sex Pistols entire back-catalogue, or how many years, months, days and hours its been since Radiohead last played Creep on stage. Yep, Tastebuds connects you to people with similar tastes in music, and even launched an app in 2012 that analysed your most played tracks on Spotify and used it to find you a suitable partner. For real though, this isnt a bad concept at all  and if nothing else, is likely to pair music snobs with other music snobs and thus remove them from the dating pool for the rest of us.

More: https://tastebuds.fm

Dead Meet



Nope, this isnt *exactly* a website for people with vampire / zombie fetishes or a weirdly erotic interest in death kinda. It isnt not *not* those things, either. Dead Meet is a dating site for people who work in the death industry  taxidermists, undertakers, embalmers, that kind of thing. Apparently, birds of a dead feather flock together. Doesnt look like theres much of a market in Australia, but attn: our mortem-intrigued American friends.

More: http://www.dead-meet.com/

Mouse Mingle



Here we go: Mouse Mingle is *the* dating app for people who just really love Disney (and presumably arent eight years old). Yes, the website looks like it was created in 2004 and then abandoned, and yes, their Instagram has one post and three followers, but dating for Disney lovers definitely exists. Maybe this entire thing was made to connect the only two people in the world passionate enough to actually use a Disney-lover dating website, and now those two people have met, the whole thing is superfluous.

More: https://www.mousemingle.com

Whiplr



Aside from the very terrible promo vid with strong overtones of Fifty Shades of Grey  a book / film catastrophe that was outright condemned by the kink community for its wild misrepresentation of BDSM  this app doesnt look half bad. You can list your sexuality on a sliding scale (e.g. I am 75% into men), filter by kinks, roles, experience and location, and if you are officially in the coolest relationship in the world, you can explore as a couple. Go nuts.

More: http://www.whiplr.com/

Vanilla Umbrella



An invite-only dating app for the kink and fetish community that puts a big emphasis on providing a safe environment. The website looks a lil rough, but on the plus side, there are apparently no fuckbois and a membership thats 45% female. Designed by women, Vanilla Umbrella says its friendly for genuine men and other genders.

More: https://vanilla-umbrella.com/

Date My Pet



First of all, NO THIS IS NOT A BESTIALITY SIGHT YOU SICK FUCKOS. It a site for single animal lovers who want to get with other single animal lovers. Perhaps your ex hated cats. Perhaps they were allergic to dogs. Perhaps they were more obsessed with their pets Instagram than the animal itself or maybe they were just real shit people. You know who are, by definition, not shit people? Animal lovers.

More: http://www.datemypet.com/

Diaper Mates



You know the first episode of Broad City, where Ilana and Abbi clean that dudes house while hes wearing a nappy and pretending to be a six foot baby? That is a real thing, and as you can probably imagine, its a pretty hard fetish to bring up IRL.(Theres a legit blog post on the website called Oh how I wish I had a normal fetish, so yeah  the struggle is real.) Here, then, is their (and your?) place on the internet.

More: http://diapermates.com/

Raya



Raya is a bonafide Illuminati Tinder for hot and/or famous people, whose members include Flume, Cara Delevingne, Avicii, Ruby Rose, Jessica Gomes, and probably every Instagram model youve come across with more than 50k followers. It is notoriously secret (seriously, theres probably half a dozen articles that have ever been written about it), but we have it on good authority that it is picking up steam in Australia, and is babe city. Get gramming.



More: https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and-culture/a-bonafide-illuminati-tinder-for-hotfamous-peopl/75c3e527-ea8f-4a2b-bfc0-3d71ab9e334f.htm

Vapers Cupid.



Vapers Cupid is for vapers to meet other vapers and presumably vape pre-, during, and post-coital, while they may make vaper babies to vape from inside the womb. Never go here.

More: https://www.vaperscupid.com/

Photo: The Weeknd / Earned It.
lebanon civic dinner honorees may 2016 - 2.jpg

At its annual Civic Dinner on May 7, 2016, the Salvation Army of Lebanon honored past and present advisory board members for their dedication and service. Pictured, left to right: Captain Amy Portillo, Salvation Army of Lebanon; Robert Phillips, Lebanon County Commissioner; Phyllis Holtry, honoree; Glenn Worcester, honoree; Captain Ernesto Portillo, Salvation Army of Lebanon.

(Submitted)

Past and present advisory board members were honored on May 7 during the Salvation Army of Lebanon's annual Civic Dinner. Nearly 130 people attended the event which was held at the Corps Community Center.

Recognized for their dedication and years of service were honorees Phyllis Holtry, advisory board vice-chair; Glenn Worcester, past property committee chair; and Thomas Lehman, life-time advisory board member.

In addition to offering an opportunity to recognize those in the community who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the betterment of the Lebanon area, the annual Civic Dinner raises funds and awareness of the Salvation Army's local programs and services focusing on youth.
TERRY MCAULIFFE.jpg

In this Jan. 13, 2016 file photo, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe gestures as he delivers his State of the Commonwealth Address before a joint session of the 2016 Virginia Assembly at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. A U.S. law enforcement official says Gov. McAuliffe is a subject of a federal investigation looking at donations to his gubernatorial campaign. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation. CNN first reported the story Monday, May 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

Fox News is reporting that Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime ally of Bill and Hillary Clinton, is under investigation by the Department of Justice for campaign contributions apparently connected to his 2013 campaign.

Citing CNN, which broke the story Monday, Fox said the probe relates to a "$120,000 donation from Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang through his U.S. businesses. U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals to donate to political races."

McAuliffe's lawyer, Marc Elias, told Fox that his office was not aware of the DoJ probe, but would cooperate if contacted by investigators.

Here's the video:
clinton sanders.jpg

Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, shake hands before the start of the Univision, Washington Post Democratic presidential debate at Miami-Dade College, Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Miami, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

(Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo)

Hillary Clinton won't debate Bernie Sanders ahead of their high-stakes match up in California because her campaign thinks her time is better spent out on the trail, multiple news outlets are reporting.

"As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses," Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's spokeswoman, told CNN on Monday.

"We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands," Palmieri said.

Clinton's decision against a Golden State face-off with Sanders apparently breaks the terms of a deal agreed to in February that added four more debates to the primary calendar, including one in May, CNN reported.

So far, Clinton and Sanders have met in three of four of those agreed-to debates, the last being one in New York City aired by CNN. Sanders agreed to the Fox News invite last week, the network reported.

In a statement, Sanders' campaign said Clinton "reneged" on her four-debate agreement. Sanders was "disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clinton's unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process," the statement read.

In another statement, Bill Sammon, Fox's VP and Washington Managing Editor, said the network was "disappointed that Secretary Clinton has declined our debate invitation, especially given that the race is still contested and she had previously agreed to a final debate before the California primary."

Clinton's decision to stay out on the trail might be less motivated by concerns about Sanders than those about Donald Trump.

The Manhattan real estate magnate has erased Clinton's polling lead, and was marginally ahead in the Real Clear Politics polling average.
Trump Clinton

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both won Pennsylvania in the primary election for their respective parties.

And both presidential candidates have predicted they will win the Keystone State in the general election.

There still a little more than five months before voters have their say, and five months is a lifetime in politics.

Plus, Clinton still has to get past Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders, and both she and Trump have to unify their parties before either of them can think about winning Pennsylvania.

When the fall election does arrive, the commonwealth could be a game-changer for one of the candidates, according to reports.

Pennsylvania has voted for a Democrat in every presidential election since 1992, but it's being considered by analysts and polls as a swing state.

In the Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll released earlier this month, Trump and Clinton were in a dead heat in three key swing states: Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Pollsters said they focused on Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania "because since 1960 no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of these three states."

Clinton was up by a point over Trump in Florida and Pennsylvania, capturing 43 percent of the vote to his 42 percent in both states. But in Ohio, Trump had a 4-point lead with 43 percent of the vote to her 39 percent, according to the poll.

"Six months from Election Day, the presidential races between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the three most crucial states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, are too close to call," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll, said earlier this month.



"At this juncture, Trump is doing better in Pennsylvania than the GOP nominees in 2008 and 2012," Brown said. "And the two candidates are about where their party predecessors were at this point in Ohio and Florida."

In Pennsylvania, Clinton is winning women and non-white voters, while Trump is winning men and white Republicans, according to the poll.

Clinton is also more popular among voters 18 to 34 years old, and Trump is more favorable among voters 65 and older.

Pennsylvania voters said Trump would do a better job with the economy, but they're split on who would better handle terrorism. They said Clinton is more intelligent than Trump, has higher moral standards and a better temperament to manage an international crisis, according to the poll.



Illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship, 58 percent of Pennsylvania voters said, while 10 percent said they can stay but not apply for citizenship and 27 percent said they should be required to leave the U.S.



Pennsylvania voters oppose, 51 percent to 45 percent, building a wall along the border with Mexico.



"Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are locked in Pennsylvania and they have similar, awful numbers on honesty and favorability," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "The one glaring difference: Trump is crushed on the question of which candidate has the temperament and personality to handle an international crisis. It's a vote of confidence the Clinton camp can dine out on and Trump supporters have to see as a red flag."

Most people don't think of Pennsylvania as a battleground state, said David Wasserman in a FiveThirtyEight report last week.

But the U.S. House editor for the Cook Political Report said, "Pennsylvania could be the keystone of the Electoral College and the ultimate arbiter of whether" Trump or Clinton wins the White House.

Florida and Ohio are still necessary wins for a Republican to get the necessary 270 electoral votes, but Pennsylvania is "the next most winnable state for Republicans," Wasserman said.

He arrived at that conclusion by studying election patterns from 1992 through 2012 and determined the Philadelphia area is getting bluer, but the rest of the state is getting redder. Read more here.

Pennsylvania won't be an easy win for Trump, but it's possible, Wasserman said.

"If Clinton wants to keep him out of the White House, she may need to build a Pennsylvania firewall," he said. "Perhaps that's a good reason Democrats are holding their convention in Philadelphia in 10 weeks."
brian caldwell.png

Brian David Caldwell faces multiple charges after the alleged attack on this ex-girlfriend early Tuesday morning. Caldwell 47, of Ocean View, Del., led police on a chase nearly 40 miles into Maryland.

(Lancaster County district attorney's office)

A man was arrested early Tuesday after police said he assaulted his ex-girlfriend and fled from Lancaster into Maryland in a stolen truck.

Brian David Caldwell faces multiple charges after the alleged attack on this ex-girlfriend early Tuesday morning. Caldwell 47, of Ocean View, Del., led police on a chase nearly 40 miles into Maryland, Lancaster police said in a news release.

The following is a Lancaster police account of the events surrounding Caldwell's arrest:

Officers responded to the victim's home on the first block of Filbert Street after she reported Caldwell had been banging on her door and screaming obscenities at her since about 2:30 a.m. Caldwell was leaving every few minutes, only to return after driving his truck around the block, the victim told police.

After repeating that process several times, Caldwell got out of the truck and smashed in the front window of the victim's residence. He circled the block a few more times before again getting out of the truck and throwing a piece of wood through the broken window, which struck the victim and caused an injury to her head, police said.

When Lancaster police Lt. Christopher Laser arrived at the scene he saw Caldwell flee the scene in a red 1993 Ford F-350 truck. Caldwell led police on a chase from the scene to West Lampeter Township, reaching speeds of about 75 mph, police said.

West Lampeter Township police put spike strips in the road on Route 272 at Penn Grant Road, but Caldwell was able to continue driving. Lancaster Southern Regional police and Pennsylvania State police assisted in the continued pursuit as Caldwell drove through Pennsylvania onto Route 1 in Maryland, police said.



Maryland State police set up spike strips, which were able to stop Caldwell on Route 1 in Maryland near Route 135 after a chase of about 381/2 miles. Police said the truck Caldwell was driving was reported stolen in January 2015.

Caldwell is charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property and fleeing and eluding police. He is also charged with misdemeanor counts of simple assault, stalking and criminal mischief.

Police said Caldwell was also wanted for a warrant in Delaware for absconding from house arrest on harassment and stalking charges.

Caldwell is being held at the Lancaster County Prison on $150,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. June 7.
Federal inspectors found sick and dead animals, inadequate sanitation, untrained employees performing euthanasia and other deficiencies at a Pennsylvania small-animal dealer that supplied major pet retailers like Petco and PetSmart.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report on its January inspection of Holmes Chinchilla Ranch that said inspectors found dozens of animals in need of veterinary treatment for symptoms ranging from hair loss to eye abnormalities to lethargy.

USDA spent several days at Holmes after an animal-rights group shot video purporting to show substandard conditions at the dealer's facility in Barto, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where it keeps thousands of hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and other species.

The video, which People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals shared with The Associated Press, included scenes of bins with dead guinea pigs; dishes filled with what appeared to be fouled water; loose cats that PETA said preyed on hamsters, mice and rats; live rats stuffed in a plastic bag and placed in a freezer; and a "waste-filled cooler" where dozens of small animals of varying species were dumped and gassed, "sometimes ineffectively," PETA said.

WARNING: Scenes in this video may be offensive to some readers.

Holmes employees told USDA they learned how to euthanize animals on the Internet, according to the USDA inspection report, which said employees must be appropriately trained in the procedure.

A company official didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment Monday. Holmes released a statement in January that said it would work with USDA to "resolve any concerns."

USDA's investigation remains open. After wrapping up the probe, the department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service could issue a warning or fine, or take action to suspend or revoke Holmes' license.

The company has already lost business as a result of the publicity surrounding its facility, with Petco announcing in January it dropped Holmes as a supplier. PetSmart, however, refuses to say whether it is still getting animals from Holmes.

Holmes is no longer a Petco supplier. We found that they were not up to our strict animal care standards.  Petco (@Petco) May 23, 2016

"As a standard practice, we do not comment on the status of relationships with our vendors," Michelle Friedman, PetSmart's vice president of corporate communications, said in a statement. "Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of pets, and we take any allegation of mistreatment very seriously. We immediately review and thoroughly investigate, taking appropriate steps and corrective actions as needed to ensure our high standards of pet care continue to be met."

Dan Paden, PETA's associate director of evidence analysis, said his group was told by two people, including someone who works for Holmes, that PetSmart is still procuring animals from Holmes.

"The secrecy says it all," Paden said Monday. "PetSmart is standing by a company that has just been cited for at least 117 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act."
HARRISBURG- As Capital Region Water faces $60 million in improvement projects through 2018, company leaders want to ensure minority and women owned businesses can compete fairly for the construction contracts.

The company, which provides water and sewer services for Harrisburg, recently announced a 30-day comment period on a proposed policy that would require minimum participation levels for women and minority-owned business enterprises for most construction projects. The proposal would go beyond the company's current policy, adopted in 2014, which requires "six good faith efforts" to include disadvantaged business enterprises.

"If the minimum participation levels are not met, the contractor must document why it was not feasible to meet the levels in order to be consider for contract award," said Andrew Bliss, the company's spokesman.

The intent of the proposed policy is to ensure nondiscrimination and foster the development of local firms, Bliss said.

The draft plan requires minimum participation on all construction projects that exceed the minimum bidding threshold established for municipal authorities in Pennsylvania, which is $19,400 in 2016.

Under the plan, Bliss said the company would establish separate minimum participation levels for minorities and women based on market availability for each project. The minimum participation level would be a percentage of the total contract amount.

"As the steward of our community's water system, Capital Region Water administers millions of dollars in construction projects," said Board Chairman Marc Kurowski. "We're considering this plan to help create a level playing field on which minority and women owned business enterprises can compete fairly for our contracts."

The company is expecting to make major investments in both its drinking water system and wastewater system, including a $4 million wastewater plant screening project and a $1.9 million project to evaluate the primary transmission main.

A nearly $50 million upgrade of the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, financed in 2014, will also be completed in 2016.

The company is accepting public comments on the draft plan until June 16th in an effort to strengthen the plan before board members vote on it June 22, Bliss said. Public comments are accepted in person, by mail, by email, and online.

Company officials are specifically interested in whether the plan should only apply to construction projects that exceed the state's bidding threshold. The company is hosting two public meetings about the proposal. Comments can also be mailed directly to Capital Region Water at 212 Locust Street, Suite 500, Harrisburg, PA 17101.

First Public Hearing:

When: 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 25th

Where: CRW Board Meeting

212 Locust Street, First Floor

Second Public Hearing:

When: 6 p.m., Thursday, June 2nd

Where: Mt. Pleasant Commerce & Resource Center / PNC Bank

1301 Derry Street, Second Floor
HARRISBURG- Harrisburg officials are weighing whether to reduce the cost of swimming at the city's pools, including a proposal to allow free access.

At least one Councilman, Jeff Baltimore, recently asked Mayor Eric Papenfuse if the city could consider offering free admission. The pools at the Hall Manor housing complex and Jackson Lick housing towers largely serve the city's disadvantaged families in their neighborhoods.

The city last year cut the entrance fee to $2 per day for everyone after the pool opening was delayed until July 7 because of repairs. The prior year, youths were charged a $5 daily admission, while adults paid $6 and seniors paid $3.

Many poor families can't afford to pay a daily rate to send their kids to the pool, Baltimore said at a recent council committee meeting. Most of the public pools in Philadelphia are free, he noted, and kids need activities over the summer.

Papenfuse said city officials could consider the possibility, but details would need to be worked out to cover costs and manage overcrowding. Council President Wanda Williams asked whether the concession stands could be upgraded. The mayor suggested that council members schedule a parks and recreation committee meeting, but none had been set as of Monday.

The public pools in Harrisburg won't be open for Memorial Day weekend, but rather are expected to open in mid-June, city officials said Monday.

The city pools typical open in June, once students finish classes, even though pools in many municipalities open on Memorial Day weekend.

Harrisburg's pools have fallen into disrepair in recent years as they have exceeded their life expectancy by more than 25 years. City councilmembers in 2014 earmarked $200,000 to repair the pools, which were built in the 1960s.

Last year represented the first year since 2011 that both city pools had been open for the summer season.
Even though she still has a Democratic challenger in the primary, Hillary Clinton is campaigning like she's running against Donald Trump in the fall.

Clinton on Monday ramped up her attacks on the presumptive GOP nominee during her campaign stop in Detroit.

"He could bankrupt America like he's bankrupted his companies," Clinton said during the Service Employees International Union's annual convention, according to NBC News. "Ask yourself: how could anybody lose money running a casino? Really."

Clinton also called Trump a bully.

"We need a president who will use the bully pulpit to stand up for working families. But the last thing we need is a bully in the pulpit," she said to big applause, according to NBC.

She also took issue with Trump's immigration policies and plan to deport more than 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Clinton also slammed Trump for saying U.S. wages are "too high," NBC reported.

If he traveled the country talking to voters, she said, "maybe he would finally open his ears and listen to what working people everywhere are saying, that America needs a raise."

Clinton, who continues to face off against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, said her party needs to unify to keep the Republican out of the White House: "We are going to unify the Democratic Party and stop Donald Trump!"
A tractor-trailer overturned early Tuesday morning causing a portion of Route 147 in Reed Township to be closed for about five hours.

The crash was reported at around 2:10 a.m. between Million Dollar Road and Amity Lane, according to the PennDOT. The roadway was closed in both directions until about 7:30 a.m., according to a CBS21 report.

State police said none of the crates containing the turkeys broke open. The road reopened after crews fixed a guide rail and a new truck picked up the turkeys, according to the report.
Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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Lance Peterson, a fly-fishing guide in the East Cape region of Baja California Sur, can now add opah to his list of rare catches.



But Friday's catch was really more of a collection after Peterson spotted the colorful moonfish while kayak fishing in the Sea of Cortez.



"There were absolutely no rods or reels or fish tackle of any kind involved  just a kayak and a gaff, he said. We spotted it bobbing around offshore, confirmed it with binoculars and then went out to fetch it. It was dead when we got to it.



Mysteriously, there were no gaff marks and no apparent signs of injury. The fish, estimated to weigh about 100 pounds, was fresh enough to still hold its brilliant coloration.

I cannot imagine how it died, said Peterson, who lives in La Ribera, about 60 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. The flesh looked spectacular. I spent hours filleting it.



Opah, sometimes referred to as moonfish, inhabit tropical and temperate seas and reside at depths of between 300 and 1,200 feet. Theyre solitary swimmers, except during spawning seasons. Sportfishing catches are rare, and there's no direct commercial fishery for opah, because theyre not a schooling fish.

However, longliners catch enough opah incidentally  primarily in Hawaiian waters  to make them available on some restaurant menus.

Pete Thomas

Image is courtesy of Lance Peterson
EJPS receives COPS School Violence Prevention grant

The district was one of eight in the state to receive funding for improving safety technology throughout the buildings.
Brazil's minister Fernando Coelho with toughest job; energy and mining industries



New Brazilian energy minister Fernando Coelho Filho meets power sector representatives

RIO DE JANEIRO

Petroleumworld.com 05 24 2016

Interim President Michel Temer has given one of the biggest jobs of his administration to the youngest and least known of his cabinet members: Mines and Energy Minister Fernando Coelho Filho, 32.

Trouble in the oil, electricity and mining industries is responsible for nearly a third of last year's 3.8 percent economic decline, deepening Brazil's worst recession since the 1930s.

Sliding crude prices and a corruption scandal have rocked state-run oil company Petrobras, which may need government help to deal with its $130 billion of debt, the largest in the world oil industry. The scandal has also hit state-run utility Electrobras, which this month had its shares delisted on the New York Stock Exchange and also may need a bailout.

Coelho, the baby-faced son of a powerful political family, was handed one of the government's biggest portfolios on May 12. Hoping to pay the debt without huge bailouts, the Temer government wants him to speed the sale of Petrobras and Eletrobras assets and open the oil sector to more foreign investment.

These moves will likely offend the deep nationalist feelings of many Brazilians, including suspended President Dilma Rousseff, who is still respected by many for expanding social programs that lifted millions from poverty.

Leftist and union groups are fighting her impeachment and impending Senate Trial. Believing the state must direct all energy development, they have also promised to fight Temer's more free-market oil, electricity and economic policies.

"The previous government ... killed the goose that lays the golden eggs," said Edmilson dos Santos, an energy policy professor at the University of Sao Paulo. "Rousseff was warned her policies would end in disaster, but she refused to listen."

Ceolho's experience in the energy sector is slim, beyond bills to cut taxes on hybrid and electric cars and to support farmers making ethanol from manioc, a staple root vegetable.

He does, though, have 10 years under his belt in Brazil's rough and tumble Congress. When elected at 22, he was then the youngest person ever seated in the lower house.

"He has more political than technical experience," said Helder Queiroz, former head of Brazil's petroleum regulator ANP. "But the ministry requires more technical knowledge. The companies he'll be dealing with demand much of a minister in a strategic job."

Coelho did not return calls seeking an interview for this story.

EXPERIENCED ASSISTANTS

Ready or not, Coelho is now in charge of promoting, regulating and in some cases running a huge portion of Brazil's economy.

The oil industry alone is responsible for 13 percent of gross domestic product. Add mining and electricity and that rises to nearly 20 percent. The electricity industry is bigger than Britain's and Italy's combined, and Petrobras operates more ships than the U.S. Navy.

"His success will depend on who is picked for the second-level jobs," Jose Marcio Camargo, an economics professor at Rio de Janeiro's Pontifical Catholic University and an advisor to Temer's Brazilian Democratic Movement Party.

Some of those people were picked last week.

Paulo Pedrosa, executive secretary, or No. 2 at the Energy Ministry, knows electricity. A former director of Brazil's electricity regulator, he recently ran Brazil's association of major power consumers.

Former Bunge Ltd executive Pedro Parente was named Chief Executive officer of Petrobras. A former Petrobras board member, he is expected to speed stalled asset sales and get the company out of ancillary businesses like shipping and pipelines.

Eletrobras may be the most urgent problem. The NYSE suspended its shares after the price-fixing, bribery and political kick-back scandal expanded from Petrobras, preventing the utility from delivering accounts to U.S. regulators.

Eletrobras needs an 8 billion real ($2.27 billion) bailout, said Luis Pinguelli Rosa, professor of energy planning at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

The problems stem from Rousseff's decision in 2012 to slash power rates in exchange for early renewal of hydroelectric power concessions.

"Eletrobras' return on the renewed hydro dams dropped to almost zero overnight," said Pinguelli, who was CEO of Eletrobras in 2003 and 2004 when Rousseff was Brazil's Energy Minister. "Eletrobras' ability to generate cash and invest dried up."

Petrobras may also need government cash, Pinguelli said, though Dos Santos and Camargo say the amounts contemplated - as much as 150 billion reais ($43 billion) - would strain the government's finances and undermine its credit rating.

The only alternative is for Coelho to push the faster sale of Petrobras assets, Dos Santos said. This would raise cash and get the company out of businesses, such as refining, that prevent it from focusing on exploration and development in giant offshore fields, he added.

($1 = 3.5253 Brazilian reais)






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2016 News Archive

This page includes links to all the news articles published on pokernews.com during 2016. For your convenience, the articles are segmented by month.
Two FBI officers were shot serving a warrant on Melvin Toran Tuesday. Toran (pictured) is a reputed leader of the Black P Stone Nation gang. He was found dead at the scene. (Photo: Illinois Department of Corrections)

Two FBI agents serving an arrest warrant suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds Tuesday morning at a Park Forest, IL, home, and a suspect in the residence was found dead, according to the FBI.

The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the dead man as Melvin Toran, 50, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Toran was a reputed high-ranking member of the Black P Stone Nation street gang, according to a federal law enforcement source. FBI agents had gone to the home in the south suburb of Chicago to arrest him on charges of narcotics trafficking, part of a gang sweep involving several other ranking members of the gang.

The charges alleged Toran had made a heroin sale to an FBI informant, the source said.

No information on how Toran died was released.
Representative George Holding (R-NC) has introduced new legislation to create a Bureau of Criminal Investigation within main Treasury and move the functions of the Criminal Investigation Division (CI) from under the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to this new Bureau.

In response, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) National President Nathan Catura issued the following statement:

We are grateful to Representative Holding for the introduction of this judicious legislation.

"The CI is the 6th largest federal law enforcement agency, and, while they act as the law enforcement arm of the IRS, their needs and responsibilities are infinitely different from the civil operating divisions and offices that make up the majority of the agency.

"By realigning the CI within main Treasury, and no longer requiring they report through the IRSs civil executive  the Deputy Commissioner  the division will be able to focus the Treasury Departments law enforcement efforts on high priority criminal violations involving identity theft, cyber-crime, international tax fraud, terrorist financing, public corruption, offshore money laundering and other high impact financial crimes.

"Because of these unique authorities that enable the CI to have jurisdiction over these crimes, the CI cannot be treated as just another operating division within the large civil IRS bureaucracy and should be moved back under main Treasury."

For more information about FLEOA visit www.fleoa.org.
With the nationwide friction between the Black Lives Matter movement and supporters of law enforcement as a backdrop, Louisiana is set to approve a bill that would expand the state's hate-crimes statute to add the targeting of police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel.

The bill, also known as the "Blue Lives Matter" bill, has passed both chambers of the Louisiana legislature and heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards' desk. Edwards intends to sign the bill soon, his press secretary Shauna Sanford tells CNN.

Louisiana would become the first state to have such as law on its books.

State Rep. Lance Harris authored HB 953 after Dep. Darren Goforth was ambushed, shot, and killed while in uniform last August.

If the governor signs the measure, the state's hate-crime law would change to read: "It shall be unlawful for any person to select the victim of the following offenses against person and property because of actual or perceived race, age, gender, religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry of that person or the owner or occupant of that property or because of actual or perceived membership or service in, or employment with, an organization, or because of actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or emergency medical services personnel."
The Supreme Court ruled Monday morning in favor of a death row inmate in a case concerning race discrimination in jury selection, reports CNN.

Timothy Tyrone Foster, an African-American, is on death row in Georgia for the 1987 murder of an elderly white woman, Queen Madge White. The jury that convicted him was all white. Twenty years after his sentence his attorneys obtained notes the prosecution team took while it was engaged in picking a jury, including marking potential jurors who were black had a "b" written by their name.

"The focus on race in the prosecution's file plainly demonstrates a concerted effort to keep black prospective jurors off the jury," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. Justice Clarence Thomas was the only dissenter.

The 7-1 decision comes as a welcome relief to critics who say racial discrimination in jury selection persists across the country some 30 years after the Supreme Court ruled potential jurors cannot be struck because of race.

The decision does not vacate Foster's conviction; it opens the door for Foster to go back to the Georgia state court and argue for a new trial.

The case is likely to cause other inmates across the country with similar claims to come forward and to seek a new trial.
Baltimore City States Attorney Marilyn Mosby (Photo: Official Photo)

With two trials and no convictions in the trials of Baltimore officers involved in the Freddie Gray case, critics say that the prosecution may have moved too fast in bringing charges against the officers involved.

"This speaks to the notion a lot of people had when this first happened, which is that it was a rush to judgment," former civil rights prosecutor David Weinstein told the Associated Press. "The state's attorney was trying to balance what she had with the public outcry and call to action given the climate in Baltimore and across the US concerning policing, and I think she was overreaching."

Gray was arrested by Baltimore officers on April 12, 2015, on charges of having an illegal switchblade, though the legality of the knife Gray carried is still in question. Gray was injured during transport in a police vehicle and died one week later with a broken neck.

This December, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams declared a mistrial for Officer William Porter after a hung jury. And on Monday, Judge Williams acquitted Officer Edward Nero in a bench trial.

Officer Caesar Goodson's trial, the only one in which the defendant is charged with second-degree murder, is scheduled to take place in two weeks.
Cop killing suspect Jorge Zambrano was released on $500 cash bail in February. He killed Officer Ronald Tarentino of the Auburn (MA) PD on Sunday. (Photo: Massachusetts State Police)

A Clinton (MA) District Court judge declined to take Jorge Zambrano off the street in February  more than three months before police say he murdered Auburn police officer Ronald Tarentino  over the objections of a Worcester County assistant district attorney and despite what the judge himself described from the bench as a troubling history of violence towards police, a recording of the Feb. 10 proceeding reveals.

This is troubling. Authority means nothing to him, its exactly the opposite, said Judge Andrew L. Mandell. It was awhile ago but he got two and a half years in jail for assault and battery on a police officer along with another, more significant sentence.

How many times is it going to take here? He may not like what a police officer says but he has got to, you know, listen and obey them.

Zambrano appeared in the Clinton court after he was arrested by state police and charged with domestic assault and battery, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and trespassing. During a roadside altercation when police were responding to a report from a witness who said Zambrano struck his girlfriend in the face hard enough she fell right to the ground, police said he threatened them, resisted arrest, and told them several times how he can take all of us on and just wait until the handcuffs come off, according to court records.

Bail in the case was $500 cash and Zambranos existing bail was not revoked, the Boston Herald reports.
A West Covina, CA, officer approached a man who was riding a bicycle Friday night when the man started shooting. The officer was struck in the torso but returned fire, officials said. It was unclear whether the suspect was wounded before he fled the scene and escaped. A multi-agency manhunt began immediately afterward.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Enforcement Bureau continued the search Sunday for 47-year-old suspect Jose Luis Chavez, reports the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Authorities announced the search was concluded about 6 p.m.; however, the suspect remained at large.

"We are actively investigating and searching for this suspect," Deputy Kimberly Alexander of the sheriff's Information Bureau said. "He is armed and dangerous."

Meanwhile, the injured officer was recovering well after suffering a through-and-through wound to his abdomen, West Covina Police Chief David Faulkner said.
Imtradex

Imtradex plans to unveil its new communications products that are specifically tailored to the requirements of the security industry and authorities.

OnGuard-Solutions, a new product line, is used for communication with colleagues during covered or semi-covered service through a link between users and their mobile phones. One of the products in this line is the OnGuard BlueTalk Clear+, which will be introduced to the public for the first time.

The OnGuard BlueTalk Clear+ allows for completely interference-free covert communication over the mobile phone, rather than via radio. It features a modern in-ear receiver and up to 16 hours of operating time. Using Clear+ technology, the BlueTalk intensifies voice playback while attenuating background noise and optimizing the voice frequency spectrum. Its technical configuration is able to suppress electromagnetic interference radiation

In addition to the in-ear receiver, the new communications solution includes a highly sensitive microphone that is built into a neck-loop. The communication tool is available with various wireless PTT-buttons and can also be camouflaged among other things as a car key.

Imtradex will unveil these products in June, at Critical Communications World in Amsterdam and the General Police Equipment Expo and Conference in Leipzig, Germany.

For more information visit www.imtradex.com.
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Donald Trumps imaginary presidential campaign against Bill Clinton continued today in a Facebook video post accompanied by the caption, Is Hillary really protecting women?

Featured in the 18-second video clip is audio footage of women who have accused the 41st president of sexual assault. As the clip concludes, Hillary Clinton can be heard laughing as a picture of her and the former president appears on the screen with the words, Here we go again?

Video:

This is Trumps latest effort to pretend he is running against Bill Clinton by repeating worn out, discredited accusations about the former president and blaming Hillary Clinton for her husbands personal transgressions.

It should be noted that Trump himself hardly has a squeaky clean past when it comes to his relationships with women. He has certainly had his fair share of wives and affairs. As Amanda Marcotte of Salon wrote at the end of last year, Donald Trump is just exposing himself by roping in Bill Clintons past infidelity into the campaign.

The New York Times also recently reported in detail that Trump has spent much of his life and career making women feel uncomfortable.

The difference, obviously, is that the spray-tanned billionaire is actually on the ballot, while Former President Clinton is not. And, believe it or not, people tend to vote for (or against) the person on their ballot  not their spouse.

Donald Trumps habit of bringing up the affairs of others  and, even worse, blaming their wives  is terribly short-sighted and will more than likely come back to haunt him.
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Hillary Clintons statement declining the California debate sent the not so subtle message that she is moving on to the general election.

Clintons communications director, Jennifer Palmieri announced the campaigns decision to take a pass on the Fox News California debate via a statement, We have declined Fox News invitation to participate in a debate in California. As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning out attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses. We believe that Hillary Clintons time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands.

The Sanders campaign released a statement that showed that they arent ready for their magical primary run to end:

I am disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clintons unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process.

The state of California and the United States face some enormous crises. Democracy, and respect for the voters of California, would suggest that there should be a vigorous debate in which the voters may determine whose ideas they support. I hope Secretary Clinton reconsiders her unfortunate decision to back away from her commitment to debate.

I also would suggest that Secretary Clinton may want to be not quite so presumptuous about thinking that she is a certain winner. In the last several weeks, the people of Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon have suggested otherwise.



Fox News was also disappointed by the news that there will be no debate. Bill Sammon, VP and Washington Managing Editor said in a statement, Naturally, Fox News is disappointed that Secretary Clinton has declined our debate invitation, especially given that the race is still contested and she had previously agreed to a final debate before the California primary.

Hillary Clinton is just 90 delegates short of clinching the nomination while holding double-digit leads in the two biggest remaining primary states, so it isnt like she is going way out on a limb with the suggestion that she is going to be the Democratic nominee. Even if Clinton were to lose all of the remaining contests, she is going to clinch the nomination. She is going to win the popular vote and lead in pledged delegates. The superdelegates will have no reason to flip to Sanders. Clinton will be the nominee.

If the Sanders campaign really thought that they still had a shot at winning the nomination, they would not have been so happy about the deal to get 5 of the 11 seats on the committee that will write the Democratic platform.

The truth is that the Sanders campaign knows that the primary is pretty much done. They just arent ready for the ride to end.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse *

After a long tiring primary season, Democrats are starting to reassure each other that the party is not divided and instead is laser-focused on preventing a Republican winning the White House. It sounds really encouraging, and crucial, but no-one on the left sent the memo to the Bernie Sanders campaign. Oh its true there are quiet mutterings that the Senator is reassuring other Democrats that he is a party unity kind of guy, but that is contrary to what is coming out of his campaign.

According to reports from the Sanders campaign and The New York Times, the Democratic candidate is Hell-bent on transforming the Democratic Party and will do whatever it takes to achieve his goal; even if it means helping Republicans in November.

Word from the campaign is that Senator Bernie Sanders is unleashing the scorched Earth phase of his run for the presidency and aiming to inflict some heavy blows to seriously harm Hillary Clinton.

Senator Sanders goal, according to his campaign advisers, is to amass enough leverage to win the nomination, or at the very least force his agenda on the Democratic convention in July. The frightening aspect to this more of the same GOP-driven character assassination from a fellow Democrat is that Sanders or his campaign appear to not care if their attacks on Hillary Clinton help Donald Trump win the White House. More on that later.

What is an interesting ploy as a neophyte Democrat is openly admitting to being willing to inflict damage on the leading presidential candidate to transform the Democratic Party and force it to embrace his agenda.

This is a particularly curious, and a frankly arrogant position to take since Bernie Sanders is still registered as a Vermont Independent according to two separate filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the 2015 -2016 and 2013-2018 time frames. As noted here, Democrats are not prone to demean the character of another Democrat; it leads one to reexamine if Mr. Sanders running as a Democrat is borne solely of political expediency. It doesnt appear it is because he agrees with or wants to be affiliated with the party or its agenda.

As The New York Times article noted, Bernie Sanders says he does not want Donald Trump to win the White House and that is completely believable. However, his advisers and allies say he is more than willing to harm former Secretary Clinton if it means capturing California delegates and arriving at the Philadelphia convention armed with maximum political power.

As noted here, Sanders will have to win over 68 percent of the remaining delegates to have a chance at the nomination and that doesnt seem remotely possible. Thus far he has only garnered 46 percent of delegates in the primaries.

According to a senior adviser to Senator Sanders, Tad Devine, the campaign does not think its attacks on Hillary Clinton will help Mr. Trump win in November. But he was quick to add that it is something the Sanders team was not thinking about. Mr. Devine said,

The only thing that matters is what happens between now and June 14. We have to put the blinders on and focus on the best case to make in the upcoming states. If we do that, we can make the best closing argument before the convention.

This is a political campaign and politics are generally messy affairs. But if Senator Sanders or his campaign people are not concerned about aiding a Republican win the White House, it is not messy politics, it is seriously selfish, careless and dangerous. As aptly stated by David Nir over at Daily Kos;

Flat-out not thinking about whether his efforts to hurt Clinton could aid Trump is an absurd and outrageous win-at-all-costs strategy. Absurd because Sanders cannot even win, no matter what power he might grab hold of, and outrageous because Trump poses an existential threat to this countryand to this world.

The unnerving revelation of the Sanders campaign tactics is not even thinking that trying to hurt Hillary Clinton at all costs will help Donald Trump win the White House. It is not the kind of thinking that inspires confidence that the Left can be united, at least not with any assistance from Senator Bernie Sanders. One thing is certain, Republicans are getting united behind the former reality television and World Wrestling Federation celebrity and they will dependably turn out to vote en masse for whichever maniac Republicans award the nomination to.

Contrast that Republican willingness to unify behind a circus candidate like Trump with the Sanders campaign perpetuating division among some on the Democratic side, and inspiring unwarranted suspicion of Hillary Clinton among politically ignorant millennials and independents. It is true there is plenty of talk of the unity among Democrats, but it appears that everyone forgot to inform Senator Sanders or his campaign that inflicting damage on the leading candidate is not a unifying maneuver by any stretch of the imagination.

As noted here, former Secretary Hillary Clinton is 96 percent of the way to clinching the Democratic nomination. And yet instead of focusing on keeping a Republican, any Republican, out of the White House, Senator Sanders is hoping to inflict a heavy blow and is willing to do some harm to Mrs. Clinton; simply so he can arrive at the Philadelphia convention with maximum political power when there is no apparently plausible way he can win the nomination.

It is not what one expects from a Democrat, or an American terrified at the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency, but as the Sanders campaign said, helping Donald Trump win the presidency is something they are just not thinking about. It is odd because it is the only thing every Democrat in America should be thinking about; not amassing maximum political power.

That particular comment sounds suspiciously like something Donald Trump would say, and it is honestly something that one never ever expected to hear from any kind of Democrat.
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The Republican attempt to election year fearmonger about transgender persons and bathrooms has backfired in North Carolina as 50% of the states residents want HB 2 repealed.

According to Public Policy Polling:

Only 35% of voters in the state support the bill, to 44% who are opposed to it. We continue to find that there are a lot more Republicans (28%) who are opposed to it than there are Democrats (16%) in support of it. 50% of voters in the state would like to see it repealed, compared to only 38% who think it should stay on the books. That includes a 46/39 spread among independents in favor of repealing it. The reason for voters wanting HB2 repealed are pretty straightforward- they think its hurting the state both economically and in terms of its national reputation. Overall only 29% of voters believe HB2 is helping North Carolina, t0 56% who think its hurting. That includes a 29/53 spread with independents. Specifically on the issue of the economy, only 12% think its having a positive impact on the state to 50% who think its hurting. Even among Republicans 14% more think its negatively affecting the states economy than positively. And just 24% of voters think HB2 is helping the states national reputation, to 53% who think its hurting.

North Carolina Republicans tried to pull a page out of the 2004 George W. Bush playbook by appealing to bigotry in an attempt to boost their chances at the polls in November. What the Republicans didnt count on was a national backlash against their discriminatory that has hurt the state economically, and damaged its reputation.

This isnt 2004, and North Republicans could pay a heavy price at the polls for becoming the national symbol of discrimination at a time when the United States is moving towards openness and equality.

A majority of North Carolinians polled want HB 2 gone, and if Republicans dont repeal it, they will elect candidates who will.
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In a move designed to fire up his supporters and show that he is still competing for every delegate, Sen. Bernie Sanders has requested a recanvassing of the results from the Kentucky primary.

The AP reported:

Bernie Sanders presidential campaign requested a recanvass in Kentuckys presidential primary Tuesday, where he trails Hillary Clinton by less than one-half of 1 percent of the vote. The Sanders campaign said it has asked the Kentucky secretary of state to have election officials review electronic voting machines and absentee ballots from last weeks primary in each of the states 120 counties. Sanders signed a letter Tuesday morning requesting a full and complete check and recanvass of the election results in Kentucky.

It is not a coincidence that the campaign of Sen. Sanders requested a recanvass of Kentucky less than a day after Hillary Clinton turned down a Fox News offer to hold a Democratic debate in California. Sanders is showing his supporters that he is fighting for every last delegate. Sanders also could win Kentucky if the review of the voting totals went his way.

The odds are that the recanvass wont change anything, but if you are Bernie Sanders, you have nothing to lose by trying. The Sanders campaign is facing a cash crunch and doesnt have the funds to run the same style of campaign that they have mounted in states that are less expensive than California. Sanders is down by 18 points in the state, and his campaign could use a boost to keep his supporters fired up for the future.

In a round of media interviews today, Sanders continued to resist the delegate math that shows Hillary Clinton will win the nomination, but his campaigns private actions have been contradicting the candidates public statements for weeks.

Bernie Sanders is close to building a real popular movement that could change American politics beyond the primary. When viewed in this context, his requested recanvass of Kentucky makes perfect sense.
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Donald Trump claims that nobody cares about his tax returns, but a new poll found that 67% of Americans and 60% of Republicans, want Trump to release tax returns.

The Morning Consult poll revealed that America is against Trumps stance on his tax returns, But a new national survey by Morning Consult of 2,001 registered voters found that 67 percent  and 60 percent of Republicans  think presidential candidates should have to disclose their returns. Just one in five voters (21 percent) said they dont think the financial documents should have to be released.

The problem with Trumps position on his tax returns is that he is wrong. For all of the criticism that Trump has thrown at Mitt Romney for losing in 2012, he is repeating one of Romneys biggest mistakes. When Romney stalled and stonewalled on his tax returns, it fed into the perception that he was dishonest.

There is already ample proof that Donald Trump is dishonest. He has proven that the facts, truth, and his own words mean nothing to him, so by refusing to release his tax returns, Trump is confirming what voters already suspect. The issue is turning into a big problem for Republicans. Their nominee is hiding basic information about his personal finances and voters across the political spectrum dont like it.

Donald Trump will drag down Republican candidates up and down the ballot from coast to coast if he continues to refuse to do engage in the minimum amount of disclosure that voters require from their presidential candidates. What Trump is hiding is probably personally damaging, but his refusal to release his tax returns is harming the party that he is leading.
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NEW YORK  A strong start to the year from Best Buy was overshadowed by a lengthening string of declining quarterly sales and a pessimistic outlook that added to a chorus of woes from the retail sector.

The chain's shares dropped almost 6 percent before the market opened today.

Last week, Target Corp. reported slowing quarterly sales and said that it could see more of the same in the current quarter. That would reverse almost two straight years of increases.

Others are seeing the same atrophying sales.

Before Target, Macy's Inc., J.C. Penney Co., Nordstrom Inc. and Kohl's Corp. all posted first-quarter sales declines as pressure increases from off-priced stores like T.J. Maxx and also online competition, namely Amazon.com.

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The Standard & Poor's 500 specialty retail index, which includes Best Buy, is down almost 2 percent this year. It would be worse if it weren't for a pair of retail standouts like Home Depot and Lowe's, which are thriving in a rebounding housing market.

The S&P multiline index, which follows companies like Macy's, Nordstom and Kohl's, is down 20 percent over the past 12 months.

For the three months ended April, Best Buy earned $229 million, or 70 cents per share. A year earlier the consumer electronics retailer earned $129 million, or 36 cents per share.

Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 44 cents per share, easily topping the per-share projections of 35 cents from analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research.

Revenue fell to $8.44 billion from $8.56 billion. While the results beat the $8.29 billion that analysts expected, Best Buy's first-quarter revenue has now dropped for the past three years.

For the second quarter, Best Buy Co. foresees adjusted earnings between 38 cents and 42 cents per share. Analysts had been projecting 50 cents per share, according to a FactSet survey.

The Richfield, Minnesota, company maintained its full-year guidance for approximately flat revenue.

Best Buy said Tuesday that Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Sharon McCollam will be stepping down in June. She will remain as an adviser to the company until the end of the fiscal year, on Jan. 28. Chief Strategic Growth Officer Corie Barry will become the chain's CFO at the end of Best Buy's annual shareholders meeting on June 14.

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Shares of Best Buy, which are up 8 percent for the year, fell $1.79 to $31.20 before the opening bell.
So what will you be grilling this upcoming Memorial weekend  brats, burgers?

Whatever it is you better check on those condiments  ketchup for burgers, mustard for dogs and brats, relish, maybe mayonnaise or a special sauce of some kind.

If you're anything like the rest of us, those jars are lined up like so many soldiers inside the refrigerator door, some half-full or almost empty. Here's an idea: Instead of running to the store to replenish or replace, what about making your own? I hadn't considered that either until a friend of mine told me she makes her own ketchup and relish.

Why would you bother to do that when Heinz and French's are just a short drive away? For one thing, condiments are easy to make, not as quick, certainly, as squeezing a bottle, but so much better. It's also a fun project to do with budding young cooks.

And don't forget the satisfaction factor  it's like making your own bread. You'll also impress family and friends when they rave about your ketchup and you can announce you made it yourself. Looking months ahead, think Christmas presents.

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What we need to keep in mind is that the brands we buy are consistent in flavor. Heinz's ketchup, French's mustard, Hellman's mayonnaise aren't going to hand us any surprises. Their flavors have remained the same for eons.

They are also full of stabilizers, texturizers, preservatives and refined sweeteners. Yours won't be. Rather than one-note flavors of commercial brands, you can be creative and add herbs, spices  even something as simple as pickle juice can bring a unique flavor to any condiment you make.

One who makes her own ketchup and relish and who got me started on this is Jane Aughenbaugh, of Rochester. A native of Maine, she explained that every Saturday night growing up they had beans and hotdogs, almost like that was the state dish.

"We always had ketchup my mother had made with the hot dogs," Aughenbaugh said. "I didn't think too much about it and over time the recipe was lost. I never thought about making it until a few years ago I went to visit a friend, Ellen Ward, in Florida, and she had some she had made. It was fabulous, so I went on a ketchup recipe hunt, through books and the internet, and cobbled together the recipe I use.

"I'll never go back to eating store-bought ketchup again," she said. "I eat it on a lot of things, especially in summer."

She promises it is easy and doesn't take long to make. And I can attest to the fact it is fabulous. I'm now a ketchup convert.

Jane's ketchup

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4 cups grape tomatoes

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

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1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon onion, minced

In a large saucepan simmer all ingredients together, stirring occasionally, to reduce and thicken the mixture. Then puree in a food processor until the mixture is smooth. Pour through a strainer. Put in jars and store in the refrigerator. You can also put in hot sterilized jars and process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.

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This relish recipe which Jane calls Piccalilli is from her grandmother. It was also a condiment on those Saturday night hot dog dinners. I've cut the original recipe in half.

Piccalilli relish

6 green peppers

3 red sweet peppers

6 green tomatoes

6 onions

Put the vegetables in the food processor and grind them so they are coarsely chopped. Put in a large pot and cover with hot water. Let stand for ten minutes. Strain. Add: 2 cups sugar, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1/2 hour. Pour into hot sterilized jars. The recipe says to store in a cool cellar. You should pour into hot sterilized pint jars and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Makes about 8 pints.

Here is a mustard, also easy to make and very good.

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Tangy mustard

In the top part of a double boiler mix together 1/2 cup Coleman's Dry Mustard and 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for at least four hours. Put water in the bottom of a double boiler, then put the top part on  over, not in simmering hot water. To the mustard mixture add 1 egg, beaten, 1/3 cup sugar and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring, until thick. Take off heat and cool. When totally cool add 2/3 cup Hellman's mayo. (or your own if you've made it). Put in a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

-----------------------------

Easy mayonnaise

Put 2 egg yolks and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard in a food processor or blender. Turn machine on and slowly add 1 cup canola oil in a slow steady stream. Once an emulsion forms you can add the oil faster until its all incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add whatever herbs and flavors you want. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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Darn good sauce

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons pickle juice

1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce

Put everything in a bowl, mix together and add to your condiment lineup. Great on hamburgers.
It was an evening of art, fashion, and fundraising at Rochester's first Trashion Show, April 28 at Wicked Moose Bar and Grill. About 350 people attended the event, hosted by Serenity Couture, and raised more than $15,000 for the Minnesota Audubon Society , for wetlands protection.

In opening remarks, Katie Burnsfrom the society spoke about the need to protect waterways for both birds and people. A short video ended with a statistic, "one in seven people on earth lack access to clean water," and posed the question, "What are we doing about it?"

"The city of Rochester has really come to connect with this event," said Serenity Couture salon director Jessica Huxsol. "It's not just those who are interested in fashion here tonight, but many who are concerned with clean waterways for the residents of Minnesota."

Sandy Hokansonand Ruthann Yaeger, who are with Zumbro Valley Audubon, staffed an information booth at the event.

"Tonight we are reaching a younger crowd," Hokanson said. "And introducing concepts of protecting our waterways."

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"Because nobody will protect something they don't understand," added Yaeger.

Twenty-seven models participated in Trashion, wearing styles created using items typically thrown away. Salon stylist Mark Ryanserved as model coordinator for the event.

"This night is exciting," he said. "I hope we can raise a lot of money."

He said in his many years with the Avedasalon, he has appreciated the partnership it has with the Audubon Society to protect clean water.

"Aveda has been a big part of supporting the Audubon Society," he said. "The new ownership at the salon has produced Trashion shows in other locations, and wanted Rochester to have the event as well."

Model Michelle Schmidt, whose design won Best Trashion Mission, wore a bee-themed gown.

"I'm raising awareness for the decline of the honeybee population," she said. "My dad is a beekeeper, and seeing what is happening with that made me realize how big an issue it has become."

Model Shalise Vale, a stylist at the salon, wore a bird-themed design created with a co-worker. It was accented with makeup and lipstick containers, papers and haircolor boxes typically discarded.

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"I was inspired by doves, and how clean water affects them," Vale said.

Attendee Sandy Wieckbrought her two granddaughters, Kadenceand Paige, to see their mom, Emily Meyer, model at the event.

"Emily participated in a show like this in school," Wieck said. "It's really pretty amazing."

Sisters Jennifer Frankand Kathy Kumpfsaid they came to support Frank's daughter, who was a model in the show.

Attendee Jean Geib, a stylist at Sola, came to Trashion to see what her niece, Ashley Trogstad, designed for one of the show's models.

"I have watched events like this online," Geib said. "I'm excited to see what my niece has created."

Michelle Larsonattended with a group of nine co-workers from Kismet. The group likes to attend events together in support of a cause.

"We decided to come support the Audubon Society tonight," Larson said. "We've been to events that support Habitat for Humanity, the Women's shelter and the animal shelter as well."

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For more information on the protection of Minnesota's wetlands, lakes, and rivers, visit www.mnaudubon.org .
STEWARTVILLE  A community notification meeting has been set for 7 p.m. Thursday to inform residents that a Level 3 predator offender is moving to Stewartville.

The event will be held at Grace Free Evangelical Church, 702 First St. SE.

Representatives from the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, the Dodge-Fillmore-Olmsted County Community Corrections Department and the Minnesota Department of Corrections will be present to explain the circumstances surrounding the release of Jerry Lee Vandenhemel, 31.

Vandenhemel originally was convicted in 2009 of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and sentenced to 70 months in prison, with credit for nearly a year already served. He's been returned to prison multiple times for probation violations, court documents show.

Most recently, he was released in March; his move to the area of First Street West and South Main Street in Stewartville is planned for May 27-30.

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Vandenhemel is 5 feet 7 inches, weighs 247 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. He has a history of sexual contact with females ages 14-15 and included penetration, police say. Vandenhemel was known to his victims.

The risk level has been determined largely on his potential to re-offend based on his previous behavior.
WINONA  A woman who lost her child-care license after her own child walked away from her home daycare  and nearly onto a busy street  has lost her appeal.

In a ruling handed down Monday, the justices of the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the September revocation of Angie Mattison's license.

The investigation began May 6, 2015, when Mattison was caring for four children, including her 2-year-old son, at her licensed day care in Winona. About 9 a.m., she took the four children outside to the fully fenced yard. She stayed in the front yard, the report says, while her son played in the back yard.

Though Mattison said she believed she could see and hear the child from the front corner of the front yard, the 2-year-old was able to leave the yard through a gate that was "not fully secured."

When Mattison realized the child was gone, she left the three other children alone in the yard and ran to a neighbor's house for help. Meanwhile, about two blocks away, a driver spotted the boy running toward a busy street, the report says. The passerby stopped, called police and walked the child home.

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Later that day, a child-protection worker and a licensing worker from Winona County Community Services made an unannounced visit to Mattison's home. A temporary immediate suspension of her child-care license was ordered that day.

Mattison appealed the suspension, which was upheld in June. In September, her license was revoked, prompting this appeal to the state court.

In it, Mattison argued that any "imminent risk of harm" was negated by the fact that authorities didn't remove her children from the home following the incident. Going forward, she continued, the risk no longer exists because her back gate has been rendered "inoperable."

But securing the back gate was less important than improvements to Mattison's supervision practices  which Mattison admitted she wouldn't change. She testified she planned to continue to allow the children to play in the back yard and the front yard at the same time.

The county officials concluded that Mattison's "inadequate supervision coupled with her refusal to change her supervision practices ... poses an imminent risk of harm."

The justices agreed.
BROWNSDALE  The Hayfield Community Schools School Board approved the sale of the soon-to-be-empty Brownsdale Elementary School to the city of Brownsdale for $1 during a special meeting Monday night.

Hayfield Schools Superintendent Belinda Selfors said the school board considered two purchase agreements Monday night, one from the city and another from a private party, and voted 7-0 to accept the city's offer. The board will need to vote to finalize the sale at its June meeting, but that, Selfors said, is a formality.

"I think the city of Brownsdale put in their proposal to do what is best for their community," Selfors said. "The board is really looking to move forward and do what is best for the district and the community of Brownsdale."

Brownsdale City Council Member Carol Larick said the city will weigh many options before making a decision on how to use the property.

"There's a possibility we could move our city offices and community center there, but nothing has been settled on at this point," she said.

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The building is still full of students, Selfors said, with classes ending on June 1. The district will then spend the rest of the month packing up and moving out.

"Anything we're able to retrieve and make use of here in Hayfield, we'll retrieve," she said.
A two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 52 totaled both cars and sent one driver to the hospital Monday.

Jason Rothen, 52, of Rushford was transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital-St. Marys Campus after his 1998 Chevy Astro collided with a 2006 Nissan Altima driven by Leslie Ukena, 52, of Eyota, according to a report from the Minnesota State Patrol.

The Chevy had exited I-90 westbound and was stopped at a stop sign at the end of the off ramp. The Nissan was traveling southbound on Hwy. 52. The Chevy proceeded through the stop sign when the collision occurred.

Rothen suffered non-life threatening injuries, and is listed in fair condition, according to Mayo Clinic public affairs.

The cause of the investigation is still pending, according to state patrol.
A Rochester woman is recovering after falling and tumbling nearly 100 feet from a cliff onto a ledge, where she was stranded for 24 hours before a dramatic hover helicopter rescue.

Amber Kohnhurst, 25, is at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah. She had surgery to her sacrum and to her ear, and she's still awaiting a brace for spinal fractures, according to her GoFundMe page.

"I rolled down in the canyon so I didn't fall flat or anything.. I initially fell like 12 feet then rolled down the 100 feet, which is why my injuries are much more mild than they would've been with a straight fall," said Kohnhurst on Facebook Tuesday morning. "Also, why I have more spread out injuries, from hitting different areas on my body."

Her friend Alexandra Truzzi set up the GoFundMe page, which by Tuesday afternoon had already raised nearly $5,000 out of $10,000 needed for her medical expenses.

"She is out of the ICU and is in a trauma acute care unit," Truzzi said, according to the GoFundMe page. "She is in good spirits."

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Amber's mother, Nanette Kohnhorst, flew to Utah to be with her.

"I thank the Angels that saved her all those hours alone," said Nanette Kohnhorst. "I continue to cry of thankfulness she's alive."

Kohnhorst departed from a Bed & Breakfast in Cane Beds, Ariz., at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, the owners of the B&B noticed Kohnhorst had not returned, and a quick search didn't find her.

The Mohave County Sheriff's Office was contacted, and several search groups responded, along with an Arizona Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter from Kingman, Ariz.

At about 7 p.m., Kohnhorst was located 50 feet down an approximately 800-foot cliff north of Cane Beds Road and Rose Cliff Road. Apparently, she was hiking near the cliff when she slipped and fell approximately 100 feet onto a small ledge.

Kohnhorst was knocked unconscious and awoke sometime during the night. She crawled approximately 50 feet back up until the terrain got too tough. Kohnhorst started blowing her whistle and screaming for help every half hour. She eventually fell back to sleep.

At about 7 p.m. on Saturday Kohnhurst was awakened by the Department of Public Safety helicopter flying over her. A rescuer on board the helicopter heard her screams for help.

A rope rescue team was assembled and was airlifted to the top of the cliff, where they set up a rope system and rappelled a rescuer down to Kohnhorst.

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Kohnhorst was then hoisted to the top of the cliff, where a helicopter performed a hover rescue because it was too rugged to land. She was taken to the medical center in Utah.

The rescue has received widespread media attention in Arizona and Minnesota.
BAY CITY, Wis.  A Red Wing man involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident was airlifted Sunday after the crash.

Joseph Miller, 52, of Red Wing was northbound on Pierce County Road O a half-mile south of Wisconsin State Highway 35 about 12:45 p.m. Sunday when he lost control of his motorcyle, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol. Miller was ejected from the motorcycle and received non-life threatening injuries including a large laceration on his head. He was not wearing a helmet.

The Pierce County Sheriff's office, Ellsworth Fire Department, Red Wing EMS, and North Memorial Air assisted Wisconsin State Patrol on the scene. He was airlifted to Mayo Clinic Hospital-St. Marys Campus, according to the state patrol report.

The accident remains under investigation.
The woman who died in an apartment fire with her 2-year-old child had more than three times the legal amount of alcohol in her bloodstream, toxicology results have revealed.

Melissa Ann Phiefer's blood alcohol content was .295, the report says; the cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.

The information was made available Tuesday afternoon.

The fire has been determined to be accidental, said Rochester Police Capt. John Sherwin, "but the obvious intoxication of the responsible adult likely had some bearing on them being able to rescue themselves.

"It's an incredibly sad outcome," he said, "because it didn't need to happen."

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Phiefer and her daughter, Emily, were pulled from Emily's bedroom March 3 after neighbors reported a fire in the four-plex at 409 27th St. NE.

Four minutes after the first call came in at 5:44 p.m., members of the Rochester Fire Department arrived at the scene, reporting heavy fire and smoke.

As firefighters and police officers used a ladder to rescue upstairs occupants, more crews started a fire attack on the west side of the building  Phiefer's apartment.

The neighbors told responders they'd heard a child crying; when they opened their own apartment door to check further, they were met with flames so powerful their hair was singed.

"At the time of the 911 call, there's no way somebody could have entered (Phiefer's) apartment without protective equipment," Rochester Fire Deputy Chief Steve Belau said the next day. The flames, fumes and smoke were simply too dangerous.

Firefighters went through the kitchen window of Phiefer's apartment and were immediately pushed back by the fire. A hand line hose was used to knock back the flames as the crew made its way back inside.

Phiefer was found first, and handed through the kitchen window to responders outside at 6:01 p.m.

Emily was found in her bed about a minute later and taken immediately by ambulance to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus, where she was pronounced dead.

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Resuscitation attempts on Phiefer in the yard were unsuccessful; she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire was started by smoking materials, fire investigators said, with the point of origin a futon in the living room of the apartment. All other potential sources were eliminated, officials said; smoking materials were found throughout the apartment.

Investigators say the burn pattern reconstructed inside the apartment reveal the fire began in the futon and progressed from there. The living room was nearly consumed, but it's unknown how long the fire burned before being discovered.

There were active smoke detectors somewhere in the building; firefighters could hear them from the outside when they arrived.

Fifty-seven people died last year in fires in Minnesota  the highest number of fire fatalities since 2002 when 64 people were killed, according to final numbers released last week by the Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal Division.

The No. 1 cause of fatal fires last year in Minnesota was careless smoking (nine deaths), followed by unattended cooking (four), suicide (three) and arson (two). There were 24 fire deaths in which the fire's cause was undetermined.
The city of Rochester has more sidewalk improvement needs than it currently funds, but the city's leadership is still conflicted on whether a utility-style fee for property owners is the best available solution.

The city's department of public works has been researching a sidewalk improvement district , a program that would charge property owners for sidewalk improvements based on their property classification. The program could help the city fund its $3.6 million in annual sidewalk improvement needs, of which it is currently funding about $350,000 a year  $250,000 from property taxes and another $100,000 in assessments to property owners.

Some city residents have complained assessments come in large, unexpected one-time costs, while others have said they would oppose a new fee and would rather see the needed improvements come from property taxes, according to reports from Rochester City Council members at a Monday meeting.

Whichever direction the city decides to go  a new fee or an uptick in property tax funding to sidewalk improvements  the city's public works department needs a clear direction within the next month to begin planning the sidewalk improvement program for 2017, said Richard Freese, public works director.

Two city council members, Mark Hickey and Ed Hruska, said they would oppose the sidewalk improvement district and a new fee to property owners.

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"I'm not interested in going forward with it.  I think we need to continue to assess for sidewalk repairs and I think as a council we need to step up to these unfunded portions," Hickey said.

"I just don't see one thing in this that makes me want to support it," Hruska said. "I don't think the current process we have is not working and I really think that I'm not excited about adding a new fee right now."

Both Hickey and Hruska asked for more information on other potential alternatives to overcome the funding gap, including adding to the property tax.

Council members Nick Campion and Michael Wojcik supported the improvement district. Campion said it would create a more equitable funding system than taxes and assessments for property owners. Wojcik looked ahead to a much larger funding gap the city would have to address in its road maintenance program and the burden that would add to the property tax.

The public works department would continue to research and provide figures on the alternatives council members requested, Freese said. The council will revisit the issue within a month and give a clear direction on whether to pursue the improvement district, concluded Randy Staver, city council president.
MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz.  A hiker from Rochester had to be rescued in northwestern Arizona during the weekend.

Mohave County Sheriff's Search and Rescue units responded to Cane Beds in the Arizona Strip Saturday afternoon regarding a missing hiker, according to reports from KTNV-13 Action News.

Owners of a bed & breakfast in Cane Beds area reported the woman missing. Amber Kohnhorst, 25, of Rochester, checked into the B&B on Friday. Owners of the B&B advised Amber of hiking trails in the area when she inquired. Kohnhorst, is a nurse at Mayo Clinic, according to her LinkedIn account.

Kohnhorst departed for the Rose Cliffs trail at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, the owners of the B&B noticed Kohnhorst had not returned, and a quick search couldn't find her.

The Mohave County Sheriff's Office was contacted, and several search groups responded, along with a Arizona Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter from Kingman.

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At about 7 p.m., Kohnhorst was located 50 feet down an approximately 800-foot cliff north of Cane Beds Road and Rose Cliff Road. Apparently, she was hiking near the cliff when she slipped and fell approximately 100 feet onto a small ledge.

Kohnhorst was knocked unconscious and awoke sometime during the night. She crawled approximately 50 feet back up until the terrain got too tough. Kohnhorst started blowing her whistle and screaming for help every half hour. She eventually fell back to sleep.

Saturday evening Amber was awakened by the Department of Public Safety helicopter flying over her. A rescuer on board the helicopter heard her when she screamed for help. A rope rescue team was assembled and was airlifted to the top of the cliff where they set up a rope system and rappelled a rescuer down to Kohnhorst.

Kohnhorst, who had head and back injuries, was then hoisted to the top of the cliff.

She was flown to an awaiting ambulance and taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah.
Threats made against schools across the United States  including one in Rochester  led to the evacuation of students Monday in what could be the latest example of so-called "swatting" against schools.

In recent months, hoaxers playing online games have allegedly used proxy servers and other high-tech identity-disguising tools to anonymously threaten schools online or in phone messages with electronic voices to trigger a huge police response, including SWAT teams.

The latest threats led to the evacuation of schools here in Minnesota, as well as some in Colorado, Utah, Delaware, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. Media outlets in the United Kingdom also reported evacuations.

The threats were made against elementary, middle and high schools, with some schools choosing to continue classes and others to put buildings on lockdown rather than evacuate. Some schools resumed classes after sweeps by authorities failed to turn up explosives or other threats.

In Rochester, students and staff members from Ben Franklin Elementary School/Montessori were evacuated after a bomb threat came in at 11:58 a.m. as an automated recording received on the main office phone.

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"There was a phoned-in threat of some sort," said Rochester Police Capt. John Sherwin. The threat "sounded credible" enough to evacuate, he said.

The students and staff waited at Mayo High School while police and fire personnel searched the elementary building and the surrounding grounds. RPD's two explosive-sniffing dogs were brought to the scene.

About 1:35 p.m., law enforcement issued the all-clear, said Brenda Lewis, assistant superintendent of Rochester Public Schools, sending the students back to class.

No injuries were reported.

This morning, Sherwin said local authorities spoke with the FBI Monday after the incident.

"We believe it may be linked to the others around the country," he said, "but obviously, when it first comes in, no one knows that."

Any other circumstances, Sherwin said, "would be quite coincidental."

Local law enforcement policy "is not to tell the business or school what to do" in the event of a bomb threat, he added, "but if we're asked, we advise them to evacuate. If any actual device is found, of course, there's no question. We evacuate them."

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Lakewood High School outside Denver also received an automated call just before noon. In Minnesota, Forest Lake Elementary in the city of Forest Lake was evacuated after getting a bomb-threat call about 12:15 p.m.

Students at Murray High School outside Salt Lake City were sent home, and bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in. No explosives were found.

Two elementary schools were evacuated in Colorado  Liberty Point Elementary School in Pueblo West and Cherokee Trail Elementary in the Denver suburb of Parker. Cherokee Trail is in the same district where two 16-year-old girls are accused of plotting an attack against their high school. No other schools in the district were evacuated, spokeswoman Paula Hans said.
The decision of whether to increase property taxes might become easier for residents in the Plainview-Elgin-Millville area, pending the signing of a bill by Gov. Mark Dayton.

On Tuesday, PEM residents will vote on a $18.28 million bond referendum, which would add $91 to the annual property tax of $150,000 homes. The aim of this referendum is to improve the facilities and teaching environment at PEM schools.

According to a community survey held by the district, out of 250 residents surveyed 58.8 percent answered in favor of the bond issue, while 33.2 percent said that they opposed it and 7.6 percent said that they were undecided.

However, the amount of PEM voters in favor of the referendum may increase depending on the signing of the Omnibus Tax Bill by Dayton. If passed, this bill would reduce property tax by about 40 percent for farmland in Minnesota that is Class 2A, 2B and 2C.

Greg Abbott, director of communications of the Minnesota Schools Boards Association, said that if signed, the tax bill could have a major positive impact on the passing of the PEM referendum. This is because through this bill, farmers in the PEM area will be less affected by the property tax increase that would be the result of the referendum.

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If passed, the money brought in through the referendum would be split into three components: 37 percent to safety, security and accessibility, 33 percent to student learning and activities, and 30 percent to performance and community space. Among many changes, this involves the addition of a new auditorium for the high school and increased measures to make the entrances to the schools more secure.

Abbott said that the proposed changes to school security is especially important, stating that Minnesota is not immune to the increase of violence in schools around the country.

"Nobody thinks that a school shooting is going to happen to them until it does," Abbott said.

Passed by both the Minnesota House and Senate, Dayton is expected to either sign or veto the Omnibus Tax Bill over the next few days.
I wasn't here on this forum when the Emanuel Church shooting happened, and haven't read this thread.



But I rode past Emanuel Church in Charleston twice today, and my heart sank both times. What was interesting to me though, was that there weren't any tourists around, taking pictures, or even any large-scale memorials, or monuments - which makes me think they don't want to let Roof's deed live in infamy, but rather continue doing what they've always done, worship God.



I also went to the Angel Oak Tree, and images of that POS holding the hick flag there flashed through my head. I don't know if it was the same then, but it's ran by black ladies now, strict black ladies, who do everything in their power to make sure the tree stays protected - wonder if they were there while that d**khead was taking his redneck glamour shots - hope not. But if so, I understand their sternness now. He basically desecrated it, and shot it to infamy.



Charleston is such an amazing place - I told my son about Obama breaking into Amazing Grace during the eulogy - that was one of the few positive stories that came from the tragedy - that and the entire town marching in unity across the bridge after it happened.
ST. PAUL  Gov. Mark Dayton said he hasn't decided whether he's going to give state lawmakers a second chance to finish their work and fund both public works projects and road and bridge repairs that were left undone after the Legislature devolved into chaos in the final minutes of the session early Monday morning.

Dayton on Monday called lawmakers' inability to pass more than $1 billion in transportation and public works proposals in their final hour after 11 weeks of work a "tragedy." He said he doesn't yet know whether he'll call lawmakers back for a special session later this year, but wasn't optimistic even then they could finish their work.

"We're starting at a point of impasse and I don't know what the willingness is on anybody's part to go beyond that," he said. "They weren't willing to compromise up until the final hours last night. I don't know what's going to change that equation."

Legislators did finish some major pieces of their plans to use a $900 million budget surplus, including a package of $260 million of tax credits and cuts to help farmers, parents, businesses and college students. They also passed extra spending on a statewide voluntary preschool program and broadband Internet infrastructure development.

The governor said he was pleased that funding for a statewide voluntary preschool program made into the final budget, a requirement he previously said was nonnegotiable in addition to the funding for broadband and to combat racial economic disparities.

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Dayton said Monday he would begin reviewing the budget and the tax package once he received the final bills and that his consideration of them wouldn't be tied to a potential special session. He spoke favorably of both, but stopped short of declaring he would sign them.

House Speaker Kurt Daudt pressed the governor to call a special session in the next few days, arguing it makes more sense to reconvene while lawmakers are still in town and before the House again loses its chamber on Wednesday due to the ongoing renovations at the Capitol.

"If we wait too much longer, I'm afraid that the fragile nature of this agreement will deteriorate," Daudt said.

Bonding bills are a near-annual fixture at the Legislature, providing millions of dollars for construction projects in members' districts across the state. But a combination package of more than $1 billion in public works projects and one-time funding for road and bridge repairs failed in a flurry of parliamentary procedures late Sunday, triggered by a disagreement over mass-transit.

Lawmakers quickly tried to ramp up pressure for a special session this week to finish it up.

In an email to constituents with a subject line "URGENT," Rep. Jim Newberger, R-Becker, referenced a handful of projects in his central Minnesota that were set to receive funding in the failed package, asking his constituents to call Dayton's office and demand an immediate special session.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk said he also hopes to get another crack at passing the bill with more than $1 billion in construction. But the partisan divide over mass-transit projects  a light-rail train to the southwestern Minneapolis suburbs, in particular  that caused the bonding bill's failure remained, keeping a quick solution out of reach.

Daudt called that project unnecessary and controversial. Senate Democrats insist it's critical.

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"If there is some kind of agreement on a bonding bill ... it will have a solution to Southwest Light Rail in it," Bakk said.

In another piece of unfinished business, the Legislature also failed to pass upgrades needed for Minnesota driver's licenses to satisfy the federal government. Lawmakers worked for weeks to find a compromise to comply with the federal Real ID Act, which officials say will require new IDs be in place by 2018 to board domestic flights.

Dayton said Monday that there's a "perfectly good chance" next year for lawmakers to find compromise a bill and solve the issue.

"No bill this year is better than a bad bill," he said.
i think you missed the point there pumpkin. it is not as much the big bottom dollar as much as where the money came from.the point is that her lizardness mistress clinton is a neocon bought and paid for. that if she was an old white guy w/ an R next to her name the **** i post about her would be fed to you guys from the hive and all of you guys would be foaming from the mouth over it. just because she theoretically has female parts, the last name clinton and has a D next to her name it is all rainbows and unicorns.kinda funny.instead you guys have to try and destroy king trump and you just can't do it. what do you have, taxes. sheeiat.if it came out that he only paid 5% of his income in taxes and a supposed 5 bill hiding off shore that would make me want to vote for him even more.**** taxes and **** the IRS
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There was an old-fashioned roundup Monday afternoon at the Brookdale Grand Prairie senior living facility in Albany, but there wasnt a cutting horse or lasso in sight.

Brookdale residents used a bag of Cheerios to lure their quarry  11 ducklings and their mother  from the facilitys backyard plaza to a nearby open field.

And there wasnt an ugly duckling in the bunch.

81-year-old Bill Hawes was the lead drover, talking gently to the ducklings as he lured them along the courtyard sidewalk, into a long hallway inside the building lined with residents and staff members and outdoors into the field.

As expected, the herd did not go silently. The ducklings provided plenty of noise as they moved slowly along the hallway.

Theyve been around here for about six weeks, said Hawes, a former Tangent resident. The drake drops by once in a while to check on them.

Hawes said the mother duck laid eggs in the courtyard several weeks ago.

It has been interesting to watch them grow, Hawes said. Were definitely going to miss them.

Hawes said he flooded an area of a sidewalk to give the ducks a nice watering hole.

88-year-old Don Emmert, formerly of Sweet Home, said he has enjoyed watching the ducklings, which gathered each morning under his apartment window.

They know me. They follow me all over, Emmert said.

94-year-old June Willingham also enjoyed talking with the ducklings.

Hi, baby, Willingham said. Where have you been? I dont have any food for you. Your Uncle Bill has some for you.

Ruth Howard, Brookdales activities director, said the 80 residents have enjoyed watching the ducks grow and their mother take care of them.

The mother just flew in one day, Howard said. She laid the eggs here and one day we noticed there were chicks.

Howard said the duck roundup would not have been necessary, except maintenance crews are going to be spreading bark mulch throughout the area this week and no one wanted to scare their wildlife neighbors.

They were going to put the bark mulch down last week and we tried rounding up the ducks then, Howard said. It was hilarious.

The ducklings wont begin to fly until they are about 3 to 4 months old.
After several public information sessions and mailings, the rumor mill is humming, and opponents to the Plainview-Elgin-Millville school district bond referendum continue to distribute misinformation.

This is a common occurrence for school referendums, but, nonetheless, frustrating for those who worked diligently to assess the district's facility needs and prioritized projects. The projects will have a significant, positive impact on student learning and safety, and they are "needs" not "wants."

The Hassler Theater is too small and putting money into it just because it exists makes no sense.

As a dairy farmer, my tax bill will be larger than the residential homeowner if the referendum is approved. Farmers own more property than residential homeowners  hence, more tax is paid by farmers. That is the way school buildings are funded in Minnesota. Opponents to the referendum have stated "farmers are taxed at a rate that is 10 times more than the homeowner." That's not true. Everyone is taxed at the same rate.

Enrollment is projected to grow. The district has several options on where to move the greenhouse and garage, which actually will result in better accessibility. Parking space will increase once the project is completed.

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Seek out the truth about the referendum by speaking to school board members, or go to www.pem.k12.mn.us and click on the Facilities Bond Referendum link. Get informed, and vote May 24.

Rita Young

P-E-M School Board director

Plainview
The legislative failures during the session's final hours shouldn't have surprised anyone. Weeks of partisan sniping foreshadowed the inability to pass transportation and infrastructure bills.

A year ago, lawmakers barely passed transportation funding to keep Department of Transportation projects moving. Now, they once again have failed to make the substantial decisions required for the next 10 years.

It's not what we expected when our state lawmakers told us long-term transportation plans were a priority. Heading into the legislative session, lawmakers agreed on at least one thing: The state needed a long-term transportation bill.

Instead, we were served stale leftovers with a side of partisan bickering.

The finger-pointing has begun. Republicans say Democrats are to blame for demanding transit funding be part of the package, and Democrats say Republicans' failure to consider transit delayed potential compromise.

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It's a case of both sides being right. In what seems to be an effort to gain votes rather than get meaningful legislation passed, Democrats and Republicans share the blame for the utter failure spread over 11 weeks.

The inability to pass a bonding bill, which included $5 million for Rochester International Airport's U.S. Customs expansion, $25 million for Winona State University's Education Village, $3.6 million to repair the Lanesboro Dam and $1.5 million for the Reading Center, among other regional projects, must be addressed.

Our state leaders need to come together to develop an immediate plan to correct their failures. A special session is needed, but it will only be effective if lawmakers can truly compromise.

Some may want to point to successes, such as the final passing of $259 million in tax cuts and supplemental spending for preschool, broadband and racial equity programs, but even those efforts are tarnished by unneeded delays.

Lawmakers were handed the 599-page supplemental spending bill in the final hours of the session, leaving area residents no chance to comment. It's hard enough to believe our lawmakers were actually aware of all the bills nuances before they voted on it.

Change is needed.

Each and every state senator and representative must take time before the next session to identify realistic, workable legislative reforms aimed at cutting through partisan rancor and politically motivated delays. Such reforms must increase transparency and ensure work gets done on time.

Such efforts have been proposed in recent years, but they have lacked a drive to spur actual change. We demand a greater push for change, both from lawmakers and their constituents.

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We know we will hear promises of greater cooperation and more timely decisions as legislators seek to retain their seats in the November general election, but we will demand more than that  and we will be seeking answers in the coming months.

Without change, the needs of the state will never be met.
There are two big stories out today that in a rational world would sink Hillary Clintons campaign. Fortunately for her, the Democratic Party is not a rational organization. Increasingly the description of Democrats as a criminal conspiracy masquerading as a political party seems more and more accurate.

The Daily Caller reports today that the Clinton Foundation received $100 millionserious Dr. Evil moneyfrom an obscure foreign mining conglomerate long thought to be operating on the dark side of the blood diamond trade:

A little known Swedish-Canadian oil and mining conglomerate human rights groups have repeatedly charged produces blood minerals is among the Clinton Foundations biggest donors, thanks to a $100 million pledge in 2007, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation has found. . . When the Vancouver, Canada-based Lundin Group gave its $100 million commitment to the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative, the company had long been cutting deals with warlords, Marxist rebels, military strongmen and dictatorships in the war-torn African countries of Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Theres a lot more in the Daily Caller story, including a possible link to the Marc Rich pardon from President Clinton in 2001.

Meanwhile, dont miss Philip Bumps Washington Post story today on the latest about the massive scale of Bill and Hillarys paid speechmaking, which Bump rightly describes as an industry:

Last week, Hillary Clintons campaign released her most recent personal financial disclosure, detailing ways in which she and her husband earned money in 2015. Most of their income came from book royalties and giving paid speeches. Bill Clinton, for example, gave a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers in March 2015, being paid $325,000 for his time. You probably dont need to be reminded that $325,000 is more than most people make in a year. The median income for a family of four in 2014 was $53,657  what Clinton made about a sixth of the way into that one speech. And that was one of 22 speeches Bill Clinton gave last year. The NAM speech was the most lucrative, but Bill earned more than $5 million combined from those 20 days of work. Since the Clintons left the White House, Bill and Hillary Clinton have been paid more than $150 million from speeches alone.

Theres a wonderful little tracker embedded in the story that shows how much money youd have made just in the time it took to read halfway into the article if you were giving a Clinton speech. It would make a great TV ad by the Trump campaign, or an independent super PAC. You can also see from this chart that the Clintons speechmaking actually intensified int he run-up to the 2016 election (Hillarys amounts in blue):

Looks like a case of pre-emptive bribery to me.
Judge Barry Williams today acquitted Officer Edward Nero on all counts brought against him for his treatment of Freddy Gray, who died in police custody. Nero was acquitted of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and two counts of misconduct in office.

The prosecution argued that Nero assaulted Gray by detaining Gray without justification. The reckless endangerment charge was based on his role in putting Gray into an arrest wagon without buckling a seat belt. The misconduct charges were along for the ride (so to speak).

Judge Williams found that there are no credible facts to show that Nero was directly involved in Grays arrest. As for putting Gray in the van, he found that this was the drivers call and that Neros conduct not unreasonable given his training.

The assault charge was incredibly weak. For one thing, it was a novel way of dealing with an allegedly improper police apprehension, according to experts.

It didnt help that the prosecution had to change its theory of the case against Nero. Initially, it charged him and fellow officer Garrett Miller with wrongly arresting Gray for having an illegal knife, which it said was legal to possess under state law.

But it had to abandon that theory after defense attorneys noted the knife was banned under city code. Oops. So instead, the prosecution argued that the officers did not follow legal requirements in how they went about stopping Gray before finding the knife.

But the facts didnt support charging Nero. Officer Miller, who faces the same charges as Nero, was granted immunity and forced to testify by prosecutors. He testified that he alone caught and handcuffed Gray. Nero, meanwhile, went to retrieve their bicycles.

To make matters worse for the prosecution, Brandon Ross, one of Grays friends, supported Millers testimony about the arrest. Prosecutors alleged that Miller twisted his story to help his buddy Nero, but Judge Williams noted that Ross had no such incentive to lie.

Nero did help place Gray, unbelted, in the police van. Three days before Grays arrest, a new directive was issued requiring the police to buckle up detainees.

However, Neros lawyers argued that (1) there was no evidence to show Nero received the new directive (a sergeant testified that it had not been distributed or read at daily roll calls) and (2) it is the van drivers responsibility to ensure that a detainee is secure.

These argument persuaded Judge Williams. He found that there was no evidence that Nero acted inconsistently with his training and that it was not unreasonable for Nero to defer to a supervisors determination about whether to belt Gray.

Williams, it should be noted, is an African-American who used to prosecute police misconduct cases for the Department of Justice. There can be no credible argument that he is biased against the prosecution or in favor of the police.

Neros is the second trial in the Freddy Gray matter. Last year, a jury declined to convict Officer William Porter. The case ended in a mistrial.

The two trials represent a considerable black eye for the prosecution and, in particular, for States Attorney Marilyn Mosby. She, by the way, did not attend the reading of the verdict. What a stand up gal.

What does todays decision suggest about the outcome of the five remaining prosecutions (Porter will be retried)? Not much, from a purely legal standpoint. Unlike Nero, Officer Miller did arrest and handcuff Gray. Keep in mind, however, that under the grant of immunity to Miller, the prosecution wont be able to use his testimony in Neros case against him.

The remaining officers, as I understand it, will be prosecuted based on what happened subsequent to Gray being placed in the van. And the driver of the van, Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. who is scheduled to be tried in two weeks, wont be able to shift responsibility for not restraining Gray, as Nero was able to do.

But todays defeat might nonetheless affect subsequent trials. The decision by a respected African-American judge may signal not only thats its okay to acquit in these cases, but that the prosecution has overreached.

The credibility of Mosbys office is in doubt, and should be. Tyler Mann, a Baltimore defense lawyer who previously served as a prosecutor in the office of the Baltimore City states attorney, may be right to view the decision a real shot across the prosecutions bow.

UPDATE: Here is Andy McCarthys report on the acquittal.
I believe its widely known, though also widely forgotten, that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton orchestrated peace talks with the Taliban. Clinton discussed her role in some detail in her book, Hard Choices.

Robert Potts at the American Thinker provided a good summary of Clintons involvement, as described by her, in this article. Clintons goals were to shatter the alliance between the Taliban and al Qaeda, end the insurgency, and help produce a more stable Afghanistan and a more stable region.

The talks were a total failure. They served only to undermine Afghan confidence in the U.S. Clinton seems to believed that the Taliban might end its insurgency and help produce a more stable Afghanistan, but the Afghans never did.

The Talibans goal was, of course, to obtain concessions while carrying out its insurgency. It gained some. According to Clinton, as a first step, we agreed to begin working with the United Nations to remove a few key Taliban members from the terrorist sanctions list, which imposed a travel ban. The Taliban also wanted to be allowed to open a political office in Qatar. The U.S. permitted this shortly after Clinton left office.

Throughout the period during which the peace talks occurred  November 2010 through at least mid-2013  the Taliban engaged in the worst sorts of terrorism. Potts describes some of it in his American Thinker article.

In 2012 alone, 341 American military members were killed, along with 92 coalition forces members. American wounded numbered 2,877. More than 2,700 Afghan civilians were killed, with 80 percent of these deaths attributed to the Taliban and other anti- government elements.

According to Clinton, At the end of 2012 the door to reconciliation remained open, but only part way. Why only part way? Was it because the Talibans murderous conduct had soured Clinton on the prospects for reconciliation? No. It was because Afghanistans president Hamid Karzai, having had enough, effectively pulled the plug on peace talks in late 2011. Clinton says she wanted him to reconsider.

As for Clintons goal of shattering the alliance between the Taliban and al Qaeda, we know this didnt happen either. The Guardian, among other sources, has reported that documents found in the house where Osama bin Laden was killed show a close working relationship between top al-Qaida leaders and Mullah Omar, the commander of the Taliban. The two groups frequently discussed joint operations against coalition forces in Afghanistan, the Afghan government, and targets in Pakistan.

Indeed, Steve Hayes said tonight on Fox News Special Report that, according to the documents, the Taliban man with whom Clinton was discussing reconciliation and the shattering of the Taliban-al Qaeda alliance was one of the leaders with whom bin Ladens team was working.

Do Muslim terrorist leaders have a sense of humor? If they do, bin Ladens folks and Hillarys Taliban negotiating partners must have shared some good laughs.

Hillary Clintons record at the State Department is a target rich environment for Donald Trump. Libya seems like the prime target. The Russian reset also comes to mind. And there is the Clinton Cash scandal, which fits Trumps crooked Hillary narrative perfectly.

But there may also be room for the Afghan peace talks. To me, its scandalous that Clinton viewed the Taliban as a potential peace partner in Afghanistan. And if Clintons personal negotiating partner was working with bin Laden while negotiations were underway, the scandal may be one the public, aided by Trump, can dig its teeth into.
Mayor Sharon Konopa said shed never seen so many people at a ceremonial groundbreaking, but the turnout was understandable.

After all, the Historic Carousel & Museum is seen by many officials and other residents as a project that will rejuvenate downtown, draw thousands of visitors and boost business in the area.

A groundbreaking for the carousels new $5.6 million building at 503 First Ave. W. was held on Tuesday morning, and about 150 people were in attendance.

This is one more step in this wonderful journey.  So many people jumped on the bandwagon with us, said Wendy Kirbey, who came up with the idea of the local carousel to draw visitors after seeing Missoula, Montanas carousel in 2002.

Konopa said the project shows that Albany is a caring, supportive community.

This is exciting for Albany. I am so grateful for all the dedicated volunteers who are making this dream come alive, she said.

Dr. Gary Goby, a volunteer who is helping the museum board oversee construction, said that more than 180,000 volunteer hours have been given to the project.

The carousel board hopes the new 22,000-square-foot building is completed by June 1, 2017. The centerpiece of the building will be a 60-foot dodecagon structure with 12 sides.

The first floor will be 14,000 square feet and the 8,000-square-foot basement will include a workshop, storage area and volunteer break room.

And, of course, the carousel will have 50 hand-carved horses, other animals and mythical creatures to ride, as well as two chariots.

Goby said that, overall, the structure will dwarf Salems nearby 12,000-square-foot carousel. The space also will be available to rent for weddings, fundraisers and other events.

The carousel attracted 2,000 to 2,500 visitors a month to see wood-carving and check out progress on the project before its building was demolished.

I cant see it doing anything but growing from there, said Jimmie Lucht, executive director of the Albany Visitors Association, in an interview after the event.

Konopa also told the crowd there was plenty of skepticism when Kirbey first presented her grand plans to the Albany City Council.

We just thought, What is she talking about? she said.

"There were bumps along the way, and some people didnt think the carousel project would ever get finished, Konopa added.

The city has contributed about $750,000 in urban renewal funding for the project, which helped the carousel board buy the 1942 building and property on First Avenue.

The old structure was demolished earlier this month, and a backhoe and rubble from the old building remained on the construction site on Tuesday.

Goby said that three semi-truck loads of timber from the former building, including large beams, will be repurposed into the new structure.

Until the new buildings completion, the carousel animals are on display at various locations around downtown, including at Two Rivers Market, 250 Broadalbin St. S.W., where woodcarving and other work on the animals also is continuing.

Albany resident Alicia Bublitz brought her two children to the groundbreaking, and said that she and her family sometimes visited the carousel twice a week. We take all the relatives who come visit. Its a really exiting part of living downtown, she said.

Her five-year-old son Ronan Rau was excited, as well. Yeah. Fun, he exclaimed. His favorite carousel animal? I like the elephant, he said.

Im so glad its going to be done when theyre old enough to have birthday parties there, Bublitz said.

Carousel volunteer and board member Mary Morgan remembered when Albany was known for the Timber Carnival. She thinks the carousel could become what people think of when they think of Albany.

Thats what we hope and dream, she said.
Eni, parent company of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), said the oil firms production has been cut by 4,200 barrels per day following Sundays attack on its pipeline in Bayelsa State.

Agip exports about 40,000 barrels of its crude blend from the Brass River Terminal off Bayelsa coastline.

An earlier attack in the area on May 18, led to a shutdown of some 1,000 barrels.

The attack is expected to adversely affect revenue accruable to Bayelsa in the coming months as the derivation principle ensures that 13 per cent of crude sales proceeds is paid to states according to production volumes.

An Eni Spokesperson confirmed the development in a short email response on Tuesday.

I can confirm the attack to the Ogbaimbiri  Tebidaba pipeline, with 4,200 bop/d (Enis equity) of production affected, the email from Enis Media Relations Unit said.

Residents at Ikeinghenbiri community in Southern Ijaw council, Bayelsa on Sunday fled the area, following a clash between rival armed groups at an oil field operated by NAOC.

A resident, Ebidimo Joseph, said that the groups were struggling for control of the Ogbaimbiri-Tebidaba crude trunk line which passed through the area.

He said that: It is a conflict between two armed groups for the access to the crude pipeline.

One group claims to be working to safeguard the pipeline said the other group are vandals; they engaged each other in a gun duel that lasted for several hours, Mr. Joseph added.

Mr. Joseph said the pipeline was set ablaze while the two groups engaged each other in gun battle.

Efforts to get comments from Isa Ado, spokesman of the Joint military force, deployed to protect oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta, were futile as he declined to take calls to his mobile phone.

Mr. Ado, a colonel, did not also reply to a text message requesting his comments on the matter.

Meanwhile, Desmond Agu, Bayelsa Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) said the men of the command got reports of the incident on Sunday and responded.

Mr. Agu said the vandals took to their heels on sighting the gunboat of NSCDC, adding that his operatives later arrested one suspect with the help of locals.

There was a lot of community collaboration and we are grateful to the community because they dont like what the armed youths are doing, Mr. Agu said.
The governor of Kaduna state in Nigeria, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, told potential investors that the state has all the data to prove that it has more gold than South Africa. Where is it? Africa Check went looking.

Researched by Eromo Egbejule

From his time as a minister in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Nasir El-Rufai, has not been one to shy away from speaking his mind.

And since becoming governor of Kaduna state in Nigerias north-west region on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, Mr. El-Rufais pronouncements have become even more controversial.

Opening a two-day Kaduna Economic & Investment Summit last month, Mr. El-Rufai gave a keynote speech. TheCable.ng reported that he said: On solid minerals, youve seen the presentation [of] the minerals we have in Kaduna, but they missed out a very important mineral: gold.

Weve just confirmed that Kaduna state, indeed Birnin Gwari local government alone, has more gold than South Africa. This is proven, this is verifiable; we have all the data and we are collaborating with the federal ministry of solid minerals [development].

(Note: Incidentally, TheCable.ng illustrated their report with a picture of Ghanaian gold miners.)

Is all that glitters gold in Mr. El-Rufais claim? We set out to look for the data.

Was he talking of gold reserves or gold resources?

A YouTube video from Channels Television confirms that El-Rufai was quoted correctly.

Over the space of a week, Africa Check sought to get hold of spokesman Samuel Aruwan to ask for the data Mr. El-Rufai had based his claim on, but Mr. Aruwan neither took calls nor responded to text messages.

Eventually, we dialled from a UK-based number and then Mr. Aruwan personally called back after missing the call. But he hung up immediately on hearing the reason for the call.

To verify Mr. El-Rufais claim, we would need to know whether he was suggesting that the gold said to exist in Kaduna State qualifies as reserves or as resources.

Thomas Yager, country specialist for Nigeria and South Africa at the United States Geological Survey, a US government agency, explained to Africa Check that reserves refer to the mineral deposits that can be mined economically at a specific time.

Resources include the reserves but also deposits that would be too expensive to extract at the time. And it is unclear which Mr. El-Rufai was referring to.

Data on Nigerian gold is hard to track down

Official statistics on gold thought to exist in underground in Nigeria are not readily available. The Nigerian Mining Corporation, established in October 1972 as the statutory body charged with undertaking mining activities, is based in Jos, a four-hour drive from Kaduna. But it has long since been inactive, with most government attention going to the oil and gas sector.

A 2010 report by the ministry of solid minerals showed that Nigerias gold production totalled about 6 tonnes since the 1930s. Figures from the US Geological Surveys 2016 Mineral Commodity Summaries put the production volume for South Africa in 2014 at 152 tonnes and the quantity of reserves at 6,000 tonnes  the 3rd highest in the world after Australia and Russia.

Nigerias minister of solid minerals development between 2006 and 2007 and now professor of law at the University of Arizona, Leslye Obiora, told Africa Check: While I was in office, we certainly had objective evidence suggesting Nigerias considerable potential gold deposits. However, the scientific research to buttress the findings and map out specific details was still ongoing at the end of my tenure.

Yinka Oyebode, spokesman for current minister Kayode Fayemi, told Africa Check: We are gathering data to recalculate the quantity of gold deposits present in Nigeria so I cannot categorically state the amount present now. The minister has made it a priority to get things up to date and collaborate with the state governments in the exploitation of mineral resources including that of gold across the Kaduna-Nasarawa belt.

Conclusion: No available data shows that Kaduna state has more gold than South Africa

The governor of Kaduna state in Nigeria, Nasir El-Rufai, claimed that it is proven and verifiable that his region has more gold than South Africa, for a long time the worlds top producer.

However, his spokesman did not respond to queries asking for this proof and neither did the Nigerian government have data at hand.

Until El-Rufai shows us all the data that proves his statement, it remains simply a claim and an unlikely one at that. The suggestion that the claim is verifiable is, itself, incorrect.

Edited by Anim van Wyk & Peter Cunliffe-Jones

This report was first published by our partner, Africa Check, a non-partisan fact-checking organisation. We have their permission to republish. You can follow then on their Twitter account: @AfricaCheck.
Chinese authorities should immediately release blogger and commentator, Wei Manyi, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday.

Police have detained the blogger for almost a week on suspicion of provoking trouble.

Police in Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province, on May 17 summoned Wei Manyi, better known by his pen name, Shui Muran, to the police station to assist investigations, searched Weis home and copied information from his computer, according to Southern Metropolis, a regional newspaper based in Guangdong.

The next day, police summoned Weis younger brother to the police station and served him with a notice saying that Wei had been detained on suspicion of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, according to Southern Metropolis.

Weis brother told the newspaper that the police said to him that the detention was due to a May 3 article Wei published on the Chinese social media service WeChat alleging links between corrupt businessmen and Buddhist temples.

Police told Southern Metropolis that Wei was detained, but did not specify a reason. Police told the U.S.-government-funded Radio Free Asia that they had not heard of Wei.

Simply writing an article should never be grounds for detention, and provoking trouble is so broad an offence it invites abuse by prosecutors, CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said. We call on Chinese authorities to immediately release Wei Manyi.

More than 100,000 people read Weis May 3 post to WeChat within a few hours of its publication, according to press reports. Wei deleted the article several hours later and published an apology on his social media accounts, saying he had not done enough research and calling on people to stop sharing it. The next day, the Buddhist Association of China published articles on its website accusing Wei of smearing Buddhists and damaging the reputation of Buddhism in China.

The Chinese government in 2013 decreed that authors of libelous material viewed more than 5,000 times, or forwarded more than 500 times, can be charged with defamation and jailed for up to three years.

Those who share information deemed to be false and to cause serious social disorder can be charged with picking quarrels and provoking trouble, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Chinese officials have since accused or convicted several writers of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, according to CPJ research.

In November 2015, a new law went into effect, stipulating that those deemed to have fabricated information related to hazards, epidemics, disasters, and situations involving police, or to have intentionally disseminated false information that could cause serious social disorder can be punished by to up to seven years in prison.

SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists
Sources in the Egyptian-led investigation committee said on Tuesday in Cairo that the initial forensic analysis of passengers remains points to an explosion on Egyptair flight MS804, which crashed last week.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that so far, only small body parts no bigger than the palm of a hand had been recovered indicating that an explosion ripped through the plane.

The sources said that if the aircraft had hit the water intact the bodies would not have suffered such damage.

Meanwhile, Hisham Abdul-Hamid, Head of the Egyptian Forensic Medicine Authority, has officially denied the information, saying it has no basis in fact.

He said that the information do not originate with any of the authoritys staff.

Speaking in the aftermath of the incident, the Egyptian-led investigation committee, which also includes French aviation accident investigators and an Airbus technical expert, the sources said that further forensic analysis was taking place.

The sources said this could determine whether the presumed explosion was caused by explosives on board the aircraft or some other cause.

They said that the DNA testing was under way to identify the remains, so that they could be returned to relatives after the completion of the analysis.

The crash came almost six months after a Russian passenger jet broke up in mid-air shortly after take-off from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypts Sinai peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.

Russian authorities said that the incident was caused by a bomb.

The Islamic State extremist group, which operates in Sinai, claimed responsibility and published a photograph of a soft drink can which it said had been filled with explosives and smuggled onto the flight.

Egyptian authorities are still investigating the incident.

(dpa/NAN)
At a time Nigeria is facing severe economic crunch, a comprehensive oil report presented to the National Economic Council (NEC) has been found to be silent on a whopping N323.58 billion earned as crude oil revenue under the President Goodluck Jonathan government.

The report, submitted to NEC by Mohammed Dikwa, the then Director of Funds, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), revealed a startling discrepancy of about 323.58 billion, which his analysis failed to explain.

President Muhamadu Buhari later appointed Mr. Dikwa Acting Accountant-General of the Federation before Ahmed Idris emerged as the Accountant General.

The oil report, exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, dated June 29, 2015 was presented at the 58th Meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC).

The NEC comprises of the 36 state governors, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other co-opted members. The NEC is chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The report detailed NNPCs crude oil revenue, remittances to the Federation Account and amount withheld by the NNPC.

Mr Dikwa presented crude oil revenue streams of 1,844,764,591,969 for 2012; 2,727,834,769,083 for 2013; 2,541,454,301,641 for 2014 and 1,031,691,963,044 for the first two quarters of 2015. The total oil revenue for the period stood at 8,145,745,652,737.

For the amount paid into the Federation account, the report showed the sum of 927,312,350,868 for 2012; 1,466,951,625,000 for 2013; 1,341,545,651,272 for 2014 and 591,681,318,358 for the first two quarters of 2015.

The total remittance for the period of 2011 to June 2015 was 4,327,490,945,499.

This is shown below:

Even though there were ongoing arguments about the legality of NNPC withholding certain amounts of crude oil revenue, the report showed that NNPC withheld 774,382,841,100 in 2012; 1,179,883,171,083 in 2013; 1,114,306,750,369 in 2014 and 426,102,269,704 in the first two quarters of 2015.

The total remittance for the period of 2011 to June 2015 was 3,494,675,032,256.

But PREMIUM TIMES analyses of the figures revealed that for 2012 and 2013, the sums of 143,069,400,000 and 80,999,973,000 were not captured in the report either as amounts paid into FAAC or withheld by NNPC.

This mystery continued in 2014 and 2015 as 85,601,900,000 and 13,908,374,982 were also unreported either as amount paid into FAAC or withheld by NNPC.

Naturally, the amount paid into Federation account and that withheld by NNPC should equal the crude oil revenue for each year. But that was not the case with the OAGF report.

Year Crude cost (Revenue) (a) Amount Paid into FAAC (b) Withheld by NNPC (c) Unreported Amount in FAAC d=a-b-c 2012 1,844,764,591,969 927,312,350,869 774,382,841,100 143,069,400,000 2013 2,727,834,769,083 1,466,951,625,000 1,179,883,171,083 80,999,973,000 2014 2,541,454,301,641 1,341,545,651,272 1,114,306,750,369 85,601,900,000 2015 1,031,691,963,044 591,681,318,358 426,102,269,704 13,908,374,982 Total 8,145,745,625,737 4,327,490,945,499 3,494,675,032,256 323,579,647,982

Cumulatively, the report by the OAGF failed to explain what NNPC did with 323,579,647,982.

However, three critical federal institutions  the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF)  all saddled with the responsibility of managing the nations oil revenue, failed woefully in spotting the unaccounted billions.

NEC too failed to spot the discrepancy.

It remains unclear why the Office of the Accountant General would present a comprehensive report to NEC on the amount withheld by the NNPC from crude oil sales, yet offering no explanation whatsoever for the about 323.58 billion not captured.

Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to get the NNPC, the OAGF, the CBN and the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation to explain the discrepancies in oil revenue accounting have been repeatedly rebuffed by the agencies.

This newspaper is presently in court with some of the agencies regarding Freedom of Information requests on the matter unanswered or declined by the organisations.

The scale of discrepancies characterizing oil revenue accounting in Nigeria has always been staggering, costing the nation billions and even trillions of naira as revealed in a past report by PREMIUM TIMES.

The huge and systemic losses over the years have had their toll on social services and infrastructure development funding.

Although the unaccounted 323.58 billion was only four percent (4%) of the oil revenue for three and half years (8,145,745,625,737), the amount is enough to cater for a huge chunk of Nigerias 2016 capital budget allocation.

In the last three years of the Jonathan regime, the NNPC was frequently accused of of corruption and non-remittances of accurate oil revenues.

Under President Jonathan, Nigerians were treated with monumental discrepancies in figures of oil revenue earnings released by the NNPC on one hand and the CBN on the other.

The opaqueness that characterized that era created a financial Augean stables that the oil report presented to the NEC was supposed to clean up.

Curiously the CBN, the Ministry of Finance as well as the Accountant Generals office all chose to demonstrate poor arithmetic, all at the same time.

Whilst the NNPC, OAGF and the Ministry of Finance would always defend their figures saying the funds in questions were covered under cost of production, it is widely believed that the unaccounted oil revenues end up in private pockets.

Ms. Alex Gillies, an oil and gas research expert, commenting on reasons for discrepancies and loss of funds, said some of these funds werent lost per se, but rather they were spent by NNPC in a secretive and inefficient manner.

Calling for a revamp or reforms in the sector, Ms. Gilles holds that funds discrepancies and secretive dealings aside, theres no question that Nigeria cant afford the current system especially not now that oil prices are so low. If the previous government had blocked some of these leakages, Nigeria would have had the savings it needs to weather the current economic hardship.
A member of the President Muhammadu Buharis Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Benedicta Daudu, is currently embroiled in allegation that she cheated in an examination at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), on May 4, 2016, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.

The Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, headed by prominent law professor and civil rights campaigner, Itse Sagay, and made up of mainly university professors, is the intellectual wing of Mr Buharis anti-corruption war.

The mandate of the committee includes advising the President on the implementation of required reforms in Nigerias anti-corruption campaign and criminal justice system.

Mrs Daudu, an associate professor of law and head of the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law of the Faculty of Law in UNIJOS, was allegedly caught cheating while writing an examination for a Masters degree in Research and Public Policy in the Faculty of Social Sciences of the same university.

Although she has a Masters in Law, the associate professor had been working towards another masters in Research and Public Policy.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the department later accused her of sneaking in prepared answers, also referred to as chokes by students, during the examination for the Global Context in Public Policy course.

Sources said the matter was subsequently reported to the universitys examination committee but some students and faculty claimed there were attempts at cover ups by the university authorities.

But the Dean, Faculty of Social Science of the University, Prof. Ezekiel Best, said it was not true that authorities were trying to cover up the matter.

I was not even around when the incident happened, Mr. Best told PREMIUM TIMES. So I dont have all the details at this time. But there is nothing like that that we are doing nothing about it.

The Coordinator of the Research and Public Policy programme, Prof. Bonaventure Haruna, however, said he reported the matter to Dean Best.

I report to the Dean, he said. I dont report to any other person. So call the Dean of Social Science and ask him. He takes the next action.

When Prof Best was confronted with Prof. Harunas claim, he simply said, Whatever Prof. Haruna said is correct. He is the head of department.

When contacted for comments, the affected professor, Mrs Daudu, repeatedly hung up the phone after questions on the incident was posed to her. She declined to answer subsequent calls made to her mobile phone. She also did not respond to a text message sent to her.

The public relations officer of the university, Abdullahi Abdullahi, said the matter had not been officially brought to the attention of the schools management.

I tried to confirm whether there was anything like that, really I couldnt get any confirmation. It has not been brought to the attention of management. So right now I wouldnt know, he said.

Although the university has internal processes that deals with these issues, even if there was anything like that, which I doubt much, it would have to go through the normal internal processes from the department to the faculty and then to the exam misconduct committee. It is at that stage it would be brought to the appropriate authority for sanction.

Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of UNIJOS, Hayward Mafuyai, told this newspaper via a text message that he was yet to receive any report on the incident.

The Executive Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Bolaji Owasanoye, initially said the committee was unaware of the incident, and asked for time for him to make an inquiry.

Later, Prof. Owasanoye reverted to say Mrs. Daudu confirmed to him there was a pending allegation of examination malpractice against her but that she was working to establish her innocence.

He said he would inform members of the committee of the development immediately.
Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and the President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday visited Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna Central zone, to condole him over the death of his mother.

Mr. El-Rufai was meeting the bereaved senator for the first time since winning the 2015 election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

Although both men belong to the same party, they have had what appeared an intractable political disagreement in the past one year.

But the governor set aside that animosity Tuesday, arriving the senators family house in Tudun Wada, Kaduna, at 8am to join them in the mourning of their matriarch.

The three-day Fidau prayer for Mr. Sanis late mother, Fatima, ended Tuesday.

As the governor arrived, a mammoth crowd cheered him for identifying with the bereaved despite their political differences.

The governor was accompanied by some of his aides: Bala Yunusa (Deputy Chief of Staff), Samuel Aruwan (Special Assistant on Media), Awwal Yahaya (Special Assistant on Youth Matters) and Abdullahi Bayero (Special Assistant to the governor).

The governor was received by Senator Sani. He held Mr. El-Rufais hand and ushered him into the residence.

After a session of prayers, the senator escorted the governor back to his car and bided him goodbye.

Supporters of both politicians and mourners at the scene chanted slogans saying the men should set aside their political differences and stop bickering.

No more fight, no more fight, they chanted in the local Hausa language.

The All Progressives Congress had slammed an 11-month suspension on Senator Sani for what the party described as gross misconduct, disloyalty and anti-party conduct.

The party also recently threatened to expel the senator for attacking President Muhammadu Buharis policy on the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

Mr. Sani accused Governor El-Rufai of being behind his political ordeal, but the governor didnt respond to the senators attacks.

In a separate visit, Senate President Saraki, represented by Aliyu Wammako, led a delegation from the Nigerian state to condole Mr. Sani.

The delegation prayed for the repose of the soul of the senators mother and prayed for peace in the country.

Other senators who were part of the delegation were Deputy Senate Leader, Bala NaAllah; Abu Ibrahim; Kabir Marafa; Gobir, Gaidam, and Danjuma Lar.

The newly appointed chairman of the Peoples Democratic Partys caretaker committee, Ahmed Makarfi, and a former Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, were among other dignitaries who visited the bereaved family on Tuesday.
A former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Abubakar Lawal YarAdua, bought a posh home worth 890,000 in London using a secret offshore company he registered in the British Virgin Island.

Documents retrieved from the Mossack Fonseca database, exclusively obtained by German newspaper, Suddeutsche Zeitung, and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with PREMIUM TIMES and other media organisations around the world, showed the offshore company to be Hydrocarbon Assets Investments Limited.

Mr. YarAdua bought the house in 2008, while serving as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC.

He became NNPC GMD in August 2007, and was removed from office in January 2009.

In April 2008, eight months after he became the GMD of NNPC, Mr. YarAdua used a London residence address at Beechwood Hall, Regents Park Road, London N3 3AT to register an offshore company, Hydrocarbon Assets Investments Limited in the British Virgin Island.

British Virgin Island is a tax haven favoured by corrupt public officials, money launderers, celebrities and businessmen dealing in illicit finance.

Mr. YarAdua, while serving as a public official violated Section 6(b) of the Code of Conduct Act which says a public office holder shall not, except where he is not employed on fulltime basis, engage or participate in the management or running of any private business, profession or trade.

To cover his track, Mr. YarAdua prepared a corporate smokescreen by appointing two front companies to act as directors of Hydrocarbon Assets Investments Limited.

Documents sighted by PREMIUM TIMES showed that on November 7, 2008, Mr. YarAdua was sole director of Hydrocarbon Assets Investments Limited.

He resigned on the said day but appointed two companies, Gudson Limited and Roselle Limited as directors of his company.

Additional documents scooped from the Mossack Fonseca files exposed how Mr. YarAdua utilized his Hydrocarbon Assets Investments Limited to secure a loan from Dexia Private Bank Limited in Jersey.

This he used to purchase a property worth 890,000 in London. Dexia Private Jersey Limited, Hydrocarbon Assets Investment Limited and Mr. YarAdua signed the loan agreement on November 18, 2008.

It was effected on December 2, 2008.

The property, until now a secret, is located in a freehold estate at 28A North Crescent, Finchley, London N3 3LL. It was registered under the title number NGL624398. A freehold property refers to outright ownership of a property and land on which it stands. The owner of the land has no time limit to his period of ownership.

Reinstated as director and signatory to account



Following his exit from NNPC, Mr. YarAdua returned to Hydrocarbon to reclaim his position from the two directors holding who held fort for him.

In 2010, the two Directors, J. Nizbeth Maduro, representing Gudson Limited and Bryan Scatliff,e representing Roselle Limited returned the power of attorney to Mr. YarAdua who soon became the authorized signatory to a bank account moved from Jersey to Luxembourg within the same bank, Dexia Banque International.

A meeting of the Board of Directors of Hydrocarbon Hydrocarbon Assets Investments Limited was held in August 2010 at the Registered Office of the Company, Akara Building, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Three resolutions were reached, one of which was to grant as is hereby granted a Power of Attorney in favour of Lawal Abubakar YarAdua of passport No. A01418738 of 28a North Crescent, London N3 to act in accordance with the powers described on the page annexed hereto.

The meeting also resolved to approve and authorize Mr. Lawal Abubakar YarAdua of 28a North Crescent, London N3 to be authorized signatory on the account to act individually and to sign all the documents and account opening forms in connection with the account with Dexia Banque International A Luxembourg.

I didnt know what I did was wrong

When Mr. YarAdua was contacted, he initially claimed his lawyer registered the company on his behalf, but later admitted he incorporated the company to buy a house in London.

He suggested that PREMIUM TIMES report on the matter was an attempt to embarrass him.

This is just an attempt to embarrass me, Mr. YarAdua said on telephone. My children were there (London) and instead of paying rent, somebody advised me that I could get a loan and then I decided to take a mortgage so that when my children finished schooling I could sell it off, I didnt know the implication.

When asked why, as a public office holder, he registered a secret company, and owned a foreign account in violation of the law, Mr. YarAdua said he was unaware that it was wrong for Nigerian public servants to take those actions.

Honestly, I was not aware, he said. Go ahead and embarrass me.

Mr. YarAdua and the Code of Conduct

By his action, the former NNPC boss may have violated Nigerias Code of Conduct law and could be arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, a special court that tries public officers for any contravention of the Code of Conduct for Nigerian public officers as spelt out in the Fifth Schedule of the Nigerian constitution.

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) were established to enforce a high standard of morality in the conduct of government business, and to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability.

The former official could be charged for failing to declare the company and its associated assets and for operating foreign accounts while being a public officer.

The offences violate sections of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.
June 25, 1915  May 21, 2016

Vernon was born in Mt. Vernon, Washington, the fourth of five children of Ressie and Alvah Cray. He spent most of his young life in the Seattle area before enlisting in the Army in 1936. He was stationed at Fort Lewis for three years. In 1942 he was recalled into the Army Air Corps and sent to the Midwest as an aircraft machinist. While there, his musical talents were recognized and he was transferred to the Army band. While leading a band at a USO dance, he met and married his wife, Velma, in 1944. Following his military service, they moved to Albany in 1950. He went to work at the Bureau of Mines and, except for a four year hiatus when he was recalled to the Air Force, retired in 1972. Having some 24 years of military service, he retired from the Air Force in 1975.
The Niger Government has arrested scores of Boko Haram militants and will hand them over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for trial, President Mahamadou Issoufou, has said.

This is contained in a document from the World Humanitarian Summit, ongoing in Istanbul, Turkey, made available to reporters in New York.

The document said Mr. Issoufou made this known on Tuesday during a high-level leaders round table titled Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity.

He said the Nigerien government would ensure the militants are tried by the ICC.

This is something that all countries should do, he said.

The best way to protect civilians, he added, was to ratify humanitarian conventions.

Political, military and administrative authorities must be aware of pledges made by Governments and of the sanctions provided for under those conventions, he said.

Mr. Issoufou added that all countries must take on commitments to respect international humanitarian law and human rights instruments, as well as guarantee that populations in need received humanitarian aid.

He said that Niger faced multiple humanitarian issues, including population displacement due to terrorists attacks.

The president said Niger had ratified the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Also speaking, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said: International humanitarian law and human rights are under assault around the world.

Eliasson said civilians were being indiscriminately killed, while summary executions, arbitrary detention, forced disappearances and torture were daily realities.

Lives are being shattered by sexual violence.

Indeed, more than 150 years of achievements to protect the most vulnerable during conflict were unravelling.

The Geneva Conventions seem to have been forgotten, he said.

He called on UN Member States to promote respect for international law, enhance protection of civilians, allow unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need and condemn violations of international law.

For its part, he said, the UN was committed to speaking out against those abuses, strengthening the Human Rights Up Front Initiative and working to ensure that perpetrators were held to account and victims compensated.

Other speakers agreed that upholding humanitarian law was the cornerstone of effective humanitarian assistance, with several underscoring their commitment to the Agenda for Humanity.

They said that rules were being violated and called for compliance with international law and accountability.

For some, that meant respecting Security Council resolution 2175 (2014) on the protection of humanitarian workers and resolution 2286 (2016) on the protection of medical and humanitarian personnel engaged in medical duties.

In this regard, Jose Margallo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain, supported the proposal by France and Mexico to limit veto use in the Security Council in cases of the most serious crimes.

Also speaking, Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, condemned all violence against women, especially systematic rape used as a tactic of war or terror.

Parolin said that the Holy See was committed to promoting the principle that humanitarian assistance must always be guaranteed as a life-saving necessity.(NAN)
The Circumcision Descendants Association of Nigeria have advocated the provision of alternative means of livelihood for their members as a way of curbing Female Genital Mutilation practice in south-west Nigeria.

At a Summit to End FGM in Nigeria held in Ibadan, Monday, the group said the FGM agenda would be difficult to achieve without the full involvement of their members.

The practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) has generated heated debates in the international development arena as an issue linked to womens rights and gender inequality, said Abiola Ogundokun, Chairman, Board of Trustees, of CDAN.

However, it is noteworthy that unknown to the NGOs and principal actors of the FGM campaign, the registered CDAN is equally committed to the same campaign and agenda of the United Nations as contained in our constitution.

It is unfortunate that the desired efforts of the association have not been utilised for the successful advancement of the project in order to bring the act to an end. Hence the need of this timely proposed summit.

Mr. Ogundokun, a magazine publisher and politician, said CDAN had made repeated attempts to collaborate with NGOs in the past but failed due to lukewarm attitude of some of the NGOs.

To eradicate FGM from the South West zone of Nigeria and further penetrate other regions, we need to do a lot more. We should increase community awareness and knowledge on the health hazards associated with FGM.

Scores of CDAN members across the South West, donning uniformed local attires inscribed with Say No to FGM, attended Mondays summit where they watched video clips on the hazards of female circumcision.

Mr. Ogundokun said several deliberations within the rank and file of CDAN membership had resulted in a majority decision for the approval of zero tolerance to FGM.

We so hereby declare our resolution that A Total Stop to FGM/C is now in place and we encourage the fullest cooperation of all members and to be obedient to this decision jointly agreed upon, he said.

I will however like to appeal to both government and organizations connected to this campaign worldwide to look at the other side of the profession that has been earning us economic support.

To also consider the need for support to this family whose source of livelihood is being taken from them in a manner that will provide alternative sources of income to alleviate the possible economic effect that may likely affect their families.

As this is the case of demand and supply, it is definite that the refusal of the supplier will bring an end to the demand.

Government should also consider a programme for the circumcisers family to limit the effect on the loss of revenue.

Money is the reason

Gift Abu, a nurse and activist, said native customs contribute to the practice of FGM across the country.

The circumcisers are the issues, Ms. Abu told PREMIUM TIMES.

So if we get to them first, and get their consent for them to drop their knives and accept the campaign, then FGM will be history.

Ms. Abu said the campaign succeeded in convincing about 70 percent of the circumcisers to stop the practice, with the remaining ones being reluctant to follow suit.

But I think with this summit, others will join the campaign as well, she said.

There is a very peculiar reason (for their reluctance), for the women.

For the men, theyll tell you because if they dont circumsize the girl, she becomes promiscuous. And for the women, theyll tell you we want our girls to be disciplined.

And then, the monetary aspect of it. They do it for money, its their livelihood. Theyll tell you its what keeps my family, its what I use in training my children and feeding.

So money is very important for those who dont have what to do. Some of them dont have any other thing they are doing apart from circumcision. Its like a profession to them. So leaving the practice, its like where will they start from?

Another thing we are also looking at is, we want you to stop this, we will empower you. If you say you dont want to stop because of this reason, we will empower you. Well start from there. 

Gboye Otunla, Organizing Secretary, CDAN, said the summit provided an avenue to show their willingness to collaborate with NGOs and others to end FGM.

But one thing we want them to know, thats why we organized this, you cannot do this thing effectively without involving the circumcisers, Mr. Otunla said.

Because they dont know, people take their children to them.

If we can persuade them, that those things are no longer good. That is what we have done in our meetings. And we have gotten convinced that we should cooperate with the whole world. This thing should be totally eradicated.
The spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, has given reasons for why he wants to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Addressing journalists on Monday outside a court room in Abuja where he is being tried for alleged corruption, Mr. Metuh said his decision was based on medical advice that he should undergo a spinal cord surgery at a good hospital.

Mr. Metuh said his health deteriorated when he fell recently during a meeting of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

When I fell from the chair, I had a spinal compression and it aggravated the problem, he said.

He said the situation with his health forced him to abandon his political career, even in the midst of major events within the PDP.

I have abandoned my chosen career, even the last convention I did not take part, because of my health. It is a serious issue, said Mr. Metuh.

Mr. Metuh said he was afraid of the operation, as it could lead to complications.

To be honest, I am really scared of a spinal cord operation. It can lead to paralysis; it can cause many things, said Mr. Metuh, who walked more carefully at the court premises.

Asked about the allegation by the prosecution that his ill-health was stage-managed, Mr. Metuh said, I do not wish any one ill-health.

I had a medical report, in that report, the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) has a full indentation, so there is nothing that is being stage managed, he said. The reports are there as evidence before the court. When the prosecution is in that position then it can tell.

He expressed confidence in the efforts of his counsel, Emeka Etiaba, to acquaint the court with details of his health, saying he believed that the trial judge, Okon Abang, would consider the facts and grant its request.
Two out of the five Borno emirs forced to flee their domain by Boko Haram terrorists, have returned to their palaces.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the emirs fled to Maiduguri two years ago when the insurgents took control of their domain in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of the state.

The insurgents took control of the area in August 2015 and announced the establishment of a Caliphate, forcing residents including the emirs to flee.

The insurgents were however dislodged by the military which took control of the area and restored normalcy.

The two emirs, Muhammadu Askirama of Askira, and Ismaila Mamza of Uba, returned to their respective palaces on Tuesday in company of Borno Deputy Governor, Mamman Durkuwa.

Speaking at a short ceremony at their palaces, the emirs commended the Nigerian military for their gallantry in routing the Boko Haram terrorists.

They expressed optimism that terrorism would end soon in the country, going by the successes being recorded by the military.

Also speaking, Mr. Durkuwa assured the emirs that the government would undertake projects to restore life back to the area.

The deputy governor urged residents to be law abiding and report any sign of security threat to relevant agencies.

NAN reports that three other emirs yet to return to their domain include the Emir of Bama, Kyari El-Kanemi, Emir of Dikwa, Muhammad Ibn Masta, and Chief of Gwoza, Muhammad Timta.

The three are still residing in Maiduguri, the state capital.(NAN)
Merck, a science and technology company, announced Tuesday that the largest single delivery of praziquantel tablets in the history of the Merck Praziquantel Donation Program recently arrived in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

The West African country has received around 34 million tablets for mass distribution to school children.

With this, Merck has donated more tablets to a single country than it did to the entire continent in 2012 (27 million).

Today in Geneva, Nigerias Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, expressed his countrys thanks to Merck and the World Health Organization (WHO) for their joint efforts in the fight against the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis.

Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck, met the minister on the occasion of the 69th World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of WHO, in Geneva. The participants included Dr. Kesetebirhan Admasu, Minister of Health of Ethiopia, as well as WHO Assistant Director-General Dr. Ren Minghui.

We want to eliminate the insidious worm disease and give children the opportunity to participate in the economic development of their home countries. Our donation of 34 million tablets to WHO for Nigeria  enough to treat 13.6 million school children  shows that we are on the right track. However, millions of children still suffer from schistosomiasis. And we know that we alone cannot solve the problem with our tablets, said Mr. Oschmann.

In Africa, Merck is supporting educational and awareness programs, researching schistosomiasis therapies for very young children and cooperating with partners in the Global Schistosomiasis Alliance, among other things.

Furthermore, in the future we will collaborate even more closely with our partners to finally eliminate schistosomiasis, Mr. Oschmann continued.

With more than 235 million people requiring treatment, schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent tropical diseases in Africa. The worm disease is widespread in all regions of Nigeria, above all among children. We are therefore grateful for every sustained initiative that supports us in fighting schistosomiasis, said Mr. Adewole.

Mr. Admasu added, Mercks commitment not only helps children who are ill  it also relieves the public healthcare systems of the affected countries.

In his own comment, WHO Assistant Director-General, Minghui, said, Medicine donations such as this are essential to the fight against neglected tropical diseases. If we are to meet the ambitious sustainable development goals, we need the strong engagement of the private sector, sectors outside health and all development partners.

As part of its responsibility for society and within Health, one of its corporate responsibility strategic spheres of activity, Merck is supporting WHO in the fight against the worm disease schistosomiasis in Africa.

Praziquantel is well tolerated and the most effective treatment to date for schistosomiasis. Since 2007, more than 74 million patients, primarily school children, have been treated. To this end, Merck has donated over 340 million tablets to WHO.

According to WHO, Nigeria is the worlds most endemic country for schistosomiasis. It is estimated that around 37% of the overall population (64.1 million people) requires treatment. Nigeria has been participating in the Merck Praziquantel Donation Programme since 2008.

Schistosomiasis, WHO says on its website, is a disease of poverty that leads to chronic ill-health.

Infection is acquired when people come into contact with fresh water infested with the larval forms (cercariae) of parasitic blood flukes, known as schistosomes, the world health body said.

The microscopic adult worms live in the veins draining the urinary tract and intestines. Most of the eggs they lay are trapped in the tissues and the bodys reaction to them can cause massive damage.

Schistosomiasis affects almost 240 million people worldwide, and more than 700 million people live in endemic areas. The infection is prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical areas, in poor communities without potable water and adequate sanitation.

Urogenital schistosomiasis is caused by Schistosoma haematobium and intestinal schistosomiasis by any of the organisms S. guineensis, S. intercalatum, S.mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. mekongi.

To date, through WHO Merck has donated nearly 105 million tablets to Nigeria, making it the main beneficiary country of the donation program. In total, nearly 20 million Nigerian patients have been treated to date, primarily school children.



Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Merck KGaA.
Nigerias Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, on Tuesday said his office had commissioned experts to look into the massive tomato scarcity that has hit the country as a result of a plant disease outbreak.

He said this to journalists at his office.

According to him, the tomato scarcity was caused by the tuta absoluta ant infestation which had affected tomato plants in Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and Lagos states.

We waited this long to address the problem because we wanted to consult with experts to understand and proffer solutions to the problem, Mr. Ogbeh said.

Now, these experts who have been called in to appraise the situation, will set to work on methods that have worked in other countries on affected sites as soon as tomorrow.

In the next few days, we will start treating affected sites, so as to stop the infestation and tomatoes can once again become available in the country, he said.

According to him, the tuta absoluta ant actually originated from South America in 1912 and is spreading to other parts of the world like Europe and Africa.

The tuta absoluta infestation came into Nigeria through Niger Republic, and in the last three weeks has managed to damage most tomato plants in the aforementioned states however, there was nothing the Quarantine service could do to stop it from coming into the country as the disease is being carried by insects.

This is a matter of necessity as tomato has become scarce in the country with available tomatoes being sold for as much as N30,000 to N35,000 per big basket in Lagos state.

In our research, we found out that ordinary pesticides cannot tackle the disease because the tomato moth multiplies so fast, it produces up to 250 offspring per cycle, he said.

While addressing the cost to treat the infestation, the minister said the treatment would be expensive but will also take other forms apart from money.

The experts we called in are yet to give us a figure on cost of treatment, but it is likely to be N5 per tomato plant, it could however cost more or less. So, we will source for funds to tackle it.

We also need to educate farmers on how to control the infestation and we also need to raise new nurseries. The process is much like an immunization programme.

The federal government is mainly an enabler in this case because it is the states who own the lands where these infestations have occurred. So, we will need to collaborate with the state governors and commissioners to put an end to this problem.

However, he pointed out that in states like Gombe, tomatoes were still available and the government will do everything possible to stop the infestation from spreading to other states.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Salisu Bala, a tomato dealer at Garki Model market, Abuja, the tuta absoluta pest attack in Kano state, contributed greatly to the scarcity of tomatoes in the country.

The pest led Aliko Dangote to shut down his tomato paste factory in Kano.

Within two weeks from the ending of March to April, most tomato plants from Kano to Zaria had died from the tuta absoluta pest attacks, so, now, tomato is like gold, when its available it is sold for a very high price, very different from what we are used to, he said.

Before the increase in tomato prices, between February to March, one big basket of tomatoes cost N3000 to N3500 but with the increase, its sold for N28,000 to N29,000.

One dustbin basket was sold from N500 but its currently being sold at N6,000, he said.

On the issue of imported tomato paste, Audu Ogbeh said NAFDAC had found that imported tomato paste was not good enough for consumption as it was being injected with chemicals that are harmful to health.

We are working very hard to make tomatoes once again available so Erisco foods and Dangote tomato factory can produce home-made tomato paste for our consumption so we can stop importing, he said.

The Garki Model market tomato association chairman, Ibrahim Ibn Ismail, told PREMIUM TIMES that the reason a lot of tomato plants are dying in the north is as a result of the acidity in rain water.

Normally, the tomato plants are watered with borehole water which is clean enough to aid growth but as soon as the rains come, the plants begin dying because of too much acid in the rain water.

The tomatoes I have now for sale are from Niger republic, although we have tomatoes available in Jos, Plateu state, but that is the only place we currently have them in Nigeria, he said.
Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos Tuesday nullified the national caretaker committee constituted by the Peoples Democratic Party during last Saturdays convention.

In his ruling, Mr. Buba said the committee was constituted in violation of an order he had made on May 12, when he barred the PDP from holding elections into offices of the national chairman, national secretary, and national auditor pending the determination of a suit before him.

The judge had also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from monitoring any election conducted by the party.

No court can make an order in vain, Mr. Buba said on Tuesday.

The decisions of the Federal High Court, a High Court and of all other courts established by this Constitution shall be enforced in any part of the federation by all authorities and persons, and by other courts of law with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Federal High Court, a High Court and those other courts, respectively.

Therefore, the Inspector-General of Police is directed to enforce the orders of this court until the order is set aside or all the applications before the court are disposed of.

Because of the nature of this matter being political, time is hereby abridged for the hearing of all applications.

The PDP had held a national convention last weekend where the party appointed Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, as acting national chairman, while Ben Obi, a former senator, was appointed acting national secretary.

The judge ordered Ali Modu Sheriff, the erstwhile chairman of the party, to continue serving as the chairman and warned the Makarfi-led committee not to act in that capacity in defiance of this order.

Mr. Bubas decision was preceded by a drama between two senior lawyers who announced appearance for the PDP.

Ahmed Raji and Godswill Morakpor engaged in a heated debate before the judge over who would conduct Tuesdays proceedings.

There was no attempt to change counsel, said Mr. Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

I am the counsel on record for the second defendant (PDP). The new caretaker committee has revalidated my appointment. This is the letter, he said, while handing the letter to Justice Buba.

Mr. Morakpor, however, disagreed with Mr. Rajis claims.

Today is like a nightmare to me, he said.

I never envisaged a situation where I would be dragging a client with a senior member of the Bar. We have filed a notice of change of counsel and served on the learned SAN.

Mr. Raji told the judge he never received an application for change of counsel from PDP, prompting the judge to send for the courts bailiff.

The bailiff confirmed he indeed served Mr. Raji with the application at his office.

In his ruling, the judge held that Mr. Morakpor was the recognised counsel for the PDP.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Tuesday said the Federal Government had begun the process of appointing a new set of ambassadors to represent Nigeria in various countries of the world.

Mr. Onyeama stated this at a news conference to mark one year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buharis administration

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that 26 non-career ambassadors and ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary on tour of duty abroad were recalled in June 2015.

They were among the 93 envoys posted out in 2012.

The minister explained that the reason for the delay in their appointment was that the current administration wanted to do a thorough job to ensure that very competent hands were sent out.

It is a work in progress; it is being done and may be in short time we will have the list of ambassadors going to various countries.

Sometimes, it is on the approach of getting the best hands.

So we want to be very clear of the ones we send out to represent the country; we want to be sure we have representations that will reflect real vision of this government, he said.

He said that the government was set to implement all the agreements signed with various countries to achieve the goal of signing such pacts.

Mr. Onyeama said the government had set up an inter-ministerial committee to work on them, to ensure effective implementation of the agreement.

So far, what we have done is to set up inter-ministerial committee and identified all the follow up actions and set up timeline for them.

The minister added that government had identified the ministries, departments and agencies that would be responsible for different aspects of what was required in the agreement.

That is a very concrete follow-up mechanism put in place to actualise the agreements, he said.

(NAN)
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Monday met with local hunters in the Oke-Ako area of the state telling them to be battle ready to confront any Fulani herdsman found grazing cattle anywhere in the state.

The governor addressed the hunters hours after he banned cattle grazing in the state in response to the killing of two people by suspected herdsmen.

Mr. Fayose said he would raise money for the hunters and give them vehicle to prepare for the coming war.

The transcript of the governors speech was sent to PREMIUM TIMES Monday by Lere Olayinka, his special assistant on new media.

The governor said, Before leaving you today, I will raise for you(hunters) N2.5million, Secondly, I will raise N2.5m again for the affected families.

I want to say it very clearly, everything you want me to do, I will do. Because the moment you are not secured then I had better resigned as a governor.

If I cannot provide adequate security for you, it is better for me to leave this office. The only reason you voted for me is because you know I am competent to do the needful in circumstances like this.

Nobody will take Ekiti away from us.

This killing of our people must stop. It is deliberate and we must take all actions to stop it.

They have killed two, they have killed all of us, a fight against one Ekiti man is a fight against everybody, the President must rise up to the challenge and stand this decaying security situation in the face, we cannot continue like this.

When they defeat you they will go to the next community, when they defeat that community they will go to another one, this is Ekiti Parapo war and it must be fought in the totality of our spirit. I stand by you, I stand for you and that is why you elected me at a time like this. I will not disappoint you.

Like I said earlier, you want a Pick Up Van, today, today, I will give you a Pick Up.

Let it be said, those people behind this herdsmen, well defeat you, we will defeat you. Enough of this political herdsmen operating as herdsmen but are Boko Haram, they are coming into South West gradually, we are going to fight you.

Anywhere you find a cow that is grazing unnecessarily on our ways, call my attention, we will take them out. I am going to the House of Assembly to criminalize grazing in wrong areas. You hide under grazing to kill people, you are operating in the night, where would you tell me someone grazing found AK47?

Some people are behind them, using AK 47, you rape my wife, you rape my children, if they attempt it, bring them down! Terminate their lives! If they claim they want to sleep with your wives, they want to touch your children, bring them down! Bring them down!

It is a war against Ekiti, it must be fought with the totality of our strength. God bless you, I want to reassure you, well provide the necessary security to keep you in your community. Dont run away, dont go to another community, it is your home and nobody will have to drive you out of your home!
Italian oil giant, Eni, has responded to a PREMIUM TIMES story that it acknowledged wrongdoing in the controversial Malabu oil deal.

In a letter addressed to PREMIUM TIMES head office in Abuja, Eni said through its lawyers,Aluko & Oyebode, that this newspaper did not address properly and correctly certain important elements bordering on its involvement in the deal.

PREMIUM TIMES had on May 14 published an article that narrated how Eni admitted it didnt comply with all Italian legal requirements in the internal investigations it carried out into the Malabu deal.

With reference to the article published on PREMIUM TIMES website on Saturday, 14th of May, titled: $1.1 billion Malabu scam: Italian oil giant, Eni, admits wrongdoing, Eni denies any illegal conduct within the acquisition of the block OPL 245, the oil firm said.

This article is therefore strongly misleading and does not address properly and correctly certain important elements, Eni said.

Read Enis full statement below:

In July 2014, Enis two independent control bodies, the Board of Statutory Editors jointly with the Law 231 Watch Structure, resolved to jointly engage outside international consultants, experts in anti-corruption, to conduct a forensic independent review of 2011 Enis acquisition of OPL 245 in Nigeria. Therefore, Pepper Hamilton LLP and Freeh Group International Solutions LLC were retained to and conducted independently said investigation.

The investigation focused on facts underlying the acquisition, public allegations of corruption in connection with the acquisition and whistleblower allegations.

For the relevant time period covered by the investigation (1997 to 2011) approximately 3.5 terabytes of data were collected from 24 current and former Eni Group employees in Italy and Nigeria, resulting in approximately 1.79 million documents. After narrowing the 1.9 million documents through the use of keyword search terms: 450,000 documents underwent First Level Review; and 35,000 documents underwent further Second Level Review.

The documentations reviewed were all the documentation, database and emails available internally in Eni and all that acquired until 2015 from public sources such as newspapers article and other Internet sources or obtained/reviewed from the Milan prosecutor.

The investigation found no evidence of misconduct in relation to Eni and Shells 2011 transaction with the Nigerian government for the acquisition of the OPL 245 license.

In addition, during 2015, a supplementary investigation was conducted concerning the financial review. Once the additional analysis was completed, the American law firm confirmed the findings of the main investigation and concluded that no evidence of direct or indirect payments by Eni or Eni people to Nigerian government officials have been found in relation to the acquisition of OPL 245.

Considering that the investigation by the Authorities also concerns important representatives of the company, Enis Board of Directors deemed it appropriate to appoint a leading U.S. law firm independent of the management of the company, to verify the correctness of the processes and activities carried out in respect of the investigation including the Pepper Hamilton and the conformity of such activities and investigation to the international best practice. The law firm recently concluded its analysis and they confirmed the adequacy of the information flows received by the Board and the audit and risk committee, of the analyses carried out by the other consultants of the company, of the measures taken by the company, and of the defensive strategy that was followed.

We shall continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities in the investigation and continue to underline also in view of the above mentioned investigation results that Eni has not been involved in any wrongdoing.

In respect of the OPL 245 acquisition in 2011 Eni entered into an agreement with the Nigerian Government and Shell, and no other parties, and Eni with Shell paid the amount due to a bank account of the Nigerian Federation in connection with the issuing of a new license for OPL 245.

In parallel, the Federal Government of Nigeria settled the international litigation with Shell and Malabu that for several years until 2011 prevented the concession to be exploited in the interest of the Nigerian population.
Authorities are seeking the publics help in locating the driver of a red or orange Dodge Neon that may be connected to a shooting near Albany on Friday.

At about 7:10 p.m. on Friday, Oregon State Police troopers and emergency personnel responded to a call about a person with a gunshot wound near the 900 block of Old Salem Road.

According to initial reports, the shooting occurred at the park and ride for the south Jefferson off-ramp onto Highway 99E from Interstate 5. The vehicle the victim was in traveled south, hitting a passing truck as it backed into traffic, and stopped at the parking lot for the Tire Factory, 906 Old Salem Road.

The victim was treated at the scene and taken to an area hospital.

Authorities have not released the victims name and the case remains under investigation.

Those with information about the driver of the Dodge Neon or other details about the case should call Oregon State Police Detective Ted Mosian at 971-718-6546.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has nullified the national caretaker committee constituted by the Peoples Democratic Party during last Saturdays convention.

The convention had appointed a former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, as acting chairman, while a former Senator, Ben Obi, was appointed acting national secretary.

The party said the acting national officers would be in office for three months.

In a ruling on Tuesday however, Justice Ibrahim Buba ordered Ali Modu Sheriff, the erstwhile chairman of the party to continue serving as the partys chairman.

Details later
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has granted an interim injunction restraining Ali Modu Sheriff from parading himself as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The court also barred Adewale Oladipo from parading himself as the national secretary of the party.

The two politicians were removed from office at the PDP national convention held on Saturday.

The court on Tuesday, also granted a restraining order on all members of the partys National Working Committee from receiving nominations or submitting names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as officers or candidates of the PDP in whatever capacity pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice brought by the party.

Earlier on Tuesday, a court reinstated Mr. Sheriff, and removed Ahmed Makarfi, who was appointed as chairman of the partys caretaker committee.

But the court in Port Harcourt also restrained INEC was restrained from according or continuing to accord any recognition to Messrs. Sherrif and Oladipo or any or all members of the national working committee of the PDP removed from office at the partys national convention in Port Harcourt, as officers or organs of the PDP pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The court mandated INEC to recognise the Makarfi committee in all matters pertaining the conduct of primary elections for political offices and the submission of the PDP List of candidates for any elections to be conducted by INEC pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on notice.
The fourth prosecution witness in the trial of former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, has narrated how he was instructed to lie to authorities and pretend as the owner of Mr. Badehs N1.8 billion shopping mall.

The witness, Mustapha Yerima, who began testifying on Monday, said he was instructed by Mr. Badehs protege, Salisu Yushau, to tell the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that the shopping mall constructed on a land said to have belonged to the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, belonged to his company, Right Builders Nigeria Limited.

We continued our work after payments were made until one fateful morning, one of the site supervisors called me that the EFCC operatives are looking for me. Immediately I drove down to the site, they asked if the property belongs to Dasuki, I told them I have never seen or met Dasuki, the witness said.

I was asked to report to their office by 3pm. Before I got to their office, I called Air Commodore Yushau (former director of finance at the Nigerian Air force), to tell him what happened.

Yushau told me that since we are into property development as a company, I should claim the property because he was scared, Mr. Yerima stated.

He also said the property in question was at the time, under the supervision of Mr. Badehs son, Alex Junior. He said Mr. Yushaus initial response was for him (Mr. Yerima) to contact Mr. Alex Junior.

He panicked, that since he has handed over the project to the original owner, and it was Alex Badeh Junior that was coordinating, I should call him, which I did, but he told me that his father was not around and that I should call Yushau back.

After I spoke with Badeh Junior, he said he had discussed with Yushau and he will give me directives on what to tell the EFCC operatives, Mr. Yerima stated, adding that it was during his second call to Mr. Yushau that he Mr. Yushau instructed him to claim ownership of the said property.

Explaining how he complied with the directive, and what eventually led to his confession, Mr. Yerima said he was called during the purchase of the land by a man identified as Timothy Muje who was Mr. Badehs lawyer and they scheduled a meeting with Mr. Muje at Wuse 2, Abuja.

We met and he handed over some of the property documents to me, including the original certificate of occupancy, deed and power of attorney between Ayodele Fayose and one Tony.

He also handed over the power of attorney and deed between Tony and Kasamgo Investment, which was signed, Mr. Yerima said.

He however added that a deliberate attempt was made by his instructors to prevent him from having the power of attorney and deed of assignment between Right Builders and Kasamgo.

But when I got to EFCC, it was a different ball game because I was confronted with some chilling evidences. I was confronted with so many documents such as copies of drawing, bill of quantity, statement of accounts and so many other documents including email correspondences, at that point I had no option but to tell EFCC exactly the way things were, Mr. Yerima said.

He added that the approximate cost of the shopping mall, after construction was about N1.8 billion.

Mr. Yerima had on Monday told the court that the land where the said shopping mall was constructed had belonged to the Ekity State governor, Ayodele Fayose.

He said the cost of the land was N650 million.

Since the beginning of his trial, several witnesses have testified regarding sums of money spent on purchase of land at various parts of the country for Mr. Badeh.
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, has advocated a ban on marriage of women below 18 years, saying most of the women suffering from reproductive health challenges were products of such marriages.

The emir, who spoke at a workshop organised by the Northern Islamic Forum in Kano on Tuesday, said time had come when the Muslim community should live by the reality of economic recession and consequences of early marriage.

He said the era when people gave out their daughters in marriage at early ages and asked the husbands to wait till they were ripe was nothing but a deception.

According to Mr. Sanusi, that strategy no longer worked as it had led to cases of divorce and other ugly situations.

The emir recounted that in the past the rich and the poor married four wives and bore between 30 and 40 children because the economy was not only buoyant but also because people were not relying on government for sustenance.

He said though the harsh economic realities now make it impossible for people to feed twice a day these days, unfortunately our people do not change and somebody with virtually nothing still give birth to 20 or 30 children and this must stop.

Mr. Sanusi said there was a need to peg the marriage age now because of the challenges early marriage was posing.

According to him, the marriage age in Egypt at present was 18 while that of Malaysia and Morocco were 19 and 17 respectively, asking why not we here urgently call for pegging of marriage ages within Muslim Umma in Nigeria?

He argued that since Nigeria Muslims also practice the Malikiys School of thought as these countries, we should follow suit and peg our own marriage ages for our own good.

Mr. Sanusi called on the relevant authorities to create a law that would punish anybody that gave birth to children and allowed them to suffer.

According to him, most of those neglected children not only turned victims of social vices but also engage in terrorism.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday appealed to Nigerians to be patient and give the Muhammadu Buhari administration more time to achieve its objectives.

Making the appeal while answering questions at the forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Mr. Amaechi said.

We encountered challenges; were we expecting to encounter those challenges? yes; did we think that we will meet the quantum or volume of those challenges?

We didnt anticipate that things were this bad. We thought you go to government and there would be money for you to run government and others.

Now you have the situation where there is no money to run government. I hate to use the word difficult; I hate to use the word impossible but we met things close to difficult and impossibility.

That is why Nigerians are impatient; they want to see results and for them, change is not about change in structure, it is about change in their pocket.

Because their pocket is getting dried and they wanted us to put some more resources in their pocket.

Because of the structural changes that we want to put in place is not getting all that they want to get.

What I usually say to people is that we beg you to give us time; we will achieve our objective if you give us time and we will both thank God for that opportunity.

He gave an assurance that money recovered from the ongoing corruption fight, would be used to provide infrastructure.

According to him, the government has started paying contractors not appointed by the current administration, noting that such action represents service delivery to the people.

(NAN)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, says the Federal Government is in the process of repatriating stolen 300 million pounds from Jersey.

Mr. Onyeama stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference organised as part of activities to mark the one year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buharis administration.

Jersey, an independent, English-speaking territory with a mix of British and French cultures, is the largest of the Channel Islands located between England and France.

The minister said that the money in Jersey would have been repatriated but for a last minute objection that was raised by the people, who were supposed to forfeit it.

We are just in the process of repatriating that in the UK itself. Sometimes very often what happens is that the people, who have ownership or who claim to have ownership (of the money) might bring up a defence.

Like if you take the one in Jersey, it is like 300 million pounds or thereabouts; now everything had been done to repatriate the money.

It was no longer contested; and then at the last minute, an objection was raised by the people, who were supposed to forfeit those funds.

So, of course the authorities in Jersey were obliged  as much as they would have liked to just go ahead and repatriate it  to go through certain legal procedures, because the other party would have a lawyer and there were legal issues.

And then we have to now start going through that all over again; so that is really the challenge.

According to the minister, the important thing is that the process has been engaged.

He said Nigeria would not relent in seeking to repatriate stolen funds.

He also said that the process of repatriation of looted funds stashed in other countries like Switzerland and U.S. was in progress.

It is something that takes time  repatriation of stolen funds  because very often, you have to have an idea; you have to work on lead.

According to him, the repatriation of all other funds is in progress even though the Western countries where the stolen funds have been taken to, are creating barriers that will make it difficult to repatriate the monies.

Mr. Onyeama, however, said the Federal Government would consider some mechanisms that would be deployed to make it a bit easier for Nigeria to get back the stolen funds.

That is why the anti-corruption summit and the initiatives of Mr President are really focused on these Western countries to remove some of those barriers, some of those lengthy procedures that are in place, that make it possible for these people to delay and delay and delay.

And that is what we are looking at; they are coming on board now these Western countries, more and more.

And so, we just have to look at mechanisms to make it a bit easier when its more or less clear, that the stolen funds require us providing all the evidence and it is never easy.

Its never an easy task.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, Bayelsa chapter, on Monday said it would continue its ongoing strike over non payment of salary since January 2016.

Governor Seriake Dickson had on Sunday ordered the striking workers to resume work on Monday or be sacked.

Mr. Dickson, who said that the state had no funds due to dwindling revenue from the federation account, noted that he would invoke the no work no pay rule.

The strike is unpatriotic, it is politically motivated and uncalled for. We have held several meetings with labour leaders and I have proposed many options to them including paying 50 per cent salary but they rejected it and chose to go on strike.

We have drawn the line and we give them till Monday. Any one that doesnt show up should consider himself sacked. We shall send out a monitoring team. I will also go round myself, Mr. Dickson said.

But John Ndiomu, NLCs state Chairman said in Yenagoa on Monday that the strike, which commenced on May 19 would not be called off until the government cleared the backlog of salaries.

The strike is on it third day, and were still on it; it is true that the state government has started the payment for January alone but we will continue to stay at home until the union reaches a decision, Mr. Ndiomu said.

Our members should also remain calm. Series of meetings have been going on with the government and we shall also be meeting today (Monday), but I am still urging our members to remain at home, he said.

The state secretariat however remained shut while soldiers were stationed at the gates.

Public schools and banks also remained closed.

On Monday, Mr. Dickson reportedly held a meeting with permanent secretaries of all ministries to fashion out a way to enforce the no work no pay rule.
The Deputy National Chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo, and former senator, Offia Nwali, has passed away. Mr. Nwali died at 74.

He was allegedly found dead inside a pond located in his Ameka Community in Ezza South Local Government area of Ebonyi state on Saturday.

Mr. Nwali was the first black man to obtain PhD in computer and analytical studies from Harvard University, United States of America.

The late Inspector General of police, MD Yusuf, facilitated his return to Nigeria in 1972 shortly before he was appointed chairman of school board by the then East Central state.

Mr. Nwali, a founding father of Ebonyi State, represented Abakaliki Senatorial District at the National Assembly between 1979 and 1983.

He was the first person to submit a written request for the creation of Ebonyi State on 10th October 1979 to the National Assembly, Tafawa Balewa square Lagos.

The two-time governorship aspirant was appointed Deputy National Chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo by the Ralph Obiora-led faction.

In his condolence visit to the family yesterday, the state governor, Dave Umahi, described the death of the septuagenarian as unfortunate and urged the brief family to bear the irreparable loss.
ALBANY POLICE

Attempted burglary arrest  6:31 p.m. Friday, Linn County Jail. Richard Blaine Winings, 55, of Albany, was arrested on charges of attempted first-degree burglary and second-degree criminal trespass. His initial bail was set at $10,500.

Forgery arrest  9:49 p.m. Saturday, Fred Meyer, 2500 Santiam Highway S.E. A theft was reported at the store. Melissa Ann Dewar, 42, of Sweet Home, was arrested on charges of first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first-degree criminal trespass, third-degree theft and unlawful possession of a false identification. She was booked, cited and released at the Linn County Jail and scheduled to appear in court on June 29.

Rape arrest  1:15 a.m. Saturday. Jessica Michelle Harms, 26, of Albany, was arrested on a charge of third-degree rape. She was released from jail without posting bail and scheduled to appear in court on June 15.

High school burglary  10:07 a.m. Sunday, West Albany High School. A screen was pulled out of a window and a door was open on the west side of one of the buildings. The case is actively being investigated and no additional information was available.

Burglary arrest  6:22 a.m. Sunday, Linn County Jail. Susan Valerie Mullan, 49, of Albany, was arrested on charges of second-degree burglary, third-degree theft and first-degree criminal trespass. Her initial bail was set at $9,500.

LINN COUNTY SHERIFF

Burglary arrests  2:20 a.m. Friday, Linn County Jail. Tonya Jean Whitebird, 38, of Sweet Home, and Kenith Dell Laster III, 22, of Dallas, were each arrested on charges of first-degree burglary and first-degree criminal trespass. Whitebird was released from jail without posting bail while a no-bail hold was placed on Laster due to a parole violation warrant.

LEBANON POLICE

Church burglary  9:32 a.m. Friday, Valley Life Church, 80 E. Vine St. Two video cameras and a laptop were reported stolen from the facility. The total loss value was approximately $4,000. The caller believed that a door might not have been latched when he left the previous night at 9 p.m. Nothing else was missing.

DUII crash, arrest  9:11 p.m. Sunday, 2700 block S. Eighth Street. A caller reported a non-injury accident where a vehicle crashed into a parked car. Investigation revealed two parked cars were hit. Dylan James Johnston, 24, was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants.

SWEET HOME POLICE

Burglary  11:35 a.m. Sunday, 1800 block Yucca Street. A door to a residence was busted in and items were taken. Some were recovered in the nearby woods. A report for first-degree theft was taken.
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.




"With Actus recording and logging system, time consuming processes became immediate and efficient for all concerned teams. The recorded contents are readily available 24 x 7 for review, clip creation and can be exported immediately when needed by our Channels and Marketing Team", says Gilbert D. Tan, TOC Supervisor of Cignal TV. Actus View robust system enables users with permissions to easily access the recorded contents with a user-friendly interface using Web Browsers. This solution was aimed on building trust and confidence with Advertisers that Cignal TV is only delivering competitive and high-quality broadcast contents to its viewers.

"Actus View is not only a reliable and cost effective solution for recording TV channels, but also provides other integrated added values such as exporting clips, competitive monitoring and more', said Raphael Renous, Actus CTO. "We are very happy that Cignal TV has chosen Actus media monitoring platform for its recording requirements. It proves us once again that the broadcast industry trusts Actus solution as a critical 24 x 7 recording system, making sure no media will be lost."

Cignal TV awarded TechTwist Corporation the contract to deploy the Actus View solution for Broadcast Recording and Media Monitoring. The Actus team worked closely with TechTwist Corporation to design a winning workflow. "We were selected as a team together with Actus Digital because of the advanced capabilities, effectiveness, and reliability our systems have," said Peter Olase, CEO, TechTwist Corporation. "Together, the system installation and implementation was fast and efficient."

About Cignal TV

Launched in 2009, Cignal is the Philippines' premier DTH satellite provider using Broadcast Satellite Technology. Cignal TV broadcast premium TV content to both households and establishments nationwide. Cignal transmits 105 SD and 29 HD channels, including free-to-air and a varied mix of 12 audio channels. Cignal TV also offers on-demand viewing via Pay-Per-View subscription offers, as well as online streaming via a Front Seat website and app.

As of 2015, Cignal TV has gained over 1,180,000 subscribers, making it the most subscribed Pay-TV provider in the Philippines!

About TechTwist Corporation

TechTwist aims to become the market leader in delivering technology advancements in its various platforms to customers in the Philippines and eventually other parts of the world. The goal of the company is to provide solutions to their clients that will help maximize operations efficiency and reap long-term benefits. TechTwist strives to achieve this by offering state-of-the-art technology, innovation, leadership and partnership.

About Actus Digital

Actus Digital (www.actusdigital.com) is a leading provider of enterprise media intelligence platform, for broadcast monitoring and compliance logging. Actus solutions are designed for broadcasters, networks, cable and IPTV operators, and governments.

Actus platform is a cost effective compliance solution that complies with all regulators requirements, such as closed caption and loudness. It also provides a solution for content repurposing for the Web, social media, VOD, OTT and Catchup TV as well as automatic ads tracking for competitive analysis and ads verification. Actus Alert Center provides audio and video alerts to assure high quality content.

Actus Digital would like to invite you to our booth in BCA (5-A5-12) and present you our broadcast recording and monitoring platform for compliance recording, clips creation for Web, social media, VOD, OTT and Catchup TV, for rating and competitive analysis, for automatic ads detection and for real time alerts on audio and video issues.

To schedule a meeting in BCA:

http://actusdigital.com/bca16-meet-us/

Please meet us at BCA 2016, booth 5-A5-12

Please visit: www.actusdigital.com

Mail: info@actusdigital.com

Follow Actus Digital on:

Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+

Related Links

http://actusdigital.com



SOURCE Actus Digital
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

ARANZ Medical Ltd a specialist in 3D scanning and informatics solutions for the healthcare sector, has been named the Coretex Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year at the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards 2016.

Dr Bruce Davey, CEO of ARANZ Medical says, "This is a fantastic acknowledgement for our team. It's really good to be recognised for the work we are doing to reduce the burden healthcare internationally. Our products are used in 35 countries around the world from Sub-Saharan Africa through to some of the biggest healthcare providers in the United States and United Kingdom.

ARANZ Medical's solutions for skin and wound assessment transform clinical assessment processes, improve quality of care, and make healthcare more cost-effective. Key innovations include: Silhouette, an FDA-approved advanced wound surveillance system which supports precise and productive wound management in clinical practice and research; and FastSCAN which enables the custom-fit of orthotics and prosthetics.

About ARANZ Medical

ARANZ Medical Ltd is a specialist in 3D scanning and informatics solutions for the healthcare sector that transform clinical processes in wound care and orthotics/ prosthetics. Key innovations include Silhouette, an FDA-approved advanced wound surveillance system which supports better wound care management and increases productivity in clinical practice, and specialized 3D scanning systems for orthoses and prosthetics and other medical applications. ARANZ Medical has a global customer base spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand.

For more information visit http://www.aranzmedical.com

SOURCE ARANZ Medical
Data and connection security will be the most significant challenge for Fintech companies in Australia; largely because mobile payments make up the majority of the revenues of all the Fintech segments. Reliable security will be a key issue and an important selling point to ensure success as this will allow Fintechs to build consumer trust in order to grow and compete with established institutions. Australian Fintechs need to partner and collaborate with security vendors and ICT companies to improve the security and connectivity of increasingly mobile-centric financial services and to protect a user's financial data.

Frost & Sullivan's study, Fintech in Australia  Trends, Forecasts and Analysis 2015  2020 highlights the fact that Fintech success depends on security vendors; and many ICT and telecommunications opportunities will be security focussed. APAC revenues for cyber security in the banking and finance security technology market are expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.31% over the forecast period of 2015-2020.

Saranga Sudarshan, Research Analyst, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan Australia & New Zealand says, "Established institutions already have large security expenditures, with security systems and protocols built over many years. Attacks against these institutions are highly unlikely and more unlikely to be successful. However, the sensitivity of financial data, unlike any other kind of personal data, will mean security will be a concern at every other stage of a product's delivery chain."

Sudarshan added, "End-user attacks are the highest priority given that the decentralisation of personal smart devices, whether they are wearables, smartphones or personal computers, will make storage of end-user credentials the most vulnerable to security attacks. Uniform security protocols will not be implemented without significant standardisation of operating systems and version updates."

Biometric security will be the future of mobile security and Fintechs will drive the expansion of biometric security. Biometric security protects an individual's financial data and reduces vulnerability to cyber fraud or physical fraud as well as weak or misplaced passwords. Biometric security will make the user themselves the strongest element in a security measure. Frost & Sullivan anticipates that biometric authentication will be the future of mobile security, with extensive biometric security features developed or announced for implementation in all new smartphones over the next 18 months.

Blockchain development for financial services has attracted various ICT companies to develop blockchains with different revenue models. Some companies have opted for a blockchain-as-a-service model, while others have opted to sell cryptocurrencies. Audrey William, Head of Research, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan Australia & New Zealand says, "ICT companies involved in blockchain development include Ripple Labs with their direct partnerships with international banks, and their Interledger project; Microsoft and Ethereum with their EthBaaS, or Blockchain-as-a-Service product; IBM working with Digital Asset Holdings, to develop Business Logic Engines to embed blockchain technology into a business's exiting transaction systems and Intel is developing blockchain technology with internal trials for the benefit of the Hyperledger Project."

Analytics is one example of a software suite that is available to Fintechs and established financial institutions. "The cloud computing capability of Watson Analytics presents a possible model for other AI platforms aimed at the financial services sector. AI hardware architecture is the foundation for customised AI software, and Facebook's Big Sur is an example of an AI hardware architecture that allows Fintechs and established financial institutions to build their own AI systems. Customised AI systems would allow a range of AI solutions to compete in a market of 'off-the-shelf' AI Analytic packages," stated William.

Data centre requirements will be unique for Fintech, and there will be huge opportunities for data centre providers offering tailored co-location services, managed hosting services and cloud storage. The rapid growth of Fintech companies offering personal and business finance will present opportunities for both wholesale and specialist data centre providers.

Telecommunications companies and system integrators have the opportunity to offer managed services across security, cloud, data centre in areas such as digital payments, blockchains, biometrics and artificial intelligence.

~~

Innovation is a Key Factor to Grow Profits and Reap Opportunities in Australia's $4 billion Fintech Market, says Frost & Sullivan

http://ww2.frost.com/news/frost-commentary/innovation-key-factor-grow-profits-and-reap-opportunities-australias-4-billion-fintech-market-says-frost-sullivan/

Fintech Market Growth to add A$1billion New Value to Australian Economy by 2020, says Frost & Sullivan

http://ww2.frost.com/news/press-releases/fintech-market-growth-add-1billion-new-value-australian-economy-2020-says-frost-sullivan/

Artificial Intelligence, Algo-Banking, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and Robo-Advice Form Growth of Australian Fintech Market, says Frost & Sullivan

http://ww2.frost.com/news/press-releases/artificial-intelligence-algo-banking-blockchain-cryptocurrencies-and-robo-advice-form-growth-australian-fintech-market-says-fros/

To listen to the webinar - Fintech Disruption in Australian Finance - How Fintech will radically change the face of Financial Service, please follow this link https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/5567/200515

Frost & Sullivan's report, Fintech in Australia  Trends, Forecasts and Analysis 2015 - 2020, forms a part of the Frost & Sullivan Australian Research program. All research services included in this subscription provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. For media queries and more information please send an e-mail with your contact details to Donna Jeremiah, Corporate Communications, at djeremiah@frost.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. 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

Contact:

Donna Jeremiah

Corporate Communications  Asia Pacific

P: +61 (02) 8247 8927

F: +61 (02) 9252 8066

E: djeremiah@frost.com

http://www.frost.com

Related Links

http://www.frost.com



SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
WARRINGTON, England, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Fircroft, the global workforce solutions provider to the technical engineering sectors, has strengthened its position within the mining, minerals and natural resources industries with the acquisition of Australian firm, One Key Resources; a specialist provider of labour hire and managed workforce services to the mining, oil and gas, and infrastructure industries.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/370879 )



Established in 2011, One Key have rapidly grown to be a market leader in the supply of workforce solutions to the mining industry in the Asia-Pacific region, and will strengthen Fircroft's already strong portfolio of operations.

Commenting on the acquisition, Fircroft CEO, Johnathan Johnson, said:

"One Key are leading the market in workforce solutions for the mining and natural resources industries. With their continual focus on providing a best-in-class service to clients and contractors alike, One Key are perfectly aligned to the values of the Fircroft Group."

"At Fircroft we have ambitious expansion plans, and we are pleased that One Key, with their suite of innovative, market-leading training products and workforce solutions will be joining us on this journey as we seek to further strengthen our expertise in providing workforce solutions to the global mining industry."

Grant Wechsel, Co-Founder and Managing Director of One Key Resources, said:

"One Key has seen phenomenal growth and success in recent years with consistent increases in revenue and our total workforce. As part of the Fircroft Group we will be in a strong position to take our innovative solutions to a global market."

"In joining the Fircroft Group, One Key is becoming part of a business that shares our relentless commitment to innovation, quality and the achievement of the highest levels of client and contractor satisfaction."

One Key joins the Fircroft Group at a time of expansion following the Group's acquisition of global telecommunications recruiter Rygon and the formation of several joint ventures throughout 2015. Grant Wechsel will continue as Managing Director and as a shareholder of One Key following the acquisition, while his fellow director and former Australian Rugby League captain Darren Lockyer will also continue in his role.

Legal advice for the deal was provided by Roger Hart and Adam Kaucher of Addleshaw Goddard, whilst Richard Bell and Dan White of Deloitte performed Financial Due Diligence. Iain Gallow of Calash performed Commercial Due Diligence.

Notes to editors

Fircroft

Fircroft is a global workforce solutions provider to the technical engineering sectors. Since 1970 Fircroft has been serving the biggest names in Oil & Gas, Petrochemical & Chemical, ICT, Mining & Minerals, Infrastructure & Construction, Power, Nuclear & Utilities and Automotive. Over 8,000 contractors trust Fircroft to take care of their careers. Find out more about Fircroft at Fircroft.com

SOURCE Fircroft
Donald Trump holds his first presidential fundraisers this week. The events directly benefit his campaign, but he doesn't see it that way.

Trump insists that his about-face from self-funded candidate to one who relies on donors is happening only at the request of the Republican National Committee.

"The RNC really wanted to do it, and I want to show good spirit," Trump said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "'Cause I was very happy to continue to go along the way I was."

Trump's self-funding has been a point of pride, a boast making its way into nearly every rally and interview. The billionaire businessman lent his campaign at least $43 million, enough to pay for most of his primary bid.

With this week's fundraisers  a small gathering Tuesday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a large $25,000-per-head dinner Wednesday in Los Angeles  Trump gains hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars but loses his ability to accurately assert that he is free from the shackles of outside donors.

Trump's voters repeatedly have cited his independence from the influence of donors and special interests as a top reason they back him. It's not clear how they will react now.

Perhaps to assuage those voter concerns, Trump is trying to promote his fundraising agreement as beneficial to other Republicans, not his own campaign.

The deal itself shows Trump comes first.

For every check he solicits  and donors can give almost $450,000 apiece  the first $5,400 goes to Trump's primary and general election campaign accounts. The rest is spread among the RNC and 11 state parties.
Vendors selected for the "Cool Vendor" report are innovative, impactful and intriguing

SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Forter, the first fraud prevention technology to offer a real-time Decision as a Service solution for online merchants, announced today that it has been recognized as a 2016 Gartner "Cool Vendor." In a May 2, 2016 report entitled "Cool Vendors in UEBA, Fraud Detection and User Authentication, 20161," by Gartner analysts, Andrew Walls, Brian Reed, Avivah Litan, Sandy Shen and Craig Lawson.

Since launching in 2014, Forter has received a total of $50 million in funding and has tripled in size, helping create a global market platform that merchant such as delivery.com, Heels.com and Jomashop.com use to ensure fraud prevention is consumer-centric, contributing to frictionless checkout and smooth customer experience. Additionally, Forter is most known for its real-time Decision as a Service technology that emphasizes high approvals and stops fraudulent shoppers at the moment of checkout with an instant response, something that is made possible by the fully automated nature of the system. Forter's system is so accurate, in fact, that the company provides retailers with a 100% guarantee against fraud chargebacks.

"With the vast amount of Fintech technology innovation underway, it is gratifying to have been named a 2016 Gartner "Cool Vendor," said Michael Reitblat, Co-Founder & CEO of Forter. "We believe this is validation of the impact Forter's digital technology and anti-fraud protection are having across the industry's ecosystem. We are continuously refining our systems to provide the best fraud prevention for retailers and merchants to support their growth across the e-commerce trifecta of online, mobile and phone orders and it is nice to see that this hard work has not gone unnoticed."

Annually, Gartner identifies Cool Vendors in key technology areas through a series of research reports evaluating the innovative ways they are disrupting their relevant marketplace. This year's UEBA, Fraud Detection and User Authentication report investigates the digital technology and anti-fraud protection ecosystem from the perspective of online merchants who are in need of a market solution in the modern e-commerce space as well as provides an assessment of the ways advanced analytics and IAM responsive technologies are affecting it.

Disclaimer:

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our 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.

About Forter:

Forter provides new generation fraud prevention to meet the challenges faced by modern enterprise e-commerce. Only Forter provides fully automated, real-time Decision as a Service fraud prevention, backed by a 100% fraud chargeback guarantee  instant, guaranteed approve/decline decisions for every transaction. The system eliminates the need for rules, scores or manual reviews, making fraud prevention friction-free.

The result is fraud prevention that is invisible to buyers and empowers merchants with increased approvals, smoother checkout and the near elimination of false positives - meaning more sales and happier customers.

Behind the scenes, Forter's machine learning technology combines advanced cyber intelligence with behavioral and identity analysis to create a multi-layered fraud detection mechanism.

The result is best for online merchants, and best for online customers.

1 Gartner "Cool Vendors in UEBA, Fraud Detection and User Authentication, 2016" by Andrew Walls et al., 02 May 2016.

Related Links

http://www.forter.com



SOURCE Forter
SAN DIEGO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Californian/Australian drug discovery company Genea Biocells has demonstrated and described the world's first human stem cell-based cellular model for a muscular dystrophy that is suitable for high-throughput screening and drug development.

In research published in the latest edition of Stem Cells Translational Medicine, scientists from Genea Biocells analyzed in detail cellular and molecular aspects of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) during myogenic development and in myotube cultures by comparing muscle cells generated from five FSHD-affected and four normal control stem cell lines. Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy (FSHD) is an inheritable muscle disease affecting approximately 1 in 8,000 people. There is no cure or treatment strategy for patients with FSHD. This debilitating disease slowly consumes skeletal muscle, robbing people of the active, healthy, and independent years of their lives.

"Our study identifies a range of cellular pathways involved in FSHD pathology. Importantly, we have demonstrated those in the world's first 'disease-in-a-dish' model of FSHD which is a highly consistent, reproducible and scalable resource that provides many advantages over invasive patient biopsies," Genea Biocells General Manager and lead Principal Investigator of the project, Dr. Uli Schmidt said.

The findings highlight Genea Biocells' efficient and highly scalable monolayer system to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells into skeletal muscle cells and demonstrate disease-specific phenotypes in muscle derived from both human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells affected with FSHD.

"We believe that disease modeling using human stem cells inherently containing disease-inducing stimuli provides us with an invaluable edge throughout the drug development process. These cells are human, physiologically relevant and enable clinically relevant assay readouts for drug screening and further functional testing," Dr. Schmidt said.

Genea Biocells previously developed human embryonic stem cell lines carrying the genetic defect causing FSHD as well as the world's first high yield and scalable process to differentiate those stem cells into skeletal muscle without cell sorting or genetic manipulation. Genea Biocells now conducts a drug discovery program for FSHD based on these technologies.

The paper entitled "A Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Model of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy-Affected Skeletal Muscles" is available from AlphamedPress: http://stemcellstm.alphamedpress.org/content/early/2016/05/22/sctm.2015-0224.abstract

Media Contact:

USA and rest of world: Debra Bressaw, M: +1 908 448 8204, E: debra.bressaw@geneabiocells.com Australia/New Zealand: Elizabeth Gosch, M: +61 414 319 775, E: elizabeth.gosch@genea.com.au

ABOUT GENEA BIOCELLS

Genea Biocells is a neuromuscular disease-focused discovery stage company using proprietary human pluripotent stem cell technologies. Genea Biocells also provides contract research services to pharma and supplies reagents to strategic academic collaborators to expand their capabilities and further validate their technologies.

Genea Biocells has one of the world's largest banks of pluripotent human embryonic stem cells and developed the world's first consistent, scalable and high-yield differentiation process for functional skeletal muscle cells.

Genea Biocells is based in San Diego, California and is part of the Australian Genea group, a public, unlisted company that has been operating world leading IVF clinics since 1985. The company has been supplying commercial stem cell solutions for 10 years, drawing on an almost 30 year research heritage within Genea. More information is available at www.geneabiocells.com

Related Links

http://www.geneabiocells.com



SOURCE Genea
MISGAV, Israel, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Gordian Surgical, a portfolio company of The Trendlines Group, recently began first-in-human (FIH) trials with its TroClose1200, an innovative trocar with an integrated closure mechanism for the safe, easy, and effective suturing of incisions in the abdominal wall during laparoscopic surgery. The Company has performed 13 successful procedures in Israel and India to date.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/370678 )



Gordian Surgical's TroClose 1200 is used to open the abdomen to insert optical and other surgical tools at the start of the procedure. Its integrated closure system delivers "two in one" functionality to also allow for closing incisions; however, instead of inserting the sutures in a time-consuming process at the end of the procedure, using the device's uniquely designed release mechanism, sutures are inserted into the tissue at the beginning of the procedure. The sutures are anchored to remain in place throughout the operation and incisions are closed almost automatically on removal of the TroClose1200.

Gordian completed product development in 2016 and started its FIH trials in Israel (Poriya Medical Center and Carmel Medical Center) and in India (Asian Bariatrics Hospital, Hyderabad). To date, thirteen laparoscopic procedures were performed using the TroClose1200, including hysterectomy, cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), hernia repair, and sleeve gastrectomy.

Dr. Nissim Geron, Director of Surgery, Poriya Medical Center, Israel (and Gordian's Medical Director), said: "The innovative device functioned very well and allowed for closure of incisions that would have been very difficult to perform without the use of Gordian's product. The product is safe, user-friendly and represents an important breakthrough in laparoscopic surgery."

Dr. Surendra Ugale, experienced laparoscopic surgeon, India, remarked: "I am extremely satisfied with the TroClose1200. The device demonstrated excellent performance and would be a great asset for any bariatric surgery, most especially on morbidly obese patients."

Gordian CEO Zvi Pe'er adds: "We are very pleased with the results of Gordian's product so far, and are planning further procedures and follow-up trials to confirm the product's functionality. Undoubtedly, successful clinical trials will advance Gordian to the next level."

Gordian Surgical has raised approximately $3 million in investments from The Trendlines Group, Pirveli Ventures (a Canadian foundation operating in Israel), Virtus Inspire Ventures - a Chinese fund, and private investors, including renowned Israeli and U.S. surgeons.

Contact: Ofir Shpigel's Media and Public Relations | +972-4-9535030 Keren Gavish: keren.g@ofirpr.co.il

SOURCE Gordian Surgical
VALLETTA, Malta, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The launching in Malta reinforces the organisation's commitment to staying a key player in migration governance

Six months after the Valletta Summit of Migration there are concerns that the Mediterranean could again be the epicentre of irregular migration flows. With this in mind, the Foreign Minister of Malta, George Vella, and the Director General of ICMPD (International Center for Migration Policy Development), Michael Spindelegger, opened the organisation's "Coordination and Cooperation Center for Migration in the Mediterranean" in Valetta. All future ICMPD activities in the Mediterranean will be coordinated from this new hub. ICMPD's regional activities will be focused on various migration dialogues and technical assistance as well as positively influencing the relationships between the Mediterranean countries.

Half a year after the Valletta Summit of Migration, ICMPD will address the most urgent aspects of irregular migration and forced displacement from its new centre in Malta. At a regional level, the Euromed Migration programme aims to establish a framework that develops and implements evidence-based migration and international protection policies. At a national level, this will initiate the development of a rights-based migration system for Libya as well as the improvement of border management in Lebanon. The "City-to-City" project, implemented by ICMPD, looks at opportunities of migration between eight urban centres in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and will develop new ideas and success stories of migration in between major cities.

ICMPD's Director General, Michael Spindelegger: "The opening of this Coordination and Cooperation Centre for Migration highlights our concerns regarding the migration issues in the Mediterranean. We will bring a valuable contribution to finding solutions and advancing new policies in the migration field in Europe and beyond." Maltese Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Vella, answered: "We are very honored that ICMPD chose Malta for its first regional office and we are confident that our joint efforts will soon bring about much awaited results for the current migration and refugee crisis."

Bernhard Schragl

ICMPD-Spokesman

+43-1-504-4677-2444

bernhard.schragl@icmpd.org



SOURCE ICMPD
LONDON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

"Help Reggie Find Love"

Definition of Bio-Bridges

Bio-Bridges are restored wildlife corridors within damaged landscapes that help endangered species reconnect, enabling them and local communities to thrive.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/806378 )



75 million square metres of forest in Vietnam, India and more to be regenerated & protected.

The Body Shop today unveils plans for its new Bio-Bridges programme which aims to regenerate 75 million square metres of forest and protect it from exploitation, poaching and unsustainable harvesting. Bio-Bridges regenerate and reconnect corridors between healthy rainforest, linking isolated and endangered animals and plant species, allowing them to again breed and thrive. Another integral part of the programme is to engage the local communities in the long term protection of the bio bridge habitat by helping to provide a more sustainable way of life from them for the people who live in and around the surrounding areas.

The Body Shop sources ingredients from all around the world. Protecting the biodiversity of the world helps ensure a long-term, healthy and thriving environment for these ingredients, as well as protecting the planet from the effects of climate change. The Bio-Bridges programme is one element of The Body Shop's Enrich Not Exploit Commitment, which aims to make The Body Shop the most ethical and truly sustainable global business in the world.

The first project is in Khe Nuoc Trong forest of North Central Vietnam, home of rare species such as the Red Shanked Douc, Saola (known as the Asian Unicorn and one of the rarest animals on earth), Bengal Slow Loris and Burmese Python. These species are threatened by hunting for food and medicine and illegally logged with nearby habitats still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange used during the Vietnam war.

Through an in-store and on-line campaign, 'Help Reggie Find Love', features Reggie, a Red-Shanked Douc from Vietnam, one of the species being given a chance to live safely and repopulate, customers will directly support the project. Every customer transaction will restore and protect one square metre of habitat in the forest. This playful campaign to find Reggie love will help bring this serious issue to life in an engaging and entertaining way.

The protected areas of forest will enable wildlife to travel safely across deforested or degraded lands, linking habitats and encouraging them to connect with each other and breed.

In this first project, The Body Shop is working with World Land Trust and its partner, Vietnam-based Viet Nature Conservation Centre, to protect the area and its wildlife through regular patrolling and utilising camera-traps. Viet Nature also works closely with the local community to encourage sustainable forest resource use and farming and with schools to encourage involvement.

Christopher Davis, Director of Corporate Responsibility and Campaigns, The Body Shop, says: "We want to focus on actively enriching the world's biodiversity. These areas of forest in Vietnam are biological treasure troves that are being destroyed through poaching and illegal logging. Bio-Bridges are an innovative way to create protected corridors of biodiversity that allow the wider forest to flourish and its inhabitants to breed and thrive. In Vietnam, within five to 10 years we hope to be able to see endangered species multiply.

We'll be promoting 'Find Reggie Love' online and in our stores in 65 countries around the world, helping raise awareness of this serious issue in a different way and allowing our customers to make a direct and positive impact with every purchase."

The second Bio-Bridge project will begin in late 2016 in the Garo Hills of India. This project will also be delivered in partnership with World Land Trust and their partner Wildlife Trust of India.

The campaign will launch in The Body Shop stores globally this summer.

About The Body Shop

Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand. The Body Shop seeks to make a positive difference in the world by offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. The Body Shop pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good and after being acquired by L'Oreal in 2006, it is scaling up its vision. The Body Shop has more than 3,000 stores in more than 60 countries.

About Enrich Not Exploit

The Enrich Not Exploit  Commitment is The Body Shop's pioneering new global CSR strategy that underpins all aspects of The Body Shop's operation and supports The Body Shop in its aim to be the world's most ethical and sustainable global business.

The new Commitment embraces the bold ethical principles from which The Body Shop was built and is an extensive programme of global activity and measurable targets that touches all areas of the business. Under each of The Commitment's three pillars: enrich our people, enrich our products and enrich our planet, The Body Shop has specific, measurable targets by 2020 that make the business accountable for delivery. In total there are 14 targets within the new Commitment.

World Land Trust

www.worldlandtrust.org

Full details can be found here.

SOURCE The Body Shop
HATFIELD, England, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

FOR EMEA MEDIA ONLY - NOT FOR SWISS/AUSTRIAN JOURNALISTS

ASCO invites six abstracts on new Halaven (eribulin) data in liposarcoma and solid tumours, and new lenvatinib data in thyroid cancers and in renal cell carcinoma

Six abstracts that feature new study results in hard to treat cancers for Eisai's treatments eribulin and lenvatinib will be presented during the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Chicago, 3-7 June 2016. These data provide new clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of these two agents in a variety of cancers.

New lenvatinib data in thyroid cancer and renal cell cancer

New efficacy data with a focus on duration of response from the SELECT study[1] show improved duration of response to lenvatinib for patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer compared with placebo. Updated results show that 157 patients (60.2%) respond to lenvatinib and the median duration of response is 30 months (95% CI 18.4-35.2), compared with three patients (2.3%) with placebo and a median duration of response of 14.7 months (95% CI 7.5-not evaluable). Median duration of overall response is similar by subgroup, except for patients with greater disease burden and those with liver metastasis.

The final results of a single-arm open-label Phase II study[2] of lenvatinib in 51 patients with differentiated, medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancer show tumour shrinkage in almost all patients, and with manageable toxicities.

In a subgroup analysis of a Phase II study in renal cell carcinoma progression free survival benefit is maintained in high risk poor prognosis renal cancer subgroups[2] (MSKCC risk, baseline tumour size, metastasis site). Updated overall survival in the intent-to-treat population shows a trend towards improved overall survival for lenvatinib plus everolimus compared with everolimus.

New eribulin data in soft tissue sarcoma and in solid tumours

Significant benefit in overall survival is observed for eribulin compared with dacarbazine in patients with liposarcoma according to a subtype-specific analysis[3] of a Phase III study.[4] The Phase III study included patients with leiomyosarcomas or liposarcomas and results for both tumour types are published in the Lancet.[4]

In an exploratory analysis evaluating the quality of life at progression in the same Phase III study[5], there were notable increases in severity of symptoms among patients treated with dacarbazine compared with eribulin.

A phase I study shows that a liposomal formulation of eribulin is well tolerated and has promising activity in patients with solid tumours.[5]

"The results being presented at ASCO underscore Eisai's ongoing commitment to support patients with difficult to treat cancers for which there are currently too few treatment options. As part of our human health care mission we are committed to investing in innovative therapies that have the potential to improve the lives of patients and their families and deliver meaningful progress in the battle against cancer," said Kenichi Nomoto, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of the Oncology Business Group, Eisai.

The full details of the six abstracts are as follows:

Presentation Product Abstract Name Details Lenvatinib Phase II study of lenvatinib in patients Poster Abstract No: with differentiated, medullary, and Presentation: 6088 anaplastic thyroid cancer: final analysis Head and Neck results Cancer Takahashi S, et al Date: 4 June Time: 1:00-4:30 PM Lenvatinib Duration of response to lenvatinib Poster Abstract No: treatment in patients with Presentation: 6089 radioiodine-refractory differentiated Head and Neck thyroid cancer (RR-DTC) Cancer Gianoukakis A, et al Date: 4 June Time: 1:00-4:30 PM Lenvatinib Subgroup analyses from the phase 2 trial Poster Abstract No: of lenvatinib (LEN), everolimus (EVE), Presentation: 4553 and LEN+EVE in metastatic renal cell Genitourinary carcinoma (mRCC) (Non-prostate) Hutson T, et al Cancer Date: 6 June Time: 1:00-4:30 PM Eribulin Phase 1 multicenter, open label study to Poster Abstract No: establish the maximum tolerated dose Presentation: 2524 (MTD) of two administration schedules of Developmental E7389 (eribulin) liposomal formulation in Therapeutics-Clini patients (pts) with solid tumours cal Pharmacology Zubairi I, et al and Experimental Therapeutics Date: 5 June Time: 8:00-11:30 AM Eribulin Subtype specific activity in liposarcoma Poster Abstract No: (LPS) patients (pts) from a phase 3, open Presentation: 11037 label, randomised study of eribulin (ERI) Sarcoma versus dacarbazine (DTIC) in patients Date: 6 June with advanced LPS and leiomyosarcoma(LMS) Time:8:00-11:30 AM Chawla S, et al Eribulin Evaluation of quality of life at Poster Abstract No: progression in patients with soft tissue Presentation: 11015 sarcoma Sarcoma Hudgens S, et al Date: 6 June Time: 8:00-11.30 AM

Eribulin is indicated in Europe 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 unless patients were not suitable for these treatments.[6]

The European Commission has recently approved a variation to the terms of the Marketing Authorisation 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.

Lenvatinib is indicated in Europe for the treatment of adult patients with progressive locally advanced or metastatic, differentiated (papillary, follicular, Hurthle cell) thyroid carcinoma (DTC) refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI).[7]

Notes to Editors

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.

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.[6]

Lenvatinib (E7080)

Lenvatinib simultaneously inhibits VEGFR, FGFR and also RET which are especially involved in tumour angiogenesis and proliferation of thyroid cancer. [8],[9] This potentially makes lenvatinib the first TKI that simultaneously inhibits the kinase activities of FGFR 1-4 as well as VEGFR 1-3.

Lenvatinib has been approved for the treatment of refractory thyroid cancer in the United States and Japan, and has been submitted for regulatory approval in Europe, Switzerland, South Korea, Canada, Singapore, Russia, Australia and Brazil. Lenvatinib was granted Orphan Drug Designation in Japan for thyroid cancer, in the United States for treatment of follicular, medullary, anaplastic, and metastatic or locally advanced papillary thyroid cancer and in Europe for follicular and papillary thyroid cancer.

About SELECT[10],[11]

The SELECT ( S tudy of ( E 7080) LE nvatinib in Differentiated C ancer of the T hyroid) study is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study to compare the PFS of patients with RR- radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer and radiographic evidence of disease progression within the prior 13 months, treated with once-daily, oral lenvatinib (24mg) versus placebo. The study enrolled 392 patients in over 100 sites in Europe, North and South America and Asia and was conducted by Eisai in collaboration with the SFJ Pharmaceuticals Group.

About soft tissue sarcomas

Leiomyosarcomas are one of the more common types of sarcoma to develop in adults. They develop from cells called smooth muscle and can start anywhere in the body. [12] Liposarcomas arise from fat cells and can also occur anywhere in the body. Leiomyosarcomas and liposarcomas make up approximately 30% of all cases of soft tissue sarcomas.[12]

About thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer forms in the tissues of the thyroid gland, located at the base of the throat near the trachea.[13] Thyroid cancer affects more than 52,000 people in Europe each year.[14]

About renal cell carcinoma

RCC accounts for approximately 90% of all kidney malignancies and represents an estimated 2-3% of all cancer cases, with the highest incidence occurring in Western countries.[15]

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. Gianoukakis A, et al. Duration of response to lenvatinib treatment in patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC). American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting 2016; Abstract # 6089

2. Hutson T, et al. Subgroup analyses from the phase 2 trial of lenvatinib (LEN), everolimus (EVE), and LEN+EVE in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting 2016; Abstract # 4553

3. Chawla S, et al. Subtype specific activity in liposarcoma (LPS) patients (pts) from a phase 3, open label, randomised study of eribulin (ERI) versus dacarbazine (DTIC) in patients with advanced LPS and leiomyosarcoma (LMS). American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting 2016; Abstract # 11037

4. 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; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01283-0

5. Zubairi I, et al. Phase 1 multicenter, open label study to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of two administration schedules of E7389 (eribulin) liposomal formulation in patients (pts) with solid tumours. American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting 2016; Abstract # 2524

6. SPC eribulin (updated March 2016). Available at: http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/24382 . Last accessed April 2016

7. SPC lenvatinib (updated June 2015). Available at: http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/30412 . Last accessed April 2016

8. Matsui J, et al. Multi-kinase inhibitor E7080 suppresses lymph node and lung metastases of human mammary breast tumor MDA-MB-231 via inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF-R) 2 and VEGF-R3 kinase. Clin Cancer Res 2008;14:5459-65

9. Matsui J, et al. E7080, a novel inhibitor that targets multiple kinases, has potent antitumor activities against stem cell factor producing human small cell lung cancer H146, based on angiogenesis inhibition. Int J Cancer 2008;122:664-671

10. Schlumberger M, et al. Lenvatinib versus placebo in radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. NEJM 2015;372:621-30

11. Schlumberger M, et al. A phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of lenvatinib (E7080) in patients with 131I-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (SELECT). ASCO 2014 abstract #LBA6008

12. Cancer Research UK, Soft Tissue Sarcoma Incidence Statistics: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/types/soft-tissue-sarcoma/incidence/ Last accessed May 2015

13. National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/thyroid/Patient/page1/AllPages#1 Accessed: April 2016

14. EUCAN 2015. http://eu-cancer.iarc.fr/EUCAN/Cancer.aspx?Cancer=35. Accessed: April 2016

15. Ljungberg B, et al. Guidelines on Renal Cell Carcinoma. Available at: http://uroweb.org/wp-content/uploads/10-Renal-Cell-Carcinoma_LR-LV2-2015.pdf . Last accessed April 2016

SOURCE Eisai
LONDON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Study met both primary endpoints demonstrating non-inferiority in overall bowel cleansing and superiority in 'Excellent plus Good' cleansing of the ascending colon

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130829/633895-a )



Norgine B.V. today announced new positive data from the phase III MORA study for NER1006 (1 litre PEG and ascorbate bowel preparation) versus standard 2 litre PEG with ascorbate. The study met both primary endpoints showing that when administered as either a 2-day overnight or 1-day morning split-dosing regimen, and compared to 2L PEG, NER1006 was:

Non-inferior in achieving overall bowel cleansing

Non-inferior and superior in achieving 'Excellent plus Good' cleansing of the ascending colon

In addition, the study showed that as a 2-day overnight or 1-day morning split-dosing regimen, NER1006 was non-inferior in detecting adenomas and polyps in the ascending and overall colon and as a 2-day overnight split-dosing regimen, it demonstrated a superior polyp detection rate in the ascending colon.

The overall tolerability and safety profile of NER1006 was comparable to that of 2L PEG. Treatment related adverse events were mild or moderate in severity and reflected the expected safety profile of the respective treatments.

The threshold for statistical significance in this study was P<0.025 and a 10% margin was used to demonstrate non-inferiority vs. 2L PEG. [1]

Peter Martin, Norgine's Chief Operating Officer, said: "The new positive phase III MORA results for NER1006 are promising because we know that the quality of a bowel preparation is an important factor for a successful colonoscopy and detecting polyps and tumours. These data reinforce Norgine's leadership in colonoscopy to provide patients with innovative treatments."

NER1006 is not yet approved for use. Norgine intends to submit NER1006 for approval in the US and EU.

The data was presented at Digestive Disease Week on 24 May 2016, 09:30-16:30.



To view the full press release go to http://www.norgine.com

References

1. Raf Bisschops, Jonathan Manning, Lucy Clayton, Richard Ng Kwet Shing, Marco A. Alvarez-Gonzalez (2016): Efficacy and Safety of the Novel 1L PEG and Ascorbate Bowel Preparation NER1006 Versus Standard 2L PEG With Ascorbate in Overnight or Morning Split-Dosing Administration: Results from the Phase 3 Study MORA. Gastroenterology, Vol. 150, Issue 4, S1269-S1270. Abstract Tu2084.

Media Contacts:

Isabelle Jouin, T: +44-(0)1895-453643

Charlotte Andrews, T: +44-(0)1895-453607

Follow us @norgine



SOURCE Norgine B.V.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) announced today that Hadi Allawi has been hired as Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Allawi is a recognized MENA expert specializing in business strategy, intelligence and geopolitical risk analysis across multiple industries. Prior to joining BAL, Allawi led the MENA desk of a London-based specialist advisory firm assisting major multinational companies with operations in the region.

Allawi brings considerable expertise to BAL's MENA London-based practice. He will continue to expand and manage a team of experienced professionals who are dedicated to immigration matters in the region.

"I am honoured to join the BAL team and support the firm's continued growth to ensure we deliver exceptional service to our clients," said Allawi. "I look forward to leveraging my ten years of experience in the region to make BAL the leading provider of immigration services in the Middle East."

BAL Managing Director Emily King, who had previously led the firm's strategy in the Middle East, stated: "The Middle East is of great interest to many of our clients. Hadi brings considerable on-the-ground-knowledge to our matters in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and elsewhere in the region. He knows the challenges in the region and how to overcome them."

Jeremy Fudge, BAL Managing Partner, stated: "Hadi joins a strong team with a unique service offering for MENA and his expertise will give a truly strategic benefit to our clients in this region."

About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP

Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP was established in 1980 as a corporate immigration law firm. BAL provides comprehensive immigration services from 15 offices across five continents. The firm and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers Global, Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Who's Who Legal. Non-U.S. offices are operated by affiliated entities in those countries. See website for details. www.balglobal.com

Related Links

http://www.balglobal.com



SOURCE Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
DUBLIN, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Perlite - Global Strategic Business Report" report to their offering.

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Expanded Perlite in Thousand Metric Tons by the following End-Use Segments: Construction, Horticulture, Industrial, and Others. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World.

Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2015 through 2022. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research.

Company profiles are primarily based on public domain information including company URLs. The report profiles 47 companies including many key and niche players such as -

Aegean Perlites SA

Australian Perlite Pty Limited

Bergama Mining Construction Machinery Perlite Industry & Trade Inc.

Blue Pacific Minerals

Carolina Perlite Company

Key Topics Covered:

1. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

Perlite: Amorphous, Siliceous and Naturally Occurring Volcanic Rock with High Water Content

Important Physical Characteristics of Perlite

Important Chemical Features (Elemental Analysis) of Perlite

Perlite Applications in a Nutshell

Positive Signs of Economy Bodes Well for Perlite Market

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market for Expanded Perlite

US Witnesses Gradual Growth

Market Outlook

Leading Producing Nations of Perlite

2. MARKET TRENDS, GROWTH DRIVERS AND ISSUES

Rising Commercial and Residential Real Estate Investments Lends Traction to Market Growth

Expanded Perlite Enjoys Strong Foothold in the Construction Industry Rising Demand for Energy Saving

Insulating Material Provides Traction to Growth of Perlite Fiberglass and Foamed Plastics Dominate Insulation Market:

Strong Base for Perlite Favorable Regulation Drive Growth in Perlite Use in Insulation Products

Horticulture: A Lucrative End-Use Industry for Perlite Issues Confronting Horticulture and Role of Perlite in Overcoming Such Issues

Perlite Emerges as a Key Element Used in Broad Range of Industrial Applications

High Growth in High Temperature Insulation Creates Huge Demand for Perlite High Temperature

Insulation Processes Where Perlite is a Key Element Perlite Use in Ladle-topping Risering and Hot Topping Processes Require Perlite Refractories

Insulation: A Significant Application of Perlite Foundry Molding and Core Sand Mixtures Growing Demand for High Temperature Insulation in Oil and Gas Production Personal Care Products

A Lucrative Market for Perlite Perlite Fillers to Drive Demand in Various End-Use Sectors High-Performance Perlite Fillers to Gain Market Share

Rising Need to Prevent Uncontrolled Contamination in Food Production Boosts Demand for Perlite Filters

Select End-Use Applications in Industries for Perlite Filters Challenges Recycled Glass Bottles Potential Substitutes to Perlite:

A Threat Threat from Substitutes Diatomite Processing Methods End Use Applications

Vermiculite Environmental Concerns Health and Regulatory Issues Perlite

Delicate Chemical Composition Controversial Aspects Perlite Processing Industry Regulations Worldwide Europe UK Germany

3. PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Perlite

An Introduction

Composition of Perlite

Physical and Chemical Properties

Perlite Processing Stages

Crude Perlite

Expanded Perlite

Other Types

Agroperlite

Key features of Agroperlite

Perlite Filter Aid Perfil

Ceramoperlite Heat Insulation Materials

Extraction and Production Process

Perlite

An Abundant Natural Resource

End-Use Applications

Construction Applications

Concrete

Plaster

Loose Fill Insulation

Perlite

Sound Insulator

Coolite

Bitumized Perlite Roofing Base

Horticultural Applications

Processing of Horticulture Perlite

Standard Horticultural Perlite Gradations

General Specifications of Perlite Grades Used for Horticulture

Horticulture Perlite Available in Three Varied Grades with Different Capacities

Horticultural Perlite for Commercial Growers

Perlite as a Soil Conditioner

Potting Plants and Container Grown Nursery Stock

Lightweight Soilless Growing Mix

Growing Mix Container Soil

Green House Benches

Perlite as a Propagating Media

AERO-SOIL Horticultural Perlite

Agra-Perlite

Substrate-Perlite

Perl-Lome

Use of Perlite in Other Horticultural Applications

Patio Planting

Roofscape Gardening

Perlite as a Substitute for Methyl Bromide

Perlite

Negative Facet in Floriculture

Species

Industrial Applications

Perlite as Filler

Advantages of Perlite Hollow Spheres or Bubbles as Fillers

Perlite Lightweight Ultrafine Fillers

Perlite Insulation

Super Insulating Perlite

Perlite Filter Aids

Key Features of Perlite Filter Aids

Applications of Perlite Filter Aids

Food Processing

Pharmaceuticals

Industrials

Chemicals

Paints/Coatings/Textiles

Perlite

Aiding Storm Water Purification/Aqua Filtration

Perlite in the Steel and Foundry Industries

High Temperature Applications

Ladle Topping

Hot Topping and Risering

Refractories

Foundry Core and Molding Sand

Perlite/Silicate Composites

Perlite for Use in Well Cements

Key Advantages of Perlite Cement

Perlite as an Adsorbent

Perlite as a Carrier

Unique Applications of Perlite

Lightweight Perlite Molded Products

Mix Compounds

Stone Product Manufacture

Applications of Perlite Simulated Stone

Perlite Presence in Textiles Market

Perlite in Textured Coatings

Europerl Perlite

Perlite in Animal Feeds

Recycling Perlite

4. RECENT INDUSTRY ACTIVITY

Imerys Completes Acquisition of S&B Dicaperl Inaugurates New Perlite Expansion Facility

Global Habitat Takes over MX Pozzolan S.A. de C.V.

EP Minerals Inaugurates New Perlite Filtration Media Plant

5. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS

Aegean Perlites SA (Greece)

Australian Perlite Pty Limited (Australia)

Bergama Mining Construction Machinery Perlite Industry & Trade Inc. (Turkey)

Blue Pacific Minerals (New Zealand)

Carolina Perlite Company (US)

Cornerstone Industrial Minerals Corporation (US)

Dicalite Dicaperl Minerals, Corp. (US)

EaglePicher Minerals, LLC. (US)

Genper Group (Turkey)

Gulf Perlite LLC (UAE)

Imerys Filtration Minerals Inc. (US)

IPM Iperlit Mining & Construction Limited Company (Turkey)

Keltech Energies Limited (India)

Kunshan Kyung Dong Ceratech Co., Ltd. (China)

Perlite Canada, Inc. (Canada)

Perlite Vermiculite Packaging Industries, Inc. (US)

Perlitsan Endustriyel Hammaddeler Ve Madencilik A.S. (Turkey)

Pertas Metal Perlite & Natural Stones, Ltd. (Turkey)

Pull Rhenen B.V. (Netherlands)

Saudi Perlite Industries (Saudi Arabia)

Silbrico Corporation (US)

Supreme Perlite Company (US)

TERMOLITA S.A.P.I de C.V (Mexico)

The Schundler Company (US)

US Asia-Pacific Minerals, Inc. (Philippines)

Uzay Perlit Madencilik Kimya Maddeleri San. VE TIC.LTD.STI. (Turkey)

William Cox Minerals (New Zealand)

6. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

Total Companies Profiled: 47 (including Divisions/Subsidiaries 50)

The United States (16)

(16) Canada (1)

(1) Japan (1)

(1) Europe (15)

(15) - France (3)

(3) - Germany (1)

(1) - Italy (1)

(1) - Rest of Europe (10)

(10) Asia-Pacific (Excluding Japan) (11)

(Excluding Japan) (11) Latin America (2)

(2) Africa (1)

(1) Middile-East (3)

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7rmlfw/perlite_global

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
NUREMBERG, Germany, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Over half of people internationally have at least one pet

Argentina , Mexico and Brazil have highest percentage of pet-owners , followed by Russia and USA

Asians are least likely to own a pet

Over half (56 percent) of people internationally have at least one pet living with them, with dogs proving most popular in Latin America, while Russian and French pet-owners prefer cats. This is according to an online survey of over 27,000 people across 22 countries, conducted by GfK.

Across all countries surveyed, pet ownership is highest in Latin America, with 80 percent of the online population in both Argentina and Mexico owning a pet, together with three quarters (75 percent) in Brazil. The next biggest pet countries are Russia, where just under three-quarters (73 percent) own a pet, and the USA, standing at 70 percent.

Asian countries appear to have the smallest percentage of their online population who own pets. In South Korea, just 31 percent report having any pet living with them, followed by Hong Kong at 35 percent and Japan at 37 percent.

Pushan Tagore, vice president of pet care research at GfK, comments, "Although the Asian countries come lower in this list, these countries comprise a significant and growing share of the global pet market. This is due to the overall size and growth rate of their human population.

"Looking at data from our full range of pet care research, the key markets to watch over the next 12 months are China, India and LATAM. In these markets, rising disposable income is moving consumers away from table scraps and home cooked food for dogs and cats and towards prepared pet food. This is being driven by the convenience factor, as well as rising awareness of the need to feed their pets with the appropriate nutrition."

Women beat men for pet dog or cat; men beat women for pet fish

Women are slightly ahead of men for the percentage who have a pet dog or cat living with them (34 percent of women versus 32 percent of men have a dog, and 25 percent of women versus 22 percent of men have a cat). However, men are more likely than women to have pet fish (14 percent versus 11 percent).

Mexicans prefer dogs, Russians prefer cats

A third of the online population across all 22 countries reports having a dog, compared to just under a quarter (23 percent) who have a cat. Only 12 percent overall keep pet fish and six percent have a pet bird.

Dogs are the most popular pet in Argentina, where two-thirds (66 percent) of the online population are dog-owners, compared to one third (32 percent) who have a cat. Mexico comes next, with just under two-thirds (64 percent) having a dog living with them, and Brazil, where the figure is 58 percent.

Cats, on the other hand, are most popular in Russia. Here, well over half (57 percent) have a cat living with them, compared to less than a third (29 percent) who keep a dog. The next biggest country for cat-owners is France, where four out of ten (41 percent) people keep a cat, followed by the USA, at 39 percent. However, in the USA, dog-owners still outnumber the cat-owners, as half (50 percent) of online Americans have a dog living with them.

Pet fish are most popular in China, pet birds in Turkey

Keeping fish as pets is most popular in China, compared to the other countries surveyed, standing at 17 percent of the online population. This is very closely followed by Turkey (16 percent) and Belgium (15 percent).

Bird-owners, on the other hand, are most prevalent in Turkey, where one in five (20 percent) keep a pet bird. The next closest countries are Spain and Brazil, at 11 percent each - giving Turkey a considerable lead in terms of the number of bird-lovers.

View the full findings for each of the 22 countries at http://www.gfk.com/global-studies/global-study-overview/

SOURCE GfK
The technology in this platform underpins data infrastructure across China and the largest and most advanced precision medicine projects around the world  from national genome projects to gene discovery, clinical diagnostics, targeted pharmaceutical development and scientific wellness. It will link scientific excellence and data from across China through a secure nationwide network and governmental, medical, academic and industry collaborations.

A unified cloud that enables both clinical and research genomics in real time, online is the foundation for delivering precision medicine efficiently at national scale. WuXi AppTec and Huawei will follow the guidance of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and work closely with partner life-science cloud providers to develop the data standards and exchange framework required to deliver the China PMI. WuXi AppTec and WuXi NextCODE solutions already meet US CAP and CLIA standards and include HIPAA-compliant DNAnexus technology delivering the precisionFDA in the United States, so that in implementing guidelines developed by the CFDA the China Precision Medicine Cloud will be well positioned for global compliance and collaboration.

"It is an honor to have the opportunity to do our part in enabling doctors, scientists, companies and policymakers to develop and implement the most advanced precision medicine across China," said Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of WuXi AppTec. "The China Precision Medicine Cloud aims to harness unique strengths to accelerate innovation. This collaboration is a direct extension of the WuXi commitment to services with high clinical impact, leveraging big data to create the one kind of value that matters: benefit for people and patients."

"We are focused on unlocking the full potential of precision medicine in China," said Hannes Smarason, COO of WuXi NextCODE. "This is a big data challenge, and what we are creating here is the fusion of the largest scale genomics platform and the leading China cloud network. It is a win-win for China Precision Medicine and its impact here and around the world."

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei's 170,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

About WuXi AppTec

WuXi AppTec is a leading open-access R&D capability and technology platform company serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, with operations in China and the United States. As a research-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi AppTec provides pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies with a broad and integrated portfolio of laboratory and manufacturing services throughout the drug and medical device R&D process. WuXi AppTec is also building a platform to provide clinical diagnostic services directly to physicians and their patients globally. WuXi AppTec's services are designed to help its global partners in shortening the cycle and lowering the cost of drug and medical device R&D.

About WuXi NextCODE

WuXi NextCODE is a genomic information company applying sequence data to deliver better health and precision medicine for people around the world. Our uniquely comprehensive open-access capabilities include CLIA- and CAP-certified sequencing; a novel database architecture that mines and manages more genomes than any other; the world's leading genome interpretation and discovery system, available installed or in the cloud; a pioneering internet of DNA that enables users to query and collaborate using massive genomic datasets online with unrivalled resolution and efficiency; the know-how to apply genomics to optimize drug development; and a growing range of tests and scans to improve rare disease diagnosis, targeted cancer treatment, and wellness. With offices in Shanghai, Cambridge, Massachusetts and Reykjavik, we serve companies and health systems, clinicians and researchers, and people and populations worldwide. WuXi NextCODE is a subsidiary of WuXi AppTec.

Contacts:

Edward Farmer Aaron Shi WuXi NextCODE WuXi AppTec efarmer@nextcode.com aaron_shi@wuxiapptec.com +1 (781) 775 6206 +86-21 5046-4362

Related Links

http://www.wuxinextcode.com



SOURCE WuXi NextCODE
DUBAI and ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The wearables market is on the rise, and is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. In a recent Forbes report, the global wearable technology market is expected to be worth $34 billion by 2020.

With the emergence of a more affluent consumer health market, wearables are poised to revolutionize the healthcare industry. In line with this market trend, HIMSS Middle East and WATCH society will collaborate to hold the WATCH society conference on 1 November during the UAE eHealth Week Dubai leg.

According to Dr. Homero Rivas, WATCH Vice President and Secretary, wearables can be powerful, unobtrusive and elegant so they offer a variety of solutions for clinical use and patient-related issues. As the congress president for last year's WATCH conference, Dr. Rivas also mentioned that generated data resulting from the use of wearables will offer exciting propositions for medical science and patient treatment.

Implementing successful implementation of wearables in the healthcare industry requires academic evidence, research, and partnerships to ensure that patient safety and care quality are significantly improved while investments remain sustainable. Currently, multiple challenges abound. This includes scalability, patient privacy, physician resistance and costs.

It will be significant for UAE Healthcare that the UAE eHealth Week and WATCH conference will be held concurrently, giving attendees the opportunity to discuss how wearable technologies can contribute to patient-centered care and better healthcare outcomes for the years to come as digitization continues to transform how, when and where care is delivered and received.

Topics discussed include:

Adopting Wearable Technologies  Innovation versus Governance

The Physician and Patient Sides of Wearables

Finding Opportunities for Digital Health & Wearables in Healthcare

The Future of Wearable Technologies  Global and Regional Perspectives

With the UAE healthcare market expected to grow by 7% from 2015 to 2020. UAE eHealth Week and WATCH Conference will offer invaluable opportunities to network with innovative minds and decision makers, and ultimately help shape the future of wearable technologies.

Visit www.uaeehealthweek.org for more information.

Related Links

http://www.uaeehealthweek.org



SOURCE HIMSS Middle East
HELSBY, England, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

A Cheshire-based couple have successfully launched the company Bags by BLACK which imports lifestyle/laptop bags, designed in Johannesburg, as they were bored with what the UK had to offer. Jill and Roger Maher became increasingly frustrated by the lack of products on the UK market when trying to source a suitable and affordable laptop bag, that would take a 15.6" laptop, tablet, smartphone, cables and accessories but also looked stylish and unique. Jill and Roger Maher's mantra is "Functionality doesn't have to be boring". Roger explains: "The BUDDI and LEXI bags partner properly crafted materials with style, durability and functionality, allowing you to transport your technology and everyday essentials in one bag whatever your style." Designed for business, leisure and travel, Bags by BLACK make a bold and lasting first impression, blending seamlessly into your life, making it easy to take your technology with you.

"The BLACK range was discovered by a friend of ours living in Johannesburg who insisted we try out one of their bags," says director Jill Maher. "So we tried one and loved it so much that we arranged a meeting with the designer Vivienne Black and flew out to meet her in October 2015." Black, who knows a thing or two about designing a great bag, had been thinking about developing the brand in the UK and during the meeting it was agreed that the Mahers could bring the BLACK range to market in UK and Europe. Because the bags had never been seen outside of Africa, a new company called Bags by BLACK was created to raise brand awareness, and after a very successful launch of the BUDDI and LEXI bags at The Gadget Show Live in Birmingham last month, the fan base and press buzz is growing. More Bags by BLACK designs are flying in from South Africa during May 2016 and will be unleashed after a photo shoot in London.

About Bags by BLACK

Bags by BLACK are the sole UK & European Distributors for the BLACK range of lifestyle laptop bags and backpacks designed by Vivienne Black in Johannesburg. Bags by BLACK is owned by Roger and Jill Maher and was launched at The Gadget Show Live Exhibition in April 2016. The company currently sells through its own online website.

Check out their range and the amazing new photoshoot, which features top London landmarks:

Hi Res & Low Res Images are available to download here http://www.bagsbyblack.com/PressRelease-240516

Website: http://www.BagsbyBLACK.com

SOURCE BAGS by BLACK
Running from March 28 to June 26 and featuring works from artists from 15 countries and regions around the world, the exhibition's theme is "Utopias/Heterotopias," and aims to encourage meaningful dialogue between contemporary artists from east and west to explore new channels for inspiration.

Wuzhen's unique mix of traditional and contemporary made a particular impression on American visual artist Ann Hamilton, who said, "What drew me here was how everything feels so far away from modern life in the big cities. The handcrafting culture is still really noticeable here, and the architecture makes the town feel like a living museum."

"That in many ways relates to my questions about how, in a world dominated by technology, the process and historical meaning of making things by hand takes on a particular significance."

Acclaimed Chinese artist Xu Bing spoke very highly of the exhibition's professional level and the respect as well as recognition showed to the artists' works. "It is displaying contemporary work by Chinese and international artists on the same, localized platform and triggering in-depth discussions about both the characteristics and blind spots of contemporary art," Xu said.

Xu brought two works to Wuzhen. The Character of Characters is composing a harmonious sense of participation with the strong regional culture of Wuzhen, while the Dragonfly Eyes expresses his recent thinking on how to cope with the development of contemporary human civilization.

Song Dong, who is displaying the installation art Avenue Square, said that Wuzhen itself is like a piece of art. "Wuzhen is also an incubator that preserves the ancient and historic town and keeps generating new ideas," he said.

In addition to the 130 pieces from 40 artists, the exhibition also includes various public education events on worldwide contemporary art as well as workshops for children and young people.

About Wuzhen

Wuzhen is a traditional ancient Chinese water town located one hour from Shanghai. With 1,300 years of history, Wuzhen combines more than 10 cultural landscapes including folk museums and celebrity residences with contemporary art elements and modern resort facilities to offer visitors an unparalleled leisure experience.

SOURCE Culture Wuzhen Co., Ltd.
More than 200 participants from Mainland China, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and Japan attended the conference for in-depth discussions on approaches to educational reform, to exchange experiences of reform practice, and to build collaboration opportunities.

Dr Xiaojun Zhang, deputy director of XJTLU's Institute of Leadership and Education Advanced Development (ILEAD), and coordinator of the event, said that the conference was a culmination of XJTLU's 10 years of exploration and practice in higher education.

"XJTLU and its peers from higher education explored trends in higher education development and discussed the direction of higher education reform over the next 10 years and beyond, contributing to the reform and development of higher education in China and internationally," he said.



To promote the importance of "talent training" in higher education and to draw attention to the adoption of a student-centred approach to education, ILEAD released a handbook on student-centred educational systems during the conference.

Professor Xi, executive president of XJTLU said: "The core position of talent training is still not fully reflected in current education. The majority of traditional Chinese education institutions are still focused on knowledge teaching and do not pay enough attention to students' development."

Higher education in China is shifting towards adopting a student-centred approach, subverting the popularity of the traditional teacher-centred approach. The handbook introduces what is meant by a student-centred education system and analyses existing challenges for domestic Chinese universities in light of educational reforms.

During the annual conference the XJTLU Annual Teaching Innovation Award in Higher Education was also presented in order to reward innovation in teaching in higher education. Sixty teachers from 23 universities across China were nominated in the final round.

On receiving the award, Professor Wan Xi from Chongqing University of Science and Technology thanked XJTLU and ILEAD for developing a national platform to exchange ideas in teaching and learning.

"The XJTLU Annual Teaching Innovation Award in Higher Education presentations have given university teachers at different levels a channel to demonstrate their innovative teaching and learn from each other through to further spread of the student-centered teaching philosophy," she said.

SOURCE Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
BELLEVUE, Wash., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RCO Legal, P.S. ("RCO"), one of the leading mortgage banking legal services firm in the U.S., announced that attorney Janice Celotti is rejoining the firm to lead its new Mortgage Claims Resolution Group. With more than 25 years in financial services, Celotti is rejoining RCO after decades of protecting the interests of clients in the mortgage industry.

In her role as head of RCO's Mortgage Claims Resolution Group, Celotti will serve on the RCO management team and help guide the firm's growth in the areas of litigation and mortgage claims resolution. She will draw on her decades of investigative and case preparation experience to lead overall strategy for the team at RCO.

"At RCO, we go beyond providing standard legal services. We do more. Our bold work has shaped new laws and landmark decisions that have transformed the industry. We continually look for inventive ways to expand our offerings," said Stephen Routh, President and CEO, RCO. "Janice's leadership, background in exposing and battling mortgage fraud, and impressive track record in holding fraudsters accountable make her the perfect fit to help us expand our services in this new area."

Prior to joining RCO Legal, Celotti served on the Executive Committee for the MBA Quality Assurance Committee and also served as the Chair of the MBA's Fraud and Ethics Subcommittee. She is a frequent lecturer for The Mortgage Bankers Association, California's Rutter Group, and various other legal and mortgage industry educational groups on topics involving mortgage fraud, claims resolution and civil litigation. Celotti is admitted to practice law in the states of Arizona, California, and Washington.

"I'm thrilled to return to RCO to help build this new practice," said Janice Celotti. "It has been my life's work to help my clients in the financial services industry protect their valuable investments. I'm looking forward to marrying this work with the world-class default legal services already offered at RCO."

About RCO Legal, P.S.

RCO is a full-service mortgage banking law firm dedicated to representing creditors' rights. Tracing its roots to the 1970s, RCO and its related firms operate offices in thirteen states  RCO's team of attorneys and professionals are dedicated to protecting and preserving the interests of our servicing and investor clients. RCO's attorneys practice in the areas of commercial and consumer real estate, foreclosure, bankruptcy, title curative, compliance, and debt recovery law.

SOURCE RCO Legal, P.S.
BRUSSELS, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Actus Digital announced today that Cignal TV has deployed Actus broadcast monitoring and media intelligent platform for TOA recording of MCR TV channels. Actus provides Cignal TV a broadcast recording solution as well as a system to support the marketing requirements. The recorded TV contents are available for simultaneous users, for clips viewing, clips creation and quality assurance.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371286

"With Actus recording and logging system, time consuming processes became immediate and efficient for all concerned teams. The recorded contents are readily available 24 x 7 for review, clip creation and can be exported immediately when needed by our Channels and Marketing Team", says Gilbert D. Tan, TOC Supervisor of Cignal TV. Actus View robust system enables users with permissions to easily access the recorded contents with a user-friendly interface using Web Browsers. This solution was aimed on building trust and confidence with Advertisers that Cignal TV is only delivering competitive and high-quality broadcast contents to its viewers.

"Actus View is not only a reliable and cost effective solution for recording TV channels, but also provides other integrated added values such as exporting clips, competitive monitoring and more', said Raphael Renous, Actus CTO. "We are very happy that Cignal TV has chosen Actus media monitoring platform for its recording requirements. It proves us once again that the broadcast industry trusts Actus solution as a critical 24 x 7 recording system, making sure no media will be lost."

Cignal TV awarded TechTwist Corporation the contract to deploy the Actus View solution for Broadcast Recording and Media Monitoring. The Actus team worked closely with TechTwist Corporation to design a winning workflow. "We were selected as a team together with Actus Digital because of the advanced capabilities, effectiveness, and reliability our systems have," said Peter Olase, CEO, TechTwist Corporation. "Together, the system installation and implementation was fast and efficient."

About Cignal TV

Launched in 2009, Cignal is the Philippines' premier DTH satellite provider using Broadcast Satellite Technology. Cignal TV broadcast premium TV content to both households and establishments nationwide. Cignal transmits 105 SD and 29 HD channels, including free-to-air and a varied mix of 12 audio channels. Cignal TV also offers on-demand viewing via Pay-Per-View subscription offers, as well as online streaming via a Front Seat website and app.

As of 2015, Cignal TV has gained over 1,180,000 subscribers, making it the most subscribed Pay-TV provider in the Philippines!

About TechTwist Corporation

TechTwist aims to become the market leader in delivering technology advancements in its various platforms to customers in the Philippines and eventually other parts of the world. The goal of the company is to provide solutions to their clients that will help maximize operations efficiency and reap long-term benefits. TechTwist strives to achieve this by offering state-of-the-art technology, innovation, leadership and partnership.

About Actus Digital

Actus Digital (www.actusdigital.com) is a leading provider of enterprise media intelligence platform, for broadcast monitoring and compliance logging. Actus solutions are designed for broadcasters, networks, cable and IPTV operators, and governments.

Actus platform is a cost effective compliance solution that complies with all regulators requirements, such as closed caption and loudness. It also provides a solution for content repurposing for the Web, social media, VOD, OTT and Catchup TV as well as automatic ads tracking for competitive analysis and ads verification. Actus Alert Center provides audio and video alerts to assure high quality content.

Actus Digital would like to invite you to our booth in BCA (5-A5-12) and present you our broadcast recording and monitoring platform for compliance recording, clips creation for Web, social media, VOD, OTT and Catchup TV, for rating and competitive analysis, for automatic ads detection and for real time alerts on audio and video issues.

To schedule a meeting in BCA:

http://actusdigital.com/bca16-meet-us/

Please meet us at BCA 2016, booth 5-A5-12

Please visit: www.actusdigital.com

Mail: [email protected]

Follow Actus Digital on:

Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+

SOURCE Actus Digital

Related Links

http://actusdigital.com


NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (NYSE: ANW) ("Aegean" or the "Company") today announced financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016.

First Quarter Financial Highlights

Recorded record sales volumes of 4,212,636 metric tons.

Achieved gross profit of $80.9 million .

. Generated operating income of $18.3 million .

. Recorded net income attributable to Aegean shareholders of $11.8 million or $0.24 basic and diluted earnings per share.

or basic and diluted earnings per share. Generated EBITDA of $27.1 million .

First Quarter Operational Highlights

Commenced operations in Algoa Bay, South Africa , further expanding global platform.

, further expanding global platform. Operated storage facilities, including the Fujairah terminal, at or near 100% capacity.

terminal, at or near 100% capacity. Strategically relocated certain vessels from lower-activity markets to higher-growth regions.

E. Nikolas Tavlarios, Aegean's President, commented, "In the first quarter, we recorded record sales volumes despite low commodity prices, including fuel oil at its lowest point since 2003, which impacted gross spread. Despite this economic headwind, our unique business model enabled Aegean to capitalize on growth opportunities across our global platform serving 33 markets with more than 60 ports. Consistent with our goal of opportunistically entering new markets, we launched bunkering operations in Algoa Bay, a market with strong growth potential. We are pleased with the progress to date in this and remain committed to providing customers with a faster, more efficient and affordable alternative in the region."

Mr. Tavlarios continued, "To ensure Aegean is well positioned for continued success, we have addressed and are implementing a number of initiatives to drive efficiency and reduce costs to strengthen the Company. These initiatives include maximizing efficient use of our diversified platform, reducing expenses across the organization, and optimizing and investing resources in the most attractive markets. As we move forward, we are confident that these decisive actions will ensure Aegean is positioned for future growth and value creation for shareholders."

Generating Solid Financial Results

Revenue  The Company reported total revenue of $752.9 million for Q1 2016, a decrease of 25.8% compared to the same period in 2015 due to the drop in oil prices. Voyage and other revenues decreased to $18.1 million or by 12.1% compared to the same period in 2015.

for Q1 2016, a decrease of 25.8% compared to the same period in 2015 due to the drop in oil prices. Voyage and other revenues decreased to or by 12.1% compared to the same period in 2015. Gross profit  Gross Profit, which equals total revenue less directly attributable cost of revenue increased by 0.4% to $80.9 million in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $80.6 million in the same period in 2015.

in the first quarter of 2016 compared to in the same period in 2015. Operating Expense  The Company reported operating expense of $62.6 million , an increase of $2.0 million or 3.3% compared to the same period in prior year.

, an increase of or 3.3% compared to the same period in prior year. Operating Income  Operating income for Q1 was $18.3 million , a decrease of 9.0% compared to the same period in prior year.

, a decrease of 9.0% compared to the same period in prior year. Net Income  The Company achieved net income attributable to Aegean shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2016 of $11.8 million , or $0.24 basic and diluted earnings per share a decrease of $0.4 million or 3.3% compared to the same period in 2015.

Operational Metrics

Sales Volume  For the three months ended March 31, 2016 , the Company reported record marine fuel sales volumes of 4,212,636 metric tons, an increase of 44.5% compared with the same period in 2015. Marine fuel sales volume excluding bulk trading was 4,120,114 metric tons, an increase of 41.3% compared with the same period in 2015.

, the Company reported record marine fuel sales volumes of 4,212,636 metric tons, an increase of 44.5% compared with the same period in 2015. Marine fuel sales volume excluding bulk trading was 4,120,114 metric tons, an increase of 41.3% compared with the same period in 2015. EBITDA Per Metric Ton  For the three months ended March 31, 2016 , the Company reported EBITDA per metric ton sold of $6.44 . EBITDA per metric ton in the prior year period was $9.58 per metric ton.

, the Company reported EBITDA per metric ton sold of . EBITDA per metric ton in the prior year period was per metric ton. Gross Spread Per Metric Ton  For the three months ended March 31, 2016 , the Company reported gross spread per metric ton on an aggregate basis of $17.6 per metric ton. Gross spread per metric ton in the prior year period was $24.1 per metric ton.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Net cash provided by operating activities was $10.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 . Net income as adjusted for non-cash items (as defined in Note 9 below) was $50.9 million for the period.

for the three months ended . Net income as adjusted for non-cash items (as defined in Note 9 below) was for the period. Net cash used in investing activities was $8.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 , primarily due to the acquisition of a second hand vessel.

for the three months ended , primarily due to the acquisition of a second hand vessel. Net cash used in financing activities was $6.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 , mainly due to the repayment of short-term debt.

for the three months ended , mainly due to the repayment of short-term debt. As of March 31, 2016 , the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $135.9 million and working capital of $361.2 million . Non-cash working capital, or working capital excluding cash and debt, was $489.5 million .

, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of and working capital of . Non-cash working capital, or working capital excluding cash and debt, was . As of March 31, 2016 , the Company had $957.7 million undrawn amounts under its working capital facilities and $135.9 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents to finance working capital requirements.

, the Company had undrawn amounts under its working capital facilities and of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents to finance working capital requirements. The weighted average basic and diluted shares outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was 47,545,710. The weighted average basic and diluted shares outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was 46,840,532 respectively.

Spyros Gianniotis, Aegean's Chief Financial Officer, stated, "We are proud to have achieved our 21st consecutive quarter of profitability. We continue to take decisive actions to maintain our strong financial position and significant liquidity in the current challenging environment. Aegean has continued to perform in a variety of market conditions and has executed a plan to increase earnings per share of more than 57% on an adjusted basis over the last four years. We have a track record of maintaining a strong balance sheet, responsibly managing our debt and successfully and quickly de-levering. We are confident the financial and operational actions we are taking will help enable Aegean to continue enhancing value for our shareholders in the near- and long-term."

Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data (Unaudited)









For the Three Months Ended March 31,



2015

2016



(in thousands of U.S. dollars, unless

otherwise stated Income Statement Data:









Revenues - third parties $ 1,010,956 $ 748,516

Revenues - related companies

4,147

4,416

Total revenues

1,015,103

752,932

Cost of revenues - third parties

892,272

661,626

Cost of revenues - related companies

42,209

10,438

Total cost of revenues

934,481

672,064

Gross profit

80,622

80,868

Operating expenses:









Selling and distribution

49,817

50,772

General and administrative

10,306

11,496

Amortization of intangible assets

374

300

Loss on sale of vessels, net

130

-

Operating income

19,995

18,300

Net financing cost

(9,326)

(9,361)

Foreign exchange gain, net

34

239

Income taxes benefit

1,521

2,592

Net income attributable to AMPNI shareholders $ 12,224 $ 11,770

Basic earnings per share (U.S. dollars) $ 0.25 $ 0.24

Diluted earnings per share (U.S. dollars) $ 0.25 $ 0.24













EBITDA(1) $ 27,807 $ 27,147













Other Financial Data:









Gross spread on marine petroleum products(2) $ 71,610 $ 75,068

Gross spread on lubricants(2)

1,239

734

Gross spread on marine fuel(2)

70,371

74,334

Gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold (U.S. dollars) (2)

24.1

17.6

Net cash (used in) / provided by operating activities

(23,751)

10,944

Net cash used in investing activities

(2,844)

(8,755)

Net cash used in financing activities $ (5,151) $ (6,024)













Sales Volume Data (Metric Tons): (3)









Total sales volumes

2,915,450

4,212,636













Other Operating Data:









Number of owned bunkering tankers, end of period(4)

48.0

49.0

Average number of owned bunkering tankers(4)(5)

48.0

49.0

Special Purpose Vessels, end of period (6)

1.0

1.0

Number of operating storage facilities, end of period(7)

15.0

14.0



Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data (Unaudited)





As of December 31, 2015 As of March 31, 2016











(in thousands of U.S. dollars,

unless otherwise stated) Balance Sheet Data:



Cash and cash equivalents

139,314 135,886 Gross trade receivables

317,152 333,699 Allowance for doubtful accounts

(7,278) (8,059) Inventories

114,531 117,826 Current assets

730,950 740,638 Total assets

1,445,555 1,456,501 Trade payables

72,417 73,688 Current liabilities (including current portion of long-term debt)

384,555 379,426 Total debt

705,559 703,139 Total liabilities

824,029 821,797 Total stockholder's equity

621,526 634,704







Working Capital Data:





Working capital(8)

346,395 361,212 Working capital excluding cash and debt(8)

477,594 489,458









Notes:

1. EBITDA represents net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA does not represent and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operations, as determined by United States generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP, and our calculation of EBITDA may not be comparable to that recorded by other companies. EBITDA is included herein because it is a basis upon which the Company assesses its operating performance and because the Company believes that it presents useful information to investors regarding a company's ability to service and/or incur indebtedness. The following table reconciles net income to EBITDA for the periods presented:



For the Three Months Ended March 31,

2015 2016

(in thousands of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise stated) Net income attributable to AMPNI shareholders 12,224 11,770





Add: Net financing cost including amortization of financing costs 9,326 9,361 Add: Income tax benefit (1,521) (2,592) Add: Depreciation and amortization excluding amortization of financing costs 7,778 8,608





EBITDA 27,807 27,147

2. Gross spread on marine petroleum products represents the margin the Company generates on sales of marine fuel and lubricants. Gross spread on marine fuel represents the margin that the Company generates on sales of various classifications of marine fuel oil ("MFO") or marine gas oil ("MGO"). Gross spread on lubricants represents the margin that the Company generates on sales of lubricants. Gross spread on marine petroleum products, gross spread of MFO and gross spread on lubricants are not items recognized by U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to gross profit or any other indicator of a Company's operating performance required by U.S. GAAP. The Company's definition of gross spread may not be the same as that used by other companies in the same or other industries. The Company calculates the above-mentioned gross spreads by subtracting from the sales of the respective marine petroleum product the cost of the respective marine petroleum product sold and cargo transportation costs. For arrangements in which the Company physically supplies the respective marine petroleum product using its bunkering tankers, costs of the respective marine petroleum products sold represents amounts paid by the Company for the respective marine petroleum product sold in the relevant reporting period. For arrangements in which the respective marine petroleum product is purchased from the Company's related company, Aegean Oil S.A., or Aegean Oil, cost of the respective marine petroleum products sold represents the total amount paid by the Company to the physical supplier for the respective marine petroleum product and its delivery to the custom arrangements, in which the Company purchases cargos of marine fuel for its floating storage facilities. Transportation costs may be included in the purchase price of marine fuels from the supplier or may be incurred separately from a transportation provider. Gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold represents the margin the Company generates per metric ton of marine fuel sold. The Company calculates gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold by dividing the gross spread on marine fuel by the sales volume of marine fuel. Marine fuel sales do not include sales of lubricants. The following table reflects the calculation of gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold for the periods presented:



For the Three Months Ended

March 31,



2015

2016





Sales of marine petroleum products 994,545

734,815

Less: Cost of marine petroleum products sold (922,935)

(659,747)

Gross spread on marine petroleum products 71,610

75,068

Less: Gross spread on lubricants (1,239)

(734)

Gross spread on marine fuel 70,371

74,334











Sales volume of marine fuel (metric tons) 2,915,450

4,212,636











Gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold (U.S. dollars) 24.1

17.6



3. Sales volume of marine fuel is the volume of sales of various classifications of MFO and MGO for the relevant period and is denominated in metric tons. The Company does not include the sales volume of lubricants in the calculation of gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold.



4. Bunkering fleet comprises both bunkering vessels and barges.



5. Figure represents average bunkering fleet number for the relevant period, as measured by the sum of the number of days each bunkering tanker or barge was used as part of the fleet during the period divided by the cumulative number of calendar days in the period multiplied by the number of bunkering tankers at the end of the period. This figure does not take into account non-operating days due to either scheduled or unscheduled maintenance.



6. Special Purpose Vessels consists of the Orion, a 550 dwt tanker which is based in our Greek market.



7. The Company owns two barges, the Mediterranean and Umnenga, as floating storage facilities in Greece and South Africa. The Company also operates on-land storage facilities in Las Palmas, Fujairah, Tangiers, Panama, the U.S.A., Hamburg and Barcelona.





The ownership of storage facilities allows the Company to mitigate its risk of supply shortages. Generally, storage costs are included in the price of refined marine fuel quoted by local suppliers. The Company expects that the ownership of storage facilities will allow it to convert the variable costs of this storage fee mark-up per metric ton quoted by suppliers into fixed costs of operating its owned storage facilities, thus enabling the Company to spread larger sales volumes over a fixed cost base and to decrease its refined fuel costs.



8. Working capital is defined as current assets minus current liabilities. Working capital excluding cash and debt is defined as current assets minus cash and cash equivalents minus restricted cash minus current liabilities plus short-term borrowings plus current portion of long-term debt.



9. Net income as adjusted for non-cash items, such as depreciation, provision for doubtful accounts, restricted stock, amortization, deferred income taxes, loss on sale of vessels, net, impairment losses, unrealized loss/(gain) on derivatives and unrealized foreign exchange loss/(gain), net, is used to assist in evaluating our ability to make quarterly cash distributions. Net income as adjusted for non-cash items is not recognized by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or any other indicator of the Company's performance required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

First Quarter 2016 Dividend Announcement

On May 23, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors declared a first quarter 2016 dividend of $0.02 per share payable on June 21, 2016 to shareholders of record as of June 7, 2016. The dividend amount was determined in accordance with the Company's dividend policy of paying cash dividends on a quarterly basis subject to factors including the requirements of Marshall Islands law, future earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, future prospects and such other factors as are determined by the Company's Board of Directors. The Company anticipates retaining most of its future earnings, if any, for use in operations and business expansion.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. will conduct a conference call and simultaneous Internet webcast on Wednesday, May 25th, 2016 at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time, to discuss its first quarter results. Investors may access the webcast and related slide presentation, by visiting the Company's website at www.ampni.com, and clicking on the webcast link. The conference call also may be accessed via telephone by dialing (888) 438-5491 (for U.S.-based callers) or (719) 325-2428 (for international callers) and enter the passcode: 6450144.

If you are unable to participate at this time, a replay of the call will be available for two weeks at 888-203-1112 or 719-457-0820. Enter the code 6450144 to access the audio replay. The webcast will also be archived on the Company's website:

http://www.ampni.com.

About Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. is an international marine fuel logistics company that markets and physically supplies refined marine fuel and lubricants to ships in port and at sea. The Company procures product from various sources (such as refineries, oil producers, and traders) and resells it to a diverse group of customers across all major commercial shipping sectors and leading cruise lines. Currently, Aegean has a global presence in 33 markets and a team of professionals ready to serve our customers wherever they are around the globe. For additional information please visit: www.ampni.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include our ability to manage growth, our ability to maintain our business in light of our proposed business and location expansion, our ability to obtain double hull secondhand bunkering tankers, the outcome of legal, tax or regulatory proceedings to which we may become a party, adverse conditions in the shipping or the marine fuel supply industries, our ability to retain our key suppliers and key customers, material disruptions in the availability or supply of crude oil or refined petroleum products, changes in the market price of petroleum, including the volatility of spot pricing, increased levels of competition, compliance or lack of compliance with various environmental and other applicable laws and regulations, our ability to collect accounts receivable, changes in the political, economic or regulatory conditions in the markets in which we operate, and the world in general, our failure to hedge certain financial risks associated with our business, our ability to maintain our current tax treatments and our failure to comply with restrictions in our credit agreements and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

SOURCE Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.

Related Links

http://www.ampni.com


ALLENTOWN, Pa., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- InfoGenius.com, Inc., a software company and developer of the leading real-time web application monitoring solution, AlertBot, is pleased to announce that they will exhibit at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE) 2016 in Booth # 841. The conference will take place June 7-10, 2016 at McCormick Place West in Chicago, IL. At IRCE, AlertBot will be demonstrating its TrueBrowser Web Application Monitoring solution. TrueBrowser technology combines advanced performance tracking and error detection with real web browser testing to provide customers with best-in-class website monitoring solutions. Downtime of any length can be costly for any website or online retailer; AlertBot's Website Monitoring Service uses TrueBrowser technology to launch real web browsers and test websites inside those browsers, including mission-critical financial transactions conducted on e-commerce-driven websites, login pages and other mission-critical pages.

"We're looking forward to showcasing AlertBot's TrueBrowser technology and capabilities at the Retail Industry's Leading E-Commerce Conference and Tradeshow (IRCE)", states Pedro Pequeno, President of InfoGenius.com, Inc. He continues: "Over the past 10-years, AlertBot has been deployed and proven in countless real-world applications by some of the leading names in the e-commerce space and this gives us another opportunity to demonstrate our advanced technology."

AlertBot serves over 10,000 users with 200 million website checks per month using its network of over 100 locations, spanning 6 continents worldwide. Their Synthetic Monitoring is designed to detect all possible application errors and collect important performance metrics as part of its monitoring routine. This data gives businesses including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Chrysler, Mutual of Omaha, Sony, Microsoft & Dell Computing the information they need to ensure their applications are always running error-free and providing a quality user experience.

About AlertBot:

Since launching in 2006, AlertBot has provided industry-leading TrueBrowser web application monitoring. Thousands of companies trust AlertBot to continuously monitor their mission critical websites for errors and performance issues that affect user experience. Visit www.AlertBot.com for more information.

About InfoGenius.com, Inc.:

Founded in 1999 by a group of engineers, InfoGenius prides itself in building and delivering quality enterprise-class services that help businesses, both small and large, realize their greatest potential online. InfoGenius conducts its business through its network of independently branded services including AlertBot, ELayer and UptimeSafe. Visit www.infogenius.com for more information.

Contact for InfoGenius.com, Inc.:

John DiBiase, Digital Media Specialist, AlertBot Services at (610) 231-3799

SOURCE InfoGenius.com, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.infogenius.com


SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, June 11, 2016, Alliance Health and its corporate team of over thirty riders will be participating as the Premier Red Rider sponsor for the Tour de Cure Utah bike ride and 5K in Brigham City. The $15,000 sponsorship from Alliance Health, as well as all funds raised during Tour de Cure, will be donated to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for critical diabetes research and to help the ADA in their fight to Stop Diabetes. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Tour de Cure.

"We're excited about the level of employee participation for this important event, which perfectly matches our corporate mission of improving the lives of people with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes," said Robb Lifferth, Vice President of Human Relations and board member with the Utah ADA. "This cause is near and dear to my heart for personal reasonsmy son Ethan was diagnosed with T1D at age seven, and I hope one day we can find a cure for kids like him."

As the Premier Red Rider sponsor, Alliance Health has donated $15,000 to the ADA for diabetes research and advocacy. The company has encouraged employees to ride or run in the race, with an employee goal of raising an additional $7,500. Alliance Health will also be providing 1,000 ice towels for riders and 200 water bottles for Red Riders. This is the company's second year participating in Tour de Cure Utah.

All are encouraged to ride, run or donate to Stop Diabetes. More information can be found at http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=11088 and http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TourAdmin?team_id=724462&pg=team&fr_id=11088.

About Alliance Health

Alliance Health is a leading provider of digital health and solutions for people with chronic conditions. With an independent network of pharmacies and multiple online communities tailored to the needs of people with chronic conditions, Alliance Health connects individuals to prescriptions, resources and support to help them stay on therapy. Alliance Health's goal is to personalize and simplify the process of chronic condition management and is leading a revolution in healthcare by putting people at the center of our business.

Headquartered in South Jordan, Utah, Alliance Health is a privately held company with more than 700 team members. For more information, go to www.alliancehealth.com

Media Contact:

Brian Watkins

801-727-0080

[email protected]

SOURCE Alliance Health

Related Links

http://www.alliancehealth.com


AGOURA HILLS, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) (the "Company"), a leading provider of high quality single-family homes for rent, announced today that the Company will make a presentation at NAREIT REITWeek 2016 in New York at the Waldorf Astoria. The presentation will begin at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, June 7, 2016. A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available on the Company's website at www.americanhomes4rent.com under the "For Investors" tab. A replay of the webcast will be available through June 21, 2016.

About American Homes 4 Rent

American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) is a leader in the single-family home rental industry and "American Homes 4 Rent" is fast becoming a nationally recognized brand for rental homes, known for high quality, good value and tenant satisfaction. We are an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust, or REIT, focused on acquiring, renovating, leasing, and operating attractive, single-family homes as rental properties. As of March 31, 2016, we owned 47,955 single-family properties in selected submarkets in 22 states.

Additional information about American Homes 4 Rent is available on our website at www.americanhomes4rent.com.

Contact:

American Homes 4 Rent

Investor Relations

Phone: (855)794-2447

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE American Homes 4 Rent

Related Links

http://www.americanhomes4rent.com


Addition of 4,870 acre Colorado Project to increase Fish Lake Valley lithium brine portfolio to 18,552 contiguous acres

Addition of 2,240 Acre San Emidio Project 100 km NE of Reno - home to Tesla's Gigafactory, to increase total Nevada lithium brine portfolio to 20,790 acres

Company has assembled the largest contiguous land position in Fish Lake Valley , Esmeralda County, Nevada

VANCOUVER, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - American Lithium Corp. (TSXV: Li) ("American Lithium" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the outstanding share capital of 1067323 B.C. Ltd. ("1067323"), an arm's-length privately-held British Columbia based mineral exploration company. At the closing of the acquisition, the Company's total Nevada lithium brine portfolio will increase to 20,790 acres (8,413 hectares), including 18,552 contiguous acres (7,508 hectares) in Fish Lake Valley, Esmeralda County, and 2,240 acres (907 hectares) in Washoe County.

1067323 holds the rights to acquire a series of 193 placer and 44 lode claims, over 4,870 acres (1971 hectares) in Fish Lake Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada (the "Colorado Property"). Additionally, 1067323 holds the rights to acquire the San Emidio property ("San Emidio Property"), representing a series of twenty-eight (28) placer claims, over 2,240 acres (907 hectares) in Washoe County, Nevada. The Company will issue 6,000,000 common shares to acquire all of the outstanding share capital of 1067323.

American Lithium CEO, Mike Kobler commented, "In acquiring the Colorado and San Emidio properties, we have increased our Nevada portfolio of highly prospective lithium brine projects to over 20,000 acres. The acquisition of the Colorado property completes our Fish Lake Valley acquisition strategy at 18,550 contiguous acres and positions American Lithium as the dominant claim holder in this important lithium brine basin. The acquisition of the San Emidio property located in north Nevada now moves us to the next stage of our strategy as we begin to diversify our asset base by identifying and acquiring the best lithium properties in the state." Mr. Kobler continued, "The San Emidio property was the focus of extensive exploration programs carried out over a four year period including a gravity geophysical survey completed in 2011, which indicates that an earlier discovered near surface lithium brine anomaly occurs on the west side of a basinal low. The proximity to a feature of this nature and the presence of lithium in the brines are criteria that are necessary for the formation of a Silver Peak style lithium brine deposit."

San Emidio Project

Project generator Lithium Corporation completed exploration programs on the San Emidio property from 2009 to 2012, including sediment and brine geochemical studies, gravity geophysics, and two phases of direct push drilling. Anomalous lithium values were detected during the brine sampling program with assays ranging from trace to the highest lithium value of 80 mg/L. The gravity survey defined a basinal depression proximal to the San Emidio lithium in brine anomaly, similar to that seen in the area of the producing brine field in Clayton Valley, which is a direct analog of the San Emidio prospect. The direct push drilling confirmed the presence of lithium in the brines and outlined a lithium-in-brine anomaly approximately 1 km wide, and more than 5 km long, within which anomalous lithium enriched brines with concentrations ranging from trace up to 23.7 mg/L were encountered at depths ranging from 24 to 39 meters subsurface. As is the case at Clayton Valley, lithium concentrations in brines at San Emidio may be reasonably be expected to increase at depth.

To acquire an eighty (80%) interest in the San Emidio Property, 1067323 is required to make payments of cash and common shares, and incur exploration expenditures, as follows:

An initial cash payment of US$100,000 .

. Incurring exploration expenditures of not less than US$600,000 , consisting of US$100,000 on or before the first anniversary, an additional US$200,000 on or before the second anniversary, and an additional US$300,000 on or before the third anniversary.

, consisting of on or before the first anniversary, an additional on or before the second anniversary, and an additional on or before the third anniversary. Issuing 300,000 common shares of the Company, with 100,000 common shares issuable following the acquisition of 1067323, 100,000 common shares issuable on or before the first anniversary, and 100,000 common shares issuable on or before the second anniversary.

Once 1067323 has earned an eighty (80%) interest in the San Emidio Property, it can acquire the balance of the property, subject to a two-and-one-half (2.5%) percent net smelter returns royalty, through the payment of US$1,000,000.

Colorado Property

To acquire a one-hundred (100%) interest in the Colorado Property, subject to a one (1.0%) percent net smelter returns royalty, 1067323 is required make the following cash and common share payments:

An initial cash payment of C$200,000 (paid).

(paid). Issuing 400,000 common shares of the Company following the acquisition of 1067323.

All securities issued in connection with the acquisition of 1067323, the San Emidio Property and the Colorado Property, will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period. Closing of the acquisition of 1067323 remains subject to a number of conditions, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, and such other conditions as are customary in transactions of this nature.

Michael Collins, P.Geo. is the Company's designated Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

ABOUT American Lithium Corp.

American Lithium Corp. is actively engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of lithium deposits within mining-friendly jurisdictions throughout the Americas. American Lithium holds options to acquire Nevada lithium brine claims totaling 20,790 acres (8,413 hectares), including 18,552 acres (7,508 hectares) in Fish Lake Valley, Esmeralda County, and the 2,240 acre (907 hectare) San Emidio Project in Washoe County. The Company's Fish Lake Valley lithium brine properties are located approximately 38 kilometers from Albemarle's Silver Peak, the largest lithium operation in the U.S., approximately 3.5 hours from the Tesla Gigafactory. American Lithium is listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol "Li". For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.americanlithiumcorp.com.

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


"We are very pleased to have earned the opportunity to work with one of the world's most prestigious event venues," said Aramark's International Chief Operating Officer, Brent Franks. "We will be operating all restaurants and dining points on the exhibition grounds as well as providing all food services for trade show booths, events and concerts."

Aramark will introduce new dining concepts with freshly prepared foods for the 40 restaurants and eateries as well as mobile and temporary stations. The focus lies on regional and international tastes and the latest in culinary trends including food truck offerings, healthy options, vegetarian and vegan options and soul food choices. Aramark has also partnered with a top notch regional catering company called Kirberg Catering to deliver high end catering for special events and functions.

"We conducted an intensive year-long review process and feel that Aramark is the right partner to maintain the high quality of food service for the Cologne trade fair and to deliver innovative new concepts into the future," said Koelnmesse CEO, Gerald Bose.

Koelnmesse's Cologne fairgrounds features 284,000 square meters of space with 11 halls hosting approximately 50 full fairs and 2,000 events each year. Aramark will employ approximately 40 full time managers and nearly 400 seasonal employees. The contract will begin January 1, 2017.

About Aramark in Europe

Aramark is a leader in food, facilities, property management, and energy services. The company is one of the continent's largest U.S. multinational employers with more than 33,000 associates throughout Ireland, UK, Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic and Spain with offices in Dublin, London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Prague and Barcelona.

About Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) delivers experiences that enrich and nourish people's lives through innovative services in food, facilities management, and uniforms. United by a passion to serve, our 270,000 employees make a meaningful difference each day for millions of people in 21 countries around the world. Aramark is recognized as one of the World's Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE, rated number one among Diversified Outsourcing Companies, as well as among the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/370747

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131212/PH32713LOGO

SOURCE Aramark

Related Links

http://www.aramark.com


ARLINGTON, Va., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, American Trucking Associations named TrueNorth, an insurance and financial strategies firm, as an ATA Corporate Partner.

"Motor carriers are well-aware of the exposure to risk that exists in the day-to-day operations of transporting freight," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "Trucking companies always need to have a plan in place to minimize risk and protect people and assets, and it's beneficial to work with professionals, like TrueNorth, to design a mitigation strategy."

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight.Trucking Moves America Forward.

TrueNorth is an insurance and financial strategies firm with a dedicated transportation division. With headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and locations across the United States, TrueNorth specializes in helping transportation companies design and administer sustainable risk management platforms that are cohesive and driver-centric in nature.

"TrueNorth, as a longtime member of ATA, is proud to have recently enhanced our support by becoming an ATA Corporate Partner," said Jason Smith, executive vice president of TrueNorth Transportation. "With a mission to support the transportation enterprise as well its workforce, we are committed to and aligned with the work of the ATA and look forward to expanding our impact and footprint in the industry with this new partnership."

As an ATA Corporate Partner, TrueNorth supports the transportation enterprise by using its proprietary Risk Profile comprised of four quadrants: safety, wellness and driver capacity; legal and compliance; technology and administration; risk finance and risk transfer. By taking a holistic approach to managing risk, TrueNorth ensures that the needs of the enterprise and the needs of the drivers are met, all while lowering the cost of risk effectively and sustainably.

To learn more about the ATA Featured Product program, visit www.atabusinesssolutions.com or call 866-821-3468.

With headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and locations across the United States, TrueNorth specializes in assisting transportation companies and their people with protecting and maximizing assets, resources and opportunities. For more information, visit www.truenorthcompanies.com.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140523/90962

SOURCE American Trucking Associations

Related Links

http://www.trucking.org


PORTLAND, Maine, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Auto Europe, one of the industry's first global car rental service companies, is now offering customers exclusive access to an expanded range of high-demand vehicles during peak summer months at great rates! Auto Europe has reserved a dedicated fleet of compact cars, premium full-size sedans and 7-9 passenger vans in Italy, Germany and Switzerland through September. Auto Europe customers will enjoy access to renting these automatic and larger sized vehicles during times when inventory is typically scarce. Guaranteed makes include premium brands such as Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Travelers are encouraged to secure their rental early to lock in the lowest rates.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371142

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371143LOGO

"We know that securing a rental vehicle during the summer season can be difficult due to the surge in demand causing many suppliers to sell out. That is why we are proud to offer our clients exclusive access to high-demand vehicles which we have sourced through our strategic partnerships with multiple suppliers in key markets," said Imad Khalidi, Auto Europe's CEO. "As the only car rental broker to have taken this step for our customers, we expect to have inventory available when others do not."

A recent study released by Auto Europe shows that advanced bookings for summer 2016 were up year over year with travelers opting to extend their trip duration slightly in 4 out of the 5 most popular pickup cities for summer: Rome, Paris, Dublin, Florence & London.

Customer will have access to:

1000 reserved vehicles in Italy , Germany & Switzerland

, & Large selection of automatic transmission & air conditioned vehicles

Cars ranging from compact to premium full-size

Wide selection of 7 & 9 passenger vans including the Mercedes V-Class Luxury Van (9 passenger/automatic)

Guaranteed makes & models

As with any rental car through Auto Europe, clients reserving a vehicle in the high season can rest assured knowing they have 24/7 access to an award-winning team of rental experts for assistance during and their rental.

Reservations for dedicated fleet vehicles can be secured via our website www.autoeurope.com or by calling our Reservations Department at 888-223-5555.

About Auto Europe

With over 60 years of experience in the rental car industry, Auto Europe specializes in helping travelers find the best car rental rates in Europe and other popular destinations around the world. Auto Europe's deep understanding of the complexities of renting cars abroad paired with their knowledgeable team of rental specialists (available 24/7) allows Auto Europe to provide travelers with the highest quality service in the industry before, during and after their rental. To find the best rate on a car rental for your next trip abroad or to learn more about renting a car in Europe visit www.autoeurope.com.

Media Contact:

Meghan Donovan

207-842-2038

SOURCE Auto Europe

Related Links

http://www.autoeurope.com


WASHINGTON, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer leads a coalition of pro-family advocates in calling on congressional leaders to forcefully resist the federal government's unprecedented edict dictating school bathroom policies.

On May 13th the Obama Administration sent letters of "significant guidance" to every school district in the nation, redefining Title IX to include "gender identity." Bauer, president of American Values, denounced the Obama Administration's "attempts to force all public schools to engage in untested, potentially dangerous, social engineering that puts young children at risk."

Bauer also condemned the Obama Administration's threat to cut off funding to schools that object to allowing children to choose their gender and the bathrooms they want to use. "What little money Washington sends back to local schools is largely earmarked for poor and disadvantaged students," said Bauer, a former Under Secretary of Education in the Reagan Administration. "It is mean-spirited and unconscionable for the administration to hold these students hostage to its radical agenda."

Bauer's letter went to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Joining Bauer were 59 state and national pro-family leaders such as Dr. James C. Dobson, founder and president of Family Talk, Phyllis Schlafly, chairman of Eagle Forum, Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women of America, Bob Vander Plaats, president/CEO of The FAMiLY LEADER.

In the letter, the leaders noted that the Obama Administration's attempt to redefine Title IX is an "unconstitutional abuse of executive authority," opposed by 55% of parents with school-aged children according to one recent poll.

To read the letter, click here.

Bauer is available for interview through the American Values ReadyCam Studio.

SOURCE American Values

Related Links

http://www.amvalues.org


HYDERABAD, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Mordor Intelligence announces the publication of their research study on the global aerospace fasteners market. The report, titled "Global Aerospace Fasteners Market" , discusses the current and future business landscape of the market with region and country-specific analysis.

The global aerospace fasteners market was valued at USD 5.62 billion in 2015. This value is projected to reach USD 8.12 billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.68% during the forecast period of 2015-2020.

The market for aerospace fasteners in commercial aircraft applications currently holds around 60% share of the total market. This market share is anticipated to reach 62% during the forecast period. The boom in the commercial aviation sector and the demand for newer fleets in Asia-Pacific commercial aerospace industry are the major factors contributing to this growth.

Unlike North America and Europe, which are extremely well connected by air routes, most of the countries in the Asia-Pacific have limited connectivity with a developing commercial aerospace industry. Limited infrastructure is the primary cause impeding the market growth in this region. However, air travel, both domestic and international, is becoming increasingly popular in the region with rising disposable incomes.

Asia-Pacific is expected to hold the highest share for jet orders over the forecast period. The region is also expected to account for increased defense spending, which in turn will boost the market for aerospace fasteners in military aircraft applications.

This report suggests that market is poised to witness substantial growth during the study period. A wide assortment of fasteners, such as screws, rivets, nuts, pins, bolts, etc. are used in aircraft, rockets, and missiles. They are critical mechanical components and are required to function in the most extreme of situations. The airlines are increasingly focusing on minimum possible maintenance/repair overhaul downtime. The performance of fasteners plays a vital role in the same.

Major players in the global aerospace fasteners market are Alcoa Inc., KLX Aerospace Solutions, B&B Specialties LLC, and 3V Fasteners Co., Inc. The acquisition of two aerospace business, namely Republic Fastener Manufacturing Corporation ('Republic') and Van Petty Manufacturing ('Van Petty'), by Alcoa in March 2008 was aimed at strengthening the company's fast-growing business segment Alcoa Fastening Systems (AFS). This acquisition is expected to add a combined worth of USD 51 million to Alcoa's revenues; the company has been witnessing growth from USD 1.5 billion in 2002 to USD 3.7 billion in 2007.

Browse related reports here

About Mordor Intelligence:

Mordor Intelligence is a global market research and consulting firm. Our singular focus is to provide research insights for business success. Our research team has expertise in diverse fields like Agriculture, Healthcare, ICT, Chemicals, Manufacturing, Logistics, Electronics and Automotive. However diverse the expertise maybe, everyone in our team shares one common trait - 'we love data and we love providing solutions to clients using that data'. Seeing your business flourish based on our solutions and strategy is what we love the most.

For information regarding permissions and sales, please contact: [email protected]

Media Contact:

Madan Gopal

AVP - Marketing & Strategy

Email: [email protected]

Direct Line: +1 661-210- 4568



SOURCE Mordor Intelligence
NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Behrman Capital, a private equity investment firm based in New York and San Francisco, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company Data Device Corporation ("DDC" or "the company"), a leader in high-reliability connectivity, power, and control solutions for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications, to Transdigm Group Incorporated (NYSE: TDG) in a transaction valued at $1 billion.

Grant G. Behrman, Managing Partner of Behrman Capital, said, "We are very proud of our investment in Data Device Corporation and the role we played in building the company's leadership position. The DDC value creation story is an exciting one and we believe the business is exceptionally well-positioned for further growth under its new ownership. We commend Vince Buffa and his management team for their leadership and hard work, and wish them and all their colleagues every success in the future as part of Transdigm."

After partnering with CEO Clifford Lane in 2003 to acquire ILC Industries, the parent of DDC, Behrman has pursued a wide range of strategic initiatives. These include four strategic add-on acquisitions, six dividend recapitalizations and the tax-free spin-off of its ILC Dover business, which enabled both DDC and Dover to focus on their specific long-term growth strategies. In 2011, Behrman recruited Vincent Buffa who as President and CEO has led the team that has driven DDC's recent success.

Mr. Buffa stated, "The DDC team is grateful to Behrman Capital for its support of our company. Over the years, the Behrman team not only invested the financial resources we needed to execute our growth strategy, but also provided invaluable operational expertise and strategic insight into our business and markets. We benefited extensively from this partnership, which has positioned DDC for a great future."

Completion of the transaction is expected before the end of the third quarter of 2016.

Latham & Watkins LLP is serving as legal counsel to DDC.

About Behrman Capital

Based in New York City and San Francisco, Behrman Capital was founded in 1991 by Grant G. and Darryl G. Behrman. The firm invests in management buyouts, leveraged buildups and recapitalizations of established growth businesses. The company's investments are focused in three industries: defense and aerospace, health care services, and specialty manufacturing and distribution. The firm has raised five funds with a combined capital base in excess of $3.0 billion. For more information, please visit www.behrmancap.com.

About Data Device Corporation

Data Device Corporation (DDC) is the world leader in the design and manufacture of high-reliability data networking, power control, and motion control solutions for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. For more than 50 years, DDC has continuously advanced the state of high-reliability Connectivity, Power, and Control technology with innovations that optimize efficiency, reliability, and performance. DDC headquarters, design and manufacturing operations are located in Bohemia, NY. Visit www.ddc-web.com.

Contact

Mark Semer or Peter Hill

Kekst

(212) 521-4800

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Behrman Capital

Related Links

http://www.behrmancap.com


ATLANTA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Blacc Spot Media ( https://www.blaccspot.com) , the Atlanta-based Web Real Time Communications (WebRTC) development agency, announced today that the company has become an official member of the Twilio Partner Program ( http://www.twilio.com) . Blacc Spot Media builds and deploys real-time communications applications leveraging Twilio's cloud communications platform for clients around the world.

As one of Twilio's preferred Development Partners, Blacc Spot Media provides custom mobile and web development services for customers seeking to integrate with the Twilio platform. Leveraging the knowledge and expertise of the Blacc Spot Media team, Twilio customers who want to integrate services, such as Programmable Video, Programmable Voice, Programmable SMS and IP Messaging now have access to a provider that can design, build and deploy their solutions.

Lantre Barr, CEO and founder of Blacc Spot Media, says: "Twilio gives us the ability to deploy real-time communications applications for our clients both expeditiously and efficiently. In addition, Twilio eliminates the worry and angst often experienced when building and maintaining a global infrastructure by providing a simple set of APIs and SDKs that work across a multitude of devices and programming languages."

"Lantre and the Blacc Spot Media team have demonstrated that they are a leading WebRTC development shop and we are proud to have them as a partner," said Jason Eubanks, VP GLobal Sales at Twilio. "Partners, such as Blacc Spot Media, provide a great resource for customers looking for technical expertise to help them build next generation communication applications."

Twilio fundamentally changes the way businesses build communication solutions by bringing it into the realm of software and the cloud. It virtualizes the entire telecommunications infrastructure and makes it available at scale around the world, via a single, global API. Twilio turns massive potential capex cost into an easily controlled operating expense where businesses pay for only what they use. With Twilio, developers and businesses can innovate, prototype, build, deploy and change their communications systems easily - keeping pace with customer needs and bringing ideas to market faster than ever before.

Today's announcement comes during an exciting period for Blacc Spot Media, as a number of global partners are set to be added to the company's growing roster of global clients in the coming months.

Additional information on the Twilio Partner Program can be found at www.twilio.com/partners.

ABOUT BLACC SPOT MEDIA:

Blacc Spot Media https://www.blaccspot.com is a collaborative team of designers, developers and thought leaders specializing in Web-Real Time Communications (WebRTC). In January 2013, Lantre and his team transitioned the company services from being just another web and mobile development agency, to one that focuses on the niche technology WebRTC. While they are still a web and mobile development agency at their core, they only work with clients looking to implement WebRTC into their products and services. Their partners include the likes of Twilio, Xura and AT&T. Contact the Blacc Spot Media team at [email protected], or call +1.678.832.9502.

About Twilio

Twilio's mission is to fuel the future of communications. Developers and businesses use Twilio to make communications relevant and contextual by embedding messaging, voice and video capabilities directly into their software applications. Founded in 2008, Twilio is privately held and has over 500 employees, with headquarters in San Francisco and other offices in Bogota, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Mountain View, Munich, New York City, Singapore, and Tallinn.

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SOURCE Blacc Spot Media

Related Links

https://www.blaccspot.com


Seriously ill with a life-limiting advanced illness

Frail and weak and have trouble performing routine daily activities

Afraid of losing the capacity to make your own healthcare decisions in the near future

Living in a nursing home or hospice

In an effort to continue to educate our families and surrounding community, Robin Berkman, LCSW, Social Worker at Bridgeway Senior Healthcare, Fran Gerber, RN, MSN, Director of Clinical Services at Bridgeway Senior Healthcare and Mary Kelly, APN, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner at RWJ-NB took turns discussing the various sections of the POLST form. www.nj.gov/health/advancedirective/polst/

Dr. David Barile, founder and Medical Director of the non-profit organization, Goals of Care, has worked with providers and patients to help with treatment decisions and patient goals. Bridgeway Senior Healthcare has helped in sponsoring their POLST videos to raise awareness. On their website, anyone can access videos and information to determine what is best for their loved ones. www.goalsofcare.org/njpolst-video-series/

Members of the community as well as families from Long Term Care at Bridgeway attended the event. Bridgeway's passion has always been to educate our staff, families, residents, and the surrounding community. As a company, Bridgeway is actively working with patients, families, and doctors to discuss end-of-life planning by completing the POLST form. We strive to refine the care delivery model to provide patient centered care.

About Bridgeway Senior Healthcare

Bridgeway Senior Healthcare has been a family owned and operated provider of onsite, post- acute rehabilitation services in Somerset County, NJ for over 35 years.

About Goals of Care

Goals of Care works to transform communication between health care providers and patients in order to eliminate burdensome care, improve quality of life, and insure that treatment decisions focus on the patient's goals. For more information, please visit www.goalsofcare.org

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SOURCE Bridgeway Senior Healthcare

Related Links

http://www.bridgewayseniorcare.com


WICHITA, Kan., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cargill's protein business headquarters will remain in Wichita and relocate from 151 North Main Street to a new office building which will be built at a yet-to-be-determined site within the city limits. The company's decision was made after a thorough analysis of numerous options, including several cities in states other than Kansas. The decision is dependent upon pending approval by the City of Wichita for an agreement between the two entities. The company's move to a new office building is expected to take place by the end of 2018.

"Looking at our current office space situation in Wichita, we determined a change is required to meet our future needs as a customer-focused, talent-seeking, growth-oriented protein business, operating in a highly competitive business sector," said Brian Sikes, Cargill corporate vice president for the company's protein group. "So we embarked on a mission to identify the optimal location where the people responsible for success of our business will have the best opportunity to thrive. After an exhaustive review of our options, a collaborative atmosphere evolved whereby Cargill, the City of Wichita and State of Kansas worked together toward creating the type of business environment that will enable the company to meet its customers' long-term needs by enhancing our ability to attract, retain and develop top talent."

Other criteria addressed as Cargill explored its options include: quality of life for its employees; minimizing disruption to the business resulting from a relocation; optimizing the use of company resources; perpetuating a culture based on marketplace agility to address the needs of customers and consumers; and creating a world-class business setting for all involved stakeholders.

"We have a terrific team of productive, knowledgeable and creative people in Wichita, who give a great deal back to the community," explained Sikes. "We are pleased Cargill employees will remain an important part of the Wichita community and will continue to contribute to the vitality of many organizations throughout the region. We also believe it is beneficial for our protein business to be headquartered in the center of the U.S."

"We are pleased that Cargill will continue to call Wichita, Kansas, home for the foreseeable future," said Governor Sam Brownback. "This is an investment in our state, a recognition of the quality of the Wichita workforce and the quality of life that can be found in Kansas. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with Cargill for many years to come."

"Right from the start, the City of Wichita stepped up to demonstrate its commitment to Cargill and its ongoing success," said Mayor Jeff Longwell. "Today's announcement shows that, once you weigh all of your options in the Midwest, Wichita is still the best place to grow your business."

For its protein group headquarters, Cargill explored locations throughout the middle third of the U.S. beginning in late 2015. "City and state officials, especially Governor Sam Brownback, made it crystal clear to us that they were committed to keeping Cargill in Wichita," stated Sikes. "I know from speaking with our employees here, they are relieved to know of this decision and they are eagerly looking forward to working in a new building that fosters collaboration, efficiency, innovation and excitement. We will continue to focus on growing our protein business, helping our customers be more successful in the protein space and winning in the marketplace."

Cargill recently acquired a beef plant in Columbia, S. C.; opened a nearly $50 million distribution center at its Dodge City, Kan., beef processing plant; is investing $111 million in a plant conversion for cooked meat products at Columbus, Neb.; and dedicated a $27 million egg processing expansion in Lake Odessa, Mich. "Together with our new headquarters in Wichita, these are examples of our long-term commitment to grow our protein business," said Sikes.

About Cargill Protein Group

Headquartered in Wichita, Kan., Cargill Protein Group produces meat, poultry and egg products, in addition to by-products, from food animal production in the U.S. and Canada. This more than $20 billion revenue portion of Minneapolis-based Cargill, Inc., employs approximately 27,000 people and operates approximately 30 processing facilities that produce protein products to meet retail, foodservice and food processor customer specifications, and consumer needs. Cargill's protein businesses trace their heritage back to a beef business that started in Chicago in 1936. Cargill employs more than 4,000 Kansans who work in a variety of the company's businesses through the state.

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

Related Links

http://www.cargill.com


MIAMI, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest leisure travel company, today announced it is partnering with PHD, a leading Omnicom advertising agency, to handle all media planning and buying for seven of its 10 global cruise brands in North America and the United Kingdom.

Following an extensive agency review and media buying analysis, Carnival Corporation is consolidating from six agencies to a single firm, awarding PHD its media planning and buying business based on the firm's global expertise, capabilities and purchasing power for North America and the UK.

PHD will handle media planning and buying responsibilities for Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises UK and Cunard Line in the North America and UK markets. PHD currently supports media planning and buying for Carnival Cruise Line and Cunard Line.

The move leverages Carnival Corporation's scale as the world's largest cruise company to improve the strategic coordination of media buying across multiple brands in two of the world's largest regions for cruise vacations. It is expected to help generate awareness and drive increased demand for cruising, while creating multi-million dollar savings in media costs. In 2015, Carnival Corporation's six brands in the two regions combined for $116 million in media spend.

"We are excited to partner with the team at PHD across our leading portfolio of cruise brands in North America and in the UK," said Josh Leibowitz, chief strategy officer for Carnival Corporation. "Bringing together our brands to work with a world class agency like PHD enables us to further enhance our digital and traditional media strategies to grow demand for cruising as the world's best vacation choice."

Leibowitz added: "As part of our ongoing efforts to leverage our scale across 10 global cruise brands, this agreement enables our brands to work together in a completely new way. We appreciate everyone on our collective teams for all the hard work that made this possible."

PHD will use its significant purchasing power, sophisticated research resources and advanced business intelligence tools to provide Carnival Corporation strategic expertise and support for its marketing programs. PHD will work closely with the company and its brands on a framework that enables strategic coordination for media buying across multiple brands and regions, which will create efficiencies in media spending and help unlock demand for cruise vacations.

About Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest leisure travel company in the world, with a portfolio of 10 cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia comprised of Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK).

Together, these brands operate 101 ships visiting over 700 ports around the world and totaling 225,000 lower berths with 15 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and 2020. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com and www.fathom.org.

SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

Related Links

http://www.Carnivalcorp.com


MIDDLETOWN, Pa., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A $225,000 Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 jackpot from the Saturday, May 21, drawing was split by two winning tickets sold in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

Each ticket correctly matched all five balls drawn, 08-14-24-32-37, to each win $112,500, less applicable tax withholding. The winning tickets were sold by:

James Street Tavern, 1224 James St., Monroeville , Allegheny County ; and

, ; and Town & Country Pharmacy, 2209 Freeport Road, New Kensington , Westmoreland County .

Each retailer earns a $500 selling bonus.

The prizes must be claimed and the tickets validated before the winners can be identified. Cash 5 winners have one year from the drawing date to claim prizes.

The Lottery encourages each holder of a jackpot-winning ticket to sign the back of the ticket, call the Lottery at 717-702-8146 and file a claim at any of Lottery's seven area offices or at Lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County.

Claims may be filed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at area offices and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at headquarters.

More than 25,700 other Cash 5 tickets won prizes of various amounts in the drawing, creating "Winners, winners  everywhere!" Players should check every ticket, every time. Lower-tier prizes may be claimed at Lottery retailers.

In Allegheny County, the Pennsylvania Lottery awarded more than $326.9 million in prizes to winners and provided more than $144.3 million to programs that benefit older residents during the 2014-15 fiscal year. In Westmoreland County, the Lottery awarded more than $84.6 million in prizes and contributed more than $39.6 million to programs serving the county's older residents.

How to play Cash 5: To play Cash 5, players pay $1 and select five numbers from 1 to 43. Players may select their own numbers using a Cash 5 playslip, or they may opt for computer-selected quick picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn to win the jackpot. Players also win prizes for matching two, three or four winning numbers. Cash 5 drawings are held seven nights a week, and tickets can be purchased up to seven draws (one week) in advance. Odds of winning the jackpot prize are 1-in-962,598; the overall odds of winning any prize are about 1-in-10.5.

About the Pennsylvania Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery that designates all its proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since its inception in 1971, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed more than $25.8 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free transit and reduced-fare shared rides; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state.

The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds players to check every ticket, every time. Players must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. For help with a gambling problem, call 1-800-848-1880.

For drawings results, winning numbers, winners' stories and to subscribe to the Lottery's RSS news feed, visit www.palottery.com. Like us on Facebook at or follow us at www.twitter.com/palottery.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lottery Public Relations, 717-702-8008

SOURCE Pennsylvania Lottery

Related Links

http://www.palottery.com


BOSTON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cengage Learning and Microsoft today announced the integration of Microsoft Office into Cengage Learning's flagship MindTap platform. Beginning with business statistics and computingcourses that prepare students for jobs that rely heavily on the use of business softwarethis relationship is the first-of-its-kind to provide students with live access to Office directly within their learning platform.

In addition, Cengage Learning is one of the first higher education providers to be included in Microsoft's third party cloud storage program for Office Online. This allows students working in Office within the MindTap platform to save their work automatically to the cloud for secure and reliable housing of coursework that is available anytime, anywhere.

"Real-world context is key to making the student learning experience more engaging and relevant. Because of the flexibility of our MindTap learning platform, we are able to seamlessly integrate Microsoft technology directly into a student's learning path in order to give them experience using the live application," said Jim Donohue, Chief Product Officer, Cengage Learning. "This integration will allow students to develop the key business skills needed to be competitive in today's workforce using the actual software that they will be using once on-the-job. This live access is above and beyond what can be done with a standard simulation."

Students using MindTap in business statistics courses can seamlessly work within Excel Online while solving and interacting with Cengage Learning problem sets for the Anderson/Sweeney/Williams series. Student work is constantly saved in the cloud, effectively operating on both PCs and Macs. Instructors can monitor student progress at any time online to reinforce the Excel skills and statistical methods that are so critical to business success.

In addition, MindTap for Computing gives students access to a platform uniquely supported with powerful applications integrated directly into the user experience, including: SAM for hands-on learning of Microsoft Office skills and Computer concepts, OfficeMix which allows for quick upload of PowerPoint created by instructor or students that have interactive assets in a recorded presentation, and OneNote. All of these applications are delivered to students in the environment that they are learning in so that they have everything at their fingertips, saving time. Additionally, making everything accessible in one place reduces student distraction and increases retention.

"At Microsoft, the work we do in education is fueled and inspired by educators with clear focus to enable students to be their best," said Anthony Salcito, vice president of Worldwide Education, Microsoft. "We know having a rich set of tools to create and collaborate is critical both in school and in the workplace. I am excited Cengage Learning has made it possible for students to have access to Office within their courses. This will allow a deeper understanding of tools needed as student prepare to enter the professional world."

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 training 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 Contact :

Madeline Struebing

Cengage Learning

617.289.7813

[email protected]

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SOURCE Cengage Learning

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LORTON, Va., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chenega Technical Innovations, Chenega Applied Solutions, and Chenega Decision Sciences, are proud to announce the opening of a new service branch, located in Sierra Vista, AZ on June 9th of 2016.

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With the successful launch of the Sierra Vista office in June, the Chenega Military Intelligence and Operations Support (MIOS) SBU will be better suited to support the growing needs of our Federal and DoD customers in the area, as well as be able to improve both communications and responsiveness by having a committed support staff on the ground. Chenega Corporation will be able to offer continued leading business support to our customers in Sierra Vista in systems engineering and integration; research and development; information technology; and specialized technical intelligence services.

For upcoming local events to be hosted by the Chenega Executive Management team, and a list of career opportunities in Sierra Vista, visit us online at www.chenegamios.com.

About Chenega Corporation

As the most successful Alaska Native Village Corporation, Chenega Corporation figures prominently in the diverse government services contracting marketplace, and in the forefront among other Alaska Native Corporations' service to their Shareholders and their community. The Chenega Corporation began to participate in the government services marketplace in 1997. Today it performs on more than 250 federal contracts through a combination of negotiated best-value and full and open competition vehicles.

About the Military Intelligence and Operations Support SBU

Headquartered in Lorton, VA, Military, Intelligence and Operations Support (MIOS) Strategic Business Unit (SBU) is a shared services division of Chenega Corporation which provides standard business services to the Chenega subsidiaries and assists in the management of contracts. The MIOS SBU provides each company shared support, including Human Resources, Recruiting, Contracting, Marketing, Administration, Finance & Accounting, Business Development, and Security, allowing each company to focus on their customers in their day to day operations.

Media Contact:

April Elnagdy

703-493-9880

SOURCE Chenega Corporation

Related Links

http://www.chenegamios.com


This is the second year the Chick-fil-A Foundation has hosted the True Inspiration Awards, which were inspired by the generosity of Chick-fil-A's late founder S. Truett Cathy, who dedicated his life to serving his community by helping young people. The grants, given earlier this year to each organization, range from $15,000 to $100,000. Organizations either applied or were nominated by a local Chick-fil-A restaurant franchisee based on the group's local work to inspire children to become future leaders.

"We're honored to be able to partner with these incredible organizations to improve the lives of children. Our mission is to help every child be all they were created to be, and these organizations are striving to achieve that same goal each and every day," said Rodney Bullard, vice president of community affairs for Chick-fil-A and executive director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation. He added, "The True Inspiration Awards were created to honor our founder, S. Truett Cathy, and we're proud to be able to celebrate his legacy and these organizations that have the same generous heart for giving."

The event was made possible by the generosity of presenting sponsor, Delta Airlines, as well as hospitality sponsor, Legendary Events.

The Chick-fil-A Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2017 True Inspiration Awards. Organizations that align with the mission to support youth and give back to their communities can be nominated online at Chick-fil-AFoundation.org/TrueInspirationAwards.

To learn more about the True Inspiration Awards and view a complete list of 2016 recipients, visit the Chick-fil-A Foundation website.

About the Chick-fil-A Foundation

The Chick-fil-A Foundation is the corporate foundation of Chick-fil-A, Inc. A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation's purpose is to lead the company's commitment to support youth and education in Chick-fil-A's local communities. The Foundation's work is focused on developing and educating young people so they can build a positive legacy and become all they were created to be. For more information, visit www.chick-fil-afoundation.org.

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1964 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate, and known for its original chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves freshly prepared food in more than 2,000 restaurants in 43 states and Washington, D.C.

Chick-fil-A system sales exceeded $6 billion in 2015, which marks 48 consecutive years of sales growth. Chick-fil-A ranked first for customer satisfaction in the Limited Service Restaurants industry according to the 2015 American Customer Satisfaction Index and received the highest ACSI score ever in the industry. The company was also recognized in 2015 as America's "Top Chicken Restaurant Brand" by The Harris Poll and the only restaurant brand named to the Top 10 "Best Companies to Work For" by 24/7 Wall Street. More information on Chick-fil-A is available on the chain's website located at www.chick-fil-a.com.

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SOURCE Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.chick-fil-a.com


68.4 percent of readers frequently purchase products or services from ads seen in a magazine

76 percent of readers revere each issue of their local magazine as a resource guide they keep and use until the new edition arrives

83 percent of readers are between 25 and 64, the prime earning and spending years

The median household reader income is $162,000

79 percent of readers have earned a college degree or higher

For an infographic with the released information, click here.

"The readership study is good news for the magazine industry, its advertisers and the communities served by CRMA member magazines," said Gary Whitaker, CRMA President and Publisher of 417 Magazine, a small market publication serving 130,000 readers in southwest Missouri. "The research confirms the vibrancy of city and regional magazines with their ability to engage active and affluent readers and motivate them to action. With more than 4.3 readers per copy, city and regional magazines deny the myth that all print publications are in a state of steady decline."

Share this: City & Regional Magazine Assoc releases evidence of a thriving #magazine industry #CRMADenver http://bit.ly/25cXreG

About the City and Regional Magazine Association

Founded in 1978, The City and Regional Magazine Association's (CRMA) purpose is to facilitate professional development and training opportunities for member magazines and opportunities to exchange information and ideas. CRMA seeks to encourage high editorial and journalistic standards and to compile industry research and data for the membership. CRMA represents member magazines on major national and regional policy issues (legal journalistic, commercial, and political) and furthers the interests of the membership. For more information about CRMA, please visit www.citymag.org or call 310.379.8261.

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SOURCE City and Regional Magazine Association

Related Links

http://www.citymag.org


Following her graduation from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Yazzie-Mintz spent two years working in the Boston Public Schools before becoming an assistant professor in curriculum and instruction at Indiana University. There she worked with the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. For the past four years she has dedicated her expertise to work with tribal colleges and universities by developing early childhood programs and early learning centers at the American Indian College Fund through its Wakanyeja Sacred Little Ones Early Childhood Education Initiative and the Ke' Early Childhood Initiative . With these programs, Yazzie-Mintz is helping to develop curriculum based on each community's unique language, culture, and educational practices.

Yazzie-Mintz is currently the Co-Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at the College Fund and Senior Program Officer for early childhood education initiatives. She has devoted her professional career to improving access to early education for American Indian and Alaska Native children. She will be presented with the award at the Harvard Graduate School of Education convocation ceremony on May 25.

Harvard Graduate School of Education Alumni Council chair Jonathan Steele, Ed.M. '05 said, "The Alumni Council is thrilled to present Tarajean Yazzie-Mintz with the 2016 Alumni Council Award and recognize her groundbreaking work in early childhood education. "Tarajean's work developing the Wakanyeja Sacred Little Ones program and The Ke' Early Childhood Initiative, both of which embrace and incorporate the culture and heritage of the tribal communities they serve, is remarkable. While she could have continued on her very successful, traditional academic path, she turned away from a tenure-track position to pursue the development of these early learning programs and continues to present original education research about their development and success."

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, "The College Fund is pleased that Tarajean Yazzie-Mintz is being recognized for her amazing contributions to the early childhood education field. Her focus on Native children and their families creates empowering, creative, and joyous experiences, leading her program participants down a path that promises lifelong educational success. Not only does her work matter for our tribal colleges and their students, it matters in the field of early childhood education for all children. All of us at the College Fund and at our tribal colleges congratulate Tarajean and share in her happiness at her receipt of this award."

About The Alumni Council Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education

The Alumni Council Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education began in 1985 in order to recognize significant service to education by alumni. Candidates must be graduates of HGSE and have made a noteworthy contribution to education during their professional careers in order to be nominated.

About the American Indian College Fund

Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nation's largest charity supporting Native higher education for more than 25 years. The College Fund believes "Education is the answer" and has provided more than 100,000 scholarships since its inception and an average of 6,000 scholarships per year to American Indian students. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

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SOURCE American Indian College Fund

Related Links

http://www.collegefund.org


MIAMI, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global solar Conergy announces its support of the Empowered By Light Foundation, a high-impact non profit bringing clean, reliable solar power to key communities throughout the developing world. To further Empowered By Light in its quest to bring clean energy solutions to communities around the world, Conergy is donating funds, market-specific knowledge, and media resources to the nonprofit.

"Conergy's mission is to preserve the planet and power the world, so we could not be happier to support the high-social-impact projects that Empowered By Light brings to life as the cornerstone of our Corporate Social Responsibility efforts," said Andrew de Pass, CEO of Conergy. "Installing off-grid solar on a school in the Congo and Amazon is high-impact work that simply cannot be financed the same way we finance solar projects in more mature solar markets. We look forward to helping these markets develop economically and mature to the point where we can develop and finance solar projects by more traditional methods and all profit from it."

Conergy, which has 18 years of experience developing, financing, constructing and managing commercial and utility-scale solar projects in 22 countries over six continents, adds its support of Empowered by Light to the company's other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts. These include Conergy's recently launched Future Solar Leaders Program, which took ten of the most promising environmental leaders from U.S. university campuses to Paris for COP21, and the Solar Education Initiative, supporting employees in presenting solar at their children's elementary schools. These programs support the continued proliferation of solar globally by bringing the brightest young people solar industry exposure.

As part of its support to Empowered by Light, Conergy is providing cutting-edge storytelling resources including the production of high-quality virtual-reality videos. Virtual reality  the type of video used in video games  is known to foster greater empathy than regular videos are able to. These emotionally engaging videos will allow viewers to travel to the project sites to better understand communities and impact.

"We could not be more grateful for the generous support of Conergy," said Alyssa Newman, Executive Director of Empowered by Light. "Our projects for 2016 include solar microgrids for schools and villages in Zambia, but we're also expanding to several new countries, with projects in areas that serve as the remaining lungs of the earth like the Congo and the Amazon. Conergy's support will allow us to share these projects in our upcoming education campaign, and expand our project reach."

Conergy and Empowered by Light will be working closely with StoryUp, an independent, VR native media company. Together, they will create visually compelling narratives to share the stories of communities with little to no access to clean, safe, and affordable electricity.

Other supporters of Empowered by Light include Sungevity, the Clif Family Foundation, the Rex Foundation and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

About Conergy

Conergy is one of the world's largest downstream solar companies  specializing in the design, finance, build and long-term asset management and ownership of commercial, industrial and utility-scale solar power systems. Founded in 1998, the company has pioneered the expansion of solar globally and has built over 1.3 GW across six continents. Conergy is privately held and majority-owned by Miami-based asset management firm Kawa Capital Management, Inc. For more information, please visit www.conergy.com.

About Empowered By Light

Empowered by Light's (EBL) mission is to improve lives and the environment through renewable energy technologies. Through its projects, EBL hopes to demonstrate to developing countries that they can literally leapfrog decades of fossil fuel infrastructure development by powering their communities today with clean, renewable energy. The organization has distributed thousands of solar-powered LED lights to remote schools in the Western Province of Zambia, and is now building its third solar microgrid in the wildlife-rich Chiawa Game Management Area in Zambia.

Media Contacts

Katie Ullmann

Director of Global Marketing & Communications, Conergy

+1 (617) 529-8039 / [email protected]

Alyssa Newman

Executive Director, Empowered by Light

+1-510-301-3840 / [email protected]

SOURCE Conergy

Related Links

http://www.conergy.com


JACKSONVILLE, Fla., and NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Credit Suisse is the most recent global capital markets firm to adopt the FIS Derivatives Utility.

Credit Suisse will migrate its post-trade futures and cleared over-the-counter derivatives operations and technology to the utility model.

The implementation will expand FIS' utility operations and technology.

Credit Suisse, a leader in the global cleared derivatives industry, has selected the Derivatives Utility from FIS (NYSE: FIS), a global leader in financial services technology, for its post-trade futures and cleared over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives operations and technology.

The FIS Derivatives Utility was designed to help global capital markets firms better adapt to market challenges by enabling market participants, including futures commission merchants (FCMs), to achieve greater efficiencies by leveraging economies of scale in middle- and back-office processing and technology. The utility provides customers with derivatives clearing operations and technology services for trade clearing, trade lifecycle management, margin processing, brokerage, reconciliation and data management.

"The evolution of derivatives markets has increased both the demand and the necessity for innovative solutions that transform the business model for derivatives clearing," said Marianne Brown, chief operating officer, Institutional and Wholesale, FIS. "Our vision for a derivatives utility uses FIS' existing, market-leading IP to reduce operational risks and costs while increasing efficiency throughout the industry. By providing industry leadership and a potential path for the market, we look to achieve best practices around standardized processes that can benefit all market participants. Credit Suisse brings broad depth and expertise in cleared derivatives, as well as an extensive worldwide footprint."

"As the market moves away from bilateral swaps and towards cleared products, Credit Suisse is better positioned to continue to deliver innovative solutions and products to our clients in the most efficient manner possible. Leveraging the FIS Derivatives Utility will allow us to spread the cost of innovation amongst a larger group of firms by creating a standardized solution developed by the industry's top experts." said John Dabbs, global head of Prime Derivatives Services, Credit Suisse. "We believe this Utility will transform the economics for derivatives market participants globally."

The technology that supports the FIS Derivatives Utility is an evolving, global back-office processing platform for cleared OTC and listed derivatives. It covers more than 135 cleared derivative markets in more than 35 countries.

About FIS

FIS is a global leader in financial services technology, with a focus on retail and institutional banking, payments, asset and wealth management, risk and compliance, consulting, and outsourcing solutions. Through the depth and breadth of our solutions portfolio, global capabilities and domain expertise, FIS serves more than 20,000 clients in over 130 countries. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., FIS employs more than 55,000 people worldwide and holds leadership positions in payment processing, financial software and banking solutions. Providing software, services and outsourcing of the technology that empowers the financial world, FIS is a Fortune 500 company and is a member of Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For more information about FIS, visit www.fisglobal.com.

Follow FIS on Facebook (facebook.com/FIStoday) and Twitter (@FISGlobal).

About Credit Suisse AG

Credit Suisse AG is one of the world's leading financial services providers and is part of the Credit Suisse group of companies (referred to here as 'Credit Suisse'). As an integrated bank, Credit Suisse offers clients its combined expertise in the areas of private banking, investment banking and asset management. Credit Suisse provides advisory services, comprehensive solutions and innovative products to companies, institutional clients and high-net-worth private clients globally, as well as to retail clients in Switzerland. Credit Suisse is headquartered in Zurich and operates in over 50 countries worldwide. The group employs approximately 47'760 people. The registered shares (CSGN) of Credit Suisse's parent company, Credit Suisse Group AG, are listed in Switzerland and, in the form of American Depositary Shares (CS), in New York. Further information about Credit Suisse can be found at www.credit-suisse.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain statements, estimates or projections that constitute "forward-looking statements" pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project," "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature.

Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from FIS' historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These risks includes but are not limited to, changes in general economic, business and political conditions, developmental and conversion delays or disruptions inherent with new software products, technology and outsourcing solutions, and risks of reduction in revenue from the elimination of existing and potential customers due to consolidation in or new laws or regulations affecting the banking, retail and financial services industries, changes in the growth rates of the markets for our solutions, and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and subsequent SEC filings. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. FIS undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE Credit Suisse AG

Related Links

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PUNE, India, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report titled "Global Cryptocurrency Market (Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum)- Insights and Analysis: Technology, Sizing, Growth and Potential - (By Value, By Transaction Volume, Bitcoin ATMs, Company Analysis)" suggests that the cryptocurrencies have a huge potential in disrupting the Financial Technologies space and bring about revolution in the way currencies and payment systems will work out in the coming years. The Global Cryptocurrency Market has been driven by widespread speculation amongst the investor community. The increasing acceptance of the cryptocurrencies and new payment mechanisms by prominent organizations as well as local players has influenced the faith in this new disruptive technology.

Complete report on Cryptocurrency Market spread across 75 pages providing competitive analysis of 5 companies, 8 tables and 21 figures is now available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/global-cryptocurrency-market-bitcoin-ripple-litecoin-ethereum-insights-and-analysis-sizing-growth-and-potential-by-value-by-transaction-volume-bitcoin-atms-company-analysis-market-report.html

The Global Cryptocurrency market has witnessed undulating growth in the period but has seen substantial growth in terms of trade volume. The market is led by Bitcoin, however competing currencies have emerged in the global scenario which have been built upon the blockchain technology first introduced by bitcoin but have been equally innovative.

The market was estimated to be USD 19.481 billion for Bitcoin alone. The other currencies however have substantially lesser value than that of Bitcoin. The market is further expected to grow in value as well as volume and also see widespread use of cryptocurrency amongst the general populace. The market remains largely unregulated; however regulation of cryptocurrency exchange is seeing the light of the day.

The market was dominated by players like Bitstamp, OKCoin, Bitfinex, Coinbase and Poloniex according to this research. The present report fulfils the objective of the research which is to present the insights into the cryptocurrency market, analysis of market data and the historical growth (2011-2015) of the global cryptocurrency market by various segments (Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum). Historical market growth of cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum) has been figured out through secondary research (premium paid databases) and confirmed by industry participants. Future projections and dynamics of the crptocurrency market (Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum) have been analyzed by conducting extensive primary research and interviewing experts from the industry.

Order a copy of Global Cryptocurrency Market (Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum)- Insights and Analysis: Technology, Sizing, Growth and Potential - (By Value, By Transaction Volume, Bitcoin ATMs, Company Analysis) research report at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=561297

Another related report is "Global ATM Market - Insights and Analysis: Growth, Penetration and Demand Forecast to 2021 (By Value & Volume: Actual & Forecast By Region & Country; By Region-North America, Europe, APAC; By Country - USA, Canada, UK, China, India; Bitcoin ATMs; Company Analysis; Strategic Recommendations)". The ATM market expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.49% in the period 2016-2021 and the market is dependent on the machines sold to the Banks and to the third party operators globally. The growth in number of customer base for banks, rise in R&D of the new products also create a demand for the products resulting in steady pace of growth of the market.

ATM market is driven by the pattern in the currency demand in the Banking Industry. The main factor driving the ATM market is the competition among the banks to provide convenient banking to its customers.

ATM market is a growing market with the increasing demand of machines in the financial sector. Globally, ATM market has seen moderate pace of growth over the last five years on account of increasing number of people being incorporated in the banking system in different regions. During 2016-21, Global ATM Market is anticipated to grow at moderate rate on account of more banking population and technological advancements in the equipment. Complete report is available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/global-atm-market-insights-and-analysis-growth-penetration-and-demand-forecast-to-2021-by-value-volume-actual-forecast-by-region-country-by-region-north-america-europe-apac-by-country-usa-cana-endations-market-report.html.

Explore other new reports on E-Financial Services Market at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/reports/business-financial-services/financial-services/e-financial-services

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SOURCE RnR Market Research
"I've known Richard Rawlings for years, and I couldn't be more enthused to lead Gas Monkey Energy to success right along with him," said Nunez, the company's CEO. "As a team, we hope to grow our motorsports involvement and get Gas Monkey Energy in the hands of adrenaline junkies around the world."

Gas Monkey Energy already has an active motorsports program, with sponsored racecars in the Indianapolis 500, the NHRA and IMSA, and the Board of Directors have plans to expand the motorsports program in 2017.

Gas Monkey Energy is currently available at Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, and various Ricker's convenience stores throughout Indianapolis. The leadership team also discussed ways to increase distribution of the new Gas Monkey Energy drink across the country. The beverage is also available online at shop.gasmonkeyenergy.com

About Gas Monkey Energy

Gas Monkey Energy is a high-octane energy drink for true adrenaline junkies. It's fuel for those of you whose passions get you scraped, bruised, burnt or worse, yet it's what you love to do. Soon to be on shelves nationwide, Gas Monkey Energy is available in regular or light and can be purchased by the case online www.gasmonkeyenergy.com

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371537

SOURCE Gas Monkey Energy

Related Links

http://www.gasmonkeyenergy.com


WUXI, China, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Holding Corporation (NYSE: DAN) today hosted a symposium to promote innovation and manufacturing excellence in China in support of the country's "Made in China 2025" initiative. The one-day event was held at the company's technical and manufacturing campus in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, as part of a celebration of Dana's 25th anniversary in China.

Featuring representatives from China's leading vehicle manufacturers, industry associations, research institutions, universities, and government officials, the forum included discussions on ways the industry will play a key role in supporting the "Made in China 2025" action plan announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last year.

Participants reviewed key objectives of the "Made in China 2025" initiative that will be addressed by the vehicle industry, as well as the market trends and evolving technologies that impact the achievement of innovation, sustainable development, manufacturing excellence, product quality, and human capital.

"The success of the 'Made in China 2025' plan depends on a collaborative effort that includes many key stakeholders," said Antonio Valencia, president of Dana China. "This forum allows us to bring together diverse leaders in the industry to review the relevant provisions of this national initiative, discuss the challenges that we face in achieving goals, and demonstrate how we can work together to identify solutions and achieve success together."

Dana's presence in China dates to 1991, and today the company operates 10 facilities in China that employ nearly 7,000 people (including operations that are part of a 50-50 joint venture). Dana manufactures axles and propeller shafts for the passenger car, light-duty truck, commercial-vehicle, and off-highway vehicle markets. In addition, Dana produces sealing and thermal-management products in the country.

Dana has a growing presence in Wuxi, where it first opened a manufacturing facility to produce outdoor power equipment in 2002. Since then, the company has expanded its manufacturing capabilities to include axles for agricultural, mining, and construction equipment, as well as industrial driveshafts and powershift transmissions across numerous off-highway markets. In addition to engine and transmission oil coolers, Dana also produces gaskets and heat shields on the campus.

In 2012, Dana launched the Spicer Rui Ma brand of drivetrain solutions for construction equipment and other off-highway vehicles. Made in Wuxi, this line of technologically advanced axles and transmissions provides an optimized blend of product features, performance, dependability, and cost.

To better support its customers, Dana inaugurated a 12,000 square-meter (129,000 square-foot) technical center in Wuxi in 2013. The facility provides advanced product and applications engineering for original-equipment manufacturers in the light-vehicle, commercial-vehicle, and off-highway markets in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. This technical center also serves as the company's global headquarters for designing axles used in mining and other heavy-duty applications.

About Dana Holding Corporation

Dana is a world leader in the supply of highly engineered drivetrain, sealing, and thermal-management technologies that improve the efficiency and performance of vehicles with both conventional and alternative-energy powertrains. Serving three primary markets  passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway equipment  Dana provides the world's original-equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket with local product and service support through a network of nearly 100 engineering, manufacturing, and distribution facilities. Founded in 1904 and based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs more than 23,000 people in 25 countries on six continents. In 2015, Dana generated sales of nearly $6.1 billion. For more information, please visit dana.com.

SOURCE Dana Holding Corporation

Related Links

http://www.dana.com


NAPA, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delicato Family Vineyards has acquired from Monterey's celebrated McFarland family the historic Santa Lucia Highlands vineyard estate long known to locals as River Road Vineyard. The purchase of these 243 acres strengthens Delicato Family Vineyards' presence in California's leading appellations, including Monterey, Lodi and Napa Valley.

River Road Vineyard was originally planted in 1972 by the late Jerry McFarland whose early Santa Lucia Highlands vineyard plantings pioneered the foundation for today's acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay appellation.

"Opportunities like this don't come along often and our family is honored to carry on Jerry McFarland's legacy within the Monterey winegrowing community with the acquisition of River Road Vineyard," said Jay Indelicato, COO, Delicato Family Vineyards. "We couldn't have found a better complement to our existing vineyards as we continue to grow our luxury wine programs."

"River Road Vineyard is the crown jewel of the Santa Lucia Highlands and a special place for our family where we source fruit for our McFarland wines, nearly 50 years after Jerry first planted it," said Stephanie McFarland, wife of the late Jerry McFarland. "A lot of people have asked about River Road, but we wanted it to be in the right hands. Not only does the Indelicato family have a longtime history growing grapes in Monterey, they also share the same dedication to long-term stewardship of the land as our family. We are confident that Delicato Family Vineyards will bring River Road to its highest potential for many more generations to come."

River Road Vineyard is located at the northern end of Santa Lucia Highlands classified as cold Region I, where ocean breezes create superior cool-climate Burgundian varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It borders Sleepy Hollow Vineyard to the north and west, which McFarland also originally planted the same year as River Road.

The transfer of the property was a private transaction between the two families. The McFarland family will continue to source fruit for their wines from River Road Vineyard. The acquisition diversifies the Indelicato family's Monterey vineyard holdings, which include San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey's San Bernabe sub-appellation.

About Delicato Family Vineyards

Delicato Family Vineyards is a pioneering family-owned California winery founded in 1924. Three generations of the Indelicato family have guided grapes from vineyard to bottle and into homes and dining establishments around the world. Delicato Family Vineyards produces and represents wines of the highest quality made in accordance with sustainable winegrowing practices. For more information, visit www.delicato.com.

SOURCE Delicato Family Vineyards

Related Links

http://www.delicato.com


COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Demotech, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has secured a Corporate LiveWire Global Award for 2016 for its knowledge of Insurance and Reinsurance. According to Demotech Vice President and Co-founder, Sharon M. Romano, CPCU, AIAF, CCP, ARC, "We are pleased to continue our thought leadership in the area of insurer financial analysis. With Shell, PwC and Ernst & Young securing awards in their respective categories, our receipt of the Corporate LiveWire award regarding Insurance and Reinsurance is an achievement to be proud of."

The Corporate LiveWire Global awards were developed to recognize the world's leading businesses. The Global Awards Guide celebrates firms, individuals and businesses who have demonstrated excellence in the world of corporate finance. Annually, an elite group is chosen to be honored and acknowledged for their impressive performance. The Global Awards Guide champions those who lead from the front. Across a spectrum, the awards honor those who consistently show best practice in every aspect of their work.

About Demotech, Inc.

Demotech, Inc. is a financial analysis firm specializing in evaluating the financial stability of regional and specialty insurers. Since 1985, Demotech has served the insurance industry by assigning accurate, reliable and proven Financial Stability Ratings (FSRs) for Property & Casualty insurers and Title underwriters. FSRs are a leading indicator of financial stability, providing an objective baseline of the future solvency of an insurer. Demotech's philosophy is to review and evaluate insurers based on their area of focus and execution of their business model rather than solely on financial size. Visit www.demotech.com for more information.

Corporate LiveWire provides the corporate sector with information, news and developments from around the globe. The resource offers current content on corporate transactions, international markets, business strategy and changes in legislation. As a prominent news resource, Corporate LiveWire celebrates excellence with corporate awards categories in popular programs. Corporate LiveWire has granted awards in Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Finance, Innovation and Excellence.

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SOURCE Demotech, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.demotech.com


PUNE, India, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Distribution Boards Market by Voltage Rating (Low Voltage, Medium Voltage), by End-User (Transmission & Distribution Utilities, Manufacturing & Processing Industry, Commercial & Residential Sector, and Others), and by Region - Global Forecast and Trends to 2021" published by MarketsandMarkets, The market is projected to grow from an estimated USD 4.33 Billion in 2016 to USD 5.91 Billion by 2021, registering a CAGR of 6.4% from 2016 to 2021.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 66 market data Tables with 30 Figures spread through 160 pages and in-depth TOC on "Distribution Boards Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/distribution-board-market-10103490.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

Factors such as growing investments in transmission & distribution infrastructure and increasing construction and infrastructural activities are driving the global market for distribution boards.

Transmission & distribution utilities the key end-user of distribution boards

Distribution boards primarily find application in transmission & distribution utilities. In 2015, transmission & distribution utilities constituted the largest segment of the Distribution Boards Market, and accounted for the largest share of the total market. Substations are a crucial element of any grid system, and require high-level protection to ensure the stability of the system. Distribution boards are used extensively by utilities to prevent damages to expensive and critical equipment. The increasing electricity access across the world would result in an increase in the number of substations, which would in turn, raise the demand for distribution boards.

Make an Enquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=10103490

Growing inclination towards medium voltage distribution boards

The report also segments the Distribution Boards Market on the basis of rated voltage into low voltage and medium voltage. Medium voltage distribution boards have received widespread acceptance in the past few years. The increasing investments in transmission & distribution infrastructure and in renewable power plants will likely provide a major boost to the market. The medium voltage Distribution Boards Market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific to dominate the market for distribution boards

In this report, the electric Distribution Boards Market has been analyzed with respect to five regions namely, Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific is estimated to dominate the market, owing to factors such as urbanization, industrialization, effective smart grid initiatives, high investments in the upgradation of transmission & distribution infrastructure, energy efficiency measures, and renewable projects.

To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes profiles of some of the leading players in the electric Distribution Boards Market including ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Siemens AG (Germany), General Electric (U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), and Eaton Corporation (Ireland). These players are trying to penetrate developing economies and are adopting various methods to increase their market share.

The report includes a market share analysis, by revenue, for key companies. The report helps market participants to identify high-growth segments and assists them in making key investment decisions

Browse Related Reports:

Switchgear Market by Voltage (<1 kV, 1 to 52 kV, and >52 kV), by End-user (Transmission & Distribution Utilities, Manufacturing & Process Industries, and Commercial & Residential Infrastructure), and by Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/switchgear-market-1162268.html

Gas Insulated Switchgear Market by Type (High & Medium), Sub-Type (Primary & Secondary), End-User (Transmission & Distribution, Manufacturing & Processing, Infrastructure & Transportation and Power Generation) & Region - Global Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/gas-insulated-switchgear-market-234770702.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DollarDays International, the nation's leading supplier of wholesale goods for small businesses and nonprofits, is pleased to announce today they are working with Google on the "Making & Science" initiative to inspire future scientists and makers. DollarDays is providing an "Arts, Crafts and Tool Kit" that can be used with the Science Journal Android App created by Google's Making Science team. DollarDays' kit is unique in that it provides almost every item needed to support all of the activities in the Science Journal Android app.

"We are excited to be working with Google on this initiative. Providing the supplies in the Science Journal kits aligns with DollarDays' philosophy of supporting educational growth programs," said Marc Joseph, CEO & President at DollarDays. "Team DollarDays is proud to be a part of inspiring the future."

The Science Journal kits support activities developed by Google and the Exploratorium. Each kit includes the supplies for these activities which can be accessed through the Science Journal, a digital science notebook that helps kids and adults explore the world around them. The "Arts, Crafts and Tool Kit" includes enough supplies for one facilitator and 7-8 children; available now on DollarDays' website https://www.dollardays.com/landing/google-science-kit, it retails for $499. "We wanted to provide these kits to be used in the classroom, in after school programs and even at home to inspire the curiosity of our children in building, experimenting and creating with combining science and technology," said Shelly Chaney, VP of Merchandising at DollarDays.

What is Making & Science?

Making & Science is an initiative from Google to inspire future scientists and makers. Learn more about Google's programs, events, media, and the new Science Journal app at makingscience.withgoogle.com.

About DollarDays International

DollarDays International is a virtual warehouse headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. It offers small businesses and nonprofits deals on more than 200,000 products. Since 2001, DollarDays has supplied bulk wholesale products at discounted prices, while providing first-class customer service. DollarDays' prices are among the lowest available to small businesses, schools and nonprofits. In April of 2016 DollarDays was nominated as a finalist in the B2B E-Commerce Marketer of the Year category of the Internet Retailer Excellence Awards. For more information, please visit www.dollardays.com, read our blog, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

CONTACT: Jenn Moreira, Director of Marketing, 480-922-8155 ext. 162

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SOURCE DollarDays International

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YOUNTVILLE, Calif., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the 30th vintage of Dominus as well as an exceptional year for Napa Valley, the 2013 label dons a special portrait of Christian Moueix by William Kentridge. Kentridge is a South African artist internationally known for his prints, drawings, animations and more recently, stage design for opera.

For the 2013 label portrait, Kentridge deconstructed the likeness of Christian Moueix using a collage of multiple ink and charcoal drawings, which convey the complexity, depth and sensibility of its subject.
May 24, 2016 | 03:29 am PT

Vietnam Airlines has announced it plans to sell a stake equivalent to nearly nine percent of its charter capital to All Nippon Airways Holdings, and the $108 million deal could be signed by the end of May.

Vietnams leading carrier will sell 107,668,938 shares worth 13 billion Japanese yen, equal to 8.77 percent of Vietnam Airlines charter capital, to ANA Holdings for VND21,000 ($0.9) per share, according to the Ministry of Transports newspaper.

At the Vietnam Airlines shareholders meeting this morning, the Ministry of Transport approved the Vietnam Airlines (VNA) plan to increase its charter capital through the stock transfer from VND11.2 trillion to VND12.27 trillion (over $550 million) in line with the Law on Enterprise and Law on Securities.

Vietnam Airlines has tied up with All Nippon Airways by selling a 9 percent stake to raise its charter capital. Photo by vemaybaytinich

The strategic alliance with All Nippon Airways will help Vietnam Airlines acquire new management technology, expand our marketplace, improve service quality and strengthen competitiveness in the international market, said Pham Viet Thanh, former chairman of Vietnam Airlines Corporation.

Vietnams flagship carrier will reduce its state ownership to 75 percent through the sale and plans to cut it down to 65 percent of charter capital in line with the approved divestment scheme.

The Ministry of Transport will allow VNA to retain the capital made from the sale to ANA Holdings. The disbursement of this amount shall be decided at the general shareholders meeting.

According to the Financial Times, Vietnam is an interesting market for Japanese enterprises, which are investing heavily in the Southeast Asian country as it reduces its dependence on China. From 2011 to 2014, FDI from Japan to Vietnam increased three times and reached $9 billion.

ANA, the biggest operator of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has taken possession of more than half of the 83 long-haul aircraft it has ordered. Japans biggest airline is the owner of 240 aircraft, operating between 88 destinations with about 47 million passengers annually.

The Star Alliance member has 63 subsidiaries globally and 18 branches worldwide.
SPRING LAKE, N.J., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mold is the leading causes of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), but other sources of biotoxin illness can include tick bites, toxic blue-green algae, and certain varieties of fish. This disorder affects millions of Americans every year, many of which do not recognize it. Dr. Michael Rothman, New Jersey's leading advocate of alternative and integrative health enhancing regimens, has recently completed Dr. Shoemaker's Surviving Mold Protocol. This training taught Dr. Rothman how to diagnose and treat CIRS and Mold Related Illness more effectively, alleviating pain and suffering in patients who might have received incorrect diagnoses and treatments for decades.

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"In our quest to answer the most prevalent and difficult questions posed to Surviving Mold since its launch in 2010, we have initiated a program of certification for those doctors wanting to provide the latest and most effective care to patients suffering from CIRS."  SurivivingMold.com

Drs. Shoemaker and Rothman worked closely together one-on-one while Dr. Rothman learned the often-unrecognized signs and symptoms of CIRS. Dr. Shoemaker also teaches a scientifically proven method of treatment for this devastating disorder. One of the most important principles of the Surviving Mold Protocol is that people who are genetically predisposed to biotoxin illness have a much greater risk of developing problems after exposure to mold. This genetic aspect of CIRS underlies much of the confusion regarding the diagnosis and treatment of this all too common problem.

Dr. Rothman has added this new certification to his already impressive list of accomplishments, experience, and training. His approach is based on objectively measuring the underlying causes of chronic disease states and then using targeted therapies to bring the body's systems into metabolic balance.

"I am very proud to receive this certification. Dr. Shoemaker's research and methods are second-to-none and I know that this new knowledge will immensely benefit my patients. Challenging cases that were previously not fully understood are now coming into clearer focus, allowing me to treat them more effectively and rapidly." - Dr. Michael Rothman, MDWellness

Over the last 30 years, Michael E. Rothman MD has dedicated his life to helping his patients understand the "how and why" of their health. He strives to provide the highest quality care utilizing natural, holistic, non-toxic methods. Dr. Rothman has an extensive background in Nutrition, Biochemistry, Physiology and Physics. This NJ holistic doctor is highly respected by his peers and is loved by his patients.

SOURCE Dr. Michael Rothman
ARLINGTON, Va., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DRS Technologies Inc., a Leonardo-Finmeccanica Company, announced today that it has signed a strategic teaming agreement with Roboteam Ltd. to develop a solution for the U.S. Army's emerging Common Robotic System  Individual (CRS-I) program.

This alliance combines Roboteam's technologies and expertise in Military robotics with DRS's market presence, customer awareness, platform systems engineering, and production capabilities.

"We are excited to work with Roboteam to offer our customer a world-class robotic solution that provides dismounted troops with a superior capability to detect and mitigate threats," said Joseph Matteoni, vice president and general manager of DRS Sustainment Systems, Inc.

The CRS-I will provide the dismounted warfighter with the capability to conduct lower-level reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition; to remotely perform chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear detection; to remotely clear danger areas and conduct explosive obstacle counter measure operations; and conduct explosive ordnance disposal operations from a standoff distance.

About Roboteam

Roboteam designs, develops and manufactures cutting edge, user-oriented, multipurpose unmanned platforms and controllers for defense, law enforcement and public safety missions. The company was recently awarded a U.S. Air Force contract to provide up to 250 of its anti-IED Micro Tactical Ground Robots (MTGR) through 2022. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Roboteam Ltd. Based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

About DRS Technologies

DRS Technologies is a leading technology innovator and supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors worldwide. The company specializes in naval and maritime systems, ground combat mission command and network computing, global satellite communications and network infrastructure, aviation support and avionics systems, and intelligence and security solutions. Additionally, DRS builds power systems and electro-optical/infrared systems for a wide range of commercial customers.

Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, DRS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leonardo-Finmeccanica S.p.A., which employs more than 47,000 people worldwide. See the full range of capabilities at www.drs.com and on Twitter @drstechnologies.

For additional information please contact:

Michael Mount

Senior Director, Public Affairs

571-447-4624

[email protected]

Twitter: @drstechnologies

SOURCE DRS Technologies Inc.
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EasyPaint, an on-demand platform that connects users with professional painting services, today announced that Kelly Kambs, has been hired as Chief Revenue Officer to lead all revenue-generating processes, including sales and marketing, new market expansion, and strategic partnerships. She will split her time between EasyPaint's Los Angeles and San Francisco offices.

Ms. Kambs most recently served as Senior VP of Behr in Santa Ana, Calif., one of the largest suppliers of high-quality paints, primers and stain product for consumers, architects and design professionals.

EasyPaint, a Washington DC-based startup, has gained momentum and several high-profile projects after launching in the DC-area less than 18 months ago. The company continues to see major growth each month, leading to this expansion of the leadership team.

Ms. Kambs brings more than 20 years of building products experience to the position, with a proven track record of generating solid revenue and margin growth. She has held leadership positions at PPG, United States Gypsum, Johns Manville, and Comex, and will parlay her in-depth industry experience to expand EasyPaint's share of the $50B U.S. painting service market. "I've been watching EasyPaint and admiring its growth for some time, and am truly impressed with the leadership as well as the technology. EasyPaint is changing the process in which paint is purchased and applied in a very short timeframe," says Kambs.

Relentless focus on providing the best service to its customers has led to the company's success to date. "To build a company that can help customers in the best possible way, you need to have the best possible people involved," says Marty Cornish, CEO of EasyPaint. "Kelly is one of those people who you just know is a standout performer from the first minute you talk with her."

Cornish and EasyPaint COO Denis Abrams, former Benjamin Moore CEO, have seen demand require the company to grow and refine its business at a fast pace. "Every company I've been involved with has been an exciting challenge for me during its growth, but with EasyPaint things tend to happen a bit more rapidly," Abrams says. "I'm especially happy to add a talented leader to our team like Kelly, who has not only the experience to navigate the fast-paced journey, but also the determination and drive to help make this company successful long term."

The addition of Kambs to the leadership team bolsters EasyPaint's diverse industry experience, which includes advisors Scott Abbott, former CEO of Five Star Painting, and Aaron Lee, former CTO of The Home Depot. EasyPaint and its supporters remain focused on achieving its mission  to provide customers with the world's most trusted and convenient painting experience available. The company will be entering Los Angeles in June 2016, as well as two yet-to-be-announced markets later this year.

About EasyPaint

EasyPaint is an online service providing a one-stop paint contracting solution for general contractors, interior designers, realtors, business owners and homeowners. The company currently operates in Washington, DC, and San Francisco, Calif. Founded in 2014 by Marty Cornish, formerly with Sherwin-Williams, and Denis Abrams, the former CEO of Benjamin Moore, the company offers pricing and quality to match individual needs, on-demand scheduling, certified painters, and a satisfaction guarantee. EasyPaint offers accountability, security and comfort in an industry that has been sorely lacking all three. Take the pain out of painting at EasyPaint.com or call 800-275-9946 for more information.

CONTACT

Ray Vincenzo

(206) 290-4431

[email protected]

SOURCE EasyPaint

Related Links

http://www.EasyPaint.com


BOSTON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE: EV) announced today its participation in a $40 million financing in SigFig, an independent San Francisco-based wealth management technology company. Eaton Vance is lead investor in the $33 million SigFig equity raise, whose other participants include major financial institutions New York Life, Santander InnoVentures and UBS, as well as venture capital firms Bain Capital Ventures, DCM Ventures, Nyca Partners and Union Square Ventures. Comerica Bank is providing $7 million of credit to SigFig through a lending facility.

As announced today by SigFig, this financing solidifies SigFig's position as an industry-leading provider of digital technology to financial institutions across the wealth management, banking and insurance industries. SigFig will use the funding to accelerate the expansion of its team and technology platform as it scales its enterprise strategy of building investment technology for a wide range of financial institutions based on their distinctive corporate strategies and individual client needs.

SigFig has recently announced a series of partnerships with banks and wealth management platforms, including UBS Wealth Management Americas and Pershing Advisor Solutions, to build wealth management technology solutions for those firms' financial advisors and clients.

"Eaton Vance's investment in SigFig reflects our support for their vision to apply leading-edge digital technology to enhance the investing experience and improve outcomes for investors," said Thomas E. Faust, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eaton Vance Corp. "Their best-in-class technology platform and partnerships with leading financial institutions position SigFig as an emerging leader in the rapidly developing enterprise wealth management technology market. By affiliating with SigFig, Eaton Vance gains a seat at the table in the development of the tools that will guide the future of investment advice."

"We are pleased to receive the backing of Eaton Vance, along with other leading financial institutions and venture capital firms," said Mike Sha, Chief Executive Officer of SigFig. "Eaton Vance's history of innovation in creating cost- and tax-efficient investment solutions such as NextSharesTM exchange-traded managed funds aligns with SigFig's commitment to building technology that helps improve outcomes for individual investors."

Financial terms of Eaton Vance's investment are not being disclosed.

Eaton Vance (NYSE: EV) is a leading global asset manager whose history dates to 1924. With offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Eaton Vance and its affiliates managed $315.1 billion in assets as of March 31, 2016, offering individuals and institutions a broad array of investment strategies and wealth management solutions. The Company's long history of providing exemplary advice, timely innovation and attractive returns through a variety of market conditions has made Eaton Vance the investment manager of choice for many of today's most discerning investors. For more information, see eatonvance.com.

SigFig is dedicated to making high-quality investment advice more accessible and affordable to investors of all wealth levels. Using a combination of design, data science and technology, SigFig helps empower investors with the information and guidance they need to achieve their personal financial goals. Through partnerships with some of the world's largest and most innovative financial institutions, SigFig seeks to helps investors and advisors better manage their investments. Its enterprise technology accelerates time to market for its partners, while doing so in a secure, scalable and compliant way. Its product, design and growth labs fuel innovation, accelerate adoption and create delight for clients. Learn more at www.sigfig.com.

SOURCE Eaton Vance Corp.

Related Links

http://www.eatonvance.com


FAIRFAX, Va., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Edelman Financial Services, one of the nation's largest independent financial planning and investment management firms,1 has named Ryan Parker its Chief Executive Officer. Parker will join Ric Edelman, the firm's founder and Executive Chairman, in establishing the firm's strategic direction as it continues to expand its client base across the country. Parker will also lead the daily operations of the firm, which manages $16 billion for more than 30,000 individuals and families.2

"We are thrilled to welcome Ryan," said Ric Edelman. "He is a proven financial executive and will be instrumental in helping us preserve our client focus as we continue to grow." By turning over executive duties to Parker, Edelman will be able to focus on the financial education and advice. "My wife Jean and I created the firm 30 years ago," Edelman said, "but as the firm has grown, more of my time has been diverted to management activities. Ryan's addition will enable me to focus on what matters most: our clients." Edelman added, "We want to reach as many people as we can, to help them build and maintain a secure financial future for themselves and their families."

A veteran executive with 18 years' experience in the financial services industry, Parker most recently was Managing Director, Investment and Planning Solutions at LPL Financial. In that role, he led the sales, marketing, product management and sponsor relations functions in support of over 14,000 independent advisors and 700 financial institutions. Prior to LPL, Parker worked at Russell Investments, Franklin Templeton Investments and Putnam Investments. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

"Ric, Jean and the entire Edelman Financial team have built a firm with an important mission. I am very passionate about helping people achieve their financial goals and excited to guide the organization's continued growth and success across the country," said Parker. He starts at the firm on June 20.

Edelman Financial has 125 financial planners, has added 15 to the firm so far this year and seeks to add 35 more.

About Edelman Financial Services

Edelman Financial Services provides financial planning and investment management services to more than 30,000 individuals and families and manages $16 billion in assets.2 The firm also provides 401(k) plans and institutional investment management for businesses. EFS has won more than 100 financial, business, community and philanthropic awards.3 For investment advice and other financial planning services, or to speak with an advisor, call 888-PLAN-RIC (888-752-6742) or visit www.RicEdelman.com.

Ric Edelman, Chairman and CEO of Edelman Financial Services, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor, is an Investment Advisor Representative who offers advisory services through EFS and is a Registered Representative and Registered Principal of, and offers securities through, EF Legacy Securities, LLC, an affiliated broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.

1WealthManagement.com's "Top 100 RIAs of 2015" ranking was assembled using data from Meridian-IQ. Advisory firms are ranked by total assets under management. To land on the list, firms had to have a focus on financial and retirement planning for individual and high-net-worth clients. And institutional clients do not make up a substantial portion of their businesses. Finally, none of these firms are owned by a bank, broker/dealer or investment company. Investor experience/returns were not considered as part of this ranking. Edelman Financial Services Ranked 3rd.

2As of 3/31/16

3Throughout the firm's 30 year history, EFS and Ric Edelman have been presented with more than 100 business, advisory, communication and community service awards. A complete list of awards won can be requested by contacting the firm at (888)-PLAN-RIC.

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SOURCE Edelman Financial

Related Links

http://www.edelmanfinancial.com


MESA, Ariz., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Edupoint Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management solutions, has been awarded a five-year contract by Michigan's Regional Educational Media Center Association (REMC) to provide the Synergy Student Information System (SIS) to support the more than 1.5 million students across the state of Michigan. As one of only three vendors selected by REMC for this contract, Synergy SIS will provide extensive student management functionality, as well as world-class scheduling, gradebook, and family engagement capabilities.

The REMC Statewide SAVE Project is a cooperative purchasing program developed to secure aggregated volume bid prices that meet state bid procedures for Michigan schools and other eligible agencies. The initiative saves Michigan school districts both time and money by allowing them to procure products without bidding. Edupoint was selected for award based on the comprehensiveness of its SIS solution, in addition to product quality, price, and customer support.

Under the terms of the contract with REMC, districts throughout Michigan can select Synergy SIS at pre-negotiated rates. Edupoint, in conjunction with its local Michigan-based business partner Computer Management Technologies, will tailor each implementation project and service offering based on each district's unique needs. Districts can contract for Synergy directly through REMC starting in July 2016 and continuing through June 2021.

"We are honored to have been chosen by the REMC SAVE Project to offer the Synergy Student Information System to Michigan districts," says Bob Weathers, Edupoint's Founder & CEO. "As a long-standing partner with Michigan districts, Edupoint is committed to providing innovative solutions designed to support personalized learning, improve instruction, and streamline access to information to all K-12 stakeholders. It's a pleasure to partner with an organization that shares our same values, and we look forward to developing relationships with new REMC districts as they join the Synergy family."

The Synergy Student Information System is currently used by 63 school districts throughout Michigan, including Grand Rapids Public Schools, Genesee Intermediate School District, and Lansing Public Schools. As a powerful commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution with customization capabilities that allow districts to match processes already in place, Synergy offers fully-integrated teacher, parent and student portals, intuitive role-based mobile applications, and comprehensive reporting functionality. TeacherVUE Gradebook provides support for traditional or standards-based grading insight into student performance for personalized and targeted instruction.

About Edupoint Educational Systems:

For more than thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well designed, technologically advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The Synergy Education Platform is a suite of integrated solutions that includes Synergy SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy Special Education, a comprehensive special education data management system. More than a data management tool, Synergy is a collaborative environment that facilitates improved communication between educators, administrators, parents and students resulting in better instructional decisions at all levels. To learn why thousands of schools across the country use the Synergy Education Platform to manage more than 3.5 million students, visit www.Edupoint.com.

*LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0126-edupoint-300dpi.jpg

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE Edupoint Educational Systems

Related Links

http://www.edupoint.com


SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The E-Jets E2 program reached another important milestone today with the completion of the maiden flight of the E190-E2. The flight was originally scheduled to take place during the second half of this year.

The aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m., local time from Embraer's facility in Sao Jose dos Campos and flew for three hours and 20 minutes. The flight occurred just three months after the E190-E2 made its public debut at a rollout ceremony at the factory in late February. The inaugural flight marks the beginning of the certification campaign for the E190-E2, the first of three new second-generation E-Jet models. The E190-E2 is scheduled to enter commercial service in 2018.

"A first flight is always an emotional occasion, no matter how many you witness over the years. In this particular case, we are not only keeping our promises to the market, we are going beyond by being a few months ahead of schedule. I want to thank each and every Embraer employee who is participating in this project," said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President & CEO.

"What a first flight! Today, all of us at Embraer should be proud and thrilled of this remarkable achievement. Watching the first E190-E2 take to the skies means we are paving the way for a bright future in commercial aviation. I'm certain that the market will show even greater interest not only for E190-E2, but also for the other E2s as well," said Paulo Cesar Silva, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

Embraer Captain Mozart Louzada commanded the aircraft along with First Officer Gerson de Oliveira Mendes, and Flight Test Engineers Alexandre Figueiredo and Carlos Silveira. Today's flight evaluated aircraft handling and performance characteristics with the crew analyzing a significant number of flight parameters, including speed, altitude and landing gear retraction. This was made possible by the high level of maturity that the E2 reached during program development through the extensive use of digital modeling simulations and ground and static tests that employed rigs and an iron bird.

"There are always a lot of expectations with a first flight and todays' was no exception. The flight was very smooth. We were able to significantly open the flight envelope by flying at mach 0.82, climbing to 41,000 feet and retracting the landing gear and flaps, and engaging the fly-by-wire in normal mode. All of these demonstrate that the E190-E2 project is very mature and robust, and exceed all performance targets" said Captain Louzada.

The aircraft that flew today is the first of four prototypes that will be used in the E190-E2 certification program. Two additional aircraft will be assigned for the E195-E2 certification process that will lead to entry into service in 2019. Three more aircraft will be used to certify the E175-E2 which is scheduled to enter service in 2020.

The E190-E2 has the same number of seats as the current-generation E190 and can be configured with 97 seats in dual class or 106 seats in a single-class layout. It has 400 nautical miles more range than the current-generation E190 and gives operators the ability to fly the aircraft up to 2,800 nautical miles.

Since the E-Jets E2s were launched in June 2013, the program has logged 640 commitments from airlines and leasing companies: 267 are firm orders and 373 are options and purchase rights. The E-Jets family of aircraft is the leader in the up-to-130-seat aircraft category with more than 50% worldwide market share. Embraer E-Jets are currently in service with some 70 customers from 50 countries.

E-Jets E2s represent the best of new technology in a proven platform. The application of advanced technologies for engines, wings, and avionics sets the E2s apart by providing airlines with the most efficient airplanes in the category yet maintaining commonality with current-generation E-Jets. Enhancements include new aerodynamically-advanced high-aspect ratio distinctively-shaped wings, improved systems and avionics, 4th generation full fly-by-wire flight controls, and Pratt & Whitney's PurePowerTM Geared Turbofan high by-pass ratio engines (PW1700G on the E175-E2, PW1900G on the E190-E2 and E195-E2). These combine to generate double-digit reductions in fuel consumption, emissions, noise, and maintenance costs, as well greater productivity though less scheduled maintenance downtime. E-Jets E2s will achieve similar costs per seat as larger re-engined narrow-body aircraft but with significantly lower costs per trip. Those savings will create new opportunities for lower-risk development of new markets and fleet right-sizing.

Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer

About Embraer

Embraer is a global company headquartered in Brazil with businesses in commercial and executive aviation, defense & security. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems and has a global customer support and services network.

Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft since it was founded in 1969. Approximately every 10 seconds, an Embraer aircraft takes off somewhere in the world. The global Embraer fleet transports over 145 million passengers a year.

Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Press Offices:

Headquarters (Brazil)

Saulo Passos

[email protected]

Cell: +55 11 94254 4017

Tel.: +55 11 3040 1799



North America

Alyssa Ten Eyck

[email protected]

Cell: +1 954 383 0460

Tel.: +1 954 359 3847



Europe, Middle East and Africa

[email protected]

Cell: +55 11 94254 4017

Tel.: +55 11 3040 1799



China

Mirage Zhong

[email protected]

Cell: +86 185 1378 5180

Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988



Asia Pacific

Nilma Missir-Boissac

[email protected]

Cell: +65 9012 8428

Tel.: +65 6305 9955

SOURCE Embraer S.A.
NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE: ESRT) has recently signed seven lease transactions at One Grand Central Place:

Allianz Real Estate of America expanded by 2,700 square feet and now lease a total of 9,500 square feet. Tenant brokers: Greg Taubin and Jason Perla of Savills Studley.

and of Savills Studley. National CineMedia leased 21,800 square feet. Tenant brokers: Joseph Genovesi and John Harte of Savills Studley.

and of Savills Studley. NeotaLogic leased 5,050 square feet. Tenant broker: Mitchell Kunikoff of Lee & Associates NYC.

of Lee & Associates NYC. Precision for Value leased 17,900 square feet. Tenant brokers: Nicola Heryet and Stephen Bellwood of Cushman & Wakefield.

and of Cushman & Wakefield. RMC Research Corporation leased 5,400 square feet. Tenant broker: Peter Shimkin of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank .

of . Tenex Capital Management expanded by 8,500 square feet. Tenant broker: Jeffrey Lovell of Cushman & Wakefield.

of Cushman & Wakefield. Undisclosed tenant leased 13,900 square feet. Tenant broker: Daniel Horowitz , Jeffrey Peck and Christopher Foerch of Savills Studley.

"With direct in-building access to Grand Central Terminal, commuters are just three minutes away from their train or subway," said Thomas P. Durels, Executive Vice President and Director of Leasing and Operations for ESRT. "The convenient location, amenities that include a newly expanded tenant-only conference center (under construction) and two dining options, combined with new high-quality tenant spaces are why we continue to see solid demand."

Ryan Kass, Julie Christiano and Lindsay Godard represented ESRT in the above transactions, along with William Cohen and Andrew Weisz of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank.

About Empire State Realty Trust

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the world's most famous building. Headquartered in New York, New York, the Company's office and retail portfolio covers 10.1 million rentable square feet, as of March 31, 2016, consisting of 9.4 million rentable square feet in 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 720,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward looking statements." Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "intends," "plans," "pro forma," "estimates," "contemplates," "aims," "continues," "would" or "anticipates" or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements: the factors included in (i) the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, including those set forth under the headings "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," "Business," and "Properties" and (ii) in future periodic reports filed by the Company under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. While forward-looking statements reflect the Company's good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, or new information, data or methods, future events or other changes after the date of this press release, except as required by applicable law. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could impact the Company's future results, performance or transactions, see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and other risks described in documents subsequently filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based only on information currently available to the Company (or to third parties making the forward-looking statements).

SOURCE Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Endace, a global leader in high-speed network monitoring and recording technology, announced today that it has joined the STAC Benchmark Council.

"Following our recent spin-off, we are pleased to be renewing our long standing support for STAC, and the automated trading community," said Endace CEO, Stuart Wilson. "We've had a long relationship with STAC, which has used our technology for many years in its test labs to measure the performance of solutions for automated trading. We are keen to work with the community again and bring our expertise in highly accurate timestamping, lossless network recording, packet capture accuracy and replay to bear on setting and measuring performance standards for the financial industry."

The STAC Benchmark Council is a community of financial institutions and vendors that collaborate to develop technology benchmark standards for the financial industry. Industry members include the world's largest banks, brokerage houses, exchanges, hedge funds, proprietary trading shops; and vendors serving the financial industry.

Endace is also a platinum sponsor of the STAC Summits in London, Chicago and New York, where Wilson and Endace's CTO, Dr. Stephen Donnelly, are sharing the results of a field study comparing the accuracy of GPS and PTP timing in a live HFT environment  allowing automated traders to make sound decisions in the face of looming MiFID-II requirements.

Dr. Donnelly's field testing demonstrated that PTP accuracy in a WAN environment is highly dependent on the environment it is being deployed in, and is sensitive to factors such as physical path changes or congestion queueing.

The conclusion from Dr. Donnelly's testing is that GPS should still be preferred as the gold standard for accurate synchronization. In environments where GPS time sources are not feasible, PTP may provide a possible solution in depending on the accuracy required, but 1) its accuracy is very dependent on the architecture and components of the network on which it is deployed, and 2) ensuring accuracy in a WAN environment is much more difficult to do.

About Endace

For more than 15 years, Endace has provided high-speed, network recording and visibility solutions to monitor and protect some of the world's largest, most complex networks. Customers include global banks, telcos and service providers, media and broadcast companies, health organizations, retailers, e-commerce and web giants, governments and large enterprises. Customers choose Endace technology because it can monitor and capture network traffic with 100% accuracy regardless of network speeds or loads. It can scale to meet the needs of the fastest networks and is built on an open architecture that enables integration with a wide variety of custom, open source and commercial solutions.

www.endace.com

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SOURCE Endace

Related Links

http://www.endace.com


CARLSBAD, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Enviance, a leader in cloud-based Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) management software, held its annual User Conference in San Diego, CA last week. Enviance users include enterprise-level clients and partners from the world's leading corporations. The conference, held annually, gives users the opportunity to learn from each othersharing best practices and innovations in leveraging Enviance to address and solve complex EH&S problems. The event also provides one-on-one tutoring with Enviance experts and sessions with Enviance executives regarding the company's vision.

Enviance customers comprise a vast network of advanced EH&S specialists275 client companies and 650,000 users worldwide from distinct vertical markets ranging from energy to manufacturing to healthcare to biotechnology, and more. The annual User Conference was created by users organically, and is driven not by Enviance itself but by a massive global community dedicated to continual EH&S innovation using the solution.

In the past year, Enviance has made over 30 major enhancements to its solution portfolio. Most recently, it released the latest Enviance Portal upgrade, version 2.0. The Enviance Portal allows users to dynamically aggregate data into charts and tables  via desktop or mobile and even offline. With this new Portal version, users can display business processes and numeric data side by side, without having to write custom queries. This simplifies workflow creation and data analysis so customers can analyze, act, and then adapt on data in ways never before possible.

"We're making managing what matters in EH&S easier for our clients," said David Muse, Enviance CEO. "Through complex data algorithms, personalized implementation, and ongoing customer support, Enviance makes the complex clear."

Simple, user driven configuration has been responsible for a big part of the solution's popularity. Enviance allows for initial implementation that's 100 percent tailored to a company's needs. Personalized support continues beyond the implementation phase with the Enviance Customer Success Team  a group of skilled professionals dedicated to helping clients with issue resolution within the system. "As EH&S professionals, you handle complex projects," said Muse in his opening keynote at the conference. "We're investing in development, we're investing in top talent and we're investing in you."

About Enviance

Based in Carlsbad, California, Enviance is a leader in cloud-based Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) software, leveraging cloud computing technology to deliver its platform online in real-timeanywhere, anytime and enterprise-wide. Deployed by some of the world's leading corporations and governments, the company's solutions enable organizations to better measure, manage and report mission-critical EH&S data. See why EH&S success starts with Enviance at enviance.com.

Contact:

Blakely Goltra

Marketing

(415) 331-4233

Enviance

Email

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SOURCE Enviance

Related Links

https://www.enviance.com


Vietnams signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) will make the country deal with the serious problem of corruption and improve institutional reforms, said Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh in a discussion with Virginia Foote, chairwoman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.

Virginia Foote: Whats the big vision for Vietnam in all Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)?

Tran Quoc Khanh: Vietnam is a member of ASEAN, so the country has access to a market of more than 600 million people without import tariffs. If we are able to enter big markets like Japan, China, Russia, the EU and the U.S without tax barriers, then the country will become an attractive destination for domestic investors as well as foreign ones.

After joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), we realized that FTAs can play a part in changing our management policies. When the country changes to become part of these FTAs, our economic climate will also change a lot.

They're the two reasons why Vietnam decided to join the TPP and sign an FTA with the EU (EVFTA).

Foote: It seems to many of us who are working and doing business here that FTAs have been of benefit to Vietnam. Do you agree thats the common perception as well?

Khanh: Our top leaders have considered the content of the TPP and seen that many requirements coincide with the targets Vietnam is aiming at.

Take the problem of state-owned enterprises, for example. All Vietnamese citizens and the government want these companies to be run in a more efficient and transparent way. Thats why we agreed to negotiate the specific requirements for state-owned companies under the TPP.

Our people also hope that the fight against corruption will come to an end. Local companies will no longer endure harassment from authorities. That's why Vietnam agreed to talk about corruption in the TPP talks.

Vietnamese people want a more transparent public procurement process, so we agreed to talk about that as well.

Foote: I think in the U.S., Congress only wants to hear about U.S exports, they dont want to hear about imports. Those of us who are investing here or who are in SMEs here, were interested in all the pieces of this puzzle. Were interested in imports. Were interested in exports. Were interested in selling products to Vietnamese consumers. We are interested in manufacturing here. Would you comment on that?

Khanh: I assure you that the TPP will not only benefit Vietnam but also bring big opportunities for American exports.

When Vietnam negotiated its bilateral trade agreement with the U.S. from 1996-2000, Vietnam did not agree to bring the tax applied on imported beef, pork and poultry down to 0 percent as demanded by the U.S. When negotiating to join the WTO, despite pressure from the U.S., Vietnam also refused to remove import taxes on those meats as well as other important American products.

However, Vietnam has basically agreed to remove the import tax on American meat products, including beef and poultry, during the negotiations for the TPP, though it will be a long process.

This is a meaningful agreement between Vietnamese and American manufacturers. I hope that after the TPP comes into effect, both of us will benefit from the deal.

Foote: One other question about the role of the TPP that is somewhat new is the environment and labor commitments. What do you think about these issues?

Khanh: Vietnam is a responsible member of the international community and the International Labor Organization. We want to deliver a message through the TPP and the FTA signed with EU that, while aiming for economic development, Vietnam will not forget about the environmental issues and the protection of labor rights.

Secondly, we understand that if Vietnams products want to reach higher standards, manufacturers must think about the consumption tastes in the U.S. and EU. We all know that consumers in these big markets are very concerned with the environment as well as labor issues. The Vietnamese governments decision to sign these trade deals will help the countrys businesses to access big markets.

Foote: We were talking about the value and supply chains. This should help Vietnam in the supply chain but also to work up the value chain to bring more value to Vietnamese exports.

Khanh: I think after 10 or 15 years, Vietnam will continue to develop its textile industry, but with less export turnover. Negotiating FTAs with big markets will create a special position for Vietnam as the country will be connected to every market in the world. I hope that Vietnam will become an important link in the regional and international supply chains through the presence of big corporations in Vietnam, which will help the country to connect to these chains.
SAN FRANCISCO and ATLANTA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Senior Consultant and Principal Rosemary Hughes and Benefits Strategy Consultant Suzannah Gill will speak at a hands-on workshop at the 7th Annual 2016 IHC Forum & Expo on Wednesday, May 25 from 3-4 p.m. at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Moderated by Jim Fries, national sales director of Health Exchange Resources, the workshop will discuss strategies and best practices for implementing defined contribution health care, including effective decision support and communication and an actuarial breakdown of how defined contribution works. Hughes and Gill will help guide companies in empowering employees to take over their own health care decisions.

About Rosemary Hughes, senior consultant and principal, EPIC:

Rosemary Manning Hughes is a senior consultant and principal in EPIC's Stamford, Conn. and New York, N.Y. offices. She brings over 25 years of experience in the employee benefits industry.

Prior to joining EPIC in June 2015, Hughes was the director of benefits, Americas, for Avis Budget Group, responsible for all aspects of the strategy and administration of all health and welfare, defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, and global wellness.

Before Hughes joined ABG, she was a health and welfare consultant for such firms as Arthur J. Gallagher, Fidelity and Mercer Consulting. She specializes in finding solutions that engage employees while managing costs.

About Suzannah Gill, benefits strategy consultant, EPIC:

Joining EPIC's employee benefits consulting team in Atlanta as a benefits strategy consultant, Suzannah Gill brings a breadth of benefits consulting experience to EPIC. She was previously a senior associate and benefits consultant for a large Atlanta benefits consulting firm with a focus on strategic management and business development. Prior to that, Gill brought her strategic benefits expertise to her clients as an ERISA attorney at a prominent Atlanta law firm, representing clients in Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation.

As a consultant for EPIC's Employee Benefits practice in the Southeast, Gill will provide client service leadership, including overall strategy, relationship management and business development, bringing new clients to EPIC.

Gill is a responsive and results-oriented benefits consultant, and strives to help her clients navigate through the complexities of employee benefits, so they can focus on managing and growing their businesses. Additionally, her skill set further expands EPIC's legal expertise in employee benefits.

Gill earned a Bachelor of Science in Management with Marketing Certification, highest honor, from Georgia Tech and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law.

She is passionate about building relationships with clients to better understand their employee benefits needs and will utilize the extensive expertise available through EPIC's comprehensive Employer Services Platform to better support her clients and help them achieve their business objectives.

About IHC Forum & Expo:

Change is the new constant in health care and employee benefits. The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism constantly tracks the transformation and translates the chaos into clarity and into strategies and tactics that work. IHC Forum & Expo is the event where attendees can access the most current insights, innovations and industry leaders in one place. The expo helps attendees keep pace with continuous health, wellness and benefits change.

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence. EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit www.epicbrokers.com.

*LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0308-epic-insurance-300dpi.jpg

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:

David Hock, of EPIC

650.295.4608

[email protected]

Nicole Conley

650-422-3156

[email protected]

SOURCE EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

Related Links

http://www.epicbrokers.com


LONG BEACH, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson America, Inc., a leading provider of superior performing printing solutions, today announced the Epson WorkForce 2700-Series all-in-one printers designed for the home office. The WorkForce WF-2760 and WF-2750 feature wireless connectivity and leverage Epson's PrecisionCore printhead technology for sharp, professional documents at fast print speeds. With 150-sheet paper capacity and compatibility with a wide range of mobile printing options, the WF-2700-Series increases productivity and offers users an easy-to-use and affordable solution.

The WorkForce 2700-Series printers offer fast and easy home office printing, enabling users to wirelessly connect and print from a tablet, smartphone or computer with Epson Connect and partner solutions1, which support Android, Apple, Chromebook, Fire and Windows devices. The printers deliver easy-to-use wireless and Wi-Fi Direct2, which means no router is required, and enable users to scan documents and save them to the cloud3 for easy access and collaboration. The WorkForce WF-2760 includes built-in Ethernet, which makes sharing the printer on a network quick and easy, as well as support for NFC4 touch-to-print capabilities.

"The Epson WorkForce printer portfolio is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of businesses and the new WF-2700 printers are fast, reliable and versatile offering easy to use features ideal for home offices," said Steve Michelle, product manager, Printers, Epson America. "In addition to the convenience enabled by a range of wireless printing options, the WF-2700-Series delivers the high quality prints for which Epson is known, due to the incorporation of PrecisionCore technology."

Laser-like Performance: Powered by PrecisionCore

The WorkForce WF-2760 and WF-2750 are powered by PrecisionCore, Epson's next generation technology. PrecisionCore features Epson's advanced thin-film piezoelectric (TFP) elements, which are produced via a MEMS manufacturing process using semiconductor micro-fabrication techniques. At the core of this proprietary technology is the PrecisionCore MicroTFP print chip that can be arrayed in various printhead configurations. Each nozzle on the printhead delivers up to 50,000 droplets per second for increased precision and print quality.

Additional WorkForce 2700-Series features include:

Fast print speeds  professional-quality prints at speeds of 13.7 ISO ppm (black) and 7.3 ISO ppm (color) 

Efficient and productive  150-sheet paper capacity, 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF) for copying and scanning, and auto two-sided printing

Affordable individual ink cartridges  replace only the color needed

Economical  uses up to 70 percent less power than laser printers 5

Documents that last  DURABrite  Ultra instant-dry inks for smudge, fade and water resistant prints

Ultra instant-dry inks for smudge, fade and water resistant prints Simple navigation  WF-2760 equipped with 2.7" color touchscreen and WF-2750 equipped with 2.2" mono graphic display to easily print, copy, scan and fax

Pricing and Availability

The Epson WorkForce WF-2760 ($129.99*) and WF-2750 ($99.99*) will be available in Summer 2016 through major computer, office and electronic superstores, mail order, and the Epson Store, www.epsonstore.com. For more information and availability, please visit epson.com/workforce.

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 67,000 employees in 90 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

Specifications are subject to change without notice. EPSON, DURABrite PrecisionCore, TFP and WorkForce are registered trademarks, Epson Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark, and Epson Connect is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.

*Estimated street price

 Black and color print speeds are measured in accordance with ISO/IEC 24734. Actual print times will vary based on system configuration, software, and page complexity. For more information, visit www.epson.com/printspeed

1 Most features require an Internet connection to the printer, as well as an Internet- and/or email-enabled device. For a list of Epson Connect enabled printers and compatible devices and apps, visit www.epson.com/connect.

2 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED; level of performance subject to the range of the router being used. Wi-Fi Direct may require printer software.

3 Requires an Internet connection, a free Epson Connect account and a destination email address or cloud storage account. For a list of supported cloud services, visit www.epson.com/connect.

4 NFC requires use of a device that includes NFC, and may require additional software.

5 Compared to best-selling, color laser multifunction printers priced at $499 (USD) or less, as of March 2014. Actual power savings will vary by product model and usage.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121130/LA21891LOGO

SOURCE Epson America, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.epson.com


IRVING, Texas, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Exeter Finance Corp., a specialty auto finance company in Irving, Texas, announced today it is unveiling a new company logo to dealers and customers in tandem with the company's ten year anniversary.

"Exeter's future is an exciting one filled with opportunity," said Exeter CEO Jason Grubb. "In that spirit, we are pleased to present our new company logo, which reflects our renewed commitment to dealers and customers. Exeter is more dedicated than ever before to servicing our dealers and customers in the most expedient and efficient manner possible."

The new logo celebrates Exeter's rich history and growth since its inception in 2006. In 2011, Exeter was acquired by The Blackstone Group, one of the world's largest private equity and investment banking firms. By 2014, the company boasted more than 1,000 employees and became the third-largest issuer of subprime retail auto loans ABS. Exeter ended 2015 with more than $1.5B in originations and $3.1B in receivables, and continues to grow and thrive.

Over the past ten years, Exeter has invested in technologies and strategies to improve the dealer and customer experience. The company recently implemented a new originations platform that provides dealers automated decisions in 15 seconds or less, and consolidated its nationwide branch network into two central operations centers in Clearfield, Utah and Irving, Texas. Additionally, origination hours have been extended to provide additional support to dealers. Today, Exeter is positioned as a key player in the subprime auto finance space.

ABOUT EXETER FINANCE

Exeter Finance Corp. is a specialty auto finance company based in Irving, Texas. Exeter partners with franchised auto dealers throughout the country to make car ownership a reality for consumers. Building personal relationships and providing the highest level of service to dealers and customers have been keys to the company's success since its founding in 2006. Please visit www.exeterfinance.com to learn more.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160520/370277LOGO

SOURCE Exeter Finance Corp.

Related Links

http://www.exeterfinance.com


MIAMI, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fathom, the pioneer in social impact travel and Carnival Corporation's (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) 10th and newest brand, today announced that Ashoka, the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, has developed select onboard programming for sailings to the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Together, Fathom and Ashoka have created a replicable travel experience that enables travelers to practice changemaking, and discover their own potential to create positive change in their communities. In addition to conducting in-depth training for Fathom Impact Guides, who will lead the onboard sessions on Fathom's weekly voyages, staff and social entrepreneurs from Ashoka will be onboard periodically throughout the year to observe and assist Impact Guides to run Ashoka sessions and practice changemaking in their day-to-day work life. This unique partnership is the first of its kind for Ashoka in the cruise industry.

As one of the pre-eminent global citizen sector organizations, Ashoka's vision is to advance an Everyone a Changemaker world, a world where the skills of changemaking  empathy, teamwork, leadership and problem solving  are available to everyone and solutions outpace social problems. Ashoka has nearly 3,200 Ashoka Fellows, leading social entrepreneurs who have developed innovative solutions to social problems and the potential to change patterns across society, in 90 countries. Ashoka and its Fellows work together to empower people everywhere to realize their power to create change and build enabling environments to help them thrive in a world of constant change.

"We love our partnership with Ashoka as we share similar visions of everyone being a changemaker," said Tara Russell, president of Fathom and global impact lead for Carnival Corporation. "They have a history of social innovation and education and are a respected impact organization, which will play a vital role as we continue to develop our onboard programming to enhance our traveler experience."

Fathom travelers will sail aboard the intimate 704-passenger MV Adonia, which will provide each traveler with a safe, comfortable and well-equipped venue to prepare them to engage in community-based impact activities while in the Dominican Republic. Each traveler's journey begins with one-to-two days at sea, and Fathom travelers will participate in unique immersive programming that will inspire, equip, educate and entertain. The skills and understanding travelers obtain before their on-the-ground endeavors will equip them to have real and lasting impact in their lives and the lives of others.

According to Tia Johnston, Senior Change Manager, Ashoka: "Fathom has developed an exciting opportunity by not only giving travelers the experience of giving back in a local community, but also preparing them to take what they learn and apply it to their life at home as a changemaker. Fathom's goal with each traveler is a long-term engagement, not one that ends in the confines of seven days. Fathom is doing something that we hope will one day be the norm for businesses  helping travelers and employees recognize their own changemaking potential and giving them opportunities to practice it. That is a journey worth taking  for everyone."

Below are the areas of select programming from Ashoka and Fathom

Change Making Acts  Fathom travelers experience fun and engaging one-hour hands-on workshops focused on changemaker discovery and will understand what it means to make a difference in the world. From a fun family scavenger hunt with a changemaking theme and engaging storytelling, to playful problem solving around pressing social issues, Fathom travelers will walk away having committing at least one change making act.

Changemaker Workshops  In addition to taking an in-depth look at what it means to be a changemaker on a global scale, travelers will connect and unleash their own changemaking potential during three enticing team exercises. During these two-hour sessions, travelers will learn how to make a positive impact in their personal lives, during their experiences on the ground, and within their local community. These workshops will help travelers reflect deeply on their surroundings and develop their own personal changemaker story through Ashoka's proven storytelling methodology.

Parenting Changemakers  Likeminded parents, grandparents, and anyone with a child in their life will gain insight on how to discover changemaking inside them and apply it to their family dynamics. Additionally, parents will explore ways to help their children obtain the skills they need for the future and uniquely equip them for the real world. As the most consistent ingredient in creating a successful social entrepreneur and world changer, parenting changemakers focus on practical strategies to instill the change making skills of empathy, problem solving, leadership and teamwork in young people. www.parentingchangemakers.org

Prices for the seven-day trips to the Dominican Republic start at $499 per person, excluding taxes, fees and port expenses and including all meals on the ship, onboard social impact immersion experiences, three onshore social impact activities and related supplies. Prices will vary by season. To secure a spot on future sailings, a fully refundable $300 per person deposit is required for all cabin categories and occupancy levels. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure.

Prices for seven-day itineraries to Cuba start at $1,800 per person, excluding Cuban visas, taxes, fees and port expenses and including all meals on the ship and lunch while in the three ports, onboard experiences and on-the-ground activities. Prices will vary by season. To secure a spot on future sailings, a fully refundable $600 per person deposit is required for all cabin categories and occupancy levels. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. To reserve a spot on future sailings, travelers may call Fathom toll-free at 1-855-932-8466 or work with a travel professional. Learn more at www.Fathom.org.

About Fathom Travel to the Dominican Republic

Fathom is a different kind of cruise that combines one's love of travel with the desire to make a difference in the world. Fathom is defining a new category of travel, Social Impact Travel. Part of the Carnival Corporation (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) family, Fathom offers consumers authentic, meaningful travel experiences to enrich the life of the traveler and work alongside locals as they tackle community needs in the Dominican Republic. Fathom is unique in that it leverages Carnival Corporation's expertise and scale for a one-of-a-kind business model to create long-term collaboration with its partner countries, allowing for sustained social impact and lasting development. Fathom will serve the sizable and growing market of potential social impact travel consumers  approximately one million North Americans  in addition to global travelers already pursuing service-oriented travel experiences worldwide.

Sailing aboard the MV Adonia, a 704-passenger vessel redeployed from Carnival Corporation's P&O Cruises (UK), Fathom will engage, mobilize, educate and equip travelers on every Dominican Republic trip allowing for rich personal enrichment and thousands of impact activity days per visit and tens of thousands of travelers a year to communities of promise, providing unprecedented scale for impact.

About Fathom Travel to Cuba

Recently earning U.S. and Cuban government approvals, Fathom will be the first cruise company to sail from the U.S. to Cuba in more than 50 years. Fathom's round-trip culturally immersive cruise itinerary initially will feature experiences in the Cuban port cities of Havana, Cienfuegos, and Santiago de Cuba, providing travelers the opportunity to enjoy a rich and vibrant culture that until now most U.S. travelers have only seen in photographs. Designed for rich immersion and ease of travel, the Fathom Cuban itinerary offers passengers a comfortable cabin including all the amenities of a modern hotel, plus the luxury of having to unpack only once. Every night, Fathom travelers return to the comforts of the MV Adonia, where they can relax knowing that all the details of getting from location to location in Cuba are handled.

For more information about Fathom or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Professional, call Fathom toll-free at 1-855-932-8466 or visit www.Fathom.org.

About Ashoka

Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with over 3,200 Ashoka Fellows in 90 countries putting their system changing ideas into practice on a global scale. Founded by Bill Drayton in 1980, Ashoka has provided start-up financing, professional support services, and connections to a global network across the business and social sectors, and a platform for people dedicated to changing the world. Ashoka launched the field of social entrepreneurship and has activated multi-sector partners across the world who increasingly look to entrepreneurial talent and new ideas to solve social problems.

Ashoka Fellows remain the core of our community, and their insights show us how the world is moving and what is needed next. Ashoka's mission has evolved beyond catalyzing individual entrepreneurs to enabling an "everyone a changemaker" world. This means equipping more people  including young people - with the skillset and a connection to purpose so that they can contribute ideas and effectively solve problems at whatever scale is needed in their family, community, city, workplace, field, industry, country. This evolution comes from the urgent realization that the pace of change is accelerating in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Our strategic initiatives focus on setting in motion the people, resources and ecosystems that will bring about a social revolution where everyone contributes to change for the good of all. Working in partnership with private, philanthropic and citizen sector players we are achieving large-scale social innovation that is grounded in decades of entrepreneurial experience.

SOURCE Fathom

Related Links

https://www.fathom.org


TIRAT CARMEL, Israel, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Medic Vision Imaging Solutions, Ltd., the leading innovator of vendor-independent solutions for low-dose CT exams, announced today the FDA clearance of SafeCT-29 to help healthcare facilities achieve compliance as mandated by NEMA XR-29 "Smart Dose" standard.

"SafeCT-29 is the only FDA-cleared third-party solution on the market. Healthcare facilities will now have access to an innovative and affordable third-party solution that can help achieve compliance with the "Smart Dose" mandate," said Eyal Aharon, CEO, Medic Vision. "We eliminated the need to replace thousands of fully-operational scanners and saved the healthcare industry billions of dollars in the process."

SafeCT-29 provides full compliance with the XR-29 Dose Check function for CT and PET/CT systems of all vendors and models. It is the only third-party solution that offers Dose Check functionality without interrupting or interfering with the scanner's design and operation.

NEMA estimates that one-third of the current CT installation base may not be retrofitted by the OEMs to become XR-29 compliant. Now there is an alternative solution that can make the 4-slice, 8-slice, some 16-slice CT scanners, as well as the majority of PET/CT scanners, compliant.

"This FDA clearance is a significant achievement" said Aharon. "The year-long approval process was important to support healthcare initiatives designed to protect patient health and contain costs, Medic Vision has the solutions to help healthcare facilities achieve both goals."

SafeCT-29 is a patent-pending, innovative, add-on system that is easy to install and operate. It is fully automatic and maintains the scanner's workflow. It connects to the CT console, analyzes dose data in real time, alerts the operator if the dose is too high, and prevents the patient scan until dose levels are changed or confirmed and justified.

For more information on the availability of SafeCT-29, click here.

About Medic Vision

Medic Vision Imaging Solutions, Ltd. is a leading provider of cost-effective, vendor-independent image enhancement and dose management solutions for CT exams. The company's flagship product, SafeCT, enhances CT images acquired with low-dose protocols. SafeCT is in routine clinical use at more than 100 major hospitals and imaging centers nationwide, supporting CT scanner systems from all manufacturers. The SafeCT product line also includes SafeCT Enterprise and SafeCT Dose Reporting.

(*) SafeCT-29 does not provide all the XR-29 features.

SOURCE Medic Vision Imaging Solutions, Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.medicvision.com


DENVER, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Financial Planning Association (FPA) is pleased to announce the official launch of a newly redesigned, re-engineered FPA PlannerSearch platform that provides consumers with much needed educational content while connecting them with Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professionals.

The website and search tool, now available at www.PlannerSearch.org, has been designed to help CFP professionals standout in today's ultra-competitive digital world. While FPA PlannerSearch has been available for a number of years, the focus of the updated platform has changed from generating new client business for CFP professionals to driving the visibility of CFP professionals across the web.

The new FPA PlannerSearch was designed with three goals in mind:

Increase Planner Findability  The new website's foundation is built from the perspective of traffic acquisition. Best practices of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social sharing, and structured data will now drive the architecture of the website so CFP  professional members of FPA can be found more often and in more places across the web.

The new website's foundation is built from the perspective of traffic acquisition. Best practices of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social sharing, and structured data will now drive the architecture of the website so CFP professional members of FPA can be found more often and in more places across the web. Improve Usability  User experience is paramount to findability and engagement. Consumers will enjoy a streamlined experience and be able to easily accomplish their goal of researching, contacting, and partnering with a financial planner that meets their unique individual needs.

User experience is paramount to findability and engagement. Consumers will enjoy a streamlined experience and be able to easily accomplish their goal of researching, contacting, and partnering with a financial planner that meets their unique individual needs. Expand Accessibility  Users seeking to find a financial planner from their desktop, tablet, or smartphone will be treated to a seamless user experience at their convenience. This will drive increased traffic, interactions, new client business and  ultimately  help members grow their businesses.

When searching for a CFP professional, consumers are able to search by zip code, city, state, or by last name. An advanced search can also be performed to find a CFP professional based on area of specialty, languages spoken, compensation type, and other qualifications. An interactive map is also available after a search is done that provides a consumer with a visualization of where other CFP professionals are located based on their geographic area.

"We are thrilled to be able to now offer consumers a more robust, more appealing platform to seek out and engage CFP professionals in their respective areas," says 2016 FPA President Pamela Sandy, CFP. "As the professional membership home for more than 17,000 CFP professionals, more than 8,000 of those members are actively participating in FPA PlannerSearch. So, no matter what a consumer is searching for in a financial planner, they will be able to find and connect with one through the platform."

Besides making it easy for consumers to connect with CFP professionals, FPA PlannerSearch has been designed to provide consumers educational content so they can learn about their personal financial situations. Authored by participating CFP professionals, content is housed in a "Life Events" section of the site that is broken out into specific sections of interest, including investments, tax planning, estate planning, divorce, military families, education, and much more.

The site also contains free downloadable brochures on various personal finance topics and information on how to choose a financial planner, including questions to ask a planner, what to bring to your first meeting with a planner, and understanding planner compensation.

To further build out the educational content on FPA PlannerSearch, a blogging feature will be integrated into the backend of the platform to make it easy for participating CFP professionals to share their original articles and content with a consumer audience. That feature is slated for rollout in September 2016.

"As an organization we are constantly seeking to build value for our members who call FPA their professional home. The improvements we have made to the architecture of the website and search functionality will help our CFP members increase their visibility online and will be another great benefit of membership," added FPA CEO/Executive Director Lauren M. Schadle, CAE.

FPA PlannerSearch is now live at www.PlannerSearch.org.

About the Financial Planning Association

The Financial Planning Association (FPA) is the principal professional organization for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) professionals, educators, financial services professionals and students who seek advancement in a growing, dynamic profession. Through a collaborative effort to provide more than 24,000 members with One ConnectionTM to tools and resources for professional development, business success, advocacy and community, FPA is the indispensable force in the advancement of today's CFP professional. Learn more about FPA at OneFPA.org and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/fpassociation.

SOURCE Financial Planning Association

Related Links

http://www.FPAnet.org


AUSTIN, Texas, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, officials at FirstCare Health Plans announced another successful year supporting the March of Dimes and their March for Babies campaignthe annual campaign to fund research towards finding the causes of premature birth, supporting families with a premature baby in newborn intensive care, and helping women have full-term pregnancies to deliver healthy babies.

"We take great pride in being a part of the communities we serve," said FirstCare President/CEO Darnell Dent. "One of our core beliefs as a company is that all Texans and our communities should be healthyand that includes the tiniest Texans too. So when we can extend our support to an organization like the March of Dimes, we are also standing behind our belief structure and corporate mission."

This year, FirstCare employees raised over $2,600 in donations for the March of Dimes, exceeding their own internal goal and eclipsing last year's fundraising efforts. Since 2002, FirstCare has been a corporate sponsor for the March of Dimes in Lubbock, Texaswinning recognition as a Top 10 corporate sponsor in 2004, 2011 and again in 2015. In 2016, FirstCare employees, from all FirstCare offices, were invited to support the event, with employees participating in the March for Babies walks in Lubbock (Saturday, April 23) and Austin (Saturday, May 14).

"I'm proud of the efforts our employees have put forth for this cause," said Dent. "These events and this sense of community is what sets FirstCare apart from other health plans in Texas. We are here, we are a part of the community and we're already looking forward to these events in 2017."

About FirstCare Health Plans

Our mission is to provide access to high quality, affordable health care through strong partnerships in the communities we serve. Since 1985, we've been serving the health care needs of members across North, West, and Central Texas. Today, our service area includes 108 counties, with local offices in Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, and corporate offices in Austin, Texas. We offer a wide range of HMO, PPO, HSA, and ASO products through a variety of programs, including small and large employer plans; state, federal and teacher plans; government programs; and the Health Insurance Marketplace. With the support of our owners, Covenant Health in Lubbock and Hendrick Health System in Abilene, we serve over 188,000 members. For more information, please visit www.firstcare.com.

SOURCE FirstCare Health Plans

Related Links

http://www.firstcare.com


DALLAS, Texas, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Flicent Inc. (www.flicent.com) is excited to announce the commercial release of FieldPulse. FieldPulse is a multi-platform business management software solution designed to put modern tools with realtime information in the hands of service businesses everywhere. FieldPulse allows businesses to easily schedule customer jobs, dispatch team members, and send out invoices via phone or computer browser, giving them everything they need to manage operations right at their fingertips.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371005

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"FieldPulse was developed for service businesses with mobile workforces serving customers at their homes and businesses. We provide managers the tools to run operations while also keeping a pulse on the activity across the company, whether they're in the office or on the go. On the flip side, we also enable field workers to retrieve job details, give status updates, and handle invoicing," said Gabriel Pinchev, CEO and Founder of Flicent Inc. "By empowering all employees with technology, we help you increase efficiency, cut down on costly mistakes, and better serve your customers. With streamlined operations for employee dispatching and customer management, FieldPulse allows you to take on a larger workload and make more money."

FieldPulse is now available via the iOS app, Android app, and computer browser-based WebApp.

Cary Cooper, Chief Customer Officer, proclaimed: "We want to make FieldPulse the go-to solution for service businesses everywhere by offering a high-end product with flexible pricing and on-demand scalability to match your business needs. Whether a company of 1 or 100 working in multiple teams, FieldPulse can accommodate your workforce structure. Today, we see service businesses using little to no technology, which forms significant barriers to growth. Inefficient communication of job information, hand-written and easy-to-lose documents and invoices, and a lack of customer records and payment tracking all represent real costs and wasted time. Bottom line, FieldPulse will save you time and money."

Visit FieldPulse.com to see how it can help transform your business.

Flicent Inc. is a software company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Its main product, FieldPulse, is SaaS designed to ease the administrative workload of service business allowing them to focus on serving their customers.

See our introductory video and other training videos here: http://vimeo.com/flicent/fieldpulse

Contact:

Cary Cooper

Email

703-459-0954

Chief Customer Officer

Flicent Inc.

2429 Worthington St

Dallas, Texas

75204

SOURCE Flicent Inc.

Related Links

http://www.flicent.com


CLEVELAND, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Forest City Realty Trust, Inc., (NYSE: FCEA and FCEB) today announced that it will webcast its 2016 annual meeting of shareholders beginning at 2:00 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The annual meeting is being held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Cleveland.

The business portion of the meeting will be followed immediately by management remarks. The meeting and remarks will be available live over the internet through an audio-only webcast. To access the webcast, please visit the main Investors page of the Company's website, www.forestcity.net. A webcast replay will also be available.

About Forest City

Forest City Realty Trust, Inc. is a NYSE-listed national real estate company with $8.8 billion in total assets. The Company is principally engaged in the ownership, development, management and acquisition of commercial and residential real estate throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.forestcity.net.

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SOURCE Forest City Realty Trust, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.forestcity.net


VERO BEACH, Fla., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Guests of Fraser Allport, The Total Advisor, are invited to meet with some of the nation's top Attorneys and Trainers at the Asset Protection & Wealth Creation Summit in Orlando, Florida, June 6th through the 8th of 2016. This Executive Summit is designed to teach you advanced strategies for linking Lawsuit Protection and Wealth Creation with the latest Income Tax and Estate Planning laws. This in-depth Summit will assist you in customizing and implementing a legal Asset Protection structure for your personal and business Assets. Come meet with some of the nation's leading experts on Asset Protection, Estate Planning, and Income Tax Reduction. Come Network and protect your Wealth!

This Summit will teach you cutting-edge strategies for Asset Protection, Income Tax Reduction, Business Entities, Estate Planning, and other topics about protecting and growing your Wealth.

LEARN HOW TO:

Utilize America's latest Asset Protection Tools.

Buy Discounted Real Estate from Bankruptcy Court.

Separate Business Assets from your Personal Estate.

Invest in Trust Deeds, Tax Lien Certificates, and CMOs .

Run your Business legally for m aximum Asset Protection.

Reduce Estate Taxes and create Multi-Generational Wealth.

Establish Business Credit without using Personal Guarantees.

Invest in a variety of Asset-Protected Real Estate Investments.

Discover Safe High Yields for your Money in a volatile Economy.

" Self-Direct " your IRA to invest in your Business and Real Estate.

Protect your Personal Residence from Lawsuits, Liens & Judgments.

Generate Tax-Favored & Tax-Free Income from a Variety of Sources.

Maximize all Income Tax Deductions available to you in the IRS Code.

Incorporate Divorce & Prenuptial Planning into your Asset Protection.

Start your own Entities, such as Corporations, Partnerships, and LLCs .

Cut Capital Gains tax to "0" on the Sale of Stocks, Real Estate, or a Business.

Bypass Probate Court by properly funding your own Revocable Living Trust.

Minimize risky activities that create liability in today's litigious environment.

Build a national Network of Attorneys, Accountants, Experts and new friends.

Video: Asset Protection Overview - Why you need Asset Protection

PDF: Asset Protection Executive Summit

Media Contact:

Fraser Allport

The Total Advisor

1880 82nd Avenue,

Suite 202

Vero Beach, Florida 32966

Tel: (772) 9251601

Email: [email protected]

www.safeandsmartmoney.com



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This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Fraser Allport

Related Links

http://www.safeandsmartmoney.com


Lightbridge, American listed nuclear energy company, signed a nuclear safety training agreement with and the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS) on Monday, according to the companys statement.

This agreement is part of the growing U.S.-Vietnam strategic relationship, coinciding with President Obama's three-day visit to Vietnam.

Both countries see cooperation on civil nuclear power to be an important part of improving relations.

Vietnam and U.S., three yeas ago, signed a legally binding government-to-government peaceful uses of nuclear energy agreement which has allowed the transfer of nuclear energy-related materials and components between the two countries.

This training program is crucial for continuing cooperation in civil nuclear safety and security. This program is just the beginning of what both parties intend to be many years of cooperation, said Seth Grae, president and chief executive of Lightbridge Corporation.

Under the agreement, Lightbridge will firstly provide training in the United States for eight VARANS officials so that they can understand the inspection fundamentals of early procurement of nuclear components.

The two-week training program will focus on inspection of design and fabrication of nuclear fuel for commercial pressurized water reactors.

It will also provide supplementary information to aid understanding and planning for early regulatory functions such as inspection of nuclear power plant construction, licensing, and capacity development.

Based on the results of this two-week training program, VARANS and Lightbridge will work together to make further improvements to a long-term and comprehensive training program from 2017 to 2020.

Vietnam is the second-largest market for nuclear power in the East Asia region which is expected to grow in to a $50 billion market by 2030.

Vietnam might have a total of eight nuclear power reactors in operation by 2027.

Vietnam has also signed nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia, France, China, South Korea, Japan and Canada.
PHILADELPHIA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Event Strategy Group, a global experiential agency that partners with corporate brands to create original events that produce high-impact results, today announced it has spun off a new type of experiential incentive company, ESG Incentives (ESGI). The new Company will be led by Renee Scullin and Jason McCallum, CIS, a seasoned duo with decades of experiential event planning and incentive industry experience.

ESG Incentives will leverage its strong background developing one-of-a-kind experiential events for organizations into unique corporate incentive programs that amplify and reinforce a company's brand. The organization has developed a strategic approach to planning, delivering, managing and measuring its incentive programs, which are designed to reward employees, sales teams, channel partners and customers. The end result will be experiences that inspire a lifetime of brand loyalty.

"We're excited to take the experiences we have been delivering for the past 16 years at ESG and transform them into unforgettable, results-driven incentive programs," said Renee Scullin, Co-Founder and Vice President at ESG and Founder and President of ESG Incentives. "We have worked with many companies looking to build their brand loyalty and engagement through incentives, leading us to feel this is the right time to spin-off into ESGI."

ESGI provides a total incentive travel solution including program design, communication, destination sourcing, hotel contracting, event planning and production, and travel management. ESGI will also work with companies of all sizes to create custom online reward programs that motivate, engage, and activate brand loyalists.

"We have seen a shift in how individuals are interacting and engaging with brands in a B2B environment. This rapid change calls for a new approach in the incentive industry to deliver on a brand's promise with profitable business results," explained Jason McCallum, ESGI Managing Director. "We believe that unforgettable corporate incentive programs, which take participants out of their comfort zone, can make all the difference in motivating employees, sales teams, channel partners and customers."

"After more than 16 years of helping companies look like rock stars through corporate events with ESG, spinning off an organization that is solely focused on incentive programs was a clear next step," said Norman Aamodt, Co-Founder and President of Event Strategy Group. "I am excited for the opportunity to provide additional services, that have the same level of brand excitement and engagement, to our ESG clients and prospects."

About ESG Incentives

Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, ESG Incentives (ESGI) is a new type of corporate incentives provider dedicated to delivering unforgettable incentive programs for organizations looking to reward employees, sales teams, channel partners and customers. Through a strategic approach to planning, delivering, managing and measuring incentive programs, ESGI delivers amazing experiences, which provide profitable and rewarding results and inspire a lifetime of brand loyalty. For more information, visit www.esgincentives.com

SOURCE Event Strategy Group

Related Links

http://www.esgincentives.com


SAO PAULO, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (BM&FBOVESPA: GOLL4 andNYSE: GOL), (S&P: CC, Fitch: C and Moody's: Caa3), announced today that it is extending the period of the Early Participation Premium until 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 27, 2016 (the "Extended Early Participation Time") in connection with the previously announced private Exchange Offers (the "Exchange Offers").

The deadline for noteholders to receive the Early Participation Premium expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 17, 2016 (the "Initial Early Participation Time"). As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 20, 2016, Eligible Holders (as defined below) had validly tendered U.S.$124,585,000 (R$ 438,165,445 as of today) in aggregate principal amount of Old Notes. In the days following the conclusion of the Initial Early Participation Time, a significant number of noteholders inquired about the Early Participation Premium. Based on this result, and the Company's desire to allow its noteholders to exchange their Old Notes, the Company is making the Early Participation Premium available until the Extended Early Participation Time.

For further information visit www.voegol.com.br/ir

CONTACTS

INVESTOR RELATIONS

Phone: +55 (11) 2128-4700

E-mail: [email protected]

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Phone: +55 (11) 2128-4183

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

Related Links

http://www.voegol.com.br/ir


NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Handwriting.io, an API that incorporates digital handwriting technology into mobile apps, desktop applications and websites, announces a partnership with XMPie, the leading provider of software for cross-media, variable data, one-to-one marketing solutions. This partnership enables XMPie to expand their offering to include authentic handwriting to help businesses add a personal touch to their direct marketing and cross-media campaigns.

As businesses work to put customers at the center of communications, they are leaning heavily on print and digital marketing agencies to deliver unique solutions to help them stand out. These agencies count on XMPie's innovative technology to help them rise to the challenge. XMPie's omni channel platform, coupled with Handwriting.io's patented technology brings a new level of personalization that delivers stunning results.

"Handwriting has become a lost art. We've become so accustomed to sending and receiving emails and text messages that authentic handwriting truly stands out. It's our mission at Handwriting.io to bring personalization back to our digital world," said Eloise Bune, Founder and CEO of Handwriting.io. "Our technology brings the scalability needed to make it possible for anyone to communicate in a highly personalized way."

"Handwriting technology from Handwriting.io is far superior and more authentic than handwriting-like fonts, and when integrated with XMPie's multichannel communications platform, will add a unique personalization dimension to what we enable our customers to do," said Ron Goren, CTO XMPie. "The open nature of our platform makes using Handwriting.io's innovative and sophisticated capability a very natural item that simply enriches the workflow our customers are so familiar with."

XMPie will demonstrate the integration with the Handwriting.io API at DRUPA 2016 Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany from May 31-June 10.

About XMPie

XMPie, a Xerox Company, provides powerful, variable data publishing software that unites customer databases and creative content to help print service providers, marketing service firms, and small-to-medium sized businesses and enterprises, leverage customer data and create personalized, multiphase campaigns that use today's communication vehicles including print, web, e-mail, and mobile.

XMPie is headquartered in New York with an R&D center in Israel, and sales, support and professional service operations in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, visit www.xmpie.com.

About Handwriting.io

Handwriting.io is a patented API that enables the use of authentic digital handwriting across print and digital media in a scalable and affordable way. We help businesses increase sales, enhance brand identity and communicate more effectively with customers, investors, employees, and the media. By putting customers at the center of communications, we help businesses use personal messages to achieve at least 10x engagement response rates. The company was founded by Eloise Bune and is headquartered in New York, NY. Learn more at www.handwriting.io

Media Contact:

Eloise Bune

212-242-0322

[email protected]

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SOURCE Handwriting.io

Related Links

http://www.handwriting.io


HANGZHOU, China and LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, May 19, 2016, Hangzhou Chic Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Razor USA, LLC in federal court in the Central District of California. (Case # 2:16-cv-03496) Chic alleges that Razor's Hovertrax brand of electric personal transporters, commonly known as "hoverboards," infringe Chic's patent.

"We are pleased that consumers seem to appreciate Chic's patented hoverboard product," explained Mr. Jiawei Ying, Chic's CEO. "But, unfortunately, several companies have chosen to infringe Chic's intellectual property to enter this market. Razor imports infringing hoverboards from China, and sells them in the United States, activities that seriously infringe Chic's intellectual property rights."

Chic's lawsuit seeks monetary damages and a court order to prevent Razor from continuing to infringe Chic's patent going forward. Chic's case against Razor is the first lawsuit Chic has filed asserting its intellectual property rights in the United States. "Chic intends to vigilantly protect its intellectual property rights against infringers, and at the same time relentlessly defend itself in the 337 investigation brought by Razor before the ITC," Mr. Ying added. "Chic is obligated to do so not only to protect its own intellectual property, but to protect consumers around the world who love the hoverboard products.

Hangzhou Chic Intelligent Co. Ltd. ("Chic"), founded in 2013, is a high-tech company supported by the Zhejiang University-Ministry of Education Computer Aided Product Design Engineering Center, the Zhejiang University International Design Center and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Service Robotics. In addition, Chic's investors include several well known Chinese investment institutions. Chic is the manufacturer of several models of personal transportation devices and the holder of nearly 150 core intellectual property rights including approximately 70 patents worldwide.

Chic sells the popular Smart Wheel S1 hoverboards, and will offer a series of hoverboard products under its new 4WRD brand. Chic's hoverboard products, including their lithium-ion batteries, are UL certified as required by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.

SOURCE Hangzhou Chic Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.
WAIMEA, Hawaii, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (TGC) recently selected Laurel Matsuda, a teacher at Waimea Country School in Hawaii to travel to India. She is a participant in a year-long development opportunity for professionals to become leaders in global education. The group of 82 teachers was selected from 32 states. The program includes an eight week graduate level online course on globalization, a Symposium in Washington DC, and a three week International Travel Fellowship to one of six countries.

Laurel Matsuda Honored with Award Amy Salling Head of Waimea Country School

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When asked about being chosen, Laurel who teaches the fourth and fifth grades, said, "The world we live in is increasingly interconnected. As educators we need to prepare our students for jobs that don't exist yet, in fields that we may not even conceive of, and to be competitive in the globalized future. I am privileged to be part of this awesome network of amazing teachers."

Amy Salling, the head of Waimea Country School, commented, "Through Laurel's inspired teaching we are going to help our students grow to be thoughtful, caring, empathetic, productive, and successful citizens of our country and the world." Amy continued, "I was grateful to be able to travel with Laurel to Washington DC for the global symposium. It was a terrific, exciting experience. I feel energized by my few days at the symposium. We interacted with so many smart, like-minded folks."

When asked about going to India, Laurel responded, "I will be traveling first to south central India with a group of 16 other teachers. We'll spend about a week there and then travel to various parts of the country. We will meet teachers and visit local schools. Then we reconvene in New Delhi." She continued, "I'm really excited about the opportunity to travel to such an exotic locale. Also, I am motivated to learn how schools operate in another country and bring the lessons back to our school."

Laurel and Amy both stressed how important this award is for the educational experience, and to help inspire students develop the skills and knowledge to become global 21st century leaders. They agreed that the goal of the TGC Program is to have teachers become world-wide ambassadors to classrooms, schools, and broader communities. Upon her return, Laurel will compile a Global Education Guide as the TGC capstone project, which may serve as a resource for WCS and other schools in the community. She is excited to share her own professional development with other teachers.

TGC is a program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by IREX. Waimea Country School is a small, independent, elementary day school located in Kamuela, Hawai'i. They offer a curriculum that embraces a multiage learning program that incorporates literature, fine arts, mathematics, science, Hawaiian Studies, health and fitness, social studies, and technology. More information may be found at the Waimea Country School website and Facebook page.

Contact:

Tom Mitchell

808 889-1988

Facsimile: 808 808 1688

Email

SOURCE Waimea Country School

Related Links

http://www.waimeacountryschool.org


SAN RAMON, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Accela, the leading provider of cloud-based productivity and civic engagement solutions for government, today announced that Huntington Beach, CA, has selected the Accela Civic Platform to update and streamline the City's outdated permitting system. The Huntington Beach City Council unanimously approved the $3.2 million tech initiative to replace the current software used within its building, fire, planning and public works departmentswhich has been in place for more than 14 years.

Featuring an open architecture and centralized database, the Accela Civic Platform allows for event, transaction and contact activity to be shared across city departments, increasing communication between office and field workers, citizens and businesses. The platform will also allow the City to offer enhanced customer service while providing contractors, building inspectors, fire companies and code enforcement officers access to mobile solutions that speed processes and response time.

"The Accela Civic Platform will empower the City of Huntington Beach to streamline and digitize its permitting processes across all departments with powerful, modern technology," said Maury Blackman, Accela President and CEO. "Once the platform is implemented, City employees will be able to do more with less and have easy access to the information they need to do their jobs more efficiently. It will also enable the City to provide open, real-time engagement with residents on their terms, via mobile and online."

Accela will work closely with the City to implement the Accela Civic Platform, installing the system and training Huntington Beach employees as part of the contract. Once installed, the platform will allow residents online access to government services  including making payments, renewing business licenses and reporting possible code violations  from a variety of city departments, many of which did not previously have an online option. The City will also be implementing a custom Fire App developed by CityGov App, in partnership with Accela.

About Accela

Accela provides a platform of cloud-based productivity and civic engagement solutions to governments of all sizes worldwide. The Accela Civic Platform includes solutions to cost-effectively manage critical enterprise functions, and mobile apps to foster greater citizen engagement. From asset, land and legislative management to licensing, finance, environmental health and more, Accela's software drives efficiency for more than 2,200 governments, including nearly 90 percent of America's 50 largest cities. The Company was named Government Technology's GovTech100 in 2016, a distinction of the top 100 companies focused on government customers. Accela is headquartered in San Ramon, California, with offices in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Portland, Melbourne and Dubai. For more information, visit www.accela.com.

Media Contact:

Rachel Fukaya

Barokas PR for Accela

(831) 229-5761

[email protected]

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SOURCE Accela

Related Links

http://www.accela.com


LONDON, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Freeman, the leading global provider of brand experiences and exhibitions, today announced that it has been selected by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) as the full service supplier for the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) in Barcelona in September 2016, and EAS 2017.

"The Euro Attractions Show is our flagship show in Europe and one that demands an excellent operational partner," said Karen Staley, Senior Vice President, IAAPA EMEA. "Following an extensive competitive bidding process, we chose Freeman as our new partner for the next two years. During the selection process, Freeman demonstrated their operational excellence, fantastic customer service, wide breadth of service offerings, exhibitor engagement tools, and creative approach. We are excited to partner with them for EAS 2016 and look forward to a long and successful business partnership."

Anthony Floreano, Managing Director, Freeman in EMEA, added: "We're honoured to have the opportunity to work with IAAPA on this flagship event and play a key role in the delivery of an exceptional experience for all EAS participants. Our team worked extremely hard to demonstrate our full service capabilities, customer service and experience in delivering excellence, and it's a testament to their hard work that we've been appointed as a partner to IAAPA."

Freeman was awarded the contract in February 2016. The company will be responsible for the delivery of show elements, including design and build of stands, graphics, furniture, flooring, logistics and electrics. Included in the contract is Freeman's Concierge Service and industry-leading online manual  Exhibitor Architect  which will provide a holistic pre, during and post show online solution for EAS and its exhibitors.

About Freeman

Recognised 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 5,000 expositions annually and 12,500 other events worldwide. Freeman has been awarded six consecutive J.D. Power awards for the excellence of its Customer Call Centre.

For more information, on Freeman visit http://freemanco.com/ and Twitter: www.twitter.com/freeman_emea

About IAAPA

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) is the premier trade association for the attractions industry worldwide. Founded in 1918, IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently located amusement facilities and attractions and is dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the attractions industry. IAAPA represents nearly 5,000 attraction, supplier, and individual members from more than 90 countries. The association's global headquarters is in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The non-profit organization maintains regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Mexico City, and Orlando. www.IAAPA.org @IAAPAHQ #IAAPA

About EAS

Euro Attractions Show (EAS) is owned and produced by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and managed by IAAPA EMEA, and is the premier conference and trade show dedicated to the attractions industry in the EMEA region. With its theme "Where the Business of Fun Begins," the show will take place in Barcelona, Spain, with more than 9,000 industry professionals from more than 90 countries gathering to buy, learn, and network. The conference takes place at the Fira Barcelona, Gran Via, Barcelona Exhibition Centre from Sunday, 18 Sept., through Thursday, 22 Sept. The 11,500-net-square-meter trade show floor will be open Tuesday, 20 Sept., through 22 Thursday, Sept. Additional information is available at www.IAAPA.org/EAS #EAS16

SOURCE Freeman

Related Links

http://freemanco.com


BOISE, Idaho, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Idaho's only CTE-focused online public high school, Idaho Technical Career Academy (ITCA), will hold its first-ever graduation ceremony on May 27, honoring nine students, including three that will graduate with honors.

The statewide, online public charter school serves students in grades 9 through 12, and provides four program options for students in key industries of growth in the state: Business Administration, Automated Manufacturing, Web Design, and Healthcare.

By delivering the lessons online, ITCA creates a new educational path for students regardless of where they reside in Idaho. The flexible learning environment also enables students the opportunity to partner with professionals and companies to apply the skills they are learning in a specific industry. The goal of ITCA is to develop a sequence of instruction that teaches students occupational skills while ultimately providing a pathway to job opportunities or to a technical college program upon graduation.

Graduates will be addressed by commencement speaker Mike Falconer, an ITCA founding board member. Falconer is a retired engineer and planning officer from the United States Army and worked as a coordinator for the Idaho Division of Professional-Technical Education for fifteen-years.

Valedictorian Katlynn Johnson will also address her fellow graduates, "I really enjoyed attending high school online through ITCA. By attending a technical school I have been able to get the feel for technical careers, including computer programming and business." Johnson plans to attend Knoxville Tennessee School of Beauty to obtain a cosmetology license and hopes to use the business skills she gained to open and manage a salon in the future.

"We are very proud of our ITCA graduates," said Monti Pittman, Head of School for ITCA. "We're excited to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of each of our graduates and we're excited to see what they'll do next."

Media is invited to attend the celebration. Event details are provided below.

Idaho Technical Career Academy Graduation Ceremony

Hatch AB Ballroom - Boise State University Campus

1910 University Drive

Boise, ID 83725

Friday, May 27, 2016

4:00PM

About Idaho Technical Career Academy

Idaho Technical Career Academy (ITCA) is a full-time online public school program that serves students in grades 9 through 12 statewide. As part of the Idaho public school system, ITCA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about ITCA, visit http://itca.k12.com/.

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SOURCE Idaho Technical Career Academy

Related Links

http://itca.k12.com/


GREENVILLE, S.C., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Employee Benefit Advisor (EBA), the nation's leading online source of benefit news to the broker and advisor community, has recognized Insurance Applications Group Inc. (IAG) of Greenville, S.C. as the second fastest-growing, large-group brokerage in the U.S. The ranking compares all U.S. brokerages across all industries with $10 million or less in large-group revenue. Backed by data from the business intelligence firm miEdge, EBA reported that IAG grew nearly 45 percent in the large-group market between 2014 and 2015.

J. Marshall Dye, IAG President and CEO Insurance Applications Group logo

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371125

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371126

IAG is a national employee benefits product design, communication and technology firm headquartered in Greenville, S.C. and with offices in Los Angeles; Dallas; Charlotte, N.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Chattanooga, Tenn. Its products are some of the most popular and well known in the employee benefits arena, and include Essential StaffCARE, the leader in the staffing industry; HospitalityCARE for the hotel and restaurant industry; HealthWrap, to fill the needs of employees with high deductible/high out-of-pocket plans; and unique ACA enrollment and compliance systems for employers in high turnover businesses.

CEO and Founder J. Marshall Dye shared one important reason for IAG's dramatic growth during this critical Affordable Care Act (ACA) adaptation period.

"A large part of our success comes from helping brokers, consultants and other partners navigate the complex and often confusing regulations and new policies associated with the ACA," he said. "Not only do we provide our customers and partners with one-on-one training about ACA and other complex government regulations, we have a full suite of the industry's most innovative, user-friendly technologies that allow them to confidently operate their businesses with prudent selections of fully insured ACA compliant products. The peace of mind we bring has immense value in our ever changing industry."

This most recent ranking adds to IAG's growing list of achievements, such as the 2015 Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies for the sixth time In doing so, IAG earned a place on Inc.'s Honor Roll. Also, in 2015 IAG was presented for the sixth time the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) highest award for "achieving the greatest success in demonstrating exceptional professional knowledge and outstanding client services."

For information about IAG, visit www.iagbenefits.com.

Editor's Note: More information about the ranking and quotes from IAG President and CEO J. Marshall Dye, is provided in this May 18 article published in Employee Benefits Advisor.

Media Contact:

Thomas R. Callaway, Business Development

IAG

Email

(864) 350-0111

SOURCE Insurance Applications Group

Related Links

http://www.iagbenefits.com


Chicago, Illinois, USA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fort Lauderdale, Florida was the venue for ITRA Global's Spring Conference held at the Pelican Grand Beach Resort on April 8-10, 2016. The event was attended by the principals of ITRA Global offices around the world, along with select guests.

ITRA Global Chairman Emeritus, Debra Stracke Anderson, of Sloan Street Advisors, Inc. / ITRA Global, Washington, D.C., moderated an expert global panel consisting of executives from ITRA Global's international offices who shared extensive corporate real estate expertise from throughout Canada, Europe and Australia. The panellists delivered both personal and professional insights into leasing protocols, key industry processes and national practices across multiple markets and jurisdictions.

Among the many on-trend topics discussed by the panel was IFRS 16 - the new international accounting standard for leases  along with the immediate and long term business implications of 'Brexit' - Britain's potential exit from the European Union and the subject of a UK-wide referendum on June 23, 2016.

Lisa Seun, ACORPP / ITRA Global executive for Perth and Brisbane Australia, reflected on a worrying 20% vacancy rate. Turning conditions into advantage, Ms. Seun successfully capitalized on the downturn in these markets by renegotiating and extending clients' existing lease terms in return for lower rental rates and other concessions, proving that today's market conditions translate to a prime opportunity for tenants to upgrade to better quality offices or facilities.

Ms. Seun advised that periodic rent reviews occur typically every 1-3 years during the term of a lease and can result in an increase or decrease in rent depending on market conditions, unlike in the United Kingdom where rent reviews occur every five years and are "upward only". Australia embraces the European model whereby the tenant or end-user is responsible for its broker's fees. This differs from the United States and Canada, where the owner or lessor pays the broker's fees.

Charles Tatham, member of ITRA Global Board of Directors and principal of Tatham Property Solutions / ITRA Global Paris, France, has observed a gradual relaxation of the standard nine-year lease term wherein breaks every three years are possible and lease documents are often as short as 10 pages. Mr. Tatham pointed out that rent reviews are subject to official Government annual indexation rather than fixed escalation provisions more familiar to North American markets.

Fred-Anton Knoop, principal of AREA Occupier Solutions / ITRA Global, in Amsterdam, reported that the Netherlands embraces short 3-4 page leases, plus a negotiable 12-page General Conditions document which is binding on landlord and tenant. Lease terms tend to be five or ten years with break options at intervals and rents also subject to annual Government indexation. Like Paris and London, Amsterdam's Grade A prime vacancy rate is below 5%.

Brad Goegan of Nidea Realties Corporation / ITRA Global in Toronto, Canada, described a highly competitive 7% vacancy rate in the Downtown Financial Market. Leases of 45 pages are fairly typical. Renewal, non-restoration, favorable assignment and/or termination rights are negotiated as special provisions. There is a high concentration of institutional ownership in the Toronto market, resulting in landlords being 'face rate' sensitive to preserve asset valuation. Tenant inducements will typically include free rent periods and tenant improvement allowances in order to support the face rates.

Similar to the rest of northern Europe, Martin Levy, principal of The Levy Group / ITRA Global, London, reaffirmed that tenants are responsible for paying their broker's fees. Lease documents in London are often more than 40 pages, are invariably drawn in favor of the landlord and rarely offer security of tenure. Lease terms of 10 -15 years are customary and landlords will generally accept tenant breaks at five or ten year intervals, occasionally subject to a financial penalty. Mr. Levy noted that a tenant cannot commence any build-out until the lease has been formally executed. Landlords will grant a rent free period rather than make cash contributions towards tenant improvements. Current vacancy rates in central London are 3-4% for prime Grade A office space.

About ITRA Global

ITRA Global is an organization of real estate professionals specializing in representing commercial tenants and buyers in the leasing, acquisition and disposition of office, industrial and retail facilities. With coverage in major markets around the world, ITRA Global is one of the largest organizations dedicated to exclusively representing tenants and occupiers of commercial real estate. Now in its 24th year, ITRA Global continues to set the benchmark in Tenant Representation on a worldwide platform, providing the highest standards of professional care, advocacy, experience and agility to deliver innovative and measurable real estate solutions to corporate occupiers.

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SOURCE ITRA Global

Related Links

http://itraglobal.com


Vietnam hopes to cash in on cashew exports to the U.S. after Obama visit

The Vietnam Cashew Association (VCA) expects Obamas visit to Vietnam will attract more traders from the U.S, which accounts for more than 50 percent of the countrys cashew export volume.

Dang Hoang Giang, vice chairman of the VCA, said that Vietnamese cashew nuts are consumed in large quantities by American people. However, most Vietnamese products are branded by trading companies, so Vietnamese nuts have been unable to make a name for themselves.

Previously, Americans simply saw Vietnam as a developing country. They didnt know that Vietnam is the world's largest cashew exporter.

Obamas visit to Vietnam has caught the interest of the U.S press, facilitating Vietnams cashew exports to the U.S and other markets, Giang said.

The chairman said that Vietnamese cashew nuts are exempt from import duties to the U.S market. However, after the Trans-Pacific Agreement (TPP) comes into effect in 2018, Vietnams cashew will receive preferential treatment according to the TPPs rules of origin clause.

Karen Ross from California's Department of Food and Agriculture said during a business trip to Vietnam in April that cashews are among the most popular Vietnamese farm produce exported to the U.S., adding that the countrys cashew exports are likely to grow after the TPP is finalized.

The VCA estimated that Vietnam exported 28,500 tons of cashew nuts in the first quarter of this year, up 8.8 percent in volume compared to the same period of last year
In a recent LinkedIn post, Dr. Sheeler expands on why the notion of "relationships" needs to be reassessed. He discusses how a company's behavior  namely, how it relates to its advisors and other stakeholders  reveals a great deal about its core values. Fundamentally speaking, effective relationships all work the same way. People who are made to feel validated and important ought to be "courted" as something other than a transaction. Being a "steward" or "servant-leader" calls for a sincere commitment on the part of executives, founders or advisors.

"Enduring strategic relationships are usually at the heart of successful businesses," explains Dr. Sheeler, "because ultimately, an organization is comprised of people, their collected wisdom and innovation  not its infrastructure, products, or services. My own work has demonstrated the vital nature of relationships in terms of equity value enhancement ('EVE'). It's about creating value by managing risk and leveraging human capital. In the daily operations of a business, coordination between individuals is more important than control, and effective cooperation depends on strong relationships within and external to the organization."

Currently serving as Managing Director at Berkeley Research Group, Dr. Sheeler has spent his career studying how human and financial capital intersect to produce value and business opportunities. "I create value by connecting the experts and innovators in my network who are best positioned to help each other," he adds.

Dr. Sheeler suggests a few practical tests to determine whether an organization has adopted the right perspective on relationships. For instance, discussions with trusted advisors should revolve around value investment rather than cost. A cost-based orientation reveals an executive or founder thinks only in terms of transactions and tactics  short-term.

Creating and strengthening relationships does require time and effort, but the rewards can be tremendous. Conversations with clients, vendors, advisors and other stakeholders should include penetrating questions about what can be done to improve the working relationship where both parties stand to benefit.

Chapter 6 of "Equity Value Enhancement" deals head-on with the issue of relationships in business. While conceding the term has sometimes been overused and misapplied, Dr. Sheeler contends that an entity will flounder when it doesn't treat people well  starting with its own staff. There's a good reason why earning a listing as a "best place to work" is such a coveted distinction. It indicates a company would make an equally good partner or client.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, "Equity Value Enhancement" is for sale now on Amazon. Preview chapters are available from www.carlsheeler.com.

About the Author

Dr. Carl Sheeler brings wisdom gained from his 25 years of litigation expertise coupled with his corporate governance, business/military operations, strategic planning, finance, and academic background to address complex risk measurement, management, and mitigation issues. He is a national thought-leader on identifying and quantifying risks and how intangible assets create, enhance, and diminish value. He has written and presented 300 treatises on valuation, merger, acquisition, divesture, and litigation-related matters. "Equity Value Enhancement," is Dr. Sheeler's most recent contribution to the field of capital and risk management.

Contact:

Kelly Passmore, EA

310-499-4842

Email

SOURCE Dr. Carl Sheeler

Related Links

http://www.carlsheeler.com


DUBAI, UAE, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Jetex has been awarded the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) certification for its Fixed Base Operator (FBO) at Al Maktoum International VIP terminal. This prestigious accreditation awarded by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) marks the first certification for a Dubai-based FBO. IS-BAH is a set of global industry's best practices for business aviation ground handlers.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160215/333075LOGO )



"The International Business Aviation Council congratulates the entire Jetex Dubai World Central (DWC) team in achieving the IS-BAH certification. Implementing the IS-BAH voluntary standards through to registration shows an ongoing commitment by the Jetex FBO team to mitigate risks in its day-to-day operations, and implement a positive safety culture, which is highly commended," said Terry Yeomans, Director of the IS-BAH programme.

"Achieving the IS-BAH certification sets the bar for Jetex, and helps us pave the way for Expo 2020. We are extremely proud to be the first FBO in Dubai to have accomplished this, and are thankful for the guidance and vision of our CEO in leading us to even greater milestones ahead," said Faisal Nizamuddin, Quality & Safety Manager for Jetex.

Jetex operates through the world's first and only 7-star VIP terminal equipped with world-class infrastructure at the Dubai South Aviation District, which is set to be the gateway to Expo 2020. Located in the VIP terminal, the Jetex Dubai FBO promises luxurious personalized services for their valued guests.

About Jetex

Jetex is a privately held company headquartered in Dubai, UAE, which provides its clients with luxury global aviation services around the world. Its customers include owners and operators of business jets for corporate, commercial, and personal air travel. Jetex services include worldwide FBOs, aircraft fueling, ground handling and international trip planning. For more information, please visit: http://www.jetex.com

For more information, please contact:

Jetex Global Headquarters

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +971 4 212 4000

SOURCE Jetex Flight Support
CHICAGO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this week, KURE Corp. Chairman, Martin Sumichrast, spoke with Time Warner Cable News Charlotte regarding the vaping industry, technology and KURE's continued growth despite the FDA's recent announcement of new regulations.

The FDA reports that they will require new warnings for nicotine and registrations for blending nicotine juice. "We anticipated the strict FDA vape regs and built our KURE franchise business with this possibility in mind," said Sumichrast. "KURE's standard business procedures have always included prohibiting sales to minors and child safety caps. We are confident that our products will stand up to regulatory and legal scrutiny and have every intention of working with FDA, as well as the federal legislative and judicial branches, to maintain our products on the market in compliance with federal and state law."

One retailer said the regulations may cut the number of flavors they can offer customers, but Martin Sumichrast sees the changes in a more positive light, saying that it's a way to bring consolidation to the industry. To spearhead new trends for healthy vaping, more than 20% of KURE's e-juice sales are nicotine free, and they've rolled out their "Race to Zero" initiative to encourage vapors to replace nicotine with other healthy vaping alternatives.

As Wells Fargo forecasts vaping to expand to $10 Billion by 2017, Sumichrast is confident that the industry will easily push through regulatory impositions. Especially since KURE was founded by a team of entrepreneurs and principals who have over 20 years of taking start-ups to profitability. The company views regulatory challenges as part of the expansion process for a new business in a virtually new industry.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.kuresociety.com

About KURE Corp:

KURE Corp. ("KURE") is a private company based in Charlotte, North Carolina that specializes in the global distribution of vaporizing pens, e-Juices, and related accessories. Despite government imposed regulations, KURE has grown exponentially since its inception. The company has franchised their successful business model, and has over 34 stores throughout North Carolina, and Florida. Sumichrast and his team expect that number to grow in the coming years, predicting one store opening per month.

Contact:

Trayce Zimmermann

[email protected]

312-666-9225

SOURCE KURE Corp.

Related Links

https://www.kuresociety.com


HOUSTON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Ensueno Fabric Softener, one of the leading fabric softener brands in the USA* is unveiling a bold new campaign inviting consumers to complete the sentence, "I am naturally _________?" With the launch of this campaign, the brand aims to inspire consumers of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate and embrace their true nature everyday.

Ensueno(R) Fabric Softener celebrates those who embrace their nature because that's what truly makes them one of a kind. Ensueno(R) Naturally you. Consumers can connect for more information on Ensueno(R) products and promotions at www.Ensueno.us

The campaign is fueled by the core belief that every person is naturally talented which makes them remarkably unique. Videos center on an array of candid answers from women recognizing they are naturally blessed, tough and strong to proudly awesome.

Fabric softener users, particularly women, like to innovatively enhance their world and their experiences in the home. Having clothes, sheets and towels feel luxuriously soft and smell naturally fresh for an extended period of time is a simple pleasure their whole family will enjoy. With Ensueno Fabric Softener, their laundry will have over 35 days of long-lasting fragrance.

The "I am naturally _______?" campaign also communicates other product benefits such as having unique Hypoallergenic formulas that are manufactured from plant-based ingredients and are suitable for sensitive skin and are available in a wide-array of fragrances.

The video campaign debuts in May on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Ensueno.us and EverydayCleaningTips.com. Consumers can connect for more information on Ensueno products and promotions at www.Ensueno.us

About Ensueno

Ensueno Fabric Softeners have been softening fabrics and freshening millions of laundry loads in homes around the country for decades. Ensueno Fabric Softener also helps reduce static cling and is Color Safe. Ensueno Fabric Softeners are available in these refreshing fragrances: Spring Fresh, Baby, Violet Bouquet, Floral, Summer Fresh, Oatmeal & Almond and Chamomile & Aloe.

About AlEn USA

AlEn USA is a household cleaning and laundry products company headquartered in Houston, Texas. AlEn USA has a broad portfolio of brands including CLORALEN, ENSUENO, PINALEN, PINOL, FLASH, Xtra-Pine  and Pine-o-Pine. AlEn USA has a strong manufacturing base and multiple products including bleach, cleaners, powder detergents, liquid laundry detergent and fabric softeners. One of its corporate values is to generate sustainable growth based on best practices of social responsibility, striving to protect the environment and make more efficient use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. www.alenusa.com

Connect with us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Everyday Cleaning Tips

* Source: Nielsen, AOC-Grocery $ Market Share02/20/16

Andres Supelano

832 484-1508

[email protected]

Video - http://youtu.be/ywzJV1px4ZA

SOURCE Ensueno
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation [NYSE: LEA], a leading global supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, today announced that it was recognized by Ford Motor Company as Supplier Diversity Development Corporation of the Year for 2015.

Lear received the award from Ford at their 18th annual World Excellence Awards ceremony held in Dearborn, Michigan. These awards were presented to Ford suppliers who exceed company expectations and distinguish themselves from their peers by achieving the highest levels of global excellence in 11 categories.

The Supplier Diversity Development Corporation of the Year Award honors the supplier that has excelled in integrating diversity into their organization and business process. "Our World Excellence Awards allow us to recognize suppliers who demonstrate a strong commitment to quality, performance and teamwork," said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford group vice president, global purchasing. "These award-winning companies, like Lear, have helped Ford deliver a breakthrough year, and we are thankful they are part of our One Ford team."

Matt Simoncini, Lear's president and CEO accepted the award on behalf of Lear and the Company's 136,000 employees, and commented "Diversity is one of our Core Values, and we are committed to integrating diversity into everything we do. Diversity makes Lear a stronger and better company."

Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) is one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive seating and electrical distribution systems. Lear serves every major automaker in the world, and Lear content can be found on more than 350 vehicle nameplates. Lear's world-class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by a diverse team of approximately 136,000 employees located in 36 countries. Lear currently ranks #174 on the Fortune 500. Lear's headquarters are in Southfield, Michigan. Further information about Lear is available at http://www.lear.com or follow us on Twitter @LearCorporation.

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SOURCE Lear Corporation

Related Links

http://www.lear.com


VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

In June, a Lithuanian-based company Vertex is going to start sending two-way communication SMS messages to the clients of Western Union. This type of messages allows customers to reply and receive provided benefits and privileges. The service will be launched in the UAE and later will be introduced in more countries.

Ernestas Petkevicius, the CEO of Vertex (PRNewsFoto/Vertex)

"One of the largest financial corporations in the world trusts us to help it manage SMS loyalty redemption. When its clients send SMS to our two-way communication messages, our systems will update data about them. So, winning this tender is an ultimate recognition of our experience, infrastructure, and potential," says Ernestas Petkevicius, the CEO of Vertex.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160520/370363 )



The Lithuanian company will provide the service through its VertexSMS platform. Two-way communication messages will allow enabling reply2redeem service to loyal customers of Western Union. When such message is received, a person will be provided with the loyalty reward he or she is going to select.

"Our vendor had to meet a number of safety requirements. Vertex proved that they can adapt their technical solutions very quickly to meet them and they offered adequate pricing. What is more, we have already had a chance to see this company in action during other projects," states Felipe Echeverri, Product Development & Delivery Director of Western Union.

The Lithuanian company has been helping Western Union with communication through SMS messaging since 2012. Until now, it has focused on sending out traditional short messages to clients of the financial company in 50 countries around the globe.

Vertex will coordinate two-way communication messaging with Western Union offices and service centers in Lithuania, Italy, and India.

About Vertex

Vertex is the largest bulk SMS messaging company in Lithuania. In 2013 it delivered 250 million of short messages and in 2014 this number increased to 350 million. Most of them were targeted at residents of Middle Eastern, African, Latin American countries, China and Germany. In 2015 Vertex became the first company in Lithuania which adopted ISO 27001 standard of information security management systems. The company took first place in Gazele 2015 awards as the fastest growing ICT Company in 2011-2014.

SOURCE Vertex
LOGANVILLE, Ga., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- 15 years ago Mark Henson started a company here in his hometown to install heating and cooling systems in new homes as they were being constructed. When people moved in, they still wanted someone they could trust to service their equipment, do routine maintenance and if something happened, technicians who could do the job quickly and fairly. Henson's company grew and expanded to offer plumbing services. Now, almost two decades later, the company is expanding again. Henson Mechanical is now One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. The local company is joining forces with a national heating and air conditioning and a national plumbing brand with locations throughout North America.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing (PRNewsFoto/Benjamin Franklin Plumbing) The new One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing team in Loganville, GA

"We are always looking for the best way to serve our customers. By teaming up with two well-known and respected national brands we can bring new products, services and the latest industry offerings to our customers. The companies are known for their on-time guarantees, their 100% satisfaction guarantee and technicians who are the best in the business. This is everything we already offer, so it's a great fit," said Steve Kitchens who co-owns the company with Mark Henson.

"Mark and Steve have an excellent reputation and are known for their superior customer service. They are leaders in the HVAC and plumbing industry in the communities they serve, and we are pleased to have them join our team," said Mark Baker, President of Franchise.

One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing will serve customers in the areas from east Atlanta to Athens and along I-78. Kitchens expects the companies to continue to grow and as that happens additional employees and staff will be added. This will help create new jobs which will also help benefit the local economy. The company will also continue to keep their strong commitment to community service, working with organizations that build playhouses and raise funds for local sick and injured children.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is currently ranked as the #1 HVAC franchise in Entrepreneur magazine's annual Franchise 500 (January 2016.) One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning puts an emphasis on trust, customer service and courtesy. Our work is completed in a prompt, accurate, and efficient manner. One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is part of the Direct Energy family of brands.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is part of the Direct Energy family of brands and is currently ranked by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the leading plumbing franchises (Franchise 500, January 2016.) Our trusted plumbing professionals offer customers on-time plumbing services, replacement and repairs done right the first time with courtesy, convenience, cleanliness, competence and character.

2016 Clockwork IP, LLC

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Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/370953

SOURCE One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating

Related Links

http://www.benjaminfranklinplumbing.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockton Companies has been tapped as one of the 500 best companies in the United States based on a survey of 30,000 workers in the US. This comes less than one year of the company also being named a Best Place to Work in Insurance for the seventh straight year by Best Companies Group and Business Insurance Magazine. Lockton is the world's largest privately held, independent insurance broker.

"We take great pride in helping our clients make their businesses better and also ensuring our Associates have a positive work environment that enables them to do just that," said John Lumelleau, President and CEO of Lockton. "This honor is further proof that Lockton is fostering a great place to work and build a career."

Partnering with statistics provider Statista, Forbes asked the workers of companies with more than 5,000 employees to determine, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they were to recommend their employer to someone else. Further, how did they feel about the other employers in their industry?

The result was naming Lockton as one of the 500 top employers spanning 25 industries where Associates feel right at home at the office.

"This recognition is a tribute to our most valued asset  our people  throughout all levels of the organization, working to make Lockton a great place to work," said Ed Schloesslin, Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources.

About Lockton

More than 6000 professionals at Lockton provide 48,000 clients around the world with risk management, insurance, employee benefits consulting, and retirement services that improve their businesses. From its founding in 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri, Lockton has attracted entrepreneurial professionals who have driven its growth to become the largest privately held, independent insurance broker in the world and 10th largest overall. For seven consecutive years, Business Insurance magazine has recognized Lockton as a "Best Place to Work in Insurance." To see the latest insights from Lockton's experts, check Lockton Market Update.

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SOURCE Lockton

Related Links

http://www.lockton.com


Lodge Cast Iron  recently hosted the 20th Annual Cornbread Festival in its hometown of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, at which Ronna F. of Rockville, Maryland, was crowned the winner of the 20th Annual National Cornbread Cook-Off. As winner of the 2016 Cook-Off, Ronna's original recipe, Cornbread-Topped Cordon Bleu Skillet , earned her the coveted cast iron skillet crown, a $5,000 cash prize, a 30-inch stainless steel gas range from FiveStar Professional Cooking Equipment (a $3,250 value), and special gifts from Martha White  and Lodge Cast Iron.

The second place winning recipe, Mexican Style Cornbread with Chipotle Shrimp Salad, was created by Karen H. of Littleton, Colorado. She was awarded a $1,500 cash prize. The third place winner, Naylet L. of Miami, Florida, took home $1,000 for her Bayou Smoky Shrimp and Fried Cornbread Green Tomato Arepas.

As part of the 20th National Cornbread Festival and in the spirit of continuing its celebration of Southern food and values, Martha White held the 2016 Past Judge Cornbread Cook-Off for Charity. Bob Carlton, reporter for The Birmingham News and AL.com, was crowned the winner for Bob's Bama Hoecake Sliders. As a result, Martha White presented a $2,000 donation split between Jones Valley Teaching Farm and Magic City Harvest. Bob selected to compete on behalf of these two charities.

Bob has been a cook-off judge at the National Cornbread Festival five times. His original appetizer recipe rose among the best of the best in this year's competition that included five past judges taking their turn in the spotlight, cooking their original appetizer cornbread recipes live on stage. The former judges were competing to benefit a food-related charity of their choice.

The following Past Judges also participated and received a $500 donation to charity:

Chris Chamberlain , food writer, Nashville Scene

Charity: Nashville Food Project

Charity: Nashville Food Project Jennifer Justus , food writer & cookbook author

Charity: Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program (RAPP) of Middle TN

Charity: Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program (RAPP) of Middle TN Mary Constantine , food writer, Knoxville News Sentinel

Charity: Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee

Charity: Second Harvest Food Bank of Walter Lambert , TV chef, WVLT, Knoxville

Charity: Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee

The 21st annual National Cornbread Festival will be held April 28-29, 2017, in South Pittsburg, Tennessee.

For more award winning cornbread recipes, go to www.MarthaWhite.com. Join the Martha White community at www.Facebook.com/MarthaWhiteBaking and www.Pinterest.com/BakeMarthaWhite.

A leading manufacturer of Southern baking mixes and ingredients, Martha White was founded in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1899.

Lodge is a trademark of Lodge Manufacturing Company.

National Cornbread Festival is a trademark of National Cornbread Festival, Inc.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371554

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110902/CL59357LOGO-b



SOURCE Martha White

Related Links

http://www.marthawhite.com


According to CEO Mark Moore, the award is a symbol for recognition of the dedicated work performed by staff members throughout the years. Established in Sacramento over 70 years ago, the center is known for its services to hearing-impaired California residents. The company has a history of providing compassionate and comprehensive care to improve each patient's level of hearing and quality of life. Starting in a Sacramento office located on K Street in 1944, the successful business has continued to expand. Locally owned expanding through three generations, the mission has remained the same, to help people with hearing impairments to achieve improved hearing through hearing devices and other forms of treatment. As the original founder's comprehension about how to assist people with hearing problems has given the center an ability to address all needs in a professional manner.

Mark and Kim Moore, owners of McDonald Hearing Aid Center, dedicate themselves to offering exceptional care for patients. Dedicated to the hearing-impaired community offering solutions and recommendation to improve one's quality of life, the couple has taken a leadership role in the development of new hearing techniques that improves hearing. Since 1996, patients at McDonald Hearing Aid Center have enjoyed these enhanced benefits from their unique proprietary strategies that maximizes the hearing experience from using hearing aids while learning how to reduce their listening effort in real-life scenarios. McDonald Hearing Aid Center is now spread throughout 20 different locations and has helped more than 40,000 California residents experience more fulfilling lifestyles because of their improved hearing. Mark Moore notes that employees work hard to ensure they follow the company's original mission dedicated to helping people experience improved hearing.

CEO Mark Moore believes that the current success rate is due to numerous satisfied clients; many of the company's current patients are referrals from previous customers. Also receiving an award of Best Hearing Aid Center in 2013 and 2014 by the KCRA "A" list in Sacramento, California, is an honor. For more information, please contact McDonald Hearing Aid Center by email: [email protected] or call 1-888-605-4187

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SOURCE McDonald Hearing Aid Center

Related Links

http://www.mcdonaldhearingaid.com


It seems that U.S. President Obama did his homework before landing in Hanoi, having selected some of the capital's signature dishes that are hard to find anywhere else and referencing historic Vietnamese figures, music and literature in his speeches.

Eat local food the local way

On his way the to airport en route to Saigon this afternoon, the U.S. president made a surprise stop at a village famous for producing food that Hanoians take great pride in - young green rice. He even bought a pack.

The president also spent some time chatting with chef Anthony Bourdain under the eaves of a local house while heavy rain hammered down  a scene familiar all over Vietnam.

Com, freshly harvested sticky rice that's toasted to bring out its delicate flavor, is considered a symbol of the capital.

The president stopped by Me Tri Village to buy some 'com'. Photo by Reuters/Carlos Barria

The green, soft, fragrant 'com' is usually packed in lotus leaves and tied with straw or bamboo, and the fact the president was willing to try it has made Hanoians proud of this local snack.

Vietnamese 'com'. Photo by comvong.vn

As the president heads for Saigon, the choices he made seem to make more sense, because what hes done is unique to Hanoi and will not overlap with whatever he chooses to try in Saigon.

Last night I visited the Old Quarter here in Hanoi, and enjoyed some outstanding Vietnamese food; tried some bun cha, drank some Beer Hanoi. But I have to say the busy streets of this city, I have never seen so many motorbikes in my life. So I havent had to try to cross the street so far, but maybe when I come back and visit, you can tell me how," said the president.

The president enjoyed bun cha just like an ordinary local last night. He seemed perfectly at home mixing with the other diners sitting around him on plastic stools, and enjoyed two helpings of the dish along with nem, all washed down with a Hanoi Beer in true Hanoi style.

If it wasn't for the sea of security staff and snipers standing guard in front of the cheering crowd outside, the scene would have been no different than your average expat enjoying a meal. He bought four portions of 'bun cha' to take home after thanking the owner for treating him to a real Hanoi experience.

The president dined with Anthony Bourdain in a local restaurant. Photo by Anthony Bourdain

Today, after delivering a speech to some 2,000 young Vietnamese people, the president left for Saigon but the traditional com held him back in Hanoi for a little while.

When in Vietnam, talk like a Vietnamese

Its not unheard of for a politician to break out into another countrys language to impress her people, and Obama was not the first to use poems and songs to win the hearts of locals. However, he showed that he is on a different level.

'Ca phe sua da', 'bun cha', 'xin chao', 'cam on': to the publics surprise the president pronounced several Vietnamese words in a clear accent that sounded as if he was a seasoned resident. On stage, the president also pleased the crowd with references to Vietnamese culture, famous characters, idioms and history.

In Obama's speech at the National Convention Center today, there were many Vietnamese cultural and historical references (the First Spring by Van Cao, Trinh Cong Son, The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du, Ly Thuong Kiet, Phan Chau Trinh, Ho Chi Minh, Vo Nguyen Giap, Ha Long Bay, the Old Quarter, Hanoi Beer, Hoi An and Hue). What he said about gender equality with reference to the Trung Sisters earned him deep respect among the Vietnamese youth.

I also come here with a deep respect for Vietnams ancient heritage. For millennia, farmers have tended these lands. History revealed in the Dong Son drums. At this bend in the river Hanoi has endured for more than a 1000 years [...] But like bamboo, the unbroken spirit of the Vietnamese people was captured by Ly Thuong Kiet, the southern emperor rules the southern land, our destiny is writ in heavens book, the president said.

It seems that traditional Vietnamese food and hospitality touched the U.S. president, and in turn images of him dining at a simple restaurant and chatting as he sheltered from the rain have endeared him to the Vietnamese people.

On this visit, my heart has been touched by the kindness for which the Vietnamese people are known for, and the many who have been lining the streets, smiling and waving, I feel the friendship between our peoples.

Since the presidents arrival to Vietnam, his activities have drawn huge public interest and have flooded the internet.

The president shakes hands with the cheering crowd after having some 'bun cha' last night. Phot by VnExpress/Ba Do

Locals were happy to see the president enjoy local food on the street, and it has become the talk of the town.

A VnExpress reader commented: The president comes from a very far away land, but I feel like he was really close to Vietnam, to our culture.

I've been refreshing the website every minute to check for updates about the presidents activities, a reader said.

There is only one day left for the president to have his share of Saigon before heading to Japan for the G7 Summit on May 25, and the public is eager to find out what Vietnamese food will be listed on the president's next menu.

Obama brings surprise about his Vietnamese food and cultural savvy Tong thong Obama gap go nguoi dan o lang Me Tri Ha






MILWAUKEE, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MGIC Investment Corporation (NYSE: MTG) announced today that Patrick Sinks, Chief Executive Officer, will be discussing the Private Mortgage Insurance industry at the Keefe, Bruyette & Woods 2016 Mortgage Finance Conference. The discussion is scheduled to begin at 10:40 a.m. Eastern time on June 1, 2016, and the conference is being held at the Westin Grand Central hotel in New York City.

The discussion will be webcast and can be accessed at the company's website, http://mtg.mgic.com/ or at http://www.wsw.com/webcast/kbw33. Material that may be referenced during this discussion can be accessed at http://mtg.mgic.com, under Investor Information at approximately 5 p.m. Eastern time on May 31, 2016. A replay will be available for 90 days.

About MGIC

MGIC (www.mgic.com), the principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation, serves lenders throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other locations helping families achieve homeownership sooner by making affordable low-down-payment mortgages a reality. At March 31, 2016, MGIC had $175.0 billion of primary insurance in force covering approximately one million mortgages.

From time to time MGIC Investment Corporation releases important information via postings on its corporate website without making any other disclosure and intends to continue to do so in the future. 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 can be found at http://mtg.mgic.com under Investor Information.

SOURCE MGIC Investment Corporation

Related Links

http://www.mgic.com


DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsystems, the leading provider of document authoring, editing, formatting, proofreading, and metadata scrubbing software serving the legal and life sciences industries, today announced the release of Contract Companion. The next generation of EagleEye, the patented industry-leading proofreading software, Contract Companion incorporates feedback from more than 10,000 users to achieve faster analysis, greater accuracy, and improved workflow.

"The legal profession is evolving in response to demands for alternative and flat-rate fee arrangements. Once three-to-one, the attorney-to-assistant ratio has reached an average of eight-to-one. These added pressures to produce more work, less expensively without diminishing quality, have driven demand for smarter, faster solutions," explained Jason Maeder, Product Manager at Microsystems.

"Microsystems empowers our attorneys to deliver higher quality, more accurate contracts and agreements. The improved accuracy and efficiency we have achieved using their EagleEye solution is so significant that all associates run documents through it as part of their workflow," said Catherine McGivney, Principal at Roberts McGivney Zagotta. "Now, using their new Contract Companion solution, the user experience is even better and the new Risk Assessment feature saves us more time by allowing our attorneys to instantly determine the proofreading time required for a particular document. This has an incredibly positive impact on morale and our bottom line," she concluded.

Like its predecessor, Contract Companion has been designed to help legal professionals draft documents with greater ease and precision to deliver higher quality agreements, while minimizing the time they have to spend checking over their work. Contract Companion is on track to exceed the strong sales performance of EagleEye in 2015.

"Last year more than 150 new organizations selected Microsytems EagleEye for proofreading, and with the release of Contract Companion we expect that momentum to continue in 2016. Known for its unparalleled ease of use and accuracy, Contract Companion is the only comprehensive proofreading solution in the market and the only solution with Artificial Document Intelligence that enhances the lawyers expertise throughout the drafting process," Maeder added.

Highlights of Contract Companion's capabilities that enhance quality and efficiency include:

Risk assessment provides an instant analysis and a dashboard view of the most critical issues in the document.

provides an instant analysis and a dashboard view of the most critical issues in the document. Mobile support maximizes efficiency and recaptures time in transit, allowing users to check documents from any device with the browser companion.

maximizes efficiency and recaptures time in transit, allowing users to check documents from any device with the browser companion. Document repurposing uncovers all client-specific and sensitive information, including inconsistencies in content and formatting.

uncovers all client-specific and sensitive information, including inconsistencies in content and formatting. Enhanced cross-reference checking allows users to review cross-references with split-screen navigation and single-click fixes.

allows users to review cross-references with split-screen navigation and single-click fixes. Advanced technologies like natural language processing, multi-threaded server processing, and contextual analysis empower Contract Companion to deliver the most accurate results, finding issues no other product can.

To learn more about Contract Companion or request a demonstration, please visit http://www.microsystems.com/contractcompanion.

About Microsystems

Established in 1995, Microsystems is the leading provider of ADI (Artificial Document Intelligence) solutions for the legal and life sciences industries. Leveraging patented technology across a suite of five core products, Microsystems ADI optimizes all stages of the document production lifecycle, improving content quality and formatting, mitigating risk, identifying errors and inconsistencies, and increasing productivity and efficiency. Today, Microsystems supports more than 650 document-intensive enterprises worldwide with industry-leading products and unparalleled 24/7 customer service to satisfy the most complex client demands. For more information, please visit http://www.microsystems.com.

SOURCE Microsystems

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NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --



Report Details

The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain offers up to date analysis of the global military aircraft MRO market. Visiongain assesses that this market will reach $49bn in 2015.



Now: The proliferation of advanced fighter aircraft by key players is going to massively affect the military aircraft MRO industry, and older aircraft are now being maintained for longer and to higher demands. How are you and your company reacting to these trends? Are you sufficiently informed?



How this report will benefit you

Read on to discover how you can exploit the future business opportunities emerging in military aircraft MRO. Visiongain's report shows you how the market is changing- don't get left behind.



Utilising 450 in-depth tables, charts and graphs PLUS 3 EXCLUSIVE interviews  all unavailable elsewhere, this brand new report will massively affect your perceptions of the military aircraft MRO market.



The 441-page report provides clear detailed insight into the global military aircraft MRO market. It reveals the key drivers and challenges affecting the market at both national and submarket levels.



By ordering and reading our brand new report today you stay better informed and ready to act.



Report Scope

- 3 Interviews with experts informing and underpinning the analysis

- Chuck Artymovich of Lockheed Martin,

- Jeff Pike of IFS

- Nelson Vaz of OGMA,

- Over 450 in-depth tables, charts and graphs illustrating the prospects for the military aircraft MRO market from 2015-2025

- Detailed tables containing contracts / projects and programmes in the military aircraft MRO market by country- with over 480 contracts detailed



- Global military aircraft MRO market forecasts from 2015-2025

- 20 leading national military aircraft MRO forecasts from 2015-2025 covering markets including the US, Russia, China, India, Japan, UK, Israel, France, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, UAE, Singapore, Rest of the World



- Analysis of drivers and restraints for the global and national military aircraft MRO markets from 2015-2025

- Military aircraft MRO submarket forecasts from 2015-2025 covering Operational and field maintenance, Heavy airframe maintenance, Heavy engine maintenance, Internal components maintenance and External components maintenance

- Profiles and analysis of the leading 20 military aircraft MRO companies in 2015



How will you benefit from this report?

- Keep your knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind

- Challenge your own perceptions of the military aircraft MRO market

- Reinforce your strategic decision-making with definitive and reliable market data

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- Understand the military aircraft MRO competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships



Who should read this report?

- Anyone within the aerospace and defence industry.

- CEO's

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- Suppliers

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- Government agencies

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Visiongain's study is intended for anyone needing comprehensive analysis and forecasts for the military aircraft MRO market.



Buy Military Aircraft Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Market Forecast 2015-2025 report today. Catch crucial opportunities by staying informed  acquire our report now to stay ahead.

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03173531-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.



http://www.reportlinker.com





__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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"We are pleased to announce this new initiative with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System," said Andrew Sussman, M.D., Executive Vice President and Associate Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health and President, MinuteClinic. "Through this arrangement, MinuteClinic and the VA Palo Alto will join forces to provide Veterans in Northern California with additional options for high quality clinical services. We're committed to providing top-notch care to the area's Veterans and this relationship will allow us to do so in locations and at times that are convenient for the VA's patients."

VA Palo Alto HCS consists of three inpatient facilities located at Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Livermore, plus seven outpatient clinics in San Jose, Fremont, Capitola, Monterey, Stockton, Modesto, and Sonora. Veterans who call the VA Palo Alto's Nurse Helpline (1-800-445-0057) can be referred to one of 14 area MinuteClinic locations for treatment of common illnesses. As an added convenience, Veterans who are written a prescription at a MinuteClinic visit will be able to fill it at CVS Pharmacy.

"This program reaffirms our commitment to access through innovation and flexible health care delivery," said Dr. Stephen Ezeji-Okoye, Deputy Chief of Staff, VA Palo Alto Health Care System. "The diverse geography of our Veteran population requires us to think about access as providing the right care at the right place at the right time - as defined by the Veteran. We are particularly excited about working with MinuteClinic because they share our commitment to high quality care and our belief in meeting Veterans needs as efficiently and effectively as possible."

MinuteClinic and the VA Palo Alto will utilize an interconnected electronic medical record (EMR) system, which will advance clinical care for the Veterans treated through the arrangement. After patient consent, participating MinuteClinic locations will electronically send patient visit summaries to the patient's primary care physician at the VA. If more comprehensive care is needed, Veterans will be directed to follow up with their VA primary care provider for additional services as appropriate.

"By allowing our electronic health records to communicate and share important clinical information, we'll have a more comprehensive view of the Veterans we collectively serve, which will enable important health care decision making and ensure continuity of care," Sussman added.

Nurse practitioners at MinuteClinic specialize in family health care and can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions, as appropriate, for common family illnesses such as strep throat; ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections; nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; and heartburn and indigestion. Minor wounds, abrasions, skin conditions, sprains and strains are treated, and common vaccinations such as influenza, tetanus, pneumonia and Hepatitis A and B are available at most locations.

Prevention and wellness services include screening and monitoring for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, tuberculosis (TB) testing, contraceptive care, motion sickness prevention and smoking cessation. MinuteClinic is open seven days a week and no appointment is necessary.

The 14 MinuteClinic locations that are participating in the VA Palo Alto collaboration include:

MinuteClinic, 1871 El Camino Real, Burlingame, CA

MinuteClinic, 576 E El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, CA

MinuteClinic, 2514 Berryessa Road, San Jose, CA

MinuteClinic, 2700 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, CA

MinuteClinic, 2630 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA

MinuteClinic, 1720 S Bascom Avenue, Campbell, CA

MinuteClinic, 987 E Hillsdale Boulevard, Foster City, CA

MinuteClinic, 10455 S De Anza Boulevard, Cupertino, CA

MinuteClinic, 2455 San Ramon Valley Boulevard, San Ramon, CA

MinuteClinic 1350 Florin Road, Sacramento, CA

Road, MinuteClinic, 5040 Laguna Boulevard, Elk Grove, CA

MinuteClinic, 650 San Ramon Valley Boulevard, Danville, CA

MinuteClinic, 738 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek, CA

MinuteClinic, 8101 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks, CA

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,600 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 80 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

Media Contacts:

Amy Lanctot Brent Burkhardt (401) 770-2931 (410) 986-1303 CVS Health TBC (for MinuteClinic) [email protected] [email protected]

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SOURCE CVS Health

Related Links

http://www.cvshealth.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanosys, Inc. announced today that Hitachi Chemical and Nanosys have partnered in the development of QDEF optical films for display applications.

Hitachi Chemical plans to begin shipping QDEF to display manufacturers in mass production volumes during the 2nd half of 2016. This new supply of high quality and cost competitive QDEF will further accelerate the utilization of Quantum Dot technology in displays of all types, including UltraHD televisions, monitors and mobile devices.

Nanosys QDEF Quantum Dot technology makes displays more vivid by enabling pure colors with lifelike brightness using cutting-edge nanotechnology. QDEF is a drop-in film that LCD manufacturers can integrate with existing production processes. It utilizes the light emitting properties of Quantum Dots to create an ideal backlight for LCDs -- one of the most critical factors in the color and efficiency performance of displays.

"Nanosys is the innovative leader in Quantum Dot technology  always providing the best performance, design and quality to customers," said Hiroyuki Morishima, Executive Officer, General Manager R&D Headquarters, Hitachi Chemical. "We plan to begin shipping product in mass production volumes during the second half of 2016."

"Hitachi's proven expertise in design, engineering and manufacturing of products for consumer electronics including state-of-the-art displays make them a perfect partner to help us revolutionize the Quantum Dot Display industry," said Jason Hartlove, President and CEO, Nanosys, Inc. "Together, we expect to accelerate the adoption of brighter, more colorful and environmentally friendly displays that use less energy with Quantum Dots."

Both Nanosys (booth #1329) and Hitachi Chemical are attending Society of Information Display's DisplayWeek, May 23  27, 2016, in San Francisco, CA. For more information: www.displayweek.org.

About Nanosys

Nanosys, Inc. is the leader in developing and delivering state-of-the-art Quantum Dot technology to the display industry. Nanosys proprietary QDEF technology, a key component of the Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV revolution, is enabling a new generation of displays using Quantum Dots to deliver vivid color, lifelike brightness and incredible power efficiency at a fraction of the cost of competing technologies. Industry leading consumer electronics brands have shipped award- winning devices from tablets to TVs based on Nanosys' proprietary Quantum Dot technology.

Founded in 2001, the company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California where it operates the world's largest Quantum Dot nanomaterials fab with manufacturing capacity for over 25 tons of Quantum Dot materials per year. Nanosys currently owns or has exclusive license rights to more than 300 issued and pending patents worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.nanosysinc.com/

QDEF and Nanosys are trademarks of Nanosys, Inc., registered in the United States and in other countries.

About Hitachi Chemical

Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. (TSE4217), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers wide range of innovative products, such as electronic materials, automobile parts, energy storage devices and systems, in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2015 (ended March 31, 2016) totaled 547 billion yen ($4.8 billion). For more information on Hitachi Chemical, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-chem.co.jp/english/

SOURCE Nanosys

Related Links

http://www.nanosysinc.com


"If these seven students represent our future," said Frank Penaranda, Chairman of NASA Federal's Scholarship Committee and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, "we are all in very good hands. And, NASA Federal Credit Union is pleased to help them reach their goals through the Mitchell-Beall-Rosen Memorial Scholarship."

The following outstanding seniors were recipients of this year's scholarship awards:

Steffen Cornwell of Highland, MarylandPlans to double major in computational biology and business at the University of Pennsylvania .

of Highland, MarylandPlans to double major in computational biology and business at the . Haley Crane of Ellicott City , MarylandWill study biomedical engineering at the University of Maryland .

of , MarylandWill study biomedical engineering at the . Aaron Fishkind of Spring Valley , New YorkPlans to study education at the University of Pennsylvania .

of , New YorkPlans to study education at the . Hailey Guit of Owings, MarylandWill pursue a degree in graphic design at Stevenson University.

of Owings, MarylandWill pursue a degree in graphic design at University. Holly Mann of Owings, MarylandLooks forward to studying technology and business management at the University of Maryland.

of Owings, MarylandLooks forward to studying technology and business management at the University of Maryland. Brian Musliner of Crofton , MarylandWill attend Rochester Institute of Technology and study software development.

of , MarylandWill attend and study software development. Emily Sturm of Columbia , MarylandPlans to pursue a career in medicine after attending Johns Hopkins University .

About the NASA Federal Credit Union Scholarship Program

The Scholarship Program was established in 1983 in memory of Wilfred Mitchell and then renamed in 1991 to also honor Donald Beall. Both men are former NASA Federal Credit Union officials who were strong advocates of the education of our youth. In 2010, the name of the scholarship program was again changed, to the Mitchell-Beall-Rosen Memorial Scholarship Program, in honor of Eugene D. Rosen, who was instrumental in launching the program and served as its Chairman for 27 years. Mitchell, Beall and Rosen are fondly remembered for their commitment to the Credit Union movement and especially for their efforts to help young people succeed.

About NASA Federal Credit Union

NASA Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative owned entirely by its members and operated for the benefit of all who belong. Chartered in 1949, NASA Federal Credit Union serves the diverse needs of over 120,000 members with a full array of financial services and the strength of more than $1.8 billion in assets.

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SOURCE NASA Federal Credit Union

Related Links

http://www.nasafcu.com


DALLAS, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nemeroff Law Firm is proud to announce that attorney, R. Scott Marshall is to receive the 2016 Pound Civil Justice Institute Appellate Advocacy Award for his significant mesothelioma victory before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Tooey v. AK Steel Corp. The case provided access to Pennsylvania's courts for injured workers and their families who have been devastated by mesothelioma, a terminal occupational cancer, as well as other occupational diseases effectively excluded by Pennsylvania's Workers' Compensation Act.

Nemeroff Law Firm Mesothelioma Victory Paves Way for Access to Justice by Pennsylvania Workers

Before the court's recent decision in Tooey, Pennsylvania workers with latent occupational cancer and other fatal diseases fell further victim to a Catch-22 never intended by Pennsylvania's legislature when it drafted the state's Workers' Compensation Act. Section 301(c)(2) provides that occupational diseases manifesting more than 300 weeks after a worker's last occupational exposure to the hazards causing disease do not fall within the purview of the Act. But Pennsylvania's intermediate courts had nevertheless interpreted the Act's exclusivity provision under Section 303(a) to bar common law claims against an employer by workers to whom the Act did not apply. "For most workers, their last exposure to asbestos on the job occurred more than 20 years ago," explains attorney Scott Marshall. "In Pennsylvania, our clients with mesothelioma essentially were left without a remedy against employers that knew asbestos was lethal, but chose not to protect their workers  employees weren't covered under workers' compensation, and they couldn't bring a claim in court either."

In 2008, the Nemeroff Law Firm resolved to face down the injustice on behalf of two clients diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2007. Client John Tooey had been exposed to asbestos between 1964 and 1982 as an industrial salesman of asbestos products for Ferro Engineering and client Spurgeon Landis had been exposed from 1946 until 1992 while working for Alloy Rods, Inc. The trial court denied the employers' motions for summary judgment based on the Act's exclusivity provisions, but Pennsylvania's intermediate appellate court reversed, ruling that it was constrained to do so by its own "improperly" decided precedent. "We knew that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision in our case would dramatically affect not just our own clients but a host of similarly situated workers in Pennsylvania who  as things stood  were left with no legal remedy against careless, or even reckless, employers," said Marshall, whose team on the appeal included Bob Daley of Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. in Pittsburgh and Brent Rosenthal of Rosenthal Weiner in Dallas.

According to Rick Nemeroff, founder of the Nemeroff Law Firm, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's opinion in the case was exactly as we believed it should be. Adopting the plaintiffs' statutory construction argument as the only reasonable one, the court held that the language of the statute itself excluded the plaintiffs' claims from the parameters of the Act, meaning that the exclusivity provision did not preclude the plaintiffs' common law claims against the employers. Still, "for purposes of argument," the court also considered its interpretation of the statute in light of the legislature's intent. Noting that the statute was "specifically designed to benefit employees," the court observed that the employers' proposed construction would operate "as a de facto exclusion of coverage under the Act for essentially all mesothelioma claims" and would enable precisely the result the statute "was intended to prohibit  an employer's avoidance of liability through both recovery tracks." Ultimately, the court reversed the intermediate appellate court, reasoning: "It is inconceivable that the legislature, in enacting a statute specifically designed to benefit employees, intended to leave a certain class of employees who have suffered the most serious of work-related injuries without any redress under the Act or at common law."

Pound Appellate Advocacy Award "Tremendous Honor"

The Pound Civil Justice Institute strives to ensure access to justice for ordinary citizens by providing a balanced view of issues related to the U.S. civil justice system. The Institute's Appellate Advocacy Award is given annually to lawyers "who have been instrumental in securing a final appellate court decision with significant impact on the right to trial by jury, public health and safety, consumer rights, civil rights, access to justice in civil cases, or other issues relevant to the work of the Pound Institute." "To be recognized in this way by the Pound Institute is a tremendous honor for Scott Marshall," said Nemeroff Law Firm founder Rick Nemeroff. "I could not be more pleased and proud of the significant result Scott has achieved for our clients and for other workers in Pennsylvania." Selected by a unanimous vote of the Institute's Award Committee, Marshall will receive this prestigious award at the Pound Fellows reception in Los Angeles, California on July 23, 2016, during the annual convention of the American Association for Justice (AAJ).

The case, Tooey v. A.K. Steel Corp., is reported at 81 A.3d 851 (Pa. 2013).

About The Nemeroff Law Firm

With offices in UT, LA, PA and TX, The Nemeroff Law Firm is a nationally recognized trial firm dedicated to helping individuals and families who suffer from asbestos related mesothelioma, harmful pharmaceuticals, and catastrophic personal injuries or death as a result of the wrongful or negligent conduct of others. Led by attorney Rick Nemeroff, the firm serves clients throughout the United States and Mexico, combining compassion and caring with aggressive litigation skills to deliver life-changing results. For more information, contact The Nemeroff Law Firm at 866-435-1831, go to www.nemerofflaw.com.

SOURCE Nemeroff Law Firm

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http://www.nemerofflaw.com


DALLAS, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For the estimated 30 to 50 million Americans struggling with the distressing symptoms of lactose intolerance*, there's great news. Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) is introducing new DairyPure brand Lactose Free milk to its line of dairy products. Made with real, fresh white milk, DairyPure Lactose Free milk delivers real dairy nutrition and delicious taste that everyone can enjoy. Plus, it's 100% lactose free, making it easy to digest for those with lactose sensitivities.

Like regular DairyPure milk, new Lactose Free milk provides the same eight essential nutrients  calcium, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin, phosphorus and potassium  and is backed by the brand's exclusive Five-Point Purity Promise:

No artificial growth hormones** All milk is tested for antibiotics Continually quality tested to ensure purity Only from cows fed a healthy diet Cold-shipped from your trusted dairy

"DairyPure Lactose Free milk is an excellent way for those with lactose sensitivities to get the key nutrients found in milk they would otherwise miss out on," said Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN. "Around 42 percent of Americans don't get the calcium they need and more than 80 percent of Americans lack adequate Vitamin D.*** Having a wholesome and trustworthy milk option like DairyPure Lactose Free milk for those with lactose intolerance can help fill this gap."

"New DairyPure Lactose Free milk means that we're now able to deliver our high quality DairyPure milk to all consumers," said Greg Schwarz, Vice President of Marketing, Dean Foods. "Whether it's a lifestyle choice or the result of lactose sensitivities, everyone can enjoy Lactose Free milk knowing that it's backed by our Five-Point Purity Promise."

DairyPure Lactose Free milk is available now in the dairy case at grocery stores nationwide in whole, 2% reduced fat, 1% low fat and skim/fat free milks in half gallons.

For recipes, local retailers, the full line of products and to learn more about DairyPure's exclusive Five-Point Purity Promise, please visit www.DairyPure.com, and find DairyPure on Facebook and Pinterest.

About Dean Foods

Dean Foods is a leading food and beverage company in the United States and is the nation's largest processor and direct-to-store distributor of fluid milk. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the Dean Foods portfolio includes TruMoo, the leading national flavored milk brand, and DairyPure, the first and largest fresh white milk national brand, along with well-known regional dairy brands such as Alta Dena, Berkeley Farms, Country Fresh, Dean's, Garelick Farms, LAND O LAKES milk and cultured products****, Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms, Mayfield, McArthur, Meadow Gold, Oak Farms, PET*****, T.G. Lee, Tuscan and more. In all, Dean Foods has more than 50 local and regional dairy brands and private labels. Dean Foods also makes and distributes ice cream, cultured products, juices, teas, and bottled water. Approximately 17,000 employees across the country work every day to make Dean Foods the most admired and trusted provider of wholesome, great-tasting dairy products at every occasion. For more information about Dean Foods and its brands, visit www.deanfoods.com.

*US Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm094550.htm

**No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from cows treated with the artificial growth hormone rbST and non-rbST-treated cows.

***What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007-2010

http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/06-chapter-1/d1-11.asp#figure-d1-1

****The LAND O LAKES brand is owned by Land O'Lakes, Inc. and is used by license.

*****PET is a trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company and is used by license.

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SOURCE Dean Foods Company

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PASADENA, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Silence is golden  literally and figuratively  when travelers book a stay at the newly refreshed Residence Inn Pasadena Arcadia.

Residence Inn Pasadena Arcadia has refreshed its guest suites with a new, calming color palette. For information, visit www.marriott.com/BWRAR or call 1-626-446-6500.

West Coast explorers visiting the Arcadia, California area will enjoy reimagined guest suites that feature an inviting color palette and plenty of functional furnishings thanks to a $1.8 million renovation. Designed with natural tones on the floors, window treatments and beds, the spaces now boast gold accent walls with pops of blue in couch pillows, wall art, bed skirts, carpets and chair backs. Notes of blue can also be found in bathroom shower curtains, instilling a clean, calm sense.

The extended-stay hotel's newly remodeled two-bedroom bi-level suites feature a loft bedroom for extra privacy, perfect for groups or large families traveling together. Two bathrooms, multiple TVs and a fireplace make it feel just like home.

All suites boast plush Marriott bedding with crisp, cotton-rich linens and piles of fluffy pillows for a restful night's sleep. Ergonomic work spaces cater to the professional traveler visiting Arcadia and the surrounding area to conduct business. Complimentary wireless internet ensures all guests stay connected 24/7. In downtime, visitors can relax in front of 37-inch LCD TVs featuring premium movie channels, CNN, ESPN and HBO.

All rooms at the all-suite hotel in Arcadia feature fully equipped kitchens with stainless-steel appliances, including a refrigerator, stovetop, oven, microwave and dishwasher. Dish cleaning supplies, silverware, pots, pans, serving dishes and glasses also are included. A separate dining area allows guests to enjoy meals prepared in their kitchen. The hotel near Pasadena also offers a complimentary grocery shopping service which allows guests to leave a list for the hotel staff and return to a fully stocked refrigerator.

When visiting the Golden State, travelers who stay at the Arcadia hotel can take in the breathtaking scenery around the hotel or set out on an adventure in the region. Guests will find easy access to the Gold Line light rail station, about an 8-minute walk from the hotel, which connects Arcadia to the cities of Pasadena, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa.

Famished guests will strike gold on a daily basis at the complimentary breakfast buffet, where items such as sausage and waffles are served in the lobby dining area. On select weeknights, the hotel also offers The Residence Inn Mix, where guests can mingle with other travelers while snacking on complimentary snacks, beer and wine. The Market, a 24-hour convenience store, is open for late-night snacks and various sundries.

Go for the gold and experience the comfort and convenience of Residence Inn Pasadena Arcadia by reserving a refreshed suite.

About Residence Inn Pasadena Arcadia

Residence Inn Pasadena Arcadia at 321 E. Huntington Drive in Arcadia, CA offers an ideal location near Santa Anita Race Track, Rose Bowl Stadium and the California Institute of Technology. The hotel features 2 floors with 120 suites, a free breakfast buffet, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool and 1 meeting room with 400 square feet of total space. Complimentary internet is provided throughout the guest rooms, lobby and public areas. For information, visit www.marriott.com/BWRAR or call 1-626-446-6500.

Join Marriott Rewards now and earn points that can be redeemed for free hotel stays and room upgrades at 3,800 hotels in over 70 countries.

Learn more about Residence Inn and Marriott International Inc.

PRESS CONTACT

Shannon Labbe

1-626-446-6500

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371461

SOURCE Residence Inn Pasadena Arcadia
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "We are pleased to welcome Nina DeLorenzo to the Board of Directors of the Healthy Americas Foundation," said John Cuellar, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Healthy Americas Foundation, that fosters community innovation and community-based efforts that improve the lives of individuals and families throughout the Americas. Mr. Cuellar added, "Ms. DeLorenzo brings to the board the communication and policy skills that are essential to improving the health outcomes for all communities." Ms. DeLorenzo commented, "I look forward to working with the Board and staff to develop innovative programs throughout the Americas."

Ms. DeLorenzo is a communications and public affairs professional with more than 20 years of private sector, political, and government experience. In her current role as vice president of Government Affairs Strategy and Public Policy for AbbVie, she leads a team that develops the company's stances on critical public policy issues and creates strategies that shape a more favorable public policy environment for AbbVie's business interests globally.

Her prior experience includes roles in public affairs at Pfizer Inc, international public affairs at Schering-Plough Corp. (now Merck), and at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), where she appeared on television, radio, and in print as a spokeswoman for the trade association in Washington, DC. Ms. DeLorenzo served in the administration of President George W. Bush, working in the White House Coalition Information Center at the outset of the war on terror, and in the Bureau of International Information Programs at the U.S. Department of State. Prior to this service, Ms. DeLorenzo held roles in government and on political campaigns, including positions on the U.S. Senate campaigns of former U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham. She also worked for Abraham in the U.S. Senate.

Ms. DeLorenzo holds a BA in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago. A Michigan native, she now resides in Lake Forest, Illinois.

About the Healthy Americas Foundation (HAF)

The Healthy Americas Foundation (HAF) seeks to develop the human and financial capital needed to maximize the health of people throughout the Americas and is committed to the best health outcomes for all. For more information, visit www.healthyamericas.org

SOURCE Healthy Americas Foundation (HAF)

Related Links

http://www.healthyamericas.org


Airport security forces with more than 1,000 personnel will be carrying out strict inspections at Tan Son Nhat Airport ahead of Obama's flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City this afternoon.

To ensure the safety of Obama and his delegation, airport security staff will be on patrol 24/7. Everyone will be working, except those who are sick or have had a death in the family, an officer who refused to be named told VnExpress.

A strict screening process at Tan Son Nhat Airport will be applied for even children and the elderly. Passengers shoes and belts will be checked and spot inspections of suspicious passengers will be carried out.

Police will be stationed outside the airport to monitor passengers going in and out.

Anyone who stops in the parking bays for more than three minutes will be checked, and people displaying unusual behavior such as passengers without luggage will be tightly monitored by security forces.

The U.S. president arrives at Noi Bai Airport on May 23. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

The U.S. has also asked Vietnam to delay all civilian flights scheduled to take off before and after Obama arrives at the airport by at least one hour, an unnamed source told VnExpress. Further information is yet to be confirmed.

U.S. security forces have already surveyed the destinations and routes Obama plans to use during his time in the city.

The president will fly to Ho Chi Minh City this afternoon and pay a visit to the 100-year-old Ngoc Hoang (Jade Emperor) Pagoda in the city center.

Following that, he will meet with young Vietnamese entrepreneurs where he will discuss the benefits of the TPP for both Vietnam and the U.S. in promoting growth, job creation and higher labor and environmental standards.

Tomorrow, the president will host a town hall with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.
LONDON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- North America market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35.80% representing in huge opportunities in this sector, finds a new research report launched by NOVONOUS. This growth is driven by increasing penetration of big data, increase in analytics services and availability of affordable big data solution and services to end users.

North America Big Data market controls largest market share at 55% in terms of revenue in Global Big Data market. It is expected to maintain its market position even in 2020.

Organizations worldwide are turning their attention to Big Data as a useful means to derive insights from the huge amount of data generated from various sources. Technologies such as NoSQL databases and MapReduce/Hadoop frameworks are at the core of the solutions heralding a paradigm shift.



This research found that high investment costs, lack of awareness and novelty have been the main threats for new entrants in the Big Data space. There are a few major players who control the entire value chain. However, many smaller players have mushroomed who provide consulting in the Analytics space. This research also found that most organizations misunderstand Big Data and it is important to educate the end users through face to face interactions.

Spanning over 115 pages and 75 exhibits, "North America Big Data Market 2015-2020" report presents an in-depth assessment of the North America Big Data market from 2015 till 2020.



The report has detailed company profiles including their position in big data market value chain, financial performance analysis, product and service wise business strategy, SWOT analysis and key customer details for 12 key players in Global market namely TEG Analytics, Heckyl Technologies, KloudData Inc., Gramener, Germin8, VIS Networks Pvt. Ltd., Abzooba, Fintellix, Latentview, Indix, Analytic-Edge and Tookitaki.

Scope of North America Big Data Market 2015-2020 Report

- This report provides detailed information about North America Big Data market including future forecasts.

- This report identifies the industry wise need for focusing on Big Data market.

- This report provides detailed information on growth forecasts for North America Big Data market up to 2020.

- The report identifies the growth drivers and inhibitors for Global Big Data market.

- This study also identifies various parts of Big Data value chain.

- This report has detailed profiles 12 key players in Global Big Data market covering their business strategy, financial performance, future forecasts and SWOT analysis.

- This report provides Porter's Five Forces analysis for North America Big Data market.

- This report provides SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis for North America Big Data market.

- This report also provides strategic recommendations for end users, Big Data service providers and investors.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3812900/



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

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Following last week's approval by the North Carolina Board of Nursing, Northeastern University's Charlotte Campus will start accepting applications today for its new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. The university's prestigious School of Nursing has prepared nurse leaders in practice, education and research for more than 50 years. By bringing the ABSN to the Queen City, Northeastern will help address the ongoing shortage of bachelor's-educated nurses facing health care providers in Charlotte and throughout the region.

The Northeastern ABSN program is specifically designed for professionals with a prior bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field who want to leverage their existing education into a nursing career. The program follows the same rigorous, accredited curriculum as the popular ABSN program at the university's Boston campus. It has been approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and the North Carolina Board of Governors.

"The nationwide nursing shortage is reaching critical levels, and Charlotte is feeling the effects," said Northeastern's regional dean and CEO, Dr. Cheryl Richards. "Since establishing our campus here five years ago, we've always been committed to addressing the needs of the region and the community. Providing a pipeline of well-educated, clinically prepared nurses to our health care partners is certainly at the top of that list."

The 16-month, second-degree nursing program appeals to career-changers looking for a second chance to fulfill their nursing dreams or an opportunity to enter a rewarding profession with an excellent employment outlook. The ABSN program combines online coursework, hands-on experience at Northeastern's high-tech nursing center in Uptown Charlotte and clinical rotations at leading Charlotte health care facilities.

If the state Board of Nursing's latest research is any indication, student demand for the program is likely to be strong. The North Carolina Trends in Nursing Education report, released just this month, notes that 13,936 applicants were qualified to attend pre-licensure nursing education programs in 2014-15, yet only 58% were accepted for admission. Northeastern's ABSN program offers three start dates a year to help serve more of these qualified students.

The Northeastern University ABSN program is now accepting applications for its inaugural class, which is expected to start in September. To learn more, visit OnlineNursing.neu.edu/Charlotte or call 866-891-1490.

SOURCE Northeastern University

Related Links

http://www.OnlineNursing.neu.edu/Charlotte


ALLENTOWN, Pa., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Creditsafe USA, the world's most used supplier of company business intelligence, today released troubling statistics about the volatile oil and gas sectors. Featured in the Creditsafe Oil and Gas Sector Report, this analysis examines the key financial metrics of an industry where six major companies have declared massive financial problems in less than two weeks. With five companies filing for Chapter 11 protectionBreitburn Energy Partners, Intervention Energy, LLC., Linn Energy, Pennsylvania Virginia Corp., and Sand Ridge Energyand Seventy Seven Energy, Inc. declaring financial restructuring, the future of this significant US industrial market is unclear.

"Our study examines the fundamentals of the sector's two primary areasextraction and support activities. Each of these areas has experienced significant financial turmoil over the past several months with no sign of improvement. Many companies have seen a massive decline in their credit rating as a result of paying bills later while racking up enormous amounts of debt. The oil and gas industries have a rough road ahead of them with no clear path for stability," said Matthew Debbage, president of Creditsafe's American and Asia-Pacific Operations.

Creditsafe's Oil and Gas Sector Analysis focuses on companies with a NAICS of 211111(Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Extraction) and 213112 (Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations). Over the past three months, there have been several significant developments:

CREDIT RATINGS:

**48% of companies in the Oil & Gas sector have seen a significant decrease in their credit rating

**Companies with a decreased credit rating experienced an average rating decline of 15 points  from 52.62 to 36.82

**Companies in the oil and gas industries are paying their bills 25% later in May 2016 than in February 2016. The total number of payment days beyond terms has increased from 5.8 days to 7.3 days

PAYMENT DATA:

**Over 20% of companies in the oil & gas sector have seen a significant negative change in payment days beyond terms

**For companies with negative payment behavior, the average number of days beyond terms has increased from 5.1 days to 36.2 days

Oil and Gas Industry Snapshot:

**Oil and gas industry consists of approximately 22,000 companies with over 4.75 million employees

**Sixty oil and gas companies have filed for bankruptcy since 2014

**Bankruptcies in this sector are expected to sextuple in 2016 according to Deloitte

**Eleven oil and gas companies filed for bankruptcy in April 2016 with an accumulated debt of $14.9 billion

About The Creditsafe Group

The Creditsafe Group is the world's most used supplier of company business intelligence, with ten Creditsafe Group reports downloaded every second. Privately owned and independently minded, Creditsafe is looking to change the way business Information is used by providing high-quality data in an easy to use format that everyone in an organization can benefit from.

Founded in Norway in 1997, The Creditsafe Group has offices in countries all over the world including: the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States. Globally, Creditsafe employs over 1,200 people and has more than 90,000 subscription customers. Three years ago, the Creditsafe Group opened offices in the U.S. under the name Creditsafe USA. Its U.S. operations are headquartered in Allentown, Pa. with another facility in Phoenix, AZ. For more information, please visit www.creditsafe.com.

SOURCE Creditsafe USA

Related Links

http://www.creditsafe.com


Overall footprint expanding 38% to 47,000 sq ft

Starts development of new aerospace components

Delivers key military component for customer review

TSXV:OML

OTCQX:OLNCF

LOS ANGELES, CA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Omni-Lite Industries Canada Inc. (the "Company" or "Omni-Lite") is pleased to announce that it has signed five year leases for two buildings adjacent to the 34,000 square foot facility that it owns in the heart of the Aerospace Industry in Southern California. These additional buildings will increase the total area of the Omni-Lite facility to approximately 47,000 sq ft. "The Company has been looking to expand the facility for several years and the availability of these two adjacent buildings will enlarge the area actually utilized for manufacturing by about 76%. This will allow the Company to install seven new cold forging systems that have been purchased over the last several years. When the installation of this equipment is completed, the capacity of the facility will be approximately $30,000,000 US per year," stated David Grant, CEO. "These additional machines are critical to completing the rush military orders that the Company is currently manufacturing."

"Omni-Lite's multifaceted support of the aerospace industry is gaining traction as the Company continues to develop mission critical components utilized on most of the aircraft currently being manufactured. The Company has recently begun the development of two additional components that are utilized in the robotic assembly of modern composite aircraft," stated Allen Maxin, President.

The Company is also pleased to note that it has received the Notice of Allowance from the US Patent Office accepting 12 of the Company's claims for a new patent that is key to manufacturing increasingly complex components at Omni-Lite. The Company has made this significant and expensive modification to seven of the cold forging systems in the Los Angeles facility, including the sophisticated seven die system commissioned in October of 2015. Due to the extent of these changes, these modifications were completed in Japan, at the location of Omni-Lite's OEM supplier. Utilizing this technology the Company has recently delivered a key component to a US military customer.

Omni-Lite Industries Canada Inc. is a rapidly growing high technology company that develops and manufactures mission critical, precision components utilized by Fortune 500 companies including Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Embraer, Ford, Borg Warner, Chrysler, the U.S. Military, and Nike.

Except for historical information contained herein this document contains forward-looking statements. These statements contain known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results or outcomes to be materially different from those anticipated and discussed herein.

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 Omni-Lite Industries Canada Inc.

Related Links

http://www.omni-lite.com


TORONTO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK), the leader in online lending for small business, announced today an expansion of its offerings for small business in Canada to include a line of credit up to CAD$50,000 and an expanded term loan up to CAD$250,000 to help meet the growing needs of the country's 1.1 million small businesses.

New OnDeck Line of Credit: CAD$10,000 to CAD$50,000 in flexible cash

Beginning immediately, Canadian small businesses that have annual revenue of at least CAD$100,000 and have been in business for at least one year can apply for a line of credit from OnDeck from CAD$10,000 to CAD$50,000.

OnDeck's new line of credit offers eligible Canadian small businesses access to capital when they need it, whether to manage cash flow or to be prepared for unexpected opportunities. The line of credit can be drawn upon at any time and has all the benefits of a credit card but can be used for expenses where a card won't work, such as making payroll.

Expanded Term Loan: CAD$5,000 to CAD$250,000 (up from CAD$150,000) over 6 to 24 months

OnDeck's term loans enable eligible Canadian small businesses to access capital from CAD$5,000 to CAD$250,000 (up from CAD$150,000) with loan repayment terms of 6 to 24 months.

Since OnDeck entered Canada in 2014, the company has delivered more than CAD$50 million in financing to Canadian small businesses.

"Small business owners need financing at every stage of their business' lifecycle, whether to take advantage of growth opportunities like buying inventory, investing in major equipment purchases, or managing cash flow," said Gary Fearnall, country manager, OnDeck Canada. "The new OnDeck Line of Credit  along with the expanded Term Loan  will provide Canada's small businesses the growth capital they need in as little as 24 hours. That type of speed and service is exactly what small businesses need to grow in today's economy."

Tom Collver and Kyle Dutka are the owners of pb+j, an integrated digital and design agency, based in Toronto, Ontario. When Tom and Kyle went looking for additional capital to grow their business faster through new hires and marketing initiatives, they chose an OnDeck term loan.

"We were amazed at how quickly and smoothly the loan application process at OnDeck went for us," said Tom Collver, co-owner pb+j. "Thanks to financing from OnDeck, we were able to hire new employees and boost our marketing efforts, ultimately doubling our revenue. They have been true partners in helping us grow our business and we are now on our third round of financing with OnDeck."

Since 2007, OnDeck has harnessed its proprietary technology, including the OnDeck Score, to assess the health and outlook of a business in real-time and deliver streamlined capital access to the largely underserved small business community. As a result, the company has delivered more than $4 billion to small businesses in the United States, Canada and Australia.

To learn more about OnDeck and its lending options for Canadian small businesses, visit www.ondeck.com/canada.

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.

Media Contact:

Miranda Eifler

OnDeck

[email protected]

(917) 677-7112

Investor Relations:

Kathryn Miller

OnDeck

929-237-7861

[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150812/257781LOGO

SOURCE On Deck Capital, Inc.
VANCOUVER, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Orex Minerals Inc.  (TSX-V: REX) ("Orex"), is pleased to announce that the Phase-II diamond drilling program continues to intercept silver mineralization on the Sandra Escobar Project in Durango, Mexico. Assays for eight more drill holes are now available. These include holes SA-16-023 to SA-16-030 in the southeastern region of the project. The Sandra Escobar Project is being advanced by Orex under an option agreement with Canasil Resources Inc.  (TSX.V: CLZ) ("Canasil").

Highlight for this batch of holes is SA-16-023, which yielded 46 metres core length (40.5 m true thickness) grading 218 g/t silver, starting 25 metres vertically below surface. Within this is a sub-interval of 4 metres (3.5 m true thickness) grading 820 g/t silver.

Six of the eight holes, SA-16-023 to 027 and SA-16-030, are in the Main Zone. Hole SA-16-030 seems to mark the eastern boundary of the Main Zone.

In addition, prospecting has identified the geological horizon for disseminated silver mineralization on a separate hillside, Cerro Chato, northwest of the Main Zone. Two holes, SA-16-028 and 029, are test reconnaissance holes in the Cerro Chato Zone. These holes have confirmed that Cerro Chato is a favourable target area. More mapping and drilling is being planned for several zones, including Cerro Chato, in the next phase.

Orex's President, Gary Cope says, "Drilling continues to yield thick intercepts of disseminated silver mineralization showing continuity in the Main Zone. Identification of silver on Cerro Chato and in several other areas bodes well for the next phase of exploration."

Sandra Escobar Project  2015-2016 Diamond Drilling Program  Holes 23 to 30 Hole From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) True Thick. (m) Ag (g/t) FA











MAIN ZONE











SA-16-023 44.00 90.00 46.00 40.50 218 Includes 52.00 86.00 34.00 29.93 270 Includes 55.00 59.00 4.00 3.52 820 Includes 56.00 57.00 1.00 0.88 1,966











SA-16-024 23.00 68.00 45.00 38.50 143 Includes 32.00 48.00 16.00 13.69 202 Includes 32.00 35.00 3.00 2.57 384 Includes 33.00 34.00 1.00 0.86 719











SA-16-025 37.00 57.00 20.00 19.00 133 Includes 39.00 47.00 8.00 7.60 247 Includes 45.00 47.00 2.00 1.90 503 Includes 45.00 46.00 1.00 0.95 673











SA-16-026 9.00 58.00 49.00 34.65 46 Includes 25.00 44.00 19.00 13.44 61 Includes 35.00 42.00 7.00 4.95 84 Includes 35.00 36.00 1.00 0.71 255











SA-16-027 12.00 43.00 31.00 28.54 73 Includes 15.00 31.00 16.00 14.73 88 Includes 19.00 24.00 5.00 4.60 117 Includes 22.00 23.00 1.00 0.92 142











SA-16-030 3.00 6.00 3.00 2.12 51 Includes 4.00 5.00 1.00 0.71 93











CERRO CHATO ZONE











SA-16-028 10.00 46.00 36.00 25.46 39 Includes 39.00 44.00 5.00 3.54 119 Includes 41.00 43.00 2.00 1.41 179 Includes 42.00 43.00 1.00 0.71 238











SA-16-029 1.00 31.00 30.00 22.98 32 Includes 17.00 31.00 14.00 10.72 36 Includes 29.00 31.00 2.00 1.53 86 Includes 30.00 31.00 1.00 0.77 123













Kluane Drilling Ltd. provides the drilling services utilizing an environmentally low-impact KD-1000 man-portable diamond drill rig.

Silver mineralization is hosted on the north side of a rhyolite volcanic dome. An altered and highly permeable volcaniclastic unit contains disseminations of silver bearing minerals and broadly spaced stockwork veinlets. The current working model has a porphyritic rhyolite unit as an impermeable cap, which may have focused mineralizing fluids into the host permeable volcaniclastic unit.

True thicknesses are estimated based on structural and stratigraphic interpretations. A map showing the locations of the drill holes and sample cross sections are available on the Orex website.

Orex maintains a QA/QC sampling protocol for the diamond drilling program, including the insertion of commercial analytical standards and blank samples. Analytical testing is performed by SGS Mineral Services and Bureau Veritas. Silver values are determined by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Multi-element analyses are also determined using a 4-acid digestion and ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry).

Sandra Escobar Silver-Gold Project, Durango, Mexico

Sandra Escobar is situated north of the town of Tepehuanes, Durango, in the heart of the "Mexican Silver Trend", midway between the mining districts of Tovar and Guanacevi and is 75 km west of Silver Standard's La Pitarrilla. This prolific trend hosts some of the world's largest silver camps and deposits, including Fresnillo, Guanajuato, La Pitarrilla, La Preciosa, Real de Angeles and Zacatecas.

The project consists of 6,976 hectares of mineral concessions and covers multiple mineralized epithermal quartz veins and breccia structures. These veins form a high level silver-gold-base metals system, hosted in andesitic and rhyolitic rocks, centered on a large rhyolite dome complex in the north and silver systems in smaller rhyolite dome complexes to the southeast. Intense alteration zones and fluid flooding in permeable formations indicates the presence of bulk tonnage targets. Excellent infrastructure exists in the Sandra Escobar area, including paved road access, electrical power, water and manpower from nearby communities.

Dale Brittliffe, P.Geo., and Ben Whiting, P.Geo., are Qualified Persons, as defined in NI 43-101, and take responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release.

ABOUT OREX MINERALS INC.

Orex is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Orex has several current projects: the Coneto Gold-Silver Project in Durango, Mexico, a joint venture with Fresnillo PLC, the Jumping Josephine Gold-Silver Project in British Columbia, Canada, plus this newest Sandra Escobar Silver Project in Durango, Mexico, with Canasil Resources Inc.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gary Cope

President

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 and Orex undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

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.

SOURCE Orex Minerals Inc.

Related Links

www.orexminerals.com


TORONTO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Audiobooks.com Publishing today announced the audiobook release of "The Other End of the Leash" by Patricia McConnell, PhD. Originally published in print in 2002, the publisher is proud to bring this seminal work into audio for the first time.

Equal parts accessible science and memoir, the book takes an in-depth look at interactions and relationships between dogs and their humans. A Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, McConnell expertly examines the differences in how humans and dogs interpret the same behaviors and breaks down why some traditional training methods are ineffective and confusingand sometimes, damaging. Listeners will fall in love with McConnell's clan and clients as she uses both science and anecdotes to offer valuable insight into the mind of a dog, addressing topics like social hierarchy, the complicated nature of verbal commands, and the realities of experiencing the world through scent.

The audiobook is voiced by veteran narrator Ellen Archer, who previously won an Audie Award for narrating McConnell's first audiobook, "For the Love of a Dog" in 2007. She has previously received Audie Award nominations for her narration of "The Penny" in 2008 and Emma Donoghue's "Room" in 2011, and has narrated over 75 audiobooks in her career. "I'm thrilled to have my work read by Ellen Archer again. Her warmth and compassion for both people and dogs shines throughout the audio book," says McConnell.

The book will be available immediately for digital download and streaming through Audiobooks.com here and soon to follow on other major audiobook retailers and library distributors. It will be available on compact disk through Blackstone, Dogwise.com, and PatriciaMcConnell.com later this summer. To make sure the audiobook experience is fully complete, listeners will be able to access the references and photographs included in the print and eBook versions by visiting McConnell's website at http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/oel.

About Audiobooks.com Publishing: Audiobooks.com Publishing is an audiobook publisher dedicated to bringing entertaining and captivating stories to life though the power of voice. The company has created a library of compelling content including best-sellers across multiple genres, with a focus on non-fiction, memoirs, and technology titles. Audiobooks.com Publishing recordings are available on both compact disc and digital formats through library and retail channels including all major audiobook retailers and distributors.

SOURCE Audiobooks.com Publishing

Related Links

http://www.audiobooks.com


Now offering more than 15 make-at-home meal kit solutions, Peapod first launched kits featuring its own brands and in collaboration with Barilla Pasta in late 2014. "Customer response to the first kits we've introduced has been phenomenal," said Tony Stallone, Vice President of Merchandising for Peapod. "For more than 27 years Peapod has been about helping solve mealtime for families. This is the perfect extension of our expertise in food delivery, made even more exciting by our ability to work with some of the best food brands in the world to bring it to life."

In addition to delivering traditional grocery store needs - everything from bread, butter and milk to laundry detergent  Peapod's meal kits present a great option for busy families. All Peapod meal kits include easy recipes to cook at home and feature all the pre-measured, pre-cut, and pre-washed ingredients. Offered at reasonable prices - many are less than $5 per serving - the kits may be ordered as often or little as desired, no subscription required, and the sizes are family-friendly with 4-6 servings. Peapod refreshes the kit selection throughout the year to reflect seasonal eating habits and incorporate fresh produce.

"While the desire by families to put quality meals on the table hasn't changed over the years, the way they do it has changed dramatically in the past several years. While shoppers are accustomed to seeing our products on their grocery shelf, we're excited to put a new spin on their favorite brands and deliver them straight to their door in time for dinner by working with Peapod,"said Cheryl Bersin, Emerging Technologies and eCommerce Manager of ConAgra Foods.

"We know people's lives are busier than ever and getting a simple and delicious meal on the table isn't always easy. We are excited about our partnership with Peapod and pleased to offer meal kits for all families. With recognizable ingredients, these dishes are simple to make and are sure to be a crowd pleaser," said Scott Iovine, Director of E-Commerce at Campbell Soup Company.

For more information, please visit Peapod.com, or download the free Peapod App.

About Peapod

Peapod  an Ahold USA company  is the country's leading Internet grocer, serving 24 U.S. markets throughout Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin. Founded in 1989 as a smart shopping option for busy households, today Peapod has delivered more than 34 million grocery orders. Customers can order online or on Peapod's free mobile app for delivery to homes and workplaces or pick-up at many convenient locations. For more information on Peapod, call 1.800.5.PEAPOD (1.800.573.2763), e-mail [email protected] or visit www.peapod.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371057

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150916/267226LOGO

SOURCE Peapod

Related Links

http://www.peapod.com


DALLAS, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pollo Campero, Latin America's largest chicken restaurant chain, celebrated its 45th anniversary on April 27th with new United States restaurant openings in Charlotte, North Carolina and Bronx, New York, as well as one new unit in Quito, Ecuador. Pollo Campero also reported a 9.6 percent same-store sales growth for the month of April, despite the industry's slight decline in same-store sales, according to Nation's Restaurant News. Campero first opened its doors in Guatemala in 1971 as a small, family-owned restaurant and has since grown to more than 350 restaurants worldwide.

The two new restaurant openings in New York and North Carolina mark the fourth and fifth openings for Pollo Campero in 2016. The openings are part of the brand's plan to double its U.S. system in the next three years. "We have come a long way since 1971, and we celebrated this special month by growing our family with new restaurant openings," said Tim Pulido, President and CEO of Pollo Campero International. "It's been 45 years since we opened our first restaurant, but the same passion, dedication and care we put into each of our recipes are still present. Preserving these core values, as well as our original flavors, are what have made Pollo Campero so successful."

As noted above, Campero reported 9.6 percent in comparable sales growth for the month of April in the U.S., helping the brand grow in both sales and in units. A key driver of this growth continues to be the brand's millennial consumer base, which is attracted to Pollo Campero's unique Latin roots. To sustain the brand's sales momentum, Campero is looking at technology to improve convenience at its restaurants  its new mobile app and online ordering test aim to simplify and expedite ordering.

About Pollo Campero

Pollo Campero is a Latin QSR+ concept that focuses on fresh and authentic hand-breaded and citrus grilled chicken recipes. The brand started in Guatemala in 1971 as a tiny, family-owned restaurant and has expanded to more than 350 restaurants worldwide, including 62 in the U.S. With bold and exciting Latin-inspired menu items, Campero has become a favorite for those looking for unique flavors, such as Millennials. Today, as Pollo Campero marks its 45th anniversary, its focus on quality, and its mission to stay true to its Latin roots remain the same. At the heart of that commitment: the promise to use fresh, never frozen, hormone-free chicken paired with traditional Latin sides, drinks and desserts in a vibrant atmosphere.

For franchise information, or to learn more about Pollo Campero, visit Campero.com. Follow the flavor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CamperoUSA.

SOURCE Pollo Campero

Related Links

http://www.campero.com


LOS ANGELES, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Luz Padilla, director of DoubleLine Capital's Emerging Markets Fixed Income team, today will hold a webcast for the DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income Fund (DBLEX/DLENX). The webcast is titled "Emerging Market and the Three C's."

Ms. Padilla will start the webcast at 4:15 pm Eastern/1:15 pm Pacific today (Tuesday May 24). To register for the webcast, please click here:

https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1085527

For information on portfolio characteristics and other information about the DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income Fund, please click here:

http://www.doublelinefunds.com/funds/emerging_markets/statistics.html

Share Class Information

DBLEX (I shares): Minimum initial investment is $100,000 for regular accounts and $5,000 for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). There is no annual 12b-1 fee.

DLENX (N shares): Minimum initial investment is $2,000 for regular accounts and $500 for IRAs. There is an annual 12b-1 fee of 0.25%.

About DoubleLine Capital LP

DoubleLine Capital LP, a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, acts as the investment adviser for the funds. DoubleLine and its affiliates managed approximately $95 billion in assets held in closed- and open-end 1940 Act fund, separate account, hedge fund, variable annuity and UCIT vehicles as of the March 31 end of the first quarter of 2016. DoubleLine's offices in Los Angeles can be reached by telephone at (213) 633-8200 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Media can reach DoubleLine by e-mail at [email protected]. DoubleLine is a registered trademark of DoubleLine Capital LP.

Disclosures:

The funds' investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory and summary prospectus contains this and other important information about the fund and may be obtained by calling 1 (877) 354-6311 / 1 (877) DLINE11 or visiting www.doublelinefunds.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Mutual fund investing involves risk; Principal loss is possible.

The DoubleLine Funds are distributed by Quasar Distributors, LLC.

SOURCE DoubleLine

Related Links

http://www.doubleline.com


May 23, 2016 | 07:37 pm PT

U.S. President Barack Obama attends a press conference at the International Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, 23 May 2016. Photo by Reuters/Luong Thai Linh

The historic decision made by the U.S. to fully lift its arms sales ban on Vietnam on May 23 has drawn special attention from the world, with China and Russia some of the first to comment.

As a neighbor of Vietnam, China is happy to see Vietnam develop normal relations with all countries, including the U.S. We hope this will be conducive to regional peace, stability and development, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday.

The U.S. lifting of the embargo on Vietnam will not affect the supplies of Russian armaments to the Southeast Asian country, deputy head of Russias Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Anatoly Punchuk told Russian news agency Tass on Monday.

"Our relations with Vietnam are of a strategic character and their further development will depend on the leadership of Vietnam. I do not think that this (lifting of the embargo) will affect the export of Russian weapons," Punchuk said.

Vietnam is one of the key importers of Russian weapons. The country purchases a broad range of Russian armaments, including Gepard-3.9 frigates and submarines under Project 636 (known as Varshavyanka). Vietnam also builds Molnia-class missile boats (project 12418) under a Russian license, according to Tass.
Hosted by Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Georgia, the museum-style displays document a side of psychiatry's past-and present-that is rarely seen. Historical and contemporary footage, including interviews with over 150 experts and survivors, cover the brutal psychiatric treatments of the past and trace its history through the labels and drugs used today.

Georgia State Senator Donzella James, officiating the ribbon cutting, told attendees, "Don't take my word for it. I'm here today to help open up this [exhibit] so that you can come and see for yourself, and know what psychiatry is doing."

Deb MacKay, regional coordinator for CCHR, said that plans for the exhibit were already in place when Atlantans received news Friday of psychiatrist Narendra Nagareddy, nicknamed "Dr. Death," after 36 of his patients died while he was prescribing them controlled substances. "Dr. Death is just a footnote in a long history of medical abuse," said MacKay, "That's 'business as usual' for many in this profession." MacKay was standing near an exhibit panel titled "Psychiatric Criminality" that informs visitors to the exhibit that psychiatrists and psychologists have an inordinately high number of criminal convictions as compared to other sectors of the health care profession.

The exhibit presents solid facts and figures that document such human rights abuses as psychiatry's "using 'science' to promote racism" and "labeling and over-drugging children." A section is devoted to electroshock, presenting the brutal facts that led to a demonstration in downtown Atlanta last weekend, where hundreds of participants representing CCHR, the Nation of Islam, the NAACP and Concerned Black Clergy protested the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting. These groups gathered to denounce the APA's request to the FDA to allow electroshock on children and teens.

Those protesting the APA's action claim this is just another example of psychiatry justifying the lack of science in their so-called treatments by labeling these children and teens "treatment resistant." With eight million children in the U.S. already on psychotropic drugs and a growing awareness of the harm and inefficacy of these drugs, protesters fear this new "treatment resistant" label would be applied to thousands of children to justify electroshocking them.

At a press conference following the march, one survivor of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) said he received "30 rounds of electroshock" in one year at age 21. He described how he has no memory of his high school years and broke into tears while recounting "sitting there, and my father having to teach me how to tie my shoes again."

"This is unconscionable to even consider doing this to a child," said Dr. Linda Lagemann, a clinical psychologist who retired after 23 years in practice. "Someone's getting rich and someone's getting hurt. This really must be stopped."

Senator James intends to add Georgia to the growing list of states to enact protections against ECT for minors. The senator recently called for legislation to ban the use of ECT on children. She said Georgia's provisions to protect children and others from ECT are grossly insufficient and cited a World Health Organization recommendation to governments that: "There are no indications for the use of ECT on minors, and hence this should be prohibited through legislation."

At the exhibit, Georgians can show their support for Senator James' legislation by signing a petition for the ban of ECT on children.

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights makes their exhibit available to the public free of charge. It will run 11 am to 7 pm daily through Sunday, May 29, at Piedmont Park Greystone, 400 Park Dr NE. The exhibit has toured more than 441 major cities in the U.S. and around the world and has educated some 800,000 people on the barbaric history and equally brutal contemporary practices of psychiatry.

CCHR is a nonprofit, non-political mental health watchdog, established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz. CCHR's mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and see to patient and consumer protections. CCHR has helped enact more than 150 laws protecting individuals from abusive or coercive mental health practices.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Georgia

Related Links

http://www.cchr.org


WASHINGTON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ahead of the mark-up of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), Main Street Bondholders member Carlos Ponce de Leon, a resident of Puerto Rico, urges Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi to protect Puerto Rico's credibility and Constitution, and oppose the bill.

"In Washington, thousands of miles away from my home in San Juan, Congress is debating a bill that threatens my wellbeing and my retirement," said Carlos Ponce de Leon, a retired electrical engineer and current small business owner. "It is clear that Congress needs to help the Puerto Rican Government reform its broken policies, but PROMESA is a false choice that hurts the retirement savings of thousands of Puerto Ricans like me to pay for the government's irresponsible actions. PROMESA will only encourage the Puerto Rican government to default, and damage Puerto Rico's good name. It also fails to uphold the Constitution of Puerto Rico. Resident Commissioner Pierluisi knows that PROMESA is a false promise, and he should oppose the bill."

The current version of PROMESA does not clearly establish the prioritization and protections that should be in place for holders of Puerto Rican government bonds and could result in the Obama Administration-appointed Oversight Board prioritizing Puerto Rico's more than $46 billion in pension liabilities over government obligation bondholders.

"In finding a solution for the Puerto Rican debt crisis, Congress must ensure legislation explicitly protects the seniors and retirees throughout the United States who entrusted the Puerto Rican government with their hard-earned savings," said Vice President of the 60 Plus Association Matthew Kandrach. "The current form of PROMESA does not establish sufficient protections."

Main Street Bondholders Coalition is a project of the 60 Plus Association, and is comprised of small bondholders from across America who are committed to a policy process that returns Puerto Rico to sound financial management, respect for the rule of law, and the protection of their retirement savings.

SOURCE Main Street Bondholders
NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Puget Sound Energy, Inc. ("PSE") announced today that as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 23, 2016 (the "Consent Date"), PSE has received consents from the holders of a majority in principal amount of PSE's 6.274% Senior Notes due March 15, 2037 (the "Covered Notes") to terminate the Replacement Capital Covenant dated June 4, 2007 and the Company's obligations thereunder (the "Replacement Capital Covenant") that was granted by PSE in favor of the holders of the Covered Notes.

Under the terms of the Consent Solicitation as set forth in the Solicitation Documents, consummation of the Consent Solicitation, including payment of the relevant consent payment, is conditioned upon a number of items described in more detail in the Solicitation Documents, including, but not limited to, the receipt of consents from holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of PSE's 6.974% Series A Enhanced Junior Subordinated Notes due June 1, 2067 (the "Junior Subordinated Note Consents"). To the extent any of those conditions were not satisfied or waived as of the expiration date set forth in the Solicitation Documents, the Consent Solicitation would either expire by its terms or be terminated by the Company and the holders of the Covered Notes who validly delivered their consents would not be entitled to receive the relevant consent payment.

As of 5:00 p.m. on May 23, 2016, the condition requiring receipt of the Junior Subordinated Consents had not been satisfied.

Therefore, PSE is extending the expiration time for the Consent Solicitation to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on June 7, 2016 (such time and date, as the same may be extended or earlier terminated, the "Expiration Time") solely for the purpose of providing additional time for the other conditions of the Consent Solicitation to be satisfied, including obtaining the requisite Junior Subordinated Note Consents.

All references to the "Expiration Time" in the Solicitation Documents shall be deemed to refer to June 7, 2016 (as the same may be extended or earlier terminated) and all other terms of the Consent Solicitation as set forth in the Solicitation Documents, including but not limited to the Consent Date, shall remain in full force and effect as stated therein.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION OF CONSENTS.

THE CONSENT SOLICITATION IS BEING MADE ONLY PURSUANT TO THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS. HOLDERS OF THE COVERED NOTES SHOULD READ CAREFULLY THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE CONSENT SOLICITATION, BECAUSE THOSE DOCUMENTS CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS TERMS OF, AND CONDITIONS TO, THE CONSENT SOLICITATION.

Certain statements contained in this release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. There are several factors that could affect what PSE intends or anticipates happening. More information about these factors is included in Puget Energy's and PSE's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in their other public filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Puget Energy and PSE undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Puget Sound Energy, Inc.
"Directed energy has the potential to redefine military technology beyond missiles and our pulse power modules and containers will provide the tremendous amount of energy required to power applications like the Navy Railgun," said Colin Whelan, vice president of Advanced Technology for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business. "Raytheon's engineering and manufacturing expertise uniquely position us to support next generation weapon systems to meet the ever-evolving threat."

Raytheon's pulse power container design is the result of work stemming from an initial $10 million contract with Naval Sea Systems Command to develop a pulsed power system, which will enable land or sea-based projectiles to reach great distances without the use of an explosive charge or rocket motor. Raytheon is one of three contractors developing a PPC design for the U.S. Navy.

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, C5ITM 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 Contact

Ian Davis

+1.978-858-4135

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160522/370629

SOURCE Raytheon Company

Related Links

http://www.raytheon.com


Mr. Yi brings over 14 years of extensive real estate investment knowledge and experience spanning all major sectors. He is particularly adept in the acquisition, financing, and structuring of investments in hotels, office, multi-family, and mixed-use properties. The breadth of Mr. Yi's expertise has developed through various leadership roles, in which he spearheaded over $5 billion worth of real estate transactions, including over $2 billion in the lodging sector. Mr. Yi's extensive real estate finance background includes bridge, permanent and construction financing, including EB-5 financing in excess of $300 million in four development projects.

Prior to joining RHG, Mr. Yi was a managing director of a luxury residential developer in NYC and prior to that the Vice President of Investments and General Counsel for a prominent real estate and hotel developer.

Mr. Yi received his undergraduate degree from Binghamton University - State University of New York and his juris doctorate from Brooklyn Law School. He brings a comprehensive legal background, which includes several years of service as the General Counsel for a prominent New York-based real estate group. He is an active member of the New York State Bar Association, and has served on multiple boards for various business associations. Mr. Yi currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Asian Real Estate Association of America Manhattan Chapter, and is the founding member of its Commercial Division.

About Real Hospitality Group:

Real Hospitality Group (RHG) is headquartered in Ocean City, MD with a regional office in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The Real Hospitality Group portfolio includes 72 hotel properties with an inventory of more than 9,052 rooms in gateway cities that include New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, and locations in Syracuse, Newark, Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, DE, Montauk, New York, and Ocean City, MD. The company is a recognized service provider for Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt, Wyndham, IHG, and the Choice Hotels brands, as well as established diverse collection of independent and lifestyle hotels. RHG focuses on total service property management, revenue performance, guest experience and business development for investors in the lodging sector. For more information, please visit the company website at www.realhospitalitygroup.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371435

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140826/139630

SOURCE Real Hospitality Group

Related Links

http://www.realhospitalitygroup.com


NEW ORLEANS, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), the nation's second largest premium wine and spirits distributor, issued the following statement today in response to the action taken by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

"RNDC is extremely disappointed to learn that the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland has chosen to take this action," stated Tom Cole, President and CEO of RNDC. "We have worked diligently with the U.S. Attorney's office since first learning about the investigation in 2012, and have seen no evidence to support their version of the facts. RNDC emphatically denies these allegations and looks forward to our day in court where we will demonstrate that the prosecutors' accusations are based on erroneous assumptions, unsubstantiated theories, and represent an unprecedented attempt at federal government overreach."

"In addition to not being supported by facts, today's action is a rogue effort by a federal agency to seize control of the state regulation of liquor sales in violation of longstanding law.1 The wholesale distribution of beverage alcohol in the U.S. is the most effective and efficient system of adult beverage distribution in the world today, ensuring product integrity and safety, sales to only licensed retailers, and an effective method of tax collection for local, state and federal authorities," Cole added.

RNDC is founded on the core values of accountability, honesty, customer focus, professionalism and family. These values are reflected in the Company's longstanding commitment to ethical and operational integrity and adherence to its strong compliance programs.

"With over 100 years of exemplary business on our side, we expect complete exoneration," stated Cole.

About Republic National Distributing Company

Republic National Distributing Company, LLC is one of the oldest family-owned beverage alcohol distributors in America, with its roots dating back to 1898. RNDC is the second largest wholesale distributor in the United States and employs over 10,000 men and women in twenty-two states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit www.rndc-usa.com.

Media Contact

Peter Duda

212.445.8213

[email protected]

1The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution gives the individual states the right and authority to regulate the sale of alcohol within their borders. The U.S. Attorney of Maryland's charges are in direct conflict with the 21st Amendment.

SOURCE Republic National Distributing Company, LLC

Related Links

http://www.rndc-usa.com


Over the past eight months, Rethink Robotics inked 10 strategic agreements in seven countries to deliver its smart, collaborative robots to the international manufacturing community, including partnerships with Shanghai Electric in China, Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Japan, Freise Automation, HAHN Robotics in Germany, Humarobotics in France, Interlatin in Mexico and Innovative-IDM in Texas.

"The demand for Baxter and Sawyer is growing in the U.S. and around the world, and, as a result, we've strategically partnered with industry-leading companies from across the globe to help meet the demand and deliver our smart, collaborative robots to manufacturers," said Jason Barton, chief revenue officer at Rethink Robotics. "Bringing all of our strategic partners together for the first time is an exciting opportunity to gain even more regional insight into the collaborative robotics market and align on channel strategies for the coming year."

The two-day global distributors meeting will include a preview of Rethink's coming innovations in the collaborative robot hardware and software market, roundtables on regional trends and discussions on how the collaborative robotics market will evolve. This will include conversation around government initiatives like Industrie 4.0 in Germany and Made in China 2025, both of which are causing spikes in demand for robots that can adapt to real world variability, change applications quickly and perform tasks like people do.

Video from the Global Channel Partner Summit will be made available in the coming weeks.

For more information, please visit www.rethinkrobotics.com.

About Rethink Robotics

Rethink Robotics is transforming the way manufacturing gets done, with smart, collaborative robots able to automate the 90 percent of tasks that until now, have been beyond the reach of traditional automation. Its Baxter and Sawyer robots, powered by the Intera software platform, adapt to real-world variability, can change applications quickly and perform tasks like people do. The result: manufacturers of all shapes, sizes and industries get the fast-to-deploy, easy-to-use and versatile automation solution they need to increase flexibility, lower cost and accelerate innovation.

Based in Boston, the Rethink product suite is available in Asia, Europe and North America. The company is funded by Bezos Expeditions, CRV, Highland Capital Partners, Sigma Partners, DFJ, Two Sigma Ventures, GE Ventures and Goldman Sachs. For more information about Rethink Robotics, please visit www.rethinkrobotics.com and follow us on Twitter @RethinkRobotics.

Contact:

For more information, contact Gil Haylon.

[email protected]

617-969-9192

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140423/77847

SOURCE Rethink Robotics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.rethinkrobotics.com


LONDON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS.A)(NYSE: RDS.B) announces the poll results on the resolutions at its Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday May 24, 2016 at the Circustheater, Circusstraat 4, 2586 CW The Hague, The Netherlands. Resolutions 1-18 were carried and resolution 19 (Shareholder resolution) was not carried.

In accordance with the Listing Rules, a copy of all resolutions other than resolutions concerning ordinary business at the Annual General Meeting will be submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will be available for inspection at: http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm

VOTES VOTES RESOLUTION FOR % AGAINST % 1 Receipt of Annual Report & Accounts 4,188,410,385 99.01 42,011,391 0.99 2 Approval of Directors' Remuneration Report 3,469,740,309 85.83 573,049,761 14.17 3 Reappointment of Ben van Beurden 4,169,535,220 99.58 17,773,835 0.42 4 Reappointment of Guy Elliott 4,169,238,247 99.58 17,757,831 0.42 5 Reappointment of Euleen Goh 4,144,782,811 98.99 42,202,382 1.01 6 Reappointment of Simon Henry 4,150,789,272 99.31 28,984,388 0.69 7 Reappointment of Charles O. Holliday 4,126,618,069 98.56 60,386,265 1.44 8 Reappointment of Gerard Kleisterlee 3,856,989,347 93.35 274,768,733 6.65 9 Reappointment of Sir Nigel Sheinwald 4,168,128,173 99.55 18,837,848 0.45 10 Reappointment of Linda G. Stuntz 4,169,243,593 99.58 17,778,861 0.42 11 Reappointment of Hans Wijers 4,159,707,300 99.35 27,239,919 0.65 12 Reappointment of Patricia A. Woertz 4,131,694,697 98.68 55,406,603 1.32 13 Reappointment of Gerrit Zalm 4,128,694,388 99.25 31,326,980 0.75 14 Reappointment of Auditor 3,904,174,125 92.47 317,935,471 7.53 15 Remuneration of Auditor 4,223,122,293 99.84 6,604,220 0.16 16 Authority to allot shares 4,147,107,132 98.14 78,673,410 1.86 17 Disapplication of pre-emption rights* 4,186,534,360 99.12 37,159,884 0.88 18 Authority to purchase own shares* 4,172,119,936 98.69 55,196,293 1.31 19 Shareholder resolution* 114,074,036 2.78 3,995,029,228 97.22

(table continued below)

VOTES % of ISC VOTES RESOLUTION TOTAL VOTED WITHHELD 1 Receipt of Annual Report & Accounts 4,230,421,776 52.74% 3,829,452 2 Approval of Directors' Remuneration Report 4,042,790,070 50.40% 191,483,188 3 Reappointment of Ben van Beurden 4,187,309,055 52.21% 46,830,273 4 Reappointment of Guy Elliott 4,186,996,078 52.20% 47,176,217 5 Reappointment of Euleen Goh 4,186,985,193 52.20% 47,141,463 6 Reappointment of Simon Henry 4,179,773,660 52.11% 54,401,060 7 Reappointment of Charles O. Holliday 4,187,004,334 52.20% 47,124,702 8 Reappointment of Gerard Kleisterlee 4,131,758,080 51.51% 102,352,440 9 Reappointment of Sir Nigel Sheinwald 4,186,966,021 52.20% 47,201,661 10 Reappointment of Linda G. Stuntz 4,187,022,454 52.20% 47,085,815 11 Reappointment of Hans Wijers 4,186,947,219 52.20% 47,145,407 12 Reappointment of Patricia A. Woertz 4,187,101,300 52.20% 46,997,258 13 Reappointment of Gerrit Zalm 4,160,021,368 51.87% 74,034,558 14 Reappointment of Auditor 4,222,109,596 52.64% 12,124,129 15 Remuneration of Auditor 4,229,726,513 52.73% 4,482,033 16 Authority to allot shares 4,225,780,542 52.69% 8,381,624 17 Disapplication of pre-emption rights* 4,223,694,244 52.66% 10,430,864 18 Authority to purchase own shares* 4,227,316,229 52.70% 6,873,769 19 Shareholder resolution* 4,109,103,264 51.23% 124,675,299

* Special resolution

Please note that a 'vote withheld' is not a vote under English Law and is not counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes 'for' and 'against' a resolution.

May 24, 2016

Mark Edwards

Deputy Company Secretary

Royal Dutch Shell plc



ENQUIRIES



Media Relations

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SOURCE Royal Dutch Shell plc
NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sadis & Goldberg LLP is proud to announce the election of Yelena Maltser as a partner of the firm effective May 15. A member of the firm's Financial Services and Corporate Groups, Ms. Maltser practice focuses on the structuring, formation, capital raising and regulatory compliance of U.S. and non-U.S. private investment vehicles.

"We are extremely proud to welcome Yelena to the partnership," said Ron Geffner, who is a member of the firm's Executive Committee and also oversees the Financial Services Group at Sadis & Goldberg. "She is a gifted attorney who has earned the respect of her colleagues and clients alike, in addition to being an exemplary member of the firm."

Ms. Maltser regularly counsels clients on structuring and forming U.S. and non-U.S. private investment vehicles (including hedge funds, private equity funds, hybrid funds, funds with non-traditional asset classes, real estate funds, venture capital funds, funds-of-funds, commodity pools, as well as managed accounts). She also advises clients on structuring the management entities to such funds. Ms. Maltser regularly prepares offering and organizational documents for investment funds; negotiates side letter agreements, seed capital agreements, joint venture agreements and compensation arrangements; reviews marketing materials; and provides ongoing advice to existing investment vehicles and management entities. In addition, Ms. Maltser counsels investment managers on registration and ongoing regulatory compliance issues.

Prior to joining Sadis & Goldberg, Ms. Maltser was an associate in the corporate groups of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP and Clifford Chance US LLP, where she worked on a variety of general corporate matters. She earned her J.D. from the New York University of Law and her B.S., summa cum laude, from the New York University Stern School of Business. Ms. Maltser is admitted to practice in New York.

About Sadis & Goldberg LLP:

Sadis & Goldberg is a leading New York based law firm with practices in hedge, private equity, venture capital, real estate and commodity fund formation, family office, transactional counseling, compliance services, regulatory representation, litigation, derivatives, tax, ERISA, estate planning and real estate.

SOURCE Sadis & Goldberg

Related Links

http://www.sglawyers.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today announced that Simon Mulcahy, Interim CMO and SVP, Salesforce Industries, Financial Services, will participate in an Evercore ISI hosted investor meeting on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 6:30 a.m. (PT) / 9:30 a.m. (ET).

An audiocast will be available on Salesforce's website at www.salesforce.com/investor.

About Salesforce

Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information about Salesforce, visit: www.salesforce.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130612/SF30598LOGO

SOURCE Salesforce

Related Links

http://www.salesforce.com


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A farmer burns his dried-up rice on a paddy field stricken by drought in Soc Trang province in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam March 30, 2016. Photo by Reuters/Kham

With severe drought and extensive saltwater intrusion continuing to decimate parts of Vietnam, the Japanese government has announced an aid package of $2.5 million to help the country in its fight against this historic natural disaster.

The Japanese government will provide the aid through the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund.

The direct assistance will help Vietnam combat the worst drought and salinity in almost a century, which have cost the Southeast Asian country about VND6.4 trillion ($287 million) in the first four months of this year, according to Vietnam's General Statistics Office.

The package will be mainly used to provide clean water and food aid in affected areas.

According to a joint assessment undertaken by the Vietnamese government, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations in March, the drought and saline intrusion, which have mainly hit Vietnam's south central region, Central Highlands and southern Mekong Delta, have left as many as 2 million people without access to clean water and 1.1 million in need of food aid.

More than 60,000 women and children are already malnourished.

Vietnam has appealed to the international community for $48.5 million in emergency aid to address the worsening drought.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "Last Men Standing," the first feature-length documentary from The San Francisco Chronicle, Northern California's largest newspaper was selected for entry into a series of prestigious LGBT festivals being held in the U.S. and Canada this spring. One of the few newspapers to write, direct and produce a feature-length documentary, this film follows the lives and experiences of eight long-term AIDS survivors.

The 66-minute documentary was written, directed and produced by San Francisco Chronicle filmmakers Erin Brethauer and Tim Hussin and will be screened at the Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival, San Francisco's Frameline 40, the world's largest LGBT film festival, Seattle PrideFest's Twist of Pride Film Festival and Toronto's Inside Out LGBT Film Festival, Canada's largest LGBT film festival.

The festival screening dates and times for "Last Men Standing" include:

At Inside Out Toronto, Canada's largest and the world's third largest festival of its kind, Last Men Standing will have the distinct honor of being included in the 'Icons' program. The 'Icons' program highlights and honors documentaries about LGBTQ icons that have been indispensable to the progress of the community including but not limited to activists, celebrities and heroes.

"It is an important recognition to have this documentary recognized by several of the most notable LGBT film festivals in the world," said Chronicle Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper. "When we developed the idea for this project, we were excited to provide these survivors with an opportunity to share their powerful narratives throughout San Francisco. Knowing that their stories will now touch people worldwide is a testament to the power of storytelling and the change it can inspire."

San Francisco Chronicle Reporter Erin Allday's in-depth feature story on Last Men Standing is online at sfchron.cl/survivingAIDS. Follow the conversation through #SurvivingAids.

About The San Francisco Chronicle

The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by Hearst Corporation in 2000, The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. With name brand voices and a keen editorial eye, the Chronicle is an authority that still surprises. Follow us on Twitter @SFChronicle.

About Hearst Newspapers

Hearst Newspapers is the operating group responsible for Hearst Corporation's newspapers, local digital marketing services businesses and directories. With more than 4,700 employees across the nation, Hearst Newspapers publishes 15 dailies and 36 weeklies, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union. It also operates digital marketing services and directories businesses under the LocalEdge brand.

About Hearst Corporation

Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) is one of the nation's largest diversified media and information companies. Its major interests include ownership of 15 daily and 36 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union; hundreds of magazines around the world, including Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, ELLE and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations, which reach a combined 18 percent of U.S. viewers; ownership in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, HISTORY and ESPN; significant holdings in automotive, electronic and medical/pharmaceutical business information companies; a 50 percent stake in global ratings agency Fitch Group; Internet and marketing services businesses; television production; newspaper features distribution; and real estate. Follow us on Twitter @HearstCorp.

SOURCE The San Francisco Chronicle

Related Links

http://www.sfchronicle.com


COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Saxo gathers momentum in Greater China with second partnership of the year.

Saxo Bank, the online multi-asset trading and investment specialist, has today announced a new white label partnership with Lufax, China's largest internet finance company.

The partnership, expected to launch within the next three months, will see Lufax leverage the trading technology that underpins the award-winning SaxoTraderGO - providing Lufax's considerable client base with a seamless experience across mobile and desktop platforms, including complete functionality across the trade cycle - from pre-trade, execution and post-trade services for ETFs and cash stocks initially.

Overseas clients from Lufax will benefit directly from Saxo's multi-asset capabilities - through access to global capital markets from one single account incorporating data from both on and offshore products.

Adam Reynolds, CEO Saxo Bank Asia Pacific, said: "Lufax is a milestone company to commit to providing its clients with a best-in-class trading experience through a white label partnership with Saxo Bank. Our second Chinese partnership in a matter of weeks is multi-faceted; highlighting not only our commitment to the empowerment of the region's investors and position as an enabler of financial market activity in one of the world's largest markets, but also the strength of our platform and OpenAPI technology - both of which we believe to be integral to the future of trading globally."

Gregory Gibb, CEO of Lufax added: "We are delighted to be able to offer an alternative channel of this calibre to our trading community. Saxo Bank is at the forefront of online trading and its expertise will strengthen our ambition to be China's leading online wealth management provider."

Today's news follows the signing of a tri-party agreement between Saxo Bank, Wallstreet CN and LeanWork last month following Saxo's launch in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone in September 2015.

Saxo Bank is one of the first financial institutions to give access to its trading infrastructure through the bank's OpenAPI. The move, which covers Saxo's multi-asset trading and back office infrastructure, will allow its partners, clients and external developers to access over 20 years of trading infrastructure innovation and enable them to customise their trading experience and create new revenue streams.

White label partnerships remain a fundamental part of Saxo Bank's business, providing banks with a reliable, sophisticated and cost-efficient way to replace outdated trading technology.

Shanghai Lujiazui International Financial Asset Exchange, Lufax, is an online marketplace for the origination and trading of financial assets. Lufax was incorporated in Shanghai with the support of Shanghai's Municipal Government, and has grown into China's largest internet finance company in less than four years. As of April this year, Lufax's number of registered users stood at over 21 million, a quarter of which are active investors.

About Saxo Bank

The Saxo Bank Group (Saxo) is an online multi-asset trading and investment specialist, offering a complete set of trading and investment technologies, tools and strategies.

A fully licensed and regulated bank, Saxo enables private and institutional clients to easily trade multiple assets from a single margin account on multiple devices seamlessly.

Saxo's award winning trading technology platforms are available in more than 20 languages and form the technology backbone of more than 100 financial institutions worldwide.

Saxo also offers traditional banking services through Saxo Privatbank in select markets.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Saxo employs 1500 people in 25 offices across the five continents.

SOURCE Saxo Bank
HARRISBURG, Pa., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera, Secretary of State Pedro Cortes, and Deputy Consul of Mexico in Philadelphia Erika Guzman today honored the 2016 graduates of the Migrant Education Program at the Forum Auditorium in Harrisburg. The dignitaries awarded certificates to 256 students who participated in the program and are graduating from Pennsylvania high schools or GED programs.

"The students being recognized today should be proud of their efforts and accomplishments, as they were hard fought and well-deserved," said Secretary Rivera. "Today's graduation ceremony celebrates past achievements and anticipates those that are to come in the future. As these students go on to attend a postsecondary institution or enter the workforce, they're moving forward well-equipped for success, thanks to their dedication, hard work, and the encouragement of the Migrant Education Program."

Of the students who completed the high school segment of the program, 234 will be receiving their high school diploma and 22 will receive their General Educational Development (GED) diploma. Of those students, 191 are enrolled or planning to attend an institute of higher education while others plan to enter the work force.

The Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program provides educational and social support to the children of migratory workers. Since its inception, the program has served more than 350,000 students from birth to age 22. The program ensures that migrant students:

Receive appropriate educational and support services that address their special needs in a coordinated and efficient manner;

Receive services that help reduce the educational disruptions and other problems that result from repeated moves;

Overcome the challenges of mobility, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, and other factors associated with a migratory life, in order to succeed in school, and to successfully transition to postsecondary education or employment;

Are not penalized by disparities among the States in curriculum, graduation requirements, and State academic content and student academic achievement standards;

Receive full and appropriate opportunities to meet state content and student performance standards that all children are expected to meet; and

Benefit from state and local systemic reform.

The mission of the program is "to ensure that all migrant students achieve challenging academic standards and graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a GED), and upon graduation are prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment." To achieve that mission, PA-MEP provides after-school and summer programs, in-home programs and health and social support services, parental involvement, advocacy and enrichment.

MEDIA CONTACT: Nicole Reigelman, 717-783-9802.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Education

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us


NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --



The report mainly highlights the following:

1. ADAS and self-driving vehicle chassis and braking system

2. Traditional braking system

3. Braking system for new energy vehicles

4. Global EPS Industry

5. Global braking system and EPS manufacturers



As far as ADAS is concerned, a simple alarm is not enough, and even at the critical moment, active braking system, active deceleration or steering system are needed, for machines are more reliable than people. And controllers and actuators are thus introduced. An actuator is very simple, consisting of brake caliper, steering gear, and air valve, while a controller involves ETC (Electric Throttle Control) and EPS (Electric Power Steering). The brake system is very complicated, and the brake system for the ordinary gasoline and diesel passenger vehicle is controlled by hydraulic system and vacuum servo. But for passenger vehicles, passive safety is superior to active safety. Hence, ESP (ESC, Electronic Stability Control) needs standard configuration, and the brake control system is ESP, which can also control ETC.



To enable active ADAS and self-driving, deep communication between ADAS and controllers is indispensable, which requires controller manufacturers to provide deep support. Of course, they can also create a new system to bypass the original controller. However, the original controller has gained safety certification for scores of years, and the new system has not been certified, which greatly adds costs and complexity. Moreover, it is not realistic for vehicles to be mass-produced. Therefore, it is necessary to win the great support from controller manufacturers. But these controller manufacturers have their own ADAS, unwilling to give up this market. As a result, controller manufacturers do not make available some ports or provide support, so that customers are forced to choose their full set of ADAS. So we can see that the whole ADAS, including sensor algorithm, of Chang'an and Geely is all from Bosch, which has a great impact on China-made sensor manufacturers.



Given the ESC system is paramount, most OEMs have related technology. Various names for ESC, hence, have sprung up. Although the prices for these ESC systems are higher than those of Bosch and Continental, manufacturers still use them to maintain their own independence, with Hyundai, for example, adopting Mando's ESC system. It takes more than 20 years to develop a new ESC system, during which period large amount of capital and practice cost will be incurred.



Most electric vehicles still adopt the braking system of fuel vehicles and gain additional braking power with EVP or Bosch iBooster. As for these electric vehicles, ESC is still the master controller of braking system. But things have changed. As electric vehicles can, through AC motor, achieve reverse deceleration and recover braking energy, the load of EV braking system reduces considerably. And the new technology drive-by-wire braking system can thus be used.



Drive-by-wire braking system has been extensively used in F1cars, and is replaced when the driving range reaches less than 2,000 km, which causes high costs. Its braking sensitivity is much higher than that of traditional braking systems. Moreover, its flexibility increases dramatically. Hence, the braking system is very practical in the field of ADAS and self-driving. This is why Tesla can achieve intelligentization more easily. Drive-by-wire braking system substitutes ESC system or TCS (traction control system), which allows vehicle manufacturers to get rid of dependence on ESC manufacturers. Tesla Model S, Porsche 918 Spyder, and Audi R8-ETRON adopt this design. There are two systems inside the car: one is traditional front wheel hydraulic brake without EVP, which has the function of ABS; the other is rear-wheel drive-by-wire braking system, which uses electrical signal and motor to control brake calipers.



The disadvantages of drive-by-wire braking system are also evident: first, small braking force due to limited motor power; second, high requirements for heat resistance of brake discs. Porsche 918 Spyder and Audi R8-ETRON adopt ceramic brake discs while Tesla uses high-grade ITT brake discs. Third, due to small volume left for braking motor, only permanent magnet motor can be used. And when you put on brakes, permanent magnet has long been working under the high temperature, thus leading to demagnetization. The reliability of drive-by-wire braking system is yet to be tested. At present, the system, which incurs high costs, can not be used as main braking system but only as auxiliary brake.



In the field of EPS, things get better. China acquired Nexteer, and some enterprises can produce low-end C-EPS. However, the future development of EPS is targeted at R-EPS. There is still an obvious gap between at home and abroad. EPS market is highly concentrated, with the top four manufacturers holding a combined market share of over 75%. The market share of Jtekt exceeded one third. After selling ZF Lenksysteme, ZF still has TRW steering business, reflecting that it has placed emphasis on steering system.



For fuel vehicle design, if you want to develop ADAS or self-driving, it may well be the fastest and most cost-effective way to cooperate with Bosch rather than Continental, whose ESC system is rare in China. As for independent sensor design companies, it is the best choice to partner with manufacturers capable of developing ESC braking system, and the same is true of international companies. Take Sweden-based Autoliv, which invested JPY30 billion in April 2016 to cooperate with Japan's Nissin Kyogo. With regard to China-made vehicle design, we suggest the cooperation with South Korean Mando



In terms of hybrid electric vehicle design, it is best way to adopt ZFTRW IBC and Continental MK C1 to develop ADAS or self-driving. At the early stage of promotion. Continental and ZF are eager to get support from vehicle manufacturers. Moreover, due to its high integration level, the self-driving function can easily be set in drive-by-wire hydraulic brake.



For electric vehicle design, if you adopt permanent magnet motor, given the narrow working range and poor high-temperature resistance of permanent magnet motor, braking system cannot depends too much on the opposing torque of the motor, hence the need to use the powerful booster brake system like Bosch iBooster. If you use AC induction motor, braking system can rely heavily on the opposing torque of the motor, and rear wheel can use the most advanced EMB, or the real drive-by-wire brake.



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03851602-summary/view-report.html



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Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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DENVER, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SendGrid, the leading delivery platform for customer communication that drives engagement and growth, today announced that Paul Kincaid-Smith, Vice President of Industry Relations and David Campbell, Chief Security Officer, will participate in the ESP + Phishing panel discussion at the APWG Symposium on Electronic Crime Research (eCrime) 2016, to be held on June 1-3 in Toronto, Canada.

The panel discussion will focus on how email service providers like SendGrid are developing industry best practices to combat email abuse and safeguard consumers.

eCrime 2016 brings together academic researchers, security practitioners and law enforcement to discuss and exchange ideas, experiences and lessons learnt in all aspects of electronic crime and ways to combat it. eCrime 2016 is focused on the operational challenges and development of common resources and best practices for first responders and forensic professionals. In addition, the conference will dive into current research projects and future areas of interest for cybercrime investigations, forensic techniques and infrastructure defense.

"SendGrid remains committed to investing in the right people, technology and infrastructure so we can reduce the flow of spam and phish in email traffic, diminish fraudulent email and protect the email ecosystem," said Paul Kincaid-Smith, Vice President of Industry Relations, SendGrid. "We look forward to sharing our perspective and exchanging ideas with the broader security and email communities at eCrime."

"We're looking forward to a very productive and collaborative eCrime 2016, where our presenters and attendees can examine operational challenges, develop common resources and shape best practices the help ensure a more secure computing environment," said, Peter Cassidy, Secretary General, APWG. "SendGrid's participation in our event will help provide our members and peer delegates with important perspectives, as Paul and David share their wealth of knowledge and experience regarding email safeguards and security."

About SendGrid

SendGrid is a proven, cloud-based customer communication platform that drives engagement and business growth. SendGrid is a leader in email deliverability and its platform successfully delivers over 25 billion emails each month for Internet and mobile-based customers like Airbnb, Pandora, HubSpot, Spotify, Uber and FourSquare as well as more traditional enterprises like Intuit and Costco. For more information, visit www.sendgrid.com.

About the APWG

The APWG, founded in 2003 as the Anti-Phishing Working Group, is the global industry, law enforcement, and government coalition focused on unifying the global response to electronic crime. Membership is open to qualified financial institutions, online retailers, ISPs and Telcos, the law enforcement community, solutions providers, multi-lateral treaty organizations, research centers, trade associations and government agencies. There are more than 2,000 companies, government agencies and NGOs participating in the APWG worldwide. The APWG's www.apwg.org and education.apwg.org websites offer the public, industry and government agencies practical information about phishing and electronically mediated fraud as well as pointers to pragmatic technical solutions that provide immediate protection. The APWG is co-founder and co-manager of the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Messaging Convention, the global online safety public awareness collaborative www.stopthinkconnect.org and founder/curator of the APWG Symposium on Electronic Crime Research, the world's only peer-reviewed conference dedicated specifically to electronic crime studies www.ecrimeresearch.org.

Media Contact:

David Friedman

SendGrid

303-868-9641

[email protected]

SOURCE SendGrid

Related Links

http://www.sendgrid.com


LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Avi Shabtai, seasoned real estate investor and antique store owner, presents Shabtai's Auction House's third auction this year. This one hits the Los Angeles area with an astonishing display of Asian art objects and stunning European antiques. The auction's varying objects and consistent quality once again solidify Shabtai's prowess in the art and antique sphere.

"Knowing that we are in the early stages of cultivating the auction house's image, I aimed to appeal to a broad audience by incorporating art objects from far reaches of the world while maintaining our refined and tasteful qualities," says Shabtai. The auction is rife with East-Asian antiquities including but not limited to, wooden and marble sculptures, small bone-carved trinkets, kimonos and Edo-period prints as well as ornate European clocks and decorative accessories that would titillate Louis XVI.

"This auction contains a myriad of unique and exciting pieces," says Sara Davis-Murray, senior art specialist of Shabtai's Auction House," my personal favorite is the inlaid 'Mother of Peal' lacquer kimono box dating to the Late Meiji period. This stunning piece is embellished with highly-unusual imagery, a Persian cat hiding in the branches of a Hong Kong orchid tree This work is truly a one-of-a-kind piece to hit the auction block. I am thrilled to handle such rare and important works in every price range!"

Though located in the NOHO Arts District, Shabtai's makes bidding on items effortless from anywhere in the world. In the spirit of their family-owned nature, Avi Shabtai says, "we encourage individuals to come by in person to join our community but want to accommodate every interested art buyer." During the auction people can call in or bid online using InvaluableAuctions.com and LiveAuctioneers.com, truly deeming it an auction house of the twenty first century.

See more of our best at

Live Auctioneers: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/89153_asian-antiques-and-european-dec-accessories/

Contact:

Sara Davis-Murray

Senior Art Specialist

Shabtai's Auction House

[email protected]

o. 818.224.7239

c. 626.437.1776

www.shabtaisauction.com

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Shabtai's Auction House

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http://www.shabtaisauction.com


NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Energy Recovery, Inc. ("Energy Recovery" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ERII). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.

[Click here to join a class action]

The investigation concerns whether Energy Recovery and certain of its officers and/or directors have violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

On May 24, 2016, pre-market, Cannell Capital LLC published a report (the "Cannell Capital Report") characterizing Energy Recovery's valuation as "excessive" and stating that "the Company has a rich history of over-promising and under-delivering." The Cannell Capital Report also described the details of a January 2016 lawsuit filed by the Company's former Chief Sales Officer alleging that certain Energy Recovery executives had compelled him to provide "false information to Board members and the public" and that Energy Recovery had made a number of misrepresentations with respect to the sales pipeline for its products, the commercial viability of its Vorteq product, and companies for which it was a qualified vendor.

On this news, Energy Recovery stock fell $1.48, or 13.29%, to close at $9.66 on May 24, 2016.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

http://www.pomerantzlaw.com


Drill hole highlights include:

Hole E-ESP-03: 2.3% Cu, 2.6% Zn, 0.9% Pb, 0.74 gpt Au, 50.6 gpt Ag over 50.7m

Hole E-ESP-03: 2.5% Cu, 5.4% Zn, 1.3% Pb, 0.81 gpt Au, 81.0 gpt Ag over 25.3m

Hole E-ESP-04: 1.4% Cu, 0.4% Zn, 0.2% Pb, 1.72 gpt Au, 51.1 gpt Ag over 25.3m

TORONTO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Sierra Metals Inc. (TSX: SMT) (BVL: SMT) ("Sierra Metals" or "the Company") today announced the release of drill results for the Esperanza zone at its Yauricocha mine in Peru (drill results from January 1, 2016 to May 19, 2016). This news release is a follow-up to the initial news release dated January 28, 2016 which announced the discovery of the "Esperanza" zone which is located 400 meters north of the central mine area and along strike from current mining activities (also refer to the news release dated May 13, 2016 for discussion of Q1 2016 drill results). The Esperanza discovery comes as part of ongoing drill testing of priority targets at its Yauricocha Mine located 150km east southeast of Lima in the Yauricocha Mining District (Cordillera Occidental), Peru.

The exploration program on the Esperanza zone is ongoing and drilling has successfully extended the mineralized zone to the south and at depth. The current strike length of the zone is approximately 250 meters and the vertical extent of the zone is approximately 250 meters. Since discovery of the zone in 2015, 54 holes (9856.3 meters) have been completed. A total of 39 holes (6673.6 meters) have been completed to date in 2016 (covered in this news release), including 35 delineation holes (5527.60 meters) and 4 additional exploration holes (1146 meters). The mineralized zone remains open at depth to the north and south and additional exploration drilling in these areas will take place once access is available on the 1070 level (within the next few months).

Mark Brennan, President and CEO of Sierra Metals stated. "These results demonstrate that the ongoing exploration drill program, particularly holes E-ESP-02, E-ESP-03 and E-ESP-04, show continuity of wide, high-grade zones at depth by approximately 250 meters. It also defines new parallel mineralized structures that were previously unknown. The delineation drill program is concurrently providing additional information on closer drill spacing to support a NI 43-101 technical report which the Company plans to release in the near term."

The Esperanza zone has returned some of the thickest sulfide intercepts in the 60 year mining history at Yauricocha. The delineation drilling to date has targeted the upper 100 meters of the Esperanza zone from the 870 level. Drilling indicates the upper portion of the zone consists of several well mineralized replacement structures that narrow upward. The delineation drilling is anticipated to continue through the remainder of the year and will provide the details necessary to define resources and reserves to rapidly advance into the production schedule. The Esperanza zone is located 400 meters north of (and along strike from) the Central Mine and is well situated to quickly bring into the Company's mine plan.

Most recently drill hole E-ESP-03 shown on Figure 8 below was drilled as a step out hole to test the depth extension of the mineralization intersected in ESP-14 shown on Figure 6 below (Jan 28, 2016 release Sierra Metals reported that hole ESP-14 returned a length weighted average of 3.2% Cu, 1.7% Zn, 0.4% Pb, 1.01 gpt Au, 48.5 gpt Ag over 69.2 meters (core thickness)). Drill hole E-ESP-03 successfully intersected mineralization approximately 55 meters south of drill hole ESP-14 and also confirmed the depth extension of mineralization approximately 120 meters below ESP-14. E-ESP-03 returned the following length weighted composite intervals: 2.3% Cu, 2.6% Zn, 0.9% Pb, 0.74 gpt Au, 50.6 gpt Ag over 50.7 meters (from 152.4 to 203.1 meters) and 2.5% Cu, 5.4% Zn, 1.3% Pb, 0.81 gpt Au, 81.0 gpt Ag over 25.3 meters (from 230.0 to 255.3 meters).

Drill hole E-ESP-04 shown on Figure 9 below was also drilled to test the southern extension of the mineralized intercept in hole ESP-14 (E-ESP-04 drilled tested the zone 65 meters south of hole E-ESP-03). E-ESP-04 successfully intersected the Esperanza zone approximately 120 meters south of the intercept in hole ESP-14 and returned the following length weighted composite intervals: 1.4% Cu, 0.4% Zn, 0.2% Pb, 1.72 gpt Au, 51.1 gpt Ag over 25.3 meters (from 170.4 to 195.7 meters).

Refer to table 1 (below) for significant composite intervals from January 1 to May 19, 2016 drilling.

Drill stations are now being prepared on the 1070 level to access the southern extension of the Esperanza zone and the Company will focus on exploring both the northern and southern depth extensions of the Esperanza zone over the course of the next 12 months.

Table 1: Significant length weighted composite intervals returned from January 1 to May 19, 2016 (D=delineation hole, E= Exploration hole)

Exploration Holes

BHID From To Core

Width Est

Horiz

Thk Ag gpt Pb% Cu% Zn% Au gpt E-ESP-01 201.0 203.2 2.2 1.2 198.1 0.9 1.0 12.3 0.35 E-ESP-01 220.0 222.0 2.0 1.1 139.9 0.9 1.4 5.2 0.21 E-ESP-02 102.6 107.0 4.4 1.6 20.0 4.3 0.1 8.5 0.37 E-ESP-02 108.4 113.5 5.1 1.9 123.8 9.8 0.2 17.3 0.75 E-ESP-02 150.5 159.0 8.5 3.1 50.0 0.6 2.4 0.9 0.74 E-ESP-02 165.0 175.8 10.8 4.0 88.2 0.3 3.1 0.5 0.51 E-ESP-02 265.4 276.5 11.1 4.1 49.1 2.2 1.8 5.3 0.44 E-ESP-03 23.2 30.2 7.0 2.9 26.5 5.7 0.1 9.8 0.78 E-ESP-03 incl. 23.2 24.6 1.4 0.6 80.4 17.3 0.4 27.8 0.76 E-ESP-03 87.4 97.8 10.4 4.3 53.2 8.5 0.2 15.8 0.39 E-ESP-03 152.4 203.1 50.7 21.1 50.6 0.9 2.3 2.6 0.74 E-ESP-03 incl. 168.0 180.0 12.0 5.0 83.7 0.6 5.1 2.5 0.75 E-ESP-03 230.0 255.3 25.3 10.6 81.0 1.3 2.5 5.4 0.81 E-ESP-03 incl. 234.0 242.0 8.0 3.3 145.7 0.4 5.7 0.8 0.98 E-ESP-03 and incl. 246.0 255.0 9.0 3.8 76.2 2.9 0.8 13.3 0.51 E-ESP-03 274.0 282.0 8.0 3.3 73.2 0.2 4.3 0.1 1.65 E-ESP-04 170.4 195.7 25.3 10.4 51.1 0.2 1.4 0.4 1.72 E-ESP-04 incl. 182.0 193.0 11.0 4.5 77.8 0.1 2.8 0.1 3.10 E-ESP-04 and incl. 190.0 193.0 3.0 1.2 120.8 0.1 6.2 0.3 7.44



















Delineation Holes

BHID From To Core

Width Est

Horiz

Thk Ag gpt Pb% Cu% Zn% Au gpt D-ESP-01 71.3 75.0 3.7 2.8 35.2 3.3 0.3 19.2 0.33 D-ESP-01 117.5 119.9 2.4 1.8 62.9 4.8 0.1 8.2 0.12 D-ESP-01 124.6 126.3 1.7 1.3 528.7 8.7 2.9 15.1 0.41 D-ESP-02 113.15 124.0 10.85 10.5 98.0 1.0 1.7 1.7 0.75 D-ESP-02 incl. 113.15 117.0 3.85 3.7 171.8 2.0 4.3 1.7 0.57 D-ESP-03 126.0 128.0 2.0 1.9 48.3 2.3 0.3 5.2 0.08 D-ESP-04 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-05 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-06 124.1 127.7 3.6 3.2 174.6 8.4 1.1 18.1 0.30 D-ESP-06 138.0 151.2 13.2 11.9 81.3 3.8 0.3 8.2 0.92 D-ESP-07 116.1 118.7 2.6 2.2 54.0 7.5 0.1 14.1 0.20 D-ESP-07 151.0 156.0 5.0 4.3 137.0 0.8 1.0 1.8 0.52 D-ESP-08 57.05 59.6 2.55 2.5 203.5 17.4 0.2 21.3 0.32 D-ESP-09 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-10 115.35 118.0 2.65 2.6 247.6 0.6 4.7 0.9 0.46 D-ESP-11 190.3 192.4 2.1 1.2 41.5 4.6 0.1 7.2 0.04 D-ESP-11 215.3 217.6 2.3 1.3 120.7 0.6 5.4 2.4 0.38 D-ESP-12 134.6 141.0 6.4 5.6 44.4 0.4 1.6 0.8 0.60 D-ESP-13 67.85 87.0 19.15 12.4 110.2 0.7 3.4 1.9 0.52 D-ESP-13 incl. 74.0 87.0 13.0 8.4 142.5 1.0 4.3 2.7 0.55 D-ESP-13 151.0 178.0 27.0 17.4 94.6 1.6 3.0 3.6 0.41 D-ESP-13 incl. 151.0 163.1 12.1 7.8 154.9 0.5 5.6 1.3 0.56 D-ESP-13 and incl. 169.0 178.0 9.0 5.8 59.6 4.0 1.0 8.6 0.27 D-ESP-14 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-15 118.9 120.9 2.0 1.7 69.5 10.0 0.1 15.2 0.13 D-ESP-15 145.8 147.7 1.9 1.6 43.6 7.6 0.1 9.4 0.06 D-ESP-15 152.0 164.6 12.6 10.5 57.7 2.3 0.6 5.0 0.34 D-ESP-15 incl. 153.0 159.0 6.0 5.0 83.5 3.9 0.8 7.8 0.41 D-ESP-16 115.3 116.9 1.6 1.3 148.8 7.0 0.3 18.5 0.29 D-ESP-17 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-18 114.1 118.0 3.9 3.4 20.8 2.0 0.1 4.7 0.18 D-ESP-18 135.0 140.0 5.0 4.3 56.2 0.2 2.8 0.9 0.30 D-ESP-18 142.0 150.0 8.0 6.9 30.9 2.9 0.7 7.0 0.82 D-ESP-18 incl. 145.0 150.0 5.0 4.3 29.1 4.6 0.3 10.6 0.81 D-ESP-19 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-20 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-21 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-22 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-23 71.2 77.9 6.7 5.2 39.3 2.7 0.6 20.2 0.53 D-ESP-23 93.35 99.1 5.75 4.4 156.2 8.1 0.5 18.7 0.45 D-ESP-23 118.0 119.9 1.9 1.5 43.7 4.5 0.1 10.1 0.23 D-ESP-23 166.0 170.0 4.0 3.1 207.7 1.6 0.6 3.5 1.06 D-ESP-24 42.4 60.1 17.7 7.4 240.1 0.3 5.5 1.1 0.34 D-ESP-24 incl. 42.4 57.2 14.8 6.2 274.3 0.1 6.4 0.3 0.34 D-ESP-25 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-26 22.9 25.0 2.1 1.8 131.6 11.5 0.1 16.2 0.26 D-ESP-26 106.0 109.1 3.1 2.6 178.6 0.9 2.5 2.9 0.43 D-ESP-26 122.7 124.8 2.1 1.8 161.3 1.1 2.7 2.2 1.25 D-ESP-27 116.1 119.0 2.9 2.4 74.2 5.1 0.2 11.1 0.19 D-ESP-27 152.5 163.0 10.5 8.8 213.1 1.3 1.0 8.5 0.55 D-ESP-27 incl. 152.5 157.0 4.5 3.8 346.4 1.3 1.3 5.7 0.70 D-ESP-27 and incl. 158.3 163.0 4.7 3.9 120.1 1.5 0.9 13.1 0.42 D-ESP-28 48.0 54.7 6.7 6.1 63.0 2.0 0.1 4.8 0.06 D-ESP-28 incl. 52.3 54.7 2.4 2.2 76.3 2.3 0.2 8.8 0.12 D-ESP-28 120.8 123.3 2.5 2.3 208.5 2.5 5.3 10.1 0.44 D-ESP-29 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-30 108.0 112.0 4.0 3.9 154.9 0.6 1.0 0.8 0.57 D-ESP-30 incl. 108.4 110.0 1.6 1.6 266.3 0.7 1.7 0.4 0.51 D-ESP-31 145.0 157.0 12.0 8.6 23.6 0.0 2.3 0.0 0.70 D-ESP-31 incl. 154.0 157.0 3.0 2.2 26.5 0.0 3.6 0.1 1.60 D-ESP-31 163.05 167.9 4.85 3.5 25.8 0.0 6.3 0.0 0.38 D-ESP-31 incl. 163.05 165.6 2.55 1.8 37.8 0.0 10.1 0.0 0.44 D-ESP-32 112.6 119.6 7.0 5.7 65.5 9.8 0.2 14.3 0.41 D-ESP-32 123.8 125.9 2.1 1.7 112.2 9.7 0.2 12.6 0.27 D-ESP-33 no significant composite intervals









D-ESP-34 124.0 131.9 7.9 7.7 151.3 2.9 2.4 6.0 0.36 D-ESP-34 incl. 126.0 131.9 5.9 5.7 187.1 3.3 2.8 6.8 0.41 D-ESP-35 107.9 112.0 4.1 3.9 422.1 0.4 10.7 0.4 1.21 D-ESP-35 139.0 142.0 3.0 2.9 39.7 0.7 1.2 3.6 0.00









































A plan map of the Yauricocha mine area is shown in Figure 1, Figure 2 is a plan map through the Esperanza zone at the 920 level and Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 are cross sections through the Esperanza zone (reference lines for the cross sections are located on Figure 2).

Method of Analysis

Samples are prepared at the Yauricocha lab facilities at the Chumpe Mill, which is located on site. Drill core samples from the mine are assayed utilizing two procedures. Silver, lead, zinc and copper are assayed by atomic absorption. Gold is fire-assayed with an atomic absorption finish. Diamond drill core samples sent for analysis consist of half NQ size or BQ size drill core which is split on site.

Quality Control

The quality assurance-quality control (QA-QC) program employed by Sierra Metals has been described in detail in the NI-43-101 report for Yauricocha dated May 25, 2012, prepared by Gustavson Associates in Denver, which is available for review on Sedar. Standards and blanks are inserted into the sample stream and duplicate samples are sent to the ALS Peru S.A. lab (Chemex) in Lima as per internal quality control procedures.

Qualfied Persons

The technical content of this news release has been approved by Matthew Wunder, B.Sc, P.Geo. and Qualified Person as defined in NI-43-101.

About Sierra Metals

Sierra Metals Inc. is a Canadian mining company focused on production of precious and base metals from its Yauricocha Mine in Peru, and its Bolivar Mine and Cusi Mine in Mexico. In addition, Sierra Metals is exploring several precious and base metals targets in Peru and Mexico. Projects in Peru include Adrico (gold), Victoria (copper-silver) and Ipillo (polymetallic) at the Yauricocha Property in the province of Yauyos and the San Miguelito gold properties in Northern Peru. Projects in Mexico include Bacerac (silver) in the state of Sonora and La Verde (gold) at the Batopilas Property in the state of Chihuahua.

The Company's shares trade on the Lima Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de Lima) and on the TSX under the symbol "SMT".

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. 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. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE Sierra Metals Inc.

Related Links

www.sierrametals.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the 2016 Gigabit City Summit, Siklu Communications, Ltd, the Urban Neighborhood Initiative (UNI), KC Digital Drive, Next Century Cities and a host of other partners are excited to announce an innovative project to bring gigabit Internet speeds to local residents and institutions in the UNI footprint and in the city's historic East Side. Using hybrid fiber-wireless technologies  connecting to the existing fiber backbone provided by KC Web  this project will bring wireless gigabit service to the community beginning this May.

This project is a continuation of Siklu's commitment to bring communities online and, the partnership with KC Digital Drive and UNI will help revitalize the east side of the city. Consistent with Kansas City's innovative approach to piloting multiple fiber solutions in search of the right fit for every neighborhood, the coalition is exploring how Millimeter Wave (mmWave) wireless technology can effectively supplement wireline connectivity. This technology extends the reach of existing fiber and will bring gigabit services to some of Kansas City's oldest buildings and underserved communities.

The project will provide free service to some homes, even where wireline is available, to help serve as an onramp to the Internet by eliminating a cost barrier to getting online. The project will also provide immediate connectivity to some underserved buildings and locations while creating a sense of community ownership over the network. Critically, the project will teach members of the community how to install and maintain the network, building skills and leading to job opportunities in a growing field.

"We believe that connectivity helps empower communities and lets Kansas City continue our growth as a gigabit leader," said Dianne Cleaver, executive director of UNI. "While blessed with an abundance of fiber, even throughout the east side, we still face barriers to connecting individual homes and critical community anchors. Siklu's technology will provide affordable gigabit connections throughout the UNI area, including the 95-year-old Historic Lincoln Building, the Mutual Musicians Foundation, several churches and the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Alliance among other sites."

Siklu is a world leader in making radios that use mmWave spectrum frequencies that can transmit multiple gigabit capacity reliably and without interference or congestion. These radios can be attached to building facades, rooftops, poles and other points in the community to create a wireless fiber-like extension of physical fiber.

Siklu's technology enables a longstanding effort to bring gigabit wireless to Kansas City's east side. UNI has been leading this effort with critical support from several members of the KC Coalition for Digital Inclusion, including W.E.B. Dubois Learning Center, Connecting for Good, and Reconciliation Services. Additional community support has come from 1102 Grand, the William T. Kemper Foundation, Center City Neighborhood Association

"Siklu is proud to work with KC Digital Drive, the Urban Neighborhood Initiative and our other partners to show how we can light up communities," said Izik Kirshenbaum, Founder and Chairman of Siklu. "Our hybrid fiber-wireless technology helps communities access the benefits of the internet at gigabit speeds, in a fraction of the time and cost of some traditional deployment methods. We look forward to working with more U.S. cities in the months to come, helping them complete their race to get a gigabit."

ABOUT SIKLU

Siklu delivers a diverse range of products with up to multi-gigabit capacity millimeter wave wireless connectivity operating in the 60, 70/80 GHz bands. Its millimeter wave technology is the prime choice of leading integrators, service providers, municipal authorities and mobile network operators worldwide. With maximal availability and minimum footprint, thousands of carrier grade units delivering interference-free performance have been successfully deployed. Siklu's innovative all-silicon design has dramatically reduced prices and effectively opened the market for ultra-high capacity wireless links. Swiftly integrating with street-fixtures or rooftops to provide reliable connectivity solutions, the price-competitive radios have proved to be ideal for networks requiring fast and simple deployment of secure, fiber-like and futureproof connectivity. Ensuring the unfailing operation of bandwidth intensive applications, Siklu brings the Gigabit promise to homes and businesses alike. For additional information visit www.siklu.com.

Press Contacts

















Ellen Satterwhite





Eran Sagi Glen Echo Group





Head of Marketing, Siklu [email protected]





[email protected]

SOURCE Siklu Communications, Ltd

Related Links

http://www.siklu.com


SALT LAKE CITY, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SilverVue, provider of patient transitional care technologies, announced today an institutional financing round led by Pritzker Group Venture Capital and GE Ventures. Other participants in the round include Epic Ventures.

SilverVue's patient choice platform called SilverSearch is used in hospitals to help patients choose their post-acute care provider based on CMS ratings, zip codes and insurance plans. Patients can now easily select service providers on SilverVue-provided tablets based on the specialized care they need as they leave the hospital, such as long-term acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing or home health services. The platform is simple for both patients and case managers to use, ultimately improving the patient's experience and increasing their engagement when transitioning out of the hospital, even as it reduces costs.

"Empowering patients to make more informed decisions about their medical care is more than our business, it's our passion," said Will West, CEO and founder of SilverVue. "Hundreds of healthcare providers have recognized the need for educating and equipping patients with information about accessible, high quality care  and as a result  hospitals throughout the U.S. are choosing SilverVue. Together with our premier group of healthcare investors, we are committed to improving outcomes for patients."

"SilverVue's proven results in improving the quality of patient care is a great example of the types of transformative companies into which we invest," said Adam Koopersmith, partner, Pritzker Group Venture Capital. "Infusing innovative solutions with technology is our strength and a driving force in our business. We look forward to growing a great business together."

Noah Lewis, Managing Partner at GE Ventures, added, "We're enthusiastic with not only how SilverVue is currently serving hospitals and post-acute providers, but also how they will help patients access other technology services. We are excited to back this team of serial entrepreneurs as they work to continually improve patient engagement and the quality of healthcare."

For more information, please visit silvervue.com.

About SilverVue

SilverVue is an innovative healthcare software company led by experienced technology entrepreneurs with a proven track-record of success. The Company leverages technology to solve healthcare challenges and has developed a technology platform to reduce healthcare costs while improving outcomes and increasing patient satisfaction.

About Pritzker Group Venture Capital

Pritzker Group, led by Tony and J.B. Pritzker, has three principal investment teams: Private Capital, which acquires and operates leading North America-based companies; Venture Capital, which provides multi-stage venture funding to technology companies throughout the United States; and Asset Management, which partners with top-performing investment managers across global public markets.

Pritzker Group Venture Capital helps entrepreneurs build market-leading technology companies at every stage of their growth. Since its founding in 1996, the firm has worked side-by-side with entrepreneurs at more than 150 companies, building partnerships based on trust and integrity. The firm's proprietary capital structure allows for tremendous flexibility, and its experienced team of investment professionals and entrepreneurs offers companies a vast network of strategic relationships and guidance. Successful exits in recent years include Fleetmatics, SinglePlatform (acquired by Constant Contact), Zinch (acquired by Chegg), Playdom (acquired by Disney), LeftHand Networks (acquired by Hewlett-Packard), TicketsNow (acquired by Ticketmaster), and Cleversafe (acquired by IBM). For more information, visit pritzkergroup.com.

About GE Ventures

GE Ventures identifies, scales and accelerates ideas that will help make the world work better. Focused on the areas of software, advanced manufacturing, energy and health care, GE Ventures combines equity investing, new business creation, licensing and technology transfer to deliver an innovation platform designed to drive growth for partners and GE. For more information, visit geventures.com, or follow on Twitter (@GE_Ventures) and LinkedIn.

Press contacts:

For SilverVue, Inc.:

Vaughn Marie Gouff

Director of Marketing & Public Relations

[email protected]

For GE Ventures:

Kristin Schwarz

External Communications Director

[email protected]



SilverVue and SilverSearch trademarks are owned by SilverVue, Inc.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160519/370049LOGO

SOURCE SilverVue

Related Links

http://www.silvervue.com


May 23, 2016 | 08:34 pm PT

Obama discusses Vietnam-U.S. relations with Vietnam's intellectuals, civil society, entrepreneurs and students in Hanoi. VnExpress International updates live Obama's talk with Vietnam's generation of the future.

President Obama speaks with 2,000 young Vietnamese Toan van bai phat bieu cua Tong thong Obama

Xin chao. Xin chao Vietnam. Thank you. Thank you so much. To the government and the people of Vietnam, thank you for this very warm welcome and the hospitality you have shown me on this visit. And thank all of you for being here today.

We have Vietnamese from across this great country, including so many young people who represent the dynamism, the talent and the hope of Vietnam. On this visit, my heart has been touched by the kindness for which the Vietnamese people are known for, and the many who have been lining the streets, smiling and waving, I feel the friendship between our peoples.

Obama talks to young people in National Convention Centre. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Last night I visited the Old Quarter here in Hanoi, and enjoyed some outstanding Vietnamese food; tried some bun cha, drank some Beer Hanoi. But I have to say the busy streets of this city, I have never seen so many motorbikes in my life. So I havent had to try to cross the street so far, but maybe when I come back and visit, you can tell me how.

I am not the first American president to come to Vietnam in recent times, but I am the first, like so many of you, that came of age after the war between our countries. When the last U.S. forces left Vietnam, I was just 13 years old, so my first exposure to Vietnam and the Vietnamese people came when I was growing up in Hawaii, with its proud American Vietnamese community there.

High-school students arrive at the National Convention Center, where U.S. President Barack Obama will deliver a speech, in Hanoi May 24, 2016. Photo by AFP/Hoang Dinh Nam

At the same time, many people in this country are much younger than me. Like my two daughters, many of you have lived your whole lives knowing only one thing at that is peace and normalized relations between Vietnam and the United States. So I come here mindful of the past, mindful of our difficult history, but focused on the future. The prosperity, security and human dignity that we can advance together.

I also come here with a deep respect for Vietnams ancient heritage. For millennia, farmers have tended these lands. History revealed in the Dong Son drums. At this bend in the river Hanoi has endured for more than a 1000 years. The world came to treasure Vietnamese silks and paintings, and the great Temple of Literature stands as a testament to your pursuit of knowledge. And yet over the centuries your fate was often dictated by others. Your beloved land was not always your own. But like bamboo, the unbroken spirit of the Vietnamese people was captured by Ly Thuong Kiet, the southern emperor rules the southern land, our destiny is writ in heavens book.

Today we also remember the longer history between Vietnamese and Americans that is too often overlooked. More than 200 years ago when one of our founding fathers Thomas Jefferson sought rice for his farm he looked to the rice of Vietnam, which he said had the reputation of being whitest to the eye, best flavor to the taste and most productive. Soon after, American trade ships arrived in your ports seeking commerce.

During the Second World War, Americans came here to support your struggle against occupation. When American pilots were shot down, the Vietnamese people helped rescue them. And on the day Vietnam declared its independence, crowds took to the streets of this city, and Ho Chi Minh evoked the American Declaration of Independence. He said all people are created equal. The creator has endowed them with the enviable rights, among these rights are the right to life, to liberty, and the right to pursue happiness.

In another time, the possession of these same ideals and a common story of throwing off colonialism might have brought us closer together sooner, but instead cold war rivalries and fears of communism pulled us into conflict.

Young people participating in Obama's talk. Photo by VnExpress/GiangHuy.

Like other conflicts throughout human history, war, no matter what our intentions may be, brings suffering and tragedy. At your war memorial nor far from here and with family alters across this country you remember some 3 million Vietnamese, both soldiers and civilians, who lost their lives on both sides. On our memorial in Washington, you can touch the names of 58,315 Americans who gave their lives in the conflict. In both our countries, our veterans and families of the fallen still ache for the loved ones they lost. Just as we learned in America that even if we disagree about a war we must always honor those who served and welcome them home with the respect they deserve. We can join together today, both Vietnamese and Americans, and acknowledge the pain and the sacrifices on both sides.

More recently over the past two decades, Vietnam has achieved enormous progress, and today the world can see the strides that you have made. With economic reforms and trade agreements, including with the United States, you have entered the global economy selling your goods around the world. More foreign investment is coming in, and with one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, Vietnam has moved up to become a middle income nation.

We see Vietnams progress in the high-rises in the skyscrapers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; new shopping malls and urban centers. We see it in the satellites Vietnam puts into space, and a new generation that is online, launching start ups and running new ventures. We see it in the tens of millions of Vietnamese connected on Facebook and Instagram. And you're not just posting selfies, although I hear you do that a lot, and so far there have been a number of people who have asked me for selfies. Youre also raising your voices for causes you care about like saving the old trees of Hanoi. So all this dynamism has delivered real progress in peoples lives. Here in Vietnam youve dramatically reduced extreme poverty, youve boosted family incomes and lifted millions into a fast-growing middle class. Hunger, disease, child and maternal mortality are all down. The number of people with clean drinking water and electricity; the number of boys and girls in school, and your literacy rate: these are all up. This is extraordinary progress; this is what you have been able to achieve in a very short time.

As Vietnam has transformed, so has the relationship between our two nations. We learnt a lesson taught by the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, who said: in true dialogue both sides are willing to change. In this case the very war that divided us became a source for healing. It allows us to account for the missing, and finally bring them home. It allowed us to help remove landmines and unexploded bombs because no child should ever lose a leg just playing outside. Even as we continue to assist Vietnamese with disabilities, including children, we are also continuing to help remove Agent Orange so that Vietnam can reclaim more of your land. Were proud of our work in Danang and look forward to supporting your efforts in Bien Hoa.

Lets also not forget that our reconciliation between the two countries was led by veterans who once faced each other in battle. Think of Senator John MCain, who was held for years here as a prisoner of war, meeting General Giap, who said our countries should not be enemies, they should be friends. Think of all the veterans, both Vietnamese and American, who have helped us heal and build new ties. Few have done more in this regard over the years than a former Navy lieutenant and now Secretary of State John Kerry who is here today and behalf of all of us John we thank you for your tremendous effort. Because our veterans showed us the way, because warriors had the courage to pursue peace, our peoples are now closer than ever before. Our trade has surged, our students and scholars study together; we welcome more Vietnamese students to America than from any other country in Southeast Asia. And every year you welcome more and more American tourists, including young Americans with their backpacks, to Hanois 36 streets, and the shops of Hoi An and the imperial city of Hue. As Vietnamese and Americans we can all relate to those word written by Van Cao: From now we know each other's homeland; from now we can learn to feel for each other.

Keep working to unleash potential of your economy with TPP. TPP will help you sell more of your products to the world. The U.S. can help Vietnam improve labor conditions. I support TPP. It will help you buy more goods from us. Vietnam will be less dependent on just one trading partner. TPP will reinforce regional cooperation. The TPP addresses economic inequality, improve human rights, wages, labor conditions, prohibitions against child labor.

We agreed to build more trust, to offer training and equipment maritime humanitarian aid, to lift the embargo on sales of lethal arms. Vietnam now can have more access to military equipment to improve security. We have fully normalized our relations over the past 20 years.

The government will be committed to economic and legal reforms under the TPP.

The future of Vietnam is decided by the Vietnamese people.

People attending Obama's talk in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/GiangHuy.

Our partnership can meet global challenges that no nation can solve by itself. If we want to ensure the health of our people, the beauty of our planet, then development has to be sustainable. Nature wonders like Ha Long bay, Son Doong cave have to be preserved for our children, our grandchildren.

With rising seal level, as climate change partners, we need to commit to the Paris agreement to adapt to bring more clean energy, to protect the Mekong Delta, the rice bowl of the world. We need to save lives by helping to improve the health system, prevent disease by helping improve health system, prevent disease Vietnam committed to UN peace keeping. US is ready to help Vietnam train. Vietnam committed to un peace keeping, US ready to help Vietnam train in addition to bilateral in addition to bilateral rel our partnership helps shape internaitonal environment.

Two centuries have gone, The U.S is still struggling with our own founding ideas. Too much money in politics, inequality, racial bias, women are not paid as much as men when doing the same job. We still have problems. I am not immune to criticism that I promise I hear everyday. That scrutiny helps us find our own imperfection, allow all to have their say The US doesn't seek to impose our form on the government of Vietnam.

Economies need to thrive, thats where new ideas happen. How facebook started was because somebody had a new idea that was different and could share it. When free press that hold official accountable and build public trust. When voters can choose their own leaders it will lead to stable.

Freedom of religion means fully express love and compassion, allows faith schools to care for community. Freedom of assembly means countries can better address challenges that the government cannot solve by itself.

Upholding these rights is upholding stability inspired people around the world to remove colonialism. Nations that proclaims to be by the people, for the people. Vietnam will do it differently from the U.S., but there are these basic principles that I think we all try to work on to improve.

Its from somebody whos going to leave office, so I had lots of experience, traveling around the world.

It's an issue of all of us trying to apply these principles making sure that we, those in the government, are being true to these ideas In recent years, Vietnam has made some progress and is committed to bring law with constitution.

The government will disclose more about its budget. Vietnam committed to economic and legal reforms under TPP. Future of Vietnam is decided by the people of Vietnam.

Vietnam committed to UN peace keeping and US was ready to help Vietnam in training the staffs. In addition to bilateral relationship, our partnership helped shape international environment. This is not going to happen overnight. There may be some misunderstandings. This could take effort, dialogue from both sides to change. I am very optimistic about our future and I am confident in rooting in friendship and shared aspiration. I think of Vietnamese who crossed the ocean and some Vietnamese like Trinh Cong Son writing the song join hand, open heart and see humanity in each other.

As a friend of Vietnam, allow me to share my view.

All Vietnamese and Americans who have succeeded: doctors, journalists or public service. One of them who was born in Vietnam wrote a letter saying that he was very proud to be American and Vietnamese His personal passion is to improve life of Vietnamese people. There are so many young people here- who are ready to make their marks on the world. Your talent, drive, dreams and those things, Vietnam has everything to thrive. Your destiny is in your hands. From this moment, the U.S is right here with you as your partner, as your friends.

When freedom of speech and expression becomes fuel innovation.

Please take from me the token of trust, so we can embark upon the 100 year journey together.
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Community leaders are ramping up to to tackle poverty in rural America, targeting essential strategies to spur growth and attract new residents looking for good schools, safe streets and affordable homes.

Many of America's top rural leaders will be in Washington, D.C., May 24-26 at the 2016 Rural LISC Annual Seminar to discuss how best to scale up economic development programs to help long-struggling towns and their residents. Key 2016 campaign issues  like jobs, health care and good housing  will be at the forefront of the gathering, organized by Rural LISC, a national community development program of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Capitol, and the event is open to the press.

Many initiatives on the agenda are a counterpoint to the prevailing narrative that rural America is in unchecked decline, noted Suzanne Anarde, program vice president of Rural LISC, which has invested more than $1.06 billion to revitalize America's small towns.

"Some people think of 'rural' in terms of homespun nostalgia while others see only battered local economies," she said. "Neither is the whole story. Increasingly, Americans say they want to come back to the small towns where they grew up. That's an opportunity to rebuild the tax base and local buying powerbut we need to help communities strengthen their economic infrastructure to take advantage of it."

Rural LISC works through a network of 75 nonprofit organizations in 42 states and 1,400 counties to support local community development programs in small towns and rural areas across the country.

The national Seminar will feature Lisa Mensah, under secretary for rural development for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Other highlights include:

Fueling rural business growth  Small business is the lifeblood of the U.S. economy and particularly critical in rural areas. Panelists from GROW South Dakota; Northern Initiatives of Marquette, Mich. ; Hope Enterprise Corporation of Jackson, Miss. ; and Communities Unlimited of Fayetteville, Ark. , will explore opportunities for entrepreneurs and start-ups to access counseling, education and capital.

 Small business is the lifeblood of the U.S. economy and particularly critical in rural areas. Panelists from GROW South Dakota; Northern Initiatives of ; Hope Enterprise Corporation of ; and Communities Unlimited of , will explore opportunities for entrepreneurs and start-ups to access counseling, education and capital. Leveraging arts and culture  Experts from the South Carolina Arts Commission; National Endowment for the Arts; Tucker County Development Authority ( Thomas, W. Va ).; Dance Place, ( Washington, D.C. ); and ArtPlace America ( Brooklyn, N.Y. ) will offer ways to utilize arts and cultural programs to fuel the civic, economic and cultural life of rural communities.

 Experts from the South Carolina Arts Commission; National Endowment for the Arts; Tucker County Development Authority ( ).; Dance Place, ( ); and ArtPlace America ( ) will offer ways to utilize arts and cultural programs to fuel the civic, economic and cultural life of rural communities. Building a public health approach to rural poverty  The data on rural healthfrom smoking, obesity and teen pregnancy to premature deathsis deeply troubling. But some traditional community development strategies are proving to be powerful remedies. Dr. Megan Sandel , Boston University School of Medicine , will join Julie Willems Van Dijk from County Health Rankings Program, University of Wisconsin , and Tracy Menuez , from Human Resource Development Council in Bozeman, Mont. , to outline strategies that work to help rural residents live longer and healthier.

Attendees will also be making their case to lawmakers in a series of Capitol Hill visits. To learn more about the event, visit www.lisc.org/rural. Get updates and follow key developments on Twitter @LISCRural and #EnvisionRural.

About Rural LISC

Rural LISC provides capital and community development services that help local leaders address social and economic challenges and opportunities. Since 1995, Rural LISC has helped rural nonprofits build more than 29,000 homes and 3.2 million square feet in commercial and community facilities; helped launch and expand more than 550 small businesses; fueled 6,250 rural jobs; supported child care facilities and after-school programs for 1,000 children; and leveraged more than $120 million in matching funds to drive rural programs and development projects. Rural LISC is a national program of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which has invested $16 billion to revitalize urban and rural communities across the country. To learn more, visit www.lisc.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tracey Mershon

[email protected]

816.289.0027

SOURCE LISC
CAMPBELL, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society for Information Display (SID), the leading global organization dedicated to the development of electronic-display technology, today announced its new leadership team, comprising some of the global display industry's most distinguished experts. Prof. Yong-Seog Kim becomes the new SID president, while Dr. Helge Seetzen moves into the role of president-elect. Takatoshi Tsujimura will serve as the new treasurer and Dr. Achin Bhowmik is the executive committee's new secretary. Also selected were three new regional vice presidents: Sriram Peruvemba (Americas), P. Kathirgamanathan (Europe) and Xiaolin Yan (Asia). These appointments, mandated by the SID bylaws, will help ensure the organization continues to function efficiently and smoothly.

Dr. Amal Ghosh, outgoing SID president, stated, "It's been a great honor to serve as president for the world's premier display technology organization over the past two years. SID both attracts the very best display technologists and fosters leading-edge R&D. My predecessors on the board, through their dedicated service, have led SID to this rank, and I have no doubt that Prof. Kim will succeed in taking it to new levels of excellence. Like everyone on the Executive Committee, he is a hard worker with amazing credentials to his credit. I'm confident his leadership will yield substantial progress for SID, and I wish him great success in this role."

Noted Prof. Kim, "I would like to thank Amal for all he has done over the past two years to advance the organization's goals and visibility as more new cutting-edge displays enter our lives. I am truly honored to assume this responsibility, and I look forward to helping usher in the next generation of dynamic technologies and products that are being developed. It will be an exciting challenge to help ensure that SID keeps pace, while continuing to advance its reputation as the display industry's leading organization. I've enjoyed working with the current executive team, and as we all move into our new roles, I look forward to a dynamic and progressive next two years."

Outside of his role as SID president, Prof. Kim has been an active member of SID for the past 15 years and is a distinguished professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Hongik University in Seoul, Korea. Kim is regarded as one of leading researchers throughout the world in the materials development and processing for information displays. He has published more than 300 papers in periodical journals and conference proceedings and holds more than 80 patents. In addition, he has received 13 different awards for his work on information displays.

SID's new president-elect, Dr. Helge Seetzen, is widely considered a successful multi-media technology entrepreneur with deep experience in the university tech transfer space. He is currently the General Partner of TandemLaunch Ventures  a consumer electronics investment fund - and has held executive roles at Dolby Laboratories and at BrightSide Technologies, which he co-founded. He serves on several of boards including display-related companies such as Mirametrix, IRYSTEC and wrnch. His successes include the invention and commercial development of local dimming LED TV technology for which he received a SID Special Recognition Award and the Canadian Innovation Award from the Canadian Natural Science and Engineering Research Council. He holds more than 100 patents related to display and imaging technologies.

With more than 20 years of LCD and OLED industry experience, newly appointed treasurer Takatoshi Tsujimura also serves as the general manager and department head of Konica-Minolta's OLED business. He owns more than 140 worldwide patents and is an author of OLED Displays: Fundamentals and Applications (SID-Wiley Series in Display Technology). He has been engaged in SID program committees for more than 14 years.

Dr. Achin Bhowmik, new SID secretary, has been with Intel Corporation for more than 16 years. He currently serves as vice president and general manager of the perceptual computing group at Intel, where he leads the research, development, productization, and deployment of advanced computing solutions based on natural sensing and interactions, intuitive interfaces, immersive applications and user experiences, collectively named Intel RealSense Technology. His responsibilities include creating and growing new businesses in the areas of interactive computing systems, immersive virtual reality devices, autonomous robots and unmanned aerial vehicles. Prior to that, he served as chief of staff of Intel's personal computing group. He has more than 100 publications, including two books titled "Interactive Displays: Natural Human-Interface Technologies" and "Mobile Displays: Technology & Applications", and more than 100 granted and pending patents.

About SID

The Society for Information Display (SID) is the only professional organization focused on the display industry. In fact, by exclusively focusing on the advancement of electronic display technology, SID provides a unique platform for industry collaboration, communication and training in all related technologies while showcasing the industry's best new products. The organization's members are professionals in the technical and business disciplines that relate to display research, design, manufacturing, applications, marketing and sales. To promote industry and academic technology development, while also educating consumers on the importance of displays, SID hosts more than 10 conferences a year, including Display Week, which brings industry and academia all under one roof to showcase technology that will shape the future. SID's global headquarters are located at 1475 S. Bascom Ave., Ste. 114, Campbell, CA 95008. For more information, visit www.sid.org.

Note to Editors: Photos available upon request.

SOURCE Society for Information Display

Related Links

http://www.sid.org


ADVANCE, N.C., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sock and Accessory Brands Global, Inc., (SABG) a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of hosiery, legwear, and accessories for the entire family, announced today the addition of Brey Williams to its senior level sales team as Vice President of Sales for Strategic Accounts.

Williams, a hosiery industry veteran, brings over 20 years of experience to SABG and has previously worked with GOLD TOE Brands and Peds Legwear serving in key leadership roles across various areas of marketing, merchandising, and sales. He has broad sales expertise across multiple retail channels and will provide insightful leadership at department stores, national chains, mass merchants, and warehouse clubs.

"I'm enthusiastic about the prospect of adding sales growth to untapped channels of distribution at SABG," said Williams. "Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to develop programs that connect with the consumer and align with retailers' strategic initiatives."

"We are excited to have Brey on board," said Tom O'Riordan, CEO of SABG. "His experience in the department stores and with mass merchants will be invaluable as SABG continues to build its business with retailers nationwide."

About Sock and Accessory Brands Global, Inc.

Sock and Accessory Brands Global, Inc. is a hosiery and accessories design, product development, and distribution company headquartered in Advance, NC. With dedicated teams focused on forecasting and designing, the Company is strongly focused on performance, style, innovation, and development of hosiery and legwear for the entire family. SABG offers extensive technical expertise in products, promotional materials and retail displays. Mocksville, NC houses the 239,000 square foot state-of-the-art warehouse facilities, which ship over 1.3 million units of goods every month to hundreds of customers domestically and internationally. SABG's licensed brands include Bearpaw, NBA, and John Deere. The company also offers in-house proprietary brands such as Wool IQ, Doctor's Choice, La De Da and Game Sport. For more information, please visit www.wearsabg.com

SOURCE Sock and Accessory Brands Global, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.wearsabg.com


GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, is bringing authentic flavors from around the world to customers in the United States and Canada thanks to its Global Chef Program. Global Chef is a month-long international chef residency that brings Sodexo's top chefs from around the world to different countries in order to share authentic cuisines and cooking techniques with Sodexo's customers. Sodexo uses the Global Chef Program as a way to showcase its culinary talent from operations in 80 countries around the world while also bringing a unique dining experience to guests.

Sodexo Global Chef Francisco Layera from Chile - one of 13 chefs who visited Sodexo operations throughout North America as part of the 2016 Sodexo Global Chef Spring Tour.

The 2016 Global Chef Spring Tour in North America recently wrapped up, which proved to be the biggest and best to date. Thirteen of Sodexo's brightest culinary talents from 12 separate countries shared authentic flavors and dishes from home during visits at 83 American and Canadian locations, including colleges and universities, medical centers, corporations and government agencies.

A Taste of Chile in Canada

As a part of this year's spring tour, both St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, hosted Chef Francisco Layera, a Sodexo executive chef from Chile, who prepared Chilean dishes while engaging students, faculty and culinary staff in live cooking demonstrations. Guests were treated to such delicacies as lamb with mashed potatoes and pumpkin charquican and salmon concato.

"It is truly inspiring to see how our services can bring cultures together and how our people's commitment and engagement can create a lasting experience for our clients and customers ... and for us," shares Barry Telford, President, Sodexo Canada.

Other Global Chef 2016 Spring Tour participants came from Sodexo-served locations in the Netherlands, China, Poland, India, France, Canada, Costa Rica, Russia, Australia, Slovenia and Spain.

Sodexo delivers more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life. The Fortune Global 500 company is a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations.

Learn more about the company at its corporate blog, Sodexo Insights.

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SOURCE Sodexo

Related Links

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ATLANTA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power will once again host hundreds of students across the state for summer camps as part of its year round Learning Power education program. Learning Power provides customized curriculum and materials at no cost to schools with education coordinators presenting STEM-related lessons highlighting energy basics such as simple circuits and energy efficiency, in addition to activities that help students understand how energy is made and distributed. During the 2015-2016 school year, Georgia Power hosted more than 3,200 events in schools reaching more than 80,000 students. Since the program's inception in 2011, the company has hosted more than 14,000 events as part of the program.

"With a hands-on approach and through engaging content, the Learning Power program continues to cultivate fundamental skills in the STEM areas while helping Georgia students learn to be more energy efficient," said Johnna Robinson, community development manager for Georgia Power. "Our education initiatives are also a core piece of our overall community engagement strategy to prepare Georgia for future economic growth by providing students with essential skills that will empower them to be the leaders of tomorrow as part of a highly-skilled Georgia workforce."

The four-day summer camps will be hosted statewide throughout May and June with students already registered from local elementary schools. Camps are currently scheduled in Atlanta, Austell, Dalton, Macon, Savannah and Waynesboro.

When surveyed, 96 percent of teachers believed the curriculum helped them meet the Georgia Performance Standards for science and shared that Learning Power was very effective at educating students about energy efficiency. In addition to classroom programming, the Learning Power program has produced and published four books focused on energy education, including Power Savers  The Adventures of Savvy and Squander; Joining the Watt Squad  The Adventures of Savvy and Squander; Savvy and Squander Learn How to Make and Save Electricity with Dr. E; and Savvy and Squander Saving Energy with Emerald and Dr. E.

In addition to Learning Power summer camps, the company will again join with other leading Georgia companies to sponsor a series of Mentoring a Girl in Construction (MAGIC) camps this summer at locations across the state including Georgia Power Plants Scherer and Bowen. The camps are designed to introduce young girls to hands-on activities related to the construction industry and careers in that field.

Georgia Power's commitment to education spans its more than 100-year history and is emphasized companywide. The company offers free resources for educators including interactive diagrams, an online energy calculator, access to power plant tours and more. Other efforts to enhance and improve education in Georgia include partnerships with groups such as Junior Achievement and assistance grants for new teachers awarded annually across the state. For more information about Georgia Power's initiatives and programs, visit www.georgiapower.com/education.

About Georgia Power

Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), one of the nation's largest generators of electricity. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.5 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, 21st century coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower) and Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower).

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SOURCE Georgia Power

Related Links

http://www.georgiapower.com


NEW YORK and MUMBAI, India, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tata Consultancy Services (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, today announced the release of a new module for its Digital Software & Solutions (DS&S) Group's Customer Intelligence & Insights (CI&I) Solution for Retail Banks. The new software release features an operational analytics module that enables retail banks to understand in real-time how the product fulfillment process for consumer banking operations impacts multiple departmental touch points, and provides recommendations on operational processes to better serve their customers.

By 2019, financial institutions worldwide will spend more than $310 billion on IT, with one-third of spending going to digital transformative technologies to address customers' digital lifestyles. A recent IDC survey of financial institutions found that 'understanding the customer' was the main business objective for deploying front-office analytics solutions that facilitate collaboration and integration for customer centricity and enable banks to be proactive in providing a uniquely individualized customer journey.

"One compelling aspect of TCS' go-to-market strategy is that its vision lays out three 'maturity levels' from 360-degree Customer Insights to Customer-Centric Operations to Deeper Customer Engagement," said Jerry Silva, Global Banking Research Director, IDC Financial Insights. "These stages are not only immediately identifiable to any retail bank executive, but represent an increasing sophistication that the institution can attain through progressive implementations of an analytics solution, paving the way to digital transformation."

TCS' Customer Intelligence & Insights Solution for Retail Banks provides a future-ready, scalable platform specifically designed for banking and financial services, and is built on open source software to support an all-data architecture. Augmenting the earlier software release for customer analytics, the latest module introduces operational analytics to provide actionable insights across the banking process lifecycle, including ability to identify and eliminate process bottlenecks, reduce overhead costs and proactively detect impacted customers to recommend remedial actions with realtime alerts to customer facing departments.

"Banks must develop new ways of thinking to thrive in the digital age and anticipate and adapt to customers' evolving preferences and patterns," said Seeta Hariharan, General Manager and Group Head of TCS' Digital Software & Solutions group. "Any enterprise, including banks, that is focused on owning the customer journey and providing a seamless experience beyond traditional boundaries of services, will win at delivering digital excellence and building long term customer trust and retention."

TCS' CI&I Solution for Retail Banks features a unified set of data models and out-of-the-box KPIs that address key business issues relevant to the banking industry. The configurable solution requires little customization effort and thereby accelerates business value in the shortest possible time. It is architected to provide highly flexible delivery options and ease of integration, delivering real-time customer insights across all customer channels, and enabling retail banks to identify highly targeted customer offerings, while reducing operational costs.

Source: IDC PlanScape: How to Make the Retail Bank Branch the Face of Digital Transformation

Feb 2016 - Doc # US40147616

About TCS Digital Software & Solutions Group

Launched in 2014, TCS Digital Software & Solutions Group is a strategic growth business within TCS, formed to help customers undergo critical digital transformations with modular, scalable and fully integrated, industry-tailored licensed software and solutions. Industries served are Cities, Retail, Communications and Banking and Financial Services, four markets with a particularly urgent need to adopt emerging technologies to enhance customer intelligence capabilities and rapidly shift product and service offerings to compete in highly competitive and customer-centric arenas. For more information, visit us at http://www.tcs.com/digital-software-solutions/pages/default.aspx or on Linked In.

About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that delivers real results to global business, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT, BPS, infrastructure, engineering and assurance services. This is delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery Model, recognized as the benchmark of excellence in software development. A part of the Tata group, India's largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has over 353,000 of the world's best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $16.5 billion for year ended March 31, 2015 and is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India. For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com.

To stay up-to-date on TCS news in North America, follow @TCS_NA. For TCS global news, follow @TCS_News.

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SOURCE Tata Consultancy Services

Related Links

http://www.tcs.com


Technology significantly enabled 29 percent of the 110 fraudsters analyzed by KPMG in North America and 24 percent of the 750 fraudsters analyzed worldwide. However, proactive data analytics was not the primary means of detection in any North American frauds, and organizations only used data analytics to detect 3 percent of fraudsters worldwide. In descending order, North American frauds were most often detected by tip offs and complaints, management review, accidentally, suspicious superiors and internal audit.

"Companies can use advanced data analytics technology to search for suspicious and unusual business activity amid millions of daily transactions," said Phillip Ostwalt, partner and Global Investigations Network Leader at KPMG LLP. "However, many are not capitalizing on such technology while fraudsters find new ways to gain access to confidential information, manipulate accounting records and camouflage misappropriations."

In instances where fraudsters used technology to perpetrate frauds in North America, 35 percent included creation of false or misleading information in accounting records; 29 percent involved providing false or misleading information via email or another messaging platform; and 21 percent involved abusing permissible access to computer systems.

A higher proportion of frauds aided by technology may be skirting internal controls designed to detect them. Twenty-five percent of frauds significantly enabled by technology were detected by accident rather than by other means, whereas 10 percent that did not use technology were spotted by accident.

A Major Culprit: Weak Controls

Fraud is less likely to occur in companies with strong controls that monitor for unusual transactions through deploying analytical routines, or where the company invests in resources to defend against fraud, such as an internal audit function. However, despite the increasing threat of newer types of frauds, such as cyber fraud and continued traditional forms of wrongdoing, companies are not focusing on strengthening controls. Weak internal controls contributed to 59 percent of frauds in North America.

"In addition to ensuring internal controls are thoughtfully designed, companies should deploy effective training and instill a culture of integrity so that controls are properly executed," said Ostwalt. "Companies should also adopt new controls as their risk profiles change. Ongoing risk assessments can help cost-constrained companies ensure they are properly investing in such controls."

Additional Findings

Women Narrow the Gap  The KPMG study reflected that men are more likely to collude on frauds than women at 66 percent versus 45 percent worldwide, respectively, but women are catching up. Forty-seven percent of fraudster groups included both genders in 2015 versus 34 percent in 2010.

The KPMG study reflected that men are more likely to collude on frauds than women at 66 percent versus 45 percent worldwide, respectively, but women are catching up. Forty-seven percent of fraudster groups included both genders in 2015 versus 34 percent in 2010. Fraudsters Cause Greater Damage Together  In North America , 43 percent of the frauds involving collusion cost the victim company over $1 million . However, only 22 percent of fraudsters that acted alone inflicted a cost of over $1 million .

In , 43 percent of the frauds involving collusion cost the victim company over . However, only 22 percent of fraudsters that acted alone inflicted a cost of over . Threat Comes From Within  Fifty-six percent of North American fraudsters were employed by the company, with more than half being executives or management.

Who is Today's Fraudster in North America?

65 percent are between ages 36 and 55

39 percent are employed by the victim organization for over six years; most in operations, finance or office of the chief executive

42 percent operate in groups and 52 percent of collusive frauds involved external parties

About the Survey

Global Profiles of the Fraudster is based on a questionnaire asking KPMG Forensic professionals worldwide for details about 750 fraudsters investigated between March 2013 and August 2015 in 81 countries.

About KPMG LLP

KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (www.kpmg.com/us), is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG International's member firms have 174,000 professionals, including more than 9,000 partners, in 155 countries.

Contact:

Michael Rudnick

KPMG LLP

201-307-7398

[email protected]

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SOURCE KPMG LLP

Related Links

http://www.kpmg.com/us


The national winner, "Taste of Korea" kimchi tofu burger from Eubene Kim, received a $5,000 scholarship. He also earned for himself and his teacher, Ramon Douglas from Chatsworth Charter High School in Los Angeles an all-inclusive stay at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, where they will attend learning sessions with Canyon Ranch nutritionists and the cooking staff.

Regional winners of the C-CAP Meatless Monday Veggie Burger Contest received $2,000 scholarships:

Arizona-- Juliet Auld, Mountain View High School in Tucson for

Falafel Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomato Veggie Burgers with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce.

Chicago, IL-- Aliyah Taylor, South Shore International College Prep for

Smoked Chipotle Rice Burger.

Hampton Roads, VA--- Reece Conwell, Woodrow Wilson High School for

Spicy TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) on a Toasted Onion Bun.

New York-- Tyler Ramos of Tottenville High School in Staten Island for

Sundried Tomato Patty.

Philadelphia Region-- Nyshiera Jones, A. Philip Randolph Career Academy for

Beet Burger with Asian Slaw.

DC/Prince George's County, Maryland: Jasmine Blackwell, Crossland High School, MD for

Kale Burger.

"We're thrilled to team up with C-CAP for the annual recipe contest. This year, we challenged C-CAP students to convert traditional meat-based burgers into meatless versions. The winning recipes are stellar," said Sid Lerner, founder of the Meatless Monday movement.

"Through this annual contest, student chefs receive guidance from their teachers on recipe writing and development and are able to showcase their talent creating meatless recipes," remarked C-CAP president Susan Robbins. "We greatly appreciate The Monday Campaigns providing high school students with the opportunity for scholarships while promoting healthy eating."

C-CAP is the national leader providing scholarships, education, and career opportunities in the culinary arts to underserved youth, and Meatless Monday is an initiative of the nonprofit The Monday Campaigns, which provides healthy and environmentally friendly information and recipes.

Judges evaluated the recipe submissions based on originality, flavor, healthfulness, ease of preparation, and writing ability.

Chicago-based celeb Chef Rick Bayless, one of the 2016 judges said, "Even having a contest like this shows the giant leaps forward we're making when it comes to good food. I can't tell you how encouraging it is to see young people taking up the mantle of healthy eating. The experience of judging filled me with all kinds of hope."

Other judges are chefs Chris Feldmeier, Los Angeles; Jason Weiner, New York; Scott Uehlein, Oklahoma, and Diana Rice, RD, recipe editor for Meatless Monday, New York.

Get the winning recipes at http://www.meatlessmonday.com/c-cap and C-CAP, www.ccapinc.org.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160514/367679

SOURCE Meatless Monday

Related Links

http://www.mondaycampaigns.org


BEAVERTON, Ore., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, a leading worldwide provider of measurement solutions, is bringing support for serial bus standards testing to the new DPO70000SX family of ultra-high performance oscilloscopes. Featuring patented Asynchronous Time Interleaving (ATI) signal acquisition technology, the DPO70000SX platform offers industry-best signal fidelity and performance coupled with a scalable architecture that offers "room to grow" as signal speeds continue to increase.

Tektronix is enabling serial bus test support for 4th generation standards including USB3.1, Thunderbolt over USB Type-C, PCIe Gen4 and DDR4 on the DPO70000SX Series. This new oscilloscope family offers incredible signal fidelity enabling precise margin analysis on 4th generation serial data rates beyond 10Gb/sec.

As engineering teams prepare for next generation standards in the rapidly growing cloud computing and mobile segments, they need a measurement platform with extremely consistent and precise measurement of high data rate signaling schemes. To meet this need, Tektronix is enabling serial bus test support for 4th generation standards including USB3.1, Thunderbolt over USB Type-C, PCIe Gen4 and DDR4 on the DPO70000SX Series. This new oscilloscope family offers incredible signal fidelity enabling precise margin analysis on 4th generation serial data rates beyond 10Gb/sec.

In addition, Tektronix is bringing its broad portfolio of applications solutions to the DPO70000SX family. This portfolio spans over 50 solutions for PHY layer compliance testing, characterization and debugging in enterprise, data communications, mobile and display segments. The solutions for both 3rd and 4th generation standards offer such capabilities as automated test set-up and execution, built-in reporting options, deep analysis and more.

"As enterprise computing moves from 3rd generation to 4th generation serial standards, our customers need an oscilloscope with the accuracy, support and scalability to manage the transition seamlessly," said Brian Reich, general manager, Performance Oscilloscopes, Tektronix. "Starting with 23 or 33 GHz models, the DPO70000SX's scalable architecture provides 'room to grow' so engineers can preserve their test investment when the time comes to test next-generation standards that need bandwidth at 50 GHz and beyond."

The DPO70000SX series of oscilloscopes offer a number of advantages for high-performance compliance and debug applications compared to previous generation oscilloscopes, including:

High bandwidth, low noise ATI channels for the best signal fidelity and widest measurement margins for today's and tomorrow's fastest signals.

A flexible architecture allowing units to be configured at the customer site to go from 23 GHz to 70 GHz with little downtime.

Industry-best triggering with 25 GHz edge trigger bandwidth to easily capture the fastest signals.

High-precision time base delivering the extremely accurate timing and jitter measurements on today's fastest standards.

An integrated counter/timer that enables high precision timing measurements to characterize designs and debug problems.

Availability

Third and 4th generation serial bus application solution options for DPO70000SX oscilloscopes will be available beginning May 31. Contact a Tektronix sales representative for details.

Wondering what else Tektronix is up to? Check out the Tektronix Bandwidth Banter blog.

About Tektronix

Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. Join us on the journey of innovation at TEK.COM.

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SOURCE Tektronix, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.tek.com


WILLIAMSBURG, Va., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tempus Applied Solutions LLC (Tempus), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tempus Applied Solutions Holdings Inc. (OTC: TMPS), has been awarded FAA approval, in the form of a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), for Tempus' initial FANS/1-A and ADS-B compliance solution [(Tempus' "Solution AA")].

Although initially conformed on a Gulfstream III aircraft, Tempus' solution has received an "Approved Model List", or AML, STC, which means that it can be applied to any business and commercial aircraft. The modification includes the installation of a non-federated (standalone) UNS-1FW FMS; as well as [a?] new UNS ACARS UL-801 Unilink; UNS CVR-120R digital Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR); ICG/Rockwell-Collins ICS-220A Satcom; and TDR-94D Rockwell-Collins transponders. Tempus has also released configurations for its Gulfstream IV and Global Express clients, and is currently selecting its next installation platforms.

"We are very enthusiastic about the recent award of the FANS/ADS-B STC by the FAA; it will be an extremely affordable and robust solution for a large number of aircraft types," said Scott Terry, Tempus CEO. "Our engineering team and our OEM partners, Universal and Rockwell Collins, have created exactly what the market is looking for in terms of an economical means of compliance".

FANS and ADS-B compliance will be mandated in most parts of the world by 2020. While some newer aircraft are delivered from the OEM with compliant systems, many older, large-cabin business jets will require extensive upgrades in order to comply with FANS/ADS-B mandates. Tempus expects to provide STC kits and turnkey modification and installation services to a wide array of commercial and government business jet owners and operators.

For more information on Tempus, visit tempus-as.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Katherine Terry, public relations manager

[email protected] | +1 864.901.8114

ABOUT TEMPUS APPLIED SOLUTIONS LLC: Tempus, a subsidiary of Tempus Applied Solutions Holdings Inc. (OTC: TMPS), provides design, engineering, systems integration and flight operations solutions that support critical aviation mission requirements for a variety of customers, including the United States Department of Defense, other U.S. government agencies, foreign governments and select corporations and individuals in the private sector. Our experienced team of professionals provides efficient, economical and flexible service that responds to the most challenging demands facing the aviation industry today. Our commitment to safety, security and discretion has earned us a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking aviation companies worldwide. Tempus is headquartered in Williamsburg, Virginia.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties concerning Tempus Applied Solutions Holdings Inc., its subsidiaries and their expected financial and operating performance and plans. Actual events or results could differ materially from those described or implied herein, including as a result of risks described in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Tempus Applied Solutions Holdings Inc., and other risks and uncertainties. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or results after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, new circumstances or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable laws.

TEMPUS APPLIED SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS INC.

TEMPUS APPLIED SOLUTIONS LLC

133 Waller Mill Road | Suite 100 | Williamsburg, VA 23185

+1 757.969.6188 | +1 800.281.4468 | [email protected]

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SOURCE Tempus Applied Solutions Holdings Inc.

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AUSTIN, Texas, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP has filed a formal Complaint against Harmony Public Schools (Harmony), urging the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to conduct a full investigation into Harmony based on documented abuses suggesting a wide-spread pattern of fraud, discrimination, and abuse in the Harmony network.

Harmony  which is financed by over $250 million federal and state tax dollars annually  operates seven open-enrollment charter school districts serving forty-six charter campuses in Texas. The Complaint sets out numerous substantiated violations of laws and regulations designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public resources. According to the Complaint, Harmony engages in illegal employment discrimination on the basis of national origin and gender, preference and selection of affiliated vendors in violation of open and competitive bidding requirements, and misuse of public education funds.

"The TEA has a responsibility to taxpayers to ensure that public education dollars are used solely for their intended purpose," said Robert Amsterdam, founding partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP. "Our own limited investigation reveals that Harmony uses taxpayer funds to finance an illegal H1-B visa scheme that places underqualified Turkish teachers into key positions in its schools, while simultaneously underpaying its more qualified non-Turkish teachers. We have also learned that Harmony misappropriates public funds by routinely engaging in improper self-dealing transactions with affiliated vendors, which has the further effect of preventing local businesses from competing for contracts at Harmony schools."

Harmony has been the subject of federal and state investigations in recent years, with findings including poor financial controls, misuse of federal program funds for special education and Title I, and significant underrepresentation of English-language learners and students with special needs in Harmony schools. As those investigations did not examine Harmony's employment, procurement, or business practices, the Complaint formally requests that the TEA conduct a comprehensive investigation into Harmony to ensure that these past legal violations have been rectified and that its ongoing practices are consistent with the law. The TEA and Commissioner have broad authority to monitor and investigate Harmony, and the Complaint submits that the Commissioner should conduct an investigation now in light of Harmony's aggressive expansion plans to open up to fifteen new campuses in Texas over the next two years.

The Complaint also asserts that Harmony and many of its directors, employees, and related vendors are connected to the Gulen Organization, a network of schools and affiliated businesses headed by Fethullah Gulen, a reclusive Turkish cleric residing in Saylorsville, Pennsylvania. "We believe that Harmony's ill-gotten gains are funneled to the Gulen Organization, which uses them to enrich itself and to expand its political influence in the United States, Turkey and dozens of other countries around the world," said Amsterdam. "My firm is submitting this Complaint in its own name, without any of the numerous Texas taxpayers who support the Complaint, owing to the Gulen Organization's standard practice of harassing and intimidating anyone who speaks out against it."

Amsterdam & Partners LLP  an international law firm with offices in London and Washington, DC  acts for the Republic of Turkey, and is conducting a global investigation into the alleged illegal activities of the Gulen Organization. Additional information about Amsterdam & Partners LLP is available at www.guleninvestigation.com.

This material is distributed by Amsterdam & Partners on behalf of the Republic of Turkey. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

SOURCE Amsterdam & Partners LLP

Related Links

http://guleninvestigation.com/


"These students have demonstrated a passion for excellence and a remarkable work ethic," said Brian Crutcher, TI executive vice president. "Their academic accomplishments and other talents set them apart, and their engagement in the community is a real testament to their interest in making a difference in the world. We are proud to support them as they move to the next phase of their education, and we look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future."

Seventeen of the students honored for their academic achievements this year are from North Texas: Varad Agarwala of Plano, Greenhill School; Jiaming Chen of Dallas, Plano West Senior High School; Robert Crawford of Allen, Allen High School; Carolyn Guan of Plano, Texas Academy of Math & Science; Caroline Hao of Plano, Plano West Senior High School; Milan "Lyndie" Ho of Highland Village, Edward S. Marcus High School; Casey Hu of Plano, Plano West Senior High School; Tiasha Joardar of Plano, Plano West Senior High School; Alice Liu of Southlake, Carroll Senior High School; Allen Mathew of Lewisville, Hebron High School; Hailey Modi of Plano, Texas Academy of Math & Science; Patrick Ondrusek of Richardson, Plano East Senior High School; Paige Rigsby of Garland, Garland High School; Abel Sen of Frisco, Liberty High School; Si Qi Tong of Plano, Plano West Senior High School; Kevin Wu of Plano, St. Mark's School of Texas; and Heather Xiao of Dallas, Hockaday School.

The honorees from other states include Rachel Chae of Alpharetta, GA, Johns Creek High School; Matthew Chan of Freemont, CA, Irvington High School; Vineet Kosaraju of Saratoga, CA, Harker High School; Jocelyn Liu of Palo Alto, CA; Henry M. Gunn High School; Gordon McCulloh of Kennebunk ME, Maine School of Science and Math; and Andrew Xi of Chandler, AZ, Corona Del Sol High School.

Each year, less than 1 percent of high school seniors nationwide achieve the status of National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalist. Students are selected for the awards based on their scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, academic record, leadership abilities, writing skills and extracurricular activities. To become a finalist, each semifinalist must complete a detailed scholarship application, which includes writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists must also have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT scores that confirm their qualifying test performance.

TI funds these scholarships in partnership with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a private, not-for-profit organization.

The awards are named for Jerry Junkins, who became TI's chairman in 1988 and served until his death in 1996. His passion for education helped create model Head Start programs in the Dallas area. He was also chairman of the Citizens Council Education Committee and fought for education reform in Texas schools by promoting measurement and accountability in the classroom.

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is a global semiconductor design and manufacturing company that develops analog ICs and embedded processors. By employing the world's brightest minds, TI creates innovations that shape the future of technology. TI is helping more than 100,000 customers transform the future, today. Learn more at www.ti.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371054

SOURCE Texas Instruments

Related Links

http://www.ti.com


NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Epica Awards is proud to announce its Film Winners' Showcase in New York in association with cinema advertising network Screenvision Media.

The event will take place at the Chelsea Bowtie Theatre (260 West 23rd Street, New York) on Tuesday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m., followed by cocktails. The Epica Showcase is a 45-minute compilation of the film Gold and Grand Prix winners from the 2015 ceremony in November. It represents the best in creative communications worldwide.

Present at the event will be advertisers, agency creatives and representatives from Epica's local jury partners: Adweek, Digiday and Fast Company's Co.Create. Epica is the only international creative awards judged by journalists covering advertising, marketing and communications.

Elizabeth Marks, global president of Epica's parent company Maydream, said, "A warm thanks to Screenvision Media for making this event possible. Screenvision is all about curating storytelling for brands, exhibitors and audiences. As you'll see, the Epica Showcase also features some of the sharpest storytelling and most dynamic images to appear on screens last year."

Founded in 1987, the Epica Awards is a global creative competition covering advertising, PR, design and digital. Judged exclusively by the specialist press, its jury members represent 58 media across 47 countries.

"Creative storytelling is of paramount importance to Screenvision Media, and we've put a heavy focus on developing incredible pieces of content for brands  and what better canvas to tell that story than on the 40 foot screen," said John Partilla, CEO, Screenvision Media. "We are proud to host the Epica Showcase and join The Epica Awards in recognizing the best of the best in the creative community."

Screenvision Media is a premier cinema, video, and media organization. Its goal is to create engaging, technology forward media solutions for all its partners.

For tickets to the event:

https://epicashowcase.yapsody.com/event/index/33491

For further information:

Nathalie Carmel

E: [email protected] T: 212.401.7910

SOURCE Screenvision Media
NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to the bandwidth limitations of their traditional voice-centric LMR (Land Mobile Radio) networks, public safety agencies are keen to leverage commercial cellular network technology to support their growing broadband application needs. Considering its thriving ecosystem, spectrum flexibility and performance metrics, LTE has emerged as the leading candidate for public safety mobile broadband networks. In addition, with the recent approval of the MCPTT (Mission Critical Push to Talk) voice standard as part of 3GPP Release 13, LTE has also become an attractive substitute for providing LMR-like voice services.



The Qatar Ministry of Interior made headlines when it deployed a private 800 MHz LTE network in 2012. Since then, numerous public safety LTE networks have sprung up across the globe, including the UAE, China, Laos, Turkey and Kenya. Several early adopter LTE deployments are also operational in the United States, as part of the planned FirstNet nationwide public safety broadband network. While most initial public safety LTE investments are limited to small-scale networks, nationwide rollouts in the United States and South Korea are expected to trigger significant large-scale investments throughout the globe.



The European market is largely dominated by MVNO arrangements, such as the UK Home Office's ESN (Emergency Services Network) program that will use EE's commercial LTE network to deliver prioritized mission critical voice and data services for the UK's public safety agencies. As part of the program, EE is enhancing its existing network with additional sites, satellite backhaul and a dedicated mobile core for first responders, among other investments.



Driven by the thriving ecosystem, SNS Research estimates that annual investments on public safety LTE infrastructure will reach $600 Million by the end of 2016. The market, which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport networking gear, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over the next four years. By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by over 4.4 Million LTE device shipments, including smartphones, rugged handheld terminals and vehicular routers.



The "Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: 2016  2030  Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts" report presents an in-depth assessment of the global public safety LTE market, besides touching upon the wider LMR and mobile broadband industries. In addition to covering the business case, challenges, technology, spectrum allocation, industry roadmap, value chain, deployment case studies, vendor products, strategies, standardization initiatives and applications ecosystem for public safety LTE, the report also presents comprehensive forecasts for mobile broadband, LMR and public safety LTE subscriptions from 2016 till 2030. Also covered are public safety LTE service revenues, over both private and commercial networks. In addition, the report presents revenue forecasts for public safety LTE infrastructure, devices, integration services and management solutions.



The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report, as well as a list and associated details of over 90 global public safety LTE network commitments (as of Q2'2016).



Topics Covered

The report covers the following topics:

- Business case for public safety LTE and mobile broadband services, including key benefits and challenges

- Technology, economics, trends, commercial commitments and deployment case studies

- List of public safety LTE engagements worldwide

- Public safety LTE infrastructure, devices and applications

- Industry roadmap, value chain and standardization initiatives

- Spectrum allocation, deployment models and funding strategies

- Profiles and strategies of over 260 ecosystem players including public safety system integrators and LTE infrastructure/device OEMs

- TCO analysis of private and commercial public safety LTE deployments

- Military and tactical LTE deployments

- Public safety LTE base station (eNB) form factor analysis

- Exclusive interview transcripts from 5 key ecosystem players: Ericsson, Airbus Defence and Space, Sepura, Aricent and Parallel Wireless

- Strategic recommendations for vendors, system integrators, public safety agencies and mobile operators

- Market analysis and forecasts from 2016 till 2030





Forecast Segmentation

Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:



Public Safety LTE Infrastructure

Submarkets

- RAN (Radio Access Network)

- EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and Policy

- Mobile Backhaul and Transport

RAN Base Station (eNB) Mobility Categories

- Fixed Base Stations

- Transportable Base Stations

RAN Base Station (eNB) Cell Size Categories

- Macrocells

- Small Cells

Transportable RAN Base Station (eNB) Form Factor Categories

- NIB (Network-in-a-Box)

- VNS (Vehicle Network System)

- SOW (System-on-Wheels)

- Airborne Platforms



Public Safety LTE Management & Integration Solutions

Submarkets

- Network Integration & Testing

- Device Management & User Services

- Managed Services, Operations & Maintenance

- Cybersecurity



Public Safety LTE Devices

Submarkets

- Private LTE

- Commercial LTE

Form Factor Categories

- Smartphones & Handportable Terminals

- Vehicle Mount Routers & Terminals

- Tablets & Notebook PCs

- USB Dongles & Others



Public Safety LTE Subscriptions & Service Revenue

Submarkets

- Private LTE

- Commercial LTE



Public Safety User Subscriptions over Private Mobile Broadband

Submarkets

- Private LTE

- Private WiMAX



Public Safety User Subscriptions over Commercial Mobile Broadband

Submarkets

- 3G

- WiMAX

- LTE

- 5G & Beyond



LMR Subscriptions

Submarkets

- Analog

- DMR

- dPMR, NXDN & PDT

- P25

- TETRA

- Tetrapol

- Others



LMR Data Subscriptions

Submarkets

- P25 - Phase 1

- P25 - Phase 2

- TETRA

- TEDS

- Tetrapol

- Others



Public Safety LTE Applications

Submarkets

- Video Applications

- GIS, AVLS and Mapping

- Mobile VPN Access & Security

- CAD (Computer Aided Dispatching)

- Remote Database Access

- Telemetry and Remote Diagnostics

- Bulk Multimedia/Data Transfers

- PTT & Voice over LTE

- Situational Awareness Applications



Regional Segmentation

- Asia Pacific

- Eastern Europe

- Latin & Central America

- Middle East & Africa

- North America

- Western Europe



Key Questions Answered

The report provides answers to the following key questions:

- How big is the public safety LTE opportunity?

- What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?

- How is the ecosystem evolving by segment and region?

- What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?

- Which regions and submarkets will see the highest percentage of growth?

- How does standardization impact the adoption of LTE for public safety applications?

- When will MCPTT and proximity services see large scale proliferation?

- What is the status of private LTE rollouts and public safety MVNO offerings across the globe?

- What opportunities exist for commercial mobile operators and MVNOs in the public safety LTE market?

- Is there a market for 400 MHz LTE networks?

- What are the prospects of tactical, vehicle-mounted and airborne LTE eNB platforms?

- How can public safety agencies leverage unused spectrum resources to fund private LTE networks?

- What strategies should system integrators and vendors adopt to remain competitive?



Key Findings

The report has the following key findings:

- SNS Research estimates that annual investments on public safety LTE infrastructure will reach $600 Million by the end of 2016. The market, which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport networking gear, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over the next four years.

- By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by over 4.4 Million LTE device shipments, including smartphones, rugged handheld terminals and vehicular routers.

- Following the Qatar Ministry of Interior's private 800 MHz LTE network deployment in 2012, multiple private LTE rollouts are underway by security forces throughout the oil rich GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, including the Abu Dhabi and Dubai police forces.

- Driven by nationwide public safety LTE network rollouts in the United States and South Korea, the North America and Asia Pacific regions will account for nearly 70% of all public safety LTE investments over the next four years.

- Almost all major LMR industry players are leveraging partnerships with established LTE infrastructure OEMs such as Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and Samsung, to offer end-to-end LTE solutions.

- Consolidation efforts are continuing to take place throughout the industry, particularly among the largest LTE infrastructure OEMs and public safety system integrators.

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03047360-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.



http://www.reportlinker.com





__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

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ONTARIO, Calif., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermal Dynamics International, a major supplier of heat exchangers for the automotive, heavy truck and off-highway industries, has been acquired by Zhejiang Yinlun Machinery Co. Ltd., Tiantai, Zhejiang, China.

Thermal Dynamics manufactures a full range of water- and air-cooled heat exchangers, aluminum radiators and charge air coolers as well as stainless steel integral and remote coolers. It will continue operation as a wholly-owned subsidiary of YLSQ Holdings Inc. in Delaware, USA.

Previously owned by Evergreen Pacific Partners located in Seattle, Washington, Thermal Dynamics has its headquarters and a manufacturing facility in Ontario, California, as well as three joint-venture production relationships in China. It also has sales and application engineering centers in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and Mooresville, North Carolina. It has about 100 employees.

Thermal Dynamics' customers include Allison Transmission, Daimler Truck North America, Ford, FCA, Harley-Davidson, Oshkosh, PACCAR and Polaris, as well as auto suppliers such as Faurecia and Valeo.

Yinlun Board Chairman Xu Xiaomin noted that the acquisition is designed to expand Yinlun's footprint in North America, speed global product development efforts and strengthen relationships with major customers in the NAFTA region.

"Thermal Dynamics is a recognized leader in the development and manufacture of innovative heat-exchange systems and components," Xiaomin explained.

"Yinlun already has a strong customer base with Caterpillar, Cummins Engine, Ford, and John Deere in the U.S., and this acquisition also will allow us to build off of Thermal Dynamics' diverse automotive, heavy-truck and off-highway customer base," he added. "In addition, the company also serves industries new to Yinlun such as high-performance and small-engine manufacturers."

Dean Arneson, president and CEO of Thermal Dynamics, will continue in a similar position with the new Yinlun subsidiary.

"Combining our resources with Yinlun will create tremendous growth opportunities benefiting both companies in the future," Arneson said. "I am enthusiastic that our new company will be very competitive from day one."

Zhejiang Yinlun Machinery Co. Ltd. invested $56.65 million to acquire 100 percent of Thermal Dynamics International, which posted sales of $49.5 million in 2015.

Yinlun was established in 1958 in Tiantai and has been listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 2007 (YL -- 002126). In the last 13 years, Yinlun has been ranked as the #1 heat exchanger supplier in the Chinese market. Currently the company has 3,300 employees, the majority at facilities in China. Yinlun also is located in Germany, U.K. and the United States.

About Evergreen Pacific Partners

Based in Seattle, Washington, Evergreen Pacific Partners currently manages two private equity funds totaling $700 million with a focus on investing in traditional, middle-market companies in the western portion of North America. Evergreen Pacific was co-founded by Timothy Bernardez, T. J. McGill and Michael Nibarger. More information is available at www.eppcapital.com

SOURCE Thermal Dynamics International
LAUF AN DER PEGNITZ, Germany, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The renowned German jewellery, watches and beauty brand THOMAS SABO is presenting the latest addition to the Charm Club, available exclusively in the US from 15th of June 2016. The exquisitely detailed designs pay homage to New York: the pulsating metropolis and 'melting pot' of cultures.

New York, New York! THOMAS SABO presents a special Charm Club edition inspired by the city that never sleeps. #thomassabo (PRNewsFoto/THOMAS SABO GmbH & CO.KG)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371297 )



Whether the world-famous Statue of Liberty, the enormous Empire State Building or the tasty burger from the diner on the corner - the playful THOMAS SABO New York Charms capture the fascinating flair of the Big Apple and stylishly eternalise any New York experience on a bracelet or necklace. Ensuring a short trip to NYC is remembered for many years to come.

Charm up your life!

Please download all images as well as the pricelist here.

About THOMAS SABO

THOMAS SABO is one of the globally-leading jewellery, watches and beauty companies, designing, selling and distributing lifestyle products for women and men. The company, established in 1984 by Thomas Sabo in Lauf/Pegnitz, southern Germany, operates around 300 of its own shops across all five continents with a total of around 1,860 employees. At its headquarters, THOMAS SABO employs a staff of around 490. THOMAS SABO also collaborates globally with approximately 2,800 trade partners as well as leading airlines and cruise operators.



Press contact

THOMAS SABO GmbH & Co. KG

Felizia Kindermann | Head of International & Corporate PR

Tel: +49(0)9123-9715-0

Mail: [email protected]

Web: http://www.thomassabo.com



SOURCE THOMAS SABO GmbH & CO.KG
SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Trianni, Inc. ("TRIANNI"), a biotechnology leader in antibody discovery technology, is pleased to announce Chief Executive Officer and researcher Matthias Wabl, PhD, will be speaking with fellow researchers about the isolation of fully human therapeutic monoclonal antibodies during the 2016 BIO International Convention, June 6 - 9.

"The immune system generates a library of billions of different antibodies, each antibody with a unique specificity. For almost any structure, there will be several different antibodies produced. To isolate the antibody-producing cells of interest, we merely need to expose the host to the antigen of interest and then select. So antibodies offer huge advantages over small chemicals in terms of the efficiency of drug discovery and development," Wabl explains. "The Trianni mouse was created using an extensive gene design approach aimed at maximizing accessible antibody diversity. This gives researchers a path to efficient expression of the full human antibody repertoire and, at the same time, maintains the natural immune response of the wild-type mouse. Validation studies via our major pharma clients and on our own have provided us data showing how effective our mice are over similar platforms for drug development. One client noted, 'In a side-by-side comparison to a competing in-vivo platform, the Trianni Mouse was found to be far superior.'

"We're eager to partner with innovative researchers, and we're interested in talking with them at the 2016 BIO International Convention, June 6-9, here in San Francisco," Wabl says. Company officials will be available for 1:1 meetings during the convention.

For further information and to set up a conversation during the convention, please contact [email protected] or call +1-866-374-9314.

About Trianni, Inc.

Trianni is a privately held organization, formed in 2010 with a mission to enterprise recent advances in DNA synthesis and genomic modification technology for the development of an optimized therapeutic antibody discovery platform, The Trianni Mouse. The company has research and administrative facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area (CA, USA) and in Research Triangle Park (NC, USA). For more information, please visit www.trianni.com.

Contacts

Mandy Boyd

Director of Marketing

1.415.231.0256 [o]

1.866.674.9314

[email protected]

SOURCE Trianni, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.trianni.com


FAIRFAX, Va., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelera Solutions, Inc., an industry leader in Cloud and Virtualization solutions announced it was awarded the US Peace Corps Microsoft Azure Cloud Hosting contract. The Peace Corps was seeking a managed Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution within Microsoft Azure Enterprise Government cloud to host PCMEDICS, the Peace Corps' electronic medical record system.

Terrill Andrews, Executive Vice President of Accelera Solutions said, "Peace Corps' vision to adopt the Azure Government Cloud as a platform to support the needs of its Volunteers shows their commitment to their noble mission of serving global citizens most in need. It is an honor to be chosen by the Peace Corps to support that mission."

Accelera will provide the Peace Corps with a fully managed Azure Cloud solution in support of their globally deployed electronic healthcare application environment. Accelera's services include migration, management and 24x7 cloud monitoring. With Azure cloud adoption, Peace Corps and Accelera together will continue to meet and adhere to industry best practices.

"Accelera Solutions, Microsoft Federal Cloud Partner of the Year, is a leading partner in driving the success of the Microsoft Azure Government platform," said Michael Batt, Director, US Government Partner Programs, Microsoft Corporation. "In selecting Accelera for a healthcare application that impacts its global workforce, the consumer can move forward with confidence that it will quickly enjoy the benefits of experiencing Azure Government."

"This award really speaks to how committed we are to our customer's 'cloud first' vision," said Joe Brown, President and Chief Operating Officer of Accelera Solutions.

While our company grows every year, we are proud to say that by leveraging the power of the Azure Government Cloud, Accelera will continue to innovate and deliver secure cloud based solutions for our customers.

About Accelera Solutions:

Accelera, a small business, is a leading provider of cloud and virtual computing solutions with a focus on private, public, and hybrid clouds solutions. Accelera provides its customers with maximum availability, flexibility, mobility and speed for accessing critical information by simplifying complex systems into a flexible cloud oriented architecture that improves manageability, efficiency, and security while optimizing an organization's resources. Accelera has successfully deployed cloud and virtualization solutions for hundreds of Federal, state, and commercial clients. For more information about Accelera Solutions please visit: http://www.accelerasolutions.com/

Christine Kelly

703-637-3314

[email protected]

SOURCE Accelera Solutions, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.accelerasolutions.com


NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vanbridge Holdings LLC, an insurance intermediary, capital advisory and insurance and reinsurance management firm, announced today the appointment of four new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the board are Craig Farr, David P. Delaney, Jr., Jose Montemayor and Clement S. Dwyer, Jr.

"We are privileged to add these four individuals to our board," said Vanbridge's Managing Principal and CEO, Philip V. Moyles, Jr. "Each brings a unique perspective, as well as invaluable input and expertise across the fields of private equity, capital markets and insurance. We look forward to their contributions in support of Vanbridge's vision."

Craig Farr, most recently served as the head of Credit and Capital Markets for KKR and was a member of the firm's management committee. Joining KKR in 2006, he first oversaw the firm's capital markets unit before taking on responsibility for its credit group in 2013. Prior to KKR, Mr. Farr spent 10 years at Citigroup Global Markets Inc. where he co-led the North American capital markets business. Mr. Farr's previous responsibilities included Head of U.S. Convertible and Corporate Equity Derivative Origination. Mr. Farr graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada.

David P. Delaney, Jr., has served as the President and CEO of Lancer Insurance Group since 1982. His background includes almost 40 years of insurance and reinsurance experience with American International Group, American Re-Insurance Company, American Risk Management (Reiss Group), Delaney Intermediaries, Inc. and Lancer Financial Group. Mr. Delaney is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and has received that institution's Outstanding Professional Achievement Award.

Jose Montemayor is a Principal of Black Diamond Management and Black Diamond Capital Partners; a private equity fund specializing in insurance. He has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of insurance regulation and Insurance M&A, including six years as the gubernatorial appointed Texas State Insurance Commissioner. Prior to his career in the insurance industry, Mr. Montemayor served in the US Air Force for 24 years and retired with the rank of Major in 1992. He is a graduate of St. Edwards University (BA Management) and holds advanced degrees in Management (MA Management) from Webster University, Logistics (MS Logistics) from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and Accounting (Masters of Accountancy) from Texas State University.

Clement (Clem) S. Dwyer, Jr., serves as the President of URSA Advisors, Inc., a provider of insurance and reinsurance advisory services. Prior to the formation of URSA Advisors, Mr. Dwyer served as President and CEO of Signet Star Holdings, Inc., a reinsurance subsidiary of W.R. Berkeley Corp. From 1970 until 1996, he held various positions at Guy Carpenter & Company, most recently as an Executive Vice President and Director. Mr. Dwyer graduated from Tufts University, attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business - Executive Program, and St. John's University, School of Risk Management, Insurance & Actuarial Science.

The new board members join Vanbridge's existing Board of Directors which includes: Philip V. Moyles, Jr., Managing Principal and CEO of Vanbridge LLC; VJ Dowling, Founder and Managing Partner of Dowling & Partners Securities; Michael Odrich, Global Head of A&M Capital; and Meryl Hartzband, most recently the Chief Investment Officer of Stone Point Capital.

About Vanbridge

Vanbridge is an insurance intermediary, capital advisory and insurance and reinsurance management firm that provides products and services at the intersection of the (re)insurance, private equity and hedge fund industries. Examples include insurance and employee-executive benefit programs tailored to the needs of private equity funds and their portfolio companies; transaction solutions; origination and management of (re) insurance-related principal opportunities for investors; and (re) insurance-related advisory and product development services. Clients include private equity firms, hedge funds, insurers, reinsurers and banks. www.vanbridge.com

SOURCE Vanbridge Holdings LLC

Related Links

http://vanbridge.com


Thousands of Saigoneers welcome Obama to Ho Chi Minh City

May 24, 2016 | 01:42 am PT

Air Force One carrying U.S. President Barack Obama has landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport today at 3:55 p.m. Thousands of people are waiting for him along the streets of Ho Chi Minh City.

Thousands of people welcome Obama in the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Phuoc Tuan

Ben Rhodes, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications & Speechwriting, twits about Saigoneers welcoming Obama.

Straight from the airport, Obama headed to Jade Emperor Pagoda in central Ho Chi Minh City. The pagoda covers 2,000 square meters and sits opposite office buildings in a discreet well-covered neighborhood on Mai Thi Luu Street in District 1, just 100 meters away from Dien Bien Phu Street.

Saigoneers excited to spot a glimse of Obama near Jade Emperor Pagoda. Photo by VnExpress/Manh Tung

Obama stopped by the pagoda for around 10 minutes. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Duyen

U.S. President Barack Obama talks with a monk during a visit to Jade Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam May 24, 2016. Photo by Reuters/Carlos Barria

Roads in the airport have been sealed off during the time Obama's delegation is welcomed.

Obama descending from Air Force One at Tan Son Nhat Airport, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Cong

U.S. President Barack Obama receives flowers as he arrives at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam May 24, 2016. Photo by Reuters/Carlos Barria

Despite light rain, hundreds of people were waiting to greet him on the streets leading to Intercontinental Hotel, where Obama will be staying.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Veris Wealth Partners, one of the nation's leading independent wealth advisors for sustainable and impact investors, announced today it has been honored by the City of New York for having a positive impact on the communities of the City.

"Best for NYC" was developed by the New York Economic Development Corp. in partnership with the nonprofit B Lab. The award recognizes local businesses in all five boroughs that provide quality jobs, strengthen communities, and preserve the environment.

The list of Finalists and Honorees published by B Lab can be found here.

"This honor reflects the commitment of the entire Veris team in supporting enlightened business practices that create a more sustainable world locally and globally," said Veris Partner Lori Choi. "Veris is very pleased to have been recognized as an Honoree by the City of New York in this first-ever Best for NYC campaign."

Veris has been honored by B Corp in 2013, 2014 and 2015 as being in the top 10% of all B Corps. B Corp status is a voluntary designation conferred on companies that meet B Lab's standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. View Veris' B Corp rating here.

About Veris Wealth Partners

Veris Wealth Partners, LLC is a partner-owned, independent wealth management firm that specializes in impact and sustainable investing. Veris believes that superior investment performance and positive impact are complementary parts of a holistic investment strategy. Veris is based in San Francisco with offices in New York City, Portsmouth, and Boulder. For information, call 415.815.0580, or visit www.veriswp.com.

Media Contact

Greg Berardi, Blue Marlin Partners

(415) 239-7826, [email protected]

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SOURCE Veris Wealth Partners

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Weintraub has a strong connection to the military community, and will bring immense knowledge through past experiences in assisting veterans, service members and their loved ones in the areas of education, transition assistance, workforce development and benefits, wellness, homelessness avoidance, suicide awareness and prevention, veterans court and resiliency programs. Weintraub's military career spans both enlisted and officer ranks on active duty and a reserve capacity; he is currently assigned to the First Marine Expeditionary Force.

"Steve's personal and professional relationship with the military will serve as a rewarding asset to the foundation," said Mike Focareto, founder of Vet Tix. "He will have a significant impact on driving home the mission of Vet Tix and developing programs to further help veterans and their families reconnect with each other and their communities."

Weintraub most recently served as Vice President of Outreach and Vice President of Alumni Relations for Student Veterans of America, a non-profit organization located in Washington, DC that advocates for student veteran success in higher education and beyond. In his role, he grew the presence of Student Veterans of America chapters on college campuses at an average of 15 per month and created a greater awareness among potential corporate funders and college administrators.

The Spring Valley, N.Y. native enlisted in 1987 and served as a Combat Engineer. Upon earning his Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University in 1989 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and designated as a Logistics Officer. Throughout his tenure in the Marine Corps he has been deployed to many locations throughout the world including the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Mongolia and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned his Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Vet Tix is ranked as the 2016 Top-rated Nonprofit in the United States by GreatNonprofits.

About Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix)

Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation supporting our military community. Vet Tix provides free event tickets to currently serving military, veterans and family members of those killed in action to sporting events, concerts, performing arts and family activities. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and visit www.VetTix.org.

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SOURCE Veteran Tickets Foundation

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Tom Joyce, Vice President of Product Development and retired NYPD Lieutenant, Commander of Detectives, states, "I often talk about the investigative process as a continuum involving a person, a location, and a vehicle. It is common to have one - or sometimes two - of the elements, but very rare to have all three. Vigilant helps to connect the dots and fill in the missing pieces of information. As it relates to vehicles, it is always nice to have a license plate or partial plate, but again, this is not that common as eyewitnesses are more prone to recognize what is familiar to themthe make or model of the car, maybe a rough idea of the model year, and color. These are things often heard during the interview process. Because of this reality, we looked for - and found - a way to translate a license plate number, as read by one of our cameras, into a reliable year, make and model. This is a pivotal moment for Vigilant and its customers."

A long-time user of LPR, Lieutenant Chris Morgan of the Long Beach Police Department in California, adds "Without a full or partial plate, it was historically very difficult for investigators or detectives to find a vehicle using traditional LPR search methods. We've had countless cases where we have only been able to search based on location and date, which sometimes results in literally thousands of vehicles that someone has to review...often to no avail. The ability to filter down thousands of vehicles to a select few based on a known make and model really revolutionizes the LPR search. This functionality has been sought after for years, and I am glad to see that Vigilant was able to deliver on this need and is already working on further enhancements to this feature. It will save us many hours, and will result in leads much quicker, enabling us to make quicker apprehensions...reducing future crime and potentially saving lives in the process."

About Vigilant Solutions:

Based in Livermore, California, Vigilant Solutions is an industry-leading pioneer of innovative intelligence solutions that help law enforcement protect officers, families and communities. For additional information, visit www.vigilantsolutions.com.

Editorial contact:

Brian Shockley, +1 (925) 398-2079 ext 731, [email protected]

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SOURCE Vigilant Solutions

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FISHKILL, N.Y., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtual Incentives, an industry pioneer in digital reward fulfillment for leading global brands, unveiled its new Virtual Incentives MasterCard today. Designed for consumer promotions, sweepstakes and loyalty programs, the card helps create consumer connections through relevant messaging, offers and branding. Recipients of the Virtual MasterCard benefit from shortened time between reward receipt and redemption.

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Jonathan Price, CEO of Virtual Incentives, said, "The Virtual Incentives MasterCard card is the epitome of what incentives and rewards should look like in today's technology-driven world and leaves physical reward products in the dust. It's like going from a CD collection to streaming music."

The portfolio is differentiated by an advanced user interface designed for mobile reward recipients, creating user experience that incites loyalty and engagement. The process capitalizes on the powerful moment when the reward is delivered. The recipient receives a personal reward notification by email, registers his or her Virtual MasterCard account and can immediately shop online.

The new offering was developed based on client feedback from years of experience in the rewards and incentives industry and leading market trends. For example, a recent Forrester study found that 94 percent of customer insights and marketing professionals across multiple industries said personalization is "important," "very important," or "extremely important" for meeting their current marketing objectives. This is one area in which this new product offering leads the way. By thoughtfully integrated user-friendly features like advanced personalization, Virtual Incentives MasterCard is positioned to become an industry-leader in elegant digital interface design and technology.

Price continued, "Our Virtual Incentives MasterCard card anticipates the ever-increasing expectations of the modern cross-platform, digitally conscious consumer, creating a beautiful digital experience from reward receipt to online redemption."

The Virtual Incentives MasterCard card can be ordered through Virtual Incentives' industry best API to connect seamlessly to existing platforms and systems. More can be found here: http://www.virtualincentives.com/virtual-mastercard-rewards/

About Virtual Incentives

Virtual Incentives (VI) provides incentive solutions proven to increase engagement, strengthen brand awareness and maintain customer loyalty. The company's proprietary digital platform provides a comprehensive reward experience for both the client and the end-user, providing an integrated API, simple ordering and instant delivery, state-of-the-art security, advanced personalization and an innovative user interface. Founded in 2008, VI partners with industry leading businesses, including more than 40 Fortune 100 companies. VI is the leading provider of Visa rewards and Visa virtual accounts and offers Virtual MasterCard accounts as well as eGiftCards from more than 600 merchants around the world. http://www.virtualincentives.com @VirtualRewards

Media contact: Marie Melsheimer, 541-815-3951, Email

SOURCE Virtual Incentives

Related Links

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Part of the new addition and renovation at the College's Troy campus, the Walsh Cyber Lab provides dedicated space for research and intellectual support to train students on various leading-edge technologies in the growing discipline of cyber defense. It has been designed in response to the growing demand for highly trained cybersecurity graduates.

The Walsh Cyber Lab includes workstations, virtualization screens, and threat maps pinpointing virus and malware infestations around the world. It provides a "cloud" environment to provide penetration testing and defense deployment from anywhere in the world.

In addition, the Cyber Lab offers modern infrastructure equipment where students can learn about the latest technologies used in business environments, as well as physical servers that can be used for virtualization.

Walsh College is designated as a CAE-CD  National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense (CD)  by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Effective through the 2021 academic year, the designation underscores the College's commitment to high quality undergraduate and graduate information technology (IT) degree programs. Walsh has had a CAE designation since 2006.



"Companies, health care facilities, educational institutions, and other major users of information technology are demanding graduates who can provide sophisticated knowledge and the technical ability to defend systems from outside attack," said Barbara Ciaramitaro, Ph.D., professor and chair, Decision Sciences, Walsh College. "We believe our Cyber Lab enhances and expands knowledge received in the classroom."

She added, "It gives Walsh students a competitive advantage in the industry with practical, real-world experience that is both valued by students and demanded by employers."

In addition to developing technical skills, communication skills are emphasized in Cyber Lab interactions, said David Schaefer, instructor, Decision Sciences. "Employers tell us they need graduates who can effectively and succinctly explain IT challenges and solutions in this area for their organizations. While the actual work is important, the ability to communicate clearly about emerging issues has become critical."

Walsh teaches students both offensive and defensive strategies to guard organizations against cyberattacks, noted Schaefer.

Walsh, one of five colleges or universities in Michigan to receive the NSA CAE-CD designation, offers four IT degrees: Bachelor of Science in IT (BSIT), Master of Science in IT (MSIT), Master of Science in IT Leadership (MSITL), and a dual Master of Business Administration (MBA)/MSITL degree. A concentration in cybersecurity within the graduate-level programs is offered as well.

In addition to ensuring that its programs meet the NSA CAE/CD requirements, Walsh College has also mapped its courses and programs to align with two other external standards: Department of Defense (DoD) 8570 and the Department of Homeland Security NICE Framework.

To support its efforts in providing leadership in cybersecurity education, Walsh established the Center for Cybersecurity Leadership (CCL). The CCL, one of four Walsh College research centers, was established in collaboration with the Management and Decision Sciences Departments of Walsh College, with strong support from business, military, and government leaders.

For more information on the Walsh College Cyber Lab, visit www.walshcollege.edu/CyberLab.

WALSH COLLEGE

Founded in 1922, Walsh College is an all-business, private, independent, not-for-profit, fully accredited college. It offers 20 undergraduate and graduate business and technology degrees, as well as certificate programs. One of the region's largest business schools and one of Michigan's top three graduate business schools, Walsh has locations in Troy, Novi, Clinton Township, and Port Huron, as well as online.

Walsh degree programs include accounting, finance, information technology, management, marketing, taxation, and other fields. The faculty integrates theory and application to prepare graduates for successful careers. It includes four Fulbright Scholars, the most of any business school in the state of Michigan. There are about 27,000 alumni, most of whom live or work in Michigan.

Walsh is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org ) . The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (www.acbsp.org) accredits specific degree programs.

CONTACTS:

Brenda Meller/Assistant Vice President, Marketing, Walsh College [email protected] or 248-823-1205.

Elaine Green/Account Supervisor, Airfoil Public Relations [email protected] or

248-304-1456.

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SOURCE Walsh College

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SUNBURY, Pa., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Weis Markets today announced it has entered into an agreement with Mars Super Markets, Inc. to purchase five Mars stores in Baltimore County, including two in Dundalk and individual units in Essex, Arbutus and Carney.

The Company intends to complete the purchase in late July. Once the purchase is complete, Weis Markets will operate nine stores in Baltimore County, essentially doubling its footprint in the region.

"This is an important acquisition for us as we've been steadily expanding within Baltimore County in recent years," said Jonathan Weis, Weis Markets' Chairman and CEO. "We have great respect for Mars, the D'Anna family and their associates who have long-served the public as a locally-focused food retailer. These are successful, well-run stores and we look forward to interviewing the associates of these stores for employment with our company."

"We have strived to truly be a part of the communities we serve and are proud of our legacy for providing both quality and service. We are grateful for our loyal customers and for our associates who serve them," said Mars Super Markets Chairman and CEO Chris D'Anna . "As a family-owned business, we recognize Weis Markets as a company with a similar commitment to its communities, customers and associates. This was an extremely important consideration in our decision."

About Weis Markets

Founded in 1912, Weis Markets, Inc. is a Mid Atlantic food retailer operating 162 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia. In Baltimore County, it operates stores in Perry Hall (2), Towson and Woodlawn. For more information, please visit: WeisMarkets.com or Facebook.com/WeisMarkets.

About Mars Super Markets

Mars Super Markets is a food retailer based in Metropolitan Baltimore. It was founded by Joseph D'Anna in 1943. The Food Partners represented Mars Super Markets in the transaction as its strategic and financial advisor.

SOURCE Weis Markets, Inc.

Related Links

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COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle, America's first fast food hamburger chain, is unveiling its summer taste sensations  creamy Mac & Cheese Nibblers and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, Corn Dog Nibblers. The Nibbler varieties are great options for on-the-go Cravers looking for pop-able, portable snacks, and are perfect to share or enjoy alone. The menu items will be available for a limited time in all White Castle restaurants beginning Friday, May 27.

"Our Mac & Cheese Nibblers and our Corn Dog Nibblers were popular additions to our menu last year, and we're sure they'll be a hit again among kids and kids at heart alike," said Jamie Richardson, White Castle vice president. "Our Cravers lead busy lives, and our Nibblers are convenient, pop-able, shareable and Craveable options they can enjoy anywhere and anytime."

White Castle's Mac & Cheese Nibblers give Cravers the ability to enjoy a nostalgic American dish with their hands, and are made with cheddar cheese and macaroni before they're coated with a crispy cheddar batter. The Corn Dog Nibblers are made with 100% chicken, as opposed to the traditional beef version. The meat is wrapped in sweet honey corn bread and cooked to a golden brown, resulting in a Corn Dog that's crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

In addition to new hot and tasty menu items, Cravers can cool down with delicious smoothies, blended with Yoplait low-fat yogurt. Flavors include Strawberry Banana and Peach, made with real DOLE fruit, and a new addition to the smoothie lineup, Strawberry Lemonade.

"Warmer days are just around the corner and our smoothies will help to quench those sweet summer cravings," said Richardson.

For a limited time, Cravers can enjoy a free Sack of Corn Dog Nibblers or Mac & Cheese Nibblers with the purchase of a Crave Case of any 30 Sliders. The offer is valid for online or mobile app orders only. In addition to taking advantage of the online and mobile app deal, White Castle customers can go on a Nibblers Road Trip Adventure and receive a coupon for one free small order of Nibblers. Visit White Castle's YouTube channel to learn more.

For more information, visit www.whitecastle.com.

About White Castle

White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain based in Columbus, Ohio, is celebrating 95 years as a family-owned business. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921 serving The Original Slider which was named the most influential burger of all time in 2014 by Time. All White Castle Sliders are made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. Today White Castle owns and operates nearly 400 restaurants in 13 states and has two dedicated Crave Mobiles that attended hundreds of events in 2015. White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants and bakeries as well as three frozen food processing plants. The retail division markets White Castle signature products in grocery, warehouse and convenience stores across the United States and in a growing number of international locations, including military PX's around the world.

WhiteCastle.com is a culture center for Cravers, the chain's loyal and passionate fan base, connecting like-minded Slider enthusiasts from around the globe in a social media setting. For more information on White Castle and to see the Craver Hall of Fame, visit whitecastle.com.

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SOURCE White Castle

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Wuzhen's unique mix of traditional and contemporary made a particular impression on American visual artist Ann Hamilton, who said, "What drew me here was how everything feels so far away from modern life in the big cities. The handcrafting culture is still really noticeable here, and the architecture makes the town feel like a living museum."

"That in many ways relates to my questions about how, in a world dominated by technology, the process and historical meaning of making things by hand takes on a particular significance."

Acclaimed Chinese artist Xu Bing spoke very highly of the exhibition's professional level and the respect as well as recognition showed to the artists' works. "It is displaying contemporary work by Chinese and international artists on the same, localized platform and triggering in-depth discussions about both the characteristics and blind spots of contemporary art," Xu said.

Xu brought two works to Wuzhen. The Character of Characters is composing a harmonious sense of participation with the strong regional culture of Wuzhen, while the Dragonfly Eyes expresses his recent thinking on how to cope with the development of contemporary human civilization.

Song Dong, who is displaying the installation art Avenue Square, said that Wuzhen itself is like a piece of art. "Wuzhen is also an incubator that preserves the ancient and historic town and keeps generating new ideas," he said.

In addition to the 130 pieces from 40 artists, the exhibition also includes various public education events on worldwide contemporary art as well as workshops for children and young people.

About Wuzhen

Wuzhen is a traditional ancient Chinese water town located one hour from Shanghai. With 1,300 years of history, Wuzhen combines more than 10 cultural landscapes including folk museums and celebrity residences with contemporary art elements and modern resort facilities to offer visitors an unparalleled leisure experience.

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SOURCE Culture Wuzhen Co., Ltd.
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Zentera Systems, Inc., the leader in next-generation cross-domain security and networking, announced today it is a finalist for Red Herring's Top 100 North America award, a prestigious list honoring the year's most promising North American private technology ventures. Red Herring has been selecting the most exciting and promising start-ups since 1995.

"The finalists' list confirms the excellent choices made by entrepreneurs and VCs and the start-ups' solid roots in corporate America, embracing their innovations. By all metrics, it emphasizes the United States' entrepreneurial excellence," said Alex Vieux, publisher and CEO of Red Herring.

The CoIP solution allows enterprises to securely extend production across multiple private and cloud domains, connecting dispersed computers, virtual machines and containers within days. CoIP with CoIP Shield for network integrity enforcement and application security will be shown live at DAC in Austin, Texas, June 5th- 9th and the Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit in Washington, D.C., June 13th-16th.

"This Red Herring honor reflects the significance of Zentera's technology," said Dr. Jaushin Lee, Zentera's CEO. "Our CoIP platform connects and protects production on-premise and across domains. This groundbreaking solution helps businesses operate workloads with great flexibility and enterprise-grade security."

Red Herring finalist selections are based upon technological innovation, management strength, market size, investor record, customer acquisition and financial health. Finalists are asked to present their winning strategies at the Red Herring North America Forum in Newport Beach, CA, June 6 to 8, 2016. The Top 100 winners will be announced during a special awards ceremony the evening of June 8.

About Zentera

Zentera Systems, Inc., enables companies to extend production datacenter operations to public, private and managed hosted network domains. The CoIP (Cloud over IP) cross-cloud session solution offers enterprise-grade networking and security for the emerging cloud ecosystem, protecting the new attack surface exposed by remote cloud endpoints. CoIP creates a unified overlay network plane across multiple private and cloud domains that connects dispersed computers, virtual machines and containers. Its agnostic network virtualization can be provisioned in hours over existing IP infrastructure. Zentera offers CoIP through select regional channel partners, managed cloud service providers and Ingram Micro. www.zentera.net.

Media Contact

Mike Loftus, VP Strategy & Marketing

Zentera Systems, Inc.

+1 408-436-4810

[email protected]

All trademarks cited here are the properties of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Zentera Systems, Inc.

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Thousands of people turn out to greet Obama in Ho Chi Minh City, May 24. Photo by VnExpress

U.S. President Obama told Vietnamese entrepreneurs on Tuesday that despite some people being "suspicious of free trade", he is confident the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be passed.

He emphasized the benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement between the 12 signatories of the deal. Vietnams manufacturing and export-led economy is seen as "the biggest TPP beneficiary" as the pact will accelerate economic reforms in Vietnam, boost the countrys economic competitiveness and open up new markets.

We are going to create standards for world trade that are fair. They will encourage the rule of law and intellectual property that have strong environmental provisions so that countries cant take advantage of or destroy the environment, Obama said during a meeting with young Vietnamese entrepreneurs at Dreamplex, a co-working space for startups in HCM City on May 24..

The TPP is not a done deal with opposition in Washington amid concerns about a loss of U.S. jobs.

The good news is the majority of the American people still believe in trade, and still believe it is good for our economy. The bad news is that U.S. politics are not always, how should I put it, reasonable, Obama said.

Although there have been a few ups and downs along the way to convincing U.S. legislators to approve the TPP, Obama is confident that ultimately we will get it passed.

I would have had less gray hair if the Congress was more cooperative," said Obama, making the convention full of Vietnamese entrepreneurs burst into laughter. "There are still some very supportive congressmen here today. Ultimately we will get the TPP passed." he continued.

He noted that the politics will always be noisy. However as he has learned from experience, the ratification and implementation of the TPP is possible. He said when he came into office, there were some difficulties with the Korea Free Trade Agreement, and trade deals with Colombia and Panama, but in the end he got them done.

When China came into the WTO, it could take advantage of the growing global supply chain. Lots of manufacturing was shifted to China. Many American people saw it as jobs exported to China. Some of the same things happened to Mexico too, Obama said.

He mentioned that the majority of American people hold the perception that free trade agreements (FTAs) are bad for American workers.

Because of some details in old FTAs, people have become "suspicious of free trade" pacts and afraid that they will take away the jobs they need.

Obama argued that data proves that the U.S. may lose some manufacturing jobs, but the country will gain in other areas overall.

However, he said to continue to get the TPP passed in the U.S. Congress because we are not going to end globalization; we have to make globalization works for us.

President Obama was talking with Vietnamese entrepreneurs about their business ideas and the obstacles they have to overcome to make their ideas a reality.

The meeting took place at Dreamplex, a co-working office space in Ho Chi Minh City for startup companies.
May 24, 2016 | 06:21 am PT

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday the relationship between Vietnam and the United States have reached a new level.

We have reached a new point in our relationship now, he said.

The rising relationship with Vietnam is a prime example of the way in which the United States has been able to forge a new relationship out of the era of war and to create real peace, he added.

Obama on May 23 made a historic decision to lift the ban to sell lethal weapons to Vietnam, which has drawn special attention from the world.

But Kerry said it is normal that the U.S. lifts the lethal arms embargo on Vietnam because the U.S. does not impose the ban on the country which it treats normally. It will help Vietnam have equipment it needs to defend itself and stand up as part of ASEAN.

Let me just emphasize that: measure this visit alone, major business agreements, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, wind energy, the Fulbright University, the Peace Corp. coming to Vietnam, the Mekong Delta Initiative, TPP, it seems to me that that alone, without all the other things I have added, define the rebalance impact and a relationship that has really nothing less than transformational, he said.

Following pacts worth $14.3 billion in total signed yesterday morning, Vietnamese and U.S. companies and agencies continued to ink 11 cooperation deals in the evening with energy being the main focus.

He admitted that the two countries, though, still have some differences that need to be resolved, but the two governments are aware of that and are working together to move their relationship forward. President Obama has met with some representatives of Vietnamese civil society on Tuesday, which Kerry said could not have been imagined 20 years ago. It is the first time a president from the U.S. has sat down and talked with the civil society in Vietnams capital, he said.
The U.S. lifting of its lethal arms embargo on Vietnam and President Obama's previous remarks in Hanoi should not be understood that it targets China, U.S Secretary of State John Kerry said in a press conference in Ho Chi Minh City Tuesday.

He made the comments while being asked about a Chinese media report about the ban.

Obama on May 23 made a historic decision to lift the ban to sell lethal weapons to Vietnam, which has drawn special attention from the world.

"It was a restraint on normality," Kerry said. The lifting of the embargo is normal because Vietnam and the U.S. now have a normal relationship. It is not about China. Nothing that we did here or are doing here is focused on China. It is focused on the fastest growing marketplace in the world, he said.

Obama said earlier on Tuesday that "big nations should not bully smaller ones." Obama also urged relevant parties in the region to settle its maritime disputes in Vietnams East Sea peacefully.

While urging China not to act unilaterally and militarize the islands in the region, Kerry stressed that Obama's visit is to fully normalize relations with Vietnam.

The U.S. welcomes the rise of a strong and responsible China as a super power that encourages peace and stability in the world, according to Kerry.

"I hope China will read this correctly because our hope is for normal respect for maritime law and for the relationships that are so key in this region", the U.S. Secretary of State said.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Mumbai, May 19 : Not many know that superstar Salman Khan, who is all set to portray a wrestler in the upcoming film "Sultan", has a real life connection with wrestling.

Salman's relatives, who live in Indore have practiced wrestling for generations. So when it came down to preparing for "Sultan", his forthcoming wrestling film for Yash Raj Films, the "Dabangg" star's uncle flew down from Indore to give him tips about the sport, said a source.

Salman enjoyed the discussion and is utilising these tips to master his wrestling skills for the film.

The "Wanted" star, who is excited about his upcoming film, has also distributed special customised hoodies as gifts to everyone on the film's set.

"Sultan" is said to be based on the life of Sultan Ali Khan, a wrestler who is faced with problems in his professional and personal life. To play the role to the tee, Salman gained weight and underwent rigorous training.

The Ali Abbas Zafar directorial also stars Anushka Sharma as a wrestler. Produced by Aditya Chopra, "Sultan" is slated to release on Eid this year.

-*-Grateful to Aanand L. Rai: 'Nil Battey...' director Debutante director Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, who is enjoying the success of "Nil Battey Sannata", says she is grateful to the movie's producer Aanand L. Rai for believing in the film.

"I'm grateful to Aanand L. Rai who strongly believed in the film and provided all the support the film needed," Tiwari said in a statement.

The director says she is happy "that the audience accepted the film and efforts of the entire team whole-heartedly."

-*-Fan from Thailand surprises Madhuri Dixit

Actress Madhuri Dixit, who is currently co-judging the reality dance show "So You Think You Can Dance - Ab India Ki Baari", was paid a surprise visit by a fan from Thailand.

"I am the biggest fan of Madhuri Dixit and have watched all her movies. I was in Mumbai for a week and when I got to know about her shooting here in Goregaon, I couldn't miss the opportunity to meet her in person. I love all her dance performances especially 'Ek do teen'," the fan said in a statement.

The Thai fan received a warm hug and had her photograph taken with Madhuri.

"So You Think You Can Dance - Ab India Ki Baari", which airs on &TV, is an Indian version of internationally acclaimed American reality format "So You Think You Can Dance". It features Madhuri and choreographers Terence Lewis and Bosco Martis as judges.
New York, May 20 : Fourteen people of Indian descent are among 19 charged with involvement in visa fraud through fake "green card" marriages or by falsely making claims of being crime victims, according to officials.

Federal prosecutor Gregory K. Davis said on Thursday that the accused from eight states, "who sought to undermine the integrity of our nation's immigration system," have been charged in the federal court in Jackson, Mississippi.

The charges resulted from joint investigations by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"The defendants allegedly circumvented the laws and submitted fraudulent documents that are critical to obtaining immigration status," said Davis, the federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Mississippi.

The prosecutor's office said that a lawyer, Simpson Lloyd Goodman, submitted fake documents for some of the Indians charged with him to get "U-Visas," which are issued to crime victims who help investigations or prosecutions. Some of the false documents were crime reports allegedly prepared by Jackson police officer Ivory Lee Harris, who has also been charged.

Of the 11 charged in the fake crime victim visa case, nine had Indian names and could include those with US citizenship.

Eleven people were charged with offences relating to sham "green card" marriages with US citizens. Of them, seven had Indian names.

"These marriages were not entered into because of mutual love and affection between the parties, but solely to create a legal status that would provide a basis for immigration status for the alien partner and usually for some economic benefit to the United States citizen," the prosecutor's office said.

Lawyer Goodman, Sachin Girishkumar Patel, 33, of Mississippi, and Tarunkumar Purushottambhai Patel, 49, of Missouri, face charges involving phony marriages as well as fake crime victim visa applications. Five Indians and three others face charges relating only to sham marriages.
Mumbai, May 24 : Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and veteran British actor Ian McKellen discussed the work and legacy of literary legend William Shakespeare at the launch of the Mumbai Academy of Moving Images' (MAMI) Film Club here.

Marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, MAMI Film Club brought together McKellen and Aamir to share a dialogue exploring the many adaptations and interpretations of Shakespeare's work that filmmakers across borders have showcased for the big screen.

This mega-event was presented as a part of 'Shakespeare Lives' -- a global programme launched by the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign on Monday evening.

Having appeared in numerous Shakespearean plays staged across the globe, McKellen said: "There is nothing old fashioned about Shakespeare. You cannot understand Shakespeare in a classroom or by reading".

"The right medium to discover his true genius is through theatre with the right actors, the right director (the way it is meant to be), as theatre, film and cinema are the best media to experience him. His thinking is about modernism and issues that are relevant even today, hence his work travels across the globe," he added.

Aamir said that he first read Shakespeare's work in 10th grade.

"The first time I experienced Shakespeare was in the 10th grade when I studied 'Julius Caesar'. It opened my world to a newness I had never known (before). In fact, my first movie was also inspired by 'Romeo and Juliet', a true Shakespearean classic," Aamir reminisced.

"...I feel discussions like these influence the artists in all of us and inspire us to become better at our crafts," he added.

Joined by the who's who of the Indian film and business fraternity, the star-studded launch event also saw actors like Kangana Ranaut, Sonam Kapoor, Imran Khan, Kiran Rao, Kabir Khan, Mini Mathur, Rajkummar Rao among others.

Through year-round activities such as screenings, master classes, in-depth conversations and workshops, the MAMI Film Club aims to serve as a platform for filmmakers and film lovers, to explore their deep-rooted passion for cinema and to inspire and fuel creativity across genres.

Kiran Rao, chairperson, MAMI said: "It is time for the world to stand-up and take notice of Indian cinema and its contribution to filmmaking globally. Shakespearean adaptions in Indian movies are a testament to the fact that we are on the brink of an amazing journey ahead. MAMI via its Film Club and other year long initiatives aims to satiate the exact same hunger for great storytelling one movie at a time".

Anupama Chopra, director, MAMI said that 2016 is a "year of transformation for MAMI and this conversation piece was a strategic move in the right direction towards its bright future".

The film festival will be held from May 25 to 29 at three venues here: Liberty cinema, Alliance de Francaise and Max Mueller Bhavan. Over 182 films from 53 countries will be screened.

McKellen will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony on May 25 at Liberty cinema.
U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang review an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace in Hanoi on May 23, 2016. REUTERS/Hoang Dinh Nam

Vietnam and the U.S. have laid out the future for their cooperation in politics, diplomacy, trade, defense, people-to-people ties, human rights, legal reform and maritime security in Vietnam's East Sea during Obama's visit in Hanoi.

According to a joint statement made yesterday by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and U.S. President Barack Obama, bilateral relations have contributed to their joint efforts to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and respect for international law in the region, and building a rules-based region.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the growth of Vietnam-U.S. relations over the past year, guided by the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership of 2013 and the Joint Vision Statement issued during the historic visit to the United States by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong in July 2015.

Together, both countries are addressing regional and global challenges, including climate change, sustainable development, global health, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peacekeeping and wildlife trafficking.

The United States and Vietnam have committed to strengthening and developing the ASEAN Community, and to working with the international community to respond to global challenges.

Both sides have committed to work together to advance the comprehensive partnership in the following areas:

Strengthening political and diplomatic ties

Both sides pledged to continue to exchange delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations, and to strengthen dialogue between agencies of the two governments.

The two sides also intend to expand annual high-level dialogues between their two foreign ministries to discuss measures to strengthen the comprehensive partnership and discuss other issues of mutual interest.

Advancing economic ties

The two countries resolve to focus on fostering economic cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, human resource training and climate change. The two sides stated that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is economically and strategically important, and will promote trade and investment, accelerate inclusive economic growth and create jobs.

They reaffirmed their commitments to seek early ratification and full implementation of the agreement, including commitments on investment, business facilitation and development, intellectual property, textiles, services, labor and the environment. The United States pledged to support Vietnam through robust technical assistance and capacity-building programs to effectively implement and meet the high standards of the TPP.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring economic growth is inclusive and creates opportunities for everyone, which is furthered by fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development.

Both countries pledged to promote bilateral trade and investment, and will continue to work towards access for industrial, agricultural and aquacultural goods. The United States and Vietnam are committed to consultations through the enhanced bilateral working group in a cooperative and comprehensive manner regarding Vietnams desire to be recognized as a market economy.

They welcomed the conclusion of major commercial deals on the occasion of the visit, such as VietJets purchase of 100 Boeing aircraft and Pratt & Whitney engines, as well as a wind energy MOU signed between GE and the Vietnamese government.

Deepening people-to-people ties

Both sides affirmed their support for the enhancement of people-to-people ties to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation and friendship between the two peoples. The United States welcomed the Vietnamese governments approval of the Peace Corps offer to teach the English language in Vietnam. The United States and Vietnam hailed the establishment of the Fulbright University Vietnam, which will be a world-class Vietnamese university.

They welcomed the bilateral arrangement granting one-year, multiple-entry visas for short-term business and tourism travelers from both countries. They also highly valued and recognized the success of the Vietnamese-American community and their contributions to the promotion of bilateral ties.

Enhancing security and defense cooperation

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries, giving priority to humanitarian cooperation, the aftermath of the war, maritime security, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Both sides reiterated they would continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, combating transnational and cyber crime. Vietnam welcomed the U.S. government's decision to fully lift the ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam. Vietnam also welcomed U.S. maritime security assistance  including through the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI), the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, and Foreign Military Financing  and looks forward to working with the United States to enhance Vietnams maritime capabilities.

The United States and Vietnam signed a letter of intent to establish a working group for the Cooperative Humanitarian and Medical Storage Initiative (CHAMSI), which will advance cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The United States reaffirmed its support for Vietnams peacekeeping efforts with the aim of assisting Vietnams first deployment of UN peacekeeping forces by 2017.

Both countries expressed their satisfaction with their joint efforts to advance humanitarian efforts and deal with the legacy of the war. In particular, the United States valued Vietnams cooperation with repatriating U.S. personnel still missing from the war.

Both sides committed to continue their cooperation on unexploded ordnance removal. Vietnam welcomed cooperation leading to the successful conclusion of the first phase of dioxin remediation at Danang International Airport, with the final phase already underway. The United States also committed to helping Vietnam clean-up the dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Air Base.

Promoting human rights and legal reforms

Both countries pledged to continue supporting the promotion and protection of human rights in conformity with their own constitutions and respective international commitments. The two countries welcomed the results of positive, frank and constructive dialogues on human rights, especially the 20th round of the U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue in April 2016, which helped to narrow differences and continue to build trust.

The United States welcomed Vietnam's ongoing efforts to improve its legal system and undertake legal reform in order to guarantee human rights and fundamental freedom for everyone in accordance with the 2013 Constitution.

Vietnam informed the United States of its plan to revise, amend and draft new laws, including the Law on Religion and Belief, the Law on Association, the amended Law on Legal Aid, the amended Law on Legal Record, and the Law on the Promulgation of Administrative Decisions.

Both sides recognized the contributions that social and religious organizations continue to make in the fields of education, healthcare and social services in both countries. They encouraged further cooperation to ensure that all people  regardless of gender, race, religion and sexual orientation, and including people with disabilities  fully enjoy their human rights. The United States and Vietnam welcomed a letter of agreement on law enforcement and justice sector assistance.

Addressing regional and global challenges

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their shared commitment to the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes, including full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force in accordance with the UN Charter and international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Both countries underscored the commitments of parties involved in the disputes to refrain from actions that aggravate or broaden them and recognize the importance of strictly implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) and working to accelerate negotiations with substantive results toward the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC).

Both countries recognized the imperative of upholding the freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea), called for non-militarization and self-restraint in addressing disputes, reaffirmed shared commitments under the Sunnylands Declaration, and committed to working closely with other ASEAN partners in implementing that declaration.

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to coordinate with and support Vietnam's hosting of APEC 2017.

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to addressing climate change and implementing the Paris Agreement. They shared a desire to see the early entry into force of the agreement, and are both committed to formally joining the agreement in 2016.

The United States and Vietnam pledged to take a number of practical actions to advance climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as enhance transparency and capacity building in the U.S.-Vietnam Climate Partnership, including in the Mekong River Delta. Future work will build on the results of collaboration between the United States and Vietnam in implementing programs under the Lower Mekong Initiative.

The United States pledged its continued support for Vietnam in responding to the latters worst drought and salinization in over 90 years, and in advancing sustainable economic development in the lower Mekong basin. As a development partner of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the United States expressed its commitment to supporting cooperation among MRC members and between MRC members and other regional mechanisms in using, managing, and developing trans-boundary water resources in an effective and sustainable manner.

The two countries expressed support for an expanding civil nuclear partnership as they seek to reduce emissions from the global power sector, the signing of the Administrative Arrangement under the U.S.-Vietnam Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy ("123" Agreement), and the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation.

Both countries welcomed the successful outcomes of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit and pledged to continue to work together to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture. The two sides intend to establish the U.S.-Vietnam Joint Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation to facilitate the implementation of the 123 Agreement.

The two countries committed to sustain their successful cooperation and joint leadership under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), particularly with respect to collaboration on emergency operation centers and outbreak detection and response in humans and animals, as well as the implementation of a national roadmap to achieve each of the GHSA targets.

The United States pledged its support to improve Vietnams capacity in coastal medicine. The United States and Vietnam committed to work together regionally and globally to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic threats, and both countries will undertake a joint evaluation of these efforts in 2016.

Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and protecting biodiversity under the new U.S.-Vietnam Partnership to Combat Wildlife Trafficking.

Deepening a long-term partnership

Both sides agreed to further enhance the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, making it deeper, more substantive, and more effective in order to better serve the interests of the two peoples for peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.
London, May 24 : Oscar-winning actress and activist Angelina Jolie is set to become a visiting professor at the London School of Economics.

Jolie is among four high-profile contributors to a year-long masters programme on Women, Peace and Security.

She will deliver guest lectures and take part in expert workshops and other events, as well as continue research, reports mirror.co.uk.

Jolie, who is a special envoy for the UN's refugee agency, said: "I am very encouraged by the creation of this master's programme".

"I hope other academic institutions will follow this example, as it is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance women's rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict," she added.

She is looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students as "well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations".

The course will start this autumn and will also cover courses including 'Gender and Militarisation' and 'Gender and Human Rights'.

The other visiting professors are William Hague, Madeleine Rees and Jane Connors.
United Nations, May 24 : Argentina's Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra has shaken up the race for secretary general of the UN with her late entry that makes her the tenth candidate and the fifth woman in an election tipped to favor a female.

Malcorra, who put in her bid Monday about a month after the nine others had made their pitches to the General Assembly, is likely to have an inside track challenging European claims to the position.

She was Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Chef de Cabinet from 2012 to late last year and that position brought her in direct contact with most world leaders, foreign ministers and the highest levels of the international bureaucracy.

An electronic engineer by training, she is a former IBM executive and has strong administrative credentials in the private sector and across the UN. On an issue of importance to India, Malcorra has continued Argentina's opposition to expanding the permanent membership of the Security Council.

She has also served as the head of the UN Department of Field Operations, which provides logistic support to peacekeeping operations where India is heavily invested.

Under the tradition of geographic rotation, it is the turn of a European to take the top global diplomatic post and East Europeans had staked their claim, asserting that no one from their region had held the job. Some countries and civil society organisations have been pressing the case for a woman to be made the secretary general for the first time in the UN's 70-year history.

The eight East Europeans running for the office could now face a tough competition from Malcorra as geographic rotation is only a tradition and not a rule. Already two others outside Eastern Europe - Antonio Guterres, the former Portuguese Prime Minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Helen Clark, a former New Zealand Prime Minister who currently heads the UN Development Programme - are contesting.

New Zealand belongs to the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) in the UN, giving Clark some claim to the geographic rotation unlike Malcorra.

Irina Bokova, a Bulgarian who is the director general of UNESCO, was considered a strong candidate as she met the criteria of being East European and a woman, while holding a high-level international office.

Only one Latin American, Javier Perz de Cuellar of Peru, has been a secretary general, a position he held from 1982 to 1991.

Till now the secretary general was chosen in a secretive process of backroom bargaining by the Security Council - in reality by its five permanent members - and rubber stamped by the General Assembly.

Although the permanent members of the Security Council still have the final say, for the first time the veil of secrecy has been lifted a bit. The candidates have been publicly announced and have appeared before the General Assembly to state their positions and answer questions from member states as well as representatives of civil society organisations.

They have also been visiting national capitals, meeting privately with diplomats and appearing at other public forums.

Now Malcorra - and any other late entrants - will also have to face the General Assembly.

Malcorra has made several visits to the UN since taking over as foreign minister in December keeping up her international profile.

"The issue of making room for women is generally seen as a matter of justice, and it certainly is, since women account for more than half of the population," she recently said while launching the Campaign for Gender Parity in International Representation in Argentina.

In a vision statement - a virtual campaign manifesto - she made development the centrepiece. "Only by cultivating greater resilience through sustainable development can we collectively manage the challenges to come, effectively prevent some of, them, and mitigate their effects on people and the planet," she said.

The 61-year-old Malcorrra has also served as the CEO of Telecom Argentin and as Chief Operating Officer of the World Food Programme.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
Hyderabad, May 24 : Poet Varavara Rao, academic Haragopal and writer Vanamala were among the scores arrested on Tuesday while on their way to a public meeting of Adivasis in Warangal district of Telangana.

After their arrest, Varavar, Haragopal and Vanamala were shifted to Ghatkesar police station in Rangareddy district.

Reports said several hundreds of tribals on their way to Warangal in trucks and jeeps were also detained at different entry points.

The police denied permission for the meeting, suspecting that Maoists would attend the meeting in the guise of tribals.

Telangana Democratic Forum (TDF), the organisers, later claimed that Hyderabad High Court had granted them permission to hold the meeting from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On Monday, the police in Mattewada in Warangal district made announcements asking people not to attend the TDF public meeting as it had no police permission.

The police clamped restrictions under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the town.
New Delhi, May 24 : An air ambulance coming from Patna with seven people on board made an emergency landing in a Najafgarh village in west Delhi after both its engines failed.

Two passengers received some injuries, fire officials said.

All the passengers were moved to a hospital.

At least 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, fire officials said.

The aircraft landed in a field.
New Delhi, May 24 : As President Pranab Mukherjee signed an ordinance on the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on Tuesday, union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said this will provide it a statutory status.

The ordinance exempts certain state boards from the ambit of the NEET for a year. The exempted states include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab.

Addressing a press conference here, the health minister said while the states will be able to hold the under-graduate medical entrance exams, the post-graduate exams to be held in December will be conducted under NEET.

"Government of India was always in favour of NEET and, in fact, it was the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that had gone for a review petition. There were a lot of hurdles in the way and there were many parties to the issue. But we got it cleared and we want the NEET to be implemented," Nadda said.

"State governments wanted exemption and the issues were related to parity of syllabus and option of giving exam in regional languages," the minister added.

Officials from the health ministry informed IANS that five states -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tripura -- have conveyed to the central government that they will be conducting their own examination to induct students to medical colleges.

Nadda said that all private medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET.

"All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill UG (under-graduate) seats. However, for PG (post-graduate) courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year," Nadda said.

"The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. About 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams," he added.

Although Uttar Pradesh and Bihar had deferred their exams, Bihar has informed the union government that the seats in the private colleges there will be filled throgh NEET, a health ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.

He added that Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chandigarh have conducted exams under NEET this year.

However, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement NEET across the country from this year, is yet to take a stand on the issue, the official said.

Officials said that the President was on Monday briefed by Nadda on three main issues with regard to different exams of the state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

This was followed by another briefing of te President by the health ministry officials after which the file was taken back by them Monday night only to return on Tuesday morning with additional information and legal advice.
New Delhi, May 24 : About two-thirds of the people in a survey done by a citizen engagement platform said they are happy with the two years of the Narendra Modi-led government's performance.

A survey done by LocalCircles concluded its 20 point citizen poll with over 15,000 citizens voting on each question.

According to the survey, 64 percent citizens say the government performance met with expectations, while 36 percent found it below expectations.

The key areas where more efforts were needed, include with regard to women and child safety and controlling price rise.

Citizens rated the direct benefits transfer initiative highly over Swachh Bharat and Make in India. Overall, 76 percent citizens feel optimistic about their and their family's future in India.

Most want the government to focus on bringing investments and creating jobs in the next three years, said the report.

"Around 61 percent believe government has done its best to get GST approved while 30 percent don't believe so. About 72 percent believe there has been growth in infrastructure development but only 20 percent disagree," said the report.

Citizens from different parts of India and some NRIs participated in this exercise which lasted almost a month and included a combination of 20 polls and discussions. Over 15,000 citizens participated in each one of the polls and a total of 375,568 responses were received making it a very large sample size.

The sample also included people from all age groups -- 18 and above. Also, 46 percent of the respondents were from tier 1 cities, 27 percent from tier 2 cities and 27 percent were from tier 3 and rural parts of India.

The report said that 35 percent believed that the unemployment rate had reduced, while 43 percent believed otherwise. About 38 percent believed prices of essential commodities have come down, while 55 percent believed they have gone up.

"About 38 percent believe crime against women/children has reduced, while 44 percent believe it has not reduced. Around 18 percent believe their elected MP is engaged in constituency issues, while 66 percent see no engagement," said the report.

According to the report, 36 percent believed ministries are taking citizen feedback and acting but 48 percent believed they are not. About 67 percent believed cleanliness and sanitation in their city has improved, while 28 percent saw no improvement.

The report also said that 61 percent believed corruption has reduced, while 32 percent didn't see any reduction. About 56 percent saw an improvement in power/water situation while 34 percent haven't experienced improvement.

"About 72 percent believe that terrorism has reduced, only 21 percent believe they have not. A whopping 90 percent feel India's image and influence in the world has improved, while only eight percent disagree," the report added.

According to the report, 34 percent believe relationship with Pakistan has improved, while 51 percent don't see an improvement. About 63 percent believed issues of communalism have been effectively handled, while 31 percent don't think so.

"About 68 percent believe government is on track to deliver to promises made before elections, while 26 percent don't believe so," it added.
Agartala, May 24 : The three-day conference of North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) comprising speakers and deputy speakers of eight northeastern states would commence here on May 30.

"The summit would strengthen parliamentary democracy and facilitate a dialogue between the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and legislative bodies of northeast," Tripura assembly Speaker Ramendra Chandra Debnath told reporters here on Tuesday.

He said Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan would inaugurate the conference, which will be attended by Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha and senior AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien, and Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra.

Meghalaya assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal, who is the chairman of the NERCPA, and speakers, deputy speakers of all eight northeastern states, some parliamentarians, the Tripura chief minister, governor and parliamentary affairs minister, would also participate in the conference.

Tripura assembly Deputy Speaker Pabitra Kar said that besides discussion on strengthening parliamentary democracy, soil erosion in northeastern region, a burning issue here, would also be discussed.

"Impact of soil erosion on the local populace and how political intervention could check this problem would be highlighted by the experts," Kar added.

Speaker Debnath said that the four-day 78th edition of the annual All India Presiding Officers' Conference, held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, decided that the assembly sessions of big states must be held for 100 days in a year while in small states, including eight northeastern states, the session must be held at least for 60 days.

However, on an average 20 to 25 days' sessions are being held in most of the assemblies in northeastern states.

"We have no huge business, matters and issues to be discussed in the assembly in a larger number of days," Debanth added.
New York, May 24 : Indian students have won six awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the US where New Delhi's Shreyas Kapur was declared the grand winner of the "Google Thinking Big Award."

Organised by Intel Corporation and the Society for Science and the Public in Arizona this month, the Indian team comprising 16 students won a total of $9,500 in three grand awards and three special awards in the fields of biotechnology, medicine, biomedical engineering and mathematics, Intel declared in a statement on Tuesday.

Kapur from Modern School at Barakhamba Road won the award for the "project that addresses a large and seemingly-impossible problem, by finding an elegant solution with broad impact".

His project titled "Cellphone-based Optometry using Hybrid Images" also won him third position in both the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Biomedical Engineering award.

Arvind Krishna Ranganathan from Ecole Mondiale World School in Mumbai won the second place for his project titled "Deterministic Approach to the Position, Trajectory, and Collision Prediction of Particles within Bounded Two-Dimensional Environments".

Suhani Sachin Jain and Divya Kranthi of Centre Point School in Nagpur won the third award in plant sciences for developing an "Innovative Strategy using Endophytes for Effective Biocontrol of Insect Pests in Cotton".

Vasudev Malyan of Maharaja Agarsain Public School in Delhi won fourth spot in translational medical science for the development of a "Novel Paper Sensor as a Diagnostic Test for Multiple Sclerosis".

The 16 Indian students were selected to attend ISEF as finalists of the Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science (IRIS) 2016 that featured more than 1,700 young scientists selected from 419 affiliate fairs in 77 countries.

The Intel Foundation also awarded $1,000 grant to each winner's school and to the affiliated fair they represented.
New Delhi, May 24 : A 62-year-old restaurant owner was shot dead by four unidentified assailants late on Monday night after a spat over the bill turned into a scuffle, police said.

According to police, Pappu Vasudeo Masand, who ran a Sindhi eating house in Lajpat Nagar's Central Market area in south Delhi, was shot dead around 11 p.m. after the dispute with the four persons.

"The brawl started over a bill of Rs.1,085, which according to the four persons, was overcharging. Soon it turned ugly when one of the customers abused the hotel owner, following which the eatery owner slapped one of them," a police officer told IANS.

"The four left the eatery after paying the bill but returned after half an hour with a gun and fired four rounds at the hotel owner of which two hit him in his chest," the officer added.

Masand was taken to Jai Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre where doctors declared him dead.

A police officer said that their personnel deployed in the area noted the registration number of the white car in which the four people had arrived and an investigation is on to identify them.

Police are also looking for the CCTV footage of the area.

The body has been sent for autopsy and a case of murder has been registered at the Lajpat Nagar police station.

A team of officers had also been sent to Uttar Pradesh's Noida to get details of the vehicle in which the attackers fled from the eatery.
Imphal, May 24 : Campaigners demanding Inner Line Permit (ILP) system for Manipur on Tuesday tried to storm the offices of the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP here, resulting in six people getting injured, and clashed with police elsewhere in the city.

Four students and two female police officers were injured when students and women wings of Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) stormed the offices of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here.

After JCILPS activists raided the BJP office, police fired tear gas canisters and mock bombs injuring four students.

Other students pelted stone when police began to baton charge them. Two women police officers sustained injuries after being hit by stones.

A woman activist said: "The police used excessive force. They also beat up and bundled away Vidya Lakshmi, who was beaten up mercilessly last year in front of the secretariat during the anti-migrant agitations."

The agitationists are demanding ILP system for Manipur which has been encapsulated in the three anti-migration bills passed by the Manipur assembly on August 31, last year.

The ILP is a special permit required to enter certain restricted areas in the country. The system is already in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.

It was first introduced by the British, restricting entry into these areas to protect their commercial interests.

Acceding to the demand of JCILPS, the Congress government in Manipur had last year passed three bills to protect the indigenous people of the state.

They were: The Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, The first of these bills proposes to issue a "pass" to any "non-Manipur person" while entering the state.

The bills have been strongly opposed by certain sections in the state, particularly Naga tribes.
Vietnamese and American war veterans who "had the courage not only to fight, but, more importantly, had the courage to make peace" have greatly helped to build relations between the two countries, said U.S. President Barack Obama at a lavish state luncheon in Hanoi yesterday.

Following Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang's toast to Obama's first visit to the country as the arrival of a warm spring after a cold winter, Obama cited a Vietnamese saying: When you eat the fruit, think about the one who planted the tree", to pay respect to all Vietnamese and Americans "who planted and tended the tree that has become our comprehensive partnership".

The President thanked specific individuals including State Secretary John Kerry, also a war veteran, who has been a key player in the bilateral diplomatic relationship.

Obama once met a former North Vietnamese soldier who came up and shook his hand and said: Without the high-powered politicians, people can just get along as human beings.

Over the past 20 years, the Vietnamese and Americans have been following that advice and "getting along as human beings".

"I know that here in Vietnam, you draw inspiration from the lotus flower - hoa sen. It takes root in the mud and thus is a symbol of hope amid hardship. It survives where other flowers cannot, and thus is a symbol of strength and endurance. It radiates color, and is thus a symbol of beauty," said Obama.

"So I'd like to propose a toast - to the spirit of the lotus - in the perseverance and the hopes of the Vietnamese people; in the strength and endurance of the partnership between our two nations; and in the beauty of both of our peoples and the desire to live in peace, dignity and justice," he continued.

He ended his toast in Vietnamese with "Chuc suc khoe!", literally translated as "To our health!".

Optimism surrounding the potential Vietnam  US strategic partnership is riding high as the Obama continues his historic three-day visit to Vietnam.
Kolkata, May 24 : The CPI on Tuesday blamed the lack of clarity in the tie-up between the Congress and the Left Front for the coalition's defeat in the recent West Bengal assembly elections, but said the arrangement needs to be continued to combat the post poll violence "unleashed by the ruling Trinamool Congress".

Briefing media persons on the party's poll analysis, state Communist Party of India (CPI) secretary Prabodh Panda criticised LF major Communist Party of India-Marxist for walking the extra mile in cosying up to the Congress.

He maintained there was no alliance between the LF and the Congress, but only "seat adjustment for the assembly polls.

"Had there been an alliance, there would have been a joint manifesto, a convenor, a joint programme. We had only gone for a seat adjustment with the Congress for the assembly polls. Now the polls are over," he said when asked about the future of the tie-up in the state.

"But at the same time, we feel just because the elections are over, the need for the arrangement (with the Congress) has not ended. The people's issues raised during the campaign are still relevant.

"The ruling party has let loose a reign of terror across the state. They've started a politics of elimination of all opposition forces. We need to combat that through a united protest movement."

Asked whether the party wanted the Congress also to be part of the protests, he countered: "If your house is on fire, will you pick and choose who would come to your aid, or take help from everybody?"

However, Panda hedged a question on joining protests convened by the Congress, saying "Let them call us first."

The CPI secretary said the LF-Congress understanding failed to earn the people's trust despite raising high expectations.

He said the masses still have doubts over whether the "serious mistakes and wrongdoings" seen during the LF regime would not be repeated. "We didn't admit our mistakes and apologise during the campaign. Instead, the arrogance of some of our leaders and workers only deepened the people's doubts."

The CPI leader said there was no clarity about the understanding reached between two "conflicting forces". "It was variously described as an understanding, seat adjustment, people's alliance. Initially it was said there would be no joint campaign or platform sharing, but it all happened later."

Panda also took a swipe at former state chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's joint election rally where the duo had been greeted with a giant floral garland.

"The leadership of LF and Congress were even seen sharing a garland on the campaign stage."

The CPI also said the "alliance or understanding" had been portrayed as one between the Congress and the CPI-M, and not only between the LF and the Congress.

"The LF was not given the due importance. Even the state Congress chief (Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury) publicly said his party was holding discussions only with the CPI-M, and there was no need for deliberations with other LF partners."

He alleged that the local CPI-M leaderships had sided with the Congress candidates in some of the 19 seats where both Congress and LF constituents were present, and that the Congress failed to transfer its votes in the same proportion as achieved by the LF.

Panda said while the LF was gradually getting its base back by organising mass movements, where even Leftists outside the LF were also taking part, the process got stalled due to the pact with the Congress.

He also accused the Trinamool and the BJP of shifting their votes to each other strategically in some constituencies. "The BJP shifted five percent of its votes to the Trinamool. And some confused supporters of the Congress-LF also voted for the ruling party."

The CPI accepted the election results as a "people's verdict", but claimed that the polls were not totally free from "terror and fear".

The Trinamool won a massive majority by claiming 211 seats in the 294-member assembly. The LF-Congress got only 77, and the BJP and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha three each.
New Delhi, May 24 : An air ambulance coming from Patna with seven people, including a brain haemorrhage patient, on board made an emergency landing in a field in the outskirts of Delhi after both of its engines failed.

The air ambulance - a six seater Beechcraft's King Air C-90A aircraft (VT-EQO) was only a few miles away from Delhi when the engine malfunction led it to make an emergency landing in Najafgarh village in west Delhi at around 2.40 p.m.

An official said the aircraft was only six miles away from the runway number 10 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

One of the seven occupants, identified as Bhagwan Rai, 60, received injuries and was rushed to Rao Tula Ram Memorial hospital where his condition is stated to be stable.

"Bhagwan had received minor abrasion on his head and some injuries on his thighs. He is stable and is being treated. He will be referred to Medanta hospital soon," Rao Tula Ram Memorial Hospital's chief medical officer Neha Martolia told IANS.

Martolia said that other people travelling in the aircraft are safe and have been taken to Medanta hospital in Gurgaon.

Apart from Bhagwan, Virender Rai (patient), pilot Amit, co-pilot Rohit, Rupesh (doctor), woman attendant Juhi and Jain Bahadur (technician) were travelling in the aircraft which was being operated by Alchemist Airways Pvt. Ltd.

Asked about the reason of technical fault in the aircraft, Patna Airport Director Rajinder Singh told reporters that a Director General Of Civil Aviation inquiry will reveal the reasons of engine failure.
New Delhi, May 24 : The World Bank will provide an assistance of $100 million for the Karnataka urban water supply modernization project, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday between India and the World Bank.

"The objective of the project is to provide city-wide access to a continuous piped water supply in the eligible cities in the state of Karnataka and to strengthen the service delivery arrangements at the city level," said a finance ministry statement.

"The project will be implemented over a period of six years, initially in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad, with provision for other eligible cities to join the project at a later date," it said.

The project will benefit about one million residents of Hubballi-Dharwad, including estimated 160,000 slum dwellers, the statement added.
New Delhi, May 24 : A 25-year old constable of Nagaland Armed Police, posted in the capital, was found dead at his post, having allegedly committed suicide, on Tuesday morning, police said.

"Constable Anatho committed suicide at the premises of Lal Bahadur Shahstri memorial by shooting himself with his service gun around 10.30 a.m.," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal told IANS.

The memorial is situated in posh Chankyapuri area.

"No suicide note has been recovered yet," he added.

Antho, who was a resident of Dimapur in Nagaland, was transferred to Delhi three months ago, a police official said.

"His brother and sister -- who are also with the Nagaland Police -- arrived here after they were informed about the incident," he official said.

The body was sent for autopsy and a case was registered at the Chanakyapuri police station.
Baghdad, May 24 : Iraqi security forces on Tuesday freed several villages from Islamic State (IS) militants in an offensive continued for the second day around the city of Fallujah in Iraq's Anbar province, a security source said.

Also on Tuesday, two suicide bombers detonated their explosive packed trucks near an army convoy near the militant-seized town of Saqlawiyah, in north of Fallujah, destroying four military vehicles and killing ten soldiers and wounding nine others, the source told Xinhua news agency.

The twin suicide bombings were followed by attack of dozens of IS militants on the nearby security positions, but air strikes by US-led coalition warplanes foiled them, killing 25 IS militants and destroying seven of their vehicles, the source added.

Separately, an Iraqi army helicopter gunship destroyed an explosive-laden car and killed its suicide bomber in Garma town in Rashad area, some 10 km northeast of Fallujah, he said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the launch of the offensive to claim Fallujah on Monday.
Guangzhou, May 24 : The 21st century becoming the "Asian Century" largely depends on the achievements of India and China, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday.

Addressing a gathering of the Indian community in this Chinese city, the capital of Guangdong province, Mukherjee said both India and China were the largest developing countries in the world.

"The prospect of the 21st century becoming the 'Asian Century' will depend largely on what India and China achieve individually and together," he said.

"The rising fortunes of 2.5 billion people of our two countries will be of the greatest consequence not only for our region, but for all humanity."

Mukherjee arrived here on Tuesday on a four-day visit to China.

He said there was a host of complementarities and synergies between India and China.

"The Indian community here has a key role to play in realising the full potential of these," he said.

"At the government level, we have forged a closer developmental partnership with China and are engaged in diversifying our cooperation into every area of common interest."

According to the president, by 2025, it is likely that successful trade, flow of investments and collaborations in technology between India and China may bring about transformative changes not only in the two countries but also in the extended neighbourhood and beyond.

"We will witness a narrowing of the gap between developed and developing countries and, hopefully, a more equitable distribution of wealth and power among major economies," he said.

Mukherjee also praised the Indian diaspora saying that India was very proud of them.

"Indians all over the world are successful not only as dedicated professionals and hardworking businessmen, but also as model citizens," he said.

"They are proud of their contribution to the society in which they choose to live and work; yet they nurture in themselves and their younger generations an enduring "Indian-ness" and an undying love for their motherland," he stated, adding that the Indian community in China now numbers around 45,000.

Stating that India and China were proud inheritors of a grand cultural legacy, he said the two countries were among the oldest civilisations with a rich accumulated wisdom.

"We have learned to cherish our glorious past and keep in our hearts the values that we have inherited. We are confident that our journey forward will be smoother and our future brighter when we walk together in step and with confidence in one another," Mukherjee said.

He said that despite a global economic slowdown, the Indian economy continued on a positive trajectory.

"The government has undertaken major initiatives, including the Make in India, Skill India, Digital India and Swachch Bharat campaigns, to position India at a different level on the world map," the president said.

"I welcome all members of the Indian diaspora to contribute their skills and participate in these programmes enthusiastically," he stated, adding that the present moment was very conducive for investments in India.

Mukherjee, who is accompanied by Minister of State for Textiles Santosh Kumar Gangwar and four MPs from both the BJP and the Congress, will reach Beijing on Wednesday where he will meet the top Chinese leadership.
Guwahati, May 24 : The oath-taking ceremony of BJP's first government in the crucial northeastern state of Assam did not turn out to be a mega NDA show as two major alliance constituents - the Shiv Sena and the PDP - didn't turn up for the event.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had invited all leaders of the National Democratic Alliance's parties to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Sarbananda Sonowal.

Among those present were Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal of the Akali Dal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who heads the Telugu Desam Party, and union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan, head of the Lok Janshakti Party and Upendra Kushwaha, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief.

However, only Badal and Naidu were allowed to speak on the occasion.

A Shiv Sena leader said that they were invited by party chief Uddhav Thackeray "was not in the city. So he could not reach there".

Anil Desai was deputed by the party to attend the oath-taking ceremony but he didn't turn up.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who heads the Peoples Democratic Party, also gave a miss to the mega show.

"As the assembly is in session from tomorrow, Mehboobaji could not go. She has appointed her minister Naeem Akhtar to represent her but he couldn't reach Guwahati as he missed his flight from Delhi," said a minister in the coalition government.

He, however, added that Mufti's absence will not give a good signal to NDAs unity.

Among the BJP chief ministers, only Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was allowed to speak, while Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan), Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh), Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana), and Devender Fadnavis (Maharashtra) could not get an opportunity to speak.

BJP president Amit Shah while giving his speech also focussed on unity of NDA.

"NDA is ruling in 14 states and it's a matter of pride that Assam has got an NDA chief minister," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meanwhile said his government is strengthening cooperative federalism by strengthening states.
Vatican City, May 24 : People who are not gossips and don't speak ill of others are heading in the right direction for sainthood, Pope Francis said in a sermon on Tuesday.

"If you are capable of not speaking badly of someone else, you are on the right path to becoming a saint," Francis said as he celebrated mass at the Vatican hotel, where he lives.

He urged Catholics to "bite their tongue" and resist the temptation to criticise their neighbours and workmates.

"Yes, your tongue will get a bit swollen, but your spirit will be saintlier if you go down this route.

"Don't turn around but keep going in this direction, with moral strength," he said.

Sainthood is a "blameless" journey before God and it can't be bought or sold, the pontiff said.

"I can pray for someone to become a saint, but that person must make the journey, not me. The path to sainthood takes courage."
New Delhi, May 24 : Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday stuck to his earlier stance that the 2008 Batala House gunfight here was "fake" even as a video footage telecast on a TV channel claimed that a suspect Bada Sajid was seen in a "IS video".

"First of all I always said it was a false and fake encounter and I still hold the same view.

"It is for the investigative agency to prove that (presence of suspect is IS video). We had asked for a judicial probe... if that had been accepted everything would have come out in the right perspective," the Congress leader told media persons here.

Suspected terrorist Mohammed Sajid alias Bada Sajid, who reportedly escaped from Delhi on the day of the gunfight at Jamia Nagar area of south Delhi could be one of the fugitives who featured in an alleged IS propaganda video, said a TV report on Tuesday.

It claimed Bada Sajid is one of the five people who allegedly featured in the 22-minute video posted by the IS recently. Police and home ministry sources said Sajid belonged to the Azamgarh module of the Indian Mujahideen (IM).

The Congress leader had claimed earlier that the gunfight in which Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma was killed was "fake", saying: "My objection to the 'encounter' was simple as in an 'encounter', no one can get five shots on the head."

On the case of Sajid, he said: "There are hundreds of Sajids, I do not know."

However, he said if the government, the National Investigation Agency and Research and Analysis Wing have any evidence against anyone to prove about their involvement in such terror acts, "they should be strongly prosecuted".

Meanwhile, a home ministry source merely said that the matter as reported in the TV channel will be looked into.

The Batala House gunfight took place a week after five serial blasts in Delhi on September 13, 2008 in which at least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured.

The issue of alleged "fake encounter" was also used politically chiefly by Samajwadi Party and Congress.

Seven Delhi police personnel had stormed an apartment building in Batla House in Delhi's Jamia Nagar were that terrorists from the Indian Mujahideen were allegedly hiding.

Two suspected terrorists were shot dead while one named Shahzad was arrested and a fourth had reportedly managed to escape. They all belonged to the Azamgarh area of Uttar Pradesh.
Bengaluru, May 25 : Royal Challengers Bangalore batsmen AB De Villiers and Iqbal Abdullah guided the team to a four-wicket win against Gujarat Lions in the first qualifier of IPL match on Tuesday at the Chinnaswami stadium here.

RCB scored 159/6 to snatch the victory from the Lions with 10 balls to spare.

With an asking rate of 7.5 runs in 20 overs, Royal Challengers started off shakily, losing wickets early.

Gujarat Lions bowler Dhawal Kulkarni ripped apart RCB top order, castling both the openers Virat Kohli for duck and Chris Gayle nine.

Three Royal Challengers batsmen suffered duck-out fate, Kohli, Rahul and Baby.

RCB was 65/5 midway through the sixth over and lost another wicket before the end of 10 overs.

It was at this difficult juncture that star South African batsman De Villiers took the onus of steering the team to victory aided by Stuart Binny (21) and Abdulla (33) later.

De Villiers remained unbeaten at 79 in 47 balls with five fours and five sixes, playing slowly and responsibly initially but breaking free later after the 15th over to ensure the match was safe in the hands of Royal Challengers.

Abdullah and De Villiers managed to grab 16 and 15 runs respectively in the 15th and 16th overs to lower the asking rate to 32 runs in 23 balls by the 17th over.

And halfway through the 18th over, De Villiers and Abdullah managed to even the required number of runs and balls at 15 and finally claim the victory in the 19th over.

The batsmen constructed an unbroken partnership of 91 runs in 52 balls.

Kulkarni came out with the best bowling figures for Gujarat Lions with 4/14 with a splendid economy of just 3.50 while Jadeja was the only other bowler to claim wickets for the Lions with bowling figures of 2/21.

Earlier, Gujarat Lions set RCB a target of 159 runs after Dwayne Smith (73) saved the day for the visitors, enabling them to cross 150 runs.

After openers Brendon McCullum (1) and Aaron Finch (4) departed in the second over off left-arm spinner Abdullah, Smith rose to the rescue of his team with 73 runs in 41 balls, smashing five fours and six sixes.

With just nine runs on the score board and two wickets down, Gujarat lost another crucial wicket, Suresh Raina (1) was caught by Sreenath Aravind off Shane Watson's bowling in the fourth over.

With the top order crumbling, no boundaries were hit even after four overs, until Smith hit two in the fifth over.

Only Dinesh Karthik (26) and Eklavya Dwivedi (19) made some contribution with the bat to put a respectable total, while other batsmen fizzled - Ravindra Jadeja (3), Dwayne Bravo (8), Praveen Kumar (5) and Dhawal Kulkarni (6).

After 15 overs, the Lions managed to score 104/4 but Smith and Dwivedi powered it ahead until Royal Challengers captain Virat Kohli held two excellent catches in the long on area to send back Smith and Dwivedi, who had hit two sixes in the 19th.

Electing to field first after winning the toss helped Kohli in not allowing a big total to the Lions.

Watson 4/29 produced the best bowling figures, followed by Chris Jordan with 2/26 and Abdulla with 2/38, while bowling mainstay Yuzvendra Chahal managed only a wicket.

De Villiers was adjudged the man of the match for his winning knock.

Brief Scores:

Royal Challenger Bangalore 159/6 in 18.2 overs (Abraham De Villiers 79, Iqbal Abdullah 33; Dhawal Kulkarni 4/14, Ravindra Jadeja 2/21) beat Gujarat Lions 158 in 20 overs (Dwayne Smith 73, Dinesh Karthik 26; Shane Watson 4/29, Chris Jordan 2/26)

Latest updates on IPL 2020
The Obama Administrations Education Department recently announced a major change to Pell Grants. It released a lineup of 44 colleges that will be eligible next year for its pilot program to give Pell Grants to high school students in dual enrollment programs. The institutions, mostly community colleges, will receive $20 million, and the program is expected to reach approximately 10,000 high school students.

Dual enrollment, in which high school students take courses at a local college to gain college credit, is popular. According to estimates from 2010 (latest available), about 1.2 million high school students took part in a dual enrollment program, representing about 8% of total high school enrollment at the time. Some 46% of colleges, including 96% of two-year public colleges, taught high school students through dual enrollment programs.

The Administrations initiative is only a pilot program, and does not expand Pell Grants to all 1.2 million students in dual enrollment programs. But should it? There are two economic questions to be answered here.

First, does dual enrollment meaningfully increase student achievement? In other words, does taking a college class while in high school increase your chance of going on to college, getting higher marks, and graduating? This question is difficult to study, because students who decide to use dual enrollment might be significantly different from those who do not. Even comparisons that try to control for various student characteristics (such as family income, race and school district) likely miss factors such as individual motivation or parental engagement that researchers simply cannot quantify.

Cecilia Speroni, in a report for the National Center for Postsecondary Research, addressed this problem by comparing students just above and below the eligibility cutoff for a Florida dual enrollment program. Since a GPA of 2.99 is not terribly different from a GPA of 3.01, a substantial divergence in outcomes between the former students (who were not eligible for dual enrollment) and the latter (who were) might be attributed to the program.

Her results showed that most dual enrollment courses did not significantly affect students likelihood of college enrollment or graduation, with the exception of an advanced algebra course. This is not to suggest that dual enrollment is worthlessfar from itbut it certainly does not work for everyone.

The second question is, if dual enrollment is worthwhile, will expanding Pell Grants substantially increase its usage, or simply subsidize those who would have used it anyway? The evidence on whether Pell Grants have increased college enrollment in the traditional sense is mixed. Colleges also tend to raise prices when federal student aid becomes more generous. If that effect carries over to dual enrollment, it could dampen the students incentive to use the program. Evidence from the pilot program might help answer this question.

There is also a question of legality. Under the Higher Education Act, students enrolled in high school are prohibited from receiving Pell Grants. While no one is likely to challenge the pilot program, universal Pell Grant expansion to dual enrollment programs will almost certainly require congressional approval. The Administration cannot simply repurpose funds for uses that Congress has explicitly forbidden.

If expansion is pursued, it presents an opportunity to reform Pell Grants more broadly. Currently, the system doles out cash directly to colleges on an annual basis, with a maximum award per year, which is capped at six years. This is highly conducive to the traditional college model: start school, work toward a degree for two or four years, and graduate. But programs such as dual enrollment, along with competency-based education and other innovations, do not neatly fit into the model that Pell Grants framers had in mind.

Why not turn Pell Grants into a system more akin to education savings accounts? The government could simply give qualifying students a set amount of money (calibrated so it doesnt cost more than the current system) that they may use for whichever approved educational expense(s) they desire. High school students could use the funds for dual enrollment, but would then have less available for educational expenses down the road. If dual enrollment is worth that tradeoffand the evidence suggests that it is not for somestudents should be welcome to use Pell Grants to pay for it.

Of course, greater student autonomy will not solve many of American higher educations deeper problems, which include low graduation rates, a lack of competition and high prices. But more flexibility on how to use Pell Grantswhich, for better or worse, are a central component of our mostly-nationalized higher education finance systemcould provide a welcome boost to student choice and educational innovation.

This column originally appeared on Forbes.

Preston Cooper is a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute. You can follow him on Twitter here.

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Washington, May 25 : Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has declined an invitation to debate rival Bernie Sanders ahead of the California primary.

The Clinton campaign said that it will not participate in a Fox News debate that Sanders had agreed to, saying that the focus has shifted to battling the Republican nominee in the general election, who is presumed to be Donald Trump.

"As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses," Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's spokeswoman, said. "We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands."

This seems to contradict the agreement that Clinton and Sanders made in February to have four more debates with one another. Only three debates have been held so far, with the latest being held in New York in April.

"I am disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clinton's unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process," Sanders said in a statement.

"I hope Secretary Clinton reconsiders her unfortunate decision to back away from her commitment to debate," Sanders added.

The Vermont senator also said that Clinton shouldn't be so presumptive about the status as the Democratic, noting his string of recent victories in the states of West Virginia, Indiana and Oregon.

During a rally at a high school in Santa Monica, California, Sanders said that Clinton refusing to debate was a snub to the people of California.

"I think it's a little insulting to the people of California - the largest state," Sanders said at a rally in Santa Monica, California. "She is not prepared to have a discussion with me about how she is going to help California address the major crises we face."

"I also would suggest that Secretary Clinton may want to be not quite so presumptuous about thinking that she is a certain winner," Sanders added, noting his victories in several recent primaries.

The debate would have been held by the conservative-leaning Fox News network, which said that it was disappointed Clinton declined its invitation.

"The decision, they say, has nothing to do with Fox," Fox News anchor Brett Baier said Monday night, according to CNN.
Moscow, May 25 : Since Moscow started its air operation in Syria on September 30 last year, the Russian Air Force has eliminated over a third of Islamic State fighters in the country, the deputy head of Russia's top security body revealed.

"We estimate that at the beginning of our operation Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State possessed about 80,000 fighters, of whom 28,000 (35 percent) have already been eliminated. This is [the result of] our actions together with the Syrian Army," Evgeny Lukyanov said at the VII international security summit being held in Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechen Republic, RT online reported.

"Well, the (US-led anti-terrorist) coalition eliminated an additional 5,000 in two years," Lukyanov added.

"There were people predicting that it [Russia's anti-terrorist operation in Syria] would result in another Afghanistan or something like that. That would never be. There are only limited military plans," Lukyanov said, stressing that Syrians "must solve their issues for themselves."

The principle task of the Russian operation in Syria has been to force the sides to start a political dialogue, the Russian Security Council's top official stressed.

"Otherwise this [war] would have no end in sight."

"A deal is needed, and arrangements must be made through compromise," Lukyanov added. "There are no victors in a civil war, everybody loses."

The war in Syria has witnessed a turning point, Lukyanov also said.

"Only those politically motivated could deny that fact or interpret it differently."

However, judging by the reaction of certain parties on the Syrian battlefield and the aggressive actions of intransigent opposition, "they would like very much to wreck the settlement process."

The forces that oppose the peace process would do anything to torpedo attempts to mend the tensions, Lukyanov noted.

He noted that over 100 Syrian settlements have already recognized the armistice and are observing it.

Another sign of relief in Syria is Russia's withdrawal of most of its contingent and military aircraft, the Security Council official pointed out, stressing that the Russian military is "busy conducting an assessment of the situation."

While 59 armed groups have joined the reconciliation process in Syria, which began on February 27 with the introduction of a ceasefire, terrorist factions like Islamic State and particularly Al-Nusra Front continue their efforts to regain ground. The city of Aleppo, once a major stronghold of terrorists, remains a hot spot of Al-Nusra activities.

The ceasefire does not apply to internationally-recognized terror groups such as IS and Al-Nusra Front, which means airstrikes can be delivered against their outposts.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed via phone the possibility of joining forces to carry out attacks on militant groups breaking the ceasefire in Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. No conclusion on the potential joint effort was reached.
A lack of suitable office space in Scotlands key cities, combined with rising rents, is leading to companies looking to take offices in locations outside the city centre, new research shows.

According to the latest Scottish Office Market report from real estate firm Savills, take-up of office space outside the central business districts of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow was 4% higher in the first quarter of 2016 than the previous quarter.

The firm believes this trend is set to increase as occupiers continue to be attracted by the low rents on offer in out of town locations, where in some cases there can be a 50% discount on the 30 per square foot prime rents being achieved in the city centre.

The out of town markets are on the cusp of experiencing a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Edinburgh and Glasgow. This is primarily due to occupiers being able to save money on rents compared to inner city locations, said Mat Oakley, head of commercial research at Savills.

As a result Savills predicts Scotlands strongest rental growth could be seen in the out of town markets of both Edinburgh and Glasgow, where rents in the early 20's could be achieved in the next three years.

Savills research also shows that demand for office space across Scotland has increased significantly this year. Glasgow has seen approximately 300,000 square foot of space let in the first quarter of 2016 alone, more than half of the total amount of space taken in the city during the whole of 2015. Edinburgh, meanwhile, saw its second strongest quarter of leasing activity since 2013 at 324,000 square feet.

According to the report, this spike in demand, combined with further employment growth and falling availability of Grade A space, has led to a squeeze in supply. Total supply in Glasgow has now fallen below two million square feet for the first time since 2011, with only approximately 500,000 square feet of Grade A space available.

In Edinburgh availability has steadily fallen since its peak in 2008. Savills estimates that there is now only 2.1 million square feet of office space available across the citys combined central business district and out of town markets, of which only 365,000 square feet is Grade A.

The report also points out that Scottish office investment volumes have stayed healthy, with just over 811 million transacted in 2015, 33% above the long run average, and just over 300 million transacted in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow in the year to date.

Prime yields have fallen in Edinburgh and Glasgow, leaving both markets at 5%. However, Aberdeen's recent slowdown in leasing activity has seen yields there rise from 6% to 7% over the last two years.

Of all Scottish office investments in 2015 some 44% were by non-domestic investors according to Savills research. Figures show this has continued into 2016 with 89% of all purchases made by non-domestic investors.

Savills attributes this to a combination of UK institutional investors being quiet in the run-up to the European Union referendum and overseas investors, undeterred by the forthcoming European Union referendum, being attracted by recent high levels of development activity in Scotland and the promise of continued solid rental growth.

The national trends do seem to point to non-domestic investors being less concerned about the outcome of the EU referendum, and in some cases actually seeing it as a buying opportunity, with evidence that investor demand for the Scottish cities has been less affected by the Brexit debate than other locations, said Nick Penny, director in the investment team and head of Savills Scotland.

Scottish office investments still look cheap in comparison to the English cities. This, and the solid rental growth story, will continue to attract investor interest in Scotlands prime office markets, he added.
The average first-time buyer in 91% of local authorities across England will now pay no stamp duty on the purchase of their first property, according to the latest research by Revolution Brokers.

With stamp duty now only payable on a first home purchase above 425,000, first-time buyers across England are set to save up to 8,750 when climbing the property ladder, with many paying no SDLT whatsoever.

Revolution Brokers analysed current first-time buyer house prices across England to see just how much of the market is now stamp duty exempt for first-time buyers, due to the average price paid for a first home sitting at or below the new 425,000 price threshold.

The research shows that just six areas of the property market will see first-time buyers ineligible for any stamp duty relief under the new structure, due to the fact the average first home is worth over 625k.

While this accounts for just 2% of the total market, these areas are predictably all located within London  Kensington and Chelsea, the Cities of Westminster and London, Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham and Islington.

A further 7% of local authorities across England will see the average first-time buyer pay a reduced 5% rate of stamp duty due to the average price of a first home falling between the 425,001 to 625,000 price threshold.

Again, these 21 local authorities are largely located within London, although they also include Elmsbridge, Three Rivers, St Albans, Cambridge, Hertsmere, Windsor and Maidenhead and Oxford.

However, as a result of the latest stamp duty cut, the remaining 91% of local authorities across England will now see the average first-time buyer pay no stamp duty on their purchase at all, with the average price paid for first home coming in at or below the 425,000 threshold.

Founding Director of Revolution Brokers, Almas Uddin, commented:

The nations first-time buyers have benefited to a much greater extent from the latest cut to stamp duty and quite rightly so, as they have a far harder task to overcome in securing that first foot on the ladder compared to those making that second or third step.

While it certainly wont help them save that all important mortgage deposit, or with the escalating cost of their monthly mortgage repayment, a vast number will, at least, be able to buy without the additional hurdle of a stamp duty bill.
(Facebook/PrisonBreak)Official trailer shows Lincoln Burrows reunited with Michael Scofield in Morocco.

Wentworth Miller is establishing himself as the actor whose characters never die.

The actor is known for portraying two memorable characters. The first is "Prison Break's" Michael Scofield and the other is Captain Cold, the villain-turned-hero of The CW's DC Universe. The former was initially thought to be dead when the popular series wrapped up way back in 2009, while the latter died in the penultimate episode of "Legends of Tomorrow."

However, Miller is set to reprise his role as Michael Scofield in "Prison Break" season 5, while fans will still see their favorite cool as ice hero, Captain Cold, in "The Flash" and the network's other superhero shows.

There has always been interest in a revival or reboot of the show, but as Dominic Purcell explained to Digital Spy, Miller went into some kind of semi-retirement to focus on his writing.

"He's jumped back into the fray now  and as soon as Wentworth was on board, that's when the dominos started to fall," Purcell added.

And fall they did. With the two brothers back on board  Miller as Scofield and Purcell as Lincoln Burrows  it wasn't long before Sarah Wayne Callies, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Rockmond Dunbar, and Paul Adelstein were soon confirming that they're also returning to reprise their iconic roles.

Fox has already released a trailer for "Prison Break" season 5, giving fans a glimpse of what to expect when the show finally returns. The clip begins with a shot of Scofield's son asking his mother about his real father. Sara describes him to "a storm appearing suddenly out of a clear blue sky, and then disappeared just as quickly." But her son wisely points out that storms can come back.

Burrows is then shown returning home to find T-Bag with information about Michael being alive. Michael's older brother shares the information with his sister-in-law, who doesn't seem willing to believe it at first. Lincoln decides to check and flies off to Morocco, where his brother is reportedly being held and soon finds Michael. He tells the former architect that they'll be breaking him out. The "they" turn out to be their old crew, with Michael also helping from the inside.

The trailer also gives viewers glimpses of the brothers' plan for a prison break, which appears to involve shutting down the power in the city. The clip ends with the two brothers being reunited. While the scene is such a happy moment, they're not out of the woods yet.

Fox hasn't set a release date for "Prison Break" season 5 yet, but the series is expected to return to the small screen in 2017.
Gregory B. Gilbert, CFP Co-Founder, President, Chief Compliance Officer Infinity Financial Services WR Hambrecht + Co's Reg A+ platform is making exciting investment opportunities accessible to investors, and making new funding available to emerging companies. -- Greg Gilbert, President and Chief Compliance Officer of Infinity Financial

Infinity Financial Services has entered into an agreement with WR Hambrecht + Co, to serve as a selected dealer in Regulation A+ IPOs led by WR Hambrecht + Co.

We are proud to be allied with WR Hambrecht + Co in providing new investing opportunities for our clients and the Financial Advisors in our firm, said Greg Gilbert, President and Chief Compliance Officer of Infinity Financial Services. Through its Reg A+ platform, WR Hambrecht + Co is at once making exciting investment opportunities accessible to investors, and making new funding available to emerging companies.

The WR Hambrecht + Co website offers individual investors the ability to purchase shares of Reg A+ IPO companies in a secure, streamlined process. Hambrechts website appeals to Millennials seeking web-access to expertly curated new issue opportunities. It enables our FAs to provide a broader array of options for their clients that were not available to them. And Infinity Financial Services will be building a portfolio of Tier 2 Reg A+ IPO stocks, Gilbert said.

Reg A+ offerings provide growth companies efficient access to public capital, enabling them to focus on innovation while providing an opportunity for all classes of investors to participate in their success, John Hullar, WR Hambrecht + Cos Managing Partner, said.

WR Hambrecht + Cos Reg A+ platform was conceived of by founder and Chairman Bill Hambrecht, a pioneer in growth financing who was influential in the structure and implementation of Title IV of the 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. This bi-partisan act led to updated Reg A+ Tier 1 and Tier 2 rules. Tier 2 allows offerings of securities of up to $50 million in a 12-month period, with not more than $15 million offered by selling security-holders that are affiliates of the issuer. The rules also provide for the preemption of state securities law registration (Blue Sky) and qualification requirements for securities offered or sold to qualified purchasers in Tier 2 offerings.

Infinity Financial Services is a national independent FINRA broker/dealer and registered investment advisor based in Oakland, California, with offices across the country. Infinity is dedicated to enhancing clients financial lives with personalized wealth management and retirement plan services. Infinity offers an open-architecture platform of traditional and alternative investments, insurance products, professional asset management, and retirement plan advisory services to individual, small business and institutional investors. http://www.infinitysecurities.com

WR Hambrecht + Co was founded in 1998 to level the playing field for investors and issuers. Founder Bill Hambrecht is a Silicon Valley pioneer who has been financing growth companies from Apple to Google during his time at Hambrecht & Quist and WRH+Co. Since inception WRH+Co has been championing and financing emerging growth companies and currently has four Reg A+ offerings in process and several others preparing a Form 1-A for submission. Active offerings are Aperion Biologics, Allegiancy, BeautyKind and NewsBeat Social.

WR Hambrecht + Co is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York. http://www.wrhambrecht.com
The Naples Hotel Group, a leading hotel Development and Management Company, named James Welch as General Manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown South Orlando  Medical Center. He successfully opened the new Florida hotel along with Naples Hotel Groups corporate team.

James Welch has a passion for hospitality with over ten years of hotel experience in different operational and management positions, primarily with brands of Hilton Worldwide. Prior to joining Naples Hotel Group, James was General Manager for the Hampton Inn & Suites near the University of Central Florida. In addition to his hotel experience, he received a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Hospitality. James has helped to create a welcoming environment for staff and guests at the hotel with his outgoing personality and industry experience.

The Florida hotel has been open almost 8 weeks and is located off of Orange Avenue near the main entrance of the Orlando Health campus. This location is conveniently near downtown Orlando. The property has 126 rooms and suites with custom interior decor. Some featured amenities of the hotel include an outdoor pool, fitness area, and expanded meeting room space. Shuttles for transportation are also available to nearby hospitals and select locations downtown.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact Brittany Bou-Sliman at brittany(at)napleshotelgroup(dot)com or 239-206-4273.

About Naples Hotel Group

Naples Hotel Group is a hotel development and management company founded in 1999. NHG has achieved superior results and has a proven ability to enhance the performance of hotels through the use of their experience, responsiveness and extensive resources. NHG, based in Naples and Orlando, prides itself on building long-term relationships with quality people and organizations. To learn more visit, http://www.napleshotelgroup.com.
Access to this data provides Kabbage with unparalleled insights into the overall health and business cycles of our customers across every industry and geography...

Kabbage, the leading financial technology and data platform, today announced that its business customers have securely connected more than one million data accounts to its seamless, fully-automated lending platform. Data sources include business revenue, vendor payments, tax and accounting data, and more. Kabbages real-time engine uses this key business information to automatically assign a line of credit. The credit line dynamically adjusts over time to provide small business owners with precisely the right amount of capital they need to grow.

Kabbage also announced today that it has originated $2 billion in SMB loans through the Kabbage Platform within five years of launching, and has expanded its offering to include 12-month duration loans.

We are especially proud today of the trust our customers have placed in Kabbage. Our typical customer links three or more business accounts to Kabbage, which is a testament to the ease of use and security of our platform, said Rob Frohwein, co-founder and CEO of Kabbage. Access to this data provides Kabbage with unparalleled insights into the overall health and business cycles of our customers across every industry and geography. This enables us to offer exactly the right product at every point in the journey of the small business owner.

Furthering the companys commitment to empowering customers through data, Kabbage, along with other financial technology innovators, recently unveiled a joint initiative to advance small business online lending education and transparency to help small businesses make better borrowing decisions. Kabbage has over 75,000 small business customers across all 50 states in the U.S.

What Our Customers Have to Say

Paleo Ranch

Kabbages approach to looking at my information that already exists online makes so much sense, said Shauna Sledge, founder of Paleo Ranch. Navigating the website was incredibly simple. I couldnt believe how easy it was to connect my bank account. I entered in my information once, and boom  I was granted access to a line of credit. I had to pinch myself!

The Wet Shave Club

The ease of the application process was astounding, said Kevin Pereira, owner of the Wet Shave Club. I was able to link all of my bank information and avoid the hassle of tracking down financial statements and scanning in documents. Kabbage reviewed our accounts and were able to look past how new we were to see our potential and how we were growing. They gave us a business loan right away.

Accountingprose

Traditional banks really wouldnt listen to what I had to say since I didnt fit a traditional business mold. We had an upward trajectory, but looking at previous tax returns didnt provide an accurate picture of our potential, said Cristina Garza, owner of Accountingprose. Kabbage was really straightforward and open-minded in reviewing my business. They considered the future of my business rather than just looking at the past.

About Kabbage Inc.

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 Conways SV Angel, David Bonderman, founder of TPG Capital, and Warren Stephens, CEO of Stephens 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.
Your Students Have Higher Expectations of Higher Ed OneCampus provides an intuitive, mobile-ready gateway to the information our campus community needs most.

St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, has selected OneCampus from rSmart to provide students, staff, and faculty with easy access to campus services, from any location on any device. The OneCampus solution, a cloud-based platform, was chosen by St. Edwards to replace the current platform for their university portal, myHilltop, over the course of the next year.

OneCampus is a service discovery portal that simplifies access to campus services such as grades, class schedules, campus activities, email, and much more. OneCampus connects to St. Edwards Universitys campus-based authentication system to allow for single sign-on (SSO) to institutional services and applications. With a robust Google-like search engine, and ratings and reviews to effectively analyze what services are being used, OneCampus provides a modern approach to organizing web-based services. OneCampus also has powerful APIs to push data from popular systems used on campus, like Canvas.

St. Edwards University selected OneCampus because of its marked improvements in user experience for its campus community. The university has long looked for ways to make vital campus information easier to find and use, from wherever students, faculty, and staff might be, and OneCampus is an integral step in making university services more user-focused.

OneCampus provides an intuitive, mobile-ready gateway to the information our campus community needs most, which is something weve heard from students, staff and faculty when showing them the platform. As weve begun building our site, our staff has taken to calling OneCampus the fast track to information, and were eager for our entire campus to enjoy the benefits of its clean, user-centric design, said David Waldron, Vice President for Information Technology at St. Edwards.

The OneCampus community includes nearly a million students, parents and faculty from colleges and universities across the country, and plays an integral part in helping students find success on campus. OneCampus delivers the digital experience students expect, with the ease and efficiency schools such as St. Edwards University need.

We are excited to welcome St. Edwards University to the OneCampus community, said rSmart CEO Tony Potts. With a global perspective and a focus on an international campus environment, St. Edwards is an ideal institution to give students and faculty the most current solution for navigating campus services from any location.

OneCampus by rSmart will be showcased at the UBTech Conference June 6-8 in Las Vegas, NV. To learn more about OneCampus now or to request a demo, visit https://www.rsmart.com or call 866.874.4338.

About St. Edwards University

Founded in 1885 by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edwards University is the premier private institution of higher learning in Austin. Enrolling approximately 5,000 students, the university offers approximately 50 academic programs for undergraduates, 10 undergraduate degree programs specifically designed for working adults and seven masters degree programs.

The St. Edwards community is diverse and cosmopolitan. Students from more than 50 countries are currently enrolled at the university and St. Edwards partners with 21 universities located in 16 countries around the world. The university is committed to preparing students for success in a 21st century world increasingly shaped by globalization, ubiquitous technology and relentless change.

Over the last two decades, the university has doubled its enrollment and invested more than $175 million in new campus facilities. US News & World Report has ranked St. Edwards among the top regional universities in the West for 13 consecutive years. Consistent with its Holy Cross heritage, the university maintains a strong focus on issues of social justice.

About rSmart

For more than 15 years, rSmart has been changing the way higher ed thinks about technology by delivering solutions that reduce costs, improve productivity, and simplify the user experience. The OneCampus product is a lightweight, mobile-friendly technology that makes finding campus services faster and easier than ever. rSmart is privately held and headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ. To learn more, visit https://www.rsmart.com.
The larger screen size, versatility, lighter weight, performance package options, and price point are ideal for users that need a lower-cost option without sacrificing performance.

Group Mobile, well known for carrying the top brands in rugged laptops, rugged tablet PCs, rugged smartphones, and rugged handheld computers has extended its product offerings to include the new semi-rugged Toughpad FZ-Q1 from Panasonic, an industry leader in reliable and innovative rugged mobile computers. The 12.5 inch, business-industry-focused tablet is designed to be much more durable than standard consumer-grade hardware, and is aimed at industries such as home health, code enforcement, transportation, point-of-sale (POS) retail, and small business applications.

Panasonic President Yasu Enokido said the tablet will allow increased gathering, sharing and accessing information, both in government and private sector applications. It provides the reliability, usability, and security that businesses require, as well as service infrastructures, he said.

We expect the Toughpad FZ-Q1 to be extremely popular among our customers requiring a semi-rugged tablet, said Stephanie Kreitner, Executive Vice President of Group Mobile. The larger screen size, versatility, lighter weight, performance package options, and price point are ideal for users that need a lower-cost option without sacrificing performance.

The Toughpad FZ-Q1 provides the ideal level of durability for light duty field work. To meet the diverse market needs, the FZ-Q1 semi-rugged tablet comes in two performance configurations, a performance version featuring an Intel Core i5-4302Y vPro processor and a standard model with an Intel Celeron processor N2807. The FZ-Q1 performance model comes with 8GB of memory, and 128GB SSD, upgradeable to 256GB solid state drive for optimum speed and performance, while the standard FZ-Q1 model comes with 4GB memory and 64EMMC,or 128GB solid state drive.

When it comes to connectivity, the Toughpad FZ-Q1 offers an expansive selection of options including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and optional 4G LTE multi carrier with satellite GPS. The device also features USB 3.0, MicroSDXC, 2MP webcam, and an 8MP rear facing camera. Unlike consumer designed tablets, the Toughpad FZ-Q1 has integrated options for insertable or contactless SmartCard readers, a must for many government and healthcare users.

Panasonic designed the new FZ-Q1 Toughpad to serve the government and utility sectors by equipping the new FZ-Q1 with a Full High Definition, 350nit, 10-finger touchscreen with built in anti-reflective (AR) screen treatment. Other usability features include an easy grip bottom cover, integrated stylus, and fast charging battery that outperforms consumer grade tablets.

A full range of accessories are available with the Toughpad FZ-Q1, notably a spill resistant, backlit keyboard with carrying strap, desktop cradle, rotating hand strap, and more.

The Panasonic semi-rugged FZ-Q1 tablet can be ordered from Group Mobile today. To learn more, visit: http://www.groupmobile.com/buy.asp/sku=8016/dept_id=/mf_id=1/Panasonic+Toughpad+FZ-Q1+Tablet.html, or call toll free 866-RUGGED8 (1-866-784-4338). To learn more about all of the Panasonic rugged computers Group Mobile carries, visit: http://www.groupmobile.com/brand.asp/mf_id=1/Panasonic+Toughbook.html.

About Group Mobile

Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Group Mobile serves customers all over North America. Customers range from Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. Military, to local police/fire/ambulance, to small and mid-size businesses, to the frequent traveler that needs something more durable than a commercial, off-the-shelf computer. Group Mobile carries all the leading rugged computing brands. In addition, Group Mobile offers vehicle docking and mounting equipment from Gamber-Johnson, Ram Mounts, and Havis. To learn more about rugged computers and how they differ from commercial, indoor computers, check out the Rugged Computer Guide or visit groupmobile.com.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Panasonic Corporation of North America provides a broad line of digital and other electronics products and solutions for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation and the hub of Panasonics U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In Interbrands 2014 annual Best Global Green Brands report, Panasonic ranked number five overall and the top electronics brand in the report. As part of continuing sustainability efforts, Panasonic Corporation of North America relocated its headquarters to a new facility, built to meet LEED certification standards, adjacent to Newark Penn Station in Newark, NJ. Learn more about Panasonic at http://www.panasonic.com.
The feedback from staff has been positive about the web-based solution. We have been very happy with the ease of use of the software, both in the office and in the field.

Batchelor & Kimball was looking for mobile software to improve communications between their field and back-office teams. They focused on mobile apps available in the marketplace, but eventually decided to work with FieldConnects web-based mobile field service software. Operations Manager, Brian Batchelor states, At first, we thought FieldConnects web-based solution was inferior to an app, but we changed our minds on that. We see advantages to the web-based solution because it is easier to push updates and access from any device or location.

Web-based solutions enable real-time information flow so field and back-office teams see the same information at the same time. Integrated by design, FieldConnect software works with the ERP system (Vista by Viewpoint) so that all work order history resides in one database. The integration allows the back-office team to have instant visibility into field technician activity. The web-based solution also allows for a common user interface across multiple devices and near instant update of user interface changes in the field. Brian comments, Changes can be pushed almost instantaneously, as opposed to having to update an app. The feedback from staff has been positive about the web-based solution. We have been very happy with the ease of use of the software, both in the office and in the field.

The web-based approach of FieldConnect helped Batchelor & Kimball train and deploy FieldConnect literally overnight. We initially had serious reservations about doing a wholesale swap of processes and technology on our technicians, Brian says. What we were able to accomplish with FieldConnect was to go from zero usage to 100% in a short period of time, and the feedback in the field has been positive. The most important thing to us is that the technicians using the product every day have a solution that is easy to use and helps them do their job more efficiently. FieldConnect software is easy to navigate and technician-friendly.

About FieldConnect

Since 2002, FieldConnect has provided mobile solutions designed around the needs of field service organizations  from your field engineers to your dispatchers, to the back-office, and your end-customers. FieldConnect provides mobile field service software to best-in-class field service organizations, driving service department revenue and removing inefficiencies. http://www.fieldconnect.com

About Batchelor & Kimball, Inc.

Batchelor & Kimball is a mechanical contractor providing commercial HVAC, mechanical and plumbing for all types of facilities including institutional, information technologies, manufacturing, medical/hospital and research and development. We offer design/build and turnkey construction with our qualified staff comprised of registered engineers and skilled labor forces including pipefitters, certified welders and plumbers. Knowledge comes with experience. Our extensive experience makes us knowledgeable in the unique mechanical requirements of healthcare facilities, institutional campus buildings, and laboratory and industrial facilities. http://www.bkimechanical.com

About Viewpoint

Viewpoint solutions include takeoff and estimating, project management, accounting solutions, enterprise resource planning, project and BIM collaboration, mobile field-to-office and enterprise content management. Viewpoint customers include more than 30 percent of the ENR 400 and have the most technology partnerships with the top 50 mechanical and electrical contractors in the United States. Viewpoint serves as the technology partner of choice to the construction industry and delivers the right solutions on the right platform, including cloud, SaaS and on premise solutions and provides customers improved accountability, efficiency and productivity throughout the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. - See more at: http://viewpoint.com
A work crew determines road cut information with RoadTag. (Photo Provided) Receiving a call or letter thanking CDO for making a real difference validates how well our team understands technologys role in improving quality and efficiency.

The City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with nearly 5,700 lane-miles of roadway, has licensed CDO Technologies' RoadTag to better track street cut data.

Colorado Springs Public Works has purchased rugged Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that can be programmed with specific information about a street cut -- such as contractor name and permit numberand placed beneath the final layer of pavement.

When a cut defect occurs, engineers using an off-the-shelf, handheld device running the CDO RoadTag software can access the road cut information and take immediate action.

CDO RoadTag has already been vetted and adopted by municipalities within Colorado, said Brian Kelley, engineering support team manager. Adopting this new technology is a best-practice focused on the needs of our Front Range cities and will save Colorado Springs time, money and effort, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars.

As the winter snows have subsided and Colorado Springs faces roadway repairs, it will evaluate the CDO RoadTag technology, adjust business processes, communicate with contractors, and calculate the total expected savings. By deploying state-of-the-art RFID technology and lessons-learned, Colorado Springs expects CDO RoadTag to play an important role in the citys efforts to better serve constituents and to save money.

CDO Technologies of Dayton, Ohio, supports a complete portfolio of Automatic Identification Data Capture (AIDC) technology solutions for federal, municipal and commercial markets. AIDC solutions help improve the visibility, accuracy, and efficiency of logistics, asset management, manufacturing, healthcare, and customer service operations.

Since CDO RoadTag was first used roughly two years ago in Dayton to access real-time information regarding street cuts, we've seen many cities deploy the technology, said Robert Zielinski, CDO Technologies director of commercial marketing. "Dayton saved $60,000 in its first year of operation and now others across the country are planning similar returns.

CDO Technologies is committed to creating solutions that provide an immediate value to customersin this case, municipal engineers and taxpayers, said Zielinski. CDO RoadTag is an example of a product that started as a custom solution to a very frustrating problem, was recognized for providing tremendous value, won several RFID industry awards, and is now scalable to other municipalities to leverage its proven success.

CDO Technologies has been dedicated to creating solutions for customers since 1995. Its commercial customers include Allegion; CACI Technologies; Cintas Corporation; Delphi Thermal Systems; Gillette Company; Proctor and Gamble; the cities of Dayton and Riverside, Ohio, and Union City and Winchester, Indiana; Premier Health Partners; UnitedHealth Group; and Dayton, Euclid and Winchester, Ohio Public Schools.

In 2015, CDO Technologies was selected as a prime contractor for the U.S. Air Forces $6 billion Netcents 2NetOps SB contract; the U.S. Armys $180 million AIT contract; and the U.S. Air Force $450 million Technical Data Support Services Enterprise (TDSSe) contract.

CDO Technologies received the 2015 RFID Case Study Competition award from AIM Global for CDO RoadTag. AIM is an industry association and worldwide authority on barcode, RFID, RTLS, NFC and mobile computing. CDO also received an RFID Journal award for distinguished success in use of RFID in CDO RoadTag.

I am continually encouraged by the value CDOs solutions provide, said Al Wofford, CDOs president and CEO. Receiving a call or letter thanking CDO for making a real difference validates how well our team understands technologys role in improving quality and efficiency.

For more information about CDO Technologies and its services and products, go to http://www.cdotech.com or call Robert Zielinski at (937) 476-2278.

# # #

Contact: Robert Zielinski

Email: Robert.Zielinski(at)cdotech(dot)com

Phone: (937) 476-2278

About CDO Technologies:

CDO Technologies is a trusted, expert provider of secure, cutting-edge data-collection, advanced-technology communications and managed-services solutions that improve efficiency and reduce costs for federal, municipal and commercial organizations.
Rentex Computer & Audio Visual Rentals Expands into Southern California! Our new Anaheim warehouse is in a key location that will allow us to better serve our West Coast customers

Rentex Computer & Audio Visual Rentals is pleased to announce that its new 26,000 square foot facility in Anaheim, CA, opened on May 23rd, 2016. The facility, located at 1212 E Howell Avenue in Anaheim, will provide rental equipment and services to the expanding Rentex customer base on the West Coast. New Southern California location brings over 30 years of computer and AV rental expertise to Orange County, Los Angeles, and the entire Southern California region including San Diego and Palm Springs.

Our new Anaheim warehouse is in a key location that will allow us to better serve our West Coast customers, said Richard Flaherty, Rentex President, who added, our expanding reach and continuing effort to grow our inventory has cemented our leadership in the AV rental industry.

Jeremy Maguire, a fifteen year veteran in the AV industry with deep experience providing precise, high-end AV solutions, has been hired as the general manager for the new branch. I am proud and excited to work for a company like Rentex that provides industry-leading service and quality, said Maguire, providing excellent customer service has been a driving force throughout my career and Rentex shares that passion, so were a great fit. Maguire started his career as an AV technician and has held various director and regional director positions. He recently served as the manager of hotels at VER and the regional director at Five-Star Audio Visual.

Like all Rentex warehouses, the new Anaheim facility contains an extensive inventory of high-quality, name-brand computer & audio visual rental equipment. Rentex provides same day delivery to most major cities from its convenient warehouse locations in Boston, New York/NJ, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Orlando, Dallas/Ft Worth, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Anaheim/LA.

Find out more about Rentex services at http://www.rentex.com.

About Rentex

Founded in 1980, Rentex is one of the largest and most trusted providers of computer, production, and audio visual rental equipment in the nation. It supplies many of the nations companies with computer and AV rental equipment and services. Rentals are available by the day, week, or month, and sales reps and technicians are available 24/7/365. To view all available rental equipment and to request a price quotation, visit rentex.com or call 800-574-1702.
Alternate style IEC laser safety label with explanatory information incorporated into the label The increased use of symbols  when combined with precise use of severity level panels to define risk, and clear, concise text messages  represents the new era in safety signs and labels. Past News Releases RSS Interview with Clarion Safety...

Clarion Safety Systems Expands...

Clarion Safety Systems Launches...

Clarion Safety Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of safety signs and safety labels, has been featured in the National Electrical Manufacturers Associations (NEMA) newsletter, eiXtra, with an article, Understanding Symbols: Laser Labels.

The eiXtra e-newsletter provides electroindustry professionals with manufacturer, regulatory, and standardization news. The publication is a bi-monthly email newsletter that supplements ei, NEMAs monthly print magazine.

Geoffrey Peckham, CEO of Clarion Safety Systems, contributed this featured guest column to the newsletter regarding safety labels for laser products. When it comes to the history and progress of formats and symbols related to the safety labels used on laser products, manufacturers face a dilemma: comply with U.S. regulations or meet internationally-accepted standards. The article explores the Food and Drug Administrations Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)-compliant laser labels (for U.S. markets) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)-compliant laser labels (for international markets). The article also then describes the future in laser labeling: a new harmonized format.

My long-term involvement on the ANSI Z535 and ISO/TC 145 committees has helped to achieve harmonization in the area of product safety labeling so product manufacturers in a multitude of industries are able to adopt a single safety label system for their products worldwide. For laser safety labeling, this has not happened, says Peckham.

Yet the 2014 edition of IEC 60825-1 presents engineers with a new symbol-based format that better conveys laser safety information across language barriers and uses ANSI Z535-style color-coded severity level panels to denote varying levels of risk.

The article explores how a new IEC format offers the promise of harmonization between U.S. and international standards for laser safety labeling and discusses the growing trend now occurring in the field of on-product safety labeling; industries are shifting to a greater reliance on symbols to communicate and draw attention to safety messages. The increased use of symbols  when combined with precise use of severity level panels to define risk, and clear, concise text messages  represents the new era in safety signs and labels.

Peckhams credentials include currently serving as chair of both the ANSI Z535 Committee for Safety Signs and Colors and the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO Technical Committee 145  Graphical Symbols. He has also been selected as a member of the U.S. TAG to ISO/PC 283, an ISO committee writing a new standard, ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, which will, when finished, define global best practices for workplace safety.

In the past, Peckham has contributed to NEMAs ei print magazine, as well as to its NEMAcast podcast program.

To learn more about the latest developments in product safety labeling, visit Clarions website or watch its short, educational video on Effective Safety Symbols, Signs and Labels.

Additional up-to-date information about CDRH and IEC-compliant laser labeling  as well as on finding the laser labels that meet manufacturers requirements  can be found in Clarions online safety label Learning Center.

ABOUT CLARION SAFETY SYSTEMS

Clarion Safety Systems, LLC, is the leading designer and manufacturer of visual safety solutions that help customers in more than 180 industries worldwide to make their products and premises safer. Clarion offers a full range of standard and custom products including machinery safety labels, environmental and facility safety signs, pipe and valve identification markings, lockout/tagout products, and safety-grade photoluminescent egress path-marking escape systems. Founded in 1990, the company continues to play a leading role in the development and writing of international and national standards for safety signs, labels, and markings. Clarion is headquartered at 190 Old Milford Road in Milford, PA, 18337, and online at http://www.clarionsafety.com.

ABOUT NEMA

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is the association of electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers. Founded in 1926 and headquartered in Rosslyn, Virginia, its 400-plus member companies manufacture a diverse set of products used in the generation, transmission, distribution, and end use of electricity as well as medical diagnostic imaging.
The New B0205-III These next generation models are even heavier and more rigid. This means operators can cut more aggressively while experiencing better finishes and longer tool life.

Tsugami/Rem Sales, the exclusive North American importer of Precision Tsugami machine tools, announced today the release of four next generation Tsugami CNC machines.

The new models represent the third generation of Tsugamis Opposed Gang Tool CNC Lathes and are identified with a -III after their base model numbers. Newly released models include the B0125-III, B0126-III, B0205-III and the B0206-III.

The B0125-III and B0126-III are 12 mm machines with five and six axes, respectively. The B0205-III and B0206-III are 20 mm machines with five and six axes, respectively.

Tsugami machines are already among the heaviest, most rigid machines in their class, Tsugami/Rem Sales Vice President Mike Mugno said, but these next generation models are even heavier and more rigid. This means operators can cut more aggressively while experiencing better finishes and longer tool life, Mugno said.

To increase the machines overall rigidity, Tsugami moved the electrical control cabinet from inside the machines to an external position behind the machines and installed two additional support ribs in the space that held the control cabinet. Tsugami also redesigned the machines castings, effectively increasing the weight of some machines by over 650 pounds.

The increased mass is expected to improve cutting ability, Mugno said. We anticipate improvements in part runout and straightness, particularly after parts have been transferred from the main spindle to the subspindle.

Other machine enhancements include increasing the main spindle cross tool speeds from 5,000 rpm to 8,000 rpm, lengthening the back spindle slide stroke on the X2 and Z2 axes, increasing the ball screw diameters, expanding the tool area inside the machines, and expediting chip flow and removal.

Tsugami also updated the machines programming software. The thermal displacement compensation function has been enhanced and can now be used on every linear axis. Other software changes include improvements to the rapid feed override process and automatic back tool post interference protection.

All four machines include Tsugamis free Abile programming software and all are convertible, meaning they can be run as traditional Swiss style lathes using a guide bushing or operated with an optional chucker kit, which can be quickly installed.

Tsugami plans to launch more next generation models over the next 12 months, Mugno said.

Tsugami/Rem Sales will demonstrate the new B0205-III at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago this September. To see the Tsugami products at IMTS, visit the Tsugami/Rem Sales booth in the South Hall, S-9410.

About Tsugami/Rem Sales

Tsugami/Rem Sales (http://www.remsales.com) has been the exclusive North American importer of Precision Tsugami machine tools since 1978. A division of Morris Group, Inc. of Windsor, Connecticut, Rem Sales sells new Tsugami machine tools via national distribution channels and direct sales agents. The company also provides application engineering, service and customer training.

About Morris Group, Inc.

Morris Group, Inc. (http://www.morrisgroupinc.com/), whose history dates to 1941, is one of the largest machine tool distribution networks in North America. Based in Windsor, Connecticut, the family-owned and operated company has 14 business units in the United States.
iPad 30 USB Charging Station Technology is expensive and many school Curriculum Directors, Principals and technology leaders must be selective when making purchases within their budgets. Our goal is to help educators protect their investments with transport solutions

CaseCruzer boosts school curriculum and technology goals with its new mobile SmartCruzer USB 30 iPad Charging Station. Designed for multiple Apple tablets - including iPad Minis, the reusable case protects against theft while providing storage for fleets of tablets that are essential to innovative education.

The USB 30 iPad Charging Station protects vertical tablets from shock, impact and vibration  so when teachers roll it between classrooms or travel to scholastic events, tablets are safely guarded. And an interior lid fitted with four stainless steel flanges can be padlocked for security even while iPads are charging. During inactive times or in transit via plane, train or van, the anti-theft exterior lid is sealed with seven padlocks. All models include embedded wheels and a pullout handle for swift steering.

Technology and Curriculum Directors agree that the charging station could not be any easier to use. The SmartCruzer USB 30 iPad Charging Station allows educators to quickly plug the Apple charger/cable into the safe USB 30 Port 110V AC power surge protector built into the case. Set-up is fast, functionality is exceptional, school officials say.

I just wanted to let you know that we have received the cart. I just got done setting it up, and I wanted to comment on what a fantastic product it is. The ease of ordering, the speedy delivery, look and functionality is exceptional. I guess Im asking if there is a survey I can complete to offer a 5-star rating for you, your company, and your product, says Kyle Gunderman, of Delaware Valley School District.

iPad 30 USB Charging Station dimensions are 33.75" L x 28.50" W x 16.50" H. When empty, the case weighs only 69 lbs. All units include an ambient pressure equalization valve, high-quality latches, and O-ring seal that make the station watertight, airtight and dustproof. This is an Ez-Pack 'N' Ship product that is safe to transport via airlines, FedEx and UPS. CaseCruzer also customizes charging stations for school districts that prefer other tablet brands. iPad 30 USB Charging Station is available in black only.

Technology is expensive and many school Curriculum Directors, Principals and technology leaders must be selective when making purchases within their budgets. Our goal is to help educators protect their investments with transport solutions that are user-friendly and tailored to modern economic demands, says Tatiana Briceno, CaseCruzer Marketing Director.

The SmartCruzer mobile charging station is a complement to the ongoing innovations of Apple. Teachers and students have long praised the iPad and iPad Mini for inspiring creativity and expanding the learning experience. Unlike traditional textbooks that quickly become obsolete, a tablet with various apps allows teachers to update and customize learning materials to keep students engaged, allow them to interact with the material and be passionate about school.

CaseCruzer also expresses a world of possibilities by developing rugged, protective charging solutions for the 21st Century. The presence of the case in classrooms is a reminder that great ideas survive when surrounded by supportive, custom-made accessories.

SmartCruzer, another innovative brand by CaseCruzer, provides the drone, media and technology communities with cutting edge storage, transport and mobile charging solutions. For more information on the drone charging station, please visit http://www.casecruzer.com; call 800-440-9925 in the U.S. or 909-613-1999 internationally; fax 909-465-5598; or write to CaseCruzer at 4665 State Street, Montclair, CA 91763.
Media Cybernetics we wanted our new outward image to reflect the many positive internal changes that have and will be transpiring within our organization

Media Cybernetics, global image analysis leader, announces the introduction of a newly re-branded identity. The new Media Cybernetics corporate branding reflects a results-driven revitalization for a company with a renewed focus on innovation in the world of imaging and image analysis. The re-branding components include a crisp, refreshed logo and a new web presence.

I believe that the partnership that once existed in the imaging and image analysis market between organizations and customers has shifted to a market space of push product and forget," stated Anthony Santerelli, Director of Product Marketing. "The changes we are making in our organization signify a resurgence that we are working for and with the customer to forward discovery and productivity.

The new Media Cybernetics corporate identity is a modern, symbolic image that retains the iconic Media Cybernetics purple hue, but with the addition of a new forward-looking element of blue, representing a focus on innovation in the world of imaging through collaborative partnerships. Media Cybernetics collaboration with customers ultimately drives discovery, optimizes workflow, and increases efficiency. The symbol is an open cube that is deliberately detached from its three sides to represent unrestricted possibilities in imaging and business, forward-looking vision, and the breaking of todays constraints in imaging technology.

Re-branding a company with such a rich history is a delicate decision," explained Nick Beavers, General Manager at Media Cybernetics, evaluating our vision against our current corporate image, it became clear that the current branding did not represent all the activities happening within Media Cybernetics. Simply put, we wanted our new outward image to reflect the many positive internal changes that have and will be transpiring within our organization.

To better support and communicate the renewed philosophy, Media Cybernetics also introduces a reorganized and enhanced website at http://www.mediacy.com. The site strengthens the company's customer-focused identity by making it easier for new and existing customers to locate product information and support materials such as publications, training videos, and webinars. The site will also host a blog that will enable customers to share their expertise in media products and services.

We are creating new and impactful content for the site that our users will find valuable, enabling them to get more out their imaging experience, stated Stephen Hart, Marketing and Communications Manager at Media Cybernetics.

The refreshed corporate image is already visible throughout all of Media Cybernetics printed materials and communications. The updated company website is live and available for customers and partners.

With over 35 years experience in the field of imaging and image analysis, Media Cybernetics is unparalleled in the provision of solutions. Media Cybernetics prides itself on developing a wide range of customizable and automated tools and has developed such products as Image-Pro Plus, Image-Pro Premier, AutoQuant, and the new Image-Pro Premier 3D. Partnering with researchers and users across the world to provide the highest quality products, results have been delivered to empower imaging experts by providing innovative solutions that extract answers to the most challenging imaging industry questions.

Media Cybernetics develops image analysis software products that simplify and enhance image-based data collection and analysis for those who wish to increase accuracy and automate research, development, and quality processes. Customer applications range from cell biology and neuroscience research in the life sciences, to quality inspection of metals, ceramics and semiconductors in manufacturing, to materials research on particles, coatings, and fibers, to research of natural resources such as oil and gas, aquaculture samples, and minerals, and lastly the analysis of fingerprints, ballistics, and trace evidence for security applications. In addition to their Maryland headquarters, the company maintains regional offices in the United Kingdom, Singapore, China and Japan.

Media Cybernetics is a subsidiary of Roper Technologies, a constituent of the S&P 500, Fortune 1000, and the Russell 1000 indices valued at over $20 billion.

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Randy Webb

RSI Stewardship, the nations leading stewardship and capital campaign company, has recently hired experienced entrepreneur, pastor, banker and stewardship consultant Randy Webb to serve as Vice President and Senior Campaign Consultant working with churches and ministry organizations across the country.

Webb brings RSI Stewardship an array of experience. He served 20 years in local ministry as both an executive pastor and senior pastor, worked as a stewardship consultant both independently and with two other top tier stewardship and capital campaign companies. He also served as Managing Partner and Vice President of New Day Ventures, Inc., the majority owner of several frozen yogurt shops in South Carolina and North Carolina.

President Joel Mikell is thrilled to welcome Webb to RSI Stewardship: I am very pleased and excited to welcome Rev. Randy Webb to the RSI team. Randy brings an impressive combination of experiences and skills to our team, having served as a senior pastor, an executive pastor, a businessman, a banker, and as a stewardship consultant. However, what I appreciate most about Randy is his deep love for Christ and his passion to help the local church fully fund their vision.

Webb has served over 220 churches and their core leaders in strategic planning and driving multi-million dollar projects and fundraising. As a result of his leadership these churches experienced upwards of $275 million in donations as God gave the increase.

After spending the past 35 years in pastoral ministry, banking, stewardship consulting and entrepreneurship, Im excited to join RSI Stewardship and use my experience to help lead churches in exceptional growth, stewardship and generosity development, said Webb. Webb and his wife Donna live in Midlothian, Virginia. They have two adult children and one son-in-law that they are very proud of.

RSI Stewardship is a Dallas-based company that has developed a reputation for understanding the church's needs in relation to contemporary culture. RSI Stewardship has a long history of success in helping churches connect resources to vision so they can successfully accomplish their ministry goals.

About RSI Stewardship

Founded in 1972 as Americas first company devoted solely to the fundraising needs of Christian churches, schools, and other faith-based organizations, RSI is the nations leading resource for practical, faithful, and effective stewardship counsel. The experience and leadership at RSI has made the difference for more than 17,000 partners in ministry.
Implementing PowerSchool Registration enables us to have a better sense of enrollment each school year. Well be able to allocate our resources and receive the funding needed from state and local entities.

PowerSchool was selected by Arizonas Flowing Wells Unified School District to customize an online student registration solution. The 5800-student district is moving its student registration process online to better allocate resources and achieve accurate and up-to-date data by the first day of school.

We decided to pursue an online option for student registration to streamline the process for our families. Parents wont have to spend hours at an onsite location to register their child for school. They are able to do so in a matter of minutes from the comfort of their own home and on their own time. We want registration to be done more efficiently and less expensivelyPowerSchool Registration will help us do that, said Assistant Superintendent, Kevin Stoltzfus at Flowing Wells Unified School District.

The electronic format allows families who have more than one child in the district to snap data from one student to another. SmartForm technology, an intuitive tool built into the solution, collects relevant data based on previously entered information or choices (grade, activities, medical history, etc.). The data submitted by families is reviewed, polished, and formatted to meet district policies and then delivered into the student information system (SIS), resulting in accurate and up-to-date records on the first day of school.

Our district did its due diligence and vetted different vendors. We looked at price and compatibility with our SIS and although other solutions were compatible, they required additional work. With PowerSchool Registration, we can create unlimited forms and our parents will have access to support. Student data will import directly into our SIS as opposed to generating the information via a CSV file and then uploading that data, noted Stoltzfus.

The State of Arizona switched to a current-year funding system. State and local revenue will be distributed to schools based on the number of students districts expect to have for that same school year. Implementing PowerSchool Registration enables us to have a better sense of enrollment each school year. Well be able to allocate our resources and receive the funding needed from state and local entities, said Stoltzfus.

About PowerSchool Group LLC

PowerSchool is the #1 leading education technology platform for K-12, serving more than 40 million users, 17.5 million students, 31.5 million parents, and 70 countries around the world. We provide best-in-class, secure, and compliant online solutions, including student information systems, registration and school choice, assessment and analytics, and special education management. We empower teachers and drive student growth through innovative digital classroom capabilities, and we engage families through real-time communications across any device. Visit http://www.powerschool.com to learn more.
Fine dining after enjoying healthy outdoor activities caps off a day at Belize's The Lodge at Chaa Creek. Chaa Creek has always encouraged families to share adventures together.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek is encouraging families to close the generation gap and enjoy shared learning adventures this summer with Belize vacations especially designed for grandparents and younger family members.

Elsie Pacheco, Chaa Creeks reservations administrator, said summer school vacations present perfect opportunities for grandparents to reconnect with younger members of the family, and by taking advantage of new all-inclusive Belize vacation packages, they can enjoy affordable, hassle free holidays designed to stimulate visitors of all ages.

As a bonus, guests will return home with a richer understanding of cultures and the natural world, she added.

Throughout the summer, Chaa Creek will be hosting cultural expositions designed to introduce visitors to Belizes rich ethnic and cultural diversity through enjoyable activities designed to appeal to a wide range of ages and interests. Having seen how close family members become when theyre sharing adventures and discovering new things together, we wanted to create opportunities for everyone, from seniors to juniors, to learn together, Ms. Pacheco added.

The Grandparents Discovery All-Inclusive Belize vacation package includes everything for a completely enjoyable and affordable holiday, Ms. Pacheco said. Lodging in eco-luxe, thatched-roof cottage style accommodation, all meals, activities, land transfers, a visit to the Belize Zoo and even staff gratuities are covered for one set price, she said.

By not having to plan and then pay for each and every thing, families can relax and focus on spending quality time with each other while enjoying significant savings. From the moment we pick them up at Belizes international airport until we drop them back off, our guests are completely looked after by a large friendly staff and team of licensed naturalist guides who are always on hand to answer questions, suggest activities and help everyone get the most out of their vacations.

For example, for people who have never canoed, the usually tranquil Macal River and guided excursions are a great way to start. If theyve never been on horseback before, we have experienced, patient guides and a range of horses to accommodate both novices and experienced riders. Some birders are happy to set off along our extensive trail system with a bird book, water and snacks, but we also have expert birding guides who conduct early morning guided excursions, and being surrounded by ancient Maya temples and magnificent abandoned cities makes for some very exciting day trips,  she said.

The award-winning Belizean eco-resort is located within a secure, 400-acre private nature resort with an onsite Natural History museum, live butterfly exhibit, Maya medicinal plant trail, a traditional Maya organic farm that supplies the restaurants fresh farm-to-table cuisine and other attractions for guests to explore at their leisure, Ms. Pacheco added.

Ms. Pacheco said that Chaa Creeks Belize Culture University initiative, set to be formally announced and begin in June 2016, has been designed to showcase the various cultures that make up Belizes famously harmonious multicultural society.

This will be a hands-on, participatory way to learn about the Maya, Creole, Mestizo, Garifuna, European, Mennonite and other groups that have come together over the years to create modern day Belize. Through history, music, art, exploring ancient Maya temples, making tortillas and some traditional meals, along with other activities, guests will take part in a cultural extravaganza that will leave them richer for the experience, she said.

Ms. Pacheco said that in addition to exciting activities, there is always plenty of time for relaxation at Chaa Creek.

With an infinity pool, lounge, games room, hammocks on private verandas and our internationally recognized, full service Hilltop Spa, swimming, chilling out with a good book, playing board games and just enjoying each others company is easy to do.

Add in learning adventures, great food, exciting activities and quality amenities, and you have all the makings of a wonderful family vacation, Ms. Pacheco said.

Chaa Creek, as a family owned and operated eco resort for over thirty years, has always encouraged families to share adventures together, Ms. Pacheco said. Over the years, weve established a reputation as Belizes family oriented eco resort, and I think thats why Disney recently selected Chaa Creek as a top prize to promote their film, Zootopia, or why one of Americas most high profile families had us host their children and friends, she said.

And, as a family business, we have an appreciation for grandparents and their importance in the family unit. This is one way for us to honor grandparents and make it easier and more affordable for them to do something special, she added.

Ms. Pacheco encouraged people to contact their travel agents or Chaa Creek directly and ask about the Grandparents Discovery All-Inclusive Belize vacation package to learn more and secure bookings.

Even if they do not wish to book for the entire package, we still welcome grandparents and families for more casual visits, and are happy to work with them to tailor their vacations, such as organizing surf and turf holidays that include visits to Belizes Caribbean Sea attractions, like the Belize great barrier reef, islands including Ambergris Caye or coastal villages and resorts.

The most important ingredient is the family itself, and having the time to enjoy and reconnect with each other. The stunning scenery, excellent weather and exciting activities are all icing on the cake.

And its pretty delicious icing at that, Ms. Pacheco added.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek is a multi award winning eco resort set within a 400-acre private nature reserve along the banks of the Macal River in Belize.
Adding the touch of personal delivery made it the perfect idea for book lovers in Dubai. Past News Releases RSS

Just as Netflix started streaming into the UAE, Eden June Michael began delivery for Bookish.ae, a new book rental service in Dubai. Were utilizing Netflixs DVD rental model, but for books. Were an online library that delivers, explains Michael.

The company was launched this year by 36-year old Dubai resident Eden June Michael to provide easy and affordable access to quality print books. Her endeavor also supports the governments Year of Reading initiative, which encourages everyone to read more.

The basic idea was "People rent movies, why not books?" You want to read the latest books but save time and money. Adding the touch of personal delivery made it the perfect idea for book lovers in Dubai, says Michael.

Unlike Netflix, Bookish.ae offers in person programs for its members, the same way a traditional library does. There are weekly story times for babies and toddlers to encourage their love of reading before they can even read.

Bookish.aes mission is to offer members the largest book catalog (all online of course), fastest delivery, and best customer service in Dubai. Michael says, Ultimately, we want to be the literary and reading hub of the UAE.

How it works

Simply pick a plan and select books. Choose from thousands of bestselling adult fiction, adult non-fiction, teen & young adult, and childrens books. There are no due dates or late fees. When ready, go online and choose more books. Theyll pick up the old books and drop off new books to enjoy.

How delivery works

Delivery is twice a week to different areas and can be scheduled online. There are three delivery times to choose from  10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm and 6pm to 9pm. Delivery is free all over Dubai.

Subscription options

There are four plans. For Dh49 per month, be a Book Liker and rent up to two books. For the same price, however, get a Little Book Lover unlimited books per month four books at a time with a free toy. For avid readers, rent unlimited books four at time for only Dh99, far less than the cost of that many books in the bookshop. Families can bundle everything together for Dh129 per month. There is also a deposit to pay. There are monthly plans, but pay for six months and get one free. Dont forget that story times, craft days, and more are included in the membership.

For more info, visit http://www.bookish.ae
Scott Santarella, GLA's new CEO We are looking forward to having a CEO of Scott's caliber drive GLA's continued growth.

Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), a leading nonprofit funder of Lyme and tick-borne disease research and education, today announced that it has named Scott Santarella as its new CEO.

Santarella is former President and CEO of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) in San Francisco, where he successfully helped to grow the organization from a regional lung cancer research and patient services organization to a globally recognized leader in the lung cancer community.

He brings nearly 30 years of experience as a senior executive with a proven track record in strategic planning, innovative marketing, fundraising and raising public awareness for underfunded diseases and causes. Prior to ALCF, he was President and CEO of the American Lung Association of New York (ALANY) and former Executive Director and COO of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRF/C).

Scott brings extensive experience in non-profit management, a strong passion for helping individuals who have been afflicted by disease, and a highly successful track record in operational strategy and fundraising, said GLA Chairman Robert Kobre. We are looking forward to having a CEO of Scotts caliber drive GLAs continued growth, and grateful that he has joined us in the fight against Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Prior to his top-level posts at ALCF and MMRF/C, Santarella held key roles with the March of Dimes, Knights of Columbus International, Center for Environmental Activities/Earthplace and the Educational Foundation of America.

I am excited and honored to be selected as the CEO of Global Lyme Alliance. I have always been impressed with their leadership in raising funds to support Lyme disease research, their robust programs supporting patient and physician education, and their tireless efforts to raise awareness of the disease, Santarella said. I look forward to working with the Board, staff and supporters to achieve our goal of identifying an effective and standardized diagnostic and accelerating the search for a cure.

A Westport, CT resident, Santarella graduated Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst with a B.A. in Journalism and received his Executive Leadership Certification from Harvard Business School.

ABOUT GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE

Global Lyme Alliance, a leading Lyme and tick-borne disease nonprofit, funds cutting-edge research at leading U.S. universities for the purpose of developing reliable diagnostic tools, effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Lyme disease, while building greater public awareness for disease detection and prevention. The 501(c)(3) is headquartered in Greenwich, CT. For more information go to GlobalLymeAlliance.org.
i2i, a national leader in population health management (PHM) technology, debuted a new corporate identity and website at its Transforming Outcomes User Conference in Las Vegas on May 19-20, 2016. The new brand, website, and other marketing enhancements reflect i2is ongoing success to set the market standard for meaningful population health management. The company recently closed a significant capital round to fuel its growth and innovation plans.

At this years user conference, i2i and our clients demonstrated the pathways to transforming outcomes, says Justin Neece, president and chief operations officer. It was wonderful to engage our clients in cross-collaboration panel discussions specific to solving real PHM challenges in an evolving healthcare market.

More than 300 healthcare professionals attended the two-day conference, which was held at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Company Adds Two New Management Team Executives

i2i also announced two executive appointments to accelerate growth and innovation plans.

Steve Weiler joins the i2i team as chief experience officer. Weiler will lead i2is client delivery programs and business operations.

Steve brings over 25 years of leadership experience working with healthcare providers, health plans, and technology organizations to improve the overall customer experience, says Justin Neece. Prior to i2i, Steve served as a Vice President with Kaiser Permanente, as well as a senior leadership roles with TriZetto, Blue Shield of California, and Ernst & Young LLP.

Fatima Karwandyar joins i2i as vice president of product management, where she will lead new product development and product marketing initiatives. Prior to joining i2i, Karwandyar was responsible for product management at Nashville-based Healthcare Bluebook, a healthcare price transparency solutions provider. Karwandyar also held leadership positions at Change Healthcare (formerly Emdeon), where she worked in product management, corporate strategy, government affairs and public relations.

Fatima brings a consumer engagement mindset to i2i, says Neece. She has a personal interest in simplifying access to care and is driven by the belief that technology enabled services can improve healthcare outcomes for all.

About i2i Population Health

A KLAS Leader in the delivery of actionable population health, i2i Population Healths integrated Population Health Management and Analytics solutions have proudly served healthcare organizations for more than 16 years. The company offers a depth of experience gained from over 2,500 U.S. healthcare delivery sites across 35 states supporting 20 million lives. With i2i, healthcare providers optimize the clinical, financial and operational success of physician group practices, community health centers, health center controlled networks, hospitals, health plans and integrated delivery networks. i2is flagship product, i2iTracks, is 2014 PCMH NCQA pre-validated to ignite real-time, proactive care management. i2i Systems big-data platform, PopIQ, delivers a cloud-based comparative analytics toolset to leverage multiple customers data sets and provide cross-population views into global population health management.

To learn more visit http://www.i2isys.com.
Candace Cole recently joined Association Management Group - Greensboro (AMG), one of the Carolinas largest professional homeowner association managers, as Assistant Community Manager. Candace is expert at dealing with the public and delivering world-class customer service. Shes committed to making a difference in peoples lives, which is invaluable in our business.

Association Management Group - Greensboro (AMG), one of the Carolinas largest professional homeowner association managers with five offices in North and South Carolina, recently hired Candace Cole as Assistant Community Manager. Her responsibilities include partnering with current community managers in working with volunteer boards, assisting with contract negotiation and budgeting, helping manage maintenance issues and supporting community communications. Im excited about working for a great company where I can put my skills and knowledge to good use. I look forward to learning how to be an effective community manager so I can contribute to the amazing AMG team, she said. To enhance her contribution, Cole plans to pursue the rigorous CMCA credential (Certified Manager of Community Associations) from CAI(Community Associations Institute), the professional and educational organization serving the community association industry.

Previous to AMG, Cole performed administrative and customer service duties for the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training (MCJROTC) Program Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. Prior to that, she served as a Marine Corps Training, Education and Outreach Specialist for military members, family members, retired military and Department of Defense civilians, and was responsible for facilitating Franklin Covey courses, providing information about Community Outreach services at public information fairs and delivering exceptional customer service.

According to AMG President Paul Mengert, Cole brings important skills to the Greensboro office. Candace is expert at dealing with the public. Shes committed to making a difference in peoples lives, which is invaluable in our business, he said. Her extensive knowledge and expertise in delivering world-class customer service will be a big benefit to AMG.

About AMG: AMG is a professional community association management company dedicated to building effective community associations. AMG guides and assists executive boards to help protect the association's interests, enhance the lives of community members and improve the property values in the community. With offices throughout the Carolinas in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Raleigh, NC, and Greenville and Aiken, SC, AMG is a knowledgeable partner in enforcing community governing documents with a proven set of processes and techniques, and supporting communities with a broad range of services which can be tailored to individual community needs. Association Management Group, Inc. is a locally Accredited Business by the BBB and is a nationally Accredited Association Management Company (AAMC) by the Community Associations Institute. For more about AMG, visit http://www.amgworld.com.
SelfLube recently announced that it made its 1,000,000th wear plate. Producing 1,000,000 wear plates means that we have now reached a scale of operation, in terms of employees, systems and manufacturing infrastructure, that makes us a major player in the industry.

Component maker SelfLube is very pleased to announce that it recently made its 1,000,000th wear plate - a very significant milestone that firmly established the Company as the leading U.S. manufacturer of mold and die components.

"SelfLube started out as a pretty small company," explains owner Phil Allor. Producing 1,000,000 wear plates means that we have now reached a scale of operation, in terms of employees, systems and manufacturing infrastructure, that makes us a major player in this industry."

"But, it's not really about manufacturing. It's about successfully bringing a product to market. We can't make 1,000,000 units without also selling 1,000,000 units, And, here the selling is to a very savvy and demanding customer base. There is no faking it here. The only way that this could be done is by delivering superior value to the customer. And, that is what SelfLube does, day in and day out."

SelfLube wear plates guide and control the moving parts in complex tools such as metal stamping dies and plastic injection molds. Toolmakers and tool designers find them very useful for a number of reasons. They come in a broad range of sizes. They can handle very heavy loads - a medium size wear plate for example can support nearly 100 tons. They are readily adjustable by grinding a bit off the bottom. They are extremely rugged and durable, typically outlasting the tool in which they are installed. And, with the addition of graphite plugs they become self-lubricating, which makes them a nearly perfect guide component.

SelfLube, located in West Michigan, is the leading U.S. manufacturer of precision mold and die components. In addition to wear plates it makes over 10,000 standard part numbers such as bushings, gibs, slides and related items.
UK and European document processing centers have been implementing Ironsides Technology over the past several years to help them track and meet regulatory compliance requirements.

Ironsides Technology, a leading provider of automated production tracking systems for the printing and packaging industries, today announced the opening of a UK office as part of the companys European expansion. Industry veteran, Philip Ingram has joined as Sales Director for UK & Northern Europe and will lead the companys aggressive growth strategy in the UK, Nordic and Northern EU regions. In addition, Ironsides Technology will be demonstrating its end-to-end, real-time document tracking system, including a sneak-peak at its NorStar business process management suite, at drupa 2016, May 31 through June 10 at the Dusseldorf Fairgrounds.

Philip Ingram Leads UK Office

UK and European document processing centers have been implementing Ironsides Technology over the past several years to help them track and meet regulatory compliance requirements, said Bill Riley, President of Ironsides Technology. We are excited to be expanding our operations in the UK and Europe and to have a proven industry expert such as Philip Ingram leading our efforts. His insight into these markets will help us accelerate customer adoption of Automated Production Tracking (APT) workflow software.

Philip Ingram has over 25 years of hands-on experience in the customer communications management (CCM) space. He held senior sales and business development roles at Bell & Howell, Xerox, HP and Pitney Bowes. Ingram brings impressive knowledge as a career document processing professional specializing in document creation and production processes from host-to-post; going back to early European automated document factory (ADF) engagements led by IBM in the 1990s.

I am excited to be joining Ironsides Technology as the company plays an integral role in production inkjet operations, said Ingram. By keeping costs in line and improving profitability, Ironsides strengthens the CCM value position by helping document processing operations deliver more personalized documents efficiently and effectively while maintaining all compliance and SLA requirements.

Ironsides Technology and the European Market

Ironsides APT optimizes productivity and document integrity for print, mail and fulfillment operations. APT is ideal for companies managing multiple jobs and requirements in a production run. With hybrid mail solutions on the rise in Europe, document processors using APT can connect to all document production devices  regardless of brand or model  for real-time workflow automation, production control, integrity verification and compliance reporting. APT tracks individual pieces of every job meeting necessary audit requirements. It also provides operators with the production benchmarking information needed to optimize business performance for document processing and distribution.

Capita plc, UKs leading provider of business process outsourcing, uses Ironsides Technologys APT as the integrating force behind its highly efficient workflow for a near-lights-out operation with full transparency and accountability. APT helps Capita plc automate and seamlessly track its entire process. According to Capita plc, APT was the only solution on the market that provided the integration and flexibility the company needed. It gives Capita plc a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace. Read the full Capita plc case study at http://www.ironsidestech.com/case-studies.

Ironsides at drupa 2016

Ingram and the Ironsides Technology team will be at drupa 2016, May 31 through June 10 at the Dusseldorf Fairgrounds in partner booths. Visit Ironsides Technology at the Hunkeler Booth C20 Hall 8a and the W+D Booth A43 Hall 16. To schedule a meeting at drupa 2016, contact Ingram at philip.ingram(at)ironsidestech(dot)com or +44 7738 773782.

For more information about automated production tracking solutions from Ironsides Technology, visit http://www.IronsidesTech.com.

About Ironsides Technology

Ironsides Technology is a software development and integration company, providing workflow automation and enterprise wide integrity tracking solutions supporting all production devices and processes. The Ironsides APT (Automated Production Tracking) workflow is designed to automate manual and reoccurring operational processes. Based on an open and scalable architecture, APT provides real time end-to-end job and piece level tracking, visibility and accountability through all production steps to ensure 100% distribution, SLA compliance, reprint automation, and robust operational reporting to help inkjet, continuous-feed and cut sheet printing customers best manage their business.

Ironsides Technology easily integrates with web inspection systems and post print in line and off line bindery devices. Ironsides Technology also provides appropriate camera technology and tracking solutions in the finishing and insertion environment. The end result is a best-of-breed automated document factory (ADF) tracking strategy to ensure personalized client packages are processed efficiently and with the highest level of compliance.

For additional information please call us at + 1 (978) 589-8299 or email Info(at)ironsidestech(dot)com
We believe that they can be very successful as a brand furthering global food and hospitality tourism by making local home dining a highlight of each visitors travel experience, as many of their raving BonAppetour fans have testified.

Singapore-based startup BonAppetour has raised US$500,000 from Serial tech entrepreneur and investor, Wong Toon King of FarSight Capital and Prasetia Dwidharma, Indonesian angel investor Budi Setiadharma's investment arm, spearheaded by Arya Setiadharma and Ardi Setiadharma.

With this funding, BonAppetours focus will be on growth; expanding their presence into the top culinary hubs around the world, including Rome, Paris, and Barcelona, where they already have a thriving community.

BonAppetour is a social dining platform that aims to be the Airbnb for home-dining. Their mission is to enable travelers to connect with local hosts through unique dining experiences, thus forging new friendships and meaningful travel experiences.

With the funding, we will be able to expand our offerings into new markets. Other than the culinary hubs in Europe, our travel community has also been seeking dining experiences in Tokyo, Bangkok and Melbourne. We are prepared to grow our community in these top culinary destinations and are receiving host applications at the moment, says CEO and cofounder, Rinita Vanjre.

We believe that they can be very successful as a brand furthering global food and hospitality tourism by making local home dining a highlight of each visitors travel experience, as many of their raving BonAppetour fans have testified, says Wong Toon King of FarSight Capital. We bet on big ideas, and people who have the grit and daringness to pursue them. We like to say we are looking for moonshots! BonAppetour is one of those kinds of investments.

"At first, we were a bit skeptical because BonAppetour has a very big dream and it is attacking many countries at the same time. However, after we met the founders and listened to what they said about what has been done and what plans are in the pipeline, we are convinced that this investment is the right one," added Arya Setiadharma of Prasetia Dwidharma.

Co-founded by Inez Wihardjo, Giovanni Casinelli, and Rinita Vanjre in 2013, BonAppetour started off with growing the community in key culinary hubs in Europe, like Rome, Paris, and Barcelona. Today, BonAppetour has more than 500 passionate hosts on the platform who have hosted thousands of guests for a dining experience at their homes.

BonAppetour works with talented local home-chefs and hobby chefs to curate one-of-a-kind dining experiences. The team hopes to help home chefs realise their dream of cooking and serving up genuine hospitality to people all over the world. Some examples of a BonAppetour experience include:

A traditional 6 course feast with an Italian nonna in Rome

A dining experience in a luxurious 18th century apartment in Paris

A paella making workshop on the rooftop in Barcelona

Watch what a BonAppetour experience looks like here

Even as BonAppetour expands their presence globally, the team has held firm in building an empowered and curated community by endeavouring to meet their hosts, either personally or through their ambassador network and verifying the experiences that hosts are offering.

BonAppetour believes that they are only as good as their hosts. So they have diligently developed a host onboarding and verification process around key principles that encourage hosts to maintain high quality hosting styles.

Human oriented approach: By meeting the hosts and understanding their strengths, the team is able to curate experiences that highlight the hosts strengths and unique selling points.

Growth opportunities for hosts: Hosts on BonAppetour have access to key resources such as training programs, photography services and more.

The team at BonAppetour, made up of individuals from Italy, Singapore, Indonesia, UK and Paris is on a mission to change the way people are discovering new cultures and travel destinations, and make the world a smaller, better place.
This is a big deal to us, because it allows us to focus on small investors. These are our customers, people buying and enjoying our whiskey and it just makes sense to bring them on as owners of Cleveland Whiskey, said Cleveland Whiskey CEO Tom Lix.

Cleveland Whiskey, a distillery thats revolutionizing the spirits industry with disruptive innovation, is seeking to raise $1 million to fund its expansion plans, through a crowdfunding campaign launched this week.

The company is capitalizing on recent changes in U.S. securities laws that for the first time permit startups to seek funding from average investors. Until now, companies could only raise funding from accredited investors, generally those with a net worth of at least $1 million.

This is a big deal to us, because it allows us to focus on small investors. These are our customers, people buying and enjoying our whiskey and it just makes sense to bring them on as owners of Cleveland Whiskey, said Cleveland Whiskey CEO Tom Lix.

The company launched its campaign on WeFunder.com, one of just a handful of online platforms that have thus far been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission for equity crowdfunding. The offering to investors notes that Cleveland Whiskey generated more than $1 million in revenues last year and is expected to reach profitability as part of a significant expansion both domestically and overseas. Currently the company sells products in 13 states and six countries including Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Japan. Proceeds of the new raise will be used to expand both sales territories and production capacity.

The company, which leverages proprietary technology to not only speed up the traditional aging process but also create a series of unique finishes with woods not traditionally used for barrel production has been on a Gold Medal winning streak. With awards from International Spirits competitions in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin and Hong Kong, the company most recently won a coveted award as the 2016 Whiskey Distillery Innovator of the Year from the Berlin International Competition. Were not constrained by industry practice or tradition but rather were pushing the limits of natural aromas and flavors through some pretty innovative technology, said Lix.

Since its founding in 2009, Cleveland Whiskeys innovative and controversial approach has garnered tremendous media interest, attracting coverage in dozens of local and national publications, including Esquire, Inc Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, CNBC and Forbes. President Obama also toured the companys facility last year although nobody is talking about whether he actually sampled any of the Cleveland Bourbons while on the tour.

This offering is being made pursuant to Section 4(a)(6) of the Securities Act, created under Title III of the JOBS Act. For additional information or to purchase shares please visit wefunder.com/clevelandwhiskey
Nancy Cremins, General Counsel

Globalization Partners is pleased to announce that Nancy Cremins has joined the company as General Counsel. Based in Boston, Nancy brings to Globalization Partners her passion for advising startups on contract negotiations, employment law, and risk management.

We are so excited to have Nancy join our management team. Her experience advising startups across industries and her mastery of employment law will support us as we continue our rapid growth in helping breakdown barriers to global business." Nicole Sahin, CEO, Globalization Partners.

Nancy comes to Globalization Partners from Gesmer Updegrove LLP where she advised early stage companies and entrepreneurs in dispute resolution and employment law. She is a co-founder of SheStarts, an organization for women entrepreneurs and a board member of Prosperity Catalyst which trains women in distressed parts of the world to create businesses and become self sufficient.

Nancy is a graduate of Boston College and the Northeastern University School of Law and has served on the board of the Womens Bar Association of Massachusetts since 2005, including a term as president. She is the recipient of many awards including: Super Lawyers Top 50 Lawyers in Massachusetts and BostInnos 50 on Fire award.

ABOUT GLOBALIZATION PARTNERS

Founded with the goal of making it easy to hire employees around the globe, Globalization Partners assists US companies by providing a global Employee of Record Platform in 130 countries including China, Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea. The company was founded by Boston-based Nicole Sahin, who has spent her career helping clients establish branch offices and subsidiaries in dozens of countries. She started Globalization Partners in 2012 with the mission of changing the face of international business by offering simplified international business solutions in an ever-expanding global marketplace. For a full list of countries in which Globalization Partners' PEO services are offered, please visit: http://www.globalization-partners.com/countries/
We appreciate the partnership and recognition from the SLI-Ford team, it's a great validation that R2 continues to deliver best in class performance.

R2 Logistics, Inc., a third party logistics provider, today announced their reception of Schneider Logistics Carrier Excellence Recognition at the 2016 Ford Carrier Meeting on May 18, 2016. The award given at the Ford Motor Company headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan was in response to R2 Logistics exceptional service for Schneider Logistics Ford account.

Dennis ORourke, Schneider Logistics Buyer, announced the award to R2 Logistics Hunter Schwind, VP of Sales; Joe North, Detroit Branch Manager and Clayton Wheatley, Transportation Sales Representative. Interaction with R2 Logistics from a commercial stance is always very pleasant. Their willingness to share market intelligence and discuss market trends allows for a transparent relationship. Clayton Wheatley has been instrumental in providing efficient long term solutions on lanes that have routinely presented themselves in the spot bid report, stated ORourke.

The Schneider Logistics Customer Service team also stated, R2 Logistics has shown tremendous support with assisting Schneider on HOT loads. Clayton Wheatley is very professional and always reaches out to Schneider letting us know he's available to assist.

In response to receiving the award, Wheatley replied, Its been a pleasure servicing the Ford account. We have a phenomenal team in the Detroit office. It feels good to know that we are making a difference. Its a true honor to be recognized for our great customer service.

Schwind added by saying, We appreciate the partnership and recognition from the SLI-Ford team, it's a great validation that R2 continues to deliver best in class performance.
AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, announces twelve members of their global technical support team are now IPC-A-610 certified. All twelve members are officially Certified IPC specialists.

The CIS or Certified IPC Specialist program is designed to focus on what line workers, operators, inspectors, and buyers need to know to inspect or make acceptance/rejection decisions. The IPC-A-610 certification gives AIMs technical support team the knowledge and understanding of industry requirements according to the IPC quality standard. With this accomplishment, AIM and its global technical support team show their continued ability to provide the highest quality of technical support and recommendations to their current and potential customers.

I am pleased twelve members of our global technical support team are now IPC-A-610 certified, said Karl Seelig, AIMs Vice President of Technology. As Certified IPC Specialists, our global technical support team demonstrates AIMs relentless commitment to providing unparalleled service to the electronics assembly industry."

About AIM

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, AIM Solder is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry with manufacturing, distribution and support facilities located throughout the world. AIM produces advanced solder products such as solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, epoxies, lead-free and halogen-free solder products, preforms, and specialty alloys such as indium and gold for a broad range of industries. A recipient of many prestigious SMT industry awards, AIM is strongly committed to innovative research and development of product and process improvement as well as providing customers with superior technical support, service and training. For more information about AIM, visit http://www.aimsolder.com.

Upcoming Events:

June 9, 2016  SMTA Philadelphia  King of Prussia, PA

June 30, 2016  SMTA Upper Midwest Minnetonka, MN

July 14, 2016  SMTA Chihuahua  Chihuahua, Mexico

August 4, 2016  SMTA Ohio  Independence, OH
Payscout CEO, Cleveland Brown, discusses his past and upcoming speaking events as a sought after payments industry speaker. We are excited to help entrepreneurs establish and grow cross-border businesses, and it is always an honor to stand with other like-minded industry professionals who also support this goal.

As a proponent of global payment solutions and the entrepreneurial dream, Cleveland Brown is a regarded voice and advocate for corporate growth and new generation technologies and practices. As a sought after payments industry speaker, Brown is participating in a number of large conferences and panels across the United States this year. He is addressing a wide range of topics, including the growing global economy and the future of electronic payments.

At its core, Payscouts mission is focused on supporting the entrepreneurial dream one transaction at a time. We are excited to help entrepreneurs establish and grow cross-border businesses, and it is always an honor to stand with other like-minded industry professionals who also support this goal, said Payscout CEO Cleveland Brown. As a businessman who believes in serving his community, I look forward to sharing my experiences, knowledge and views on global commerce. And, as a leader in the rapidly changing world of global payments, I know there is always more to learn. It is an honor to be able to grow in my own professional knowledge while joining with peers to promote global entrepreneurism.

Browns speaking tour kicked off mid-April with a stop at the Multichannel Merchant Growing Global conference in Cincinnati. He participated in a session directed to an audience of retail and eCommerce merchants on the topic of Understanding the Global Payments Landscape. The talk covered emerging international markets and considerations merchants should be aware of when pursuing a cross-border selling presence.

Shortly after, Brown participated in an industry-centric panel, entitled Enhancing Global Sales in a Seamless Marketplace. The panel presentation was part of Transact 16, the Electronic Transactions Associations (ETAs) annual payments industry conference held in Las Vegas.

Brown was also recently part of the 2015 ETA Capitol Hill Fly-In event, an instrumental event which influenced the passage of the newly signed Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA). The CISA bill seeks to safeguard secure customer data by allowing private firms to share cyber-threat information between companies and the Department of Homeland Security.

This week, Brown contributes again during the CardNotPresent.com Expo, once again addressing global entrepreneurs on the topic of cross-border payment solutions. The panel presentation is entitled Crossing the Rubicon: How to engage in and improve cross-border e-commerce. The CNP Expo is the leading U.S. conference and trade show for the card-not-present transaction market.

Payscout will also debut its groundbreaking virtual reality (VR) simulated shopping check-out experience at the CNP Expo, showcasing the concept of leading virtual reality into a business reality. The VR demonstration will take place at Payscouts CNP Expo showroom exhibit, marking the first time the new technology has been introduced at a payments industry trade event.

Virtual reality is a tremendously important emerging technology, Brown stated. As a thought leading global payment processing provider, its the right place for us to be, and its the right place for the message were bringing. We are very pleased to be at the forefront of showcasing VR to our industry colleagues and the industrys CNP customers.

Brown has also been invited to represent the industry again at Money 20/20, the world renowned break-out annual event for emerging payments, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on October 23-26, 2016.

Payscout Supports the Entrepreneurial Dream One Transaction at a Time.

Payscout is a global payment processing provider covering six continents by connecting merchants and consumers via credit, debit, ATM and alternative payment networks. What differentiates Payscout is its mission to support the entrepreneurial dream one transaction at a time. Payscout achieves this by being a thought leader in the payments industry. Its Go Global Now technology platform gives merchants instant access to 100+ countries, billions of consumers and trillions of dollars. Payscout offers payment processing solutions for brick-and-mortar and eCommerce transactions, and has earned acclaim as a new-generation provider of merchant banking services, specializing in online/eCommerce retailers with a predominant proportion of card-not-present (CNP) transactions; it is one of the few providers to deliver a true global payment solution that encompasses all merchant risk verticals. Customers can access Payscouts credit card processing services via a state-of-the-art, web-based user portal and through direct interactions with highly-trained experts. In addition to supporting thousands of clients across a multitude of industries and all 50 American states, Payscout maintains global partnerships with VISA USA, Bank of America Merchant Services, VISA Europe, VISA Latin America, VISA Asia Pacific, MasterCard Worldwide, China Union Pay, Deutsche Bank, First Data and Payscout Brazil. Payscout was recognized as one of Americas fastest-growing privately-held companies in 2014 and 2015, ranking #2,416 in 2014 and #434 in 2015, on Inc. Magazines Inc. 500/5000 list. Within the financial services industry, Payscout placed #140 in 2014 and #24 in 2015. For more information, visit http://www.payscout.com.
Nite Ize Steelie Vent Mount Kit for OtterBox uniVERSE Case System This solution does not exist today and we are confident users will appreciate the utility and freedom the uniVERSE system provides.

OtterBox, the No. 1-selling case for smartphones in the U.S., has partnered with the worlds leading accessory brands for consumer electronics to create an entirely new platform  one case with endless possibilities. Nite Ize is among these elite partners and is excited to introduce the Steelie Vent Mount Kit, developed exclusively for the new OtterBox uniVERSE Case System.

The uniVERSE Case System allows iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 6/6s Plus users to impressively expand their phones features while relying on OtterBoxs Certified Drop + Protection standards. The case features a slotted rail design under a removable accent plate that lets the user securely attach and easily exchange different premier partner modules like the Nite Ize Steelie Vent Mount Kit  without removing the case.

We have been a distribution partner for OtterBox for many years now, Nite Ize CEO and Founder Rick Case said. This uniVERSE opportunity is exciting because it allows us to work together in a different capacity. The OtterBox uniVERSE Case System provides a universal and affordable solution for iPhone users with best-in-class device protection in combination with the convenience of many other enhancements. This solution does not exist today and we are confident users will appreciate the utility and freedom the uniVERSE system provides.

The Steelie Vent Mount Kit allows a phone in the uniVERSE case to attach to almost any vehicles dashboard vent for hands-free use. This convenient and easy-to-use kit is comprised of two main components: the uniVERSE module with a Steelie Magnetic Phone Socket and the Steelie Vent Ball Mount.

The Steelie Magnetic Phone Socket features a powerful neodymium magnet with a silicone center that provides a secure hold and easy positioning on the Vent Ball Mount. The socket adheres semi-permanently to the OtterBox-compatible module with 3M VHB foam tape. The user can customize the position of the magnet to ensure it is placed in the center of the device, depending on whether it is an iPhone 6/6s or iPhone 6/6s Plus.

The Vent Ball Mount has a durable cast aluminum body that securely clips and unclips from most vehicle vents with a cam locking lever. The vent balls round shape allows endless positioning options, while the strong force of the Magnetic Phone Socket keeps the phone anchored in place.

The Nite Ize module is also compatible with several other Steelie products including the Pedestal, HobKnob and Car Mount which will allow users to further expand their accessory options to increase functionality, visibility and access for mobile devices.

We believe there is value in the versatility the system provides, Case said. This concept allows freedom to affordably expand the functions of a mobile device. That is innovation.

The Nite Ize Steelie Vent Mount Kit for the uniVERSE Case System will be available May 29 in Best Buy retail stores, BestBuy.com, OtterBox.com and Amazon.com for $39.99. For more information about the OtterBox uniVERSE Case System, visit otterbox.com.

Specifications:



MSRP: $39.99

Compatible with: OtterBox uniVERSE Case System for iPhone 6/6s or iPhone 6/6s Plus

Module weight: 0.35 oz | 10g

Module dimensions: 3.9 in x 1.14 in | 99 mm x 29 mm

Vent mount weight: 1.9 oz | 53.9 g

Vent mount dimensions: 1.2 in x 1.0 in x 2.5 in | 31.1 mm x 25.1 mm x 63.5 mm

About OtterBox:

Starting in 1998 with a line of dry boxes, OtterBox has evolved into the No. 1-selling case for smartphones in the U.S. and a global leader in mobile device protection. Its diverse lineup of protective solutions for smartphone and tablet devices is the result of precision engineering, diligent testing and continual technological advancement, giving technology users the confidence to make the most of their mobile world. OtterBox is a seven-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the U.S. and was named one of "America's Most Promising Companies" by Forbes Magazine. The company is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colo., with offices in San Diego; Cork, Ireland and Hong Kong.

For more information, visit OtterBox.com. Protecting your mobile world.

About Nite Ize:

Founded on the principles of creativity and innovation, Nite Ize designs, manufactures and distributes solution-based products with quality and performance at their core. Headquartered in Boulder, Colo., the company celebrated its 26th anniversary in 2015 and offers more than 500 innovative products and accessories in six unique categories: mobile, hardware, LED, flashlight, pet and lifestyle. Still captained by its founder and CEO, Rick Case, the Nite Ize team is passionate about their products, their customers, their partners and the environment.

For more information, please visit NiteIze.com.

Media Contact: Kelly Richardson / 720-508-4741 / krichardson(at)niteize(dot)com
Diana Peterson, president, SVN AuctionWorks Being part of SVN Auction Services adds tremendous breadth in auction and brokerage services to our team.

SVN AuctionWorks, a 51% woman owned small business and leader in auction and real estate brokerage services, has joined SVN Auction Services, a national platform providing date-specific sales and special asset solutions. SVN Auction Services is comprised of an elite group of auction advisors throughout the United States who bring local market knowledge and national exposure to their date-specific asset sales.

Specializing in areas such as bankruptcy and other court ordered sales, REO sales, foreclosure sales, tax sales, multi-property auctions, and receiverships, SVN Auction Services advisors are poised to assist their individual and institutional clients in the sale of a wide variety of personal property and real property assets nationwide.

Being part of SVN Auction Services adds tremendous breadth in auction and brokerage services to our team, said Diana Peterson, president of SVN AuctionWorks. We gain national reach and exceptional support through SVNs 200 offices and access to local advisors and auction experts across the country.

The SVN AuctionWorks team has extensive experience in real estate brokerage and auctions, and includes a licensed attorney, multiple licensed real estate brokers and auctioneers and a certified personal property appraiser. Based in Chicago, SVN AuctionWorks team is well-known and respected throughout the Midwest.

The SVN AuctionWorks office embraces SVNs client-first philosophy, said Jerry Anderson, CCIM, executive managing director of SVN Auction Services. Its a win-win for Diana and her team and for SVN Auction Services.

Peterson holds an Illinois real estate managing brokers license and an Illinois auction license. She is also a certified REO broker and personal property appraiser. She earned a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she served as an editor of The University of Minnesota Law Review and also earned a B.A. with honors from the University of Chicago.

Looked to by her peers as a true thought leader, Peterson is frequently quoted in trade publications, is often a speaker at real estate conferences, and has been engaged to teach a course on auctions for Chicago-area real estate brokers.

She is a member of several organizations, including CCIM, The American Bankruptcy Institute, Turn Around Management Association, International Women in Restructuring Confederation, National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, Real Estate Investment Association, The Chicago Association of Realtors, the National Association of Realtors and the National Auctioneers Association. She also is active in the community and serves on several nonprofit boards including The Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women in Real Estate Initiative.

About SVN Auction Services

SVN Auction Services is a provider of date-specific sales and special asset solutions. It encompasses an elite group of local and regional auction advisors throughout the United States who specialize in areas such as foreclosures, tax sales, multi-properties, receiverships and bankruptcies. SVN Auction Services offers the industrys most comprehensive spectrum of auction solutionsfrom rapid asset resolution and 30-day countdown asset sales to wide area and high impact/high promotion events. As part of one of the most recognized and reputable commercial real estate firms in the industry, SVN Auction Services is supported by SVN International, which features more than 190 locations serving more than 500 markets. For more information, visit SVN Auction Services.

Contacts

Diana M. Peterson, president, SVN AuctionWorks / 312-756-7333 / diana(dot)peterson(at)svn(dot)com

Ken Zeszutko, Zeszutko Corp.-PR on behalf of SVN Auction Services / 321-213-1818 kenz(at)zcorp-pr(dot)com
The Barns, Lake George, 1926 Georgia OKeeffe Oil on canvas 21 x 32  in. (53.3 x 81.9 cm.) Georgia O'Keeffe Museum  2016 Christies Images Limited The Barns, Lake George, 1926 fills a notable gap in our collection and will allow us to significantly enhance our My New Yorks gallery. The painting will go on view in the coming months, said Georgia OKeeffe Museum Director Robert A. Kret.

The Georgia OKeeffe Museum is pleased to announce it has acquired a rare 1926 painting by Georgia OKeeffe titled; The Barns, Lake George. Funds from the Georgia OKeeffe Museums acquisition fund were used to purchase the painting. Exhibited in multiple important exhibitions during OKeeffes lifetime, including her landmark retrospective at MoMA, the painting has been held in private collections since 1946. It has only been shown publicly once in the last 50 years.

The painting portrays the rustic barns that surrounded the Stieglitz Family property overlooking the shores of Lake George, New York. Though OKeeffe only painted this scene a handful of times, the images of the barns have become an icon of the artists time at Lake George. Raised on a farm in Wisconsin, she felt a particular connection to these structures. The barn is a very healthy part of methere should be more of itit is something that I know tooit is my childhood.

The Barns, Lake George, 1926 fills a notable gap in our collection and will allow us to significantly enhance our My New Yorks gallery. The painting will go on view in the coming months, said Georgia OKeeffe Museum Director Robert A. Kret.

The Museums My New Yorks gallery focuses on the significance of two places in New York State, New York City and Lake George, in OKeeffes artistic and personal development. It will take its place alongside images of the city and the rural retreat made by both OKeeffe and her husband, Alfred Stieglitz.

Of the subjects OKeeffe pursued at Lake George in the 1920sher most prolific decadethe various barns on the Stieglitz property most directly connect her to the interests of various members of the Stieglitz circle and other American modernists to identify distinctly national subjects. Barns conveyed a sense of a rural, regional identity and connected Modernism to an idealized agrarian past. They were also a counterpoint to industrialism and the growth of metropolitan centers. OKeeffes interest in the subject of barns is one she shared with her peers such as Charles Sheeler and Charles Demuth  that demonstrates her awareness of the growing interest in regionalism  and her direct participation in a broader conversation about national art. The Barns, Lake George is an outstanding example from the series of less than ten paintings of the barns at Lake George made between 1921 and 1934. OKeeffe also painted barns found in Canada and Wisconsin.

This acquisition will strengthen and refine our collection, furthering our goal to represent the full breadth of Georgia OKeeffes artistic accomplishments, said Cody Hartley, Georgia OKeeffe Museums Director of Curatorial Affairs. The OKeeffe Museum is actively building its collection of artworks by Georgia OKeeffe, as well as photography of and related to the artist. Other recent acquisitions and gifts include: photography by Myron Wood, Alan Ross, Basil Langton, and a collection of more than 100 photographs by artists including Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, Laura Gilpin, Todd Webb, and others. The Museum also collects works by modernist painters, especially those associated with Alfred Stieglitz, to provide context for the work of OKeeffe.

Currently on view at the Georgia OKeeffe Museum:

Georgia OKeeffes Far Wide Texas is on display from April 29  October 30, 2016.

The installation offers insights into the creative life of the young artist who became a twentieth-century icon.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Suzanne OLeary

JLH Media

505.490.9116

suzanne(@)jlhmedia.com

###

ABOUT THE GEORGIA OKEEFFE MUSEUM:

To inspire all current and future generations, the Georgia OKeeffe Museum preserves, presents and advances the artistic legacy of Georgia OKeeffe and modernism through innovative public engagement, education, and research. Opened in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1997, the Museum counts OKeeffes two New Mexico homes as part of its extended collection. The Museums collections, exhibitions, research center, publications and educational programs contribute to scholarly discourse and serve a diverse audience. The Georgia OKeeffe Museum presents an ongoing series of thematic galleries exploring the career of the artist through her artwork, art materials, archives, and the landscapes and experiences that defined her life, on view throughout 2017. For more information please visit okeeffemuseum.org.
Educational opportunities, and therefore life chances, have long been tied to family wealth and to housing, with more advantaged communities providing richer opportunities. Recognizing the key role of housing in this system, equity-minded reformers have proposed five types of interventions: (a) school improvement policies; (b) school choice policies; (c) school desegregation policies; (d) wealth-focused policies; and (e) housing-focused policies.

In a new brief released today, Housing Policy, Kevin Welner and William Mathis discuss each of these interventions, with an emphasis on housing-focused policies.

The authors point out that housing segregation did not happen by accident. Policy choices, often grounded in discrimination, resulted in inequitable zoning, the splitting of towns by interstate highways, dense public housing located away from more affluent areas, rationed Section 8 (rent subsidy) vouchers that provide very limited access, the red-lining of properties and the unavailability in Black neighborhoods of Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgagesall of which created an absence of affordable and accessible housing.

School improvement policies, the authors explain, can help mitigate the harms of segregated housing. Similarly, school desegregation policies, if more widely used, could drive more integrated schools. Government programs that address wealth inequality can and do make a difference, but they will have to move beyond tepid measures such as a low minimum wage if they are to seriously address wealth inequality and thus drive changes in housing segregation.

Policies that directly address housing supply and affordability also can be beneficial. One example is inclusionary zoning, which uses incentives to encourage developers to build affordable housing in otherwise high-cost neighborhoods. In addition, we now have a golden opportunity to establish stable, integrated neighborhoods because of a great inversion, where more affluent buyers move into economically depressed urban areas while boundaries around the city center are becoming more porous, with families moving into the suburbs. In both locations, the result is greater integrationat least temporarily. Welner and Mathis point to policies that can stabilize these communities through proactive measures to sustain racially and ethnically diverse school districts and their educational benefits.

These sorts of housing integration efforts, as well as school improvement and school desegregation efforts and policies that address wealth inequality, do not present a mutually exclusive choice. In order to seriously address the harms of housing segregation, sustained efforts in all these areas will have to be pursued.

Welner is Director and Mathis is Managing Director of the National Education Policy Center, housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education. This brief is one in a series of concise publications, Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, that address important policy issues and identify policies supported by research. Each focuses on a different issue, with recommendations to policymakers based on sound scholarship.

Find Kevin Welner and William Mathiss brief on the NEPC website at: http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/research-based-options

This policy brief was made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: http://www.greatlakescenter.org

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu

Find Documents:

Press Release: http://nepc.info/node/8005

NEPC Publication: http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/research-based-options
Harvard Health Publications, the consumer health education division of Harvard Medical School, today announced a licensing relationship that will deliver a new series of Q&A videos to clinicians and patients at the point of care. This relationship will put the medical knowledge and expertise of Harvard Medical School faculty into brief videos that clinicians using vidscrip can share with their patients on the vidscrip platform.

This relationship will put answers to patients most commonly-asked questions in front of patients at the point of care in a way that supports the clinician-patient relationship, said Dr. Gregory Curfman, Editor in Chief.

Information about health conditions, diagnostic tests and surgical procedures, self-care and prevention as well as public health topics will be authored and recorded by Harvard Medical School faculty using a combination of video, audio, still images, and text. Harvard Health Publications and vidscrip plan to launch up to 30 question sets this year, starting with topic areas related to population health management and the industrys shift to value based care.

vidscrip connects all stakeholders in the health industry by capturing and sharing expertise and experience through their mobile iOS app and website. vidscrip is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will be launching an Android version of their platform in June of this year.

We are excited to be associated with Harvard Medical School in this initiative, said John Brownlee, CEO and co-founder of vidscrip. This relationship immediately advances our ability to capture and share high-quality, up-to-date and easily accessible clinical information, which is necessary to help our clients achieve their goals of improved patient satisfaction and better outcomes.

As the focus of our industry changes from volume to value, our goal is to use innovative methods to make our trusted health information available to more consumers and patients facing important decisions about their health care. We are happy to be working with vidscrip to make Harvard faculty expertise available to more clinicians, patients and family members. added Dr. Curfman.

About Harvard Health Publications:

Harvard Health Publications (HHP) is the media and publishing division of the Harvard Medical School of Harvard University. HHP delivers current health information that is authoritative, trustworthy, and accessible by drawing on the expertise of Harvard Medical Schools 12,000 faculty clinicians and researchers.
Pictured, from left: Jessica Ludvigsen, SVP, Retail Banking, Axiom Bank; A. George Fuller, Treasurer, COMPACT; Rocky Robinson, Executive Director, COMPACT; Ron Strand-Sorrell, COO, Axiom Bank. We appreciate our corporate partners, like Axiom Bank, who help us support the aspirations of the students we serve. -- Rocky Robinson, Executive Director, COMPACT

Axiom Bank, a federally chartered community bank, donated $500 to the Orlando/Orange County COMPACT Program on May 20, 2016. COMPACT, an Orange County Public School Program, is an education and business partnership that challenges students to succeed and reach their maximum potential.

Axiom Banks cash donation was raised through the banks DressDown Friday fundraising program, which asks bank employees to contribute $5 to charity in exchange for wearing jeans on Fridays.

As part of the Central Florida community, we are pleased to help fund COMPACT, said Ronald Strand-Sorrell, Axiom Bank COO. Axiom Bank is proud to help create opportunities for the youth of Orange County to excel.

Axiom Banks contribution will help fund COMPACTs broad-based effort to reduce the dropout rate and assist at-risk students. Since its inception in 1989, COMPACT has served more than 12,000 students, and is active at 16 Orange County schools.

We appreciate our corporate partners, like Axiom Bank, who help us support the aspirations of the students we serve, especially those who will be the first in their families to attend post-secondary education, said Rocky Robinson, Executive Director of COMPACT. These funds will help support the COMPACT scholarship program by directly enabling students to achieve their dreams.

About Axiom Bank

Axiom Bank, headquartered in Central Florida, is a federally chartered community bank that serves the financial needs of its customers through a wide range of financial products. Axiom Bank provides retail banking services, including checking, deposit, and money market accounts, through 20 branch locations, 19 of which are inside select Walmart Supercenters. Axiom Bank also specializes in commercial loans for both real estate and business purposes, as well as treasury management and other merchant services. In addition to those services, Axiom Bank sponsors prepaid debit card programs offered by thirdparty program managers. As part of the companys commitment to exceed customers expectations and deliver superior financial solutions, Axiom Bank is constantly working to expand the services and products they provide to the communities they serve. For more information, visit: http://www.axiombanking.com. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
U.S. Bad Boy Producer Tony Dofat "Music production is more than a hobby, this outlet has created a plethora of self-made Multi-Millionaires

TONY DOFAT is proud to announce the release of his self-published textbooks Business and Fundamentals of Music Production (ISBN: 9780578179049) and Introduction to Digital Audio (ISBN: 9780578179056). Both books will be available in physical and online bookstores worldwide and will be distributed by Ingram, the largest book distributor in the world. Within the U.K. and Europe, the books will be available at Adlibris, Agapea, Amazon, Aphrohead, Bertrams, Blackwell, Book Depository LTD, Books Express, Coutts Information Services LTD, Designarta Books, Eden Interactive, Foyles, Gardners, Trust Media, Mallory International, Paperback Shop, Superbookdeals, The Book Community, Waterstones, and Wrap Distribution.

These books will contain everything you need to know about the business of music production from the creative aspect, publishing your own music, to working with major record labels or creating your own boutique independent label. Music production is more than a hobby, this outlet has created a plethora of self-made Multi-Millionaires as stated by Mr. Dofat.

Contributing to over 40 million records sold and 42 RIAA certifications for Record Production, Composing, and Mixing, veteran Bad Boy Records Hit-maker, Tony Dofat has documented the manual to become the next music mogul. This textbook was written to dissect commercial record production and guide the next young and passionate musicians to the road of music success says Mr. Dofat.

Tony has been active in the music industry for over 25 years as Sean "Diddy" Combs Hitman Producer and has also been a familiar face on MTVs Making The Band 2 as the bands Record Producer and Engineer. Having contributed to numerous classic hits including the Billboard #1, RIAA certified Gold album Too Hot for TV, some additional Mega stars he has produced and written for includes; Mary J Blige, Heavy-D, Notorious BIG, Queen Latifah, Ja Rule, Will Smith, Tina Turner plus more, whom has collectively contributed to his massive 170 song catalog.

Mr. Dofat was appointed, Associate Professor of Media Arts in 2015 by Long Island Universitys Professor Kenyatta Beasley and has been sought-after for years as a highly recommended candidate in academia as quoted by long time business associate and mogul Sean Puffy Combs. Tony states, Academia is not just having the knowledge and gems but being able to express and explain it clearly. He further states, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and hopefully I can change the current state of music by means of quality control and new business models.

Professor Dofats book tour and Lectures will launch in his hometown of Mount Vernon, New York on June 18th 2016, where Mayor, Richard Thomas will accompany him. The remaining dates will be facilitated by SAE Institute; June 23rd Glasgow, June 24th Liverpool, June 25th, Northampton, June 27th and June 28th Oxford, June 29th London, June 30th Amsterdam, July 4th Milan, July 5th through July 9th (Available for booking in Europe), July 10th NYC, July 14th Miami, July 16th NYC, July 19th Los Angeles, July 21 Guitar Center Times Square NYC, July 26 Chicago, September 29th LIU Brooklyn. We are excited to be a part of this tour to support education and academia as we are looking to grow and recruit more team members, this was a perfect opportunity for both parties as stated by one of his sponsors, Executive Darrell L. Warden for TeamWarden.TMilesGroup.com which has offices in PA, IN, FL, and MD in the United States.

This tour is also co-sponsored by renowned fashion designer Shy Figaros brand passion4.club (Passion4.club). My passion is to encourage others to find theirs, and to wear it fashionably, says Figaro, who channels his passion for AngelWaterProject.org. To celebrate the launch of his new brand, with a 'passion 4 music' ensemble, Figaro is honored to be a partner and exclusive apparel sponsor of the Tony Dofat SAE Institute World Tour. "I can think of no one more appropriate to make the first 'passion statement' in the music industry as multi-platinum, veteran U.S. Bad Boy record producer, Tony Dofat," says Shy Figaro (shyfigaro.com)
It is an honor for the Vanguard Cleaning Systems brand to again be included in Bonds Top 100 Franchises

The Vanguard Cleaning Systems brand was named to the Bonds Top 100 Franchises list by The World Franchising Network. This marks the fifth consecutive appearance by the Vanguard brand on this list. The entire list has been published.

It is an honor for the Vanguard Cleaning Systems brand to again be included in Bonds Top 100 Franchises, said Steve McConnell, VP Marketing for Vanguard Cleaning Systems, Inc.

Bonds Top 100 Franchises

The World Franchising Network selected 100 franchisors from over 3,000 US-based franchise companies. The Bonds Top 100 Franchises Program features detailed analyses of top franchises with 50 or more operating units. Companies were evaluated on the basis of historical performance (including growth), brand identification, franchisee satisfaction, training, ongoing support, financial stability, market dynamics, and other key variables.

About the Vanguard Cleaning Systems Brand

Founded in 1984, the Vanguard Cleaning Systems organization is built upon over 3,000 independently owned and operated franchised commercial cleaning businesses, which are licensed and supported by a Master Franchise network of 56 independent regional offices throughout North America. Vanguard franchised commercial cleaning businesses service more than 15,000 businesses, healthcare companies, educational facilities, and non-profit organizations.

The Vanguard brand has been included among the top 50 franchises of Entrepreneur magazines annual Franchise 500 list for eight consecutive years. You can learn more about the Vanguard Cleaning Systems franchise organization at http://www.vanguardcleaning.com.
" " Nanomaterial electric batteries are in the works, which could help push forth the electric car revolution. Gregor Schuster/Photographer's Choice RF/ Getty Images

Nanomaterials are made of nanometers, and are structures that scientists make by manipulating atoms. Basically, in the most general of terms, a few atoms lined up in a row makes up a nanoparticle.

Let's first take a moment to appreciate their finer qualities.

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According to a 2011 episode of NOVA, nanotechnology occurs on a scale that's approximately a thousand times thinner than a human hair. Nanomaterials are engineered to be extremely strong yet very light, and can also be made into different shapes depending on the scientist's needs. These nanoparticles can be used to improve everyday objects in ways you might take for granted, like stain-resistant clothing. Also, a lot of the investment in nanomaterials is inspired by the auto industry. Super-light body frames, exterior panels and interior accoutrements also have the benefit of being rather strong, and therefore safe. Also, nanomaterial electric batteries are in the works, which could help push forth the electric car revolution.

And now for the bad news. Nanomaterials are broadly considered rather dangerous, in part because they haven't been researched enough for us to really understand their limits and capabilities...and in part because screwing around with chemical compounds always carries some level of risk. Here's why nanotechnology is an industry that has great potential but is hotly debated.

Nanomaterials are hard to study.

Nanotechnology is a fairly new area of research. In some cases, there aren't even any ways to test and determine the toxicity of a particular substance. Another concern is that, if a really common element is formed into an unusually-shaped particle, it could be the shape of the particle that was dangerous, not the element itself. Existing tests would only confirm that the nanoparticle was a specific substance, which the scientists would already know. And their impact is being considered beyond the influence on human health, but the sector is also too new to really understand the long-term effects of nanomaterials on the environment, such as how far they'll travel and how quickly they break down.

If a particle can slip practically anywhere, it's almost futile to try to determine the effects of its intrusion, but extremely dangerous to sit back, wait, and see what happens. Scientists have learned from the asbestos crisis and other chemical revolutions, though -- new materials are studied a lot more closely before they're purported to be safe.

They can go anywhere...or, at least, we haven't determined yet where they can't go.

We know, for example, that nanomaterials in health and beauty products (like sunscreen and makeup) are small enough to be absorbed through the skin. Maybe some of these particles that seep in are actually harmless. And some people might be reassured by the fact that these products face a lot of regulations before they're considered safe. But the fact is, they're tested under the assumption that the human body will absorb or ingest only incidental amounts (consider those scary warnings not to swallow toothpaste). Safety tests might not apply if, for example, your sunscreen seeps right through to the inner layers of your skin (and perhaps beyond). Keep in mind that most topical products have warnings that they shouldn't be applied to damaged skin or open wounds. But if a nanoparticle can slip through your pores as easily as you can walk through a door, avoiding that paper cut on your hand might not be enough of a precaution. (Now multiply that by a few billion.)

Nanoparticles are only a couple of atoms wide, and it's been long known that they can easily penetrate skin. However, they can also be absorbed by the tissue of other organs, where the wrong combination can really cause some damage. And it's not just the size that's a problem. Particular shapes (such as long, thin tubes and flexible fibers) could cause inflammation, infection, and serious illnesses if they invade human tissue. Think of the effects of allergies...except with chemical compounds. And that's just the starting point. Another good example is asbestos -- though it doesn't fit into the nanotech category, it's a scary illustration of what can happen when products that aren't well understood are rushed to market and are absorbed by the human body.

They can be made of almost any chemical compound.

Or at least, it seems plausible. Though it's hard to believe scientists have already created every nanoparticle possible, the techniques can be applied or modified to suit whatever purpose desired. And that leaves open some scary -- and yes, highly dangerous -- possibilities. This is arguably why nanomaterials are the most dangerous -- because they haven't come close to reaching their limits, and we can't even imagine what those limits might be. On such a small and difficult scale, even the most innocuous of everyday scientific elements might have unpredictable results [source: Levin]. Now imagine the consequences of intentionally creating malevolent nanomaterials.

In recent years, not many answers have been found. Andrew Maynard, a physicist at the University of Michigan, told NOVA that "We have remarkably little information on actual health effects" [source: Levin]. So, despite billions of dollars a year in government and industry research, nanotechnology is, so far, raising at least as many questions as it answers.
Ecwid

Ecwid, the ecommerce platform that makes it a snap for anyone to sell their products anywhere, has launched a fully automated sales tax and VAT solution for online merchants, in partnership with TaxJar. Previously, online sellers had to determine sales tax and VAT rates and complicated rules to configure data tables manually, in order to determine when, and how much sales tax to collect at checkout. Further, online businesses were required to keep up with new laws and regulations in every location where they sold products, just to remain compliant. During the periods nearing monthly or quarterly sales tax deadlines, these merchants were forced to sort through complicated spreadsheets reflecting their sales histories, so they could create and remit sales tax filings across various states.

Effective immediately, all premium Ecwid merchants have built-in access to highly-accurate, automated tax calculations using TaxJars SmartCalcs technology in the US, Canada, Australia and the European Union. Additional countries will follow soon. In addition, in late summer, Ecwid merchants also will be able to connect their online store (as well as other channels they may be utilizing like eBay or Square) to TaxJars automated reporting and filing technology, in order to fully-automate sales tax management.

TaxJar is committed to providing full sales tax automation to small and medium sized businesses, says Mark Faggiano, founder and CEO of TaxJar. A few years ago, we set out on a mission to bring the most modern technology available to solve the sales tax pains of merchants, in a way that is both affordable and extremely easy to use. Partnering with Ecwid enables us to work with the leader for small business ecommerce in order to reach and alleviate sales tax woes for millions of online sellers globally.

Ecwid is committed to providing an e-commerce platform that makes selling online extremely easy and productive for small businesses globally. Yet, ask any online seller about managing sales tax, and they cringe, says Jim OHara, president of Ecwid. Providing our new automated tax calculation feature powered by TaxJar that essentially eliminates our customers concerns when it comes to sales tax helps us deliver on our promise and make our merchants more successful.

About Ecwid

Ecwid is a cloud-based ecommerce platform used by over 1 million merchants in 175 countries. It simply is the easiest way to add an online store to any website or social media site, and to manage the same store on multiple sites at once. When you sign up for a free Ecwid account, you get everything you need to start selling online in minutes. Ecwid easily integrates into any web presence and leading POS system, enabling you to market, merchandise and sell products and services from multiple online stores with mobile management and point-of-sale integration anywhere at any time.

About TaxJar

TaxJar is the fastest growing sales tax automation company in the world, with more than 5,000 eCommerce customers. TaxJar provides real-time sales tax calculations through its SmartCalcs technology, automated reporting for multi-channel merchants selling on marketplaces including Amazon and eBay, and automated filing with TaxJars AutoFile. To learn more, visit http://www.taxjar.com
Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC (RCCB), a law firm offering a distinctive combination of practical business acumen, legal expertise and entrepreneurial passion, today announced the addition of attorneys Timothy J. Levy, Counsel, and Jessica L. Itzkowitz, Associate. Both Levy and Itzkowitz will be residents in the firms Philadelphia office.

Levy brings years of experience as an attorney counseling entrepreneurs, investors and executives in addition to holding various C-Level Executive roles. Levys practice at RCCB focuses on representing emerging and middle market technology and healthcare companies, as well as investors in venture capital, private equity and M&A transactions. He also counsels clients on general corporate matters, corporate governance, intellectual property, employment and strategic issues. His practice covers a wide range of industry sectors including Internet and eCommerce, AdTech, FinTech, Healthcare IT and Medical Devices & Diagnostics.

Tims background in both corporate and law firm settings makes him an exceptional addition to our team, with his hands-on business and practical legal experience helping empower the ambitions of our clients, said Managing Partner, John E. Royer, Jr. We believe strongly that he will bring the trusted legal counsel and entrepreneurial outlook that our clients have come to expect from RCCB.

Prior to joining RCCB, Levy was a partner at the international law firm Duane Morris. Before Duane Morris, Levy served as Vice President and Corporate Counsel of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a provider of capital to emerging and growth-stage healthcare and technology companies.

Earlier in his career, Levy practiced law at two national law firms. He is also a successful entrepreneur, having co-founded two companies  VarsityBooks.com Inc., an e-commerce company focused on the sale of college textbooks, and The K-12 Group, Inc., a company that provided various services to parents and teachers of school-age children.

My proven ability in building companies from the ground up, combined with years of experience practicing law, makes me a great fit for the entrepreneurial culture that defines RCCB, said Levy. I look forward to joining the RCCB team and providing our clients with the counsel necessary to achieve their goals.

Levy earned his J.D., with honors, from The George Washington University Law School and his B.A. from Columbia University. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, Virginia, the District of Columbia and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

RCCBs other new hire, Jessica Itzkowitz, advises clients in various litigation areas, including business and commercial, employment, and intellectual property. Itzkowitz also counsels her clients on regulatory and appellate law, and, should the need arise, represents them in alternative dispute resolution. She has represented entities in various industries including precious metals, energy, asset management, textiles, and healthcare.

Itzkowitz brings litigation experience from her previous roles in the Philadelphia office of Goldberg Segalla, a New York-based litigation firm, and prior to that, Eckert Seamans, a large national law firm. Following law school at the University of Michigan, Itzkowitz worked as a Law Clerk in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

Itzkowitz earned her J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School and her B.A., Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, from Boston College. Itzkowitz is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is pending admission in New York.

About Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC

RCCB empowers your ambition. We are attorneys who think and act like entrepreneurs and business people. We combine sophisticated, cost-effective legal counseling with the type of sound practical judgment that comes from hands-on business experience. We encourage entrepreneurial approaches and creative thinking, while maintaining the utmost in integrity and responsiveness. RCCB understands and delivers the advice that companies, business executives and investors, as well as individuals and their families, need to realize their hopes and goals. From offices in the Greater Philadelphia area, RCCB serves clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Additional information about Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld is available at http://www.rccblaw.com.
Were excited to work with Philadelphia organizations and provide them with our exceptional services.

KORE1, a leading provider of IT and creative staffing solutions nationwide, is excited to announce the expansion of their services to their new location in Philadelphia, PA. The new office is located at 1650 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Were excited to expand our services to the Philadelphia market. We saw a need in this location for staffing solutions like ours. Were excited to work with Philadelphia organizations and provide them with our exceptional services. says KORE1 President, Steve Quarles. This is only the beginning of our strategic plans to expand into additional US markets.

The branch opened on May 23, 2016 with Meghan Dewey as the Managing Director. We are excited to have Meg spearheading our Philadelphia office, bringing her tremendous experience to our organization. Were excited to see her grow and develop our presence on the east coast, says Mr. Quarles.

Meg Dewey brings over 6 years of staffing solutions experience to KORE1, with previous experience as a Director of Business Development and Branch Director. Im excited to help KORE1 launch their first east coast branch. Im looking forward to working with local clients in the Philadelphia area, getting to know their organizations and helping them find top talent to help them grow and succeed.

To learn more about KORE1, visit their website at http://www.kore1.com.

About KORE1

KORE1 is a nationwide staffing solutions provider and recruiting firm, focusing on delivering cost-effective business solutions to meet your evolving workforce needs.

We deliver end-to-end talent solutions with a number of specialties, including:



Information Technology

Engineering

Accounting & Finance

Sales & Marketing

Digital / Creative

Healthcare

Our staffing solutions are highly flexible, with options spanning both on-site and off- site teams on a Contract, Contract-to-Hire, or Direct Hire basis. We also offer Payroll Services to help alleviate the burden of back office administration. When you need a highly competent recruiting partner to provide unparalleled staffing solutions, thought leadership, and consistent delivery results, KORE1 can help you achieve your business objectives.
Morf Playbook HR Talent Development Platform with Compliance Training Having a solid educational foundation with the AMI Mortgage Master course on my phone helped me to feel confident in taking the National Test. It allowed me to train anytime, anywhere.

Morf Media USA Inc. today announced a strategic partner marketing agreement with ComplianceOnline.com, the largest Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Advisory Network, and a division of MetricStream, to provide compliance training to their respective customer bases. Designed specifically for GRC professionals, the accredited compliance training is now available as a free trial on the next generation mobile platform, Morf Playbook from Morf Media USA Inc. Morf Playbook App is now available on iOS and Android smartphones and mobile devices.

The Morf Playbook App enables busy compliance professionals to get their training done in an engaging way, on the go if they like, to get certified and save precious time, said Priyabrata Sahoo, senior director of ComplianceOnline. Morf Playbook offers an easy, fast and effective way for individuals to control when they do their training while also participating in its unique social learning and challenge capabilitiesall in the palm of their hand. We are excited to bring 1000 + ComplianceOnline courses to our millions of existing and new users, now on Morf Playbook training on your smartphone.

Morf Playbook is a convenient and cost-effective way for professionals to stay up to date with the latest compliance training from ComplianceOnline. Its a complete training system that tracks training progress, and upon successful completion of a course, Morf Playbook offers a certificate of completion. Compliance training is now easy, fast and fun with Morf Playbook, said Eduardo Cervantes, CEO of Morf Media Inc. We have created training with experts and blended the latest learning theory with technology and gamification to deliver a training playbook built for busy professionals in highly regulated industries. Morf Playbook helps you perform at your best and with its social capabilities, and it allows you to connect on important compliance issues with your colleagues and partners around the globe.

Benefits of Mobile Compliance Training App

Accessibility- Access ComplianceOnline training courses on your smartphones in a much more flexible manner in the field, at home and when you are travellingeven when you are offline.

Easy and Fast Training Solution: It empowers trainers to rapidly develop, vet, deploy and manage training up to 16 times faster than other systems. Easily get trained anytime, anywhere in a way that is individualized, intelligent, social, fast and fun.

Affordable and Hassle Free Subscription: Affordable and easy to purchase courses developed by industry experts.

Engages People to Perform at the Top of their Game: Playbook offers a patented gamified framework integrated with adaptive learning and recommendation technology to deliver a powerfully personalized effective learning experience with full tracking and proof of examination certifications.

Register Now and Get 7-Day Free Trial ( No Credit Card Required)

For more details about ComplianceOnlines Mobile Training Solutions, please email: mlearning(at)complianceonline(dot)com



About ComplianceOnline

ComplianceOnline.com is a leading provider of regulatory/compliance trainings for companies and professionals in regulated industries. ComplianceOnline has successfully trained over 45,000 professionals from 9,000+ companies to comply with the requirements of regulatory agencies. ComplianceOnline trainings cover the comprehensive set of regulations and quality standards from several industries including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, high-tech, manufacturing, banking and financial services, and food industry. ComplianceOnline is headquartered in Palo Alto, California and can be reached at http://www.complianceonline.com

About MetricStream

MetricStream is the market leader in enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Management Solutions. MetricStream solutions are used by leading global corporations in diverse industries such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Energy and Utilities, Food, Retail, CPG, Government, Hi-Tech and Manufacturing to manage their risk management programs, quality management processes, regulatory and industry-mandated compliance and other corporate governance initiatives. MetricStreams customers include UBS, Societe Generale, Pzer, Philips, Cummins, Kelloggs, Mondelez International, SanDisk, and NetApp. MetricStream also owns and operates the http://www.ComplianceOnline.com portal - the largest GRC advisory network and one of the largest GRC communities. MetricStream is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA (http://www.metricstream.com).

About Morf Media USA Inc.

Morf Media is mobilizing the future of enterprise talent development and compliance training with Morf Playbook training delivered on smartphones, mobile devices and PCs. Morf Playbook is a patented platform for creating, delivering and tracking training for employees, managers, partners and customers. Global training distributors have adopted Morf Playbook to deliver their proprietary courses via the smartphone to increase reach to professionals on the go.

With its rapid course uploading tools with automatic gamification, Morf Playbook delivers interactive training experiences and communications using a variety of media, including audiobooks and video. Social feedback and 360 performance tools empower users to measure and enhance their performance with every project. Human Resource (HR) and Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) program leaders use Morf Playbook to boost training effectiveness and reduce training costs by more than 70% with just-in-time interval training delivered via mobile devices.

Founded in 2013 by a seasoned management team, the company is based in San Francisco with offices in the Silicon Valley. For more information about Morf Media USA Inc., please visit: http://www.morfmedia.com

Contact:

Heidi Wieland

Vice President Marketing of Morf Media USA Inc.

805-722-7413

Heidi(at)morfmedia(dot)com
IVANS Insurance Solutions, a division of Applied Systems, today announced that HawkSoft, NASA, Strategic Insurance Software, and Xanatek will integrate IVANS Market Appetite, an innovative search engine for property and casualty insurance agents and brokers, into their agency management solutions. IVANS Market Appetite will enable users to quickly identify markets for commercial lines risks directly in their management system, automating market identification to increase new business wins and decrease time to renew business.

These collaborations build on the initial integration announcement into Applied Epic in December 2015; the industry-wide release of the tool via a standalone site for all agencies that register for IVANS Exchange, and future integration into Applied TAM. IVANS Market Appetite already has a greater than 50% uptake by Applied Epic agencies with users searching more than 4 times per week.

Our agency partners are always looking for opportunities to differentiate their product offerings and deliver on the promise of being a trusted advisor to current and prospective clients, said Paul Hawkins, president and chief executive officer for HawkSoft. Our integration with IVANS Market Appetite enables our agencies to quickly find the best products for their new and renewal business while also improving carrier and MGA partner relationships.

IVANS Market Appetite is an innovative search engine for property and casualty insurance agents and brokers to quickly identify markets for commercial lines risks to submit their new and renewal business. IVANS Market Appetite immediately presents agents with a list of carriers, MGAs, and wholesalers with appetite for the specific risk, enabling agents to present the best coverage options while reducing dependency on time-consuming, manual steps traditionally used to find markets. IVANS Market Appetite directs more in-appetite submissions from agents into carriers and MGAs, enabling markets to write more desired business. By providing a simple, automated solution to connect agents, carriers, and MGAs for new business opportunities, IVANS Market Appetite furthers IVANS commitment to drive greater automation and business value for the independent agency distribution channel.

Leveraging the expansive IVANS network of carriers and MGAs, IVANS Market Appetite provides agencies the confidence to quickly identify the right market for each risk, said Matt Foran, vice president and general manager for IVANS Market Appetite. We are extremely pleased with the industrys adoption of IVANS Market Appetite and are excited to collaborate with these innovative companies to enable their agents to identify the best markets for risks in seconds, increasing their commissions, and ensuring their insureds have the best coverage.

About IVANS Insurance

IVANS, a division of Applied Systems, is the property and casualty insurance industrys exchange connecting carriers, MGAs, and agencies. IVANS open platform securely automates the exchange of policy, quote and market related information and connection opportunities. More property and casualty insurance companies rely on IVANS innovation and expertise than any other company to automate the insurance lifecycle and enable millions of people to safeguard and protect what matters most.
Hanae Henke, PhD - Field Application Specialist Liquid Handling and Jessica Wagener, PhD - Field Application Specialist Cell Handling at Eppendorf AG

Researchers can find themselves in a state of semi-autopilot while pipetting, perhaps because the task is so routine. A fresh look at this technique may yield big benefits. Scientists might be surprised to learn how acquiring specific pipetting techniques could enhance the reproducibility of experiments in a cell culture laboratoryand lessen the risk of contamination when working with eukaryotic cells.

Eppendorf is sponsoring a new, free educational webinar, Protect your Cells with Proper Pipetting - How liquid handling influences your cell culture work, which will discuss how improvements in pipetting techniques can help increase the quality of results. The speakers will show how making these adjustments can increase the reproducibility of cell-based experiments and how handling of pipetting tools can help lower contamination risks. They will also discuss differentiation of pipetting tools (multichannel pipettes, dispensers, and more) according to applications in cell culture, and optimal setup of the working area in the biological safety cabinet to maintain a sterile environment. Continuing education credits will be offered through the PACE system.

The webinar will be of special interest to laboratory technicians, scientific employees, students, PhD students, post docs, and employees of cell culture labs.

The speakers, Jessica Wagener, PhD, field application specialist, Cell Handling, and Hanae Henke, PhD, field application specialist, Liquid Handling, are both from Eppendorfs headquarters in Hamburg, Germany.

Dr. Wagener investigated apoptosis mechanisms in different cell lines for her diploma thesis following the study of biology at the universities Marburg and Dusseldorf. After a year as a research associate working with primary cells, she began working toward a PhD at the Medical School Essen, with a focus on reproductive biology. Dr. Wagener joined Eppendorf in 2012, shortly after completing a PhD in biology.

Dr. Henke joined Eppendorf in 2015, after finishing a PhD in medical microbiology on the topic of S. epidermidis hip joint infections, at the university hospital in Hamburg. Her PhD research included in vitro macrophage studies. Dr. Henke studied molecular biology and genetics at the University of Hamburg, and expanded her knowledge in food microbiology labs and at Harvard Medical School, in the group of Professor Roberto Kolter. The speakers complete bios are found on the LabRoots website.

The complementary webinar, hosted by LabRoots, will be presented on May 31, 2016, at 7 am Pacific Time/10 am Eastern Time/4 pm Central European Summer Time.

For full details about the event, obtaining continuing education credits, and free registration, click here.

About Eppendorf:

With headquarters in New York, Eppendorf North America is a subsidiary of Eppendorf AG, Hamburg, Germany, a manufacturer of laboratory instruments and consumables for the life sciences. To make it easy for labs in the United States to benefit from Eppendorf quality, the company provides total customer support and service: taking/tracking orders; product installation and training; application support; calibration services; general product maintenance and repair, and more. Eppendorf products are used in all types of life science research and testing settings  from basic laboratory applications to highly specialized cell and molecular biology applications. They are highly regarded for their quality design and performance  beginning with extensive research and development, adding state-of-the-art technology, and ending with strict quality-controlled manufacturing.

About LabRoots:

LabRoots is the leading scientific social networking website and producer of educational virtual events and webinars. Contributing to the advancement of science through content sharing capabilities, LabRoots is a powerful advocate in amplifying global networks and communities. Founded in 2008, LabRoots emphasizes digital innovation in scientific collaboration and learning, and is a primary source for current scientific news, webinars, virtual conferences, and more. LabRoots has grown into the worlds largest series of virtual events within the Life Sciences and Clinical Diagnostics community.
WesternU College of Optometry graduates recite the Optometric Oath at their Commencement ceremony May 19, 2016 in Pasadena, California. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)

Western University of Health Sciences honored its past while celebrating its graduates bright future at its 35th annual Commencement ceremonies in Pasadena, California.

WesternU held five Commencement ceremonies for its nine colleges May 18-20, 2016, conferring diplomas to nearly 1,000 graduates.

The Commencement ceremony for the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences and the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) on May 20 included one official  and one unofficial  changing of the guard. COMP Marshal Jeffrey Felton, PhD, was recognized for his service as he passed the ceremonial marshal duties on to Gerald Thrush, PhD. Meanwhile, in the front row of the audience, President Designate Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD, and his wife, Sandy, were introduced as they sat with President Emeritus Philip Pumerantz, PhD, and his wife, Harriet. Wilson officially assumes the presidency of WesternU on July 1.

As a result of the Pumerantzes, a strong foundation has been laid for dreams and visionary innovation at WesternU, said Interim President Gary M. Gugelchuk, PhD. And we are eager that Dr. and Mrs. Wilson join the WesternU family and begin sharing their own dreams and plans as our university moves forward.

Gugelchuk, PhD, who presided over the Commencement ceremonies, received the inaugural Philip and Harriet Pumerantz Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership and Service. In presenting the award, COMP Dean Paula Crone, DO, noted that over the course of a 30-year career at WesternU, Gugelchuk has served in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility, including Dean of the College of Allied Health Professions, Senior Vice President of Executive Affairs, and Provost and Chief Operating Officer.

Throughout, he has fostered a deep well of loyalty and respect throughout our institution by virtue of his own commitment, tenacity and passion, Crone said. If our institutional capacity for looking ahead and planning well are the result of standing on the shoulders of giants, then I submit to you that one of those giants is the man getting this award.

WesternU also honored College of Graduate Nursing Founding Dean Karen Hanford, EdD, MSN, FNP, who retired as dean earlier this year. CGN Interim Dean Mary Lopez, PhD, MSN, presented Hanford with a plaque.

Dr. Hanford and her team established the College of Graduate Nursing 19 years ago, Lopez said. As dean, Dr. Hanford has been the cornerstone of CGN, a graceful and powerful leader of professional nursing. Dr. Hanford, we commend you for your years of leadership to WesternU and the College of Graduate Nursing.

The five keynote speakers told WesternU graduates that they should be proud of their accomplishments, and that they are poised to make a true impact on the world.

Class of 2016, we need you, said Wm. Jahmal Miller, MHA, deputy director of the California Department of Healths Office of Health Equity. We truly need you in this struggle and journey to achieve health and mental health equity. The future of our state and our nation depends on dedicated health professionals like the graduating class of 2016, working with singular focus to ensure that everyone has access to the resources that enable them to lead healthy lives. When I look at you, I see key change agents in advancing our state and our nations efforts to achieve health equity, and from what I see our future is bright.

Graduates said their time at WesternU was challenging, but prepared them for their careers.

My time here was great, said College of Graduate Nursing graduate Stephanie Umali, DNP 16. There was a lot of laughter and I shed some tears, but it has been a great journey.

My original PBL (Problem-Based Learning) group, the very first block my first year, just got together on Tuesday and did a final PBL session, said College of Veterinary Medicine graduate Sierra Adams Friedman, DVM 16. It was very nostalgic. The PBL program really forces you to interact with people you might not have fallen into a group with if left to your own devices. It offers a sense of family. Youre really working together toward a common goal. It brings you together in a very unique way.

The ceremonies provided family members with the opportunity to share the stage with their graduate and help place their academic hood over their shoulders. Bahram and Zohreh Abolmoluki, the parents of College of Dental Medicine graduate Ladan Lillian Abolmoluki, DMD 16, were excited about the hooding ceremony and joked that they worried about passing out onstage.

Its every parents dream to see their kids achieve what they like in life, Zohreh said. My daughter really wanted to be a dentist. She loves to be with people. She likes to see people smiling. She cares for them.

Ann Pilato, mother of College of Optometry graduate JoAnn Henwood, OD 16, said her daughter is the first doctor in the family.

Im very proud, Pilato said. She has worked very hard. It seems like a long road, but were finally there.
Hanley Wood, the premier information, media, event, and strategic marketing services company serving the residential, commercial design and construction industries, announces the findings of the 2016 PROSALES 100 survey which shows large growth among the nation's largest pro-oriented construction supply firms. This year's survey reveals that firms saw sales rise 10.2% in 2015 from their year-earlier performance to reach $41.74 billion, while they increased the number of facilities by 9.7% and grew payrolls by 10.5%.

Equally notable was how different this year's list was from the previous one. Four of the top 12 firms and nine out of 100 on last year's list are missing in 2016 because of mergers and acquisitions in 2015. Additionally, because most of the acquiring companies are in the top 10 of the PROSALES 100, those 10 firms' share of the overall market grew dramatically last year.

The PROSALES 100, produced by Hanley Wood's PROSALES magazine, is America's premier report covering construction supply companies that garner at least 35% of their revenues from professional builders. Large operations that cater primarily to retail customers are excluded, thus making it possible to more accurately examine the pro-oriented side of the lumber and building material industry.

This 2016 PROSALES 100's $41.74 billion in total sales is the biggest since 2006 and represents an 81% gain since the PROSALES 100's low point of $22.97 billion in 2009. The number of facilities owned by PROSALES 100 companies has increased 27% over that same period.

Two giants in their categories dominate the list. Specialty dealer ABC Supply took the top spot for the sixth straight year with $5.9 billion in total sales, 99% of it to pros. Builders FirstSource (BFS), a full-service lumberyard that last year acquired fellow full-service dealer ProBuild, actually took in more total dollars than ABC Supply, posting $6.07 billion in revenue. BFS ranked second on the list as only 90% of the sales were to professional contractors.

No other company on the list was even half as big as the top two, but the next eight all reported billion-dollar results. BMC Stock Holdings-created by the merger of BMC with Stock Building Supply-moved to third place, followed by Beacon Roofing Supply and 84 Lumber. The next five are Allied Building Products, US LBM (the fastest-growing company on the list, showing a 69.6% jump in revenue thanks to numerous acquisitions), SRS Distribution, L&W Supply, and Carter Lumber.

"The 10 biggest companies account for $28.84 billion of the $41.74 billion that the entire PROSALES 100 racked up in sales for 2015," said Craig Webb, PROSALES editor-in-chief. "That 69.1% share of the total is nearly eight points more than it was for last year's list. And the growth wasn't just because of M&A deals. The top 10 firms saw their revenues rise 11.3% versus the next 90 companies' 8%."

PROSALES 100 companies generally fit into three groups: traditional lumberyards that focus on selling wood and other building products; lumberyards that also have manufacturing operations, typically to build trusses and wall panels or put the final touches on door assemblies; and specialty dealers, which focus on selling a narrow variety of products, such as roofing or insulation. Specialty dealers tend to be bigger; there are only 12 in this year's PROSALES 100, but they account for 37% of the entire PROSALES 100's sales. The 56 lumberyards with manufacturing capabilities account for 54% of total sales, while the 32 lumberyards without any manufacturing figured in just 9% of all sales.

About PROSALES

PROSALES magazine provides residential construction companies with information, insights and advice on improving sales and service. For more information on the magazine or the PROSALES 100, click here.

About Hanley Wood

Hanley Wood is the premier company serving the information, media, and marketing needs of the residential, commercial design and construction industry. Utilizing the largest analytics and editorially driven Construction Industry Database, the company provides business intelligence and data-driven services. The company produces award-winning media, high-profile executive events, and strategic marketing solutions. To learn more, click here.
Tuesday, May 24, Women's Excellence in Wellness, powered by Movestrong will be hosting Aroma Yoga.

The Yoga practice enhanced with Young Living Essential Oils, taught by Patti Dolan, RYT, a Young Living Gold Member. The class is from 6:30pm - 8pm at the Lake Orion location. Yoga Flow is 6:30pm - 7:15pm followed by a small intro to the Oils that can benefit the student's yoga practice, as well as their overall health and wellness.

Email RSVP's to alegasse(at)declairemovestrong(dot)com.

Womens Excellence is the most comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic office in Michigan. They also specialize in menopause, weight control, bladder control, endometriosis, robotic surgery, pelvic floor physical therapy, and midwifery services. The knowledgeable, well-trained, compassionate physicians and healthcare providers of Womens Excellence are taking new patients and are conveniently located in three locations throughout southeastern Michigan, Birmingham, Lake Orion and Clarkston. For more information, visit http://www.womensexcellence.com.
Digital Signage Software Upgrade: SMP-NEO 2 SMP-NEO 2 comes with an intuitive design, and it's leaner and lighter than its predecessor.

Digital signage solution developer, CAYIN Technology, will participate in this years COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2016, from May 31 to June 4. CAYIN is taking this opportunity to introduce a whole new lineup of its successful SMP-NEO series appliances. Visitors are encouraged to stop by CAYINs booth at K0015 in Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1.

This year, CAYIN is dedicated to provide better performance, and bring higher resolution to its players, in order to elevate user experience and improve efficiency. Following SMP-8000, CAYINs first 4K supporting player, comes SMP-8000QD, a quadruple distinct output player, and SMP-6100, a 4K-resolution 3-output player which is currently under development. Another stunning addition to the SMP-NEO series will be the compact fanless player, SMP-2100, which comes with 2 HDMI outputs to ensure output quality.

The SMP-2100 is the perfect choice for a durable and compact player with high performance. This fanless metal player comes with the new and improved software, SMP-NEO 2. Not only is it equipped with 2 HDMI outputs, the SSD allows it to withstand rough handling while being secured. Through SMP-2100, visitors will be able to have hands-on experience with the SMP-NEO 2 User Interface, and learn how to create custom templates within seconds.

The SMP-6100, on the other hand, is a powerful digital signage player that allows users to customize 4K resolution content playback on 3 separate displays simultaneously. While the hardware is embedded with SMP-NEO 2 for an upgraded user experience, its ultra high definition brings a wide range of possibilities to the screens, and creates the eye catching effects users seek with bigger and brighter displays.

Both additions come with the advanced SMP-NEO 2 management software. While it maintains the intuitive design, this latest version is leaner and lighter, with faster response rate and a more stable performance optimized to match the hardware. With the added feature of online registration, SMP-NEO also provides an anti-theft environment to protect its data and the software itself.

CAYIN will also be introducing a special edition SMP-8000QD, which has all the perks of SMP-8000, but with extra possible display combinations. The SMP-8000QD is tailored to fit for video walls or multi-display on budget. It comes with the standard 4-output video wall feature, and offers a higher performance than its predecessor by allowing 4 individual displays at the same time.

CAYIN sincerely welcomes all visitors to drop by and experience the powerful yet easy-to-use SMP-NEO UI, and examine the astonishing visual effects the spotlight products will deliver. Join us at this years COMPUTEX 2016 at booth K0015, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1, from May 31 to June 4.

CAYIN Technology in Brief

CAYIN Technology is a 12-year professional digital signage solution and software developer from Taiwan. By offering a complete portfolio of appliance-based digital signage solutions, CAYIN dedicates itself to being a reliable partner to clients worldwide and has successfully set up various applications globally. In order to best facilitate the deployment of its products, the company also provides tailored services to satisfy the ever-growing market demand for almost limitless applications.
For more than 40 years, Edna Pattersons writings about Elko Countys history have been a valuable resource for residents and historians. Her love of the area, the people and the culture additionally motivated her to become a founding member of the Northeastern Nevada Historical Society and Museum.

Edna Burke was born in Salina, Kansas on May 18, 1907. Her family moved to Denver, Colorado where she attended Colorado State Teachers College, now University of Northern Colorado, and earned her associates degree.

In 1927, she arrived in Lamoille to teach school and was hired by future husband, John Patterson. They married two years later and settled on his familys ranch, raising their children, John Webster and Marilyn.

Ednas curiosity of Elko County began when she heard stories from Native Americans who worked on the ranch and from her father-in-law, Webster Patterson. Eager to learn more, she gathered information from newspaper files and courthouse records and interviewed residents.

Patterson entered public service when she was appointed to the State Board of Education in 1954 and became the first woman president of the board. Two years later, she helped form the Northeastern Nevada Historical Society. Edna and Marge Pearce co-chaired the board and planned field trips around the area and presentations on local history. The Society also raised funds for a permanent structure, and in 1968, the Northeastern Nevada Museum opened on Idaho Street.

Edna wrote her first book, Who Named it? in 1964. The next project used her extensive research to write a comprehensive book on Elko County. Teaming up with Louise Ulph Beebe and Victor Goodwin, Nevadas Northeastern Frontier was published in 1969, detailing the stories of Native Americans, early settlers, ranches, mines and towns.

Four more books were published by Edna, focusing on specific locations and people: Sagebrush Doctors, This Land is Ours, Indian Paintbrush, and Halleck Country.

In 1973, the Pattersons sold the ranch and moved to Elko. After Johns death in 1982, Edna continued to write for the Historical Societys Quarterly and participate in many civic organizations, including the Lamoille Womens Club, restoration of the Lamoille Presbyterian Church, and the Elko Republican Party.
Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Science Founder Sharon Kleyne

Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Science Founder Sharon Kleyne welcomed Peggy Kinst, a wellness specialist for forty years and a trainer for Ageless Grace (http://www.agelessgrace.com) to discuss healthier lifestyles, especially for seniors on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Radio Talk Show on May 16, 2016.

Formerly a Northwestern University Literature Professor, Kinst gravitated to her career in health care after receiving a grim diagnosis of a serious intestinal disease. Taking charge of her condition and her health, she practiced yoga, Nia and Jazzercise. She discovered that music encouraged states of cognition and joy, and she refined how she ate, what she ate and how she relaxed. In time, she became a certified teacher of free movement dance, a Bio-composition specialist and a Myers-Briggs counselor. At Ageless Grace, Kinst teaches twenty-one movement tools for the twenty-one factors of aging that everyone experiences. Today, Ageless Grace includes 1,600 educators working in seventeen countries and throughout the United States.

On this weeks radio program, Kinst and Bio-Med Wash inventor Kleyne discussed the impact on aging of over-evaporation and dehydration. Every living thing is like a battery, Kleyne said, asserting that humans must recycle water vapor to complete the connection and receive the benefit of the charge.

Kleyne and Kinst also informed listeners about the wavy circle of water vapor that surrounds the planet and the fact that the moment one leaves the watery womb of the mother, one begins to dehydrate. Especially vulnerable are the eyes, which are 99% water. Our eyes are constantly drying out, and until recently, most treated this irritation with chemically based eye drops that offered only temporary relief and actually contributed to ongoing deterioration. Kinst, who works with aging people around the globe, was delighted to hear about Kleynes Natures Tears Eye Mist, the only personal hand-held humidifying device emitting a pure, pH balanced, 100% water mist for dry eyes. Natures Tears Eye Mist is endorsed by more than 22,000 ophthalmologists and optometrists nationwide.

Kinst looks forward to sharing this and other life-enhancing products from Bio-Logic Aqua Research with her clients and fellow trainers. Older people are always excited to learn that they can change their bodies and their brains, she said. Theyre like sponges. Every time one tackles a new activity or considers a new idea, the brain begins to build new neural pathways, and this activity staves off dementia, Alzheimers and other manifestations of aging.

This also makes me think of my work with children, Kleyne added. Why is it we all feel more relaxed when we stand upright and move our arms away from our bodies? The movement builds Collengin and expels the stress hormone Cortisol. Yet, to receive the ultimate benefit of this and other activities, we must be hydrated.

Kleyne and Kinst agree that hydration is absolutely essential to living longer and improving quality of life. They remind us to drink eight-to-twelve glasses of water a day and to protect and replenish the eyes on a daily basis with Natures Tears Eye Mist. There is no substitute for the water that supports pour lives.

2016 Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Science. All rights reserved.
Tindall Corporation's, Donnie Brown

The Virginia Association of Colleges & Employers (VACE) recently honored Tindalls Donnie Brown with an Honorary Lifetime Membership Award. This award honors VACE members who have made significant contributions to the Association while also furthering career services and college relations.

We at Tindall are proud of Donnie Browns achievement, and were excited to offer him our congratulations, said Greg Force, Tindalls President & COO. Its no surprise that Donnies hard work and leadership have earned him esteemed recognition, and were grateful to have him on our team.

Founded in 1963, VACE is dedicated to advancing the professional development of men and women working in the fields of career development, cooperative education and recruitment. VACE is affiliated with the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE) which are member organizations of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Im thrilled to be recognized by my peers and excited that VACE has selected me to receive this prestigious award, said Brown. Id also like to thank my friends and colleagues at Tindall. Without their support, participation in great organizations like VACE would not be possible.

Brown has more than 40 years of professional experience at various operational levels in human resource management and training and development. He has served as Tindalls Vice Present of Human Resources for more than 15 years and holds several industry certifications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, Tindall Corporation is one of North Americas largest precast concrete companies with five locations providing design, manufacture and installation of precast, prestressed concrete structural systems, architectural cladding systems and underground utility structures. In 2015, Tindall ranked 5th in Engineering News-Records (ENR) Top 20 Specialty Concrete Contractors in the United States list and 77th overall in ENRs Top 600 Specialty Contractors list.
mins Integrated Marketing Awards program is dedicated to honoring the campaigns, ongoing programs and innovative people whove raised the bar on magazine marketing. The entry deadline for this prestigious awards program is June 17, 2016, with a final entry deadline of June 24, 2016.

More Information

The annual awards program is open to any consumer and b2b publishing company and/or person or individual magazine title. Additionally, advertising agencies and corporations are welcome to enter on behalf of or with their magazine partner. Third-party partners serving the industry may also enter.

CATEGORIES INCLUDE:

Campaign Categories:



App Integration

Client Promotion via Facebook

Contests/Sweepstakes

Custom Publishing Project

Custom Web Site/Microsite

Event

Lead Gen Initiative

Most Creative Use of New Technology

Multiple Magazine Title Program

New Event Program

Print/Mobile

Print/TV or Radio Bundle

Retail/Merchandising Tie-In

Social Media Initiative/s

Special Advertorial Section

Total Integrated Program

Total Integrated Program for Magazine Launch

WOW Award

People Categories



Marketer of the Year (VP level or above)

Marketer of the Year (Manager level)

Marketing Team of the Year

Magazine/Client Team of the Year

For more information on the min Integrated Marketing Awards, visit http://www.minmarketingawards.com.

Winners and honorable mentions will be recognized at a celebratory awards breakfast on September 15, 2016 in New York City and on minonline.com. Entries for the 2016 program can be submitted at http://www.minmarketingawards.com. International entries are welcomed. The early entry deadline is June 17, 2016.

For questions regarding the min Integrated Marketing Awards, contact Mary-Lou French at mfrench(at)accessintel(dot)com or (301) 354-1851. To sponsor the awards breakfast in September, contact Tania Babiuk at tbabiuk(at)accessintel(dot)com.

About min

The Integrated Marketing Awards program is presented by min, the industry's trusted source on the consumer and b2b magazine business, reaching thousands of media executives through print, online and in-person events. For more than 60 years, min has been serving the magazine and media community with unparalleled coverage of this ever-changing industry. For more information, visit minonline.com.
Everyone will benefit heavily from each others experience in the ever-changing landscape of insurance. - Les McPhearson, CEO of UBA

United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nations leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, is pleased to welcome new Partner Firm Austin & Co., Inc. Headquartered in Albany, New York, Austin & Co., Inc. provides a personalized, consultative approach to insurance, employee benefits, HR consulting, benefits technology, and beyond. As an employee-owned company celebrating over 160 years of service, every employee of Austin & Co., Inc. has a vested interest in client retention and customer satisfaction  the cornerstones of their agency culture.

James Sidford, RHU, ChHC, President of Austin & Co., Inc., says, We are excited to be the newest UBA Partner Firm. This elite UBA partnership further enhances Austin & Co.s market strength. More importantly, it directly benefits our clients with increased carrier leverage and improved access to leading national resources.

In addition to providing insurance benefits to a wide range of clientele, Austin & Co., Inc. is proud of the reputation they have earned within the education community. They continuously strive to be their education clients go-to resource for their ever-changing insurance, employee benefits, HR and benefits technology needs. With established programs since 1974, Austin & Co., Inc. works with more than 200 education-related institutions. Their highly specialized service team evaluates each client individually and crafts customized programs for a comprehensive service solution. Additionally, they provide their education clients with access to a number of unique programs and services, including:



A New York Independent School-based consortium

Exclusive independent and charter school benchmarking

Carrier leverage and group buying power

A dedicated education service team

Austin & Co.s extensive and well-established programs within the education community bring a unique perspective to UBA's network of Partner Firms, says UBA CEO Les McPhearson. This aspect of their agency, combined with their longevity in the field, makes them a welcome addition to UBA and I know that everyone will benefit heavily from each others experience in the ever-changing landscape of insurance.

As the newest Partner Firm of UBA, Austin & Co., Inc. joins a network of employee benefits advisory firms that serve employers of all sizes across the United States, Canada, and Europe. As a combined group, UBAs annual employee benefit revenues rank it among the top five employee benefit advisory organizations in the U.S.

ABOUT Austin & Co., Inc.

Austin & Co., Inc. is an employee-owned business insurance and employee benefits broker/consultant. Since 1853, we have expanded our knowledge, innovative services, and relationships with leading partners in order to be our clients go-to resource for business insurance, employee benefits, HR consulting, HR/benefits technology, and payroll. Austin & Co., Inc. works with employers every day to provide first-class customer service, manage risk, make life easier, and improve efficiency. Furthermore, Austin & Co., Inc. is the largest insurer and benefits consultant for New York Independent and Charter Schools. Our niche focus and expertise enables us to provide schools with diverse marketplace and services advantages not available elsewhere. For more information about Austin & Co., Inc. please visit http://www.austin-co.com or call 1-800-836-0736.

ABOUT United Benefit Advisors

United Benefit Advisors (UBA) is the nations leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. UBA empowers more than 2,000 Partners to both maintain their individuality and pool their expertise, insight, and market presence to provide best-in-class services and solutions. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit http://www.UBAbenefits.com.
The convenient school lunch delivery service launches in Atlanta this week. The Smart Lunches team is thrilled to be launching in the Atlanta area.

Smart Lunches, the nations leading provider of tasty, nourishing meals for children at schools and camps without an onsite lunch program, announced today that the company began their first week of service in the Atlanta region, its fifth major metro area. Atlanta joins Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and DC.

Smart Lunches already serves thousands of lunches each weekday. Dozens of elementary and middle schools, childcare centers, and summer day camps have partnered with Smart Lunches as an alternative to an onsite lunch service or bringing in fast food. Parents access the award-winning ordering platform to purchase hot or cold lunches, which are delivered daily to their child right before lunchtime. Carefully vetted and trained local caterers prepare meals fresh daily. Students and staff alike enjoy choosing from 5-7 meal options every day; parents appreciate the value of time saved by not packing lunches themselves and knowing their child is receiving a fresh, hot, nourishing lunch.

Were thrilled to be launching in the Atlanta area. Several schools have already expressed interest in partnering with Smart Lunches in the fall, and were expanding quickly in the region, said Smart Lunches CEO David Morris. Its free for schools to participate, and Smart Lunches gives a percentage of every sale back to the school.

Heading up Smart Lunches in the Atlanta area is Catalina Parra, Regional Manager. "Catalina's background in client services makes her a terrific leader in helping local schools understand and leverage the Smart Lunches program," said Morris.

The very first meal served in the Atlanta region? A healthy version of a takeout classic: Orange Glazed Chicken.

About Smart Lunches: Smart Lunches provides healthy, tasty lunches to thousands of kids in the Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, DC, and Atlanta areas. Schools enjoy the simplicity of the service, parents rely on the convenience and nutritional security, and students love the food. Parents use the award-winning web platform to order their childs lunch from a rotating daily menu, local catering partners create the customized meal for each child, and a team of Delivery Ambassadors hand deliver each meal to school partners right before lunchtime.

http://www.smartlunches.com

info(at)smartlunches(dot)com

1-888-25 SMART
A teenager from Southington, Connecticut, is the champion of the first-ever National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE), held this past weekend at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Alexandria, Virginia. Lucca Riccio, an 8th grader, won the prestigious award for his Message Mask a Bluetooth-enabled noise-canceling CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) medical device that helps patients communicate clearly with loved ones while receiving oxygen through the mask. The Message Mask won the Most Marketable Product, beating out more than 260 entries from competitors representing 15 states across the United States.

A total of 43 award winners took home honors from the inaugural NICEE 2016 event, including 13 each from Connecticut and Ohio, and seven from Idaho. Eight different states had students receive awards at NICEE 2016.

More than 120 judges from intellectual property-focused law firms, U.S. Government departments, corporations, teachers, and others from the Washington, D.C. area and from as far away as California judged the competition.

The level of invention was outstanding and worthy of a national competition, says NICEE 2016 organizer Danny Briere, CEO of The STEMIE Coalition, the event host. When you have students as young as second graders being considered for the Best-in-Show award, and third graders winning for Best Prototype, you know it is an incredibly innovative field of inventors.

Riccios Message Mask solves a key problem for patients using oxygen masks: having difficulty being understood due to the noise of the oxygen flow and mouth-covering plastic cover. Riccio thought of the idea when in the Emergency Room with his grandmother, as his uncle rushed cross-country to her bedside. He wanted to talk to her, he was scared he would not make it there in time. But the phone could not pick up her voice over the noise of the machinery in the room, and I could not understand her through the muffled mask to tell him what she was saying, says Riccio. My Bluetooth-enabled noise canceling microphone would have picked up her voice and relayed it to the smartphone as well as to a local speaker, so everyone could hear.

Riccio has filed for patent protection with the USPTO for his invention, and is working to commercialize his product into the market this year.

All of the products that we evaluated for the Most Marketable Product award were so incredible, and the inventors so poised and prepared, says Christine Heckart, chief marketing officer for Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., the firm that sponsored this Best-in-Show honor. What made the Message Mask stand out was its ability to impact a large a group of people worldwide. This innovation could be used in homes and hospitals worldwide, helping patients, staff and families communicate with loved ones at a critical time in their lives.

Other top honors went to:



Most Patentable Product: CO2E, an invention to convert pollutant CO2 emissions into energy, by Arya Bairat, Milford, Connecticut

Best Blends Design and Engineering: Convert - A  Stairs, stairs which convert easily to a flat ramp, by Madison Estep and Allison Remick, Grove City, Ohio

Staffs Choice: Touch-Aid, a capacitive adhesive bandage for your smartphone-using fingers, by Isaiah Nagrant, Brunswick, Ohio

The STEMIE Coalition is a non-profit organization that recently launched to advance invention and entrepreneurship education in K-12 schools through in-school curricula; the NICEE is the organizations marquee annual event to celebrate invention and entrepreneurship in the schools. The organizations goal is to enable schools in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., to teach more than 10 million kids annually within five years.

All competitors attending NICEE were winners of partner invention and entrepreneurship education competitions, and attendance was by invitation only. NICEE will return to the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, June 1-3, 2017. For a complete list of NICEE 2016 winners, visit http://www.stemie.org/nicee-2016-award-winners-list/

About The STEMIE Coalition

The STEMIE Coalition is a non-profit, umbrella membership organization of youth invention and entrepreneurship programs across the U.S. It provides much-needed national attention for and drives interest in K-12 invention and entrepreneurship, while empowering local organizations with best practices and resources. The STEMIE Coalition is the first such group created to elevate invention and entrepreneurship education of K-12 students across the country.

The coalition is partnering with STEM and entrepreneurship programs with in-school curriculum and competitions to drive innovation and problem-solving skills into our next generation workforce. The coalitions goal, with partners such as United Technologies Corp., Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., and Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., and is to make an extensive, immediate, and measurable impact on youth invention and entrepreneurship in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.stemie.org.
Shotfarm, the leading centralized cloud-based product content management and exchange solution, will exhibit at the upcoming 2016 IRCE Conference and Exhibition. The conference will be held June 7-10 at McCormick Place West in Chicago.

The theme of the companys booth is: Make the Switch to Better Product Content, tying into the conferences Managing Technology Track. Shotfarms Switch enables the transfer of high-quality product information from Manufacturers to Retailers in the simplest, most efficient and affordable way possible. For Manufacturers, the product features unlimited stock keeping units (SKUs), automatic conversion and delivery, and a 93 percent workload reduction. For retailers, the product offers instant and automatic item setup, fast and accurate product catalogs, and unlimited SKUs, partners and seats.

Shotfarm will configure Switches on the fly for any Retailers that email their data sheets to info(at)Shotfarm(dot)com before June 7.

Shotfarms Product Content Network provides Retailers with a free tool to configure and publish their unique product data, image, and delivery preferences, and automates the conversion process. This decreases both Retailers and their Partners labor costs and time to market. The network is currently used by more than 6,000 Manufacturers and Retailers.

The 2016 Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition is the largest e-commerce trade show in the industry, bringing together thousands of industry experts and an exhibition hall filled with hundreds of solution providers for networking opportunities with like-minded industry professionals. This years conference covers topics ranging from design and merchandising to marketing and social media.

Were excited to be exhibiting at IRCE this year, as its a great opportunity to showcase our product alongside some of the industrys best innovators, said Mike Lapchick, CEO of Shotfarm. One of the biggest time and resource costs in e-commerce for Brands and Retailers is seamlessly creating, delivering and formatting product content across channels, and we think attendees are going to see incredible value in our solution.

To learn more about Shotfarms Product Content Network, visit booth 1037 at IRCE, or go to http://www.shotfarm.com.

About Shotfarm

Shotfarms Product Content Network is the first end-to-end solution for the management and exchange of product information that meets the demands of the entire e-commerce industry. Free and simply core functionality combined with a suite of affordable and powerful upgrade options make Shotfarm instantly useful and infinitely scalable. One system, any format, thousands of Retailers and Manufacturers. Shotfarm just makes sense.
Logan Irwin, 4 of Cranford, NJ, walked the entire 1 mile without his walker! The 2016 Walk n' Roll for Children's Specialized Hospital raised over $300,000 for kids with special needs. The hospital a

New Brunswick, New Jersey: This year marks Childrens Specialized Hospitals 125th anniversary of helping children with special healthcare needs reach their fullest potential. To commemorate the anniversary, the hospital has themed the milestone Hats Off and kicked off the yearlong celebration at the 10th annual Walk n Roll for Childrens Specialized Hospital Foundation on Saturday, May 21, at Johnson Park in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Hats Off is a unique way to show appreciation to early founders, supporters, physicians, and dedicated staff members who have helped Childrens Specialized Hospital grow to meet the demanding needs of children recovering from traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, or to treat the thousands of children on the autism spectrum and those with complex medical needs. Visit the special website dedicated to the 125th anniversary.

The annual Walk n Roll was the official kickoff to the 125th anniversary yearlong celebration, with the Hats Off theme. To say Hats Off, over 2,200 kids, parents, community members, and hospital staff showed their support for the programs and care provided by Childrens Specialized Hospital by raising over $300,000.

This popular community event attracted hundreds of families who have benefited from the programs at Childrens Specialized Hospital and enables them to give back to the organization that has partnered with them to help their child reach their fullest potential. Each year, Childrens Specialized Hospital treats nearly 29,000 patients from birth to age 21 with special healthcare needs at 13 locations across New Jersey.

Open to all members of the public, the 2016 Childrens Specialized Hospital Walk n Roll took place Saturday, May 21, at Johnson Park in Piscataway, New Jersey. Over 1,100 walkers were pre-registered and many wore their own crazy hats to commemorate the 125th anniversary. Everyone stayed for the free kids carnival with food, games, prizes and fun!

Walk n roll chairwoman Kim Hanemann, senior vice president - delivery projects and construction at PSE&G and Childrens Specialized Hospital Foundation trustee, was instrumental in leading the event committee to yet another record-setting year.

This marks the tenth anniversary of the Walk n Roll, and the walk will also serve as the kick off for Childrens Specialized Hospitals 125th Anniversary celebration, said Hanemann. PSEGs employees and vendors fundraise for Childrens Specialized throughout the year, and we had 197 employees participate in the Walk n Roll, too. Its great to meet the patients and families that will benefit from our efforts, and we say Hats Off for breaking new fundraising records in 2016. 

Todd Pettengill and Jayde Donovan from the 95.5 PLJ Todd and Jayde in The Morning joined the festivities as the 2016 Honorary Chairs and helped give out the top fundraising awards. Corporate sponsors were an instrumental part of the events success. Special thanks to presenting sponsor PSEG and additional sponsors: IEW Construction, NJM Insurance, Open Road, Furino & Sons, J Fletcher Creamer, Burns & McDonnell, Ferreira Construction Co Inc. and Haugland family Foundation. These local businesses donated products for the event: Mr Cupcakes, Unos Pizzeria, Snapple and JBL Electric who provided the water.

For more information or to donate, visit childrens-specialized.org/walknroll.

Childrens Specialized Hospital is the nations leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care for children from birth to 21 years of age facing special health challenges  from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities like brain and spinal cord injuries, to developmental and behavioral issues like autism and mental health. At thirteen different New Jersey locations, our pediatric specialists partner with families to make our many innovative therapies and medical treatments more personalized and effective...so children can achieve more of their goals. To help, or find more information: call 888-CHILDRENS; visit http://www.childrens-specialized.org; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/childrensspecialized; Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/childrensspecnj; YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cshnj; LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/children's-specialized-hospital
With unemployment statistics trending high for recent college graduates, Sara Gurley considers herself fortunate to have come away from graduation with not only a diploma but also a job offer. Two days after her commencement ceremony, she started at N2 Publishing as a marketing coordinator.

"I interned at N2 for a couple of months before graduation," Gurley said, who got her English degree from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "I wasn't expecting to work there after college but can't imagine being anywhere else. When I tell my friends and family about the culture here  from generous days off and work remote opportunities to workout classes and monthly paid socials  and see the jealousy in their eyes, it makes me realize how lucky I am to be working here."

It didn't surprise Gurley that N2 Publishing added more recognition to its awards mantle this week when the company took the No. 8 spot on the list of 50 Best Workplaces for Recent College Graduates.

Since last year, N2 Publishing has been recognized on more than 10 lists, including Best Workplaces for Flexibility; Entrepreneur and Culture IQs Top Company Culture  Best in Large Enterprise Award; Great Places to Work and Fortunes 100 Best Workplaces for Women; Outside Magazines Best Places to Work; Best and Brightests 101 National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For; and Best Employers in North Carolina.

"At N2, we're all about creating opportunities for our team to continue growing personally and professionally," said Katherine Daniel, director of human resources for N2 Publishing. "Providing this opportunity to recent college graduates is really exciting, as it puts everyone involved at a unique advantage to really shape how we approach work, handle collaborating with a team, and define whats important in our careers. Were truly hoping to build leaders."

The Best Workplaces for Recent College Graduates is one in a series of rankings by Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine. Selections were based on employee survey feedback from Great Place to Work-certified organizations.

"Every company's future is built by the people it hires today," said Kim Peters, Executive Vice President of Great Place to Work. "The Best Workplaces for Recent College Graduates inspire their newest team members to fully invest their talents in the workplace, knowing that their leaders are committed to employees' personal and professional growth."

About N2 Publishing

Based in Wilmington, N2 Publishing, Inc., was named North Carolina's fastest-growing media company by Inc. Magazine in 2015. N2 Publishing focuses on "turning neighborhoods into communities" by partnering with affluent neighborhoods to produce private, monthly publications filled with resident-contributed content. Every N2 issue is personal, relevant, and unique to the community it serves. Visit N2 Publishing online at http://www.n2pub.com.

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For" and a series of Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists, including lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small and Medium Companies and over a half dozen different industries.
Stacy Spradling

Further consolidating its global executive leadership team and highly successful 2016 growth strategy, Pole To Win International (PTWI) announces the appointment of Stacy Spradling to the position of Vice President, Human Resources. Stacy will oversee PTWIs global Human Capital Management, Talent Acquisition and Employee Life Cycle functions throughout PTWIs growing footprint of 15 wholly-owned studios on 3 continents. Her role commences on May 24th 2016.

Deborah Kirkham, President and Chief Operating Officer of PTWI, said I am extremely happy to welcome Stacy to the Pole To Win International Executive Team. PTWI is fiercely committed to the professional development and welfare of our 1000+-strong family of innovators and experts, and we are continually reviewing and evolving our staff engagement programs. With Stacys extensive experience of talent management, international compliance and HR strategy, we will further build on our excellent global results for employee recruitment, satisfaction and retention as key contributors to our ongoing growth and success.

Stacy joins PTWI from Radius Global Solutions where she was the HR leader responsible for HR strategies, policies and procedures for a large workforce spanning multiple territories across the US, APAC and India. She has also held senior HR management positions at BPO services provider SYKES Enterprises, and integrated marketing solutions firm ACCENT Marketing.

Speaking about her appointment with PTWI, Stacy said PTWIs established global footprint and uniquely international culture present fantastic opportunities for the companys continued expansion into new territories and markets. I am delighted for the opportunity to support the companys excellent employee-centric ethos, and directly contribute to its vision and ambitions for the future.

*****

Notes to Editor:

Pole To Win International is the world's premier product lifecycle solutions provider with 1000+ team members across 13 studios worldwide. Our range of services includes: quality engineering, quality assurance, localization, customer experience, voice production, performance capture, and script writing services. We offer over two decades of experience and the infrastructure to create customized support for projects and companies of all sizes.

Pole To Win International (PTWI) is a holding company of Poletowin Pitcrew Holdings Inc. POLE TO WIN is a registered trademark of Pole To Win Co., Ltd in Japan and other countries. All rights reserved. For more information, visit http://www.ptw-i.com Stay connected with PTW International on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
As a candidate for the District 8 representative on the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to introduce myself. I am Cathy McAdoo and have proudly called rural Nevada home for more than 38 years.

My husband Kent and I live in Elko where it is my privilege to serve as the founding Director of PACE Coalition. Our mission includes educating students in Elko, Eureka, and White Pine Counties to make healthy life choices. Through my career pathway, my volunteer activities, my love for people, and my commitment to healthy communities, education remains at the core of what I do and who I am.

My 14-year career at PACE has allowed me to serve on non-profit and for-profit boards, including the Elko Area Chamber of Commerce and the Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital boards. I am a 30-year member of a philanthropic education organization (P.E.O.), an advisory board member for Nevada KIDS Count, and a member of the Nevada Safe Schools/Healthy Students management team.

My interest in serving Nevada as an NSHE Regent stems from my own passion for life-long learning. I am a proud graduate of Great Basin College and grateful that I had the opportunity to attend college in my community where I was busy being a wife, mom, neighbor, church member, employee, and volunteer. I did not want to miss out on this part of my life by leaving home to pursue post-secondary education.

I think my college degree story is representative of many Nevadans. Therefore, I have a goal of working with the NSHE Regents and the eight Nevada universities and colleges to ensure student success through continually improving the quality and availability of education for students across our State. I want to be an approachable, listening, and actively involved regent for you and your family members in your pursuit of life-long learning. Please feel free to contact me at mcadoo4regent@gmail.com or 738-6713.

Realizing I am the only District 8 candidate on the ballot, I will still sincerely appreciate your vote and support on June 14.

Thank you, Cathy McAdoo
Storm and The Village at Rockville resident share a hug.

Storm, a two-year-old, 60-pound Black Labrador, is the latest addition to The Village at RockvilleA National Lutheran Community (TVAR) in Rockville, Md. TVAR welcomed Storm on Monday, May 16, 2016her first week consisted of training and learning the ropes with residents and staff. The addition of Storm was made possible by a donation from Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synods Gifts of Hope program and the training provided by Lee Hamilton of Mans Best Friend Dog Training in Madison, Ohio.

We are so excited that Storm is making her home here. We believe in the power of pet therapy and how that benefits not only seniors, but our staff too, Susannah Brooks, director of resident services at TVAR said. It is proven that pets help lower blood pressure, relieve stress, and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. Whether you are nine or 90, who doesnt need that?

Numerous studies support the practice of pet therapy. A German and Australian study* followed 9,000 pet owners from 1996 to 2001. The study found that pet owners had fewer doctors visits, resulting in health care savings of over $3 billion dollars. The Journal of American Geriatric Society (Volume 2014) suggests that a care-taking role of an animal may give older individuals a sense of responsibility and purpose that contributes to their overall wellbeing. The Journal discovered that pet owners are better able to perform certain activities of daily living, such as the ability to bend, kneel, stoop, take medication, prepare meals, bathe and dress.

Storm is one of many pets we are incorporating to help seniors thrive, TVAR Executive Director Jason Gottschalk said. We believe that Storm, and our other pets, increase the health benefits for our residents and staff. This is one of the many ways we cultivate an environment that empowers seniors to thrive in all dimensions of life.

About The Village at Rockville (TVAR)

The Village at RockvilleA National Lutheran Community in Rockville, Md., is a CCRC (continuing care retirement community) that offers independent living, myPotential short-term and outpatient rehabilitation, respite, long-term nursing care, hospice, assisted living and memory support. For more information, visit http://www.thevillageatrockville.org

About National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS)

Based in Rockville, Md., NLCS is a faith-based, not-for-profit ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Americas (ELCA) Delaware-Maryland, Metropolitan Washington, D.C. and Virginia Synods, serving people of all beliefs. With more than 125-years experience, NLCS provides seniors with a variety of lifestyle, residential and health care options through retirement communities and services in Maryland and Virginia.

Other communities and services sponsored by National Lutheran include The Village at Rockville in Rockville, Md., The Legacy at North Augusta in Staunton, Va., The Village at Orchard Ridge and myPotential at Home in Winchester, Va., and The Village at Crystal Spring in Annapolis, Md., subject to Maryland Department of Aging approval. For more information, visit http://www.nationallutheran.org

*Headey, Bruce; Grabka, Markus; Kelley, Jonathan; Reddy, Prasuna and Tseng, Yi-Ping. Pet Ownership is Good for Your Health and Saves Public Expenditure Too: Australian and German Longitudinal Evidence. Australian Social Monitor, Vol. 5, No. 4, Nov 2002: 93-99.
StructureSecurity This conference is a high level thought leadership event where conversations and networking are meaningful and relevant.

The inaugural Structure Security Conference brings together the worlds leading technology companies, CIOs, business leaders, CISOs and security industry companies for two days of high level thought leadership.

About the Conference: The pace of innovation by technology companies is fueling the digital revolution and CIOs and business leaders are adopting digital capabilities at breakneck speed to transform their companies. No industry has been left untouched. But, the benefits of the emerging digital world come with increased risks from all manner of adversaries as attack surfaces grow exponentially with the sophistication of the attackers. CISOs are struggling to keep up with the threats as the security industry itself responds with an increasing array of products and services. Structure Security Conference is the first and only conference to bring all of these constituencies together to discuss the best path forward.

Everyone with a vested interest in information security  CISOs, CIOs, tech companies, security vendors, and investors  will come together to discuss these issues and learn from each other at Structure Security.

Conference Advisors include:

Art Coviello, former CEO and chairman, RSA Security

Diana Kelley, Executive Security Adviser, IBM Security

Jay Leek, CISO, Blackstone

Laz Lazarikos, former CISO, Sears Online

Matt Bigge, Operating Partner, Paladin Capital

Alex Tosheff, CISO, VMware

And more

Speakers Include:

Casey Ellis, CEO, Bugcrowd

Carson Sweet, Co-Founder and CSO, CloudPassage

Kevin Mahaffey, Co-Founder and CTO, Lookout Security

Marten Mickos, CEO, HackerOne

Scott A. Montgomery, VP and Chief Technical Strategist, Intel Security Group

Simon Crosby, Co-Founder and CTO, Bromium

Art Coviello, former CEO and chairman, RSA Security

Jay Leek, CISO, Blackstone

And more

Topics covered Include:



Security in the Cloud: The migration of critical business functions and applications to the cloud has changed the way companies think about security risks and operations. Learn how leading organizations think about security as part of their cloud computing strategy.

Think Like a Hacker: Learn how the success of your technology and cybersecurity strategies can be radically improved by understanding how attackers think and operate.

Social Engineering: Hear how leading organizations work to mitigate the security risks caused by social engineering and human error. And learn how to prepare for the future as this challenge continues to evolve with the adoption of new technologies.

Minimum Viable Product = Most Vulnerable Product: Even if Facebook itself has moved on from this ethos, its move fast and break things culture was the mantra for a new generation of technology startups. Hear how leading technology executives have successfully enabled their teams to remain as agile as startups without sacrificing the security of the applications they create.

Securing the Government: How do government organizations secure their technology infrastructure? What role should the government play in helping the private sector secure our technology infrastructure?

Internet of (vulnerable) Things: The rapid adoption of IoT for both industrial and consumer applications has created a massive new attack surface and significant risks for IoT adopters. How do IoT vendors and companies embracing IoT deal with the security challenges created by this explosion of connected devices?

Evaluating Security Solutions: The days of spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) to sell security products are quickly fading away. Leading CISOs have a strong vision for how their teams should evaluate their existing vendors and new solutions. Hear some of these leaders share their vision and approach, and hear from security vendors who are leading the way helping these CISOs and their organizations succeed.

Register Soon

Attend Structure Security this September 27th and 28th at the Golden Gate Club in San Franciscos gorgeous Presidio district. As with other Structure Events, the conference is expected to sell out. Register today to ensure your spot.

Structure Security Conference

September 27-28, 2016

Golden Gate Club

San Francisco, Ca.

http://www.structuresecurity.com

Contact

Clare Ryan

clare(at)structureconf(dot)com

(415) 758-1503
PAW Patrol Refillable Flushable Wipes Dispensers Bob Delaney, Owner and CEO, "We are excited about this opportunity and we are asking the community to support our PAW Patrol Flushable Wipes Campaign.

Sterling Global Products is launching a Kickstarter campaign focused on PAW Patrol Flushable Wipes which will feature a unique and patented refillable hanging wipe dispenser. The campaign kick-off video is located via this link https://youtu.be/WsO4qz2odco. The campaign will start June 1, 2016 and will end June 25, 2016. The goal is to raise $1,000 per day for a total of $25,000. The funds will be used to enter into an agreement with Nickelodeon for the use of PAW Patrol.

When asked how he became interested in flushable wipes. Bob Delaney, Owner and CEO, responded by saying, As we all know, life is messy. I have definitely experienced my fair share of messes as a contractor, a hurricane survivor and a dad. Our all-natural, biodegradable, multipurpose flushable wipes were created after I noticed men on my building crew were using baby wipes after going to the portable toilets. Unfortunately, most baby wipes are not biodegradable. I live in Sportsmans Paradise, Louisiana, where we are struggling with coastal erosion. I knew I had to develop a product that would not add to the environmental problems. It took years of research, but I finally developed a product I was proud to introduce to the market  Bobs Butt Wipes. My wipes are all-natural, sewer- and septic-friendly, and they disperse in under 3 minutes. They are excellent for men, but I want a product for children. After consulting with my team and supporters, we decided PAW Patrol would be the best way to encourage children to become more hygienic. Our wipes will come with stickers and tattoos to help with potty training and to reward positive behavior. We are excited about this opportunity and we are asking the community to support our PAW Patrol Flushable Wipes Campaign.

Updates on the Kickstarter campaign will be posted on Sterling Global Products Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter along with their website: http://www.sterlingglobalproducts.com. Also, make sure you go to http://www.kickstarter.com and search for the project PAW Patrol Flushable Wipes.

PAW Patrol Flushable Wipes will be all-natural with aloe, biodegradable, eco-friendly, paraben-free, flushable and multi-purpose in use. The innovative dispenser will hang from most toilet paper holders and install in seconds with no hardware required. It will refill easily from a hanging position.

About Sterling Global Products

Louisiana building contractor Robert Delaney, CEO, Sterling Global Products, invented Bobs Butt Wipes after noticing his construction crews were using baby wipes while going to the portable toilets on building sites. That unlikely situation resulted in his patented refillable hanging multipurpose flushable wipe dispenser with product lines for men, women and children. With a continued commitment to the leaving the smallest ecological footprint possible, the flushable wipes are sewer- and septic-friendly, biodegradable, eco-friendly, paraben-free, and all-natural with aloe. Additionally, they disperse in under three minutes. Sterling Global Products is dedicated to supporting causes that improve the health and well-being of children, those impacted by natural disasters, and military veterans.

***
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney Cynthia L. Alexander has been named a recipient of the Peter Perlman Service Award. The award recognizes Litigation Counsel of America Fellows who contribute in meaningful ways to society by giving back their time and resources in an effort to improve the lives of others. The award is supported and sponsored by Peter Perlman, the 2013 President of the LCA. The award was presented to Ms. Alexander by LCA Executive Director and General Counsel G. Steven Henry at the 2016 Spring Conference & Celebration of Fellows in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Ms. Alexander is a trial attorney who resolves business, real estate, and construction disputes, and has vast experience handling lawsuits in federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration. She represents public and private owners, developers, general contractors, and suppliers on a variety of needs, including contract negotiation, risk avoidance and allocation, analysis and preparation of construction claims. In addition, she represents clients in the arbitration, mediation, and litigation of construction disputes. For financial institutions, mortgage lenders, and servicers, Ms. Alexander represents clients in disputes involving federal and state consumer protection statutes, various statutory and common law tort claims, lender liability, and dissenters rights actions. She also handles real estate matters, such as title and escrow disputes, real estate contract and easement disputes, and wrongful liens.

Ms. Alexander is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Nevada Bar Foundation as well as a member of the UNLV Boyd School of Law Public Interest Law Advisory Board, Clark County Bar Association, and the Nevada Bankers Association. She is Chair of the Board of Directors for Nevada Public Radio and sits on the boards of the Las Vegas Rescue Mission and Rocky Mountain Innocence Center. She recently received the Medal of Justice Award from the State Bar of Nevada. Ms. Alexander received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law.

The Litigation Counsel of America is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation. The LCA is aggressively diverse in its composition. Established as a trial and appellate lawyer honorary society reflecting the American bar in the twenty-first century, the LCA represents the best in law among its membership. The number of Fellowships has been kept at an exclusive limit by design, allowing qualifications, diversity and inclusion to align effectively. To learn more about the Litigation Counsel of America, please visit http://www.litcounsel.org.

About Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 400 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has fifteen offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and eight other domestic offices in Columbus, Ohio; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn. (2); Las Vegas, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Reno, Nev.; and Washington, D.C. The firms Canada office is located in Toronto.

The firm offers clients a distinctive combination of superb client service and exceptional quality. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations.
Its quite an honor to be included on this list of highly respected fintech thought leaders.

Zoot, a global provider of advanced origination, acquisition and decision management solutions, today announced the companys blog was named a must-read financial IT resource for 2016.

BizTech magazine recently compiled and published their list of the top 25 fintech blogs. The publication had this to say about Zoot:

While some might not consider the lending process to be much of a hoot, Zoot, a software solutions provider for the lending industry, aspires to at least make it easy and automated. The company hosts ZootBlog, which serves as a community for financial industry executives to connect on relevant topics and discuss valuable insights and ideas.

Its quite an honor to be included on this list of highly respected fintech thought leaders, said Chris Nelson, founder and CEO of Zoot. Our company always strives to provide our clients and other colleagues in the financial industry with thought-provoking information, strategic insights and practical guidance. We greatly appreciate this recognition by BizTech.

To learn more about the authors, content that is published or to leave a comment visit ZootBlog.

###

About Zoot

Bozeman, Mont.-based Zoot Enterprises, Inc. is a global provider of advanced origination, acquisition, and decision management solutions. For 25 years the companys innovative tools and services model has enabled Zoot clients to meet their exact business objectives and adapt quickly to seize market opportunities. Zoots multinational processing environment has the capacity to deliver billions of realtime decisions annually. Visit http://www.zootweb.com or call 406.556.7555 for more information.
Baker Electric Solar, a full-service San Diego solar provider and SunPower Elite Dealer, is pleased to announce it now offers its Southern California customers the SunPower Equinox system. SunPower Equinox is a game changer for Baker and our customers, said Baker Electric Solar President Mike Teresso. If you want this best-in-class solar system coupled with an outstanding customer experience, you cant do better than Baker. Past News Releases RSS Baker Electric Solar Brings Solar...

Baker Electric Solar Wins...

Baker Electric Solar Brings Solar...

Baker Electric Solar, a full-service San Diego solar provider and SunPower Elite Dealer, is pleased to announce it now offers its Southern California customers the SunPower Equinox system. Its the U.S. markets first all-in-one home solar system designed and engineered by one company to work seamlessly  from rooftop solar panels to energy management software.

SunPowers world record efficiency solar panels generate energy at a more than 22 percent efficiency rate delivering 70 percent more electricity than conventional solar panels from the same space over 25 years. The complete system is designed by SunPower, a company with more than 30 years of proven experience, and can be installed by award-winning Baker Electric Solar, a San Diego solar company built on more than 75 years of electrical contracting experience. The solar system comes with an industry-leading, 25-year combined product and power warranty.

SunPower Equinox is a game changer for Baker and our customers, said Baker Electric Solar President Mike Teresso. If you want this best-in-class solar system coupled with an outstanding customer experience, you cant do better than Baker. Our precision installation of all SunPower products including the SunPower Equinox system is unparalleled. Combine Bakers 25-year workmanship warranty with SunPowers 25-year complete system warranty, and youre talking a whole new level of system excellence.

Additional features of the integrated solar power system include:



SunPower's proprietary InvisiMount solar panel frame which is designed to be completely hidden beneath solar panels, providing industry-best aesthetics.

Built-in microinverters hidden behind each panel ensure that solar power optimization and conversion happen at the source, minimizing shading and light disruptions to maximize power.

EnergyLink ecosystem shows real-time data on the solar energy created and consumed. Software capabilities provide useful insights on the homes energy profile. The always-on monitoring technology can be accessed by Ethernet, power line communication (PLC), WiFi, and cellular.

Baker Electric Solar is SunPowers first Southern California Elite Dealer and received SunPowers 2015 Residential National Top Producer of the Year award.

For the original SunPower Equinox announcement, click here. And for more information about Baker Electric Solar, visit https://www.bakerelectricsolar.com.

About Baker Electric Solar

San Diego-based Baker Electric Solar designs, installs and maintains photovoltaic solar power systems for homes, commercial facilities and utility-scale projects across Southern California. As a member of the Baker family of companies, Baker Electric Solar is a BBB accredited business with an A+ rating. It ranks No. 21 on Solar Power World Magazines 2015 Top 500 Solar Contractors in North America. It was recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as San Diegos No. 10 Fastest-Growing Private Company. Baker also earned the Angies List Super Service Award three consecutive years (20132015). Baker Electric Solar is San Diegos first and largest SunPower Elite Dealer. For more information, visit https://bakerelectricsolar.com.
Recently, 10 Best SEO announced a new monthly award for the Best Enterprise SEO Agency. The rapidly-growing awards organization chose Digital Current as its best enterprise SEO agency for May 2016, along with two other worthy contenders.

This kind of SEO is intended for enterprise level entities such as corporations or very large organizations. These national and sometimes international organizations require different and often higher-level services than a small business, which might require only local SEO services. Corporate-level SEO is a major challenge and only a handful of companies can truly perform in this highly competitive arena, and that's why 10 Best SEO sought out the best for its awards.

Digital Current, located in Mesa, Arizona, is worthy of heading this months list of best enterprise SEO agencies. This corporate SEO firm provides its prospective clients with a lot of details and transparency about their service, how they operate, and how they manage to get such great results. The future of a lot of businesses relies on their continued online presence remaining strong and in the spotlight, and Digital Current can help keep those rankings high. This company is staffed by long-time search marketing professionals who know the current trends and how to best manipulate the rankings to a corporate entity's advantage.

Boostability, a leading enterprise search engine optimization firm based in Lehi, Utah, also made the list. This firm specializes in enterprise level SEO, meaning that instead of catering only to small businesses who might require only SEO for their local search rankings, Boostability can help multinational organizations increase (or "boost") their search engine rankings on a global scale. Boostability has made sure to employ only the most well qualified individuals for their company, and the benefits of having done so are clearly obvious to their client base.

Top enterprise SEO agency WebpageFX ranks third on the list of winners. It specializes in providing large entities with corporate-level SEO services. WebpageFX is based out of Philadelphia and is fully staffed by digital marketing experts who know how to get a major entity's website ranking for the keywords and key phrases that matter the most to their bottom line. With affordable rates and a friendly staff of professionals, WebpageFX easily took a spot on 10 Best SEO's rankings of the best enterprise SEO agencies.

For more details about the award winners, please visit http://www.10bestseo.com.
Pitchbook Stats The marijuana and cannabis investment field will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for some smart people.

Raising money for startups from venture capitals funds and investors has cooled off over the last few quarters, but not if you in the marijuana cannabis niche. Cannabis.net, which has opened an new round of VC and angel funding, is currently ranked in the 96% percentile for growth based on Pitchbook.com's tracking and analytics. "Being Pitchbook.com top 4% of all startups and new businesses just shows you the excitement around the legal marijuana and cannabis niche. We have had talks with all sorts of investors, angels, VC's, and they can all feel the excitement of the opportunity around the legalization of marijuana and cannabis around the world," said Curt Dalton, managing director at Cannabis.net. " The United States is on the verge of massive legal change, Canada is going full legal on both medical marijuana and recreational marijuana, Mexico is going to allow for legal grow facilities, so we are talking about a North American tidal wave," finished Dalton.

Cannabis.net launched just 3 months ago and has already established a growing social network, full scale mapping for doctors, dispensaries, lawyers, and cannabusiness, as well as popular blogging channels. "The URL, cannabis.net, so powerful and so rare that most investors just here the name and are very interested in hearing our plans. When you look at all the possibilities for the site and our URL, from big pharmaceutical companies, to big growers, to big venture capital funds, it is a once in a life time web address and opportunity. Investors see that." added Dalton.

The site is actively talking to investment groups through the end of June and plans on launching their two new mobile apps in the beginning of July. "Mobile apps will just give our users a great experience on the mapping software, as well as an easy way to read our latest stories. Our social media network app will work so that user can update their status, send instant messages, and communicate in real time with other Cannabis users online." finished Dalton.

For more information please go to Cannabis.net or email curt(at)cannabis(dot)net
Dr. Christopher Willard Participants will discuss how to cultivate virtues like Effort, Patience, Determination, Truthfulness, Loving Kindness, and Equanimity.

Join author, psychologist, and teacher Dr. Christopher Willard for a workshop on integrating Buddhist and contemplative values into parenting and caregiving. Participants will discuss how to cultivate virtues like Effort, Patience, Determination, Truthfulness, Loving Kindness, and Equanimity. While exploring these values, the workshop will also examine the positive psychology principles that explain how such virtues lead to emotional, physical, spiritual, and creative flourishing in children and adults alike. This workshop is appropriate for parents, caregivers, educators, therapists, social workers, and all who work with and care about the next generation.

Dr. Willard has worked to integrate mindfulness practices in many settings, including community mental health centers, hospitals, private clinics, schools, and universities. He has published three books on mindfulness and young people (Child's Mind, Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety, and Growing Up Mindful). His work has been featured in major news outlets including CNN, ABC, The New York Times, and Parents Magazine.

This workshop is hosted by Insight Meditation Center of Pioneer Valley. Established in 1998, Insight PV is a Buddhist center in the Insight Meditation tradition serving Western Massachusetts. The suggested contribution to Insight PV for this event ranges from $25-40. We also encourage an additional voluntary donation to Dr. Willard. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Where:

Insight Meditation Center of Pioneer Valley

Eastworks

116 Pleasant Street, Suite 242

Easthampton, MA 01027

This location is handicapped-accessible.

When:

Sunday, June 5, 2016, 10am-3pm

Participants should bring a lunch or buy one at Eastworks. Insight PV will provide snacks.

Registration:

Please pre-register at http://conta.cc/240njba

For more information:

Telephone: 413-527-0388

Email: general(at)insightpv(dot)org

Website: http://www.insightpv.org
I got to work thinking of a way to not only keep an eye on our beloved pets 24/7, but to know what they need to keep them healthy and happy.

Tracy is a dog tracker that can do more than simply locate a dogs position. Tracy uses Artificial Intelligence to monitor a dogs health trends and statistics, learn about their needs and more. Currently, Tracy is live on Indiegogo and is accepting pre-orders for days.

By using A.I. technology, Tracy is able to relay information to dog owners that was never possible before. The A.I. technology helps Tracy learn about the dogs personality and the dogs needs, wants and more. Tracy is engineered to get smarter as time goes on to learn when the dog is feeling ill, wants to go on a walk, is hungry or wants to play. With the free Tracy app for iOS and Android phones, owners get alerted every time their dog needs them.

Im a young entrepreneur who started out as an artist and recently found a passion for business and tech development, said Tracy Trackers 24-year-old CEO, Artan Mansouri. When my girlfriends dog Tracy ran away one cold Swedish winter, I knew I had to do something to prevent this from happening to other households. So, I got to work thinking of a way to not only keep an eye on our beloved pets 24/7, but to know what they need to keep them healthy and happy.

One in three pets get lost in their lifetime. Tracy is hoping to lower this number with the interactive tracking map. Within the Tracy app, dog owners can track down their canine if they were to get out. The app displays a real-time map that follows the dog as they move around the neighborhood, so owners know where their dog is headed and can easily find them.

Dog owners can also set safe zones for their pet within the app. When the dog wanders outside of this zone, or charters into territory they know they are not allowed, an alert will pop up informing the dog owner that they got out of the safe zone and where the dogs exact location is.

Tracy has been designed to be small and light enough for all dog breeds because it is the smallest long-range tracker ever made. Tracy is also the longest-lasting dog tracker ever made, keeping a charge up to six months and charging using the included base in three hours. A battery monitor within the app lets owners constantly monitor the battery life of their Tracy. Tracy is also waterproof to survive jumps in the pool, showers, beach trips and more.

Currently, Tracy Trackers is accepting pre-orders for the innovative dog tracker and health monitor. Early bird deals start at just $199 for one tracker and $395 for two. Interested dog owners can order their Tracy on Indiegogo at bit.ly/TracyIndie.

ABOUT ARTAN MANSOURI

Artan Mansouri started his career in his teens through his graffiti art and found his way into the Swedish Nobel Museum and Swedens biggest department store for luxury fashion. Through his participation in the startup show Idefabriken, as well as nominations such as "Swedish Youth Entrepreneur" two years in a row, Artan won the hearts of the Swedish population and found his way into the tech world. At just 24 years old, Artan has created digital innovations for Google, Lexus and NASA and most recently started implementing his ideas for Tracy. To learn more about Tracy Trackers, please visit http://www.tracytrackers.com.
Nevada Republicans did not have any floor fights over their choice for president this time around, but a resolution passed by the party indicates it remains deeply divided over the issue of taxation.

It was a relatively quiet convention compared to the 2008 and 2012 versions in which supporters of Rep. Ron Pauls candidacy revolted against the GOP establishment. This time it was the states Democrats who clashed over the nomination process as supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders battled for delegates held by their establishment candidate, Hillary Clinton.

By the time Nevadas conventions were held  three months after the states caucuses  it was already apparent that billionaire Donald Trump would win the Republican primary race. Tea Party favorite Sen. Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul, was one of the earliest in a large field to drop out.

State GOP Chairman Michael McDonald was glad to see the convention run smoothly.

It wasnt so long ago that we didnt shine so bright, McDonald was quoted as saying in reference to the earlier battles.

We had a division and it was well known, well documented, he said. We come together today to unite  unite behind our presumptive candidate.

But Republicans are still divided over the Commerce Tax, so much so that they passed a resolution denouncing those who drove the bill through the Legislature.

It states in part, Whereas, The citizens of Nevada clearly made their will known for low taxes in the Nevada Republican Platform and the November 2014 defeat of the Margins Tax; and Whereas, Elected officials form an implicit covenant with the people upon the assumption of their office, we expect them to remain loyal to the will of the people and exercise fiscal responsibility; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Nevada Republican Convention offers its highest appreciation and respect for our legislators in the 2015 Nevada Legislative Session who honored the will of the people by fighting against an unnecessary and punitive tax increase; and we denounce legislators who voted for or approved the commerce tax.

According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, McDonald said while he didnt necessarily agree with the castigation, it was fully within the convention bodys right to do so.

The party is very upset about what took place  clearly  and I hear about it every day, he said.

The resolution passed by a wide margin, indicating Nevadas GOP leaders are still not in synch with the majority of their members. Gov. Brian Sandoval didnt even attend the convention, nor did he respond to the Reno reporters request for comment on the tax resolution.

Of course, political party resolutions carry no force, unlike legislation and court rulings. Our governor clearly had those branches of government  as well as the states dominant business interests  on his side in passing the Commerce Tax and the rest of the Sandoval tax plan.

The only way for the large and vocal conservative segment of the Republican Party to achieve its goals is to field candidates who are more capable than the moderate ones they oppose.
We wanted our new Vilumina demo reel to showcase the companys sophisticated video capabilities, and the depth and breadth of our teams expertise

Viscira, a leading provider of digital marketing solutions and software products for the life sciences industry, recently released its 2016 Vilumina video demo reel for its life sciences clients. This new, one-and-a-half-minute video includes highlights of Visciras cutting-edge work, while demonstrating the companys sophisticated Hollywood-style video production capabilities.

Please click on the link below to view the video:

https://vimeo.com/165231319

The demo reel effectively showcases Visciras breadth of video expertise from live-action video to documentary-style features to patient testimonials. One of Visciras core Vilumina solutions is its enhanced KOL (Key Opinion Leader) video module.

This broadcast-quality video solution integrates full-body, green-screen KOL commentary with cinematically-rich digital content, including 2D and 3D animation, dynamic motion graphics and other creative elements. In addition to green screen shoots, Viscira can also produce enhanced KOL videos using on-location shoots, depending on the program creative concept.

Similar to the production process used in the film industry, Viscira manages all steps of the video creation, from script and storyboard development to video shoot execution, and then to final editing and post-production.

We wanted our new Vilumina demo reel to showcase the companys sophisticated video capabilities, and the depth and breadth of our teams expertise, explained Marlon McKenney, Director of Motion Graphics at Viscira. We recognize the importance of video as a communication tool in our industry, and we continue to innovate to ensure that our programs have maximum impact. We are proud of the fact that we have the diverse skill sets needed to do all of our video work in-house.

The 2016 demo reel is now being released to many existing and prospective Viscira clients. It is already receiving strong praise, with many referring to it as another impressive display of the companys distinctive digital work.

About Viscira

Viscira is dedicated to the design and development of digital marketing solutions and interactive software applications for the life sciences industry. Viscira provides a suite of programs that integrate best-in-class technology to deliver engaging and memorable content via various electronic channels. Viscira is part of the Sudler & Hennessey Group, a leading global healthcare communications network. For more information, please visit the companys website at http://www.viscira.com, or contact Nol Ashekian at (617) 429-0834.
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Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez (center) said that Rajoy lies shamelessly. PEPE MARIN

The Spanish political scene was in turmoil on Monday after EL PAIS revealed the contents of a letter that acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy sent to the European Commission.

In the letter, Rajoy said that if he is re-elected at the upcoming elections of June 26, he is prepared to adopt new measures, if required, in order to meet the [deficit] target.

In public, Rajoy, of the Popular Party (PP), has denied that Spain will require any further spending cuts following a raft of unpopular measures that were taken at the height of the economic crisis.

This letter confirms that tax breaks now will become cuts in the future

Podemos economy chief Nacho Alvarez

The opposition and the unions reacted strongly to the suggestion that Rajoy might be considering new adjustments to bring down the public deficit from its current 5.1% of GDP to something closer to 3%.

The main opposition Socialists said that the PP must put its proposals for cuts to a vote and include them in the party platform. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez stated on Monday that Rajoy lies shamelessly.

According to Socialist official Jordi Sevilla, Sanchez will soon detail his own plans for meeting deficit targets: renegotiating deadlines with Brussels, a tax reform that will not affect income tax but raise wealth, corporate and environmental levies; and a drastic cut to public agency spending.

Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here.

Meanwhile, the emerging Ciudadanos wondered why Rajoy is making pledges if he doesnt know whether he will be re-elected, and the new leftist coalition Unidos Podemos called it his hidden electoral agenda.

Mariano Rajoy should be more prudent and not advance any decisions when nobody knows who will be in charge after the elections, said Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera shortly before flying to Venezuela to support the opposition. His party proposes meeting deficit targets through greater savings by government agencies and a crackdown on tax fraud.

The anti-austerity Podemos suspects that Rajoy is getting an easy ride in Brussels because Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is a conservative like himself. It was Juncker who recently decided to postpone sanctions against Spain for its continuous deficit target misses until after Spain holds elections.

European authorities are flexible on budget issues depending on whether a government is on one side or the other of the political spectrum, said Podemos economic chief Nacho Alvarez. This letter confirms that tax breaks now will become cuts in the future.

Podemos has a completely different macroeconomic model in mind based on greater public spending and increased state revenues through a progressive tax reform.

Opposition parties and the labor unions CC OO and UGT will try to get Rajoy to provide explanations in Congress. This letter could affect citizens profoundly, so the acting prime minister must meet with the Permanent Committee to clear up its contents, said CC OO leader Ignacio Fernandez Toxo.

English version by Susana Urra.
A Lufthansa flight had a near-miss with drones. reuters

Police in the Basque Country region of northern Spain say they have failed to find the owners of three drones that got in the way of a commercial flight landing at Bilbao airport on Saturday.

The captain of the Lufthansa flight alerted ground control to the fact that the devices were operating inside protected airspace and flying at an altitude of 900 meters. The airplane was forced to dodge the drones to avoid a collision, say police.

Last March, a drone nearly crashed into an airplane at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport

There is no accurate description of the drones, but a device capable of flying at an altitude of nearly one kilometer is necessarily a professional aerial vehicle that could weigh at least two or three kilograms, representing a serious threat in the event of a collision against an aircraft flying at 250km/h.

The Airbus 320, which was covering the Frankfurt-Bilbao route, was forced to make an evasive maneuver after spotting the drones in skies that happened to be clear that day.

Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here.

Following the incident, airport authorities called the Ertzaintza  the regional police force  which sent out a helicopter in a fruitless search for the drones. Ground patrols were unable to locate the owners, either. Because no formal complaint has been filed, the search has been discontinued, police sources told the EFE news agency.

The case now falls back to the Spanish Air Navigation Agency (AESA), which has powers over restricted airspace near airports. National legislation prohibits any aerial vehicles from entering this space or from entering an eight-kilometer radius around airports. Drones are also banned from flying over populated areas or ascending higher than 120 meters.

This is not the first such incident. Last March, a drone nearly crashed into an airplane at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.

English version by Susana Urra.
Who Pooped in Central Park? Scat and Tracks for Kids has its origins in a much more rural setting. In 2002, author Gary Robson was on his ranch in Montana, near the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park, examining a pile of torn-up hay. His children asked him what had torn up the hay. Robson proceeded to explain it was deer, not cows, by showing them the tracks and scat of the animals. His kids suggested thats what he write his next book about, and he came up with a title idea: Who Pooped on the Ranch? Up until that point Robson had written mostly technical books, and was excited by this new path.

The first few places I pitched it to laughed and said no, said Robson. Then he tried pitching another title, a serious book about mining disasters to Kathy Springmeyer, acquisitions editor at Farcountry Press. She said it wasnt a fit but asked me if I had any other ideas. Robson told her about Who Pooped on the Ranch? and she said, Take that off your ranch and put it in Yellowstone National Park and send me a proposal.

Robson did just that and in two days they had ironed out a deal, which included another book set in Glacier National Park and one in Grand Teton National Park. All three titles came out in 2004, and the first printing of 7,500 copies of the Yellowstone title sold out in less than two months. The series has sold more than 400,000 copies to date, with almost a quarter of that from the Yellowstone book.

After 19 titles in the series, Robson has decided to tackle a more urban location: Central Park. Who Pooped in Central Park? (Farcountry Press, May 24) brings the theme of discovering animals through their scat to a city environment.

Central Park proved to be a unique challenge as it differs greatly from the other locations in the series. While the other titles feature two children, Michael and Emily, and their parents visiting national parks or conservancies, for Who Pooped in Central Park? Robson eliminated the parent characters, and created four kids who get dropped off at the Central Park Zoo and decide to take a walk through the park instead. Robson and the illustrator relied on a wealth of online photos, and utilized the Central Park Conservancys collaboration with Google Street View by featuring a walkthrough of the paths in the park.

Working closely with park staff is indispensable for Robsons work on the series. Im working with the ranger staff and park management to make sure theyre happy with what Im doing, he says. For example, in Yellowstone, if the ranger staff didnt like the book it wouldnt sell. I wanted to have the same relationship with Central Park. So that means I have to listen to what the conservancy says and work with the people there.

Central Park is also unique in that as an artificial ecosystem. Robson says it experiences more rapid changes than other parks hes written about. I had bunny rabbits in the book but I had to remove them because there are no more rabbits in Central Park. Short of something like the wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone Park, you dont see major significant animals that appear and disappear out of nowhere like you do in Central Park.

Robson has also been the longtime bookstore owner of Red Lodge Tea and Books in Red Lodge, Mont., which he bought in 2001. Owning the store gave him insight into what kids like to read and gave him access to many people in the trade. Had I not been buying books from Farcountry Press and known a bunch of their staff, I dont think I would have had the guts to pick up the phone and call the acquisitions editor, said Robson. He also says that Springmeyers suggestion of placing the book in Yellowstone is what made it all work. Robson is closing Red Lodge Books and Tea this June in order to manage the Billings Bookstore Cooperative in downtown Billings, Mont., which bought the entire inventory of Robsons store. Robson said he likes taking on new challenges, and after owning Red Lodge Books & Tea for 15 years, this new venture was an offer he couldnt refuse  managing a bigger store within a bigger city. Plus, the cooperative model appeals to him.

He also loves the interaction he has with his readers. The feedback from kids isnt what got me started writing them, but its what keeps me writing them, he says. Now that its been over 10 years Im starting to get some feedback I never expected to hear. I was doing a signing in Yellowstone one summer and two young women in their 20s were walking across the lobby of the Old Faithful Inn, recognized me [Robson was wearing a Who Pooped in the Park? t-shirt], and one of them squealed and came over and said your books helped me learn to read. I was about ready to cry. Robson will get more of that interaction when he goes on his first tour in the New York City area from June 2428. Plans for that tour are still in the works.

Robson  who grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and has a deep connection to nature  says he hopes that Who Pooped in Central Park? can show children who may not have the opportunity to visit wilderness areas, bits of wilderness that can be found even in the hearts of the biggest cities.

Who Pooped in Central Park? Scat and Tracks for Kids by Gary Robson, illus. by Robert Rath. Farcountry Press, $11.95 May 24 978-1-56037-654-5
Curbside Splendor Publishing, a Chicago publisher of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry founded in 2009, is opening a bookstore. Curbside Books & Records, in the South Loop neighborhood, is going to be housed inside a 24,000-square-foot food hall called Revival Food Hall inside The National building.

The bookstore, which is set to open in July and will be 500 to 1,000-square feet, will feature titles published by Curbside Splendor, as well as those of other independent literary presses, and regional titles. Records produced by independent labels will also be available at the store.

It wont be a traditional bookstore, Curbside Splendor publisher Victor David Giron said, comparing it to the bookstore Milkweed Editions is building inside the Open Book literary arts complex in Minneapolis. "The idea is that its going to fit into a larger communal space; its going to be part of this community center.

Revival Food Hall, where Curbside Books will be situated, is planned as a showcase for local chefs from 15 Chicago restaurants, and features casual food stations, with communal seating. The space will also include a cafe that will transition to a wine bar in the evenings. The bookstore will be housed inside that cafe.

Cafe staff will also service the bookstore, and Curbside Splendor personnel will cycle through the store, discussing titles with cafe staff and assisting with the bookstores operations. Giron anticipates that Curbside Books & Records will schedule a lot of programming, and hopes to exploit its proximity to several nearby MFA programs at such schools as the School of the Chicago Art Institute, Columbia College, and Roosevelt University.

This is a central location near the schools and near Michigan Avenue, where we can celebrate small indie presses and labels, Giron said. We want people to discover new publishers and new labels."

Update: An earlier version of this story misidentified Revival Food Hall, which is inside The National, and has been corrected.
We dont have any expectations of growth in the EEU by 2020 (video)

Being a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) Armenia, in reality, cooperates not with five but only with one state. I consider the EEU to be Armenia-Russia format cooperation, noted economist Vilen Khachatryan. The turnover indicators between the EEU member states are almost equal to zero. The biggest EEU partner for Armenia in terms of exportation volumes is Russia. That indicator has grown from 10.5 percent to 18 percent in the exports volume of our country. On the other hand, a number of problems in Russia have their direct impact on our country. There are sanctions used against Russia, oil prices, which are enough so that the positive impulse coming from Russia disappear for us, said Mr Khachatryan. Economist Tatul Manaseryan has another opinion. The recent Eurasian Intergovernmental session held in Yerevan inspired him, Armenia gets a chance during the tenure of Tigran Sargsyan, who is aware of all the nuances of Armenias economy, to try to implement such projects, which can be more beneficial for our country. Vilen Khachatryan recalls the prediction of the International Monetary Fund, We dont have any expectations of serious growth from those countries in the frames of the EEU by 2020. Watch the video for more details!
On Saturday, May 21, which happened to be National Readathon Day, Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis welcomed the first-ever Little Free Library Festival. The event was organized by Little Free Library, a Wisconsin nonprofit launched in 2009 that now counts more than 40,000 registered structuressmall book depositories that invite people to take, and leave, a titlein all 50 states and in 70 countries.

The event was meant to reflect the Little Free Library spirit of community, according to Little Free Library festival organizer Tony Bol. It featured activities like book swaps, in keeping LFLs Take a Book, Return a Book philosophy, and the building of 100 Little Free Libraries as part of LFLs Kids, Community, and Cops program.

The finished boxes were given to recipients ranging from senior centers to a Minneapolis neighborhood that has suffered from major tornado damage and tensions with police in recent years.

A fundraiser featuring tutu-wearing bike-riders and a parade of dogs dressed in costumes inspired by literature, such as Laura Ingalls Wilder and characters from Memoirs of a Geisha, were nods to two communities with a longstanding connection to the LFL movement. Other elements included a Harry Potter trivia contest, high school student finalists from the Loft Literary Centers Poetry Out Loud competition performing Random Acts of Poetry by reciting poems to attendees, pop-up poetry shows in a stage resembling a Little Free Library, and more.

Local sponsors ranged from booksellers (Red Balloon Bookshop and Common Good Books) to publishers (Graywolf Press and Milkweed Editions) to reading organizations (Hennepin County Libraries and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts). All had set up tables where they were offering information, some books for sale, and free books. We wanted the sponsor area to be a non-selling environment to promote the community aspect of the Little Free Library, Bol said.

Whole Foods was the events primary financial sponsor, while the Star Tribune was the media sponsor. Penguin Random House donated 5,000 copies of Pharrell Williamss picture book Happy, which were available gratis to attendees.

Bol said the hope is to hold the event again on future National Readathon Days, if the organization can secure funding. LFLs vision is for cities around the country to ultimately develop their own events on the same day, following the template established by the Minneapolis debut.

Correction: An earlier version of this article referred to Tony Bol as Todd Bol. Additionally, Bol's title is festival organizer, not festival co-founder.
Finnish Crime Series Gaining Global Traction

Kati Hiekkapelto's Anna Fekete series, which follows a young police detective who works on crimes involving immigrants and immigration, is picking up a number of international sales. Originally published by Finland's Otava Group, the series has sold in nine territories to date, including to Heyne in Germany and A.W. Bruna in the Netherlands. In the latest deal, Swedish publisher Modernista acquired the series and plans to start publishing it in spring 2017. The first book in the series, The Hummingbird, was released in Finland in March 2013, and the second, The Defenseless, came out in February 2014. The Defenseless has also just been shortlisted for the Glass Key Award, which honors crime novels by authors from a Nordic country. Book three in the series, The Exiled, came out in Finland in April. Otava Group Agency controls all rights.

French Novel About Translator Moves to Italy

Bons baisers de Mesmenie (From Mesmania with Love) by Fabienne Betting has just sold at auction in Italy to Feltrinelli. Published by France's Editions Autrement earlier this month, the book is a debut novel about a translator who brings a work written in a fictional language, called Mesmanian, into French. When the French edition becomes a bestseller, it's revealed that the work is notably different than the original novel, since the translator has only a shaky grasp of Mesmanian. Rights are controlled by Gregory Messina of Linwood Messina Literary Agency. The book had a first print run of 10,000 copies.

Spanish Author's Adult Debut Sells in Poland

Stolen Hours by Maria Solar has just sold in Poland to Kobiece. The book was originally published by Grijalbo (Penguin Random House) this month and Ella Sher of Barcelona-based Ella Sher Literary controls all rights. Stolen Hours is Solar's first novel for adults, and is set in Spain in 1979, two years before a law allowing divorce went into effect. It focuses on two couples, one that decides to separate until they can divorce legally, and another in which the woman feels alienated by her husband.
Chantell Brooks went to police headquarters Monday to view the video, taken from a police observation camera. Her son, 15-year-old Michael Westley, was fatally shot after police said he pointed a gun at them.

Brooks says the video shows police were wrong in their judgment. She says Westley was running and didn't have a weapon.

Multiple media outlets obtained the video, which shows Westley running but doesn't show the shooting.

Previously released dashcam video showed only the aftermath. Police said they found two guns at the scene.

A department spokesman didn't immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Michael Suopys of Lindenhurst has been ordered held on $1 million bail in Lake County. He's charged with possessing bombs containing an explosive substance. The 28-year-old was assigned a public defender and is next due in court June 16.

Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim says Suopys told police he made the explosive devices because he couldn't obtain a firearm. Nerheim says authorities found the journal during a search of Suopys' home. Prosecutors say Suopys has a physics degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Nerheim says police confiscated four pipe bombs during a Sunday search. He says the devices were rendered safe at an explosive range.
Press release submitted by RaeAnn Tucker-Marshall

The Stark County Citizens' Mental Health Task Force, Petersen Health Care, and the Stark County Health Department area residents that they are once again sponsoring a special Senior Living Series. The Senior Living Series is a schedule of informational programs aimed to give the latest, up-to-date information, that matters, to our area senior population.

The June program will be "Darlenes Silver Streak & the Model T Girls by John Butte, Local Author; and "Summertime and the Living is Easy" by RaeAnn Tucker, of the Stark County Health Department. This informative program will be held Wednesday, June 8th at 2 p.m. at the Bradford Courtyard Estates.

John Buttes program tells of how Darlene Dorgan, a twenty something Bradford beautician began organizing summer vacations in her 1926 Model T in 1934. Over a 9 year period they would take 8 trips, at a time when young women usually stayed closer to home. Their travels were prodigious as they crisscrossed the continent from New York to California searching for adventure and seemingly finding it at every turn. Their Depression era travels included sleeping in country school yards, church yards and jails by night and by day meeting celebrities , movie stars and even Henry Ford.twice! Mr. Butte has written a book Darlenes Silver Streak and The Bradford Model T Girls, which takes the reader along on those adventurous summer vacations and chronicles his successful search for the old car, finding it in Portland Oregon and returning it to Central Illinois in 2012. Copies of Mr. Buttes book will be available for sale and signing immediately following the presentation.

Free gifts and a door prize will be given out at each Senior Living Series session.

For more information about the upcoming Stark County Senior Living Series you may contact Beth Smith at the Stark County Health Department at (309) 852-0197 or visit our website at www.henrystarkhealth.com or find us on Facebook at Henry and Stark County Health Departments of Follow Us On Twitter.
Stainless Steel Set of 2 Faux Suede Bracelets with Crystal Accent is rated 3.9 out of 5 by 30 .

Rated 5 out of 5 by vlull2001 from Beautiful! I ordered the black and red and they are beautiful! I got them at such a great price, just can't go wrong! They are not too dressy to where you cannot wear them with your casual day to day outfits~I just love all the sparkle! I have worn them separate and together, with black being my favorite. Very lightweight, lots of compliments!

Rated 5 out of 5 by sheilangreg14 from Cute I have never owned a bracelet that wasn't metal all the way around. I thought I would try these for something different since they were sooo inexpensive. They are really nice. I don't think thay are dressy at all but they are very sparkly for sure!!! They will be perfect for those casual outfits that you want a little WOW and great for layering. I purchased the black.

Rated 3 out of 5 by Nicolejyc from Cute Bracelets I really like these bracelets, but they are very difficult to put on by yourself. I usually buy my bracelets between 7.5" - 8" and these fit a little closer than I would like. The crystal accented one is really pretty. However, they are not built for long term wear and I will probably give mine to my 14 year old daughter.

Rated 1 out of 5 by indianstardust from Hard to get on. I loved the black one. The red one...eh! They are hard to get on, If I wear them on the right wrist, I can manage the clasp, the left wrist, I cannot get it on. The clasp is difficult! The price is too high for the difficulty to get on.

Rated 5 out of 5 by nbsloan1 from gift to my daughter/she loved it This is the first piece of jewelry I have given my daughter that she called and said how much she loved it. She is thin and it really looked perfect on her small wrist.

Rated 1 out of 5 by nailsandnine from Waste of money After wearing these a few times, the suede disintegrated and there is no way the bracelet can be repaired. Not worth the money.

Rated 4 out of 5 by Lion4u from Great bracelets were much nicer than the picture online. Love them.
"I think it would be bad for us as a party, but I think it would be worse for the general public," UK Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake told Tova O'Brien

4 hours ago
Korean peace walk arrives in Yerevan

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) organizes the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace and the IPYG Peace Walk in Armenia on May 25th. This is a peace event that transcends border, race, age, gender and religion for all youth around the world to participate with one heart and mind for peace. This annual event has begun at the Peace Gate located in South Korea which was to commemorate the Declaration of World Peace on May 25, 2013. HWPL will have a peace signing campaign to urge and support the implementation of international law on the cessation of war and world peace, it will surely be enacted and give practical hope for the youth who are the most victims at wars. Also, this will serve as a momentum to strengthen the hearts and power of the youth and women in the region by making great network of peace as well as join our global peace activities in cooperation with IPYG and IWPG. Here is detailed information about Yerevan Peace Event Title : 3rd Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace and the Peace Walk Sub Title : "Legislate Peace" Campaign - Sign Your Support Place : From APY Office to Yerevan Streets. We will start the event at APY office. Saryan street, Tumanyan street, Teryan street, Swan Lake, Republic square, Northern Avenue, Cascade Time : 5~8 p.m.(In Armenian time) Programs : 5:00 - 6:00 Opening with Videos regarding HWPL and IPYG Chairman and IWPG Chairwoman at APY Office ( cf. Only presidents of the organizations can go inside of the office because it can't accommodate many people.) 6:00 - 6: 30 Reciting the Declaration of World Peace 6:30 - 8:00 Peace Walk and Peace Signing campaign Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace organization focusing on fostering a culture of peace with a hope of bringing about the cessation of war. HWPL has been working to put an end to all wars and to bring world peace. It is registered under the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Along with the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and the International Women's Peace Group (IWPG), HWPL is taking the lead in creating world peace by launching a world-wide movement that transcends nationality, race, religion, and culture and have brought various disputes and conflicts to the end. Two projects right now are to enact International Law for cessation of war and to establish HWPL WARP Offices.
Siemens, which will build its trains in a consortium with Bozankaya, Turkey, will also be responsible for maintaining the fleet for 16 years. Delivery is scheduled to start in 2018.

The two train fleets will be deployed as follows:

seven trains for the existing Skytrain network

15 trains for the southern extension to the Green Line from Bearing to Samutprakarn

21 trains for the northern extension to the Green Line from Mo Chit to Saphan Mai-Khu Khot, and

four trains as a reserve for maintenance and repair.

All trains will be supplied with on-board signalling and radio systems.

Siemens supplied 35 three-car trains for the opening of the initial phase of the two-line Skytrain network in 1999, which were subsequently lengthened to four-car sets in 2012-13. CNR Changchun (now part of CRRC) supplied 17 four-car trains in two batches between 2010 and 2013.

"With these new trains will be able to operate Skytrain comfortably for the next 10 years," Mr Keeree Kanjanapas, chairman of BTS Group, says.
CSX on May 23, 2016 announced several changes to key operational positions. All of the changes are effective June 1.

Mike Smith, Vice President-Network Operations, will move into the new role of Vice President-PTC and Strategic Implementation. In that role, Smith will oversee implementation of Positive Train Control, and will also align other strategic initiatives related to CSXs more than 21,000-route-mile network.

Bob Frulla, Vice President-Northern Region, will replace Smith as Vice President-Network Operations. Frulla has extensive field and headquarters experience, including Division Manager in several locations and General Manager-Network Operations.

Smith and Frulla will report to Cindy Sanborn, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

In addition, Jermaine Swafford, who has successfully managed CSXs Southern Region, will expand his network experience as Vice President-Northern Region. Chicago Division Manager John Bradley will become Vice President-Southern Region,. Swafford and Bradley report to Mike Pendergrass, Vice President and Chief Transportation Officer.

Robert Holtz, Assistant Division Manager in Chicago, has been named Division Manager, replacing Bradley.
CSX Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Ward announced a number of senior management changes on May 20, 2016, including the retirement July 1 of Lisa Mancini, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, following nearly 13 years at CSX Corp.

Mancini joined CSX in 2003 and is a member of the chairmans executive management team, with responsibility for personnel functions, procurement and real estate. We thank Lisa for her many contributions to CSXs people and success. We wish her the very best in her retirement, Ward said.

The company is realigning the senior team. Cressie Brown, currently Vice President-Labor Relations, will become Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, and Kathleen Brandt, currently head of the companys information technology subsidiary, will become Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Both moves will be effective July 1, and both leaders will join the executive management team, reporting directly to Ward.

Brandt joined CSX in 1985 and rose through the information technology organization, becoming its leader.

Brown, who joined CSX in 1988, held leadership roles in critical operational and support functions including technology, finance, service design, and customer service before her most recent appointment as Vice President-Labor Relations.

Zachery M. Jones has been appointed Vice President-Labor Relations to succeed Brown. Jones, who previously was with the National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C., joined CSX in 2010 and is currently Assistant Vice President-Employee Services.

These promotions underscore the importance of continuing to develop our highly skilled and committed employees, while accelerating CSXs next-generation technologies and performance in safety, service and efficiency, Ward said.
The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis on May 24, 2016 awarded Wabtec Corp. a contract worth about $21 million to design, install, test and commission a Positive Train Control (PTC) system.

Wabtec will provide its I-ETMS (Interoperable Electronic Train Management System) equipment for 17 locomotives; wayside and communications design, construction and training; and system integration. The contract is expected to be completed in 2018.

Several Wabtec divisions are involved: Wabtec Integrated Systems, Xorail, Wabtec Railway Electronics, Railroad Controls and Wabtec Global Services.

TRRA owns and operates about 155 miles of track, with about 45 miles of main line track on four subdivisions: Merchants, Illinois Transfer, MacArthur Bridge, and Eads. The remaining 110 miles consists of various industrial leads and yard tracks. TRRAs PTC system will be fully interoperable with the PTC system being implemented by its Class I partners and Amtrak.

The scope of our work on this project demonstrates the wide-ranging and increasing roles that Wabtec can play in the implementation of PTC for our customers, said Wabtec President and CEO Raymond T. Betler. We plan to continue to invest in this important segment of our business, in the U.S. and internationally.
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Nigerias plans for a smooth switch to digital broadcasting have been strengthened after Pinnacle Communications reportedly abandoned its N1.2 trillion law suit against the Government.





Last month the Government launched a digital TV switchover pilot scheme in Jos, Plateau State, heralding the push towards a nationwide digital broadcasting infrastructure Pinnacle, which won a digital distribution license in Nigeria, had alleged in 2015 that the Government regulator NBC had breached its contract by issuing two other companies licences to distribute digital TV signals. Pinnacle said it had been told that Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) would be the only other digital terrestrial signal carrier.However, the company has now mobilised its foreign partners Jampro Antennas and Gates Air in preparation for the digital rollout. Dipo Onifade, executive director of Pinnacle, told journalists that the lawsuit would be withdrawn once all the grey areas are cleared, reports This Day.We have held meeting with the Government lately, we and our foreign partners also met with the minister of information and culture, and we are also talking with the NBC. Our global partners are familiar with the terrain and we have infrastructures in all the states in Nigeria, Sir Lucky Omoluwa, chairman, Pinnacle Communications, was quoted as saying.Onifade said Pinnacle would play its part in ensuring that the digitisation process would be complete by the June 2017 deadline.
President Putin suggests tightening criminal liability for corruption

MOSCOW, May 24 (RAPSI)  Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted a bill to the State Duma that would toughen criminal liability for corruption-related crimes, according to the Kremlins official website.

Under the bill, cases when people funnel money or property not directly to an official but to another individual or company on the officials instruction would be regarded as crimes.

Criminal liability is proposed for commercial bribery mediation.

The bill in particularly introduces punishment for bribery in amount of up to 10,000 rubles ($150). According to the Kremlin, from 2012 to 2015, the overwhelming majority of corruption cases were opened over bribes not exceeding 10,000 rubles.

The draft law also toughens criminal penalty for minor corruption offences committed by a person who had been earlier convicted for such crimes. This measure is aimed to prevent repetition of crimes.

The legislation would boost efficiency of corruption-related crime prevention, according to an explanatory note to the bill.
Sharmazanov to Vigenin: Nagorno Karabakh has never been part of Azerbaijan

On May 23, the RA NA Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov received the Special Representative on the South Caucasus to OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Kristian Vigenin. Welcoming the guests visit to Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov presented the large scale war events unleashed by Azerbaijan on Karabakh-Azerbaijani border at the beginning of April and detailed the facts on the atrocities and inhumane tortures committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the Armenian military and the civilians. The RA NA Deputy Speaker conveyed facts proving those atrocities, and part of them, by the way, were posted on the website of Baku State University. Eduard Sharmazanov has noted that one can see the handwriting of the Islamic State in the manifestations of the Azerbaijani aggression. The RA NA Deputy Speaker has noted that Turkey openly and at high level expresses its support to Azerbaijan, keeps under blockade Armenia for 23 years. The RA NA Deputy Speaker Eduard Shamazanov has stated that both the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Republic see the settlement of the problem, in contrast with Azerbaijan, exclusively through peaceful negotiations, based on three international fundamental principles, and Azerbaijan always rejects two out of them. In the context of the problem settlement Eduard Sharmazanov considered concerning the unaddressed calls sounding by the international community: in this issue he highlighted the OSCE addressed assessments of key role. Nagorno Karabakh has never been part of Azerbaijan: it has come out of the USSR, and the Karabakh people only realized their right of self-determination, as many other peoples of the world, the RA NA Deputy Speaker said. He has added that during the negotiations without participation of Nagorno Karabakh it is not possible to reach the settlement of the conflict. Thanking Eduard Sharmazanov for the reception Kristian Vigenin highly assessed the Armenian parliamentarians active cooperation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and highlighted the frequent meetings. Touching upon the problem of the NK conflict, Kristian Vigenin considered necessary the use of the greater efforts directed to the establishment of peace in the region, without disputing the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Special Representative on the South Caucasus to OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Kristian Vigenin informed that as a result of the visits paid to Armenia and Azerbaijan he would prepare a report, which he will present in future at the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to be held in Tbilisi.
Health reform (aka Obamacare) is entering a new stage. The recent announcement by United Health Care that it will stop selling insurance to individuals and families through most health insurance exchanges marks the transition. In the next stage, federal and state policy makers must decide how to use broad regulatory powers they have under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to stabilize, expand, and diversify risk pools, improve local market competition, encourage insurers to compete on product quality rather than premium alone, and promote effective risk management. In addition, insurance companies must master rate setting, plan design, and network management, and effectively manage the health risk of their enrollees in order to stay profitable.

Six months ago, United Health Care (UHC) announced that it was thinking about pulling out of the ACA exchanges. Now, they are pulling out of all but a "handful" of marketplaces. UHC is the largest private vendor of health insurance in the nation. Nonetheless, the impact on people who buy insurance through the ACA exchanges will be modest, according to careful analyses from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Urban Institute. The effect is modest for three reasons. One is that in some states UHC focuses on group insurance, not on insurance sold to individuals, where they are not always a major presence. Secondly, premiums of UHC products in individual markets are relatively high. Third, in most states and counties ACA purchasers will still have a choice of two or more other options. In addition, UHC's departure may coincide with or actually cause the entry of other insurers, as seems to be happening in Iowa.

The announcement by UHC is noteworthy, however. It signals the beginning for ACA exchanges of a new stage in their development, with challenges and opportunities different from and in many ways more important than those they faced during the first three years of operation. From the time when HealthCare.Gov and the various state exchanges opened their doors until now, administrators grappled non-stop with administrative challenges-how to enroll people, helping them make an informed choice among insurance offerings, computing the right amount of assistance each individual or family should receive, modifying plans when income or family circumstances change, and performing various back office' tasks such as transferring data to and from insurance companies. The chaotic first weeks after the exchanges opened on October 1, 2013 have been well documented, not least by critics of the ACA. Less well known are the countless behind-the-scenes crises, patches, and work-arounds that harried exchange administrators used for years afterwards to keep the exchanges open and functioning.

The ACA forced not just exchange administrators but also insurers to cope with a new system and with new enrollees. Many new exchange customers were uninsured prior to signing up for marketplace coverage. Insurers had little or no information on what their use of health care would be. That meant that insurers could not be sure where to set premiums or how aggressively to try to control costs, for example by limiting networks of physicians and hospitals enrollees could use. Some did the job well or got lucky. Some didn't. United seems to have fallen in the second category. United could have stayed in the 30 or so state markets they are leaving and tried to figure out ways to compete more effectively, but since their marketplace premiums were often not competitive and most of their business was with large groups, management decided to focus on that highly profitable segment of the insurance market. Some insurers are seeking sizeable premium increases for insurance year 2017, in part because of unexpectedly high usage of health care by new exchange enrollees.

United is not alone in having a rough time in the exchanges. So did most of the cooperative plans that were set up under the ACA. Of the 23 cooperative plans that were established, more than half have gone out of business and more may follow.

These developments do not signal the end of the ACA or even indicate a crisis. They do mark the end of an initial period when exchanges were learning how best to cope with clerical challenges posed by a quite complicated law and when insurance companies were breaking into new markets. In the next phase of ACA implementation, federal and state policy makers will face different challenges: how to stabilize, expand, and diversify marketplace risk pools, promote local market competition, and encourage insurers to compete on product quality rather than premium alone. Insurance company executives will have to figure out how to master rate setting, plan design, and network management and manage risk for customers with different characteristics than those to which they have become accustomed.

Achieving these goals will require policy makers to go beyond the core implementation decisions that have absorbed most of their attention to date and exercise powers the ACA gives them. For example, section 1332 of the ACA authorizes states to apply for waivers starting in 2017 under which they can seek to achieve the goals of the 2010 law in ways different from those specified in the original legislation. Along quite different lines, efforts are already underway in many state-based marketplaces, such as the District of Columbia, to expand and diversify the individual market risk pool by expanding marketing efforts to enroll new consumers, especially young adults. Minnesota's Health Care Task Force recently recommended options to stabilize marketplace premiums, including reinsurance, maximum limits on the excess capital reserves or surpluses of health plans, and the merger of individual and small group markets, as Massachusetts and Vermont have done.

In normal markets, prices must cover costs, and while some companies prosper, some do not. In that respect, ACA markets are quite normal. Some regional and national insurers, along with a number of new entrants, have experienced losses in their marketplace business in 2016. One reason seems to be that insurers priced their plans aggressively in 2014 and 2015 to gain customers and then held steady in 2016. Now, many are proposing significant premium hikes for 2017.

Others, like United, are withdrawing from some states. ACA exchange administrators and state insurance officials must now take steps to encourage continued or new insurer participation, including by new entrants such as Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs). For example, in New Mexico, where in 2016 Blue Cross Blue Shield withdrew from the state exchange, state officials now need to work with that insurer to ensure a smooth transition as it re-enters the New Mexico marketplace and to encourage other insurers to join it. In addition, state insurance regulators can use their rate review authority to benefit enrollees by promoting fair and competitive pricing among marketplace insurers. During the rate review process, which sometimes evolves into a bargaining process, insurance regulators often have the ability to put downward pressure on rates, although they must be careful to avoid the risk of underpricing of marketplace plans which could compromise the financial viability of insurers. Exchanges have an important role in the affordability of marketplace plans too. For example, ACA marketplace officials in the District of Columbia and Connecticut work closely with state regulators during the rate review process in an effort to keep rates affordable and adequate to assure insurers a fair rate of return.

Several studies now indicate that in selecting among health insurance plans, people tend to give disproportionate weight to premium price, and insufficient attention to other cost provisions-deductibles and cost sharing-and to quality of service and care. A core objective of the ACA is to encourage insurance customers to evaluate plans comprehensively. This objective will be hard to achieve, as health insurance is perhaps the most complicated product most people buy. But it will be next to impossible unless customers have tools to help them take account of the cost implications of all plan features and that report accurately and understandably on plan quality and service. HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, to varying degrees, are already offering consumers access to a number of decision support tools, such as total cost calculators, integrated provider directories, and formulary look-ups, along with tools that indicate provider network size. These should be refined over time. In addition, efforts are now underway at the federal and state level to provide more data to consumers so that they can make quality-driven plan choices. In 2018, the marketplaces will be required to display federally developed quality ratings and enrollee satisfaction information. The District of Columbia is examining the possibility of adding additional measures. California has proposed that starting in 2018, plans may only contract with providers and hospitals that have met state-specified metrics of quality care and promote safety of enrollees at a reasonable price. Such efforts will proliferate, even if not all succeed.

Beyond regulatory efforts noted above, insurance companies themselves have a critical role to play in contributing to the continued success of the ACA. As insurers come to understand the risk profiles of marketplace enrollees, they will be better able to set rates, design plans, and manage networks and thereby stay profitable. In addition, insurers are best positioned to maintain the stability of their individual market risk pools by developing and financing marketing plans to increase the volume and diversity of their exchange enrollments. It is important, in addition, that insurers, such as UHC, stop creaming off good risks from the ACA marketplaces by marketing limited coverage insurance products, such as dread disease policies and short-term plans. If they do not do so voluntarily, state insurance regulators and the exchanges should join in stopping them from doing so.

Most of the attention paid to the ACA to date has focused on efforts to extend health coverage to the previously uninsured and to the administrative stumbles associated with that effort. While insurance coverage will broaden further, the period of rapid growth in coverage is at an end. And while administrative challenges remain, the basics are now in place. Now, the exchanges face the hard work of promoting vigorous and sustainable competition among insurers and providing their customers with information so that insurers compete on what matters: cost, service, and quality of health care.
NKR international recognition is the best solution

On May 24, the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan received the newly appointed Ambassador of Australia to RA Peter Tesch, who is in Armenia on the occasion of handing the credentials. Welcoming the guest Artak Zakaryan highlighted the development of the inter-parliamentary relations of the two countries, talked about the work of the Friendship Groups functioning in the parliaments of Armenia and Australia. In this context both sides emphasized the effective activities of the Parliamentary Friendship Groups, as well as the necessity of the development of cooperation at the level of the Committees on Foreign Relations. Touching upon the cooperation in a number of spheres Artak Zakaryan has noted that the two states already have established trade-economic ties, which is a basis for more actively developing the relations in the sphere. Talking about the international recognition process of the Armenian Genocide Artak Zakaryan expressed his gratitude to the legislative body of the New South Wales State of Australia for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2009. It has been noted that the recognition is a step for the prevention of the new crimes against humanity. The Committee Chairman also attached importance to the balanced position of Australia on the Nagorno Karabakh problem within the UN framework, and the fact of being co-author in a number of resolutions by Australia in the condemnation of genocides. Referring to the Nagorno Karabakh problem Artak Zakaryan talked about the negotiation process of the settlement of the issue. The Committee Chairman highlighted the decision adopted on October 25, 2012 by the legislative body of the New South Wales State of Australia, according to which, the recognition of the independence of Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) and the right of its Armenian populations self-determination has been recorded. It has been noted that the NKR international recognition is the best solution for the peaceful and political negotiations. The newly appointed Ambassador Peter Tesch, also emphasizing the deepening of the parliamentary relations expressed readiness for the development of the economic relations. The Ambassador has also highlighted that his country sees the solution of the conflict through peaceful means within the OSCE Minsk Group format.
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By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/24/2016



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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.

might have the closest race in history with Nyle DiMarco Paige VanZant and Ginger Zee duking it out for Season 22's mirrorball trophy.Monday night's final performance show featured the three remaining couples each performing two routines -- a "Redemption Routine," which is an improved encore performance of a previously-performed dance on the show, and the fan-favorite "Freestyle," which is a supersized routine with no rules or expectations.Paige, a UFC fighter, and her pro partner Mark Ballas topped the judges' leaderboard in first place after she received a total of 59 points from judges Len Goodman Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli Paige and Mark first reprised their salsa -- which Mark was injured and unable to perform -- from Week 2 of the competition and received 29 out of 30 possible points from the judges. Paige and Mark followed that up with a contemporary freestyle set to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which was sung live by Mark's fiancee BC Jean. The couple received a perfect score of 30 points for the freestyle.Second place on the judges' leaderboard went to Ginger, Good Morning America's meteorologist, and partner Val Chmerkovskiy with 58 total points. The pair first improved upon their contemporary dance from Week 3 and earned 28 points. Ginger and Val later performed their freestyle that was a tribute to Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire , adding 30 points to their score.Nyle, the latest winner of America's Next Top Model, and partner Peta Murgatroyd finished the night in third place with 57 total points. The couple initially took the stage with their quickstep from Week 6 and earned 27 points from the judges. Nyle and Peta then danced their freestyle which earned a perfect score of 30 points.Nyle and Peta's contemporary freestyle, set to "The Sound of Silence," depicted how Nyle has inspired the deaf community. It ended up being so much more than the dance of the night."I have to say, in 22 seasons that is the best dance I have ever seen," Carrie Ann said, as there wasn't a dry eye in the room."What was so profound about it is not only do I see a man who wants to prove that he can dance in this incredible way and this new approach to how you connect with all of us and the music, but I also see a man who is proving that he can change the world through dance and I love that."The scores from last week were the closest in finals history, according to host Tom Bergeron . Only three percent separated the finalists.will crown its next winner during Tuesday night's live results show on ABC.
Raffi Hovannisian knows who is responsible (video)

Loss even of a single inch of territory is unacceptable for Heritage party President Raffi Hovannisian. He considers Serzh Sargsyans statement that the lost 800 hectares of land has no strategic or tactical significance to be unacceptable. That pretext that additional losses must be prevented, I think, is just a pretext, Raffi Hovannisian told the journalists. The latter is sure that Armenia must return to the borderline, which existed after ceasefire of 1994. And without restoring the former territorial integrity, official Yerevan shouldnt have resorted to new negotiations. Yes, our men and women bravely defended their homeland, but it is also a loss, which responsibility must lie with the authorities, which allowed it, highlighted Mr Hovannisian. Heritage partys viewpoint connected with the Karabakh conflict settlement issue remains unchanged- Artsakhs independence should be recognized. In this context he noted: We refuse any approach, which is based on Madrid or Kazan principles. In order to solve the key issues in our favor the diplomatic corps must display flexibility and more active policy, says his father, historian Richard Hovannisian and adds: We always face such a risk, the Armenians, our state have always faced that risk and there must be clever leadership in order to overcome that risk. Today Raffi Hovannisian has been taking part in the presentation of the third and fourth volumes of his father Richard Hovannisians The Republic of Armenia book, translated from English into Armenian. Watch the video for more details!
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NVCSS celebrates 30 years

Northern Valley Catholic Social Service will celebrate 30 years of serving the North State on Wednesday.

The celebration will take place at the NVCSS offices on Washington Avenue in Redding.

The nonprofit provides housing, mental health and other services in five counties, including Shasta. It has a 16-member board of directors. Keith Hunting, a certified public accountant, is chairman of the board.

Cathy Wyatt is the organization's executive director.

For more information, go to https://nvcss.org.

PG&E solar program for high schools

Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s second annual Solar Suitcase Program will put more than 100 portable solar kits into high school classrooms in Northern and Central California.

The kits are small, portable photovoltaic lighting systems, powerful enough to illuminate a small room. PG&E announced a $260,000 sponsorship. The kits are supplied by the nonprofit We Care Solar.

Schools interested in participating in the program can apply through May 31 by going to http://bit.ly/1OJM7x2.

Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or at david.benda@redding.com.
FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2011 file photo, Famke Janssen poses during a photocall for her film" Bringing Up Bobby", at the 37th American Film Festival in Deauville, Normandy, France. "The Blacklist" is branching out. NBC announced Saturday, May 14, 2016 it has ordered a spin-off of the popular drama series starring James Spader as criminal-turned-informant Raymond "Red" Reddington. "The Blacklist: Redemption" will feature "The Blacklist" co-star Ryan Eggold, as well as guest stars Famke Janssen, Edi Gathegi and Tawny Cypress. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

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By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP)  "The Blacklist" is branching out.

NBC announced Saturday that it has ordered a spin-off of the popular drama series starring James Spader as criminal-turned-informant Raymond "Red" Reddington.

"The Blacklist: Redemption" will feature "The Blacklist" co-star Ryan Eggold, as well as guest stars Famke Janssen, Edi Gathegi and Tawny Cypress.

The network says the spin-off will revolve around Eggold's undercover operative Tom Keen joining forces with Janssen's mercenary boss Susan "Scottie" Hargrave.

The announcement comes ahead of next week's "upfront" presentations in New York where broadcasters will hype the upcoming season's schedules to advertisers.

Eggold has starred in "The Blacklist" since it debuted in 2013. The show's third season finale airs Thursday.

Janssen has appeared in the "X-Men" and "Taken" film series, as well as the TV series "Nip/Tuck" and "Hemlock Grove."
ADVANCE FOR USE MONDAY, MAY 23, 2016 AND THEREAFTER -In this Wednesday, April 13, 2016 photo, Herbert Diamond, 88, of Fort Lee, N.J., meets with Dr. Manisha Parulekar about his end of life preferences at the Hackensack Medical Center in Hackensack, N.J. Diamond said all the men on both sides of his family died before they reached 65, and so he never expected to live as long as he has. But years ago, when his wife was hospitalized, dying with lymphoma, he recalled an old man in a bed next to her hooked up to all kinds of paraphernalia, in seeming misery. It was a lesson to him to make sure he never found himself in the same place. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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By MATT SEDENSKY, AP National Writer

HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP)  The doctor got right down to business after Herbert Diamond bounded in. A single green form before her, she had some questions for the agile 88-year-old: about comas and ventilators, about feeding tubes and CPR, about intense and irreversible suffering.

"You want treatments as long as you are going to have good quality of life?" Dr. Manisha Parulekar asked. The retired accountant nodded.

"And at that point," she continued, "you would like to focus more on comfort, right?" There was no hesitation before his soft-spoken reply: "Right."

Scenes like this have been spreading across the U.S. in the months since Medicare started paying for conversations on end-of-life planning. Seven years after that very idea spurred fears of "death panels," supporters hope lingering doubts will fade.

"The more and more that that happens, the more patients, families and doctors will become comfortable with it," said Dr. Joe Rotella, chief medical officer of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine . "Any distrust people have about, 'What is this?' really disappears when patients sit down and find out this is about empowering them."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quietly tucked the change allowing for payment for end-of-life counseling into a massive package of regulations last summer, with billing permissible as of Jan. 1. To date, CMS has not released any data on how many people have taken part in the sessions, but a survey released last month suggests it may be off to a slow start.

Three non-profits  the California Health Care Foundation, Cambia Health Foundation and John A. Hartford Foundation  fielded a poll of 736 doctors who see patients 65 and older. Only 14 percent said they had already billed Medicare for the new counseling, though the survey was conducted February 18 through March 7, meaning the earliest participants only had about six weeks from the start of the benefit. Altogether, 95 percent of doctors in the poll expressed support for the Medicare benefit and a big majority considered such conversations important.

Some doctors had already incorporated end-of-life planning into regular visits, and certain private insurers began offering reimbursement for it before Medicare announced its change. But because Medicare is the single largest payer of health care in the U.S., this could stand to be one of the most significant developments in end-of-life care ever seen in the country.

It also gives Americans a glimpse into something many only knew through the lens of controversy.

Diamond arrived for his appointment at Hackensack University Medical Center on a mundane day in which he had reviewed investments, had a dentist appointment and ate a couple slices of pizza for lunch. In his last visit with Parulekar, she gave him a copy of "practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment," or POLST , a doctor-signed document that makes end-of-life preferences known.

"Did you have a chance to look at the form?" she asked. He had, and they set out to review it as Parulekar filled it out.

"I wish to live a full and long life but not at all costs," she wrote as a goal of care, repeating language common in living wills, something Diamond long ago completed. This document will go further in its specificity and authoritativeness. It serves as a medical order to dictate the response to a health crisis should patients no longer be able to make their own decisions known.

The doctor calmly addressed questions as they moved through the document with Diamond: How long would he feel comfortable being on a feeding tube? If hope seems lost, should CPR be performed anyway? Would you want to be put on a respirator?

"I wouldn't want to be on a machine for the rest of my life, that's for sure," Diamond told her.

All told, it was only about 20 minutes before Diamond's white sneakers shuffled out of the room and the appointment was over. He was to review the paperwork with his two daughters before signing it, but he said he had looked forward to the session simply because it was a new experience. Diamond said he saw it as both necessary and comforting.

Medicare reimbursements for the appointments vary by region and the type of facility, but on average, an initial 30-minute session in a doctor's office costs $86. As those experiences proliferate, the topic of discussing end-of-life care may return to the relatively uncontentious mantle it once enjoyed.

For years before the Affordable Care Act was written, there was bipartisan consensus on the value in helping people understand their desires at the end of their lives and make those wishes known. A 1991 law passed under President George H.W. Bush requires hospitals and nursing homes to help patients who want to prepare living wills and advance directives and similar efforts gained particular resonance after the 2005 death of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman whose family fought for years over whether she'd want to be kept alive in a vegetative state.

In 2008, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation requiring doctors to discuss issues like living wills with new Medicare enrollees. And just months before being tapped as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate, then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin signed a proclamation recognizing Healthcare Decision Day to spread word of a statewide campaign about the importance of advance directives.

That history dissipated in an instant in 2009 as President Obama's health care proposal spurred angry protests. Early drafts of the bill included a provision to pay for voluntary end-of-life conversations. Palin claimed it amounted to creating "death panels" and said it would allow government officials to decide whether sick people get to live.

"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care," she wrote in a Facebook post at the time.

Palin hammered the "death panel" idea. Her staff made clear she was specifically addressing advance-care planning. And the controversy led to the proposal being dropped from the bill.

With the Medicare change in sight, at the close of 2015 Politico penned an obituary for "death panels." But fears stoked by the idea  which PolitiFact named the "Lie of the Year" in 2009  still remain. Obama even made light of the lingering impact in addressing the White House Correspondents' Association dinner last month, noting his own impending retirement and joking : "Eight years ago, I was a young man, full of idealism and vigor. And look at me now: I am gray, grizzled, just counting down the days till my death panel."

A March 2016 poll by Public Policy Polling, commissioned by Ari Rabin-Havt for his book "Lies, Incorporated," found 29 percent of respondents believed the health reform law established "death panels," with an additional 31 percent unsure. Among Republicans, 45 percent said they believed the law established "death panels."

Requests for comment from Palin via her political action committee went unanswered.

"Lies are very sticky," Rabin-Havt said, "and this is yet another example of how sticky lies are and the damage they can do."

Hackensack University Medical Center, where Diamond had his session, is taking part in an advance-care planning campaign to educate and encourage people to put their preferences in writing. Linda Farber Post, the hospital's director of bioethics, said the goal was to have all doctors, not just those treating the elderly or dying, to have such discussions with their patients.

"This is not something where doctors should be saying, 'Let's just leave it to the geriatricians and the palliative care folks,'" she said.

Diamond said all the men on both sides of his family died before they reached 65, and so he never expected to live as long as he has. But years ago, when his wife was hospitalized, dying with lymphoma, he recalled an old man in a bed next to her hooked up to all kinds of paraphernalia, in seeming misery. It was a lesson to him to make sure he never found himself in the same place.

"It just seemed quite apparent to this layman that he was suffering and yet his family couldn't let go," he said. "I would never want that for me."
A skateboarder takes a picture as the last remaining space shuttle external propellant tank is moved through the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday, May 21, 2016. The ET-94 will be displayed with the retired space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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By CHRISTINE ARMARIO and ROBERT JABLON, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP)  A colossal space shuttle fuel tank completed its 19-hour trek through the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday to join the retired orbiter Endeavour on display at the California Science Center.

The 33-ton, 154-foot-long external propellant tank began moving a few minutes after midnight from coastal Marina del Rey, where it arrived by barge Wednesday. It reached the museum at Exposition Park just after 7 p.m. following a carefully-coordinated journey down 16  miles of streets.

The orange-brown, sausage-shaped tank  the last of its kind  traveled by truck at about 5 mph. It was escorted by police, a fire truck, and several city officials and astronauts while crews trimmed a few trees and unbolted stoplight poles so they wouldn't hit the towering tank.

Freeway drivers got a shock as the tank rolled by on a bridge over Interstate 405, an artery west of downtown that was busy even on Saturday morning.

Along the route, people lined the sidewalks with their cellphones, trying to capture the perfect shot  and a selfie.

"When you look at the people who are out here, it's little kids, it's older folks, it's white folks, it's black folks, it's Latino folks," said Shelly Arsneault, 49, of Whittier. "It's everybody. It's cool. It's LA."

Children, a few wearing home-made space helmets, were enthralled.

Cindy Hernandez, 11, of Inglewood, said the tank was "amazing."

"It will be a memory for me," she said.

"It's this next generation of explorers. These kids are going to remember today their whole lives. And they're going to think about it when they choose their career paths. They're going to study harder in school. And it's going to make us happy," astronaut Mike Fincke, who flew on the Endeavour's final flight in 2011, told the Los Angeles Times.

"It really makes me feel that a lot of people appreciate what our space program is doing," said Sandy Magnus, another astronaut. "Days like this I think are days that bring us all together."

The tank will be displayed upright along with the shuttle and two solid-rocket boosters, as if ready for takeoff.

The trek drew smaller crowds than the journey of the 122-foot-long Endeavour. With a wingspan of 78 feet, the orbiter was similarly hauled 12 miles to the center from Los Angeles International Airport. Extensive preparations for Endeavour's trek included removing trees, street posts and other obstacles, but that journey still took about 17 hours longer than planned.

Although longer, the external tank is much narrower than the shuttle, with a diameter of 27.5 feet.

The tank was shipped to California by barge from a NASA facility in Louisiana. The tank traveled through the Panama Canal to the Pacific and arrived at Marina del Rey, a yacht harbor on the Los Angeles County coast where it was offloaded to await the weekend move.

The move Saturday began with a bit of fanfare. A New Orleans-style jazz band played "When the Saints Go Marching In," and some people waved handkerchiefs to wish the tank bon voyage.

Known as ET-94, it was NASA's last flight-qualified external tank, but it was never used before the shuttle program came to an end.

External tanks not only carried propellant for space shuttles' main engines, they were the backbone of the launch system. An orbiter and two solid rocket boosters would be attached to the tank for the fiery ascent into space.

Inside ET-94 are two internal tanks for millions of pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as well as other equipment.

The tank's surface is covered with a layer of foam to keep the propellants at the proper temperature, reduce the formation of ice and to provide protection from heat as it sped through the atmosphere.

External tanks used on shuttle missions would be destroyed, burning up as they fell back through the atmosphere after being discarded by the orbiter.

ET-94 was built for use by the shuttle Columbia, which disintegrated over Texas as it was returning from a mission. The investigation found that foam fell off that mission's external tank during launch and punched a hole into a wing, allowing hot gases of the fiery re-entry inside the structure. Investigators used many pieces of foam from ET-94 in tests to come to the conclusion.
Record Searchlight file photo John Cal Howe Jr. is shown in February in Shasta County Superior Court in connection with a misdemeanor battery case.

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By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight

A Lakehead man who pleaded guilty in February to defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs and falsely claiming to be a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran was sentenced Monday to more than a year in federal prison.

John Cal Howe Jr., 43, was sentenced to an 18-month term by U.S. Magistrate Edmund F. Brennan.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Howe never served in the military and worked to defraud the VA for more than three years, stealing more than $13,000 in benefits.

That sum includes the costs of medical services provided by the VA, as well as thousands of dollars in compensation to outside healthcare providers and hundreds of dollars in travel reimbursement, which Howe pocketed, federal prosecutors said.

But Howe, who was not taken into custody at his sentencing and who said he has until September to turn himself in, told the Record Searchlight in a telephone interview after court that he is a veteran and has the certified documentation to prove it.

And, he said, he will be appealing his conviction and sentencing.

Howe said he pleaded guilty to the charges against him in February because he did not have the documentation proving he's a veteran at that time and his federal defense attorney told him he should plead out because she couldn't win the case.

"I'm getting screwed," Howe said.

In a May 16 sentencing memorandum filed in U.S. District Court, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Wong said Howe deserved an 18-month prison term.

He said Howe defrauded the VA and sought to further defraud it by applying for a service-related pension and lied about his military service.

"The defendant repeatedly lied about serving in combat, suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and receiving three Purple Heart medals," Wong wrote. "He made up stories about being wounded by shrapnel in Afghanistan; about shooting a kid in combat; about being a U.S. Marine Corps sharpshooter; about completing 12 tours of duty; and about having served in Operation Desert Shield, the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq."

What's more, Wong said, Howe repeated his lies to the VA, to his doctors and to others over social media and the Internet.

When VA authorities began to question him, Wong wrote, Howe also tried to have a congressman's office intervene on his behalf.

"The defendant's egregious conduct, astonishing lies and extensive criminal history justify the recommended (18-month) sentence," he wrote.

Meanwhile, assistant federal defender Linda Allison sought in an April 15 document filed in federal court a 30-day sentence for Howe, as well as an extended probation term.

"Incarceration for a term of 30 days and probation will provide just punishment for the offense and afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct, while also allowing Mr. Howe to obtain the counseling and supervision he needs while working to pay the restitution owed to the government," she wrote.

According to her document, Allison said Howe was born into "a family of fear, dysfunction and abuse" and his behavior is a reflection of his tortured upbringing.

"With a probation sentence, John can spend more time on probation, which will allow him to get the mental health and interpersonal help he needs," she wrote. "Probation will allow John to get support and guidance to hopefully break his maladaptive behaviors and function more successfully in society."

According to federal court documents, Howe pleaded guilty on Feb. 8 to 23 misdemeanor counts in a scheme to obtain thousands of dollars in veterans' benefits to which he was not entitled,

He pleaded guilty to one count of theft in connection with a healthcare program, 20 counts of theft of government property, one count of making a fraudulent demand against the U.S. and one count of making a fraudulent representation about the receipt of military decorations or medals.

In an unrelated case, Howe is scheduled to begin standing trial June 21 in Shasta County Superior Court on a 2015 misdemeanor battery case. He's also charged with being a felon in possession of a stun gun in that case.
U.S. Forest Service personnel spent much of Monday cleaning up trash left behind after college students partied on Slaughterhouse Island in Lake Shasta over the weekend.

SHARE Photo from Facebook Forest Service personnel spent much of Monday cleaning up trash left behind after college students partied on Slaughterhouse Island in Lake Shasta over the weekend. Photo from Facebook University of Oregon paraphernalia, tents and other items were left behind on Slaughterhouse Island in Lake Shasta over the past weekend.

By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight

Updated Tuesday, 10:15 a.m.

Posts on social media are fueling the controversy over the behavior of students who appear to have left Slaughterhouse Island trashed.

Posts on Instagram and discussion threads on reddit mostly villified the students but included at least one of them defending himself.

In a couple of cases, Oregonians blamed the high number of California students who attend Oregon colleges for causing the damage.

Austin Gullberg, who identifies himself as a University of Oregon student, posted the following photo to Instagram on Monday, saying he was there and feels badly. But Gullberg notes that students are studying for finals and he can't get anyone to go back with him to clean up the mess.

The Instgram post has been taken down.

Original story

A group of college students left a huge mess in a Lake Shasta campground over the weekend and local authorities are upset.

Students abandoned clothing, food and about 90 tents over the weekend at Slaughterhouse Island Campground, according to a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman.

The camping area was abandoned by Sunday afternoon, spokeswoman Phyllis Swanson said. Amid the trash were merchandise and apparel from the University of Oregon, Swanson said.

The University of Oregon issued a statement Monday on the trashed campgrounds.

The manner in which the Shasta-Trinity forest area was left is disgraceful, said Robin Holmes, the universitys vice president for student life.

She said the school does not sponsor or condone the trips to Lake Shasta, and said the university is investigating the incident.

One fraternity, Zeta Omicron Zeta, has suspended all of its chapters activities until the situation is addressed, Holmes said.

Parties on the island and in campgrounds around the lake are not out of the ordinary for this time of year, said Swanson, but this recent mess is beyond the typical pile of trash that follows a large gathering.

On Monday afternoon forest service officials collected the items left behind, including bags of food and empty liquor bottles. Other items included plastic furniture and other trash that could be harmful to wildlife and the ecosystem.

I am disappointed, Swanson said. This is costing a lot of money and time. (The Forest Service) is shorthanded as is. Were pulling resources to do cleanup and gathering up the personal property.

We should be getting ready for Memorial Day weekend, not cleaning up this mess, said Swanson.

Items found in the camping area bore the familiar green and yellow colors of the University of Oregon, according to Swanson and pictures circulated on social media.

A drink cooler with the Lambda Chi Alpha logo was also found, according to images from social media.

Tad Lichtenauer, director of communications with the fraternitys national headquarters, said there is an investigation into the allegations that members of the University of Oregons chapter were involved in the trashing of the campgrounds.

If any of the university rules, or our rules, or local laws were broken, they will be held accountable. Even if theyre not students of the university or members of the fraternity, they will be held accountable, Lichtenauer said.

On Sunday afternoon, Ken Berry and his friends discovered the abandoned camp from their fishing boat. Berry noticed a number of tents dotting the shoreline, along with garbage and other debris.

You could see it from a distance, said Berry, who called the scene disgusting.

Slaughterhouse Island is known for attracting a party scene, said Matt Doyle, president of the Shasta Lake Business Owners Association.

College students have been traveling to Lake Shasta for decades during this time of year, starting around Mothers Day and ending on the Memorial Day weekend, Doyle said.

We do assist with some cleanups on the lake, but the forest service ends up doing a large portion of that. Other times its me getting into my personal boat and getting with my kids to pick up things as we go along the lake, he said.

There were a number of medical responses to the campground over the weekend by emergency personnel, said Sgt. Rob Sandbloom with the Shasta County Sheriffs Office Boating Safety Unit. No arrests were made, he said.

Swanson said the local area can expect more partygoers as summer approaches.

Whatever message I can give is that this wasnt Redding. We didnt do this. Our hope is the people who did this will realize what they did. If you plan to visit the lake, dont leave it trashed. Be more responsible, Swanson said.
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Driver accused of evading deputies

A Shasta Lake driver was arrested Sunday after reportedly leading law enforcement officials on a vehicle chase that saw him blow through nine stop signs, Shasta County sheriff's deputies said Monday.

Michael Brian Chandler, 28, was arrested on suspicion of felony evading and being a felon in possession of ammunition, deputies said, adding he also had an active felony arrest warrant.

A sheriff's deputy attempted to pull over Chandler's pickup around 9 p.m. near Locust and Chico streets in Shasta Lake for vehicle code violations, said Sgt. Barry Powell.

But he failed to stop, and the pursuit began.

Deputies said Chandler drove in excess of 50 mph on residential streets during the pursuit and that he also ran nine stop signs.

The chase finally ended on Grand Coulee Boulevard, and Chandler was taken into custody without incident.

A records check revealed Chandler had an active felony arrest warrant for his arrest, adding that his California driver's license was also suspended and that he had a prior felony conviction, said Powell.

During a search, deputies said, ammunition was found.

Whiskeytown Lake activities planned

Plenty of activities are planned at Whiskeytown Lake this Memorial Day weekend.

National Park Service officials plan guided kayak tours, along with gold panning and two-hour walking excursions at the Tower House District.

Kayak tours require a reservation by calling 242-3462. For dates, times and locations of the various kayak programs, go to http://1.usa.gov/1XPexgl. The website also offers information about upcoming summer programs such as star parties, junior ranger programs and Whiskeytown Cemetery tours.

Other information about Whiskeytown National Recreation Area programs is also available at the Visitor Center, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 8 miles west of Redding at the intersection of Highway 299 and Kennedy Memorial Drive.

The Whiskeytown Sailing Club will hold the 52nd annual Memorial Regatta on Saturday and Sunday at Whiskeytown Lake. More information about the regatta is online at www.whiskeytownsailing.org.

Redding seventh in Bike Challenge

Redding was rolling this month for National Bike Challenge.

The city ranks seventh among 3,699 communities participating in the nationwide event, which covers May 1 through Sept. 30.

According to the program's website, the city had 819 riders who have racked up 105,396 points. Riders help accumulate the points by the miles ridden and the number of days they travel at least a mile.

Figuring in the top six were three Wisconsin communities  Madison in first, Appleton in fourth and Milwaukee in sixth. From Minnesota, Minneapolis was in third and St. Paul fifth. Lincoln, Nebraska, was in second.

In the workplace challenge, three local agencies and a hospital ranked in the top 100 of 1,409 competitors.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Smoke Chasers, based in Redding, ranked 41st and counted participation from 54 riders.

The city of Redding had 71 riders and placed 49th on the board. Rounding out the list were Shasta Regional Medical Center in 65th with 32 riders and the California Department of Transportation District 2 in 97th place with 26 riders.
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A big rig overturned Tuesday morning, blocking traffic on Highway 299 some 20 miles west of Weaverville, acocrding to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash blocked the highway for about an hour, though the CHP reports one lane of traffic is open.

CHP dispatchers reported the crash at 6:11 a.m., according to reports.

Officers estimate at least another hour of impacted traffic.

Minor injuries were reported in the crash, according to the CHP.
Higher pesticide residues and discovery of pest and diseases in some consignments can result in ban

Exports of mangoes from India are under severe threat due higher pesticide residues than the prescribed limit by the global standard and discovery of pest and diseases in some consignments.

The issue came to the notice of Indian authorities when the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates, issued a warning to Indian exporters, bringing to notice the high level of pesticide residues (exceeding the permitted limits) in Indian mango.

Apart from mangoes, the UAE ministry has also found pesticide residues higher than the prescribed limit in chilli, pepper and cucumber consignments.

The UAE market contributes over 70% of Indias overall annual mango exports.

The fear is that if Indian exporters do not adhere to the global guidelines of Codex standard of pesticides residues then the UAE may probably ban mango import from India, which would be a big blow for the nation.

Yes, UAE has found pesticides residues higher than the prescribed limit in some of the mango and other commodities exports consignments from India.

"We have already issued an advisory to the concerned exporters in this regard.

"Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority has also started mandatory registration of all exporters of agricultural products.

"So, things would be under control soon, said a senior Apeda official.

Indias mango exports have faced huge problems over the past four years due to a number of quality issues in export markets which has erased around a third of export volume during this period.

From the level of over 63,594 tonnes of fresh mango exports during the financial year 2011-12, Indias shipment of this seasonal fruit has slumped to 43,191 tonnes in the financial year 2014-15.

Taking serious note of the same, UAEs ministry has asked Indian exporters to attach the pesticides residue analysis report with each consignment for the sake of health and safety of consumers.

The ministry has warned Indian authorities of stoppage of import of such commodities from India in case of repeat of pesticides presence.

The repeated presence of pesticides residues will lead to stoppage of export of these commodities to UAE and in turn our trade will be affected, said an advisory issued by Apeda to Indian exporters.

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has advised issuance of phytosanitary certificate for fruits and vegetables exported to UAE only after production of test report on pesticide residues by any of the Apeda-recognised laboratories.

Apart from the UAE, European countries have also discovered presence of pests and diseases in some consignments of mango headed for the European Union.

There is no major threat of ban on Indias mango exports.

"We are exporting mangoes to quality conscious countries like the United States of America and Japan.

"So, Indian exporters need to be a little more cautious on quality of mangoes they export, said the official from Apeda.
The first option that the state government might opt for is offer Infosys space in one of the SEZs that are coming up, but that is unlikely to be accepted

The Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal might in its second innings look at granting special economic zones status to information technology (IT) companies.

The lack of such a status has been holding back companies like Infosys from investing, especially given the partys policies on land and industry.

No one was willing to spell out the governments action plan prematurely but a senior Trinamool leader pointed towards the party manifesto. Read our manifesto, you will see that we have kept provisions for IT, he said.

The manifesto reads: We will consider plans for knowledge-based industries like IT and industries that depend on intellectual resources. Coming up with special policies and schemes to facilitate the development of such industries will be our priority.

In 2011, the Trinamool manifesto had said the government would not allow special economic zones (SEZs) in West Bengal, to protect multi-crop lands. But this time the manifesto has been silent on SEZs.

The government might draw a distinction between SEZs that require large tracts of land and granting SEZ status to IT companies that already have government land. A senior Infosys official said: I was told that the government could look at IT differently as is probably mentioned in the election manifesto.

Infosys has been gung-ho about its proposed project in West Bengal. Ramadas Kamath, executive vice-president and head of infrastructure, facilities and administration at Infosys, said, Right now, our SEZ is not approved by the state though they had given a specific letter earlier saying that they will do whatever is required to get it approved.

We understand the governments concerns on land acquisition. But this land was acquired by the state government much before it was allotted to us. So there is no fresh displacement of landowners.

Today, IT companies are not asking anything from the state government. For a level playing field, we need the SEZ approval. The state should say they dont have an objection. We will comply with the law of the land and bring growth to this area. We are very positive on the Kolkata location, which has a huge potential to grow.

The first option that the state government might opt for is offer Infosys space in one of the SEZs that are coming up, but that is unlikely to be accepted, as Kamath pointed out.

The place where we have got the land is the ideal place for setting up of an IT industry, in terms of location advantage, proximity to the city and availability of residential accommodation in and around. And we feel that there will be a huge amount of indirect employment opportunities as well.

In 2012, the Trinamool government had tried to offer Infosys and Wipro (which was planning a second campus) a compensation package to match SEZ benefits reminiscent of the package offered to Tata Motors for its Nano project by the Left Front government.

SEZ saga

2006: Left Front govt meets Infosys brass and invites them to set up a centre in West Bengal

2008: Bid to set up centre falls through after Kolkata Links project scrapped

2009: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee offers 45 acres in New Town Rajarhat at subsidised rates

2011: Trinamool Congress, which is opposed to the SEZ project, wins elections and forms government

2012: Trinamool government tries to negotiate an alternative package

2016: State govt weighs change in stance on IT SEZ

Photograph: PTI
The Modi government has not lived up to the muscularity the prime minister promised while campaigning, says Ajai Shukla.

On Thursday, this government will mark its second anniversary in power. Even before chief minister Narendra Modi became Prime Minister Modi, serving and retired soldiers, sailors and airmen hoped that, unlike the United Progressive Alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party would nurture a long neglected military.

How successfully has the National Democratic Alliance government met those expectations?



In electioneering, Modi talked up a muscular, populist alternative to former prime minister Manmohan Singh's widely ridiculed milquetoast image. (In the 1940s, HT Webster created the comic strip character, Caspar Milquetoast, describing him as 'the man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick.')

On September 15, 2013, two days after being anointed the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Modi promised a huge gathering of military veterans in Rewari he would give the military its due -- both in money and attention.

Declared the future PM: 'My friends, the problem is not on the border, the problem is in Delhi... and, thus, we will have to find its solution also in Delhi! Until we do not have an efficient and patriotic government in Delhi, it does not matter how capable our military is, or how modern our equipment.'



In April 2014, just days before voting, Modi released the BJP's manifesto, which included, in unprecedented detail, pledges to rewrite defence policy, restructure procurement, modernise weaponry, and make India a defence manufacturing hub.

Yet, the soaring expectations of the generals, admirals and air marshals who were jumping onto the BJP bandwagon were clearly unrealistic. Reading between the lines, the manifesto clearly prioritised economic development: 'Comprehensive national security is not just about borders, but in its broad terms includes military security; economic security; cyber security; energy, food and water and health security; and social cohesion and harmony. To effectively address the issues of national security, we need to address the issues of human resources, science and technology, system of governance and money.'



Given that, the real decline in defence allocations should have been expected. From about 1.8% of gross domestic product in the UPA's last two Budgets, defence allocations declined to 1.73% in Modi's first two Budgets; and just 1.65% of GDP this year.

To dress this up, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley changed the basis of calculation this year, adding into the defence allocations the expenditure on the 'pensions' and 'defence ministry' heads, which had never previously been counted as a part of the defence budget.

This is not to suggest subterfuge; pensions and ministry staff expenditures legitimately belong to the defence budget. But doing that diverted attention from this year's reduced allocations and made the defence budget look fatter.

By the previous methodology, this year's allocations would have been Rs 249,099 crore ($37.18 billion). Using the new calculation, defence allocations rose to Rs 340,922 crore ($51 billion).

Even so, at 2.26% of GDP, this remains well short of the recommended allocation of 3% of GDP that defence planners say is needed over a sustained period to modernise India's huge inventories of obsolescent weaponry.

Furthermore, even more so than preceding governments, the NDA is failing to spend its allocations. On March 31, billions of unspent dollars were returned to the treasury.



In fact, Mr Modi's money problem is less one of insufficient allocations than of poor expenditure priorities. Using the new basis of calculation, three-quarters of this year's defence budget is for 'revenue expenditure' -- running expenses like salaries, pensions, housing, equipment maintenance, fuel, training, etc.

A mere quarter is for 'capital expenditure', or modernising the army with new weaponry and kits. Despite India's cheap manpower, 55% of the budget goes towards the payroll. This ratio is being skewed further with the One Rank, One Pension scheme bloating the pension bill, and the Seventh Pay Commission recommending 15% salary increases.

Without higher defence allocations, there will be even less for capital expenditure. Modi seems aware of this conundrum, having warned his military commanders that growing numbers would adversely affect modernisation. Yet, there is no decisive move to trim the flab.



Meanwhile, equipment acquisition proceeds randomly. Like with the UPA government, contracts for new weaponry are pursued not on the basis of how urgently the item is needed, but in the leisurely order in which proposals clear the endless obstacle course of ministry procedure.

Every official knows the military's most critical needs -- artillery and air defence guns for the army; torpedoes, sonars and air defence missiles for the navy; and mid-air refuelling aircraft and strike aircraft for the air force, to name a few. There exists a fast-track procedure for urgent purchases.

Even so, glaring operational voids remain, providing reassurance to our foes.



Similarly, the military's operational capability remains hamstrung by the weakness of tri-service operational command and planning. The defence minister has repeatedly promised to address this issue; the PM himself told the military's top commanders on December 15 that: 'Jointness at the top is a need that is long overdue. We also need reforms in senior defence management... This is an area of priority for me.' Yet, action: Zero.



Admittedly, the defence ministry got off the blocks late, after languishing for almost six months under the additional charge of the finance minister -- something Modi has never explained. After Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's appointment in mid-November 2014, he has tried to reform the way his ministry does business.

Despite opposition from his conservative bureaucrats, Parrikar has pushed through badly needed measures to partly level the playing field between the public and private sectors; and he is popular with private sector industrialists for his consultative approach.

However, he has promised more than delivered. A new defence procurement procedure (DPP-2016) has been only partly released. The ministry continues to grapple with an ill-conceived initiative to replace the public sector monopoly with a private sector one, dominated by a few 'strategic partners.'

A pragmatic 'blacklisting policy' remains blocked. Despite Parrikar's laudable backing of indigenous development programmes, and the policy prioritisation of 'Made in India' (designing and developing platforms in the country) over 'Make in India' (manufacturing in India to foreign blueprints), few such projects have been initiated so far.

The drive to reform defence policy and revitalise operational readiness is far from yielding results.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with officers and jawans during his visit to the Siachen Glacier on the occasion of Diwali. Photograph: PTI Photo
The Chabahar message is a reality check for China, which has made deep political and strategic inroads into Iran, says Rajeev Sharma.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just completed his maiden visit to Iran, a game-changer visit to a swing State in today's international politics.

The most vital part of Modi's Iran visit was the signing of a three-nation agreement -- involving Iran, India and Afghanistan -- to develop the southern Iranian port of Chabahar, which will enable India to reach out to Afghanistan and push its trade to the land-locked South Asian country via Iran, bypassing Pakistan. It will also provide India an alternative trade route to resource-rich Central Asia.

The signing of the Chabahar agreement is the culmination of a tortuous diplomatic process that began in 2003. But those were the days when Iran was reeling under crippling Western sanctions.

Today's Iran is much different, as it has successfully smoked the peace pipe with the United States-led Western community, and come out of the international sanctions regime four months ago. India has moved in quickly after the international power matrix changed substantively.

The development will have huge strategic implications for India, while powers like Pakistan and China will inevitably be feeling the heat.

Pakistan's discomfiture is understandable as the development of the port weakens the import of its iron grip over Afghanistan. Once the Chabahar link becomes fully operational, it will put a huge dent in Pakistan's traditional leverage over Afghanistan, denying India a trade route to the country.

Moreover, the Chabahar deal deepens the relations between Iran, a home to the world's largest Shia population, and India, which has the second largest Shia population in the world. India is a home to 45 million Shias, second only to Iran.

The Chabahar message is also a reality check for China, which has made deep political and strategic inroads into Iran. The Chabahar port is only 100 km from Pakistan's Gwadar port which has been developed by China.

Though China continues to be way ahead, as usual, in having a strategic presence in Iran, the development means that India has arrived in the Iranian strategic space in a big way.

The very fact that Iran has allowed this leverage to India shows that it is hungry for more and more strategic and trade partners. This obviously takes the sheen off China's strategic influence over Iran.

Take the statements by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Modi in this context:

'With our joint investments in Chabahar,' Rouhani said, 'we can connect India through a reliable route to Afghanistan and countries in Central Asia. The agreement today is not only an economic document; it is also a political and a regional one.'

'Agreement to develop (the) Chabahar port and related infra and availability of about $500 million (Rs 338 crore/Rs 3.38 billion) from India for this is an important milestone,' Modi remarked. '...It is a historic occasion. It will open new routes for India, Iran and Afghanistan to connect among themselves.'

In the larger sense, India's Chabahar moment is a moment of glory as it conveys that it is catching up with the Chinese presence in an important Muslim majority country.

It also demonstrates how Indian foreign policy is maturing while being independent of the mutual relations between its startegic partners. Modi was in Saudi Arabia recently, a country highly inimical with Iran. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been engaged in an intense diplomatic game of one upmanship for years.

India not only steered clear of Saudi-Iranian rivalries, but has also shown an elan for balancing its relations with the two archrivals.

Clearly, Modi's Iran visit has sent powerful reverberations in Pakistan, China and Saudi Arabia.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, reviews the guard of honour during the welcome ceremony in Tehran. Photograph President.ir/Reuters
The last unnamed member of the so-called Islamic State 'Beatles' gang was on Tuesday identified as a 27-year-old from west London.

The gang named in reference to the English accents of the terrorist suspects was led by Mohammed Emwazi, dubbed Jihadi John and killed last year in a United States drone strike in Syria.

Sudanese-born El Shafee Elsheikh has emerged as the fourth member of the cell, which has been filmed killing and torturing western hostages in Islamic State held territory.

"We tried to handle this in a mild, considerate way, but before we could do anything he just left," said his father Rashid Sidahmed ElSheikh, a translator based in London.

According to western hostages who were later released, the so-called Beatles were allegedly responsible for beatings, waterboarding, mock executions and killings of a number of mainly western hostages.

El Sheikh was identified through a joint Washington Post and BuzzFeed News investigation.

His name was confirmed by a former US countert-errorism official and other people familiar with British nationals in Syria.

His family said he is still alive and living in Syria and remains in touch with some friends and family.

All four Britons who made up the Islamic State Beatles grew up in the same part of west London, but it is unclear whether they knew each other before they left for Syria.

All of them apparently joined Al Qaeda's branch in Syria before defecting to the Islamic State.

Besides Jihadi John, the others identified previously include 31-year-old Aine Davis, who is in custody in Turkey for suspected terrorism, and 32-year-old Alexe Kotey, a Londoner of Ghanaian and Greek-Cypriot background whose whereabouts are unknown.

Davis' wife, 27-year-old Amal el-Wahabi, became the first woman to be jailed for terrorism offences connected to Syria in 2014 after she was caught paying a smuggler to take 20,000 euros in cash to Turkey for her husband.
IMAGE: People gather at the spot where an air ambulance of Alchemist Airlines crashed in Delhi's Najafgarh area on Tuesday. All photographs: ANI

An air ambulance coming from Patna with a patient, who had suffered a brain stroke, and six others on board on Tuesday crash landed in Najafgarh area of South West Delhi after both its engines shut down one after the other but all passengers escaped unhurt.

The six-seater Beech King Air C-90A aircraft crash landed at around 2:40 pm on a field in Kair village in Najafgarh, about 10 km from the Indira Gandhi international airport, police said.

The 27-year old plane belonging to Chandigarh-based private operator Alchemist Airways had to force land after both its engines failed, airport officials said. Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has started an inquiry into the incident.

A 61-year-old cardiac patient, Virender Rai, who was being flown to Delhi, was rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon immediately after the mishap. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.

The aircraft was in touch with Air Traffic Control while making the final approach to landing.

ATC sources said the first engine of the plane stopped working at 2:22 pm, prompting the commander to seek emergency landing. A little later at 2:35 pm, the pilot-in command reported that the second engine had also failed.

Two minutes later, the aircraft lost radar and VHF contact as well, the sources said, adding the ATC received a phone call at 2:40 pm that the aircraft had crash landed.

The six other on board included Rupesh (doctor), Jung Bahadur (aircraft technician), Juhi and Bhagwan Rai (both relatives of the patient), Amit Kumar (pilot) and Rohit (co-pilot).

A small 20-year-old Border Security Force plane had crashed near Dwarka in December last year in which all 10 on board had been killed.

A DGCA official said the final investigation will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

"Our officials are there at the accident site but since this is an accident, it will be investigated by the AAIB only," a DGCA official said.

The AAIB, which is under the ministry of civil aviation, has been mandated for probing all serious incidents/accidents involving Indian aircraft.

In a tweet, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said,"I pray for the early recovery of the injured. The causes of the accident shall be looked into."

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said DGCA officials have visited the site of the incident to conduct a probe.

"We received an emergency call from the pilot. Both the engines of the aircraft had reportedly failed. They made a safe landing. The DGCA is looking into the incident," Sharma told reporters.

As many as 14 fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately after the aircraft crash-landed.

Sources at Medanta Medicity said the patient had a brain stroke about two days ago in a hospital in Patna following which the hospital authorities had contacted Medanta for an air ambulance for transporting him to the facility for further treatment.

"But then later they chose to take some other private charter service instead of our air ambulance," said a source.

According to the spokesperson of Medanta, after the emergency landing, the medical team at the airport as well as at the hospital emergency were alerted.

"Police brought the patient and the relatives to the hospital. None of them had suffered injuries. The patient is admitted in the ICU and is on ventilator support. He is being looked after by a team of neurologists and critical care specialists," the spokesperson said.
Secret army is modern even today (video)

The society doesnt have complete information about Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA). We have a notion that the Secret Army is purely terrorist organization, yet it isnt true, terrorism was only a small part of its activities, says historian Vladimir Petrosyan. The scholar also used the sources, which havent been published until today, I used the sources of ASALA, I met with the chief ideologist of the Secret Army Gevorg Achemyan. Vladimir Petrosyan decided to write a book about ASALA taking into account the modernity of the organizations ideology nowadays. ASALA thought that the demand of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is theatrical performance, it is not the key issue, the key issue is to regain the lost homeland. Nowadays ASALA doesnt carry out active work, but it doesnt mean that the organization has nothing to do. Maybe its style of fighting is not modern nowadays taking into account todays international situation, but the name secret army itself is always modern, notes ASALA fighter Vazgen Sislyan. Secret army, its ideology book was written during 7-8 years and has been published in 500 copies. The book still wont be put up for sale. Those, who are interested, can find the book at libraries of Yerevan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and most of his ministerial colleague are expected to attend an event at India Gate to be hosted by mega star Amitabh Bachhan on May 28 to mark the second anniversary of the government.

The government is organising the event-- Zara Muskura Do (Smile Please)-- which will have several performances and programmes highlighting its "achievements".

The show will be beamed across the country by Doordarshan.

Various schemes and programmes, particularly Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Digital India and Rural Electrification, will be highlighted during the show. Programmes to mark the completion of Modi government's second year in office will also be held in various other cities.

The government had formed a panel of ministers, headed by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and comprising Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, to supervise preparations for the show.

The panel has had extensive discussions regarding the government schemes which need to be highlighted. Last year, the Modi government had celebrated its first year in office with a tagline Saal Ek, Shuruaat Anek.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry had asked various ministries to provide details of their achievements.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has also planned to hold over 200 events across the country between May 26 and June 10 to highlight the government's "successes" and Modi is likely to address rallies in different places, starting with an address in Saharanpur on May 26.
While bail plea of Bindi Yadav was rejected, hearing on Manorma Devis plea was deferred to May 27.

A Gaya court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of Bindi Yadav, father of Rocky Yadav who is accused of killing the 20-year-old son of a Gaya businessman in a road rage incident. Also, the hearing on the bail plea of Rockys mother, suspended Janata Dal-United MLC Manorma Devi was deferred to May 27.

According to police sources, the Gaya district court rejected the bail plea of Bindi Yadav, a criminal-turned-politician, arrested in connection with the killing of Aditya Sachdeva.

Meanwhile, deferring the hearing of Manorama Devis bail plea, the Gaya district and sessions judge on Tuesday sought the case diary and proceedings of a lower court (additional chief judicial magistrates court) in connection with the case.

Manorama Devi, who had surrendered last week and was remanded to 14-day judicial custody, is currently lodged as prisoner number 10,460 in the womens ward of Gaya Central jail.

An arrest warrant was issued against her for keeping liquor bottles at her home in Gaya town, in violation of the prohibition law.

Rocky and his father have also been lodged in the same jail as prisoner number 22,774 and 22,758 respectively.

Rockys parents palatial residence at A P Colony is not more than half a km from Gaya Central jail.

Rocky was arrested on May 10 and was sent to 14-day judicial custody. Later, he was remanded in police custody for 48 hours and is now back in jail.

A day after Rocky shot dead Aditya, Bindi was arrested on charges of helping his son escape after the crime. Bindi, a criminal-turned-politician, faces several serious criminal cases.

The arms licence of Manorma and her husband have also been cancelled.

With inputs from PTI
Five Pakistan navy officers linked to the Islamic State have been sentenced to death in a secret military trail for allegedly planning to hijack a Pakistani warship to attack one of the United States navys refuel ships, a media report said on Tuesday.

Sub Lieutenant Hammad Ahmed and four other naval officers have been sentenced after being convicted by a Navy tribunal for their involvement in the September 6, 2014 attack on Karachi Naval Dockyard.

The five were charged with having links with the militant Islamic State group, mutiny, hatching a conspiracy and carrying weapons in the dockyard, Hammads father Major Saeed Ahmed (retd) was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

According to the report, the attackers were planning to hijack the warship PNS Zulfiqar to use it in an attack on one of the US navys refuel ships.

Two terrorists had been killed and four others were apprehended by security personnel during the attack.

Saeed said that the naval authorities did not provide his son the right to a fair trial.

I wrote a letter to the Judge Advocate General of the navy on August 15, 2015, asking him to provide the opportunity of a defence counsel to my son, he said. The navy JAG on September 21 replied that the option of defence counsel would be available at the time of trial.

Saeed said that he was waiting for the commencement of the trial when someone recently informed him that his son had been shifted to Karachi central prison.

The retired army officer came to know about the conclusion of the trial and capital punishment when he went to Karachi and met his son and his four colleagues -- Irfanullah, Muhammad Hammad, Arsalan Nazeer and Hashim Naseer -- in prison.

My son told me that a naval court had awarded death penalty to him and four other officers after a secret trial, he claimed. The convicted officers informed me that the naval court concluded the trial on April 12 and promulgated the sentence on April 14.

He said that naval authorities did not provide him copies of the proceedings of the trial when he approached them for the same.

The convicts father said that he would file an appeal against the judgement before the naval court of appeal.

He claimed that his son and others had been made scapegoats, as this was not the first time when such security lapses came to light.

He said the five officers had been in the navy for only four to five years and they were not capable of seizing a warship and using it for a banned outfit.

So far, Pakistan Navy has not commented on the death sentences.

Image used for representational purpose only.
A data bank carrying finger prints of all foreigners coming to India on e-tourist visa is being set up by the Home ministry to help thwart entry of terrorists and criminals from abroad.

Immigration officials have started collecting finger prints of those coming on electronic or e-tourist visa and creating an Unique Case File of all visitors, official sources said on Tuesday.

Over 10 lakh UCF having all relevant information about the flyers including their finger prints are part of the database now, they said. The move comes amidst heightened threat from terror groups, including the Islamic State.

All those coming to India on e-tourist visa have to mandatorily get their finger prints scanned with authorities.

The Home ministry has decided to press ahead with the drive despite External Affairs Ministry recently expressing its reservations over the mandatory requirement of finger print scanning of the foreigners, saying it may discourage tourists form visiting India, the sources said.

The Home ministry officials, however, suggested that the government could look at incentivising the tourists by giving them long-term visa to address Foreign Ministry's concerns.

"It has been suggested that long term e-visa for two to five years or maybe more can be given to foreigners if they are giving finger prints. This will encourage the visitors while complying with all security requirements," a source said.

The US also gives long-term tourist and business visa of up to 10 years to Indians, he said.

The e-tourist visa scheme was launched on November 27, 2014. The scheme has been extended to 150 countries. On an average about 3,500 e-tourist visas are being granted daily to foreign nationals. Under the scheme, a visitor can apply for visa online. They receive it online too.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday refused to confirm the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour but said a DNA test will be done to establish the identity of a man killed in a American drone strike last week.

"He is an Afghan national and the Pakistan government has no means to identify Afghan citizens," he told reporters.

"Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are still investigating the incident, but so far they have not been able to confirm the identity," the minister said.

He said that an individual approached the government on Tuesday to claim the body of the second deceased person, saying "he is a relative of Mullah Mansour".

"We will perform the DNA test of that person and if it matches with that of the deceased body, only then we will be in a position to confirm that it was Mullah Mansour who was killed in the incident," he said.

He confirmed the attack on Pakistani soil but said that drone did not enter its airspace.

"The attack was launched from other country," he said, but refused to identify exactly from where the strike was carried out.

He said that he was unable to understand how the passport of the passenger traveling in the vehicle as Wali Muhammad was not damaged when everything was destroyed in the attack.

Khan said investigation was going on about it.

He said Wali Muhmmad got Pakistan's identity card in 2001 and also got the passport in 2011. He said those officials who verified him as a Pakistani are being probed. Khan said the US government informed Pakistan about the strike seven hours after the attack.

He condemned the drone attack as violation of Pakistan's territory and said it may lead to serious implication for relations between Pakistan and the US.

Talking about the possibility of impact of the Taliban chief's killing on Afghan peace process, the minister said that he was not sure how will it help in the brining peace.

Khan said he cannot understand that Mansour was a hurdle in peace process as he was at helms of affairs when the first round of direct talks was held in Murree in July last year.

He said that second round planned on July 31 last year was sabotaged when it was revealed that Mullah Omar was dead.

Khan said progress was made in the first round and Taliban "had agreed to declare Kabul as conflict free zone."

Khan also revealed that a representative of the Haqqani network was present in Muree talks.
Last updated on: May 24, 2016 10:24 IST

There are two things NaMo seems really fond of: Selfies and hugs.

While his first year in office was marked by selfies with every leader he met, the second year proved our Pradhan Sevak is quite the hugger.

From bestie 'Barack' to Ashraf G, NaMo embraced them all.

Here's the best of NaMo the hugger!

The Outreach Hug

'Barack' is his pal, we all know!

The bromance between 'Barack' and 'Prime Minister Modi' is doing very well, thank you, but we don't know if the rather aloof law professor at 1,600 Pennyslvania Avenue appreciates these NaMo embraces.

The Hug That Broke The Internet

The ala Titanic hug for Francois Hollande inspired a thousand memes.

NaMo became The Incredible Hugger among world leaders after this image and for good reason, don't you think?

The Birthday SqueezeHug

Namo seemed so thrilled to drop in on Nawaz on his birthday last Christmas that he almost squeezed the life out of Sharif.

Alas, all this prime ministerial pyaar didn't conquer all. Exactly a week later, the terrorists turned up in Pathankot.

The Facebook Hug

Don't ever get in between Modi and a picture. As Facebook's founder discovered when he was shoved aside when he blocked Namo from the photographers.

Amends were made later with what else, a hug!

The 'I am soooo excited to be here' Hug

It's easier to leave the European Union than to get out of a Namo bear hug as Dave Cameron discovered.

The 'Look into my eyes' Hug

He's done the side hug, the intense hug, and here, folks is Namo's frontal hug. Lucky recipient: Ashraf Ghani, current ruler of Kabul.

He's done Selfies in Year 1, Hugs in Year 2, what will NaMo come up in Year 3?

Please note: This is a satirical feature. Readers are requested to take the content with a pinch of salt.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday embarked on a four-day visit to China with an aim to bolster economic ties between the two countries and seek cooperation for combating designs of terror groups.

During his first state visit to China, the President will be meeting his counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Le Keqiang and other top leaders.

He is likely to raise the issue of China blocking India's bid to get a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and its insistence on India signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to get membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group.

India had countered the Chinese contention of signing NPT before becoming a member of NSG as "confusion" as NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries.

Ahead of his state visit to China, Mukherjee had told the Chinese state-run television that India seeks a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question which will help in achieving full potential of Sino-India relationship.

"We seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question and, pending the boundary settlement, to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas. Both sides should strive to ensure that outstanding issues are addressed in a manner that demonstrates mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns, interests and aspirations," he had said last week.

This will be the first visit of Mukherjee to China as President though he has visited the country a number of times in different capacities. The last Presidential visit to China was by Pratibha Patil in 2010.

Mukherjee will also discuss the issue of terrorism with the Chinese leadership. Before embarking on his visit, he had asked China to join hands with India in the fight against terrorism which will have "its own impact".

He will begin his visit by arriving in the industrialised Chinese city of Guangzhou on Tuesday, the first Indian leader to so.

Besides interacting with the Indian community, which has over 3,000 businessmen, Mukherjee will also address India-China Business Forum to highlight investment opportunities in India.

On the second leg of the visit, he will travel to Beijing where he will hold wide-ranging talks with the Chinese leadership on key bilateral, regional and global issues.

A key engagement of the President will be a round table of Vice Chancellors of Chinese and Indian universities. A number of MoUs will be signed between academic institutions of both the countries.

In Beijing, the President will also be talking to students of Peking University.

Mukherjee is accompanied by a delegation of academicians including Vice Chancellors of two central universities as well as heads of IIT-Delhi and Bhubaneshwar, IIM, Ahmedabad and NIT Nagpur and Agartala.

Union Minister Santosh Ganwar and four MPs will also accompany the President as part of the delegation.
All private medical colleges will come under the ambit of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, Health Minister J P Nadda said on Tuesday after an Ordinance to keep the state boards out of it for a year was signed by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Noting that the Ordinance has given a "firm and statutory" support to the common medical entrance test, he said the students in states will get an opportunity to appear this year (2016-17) for undergraduate exams.

"All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill UG seats. However, for PG courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year.

"The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams. 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET 1," Nadda told media persons in New Delhi.

"There are states which have deferred their exam like UP while Bihar has opted for NEET. They have an option. But these seats will be filled either by NEET or state governments," he said.

After having raised queries, the President on Tuesday signed the Ordinance which has a provision for states to keep out of NEET for a year.

Mukherjee signed the Ordinance after health ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early Tuesday morning along with the top ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by Mukherjee on NEET.

Nadda said that in the Ordinance, a provision has been made where an exemption has been given to state governments.

Nadda said this year, the NEET examination will be conducted on July 24.

He said Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chandigarh have conducted exams under NEET.

Bihar too has opted for NEET from this year though Delhi is yet to take a decision, he said.

Nadda said the states that have deferred the exams are West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh.

"All state seats will be filled up either by NEET or by their state examination board and in private medical colleges, the quota that they have for states will also be filled up by the state list or NEET list. PG examination in December 2016 will be a complete NEET," he said.

He said the states had not effectively put forth their views in the right perspective before the Supreme Court.

"In order to provide them relief, we brought this Ordinance," he said.

"The government was very clear from the beginning that it was in favour of NEET," the health minister said.

He said that after the apex court order, many state governments had approached the Centre and apprised it of various issues, including ongoing tests of states, parity of syllabus and regional languages.

Nadda said that after due consultations, including an all-party meeting and state health ministers' meet, a consensus was reached that NEET "in principle" is to be implemented which is why the Ordinance was brought.

Rejecting Congress' charge that the government was going against NEET, he said the Centre always favoured it.

"It is very wrong. In the all-party meeting, where Jairam Ramesh was also present, I had said NEET should be implemented and for this year, exemption should be granted for undergraduate courses," he said.
After the partys near washout in assembly polls, the demand for a overhaul is growing with spokesman Abhishek Singhvi arguing for younger state leaders, reports Kavita Chowdhury.

Under a tide of criticism over its abysmal performance in the recent assembly polls, the Congress party is being unusually tolerant to critical voices from within.

Senior leader Digvijay Singh had called for major surgery. On Monday, senior spokesperson and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi tweeted a prescription for revamping the party -- New younger state faces, three to six months prior declaration of candidates before elections, new All India Congress Committee general secretaries.

Adding that usual faces should be shunted to advisory roles. This would imply sidelining the old guard and bringing in younger faces, with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi slated to take over as party chief in the next few days.



As if to thwart the finger pointing at Rahul Gandhi and calls for change of apex leadership, Singhvi tweeted, Surgery never about unifocal look at leadership. Includes specifics -- three and six month prior declaration of MLA/MP candidates; new younger state faces, eg Pilot in Rajasthan; new general secretaries; new Congress Working Committee; micro management; 50 per cent pure merit and 50 per cent region, caste etc; shunt usual faces/ names to advisory roles.



That Singhvi has called for a new Congress Working Committee, is significant, since it would require a purging of those around for decades. His mentioning Sachin Pilot who was picked by Rahul Gandhi to lead the party in Rajasthan as one of the new state faces as an example to be emulated stokes the perennial debate within the Congress of the generational change within the party.



It is interesting that the Congress which earlier condemned any voice that was critical of the party is now allowing constructive criticism.

Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor met party chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday and then willingly spoke to the media. Having extensively toured the state, Tharoor gave his feedback on the Congress-led coalitions performance in Kerala. Having had a serious 50-minute discussion with the party president, I dont want to discuss the content of what we said but it is very clear that the party leadership takes extremely seriously the election results and has determination to move forward with constructive and positive action, he said.



To dispel the impression that the leadership was stuck in a time warp and was stalling action, Tharoor asserted, I am very struck by the determination of the leadership to confront the challenges facing the party and to overcome it.
Two local journalists were on Tuesday asked by an army officer to leave an event which they were covering in Srinagar after they did not stand up for the national anthem.

The journalists working with daily newspapers Kashmir Reader and Rising Kashmir were asked to leave the event -- Passing-Out Parade -- held at the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre, Rangreth on the outskirts of the city, after they did not stand up for the national anthem.

"The army had invited us to cover the event, not to participate in it. When the Indian anthem was played, I was jotting down notes for my story. After the anthem finished, one Colonel Burn came up to us and asked us to leave," Kashmir Reader correspondent Junaid Nabi Bazaz told PTI.

Bazaz alleged Colonel Burn "misbehaved" with them. "He misbehaved with us. He said 'all people here stood up for the anthem and the flag except you. We do not need people like you here so leave'. So we left afterwards," the journalist said.

Confirming the incident, Srinagar-based Defence Spokesman Colonel N N Joshi said he saw that the two journalists did not stand up when national anthem was being played and when a contingent holding the tricolour was passing through.

"I went up to them and explained to them the sanctity involved. They both said they were jotting down notes for the story. However, while I was talking to them, the officer (Colonel Burn) came and naturally, it was his sentiment, and he asked them to leave," Colonel Joshi said.

He said he had brought the matter to the notice of the army's top brass in the Valley.

"I appraised the seniors about the incident. I apologized about the incident but the journalists should also understand that there is so much sanctity involved about the event and the national anthem and national flag," he said.

Bazaz said after the event, Colonel Joshi apologised for "Burn's behaviour".

"He apologised for the incident and told me that Burn should have talked to him instead of expressing himself before us. Colonel Joshi also said he raised the issue of Colonel Burn's misbehavior with the higher ups," the journalist said.
IMAGE: DMK chief M Karunanidhi with his son and party treasurer MK Stalin at the party's executive meeting at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai. Photograph: PTI.

All set to take over as the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Tamil Nadu sssembly, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam scion M K Stalin on Tuesday vowed to do justice to the post and take up people's issues in a constructive way in the legislature.

Stalin, 63, son of party patriarch M Karunanidhi, was unanimously elected as its legislature party leader by the DMK MLAs on Tuesday, marking his ascent towards the key opposition leader status for the first time in his political career.

Stalin's election as party's floor leader came at a meeting attended by all 89 DMK MLAs, including Karunanidhi, who won from his native Thiruvarur constituency for a second term by a record margin of over 68,000 votes.

The DMK is the single largest opposition party with 89 MLAs and by virtue of being elected its floor leader, Stalin qualifies to be the leader of the opposition in the assembly, a post the party has wrested now after Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam headed by actor-turned politician Vijayakant grabbed it in 2011.

Stalin thanked Karunanidhi and the party MLAs for electing him as their leader.

"As an opposition Leader, I will work efficiently. I will discuss people's issues in a constructive manner in the House and strive to uphold Assembly democracy," he said on his Facebook page.

Stalin, considered Karunanidhi's political heir apparent, will be leading a strong DMK contingent with allies the Congress (8) and the Indian Union Muslim League (1) to support him in the opposition benches.

At Tuesday's meeting, senior leader Durai Murugan was elected the deputy leader of DMK legislature wing while R Sakkarapani the party's whip.

Although the DMK had fancied winning the May 16 polls with exit polls favouring it, the party fell short as All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief J Jayalalithaa led her party to a 'historic' successive term, winning 134 of the 232 seats.

However, the DMK has emerged a stronger opposition this time, almost scoring four times of the 23 MLAs that it got in the 2011 elections when it was trounced by the AIADMK and relegated to the third place behind the DMDK.

Stalin was DMK floor leader in the previous assembly too.

A sixth time MLA, Stalin made his assembly debut in 1989 and rose in the party ranks to lead the youth wing besides later being elevated as treasurer.
Days after Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a United States drone attack, the deadly militant group is struggling to find his successor.

The two main contenders -- Mullah Yakoub, the Taliban founder's son, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, an implacable foe of US forces -- has backed out of the leadership race, AFP has reported.

"Yakoub has refused to accept the role, saying he is too young for it," a senior Taliban source in northwest Pakistan told AFP.

"Mansour's deputy and operational head of the Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has also refused due to personal reasons."

The insurgent group has been holding emergency meetings since Sunday at an undisclosed location in Pakistan to find a unifying figure for the leadership post.

However, Taliban has yet to officially confirm the death of Mansour, which has thrown the deeply factionalised Taliban into disarray nine months after he was elevated to the Taliban leadership following a bitter power struggle.

"The main challenge is to save the Taliban movement from being further divided," another Taliban source said, adding that supreme council members were constantly changing the venue of their meetings to avoid potential air strikes.

"It will take time to reach a consensus for the leadership position."

Apart from Yakoub and Haqqani, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar's name cropped up to lead the group. Ghani, the movement's former deputy, is said to be close to the Pakistani military establishment.

He was jailed by Pakistan in 2010 but freed in September 2013 as part of efforts to boost Afghanistan's peace process. He has since been reported to be under house arrest by Pakistani authorities.

Mullah Adbul Qayyum Zakir, considered one of the group's most violent and committed commanders, is another leading contender.

The complicated search for a new leader risks igniting a new succession battle within the Taliban, which saw its first formal split last year after Mansour was made the chief.
A senate panel has approved a legislation which blocks $300 million United States military aid to Pakistan unless the defence secretary certifies to the Congress that Islamabad is taking "demonstrable" steps against the Haqqani terror network.

The senate armed services committee -- which renewed blockage of $300 million coalition support fund to Pakistan subject to action against the Haqqani network like previous year when it passed the national defence duthorisation dct-2017 last week -- has, however, argued in favour of continuing security assistance to Pakistan.

"In recognition of the critical importance of the bilateral US-Pakistan relationship and the need for enhanced security and stability in Pakistan, the committee recommends a provision that would provide the secretary of defence the authority to reimburse Pakistan up to $800 million in fiscal year 2017 for certain activities that enhance the security situation in the northwest regions of Pakistan and along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border," it said in a report.

"The provision would also make $300 million of this amount contingent upon a certification from the secretary of defence that Pakistan is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani network in Pakistan," the report said.

The NDAA-2017 is scheduled to come up before the senate for voting, during which several senators are expected to bring in amendments to this bill.

Senate version of the NDAA differed with that of the House on many issues, including Pakistan.

While the House version of the bill, which was passed last week, calls for blocking $450 million of the $900 million US aid to Pakistan in coalition support fund, the senate version has reduced both the figures to $300 million and $800 million, respectively.

The NDAA 2016, which ends on September 30 this year, makes it mandatory for the defence secretary to certify that Islamabad is taking action against the Haqqani network for the release of last $300 million of the coalition support fund to Pakistan.

"The defence decretary has not taken a decision yet," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Devis told reporters on Monday when asked if Ashton Carter has issued the Congress-mandated certification.

The committee, which passed the NDAA-2017 before the weekend's US air strike on Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in the Af-Pak border region, in its report noted that since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Pakistan has been a vital partner in US efforts to combat terrorism in South Asia.

"The committee believes that stability in the region cannot be achieved without stability in Pakistan itself and that fostering a strong, stable, and secure Pakistan is consistent with the national security goals of the United States," the report said.

The committee noted that Pakistan has been a long-standing strategic partner of the US and believes that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to be strong and enduring.

It said it recognises that some have criticised security assistance for Pakistan in recent years.

"However, the committee believes that security and stability within the borders of Pakistan is vital to the stability of the region and to transregional efforts to combat terrorism more broadly," the report said.

The committee said in this context, it notes with concern that terrorist attacks continue to plague Pakistan and strongly supports efforts by the country's government to take steps to degrade and defeat terrorist networks and activities within its own borders.

"For these reasons, the committee believes that security assistance for Pakistan should continue," the senate armed services committee said.

"To ensure sustainability and viability over the long-term, the committee also believes that security assistance for Pakistan should transition to a bilateral programme focussed on the stability and security of Pakistan, rather than the more narrow previous focus of coalition support funds, which were based on the country's support for coalition operations in Afghanistan," the report said.

Noting that the coalition presence and mission in Afghanistan continue to evolve, the committee expressed its concern that, if left unchanged, continued reliance on coalition support funds for the provision of security assistance to Pakistan could negatively impact US support of Pakistani operations to combat terrorism.
Yemen: UN-mediated peace talks continue following trilateral meeting with Ban in Qatar

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 23 May 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Yemen: UN-mediated peace talks continue following trilateral meeting with Ban in Qatar, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5744196f40d.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

23 May 2016 - The delegation of the Government of Yemen returned to the negotiating table in Kuwait in the latest round of peace talks today, with the United Nations envoy for the conflict-torn country holding a plenary this morning with both delegations, a UN spokesperson said.

In Qatar over the weekend, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon participated in a trilateral meeting with the Amir of Qatar and President Hadi of Yemen, which the Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, also attended, according to a statement issued by Mr. Ban's office.

To President Hadi, the Secretary-General underlined that peace negotiations are rarely smooth, but that there was a need for "commitment and perseverance" by all sides.

"He said he strongly hoped that the talks that will shortly resume in Kuwait will lead to concrete results, and he appreciated Qatar's support," said the statement, which is dated 21 May.

During the meeting, Mr. Ban also requested the special envoy to respond to the recent letter received from the Government of Yemen. At the time, the President of Yemen confirmed that he would send the Government's delegation back to the talks as requested by the Amir of Qatar and the Secretary-General, according to the statement.

The Secretary-General added that, in parallel to the peace talks, all parties needed to redouble their efforts to provide and facilitate humanitarian and other supplies, including fuel, to alleviate the "appalling living conditions" of millions of Yemeni citizens, the statement said.

Today, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed expressed his gratitude to the Yemeni Government for the decision to return to the negotiating table and called on all the parties to make progress, in order to alleviate the burden placed on the Yemeni people.

"Peace talks are always complicated and require time; however I urge the Yemeni parties to exert all possible effort to reach a sustainable peace agreement in the near future. Any delay wastes time and causes the tragic losses," he said.
DR Congo: UN envoy urges 'patriotic reawakening' to ease rising political tensions

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 23 May 2016 Related Document(s) Security Council resolution 2277 (2016) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) until 31 Mar. 2017] Cite as UN News Service, DR Congo: UN envoy urges 'patriotic reawakening' to ease rising political tensions, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/574419a240b.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

23 May 2016 - The top United Nations official in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has expressed deep concern about the increasing political tensions in some parts of the Central African country, urging both the majority and opposition sides to reawaken their patriotism.

"The current situation and the dangers weighing upon it need patriotic reawakening both on the part of the majority as well as the opposition, to place the interests of the country above any other consideration," Maman Sidikou, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), said in a press release over the weekend.

He noted that increasing the number of judiciary proceedings and actions likely to shrink the political space will only exacerbate the tensions and make it even more difficult to hold the political dialogue insistently called for by President Joseph Kabila.

Mr. Sidikou urged strict respect for the rule of law and the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

"Only a genuinely inclusive political dialogue, Constitution-abiding, will help Congolese actors to successfully overcome the current challenges, more particularly the ones relating to the electoral process," he said.

Citing Security Council resolution 2277, he said that the UN stands resolutely with the African Union and its appointed facilitator, former Togolese Prime Minister Edem Kodjo, to facilitate the launch of the political talks.

The Special Representative further expressed the UN readiness to assist an independent nation electoral commission in organizing free and transparent elections to mark a new step forward in the advancement of the democratic process in the DRC.
Ban condemns terrorist attacks killing dozens of civilians in two coastal Syrian cities

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 23 May 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Ban condemns terrorist attacks killing dozens of civilians in two coastal Syrian cities, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57441a0640c.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

23 May 2016 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the terrorist attacks today that claimed the lives of dozens of civilians in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartous.

A statement attributable to his spokesperson said that the Secretary-General "takes note with great concern of the escalating military activity in many areas in and around Damascus."

"The violence, particularly in Daraya, Aleppo and Idlib, and in the northern countryside of Homs, especially Al-Houla, is causing mounting civilian casualties," the Secretary-General said.

According to media reports, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) claimed responsibility for the attacks, in which more than 140 people were reportedly killed and many others wounded by at least five suicide bombers and two devices planted in cars.

In his statement, Mr. Ban also reiterated a call on all parties to the Syrian conflict to refrain from attacks on the civilian population, adding that those perpetrating such attacks must be held accountable for their crimes.

Reminding all parties to the cessation of hostilities of their duty to abide by its terms, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2268 (2016), the Secretary-General also called on all Member States to take "immediate, collective and decisive action to bring the tragedy unfolding in Syria to an end," in line with their commitments in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016).
UN envoy welcomes resumption of cement deliveries into Gaza

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 23 May 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN envoy welcomes resumption of cement deliveries into Gaza, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57441a7040b.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

23 May 2016 - The United Nations envoy for the peace process in the Middle East today welcomed the decision to resume the private import of cement into Gaza after nearly 45 days of suspension.

In a statement, Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said the import became possible because of efforts by both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

"All sides need to ensure that cement deliveries reach their intended beneficiaries and are used solely for civilian purposes," the envoy said.

Noting that humanitarian challenges in Gaza remain "vast," the envoy emphasized that all efforts should be made to resolve the housing, electricity and water crises.

"It is critical for the security of both Palestinians and Israelis that Gaza remains calm and hope is restored to its people," he said.

Mr. Mladenov also reiterated that the UN continues to call for the full lifting of all closures on Gaza, as envisioned in Security Council resolution 1860 (2009).

"A permanent end to the suffering of the Palestinian people can only be achieved through reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a single, legitimate and democratic Palestinian national authority and the realization of the two-state solution," he stressed.

In April, the envoy said the UN was working closely with Palestinian and Israeli authorities following Israel's suspension of cement deliveries to private companies in the Gaza Strip.
Shifting to the long term

Publisher IRIN Author Kristy Siegfried Publication Date 20 May 2016 Cite as IRIN, Shifting to the long term, 20 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57441b794.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

One of the key issues on the agenda at next week's World Humanitarian Summit will be how to address record levels of forced displacement.

The number of people forced from their homes by conflict and persecution has now reached an estimated 60 million. The reason is not more wars, but conflicts that have become more intractable and drawn out. More than 80 percent of refugee crises now last for 10 or more years and two out of five last for at least 20 years.

There's now widespread recognition that as more people are being forced from their homes for longer periods, the old model of handing out tents and food is no longer working. Funding for humanitarian assistance is finite and it tends to dry up after a few years as new crises crop up.

For people with no prospect of returning home anytime soon, minimal opportunities for resettlement to a third country, and dwindling access to aid, the only real hope is to help them find ways to support themselves and improve their living conditions. In the aid world, this is called shifting from a humanitarian to a development approach. It sounds simple enough, but translating the rationale into tangible change in the way governments, international organisations and donors respond to displacement is turning out to be a tall order.

Consider the predicament of 360,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur who have been living in isolated camps in eastern Chad for the past decade. In the early years of their displacement "there was a great deal of attention focused on their plight," says Michael Boyce of Refugees International.

"Everyone was going out to eastern Chad to showcase their needs and deliver services. We're now 10 years out from that and the attention and funding has dropped off. As of the end of March, UNHCR (the UN's refugee agency) had only received four percent of the funding they need there."

Boyce visited the camps last June, more than a year after the World Food Programme had been forced to cut food rations for the refugees by 50 percent. In a report that he co-authored following that visit, he observed that humanitarian funding had dried up before being replaced by desperately needed development activities and that after years of aid dependency, the refugees were being pushed to become self-reliant in a semi-desert location with very limited livelihood opportunities.

Corentin Fohlen/UNHCR Sudanese refugee children protest against food ration cuts at Touloum refugee camp in Chad

UNHCR's country representative for Chad, Antonio Canhandula, admits that attempts to shift to a self-reliance approach have been by default rather than by design as funding has dropped off. "That's not the best way to change approaches," he told IRIN.

He added that while the real challenges were mainly developmental ones affecting both the refugees and surrounding communities  environmental degradation, water shortages and a lack of health services  there was little funding or technical capacity to address them.

"What we really need is to marry our programmes with development programmes," he said. "But most development agencies are sitting in Europe; few are with us in the field."

Government resistance

Part of the problem is that host governments often prefer the humanitarian approach because it helps maintain the politically convenient illusion that refugees are a temporary burden that can be dealt with by the international community until they go home. Partnering with development actors to improve conditions for refugees and move them towards self-reliance is an admission that they will be around for the long-term.

In countries like Kenya, where refugees have been confined to camps for decades with no legal right to work, there is no political will to make such a shift. Tentative steps at the regional level towards integrating the refugees at Kakuma camp into the local economy have been eclipsed by the government's recent announcement that it intends to close down the Dadaab refugee camps.

Alexander Betts, director of Oxford University's Refugee Studies Centre, says that global level discussions about how to close the humanitarian-development divide have tended to underestimate the extent that conditions on the ground, such as the right regulatory environment and employment and educational opportunities for refugees, need to be in place before a real shift can take place.

"If refugees don't have the right to work or freedom of movement, then even inserting them in national development plans would have significant limitations in terms of the impact it will have," he told IRIN.

The long road to change

International organisations in the humanitarian and development sectors also need to rethink the way they work, said Betts. Humanitarian agencies like UNHCR need to start approaching displacement as an economic issue and to "borrow from the development toolbox". Meanwhile, development actors like the UN's Development Programme (UNDP) need to engage more in displacement issues. Donor governments also have a role to play in terms of funding longer-term projects that support refugee self-reliance.

Small inroads are being made. In addition to the conversations happening at a global level at the World Humanitarian Summit and elsewhere, projects are being piloted in the field in various countries. A recent mapping exercise by the Nairobi-based Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat identified 14 initiatives, just in eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa, where humanitarian, development and private sector actors are working together on durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs).

The Geneva-based Solutions Alliance, which aims to help displaced people move towards self-reliance, is supporting national groups in Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda and Somalia to include displaced populations in their national development plans.

"It's still at an embryonic stage, but the model is potentially innovative and creative because it starts at national level with governments prepared to do things differently and then provides them with a network of support from businesses, donors and civil society," explained Betts, who is co-chair of the Solutions Alliance's research working group.

Meanwhile, the World Bank is working closely with UNHCR to support public service delivery to Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan.

Later this year, the World Bank will launch projects in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Zambia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The projects are country specific  Zambia's will support local integration of long-term Angolan refugees, Congo's will focus on IDPs and Ethiopia's will address the environmental impacts of hosting large numbers of refugees  but they all share an emphasis on supporting host communities, said Joanna De Berry, a senior social development specialist at the World Bank.

"The majority of the beneficiaries will be from the host populations," she told IRIN. "That's one of the things we can do differently as a development agency.

"The other common theme across all the projects is the use of government systems [for delivery] rather than the parallel systems often used by NGOs."

Both the focus on host communities and the strengthening of government capacity are helpful in convincing countries to take out World Bank loans, even low-interest ones, to fund projects that are indirectly aimed at benefiting non-citizens.

De Berry believes host governments' reticence about investing in projects promoting refugee and IDP self-reliance can be overcome. She cited a World Bank project to improve living conditions and create more employment opportunities for IDPs in Azerbaijan. "We sat down with the government and said, 'You have all these IDPs dependent on state subsidies; if they were self-reliant and were contributing to the economy, you'd see a three percent upswing in GDP, so it's a question of economic sense.'"

She added that the results of the project had been "quite outstanding", with a significant payback for the government.

Looking for leadership

It is still unclear who will take the lead in moving forward efforts to address the long-term development needs of refugees and IDPs and what exactly a more developmental approach would look like.

"It's still very early days," said De Berry. "We're challenged on the accountability side, of who's going to hold who to account on doing things differently."

Boyce of Refugees International puts it more bluntly: "There's still buck-passing going on. Everyone wants someone else to take charge," he told IRIN.

"Mindsets are slowly changing and if the World Humanitarian Summit can really get everyone on the same page and contributing to solving this problem that would be a great result."

No one really believes that the needed transition is going to occur at the World Humanitarian Summit or even at the high-level meeting to address large movements of refugees due to take place at the UN General Assembly in September.

"We've got to be realistic about what summits can achieve," said Betts. "Rather than seeing them as one-off events, it's more constructive to see them as part of a process.

"Success or otherwise won't be determined in Istanbul or New York. It'll be determined by the longer-term visions that emerge from those conversations."
Prosecute those who bomb hospitals, or it will keep happening

Publisher IRIN Publication Date 23 May 2016 Cite as IRIN, Prosecute those who bomb hospitals, or it will keep happening, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57441c674.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Following a recent resolution against attacks on healthcare in war zones, the UN should ensure compliance by referring perpetrators to the International Criminal Court for prosecution.

That's one of the recommendations in a report released today by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, which reviewed attacks on healthcare in 19 countries in 2015 and the first three months of this year. Other "urgent actions needed" include creating a system for reporting acts of violence, and implementing an international body to investigate attacks.

Without such measures, the resolution, passed unanimously by the Security Council on 3 May, is destined to fail.

"The resolution itself will not stop attacks, unless national governments and international bodies take their obligation to protect healthcare seriously, prosecuting the war criminals who target medical professionals," Laura Hoemeke of Intrahealth International, a member of the coalition, told IRIN.

Attacks included airstrikes and executions, as well as looting and burning facilities. They were carried out by armed groups of all stripes, including state militaries.

As a result, health facilities were closed and the workers fled, depriving millions of people of access to healthcare. In Yemen, for example, 14.1 million people cannot get medical treatment; about half the doctors in both Iraq and Syria have emigrated.

Although international law forbids attacks on healthcare, incidents are on the rise. The report notes:

"The events of 2015 and early 2016 are especially alarming: parties to conflict bombed hospitals in five countries, killed health workers for seeking to provide impartial care, committed assaults in hospitals and against patients and staff, and violently obstructed access to healthcare."

The drastic increase in the number of attacks prompted the UN resolution, which pushes states to investigate attacks on healthcare and prosecute the perpetrators. But simply asking states to take action is unlikely to work.

"There's no doubt that the international community's failure to halt such attacks has sparked a chain reaction of impunity," said Hoemeke. "Perpetrators clearly believe they will suffer no consequences if they deliberately attack patients, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff."

Resolving to do nothing?

The resolution was welcomed in humanitarian circles, where it is seen as a good first step. But it will go nowhere unless further steps are taken to enforce it.

Helen Durham, head of legal policy with the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the resolution sends a "strong political message".

"This will must now be translated into practical measures," she said.

For example, she said, soldiers should be trained in the protection of healthcare before military operations. "This will contribute to internalising behaviour that would minimise disruptions to healthcare facilities in the heat of battle."

The resolution may put pressure on some member states to take such action, but it's unlikely to convince other states or armed groups to do so. International law says health workers must be allowed to provide care to all sides of a conflict, and it holds that combatants cease being combatants once they are wounded. But some actors in the theatre of war appear to disagree with those tenets or at least ignore them.

"Our analysis is there is an evolution in the nature of warfare," said Bruno Jochum of Medecins Sans Frontieres Switzerland. "The simple act of providing medical care without discrimination is seen in certain doctrines or evolutions of the practice of warfare as providing material aid to the enemy."

Although MSF and the ICRC backed the UN resolution as a means towards changing that attitude, it is unlikely to really do so as it essentially underscores existing laws that are increasingly and flagrantly violated.

Accountability

Persuading armed groups to follow International Humanitarian Law rests on accountability. After all, if there is no concern about repercussions, a commander with a military or another armed group may find more incentive to violate IHL than to uphold it.

Durham said accountability depends largely on including documentation in military operations, and oversight measures such as investigations. Furthermore, states must uphold their obligations under the Geneva Convention by incorporating "criminal sanctions" into domestic law.

"States must ensure that sanctions are effectively applied and have a deterrent effect, and that investigations carried out are impartial and effective," she said. "International bodies, where competent, could usefully complement the work of national institutions in this regard."

Dustin Lewis, a senior researcher at the Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict, pointed out that certain international institutions already exist  it's just a matter of using them.

After a US airstrike last year on a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, MSF urged an investigation by the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission, although it never materialised. The International Criminal Court is also authorised to prosecute cases of attacks on places where wounded and sick people are gathered.

"Yet, over the decades that it has existed, that Commission has never been activated, and the ICC does not have jurisdiction over all armed conflicts," Lewis noted.

Accountability is built on facts, but without a mechanism like the Commission that can operate independently, there is too much incentive to obscure the facts, which is often what happens when militaries are called upon to investigate themselves.

SEE: NATO probes raid on Afghan clinic, speaks to few, finds out little

"There is nothing effective today in place that allows us to establish the facts," said Jochum of MSF. "It can be blocked and usually is blocked systematically."

That pattern seems unlikely to change unless the UN enacts at least some of the recommendations laid out in the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition report.
Comments

Published by UNDP and UNHCR, Global Cluster for Early Recovery, (Technical Working Group on Durable Solutions) with the Global Protection Cluster. With the generous contribution of ECHO.
Title No Protection, No Respect: Health Workers and Health Facilities Under Attack 2015 and Early 2016

Publisher Human Rights Watch

Publication Date 23 May 2016

Cite as Human Rights Watch, No Protection, No Respect: Health Workers and Health Facilities Under Attack 2015 and Early 2016, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57441f434.html [accessed 25 October 2022]

Comments Human Rights Watch is a member of the https://www.safeguardinghealth.org/. Other Members include: ACBAR (Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development), Alliance of Health Organizations (Afghanistan), Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Defenders for Medical Impartiality, Doctors for Human Rights (UK), Doctors of the World USA, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, Friends of the Global Fund Africa (Friends Africa), Global Health Council, Global Health through Education, Training and Service (GHETS), Insecurity Insight, International Federation of Health and Human Rights Organisations, International Federation of Medical Students Associations, International Health Protection Initiative, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, International Rescue Committee, Karen Human Rights Group, Medact, Medical Aid for Palestinians, North to North Health Partnership (N2N), Pakistan Medical Association, Save the Children, Surgeons OverSeas (SOS), University Research Company, World Vision.
Guinea: New law could abolish death penalty but repressive provisions remain

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 23 May 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Guinea: New law could abolish death penalty but repressive provisions remain, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/574423fd4.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Several draft laws currently under examination by Guinean parliamentarians propose major improvements to human rights, particularly the abolition of the death penalty and the criminalization of torture. However, a group of 30 non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, have today highlighted the fact that these laws still contain repressive and discriminatory provisions.

Thirty organizations have today published a legal analysis of the draft laws on the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Military Justice Code, the Civil Code and Cybersecurity, all currently being considered by the National Assembly. These organizations are calling on parliamentarians to ensure that the texts are in keeping with international and regional human rights law, including with regard to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. They must also ensure that the discriminatory provisions, particularly affecting women, are removed.

"Guinea is in the process of criminalizing torture and becoming the 19th African state to abolish the death penalty," stated Francois Patuel, West Africa researcher at Amnesty International.

"But these major advances must not be weakened by provisions that would form a real threat to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, women's rights and the war on impunity."

Repression of peaceful demonstrations

The signatory organizations consider that the criteria for prohibiting a demonstration are badly defined in the draft law on the Criminal Code. This gives the authorities a wide margin of discretion and enables them to ban peaceful demonstrations for vague reasons that are not in keeping with international standards.

The draft law on the Criminal Code would enshrine already existing practices such as arbitrary bans on demonstrations and arbitrary arrests of individuals exercising their right to peaceful assembly, and would result in the risk of an arbitrary and abusive use of force. The law establishes prison sentences for organizers of demonstrations that are considered illegal under Guinean law or not declared in the proper form. One provision holds the organizers of demonstrations responsible for any possible unlawful acts committed by other demonstrators.

This draft Criminal Code also anticipates the possibility of the use of force by the security services outside the conditions and limits set by international standards. Guinean legislation should, in particular, clarify that the security forces may only use force if other means have proved ineffective or not had the desired results.

"In 2015 alone, the repression of demonstrations and an excessive use of force resulted in around a dozen deaths and hundreds of wounded. The revision of the Criminal Code offers a unique opportunity to provide better protection of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to regulate excessive use of force," stated Saikou Yaya Diallo, President of the Guinean Centre for Human Rights Promotion and Protection (Centre guineen de promotion et de protection des droits de l'homme).

Impunity and threats facing the right to a fair trial

The signatory organizations consider that the competence of the military court as set out in the draft law on the Code of Military Justice is too far-reaching. It enables military courts to try civilians when they are co-authors or accomplices in offences that fall under military jurisdiction, such as treason, terrorism or military conspiracy. This threatens their right to a fair trial.

Soldiers charged with ordinary criminal offences committed during periods of armed conflict, including torture, rape and the crime of genocide, could be tried by a military court and not an ordinary civil court. This provision might violate their right to an impartial and independent trial. It could also encourage a culture of impunity with regard to human rights violations committed by members of the security forces . Despite the complaints made by the families of people killed in the context of demonstrations in 2015, no member of the security forces has yet been brought to justice.

"Justice for human rights violations must be the same for all. If Guinea criminalizes torture in the draft law on the Criminal Code then it must ensure that the security forces, including soldiers, can be tried for human rights violations by the ordinary civil courts, whether in peacetime or during periods of armed conflict," stated Clement Boursin, Head of Africa at Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture (Action des chretiens pour l'abolition de la torture / ACAT-France).

Suppression of dissident opinions

Several provisions could be used to suppress dissident opinions or prevent the disclosure of information on human rights violations. For example, the draft Criminal Code anticipates a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of around 233 euros for disrespect, defamation and insult, including in relation to public figures, whether in the form of gestures, writings or drawings.

Under the terms of the draft law on cybersecurity, any person who discloses "information that must be kept confidential" for reasons of national defence runs the risk of being accused of treason or espionage, which carries a life sentence. The dissemination and communication of "false information" is also liable to a sentence of up to three years in prison and a fine of around 11,557 euros.

"These provisions represent a clear step backwards in the protection of freedom of expression. They are based on poorly-defined notions and could be inappropriately used to incriminate people who express dissident opinions, including journalists, bloggers and whistleblowers seeking to expose human rights violations," stated Labila Sonomou, President of Lawyers Without Borders-Guinea (Avocat Sans Frontiere Guinee / ASF).

Discrimination against women

Some texts under examination by the National Assembly contain discriminatory provisions, particularly with regard to women. The draft law on the Civil Code upholds the general ban on polygamy but authorizes it under certain, poorly-defined circumstances such as "serious reasons of force majeure".

In a report published in April 2016, the United Nations raised concerns over the increase in female genital mutilation in Guinea, which affects 97% of women and girls aged 15 to 49. Genital mutilation generally is criminalized in the draft law on the Criminal Code but the sentence for female genital mutilation may be no more than a simple fine. This seems rather light in comparison with the sentence for male genital mutilation, which ranges from 10 to 20 years in prison, and even a life sentence if the person dies following such mutilation.

According to a study by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) published in 2012, Guinea has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. On average, three in every five girls are married before the age of 18. Although forced marriage is "formally prohibited" and marriage must be based on "free, mutual and willing consent between two adults", the draft law on the Criminal Code provides for exemptions in the case of "particular situations" that are not clearly defined in the text.

"The authorities must ensure that the ban on forced and child marriage applies to all forms of marriage, including customary and religious forms, and they must set the minimum age for marriage as 18 years for boys and girls, in accordance with the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child," stated Fatou Souare Hann, Executive Director of WAFRICA - Guinea.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Viet Nam: Shameful wave of arrests of activists as Obama visits

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 23 May 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Viet Nam: Shameful wave of arrests of activists as Obama visits, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/574424534.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Vietnamese authorities must end their crackdown on peaceful protesters and release all prisoners of conscience, Amnesty International said today.

As Viet Nam hosts US President Barack Obama on a three-day visit, the authorities have pressed ahead with their assault on the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly by arresting six peaceful activists and orchestrating a campaign of intimidation and harassment against dozens more.

"Even as it faces the glare of global attention with the US President's visit, the Vietnamese authorities, shamefully, are carrying out their repressive business as usual," said Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International's Director for South East Asia and the Pacific.

The six peaceful activists who have been arrested in recent days are: Nancy Nguyen, Nguyen Viet Dung, Pham oan Trang, Vu Huy Hoang, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, and Nguyen Ba Vinh.

"Before leaving Vietnam, President Obama must insist on the release of all prisoners of conscience and a commitment that peaceful protests will be allowed," said T. Kumar, International Advocacy Director for Amnesty International. "Human rights cannot be sacrificed for security and trade deals."

In addition to the arrests, dozens of activists have complained on social media that they are being prevented from leaving their homes by uniformed and plain-clothes police stationed outside.

Amnesty International has spoken to several activists in different cities around the country who are subjected surveillance and intimidation. Several activists have been physically attacked in the last week and Amnesty International is unaware of the arrests of any alleged perpetrators.

The authorities' crackdown has included the banning of BBC journalists, and the blocking of social media sites including Facebook and Instagram.

"Vietnamese authorities must allow journalists do their job and individuals to express themselves freely," said Rafendi Djamin.

Background

Over the past month, Vietnamese authorities have mounted a countrywide crackdown on protests against the government's failure to address the fallout from an ecological disaster that has devastated fish stocks in the coastal provinces.

Among those who have been swept up by the most recent wave of arrests which took place in the last week is Nancy Nguyen, a US citizen, who arrived in the country on 17 May 2016 to join the protests. Two days later, she reported on social media that 20 security officials were outside her hotel.

Nancy Nguyen has not been heard from since and her current fate and whereabouts remain unknown.

Nguyen Viet Dung was arrested on 20 May in Ho Chi Minh City, having travelled there from his home town in Nghe An province. He was released on 23 May after being flown back to Nghe An.

He was only recently released in April 2016, after a one-year jail term for participating in a peaceful protest in Hanoi.

Journalist Pham oan Trang and blogger Vu Huy Hoang were arrested in Hanoi on the morning of 23 May. The details of their arrests are unclear.

On the morning of 23 May, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh and Nguyen Ba Vinh were arrested in Nha Trang. Nguyen Ba Vinh had travelled to a local beach in the early morning with a banner which read "Why have the fish died?"

He was physically attacked by a group of men in plain clothes. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh went to the beach to help him and was also attacked. The two were arrested at around 8am local time and detained until 4pm.

None of the men involved in attacking them were arrested. This is second time in a week that Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh has been arrested. On 15 May, she was detained in Ho Chi Minh City while attempting to join demonstrations in the city.

--

Rafendi Djamin and T. Kumar's op-ed in TIME Magazine:

Obama Must Insist on Release of Vietnamese Political Prisoners http://time.com/4343401/obama-vietnam-trip/?xid=homepage

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Syria: Spate of Bombings Appear to Target Civilians

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 23 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Syria: Spate of Bombings Appear to Target Civilians, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57442d4e4.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

A series of car bombings and suicide attacks targeting civilian bus stations and a hospital in Syrian government-controlled areas on May 23, 2016, would appear to constitute war crimes, Human Rights Watch said today. The ISIS news agency Amaq said that ISIS claimed responsibility for attacks, in Latakia province, saying that suicide bombers targeted areas where "Alawites gather." Deliberately targeting civilians is a war crime, and anyone involved in preparing, ordering, or carrying out such a crime should be held accountable.

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that 78 people died when a series of car bombs and suicide attacks ripped through the cities of Tartous and Jableh, in the Latakia province. SANA said that 45 people were killed in Jableh and 33 in Tartous. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a local monitoring group, said that at least 145 people died in the attacks.

"The deadly attacks on bus stations and a hospital in Syria's coastal towns show the assailants' callous disregard for civilian life," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director. "In the face of such horrors, it's more important than ever to make it a top priority to protect Syria's civilians  regardless of whom they support, where they live, or their religion."

SANA reported that two suicide bombers wearing explosive vests targeted the entrance of the Jableh bus station, and another suicide bomber targeted the emergency entrance of the Jableh National Hospital and the electrical company, while a car bomb exploded at the Tartous bus station and a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest inside the station.

The Syrian Observatory reported that the second attack at the Tartous bus station came as people gathered in response to the first. Video shot by SANA showed charred vehicles and minibuses in what seemed to be a bus station. Al-Ikhbareya, a pro-government news station, showed footage of twisted metal, damage to buildings, and blood spilled on the ground.

The May 23 bombings and suicide attacks are part of an ongoing series of atrocities by the extremist group the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, throughout Syria, Human Rights Watch said. Human Rights Watch has previously documented deliberate attacks on civilians by ISIS and other armed groups against areas inhabited by Alawites or other civilians who are sometimes perceived to be supporting the government.

All warring parties, including non-state groups, are prohibited from conducting attacks that deliberately target civilians, that do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, or that cause civilian loss disproportionate to the expected military gain. Planning, ordering, or carrying out unlawful attacks with criminal intent is a war crime.

"While it may be impossible to influence the criminal behavior of ISIS, Syria's multiple warring sides and the international parties that support them can and should do more not only to condemn such ISIS attacks but also to ensure that they stop targeting civilians," Houry said.

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Azerbaijan: Bank Chief Should Raise Rights Issues

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 24 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Azerbaijan: Bank Chief Should Raise Rights Issues, 24 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57442e324.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, should raise human rights concerns when he visits Azerbaijan on May 24 and 25, 2016, Human Rights Watch said today. The Azerbaijani government's crackdown on independent voices is inconsistent with the principles outlined in the bank's charter and other requirements.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is the only international financial institution that has a political mandate to support countries that exercise "multi-party democracy [and] pluralism."

"The Azerbaijani government is waging a dramatic crackdown on journalists, media, leading activists and independent organizations," said Jessica Evans, senior researcher and advocate for international financial institutions at Human Rights Watch. "In doing so, the government is backtracking on civil and political rights required by the European Development bank's charter."

The bank also requires clients to adhere to the "principles and requirements" of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, (EITI), which promotes good governance by resource-rich countries. EITI's board downgraded Azerbaijan's status in 2015 because of its flagrant disregard for fundamental freedoms and set out several steps that the Azerbaijani government would be required to take to restore its status.

In a May 20 letter, Human Rights Watch urged Sir Chakrabarti to express concern in Baku about the Azerbaijani government's disregard for human rights. The letter asked the bank's president to urge the government to undertake reforms that would reinforce and complement the steps outlined by the EITI board and ensure that the bank is true to its political mandate. These include:

Release activists, journalists, and other government critics in detention on politically motivated charges and vacate the convictions against them, including the investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova;



Stop ongoing politically motivated investigations that have implicated independent organizations, media outlets, and their staff members; unfreeze these bank accounts and ensure that the funds in the accounts are in fact accessible; and



Repeal laws unduly restricting nongovernmental groups' and media outlets' ability to conduct their legitimate work and severely restricting the use foreign funding.

"Leaders of international organizations should use every opportunity to remind Azerbaijan that its deplorable human rights record interferes with business as usual," Evans said. "The Bank should put Azerbaijan's leadership on notice that the degree to which the government meets these benchmarks will have a direct correlation to the bank's operations within the country."

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Vietnam: Drop Charges Against Boat Returnees

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 24 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Vietnam: Drop Charges Against Boat Returnees, 24 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57442e814.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Vietnamese authorities should immediately drop all charges related to unlawful departure against "boat people" returned from Australia, Human Rights Watch said today. Australia should immediately insist the cases be dropped, since Vietnam had promised there would be no retaliation against the Vietnamese migrants returned.

On May 26, 2016, the People's Court of La Gi commune, in Binh Thuan province, is scheduled to hear the case of Nguyen Dinh Quy, 42, his wife Huynh Thi Kieu, 39, Tran Thi Lua, 37, and Nguyen Minh Quyet, 35, for "organizing for others to flee abroad illegally" under article 275 of the penal code. If convicted, they face up to seven years in prison.

In two separate incidents in April and July 2015, the Australian navy intercepted two boats at sea that were bound for Australia and returned all the passengers to Vietnam. In both cases, Vietnam gave assurances to the Australian government that it would not punish people for illegally leaving the country. However, individuals from both boats have been arrested, detained, charged, and  with respect to the April 2015 incident  convicted under article 275.

"Vietnam has blatantly broken its promise to the Australian government not to prosecute boat returnees," said Elaine Pearson, Australia director. "Australia should tell the Vietnamese government to drop all charges immediately and release them."

On July 1, 2015, the four defendants and 42 other people, including men, women, and children as young as four, left Vietnam on a boat from the city of Phan Thiet. On July 21, Australian officials intercepted their boat and transported them back to Vietnam by plane four days later.

Two of those returned told Human Rights Watch that before being sent back to Vietnam, an Australian immigration official told them that they would not be arrested or imprisoned and that the Vietnamese government would facilitate work for them and school for their children. On arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, a Vietnamese official confirmed to the group in front of the Australian consulate's representatives that they would not be arrested or detained. However, as Vietnamese authorities transported the group back to their hometown, police took Tran Thi Lua, Nguyen Dinh Quy, and Nguyen Minh Quyet to an unknown guest house in Phan Thiet and detained them there for 24 days without bringing charges or permitting them access to a lawyer.

On August 18, police formally arrested Tran Thi Lua, Nguyen Dinh Quy, and Nguyen Minh Quyet. Huynh Thi Kieu was also charged but not detained. According to state media and the indictment, Tran Thi Lua and Huynh Thi Kieu "had enticed and cajoled their family members, relatives and acquaintances" to join them on the trip. Nguyen Dinh Quy was accused of preparing the boat and Nguyen Minh Quyet was accused of being the helmsman.

After more than two months in detention, Tran Thi Lua was released on her own recognizance in early November due to health problems in detention. Nguyen Minh Quyet's health also deteriorated badly in detention; he suffered a stroke, paralyzing both his legs, and was released in March. Nguyen Dinh Quy has remained in police custody since August.

A family member told Human Rights Watch that Nguyen Dinh Quy has heart, lung, and stomach problems and, more recently, pain in both legs. His wife offered to sponsor him to seek treatment at a hospital, but the authorities turned down her plea.

Conditions in prisons and detention facilities in Vietnam are notoriously bad. Prisoners and detainees lack adequate medical care and proper treatment. In April 2014, blogger Dinh Dang Dinh, 51, died shortly after being pardoned and released from prison. Three months later, activist Huynh Anh Tri, 42, died six months after completing a 14-year prison sentence. According to a report from the Ministry of Public Security, from October 2011 to September 2014, there were 226 cases of death in detention facilities, of which the main causes were illness and suicide.

"The Vietnamese government is prosecuting the four defendants for leaving Vietnam without the government's permission, violating their fundamental right under international law to leave their own country," Pearson said.

The right to leave any country, including one's own, is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Vietnam in 1982.

The Vietnamese government is currently prosecuting other people for leaving the country. On April 22, 2016, the People's Court of La Gi commune, Binh Thuan province sentenced Tran Thi Thanh Loan to three years, her husband Ho Trung Loi to two years, Nguyen Thi Lien to three years, and Nguyen Van Hai to two years in prison under article 275 of the penal code.

According to state media, these four organized a boat carrying 46 men, women and children that left La Gi port in Binh Thuan province bound for Australia on March 7, 2015. Australian navy officials intercepted the boat two weeks later and held them at sea. On April 18, 2015, Australian officials returned the passengers to Vietnam. According to one of the returnees, an Australian immigration official told them on the ship that the Vietnamese government would not arrest or imprison any of them, but instead facilitate education for their children and community reintegration. Afterward, a Vietnamese security official boarded the vessel, witnessed by the Australian official, to welcome the group and reconfirm that no one would be arrested or imprisoned.

In May 2015, Australian border officials testified before an Australian Senate Estimates Committee that the government had been provided written assurance that these boat people would face "no retribution for their illegal departure from Vietnam." The Australian government has issued no public statements on the first round of convictions or the upcoming trial. According to BBC Vietnamese, the Australian Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City declined to comment on the trial because the consulate "only deals with cases related to Australian citizens."

"Imprisoning desperate people trying to leave their own country is cruel as well as unlawful," Pearson said. "The Vietnamese government loses nothing by letting these people go, and Australia should press Vietnam to do so."

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Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Kenya: Protester killings must lead to end of police violence

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 24 May 2016 Cite as Article 19, Kenya: Protester killings must lead to end of police violence, 24 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57442fbd4.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 strongly condemns the killing of three protestors and injuring many others in protests on 23 May 2016. In Siaya county, two protestors, Churchill Odhiambo and Austine Juma, were shot in the head and the chest respectively, and one other person died in what doctors suspected was a result of having banged his head on the ground while fleeing police violence. It was also documented that journalists were injured after police threw a tear gas canister inside their car in Kisumu county.

"We offer our sincere condolences to the families of the protestors and call for a speedy investigation and prosecution of police officers involved in the shooting. Use of lethal force, more so live ammunition against unarmed demonstrators, is unacceptable and goes against the Public Order Management Act, Police Service Act provisions, and regulations on use of firearms," said Henry Maina, Director of ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa.

For the fourth Monday running, the Opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and its supporters have held demonstrations calling for the reform of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), before elections are held next year. Unlike previous protests which took place in Nairobi and Kisumu counties, ARTICLE 19's has documented that yesterday's demonstrations occurred across ten counties: Kisumu, Siaya, Kakamega, Migori, Homa Bay, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisii, and Meru. In all counties, with the exception of Kisii and Meru, it has been documented that police used violence to disperse the demonstrators.

ARTICLE 19's monitors have documented five patients with bullet wounds taken to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital in Kisumu, and four women hospitalised in Homa Bay referral Hospital with similar wounds. At Migori Level 4 Hospital, five protestors were admitted with serious injuries. In Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kakamega counties, police using tear gas canisters and water cannons violently dispersed opposition leaders and their supporters as they marched to the IEBC offices.

"The continued crack down on peaceful protesters must cease immediately. ARTICLE 19 reminds the government of Kenya of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to ensure the right to freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly," commented Maina.

ARTICLE 19 calls upon the Kenyan government to take measures to establish an enabling environment for demonstrators to protest and exercise their rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly.

ARTICLE 19 reminds the police that right to life, as protected in the Bill of Rights and under international law, cannot be derogated at any time. We thus call upon the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to complete investigations swiftly and to take action regarding police officers who have violently dispersed, injured, or killed protestors.

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Kazakhstan: Crackdown on Peaceful Protest Continues

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 23 May 2016 Cite as Article 19, Kazakhstan: Crackdown on Peaceful Protest Continues, 23 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/574430044.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 strongly condemns the Kazakh authorities' detention of at least 370 peace protesters in nine cities of Kazakhstan on 21 May 2016, as well as the harassment and arrest of journalists covering the protests. The government dispersed all nine protests, in some cases using force, and also blocked access to social media and independent news sites over the weekend.

"The Kazakh authorities' aggressive detention of peaceful protesters is an unacceptable violation of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly", said Katie Morris, head of the Europe and Central Asia Programme at ARTICLE 19. "The Kazakh authorities must immediately release all those wrongfully detained, and ensure that conditions are in place to enable all people to express legitimate criticism of government policies. This includes ensuring the free flow of information regarding the protests, by allowing journalists to cover events", she added.

On May 21, police dispersed peaceful protests against proposed land reform, taking place in cities across Kazakhstan. After local administration officials failed to convince protesters to go home, police began to forcefully detain people.

Government and non-official sources differ regarding the number of protesters and people detained; however, activists present at the protests in Almaty, estimate that at least 200 people were detained on administrative charges of violating peaceful assembly procedure and attempts to organise illegal gatherings. Kazakh legislation on the organisation of protests undermines international standards protecting the right to peaceful assembly.

Almaty also saw the largest number of protesters, with various unofficial sources estimating the turnout to be approximately 3000 people. The Committee of Administrative Police has claimed that the number of protesters did not exceed 20-30 people; however, this figure does not seem credible given estimates that at least 200 people were detained.

To date, the government has not released information concerning the number of protesters and detainees in Astana and other cities; however, according to unofficial information, at least 170 people were detained while peacefully protesting in Astana, Atyrau, Kostanai, Karganda, Shymkent, Aktobe, Pavlodar and Uralsk.

CENSORSHIP OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROTESTS

The government have also sought to prevent journalists from covering the protest. In Almaty, 14 journalists were detained and further released without facing formal charges; in Astana, nine journalists; and in Uralsk, six. A total of 12 journalists were detained and released in Atyrau, Kostanai, Karganda, Shymkent, Aktobe and Pavlodar.

At least two journalists were obliged to pay administrative fines for covering the protests. In Almaty, Rysbek Sarsenbayuly, a journalist with the opposition newspaper Zhas Alash, was fined 42, 000 KZT (approx. 125 USD) on charges of violating public order; while in Uralsk, Tamara Yeslyamova, chief editor of one of a few independent newspapers, Uralskaya Nedelya, was detained for seven hours and fined 106,000 KZT (approx. 315 USD) for violating legislation on the procedure for organizing and holding peaceful assembly.

Access to a number of internet services was also blocked during the protests. These included Youtube, Gmail, Google Play, Google, Facebook and Periscope. The websites of Radio Free Europe/Radio Azattyk and Ak Zhayik were reported as blocked on 20 May; and people in Kazakhstan continue to be unable to access at least two websites of Radio Free Europe/Radio Azattyk and Uralskaya Nedelya.

"The government must immediately unblock all websites censored with regard to the protests", said Katie Morris. She added: "A restriction as severe as website blocking is only legitimate if authorised by a court or similarly independent and impartial body, consistent with the guarantees of a fair trial under international law. This not the case in Kazakhstan, where the government imposed blanket bans on sites covering the protests, in a bid to prevent information about them circulating."

Restricting the free flow of information during protests violates the rights to freedom of expression and a peaceful assembly - both of which Kazakhstan is committed to upholding as a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. States must ensure allow and actively facilitate reporting on and the independent monitoring of protests by all media and independent observers, and refrain from detaining journalists or obstructing their work.

BACKGROUND

ARTICLE 19 has previously criticised Kazakhstan for its extremely restrictive legislation governing protests, which establishes a system of prior authorisation for organising protests, in violation of international standards. This allows the authorities to prevent legitimate protests that they deem to be harmful to their interests, from going ahead by labelling them as unsanctioned.

During the week leading up to 21 May, at least 22 activists were detained on various administrative charges, ranging from "violations of the procedure for organizing and holding peaceful assemblies" to "petty crime." The arrests occurred after activists signalled their intent to participate in the protests - either by submitting applications to hold protests on 21 May to municipal authorities (all of which were denied); or by expressing their support for the protests on social media sites. Other activists and civil society groups have reported harassment, including searches of their offices.

Several have received custodial sentences, ranging from 10 days to two months. Under Kazakh law, administrative arrest may be imposed for violations of the administrative code; following a quick trial, the defendant may receive a custodial sentence and is then held in a temporary detention centre. On 18 May Zhanat Yesentayev, a member of the Public Association Abyroy, was arrested on charges of "incitement to national hatred" under Article 174 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan. The charges stem from messages that Yesentayev allegedly disseminated through WhatsApp, stating that they were preparing weapons and alcoholic beverages for protesters.

ARTICLE 19 condemns this crack down on peaceful protesters and reminds the government of Kazakhstan of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to ensure the right to freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly. The government must immediately release all those unjustly arrested and ensure that those wishing to protest are able to do so safely. It must also ensure that police involved in violently detaining protesters are held to account; and should reviews its restrictive legislation governing peaceful assemblies.

Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19
Egypt: Mohamed Nagi and 151 other protesters must be released with convictions quashed

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 20 May 2016 Cite as Article 19, Egypt: Mohamed Nagi and 151 other protesters must be released with convictions quashed, 20 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/574430344.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 condemns the convictions and harsh sentences of 152 peaceful protesters in Egypt of 14 May 2016. The sentences ranged between two to five years in prison with hard labour, and fines of 100,000 Egyptian Pounds (7,843).

Among those convicted and sentenced was human rights defender Mohamed Nagi, Director of the Students' Rights and Freedoms Programme at the Association for Free Thought and Expression (AFTE), a longstanding partner of ARTICLE 19 in Egypt. Nagi was tried, convicted and sentenced in proceedings over two days for broad public order offences under Egypt's Protest Law.

ARTICLE 19 calls for the convictions against Mohamed Nagi and other peaceful protesters to be overturned, and for all those sentenced to imprisonment to be immediately released. ARTICLE 19 repeats its previous call for Egypt to repeal the Protest Law, and replace it with legislation that respects international human rights standards.

"We are shocked at the harsh sentences handed down to peaceful protesters and those merely walking in the vicinity of protests," said Saloua Ghazouni, Director of ARTICLE 19's MENA Programme. "Since the introduction of the Protest Law in 2013, all critical public demonstrations have been effectively banned in Egypt. The time has come for Egypt to repeal this law and protect the right to peaceful assembly."

Mohamed Nagi was one of many individuals arrested on accusations of participating in protests on 25 April 2016, which were planned in response to Egypt's decision to cede control of two Red Sea Islands to Saudi Arabia. The cessation decision has been widely criticised for being unconstitutional, lacking transparency and public participation. Hundreds of other individuals were arrested in the run-up to the protests. The convictions and sentences are a clear attempt to suppress legitimate political dissent, and are a flagrant violation of Egypt's obligations and commitments under international human rights standards.

Nagi and many of the arrested peaceful protesters were interrogated by security services in Agouza police station and rapidly referred to trial. The first session was held on 30 April, and was then adjourned to recommence and rapidly conclude on 14 May. Sentences were issued immediately following the closing of arguments for the defence, without any substantial time for deliberation by judges in either courtroom. The speed of the proceedings and absence of proper due process indicate that they were politically motivated and intended to send a swift and chilling message to others who might consider criticising or protesting against the government.

Nagi was convicted under Article 7 of Egypt's Protest law, introduced by Presidential Decree in November 2013. The provision broadly criminalises a range of conduct in ambiguous terms, including "disrupting public security", "hampering or harming citizens' interests", or "obstructing road traffic". The higher sentences handed down against Nagi and the 151 peaceful protesters are the maximum permitted (set out in Article 19 of the Protest Law). International human rights law is clear that the right to freedom of peaceful assembly continues to apply even where there is temporary and even significant disruption to everyday life. It is clear that the series of protests on 25 April posed no particular risk to public order such that their dispersal, yet alone the subsequent arrests and convictions of participants, would be justified under international law.

Beyond the application of the Protest Law in this case, ARTICLE 19 has broader concerns with the law that highlight the necessity of its repeal and replacement with legislation that conforms to international human rights law. The law severely restricts the right to peaceful assembly and provides broad and sweeping powers to the police to prohibit meetings or demonstrations and to disperse them using lethal force. Technically, Egypt's Protest Law only requires organisers of protests with more than 10 participants to notify the authorities of a planned assembly, and doesn't require authorisation. In practice, however, broad powers to ban demonstrations mean that the freedom to protest is effectively at the discretion of the state, and therefore protests only occur with de facto authorisation. International human rights law is clear that States have a positive obligation to facilitate spontaneous assemblies that are peaceful, even where notification is not given against requirements of national law. Dispersal of assemblies and arrests of participants cannot be justified on the sole basis that they were not notified.

As Director of the Students' Rights and Freedoms Programme at AFTE, Nagi has carried out important human rights research and advocacy, including to enable students imprisoned for their activism to sit for their exams while in prison. Nagi will now face as similar fate to those he advocated for, as he awaits permission to sit for his own diploma exam in prison.

ARTICLE 19 calls for Nagi, and all those convicted and sentenced for their legitimate expression in a peaceful protest, to be immediately released and for their convictions to be overturned and expunged from their records. The Egyptian government should repeal the Protest Law of 2013, replace it with legislation that fully complies with Egypt's obligations under international human rights law to protect the right to protest.

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Kazakhstan: Persecution of Peaceful Protesters must cease

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 19 May 2016 Cite as Article 19, Kazakhstan: Persecution of Peaceful Protesters must cease, 19 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5744306f4.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 calls on the government of Kazakhstan to immediately cease the persecution of individuals expressing their intention to peacefully protest new land reform legislation, and to release all those already arrested in connection with this.

"Peaceful protests are integral to democracy, with the potential to inspire social change and enhance the protection of human rights," said Katie Morris, Head of the Europe and Central Asia Programme at ARTICLE 19.

"As Kazakhs across the country legitimately seek to express their discontent at proposed land reforms, the authorities are arresting people who have not yet committed any action, not least a crime, in a bid to prevent them from exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and expression," she added.

Following protests against proposed land reform in several cities in Kazakhstan in April and early May, the Kazakh authorities have launched a nationwide wave of arrests of activists who had expressed their intent to participate in further mass protests scheduled for 21 May 2016.

Since 16 May, at least 22 activists have been detained on various administrative and criminal charges, ranging from "violations of the procedure for organizing and holding peaceful assemblies" to "petty crime" and "incitement to hatred". Several have received custodial sentences, ranging from 10 days to two months. Under Kazakh law, administrative arrest may be imposed for violations of the administrative code; following a quick trial, the defendant may receive a custodial sentence and is then held in a temporary detention centre.

Among those arrested are:

At least six activists from Almaty, including Bakhytzhan Toregozhina from Ah.Ruh.Hak, a civil rights group, who received a 15 day custodial sentence for violating procedures for organisation of peaceful assembly.

Four people in Astana, including two members of opposition Nationwide Social Democratic Party, who will be detained for 15 days on similar charges, while one rights activist, Maksat Ilyasuly, will be detained for 10 days for calls for unsanctioned protest action.

Four people were arrested in Uralsk, including three on administrative charges of 'violation of the procedure for peaceful assembly'. A fourth activist was arrested on criminal charges of inciting hatred and will be held in jail for at least months, as a measure of prior restraint, while the investigation is ongoing.

Three arrested in Atyrau, two in Semey and three in Shymkent, all on charges of violating procedures for peaceful assembly and calls for unsanctioned gatherings.

The arrests occurred after activists signaled their intent to participate in the protests - either by submitting applications to hold protests on 21 May to municipal authorities (all of which were denied); or by expressing their support for the protests on social media sites. Other activists and civil society groups have reported harassment, including searches of their offices.

Participation in a protest must never be the basis for suspicion of criminal activity; and any preventative arrests must be based on a reasonable suspicion that a criminal offence is planned. This is clearly not the case with regard to recent protests in Kazakhstan.

BACKGROUND

The protests are against amendments to the land code, which increase the term in which foreigners can rent state-owned agricultural land from 10 to 25 years. The amendments were signed into law in November 2015 and would have been effective from 1 July 2016; however, following the first round of protests, the President imposed a moratorium, postponing the implementation of the amendments until 2017, in a rare moment of acquiescence to public opinion.

Kazakhstan has extremely restrictive legislation regarding the organisation of peaceful protests. The Criminal Code contains a concept of "an illegal public event" as well as an "an illegal assembly, rally, march, picket, demonstration". All these activities, if illegal, may be punished by a fine (in the amount of 300 monthly calculated indices), correctional labour, public work, or imprisonment for up to 75 days.

The law "on the organization and conduction of peaceful assemblies, rallies, marches, pickets and demonstrations in the Republic of Kazakhstan" (the Peaceful Assembly Law) outlines the circumstances under which local executive bodies can determine an event to be illegal and request its termination.

The Peaceful Assembly Law establishes a regime of prior authorisation for conducting assemblies, as opposed to a system of notification. Article 8 provides that an assembly that is not authorised can be terminated.

The Peaceful Assembly Law also grants unlimited powers to local executive bodies to decide on the time and place of assemblies. Article 4 stipulates that an assembly must be terminated where participants do not comply with the time and place conditions that the authorities have imposed.

The Criminal Code and the Peaceful Assembly law violate international standards on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, which offer high protections for non-violent protest.

ARTICLE 19 reminds the government of Kazakhstan of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to ensure the right to freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly. The government must immediately release all those unjustly arrested and ensure that those wishing to protest are able to do so safely.

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Malaysia: Amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 must not restrict the right to freedom of expression online

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 18 May 2016 Cite as Article 19, Malaysia: Amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 must not restrict the right to freedom of expression online, 18 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/574431094.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

This week, the Malaysian Parliament is considering amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA), some of which could lead to severe restrictions online freedoms.

ARTICLE 19 is concerned that the proposed amendments are politically motivated, with the intent to place greater legal restrictions on online civic space, and to silence those who are critical of the government. ARTICLE 19 urges all members of Parliament to reject any amendments to the CMA that would further limit the right of freedom of expression and freedom of information on the Internet.

The proposed amendments have yet to be publically shared with Malaysian civil society. The lack of transparency in this process is undemocratic and emblematic of a larger trend in recent years of the Malaysian government amending laws to further crackdown on free speech rather than promote and protect the right.

On the basis of information available, ARTICLE 19 is concerned that amendments to the CMA include:

the registration of political blogs and websites,

an increase in penalties for offences related to undesirable content,

broader powers for the Internet regulatory body - the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) - to take down online content without proper oversight.

If confirmed, these amendments would be in clear breach of international standards on freedom of expression:

The UN Human Rights Committee has made it clear in its General Comment no. 34 that the registration of journalists or bloggers is incompatible with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (para.44). Equally, the special mandates on freedom of expression have made it clear that in their Joint Declaration of 2005 that "no one should be required to register with or obtain permission from any public body to operate an Internet service provider, website, blog or other online information dissemination system, including Internet broadcasting".

Undesirable content should not be equated with unlawful content or content that can legitimately be restricted under Article 19 (3) ICCPR. In any event, the Human Rights Council has confirmed that the same rights that people have offline must be respected online (A/HRC/Res/26/13). Accordingly, online content should not be more severely punished than offline content.

Leaving aside that blocking access to content is an ineffective measure that should be avoided, and consistent with the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (A/HRC/17/27 at para. 31), any blocking should only be ordered by a court or an independent adjudicatory body rather than a government body like the MCMC. At the very least, any order made by the MCMC should be subject to a right of appeal by the organisations targeted by the order. Moreover, any such order should be the least restrictive possible in order to protect freedom of expression.

ARTICLE 19 is very concerned that the proposed changes, if introduced and passed by Parliament, would have the effect of entrenching censorship in an environment already heavily regulated for the media and publishing.

We call on the Malaysian government to refrain from adopting any of the proposed amendments (if confirmed), in line with the international principles on freedom of expression, which are part of customary international law.

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Kenya: Teargas, brutality and the killing of a protester at electoral reform demonstration

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 17 May 2016 Cite as Article 19, Kenya: Teargas, brutality and the killing of a protester at electoral reform demonstration, 17 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/574431394.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 strongly condemns yesterday's killing of a protestor by police, and injury of others who had joined the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) politicians calling for the removal of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

ARTICLE 19 urges the police to respect Article 37 of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to peacefully assemble, demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to public authorities, as well as its obligations under international human rights law.

"We send our condolences to the family of Bernard Ngatia and urge the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to quickly investigate the killing with an aim of bringing the perpetrators to account," said Henry Maina, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa Regional Director.

Since late April 2016, the opposition CORD has been staging protests every Monday at IEBC offices demanding resignation of the Commissioners. Despite these protests being violently dispersed by police, the politicians and their supporters have vowed to continue until their demands to have the commission reconstituted are met.

ARTICLE 19 is concerned that these protests have been marred by violence and use of excessive force by police, including the firing of live bullets and tear gas into crowds. We note that while freedom of assembly and association is not an absolute right, it cannot "be limited except by law, and then only to the extent that the limitation is reasonable, justifiable in an open society" (Article 24, Kenya Constitution). Any limitation must be subject to a three part test; a limitation will only be acceptable when 'prescribed by law; when is necessary and proportionate; and when the limitation pursues a legitimate aim' namely: the interests of national security or public safety; the prevention of disorder or crime; the protection of health or morals; or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

This test has not been observed by police and authorities while dispersing the opposition leaders and their supporters.

ARTICLE 19 reminds the Kenya government that those who take part in protests and assemblies have a number of protected rights, including the rights to: freedom of peaceful assembly, expression, association and belief; participation in the conduct of public affairs; bodily integrity, including the rights to security and to life; dignity; privacy; and an effective remedy for all human rights violations.

As a party to the UDHR, ICCPR and Africa Charter, the Kenya government thus has clear legal obligations to promote and protect these rights and, therefore, the right to protest. Even if participants in an assembly are not peaceful and as a result forfeit their right to peaceful assembly, they retain all the other rights, such as the right to life and the right to be free from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment subject to the normal limitations. No assembly should thus be considered unprotected.

WE THEREFORE URGE THE KENYAN GOVERNMENT TO:

 Ensure that authorities prepare and plan for assemblies with a view to ensuring the best possible conditions for the exercise of the right of peaceful assembly, and with a view to preventing and avoiding situations where they might need to resort to the use of force

 Actively protect protesters, alongside others, from any form of threat or violence from those who wish to prevent, disrupt or obstruct protests, including agents provocateurs and counter-demonstrators;

 Speedily and effectively investigate cases of attacks on peaceful demonstrators with a view of bringing the perpetrators to account;

 Ensure force is only used when strictly necessary and in proportion to the threat of violence. The use of force should only be considered necessary where all other means of de-escalation and preventing further violence have been exhausted;

 Prevent, hinder or restrict the right to protest only to the extent allowed by international human rights law.

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UAE: Free human rights defender Dr. Nasser Bin Ghaith, on trial for online posts in violation of his right to free expression

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 17 May 2016 Cite as Article 19, UAE: Free human rights defender Dr. Nasser Bin Ghaith, on trial for online posts in violation of his right to free expression, 17 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5744318a4.html [accessed 25 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

We, the undersigned NGOs, call on the authorities to immediately release human rights defender and professor of economics Dr. Nasser Bin Ghaith, who remains in detention in an unknown location in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for his social media posts and human rights activities. He has been denied proper access to his lawyer or family since his arrest in August 2015, and reportedly subject to torture in custody. The continued detention and charges violate his human rights, including his right to free expression.

On 18 August 2015, security officers in civilian clothes arrested Dr. Bin Ghaith in Abu Dhabi and searched his home and confiscated personal items including electronic memory sticks. He was held incommunicado until finally being brought to the State Security Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi on 4 April 2016, when he told the court he had been tortured and beaten in detention and deprived of sleep for up to a week.

On 2 May 2016, a second hearing took place to examine charges against Dr. Bin Ghaith relating to his online postings. He stated that he is still being held in secret detention, a fact he had previously brought to the judge's attention during his hearing on 4 April. The judge refused to listen to his complaints for a second time. Neither his family nor his lawyer knows where he is being detained, and his lawyer's request to visit him has been denied repeatedly.

Dr. Bin Ghaith is one of a group of men known as the "UAE5" who were imprisoned in 2011 and tried for "publicly insulting" UAE officials. That trial also breached international human rights law and was widely criticised by human rights groups, including signatories of this letter.

Charges in the current case against Dr. Bin Ghaith include allegedly "committing a hostile act against a foreign state" in reference to statements he made on Twitter about the authorities and judicial system in Egypt. He was also charged with "posting false information in order to harm the reputation and stature of the state and one of its institutions" relating to a other statements he made on Twitter claiming that he had not been granted a fair trial as part of the "UAE5" case.

A further charge brought against Dr. Bin Ghaith of allegedly "posting false information about UAE leaders and their policies, offensively criticizing the construction of a Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, and instigating the people of the UAE against their leaders and government" was related to a statement he made on Twitter intending to promote tolerance.

Dr. Bin Ghaith was also accused of allegedly "communicating and cooperating with members of the banned Al Islah organization" referring to visits and meetings with members of the "UAE94", a group of government critics and advocates of reform tried jointly in 2013 and sentenced to long prison terms. He was also accused of allegedly "communicating and cooperating with" the banned Emirates Ummah Party, based on a presentation he was invited to make on the Islamic Economy by a member of the Ummah party, in his capacity as a professor of economics.

At the latest hearing on 2 May, the court ordered the case to be adjourned until 23 May when the defence's arguments will be heard.

We, the undersigned organisations, view Dr. Bin Ghaith's arrest, detention in an unknown location and without access to his family or a lawyer, and the baseless charges brought against him as a direct result of his human rights activities and non-violent expression. His conduct is protected under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is considered to be reflective of binding customary international law. These charges, taken in the context of other charges against non-violent political groups and human rights defenders, appears to be an attempt by authorities to stifle any criticism, dissent or activities promoting human rights in the UAE.

We call on the UAE authorities to:

Immediately and unconditionally release Dr.Bin Ghaith and drop all charges against him;

Pending the above, immediately disclose his current location and ensure proper access to his family, counsel and any medical treatment he may require;

Ensure that if his case proceeds, that it does so in a manner consistent with the UAE's obligations under international law, in particular internationally recognised standards of due process and fair trail;

Ivestigate reports of torture and ill treatment in detention; and provide justice for those responsible and effective redress to Dr. Bin Ghaith;

Sign and ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and bring all national laws into compliance with international freedom of expression standards.

Signed,

Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)

ARTICLE 19

CIVICUS

FIDH, within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)

Index on Censorship

International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

Scholars at Risk Network

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

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Convoy with UNHCR aid reaches besieged Syrian farm town

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Author Firas Al-Khateeb Publication Date 20 May 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Convoy with UNHCR aid reaches besieged Syrian farm town, 20 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57443e3f4.html [accessed 25 October 2022]

A UN relief convoy has delivered vital food, medicines and other aid to some 10,000 residents cut off in this Syrian farm town without power and running water for more than three years.

The 29-truck convoy packed with items including cooking oil, flour, lentils, tarpaulins and cooking utensils this week reached residents of East Harasta, a rich agricultural heartland just 11 kilometres from the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Local people have been able to survive by growing some fruit and vegetables since the siege began in early 2013, but have lacked most staples. Access to services including healthcare and education is limited.

"I wish that  the international community would look closely at the Syrian crisis and help the Syrian people by providing relief to their towns," said local resident Noureldine, 55, shortly after the convoy of rolled into the town on Wednesday (May 18).

"We need cooking oil, ghee, meat and other food supplies that is lacking. In addition, we want to live a normal life again," he added.

Now in its sixth year, Syria's bloody civil war has killed more than 250,000 people and driven more than 4.8 million to flee to neighbouring countries alone. Of those who remain, more than 4.5 million people live in hard-to-reach areas or besieged towns.

Since the beginning of this year, and benefiting from the cessation of hostilities that began in February, the UN inter-agency efforts have led to over 50 convoys that brought life saving humanitarian supplies to almost 800,000 Syrians in need.

The trucks that reached East Harasta carried aid from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, as well as UNICEF, WHO, UNOCHA, WFP and FAO. It was also accompanied by the Syrian Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Residents told UNHCR that electricity is intermittent, running water a luxury, and that they have to pump water by hand from wells to survive.

Former sweet factory worker Shadi said he had provided for his family since the siege began with the US$2 he earned a day from occasional plowing or harvesting work on local farms. Barely able to support his 16-month-old daughter, he was pessimistic.

"I don't see any future. I am not sure if I want to have more children," he said, "but if I do, I want them to have a better life than mine."

The UN teams are carrying out a rapid assessment of conditions on the ground in East Harasta to identify the gaps and needs of the residents, to better plan for future relief operations.

Five schools remain functional with limited numbers of students and just a few teachers, which offer classes up to the 9th grade.
See what to expect in coming months along I-69 Finish Line corridor

As the leaves begin to fall and air temperatures begin to cool, the 2022 road construction season will soon slow down.
The Brownwood City Council Tuesday appointed Terry A. Nichols to succeed Mike Corley as police chief.

Nichols served 21 years with the San Marcos Police Department, retiring as commander in 2010 to work with the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) program through Texas State University.

With ALERRT, which has acquired more than $50 million in grant funding and trained more than 90,000 officers, he was assistant director and the director of curriculum development. He is a published author and speaker on active shooter threats, training development and national response strategies.

City Manager Emily Crawford recommended Nichols to the City Council with the support of the Police Chief Advisory Board, made up of Councilmen Draco Miller and Larry Mathis, Brownwood Municipal Police Association President Fred Bastardo, Sgt. Michael Sheedy, Brownwood human resources Director David Dalleh, and Crawford.

'I am very pleased with the processes and the result of the police chief search,' Crawford said in a news release. 'We had a diverse group of quality applicants. Brownwood is privileged to have Terry Nichols join our community and police department.'

Nichols' first day as police chief will be July 5. He will be the city's second appointed police chief. Prior to Corley's appointment as chief six years ago, Brownwood was one of the few cities in the state that elected its police chief.

Corley announced in February that he planned to retire in June, closing a 40-year career in law enforcement in Midland, Richardson and Brownwood.
Newly re-elected Abilene City Councilmen Steve Savage and Kyle McAlister will be sworn in to three-year terms at Thursday's City Council meeting.

Then the council will get down to business, possibly approving the use of funds to construct a meeting room at the new South Branch Library in the mall, said James Childers, assistant city manager.

The meeting space would be approximately 1,500 square feet and provide seating room for 80 people or standing room for 172, according to agenda documents. The room also would have audio and video equipment to record content for Channel 2, the public, education and government channel.

Additionally, the council will consider approving land donated to the city by Pioneer Drive Baptist Church on which a playground would be developed. Childers said the church approached the city about the project about a year ago with the stipulation that the church would build the playground and the city would maintain it.

'Even though we have Scarborough Park nearby, we felt the playground could benefit that neighborhood,' Childers said.

Pioneer Drive purchased a unique playground set to install there so it won't be just like Scarborough, he said.

The council meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. to discuss capital improvement projects and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. for its regular meeting, both at 555 Walnut St.
Junior Achievement handed out $102,000 in scholarships to area high school seniors Monday night, along with some sage advice from JA board member Shaun Martin.

'If you ever have to speak in front of a group like this, you need to be sure of two things,' said Martin, who awarded nine $6,000 scholarships for the Martin Charitable Trust Fund. 'First, make sure you don't have any food in your teeth. Second, make sure your zipper is up.'

Junior Achievement is a national organization which uses volunteers from the business community to educate students on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.

The scholarships went to 18 graduating seniors who were recognized in the first JA banquet, held in the ballroom of the Wooten Hotel.

Lorenzo Ellis of Abilene High School, Katlyn Gosch of Brownwood and David Guerra of Jim Ned received $10,000 scholarships from Abilene Christian University.

Tyler Bradshaw of Jim Ned and Wylie seniors Kayla Oakley, Clair Shuler and Morgan Zett received $6,000 each from Hardin-Simmons University, while Neah Garza of Cooper High School and Jason Williams of Wylie received $6,000 scholarships from McMurry University.

The Martin scholarships went to Jim Ned seniors Reese Cook (Texas Tech), Owen Crawford (Texas Tech) and Will Doty (Texas A&M); Cooper High seniors Jayton Evans (Georgia Tech) and Kelsey LaBrenz (Texas A&M); Abilene High seniors Shelby Irwin (Trinity University) and Holly Pettijohn (Harding University); Ashleigh Jimenez of Sweetwater (Texas Tech) and Andrew Lynch of Wylie (Texas Tech).

Casjen Rico, a credit analyst for First Financial Bank, was named Volunteer of the Year.

Another First Financial Bank officer, Marshall Morris, received the inaugural Innovator of the Year Award for organizing the 'reverse' JA classroom, where AP government and economics students from Abilene High and Cooper went to First Financial Bank for a seminar, rather than having volunteers go to the classroom.

Leslye Roberts, the instructional specialist at Lee Elementary School, was named the JA Educator of the Year, while Dan Thompson received the Silver Leadership Award for longtime service to JA.

Abilene Regional Medical Center, Dyess Air Force Base, United Supermarkets and First Financial Bank were honored for outstanding service, each volunteering in excess of 12 classrooms.

The organization awards mirrored the success JA had in 2015-16 in expanding its programs.

Last school year, JA volunteers conducted 228 programs. This year, it was 319.
Terri Hoover lost her son Jake the day after Christmas 2005 when he flipped his truck and was ejected from the vehicle.

He decided not to wear his seat belt that day  the day Hoover says her family became 'one of those statistics'  and died in the crash.

Hoover spoke about her son's death and her billboard campaign to raise awareness of young drivers' not driving safely at a news conference Monday for the Texas Department of Transportation's 'Click It or Ticket' campaign.

Throughout the year, Hoover, a wife and mother of three young men, raises money to place billboards with the faces and death dates of young people who have died in wrecks in high traffic areas to catch young travelers' attention, she said.

'I just could not sit around and let another mother live through that if I could do something about it,' Hoover said.

In Abilene in 2015, people did not wear their seat belts in seven crashes that resulted in fatalities or serious injuries, according to TXDOT.

Statewide, 40 percent of people killed in wrecks are reported as unrestrained or not wearing their seat belts.

'The hardest thing you'll ever do is get that phone call as a parent,' Hoover said. 'When the phone call comes in, you lose every ounce of air out of your body.'

Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge said he tells people all the time that driving is the most dangerous activity they will do on a daily basis. Still, one out of 10 drivers will do so without wearing a seat belt, he said.

'It is the easiest and the best thing you can do to protect yourself, no matter how far you're going,' said Lt. Brad Birchum with the Taylor County Sheriff's Office.

He also urged parents to buckle-up their children to prevent them from suffering a fate similar to Hoover's.

'When we got to the hospital to identify his body, the thing I remember the most is that one of his eyes wouldn't close,' Hoover said. 'The doctor had to explain to us when he hit the ground that he hit with such impact that his eyes wouldn't close.'

In 2002, about 76 percent of drivers said they wore their seat belts. Currently, nine out of 10 drivers wear one, according to TXDOT.
North Korea, the world's last remaining truly totalitarian dictatorship, held a Communist Party Congress earlier this month Tight total control of the enormous, closely choreographed show was self-evident. The last such party congress was held in 1980, an occasion for regime founder Kim Il-sung to indicate succession of power to his son Kim Jong-il.

Current dictator Kim Jong Un, son of Kim Jong-il, assumed power following the death of his father in 2011. He wore a business suit for the recent party show, a departure from the usual uniform. Kim publicly acknowledged economic challenges, a remarkable understatement which nonetheless is long overdue.

The Communist Party Congress has taken place in a context of continuous friction, punctuated by occasional violence and aggressive moves, regarding South Korea. In 2013, North Korea announced a 'state of war' with South Korea and threatened nuclear attack. Pyongyang abruptly abrogated the 1953 armistice agreement ending the Korean War, and cut the military 'hotline' communications link with the south.

During this period, Pyongyang prevented South Korean workers from entering the Kaesong industrial center, located six miles north of the DMZ separating the two nations. In February, South Korea shut down the center to protest Pyongyang provocations. The center has been an important source of hard currency.

Developments in recent years could have led to war, yet there is no concrete evidence that North Korea is mobilizing to invade South Korea. Moreover, Pyongyang's nuclear military capabilities are growing but remain rudimentary. Missile tests have included some limited success, but also dramatic failure.

Kim publicly has criticized those in the military 'developing a taste for money' amid reports of corruption. As part of a major military shake-up, Kim assumed the rank of Marshal of the People's Army, adding to a series of celebratory titles. He has been ruthless in executing those suspected of disloyalty, including close family members.

North Korea has been acting erratically for years. In March 2010, a North Korea torpedo sank the South Korean ship Cheonan. In the same vicinity in November of that year, North Korean artillery bombarded South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island.

In late February 2012, North Korea agreed once more to cease their on-again, off-again nuclear program. In joint announcements coordinated with the U.S. Department of State, the regime agreed to halt enrichment of uranium and construction of weapons, and permit international inspection of nuclear facilities.

Yet two months later, Pyongyang tested a missile. The launch was an embarrassing flop. This unpredictable course shifting implies infighting among factions in the regime rather than total control by Kim and his immediate coterie.

President Barack Obama's instinct for moderate language and international cooperation is in evidence and welcome regarding North Korea, but so is firm language and actions responding to Pyongyang's provocations.

Regarding Korea, President Dwight D. Eisenhower provided an important lesson in the realities of war. Stalled Korean War armistice talks were quickly and successfully concluded following extraordinary obliteration bombing of North Korea. Ike knew how to get the most terrible yet essential jobs done, ruthlessly.

In early March, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2270, which strengthens sanctions on North Korea. These include bans on importing coal and minerals, and restrictions on cargo ships and financial transactions.

China and Russia generally support sanctions, though with specific exceptions. There is also an active black market with Pyongyang.

Nonetheless, the noose is tightening.

Email Arthur I. Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College, at acyr@carthage.edu
Today in history: On May 24, 1797, Thomas Jefferson, who soon would be president, writes to Angelica Church, a friend, about a mutual friend to whom Jefferson once had written a romantic essay. Jefferson had met Maria Cosway in Paris while he was U.S. minister to France. She was a painter, musician and ... married. Once, when they were walking, he fell while leaping over a fountain and broke his wrist. He then wrote his Head and Heart letter to Cosway. He pined for the woman he could not have.
With an average 78 Americans dying each day from overdoses of prescription opioid painkillers and heroin, it's clear that the U.S. is losing the war on drugs. The epidemic has spread to suburbia and rural areas. The death toll from heroin has more than tripled since 2010. And the nation is desperate for answers.

Congress is working on bipartisan measures that would give states, localities and nonprofits money to finance an array of education, treatment and law enforcement programs. Final passage can't come soon enough. It's standard fare.

To deal with people who already are addicted, some unconventional thinking is required, and here's one idea worth considering: supervised injection facilities, where an addict can bring heroin and inject it in a clean, safe environment under medical supervision, with easy access to counselors and health care referrals.

Yes, we know, this might look crazy at first glance. We thought so, too, but the results suggest it might make sense.

This is not a ploy to legalize heroin, weaken law enforcement or replace treatment. It's an idea that has been effective in Europe, where about 90 centers operate, and in Vancouver, where the only center in North America opened in 2003.

According to researchers at the University of British Columbia and the Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, the Canadian center has prevented overdose deaths, reduced the risk of HIV and AIDS through the use of clean needles, cut down on public injections and their dangerous debris of used needles, and promoted detox and treatment.

The facility, called Insite, has saved lives after on-site overdoses, and in the 27 months after it opened, overdose deaths dropped 35 percent in the blocks around the facility  four times the decrease in the rest of Vancouver. The facility, which receives funding from the British Columbia government, has saved taxpayers money.

Critics have tried to debunk findings of Insite's success, and in the mid-2000s, a Conservative Party prime minister moved to shut it down. But the battle became the center's savior. National medical, public health and nurses associations intervened on its side and in 2011 the Canadian Supreme Court unanimously rejected closure, finding that 'during its eight years of operation, Insite has been proven to save lives with no discernible negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada.' More facilities opened.

In Europe, injection centers have been around for 30 years. Since the first one opened in Switzerland, the idea has spread to Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway and even Sydney, Australia. Like Insite, they've made it more likely that addicts will enter treatment,

Impressed by these results, a handful of U.S. city officials and state lawmakers are interested. In Seattle's King County, Sheriff John Urquhart, a former narcotics detective, told The Seattle Times he is 'still trying to wrap my head around this. But the more I hear, the more open I am to the possibility.'

Critics remain adamant that the idea is preposterous,

Vancouver's experience can inform U.S. decisions: Start small with modest goals  bring addicts off the streets, prevent disease and overdoses  and provide rigorous, independent research to see if similar programs can work here.

USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its editorial board, separate from the news staff.
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Taiwan's new President Tsai Ing-wen, the first woman to hold the office, being sworn in at the Presidential Palace in Taipei, May 20, 2016.

A recent visit to Taiwan has prompted memories of 1963 and my first visit to the island nation then ruled with an iron fist by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.

It was impossible for me to imagine at the time that Taiwan could emerge as the robust democracy it has become today.

I was a rookie reporter with United Press International taking a quick look at Taiwan, and UPIs Taipei bureau chief, Shullen Shaw, told me to watch my step.

He warned me to be careful with what I said and whom I met.

He said that I might be followed.

I later learned that Shullen himself had occasionally been on the receiving end of complaints and other pressure from the ruling Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party.

But he had a reputation for getting around censorship.

Im guessing that he simply didnt want an inquisitive young reporter getting into trouble or causing trouble for UPI.

Taiwans ruling party had a Leninist structure and didnt tolerate opposition. A meeting of only a handful of people might arouse suspicion, and anyone trying to organize a strike or new political party, or advocating Taiwanese independence from China, could be immediately jailed.

Cartoons could also be dangerous.

Bo Yang, a well-known writer and poet whom I later got to know, went to prison for nine years in 1967 after translating the American cartoon Popeye to apparently make fun of Chiang Kai-sheks refusal to allow for free elections.

The inauguration of a new president of Taiwan from a party opposed to Chiangs Kuomintang, such has just occurred in Taiwan, would have been unthinkable for many people for years after I first visited there.

Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was sworn in as Taiwans new president on May 20. The party would not have been allowed to exist under the rule of Chiang Kai-shek.

Her party is heavily supported by native Taiwanese, as opposed to the mainlanders who dominated politics for many years under Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang successors.

How Taiwan lifted martial law

It was only after I returned to Taiwan in 1985 and 1986 as a reporter for The Washington Post that I saw how much Taiwan was changingand in ways that I hadnt foreseen.

In early October 1987, I accompanied Katherine Graham, the publisher of The Post, along with leading editors from the newspaper and from Newsweek on a visit to Taiwan.

We arrived amidst reports that Chiang Ching-kuo, who succeeded his father Chiang Kai-shek as Taiwans president, would soon make moves to create a more democratic Taiwan.

In a meeting with Katherine Graham, President Chiang made it official by saying that martial law would be lifted, and I wrote a front-page story about it.

According to an authoritative account by author Jay Taylor, Chiang surprised his aides by telling his visitor that his government intended to propose an end to martial law.

He also said that the government was studying the question of legalizing new political parties.

Sensing change in the political climate, native Taiwan opposition politicians had already decided to establish a new party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Since then the DPP has taken power twice, first through a presidential election in the year 2000 and most recently with the election of President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwans first female president.

The Economist succinctly summed up what many analysts regarded as the positive aspects of Tsais election victory in January of this year: The vibrancy of the campaigning; the engagement of young voters; a smoothtransfer of power; Asias first female leader not to come from a political dynasty: there is much to celebrate.

But Tsai now faces two major challenges: how to revive a stalled economy and how to deal with a skeptical and possibly hostile government in Beijing.

The last thing Beijing wanted was a party in power in Taiwan that talks about Taiwans sovereignty and leans toward independence from China.

Growing farther apart

During a recent visit to Taiwan I realized how distant many people in Taiwan have grown from mainland China, even if their grandparents had come from the mainland.

Many were born long after the civil war of the 1940s between Communists and Nationalists ended.

It hasnt helped that some Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan have displayed an arrogance that offends local people.

This, of course, does not apply to all Chinese tourists. I met several who were polite, friendly, and well-meaning.

But as a teacher in Taipei told me during my recent visit, some Chinese visitors act as if to say, Ive got money. You need my money. So Im your boss.

A bigger problem for China now is polls that show the growth of a Taiwanese identity. In one recent poll a solid majority of respondents regarded themselves as Taiwanese rather than Chinese or both Taiwanese and Chinese.

Facing brutal history

Another issue distinguishing the leaders of both major parties in Taiwan from the Communist Party leaders in Beijing is how they have chosen to deal with the dark days in their history.

Chinas leaders maintain a long list of historical subjects that cant be publicly discussed. The list includes repression in Tibet and Xinjiang, the deaths of millions of Chinese resulting from Mao Zedongs political campaigns between 1950 and 1976, and the deaths resulting from the Tiananmen crackdown in June 1989.

The benefits of Taiwans evolution toward democracy are also off limits for discussion.

Taiwans darkest moments under the Kuomintangs rule occurred in 1947, when Nationalist soldiers brutally suppressed an anti-government uprising in Taipei only a day after it erupted on Feb. 27.

It was the beginning of the White Terror period in Taiwan, during which thousands of Taiwanese were killed or imprisoned.

But in Taiwan, the media were gradually allowed more freedom to delve into the past. And while the the massacre of native Taiwanese in early 1947 was a taboo topic until the early 1990s, authorities then began to allow open discussion and research on the subject.

In 1995, Lee Teng-hui, Taiwans president and Kuomintang chairman at the time, issued a formal apology and designated Feb. 28 as a holiday to commemorate the victims.

A new park and museum in Taipei now commemorate the event. The government has allowed the truth to be fully exposed.

Dan Southerland is RFAs executive editor.
Jailed Chinese rights activist Guo Feixiongs hunger strike to protest ill-treatment in his prison in Guangdong entered its third week as police in Beijing detained three of his supporters on Tuesday.

Guos sister, a physician named Yang Maoping who in a previous meeting two weeks ago urged her brother to break off his fast, told RFA she is worried about his condition.

On May 11, when I met him, he was on hunger strike more than 30 hours, sweating a lot. After I left, he has been on passive eating. I am very worried. I hope a lawyer can visit him, but up to now he has not seen his lawyer, she said.

When I saw him on May 11, I persuaded him to do a colonoscopy, but he refused to do all the checks. This is because the prison authorities used insulting language against him while they forced him to undergo a medical examination on May 9, Yang told RFA.

Yang, who is only permitted to visit her brother once a month, said Guos lawyers application to see his client has not yet been approved by the prison authorities, who just say they need to study the application.

Guo's lawyer Zhang Lei told RFA on May 20 that he last saw his client on May 6, at a meeting that was cut short after two minutes by prison guards.

Meanwhile three activists in Beijing were detained for displaying banners in support of Guo and Lei Yang, a man whose unexplained death in police custody has raised suspicions of torture and caused an outcry on social media in China.

The detained activists are Ji Xinhua from Beijing, Zhu Chungxiao from Liaoning, and Wang Jinlan from Henan, activist Wang Fulu told RFA after visiting their detention center in Beijing.

Guo was sentenced last November for "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble" and "gathering a crowd to disrupt social order" after a prolonged period in pretrial detention where he was held alone in a closet-size cell and denied access to the exercise yard for nearly two years.

Guo Feixiong has a tough character, refusing to compromise with the prison authorities, and causing them to avenge him, said Guangdong-based dissident Jia Pin.

He has been on hunger strike for two weeks. As friends we can only continue to extend our support to his hunger strike and send out appeal for him on the Internet."

Reported by Yang Fan for RFAs Mandarin Service and by RFAs Cantonese Service. Translated by Lam Lok-to and Ping Chen. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
Chinese authorities in the northern region of Inner Mongolia have detained 12 ethnic Mongolian herders amid a protest over the building of a highway across grasslands in the Shiliin-gol League in the west of the region.



The 12 herders from Shuluun Hoh banner to the south of the regional capital Shiliinhot were detained on May 21, as local residents blockaded a highway construction site on their grazing lands, which they graze under a 20-year government lease.



"We were sitting down in front of their vehicles so they couldn't move," a local herder told RFA in a recent interview.



"The grasslands are collectively leased by the herders. This is our land," he said. "They want to build a highway, and we tried to stop them."



"So the banner government sent in the riot police and armed police, who detained people," the herder said, adding that one of his relatives is being held on a seven-day administrative sentence, which police can hand down without a trial.



He said authorities had told local people the road would be built regardless.



"That's when they started detaining people, as we were sitting there," the herder said.



He said 14 people were detained at the scene, while two were released later.



"They told us we'd get compensation, but we don't know who they compensated," the herder said. "We haven't [seen any money]."



A second herder at the scene said herders had gathered at the banner government offices to demand the release of the detainees, which officials had refused to arrange.



"We have been here demanding their release ever since ... they just met with us," the second herder said. "But we haven't had any reply."



He said the government seemed to be focusing only on suppressing further protest.



"They just use their power to suppress people, and to make sure they don't kick up a fuss," he said. "We don't agree with [this highway], but they just force it on us anyway."



"They won't even let us have what's ours."



Local sources said the herders are grazing the land under a 20-year responsibility contract that has yet to expire.



Others held



Elsewhere in the region, police in the Darhan Muminggan United Banner detained dozens of protesting herders after they showed up outside the banner-level government offices on Tuesday in protest at nonpayment of government subsidies.



"More than 50 people went this morning," one protester told RFA. "Herders from Darhan Muminggan near Baotou went to demand their subsidies outside the banner government."



"They said they have given us various subsidies because of the ban on grazing, but they haven't paid them; they are just playing for time," the herder said.



"We still haven't had any result from the banner government, who have done nothing," another herder told RFA. "The herders have been petitioning and protesting, but the government just sends in the police to detain people."



"They have let it drag on for so long without resolving it."



One woman who was among those detained said that she was briefly held and later released.



She added: "The police are monitoring [the smartphone app] WeChat so you can't post anything in there."



"I can't even open it, and they confiscated my smartphone," she said. "I only got that back today."



Repeated calls to the Darhan Muminggan banner government offices rang unanswered during office hours on Tuesday.



Reported by Yang Fan and Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Siu-san and Chan Siu-po for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.




Police in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan detained and questioned a group of parents who lost children in a devastating earthquake eight years ago, as rights activist and author Tan Zuoren called on the ruling Chinese Communist Party to respect their rights.



Quake parent campaigner Sang Jun, who lost his son in the collapse of the Fuxin No. 2 Elementary School in worst-hit Mianzhu township, said he was detained and questioned by local police on suspicion of "disrupting public order" on Monday after he showed up at government offices with a group of fellow activists.



Sang, along with fellow campaigners Pi Kaijian, Chen Xuebing, and six others, were held for nearly 10 hours before being released, he told RFA on Tuesday.



"We were locked up in the police station from [Monday] evening to around 10.00 [Tuesday]," Pi told RFA. "We want the government to take care of [our children's] living expenses, including if they go to college later."



"The government promised to take care of our children's expenses until they reached 18, but now they just keep making excuses and won't give us a proper response," he said.



The group are campaigning for the government to keep a promise made to them to pay living expenses for an "extra" post-quake child allowed under China's family planning restrictions to couples who lost their only children on May 12, 2008.



At least 5,000 children died under collapsed school buildings that anti-graft activists said were riddled with substandard building materials.



Shoved, detained



Sang said the police took them away when they went to lodge complaints at the municipal government after a local court rejected their lawsuit.



"They shoved us and told us that we should go to the complaints office, but then ... they detained us instead," he said. "They told us we didn't have the right profile to see government officials."



"Then they dragged us away," he said. In a separate interview, Sang said: "The police attacked Chen Xuebing, hit him quite hard in the chest, and he's still in pain."



Chen said the detentions came after the group tried to file a lawsuit last week at the local court against the property company that built the collapsed school buildings.



"We want to sue the developers, and we also want to pursue this issue of subsidies for our [second] children and their school fees," Chen said. "School fees are so high nowadays that we can't afford to pay them."



"Then there's the cost of their uniform and various things like that," he said.



Turned away by court



Sang's group applied last week to file a lawsuit at the Mianzhu People's Court in one of the areas worst-hit by the earthquakewhich left more than 80,000 people dead, thousands of them schoolchildren.



But fellow campaigner and bereaved mother Deng Yongqiong, who lost her child in the collapse of the Wufu Elementary School, said the local court had rejected the case.



"We wanted to take it to the Intermediate People's Court, or the [provincial-level] High People's Court," Deng said. "But now that the local court won't take the case, it'll never get that far."



"They just said that it was outside of their jurisdiction, and that we should go to the government instead," she said.



"That's why we went en masse to the government offices on Monday."



An official who answered the phone at the Mianzhu municipal government offices on Tuesday declined to comment.



"I don't know about this," the official said.



'No justice'



Sichuan-based writer and rights activist Tan Zuoren, who was jailed for five years in May 2009 for "incitement to subvert state power" after he tried to probe the deaths of schoolchildren, called on the government to respect the parents' rights.



"These parents have had no justice, nor any protection of their rights," Tan said. "They keep talking about the rule of law and due process, so we are using legal procedure to fight for justice."



"The right to file a lawsuit should be enjoyed by everybody, but the government insists on politicizing the whole issue," he said. "They haven't a leg to stand on."



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service and by Wong Si-lam for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.




Locals examine the front of a Chinese passenger bus that was shot by unidentified gunmen in northern Laos, March 23, 2016.

Lao authorities have deployed fast-moving, special armed units to patrol villages and towns to prevent unrest and crime in the provinces in the wake of a string of shootings of individuals and passenger vehicles by unknown assailants.

The special forces have been established to work on an emergency basis throughout the country so they can prevent crimes, fights and robberies, a security official, who declined to be named, told RFAs Lao Service on Monday.

The security details are particularly watching the capital Vientiane and Savannakhet province both day and night, he said.

The patrols will also maintain security in major cities during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summits in November when Laos chairs the 10-member regional bloc, the official said.

Authorities in Vientiane province north of the capital city have also increased police patrols in Kasy district, where shootings of public buses have occurred, a local villager said.

They have deployed 50 soldiers in every village in the district, the villager, who declined to be named, told RFAs Lao Service on Friday.

Now many soldiers are maintaining security, he said. Their commander uses a helicopter to drop them into each village, as well as along the main roads.

Spate of shootings

A shootout between Lao soldiers and unidentified armed assailants along a stretch of new road between Vientiane and Luang Prabang provinces on May 6 left one soldier and eight of members of the unknown group dead and others injured, a relative of the deceased soldier and a local health official told RFA earlier this month.

The shootout occurred along the thoroughfare connecting Kasy district and Luang Prabang provinces Nanh district, where two other deadly attacks by unknown gunmen, referred to by government authorities as bandits, took place in March.

A bus shooting by unknown assailants in March left one Chinese national dead and six others wounded on the stretch of road between Tham and Houasan villages in Kasy. And a January attack on a public bus traveling along Route 13 North in the district injured one of about a dozen passengers.

Earlier this month, military and police officials in Vientiane province arrested 30 people suspected of being involved in the bus shooting.

With the increased security by soldiers, people and tourists are going out at night, but they dare not stay out too late, the villager said, adding that he had no further information about the May 6 shooting.



No more unrest

Authorities in north-central Xaysomboun province, where other armed attacks have occurred, say the situation there improved after they stepped up patrols by soldiers.

The military officials told me that the general situation in the province is basically better, said a retired soldier close to a high-ranking officer in the Ministry of Defense, speaking on condition of anonymity. There is no more unrest.

An exchange of gunfire between a Lao anti-government resistance group and local troops in Xaysomboun last November left three government soldiers dead and others injured, he told RFA in a previous report.

A month later, 15 attackers shot two motorcyclists in the provinces Anouvong district, killing one and injuring the other. The alleged bandits shot at a truck transporting beer in the district three days later, injuring two people in the vehicle.

From the end of last year until February, there was high tension in the province, and people were not allowed to go out at night, the retired soldier said.

Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Rescue workers gather beside a landslide that killed at least a dozen people in a jade-mining area on the outskirts of Hpakant in northeastern Myanmar's Kachin state, May 24, 2016.

At least 12 scavengers searching for jade deposits died and 11 others were injured on Tuesday in Myanmars Hpakant township when mountainous slag heaps collapsed on them due to heavy rain, according to local residents.

The incident is the latest in a string of deadly mining-waste landslides that have occurred during the past in year Hpakant, the center of the countrys highly lucrative jade-mining business, in northeastern Myanmars Kachin state.

It was a huge landslide, and many were injured, and many are missing, said Aung Tun Naing, a jade mine worker on the site where Tuesdays landslide occurred. The rock walls have cracks, so the collapse occurred due to heavy rain during the day and night.

Rescue work at the accident site has temporarily stopped because of the rain, although hundreds of people are still missing, sources told RFAs Myanmar Service.

Those injured in the disaster were taken to Hpakant hospital where the bodies of the dead were collected, they said.

Three people in critical condition were moved to the hospital in Kachins capital Myitkyina, said village administrator Kyaw Min.

The rest are in good condition now, he said. We will find other bodies if they are still missing.

If the heavy rain continues, more landslides will occur in the area, Aung Tun Naing said.

The current situation in the jade mines is very dangerous, he said, adding that those who work in and around the mines usually do not take safety precautions.

Most workers dont care about safety, he said. They just want to get the jade.

Last November, more than 100 people died when a 200-foot pile of dirt and debris from mining activities collapsed, engulfing huts in an encampment of jade scavengers and their families.

Another 13 people believed to be scavengers died earlier this month in a landslide while searching for jade remnants amid waste cast off from mining operations.

Hpakant, which lies 651 kilometers (404 miles) north of Myanmars capital Naypyidaw, produces some of the highest-quality jade in the world, much of which is exported or smuggled to China, where demand for the precious stone is high.

Scavengers dig for raw jade stones in piles of waste rubble next to a jade mine in Hpakant, northeastern Myanmar's Kachin state, Oct. 4, 2015. AFP Blasts and clashes

Hostilities between an ethnic army in Kachin and the Myanmar military have also rocked Hpakant and affected its jade-mining activities.

More than a week ago, unknown assailants blew up the offices of two jade-mining companies in the township, destroying heavy vehicles, trucks and workers hostels, local officials told RFA at the time.

The blasts occurred soon after new clashes broke out between the Myanmar army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) following the detention by the KIA of a regional government minister and three policemen, Democratic Voice of Burma reported.

The KIA controls large swathes of Kachin state, where it has regularly clashed with the national army since a bilateral cease-fire with the government collapsed in 2011.

Khin Maung Myint, a lawmaker from Hpakant in the upper house of Myanmars parliament, said the spate of landslides has occurred because of the lack of rule of law in the area.

He pointed out that there are two brigades and two security battalions in the area whose job it is to ensure law and order in Hpakant, especially with regard to jade-mining activities.

It is obvious that they are not working  they are only searching people to find jade [on them], he told RFA.

The military is ignoring the rule of law as if it is trying to regain power again, he said, in a reference to the roughly 50 years when a military junta ruled the country until 2011.

Former President Thein Sein signed a nationwide cease-fire agreement with eight armed ethnic groups last October, but the KIAs political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), was not among them.

Opposite of what she wants

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 government under her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

She sees the resolution of the hostilities as key to Myanmars ability to reform and develop after decades of military rule.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also foreign minister and minister of the Presidents Office, expects to hold what she calls a 21st-century Panglong Conference in July to discuss permanent peace with the countrys armed ethnic groups.

Aung San Suu Kyis father, General Aung San, held talks known as the Panglong Conference in February 1947 to grant autonomy to the Shan, Kachin and Chin ethnic minorities, when he was head of the interim government following Myanmars release from British colonial rule.

But Aung Sans assassination in July 1947 prevented the agreements made during the conference from reaching fruition, and ethnic groups took up arms against the central government in wars that ground on for decades.

The military has started fighting with ethnic armed groups again, Khin Maung Myint said. It means the military is doing the opposite of what she wants.

A report issued last October by London-based anti-corruption and environmental advocacy group Global Witness noted that countrys jade industry remains tightly controlled by a network of former generals, drug lords, and crony businessmen who retain the sectors profits exclusively for themselves.

Reported by Kyaw Myo Min and Tin Aung Khine for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
U.S. President Barack Obama (R) pays his respects with Abbot of the Jade Emperor Pagoda Thich Minh Thong (C) during a visit to the Jade Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, May 24, 2016.

U.S. President Barack Obama isnt giving up on the human rights agenda in Vietnam, but its unclear if his visit will have any impact on the Southeast Asian country whose dismal record includes an estimated 100 or more political prisoners.

Obama on Tuesday met with a handful of human rights activists and admonished the government in an address that was televised nationally.

Upholding these rights is not a threat to stability but actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress," Obama said in a speech from Hanois National Convention Center that was attended by government officials and students from five universities.

Vietnam will do it differently than the United States does, he said. But there are these basic principles that I think we all have to try to work on and improve.

Obama told the audience that economic growth and human rights are intertwined.

When there is freedom of expression and freedom of speech, and when people can share ideas and access the Internet and social media without restriction, that fuels the innovation economies need to thrive, he said.

That's where new ideas happen. That's how a Facebook starts. That's how some of our greatest companies began -- because somebody had a new idea. It was different, and they were able to share it.

Hanoi usually blocks any criticism of the state from airing on state television, and while broadcasting Obama uncut could be read as a good sign for an improving human rights climate, the government also prevented some prominent activists from joining a meeting of rights defenders with Obama.

Activists blocked

It was a point Obama emphasized after his meeting with the advocates in the JW Marriott hotel, as he revealed that some advocates were prevented from attending.

I should note that there were several other activists who were invited who were prevented from coming for various reasons, and I think its an indication of the fact that, although there has been some modest progressthere are still folks who find it very difficult to assemble and organize peacefully around issues that they care deeply about.

According to media reports, businessman and politician Nguyen Quang A; prominent blogger and journalist Pham Doan Trang; and attorney Ha Huy Son, who specializes in defending dissidents in court, were kept from the meeting by various security forces.

Human rights activists said Vietnams actions on Tuesday underscore their argument that the White House made a mistake when it lifted the decades-old arms embargo against Vietnam on Monday without winning concrete concessions on rights issues.

Vietnam has demonstrated itself that it doesnt deserve the closer ties the U.S. is offering, John Sifton of Human Rights Watch told The New York Times. Detaining or preventing civil society from meeting President Obama is not just an insult to the president, its also a human rights abuse in itself, a deprivation of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of movement.

Warm reception

While Obama may not have won over critics, he appeared to win over the Vietnamese people. They lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the U.S. president, and he appeared to return their warmth.

Fans of the president who had gathered outside of the Bun Cha Huong Lien restaurant screamed as he left the street-side diner after a $6 meal of noodles and beer with celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. He shook hands as he made his way to the presidential limousine as flashes from cell phones lit up the night.

Obama was also cheered by more than 2,000 well-dressed Vietnamese, at the National Convention Center when he appeared, and then again when he told the audience that: Vietnam is an independent and sovereign nation, and no other nation can impose its will on you.

The remark appeared to be targeted at China. While Beijing and Hanoi are close politically as communist regimes, there is a great animosity among the Vietnamese toward their larger neighbor.

Vietnam and China have rival claims in the South China Sea, and the Vietnamese and the U.S. see closer cooperation there as a way to curb Chinas aggressive moves in the region.

Obamas decision to lift the arms embargo could be interpreted as a shot at China as much as it is an attempt to build a stronger relationship with Vietnam, analysts say.

Trans-Pacific Partnership push

The U.S. president also used the opportunity to push for the 12-nation trade accord known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Vietnam will be less dependent on any one trading partner and enjoy broader ties with more partners, including the United States, and TPP will reinforce regional cooperation, he said. It will help address economic inequality and will advance human rights, with higher wages and safer working conditions.

While Obama did not win any concrete human rights promises, he continued to push the idea that Vietnam will come around on human rights as the nation gets further woven into the international community of nations.

It will take sustained effort and true dialogue where both sides continue to change, he said. But considering all the history and hurdles that we've already overcome, I stand before you today very optimistic about our future together.
Former Belarusian President Stanislau Shushkevich has been fined after being found guilty of taking part in an unsanctioned opposition meeting.

On May 24, the Central Court in Minsk fined Shushkevich the equivalent of $320.

Shushkevich took part in a meeting of the Belarusian National Congress -- a union of the country's several opposition groups -- held in the capital's Yanka Kupala Park on May 15.

The gathering was not officially sanctioned by Minsk authorities.

Shushkevich, 81, led Belarus from the time of the former Soviet republic's declaration of independence in 1991 until he was ousted from power in 1994.

He is known for his criticism of Belarus's current President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

With reporting by BelaPAN and Interfax


GROZNY, Russia -- A prosecutor in Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya has called for two Ukrainian citizens convicted of fighting alongside Chechen separatists in the 1990s to be sentenced to at least 22 years in prison.

The prosecutor asked Chechnyas Supreme Court on May 24 to sentence Mykola Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh to 22 1/2 and 22 years in prison, respectively.

Both men went on trial in September 2015. On May 19, they were found guilty of participating in the activities of a militant group, including murder and attempted murder.

Investigators said they were members of the group known as the Ukrainian National Assembly-Ukrainian National Self-Defense (UNA-UNSO) and arrived in Chechnya in 1994 to fight alongside Chechen separatists against Russia's federal forces, leading to the killing of dozens of Russian soldiers.

UNA-UNSO has been officially branded as extremist and banned in Russia.

The Moscow-based Memorial human rights center has recognized Karpyuk and Klykh as political prisoners.
So I've decided to let my hair down today and go all extremist on you.

So, are you ready? All right. Here goes.

Russia's forceful annexation of Crimea was a violation of international law.

The conflict in the Donbas is not a civil war, it's a war of aggression carried out by Russia against Ukraine.

The Russian Federation should be a federal state, as stipulated by its constitution.

Moscow should decentralize more power to its regions and give ethnic groups like the Tatars greater autonomy.

Peaceful nonviolent demonstrations against things like high public transport fares are a legitimate form of protest.

Many Russian officials are corrupt.

Was that radical enough for you?

Well, it should be, because each one of the things I just said comes from an actual criminal case in which an actual Russian citizen was actually prosecuted for extremism.

In fact, in some cases, they were prosecuted simply for liking or sharing such comments on social media.

Now, don't get me wrong. Russia does have a problem with extremists.

Vigilante groups routinely attack members of the LGBT community.

Nationalist gangs regularly assault ethnic minorities.

But these things, of course, are rarely -- if ever -- prosecuted.

And, in fact, according to independent monitoring groups, actual extremist incidents are on the decline in Russia.

But at the same time, prosecutions for all those things Vladimir Putin's regime considers extremist have tripled over the past five years.

Extremism, it appears, is often in the eye of the beholder.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
France's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Paris granted an entry visa to Russia's Agriculture Minister Aleksandr Tkachev, despite his appearance on an EU sanctions blacklist imposed in response to Moscow's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in 2014.

Politico.com quoted a ministry spokesman as saying the decision to grant the visa was permitted because Tkachev was traveling to an international event in Paris.

Tkachev headed a Russian delegation at an assembly of the World Organization for Animal Health in Paris that began on May 22.

Tkachev's name was added in mid-2014 to a list of Russian individuals banned from entering the EU.

He had been the head of Russia's southern Krasnodar region at the time and was awarded a medal "for the liberation of Crimea" by the acting head of Crimea's Russian-controlled government for support he provided during Russia's seizure, occupation, and illegal annexation of the Ukrainian territory.

Some politicians in France have since voiced support for lifting sanctions against Russia.

Last month, France's lower house of parliament voted to lift sanctions against Moscow in a nonbinding vote that went against the Socialist government's recommendation.

Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS


The International Monetary Fund will focus on Moldova's financial system in reviewing Chisinau's request for a loan after the disappearance of more than $1 billion from Moldovan banks.

Ivanna Vladkova-Hollar, the head of an IMF fact-finding mission to Moldova, said on May 23 that her visit is the first step toward negotiating a loan that Moldova desperately needs. She said Moldova's banks need to operate within a regulated system, without outside interference.

Vladkova-Hollar met with Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who said his government would continue reforms in the finance, banking, and judicial systems, to fulfill IMF demands.

The IMF exited Moldova in September after the central bank governor resigned amid weeks of protests over the money, which went missing prior to November 2014 parliamentary elections.

The IMF's current visit to Moldova will continue until the end of the week and include meetings with the leadership of the National Bank, the National Commission on Financial Markets, the Finance Ministry, and the chiefs of several commercial banks.

Based on reporting by AP and Interfax
For the first time, Iran has officially acknowledged that it has imprisoned a U.S. permanent resident who advocates for Internet freedom.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said Tehran "will try to speed up" the case of Lebanese citizen Nizar Zakka, who disappeared in Tehran in September after attending a government-sponsored conference.

Although no charges have been announced, Iranian media has accused him of being an American spy. His family and associates reject the allegation.

"The Iranian government will try to speed up the process of addressing this issue and provide any help possible, but ultimately a legal case should be addressed by judicial authorities," Ansari said. "Any verdict by the judicial authorities will be the final ruling and we do not intervene in judicial rulings."

Zakka heads a nonprofit group that received $730,000 in grants from the U.S. government, AP reported.

Zakka's family is pressing the U.S. government to try to obtain his release, arguing he was arrested because of his U.S. ties.

They said Zakka traveled to Iran "with the knowledge and approval of the U.S. State Department, and his trip was funded by grants" from it.

Based on reporting by AP, Fox News, and Iran News Update
Iraqi security forces captured several areas on the outskirts of Fallujah on the first day of an offensive aimed at wresting the strategic city from Islamic State militants, Iraqi military officials said on May 23.

Security forces moved into the Garma, Shihabi, and Al-Sejar areas west of the city in the early morning, hours after Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced the offensive, officials said.

Abadi, dressed in military garb, said that operations were proceeding "successfully," but "there is a big challenge and that is preserving the lives of civilians."

He said safe corridors had been established for civilians fleeing the city.

The United Nations had warned that about 50,000 civilians remaining in Fallujah are in "great danger" because of the fighting and should be given a safe corridor to escape.

Fallujah is one of two main cities in the mainly Sunni Anbar Province, and was the scene of some of the bloodiest urban combat with U.S. troops in 2004.

The assault on Fallujah is the first major offensive in an urban area since Iraqi forces cleared Ramadi of IS fighters earlier this year.

Based on reporting by AP, dpa, and AFP


The Prosecutor-General's Office in Kazakhstan has published an interactive map of convicted pedophiles online.

The website of the office's Committee on Legal Statistics and Special Registration says the aim of the map is to "prevent new crimes" from being committed by convicted pedophiles.

The map allows users to zoom in on cities, towns, or villages to find convicted pedophiles.

The data includes photos, age, conviction details, and the current addresses of registered pedophiles who have been convicted since 1991.

On April 21, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev signed a bill allowing the use of chemical castration to punish convicted pedophiles.

Based on reporting by zakon.kz and today.kz
The leaders of Russia, France, Germany, and Ukraine spoke by telephone on May 24 about ways to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The Kremlin said Russia offered proposals which it "coordinated" with Russia-backed separatists on holding elections in the Donbas region and granting amnesty to combatants in the conflict.

After the call, the leaders issued a statement "recalling their commitment to the Minsk peace accords and their determination to do everything to ensure they are implemented in full as quickly as possible," according to French President Francois Hollande's office.

The Kremlin said the leaders emphasized the need to observe a cease-fire and discussed raising the efficiency of a monitoring mission by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The Kremlin said the leaders discussed giving the OSCE mission additional powers.

A February 2015 agreement brokered by France and Germany has helped reduce fighting in the conflict, which started in 2014, but frequent clashes have erupted and efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and TASS


The chairman of NATO's Military Committee, General Petr Pavel, told RFE/RL on May 24 that the alliance's planned buildup on its eastern flank is a direct response to Russian military actions in Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria.

Pavel, a Czech general, told RFE/RL that "if there were no increases in Russian assertiveness demonstrated in actions in Georgia, in Ukraine, in Crimea, and in Syria, there would not have to be a reaction from the NATO side."

He said NATO, and especially the alliance's easternmost member states, "feel threatened by Russian assertiveness, Russian aggression, in several areas."

Pavel said countries that directly border Russia "wanted to be more assured about the NATO presence and NATO willingness and preparedness to act."

NATO's Military Committee is the senior military authority in the alliance and the primary source of military advice to NATO's civilian decision-making bodies.

Based on reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels
Reports from Pakistan say a military tribunal has sentenced to death five naval officers for their involvement in an attack on a Karachi dockyard in September 2014 that left one officer and three attackers dead.

Retired Major Saeed Ahmed said on May 24 that his son, Sub-Lieutenant Hammad Ahmed, and four other naval officers were sentenced on charges including having links with the Islamic State group, mutiny, hatching a conspiracy, and carrying weapons in the dockyard.

Ahmed said his son was convicted last month, but he only became aware of it last week when he visited him in prison.

"My son was denied the right to a fair trial," he added.

Ahmed's lawyer Inam-ur-Rahim said his client was preparing to file an appeal but so far had not been given documentation relating to the case by the military court.

Based on reporting by AFP and Dawn


Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Kahn has complained about a U.S. drone strike targeting Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur -- saying that the attack on the Taliban leader while he was in Pakistan was not legal.

The Pentagon has said Mansur was targeted by the May 21 drone strike under U.S. rules of engagement that allow "defensive strikes" against people engaged in activity that poses "specific, imminent threats" to U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan.

But Khan said it is "against international law" for the U.S. government to say that "whoever is a threat to them will be targeted wherever they are."

U.S. President Barack Obama said on May 23 that Mansur was killed in the drone strike near Quetta just south of Afghanistans border.

But Khan said on May 24 that DNA tests were necessary to confirm the identity of the badly charred body thought to be that of Mansur.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP


The Pentagon has said U.S. forces killed Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur in a drone strike on May 21 because he posed "specific, imminent threats" to U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said on May 23 that the drone attack against Mansur in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan was carried out under U.S. rules of engagement that allow U.S. forces to conduct defensive strikes against people engaged in activity threatening U.S. and coalition personnel.

Davis told reporters it was the first time he was aware of that the U.S. military had conducted an attack inside Pakistan under the Pentagon's rules of engagement governing defensive strikes.

Pakistans Foreign Ministry criticized the attack as a violation of its sovereignty, saying the United States did not inform Islamabad before conducting the strike.

Earlier, President Barack Obama hailed Mansur's death as an "important milestone" in efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP


Foreign investors on May 23 and 24 bought around $1.3 billion of a Eurobond offering by Russia  its first since sanctions were imposed against it for forcibly annexing Crimea and Moscows support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Reuters quotes financial market sources as saying that Russia sold $1.75 billion of the 10-year Eurobonds at a yield of 4.75 percent.

The sources said $1.3 billion of those sales involved foreign investors from Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Russia launched the Eurobond offering on May 23 and extended the sales by a day in the hope of attracting Asian investors.

Some Western banks said they were not taking part amid concerns about the sanctions risk.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and TASS
Russia said it summoned a U.S. defense attache on May 23 after it claimed an American military aircraft flew into civilian airspace during a reconnaissance mission near Russia's Far Eastern border.

Russia's Defense Ministry said that the U.S. Air Force RC-135 surveillance plane risked colliding with passenger planes as it flew over the Sea of Japan on May 22 because it had turned its transponders off and could not be detected by civilian radar, although it was flying at an altitude typically used by passenger jets.

The U.S. crew did not inform regional authorities of the plane's route, the ministry said.

"The U.S. plane crew's unprofessional actions created the danger of a collision with...civilian airlines," the ministry said, adding that measures must be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

In recent months, Washington has repeatedly accused Russian aircraft of buzzing U.S. warships and aircraft in an "unprofessional" and dangerous manner.

Moscow has countered that the U.S. military has no business getting too close to Russia's borders.

Based on reporting by AFP and Interfax
Velimir Bata Zivojinovic, former Yugoslavia's best-known film star, has died at the age of 82, state media reported on May 23.

Zivojinovic, who was suffering from several chronic conditions and recently had a leg amputated, died late on May 22 in a Belgrade hospital.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic described Zivojinovic as a "titan." The news of his death also resonated in other former Yugoslav republics.

Zivojinovic played in more than 340 big screen and television films, mostly portraying partisans battling the German Nazi occupation during World War II.

His most famous movie, Walter Defends Sarajevo, was seen by hundreds of millions of people in China, turning Zivojinovic into a star in that nation. Each time Zivojinovic visited the country, fans turned out in large numbers to greet him.

But at home, Zivojinovic lost some of his iconic status among liberal Serbs and in other ex-Yugoslav republics when he sided with former Serbian nationalist strongman Slobodan Milosevic during the 1990s conflict.

He is survived by his wife, Julijana Zivojinovic, his son Miljko and daughter Jelena.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa
Ukraine and its allies have adamantly rejected Russia's claims that Kyiv is developing a "dirty bomb" to use against Moscow's forces, and Ukraine's foreign minister says he has invited experts to visit Ukrainian facilities to see for themselves that Ukraine has nothing to hide.

Russia's claims that Kyiv is planning to deploy a so-called dirty bomb -- a conventional warhead laced with radioactive, biological, or chemical materials -- came in a series of calls between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his counterparts from several NATO countries.

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.

Britain, France, and the United States issued a joint statement on October 23 dismissing the claim after Shoigu's calls with their defense ministers in which the Russian minister presented no evidence for the claim.

"Our countries made clear that we all reject Russia's transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory," according to the statement.

But Russia doubled down on its assertions, which come after weeks of military defeats for Russia in southern and eastern Ukraine.

"According to the information we have, two organizations in Ukraine have specific instructions to create a so-called dirty bomb. This work is in its final stage," Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov said on October 24.

Later the same day, the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, spoke by phone with British Chief of Defense Staff Tony Radakin, who rejected Russia's allegations that Ukraine is planning actions to escalate the conflict.

"The military leaders both agreed on the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the U.K. and Russia to manage the risk of miscalculation and to facilitate de-escalation," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Gerasimov also held a phone call with his U.S. counterpart, General Mark Milley, to discuss the risks of the use of a dirty bomb in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin-controlled RIA Novosti news agency.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg weighed in on Moscow's repeated allegation on October 24 , saying NATO also rejects it.

Stoltenberg said he had spoken with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace "about Russia's false claim that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory."

"NATO Allies reject this allegation. Russia must not use it as a pretext for escalation. We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine," he said on Twitter.

Moscow's claims that Ukraine could employ a dirty bomb raised concern that Russia could use such a device and blame Kyiv.

A senior U.S. military official said the United States has seen no indication that Russia has decided to use nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons in Ukraine, including a dirty bomb.

The official, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, also said the Ukrainians are not building a dirty bomb.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price also said the United States has not seen any indication that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon but said there would be consequences for Russia whether it used a dirty bomb or any other nuclear weapon.



"It would certainly be another example of [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin's brutality, if he were to use a so called 'dirty bomb.' There would be consequences for Russia whether it uses a 'dirty bomb' or a nuclear bomb. We've been very clear about that," Price told reporters.



He did not provide details about those consequences.

Ukraine earlier called the accusation that Kyiv was building a dirty bomb absurd, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog accepted his request to send experts to Ukraine to refute Moscow's claim.

Kuleba said he invited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to "urgently send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine which Russia deceitfully claims to be developing a dirty bomb."

Kuleba said Ukraine has always been transparent and has "nothing to hide."

The IAEA said later on October 24 that it was preparing to send inspectors to two Ukrainian sites.



IAEA chief Rafael Grossi confirmed in a statement that both locations are under IAEA safeguards and have been visited regularly by the agency's inspectors.



The IAEA "is aware of statements made by the Russian Federation on [October 23] about alleged activities at two nuclear locations in Ukraine," Grossi said, adding that both were already subject to its inspections and one was inspected a month ago and no undeclared nuclear activities or material were found.



"The IAEA is preparing to visit the locations in the coming days," it added.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Kuleba in a phone call on October 23 that the world would "see through any attempt by Russia to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation [of the war]."

Blinken and Kuleba discussed the U.S. and international commitment to continue supporting Ukraine with "unprecedented security, economic and humanitarian assistance for as long as it takes, as we hold Russia accountable," the State Department's call readout said.

They further noted ongoing efforts to manage the broader implications of the Kremlins war in Ukraine, it added.

With reporting by AFP
ON MY MIND

One has to wonder how much longer the charade of the so-called Normandy Format can continue. Vladimir Putin, Petro Poroshenko, Angela Merkel, and Francois Hollande spoke yet by telephone again this week about ways to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine. And as far as I can see, all the call did was provide the Kremlin with yet another opportunity to pretend it is a peacemaker in a conflict in which it is the instigator and the aggressor. Meanwhile, fighting spiked in the Donbas yesterday with Kyiv reporting 31 attacks by Russia-backed separatists.

This conflict will only end when Putin wants it to end. It will only end when the costs of continuing it are unacceptable for him. And continuing to treat the aggressor like a mediator with more "Normandy Format" phone calls does little to raise those costs.

IN THE NEWS

The Supreme Court has approved criminal penalties for insulting Russia's national anthem.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has told pensioners in Crimea that there "simply isn't enough money" to index pensions.

Russia's banning of Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev from his homeland appears to be headed for the European Court of Human Rights.

France has granted an entry visa to a Russian official banned by the EU.

The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany have spoken by telephone about ways to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Russia says it summoned a U.S. defense attache after claiming that an American military aircraft flew into civilian airspace during a reconnaissance mission near Russia's border in the Far East.

WHAT I'M READING

The End Of The Petrostate?

Russian billionaire Petr Aven teamed up with economists Vladimir Nazarov and Samvel Lazaryan to pen a provocative article in The National Interest, Twilight Of The Petrostate, arguing that "the age of oil rents is over" and "a political and geopolitical revolution is on the way."

"As trade, investment, and migrant flows between oil-producing countries and the rest of the world decline, the body of globalism will certainly grow leaner. Its spirit, however, will revive," the authors write.

"The full enjoyment of Western comforts and technologies will no longer be compatible with a negation of its values and institutes. Only those countries that embrace modernization and carry it further than they did in the previous oil downcycle can hope not be relegated to a historical footnote."

In his column for Bloomberg View, political commentator Leonid Bershidsky argues that Putin should heed the warning.

"The rules of debate in Russia have changed significantly in recent years, but the debate itself hasn't quite ceased. Influential modernizers -- or, rather, Westernizers -- can still get their voices heard. Russia's future course depends on whether Putin is willing to listen, even just a little bit," Bershidsky writes.

Prokhorov's Deal With The Devil

Writing in Intersection, political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya argues that Mikhail Prokhorov's deal to fire RBC's editors in exchange for cessation of pressure won't work.

Victims Of Russian Aggression Unite!

In an interview with Liga.net, Andreas Umland of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation in Kyiv argues that it is time for the victims of Russian aggression to unite to form a defensive bloc.

"Ukraine's accession to NATO is unrealistic. It is also questionable to say that the Association Agreement with the EU gives Ukraine security guarantees," Umland says. "Therefore, I see no other way out than to try to create some kind of a coalition of countries that are experiencing the same problems."

A Canadian Magnitsky Act?

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has criticized Canada for its failure to adopt its own Magnitsky Act.

Russian Trolls In Finland

Journalist Jessikka Aro has a report in European View about the activities of Russian trolls on social media in Finland.

Aro herself has been targeted in a coordinated campaign of harassment and character assassination by Russian trolls.

And My Shameless Promotion Of A Friend's Accomplishment

And finally, congratulations to my good friend Peter Pomerantsev for winning the RSL Ondaatje Prize, which honors the best writing "evoking the spirit of a place" for his excellent book Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible: Inside The Surreal Heart Of The New Russia.
Former Donetsk resident Nadia Zaslavska spoke to Dmitry Volchek from RFE/RL's Russian Service about why the conflict in eastern Ukraine drove her from the city even though she had spent many happy years living there.

I was born in the Dnipropetrovsk region but I spent more than 30 years in Donetsk. I built my house there with my own hands. It was a spacious house, with two stories and big French windows.It was a dream house. The war reduced it to a pile of rubble.



When the Euromaidan [pro-democracy protests] began in late 2013, I traveled to Kyiv to witness it. I was happy this was finally happening in our country. I know who Viktor Yanukovych, our ousted president, is because I'm from the Donetsk region, too. I was against his election, I never voted for him. I always knew it would end badly.



Unfortunately, I was the only person on my street with this opinion. People started walking around the city brandishing Russian flags and shouting "Russia!" Then Ukrainian television was shut off. The only channel we had access to was run by the DNR [Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk region].



There were numerous drug addicts in our city before the war. Many of them joined the DNR army. A friend of mine once bumped into a former schoolmate, a junkie who had enrolled with the separatists. This drug addict told my friend: "Now I feel like someone, because I know that I have power."



All my life I spoke Ukrainian with my parents. I've always loved my native language. But at some point my mother and I became afraid of speaking in Ukrainian, we started whispering to each other. All our neighbors supported the separatists, they believed that Russia would come and rescue them.



We had a wonderful airport, it was close to my house. When the war [between Kyiv's forces and the separatists] began, I initially thought that it was just a bluff, that it wasn't real. At first the city of Slovyansk was captured, and we thought it would end with that. Then Ilovaysk, a town near Donetsk, was taken. Then Peski, which is also close by. Soon enough, we found ourselves at the heart of events  terrible, bloody events.

The windows were shattered and riddled with bullets, as though someone had walked around with a Kalashnikov and shot repeatedly...

I had a friend in my neighborhood, she also had a beautiful house. It was shelled right from the beginning. She was the only friend I had who shared my belief that all this was a nightmare through and through. She was struck by a round of shelling as she tried to retrieve some belongings from her burning house. She died. Her car is still parked in my street, a reminder of her life.



When the war started, a checkpoint was set up on a bridge next to my home. This meant our area became a target and was frequently hit by artillery fire. The mayor of Donetsk announced that we had all been warned of the danger and that our street had been evacuated. In reality, no one had told us anything.



One after the other, our neighbors left and I ended up alone with my elderly mother. We had two dogs, two cats, and other pets left in our care by neighbors, so we stayed. There was no gas, no electricity, no running water. We survived in these conditions for four months.



One day I was carrying two big bowls of food for the neighbors' dogs when a jeep drove past in the street. One of the men inside, who appeared to be from the North Caucasus, took out his Kalashnikov assault rifle and aimed it right at my face. I dropped the bowls and scrambled over a fence; I was terrified. The men laughed. Whenever I walked past the checkpoint on the bridge, I could also hear the sound of guns being reloaded right behind me. These men were just interested in watching the reactions of ordinary citizens. They all looked like alcoholics and junkies.



We fled the city at night, between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. This was the time when the shooting usually lulled. My mother and I took one dog with us and ran to the train station. We caught the last train to Dnipropetrovsk. The controllers let us in with the dog and didn't ask for any tickets.



In Dnipropetrovsk, we found refuge in an empty shed on the steppe. Several days later we received a phone call from acquaintances in Donetsk who told us that our house had been shelled. I found my way back to Donetsk to inspect the damage. But shells started falling -- it's a miracle I even made it to my street. There were tanks and armored personnel carriers parked outside my house, or what remained of it. I entered through the back yard. The windows were shattered and riddled with bullets, as though someone had walked around with a Kalashnikov and shot repeatedly at my windows. I took shelter in a basement in which we used to store food.





I heard the men talking outside. They had distinct Russian accents, and they were standing in my yard, arguing about shoot-outs and targets. I caught a glimpse of their Russian uniform and of the Russian flags sewn on it. They chatted about how beautiful eastern Ukraine was, how fertile the soil was, how good it would be to settle down here. It's hard for me to express the horror I felt. I bear witness to this, despite all the assertions that Russia was not involved in the fighting.



I sat in the basement for one day and one night. This is where I recorded a message on my phone for my daughter [in the United States]:



"Not at any price do I want to stay here. This is our land, and these monsters want to destroy it. There's never enough land for them. It's big, it's beautiful, and they are killing it. Daughter, wherever you live, you must be proud of having been born in this country, in our dear, long-suffering Ukraine."



The following night I escaped my shelter and ran to the train station, where I found a vehicle that took me to Dnipropetrovsk.



All this would never have happened if Russia had left us in peace. We had a wonderful city, almost European. We would have been able to weather the crisis. There would have been no war without Russia, I'm sure of that.



Now I live in Kyiv and I will never go back to Donetsk.



My house was destroyed. My pets were shot dead and left to rot on the pavement, like all the other cats and dogs in our street. The homes of my pro-Russian neighbors were destroyed too, by the way. No one was spared.



The residents who opposed the separatists have almost all fled. Many of those who stayed behind are too sick or too frail to travel. The others continue to believe that Russia will one day provide them with a beautiful, happy life.
Ukraine said on May 24 that seven of its servicemen have been killed and nine others wounded in the countrys east during the previous 24 hours.

National Security Council head Oleksandr Turchynov said on May 24 that it is the highest number of casualties in the region in a single day during 2016.

Turchynov said Russia-backed separatists had intensified attacks on government troops using heavy weapons and accused Mosow of doing everything to "torpedo a peaceful way to solve the conflict."

Meanwhile, separatists accused government forces of shelling the western outskirts of Donetsk late on May 23, damaging eight residential buildings.

The statements came as the leaders of Russia, France, Germany, and Ukraine spoke by telephone on May 24 about ways to settle the conflict.

Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 9,300 people since April 2014.

A February 2015 cease-fire agreement brokered by France and Germany in Minsk has helped reduce the violence, but sporadic clashes have continued.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and Interfax
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Colonial Heights police have arrested four adults and three juveniles in connection with a series of burglaries that netted thousands of dollars worth of electronics and collectible sneakers from two stores near Southpark Mall.

Police say the suspects broke into Hot Spot Electronics, 790-B Southpark Blvd., on April 16 and May 16 and into Sneaker P, 1839 Southpark Blvd., on April 19 and May 6.

The following adults have been charged in the case:

 Khamoni Divon Morgan, 18, of Petersburg.

 Kevin Earl Crenshaw Jr., 18, of Petersburg.

 Michael Eric Wyatt, 18, of Petersburg.

 Brenden Underhill-Stith, 18, of Petersburg.
JOHNSON, Linwood R. Jr., departed this life May 19, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Louise Johnson; two sons, four grandchildren, and a host of other loving relatives and friends. Remains rest at Walter J. Manning Funeral Home, 700 N. 25th St., where viewing will be held Tuesday, May 24, 2016, from 12 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Fourth Baptist Church, 2800 P St., on Wednesday at 12 noon. Pastor Emory Berry Jr., officiating. Interment Oakwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to the Virginia Union University scholarship fund in Linwood's name.
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RICHMOND  With his toddler son, Andrew, in his left arm and his wife, Amy, by his side, Stephen McCullough put his right hand on the Bible and was formally invested Monday as the 106th justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

McCullough, formerly a judge on the Court of Appeals, took the oath, administered by Chief Justice Donald Lemons, before friends, family, fellow judges, colleagues from Virginia Attorney Generals Office and Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

The ceremony featured many of the same players but none of the partisan political drama that plunged the selection process for the high court vacancy into chaotic discord for nearly a year.

Seated next to McCullough before his swearing-in was McAuliffe, who had fought for months to retain Justice Jane Marum Roush for election to a full 12-year term, only to see her have to leave the court when her interim appointment expired. Legislators ultimately elected McCullough to take her place.

Its very humbling to think about the responsibility that comes with a judicial commission, McCullough said in brief remarks after relatives helped the lanky jurist don the black robes worn by the seven justices.

Former colleagues from the Attorney Generals Office and fellow appellate court judges lauded McCulloughs ascension, saying he would bring nothing but honor to the court, and that he has an unshakeable moral compass.

He really has been on a path here for a very long time, said former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who described McCulloughs work ethic and legal scholarship as superlative.

This is the kind of justice we should have.

Roush was not present; nor were any legislative leaders  such as House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, and Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment, R-James City, who led the opposition to McAuliffes choice of Roush.

Back in March when the legislature elected McCullough to replace Roush, McAuliffe criticized extending the position to a little-known 11th-hour pick.

On Monday, however, McAuliffe made no reference to the partisan battle that shined a harsh light on the political underbelly of judicial selection.

Instead the governors remarks, while praising McCulloughs work ethic and preparation, paid more attention to the history of the court detailed in a current exhibit surrounding its chambers.

McAuliffe noted how its membership had broadened to better reflect who we are as a commonwealth, and include women and African-Americans. He left shortly after the ceremony.

McCullough has been serving since March. Roush will return to the court, when, as a former justice, her painting will be hung in chambers.
RICHMOND  Republicans in the Virginia General Assembly filed a lawsuit Monday in the Supreme Court of Virginia challenging Gov. Terry McAuliffes authority to order a mass restoration of rights April 22, covering more than 200,000 felons who had served their time.

The lawsuit, led by Speaker of the House Bill Howell, R-Stafford, and Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment, R-James City, argues that McAuliffe exceeded his executive authority under the state constitution when he issued the order.

The Constitution of Virginia forbids this unprecedented assertion of executive authority, the filing states. Governor McAuliffes executive order defies the plain text of the Constitution, flouts the separation of powers, and has no precedent in the annals of Virginia history. The governor simply may not, with a stroke of the pen, unilaterally suspend and amend the Constitution.

The suit  filed against the governor, Secretary of the Commonwealth Kelly Thomasson and members of the State Board of Elections and Department of Elections  petitions the states highest court to stop implementation of the order and any subsequent mass rights restoration actions taken by the governor.

It says the state constitution allows a governor to restore rights only on an individual basis. It argues that McAuliffes order also violates the separation of powers, illegally amends the state constitution and potentially dilutes otherwise legitimate votes by permitting unqualified voters potentially to cast ballots.

McAuliffes push for a mass restoration of rights outraged Republicans  especially in a presidential election year in which the governors close friend and fellow Democrat, Hillary Clinton, is seeking a victory in battleground state Virginia to boost her bid for the White House.

In a statement, McAuliffe asserted that he has authority under the constitution to take action. He blasted Republicans, saying they are attempting to preserve a policy of disenfranchisement that has been used intentionally to suppress the voices of qualified voters, particularly African-Americans, for more than a century.

These individuals have served their time and are now living, raising families and paying taxes in our communities  this suit is an effort to continue to treat them as second-class citizens, he said.

McAuliffe added that this legal action would also take Virginia out of the overwhelming majority of states that restore the rights of people who have served their time and completed supervised release.

Time is of essence

McAuliffes order, just days after the General Assembly wrapped up the 2016 legislative session, has the potential to expand the states voter rolls by up to 3.8 percent.

Chuck Cooper, the attorney for Republicans filing the suit, said the plaintiffs are making a direct appeal to the states highest court because time is of the essence.

The governor issued the order in time for thousands and thousands of felons to register and ultimately vote in November elections, but that isnt enough time to litigate a case in the normal course of the trial courts of the commonwealth.

In a statement, Howell, who has clashed frequently with McAuliffe during his term over Medicaid expansion, gun control and most recently judicial selection for the Supreme Court, said legislators simply cannot ignore this unprecedented executive overreach.

Howell pointed to statistics that estimate 40,000 of the 206,000 felons due to be affected by the order are former violent felons. He criticized the unintended consequences of the order that he said would allow violent felons to be eligible for jury service and have a simpler path to gun rights.

Beyond being bad policy, the governors order is unconstitutional, Howell told reporters in a conference call.

Norment said McAuliffe has willfully ignored constitutional limitations on his power, demonstrating his complete and total disregard for the commonwealth, the people of Virginia and the principles of representative government.

Calling the governors action constitutionally outrageous, Norment said the governor did not think about the unintended consequences of the order, saying his partisan pandering tongue got ahead of a more thoughtful analysis of the implications of his order.

Building on the efforts of former Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, to accelerate the rights restoration process, McAuliffe has made rights restoration for felons who have served their time a priority of his administration. He had restored rights to more than 18,000 felons before the blanket order.

Since taking office in January 2014, McAuliffe has taken steps to streamline the process further and relax restrictions placed by the state on people with a criminal record to be able to vote, serve on a jury, become a notary public or run for office once their sentences have been completed.

The administration reduced the application to one page from 13. It reduced from five years to three years the time period in which a felon must wait after they had completed their sentence to apply for reinstatement.

The current administration also had removed drug offenses from the list of violent felonies not eligible for restoration and said rights can be restored even if a felon has not completed payment of court fees and restitution.

The governors April 22 order applied to all violent and nonviolent felons who have completed all phases of their sentences and supervised release  even those who have not applied for a restoration of rights. That is a departure from past policies in which governors restored rights on an individual basis.

Virginia is one of 10 states that do not automatically restore rights upon completion of a felony sentence. It is one of four states that require an application by the ex-offender and action by the governor, according to the McAuliffe administration.

The administration cited research showing one of five African-Americans of voting age in Virginia has lost the right to vote.

A simplified process

Howell and Norment, who are joined in the suit by four Virginians from across the state, said the Virginia Constitution prohibits mass restoration of rights and that legal precedent supports their argument.

A plain reading of the constitution, 240 years of practice and precedent-setting Virginia Supreme Court cases lead to the unambiguous conclusion that the governors order is unconstitutional and cannot stand, Howell said.

Previous governors have said they thought a wholesale restoration of rights would require a change to the constitution, but recent governors have found ways to accelerate and accomplish part of the goal through executive authority.

Then-Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat, took steps to simplify the process, which previously could take years to initiate and months to complete. Then-Gov. Tim Kaine, also a Democrat, shortened the waiting period for those released from prison before applying for a restoration of rights.

McDonnell made prisoner re-entry and rehabilitation a priority of his administration. He reduced the processing time of restoration applications.

McDonnell also restored rights on an automatic, individual basis to nonviolent felons who had completed their sentence and probation and paid their court costs and fines, resulting in restoring the rights of more than 6,800 Virginians.

At the time McAuliffe issued the order, he said he consulted with Attorney General Mark Herring and Dick Howard, principal author of the current constitution implemented in 1971. Howard is a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law.

In an interview, Howard said unequivocally that McAuliffe has the authority to restore rights for an entire class of people rather than as individuals.

He also spoke of the historic significance of the occasion in relation to Virginias 1901-02 constitutional convention, which set up poll taxes, literacy tests and disenfranchisement for felons as barriers for African-American participation in voting.

Democrats ran the state government when that version of the constitution was implemented in 1902.

Cooper, the lawyer who brought the suit on behalf of Republicans in the General Assembly, said the disenfranchisement provision for felons dates to 1830 and said the process has been maintained for nonracial policy reasons.
SSEF and UNIMEC introduce worlds most precise automated small synthetic diamond screener The Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF and UNIMEC SA, a robotics company also headquartered in Switzerland, have announced the release of the ASDI-500, a new version of the Automated Diamond Spectral Inspection device.

De Beers moves to entice buyers with sweeter terms  report De Beers will offer sweeter terms to diamond buyers at its next sale as the market is slowing after a rally that began during the global pandemic, according to media reports. Bloomberg quoted unnamed people familiar with the goings on as saying that...

Lucapa to auction seven Lulo diamonds in Angola Lucapa Diamond will place seven diamonds recovered by its 40%-owned Sociedade Mineira Do Lulo (SML) at the Lulo Mine in Angola. The diamonds include a 170-carat fancy-coloured diamond Lulo Rose, three +100-carat white Type IIa diamonds...

Mountain Province Diamonds announces planned notes refinancing Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. today announces that it has set a date for a special meeting of shareholders of December 1, 2022. The record date for shareholders entitled to receive notice and vote at the meeting has been set as October 28, 2022.
GECKO Namibia has reportedly been unpaid for services rendered to a diamond company in Marange, Zimbabwe since production stopped earlier this year.

Gecko provides several services, among them exploration drilling, chemical analyses, R&D metallurgical test work, civil engineering and construction, as well as contract mining.

The Zimbabwe Independent reports that Gecko was owed R200 million ($13,3 million) by Mbada Diamonds.

The company was reportedly unhappy that it had no access to its equipment left in the Marange diamond fields recently sealed off by government.

Unfortunately we have not received anything yet from Mbada Diamonds. It is quite a substantial amount, an unnamed company official was quoted as saying.

We dont really know how we are going to get that money considering that mining companies were evicted from the diamond mines. Now we dont have access to our equipment which is now stuck there (in Marange), some of which has been seriously neglected.

We are not sure whether we will ever get the money. When Mbada Diamonds was still up and running we made several proposals of repayment, but they were not fruitful.

The non-payment of the money had forced Gecko Namibia to downsize its operations in Namibia and South Africa, which led to retrenchments, The Independent reports.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




Thailand will shut its largest gold mine by the end of the year, as the project was damaging the environment. The government also felt that the damaging hazards to the health of workers outweighed the mines economic benefit.

A decision to shut the facility comes after Thailand government ordered a review of Chatree mines last year following complaints from local residents. Chatree is the only producing asset of Australian producer, Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd, after it completed the sale of its Challenger gold mine in Australia in March.

Kingsgate was ordered last year to temporarily suspend output and conduct inquiries into concerns about potential arsenic and manganese contamination in nearby villages.

Thailands Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said, From the end of December, there will be no gold mine until the issues are clear. The government will need to assist more than 1,000 workers who will be affected by the decision, he said.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished




Peregrine Diamonds said it has commenced core drilling on its wholly-owned Sikwane Project in Botswana.

The drilling, it said, was meant to resolve the kimberlite-granite relationships and collect carefully controlled kimberlite samples for microdiamond and kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM) analysis.

Five vertical core holes of 100 metres each were planned, said Peregrine.

De Beers previously recovered limited core from the drilling programme and due to the limitations of percussion drilling, the geological relationships between kimberlite and country rock granite were unresolved.

Interpretation of available KIM garnet and ilmenite chemistry shows that the Sikwane kimberlites contain diamond-compatible KIMs and the kimberlites have moderate to high diamond potential, it said.

Diamonds have been recovered from surface samples and from down-hole samples at the Sikwane kimberlites, although diamond abundance and size distribution data are not available.

The Canadian diamond exploration company holds 11 diamond prospecting licenses in Botswana that cover 661,330 hectares.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




Anjin Investments, which was sent packing from Marange by the Zimbabwean government last February, has denied smuggling diamonds worth $200 million to China.

The Zimbabwe Independent had reported that the company smuggled 3,7 million carats out of Marange to Shanghai as a way of beating US imposed sanctions.

However, Anjin board member Munyaradzi Machacha was quoted by The Herald newspaper as saying that the company only legally exported $112 million worth of diamonds to China.

"The company was recklessly accused of involvement in the smuggling of 3,7 million carats from Chiadzwa to China's financial hub of Shanghai worth $200 million, he said.

As a matter of fact and for the record that export in question was done above board with all relevant supporting documentation required for the lawful export of the diamonds from Zimbabwe.

"The carats involved were not 3,7 million as earlier reported , but 3,37 million and $112 million was realised from the sale, well below the figure of $200 million. What is important is that it was an ordinary export that met all requirements including the remittances to Government of all taxes and fees from the sale proceeds."

He said Anjin had nothing to hide and all requirements for diamond exports were available for inspection by relevant stakeholders.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




ALROSA announces the recovery of a 207.29-carat rough diamond from the Zarnitsa pipe at Udachny Mining and Processing Division.The gem-quality rough diamond measures 38.0  37.0  18.0 mm and is the largest through the history of Zarnitsa. The extracted stone represents a transparent transitional crystal form with a slightly grooved surface. The diamond has no name so far.The modern mining and processing technologies ensure high degree of diamond preservation,  noted Gleb Shmarov, Chief Geologist of Udachny Mining and Processing Division.Open-pit mining at Zarnitsa started in 1999. Identified reserves of the deposit under JORC as of 01.01.2015 amounted to 7.49 million carats. In Q1 this year, as part of increase in the open-pit mine capacity, diamond output exceeded 2.3 times the volume of diamonds extracted during the same period in 2015.Udachny Mining and Processing Division is one of ALROSAs major subdivisions engaged in the development of the Udachny underground mine named after Fedor Andreev, Zarnitsa pipe, and Piropovy Ruchey alluvial deposit. The Division started the development of Verkhne-Munskoe deposit that comprises the Deimos, Zapolyarnaya, Komsomolsko-Magnitnaya, and Novinka pipes. In Q1 2016, Udachny Mining and Processing Division mined 1.09 million carats.
Photo: Binh Chau

The scholars include two awardees with disability and one from the Tay ethnic minority.

These scholarship recipients are among more than 5,000 Vietnamese students who have received long-term and short-term training opportunities from the Australian Government since the opening of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1973. Many Australia Awards alumni have reached positions of leadership in both the private and public sectors in different parts of Vietnam.

The Australia Awards reflect our ongoing commitment to development cooperation with Vietnam. By helping to stimulate the private sector, up skill the workforce, and support inclusive growth, we will contribute to promoting prosperity and improving living standards in Vietnam. I believe that these awardees, upon graduation, will support Vietnams development and enduring linkages between our two countries, said Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Hugh Borrowman.

The Awards, funded by the Australian Government, strive to develop leadership potential and stimulate lasting change by empowering a global network of talented individuals through high-quality education experiences in Australia and overseas. Recipients return home with new ideas and knowledge, and the ability to make a significant contribution to their home countries as leaders in their field.

In 2016, the Australian Government is offering Vietnam 80 scholarships for full-time study in Australia commencing in 2017. Each scholarship includes tuition fees, living allowance, airfares and health insurance. The recipients will study at Masters level at a university of their choice in a diverse range of key development areas such as gender, disability, human resource development, infrastructure, governance and economic reform.

Applications are closed for this years scholarships, and will open again from February 1st until March 31st, 2017./.
A planned double track project in Indiana may move forward following a key approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) has received approval from the FTA to enter Project Development for its long anticipated project to double track the South Shore Line from Tennessee Street in Gary, Ind., to Michigan Blvd. in Michigan City, Ind., a distance of approximately 25 miles.

The estimated $210-million project is expected to add 5,000  8,000 daily riders to the South Shore Line, increase train frequency by 30 percent and improve on-time performance. In addition, double tracking the South Shore Line will allow the railroad to significantly reduce travel times along the line, especially at station locations farther away from Chicago.

In March of this year, the NICTD Board of Trustees approved a $4-million contract for HDR Engineering to lead the preliminary engineering and environmental studies necessary to request a federal rating of the double tracking project next year. The approval puts the project into the federal pipeline for a 50 percent matching grant under its Capital Investment Grant program. The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority has committed $1.6 million and Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority has pledged $800,000 towards the HDR contract.

It is NICTDs goal to seek a project rating by the FTA in late 2017, which if successful, would lead to a funding recommendation in the presidents 2018 budget. Once approved by Congress, the project is anticipated to commence construction in 2019, with completion in late 2020.

According to NICTDs General Manager Michael Noland, the double tracking project leverages upon years of intelligent, targeted and sustained reinvestment in the infrastructure of the South Shore Line. People always ask me, when can we reduce the travel time to Chicago from South Bend to 90 minutes, or 60 minutes from Michigan City? I tell them double track the railroad and we can make that happen.

The next step in this process, in addition to completing the preliminary engineering and environmental studies, is locking up the all important local/state share of $105 million to qualify for federal funding.
Frank DePaola, who has served as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) since February 2015, plans to retire after his current appointment expires on June 30.

Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack thanked DePaola in a letter to MBTA employees and announced that MBTA Chief Administrator Brian Shortsleeve would step into the role of acting general manager, effective July 1, with MBTA Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Gonneville assuming additional responsibilities at that time.

Secretary Pollack said, I have already begun consultations with the members of the Fiscal and Management Control Board on how best to ensure that during the coming transition the MBTA continues to serve its customers safely and reliably, builds on the progress that has been made on financial stability and increases its investment in maintenance and capital assets.

It has been an honor to serve as general manager during this critical period and to work with so many dedicated colleagues and employees who have helped the MBTA improve service, become more resilient and fix the Ts aging assets, DePaola said.

DePaola called the job of general manager rewarding and relentless. Referring to his battle with cancer, he added, My decision to retire is a difficult one, but I cannot continue to spend the countless hours that the job demands while continuing needed treatment and focusing on my health.

Frank has been the kind of general manager that the MBTA needs, someone whose management style has helped the MBTA to increase the publics confidence in the transit systems performance while also leading the T workforce during a period of change, said Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. On behalf of the Baker-Polito Administration, I want to express my appreciation to Frank for his work ethic and dedication.

Frank has always stepped up when his management and engineering skills were needed, said Pollack.

Since assuming the leadership role of the MBTA in February 2015, DePaola has shared responsibility with Chief Administrator Shortsleeve, overseeing the MBTA departments responsible for operations, safety, systemwide accessibility and capital program delivery.

His accomplishments as general manager include improving service for MBTA riders, designing and implementing an $83-million Winter Resiliency program and ensuring that the renovation of Government Center Station was completed on time and on budget.

DePaola also supervised the Interim Project Management Team that re-designed the Green Line Extension Project after massive cost overruns led the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board and MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board to call for comprehensive changes in the project.
One of the first Toyota Vellfire to be delivered in Kerala, belongs to Mohanlal

Launched earlier this week at a staggering price of Rs 79.5 lakhs, ex-showroom, the new Toyota Vellfire sets a new benchmark for the term  luxury on wheels. Not only it is one of the biggest passenger car to be on sale in India, it is also one of the most luxurious and spacious car in the country.

Today, superstar Mohanlal took delivery of his Toyota Vellfire. His is one of the first delivery that was made in the state of Kerala. At the time of launch, Toyota said that the stock of Vellfire is sold out for the next 3 months. Sold as a CBU, the import per month stock is at 60 units. That means that about 180 units of the Vellfire are already sold out.

One of the main rival of the Vellfire in India is the Mercedes V Class, which was launched in India a few months ago. Luxury MPV segment is at a nascent state in India, with limited options available to customers.

Both V-Class and Vellfire share a similar boxy outline, but Vellfire appears more dominant with its prominent front section that looks almost like a loco. Vellfire has wide chrome strips at the front and comes with dual LED setup, which provides a conspicuous character to the MPV. C and D pillars are blacked out to achieve the floating roof effect. Vellfires design may not be artistically brilliant, but its massive size and distinct styling will surely get you noticed on the streets.

Other key features include prominent A-pillar, roof mounted rear spoiler, clear-lens combination lights and wraparound rear windshield. In case of Vellfire, all the attractive things are on the inside. The dashboard is all black and comes with premium wooden inserts. Seats are done in real leather and come in dual tone theme of black and beige. Vellfire can seat 7 people and its middle row has two pilot seats.

Features that define Vellfires super luxury include ventilated seats, seat tables, ambient lighting, personal spotlights, powered rear doors, double sunroof and tri-zone automatic climate control. In terms of safety, Vellfire gets 7 airbags, electronic parking brake, vehicle stability control, cornering lamps, etc.

Powering this beast will be a 2.5-litre petrol hybrid engine that generates 179 hp of max power and is mated to an e-CVT unit. Vellfire also gets an e-AWD system. This makes Vellfire the cleanest car in the segment.
Today an agreement has been made between Svenska Saabklubben (the Swedish Saab Club) and the owner of SaabsUnited, Till Drescher, where Saabklubben will be taking over the management of SaabsUnited. The primary objective is to make sure the website is properly maintained, so that the content and history of SaabsUnited isnt lost. Saabklubben intends to keep SaabsUnited as it is, with the crowdsourced community earlier described by Alphonse (where visitors contribute with posts).

SaabsUnited will still be SaabsUnited.

Saabklubben is a non-profit organization founded in 1976, with more than 3 000 active members (approx. 10 % are members outside of Sweden). We care for all models of Saab  from Saab 92 to Saab NG9-5. Saabklubben has a member exclusive spare parts production, with close to 10 000 parts for Saab 92 up until Saab 9000. We also have a close relation to Orio (former Saab Parts) and provide our members with spare parts for their newer Saab car models.

Saabklubben cooperates with several companies that provide parts and accessories for Saab, from Maptun and Nordic Tuning to CardYourCar and Speedparts. These companies provide our members with certain discounts. Saabklubben also provides its members with better insurances for their classic cars, a membership magazine, events and track-days and much more. Saabklubben has local sections in many parts of Sweden, from Skane and Trollhattan to Norrland and Stockholm.

Feel free to read more about Saabklubben, in English, here: http://saabklubben.se/?lang=en

Existing authors of SaabsUnited are welcome to continue with their contributions and posts here. The site and content will be transfered to the server environment of Saabklubben, which is the exact same as SaabsUnited (WordPress). This means that there will be no changes to the look, feel and functions of SaabsUnited. As when SaabsUnited has changed management before, all authors will be able to have some or all their post removed if they so wish.

Saabklubben will add a number of new editors to SaabsUnited, to ease the management and moderation of the crowdsourced posts.

Finally, we dont want SaabsUnited to be something of the past. To preserve is important, but we also want to develop and improve SaabsUnited (with your help and feedback). We would love to be able to increase the activity and community of SaabsUnited. The enthusiasts, the clubs and the companies supporting Saab all deserve it. There are also a lot of rumours about Saab, Nevs and so on. SaabsUnited has been, and can still be, the most reliable source of all things Saab.

Again, this agreement was made here today. We have just informed all the authors and major contributors of SaabsUnited. If you have any questions regarding this, let us know in the comments below. You can also contact me, the webmaster of Saabklubben, directly at [email protected].
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Kansas coach Bill Self is still looking for a big man to emerge


Former Presedent Diosdado Macapagal Agrarian Scholarship Program scholar, Samuel Guadalquiver Jr. (extreme left), pose with the writer, Clariza Estremera (second from left); Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Romeo Castil (third from left); and his advisory class. (Jose Alsmith L. Soria)

Destiny: The Samuel Guadalquivers story

By CLARIZA C. ESTREMERA

May 10, 2016

TACLOBAN CITY  There were times when my parents would tell me, I might not be able to continue my studies next school year because the harvest is low or the price of copra had gone down. Every time I hear this, the uncertainty of getting a college degree dreads me. Thus, I applied for a scholarship to finance my college education.

These were the recollections of Samuel Guadalquiver when we visited him before the school year closed in Quezon Elementary School, where he is teaching for seven years now.

Samuel, or Boboy, to his family and friends was one of the President Diosdado Macapagal Agrarian Scholarship Program (PDMASP) recipients in Northern Samar.

His parents, Samuel Sr. and Amelita, are both agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) so that he qualified for the said scholarship program.

PDMASP is a four-year college scholarship offered by DAR to deserving dependents of ARBs under the Program Beneficiaries Development component of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

It was only by accident that I discovered the PDMASP, Boboy said.

According to him, when he was in his first year in college at the University of Eastern Philippines, he applied for the Catarman Educational Scholarship Program offered by the local government unit so he could continue with his studies. But he was denied of the said opportunity. Or was it a blessing in disguise?

When he returned back to their school, Boboy read an announcement at the bulletin board about a scholarship program being offered by DAR.

He grabbed the opportunity and got the slot. Later, he learned that DAR just re-opened its search to fill-in a vacated slot. Boboy must have been destined to become a PDMASP scholar to reach his dreams. In 2008, he graduated with a degree of Bachelor in Elementary Education Major in Social Science.

The third in a brood of nine (two are now deceased), Boboy is the first to earn a college degree (the second is sister, Gloria, who was also a PDMASP scholar) in their family, and one of the handful of professionals in their village, which is situated in the mountains of Catarman, 27 kilometers away from the town proper.

He was the only one of the less than 20 pupils enrolled in grade 1 in 1994 who finished college. He was so determined, his parents said proudly of him.

When I asked why his other classmates failed to continue their studies, Boboy said, it could probably be due to lack of motivation. He disclosed that their teachers rarely report to school then because of the distance. That is why his parents transferred him to the town proper when he was in grade four.

Barangay Quezon is one of Catarmans remotest villages. There was no road at that time. People had to walk 10 kilometers to and from Barangay Polangi by just passing through a trail. Now, this barangay could already be reached by motorcycles for P70. Very soon, when concreting of the road is completed, travel will be much easier and perhaps cheaper.

Boboy, who used to help his parents in the farm, said determination to escape from poverty pushed him to strive and find ways to reach his dream.

After graduation he took the licensure examination for teachers and passed it.

But why did he return to Barangay Quezon to teach, when there were better opportunities at the town proper or elsewhere?

Boboy humbly said he wanted to serve his fellow residents in their community. But to us he inspires the young and motivates them to take education seriously to have a better future.

According to Boboy, had he not taken his studies seriously and without the PDMASP, surely he would have also remained a farmer until today, carrying heavy loads of copra and other farm products.

As a teacher, his supervisor Annie Dulay said, he is a good one, while his pupils described him as strict when it comes to their lessons.

He taught his students to be industrious. The once idle surrounding in their school is now planted to pili nuts and bananas.

Presently, Boboy is planning to take up masters degree this coming school year.


Dr. Noel Albelda, Municipal Health Officer of Kananga, Leyte and his team is shown here performing circumcision at 19th Infantry Battalions Sandiwa Hall in Brgy. Aguiting, Kananga, Leyte on May 14, 2016.

Kananga holds Operation Tuli inside Army camp

By JEROME P. CATORCE, 19IB, 8ID PA

May 15, 2016

KANANGA, Leyte  The Rural Health Unit (RHU) here chose an Army camp as venue of its Operation Tuli on Saturday, May 14, 2016.

For the first time, Dr. Noel Albelda, Municipal Health Officer and nine nurses performed circumcision to thirty young boys from ages 5-10 at the headquarters of Philippine Armys 19th Infantry Battalion in Brgy. Aguiting, Kananga, Leyte.

Lt. Col. Roberto Sarmiento, Commanding Officer commended Kanangas free circumcision program which benefitted indigent residents of the community near the 19th Infantry Battalions camp.

This operation tuli is a big help to the families budget, especially now that enrollment of classes is fast approaching, Lt. Col. Sarmiento said.

Parents took the opportunity of bringing their sons to avail of the free circumcision than paying at least P600.00 circumcision charge in some private clinics.

On the other hand, Public Health Nurse Joseph Oliverio said that Kananga Rural Health Unit has already circumcised around 700 young boys since March this year.
Karapatan dissuades presumptive Pres Duterte from appointing Gen. Visaya

By KARAPATAN

May 17, 2016

QUEZON CITY  Karapatan calls on presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the planned appointment of Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya as Armed Forces Chief of Staff. Visaya is a protege of Ret. Gen. Jovito Palparan, known as The Butcher because of his bloodied human rights record.

Visaya was the ground commander during the 2004 Hacienda Luisita massacre where seven farmworkers were killed. He was also commander of troops in Central Luzon and Metro Manila involved in rights violations during Arroyo's reign of terror during the implementation of the counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya.

Among the known victims in Central Luzon were Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two farmers who were abducted and tortured. In Metro Manila, Visayas stint was marked by military encampment in urban poor communities in 2006-2007, in time for the 2007 elections.


Arrival honors tendered to MajGen. Rodolfo Demosthenes Santillan AFP, Vice Commander, Philippine Army during his visit at Headquarters 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division, Philippines Army on May 14. 2016.

Armys Vice Commander visits 8ID

By DPAO, 8ID PA

May 17, 2016

CAMP VICENTE LUKBAN, Catbalogan City  The Armys second high ranking officer pays visit to the home of 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division May 14 2016, here, Saturday.

The 8ID tendered Military Honors to Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Demosthenes C Santillan AFP at Openiano field and warmly welcomed by Maj. Gen. Jet B. Velarmino AFP, Commander, 8ID together with the officers and enlisted personnel of the Command.

The historic visit focused on the updates on Peace and Development efforts in the region which the 8ID plays a significant role in winning the peace. Further, he conducted talk to the Stormtroopers to inform the members of 8ID on the current trust and program of the Philippine Army.

Maj. Gen. Santillan, congratulated the Command for the successful 2016 Automated National and Local Elections in the region despite of numerous challenges encountered by Army forces on the ground. He is very thankful for the integrity and dedication to duty of every soldier for a Peaceful, Credible, Orderly and Safe Election.

Maj Gen. Velarmino, in his message said that the 8ID is very thankful for the trust and confidence of the leadership of the Philippine Army, while we are advancing and transforming we remain to be committed on our mandate in serving the people and securing the land for a just a lasting peace in Eastern Visayas.
Poor Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malietagoi. Hes obviously got a lot on his mind with all the wanton violence turning the world into such a fearful place for everyone, so that its quite possible hes not sleeping well at night these days.

And now that hes worried sick about his country being invaded by those extremists lurking in the shadows out there while theyre waiting for the right time to strike, who in his right mind could blame him?

Still, we should all know that as the prime minister of small, vulnerable Samoa with all the extremists of the violent world ganging up to make his life miserable, it would be quite alarming if he was not worried.

And then one night in his sleep he had a dream. It revealed to him what the problem that was giving him such excruciating anxiety was, and then later it also showed him how he was going to solve it.

The dream revealed to him that his country had a pretty archaic Constitution so that his job - as the countrys first prime minister to have won such an unprecedented landslide victory so that he was now lording over a one-party government - was to change his countrys Supreme Law, and then rearrange it with the idea of making Christianity its official religion from now on.

And then when the National Council of Churches (N.C.C.) heard about what Tuilaepa had been chosen to do, they were delighted. Not only were they happy that Christianity would now be the sole religion in Samoa, they proposed to Tuilaepa that the amended Constitution should also include a ban (on) other religions like Islam.

Said Rev. Maauga Motu of N.C.C.: We are not going too far. No.

We are still wanting our own people to be prevented from this kind of influence. Even though there are so many who are good people, still there are dangerous people among them who might come and threaten our peace.

Still, whether Tuilaepa had accepted N.C.C.s proposal, is not known; whats known is that during his press conference that week, Tuilaepa told reporters that Samoa must be cautious about embracing religions that promote violence and murderous rage as a form of worship.

He also told reporters: Christianity does not do this. This is why its important that the Constitution of Samoa is amended to reflect that Samoa is undoubtedly a Christian country.

Now is that so?

Is he alluding to Jesus Christ whose life was apparently without blemish, whose teachings hold that he is the Son of God, and through whom humans may attain redemption from sin?

Tuilaepa has yet to explain. What he said though was: The government will make the amendment to the Constitution to put it boldly in the Constitutions body, that the official religion of Samoa is Christianity.

Fine.

In response though, the critics of what Tuilaepa was proposing to do - as well as of N.C.C.s seemingly unrelenting support  were scathing.

Laulu Dan Stanley, who is the Head of the Muslim League in Samoa, and whose Muslim name is Dr. Muhammad Yahya, was among the first to respond.

Admitting he was confident that the government would not yield to a call from N.C.C. to ban Islam in Samoa, he said: The call places Samoa in the same light as extremists in the United States of America, especially supporters of Donald Trump who are calling for a ban on Muslims.

He continued: This is a way of inhuman thinking. They are acting like herds. One man makes a decision and they run like cows.

Laulu Dr. Muhammad explained: People nowadays have to separate between religious people and terrorists.

If somebody leads a normal life within a normal family, they are not terrorists. But people who start violence against others, are.

He admitted that there are Muslims who are responsible for deadly attacks around the world, but this is super-minority and all Muslims, cannot be judged by their actions.

As for the call to ban Islam, Dr. Muhammad said he was confident that this would not happen.

They will not achieve the banishment of our religion in Samoa, he said. Because that would make them the biggest bunch of hypocrites in this world.

He also said: They dont want to accept Islam and therefore they dont want to accept this line of Abraham, and at the same time, theyre saying theyre Christians?

Rather they should start rethinking these issues and follow examples from other parts of our world.

He points out that Chancellor Merkel of Germany is not looking at all those people coming to her country as Muslims, but as human beings with human rights.

Although she is a political leader, she is more human than the so-called leaders of our churches here.

He goes on to say: As human beings, we have rights in our community as well. And these rights are guaranteed in the Constitution of Samoa.

Now turning to the idea that the Constitution was being changed because of the fear of a small group of Muslims in the country, Laulu says thats absurd.

Just look at the prisons of this country, he points out. I ask you: Do you find any Muslim in a Samoan prison?

Dr. Muhammad, however, has found support from a Samoan academic who warned that it could be a dangerous move, if Samoas Constitution were to prohibit any religion practicing its faith and beliefs in the country.

Professor Iati Iati of the University of Otago is straight to the point.

He says: The pervasiveness of Christianity in Samoa is one of the reasons for the countrys stability, and the faith is fully integrated into the political and cultural structures.

He warns that Samoa would be treading down a dangerous path if it banned other faiths, adding: I think the writers of Samoas Constitution were wise beyond their years, and I dont think the government should be meddling with the constitution.

I think it is pretty good as it is.

Dr. John Shaver, also of the University of Otago, said that in places where minority groups were that small, it was easy for ignorance to spread.

The problem is a lack of information, he points out. And when your personal experiences dont often lead you to interactions with peaceful Muslims, then you rely on the media.

And we know that positive examples of minority groups in the media are capable of reducing prejudice.

Still, despite all that, its seems clear that Tuilaepa has pretty well made up his mind that this countrys Constitution will be amended.

Asked if the government would not risk meddling with freedom of religion if it did this, Tuilaepa said: No.

Theres a fine line between freedom of religion and extremists who use that freedom to justify their violent behavior, he said.

Now thats the difference, he added. No country would want its Constitution to include those who believe in religion that allows murderous acts.

He said: The second part of the amendment should highlight the equal importance of individual and collective rights.

In most cases, the rights of individuals are favoured over the impact of those rights on a group of people.

When there is a dispute between one person and an entire church, the Court upholds the rights of the individual but overlooks the rights of the church, he said.

What it means is that the rights (of an individual and a group) should be equally important.

And now turning to the Samoa Observer reporter who was there at his press conference, he said: It is important that I clarify the issue so that the Samoa Observer does not write something incorrect, just to sell their newspapers based on those wrong things.

And the he asked the reporter: Do you understand the explanation of those things? Because the brains at Samoa Observer are shallow.

Hes probably right.

What we want to ask him though is this: How come he did not know that the man he chose as Minister of Justice in his new government, was at the time facing charges of embezzlement and fraud in American Samoa?

And finally, would he please tell the public if that little problem has been sorted out, or is his prodigy still running the show at the Ministry of Justice as if all is spick and span?

I suppose it is important that he clarified the issue now so that he does not write something incorrect based on those wrong things.

Just a silly thought.
Dear Editor,

It is said that once an African American went to a church in the US to pay homage to Jesus Christ (Peace be on him) and to worship his Lord.

On entering the Church he was immediately met with hostility and abuse due to the colour of his skin.

He was forced out of the church, beaten and left on the side of the street. The man lay there rolling his legs up against his chest holding himself tightly in the cold winter weather and began weeping and crying before his Lord. It is at this point that he saw a vision.

He saw Jesus Christ (Peace be on him) appear unto him and comfort him with love and affection.

Jesus told the man not to worry and told him that these people are not from me, even i am not welcome in this church.

The truth is that the members of that church who had forced him out had forgotten the true peaceful teachings of love that Jesus (Peace be on him) had imparted. They had forgotten the teachings of acceptance and integration and had distanced themselves from the true teachings of Jesus (Peace be on him).

Similar is the case of the estimated 0.000066% of extremist so-called Muslims. It is a shame that this minority has become the face of the religion which says the killing of one soul is akin to killing the whole of mankind and creating disorder in the earth is even worse than murder.

Clearly these so-called Muslims are not acting on the teachings of Islam. If the prophet Muhammad (Peace be on him) were to see this he would surely say the same that these people are not from me.

In fact, he even prophesied this time; that a group of Muslims would lose touch with the true teachings of Islam and would not be following the Quran and faith would be lost.

The thing that is really worrying is that some people are painting all Muslims with one brush due to the actions of a small minority. 99% of Muslims condemn the actions of these violent and dangerous extremists.

Muslims themselves are the target of these extremists and are fleeing their own home lands to find refuge elsewhere. Yet the church leaders, the ones who believe in Jesus (Peace be on him) and his teachings of love and compassion for humanity, are willing to close their doors on such innocent human beings who fear the same ideology which they fear.

Our battle shouldnt be against a religion.

We should unite to stand up against all forms of extremism and violence, whether that be from so-called Muslims, Jews, Christians, atheists or anyone else.

Violence and terror is wrong according to every religion, faith and secular law. We are all the creation of God and should live like brothers and sisters and unite against evil. Bigotry just creates more distance and is never the solution.

You can see the result of the bigotry of the extremists. Lets not allow bigotry to raise its head in any form in Samoa.

I commend the Prime Minister for taking the stand of not coming under the influence of such views. I commend all those standing up against bigotry and hatred of any kind and I commend those truly spreading the message of love for all, hatred for none.

No solution in bigotry.
The situation of dogs in Samoa can be described as a pretty feral one, concerning the way they live within the society. But an estimation like that always depends on the culture, explains Andrew Postles of Samoas Animal Protection Society (A.P.S.).

The veterinarian from New Zealand has served in Samoa for two and a half years with the Volunteer Service Abroad.

The main aim that A.P.S. tries to accomplish is that there is a more regulated and organised treatment of the animals in Samoa.

The dogs here live their lives in a wild kind of way, but at the same time, they also belong to certain villages or people, because they tend to be adopted as puppies by children or animal loving adults.

Of course it is a nice thing to take such a vulnerable creature home to cuddle it and provide shelter for a puppy. But when theyre all grown up, they pretty much lead a life of security guards for the people.

As a solution, A.P.S. is providing the most obvious treatment for the dogs.

The best thing to do here is to desex the males but also to reduce the breeding potential by desexing females, because when theyre roaming around like that, it is hard to control the population in any other kind of sense.

According to Mr Postles, their way of life does not quite match the living conditions for dogs in other parts of the world.

This dealing generally does not afford typical international welfare standard care, so thats one part of the situation.

Along with this missing care for the dogs, there is also a problem with nutrition for the domestic animals.

The dogs often do not have access to the right kind of food or even food in general, and it is the same with water.

Even though this situation is deeply rooted in the countrys very own history with dogs, the problem nowadays is a vast one. That is why A.P.S. does their best to improve the situation in Samoa.

The situation here still persists, but for the last 25 years, there have been many veterinarians from Australia, New Zealand and America who have been helping to keep A.P.S. functioning, but ever since, we sort of limped along because of minimal resources and lots of donated instruments, money and drugs,Andrew Postles stated in the non-government organisations office in Vailima.

That is also the reason why A.P.S. is still not able to afford its own veterinarian and therefore has to rely on volunteers from overseas, just like Andrew Postles.

We also have some volunteers mediated by Projects Abroad from time to time, who help out a lot, but the main goal would certainly be in the next couple of years to take the step and have a paid and preferably Samoan vet, then this would become a much more sustainable business. But somehow I get the impression that it keeps getting harder and harder to ensure aid in our situation.

What the Animal Protection Society is hoping for, is a better way of funding provided by the Samoan government in the future. The government recently had introduced a special Dog Management Unit, but according to Mr Postles, there is more to be done to face the current problem on the streets of Samoa.

There should be much more self-help, and this should also be funded by the government, but if you ask me, theyre five years behind the situation. A.P.S. works closely together with the polices Dog Management Unit, especially in the area of registering the dogs.

This support has helped to solve the ongoing problem to a certain extent, but only around the area of Apia. However, the growing population of dogs is still significant in other parts of the country.

There are still areas in which they seem to sort of bounce back. That clearly is the problem of these dog control approaches. Theyre only focusing on Apia and are not going any further.

But the controlling of the dogs population is also in the hands of their owners.

It is important for the people to learn about proper dog control. They need to know that for instance you should have your dogs tied up when youre not walking them on a lead in public, just to make sure they do not threat people.

Because of that, A.P.S. is endeavouring to provide education on the matter. With regular visits to Samoas primary schools, they try to teach responsible attitudes towards dogs to the societys youngest and possible pet owners.

With our veterinary service here, we try to sort of wave the flag to show people that animals can get treatment and they can lead better lives than they have been used to because of cultural reasons in the past, Andrew Postles told Samoa Observer. The mentioned veterinary service provided by the Animal Protection Service can be reached under 22403 for emergency cases as well as after hours under 7777277.
An ex army man who did not appear in the Supreme Court on Monday when his case was called has disputed the scheduled date it was supposed to be called.

Mualia Salamo failed to appear before Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu this week and as a result an order was made for a warrant of arrest against him.

But Salamo who contacted the Samoa Observer yesterday, said he was only aware that his case was called on Monday when he read about it in an article in the Samoa Observer.

Im very disappointed that the story came out and I did not even know that it was called in Court, said Salamo.

Im still in the country. Its their mistake (the Court) because the last time it was called, prosecution sought an adjournment and it was scheduled to be called again on Tuesday this weekbut Im very sad that its out in the press making me look bad, as if I had fled.

The former U.S. army man is accused of allegedly bringing in illegal drugs and weapons that were found in a container shipped into the country last year.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to five charges against him under the Drugs and Narcotics Act and charges for the possession of unlawful and illegal weapons.

According to Salamo this is not the first time his case has been called without his knowledge.

He said at one time he was in Court to support a relative of him and was shocked to hear that his name was also called out.

I wasnt informed that my case would be called on that day, said the former army employee.

But it was, and it was lucky I was in Court to support a relative for his case.

His lawyer, Alalatoa Rosella Papalii also clarified that her client is in Samoa and did return in compliance with the Courts order as a condition of him leaving the jurisdiction to return for his trial.

The matter was set down for hearing today (yesterday) and both Mualia and I understood it would proceed to trial as scheduled, said the lawyer.

However, last Friday 20/05/16 prosecution wrote to the Court asking that the matter against Mualia be called yesterday, Monday, 23/05/2016 for mentioning to set a new date as they were not ready to proceed as one of their witnesses was overseas.

Court then set down the matter for mentioning yesterday (Monday). Alalatoa said unfortunately she did not know about the request by the prosecution as I took the day off last Friday and yesterday only saw their letter today.

Mualia had no knowledge the matter against him was called yesterday otherwise he would have appeared. When he found out about the warrant he did appear voluntarily before the Court Registrar and the warrant is now set aside.

In August last year, the office of the Attorney General made a strong stand in Court against an application by Mualia to travel to the United States for his medical checkup.

His lawyer then, Leuluaialii Tasi Malifa informed the Court that his client travelled to the U.S every year to get his medicine.

Mualia had promised to return in time for his trial.
Santa Paula News

By Letitia Austin

Over 130 students from Santa Paula High School and Renaissance High School spent the start of their spring break attending the 3rd annual Spring Leadership Conference held on Monday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 22 at Santa Paula High School. This years conference was hosted by the Santa Paula Youth Empowerment Initiative Partnership consisting of the Santa Paula Latino Town Hall, Santa Paula High School, Renaissance High School, Santa Paula Unified School District, Oxnard College, Ventura College, and the Ronald Reagan Leadership Program. The conference was organized by three Ronald Reagan Fellows  Chris Magana, Estefany Mendoza, and Araceli Navarro  as part of their community service project.

Im really excited because our goal is to build a college-going culture here in Santa Paula, said Richard Castaniero, a teacher at Santa Paula High School and a Latino Town Hall member. We are giving them the nuts and bolts of leadership, education, and soft skills to be successful.

Students participating in the conference took the first step towards finding their passion and career goals by learning about the realities of college life and about different career fields from professionals.

Day one of the conference focused on students attending colleges and universities and also included a presentation by Tony Magee, a motivational speaker and author of the book: Cant Shove a Great Life Into a Small Dream. He shared valuable, life-essential tips with students to match their dreams to the life they aspire to have.

The meaning of life is to know what your purpose is, Magee told students. You are going to go through new things, but dont be afraid. The only thing that is permanent is change.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

The City Council will meet a new police officer as well as hear about Santa Paulas role in an upcoming famed music festival and a high honor for city staff at Mondays regularly scheduled meeting. A continuation of a budget discussion and other business will round out the session.

The May 16 meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers. The session will be broadcast live by Time Warner Cable Channel 10 and replayed according to schedule. The meeting will also be live-streamed on the city website and archived for viewing on demand.

Presentations will include the council being introduced to newly hired Police Officer Justin Cortez; Planning Director Janna Minsk will accept the prestigious APA Central Coast Planning Award and Public Works Week will be recognized. The Chamber of Commerce will also update the council on the upcoming Ojai Music Festival, which will hold its closing concert in Downtown Santa Paula; later in the meeting the council will be asked to agree to co-sponsor the internationally famed concert.

Regular business will include the council setting a summer schedule of meetings to decide when the elected panel can take some time off from the twice-monthly meetings. During the hiatus the council will meet if the situation warrants it.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

The procession Saturday at 3:00 p.m. will no doubt draw thousands when one of Santa Paulas favorite saints, El Santo Nino de Atocha returns for a visit to what is now considered the icons second sanctuary, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

The doll of The Holy Child of Atocha, nicknamed El Nino Azul because its usual garb is blue, depicts the Christ Child and is the Catholic Churchs third-most cherished religious icon in Mexico

This is the 10th year that El Santo Nino has been on loan from its shrine in Plateros, Mexico. The sacred doll is enshrined in Santa Paula to allow visits by pilgrims who cannot travel to Plateros to visit the original and draws worshippers from throughout Southern California, the western states as well as Mexico. The number of visitors and how far they travel to see El Santo Nino de Atocha depends on the icons schedule.

The Little Saint will be in Santa Paula from May 28 to June 5, City Manager Jaime Fontes told the City Council at the May 16 meeting.

The closing Mass can draw 5,000 people, as can the opening ceremonyweve had over 50,000 people come into Santa Paula, for the week the icon is at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

On Saturday the procession will gather at Harding Park (also home to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Clara Valley Clubhouse), 1400 E. Harvard Blvd. and travel to Our Lady of Guadalupe, 427 N. Oak St. where a Mass and Novena will be held at 6 p.m.

Father Aureo Gerardo Armas Garcia, OFM Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan, will lead the Novenas.

On Sunday May 29 there will be Masses at 8 and 10 a.m. in English, 11:30 a.m., 1, 4 and 6 p.m. (Novena); Monday, May 30 Masses will be held at 7:30 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. (Novena).

Novena Mass in Spanish will be held weekdays at 7 p.m. and on Saturday June 4 Masses will be held at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Sunday, June 5 leading up to the 4 p.m. Farewell Mass Masses will be held at 8 and 10 a.m. (English), 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Night Vigil Mass will be at 8 p.m. on the last day of the Novena.

The Sunday, June 5 Farewell Mass will be celebrated by the Most Rev. Jose H. Gomez, the Archbishop of Los Angeles. The Mass will start at 4 p.m. at Las Piedras Park. The procession will leave the church at 3 p.m.

Father Charles Lueras will be busy the week of The Little Saints visit: many worshipers bring clothing for the icon to be changed into.

During the processions the tiny wood-and-plaster doll is carried on a bed of flowers and traditionally dressed in Renaissance clothing.

The arrival procession features scores of participants that dance, play instruments, sing and ride horses to accompany El Nino Azul who is carried above the crowd resting on a bed of flowers.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

Hundreds of people attended Saturdays rededication of the Santa Paula Police Memorial and the unveiling of benches honoring two officers killed in accidents during the National Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony.

Members of the public as well as police and fire representatives from various agencies attended the event at Railroad Plaza Park honoring City Marshal Henry Norman, killed in a shootout in 1913 and Officer James Barmore who died in 1953 while enroute to a call.

Also honored were SPPD Officer Kim Hemminger and SPPD Reserve Officer David Bartlett, both killed in off duty auto accidents in 2012. Two benches facing the obelisk monument and dedication plaques for Hemminger and Bartlett were unveiled during Saturdays ceremony overseen by Reserve Lt. Brad Tallent; he worked with retired Lt. Carlos Juarez on the rededication and memorials.

It brings a little bit of closure, said Tim Barmore who was only 16 months old when his father died. All I wanted was a picture in the Depotthen after 58 years we had closure, especially for my mother.

I like history, and he noted, I think people should know what their history is

The ceremony said Nils Rueckert, chairman of the 2011 effort to create the monument, brings back memories, of when Santa Paula Historical Society President Mary Alice Orcutt Henderson Gave us a blank piece of paper and asked us to fill it, with a fitting monument.

Im glad to see this is still the focal point to the SPPDwe looked at putting plaques in various places, but then Chief Steve MacKinnon, Doug Nelson, Norm Wilkinson, Chris Wilson and Commander Ish Cordero created the obelisk now honoring Norman and Barmore with plaques made by Howard Bolton.

Rueckert, who has been involved with the Santa Paula community and its projects for 30 years said the SPPD Monument Is the one Im most proud of

The ceremony started with bagpipes and a Santa Paula Airport flyover staged by pilots John Castorina, Mark King and Bruce Dickenson with Janice Dickenson doing the ground alerts. The planes appeared overhead just as the National Anthem  sung by SPHS Senior Jonathon Fiscal ended.

SPPD Detective and Chaplain Walter Harper gave a history of National Police Week, noting President Kennedy and Congress established it in 1962. Two California area officers have lost their lives in the line of duty so far this year among 35 nationwide who came to their End of Watch...

Sadly, Santa Paula Police lost their comrades and we will never forget them or their families, said Harper before he led the prayer.

Voice actor and ventriloquist Jimmy Weldon (who was Yakky Doodle the duck in cartoons) was invited by SPPD Police Chief Steve McLean to do his patriotic presentation of For I Am the Stars and Stripes Forever.

McLean spoke of his respect for veterans including Weldon and note the presence of several in the audience.

He introduced Vice Mayor Jenny Crosswhite, Councilwoman Ginger Gherardi and City Manager Jaime Fontes among others as well as members of the Barmore and Hemminger families. Also in attendance was Gabrielle Aguirre, whose father VCSO Deputy Peter Aguirre Jr., a popular city native, was killed in the line of duty in 1996.

The loss of officers through violence is growing said McLean and such deaths no longer only result from calls of domestic violence  as the case of Aguirre  or standoffs with criminals.

Officers are being killed while sitting in their cars eating lunch, while pumping gas, for no other reason, said McLean, than theyre wearing the badge

Because of the monument and benches, any officer that ever works for the SPPD McLean added will know about our fallen officers

Juarez told how a Ghost Walk story dealt with Barmore and his death and how his widow, Betty, got in touch with Henderson, also the founder of the theatrical event.

She was dismayed that no one had reached out to her, although an effort to find family members had been made.

Rueckert, A take charge kind of guy was notified and with former Chief MacKinnon in 2006 the committee was approved by the council. Five years later the monument finally became a reality.

At the dedication of the monument in 2011 Juarez said he remarked that I hope and pray that no other names are added to the monumenttoday I again hope and pray that no other names are added to the monument, or benches to the park, for other officers that lose their lives.

my dad, Jim Barmore, was part of the reason this memorial was constructed, said Barmore. He died February 7, 1953 in the line of duty for the City of Santa Paula.

Barmore told the crowd he has no memory of his father killed when Tim was a toddler, just a few pictures and some stories, but his mother, left to shoulder the burden of being a single parent at the age of 23 not an easy task.

My mom was, and is, a strong willed, good woman, who went to work for the SPPD as a Dispatcher.

 I remember being no more than three years old, in bed, when suddenly these strange lights would shine in on our bedroom window walls, the signal for his mother to work the graveyard shift.

Always trying to keep me on the straight and narrow, my mom became a Den Mother in Cub Scouts, and one of her protege cubs was Mark Hanson, later SPPD Assistant Chief.

Said Barmore, I want to thank my mom for hanging in there with me. What a long strange trip its been!

He noted Today the town and its citizens are re-dedicating this memorial along with this wonderful addition, two memorial benches; however, these benches come with a very high pricethe loss of two more Santa Paula Police OfficersI didnt know them and they didnt know me, but our families are here at this memorial for a common purpose today, which is to remember them.

To Jennifer, Kristipher and Emma Bartlettand to Sharon, Wallace and Jason Hemmingeryou lost someone too precious for words  and way too soon. I wish I could tell you why it happened, but I cantIve been searching for that answer for 63 years with no luck.
Santa Paula News

The 2016 Student Leadership Reunion was held at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif. where a total of seven Santa Paula High School students participated in leadership workshops, public speaking, and networking with friends from across Ventura County as well as the United States. The 2nd annual reunion brought together students who have participated in the summer program in the past.

The event began with a welcome from Alissa Whiteley, Assistant Director of Education for The Ronald Reagan Foundation. She congratulated the 2015 Ronald Reagan Leadership Program Alumni for making a major impact by providing community service projects to help improve their local communities. This presentation was followed by a student panel where students shared their community service projects. Veronica Landeros, a Santa Paula High School senior who is headed to the University of California, Berkeley in the fall, shared her project which is working with migrant students.

When I first started, I thought I had a solid plan with big ideas, Landeros said. But after I started meeting students at their tutoring sessions, I realized they just needed another tutor. Although this shifted me away from my original idea, I found a better way to be useful.

Other student presenters reported on projects such as STEM Girls, a junior high STEM club, a city-wide drug abuse support event for youth in Simi Valley, and Alexs Lemonade Stand which raised funds for the fight against cancer.

Afterwards, students were randomly assigned to tables where they engaged in networking and sharing about their successes and challenges. This was followed by workshops with fun activities that challenged students to further develop their skills in effective communications, optimism, and informed decision-making  the three pillars of President Ronald Reagans leadership style.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

The Chamber of Commerce honored a Santa Paula Fire Captain known for consistently going beyond the call of duty at the May Sunrise Santa Paula!

City Councilmembers Ginger Gherardi and Jim Tovias were among those that attended the breakfast meeting, held at Flight 126 Cafe.

Fire Chief Rick Araiza introduced Firefighter of the Quarter Captain Austin Macias noting the Santa Paula native started with the SPFD 20 years ago.

Said Araiza, Austin joined the department in 1996it makes me feel that much older that I knew him even before then when he had the best job as a kid. He was our busboy, at the familys La Cabana Restaurant.

At that time I was the assistant chief and Austin expressed an interest in becoming a firefighterhe was a great worker, at the restaurant and as a firefighter.

Macias innate ability for the fire service soon became apparent: He moved up the line receiving promotion after promotion to finally becoming an acting captain for the past two years and Im working on making him a full-time captain.

Hes done such a tremendous job, not only as fire staff said Araiza but also as President of the Santa Paula Firefighters Association that raises money for various nonprofits especially those benefiting youth.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

Graduating Santa Paula High School Cardinals gathered $22,000 to feather their higher education nests at the annual Rotary Club Scholarship Banquet where recipients and their families celebrated achievement.

Held May 9 at historic Glen Tavern Inn Rotarians treated grads and their families not only to dinner but also a night to remember where the students hard work was rewarded with demonstrated belief in their futures.

Scholarship Award Winners Vanessa Bazan, Mia Bustillos, Anahi Garcia, Jasmine-Guzman Nava, Paulina Garcia, Esmeralda Herrera, Veronica Landeros, Juan Magana, Nicole Mayes, and Isabel Payne and their families sat with host Rotarians at Cardinal red tables with centerpieces for the grads to take home as a memento donated by Rotarian Dudley and Dianne Davis.

Keynote Speaker was SPHS grad Dr. Patricia Perez.

Anahi, accompanied by her mother Maria Garcia and sister Yesenia Garcia, said she is looking forward to attending UC Merced where she will major in psychology.

I took an Advanced Placement course in psychology and it just clicked, Anahi said of her chosen future career.

Brains and ambition run in the family: Anahis sister Yesenia is a UCSB philosophy grad now employed by the Santa Paula Unified School District.

Rotarian Jennifer Heighton said of the grads, Its exciting for them, they have their whole future in front of them

Rotary Club President Judy Phelps welcomed the crowd and noted City Council members and Rotarians Ginger Gherardi and John Procter were in the crowd as well as school board members and district officials.

My job is to welcome you and tell you who we are, said Rotarian Elias Valdes. We try to make our community and our world better, through a variety of activities and programs ranging from the Pumpkin Patch that supports numerous area nonprofits to eradicating polio worldwide.

Advice for the future is to keep in mind that The community you go to live is what you make or the one you inherit, and either way it is important to help.

Education whether at Harvard or a community college is important and it wont say on a tombstone where you went to school

Englands Prime Minister Winston Churchill described success as stumbling from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm an important factor in anything undertaken.

SPUSD Superintendent Alfonso Gamino urged students to Live your dream, live your goal and introduced Board President and Rotarian Chris Wilson, Clerk Tina Urias, and Members Michelle Kolbeck and Diana Ponce-Gomez.

Santa Paula produces excellent kids that go out there and do great things, he noted.

Dr. Michael Tushla presented the awards.
Tampa, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/24/2016 -- Florida Solar & More, an alternative power company focusing on solar energy solutions in Tampa, Florida, has launched its brand new website at www.floridasolarandmore.com.



Florida Solar & More is the leading alternative power company in the Tampa, Florida area, using proven science to fulfill home energy needs without reliance on fossil fuels. Now this solar solutions company has launched its brand new website to help past, present, and future clients discover how alternative energy can help reduce dependency on nonrenewable energy sources and save a significant amount of money.



The new website boasts an expansive menu of options for all visitors, including in-depth descriptions of their many services ranging from solar hot water systems, solar air conditioning, solar attic fans, and solar pool heaters to energy-efficient air ducts, windows, and doors. Web viewers can also complete their own home energy e-check to identify and evaluate the most cost-effective strategies to use less energy in their homes.



Florida Solar & More is known around the Tampa, Florida area as one of the foremost alternative power companies. It has years of experience in helping homeowners minimize their energy bills and reduce strain on the environment by harnessing the free and natural power of the sun. Solar energy solutions utilize various types of solar panels to capture the heat of the sun and convert it into energy that can heat and cool homes, pools, water, and more.



While remaining conscious of the environment is an important aspect of utilizing solar energy, solar solutions are better known for their dramatic cost-cutting abilities. The federal government offers tax incentives for homeowners willing to invest in solar energy systems, which means that any Florida Solar & More customer can enjoy a tax rebate check equal to 30 percent of their solar energy technology purchase price, while the state of Florida provides a $500 rebate check.



Of course, harnessing solar power instead of standard electric or gas also significantly decreases energy bills each month, sometimes down to just 10 percent of the original bill. Homeowners across Florida have trusted Florida Solar & More to fulfill their solar energy needs in order to reap the benefits of such dramatic cost savings. The brand new Florida Solar & More website provides all of the pertinent information any customers may need to explore and discover the alternative energy possibilities for their own homes.



Members of the media who are interested in learning more about the environmental and financial incentives of switching to solar energy, or who want to know more about how the new website for Florida Solar & More can help customers achieve their alternative energy goals, can use the following contact information.



Florida Solar & More

8604 East Sligh Ave

Tampa, Florida 33610

Phone: 727-308-6882

www.floridasolarandmore.com
Lansdale, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/24/2016 -- Spring is finally here and with it, men and women all over Southeastern, PA will be seeking a relocation. Finding a new home is an exceptionally gratifying experience, the process, though, can be, at times, a bit arduous. Finding the perfect living space in the perfect area is a journey in itself. Moving an entire life from one place to the next, however, doesn't need to be as difficult.



Hammer's Moving & Storage, movers in Bucks County, PA, are well equipped to aid homeowners get their belongings from point-A to point-B. With a veteran staff of movers and a full suite of services offered to every client, they have the capability to get the job, regardless of how big it is, done. Offering more than standard moving companies they can provide moving services for pianos, antiques and safes.



Hammer's Moving & Storage is also able to serve commercial businesses as they move into bigger and better office space. The company works with the business owners to determine not only what needs to be moved, but also when. They can move entire offices overnight, so productivity is never impeded by relocating.



Moving is only half of the name. The company handles storage as well. When there is excess downtime between the move-out and the move-in the company can keep all belongings in their secure location while details are finalized.



To learn more about moving and storage in Main Line, PA and across the Delaware valley, interested parties are encouraged to visit their website at http://www.hammersmoving.com/.



About Hammer's Moving & Storage

Hammer's Moving & Storage is on a mission to change the moving process from a headache-inducing to a happy one. Founded on the premise that a moving experience should be a positive one, Hammers Moving is willing to go above and beyond for its customers, with services that include long and long distance moving, full-service packing and storage.



Learn more at http://www.hammersmoving.com/
Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/24/2016 -- The report "Industrial Centrifuges Market by Product (Sedimentation - Decanter/Disc Centrifuge, Filtering), Operation (Batch, Continuous), Design (Horizontal/Vertical), End User (Power, Food, Waste Water, Pharmaceutical, Metal, Paper) - Global Forecasts to 2020", The global industrial centrifuges market is expected to reach USD 10 Billion by 2020 from USD 7.5 Billion in 2015, at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period.



Browse 106 market data Tables and 47 Figures spread through 166 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Industrial Centrifuges Market"



http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/industrial-centrifuges-market-59612221.html



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The report segments the industrial centrifuges market based on type, mode of operation, design, end user, and region. On the basis of type, the market is segmented into sedimentation centrifuges and filtering centrifuges. The sedimentation centrifuges segment is expected to account for the largest share of the industrial centrifuges market, by type, in 2015. Sedimentation centrifuges can achieve high speeds, process larger volumes, and provide continuous processing.



Moreover, these centrifuges have major applications in the oil and gas industry and wastewater treatment plants, which are major end-user segments in the industrial centrifuges market. These are the major factors responsible for the large share of sedimentation centrifuges in the market.



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Among the modes of operation segments in the market, the batch centrifuges segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period while the continuous centrifuges segment is estimated to account for the highest share. The demand and uptake of these centrifuges is high among end users owing to their advantageshigh efficiency of separation, easy process standardization, and reduced cleaning time. These are some of the major factors responsible for driving market growth for continuous industrial centrifuges in the forecast period.



The increasing demand from process industries, rising need for wastewater management solutions, and technological advancements in industrial centrifuges are some factors propelling the growth of the industrial centrifuges market. On the other hand, high installation, operating, and maintenance costs of industrial centrifuges may restrict market growth.



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On the basis of region, the industrial centrifuges market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW). North America is expected to account for the largest share of this market in 2015 and will continue to dominate the market during the forecast period. The Asian market is poised to grow at the highest CAGR, mainly due to increasing population, growing disposable incomes, rising energy needs, growing demand for wastewater treatment, flourishing food-processing industry, expanding pharmaceutical industry, and significant growth in the chemical industry in the region. The industrial centrifuges market is highly fragmented and competitive, with several big as well as emerging market players.



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New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/24/2016 -- A coating is generally referred to as the substrate, is a covering that is applied to the surface of an object. The new technologies in aerospace coating which provide significant value advantages to the aviation industry in terms of longer service life, light weight products and improved application efficiencies. Growth in the aerospace industry can be driven by an emergent middle class in emerging economies and more and more people being able to travel for leisure. To fulfill this demand various airlines are trying to adapt strategy accordingly. Resulted in the increase in demand for aircraft and associated services. Indirectly boost the demand for aerospace coating market. Research and development plays an important role in aerospace coatings market. The leading companies such as AkzoNobel N.V and PPG Industries Inc. of aerospace coating market focus on research and development in response to the market growth and rising demand from customers. The leading companies are investing huge amount for future advancements and improved technology for aerospace coating to reduce coating's life cycle, engineered materials, improved performance and to meet the new demands coming from various types of end-user industries. For instance, PPG Industries Inc. launched Solar Heat Management (SHM) coatings. These coatings allow the reduction in air conditioning requirements while the aircraft is on the ground in warm conditions.



Interested in report: Please follow the below links to meet your requirements; Request for the Report Sample: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3649



On the basis of end-user, aerospace coatings market is bifurcated into three types: military, commercial and general aviation. Increased in the demand for light weight coating systems durability, environment-friendly solutions, unique color styling, variety of colors and faster product drying times from the commercial and military end-user segment, influencing the growth rate of global aerospace coating market. Commercial aerospace coating is the largest end-user segment, whereas military segment is also a growing end-user industry for aerospace coatings.



In terms of geographic, Asia-Pacific dominates the global aerospace coating market, followed by Europe and North America. China and Japan represent the largest market for aerospace coating followed by India in Asia-Pacific. India is emerging as the fastest industry for engineering and design services. Due to this, India has an enormous potential for establishing maintenance, repair and overhaul centers for civil and military aircraft sectors. This may help in creating demand for aerospace coating market. Some of the major factors influencing the growth of aerospace coatings market in Asia-Pacific region are increasing cargo traffic, international trade and rising number of air travelers. In Europe, France, Germany and the U.K. holds major share of aerospace coating market. The U.S. represents the largest market for aerospace coating followed by Canada in North America.



The global aerospace coating market is experiencing a good growth, which is expected to continue in the coming years. Some of the major drivers contributing the overall market growth of global aerospace coating market are environment-friendly products, chromo free technology, time saving and cost saving products and growth in the number of people travelling by air.



Request TOC (table of content), Figures and Tables of the Report: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3649



Some of the major companies operating in the global aerospace coatings market are The Sherwin-Williams Company, Akzonobel N.V., Zircotec Ltd, Henkel Ag & Company, BASF SE, Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co., Hentzen Coatings, Inc., Ionbond Ag, PPG Industries, Inc. and Hohman Plating & Manufacturing Llc.



Key geographies evaluated in this report are:



North America



U.S

Canada



Europe



France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK

Eastern Europe

CIS



APAC



China

India

Japan

Australia

Others



Latin America



Argentina

Brazil

Others



Key points covered in the report



1) Report segments the market on the basis of types, application, products, technology, etc (as applicable)

2) The report covers g?eographic segmentation



North America

Europe

Asia

RoW



3) The report provides the market size and forecast for the different segments and geographies for the period of 2010 to 2020

4) The report provides company profiles of some of the leading companies operating in the market

5) The report also provides porters five forces analysis of the market.



About Persistence Market Research

Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.



To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.
Using data from three of NASAs space observatories  the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have found the best evidence to date that supermassive black holes in the early Universe were produced by the direct collapse of a gas cloud.

For years scientists have debated how the earliest generation of supermassive black holes formed very quickly, relatively speaking, after the Big Bang.

Now, a team of astronomers from Italy and Japan has identified two objects in the early Universe that seem to be the origin of these early supermassive black holes.

These two objects represent the most promising black hole seed candidates found so far.

The team, led by Dr. Fabio Pacucci from the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, used computer models of black hole seeds combined with a new method to select candidates for these objects from long-exposure images from three of NASAs space telescopes.

By analyzing the combined light from the telescopes, the scientists were able to search through thousands of objects to look for any that had properties that matched those predicted by their models.

The two candidates emerged that had the expected red color, seen by Hubble and Spitzer, as well as the X-ray profile predicted from Chandra. These objects were found in the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey-South surveys.

Both of these black hole seeds have an initial mass of about 100,000 times the Sun. They are so distant that they may have formed less than one billion years after the Big Bang.

According to astronomers, there are two main theories to explain the formation of supermassive black holes in the early Universe.

One assumes that the seeds grow out of black holes with a mass about ten to a hundred times greater than our Sun, as expected for the collapse of a massive star. The black hole seeds then grew through mergers with other small black holes and by pulling in gas from their surroundings.

However, they would have to grow at an unusually high rate to reach the mass of supermassive black holes already discovered in the billion years young Universe.

The new findings, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (arXiv.org preprint), support another scenario where at least some very massive black hole seeds with 100,000 solar masses formed directly when a massive cloud of gas collapses. In this case the growth of the black holes would be jump started, and would proceed more quickly.

Black hole seeds are extremely hard to find and confirming their detection is very difficult, said co-author Dr. Andrea Grazian, from the National Institute for Astrophysics in Italy.

However, we think our research has uncovered the two best candidates so far.

There is a lot of controversy over which path these black holes take. Our work suggests we are converging on one answer, where black holes start big and grow at the normal rate, rather than starting small and growing at a very fast rate, said co-author Dr. Andrea Ferrara, also from the Scuola Normale Superiore.

Our discovery, if confirmed, explains how these monster black holes were born. We found evidence that supermassive black hole seeds can form directly from the collapse of a giant gas cloud, skipping any intermediate steps, Dr. Pacucci said.

_____

Fabio Pacucci et al. 2016. First identification of direct collapse black hole candidates in the early Universe in CANDELS/GOODS-S. MNRAS 459 (2): 1432-1439; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stw725
[NAIROBI] Policymakers and scientists in Kenya and Uganda have expressed the need for regional-specific measurements of greenhouse gas emissions to increase accuracy and certainty around climate change mitigation.



The call was made during a consultative workshop for policymakers from ministries of environment and natural resources in Kenya and Uganda with scientists from CGIARs research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

The workshop was held at the Kenya-headquartered ILRI early this month (2-3 May).

The challenges to East African countries collecting their own data on GHG are low funding for research and inadequately trained personnel. David Pelster, ILRI, Kenya

Delegates also toured ILRIs Mazingira laboratory that facilitates measurements of emissions from livestock, smallholder farms, forests and tea plantations.



East Africa is vulnerable to climate change because of its reliance on rain-fed agriculture, says Maren Radeny, CCAFS East Africa regional program leader. Climate variability and change present new challenges to smallholder farmers, especially increased food insecurity, Radeny adds.



Radeny calls for increased research and development for new crop varieties and soil and water management interventions to help address effects of climate change, noting that research and policy gaps in climate-smart agriculture should be addressed through integration of agriculture and climate change.



David Adegu, a researcher from the national climate change secretariat at Kenyas Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, says there is a need to strengthen climate change information management systems and enhance awareness of climate risk management and opportunities.



Adegu lauds the signing into law of the climate change bill by Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta on 6 May, saying it will help develop, manage and implement activities to enhance climate change resilience and low carbon development in Kenya.



He urges East African governments to promote climate-smart agriculture and restore forests cover to a minimum of ten per cent.



David Pelster, a research scientist at ILRI, Kenya, adds that there are opportunities for improved production of animals on healthy grasslands in East Africa that can help reduce emissions.



We need proper mitigation strategies to realise long-lasting solutions, Pelster tells SciDev.Net. The challenges to East African countries collecting their own data on GHG are low funding for research and inadequately trained personnel.



Delegates at the workshop participated in in-depth discussions on GHG inventory activities, agricultural and land use emissions related factors and the social dimensions of mitigating emissions.



Researchers in Kenya and Uganda expressed concern that the current estimates used by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for emission factors such as methane could be inaccurate. For example, Pelster noted that the IPCCs predicted GHG emissions can be about ten times higher than actual emissions.

The workshop heard that simple technologies and strategies such as better management of manure, and improved production where smallholder farmers get more from a few animals should be enhanced to reduce emissions.Iain Wright, the deputy director-general of integrated sciences at ILRI, explains that interaction between research and policy is critical to addressing climate change.Wright calls for increased engagements among scientists, smallholder farmers and policymakers to formulate policies that will help address the challenges of climate change.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
NASA had released a statement last year revealing that Antarctica's ice was increasing in comparison to the decreasing level of ice in the Arctic. The discovery had left researchers and scientists perplexed about the reason for such a phenomenon. However, now the space agency reportedly has an answer for the sea ice difference at the two poles.

According to a NASA report, it is apparently the geology of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that is to be blamed. The topography of the white continent and the depth of the ocean that surrounds it influence winds and ocean currents, which subsequently affects the creation, evolution and even sustenance of Antarctica's sea ice cover.

The scientists studied radar data from NASA's QuikScat satellite for a period of 10 years between 1999 and 2009 to observe the path of Antarctic sea ice movement and mark its different kinds. The observations revealed that as sea ice is created and builds up early in its growth season, winds push it offshore and northwards. The process forms a shield of thicker, older ice that circulates around the continent.

The thickness of the sea ice is further enhanced by persistent winds, which are shaped by Antarctica's topography and flow down slope off the continent, leading to a pile up of ice against the massive ice shield. The massive chunk of ice, which measures around 100 to 1,000 kilometers in width, encloses and protects the thinner, younger ice, in the ice pack from the back, from being melted by winds and waves.

A stronger radar signal is returned by thicker, older sea ice as compared to thinner, younger ice. The scientists found that sea ice enclosed within the protective shield was older, rougher owing to longer duration of exposure to waves and wind, and thicker because of more ice growth and snow built up. Furthermore, according to the researchers, areas of open water forms behind the sea ice cover when it expands and ice drifts away from the continent. The areas of open water subsequently create ice factories that are helpful for rapid sea ice growth.
A bestselling author has reportedly predicted that the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) could have an outcome that is more anticlimactic than even seen in doomsday movies. In his upcoming novel Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, author Yuval Noah Harari has described a bleak future for humankind, where instead of being completely wiped out by robotic beings, humans face a bleaker future of being rendered completely useless.

A lecturer and historian at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, Harari believes AI will be successful in doing exactly as we fear. Machines will take over society and leave humans jobless and aimless. In fact, according to the author, the destructive powers of artificial intelligence have already started to take control and there are many areas where AI has performed better than people. Furthermore, the prowess of AI may just improve in the future.

Once people start to feel useless in comparison to AI they will also lose their sense of purpose, fueled further by a lack of value from the viewpoint of economic and political systems. Consequently, humans may take refuge in drugs and virtual reality than face reality or real life experiences. The author suggests that such a dreary situation can be avoided if people take the issue seriously now itself, rather than leaving AI's fate to scientists and their panels of discussions.

The Homo Deus questions, "As the self-made gods of planet earth, which projects should we undertake, and how will we protect this fragile planet and humankind itself from our own destructive powers?" Harari also hints that such an event is not too far in the future, " children of today will face consequences" and most of the education that people are getting in school and college now might not remain relevant by the time they are 40 or 50. Humans, therefore, have to keep reinventing themselves to keep up. According to Harari, as reported in the Guardian, discussing the future of Artificial Intelligence should be a part of political agenda so that proper measures can be taken to foresee what can happen and subsequently think about the future of humankind.
SpaceX Dragon capsule has returned to Earth on Wednesday, along with some valuable science from NASA cargo, including samples from the one-year space mission. Less than six hours following departure from the International Space Station, the spacecraft fell into the Pacific waters off the Southern California coast. The Dragon carrier was reported to have been supported by the three red and white-striped parachutes to slow down its final descent.

The SpaceX Dragon had stayed at the station for about a month to drop off supplies and an experimental, inflatable room that pops open in two weeks. The experimental room was set free by the big robot arm of the station. Also, there were almost 4,000 pounds of items that filled the Dragon, including the urine and blood samples of astronaut Scott Kelly from his one-year space mission and came back in March. Researchers are expected to use the medical specimens to analyze how the body survives the long journeys in space, as preparation for subsequent mission to Mars in the 2030s, Denver Post reported.

In addition, the SpaceX Dragon was carrying a UCF microgavity experiment named "NanoRocks." The experiment aims to study the collisions at low speeds in the microgravity domain provided by the space station. Headed by UCF physics professor Joshua Colwell, this experiment was chosen through a competition sponsored by Space Florida and NanoRacks and Space Florida. According to reports, it was among the eight selected and awarded in 2014, with a free ride to the space station through the SpaceX Dragon carrier.

Meanwhile, the team of physics professor from UCF has been tracking data transmitted from the space station for the last two years, which means the experiment has now reached its goal. Colwell said that they are all excited to get the cargo back, for them to begin improvements for an eventual microgravity experiment, according to Orlando Sentinel

SpaceX Dragon's return signifies the aircraft's initial return journey from the space station in a year. Last summer's launch failure has prevented the California-based space company for months while the launch probe was on-going.
Cthulhu's little minions are getting ready to take over the world. Not really, but cephalopods like squid, octopus, and other sea animals have increased their population over the past six decades, despite climate change and pollution that caused most other marine populations to decrease.

According to a study published in Current Biology, the ocean may be becoming a difficult place for marine species, but the empty ecology is good for the octopus and its cousins.

Zoe Doubleday, author of the study from the University of Adelaide said in a statement, "Cephalopods are often called 'weeds of the sea' as they have a unique set of biological traits, including rapid growth, short lifespans and flexible development. These allow them to adapt to changing environmental conditions more quickly than many other marine species, which suggests that they may be benefiting from a changing ocean environment."

The Washington Post noted that the researchers analyzed the rate at which cephalopods have shown up in fishing catches for six decades - their study included 35 species or genera from six fifferent families, and found that as a whole, the group has in fact been thriving, unlike other sea animals.

The study also did a global-scale database to check if populations are indeed increasing, and it seems that cephalods - including Australian cuttlefish that they feared were on the decline.

The increase in cephalopod population may sound like a good thing - and if you fish for them, it is especially great. However, Benjamin Halpern of the University of California thinks that people should be worried - and not because Cthulhu is out to get you. He said, When we change the oceans this much, we move things into a new state - one that we know much less about. We might have more squid on our plates in the short run. What are we risking losing in the long run?"

Nobody knows exactly what these predators will do to the ocean, and while that may be scary, scientists also believe that their population boom is expected to rise and fall, so right now, there's nothing about their growing number that people should worry about.
Nile crocodiles are known to have come from Sub-Saharan Africa. This specific species of crocodile is the second largest reptile in the world, next to the saltwater crocodile. Crocodiles of this type can be very aggressive and easily preys on any kind of animal within its reach, even humans.

According to New York Times, Nile crocodiles can grow as long as 21 feet and become quite as heavy as 1 1/2 tons. Recently, about 4 Nile crocodiles were found in different parts of Florida, although not yet as large as how huge they can get.

These crocodiles can be very invasive and since it has come all the way from Africa to the city streets of Florida, there's a huge chance that a larger group would be present in no time. In as early as 2009, scientists obtained reports from residents of a different kind of crocodile, reports Live Science.

These sightings continued up to 2012, and just recently 3 "man-eating, monster crocodiles" were caught, one of which was captured on a home porch in Miami, according to BBC World News.

Through deep studies and research, they found out that these "unusual looking" crocodiles were part of the Crocodylus niloticus family, famously known as the Nile crocodiles. A particular group of scientists convened to focus on this study, known as the Molecular Analyses Confiming the Introduction of Nile Crocodiles in Southern Florida. This study tackles how these crocodiles from Africa may impact and affect the Floridian community.

Some reports say that the native crocodiles in Florida, American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), may get overpowered and outnumbered by the Nile crocodiles in the near future. As a result, this more aggressive and invasive species of crocodiles may continue roaming about the state and God knows what might happen.

However, there's no need to worry. Scientists behind the study confirmed that they haven't found any evidence of the Nile's extablished population in the waters of Florida. It's safe to say, for now, that the recent sightings may just be isolated cases, coincidences, and just those Nile crocodiles caught years before that has grown.

In a statement made by the herpetology collections manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History and co-author of the study, Kenneth Krysko, he said that although there are no evidences found yet and no one needs to get worried, people in Florida shouldn't also keep their guards down. Florida's pet trade that involves exotic, wild animals and the recent demand for this type of crocodile in natural parks, no one can assure that, as strong and aggressive as they are, they couldn't find a way out. And if they do, they would find out that the Florida weather is conducive for their hunting and growing lifestyle.
If you are a parent and often had to argue with your child who cannot seem to understand the difference between "or" and "and," know that you are not alone. Scientists discovered that children are rarely just testing your limits when they confuse your "or" and "and." Instead, their linguistic comprehension just does not afford them this kind of understanding, as backed by scientific data.

According to a new study, children have a difficulty interpreting disjunction like conjunction. When parents want to restrict their child to only one food or one activity by using the word "or," scientists found that the child often perceives this as an invitation to do both because it did not register to them that their parents only wanted to choose either one of the choices.

The lead researchers, who are MIT linguistic professors plus a team from Carleton University gathered data from 59 children three to six years old, who are English-speaking. They also gathered data from 26 adults in the Ottawa area to determine how children's comprehension differs from that of adults.

Results revealed that apparently, the word "or" is not different from "and" when it comes to the kids. "They [children] don't use 'cake and ice cream' as an alternative," MIT Linguistics Professor Danny Fox says. "As a result, 'cake or ice cream' is expected, if we are right about the nature of the computation, to become 'cake and ice cream' for the children."

Fox added further that across languages and for both children and adults, the words "or" and "and" can really be easily confused. "The remarkable logical fact is that when you take 'and' out of the space of alternatives, 'or,' becomes 'and.' This, of course, relies on the nature of the computation that we've postulated, and, hence, the results of the study provide confirmation of a form that I find rather exciting."

Of course, not understanding the difference between "or" and "and" does not mean the child cannot learn how to chooe from one option to the other anymore. Parents still need to make their children understand, lest they be accussed of free-range parenting (anything goes parenting), and suffer the consequences, as detailed by Huffington Post.
A fossil from a newly discovered animal that didn't look like how it's supposed to has given scientists a peak into the evolutionary period after the mass extinction event that happened on Earth.

The new species called an ichthyosaur was named Sclerocormus parviceps, a marine reptile that dates back to the Lower Triassic, and it looked nothing like any other ichthyosaur scientists have studied.

According to Science Daily, ichthyosaurs were large group of marine reptiles that lived around the time of the earliest dinosaurs. Most of them looked similar to today's dolphins with streamlined bodies, long beak-like snouts, and powerful tail fins. However, the new species can be called a black sheep in the family. It has a short snout, its species name even means "small skull", and instead of a tail similar looking to a fish, it had a long whip-like tail without big fins at the end. And although most ichthyosaurs had conical teeth to catch their prey, Sclerocormus was toothless and used its short snout to create pressure and suck up food like a syringe.

Because of the differences from most of its relatives, scientists were able to draw something important about evolution. "Sclerocormus tells us that ichthyosauriforms evolved and diversified rapidly at the end of the Lower Triassic period," said study co-author Olivier Rieppel, of The Field Museum, in a statement. "We don't have many marine reptile fossils from this period," Rieppel added, "so this specimen is important because it suggests that there's diversity that hasn't been uncovered yet."

Rieppel also added that they think the biology museum curator will be able to find ways to help them better understand what life does when it needs to rebound. "We're in a mass extinction right now. Not one caused by volcanoes or meteorites but by humans," he said. "While the extinction 250 million years ago won't tell us how to solve what's going on today, it does bear on the evolutionary theory at work. How do we understand the recovery and rebuilding of a food chain, of an ecosystem? How does that get fixed, and what comes first?" Rieppel continued, Discovery News reported.

This study was done by scientists at Peking University, University of California, Davis, the Anhui Geological Museum, the Universita degli Studi di Milano, The Field Museum, National Museums Scotland, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
Researchers in Hawaii have discovered that some species of sharks prefer to swim in waters around Maui than any other Hawaiian islands. Maui is reported to have an increase in the number of shark attacks in the past two decades. This could explain why there is a number of shark bites in the island than any other part of a state.

The research also shows that tiger sharks favor the waters near Maui that are close to some of the state's most popular beaches for humans. Carl Meyer, the assistant researchers at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and the principal investigator of the report said that this explains why there are a higher number of shark bites in the water surrounding Maui. He added that shark attacks have heightened over time. This is because the human population has grown and more people are in the ocean, according to ABC 13.

The Land and Natural Resources Department of Hawaii conducted a study because of the increase of shark attacks on beachgoers. Meyer and other scholars from Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology monitored the activity of the tiger sharks around the islands of Maui and Oahu as well as in the open seas, according to Tech Times.

The researchers found out that the sharks were fond of waters near Maui. This is because the area has many coral reefs and it is streaming with food for the creatures. The ocean also has warming temperatures that make the sharks widened their hunting grounds.

The researchers also thought that why there were more shark attacks in the recent years because many people choose to spend the longer period of time in the ocean. They advise the people not to go areas where sharks litter. These include areas where there is muddy water or dead animals, which can attract the sharks.

Francisco Ferretti, a marine researcher from Stanford University said that people must learn about the behavioral and seasonal movement of sharks. These would enable to inhibit shark attacks. He further explained that if people know them, and knows their ecology, and then they can take precautions and use the ocean and engage in recreational opportunities.
Sime Darby Utilities md Timothy Lee said that the Weifang Port has been profitable since day one of the takeover, and is ranked by BMT Consulting as one of the most efficient and cost-effective ports in China.

In the last financial year, Weifang Port in Shandong Province, posted a pre-tax profit of just under MYR90m ($22m) on a revenue of MYR300m.

Sime Darby acquired the port from the local Government in 2005 and has since invested MYR2bn to turn the seaport into a profitable mid-sized seaport with 15 berths, from four.

By the end of the year, this seaport with more than 500 customers, will have 23 berths under its MYR1.4bn (2012-2017) expansion plan.

Lee said: Sime Darby groups directive is to go for careful capital expenditure (capex) and an initial public offering (IPO) is one option to monetise our assets.

But we need to look at the right timing. To make the IPO successful, we need to have good enterprise value and a good success story to share.

Lee said that they were also open to mergers and acquisitions, and swaps.

We are open and flexible. The objective is to minimise expenditure and maximise returns.

Although the timing of the IPO has not been decided, the port has a success story for potential investors.

It is planning to develop Chinas first halal industrial park and first halal port that will not incur too much capex, as the strategy is to look for joint-venture (JV) partners. The port operator is talking to leading industrial players and provincial governments as JV partners.

The halal projects at Weifang Sime Darby Port will be launched in the 2017/18 financial year, with 270ha of Weifang Ports land being set aside for the park.

The 50-year leasehold land was bought at low rates from the Government after the takeover in 2005.

The halal park-port plan was mooted at end-2014 by Weifang Ports head of marketing and logistics Lai Ah Chek after he saw vast opportunities in a halal park, in view of food security problems in China and the rising need for such facilities in the region.

As Weifang Port will be selling its land to JV partners, the net capital outlay for the halal plan will be small.

The infrastructure for the park will take up about MYR124m, while the building of four warehouses will require at least MYR198m. And to turn existing berths into halal facilities, the port only needs to change some handling equipment.

The halal industrial park will help generate business for the port, as all raw materials for manufacturing at the industrial park will go in and out of our port, Lee told a Malaysian delegation.

Weifang Port is also considering business cooperation with a nearby major port.

There is a lot of international routing in this region. For us to get into international cargoes, it is more sensible to work with major ports, Lee said.

Weifang Port, which is deepening its sea depths to 12m to accommodate 35,000-tonne container ships, aims to position itself as an intra-Asian player and domestic feeder port. It has started a shipping link with South Korea since last December and is talking to shippers from Japan.

From Malaysia, Kuantan Port is sending its bauxite to Chinese customers via Weifang. Last year, about 2m tonnes of bauxite was shipped into Weifang Port.

With a plan to deepen the seaport to 13.7m to take in 50,000-tonne ships by end-2019, Weifang Port is projected to post MYR270m in pre-tax profit, or a rise of 200% from the current level, by 2022.
Tanjung Offshore group ceo Rahmandin Md Shamsudin said it was in talks with several onshore oilfield asset owners in Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar and was also looking at assets in Australia. "We have to make use of our existing resources to venture into some other areas where we hope will bring recurring income," Rahmandin said.

He said Tanjong Offshore would also continue to pursue more downstream projects at Petronas' Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project.

It had set up an office in Johor and is planning to build a facility for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in Pengerang, Johor.

Currently, the group's orderbook stands at MYR400m with 80% comprising works relating to RAPID, while the remaining 20% consists of its unit Gas Generators (Gastec) contracts and other projects.

"To replenish our orderbook, we have tendered for MYR1bn worth of jobs. We are looking to enter into precision fabrication support services. Historically, our success rate is between 20% to 30% of the bids," Rahmandin said.

Meanwhile, on the RM20m lawsuit filed against its former directors relating to the acquisition of Gastec, Rahmandin said this will not affect the performance of the company.

"As you may know, the previous managing director Datuk Harzani has been charged by the MACC (Malaysia Anti Corruption Commission). The process is ongoing. And we have already initiated a civil suit against some of the officers, directors of the previous board.

"I cannot say much as it may jeopardise the actions we are taking. We want to assure shareholders that we are doing something about these legacy issues," Rahmandin said.
Though Greeces Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras hailed said the pipeline as ushering Greece and Europe into a "new era" he had his mind on other plusses of the project.

"TAP is one of the greatest direct foreign investment projects carried out in Greece," said Tsipras at the ceremony held in Thessaloniki. Indeed, for crisis-hit Greece, it means an investment of over Euro 1.5bn ($1.7bn) and 8,000 jobs noted the premier, adding the Greek economy really needs these jobs.

He also noted, the energy map of south-east Europe is being redefined and this turns Greece into an energy hub of the region.

The largest endeavour to bring new supply sources to European consumers, TAP is 878 km long, running from Komotini in northeastern Greece to Puglia, Italy. It will cover 215 km across Albania, 105 km under the Adriatic and eight in Italy.

It will have an annual capacity of 10m cu m, meeting the needs of some 7m households.

"Once complete, TAP will be a major asset in the European energy security tool box," said EU vp Maros Sefcovic, who was also present at the ceremony. "By opening up access to gas from Azerbaijan, TAP will allow many countries, including in Central and South East Europe to diversify their sources of gas," he said.

TAP is designed to link up with the 1,850 km Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP)  to be completed in 2018  and the existing South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), which links Turkey to the Azerbaijani gas fields in the Caspian Sea through Georgia. Together, the three pipelines will form what has been called the Southern Gas Corridor.

Total project costs  which include drilling, offshore platforms and terminals as well as pipelines  are $45bn and the entire pipeline route will span 3,500 km, with TAP the final link into Europe.
The call comes as Greek owners mull relocating the seat of their operations from Greece as the European Commission continues to mumble about certain aspects of Greek tax law and their incompatibility with EU competition law.

It is well know Cyprus is among the top locations Greeks are considering, with the USG president said to be among those with a Plan B should the EC gets it way and force a part re-write of the Greek constitution and its protection of the tax regime.

Speaking at the Cyprus Shipping Industry Conference last week, Veniamis noted Cyprus and Greece, two relatively small European countries have an age-old tradition in shipping.

Although we may be keen business competitors in the international arena, we see eye-to-eye on most shipping policy issues. The combination of our knowledge and common approach on shipping matters of high importance can yield further valuable political and economic results for both nations at European and international level, he said.

He said both countries have a rich maritime heritage and continue to be forerunners in the international maritime arena, thus, contributing to the welfare of our two nations.

Our dynamic presence is a guarantee for the future. In this context, we should pursue our co-operation both at governmental and commercial level in order to achieve our common goals and mainly the competitiveness of our shipping industries which are closely connected with the welfare of our nations.

We also look forward to a united front regarding the ongoing examination by the European Commission of various tonnage tax regimes vis-a-vis the Guidelines on State Aid to Maritime Transport.

Traditionally, the Greek shipping community has kept its options open concerning the issue of flag and centre of activities. All the more so, in difficult times like the present ones. Cyprus has always been a major such option for Greek shipowners. Apart from its well-functioning maritime legislation and cluster, it offers the vicinity to Greece in geographical terms and mentality.

The figures are impressive: 290 vessels, representing about 35% of the Cypriot registry in terms of number of vessels or about 59% in terms of dwt belong to Greek-owned interests.

He said because of this the Greek shipping community follows with great interest the achievements of the Cyprus shipping industry.

The approval of the Cyprus tonnage tax by the European Commission and the recent tax initiatives offered to non-national investors, create a positive climate for entrepreneurship in Cyprus and give new impetus to the competitiveness of your shipping sector, said Veniamis.

The UGS president went on: We also understand there are positive developments in the ongoing dialogue between the two communities in Cyprus. A solution of the maritime embargo would give a major boosting to trade by sea in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea as well as to the prospects of the Cypriot flag.
The German container line said it was postponing its 1 June agm till August at the latest pending its possible business combination with UASC. Shareholders of the Middle East base line will vote on the merger on 2 June at an extraordinary general meeting

The previously publicised talks between Hapag-Lloyd AG (HL) and United Arab Shipping Company SAG (UASC) regarding a potential combination of their container shipping activities would in the case of a successful finalisation of such talks require potentially amendments to the agenda, Hapag-Lloyd said.

The German company said previously the proposed merger would be based on a valuation of the two businesses at 72% (Hapag-Lloyd) and 28% (UASC).
The congress, which is themed around Big data, big changes, big challenges, will feature a keynote address by Arsenio A. Dominguez chairman of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee.

Dominguez will also take part in the first panel session - Harmful air emissions - Managing the disconnect between compliance and technology  along with Lloyds Register executive vice president Tom Boardley and David Dingle ceo of Carnival.

The second session moves into the highly topical area of Big data  smart shipping and the environment. Panelists include Ronald Spithout, president of Inmarsat Maritime, which is leading the way enabling big data at sea with its recently launched Fleet Xpress service, and shipping industry guru and smart shipping advocate Martin Stopford, president of Clarksons Research Services.

They are joined by Oskar Levander, vice-president innovation for Rolls Royce Marine and Kirsi Tikka president & coo of ABS in what promises to be a fascinating debate. So if you want hear what they have to say sign up today at http://www.smm-hamburg.com/en/programme/gmec/fees-and-registration/



Stopford commented: 2016 marks a cross roads for global shipbuilding and marine engineering businesses. It's time to pay attention and SMM 2016 will provide the ideal setting for industry managers to soak up trends, exchange opinions and stress test their conclusions.

The final session of the day looks at the all important area of green propulsion and asks if LNG is the answer or if there are other solutions. A diverse panel features a shipowner  Stena Line, represented by Erik Lewenhaupt head of sustainability; a classification society  DNV GL with its ceo of maritime Knut rbeck-Nilssen; and an oil major  ExxonMobil with Iain White global marketing manager, ExxonMobil Marine. They are joined by Gavin Allwright secretary of the International Windship Association (IWSA) and Christine Valentin coo of the World Ocean Council.

To make sure you have booked your place at gmec on 6 September at SMM 2016 in Hamburg visit http://www.smm-hamburg.com/en/programme/gmec/
The Bering Strait is one of those particular focal points on the globe. It's the place where North America and Asia almost meet (they're a measly 53 miles shy). The international date line shoots right through it. During the Cold War, the strait was nicknamed "the Ice Curtain" due to the nerve-wracking proximity of the United States to the Soviet Union there.

And, for the better part of the 20th century, it was believed that humans first reached the Americas by crossing the Bering Strait via a land bridge some 13,000 years ago. The "Clovis First" theory, as it's called, is now riddled with holes -- but that hasn't stopped us from thinking of the strait in almost mythic terms.

Today, the Bering Strait is garnering international attention for a completely different reason: it's an important gateway to and from the Arctic. Historically, passage through the Arctic Ocean has been dicey at best -- sea ice is too thick in the winter, and summer season is too short.

But warming global temperatures are causing a phenomenon known as "Arctic Amplification": sea ice is bright and reflective, but as it melts, it exposes the darker ocean, which absorbs more sunlight and warms further. All told, the Arctic is warming at twice the pace of the global average. That means thinner ice and longer summers.

It also means that the Arctic, once essentially off-limits for shipping and resource exploitation, is more and more accessible. And the world has taken notice. Shipping through the Arctic, and crucially through the Bering Strait, is on the rise -- and experts expect this only to accelerate in the next few decades.

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Press Release

May 23, 2016 BONGBONG MARCOS CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE PROCLAMATION OF DUTERTE AS PRESIDENT

But Will Seek Exclusion of COCs in VP Canvass in Areas With Evidence Vice Presidentiable candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. today said that while he has reservations on the canvassing of votes for the vice presidential race, presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte should be proclaimed immediately. "I propose the immediate proclamation of our presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte, being the clear and uncontested winner in the presidential elections. Again, I offer him my sincere congratulations and my hand in partnership for the future. Mr. President the Philippines now looks to you for your leadership and vision," Marcos said in a privilege speech. In the official canvassing of votes for the vice presidency, however, it is a different story, according to Marcos as he noted several irregularities. Because of this he said his camp will move to exclude from the official canvassing of votes the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) of areas where there were evidence or strong indications of poll irregularities. "I think there were areas where we need to examine (the COC's) first before being included in the canvassing. It depends on the area; there were places where there were no problems at all (Sa palagay ko merong mga lugar na dapat tingnan muna bago isama sa bilang. Depende sa lugar, yung ibang lugar wala namang problema)," Marcos told reporters after delivering a privilege speech. He said most of these areas where poll irregularities occurred were in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. In his speech Marcos said he has "serious reservations" on the canvassing of the votes for the vice presidential race, citing reports and evidence of various irregularities that put a cloud of doubt on the integrity of the results of the polls. Among others, he cited the reports on thousands of pre-shaded ballots in an abandoned warehouse in Pangasinan, SD cards found in a trash can in Kabangkalan, Negros Occidental, as well as a video of election fraud in Datu Ampatuan, Maguindanao. Likewise, Marcos pointed to the unauthorized introduction of a new script in the transparency server used in the polls by Smartmatic personnel Marlon Garcia. Shortly after this, Marcos said his votes started to slow down while that for another candidate accelerated at a linear rate of 45,000 votes for every 1 percent of votes counted. He noted that Garcia has been charged with electoral sabotage for doing the very same thing during the 2013 elections. Marcos also said that while Comelec Chair Andres Bautista claimed this resulted to merely 'cosmetic change', we should not take such assurance as gospel truth. "We should not accept on mere blind faith the representations of the contractor and the reflected data on their machines. The burden of proof should be upon them, and Comelec as well, that the integrity of the system was not compromised. Comelec should not allow that the secrecy of the ballot be turned into the secrecy of the vote count," he said. He lamented that so far the poll body has yet to reply on his request to allow the servers to undergo audit by his own IT experts. Quoting a computer expert, Marcos said: "Any time a computer program is changed, it can change things you don't see." Marcos said his camp has gathered evidence on other forms of cheating such as vote-buying, intimidation and other acts to deny voters their right to vote but these would be raised in the proper time and the proper forum. Because of these controversy, cross-accusations and confusion, Marcos said there should be eternal vigilance to ensure a fair and free election. "Even if you are satisfied with the results of the May 9th elections, it remains our job to rise above politics---and protect the sanctity of each and every ballot," said Marcos. "I raise all these for the millions of Filipinos who voted for me and all the other voters whose votes were 'lost' and remain uncounted. Your votes genuinely and properly reflect your will and your trust in me. I will be forever grateful. I vow to fight for the disenfranchised, whose votes were either prevented, diverted or declared invalid and thrown away, that their true choice be counted and included" Marcos concluded.
Press Release

May 24, 2016 Bam: Marcos Agrees na Walang Dayaan sa Transparency Server

Transcript of Interpellation, Senate Session Hall, 23 May 2016 Aquino: Will the gentleman from Ilocos yield to a few questions? Marcos: I will yield to questions but with the understanding that I will decline to answer anything on the merits of some of the complaints and accusations and the allegations that have been made as to the irregularities of the conduct of the campaign and the counting. Simply because I believe that this is not the proper forum for that. Aquino: Would you be willing to answer questions on the speech you had just made? Marcos: Yes, certainly. Aquino: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Mr. President, I would like to echo also the call of the Senator from Ilocos Norte for eternal vigilance. I think right now, that is the call for all of us. All of the candidates. All of the people in different campaign teams, to be vigilant because as we know, the counting isn't over yet. And as Senator Marcos' camp is vigilant, I'm sure the other camps are also vigilant as well to make sure that no other - that nothing untoward happens during the canvassing process. So let me ask a few questions regarding some of the points that Senator Marcos had raised. Mr. President, you talked about the changes in the transparency server and to be frank, that was very troublesome, I think, for all of us when we found out that the transparency server was changed right there and then. In fact, I think Comelec castigated Smartmatic for having done that. But Mr. President, I'd like to clarify that this was done to the transparency server. Are you alleging that this was also done to the two other servers with an independent mechanism compared to the transparency server, Mr. President? Marcos: It is precisely why I have requested and have yet to receive any comment, answer or even acknowledgement of the request to look into the COMELEC server and to have my I.T. experts to look into the COMELEC server and to see if this is manipulation, interference changes had been done. So, unfortunately those requests have fallen on deaf ears thus far. Aquino: So in short, Mr. President, your call for a full audit is to find out if there were any irregularities in the two other servers? Marcos: Well, amongst other things, yes. Aquino: So in short Mr. President, currently, we only know that the transparency server was modified and of course, the story was because of the cosmetic change. But you want to check if there were also changes in the two other servers. Marcos: Well, I'd also like to check whatever happened as I think it has been explained in the various media. The fact that you have entered or rechanged the values of the hashcode have changed simply indicates that the file was entered into. How many times it was entered into? What was done while the file was open? And the operator was in the file and changing different parts of it? We cannot tell. And that's why this assurance that we are being given that it was merely a cosmetic change simply has no proof behind it. Merely the assurances. But I think it is unanimous thus far, that so long as the file has been opened, and remains open which it did; it remained open until about 8 'o'clock on May 10 at which point the - I'm sorry this was later in the day on May 10th - until it was brought up by some of the watchers, and another Venezuelan operative of Smartmatic says "I'll fix it" and basically locked the file open and thereby leaving it open to, for anyone to come so whatever changes were made over and above this so-called n change, then we cannot tell. This is why we have asked to look at the audit logs. We have asked to look at the transmission logs. We have asked to look at the receiving logs. We have asked to look at all of the records so we can see, we can be sure that the different values have remained consistent all throughout. Aquino: On that note, Mr. President, I think parties have come on record, even Congresswoman Robredo to say that we are open to a full audit. Marcos: Unfortunately those parties will not be the ones to decide whether or not we can go in and have a look at the servers. It is only the COMELEC who can give that authority. Aquino: That's true Mr. President, I just wanted to state that for the record. But going back to the question on the transparency server, I take it Mr. President that you don't accept the COMELEC explanation of what had happened. They had come out very strongly to say that this was merely a cosmetic change. Marcos: I can stand here and say many things, Mr. President but I have to back it up with data, with proof, with evidence and they have not done that. Aquino: Thank you, Mr. President. You are saying it yourself that any accusation must be backed up with the proper data, with the proper numbers and currently Mr. President, right now, your assertions on the transparency server - is there any data? Or you are merely calling for opening up of the server for scrutiny, Mr. President. Marcos: No, quite the contrary Mr. President. We wouldn't bother asking all of these authorizations to go in had we not spotted many discrepancies that need to be clarified. This is not a fishing expedition. It is something that is clearly in aide of clarifying the irregularities that were clearly seen and admitted to by both COMELEC and Smartmatic. Aquino: Mr. President, are you referring to the n problem or are you referring to the so-called trend that you were mentioning earlier? What irregularity in particular are you exactly talking about? Marcos: Again, there are many - too many I think for us to go through here. As I've said when I spoke that I will act at the proper time and the proper place. We'll detail those irregularities, those discrepancies that we have found and furthermore to (inaudible) oneself, we'll give reports, we'll give analyses, we'll give affidavits, statements from witnesses and many whistleblowers as well will come forward. And they've decided to come clean in their part on all of this. Aquino: So Mr. President, you're saying that you have evidence and data but you don't wish to say it today? Marcos: Exactly, I do not think that an interpellation on the plenary floor is the place to do it. I think that when the canvassing starts, these will be detailed to the canvassing board when we... Aquino: Well, Mr. President one thing that you mentioned earlier was the change in the trend. You talked I think about 8:00 PM when votes, when the trend started to go against you and for Congresswoman Robredo. And I'd just like to mention Mr. President for the record that numerous academicians have actually said that there is nothing irregular about that. Marcos: Numerous academicians have said that there is. So it is not... Aquino: Two, Mr. President. You have two academicians saying that there were... Marcos: Ano ba 'to, paramihan ng academicians? 'O naghahanap tayo ng katotohanan? Aquino: Mr. President, if I may finish my question. And in that course Mr. President, a number of academicians have said that the likelihood for the simplest answer is true. That in the first few hours, the votes came from NCR, Region 1, Region 2. And of course Mr. President, you won handily in many of these areas. And, at around the date - the time - that you had mentioned, these are when votes that came from other areas from the Philippines where Congresswoman Robredo won started to come in. Mr. President, a lot of - you know, if you look at where these votes came from, the explanation is not as fantastic as maybe a hashcode change or a hacking that had happened but there are records, Mr. President, and I join you in asking COMELEC to open up these records to show exactly where these votes had come from. Marcos: At the proper time Mr. President, I will show that that trend did not depend on the early returns of votes that came from Regions 1,2,3 or wherever I am perceived to have been strong. The transmittal of votes - you have to separate the two - the official COC from the provincial canvasser and the transmitted votes from the precincts. As you know, the precinct votes were transmitted immediately upon closure of the precinct. And the COCs were only transmitted upon completion of the provincial canvass. So if we were to look at the actual precincts that had reported, that had transmitted results, then that contention that it is only from Regions 1, 2 and 3 that came in first is simply not true. Perhaps the first that came in were from those areas but in small percentages so that if you look at the percentages of votes that had actually come in from different places it was fairly even. Aquino: Mr. President, on another note, we talked about the unfortunate change that Smartmatic... Marcos: Unfortunate? Mr. President? I think I would characterise it rather as more than unfortunate. It is illegal. Aquino: Yes, Mr. President, I think COMELEC itself has already castigated - Marcos: Castigating Smartmatic does not remedy the situation. How was it allowed to happen? How was it allowed that the password of the COMELEC was used by a Smartmatic staff operative employee was allowed to use the COMELEC password to make that change without an end banker solution authorizing such a change? That is a question that up to this day we have yet to find an answer for. Aquino: And we join you Mr. President in trying to find the answers to these queries. Mr. President what I would like to ask is that if you are avering that these changes affected the elections, are you also saying that it only affected the vice-presidential race? Marcos: I do not know what happened. Exactly. This is the whole point. We do not know what happened when Marlon Garcia opened the file and changed the so-called n. What else did he change - did he change more? Did he change nothing? Did he change my name? Did he change the numbers? What did he do? What else did he do? And after he had done whatever it is he had to do, what else did anyone since the file was then opened, what else did anyone go in and change afterwards? And after the file was locked open, and that was by putting the first hashcode after the second hashcode, thereby, essentially locking it open. Who else went into that file and made alterations? We don't know. That is the whole point of my - of what we're trying to talk about. What happened? What is it - if we can be shown that the changes were indeed cosmetic, you will never hear about this from me again. But we still have to determine whether or not anything else was changed. What changes were made, who made them and under whose authority? Aquino: And more importantly, Mr. President, who should be penalized for that? I think you will agree with me on that, if I'm not mistaken. Marcos: I'm sure that this is part of the question but I think more to the point is we need to find out exactly what happened. We have to be sure that the conduct of the elections were in fact fair and honest and transparent. That is to this point, not that case, simply because we have not received any answers from the COMELEC on the questions that we have raised to them and we also have not received any authorisation to inspect the servers and the logs as we have asked the COMELEC. Aquino: Mr. President, just a final question. Mr. President, kung kayo na po mismo nagsabi na hindi ho natin alam kung mayroon ngang nangyari, hindi ho ba premature na sabihin na may pandarayang nangyayari? Kayo na po mismo nagsabi hindi natin alam kung may nangyari. Marcos: Wala pa akong sinasabi na may pandarayang nangyari sa pagpalit ng server. Ang sinasabi kong pandaraya ay iyong mga picture, iyong mga video na nakita natin na sa ibang lugar hindi pinayagang bumoto. Mayroon akong mga video na siguro nakita naman ng lahat ng tao - mga bago mag-rally, na nagbibigay ng pera at ng vote-buying etcetera etcetera. Lahat iyan ay pandaraya lahat iyan. Maliwanag dahil mayroon nga kaming ebidensya na mayroon ngang pandaraya. Ngayon, kung ang pandarayang yan ay doon lamang sa vote-buying, doon lamang sa intimidation, doon lamang sa hindi pinayagang bumoto ang ibang botante - kung hindi doon pati sa transparency server, doon pa rin sa server log, sa audit log ay ibang usapan yan. Dahil wholesale na iyan. Kaya iyan ang aming gustong makita. Kaya't yan ang aming hinahanap at hinihingi - humihingi kami ng authorization galing sa COMELEC na tingnan para malaman. Eh, siguro naman ako na mauuna na matutuwa kapag malaman ko na hindi nagkaproblema. Ako na ang unang-unang magsasabi - mas gumaan ang aking loob dahil alam ko na ang nangyari. Eh, ang problema hindi tayo naipapaliwanag nang mabuti ng COMELEC at hindi tayo pinababayaan na tingnan ng mabuti para iliwanag nang mabuti kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari sa loob ng mga server, sa loob ng ating mga transmission, sa loob ng ating mga vote counting machine. Aquino: Mr. President, kung ikaw na po ang unang gagaan ang loob, ako na po yung pangalawang gagaan ang loob kapag naibukas na po ang lahat ng iyan. And I would like to thank the gentleman for answering my questions. I know it's a very trying time for him and his family. Thank you for answering my questions, Mr. President. But, for the record, I'd also like to reiterate what the good gentleman from Ilocos Norte had said which is "Pagdating sa transparency server wala pa talagang masasabing dayaan dahil hindi pa nga ito nalalaman." Thank you very much for that, Mr. President. Mr. President, thank you very much for your time.
Press Release

May 24, 2016 Cayetano wants to build a strong majority for Duterte's legislative agenda Barely a month after the 2016 national elections, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano reiterated his assurance to help President-elect Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte in formulating his legislative agenda. "Bilang kasama niya araw-araw sa kampanya, ako po ang nakarinig ng mga pangako at mga nais na pagbabago ni President Duterte sa ating bansa," Cayetano said. "Build a strong majority" When asked whether he was interested in the Senate presidency, Cayetano said he wants to focus more on building a strong majority that will help Duterte realize his plans of creating real changes in the country. "Everyone is interested in the Senate leadership. Wala pa akong nakitang senador na hindi interested maging Senate President. However, it's not really a matter of kung sinong magiging Senate President. It's a matter of forming a strong majority that can deliver the culture the effectiveness and efficiency. Sa bigat ng legislative agenda ni President Duterte, kailangan ng majority na 15-18," he added. "Go beyond committees, unite under Duterte's legislative agenda" Cayetano, however, said that he is not inclined to help in building a majority if the discussions will be limited to who will head the chamber's respective committees. "We should go beyond the committees and positions and discuss the important measures that should be passed by the Senate under President-elect Duterte. Sa aking palagay, kahit sabihin nilang ako ang Senate President, pero hindi sila magko-commit sa legislative agenda (ni President Duterte), hindi ko rin kukunin ang pwesto," he added. Among the key measures that Cayetano intends to push in the next Congress are the implementation of a nationwide curfew for minors and liquor ban, increasing the salaries of police officers, improved internet connectivity, and phasing out labor contractualization. They also plan to conduct consultations with regard to their federalism proposal by the middle of Duterte's term. Meanwhile, in reaction to the plan by Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III to run for Senate president, Cayetano said he would rather speak for himself and not for his colleague. "I will let Sen. Koko speak for himself. Malinaw ang kanyang announcement. We talked once. Nagkakaintindihan naman kami at malinaw ang direksyon namin as a group," he stressed. Duterte respects Senate independence Cayetano explained that while Duterte has not publicly announced whom he would endorse for the Senate leadership, the President-elect has made it clear in private discussions whom he wants for the post. "The President will not have an official candidate. Pero meron siyang napupusuan. President Duterte is not declaring public support because he respects the independence of the Senate," he said.
Press Release

May 24, 2016 Legarda Calls for More Aggressive Climate Action

on 10th Year of 'An Inconvenient Truth' Senator Loren Legarda today renewed her call for more aggressive action to address the climate crisis during the 10th anniversary of An Inconvenient Truth, the documentary film on Former US Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming. Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, was the keynote speaker at the An Inconvenient Truth anniversary celebration organized by The Climate Reality Project Philippines in Cebu City. "A lot has changed since that year when An Inconvenient Truth was launched, especially on how we perceive the climate change phenomenon. People now have a better understanding of the climate crisis and how it is linked to our survival. An Inconvenient Truth continues to ignite climate action," she said. "The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was signed by 175 countries, including the Philippines, proves that we now realize the urgency of taking action to address climate change and mitigate its impacts. But these realization and commitments must be translated into concrete action, mainly through the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions," she added. Legarda said that for the Philippines, climate action means achieving its goal of 70% greenhouse gas emissions reduction as stated in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She stressed that the government must draw sectoral roadmaps that will lead to the achievement of its INDCs, especially in energy, transport, forestry and agriculture. "We certainly cannot go business as usual. In the energy sector, there should be a good energy mix where there is a bias for renewables," Legarda said. "There is no reason to hesitate or delay action on a challenge so compelling, on a threat to humanity so clear and present. For every second that ticks away is but a second closer to the next calamity. We must lead the way towards meaningful change for our children and grandchildren, for all of humanity, for all species in the world, and for Mother Earth," Legarda concluded.
Press Release

May 24, 2016 Keynote Speech Senator Loren Legarda

Meaningful Participation in the 10-year Anniversary of An Inconvenient Truth

24 May 2016 | University of San Jose Recoletos, Cebu City We are gathered here today to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of An Inconvenient Truth. A lot has changed since that year, 2006, especially on how we perceive the climate change phenomenon. I recall that during that time, climate change was still considered an issue that was best left for scientists. It was not easy to make people understand the link between climate change and the economy, agriculture, health, and development. Even those in government did not easily recognize that this is a gut issue. In 2008, as part of my commitment to the 2008 Manila Call for Action, I filed a resolution recommending the creation of a standing committee on climate change in the Philippine Senate. There was defiance at first. Some of my colleagues then thought it was not necessary because there was already a committee on environment and natural resources. But I stood my ground because I knew that climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is an all-encompassing threat to our basic human rights. In December 2008, the Senate Committee on Climate Change was created to ensure the implementation of laws as well as the sustainability of initiatives for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Philippines. In 2009, the Philippine Climate Change Act was passed into law. This measure created the Climate Change Commission, headed by no less than the President of the Philippines, and tasked to mainstream climate change adaptation in policy formulation. The passage of the Climate Change Act was followed by the enactment of the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act. Representing a shift from mere response in times of disasters, the law promotes a comprehensive National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan that strengthens the capacity of the national government and the local government units together with partner stakeholders, to build the disaster resilience of communities. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) hailed these two measures as among the world's best laws on disaster resilience. The greater challenge, however, was to translate national policies, plans and programs into local action with measurable gains. Even with these laws, it had to take extreme weather events such as Ondoy and Pepeng, Sendong, Pablo, Yolanda, the habagat-induced rains, and the stronger episodes of El Nino, among many other disasters, for us to realize that climate change is real and our nation is among the most vulnerable to its impacts. The world will continue to get warmer, which will result in extremely harsh weather events, heavy flooding, declining fish catch, water scarcity, declining agricultural harvests, 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 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (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. 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. We certainly cannot go business as usual. The world cannot afford further delays, more so the vulnerable people who end up as climate refugees in their own communities, they who suffer again and again from tragedies brought about by a climate crisis not of their own doing. These vulnerable sectors include indigenous peoples, farmers, fisherfolk, persons with disabilities, women, children and the elderly. For the sake of the vulnerable, we seek climate justice now to restore the dignity of those suffering and to strengthen the resilience of the poor and recovering. For the sake of future generations, we seek a commitment to act now and to implement a holistic solution. There is no reason to hesitate or delay action on a challenge so compelling, on a threat to humanity so clear and present. For every second that ticks away is but a second closer to the next calamity. The Philippines should achieve its goal of 70% greenhouse gas emissions reduction under its NDCs. The government must commit to this and draw sectoral roadmaps that will lead to this goal, especially in energy, transport, forestry and agriculture. As a developing nation, it is understandable that the Philippines needs more power, but it cannot be "we need power at all costs and we will develop at all costs." They say that coal is cheap. I say, coal is not cheap. Coal affects our health, kills biodiversity and the environment, affects our waters and pollutes the air we breathe. We are a country rich in renewable energy--the amount of sun and wind is more than enough to power our entire country many times over. We have the Renewable Energy Law and though we may not totally ban coal, we should have a good energy mix where there is a bias for renewables. We must all work towards building a sustainable and resilient community, one that respects biodiversity and corrects the misconception that natural resources are infinite. Our extractive and consumptive practices must change. Greed must cease. 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, but are mere stewards of its resources. Each of us has opportunities to make a difference for our future. We must lead the way towards meaningful change--change in the way we think, change in the way we live, and change in the way we pursue the development and the future we long for--for our children and grandchildren, for all of humanity, for all species in the world, and for Mother Earth. Thank you.
Press Release

May 24, 2016 RECTO: DICT TO MAKE PHL AN ELECTRONIC REPUBLIC Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto today hailed the creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as a "revolutionary act" that will lay the groundwork for the country's transformation into a full-pleged electronic republic. "With the creation of this department, the government can now focus on promoting digital literacy, information and communications technology (ICT) expertise, and knowledge-building among citizens to better equip them in an evolving ICT age," Recto said. Recto is the principal sponsor of Senate Bill 2686 or the DICT Act of 2015, which President Aquino signed into law last Monday as Republic Act No. 10844. "I personally wish to thank President Aquino for affixing his signature on the Congress-approved bill. The passage of the measure is a huge step forward in this age of computers and internet," the senator said. Recto, who is also chairman of the Senate committee on Science and Technology, noted that one of DICT's primary functions is to ensure the establishment of free internet service in public places and schools. "The DICT will establish a free internet service that can be accessed in government offices and public areas using the most cost-effective telecommunications technology," Recto said. It will improve and maintain the existing ICT infrastructures and establish new ones in "unserved areas, in consultation with the local government units, civil society organizations, private sector and the academe." Among the powers and functions of the DICT is the "identification and prioritization of all e-government systems and applications" as provided for in the E-Government Masterplan and the Philippine Development Plan. On the education front, Recto said the DICT will formulate policies and initiatives to develop and promote ICT in education, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). SB 2686 is a consolidation of five bills authored by Sens. Antonio Trillanes, Teofisto Guingona III, Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Sonny Angara, also taking into consideration the bills of Sens. Miriam Santiago, Bam Aquino and Jinggoy Estrada. Recto said senators recognize information and communications technology as the third utility, after power and water. "It is also the third biggest source of dollars after electronics and OFW remittances. It is a growth driver. Every 10 percentage points increase in broadband penetration is said to boost the GDP by 1 percent," he said. On the public sector side, Recto said a government which spends P3 trillion a year "needs a DICT to get more bang out of the buck, and prevent bribe from being squeezed out of the peso." "We are now living in the electronic republic, where views of the sovereign are advocated online, and services must be rendered to them on the same platform," he said. "Permits, licenses, land titles should now be electronically-applied for, processed and issued," Recto said. Recto noted that even before the DICT becomes operational, government has already laid the groundwork for free broadband internet access in 12 regions beginning next month. "I expect the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to abide by their commitment. The government's free Wi-Fi project must roll out and be operational next month in time for the opening of classes this school year," said Recto, who sponsored the project's funding in the 2015 and 2016 national budget. "The President is leaving office next month. Let free public Wi-Fi be one of his parting gifts to the nation," the senator added. According to Recto, a report submitted to him by the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) of the DOST showed that the government's free Wi-Fi project will commence rolling out in the provinces on the second quarter of the year. The ICTO is one of the agencies to be incorporated into DICT, along with the National Computer Center (NCC), National Computer Institute (NCI), Telecommunications Office (TELOF), and National Telecommunications Training Institute (NTTI). "For millions of Filipinos in the provinces, particularly the youth, this is Christmas in June. Hopefully, beginning next month, select areas in 12 regions will be the first to benefit from free public Wi-Fi," said Recto. "This is just the initial phase. We expect the DOST-ICTO, and later the DICT, to expand the coverage of free Wi-Fi to all regions in the coming months," the senator added. Areas identified for the initial phase include the following: NCR (186 Sites) Region 1 (257 Sites) Region 2 (13 Sites) Region 3 (96 Sites) Region 4A (135 Sites) Region 4B (29 Sites) Region 5 (60 Sites) Region 6 (31 Sites) Region 7 (83 Sites) Region 8 (66 Sites) Region 9 (29 Sites) Region 11 (64 Sites) The ambitious undertaking, officially called the Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places Project, aims to provide free broadband Internet access to 1,462 Class 1-6 municipalities, and 44 key cities nationwide. Under the original plan, no-charge Wi-Fi access will be set up in selected airports, hospitals, public schools, plazas, seaports, government offices and other public places. "Our students, both in public and private schools, need not spend their precious pesos in internet cafes for research purposes. Knowledge will be at their fingertips, for free 24/7," Recto pointed out. "Not only students will benefit greatly from this project. Transactions in government agencies will also be seamless and hopefully, hassle-free," he added. Under the sponsorship of Recto, the project was allocated a budget of P1.4 billion in 2015 and P1.65B this year.
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Acting San Francisco police Chief Toney Chaplin faced tough questioning by Bayview community leaders Monday evening where residents asked for answers in last weeks officer-involved shooting that led to former Chief Greg Suhrs resignation.

At an invitation-only meeting at the Southeast Community Facility, nearly 50 leaders lobbied Chaplin to rebuild trust between the predominantly African American neighborhood and officers. The venue was less than a mile from the spot where 29-year-old Jessica Williams was fatally shot by a sergeant Thursday morning.

Hours after the shooting, Suhr resigned under pressure, and Chaplin, a 26-year veteran, was named acting chief.

A day after the shooting, Chaplin announced the rollout of body cameras and a reworking of the existing use-of-force policy were his top priorities as he vowed to launch a top-to-bottom department review.

What was the reason for this officer pulling his gun out and shooting this woman? asked Dr. Arelious Walker, a pastor at True Hope Church of God in Christ in Bayview.

His question set the tone for the evening, as several community members asked Chaplin to lay out his plans for reforming department culture and rebuilding trust.

The image, the brand of this city, has been ruined around the world behind these senseless killings of human life, the Rev. Amos Brown, president of the local NAACP, told Chaplin.

Thats a centerpiece for the use-of-force policy  the sanctity of human life, Chaplin responded. Thats why its important to get the policy through.

Police opened the meeting with a brief overview of the ongoing investigation into Thursdays shooting at Shafter Avenue and Elmira Street.

Commander Greg McEachern told Bayview leaders that two witnesses were being interviewed in the investigation of Williams death, which happened after she crashed an allegedly stolen car into a pickup truck in an attempt to flee officers. McEachern had few updates on the events that led the sergeant to shoot Williams.

Several community members at the meeting urged the city to keep Chaplin in the role permanently.

How can we as a community rally behind and keep you in place as chief instead of acting chief? said Uzuri Pease-Greene, a community builder with the nonprofit low-income housing group Bridge Housing. This is something thats very, very important for the community. We dont want to go back, we want to keep going forward.

Chaplin shrugged off the requests, each time saying he did not want the focus to be on him. Instead, he said, he remained committed to community rebuilding and planned to visit several areas around the city for a series of similar meetings.
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For the first time in years, San Franciscos Pier 80  which in recent months has been the site of an emergency homeless shelter  will revert to its intended purpose: a working cargo terminal.

The Port of San Francisco has reached a deal with Pasha Automotive Services, which will use the facility to import as many as 150,000 automobiles a year, mostly from factories in Mexico, but also from Asia and Europe. It could also serve as an export hub for Tesla Motors, which manufactures its high-end electric cars in Fremont.

John Pasha, senior vice president of Pasha Automotive Services, said while it would take several years to reach full capacity, the terminal could eventually handle 96 ships annually and employ 50 longshoremen, as well as 150 processors, who prepare the cars for dealers. The first ships could start steaming into Pier 80 this fall.

Pier 80 is the citys primary cargo terminal, a 60-acre facility with two warehouses and four deepwater berths between 25th Street and the north side of the Islais Creek Channel. Cargo volumes at Pier 80 have been declining since the economic slowdown of 2008. Vessel calls dropped from 20 in the 2010-11 fiscal year to eight last year, when the terminal handled about 3,000 tons.

No ships have used the pier this year.

Its been several years since we had much work at Pier 80  were really excited to have more work over there, said Ed Ferris, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union President Local 10.

Good news for workers

The timing is fortunate for Bay Area longshore workers. In January, Ports America, which runs operations at dozens of U.S. ports, said it would terminate a 50-year lease with the Port of Oakland and cease cargo operations in Oaklands Outer Harbor Terminal.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

That caused about 100 people to lose steady positions and come back to the hall, Ferris said. Its been a little slow this quarter.

Along with the dry-dock, ship-repair facility at Pier 70 and the aggregate rock facility at Pier 94, the Pasha operation represents a modest revival of activity at a port that has long been in decline. At Pier 70, BAE Systems employs an average of 250 skilled workers year-round in its ship repair operation, representing 10 local trade unions, plus additional jobs during peak periods, where employment levels can rise to more than 1,000 people.

For a city searching for economic diversity, these are thousands of jobs from 10 marine unions, Peter Dailey, maritime director for the Port of San Francisco, said of the shipping activity on the southern waterfront. Those jobs provide variety in terms of our economy in San Francisco. There is a lot going on down there, but people dont see it.

Business is brisk

In addition to automobiles, Pasha will use the pier for cargo pieces that are too large to fit into normal shipping containers, Dailey said.

In 2015, Pasha Automotive Services marine terminals processed more than 420,000 vehicles in Southern California and Washington state. Terminals on the West Coast are congested because of historically high numbers of cars coming into the country. Some of those terminals handling automobiles, including Pashas 200-acre terminal in San Diego, are starting to fill up.

Benicia and Richmond both have piers that handle auto imports.

Richmond has automobiles coming out of their ears, Dailey said. A lot of ports are at capacity  and here we have 60 acres of projected marine terminal, with deep berths right in San Francisco, in the middle of the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the country.

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.

For the Pasha family, the move to Pier 80 represents something of a homecoming. Pasha started with a Flying A gas station at Bay Street and Van Ness Avenue in 1941. In 1960, it opened the first independent automotive port processing plant in the country at nearby Fort Mason.

When the company outgrew the Fort Mason property, the two automotive entities relocated to the Port of Richmond in 1971, at the same time establishing a processing facility at Terminal Island near Los Angeles.

We are extremely proud to return to our roots in San Francisco and make both my grandfathers and my fathers dreams a reality, said Pasha.

Homeless shelter at site

Meanwhile about 50 homeless people remain at Pier 80, according to Sam Dodge, director of Mayor Ed Lees office of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships & Engagement. The low threshold shelter was established to create a place where the homeless could bring all their possessions  the pets and carts and bikes that traditional shelters dont have room for. Dodge said Pier 80 was quiet and peaceful but not an ideal location for the shelter.

Our intention is to use these spaces in the interim and be out of there when its ready for other uses, Dodge said. We dont want to get in the way of all those ILWU jobs. The shelter is expected to close by July 1.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jkdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: sfjkdineen
With her landlord threatening to raise the rent by $300 a month, Rochelle Richard is afraid she will have to move out of the small two-bedroom house in East Oakland where shes lived for three years.

That $300 a month would be enough to wreak devastation on Richard, 48, who relies on federally funded vouchers to pay for housing. Richards painful sickle-cell anemia shuts her indoors for days at a time and requires that she keep a spare bedroom for caregivers. She has scoured the classifieds and found that the cheapest two-bedroom in Oakland is $1,875, far more than the $1,500 a month she can afford, most of which comes from a federal subsidy.

I have been to Antioch, Vallejo, Fairfield, Marin, San Rafael, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Richmond, Point Richmond  a two-bedroom for $1,500 doesnt exist, she said.

But hope is on the way for Richard and other low-income residents who are hanging on by threads as real estate heats up throughout the region.

Raising benchmark

With rents ballooning and cash-rich tech workers flocking to the East Bay, U.S. housing officials took steps this month to protect the regions poorest residents from losing their homes.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has raised its fair market rent benchmark by 35 percent for Alameda and Contra Costa counties, allowing local housing authorities to increase the amount they grant in federally funded vouchers, also known as Section 8 subsidies. Its the largest increase that HUD has made in 10 years.

Section 8 was designed to allow elderly, disabled and low-income families to seek housing away from subsidized housing projects. It works like this: HUD funds local housing authorities, which in turn hand out vouchers to low-income residents who qualify for the program. The housing authority pays landlords up to the fair market rental rate, and tenants chip in about 30 percent of their income to make up the difference.

Richard, for instance, contributes $259 toward her monthly rent; her voucher covers the remaining $1,241.

For months, officials in the East Bay have pressured HUD to raise its fair market benchmark, saying the federal program had failed to keep up with a rapidly escalating real estate market. HUD Secretary Julian Castro recently announced the adjustment.

HUDs new fair market rent rate for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,663 a month  up from $1,235 last year. The rate for a two-bedroom is $2,103 a month  up from last years monthly rate of $1,562.

The rate in San Francisco is slightly higher, at $1,814 a month for a one-bedroom, and $2,289 a month for a two-bedroom. San Francisco officials, unlike their East Bay counterparts, have so far not pushed HUD to adjust their fair market rent rates  though according to HUDs regional administrator, Ophelia Basgal, San Francisco may ask for a boost in the near future.

Leah Millis/The Chronicle

Proving need

Basgal said East Bay housing authorities had to conduct a rigorous rent survey with a very specific sampling method to prove their need for a rate adjustment. They also had the backing of political leaders, including Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who arranged several conference calls with Castro.

Secretary Castro and I have talked many times about this, Lee told The Chronicle. He understood that things had to change.

Oakland Housing Authority chief Eric Johnson said the rate adjustment came with an even bigger win for the poor: Castro promised to change the way that HUD calculates fair market rents in places like the Bay Area, where home prices are rising much faster than they are in other parts of the country.

That to me is the most important thing we won, said Johnson, who participated in one of the conference calls with Lee and Castro in October.

The idea behind the Section 8 voucher program is to create opportunity and mobility for low-income renters, giving them a chance to live in safe, healthy neighborhoods, Johnson said.

That philosophy has its constraints: HUD caps its subsidies at the 40th percentile of the rental market, which limits where Section 8 tenants can go. But ideally, they should have enough leeway to live in areas with decent schools, low crime and clean air.

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Such places used to be eminently affordable in Oakland, Johnson said. But in the last 18 months, the market turned over dramatically.

Flood of applications

We were always the center of affordability in the Bay Area, and that just flipped, literally faster than anything Ive ever seen, Johnson said. And now landlords get 10 or 15 applications for any apartment that comes up.

That sudden flip nearly pushed Richard out of the East Bay for good. She hopes that HUDs new fair market rate will allow the housing authority to meet her landlords rent hike, and keep her anchored in Oakland  at least for now.

Im just hoping now that theres an increase, theyll say, If you want to stay here, you can stay here, Richard said. Because Im not going to find anything else.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
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The perpetrators of a hellacious rampage of stinging that killed two dogs and caused pandemonium in a Concord neighborhood this month were not Africanized killer bees after all, but regular neighborhood honeybees, state agricultural officials said Tuesday.

Scientists at the California Department of Food and Agriculture tested the mitochondrial DNA of seven of the crazed bees that blanketed Hitchcock Road in Concord a little over a week ago and found only European genes.

To be precise, the Concord bees were of the family Apidae, the genus Apis and the species mellifera, of the eastern European mitotype  otherwise known as European honey bees, according to the departments entomology laboratory in Sacramento.

They are not Africanized, said Steve Lyle, the agriculture department spokesman. No hint, no sign of Africanized ancestry was present.

Theres no doubt that the intensity of the onslaught was unusual for European honeybees, but there is a logical explanation, said Matt Slattengren, the assistant agricultural commissioner for Contra Costa County.

They got riled up, he said, explaining bee behavior that many a toddler has learned about the hard way.

The news that the bees werent killer bees came as a bit of a surprise to pretty much everybody who was present when they went bonkers May 13. The orgy of stinging was set off when a beekeeper attempted to move his hives, causing the bees to swarm through the neighborhood attacking everything that moved.

Residents, a mail carrier and pedestrians were stung multiple times as they attempted to escape, dashing inside homes and fleeing in vehicles.

Two dachshunds in the backyard next door to the beekeeper died after suffering more than 50 stings each. Several residents were treated at hospitals and clinics during the bee blitz, which continued through the weekend.

Norman Lott, a bee expert from the Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association who was called to the scene, said he had never seen such an aggressive display by European honeybees. He suspected the hive had been invaded by Africanized insects, otherwise known as killer bees.

The hyper-aggressive species is actually a hybrid of African and European bees that was introduced to Brazil in an attempt to improve honey production. The breed eventually escaped and spread through South America, Central America and ultimately to North America. They entered California in 1994 and have gradually spread north.

Bees in the United States kill about 40 people a year, many of whom are allergic to the venom in their stings, according to experts. The statistics do not differentiate between Africanized and European bees, but the more aggressive Africanized bees were blamed for the death of a construction worker in Riverside County last year.

Pets on chains and in fenced enclosures have also been stung to death by killer bees in Southern California and Texas.

There was reason to believe killer bees were behind the ouch-fest in Concord. It came eight months after researchers confirmed Africanized DNA in a hive at the edge of Briones Regional Park in Lafayette. The killer bee genes were collected in Contra Costa County in the spring of 2014.

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On Tuesday, Lott and others were having a hard time believing that killer bees werent responsible for the bee beat-down in Concord.

Eric Mussen, a bee expert and retired professor in the entomology department at UC Davis, said mitochondrial DNA can trace only the maternal line or the queen bee, but it doesnt tell you who the dads were. There could still be Africanized genes in that genetic mix.

Mussen said that European bees can be super defensive but that behavior like what happened in Concord is exceedingly rare for the breed.

The fact that only seven bees were tested could also be problematic, said Alex Janke, whose son, Arthur, is the amateur beekeeper whose hive got unhinged. Africanized soldiers are known to take over honey beehives, and experts say all the bees change their behavior when at least half the hive becomes Africanized.

Weve had honeybees for 15 years, and weve never seen this kind of behavior from them, Janke said.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: pfimrite
A low pressure system is expected to dump one to four inches of snow in higher elevations throughout the Sierra Tuesday, potentially making for slick road conditions for visitors traveling along high passes to Yosemite for Memorial Day weekend.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Reno said snow showers are expected at elevations above 8,000 feet around the southern side of the greater Lake Tahoe basin, with snow falling heavier farther south.

Were looking at generally light amounts, said Dustin Norman, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Were expecting some of the heavier showers down along Mono County.

Norman said despite the low totals of snow expected, the weather could still impact driving conditions.

He said higher areas such as Carson Pass and Tioga Pass could be affected and make for less-than-ideal road conditions for travelers headed to parts of Yosemite this week for the holiday weekend.

Tioga Pass, a section of State Route 120 that stands as the eastern entry point for Yosemite National Park, just opened last week and is subject to close due to stormy weather.

Carson Pass is traversed by State Route 88 and is typically open year-round, pending large weather systems and avalanches.

Norman said there is a possibility of snow showers through the end of the week.

I dont think this kind of weather is untypical, Norman said. Compared to the last few years it may be irregular, but from an overall standpoint its not too irregular to have snow in higher elevations this time of year.

Meanwhile, scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to bring up to a quarter of an inch of rain to lower mountain elevations.

We are expected to stay in a pretty active period throughout the week, Norman said.

On Friday, up to two inches of snow and ice in the Sierra set off road closures in both directions of Interstate 80 in Placer County, as officials said cars lost control and started spinning out on the slippery road.

Ice and snow, at around 6,000 feet, caused multiple spin outs, prompting officials to close sections of the highway until plows and tow trucks could clear the road, said CHP Sgt. Norman Vandermeyde.

Kevin Schultz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kschultz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: KevinEdSchultz
During a tour of the new homeless shelter at Pier 80, Trent Rhorer offered up some blunt talk.

Rhorer is director of the citys Human Services Agency, and no one in the city has been more involved in housing the homeless. Among other things, Rhorer helped spearhead then-Mayor Gavin Newsoms Care Not Cash program.

But, Rhorer said, good intentions arent enough. We cant continue to let homeless campgrounds proliferate.

If someone is making a lifestyle choice, Rhorer said, whether rational or irrational, sometimes we have to make decisions for them. And that decision would be that it is safer, more healthy, and you would have access to services if you come inside with us.

Of course, weve heard that before. Convincing someone who has a nice setup in a tent on the street can be difficult.

And, Rhorer continued, if they say no, repeatedly, in our view they are not making a healthy decision. Sometimes we are going to have to make that decision for them. Sometimes against their will.

Thats huge. Its controversial. It would likely cause a homeless advocate uproar. But its the right thing to do.

Now, lets be clear. The city cant force people into a homeless shelter.

But what it can do is say: You cant stay on the sidewalk. Its against the law. You can leave on your own, or you can come with the Homeless Outreach Team, which will take you to a pet-friendly facility with three meals a day, showers and flushing toilets. And, by the way, there will be services to help with substance abuse, job training and applying for financial aid.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Because the concept that a transient group of people, many of whom are battling substance abuse, mental illness and general instability, would form a cohesive, workable community is nuts.

As the Division Street campground showed, an unsupervised tent city inevitably collapses on itself. It begins with urine, feces and needles on the street, and progresses to intimidation, lawlessness and violence. And the answer to that is not to look the other way.

Lees weak response

It seemed to take forever for Mayor Ed Lee to act, and his response is still tepid. Tuesday he said, Once we clean up the area, we expect the area to be kept clean and not be re-encamped.

Re-encamped? Mr. Mayor, just say three words: No more tents.

San Francisco can no longer do what it has always done, which is let the homeless settle into back-alley, seemingly deserted areas and pretend theyre not living there.

It no longer works, because those areas are being transformed by residential development  and residents moving into these new places wont tolerate the terrible conditions of homeless camps.

The old 16th Street campground, under Interstate 280, now has a new neighbor  a huge apartment complex. A reader wrote to say there are also camps at Harrison and 15th and Alameda between Bryant and Potrero.

All of those areas are seeing encroaching development. The residents are bound to complain, and now that Division Street is getting cleaned up, residents and businesses near other camps will expect action in their neighborhoods.

So where do people go? For the first time were seeing a fresh idea. The Pier 80 facility is just getting started, but its huge. Currently, people are living in a large, 150-bed tent within the larger building. But there is plenty of room for another tent of the same size. Or two.

Its not a solution for the entire population of nearly 7,000 homeless people in the city, but there are other locations being considered. More beds, more facilities would help, but it has to begin with the city ushering people off the street.

In theory, thats not a popular idea in the city of good intentions.

Residents fed up

But if this Division Street meltdown has proved anything, its that the residents of the city arent willing to allow public spaces to be taken over by tarps, tents and shopping carts.

And before you blame the recent tech boom, remember history. Back in the late 80s, then-Mayor Art Agnos allowed homeless campers to set up in Civic Center, across from City Hall. His point was that since they had nowhere to go, leaving them there would remind him, and everyone else, of the homeless crisis.

The site, nicknamed Camp Agnos, became a hot-button issue. It wasnt the only reason Agnos was a one-term mayor, but it was a big one.

Letting people live on the street in life-threatening conditions isnt compassionate or progressive, especially if they are infringing on the rights and living conditions of working residents.

As Rhorer says, if the homeless are not making good decisions, we need to make choices for them. Its not punishment. Its the right thing to do.

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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Sidewalk tents have taken everyone in San Francisco by surprise. Its not your imagination, theyre springing up like mushrooms.

Sam Dodge, Mayor Ed Lees Director of Housing Opportunity, agrees when people tell him there have never been so many tent campsites in the city.

It certainly feels that way to me, Dodge told me.

Dodge has seen it all. Tents used for drug injection, bike chop shops and prostitution. Theres even an enterprising guy who has two tents  one to live in and one to rent out as an income property. How very San Francisco.

But thats Dodges next point. It isnt just San Francisco.

It is up and down the West Coast, he said. Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle.

The explosion of tent-camping on city streets has created a whole new dynamic on homelessness. A Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority study found that people living in tents, shanties and RVs in the city had increased by 85 percent in 2015.

Unlike the typical sleeping bag or bed roll, tents are more permanent. They encourage groups of people to cluster together and stake out turf. And they provide cover for injectable drug use as the city struggles with a methamphetamine epidemic.

Hal Bernton/TNS

The results are predictable and alarming. Samantha Dionne is the owner of the Sweet Peas Preschool on 17th Street, an area along Florida Street where encampments proliferate. The tents relocate up and down the block, but they basically stay in the neighborhood.

Dionne says she is sympathetic to the homeless, but shes alarmed by their drug use and intimidating behavior.

Over spring break, she wrote in an email, I called SFPD almost a dozen times as there were junkies passed out on the sidewalk, holding needles in their hands.

Immediate action needed

Dionne says she eventually persuaded the police to make a sweep, but the problem persists. I was out there Thursday and found three hypodermic needles in five minutes.

And, says Kirsty Gumina, who works at nearby McCalls Catering, The street sweeper cleans the street every night. So that was just from this morning.

Clearly the city needs an overarching plan to address the tents. But what should be done?

Well, we can tell you what other cities are trying, but there arent many success stories.

Seattle passed an ordinance in 2015 allowing the creation of tent cities of up to 100 people, including women and children. The city installed bathrooms and provides some services, but mass campgrounds are not exactly getting raves.

Barbara Poppe, who was in charge of President Obamas homeless programs from 2009 to 2014, was hired by Seattle to look at the program. Her immediate reaction was simple: Stop building tent cities.

I find it horrifying you have children living in encampments and that is somehow acceptable to this community, she told the Seattle Times. I understand theres great pressure to have a short-term solution. But I dont happen to think these encampments are the best solution.

Portland, Ore., has taken another route. The safe sleep policy was launched in February. The ordinance allows groups of as many as six campers to set up tents on the sidewalk beginning at 9 p.m. But they are supposed to pack up and clear the sidewalk by 7 a.m. the next morning.

That sounds fine, but who goes around town with an alarm clock waking up those who oversleep?

Its unenforceable, Dodge said. Are the police supposed to go around and make sure they take up the tents in time? Thats a full-time job.

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Dodge is as supportive of homeless individuals as anyone, but hes also realistic. Asked what could be done about tents on the sidewalks, Dodge was blunt.

Well, it is against the law, he said. We dont want to jail people at all, but we cant just ignore it.

Enforcement of anticamping laws runs into a persistent problem. If you move someone off the street and out of his tent, where is he supposed to go? We can debate the idea of police enforcement, but that doesnt sound very encouraging either.

Before he left the department, Police Chief Greg Suhr told me police write about 26,000 quality of life citations each year.

And as of October of last year, the court decided it will not issue bench warrants for anyone who blows them off, Suhr said.

It can get worse

So if a tent-dweller gets a citation and a notice to appear in court, he can just toss it in the trash because the court isnt going to follow up. Its an exercise in futility. No wonder cops shrug off complaints about tent encampments.

And dont expect improvement anytime soon. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, one-third of all the homeless people in America are in California.

People think this is the worst it can get, Dodge said. Thats not the case.

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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Critics are saying Supervisor David Campos list of locations for potential Navigation Centers for the homeless is half-baked.

Thats ridiculous.

The list would have to be dramatically rethought to rise to the level of half-baked. At present its just silly.

I was in West Portal last week meeting with District Seven supervisor candidate Ben Matranga and he showed me one of the sites. Not only was it in the middle of West Portal Avenue, the neighborhoods main street, but it was so small it wouldnt have enough room for more than half a dozen pup tents. (Not to give anyone ideas.)

However ...

Lost in the uproar and complaints were two suggestions that have a lot of merit, even if they sound completely counterintuitive at first. They are a wet house, where chronic alcoholics are allowed to drink where they are housed, and safe injection centers, where addicts live and are given clean needles and a secure place to inject illegal drugs.

We will now pause while everyone smacks their forehead with their palm and wonders if weve lost our minds. But honestly, this makes sense, not just for the addicts but for the city.

Lets start with dollars and cents. Former homeless czar Bevan Dufty, who is supporting both ideas, has the numbers memorized.

Back in 2011, a Department of Public Health study was done that showed we were spending $13.5 million a year on the top 225 street alcoholics, Dufty said. That works out to $60,000 a person.

Compare that with 1811 Eastlake, a facility in Seattle that has housed 75 chronic drinkers for the past 15 years. The residents are not only allowed to drink in the facility, but the staff even sometimes goes on booze runs for them. When Eastlake opened in 2005, critics called it bunks for drunks.

Meryl Schenker/Special to The Chronicle

But not only are those chronic inebriates off the street, they also are less likely to ring up huge emergency room costs and ambulance runs. A University of Washington study found that the wet house saved Seattle $4 million a year.

And, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that residents actually cut their drinking from over 15 drinks a day to 10.

Multiple issues

The core idea is something that I think needs to be changed. San Francisco has to stop acting as if homelessness is a one-size-fits-all problem.

Dufty says the point was brought home this week when a store owner in the Castro told him the use of crystal methamphetamine in the neighborhood is the worst Ive ever seen it.

That made Dufty think that an injection center in the Castro, where residents would be able to inject illegal drugs in supervised conditions, would make sense.

The concept is that the centers mold themselves to what the neighborhood needs, he said.

But seriously, letting people use heroin or meth without any fear of arrest? Why would that be a good idea?

Well, ask Dr. Ahmed Bayoumi at St. Michaels Hospital Toronto. Bayoumi and a colleague did a study based on Insite, a safe injection facility that has operated in Vancouver, British Columbia, for 13 years. Based on the report, Bayoumi is heading an effort to open three injection sites in Toronto and two in Ottawa.

Program is working

Bayoumis study calculated that one injection center would save over $42 million in health care costs over 20 years.

The main reason is keeping people who use drugs healthy, he said. We have good evidence from the Vancouver facility that the main concerns  overdoses, contracting HIV and hepatitis C  decrease. And there are benefits to the community. You dont get needles in the parks. Theres less visible injecting on the streets.

But perhaps the best argument is from the general population in Vancouver. Bayoumi said that 10 years of public opinion polling showed 10 percent were opposed under any circumstances and 20 percent were in support.

Most were in the middle, he said. They said they were supportive, but they wanted to see how it works. Over time, a lot of people were skeptical, but they became supportive.

So heres a question for those of us in San Francisco. When you see someone on the sidewalk, passed out from drinking or injecting drugs, dont you wish something could be done? And dont you feel like the city has tried nearly everything to help and treat the neediest of those who are unable to control their substance abuse?

And if both of those are true, what would be wrong with giving these two ideas a try  even if they sound a little crazy. Admit it, weve tried crazier ones.

C.W. Nevius is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His columns appear Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Email: cwnevius@sfchronicle.com
Oil companies measure their global petroleum reserves in terms of barrels  the more, the better, as far as Wall Street is concerned.

Giant companies like Chevron Corp. and ExxonMobil carefully calculate how much oil and natural gas they can draw from the fields under their control. They constantly hunt for new reserves to replace every drop they pump from the ground. Let that reserve number slip, and risk the wrath of financiers who rate the companies on their ability to find more oil.

Theres a big hitch in this familiar measure, though: What if the oil companies arent allowed to pump all of their reserves? What if governments, committed to fighting climate change in the wake of last years Paris accord, wont let them?

On Wednesday, Chevron Corp. shareholders will vote on a non-binding proposal that could offer the industry a way out  and give oil companies an incentive to pour their money and talents into developing cleaner sources of energy.

The proposal, pitched by an environmentally oriented shareholder activism group, would recommend that the countrys second-largest oil company report its reserves in terms of energy content  measured in British thermal units  in addition to the older, barrel-based system.

The change may sound like a mere technicality. But it isnt.

Board urges rejection

Say Chevron or another oil company started investing heavily in solar power plants or wind farms instead of hunting for more oil. The annual energy output of those facilities could be converted into BTUs and counted along with the companys existing oil reserves  all of them treated as energy-producing assets that would earn the business and its shareholders money.

In a carbon-constrained world, whats going to happen with these companies? asked Danielle Fugere, president and chief counsel of the activist group As You Sow. Traditionally, theyve had to replace their reserves, or the market penalizes them. So how do they make this transition that we think is necessary?

Chevrons corporate board, however, has recommended shareholders reject the proposal, calling it unnecessary and confusing. As You Sow, based in Oakland, has presented the same proposal to ExxonMobil shareholders for their annual meeting on Wednesday, with Exxons board also opposing the change.

Both oil companies have, in recent years, faced a flurry of proposals from activist shareholders asking for more attention to and reporting on the risks of climate change. So far, however, most oil company investors have greeted such proposals with little enthusiasm.

Big Oil, or Big Energy?

Chevrons board notes that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has established rules for barrel-based accounting, not for reporting reserves in BTUs.

The SEC standards apply  to do anything different would be confusing to shareholders, said Chevron spokesman Kurt Glaubitz. Stockholders are free to convert reported figures into any units they want.

Supporters of the idea, however, argue that many companies in many industries report information not required by the SEC. Adopting the BTU system in addition to the existing barrel-based reserve figures could provide a bridge to a future in which oil companies throw their considerable resources behind other sources of energy that help fight global warming, they say.

It would be making a statement that Big Oil is really Big Energy, said Andrew Behar, As You Sows chief executive officer. When we have conversations with them, they keep saying, No, no, were an energy company. And we say, But you report in oil. You are what you measure.

Hybrid reporting already

Oil companies, of course, dont just pump oil. Natural gas has become an increasingly important product for them, particularly in the United States. Their system for reporting reserves, as a result, is already a kind of hybrid.

The companies report reserves in terms of barrels of oil equivalent, a unit of measure pegged to the energy content of a standard, 42-gallon barrel of crude oil. The energy content of natural gas reserves can be converted into oil equivalents, so the companies can report one set of standardized numbers.

As You Sows proposal would expand that notion of comparing one resource to another, measuring all of an oil companys reserves or energy-generating assets in BTUs. (One BTU represents the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.)

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A solar power plant is a very different asset from an oil field. But each solar plant, Fugere and Behar note, has a projected minimum life span, and an expected energy output each year. Its owners likely had to sign long-term power purchase contracts with utility companies  obligating the plant to supply a set amount of power year after year  before the banks were willing to finance its construction. So its predicted output can be measured in BTUs.

Its math, Behar said. Its not that difficult.

Not all analysts agree.

Kenneth Medlock, an energy fellow at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, said that counting everything in BTUs could actually muddy the water for investors. Fuels arent priced according to their BTU counts, after all, so converting every asset into BTUs wouldnt help oil company shareholders gauge future revenue potential. And the financial industry already has ways to estimate the value of assets such as solar plants and wind farms.

I understand the rationale, Medlock said. It just seems incredibly convoluted.

Change not a big deal

But others see value in the idea.

Amy Myers Jaffe, a longtime oil market expert now with UC Davis, said BTU reporting could make sense in a world where some oil companies are already investing heavily in renewable power. French oil company Total, for example, is now the majority shareholder of San Joses SunPower Corp., one of Americas largest solar companies.

What does it cost the companies to list reserves in BTUs as well as oil equivalent? Its not a big deal, Jaffe said. When people start to have a more diverse base for their businesses, its natural that theyre going to start reporting things that they didnt in the past. I would expect, over time, more and more people will learn to think in BTUs.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: DavidBakerSF
Two Santa Clara County jail guards were arrested and charged Monday with beating a shackled inmate last year, authorities said.

Deputies Phillip Abecendario, 27, and Tuan Le, 31, were charged with one count of assault by an officer, according to the Santa Clara County district attorneys office.

The guards face up to three years in jail if convicted.

Ruben Garcia, then a 49-year-old inmate, accused the deputies of brutally beating him on the night of July 23, 2015, after the other inmates were locked in their cells for the night.

Officials in the district attorneys office said at least 24 inmates saw part of the assault.

Abecendario and Le allegedly attacked Garcia in an interview room where he was being held. Garcia had just arrived at the jail that evening, according to a statement from the district attorneys office.

Then they dragged him  chained and half-naked  to his cell where they assaulted him again, the statement read. During these assaults, the officers threw him against the wall and floor, jumped on him, punched him, and kicked him.

Sgt. James Jensen, a sheriffs office spokesman, said the deputies are on unpaid leave. They had been placed on leave in February, said Deputy District Attorney John Chase.

We cant have jail guards administering their own form of punishment to inmates who are waiting for their trials or serving their sentences, Chase said in a statement.

Sheriff Laurie Smith said the department conducted a thorough investigation when the allegations came to light.

Mr. Garcias allegation that custody deputies assaulted him was taken very seriously by this office and was vigorously investigated to determine the facts, Smith said in a statement. These alleged actions run contrary to any training theyve received, any supervision theyve been under and is not indicative of the exemplary work performed by the overwhelming majority of correctional deputies.

Abecendario and Le did not file any reports that documented or explained their use of force, according to officials in the district attorneys office. The deputies are to be arraigned at a later, unspecified date.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: JennaJourno
A teenager who was shot and wounded by Santa Rosa police Monday night near Coffey Park called officers on himself and was waving a fake gun in an apparent attempt to prompt them to kill him, authorities said Tuesday.

The 15-year-old boy, who was not identified, made an anonymous 911 call at 11:36 p.m. Monday, reporting that a man in a black sweatshirt and dark jeans had a gun at Coffey Park, authorities said.

When two officers arrived at the scene on foot at 11:43 p.m., they found the teenager alone near the park on Coffey Lane dressed in dark clothes and holding a realistic-looking handgun, officials said.

The officer who first confronted the teen shouted commands to the boy, who initially got down on the ground. The teen then stood up and pointed the gun at the officer, who fired several rounds at the boy, who immediately fell, police said.

That officer, and another who responded to the scene, approached the boy and took him into custody. Authorities said he suffered a gunshot wound to the left foot.

The shooting took place within one minute of the officers arriving on the scene, authorities said, with only one officer firing his gun.

The boy was transported to a hospital, where he is expected to stay for several days for both physical treatment and psychiatric evaluation, authorities said.

Further investigation revealed that the boy had orchestrated the incident. He was in possession of a suicide note, officers said, and spoke openly with investigators about his desire to have police shoot him.

Investigators determined the boys handgun to be a replica, authorities said.

Officers have not released the boys name but said he is from Santa Rosa.

The boys father was notified by police and has assisted in the investigation, authorities said.

Investigators from both the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety and Sonoma County district attorneys office are assisting in the investigation, authorities said.

The involved officers were wearing body cameras, which were activated and captured footage of the shooting, authorities said. But they said that video will not be released to the public.

The names of the involved officers will be released after further investigation.

Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave after the incident, in keeping with department protocol.

The incident bore similarities to the 2013 fatal shooting by a Sonoma County sheriffs deputy of 13-year-old Andy Lopez near Santa Rosa. An investigation determined that the boy was high on marijuana and holding a replica AK-47 pellet rifle when he was killed.

The shooting sparked community outrage and protests, with activists arguing that the deputy, who fired eight rounds at Andy, overreacted and should have taken more time to evaluate the situation.

Kevin Schultz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kschultz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: KevinEdSchultz
Before the Bay Area pizza explosion, before Pizzaiolo, before Pizzeria Delfina, before Una Pizza Napoletana, there was Gioia.

In 2004, when Will and Karen Gioia opened Gioia Pizzeria in Berkeley, the pizza landscape was nowhere near as crowded as it is now. But though their concept of a grab-and-go slice spot was hardly novel  Berkeleys Arinell Pizza opened in 1975, and Gioia is modeled after the spots Will visited during his childhood in Brooklyn, N.Y.  it was still notable.

Notable because Karen and Will, who met on their first day as students at the Culinary Institute of America, brought a chefs sensibility to the most democratic of foods. They opened Gioia after long cooking careers that had taken them to France, Michigan and, finally, the Bay Area, where they worked in the kitchens of Oliveto, Quince and Chez Panisse. They channeled those experiences into ingredient-driven, thin-crust New York-style pizza  and then watched as it flew out the door, slice by slice.

As happy as they were in California, in 2010, when their son Julian was 2, they decided to relocate back to New York. Karen took a job as the catering manager at Bushwick cult pizzeria Robertas and Will took a job as a private chef. We got a reminder about life in New York, says Karen, distilling the experience in a single phrase: Longer hours, less pay and the produce is not as nice.

They returned to California two years later, in 2012, and opened their second spot, a full-service restaurant also named Gioia, on Polk Street in San Francisco. You can get the superlative pizzas there, too, but it has an expanded menu that allows the couple to make all the other stuff we make, says Will.

They settled into a modern house in the Mill Valley hills, trading the sounds of New York traffic for chirping birds and the soundtrack provided by their neighbor, a concert pianist. When I arrive, Will is on the wraparound deck pouring charcoal into a kettle grill. Gas grills are stupid, he says. Everything is better over charcoal.

Today everything includes spring onions, charred until tender, and a tahini-marinated grilled chicken thats a modern update on sticky-sweet classic barbecued chicken, a summertime staple. Weve always gravitated to rustic, real cooking, says Karen. We never wanted a fine-dining restaurant. That was never our style.

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Karen sets the table on the deck, arranging platters of roasted carrots and kale salad alongside the chicken and onions, which Will serves with a tahini sauce alongside for drizzling, amping up the effect of the marinade. The chicken is charred in places, enriched by its slather of sesame tahini, and juicy within; with this recipe in your summer tool kit, you may never grill chicken any other way.

The Gioias brought a slice of New York life to California, and even left the Bay Area for a second try at New York. But under the towering redwoods that shade their deck, gathered around a meal that feels decidedly Californian in spirit, the family of three looks right at home.

Jessica Battilana is a San Francisco freelance writer. Email: food@sfchronicle.com
Twenty billion dollars doesnt seem like that steep of a price when youre buying the original moonwalk.

The Chronicles front page from May 24, 1961, covers President John F. Kennedys push to put an American on the moon.

President Kennedy was reported tonight ready to tell Congress Thursday of the urgent need for United States spacemen to reach the moon  first, if possible, the New York Times story on The Chronicles front page read. Informed officials said his message would tell the huge expenditures such a program would require  estimated between $20 billion and $40 billion  and the sacrifices this would impose on the American people.

It would be more than a year before Kennedys We Choose to Go to the Moon speech in Texas, but his message to a joint session of Congress a day after this paper was printed made clear to the American people that space exploration would define a generation.

A little more than eight years later, Neil Armstrong would touch down on the lunar service, beating the Soviets and taking one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

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Steamy evidence: San Francisco police raided a Kearny Street theater last night and seized two films, The Chronicles Paul Avery wrote in a front-page story, one described as a study in perversion, sadism and masochism. Theres no description of the second movie, but it does raise an obvious question: Was the other one that good?

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.

The Chronicle Covers project 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
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The drone strike that killed a top Taliban leader carries a deadly message. The United States will go after its foes even as it scales back troop levels in Afghanistan. Next-door Pakistan, where the missile hit took place, isnt off limits. Finally, peace  or at least the start of serious talks  could follow the death of an intransigent figure.

The attack took out Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Akhtar Mansour, responsible for a string of attacks and bombings targeting both U.S. and Afghan government troops and civilians. President Obama cited the strike as a milestone in targeting an evasive enemy and also a warning that the extremist group should enter peace talks or expect the consequences.
Kim Carroll Photography

Access to some of Californias more remote and scenic wilderness resumed this month, with a new lodge also primed to serve summer travelers.

Channel Islands: San Miguel Island reopened to public access on May 17 after being closed since 2014 due to concerns of possible unexploded ordnance. Visitors to the 9,400-acre island, considered the back country of the Channel Islands National Park and home to more than 100,000 seals and sea lions, may fly via Channel Islands Aviation (www.flycia.com) from Camarillo Airport, which also offers flights and guided tours of Santa Rosa Island. Those wishing to arrive by boat may have their name placed on a waiting list with Island Packers (www.islandpackers.com), which has yet to resume service.
No one used the phrase when the original version of Roots aired in 1977, but the adaptation of Alex Haleys Pulitzer Prize-winning book was, among so many other things, an irrefutable declaration that Black Lives Matter.

The declaration takes on even more urgency and deeper, more unsettling meaning in the stunning remake that premieres on Monday, May 30, on three separate networks, and continues over the next three nights. Haleys search for his ancestry took him to an era in our history when black lives only mattered to many white Americans for the work they could perform and how much they might bring at auction.

Even if the remake were not as good as it is, it demands our attention because it is airing at a time when the ideal of a post-racial America at least seems more beyond our reach than at many other times in our history. The times cannot be denied and context is at least as important as the quality of the new adaptation. For both reasons, Roots is a television and cultural milestone.

Airing concurrently on the History Channel, A&E and Lifetime, the story begins in Africa with a focus on a young man named Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby), a typical teenager in many ways  cocky, callow, and most of all, self-focused. He is on the verge of manhood and anxious to take his place as a great warrior in his tribe, when he is suddenly swept up by slavers and sold to the British, who transport him and hundreds of others to the Colonies, chained to the bottom of a ships hold.

As a slave on the plantation belonging to John Waller (James Purefoy), Kunta Kinte is beaten, mistreated, degraded, whipped so savagely that the flesh on his back dangles in strips, but he never surrenders his dignity, his desire for freedom and most of all, his identity. Although renamed Toby by his white masters, he is always known as Kunta Kinte among the other slaves.

Aching for his own father, Omoro Kinte (Babs Olusanmokun), Kunta Kinte finds a father figure in Fiddler (Forest Whitaker), a man who enjoys limited privilege on the plantation because of his skill as a violinist. Fiddler has made some accommodation with his status as a slave, but he has not forgotten his real name (Henry). He admires Kunta Kintes rebellious spirit, but knows the young man has to be careful, even when he is sold to Wallers seemingly more enlightened brother, Dr. William Waller (Matthew Goode).

The miniseries may veer into obvious melodrama from time to time, especially in the latter two nights, but the fact that it never loses credibility owes to the care with which the moral bases of the characters are created. We see William as the more humane Waller brother, for example. He almost seems to treat Kunta Kinte as an equal, perhaps even a friend. He abhors the way his brother treats his slaves. But when Kunta Kinte says something that William misconstrues as the kind of remark one friend might say to another about an enviable love affair, William puts him viciously in his place. The point is clear: There is no such thing as a good master.

The story moves from Kunta Kinte to his only child with his wife, Belle (Emayatzy Corinealdi), who had nursed him back to health after he was was brutally maimed. Their daughter Kizzy (Emyri Crutchfield as the teenager, Anika Noni Rose as the adult character) is torn from her parents at 15 and sold to Irish-born plantation owner Tom Lea (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who rapes her the night she arrives and continues to rape her on a regular basis for years. The first encounter produces a son named George who, later in life, earns the sobriquet Chicken George (Rege-Jean Page) for his skill at training roosters for cock fighting, the primary source of his owners income.

Chicken George is accorded some level of privilege by Lea because hes making money for massa. But like Kunta Kinte, hes eventually reminded, in the harshest way, that he is only property as far as his owner is concerned.

The final chapters in the saga bring us to the Civil War, which offers a chance for black soldiers to gain a kind of temporary freedom by joining the Union Army. Chicken George signs up, and though he may have spent much of his life as a smooth-talking bird handler, acting almost as if he were a free man, his marriage to a preachers daughter named Matilda (Erica Tazel) and the birth of his children have changed him. He finds new purpose in his life fighting for the North, despite the fact that black soldiers are not allowed to carry rifles.

The performances are staggering throughout the entire miniseries. Of course we expect quality from actors like Whitaker, Rose, Goode, Meyers, and Anna Paquin as the Quaker fiancee of a Southern plantation owners son and Mekhi Phifer as an apparently mute slave. But there is an element of special purpose in every one of their performances.

Kirby, a young British actor known for roles on East Enders and Doctor Who, not only commands the first half of the miniseries, his presence echoes through the final two nights as well. His performance, heartbreaking, noble and unforgettably human, is nothing less than a career maker.

More on 'Roots' Anika Noni Rose has never strayed far from Roots

Similarly, Page has a relatively short resume which is destined to grow larger because of the work hes done on Roots. Like Kirby, he is called upon to take his character on an expansive emotional journey and meets the challenge with unwavering credibility and depth.

Corinealdis longest gigs included the Ron Perlman series Hand of God and the soap The Young and the Restless. Her magnetic and forthright performance as Belle is one of several memorable portrayals of powerful female characters in the new Roots. Similarly, Tazel has done fine work on series such as Justified, but here she delivers a beautifully nuanced turn as Belle.

Four directors share credit for the series: Bruce Beresford, Mario Van Peebles, Phillip Noyce and Thomas Carter. Each brings something different to his episodes without veering too far afield from the overall concept of the miniseries, which is a mostly well-written melodrama. The end of the war prompts a rare moment of painful overwriting as Matilda delivers a speech about what freedom has cost her family and so many other African Americans, and there are other moments here and there that nudge credibility, but ever so slightly.

Matildas speech may be overwritten, but the words are nonetheless true. Slaves paid dearly for their freedom with their dignity, self-respect and their lives. Its hard for Matilda to celebrate the end of the war, knowing that.

Soon enough, former slaves realize that freedom doesnt automatically bring respect and opportunity. Through the lens of our own times, we know something the former slaves dont, that the struggle will continue down through the decades and right into our own century. Kunta Kinte and his descendants didnt have to be told that their lives matter. It is what sustained them for generations in the face of prejudice, mistreatment and abasement. And it is why the remake of Roots speaks so loudly and eloquently to our own times.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: WaitWhat_TV. Follow me on Facebook.

Roots, miniseries, 9 p.m., Monday, May 30, and 9 p.m. nightly through Thursday, June 2, the History Channel, A&E and Lifetime.
Kevin Schultz/The Chronicle

San Francisco homicide detectives are investigating the deadly shooting of a man late Monday night in the South of Market neighborhood.

Officers responded to the corner of Sixth and Minna streets at 11:33 p.m. after hearing gunfire in the area, said Officer Albie Esparza, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department.
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San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and members of his staff have been fined by the Ethics Commission for illegally soliciting donations from city employees at a campaign fundraiser.

Gascon will pay $4,000 for the offense, while Assistant District Attorney Michael Swart and chief of staff Cristine Soto DeBerry will pay $1,400 each.
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As most new working mothers know, pumping milk while on the job is a burden.

It must be done every few hours, and each round can take 30 minutes or more. And if theres not a refrigerator to store the milk, they have to bring their own cooler.

As one female City Hall employee put it, Youre the farmer and the cow.

Supervisor Katy Tang introduced legislation Tuesday that seeks to make breastfeeding as easy and comfortable as possible for city employees.

The legislation would require the Department of Human Resources to develop a city policy regarding breastfeeding in the workplace, as well as a website that includes a list of all lactation facilities available to city employees. It would require city departments to establish a policy for nursing moms to request breastfeeding breaks, and it encourages those departments to provide a private room with a locked door, at least one electrical outlet and one chair, a hospital-grade electric breast pump, as well as a sink and refrigerator.

The legislation also says that when the city constructs a new building or enters into a new lease, the department managing the construction or renovation must consult with Human Resources to ensure adequate lactation rooms.

Our ordinance is setting a pretty high baseline, Tang said Tuesday. We need to remove barriers for women who want to maintain a career and do whats best for their children.

State and federal law already require private employers to make reasonable efforts to provide a private space other than a bathroom.

Jenna Gerry, an attorney in the work and family program at the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center in San Francisco, said Tangs legislation has little impact legally.

But, she added, This is trying to promote that gold standard in the government buildings.

 Emily Green

A knock on Farrell: Supervisor Mark Farrell is getting slammed by his opponents. A mailer sent to San Francisco voters depicts the supervisors face behind what looks like a broken window, accompanied in big block letters by the phrases Broken Trust and The Failed Ethics of Supervisor Mark Farrell.

The mailer also says Farrell cheats to win, links the supervisor to a donor who also gave money to George Bush and Dick Cheney, and derides him for suing the city to avoid paying a $191,000 fine issued by the Ethics Commission for violating campaign finance laws.

Its true that Farrell is suing the city. In April, he filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court alleging hes the victim of a witch hunt by the Ethics Commission in an attempt to erase the $191,000 fine stemming from his 2010 run for supervisor. The commission concluded that Farrells campaign consultant worked illegally with an independent expenditure committee that spent $191,000 in the final weeks of the race on Farrells behalf.

Farrell wants the fine withdrawn and his attorney fees paid, in addition to unspecified further relief.

The mailer was sent by the Affordable Housing Alliance PAC. So, who is behind the PAC? Just this month, the group received $5,000 from Supervisor Jane Kims state Senate campaign and $20,000 from political consultant Clint Reilly  whose wife lost to Farrell in that 2010 supervisorial campaign.

The bottom line is this is sour grapes, said Nathan Ballard, a political consultant who is also Farrells spokesman. The Reillys lost and Farrell won, and they cant get over it.

All this drama, by the way, is for the June 7 election for a seat on the Democratic County Central Committee. Or maybe its the long game to try to ensure Farrell doesnt become mayor in 2019.

 Emily Green

Park program suspended: A pilot program that would allow people to reserve plots of grass at Dolores Park has started a sparring match between City Hall and the Recreation and Park Department.

The reservation system began Monday and allowed individuals to reserve patches of lawn for as many as seven hours at a time. The fee ranged from $33 to $260, depending on the group size, along with a $200 security deposit. But the announcement sparked the ire of San Francisco Supervisors Scott Wiener and Jane Kim. Kim drafted a resolution against the system, while Wiener worked with the department to suspend the issuance of permits.

Our city shouldnt be for sale, and it shouldnt be for rent, either, Kim said. Im very concerned that not only does this limit access to a popular park, we could well be on a slippery slope where the very wealthy are the only ones who can fully enjoy public spaces in San Francisco.

Hours later, the department announced it would suspend the pilot program. The policy would have provided certainty about the availability of space for large group picnics and celebrations, while ensuring accountability to taxpayers for any damage and trash, department spokesman Joey Kahn said in a release.

The park system has long relied on reservations to handle large groups, Kahn pointed out. Groups larger than 25 can reserve a space at Dolores Park for $33. Permits are also issued at Golden Gate Park, Duboce, Precita, Allyne, Buena Vista and Cayuga parks, Marina Green and Kimbell Playground.

The pilot program at Dolores Park will be re-evaluated with more public comment.

 Lizzie Johnson

Emily Green and Lizzie Johnson are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com, ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: emilytgreen, @LizzieJohnsonnn
Google executives announced Tuesday that the company is adding more features and updating its mobile search and display ads, as marketers continue to shift spending from desktop ads to ones built for smartphones.

Google said advertisers can pay for promotional pins, or markers, placed on the routes of Google Maps users, so that a user who likes drinking Starbucks may see a discount on a Frappuccino on the way to the coffee bar. Search ads on Google Maps will also have more detailed information, so when a user looks up a nearby electronics store, for example, it will list what items the retailer has in stock.

Its very clear to us, and to all the advertisers that we speak with, that mobile is something that is already here, said Sridhar Ramaswamy, a senior vice president of ads and commerce. It is the mainstream. Youll see our product announcements really reflect that.

Revenue from mobile search ads is expected to grow, as sales of desktop ads decline, according to research firm eMarketer. In 2014, Google made $5.9 billion in U.S. mobile search ads, compared with $10.3 billion for desktop ads, eMarketer said. This year, mobile search revenue is expected to be greater for the first time, with mobile ads raking in $11.45 billion compared with desktop ads at $10.58 billion, the research firm forecast.

Googles display ads on mobile devices arent expected to eclipse desktop ads anytime soon. In 2016, Googles U.S. mobile display ads are expected to bring in $1.89 billion, compared with desktop ads at $2.72 billion, eMarketer said.

The advertising announcements, made at a press event at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, had a different feel than last weeks I/O conference for developers in Mountain View, where Google CEO Sundar Pichai talked about the potential of machine learning and Googles technology to cure diseases like diabetic retinopathy. At the San Francisco event, Google touted solutions to a far more prosaic if profitable problem: how to get people to buy things.

Jerry Dischler, a vice president of product management, said advertiser-sponsored pins on Google Maps will begin appearing this year on users screens based on their location, interests and other data. There will not be an option to turn off the promoted pins, Dischler said. Google Maps has more than 1 billion users, the company said.

Reactions will depend on whether the ads deliver things they actually want, analysts said.

If I am passing areas of interest to me, making a side stop to buy something is logical, said Tim Bajarin with advisory services firm Creative Strategies. But he warned that if the ads are not contextual and something I am really interested in, its just an annoyance.

Google says it sees an opportunity for the company, as 90 percent of sales happen in physical stores and nearly one-third of all mobile searches are related to location. Location-related mobile searches are now growing 50 percent faster than mobile searches overall, Dischler said.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: thewendylee
Oracle Corp. sued Google over the equivalent of a hamburger.

Thats a Google lawyers message to jurors at the companies copyright infringement trial. Robert Van Nest showed the jury a menu with only hamburger written on it and likened it to the packages of Java programming code Oracle claims Google stole to build its Android operating system.

The API is hamburger there, its the menu, Van Nest said Monday in his closing arguments at a trial that started two weeks ago. The exhibit also showed two burgers, one simple and the other garnished. The message: putting the word burger on a menu isnt unique  its whats behind the word, how you build your burger, that counts.

Van Nest backed up his theme by reminding jurors in San Francisco federal court that Sun Microsystems, which developed Java, blessed and appreciated Googles use of the free and open code. He cited testimony from two key witnesses, Eric Schmidt, the Alphabet Inc. chairman who served in the 1990s as Suns chief technology officer, and former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz.

Having adopted the hamburger comparison Schwartz used in his testimony, Van Nest quoted the ex-Sun CEO saying absolutely, yes, when asked whether Sun marketed not just Java, but specifically the code packages as free and open.

Its fair to say that the testimony of these folks was very clear and very consistent, and largely unchallenged by Oracle, Van Nest said.

Oracle, which acquired Sun in 2010 and sued Google the same year, is seeking damages of as much as $9 billion based on claims Android runs on critical components of illegally copied Java code.

Google has reaped $21 billion in profit from the operating system used in 80 percent of the worlds mobile devices, Oracle says.

Besides the potential for one of the largest jury verdicts in U.S. history, a win for Oracle could change how software is protected and licensed.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup has told the jury its already been established that the Internet giant infringed Oracles copyrights on the code. That finding, from a 2012 jury verdict and appeals court ruling, set the stage for the current trial over whether the copying was justified under the legal doctrine of fair use. If jurors find Google didnt make fair use of the copyrights, they will decide in a second phase whether Oracle is entitled to damages.

Witnesses for Google, including Schmidt, testified the company didnt need to license the Java code packages, called application programming interfaces, to build Android. The Java packages at the heart of the lawsuit are shortcuts programmers use to work across software platforms.

Oracle lawyers scored points in the trial by revealing emails that showed Google executives and engineers expressed concern as they built Android that they needed and didnt get a license for Java. Some of the evidence shows Google was worried that failed licensing negotiations would trigger a lawsuit.

Oracle lawyer Peter Bicks reminded jurors that Google has the burden of proof to show its fair use of the code, and loses if it hasnt.

He pointed to exhibits shown at trial that he said contradict Googles witnesses and prove that the search engine company, while fully aware of the copyrights, was under competitive pressure to release Android and copied the code to get its operating system to market.

Im going to show you a mountain of evidence, Bicks said in his closing argument.

He reminded the jury of a 2005 email from Googles Android manager, Andy Rubin, to co-founder Larry Page laying out the consequences if the company were to move forward without a license from Sun.

If Sun doesnt want to work with us, we have two options, Rubin wrote, adding that the first choice is abandon our work and adopt an inferior programming language or 2) Do Java anyway and defend our decision, perhaps making enemies along the way.

Bicks asked why a company with Googles financial and engineering resources would copy coding if it wasnt important to the Android project.

Why didnt Google just write their own declaring code? Bicks said, referring to the code packages. You bring common sense to this case.
Pebble Technology introduced a smartwatch three years before Apple made it fashionable, but discovered that being first to market in Silicon Valley doesnt automatically bring fame or fortune.

So on Tuesday, Pebble tried something new, unveiling its first non-smartwatch product, the Pebble Core, a combination activity tracker and music player.

The Redwood City company isnt giving up on its basic business: Its also introducing two new smartwatch models. But CEO Eric Migicovsky said hes hoping to attract more customers with products that capitalize on the most-popular functions offered by his better-known, better-financed competitors.

Part of the value of being in this crowded space is actually using other peoples research and development efforts and experimenting with them, Migicovsky said. And weve had the chance to try all of them and see what works. What weve incorporated into here are some of the best elements of what smartwatches are today.

Pebble introduced the Core and two updated smartwatch models on Kickstarter Tuesday morning, and took only 74 minutes to reach its $1 million crowdfunding goal. By early afternoon, the campaign topped $3.7 million from more than 20,000 backers.

Making up ground

Still, Pebble, which laid off about 25 percent of its employees in March, has far to go to make up ground in the market it pioneered.

Research firm IDC projected that Apple Watch will have a 49.4 percent share of the smartwatch market this year, with about 14 million sold, while Pebble will have about 7 percent of the market, with about 2 million sold.

Apple Watch and Fitbit are by far the markets two leaders, both in sales revenue and number sold, according to data from digital commerce measurement firm Slice Intelligence. Slice said Pebble, Samsung, Motorola and Microsoft also trailed activity trackers from Fitbit, Garmin and Jawbone in April online sales.

First movers like Pebble will always have arrows in their back, as small and big companies try to do similar things, said analyst Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies. Doing a product that Apple could replicate was a real risk. (Apple) did not invent the smartphone or the tablet, but made both of these superior to anything that was on the market.

But Migicovsky said Pebble has turned the tables and learned from its competitors. It now concentrates on the two main functions that smartwatch users favor  health tracking and communications.

Its not trying to do everything that your phone does on your wrist, he said. Were taking a very filtered and a very selective approach, saying our smartwatch can do a couple of things, and were going to do them really well. Were not trying to replace the phone.

Pebble is also turning to its past success by releasing its latest products on Kickstarter. In May 2012, the company set a record with the crowdfunding campaign for its first smartwatch, then set another record last year for the Pebble Time smartwatch.

The Core fits in a pocket or clips onto clothing or a key chain. The device is designed for people who dont want to lug bulky mobile phones or wear a smartwatch while they run, cycle, climb rocks or work out, but want to track those activities. It features minimal controls and no display, requiring users to sync and program it before use.

GPS tracking

The Core includes GPS tracking and syncs with activity-logging apps Runkeeper, Strava, MapMyRun, Google Fit and Under Armour Record. The Core can also stream Spotify Premium and has 4 GB of memory to play downloaded Spotify songs if wireless connections arent available. It can also activate certain apps, like Uber, and send an emergency text to friends or family.

The device has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to sync with headphones, smartphones and computers, but can also use an optional SIM card for cellular access.

Migicovsky billed the Core as an iPod Shuffle built for the Spotify generation. But hes also hoping developers create more reasons to use a Core, such as turning it into a medical alert device, a child tracker or a backpack location tool.

Were starting with running, because we know thats a clear-use case that people are excited about, but we expect developers (to) make it into a lot more, he said. I view it as a central point of connection to the Internet.

Pebble offered the Core on Kickstarter for $69, and plans to charge $99 when its in stores. However, Pebble isnt scheduling shipments until January.

Pebble also turned to Kickstarter to offer the $99 Pebble 2, scheduled to be shipped in September, and the $169 Pebble Time 2, which sold out 10,000 orders at that price even though it wont be shipped until November. Both update previous models with a heart-rate monitor.

The company plans an operating system update to simplify app operations, such as sending texts or checking the weather. Pebble believes smartwatches  their own and their competitors  tried to cram too many app functions on a tiny display.

If you spend more than two or three seconds trying to figure out which app to load, you might as well have just taken out your phone, which is against the point, Migicovsky said. What we realized is people generally text one person from their watch, like their spouse, their kid or their mom. If you want to text more people, you generally will take out your phone.

But Pebble still has an uphill climb out of its niche of early technology adopters. Competitors like Apple and Fitbit have larger marketing budgets, said Jitesh Ubrani, an IDC senior research analyst.

What they need to do to win some of that market share back is really going to come down to branding and education, said Ubrani. When you mention smartwatch, you think of Apple, Google and even Fitbit. But not many think of Pebble.

The Cores price could be attractive to consumers, he said, but by going the Kickstarter route, theyre still selling to existing fans rather than making new ones.

Pebble also has to increase distribution, which is strong in North America and Europe, but not really so much in the rest of the world, he said.

Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: ChronicleBenny
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Long hours at multiple jobs may soon become the norm for American workers, but they may be happier that way.

In a survey aimed at identifying trends shaping the future of work, Adobe asked more than 2,000 office workers from the U.S., Britain and India a series of questions about their work habits, motivations and sense of fulfillment. The responses painted a picture of employees who, in spite of feeling overwhelmed by their jobs, reported greater happiness and sense of opportunity when working at more than one job, for longer hours and with state-of-the-art technology.

About a third of all U.S. workers, or 53 million Americans, are working a second job, or moonlighting, outside of their primary profession, according to Adobe research.

In the future, the poll found, that number will likely increase to more than half of all workers.

But people working more than one job reported higher levels of happiness and optimism than those who work only one job. That might have to do with the fact that most people working more than one job  69 percent  were doing so because they needed the money.

Nationally, only a fraction of those second and third jobs are in the on-demand economy, but its a percentage that is rapidly growing.

NYU business Professor Arun Sundararajan, who studies the on-demand economy, has said he thinks that about half of workers will freelance over the next decade, either exclusively or for supplemental income.

The on-demand economy typically refers to companies that let users summon workers via smartphone apps to perform various services including driving, cleaning, chores, deliveries, car parking, waiting in lines and more. It includes many of the Bay Areas hottest private companies: Uber, Lyft, TaskRabbit, Postmates  companies typically associated with flexible hours.

A study released last year suggests that may not actually be the case. According to a Stanford University survey about the work life of independent contractors for on-demand startups, many workers reported lower pay and more rigid hours than they had hoped for when they began moonlighting.

What may be drawing people to certain jobs, or keeping them there, might be the technology with which they get to work, the survey found.

While state-of-the-art technology was not clearly defined in the survey, most workers do not believe their office has it: Just 1 in 4 workers in the United States believes their companys technology is ahead of the curve, according to the poll, which was conducted in April.

Still, technology outranked other office perks like free food and drinks; sleek, new office spaces; and on-site amenities like the gyms and game rooms for which Bay Area tech offices are known.

Employers may be focusing too much on pingpong tables and free dry cleaning, instead of technology that helps their employees feel motivated, valued and productive, Adobe vice president of global talent Jeff Vijungco said in a statement. Employers need to pay attention to productivity more than perks, and realize that their employees are happy to work when a company invests in their success.

But peoples relationship with workplace technology remains complicated.

Nearly as many workers who said state-of-the-art technology was key to their productivity and happiness also said public health would worsen as people become more attached to technology and mobile devices.

Millennials, from the generation typically defined as those born between 1980 and 2000, were the most likely group to say advanced technology was essential to creating an ideal workplace, but they also preferred in-person communication and believed themselves to be the most at-risk to being replaced by machines.

More than half of the respondents expect machines to take over performing menial tasks around the office in the next 20 years. Just as many consider themselves irreplaceable.
A 21-year-old San Jose man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his father, police said Tuesday.

The victim, Anthony Ray Castro, 44, also of San Jose, was found dead Friday on the 500 block of Bonita Avenue, a mobile home park area. Authorities determined he died from blunt force trauma and that his son, Anthony James Torrez-Castro, was the suspect.
LOS ANGELES  Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and his push to make the party more inclusive could get messy but asserts in an interview with the Associated Press: Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle.

The Vermont senator, campaigning Monday ahead of Californias primary against Hillary Clinton, said his supporters hope the party will adopt a platform at the summer convention that reflects the needs of working families, the poor and young people, not Wall Street and corporate America.

Sanders said he will condemn any and all forms of violence but his campaign was welcoming political newcomers and first-time attendees of party conventions. He said the Democratic Party faces a choice of becoming more inclusive or maintaining the status quo.

I think if they make the right choice and open the doors to working-class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, its going to be messy, Sanders said.

Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go.

Asked if the convention could be problematical, Sanders said: So what? Democracy is messy. Everyday my life is messy. But if you want everything to be quiet and orderly and allow, you know, just things to proceed without vigorous debate, that is not what democracy is about.

Sanders is vying for support ahead of Californias June 7 primary, a day that also includes contests in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota. Clinton has 271 more pledged delegates than Sanders and is just 90 delegates shy of clinching the nomination when the total includes superdelegates, the party officials and elected leaders who can support the candidate of their choice.

Also Tuesday, Sanders signed a letter requesting a full and complete check and re-canvass of the election results in Kentucky, where he trails Clinton by less than one-half of 1 percent of the vote.

The Sanders campaign said it has asked the Kentucky secretary of state to have election officials review electronic voting machines and absentee ballots from last weeks primary in each of the states 120 counties.

Some Democrats have grown weary about the length of the primaries, worried that it could give Republican businessman Donald Trump a head start on the general election and make it more difficult for Democrats to unite behind a nominee. The issue gained attention when a recent Nevada Democratic convention turned raucous.

Sanders said he was bothered by the portrayal of the Las Vegas convention, saying it did not turn violent as some media reports indicated. There was rowdyism. There was booing, I think inappropriately by the way, he said.
HONOLULU  Hawaii could become the first state in the United States to enter gun owners into an FBI database that will automatically notify police if an island resident is arrested anywhere else in the country.

Most people entered in the Rap Back database elsewhere in the U.S. are those in positions of trust, such as school teachers and bus drivers, said Stephen Fischer of the FBIs Criminal Justice Information Services Division. Hawaii could be the first state to add gun owners.

I dont like the idea of us being entered into a database. It basically tells us that they know where the guns are, they can go grab them said Jerry Ilo, a firearm and hunting instructor for the state. We get the feeling that Big Brother is watching us.

Supporters say the law would make Hawaii a leader in safe gun laws. Allison Anderman, a staff attorney at the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the bill was groundbreaking, and that she hadnt heard of other states introducing similar measures.

Sen. Will Espero, who introduced the bill, and the Honolulu Police Department said Hawaii could serve as a model for other states if it becomes the first to enact the law.

Yet others say gun owners shouldnt have to be entered in a database to practice a constitutional right.

Youre curtailing that right by requiring that a name be entered into a database without doing anything wrong, said Kenneth Lawson, faculty at the University of Hawaiis William S. Richardson School of Law.

Legal experts say the bill could face challenges, but would probably hold up in court. Recent Supreme Court rulings have clarified states ability to regulate gun sales, said David Levine, a law professor at the UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

The bill will undergo a legal review process by departments including the Attorney Generals Office, which supported the bill, before Gov. David Ige decides if he will sign it into law, said Cindy McMillan, a spokeswoman for the governor.

The cost to enter names in the database will be covered by a fee paid by gun owners,

Even though other states dont enter gun owners in the database, Honolulu Police Department Maj. Richard Robinson said it will still benefit Hawaii police. Right now, Hawaii gun owners undergo a background check only when they register a gun, so police have no way of knowing if theyre disqualified from owning a gun in the future unless they try to register a new firearm.
WASHINGTON  The House is expected to pass landmark environmental legislation Tuesday that for the first time since Gerald Ford was president would toughen regulation of thousands of industrial chemicals in everyday use, many of which currently receive little federal scrutiny.

The Toxic Substances Control Act would be the biggest change to a major environmental law since the Clean Air Act was amended in 1990. It has overwhelming bipartisan support  rare for any bill nowadays, but almost unheard of for a major environmental law in a Republican-controlled Congress  and is expected to pass the Senate by the end of the week before being sent to President Obama to sign into law.

The bill rewrites a 1976 toxic chemicals law that has left the Environmental Protection Agency with so little authority that the agency was unable to ban even asbestos, a highly carcinogenic substance that has caused thousands of deaths and is still used in many imported products.

As a result, California and other states have imposed their own regulations. As state rules proliferated, along with public doubts about the safety of chemicals commonly used in everyday household products, the chemical industry joined with environmental groups to seek a rewrite of the law.

The new law would mandate safety reviews by the EPA for all chemicals currently in active commerce and require new chemicals to be deemed safe before they are allowed on the market. It also would make more information about chemicals available to the public, much of which has been kept confidential  even from health professionals  by companies claiming trade secrets.

Boxers legacy

More than a decade in the making, the legislation promises to be among the signature legacies of retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat who blocked a version three years ago and fought ferociously through last weekend to ensure that federal law preserves Californias tougher regulatory laws.

As part of her push, Boxer in 2012 brought San Francisco firefighters to testify in Washington about their exposures during fires to toxic flame retardants used in couches and other furniture that left them with rare forms of cancer.

If it becomes law, the bill gives states an 18-month window to regulate chemicals on their own. It also grandfathers in Californias three-decade-old Proposition 65, a law that requires the state to update and publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm.

If the EPA fails to regulate a hazardous chemical within 31/2 years, states would be allowed to move ahead on their own to regulate the chemical. The bill also assigns a priority for the EPA to review toxic chemicals that are known to persist in the environment and accumulate in the food chain, including in the human body.

The bills passage in the House was ensured when Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, gave her support after a weekend of negotiations that gave states additional latitude to regulate hazardous chemicals. One of the changes will allow California to proceed with pending regulation of chlorinated Tris, a flame retardant commonly used in furniture upholstery.

Better than current law

At a news conference last week announcing a tentative agreement, Boxer said the compromise is weaker than she would have liked, but where it is right now is in my view better than current law, and I certainly could not say that for a very long time.

I stopped this bill dead for years, Boxer said.

At the news conference, she and other Democrats from the partys most ardent environmental wing stood side by side with Republicans who have been their chief antagonists, including Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, home to much of the nations chemical industry.

Environmental and public health groups are divided over whether the bill is tough enough. Andy Igrejas, national campaign director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, a coalition of 450 environmental and health groups, is neither endorsing nor opposing the legislation. An estimated 30,000 or so hazardous chemicals that were grandfathered in the original 1976 legislation, he said, remain on the market, and the EPA will be required to review about 20 of the worst ones within three years.

The pace is slow, Igrejas said. Were not going to be leading the world in chemical regulation.

But even if a small number of the most hazardous chemicals is regulated, the exposure to them could be reduced for millions and millions of people, he said.

Richard Denison, the lead senior scientist at Environmental Defense Fund who was deeply involved in negotiating the bill, agreed that reviewing the chemicals will be a slow process.

Nonetheless, Denison said the bill gives EPA new tools, authority and a mandate to actually review and establish the safety of all new chemicals and all existing chemicals.

Thats a big paradigm shift, away from a passive system where unless EPA finds a problem, basically the chemical can stay on the market or come onto the market, he said.

Difficult task

Denison noted that the federal government does not even know how many industrial chemicals are in use, much less whether they are safe, but that the new legislation will begin to correct that.

Those analyses promise to be a mammoth undertaking. The bill assesses industry user fees to defray some of the cost, but sustained attacks by Republicans on the agencys budget could slow the process further.

Scott Faber, head of government affairs for Environmental Working Group, which opposes the legislation, said the bill marks an improvement, in that companies would no longer be allowed to introduce a new chemical into commerce unless EPA says it is safe. But that says more to how broken the current law is than anything else, Faber said.

He worries that the bill calls for half the money thats needed to assess all the chemicals and may not be strong enough to survive court challenges. Other groups criticized what they viewed as a weakening of EPA authority over imported products.

Cal Dooley, a former House Democrat representing Fresno, now chief executive of the American Chemistry Council, representing the industry, said the industry has been concerned with the decline in public confidence in chemical safety and praised the breadth of support for the new legislation as almost unprecedented.

The fact that we have ... Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Boxer supporting this legislation as well as support from industry, Dooley said, is a testament that weve struck that appropriate balance.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com
1 Charleston shooting: The Justice Department intends to seek the death penalty against Dylann Roof, the man charged with killing nine black parishioners last year in a church in Charleston, S.C., Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Tuesday. Roof is awaiting trial on federal hate crime charges in connection with the June 17 shooting at Emanuel AME Church.

2 Hate crimes: Louisiana is poised to become the first state in the nation to expand its hate-crime laws to protect police, firefighters and emergency medical crews. The move could stir the national debate over the relationship between law enforcement and minorities. If signed by the governor this week, the new law would allow prosecutors to seek additional penalties against anyone convicted of intentionally targeting first responders because of their profession. Louisiana law already provides for additional penalties if a victim is targeted because of race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or affiliation with certain organizations. Lawmakers in five other states have recently tried to pass similar so-called Blue Lives Matter bills.
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Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders took a giant step into San Francisco politics Tuesday, endorsing Supervisor Jane Kim in the wide-open contest for the citys state Senate seat.

The endorsement  and his email blast asking his supporters to send money to Kim  instantly started the cash flowing.

The response has been incredible, said Eric Jaye, a consultant for Kims campaign for the 11th state Senate District seat. The phones started leaping off the hook (Tuesday) morning as soon as he sent the message out to his donors.

By early afternoon, nearly 1,000 people had given more than $25,000 to Kim, Jaye said.

The money is welcome. Kim, the progressives choice in the race to replace termed-out state Sen. Mark Leno, has been outraised more than 2-to-1 this year by her more moderate opponent, Supervisor Scott Wiener. On April 23, the end of the most recent state financial reporting period, Wiener had just under $800,000 in the bank, compared with about $360,000 for Kim.

Kim was one of eight state Legislature candidates across the country the Vermont senator endorsed Tuesday.

Bernie believes that the path toward bold change requires leaders to take back control of state capitols around the country and ensure fair redistricting in 2020, Jeff Weaver, the senators campaign manager, said in a statement. The leaders were raising money for today are the members of Congress, senators and presidential candidates of tomorrow.

Kim and Wiener are both Democrats, as is Leno, the man they seek to replace.

Sanders described Kim as the first Korean American to be elected in San Francisco, the daughter of immigrants and a civil rights attorney whos fought for affordable housing and fair wages in her city.

While the announcement was made Tuesday, Sanders agreed to endorse Kim when the pair met at a Sanders rally in Vallejo last week, Jaye said.

The pair connected over the issue of free community college for all, which Jane has worked for, he added.

But support from Sanders isnt likely to change much in the state Senate race, said Maggie Muir, a spokeswoman for Wiener.

Congrats to Jane, she said in a statement. But lets remember that those who live in and work for the Bay Area are overwhelmingly supporting Scott Wiener, including Leno, Attorney General Kamala Harris, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

The June 7 primary election is probably just a warm-up for the two supervisors. Kim and Wiener are expected to be the top two finishers in that vote, setting up a November rematch.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: jfwildermuth
Californias ban on the possession and sale of shark fins survived a legal challenge Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Bay Area suppliers and sellers of shark fin soup, a traditional dish in the Chinese American community.

Federal law prohibits shark finning, the removal of fins from sharks, but does not forbid possessing or selling shark fins. California lawmakers went a step further with a statute that took effect in July 2013 and had the impact of removing shark fin soup from restaurant menus.

Restaurant owners and shark fin suppliers, joined by Chinese American community organizations, argued that the state was exceeding its authority and was interfering with a commercial fishing market that the federal government had intended to preserve. But a federal appeals court ruled in July 2015 that the federal laws recognize the importance of conservation and allow states such as California to adopt their own protective measures.

The purpose of the (California) shark fin law is to conserve state resources, prevent animal cruelty, and protect wildlife and public health, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said in a 2-1 ruling. The court said opponents of the state law had acknowledged that it still allows the use of about 95 percent of any legally caught shark for meat, skin and oils.

The Supreme Court denied review of the case without comment Monday.

The Obama administration at first supported opponents of the state law, filing arguments in 2013 that disputed Californias authority to restrict the sale of sharks that had been legally caught in federal waters. But it later changed its position after discussions with state fish and wildlife officials and said the two laws could be harmonized, with federal rules governing shark fishing while California regulated commerce within the state.

Conservation groups and the Humane Society of the United States joined California in its defense of the law.

The case is Chinatown Neighborhood Association vs. Harris, 15-798.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: egelko
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Opponents of teacher tenure and seniority laws in California asked the state Supreme Court to take up their case Tuesday, arguing that an appellate court disregarded evidence that the laws shield incompetent teachers and harm low-income and minority students.

The April 14 appellate ruling upholding the laws abdicated the long-standing duty of California courts to serve as the guardian of educational opportunity for all, lawyers for the plaintiffs  nine students backed by a Silicon Valley entrepreneur  said in a filing to the states high court.

The court will decide this summer whether to leave the lower-court ruling intact or grant review of the plaintiffs claims that the tenure and seniority laws violate students right to an equal education. The case has drawn national attention, including praise from President Obamas then-secretary of education, Arne Duncan, for a trial judges June 2014 ruling  the first of its kind in any state  declaring the laws unconstitutional.

277,000 teachers

The laws, which have remained in effect during the legal challenge, set job-security rules for the states 277,000 public school teachers. The tenure law allows a teacher to be fired for any reason in the first two years of employment, but requires good cause for dismissals after that. Nearly every state grants tenure to teachers, but California is one of only five that provide the protections after two years.

Supporters say the laws protect teachers from arbitrary dismissals, strengthen academic freedom, and attract high-quality candidates for high-stress, relatively low-paid work. Opponents say dismissal hearings for tenured teachers are prohibitively time-consuming and expensive. The process forces districts to retain ineffective teachers, who are assigned disproportionately to schools in low-income and minority areas, opponents contend.

The suit also challenged the last-hired, first-fired laws that require school districts to follow seniority during layoffs and dismiss the least-senior teachers first, with exceptions for those with needed and specialized skills.

Undue protection

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu ruled in June 2014, after a trial that lasted more than two months, that the tenure and seniority laws provided undue protection for grossly ineffective teachers and violated students right to equality of education. The state, joined by teachers unions, appealed the ruling and won a reversal last month.

The Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles said Treu had failed to show any evidence of a connection between the tenure and seniority laws and the harm some students were suffering. Some teachers protected by those laws may turn out to be ineffective, the court said, but school officials, not the laws, determine where those teachers are assigned and whom they teach.

The challenged statutes do not inevitably lead to the assignment of more inexperienced teachers to schools serving poor and minority children, Presiding Justice Roger Boren said in the 3-0 ruling. If some students are being deprived of a decent education, he said, they will still be deprived if the laws are struck down.

In Tuesdays filing, the plaintiffs told the state Supreme Court that the appellate panel should have deferred to the findings of the trial judge, who had heard the evidence firsthand.

Casting doubt on trial

Instead of accepting Treus well-supported findings that the laws impose severe harm on tens of thousands of students every year, the appellate court substituted its own (inaccurate) assessment of causation ... casting into doubt the purpose of a trial, attorney Theodore Boutrous told the high court.

A lawyer for the teachers unions predicted the court would deny review of the case.

If schools continued employment of some substandard teachers is enough to make the tenure laws unconstitutional, no job-security measures could survive, because there will always be a bottom 5 percent who could be blamed on the law, said Michael Rubin, who represents the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers. Its for the Legislature to balance competing policy interests affecting teachers, job security and whats best for our students and our schools, he said.

The case is Vergara vs. State of California, S234741.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: egelko
Coal stocks at warehouses of thermal power plants (TPPs) in Ukraine on May 16-23 shrank by 4.6%, to 1.964 million tonnes, national energy company Ukrenergo said.

Stocks of anthracite coal amounted to 854,900 tonnes, a 2% decline, of which 94,300 tonnes are stored at Luhansk TPP. Gas coal and long-flame coal stocks were 1.301 million tonnes, a 6.6% decline, of which 210,300 tonnes are at Burshtyn TPP.

Ukrenergo said energy consumption during the morning of May 1230 was 15.850 GW, while 25 coal power units and three fuel oil power units at the TPPs generated 5.338 GW. Nuclear power plants (NPPs) showed a capacity of 7.805 GW, hydroelectric power plants 1.769 GW, combined heat and power plants 772 MW and alternative energy units 166 MW.

Exports from the Burshtyn TPP energy island on May 22 stood at 237 MW and to Poland at 128 MW. No exports to Belarus, Moldova and Russia were reported.
The issue of raising the retirement age in Ukraine, which has been discussed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has now been removed from the agenda, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko has said.

"At present, the issue of raising the retirement age has been removed from the agenda," he said on the 112 TV channel on Tuesday when asked if Ukraine has undertaken any obligations to the IMF to raise the retirement age.

The minister added that although this matter is being currently discussed at various levels, his position coincides with that of the government and the president, that at the moment Ukraine has the opportunity to apply measures to fill the Pension Fund of Ukraine other than raising the retirement age. "Therefore, at present, the government will not submit any initiatives on raising the retirement age in Ukraine," Rozenko stressed.
Stanford University archaeologists named Jiajing Wang and Li Liu realized the beer geek's holy grail earlier this year, when they and a team of researchers uncovered a 5,000-year-old brewing recipe and a complete brewing set excavated from underground rooms along China's Wei River.

The finding is reportedly the oldest beer "recipe" ever discovered.

The rooms that held the materials, which also contained jugs, pots, a pottery stove, and funnels were dated back to between 3400 and 2900 B.C. according to NPR, and were initially excavated in 2004-2006. Wang's team more recently recognized the purposes of these artifacts as a brewing set in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Finding the "recipe" was a little bit harder.

Wang and Liu traveled to China, and found that inside these containers, there remained "ancient grains" that showed signs of being malted and mashed  key steps in brewing beer. After further examination, the archaeology team was able to test and identify the residues using ion chromatography.

One ingredient they found, barley, which is also common in most of today's beers, was a surprising find. As far as historians are aware, barley was not known to have been in China earlier than 2,000 years ago. As Wang said to NPR, the grain may have just made its way over because of the beer.

"It is possible that when barley was introduced from Western Eurasia into the Central Plain of China, it came with the knowledge that the crop was a good ingredient for beer brewing," she said. "So it was not only the introduction of a new crop, but also the movement of knowledge associated with the crop."

In addition to the barley, the Stanford-led team also found broomcorn millet, Job's tears (a grain known more commonly today as Chinese pearl barley), and tubers, which provided a sweetener for the wort mixture.

But as for what the beer actually tasted like, it's hard to say. It likely didn't resemble Dogfish Head's Midas Touch, a honey-based beer brewed using a 2,700-year-old recipe found in Turkey, or the "old ales" on beer bar menus today. As Wang says, the recipe they found "would taste a bit sour and a bit sweet."

Alyssa Pereira is a staff writer for SFGATE. Follow her here on Twitter.
Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle 2015

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



Police are investigating a deadly shooting that occurred late Monday night in San Francisco.



Officers responded at 11:33 p.m. to reports of shots being fired on 6th and Minna Streets, according to police officials.



Upon arrival, officers discovered a man had been shot two times.



Police said the victim died from his injuries while on the way to the hospital.



Further information about the shooting is not available at this time, and the identity of the victim has not yet been released.
















There are no plans to raise social security tax, which was lowered early in 2016 to 22%, which is seen as a solution to the problem of an increased deficit of the Pension Fund, Vice Premier Pavlo Rozenko has said.

"Here is my clear message for society. The government's firm position is that there will be no move back to an increased social security tax," he wrote on Facebook.

Rozenko claims that the government's policy is aimed at reducing taxes.

"We will further move towards a reduction in tax, financial, fiscal pressure on businesses, aimed at pushing the economy to recovery," he said.

As was reported, the cooperation program with the International Monetary Fund suggests that a draft pension reform should be tabled in parliament with the further reduction in the deficit of Ukraine's Pension Fund. Ukraine's Social Policy Ministry estimates the deficit in 2016 at UAH 145 billion.
The Individuals' Deposit Guarantee Fund has introduced temporary administration to bank Mykhailivsky (Kyiv) declared insolvent for one month  from May 23 to June 22, 2016 inclusively, the fund has said on its website.

Temporary administrator is a representative of the fund, Turiy Irkliyenko.

The NBU declared the bank insolvent on May 23. The central bank also accused the bank of perpetrating a fraud on May 20. The burden on the Individual Deposit Guarantee Fund increased from UAH 1.6 billion to UAH 2.6 billion.

Bank Mykhailivsky was registered on June 14, 2013.

The bank ranked 71st among 109 operating banks as of April 1, 2016, in terms of total assets worth UAH 2.954 billion, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.
The situation with posting the list of journalists who were accredited in the so called Donetsk People's Republic on the Myrotvorets website should led to rules for media journalists reporting from the occupied territory of Ukraine, Ukraine's Vice Premier for European Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has stated.

"On behalf of the state, we should apologize to the journalists who responsibly, honestly and objectively highlight the events there. But we have to more clearly talk about the rules of mass media's staying in this territory," she said.

The official noted she had received signals of concern about this situation from international partners of Ukraine and the world's mass media.
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Tombinski and German Ambassador to Ukraine Christof Weil at a meeting with Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov have called on the minister to remove data on journalists accredited in the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics (DPR, LPR) from the Myrotvorets (Peacemaker) website.

"First, they urged Ukrainian law enforcement authorities to undertake necessary steps to ensure that all personal data of journalists published on the Myrotvorets website is withdrawn and take measures that this content is no longer published," reads a report by the EU delegation to Ukraine.

"Secondly, they demanded the Ukrainian authorities to provide the necessary protection to all journalists who are exposed on this list, in particular since a number of them have already received threats," according to the statement.

"Thirdly, they urged Ukraine's law enforcers to conduct proper investigations," the document reads.
Loss of operating Ukrainian banks comes to UAH 11.5 bln as of May 1

The loss of operating Ukrainian banks in January through April 2016 reached UAH 11.5 billion. This is 16.7% down year-over-year (UAH 13.8 billion), the regulator has reported on its website.

The NBU did not specify data for the whole banking system with insolvent banks.

The regulator said that revenue of banks over the period decreased by 20.2%, totaling UAH 56.8 billion.

This is linked to the UAH 3 billion loss from trade transactions seen as a result of the loss from trade with foreign currency and bank metals, while profit in January through April 2015 was UAH 7.6 billion.

The NBU said that credit interest revenue decreased by UAH 4.9 billion.

Securities interest revenue this year grew by UAH 3.1 billion.

Banks' expenditure in January through April decreased by 19.6%, to UAH 68.4 billion. Payments to reserves dropped by 54%, to UAH 16.9 billion.

Loss of operating banks in April 2016 compared to March 2016 halved, to UAH 3 billion. Payments to reserves to cover possible losses from active transactions decreased by 51%, to UAH 5.7 billion (UAH 10.2 billion in March).

Net interest income in April amounted for UAH 2.7 billion and net fee income  UAH 2.1 billion.

As of May 1, 2016, 34 operating banks posted losses of UAH 15.1 billion, including 25 banks in April with UAH 4.7 billion of loss. One bank contributed 72% of the total loss.

Some 75 banks saw profit of UAH 3.6 billion, including 84 banks in April (UAH 1.7 billion).
Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussed issues concerning the settlement of the conflict in Donbas during a recent phone call.

The sides discussed issues surrounding a political settlement to the situation in the southeast of Ukraine, the Kremlin press service reported.

"The sides reiterated the importance of strictly observing the ceasefire regime, raising the effectiveness of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission's work in the conflict area by giving it additional powers, as well as bolstering the Joint Center for Control and Coordination," the press service said.

Certain aspects of the crisis in Syria were addressed as well.
During a telephone conversation in the 'Normandy Format' in the early hours of Tuesday with the participation of French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko noted the deteriorating security situation in Donbas and called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the occupied part of Donbas.

"The interlocutors agreed that strong de-escalation and a full ceasefire are needed to continue the political dialogue. The president said that Russia should withdraw its troops from the occupied part of Ukraine and stop sending arms and mercenaries there," reads a statement posted on the website of the Ukrainian president.

Poroshenko pointed to the deteriorating security situation, in particular shelling of the anti-terrorist operation forces in the area of Avdiyivka, noting that it is "a real obstacle to the progress in the peaceful settlement."
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San Francisco native Lena Hall, who won a Tony Award in 2014 for her performance of Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, will reprise the part for the San Francisco leg of the shows national tour, producer SHN announced on Tuesday. Additionally, for select performances in the Oct. 2-30 run, Hall will play the role of Hedwig, along with Yitzhak  a clever comment on the glam rock musicals themes of identity and gender fluidity.

When Halls not playing Hedwig, the part will be played by another San Francisco native, Darren Criss, of Glee fame, whose casting was previously announced.
Former President Bill Clinton stopped by the Washington Bakery and Restaurant in San Franciscos Chinatown for a few minutes Tuesday to talk and take photographs with customers. He just showed up, said Dan Lee, 67, a retired Chinatown resident who took a picture with Clinton in the restaurant and told him he will support his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Californias June 7 Democratic primary. I know this happens in a campaign, but we were all surprised, Lee said. Clinton was scheduled to go to Fremont for a private fundraiser Tuesday afternoon at the home of tech executive Ajay Bhutoria, where the price of admission was between $1,000 and $2,700. Hillary Clinton, shown in a newspaper article at left, is scheduled to hold a public event in San Jose at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Parkside Hall, 180 Park Ave.

 Joe Garofoli
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting in Istanbul have reached a series of agreements on protection of investments and avoidance of double taxation.

"First: final harmonization of an agreement on mutual investment protection and an agreement on avoidance of double taxation that opens mutual investment opportunities for Turkish investors in Ukraine and for Ukrainian investors in Turkey," the presidential press service quoted Poroshenko as saying.

The parties also agreed to step up the talks regarding the free trade area in order to reach a compromise and to remove any obstacles in bilateral economic cooperation.

The Ukrainian president also said that they reached an agreement to increase the term of validity of national visas for the uninterrupted stay of Ukrainians in Turkey up to 90 days.

The two presidents also discussed new projects in the fields of mechanical engineering and aircraft construction, as well as defense industry.
There will be no Democratic presidential debate in California, because Hillary Clintons campaign reneged Monday on its earlier promise to participate in one. In February, the campaigns of both Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders agreed to debate in California before the states June 7 primary.

But with Clinton comfortably ahead in both pledged delegates and superdelegates  plus her desire to pivot to her likely general election matchup against Republican Donald Trump  there was little political incentive for her campaign to participate.
The latest thing in wearables uses a technology favored by 20th-century insane asylums to modify behavior  shock aversion therapy.

The Pavlok, a wristwatch named after the noted behaviorist Ivan Pavlov, delivers an electric shock ranging from 50 to 450 volts when one feels compelled to engage in a bad habit.

The device, which sells for about $200, pairs with an app that offers choices of habits the wearer wants to break.

Snack too much? Bzzzap! Got an urge to smoke a cigarette? Bzzzap! Spending all your time searching Internet porn? Bzzap! Zzzap! Zzzap!

Unlike the electric collars dogs wear to keep them from wandering off their owners' properties, the Pavlov normally must be manually triggered  you give yourself the shock as you feel your self-control dissipating. However, there is an automatic setting that fires the voltage when you're not getting enough exercise or if you're visiting the wrong websites.

"A mild electrical sensation that's just uncomfortable enough that when you pair it with the habit you're trying to break, trains your brain to have an aversion to that habit," Sims McGrath III, marketing director of Pavlok, told CBS 5.

"We've seen people quit habits in as little as five days."

Pavlok CEO Maneesh Sethi, a former Standford student and the creator of the website Hack the System, said he devised the Pavlok while struggling to find ways to boost his waning productivity. At one point he hired "a girl on Craigslist" to slap him the face whenever he used Facebook.

One of the things that the Pavlok can do is shock you when you use Facebook.

Sethi made waves recently on "Shark Tank" when he rejected Kevin O'Leary's offer when O'Leary was the only shark to back the product. Fellow shark and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban called Sethi a "con artist."

Liviu Itoafa of Kaspersky Lab, an international software security group operating in almost 200 countries and territories, cautioned about the security risks of wearable devices like the Pavlok.

"Wearables face the same security threats as traditional computers," Itoafa said. "In fact, innovative devices are sometimes even more susceptible to traditional threats. Perhaps even worse yet, in time, these devices will face innovative threats."

The device reportedly can link to a customer's bank account, which could make it easy for sophisticated cyber criminals to access bank information.

Having your bank account cleaned out by someone snooping on your wristwatch. Now that would be shocking indeed.
Donn Chappellet, who founded Chappellet winery in 1967 and built it into one of Napas most acclaimed brands, died on Sunday of natural causes. Widely regarded as one of Napa Valleys modern-era pioneers, he was 84.

According to Mr. Chappellets son Cyril, he died completely peacefully at his home, alongside his family. We were all with him he said. Mr. Chappellets health had been declining for the past eight months; his mind, however, remained lucid to the end.

Mr. Chappellets lasting achievement was not only to bring his own winery to greatness, but also to establish Pritchard Hill, the slope on which his property lies, as a sought-after area for grape-growing.

In a very unusual move, Mr. Chappellet  who preceded his current neighbors, including Colgin, Ovid, Continuum and Bryant, by at least 25 years  trademarked Pritchard Hill, never allowing it to become an official American Viticultural Area. To this day, Chappellet remains the only winery permitted to use Pritchard Hill on its label. Its also been an incubator for some of Napas greatest talents: current winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus, on board since 1990, followed Helen Turley, Mia Klein, Cathy Corison, Tony Soter and Philip Togni.

Astute businessman

Born in Los Angeles in 1931, Mr. Chappellet attended Pomona College and married his wife, Molly, in his senior year. Like many winery owners in Napa, he struck it big in another industry before coming to wine. In 1954, after graduating from college, he founded Interstate United Corp., a distributor of vending machines that produced hot coffee on demand. A methodical businessman, Mr. Chappellet built Interstate United into a nationally traded stock with 7,000 employees.

It was fun, it was entrepreneurial, and he loved doing it, Cyril Chappellet said. But after 12 years, that changed. He wasnt being entrepreneurial anymore; he was just running the business. At 34, he was too young to retire, and so he began to think about his passion: wine.

He went about it like any businessman would, Cyril said. What are the best places to do this?

An avid collector of Bordeaux and Burgundy, Mr. Chappellet decided that the highest potential lay in the Napa Valley, and in hillside vineyards. Few wineries existed in Napa then; fewer still pursued the level of quality that Mr. Chappellet hoped to achieve. He got in touch with Beaulieau Vineyards Andre Tchelistcheff, who led Mr. Chappellet to the 1,600-foot peak above Sage Canyon Road known then to its neighbors as Pritchard Hill  so named for Charles Pritchard, who had owned land there in the 19th century.

So in 1967, Mr. Chappellet brought Molly and their five (soon to be six) children to St. Helena, where they set to work planting a vineyard and building a winery on their new, 320-acre property. 45 Mouton, 61 Latour  those were his benchmarks, said Cyril Chappellet, referring to prized French wines. He wanted to see if he could make wines of that caliber.

Many would argue that Mr. Chappellet came as close as any in California to realizing that goal. With the help of his family and wisely chosen staff  a few of whom have now been with the winery for 47 years  the Chappellet winery thrived, in quality and business alike. The winery itself, strikingly shaped like a pyramid, has become an architectural icon. Today it produces 30,000 cases of wine, and now an additional 15,000 cases under the Sonoma-Loeb label, whose wines had long been made at the Chappellet facility when the family purchased the brand in 2011.

Family ownership key

Paramount for Mr. Chappellet was keeping the business family-owned. I dont know if there was anything more important to him, Cyril said. The string of winery sales in recent years to larger corporations left him deeply disappointed. All of Donn and Molly Chappellets six children have worked at the winery, and Cyril was named chairman in 2013. We have the business structured in such a way that no one family member could ever radically change the ownership, Cyril said. As far as were concerned, the winery will never go outside the family.

Standing 6 feet 4 inches and not particularly social, Mr. Chappellet much preferred one-on-one interactions to large groups, often leaving Molly to take one of their sons as her date to wine-industry functions. His precise, orderly manner, Cyril believes, was what made him so good at running a business. He loved perfection. In his final hours, he told his family he expected them to keep making 100-point wines.

The saddest thing for me, Cyril said, is I dont think my dad had any idea of what he really created. He never took credit for any of it. He was proud of other people and proud of their accomplishments. When we got a high score for wine, it wasnt him doing it  it was the winemaking team, or it was the vineyard.

He is survived by his wife, Molly; his sister, Sybil; his six children, Lygia, Cyril, Carissa, Jon-Mark, Alexa and Dominic; 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Funeral arrangements will be shared at a later date.

Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine, beer and spirits writer. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob
BAGHDAD  Clashes between Iraqi government forces and the Islamic State group outside the city of Fallujah briefly subsided on Tuesday, the second day of a large-scale military operation to drive militants out of their key stronghold west of Baghdad.

Backed by U.S.-led coalition air strikes and paramilitary troops, mostly Shiite militias, Iraqi forces launched the offensive on Sunday. The push to take Fallujah is expected to be a challenge for Iraqs struggling security forces due to defenses put up by the militants and the thousands of civilians who remain there. Islamic State has held the city for more than two years.

In nearby Garma, Mayor Ahmed al-Halbosi said engineering teams were clearing booby traps from houses and government buildings on Tuesday  a day after capturing most of the town. Garma is just east of Fallujah and is considered a main supply line for Islamic State.

Col. Mahmoud al-Mardhi, in charge of paramilitary forces, said they were still encountering pockets of resistance in Garma outskirts, adding that they killed at least six militants on Tuesday holed up in buildings. He said Fallujah is now completely isolated.

According to the U.S.-led coalition and the United Nations, there are about 60,000 to 100,000 civilians remaining in Fallujah, down from more than 250,000 people in past years. Islamic State previously has used civilians as human shields, forcing families to move with the fighters as they retreat from advancing forces and coalition air strikes, but many Iraqis are suspicious of the civilians who have not fled, assuming many of them are Islamic State sympathizers.

Alarmed by the intense fighting, the U.N. and nongovernmental organizations expressed concern about the fate of civilians inside Fallujah, calling on warring parties to open safe corridors for them to leave.

On Tuesday, the Norwegian Refugee Council Iraq Director, Nasr Muflahi, said there was no sign yet that trapped families were able to flee, warning that they now risk being caught in the crossfire.

All parties to this conflict have to provide safe exits for civilians, Muflahi added.

Fallujah, about 40 miles west of Baghdad, was the first city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014. During an insurgency waged by the groups predecessor, al Qaeda in Iraq, Fallujah was the scene of some of the bloodiest urban combat with American forces. In 2004, more than 100 U.S. troops died and another 1,000 were wounded fighting insurgents in house-to-house battles.
JOHANNESBURG  Shot by elephant poachers, the manager of Congos Garamba National Park asked a ranger for help to bind his leg with a tourniquet to slow blood loss.

While we were doing this, I could hear another person get hit on our right, and then within a few seconds, also hear another person get hit on my left, Erik Mararv said in an interview with The Associated Press in Johannesburg, where he received medical treatment.

Three rangers  half of a unit that deployed to the scene of an elephant killing  were killed in the April 23 shootout in Garamba, where armed groups poach elephants for ivory in one of Africas most volatile areas.

It was not an isolated incident. A total of 11 Garamba rangers and Congolese soldiers have been killed during antipoaching missions in the past year, highlighting how conservationists in some parts of the continent become combatants and, on occasion, casualties.

The poachers who attacked the rangers in Garamba, a UNESCO world heritage site, last month are believed to have come from South Sudan, just across the border. Other groups that have operated in Garamba include ivory hunters and militias from Sudan, and the Lords Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group led by Joseph Kony, who is accused of war crimes. The park has also reported incidents in which poachers killed elephants from helicopters.

We have lost a lot. We are not winning the battle today, but we can win the battle, absolutely, said Mararv, 30, who plans to return to Garamba at the end of the week after getting approval from doctors to fly.

African Parks, the Johannesburg-based group that manages Garamba and nine other wildlife parks in Africa, wants to increase the number of Garamba rangers from 100 to 250; additionally, some 50 to 100 Congolese soldiers are already deployed to guard the park.

Violence also erupts in some other African parks.

Zimbabwean rangers confronted 10 suspected elephant poachers from Zambia who had crossed into Zimbabwes Zambezi National Park at night, and two poachers were killed, Bhejane Trust, a conservation group, said on Facebook last weekend.

In January, elephant poachers in Tanzania fired on a helicopter on an anti-poaching mission, killing the British pilot. In March, rebels in Congos Virunga National Park killed two rangers, according to park director Emmanuel de Merode.
IDOMENI, Greece  Greek authorities began the gradual evacuation of the countrys largest informal refugee camp Tuesday, persuading more than 1,500 people to leave the Idomeni site for other organized facilities in northern Greece.

An estimated 700 police were participating in the operation, but there were no reports of violence or protests.

Greeces left-led government has pledged that no force will be used, and says the operation is expected to last between a week and 10 days. Journalists were blocked from entering the camp.

By late afternoon, 32 buses carrying a total of 1,529 people had left Idomeni on the countrys border with Macedonia, police said, while earth-moving machinery was used to clear abandoned tents.

Vicky Markolefa, a representative of the Doctors Without Borders charity, said the operation was proceeding very smoothly and without incident. We hope it will continue like that, she said.

The camp, which sprang up at an informal pedestrian border crossing for refugees heading north to wealthier European nations, was home to an estimated 8,400 people  including hundreds of children  mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

At its peak, when Macedonia shut its border in March, the camp housed more than 14,000, but numbers have declined as people began accepting authorities offers of alternative places to stay.

In Geneva, UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said the evacuation appeared to be taking place calmly.

More than 54,000 refugees have been trapped in financially struggling Greece since countries further north shut their land borders to a huge flow of people escaping war and poverty at home. Nearly a million people have passed through Greece, the vast majority arriving on islands from the nearby Turkish coast.
1 Egypt air crash: Human remains retrieved from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 have burn marks and are very small in size, suggesting an explosion on board may have downed the aircraft in the east Mediterranean, a senior Egyptian forensics official said Tuesday. The official is part of the Egyptian team investigating the crash that killed all 66 people on board the flight from Paris to Cairo early last Thursday. However, the head of the governments forensic agency later Tuesday dismissed as speculation all media reports about human remains from the crash indicating an explosion.

2 Ukraine fighting: Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that seven soldiers have been killed over the past day in fighting in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have been fighting Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine for two years and more than 9,300 people have been killed. Full-scale battles have subsided, but clashes remain frequent. Both sides accuse the other of violating a cease-fire agreement reached more than a year ago.
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam  When President Obama met with human rights advocates and other activists Tuesday, he spoke of the remarkable strides Vietnam was making on a range of issues. Nguyen Quang A missed the meeting: That morning, the 70-year-old activist said, security men grabbed his arms and legs, threw him in a car and drove him into the countryside, where they held him until Obama left town.

The episode in Hanoi was a measure of both the progress and the unfinished business as the U.S. and Vietnam move from onetime enemies to full partners with stronger economic and security ties.

For all the lusty cheers and warm welcomes that Obama has gotten during his time in Vietnam, the transformation clearly is still very much a work in progress.

Three activists were prevented from attending Obamas meeting with civic leaders, the White House acknowledged, and even administration protests lodged with the Vietnamese government couldnt change that.

In his public remarks, though, Obama chose to focus on the positive and tread lightly on the setbacks.

Vietnam has made remarkable strides in many ways  the economy is growing quickly, the Internet is booming, and theres a growing confidence here, Obama told reporters after his meeting with the activists. But then he added: There are still areas of significant concern in terms of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, accountability with respect to government.

Later, in a speech to more than 2,000 Vietnamese citizens, including students and government officials, Obama again took up the matter of human rights carefully, saying that no nation is perfect.

But he did address the Vietnamese governments own need to do more to respect human rights.

When there is freedom of expression and freedom of speech, and when people can share ideas and access the Internet and social media without restriction, that fuels the innovation economies need to thrive, Obama said.

From Hanoi, Obama traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, where he held out his own schedule as a metaphor for the countrys transition toward economic powerhouse.

He went first to the century-old Jade Pagoda, one of Vietnams cultural treasures, then sped a few miles by motorcade to Dreamplex, a hip workplace for startups and entrepreneurs.
Pyne Gould Corp, whose NZX-listed shares have been suspended from trading since October, has lodged its 2015 annual report after a lengthy delay which has been blamed on switching auditors.

The Guernsey-based long-term investor's portfolio lost value last year due to fluctuations in the kiwi dollar and the impact of consolidating its Torchlight Fund LP unit into the accounts, the long-delayed report shows. As at June 30, Pyne Gould's net tangible assets were 55.2 million British pounds, down from 71.1 million pounds a year earlier, with its 100 percent stake in land banker and developer RCL its biggest single investment.

Pyne Gould first signalled the 2015 accounts would be late in September last year, blaming a slow handover of information from its previous auditor PwC to Grant Thornton. It ultimately missed the NZX's deadline to file the accounts, resulting in the suspension of trading in its shares, the second year in a row it's been censured for a late annual report.

The company's delayed 2014 annual report had been tagged by auditor PwC because of the firm's inability to obtain sufficient information about Pyne Gould's investment in Torchlight Group and Torchlight Fund.

LIkewise, Grant Thornton tagged the latest accounts, saying a petition to wind up the Torchlight Fund by some of its partners created "a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt about the partnership's and potentially the group's, ability to continue as a going concern and therefore the group may be unable to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business."

The auditor also said Pyne Gould hadn't complied with New Zealand law by missing the deadline to complete and file financial statements within four months of the balance date and that balance dates of some subsidiaries differed from the rest of the group.

The latest report offers far greater financial disclosure than previous annual reports.

Grant Thornton racked up audit fees of 485,000 pounds in the 2015 year, while previous auditor PwC was paid 92,000 pounds in the period and 239,000 pounds in 2014. Pyne Gould paid audit fees of NZ$396,000 in 2013 and $367,000 in 2012, the year KPMG quit as auditor over "unresolved differences as to whether certain transactions should be disclosed as related party transactions, and concerns over the adequacy of governance and management of financial reporting."

Pyne Gould has been locked in litigation on several fronts, with the Torchlight action in the Cayman Islands, a disputed penalty fee on a A$37 million loan from Australian businessman John Grill, and damages claims and counter-claims over Pyne Gould's sale of Perpetual Trust to Bath Street Capital.

The firm set up the Torchlight unit to buy distressed assets after the collapse of New Zealand's finance sector, as a way to house bad loans as part of the recapitalisation of Marac Finance, which was later sold into the Heartland Bank merger.

Pyne Gould today said its board was confident the 10-year plan was on track and would show up as the Torchlight Fund's investments mature towards their potential value.

"This style of value investing requires patience that is not generally the focus of other listed companies," it said. "We have, however, been consistent in the explanation of this so that shareholders and other investors will not be misled into believing there may be early value and liquidity opportunities."

Pyne Gould reiterated its intention to list on the London Stock Exchange, and will update shareholders at the annual meeting in July.

The firm also announced the appointment of London-based Paul Dudley as a new independent director.

Director Russell Naylor paid tribute to chairman Bryan Mogridge who unexpectedly resigned in November, saying he had steered the group through the global financial crisis when it was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Before their suspension, Pyne Gould's shares traded at 24.5 cents, valuing the firm at $50.8 million.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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AFT Pharmaceuticals, the Auckland-based drug developer, posted a $8.9 million operating loss for the year to March 31, its first result since listing on the NZX and ASX last December, and in line with analyst expectations.

Total revenue rose 14 percent to $64 million, in part reflecting ongoing fast sales growth in the Australian market of its flagship ibuprofen-paracetamol painkiller, Maxigesic. Australian sales rose 19 percent to $31.2 million while New Zealand revenue rose 5.8 percent to $31.1 million.

Total sales in South East Asia and the rest of the world totalled $1.7 million, but showed exponential growth and the company reported Maxigesic is now licenced for sale in 98 countries, is moving from behind-the-counter to on-the-shelf sales in Australia meaning it can also be advertised, and that first licencing income was booked from Italy, while the product is due for launch in Singapore next month and in Britain and Eastern Europe "soon".

AFT is also undertaking clinical trials of an oral dose Maxigesic product in seven countries, its Maxigesic IV product in New Zealand and the US, and plans to launch clinical studies of its NasoSURF nebuliser for treatment of sinus conditions later this year. The company regards the sinusitis treatment device as a larger opportunity in the long term than Maxigesic, which is driving growth at present.

No financial forecasts were given at the time of last year's listing at an issue price of $2.80, but First NZ Capital initiated coverage of the stock in February, rating it 'outperform' with a target price of $3.25 and predicting an annual adjusted earnings loss of $8.7 million. The company reported a 1 percentage point reduction in average gross margin to 37 percent.

AFT shares closed yesterday on the NZX at $3.02.

The company raised $35.6 million going public and said it had $28.1 million in cash available at balance date, after spending $8.4 million during the year on research and development - a 46 percent increase.

Listing costs of $2.6 million and much-reduced finance costs of $2 million, down from $7.2 million in the previous year, produced a total loss after tax of $13.3 million, from $12.9 million the previous year.

AFT was expected to make a loss in the current financial year, said founder chief executive Hartley Atkinson, "due to significant investment in accelerating clinical studies for key innovative products."

That programme was scheduled to be "substantially completed" during the current and next financial year, "after which we are targeting a return to positive earnings before tax, interest, depreciation and amortisation."

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Militants launched 47 attacks on Ukrainian army positions over the past day; shelling incidents were observed throughout the contact line, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation staff said.

"Strongholds of the Ukrainian Armed Forces came under 47 attacks along the entire contact line over the past day," the press center wrote on Facebook.

According to the report, militants were most active overnight.

Ukrainian army strongholds near Maryinka came under intense fire of the small arms, various types of grenade launchers and 82mm mortars on Monday evening. The activity of a hostile sniper was repeatedly observed in that area. Militants also fired 82mm and 120mm mortars on Ukrainian army positions near Krasnohorivka in the same sector.

The staff's press center reported attacks of the enemy's mortars and grenade launchers on the ATO positions near Avdiyivka.

Also, Ukrainian army strongholds came under attack of the enemy's small arms and grenade launchers near Zaitseve and Luhanske on the Horlivka-Svitlodarsk bulge.

In the Mariupol sector, the adversary's large-caliber machineguns, grenade launchers and, sporadically, anti-aircraft guns shelled Ukrainian army strongholds near Shyrokyne, Berezove and Hnutove. Lebedynske was attacked with 120mm mortars late at night.

In Luhansk region, militants shelled Ukrainian army positions using grenade launchers on the approaches to Stanytsia Luhanska and Novozvanivka.

According to the report, nine hostile drones reconnoitering Ukrainian army positions were seen flying over the past day.

On Tuesday, militants continued to shell Ukrainian army strongholds near Maryinka and Krasnohorivka using mortars. The hostiles were firing large-caliber machineguns and infantry combat vehicle weapons near Novozvanivka in Luhansk region.

According to the press center, militants attacked the Ukrainian army nine times on Tuesday.
Murray Horn has resigned from the board of New Zealand's biggest telecommunications company, Spark New Zealand, due to illness.

In a statement published to the NZX, Spark said Horn's planned retirement was being "brought forward by several months following recent ill-health, with today's board meeting his last".

Horn, a former Secretary to the New Zealand Treasury, announced his resignation as chair of intelligence software company Wynyard Group yesterday.

Spark chairman Mark Verbiest paid tribute to his work, saying "Murray has served the Spark New Zealand board of directors with distinction for nine years now, including playing key roles in the demerger from Chorus and the significant digital repositioning of Spark in recent years, as well as chairing the audit & risk committee for several years. Murray departs Spark New Zealand with the best wishes of his fellow directors, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

In a second change to the board of Spark, Alison Gerry has been appointed as an independent non-executive director from July 1. She will formally seek election at the next Spark annual meeting, in November. She is a professional director who has previously sat on the boards of Infratil, TVNZ, Kiwibank and NZX. Spark says she has indicated she will step down from the boards of TVNZ and Kiwibank later this year.

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Nov. 1, 2019

A shoe box can make a world of difference in the life of a needy child when it is filled with gifts. Millions of children in our world live and exist in conditions difficult for most of us to imagine. As victims of poverty, war, AIDS, famine and other catastrophes, many are orphans and many live on
The European Union doesn't consider granting the visa-free regime to Ukraine in a package with other countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said.

"The ministers have assured me that as Georgia has fulfilled [the action plan on visa liberalization] a bit earlier, it can be put on the agenda a few weeks earlier. But there is absolutely no question of any serious delays, or, let's be honest, about a political packaging of Ukraine with other countries. We will be considered on the basis of what we have done so far. And all the ministers stressed that they have no complaints about the fulfillment of their commitments by Georgia and Ukraine," Klimkin told journalists in Brussels during a meeting of foreign ministers of the Eastern Partnership countries, which was broadcast by 112 Ukraine TV Channel.

According to him, the date of consideration of the matter of granting the visa-free regime to Ukraine will be discussed soon.

The minister said that the issue of granting Ukraine visa-free regime is not a matter of "the next few days or months," as stated by representatives of France and Germany, but a mater of whether Ukraine complies with all its obligations. Klimkin also said that he had already held a series of meetings and would hold further talks with the foreign and interior ministers of the EU member states.

"We have a conclusion of the European Commission. The European Commission made a formal legal proposal, and now every country is ticking the boxes on the list of what we have done... So now we are not talking about the fact that any country in any way may delay the process, the process is moving on," the Ukrainian foreign minister said.
Seven Ukrainian servicemen were killed and another nine suffered injuries in attacks in the anti-terrorist operation zone in Donbas over the past day, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov has said.

"In the past 24 hours alone, seven Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and nine have suffered injuries," the NSDC press service quoted Turchynov as saying.

Turchynov said those were the heavies daily casualties suffered in Donbas over the past year.
Poroshenko in Istanbul: Russia is nuke power seeing democracy as threat, freedom as poison

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has urged the international community to stand by the principles of liberty, democracy and human rights.

"[At present] there is hostility between those who play by the rules and those who believe that the rules don't really exist," the Ukrainian president said at the high-level leaders' roundtable held as part of the UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on Monday.

"The dream of a harmonious world is farther away today than it seemed yesterday. Not because we failed to fulfill this dream, but because it wasn't a dream to everyone. We are back on the verge of a major hostility. It's not the hostility between 'the west' and 'the rest'. It's the hostility between those who seek harmony and those who seek domination," the Ukrainian president said.

"We see it very clearly in today's Russia is a nuclear nation that sees democracy as a threat and freedom as a poison. This situation is not about a different interpretation. It's about different goals," Poroshenko said.

In his words, the west seeks more harmony to be able to survive and prosper together, Russia, on the other hand, seeks more influence and refuses to think in terms of win-win globally.

"Let's be honest: we don't have a remedy to this problem yet. The disillusionment and cynicism are spreading," the president said.

Poroshenko said that the world of democracy and freedom can't tolerate the redrawing of borders and crushing of the rights of minorities.

The president said that freedom, democracy, free speech, basic human rights are the invaluable assets, not commodities.

"What you fight for is what you are. So, let's stand our ground! Let's stick to freedom and human rights!" Poroshenko urged.

"Let's stand tall in the face of those who challenge our values  and not make deals with them," the Ukrainian president said.
The fleet of Ukrainian Navy will be radically renewed by 2020. Some combat ships and boards would be built, Ukraine's Defense Ministry has said on its website.

Head of the communications and media relations department of the ministry Oksana Havryliuk said that current the Armed Forces are revitalizing navy and its combat capabilities. The navy is ready to offer rebuff to armed aggression from the sea in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone.

"The capabilities of the fleet are being boosted. Two small armored gunboats have been built for Ukrainian Navy. Four more are being made. The Defense Ministry signed a state contract with Leninska Kuznia shipyard to build two landing boats," she said at a briefing in the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center on Tuesday.

She said that the task to design new patrol aircraft An-148mp is being implemented, as the ministry had ordered.

"It could be handed to military for operation in 2019," Havryliuk said.
WASHINGTON: Business advocacy group U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) has applauded the U.S. House of Representative for approving pro-India amendments to a defence bill which would bolster bilateral defence ties on par with NATO allies of U.S. in terms of sale of weapons and technology transfer.

The amendment which institutionalises the U.S. government's focus on the U.S.-India security relationship, was passed by a voice vote last week.

Moved by Congressmen George Holding and supported by Ed Royce, Eliot Engel and Ami Bera, the amendment was incorporated into the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2017.

"It sends a powerful signal to New Delhi that the U.S. is a reliable and dependable defence partner," USIBC said in a statement.

"This legislation will promote defence trade between our countries and will strengthen military ties. We look forward to the Senate taking action on similar legislation," said USIBC President Mukesh Aghi.

For the U.S., the legislation encourages the executive branch to designate an official to focus on U.S.-India defence cooperation, facilitate the transfer of defence technology, maintain a special office in the Pentagon dedicated exclusively to the U.S.-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), enhance India's military capabilities in the context of combined military planning and promote co- production/co-development opportunities.

For India, it encourages the government to authorise combined military planning with the United States for missions of mutual interest such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter piracy, and maritime domain awareness.

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TEHRAN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wrapped up his two-day visit to Iran, saying the tour was "fruitful" and the outcomes will "positively impact" the ties between the two strategic partners.



"I thank the wonderful people of Iran for the warmth. My Iran visit was fruitful & the outcomes will positively impact our nations," Modi tweeted.



During the visit, the two countries signed 12 agreements including a "milestone" pact on developing the strategic Chabahar port and pledged to combat terrorism and radicalism.



"Khuda Hafez Tehran! A busy day of diplomacy ends as PM @narendramodi emplanes for Delhi," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.



Modi who held extensive talks with President Hassan Rouhani also called on Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei before heading home.



Besides the bilateral pact to develop the Chabahar port for which India will invest USD 500 million, a trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Prime Minister Modi said could "alter the course of the history of the region".



The bilateral agreements signed by India and Iran after detailed discussions between Modi and President Rouhani included one on setting up of an aluminium plant and another on laying a railway line to give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.



The agreements, aimed at further deepening India-Iran ties in diverse fields, covered areas of economy, trade, transportation, port development, culture, science and academic cooperation.



Modi's visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 15 years, came months after the lifting of international sanctions on Iran following Tehran's historic nuclear deal with the Western powers over its contentious atomic programme. Earlier, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the country in April 2001.

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TEHRAN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the richness of Persian heritage is an integral part of Indian society and the time has come for India and Iran to "regain the past glory" of their traditional historical ties.

"Centuries of free exchange of ideas and traditions, poets and craftsmen, art and architecture, culture and commerce have enriched both our civilisations," Modi said at the inauguration of a two-day conference titled "India-Iran Two Great Civilisations: Retrospect-Prospects".

The event is being held as part of the "Cultural Festival of India in Iran" being organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in collaboration with the Indian embassy in Tehran, Bonyad-e-Sadi, and Farhangistan-e-Zaban-o-Adab-e-Farsi.

"India and Iran have always been partners and friends. Our historical ties may have seen their share of ups and downs. But throughout, our partnership has remained a source of boundless strength for both of us. Time has come for us to regain the past glory of traditional ties and links. Time has come for us to march together. In this endeavour, you, the eminent scholars, have a defining role to play," he said.

"Our heritage has also been a source of strength and economic growth for our nations," said Modi on the second and final day of his visit to Iran.

"The richness of Persian heritage is an integral part of the fabric of the Indian society."

He said while a part of Iranian culture lives in Indian hearts, a slice of Indian heritage is woven into the Iranian society.

Modi said that the centuries old association between India and Iran was a perfect response to the those who preach radical thoughts in the two societies.

Referring to a rare manuscript called "Kalileh-wa-Dimneh" containing the Persian translation of tales from the Jataka and the Panchatantra which he released ahead of his speech, he said it captured the close historical links between India and Iran.

"It is remarkable how the simple stories of the Indian classics of Jataka and Panchatantra became the Persian 'Kalileh-wa-Dimneh'," Modi said.

"It is a classic example of exchange and travel of cultural ideas between two societies. A beautiful demonstration of how our two cultures and countries think alike."

The prime minister drew attention to the fact that the ancient heroes and epics of India and Iran had striking parallels.

"The dargahs of Ajmer Sharif and Hazrat Nizamuddin in India are equally revered in Iran," he said.

"Mahabharata and Shahnama, Bhima and Rustam, Arjuna and Arsh exhibit similarity in our world views and values."

He said that though crafts like Zardozi, Guldozi and Chanderi were a part of Iranian society, these were equally common in India too.

"In the richness of Iranian culture, who can forget the poetry and beauty of its vehicle -- the Persian language," Modi said.

"In India, we regard it as one of our own. The great medieval poets of India have called the Persian and Sanskrit the two sisters. India's religious epic Ramayana which has seen over a dozen translations in Persian is known to have about 250 words of Persian."

He also said that Persian served as a court language in medieval India.

"But, its popularity is also because it is written on the hearts of the Indians. It is taught in around 40 universities in India," he said.

Modi pointed out that India has a proud collection of almost five million manuscripts of Persian in public and private collections.

"There are more than 20 million documents in Persian in national and state archives," he said.

"Many of these have common heritage as they were written by Iranian calligraphers and painted by Indian artists," he stated, adding that a major effort to digitise all manuscripts, including Persian, was currently underway in India.

"As two ancient civilisations, we are known for our ability to be inclusive and welcoming to foreign cultures," the prime minister said.

"Sufism, a rich product of our ancient links, carried its message of true love, tolerance and acceptance to the entire mankind," he stated.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A new opportunity for local artists to be a part of the North Shore's development is in the works.

The multiyear project, Future Culture: Connecting Staten Island's Waterfront, hopes to engage artists here with their new neighbors.

It's still in the early stages, but involves outlining a cultural plan for Staten Island's North Shore, as well as piloting some public art projects.

Staten Island Arts and Design Trust are spearheading the project, and has the participation and support of all the major developers in the North Shore: BFC Partners (Empire Outlets), Ironstate (URBY), New York Wheel and Triangle Equities (Lighthouse Point apartments).

"Staten Island's North Shore is the last gold coast, as all of the big articles have been calling it," said Monica Valenzuela, deputy director at Staten Island Arts. "It makes you feel like they're bringing all the cool people to Staten Island. Which I think is the challenge we're looking at, because the cool people are already there! So how do you involve them in the development of their neighborhood? By inviting artists to the table, we're helping to envision that process."

The announcement acknowledges that there's already hundreds of artists and arts organizations in the North Shore. The point of the project though is to bring those artists into the fold to create a "quality public space during a rapid transformation," according to a press release from Design Trust.

"We'll get [local artists] actively involved in the development of their neighborhood together," said said Susan Chin, executive director of the Design Trust for Public Space. "We also hope our project will complement this rapid change and will spark new vitality and investment to benefit the entire community."

The plan will give public officials an idea of how to better revitalize the neighborhood with inclusive developments. It'll be used by NYC agencies when they work out the Bay Street Corridor rezoning in 2017-18, and other agency initiatives.

The piloted art projects will be featured in both public and private space in and around the new developments.

"Together we can envision a sense of place that will make this destination unique," said Joseph Ferrara, principal BFC partner at Empire Outlets NYC in a statement.

So, what's next?

Interested artists can apply for one of four fellowships in the project: Participatory art, urban design, policy and graphic design. For more information on the fellowships application process, click here.

What do you think of the project? Comment with your thoughts below.
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Bill Cosby arrives for a preliminary hearing on whether prosecutors have enough evidence to put him on trial on charges he drugged and sexually assaulted a woman over a decade ago, at the Montgomery County Courthouse, in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (James Robinson/PennLive.com via AP)

NORRISTOWN, Pa. -- Bill Cosby was ordered Tuesday to stand trial on sexual assault charges after a hearing that hinged on a decade-old police report in which a woman said the comedian gave her three blue pills that put her in a stupor, unable to stop his advances.

District Judge Elizabeth McHugh ruled that prosecutors had sufficient evidence to bring Cosby to trial, and she set his arraignment for July 20, at which time the TV star will enter a plea and a trial date will be set.

Cosby, 78, could get 10 years in prison if convicted.

"Mr. Cosby, good luck to you, sir," the judge said.

"Thank you," he replied.

The hearing was not the face-to-face confrontation between accuser and accused that some had anticipated: Andrea Constand, the former Temple University employee who said Cosby violated her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004, was not in the courtroom, and the judge ruled that she would not have to testify.

Instead, prosecutors had portions of her statement to police read into the record.

She told police in 2005 that the comedian penetrated her with his fingers after giving her pills that made her dizzy, blurry-eyed and sick to her stomach, her legs "like jelly."

"I told him, 'I can't even talk, Mr. Cosby.' I started to panic," she told police.

In his own statement to police, also read in court, Cosby portrayed it as consensual sexual activity, saying Constand never said "no" as he put his hand down her pants.

Cosby's lawyers argued unsuccessfully that reading Constand's statement instead of putting her on the stand would be hearsay and would deprive him of his right to confront his accuser. Such testimony from law enforcement officers is common practice at preliminary hearings in Pennsylvania, which have a far lower burden of proof than trials.

In her statement, she said Cosby told her the pills were herbal medication. She said he also urged her to sip wine even though she said had not eaten and didn't want to drink. Constand said her legs felt "rubbery" and "like jelly." ''Everything was blurry and dizzy. I felt nauseous," she said.

Constand told detectives that Cosby positioned himself behind her after telling her to lie down on the couch. She said she awoke with her bra askew and did not remember undoing it.

In excerpts read in court from his own statement to police in 2005, a seemingly relaxed Cosby said he and Constand had had other "petting" sessions before.

Cosby also told police the pills were over-the-counter Benadryl that he takes to help him sleep. He said he gave Constand one and a half pills and she did not ask what they were.

During Tuesday's hearing, Cosby attorney Brian McMonagle questioned why Constand continued to see the comedian and even returned to the house to meet with him after the alleged assault.

Detective Katherine Hart testified that Constand told detectives in 2005 that she went back to Cosby's home to confront him about what had happened.

Constand also told detectives she contacted Cosby after moving to Canada because she wanted tickets to one of his comedy shows. McMonagle said Constand brought a present for Cosby.

Earlier Tuesday, the comedian walked into the courthouse on the arm of an aide, waving to people waiting outside. He looked healthier than he did when he was charged in December, and was not carrying a cane this time.

Prosecutors reopened the case last year after dozens of women leveled similar allegations and after Cosby's sealed deposition in Constand's lawsuit was made public.

He settled her lawsuit for an undisclosed sum in 2006 after testifying about his extramarital affairs, his use of quaaludes to seduce women and his efforts to hide payments to former lovers from his wife.

The testimony and the barrage of allegations have all but destroyed Cosby's nice-guy image from TV's "Cosby Show."

Cosby's lawyers are trying to get the case thrown out, arguing that a previous prosecutor a decade ago made a binding promise that the comic would never be charged. On Monday, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court rejected a request to delay the preliminary hearing while Cosby pursues a dismissal.

Cosby has not entered a plea since his Dec. 30 arrest. He is free on $1 million bail.

He is also fighting defamation lawsuits across the country for allegedly branding his accusers liars and is trying to get his homeowner insurance to pay his legal bills.

Constand is now a massage therapist in Toronto.
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Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said the city isn't doing enough to prevent fatal drug overdoses.

(Staten Island Advance file photo/Jan Somma-Hammel)

CITY HALL -- The city's independent special narcotics prosecutor said Mayor Bill de Blasio's efforts to prevent fatal drug overdoses are failing.

"This city is just not doing enough," Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said during a Council budget hearing at City Hall. "If we don't do enough on the prevention end, it's really like shoveling sand."

Brennan commended the city for a $2 million boost in enforcement efforts for her office last year and other allocations to address the drug epidemic. But she said that alone isn't going to reverse the trend.

The Health Department reported a 10 percent increase in overdose deaths across the five boroughs in 2015, to 886 from 800 the year before. That's more than the number of traffic deaths and homicides combined.

"New York City is justifiably proud of the success it's had in reducing homicides and reducing traffic deaths," Brennan said. "But we need to devote more energy and new strategies to preventing overdoses, to combating drug abuse."

De Blasio's executive budget includes $5.5 million in new funding to combat the growing epidemic.

Less than a third of that money will go to preventing the crisis from getting worse.

"Unless we send a clear, unambiguous message to young people, more and more will just fall into that hole, even as we struggle to pull victims out," Brennan said.

'A PLAGUE'

The city doesn't have preliminary data yet for fatal overdoses on Staten Island last year. But, law enforcement officials suspect there have been at least 48 fatal drug overdoses in the borough so far this year, on track to more than double those in 2014.

"The people of Staten Island are faced with an epidemic that has become a plague when it comes to the heroin and opioid crisis," District Attorney Michael McMahon said at Monday's Council hearing.

The district attorney wants more than $1 million to help his office combat the drug epidemic with enhanced staffing of the Narcotics and Investigations bureaus and $250,000 to maintain the Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities program.

"Staten Island is no longer a bucolic hamlet within the city," McMahon said.

Last week, de Blasio expressed faith in the city's current efforts even as the overdose death tally grows on Staten Island. Spokeswoman Aja Worthy-Davis also pointed to the new funding on Monday.

"The administration has made tremendous investments in addressing drug addiction and overdoses, including making naloxone -- medication that can prevent death from opioid overdose -- available in pharmacies without a prescription," Worthy-Davis said.

SHOVELING SAND

Naloxone has saved dozens of Staten Islanders in recent years, but expanding access to the drug has a downside.

"I hear stories about young people who go to parties to abuse heroin and pills and they bring naloxone in their pocket because they believe that's going to keep them safe," Brennan said.

Minority Leader Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) agreed with her assessment.

"We don't want the use of naloxone to become a crutch and perpetuate the cycle of addiction," he said after the Council hearing. "We also must prevent more people from ever getting to the point that they will need naloxone."

De Blasio last year met with a young Staten Islander who had been revived by naloxone twice. The same recovering addict was arrested on drug charges a month later.

Naloxone distribution will be expanded with $1.3 million and another $1 million will go toward harm reduction to help current drug users.

The NYPD plans to reassign 15 seasoned narcotics investigators to investigate drug overdoses on Staten Island. The city will increase ways to track hotspots.

And peer navigators will follow up with Staten Islanders who survive opioid overdoses through a new Nonfatal Overdose Response System, possible with $828,000 more in de Blasio's budget.

PREVENTION FROM THE FRONT END

"There is what I call the 'back end' -- the treatment side, treating those with addiction and preventing their deaths," Brennan said at the hearing. "But at least equally important is the 'front end' -- preventing addiction from ever taking hold."

The city will also educate 1,500 healthcare providers on how to properly prescribe opioids with $811,000 in the budget. Another $500,000 was set aside for outreach to at-risk groups and neighborhoods.

Brennan doesn't think this is enough -- and said the city's message should mirror past Health Department campaigns to educate New Yorkers about the risks of smoking cigarettes.

"Some seem squeamish about saying that heroin and addictive pills destroy lives -- that tragedy unfolds day in and day out in Staten Island, the Bronx and in every borough in this city," Brennan said. "We must do more and we must try different strategies."

The above article has been updated to indicate that the special narcotics prosecutor also commended the city for additional funding provided by the city for enforcement in last year's budget.
Obiamaka (Obie) Aduba, 26, was killed on Friday.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Mariners Harbor woman who police believe was strangled to death by her husband before her body was abandoned on a dolly in her community was pregnant at the time of her death, her father told NY1.



While the father of Obiamaka (Obie) Aduba, 26, declined to be interviewed with the station on camera, he said his daughter was about four months pregnant and was afraid of her husband, Anthony Lopez, 31, to whom she has been married for about three years, according to the report.

Multiple law enforcement sources were not able to confirm her pregnancy on Tuesday.



Lopez was arraigned on a second-degree murder charge in the woman's death Sunday.



Prosecutors say he strangled his wife to death, then was spotted by an off-duty cop wheeling her body down Post Lane in Mariners Harbor Friday morning in an attempt to conceal the corpse. He fled when confronted by the officer and was apprehended in Manhattan on Saturday.

Police has responded to six prior domestic calls for the couple between 2013 and 2015, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. Those incidents include assaults, unlawful imprisonment and arguments, the source said.



"She was a strong, brave person," a friend, Tiffany, told the Advance on Sunday. "She had one of the biggest hearts of anybody I know."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- By all accounts, Andrew Salabarria was a man who lived for his country, his family, and friends; a man who died too soon.

Salabarria, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, was only 23 years old when he was killed in a motorcycle crash in Bulls Head last August.

On Tuesday Air Force JROTC students from Salabarria's alma mater, Susan Wagner High School, paid a moving tribute to the 2009 graduate by dedicating a display case containing his Marines "dress blue" uniform, service medals, and other memorabilia donated by his family. Students had raised more than $500 in donations to purchase and install the display case and its contents as a permanent tribute to Salabarria.

On hand for the ceremony were members of Salabarria's family, his mother, Sandra Monforte (who is known affectionately as "Mama Bear" because she was the first president of the JROTC Parents Club); his dad, Louis Salabarria; his sister, Olivia, and her 1-year-old son, Noah, and many of Salabarria's high school and Marine Corps friends.

Many of those in attendance wore T-shirts with a photo of Salabarria on his grasshopper-green Kawasaki motorcycle, with the words "Love, Always." JROTC members wore green ribbons on the lapel of their uniforms.

"Since this weekend is Memorial Day, it seems fitting that we are here to honor one of our own," explained JROTC commanding officer, Ret. Air Force Major Tom Mauchly. "This is the weekend to remember that the country we live in is free because of men like Andrew."

The moving ceremony began with the raising of the American flag atop the pole at the front entrance to the school, as students began arriving for morning classes. ROTC students, in their "Air Force blues" dress uniforms, stood at attention outdoors through a light drizzle, as a color guard presented the flag.

The ceremony then moved indoors, to the gymnasium, where the JROTC students performed various drill maneuvers for guests, and finally, to the JROTC classroom, where the display case was unveiled.

Salabarria's mom said she was proud of her son, and hoped he would serve as a role model for current JROTC cadets. Choking back tears, she recalled how her son "made friends for life" through JROTC, and "when he died, they all promised to come see me and look after me, and they do."

Friends recalled how Salabarria had a twin passion for life and for riding, and often posted photos of himself and his bike to social media.

"Live life every day as if it was your last. Life is too short to second guess decisions or to regret anything," he wrote on his public Instagram page just months before he died.

"He was an amazing son to me, and a special guy to everyone he knew and whose lives he touched," said his dad. "And now he's watching over all of us."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Only on Staten Island. Only in New York.

While walking down Midland Avenue, near the corner of Grimsby Street, a few days ago, Midland Beach resident Aiman Youssef was rather startled to come across a utility pole suspended feet from the ground, propped against another pole dug into the curbside.

Youseff, whose dashcam videos chronicling the frustrations of driving around our town have earned him a following on SILive and YouTube, recorded the pole using his cellphone.

"This can happen only in New York City. . . the other (pole) is just standing by, as you can see, no wires connected, just next to each other, right here on Staten Island, off the ground," Youssef said.

Have you ever come across something unusual in your neighorhood? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

And if you have an interesting, original video that captures some aspect of Staten Island life, e-mail it to lore@siadvance.com with a brief note describing the circumstances. Like Youssef's video, it could wind up on SILive.
Ukraine's Ministry of Justice intends to submit a request for the extradition of Ukrainian citizens Mykola Karpiuk and Stanyslav Klykh illegally held in the territory of the Russian Federation only after the verdict comes into force, Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko has said.

"The final verdict will be announced on May 26. We can predict that it will be so as the prosecutor's office wants, because this is Russian justice. After the court ruling comes into force, the Ministry of Justice gets the right to request the extradition of our citizens. The profile department, the deputy minister and public representatives are communicating with the relatives, lawyers to be ready on the first day the verdict comes into force to apply relevant extradition requests to the Russian side," Petrenko told reporters in Kyiv.

Karpiuk's lawyer Ilya Novikov, in turn, twitted the prosecutor asking for 22.5 years of strict regime for Karpiuk and 22 years for Klykh. The verdict on the case of Karpiuk and Klykh will be announced at 17:00 on May 26," he added.

As reported, on May 19 the jury trial in the city of Grozny (the Russian Federation) found Ukrainian citizens Karpiuk and Klykh guilty of allegedly committing crimes during the Chechen war. The verdict is to be announced by the end of May.
litter.jpg

New York City lawmakers are set to reduce penalties for some quality-of-life offenses, like littering.

(Advance file photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - "Broken windows" policing works.

It's helped reduce crime to historic lows. And has helped keep it there. For decades.

It pulled New York out of the abyss, proved that we weren't an "ungovernable" city after all.

So let's water it down a bit and see what happens.

That's pretty much what the City Council is doing. Taking a big gamble with our quality of life. And our safety.

Under legislation set to be approved this week, the penalties for quality-of-life crimes like public urination, littering, carrying an open container of alcohol in public, violation of parks rules and unreasonable noise will be reduced.

I guess we want to encourage more public urination and littering?

Oh, the offenses would still technically be "illegal," but instead of criminal enforcement, including arrest, cops will be encouraged to give out civil summonses instead.

So a crime is still a crime, as supporters of the legislation insist. Except we don't exactly punish it like we used to.

But don't be fooled: Cops are going to get hip to the message pretty quickly that the City of New York has no interest in holding people too terribly accountable for these petty offenses, so don't bust your hump.

In other words, expect precious little enforcement at all. But don't worry. You'll get used to the stink. And the filth. We didn't mind it when the city became a toilet bowl in the 1970s, did we, another era when we erred on the side of lawbreakers in the interest of social justice?

This downgrade in enforcement is apparently going to "fix" a "broken" city criminal justice system, according to Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and will limit the interaction that low-income black and Latino juveniles in particular have with said system.

But if anybody - black, white, Latino, rich, poor - is doing wrong, don't we want them to interact with the criminal justice system? Isn't that what the criminal justice system is for? Or maybe we don't need a criminal justice system after all.

All these changes are also supposed to unclog the courts and free up police to focus on bigger crimes. You know, do "real" work.

Are they blind? Or do they just choose to ignore the fact that focusing on the smaller, quality-of-life crimes is a good way to prevent the bigger crimes from happening? Catch a guy peeing in the street, and you may find he's also carrying a gun. Or is wanted for a bigger crime.

And if you show tolerance for smaller crimes, you'll eventually stop caring about the bigger offenses as well. It's the definition of a slippery slope, and we've been down this road before.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner William Bratton have defended broken windows and didn't initially support these new proposals, which are part of a package set to pass on Wednesday. But after lengthy negotiations, City Hall and One Police Plaza now back the reforms.

City Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) says that there's been "a lot of misinformation" surrounding the package of bills. She said the package "does not decriminalize any offense, nor does it result in relaxed enforcement."

That may technically be true. But it sends the message that we really don't care a whole lot about enforcing these offenses, in exactly the same way that broken windows said that we indeed do care about attacking these so-called "minor" crimes.

And let's remember that police can already issue the civil summonses in these instances if they want. So why do we need to change the law, except to allow some Council members to style themselves as friends of the downtrodden?

It's our city, and theirs, that they're gambling with.
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File photo of PBA president Pat Lynch. (Associated Press photo)

By Patrick Lynch, president of the New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

Words are nice. But when they're not followed by action, they ring hollow.



Unfortunately, that's the situation New Yorkers find ourselves in with Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration. I hear it everywhere I go, not only from our police officers, but from people in communities across the city: "The mayor says one thing, but then he does another." Nowhere is this more evident than his words on ending income inequality in New York City. Despite his progressive rhetoric, he's ignoring the inequality taking place in his own police department.



Until at least 1975, New York City police officers were among the highest paid in the nation. During that time, the NYPD had very little diversity -- a department of mostly white males. But now, as the NYPD becomes more diverse with every class that comes through the Police Academy -- a fact that the mayor never fails to point out -- our pay continues to fall farther behind other officers in the New York City area and across the country. Just look at the numbers: 53 percent of the latest class of officers are people of color. But on average they'll make 34 percent less than cops both locally and nationwide. How is that progressive?



Making matters worse, police officers hired since July 2009 are not provided an adequate disability pension if they are injured in the line of duty. In some cases, the benefit they receive could be less than $40 a day. This is a lower level of benefits than every other police officer in New York state.



That's why, last week, we began a major campaign on television stations across the city that will tell the stories of our police officers from the perspective of their families. In the ad released last Monday, Jennifer, the wife of an NYPD officer, speaks without a script and describes the difficulties she and her husband face each month as they try to support themselves and their three young daughters on a police officer's salary. At the end of the ad, she addresses the mayor directly, saying "Mayor de Blasio, I don't think it's fair. He protects this city 24/7 and he has a family that he needs to support."



Mayor de Blasio needs to explain why his lack of support for our police officers and their families is acceptable. Without fair pay and benefits, it's no wonder, as our recent scientific survey revealed, that morale among police officers has hit rock-bottom. The majority of officers said they would leave and go work for another department if they could, because there's no support for them in this administration.



The mayor can do something about this by agreeing to a fair contract and supporting legislation to fix the inadequate disability benefit. Instead, he continues to take a regressive approach that is destructive. By ignoring this problem, it's more than an insult to the police officers out on the streets every day and their families, it's an insult to all New Yorkers who are concerned about the future of our city.



The cost of living is rising, and yet the people who keep this city safe can't afford to live or raise their kids in many of the communities we patrol. The mayor and his team love to say their "door is always open" to work with us. But his hollow words mean his door is open as long as we're willing to accept raises that will only cause us to fall farther behind other professional police officers.



Actions speak louder than words. When the mayor is ready to work with us to start moving police officers toward a market rate of pay and disability benefits that will allow them to support themselves and their families, we'll meet him at any place, any time. In the meantime, we're going to continue taking our message to New Yorkers in every community. Progressive values have nothing to do with being a Democrat or a Republican. A true progressive is someone who doesn't just talk about it, but actually commits to protecting all the working men and women who make this city great.
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On Friday May 13th the KPSM hosted the meeting between the chiefs of police of Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten. These meetings are held every six weeks, in a rotating manner on each of these islands to discuss the many issues each island is confronted with and to improve and maximize the working relation between the police forces. During the recent meeting which was held on Sint Maarten one of the main topics of discussion was the issue of manpower. The KPSM is struggling seriously with the lack of manpower, nevertheless it has been able, with limited manpower and resources managed to keep the crime figures below average for the first five months of 2016. The KPSM has been in discussions and requested the assistance six extra persons from the Netherlands for the increase in manpower, however to date this has not materialized. The police chiefs from Curacao and Aruba have shown their complete willingness to temporarily assist the KPSM with the necessary manpower until this matter is resolved. (See pic of chief of police during meeting. From L. to R. Chief of Police of Sint Maarten Carl John, Chief of police of Curacao and Chief of police of Aruba Dolfi Richardson)




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On Friday May 20th six students from the Sint Maarten Academy, all who are very interested in following a career in Forensics and Crime scene Investigation visited the Philipsburg Police Head Quarters for a filed trip. The students were welcomed by Mrs. Karin Hauptmeijer from the Police Communication Department. They were introduced them to Forensic Detective Mrs. Bahdoe, who gave the student an extensive explanation of the Forensic Department. Chief Inspector Henson gave them a complete explanation of the structure and the daily operation of the organization. (See pic attached. Detective Bhadoe third form the right and Chief Insp. Henson 1st from the left.)




Foreign Ministry heads of the member countries of Eastern Partnership at a meeting in Brussels among other issues were discussing the issue of reducing roaming charges in Europe, the head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin has said.

"We'd like to become a part of the EU internal market, a part of the European energy system... I am very glad that I heard about support for the provision of a visa-free regime of all the ministers who took part in this meeting. And of course, we talked about the ways contributing to human contacts. There were some very interesting ideas, e.g. reduced roaming charges, for it will never do to pay so much money when travelling around Europe," Klimkin said on 112 Ukraina TV channel.

He said he also talked to UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond about joint aviation space, "to pay EUR50 for the plane instead of EUR300."

Klimkin also noted that at the summit of Eastern Partnership countries foreign ministers were constantly pointing to support of Ukraine and its territorial integrity, as well as confirmation of non-recognition of Crimean occupation.
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The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has not completed criminal proceedings, according to which it would be possible to prosecute deputies or former high-ranking officials, and cases opened for political and business reasons are to be closed, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has stated.

Lutsenko in the Fakty Tyzhnia (Facts of the Week) program on ICTV Channel, shown on Sunday evening, showed the ward in the Lukyanivka pre-trial detention center, where he spent two years, and the prosecutor general's office, in which he works now, shared memories and told about his plans at the post of prosecutor general.

"The society is now waiting high-profile cases to punish high-ranking officials from me. I'm ready for this. But on the other hand, more activity is required from the prosecutor's office to defend common people and the middle class from the huge pressure of the penal system," Lutsenko said.

Talking about staff reshuffle in the prosecutor's office connected with his appointment, Lutsenko promised to appoint new people in the system, but stressed "it is impossible to remove everybody, appoint new people and get a result," he said. "Do not expect any rash steps, particularly in investigation, supervision and procedural structure from me."
Newly appointed Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has announced plans to appoint Assistant U.S. Attorney of the U.S. Attorney's Office Economic Crime Unit Bohdan Vitvitsky as head of a commission to select members of the General Inspectorate under the Prosecutor General's Office.

"From July I plan to appoint Assistant U.S. Attorney Mr. Vitvitsky of Ukrainian origin to head the selection commission," Lutsenko wrote on Facebook on Monday evening.

He said he had agreed with U.S. partners' format and timetable for the establishment of the General Inspectorate, which will identify "turncoat prosecutors within the PGO."

Until July, it is still the task of the PGO's internal security department, he said.
The White House and its supporters were set on two goals, one of them trivial, the other terrifying. The trivial objective was to give a failed presidency at least one foreign policy legacy item. That was to be expected, since the Obama administration, in permanent campaign mode since the day the president took office, has presided over the worst American foreign policy in the modern era.

The more stomach-churning objective is that the administration, as it turned out, really believed in its pledges to get America out of the Middle East, and decided early on that the only way to do this was to replace the United States in the region with a duumvirate of Russia and Iran. Here, the JCPOA was part of a huge gamble to transform the region, with nuclear weapons the secondary rather than primary issue. That's why J Street and others were involved: they were far less concerned with notional Iranian nuclear weapons than they were with advancing President Obama's Middle East legacy--without having to admit what it was.

[...]

It makes no difference if this or that provision of the deal is ironclad, because the White House never had an intention of enforcing any of it. The JCPOA wasn't a deal to stop a nuclear weapon, it was part of a plan to further a foreign policy agenda with which very few Americans would agree if it were stated to them clearly and unequivocally.

For those of us who thought the Iran deal didn't pass the sniff test from the start, it is bitter consolation that all this is coming out now. Sometimes being right isn't much of a comfort, and this is one of those times. But there's a far more damaging problem in all this: not only has the United States burned a lot of its credibility in this farce, but so have a fair number of journalists and experts.
Fellow travellers:

A Swedish prosecutor, mirroring the views of human rights groups, once characterized the company as filled with "opportunistic, dictator-hugging businessmen," a description the company has vigorously denied.

In accepting the $100 million, President Bill Clinton hailed Lundin's contribution, saying "today's generous support by the Lundin Group is to be applauded because it demonstrates the potential of this global initiative to capture the imagination and support of the mining sector."

It wasn't the first time Clinton consorted with mining moguls. In the waning hours of his presidency in 2001, Clinton pardoned Glencore International mining and oil magnate Marc Rich after his wife, Denise, made generous donations to the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign and his Clinton Library.

Clinton's pardon erased a 65-count indictment against Rich for trading with Iran against the oil embargo. Rich did the Iranian oil sales while Americans were held captive in the country by the Mullahs.
System error

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context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

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/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02145f0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f08f9388)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02145f0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f08f9388)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02c86f0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f08f9388)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f08f9388)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e769aba8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f08b72d0)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f08b72d0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

/var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f022b890)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01e9438)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f022b890)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01e9438)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f021bc60)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01e9438)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01e9438)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e769a8c8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0213e00)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0213e00)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

/var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612e6f01650)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0238e00)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612e6f01650)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0238e00)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01c5a08)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0238e00)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0238e00)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e769bf68)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0223198)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0223198)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
Australian shares closed lower on Tuesday, after a brief afternoon surge following remarks from Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens gave way to a late sell-off.

The S&P/ASX200 finished the day on its lows, 0.4 per cent down at 5295.6, while the broader All Ordinaries index closed 0.4 per cent higher at 5361.9.

Mr Stevens in his first public comments since the RBA cut rates earlier this month defended the bank's inflation target, saying that it was not rigid, but provided sufficient flexibility for sound decision-making.

The Australian dollar had its biggest drop in almost a week, falling more than half a cent to US71.67, its lowest since early March after comments from Mr Stevens did little to diminish expectations for further policy easing.
Falling airfares, which are positive for consumers but negative for airlines and travel agents like Flight Centre Travel Group, are leading carriers to increase their focus on making personalised offers to passengers to combat revenue declines.

"What we are noticing in the airline world right now is flat or slightly declining revenue for airlines even as profits go up due to lower fuel," said Wunderman-Bienalto global head of travel John McDonald, who has advised Virgin Australia's Velocity frequent flyer program, United Airlines and Air Canada on marketing strategies. "When the pressure is on the fares they are looking at how they become more effective retailers."

Airline chief executives say the industry is moving toward individualised pricing.

Mr McDonald said in this environment, airlines were focused on using their data to provide tailored offers of extra services like better seats, meals, in-flight internet, lounge access, hotel and hire car bookings and flight upgrades that were relevant to individual customers. This can be done through digital promotions via email or social media at a far lower cost than broad-based marketing to help boost airline revenue.

"The heart of this is providing products and services that consumers want," Mr McDonald said. "That is what de-bundling [services from the fare] is heading toward."
Ukraine's Interior Ministry in cooperation with the United States is implementing about 24 programs, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said at a meeting with Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection R. Gil Kerlikowske.

During the meeting Avakov said today Ukraine in cooperation with the United States is realizing a large program for the Interior Ministry reform. The first thing in these public reforms is the reform of the police unit as support for the society, the border guard service and the security system.

Avakov noted the ministry in cooperation with the United States is now implementing about 24 programs, including training programs for the KORD special force unit, those to support the brigade of light infantry of the National Guard of Ukraine, within which joint exercises of guardsmen and U.S. Marine Corps have been executed, as well as the program for the reform of the border guard service.

The minister noted over a year of intensive work the level of trust in the police rose from 7% to 44%.

He also noted Ukraine's partners in these changes are the United States, the EU, Canada, Japan, and Turkey.
But on an investor call on Monday, Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner's commentary centred on a fall in international airfare prices and an increased preference for flying budget carriers that had led the travel agency to miss commission targets with individual airlines.

Flight Centre pointed to several causes, including political uncertainty related to the federal election campaign in Australia and Britain's Brexit debate, investment in growth and a weak leisure market in the United States.

With Flight Centre, for two-and-a-half times the price of Webjet shares, you get 10 times the revenue, 10 times as much EBIT and a fully franked dividend yield. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

Flight Centre Travel Group's shock profit downgrade has led brokers to lower their share price targets and slash earnings forecasts for the next three financial years by around 10 per cent a year.

Deutsche Bank analyst Michael Simotas said the pressure on commissions, or "overrides", at a time when turnover was growing was a bad sign.

"A concerning trend is emerging  the airline competition and capacity increases behind the airfare declines mean Flight Centre's total transaction value is split across more carriers," he said.

"As such, it is not delivering sufficient growth to the incumbent suppliers that is required to earn the super-overrides which have underpinned margins in the past. We do not expect this trend to abate and it will likely be compounded by continued cost growth."

Deutsche has lowered its recommendation on the stock from "buy" to "hold" and cut its 12-month price target by 25 per cent to $36.

Bell Potter analyst John O'Shea, who cut his 12-month price target by 12 per cent to $35.70, said the traditional Flight Centre branded stories in Australia were performing worse than expected. He estimated in the second half, transaction value could decline by up to 8 per cent, pointing to market share declines over the period.
Shareholders in National Australia Bank's British offshoot Clydesdale Bank shouldn't fret about Britain leaving the European Union, with chief executive David Duffy saying the bank could cut costs or take market share from rivals to offset any economic slowdown caused by a "Brexit". After the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne warned on Monday that Britain could sink into a year-long recession if it votes to leave the EU on June 23, and Sir Rod Eddington told the The Australian Financial Review and JPMorgan Chanticleer Lunch in Sydney on Tuesday that the EU will be more stable if Britain remains in it. Clydesdale says it will cut costs to maintain profits should a Brexit vote slice UK economic growth. Credit:Chris Ratcliffe But Mr Duffy said the "only impact" of a Brexit on Clydesdale would be softer growth. "And there, we take the view that if we see the dynamics change on growth, then we would adapt the other levers which we have within our control, including costs," he said.

"The growth of the bank so far has been significantly in excess of the system growth in the market in general, so will grow not just based on the economy but by taking market share. There are a number of balancing items there, and at this stage we are not overly concerned [about Brexit]." NAB spun Clydesdale off into a separate vehicle in February and the bank reported its first set of results as an independent company after the ASX closed on Tuesday; Mr Duffy said it had delivered on all the promises made before the float. Underlying profit on ordinary activities before tax of 107 million for the six months to March 31 was down 4.2 per cent on the previous first half but ahead of expectations. The bank recorded annualised growth in mortgages of 9.8 per cent and said its costs for the year would be 730 million, below its previous guidance. Its net interest margin expanded by 2 basis points to 2.25 per cent during the year. The common equity tier 1 capital ratio is a healthy 13.2 per cent. Macquarie analyst Edward Firth described the results as "robust" and reiterated an "outperform" recommendation on the stock. The hundreds of thousands of NAB investors who were given Clydesdale shares and decided to hold on to them have been rewarded, with the stock surging 32 per cent since its low in February to close on Tuesday at $4.73. The local shares commenced trading on February 4 at $3.92. Chairman Jim Pettigrew said "sustainable growth, lower costs and capital efficiency will drive improved performance and enhanced returns for shareholders".
The "freshness" of Coles Brand fresh milk has been called into question, when an employee confirmed to a customer that it was "made from reconstituted milk powder" on the supermarket's Facebook page.

A customer posted a question on Coles' Facebook post he "doubt[ed]" the supermarket would answer.

"Is it true that Coles $1/litre milk is at times made from reconstituted milk powder?"
How times change. In the so-called "good old days" most couples married for life, and the breadwinner  usually the man, since bans kept married women out of many jobs  worked at the same job until he retired at age 65. He was almost certainly a smoker, and by the age of 70 had shuffled off this mortal coil, leaving his wife a widow for a few more years until her death. Now divorce is common, many couples do not get around to getting married, and often those who do divorce and remarry, having children from both relationships. To complicate matters, there may well be more children from the new relationship. Combine these trends with increasing life expectancies and you get many opportunities for family conflict. Face reality: Modern relationships can be complicated and this should be considered in estate planning. And as elder lawyer Brian Herd points out, there is a legal minefield out there awaiting the unprepared. Herd describes a scenario that is becoming more and more common. The parents, let's call them Ron and Norma, have retired and are comfortable financially, but their daughter's marriage is a bit fragile and potentially rocky. It is Ron and Norma's wish that the daughter inherit their assets when they die but she is not particularly experienced in money matters  to make matters worse her husband struggles with gainful employment. In fact, from time to time Ron and Norma have had to assist their daughter and her husband financially.

So what's a parent to do? They could adopt a laissez faire attitude  do nothing and hope that things will turn out all right  and simply leave the money to their daughter in the will. But there is a real possibility that there will be a marriage breakup after the daughter receives her inheritance, and the husband will walk out of the door with a big chunk of all those assets Ron and Norma spent their lives scrimping and saving to build up. They could use a blunt tool and simply leave the daughter out of the will. This would lay the foundations for much family angst and would almost certainly mean that that the will would be challenged, with huge accompanying legal bills. In this scenario, the lawyers walk out the door with a big chunk of Ron and Norma's hard-won assets. Of course they could spend the kids' inheritance before they die, with the intention of leaving nothing in their estate. But that requires precise timing, which is beyond the ability of most of us. But as Herd points out, there is a better solution available. The first step is for Ron and Norma to establish meaningful lines of communication with their daughter and point out that their primary goal is to protect her and the children in the event of their demise. The next step would be to go to a solicitor to draw up a Family Law Financial Agreement between their daughter and her husband. The agreement would provide that, if the daughter received an inheritance from the parents, it does not form part of the matrimonial property to be shared with her husband in the event of a breakup. If the document is done properly it will quarantine any inheritance from both the husband and the jurisdiction of the Family Court.
AGL chief executive Andy Vesey has flagged nervousness in corporate circles is building ahead of the American election.

At The Australian Financial Review's Chanticleer lunch Mr Vesey described the upcoming election as a "wildcard".

"The upcoming US election... there is a lot of uncertainty that will come out to play. That's going to be a key indicator that is going to have a big impact globally," he said.

"A lot of companies are building [it] into their scenarios: 'What happens if you have a Trump presidency?'"
Female representation at CFO level reduced. In both 2011 and 2016 just 5 per cent of CEOs and 10 per cent of COOs were women, while the proportion of CFOs fell from 8 per cent in 2011 to 6 per cent in 2016. Illustration: Andrew Dyson. The main areas where female representation increased? You guessed it; in HR (65 per cent), general counsel (39 per cent) and marketing (33 per cent). The one surprising, and pleasing, finding was an improvement in women in senior IT roles, up from 19 per cent in 2011 to 29 per cent in 2016. Given candidates for CEO roles will typically require experience as a CFO or leader, the pathway to more balanced gender representation could now be further delayed. Women fighting for equal pay will find it harder.

The report says it will increase discrepancy in pay equity given the remuneration packages at CEO, CFO and key operational roles are typically higher than remuneration packages for functional roles such as HR. Companies have a diversity policy, so what? The council, a self-regulatory body made up of 21 companies alongside shareholder and industry groups, tracks the success of reporting standards introduced in January 2011. These standards require companies to reveal whether they have a diversity policy, set objectives and disclose the number of women at senior levels on an "if not, why not?" basis. Its latest report shows most Aussie companies now have a gender diversity policy.

For the ASX 200 it was 99 per cent (compared to 98 per cent in 2013), for the ASX 201-500 it was 88 per cent (compared to 85 per cent in 2013) and for the ASX 501+ it was just under 75 per cent (compared to 66 per cent in 2013). But the report suggests that companies may be reporting "progress" for the sake of it. There are vague definitions of "senior executive" such as "individuals who collectively participate in determining and implementing major operational and strategic decisions". The report suggests a clearer definition going forward would allow progress to be more accurately measured. Case for numerical targets

But diversity policies alone are not enough. As the report notes, "very few companies set or disclosed transparent quantitative objectives such as "30% of director seats to be held by women by 2018''. The majority of objectives focused on implementing diversity programs or initiatives such as "undertaking a pay equity review", "implementing programs in unconscious bias" or "undertaking an all employee satisfaction survey". These are all necessary steps to ensure greater diversity, but as the report spells out, "by the fourth full year of reporting, we expected many entities, particularly those in the S&P/ ASX 200, to be in a position to set and disclose quantitative objectives". It continues: "There continued to be a number of entities reporting more 'aspirational' objectives such as 'achieving a culture of inclusion', making it difficult for these entities to measure progress against their objectives both now and in future years". The report also finds that bigger companies generally do better than smaller ones in terms of gender balance.

The ASX 501+ category showed a 3 percentage point decrease (from 9 per cent to 6 per cent) in the proportion of women on boards. Of the entities that disclosed the proportion of women at board level 77 percent did not have any women on their board. If we can't ensure that women  who make up about half of Australia's population  also make up 50 per cent of board and senior management positions, we have no hope of achieving diversity in other areas such as age, ethnicity, religious beliefs and cultural background (the report confirms most companies still don't have measurable objectives in this regard). If targets don't work, move to quotas To assist in "developing a diverse pipeline of talent that can be considered for future succession of CEO, CFO and key operational roles", the report calls for quantitative targets. KPMG partner Ben Travers says companies could look at the Male Champions of Change's "Targets with Teeth" program, which ties executive incentive payments to numerical diversity targets.

If targets are not linked to KPIs those who make the decisions about who gets promoted will just keep paying lip service to diversity. The report also points to regular claims that companies that hire more women make more profits. Across all groups, it found that 51 per cent said implementing a diversity policy assisted with employee retention, and 48 per cent said it helped them attract high-calibre employees. For companies that do not set, and reach, voluntary targets, a solution may be for the government to mandate targets. Give companies a timeframe within which to hit their targets, and if they don't, hit them with quotas.
Why is nobody in authority talking about the issues which are really defining the future of this country? Politicians and corporations create much sound and fury around tax reform, industrial relations and, ad nauseam, the election  all important but essentially second-order issues. Beyond the Australian goldfish bowl, the greatest structural change in human history is rapidly unfolding bringing unprecedented risks and opportunities. Yet our leaders are oblivious, intent upon minimising our opportunities and maximising our risks.

In the 1970s, the combined effect of population growth and consumption began to exceed the capacity of planetary ecosystems to meet human demands. To the point where today we need the annual biophysical capacity of 1.6 planets to survive. This unsustainable pressure is now hitting global limits which we can no longer circumvent, manifesting itself in two immediate pressure points.

Growth created since the Industrial Revolution depended on the availability of cheap energy from fossil fuels, but cheap fossil fuels have dried up. Credit:Rob Homer

First, increasing energy costs. Economic growth and wealth created since the Industrial Revolution totally depended on the availability of cheap energy in the shape of fossil fuels, first coal, then oil, then gas. But cheap fossil fuels have dried up. Their cost has increased steadily as we used up the "low-hanging fruit" and now rely on more expensive sources such as deepwater oil, tar sands, shale and coal seam fracking.

This was a primary cause of the 2008 global financial crisis, for once oil exceeds around $100 per barrel, which is a pre-requisite for their development, Western economies go into recession, resulting in the falling demand and low prices we see today. Except this is happening around a declining energy surplus trend in that the surplus available to run society net of the increasing energy needed to extract these sources, is dropping rapidly, making it impossible to maintain conventional economic growth, which has already slowed.
An ability to tell stories about who we are and where we are going is the one thing that marks out a leader. Turnbull might yet find his voice, but he's got a bad case of laryngitis at the moment.

This provides a dramatic sub-text to Peter Dutton's sudden, incoherent intervention in the election narrative last week. His warnings about hard-working asylum seekers who'll take jobs while simultaneously lingering on dole queues was utterly at odds with the broader, hopeful message struck by his PM and for many it's impossible to even refer to the Immigration Minister without feeling soiled. He's reintroduced the stark divisions Turnbull's elevation was meant to expunge.

Perhaps the saddest thing about the whole episode is that Dutton undoubtedly believes his blundering, self-contradictory claim was clever, because it placed this issue back on the agenda. "Yes!" Tony Abbott's conservative true believers were shouting. "At last someone's back talking our language." The problem is this utterly misunderstands the entire purpose of an election campaign. These aren't the people the Liberals need to win over.

Such voters were never going to plump for Bill Shorten, no matter how many shopping centres he visits or however much he promises there's not a sliver of difference between the two parties when it comes to dealing with the flotsam of humanity that ends up on our shores. In one interview Dutton revealed the Liberals' fundamental problem. Preach to the base and the broader polls will continue to plummet.

Both parties need to reach for the middle, because this is where elections are decided. That's the point of the "jobs and growth" slogan, but now Turnbull's allowing his ministry to go off writing slogans of their own. While the Liberals do want Dutton's message to resonate as a sub-text, that's very different from watching him being pulled apart on prime-time. That minister's just not clever enough to send a "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" signal in the way John Howard always could.
Architect of Parliament House Romaldo Giurgola in Canberra 1982. Credit:Wendy Reid During the war, he was drafted into the Italian Army and underwent military training on the River Po. He made the most of the occasion by studying the remaining Lombard-Romanesque buildings in the surrounding towns. Later, he worked in Rome for several years before moving to the US where he formed Mitchell/Giurgola Architects with Ehrman B Mitchell Jr in Philadelphia in 1958. After his appointment to Columbia University in 1966, a second office was opened in New York. Many significant buildings were completed by M/G under his design leadership across Pennsylvania and Philadelphia in the 1970s. The practice was also architectural consultant to the architect of the Capitol, Washington, DC  Master Plan for the US Capitol, 1979-80. Those projects and many others received more than 60 architectural awards between 1958 and 1985, acknowledging M/G as one of the most significant firms in the USA during that period.

Of particular interest to the architectural community were M/G's competition entries for the Boston City Hall of 1963 (second place) and the winning submission for the headquarters of the American Institute of Architects, Washington DC; although it wasn't built. Giurgola, and Mitchell/Giurgola, were one of the most highly regarded firms in the US when the Fraser government announced the competition for Australia's Parliament House. In 1979 M/G formed a new firm  Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp Architects (MGT) with Australian architect Richard Thorp who was working in the New York office. Giurgola, a friend of Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, who won the competition to design the Sydney Opera House, made his first trip to Australia as part of the briefing for the second stage of five competitors from an original 329 submissions. The practice was successful in the competition and on September 18, 1980, Mr Fraser drove a shovel into the ground. Giurgola remained in the US and travelled to Canberra for lengthy periods between 1980 and 1987. In 1987, with numerous aspects of the project in their final and perhaps critical stage, Giurgola moved to Canberra, where he remained. John Haskell, architecture correspondent for the Herald, wrote upon the building's completion in May, 1988, that to design a parliament house was a once-in-a-lifetime event, with very few modern precedents to assist in the process. Faced with such a daunting design task, the wonder was, he wrote, that Giurgola, had got so much of it right, and in major matters had succeeded brilliantly.

In Parliament House, he wrote, Giurgola had created a milieu to impress, excite, even thrill ordinary visitors and give them an enriching and uplifting experience. This has always been the ultimate function of architecture, but modern functionalism has for too long chosen to ignore it. Australia, he said, was indebted to Giurgola, as with Utzon, for having rekindled this lamp of architecture for Australia. Just a few of Giurgola's many notable academic appointments included Professor, University of Pennsylvania, 1963-1967; Chair of Architecture, 1966-1971, and Ware Professor of Architecture, 1971-1989 at Columbia University. He was also Professorial Fellow, Department of Architecture and Building, University of Melbourne, since 1990; Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Architecture, University of Sydney, 2000, and Honorary Visiting Professor, University of Canberra since 1993. Personal awards included Commendatore of the Order of the Republic of Italy, 1972; gold medal, American Institute of Architects, 1982; gold medal, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, 1988; honorary Officer of the Order of Australia 1989, and honorary Doctorate of Science, University of NSW, 1988. Following the completion of Parliament House, Giurgola designed the small St Thomas Aquinas Church in Canberra. At the same time MGT under Giurgola's leadership was commissioned by the Singapore Government to design 52 buildings for the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute in Singapore.

Nearing the completion of this campus Giurgola's teams submitted competition winning projects for buildings at the University of New South Wales and Adelaide University; as well he completed the Information Sciences Building at the University of Canberra. He also designed a small, highly regarded weekend house for his daughter and himself at Lake Bathurst, and in 1997 began design work on the 2004 Sir Zelman Cowen award-winning St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta. Architectural critic James Russell recently wrote that Giurgola was a wonderful teacher of architectural history at Columbia, often getting the dates wrong (they didn't matter much to him) but going to the core of what the architecture was about. Russell describes Giurgola as an architect who was a giant of the 1970s and into the 1980s. He combined boldness with modesty and was an extraordinary tonic at a time when architecture had largely lost its way. Giurgola faded in US consciousness, he wrote, once he decided to make his life in Australia after the monumental effort of realising the parliament building, probably the most deferential yet humane national capital anywhere.
Getting paid $270 to stay in your own house, without any of the tax implications that apply to other people, is just a quirk of the system, say a group of people who are uniquely placed to change the system.

It does feel a little unfair that taxpayers would be lumped with paying off our investment properties, with us getting all of the capital gains. But laws are laws, said Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, adding, Do you know anyone whose job it is to make and change laws?

Finance Minister Senator Mathias Cormann. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he didnt want or need the money, but took it anyway because he was a stickler for the rules.

I wouldnt want to mess around with the powers that be, he said at a campaign function about the need for Australians to lessen their reliance on Government.
On Wednesday, May 25, at 11.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a press conference entitled "Ensuring Stable Heat Supply in Kyiv: Issues of Payments for Energy and Possibility of Deferred Payments for Debtors." Participants will include Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration Petro Panteleyev, CEO of PJSC Kyivenergo Oleksandr Fomenko, director of distribution and sales department of Euro-Reconstruction Ltd. Yuriy Tereschenko, and Director General of the Center for Municipal Services municipal concern Kateryna Sarkisova (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. Additional information by phone: (050) 352 3320.
The Queensland Senate race has come alive, with the prospect of Indigenous LNP Senator Jo Lindgren facing off against Pauline Hanson - a person not known for her charitable views of Aborigines - for the last senate seat.

It is all the more interesting as Senator Lindgren would be the only remaining Indigenous woman in Parliament following the shock resignation of Nova Peris.

Pauline Hanson could battle indigenous LNP Senator Jo Lindgren for the final senate spot in Queensland.

Senator Lindgren is unfazed, declaring: "Voters will have a clear choice. It is going to be a battle between new hope and old hate, for what sort of future we want for the country."

Ms Hanson, who denies she is a racist, is certainly not short on hate. Her comments on Aborigines and Asians could most charitably be described as indelicate. In 2010 she announced that she was leaving Australia to migrate to the UK, where she was welcomed with open arms by the neo-fascist British National Party. However, after spending two weeks in Europe, she returned, complaining that Britain was "overrun with immigrants and refugees."
When veteran actor Bryan Brown turned up to a film premiere on Monday night, nothing seemed to be amiss.

The 68-year-old, who has a storied career in Australia and overseas, was only too happy to walk the red carpet and have his photo taken ahead of the new Sam Neill film Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

But once he got inside and started mingling, Neill  his former costar  was nowhere to be seen.

"[I] got into the event and asked where Sam was and they said, who is Sam?" Brown said on Monday night, according to News Corp.
Childhood friends and then  ever so briefly  husband and wife, photographic trailblazers Olive Cotton and Max Dupain are celebrated in a joint exhibition coming to the Ian Potter Museum of Art from Tuesday, May 31.



"Looking at the work of these two great Australian photographers together is enlightening; they were often shooting the same subjects, or pursuing subjects and pictorial effects in similar ways," curator Shaune Lakin says.

Lakin, the former director of Melbourne's Monash Gallery of Art, has created the touring exhibition for the National Gallery of Australia.

Max Dupain's Sunbaker, 1937. Credit:Max Dupain

"And while Max Dupain's reputation might now stand well above most other Australian photographers," he says, "this exhibition shows that Olive Cotton had a significant role to play in his development as a photographer, and was in many ways his equal."

The exhibition of 65 vintage prints demonstrates how the pair experimented with modernist photographic techniques and cultivated cutting-edge lighting and compositions adopted from the worlds of advertising and Hollywood.
When Brad led Tallena out  his grip on her arm looking a little like that of a warder leading his prisoner to the dock  it was to something like a chorus of concern, if not outright condemnation, from the others. Ryan said watching Brad he had thought "this guy's a sook", though he was sure that wasn't the real him. Cassie said the footage of Brad was "confronting, and it was sometimes shocking, and the way he treated Tallena was hard to watch", though she said she was impressed that he seemed to have taken so much away from the experience. Happily ever after? Brad and Tallena got married at last. Certainly Brad was making all the right noises. Judging by the pregnancies  Jackie is 25 weeks along, and said she had conceived "literally when we were reunited"; Cassie is further along on a pregnancy that began just before filming started  it has been about six months since last week's episode was filmed. Plenty of time for a man to reflect on his failings, or to learn how to look like that's what he has done.

"I was the main cause of the problems," said Brad. "I was definitely controlling." Of the Brad he saw when he watched the footage, he said: "It's hard you're the devil of your own creation." Of his behaviour towards Tallena, which struck many observers as emotional abuse: "It was nothing that you'd ever want to do to your partner or anybody that you loved or cared about." It all sounded spot-on, but there were a few warning signs. They got married after that shocking final episode. It was a small affair, with about 60 people, but still Brad got tense. "I was Bridezilla," he said. "I just wanted everything to be perfect after what we've been through."

Possibly the world's most uncomfortable key party. Tallena joked that he got himself worked up about the fact there were petals on the ground. As Tim might say, lighten up, man. When host Edwina Bartholomew put it to Tallena that perhaps she had secretly enjoyed it when Tim took off his pants in the spa, everyone laughed. Everyone, that is, but Brad, who stared daggers at his wife while clutching her hand tighter. She deflected it by saying Tim loved his body; Tim agreed. Tension deffused [sic], as Brad put it in one of his many tortured love letters last week. But let's put our doubts aside for a moment and imagine Brad really is a reformed man, Tallena really has found her voice, and theirs is not a relationship riddled with danger signs. Good luck to them.

What of the others? Cassie and Ryan are expecting  any day now, judging by the size of her bump  and appear to have made some of the changes they needed. He has ditched his electrical business, is working regular hours, is more present and no longer using work to avoid the issues in their relationship. And all this without having to relinquish his skateboard! Tim and Jackie are expecting too. They have moved to the Gold Coast, redefined their roles within the business and adjusted their expectations and behaviour within the relationship. He tells her he loves her "three or four times a year" now. She's learnt she can't command him to show her affection. We saw footage of him proposing to her on the beach, pulling out a ring box inside which was a scrap of paper. An IOU for a ring, Jackie asked? "A voucher for a tattoo," he said. "A tattoo ring." If humour counts for much in a relationship, they have a chance, but Jackie is under no illusions of what the future holds. "I'll now have two children," she said. Interestingly, her controlling tendencies were called out by the counsellors. "It's good to have boundaries but I'm not a fan of the ultimatum," Jo Lamble said. "Too many people say, 'If you do that, that'll be it'. And then it happens and they realise, 'Oh, I don't want it to be it'."

It was sound advice but why was Jackie being singled out when Brad was getting off scot free? It felt horribly unbalanced. Therapists Jo Lamble and Peter Charleston once again had nothing to say about Brad's behaviour. And finally Jason and Michelle. Few will have been surprised to learn they had split up, though Michelle insisted her mind was not made up from the start, no matter how it looked.

"I love Jason, with all my heart," she said. "He is my best friend. I'm the luckiest woman in the world because I got to have my babies with my best friend." To absolutely no-one's surprise, Jason and Michelle separated. She said they would always be in each other's lives  and any divorced parent knows there's more truth in that than not  and insisted: "We will always be a we. I love my children more than I could ever be angry or dislike him. He is still my children's father, and I love them and they need him, so I need him." Which Jo Lamble praised, characterising their split as, "Two people who are showing it is possible to put the children first and have a mature, amicable separation".

Which just left the question of regret. Not regret in their relationships, but whether or not they regretted going on the show. With applications open until May 31 for the next season of Seven Year Switch, you couldn't help but suspect this was asked to allay the concerns of any troubled couples who were wondering if a television show watched by a million people a week was really the best place to work out their issues. Strangely, only Jackie confessed to any such pangs, which makes you wonder whose decision it was to come on the show and what their motivation was (Tim, I'm looking at you). Yes, she got the outcome she wanted  she's engaged, there's a baby on the way, they've moved to the Gold Coast  but was everything as rosy as it seemed? "Good has come of it," she said, but "we've had a lot of stressful things going on at the moment while the show has been going to air." A hint of trouble in paradise, perhaps? And Brad and Tallena? He regretted "having to go on the show to find myself," but he was thankful he'd had "the opportunity to see myself in a different light. I hated the scenarios I was put in because of the person that I seen [sic] and I didn't like." But all was good in the end, right? "Here we are now. We're bigger, stronger, happier people."
Climate change has featured little in federal election campaign so far but the new poll results point to widespread voter dissatisfaction with current policies.

And they are not alone  exclusive international polling for Fairfax Media shows a similar proportion in 22 other nations think their governments are doing little or nothing to address global warming.

Two-thirds of voters say the Turnbull government is doing "not very much" or "nothing at all" to combat climate change.

In Australia, just 4 per cent said the government was doing "a great deal" to address climate change and 19 per cent said it was doing "a fair amount." But more than half (52 per cent) said the government was doing not very much and 14 per cent nothing at all.

Damselfish in a degraded habitat in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef

The results were consistent across Australian age groups and income groups although those living in cities were a little more likely to say the government was doing a fair amount to address climate change than those in regional areas.

A separate study of public opinions about climate change by the Ipsos polling firm, to be released soon, found most Australians think it is already causing an increase in extreme natural events. Ipsos' figures show 61 per cent think climate change is causing more frequent and/or extreme droughts while 59 per cent think it is causing more frequent and/or extreme bushfires and storms. The polling also found 56 per cent of Australians think climate change is contributing to the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef.

"The majority of us buy the argument that climate change is having a serious impact on our natural environment and our weather systems," said Ipsos director, Jessica Elgood.
It's the throwaway line that the Liberal Party hopes will cost Bill Shorten the election.

Speaking at a town hall event in Woy Woy on Friday night, the Opposition Leader told a standing room-only crowd that Labor would improve on a 2013 election commitment from the Liberal MP for the marginal seat of Robertson, Lucy Wicks.

Mr Shorten said fixing the Langford Drive - Woy Woy Road intersection in Kariong would require about $1 million, up from the Coalition's estimate of $675,000 three years ago.
Tony Abbott's campaign in the Sydney stronghold of Warringah has succumbed to bitter infighting as rank-and-file Liberals complain over strategy and position for "life-after-Abbott", tipping the former prime minister will quit if left off Malcolm Turnbull's post-election frontbench.

Despite his public statements to the contrary, many local Liberals expect Mr Abbott to move on after the election. A popular theory is that he will be offered a prominent diplomatic post such as Australia's high commissioner to London.

"No one expects Tony to hang around for long," said one.
Northern Territory senator Nova Peris has announced her resignation from politics after it was revealed she is seeking a senior position with the AFL, leaving the Labor Party scrambling to find a replacement before the July 2 election.

Despite the Labor campaign being blindsided by Senator Peris' new job application, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten praised her service, calling her a trailblazer, and said Labor remained committed to Indigenous representation in Parliament.

"After careful deliberation with my family, I have chosen not to re-contest my Senate seat in the upcoming federal election," Senator Peris said in a statement.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has moved to avoid an election stoush with the nation's churches by vowing to maintain exemptions for religious organisations from anti-discrimination laws.

The exemptions allow religious welfare agencies, hospitals and schools to not hire gays, lesbians and divorcees if they are believed to not comply with the relevant doctrine.

All the nation's major religious bodies - including Christian, Muslim and Jewish groups - have closely guarded their ability to run their affairs according to their faith. The Catholic Church is one of the biggest employers in the country.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale has failed to provide documents proving his family paid three au pairs a fair wage, despite promising to do so.

And Senator Di Natale's office has conceded "timesheets were not kept" to record the hours worked by the au pairs.

On Friday, the under fire Senator Di Natale told ABC radio in Melbourne he would "absolutely" release documents relating to the employment of the au pairs while accusing Fairfax Media of not taking into account rent and meals in calculating the au pairs' wages.
File Photo

China's State-owned commercial lenders have made strong progress in promoting renminbi internationalization, with the currency falling 5.6 percent against the US dollar in the past year.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd has issued its first renminbi-denominated certificate of deposit, allowing institutions to issue and clear financial products denominated in the Chinese currency in the US.

The CD, valued at 500 million yuan ($76.3 million), has a 31-day maturity and allows US borrowers to issue renminbi-denominated securities for trading and settlement purposes.

"The launch presents a significant milestone in meeting the growing demands of investors in the US and around the world to have access to the renminbi," said Jiang Jianqing, ICBC's chairman, in a statement.

"The renminbi is an increasingly important part of the global payments system, as payments in this currency are growing faster than overall global payments in all currencies."

Between February and March, renminbi payments increased 18.5 percent in value compared with a 10.7 percent increase in payments of other currencies, according to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which said the renminbi is now the fifth-most active currency used for global payments.

ICBC and BNY Mellon Corporate Trust, the issuer and paying agent of the new CD, are members of the Working Group on US Renminbi Trading and Clearing, which promotes trading, clearing and settlement of the Chinese currency in the US.

The group is chaired by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who said at the launch ceremony that it is important that US firms can easily use Chinese currency.

"Being able to clear renminbi here will lower costs for firms that want to do business, make our financial centers more competitive globally, and strengthen US-China relationships.

"All of that will help growth on both sides of the Pacific," Bloomberg said.

Large Chinese commercial lenders have been accelerating the internationalization of the renminbi, in tandem with ongoing business expansion abroad by Chinese companies and banks.

ICBC registered 4.34 trillion yuan in cross-border renminbi business volume in 2015, up 18.61 percent from the previous year.

Bank of China Ltd, another leading player in renminbi internationalization, recorded 5.39 trillion yuan in cross-border renminbi settlement last year.

Its cross-border renminbi clearing business volume rose 37 percent year-on-year to 330.96 trillion yuan.
Actor Johnny Depp has told American late-night television that Australia's Deputy Prime Minister looks like he was "inbred with a tomato" in the seemingly never-ending saga over the actor's dogs.

Depp and wife Amber Heard were forced to record a video apologising for breaching Australia's biosecurity laws, after being caught illegally smuggling their dogs, Pistol and Boo, into Australia in 2015.

The then-agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce famously threatened to euthanise the dogs if they remained in the country, in one of the stranger political stories of recent years.

The case quickly gained media attention worldwide, drawing attention to Australia's strict quarantine laws, aimed at protecting the continent from overseas diseases and pests.
If you think a senior public figure has said they want to use your neighbours as backfill for a bridge repair, it's not a good idea to call them an arsehole on Facebook.

Especially when that figure categorically denies making the comment.

That's what Norfolk Islander Kim Edward has found out. For her outburst on social media, her public-service pay has been cut by 2 per cent.
The Department of Immigration sought an investigation by the Australian Federal Police which resulted in a whistle-blowing psychiatrist having his phone records accessed, it has emerged.

Guardian Australia reported on Tuesday that the AFP had compiled hundreds of pages of file notes and reports involving Sydney-based psychiatrist and detention centre critic, Peter Young, including documents that show his phone records had been investigated.

The probe followed media reports that contained details of the medical records of Hamid Khazaei, a Manus Island asylum seeker who died in September 2014 after a cut on his leg progressed to septicaemia.
Any prosecution in the shooting death of an Australian security guard at the Baghdad embassy would likely have to use an untested law passed in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombing, legal experts have said.

As Australian Federal Police investigators returned home from Iraq, law experts said the simplest option available to authorities would be to employ the law against "harming Australians", which makes it an offence to kill Australian citizens overseas.

Chris Betts, 34, died from a gunshot wound at the security contractors' accommodation building next to the Australian embassy in Baghdad earlier this month. It has been widely reported the shooting was witnessed by colleague Sun McKay, 39.

Both men worked for contractor Unity Resources Group and were previously Australian soldiers.
By the time they finish their degrees next year, Ashley Solo and Sarah Davis will have each done 30 weeks of unpaid work.

The students at Sydney's University of Notre Dame are two of more than 20,000 teachers and nurses who fill the nation's school and hospitals on unpaid placements each year, putting a strain on their hip pockets as the cost of living continues its inexorable rise.

"You are just thrown in and [told to] swim... but it is OK," said Ms Davis, who will graduate with a nursing degree next year. She said the placement was an essential part of her degree. "You need the practice in a hospital."

For students earning as little as $300 a week, the yearly 10-week placement they must undertake costs them $3000 a year in income from not being able to work in paying jobs during that time.
"We have children ourselves," said Tara Glasgow, the research and development lead for the company's baby products franchise worldwide. "We would never sell a product we didn't believe was safe." So did the juries get it right or wrong? Is it plausible that Johnson's Baby Powder - that clean-smelling soft stuff that's a medicine cabinet staple, packaged in milky-white containers and supposedly mild enough for babies' bottom - can cause cancer? It's not an easy question to answer. "There is no way we're ever going to know for certain that any exposure is necessarily causal to a disease," said Dr Shelley Tworoger, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard. "We might be 99 per cent sure," in some cases, she said, "but there's usually no way to guarantee that what you see is actually the truth." Cancer is hard to study because it develops over a long period of time and is influenced by many factors, including genes, behaviours and environmental exposures. The best we can do, Tworoger said, "is look at the preponderance of the evidence".

Talc is a naturally occurring clay mineral composed of magnesium and silicon. Known for its softness, it is used in cosmetic products like blush because it absorbs moisture and prevents caking. It is also an additive in tablets, chewing gum and some rice. It's often mined in proximity to asbestos, a known carcinogen, and manufacturers have to take steps to avoid contamination. Many women use the powder on their inner thighs to prevent chafing, while others sprinkle it on their perineum, sanitary pads or underwear to stay "fresh" and dry. A 1980s ad campaign for a once-popular powder promised with a catchy jingle that "a sprinkle a day helps keep odour away". There has never been an experiment to see what happens when you deliberately expose women to talcum powder - for practical and ethical reasons, there never will be - so scientists must rely on observational studies that can link an exposure to a disease but cannot determine a cause-and-effect relationship. In 1982, a Harvard professor, Dr Daniel Cramer, and his colleagues compared 215 women with ovarian cancer and 215 healthy women who served as a control group. Compared with non-users, women who used talcum powder were at nearly twice the risk for having ovarian cancer, and those who used it regularly on their genitals and sanitary pads were at more than three times the relative risk. At least 10 subsequent studies echoed the results, with varying degrees of increased risk. But a small number of studies did not find a heightened risk for talc users. When researchers pooled the results of similar studies involving nearly 20,000 women, they found powder use was associated with a 24 per cent increased risk for ovarian cancer, an uncommon disease but one that is often fatal. If the finding is true, it means that for every five or six talcum powder users who develop ovarian cancer, one may be a result of talcum powder use, Dr Steven Narod, an expert in cancer genetics from Toronto, said.

But critics say such studies can get it wrong, because they quiz women about their risk factors after a cancer diagnosis, and people, by nature, have selective memories. "A patient is looking for reasons, and wondering, Why did this happen to me?" said Dr Larry Copeland, a gynaecologic oncologist from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centre and paid expert for Johnson & Johnson. If a researcher asks a patient about talc use, he said, "The answer is going to be 'Aha, yeah - maybe that was it'." Copeland points to a large US government-funded study, the Women's Health Initiative. Researchers asked 61,576 women at the beginning of the study whether they had ever used perineal powder (although they did not specify talcum powder) and tracked their health over time. After 12 years, the study investigators found no relationship between powder use and cancer. But that paper has critics, too. Narod said that the Women's Health Initiative cohort was not large enough and did not track women long enough to find differences in ovarian cancer. The findings, he said, do not invalidate the earlier observational research that showed a link between talc and cancer. Why talc use might lead to cancer is not clear. Studies have shown that talc crystals can move up the genital-urinary tract into the peritoneal cavity, where the ovaries are. Indeed, a pathology report on Berg's tumour found talc particles embedded in the tissue.

There is also a plausible mechanism, Tworoger said, because talc particles can set off inflammation, and inflammation is believed to play an important role in the development of ovarian cancer Since the research began showing a link between talc and cancer in the 1990s, federal officials have not acted to remove the powders or add warning labels. The non-profit Cancer Prevention Coalition petitioned the Food and Drug Administration in 1994 and again in 2008 for talc warning labels. In a 2014 denial letter, the agency said there was "no conclusive evidence" to establish causality, though it is plausible that talc "may elicit a foreign-body-type reaction and inflammatory response that, in some exposed women, may progress to epithelial cancers." Nevertheless, Johnson & Johnson made plans to "grow the franchise" by targeting African-American and Hispanic customers, according to internal company documents obtained by the plaintiff's lawyer, Allen Smith. "Negative publicity from the health community on talc (inhalation, dust, negative doctor endorsement, cancer linkage) continues," a 1992 memo said. Although Johnson & Johnson's talc supplier added warning labels in 2006, J&J did not add similar warnings to its products, according to litigation documents. Baby powder does carry a warning to keep it out of the reach of children and many paediatricians discourage its use on babies, who can become ill or die after breathing in the particles. Inhalation studies in female rats demonstrated carcinogenicity, according to the National Toxicology Program. Condom and surgical glove makers have stopped dusting their products with talc. "Talcum powder is an interesting case, because it's not something that's necessary," said Dr Anne McTiernan, an epidemiologist with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle. "If there's any doubt, why should anyone use it?"
Dismissed mayors and councillors seized control of a Sydney council chamber after hundreds of protesters forced the meeting to be shut down.

The first meeting of the newly created Inner West Council descended into chaos on Tuesday night, with riot police called to the scene as protesters shouted "out", spat at and jostled council workers.

The appointed head of the new council, formed from the amalgamation of Leichhardt, Ashfield and Marrickville, was unable to get through the Acknowledgment of Country ceremony as protesters booed and waved placards in his face.

Administrator Richard Pearson was forced to stop the meeting, and was escorted from the chamber by police as one woman spat at him and another man repeatedly grabbed his council documents and iPad and threw them away from him.
The world's biggest restaurant chain will open a pop-up store in inner city Glebe - and some in the area are definitely not lovin' it.

Fast food giant McDonald's plans to open a cafe among the eateries of Glebe Point Road for three days at the end of this week.

Glebe locals say they do not want a pop-up McCafe. Credit:Steven Siewert

But residents, business owners and local politicians have no taste for the idea, and a "No McDonald's working group" has been formed.

While McDonald's says it has no plans to open a permanent store, the group is concerned the chain is testing the market and will not leave.
A man has been arrested after a police memorial in Sydney's CBD commemorating officers who have died in the line of duty was vandalised for the second time in less than a week.

Members of the public phoned triple zero about 6.40pm on Tuesday to report a man behaving suspiciously near the pedestrian overpass at The Domain, not far from the NSW Police Force Wall of Remembrance.

The NSW Police Force Wall of Remembrance was scratched in Friday's vandal attack. Credit:Kirk Gilmour

Nearly 30 panels in that wall, which bears the names of officers killed on the job, had to be replaced after a vandal used a piece of rock or glass to scratch and write abusive messages on the wall on Friday afternoon, in an attack NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said left him "appalled and saddened".
Perennial political candidate Pauline Hanson is eyeing off more than just her own spot in the Senate, claiming her candidates have a shot in every state they'll contest.

The threshold for election to the senate is halved in a double dissolution election, likely combining with changes to voting laws to give the divisive Queenslander a better than usual chance at making her way back to office.

On Tuesday morning, Ms Hanson said she was "quietly confident" of winning election for the first time in 18 years.
Lu Xinning, deputy-director-in-chief of the People's Daily, addresses the dialogue (Photo/Zhang Yue)

The 8th China-South Korea Media High-level Dialogue opened on Monday in Seoul. Over 30 mainstream media organizations from both sides attended the dialogue, including China's People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and China Central Television, along with South Korea's Chosun Daily, and Yonhap news agency.

Addressing the dialogue, deputy-director-in-chief of the People's Daily Lu Xinning said that theres huge potential in the cooperation between the Chinese media and their Korean counterparts.

The two sides shall work together to deepen the collaborations. Media is the rational basis of public and social rationality, said Lu in her panel speech themed Let the Rise of China and the Miracle on the Han River complement with each other.

Lu called for more exchanges between the media organizations from China and South Korea. The two sides shall work together, share resources, and carry out joint interviews on the public issues of common concerns between the two countries. All of these efforts can provide more information backing the comprehension of the China-ROK relations, bringing more knowledge to solve the difficulties, said Lu.

Lu also emphasized that the both sides should build platforms to bring more content exchanges to open up new channels and new ways on mutual understandings.

Launched in 2009, the China-South Korea Media High-level Dialogue is held once a year in China and South Korea in rotation.

The media from both countries signed six cooperative agreements at the opening ceremony.
A man who failed to return to his houseboat on the Gold Coast has been found dead.

The body of 66-year-old Daniel Flaherty was found in the water on Monday after his overturned dinghy sparked a search of the Broadwater at Biggera Waters.

Daniel Flaherty was last seen when he told his family he was returning to his houseboat. Credit:Robert Rough

He was last seen on Sunday afternoon when he told his family he was returning to his houseboat and police say the death is not suspicious.

AAP
Franco Abad was a Wilson Security guard working at the entrance of the Melbourne Children's Court when he first met the 14-year-old girl on July 20 last year.

The girl, who had turned 14 just a couple of months earlier, was there for a court matter.

The trial, at the County Court, heard the 32-year-old guard believed the girl was 17. Credit:Scott Barbour

The pair had a cigarette together outside, got talking, and exchanged numbers.

Ten days later Mr Abad, 32, picked up the girl, who was under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services, and took her for a drive before the pair cuddled and kissed in his car.
Australia's peak health body and senior obstetricians are urging Victorian politicians to vote down a new abortion bill, saying it criminalises a medical procedure and jeopardises good medical practice.

The new laws, proposed by Democratic Labour Party MP Rachel Carling-Jenkins, aim to stop women getting an abortion after 24 weeks gestation and dictates doctors behave in a certain way. It was scheduled for debate in the upper house on Wednesday.

"The Infant Viability Bill criminalises abortion and commands doctors to provide certain types of neonatal and perinatal care," the Australian Medical Association's Victorian arm said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon.

"The AMA urges MPs to vote against this bill, as it jeopardises the independence of medicine ... it criminalises a medical procedure ... [and] it dictates that certain medial services must be provided to all patients".
A mother feared for her baby son's safety when a ute reversed into the back of her car while its driver was trying to evade arrest from heavily armed police, a court has heard.

Melbourne Magistrates' Court has heard Ashley James Rei-Paku was involved in a crime spree in October and November last year, during which he allegedly stole cars, fired gunshots at police on two separate occasions and struck a man in the chest with the blunt side of a small axe.

The accused allegedly struck a man with an axe after attempting to steal a car. Credit:Penny Stephens

In the early hours of November 19 last year, Mr Rei-Paku allegedly struck the man with the axe after attempting to steal a car from outside the man's Caroline Springs home. Also that morning, he is accused of firing a shot that hit a police vehicle during a short pursuit in Werribee.

About 6pm that day, the court heard, he was in a utility in the Werribee Plaza car park when heavily armed special operations group officers confronted him.
The office overseeing freedom-of-information in Victoria will be scrapped and combined with another department under a government shake-up of the state's integrity regime.

The office of the FOI commissioner will be merged with the Commissioner for Privacy and Data Protection's office.

Freedom-of-information office will be merged with Privacy Credit:Louie Douvis

Three new senior roles will be created in the new office but both current commissioners will have to apply for the jobs if they want to stay on.

In a statement the government said the new Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner will match similar bodies in New South Wales and Queensland.
A Victorian woman accused of murdering her partner after suffering years of "horrendous bashings" will face trial.

Gayle Dunlop, 60, has pleaded not guilty to murdering her on-and-off-again partner John Reed, 63, who had his life support system switched off in hospital three days after he was found with critical injuries in Melbourne's Seaford in July last year.

Gayle Dunlop will face the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday for a directions hearing. Credit:Scott Barbour

The couple's daughter, Mika Dunlop, 25, told her mother's committal hearing this week that as a young child she didn't understand what was happening when she saw her father attack her mother with a piece of glass, shoving her from room to room.

"I was too young to understand," Mika Dunlop said.
It says a lot about Bill Shorten's second day campaigning in suburban Perth that the armed robbery of a nearby adult shop provided the most newsworthy event.

The robbery at Gosnells Adultshop took place about 100 metres from where the Labor leader was visiting a medical clinic.

Amelia Sands, 2, tells Opposition Leader Bill Shorten her age during a visit to the Gosnells Healthcare Centre in the seat of Burt in WA together with her mother Chontelle Sands. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

There his only pledge of the day was to enshrine in law public ownership of Medicare.

The Federal Opposition leader was holding a press conference in the new West Australian seat of Burt, alongside Labor's candidate Matt Keogh, when the robbery took place.
Perth fitness fanatics can rejoice in the knowledge Jacob's Ladder is set to reopen to the public on Monday.

The City of Perth closed the well-worn 242-step outdoor staircase, which connects Cliff Street with Mounts Bay Road, indefinitely in February following concerns over its structural integrity.

Jacob's Ladder is set to re-open on Monday after a 'fitness health check'.

City of Perth Director of Construction and Maintenance Paul Cosetta said remedial measures were needed to ensure public safety when the closure of Jacob's Ladder was announced.

"The city understands how important Jacob's Ladder is for recreational use and as a tourism destination, and acknowledges the disruption caused to regular users," he said.



"Our commitment is to the safety of the public first, and Jacob's ladder will reopen when all the necessary repairs are carried out and final clearance inspection has been undertaken."
A Perth man sacked from his airport job after he shared Islamic extremist posts on Facebook and commented "We all support ISIS" told a Fair Work Commission hearing on Tuesday his comments were "sarcastic".

Nirmal Singh lodged an unfair dismissal claim with the commission after he was fired in October from Aerocare, for whom he had worked casually at Perth Airport for 18 months.

Nirmal Singh was sacked from his Perth Airport job over Facebook posts he says were "sarcastic". Photo: supplied

His employment meant he had security access to restricted areas within the airport working to airlines including Tiger Airways, Jetstar and Virgin Australia.

He was dismissed after three Facebook posts posted from Mr Singh's alias account, allegedly voiced support for ISIS and Muslim extremism.
San Francisco: Facebook uncovered no evidence that it suppressed news about conservative issues in its "trending topics" feature, the social media firm wrote Monday in a letter to US Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, a Republican.

"Our data analysis indicated that conservative and liberal topics are approved as trending topics at virtually identical rates," Colin Stretch, Facebook's general counsel, said in a prepared statement. "We were also unable to substantiate any of the specific allegations of politically motivated suppression of particular subjects or sources."

As part of Facebook's internal investigation, Stretch said the company spoke with current reviewers who oversee "trending topics" as well as with their supervisors, former reviewers and contractors, and reassessed its guidelines.

Stretch added that the investigation could not rule out isolated incidents of "improper actions or unintentional bias," so the company will change the way it handles trending topics to "minimise risks where human judgment is involved."
China Railway Construction Corp Ltd (CRCC), one of China's two major railway companies, will be compensated with almost 20 million pesos ($1.31 million) in the wake of the Mexican government unilaterally suspending a high-speed rail contract, according to a report on Reuters.

An official from CRCC told caixin.com that China has submitted the compensation application to Mexico, but the official was not able to reveal the exact amount. Yuriria Mascott, a deputy minister in Mexico's Communications and Transport Ministry, told Reuters that the government had already completed an analysis of CRCC's costs.

"The legal team informed me that what is to be expected is almost 20 million [pesos] in compensation," Mascott said.

CRCC won the $3.75 billion high-speed rail contract last year. The contract was later revoked over controversy in the bidding process.

Earlier this year, after the Mexican government relaunched the bid and then canceled it for a second time citing budget cuts, the CRCC assembled a list of costs incurred during the tender and requested compensation.
French police and prosecutors swooped on Google's Paris offices on Tuesday, intensifying a tax-fraud probe amid accusations the Internet giant fails to pay its fair share across the European Union.

The raids are part of preliminary criminal probe opened in June 2015 after French tax authorities lodged a complaint, according to a statement from France's financial prosecutor. The investigation is seeking to verify whether Google's Irish unit has permanent establishment in France and whether the firm failed to declare part of its revenues in France, according to the statement.

Google's French offices have been raided amid a tax-fraud probe. Credit:Tamara Voninski

The raids come as Google, which is part of parent company Alphabet Inc., faces outrage in Europe and elswhere in the world over the amount of tax it pays. France has called on the company to pay back taxes of about 1.6 billion euros ($2.5 billion).

Google said in a statement that it complies with French law and is "cooperating fully with the authorities to answer their questions."
UPP being used as poster child when it comes to vote buying.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers did not mingle with words on Monday when he asked the Minister of Justice Edison Kirindongo to give Parliament a clear definition of what is considered Vote Buying since in their (UPP) view it is very broad.

MP Meyers said the main reason they called for the meeting is because of the recent arrest of MP Silvio Meyers who was arrested and kept in custody for several days on the accusation of vote buying and after he was released the Prosecutors Office in a press release called on members of the community to contact them if they were approached to sell their votes. Meyers said that St. Maarten is a small community and people are being put to shame, and scandalized with the sudden arrests. He said based on what is going on there seems to be a "witch hunt" taking place on St. Maarten against politicians. He said that years ago this witch hunt took place but then it stopped but recently several persons including Maria Buncamper Molanus and Silvio Matser both persons who ran on the UPP slate in 2014.

Meyers further explained that if he commits a crime and is arrested by anyone he will stay quiet and do whatever time, but if he is wrongfully arrested after he is released he will then commit crimes.

He made clear that they know what is vote buying is but with the recent developments it appears as though that this topic is very broad.

MP Frans Richardson in his statements said that everyone knows exactly what is vote buying, but in parliament several MPs wants to play with the minds of the people by stating that vote buying could be interpreted in several ways for example when political parties give out political paraphernalia.

MP Rodolphe Samuel read the law out and he said that the prosecution should be called to parliament because the law is not very clear, he said based on what is in the law persons could be fined NAF. 25,000.00 or face a two year prison sentence. Samuel also mentioned the press release sent out after the arrest and release of MP Silvio Matster who is accused of vote buying.

MP Johan Janchi Leonard, and George Pantophlet also shared the same sentiments as MP Rodolphe Samuel who asked for clarity especially from the prosecutors office.

The Minister of Justice is scheduled to return to Parliament some time in the month of June to provide answers to the Members of Parliament.
PHILIPSBURG:--- From May 31-June 3, 2016 delegations from the Parliaments of the Netherlands, Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten will be meeting in The Hague, Netherlands for the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultations (IPKO).

The four parliamentary delegations will be discussing a number of issues that include education especially where DUO is concerned and repayment by former students, innovative and sustainable energy projects, climate change and the Paris agreement, health care specifically further specialization of hospitals in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, youth affairs, economic opportunities such as the possible introduction of a fast ferry between the Windward Islands and discrimination within the Kingdom.

The dispute regulation and the draft initiative Kingdom law to amend articles 14 and 38 of the Kingdom Charter of Second Chamber Member Van Laar are also on the agenda to be discussed. It is expected that the joint draft Kingdom Law for a Dispute Regulation as submitted by Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten back in January of this year will be at the center stage of the discussion. The program includes several work visits as well.

The delegation of Sint Maarten has been preparing for months for its participation in these meetings. The Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations met on numerous occasions to discuss the several topics and to establish the position of the Sint Maarten delegation on the several topics.

The Interparliamentary consultations will conclude on Friday June 3, 2016 with the adoption and signing of the Agreement List and a joint press conference of the four delegations.

The deliberations between the delegations are open to the public and can be followed directly through a live stream on the web site of the First Chamber and the Second Chamber, depending on the location of the meeting for that day, www.eerstekamer.nl or www.tweedekamer.nl.

Prior to the start of the Interparliamentary consultations, on May 30, 2016, the delegation of Sint Maarten will also be participating in the Tripartite meeting along with delegations from sister islands of Curacao and Aruba. Among the topics to be discussed are travel with ID cards between the islands, decentralization of testament/will registration, a possible joint Constitutional Court, the possibility of getting Sint Maarten back on the UN Decolonization List as well as several IPKO topics

The goal of the meeting is to prepare for the Interparliamentary consultation as well as discuss topics of mutual interest.

The Sint Maarten delegation partaking in the IPKO and Tripartite meetings will consist of the following members:

Mrs. Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, President of Parliament, Delegation leader;

Mr. George C. Pantophlet, Chairman Committee Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations;

Mr. Frans G. Richardson;

Mr. Maurice A. Lake;

Mrs. Leona M. Marlin-Romeo;

Mr. Van Hugh C. de Weever;

Mr. Franklin A. Meyers;

Mrs. N.R. Guishard-Joubert, LL.M., Secretary General;

Mr. mr Ralph R.H. Richardson, advisor.
South Reward:--- Many of our students in high school in the exam classes are busy with their final exams. We have wished all of them on our radio program Another View and via the media much success. Some of our students have applied for study financing and hoping to receive it upon successfully completing their final exams. This means that many of them will be leaving to go abroad to further their studies or to attend the University of St. Maarten and the NIPA. However, the majority of those graduates will remain on the island seeking employment for a year, some until they decide to further their studies. The remaining students in the hundreds will be seeking permanent employment starting the beginning of June 2016.

There are several companies that have started laying off workers because we have entered the so called slow season during this period of the year. Fewer cruise ships are calling on St. Maarten and our stay over guests are on the decline. Above and beyond those young graduates that are entering the job market for the first time we also have to deal with many young people that were employed with a short term contract that ended in April or May of 2016. Talking about the short term contracts we are still waiting on the Parliament of St. Maarten to address the abuse of those temporary contracts.

Nevertheless, we are at a very serious cross road with hundreds of young people entering the job market and fewer jobs to offer them. The OSPP has submitted a law that was passed in 1989 in the parliament of the former Netherlands Antilles commonly referred to as the Lei di Bion to all the members of the parliament of St. Maarten and the Council of Ministers. Both the members of Parliament and the government of St. Maarten NA, UP, DP and US refused to even entertain the existence of this law and the benefits for our young people. This law, if it was accepted would have allowed the businesses to employ young people between the ages of 18 to 25 who have been registered as unemployed at the labour department. The businesses would have been exempted from paying payroll taxes for those employees if they were employed for at least one year. We proposed instead of exempting the businesses from paying payroll taxes to provide them with a tax credit of 50% of the minimum wage at the end of the year. Our proposal would not have interfered with the collection of payroll taxes by the government.

The OSPP has also forwarded a proposal to the UP and NA lead governments to establish a loan guarantee program that would assist many young people to acquire loans to start their own businesses. This also fell on deaf ears of our elected and appointed representatives. It is a known fact that small businesses are the backbone of every economy.

After all these efforts failed to encourage past and present governments to establish programs to create jobs for our young people we have decided that there must be something we can do to put our young people to work. We have been communicating with Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs, Acting School Manager and Ms. Ashayna N. Nisbeth, Job Training Coordinator of the St. Maarten Vocational School and Messrs. Carty and

Garrin of the Milton Peters College as to how we can best put our young people to work. They have been cooperating from the beginning to get this program of the ground.

Today we are very happy to inform you that we have established a partnership with two local contractors, Singh Construction N.V. and Patterson Electrical Co. These two companies together with Steward Dev. Corp. N.V. have agreed to employ at least six young men that will be graduating from the St. Maarten Vocational School this year 2016. Their employment can commence as early as Monday, May 30, 2016. These young graduates will be employed in the field of construction and it is the intention that they will grow within this industry. Each employee will be provided with a safety hat and a pair of safety shoes to prevent any mishaps on the job. They have been informed what is expected of them on the job and how they will be compensated. They are all very eager to get started and they are looking forward to their first day on the job.

It is our dream and hope that these young men will succeed and they will be the catalyst to open the doors for more graduates of these schools and others to find suitable employment. We are asking other companies to join this program to enable our young people to find employment this year and thereafter. The students from the third forms from these schools once the new school year 2016 -2017 begins will also be able to do job training at these companies and others who join the program. It will enable them to continue employment with these companies upon their graduation. We will be contacting other companies to get involved to put our young people to work. We cant stay on the outside and when some type of crime is committed start blaming the young people. We must make sacrifices now or otherwise we are going to pay dearly in the very near future.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The American University of Integrative Sciences School of Medicine (AUIS) recently donated a Digitrex kit to the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) Emil Lee to help with preventative screening. The Digitrex includes a new technology tablet-based called Clinical Activity and Rotation Log (CARL) and other devices that make it possible to do quick screenings on blood pressure, glucose, body temperature, and the possibility of doing a 4 minute EKG. Everything is linked by Bluetooth, and it comes with its own terabyte of data storage.

During the donation, discussions were held with the CEO of AUIS Milo Pinckney and President Renu Agnihotri about developing a cooperation agreement with AUIS. AUIS expressed their willingness to contribute towards the Ministrys efforts in preventative care to the community of St. Maarten, particularly in the area of data processing and receiving volunteers to assist in the services of the Mobile Health Bus Program. This device will make the intake process at community outreach initiatives much faster. CEO Mr. Pinckney stated that AUIS is willing to make more Digitrex devices available to assist with the prevention programs the Ministry offers.

Minister Lee stated that, its wonderful to see the private sector stepping up to the plate to contribute towards making St. Maarten a better place to live. One of the benefits of being more open and transparent is that people are willing to participate more and more.
HARBOR VIEW: --- Chairwoman of the Social Economic Council (SER), Oldine Bryson-Pantophlet, welcomed the Chairman of the SER of Suriname, Ferdinand Welzijn on Tuesday May 17th. The Chairwoman congratulated him on being the latest addition to the family of social economic councils in the Caribbean and Latin America region.

As of April 2016 Suriname has re-established its SER. 2010 was the last year that the SER was active, during the tenure of former president of Suriname, Ronald Venetiaan.

The current President Desire Bouterse installed the new members last month. Five members are nominated by the government (independent experts), four by the unions (employee representatives) and four members represent the business community (employer representatives). The council consists of 13 permanent members. Each member has a substitute.

The meeting between SER Sint Maarten and SER Suriname is the first official meeting between the advisory bodies. The Secretary-General, Gerard Richardson gave a presentation about the work method of the SER, its composition and its role in Sint Maartens society.

Mr. Welzijn expressed his appreciation and is looking forward to a fruitful cooperation between the Councils.
Dealnet Enters Strategic Alliance Agreement with Global HVAC Manufacturer

TORONTO, ONTARIO  (Marketwired)  05/24/16  Dealnet Capital Corp. (Dealnet or the Company) (TSX VENTURE: DLS) today announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance agreement with a manufacturer (the Manufacturer) of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment (HVAC) to provide a tailored vendor finance program to the Manufacturers dealer network (the Dealer Network) across Canada. The Manufacturer is a premier global leader in the HVAC space, selling multiple well known branded products to its Dealer Network.

The Manufacturer had previously been financing with a competitor of Dealnet and was looking for a new Canadian partner who could deliver the following key attributes:

Initially, the program will be rolled out to approximately 80 dealers located in Ontario, with several dealers already on board. The program will then be deployed to the Dealer Network across Canada in the coming months.

Dealers are required to meet various criteria set by the Manufacturer to ensure they will operate with integrity and care while representing the Manufacturers brands. The majority of sales generated by the Dealer Network are inbound where the consumer invites the dealer as an authorized representative of the Manufacturer for a quotation, providing another entry point into the home for Dealnet.

Manufacturer programs are an important part of our growth strategy and we are pleased to achieve this significant milestone with an industry leader that shares our philosophy for a high level of service said Michael Hilmer, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. A suite of financing options demonstrates the manufacturers commitment to provide their dealers with as many tools as possible to support and service the Canadian consumer. The availability of flexible financing is important to all types of consumers making a major purchase and increases the dealers ability to secure a sale. This program is expected to be the first of many manufacturer programs for Dealnet.

About Dealnet Capital Corp.

Dealnet is an engagement enabled consumer finance company that is initially focused on home improvement finance solutions including heating ventilation and air conditioning financing and leasing. Dealnet leverages its large scale customer service and engagement technology platform to attract home improvement dealers by providing front and back office services to support dealer operations leading to origination growth.

For additional information please visit .

Neither the 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.

Contacts:

DealNet Capital Corp.

Michael Hilmer, CEO

416-420-5529

DealNet Capital Corp.

Nicole Marchand

Investor Relations

416-428-3533

416-428-3533
ROOT Data Center Lands Top Tech Company

MONTREAL, QUEBEC  (Marketwired)  05/24/16  ROOT Data Center has taken another step towards making Montreal the leading data centre city in Canada with the addition of a second centre in Baie-DUrfe, PQ, and expansion of its existing LaSalle, PQ, facility. Investment in greater capacity, increase energy efficiency and a significant increase in staff have been possible through the on-boarding of clients who recognize the value in ROOTs location and unique service offering.

Additional 175,000 square foot site

ROOT Data Center has become the data centre of choice because of its ability deploy needed capacity quickly through one of the most energy-efficient facilities in the country. This allows clients to bring their offerings to market sooner and significantly reduce traditional operational costs.

Anonymous by request, a sizeable new client entering Canada required more capacity to house their IT infrastructure and geographic redundancy was required, inspiring the need for a second site. Currently, ROOT is completing phase one of its new facility in Baie-DUrfe. The 175,000 square-foot centre that will eventually have a total power capacity of 50MW (megawatt), will go online in June with a 20MW capacity, enough to power up to 20,000 homes.

In sync with the physical site expansion, ROOT has hired more staff to meet its rapid growth, ramping up their team from nine in December 2015 to 34 employees as of April 2016.

ROOT, the eco-superior data centre

Efficiencies are realized though a unique cooling technology that uses the ambient air temperatures to cool the data centre. It is 100 percent free cooling when the temperature outside is below 22C and partial free cooling between 22C and 30C. In Montreal partial support is needed less than 10 percent of the year meaning ROOTs facilities reduce non-critical energy consumption by more than 50 percent compared to traditional centres. It also eliminates the need for more risky and complicated water cooling systems that can use millions of gallons of wasted water annually.

We are very excited to assist our new customer as they enter the Canadian market, said Root Data Center chief executive officer, AJ Byers. They have proven that our desire to challenge the data centre industry in Canada, by being more efficiency-focused, can bring significant value to large international organizations coming into the country.

$25 million in funding

ROOT raised $25 million in growth financing to complete the development of the LaSalle data centre, build the second data facility and fund their operational and staffing growth. The funding was secured from ABRY Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm with extensive investment experience in the data centre sector.

About ROOT Data Center

ROOT is a next generation data centre company that provides colocation solutions to empower the worlds computing leaders. Its modular design promises optimal agility and efficiency, which enables all customers to scale their technology infrastructure and grow with confidence. Less power to waste, more power to you. For more information visit

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Mylene Demers

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise Announces Plans for Tax-Free Spin-Off and Merger of Enterprise Services Business With CSC

PALO ALTO, CA  (Marketwired)  05/24/16  Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE)

Transaction will deliver HPE shareholders approximately $8.5 billion in expected after-tax value in stock-for-stock exchange;

Merger of two businesses expected to produce first-year cost synergies of approximately $1 billion post-close, with run rate of $1.5 billion by end of year one;

HPE shareholders will own approximately 50 percent of new combined company;

Agreements between HPE and the new company will maintain focus on serving current customers and growing new business opportunities over time;

Mike Lawrie to become chairman, president and CEO of new company, Meg Whitman to join board; board will be split 50/50 between directors nominated by HPE and CSC; Mike Nefkens to join new companys executive team;

One-time costs to separate Enterprise Services segment from HPE to be offset by lower costs associated with previously announced fiscal 2015 restructuring plan;

HPE affirms fiscal 2016 non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share (EPS) outlook of $1.85 to $1.95 and updates fiscal 2016 GAAP diluted net EPS outlook to $1.68 to $1.78; and

HPE to extend Q2 earnings call to elaborate on transaction; call to start at 4:30 p.m. ET today.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) today announced plans for a tax-free spin-off and merger of its Enterprise Services business with CSC (NYSE: CSC), which will create a pure-play, global IT services powerhouse. The spin-off and merger is the logical next step in the turnaround of HPEs Enterprise Services segment. It also allows a standalone HPE to further sharpen its leadership in building the vital end-to-end infrastructure solutions necessary to power the enterprise cloud and mobility revolutions.

Immediately following the transaction, currently targeted to be completed by March 31, 2017, HPE shareholders will own shares of both HPE and approximately 50 percent of the new company. The transaction is intended to be tax-free to HPE and CSC and their respective shareholders for federal income tax purposes.

The spin-merger of HPEs Enterprise Services unit with CSC is the right next step for HPE and our customers, said Meg Whitman, president and chief executive officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Enterprise Services customers will benefit from a stronger, more versatile services business, better able to innovate and adapt to an ever-changing technology landscape.

As a more powerful, versatile and independent global technology services business, this new company will be well positioned to help clients succeed on their digital transformation journeys, said Mike Lawrie, CSC chairman, president and chief executive officer. Together, CSC and HPEs Enterprise Services will have the scale, foundation and next-generation technologies to innovate, compete and grow in a rapidly changing marketplace. We are excited by the great potential this merger brings to our people, clients, partners and investors, and by the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

On a pro forma basis, the new company that combines CSC and HPEs Enterprise Services business is expected to have annual revenues of approximately $26 billion(1), more than 5,000 customers in 70 countries and employees in every major global region. Mike Lawrie, the current head of CSC, will become chairman, president and CEO of the new company, and Meg Whitman will join the Board of Directors. The new companys board will be split 50/50 between directors nominated by HPE and CSC. CSCs current CFO, Paul Saleh, will continue in that role in the new company after the transaction closes. Additionally, Mike Nefkens, the current EVP and GM of HPEs Enterprise Services business, will be a key part of the new companys executive team and partner closely with Lawrie on building the new organization. Other executives and directors of the merged company, as well as the name of the company, will be announced at a later date.

The transaction is expected to deliver approximately $8.5 billion to HPEs shareholders on an after-tax basis. This includes an equity stake in the newly combined company valued at more than $4.5 billion, which represents approximately 50 percent ownership, a cash dividend of $1.5 billion, and the assumption of $2.5 billion of debt and other liabilities. The merger of the two businesses is expected to produce first-year cost synergies of approximately $1 billion post-close, with a run rate of $1.5 billion by the end of year one. There is an opportunity for additional synergies in subsequent years. As owners of approximately 50 percent of the merged company, HPE shareholders will share in the value of the synergies, as well as future growth in earnings.

One-time costs to separate the Enterprise Services segment from HPE will be offset by lower costs associated with the fiscal 2015 restructuring plan; there are no incremental one-time cash payments beyond those already communicated. The transaction is subject to certain customary closing conditions.

The consolidation of CSC and HPEs Enterprise Services segment will create a new company with substantial scale to serve customers more efficiently and effectively worldwide. By combining, both organizations can more rapidly accelerate already-improved financial and operational performance. For customers, this enhances global access to world-class offerings in next-generation cloud, mobility, application development and modernization, business process services, big data and analytics, workplace, IT services, and security, combined with deep industry experience in sectors that include financial services, transportation, consumer products, healthcare, and insurance.

At the same time, the transaction should create significant incremental value for shareholders by unlocking the faster growing, higher margin and stronger free cash flow HPE. A standalone HPE, with $33 billion(2) in expected annual revenue, will sharpen its focus on secure, next-generation, software-defined infrastructure that leverages a world-class portfolio of servers, storage, networking, converged infrastructure, as well as its Helion Cloud platform and software assets. By bringing together leadership positions in these key data center technologies, HPE will help customers run their traditional IT better, while building a bridge to multi-cloud environments.

Beyond the data center, HPE is redefining IT at the edge with its next generation of Aruba and computing products for campus, branch, and IoT applications. In addition, through HPEs Technology Services division, the company applies the necessary consulting capabilities to help customers. HPE Financial Services offers customers financial flexibility to maximize their investments. And, HPE will continue to leverage its portfolio of operations, security, and big data software assets that deliver machine learning and deep analytics capabilities to customers.

Whitman continued, As two standalone companies with global scale, strong balance sheets and focused innovation pipelines, both HPE and the new company that combines CSC and HPEs Enterprise Services segment will be well positioned as leaders in their respective markets. For HPE, our balance sheet, capital allocation strategy, and cost structure will now be fully optimized for a faster growing, higher margin and more robust free cash flow business. And, the new company will be in a stronger position to win than either organization could have been on its own.

Both the new company and HPE will be well-capitalized and have capital structures set to take advantage of their distinct growth opportunities and cash flow profiles. Each company will have its own equity currency, and investors will have the opportunity to invest in two companies with compelling and unique financial profiles well suited to their respective businesses.

Todays announcement builds on the progress HPE has made to turn around the Enterprise Services business and improve its operating model, labor mix and financial profile. In FY13, just three customers made up approximately 65 percent of HPEs Enterprise Services operating profit. Today, no single customer accounts for more than 10 percent. The company has significantly improved HPEs Enterprise Services cost structure by exiting high-cost data centers, improving low-cost location mix and rebalancing its workforce. Over the three-year period, HPEs Enterprise Services also has significantly improved service and response quality, leading to best in class net promoter scores from its customers.

As a result of customer diversification efforts and these other improvements, Enterprise Services delivered stable revenue for the first two quarters of fiscal 2016, which were the first quarters of year-over-year constant currency revenue growth since fiscal 2012. In the second quarter of fiscal 2016, Enterprise Services reported its eighth consecutive quarter of year-over-year operating margin expansion. Overall, HPEs Enterprise Services is on track to achieve its long-term goal of a market competitive cost structure and operating margins.

Goldman Sachs & Co. is serving as financial advisor to HPE on the transaction.

(1) Based on $18 billion in trailing four quarters of revenue for the Enterprise Services segment, adjusted for Mphasis and Communications and Media Solutions (CMS), plus $8 billion in trailing 4 quarters of revenue for CSC, adjusted for recent acquisitions.

(2) Based on trailing four quarter segment revenue for EG, SW and HPEFS; HPE revenue is total HPE revenue calculated on a trailing four quarter basis, including inter-company eliminations, less the Enterprise Services segment, excluding Commercial and Media Solutions (CMS).

For the fiscal 2016 third quarter, Hewlett Packard Enterprise estimates non-GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $0.42 to $0.46 and GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $1.10 to $1.14. Fiscal 2016 third quarter non-GAAP diluted net EPS estimates exclude an after-tax gain on the divestiture of H3C technologies and other of approximately $1.06, and after-tax costs of approximately $0.38 per share, related to restructuring charges, the amortization of intangible assets, separation costs and acquisition and other related charges.

For fiscal 2016, Hewlett Packard Enterprise estimates non-GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $1.85 to $1.95 and GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $1.68 to $1.78. Fiscal 2016 non-GAAP diluted net EPS estimates exclude an after-tax gain on the divestiture of H3C technologies and other of approximately $1.06, and after-tax costs of approximately $1.23 per share, related to restructuring charges, the amortization of intangible assets, separation costs, acquisition and other related charges and tax indemnification adjustments.

HPE will extend its conference call to discuss its fiscal second quarter financial results today to elaborate on the transaction; the call will start at 4:30 p.m. ET. Mike Lawrie, CSCs chairman, president and CEO, will participate in the call to discuss this transaction along with HPE management. For webcast details, go to .

HPE is an industry-leading technology company that enables customers to go further, faster. With the industrys most comprehensive portfolio, spanning the cloud to the data center to workplace applications, our technology and services help customers around the world make IT more efficient, more productive and more secure.

CSC (NYSE: CSC) leads clients on their digital transformation journeys. The company provides innovative next-generation technology services and solutions that leverage deep industry expertise, global scale, technology independence and an extensive partner community. CSC serves leading commercial and international public sector organizations throughout the world. CSC is a Fortune 500 company and ranked among the best corporate citizens. For more information, visit the companys website at .

Information set forth in this communication, including statements as to Hewlett Packard Enterprises outlook and financial estimates and statements as to the expected timing, completion and effects of the proposed merger between a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSC and Everett SpinCo, Inc. (Enterprise Services) which will immediately follow the proposed spin-off of Enterprise Services from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These estimates and statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially.

These statements are based on various assumptions and the current expectations of the management of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and CSC, and may not be accurate because of risks and uncertainties surrounding these assumptions and expectations. Factors listed below, as well as other factors, may cause actual results to differ significantly from these forward-looking statements. There is no guarantee that any of the events anticipated by these forward-looking statements will occur. If any of the events occur, there is no guarantee what effect they will have on the operations or financial condition of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or CSC. Forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise and CSC undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement unless required to do so by the federal securities laws.

Some forward-looking statements discuss Hewlett Packard Enterprises and CSCs plans, strategies and intentions. They use words such as expects, may, will, believes, should, would, could, approximately, anticipates, estimates, targets, intends, likely, projects, positioned, strategy, future, and plans. In addition, these words may use the positive or negative or other variations of those terms. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected effects on Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Enterprise Services and CSC of the proposed distribution of Enterprise Services to Hewlett Packard Enterprises stockholders and merger of Enterprise Services with a subsidiary of CSC (the Transaction), the anticipated timing and benefits of the Transaction, including future financial and operating results, and whether the Transaction will be tax-free for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and its stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the combined companys plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Forward-looking statements also include all other statements in this press release that are not historical facts.

These statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and CSC (as the case may be) and are subject to uncertainty and to changes in circumstances. Major risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to: the satisfaction of the conditions to the Transaction and other risks related to the completion of the Transaction and actions related thereto; Hewlett Packard Enterprises and CSCs ability to complete the Transaction on the anticipated terms and schedule, including the ability to obtain shareholder and regulatory approvals and the anticipated tax treatment of the Transaction and related transactions; risks relating to any unforeseen changes to or effects on liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, indebtedness, financial condition, losses and future prospects; CSCs ability to integrate Enterprise Services successfully after the closing of the Transaction and to achieve anticipated synergies; the risk that disruptions from the Transaction will harm Hewlett Packard Enterprises or CSCs businesses; the effect of economic, competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors and other factors described under Risk Factors in each of Hewlett Packard Enterprises and CSCs Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. However, it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, while the list of factors presented here is considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties.

To supplement HPEs historical and forecasted financial results presented on a GAAP basis, HPE provides non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share. Non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share is defined to exclude the effects of any restructuring charges, charges relating to the amortization of intangible assets, separation costs, acquisition and other related charges and tax indemnification adjustments recorded or expected to be recorded during the relevant period. In addition, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share are adjusted by the amount of additional taxes or tax benefit associated with each non-GAAP item. Fiscal 2016 non-GAAP diluted net EPS estimates exclude after-tax costs of approximately $1.10 per share, related primarily to restructuring charges, the amortization of intangible assets, separation costs, acquisition and other related charges and tax indemnification adjustments.

HPEs management uses non-GAAP financial measures, including HPEs non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, to evaluate and forecast HPEs performance before gains, losses or other charges that are considered by HPEs management to be outside of HPEs core business segment operating results. These non-GAAP financial measures may have limitations as analytical tools, and these measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of HPEs results as reported under GAAP. For example, items such as the amortization of intangible assets, though not directly affecting HPEs cash position, represent the loss in value of intangible assets over time. The expense associated with this loss in value is not included in HPEs non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share and therefore does not reflect the full economic effect of the loss in value of those intangible assets. In addition, items such as restructuring charges that are excluded from HPEs non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share can have a material impact on HPEs GAAP diluted net earnings per share. Other companies may calculate non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share differently than HPE does, which limits the usefulness of that measure for comparative purposes.

HPE compensates for the limitations on its use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using non-GAAP financial measures only supplementally. HPE also provides reconciliations of each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP measure within this news release and in other written materials available at that include these non-GAAP financial measures, and HPE encourages investors to review carefully those reconciliations.

HPE believes that providing non-GAAP financial measures to investors in addition to the related GAAP financial measures provides investors with greater transparency to the information used by HPEs management in its financial and operational decision making and allows investors to see HPEs results through the eyes of management. HPE further believes that providing this information better enables HPEs investors to understand HPEs operating performance and to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by HPEs management to evaluate and measure such performance. Disclosure of non-GAAP financial measures also facilitates comparisons of HPEs operating performance with the performance of other companies in HPEs industry that supplement their GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures that may be calculated in a similar manner.

 2016 Hewlett Packard Enterprise, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Hewlett Packard Enterprise shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the proposed Transaction, CSC will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a registration statement on Form S-4, which will include a prospectus. CSC will also file a proxy statement which will be sent to the CSC shareholders in connection with their vote required in connection with the Transaction. In addition, Enterprise Services expects to file a registration statement in connection with its separation from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENTS/PROSPECTUSES AND PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CSC, ENTERPRISE SERVICES AND THE TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain these materials (when they are available) and other documents filed with the SEC free of charge from the SECs website, . These documents (when they are available) can also be obtained free of charge from the respective companies by directing a written request to Hewlett Packard Enterprise at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, 3000 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, California 94304, Attention: Investor Relations, or by calling (650) 857-2246.

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HPE Reports Fiscal 2016 Second Quarter Results

PALO ALTO, CA  (Marketwired)  05/24/16  Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE)

HPE businesses grow revenue over prior-year period for the first time in five years

Cash flow from operations of $1.1 billion, up 101% from adjusted cash flow from operations in the prior-year period

Second quarter net revenue of $12.7 billion, up 1% from the prior-year period and up 5% on a constant currency basis

Second quarter non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share of $0.42, near the high end of the previously provided outlook of $0.39 to $0.43 per share

Second quarter GAAP diluted net earnings per share of $0.18, above the previously provided outlook of $0.13 to $0.17 per share

Returned $109 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases

Board authorized additional $3 billion for share repurchases; $4.8 billion now remaining in stock repurchase authorization

HPE to extend Q2 earnings call to elaborate on announced transaction with CSC; call to start at 4:30 p.m. ET today

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) today announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 second quarter, ended April 30, 2016.

Second quarter net revenue of $12.7 billion was up 1% from the prior-year period and up 5% on a constant currency basis.

Second quarter GAAP diluted net earnings per share (EPS) was $0.18, up from $0.16 in the prior-year period, and above its previously provided outlook of $0.13 to $0.17. Second quarter non-GAAP diluted net EPS was $0.42, down from adjusted non-GAAP diluted net EPS of $0.43 in the prior-year period, and near the high end of its previously provided outlook of $0.39 to $0.43. Second quarter non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net EPS exclude after-tax costs of $411 million and $0.24 per diluted share, respectively, related to the amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges, separation costs, tax indemnification adjustments and acquisition and other related charges.

Todays results represent our best performance since I joined in 2011, said Meg Whitman, president and chief executive officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise. The businesses comprising HPE grew revenue over the prior-year period on an as reported basis for the first time in five years. We also had strong quarterly performance in every one of our business segments and generated more than $500 million in free cash flow.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise also announced plans for a tax-free spin-off and merger of its Enterprise Services business with CSC which will create a pure-play, global IT services leader and unlock a faster-growing, higher-margin and stronger free cash flow enterprise infrastructure and software business. For more information, click .

*Q2 FY15 Non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share (EPS) and Cash flow from operations contain adjustments to give effect to the separation of the Company from HP Inc. (formerly known as Hewlett-Packard Company). The adjusted figures provide a more useful representation, as if the Company had been a stand-alone company during fiscal 2015.

Information about HPEs use of non-GAAP financial information is provided under Use of non-GAAP financial information below.

For the fiscal 2016 third quarter, Hewlett Packard Enterprise estimates non-GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $0.42 to $0.46 and GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $1.10 to $1.14. Fiscal 2016 third quarter non-GAAP diluted net EPS estimates exclude an after-tax gain on the divestiture of H3C technologies and other of approximately $1.06, and after-tax costs of approximately $0.38 per share, related to restructuring charges, the amortization of intangible assets, separation costs and acquisition and other related charges.

For fiscal 2016, Hewlett Packard Enterprise estimates non-GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $1.85 to $1.95 and GAAP diluted net EPS to be in the range of $1.68 to $1.78. Fiscal 2016 non-GAAP diluted net EPS estimates exclude an after-tax gain on the divestiture of H3C technologies and other of approximately $1.06, and after-tax costs of approximately $1.23 per share, related to restructuring charges, the amortization of intangible assets, separation costs, acquisition and other related charges and tax indemnification adjustments.

revenue was $7.0 billion, up 7% year over year, up 10% in constant currency, with an 11.7% operating margin. Servers revenue was up 7%, up 10% in constant currency, Storage revenue was up 2%, up 5% in constant currency, Networking revenue was up 57%, up 62% in constant currency, and Technology Services revenue was down 6%, down 2% in constant currency.

revenue was $4.7 billion, down 2% year over year, up 1% in constant currency, with a 6.7% operating margin. Infrastructure Technology Outsourcing revenue was down 1%, up 2% in constant currency, and Application and Business Services revenue was down 3%, flat in constant currency.

revenue was $774 million, down 13% year over year, down 10% in constant currency, with a 24.8% operating margin. License revenue was down 12%, down 11% in constant currency, support revenue was down 16%, down 13% in constant currency, professional services revenue was down 3%, down 1% in constant currency, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) revenue was down 11%, down 10% in constant currency.

revenue was $788 million, down 2% year over year, up 1% in constant currency, net portfolio assets were up 8%, up 9% in constant currency, and financing volume was up 15%, up 19% in constant currency. The business delivered an operating margin of 9.3%.

HPE will extend its conference call to discuss its fiscal second quarter financial results today to elaborate on the transaction; the call will start at 4:30 p.m. ET. Mike Lawrie, CSCs chairman, president and CEO, will participate in the call to discuss this transaction along with HPE management. For webcast details, go to .

is an industry leading technology company that enables customers to go further, faster. With the industrys most comprehensive portfolio, spanning the cloud to the data center to workplace applications, our technology and services help customers around the world make IT more efficient, more productive and more secure.

To supplement Hewlett Packard Enterprises condensed consolidated and combined financial statement information presented on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provides revenue on a constant currency basis, as well as non-GAAP operating expense, non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP income tax rate, non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, gross cash, free cash flow, net capital expenditures, net debt, net cash, operating company net debt and operating company net cash financial measures. Hewlett Packard Enterprise also provides forecasts of non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share and free cash flow. A reconciliation of adjustments to GAAP financial measures for this quarter and prior periods is included in the tables below or elsewhere in the materials accompanying this news release. In addition, an explanation of the ways in which Hewlett Packard Enterprises management uses these non-GAAP measures to evaluate its business, the substance behind Hewlett Packard Enterprises decision to use these non-GAAP measures, the material limitations associated with the use of these non-GAAP measures, the manner in which Hewlett Packard Enterprises management compensates for those limitations, and the substantive reasons why Hewlett Packard Enterprises management believes that these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to investors is included under Use of non-GAAP financial measures further below. This additional non-GAAP financial information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for revenue, operating profit, operating margin, net earnings, diluted net earnings per share, cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations, investments in property, plant and equipment, or total company debt prepared in accordance with GAAP.

In addition, for fiscal 2015, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provides adjusted non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, adjusted cash flow from operations and adjusted free cash flow. A reconciliation of these adjustments to GAAP financial measures for prior periods is included elsewhere in the materials accompanying this news release and in the 8-K that was filed with the SEC on March 8, 2016. An explanation of the ways in which Hewlett Packard Enterprises management uses these adjusted non-GAAP measures to evaluate its business, the substance behind Hewlett Packard Enterprises decision to use these adjusted non-GAAP measures, the material limitations associated with the use of these adjusted non-GAAP measures, the manner in which Hewlett Packard Enterprises management compensates for those limitations, and the substantive reasons why Hewlett Packard Enterprises management believes that these adjusted non-GAAP measures provide useful information to investors is included under Use of adjusted non-GAAP financial measures further below.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If the risks or uncertainties ever materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, the results of Hewlett Packard Enterprise may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions.

All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to any projections of revenue, margins, expenses, effective tax rates, net earnings, net earnings per share, cash flows, benefit plan funding, share repurchases, currency exchange rates or other financial items; any projections of the amount, timing or impact of cost savings or restructuring charges; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, including the recently completed separation transaction, the execution of restructuring plans and any resulting cost savings or revenue or profitability improvements; any statements concerning the expected development, performance, market share or competitive performance relating to products or services; any statements regarding current or future macroeconomic trends or events and the impact of those trends and events on Hewlett Packard Enterprise and its financial performance; any statements regarding pending investigations, claims or disputes; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements or assumptions underlying any of the foregoing.

Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the need to address the many challenges facing Hewlett Packard Enterprises businesses; the competitive pressures faced by Hewlett Packard Enterprises businesses; risks associated with executing Hewlett Packard Enterprises strategy; the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the need to manage third-party suppliers and the distribution of Hewlett Packard Enterprises products and the delivery of Hewlett Packard Enterprises services effectively; the protection of Hewlett Packard Enterprises intellectual property assets, including intellectual property licensed from third parties; risks associated with Hewlett Packard Enterprises international operations; the development and transition of new products and services and the enhancement of existing products and services to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and its suppliers, customers and partners; the hiring and retention of key employees; integration and other risks associated with business combination and investment transactions; the results of the separation transaction or restructuring plans, including estimates and assumptions related to the cost (including any possible disruption of Hewlett Packard Enterprises business) and the anticipated benefits of the separation or of implementing the restructuring plans; the resolution of pending investigations, claims and disputes; and other risks that are described in Hewlett Packard Enterprises Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2015, and Hewlett Packard Enterprises other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including HPEs Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2016.

As in prior periods, the financial information set forth in this release, including tax-related items, reflects estimates based on information available at this time. While Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes these estimates to be reasonable, these amounts could differ materially from reported amounts in the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2016. Hewlett Packard Enterprise assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

To supplement Hewlett Packard Enterprises condensed consolidated and combined financial statement information presented on a GAAP basis, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provides revenue on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP income tax rate, non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, gross cash, free cash flow, net capital expenditures, net debt, net cash, operating company net debt and operating company net cash financial measures. Hewlett Packard Enterprise also provides forecasts of non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share and free cash flow.

These non-GAAP financial measures are not computed in accordance with, or as an alternative to, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to revenue on a constant currency basis is revenue. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating expense is total costs and expenses. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating profit is earnings from operations. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating margin is operating margin. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP income tax rate is income tax rate. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP net earnings is net earnings. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share is diluted net earnings per share. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to gross cash is cash and cash equivalents. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to free cash flow is cash flow from operations. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to net capital expenditures is investment in property, plant and equipment. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to net debt and operating company net debt is total company debt. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to each of net cash and operating company net cash is cash and cash equivalents. Reconciliations of each of these non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP information are included in the tables above or elsewhere in the materials accompanying this news release.

Revenue on a constant currency basis assumes no change in the foreign exchange rate from the prior-year period. Non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating profit and non-GAAP operating margin are defined to exclude the effects of any charges relating to the amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges, charges relating to the separation transaction, acquisition and other related charges, impairment of data center assets and defined benefit plan settlement charges. Non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share consist of net earnings or diluted net earnings per share excluding those same charges and valuation allowances and separation taxes, and tax indemnification adjustments. In addition, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share are adjusted by the amount of additional taxes or tax benefits associated with each non-GAAP item. Hewlett Packard Enterprises management uses these non-GAAP financial measures for purposes of evaluating Hewlett Packard Enterprises historical and prospective financial performance, as well as Hewlett Packard Enterprises performance relative to its competitors. Hewlett Packard Enterprises management also uses these non-GAAP measures to further its own understanding of Hewlett Packard Enterprises segment operating performance. Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that excluding the items mentioned above from these non-GAAP financial measures allows Hewlett Packard Enterprises management to better understand Hewlett Packard Enterprises consolidated financial performance in relation to the operating results of Hewlett Packard Enterprises segments, as Hewlett Packard Enterprises management does not believe that the excluded items are reflective of ongoing operating results. More specifically, Hewlett Packard Enterprises management excludes each of those items mentioned above for the following reasons:

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 2016 Hewlett Packard Enterprise, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Hewlett Packard Enterprise shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

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In order to prevent sika deers from attacking each other, southwest China's Chongqing Zoo cut their antlers, according to a report on Chongqing Economic Times.

Some visitors found that all antlers of sika deers in the zoo had been cut which triggered speculation that the zoo had sold them or extracted them as tonic.

A staff member told Chongqing Economic Times that there are over 20 sika deers in the zoo. The zoo does not have large enough space for sika deers to run as they do in the wild. The sika deers might hurt others when they are in a relative small space. In order to avoid conflicts between them, the zoo cuts their antlers every year and the cut antlers are stored in a storeroom.
NRT Technology Corp. Was Granted yet Another Victory Against Everi Holdings in Patent Dispute

TORONTO, ONTARIO and LAS VEGAS, NEVADA  (Marketwired)  05/24/16  NRT Technology Corp. of Toronto, Canada, and its U.S. operating entity-NRT Technologies, Inc. of Las Vegas, Nevada-continued, on May 16, a trend of legal victories against Everi Holdings Inc. This most recent triumph before the International Trade Commission (ITC) in Washington, D.C. again concerns Everis allegations that NRT infringed U.S. patent number 6,081,792 with respect to certain functionalities purportedly found in NRTs industry leading ticket redemption and payment kiosks. NRTs kiosks can be found in premier gaming establishments throughout the United States and the world.

The ITC-in its most recent decision-issued a Notice of Commission Decision to Review an Initial Determination Granting a Motion for Summary Determination of the Invalidity of the Asserted Patent Claims, And on Review Affirming the Initial Determination. In short, the ITC provided notice that further to the Commissions review of the presiding administrative law judges initial determination, which granted a motion for summary determination of invalidity, the Commission affirmed the finding of invalidity by the administrative judge. The ITC has now-not once, but twice-found the Everi patent to be invalid.

The Commission noted that Everi has not argued any error in  determination of the level of skill in the art and that NRT demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the claim language, when read in light of the specification and prosecution history, fails to inform, with reasonable certainty, those skilled in the art about the scope of the invention. Specifically, the Commission found the Everi patent to be ambiguous. The Commission also specifically comments on the evidentiary testimony presented by the parties. The Commission noted that NRTs expert testimony (was) credible while Everis experts testimony is not credible.

We remain pleased with the outcome of the proceedings at ITC, said Jin Shin, General Counsel for NRT. It is unfortunate for Everis stockholders and investors that Everi continues to attempt to enforce this clearly invalid patent. The Commission has  time and again  agreed with NRT and disagreed with Everi in this ill-advised litigation. We see no choice for Everi going forward but to withdraw its action.

Notwithstanding this most recent victory, Everi has continued to suggest to its customers that its patent remains valid. The most recent example of such a statement occurred during its Q1 2016 conference call. During that call, Everi informed the investing public that its patent has not been invalidated, so if somebody wants to go against it, and we ultimately prevail, we would have the ability to go back, and they could be liable. In response to this statement, and to give the consuming public absolute certainty as to the invalidity of the Everi patent-NRT commenced a new Covered Business Method Review proceeding at the United States Patent Office. Such a proceeding would offer the Patent Office an opportunity to likewise invalidate the Everi patent.

We think it is critical that there be no doubt that the Everi patent is invalid and no longer enforceable, continued Mr. Shin. Between two victories at the International Trade Commission and a similar defeat for Everi in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, we will hopefully strike a final death knell with yet another adjudicative body recognizing that the Everi patent is undeserving of U.S. patent protection.

The International Trade Commission matter is investigation number 337-TA-958: In the Matter of Certain Automated Teller Machines and Point of Sale Devices and Associated Software Thereof. The U.S. Patent Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceeding is matter number CBM2016-00080.

About NRT

NRT Technology Corp. (NRT) provides the most innovative payment processing, cash handling and cash management products, services and solutions in the casino industry. NRTs world-class payment processing (cash access) solution connects to all financial institutions, giving your casino guests instant access to ATM, credit card cash advance, POS Debit, Dynamic Currency Conversion and Check Cashing Services at the cage and kiosk, all in one fully integrated package. NRT also provides turnkey applications for jackpot redemption, ticket redemption as well as other cash handling related applications. Our products are used around the globe by Casinos, Lotteries & Retailers. Visit .

Contacts:

Michael Dominelli

V.P Marketing & Product

Tel: 416.646.5232 x 4248

416.646.5242 (FAX)
Labour  May 24, 2016  Sean Smith

Torontos Pearson International Airport is Canadas busiest hub and is crucial to the economy. There are more than 40,000 employees working for over 400 employers at the airport, making it the largest workplace in Canada. The following is an interview with Sean Smith, Mobilization Co-ordinator, UNIFOR 2002 and Representative, Toronto Airport Workers Council (facebook.com/TAWCYYZ). The interview was conducted by Tim Heffernan of Socialist Alternative, where it first appeared. The interview was conducted in April 2016. Here is a useful background story from the Toronto Star , April 2015.

Tim Heffernan (TH): Tell us about the issues facing workers at Torontos Pearson International Airport.

Sean Smith (SS): Well, whats unique about airline workers [and] that few people realise is that as the neoliberal era took off in the early 80s, the first part of the federal government that they privatized was Air Canada in 1987. I was an Air Canada worker at the time and if you look around the world youll see the same pattern emerging. In the U.S. the first wave was the deregulation of the airline industry under Jimmy Carter in 1978, in Canada it came a little bit later under Pierre Trudeau in 1982 and then the privatization of Air Canada. What this means is that as workers most affected on the front lines of neoliberalism, we have seen our working standards fall the quickest and the furthest from other public sector workers who privatized after us.

When I started with the company in 1985, the bulk of the workers were full time and, in todays money, making around $70,000 with full time pensions and benefits and travel privileges. Whereas if you look at today, its now multi-employer, no job security, theres no regulation of our industry whatsoever, so youve seen stable jobs replaced by increasingly precarious, part-time contract work. That is why we needed to change this system of breaking down and creating divisions between labour. We needed workers to come together as a mass and say: instead of us trying to respectively bargain individually with our employers, were going to bargain as one. Its not that radical a concept if you think about it, but it is in todays context where everyone has separate unions and separate employers.

TH: Okay, so that brings me to the second question which is about the history of unions at Pearson and youve got a group called the Toronto Airport Workers Council. Can you say how that emerged, its composition, the different unions, and its relationship to the official union structures at Pearson?

SS: Its emergence is actually very basic. Its just stopping for a moment and saying: why are we doing what were doing? and this example happened in the mid-1990s. Air Canada was doing another restructuring and we were called to a meeting with management.

TH: Whos we?

SS: The IAM (machinists union) who represented ramp workers, CAW at the time  we represented the customer service workers, and CUPE, who represent the flight attendants. So were all sitting outside a managers office and each of us had a different appointment to go in separately and hear what they were going to do to us and we just said why are we waiting to go in separately and then finding out what they said after? Lets just all go in together to the room and say, were here together, tell us what you usually [tell us] one-to-one to all of us together instead of giving different versions to each group. And the manager threw us out and said: No, we do not do that, you cannot combine like this. And so we held our ground and said: no, were going to be together on this meeting, and it turned into a major issue and, in the end, it was agreed upon that we could meet together. That doesnt sound like very much but it was a huge victory and that began what was called the Airport Council of Unions.

Through the late 1990s, it was the Air Canada unions [that] would do this and we were making some gains. But then, unfortunately, the merger of Canadian Airlines [occurred] and then Air Canada went into bankruptcy, 9/11, all of these events then broke that initiative apart. In the late 2000s, after years of concessions, a few of us survivors from that era got together and said lets [revive] this again. The impetus for that was after the government took away our legal right to strike as Air Canada workers in 2011-12. We said now we need to do things differently and instead of it just being an Air Canada council of unions, we made it an airport council of unions. It wasnt just the Air Canada workers that were going through this neoliberalism but [all] airport workers, so we need to build broader class-based solidarity as opposed to the pattern in the past of Air Canada workers doing militant actions on their own and losing.

TH: It was a rank and file initiative?

SS: Yes, shop steward as opposed to rank and file but close to the floor, just the first level up. We were the shop stewards that were always the ones having to go to the meetings and we were just fed up saying why are we all going separately, lets just go in together so it was very much a shop steward-led initiative and there was surprising opposition within some corners of senior leadership in some of our respective unions.

TH: One of the demands youre taking up is the struggle for $15 an hour minimum. How does the struggle for $15 fit in with the broader issues, demands, of airport workers? As far as you know, what percentage of Pearson workers earn less than $15?

SS: Those are good questions. People think of the airport as well-paying, when you go through the airport you see people in suits and uniforms, everyone looks happy and professional. Because historically these are good paying jobs people just assume that everyone in those uniforms makes really good money. The reality is that increasingly, because of neoliberalization, because of deregulating our industry, these jobs are increasingly more and more precarious. So to give an example if you fly Air Transat on a vacation, the flight crews will still be Air Transat flight crews but everyone you meet until you get on the aircraft, even though theyre in Air Transat uniforms, will be workers contracted out by Air Transat and theyre contracted out at the lowest cost. So when you have the low-cost airport model the only way you can start doing it is find universal demands around the minimum wage. As I was saying earlier with the workers council, if we bargain a $15 minimum wage for one group of workers in a contract situation theyre just going to be undercut by the next contract worker, thats why it needs to be a working class movement as opposed to a workplace specific movement and thats what were working on.

TH: Are you linking up with other groups on the $15 an hour issue, for example the Ontario Federation of Labour, Fight for $15 and Fairness, broader community groups and, if you are, how is that working out?

SS: That is the biggest change that we have made in terms of our maturity and in terms of lessons weve learned from our early 90s experiment is that we cannot be insular. Neoliberalism is too deeply entrenched to just have one group of workers fight to fix their sector and hope that the other workers will do it in other sectors  this needs to be a broad class-based movement and we made a conscious effort of going into communities first. In the lead up to the Air Canada activism that we saw in 2011/2012, before we began our strike in June 2011 we went into the community for 6 months helping other community groups and helping other striking workers.

TH: Communities near the airport?

SS: Near the airport and the city of Toronto. The groups we focussed on were three groups: the fellow airport workers, so other unionized airport workers or airline workers in general going through issues, public sector workers and education workers. We felt we had most in common with them [because] weve been privatized and the education workers and public sector workers are under continual threat of being privatized so our trajectory is very similar to theirs although were just further down the road.

We worked very closely with those groups building up new strategies but also new consciousness. In order to build a working class movement you need to have broader understanding of issues that are class based, not just workers at the airport so its been very difficult for us but we always keep going back to the community and not only in Canada but around the world. A major struggle that we were involved in, and a victory, was in solidarity with the Philippine Airlines workers in Manila who for two years occupied a portion of the Manila airport when they were contracted out. And we actually had picket lines at the Toronto airport in solidarity with them, the first ever in Canada, where we set up strike lines and they won a victory and they got their jobs back  which was huge  and when they came out with their statement we were part of their statement.

TH: I didnt know about that.

SS: Yeah, some amazing stuff that was happening. To give an example we had one international day of action  Toronto Island [Airport], the Porter airline workers were on strike, 22 of them. Due to these small numbers, the Wobblies [IWW] and our Council did all we could to maintain their strike through solidarity picketing. Then we said now were sustaining you, you have to sustain someone else. At the same time 305 Turkish Airlines workers in Istanbul were fired for attending a union rally. While their union was attending a grievance hearing to get their work back, a group of us, Porter workers and airport workers at Pearson occupied the Turkish Airlines headquarters here in Toronto in solidarity with the Turkish Airlines workers. At the same time Philippine Airlines workers occupied the Canadian consulate in Manila in support of the Porter workers, it was the first international solidarity  they went nuts. That was an actual time when what we did worked very well and all three ended up in victories, which was good.

TH: Following on that theme of internationalism, do you see any parallels with your fight for $15 or your issues generally and the fight for $15 in the U.S., the fight for better conditions at U.S. airports? Do you draw any lessons from the way $15 was achieved in Seattle and then in other cities? How do you see the political aspect of organizing? How important is that and in what form?

SS: Absolutely, its all the same struggle; neoliberalism is a global movement. Airports are the ports of the 21st century for globalization, everything goes through airports and the issues facing Canadian airport workers are the same facing American airport workers, facing airport workers around the world. The agenda is the same everywhere: deregulate the industry, privatize the flight carrier  in Canadas case it was Air Canada  and then turn the airport administration into models that maximize profits as opposed to maximize community development. What those three formulas do is they suppress workers wages and working conditions. The only way you can overcome it, as opposed to trying to bargain 300 collective agreements  at Toronto airport there are over 300 employers  with good working conditions is get all the workers together and say: enough, weve had enough. A lot of inspiration came out of the U.S.  the inspiration not so much in terms of the concept because the concepts been existing here in Canada, but the inspiration in terms that they were the first group to make wins. The American model is so inspiring because thats the first group that we can turn [to] and say they won something. Airport workers around the world have all suffered. American workers were the first ones to make the victory which then gives inspiration, which is what they gave to the movement and its very good now.

Where Seattle comes into place  Seattle is different from Toronto because Toronto airport is in the Region of Peel. Region of Peel doesnt even have an elected administration, its appointed. You cannot do a political organization when your government is appointed as a dictatorship, as the Region of Peel is. SeaTac, near Seattle, is a community that has an elected mayor, there you can do political organization. The challenge we have in airports is because we are federally and provincially regulated workers, we have two different labour codes in the same building. Were in a non-democratic region, the 905 is not Toronto, it makes it much more difficult. So Seattle is not a direct example in the sense of how to get there but Seattle is the example of what can be done. That matters. A more practical model for us is New York where the workers formed workers organizations and then agitated through direct action against the New York Port Authority to force the Port Authority to bring in wages. Thats what were doing against [our] airport authority because we have multiple jurisdictions. In New York, they have three airports in two different states  it makes it more difficult to have that as a political option so its more of a direct action.

TH: You have a big event planned for May 1st, May Day. Tell us about it.

SS: Absolutely. May Day is International Workers Day. Something we made a conscientious effort about as we decided to make a working class movement was to reclaim May Day as International Workers Day. That has been our day and so we make a point of every May Day doing actions on that day in support of our co-workers but also making a statement that this is our day. Last year, Air Canada workers took part in a wildcat strike for an hour opposed to contracting out and they were successful in achieving their goals. The year before there was another wildcat  parking attendants were being contracted out and they ended up blockading the parking garage. We have increasingly tried organizing around May Day, tried re-instilling our history which society has purged from our consciousness. So we have tried doing worker education, our first May Day action was actually a reading of The Red Flag in terms of what May Day means to workers, to just say this is what the history books have proved for us. The struggle for the 8-hour day, which is what inspired May Day is very much a battle were facing today, so its a natural fit for us and what were doing. Historically, all these actions at May Day is news to a lot of people because they were airport worker actions, they were done for ourselves. What is unique this year is were actually inviting the community to join us and say that this airport belongs to all of us. Our goal is to re-nationalize this airport and make it a public airport to benefit not only the workers but the entire community and since its a community airport thats why were asking the community to join us and reclaim our airport as our own.

TH: So, final question, tell me about worker activist training that has taken place  youve been involved with that.

SS: Yes, and again it gets back to the question of raising working class consciousness. This is not taking away from union training. Union training is still going on in terms of being a union officer. What this is doing is actually asking workers  because workers have a role to play in their unions and this needs to be a worker led movement. So through the Toronto Labour Committee (formerly known as the Labour Committee of the Greater Toronto Workers Assembly), weve developed worker activist training that is not oppositional to their union but is basically saying this is why the struggles were in matter to us as workers and why we need to start building working class consciousness. Its actually very much complementary to the union training but its for the workers. It has been very well received and were hoping to get more of it going because what were finding out is when the trainings done we have workers now wanting to organize co-workers which is what we need to do. So its been very successful, its something never tried before but so far its paying off.

TH: Anything else you want to say in conclusion?

SS: One thing I really want to stress is this is not oppositional to the unions, or its not a parallel structure or dual unionism, its just simply a new way of organizing within our current realities. Under Canadian law I can only bargain with my employer. That law has to change because that law no longer suits a neoliberal consciousness. You have workers contracted out so far from the work theyre doing theres no longer a relationship between workers and the end product. The only way thats going to change is by developing new working class organizations that can bring workers together in more meaningful coalitions as opposed to just me and my co-workers from my specific company trying to fight as one of 320 companies in an airport. That doesnt work, thats why we need to do this so its in many ways to strengthen our union movement that were doing this as well but we do the work that the unions cant do. I think its very much a symbiotic relationship and I hope its one that will take off because we have to start looking at community organizing. 
HANOI, May 24 -- Visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the ongoing visit of the U.S. President Barack Obama to Vietnam is seen as "long step" in the U.S.-Vietnam relations in more than 20 years since normalization of ties, reported Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA.

Kerry made the remark on Tuesday while holding talks with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in capital Hanoi on the occasion of Obama's three-day visit to Vietnam.

At the talks, two officials welcomed outcomes of talks, meetings and exchanges between Vietnamese leaders and the U.S. President, as well as signing of significant agreements, especially those in economics, trade, investment, cooperation in combating climate change, and dealing with war legacy.

Minh and Kerry also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interests, including promoting ASEAN's centrality as well as boosting role of partners, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation, reported VNA.

Prior to the talks, Minh and Kerry witnessed signing ceremony of agreements on medical supplies and humanitarian cooperation, search and rescue, response to natural disasters, law enforcement and criminal justice, as well as in voluntarily teaching English in Vietnam within the Peace Corps.

Vietnam and the U.S. normalized ties in 1995, two decades after the end of their bloodstained 19-year war.
A Mount Washington man was arrested in South Side following a shooting and foot pursuit early Friday morning.

At approximately 2:05 a.m. a police officer working a secondary detail reported shots fired near S. 13th Street and E. Carson Street. He then reported he was engaged in a foot pursuit of a suspect for discharging a firearm at another man.

The officer pursued the suspect until he lost sight of him around Bedford Square. Responding officers located the suspect in the 1100 block of Muriel Street and took him into custody without incident at 2:07 a.m. He was identified as Ramar Lamont Winbush, 30.

A K-9 unit was called to the scene to search the area of the shooting to search for a discarded firearm. A firearm was located under a bush at Esser Park, at S 12th and E. Carson streets.

At 2:25 a.m. police were notified a victim from the shooting was in the 1500 block of E. Carson Street. The 25-year-old man from Duquesne, Pennsylvania sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. Paramedics transported him to Mercy Hospital in stable condition.

Winbush was transported to the Allegheny County Jail. His charges include aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, persons not to possess a firearm, firearms not to be carried without a license, discharging a firearm, prohibited offensive weapons, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and escape.
Who did it best: Cast your vote for the high school football player of the week
Photo taken on April 5, 2016 shows the lighthouse on Zhubi Reef of Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, south China. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- China's historical rights within the dotted line in the South China Sea are not deniable despite the attempt of the Philippines to question them by distorting facts, The People's Daily said in an article published on Monday.

The Philippines has asked for the international tribunal, which has not been endorsed by China as a just one, to negate China's historical rights within the dotted line in the South China Sea, saying they are not supported by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

However, the Philippines, The People's Daily said, has distorted historical facts and purposefully misinterpreted the UNCLOS.

The Philippines claimed that the Chinese people had conducted no activities in, and therefore had no historical connections with, the South China Sea.

However, the truth is China's activities in the South China Sea date back to over 2,000 years ago, The People's Daily article said. China has been the first to discover, name and develop the group of islands in the South China Sea, which have been known as the Nanhai Islands in China. For centuries, the Chinese government had been the administrator of the islands by putting them under the administration of local governments, conducting military patrols and providing rescue services.

The Nansha and Xisha Islands, occupied by Japan during World War II, were returned to China as part of the territories stolen from China. This has been clearly set out in international documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation. China sent government and military officials to recover the islands and deployed troops there.

In the controversial case, the Philippines also claimed that the Chinese side only put forward its claim to its historical rights in 2009, 27 years after the UNCLOS was concluded.

This is a malicious misinterpretation of China's historical rights, The People's Daily said. China has repeatedly said that its sovereign and related rights to the group of islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters were acquired during a long historical process and has been pronounced by successive governments of China over time.

In 1947, the then Chinese government renamed the group of islands in the South China Sea after conducting geological surveys. In 1948, a dotted line was printed in official maps to reiterate and reaffirm China's sovereign and related rights in the South China Sea. The government of the People's Republic of China has maintained such historical rights and taken actions to safeguard such rights since Oct. 1, 1949.

The Philippines, in its attempt to negate China's historical rights, also maintains that the UNCLOS does not support China's claim of rights to the waters within the dotted line in the South China Sea.

The Philippine argument, The People's Daily article said, does not hold water. The UNCLOS does not govern historical rights and leaves them to the government of customary international law, largely because those who drafted the UNCLOS believed that the historical rights acquired through activities in history based on customary international law are too complicated and various to be put under the government of a single text.

"China's sovereign and related rights in the South China Sea are historical rights acquired in accordance with customary international law, before the birth of the UNCLOS," the article said.

"The UNCLOS is not a proper standard to assess and judge the legitimacy of China's historical rights," it added.

Moreover, the tribunal has no right to go beyond the stipulations of the UNCLOS to make a judgment on the historical rights acquired based on customary international law, it said.

In documents submitted to the tribunal, the Philippine side fabricated China's position on the latter's historical rights in the South China Sea and other facts, by citing the opinions and articles of some biased scholars, the article said.

How could personal opinions published by scholars be used as the proof of a government's legal position? The People's Daily asked. Neither the views and articles by those prejudiced scholars should be accepted as proof of facts, it added.

China has many historical documents and files that serve to prove facts that are contrary to what has been furnished by the Philippine side.

The abuse of the arbitration procedures by the Philippines, the article said, will only make the procedures a farce, and harm the authority of the UNCLOS stipulations in relation to the peaceful resolution of disputes.

China's historical rights within the dotted line in the South China Sea will not in any way be affected by the Philippines' abuse of the arbitration procedures, it said.
Kung fu star Jackie Chan revealed on Sunday in Beijing that his life was at stake at one point during the filming of his new movie "Skiptrace."

"I tried my best this time, and I almost died during filming," Chan said, remembering an incident in Guangxi when he was shooting the new film. "I met a torrent, fell out of a raft and was sent rolling in the water. I'm not a good swimmer, so I was really screaming for help. But the staff could not get close enough to rescue me. Later, the raft was turned back by the torrent and I got my life back. Life is so vulnerable. It is horrifying."

Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao are on stage to promote Chan's new film "Skiptrace" in Beijing on May 22, 2016. [China.org.cn]

The film has always been associated with a tragedy. On Dec. 17, 2014, cinematographer Chan Kwok-Hung drowned while on a shoot for the film.

Chan was joined by another veteran martial arts movie actor Yuen Biao on stage at the press conference. The two have collaborated on and off since 1976. Chan shared a few memories with him and said, "Whenever we meet in life, we actually have one less meeting for the rest of our lives. Life and friends are all so precious."

"Skiptrace" is an upcoming action comedy film directed by Renny Harlin, produced by, starring and based on a story by Jackie Chan. The story tells of a retired detective from Hong Kong who teams up with an American gambler to battle against a notorious criminal boss. The film also co-stars Chinese mainland actress Fan Bingbing, Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang and American actor Johnny Knoxville.

"I had this script in my mind for 25 years," Chan said, "I have always dreamt of a runaway and chase story, to show both the Chinese landscape and culture along the roadside to the world.

Chan added that he still maintains real kung fu in the film, instead of seeking help from CGI special effects. "Everybody works with a green screen now, but the hardest thing to do is to create real action," Chan said, "I'm not a fan of high-tech effects, I just like raw and simple things."

"Skiptrace" will hit Chinese theaters on July 22, 2016.
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US 'charting clear course aimed at containing China'

By WANG JIAN in Hanoi and MO JINGXI in Beijing ( China Daily ) 08:07, May 24, 2016

US President Barack Obama attends a news conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang at the Presidential Palace Compound in Hanoi on Monday.(Photo/CNTV)

US President Barack Obama attends a news conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang at the Presidential Palace Compound in Hanoi on Monday. CARLOS BARRIA / REUTERS

The United States clearly intends to check China by taking advantage of Hanoi's maritime disputes with Beijing, according to Chinese analysts.

They were speaking on Monday as the US extended an olive branch to Vietnam by lifting a decades-old arms embargo.

Washington is attempting to draw Vietnam into its circle of influence in politics, security and economic affairs through US President Barack Obama's first visit to the country, they said.

But the analysts added that Vietnam will remain cautious and reserved toward the US.

Obama, who started a three-day visit to Vietnam on Monday, announced the removal of the weapons embargo at a news conference. He said the decision is aimed at eliminating a "lingering vestige of the Cold War".

"At this stage, both sides have developed a level of trust and cooperation," Obama said, adding that he expects deepening cooperation between their militaries.

His visit comes 41 years after the end of the Vietnam War, and he is the third US president to visit the country since ties were restored in 1995. Obama has made a strategic "rebalancing'' toward the Asia-Pacific region a centerpiece of his foreign policy.

At a state luncheon in Hanoi, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang toasted Obama's first visit to the country as the "arrival of a warm spring after a cold winter".

The two nations also reaffirmed efforts to ratify and implement the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation trade pact that has struggled to gain traction in the US Congress during an election year.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday that China hopes the developing ties between the US and Vietnam will be conducive to regional peace and stability.

Fan Jishe, a researcher of US strategies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the situation demonstrates Washington's firmness in advancing its Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy.

"An important element of this strategy is developing diplomatic and economic relations with countries in the region," Fan said, adding that Vietnam is now the priority.

Su Hao, a professor of Asia-Pacific studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said it is obvious that the US aims to contain China by taking advantage of Hanoi's territorial disputes with Beijing.

"Vietnam is also seeking support from countries outside the region to exert pressure on China over the disputes," Su said.

But the analysts said Vietnam will not side with the US without reservations, given its interdependency with China in terms of trade and economic affairs.

Su said Obama's visit offers an opportunity for the two countries to promote their relations based on certain common interests, such as countering China.

"But Hanoi will by no means behave at Washington's command," he added.
The Cassini spacecraft orbited Saturn from June 30, 2004, until Sept. 15, 2017, when the probe ended its life with a plunge into the ringed planet's atmosphere.

This intentional death dive was performed to make sure Cassini never contaminated a potentially habitable Saturn moon, such as Enceladus or Titan. [Cassini's Saturn Crash 2017: 'Grand Finale' at the Ringed Planet]

The mission is known for discoveries such as finding jets of water erupting from Enceladus, and tracking down a few new moons for Saturn.

Cassini is a joint project among several space agencies, which is a contrast from the large NASA probes of the past such as Pioneer and Voyager. In this case, the main participants are NASA, the European Space Agency and Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (the Italian space agency).

Development history

Cassini was the first dedicated spacecraft to look at Saturn and its system. It was named for Giovanni Cassini, a 17th-century astronomer who was the first to observe four of Saturn's moons  Iapetus (1671), Rhea (1672), Tethys (1684) and Dione (1684).

Before this spacecraft came several flybys of Saturn by Pioneer 11 (1979), Voyager 1 (1980) and Voyager 2 (1981). Some of the discoveries that came out of these missions included finding out that Titan's surface can't be seen in visible wavelengths (due to its thick atmosphere), and spotting several rings of Saturn that were not visible with ground-based telescopes.

It was shortly after the last flyby, in 1982, that scientific committees in both the United States and Europe formed a working group to discuss possible future collaborations. The group suggested a flagship mission that would orbit Saturn, and would send an atmospheric probe into Titan. However, there was a difficult "fiscal climate" in the early 1980s, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory noted in a brief history of the mission, which pushed approval of Cassini to 1989.

The Europeans and the Americans each considered either working together, or working solo. A 1987 report by former astronaut Sally Ride, for example, advocated for a solo mission to Saturn. Called "NASA's Leadership and America's Future in Space," the report said that studying the outer gas giant planets (such as Saturn) help scientists learn about their atmospheres and internal structure. (Today, we also know that this kind of study helps us predict the structure of exoplanets, but the first exoplanets were not discovered until the early 1990s.)

"Titan is an especially interesting target for exploration because the organic chemistry now taking place there provides the only planetary-scale laboratory for studying processes that may have been important in the prebiotic terrestrial atmosphere," the report added, meaning that on Titan is chemistry that could have been similar to what was present on Earth before life arose.

Cassini's development came with at least two major challenges to proceeding. By 1993 and 1994, the mission had a $3.3 billion price tag (roughly $5 billion in 2017 dollars, or about half the cost of the James Webb Space Telescope.) Some critics perceived this as overly high for the mission. In response, NASA pointed out that the European Space Agency was also contributing funds, and added that the technologies from Cassini were helping to fund lower-cost NASA missions such as the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Pathfinder and the Spitzer Space Telescope, according to JPL.

Cassini also received flak from environmental groups who were concerned that when the spacecraft flew by Earth, its radioisotope thermoelectric generator (nuclear power) could pose a threat to our planet, JPL added. These groups filed a legal challenge in Hawaii shortly before launch in 1997, but the challenge was rejected by the federal district court in Hawaii and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

To address concerns about the spacecraft's radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which are commonly used for NASA missions, NASA responded by issuing a supplementary document about the flyby and detailing the agency's methodology for protecting the planet, saying there was less than a one-in-a-million chance of an impact occurring.

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, passes in front of the planet and its rings in this true color snapshot from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. This view looks toward the northern, sunlit side of the rings from just above the ring plane. It was taken on May 21, 2011, when Cassini was about 1.4 million miles (2.3 million kilometers) from Titan. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)

Launch and cruise

Cassini didn't head straight to Saturn. Rather, its mission involved complicated orbital mechanics. It went past several planets  including Venus (twice), Earth and Jupiter  to get a speed boost by taking advantage of each planet's gravity.

The nearly 12,600-lb. (about 5,700 kilograms) spacecraft was hefted off Earth on Oct. 15, 1997. It went by Venus in April 1998 and June 1999, Earth in August 1999 and Jupiter in December 2000.

Cassini settled into orbit around Saturn on July 1, 2004. Among its prime objectives were to look for more moons, to figure out what caused Saturn's rings and the colors in the rings, and understanding more about the planet's moons.

Perhaps Cassini's most detailed look came after releasing the Huygens lander toward Titan, Saturn's largest moon. The lander was named for Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, who in 1654 turned a telescope toward Saturn and observed that its odd blob-like shape  Galileo Galilei had first seen the shape in a telescope and drew it in his notebook as something like ears on the planet  was in fact caused by rings.

The Huygens lander descended through the mysterious haze surrounding the moon and landed on Jan. 14, 2005. It beamed information back to Earth for nearly 2.5 hours during its descent, and then continued to relay what it was seeing from the surface for 1 hour 12 minutes.

In that brief window of time, researchers saw pictures of a rock field and got information back about the moon's wind and gases on the atmosphere and the surface.

This first panorama of Titan released by ESA shows a full 360-degree view around the Huygens probe. The left-hand side shows a boundary between light and dark areas. The white streaks seen near this boundary could be ground 'fog', as they were not immediately visible from higher altitudes. Huygens drifted over a plateau (centre of image) and was heading towards its landing site in a dark area (right) during descent. (Image credit: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona.)

Magnificent moons

One of the defining features of Saturn is its number of moons. Excluding the trillions of tons of little rocks that make up its rings, Saturn has 62 discovered moons as of September 2012. NASA lists 53 named moons on one of its websites.

In fact, Cassini discovered two new moons almost immediately after arriving (Methone and Pallene) and before 2004 had ended, it detected Polydeuces. [Gallery: Latest Saturn Photos from NASA's Cassini Orbiter]

As the probe wandered past Saturn's moons, the findings it sent back to Earth revealed new things about their environments and appearances. Some of the more notable findings include:

Saturn has not gone ignored, either. For example, in 2012, a NASA study postulated that Saturn's jet streams in the atmosphere may be powered by internal heat, instead of energy from the sun. Scientists believe that heat brings up water vapor from the inside of the planet, which condenses as it rises and produces heat. That heat is believed to be behind jet stream formation, as well as that of storms.

Mission extension and end

Cassini was originally slated to last four years at Saturn, until 2008, but its mission has been extended multiple times. Its last and final leg was called the Cassini Solstice Mission, named because the planet and its moons reached the solstice again toward the mission end. Saturn orbits the sun every 29 Earth-years. With Cassini's mission lasting 13 years, this meant that the spacecraft observed almost half of Saturn's seasonal change as the planet went around its orbit.

In 2016, the spacecraft was set on a series of final maneuvers to provide close-up views of the rings, with the ultimate goal of plunging Cassini into Saturn on Sept. 15, 2017. This strategy was designed to protect Enceladus and other potentially habitable moons from the (small) chance of Cassini colliding with the surface, spreading Earth microbes.

Major milestones of the finale included:

Ring-grazing orbits: Every week between Nov. 30, 2016, and April 22, 2017, Cassini did loops around Saturn's poles to look at the outer edge of the rings, to learn more about their particles, gases and structure. It also observed small moons in this region, including Atlas, Daphnis, Pan and Pandora.

On April 22, 2017, Cassini made the final flyby of Titan. The flyby was done in such a way to change Cassini's orbit so that it began 22 dives (once a week) between the planet and its rings. This was the first time any spacecraft explored this zone, and it entailed some risk because the orbit brought it between the outer part of the atmosphere and the inner zone of the rings (where it is at risk of striking particles or gas molecules).

On Sept. 15, 2017, Cassini made a suicidal plunge into Saturn, taking measurements for as long as its instruments could make communications back to Earth.

Some of the science Cassini performed during this period included creating maps of the planet's gravity and magnetic fields, estimating how much material is in the rings, and taking high-resolution images of Saturn and its rings from close-up.

The spacecraft made an interesting discovery from its new vantage point. It found that Saturn's magnetic field is closely aligned with the planet's axis of rotation, which baffled scientists because of how they think magnetic fields are generated  through a difference of tilt between the magnetic field and a planet's rotation. As of late July 2017, however, scientists planned to gather more data to see if perhaps Saturn's internal processes confused their measurements.

Cassini's legacy

Shortly after the spacecraft's demise, Cassini mission planner Erick Sturm told reporters he planned to write a report about what he and his team learned after operating a mission for such a long time. While enthusiasm kept the scientists going through the long years (which sometimes required working during the holidays or in the middle of the night), engineering was also key.

Kim Steadman, an engineer on the Cassini team for 14 years, said that redundancy was essential. She said that a reaction wheel and some of the probe's thrusters failed during the mission, which would have meant the spacecraft couldn't point its instruments to collect data, or communicate with Earth through pointing its antenna at the planet. However, Cassini's mission continued because it had backups.

The team plans to issue the report to help with future spacecraft planning; one of those recommendations might be including a gas gauge. Cassini died with about 1 percent of its fuel left, but lead propulsion engineer Todd Barber told Space.com that he had a tough time estimating how much fuel was left in Cassini; he had to do so through various indirect methods. This meant that during the final months, Barber was slightly nervous about maneuvers requiring propulsion, since there was a margin of error for his calculations and didn't know if there was enough fuel remaining to carry them out.

The mission may be over, but science results will continue to flow for decades because not all of the information has been analyzed yet. NASA also continued to release new photos from the spacecraft even after Cassini had died. In late September 2017, for example, the agency sent out a photo of Enceladus  a target of high interest due to the many geysers on the moon's surface.

There also are several other early-stage missions in the works to fly to Saturn. While these missions are years away  if they are ever approved  they represent scientific interest in Saturn and its moons, and their design is based on Cassini's discoveries. Specifically, five Saturn-related concepts are contending for the next New Frontiers mission, a program that in past years yielded the New Horizons Pluto spacecraft, the Juno Jupiter orbiter, and the asteroid-return spacecraft OSIRIS-REx. The five proposals are:

SPRITE (Saturn Probe Interior and Atmosphere Explorer), which would deliberately fly into Saturn's atmosphere to look at its composition and structure for roughly 90 minutes. Cassini lasted only a couple of minutes during its plunge, but it was not designed for this work.

Oceanus, which is designed to look at Titan's potential for habitability by examining organic molecules "through the methanologic cycle and assessing exchange processes between the atmosphere, surface and subsurface," according to a project description presented at the 48th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas.

Dragonfly, which would make periodic flights in Titan's atmosphere to look at organics on its surface, in several locations.

Enceladus Life Finder, which would fly through plumes multiple times to collect and characterize the molecules that are there  particularly complex organic compounds that could indicate precursors of life.

Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability, of which little has been released publicly. It may be targeting the plumes of Enceladus, which were examined periodically by Cassini during flybys.

The winning candidate among the 12 proposed New Frontiers missions (the other missions target Venus, the moon or comets) will be selected in mid-2019 for launch no later than 2025. However, there is a semifinal selection; NASA will select two or three of these proposals before then for further study, ahead of making the final decision.

Additional resource
Astrophotographer Mike Killian took this image of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket blasting off on May 6, 2016 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket appears to take its place among the stars in a stunning skywatcher image.

Astrophotographer Mike Killian took the photo on May 6 as the Falcon 9 launched the JCSAT-14 commercial communications satellite into orbit from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

"I've waited years to try this shot," Killian, the managing editor of the website AmericaSpace.com, wrote in an email to Space.com. "Finally, all the conditions came together for an attempt."

The Falcon 9 didn't speed off into the Milky Way that night, of course. Rather, the rocket's first stage came back to Earth, landing on the deck of a robotic SpaceX "drone ship," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. It was the second successful drone-ship landing in less than a month for SpaceX, which is working to develop fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicles.

Killian's image is a double exposure, with one frame capturing the launch and the other the Milky Way. He used a Canon 6D at 24mm with ISO 3200 for the Milky Way, and ISO 200 F/14 @ 3:00 for the launch.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Original story on Space.com.
Grade-school students from St. Thomas More Cathedral School in Arlington, Virginia, designed and built a miniature satellite that deployed from the International Space Station on May 16, 2016.

On May 16, the International Space Station launched the first miniature satellite, called a cubesat, designed and built by grade-schoolers.

The STMSat-1 satellite launched to the space station on Dec. 6, 2015. It was the culmination of a three-year-long project involving 400 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at St. Thomas More Cathedral School in Arlington, Virginia, NASA officials said in a statement.

Grade-school students from St. Thomas More Cathedral School in Arlington, Virginia, designed and built a miniature satellite that deployed from the International Space Station on May 16, 2016. (Image credit: NASA)

STMSat-1 was deployed from the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD) system on the space station. The satellite will take photos of the Earth and transmit images to a ground station from an orbit similar to that of the space station, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth.

The students were led by Joe Pellegrino, a deputy project manager from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and they learned how to assemble the spacecraft, operate radios and build the ground stations to communicate with the satellite. The children took part in all of the aspects of construction, from circuit design to soldering electronics.

St. Thomas More students watch their cubesat deploy from the space station. (Image credit: NASA)

The cubesat flew as a part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, which gave 16 organizations an opportunity to build cubesats destined for orbit. The selected cubesats received launch opportunities as part of NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) IX mission, which provides access to space for cubesats developed by the NASA centers and programs, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. The mission enables developers to conduct space research at a lower cost than they'd otherwise be able to, according to NASA.

The students' satellite is in good company. Other cubesats on this mission included a miniature satellite from the University of Michigan that will study the upper atmosphere, and a solar flare study designed by a team at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Since 2010, the ELaNa program has selected more than 100 cubesats and has launched 46 of them. The miniature satellites were chosen from responses to public announcements on NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative. NASA will release another call for proposals in mid-August.

You can Follow Jesse Empsak @Mad_Science_Guy. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
The hunt for signs of alien life in the solar system may be much tougher than researchers had thought, thanks to the damaging effects of radiation.

Two separate studies suggest that galactic radiation would quickly degrade biological material on the surface of Mars and Jupiter's ocean-harboring moon Europa, two of the prime targets in the search for past or present extraterrestrial life.

Objects in the solar system are bathed in radiation from the sun and large planets such as Jupiter. But the largest doses come from galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), which stream in from faraway sources such as exploding stars. [6 Most Likely Places for Alien Life in the Solar System]

Earth's thick atmosphere protects life here from the damaging effects of GCRs. But life on other worlds would not be so lucky; modern Mars has a thin atmosphere, for example, and Europa has virtually no atmosphere at all. Both worlds therefore are bombarded by high levels of radiation, which could spell doom for any fossils that may have once existed on the worlds' surfaces.

Fast fossil destruction on Mars

Mars is the most Earth-like world in the solar system. Scientists think Mars once harbored a large ocean of liquid water that the planet lost, along with its atmosphere, billions of years ago.

While scientists consider it unlikely that life exists at the Martian surface today, many researchers hope to find evidence that Martian life existed in the past. That evidence would come in the form of fossilized microorganisms or biological molecules such as amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

But finding that evidence would require such molecules to persist on Mars or Europa. To check if this is likely, Alexander Pavlov, a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and his colleagues set out to test how amino acids withstand doses of radiation similar to those experienced at the Martian surface. [Ancient Mars Could Have Supported Life (Photos)]

The search for life on Mars may be one of the biggest hunts in space exploration. See how the hunt for ancient evidence of Martian life may work in this infographic (Image credit: Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

Previous studies that dosed only amino acids found they could survive for up to 1 billion years under Martian conditions. However, Pavlov's team mixed the amino acids with rocky material similar to that found on Mars, generating conditions a rover is more likely to sample. The researchers found that the amino acids were degraded by radiation in as few as 50 million years.

"More than 80 percent of the amino acids are destroyed for dosages of 1 megagray, which is equivalent to 20 million years," Pavlov said in March, during a presentation at the 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas. "If we're going for ancient biomarkers, that's a very big problem." [The Life on Mars Search: A Photo Time Line]

The scientists then combined the surface sample with water to simulate historically wet regions on Mars; these are the places considered most favorable to life. Water accelerated the degradation of the biomarkers, destroying some in as few as 500,000 years and all within 10 million years.

The odds of finding signs of life in hydrated minerals near the Martian surface therefore aren't great, the researchers said.

Cold temperatures slow the degradation process down, but not enough for long-term preservation, the scientists said. Material lasted no more than 100 million years when exposed to Mars-like GRC levels.

Digging deep

These findings could be bad news for missions that plan to search for signs of ancient life on the Martian surface, the researchers said.

"We are extremely unlikely to find primitive amino acid molecules in the top 1 meter [3.3 feet] [of the crust], due to cosmic rays," Pavlov said. "It would be critical to provide missions with 2-meter [6.6 m] drilling capabilities, or chose landing sights with freshly exposed rocks."

Such rocks would have been kicked up from beneath the surface by asteroid or comet impacts within the last 10 million years, he said.

In 2020, the European Space Agency and Russia plan to launch a life-hunting Mars rover that can drill up to 2 meters down. The mission will be the second phase of the ExoMars mission; the first phase, which consists of an orbiter and a landing demonstrator, launched in March.

The ExoMars rover should be able to reach sites at which radiation damage is mitigated but not completely absent, Pavlov said.

Too hot on an icy moon?

Jupiter's moon Europa is considered one of the best places to search for life beyond Earth. A global ocean sloshes beneath the moon's icy shell, fed by thermal vents that could possibly generate the energy needed for life to evolve.

NASA aims to launch a flyby mission to Europa in the 2020s, and the agency is considering adding a lander to the mission profile as well.

Europa's ice shell is thought to be miles thick on average, so a lander wouldn't be able to drill through the ice (except perhaps in a few select spots). But signs of Europan life, if it exists, may rise up from the ocean onto the surface.

Indeed, Europa has reddish surface features that have been identified as salts, which likely came from beneath. Scientists have also tentatively identified, but not confirmed, plumes like those found on Saturn's moon Enceladus, which could shoot water-rich material  and, possibly, signs of life  from the ocean to the surface.

Like Pavlov, Luis Teodoro, a planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in California, was concerned with GCR radiation, and how dosages could affect the hunt for life. But Teodoro focused on Europa, not Mars.

Simulating the conditions at Europa, Teodoro found that the moon's GCR dosages were comparable to those on the Red Planet.

"Radiation is going to play a major role at Europa in the top few meters  actually, dare I say, dozen meters  of Europa's surface," Teodoro said at the same conference.

He said his simulations suggest that hardy "extremophile" microbes found in some of Earth's harshest environments would survive no more than 150,000 years in the top 3.3 feet (1 m) of Europa's icy crust. Organic biomarkers buried within 3.3 feet of the surface would last only 1 to 2 million years, he said.

"If we want to put a landeron the surface of Europa to check if life is there, we most likely are going to see something destroyed  mangled materials, mainly organics  from this huge dosage of radiation," he said.

There is hope, however, that fresh surface ice deposits could still contain biomarkers that scientists could successfully identify as life. So it's important to determine if Europa does indeed spout plumes that bring fresh material to the surface, Teodoro said.

Europa also is exposed to another source of radiation that Earth and Mars avoid: the radiation from Jupiter. Teodoro said he plans to include the effects of Jupiter's doses in future models.

For now, however, his research seems to suggest that hunting for existing life or fossils on the icy moon may remain a challenge. But Teodoro said he hasn't given up completely on the cool world.

"Maybe this is all telling us life is not at the surface," he said, expressing his hope that evidence of alien organisms instead lies beneath the ice.

Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
With another successful Soyuz launch performed to expand the Galileo satellite navigation system, Arianespace today reaffirmed the company's important role in supporting European governments and institutions with independent, reliable and available access to space.

PARISA Europeanized Russian Soyuz rocket on Tuesday (May 24) successfully placed two European Galileo positioning, navigation and timing satellites into medium-Earth orbit  the 13th and 14th in a series of 26 Galileo spacecraft, with more to come.

Operating from Europe's Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, on the northeast coast of South America, the Soyuz rocket's Fregat upper stage released the two 733-kilogram spacecraft into their 22,522-kilometer-altitude orbit some three hours and 48 minutes after liftoff.

Launch operator Arianespace confirmed the accurate orbital injection, and European Space Agency officials said both satellites were healthy and sending signals.

In addition to four in-orbit-validation satellites, one of which is no longer functioning correctly, the European Commission ordered 22 spacecraft from a consortium led by OHB SE of Bremen, Germany, with the payloads provided by SSTL of Guildford, England.

Specially modified heavy-lift Ariane 5 rockets are scheduled to launch the remaining 12 satellites, four at a time. The first of the three was scheduled for Nov. 17, with the other two set for 2017 and 2018.

With another successful Soyuz launch performed to expand the Galileo satellite navigation system, Arianespace today reaffirmed the company's important role in supporting European governments and institutions with independent, reliable and available access to space. (Image credit: Arianespace)

The Galileo constellation, with many of the same performance goals as the U.S. GPS, Russia's Glonass and China's Beidou networks, is considered fully operational at 24 satellites. But European officials have always said they would launch 30 satellites to provide sufficient in-orbit backup.

Paul Verhoef, director of navigation at the 22-nation European Space Agency, said an invitation to tender to industry for eight more Galileo satellites, plus up to six options, had been issued earlier this month.

A contract decision is expected by the end of the year and will present ESA and the European Commission  the executive arm of the 28-nation European Union and the owner of the Galileo program  with a difficult choice.

The least-expensive decision ostensibly would be to order recurrent models from the OHB team to take advantage of the scale economies that have already brought down the satellites' cost.

OHB's first contract, for 14 satellites, was signed in January 2010 and valued at 566 million euros ($640 million at today's exchange rate), or 40.4 million euros per satellite. The second contract, for eight satellites, was signed in January 2012 and was valued at 255 million euros, or 31.9 million euros per satellite.

But the commission has been adamant about wanting to maintain dual sourcing for Galileo wherever possible, which would argue in favor of structuring the contract-tender process in some way as to reduce the OHB advantage and favor bids by others  Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space and perhaps others.

The Galileo network is on track to offer initial services late this year, and full service in 2020. Galileo services include an Open Service, which resembles what's available to users from the U.S. GPS system; a Search and Rescue Service, which includes a return message to advise victims that their distress messages have been received; and the secure Public Regulated Service (PRS), reserved for military and civil-protection authorities.

The 13th and 14th of 26 European Galileo positioning, navigation and timing satellites were successfully placed into orbit on May 24 by a Europeanized Soyuz rocket. The European Union, which owns Galileo, is expected on June 7 to approve the start of formal negotiations with the United States and Norway on access to Galileo's secure PRS signal. (Image credit: ESA)

United States, Norway in line for Galileo PRS access

The United States  particularly the U.S. military  and Norway have requested access to PRS. Galileo's owner, the European Commission, is likely to be given a go-ahead to open negotiations on PRS use by these two nations on June 7, during a meeting of the European Council, said Philippe Jean, head of the Galileo unit at the European Commission.

Once that has occurred, the commission will open its own negotiations with U.S. and Norwegian authorities to discuss terms of access to PRS.

A Galileo May 23 prelaunch briefing and the Galileo webcast were the latest indications of Galileo owners' discomfort with the idea that European national military forces are all but certain to be the biggest users of PRS. Jean limited his summary of PRS users to police and customs authorities.

Galileo's Commercial Service, a feature that distinguishes it from GPS, is still some ways off. It will not be among the services to debut this year.

In the briefing with journalists, Jean said the commission had yet to define the technical parameters for the Commercial Service. No date was given for Commercial Service start. Aviation authorities and associations have debated how much they would pay for the Commercial Service, and what specific performance guarantees they would receive in return.

With early satellite infrastructure now nearing completion, the focus is shifting to the ground segment and the user market.

Verhoef said a five-month test of the Galileo ground network started on March 1 and will consist of monitoring performance to prepare for initial services by the end of the year.

Verhoef said software upgrades to the ground network to enable it to function with the planned 30 satellites is also under way.

The battle for the smartphone market

Carlo des Dorides, executive director of the Galileo Satellite Systems Agency (GSA), said major chip manufacturers have said they would offer Galileo-compatible products.

"The next step is to embark these chips on smartphones on the receiver side," des Dorides said during the briefing, adding that the start of initial Galileo services this year will spur chipset development. "Today they [the chip manufacturers such as Broadcom and Qualcomm] see Galileo as the third constellation of reference. There is certainly commercial interest there."

With the United States, Russia and China also providing global navigation services, and India and Japan building large regional networks with their own satellites, the question is whether the major smartphone builders and others will integrate multiple constellations into their hardware.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
BEIJING, May 23 -- China on Monday said it will work with India to speed up negotiations on the boundary question prior to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's upcoming state visit.

Mukherjee begins his visit on Tuesday at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

In an interview with Chinese media, Mukherjee expressed willingness to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution to the question.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday that both China and India are committed to solving the disputes via negotiation.

Both countries have joined negotiations, managed their disputes and preserved peace in the area under dispute for three decades, said Hua at a daily press briefing.

The two countries have a number of boundary-related mechanisms including special representatives on the question.

The 19th Special Representatives' Meeting on China-India Boundary Question was held in Beijing on April 20. Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, special representative on the Chinese side and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval of India, special representative on the Indian side exchanged their views.

"China is willing to continue working with India to accelerate the negotiation and solve the issue at an early date," said Hua.
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An emperor moth, 22 centimeters in wingspan and 13 centimeters in wing width, breaks cocoon to meet visitors in a butterfly-themed park in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi province on May 23. (Photo/CNS)
But then, an old friend called him.

"Elmar," said the caller, "I am an old man and you still owe me a favor."

"Hmm, what do you need?" Brok asked.

"Be nice to her," the caller said. "She will call you tomorrow at 3 p.m."

The caller was Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, a supporter of Mogherini. The only photo on Moghereini's desk is one of the highly revered Italian politician.

Brok agreed to a meeting with Mogherini and, in the fall of 2014, the two sat down together on a hotel terrace in Milan. Mogherini was well prepared. She knew that Brok had taken part in a European youth forum together with Social Democratic Party politician Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, the former German development minister, during the 1970s.

Uphill Battle

After their meeting, the hearing in Brok's commmitee no longer posed a problem. "She has answered all my questions fully," he said in praise. Today, Brok no longer complains about Mogherini and instead assists in her effort to shape a European style of diplomacy. "The foreign ministers of Germany and France should give her more space," Brok says.

Mogherini's problem is that true foreign policy power is still anchored firmly in the individual EU member state capitals. It's a fact that is palpable for her every time she travels abroad. On a Saturday in April, for example, she visited Tehran, where she received a warm welcome. The double doors of the Iranian Foreign Ministry opened automatically, as if by magic, and Mogeherini walked in together with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the country's foreign minister. The walls sparkled as if covered with a thousand mirrors.

"We are turning the page," Mogherini said confidently. "I speak on behalf of the 500 million Europeans that are supporting a new era in our relations." But Iranian journalists were less sure. They asked when their country would finally profit from the lifting of economic sanctions. Alas, there was little Mogherini could say, given that many banks are still waiting for US blessing before they start issuing loans to Iranian businesspeople.

Indeed, the power of the EU foreign policy chief is limited -- not just in relation to superpower America, but also in relation to larger EU member states, which refuse to easily relinquish their influence over foreign policy.

Instead they conduct the same kind of cabinet diplomacy practiced in the old days, as recently evidenced at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, where they discussed, among other things, whether or not EU ships could also join in the hunt for Islamic State terrorists in the future. The French and British foreign ministers debated the issue so fiercely that all the others present at the table suddenly seemed downgraded to the roles of extras in a film. This prompted Mogherini to tap the microphone at one point and say: "I am the chair here and this will be discussed among all 28 members present, not bilaterally."

Mogherini shakes her head over the battles among her male counterparts. "We have enough to do, we can complement each other," she said. But she also knows this is still little more than wishful thinking. A wave of renationalization has been crashing across Europe, not just in Britain, where the country is considering turning its back on the EU entirely. Against that backdrop, the idea of a common European foreign policy seems like a distant dream.

Nevertheless, Mogherini would still like to try. In the upcoming weeks, she will present a new foreign policy strategy for the EU, the first since 2003. It won't be a daring vision, but it will still be an attempt to counter the general sense of despondency in the EU.

At the moment, simply preserving the progress made so far is already considered to be a success -- and that's why many envision Mogherini running in the next elections as the leading candidate for the Social Democrats. Two years ago, the parties in the European parliament dared to conduct an experiment for the first time by appointing lead candidates who, if they won the vote, would then be appointed as the head of the European Commission. It was a step towards a true European democracy, but member states, including Germany, now want to back away from this system.

The best argument against reversing this democratization of Europe would be a persuasive candidate -- and Mogherini is indeed popular with many European Social Democrats. As a student, she served as an activist combatting xenophobia. Later, she led the foreign policy department of Italy's Democratic Party. And she has an eye for marketing. When she visited the headquarters of the EU mission in the Mediterranean in September, she was pleased to be able to announce that 2,200 people had already been rescued at sea by the EU deployment. The only thing she was unhappy about was the name of the operation: Eunavor Med.

Mogherini hates the cold abbreviated language of the military. She remembered that a Somalian baby had been born on the German frigate Schleswig-Holstein a short time before. Now the mission is named after that newborn African girl: Sophie.
Washington, May 24, 2016 (SPS) - The US NGO Defense Forum Foundation said Monday in Washington that the UN is "responsible for this ongoing tragic situation of human rights in Western Sahara, warning against the threats against NGOs and the independent observers in the Sahrawi occupied territories.

The last resolution of the Security Council on Western Sahara "makes the UN responsible for this ongoing tragic situation. It is a terrible decision and a huge failure of the UN not to add human rights monitoring to MINURSO, Suzanne Scholte, president of Defense Forum Foundation told to APS.

"This (situation) is just unacceptable and an abdication of the UN's responsibility as it means that MINURSO remains the only peacekeeping mission without a human rights component in charge of human rights monitoring," she added.

"The people of Western Sahara will continue to be subjected to significant human rights violations including arbitrary detention and torture, said Scholte, adding that independent observers, including those who advocate for human rights, will have difficulty monitoring the ongoing abuse of the Sahrawi people.

Suzanne Scholte expressed concerns over the harassment and threat against these observers who are often prevented from investigating the abuses committed by the Moroccan authorities.

"Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, the World Organization Against Torture, Reporters without Borders, the RFK Center for Human Rights and the U.S. State Department have all documented ongoing violence against the Sahrawis in Moroccan occupied Western Sahara," unveiled Sholte.

Speaking about the "negative role of France which made great pressure to prevent the extension of the mandate of MINURSO to monitor human rights," she said that this country "is giving free reign to Morocco to deny liberty, equality and fraternity to the Sahrawi people.

It means that France "no longer stands for those high ideals."

"The implications for the Sahrawi living under Moroccan occupation mean they will continue to suffer human rights abuses including torture, detention and the denial of their rights to freedom of expression because of France's role in this," president of Defense Forum Foundation warned.

"This failure by the UN Security Council sends a terrible message to the world," which is that the use of peaceful means is not the suitable solution for conflict settlement.

"This is a particularly terrible message to send to the Sahrawis," who fight for their independence and their right to self-determination, the human rights defender concluded. SPS

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Windhoek (Namibia), May 24, 2016 (SPS) - The President of the Republic of Namibia, Mr. Hage Geingob reiterated the firm support of his country to the people of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in their struggle for their right to self-determination and independence during his reception to the Saharawi Ambassador, Malainin Sadik who is concluding his duties as ambassador to this African nation.

The Namibian president said it is time that the international community does justice for the Saharawi people that allows them to freely decide their future through a referendum on self-determination organized under international supervision.

The President of Namibia conveyed to the Sahrawi ambassador a message of brotherhood of the people and the Government of Namibia to the people and Government of the SADR, and the continued support of SWAPO to the Frente Polisario in their heroic struggle for freedom and independence of the Saharawi people

For his part, the Saharawi Ambassador expressed the fraternal greetings of the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz to his counterpart of Namibia Mr. Hage Geingob, reiterating the gratitude of the Polisario Front and the SADR Government to the people and the government of Namibia for their support to the legitimate struggle of the Saharawi people for freedom and independence.

The Saharawi Ambassador held meetings with senior officials from Namibia, including Mr. Peya Mushelenga, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia. The evolution of the conflict between Morocco and the SADR and bilateral relations between the two countries were the center of these discussions. SPS

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Montevideo, May 24, 2016 (SPS) - A delegation of the Ministry of Culture, headed by the Central Director of Cinematography Mr. Omar Ahmuddi, has started a working visit for two weeks, to the brother Republic of Uruguay.

The Saharawi delegation was received yesterday by Mr. Esteban Shoeder, Filmmaker and founding member of the collective ASOPROD, (Association of filmmakers and producers).

On the afternoon of Monday, Sahrawi culture delegation conducted a conference on Sahrawi culture and cinematography at the Faculty of Fine Arts belonging to the University of the Republic and then they were screening short film produced by the School of Audiovisual Training, Abidin Kaid Saleh SPS

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Starting this autumn, 4 million primary and middle school freshmen in 14 provinces of China will use a new version of a Chinese history textbook published by Language & Culture Press. According to the publisher, excerpts about the Rape of Nanking written by Chinese-American Iris Chang will be included in the new version.

The addition triggered heated debates when the story was first disclosed. Some people mistakenly thought that all information about the Nanjing Massacre was going to be excluded. However, the Language & Culture Press clarified this misunderstanding on Monday on their official microblog; rather than deleting information about the historical event, they have replaced the section, which was previously written by Wen Shulin, with excerpts written by Iris Chang. They have also renamed the section Si li tao sheng, which means to escape death.

The publisher explained that the new text not only describes the brutality of the massacre, but also includes the story of a woman who bravely fought against Japanese invaders. The moving story demonstrates the Chinese nations determination, even in the face of aggression.

One more planned change to the textbook is that a story from Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, will be replaced with a different story since the original one was considered too violent.

The new textbook will still retain about 60 percent of its original texts, while the other 40 percent will be updated. The total number of texts will also be slightly reduced. Ancient poems and traditional Chinese culture will receive more thorough coverage.

The 14 provinces that will use the new textbook include Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei and more.
STAMFORD  Concerned community members met Tuesday with city officials to discuss ways to combat the ongoing gun violence that has plagued the West Side for months.

The meeting at the Government Center was held in response to the West Side gun-related incidents, the most recent of which occurred early Thursday at the corner of West Main and Spruce streets. No one was injured, but a bullet pierced an unoccupied parked car on West Main Street. The shots were fired just hours after a community meeting about the violence was held Wednesday night on the West Side.

Mayor David Martin organized the Tuesday meeting, which was closed to the media. Martin did not respond to a request for comment afterward.

Stamford Chief of Police Jonathan Fontneau said the discussion was productive.

To do what we want to do, it takes input from everyone, he said.

Toni Lupinacci, co-owner of Pellicci Ristorante on Stillwater Avenue, said collaboration between the citizens and the city is key to addressing the violence in her restaurants neighborhood.

This was the beginning of some very crucial doors being open, she said.

She said the meeting was informative as far as letting us realize what the police department, supported by the city of Stamford, is doing to regulate the situation on the West Side.

Ted Jankowski, the citys director of public safety, said a big takeaway from the meeting was the need for more open communication between the community and the police department.

Residents should not be afraid to communicate with the SPD, he said. If residents see something unusual occurring, they should report it immediately.

Fontneau has been satisfied with the progress his department has made since the rash of shootings began March 25.

We made a great impact on crime already, he said. We put away a couple people.  So were doing a good job right now.

The Narcotics and Organized Crime squad has also turned its attention to the problem, but police are reluctant to call the groups gangs.

They appear to be associated by neighborhood and only loosely structured around drug dealing and turf protection, police said. The groups appear to be comprised of youths in their teens and early 20s.

Jankowski said police have increased patrols on the West Side and the Bureau of Criminal Investigations will continue to monitor the area.

Board of Representative member Rodney Pratt said last week he thinks police could be doing more, especially in the way of walking patrols.

Fontneau said his officers are already walking the neighborhood.

Were out of the cars, he said. Our patrol officers are out of the car for 30 minutes-plus a day, walking around the neighborhoods.

Jack Bryant, president of Stamfords NAACP, said he hopes the police can work with other leaders in the area to implement community walks.

A lot of times these individuals (suspects), they will respect pastors and leaders of organizations more than they will respect the police, he said. We want to make a committed effort to coordinate this and walk through the community and maybe we can reach some of these kids.

Bryant had a message for the perpetrators.

This place is a community place, he said. Its not just a place where you can come and loiter, and if youre selling drugs  its not your domain. It belongs to the city. It belongs to the very productive citizens in the city.

Jankowski said a another meeting, to be held somewhere on the West Side, will be scheduled for next month.

Jankowski said residents should report emergencies to 911 and other tips should be directed to the police departments main line at 203-977-4444.

Staff writer John Nickerson contributed to this report.
China saw a surge of imports of Russian oil in April by 52.4 percent last month compared to a year earlier, with the countrys General Administration of Customs calculated a record 4.81 million tons.

Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Angola are the major oil suppliers to China in April. While Chinas imports from Saudi Arabia fell by 22 percent year-on-year to 4.12 million tons. The imports from Angola in April increased 39 percent to 3.98 million tons year-on-year.

An International Energy Agency report showed that at the end of 2015 Russia overtook Saudi Arabia as the biggest crude exporter to China.

Russian oil transport company Transnefts Vice-President Sergey Andropov said in March that China is ready to import 27 million tons of Russian crude this year via the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline. Supplies to China through the ESPO pipeline started in 2011. This is prompted by the contracts signed between Rosneft, Transneft and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) two years earlier. Currently, five million tons of crude are supplied through the pipeline annually, and this is expected to rise to 15 million tons a year.
D ominic Chappell rejected offers of additional funding before buying debt-laden BHS for 1 and taking it into administration just a year later, the Evening Standard has learned.

Cornhill Capital was hired by the thrice-bankrupt businessman to source investors to be joint-venture partners to buy the under-pressure high street chain from Sir Philip Greens Arcadia Group.

The City broker, a small outfit with links to wealthy private investors, is understood to have found a number of potentially viable offers of investment into the Chappells vehicle.

These included possible buyers for some of BHSs stores, but the bids were rejected by the former racing driver.

Last month, BHS collapsed into administration. Administrators were today combing through bids attempting to find a buyer for the whole chain and its 11,000 employees. However, concerns are growing over how long the process is taking.

Chappell hired Cornhill through Swiss Rock plc, one of his investment vehicles. But he completed the deal for BHS through Swiss Rock Ventures, later renamed Retail Acquisitions, with its other advisers Grant Thornton and Olswang. It is understood Cornhill was not paid.

Cornhill, a little-known broker to tiny AIM companies, usually in oil and gas or mining, is reportedly considering suing Chappell for up to 1 million.

Its chief executive Andrew Frangos, who will be questioned by MPs tomorrow, declined to comment.

One small-cap broker said Cornhills involvement in BHS appears very odd and said that it only usually advises sexy oil and gas names.

Its work for Chappell, who declined to comment, was thought to have been a project through private equity links.

Cornhill was in charge of last years farcical share issue for New World Oil & Gas. A small-cap investor known as Chris Oil accidentally bought half of the AIM-listed oil firm in the name of his mother, a pensioner who runs a B&B in the Malverns.
T he MPs on the Business and Work and Pensions select committees visibly shivered with excitement when Goldmans Antony Gutman dropped his little bomb in Sir Philip Greens lap.

As Arcadias informal advisers, Gutman declared, we told them months before they sold BHS that this Chappell fellow was a wrong un. Kaboom!

So far, the impression from the Green camp has been that Chappells failure as an owner of the business was a bolt from the blue. That cant now be the case.

You can see why the MPs were pleased.

Not only did they prove that, but they ascertained the brainy Arcadia chairman, Lord Grabiner QC, was not even at the key meeting where the sale to Chappell was discussed. Clearly, the MPs are showing, Green called the shots at BHS. The coming days evidence will doubtless show he ran it on a fuel of instinct and ego without the checks and balances a business of that scale required.

The problem with these revelations is simple; outside the select committee, they will surprise no one. Green has always been an aggressive, gut-instinct entrepreneur who dominates everyone around him, sometimes unpleasantly.

But thats not against the rules, and it doesnt make him unlike many other abrasive self-made billionaires.

More importantly, the dirty details also dont help the 11,000 BHS staff fretting over their jobs.

Surely the most worrying aspect of this miserable saga is that, four weeks in, the administrators still havent secured a buyer.
B ritish shoppers buying expensive watches was not enough to help momentum in the global market, with the value of Swiss watch exports shrinking 11.1% in April.

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said the figure dropped to 1.6 billion francs (1.1 billion).

The latest numbers mean that over the first four months of the year, the downturn stands at a 9.5% fall.

Timepieces costing 3,000 francs or more were hit hard as were precious metal watches.

Although the UK recorded 3.7% growth, other countries in Europe such as Italy, France and Germany all suffered declines.

Further afield, watch exports to Hong Kong continued to falter for the fifteenth consecutive month. The luxury goods market there has been battered by a crackdown on extravagant gift giving.

The arrival of the Apple Watch and rival smart watches on the way, are among factors that have affected sales in the traditional watch market.
T his paper has seen the future of commuting  or at least a promotional video about it from Thameslink  and its big.

The new Siemens Class 700 Thameslink train which the company launched today at Blackfriars is 50 per cent longer than almost every train in the companys existing fleet, at 12 carriages, and can carry up to 1,750 people seated and standing  the equivalent of 21 double-decker buses.

The new trains will be running on the Bedford to Brighton line within weeks. This is to take account of an estimated 40 per cent rise in passenger numbers in the past decade.

Passengers will already have registered the effects of that rise on their journeys to work in routine overcrowding and delays.

The Government has made much of its eyecatching rail infrastructure developments, notably HS2  and certainly the advent of Crossrail will dramatically increase the number of people for whom central London is an easy commute.

But on existing lines it is longer platforms and more carriages on trains and simply bigger trains which will do most to improve travelling conditions for those who commute into London from other parts of the South-East and East Anglia.

As housing in the centre of town becomes less affordable, even more people will rely on commuter services to work here; measures to increase capacity are the least they deserve for fares higher than almost anywhere else in Europe.

The number of people coming to live and work in London has increased dramatically  net migration to the UK runs at a third of a million people a year  so if our quality of life is not to be diminished in consequence, we need drastic improvements to our transport network to enable ever more people to travel ever further to and from work.

The new train is a sign of the times.

Bitcoin criminals

Bitcoin, the virtual currency, may be popular with the young and internet-savvy but it is the medium of choice for terrorists and criminals too.

In evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, the Crown Prosecution Service points out its utility for money launderers, from paedophiles to funders of Islamic State.

Plainly there needs to be a change in the law to seize virtual currencies; equally obviously, its easier said than done since, as the CPS says, unlike a bank account there is no one person who can be served with a restraint order.

The National Crime Agency has also pointed out that bitcoins are used by cyber-criminals as a cheap, quick, unregulated and almost anonymous method of transferring value.

Police face formidable hurdles to seize, hold and sell criminals virtual currencies. This is a problem that the people who bought us bitcoins in the first place must now grapple with.

Young internet entrepreneurs can help law enforcers. Virtual currencies need real solutions.

Homes for teachers

The Harris Federation, which runs 37 academies in and around the capital, is seeking permission to build homes for teachers on unused school land.

Given how difficult it is for middle-income professionals to get on the housing ladder in London, this makes perfect sense in principle.

In days gone by employers regularly provided accommodation for staff  from the famous villages, such as Bournville, built by Quaker firms, to hostels for NHS medical staff.

The public sector could learn from this. Indeed, when 94 per cent of teachers who dont currently own a home say theyd have to leave London to be able to afford one, it is clear the present situation is unsustainable.
T heres no getting around the fact: playwright Alexi Kaye Campbell should be sponsored by the Greek Tourist Board. For alongside some subtle if trenchant political commentary, his new play for the National Theatre, Sunset at the Villa Thalia, offers the idyll of Greek island living: its all swims at sunset and wine and snacks on the terrace before dinner. It is, if you like, the Mamma Mia! of serious drama.

Campbell, born in Athens to a Greek father and English mother, smiles. For years Ive slightly acted as a travel agent for everybody in the theatre who wants to go to Greece, he says. Put it this way: Ive sent quite a few people on idyllic Greek holidays. Then of course if anything goes wrong I take it personally. Somebody told me they got food poisoning in Greece and I was, Oh my God, Im so sorry!

Sunset at the Villa Thalia looks at the profound consequences  on both personal and governmental levels  of meddling in the business of other countries. It centres on two couples, one British and one American, staying in the eponymous house on the island of Skiathos over the course of 10 bumpy years in the mid-1960s. Ben Miles and Downton Abbeys Elizabeth McGovern play the Americans, Harvey and June: hes a shady government operative and shes his increasingly frazzled spouse.

The setting is inspired by the Skiathos house Campbells parents built when he was a baby and in which he spent his childhood summers. He hadnt returned since he was 18 but he and director Simon Godwin went back last autumn as research for the production. Skiathos is a beautiful island but its gone a bit he trails off; mass market British tourism might be the phrase. When I was growing up it was like a paradise, this idyllic island, and there was a real innocence. Campbell, 49, took himself off to Greece to write the play too, this time to the island of Syros. I was getting emails from the National going, When do you think were going to get a first draft? and I kept lying. So eventually I said, Im going to go to Greece and not come back until Ive finished the first draft. This Greek seclusion appears to have done the trick, as Villa Thalia is one of the most promising new plays Ive read in years.

Increasingly frazzled: Elizabeth McGovern, who plays June / Manuel Harlan

Is it a direct comment on what has happened to Greece over the past few years? I knew I had to write something about Greece, he says, but I didnt want to write it in a kind of explicit political way. The themes the play talks about are different forms of colonialism and how economic colonialism is a universal thing.

Regular visits back to his family in Athens have, however, reminded him how bad the situation has become. There were people in my brothers neighbourhood, middle-class people, and you could see them getting up early to rummage through bins, he says quietly.

'I did love being an actor and I was very committed. But what I found unbearable was the lack of control and autonomy and I just got to the point where I couldnt tolerate it any more'

Campbell shot to attention in 2008 with his Critics Circle Award-winning debut The Pride. A skilful look at a half-centurys worth of changing attitudes to homosexuality, it has proved to be a considerable worldwide hit in countries as far-flung as Japan and South Korea. A lot of it has to do with code and speaking in code  all cultures have that to some extent, he says.

Its notable original production was at the Royal Court, of which his partner Dominic Cooke was then the artistic director. When it went blindly into the script meeting it got a very positive response and they voted to do it, without knowing that it was by me, he says. Then it was a question of if I wasnt with Dominic, would I have my play at the Royal Court? Of course you would, because the Royal Court is the top. I thought: Should I be penalised?

Cooke is an early reader of his plays and usually reads a second draft. Hes brilliant dramaturgically but then I have strong opinions on what Im trying to write, so sometimes it can be He trails off. Do you argue? A mischievous grin appears. What do you think?

Before that trailblazing debut Campbell was an actor for nearly 20 years, paying his dues in often small parts all around the country. I did love it and I was very committed, he says. But what I found unbearable was the lack of control and autonomy and I just got to the point where I couldnt tolerate it any more. Thats one of the joys of writing: you dont have to wait for somebody to give you permission to do it.

Until the age of 42 he filled in the gaps between acting jobs with work in a call centre. Was it difficult doing that while your partner was off running the Royal Court? I think I was very driven to find my own creative voice, lets put it that way, he says. Its great if you can have your first play produced when youre 25 but sometimes its rather wonderful when things happen later in life.

What insights from his acting days does he bring to his writing? One of the things when youre an actor which is unbearable is if youre boring an audience and you can feel it, he says, firmly. The other thing is that when youre an actor it takes a certain amount of empathy to put yourself in somebody elses shoes. As a dramatist I try and do exactly the same thing but with five, six characters instead of just the one.

Hes not, he says, even slightly tempted to act in one of his own plays. Besides, hes too busy  last year he made his screenwriting debut with Nazi-art-theft drama Woman in Gold, which starred Helen Mirren, and there are further films in the pipeline. The more films he writes, he says, the more chance hell have of buying a little house on a Greek island somewhere.

His parents met at Cape Sounio near Athens in the early Sixties. His mother was a Geordie travelling through Greece and his father a recent widower with two young children. They married but a traumatic divorce later followed.

He moved to England with his mother at the age of 10 but a year later his father forcibly took him back to Greece. I never lived with my mother after that, he says softly, but Id come and visit her on holidays. The experience of being separated from my Mum has shaped my life indelibly.

So is he Greek or English? I am what I am by blood: exactly half and half, he says. I was watching a rehearsal of this play the other day and I thought: There are three groups of people in it, the Brits, the Greeks and the Americans, and those three represent different parts of me. I live in Britain but I lived in America for five years [for university] so Ive been shaped by that. But my soul and my roots are always going to be in Greece. A fact to which Sunset at the Villa Thalia bears eloquent testament.

Sunset at the Villa Thalia is at the Nationals Dorfman, SE1 (020 7452 3000, nationaltheatre.org.uk), from May 25 until August 4

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout
A uthor and illustrator Gemma Merino has won this years Oscars Book Prize.

Princess Beatrice gave the childrens prize royal backing as she presented Ms Merino with a 5,000 cheque at a reception at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall.

The Cow Who Climbed A Tree is about a very curious cow who wants to show her sisters that there is more to life than chewing grass. James Ashton, an Evening Standard columnist and one of the judges, said it impressed the panel because it looked fantastic with great splodges of colour, and the story was very sweet.

He said: The story is about not putting barriers in your way and being limited by what other people say. It is a great book to encourage kids to have ambition. It was well told and looked great.

Culture minister Ed Vaizey spoke at the event and urged parents to read to their children. This is the third year the prize, sponsored by Waitrose, has been awarded. It was established by the Evening Standard in memory of Mr Ashtons son, who died suddenly at the age of three.

Sixty books were submitted for the prize and a longlist of 12 were chosen with help from the Eveline Day Nursery in Wimbledon, which book-loving Oscar attended, and this was whittled down to a final five.

The first 50 London nurseries or primary schools to email oscarsbookprize@standard.co.uk will receive a complimentary set of the five books.

Follow Anna Davis on Twitter: @_AnnaDavis
A rsenal fans used street signs, rubbish bins and chairs as weapons in a street fight with rival supporters after a Champions League match, a court heard.

They were caught on camera clashing with Anderlecht fans in running battles on the streets around Kings Cross station.

The two teams had just played out 3-3 draw in a Champions League group stage match in November 2014 when violence broke out at around 11pm.

A group of Gunners fans, who had been drinking in the George pub in Holloway after the match, went to the four-star Megaro Hotel in Kings Cross where a group of Belgians were staying, Blackfriars crown court heard.

One Anderlecht fan was knocked unconscious by a flying kick in the large scale street fight, said prosecutor Noel Casey.

There were two rival groups of supporters, one from Arsenal, one from Anderlecht, who got themselves into a fight, he said.

During the fight, metal chairs, signs and street furniture is used as weapons. Members of the public were caused to fear for their safety.

CCTV cameras around the hotel captured much of the violence, as up to 40 men clashed for several minutes before police arrived.

Harry Fricker, 25, Harry Powell, 25, Perry White, 26, Sean McGinn, 29, Nicholas Maynard, 30, and Paul Wright, 39, are all on trial accused of violence disorder over the incident on November 4, 2014.

It is said they are all Arsenal fans who had been watching that evenings match, where the Gunners managed to draw despite being 3-0 up after 60 minutes.

Mr Casey said all the men were in the same pub in Holloway and ended up outside the same hotel.

None had a legitimate reason to be in the Kings Cross together, he said.

Theres a degree of pre-planning about this incident, it wasnt entirely spontaneous.

It wasnt one bunch of Anderlecht supporters walking down the road and a bunch of Arsenal fans by chance also walking down the street, and they came together by coincidence.

These defendants made that journey at that time of night all the way down to Kings Cross and specifically to the Megaro Hotel.

Mr Casey told jurors a seventh man, Jamie Millar, 31, has been identified through CCTV as running forward and taking a flying kick at a man, but he is not on trial with the other defendants.

The man is on the ground unconscious when one of his group tries to drag him away from trouble. But having been dragged to his feet he falls back to the floor again.

He said the Arsenal fans are seen using street signs as weapons, some kicking and punching, and some gesturing, egging on and goading.

They all fully participated in this violence, and only ran off because the police came.

Fricker, of Kentish Town, Powell, of Tufnell Park, White, from Harlow in Essex, McGinn, of Hornsey, Maynard, of Dunmow in Essex, and Wright, of Erith, all deny violent disorder.

The trial continues.
A man hurled racist abuse at a barmaid after she refused to serve him a drink, police say.

The woman was on shift at the Beer House pub at Waterloo station when she was subjected to the tirade, British Transport Police said.

The force said the barmaid served the man before noticing he appeared drunk.

She told staff not to serve him again, but when she later refused him another round, he racially abused her before leaving the bar.

Officers have launched an appeal for information and have released the CCTV image of a man they wish to question regarding the incident shortly after 7pm on April 16.

Investigating Officer PC Rachel Parfitt said: I am keen to speak to the man in the CCTV image as I believe he holds vital information to the investigation.

The barmaid was simply going about her job. Nobody should be made to feel intimidated and everyone has the right to work in a safe and secure environment.

Contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 216 of 23/05/16, with any information.
B ill Cosby has been ordered to stand trial over allegations of drugging and molesting a woman.

The actor and comedian is accused of carrying out the sexual assault at his Philadelphia mansion in 2004.

A judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to send the 78-year-old to trial over the claims.

It is the only criminal charge he faces after dozens of women came forward with similar accusations.

He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of violating the woman while she was impaired, unconscious or could not give consent.

His accuser Andrea Constand, a former university worker, made a statement to police in 2005 which was read out in court.

She said he gave her three blue pills that made her dizzy and blurry-eyed.

She told police: I told him, I can't even talk, Mr. Cosby. I started to panic.

She told detectives that Cosby positioned himself behind her after telling her to lie down on the couch.

She said she awoke with her bra askew and did not remember undoing it.

In excerpts read in court from Cosby's own statement to police in 2005, he said he and Constand had had other "petting" sessions before.

Cosby also told police the pills were over-the-counter Benadryl that he takes to help him sleep. He said he gave Constand one and a half pills and she did not ask what they were.

Cosby insists their sexual encounter at his home was consensual and that she never told him to stop.

He has been free on a $1 million (680,000) bail since being arrested on December 30.

Cosby is due back in court on July 20.
A father's bid for a second inquest into the death of his daughter who killed herself days before going on trial for making a false rape claim has been thrown out by judges.

Eleanor de Freitas, 23, hanged herself at the family home in Fulham just three days before she was due in court on a charge of perverting the course of justice.

The trainee accountant had claimed to police that Alexander Economou, 35, the son of a Greek shipping magnate, had raped her.

The case was ultimately dropped, and Mr Economou responded with a private prosecution - subsequently taken up by the Crown Prosecution Service - claiming Ms de Freitas had deliberately lied about being raped.

Her father, David, today went to the High Court asking for a fresh inquest into her death, arguing the role of the CPS had not been properly investigated.

But Mr Justice Nicol, sitting with Lord Justice Gross, turned down the application, ruling that coroner Chinyere Inyama had properly handled the original inquest and did not have to call the CPS to give evidence.

"No good purpose would be served by permitting the case to go further when it is bound to fail", the judge said, ruling the inquest had been "lawfully conducted".

"This is a tragic case and we understand the family's feelings, wherever our views take us", he added.

Leslie Thomas QC, representing Mr de Freitas, had relied on the coroner's conclusion that the decision to prosecute Eleanor for perverting the course of justice was a "stressor" in the days before she died.

"He must conduct his enquiry sufficiently to enable the statutory questions to be answered", argued the barrister.

"He is obliged to investigate these issues which appear to be central."

Mr Thomas told the court Eleanor's rape claim was made when she was mentally ill, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The prosecution team were planning to use the fact she secretly worked as an escort as part of the case against her, the court was told.

But Mr Thomas argued that in its response to the coroner, director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders had said the CPS believed this evidence was not part of the case.

"The DPP said it was irrelevant, but the prosecution were planning on relying on it", he said.

"That would have impacted on Eleanor because she was told that was what the prosecution intended to do at trial."

He told the court: "There are a number of things that cause one to raise an eyebrow, that could have impacted on this vulnerable woman - and everyone accepts she was vulnerable.

"At the end of an inquest, a coroner could make recommendations to prevent similar fatalities from occuring in the future.

"It doesn't have to be proved that was the cause of death, but if failings in relation to the CPS conduct contributed to Eleanor's death, it's right these prosecutions are done properly."

Jonathan Hough QC, representing the coroner, argued that the inquest scope had been properly set, investigating the death itself as well as Eleanor's bipolar diagnosis and possible motivations for her suicide.

"The courts have repeatedly recognised that coroners have a wide remit of judgment over the scope of inquests", he said.

Mr de Freitas sat at the back of the court through today's hearing.
F ive teenagers were sprayed with suspected acid in a horrifying attack at an Essex train station.

The five friends  aged 16 to 18  were targeted with dangerous chemicals at South Ockendon in the early hours of Sunday in an unprovoked assault.

One of the boys, 17-year-old Lee Elliott, is reportedly in danger of losing his sight in one eye after the substance was thrown in his face.

Another 17-year-old suffered potentially life-changing burns to his mouth and tongue and the three others, aged 16, 17 and 18, sustained minor injuries to the face or hands.

Police say a man jumped off a train which was passing through the station and squirted the boys, before getting back onto the service.

He was travelling with up to nine others who stayed on the train, officers said.

They have released a CCTV still of a man they want to speak to over the attack at about 12.40am on Sunday.

Lee Elliotts mother Tanya, 43, told the Mirror: They were all scared.

My boy got it the worst. I was so scared and shocked when I heard.

He is nervous to go out. He walks round with a towel on his head because he doesnt like the light. He sits in his bedroom most of the time.

Denni Walker, sister of one of the victims, wrote on Facebook: Early hours this morning, my brother and four of his friends was attacked.

They all got attacked with acid in their faces at South Ockendon station, theyre all severely burnt.

Ms Walker and other relatives have shared shocking photos of the boy's injuries on Facebook as they appealed for help finding the culprit.

Detective Sergeant Gail McKemmie, from British Transport Police, said: This was a particularly vicious and alarming assault which has left some of the victims with potentially life changing injuries.

This was an unprovoked and violent incident and it is essential that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.

Although our investigation is in its early stages, it would appear that this was a random and isolated incident.

If you think you recognise the man in the CCTV image, Id urge you to get in touch as we think he has vital information that could assist this investigation.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact BTP by calling 0800 40 50 40 or texting 61016, quoting reference 312 of 24/05/2016. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A suspect accused of trying to behead a commuter at Leytonstone tube station has denied attempted murder but admitted trying to stab other commuters.

Muhaydin Mire, 30, allegedly grabbed the 56-year-old musician as he walked through the station, pinning him to the ground before taking a knife to his neck.

The alleged attack happened just three weeks after the deadly Paris terror attacks, as Britain was on high alert for a fresh attack from Islamic State-supporting extremists.

The incident, on December 5 last year, made global headlines when one onlooker was caught on camera shouting You aint no Muslim bruv, quickly making the video a viral hit.

Mire appeared at the Old Bailey this morning via videolink to plead not guilty to attempted murder.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted wounding on four fellow commuters who tried to intervene.

Mire spoke only to enter his pleas and to confirm his identity during todays hearing.

Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC, the Recorder of London, remanded Mire in custody until the start of his trial on May 31.

Mire, of Leytonstone, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. He admitted four counts of attempted wounding.
A n attacker punched a man to the ground before kicking him twice in the head as he lay helpless on the ground in a vicious assault outside a north London post office.

CCTV footage, released today in an effort to identify the suspect, captures a man running across Greenford Road in Harrow before viciously hitting the unsuspecting victim in the back of the head, knocking him on to the pavement.

The attacker then continues his assault by kicking him in the face as he tries to lift his head. Moments later, as the victim lies unconscious, he lands another painful kick to his upper body.

Punch: The suspect throws the young victim to the ground with a blow to the head / Metropolitan Police

The injured man, said to be in his late 20s, suffered a broken nose and fractured left arm in the brutal attack outside Sudbury Hill Post Office.

Assault: The attacker cocks back his leg before kicking the victim as he tries to get to his feet / Metropolitan Police

oday police launched an appeal for information that could help officers identify the man caught on film.

Scotland Yard said police were called to the scene of the incident on February 21 at about 1.30am

Suspect: Police wish to speak to this man / Metropolitan Police

Paramedics also attended to the unconscious victim, who was taken to a north London hospital for treatment.

Detectives described the suspect as a white man, aged in his early 20s, of large build, with short dark hair. He was wearing a hooded jacket, light blue jeans and white trainers.

Contact police on 101, quoting reference number 213052, with any information.
A young man has been stabbed in a street attack in east London.

The victim, aged in his 20s, was rushed to hospital after he was knifed opposite a Tesco Express in Walthamstow this afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the stabbing in St James Street at about 4.30pm.

Paramedics took the man to an east London hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.

Police said his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers remained at the scene tonight investigating the attack.

A Met Police spokesman said: No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.

Anyone who witnessed the assault is asked to contact police at Waltham Forest via 101.
A woman had her necklace ripped off before being punched to the ground in a terrifying attack in Croydon.

Police said the woman was grabbed from behind before the jewellery was snatched from her.

When she tried to stop the attack, she was punched in the face and fell to the ground.

A man then tried to grab a bracelet from the woman's wrist before running away when she fought back.

The victim, aged in her 40s, was left needing hospital treatment after the ordeal in Sutherland Road at about 7.45pm on Friday, May 13.

She was discharged later that night but will need "ongoing treatment", police said.

Detectives are now appealing for help tracing the suspect, who is described as a black male in his late teens or early 20s and about 5ft7ins tall.

Anyone with information is asked to call PC Chris Martin at Croydon CID via 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


A major London academy chain wants to build houses for teachers on surplus school land.

The Harris Federation, which runs 37 academies in and around London, said schools in the city will soon be under threat because so few teachers can afford to live in the capital.

The Federation said rules should be changed urgently so academies can build low-cost housing on surplus school land to ensure teachers have somewhere to live. Most academies do not own their land or buildings but lease them from local authorities. Ministers have set out plans to transfer ownership to central government.

Sir Dan Moynihan, chief executive of the Harris Federation, said: There is both a market failure and a failure in our priorities as a society when teachers are unable to look forward to ever purchasing a home in London.

The shortage of affordable housing for teachers is easily the biggest long-term threat to schools in London. This is not an issue that requires tinkering at the edges or which can be solved by changing teachers pay. It requires the urgent, co-ordinated action of national and local government so that we do not have a city in 10 years time where teachers do not want to work because they have no chance to live here.

He added: We want to be empowered by government to build housing on the surplus land some of our schools have, which is currently totally unused.

The Harris Federations warning about the housing crisis comes as it released a survey of more than 500 of its teachers from London. A total of 84 per cent of teachers said they assumed they would be able to buy their own home when they first started work, but just 38 per cent have been able to do so. Of those who do not already own a home, 94 per cent said they would need to leave London in order to do so.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said: We have clear safeguards in place that mean academies cannot sell or change the use of publicly funded school land without consent from the Secretary of State and the proposals under the White Paper will not change that. Schools and trusts can apply to the freeholder for permission to change the use of a site.
T he developers who tore down the historic Carlton Tavern have admitted their actions were highly regrettable - but they insist they should not have to rebuild it.

The Maida Vale pub was illegally demolished by CLTX in April last year while it was being considered by Historic England for Grade II listed status.

Westminster City Council had previously refused planning permission for the site and following the demolition, imposed an enforcement notice against the developer ordering them to rebuild the pub.

The Friends of Carlton Tavern have united with the council in their campaign to order the developer to rebuild the 1920s pub brick by brick.

Planning battle: Campaigners at the start of the public inquiry

The developers today said at a public inquiry that the demolition was unauthorised, clearly should not have occurred in the way it did and was highly regrettable.

But they have insisted they should not be made to restore the building to its former glory.

Rupert Warren QC, representing CLTX, said: It would not be 'brick by brick' or 'facsimile' reproduction of the pub.

Its heritage value and townscape value, whilst more than negligible, have been very substantially overstated by the council in its evidence and submissions.

The enforcement notice requires 'in facsimile' reconstruction. That is not really feasible.

Former glory: The Carlton Tavern before it was demolished

Mr Warren added the best that could be done would be a reconstruction in line with photographs and plans of the site.

He continued: A reproduction might be very similar but it has no real heritage value; the pub if it were rebuilt, would be a ghost, or clone, of the original.

But Saira Kabir Sheikh QC branded CLTXs actions as morally repugnant and urged the public inquiry to uphold the enforcement notice.

She said: The Carlton Tavern as rebuilt would have significant heritage value and provide numerous other benefits to the Conservation Area and local community. These must not be lost.

These benefits will remain far into the future so the value of the Carlton Tavern as rebuilt will be looked back on and therefore the benefits will increase as time goes on.

She added there was no justification for retrospective planning permission to be granted for the demolition of the pub.

Ms Sheikh concluded: The appellant should be required to build the Carlton Tavern.

A decision on the public inquiry is expected in seven weeks.
S adiq Khan lived up to his promise of being a "proud feminist" at City Hall today by giving two of his top three jobs to women.

The new Mayor finally appointed his deputy mayors for policing and transport who between them control multi-billion pound budgets and hold huge power.

Sophie Linden, deputy mayor of Hackney Council and a former adviser to David Blunkett at the Home Office, will oversee the Metropolitan Police.

Val Shawcross, an experienced City Hall operator who sat on the London Assembly for 16 years, will be his number two on transport and deputy chair of Transport for London. Mr Khan will follow Boris Johnson's lead and chair the body himself.

Former Labour transport secretary Andrew Adonis had been lined up for the job but it is understood he was unwilling to give up other public sector roles.

Sophie Linden will oversee the Metropolitan Police

Instead he will chair the board of Crossrail 2, responsible for delivering the crucial North-South rail link, and act as a link man to Government.

The third major City Hall deputy mayoralty - housing - goes to Islington Labour councillor James Murray, as revealed by the Standard earlier this month.

He will also advise the Mayor on planning in relation to housing, but not from a regeneration and infrastructure perspective.

Explainer: What are Sadiq Khan's plans for London?

Mr Khan has already announced his statutory deputy is long-standing Assembly member Joanne McCartney, meaning three of his four deputies are women.

The new Mayor has taken two weeks to announce his first tranche of big jobs but insiders said the delay was because he was keen to get them right.

Val Shawcross will be Mr Khan's number two on transport

Boris Johnson suffered the indignity of losing several key members of his team in the first weeks of his mayoralty in part because he rushed into appointments.

Mr Khan is yet to appoint senior advisers on the arts and culture, environment, business and community relations. At least a couple of these responsibilities are expected to be held by deputy mayors.

He also announced that Labour Assembly member Fiona Twycross would become chair of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

Sadiq's Team Val Shawcross - deputy mayor for transport A job the widely respected and liked former Labour Assembly member has spent the last 16 years preparing for. Her expertise will make the herculean task that awaits - getting TfLs finances into shape before it loses Government funding in 2018 - a little easier. Her warmth and diplomatic skills are only part of her story - she is a tough operator who will take no prisoners at TfL. The 10.4 billion a year transport body had better be ready to deliver the Mayors fares freeze pledge, or else. Not Khans first choice - Lord Adonis was unwilling to give up his National Infrastructure Commission post - but in many ways a better one. Sophie Linden - deputy mayor for policing Although not a big name in the policing world, she was a special adviser to David Blunkett at the Home Office between 2001 and 2004, and worked closely with former respect tsar Louise Casey on anti-social behaviour. She is regarded as compassionate, but no woolly liberal on crime and community safety policy, which she led on in her current position as deputy mayor in Hackney. As a Blairite, her appointment shows Khan is willing to reach out across the party. Insiders say she wont take any crap from senior officers. Married to a head-teacher with whom she has four children. Joanne McCartney - statutory deputy mayor This highly thought of Labour Assembly member was Khans first appointment - reflecting his trust in her ability and experience. The new Mayors right-hand woman would be wasted as a ribbon-cutter so is expected to take on a beefed up role, perhaps including community engagement. Insiders had tipped her for the policing role after she led Assembly investigations into confronting child sexual exploitation and preventing extremism in London, amongst others. Although softly spoken, she is a force to be reckoned with. A former barrister who specialised in employment law and mother of three. James Murray - deputy mayor for housing The pressure is on this brilliant young former Islington councillor to deliver the Mayors key manifesto pledge of thousands more affordable homes. Although one of the less experienced members of Khans new team, he impressed his boss during the election campaign with his intellect and ideas for innovative housing solutions. Still has to win over some big borough leaders, including Labour ones who are cautious about Islingtons more radical approach - a key task given he will rely on them to help deliver new homes.

During the mayoral contest, he promised to "put the fight for gender equality" at the very heart of his mayoralty, giving several of his senior roles to highly qualified women.

He spoke of how his mother sewed dresses for 50p each to help make ends meet and how he wanted his teenage daughters to have the opportunity to do less insecure and difficult work.

"It is unacceptable that in London, one of the world's greatest and most progressive cities, someone's pay, career prospects and their safety are still dependent on their gender," he said at the time.

Mr Khan said today his new top team brought together Londoners with extensive experience and knowledge of their respective patches.

He said Ms Shawcross's "unrivalled knowledge" of Londons transport issues made her the "right person" to deliver a modern, accessible and affordable transport network.

Lord Adonis, his former boss at the Department for Transport, would help with planning London's long-term infrastructure needs and getting Crossrail 2 off the ground as quickly as possible.

Announcing Ms Linden and Ms Twycross, he said: "There is nothing more important than keeping London safe.

"Both have extensive experience in their fields and will help to ensure our police and fire services have the resources they need to protect Londoners and safeguard our city."

He added that Mr Murray would bring a "strong track record" of success and would help deliver the Mayor's top priority of all Londoners being able to buy or rent a decent, affordable home.
G eorge Osborne faced embarrassment today after it emerged he missed his borrowing target by twice as much as previously thought.

His plans to achieve a surplus in the public finances by 2020 were dealt a blow when official data revealed borrowing in 2015/16 reached 76 billion.

It means the Chancellor overshot the target in his Budget by 3.8 billion, rather than 1.8 billion.

The 76 billion figure still reflected a 15.7 billion fall in borrowing from the previous year. But the slow pace of decline raises questions about Mr Osbornes ability to get the deficit down to the promised 55.5 billion by the end of the financial year.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said it was further disappointing news for George Osborne.

But the Treasury sought to downplay the increased borrowing estimate. A spokesman said: Todays figures show further progress in fixing the record post-war deficit we inherited.

"As uncertainty ahead of the referendum weighs on our outlook, Treasury analysis has shown that if the UK votes to leave the EU on June 23, we would be tipped into a year-long recession.
T he boss of an environmentally friendly alternative to Formula One wants to bring all-electric racing cars to the streets of London.

This years Formula E event on July 2 and 3 will be the last to be held in Battersea Park despite permission for another year, said chief executive Alejandro Agag.

Bosses are in talks with Sadiq Khans officials to explore other sites in the capital, with their first choice being through St Jamess Park and past Buckingham Palace.

Last year, more than 60,000 people watched the first Battersea Park race on a 1.5-mile circuit. Wandsworth council gave permission for the race to run for three years, but residents angry at noise, disruption and damage to the park brought a judicial review.

Mr Agag said: We had races in Paris and Berlin that were right in the heart of the city, which were a fantastic success.

Weve had preliminary conversations with the GLA, but theres been no permission or route authorised yet.

I love Battersea Park, but youre effectively in a park and all you see is trees  this would be a view of Londons landmarks. Of the Battersea Park cancellation, he said: We have reached an agreement with residents, some of who were objecting and protesting, that this will be the last race in Battersea Park. The judicial review had been withdrawn.

A spokesman for Mr Khan said: The Mayorintends to work with FIA Formula E to explore other sites in the capital.
A new law is needed to allow Bitcoins to be seized in order to stop terrorists and other criminals using digital payments to hide illicit funds, prosecutors said today.

The Crown Prosecution Service said virtual currencies are increasingly used by criminals to operate and launder money, hindering efforts to counter the changing methods of sophisticated offenders  and that new powers were needed to deal with it.

The prosecutors call came in evidence to an inquiry into proceeds of crime by the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee and follows reports that drugs, guns and other illicit goods are being bought on the Dark Web with virtual currencies.

Bitcoins  tokens created and traded digitally  have also been used to send money to the Islamic State and by a paedophile blackmailer.

The National Crime Agency has identified the misuse of virtual currencies as one of the strategic threats facing the country.

It warned last year that the use of virtual currencies to launder funds and buy illicit goods could increase as digital payments become more widespread among the public.

In its evidence to MPs, the CPS said virtual currencies are increasingly a feature of serious and organised crime.

It added: These currencies allow criminals to operate and launder money without any legitimate oversight of their activity.

A power for law enforcement to seize, hold and sell virtual currency is required if we are to keep abreast of changes in the manner sophisticated criminals operate.

Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, which was questioning prosecutors about the problem today, said action was needed to close a gap that was exploited by terrorists and other criminals.

He added: I welcome the recommendation by the CPS that new laws are needed to seize virtual currencies, which are increasingly used by organised criminals, as well as terrorist groups.

Virtual currency transactions are far from transparent, and clearly better oversight is needed to prevent anonymous and sophisticated money laundering operations.

In a briefing note, the prosecutors said Bitcoins were clearly property that can be restrained but that practical problems made action to seize the virtual currency difficult.

This is because Bitcoins are accessed via a private key that is just a very long number which can be copied and spent at one of many Bitcoin exchanges worldwide.

The CPS said this means that unlike a bank account there is no one person that can be served with a restraint order and that any attempt to prevent access to a Bitcoin deposit could be easily circumvented.

It added that there is nothing explicit in existing Proceeds of Crime legislation about seizing virtual currencies and that no case law can be used to compel conversion of a virtual currency into physical money.

The potential use of Bitcoins to fund terrorism was highlighted in the US by the conviction of Virginia teenager Ali Shukri Amin for running a Twitter account in support of Islamic State.

The 17-year-old, who was jailed last August for 11 years, also provided IS supporters with instructions on how to use Bitcoins to conceal donations to the terror group.

In its latest annual threat assessment, the National Crime Agency said virtual currencies were mainly used by cyber criminals, but warned that rising public awareness meant that police could expect to see a corresponding increase in their adoption by traditional criminals.
T unisia wants the Foreign Office to relax advice on travelling to the country in the wake of last year's beach massacre which saw 31 British holidaymakers killed.

The country has seen a 90 per cent drop in the number of British tourists since the start of the year.

Britons are told only to travel to the north African country if it is essential  guidance that has been in place since 31 British holidaymakers were killed in two terror attacks in 2015.

Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui targeted holidaymakers on the beach and in a hotel in Sousse before being shot dead by security forces. Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Three months earlier, IS terrorists opened fire on tourists at the Bardo National Museum in the capital, Tunis. British tourist Sally Adey, 57, from Shropshire, was among 22 people killed.

The Foreign Office said the safety of Britons is the main concern, but the Tunisian ambassador to the UK said the Government should take into account security improvements that have been made over the last 12 months.

Nabil Ammar told the BBC there was now a gap between the "perception of the level of security, and the real security on the ground".

He said: "Every week terrorist cells are dismantled. Terrorists are arrested or neutralised. This should give a positive image, not a negative one.

"If you take statistics, you have much less chance to die in Tunisia or to have any harm in Tunisia than so many countries close to us."

Tunisia terror attack 1 /16 Tunisia terror attack Tunisia attack British tourists queue at the check-in at Enfidha International airport as they leave Tunisia Tunisia attack Holidaymakers stand around floral tributes to the deceased Tunisia attack Mourners grieve at the site where up to 30 Brits were killed Tunisia attack A man prays after planting flowers in the sand on the beach Getty Tunisia attack Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui who was shot dead AFP/Getty Images Tunisia attack Brits in their hotel in the wake of last week's attack Reuters/Amine Ben Aziza Tunisia attack Thousands of Britons fled Tunisia in the wake of the hotel beach massacre Reuters Tunisia attack Police officers in panicked scenes near the beach where tourists were slaughtered Reuters/Amine Ben Aziza Tunisia attack Suspect: Police surround a man believed to be involved in the Tunisia gun attack (Picture: Reuters) Tunisia attack The aftermath of the attack on a beach in Tunisia Twitter Tunisia attack The corpse of Seifeddine Rezgui after he was shot dead by police Tunisia attack Tourists were attacked on the beach at the Imperial Marhaba hotel in Tunisia

He added that he respected the UK Foreign Office, but that it should not allow "the impression that this is not a safe country, and take into account all the progress made" in security.

The Tunisian Tourist Board said there was a fall of more than 90 per cent in UK visitors for the first four months of this year compared with the same period a year ago.

Between January and April 2015, Tunisia saw 84,225 visitors from the UK, but just 5,980 in the first four months of this year.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We know our travel advice can have a knock-on effect on local economy and political considerations, but we don't let this influence the advice we give. The safety of British nationals is our main concern.

"We are working closely with the Tunisians to understand the terrorist threat better and to help them to strengthen measures to protect tourists further. Our travel advice is under constant review and we will change it as soon as the security situation permits."
N ew evidence recovered from the wreckage of EgyptAir flight 804 points to an explosion before it crashed, an expert said today.

A senior Egyptian forensic official said body parts recovered from the Mediterranean indicated that a blast destroyed the plane before it plunged into the sea.

The investigator, who has taken part in the gruesome examination of 80 pieces of human remains brought to a Cairo mortuary, said they were all small. There isnt even a whole body part, like an arm or a head, he said. The logical explanation is that it was an explosion.

All 66 people on board were killed when the Airbus 320 crashed early on Thursday while flying from Paris to Cairo.

Egyptian navy engaged in search operations for missing EgyptAir flight MS804 / EPA

If the plane was destroyed by an explosion, it was not clear whether it was caused by a terrorist bomb or an almost unprecedented catastrophic malfunction. As the search for the aircrafts black.

boxes continued today, investigators were seeking to piece together the clues identified so far to determine what happened to the flight as it was cruising at 37,000ft. Some reports suggest there were a series of warnings indicating smoke filled the cabin shortly before disaster struck.

EgyptAir flight: smoke detected in cabin before plane disappeared

Ehab Azmy, head of the National Air Navigation Services Company, has also denied that the plane swerved or lost altitude before vanishing from radar screens. He challenged an earlier account by Greeces defence minister.

Debris recovered from the plane's crash site / AP

Egyptian authorities said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit.

But this is the first hard evidence to emerge.

A 2013 report by the Egyptian ministry of civil aviation records that the same Airbus 320 made an emergency landing in Cairo that year, shortly after taking off on its way to Istanbul, when one of the engines overheated.

The growing suspicions that terrorism is to blame will heighten concerns about airport security, including in Paris where 70 workers had access passes revoked after the terror attack on the French capital last year.

If a bomb was smuggled on board at Charles de Gaulle airport it would raise major questions about security at western European airports.
H undreds of riot police were on standby in Greece today as authorities began to clear a massive makeshift refugee camp on the Macedonian border.

A government spokesman insisted police would not use force as the first buses carrying 340 people left Idomeni for a new camp near the northern city of Thessaloniki.

The Idomeni camp, which sprung up at an informal pedestrian border crossing for refugees and migrants heading north to Europe, is home to an estimated 8,400 people - including hundreds of children - mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

At its peak when Macedonia shut its border in March, it housed more than 14,000, but the numbers have declined as people realised the border was shut and began accepting offers of alternative places to stay.

Journalists were barred from the camp during the evacuation operation, stopped at a police roadblock a few miles away. Twenty buses carrying various riot police units were seen heading to the area while a police helicopter hovered above. An estimated 700 police were involved in the operation.

The government has been trying to persuade people in Idomeni to leave the area and head to organised camps.

Its much better here than in the camps. Thats what everybody whos been there said, Hind Al Mkawi, a 38-year-old refugee from Damascus, told The Associated Press.

Its not good ... because weve already been here for three months and well have to spend at least another six in the camps before relocation. Its a long time. We dont have money or work - what will we do?

Abdo Rajab, a 22-year-old refugee from Raqqa in Syria, has spent the past three months in Idomeni, and is now considering paying smugglers to be taken to Germany clandestinely.

We hear that tomorrow we will all go to camps, he said. I dont mind, but my aim is not reach the camps but to go Germany.

More than 54,000 refugees and migrants have been trapped in Greece since Balkan and European countries shut their land borders to a massive flow of people escaping war and poverty at home. Nearly a million people have passed through Greece, the vast majority arriving on islands from the nearby Turkish coast.

In Idomeni, most have been living in small camping tents pitched in fields and along railroad tracks which Greek authorities want to reopen, while aid agencies have set up large marquee-style tents to help house people.

Greek authorities have been sending in cleaning crews and have provided portable toilets, but conditions have been precarious.

In recent weeks refugees have set up small makeshift shops selling everything from cooking utensils to falafel and bread.

Police and government authorities say the residents will be moved to newly completed official camps.
E lijah Wood has dismissed claims that he has first-hand knowledge of child sex abuse in Hollywood.

Wood, 35, allegedly claimed that Hollywood is in the grip of a child sexual abuse scandal during an interview with The Sunday Times.

In the article titled, "Hollywood's Evil Secret," the Lord of the Rings actor compared child abuse allegations in the industry to the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal.

He is reported as saying: "Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organized. There are a lot of vipers in this industry, people who only have their own interests in mind."

The actor  who was promoting his latest film The Trust  has now said his comments were misinterpreted and that his experience of sexual abuse in Hollywood is based purely on news reports and the 2015 documentary film, An Open Secret.

In a statement on Twitter he said: The Sunday Times interviewed me about my latest film but the story became about something else entirely. It prompted a number of false and misleading headlines. I had just seen a powerful documentary and I briefly spoke with the reporter about the subject which had consequences I did not intend or expect. Lesson learned.

Let me be clear: This subject of child abuse is an important one that should be discussed and properly investigated. But as I made absolutely clear to the writer, I have no first-hand experience or observation of the topic, so I cannot speak with any authority beyond articles I have read and films I have seen.

Corey Feldman  who found fame in The Goonies and The Lost Boys  previously addressed reports of child abuse and claimed he had been surrounded by molesters as a teenage actor.

The No 1 problem in Hollywood was and is  and always will be  paedophilia, he said.



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LINCOLN  The former truck driver thinks the folding knife was a retirement gift or maybe recognition for years of safe driving.

Loy Schneider cant really remember, but he knows the blade measures just shy of 4 inches.

So he was puzzled when a recent story in The World-Herald reported that his knife technically met the definition of a dangerous weapon that could get him charged with a crime.

The story involved a recent opinion by the Nebraska Supreme Court that said the length of the blade is the deciding factor. Knife blades longer than 3 inches are dangerous weapons, the court said, regardless of the intent of the person holding them.

The 86-year-old Omaha man wanted to know if that meant he needed to be careful when driving with his knife. Did he need to keep it on the dash so that if he were pulled over an officer could clearly see it?

It really kind of irks me, he said. To me, its kind of silly.

Two of the states top prosecutors said Schneider and other law-abiding knife owners can relax.

But a defense attorney whose appeal led to the Supreme Court ruling said he thinks the ruling revealed a weakness in the law that could ensnare the innocent.

When asked about the reach of the Supreme Courts recent opinion, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said prosecutors still have discretion when it comes to filing charges. Prosecutors must weigh all of the circumstances surrounding an arrest or investigation before deciding whether to formally file charges.

Kleine said a shopper walking out of the kitchen store with a new 6-inch chefs knife in its packaging has little to worry about. Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly said much the same, although the example he gave involved transporting a set of grandmas antique steak knives in a felt-lined box.

Certainly you would hope prosecutors would use their discretion, Kleine said.

The Supreme Court case involved a Lincoln man who was pulled over for failing to use his turn signal in 2014. During a subsequent search, authorities found illegal drugs and a folding knife tucked under a visor with a blade measuring 3 inches.

Lincoln attorney Jerry Soucie, who represented the man, said authorities couldnt prove that his client intended to use the knife for a criminal purpose. The high court ruled, however, that in a 2009 change, the Legislature did away with a requirement that prosecutors prove intent. The deciding factor was the length of the blade; anything longer than 3 inches must be considered a concealed weapon.

The Supreme Court declined to comment on the rationale for letting blade length alone define a concealed weapon when it comes to knives. That is the province of the Legislature, said Judge John Wright in the courts opinion.

Another question: How does the courts opinion affect hunting and fishing knives or the machete a farmer keeps in a pickup for cutting musk thistle?

Kleine pointed to language in state law that creates a legal defense for those charged with concealing a weapon if they can show they were engaged in any lawful business, calling or employment.

So an angler with a fillet knife or a chef buying a long-bladed tool to julienne potatoes would be in the clear, the prosecutor said.

The Nebraska Attorney Generals Office defended the state in the Supreme Court case. When asked what the ruling means to a law-abiding knife owner, spokeswoman Suzanne Gage said the opinion speaks for itself.

Soucie, the defense attorney, said he believes the law needs to be amended again to more clearly define what makes a knife a concealed weapon. He intends to discuss the issue with a state senator or two before the 2017 legislative session starts.

As for what people should do when transporting knives with blades longer than 3 inches, Soucie said its probably safest to lock them in trunks or keep them where they wont be in reach. In other words, treat knives similarly to handguns, he said.

In theory, keeping a knife in plain sight should exempt the owner from a concealed weapon accusation. But in practice, an officer might have a different reaction, Soucie said.

If you take your 12-inch bowie knife and put it on the dashboard when the cop stops you, that is supposed to be OK, he said. Youre going to end up facedown on the concrete, but its supposed to be OK.
Les Howlett is known by his friends and family as someone you can always count on. A family man and the kind of friend who is ready and willing to lend a helping hand, often spending his weekends at family gatherings and doing projects around the house.

After a weekend much like any other, Howlett woke up on Monday morning with some minor muscle pain in his chest and arms. Hed figured he had just pulled a muscle over the weekend, and went about his morning before heading off to work.

Throughout the day, Howlett just wasnt feeling quite right. He had a couple of bouts with dizziness and felt disoriented once in a while. Again, he passed it off as overexertion during the weekend.

Howlett works early mornings and got home from work around 11:30 a.m. and thought it would be a good idea to lay down for a while. He figured he would sleep for about an hour, and wake up feeling better. When he woke up, it was 6:30 at night. His wife, Jessie Howlett, figured he just really needed his sleep, so she didnt wake him.

The next morning, Howlett got up a little before 3 a.m. and he just didnt feel right. He said his blood pressure was a little high, but nothing to worry about.

I started getting around to go to work and it just hit me. My chest hurt and I was having trouble breathing, Howlett said. He woke Jessie up and told her he needed to go to the hospital.

Howlett ended up in the emergency room and the floor doctor ordered an electrocardiogram (EKG) to be done. The doctor told him that the EKG looked fine and that they would treat him for acid reflux. Les wasnt so sure that an acid reflux attack was the cause of this.

Another doctor came in, a cardiologist from Colorado, he asked Howlett if he could take a look. The cardiologist wanted to perform a cardiac catheterization.

He came back in and he was shaking his head, Howlett said.

The doctor had bad news: Howlett needed to have surgery right away and they needed to get him to Denver immediately. Howlett had three blockages in his heart and would need triple bypass surgery.

The plan was to airlink Howlett to Denver, but the weather on that Tuesday eliminated that option. Howlett had to make the trip in an ambulance.

It was a rough ride, but the guys in the ambulance were great, Howlett said. They made me as comfortable as they could.

Upon arrival at the Medical Center of the Rockies, Howlett underwent more tests in preparation for the extensive surgery. Little did he know, there would be more bad news. The tests revealed not threebut six blockages, some were so severe that stents were not possible.

Howlett underwent a 6-hour quintuple bypass surgery. Thankfully, the doctors were able to clear the sixth blockage.

My surgeon said hes done up to seven before on somebody, Howlett said. My case was one of the worst, especially given my age.

The doctor told Howlett that he could have been eating fast food his entire life and they should not have seen blockages to that extent. Each of the five arteries were between 60 percent and 80 percent blocked. Come to find out, Howlett has a family history of coronary artery disease.

Its pretty much genetic. We didnt know it until this happened and family started to come up and say theyve had this happen and that happen, Howlett said.

But Howlett said hes doing fine now. Even though it still hurts from the surgery, he feels better than he has in a long time. His heart doesnt have to struggle as hard now. Howlett understands that he still has to take it slow and Jessie is making sure of that, reminding him that its okay to slow down for a while and heal. She has taken time from working to care for him until the doctor clears him for light activity, which will be a couple more months, but it may take as long as six months before Howlett can get back to doing any sort of lifting or mild physical exertion.

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women. Its often called the silent killer because it can go completely undiagnosed until its too late. Howlett wants everyone to be concerned with heart health, and insists that you visit your doctor and know whats going on with your body.

Look at me. Most people who know me know that Im pretty healthy. I dont go to the gym everyday, but Im pretty healthy, Howlett said.

If you would like to help the Howletts with their medical expenses, Howletts parents, Rod & Cheryl Howlett, have set up a gofundme site to benefit their son, https://www.gofundme.com/25kzq52k. You can also make donations at Valley Bank in Gering to the Les Howlett benefit account and at any Operation Donation Drop can.
Volunteers are asked to meet at Fairview Cemetery at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 27, and at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery, 9 a.m., on Saturday. Any friend or family members of a deceased veteran who would like to come out and put a flag on the deceased veterans grave is invited to do so. For more information about volunteering, contact Beth Linn, chairperson, 308-631-9932. Volunteers will also be needed to pick up the flags on Tuesday, May 31 and should meet at Sunset Memorial Park at 1 p.m. Volunteers will also go to Fairview Cemetery to pick up the flags there.
Fremont officials Monday cheered a new development in Costcos push to process chickens there:

They said the retailer is asking the City of Fremont to annex the land it has been scouting south of town for a poultry processing complex.

No land has changed hands, and the news does not mean that Costco has formally decided to pursue the project there, said Cecilia Harry, executive director of the Greater Fremont Development Council.

But she said Costco needs the city to start the annexation process now in order to meet the companys goal of breaking ground in the fall, if it decides to move forward with the plant.

Until they are through their due diligence process and have completed (a cost analysis), its still too difficult to say if this project is a go or not, Harry told The World-Herald on Monday. Still, she said, Were hopeful and excited that this is going to work out for them.

The land would have to be annexed into city limits for the project to qualify for tax-increment financing.

The Fremont Planning Commission probably will consider the request on June 20. Then the City Council would need to vote on three separate occasions to approve the annexation, said the city planning director, Troy Anderson. He said the city might expedite the process by holding a series of special meetings one week apart, rather than voting at the regular twice-monthly meetings.

They do have every intention of holding three separate readings at three separate meetings, he said. They want to receive community input and community feedback.

Harry said her group and Costco have been meeting with state agencies about the project.

A spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality said Costco had not submitted any permit applications, which would be required for emissions or wastewater discharge. He said the informal meetings so far have covered the type of permits a poultry plant might need.

Costco and the owners of the land on Friday filed a petition for annexation of the Hills Farm property, south of East Cloverly Road just outside Fremont, officials said. Some of the 417 acres involved would have to be rezoned from agricultural to industrial, Anderson said.

Costco, the warehouse retail giant, is working with Georgia poultry processor Lincoln Premium Poultry to build and operate a poultry plant to provide chicken for its stores. It could open in 2018 with 1,100 workers and a $1.2 billion annual economic impact, processing nearly 350,000 birds a day.

Fremont City Council President Larry Johnson called the location a great fit because of its infrastructure and industrial character. Its near a Hormel Foods pork plant.

We look forward to playing our role in the approval process, he said.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1336, barbara.soderlin@owh.com
Update: Well, wow. Pebble went to town: 3 new smartwatches, including the heart-rate enabled Pebble 2, and Pebble Time 2, plus Pebble Core, an ultra-wearable. And, Pebble also announced a new Kickstarter campaign. Get backing Pebblers!

A fitness tracker?

Smart bands of some sort?

A sport edition of one of their existing smartwatches?

Another Kickstarter campaign?

Some kind of new screen technology?

Whatever tomorrows announcement brings (May 24, 7:00am PT), us Pebblers will be enthusiastically hitting refresh to find out the news asap.

Are you ready for tomorrow?

Out of all the guesses coming across social media, and, in particular, the Pebble sub-Reddit, my bet is on a new Pebble focused squarely on fitness tracking. That would mean: a larger screen, durable body and band construction, heart rate sensor, GPS, various tracking capabilities, long battery, and a sub-$200 price tag. It likely wouldnt take much to build such a device given that Pebble already has much of the hardware capability and software functionality in place.

Also, it would make sense that Pebble would double down on fitness. Googles Android Wear, with its 2.0 release coming this fall appears to be headed in that direction. Motorola, too, appears to want a piece of the action that the likes of Fitbit and Garmin dominate. It recently released a sport edition of its iconic Moto 360 smartwatch, Moto 360 sport, which not only features improved fitness tracking, but also an AnyLight display that is as readable outdoors as it is inside.

We have something up our sleeve

One hiccup in my fitness guess:

The graphic in the promo email (see lead image above) that arrived in my inbox this morning.

Featuring OMG lit up (via an animated GIF) in what looks like some sort of DIY LED light kit imagery that seems far from supporting the idea of fitness in any capacity whatsoever.

Then again, maybe Pebble is getting Lynch-ian on us smartwatch fans.

Another clue can perhaps be found in the lower right, where the shadows of a watch band are seen. So, one plus one. Maybe the combination of DIY breadboard motif + watchbands = the long anticipated Pebble smartwatch bands, made possible by the new API?

Who knows. Either way, tomorrow well have some news in the smartwatch world  a place, this year at least, which has been slow moving with scant announcements far and between.
This page is archived. Data published after 5 April 2022 can be found on the renewed website. Go to the new statistics page

Published: 24 May 2016

Two out of three students in lower level comprehensive schools study English

According to Statistics Finland, English was the most commonly studied foreign language on grades 1 to 6 of comprehensive school in the autumn semester of 2015. Sixty-six per cent of the pupils attending grades 1 to 6 studied English either as a compulsory or optional foreign language. The percentages of pupils studying other foreign languages remained at 5 per cent or below.

Language choices of comprehensive school pupils in 2015

Compulsory language A1 Optional language A2 Compulsory language B1 Elective language B2 Total Share of pupils in grades 1-6 % Share of pupils in grades 7-9 % Grades Studied language Grades 1-6 English 223 592 14 452 . . 238 044 66.2 . Swedish 2 860 13 231 . . 16 091 4.5 . Finnish 14 490 936 . . 15 426 4.3 . French 2 942 4 449 . . 7 391 2.1 . German 3 163 10 268 . . 13 431 3.7 . Russian 1 113 2 084 . . 3 197 0.9 . Spanish 442 1 450 . . 1 892 0.5 . Italian 0 0 . . 0 0.0 . Sami 3 221 . . 224 0.1 . Other 408 52 . . 460 0.1 . Grades 7-9 English 160 595 12 970 181 34 173 780 . 99.5 Swedish 1 519 11 555 147 963 144 161 181 . 92.2 Finnish 8 954 1 137 195 0 10 286 . 5.9 French 1 461 3 633 146 4 903 10 143 . 5.8 German 1 688 7 233 406 8 503 17 830 . 10.2 Russian 571 1 068 . 3 317 4 956 . 2.8 Spanish 76 1 034 . 2 781 3 891 . 2.2 Italian 0 0 . 135 135 . 0.1 Sami 0 63 . 7 70 . 0.0 Latin 0 0 . 400 400 . 0.2 Other 128 5 . 43 176 . 0.1

Nearly all pupils attending grades 7 to 9 studied both English and Swedish or Finnish either as mother tongue, or as a compulsory, optional or elective foreign language. German was studied by 10 per cent and French by 6 per cent of the pupils attending grades 7 to 9, mainly as an optional or elective foreign language.

A total of 359,461 pupils attended grades 1 to 6. 184,030 of the pupils were boys and 175,431 were girls. A total of 174,724 pupils attended grades 7 to 9. 89,660 of the pupils were boys and 85,064 were girls.

Data on the language choices of students studying comprehensive education elsewhere than at comprehensive schools (1,724) are published in the database table of these statistics.

Source: Education. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Vesa Hamalainen 029 551 2594, koulutustilastot@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (213.1 kB)

Updated 24.5.2016

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Subject choices of students [e-publication].

ISSN=1799-1056. Subject choices of comprehensive school pupils 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 25.10.2022].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ava/2015/02/ava_2015_02_2016-05-24_tie_001_en.html
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Tuesday, 24 May 2016 17:05:53 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

International credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings has announced that it has revised Russian steelmaker MMK s outlook to positive and affirmed its long-term rating at BB+.





According to Fitch, the positive outlook reflects MMK 's strong financial performance, which has largely been in line with Fitch's expectations. In 2015, MMK was able reduce its debts and for 2016 Fitch expects a further decrease in debt, which will offset the lower funds from operations (FFO), due to lower steel prices and the challenging operating environment in Russia

In addition, Fitch stated that MMK generated around 70-80 percent of its revenues in its domestic market, where the operating environment remains challenging. Fitch also expects to see some stabilization in the Russian economy, which would provide some comfort that MMK will be able to maintain its current financial profile. An improvement in profitability for MMK s Turkish operations would also be positive for the credit profile.




Tuesday, 24 May 2016 14:06:54 (GMT+3) | Kolkata

Indian steel producers are looking to double exports of rails to Iran within the next one year, a senior Indian government official said on Tuesday, May 24.

The rapid expansion of India -Iran trade and investment relations firmed up during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Tehran which will provide great opportunities for Indian steel companies to participate in a $25 billion railway network expansion project in Iran, the official said. As a result, Indian companies will be able to receive larger orders and nearly double Indian exports of rails to Iran.

Last year, Indian steel producers Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) together signed contracts for supply of 250,000 mt of rails to Iran.

Indian steel producers are confident of at least doubling their shipments of steel rails within the current year, particularly since domestic Iranian steel mills have expressed their inability to immediately meet the demand for rails as per the specifications of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (IRIR), the official added.
Tuesday, 24 May 2016 16:02:43 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

The Malaysian government has announced its affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations against alloyed and non-alloyed cold rolled coil ( CRC ) imports from China, South Korea and Vietnam. The government has decided that the mentioned imports cause material injury to the domestic industry since the export price of the subject products are less than their normal values.

Accordingly, the final dumping duty rates range from 3.06 percent to 23.78 percent for the three countries.

The products subject to antidumping duty investigation currently fall under Customs Tariff Statistics Position Numbers 7209.15.00, 7209.16.00, 7209.17.00, 7209.18.29, 7209.18.90 and 7225.50.00.
Monday, 23 May 2016 00:07:19 (GMT+3) | San Diego

Forty-two states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between April 2015 and April 2016 while construction employment increased in only 23 states between March and April, according to analysis of Labor Department data released by the Associated General Contractors of America.





Association officials said the slowdown in monthly job growth was likely driven by mild winter weather that allowed firms to start their spring hiring season early, but cautioned that many firms will have a hard time finding qualified workers as demand grows.





The slowdown for the month may reflect the elevated hiring that occurred earlier this year in many states that experienced mild winters, said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association. With construction employment having declined for the year in only six oil- or coal-intensive states, the industry appears to have plenty of work ahead and should resume hiring if firms can find enough qualified workers.





California added the most construction jobs (49,800 jobs, 7.0 percent) between April 2015 and April 2016. North Dakota lost the highest percent and total number of construction jobs (12.9 percent, 4,600 jobs).








Tuesday, 24 May 2016 16:35:11 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

According to the monthly consumer tendency survey released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), the consumer confidence index* in Turkey , which stood at 68.46 points in April, increased by 0.4 percent month on month in May this year to 68.75 points, following the 2.2 percent month-on-month increase in April.

According to the indices based on individual questions asked of Turkish consumers concerning the consumer tendency, in May the index for the general current economic situation increased by 2.6 percent month on month to 90.5 points, while the index for the general economic situation in the next 12 months rose by three percent compared to April to 93.7 points.

Meanwhile, in May the index for whether the present is a good time to purchase durable goods increased by four percent to 71.1 points, while the index for the probability of buying durable goods in the next 12 months was down by 1.2 percent to 97.6 points, both on month-on-month basis.

In May, the probability of buying a car in the next 12 months was down by 6.4 percent to 11.8 points and the index for the probability of buying or building a home in the next 12 months decreased by 5.5 percent to 8.9 points, both month on month.

*When the index is above 100 it indicates an optimistic outlook, when it is equal to 100 it indicates a neutral outlook and below 100 it points to a pessimistic outlook.
Tuesday, 24 May 2016 16:53:13 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

In April this year, Ukraine exported $28.79 million worth of steel pipes, while its steel pipe imports totaled a value of $6.51 million, according to the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine

Russia was the main importer of Ukrainian steel pipes in the given month, with imports worth $5.13 million.
As the International Trade Commission (ITC) moves through the investigation process of the complaint we filed under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, we are heartened by the show of support from all of our stakeholders, Longhi said. Our customers and suppliers have sent letters of support to the ITC and the US Trade Representative (USTR). In addition, the many unions with whom we work side-by-side on a daily basis have shown their support by writing letters and signing petitions. Local, state and federal elected officials in our operating areas have also shown their encouragement for the filing by letting the ITC and the USTR know how important this investigation is to US Steel , as well as the industry. Finally, and most importantly, our employees continue to champion our many trade efforts by signing petitions. This is proof positive that we are right in our pursuit of justice.
According to market sources, an Egyptian producers hot rolled coil ( HRC ) export offers are at $480/mt FOB.
Tuesday, 24 May 2016 22:49:36 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo

A source from a major exporter told SteelOrbis that hot rolled coil ( HRC ) is currently trading at $500/mt, FOB conditions, for export from Brazil





Such price is stable so far in May for HRC s of the basic commercial grades.




Tuesday, 24 May 2016 15:47:15 (GMT+3) | Shanghai

According to market sources, ex- China billet offers to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are currently at $315/mt CFR, for July shipments.
Tuesday, 24 May 2016 15:39:16 (GMT+3) | Brescia

In the Italian market, demand for merchant bar has remained at low levels during the past week. Despite the decreases in scrap prices, Italian producers' domestic merchant bar prices have not been impacted in the given week.



After the 100/mt ex-works base price peak registered at the end of April, in the past week producers' base prices have trended sideways in the range of 80-95/mt ($90-106/mt) (*see following note on extras).



*In the Italian market, price extras can vary in the range of 410-610/mt ($459-683/mt) for domestic sales and in the range of 410-620/mt ($459-694/mt) for foreign markets, depending on dimension and product.



 1= $1.12
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
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

Its Wednesday night, and the basement cafeteria at St. Ambrose Catholic School on the Hill is so packed that some grown men and women are carefully perched on tiny chairs meant for grade-schoolers.

One hundred or more residents of the iconic Italian-American neighborhood on the citys south side are missing the beginning of a St. Louis Blues playoff game for one reason: They want to hear what the latest developer in a long line of them plans for the long-vacant industrial property on the eastern edge of the neighborhood.

Known colloquially as the Flynn property, the site once housed various industrial operations, but for decades now it has been vacant, decrepit and a blight on one of the citys most iconic places. Its broken windows and graffiti can be seen by the schoolchildren on the playground at St. Ambrose, or patrons stopping by Rigazzis for some toasted ravs and a frozen fishbowl.

Now it is under contract to the Sansone Group and its Chicago-based partner Draper and Kramer Inc.

This property needs to go, Larry DiVito, a vice president with Draper and Kramer, tells the members of Hill 2000, the neighborhood group.

On this, the residents agree.

Nearly all of them want the building gone. They want the site developed.

But what goes there, and who is standing in the way?

Those are the questions that wont go away.

Ive lived on the Hill for 65 years and Ive been to 35 years of these meetings, says one man from the back of the cafeteria. Why does nothing ever get done on this property, he asks?

Thats the $64,000 question.

Some, such as 10th Ward Alderman Joe Vollmer, say its because the owner of the property, Bob Flynn, wants too much money for the 11-acre site.

Others point the finger at Vollmer, and the pastor of St. Ambrose, Monsignor Vincent Bommarito. The two men hold life-or-death power over development proposals on the Hill, many residents and businesspeople believe. Their neighbors say Vollmer and Bommarito see themselves as the protectors of the Hill.

Vollmer said he wants to see the Flynn property cleaned up like everybody else, but what goes there matters.

Were not trying to be obstructionists, Vollmer said.

Doug Sansone, one of the principals at the Sansone Group, told residents that his development groups proposal  a combination of single-family homes, high-end apartments, and a senior living facility  would match the needs of the neighborhood.

The Hill is a really special place, Sansone said. There isnt any other place like it.

None of the buildings, Sansone said, would be taller than the steeple at St. Ambrose, an unwritten rule that sometimes limits development decisions on the Hill.

To get his proposal to the finish line, though, hell eventually need Vollmers blessing. Thats because the property is zoned industrial and would need approval of the Board of Aldermen to allow the change to residential zoning.

In St. Louis, as in many cities, development doesnt happen in a specific ward without the local aldermans blessing. Its called aldermanic courtesy, and some Hill residents believe it has been standing in the way of ridding their community of an eyesore.

One hundred percent, I believe the alderman is the obstacle, says Rio Vitale, 57, a Hill resident and former member of the Hill 2000 board.

Two years ago, Vitale and some partners tried to develop a section of the Flynn site, a mostly vacant lot at the corner of Shaw Avenue and Boardman Street. They planned to build about 18 homes and a senior living facility. Three days before closing, their lender backed away pending city approval, which meant getting the OK from Vollmer.

It never came.

Other developers have tried, too. But always, something gets in the way.

Sansone said hes had productive meetings with Vollmer. He believes the alderman shares the neighborhoods view that: Leaving it as it is, everyone knows is unacceptable.

But what is acceptable? In an older neighborhood that is seeing an influx of new families, many of them buying homes from their parents and grandparents, there is some conflict. Younger families want to see the neighborhood grow and see their property values rise. Some older residents fear change.

Are they going to be particular about who moves in there? asks an elderly woman near the front of the cafeteria. We dont want any riffraff.

Its almost two hours into the meeting that could go a long way to deciding the future of the Hill. The Blues are down 2-0 and many, including Tom Jegle, are anxious to watch their team. Hes leaning against a back wall, wearing his Blues sweater, checking his phone for updates.

Its 2016 and its time to move forward, Jegle says. The crowd applauds. The sooner that eyesore comes down, the better.
ALTON  Terril J. Williams, whose sentence for two murders in 1997 was reversed on constitutional grounds, was ordered Tuesday to continue serving two life terms.

Williams, now 35, was 15 when he killed two teenagers in Alton on Jan. 30, 1997. Police said Williams was angry that one of his victims made disparaging remarks about a female cousin.

Williams, then of East St. Louis, was convicted one year later of murdering Darryl A. Womack and James E. Patterson Jr., both also 15, in the 300 block of Mitchell Street near their homes. He was sentenced to life without parole.

In December, the Illinois Appellate Court in Mt. Vernon reversed the sentence because of Williams' age at the time of the offense. But after a rehearing in Edwardsville, Associate Circuit Judge Neil Schroeder on Tuesday imposed two life sentences on Williams.

Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons applauded the punishment for "heinous and cold-blooded murder."
EAST ST. LOUIS  The sons of a man who committed suicide in the St. Clair County jail in 2014 sued the county, jail staff and sheriff's officials in federal court here Friday, claiming jailers were indifferent both to Bradley C. Scarpi's suicide threat and other suicides or attempted suicides.

The lawsuit says that after threatening suicide and being told "shut . . . up" and "do what you want to do, Scarpi was found hanging by a bed sheet. He died at a hospital less than an hour later, it says.

A lawyer for the sheriff's office did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The suit says that the jail failed to provide Scarpi with adequate mental health services. Staff also failed to prevent the suicide by regularly checking on him or placing him in a suicide-proof cell, it says.

Lawyers say that Scarpi was a roofer, but was hobbled by mental illness and an addiction to prescription pain medication he received after a job-related injury. He had been in the jail for over a month at the time and had cycled in and out of that jail for 11 years, they say.

Sheriff Richard Watson said at the time of Scarpi's death said that he had been found dead in his cell. Watson said that Scarpi had been moved to a maximum security cell after requesting it, apparently after having trouble with other inmates. He was not on suicide watch and had shown no signs of mental illness, Watson said at the time.

Watson said that jailers check those cells every 30 minutes.

Scarpi was being held on charges of armed robbery and home invasion after being accused of storming into a Belleville home and robbing two people at knifepoint.

The suit seeks unspecified damages for constitutional violations as well as other federal and state law claims.

The lawsuit is the second filed since March over a St. Clair County jail suicide by lawyers with the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, which is part of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Laws Bluhm Legal Clinic in Chicago.

In March, they sued over the death of Joshua B. Jurcich. Jurcich was also mentally ill and had been jailed 16 times in the 16 years before his death, they said. He was beaten when he refused to return to his cell and was then placed in a maximum-security cell after threatening suicide. Jurcich hanged himself.

The Scarpi suit says that one other person committed suicide, in 2015, and there were 14 attempts from January 2014 to October 2015.
JEFFERSON CITY  Some Missouri taxpayers are waiting more than two months to get their state income tax refunds this year.

After reports in February noted the waiting time for a refund check could be as little as a week, the Missouri Department of Revenue now says it could take as long as 10 weeks to get your money back.

We are currently asking taxpayers to allow eight to 10 weeks for the processing of refunds as we are reviewing more returns to ensure fraudulently claimed refunds are not issued, noted Department of Revenue spokeswoman Michelle Gleba in an email.

She added that returns filed at the beginning of the tax season typically take about a week to process.

The amount of time to process returns increases as the tax season progresses, Gleba said Tuesday.

As of May 19, Department of Revenue officials have processed 2.8 million individual returns.

While the wait may be frustrating, Missouri isnt alone is slowing down the refund process because of an increase in tax scams.

In 2013, fraudsters filed 3 million returns nationally, and the Internal Revenue Service paid out more than $5 billion to crooks. Missouri said it identified $85 million in fraudulent refund filings in 2014. This years tally is at $11.5 million, Gleba said Tuesday.

Prosecutors are trying to crack down on the fraud.

In March, 13 people were sentenced in federal court in Springfield, Mo., for their roles in a tax-preparation scheme that claimed nearly $340,000 in fraudulent refunds.

The conspirators recruited individuals to assist in filing fraudulent returns and obtained their identifying information, including their names and Social Security numbers. They used that information to file federal income tax returns that included fictitious employment information and reported wages that had not been earned and employment taxes that had not been withheld.

In another case, three Springfield, Mo., women were indicted in federal court this year for their alleged roles in a $300,000 tax fraud ring. The trio were accused of using other peoples names and Social Security numbers to file false income tax returns and then keeping the refunds.

Russ Signorino, executive director of the St. Louis-based Gateway EITC Community Coalition, agreed that the delay is longer than in past years. But, he said the number of complaints from their 10,000 customers hasnt been unusual.

At least with our clients, it hasnt been much of an issue, said Signorino, whose organization assists people in Missouri and Illinois in filing their taxes.

In Illinois, Department of Revenue officials say it is taking them about three weeks to process returns that are filed electronically. This is due to a number of identity and fraud checks that weve initiated to combat against fraudulently filed returns, said spokesman Terry Horstman.
ST. LOUIS  Ellis Fitzwalter could tell his son Michael had an addictive personality.

Michael Fitzwalter went from smoking marijuana to abusing his Xanax prescription to developing an addiction to heroin.

He died of a heroin overdose on Aug. 25, 2014. He had been clean for about a year before getting sucked back in, his father said.

Now, Fitzwalter and his wife are active in raising awareness of heroin addiction.

Leaders of local anti-drug coalitions met Tuesday for the Community of Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Summit. Fitzwalter sat in the front row at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, wearing a neon orange T-shirt with the words Stop Heroin printed across the front.

If we can prevent one more family from going through the hell of an addiction, its worth our effort, Fitzwalter said.

Attendees spent the day learning anti-drug strategies used in other cities, and how they could be applied to St. Louis.

Local problems deserve local solutions, said Arthur Dean, chairman and CEO of the Community of Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. CADCA is all about taking local community groups and strengthening them so they can engage the citizens in their community.

A key strategy discussed was a holistic approach to preventing drug abuse, including cooperation between community coalitions and law enforcement.

If you go back into the 80s, the country kind of said, Law enforcement, go fix this problem, Dean said. We built a lot of prisons, locked a lot of people up. You cant lock your way out of the problem.

The summit is part of the Drug Enforcement Administrations new 360 Strategy.

Law enforcement cant do this alone. Treatment cant do this alone. We all have to work together, said Juan Wilson, task force officer in the DEAs St. Louis division.

To pilot the program, the DEA picked four cities with significant heroin addiction problems, including St. Louis.

In 2014, St. Louis County saw 110 heroin-related deaths. Thats 12.2 deaths for every 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 2.7 deaths.

Its moved out to the suburbs, Wilson said. Its not differentiating between who it affects. Its all walks of life.

Attendees also discussed ending the overprescription of opioid drugs as a method of preventing drug abuse.

The unique challenge with heroin is its direct connection to prescription opioids, said Howard Weissman, executive director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. Until doctors understand the connection between the overtreatment of pain and its potential heroin addiction, this problems never going to go away.

The U.S. accounts for 80 percent of the worlds opioid prescriptions but only 5 percent of the worlds population.

We live in a society where taking a pill is what solves a problem, Dean said.

Wilson also said the negative stigma toward heroin makes it harder for people to speak out about their experiences. As more people speak out, the community gains more advocates to show other drug abusers they're not alone.

People think, Its just another junkie, Fitzwalter said. Its not. (Heroin addiction) knows no boundaries.
Trump bets on mass amnesia

By DANA MILBANK

WASHINGTON  Just how gullible does Donald Trump suppose the American voter is?

The billionaire showman has been the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for only a couple of weeks, yet his general election strategy is already becoming clear: hope for a mass nationwide outbreak of short-term memory loss. His top strategist, Paul Manafort, has said that the part that hes been playing is evolving. But this isnt evolution  its reincarnation.

That call Trump made for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States? Turns out that was just a suggestion, he now says.

The federal minimum wage increase, which he repeatedly opposed? Now hes looking at an increase, he says.

The massive tax cut he proposed during the primary, which analysts said would add $10 trillion to the federal debt? Never mind! Hes hired experts to rewrite it in a way that cuts taxes less for the wealthy.

Those tax returns he promised certainly to release? Not going to happen, he says now.

One of his key surrogates, Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., now declares that he doesnt expect Trump to build a border wall or deport 11 million illegal immigrants  the cornerstones of Trumps primary campaign. The congressman told The Buffalo News that Trump would build a virtual wall and that his deportation plan was rhetorical.

Remember all those companies Trump blasted for sending jobs overseas? Ford was a disgrace, Disney had outrageous practices, Carrier deserved higher taxes, Apple should be boycotted because it didnt help the FBI in a terrorism case, and Trumps never eating an Oreo again because Nabisco outsourced. Financial disclosures last week showed Trump has invested in all of the above.

Or his incendiary (and retracted) claim that women who have abortions should face criminal punishment? What he really was saying was women punish themselves, he told The New York Times Magazine.

The list goes on and on. Trump, who said that if youre running for president, you should not be allowed to use a teleprompter, has used that very device in at least two recent speeches. Trump, who previously boasted that I dont have pollsters because I want to be me, hired a pollster, Tony Fabrizio.

Some of those who backed Trump must feel like suckers. But will his clumsy effort to somersault into the mainstream appeal to the rest of the electorate? Perhaps. Yet it also reaffirms the biggest worry about Trump: He has no mooring other than self-love  and thats why hes dangerous.

To rationalize these wild shifts in position, lets bring in John Miller, the Trump publicist who called journalists in the 1990s to praise Trump but who was actually Trump himself. My Washington Post colleague Marc Fischer unearthed a recording of a 1991 call from Miller to People magazine about Trumps shifts from Ivana to Marla to Carla Bruni and others. Substitute policies for women and the words go a long way toward explaining Trumps political views today as he flirts with positions then discards them:

He really decided that he wasnt, you know, he didnt want to make any commitment.

Hes somebody that has a lot of options, and, frankly, he gets called by everybody. He gets called by everybody in the book, in terms of women.

Marla wouldve liked to get married, obviously, but it was just something he didnt want to do.

I think that hes got a whole open field really. ... Actresses, people that you write about just call to see if they can go out with him and things.

Madonna called and wanted to go out with him, that I can tell you.

Marla wants to be back with him.

Ivana wants to get back with Donald.

I mean, hes living with Marla, and hes got three other girlfriends.

So now he has somebody else named Carla who is beautiful.

Hes not making any commitments to Carla either, just so you understand.

There were words from Miller that ring true today: how Trump is immune from and actually thrived on bad press, and how self-interest drives him above all else, because he does things for himself.

Trump immediately said the unearthed recording wasnt of him. Given the sound of the voice and Trumps prior admission to posing as his own publicist, this was obviously false. But perhaps to Trump it wasnt a lie. Back then, he spoke of Ivana, Marla, Carla and Madonna. Now its Muslims, the minimum wage, taxes and the wall. In both, Trumps idea of the truth means whatever words last came out of his mouth.

{edittagline}Dana Milbank{/em}

{edittagline}dana.milbank@washpost.com{/em}

{edittagline}Copyright The Washington Post{/em}
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Capturing the local to the global

To examine how local NGOs can drive change at an international scale, Dellmuth and colleagues surveyed hundreds of NGOs connected to either central UN-bodies or to other major IOs. While the authors recognize that influence cannot be measured directly, they instead attempted to gain insights about processes and outcomes from NGO political actors.

Dellmuth and colleagues use a number of different indicators for examining influence: NGO characteristics, such as organization size; opportunities for involvement in IO bodies; as well as their strategies for influence and how they believe others perceived their own influence as an organization.

The authors present a number of different rationales for what drives NGO influence.

The first is: NGOs with a higher level of interaction, through providing information to IOs or access to IOs, are more likely to influence policy changes. This idea is rooted in the political science theory of information-access exchange, which argues that decision makers and interest groups are in a cooperative, yet strategic relationship.

In domestic politics, where this theory is generally applied, policy makers seek information from special interest groups as a way to anticipate implications between different decisions. Special interest groups collect information relevant to their cause and constituency to inform policy makers  a means of strategically placing your causes voice in the political arena. In the end, the theory hypothesizes: more access, more information, more influence.

Dellmuth and colleagues are one of the firsts to apply this theory beyond the domestic level, to international politics. While this theory has held up in previous studies, the authors also offered three alternative explanations to information-access exchange that might explain NGO influence: resource availability; NGOs that work together for a common cause; and public opinion mobilization.

From a purely research standpoint, Dellmuth explains that this research, suggests broader implications for the study of NGOs in global governance:

"First, the information-access exchange offers a useful theoretical framework, not just on the continental, but on the global scale. Second, it demonstrates the benefits of integrating NGO and international relations research. And third, it shows promise that quantitative methods can be used to complement case study research on NGOs in global governance, Dellmuth says.

Making yourself heard

Dellmuth believes the study offers a large-scale empirical assessment of the sources of perceived influence among NGOs active in multiple IOs, issue areas, and policy phases of global governance. As a consequence, these findings imply a few techniques if you want make yourself heard while lobbying for a cause.

As an NGO, providing information to international organizations is one of the most effective ways to lobby for the change you want to see. Even better, joining together with other NGOs that share a similar vision to lobby together helps to influence policy changes at the global scale.

However, the study also notes that context and timing of lobbying activity are crucial to the overall ability to influence policy. Particularly, NGOs have a better chance at influencing IOs decision making at the beginning of the process. Despite this, NGOs are typically included during the implementation phase of policy decisions, where the opportunity to influence decisions will have already become more rigid.

Surprisingly, the amount of resources an NGO has access to, as well as, mobilizing public opinion around a cause do not seem to play a role in influencing policy decisions global governance. In other words, you may be a small NGO, but you can still be mighty, even without excess public awareness.

In practice: what about the Madagascar mangroves?

Based on the results from Dellmuth and co-authors, in the case of the Madagascar mangroves, an effective way to influence the UNEP on their policies regarding mangrove conservation could be to:

Share information with UNEP about the mangrove practices in the region

Link up with other NGOs in the area, or abroad. For example, with Sri Lanka, where all of the nations mangroves are protected, NGOs there might have some insights that could help push policy towards conservation of mangroves

Try to get involved early on decision making process with UNEP, as that is the window where an NGO has most influence

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LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Pound rises as Sunak promises to fix "mistakes"

Tuesday, October 25, 2022 - 12:35

The pound was finding support, but stocks in London were mixed at midday on Tuesday, as Rishi Sunak took over as UK prime minister.

Sunak warned the nation is facing a "profound economic crisis" as he pledged to fix the "mistakes" of Liz Truss's leadership.

The freshly minted Conservative leader braced the nation for "difficult decisions to come" as he made his first speech after meeting the King.

AJ Bell financial analyst Danni Hewson said the main concern for financial markets is whether or not Sunak will keep Jeremy Hunt as chancellor.

"Not to do so could unsettle investors who are eagerly awaiting the October 31 announcement of fiscal plans and don't need anything else to spook them before that."

Sterling traded at $1.1335 midday Tuesday in London, up from $1.1295 at the London equities close on Monday.

The FTSE 100 index was down 36.59 points, or 0.5%, at 6,977.53. The mid-cap FTSE 250 was up 67.75 points, or 0.4%, at 17,405.30, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.39 points, or 0.3%, at 789.94.

The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.6% at 697.20, the Cboe UK 250 up 0.3% at 14,852.155, and the Cboe Small Companies flat at 12,227.55.

In European equities on Tuesday, the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.3% but the DAX 40 in Frankfurt was 0.8% lower.

Germany's stock benchmark was being hit by a 7.0% drop in shares of Linde. On Monday, the industrial gases and engineering company approved a proposal to delist its shares.

Covestro was 5.8% lower, also hitting the DAX 40, as it shared results of a bruising third quarter, and narrowed annual guidance towards the low end of previous ranges.

UBS was 4.7% higher in Zurich.

The Swiss bank reported a drop in revenue and profit, as it continues to battle against high inflation and tight labour markets.

In the three months to September 30, UBS recorded net profit of $1.74 billion, down 24% from $2.29 billion year-on-year.

Net interest income was down to $1.60 billion from $1.69 billion, while net fee & commission income dropped 20% year-on-year to $4.48 billion from $5.61 billion. Total revenue was 9.6% lower at $8.24 billion compared to $9.12 billion.

In London, HSBC continued to be an anchor around the neck of the FTSE 100 on Tuesday, its shares losing 7.3% as investors digested a decline in profit and revenue in the third quarter, as well as the appointment of a new chief financial officer.

In the three months that ended September 30, HSBC reported pretax profit of $3.15 billion, down 42% from $5.40 billion a year before. Revenue decreased by 3.2% to $11.62 billion from $12.01 billion.

"We maintained our strong momentum in the third quarter and delivered a good set of results. Our strategy produced good organic growth in all three global businesses, and net interest income increased on the back of rising interest rates. We retained a tight grip on costs, despite inflationary pressures, and remain on track to achieve our cost targets for 2022 and 2023," Chief Executive Noel Quinn said.

HSBC said it has appointed Georges Elhedery as its new chief financial officer, effective from January 1. Previously, Elhedery was co-CEO of HSBC's Global Banking & Markets division, before taking a six-month sabbatical.

THG shares surged 16% higher.

The e-commerce retailer reported revenue growth in the third quarter, boosted by its Beauty and Nutrition units, which offset a steep decline in OnDemand.

The E-commerce retailer said its total revenue increased 2.1% in the third quarter to 518.6 million from 507.8 million.

Looking ahead, Chief Executive Officer & Founder Matthew Moulding said that the fourth quarter has started positively. "We are well positioned from a logistics and supply perspective to meet the significant uplift in demand anticipated during the cyber period, whilst continuing to deliver a high-quality customer experience," he said.

THG last week Monday announced that Moulding, as well as THG cornerstone investor Qatar Holding, bought up SoftBank's entire stake in the firm. THG said SoftBank sold 80.6 million shares for 31.4 million in total. Those THG shares had been worth some 480 million back in May 2021.

Analysts at Liberum were unconvinced that THG will achieve its annual guidance and kept the stock at 'hold'.

"We struggle to see upside as there remain downside risks to 2022 estimate guidance, delivery of Ingenuity Commerce promise is uncertain, outlook for next year is clouded, and the group is back in debt."

Fellow retailers B&M European Value Retail, Kingfisher and JD Sports were up 2.3%, 0.8% and 1.1%, respectively.

On AIM, Scancell jumped 26% after it announced a licensing agreement with biotechnology company Genmab.

Copenhagen-based Genmab now has the exclusive rights to develop and commercialise one of Scancell's investigational anti-glycan monoclonal antibody into novel therapeutic products.

Scancell will be eligible for upfront payments, milestone payments of up to $208 million for each product developed and commercialised up to a maximum of $624 million, and "low single digit" royalties for products sold.

In New York, stocks were called for a weak open after Monday's strong session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were both called 0.4% lower, while the Nasdaq Composite pointed down 0.2%. The three indices closed up 0.9% to 1.3% on Monday.

The focus on Tuesday will be quarterly figures from tech giants Alphabet and Microsoft after the US closing bell. Lower-than-expected sales by the pair could increase fear of a global recession.

The euro traded at $0.9860 midday Tuesday, lower from $0.9877 late Monday. Against the yen, the dollar was quoted at JP148.95, firm versus JP148.82.

Gold was quoted at $1,640.10 an ounce midday Tuesday, down from $1,648.76 on Monday evening in London. Brent oil was trading at $90.11 a barrel, down from $90.88 late Monday.

Still to come Tuesday, there is a US consumer confidence reading at 1400 BST.

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Netflix Discusses VP9-Related Development Efforts

This is an interesting time in the codec world, an inflection point where the power of an expensive standard is being challenged by a free, open source codec. And that open source codec will soon be supplanted by another free codec from an alliance of high-tech royalty with dominating positions in the codec, content, mobile, OTT, and CPU/GPU/SOC camps.

The expensive standard is HEVC (H.265), for which known annual royalties could exceed $60 million, with many IP owners not yet part of a pool.

The free codec is Google's VP9, which, as of April 2015, had already streamed over 25 billion hours of YouTube content. While VP9 originally seemed destined for the same obscurity suffered by its older sibling, VP8, recent support from bigwigs like Netflix, JW Player, Brightcove, Telestream, and Amazon show an upturn in overall market acceptance and deployment.

The alliance-based codec is AV1, the first codec created by the Alliance for Open Media, with a scheduled ship date of Q1 2017. The Alliance is promising an improvement of 50 percent over VP9 and HEVC with reasonable increases in encoding and playback complexity. Since AV1 is largely built on Googles VP10, which was pretty far along before the alliance formed, theres a good chance that AV1 could ship on time and on target.

The Alliances membership assures that AV1 will enjoy prompt deployment once available. Members Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla ensure fast integration into Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, while members Amazon, Google, and Netflix should start distributing AV1-encoded content soon after playback is widely available. Members AMD, ARM, Intel, and NVIDIA should offer support in their CPUs, GPUs, SoCs, and other hardware components, which Google and Microsoft should rapidly deploy on their mobile platforms, and Amazon and Google quickly integrate in their OTT devices.

The outcome wont be binary. HEVC will dominate traditional broadcast markets, at least in the short term, while VP9 and AV1 will win the browser wars. But the broadcast market largely exists to feed living room TVs, which are now smarter and increasingly less connected to traditional broadcast channels. In April 2015, Netflixs Reed Hastings proclaimed, Linear TV has been on an amazing 50-year run. Internet TV is starting to grow. Clearly over the next 20 years internet TV is going to replace linear TV. You cant call Hastings neutral on this issue, but you also cant find many people who disagree with him.

What happens to broadcast standards when the broadcast model wanes, and the streaming that used to be the tail of the distribution ecosystem becomes the dog? Were about to find out.

To find out, we spoke with David Ronca, Netflixs director of encoding technologies, who describes Netflixs efforts with VP9. Netflix is a charter member of the Alliance and VP9 is the technological precursor to AV1. Netflixs experience is a good reality check as to where VP9 stands from a performance, usability, and deployability perspective.

Streaming Media: When did you start using VP9?

Ronca: Our VP9 effort is currently in development. We are not yet streaming VP9.

Streaming Media: Why did you start looking at VP9?

Ronca: At the low end, VP9 provides efficiency advantages over AVC for VP9-capable mobile devices. At the high-end (4K, 10-bit) VP9 offers an alternative to HEVC.

Streaming Media: How are you packaging VP9?

Ronca: We are using fragmented 14496-12 streams that follow the draft VP9 MPEG specification written by Kilroy Hughes and David Ronca.

Streaming Media: Any issues with DRM?

Ronca: For fragmented MP4, Common Encryption (ISO 23001-7) works well.

Streaming Media: Where are you distributing VP9-encoded files? Assume compatible browsers, what about Android or compatible OTT?

Ronca: The primary VP9 targets will be mobile/cellular and 4K.

Streaming Media: Whats the data rate savings compared to H.264 and HEVC?

Ronca: We are hesitant to make broad statements with respect to codec efficiency without providing the supporting data. That said, we are seeing very good results with VP9 vs. x264.Our current data suggests that VP9 is less efficient than HEVC, but still very good. We are currently conducting codec comparisons, and will publish our results around the end of summer.

Streaming Media: How does encoding time compare to H.264 and HEVC?

Ronca: VP9 is considerably slower than x264. However, we use a highly parallelized encoding model, and we run most encodes on idle web servers which provides nearly free compute time, so we do not consider the encoder speed a problem. That said, we believe that the current libvpx VP9 encoder would benefit from some optimizations. [Editors note: libvpx is the encoder executable supplied by Google.]

Streaming Media: What encoding technique are you using? For example, JW Player will be using capped CRF, and obviously single and two-pass CBR and VBR are available.

Ronca: We are exploring all of the opportunities that libvpx provides and have not yet settled on a recipe.

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Companies and Suppliers Mentioned
Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE: EV) announced its participation in a $40 million financing in SigFig, an independent San Francisco-based wealth management technology company. Eaton Vance is lead investor in the $33 million SigFig equity raise, whose other participants include major financial institutions New York Life, Santander InnoVentures and UBS, as well as venture capital firms Bain Capital Ventures, DCM Ventures, Nyca Partners and Union Square Ventures. Comerica Bank is providing $7 million of credit to SigFig through a lending facility.

As announced today by SigFig, this financing solidifies SigFig's position as an industry-leading provider of digital technology to financial institutions across the wealth management, banking and insurance industries. SigFig will use the funding to accelerate the expansion of its team and technology platform as it scales its enterprise strategy of building investment technology for a wide range of financial institutions based on their distinctive corporate strategies and individual client needs.

SigFig has recently announced a series of partnerships with banks and wealth management platforms, including UBS Wealth Management Americas and Pershing Advisor Solutions, to build wealth management technology solutions for those firms' financial advisors and clients.

"Eaton Vance's investment in SigFig reflects our support for their vision to apply leading-edge digital technology to enhance the investing experience and improve outcomes for investors," said Thomas E. Faust, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eaton Vance Corp. "Their best-in-class technology platform and partnerships with leading financial institutions position SigFig as an emerging leader in the rapidly developing enterprise wealth management technology market. By affiliating with SigFig, Eaton Vance gains a seat at the table in the development of the tools that will guide the future of investment advice."

"We are pleased to receive the backing of Eaton Vance, along with other leading financial institutions and venture capital firms," said Mike Sha, Chief Executive Officer of SigFig. "Eaton Vance's history of innovation in creating cost- and tax-efficient investment solutions such as NextSharesTM exchange-traded managed funds aligns with SigFig's commitment to building technology that helps improve outcomes for individual investors."

Financial terms of Eaton Vance's investment are not being disclosed.
(Updated - May 24, 2016 11:44 AM EDT)

Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) reached a preliminary settlement with the FTC, according the New York Post, citing sources. An announcement could come as soon as Tuesday, though the agreement is not final and may still fall apart.

Terms of the settlement could not be learned, but a source close to the matter told The Post it may not require "a substantial change in the business model.
Communication Important for Patients and Physicians

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and Arizona BioIndustry Association (AZBio) commend Governor Doug Ducey for signing critical legislation to create a pathway for the substitution of interchangeable biologic medicines.

Governor Ducey signed House Bill 2310 this week, following recent passage in both the Arizona Senate and House. The policies outlined in the bill align with BIOs principles on biologic substitution, therefore BIO and AZBio support this important legislation and are grateful to Governor Ducey for his leadership on this issue.

House Bill 2310 enjoys the support of physicians across Arizona and the country, patient groups, and both innovator biologic and biosimilar manufacturing companies. This bill includes communication on all biologic medicines dispensed in order to maintain a consistent and complete medical record, said Jim Greenwood, BIOs President and Chief Executive Officer. "By signing this bill into law, Governor Ducey has added Arizona to the list of states that allow retail pharmacies to substitute interchangeable biologic medicines."

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees approval of biologic medicines and designation of interchangeability, policies governing whether one product may be substituted in place of a doctor's prescription and whether a pharmacist must inform patients and doctors are covered by state law. House Bill 2310 seeks to properly preserve patient access to accurate prescription information, maintain incentives for innovation and promote a competitive market for biologic therapies. BIO will continue to advocate for full communication in the substitution process, as patients and their physicians should have the right to know what biologic medicine the patient receives from the pharmacy.

Were pleased to see Arizona adopting policies that not only support a growing industry in our state, but more importantly allow patients access to safe and effective therapies when the first interchangeable biologics are approved by the FDA, said Joan Koerber-Walker, President and CEO of AZBio. As illustrated by the testimony of the patients and physicians that we had the honor of working with as HB 2310 made its way through the legislative process, this will provide patients with more opportunities to address their unmet medical needs, particularly severely ill patients who rely on cutting-edge medical treatments.

While the FDA recently approved the biosimilar product for sale in the U.S., the agency continues to develop a pathway for the development and approval of safe and effective interchangeable biologic products. However, there is still a major role for states to play in ensuring communication of substitution occurs and physicians remain engaged in the process.

Interchangeable biologics are not generics. Even slight changes to a biologic drug can change its properties entirely, said Greenwood. Unlike conventional generic medicines, interchangeable biologics are not the same as the drugs they seek to substitute. In fact, two biologics made using different cell lines and differing manufacturing processes will rarely, if ever, be exactly the same. Those suggesting interchangeable biologics and generics are the same are wrong.

Patients and physicians managing chronic conditions are generally aware of which biologic treatments work best in their unique circumstances. Communicating with patients and physicians allows everyone involved the opportunity to discuss past treatment experiences so that any possible unexpected issues can be better understood and avoided.

On behalf of the life science researchers, manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and patient partners that work together to make life better for patients and their families across Arizona, we thank Governor Ducey for signing this important bill into law, thank Representative Regina Cobb, DDS for her leadership in sponsoring HB 2310 and thank Senator Nancy Barto in sponsoring the amendment that enabled this important bill to move forward in the Senate, said Koerber-Walker. We also greatly appreciate Representative Eric Meyer, MD and Representative Randall Friese, MD for sharing their support and insights with their fellow members so that the needs of the patients and their physicians were clearly understood and carefully considered. The hard work of these leaders, separately and together, resulted in strong, bipartisan support in both chambers. HB 2310 is a great example of how we can all work together to do the right thing for the people of Arizona.

About BIO

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the worlds largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIO produces BIOtechNOW, an online portal and monthly newsletter chronicling innovations transforming our world. Subscribe to BIOtechNOW.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO International ConventionJune 6-9, 2016San Francisco, CA BIO Investor ForumOctober 18-19, 2016San Francisco, CA

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006507/en/

Biotechnology Innovation Organization

George Goodno, 202-962-6660

Web: www.bio.org

Blog: www.biotech-now.org

Twitter: @IAmBiotech

Source: Biotechnology Innovation Organization
NEW ORLEANS, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Plate Mayonnaise, one of the country's oldest and most beloved condiment brands, is shaking up the mayonnaise aisle with the industry's first mayonnaise made with Greek yogurt. Blue Plate Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt (Blue Plate Light Greek) features creamy, tangy Greek yogurt for a full-flavored light mayonnaise with half the fat and calories of traditional mayonnaise, plus one gram of protein per serving. The new Blue Plate Light Greek is in stores now, available in a 30-ounce jar and a 12-ounce squeeze bottle.

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7740951-blue-plate-greek-mayo/

This is the first major product innovation in real mayonnaise since the introduction of olive oil more than five years ago. Consumer research shows that Greek yogurt has come into its own as a food super trend, and U.S. consumption is expected to reach $4 billion by 2019. Blue Plate Light Greek features a flavor that is perfectly proportioned to pair with sandwiches, salads and more. The added protein is yet another nutritious benefit not found in any other mayonnaise.

"Mayonnaise is a staple of American pantries, and we are pleased to add a tasty new option to the Blue Plate family," Blue Plate vice president of marketing Michael Morse said. "Our customers will be delighted that our new Blue Plate Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt stays true to Blue Plate's flavor profile, unlocking the flavor of food without overpowering it."

Helping to introduce the new product is James Beard Award winner and chef-restaurateur Alon Shaya of New Orleans, who has created three recipes that showcase the flavor profile and creamy texture of this mayonnaise, all available on BluePlateGreek.com.

"Any chef will tell you that balance is critical. Blue Plate's Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt strikes a great balance, as it's slightly creamier, slightly tangier than traditional mayo, but still serves to enhance the natural flavor of food. I love cooking Mediterranean-style food, and I can attest to the authentic flavor Blue Plate has achieved. It has a unique yet familiar flavor and works well in a variety of recipes, like my Charred Broccoli Salad with Curry; Blue Plate Light Greek really makes the flavors pop."

With the introduction of Blue Plate Light Greek, the company is expanding its overall distribution footprint from the southeast United States, spreading north and west across the country. "We are pleased that our retail partners see the potential for this product, and we'll be serving more consumers than ever," Morse said.

Blue Plate Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt is shelf-stable (needing to be refrigerated once opened, like any mayonnaise) and can be found in the mayonnaise aisle with other Blue Plate offerings. Visit BluePlateGreek.com to find product information, where to buy and chef Shaya's recipes.

About Blue PlateSince 1927, Blue Plate's rich and creamy mayonnaise has enhanced the flavor in consumers' favorite foods, from salads and sandwiches to dips, dressings and sauces. In 2012, Blue Plate Real Mayonnaise was featured in "Cook's Country," an unbiased source of product reviews and recipes for home cooks and also associated with PBS's "America's Test Kitchen" and Cook's Illustrated. Blue Plate Mayonnaise is also available in deliciously light varieties: Blue Plate Light Mayonnaise, Blue Plate Light Mayonnaise with Olive Oil and now Blue Plate Light Mayonnaise with Greek Yogurt. For recipe suggestions and more information on Blue Plate Mayonnaise, visit www.BluePlateMayo.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blue-plate-introduces-category-first-mayonnaise-made-with-greek-yogurt-300274077.html

SOURCE Reily Foods Company
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- The results of Institutional Investor's Alpha's 15th annual Hedge Fund 100 ranking of global hedge fund firms by assets show that although the total assets managed by the 100 largest firms increased over the previous year, they rose by a paltry 1.5 percent, to $1.66 trillion at the beginning of 2016. This compares with the 7.6 percent increase reported last year and a 6 percent rise at the start of 2014.

Still, some firms managed to grow their assets substantially in 2015. This was particularly true of quantitative firms that employ computer-driven strategies. Altogether eight of the 12 largest hedge fund firms now rely mostly or totally on computers to make their investment decisions.

"Computer-based strategies shone in what was otherwise a very challenging year for hedge funds," says Institutional Investor's Alpha Editor Michael Peltz. "If the quants can keep up their performance gains, they should continue to attract more than their fair share of new asset flows."

Raymond Dalio's Westport, Connecticut-based Bridgewater Associates lands at No. 1 for the sixth straight year, with $104.2 billion under management, up more than 16 percent from $89.6 billion the previous year. Last year Bridgewater's Pure Alpha II fund rose 4.7 percent, while Pure Alpha Major Markets jumped 10.6 percent. The firm's much smaller All Weather fund lost 7 percent.

New York-based J.P. Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM), which owns Highbridge Capital Management, is once again the second-largest firm on the ranking, also for the sixth consecutive year, with $50 billion. However, this is down from $59.3 billion the previous year.

Greenwich, Connecticut-based AQR Capital Management ranks third, switching places with New York-based Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, which now lands in fourth place. New York-based Millennium Management rounds out the top five. Non-U.S. firms also had a big year, with 23 of the top 100 firms on this year's ranking based outside the United States.

To view the Hedge Fund 100 ranking and methodology, visit the 2016 Hedge Fund 100 ranking. To view full ranking results, including additional fund data, assets under management and returns, plus detailed profiles of each firm on the ranking, subscribe.

The 2016 Hedge Fund 100: Top Ten

1. Bridgewater Associates $104.2 billion 2. J.P. Morgan Asset Management $50 billion 3. AQR Capital Management $47.2 billion 4. Och-Ziff Capital Management Group $44.6 billion 5. Millennium Management $34 billion 6. Winton Capital Management $33.8 billion 7. D.E. Shaw & Co. $33.1 billion 8. Viking Global Investors $33.07 billion 9. Man Group $31.8 billion 10. BlackRock $31.1 billion

About Institutional Investor's Alpha Institutional Investor's Alpha is a leading provider of news, analysis and rankings for the hedge fund industry, delivering the most insightful, entertaining and authoritative published content about hedge funds online and in print. Alpha is a publication of Institutional Investor, a leading financial publishing and information company for more than 40 years. Visit www.institutionalinvestorsalpha.com for more information.

Contact: Michael Peltz Editor 212-224-3152 [email protected]

Source: Institutional Investor
ZURICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

LafargeHolcim (Paris: LHN) announces the appointment of Caroline Luscombe as the Groups new Head of Organization and Human Resources and member of the Executive Committee from 1 July 2016, based in Zurich. In this role Caroline will take over responsibility for Organization and Human Resources from Jean-Jacques Gauthier, Chief Integration Officer  Organization and Human Resources.

Caroline Luscombe joins LafargeHolcim from Syngenta where she has been Head of Human Resources since January 2010 and a member of the Executive Committee since 2012. Prior to joining Syngenta, Caroline held senior HR roles in the financial and healthcare businesses of the GE Group, and in the speciality chemical company, Laporte plc.

Having successfully led the integration which is now nearing completion, Jean-Jacques Gauthier will be appointed Country CEO in Algeria from September 1, 2016. Algeria is a key country for the Group offering significant growth and development opportunities. With the forthcoming completion of a new cement manufacturing plant of 2.7 million tonnes, LafargeHolcims total capacity in the country will reach 11 million tonnes by the end of 2016. The Group is also building a country-wide retail franchise network for construction materials. On taking up his new role, Jean-Jacques will relinquish his position on the Executive Committee.

About LafargeHolcim

With a well-balanced presence in 90 countries and a focus on cement, aggregates and concrete, LafargeHolcim (SIX Swiss Exchange, Euronext Paris: LHN) is the world leader in the building materials industry. The Group has 100,000 employees around the world and combined net sales of CHF 29.5 billion in 2015. LafargeHolcim is the industry benchmark in R&D and serves from the individual homebuilder to the largest and most complex project with the widest range of value-adding products, innovative services and comprehensive building solutions. With a commitment to drive sustainable solutions for better building and infrastructure and to contribute to a higher quality of life, the Group is best positioned to meet the challenges of increasing urbanization.

More information is available on www.lafargeholcim.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006560/en/

For LafargeHolcim

Media Relations: [email protected]

Zurich: +41 (0) 58 858 87 10

Paris: +33 (0) 1 44 34 11 70

or

Investor Relations: [email protected]

Zurich:

+41 (0) 58 858 87 87

Source: LafargeHolcim
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GC Securities, a division of MMC Securities LLC, a U.S. registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/NFA/SIPC, today announced the placement of a single class of Principal At-Risk Variable Rate Notes (Notes) with a principal amount of USD $190,000,000 through the newly formed designated account company (dac) domiciled in Ireland, Queen Street XII Re dac, to benefit Munchener Ruckversicherungs-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft in Munchen (Munich Re). This is the largest issuance of the eleven issuances in Munich Res Queen Street series of catastrophe bonds since 2011 and the second largest issuance of all Munich Res Queen Street series.

The Notes provides four season of per occurrence protection from hurricanes affecting the U.S. and windstorms affecting select European countries. The Notes trigger based on a weighted industry loss index using industry insured losses as reported by Property Claim Services for the U.S. and PERILS AG for Europe.

The Notes utilized a putable note issued by the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) as the initial Permitted Investment, which is the first time such permitted investment has been utilized in Munich Res Queen Street series.

GC Securities served as sole bookrunner on Queen Street XII Re. GC Securities has raised $790M of catastrophe bond protection for Munich Re since 2011 through the offering of seven out of twelve Queen Street catastrophe bonds issued.

RISK PROFILE

Notes Size (USD) Expected Maturity Coupon Principal At-RiskVariable Rate Notes $190,000,000 April 8, 2020 PermittedInvestments Yield +5.25% per annum

QUOTES

David Priebe, Vice Chairman of Guy Carpenter and Head of GC Securities

Queen Street XII Re further demonstrates Guy Carpenter and GC Securities commitment to providing alternative capital retrocession solutions to reinsurers. Munich Res continued desire to further cultivate its relationships with the ILS investor community helped achieve Queen Street XIIs efficient risk capitalization.

Cory Anger, Global Head of ILS Structuring, GC Securities

Favorable market conditions coupled with Munich Res consistent approach to the market and thoughtful structuring decisions (including the first time use of IBRD putable notes) allowed them to most efficiently and effectively cede risk to the ILS investor community. Investor support aided efficient execution of the transaction such that the transaction nearly doubled in volume while pricing tighter than initial guidance. It was an honor and privilege to market yet another Queen Street issuance.

Chi Hum, Global Head of ILS Distribution, GC Securities

The strong market support for Queen Street XII Re demonstrates the markets appreciation for Munich Res consistent and repeat sponsorship of cat bonds, as well as the companys reputation in the (re)insurance market. Strong investor interest from more than 20 participating investors and an oversubscribed order book resulted in best execution at an attractive price for this capacity.

About Guy Carpenter

Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC is a leading global risk and reinsurance specialist. Since 1922, the company has delivered integrated reinsurance and capital market solutions to clients across the globe. As a most trusted and valuable reinsurance broker and strategic advisor, Guy Carpenter leverages its intellectual capital to anticipate and solve for a range of business challenges and opportunities on behalf of its clients. With over 2,300 professionals in more than 60 offices around the world, Guy Carpenter delivers a powerful combination of broking expertise, strategic advisory services and industry-leading analytics to help clients achieve profitable growth. For more information on Guy Carpenters complete line-of-business expertise and range of business units, including GC Specialties, GC Analytics, GC Fac, Global Strategic Advisory, GC Securities*, Client Services and GC Micro Risk Solutions, please visit www.guycarp.com and follow Guy Carpenter on LinkedIn and Twitter @GuyCarpenter.

Guy Carpenter is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), a global professional services firm offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy, and people. With annual revenue of $13 billion and 60,000 colleagues worldwide, Marsh & McLennan Companies provides analysis, advice, and transactional capabilities to clients in more than 130 countries through: Marsh, a leader in insurance broking and risk management; Mercer, a leader in talent, health, retirement, and investment consulting; and Oliver Wyman, a leader in management consulting. Marsh & McLennan is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen and making a positive impact in the communities in which it operates. Visit www.mmc.com for more information and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @MMC_Global.

*Securities or investments, as applicable, are offered in the United States through GC Securities, a division of MMC Securities LLC, a US registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/NFA/SIPC. Main Office: 1166 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. Phone: (212) 345-5000. Securities or investments, as applicable, are offered in the European Union by GC Securities, a division of MMC Securities (Europe) Ltd. (MMCSEL), which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, main office 25 The North Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HS. Reinsurance products are placed through qualified affiliates of Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC. MMC Securities LLC, MMC Securities (Europe) Ltd. and Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC are affiliates owned by Marsh & McLennan Companies. This communication is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any security, financial instrument, reinsurance or insurance product.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006092/en/

Guy Carpenter

Missy DeAngelis, 1.917.937.3118

[email protected]

or

Guy Carpenter

Jennifer Ainslie, 44.207.357.2058

[email protected]

Source: Guy Carpenter
HAMILTON, Bermuda, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoegh LNG Partners LP's (NYSE: HMLP) first quarter 2016 results will be released on Tuesday May 31, 2016, before the market opens. In connection with this, a presentation will be held at 8:30 A.M. (EDT) on Tuesday, May 31, 2016. The results and presentation material will be available for download at http://www.hoeghlngpartners.com.

The presentation will be immediately followed by a Q&A session. Participants will be able to join this presentation using the following details:

a. Webcast

https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/942/15446

b. Teleconference

International call: +1-412-542-4123 US Toll Free call: 1-855-239-1375 Canada Toll Free call: 1-855-669-9657

Participants should ask to be joined into the Hoegh LNG Partners LP call.

There will be a Q&A session after the presentation. Information on how to ask questions will be given at the beginning of the Q&A session.

For those unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available from one hour after the end of the conference call until June 7, 2016.

The replay dial-in numbers are as follows:

International call: +1-412-317-0088 US Toll Free call: 1-877-344-7529 Canada Toll Free call: 1-855-669-9658

Replay passcode: 10087059

Media contact: Richard TyrrellChief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer+44 7919 058830 www.hoeghlngpartners.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hoegh-lng-partners-lp--invitation-to-presentation-of-first-quarter-2016-results-300274442.html

SOURCE Hoegh LNG Partners LP
ZURICH & BARROSO, Brazil--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

LafargeHolcim (Paris: LHN) is strengthening its cement production network in Latin America with todays opening of a new state-of-the-art line at its cement plant in Barroso, Brazil. The construction of the new line at the existing Barroso site is part of the Groups strategy to reduce cost per tonne of cement produced, while improving quality and efficiency, in order to operate profitably in a low investment environment.

The new line in Barroso is the most modern in Brazil and will increase operational efficiency and cost competitiveness based on its state-of-the-art technology. Equipment includes the world's largest vertical cement mill, with 450 tonnes per hour production capacity; the horomill, in which the raw materials are refined and chemical corrections are made with low power consumption; and a fully automated quality control laboratory. The plants total capacity is 3.6 million tonnes of cement per year. The new line will allow the reduction of total costs per tonne of cement by around 25 percent from 2014 to 2017.

Eric Olsen, CEO of LafargeHolcim, said: The opening of Barroso is key to our strategy in Brazil and will allow us to further improve our cost structure while we continue to supply our customers with our high-quality solutions. For example, we are providing solutions for various projects related to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro including the Olympic Village, the Galeao International Airport as well as new metro and bus lines.

In 2015, LafargeHolcim delivered sustained performance in countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. The Group believes that Brazil will remain a challenging market in 2016 and has taken a number of measures to adapt its presence to the changing landscape. However, the Barroso plant will make a difference to the Groups ability to service customers in the South-Eastern region of Brazil.

Barroso is strategically located in the state of Minas Gerais between Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro in the countrys most important South-Eastern market. The Group has a long-standing presence on the continent and was the first major international cement company building up a presence in Latin America when it entered the Brazilian market in 1951. Today, LafargeHolcim owns five cement plants, four grinding stations, and one blender in Brazil with a capacity of around 12 million tonnes per year and is also present in aggregates and ready-mix concrete. The Group has operations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, and Nicaragua with an extensive network of retail outlets across the continent.

LafargeHolcim has also been playing a key role in the construction of major infrastructure projects in Latin America: today the Group is contributing to the upgrade of Bogotas El Dorado International Airport, the construction of the Coca Codo-Sinclair Dam in Ecuador, the countrys biggest infrastructure project, and new highways and train lines in Mexico.

About LafargeHolcim

With a well-balanced presence in 90 countries and a focus on cement, aggregates and concrete, LafargeHolcim (SIX Swiss Exchange, Euronext Paris: LHN) is the world leader in the building materials industry. The Group has 100,000 employees around the world and combined net sales of CHF 29.5 billion in 2015. LafargeHolcim is the industry benchmark in R&D and serves from the individual homebuilder to the largest and most complex project with the widest range of value-adding products, innovative services and comprehensive building solutions. With a commitment to drive sustainable solutions for better building and infrastructure and to contribute to a higher quality of life, the Group is best positioned to meet the challenges of increasing urbanization.

More information is available on www.lafargeholcim.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006558/en/

LafargeHolcim

Media Relations:

Zurich: +41 (0) 58 858 87 10

Paris: +33 (0) 1 44 34 11 70

[email protected]

or

Investor Relations:

Zurich: +41 (0) 58 858 87 87

[email protected]



Source: LafargeHolcim
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/-- olloclip today announced a partnership with OtterBox, the No. 1-most trusted brand in smartphone case protection, to offer olloclip's 4-in-1 Lens as a module compatible with the new OtterBox uniVERSE Case System.1 https://www.olloclip.com/shop/lenses/iphone6-otterbox-4-in-1/

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371119Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371120

This variation of olloclip's 4-in-1 Lens for iPhone 6/6s & iPhone 6/6s Plus was built exclusively for and attaches seamlessly over the top of the OtterBox uniVERSE Case System. It features four advanced optic quick-change lenses (fisheye, wide-angle, macro 10x & 15x) that weigh in at less than an ounce. Its pocket-sized, award-winning design works on both front and rear-facing camera and comes with two wearable pendants to keep the lenses instantly accessible.

"Customers love the olloclip lenses to capture and share spontaneous moments simply and instantly, but many want to use them with a protective case," said Patrick O'Neill, founder of olloclip. "This exciting partnership with OtterBox sits perfectly within our brand vision and enables us to collaborate and innovate with the market-leading case manufacturer to address the needs and wants we know exist in the market."

The uniVERSE Case System outfits iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus with a slim, protective OtterBox case that offers virtually endless possibilities.2 The uniVERSE Case System combines trusted OtterBox protection with the ability to expand iPhone's features with swappable modules from a variety of leading accessory makers.

"The uniVERSE Case System brings the top mobile accessory innovators together to create a seamless iPhone ecosystem," said OtterBox CEO Jim Parke. "We're partnering with the best of the best to bring a completely new platform to the market."

The uniVERSE Case System is available now for iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 6/6s Plus at otterbox.com and olloclip.com, and will be available May 29 in Best Buy retail stores, BestBuy.com and Amazon.com. olloclip's 4-in-1 lens is sold separately for $79.99. For more information, visit olloclip.com.

About OtterBoxStarting in 1998 with a line of dry boxes, OtterBox has evolved into the No. 1-selling case for smartphones in the U.S. and a global leader in mobile device protection.3 Its diverse lineup of protective solutions for smartphone and tablet devices is the result of precision engineering, diligent testing and continual technological advancement, giving technology users the confidence to make the most of their mobile world. OtterBox is an eight-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the U.S. and was named one of "America's Most Promising Companies" by Forbes Magazine. The company is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colo., with offices in San Diego; Cork, Ireland; and Hong Kong. For more information, visit otterbox.com.

About olloclipThe olloclip brand is synonymous with creativity in one's pocket. With olloclip products, amateur and professional photographers alike can capture and share life experiences, more easily, spontaneously and artistically than ever before. A person's mobile phone becomes a window to the worldand mobile photography and videography enter a whole new realm of possibility. For more information, visit olloclip.com.

Notes: 1 Source: The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service, 2012  2015 2 uniVERSE case is NOT protective against water. Will provide added protection against bumps, drops and shock. 3 The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service: Cell Phone Device Protection/Units Sold 2012  20152016 Otter Products, LLC. All rights reserved. OtterBox and all OtterBox logos, trademarks and symbols are the property of Otter Products, LLC. All other logos, trademarks and symbols are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact: Michele Moninger Baker858-450-9872

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/olloclip-partners-with-otterbox-to-expand-mobile-universe-300273784.html

SOURCE olloclip
Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades speaks during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou

By Michele Kambas

ATHENS (Reuters) - Cyprus's president canceled scheduled peace talks and cut short a visit to Turkey on Tuesday, his spokesman said, after a United Nations summit treated the rival Turkish Cypriot leader as a head of state.

The protocol row underscored the sensitivity and complexity of the Cyprus conflict, a decades-old conundrum that generations of diplomats and an army of peacemakers have failed to crack.

It was also an unexpected hiccup in an otherwise positive progression of peace talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

President Nicos Anastasiades was in Turkey attending a U.N. humanitarian summit but refused to attend a banquet for heads of state on Monday evening because Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, who represents breakaway north Cyprus, was also invited.

Turkey is the only country that recognizes the breakaway North Cyprus statelet.

Implicitly blaming the U.N. for the controversy, Cypriot government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides said there was 'no fertile ground' for Friday's planned meeting in Nicosia.

Nonetheless, he added, Anastasiades was still committed to the peace process on the ethnically divided island. In a series of Tweets, Akinci said the matter was blown out of proportion.

The island was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974, triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup.

The Greek Cypriots, who represent the whole island in the European Union, are sensitive to any perceived attempt to place them on an equal footing with north Cyprus, which is backed financially and militarily by Turkey.

Anastasiades and Akinci are engaged in reunification talks for Cyprus as leaders of their respective communities.

"The President of the Republic reiterates his decisiveness to continue the dialogue as long as the principle of mutual respect and the will for an acceptable solution are maintained. Without unilateral moves which seek to upgrade the pseudo-state," Christodoulides said in a statement.

Such actions by any party - "with the special adviser of the UN Secretary general not excluded" - undermine the process, he said.

It was not immediately clear who invited Akinci to the summit. His Twitter account showed pictures of him with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.N. special envoy Espen Barth Eide.

"I find the extreme reaction to this meeting meaningless," said Akinci. "We will continue our efforts for a solution without giving up."

(Reporting by Michele Kambas and Seda Sezer; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
DUBAI (Reuters) - A Saudi border guard was killed and three others were wounded by a landmine that exploded while on patrol alongside the border with Yemen on Monday, state news agency SPA reported quoting an interior ministry spokesman.

The frontier has been largely calm since March after the Saudi government reached an understanding with Yemen's Houthi group to stop firing across the border in a move that had paved the way for peace talks now underway in Kuwait.

SPA said the mine exploded in the morning in the Jizan region in southern Saudi Arabia when two border patrols passed on a designated road near the border with Yemen.

One soldier died in the blast while three others were wounded and were taken to a hospital, the agency said.

It was not immediately clear if the mine had been planted recently or had been there prior to the calm in place since March.

The United Nations has estimated that more than 6,200 people have died in Yemen since the war began in March last year. Saudi Arabia has reported dozens of its soldiers or civilians have been killed in the conflict.

(Reporting by Omar Fahmy in Cairo; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
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 24, 2016 (May 24, 2016) MINES MANAGEMENT, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Idaho 001-32074 91-0538859 (State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer

Identification No.) 905 W. Riverside Avenue, Suite 311

Spokane, Washington 99201 (Address of principal executive offices) (zip code) Registrants telephone number, including area code: (509) 838-6050 No Change (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: o 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) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) o 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 24, 2016, Mines Management, Inc. (the Company) issued a press release announcing that it intends to merge (the Merger) with HL Idaho Corp. (HL Idaho), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hecla Mining Company (Hecla) pursuant to a Merger Agreement (the Agreement) between the Company, HL Idaho and Hecla. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, and is incorporated herein by reference. The Company plans to file a subsequent Current Report on Form 8-K within four business days of May 23, 2016 more fully describing the terms of the Agreement. Additional Information The Company and Hecla intend to prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a proxy statement/prospectus and a form of proxy relating to the Companys meeting of stockholders to be held to approve the Merger. Hecla intends to prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, which will include the Companys proxy statement and also constitute Heclas prospectus in connection with the proposed Merger. The Company will mail a definitive proxy statement/information statement and related materials to its stockholders. The Companys stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the proxy statement/information statement in connection with the Companys solicitation of proxies for its special meeting of stockholders to be held to approve the Merger because the proxy statement/information statement will contain important information about the Company and the proposed Merger. The proxy statement/information statement will be mailed to the Companys stockholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the Merger. Stockholders of Hecla will also be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/information statement, without charge, once available, at the SECs Internet site at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Heclas Investor Relations Department at Hecla Mining Company, Investor Relations, 1-800-HECLA91 (1-800-432-5291), [email protected] Participants in the Solicitation The Company, Hecla, and their respective directors and officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Companys stockholders with respect to the Merger described in the proxy statement/prospectus. A list of the names of Heclas directors and officers and a description of their interests in Hecla is contained in Heclas annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, which was filed with the SEC, and will also be contained in the registration statement on Form S-4 (and the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed Merger) for the special meetings when available. A list of the names of the directors and officers of the Company and a description of their interests in the Company will be contained in the registration statement on Form S-4 (and will be included in the proxy statement for the proposed Merger) and the other relevant documents filed with the SEC. Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits. (d) Exhibits. Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press Release issued by Mines Management, Inc. and Hecla Mining Company, dated May 24, 2016. 2

SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. Date: May 24, 2016 Mines Management, Inc. By: /s/ Glenn M. Dobbs Glenn M. Dobbs Chief Executive Officer 3

EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press Release issued by Mines Management, Inc. and Hecla Mining Company, dated May 24, 2016. 4

Exhibit 99.1 HECLA TO ACQUIRE MINES MANAGEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Release # 16-07 SPOKANE, WASHINGTON  May 24, 2016  Mines Management, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MGN, TSX: MGT) (Mines Management) and Hecla Mining Company ( NYSE:HL ) (Hecla) today announced a merger agreement with Hecla acquiring Mines Management. In the proposed merger, each outstanding common share(1) of Mines Management will be exchanged for 0.2218 of a common share of Hecla. This represents a 41% premium to Mines Management, using both companies 10 day VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price) on May 20, 2016. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, 2016. The transaction is subject to approval by Mines Management shareholders and other closing conditions. Following closing of the merger, Hecla intends to advance the evaluation program of Montanore. Located in Northwest Montana, Montanore is considered one of the largest undeveloped silver and copper deposits in North America. The project is approximately 10 miles from Heclas Rock Creek project and 50 miles north of Heclas Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho. The Montanore Project has been significantly advanced by Mines Management and, with the issuance of the final Environmental Impact Statement and Records of Decision early this year now is the time to pass it on to Hecla to further advance the project and put it into production, said Glenn Dobbs, Mines Managements CEO and Chairman. Hecla is the logical company to move Montanore forward, with its close proximity to Rock Creek, as well as its similar geology and scale, said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Heclas President and CEO. We have considerable experience operating Greens Creek in a National Monument which will, combined with our financial strength and commitment to the community and environment, help Montanore reach its full potential. About Mines Management Mines Management, Inc. is engaged in the business of exploring, and if exploration is successful, developing mineral properties containing precious and base metals. The Companys primary focus is on the advancement of the Montanore silver-copper project located in northwestern Montana. For further information, please contact: Douglas Dobbs President, Mines Management, Inc. (509)838-6050 [email protected] Hecla will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 (or amendment thereto) that will include the Proxy Statement of Mines Management that also constitutes a prospectus of Hecla. Hecla and Mines Management plan to mail the Proxy Statement/Prospectus to Mines Managements shareholders in connection with the transaction. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HECLA, MINES MANAGEMENT, THE TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other documents (1) Approximately 32 million issued and outstanding shares; approximately 39 million shares fully diluted
*** TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE: TDG) announced today a definitive agreement to purchase ILC Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Data Device Corporation ("DDC"), from Behrman Capital for a total purchase price of $1.0 billion in cash. DDC is a leading supplier of databus and power supply products for the global military and commercial aerospace markets. TransDigm expects to finance the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand, existing availability under our revolving credit facility and new debt.

DDC revenues are anticipated to be over $200 million for the fiscal year ending December 2016 with approximately 75% coming from the defense market and the remainder primarily from the commercial transport market. Approximately 70% of revenue is derived from the aftermarket, with nearly all of the revenue from proprietary and sole source products. Approximately 45% of revenue is derived from customers outside of the United States.

DDC is a leading supplier of databus and power controls and related products that are used primarily in military avionics, commercial aerospace and space applications. The company's core MIL-STD-1553 databus product line has a large installed base of systems worldwide that spans hundreds of unique military and commercial platforms. Representative DDC platforms include military programs such as the JSF, F-18, Eurofighter, C-130, A400M, F-15 and Apache, as well as newer commercial platforms such as the 787, A350XWB, and 777X. DDC's primary manufacturing facility is located in Bohemia, New York with additional facilities located in Mexico, the United Kingdom, and California. The business employs 650 employees in its various locations worldwide.

"DDC has a strong presence across major military aircraft platforms and a growing presence on commercial aircraft. This is another sizable acquisition opportunity that meets our strategic, operational and value-creation criteria," stated W. Nicholas Howley, TransDigm's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The vast majority of DDC's revenue comes from highly engineered, proprietary products with substantial aftermarket content. We are pleased with the opportunity to acquire a business of this size that has such an outstanding reputation with its customers and where we see opportunities for significant value creation."

The acquisition, which is expected to close before the end of fiscal 2016, is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

*** Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR) announced that it has agreed to acquire HandStands Holding Corporation ("HandStands") from Trivest Partners for an aggregate cash purchase price of $340 million, subject to certain adjustments.

HandStands is a leading designer and marketer of automotive fragrance and appearance products. Inclusive of recent acquisitions, calendar year 2015 pro forma net sales were approximately $128 million, with approximately 80% in the U.S., and adjusted pro forma EBITDA was approximately $34 million. HandStands offers innovative products driven by deep consumer insights through well recognized brands such as Refresh Your Car!, California Scents, Driven, Bahama & Co., LEXOL and Eagle One. This combination of innovative product offerings and strong category leadership has allowed HandStands to achieve consistent top-line growth in recent years and establish itself as one of the market leaders and a partner of choice for retailers in the U.S. automotive fragrance category.

"HandStands represents a compelling strategic, operational and cultural fit for Energizer," said Alan R. Hoskins, Chief Executive Officer of Energizer. "The HandStands business is complementary to our existing business with opportunities for growth. These two businesses have similar customers, distribution channels, category management characteristics and commitment to innovation. The acquisition allows us to leverage our global battery platform and integrated supply chain network, while providing top-line and free cash flow growth, which will further enhance our ability to drive long-term shareholder value."

Chris Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of HandStands, added: "This transaction represents an exciting milestone in HandStands' evolution. The ability to leverage Energizer's strong consumer insights, industry-leading innovation and global reach positions HandStands' brands for continued growth."

Energizer intends to ultimately fund the acquisition through a combination of approximately $250 million of existing cash and committed debt facilities. This transaction is expected to be leverage neutral to Energizer's projected levels of Debt to EBITDA by the first quarter of Fiscal 2017. Excluding one-time transaction and integration costs, earnings accretion from the transaction in the first full fiscal year following the close is estimated to be $0.15 to $0.20 per share and free cash flow is expected to increase by at least $20 million. In addition to revenue growth potential, Energizer anticipates cost synergies of approximately $5 million to be achieved by leveraging Energizer's global battery platform, infrastructure and supply chain network. These savings are projected to be achieved over a period of two years following the close of the acquisition.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2016. Citi acted as exclusive financial advisor and Bryan Cave LLP acted as legal counsel to Energizer on the transaction. Sawaya Segalas & Co., LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor, and Greenberg Traurig, LLP acted as legal counsel to HandStands on this transaction.

*** Hecla Mining Company (NYSE: HL) and Mines Management, Inc. (NYSE: MGN) announced a merger agreement with Hecla acquiring Mines Management. In the proposed merger, each outstanding common share1 of Mines Management will be exchanged for 0.2218 of a common share of Hecla. This represents a 41% premium to Mines Management, using both companies 10 day VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price) on May 20, 2016. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, 2016. The transaction is subject to approval by Mines Management shareholders and other closing conditions.

Following closing of the merger, Hecla intends to advance the evaluation program of Montanore. Located in Northwest Montana, Montanore is considered one of the largest undeveloped silver and copper deposits in North America. The project is approximately 10 miles from Heclas Rock Creek project and 50 miles north of Heclas Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho.

The Montanore Project has been significantly advanced by Mines Management and, with the issuance of the final Environmental Impact Statement and Records of Decision early this year, now is the time to pass it on to Hecla to further advance the project and put it into production, said Glenn Dobbs, Mines Managements CEO and Chairman.

Hecla is the logical company to move Montanore forward, with its close proximity to Rock Creek, as well as its similar geology and scale, said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Heclas President and CEO. We have considerable experience operating Greens Creek in a National Monument which will, combined with our financial strength and commitment to the community and environment, help Montanore reach its full potential.

1 Approximately 32 million issued and outstanding shares; approximately 39 million shares fully diluted

*** ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Spicetec Flavors & Seasonings business to Givaudan for approximately $340 million.

Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer of ConAgra Foods, said, We are committed to becoming a more focused and higher performing company in order to drive greater shareholder value. Divesting Spicetec is the latest action we have taken that will allow ConAgra Foods to invest resources into our core product portfolio to drive sustainable growth. He added, We truly appreciate the contributions of the Spicetec employees and look forward to having an ongoing relationship with them as a key supplier to ConAgra Foods.

The agreement includes the transition of approximately 280 employees as well as facilities in Cranbury, N.J., and Carol Stream, Ill. The planned transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances and is expected to close in approximately 60-90 days.

BofA Merrill Lynch acted as the exclusive financial advisor to ConAgra Foods on the transaction.

To keep up on all the Mergers & Acquisitions data in real-time, go to our M&A Insider page.
Do you consider yourself rich or poor? Are you getting by?

Since 2007, the income of a household in the top 10 per cent (90th percentile) has increased by at least $44,400, while a household in the bottom 10 per cent (10th percentile) has had gains of $5500.

It's not surprising then that households at the top increasingly consider they have more than enough income to meet their everyday needs.

123RF Household income data shows little change among Kiwis on low wages between 2007 and 2015.

They are also more likely to own their home, while households in the bottom 90 per cent have seen ownership rates decline.

READ MORE:

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UNEVEN INCOME GAINS

In 2015, a household with an income in the middle (median), earned $74,700 annually compared to $55,800 in 2007.

For a household nearer the bottom the increase has not been so pronounced. A 20th percentile household (richer than 20 per cent of households and poorer than 80 per cent) has seen its annual income increase by $8300, from about $25,800 to $34,100.

At the other end of the spectrum, an 80th percentile household has seen its income increase by $36,300, rising from about $98,800 to $135,100. A 90th percentile household had income of $175,700 in 2015, up by $44,400 since 2007.

Michele Mossop Since the 1980s, inequality in New Zealand has drawn closer to levels seen in more unequal countries such as the United States.

STANDARD OF LIVING

So what has this change in income meant for standards of living?

Statistics New Zealand's annual Household Economic Survey gives us an insight into this by asking people if their household income is 'not enough', 'only just enough', 'enough' or 'more than enough' to meet everyday needs.

For households in the middle 20 per cent, 58.5 per cent said they have 'enough' or 'more than enough' income compared to 45.4 per cent in 2007.

For households in the top 20 per cent, 42.3 per cent said they have 'more than enough' income in 2015, up from 32.7 per cent in 2007.

In the bottom 20 per cent, 60.8 per cent said they had 'not enough' or 'only just enough' income, that is down on 2007 when 69.3 per cent of households claimed to have 'not enough' or 'only just enough'.

HOME OWNERSHIP

Most income decile (10 per cent) bands have not fared well in home ownership rates since 2007, with all but the middle and the top 10 per cent seeing a decrease in home ownership.



Households with incomes between the 10th and 20th percentiles have seen home ownership rates fall from 53.7 per cent in 2007 to 46.5 per cent in 2015, while trust ownership in that band stayed steady at about 11 per cent. In the poorest 10 per cent of households the decline has been more dramatic, down from 50.8 per cent to 35.7 per cent. About 11 per cent of the poorest 10 per cent of households live in homes owned by a trust, however that figure has also fallen from about 15 per cent in 2007 to 11.4 per cent in 2015.



Only the top 10 per cent have seen an increase in home ownership rates, up from 50 per cent to 61.15 per cent. Of the remaining households in the top 10 per cent, 25 per cent live in a house owned by a family trust, that's down slightly from 31 per cent in 2007.

'AT SOME POINT ... IT'S GOING TO UNWIND'

SUPPLIED Max Rashbrooke studies the economics of inequality.

According to researcher Max Rashbrooke, the public debate has tended to focus on housing.

"That's the way people are understanding inequality at the moment.

"Since 2009, incomes have risen a little bit at the poorest end but there are much bigger increases at the richer end."

Last year's Budget had been carefully calculated to do enough to calm those who were thinking of switching their vote, he said.

"People are covering up the scale of inequality in New Zealand by borrowing massively. At some point it's presumably going to unwind.

"A very large number of people are saying they do not have enough to get by."

In 2014, a couple with a child was considered out of poverty if they earned more than $37,000.

Many people with children earned less than this threshold.

In a recent analysis, Rashbrooke also said the proportion of tax paid by the top earners had not changed in years.

"The data shows that the richest tenth of taxpayers got one-third of all taxable income in both 2008 and 2014. Within that, the richest one per cent, about 34,000 people, got over 8 per cent of taxable income.

"In contrast, the poorest tenth got just 0.4 per cent."

INCOME DEBATE FORGOTTEN

Child Poverty Action Group social security spokesman Professor Mike O'Brien said public debate had sidelined income in recent months.

Improving the incomes of the bottom 20 per cent of the working population was crucial, he said.

"There hasn't been much discussion about incomes other than discussions about tax rates, which won't make much difference for people at the lower end of the scale. How do we improve the incomes of those on the lowest incomes?

"The Government is least willing to tackle it at all. It seems to treat poverty as an individual thing."

Middle income earners were also better off and many of the wage increases were among middle management and executives.

"The experiences at the bottom end just tend to get ignored. The Government has been saying that work is the solution to poverty. It's kind of reflected in big jumps like CEOs, that kind of filters through.

"Those who have stable jobs and in middle management, that's where the increases are rather than at the bottom end."

* An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated changes in income for different household deciles were for the period from 2007-2015, when in fact the figures reflected the change since 2010. This has been corrected so that the value changes reflect changes between 2007 and 2015.

* Comments on this story are now closed.

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The Wellington rail network will be operated by Transdev from 3am on July 3.

Wellington's new train operator is talking big things for its first day of operation in July, including longer trains and new, smarter uniforms for staff.

Transdev Wellington told Greater Wellington Regional Council's regional transport committee on Tuesday that train users would instantly notice there was a new company in charge on July 3.

Chief operating officer Alan Bannister said that, because of the new Matangi trains, the company had plenty of carriages so it would be looking at putting on longer trains in rush hour.

JARED NICOLL/FAIRFAX NZ Trains in Wellington may soon be longer thanks to the new rail operator Transdev.

He did not go into detail which lines they would run on, or when they would be running.

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"No-one wants to be running empty trains, but where we can run longer trains we will," Bannister told the meeting, made up of mayors and councillors from the wider region.

"We will make sure we are putting the resources where they are needed because we have lots of trains and lots of staff, so we can do it."

That news would be a relief for the 15,000 commuters who use trains each morning to get into Wellington, often having to jam into packed carriages.

Last year the council selected Transdev Australasia, instead of the KiwiRail-owned Tranz Metro, as its preferred operator for the passenger rail network that services Wellington, Hutt Valley, Porirua, Kapiti and Wairarapa.

Transdev is a global transport giant, which runs Auckland's passenger trains as well as transport services in Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific.

In Australia and New Zealand it employs about 5700 staff and runs more than 131 million passenger journeys on buses, trains and ferries.

The Wellington contract will partner it with Korean company Hyundai Rotem, which built the city's electric Matangi trains.

Forty days out from when it takes over, Bannister said the company was on track to start on time and well.

It had retained 97 per cent of about 400 KiwiRail staff and would be creating a larger safety team to make sure everything ran according to best practice.

There would be work done on the timetable, with the potential for more frequent peak-hour trains, better and faster customer service and smarter staff, with new, better uniforms and new smartphones.

Some staff may also be equipped with body CCTV, which was trialled in Auckland in 2014 to cut down on fare evasion and improve train security.

It would also investigate putting on more trains for special events, such as next year's British and Irish Lions tour, installing wi-fi on carriages and replacing the recorded loudspeaker announcements with a miked staff member on the platforms.

Transdev was also outfitting a new control centre behind the ticket booths at Wellington Railway Station, and would move the rail monitoring centre from Johnsonville into Wellington.

THE PROMISES

* Longer trains and more trains at peak times

* Better, faster customer service

* Smarter uniforms for staff

* New control centre in Wellington

* Smart devices for staff to enable better alerts for faults

* New training facility for all staff

* Possible trial of body CCTV cameras for security

* Work on improvements for the Wairarapa line

BY THE NUMBERS

* 40 days until Transdev takes over Wellington trains at 3am on July 3.

* 15,000 train users each morning

* 97 per cent of the 400 KiwiRail staff retained

* 5700 employed by Transdev Australasia

* NZ$700m a year earned by Transdev Australasia

* 131.8m journeys on Transdev-operated transport in Australia and New Zealand
An "incredible" storm kept Wellington residents awake last night, with a whopping 2316 lightning strikes recorded around the country in the 12 hours to 7am.

A spectacular thunderstorm kept Wellingtonians awake on Tuesday night, as gales also battered the capital.

Do you have photos or video of the thunderstorm? Email newstips@stuff.co.nz

Residents described the thunder as the loudest they had ever heard, as bolts of lightning lit up the sky.

KARL HALVORSEN The lightning strikes above Victoria University's Kelburn campus on Tuesday night.

MetService meteorologist Arno Dyason said in the 12 hours to 7am Wednesday there were 2316 recorded lightning strikes around New Zealand.

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MetService didn't keep a tally for Wellington alone, but he said most of the strikes were focused along the west coast from Marlborough through to Wellington and up to Taranaki. "It's not a usual sight we see in Wellington, it's quite a treat to get some thunder and lightning in this part. We usually see it further north." He said the weather was caused by a complex series of overlapping lows that created "instability" in the atmosphere. That made the right ingredients for the storms to develop and even extend over Wellington, Dyason said. RESIDENTS DESCRIBE 'EPIC' STORM

SUPPLIED Jennifer Meech captured this bolt over Mt Kaukau from her home in Wadestown.

The lightning lit up the sky about midnight, drawing Wellingtonians to their windows to watch and photograph the spectacle.

Central city resident Rik Winter described the storm as "epic" and "incredible".

METSERVICE This radar image from MetService shows each recorded lightning strike, as of 12.13am Wednesday morning.

Lightning strikes over central Wellington. RIK WINTER

In Berhampore, Karen Osmond said the thunder shook the dining room of her house as she filmed the storm.

Stuff.co.nz The impressive lightning and thunder, as viewed from around the capital.

when the lightning literally too bright to sleep thru pic.twitter.com/lNlq8fp36d  henry cooke (@henrycooke) May 24, 2016

Sue Culver described the storm as scary and intense, but brief.

"Massive wind gust for about 20 seconds that we thought was going to do damage. Thunder, lightning, rain, hail, wind. Calm now but still flashes in the sky."

MetService said the storm was caused by an active band of rain that was quickly moving toward the city's east.



Sophie Worsnop said she was walking home when the lightning began.

"Hail was hammering me at one point, as well as the wind that was making the rain come from on top, side and underneath," she said.

Eve Athersuch described the storm as "super loud and extremely bright".

"Almost felt like an earthquake with someone using a camera flash right up in your face."

A view of the storm from Ngaio. LUKE TUCKER

Police and the fire service had not received any reports of damage, and Wellington Electricity said there were no known outages.

Thunder and Lightening very very entertaining Welly! pic.twitter.com/uJ3Q2ppCu0  Garage Project (@Garage_Project) May 24, 2016

Wellington City Council was clearing a small slip in Lyall Bay after the storm, a police spokesman said.

Hollie Arnett tweeted that some of the power went out at her house, and after turning it back on, "something just randomly exploded in the kitchen".

So the storm cut some of our power, Sam tried to turn it back on and something just randomly exploded in the kitchen. Good times   Hollie Arnett (@hollie_arnett) May 24, 2016

Hayley Colgan said that it was the most impressive storm she'd seen in New Zealand.

Don't think I've experienced a storm like that since my Oklahoma days. So much thunder and lightning. Unreal. #Wellington  Hayley Colgan (@LadyHayley_) May 24, 2016

Felix Geiringer said he hadn't seen anything like the "spectacular" storm for "many years".

A spectacular thunderstorm in Wellington. I don't remember seeing anything like it for many years.  Felix Geiringer (@BarristerNZ) May 24, 2016

Earlier, MetService issued a severe weather watch for Wellington, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Waitomo, Taumarunui and Taihape, warning of periods of heavy rain overnight and throughout Wednesday.

Northerly gales could become severe in Wellington and Wairarapa on Wednesday morning.

Now this is what I call Mother Nature! #Wellington #lighting #thunder #wow #storm #stormy #lightningbolt #forklightning A video posted by  Dan Revs  (@revsorrz) on May 24, 2016 at 5:32am PDT

A heavy rain watch was also in place for the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty, Mount Taranaki and the Tararua Range, with a rain warning in place for Buller.
After a long summer and unusually mild autumn, temperatures have dropped in Wellington in the past few days.

A sharp drop in Wellington's temperature has seen a steep increase in sales of heaters, electric blankets and winter duvets, and a surge in the amount of power being used in the region's homes.

Figures from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research show the minimum temperature for the capital dropped from double digits to single last week.

Snow fell on the Rimutaka Hill Road on Sunday for the first time this year, and temperatures fell to a low of 3.8 degrees Celsius on Monday.

SEAMUS BOYER/ FAIRFAX NZ Snow fell on the Rimutaka Hill Road on Sunday for the first time this year.

The abrupt start to winter came after a mild autumn, as the city enjoyed much warmer temperatures than normal.

Briscoes had seen a 40 per cent jump in sales in Wellington, compared with predictions, over the past 10 days, managing director Rod Duke said.

There had been few sales of winter-related products until just recently, but people were now snapping up heaters, electric blankets, winter duvets and flannelette sheets.

Harvey Norman had sold almost a month's worth of winter products in the past week, general manager of small appliances Evan Claxton said.

The first three weeks of May had been very slow, but the rush in the past week or so had made up for it.

Last year saw a more gradual increase in the sale of winter appliances, such as heaters and dehumidifiers. "This year it has come in an absolute cliff face, from nothing to go," Claxton said.

Duke said the increase in sales had been mostly consistent across the rest of the country.

Sales of stock pots and heatproof glassware from Briscoes had also gone up, as people started to cook heartier meals on colder nights.

The sudden change in weather had coincided with the Warehouse's birthday sale, a spokesperson said. Stores across the country, and particularly in the lower North Island, had also seen a significant increase in the sale of winter items.

Heater sales had been the most significant for a few years.

The cold snap also saw a surge in the amount of electricity used. The lower North Island used 5.363 gigawatt hours more on Saturday and Sunday than the weekend before, according to the Electricity Authority.

With an average cost of $0.23 per kilowatt-hour, the extra power used in the region would have cost $1.2 million.

Powershop's Mark Soper said people budgeting for power would need to put more aside to account for the cold weather.

"Households are about to be hit with their first significant power costs for the year. Planning for these extra costs now is important to avoid financial stress or debt later on."
More blanks have been found in Kaimanawa Forest Park. The seven on the left are still live.

Live ammunition is still being found in the Kaimanawa Forest Park three months after Cambridge man Gary Hampson-Tindale was told it was cleaned up.

The story was first published in the Cambridge Edition on February 3, when Hampson-Tindale explained that the live blanks being found could explode if thrown into the fire.

They were found at the Waikoko campsite where about 40 visitors stay per night in the warmer months.

EMMA JAMES/FAIRFAX MEDIA Gary Hampson-Tindale has been finding live ammunition at a popular DOC campsite for months.

In a second story published on February 24, he announced the problem was still not sorted and that he would be writing to government ministers.

Just last week, minister of defence Gerry Brownlee responded to Hampson-Tindale's letter.

In his response he said public safety was of utmost importance and since he became aware of the problem in late 2015, processes for training have been reviewed.

"The New Zealand Army has since ensured that any training taking place in the area is conducted well away from public areas, including training conducted in February 2016."

He said the army has maintained close contact with the Department of Conservation (DOC) throughout all training activities.

"DOC has not raised any concerns with the New Zealand Defence Force over the impact of any training on the environment."

But Hampson-Tindale is not convinced the problem is solved because in April he found another 46 blanks, seven of which were live.

The ammunition is from a military-issue Steyr rifle and although they are blanks, they still contain gunpowder which poses a risk to public safety, he said.

This time he had found them along Kaimanawa Rd - the road used to access the camp.

"I showed them to people at the site and one of them said their four-year-old son had found some and had them in his pocket. If a child was to hit it with a hammer or throw it in a fire, it could explode.

"In total we've found 100 (since November) of which 20 were live."

Hampson-Tindale has his firearms license and hunts in the area regularly.

"I feel that someone should be held accountable because if I left live bullets lying around, I would lose my firearms license and rightly so," he said.

DOC operation manager Dave Lumley said they have done two major clean-outs at the camp, but the army would no longer be training at the site.

"We reached an agreement with the defence force, not because of this incident, but because of the nature of the campsite and because it's so busy," he said.

The first clean-up was on January 22 and they could not find any ammunition at there, and then again on February 9.

"We cleared out some broome and other weeds and when we were doing that we found no further ammo, so we were satisfied at that stage there was none left at the campsite," he said.

"We visit the site weekly because it's so busy so we clean the toilet, pick up rubbish and if anyone sets up fire places we clean them up."

They have since installed a sign to say no fires.
Violence, shooting and threatening behaviour in Lego products are becoming more common, scientists say.

The world's largest toy maker has been producing "significantly more violent" toys in recent years, according to newly published research from the University of Canterbury.

Lead writer Christoph Bartneck said Lego products were not as innocent as they used to be.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/ FAIRFAX NZ Are lego figurines brandishing weapons appropriate for child's-play?

"The increasing violence in Lego products seems to have gone beyond simply enriching game play."

The research found the chances of observing violence in Lego catalogue pages had increased by 19 per cent per year between 1978 to 2014.

READ MORE:

* Lego toys not so innocent

* Finally, protection from Lego for feet

* Parents angered over Lego magazine's makeover tips for girls



JOHN COWPLAND/ FAIRFAX NZ Lego-mad Richard Catley holds the first set he ever got, and his kids, Adam and Nick, have inherited his passion.

Currently, about 40 per cent of all pages contained some type of violence and 30 per cent of today's Lego sets included at least one weapon.

"In particular, scenarios involving shooting and threatening behaviour have increased over the years."

JOHN COWPLAND/ FAIRFAX NZ Richard Catley's Lego town.

Bartneck said the increase was contrary to the toy maker's policy that Lego products aimed to discourage pretend violence as a primary play incentive.

"The Lego company often claims that their violence normally happens within a humorous context, yet the results show that humorous is the least likely atmosphere. Material harm is the most frequent consequence of the violent acts followed by mild harm or injuries."

She believed the increase in weapons was also the result of the influx of licensed themes such as Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.

Lego head of marketing for Australia & New Zealand Troy Taylor said there were lots of types of play in the Lego world including role play, competition play, fantasy play, construction play, and conflict play.

"Conflict play is a natural part of a child's development.

"The reason for the use of weapons and conflict must be founded on a greater overall purpose within the complete story line of a specific theme, for example as part of a struggle to save the world.

"Fantasy or non-realistic weapons are used for conflicts between humans and mutants, creatures, or aliens."

Long-time Hawke's Bay Lego collector Richard Catley said any perceived violence in Lego was what the user made of it, and had not seen it as a problem before.

He said the weapons were more common in movie or television themed sets where they came as part of a character, such as Indiana Jones or Star Wars.

Together with sons Adam, 6, and Nick, 8, he had almost filled the living room with buildings, train sets, spaceships, planes and cars.

His sons would often see then build things in a similar way. One of their favourite things to create were stock cars. "It's great for them, it teaches them maths."

Self-confessed Lego nut Alexandra Cramp is another long-time collector. She said her pirate sets had swords, and her castle set had bows and arrows, but those features were based on facts and on things the characters would have had.

She said any links to violence may have come from Lego television shows, but even those tackled it in a humorous and joking manner.

"Lego is great, it's a way for kids to use their imaginations."
A Hamilton judge has sent a man to jail for 12 months for posting revenge porn on Facebook.

A Hamilton man who covertly filmed a 16-year-old female friend having sex with him and later uploaded the footage to Facebook has been jailed for a year.

The man - who cannot be named without leading to the identification of his victim - was 19 at the time of his offending in January last year and is now 20.

The Hamilton District Court was told the victim had come to the defendant's family home on January 12, where they twice engaged in consensual sex.

However on the second occasion the man covertly filmed them on his cellphone.

Afterwards, the girl was made aware of his deception and asked for the video to be deleted. However he refused.

Some days later the defendant attended a weekend party, during which he uploaded the footage to his Facebook page, along with the message that the victim "should think twice next time you get between me and my brothers".

The video was made available to share and download and, Judge Merelina Burnett said, it "could have been shared many, many times over" before the man eventually removed it.

"Your offending conduct was quite determined. It shows you are self focused ...your conduct was gratuitous, revengeful and spiteful."

After being charged with publishing an intimate visual recording the man initially pleaded not guilty, before later admitting the crime.

A pre-sentence report had assessed the man as being at high risk of harm to others and at medium risk of reoffending.

"You have displayed no remorse or insight into your offending," Burnett said.

"This was revenge for rumours that had been spread about you ... You disregarded [the victim] entirely in the process."

Through his lawyer Gerard Walsh, the man admitted he had made "some very dumb decisions in his life."

From a starting point of 15 to 18 months' imprisonment, Judge Burnett gave the man a 25 per cent discount on his sentence to recognise his guilty plea and youth.

The judge granted the defendant leave to apply for home detention. She also ordered the destruction of the recording and that the defendant pay his victim $900 reparation for emotional harm.

"Revenge porn", as it is becoming known, is becoming more prevalent.

In a landmark case in 2010, a Wellington man was jailed for four months, the first time someone had been sentenced for a crime committed using social media, under the morality and decency section of the Crimes Act.

Joshua Simon Ashby, then 20, had posted a photo of his ex-girlfriend naked on Facebook in a jealous rage after they broke up.

There have been other cases since then. Jade Robert Darbyshire, 34, of Hutt Valley, was convicted in 2013 of blackmail for attempting to force his ex-girlfriend to have sex with him by threatening to distribute explicit photographs of her, if she did not comply.

Under New Zealand law the police can approach the publisher on a victim's behalf to request the removal of the material. They can also explore whether a criminal offence has been committed. Other avenues include asserting copyright ownership or pursuing civil action.

Offenders are prosecuted for crimes related to posting intimate photos online without consent, but rarely for the malicious leak itself. But that looks set to change under the Harmful Digital Communications Act - legislation formerly known as the Cyberbullying Bill - which was passed by Parliament in June last year.
Southland Boys' High School rector Ian Baldwin, right, greets a visitor from Bangkok Christian College with a hongi.

Southland has caught the eye of one of Thailand's most prestigious schools.

A group of 14 people - including the board of directors, principal and education agents from Bangkok Christian College, were in Southland last week, visiting Waihopai Primary School, Southland Girls' High School, Southland Boys' High School, James Hargest College and Enrich@ILT in Invercargill.

Girls' and Boys' High international students director Carolyn Davies said the purpose of the visit was to look at teaching facilities and programmes at Invercargill schools to get an idea if they could be replicated in Thailand.

SUPPLIED Southland Boys' High School students, from left, Tawhiri Solomon, Jayden Evans and Benji Burns with a visitor from Bangkok Christian College.

Founded in 1852, the college was an all-boy school that was among the largest schools in Thailand, with about 6000 students.

READ MORE:

* Meet Kate, Southland Girls' High School's first international prefect

* Southland schools using tech to promote online safety

* Some Southland schools reborn, while others decay

* Southern school donations lag behind NZ average

* International students pour into Southland

The school was looking at building a new co-ed campus, Davies said.

SUPPLIED Officials from Bangkok Christian College visiting Southland Girls' High School last week.

"They were really impressed with the warmth and hospitality of Southland people," she said.

"Now that they've been here it will only be positive for us."

As part of their visit, the school leaders looked at year 7 and 8 homeroom classes and the drama department at girls' high, as well as cooking classes at boys' high.

Davies said as a result of the visit, the school's officials would be talking with their sister school, the all-girls Wattana Wittaya Academy, about increasing cooperation with Southland schools.

The visit helped break down barriers and misconceptions, Davies said.

"It shows the rest of New Zealand there are opportunities in our schools."

Girl's High principal Yvonne Browning said strengthening relationships was important because it enriched the learning experiences of both international and domestic students.

"It brings the world to Southland. It's a win-win scenario."

Waihopai Primary School principal Allan Mitchell said three students from the Bangkok college were attending his school.

"It's a global village, and it's getting smaller all the time. We get as much out of it as they do."

Many of the college's students were younger than what would be considered the normal age for college students in New Zealand and sending them to Waihopai made sense, Mitchell said.

Southland had a strong reputation among Thai families, he said.

"It's very safe. It's clean, it's green, it's safe."

Hargest principal Andy Wood said the visitors went through the school on Friday.

Areas they looked at included technology classrooms, the senior campus' library study centre, special needs centre, and music suite.

"They're looking at other models of teaching to inform their design work," Wood said.

"The New Zealand education system is very different to the Thai education system. They came here to learn."

The experience was not only an intercultural opportunity for Hargest students, but also for staff and the board of trustees, Wood said.

"It was an exchange of ideas other than just students."
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has today signalled the Governments intention to speed up the rollout of monitoring equipment on commercial fishing vessels.

Work is already underway on installing electronic monitoring and cameras on all commercial fishing vessels, however today Ive signalled to my officials that this work should be fast-tracked, says Mr Guy.

This increased monitoring will provide greater transparency of the commercial fleets activities and improve public confidence that our fisheries are being well managed.

Officials will prepare advice for me on how we can implement this faster. This work will feed into the operational review of our fisheries management system that I announced last year.

While the fundamentals of our QMS are sound, the operational review will ensure our fishing system is up to date and working as fairly and efficiently as it can. Possible options include changes to fisheries management processes within the current legislation, regulatory change, and amendments to the Fisheries Act, says Mr Guy.

The Government will release a public discussion document on any proposed changes to our fisheries management system later this year.

Earlier in the year I announced that we had achieved 100 percent camera coverage of the Snapper 1 trawl fleet, and vessel monitoring systems are in place on 55 vessels operating in the SNA1 fishery.

Coverage of observers on vessels has doubled over the past decade, and there were over 10,000 observer days recorded at sea last year.

Source: Office of Nathan Guy.
Split Enz wrote a song about history never repeating, but unfortunately for Westpac its simply not the case after a banking error saw an Australian student overdraw her account by NZ$4.9 million.

Its only seven years ago Westpac in New Zealand gave Bay of Plenty service station owner Leo Gao a $10 million overdraft, instead of the $100,000 hed requested.

Reports from Australia media say Christine Jia Xin Lee, 21, was arrested earlier this month at Sydney Airport as she tried to board a flight home to Malaysia using an emergency-issue passport.

The chemical engineering student opened an account with Westpac one month shy of her 18th birthday in 2012, and, over an 11-month period in 2014 and 2015, allegedly took advantage of an unlimited overdraft accidentally given to her by the bank.

Lee spent her ill-gotten gain on designer handbags and clothes.

The events are similar to what happened in Rotorua in 2009, when Leo Gao was mistakenly given a $10 million overdraft.

Gao fled to China with girlfriend Kara Hurring and several of their family members, after transferring $3.8 million to other accounts.



Leo Gao was also mistakenly given a $10 million overdraft by his bank. Photo: YouTube.

The pair evaded authorities for nearly two and half years.

Hurring was arrested in February 2011, when she returned to New Zealand to renew her daughters passport.

She was found guilty of 30 charges of theft, dishonestly using a bankcard and money laundering, totalling $256,000, and was sentenced to nine months home detention and ordered to pay reparation of $11,800 to Westpac.

Gao was extradited to New Zealand in December 2011 after trying to cross the border from China into Hong Kong.

He pleaded guilty to seven charges of theft totalling $6.7 million, and was sentenced to four years in prison, but served just over two years of the sentence.

Westpac recovered $2.9 million of the stolen money soon after Gao and Hurring fled in 2009. It was not clear how much of the outstanding money Gao still controlled.

The Westpac staffer who made the error was later fired.

Lees extraordinary spending spree saw most of the $4.6 million spent on designer handbags, clothing, jewellery, sunglasses and scarves.

In a statement of claim tendered in court, Westpac said Lee opened a statement account with no overdraft at the Haymarket branch in 2012.

But in 2013, an alleged victim of fraud claimed some money had been fraudulently paid into Lees account.

As is common protocol, Westpac put the account into "PCO Status", thereby freezing transactions, and into "Manager 321 Status", which meant the account was no longer being monitored by the Haymarket branch.

After a week of investigating, the transaction was deemed to be legitimate so the PCO Status was removed, but the "Manager 321 Status" was not removed, meaning the Haymarket branch wasnt monitoring the account.

As a result, it was possible for Lee to make limitless withdrawals without being them being dishonoured and without the bank being alerted to the overdrafts by the Haymarket branch.

At the time of her first overdraft on July 22, 2014, Lee had a bank balance of A$5.86. By the time the bank finally caught on, her balance was a debit of A$4,655,876.02.

It was not until April 7, when Lee made 14 transactions in one day to her PayPal account totalling A$1,165,719.95, that an alert was triggered with the banks Product Risk unit.

Westpac has argued she signed terms and conditions that included an agreement she wouldnt overdraw the account and she would notify the bank of any errors or unusual transactions.

They were able to retrieve the money transferred to PayPal on April 7 and seize hundreds of handbags and other designer items, but Lee is still about A$3.5 million in debt.

She told bank investigators she thought her wealthy parents in Malaysia were putting the money in her account, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sunday.

Westpac has pursued Lee through the New South Wales Supreme and Federal Circuit courts to declare her bankrupt and seize her possessions.

With fears she would flee to Malaysia without paying off her A$3.5 million debt, she was put on an airport watch list.

Westpac will not say how common the mistake is but hopeful customers are unlikely to find themselves in a similar situation.

"We are constantly reviewing our systems and processes, and have taken comprehensive steps to safeguard against this incident from recurring," says a bank spokeswoman.

- additional reporting Stuff.co.nz and Sydney Morning Herald
A 57-year-old Hastings man has been charged with Careless Use of a Firearm Causing Death in relation to the death of another man during a hunting trip.

Danny Jordan, 23, was shot whilst hunting in the Sparrow Hawk track area of the Ruahine ranges on the March 31.

The man facing charges is to appear in the Hastings district court next week.

As this is now before the Courts, Police cannot comment any further.

Source: New Zealand Police.
Indonesia's Booth in World Food Azerbaijan 2016, crowned as Best Customer Attraction. Because since day 1, hundreds of visitor is coming to Indonesia's booth. Indonesia had a lot to offers on this year's expo. Is the third time Indonesia joined World Food Azerbaijan.

This year Indonesia brings much more energy and new ambience to the expo, one of it is presenting Indonesia traditional dance named "gemu fa mi re" which embrace visitors to dance together. People seem so excited to dance together with staffs and volunteers from Indonesia Embassy in Baku.

Until 21 May 2016, Indonesia will presenting variety of Indonesian culinary with cooking demo and live performance from Indonesia Silat Chef, Chef Muto, who already pour more excitement to the World Food Azerbaijan with his silat attraction while cooking. He also uses various ingredients that can be easily found in Azerbaijan, ready to be turned into a unique Indonesian cuisine.

"Visitors of our booth are really entertained with the program that we've presenting here," says Husnan Bey Fananie, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia for the Republic of Azerbaijan. "They already know that Indonesian are taking part within the global citizen." On this booth, you can get further information about Indonesian cultural diversity.

To be the winner on this category is actually really compatible with Indonesian Embassy's target. Because they do believe that on this stage, Indonesia has to be known largely by Azerbaijani. "We designed and managed the content of our booth, to attracts people attention. And it was great that we can win in this category," says Meita Timoer Poerwonggo, Minister Counselor in Indonesian Embassy Baku.

Indonesia also had mini bazaar, which sells Indonesian handicrafts that comes from several areas in Indonesia e.g. Java, Borneo, Bali and Sumatera. For this year expo Indonesia highlights the theme "Home of Halal Products" because Indonesia is now ready to compete within global market of halal products.
Youth Search and Rescue Tauranga have been recognised nationally for the work they do within the community.



The organisation have received the Change Maker  Community Safety category at this years Youth Awards at Parliament today.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges congratulated Youth Search and Rescue Tauranga for receiving the award.

Youth Search and Rescue Tauranga received an award in the Change Maker - Community Safety category.

I am delighted Youth Search and Rescue Tauranga has been recognised for its outstanding contribution to the community, says Simon.

These awards are a great initiative that recognise young people doing great things, and also those who support or champion young people.

All up there are nine award categories, which celebrate qualities such as leadership and the creation of positive change in areas from the arts and culture to sport and the environment.

There are 45 award recipients from around New Zealand, so it was great to see the Tauranga community represented in Parliament today.

Simon says a large number of nominations were received for this years awards.

This shows that theres a large number of young people in our community doing great work, as well as others who are prepared to give young people the help and support they need to reach their goals.

Details of award recipients and more information about the 2016, Youth Awards are available on the Ministry of Youth Developments website.

Youth Minister Nikki Kaye says the awards recognises young people whove made outstanding contributions to their communities, as well as people whove supported or championed young people.

Once again we received a large number of nominations, with around 160 people and organisations put forward.

These awards are about recognising some extraordinary young people, but also taking a moment to reflect on the positive contribution that so many young New Zealanders are making.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 23

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan can become a hub for export of Polish products to Iran and Central Asia, Vice President of the Polish Agricultural Market Agency Jaroslaw Olowski told Trend.

This would open a new page in cooperation between Azerbaijan and Poland, Olowski said.

"We would like to continue and expand the cooperation, the foundations of which were laid two years ago," he said. "In recent years, our relations weakened. One reason for that is a change of government in Poland, but the devaluation of the national currency of Azerbaijan became a more compelling reason. After the manat cheapened, Azerbaijan started to import less from Poland.'

"I can see that Azerbaijan almost completely provides itself with agricultural products, but it can become a hub in the region for the further sale of agricultural products of Poland and other goods to neighboring countries," Olowski said.

He added that currently Polish producers seek new markets.

"After imposing an embargo on trade with Russia, which is Poland's main trading partner in the region, Polish producers are seeking the new sales markets for their products," Olowski said. "Azerbaijan is one of the potential markets."

"But Poland also considers Azerbaijan as a hub for further export of Polish products to the markets of Iran and Central Asian countries, as Azerbaijan coexists with all of these countries," he added.

Olowski stressed that Poland is also interested in the import of a number of agricultural products from Azerbaijan.

"I know that citrus fruits, olives, nuts and so on are grown in Azerbaijan," he said. "I think that Poland will be interested in the import of these products."

Olowski added that Poland would also like to provide the region with its experience in the field of veterinary and phytosanitary.

"Poland's veterinary and phytosanitary control services are recognized as one of the best in Europe and the country would like to introduce its technologies and apply its knowledge in the countries of the region, including Azerbaijan," Olowski said. "This envisages the exchange of knowledge, as well as the introduction of new various farming systems."

According to the State Statistics Committee, the Azerbaijan-Poland trade turnover amounted to 20.74 million manat in January-April 2016, that is, 13.6 percent more than in the same period of 2015.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

Minister of Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Ramin Quluzade met with Minister of Communications and Mass Media of Russia Nikolai Nikiforov in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, May 24.

The meeting took place within the framework of the regular session of the Regional Communications Commonwealth (RCC), the press service of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Communications and High Technologies told Trend.

During the meeting, the sides discussed a draft agreement on cooperation in the field of communication and information technologies, exchanged views in spheres of postal communications and information technologies, information security.

It was noted that the meeting will give an additional impetus to the development of cooperation between the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of Russia, relations between the two countries in the field of ICT.

Nikiforov said that since the appointment of Ramin Quluzade as Minister of Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan co-operation between the two ministries has entered a new stage of development.

In turn, Quluzade said that it would be beneficial for the two countries to expand mutual cooperation and exchange experience in the mentioned sphere.
IMG_1336.JPG

Sheriff's deputies investigated this fatal two-car crash on I-81 south near LaFayette on May 8, 2015. More than a year later, Amy Dell's vehicular homicide trial began this week.

(Provided Photo)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The woman accused of drunkenly driving her SUV on the wrong side of Interstate 81 and striking and killing a man just over a year ago had earlier that night visited four bars and refused offers for a ride home and a cab, a prosecutor said in his opening statement this afternoon in Onondaga County Court.

The aggravated vehicular homicide case against Amy Dell, 34, began Tuesday afternoon and will likely continue into next week. Dell, the daughter of Skaneateles judge Kathleen Dell, cried and shook for much of the opening statements. Her mother, seated behind her alone on Dell's side of the courtroom, did much of the same.

Prosecutor Christopher Bednarski told jurors that Dell bounced between four Downtown bars that night before collapsing in front of Corner Bar on Walton Street. Onlookers picked her up, carried her to a table, tried to revive her and tried to find her a ride, he said, but she refused and ultimately got behind the wheel herself.

Amy Dell

It's not entirely clear where she went when she left Armory Square around 2 a.m., but police said Dell got on Interstate 81 in her SUV at the Lafayette interchange. However, she headed northbound in the southbound lanes before crashing nearly head-on into a car carrying Bruce Ham, of New Jersey, after 3 a.m.. Ham was killed.

Bednarski said he intends to call witnesses including friends and coworkers who drank with Dell that night and emergency responders who arrived at the scene.

"We are here today because Amy Dell spent the evening hours of May 7 into the early morning hours getting drunk," he said in the opening statement "...The evidence shows that Bruce Ham was driving south on Route 81 in the southbound lane, and Amy Dell was driving north in the lane of traffic at around 71 mph when she struck Buce Ham's Lexus."

Dell's attorney, Stephen Lance Cimino, said in his opening statement he'll ask jurors to review whether Dell actually collapsed or was pushed in front of Corner Bar and whether, if she was pushed, "whether she suffered any head injuries or what went on".

Bednarski called to the stand a truck driver, Phillip West, of Ontario, Can., who first came across the crash scene after hearing an "explosion". He provided dash camera video to investigators that shows him stopping at the scene, too fearful to survey the damage in person.

"Nobody's even stopping. (expletive). There's fatalities in the car for sure. I'm afraid to look," West can be heard telling his wife on the phone in the video. "It's bad, though."

Another witness, firefighter Christopher Moses, said he arrived on the scene to see Dell's SUV tipped onto its side on the left side of the Interstate. He looked into the vehicle to see Dell sitting down. She did not appear injured and could speak, so her airway wasn't constricted, he said.

But she wouldn't directly answer questions, leading paramedics to believe she might have an "altered mental status," he said.

"She kept asking for a cigarette," he said. "She said, 'I just want a cigarette', over and over again."

At that point, crews had already determined Ham was not likely to survive his injuries.

Dell could face 25 years in prison and is facing a number of charges. Earlier this month, Dell rejected a plea deal that could have put her in prison between eight and 24 years.
KIRKVILLE, N.Y. -- As Kirkville Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Bloss stood outside his North Kirkville Road home Friday evening, he saw smoke fill the sky.

"I got in my truck and drove (toward the fire)," he said.

Bloss and more than 100 other volunteer firefighters from about 40 departments throughout Central New York spent the next five hours battling a brush fire that spread over 100 acres in Kirkville.

A tractor appears to have accidentally sparked the brush fire, Kirkville Volunteer Fire Chief Kevin Bell said Monday night. He would not elaborate, except to say, "if anything overheats, it can set grass on fire if it's dry enough."

A Kirkville resident told WKTV News that his neighbor was using a tractor to mow grass when heat from the tractor's muffler set fire to the dry grass.

The weather Friday evening created perfect conditions for a brush fire: "It was warm and dry," Bell said.

Neighbors saw the smoke and called 911 at 7:15 p.m. Friday to report the fire in a large field, about 2,000 feet from Kirkville Road North, across from Titan Steel Corp., between Saintsville and North Poolsbrook roads. When firefighters arrived, the fire had already spread over two to three acres, Bell said.

Bloss, a 33-year veteran of the Kirkville Fire Co., said he and other firefighters put on light-weight, fire resistant Wildland gear, grabbed tools and headed out to fight the fire. Bloss used a rake and broom to brush embers back in toward the fire.

Other firefighters used shovels and axes to dig lines in the grass and dirt to create a break to stop the fire. They also had chainsaws to cut trees and flappers to swat the flames.

But the heat from the fire was intense and the conditions were such that few vehicles were able to reach the fire.

"It was wet, swampy and there was clay that was slippery," Kirkville Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Zacharias said.

Wind wasn't a factor, firefighters said. Instead, the fire was so intense that flames continued to jump and spread over 100 acres throughout the night. Weeds, brush and swale grass in the field fueled the fire, Bell said. Fire, in general, doubles in size every minute, Zacharias added.

"A raging fire makes its own wind," Zacharias said. "It turns into an inferno and burns everything in its path."

Three firefighters required medical attention during the fire. One had a diabetic issue; the other two had minor injuries, Bell said. East Area Volunteer Emergency (EAVES) had a rehab unit at the scene, double checking all firefighters' health as they took turns battling the fire.

Firefighters were able to drive four- and six-wheel all-terrain vehicles into the field. They brought three-gallon tanks of water to help fight the fire. Firefighters also used a portable pump, in which a hose was set in a creek in the field and it sucked water out and circulated it back out through another hose, firefighters said.

An Air One helicopter also dumped water from a bucket.

"You have to use what resources you have out there," Bell said.

The fire was extinguished by 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

"Everything that burned was all burnable," Zacharias said. "It's going to grow back again."
'People' magazine spotlights in the Word of Life Christian Church murder case in New Hartford in its May 30 edition.

"Killer Cult? After a beating left one teen dead and another badly injured, police have charged members of the Word of Life Christian Church'' reads the teaser in the national magazine.

The bizarre case is outlined in the three-page feature with photos of the two teen victims and also those accused in the case.

Nine Word of Life Christian Church defendants are charged with beating the two young young men for hours after an eight-hour church session in October 2015. Lucas Leonard, 19, died from his injuries and Christopher Leonard, 17, was severely injured.

The boys' half-sister, Sarah Ferguson, 30; and Word of Life church pastor Tiffanie Irwin, 33, have been charged with murder and assault. The teens' father, Bruce Leonard, 65, is charged with first-degree manslaughter.

The victims' mother, Deborah Leonard, 59, pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree assault and has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

According to the magazine article, the beatings began when Irwin, the church pastor, allegedly challenged the teens' for using witchcraft, plotting their parents' murder and allegedly sexually abusing their siblings and nieces.

The Oneida County District Attorney's office has said the pastor's allegations are not true.

Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara has offered plea deals to several of the defendants.

Bruce Leonard and Sarah Ferguson are scheduled to go on trial in late June, according to the Utica Observer-Dispatch.

Pre-trial hearings to decide on admissibility of statements have been continuing in Oneida County court.

.
Terry McAuliffe

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, speaks to reporters in this file photo from 2014.

(AP Photo/Steve Helber)

The FBI is investigating Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and his campaign contributions, according to a report published Monday on CNN.

McAuliffe is a Syracuse native.

The FBI and prosecutors from the Justice Department's public integrity unit are looking into whether donations to McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign violated the law, CNN reported.

A $120,000 donation from Chinese billionaire businessman Wang Wenliang sparked investigators' interest, CNN reported. Wenliang, who gave the donation through his U.S. businesses, previously was delegate to China's National People's Congress -- the country's ceremonial legislature.

"U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to federal, state or local elections," CNN reported. "Penalties for violations include fines and/or imprisonment."

A spokeswoman told CNN that Wang "holds U.S. permanent resident status, which would make him a U.S. person under election law and eligible to donate to McAuliffe's campaign."

A spokesman for McAuliffe, a Democrat from Syracuse's West Side, told CNN "neither the governor nor his former campaign has knowledge of this matter, but as reported, contributions to the campaign from Mr. Wang were completely lawful."

"The Governor will certainly cooperate with the government if he is contacted about it," said Marc Elias, attorney for McAuliffe campaign, in a statement to CNN.
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Brittany Maynard, a terminally ill woman who ended her life in Oregon in 2014 by taking lethal medication prescribed by a doctor.

(Associated Press)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Efforts to legalize physician-assisted suicide in New York took a step forward Monday when the Assembly Health Committee for the first time approved a bill that would let dying patients get medication to end their lives.

The committee approved the legislation by a 14-11 vote, setting the stage for a possible vote by the Assembly and Senate next year.

Richard Gottfried, D-Manhattan, chair of the Assembly health committee, said several assisted suicide bills have been introduced over the past 25 years, but this was the first one to come before the committee. He said he was "pleasantly surprised" the committee approved it.

"More than ever people are focused on the concept that we each ought to be in control of our bodies and our lives," Gottfried said. "I think that basic proposition combined with real compassion for people who are suffering made the difference."

Two competing assisted suicide bills were recently combined into one. The combined bill, sponsored by Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island, and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, requires two doctors to confirm the patient is terminally ill and has six months to live.

"I think it's quite possible that it could have enough public acceptance to become law next year," Gottfried said.

Disability advocacy organizations, the Catholic Church and other groups oppose assisted suicide. Diane Coleman of Rochester, who heads Not Dead Yet, a disability rights group, said the bill if passed would be "dangerous public policy."

She fears relatives and other caregivers will coerce patients to request medication to end their lives.

"There's nothing to prevent an heir or caregiver who wants it to be over as quickly as possible to suggest to the patient, 'Hey assisted suicide is legal now.'"

Gottfried said the effort to move the issue forward in New York was spurred in part by the 2014 death of Brittany Maynard, a California woman who advocated for the ability to end her own life after developing brain cancer. The 29-year-old went to Oregon, where she took lethal medication prescribed by a doctor and died. Maynard's husband has visited New York to lobby for the bill.

In addition to Oregon, Vermont, Washington, California and Montana allow

physician assisted suicide.

Assisted suicide is considered a felony in New York state.

Contact James T. Mulder anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2245
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan's occupied territories must be returned to the country, said Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, representative of Iran's Supreme Leader.

He made the remarks during the meeting with Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Mubariz Gurbanli, said the committee's press service May 24.

Shabestari said that there is discrimination towards Muslims in the whole world.

He also emphasized the need for Islamic solidarity.

Shabestari noted that the right work with young people can prevent their involvement in radical groups.

The representative of Iran's Supreme Leader also praised the restoration of mosques, maintenance of religious values in Azerbaijan.

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.

Edited by SI
2016-04-06-tsk-Conner.JPG

The criminal impersonation charge against Bruce Conner represents a dangerous attack on constitutional protections and should be dismissed, his lawyer said in court papers.

(Courtesy of Shooting Stars)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Onondaga County prosecutors will set a dangerous legal precedent if they are allowed to pursue criminal charges against Syracuse resident Bruce Conner for sending a letter to the editor without permission, according to Conner's attorney.

In court papers seeking to dismiss the case, lawyer Scott Porter argues that prosecutors have stretched the legal meaning of criminal impersonation too far by charging Conner with a crime.

The result is a "dangerous and unjustifiable'' attack on free speech rights, Porter says. And the district attorney's vague interpretation of the law against criminal impersonation would allow prosecutors to "pursue their personal predilections'' in deciding whom to charge, Porter writes.

Porter's voluminous motion -- he wrote more than 65 pages, citing 10 distinct reasons for dismissing the charge -- shows that this is not just another misdemeanor criminal case.

Conner, 66, a political ally of Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, was charged in March with second-degree criminal impersonation, a Class A misdemeanor.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, a critic of Miner, accuses Conner of emailing a letter to Syracuse.com without permission from two of the five ministers listed as authors.

Fitzpatrick has alleged in interviews that Conner's letter was part of an "orchestrated effort'' by Miner and her allies to prop up a lawsuit against COR Development Co., the company that was the subject of the letter Conner sent.

Fitzpatrick declined comment on Porter's motion, saying he had not yet read it. Prosecutors plan to file a written response before the motion is heard June 3 in Syracuse City Court.

Even if Conner were convicted, an outcome that Porter characterizes as highly unlikely, he would probably receive a conditional discharge, Porter said. Conner has no criminal record.

But Porter's motion aims to get the case dismissed altogether, arguing that it is flawed on constitutional and other legal grounds.

The defense motion does not accuse prosecutors of misconduct. But Porter builds an extensive argument to attack the legal framework behind the prosecution's case.

For one thing, Porter writes, "This case lacks a victim.''

The letter to the editor that Conner emailed in December criticized COR Development for seeking tax breaks from Onondaga County without making a stronger commitment to local hiring. Of the five ministers whose names were attached to the letter, two later told prosecutors they did not give prior authorization.

But Porter points out in his motion that all five of the ministers have expressed sentiments consistent with the letter in news interviews. And four of the five have said they do not want Conner prosecuted, while the fifth has not commented.

The criminal charge against Conner lists COR as the victim, stating that the alleged impersonation was conducted with the intent to harm COR's reputation.

That makes this the first case in New York state where the injury from an alleged crime consists of harm to a corporation's reputation, Porter says. That interpretation flies in the face of existing law, he writes.

Under New York penal law, "a corporation . . . cannot be the victim of reputational loss,'' Porter writes.

Even if a corporation could suffer harm from a bruised reputation, the opinions expressed in the ministers' letter are protected by the First Amendment, Porter writes.

"Any reasonable reader of the letter to the editor would understand it to be expressions of opinion . . . void of any factual assertions capable of being proven or disproven,'' Porter writes.

The charge against Conner appears to be the first time criminal impersonation has been charged in connection with a letter to the editor, Porter says.

The case "threatens core First Amendment values'' and creates the potential for "unchecked censorial power'' for prosecutors, Porter alleges.

Among his arguments to dismiss the case, Porter says that the criminal impersonation law is being applied to Conner in a way that is vague and overly broad.

That "allows for law enforcement, under the guise of protecting another's reputation, to pursue their personal predilections, regardless (of) whether the impersonated persons complained to law enforcement and regardless of the truth or falsity of the underlying speech,'' according to Porter.

Conner never intended to impersonate anyone, Porter says. Sending in the letter without authorization from two of the five ministers, the attorney maintains, was "an unintended occurrence that was immaterial and irrelevant to the letter's true intent, which was to register an opinion on a matter of public concern.''

Contact Tim Knauss anytime | email | Twitter | 315-470-3023
Marquis Brown mashup2_2.JPG

Marquis Brown. His photo on the left was the one Solvay police issued while they were seeking him in connection with a March 10, 2016 assault. The one on the right shows Brown when he was arrested by New York City police on May 20, 2016.

(Provided photo)

Solvay, NY -- Marquis Brown, a suspect wanted by Solvay police in connection with an assault, apparently dyed his hair blond while he was on the run.

Brown, 18, of Syracuse, was arrested Friday by New York City police who accused him of criminal possession of a weapon, said Solvay Sgt. Derek Osbeck. He apparently dyed his hair during the almost two months he was sought by police in connection with a Solvay assault in March, the sergeant said.

Brown was held by New York police until he could be returned to Onondaga County.

He was arraigned Tuesday in the Village of Solvay Court on charges of second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He also faces charges in Onondaga County for fourth-degree grand larceny and violating probation.

Brown was sent to the Onondaga County Justice Center in lieu of $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond.

Brown was the last of three suspects sought by police in connection with the assault of a 19-year-old woman and 22 year-old man.

The fight was the result of an ongoing dispute between Shelby Hammond, 21, of 311 Cayuga St. Syracuse, and another person, Osbeck said. The two crossed paths earlier and the fight ensued, he said.

Police were called at about 1:25 a.m. on March 10 to the 1700 block of Milton Avenue on a report of a fight. When officers arrived they found two victims.

Brown is accused of striking the man in the head with a metal object that caused a serious skull injury and forced the victim to undergo emergency surgery, police said. The man was in serious condition for a time and spent "substantial time" in the hospital, Osbeck said. He has since been released, the sergeant said.

The woman refused treatment at the scene.

Police also charged Hammond with second-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and resisting arrest.

Alessia Mcgloun, also known as Alessia Fulton,18 of Syracuse, was charged with second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the fight.
Camillus, NY - You'll have to forgive Tina Raschella of Camillus for leaving work early Tuesday. After all, it's not every day that her son Jim Raschella and his fiance Jen Marion get a $10,000 check on national television.

Jim Raschella, formerly of Camillus, is a West Genesee High School graduate and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq. He met his fiance in Syracuse and both moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where Marion teaches second grade. Raschella, 30, tends bar as he gets his business, Off Duty Blue, a scheduling program for off duty police officers, off the ground, his mother said.

When the couple spent nearly $16,000 in vet bills for Pearl their ill pit bull just months before their wedding, students in Marion's class held a lemonade stand collecting $120. A story about the children's lemonade stand went viral. Two weeks ago The Ellen Degeneres Show asked the couple to tell their story on the show, Tina Raschella said.

The couple flew out to Los Angeles on Sunday, spent two days in a nice hotel, appeared on the show and were already heading back home when the show aired, Tina Raschella said.

Jim Raschella and Jen Marion

But Tina Raschella got to watch it. She said she was leaving work early as a claims advocate at Haylor, Freyer & Coon to watch the episode.

Jim and Jen are "just super animal lovers," Tina Raschella said. They have adopted four rescue dogs and are fostering a fifth dog, she said.

As photos of their pit bull Pearl flashed behind them on the stage, Jim Raschella told the dog's story.

Jim Raschell and Jen Marion

When Pearl began losing weight, the couple traveled from vet to vet seeking answers. Veterinarians at North Carolina State University finally solved the mystery; Pearl's pancreas didn't produce an enzyme necessary to allow her to absorb food.

By then the vet bills reached nearly $16,000, Jim Raschella said.

There was never any thought that the dog would not receive treatment, the couple said. "The dogs are our babies," Marion told Degeneres.

The couple decided "as long as she wasn't in pain, and she was going to fight, we would fight for her," Jim Raschella said.

At the end of the segment, Degeneres gave the students "Pearl's Lemonade Stand" which was labeled "#fightlikeapearl." Show sponsor, Shutterfly, gave the couple $10,000 to offset Pearl's vet bills.

The couple is getting married June 25 in Letchworth State Park. "Most of the funds for their honeymoon went to the vet bills," Tina Raschella said.

What about Pearl?

Pearl is gaining weight, but she didn't make the trip to California, Tina Raschella said. It's difficult to get permission for a non-service animal to travel in an airplane's cabin, and the couple couldn't bear to have Pearl travel underneath in the luggage compartment, she said.
Brewerton, N.Y. -- The wind didn't always cooperate, but the 40th annual Madcatter Hobie Cat sailing regatta on Oneida Lake this past weekend was a great success with sailors from throughout the country and beyond attending.

"We had 113 boats, the most we've had in several decades for the event," said Bruce Krupke, spokesman for Hobie Cat Fleet 204, which hosted the competition. "However, the wind was light and variable for sailing -- flukey at times."

The regatta was based at Oneida Shores County Park in Brewerton. Sailing contests in various classes of Hobie Cat craft were held Saturday and Sunday. Spectators either watched from the beach at Oneida Shores, or on the water in their own boats.

Krupke said this year's Madcatter attracted Hobie Cat sailors from Puerto Rico, California, Michigan -- up and down the East Coast and California. Races featured Hobies of various lengths, ranging from one-person, 14-foot boats up to 20-21 footers. With exception of the 14 footers, all the boats were sailed by two-person crews.

Among the winners was the local team Tom Korzeniewski , of Liverpool, and Theresa White, of Syracuse, both Fleet 204 members, in the 16A Division.

See complete results.

Krupke said the sport of Hobie Cat sailing is growing, particularly among families and the young, Fleet 204, which keeps and launches its boats near South Bay Marina off Lakeshore Drive in Cicero, has an open house set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 4.

"We'll have qualified skippers available with their boats to take anyone who wants to go out for ride," Krupke said,

For more about the Madcatter, Fleet 204 or the open house, see the Fleet 204 website at fleet204.com.
LIVERPOOL, NY -- On Saturdays and Sundays, people line up for the apple cider donuts served from the stand on the end of the C Shed at the Central New York Regional Market.

"I can't make them fast enough," said Rich Lickfield, who operates the stand, called Regional Donut Authority. "They're gone as fast as they fall out of the donut machine."

Now, you don't have to wait for the weekend to grab some of Lickfield's donuts. He recently opened a standalone shop, also called Regional Donut Authority, a mile or so away at 207 Oswego Road (Old Liverpool Road).

It serves the cider donuts, plus several other varieties and coffee, from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, when the market is closed.

For now, Lickfield has just one fry machine. He packs it up on Friday afternoons to take to the market, and on Sunday afternoons to return to the shop. He's working on buying a second.

He decided to open the shop based on demand. The Syracuse area has plenty of bakeries, but not many locally owned and operated coffee-and-donuts shops (Serres in East Syracuse and Just Donuts in Phoenix are two of them).

"Obviously we're not going to compete with Dunkin' Donuts," Lickfield said. "But what we have is fresh-made donuts, made today not yesterday."

At the market stand, Lickfield offers plain cider donuts and cinnamon-sugar topped varieties. "I don't have space or time to do more than that there," he said.

At the Liverpool shop, he has more time and space. It's located on the side of former Ponderosa Steakhouse, Where the Francesca's Pizza & Italian Kitchen has the front space. The side space mostly recently was occupied by Ascioti's To Go, now closed.

In addition to cider donuts, the Liverpool shop has chocolate and sour cream varieties. There's also an extensive variety of toppings, sprinkles and icings or glazes -- from shaved chocolate to cotton candy, Nutter Butter and Oreos. The shop serves New England Coffee.

Lickfield opened the donut stand at the Regional Market about six years ago. That was not long after another vendor, the Paine family, closed its donut stand in a dispute with the Regional Market Authority.



Lickefield has also run a pizza stand at the market for several years, but closed that this season to concentrate on the donut business. Before that, his family had run 3 Romans Pizza in Cicero.

"Right now, it's all about the donuts," Lickfield said.

Don Cazentre writes about food, beverages, restaurants and bars for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact him by email, on Twitter, at Google+ or via Facebook.
David Hamilton.jpg

David Hamilton, the former superintendent for the Baldwinsville Central School District, resigned in April.

(Ellen M. Blalock | eblalock@syracuse.com)

LIVERPOOL, N.Y. -- The Liverpool school board did not vote Monday night on the hiring of former Baldwinsville Superintendent David Hamilton.

The Liverpool Central School District had recommended that the board of education hire Hamilton as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment. The school board was scheduled to vote on his employment Monday, but decided to pull it from the agenda.

People who attended the meeting said a few residents spoke out against Hamilton's hiring at the board meeting. Liverpool school district officials and school board members could not be reached for comment.

Hamilton's unexpected resignation last month from Baldwinsville was a mutual decision, according to Baldwinsville school board President Victor Jenkins. Jenkins and district officials have declined to say why Hamilton resigned and Hamilton has not been reached for comment.

The Liverpool position is held by Maureen Patterson, who is retiring June 30. The position has direct supervision of all building principals and executive directors and oversees all elementary, secondary and special education instructional programs.

Hamilton was with the Baldwinsville district for less than two years. His resignation was effective April 4.
Andrew Cuomo

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo talks to media members outside his office at the state Capitol on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in Albany, N.Y.

((AP Photo/Mike Groll))

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Tishman Speyer Development LLC gave Gov. Andrew Cuomo's campaign $60,800 one day three years ago.

It was just one of the donations from limited liability corporations, or LLCs, that gave candidates for New York governor a total of $17 million in the past 7 1/2 years, according to state board of elections records. Cuomo received the lion's share, about $15 million, of that amount.

But under a proposal from Cuomo on Tuesday, New York would close the LLC loophole that allows those businesses to donate almost unlimited amounts to state politicians. Cuomo proposed capping LLCs contributions at $5,000 per election cycle.

The governor introduced eight bills - one for all political offices and one for each of the state's elected offices - that would require LLCs be treated as traditional corporations, with the same contribution limits.

"The people of New York are demanding change and it's time we took action to restore the public trust by closing the LLC loophole and bringing fairness to our campaign finance system," Cuomo said. "For years, I have proposed closing the LLC loophole - one of the most egregious flaws in our campaign finance system - and every year the bill has stalled."

"This year, I am introducing eight different bills to close the LLC loophole - one for each elected office in the state. Pass all of them, or as many as you'd like, but at a minimum, pass the one impacting anyone running for the office of the governor. I will go first - pass it and I will sign it into law today," he promised.

Cuomo's pitch was quickly rejected by Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan.

"A proposal to close the LLC loophole is a red herring that fails to fundamentally address the root cause of the problems that exist within our campaign finance system, most notably a lack of enforcement, a lack of transparency, and a lack of full and honest disclosure," Flanagan said.

He referred to the ongoing investigation into allegations that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio orchestrated a scheme to circumvent campaign finance rules in sending money to Democrats running for state Senate.

"If the Legislature and governor are serious about reforming our campaign finance system and restoring the public trust, it won't be achieved by closing the LLC loophole, but rather through a comprehensive bipartisan approach that addresses the reality of the post-Citizens United landscape and brings disclosure and sunlight to the Capitol," Flanagan said.

Given that the Legislature has only 10 more days in session before it breaks for the year on June 16, it appears unlikely that significant campaign finance reform laws will pass.

Good government groups, who have been calling on state lawmakers to close the LLC loophole for years, applauded Cuomo's proposal.

"This state won't be a democracy as long as a few super-rich CEOs can buy our government," said Karen Scharff, Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York. "Today Governor Cuomo has drawn a line in the sand. The governor has made clear that he's willing to take the first step in ending Albany's culture of corruption right now."

Cuomo, who has benefited from LLC contributions more than any other politician in New York, said companies regularly take advantage of the gap in state law and set up numerous LLCs to donate millions of dollars to candidates.

Since 1974, corporations have been permitted to donate up to $5,000 to political campaigns in New York.

In 1996, the state board of elections ruled that LLCs may be treated as separate and distinct individuals for the purpose of campaign contributions. The ruling allowed LLCs to contribute up to $60,800 per candidate in a statewide race or a maximum of $150,000.

But companies could donate even more than those limits by creating as many LLCs as they wanted.

And the individuals providing the cash could hide behind the anonymity of LLCs with names like West 33rd Street LLC, which gave Cuomo $60,000.

Contact Mike McAndrew anytime | email | Twitter | 315-470-3016
ALBANY, N.Y. -- The New York State Senate rejected Monday an attempt to force a vote on legislation that would give people sexually abused as children a one-year window to sue over decades-old incidents.

The Senate voted 30-29 against allowing Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, to add controversial provisions eliminating the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse to an unrelated bill that requires hospital emergency rooms and other sites to hang posters about a human trafficking resource center hotline.

The Senate then unanimously passed the human trafficking hotline bill without the amendment that Hoylman was trying to add.

In New York, people who were sexually abused as children must initiate criminal charges or a civil suit by the time they reach 23 or they are barred from doing either.

Victims of sexual abuse have been pressuring state lawmakers to pass bills sponsored by Hoylman and Assemblywoman Margaret Markey that would give victims a one-year window to file lawsuits over past sexual abuse no matter how long ago the incident allegedly occurred. Going forward, the bills would eliminate the time restrictions for bringing a civil suit or criminal charges for sexually abusing a child. The bill would allow lawsuits to be filed against individuals, their employers and institutions, both public and private.

On the Senate floor, Hoylman said his amendment would "give survivors a chance at justice."

Senate Republicans spokesman Scott Reif said, "The Senate Democrats have engaged in an unfortunate political stunt at a time when we are attempting to have an honest and serious discussion about this issue. While we are currently reviewing a number of bills on this topic, it's clear that the members of the Senate Republican Conference will continue to work extraordinarily hard to protect the victims of sexual assault."

Advocates of the legislation have criticized Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, for opposing the bill. DeFrancisco was also criticized by the New York Daily News for refusing to meet with sexual abuse victims who showed up at his Albany office without an appointment.

DeFrancisco said he thinks a statute of limitations is necessary.

Meanwhile, Gary Greenberg, a minority owner of the Vernon Downs racino, who said he was sexually abused as a child, has vowed to spend $100,000 or more this year to try to defeat DeFrancisco and other senators if they refuse to support the legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations for child sexual assault victims, The Daily News reported.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last week he would like to see the child sexual abuse bill approved by the Legislature before the June 16 end of the Legislature's session.

The state Assembly overwhelmingly passed similar bills sponsored by Markey in 2007 and 2008, but it has not passed one since then. The Senate has never voted on the legislation.

Contact Mike McAndrew anytime | email | Twitter | 315-470-3016
Beer, stock

(Thinkstock photo)

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient "beer making tool kit" that reveals the ingredients in a 5,000 year old Chinese beer recipe.

A new study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that barley was the "secret ingredient" in Chinese beer.

Anyone familiar with the basics of brewing may not find that ingredient particularly surprising, but it changes what scientists know about both beer drinking in China, and the introduction of the staple grain into Chinese society.

"This beer recipe indicates a mix of Chinese and Western traditions -- barley from the West, millet, Job's tears and tubers from China," Jiajing Wang of Stanford University, who led a study, told the AFP.

According to NPR, researchers discovered pottery remains of funnels, pots and stoves at an underground site in Shaanxi province built between 3400 and 2900 B.C. They believe it may be the location of an ancient Chinese brewery, and say the shapes of the objects suggest they were used for brewing, filtration and storage.

Photos: Ancient Beer Recipe Discovered in 'Cradle of Chinese Civilization' https://t.co/18ubqMkS2i  Live Science (@LiveScience) May 23, 2016

Wang and her team were able to reconstruct the recipe by scraping a yellow residue off the inside of the remains, and analyzing it. Apart from barley, they identified a variety of other grains, plus tubers like yams and lilies, which would make the sour beverage a bit sweeter.

They couldn't actually brew the beer because they don't know the exact ratio of the ingredients, according to The Washington Post.

Barley on wooden table

Researchers found smashed grain husks, indicating a malting or mashing process. They also found stoves which would have been used to heat the grain and transform it into sugar. The underground location of the site was also important for keeping the beer cool.

The findings mean that beer brewing appeared in China about 1,000 years earlier than previously believed. Rice fermentation had already existed in China about 4,000 years prior to that.

"Our findings imply that early beer making may have motivated the initial translocation of barley from western Eurasia into the Central Plain of China before the crop became a part of agricultural subsistence in the region 3,000 years later," the researchers wrote.

"It is possible that when barley was introduced from western Eurasia into the Central Plain of China, it came with the knowledge that the grain was a good ingredient for beer brewing," Wang told Live Science. "So it was not only the introduction of a new crop, but also the knowledge associated with the crop."

The researchers also hypothesize that the earlier introduction of beer "may have contributed to the emergence of hierarchical societies in the Central Plain, the region known as 'the cradle of Chinese civilization.'"

"Like other alcoholic beverages, beer is one of the most widely used and versatile drugs in the world, and it has been used for negotiating different kinds of social relationships," the researchers wrote.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

Armenian armed forces have 18 times violated the ceasefire with Azerbaijan on the line of contact over the past 24 hours, said Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry May 24.

Armenian armed forces stationed in the village of Voskevan of Armenia's Ijevan district opened fire at the Azerbaijani positions located in the Gushchu Ayrim village of the Gazakh district.

Azerbaijani positions located in the Munjuglu village of the Tovuz district were shelled from the Aygedzor village and nameless heights of Armenia's Berd district.

Armenian army also violated ceasefire from the positions near the Chilaburt village of the Terter district, the Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, the Garakhanbeyli, Horadiz villages of the Fizuli district, and from nameless heights in the territory of Khojavand and Fizuli districts.

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.

Edited by SI
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 25

Trend:

US Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated the citizens of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Republic Day, according to the US Department of State's message.

"For more than a quarter century, our two countries have worked together on behalf of security and prosperity in and beyond Europe. Azerbaijan plays a vital role as a supplier of energy to European markets, and the United States fully backs your efforts to increase regional energy diversification," said John Kerry's message.

"My government values our partnership with you in the fight against violent extremism and our close collaboration on transnational issues. The United States also remains committed to facilitating a resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," said the message.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

A delegation of Azerbaijan-Australia Interparliamentary Friendship Group will take part in the event dedicated to Azerbaijan's Republic Day (May 28).

During the visit, the delegation which includes Azerbaijani MPs, head of Azerbaijan-Australia Interparliamentary Friendship Group Khanlar Fatiyev and member of the parliamentary committee for international relations Asim Mollazade, will also hold a number of meetings with representatives of Australia's Federal Parliament and discuss expansion of trade, economic and political cooperation and other issues.
Editor's Note: This story was changed to reflect the correct number of years a juvenile who kills must serve in prison if he or she is not sentenced to life in prison. It is at least 40 years.

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FORT PIERCE  The state will pay up to $9,500 to help prepare Victor Brancaccio, the St. Lucie West man twice convicted of first-degree murder in the 1993 beating death of an 81-year-old widow, for a new sentencing hearing.

Now 39, Brancaccio was moved last month to the St. Lucie County Jail from the Florida State Prison in Raiford, where he has been incarcerated for most of the past 22 years, serving two life sentences for the slaying of Mollie Mae Frazier when he was 16.

Frazier was taking an after-dinner walk when she chastised Brancaccio for singing along with a vulgar rap song.

Evidence presented at trial showed the Port St. Lucie High School dropout hid the woman's body and spray-painted and burned the corpse later in an effort to hide his actions and erase fingerprints.

Brancaccio's attorney, Richard Kibbey of Stuart, is seeking new sentencings for his client on both the first-degree murder and kidnapping convictions.

A Florida law passed in 2014 said a juvenile convicted of capital murder could be sentenced to life in prison after a hearing to determine whether a life sentence is appropriate. If a judge finds a life sentence is not appropriate, the juvenile would be sentenced to at least 40 years, with review after 25 years.

While Brancaccio was sentenced for first-degree murder to life with eligibility for parole after 25 years, the life sentence on his kidnapping conviction allows no parole.

A Florida Supreme Court ruling in March 2015 said those serving life sentences for crimes committed as juveniles should be resentenced under guidelines that went into effect last year. That followed two U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 2014 which found life sentences for juveniles violate Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment should apply retroactively. Lower courts were divided on the retroactivity issue.

State prosecutors have agreed to resentence Brancaccio on the kidnapping charge but will not proceed until the state's high court rules on a similar appeal in the case of Angelo Atwell from West Palm Beach that will determine whether Brancaccio must be resentenced on the homicide.

Assistant State Attorney Ryan Butler said the state Supreme Court decision could be forthcoming any week now.

Circuit Court Judge Robert Belanger said Monday afternoon during a hearing on the doctor's and investigator's fees, 'I know we're going to have a resentencing. I hope not to have two resentencings.'

Kibbey is being paid $50,000 by Brancaccio's parents to represent him for the resentencings. The state's Judicial Administrative Commission contended Kibbey should pay for the psychologist and investigator out of his fee.

Kibbey also brought in as a witness Jason Wandner, a Miami-based attorney experienced in complicated cases of this type. Wandner said Kibbey's fee 'was not only very reasonable, it is very modest.'

Kibbey said he needs assistance from a psychologist, for up to $7,500 at $75 an hour, and up to 50 hours' work by an investigator at $40 an hour to research Brancaccio's medical and prison records.

Brancaccio's father, Eugene, testified that the $50,000, which included loans from family members, was all he could afford, and that his son has no assets.

'The time he (Brancaccio) has spent incarcerated and the maturing he has done will be relevant to the resentencing,' Wandner said.
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Drew Arvary, 46, 7600 block of Greenbrier Circle, Port St. Lucie; warrant for failure to redeliver hired vehicle.

Kejuan Wynn, 20, 3400 block of 47th Street, Vero Beach; warrant for court order to revoke bond, failure to appear, carrying a concealed firearm.

Steven Santiago, 24, 2200 block of Southeast Avalon Road, Port St. Lucie; possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver; possession of marijuana over 20 grams; warrant for violation of probation, possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Alan Mayor-guerra, 27, Miami; larceny/grand theft; fraud  uttering a false instrument; scheme to defraud.

Charles Mcgathey, 44, 1800 block of South 27th Street, Fort Pierce; larceny/grand theft.

Jodi Roberts, 44, 1400 block of Southeast Navajo Lane, Port St. Lucie; larceny/grand theft; warrant for violation of probation, organized fraud.

Christopher Waldrop, 21, 5700 block of Northwest Cieburn Drive, Port St. Lucie; warrant for retail theft in concert with others.

Samantha Caputo, 20, 100 block of Southwest Estia Road, Port St. Lucie; possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone) without a prescription.

Mark Zhuravko, 23, 2400 block of Southeast Gilbert Avenue, Port St. Lucie; possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone) without a prescription.

Miguel Gomez, 25, 1000 block of Hispana Avenue, Fort Pierce; warrant for court order to revoke bond, new arrest, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief  property damage, reckless driving with damage to a person or property.

Noah Johnson, 31, 500 block of Southwest Badger Terrace, Port St. Lucie; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill; burglary of a dwelling, structure or conveyance while armed.

Kelly Daly, 18, 600 block of Southeast Capon Terrace, Port St. Lucie; assault on an officer.

Michelle Fewquay, 35, Miramar; possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone) without a prescription; trafficking in a controlled substance.

Wanda Read Johnson, 59, 200 block of Cyclone Drive, Fort Pierce; destroying, tampering with or fabricating evidence; possession of cocaine.

Jason Fink, 47, 4800 block of South Indian River Drive, Port St. Lucie; grand theft of a motor vehicle.

Jermaine Robinson, 31, 2900 block of Zora Neale Drive, Fort Pierce; out-of-county warrant, Brevard County, failure to appear, early resolution, fraudulent use/possession of personal I.D. without consent, possession of cocaine, giving false name or I.D adverse to others.

Bobby Grimmett, 49, 1700 block of Copenhaver Road, Fort Pierce; larceny/grand theft; fraud  giving false ownership information on pawned items; organized dealing in stolen property.

Brandon Rhoads, 21, 2600 block of North U.S. 1, Fort Pierce; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill; warrant for falsely impersonating an officer.

Leej Michaud, 19, 1400 block of North Havana Avenue, Fort Pierce; grand theft of a motor vehicle; carrying a concealed weapon; alter identification on a weapon  remove serial number from firearm. (BOTH NAMES CORRECT PER TYPED REPORT/JAIL WEB SITE)

Marie Scott, 24, 2700 block of Avenue J, Fort Pierce; driving while license suspended, habitual offender.

Vivian Plowden, 51, 400 block of North 13th Street, Fort Pierce; child neglect without great bodily harm.

Terrance Ricks, 43, 2500 block of Avenue B, Fort Pierce; warrant for battery by strangulation.

Ron Hodges, 46, 2400 block of Melon Court, Fort Pierce; warrants for grand theft, giving false information to a pawnbroker, dealing in stolen property.

Michelle Tedeschi, 26, 900 block of Shore Winds Drive, Fort Pierce; warrant for child neglect.

Joseph Parker, 47, 400 block of Southeast Lancaster Avenue, Port St. Lucie; battery.

Jeromee Brown, 37, 2300 block of Tamarind Drive, Fort Pierce; commit domestic battery by strangulation; assault with intent to commit a felony (domestic).

Xaviar Ellison, 43, no street address, Fort Pierce; possession of cocaine.

Luisa Melendez, 36, 200 block of Southwest Inwood Avenue, Port St. Lucie; petty theft, third subsequent offense.

William Mckenzie, 55, Tallahassee; possession of marijuana over 20 grams; possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver.

Nathan Jordan, 27, 1600 block of Southeast Lorraine Street, Port St. Lucie; warrants for grand theft, burglary. Arrested in Martin County.

Ahmad Williams, 21, 1000 block of Southwest Aurelia Avenue, Port St. Lucie; warrants for theft, burglary. Arrested in Martin County.

Jenna Leslie, 31, 3100 block of South 23rd Street, Fort Pierce; possession of heroin.

Ambier Nichols, 22, 6400 block of South U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie; warrant for out-of-state fugitive, St. Louis, Missouri, violation of probation, dangerous drugs.

Mark Daniel, 53, 300 block of Silver Stream Circle, Fort Pierce; driving while license suspended, third or subsequent offense.

Todd Crouch, 49, 1100 block of Pine Avenue, Fort Pierce; possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

Kejuan Wynn, 20, 3400 block of 47th Street, Vero Beach; warrant for court order to revoke bond, failure to appear, carrying a concealed firearm. Arrested in St. Lucie County.
By Andrew Atterbury of TCPalm

MARTIN COUNTY  Approximately one in five Martin County third-graders is at risk of being held back because of scores on statewide reading and writing tests.

In the second year of Florida Standards Assessment testing, Martin County School District's third-grade English language-arts scores ranked just below state results in passing percentage, according to the Florida Department of Education. The district matched the state total for average student score.

"Our focus is helping those (lower performing) schools dig into and unwrap the data to see what it can tell us to help us improve our practices for kids," said Tracey Miller, executive director of instructional services for the Martin County School District.

Fewer Martin County third-graders passed the test this year, and as much as 19 percent of students could repeat the grade, according to the Department of Education.

Approximately 263 Martin County third-graders scored a level 1 on the English FSA test and may be held back from fourth grade, according to the Department of Education.

The test is the only statewide exam that can result in a student repeating a grade. Students must score a 2 to be promoted, or prove their reading level otherwise.

Fifty-three percent of Martin County students scored at least a level 3 on the exam, which is considered passing, just below the state average reported at 54 percent, according to the Department of Education. Comparatively, 53 percent of students Indian River County and 46 percent in St. Lucie County scored a level 3 or higher.

Seven schools improved their percentages of students scoring 3 or higher from last year, according to the Department of Education. Five schools declined.

"Those are schools we want to continue to support," Miller said.

Martin County students scored an average of 301 points on the exam, matching the state mean, according to the Department of Education. The average score in Indian River County was 301 and 296 for St. Lucie County.

Last year, which was a benchmark year for FSA testing, 54 percent of Martin County students passed while 20 percent  approximately 276 third graders  scored a level 1.

Only 38 students were retained from that class, Miller said, but the numbers are skewed because it was the first year of testing and assigned scores weren't set until 2016. Miller said 92 students were retained in 2013-14 and 70 in 2012-13.

Students can be retained in third grade only once, according to state law.

Third graders who demonstrate the necessary reading level through a state-approved alternative test or a student portfolio  proving they meet FSA standards  may receive a good cause exemption and be promoted to fourth grade despite low test scores, according to state law.
By Andrew Atterbury of TCPalm

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY  Approximately one in five Indian River County third-graders is at risk of being held back because of scores on statewide reading and writing tests.

In the second year of Florida Standards Assessment testing, Indian River County School District's third-grade English language-arts scores ranked just below state results in passing percentage, according to the Florida Department of Education. The district matched the state total for average student score.

"We're still trending along the state average, but, of course, everyone wants to do better," said Bruce Green, assistant superintendent of technology and assessment.

Fewer Indian River County third-graders passed the test this year, and as much as 21 percent of students could repeat the grade, according to the Department of Education.

Approximately 305 Indian River County third-graders scored a level 1 on the English FSA test and could be held back from fourth grade, according to the Department of Education.

The test is the only statewide exam that can result in a student repeating a grade. Students must score a 2 to be promoted, or prove their reading level otherwise.

Fifty-three percent of Indian River County School District students scored at least a level 3 on the exam, which is considered passing, just below the state average reported of 54 percent, according to the Department of Education. Comparatively, 53 percent of students Martin County and 46 percent in St. Lucie County scored a level 3 or higher.

Seven Indian River County schools improved their percentages of students scoring 3 or higher from last year, seven declined and three remained the same, according to school officials.

School officials will take a deeper look at how the English scores compare to in-house tests given to the students when they were in second grade, Green said.

"We haven't seen a marked improvement or a marked decline, but we don't yet know how well these students did to their second-grade data," Green said.

Indian River County students scored an average of 301 points on the exam, matching to the state mean, according to the Department of Education. The average score in Martin County was 301 and 296 for St. Lucie County.

Last year, which was a benchmark year for FSA testing, 54 percent of Indian River County students passed while 19 percent  approximately 278 third-graders  scored a level 1.

Students can be retained in third grade only once, according to state law.

Third-graders who demonstrate the necessary reading level through a state-approved alternative test or a student portfolio  proving they meet FSA standards  may receive a good cause exemption and be promoted to fourth grade despite low test scores, according to state law.
Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can host the dengue fever, Chikungunya and the Zika virus. (FILE PHOTO)

By Elliott Jones of TCPalm

Treasure Coast mosquito control agencies are out at night using spray trucks to combat mosquitoes, including those that could carry the Zika virus. They've already carried out some aerial assaults of the pests, spraying using low-flying airplanes.

"We're after the pesky mosquitoes," said Doug Carlson, director of Indian River Mosquito Control.

Late afternoon Tuesday, his trucks were headed to rural Fellsmere and to a nearby residential area, Vero Lake Estates, for night sprays. Workers are spraying 200 of the district's 352 square miles, most of which are in the county's eastern, urbanized half.

At the same time on Tuesday, St. Lucie County Mosquito Control trucks were focusing on Lakewood Park, a northern St. Lucie County residential area that was saturated by last week's heavy rains, said agency director Glenn Henderson. His trucks are out five nights a week, spraying area by area in a 301-square-mile district covering eastern St. Lucie County.

Martin County's spraying is being done periodically throughout a 295-square-mile area. Spraying is underway in Indiantown and in Jensen Beach.

The number of mosquitoes for this time of year isn't abnormal, agency representatives said. But because of the increasing warmth and heavy rain, particularly in Indian River and St. Lucie counties, mosquitoes are hatching out in increasing numbers.

That includes the Aedes aegypti mosquito, common to Florida, which is carrying the Zika virus in Central and South American nations and in the Caribbean.

As of Tuesday, Florida has had 154 human cases this year, including 36 pregnant women; all of them caught the virus while traveling overseas. The only Treasure Coast case is in Martin County.

So far there is no evidence that Zika is in Florida's mosquitoes, according to Florida Department of Health officials.

The Aedes mosquito primarily lives around the region's hundreds of square miles of residential areas, the very areas where Treasure Coast mosquito control agencies are dispatching spray trucks.

YOU CAN HELP

While the agencies are spraying, the spray only goes so far, usually about 300 feet from roadways. The spray is aimed at adult mosquitoes.

Homeowners are urged to carefully check for any standing water where the Aedes mosquito breed and produce larvae, which eventually become adults. That can be in as small of an amount of water as a bottle cap.

Carlson and others said mosquito control agencies can't do it alone.

"In our opinion, education (of the public) is the most important component of a plan to combat Zika or other mosquito-borne diseases," Carlson said. "Individuals need to take responsibility for clearing away standing water around their homes."

Carlson said he and representatives of the area's other mosquito control agencies recently were in Washington, D.C., for the annual meeting of the American Mosquito Control Association. More than 100 people from across the nation attended, including 25 from Florida, he said.

While there, they broke up into teams to lobby members of Congress who are considering additional money for controlling Zika.

"My team visited seven offices (of Florida legislators) and we were impressed with their understanding, yet, debate continues on how to fund this public health issue," Carlson said.

The U.S. Senate on May 19 passed $1.1 billion in emergency funding to combat the Zika virus as part of a larger spending bill. The House approved only $622 million. They now have to hammer out a compromise that can pass both chambers and be signed by President Barack Obama.
St. Lucie County Property Appraiser and former Florida State Senate President 2006-2008, Ken Pruitt, speaks Friday, May 20 during the 8th annual Treasure Coast Business Summit at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center in Port St. Lucie. (HOBIE HILER/ SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

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By George Andreassi of TCPalm

ABOUT THIS INVESTIGATION

A 2013 Treasure Coast Newspapers investigation found St. Lucie County Property Appraiser Ken Pruitt is the region's only constitutional officer with a lucrative private-sector job, much less two: He co-owns a lobbyist firm and a real estate investment firm.

As property appraiser, his salary was half his combined income from those two jobs, but the elected position boosted his annual state pension by nearly 400 percent  for life.

Not only does the job give him inside knowledge that could benefit his real estate investment firm, he also lobbies for Florida Crystals, a sugar producer some of his constituents see as an obstacle to stopping Lake Okeechobee discharges that pollute the Indian River Lagoon.

The newspaper's Editorial Board urged Pruitt to choose between his public and private sector jobs and published a "Pruitt Meter" counting the days he would not do so. It ended after 546 days, with Pruitt still in office.

When Pruitt filed for re-election in April, the newspaper began this investigation, which uncovered another conflict of interest.

Pruitt dropped his re-election bid Monday.

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St. Lucie County's moonlighting property appraiser represented neighboring Indian River County while lobbying for state legislation that could have harmed his own constituents, a Treasure Coast Newspapers investigation found.

Ken Pruitt was paid to promote two bills whose effect could have included increased electric rates for 28,000 Fort Pierce Utilities Authority customers, agency officials said.

The newspaper's findings come after its 2013 investigation, which raised questions about several conflicts, Pruitt's commitment to his public-sector job and motivations for keeping it.

Being property appraiser while co-owning a lobbying firm and a real estate investment firm enabled Pruitt to double his annual income to about a half-million dollars and triple his net worth to more than $1.4 million since resigning from the state Senate in 2009. What's more, the job has boosted his annual state pension by nearly 400 percent, from $19,963 to $98,350  for life. His pension would increase by 500 percent, to $116,000, if he were to win re-election this year and complete a third term.

However, facing a contested election for the first time since he won the job in 2010, Pruitt dropped out of the race Monday.

Democrat Adam Locke, a property tax consultant from Fort Pierce, said he was motivated to run for property appraiser because of Pruitt's lobbying work, his silence on major issues and his refusal to discuss disputed assessments and exemptions.

"It seems like Mr. Pruitt is more concerned with his own interests and with his clients' interests than he is with St. Lucie County. ... It could be legal, but it's not ethical," Locke said of Pruitt's lobbying. "Does it pass the smell test? I don't think so. As a taxpayer, as a citizen, it bothers me."

Pruitt, who has declined to speak with Treasure Coast Newspapers since its 2013 investigation, did not return multiple phone and email messages seeking comment this month.

POWER PLAY

Indian River County in 2013 considered hiring Pruitt to lobby the state government to support Vero Beach's effort to sever ties with the Florida Municipal Power Agency and sell its electric utility to Florida Power & Light Co. Contracts with the co-op of 31 cities preclude Vero Beach from selling its electric utility to FPL, which has lower electric rates.

When Treasure Coast Newspapers queried them at the time, County Administrator Joe Baird and Commissioners Bob Solari and Joe Flescher expressed misgivings about Pruitt's potential conflict of interest with his St. Lucie County job. Commissioners Tim Zorc, Wesley Davis and Peter O'Bryan said they saw no problem with it.

Pruitt dropped out of contention for the Indian River County lobbying job. The county retained other lobbying firms over the years, including Anfield Consulting.

Anfield Consulting retained Pruitt to lobby for two bills, paying his firm, The P5 Group, between $10,000 to $20,000 in the first quarter of 2016, according to state records. Specific amounts are not reported, only ranges. Pruitt also registered to lobby on Indian River County's behalf this year.

The bills, which died in committee, would have required FMPA to determine the market value of its power plants and make its financial records more transparent. Some argue that would have increased costs, which FMPA would have passed on to members like the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, which would have passed it on to its customers.

"I think it's a conflict of interest," said Mike Perri Jr., chairman of the FPUA board and an FMPA policy committee. "It's detrimental to those constituents. If they were really aware of it, it would look pretty bad. But unfortunately, most people are too busy trying to make ends meet to take in all this backdoor political stuff."

Baird since has backed off his stance, but none of the five commissioners answered questions posed in multiple phone and email messages seeking comment this month.

"All I can say on this issue is that I was extremely impressed by the work done by Indian River County's team of lobbyists, including The P5 Group," Baird said in an email.

MORE FINDINGS

Pruitt's lobbying and real estate income was double his property appraiser salary  $1.28 million compared to $527,115  between his 2010 election and 2014, the latest available income records show.

The P5 Group pulled down between $1.3 million and $4.8 million for lobbying the state government since 2012.

Sixteen clients paid him between $200,000 and $400,000 during the first three months of 2016.

He's received lobbying fees and campaign contributions from sugar companies, who many Florida environmentalists  his St. Lucie County constituents included  blame for blocking a southern flow-way to the Everglades from Lake Okeechobee that would eliminate the need to discharge polluted lake water into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.

Sugar industry giant Florida Crystals paid Pruitt between $2 and $20,000 in the first three months of 2016 to lobby the state government, for a total of between $70,000 and $350,000 since 2012. U.S. Sugar Corp. affiliates, the other top sugar producer in Florida, contributed $4,000 to Pruitt's 2010 campaign for property appraiser.

Pruitt holds a second private sector position as a principal with a real estate investment firm, Magnolia Advisors, that paid him $110,000 in 2013 and 2014. The real estate firm's affiliates have paid him more than $1.3 million since 1999 .

Pruitt's lobbying and real estate jobs appear to violate the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser's Office's policies regarding outside employment and conflict of interest. Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, proposed an amendment to an ethics bill in 2014 that would have barred elected county officials from lobbying the state government for pay. The measure died in the House and Lee hasn't pursued it further.

Unlike 59 of Florida's 67 property appraisers, including those in Martin and Indian River, Pruitt has not qualified for a state Department of Revenue certification, which would earn him a $2,000 annual bonus.

Among the Treasure Coast's 15 constitutional officers, Pruitt is the only one with lucrative private-sector employment.

"He gets crucified because he's double-dipping supposedly, working two jobs. ... A lot of people work side jobs. ... He put in as much time as required at that office," St. Lucie County Republican Party Chairman Bill Paterson said Monday. "I think that we had a leader there who proved himself time and time again. Losing Ken as an elected official and as a community leader is a shame."

LOBBYING INCOME

Clients have paid Pruitt's firm between $1.34 million and $4.83 million to lobby the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott's administration since 2012.

2016: $130,016 to $399,973 (through March 31)

2015: $420,068 to $1,439,898

2014: $300,078 to $799,992

2013: $330,076 to $1,389,894

2012: $160,074 to $799,992

Note: Florida Lobbyist Compensation Reports provide only ranges, not exact amounts
Former Digital Domain facilty, 10250 S.W. Village Parkway, Port St. Lucie. (FILE PHOTO)

By Nicole Rodriguez of TCPalm

PORT ST. LUCIE  The city, the state and former Digital Domain CEO John Textor all will get multimillion-dollar payouts from a settlement in the two-year-old lawsuit against the defunct Digital Domain Media Group.

Port St. Lucie and the state  which both provided economic incentives to bring Digital Domain here in 2009  each will get about $3 million, according to the settlement, which was approved Friday by a federal bankruptcy judge. Textor  who presided over both the creation and the bankruptcy of the high-tech digital-animation studio  will receive more than $8 million.

The state Department of Economic Opportunity filed the suit in July 2014 against 23 defendants, including Textor, claiming the company fraudulently secured millions of dollars from the state. The city joined the suit after it was filed.

The state said the company circumvented normal channels to secure $20 million in state incentive money, which it later used as leverage to secure millions more from Port St. Lucie and West Palm Beach, according to the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, company officials were able to work around normal economic-development channels by "wooing" former Gov. Charlie Crist.

Port St. Lucie gave Digital Domain $51.8 million in incentives, including land and a fully equipped, state-of-the-art studio in exchange for jobs and economic development. It will receive $3.2 million in the settlement, city officials said Tuesday. The state, which gave Digital Domain $20 million, will get about $3 million, state officials said.

"There was concern over throwing good money after bad, but we moved forward and fought the good fight," Mayor Greg Oravec said in a statement Tuesday. "This prudent decision resulted in ... a big win for our citizens. This recovery does not fully repay the original investment. But, with the building sold to a caring and community-oriented new property owner, and this seven-figure payment soon to be in hand, we have made the most of a difficult situation."

The state, too, considers the settlement a victory, although it blamed Crist for his swift support of the failed venture.

"The deal with Digital Domain was approved in 2009 under Gov. Charlie Crist," Cissy Proctor, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said in a statement Tuesday. "In 2011, under the leadership of Gov. Scott, DEO restructured the incentive process to prioritize accountability and transparency for the state's taxpayers, to ensure a deal like this doesn't happen again."

Textor will receive an $8.5 million reduction on a mortgage on a property in Telluride, Colorado, according to court documents. Textor used the home to secure a $10 million loan for Digital Domain, he said.

Textor said he considers the ruling vindication.

"Had the court not ruled that the management team acted truthfully, the management team would be contributing to the settlement," Textor said Tuesday.

Textor said he would not be receiving a payout if there was evidence of wrongdoing on his part.

"After two years of evidence, the court ... and mediator further acknowledged there was no untruth told," Textor said. "Obviously, we're pleased by the view of the court and the mediator."

The payouts will be made by Digital Domain's insurance policy.

Digital Domain shuttered its doors in late 2012, just nine months after moving into its studio in Tradition, leaving more than 300 employees jobless and the city deep in debt. The city last year sold the 115,000-square-foot building to Christ Fellowship church for $13 million. It still owes approximately $35.2 million on the project, which includes interest.
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By Melissa E. Holsman of TCPalm

FORT PIERCE  A former Port St. Lucie police officer will spend the rest of his life in prison related to multiple federal child exploitation convictions, a federal judge ordered on Monday.

Michael Edwin Harding, 28, was sentenced in federal court in Fort Pierce after pleading guilty in February to three counts of distributing material involving sexual exploitation of minors, possession of material involving sexual exploitation of minors, attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, and producing child pornography, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Funk, who prosecuted the case.

Harding was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to engage a minor in sexual activity. He received a total of 110 years for the other five convictions.

According to court papers, Harding, who joined the Port St. Lucie police in 2012 after previously working as a Fort Pierce police officer, appears to have accessed pornography via cellphone while on the job at night as a police officer.

The case stemmed from an investigation started by a federal agent in Wilmington, Delaware.

Through use of a search warrant, investigators found a thumb drive, linked to Harding, containing "hundreds of images of videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, " including pornographic images of a 6-year-old boy, a court document said.
'Help is on the way,' we were told.

This statement of assistance related to this year's passage of the Legacy Florida Bill, a restoration bill providing up to $200 million of Amendment 1 dollars for restoring the Everglades and protecting the estuaries on Florida's coasts.

Is it help for our hurting environment or for agriculture?

While members of the 2016 Florida Legislature eagerly touted their newfound appreciation for environmental protection using Amendment 1 funding, a closer examination provides a different story.

One key component of the 2016 Legacy Florida Bill was the $56.8 million for protecting the northern Everglades and estuaries. That sounds like a lot of money that could be put to great use protecting and healing our Indian River Lagoon, right? Unfortunately, the Legislature imposed a funding restriction of $47.8 million, or 84 percent of the total funds, which required those dollars go to dispersed water management projects.

What exactly is a 'dispersed water management,' project you might ask? That's where the government takes taxpayer money and pays agricultural landowners to hold dirty water on their land. It's not permanent, though, as these projects usually have a term of 10-15 years. Often, some of the dirty water these landowners are holding back comes from their own operations.

It's a great deal for agriculture: Receive millions to provide short-term benefits for problems they helped create and when the disbursement contract expires they are free of any restrictions from those agreements. Want to go back to farming? Sure. Drain the land and build a subdivision or shopping mall? No problem!

Even the St. Johns River Water Management District is getting in on the act. Two dispersed water management projects in Indian River County have the board's preliminary approval. These projects are intended to provide water quality benefits for 10 years at a cost to taxpayers of $22.5 million.

A district news release touted these projects as a way to reduce runoff and nutrients flowing to the Indian River Lagoon. Except they might not.

When asked by our Pelican Island Audubon Society board for specifics, the official line on the water quality benefits these projects would provide for the lagoon, if any, was deemed unknown at this time.

Here's the rub: The Legislature and governor will front an act of concern for the environmental degradation occurring across the state while pretending to allocate Amendment 1 money to fix these problems. In reality, they simply are funding well-connected special interests.

These dispersed water management projects are, at best, short-term solutions to our lagoon's water quality problems, and they might create future liabilities.

What happens when these contracts expire and the landowners see greater value in doing something different on their property than cleaning water? How will those water quality benefits be replaced in the future when there will be more people in Florida and less available land?

Officials often say these agricultural landowners aren't interested in selling or placing permanent restrictions on their land, hence these short-term contracts. But the reason they aren't interested in conveying their properties for permanent protection is because Tallahassee has decided to turn aspects of Amendment 1 into an agriculture slush fund.

Why would anybody sell their land if they can get top dollar to 'lease' it for a short term and then re-evaluate what opportunities are available to them at a future date?

Our position is simple. There might be a need for some-short term dispersed water management projects, but the vast majority of taxpayer funds should go to projects providing more lasting benefits. Buy the land outright (as was the case with the state's former land-buying program, Florida Forever), buy perpetual easements over the land to keep it protected or build permanent water restoration projects.

If you agree, contact your state legislator. To review our letter to the St. Johns River Water Management District regarding these projects, go to www.pelicanislandaudubon.org.

George Glenn Jr., David Cox and Richard H. Baker are board members of the Pelican Island Audubon Society.
Children's Services Council of Martin County for SPLASH Sarah Gosney, Elmira Gainey, Deborah Werner, President of the Hobe Sound/Port Salerno Rotary Club Tony DeLorenzo and Francine Beckstead

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By Jennifer Ahern

The Hobe Sound Port Salerno Rotary Club donated $2,000 to the Children's Services Council of Martin County's SPLASH program.

SPLASH (Swimming Provides Learners with Aquatic Safety & Health) was created by the Children's Services Council of Martin County to provide water safety classes and entry-level swim lessons to children of low-income families.

SPLASH enrolled 350 children during the summer of 2015. The $2,000 donation will provide 40 additional, eligible children the opportunity to participate in SPLASH through the Martin County Parks and Recreation Department.

According to the Florida Department of Health, Florida loses more children under age 5 to drowningthan any other state. More than 1,000 Martin County children have participated in SPLASH, learning valuable life saving water safety skills.

Any child living in Martin County ages 6 months to 17 years who qualifies for free or reduced lunch or Florida Kid Care (Medicaid) qualifies to participate in SPLASH. A parent or guardian must agree to attend a 30 minute water safety class in order for their child to participate.

To register visit CSCMC.org.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on May 24, the Azerbaijani president's press service said.

President Aliyev congratulated Binali Yildirim on his election as the head of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party and appointment as the country's prime minister.

Azerbaijan's president wished him success in his state activities and robust health.

Yildirim expressed gratitude to President Aliyev for his attention and congratulations.

During the phone conversation, the parties expressed confidence in the successful development of friendly and brotherly relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan in all the spheres in the future.
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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission on Monday announced a joint investigation into the issue of mobile device security updates.

The FTC issued an order requiring eight mobile device manufacturers  Apple, BlackBerry, Google, HTC America, LG Electronics USA, Microsoft, Motorola Mobility and Samsung Electronics America  to provide information about how they issue security updates to address mobile device vulnerabilities.

The information they must provide includes the following:

What factors they consider when deciding whether to patch a vulnerability;

Detailed data on the mobile devices theyve offered for sale since August 2013;

The vulnerabilities that have affected those devices; and

Whether and when they patched the vulnerabilities.

FTC members voted unanimously to issue the order under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act.

Its part of the commissions ongoing efforts to understand the security of consumers mobile devices, which included a workshop in 2013 and a follow-up public comment period in 2014.

Carrier Focus

On Monday, Jon Wilkins, the FCCs Wireless Telecommunications Bureau chief, wrote to wireless carriers asking about their processes for releasing security updates.

His letter is divided into four sections: general questions, questions about the development and release of security updates, consumer-specific questions, and questions specific to the Stagefright Android bug.

The letter was sent to AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Sprint and TracFone, FCC spokesperson Neil Grace said.

The letters were sent yesterday, so I cant confirm that weve received responses, he told TechNewsWorld.

Reason for Concern

Americas shift to mobile devices has been speeding up. Meanwhile, vulnerabilities associated with mobile operating systems, including Stagefright  which may affect almost 1 billion Android devices worldwide  are increasing, the FCC said.

NorthBit earlier this year detailed anew version of Stagefright, named Metaphor, which affects 30 percent of all Android devices.

Delays in patching vulnerabilities could leave consumers unprotected for long periods, the FCC asserted. OS providers, original equipment manufacturers and mobile service providers have addressed vulnerabilities as they arise, but there are significant delays in delivering patches to devices, and older devices might never get patched.

Features First

Carriers may delay updates because they first want to test them for reliability and compatibility with their own software and apps.

The carriers are saying that maintaining a base of unique software features is more important than the consumers safety and security, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

This shouldnt be an either/or problem, but since they make it that, safety and security should come first, he told TechNewsWorld.

Nearly 28 million Android devices with medical apps are likely to house high-risk malware,Skycure has found.

Complicating the issue, 26 percent of Android devices worldwide run Android 4.3, released in 2013, or earlier, according toStatista.

Neither OEMs nor OS providers want to update older devices or versions of the OS, partly because of the cost and partly because older devices dont have the muscle to run new versions of Android.

However, OS suppliers and OEMs want the patches to be applied quickly, Enderle pointed out, and that could lead to a massive reduction in control by the carriers.

Regulatory Oversight

Governments first focus is on their citizens, and right now those citizens are badly exposed as a result of [carriers] ill-conceived practices, he said.

That said, for the FCC to assert regulatory oversight in this area so everybody has to file plans for rolling updates is going to slow things down, noted Mike Jude, program manager, Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

The vendors will probably take them to court, he told TechNewsWorld, because regulatory oversight will increase costs, slow down maintenance of devices, force vendors to support archaic devices, and make the cost of updating unmaintainable.
LeEco, the global internet and ecosystem conglomerate has announced that, from May 19 last year to present, LeEco Superphones have accumulated sales of over 10 million units in China, setting a record for the fastest smartphone brand in the industry to hit the 10-million landmark.

During the companys one-year anniversary ceremony release celebration of the Superphone, Mr. Feng Xing, Senior Vice President of LeMobile stated that This is an important milestone for the direction of the mobile industry, it represents the shift from the smartphone era into the ecosystem phone era.

Since entering the industry a year ago, sales of LeEcos Superphones continued to break records at every step, hitting the 4 million mark in a mere eight months, and the 5 million mark in January, which made it the fastest brand to achieve that. With the advent of second generation Superphones, the total sales number has crossed 10 million.

With a commitment to providing optimal experience at the most disruptive prices, LeEco termed the new industry concept as a powerful and comprehensive ecosystem phone, where rather than hardware, offers of high-quality content sits at the core. The second generation of Superphones are the worlds first to have innovatively replaced 3.5mm earphone jack with USB Type-C port backed by Continual Digital Lossless Audio (CDLA) standard. LeEco also released its latest EUI 5.8 OS which achieves historically nine-camera live video streaming, representing a giant step forward from the 3-camera live video streaming.

Mr. Feng added that the ecosystem phone model is re-directing the mobile industry, and LeEco is leading the ecosystem revolution in the industry.

Besides China, LeEco has seen record-breaking sales in India as well. With the release of the Le 1s and Le Max earlier this year, followed by the launch of the first Made for India Le 1s Eco in early May with tailor-made Supertainment membership program including more than 2,000 movies, 100 TV channels and 3.5 million songs in 10 languages, LeEco Superphones have sold a jaw-dropping 500,000 units within just 100 days, once again proving the success of the companys highly-replicable business model globally.

@ Technuter.com News Service
Ovarian cancer is one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers because it becomes resistant to chemotherapy over time.

Now, researchers were able to decipher why, potentially leading to new therapies that could enhance ovarian cancer treatment.

The Nature Of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian tumors contain two types of cells: the bad and the good. The bad cells are called fibroblasts, which impede chemotherapy drugs, rendering the entire tumor resistant to treatment over time. The good cells - immune T cells - reverse just that.

"Most patients will respond to it at first, but everybody develops chemoresistance," says study author J. Rebecca Liu from the University of Michigan. She adds that ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed during the late phase of the disease, making it really hard to treat. Add to that the potential subsequent resistance to therapy, ovarian cancers can indeed be fatal.

What Causes The Resistance?

Previously, researchers thought that the resistance of ovarian cancer is due to genetic alterations. However, in the new study, the team was able to prove that it is not actually the case.

To investigate, the researchers obtained tissue samples from patients with ovarian cancer. They isolated the cells by type to see the environment of the tumor cells in humans and mice. After that, they went back to link their findings to actual patient prognosis.

Decoding The Resistance

Doctors usually recommend platinum-based chemotherapy drug cisplatin to patients with ovarian cancer. During the study, the team found that fibroblasts block platinum; thus, the drug cannot kill tumor cells.

The good cells or immune T cells, however, nullified this mechanism. By infusing immune T cells to the fibroblasts, the tumor cells started to die.

Study author Weiping Zou explains that T cells are the immune system's soldiers. Scientists are very much aware that having lots of these cells gives patients better outcomes. Now, in the new study, they discovered that these cells also have effects on chemotherapy resistance.

Future Treatments

Now, the authors suggest that combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy may have effective impacts on ovarian cancer patients.

Zou says they can see re-educating tumor cells and fibroblasts with T cells after the patient has developed resistance to chemotherapy. After that, doctors may instill the same chemotherapy drug that the patient was first resistant to. However, this time, that resistance has been reversed, making it effective again.

The study is published in the journal Cell.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google's Magenta Project will soon be able to get artificial intelligence (AI) to create art.

The Magenta Project is a part of Google Brain group and the project includes only six researchers. However, the project will also invite academics to work on creative machines. Project Magenta will use the company's open-source AI platform called TensorFlow in creating algorithms that can generate music.

Douglas Eck, who is a researcher at Google Brain, said that during the four-day music and technology festival called Moogfest in Durham, North Carolina, the project wants to move from music to videos and then to visual arts.

"There's a couple of things that got me wanting to form Magenta, and one of them was seeing the completely, frankly, astonishing improvements in the state of the art [of creative deep learning]. And I wanted to demystify this a little bit," says Eck.

"I'm primarily looking at how to use so-called 'generative' machine learning models to create engaging media. Additionally, I'm working on how to bring other aspects of the creative process into play," added Eck.

Eck says that Project Magenta also aims at creating tools, which will help its own group as well as other researchers explore the creative potential of computer systems. Google is expected to launch Magenta on June 1 and some of its tools will also be available to the public.

The first tool that the Magenta team plans to launch is a program for importing MIDI music files into TensorFlow. The program will help train computer systems on music knowledge.

Adam Roberts, another researcher of the Magenta Project, suggests that the team will add regular updates to a blog. During Moogfest, Roberts also demonstrated a digital synthesizer program, where an AI listens to musical notes and then plays back a melody from those notes.

The project will help in regularly creating new music. However, Eck suggests that even though people may start listening to computer-generated music, many will still prefer listening to human-created music.

Eck also revealed that a Magenta app may be launched soon, which will show visual art and music created by the Magenta Project.

Photo: Robert Scoble | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti.

The president congratulated Chakrabarti on the occasion of his re-election as the EBRD president. President Aliyev described Chakrabarti's re-election as recognition of his contributions, and wished him success in his activities.

President Aliyev expressed his confidence that long-term cooperation between Azerbaijan and EBRD would successfully continue even further.

Underlining Azerbaijan's interest in maintaining cooperation with EBRD, the president noted that this collaboration contributed to the implementation of a number of projects in the country.

Pointing to EBRD's investment in the private sector, President Aliyev hailed it as a proper assessment of the situation in this sector, and said these investments created additional financial opportunities for the development of the private sector.

President Aliyev expressed his hope that Chakrabarti's visit to Azerbaijan would be fruitful.

Chakrabarti thanked Azerbaijan for supporting his re-election as the EBRD president. He hailed the successful cooperation and strengthening partnership between EBRD and Azerbaijan. Chakrabarti noted that the investments in the private sector, particularly in the non-oil sector had been significantly raised in recent years.

The EBRD president praised economic reforms in Azerbaijan.

Saying the private sector accounted for 70 percent of the total volume of EBRD investment in Azerbaijan's economy, Chakrabarti noted that eight out of nine projects they funded were implemented in the non-oil sector.

The sides exchanged views on the development of cooperation in transport, energy, agriculture, private sector, entrepreneurship and a number of other fields.
Facebook just could not get its name out of controversy recently. CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with conservative commentators last week after reports claimed that the social network was politically biased, with articles on conservative topics being suppressed from Facebook's Trending Topics section.

The social network now finds itself in a new controversy, with this new one not any less socially relevant.

An advertisement submitted by Australian feminist group Cherchez La Femme for the promotion of an event entitled "Feminism and Fat" was rejected by Facebook due to the ad featuring an "idealized physical image."

The advertisement, which includes an image of plus-size model Tess Holliday in a bikini, is said to depict "a body or body parts in an undesirable manner." Other images prohibited under the same ruling are close-ups of muffin tops with overhanging fat shown, people with extremely tight clothes, people pinching their cellulites or fat or those showing medical conditions such as eating disorders in a negative light.

According to Facebook, the image went against the social network's health and fitness policy and that the organizers should replace the picture with one that features a relevant activity such as riding a bike or running.

A post by the organizers fumed at Facebook for ignoring the fact that the event is meant to discuss body positivity, particularly for plus-size women, and that the social network seemingly had no idea that plus-size women can also feel good about themselves.

The organizers then called upon their followers to share the post promoting the event, as while the original post was not taken down, they were blocked from boosting the advertisement due to Facebook's rejection of the picture featuring Holliday.

Facebook, however, has quickly apologized for the confusion, with the social network now having reinstated the image.

"Our team processes millions of advertising images each week, so we occasionally make mistakes," said a spokesperson for Facebook who clarified that the picture does comply with the social network's advertising policies.

The spokesperson then apologized in behalf of Facebook for any offense that the earlier rejection of the advertisement may have caused.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
OnePlus is preparing to launch its flaghip device, the OnePlus 3, and it wants the launch to be memorable.

For this, the OEM and AntVR teamed up and crafted 30,000 customized OnePlus Loop VR headsets, which were available to customers on a on a first-come, first-served basis.

The marketing move was so popular that the devices ran out of stock in no time.

This is not the first time the company pulled a marketing gimmick before launching a new handset. In 2015, before the OnePlus 2 rolled out, fans got 30,000 VR viewers similar to the Google Cardboard so they could watch the event in virtual reality.

It should be noted that investment in the VR headset makes the cardboard viewer pale in comparison. However, the company is sure that these headsets will become collectors' items and be even more valuable in time.

OnePlus has been a spearhead in the mobile tech with its affordable yet powerful Android smartphones, and the OnePlus 2 from last year hit the mark in most reviews.

Those who hurried and got the Loop VR headset will be able to enjoy the OnePlus 3 launch in virtual reality.

The headsets support most handsets with 5-inch to 6-inch screens. Simply slide your phone in the Loop VR headset and relax. What is more, the design of the headset took into account people wearing glasses, so if you do, Loop VR will be just the thing for you. The lens type is orthoscopic and the field of view is of 100 degrees.

Carl Pei, one of OnePlus' cofounders, makes clear that the VR is barely starting to catch lift and the industry is merely scratching the surface.

He mentions that a fan of the company inspired OnePlus to create simulations of the company's headquarters, which the company imagined to be moved to space. Dubbed The Loop, the imaginary space station allows OnePlus enthusiasts to visit it and to engage in "the world's first global shopping experience in VR."

The company did not announce an official release date for the OnePlus 3, but the manufacturer might be the first to go all in on the virtual releases. At the MWC in Barcelona this year, Samsung broadcasted the Galaxy flagship launch via VR, but the OEM also had a traditional event in South Korea. OnePlus aims to make the OnePlus 3's rollout the first of its kind by keeping it all in virtual reality. For one thing, the marketing budgets of the two companies are not even in the same ballpark, but the Chinese OEM also wants to underline its commitment to future-proof tech.

Keep in mind that the Loop VR headset is nowhere near the products of established companies such as Oculus, HTC, Sony or Samsung. The Loop VR headset will not hit the shelves, as its purpose is restricted to creating hype before the launch of OnePlus 3.

The company hopes that the 30,000 users who will watch the new flagship's launch in VR will set an upward trend for the company and set the route for more VR experiences in the future.

OnePlus says the devices will start shipping on June 6.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Artificial intelligence already impacts every industry, powering search, social media, and smartphones and tracking personal health and finances, says the website of EmTech Digital. At EmTech Digitals annual conference, Alan Packer  Facebooks director of engineering for language technology  stated yesterday that Facebook had moved from Bing for its translation service, and now uses its own translation engine. (FB rolled out their translation feature with MS / Bing translate a few years ago.)

And theres good reason for the move: As Packer explained, Bing didnt do well on slang, idioms, and metaphors. We really needed to train on our own data. And theres a lot of slang and idioms on Facebook. Bings translate service was built to be  and is  a regular website translator.

It comes as news to me that FB actually comes up with two billion text translations a day  and that almost half of FB users see translations each month.

Its natural for a company that wants to make the world more connected to ramp up on translation  which, outside of FB, seems to lack that critical feature:

Understanding whats being said, the context and tone, idioms, and informal language.

And theres more that Facebook can do with translation: As in a scenario Packer mentioned, if Facebook can understand that a post is asking for hotel recommendations in a city, it could push that out to friends who recently visited the city, look up posts and recommend whod answer your question best, and so forth. And TechCrunch reports an interesting feature: When Facebook is confident its translation is perfect, it will automatically show the translation by default with an option to See Original, and only shows the opt-in See Translation button when it thinks it might have errors.

So after this bit of news, I translated some stuff on FB for the first time. Its terrible. I hope its the old Bing and not the new FBs-own-translate. For something in German that Google Translate says The film by German director Maren Ade makes a stir in Cannes, the Translate button on the FB post says The movie of the German Film Director Maren Ade cares in Cannes for stir. Ach, Google, Google, we love you!

Facebook, Bing, Google Translate
The popular saying about Malayalees is that, given a chance they would have a tea-stall in the moon! So it wouldnt be surprising to have the next version of Android to be named after a sweet crispy delicacy from Kerala.

The frenzy started when it was announced at the recently concluded Google I/O that the name of the next version of Android would be crowd sourced. We hope that the company would keep up the tradition of naming the versions after confectioneries and N would be "Neyyappam".

Personally I do connect with Neyyappam, maybe because I am a Malayalee and I would be lying if Id say that I am not excited! In an instant I began to have visions of writing about the Android Neyyappam updates and people discussing about Neyyappam and me boastfully enlightening them about the sweet appam. The last time I experienced a similar feeling was when A.R Rahmans chartbuster Jiya Jale had Malayalam lyrics! (People still ask me what the lyrics mean!)

Despite the Neyyappam buzz gaining momentum all over social media, there are many who believe that Neyyappam lacks a global appeal and raise the issue of correct pronunciation. To be brutally and bluntly honest, if you can order for a bruschetta or a guacamole, then the humble neyyappam is a piece of (pan)cake!!

In my quest to find about the general perception and opinion about the Neyyappam frenzy I came across some interesting responses.

I think its a very cool idea, said Shruthi Nambiar Head of Business Development at Blissjunkies. She added, I feel a sense of pride when a simple Malayalee dish is all set to go global, and I really hope Android N is in fact Android Neyyappam.

Its is a great idea although initially people may find it difficult to pronounce it the right way, but I am sure Neyyappam is bound to generate a lot of curiosity about the dish and its origins, says Sarang Somaraj, UX Designer at Swiggy. Echoing the similar opinion, Mohammed Mayan, Area Vendor Manager at Swiggy adds, Its a fairly simple and unique name. A name like Nutella is universal but lacks a unique identity. If Google agrees to Neyyappam, not only will the popularity of the dish increase but will also help in boosting tourism.

For a person who has never heard of Neyyappam in his life, Abhishek Ghose an advertising professional exclaimed that he is very intrigued and amused by the idea. He said, I have not heard of the dish before but to know that an Indian dish is in line to be associated with a global brand does arouse a sense of pride and happiness.

Spandhana Naidu a postgraduate student at the Madras School of Social Work strongly roots for Neyyappam. As a child I knew jelly beans and marshmallows as priced foreign treats, and is refreshing to have the name of an Indian dish associated with Android. I am sure people all over the world will embrace neyyappam and that it will make a statement!. Bharadwaj G. M a media professional says, Its a proud feeling to have something from the south of India to be recognized and this is a good platform for cultural branding.

Arjun Narayan, a student at the Jindal University and Sachin Soni a Business Development Executive at Simplotel agree that despite what Google chooses to name the next version, the operating system should meet up to consumer expectations and should be loaded with new features.

We could say all that we want to, come June 9th when the voting closes at 12:29pm IST, the world will wait with bated breath to know what Google will christen the next version of Android.

Seriously, the world has had enough of garam masala and chicken tikka, its time for Neyyappam.

Image Courtesy: www.androidneyyappam.com

Google I/O 2016, #Android Neyyappam
Apple To Have OLED Screens From 2017 | TechTree.com

To say that the iPhone needs to reinvent itself in the post-Steve Jobs era is but stating the obvious. For, sales arent as robust and Android and Microsoft continue to lure away diehard Apple fans via lower price points and cheaper model options provided by Chinese and Indian manufacturers.

In what appears to be first signs of things to come in the next edition of the iPhone  the iPhone 7  manufacturers in Apples supply chain have hinted that they could benefit from the proposed brighter and higher-definition screens on the marquee product.

Reports published in the Fortune magazine (read it here) suggests that Applied Materials Inc. has gone on record suggesting a four-fold increase in orders for equipment that makes displays for smartphones and other computing devices.

The companys top executives were quoted by Bloomberg wire agency, suggesting that Applied Materials would be among a handful of manufacturers for Apples organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). The company revealed that its OLED division had sales of a whopping USD 700 million in the second quarter  close to what they sold in an entire year last year.

This move is obviously critical from Apples point of view as all their iPhone models, starting off in 2007, has only come with LCD displays while their prime rival Samsung has already provided the OLED screens in their recent top-end devices such as the Galaxy S7.

What exactly are OLEDs?

So, what exactly are these new screens supposed to do that the older ones failed to do? For starters, the OLEDs allow screens to be thinner and display color much more accurately. They could also be bendable, which means one could have a curved screen iPhone sooner than later.

The screens can be thinner because the OLED screens do not require a backlight as LCD displays do and they are also more energy efficient, leading to longer battery life for the next generation iPhone.

Of course, there are challenges as well. The technology that is used to manufacture OLEDs is quite young, resulting in questionable reliability, especially over the long-lasting LCD screens. Analysts had reported that Apple stayed away till date due to paucity of manufacturers of OLED screens, given that they sell millions of iPhones each year.

Of course, Applied Materials is only one of several manufacturers that could be delivering OLED panels for iPhones next year. Reports last month (read it here) suggested that Apple had signed a mega deal with Samsung Display for supply of OLED panels while there have been rumors that LG Display too may follow suit and build panels for the American tech giant.

TAGS: Apple, Apple iPhone 7, iPhone rumours
This guy refused a whoppping $80,000 offer to sell kanyeforpresident.com to Kanye West

You may already know Kanye West who has been making more news off the stage than on it. West who is also married to one the top celebrities of Hollywood, Kim Kardashian managed to deliver one hit album, The Life of Pablo.

However West has other dreams also. He wants to be the President of the United States of America

However to make a successful bid for presidency, he needs to own the domain called www.kanyeforpresident.com. Sadly, he can own it because its owner refused a whopping $80,000 offer to sell it.

When you visit kanyeforpresident website, you will be taken to the Instagram page of Tramall Ferguson.

Tramall Ferguson is a graduate from Australia and turned a paltry $10 into whopping $80,000, all in a nights surfing. Tramall told ABC that he was purchased the domain for $10 a year ago while surfing aimlessly.

I was just trying to do something out of the box, Tramall told ABCs Control Z podcast.

He then made two impulse purchases: kanyeforpresident.com and petergriffinforpresident.com.

I thought it was clever and no one had it yet, so I went ahead and did it, Tramall says, And then I literally forgot that I had it.

Tramalls $10 investment grew tremendously in five months, when Kanye West announced his Presidential bid at the MTV awards. Suddenly, kanyeforpresident.com was HOT internet real estate. Everyone wanted a slice, and the bids started rolling in.

I got a call from some guy, he was offering me like, $30,000 at first. And I didnt even know that he was offering me money for it, so I was just like, 50 grand! And he was like, 35, and I was like, 50! and he was like, Ill call you back.

Then I got a call from Greg at TMZ, and then thats when I kind of raised my eyebrows.

Then I started getting crazy phone calls that day with people throwing out offers. The highest one on the first day was about 80 grand.

[It was] like getting a lottery ticket and just winning. Thats basically what happened, Tramall says.

Domain names can be a good business if you know how to deal in websites. Otherwise you have to plain lucky like Tramall above or Sanmay Ved who purchased Google.com for $10 during a night surfing expedition. Like Tramall, Sanmay too would have made millions from his buy but he chose to give back the domain to Google for something like $10,000 to be donated to charity.
German scientists transmit data at a world record 6 Gigabit per second over a distance of 37 Kms

They say nothing is impossible for humans and scientists from Germany have proved it by achieving world record data transmission speeds ten times faster than what has been achieved so far.

Researchers from the University of Stuttgart, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF, achieved a new world record in wireless data transmission by sending the contents of a conventional DVD in under ten seconds using radio waves. In other words, they have set a new record in wireless transmission using millimetre-waves to transmit at a data rate of 6 Gigabit per second over a distance of 37 kilometers, which is 10 times faster than any data transmission method.

The extremely high data rates of 6 Gbit/s was accomplished through efficient transmitters and receivers at a radio frequency of 71-76 GigaHertz in the so-called E band of the electromagnetic spectrum, regulated for terrestrial and satellite broadcasting.

This was part of collaborative project ACCESS (Advanced E Band Satellite Link Studies) carried out by a research group headed by Ingmar Kallfass from the Institute of Robust Power Semiconductor Systems (ILH) from the University of Stuttgart, the Institut fur Hochfrequenztechnik und Elektronik (IHE) from KIT, Radiometer Physics GmbH, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF.

During the experiment, the researchers sent data between Colognes 45-story Uni-Centre and the Space Observation Radar TIRA located at Fraunhofer Institute for High-Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques in Wachtberg some 37km away. To achieve the high data rates together with the unprecedented distance, the researchers built innovative transmitters and receivers complete with powerful signal amplifiers. The transistor-based devices together form what the researchers call monolithically integrated millimetre-wave circuits (MMICs).

During the experiment, the researchers sent data between Cologne and the 36.7 km distant town of Wachtberg. The stations were located on the 45-story Uni-Center in Cologne and the site of the Space Observation Radar TIRA at the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR in Wachtberg. The researchers built innovative transmitters and receivers complete with powerful signal amplifiers to achieve the high data rates combined with the exceptional distance. The transistor-based devices together form what the researchers call monolithically integrated millimetre-wave circuits (MMICs).

The circuit increases the broadband signal to a transmission power of 1W with the help of power amplifiers based on gallium nitride (GaN). The signal is then transmitted via a highly directive parabolic antenna and consequently received at the other station. The sensitive receivers equipped with low-noise amplifiers can constantly detect it, even though it has faded considerably during the transmission.

Radio transmission of high amounts of data over great distance serves many important application areas. For instance, the next generation of satellite communication requires an ever-increasing data offload from earth observation satellites down to earth. The advance would make supplying fast internet to rural areas and remote regions possible. About 250 Internet connections can be supplied with 24 Megabit per second, researchers said.

Terrestrial radio transmissions in the E-band are suitable as a cost-effective replacement for the deployment of optical fiber or as ad-hoc networks in the case of disasters and catastrophe, and for connecting base-stations in the backhaul of mobile communication systems.

The primary goal of the research project, called ACCESS, is to enhance satellite data transmission. However, the technology could also work in terrestrial conditions, potentially providing fibre-optic-level data speeds without the need to lay cables and build costly infrastructure.

The project, which was funded by Germanys Federal Ministry for Economy and Energy (BMWi), is devoted to make satellite internet connections faster, as well as enhance terrestrial wireless internet.
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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The European Union has implemented 213 projects in Azerbaijan in various spheres until 2016 through the TAIEX program, head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Malena Mard, said May 24 in Baku.

She made the remarks addressing a workshop on operations and management in sea ports.

Mard noted that the operations within the TAIEX program started 10 years ago in EU's neighbouring countries and more than 3,000 projects in the spheres of transportation, food security and energy have been implemented over those 10 years.

With its geographical location, Azerbaijan has a great potential to turn into a transportation and logistics center connecting the North with South and the East with West, she added.

Head of the EU Delegation noted that the expansion of cooperation between the Baku Sea Trade Port and European ports, the use of advanced world technologies there, is an important step for reaching this goal.

Mard said she believes that the Baku Sea Trade Port will play an important role in turning Azerbaijan into Eurasia's transportation center.

Director General of Baku International Sea Trade Port Taleh Ziyadov, in turn, said that the free trade zone, which is being created on the port's territory, will contribute to the economy of not only Azerbaijan, but the whole region.

"We have set a goal to turn into the transportation and trade center of Eurasia," he said. "From this point of view, it is important to boost the cooperation with large world and European ports and use their experience."

"We have already signed a memorandum with the port of Antwerp. We are also expanding the cooperation and use the experience of such port cities as Singapore, Dubai and Rotterdam."

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Tropical wave 46 caused heavy rains, electric shocks, and gusts of wind in the states of Carabobo, Miranda, La Guaira, Anzoategui, Sucre, Monagas, and Delta Amacuro. | Read More
Headline changed, details added (first version posted on 10:40)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Registration of residents of the free trade zone in the territory of Azerbaijan's Baku International Sea Trade Port will begin from January 2017, Taleh Ziyadov, director general of the port, told reporters May 24.

Ziyadov said that currently, the preparation of a legal basis for the free trade zone's operation is being conducted.

"I think that its preparation will be fully completed until September 2016," he said. "We will start to register residents from January 2017."

Ziyadov noted that the port has already begun to attract major companies, including those from the US.

"During the Trans Caspian trade transit corridor "East-West" forum, which was held in April in Washington, we invited large US companies to invest in the free trade zone," he said.

"As you know, the US companies carry out extensive work in the territory of both Europe and China," noted the director general. "We would like them to choose Baku as their regional center."

The free trade zone envisages the development of transportation and logistics industry, the pharmaceutical cluster, common database of oil supply facilities, as well as the areas of manufacturing, packaging, labeling and consolidation.

The new Baku port is located at a strategic crossroad of Europe and Asia and close to major markets such as China, Turkey, Iran and Russia, and is ready to become Eurasia's leading trade and logistics center.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on March 17, 2016, on measures to create a free trade zone type special economic area in the Alat township of Baku's Garadagh district.

Edited by SI
Details added (first version posted on 11:28)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The use of single tariffs will increase the competitiveness of the Trans-Caspian international transportation route, Taleh Ziyadov, head of the Baku International Sea Trade Port, told reporters May 24.

The use of single tariffs in cargo transportation from Europe to China and back shows the high competitiveness and operability of the transportation corridor, he said.

Ziyadov noted that each new meeting aimed at increasing the number of countries joining the single tariff policy, is a big step forward.

"I believe that these meetings will be held regularly, every 1.5-2 months and we will see the use of new single tariffs and many countries joining this process," he added.

Ziyadov noted that many countries welcome the use of single tariffs.

The Trans-Caspian International Transportation Route runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine and goes to Europe.

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine signed a protocol in January to set competitive preferential tariffs for cargo transportation via the Trans-Caspian International Transportation Route. Those tariffs will be used from June 1, 2016.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Trade and investment have witnessed robust growth in Thailand over the past 30 years, as rapid industrial development led manufacturing to overtake agriculture as a primary economic engine.

This has had a dramatic impact on exports, with the country rising to become a major regional exporter of electronics, automotive parts and food products.

Trade relations have also expanded in recent years on the back of improved bilateral relations with China and the US: Thailand is poised to enter into a major global free trade agreement with each  respectively, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

However, trade growth faces a subdued near-term outlook.

Although Thailands trade balance swung into the black in 2015 on the back of low fuel prices, exporters also witnessed a concurrent drop in revenue, as commodity prices fell. Simultaneously, foreign direct investment (FDI) plummeted after the government moved to reform existing investment policy, although these reforms will ultimately support the development of high-tech industries, mitigating an anticipated labour shortage and helping it avoid the middle-income trap.

Oversight

The second-largest economy in ASEAN after Indonesia, Thailand has developed a positive international reputation on the back of its pro-investment policies and well-developed infrastructure, standing as one of the most liberalised and business-friendly markets in the region.

Thailands Board of Investment (BOI) acts as the countrys central investment promotion authority, offering investment incentives applied uniformly to both domestic and foreign investments.

The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) also oversees new business development in Thailand, setting policy and approving applications for foreign investment across a host of restricted industries.

The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), established under the Ministry of Industry (MoI) in 1972, is responsible for managing the countrys network of industrial estates and Map Ta Phut Industrial Port.

It is also supporting the development of a network of proposed super-clusters and special economic zones (SEZs), both of which aim to spur investment across a host of critical production bases.

At present, IEATs portfolio comprises BT2.85trn ($85.79bn) of investment and 4242 factories employing 562,000 people.

Legal Framework

The primary piece of legislation governing foreign investment in Thailand is the Foreign Business Act (FBA) of 1999, which stipulates which industries are open to foreign investment.

Although there is no general prohibition against foreigners doing business in Thailand, foreign investment in most service sectors is limited to 49%

The FBA contains specific restrictions on foreign ownership in certain sectors, including banking, insurance and telecommunications.

Industries where foreign investment is prohibited or restricted are listed in three annexes.

Annex 1 prohibits foreign investment in print, radio, and television media; rice, arable, and orchard farming; livestock, forestry, timber activities, fisheries, antiques trading and manufacturing or casting of Buddha images in a commercial capacity.

Annexes 2 and 3 list industries in which investment is restricted, but still permitted under certain circumstances, usually if the project receives cabinet approval and a licence from the MoC.

However, projects which have obtained promotional privileges from the BOI or IEAT can engage in these industries without obtaining a license from the MoC.

Annex 2 industries include businesses concerning national safety and security, and those which have an impact on arts, culture, customs, local handicrafts and natural resources. This includes firearms, aircraft and military vehicles manufacturing activities.

Any company engaging in an Annex 2 business must be at least 40% owned by Thai nationals, and two-fifths of its directors must be Thai nationals, although the MoC and cabinet can grant permission to reduce these requirements to 25%.

Annex 3 industries are open to foreign investment provided they receive a license from the MoCs director-general, and approval from the Foreign Business Committee.

Annex 3 industries include rice milling, forestry plantations, plywood and lime manufacturing, accounting, legal, architectural and engineering services, construction (outside of critical public projects such as public utilities or transportation), brokerage, retail businesses with a total minimum capital of less than BT100m ($3.01m), advertising, hotels (apart from hotel management services), tourism, and food and beverage sales.

Exceptions

Nationals of countries that have signed bilateral treaties are granted the same status as Thais under the FBA in respect of restricted industries, including the US, Japan, Australia and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

The government may also, as a temporary measure, permit a foreigner to carry out any restricted businesses, for example in a government-sponsored infrastructure project.

The government has also moved to relax restrictions in certain industries recently, with the Ministry of Commerce announcing in February 2016 that commercial banking, representative offices of foreign banks, and insurance activities had been removed from Annex 3 of the FBA, effective February 19, 2016.

Source: Thailands new reforms promise stability and value-added production | Thailand 2016 | Oxford Business Group
US President Barack Obama, who is on a three-day visit to Vietnam, will visit Ngoc Hoang (Jade Emperor) Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City Tuesday afternoon to pay tribute to and admire the cultural traditions of Vietnam, according to a White House release.

The 124-year-old pagoda, located on Mai Thi Luu Street in District 1, houses a number of intricate sculptures and woodcarvings.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Aygun Badalova - Trend:

Azerbaijan can become Indonesia's export gateway to the European market, Indonesian Rebublika newspaper reported citing the representative of the Ministry of Trade of Indonesia Saleh Husin.

"Our featured products, such as crude palm oil, can be exported to the Eastern European market through Azerbaijan," Husin said.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Indonesia, Tamerlan Karayev said that until now, Azerbaijan had imported Indonesia's products from other countries, which makes the transportation costs very hight.

He expressed the hope that direct imports will be realized soon to boost trading between Azerbaijan and Indonesia.

According to the ambassador, there is an opportunity to establish a joint venture between Indonesia and Azerbaijan.

"Indonesia can export semi-finished products to our country and then process them to create finished products in Azerbaijan. Thus, the products can be exported to other countries, such as Russia, Georgia, and Iran," Ambassador Karayev stated.

Karayev noted that a joint venture was possible as Indonesia had advanced technology in various fields, such as textiles and furniture.

Azerbaijan is the third largest trade partner of Indonesia.

Indonesia is interested in making mutual investments with Azerbaijan in the oil and gas sphere. The country also intends to increase the tourist flow with Azerbaijan.

The total volume of trade turnover between the two countries is $497.7 million, around 96 percent of which accounts for export operations, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.
Cover of Vinh Quyens novel Debris of Debris written first in English and published by the College of Saint Benedict in the United States in 2011. Photo provided by Vinh Quyen Vinh Quyens Debris of Debris, a novel about post-war Vietnam written and published first in English and now in Vietnamese, is an enjoyable work of masculine sensibilities. American War narratives have been drawing attention lately with Vietnamese-American writer Viet Thanh Nguyens debut novel The Sympathizer winning the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in the US.

While The Sympathizer deserves a separate reading, Quyens novel, titled Manh vo cua manh vo in Vietnamese, has also created a buzz.

Published earlier this year in Vietnam by the Writers Association Publishing House, Quyens novel won the second prize at the Vietnam Writers Associations competitive 2011-2015 Novel Prize.

Quyens work shared the second prize with two other novels and there was no first prize.

Yet, long before it was recognized by Vietnamese literary circles, the novel had caught the eye because he wrote it first in English rather than Vietnamese, making himself the first Vietnamese writer living in Vietnam to ever do so.

Quyen was inspired to tell his own story about Vietnam in English by the Canadian writer David Bergen. While visiting Vietnam to research for his novel The Time in Between, Bergen often met with and heard Quyen tell stories about Vietnam.

In his acknowledgements in The Time in Between, which is about an American veteran returning to his former battlefields in Vietnam, Bergen mentions Quyen as a friend who, through conversation and company, guided him deeper into the heart of Vietnam.

Quyen said some of the characters in The Time in Between were based on his stories, his friends, and the people he saw around him every day.

This prompted him to ask himself a profound question that had never occurred before: Why dont I myself tell the story of my people to the world?

Quyen then painstakingly completed Debris of Debris with the help of some good friends who helped correct and edit his English. With luck, he also found foreign publishers for the work. The novel was published as a limited edition for in-house use by the College of Saint Benedict in the US in 2011, then printed commercially by Austin Macauley Publishers in the UK in 2014.

And now Manh vo cua manh vo is available in Vietnamese, providing yet another view on the American War in Vietnam: not the view of Northern soldiers like Bao Ninhs well-known work Noi buon chien tranh (The Sorrow of War) or other mainstream stories coming from post-war Vietnam; nor the view of American soldiers like the works of David Bergen, Tim O'Brien and other Western writers.

Rather, Quyen from Vietnam and Nguyen from abroad seem to be moving from opposite directions toward a common meeting point to help create a richer, more complete picture of Vietnamese identities and interpretations about the American War.

The two interpret the war with a humanistic attitude that seeks to see different sides of things through equivocal narrators (or main characters) who cant be easily defined, while at the same time providing captivating, enjoyable writing that good writers, however sad and serious, often achieve.

If the narrator in Nguyens novel is a South Vietnamese officer who fled to the US after the war but remained a communist spy throughout, the main character in Manh vo cua manh vo is a South Vietnamese intellectual who stayed in Vietnam after 1975 and remained unimpressed by the communist government.

The story of Kha, a high school teacher in Da Nang hailing from an old royal family and whose late father was a high-ranking official in the South Vietnamese government, frames the novel. After the war, Kha is spared the re-education camps which are reserved for more dangerous groups such as former military officers, policemen and government officials of South Vietnam. Khas punishment, however, is to be relocated to an inferior rural high school.

Kha has an easier post-war life than other major characters many of whom fought for North Vietnam and some for South Vietnam. The numerous stories of their individual lives during and after the war are smoothly interwoven and told through many flashbacks in a narrative journey that travels back and forth in time to recount the havoc of war, especially the great romantic relationships that war creates and then tears apart, and pick up those old relationships again in the post-war era. Some relationships reach happy conclusions while others suffer unsalvageable damage.

Written in a sparse, minimalistic style, Manh vo cua manh vo is quite fast-paced and dramatic and with a good dose of sex, suggesting commercial appeal for such a serious topic. This energy isnt lost on local critics.

In an essay written for Van Nghe (Literature and Art) magazine, literary critic Nguyen Chi Hoan said that perhaps no novel after 1975 had ever told such a youthful post-war story as Manh vo cua manh vo.

This novel is also reminiscent of some action-packed popular old Vietnamese war movies about Southern spies and rangers working undercover for North Vietnam such as Van bai lat ngua (An Upturned Game of Cards) and Biet dong Sai Gon (Saigon Rangers).

Indeed, besides Kha, the other main characters in this multi-character novel are a group of young men, some of them Khas old college friends in Hue who, unlike him, fight for the communist cause and work for the rangers in Da Nang during the war.

A large part of the novel is devoted to the stories of these valiant heroes - Quang, Phan and Long  and how they meet their lovers during the war and try to reunite with them, or fail to do so, after the war.

Each of the men have their own interesting stories which can be read as individual short stories, showing Quyens resourcefulness as a storyteller.

In fact, over the years, the writer has sometimes teased out these stories and published them independently.

Cover of Debris of Debris published by Austin Macauley Publishers in the UK in 2014. Photo provided by Vinh Quyen One of the best stories is that of Phan and his lover, Lai. Lai is a prostitute. During the war, when Phan tries to flee from the Southern police after his unit is busted, Lai shelters and saves him. The two fall in love but part ways as Phan has to continue fighting in the jungles. Lai stays behind, gets pregnant but cant keep the baby, quits her work and works for a hospital instead.

After the war Phan and Lai reunite and get married. However, the social stigma against prostitution causes too much trouble for Phan (though he doesnt mind them) and guilt for Lai. She decides to leave Phan and go back to her home village in the southernmost region of the country. Phan searches hard for his wife and finds she has gone back to her old profession. The two make love and Lai leaves again. Phan runs after her while Suchia, a young, innocent local girl who happens to meet and help Phan during his trip and is now falling in love with him, runs after him.

This love story, especially its final chapter with Phan, Lai and Suchia, shows Quyen at his best. The writer is able to capture in an elegant, compact plot a seemingly inexhaustible topic: the impossible romantic love in which a man and a woman are thrown together and then torn apart through events they cannot control. The three characters are also neatly drawn. Lai is the quintessential prostitute with a tainted body but a heart of gold; Phan is a seasoned soldier, a mans man; and Suchia is a pure, impressionable girl who is obviously still a virgin who can heal Phan in every way.

Interestingly, however, it is also here -- and elsewhere throughout the novel -- that Quyens work reaches its limit - a limit he doesnt have to cross but can serve as a mirror for anyone interested. It is the limit of a novel written from a fine, subtle, maybe unconscious, but essentially vain and complacent male point of view. It is the limit of Quyen taking women simply as they are found in history or in reality, of not being aware of their deepest problems which have nothing to do with war but with eons-old gender inequality, and of not exhausting options to help them.

With some extra touch, some of Quyens seemingly hopeless debris of debris of war can perhaps be patched up together.

Take Lais problem,for instance. The unhappy ending to her love story is one that Quyen cant blame on the war. Lai was already a prostitute before the war; she isnt pushed into prostitution by the war in any obvious manner. So the social stigma against her that she deeply internalizes and prevents her from finding happiness has more to do with traditional patriarchal double standards that glue women to sexual purity on the one hand and allow men sexual freedom on the other, which Quyen does not explore.

In fact, the writer lets Lai flagellate herself with her guilt. Somehow, Quyen seems harder on Lai than his male character Phan. Phan doesnt mind Lai being a prostitute and would never exchange her for anything. Yet Quyen, in a profound way, trades and negates Lai with the creation of Suchia, a woman who is everything she is not.

Is there anything in the internal logic of a good story that makes Suchia an absolute necessity? If not, there is no reason why when Phan and Lai break up he is offered such a good alternative so soon, so easily. He could have stayed single.

Quyens virile heroes are in general a lucky lot, especially Kha. Women fall for them easily and when one woman fails, there is surely another to fill her place. Through the novel, Kha has good sexual or sexually charged relationships with five women. Another interesting thing is that the women in the novel often offer to have sex with the men when they fear they will be killed in the war.

They say the same thing, Love me, to the men, but the men dont crassly jump at the offer. One of them, Thang, a documentary filmmaker who has a talent for distancing himself from life (a talent that truly befits filmmakers, artists, writers and abstract thinkers in general, who, thanks to historical patriarchy, are often men), even politely declines an offer. All of this sounds as if for women sex with men is lifes greatest gift and protection in the face of death.

In terms of storytelling, in Manh vo cua manh vo, it is also men who narrate the stories. Even if some stories seem to be recounted by women (Vinh Quyen smartly adds two letters written by the female characters), women dont offer any new voice but simply fill in some missing facts, repeat and reinforce mens accounts, and, especially, reaffirm their undying love for men.

The presence of exclusive male voices is shown most clearly in chapters 15 and 16 in which Kha, now a publishing house editor and writer, intends to write a collection of short stories about women during wartime. What is both interesting and ironic here is that those stories about women are told to Kha by men, not by women themselves.

Kha lists five such stories. The obvious reason why there are no women to tell Kha stories is that they are either dead or missing or otherwise absent and thus unable to tell their stories. If so, then Kha, Vinh Quyen, or other male writers should let the matter rest or make it clear that they are telling mens stories.

It is because wars in patriarchal societies, including the American War in Vietnam, are mens wars. Women are most likely just dragged into them and there may be no unique voices from womankind regarding wars to take account of.

That said, when there is no pretension or confusion from male writers regarding this issue, then their works are a pleasure to read, even to their most hard-hearted, hard-headed feminist readers.
A police van leaves Tay Ninh Sugar Company on April 26 carrying Deputy Sales Manager Nguyen Xuan Danh. PHOTO COURTESY OF TAY NINH NEWSPAPER



Authorities in the southern province of Tay Ninh Tuesday suspended the chairman of a state-run sugar company for alleged mismanagement that cost the firm VND55 billion (US$2.6 million) in recent years.

Tran Canh Lac, who also serves as general director of the Tay Ninh Sugar Company, will be suspended for 30 days, Tuoi Tre quoted Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, chairwoman of the provincial Peoples Committee, as saying Tuesday.

Lac will be investigated on charges of intentionally violating state regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences.

Earlier this month the police arrested Nguyen Xuan Danh, deputy sales manager of the company to investigate him for the same charge.

Police say Danh advised Lac to sign contracts worth VND55 billion, through a Vietnamese middleman, to sell produce like rice and wheat flour to several Chinese companies in recent years.

The two Tay Ninh Sugar Company executives allegedly agreed to let their Chinese customers receive the goods before paying for them. None of the payments have been settled.

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A file photo of a Vietnam Airlines aircraft. Photo: T.N National carrier Vietnam Airlines is expected to ink a deal to sell a stake of 8.77 percent for more than VND2.26 trillion (US$100.6 million) to Japan's ANA Holdings Inc at the end of this month, news website Dau Tu (Investment) reported Tuesday.

Following the deal, the government will own 87.73 percent of the airline that controls nearly half of the domestic passenger air market.

Vietnam Airlines will continue to sell more chunks of shares to reduce the state ownership to 75 percent, and then 65 percent, according to the website.

The carrier has too divested from 13 non-core businesses, including finance, insurance and real estate companies, in another restructuring effort, news website Saigon Times Online reported.

It now has stakes in 19 companies, including budget airline Jetstar Pacific and Cambodia-based airline Angkor Air.

Vietnam Airlines is expecting revenue to grow 12.7 percent to VND77.8 trillion ($3.45 billion) this year, and an increase of 15.5 percent in the number of passengers, to 20.1 million, according to the news website.
US Peace Corps Director Carolyn Hessler Radelet (L, front) and Vietnamese ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh (R) exchange document after signing a document on Peace Corps Operation in Vietnam at the Government Guesthouse as part of the visit by US President Barack Obama in Hanoi, May 24, 2016. Photo: Kham/Reuters

The United States and Vietnam on Tuesday signed an agreement allowing the US Peace Corps to work in the country for the first time.

The signing, which comes amid a historic three-day visit by President Barack Obama, follows more than a decade of negotiations between the two countries to establish a Peace Corps operation in Vietnam.

The program, which is expected to begin over the next two years, allows Peace Corps volunteers to teach English in schools in the country's two largest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, said Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet, who signed the agreement with Vietnam's ambassador to the US, Pham Quang Vinh.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was present for the signing, said the agreement marked a further normalizing of relations between the US and Vietnam.

"For 20 years now we have had what we call a normal relationship," said Kerry, who in 1968 served as a young US naval officer in the Vietnam War.

"This is normal, having the Peace Corps being able to move forward, having young Americans come here, not always young, to be able to teach English in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh is the next step forward to building the relationship between the United States and Vietnam," he added.

After the signing, Hessler-Radelet turned to Kerry saying: "You've waited for this for a long time."
Swine bacteria from eating raw blood have caused severe necrosis on a patient at the National Tropical Diseases Hospital in Hanoi. Photo credit: Dan Tri

The National Tropical Diseases Hospital in Hanoi recently admitted two men infected with swine bacteria after eating raw pigs blood, but they were in such a bad condition it could not save them.

Doctors at the hospital said the men were infected with the streptococcus bacterium, which caused respiratory decline, blood contamination, and severe necrosis in their arms and legs.

Their families brought them to the hospital last Saturday, but they fell into a deep coma after one day and their internal organs stopped functioning. Their families took them home where they died.

One of them, a 55-year-old from nearby Hoa Binh Province, had raw pig blood pudding three days earlier. The other patient was a 40-year-old from Ninh Binh Province, also in the north.

The hospital admitted three other similar cases during the weekend. One of them is still in a coma while the other two have regained consciousness, but doctors said they would need to stay for long for treatment.

Dr Nguyen Trung Cap of the hospitals emergency department told news website VnExpress that it normally gets five such cases a month.

The hot weather could be the cause of the surge in numbers last weekend, he said.

Raw blood pudding left in hot weather is an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply.

Experts from the Preventive Health Department said swine bacteria infection usually causes meningitis or septic shock, which can quickly lead to fatal multiple organ failure. The infection has been claiming lives in northern Vietnam every year.

They strictly warned against eating raw blood pudding (tiet canh) or undercooked pig intestines, both of which are northern specialties that used to be safe many years ago because of hygienic farming and slaughter.

Pork that is unusually red or bleeding also carries infection risks and should not be used for cooking, they said.

One should go to a hospital if there is high fever after coming into direct contact with sick pigs, they added.
URC Vietnam has been ordered to recall five batches of products since May 20, 2016. File photo

The Ministry of Health on Tuesday ordered a recall of more beverage products made by URC Vietnam, a unit of Philippine producer Universal Robina, amid an expanding food safety scandal that has affected three other batches.

The company will have to pull all products from a batch of green tea C2 manufactured on January 11 and a batch of energy drink Rong Do on January 14, after tests found that they have higher lead content than permitted limits, said Nguyen Van Nhien, chief inspector from the ministry.

It is not immediately clear how many bottles are affected this time.

Nhien also announced latest test results showing that the products from these two batches have lead content from 0.21 to 0.46 mg/l, or between four and nine times above the limit of 0.05 mg/l.

On Friday, the ministry ordered URC Vietnam to recall three other batches.

During a meeting with the Philippine company on Tuesday, health officials also demanded URC managers take the order seriously and thoroughly report on the recall process.

There have been conflicting test results in the prolonged case.

The National Institute for Food Control (NIFC), another agency managed by the ministry, has recently rejected accusations that it took bribes and compromised tests on the two beverage products in question.

Earlier some posts on social media cited an "insider" accusing two officers from the institute of receiving VND1 billion (US$44,730) from URC Vietnam to modify test results for C2 and Rong Do. The products were cleared even after they had been found to have higher lead content than the permitted limit of 0.05 mg/l, according to the posts.

NIFC later confirmed that the products met safety standards.
US President Barack Obama addresses the Vietnamese people at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, May 24, 2016. Photo credit: Kham/Reuters

US President Barack Obama called Tuesday for territorial disputes in the South China Sea to be "resolved peacefully" as Vietnam baulks at Chinese actions in the bitterly contested waters.

"Big nations should not bully smaller ones, disputes should be resolved peacefully," he told an audience at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, referring to the disputed maritime region.

His remarks won loud applause from more than 2,000 delegates including top Vietnamese leaders.

Washington and Hanoi have been drawn closer together through their mutual concern at Beijing's increasing assertiveness in the sea.

China claims almost all the South China Sea, known as East Sea in Vietnam, and has rattled neighbors with a series of reclamation and construction projects -- including airstrips -- on reefs and islets.

Vietnam and four other countries also have claims to parts of the sea.

The United States takes no position on the competing territorial claims but asserts freedom of navigation and flights in the sea and has sent warships near Chinese-held islets.

"As we go forward the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and we will support the right of all countries to do the same," Obama said.

On Monday Obama announced he was scrapping a Cold War-era ban on weapons sales to Vietnam.

"Vietnam will have greater access to the military equipment you need to ensure your security," Obama told delegates, adding the US would continue to train Vietnam's coastguard to "enhance maritime capabilities."
US President Barack Obama arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at nearly 4 p.m. on Tuesday for his visit to the commercial hub.

Right after landing, Obama headed to Phuoc Hai Pagoda, also called Ngoc Hoang (Jade Emperor) Pagoda, on Mai Thi Luu Street in District 1.

Despite light rain, locals lined up the streets where the US presidents motorcade passed by to greet him.

US President Barack Obama walks down from his Air Force One at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on May 24, 2016. Photo: Doc Lap/Thanh Nien

US President Barack Obama receives flowers as he arrives at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on May 24, 2016. Photo credit: Carlos Barria/Reuters



US President Barack Obama waves as he lands at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on May 24, 2016. Photo: Doc Lap/Thanh Nien Locals greet Obama as his motorcade heads to Phuoc Hai Pagoda in District 1. Photo: Trung Hieu/Thanh Nien The crowd outside the pagoda, also called Ngoc Hoang. Photo: Trung Hieu/Thanh Nien US President Barack Obama talks with a monk during a visit to Ngoc Hoang Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on May 24, 2016. Photo credit: Carlos Barria/Reuters US President Barack Obama pays his respects with Abbot of Ngoc Hoang Pagoda Thich Minh Thong during a visit to the pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on May 24, 2016. Photo credit: Jim Watson/AFP

The 124-year-old Phuoc Hai Pagoda, also called Ngoc Hoang Pagoda, houses a number of intricate sculptures and woodcarvings. Its main space venerates the supreme Taoist God known locally as Ngoc Hoang, and the Buddha.

The pagoda also worships Kim Hoa Thanh Mau, the Taoist goddess of childbirth, and her 12 assistants. Not just locals but also people from other parts of the country come here to pray for fertility.

Following the pagoda trip, Obama will meet young entrepreneurs at a building in District 1.

On Wednesday morning the US president will host a town hall meeting with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative at an event venue in the same district, before leaving for Japan for a trip that will include a G7 Summit and a visit to Hiroshima.
Am Phu (Hell) Cave, where a six-year old boy falls down to on Sunday morning. Photo credit: Tuoi Tre

The family of a young boy who reportedly died after falling off a hill in Da Nang yesterday have brought his body back home to Ho Chi Minh City for the funeral, officials said.

The body of the six-year-old boy was found at the mouth of Am Phu (Hell) Cave, one of the longest and most mysterious at the tourist site of Ngu Hanh Son, Sunday morning.

His family discovered his absence at around 10:45 a.m. while they were visiting Thuy (Water) Mountain, one of five near Da Nang.

The family reported this to managers of the tourist site. Minutes later some tourists spotted his body in Am Phu Cave 60 meters below at the base of the hill.

Authorities said they would put up safety nets at dangerous spots at the tourist site to prevent more such accidents.

They paid the family VND100 million (US$4,500).

Luans body was brought by plane to Ho Chi Minh City the same night.

Further investigations are ongoing.
Tran Lac Canh (C) and two others stand trial in Tay Ninh Province on May 23, 2016. Photo: Giang Phuong/Thanh Nien

A court in the southern province of Tay Ninh on Monday handed down jail terms a gainst three former executives at a state-run food company for mismanagement that cost the firm VND25.6 billion (US$1.15 million).

Tran Lac Canh, 62, former CEO of Tay Ninh Sugar Company, received 10 years for intentionally violating state regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences."

Nguyen Xuan Danh, 47, former deputy sales manager, got nine years while former chief accountant Nguyen Thi Phuc, 54, was given five years for the same charges.

The company sells a variety of products, including rice and sugar.

Between 2009 and 2011, the executives allegedly agreed to deliver two large shipments of rice to a Chinese customer, Guo Qi Do Li Company in Guangzi, without any payment. The buyer has never paid for the purchase.

The court on Monday ordered the trio to pay VND25.6 billion as compensation for the 2,270 tons of rice.
Details added (first version posted on 12:05)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The European Union has implemented 213 projects in Azerbaijan in various spheres until 2016 through the TAIEX program, head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Malena Mard, said May 24 in Baku.

She made the remarks addressing a workshop on operations and management in sea ports.

Mard noted that the operations within the TAIEX program started 10 years ago in EU's neighbouring countries and more than 3,000 projects in the spheres of transportation, food security and energy have been implemented over those 10 years.

With its geographical location, Azerbaijan has a great potential to turn into a transportation and logistics center connecting the North with South and the East with West, she added.

Head of the EU Delegation noted that the expansion of cooperation between the Baku Sea Trade Port and European ports, the use of advanced world technologies there, is an important step for reaching this goal.

Mard said she believes that the Baku Sea Trade Port will play an important role in turning Azerbaijan into Eurasia's transportation center.

Director General of Baku International Sea Trade Port Taleh Ziyadov, in turn, said that the free trade zone, which is being created on the port's territory, will contribute to the economy of not only Azerbaijan, but the whole region.

"We have set a goal to turn into the transportation and trade center of Eurasia," he said. "From this point of view, it is important to boost the cooperation with large world and European ports and use their experience."

"We have already signed a memorandum with the port of Antwerp. We are also expanding the cooperation and use the experience of such port cities as Singapore, Dubai and Rotterdam."

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
A combination photo shows a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) handout of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un released on May 10, 2016, and Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump posing for a photo after an interview with Reuters in his office in Trump Tower, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., May 17, 2016. REUTERS/KCNA handout via Reuters/File

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in his election race, a senior North Korean official said on Monday.

Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters in New York last week, said he is willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, proposing a major shift in U.S. policy toward the isolated nation.

"It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his (Trump's) idea or talk is nonsense," So Se Pyong, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told Reuters on return from Pyongyang after attending the first ruling party congress in 36 years.

"It's for utilization of the presidential election, that's all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement," he said. "This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election."

"There is no meaning, no sincerity," So added.

As a candidate, U.S. President Barack Obama made unfulfilled campaign promises to meet the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), he said.

North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February, triggering tougher international sanctions and the adoption of a more hardline position by South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

So, who is also North Korea's ambassador to the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament, reiterated that his country was prepared to return to stalled six-party talks on its nuclear program. China and Russia backed the idea, but the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan reject it, he said.

"As a responsible nuclear state ... we will never use them first," So said. "If the United States use their nuclear weapons first, then we have to use also that one."

"If the United States gives up their hostile policies and changes their attitude, then we also (can) have relations as a normal country," So said. "To South Korea, we proposed high-level military talks but South Korea refused now."

South Korea dismissed on Monday a North Korean proposal for military talks as "a bogus peace offensive" and said it was formally rejecting the overture because it lacked a plan to end the North's nuclear program.

So said that North Korea would not share nuclear technology with other countries. "As a responsible nuclear state, we keep and observe the obligations of non-proliferation of nuclear technology".
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A man reads a newspaper containing news about Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour at a stall in Peshawar, Pakistan, May 23, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Fayaz Aziz

U.S. President Barack Obama approved the drone strike that killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour because the Taliban leader was overseeing plans for new attacks on American targets in Kabul, the Afghan capital, U.S. officials said on Monday.

While the Taliban have yet to confirm the death of their leader Saturday in a remote area in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, senior members of the insurgency's leadership council met to begin choosing Mansour's successor.

Two senior members of the movement also said Pakistani authorities had delivered Mansour's badly burned remains for burial in the western city of Quetta. Pakistani officials, however, denied handing over a body.

U.S. forces targeted Mansour because he was plotting attacks that posed "specific imminent threats" to U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, said Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, later specified that the Taliban were planning new attacks against "our interests and our people in Kabul." He did not elaborate.

But the administration hopes Mansour's death will have a long-term impact by pushing the Taliban to end its refusal to engage in peace negotiations with Kabul and "choose the path to reconciliation," the official said.

He expressed hope that the death of Mansour will convince Pakistan to live up to its "rhetoric" and deny safe haven to the Taliban. American intelligence and military officials have long said the Pakistani military supports elements of the insurgency.

But the Taliban's direction is hard to predict and hinges largely on what happens in the leadership contest and in fighting over the summer season.

Mansour's death cleared "an obstacle to reconciliation," said one U.S. intelligence official, also speaking on condition of anonymity. "But it's not clear if it clears the path for reconciliation."

A second U.S. intelligence official was more pessimistic.

"It's at least equally likely that killing Mansour will destroy any chance to get the Taliban into negotiations with the (Afghan) government, not that there ever was much of one," said the second official, who specializes in South Asia and also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"His successor could be even more loathe to negotiate."

No shift in U.S. strategy

Obama confirmed Mansour's death while on a three-day visit to Vietnam, calling it "an important milestone."

"The Taliban should seize the opportunity to pursue the only real path for ending this long conflict - joining the Afghan government in a reconciliation process that leads to lasting peace and stability," Obama said.

He stressed that the operation against Mansour was not a shift in U.S. strategy in Afghanistan or a return to active engagement in fighting, following the end of the international coalition's main combat mission in 2014.

The U.S. now has 9,800 troops in Afghanistan, and a decision is expected later this year on whether to stick with a timetable that would see their numbers cut to 5,500 by the start of 2017.

Pentagon spokesman Davis said the drone strike that killed Mansour was carried out under U.S. rules of engagement that permit the military to conduct defensive strikes. He said it was the first time to his knowledge that U.S. forces had attacked inside Pakistan under that rule. Previous strikes there were done under U.S. rules on counterterrorism.

Pakistani authorities have said the attack was a violation of the country's sovereignty, and an official from the foreign ministry told the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad that the attack could "adversely impact" peace talks. U.S. military officials said they had discussed their interest in Mansour with Pakistan.

Reaction from Islamabad was otherwise relatively muted, and a number of questions remained over what happened.

An undamaged Pakistani passport in the name of Wali Muhammad, which Pakistani authorities said contained a visa for Iran, was recovered next to the burned-out car at the scene of the attack and is believed to have belonged to Mansour.

The Taliban have set up a 10-member commission to try to establish how Mansour was targeted by the U.S. drones, sources within the group said.

They said he had crossed into Pakistan from Iran, where he had been holding meetings with Iranian officials and Taliban leaders located there.

According to Taliban officials, the movement has set up offices in Iran, which Mansour used to visit. But the U.S. intelligence officials questioned that account, saying they have seen little credible evidence of close ties between the Sunni Muslim extremist Taliban and Shiite Iran.

A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry was quoted on state media denying that such an individual had crossed the border from Iran to Pakistan at the time in question.

Leadership 'very careful'

Although some individual Taliban members have said that Mansour was killed, the group's leadership, keenly aware of the need to limit splits, has not issued its own confirmation, concentrating instead on naming a successor.

"The leadership is being very careful because one wrong step could divide the group into many parties like former mujahideen," said one Taliban official from the eastern province of Nangarhar, referring to guerrilla leaders who fought the Soviets in the 1980s before splitting into warring factions.

Mansour's number two, Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the militant network blamed for a series of high-profile attacks in Kabul, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the movement's late founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, are among the main contenders.

Yaqoob initially opposed Mansour's claim to the leadership when his father's death was belatedly made public last year. Choosing a member of Mullah Omar's family would be a means of building consensus, but one of the Taliban officials said Yaqoob was reluctant to take over.

Serious divisions emerged last year when it was confirmed that Mullah Omar had been dead for two years, leaving his deputy Mansour in effective charge of the movement and open to accusations he deceived his commanders.

Haqqani had the backing of Pakistan, while Yaqoob had support among members of the Afghan Taliban, one member of the leadership council, or shura, said.
Multiple schools across the U.S., including in California and Colorado, are evacuated or placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure after receiving automated 'robocalls'.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) sold $50 million to 14 banks through an auction held by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), said SOFAZ May 24.

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.

Edited by EA
The tourism industry has called for "a bit more ambition" and longer-term funding commitments from the ACT government, following a $7.3 million budget commitment to spruik Canberra interstate and abroad.

The government announced the funding to further market Canberra as a business and holiday destination across Australia, and in Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand ahead of the start of international flights in September.

The ACT government also announced $1.5 million to continue to grow Enlighten and Canberra Day celebrations, and promised $50,000 for a soon-to-be-announced "major show" to be staged in Canberra.

A further $410,000 will be provided to help upgrade security at the Canberra Theatre Centre.
"If they hear a new word and they see a new object in the context of familiar objects, how do they then guess what it is?" Dr Axelsson said.

Unit director Dr Emma Axelsson said their team was trying to determine how children figure out and remember new words.

Mikaela Arthur, aged 30 months, is taking part in an Australian National University research project into how toddlers learn words. Credit:Rohan Thomson

That's the question an Australian-first research project at the ANU's Research School of Psychology's Child Cognition Unit is attempting to answer.

Using an eye tracker and pictures flashing on a computer display, toddlers aged 30 months are asked to point to the object they think corresponds with a new word they hear.

"They tend to rule out the familiar objects and objects they already have a name for so when they hear a new word, they tend to then select a new object, an object they've never seen before," Dr Axelsson said.

Half of the children in the sample group will then take a nap while the rest remain awake.

Four hours later, the researchers will measure their recall to see how many of their newly acquired words stuck.

"It's relatively new knowledge that sleep enhances memory so the question is napping useful for children's language development, that's probably one of the main questions we're looking at," Dr Axelsson said.
A range of insurance claims that the Commonwealth Bank has rejected over the past five years will be reviewed by external experts as part of the bank's response to a scandal in its life insurance arm.

CBA appointed Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu as an independent expert to assess whether the bank had acted appropriately in declining past claims, while law firm DLA Piper will review ethical concerns.

CBA has appointed interdependent experts to assess declined claims and ethical concerns in its insurance arm. Credit:Glenn Hunt

On Tuesday, CBA was unable to confirm how many claims would be examined as part of the independent review process.

The appointment of the two independent experts, announced by CBA late last week after it initially flagged action in March, forms a key plank in the bank's response to a joint BusinessDay and Four Corners investigation earlier this year.
Australian retail executives could be forgiven for developing an inferiority complex.

More than half the senior executive roles at leading national retail chains are now held by overseas-born retailers following another shake-up at department store chain David Jones.

South African retailer Woolworths has completed its clean-out of the executive team in place at the time of its $2.2 billion takeover of the grand dame of Australian retailing in August 2014.

In a brutal restructuring reminiscent of the surprise resignation of former chief executive Paul Zahra in August 2014 and the departure of his successor, Iain Nairn, barely a year later, David Jones' merchandise executive, Donna Player, and head of marketing, financial services and customer insights David Robinson were shown the door late on Tuesday.
Harvey Norman is facing increased competition on two fronts as global retailer Steinhoff International expands its Australian discount furniture and electricals chain POCO and JB Hi-Fi ramps up its home appliances business.

Steinhoff, which owns Freedom Furniture and franchised bedding chain Snooze, is preparing to increase the number of POCO stores from two to more than 45 within two years, according to a report in trade publication ChannelNews.

Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey says domestic appliances could become a two-player market. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Steinhoff is eyeing at least 20 of Woolworths' Masters stores with a view to converting the 14,000-square-metre sites to POCO stores, selling a wide range of household goods including furniture, kitchens, cooking appliances, bathroom fittings, office furniture, small appliances, lighting, flooring and DIY products such as paint and paint brushes.

Steinhoff has also been named as a potential buyer for appliances chain The Good Guys, which is weighing up an $800 million to $900 million trade sale or initial public offering.
Supermarkets are struggling to meet demand for brand label milk as shoppers strip shelves bare in a show of support for farmers.

Dairy farmers have complained of falling prices since Coles and then Woolworths introduced $1-a-litre home brand milk five years ago.

But their plight was brought into sharp focus this month when Australia's two biggest dairy processors slashed the amount they would pay farmers for milk in the face of falling global prices.
There's nothing particularly new here. Political figures in electioneering mode have a proud tradition of stoking the popular anxiety about refugees and playing fast and loose with the facts: think Pauline Hanson, or John Howard and Tampa or, nearer to hand, Peter Dutton, who last week opined that "illiterate and innumerate" refugees would pull off the seemingly implausible feat of stealing Australian jobs while also languishing on unemployment benefits. It's no great surprise, though, that Turnbull is making the most of any opportunity to spruik the boat turn-backs carried out under the Government's gawkishly titled Operation Sovereign Borders.

It says something about how dire things have become that any Labor or Liberal MP urging a more tolerant  dare I say, just legal  approach to asylum is now considered a liability.

There is so little daylight, in fact, between the Coalition and the ALP on asylum seeker policy  both backing the twin pillars of boat turn-backs and offshore processing  that any opportunity to wedge the other side on this hot button election issue is irresistible. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has been falling over himself to point to alleged disunity in Labor ranks , and the Herald Sun last week gleefully outed seven ALP candidates that are distinctly queasy about the official party policy, while Jason Falinski, the new Liberal candidate for Bronwyn Bishop's seat of Mackellar, was also fingered for previously advocating a ' humane approach' to refugees.

In a heated election campaign that is likely to go down to the wire, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull took to the podium of an Australian Border Force vessel in Darwin last week to announce that border security is a 'political issue '. Well, stop the presses.

But leaving to one side the issue of whether the Coalition's policy of turning back boats did indeed stem the flow of irregular maritime arrivals  analysis by former senior immigration department officials suggests the decline was demonstrably related to other measures  one of the most disconcerting questions about the conduct of Operation Sovereign Borders has been lost at sea: did Australian officials pay people smugglers or not? Worse yet: is it Australian Government policy to bribe those engaging in illegal activities in order to make the whole mess just go away?

Call me a nitpicker, but isn't this relevant? Doesn't it go to the beating heart of the government's credibility on asylum seeker policy, and the yarn we've been spun: that the people smugglers business model must be broken, that turn-backs will prevent deaths at sea and, above all, that national sovereignty is all-important?

The investigations of the alleged bribery incident, referred to both the Australian Federal Police and the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee mid last year, have yielded very little, thanks to a point blank refusal on the part of the government to furnish any information whatsoever. The Senate Committee, which was due to report next month has now lapsed, but not before firing off a blistering interim report  just days before the election was called - which paints the government, and the minister's passive-aggressive insistence on "public interest immunity", in a most unflattering light.

It's not hard to spot the problem, is it, with an alleged payment of US$32000 of taxpayer funds, by Australian Government officials, to the very individuals we're ostensibly determined to put out of business? The further particulars of the incident, which don't improve matters at all, are allegedly thus: that a cargo of 65 asylum seekers, including a pregnant woman and three children, was transferred to two vessels of questionable seaworthiness furnished by Australian authorities and sent back into Indonesian waters where one ran out of fuel and the other foundered off Rote Island.

Indeed this event, if accurately reported, lays bare the credo at the core of Operation Sovereign Borders, which is more concerned with the spectre of drownings witnessed by an Australian electorate than preventing deaths at sea per se, and clearly ranks Australian sovereignty over that of our northern neighbour. As for dismantling the business model of the criminal networks involved in people smuggling, it's not going out on a limb to suggest that a policy of on-water financial inducements  or even just the repeated refusal by senior Australian officials to deny that bribery took place  might create an expectation of an alternate revenue stream for smugglers looking, no doubt, to restructure their enterprise.
The treatment of refugees trying to reach this vast, thinly populated country by boat follows textbook rules for the administering of cruelty.

It begins with the anodyne name for the procedures "offshore processing" as if these desperate human beings were just an accumulation of data.

People gather to show their support for an asylum seeker known as Omid who set himself alight in protest on Nauru. Credit:Nauru

It continues with the secrecy shrouding what goes on "offshore" in the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, where more than 1,350 people languish with no notion of how their limbo will end, where they will go or how to get answers to their predicament. Under the Australian Border Force Act of 2015, disclosure by any current or former worker of "protected information" is punishable by up to two years in prison.

It goes further with the progressive dehumanization of people - dubbed "illegals" without cause - who are caught in this Australian web under a policy now dating back almost four years. They are rarely visible. They are often nameless, merely given identification numbers. Women and children are vulnerable in squalid conditions where idleness and violence go hand in hand.
Australia has been a world leader in public health campaigns. The Quit campaign is internationally feted for its success in helping slash smoking rates and therefore in saving countless lives. Another long-term public education campaign, combined with well-resourced health programs, reduced the HIV/AIDS death rate by more than half in the decade to 2013.

And it was here that the world's first laws compelling people to wear seat-belts were introduced. Combined with public education and enforcement campaigns on excessive speed and on drink-driving, this, too, has been a successful long-term campaign that has saved many lives.

In Australia last year, more than 3000 people, eight in 10 of them men, died by suicide. Credit:Tamara Voninski

So it is disappointing that Australia is the only English-speaking nation without a public awareness campaign on suicide and suicide prevention. Consequently, as many as one in four of us have little understanding of the issue and what can be done to reduce this leading cause of preventable deaths.

Were you in any doubt that urgent, comprehensive action is required, consider the following jarring statistics, a litany of tragedy that Lifeline, the crisis support service, calls "a national emergency". In Australia last year, more than 3000 people, eight in 10 of them men, died by suicide, more than double the number of deaths on our roads. It is the leading cause of death for people aged between 15 and 44. In the decade to 2014, the number of deaths by suicide increased by more than a fifth.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 24

By Demir Azizov- Trend:

The foreign ministers of the SCO member-states discussed the organization's development strategy until 2025 at the Council's meeting, said Rashid Alimov, SCO secretary general.

Alimov made this statement at a press-conference following the meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers Council.

"The meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers Council is the last stage on the way to the jubilee summit," Alimov said. "The ministers fully coordinated the positions, discussed and approved the documents which they will propose for including in the agenda of the historic meeting of the presidents."

"The minister paid special attention to the draft action plan for the implementation of the SCO development strategy until 2025," Alimov said.

Alimov said that the document is a road map towards achieving a common goal to ensure the SCO's effective functioning, implement the measures on expansion of cooperation in the fight against three evils and modern challenges and threats, as well as work out concrete actions to further promote the regional economic cooperation and cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere.

Foreign ministers of the SCO member states, the SCO Secretary General Rashid Alimov and the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO (RATS SCO) Eugene Sysoev are taking part in the meeting.

The SCO members are China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia and Belarus are the SCO observer-countries, while Turkey, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are dialogue partners.

The meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO member-states will be held in Tashkent June 23-24.
The critics were harsh when Madonna hauled Stevie Wonder on stage yesterday for a live tribute to the recently departed Prince - but she has hit back on social media, defending her right to honour the Purple One.

At the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, the 57-year-old wore a lavender suit and ruffled shirt to do her own rendition of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U, once famously covered by Sinead O'Connor. She was then joined by a purple-scarf wearing Wonder for a chunky organ mix of Purple Rain. But within minutes, social media was awash with hilarious memes and harsh appraisals.

Critics were quick to take a swipe at Madonna, with many feeling someone from today's generation of pop stars should have been given the honour.

Prince and Madonna once collaborated on the duet Love Song and are believed to have briefly been lovers in 1985, while he is thought to have played guitar on Like a Prayer.
Anna Torv stars as Harriet Dunkley in Secret City, the new Foxtel mini-series set in Canberra. Near the Canberra Yacht Club, where Harriet and Kim hold a clandestine meeting. The foggy shores of Lake Burley Griffin have never seemed so secretive. 3km to... National Gallery of Australia The National Gallery of Australia. Credit:Jeffrey Chan

Prime Minister Toohey welcomes the new United States Ambassador Moreton to Australia in the gold-leafed Gandel Hall. 4km to... Australian National University The show visits the ANU, including the Shine Dome. Harriet Dunkley walks along University Avenue, with Bruce Hall in the background, as she heads up to the School of Music and Llewellyn Hall, where she meets with friends of Sabine Hobbs.

4km to... Embassy of the People's Republic of China The Chinese Embassy in Canberra. Credit:Andrew Taylor You'll be back here a bit too. Harriet meets with Mai Lin, the girl who ties Sabine Hobbs and Max Dalgetty together. Other visits won't be held in the pleasant environs of the lobby. Loading
Spending on television advertising collapsed in the second week of the federal election campaign, as the major parties prepare to blast viewers in the final days before the July 2 poll.

After spending more than $700,000 in the first week to target viewers in the five biggest capital cities, the major parties spent $167,767 last week.

The Liberals outspent Labor with ads costing $96,187 in the week, including a small spend on print advertising.
Research by the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre and consultancy ConNetica reveals for the first time the suicide rates between 2009 and 2012 according to 28 federal electorates. It is the most recent geographical data available on Australian suicide rates.

It found "extreme" suicide rates in marginal Liberal and Coalition seats Corangamite and Brisbane and slightly lower, "severe" rates in the marginal Labor seat of Dobell.

Adjunct Professor John Mendoza said the data confirmed that suicide was a "national emergency", with an almost 20 per cent rise in suicide over the past decade. Areas with high suicide rates had been affected by economic change, with many people experiencing high psychological distress.

"We see people experiencing the stress of job uncertainty and financial pressures," Professor Mendoza said. "When these become overwhelming, suicide becomes, in their mind, the only option."

The professors called for both major parties to commit to the National Mental Health Commission's recommendation last year to reduce suicides and suicide attempts by 50 per cent over the next decade, through 12 large regional trials for prevention.
"It was almost as if Steph overheard": Steph Ewing and Kerry Moss. "The nurses took care of the medical side and personal care with so much gentleness and kindness, so we could just love on her and each other," she said. But a constant anxiety tinged her final days with her daughter. Kerry Moss with her daughter Steph Ewing on her wedding day, nine months before Ms Ewing died of brain cancer. "We had a lot of staff mentioning palliative care was a short-term thing. They kept saying we had a two-week stay. Two weeks was really the maximum," Mrs Moss said.

"I was looking at my daughter who we brought in because we couldn't look after her at home. She had a catheter in and multiple other issues and the prospect of having to leave was terrifying. "It was almost as if Steph overheard, I wouldn't be surprised if she did, the staff say 'she's only got two weeks here'  because she passed away 13 days in," Mrs Moss said. During the past five years, medicare payments for palliative care have jumped almost 80 per cent as the ageing population drives up demand for services, according to a report by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released on Wednesday. NSW has the lowest number of palliative care nurses per population of any Australian state or territory. And with fewer than one palliative care physician for every 100,000 people, NSW also fails to meet the minimum recommended number of specialist physicians set by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine.

Nurses at Steph's hospice seemed to be constantly operating on a skeleton staff, and there was no doctor on site on weekends, Mrs Moss said. "Steph's last days were over the Anzac long weekend  as Steph was deteriorating we couldn't get answers to our questions, and we didn't know what to do to help her," she said. "We were scared and I obviously didn't want my daughter to be in discomfort or pain or suffering. The lack of access [to specialists] was concerning," she said. Steph's family watched the draining effect palliative care had on staff. "Some of those nurses were so young. The burnout must be terrible," Mrs Moss said.

Cancer Council NSW is urging the state government to provide additional funding for 129 full-time-equivalent nurses and 10 physicians to bring the state up to standard and meet the growing demand for services. "Palliative care nurses and doctors do a wonderful job, but we know there just isn't enough to support our population," the council's manager of policy and advocacy, Kelly Williams, said. "It means some people won't get access to palliative care and won't receive the sort of pain relief they might require, or specialist needs and access to services," she said. "It takes away people's choice, and it's only going to get worse as our ageing population grows, " Ms Williams said. If the workforce were brought up to scratch, patients could better choose how they spent their final months, weeks or days  whether it be in hospital, a hospice facility or at home, Ms William said.

The additional specialist staff would mean NSW would have 12.5 FTE nurses and one physician per 100,000 people. "If we don't have that level of staff, your options for care are limited," Ms Williams said. Patients and their families often have some fear of palliative care and the level of treatment available. "People can be reluctant to take it up and some doctors, with the best intentions, are reluctant to recommend it because it signals the end. "But it's much broader than that. It's about making sure people can make the most of the time they have," she said.
A plea from the Human Rights Commission for the Coalition government to relent on its hard line on specific domestic violence leave for public servants has been rejected.

Minister for women Michaelia Cash has told the Commission that public servants have enough access to leave if they are victims of abuse in the home and that no changes to the government's tough bargaining stance would be made, Commission staff have been told.

Minister for women Michaelia Cash said public servants have enough access to leave if they are victims of abuse in the home.

The HRC took the unusual step of bypassing Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd, who enforces the controversial bargaining policy, and appealing directly to the minister after being told by Mr Lloyd's agency that specific leave provisions for domestic violence victims were not allowed.
A truck driver who allegedly hit and killed a grandmother on the northern beaches last week fled the scene and threw her clothing in a bin after peeling it off the bottom of his vehicle, police say.

Jo-Ann Thwaites, 60, was hit on Friday morning while using a zebra crossing at the intersection of Old Pittwater Road and Condamine Street in Brookvale after doing some grocery shopping with her son.

Lilydale Chickens driver Emmanuel Xiberras, who was doing deliveries in the area for the poultry company, allegedly drove off after knocking Mrs Thwaites down.

A second truck, pictured at the scene with Daikin branding, then hit Mrs Thwaites and dragged her up to 600 metres before the driver realised and stopped to help. He has not been charged.
An Aboriginal woman felt "like dirt" as she was turned away from Queensland's Parliament House for wearing her people's flag on a T-shirt.

Janine Kelly was blocked from the state's democratic centre on Tuesday morning as she tried to show her support for a police appointment to address overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in custody.

A little more than 110 petitioners wanted a second Commissioner of Police appointed, with the requirement that person must be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

When she arrived at George Street on Tuesday morning, Ms Kelly was told she couldn't enter because of the flag on her T-shirt.
The hunt has begun for who leaked the details of the sealed settlement former Premier Campbell Newman and former Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie made with a Gold Coast law firm, with the state's corruption watchdog confirming it has launched an investigation.

Last week, The Guardian reported Mr Newman and Mr Bleijie settled a defamation case with lawyers Chris and Daniel Hannay for more than $500,000, to be paid for by taxpayers under ministerial indemnity guidelines.

Campbell Newman had called lawyers who defended bikie gang members "hired guns" who were "part of the machine, part of the criminal gang machine". Credit:Renee Melides

It reportedly could have been lower, if a public apology was issued. Other sources have told Fairfax Media an apology had not been sought.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

The revenues of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) for the entire period of activity amounted to $126.2 billion, said Ziya Kangarli, SOFAZ's chief investment adviser.

Kangarli made the statement during a forum entitled "The fall in oil prices and economic reforms: challenges and opportunities", held in the Khazar University May 24.

Kangarli said that SOFAZ's revenues are generated from two sources, namely, directly through proceeds from the sale of oil and asset management.

"The expenses amounted to about $92 billion for the entire period of SOFAZ's activity," he said. "The structure of these expenses consists of operating costs with a minimal share, project financing and transfers to the state budget.

SOFAZ was created in 1999 and its assets were equal to $271 million at that time. As of April 1, 2016, SOFAZ assets increased by two percent compared to early 2016 ($33.57 billion) and were estimated at $34.25 billion.
Plans for the inner-west Normanby Hotel to build a 15-storey tower next to its heritage-listed pub have been knocked back by the Brisbane City Council.

The building, which would have contained 14 units, a hotel, short-term accommodation, a nightclub and a shop, was planned to be built on the Normanby Hotel's car park.

The Brisbane City Council has rejected the Normanby Hotel's plans for a 15-storey tower. Credit:BCC submission

But those plans came undone on Tuesday morning, when the council's city planning committee rejected the application.

The council's city planning chairman, Julian Simmonds, said the application was refused due to the tower's height and size in an area "characterised by heritage buildings and tin and timber homes".
The Queensland government has confirmed it is looking at "repatriating" a portion of the public service Defined Benefit Scheme surplus, as it looks for ways to balance a lacklustre budget.

After shifting $4.1 billion in state debt to the state-owned electricity assets last year, the government is also looking at "repatriating" - or in plainer English, taking back - "a portion of the large surplus in the QSuper Defined Benefit Scheme, in accordance with advice from the State Actuary".

Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Last year, Treasurer Curtis Pitt announced the government would use the funds it usually paid into the scheme - $2 billion over five years - to pay down debt, in what he termed a "contributions holiday", while assuring the eligible 49,000 public servants that the scheme would remain at "more than 100 per cent fully funded".

But a line in last year's budget speech hinted at this year's plan.
They may be small, but these blooming businesses are nipping at the heels of the big players in the floristry market. Offering cheaper delivery and followed by thousands on Instagram, these start-ups are aiming to win the war of the roses.

Attempting to send flowers to friends from London was the impetus for Katrina Hatfield to launch her business, the little market bunch, two years ago. Ordering flowers online was a frustrating and expensive experience, she recalls.

Frightening and exciting: Helen Pow is expanding The Little Posy Co.

"You'd go through all these websites getting more and more frustrated and then find something in your budget and it's taken so much longer than you intended and suddenly you'd been charged all these delivery and tax fees," Hatfield says. "So you get to the end and think, 'OK that's way over what I wanted'.

"And then you get a picture from your friend and it's not even what you ordered!"
Few business owners would feel comfortable turning their backs on a business producing $1.67 million in revenue each year to focus on a start-up with an untried business model.

But that's exactly what Michael Jankie, who built the search engine optimisation firm Searchwords from scratch, is doing. Having formed the view the SEO market has become commoditised, he's now diverting revenue from this venture into a new business, PoweredLocal, which provides Wi-Fi and marketing services to small businesses.

Ambitious goal: Michael Jankie's Wi-Fi concept for PoweredLocal has been designed to go global from the outset. Credit:Age Photographic

It's a strategy that appears to be working: Jankie says PoweredLocal has built a 100-strong customer base in just three months. Clients include chains like Lord of the Fries, Train 24/7 Gym and Fonda Mexican.

Under its business model, PoweredLocal gives enterprises a free Wi-Fi hub, including hardware and setup. The idea is that customers check-in at the business via social media when they access the Wi-Fi. The login process gives the enterprise a list of customers' names and email addresses they can use to develop a marketing database. The client's Facebook contacts can see they have checked in at the business  great branding for the enterprise.
We can assume NBN will generally deliver above and beyond this minuscule requirement, but the company was not able to provide Fairfax with any data on its performance here. The broadband chain For the sake of argument, let's just say NBN is delivering speeds as promised. There's still a range of variables sitting between NBN's actual speeds and the speeds at which Aussie Josephine is able to stream cat videos on YouTube. Firstly, there's network capacity. Depending on the type of connection, if every household in Josephine St streams Game of Thrones simultaneously, the network can get congested, resulting in slower speeds for some. Josephine may have trouble loading her cat videos.

Fibre has lots of capacity; copper and other technologies being used in parts of the NBN rollout, not so much. NBN will decide which technology to roll out in Josephine St based on what's already in the ground. As far as Josephine is concerned, it's pot luck what she'll end up with. Network congestion tends to affect end users at peak times in the evening, when everyone is home and using their internet. If Josephine's internet service provider hasn't purchased enough bandwidth from NBN, or it doesn't have sufficient backhaul capacity, these problems are going to be more prevalent. We saw this last year when Netflix arrived in Australia and iiNet failed to allocate sufficient capacity for the surge in data usage. The result was widespread service disruptions for many of its customers. Finally, if Josephine's modem is a bit crappy, that may also affect her internet speed. Meow.

The connected future Not even Christopher Pyne really believes the NBN is being built to foster antisocial families who stream movies in separate rooms. As Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese shot back on Q&A: "the NBN isn't about movies, it's about our economy and how it functions". What happens in five, 10 years time, when all of Josephine's household appliances are connected, her car drives itself and she works from home hosting global meetings via video uplink? "It's misleading to argue what people are going to want in the future from the internet on the basis of what's required today," says Rod Tucker, laureate emeritus professor at the University of Melbourne and a member of the NBN's initial advisory panel under former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd.

"That sort of argument would be the same as when electricity was first installed into homes, and only provided for a few appliances and light fittings," Tucker says. "As technology develops there are more and more uses for it in the home  and it's the same thing with the NBN." Research firm Gartner predicts the amount of "things" people connect to the web will leap as much as 30 per cent in 2016 alone, rising to 21 billion in 2020. Further down the line, who knows what uses we'll invent for the web. Studies show average speeds of 100Mbps may be needed as soon as 2020, Tucker says. 25Mbps is so yesterday.

According to the NBN, "most end-users" will eventually have access to speeds of 100Mbps. It's not all about speed According to telecommunications consultant Paul Budde, securing broadband infrastructure for the future has nothing to do with how fast five cat videos will load, and everything to do with network capacity and reliability. "Smart cities" of the future will draw on a constant flow of data to give citizens better services such as transport and security, building sensors into traffic lights and providing people with Wi-Fi on the go, he says. "You cannot have a driverless car system if you can't drive between 10.00am and 4.00pm because the network is down," he says, pointing to Telstra's recent network woes.

Budde says patchwork technologies like fibre-to-the-node, which uses legacy copper and is preferred in the current NBN rollout, won't in the long run be able to sustain the onslaught of data needed to run a strong digital economy in the future. "The problem with the current fibre-to-the-node rollout is there is no guaranteed quality," he says. "We should be talking about a fibre-to-the-home network, and it needs to be a 1GB network." In the current rollout, only about half of us will be connected with fibre-to-the-home or the next best option, hybrid-fibre coaxial (think Foxtel cables), by 2020. Budde thinks Pyne was "quite deliberate" when he "missed the point" about the NBN being used for streaming multiple videos.
Authorities are confident the Calder Freeway will reopen in time for Wednesday's morning peak, almost 24 hours after a horror smash that claimed the life of a 49-year-old Ascot Vale man.

Three cranes and a heavy haulage truck were brought in to "upright" a petrol tanker that had flipped on its side near Milleara Road in Keilor Park.

Police believe the driver swerved to avoid a car that pulled out in front of the truck in the centre lane of the freeway.
Crisis, devastation, severe financial losses. These words have all been used to describe the woes hitting the Australian dairy industry.

More recently, especially on social media, other words have crept into the discussion about the industry, including the word "suicide".

A number of posts have been placed on social media recently claiming that dairy farmers have taken their lives because of the crisis sparked by plummeting milk prices. The deeply worrying claims come less than a month after the first milk price cut was announced.

But a spokesman for the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria said there was "no evidence of suicides attributable to the dairy price cut".
Landowners fearing strict new environmental laws will devalue their properties in the green belt to Melbourne's north have launched legal action against their council.

In what is shaping up as a major green battle, property owners determined to stop the new restrictions  such as requiring a permit to clear native vegetation and fencing off some waterways  have taken on Nillumbik Council.

Max Parsons, from Kangaroo Ground, says the environmental laws are being rammed through by ''rabid greenies''. Credit:Jason South

On Monday, Kangaroo Grounds resident Max Parsons lodged a challenge in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal demanding a decision by Nillumbik be reversed.

The council had voted against introducing the laws requiring some property owners to get planning permits or complete ecological studies if they wanted to make changes to their properties.
A state government minister has joined locals in condemning Port Phillip council's closure of a "well loved" St Kilda bookshop.

A petition has been started in response to a story in The Age detailing how one neighbour's complaint is shutting down Bookhouse, in Robe Street.

And Creative Industries Minister Martin Foley, who is also the local MP, contacted the council and vowed to work with it "to try and keep the business going".

"Bookhouse is a strong part of our community  which I have even enjoyed as an avid design and art book consumer," Mr Foley said in a statement on Tuesday.
Authorities say the crash site will likely remain closed on Wednesday morning. Shortly after peak hour on Tuesday, a VicRoads spokesperson said patches of road near the crash site remained congested (including Keilor Road), but the wider road network was coping well as commuters found alternative ways home. Tullamarine Freeway - Melrose Drive - Sharps Road - Keilor Park Drive - Calder Freeway

Tullamarine Freeway - Melrose Drive - Airport Drive - Western Ring Road - Calder Freeway

Alternate routes for inbound motorists from Bendigo: Calder Freeway - Keilor Park Drive - Sharps Road - Melrose Drive - Tullamarine Freeway

Calder Freeway - Western Ring Road - Airport Drive - Sharps Road - Melrose Drive - Tullamarine Freeway Travellers heading to Melbourne Airport from south-eastern suburbs are advised to take the West Gate Freeway onto the Western Ring Road and then join the Tullamarine Freeway to avoid delays at the Tullamarine Freeway/Calder Freeway interchange. Motorists travelling to the airport from the north-west are advised to exit the Calder Freeway onto the Western Ring Road and then join the Tullamarine Freeway. 'Truck swerved to avoid crash'

It is not known if more than one person is in the white car, which remains in the middle of the freeway, partially covered by a blue sheet. Firefighters have covered the crash site with white foam to prevent the fuel from igniting, but it is still too dangerous to use special cutting equipment on the wreckage. Six others were injured in the crash, which occurred during Tuesday's morning peak hour in the outbound lanes of the Calder Freeway, near Milleara Road. Inspector John Kearney told reporters at the scene: "I don't think you get much worse than this."

Investigators believe the truck was in the centre lane on the freeway when a car pulled out in front of it. It is believed the truck driver swerved to avoid the car, before losing control of the vehicle and then crashing into a number of cars and flipping on to its side. Inspector Kearney said one car was crushed in the crash, but it did not appear the truck rolled onto the car. He said the car appeared to have been damaged before the truck flipped. The white car crushed by a truck on the Calder Freeway. Credit:Ben Millar Emergency services first received calls about the crash at 8.40am.

The Toll fuel tanker was carrying 60,000 litres of diesel and unleaded petrol at the time of the crash. Darren McQuade, Assistant Chief Fire Officer with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said 20,000 litres had leaked from the truck, with most draining into nearby Steels Creek. Inspector Kearney said police hoped to interview the truck driver sometime on Tuesday. Six people were taken to hospital, including the truck driver. A woman aged in her 40s suffered neck, shoulder and arm injuries when her car overturned. She was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.

The truck driver was also taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with leg injuries. Two women - aged in their 20s and 40s - suffered neck and hand injuries and were taken to Sunshine Hospital in a stable condition. A woman in her 60s with a wrist injury was taken to Western Hospital Footscray. A teenage boy was taken to Sunshine Hospital as a precaution.

'Dangerous stretch of road' Andrew Chung, who was driving to work, arrived on the crash scene seconds after it happened. "I saw people getting out of their cars to help, running and walking around," Mr Chung said. He said there was a heavy smell of petrol and he could see petrol leaking out of the tanker. Mr Chung said the stretch of the Calder Freeway where the crash occurred was always dangerous.

"That intersection is always an issue," Mr Chung said. "The problem with it is that people are trying to cut across the lane to get to the exit. I've seen them cut across three lanes to get to the exit point." Witness Trent Theodore also said the freeway was a dangerous stretch of road. "This freeway is notorious for trucks trying to move over onto the centre lane and cars cutting them off," he said. "It happens on this entrance ramp all the time." Mr Theodore said he saw firefighters arrive at the scene and treat a person who was trapped in the white Toyota.

"They tried desperately to save the person that was in there but then moments later I could see them put a blue sheet over [the car]," Mr Theodore said. On Tuesday afternoon, Toll Group released a statement, saying the company was deeply saddened by the crash. "Our priority right now is to offer every support to the people impacted and their families and to continue to assist authorities with investigating the incident," the statement says. Loading The Major Collision Investigation Unit are investigating.
details added (first version posted at 18:12)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Azerbaijan has urged the European Reconstruction and Development Bank (EBRD) to render technical support for establishing a free trade zone in the Alat settlement at the initial stage, said Shahin Mustafayev, Azerbaijani economy minister.

Mustafayev made the statement at a meeting with Suma Chakrabarti, the EBRD head, in Baku May 24.

The minister stressed the possibilities of cooperation in the field of transit, as well as within the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP), which is an important part of the Southern Gas Corridor.

Mustafayev informed the guest about the reforms underway in Azerbaijan in various spheres, including the entrepreneurship.

"Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the relations with the EBRD," Mustafayev said, adding that Chakrabarti's visits to the country testify to the expansion of successful cooperation.

"Azerbaijan appreciates the EBRD's financial support rendered for the development of public and private sectors," the minister said. "Using of the best practice, modern technologies and know-how in the projects, being implemented together with international financial institutions, including the EBRD, is important for us."

"The EBRD's purpose is to support the developing countries and the bank will intensify its efforts in this direction," Chakrabarti said. "The EBRD rendered financial support for nine projects in Azerbaijan in 2015."

Chakrabarti added that EBRD and Azerbaijan can cooperate in the fields of tourism, infrastructure and establishment of special economic zones.

The EBRD has so far allocated the loans totaling $2.9 billion to Azerbaijan for implementation of 164 projects, including 154 private sector projects.
A botched home invasion that cost one young man his life has earned three of his mates jail terms.

Josh Jell suffered a fatal gunshot wound during a struggle for a shotgun after he and three friends donned balaclavas and stormed a house in Cardinia, south-east of Melbourne, in the early hours of April 11 last year.

Jake Marsh (left), Nathan Clarke, and James Lawton (not pictured) all pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary. Credit:Facebook

Fuelled by the drug ice, Jell, Nathan Clarke, Jake Marsh and James Lawton entered the home with two shotguns and a metal bar.

They were intent on confronting one man they knew who would be there, whom Clarke believed had previously called him a "dog".
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said he was "deeply hurt" by accusations that he was a "cheapskate" after his request for $3 change from a woman selling The Big Issue.

The media pounced on Mr Barnett after he was filmed last week buying the charity magazine from a seller in East Perth, handing over two $5 notes and asking for his change to be returned.

In a radio interview on 96FM on Tuesday the Premier took the opportunity to defend his actions, saying he was a very generous person.

"[My wife] Lyn and I, we give a lot of money to charity, thousands and thousands of dollars a year, and we do it quietly and privately," he said.
A painting that depicts US presidential candidate Donald Trump kissing former London mayor Boris Johnson on the lips has appeared on an abandoned building in Bristol, Britain.

The painting carries a message asking potential voters to register for the June vote on whether Britain should leave or remain in the European Union, a hot-button issue in which both Trump and Johnson have come out against the bloc.

A political graffiti mural calling for people to register for the upcoming UK referendum depicts US presidential candidate Donald Trump and former London mayor Boris Johnson kissing. Credit:PA

The group behind the mural posted an Instagram photo with a caption explaining the message behind the mural, which is named the "Kiss of Death."
Police have warned spa owners in Bali to be on the lookout for paedophiles and sexual predators after a massage therapist allegedly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy from Perth.

Kuta police chief I Wayan Sumara said the boy had gone to Damen massage in Kuta with his mother and grandmother on Sunday, May 21.

Bali massage therapist Abdurahman (wearing orange) is paraded before the media after being charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy from Perth. Credit:Amilia Rosa

He said the therapist, a 47-year-old man named Abdurahman, asked the boy to strip naked, because massage oil would be used, and lie face downwards for the massage.

However Mr Wayan said he became aroused when he saw the boy's genitals after he asked him to turn on his side.
A judge ruled on Tuesday that Bill Cosby's trial on sexual assault charges could go forward, setting the stage for a potential legal battle over the prosecution's evidence.

The ruling ended five months of efforts by Cosby's lawyers to have the charges dismissed.

Some say the Trump tape hit a bigger nerve than the Bill Cosby accusations. Credit:James Robinson

The decision, after a three and a half-hour hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse, means that a man who was once one of America's most beloved entertainers but has been pursued by allegations of sexual misconduct by dozens of women must face at least one of his accusers at trial, probably later this year. Cosby, 78, has denied the allegations.

"This case will move forward," Judge Elizabeth A. McHugh told the crowded courtroom. Cosby, who sat flanked by his lawyers throughout the hearing, stood at the end and said, "Thank you." The judge wished him luck.
Moscow: When people disappear in the Russian republic of Chechnya - rights activists, journalists and government critics - there is usually no public discussion.

Certainly, no word about it appears on the bizarre if strangely compelling Instagram account of Ramzan Kadyrov, the local strongman who became a Kremlin darling by crushing the long-running insurgency in the northern Caucasus republic. Only the objects of Kadyrov's affection attain that distinction: close associates, his gunmen, his workout routines.

And now his disappeared cat.

The cat is an expensive variety known as a Bengal or toyger, bred to look like a miniature tiger, real tigers being the kind of beast usually featured on the Instagram account.
Bangkok: Two Iranian refugees on Nauru have reportedly given up hope of living in Australia and have agreed to resettle in Cambodia, reviving a $55 million agreement that was teetering on collapse.

Only five refugees have agreed to take a one-way ticket from the Pacific island to Cambodia since the controversial agreement was signed between Cambodia and Australia at a champagne-sipping ceremony in late 2014.

Three of them have returned to their country of origin and the remaining two are deeply unhappy and also want to quit the country.

Three Cambodian officials plan to fly to Nauru in June to interview the Iranian man and woman to assess their suitability to live in Cambodia, one of Asia's poorest nations with a poor human rights record.
New York: The Democratic Party said on Monday it would give US presidential contender Bernie Sanders a prominent say in writing its platform this year, a gesture that could ease tensions between Sanders' camp and party leaders, whom Sanders has accused of favouring rival Hillary Clinton.

Sanders has remained steadfast in his long-shot battle with Clinton for the Democratic nomination for the November 8 presidential election, even though he lags her in the delegate count with only a few state contests remaining. The divisiveness among the Democrats stands in contrast to the Republicans, whose party leaders are slowly rallying behind Donald Trump, their presumptive nominee.

Sanders' tenacity appeared to be paying off. The US senator from Vermont will be allowed to name five members to the 15-member committee that writes the platform at the Democratic National Convention in late July in Philadelphia even if he is not the nominee. Clinton will name six.

The party said in a statement the split was based on the results of state votes to date "in an effort to make this the most representative and inclusive process in history."
2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T SE With Connectivity Review By Steve Purdy







2106 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 1.4T SE W/CONNECTIVITY

Review by Steve Purdy

The Auto Channel

Michigan Bureau

Our test car this week is the front-wheel drive (all-wheel drive not offered) compact Jetta 1.4T four-door sedan from Volkswagen. We always like driving VW products because, like the other German brands, they tend to understand vehicle dynamics and offer a more satisfying experience behind the wheel. While our low-end Jetta projects painfully plain style and design, we can still feel the engineering care with which it is infused and we can appreciate the simple, if uninspired, styling.

After a redesign of the Jetta for the 2015 model year the big news for 2016 is the provision of a new base engine for the low-end S and SE trim levels replacing the tepid 2.0-liter normally aspirated unit. This new one is a much more energetic 1.4-liter, turbo 4-cylinder making a good 150 horsepower and impressive 184 pound-feet of torque. We cannot get a manual transmission with this one, but we have an efficient six-speed automatic with manual mode. The EPA estimates fuel economy at 28 mpg in the city, 39 on the highway and 32 combined using regular fuel. Our experience this week tends to confirm these numbers though the highway figure may be hard to achieve without some seriously gentle driving. With a 14.5-gallon fuel tank we have a truly gratifying cruising range.

Lesser news is that VW is not keeping up with the industry trend of moving ever upscale as cars are updated. While both exterior and interior designs continue to reflect classically German tight simplicity it appears that quality of materials and embellishment in design are beginning to wane while most competitors are constantly adding panache.

Exterior styling has not changed for 2016. The minimalist styling will perhaps please many VW loyalists who balk at calling attention to themselves but it is unlikely to bring new buyers to the brand. Styling was updated for the 2015 model year to what the company calls a bold new look. Certainly, the LED DRLs integrated in the headlight bezel look cool and the front view is subtly attractive but the simplicity of the rest of the design, particularly the rear view, is undistinguished, to be kind. Higher trim levels  GLI, 1.8T and others  get more interesting details.

The interior is comfortable and has that solid, simple Teutonic look but materials are not as nice as most competitors and, like the exterior, style and design are rather white-bread. We found functionality inside good partly because of that simple design. The touchscreen controls worked reasonably well with a minimum of searching for settings and adjustments. The Jetta felt roomy for a compact including the rear seat though the total interior volume is less than many in the class. Ingress and egress were easier than most partly because the roofline is not as low as many others as well.

The trunk will hold 15.7 cubic-feet of stuff and the rear seatbacks fold to accommodate even more with a pass-through option to accommodate skis and fence posts.

Our Jetta SE 1.4T with Connectivity shows a starting price of $22,325. That price includes decent, not exceptional, content like: 16-inch alloy wheels, push-button start, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, nice vinyl seating rear armrest, six-speaker audio system, 6.3-inch touchscreen interface with smartphone integration, power sunroof, halogen headlights, heated windshield washer nozzles and all the power features we get on all cars these days.

The subscription-based CarNet connectivity functions are part of the above price and include: enhanced navigation and infotainment, remote access, remote status, remote diagnostics and a variety of other features including some great nanny functions to keep your teenage drivers in line. Subscription is free for the first year.

The Driver Assistance Package (adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, autonomous braking, blind spot monitoring and rear traffic alert) is only offered on higher trim levels.

Volkswagens new car warranty covers the whole car for 3 years or 36,000 miles and the powertrain for 5 years or 60,000 miles.

In terms of driving dynamics we can say the Jetta 1.4T will not disappoint. The new engine is, indeed, a substantial improvement in power and sophistication. We found it gratifying whether we were diving like old people or putting our foot in it. The transmission performs well except on pedal-triggered downshifts. Manual mode shifting is vastly preferred. Ride and handling, while not sporty in any sense, are competent and comfortable.

This Jetta would make a comfortable, durable traveling or around-town car for someone who is partial to the brand but not prone to making a statement with their car.

Steve Purdy, Shunpiker Productions, All Rights Reserved

The Most In-Depth Volkswagen Shopper's Research - Anywhere!
details added (first version posted at 18:50)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

Azerbaijan's banking sector is under a thorough scrutiny, Elman Rustamov, head of the country's Central Bank, told reporters May 24.

Rustamov said a special program on financial stability will be prepared and then implemented following a banking sector diagnosis.

"I think Azerbaijan's all macroeconomic structures, namely, the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank and Financial Market Supervisory Body are jointly working to ensure the financial stability in the country, diagnosing the banking sector," he said. "The financial stability program will be created following this work and then will be realized."

Referring to the opinion of Moody's international rating agency analysts that Azerbaijan's banking sector is on the verge of default, Rustamov said that this statement is premature.

"It would be better to hold several meetings in Azerbaijan and carefully examine the banking sector before making such statements," he said. "Moody's delegation will visit Baku in the near future and hold meetings with all macro-economic institutions of the country."

Rustamov said that the first stage of restructuring Azerbaijan's banking sector has been successfully completed.

"AG Bank's capitalization has been conducted," he said. "Together with Azerbaijan's Financial Market Supervisory Body, we have solved the problem of the bank's liquidity and the bank returned to the country's banking market."

"The recovery program of another bank - Bank Standard is being discussed," he said. "We will disclose this program in the near future."

Some 37 banks operate in Azerbaijan.
OSLO, NorwayRegulatory News:

Uno-X Hydrogen AS, a NEL ASA (NEL) joint venture, has entered into an agreement with a Norwegian affiliate of Praxair, a leading global industrial gas company, as a strategic alliance to install 20 hydrogen refuelling stations, covering all the major cities in Norway by 2020. As part of the agreement, Praxairs Norwegian affiliate will aqcuire a 20 percent ownership interest in the joint venture.

We are proud to annouce Praxair as a member of our strategic alliance and investor for the development of a nationwide hydrogen station network in Norway. Praxair is a global hydrogen supplier and we see the Norwegian rollout as a global showcase for the future development of hydrogen networks in other key countries, like the US, Germany and Japan, says Jon Andre Lkke, CEO of NEL ASA.

Following the agreement, Praxairs Norwegian affiliate will hold 20 percent of Uno-X Hydrogen, with Uno-X Gruppen and NEL holding 41 percent and 39 percent, respectively. The joint venture will build a network of hydrogen refuelling stations with hydrogen production, allowing fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to operate in and between all the major cities in Norway. The stations will be deployed in cities like Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, and Kristiansand, along with corresponding corridor locations.

Our joint venture will identify and develop the production infrastructure necessary to support a Norwegian network of refuelling stations. We believe that working closely with gas and oil companies, like we have done in Denmark and are now doing in Norway, is a recipe that can be successfully replicated around the globe, says Lkke.

About Praxair

Praxair, Inc., a Fortune 250 company with 2015 sales of $11 billion, is the largest industrial gas company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies are making our planet more productive by bringing efficiency and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, primary metals and many others. More information about Praxair, Inc. is available at www.praxair.com.

About NEL

NEL ASA is the first dedicated hydrogen company on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Since its foundation in 1927, NEL Hydrogen has a proud history of development and continual improvement of hydrogen plants. NEL is a global supplier of hydrogen solutions, covering the entire value chain from hydrogen production technologies to hydrogen refuelling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles. H2 Logic A/S is a leading manufacturer of H2Station hydrogen refuelling stations that provides fuel cell electric vehicles with the same fast fueling and long range as conventional vehicles today. www.nel-asa.com

About Uno-X Hydrogen

Uno-X Hydrogen AS is a joint venture, owned by Uno-X, Praxair and NEL. The joint venture will build a network of hydrogen refuelling stations, where fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) can operate between all the major cities in Norway. The stations will be deployed in cities like Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Kristiansand, along with corresponding corridor locations. The target is that FCEVs can drive between the most populated cities in Norway by 2020.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

Contacts

NEL ASA/ Praxair

For additional information, please contact:

Jon Andre Lkke, CEO, +47 90 74 49 49
PORTLAND, Maine, May 24, 2016 -- Auto Europe, one of the industry's first global car rental service companies, is now offering customers exclusive access to an expanded range of high-demand vehicles during peak summer months at great rates! Auto Europe has reserved a dedicated fleet of compact cars, premium full-size sedans and 7-9 passenger vans in Italy, Germany and Switzerland through September. Auto Europe customers will enjoy access to renting these automatic and larger sized vehicles during times when inventory is typically scarce. Guaranteed makes include premium brands such as Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Travelers are encouraged to secure their rental early to lock in the lowest rates.

"We know that securing a rental vehicle during the summer season can be difficult due to the surge in demand causing many suppliers to sell out. That is why we are proud to offer our clients exclusive access to high-demand vehicles which we have sourced through our strategic partnerships with multiple suppliers in key markets," said Imad Khalidi, Auto Europe's CEO. "As the only car rental broker to have taken this step for our customers, we expect to have inventory available when others do not."

A recent study released by Auto Europe shows that advanced bookings for summer 2016 were up year over year with travelers opting to extend their trip duration slightly in 4 out of the 5 most popular pickup cities for summer: Rome, Paris, Dublin, Florence & London.

Customer will have access to:

1000 reserved vehicles in Italy , Germany & Switzerland

, & Large selection of automatic transmission & air conditioned vehicles

Cars ranging from compact to premium full-size

Wide selection of 7 & 9 passenger vans including the Mercedes V-Class Luxury Van (9 passenger/automatic)

Guaranteed makes & models

As with any rental car through Auto Europe, clients reserving a vehicle in the high season can rest assured knowing they have 24/7 access to an award-winning team of rental experts for assistance during and their rental.

Reservations for dedicated fleet vehicles can be secured via our website www.autoeurope.com or by calling our Reservations Department at 888-223-5555.

About Auto Europe

With over 60 years of experience in the rental car industry, Auto Europe specializes in helping travelers find the best car rental rates in Europe and other popular destinations around the world. Auto Europe's deep understanding of the complexities of renting cars abroad paired with their knowledgeable team of rental specialists (available 24/7) allows Auto Europe to provide travelers with the highest quality service in the industry before, during and after their rental. To find the best rate on a car rental for your next trip abroad or to learn more about renting a car in Europe visit www.autoeurope.com.

Media Contact:

Meghan Donovan

207-842-2038

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/auto-europe-provides-customers-with-exclusive-access-to-high-demand-vehicles-300273599.html

SOURCE Auto Europe

RELATED LINKShttp://www.autoeurope.com
HondaJet Receives Certification in Europe

Geneva, Switzerland, May, 24 2016 - The HondaJet received type certification today from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Honda Aircraft Company announced the achievement during a press conference at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE), which is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland from May 24-26.

Steven Higgins, EASA Section Manager for High Performance Aircraft and Turboprops, presented the type certificate for the HA-420 HondaJet to Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino.

"We are excited to achieve EASA certification for the HondaJet today. This certification signifies the HondaJet meets the highest European safety standards," said Fujino. "Our customers have shared that this aircraft is not only high performance, but intelligent, fun to fly and very sophisticated. HondaJet deliveries in Europe have begun, and we are excited to see the HondaJet enter service in this important market."

HondaJet sales began in Europe after significant interest by customers wanting to own the world's most advanced light jet. The HondaJet received its type certificate from the United States Federal Aviation Administration in December 2015. Deliveries have included customers in the U.S., Mexico and Europe.

Patrick Ky, EASA Executive Director declared: "This certification shows that the HA-420 HondaJet fully complies with the most stringent European safety regulations and paves the way for its entry into service. It is the culmination of a particularly successful collaboration between Honda Aircraft Company and EASA. I wish a long and safe life in service to the HA-420."

Honda Aircraft Company has established a strong dealer network to provide customers with the best service and support from day one. In Europe, Honda Aircraft has appointed three industry leaders with the expertise, service and capabilities to provide the highest level of customer service for HondaJet customers: Marshall Aviation Services (Northern Europe); Rheinland Air Service (Central Europe); and TAG Aviation SA (Southern Europe).

The HondaJet is the world's most advanced light jet, and its distinctive design incorporates advanced technologies and concepts. The HondaJet Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration, natural laminar flow wing, and composite fuselage were developed from long-term research activities. These innovations combine to make the HondaJet the fastest, most spacious and most fuel-efficient jet in its class.







The HondaJet flies at a maximum cruise speed of 422 knots (486 mph) and has a maximum altitude of 43,000 feet. The aircraft is certified for single pilot operation and can seat up to six passengers. It is priced at $4.85 million (U.S.) and has an NBAA IFR range of 1,223 nautical miles (1,408 miles).

About HondaJet

The HondaJet is the fastest, highest-flying, quietest, and most fuel-efficient jet in its class. The HondaJet incorporates many technological innovations in aviation design, including the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration that dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The OTWEM design also reduces cabin sound, minimizes ground-detected noise, and allows for the roomiest cabin in its class, the largest baggage capacity, and a fully serviceable private aft lavatory. The HondaJet is equipped with the most sophisticated glass flight deck available in any light business jet, a Honda-customized Garmin G3000 The HondaJet is Honda's first commercial aircraft and lives up to the company's reputation for superior performance, efficiency, quality and value.

For more information about the HondaJet, visit www.HondaJet.com.

About Honda Aircraft Company

Honda Aircraft Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Founded in 2006, Honda Aircraft's world headquarters is located in North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation. The challenging spirit upon which Mr. Soichiro Honda founded Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is alive today as Honda Aircraft fulfills one of Honda's longstanding dreams to advance human mobility skyward.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 24

By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) received 138.6 billion cubic meters of gas (bcm) from Turkmenistan through a pipeline, commissioned in 2009, CNPC said May 24.

Over 92 bcm of this volume were supplied by Turkmengas state concern and more than 46 bcm - from the Bagtiyarlyk contract area where CNPC has been working since 2007.

The gas production increased in Bagtiyarlyk field after a gas processing plant was commissioned, the message said.

Currently, the production capacity reached the daily production of 47.9 million cubic meters. The total volume of investments made in the project in the Bagtiyarlyk contract area reached $5.93 billion.

China National Petroleum Corporation has started purchasing gas from this region since 2009 after the commissioning of first two branches (A and B) from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The third branch (C) running on this route was commissioned in May 2013.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 23

By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:

Kazakhstan plans to construct an oil terminal in its Kuryk port in the future, the Kazakh National Transport and Logistics Center told Trend May 23.

However, no timeframe of the terminal's construction was revealed.

Transshipment of oil from the port of Kuryk will also be carried out by a ferry complex, which is now under construction.

"The main destinations of oil transportation through the Kuryk port's ferry terminal are Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Estonia and Latvia," said the Center.

As of today, cargo transportation by ferries from Kazakhstan to the ports of the Caspian littoral states is possible only through the port of Aktau.

The ferry terminal at that port has been working at the limit of its capacity for the recent years.

Kazakhstan plans to increase transit transportation from the current 18 million tons of cargo to 33 million tons in 2020 and to 50 million tons in 2030.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Oh, Terry.

Virginias party boy-turned-governor Terry McAuliffe, a longtime friend and confidant of the Clintons, is being investigated by the FBI and Department of Justice for potentially taking illegal campaign contributions.

The governors office told CNN, which broke the story, that it was not aware the investigation was under way and that it would cooperate if asked. Details are vague, but the investigation involves Chinese billionaire businessman Wang Wenliang, who now has the rare distinction of causing problems for both McAuliffe and Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Its complicatedand it highlights just how much Clinton and McAuliffes questionable shared connections haunt their political dreams.

The investigation also involves the Clinton Foundation, according to CNN. CBS reported last year that Wangs company, Rilin Enterprises, pledged in 2013 to give the organization $2 million. CNN noted that there is no allegation of impropriety on the foundations part and that McAuliffe formerly served on its board. Last year, the foundations decision to accept Wangs companys pledge drew pointed criticism because of Wangs ties to the Chinese governmentthe billionaire used to be a delegate to the countrys parliament.

Indirectly the Clinton Foundation has political influence, thats why people give to it, Jim Mann, former Beijing bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, told CBS. People give to the Clinton Foundation particularly because it is the Clintons and because they are prominent politicians in the United States.

The Department of Justice and the FBI both declined to discuss their investigation with The Daily Beast, and a spokesperson for McAuliffe said the governor would cooperate.

Wang and his company have spent big to influence American politics$1.4 million from 2012 to 2015 to lobby Congress and the State Department, according to CBSs estimate. And Dandong Port Co., a subsidiary of Rilin Enterprises, has hired former politicos to lobby for its interests, as lobbying disclosure forms show.

It has also shelled out for nongovernmental efforts, including a grant to New York University in 2010 to create a center for U.S.-China Relations, as well as a grant to launch the Zbigniew Brzezinski Institute on Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in 2014.

Rilin Enterprises isnt the first Chinese business to get mixed up in McAuliffe problems. McAuliffe and Tony Rodham, Hillary Clintons brother, courted Chinese investors for the troubled electric car company GreenTech Automotive. Politico called Rodham a kind of traveling salesman for the company.

During McAuliffes 2013 gubernatorial campaign, his work with the company became a liabilityespecially because of allegations that McAuliffe and Rodham used their political connections to unfairly expedite the visa process for their investors. The Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general issued a report in 2015 saying a top official there, Alejandro Mayorkas, made an appearance of favoritism and special access.

Mayorkas intervened in an administrative appeal related to the denial of a regional centers application to receive EB-5 funding to manufacture electric cars through investments in a company in which Terry McAuliffe was the board chairman, the report says. The intervention was unprecedented and, because of the political prominence of the individuals involved, as well as USCISs traditional deference to its administrative appeals process, staff perceived it as politically motivated.

Mayorkas denied the allegations, according to Politico, and hasnt faced any criminal charges. GreenTech, meanwhile, has also drawn scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

McAuliffes problems often rope in the Clintons, as in the case of Tony Rodham and GreenTech, because of his longtime status as a close confidant of Bill and Hillary. He co-chaired Bill Clintons 1996 presidential re-election bid and Hillarys 2008 presidential campaign. Bill Clinton has praised McAuliffe as a smooth-talking operator, once saying he could talk an owl out of a tree, according to The New York Times.

Absolutely, I would buy a new car from Terry, Clinton told Times reporter Mark Leibovich in 2012. But a used car? I am not so sure about a used car.
It seemed like an outpouring of veteran anger against Donald Trump: over a dozen former service members protesting outside Trump Tower.

But the reality was more complicated. The protest was actually a coordinated effort, led in part by the Hillary Clinton campaign, to embarrass her Republican rival for his failed efforts to raise money for veterans. It only looked like a grassroots demonstration.

A spokesman for the demonstrators insisted they had no affiliation with any campaign. Later he said the protesters had reached out to the Clinton campaign for press contacts, but thats all. Then the activist finally admitted that, yes, the Clinton campaign had helped organize the protest.

It all started over the weekend, after The Washington Post broke the news that Trump had not raised the $6 million for veterans groups he promised earlier this year. (His campaign manager acknowledged the figure was less but has given conflicting accounts on how much less.) The Trump campaigns admission followed months of silence to reporter questions on where the money had gone, since millions had been unaccounted for.

The Clinton campaign swiftly organized a conference call for Saturday, led by the Clinton campaigns veterans and military families outreach director, Jonathan Murray. According to one of the people on that call, participants were told that the Clinton campaign should not be seen viewed as behind the organizer of the protest.

At Mondays protest, Marine veteran and Clinton supporter Alexander McCoy served as a spokesman for the demonstratorsand went to great lengths to hide the Clinton campaigns involvement with organizing the demonstration.

Were not affiliated with any campaign, were not affiliated with any organization, McCoy told reporters, saying the protesters used grassroots organizing techniques, we came together over social media.

McCoy later told The Daily Beast he reached out to the Clinton campaign to obtain press contacts but denied that Clinton staffers had been involved in organizing the event.

Then, reached by phone after the event, McCoy acknowledged that the Clinton campaign organized the conference call bringing together possible attendees to the protest.

The Clinton campaign initially played down its role in the event, but Murray later said in a statement to The Daily Beast: [W]e were more than happy to lend some logistical support to the activists who organized todays protest and well be happy to do the same for any other veterans who want to speak out against Trumps shameful disrespect.

An organizer who participated in Saturdays Clinton campaign-led conference call also said McCoy had discouraged the participation of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) or other major veterans groups to prevent them from claiming the limelight.

McCoy disputed that characterization, telling The Daily Beast he expressed concern on the call about Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America members showing up in IAVA T-shirts, which could send a confused message about the focus of the protest. There was no attempt to block IAVA or other veterans groups, he said.

Nevertheless, one veterans organizer said, the result was an astroturfed political stunt rather than an expression of grassroots outrage.

Trump has time after time fucked us over, said the frustrated organizer. But what are we doing here? Why was the protest organized this way? Why were veterans groups shut out? Its disappointing.

Trump has failed to follow through on raising $6 million for veterans after months of refusing to answer questions about the funds.

But Mondays demonstrationattended by between 15 and 20 individualswas a disjointed effort that squandered an opportunity to hold him accountable after months of obfuscation.

Approximately $3 million of that fundraising has been accounted for: In early March, CNN was able to track down $2.9 million, citing the Trump campaign. In early April, The Wall Street Journal traced $2.4 million of the promised funds.

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign appeared unwilling to assist in accounting for the funds: I could ask, but its not high on my priority list, Al Baldasaro, Trump campaigns adviser for veterans issues, told The Daily Beast last month.

Donald Trump, who is allegedly a billionaire, repeatedly boasted on the campaign trail that his January event raised $6 million for veterans charities, and yet four months later, hes still refusing to make good on that promise. And thats just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his contempt for those who have served, Murray said.

The Trump campaigns rocky relations with veterans began early, when he dismissed Sen. John McCains reputation as a war hero, despite the former presidential candidates record as a prisoner of war.

I like people that werent captured, OK? Trump said in July. The remarks incensed veterans groups, who were quick to point out that Trump avoided military service through an intricate series of student and medical deferments.

Despite these early insults, Trump has made veterans a cornerstone of his campaign rhetoricat least outwardly. But while he often claims to raise money for veterans, even skipping a televised debate to host a purported pro-military fundraiser , his donations fall far short of the figures he boasts of raising on the campaign trail.

Had it been better organized, or more inclusive, the Monday protest might have attracted a higher turnout.

For about an hour, some 15 or 20 veterans packed the crowded sidewalk outside Trump Tower, as Trump fans and tourists jostled around them to enter the building that doubles as Trumps home and campaign headquarters. Some passers-by jeered at the veterans. Trump! Trump! Trump! chanted two women in Make America Great Again hats, while a third woman in a Trump Tower souvenir hat shouted that the protesters were a disgrace.

The veterans demonstrated for approximately an hour, demanding an apology from Trump and waving signs reading Trumpty Dumpty didnt serve. Trumpty Dumpty broke his word and Veterans are not props for hate.

Despite the abundant sunshine, the group of anti-Trump protesters felt what at first seemed like rain on their parade. High up on Trump Tower, a window-washer was at work, liberally splashing water down on the veterans gathered on the street to protest the Republican presidential candidate.

Someones emptying their chamberpot, one of the veterans remarked, nodding up at the falling water.
Read Part 1: Kris Jenner and the Shady Crew Behind Her $105,000-a-Year Business School

Read Part 2: What Trump Knew About Kardashian U

Read Part 3: How the School for Gods Seduced America

Kris Jenners new business school, Legacy Business School, began scrubbing content from its social media pages on Monday, hours after The Daily Beast reported claims by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) that the organization is the rebranded European School of Economics, which had been operating a campus in New York State illegally for years.

The Kardashian mom is the new chairwoman and face of the school, which is based in Trump Tower and costs up to $105,360 per year for a non-degree certificate. Legacy Business Schools Facebook and Instagram pages had been deleted and marked as private respectively on Monday afternoon.

When a Daily Beast reporter reached out to a Legacy Business Schools spokesperson about the pulldown, Sana Javaid of Rubenstein Public Relations responded over an hour later.

Just seeing your note. Went online and everything seems up? Javaid said.

By then, the schools pages had returned with several recent posts deleted.

The schools most recent post, from May 12tha picture of Jenner, Keeping Up with the Kardashians Producer Carla DiBello, and ESE and Legacy CEO Alessandro Nomellini at the schools Dubai campus launch last monthwas deleted.

When asked if there was any reason why those posts were deleted, Javaid responded, Dont work on social. Pressed for a response from someone who does work on social media, Javaid said shed make an inquiry.

The school hadnt responded at press time. The school had repeatedly declined to comment on The Daily Beasts original story about its relationship with the European School of Economics and that institutions troubled history.

As The Daily Beast reported on Monday, the New York State Education Department claims that the European School of Economics applied to change its name to Legacy Business School in 2016, after years of operating a campus in New York without legally necessary permission from the states Board of Regents.

Court records revealed that European School of Economics has also been sued a dozen times in the United States in the past decade for failure to pay off debts. Lawsuits filed against the schools Madrid campus allege that teachers were never paid dues. (In 2014, one lecturer won a 25,100 euro judgment from the insolvent satellite school.)

Jenner launched Legacy Business School at a press conference in Dubai last month, with plans to its UAE campus next year. The schools website is still active and accepting applications.

The webpage for The International School of New York, the name briefly adopted by Jenner and Co. in 2015 but seemingly abandoned after the rebranding attempt, was also pulled from the Internet by Monday evening. The page, which used to feature photos of Jenner and Italian fashion designer Valentino at ESEs gala, now displays a 404 error, but a cached version of the page still exists, for now.
Its not just chokers, flatforms, and PC campus revolt. The 90s revival has made its way to the presidential election, too.

With Hillary Clinton likely to be the Democratic nominee, the women who long agoin a far less survivor-friendly environment than 2016accused Bill Clinton of rape and sexual misconduct are being trotted out by the conservative media once again.

They may find a broader audience, however, among todays young women, who take a believe first, vet later approach to rape allegations.

On Monday night, Sean Hannity, the conservative radio host and Fox News anchor whos assumed a friendly supporting role on Donald Trumps campaign, invited Juanita Broaddrick, a former Arkansas nursing home administrator; Paula Jones, a one-time Arkansas state employee; and Kathleen Willey, a Clinton White House volunteer, onto his radio program to discuss their claims against the former president of the United States.

Its hard for me to say the word rape. I always usually say sexual assault, Broaddrick, who claimed on Dateline NBC in 1999 that she had been raped by Bill Clinton two decades earlier in Arkansas, said Monday. But rape is the perfect terminology for what happened.

Hannity, making his angle clear, retorted: Hillary Clinton once said that women who make allegations should be believed and trusted. I guess, except in the case of anybody who makes an accusation against her husband.

Exactly, Broaddrick said. She doesnt want to hear that.

Earlier Monday, Trump released a campaign adon Instagramwith the caption Is Hillary really protecting women?

In black and white, the 20-second clip opens with audio of Bill Clintons accusers discussing their alleged rapes and assaults while a photo of him, smoking a cigar, comes into focus.

The shot then cuts to a photo of Hillary and Bill together, laughing. Here we go again? it asks, as a snippet of Hillary cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West plays menacingly.

Its not very subtle, but subtlety has never been Trumps thingand lest you forget its a Trump production, the last few seconds of the video are of Trumps logo: TRUMP: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

As The Daily Beast has previously reported, Trump has at his disposal several books full of what amounts to opposition research at his disposal for his race against Clintonchief among them The Clintons War on Women, written by his longtime adviser Roger Stone, a former Nixon aide, a text that focuses on Bills alleged sexual misdeeds and Hillarys alleged actions to prevent their reveal or slander the women revealing them. (In response to The Daily Beasts reporting, Trump told The New York Times Maureen Dowd he was unaware of Stones book, despite having advertised it on Twitter when it was released.)

Broaddrick, Willey, and Jones have been resurfacing every now and again for at least the last yearmostly in conservative media and also on website of the Daily Mail, the popular British tabloid.

In July, Willey, who made her claims against Clinton in a 1998 episode of 60 Minutes, unveiled a website, aScandalaDay.com, that asked victims of Clinton to come forward. Willey has not responded to several interview requests over the last 10 months from The Daily Beast to discuss her endeavor and her alleged assault.

Hannity and the rest of Clintons opponents political motives notwithstanding, its undoubtedly worth considering how their claims might be viewed if they were brought against a sitting president today, in an environment so accepting of all accusers stories that a young woman was able to pull a vast hoax on Rolling Stone magazine, the University of Virginia, and much of the general public in November 2014 by making a fraudulent claim of rape to a reporter.

Back in the 90s, Broaddrick, Jones, and Willey were swiftly dismissed and derided by much of the mainstream press and feminist establishment, the latter of which sought to protect a president and first lady sympathetic to their cause.

When he assaulted Juanita, he was the attorney general, Hannity said to Willey. When he did this with Paula, hes the governor. Now hes the president of the United States. He knew you, correct?

Willey recounted her financial straits at the time, and how she approached Clinton for a job. I was criticized horribly by all of the feminists, she said.

On top of that we have consensual incidences, Hannity said. The affair with Gennifer Flowers and other women, and then the whole Monica Lewinsky thing comes up! So youre talking about a serial predator. Thats what the three of you are describing, not somebody thats changed over time.

Hannity did not reply to an email from The Daily Beast inquiring whether he planned to cover Trumps affairs or the rape allegation made against him and later recantednot an atypical decision for a survivorby his first wife, Ivana.
ROME  Last February, when Googles European Chief Matt Brittin was asked by a UK public accounts commission what his salary was, he said he couldnt recall. I dont have that figure in front of me, he told Meg Hiller, the committee chairman, in a televised hearing. You dont know what you get paid, Mr. Brittin? she demanded. After Brittin, who also heads Googles operations in the Middle East and Africa, hemmed and hawed, she let it go, making the point to the executive that the rest of the taxpayers in the UK live in a very different world than you do.

Indeed, it would seem that being cagey about the bottom line is a Google skill set that has been employed by a number of multinational companies all across Europe. Nowhere was that more apparent than in Paris on Tuesday morning, where more than 100 tax officials with the French internal revenue service known as the Direction Generale des Finances stormed Googles Paris office under police guard to find out just how much Google makes in France. They were so concerned that Google execs would hide their accountancy that they even used clandestine communication means to make the plans, fearful that someone might tip the search engine giant.

According to French media, Google faces charges of tax evasion and money laundering and fines of up to $1.8 billion. Google did not respond to calls for a comment on the matter.

This is not the first time Google has been in hot water over its taxes in Europe. Last January, the Italian financial police launched a similar probe, estimating that the company owed Italy some $247.5 million in unpaid taxes and a further $225 million on unclaimed royalties earned in the country over the past five years. According to Italian officials, Google failed to disclose 600 million worth of royalties.

The French financial fiasco stems from a testy debate between Google and the United Kingdom tax authorities that went on for more than six years and ended with an audit settlement on back taxes earlier this year. Google had to pay around $190 million in back taxes, which boils down to a corporate tax rate of less than 18 percent (and by some estimates based on its estimated profits just 2.4 percent), far lower than what most British businesses pay the Crown. (The figure is about ten times less than what the French are apparently hoping to get the search engine giant to pay.)

Googles European headquarters is located in Dublin, Ireland, which has the lowest corporate tax rates of any European nation, and, perhaps not surprisingly, where multinational companies like Apple, Facebook, and Dell keep their European headquarters, too. What makes Google unique is that its holding company is reportedly actually in Bermuda where there is no corporate income tax at all. Google is not under investigation regarding its substantial American tax bills, which is not being called into question.

But Dublin is apparently where all of Googles European profits (mostly from advertising) are made, despite operational centers in many other countries, including Italy and France. Last January, after Google settled with the UK, the European Commissions regulator said it was considering opening a pan-European investigation after receiving a tax complaint about the settlement and questions about just which countries Google is reporting its profits.

Margrethe Vestager, the European Unions Competition Commissioner, told BBC Radio that she couldnt look back on the settlement Google reached with the UK tax authorities. But, she implied, if there was something new to investigate shed certainly look into it. If we find that there is something to be concerned aboutif someone writes to us and says, well, this is maybe not as it should bethen we will take a look, she said.

Google is certainly not the only multinational company operating in Europe that is under scrutiny for creative accounting when it comes to taxes. According to a report in Forbes, Apple is being investigated for back taxes of about $8 billion and Starbucks could face fines and back taxes of more than $20 million. Even IKEA, which is a European company, is being probed for more than $1 billion worth of tax discrepancies by creatively moving money to a subsidiary, according to the Forbes expose.

Part of Googles trouble stems from a pan-European financial system that doesnt exactly demand transparency. Late last January, 31 European nations signed an agreement set forth by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that mandated that all European nations share vital tax information and that all multinational companies are required to disclose how much tax and for what profits they pay in each European country. And even though the initial agreement was signed, it has not yet been implemented, meaning companies like Google still may be allowed to beat a very flawed system.
One January evening as the tepid winter heat was beginning to subside across Singapore, a stranger walked into the Lam Hong Aquarium Shop. The owner, a bespectacled woman named Tay Chai Eng, knew most of her patrons, but she had never seen this man before. He was in his early thirtiesyoung enough to be her sonand carrying a bucket of water. He was also concealing a six-inch knife.

The moment Tay turned her back, the man plunged his hand into a tank, then raced out the door and into the parking lot. The older woman took off in frantic pursuit, catching the thief and latching onto his free arm like a barnacle. He dropped the bucket to punch her. It was just what she wantednot the broken glasses or sliced cheek, but the five tiny young fish that spilled onto the asphalt, glinting like gold in the low rays of the sun.

These were Asian arowana, the worlds most expensive aquarium fish. In Chinese, theyre known as long yu, the dragon fish. Four of them died that day. The one that survived is now two feet long, its sinuous body plated with large scales as shiny and round as coins. A pair of whiskers juts from its lower lip, and two gauzy pectoral fins extend from its sides, suggesting a dragon in flight. This resemblance has led to the belief that the species brings prosperity and good fortune, that it will even commit suicide by jumping out of its tank to prevent the death of its owner. Across Asia, tycoons boast of dropping six figures on the finest specimens. In the United States, the fish is protected by the Endangered Species Actthough a thriving black market persists. One Wall Street banker wept when authorities confiscated his illegal fish.

How did a primitive predator from the swamps of Southeast Asia become such a coveted commodity? When I first began researching the fish, I expected to hear much about feng shui. I did. Ultimately, however, my reporting pointed me toward a more surprising storythe history of the species as a test case in conservation. In the mid-70s, when the Asian arowana was still eaten more often than kept as a pet, its population was found to be declining due to overfishing and habitat loss. Consequently, the fish landed on the first Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Today CITES is one of the largest conservation agreements in the world, regulating the movement of some 35,000 species across the borders of 186 member states. The animals and plants on Appendix I are considered the rarest of the rare and generally banned from international trade. In the case of the Asian arowana, however, the listing seemed to backfire, propelling the species into the spotlight as a limited edition.

Paradoxically, declaring a species endangered may make it more desirable and thereby increase the likelihood of exploitation, according to a study led by French conservation biologist Franck Courchamp, who elsewhere has pointed to the example of rhinos: After rhinos were moved to Appendix I, the value of their horn quadrupled in Korea, which led to a sharp spike in poaching. A similar phenomenon afflicts reptiles and amphibians in the exotic pet trade, where animals listed on CITES fetch a premium price.

Economic theory has long held that trade alone is unlikely to drive a species to extinction, because of the rising cost of finding the last individuals of a dwindling population. Courchamp, however, proposes a new model that integrates a basic facet of human behavior well-known to economists since Adam Smiththe paradox of value, otherwise known as the water and diamonds paradox. While water has tremendous practical value, its worth nothing in exchange. Rare animals are the opposite, like diamonds. Their inflated value drives their exploitation, causing them to become ever rarer and hence more desirable until theyre sucked into an extinction vortex.

One solution is to scrub species of the sheen of rarity, scrapping bans in favor of sustainable trade. This approach produced one of the greatest conservation success stories of the 20th century: the resurrection of crocodilians, which were rescued from the brink through ranching programs in which eggs are collected from the wild and reared in captivity for skins. Some biologists such as Courchamp argue that this model is the best way to save rhinos whose horns could be harvested like wool. Others warn that for ranching to work as a conservation tool it must place a value on the preservation of wild populations. Without that link, were likely to be left with an oxymoron like the Asian arowana: a mass-produced endangered species. Bred by the hundreds of thousands on high-security farms protected by nested walls, barbed wire, and rottweilers that prowl the perimeters at night, the fish has all but disappeared from nature.

Emily Voigt is a journalist specializing in science and culture. She is the author of the just published book The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the Worlds Most Coveted Fish. Learn more at www.emilyvoigt.com.
There has always been a funny smell about the 2007 sale of Sunninghill Park, the house near Windsor Castle that was given by the Queen as a wedding present to Prince Andrew.

Its not often that you can accuse the British newspaper the Mail on Sunday of understatement.

But with their opening salvo in what became a sustained attack on the credibility and probity of Britains least popular member of the royal family, Prince Andrew, in the Mail on Sunday this weekend, they were guilty of that rarest of tabloid crimes.

For the truth is that the sale of Prince Andrews former marital home house, dubbed SouthYork for its perceived Dallas-like vulgarity, seems distinctly murky.

The long version of events makes for fascinating reading for royal nerds, but the short version is equally gobsmacking and simply put: after languishing unsold on the market for several years, Sunninghill Park was sold for 3m above its 12m asking price to a Kazakh billionaire. It was then left to rot, unoccupied, for eight further years before finally being pulled down a few months ago.

Andrew was a regular visitor to Kazakhstan at the time of the sale as part of his role as UK Special Representative for Trade and Investment. He even went goose-hunting with then-President Nazarbayev, who just so happens to be the father in law of Timur Kulibayev, the buyer of his house.

For many months Andrew and the palace sought to hide the identity of Kulibayev, but the truth eventually came out due to dogged press reporting.

To cement the unappetizing nature of the deal, it was widely suspected that Prince Andrew was at the very least good friends with Goga Ashkenazi, a Russian socialite who had an affair with Kulibayev and is the father of his two children, at the time of the sale.

It has always been very clear that the deeply suspicious deal at the very least exposed Andrew to accusations of corruption. The Kazakhs appeared to be buying their way into Andrews affections.

When challenged on the issue, the palace has always insisted that the deal was legitimate and that Andrew was merely fortunate to get such a good price for the house.

Well, yes, there is certainly no denying that.

However, where the palace has now been tripped up by the Mail is in its long held claim that Andrew was effectively blind when it came to the sale, that he had absolutely nothing to do with the sale, that it was simply a straight transaction between the trust that owned Sunninghill and the trust that bought it.

That claim, reiterated by Andrews spokespeople to the Daily Beast, has been seriously undermined by a leaked email in the Mails possession which shows that Amanda Thirsk--then a junior aide but now a senior member of Andrews team--allegedly discussed interior design and security arrangements with the Kazakhs, in a clear attempt to push the deal through.

She also secured a deal for Mr Kulibayev to lease two fields next to the mansion from the Crown Estate for a standard grazing rent, the Daily Mail revealed (although it was ultimately not taken up).

Ms Thirsk had a face to face meeting in July 2007 with a Kazakh financier, Kenges Rakishev, to run over a number of details regarding the sale, the Mail says, and she then emailed Mr Rakishev on July 16 2007 to say: It is not possible to organize armed security in the UK unless it is provided by the police.

That Andrews people were sending such emails and taking such meetings can hardly be described as Andrew having nothing to do with the sale.

The Daily Mail also claimed that in the same email Ms Thirsk suggested that the buyer might like to hire Annabel Hall, the owner of a firm called Private Lives, to do the interior design of the mansion.

The Mail alleged that Ms. Hall duly emailed the following week, saying it would be a pleasure to give the property a facelift since it needs imaginative transformation from a tired, empty house into a warm and beautiful home for a young family.

Although the palace would make no comment beyond the routine statement to the Daily Beast (The sale of Sunninghill Park was a straight commercial transaction between the trust which owned the house and the trust which bought it.), the Independent appears to have been briefed that Andrew will simply attempt to brazen it out once again. The paper says: It is understood that Buckingham Palace does not believe that the emails allegedly uncovered by the Mail show the Duke of York or his private office actively engaging in negotiations over the Sunninghill sale. They are seen as merely showing someone in the Dukes private office putting relevant parties in contact with each other without actively negotiating over the transaction.

In an amusing coda, Andrew subsequently attempted to get his Kazakh contacts bank accounts with Coutts, the Queens bankers, a move which his office claimed to the Mail was part of his remit as a business ambassador to drum up trade for British companies.

But a source at Coutts told the Mail: Kazakh oligarchs are the sort of people we generally dont touch with a bargepole.

Chris Bryant MP, a former Foreign Office minister, told The Telegraph: This confirms what many people suspected about Prince Andrew. He has very questionable tastes when it comes to his business relationships. When I was at the Foreign Office it was very difficult to see in whose interests he was acting. He doesnt exactly add lustre to the Royal diadem.
The family of a teenage student at a boarding school in St. Louis, Missouri alleges when it discovered a staff member had allegedly had sex with her more than 40 timesincluding orgies and sadomasochismthe elite institution tried to tie the girls hands.

Phoebe McVey, a former teacher at The Principia School school, is suing for wrongful termination after she said she was fired for reporting Zachary Retzlaff, 30, a computer network administrator, to police for having sex with her 16-year-old daughter. The school said she was laid off due to exceptionally low enrollment.

Not only did Principia terminate McVey, the son of the schools legal counsel became the girls lawyer.

Warren Popp was retained by the teen and they filed a protection order against her parents, according to the teens current attorney, Rebecca Grosser. Popp also filed an affidavit with the girl where she retracted previous statements given to police that she was sexually abused and swearing she would not testify against Retzlaff, Grosser confirmed.

It was done with the previous attorney and that was clearly not in my clients best interest, Grosser told The Daily Beast, adding she never would have filed that.

The McVeys filed a civil lawsuit against the school in October 2015 on behalf of their daughter, alleging that Principia induced her to sign an affidavit replete with factual omissions for [Principias] benefit. (The lawsuit was withdrawn when the girl turned 18 in February.)

Popp disputed that in an interview with The Daily Beast.

I was very cautious with my client and took all the steps necessary to ensure there was no actual conflict of interest in representing my client with the appropriate amount of loyalty and advocacy she deserves, he said.

While Principia refused to respond to any specific allegation, a spokeswoman in a statement to The Daily Beast claimed the prep school will defend itself against these baseless allegations in court.

Retzlaff told The Daily Beast the allegations against him are overblown.

From my perspective its not accurate, he said.

Retzlaff is awaiting trial for statutory rape and has been free on bail since August.

The McVeys refused requests for interviews, but the sexual abuse lawsuit and the wrongful termination lawsuit say a lot more about what they claim happened to the daughter and her mother at the hands of Retzlaff and Principia.

***

It took one text message allegedly from Retzlaff to upend McVeys family.

I didnt want you to find out like this. I wanted to tell you when she was 18, Retzlaff said, according to Phoebe McVeys sister Crystal Mueller.

The economics teacher was chaperoning a class trip in New Hampshire on May 21, 2015 when Retzlaff, then 30, allegedly confessed to sex with her underage daughter, who was 16 at the time.

McVey says she called police the next day and alerted Principias administrators, with whom she originally seemed satisfied based off their initial response.

She told me, The school is contacting me and letting me know theyre going to investigate it so I will finish my duties here, Mueller, said.

The school said it supported McVey going to the cops. Principias Dean of Students encouraged the girls parents to also contact and work with law enforcement, the school said in a statement.

Four days later, McVey drove her daughter to a St. Louis police station where she gave details of the year-long alleged sex abuse.

According to the withdrawn sex abuse lawsuit against the school, Retzlaff became friendly with the McVeys after his wife Juliana died on Feb. 1, 2014. The widower and father utilized the girls help with his children including cleaning the house after the children had gone to sleep, according to the lawsuit.

At some point during this time period is when [Retzlaff] began sexually assaulting Ms. [Jane] Doe, the lawsuit continued.

Retzlaff did not merely sexually assault a minor child more than 40 times; he introduced her to and practiced S&M on her, the lawsuit claimed. Retzlaff preferred to inflict pain on the 16-year-old girl and during several of the sexual assaults [Retzlaff] choked Ms. Doe with his hands until she lost consciousness.

Once the girl was incapacitated, the lawsuit claimed Retzlaff would begin engaging in vaginal intercourse with her while she was passed out so that when she awoke, his penis was already inside her.

Retzlaff even invited other minors to join him in group sex with Ms. Doe, according to the lawsuit.

But the attempt at some sort of underage bacchanal backfired.

On several occasions, these minors chose to flee the group sex session because the sexual acts [Retzlaff] was performing on Ms. Doe became so extreme, according to the lawsuit.

The school counters, in their statement, that whatever happened between the teen and their employee, they are in the clear.

Nothing improper occurred at Principia or during school hours She first met Retzlaff at a friends home, not at Principia. Principia had no control of the girls out-of-school time or activities.

But Retzlaff shouldnt have even been working there in the first place, the lawsuit claimed, because he had been allegedly pulled out of working at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois where it was common knowledge he was drinking and having sex with at least two students. Principia knew [Retzlaff] was engaging in these inappropriate sexual acts and was turning a blind eye to his behavior, the McVeys complaint claimed.

Meanwhile, the teen has since run away from home and alienated her entire family to try to be with Retzlaff and raise his children, the lawsuit said.

The girl even considered dropping out to complete her senior year of high school online to achieve her new goal to finish high school as quickly as possible so she could marry [Retzlaff], abandon her education and care for his three sons, the lawsuit said.

Before she was allegedly victimized, the girl was a promising student who planned to take her 4.0 GPA to nearby Webster University and become an elementary school teacher, the lawsuit continued. Instead, her grades dived, she avoided her mom, ditched her friends, and even stopped spending much time with her sister with whom she would do everything.

On July 22, 2015, Retzlaff was indicted by a grand jury for statutory rape, and two days later Principia terminated McVey, citing low enrollment, and evicted the family from campus, according to the wrongful-termination lawsuit.

The pink slip came just months after after Principias president Dr. Jonathan Palmer said how grateful he was for McVeys faithful and loyal service on behalf of our students in a Feb. 6 contract renewal letter, which was an exhibit in the wrongful termination lawsuit. And just two months prior to McVeys firing, Palmer in a separate letter attached to the lawsuit promised a pay raise worth just over $1,200 in recognition of your contribution to Principias overall progress.

Principia comes out of this Christian Science religion and yet Ive never seen people act dirtier than they did, said one source close to the family.

After the girl filed a protection order against her parents with the son of the schools legal counsel, she moved in with the family of her friend whose father is Principia creative writing teacher Ridley Pearson. (Pearson, a published author, boasts on his bio of being a silent contributor to an FBI task force charged with the manhunt for the Washington, D.C. sniper.)

When she was a minor she never lived with us, Pearsons wife, Marcelle, said. I know her parents thought she did, but we kept telling them she didnt.

According to the protection order, seen in court documents, the girls residence was listed as Retzlaffs home address.

The St. Louis County Prosecutors Office said that even if the central witness absconds, the criminal case against Retzlaff can still remain viable.

It doesnt make a difference if the victim doesnt want to testify, the prosecutor can still decide to proceed with the case, spokesman Edward Magee said.

Retzlaff swatted the attempts by the McVeys to attack his character and suggested that it is Phoebe and her husband Michael who should be scrutinized.

There is a lot I could tell you about the McVey parents, he said, without elaborating. There were many reasons why they should have been removed from campus.

Retzlaff may be pointing to the schools motion to dismiss the McVeys original lawsuit filed back on Oct. 16, 2015, which marred the parents as miffed and money-hungry, hoping to extort money from [Principia].

Counter to the damning claims Principia accused the McVeys of trying to settle this case for over $9,000,000.00 without their daughters consent and pointed to disturbing Face Book [sic] postings made by Jane Doe regarding her parents and their treatment of her soon after she filed for an order of protection.

Not only did the school act quickly (Retzlaff was terminated once the school investigated the alleged sex assaults, they say), McVey was laid off due to particularly low enrollment in the home-economics classes she was scheduled to teach in the fall, it became clear in July 2015 that Principia had no choice but to cancel her classes, resulting in the elimination of her position.

The statement went on to paint McVey as a lawsuit-happy, disgruntled teacher hoping to cash in.

Principia believes the former employee is continuing to attempt to benefit from her daughters after-school, off-campus relationship with Zachary Retzlaff...

Either way, the McVeys have lost their daughter.

Phoebe and her family get evicted and they land all over the country, Mueller, the girls aunt, said. Its very difficult to watch her come here and cry everyday over the loss of her child.

Indeed, the McVeys are coming to grips to talking about their daughter in the past tense.

My sister and I talk about at some point giving up hope, Mueller said. Part of me doesnt want her to hang on to the hope that she will come back. Its paralyzing to some extent because you cant go forwards or backwards.

If the estranged teen ever returns home, she will return to unconditioned love.

I would tell her, I want whats best for you. Im not going to judge you. I will always welcome you with open arms and I understand how it all came about and how you fell into this zone, but there is so much more to life.
Donald Trump, sounding something like Bernie Sanders, says hes building a movement.

And in a sense, Trump is right. He is building a movement, of sorts, but not the kind that will help grow the Republ ican Party.

While Trump has won a record number of primary votes, he hasnt done that by creating new Republican voters. Instead, hes pulled GOP general election voters into the primaries by exciting white male voters like few candidates since Ronald Reagan.

Thats why, despite his historically bad numbers with non-white votersmore than three in four Hispanics and nearly nine in ten African-Americans dont like himTrump has been closing in on Hillary Clinton in national polls and in statewide surveys too, particularly when the white vote share is bumped up as it was in Quinnipiacs Ohio and Pennsylvania polls presuming a whiter electorate in those states in 2016 than in 2012.

Trump leads Clinton 52 percent to 36 percent among whites overall in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll; a figure driven by his 11-point lead with seniors, his nine-point advantage with men, and his five-point advantage with independents. And while the latter three figures are not broken down by race, Trumps terrible ratings with nonwhite voters make it clear what lies beneath the top lines.

With Trumps campaign, America has arrived at a moment that would be familiar in Europe, where ethno-nationalistic parties have surged in countries like France, Belgium and Austria, particularly as the crisis in Syria has driven Arab refugees onto the continent. In the U.S., the drivers of ethno-nationalism are different, but they are similarly related to the jarring impact of demographic change.

The exit polls from nearly two-dozen Republican primaries have yielded lots of data about who the Trump voters are, and the findings belie the myth that their anger is grounded in economic want. In fact, while they have lower incomes than Republicans who supported candidates like Marco Rubio or John Kasich, Trump voters are far from broketheir $72,000 average household income is will above the American average of is $56,000.

They are, instead, more like the profile of Tea Party voters; mostly 45 years of age and older, middle class, and a mix of non-college and some-college educated men and a smaller number of women who believe the country is dangerously off track.

Robert P. Jones of the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute has done extensive research into the why of the Trump rebellion, and it turns out to have more to do with demographic panic than economic panic.

Sixty-eight percent of Trump supporters believe American culture has become too soft and feminine; two-thirds say it bugs them when they engage with an immigrant who doesnt speak English (just 46 percent of Cruz voters said the same), and nearly half worry about themselves or their families becoming victims of a terrorist attack. Nearly six in ten Trump voters believe the federal government has paid too much attention to the plight of black and other nonwhite groups (vs. nearly four in ten Cruz supporters). And Trump voters overwhelmingly support banning Muslims from the U.S., while a plurality believe Islam is incompatible with American values.

According to PRRI, a majority of Trump supporters agree with the statements that America was better off 50 years agowhen white, Christian men were culturally ascendant, before womens lib and the big victories of the Civil Rights Movement, before busing and affirmative action and the liberalizing immigration actions of the federal government in 1965 and 1986.

Jones calls these voters, who are overwhelmingly white Protestant Christians, nostalgia voters. They are nostalgic for the America they believe existed before the tumult of the 1960s; when a white working class man could hold down a blue-collar job and take care of his family, with a secure job for life and a wife who stayed at home, kids who could go to an affordable college, and a retirement padded with a decent pension. Because that is not the America non-white Americans knew, they by and large feel more hopeful about the future, grounded in the knowledge that the country has come far enough to elect a black president.

But for nostalgic Trumpians, who a RAND Corporation March survey found express a sense of personal powerlessness, more than any other single trait, the future looks bleak indeed.

Thats why it doesnt matter what outrageous things Trump says or does. His most fervent supporters want someone who looks and sounds like them but who has the charisma and personal economic clout to shake things up on their behalf. They want someone who makes both a series of connected promises (a wall across the southern border that Mexico is somehow forced to pay for, a ban on Muslim migrants, and no more nation building in the Middle East), and a central one: to put people like them back on top, both here and around the world. With Mr. Trump in charge, they figure, the world will look at the U.S. with awe and fear again, and in a way; that means the world will look at them that way, too.

The trouble for the GOP is that for all the passion and fervor of the Trump moment, there simply arent enough of these voters left in the population for them to easily have their way. Unlike in midterm elections, when voters of color typically opt out, if turnout rates remain as they have over the last 20 years of presidential election cycles, it will be tough for him to grow his Trump bump of around 46 percent today, to above the 50 percent threshold.

Especially since white voters are themselves split, with a plurality continuing to side with Democrats on economic and cultural matters, from union support to the minimum wage to a more liberal view of economics, immigration and culture. Trump may well match or even exceed Mitt Romneys 59 percent white vote share in 2012, but hell likely need something more like Ronald Reagans never-since-equaled 66 percent in 1984 to overcome what could be an historic deficit with voters of color, who Pew Research estimates will comprise 30 percent of the electorate this year.

If Trump can do that, it will be a revolution indeed.
BRUSSELS  For two years, Mullah Mansour tried to hide the fact that the supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Omar, had died. And in those years, Mansour managed to keep the deadly Afghan insurgency going, even growing. But whatever satisfaction he might have taken from that feat did not last long. He had run the Taliban officially for only about 10 months when American drones blew him up in Pakistan last week near the Afghan border.

Whether that will make peace in Afghanistan easier to achieve, or more difficult, remains at this point an open queston.

I remember I first met Mullah Mansour in 1995, when the Taliban were just being created. He got in touch because he wanted me to cover his enlistment, along with his friends, in the fledgling Afghan organization.

The next day at a busy Peshawar bus station, I saw Mansour, wearing big sun glasses and a typical black Afghan turban, giving a short speech saying he and his group had finished their religious studies (taliban, you will recall, means students). They were on their way, he said, to join Mullah Omar in his drive to kick out the evil warlords tearing Afghanistan apart and to establish an Afghan government based on Sharia, Islamic law.

The next I heard, Mansour had become one of Mullah Omars key aides.

From day one, Mansour grabbed Mullah Omars attention, one of his old friends reminded me recently. He was put in charge of Taliban airport operations, and in 1997 and 1998 he went to Dubai and Europe to buy weapons from Russian weapons smugglers.

Mullah Mansour, as this friend put it, was smart, calm, and carried out his job successfully. So Mullah Omar appointed him the Taliban minister of civil aviation and he began a rise that would make him the head of the Afghan air force, such as it was, and minister of defense.

As Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun reported in their book on the notorious Russian arms dealer, Victor Bout, Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible, Mansour worked through a young mullah running the Afghan governments Ariana Airlines office in Sharjah, the emirate next to Dubai. The agents qualifications in aviation and arms dealing were negligible, but Mansour valued his unwavering loyalty, his stealth and discretion, and his years of fundamentalist religious training. Such, always, were Mansours criteria for advancement.

Another source high in Taliban ranks says Mullah Mansour showed the kind of modesty in his life that helps burnish legends among Afgjhans. He used to travel by old public transport, on bikes and in 70s model taxis, according to this source. He never kept bodyguards in Pakistan, amd would appear and disappear like some stealthy creature of the night.

More recently, when Pakistan put too much pressure on the Taliban, Mansour went to Iran to send a message to Pakistan that he and his organization could turn elsewhere for support. It worked, said this Taliban source. Pakistan calmed down. The United States looked askance at the Iran gambit as well.

The same senior Taliban source said Mansours loss is a critical blow, but said the Taliban is a religious movement, not one based on individuals, and its members have faith a new leader will replace the old, while policy will not change.

There is widespread speculation that Mansour might have been the best interlocutor for peace talks available on the Taliban side. Those close to him say that he was flexible about the idea of talks, in any case, even if he doubted the intentions and sincerity of the Afghan government.

His priority was to consolidate his power against internal troubles, then go for peace talks, said a member of the Taliban office in Qatar, which acts as a liaison in efforts to get a negotiated end to the war.

Most of the Afghan Taliban sources we could reach say that negotiations are like a tablet of poison for any future Taliban leader, since only a very strong one with firm backing could take the bold step of reconciliation. Hence Mullah Mansours death is likely to make the chances of peace even slimmer than they already were.

But there are few tears being shed for among officials in Kabul.

Amrullah Saleh, former head of Afghan intelligence, says a picture of the American drone that hit Mullah Mansour, the killer of innocent Afghans, should be placed in an Afghan museum as a symbol of justice.

Afg Democracy needs Drones 4 a while, Saleh tweeted.

An Afghan citizen from Kabul, Haji Yaseen, who lost his son in a Taliban bombing a few years back, says hed like to see Mulah Mansours drone-blasted body. It would remind him of his boy.

Thank God and America for taking revenge for my son, he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

Azerbaijan's Sangachal oil terminal exported 75 million barrels of oil through pipelines in January-March 2016 compared to 79.2 million barrels exported in the same period of 2015, according to a BP report on operations in Azerbaijan in January-March 2016.

Some 67 million barrels of the total volume accounted for oil exported through Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, over eight million barrels - Baku-Supsa pipeline.

The Sangachal terminal exported about 298.5 million barrels of oil in 2014 compared to 286.2 million barrels in 2013.

At present, the total capacity of the terminal's technical processing systems makes up 1.2 million barrels per day, and for the gas from the Shah Deniz field - 29.5 million cubic meters per day (together with associated gas from Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil and gas fields, the total gas processing capacity at the terminal is 49.3 million cubic meters per day).

The Sangachal terminal exported an average of 29.4 million cubic meters of gas from the Shah Deniz field during the reporting period.

Azerbaijan's Sangachal oil terminal exported 296 million barrels of oil through pipelines in 2015 compared to 298.5 million barrels exported in 2014.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
PARIS  The fear that some of the 85,000 employees working at Paris airports might have terrorist sympathies, or be terrorists themselves, goes back at least a decade.

In December of last year, after attacks at other locations in Paris, about 70 airport employees with access to planes on the ground reportedly had their red badges lifted because they fell under police suspicion. And in years past, more quietly, police have broken up several criminal networks among baggage handlers with radical Islamist connections.

Since the crash of EgyptAir 804, which took off from Paris Charles De Gaulle Terminal 1 late last Wednesday night and plunged into the Mediterranean en route to Cairo some three and a half hours later, concerns about such airport ground personnel have grown even more acute. But worries about racial, ethnic, and religious profiling, plus the complications of French labor law, make them hard to address.

As one security contractor working with the airports told The Daily Beast privately, The system in place fights against the police and law enforcement.

To be sure, as the agonizingly slow EgyptAir 804 investigation proceeds, with no major pieces of wreckage found and neither of the black boxes on the plane recovered so far, theories about whether a terrorist somehow took down the plane, and if so, how, remain highly speculative.

As Clive Irving has reported in The Daily Beast, all thats clear at this point is that data sent automatically from the plane shows some kind of explosion involving smoke and fire at the front of the cabin but not in enough detail to give an understanding of the cause.

A small bomb in one of the E&E, electric and electronics, racks on the Airbus 320 might have caused such a thing, but aviation experts suggest frayed wiring might have done so as well.

Nobody wants to jump to any conclusions at this point, and no responsible official in France or elsewhere wants to point the finger at the ground staff working around the plane in Paris unless investigations turn up solid evidence. But, still, the record of handfuls of radicals working close to aircraft is worrisomethe stuff of which police dramas and spy novels are made.

In fact, one of the first scares came through the pen of conservative entrepreneur, politician and novelist Philippe de Viliers, whose book Les Mosquees de Roissy, the mosques of Charles De Gaulle airport, was published in 2006.

In a defense of his research, he wrote an article in Le Figaro Magazine that year, citing what appeared to be detailed reports by police and the French internal intelligence service. De Villiers chronicled the development of radical Islamist groups among some of the subcontractors handling baggage at the airport. These tended to come from the same small towns in North Africa, and mixed criminal activities with fundamentalist teachings: a blend common among terrorist enterprises. About 20 members of one gang had been arrested for stealing cell phones out of checked suitcases, De Villiers reported.

Over the years, clearly, French authorities tried to keep track of such activities, and no terrorist attacks took place connected to the airport. But the atrocities of last year, first with the Charlie Hebdo and kosher supermarket attacks in January, then with the devastating slaughter at cafes, a concert hall, and a stadium in November, showed that the police had lost track of many known and suspected terrorists in France and Belgium.

Exactly one month after the Nov. 13 attacks, the chief executive officer of Aeroports de Paris (ADP), Augustin de Romanet, told a television interviewer that nearly 70 badges had been taken away from various personnel at the Paris airports.

Romanet said that over the previous month the lockers of 4,000 employees were searched, and while no one employed directly by ADP had what is called a fiche S, a file on the terror watchlist, there apparently were some among the employees of subcontractors, hence the removal of their clearances to work near the planes.

A red badge normally requires at least one background check, and is then given for three yearswhile radicalization, as we have seen, can take place in a matter of months or even weeks.

In years past, the communist CGT labor union and French law made it difficult to dismiss employees suspected of radical Islamist sympathies. In an effort to support its Muslim members, indeed, the union wanted halal meat served in the company canteen, provoking an uproar among far right-wing politicians.

But by last year, even the CGT leadership expressed concerns about some of its members who were working for Air France. After the November attacks, CGT-Air France secretary general Philippe Martinez told France Info radio that 500 of 2,000 members had been identified as fundamentalists and expelled from the union.

French law strictly forbids discrimination on religious, ethnic, or racial grounds, as in the United States, but it goes much further and prohibits keeping religious, ethnic, or racial data, so all decisions about suspect personnel are based, punctiliously, on behavior and it is hard to identify which actions may be tied to radical religious activities.

As Alain Zabulon, the ADP security director, explained to France Info, if a male employee refuses to say bonjour to a woman because of his religious beliefs, that is not a punishable offense. But if he refuses to obey a superior, that might be.

In the Paris airports there has been rising religious fervor among employees for several years, said Zabulon. But we must distinguish between religious belief and radicalization. Religious practicereading the Quran during a break, choosing not to eat some kind of foodthat doesnt pose a problem. What does pose a problem are proselytizing and aggressive practices.

For example, said Zabulon, pressuring other employees of the same faith to respect religious precepts or be apologists for terrorist acts. That attitude needs a response from management. The employee can be taken out of the critical zone at the airport where the planes are, and lose his red badge.

In such circumstances, to lose a badge is, most often, to lose ones job. But, one must wonder, what about the employees who show no public signs of religious fervor at all, like many of those connected to the Paris and Brussels attacks in the last few months?

Authorities say the investigations are continuing.

Erin Zaleski reported this story from Paris, Christopher Dickey from New York.

An earlier version of this story confused politician and novelist Philippe de Villiers with the late thriller writer Gerard de Villiers. The Daily Beast regrets the error.
For the U.S. military, the battle to rid the Iraqi city of Fallujah of ISIS is shrouded in mystery.

U.S. military officials say the battle for Fallujah could last anywhere from daysonce troops enter Fallujah properto months, depending on how ISIS responds to the Iraqi offensive and U.S. airstrikes. There is precedent of ISIS both launching counteroffensives and fleeing Iraqi cities coming under threat from the Iraqi security forces.

Some U.S. officials believe the battle for Fallujah could be as ferocious and intense as ISISs months-long battle with Kurdish forces for control of the northern Syrian city of Kobani. In other words, while ISIS has generally not stuck around to fight major battles, Fallujah could be the exception. The city is the keystone to the jihadist threat in Iraq today much as it was during the nearly decade-long U.S. war there.

Others see an ISIS too stretched to protect anything other its own capital in Iraq, Mosul.

Anyone who predicts how long Fallujah will take is wrong, one defense official explained to the Daily Beast.

But, capturing the uncertainty, a second defense official explained: Its probably going to be a long fight.

So far, ISIS has put up resistance, officials said, as Iraqi security forces seek to take the small towns surrounding Fallujah. On Tuesday, the city of Garma, just east of Fallujah, reportedly fell out of ISIS hands. Iraqi forces now are clearing it of the explosives and booby traps set in place by ISIS as defenses. But by Wednesday, there were reports that Garma was still under ISIS control.

It is hard to make any long term assessments because the Iraqi forceswhoever they they may beare still not inside the central part of the city. Within Fallujah, residents are receiving conflicting messages. There were reports of leaflets falling urging citizens to leave along humanitarian corridors. There also were reports of ISIS execution squads popping up, threatening as many as 100,000 citizens who try to flee the fighting. Still others believe the supposed safe roads are lined with ISIS explosives.

15 Iraqi forces have been killed so far in the fightreportedly.

Part of the U.S. militarys uncertainty about how the campaign against ISIS will shape up in Fallujah is that there is no precise comparable battle, despite fact that American forces have fought there over and over again in the last thirteen years. In all, there are an estimated 500 ISIS fighters in Fallujah, the officials said, the same number as there were in the city of Ramadi, which took five months to fall out of ISIS control.

But the force composition for the battle of Fallujah and Ramadi are different in one key way. In Ramadi, the battle did not depend on the militias but rather Iraqs Special Forces and regular Army, in a block-by-block clearance operation that ended with the all but destruction of the city.

According to U.S. estimates there are as many Iraqi Security Forces as Shiite militia forces around Fallujah or 20,000 in all. In Garma and elsewhere on the periphery of Fallujah, evidence has emerged showing Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps-backed Shia militia groups participating in the advance against ISIS. These militias include groups previously responsible for killing U.S. soldiers in Iraqsuch as the League of the Righteousand those expressly blacklisted by Washington as foreign terrorist entities, such as the Hezbollah Brigades. Another group spotted in battle is Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, whose secretary general Akram Kaabi also sanctioned by the US Treasury Department as a terrorist. The Facebook page for that organization recently posted a photograph purporting to show Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGCs Quds Force, in the Fallujah operations rooms along with Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, the leader of the Hezbollah Brigades (and another US-designated terrorist) and Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the Badr Organization, which is another Iranian-backed militia, which yesterday announced its first casualty in the battle.

Phillip Smyth, a specialist on Shia militias at the University of Maryland, told The Daily Beast that these groups have been using a lot of indirect artillery and rocket fire against ISIS positions. You have a new propaganda image from all of circulating on social media every day. Moreover, the militias have been advancing on Fallujah, Smyth says, since since the summer of 2015. Were saying its an [Iraqi Security Force] operation when the main forces on the ground for months are the Iranian-backed fighters.

The U.S. military is not sure whether Shiite dominated military forces now on the outskirts of Fallujah will indeed remain there, as Iraqi officials have suggested, and allow government forces move inside the city. They fear the militias or join the march into the Sunni-dominated city or try to clear it afterwards, potentially stoking sectarian tensions. (There also are Sunni tribal forces that will be part of the battle but U.S. officials could not provide estimates of how many.)

The fall of cities like Tikrit and Ramadi of ISIS control arguably makes Fallujah all the more important for the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Its the last bastion from which ISIS can threaten the Shiite dominated government in Baghdad, which is just an hours drive away. Indeed, Iraqi officials suspect Fallujah was behind the weeklong spate of bombings on the capital, which killed more than 200 people, earlier this month.

In some cities, ISIS has put up relatively little resistance for any enduring period. In the central city of Hit, ISIS forces eventually fled, and the city fell within two months. More recently, the remote western city of Rutbah, Iraq collapsed in a matter of days.

Making U.S. military predictions on the fight for Fallujah even harder is that the of the campaign was something of a surprise for the U.S. military. While Iraqi forces and military forces began surrounding the city roughly two months ago, the decision by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi to launch an offensive Monday came with only a few days notice to the U.S. military, two defense officials told the Daily Beast, even as the U.S.-led coalition is supporting the offensive from the air.

The bombings in Baghdad, U.S. officials said, created a renewed sense of urgency within the Iraqi government. That is far different than the battle of Ramadi, which U.S. officials forecasted months in advance.

Politically, Abadi needs the battleground win as he has, in recent weeks, been confronted with growing protests against the government. Iraqi citizens, including those loyal to rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr, have stormed the fortified Green Zone, demanding reforms.

The image of Iraqi citizens storming government offices that for the past 13 years have been immune from the chaos that has plagued Iraq punctured the myth that the Green Zone could protect itself from the rest of the country.

It all adds to the sense of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming fight for Fallujah, which perhaps more than any other city has become synonymous with the most difficult days of the U.S. war in Iraq. The U.S. military launched two major offensives in Fallujah to rid it of al Qaeda.

In 2014, Fallujah became the first Iraqi city to fall under ISIS control. That alone makes predicting the battle all but impossible, U.S. officials said.

We obviously know our way around Fallujah, but we dont know how this ends, one of the defense officials explained.

with additional reporting by Michael Weiss
Sophia Hewson, an Australian-based contemporary artist, has made headlines with a video of what shes calling a rape representation.

On view at Melbournes Mars Gallery and titled are you ok bob?, the three-minute piece shows the artist staring blankly into the camera while Bob, a pseudonym, strikes her during intercourse and attempts to force her head to one side. Hewson, who wears a white T-shirt, pushes back each time and defiantly confronts the viewer.

There is no nudity in the video, and all we see of Bob are his forceful arms and hands.

The raped woman is nearly always depicted with her face downcast and her eyes averted, Hewson, 31, writes in her artists statement. The most challenging part of the piece isnt watching as a woman is struck or penetrated, its seeing her look back out at us from the experience.

Are you ok bob? is reminiscent of Emma Sulkowiczs Ceci Nest Pas Un Viol (This Is Not a Rape), a graphic, eight-minute video that intentionally blurs the lines between consensual sex and rape. The video was Sulkowiczs first performance piece after graduating from Columbia University last year and completing her widely publicized senior thesis, Mattress Performance: Carry That Weight, a protest against the schools decision not to expel her alleged rapist. Sulkowicz has not produced any major works since Ceci Nest Pas Un Viol, which she posted on the Internet last June.

Hewsons video piece can only be viewed in its entirety at Mars Gallery in Melbourne, which represents the artist. Mars did not return requests for comment.

While Sulkowiczs performance art was inspired by her alleged rape on campus by a fellow student, Hewson doesnt refer to her own sexual experiences in her piece.

Instead, Hewson intended to align herself with other contemporary women artists who have depicted or referenced rape in their work.

Much like Sulkowiczs performative pieces, Hewsons video is as well-intentioned and politically-motivated as it is provocative. But she isnt breaking new ground in performance art.

Indeed, the piece delivers an on-the-nose message about defying the shame and stigma surrounding victims of sexual assault.

Reached by The Daily Beast via email, Hewson explained that in cinema and in art, representations of raped women are often patriarchal depictions, and that her work pays homage to a long line of women artists whose calculated use of their bodies as deliberately vicious and referential tools enabled them to destabilize the institution.

Audrey Wollen, a young artist who rose to fame on Instagram, and feminist writer Susan Griffin are both referenced in Hewsons artist statement.

Wollen is known for her Sad Girl Theory, which proposes that womens pain and suffering be used as tools for resistance and political agency, she told NYLON magazine.

In the same vein, Hewson told The Daily Beast that her video piece aimed to create a single representation where the women emerges unbroken.

Hewson clarified that she did indeed have sex on camera, though the viewer does not see much beyond her unrelenting gaze.

She also explained in her email that she solicited Bob, a stranger, to engage in sexual activity while being filmedand that she purposely targeted an older man to whom she was not attracted.

Ive never had rape fantasy [sic] and I didnt enjoy making the work physically, she writes in her artists statement.

Like Sulkowiczs Ceci Nest Pas Un Viol, Hewsons video suggests consent is not always clearand that consensual sex can quickly become violent or non-consensual.

We also know from her artists statement that she solicited Bob to have sex with her for arts sake. She asks: Who is using whom in this situation?

Another pertinent question is whether Hewsons rape representation trivializes the real experience.

Hewson has an explanation for this, too, writing in her artists statement that rape is more than an unwanted sex act, that it is the foundation for the entire institution of the patriarchy, and hence it is the crucial battleground for dismantling male power.

Well, sureif you subscribe to Hewsons regurgitation of second-wave, radical feminist theory.

Choosing to put herself in this situationto show (even symbolically) a woman enduring rape is conceptually challenging because it threatens our assumption that mans power is insurmountable, she writes.

Perhaps, though the many artists and activists who have threatened that assumption over the past 40 years makes her message less challenging than hackneyed. Her desire to empower victims of sexual assault is admirable enough without her clunky attempts at intellectual profundity.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

Trend:

BP and Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly explore potential prospects in the block D230 in the North Absheron Basin in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea, according to a joint statement by SOCAR and BP issued May 24.

As part of the government's plan to ensure that all of Azerbaijan's offshore waters are fully explored, this MOU gives BP the exclusive right to negotiate an agreement with SOCAR to explore and develop the block D230, according to the statement.

The MOU was signed in Baku, May 24, on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan by Rovnag Abdullayev, president of SOCAR, and Gordon Birrell, BP's regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

"BP and SOCAR are linked with a long history of an effective partnership," Abdullayev said. "In Azerbaijan, BP has been the main investor and operator of great projects of regional and global significance. The relationships between the two companies have continued to grow."

"We have achieved successful results in all projects we have cooperated in," he said. "Today we are signing a new Memorandum of Understanding which will lay the foundation of a new offshore project. This will become another opportunity underpinning our long-term relationship with BP."

"This is an important day for both Azerbaijan and BP," Birrell said in turn. "It continues the cooperation that will enable us to work together to ensure the long term future for Azerbaijan's oil and gas production through exploring new opportunities."

"Based on our extensive experience in exploration around the world and our expertise based on the best technology available in the industry, we look forward to this new opportunity and are committed to contribute to maintaining oil production in Azerbaijan for many decades," he said.

Block 230 covers areas in a water depth of up to 300 meters with the reservoir depth of 3,000-5,000 meters.
Details added (first version posted on 15:45)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Huseyn Veliyev - Trend:

The Nuclear Research Center CJSC of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Communications and High Technologies has signed a memorandum on cooperation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), read a message from Azerbaijan's Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva May 24.

This document will enable Azerbaijan to become a full participant of A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE). It is one of the largest experiments in the world devoted to research in the physics of matter at an infinitely small scale.

Founded in 1954, the CERN laboratory sits astride the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. It was one of Europe's first joint ventures and now has 21 member states.
He added: "Third Energy has never hydraulically fracked in its life. And the process is inherently risky anyway - the industry's own stats tell you these wells will leak eventually. Pumping pressure into the ground at high pressure constantly for years - to suggest that would have no impact is impossible."

Mr Scott rejected accusations that protesters against fracking were 'NIMBYs', saying: "That isn't the case. We have made commitments to meet climate change targets and reduce fossil fuel consumption. How can you tackle that by opening up even more extreme forms of fuel extraction?"

This rural area will 'change forever'

Third Energy has said it helps support local businesses, currently employs more than 20 staff locally and supports local grassroots sports.

But Mr Scott remains unconvinced of the benefits or fracking, warning Ryedale would "change forever" if the plans to frack go ahead: "The pattern in America shows fracking does not create much local employment, only short term jobs. The energy companies just drill a well and move on. All the while jobs in farming and agriculture are damaged."

Simon Bowens, Yorkshire and Humber campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said: "This is an absolute travesty of a decision but the battle is very far from over. Today 7 out of 11 North Yorkshire county councillors voted to approve this fracking application in Ryedale, ignoring the objection of Ryedale District Council itself, as well as thousands of local residents and businesses.

"Despite this decision, public support for fracking is plummeting as Wales, Scotland and countries across Europe have suspended it. The risks to people's health and the environment are unacceptable and we will fight on."

Of the decision, North Yorkshire County Council said: "The planning committee is satisfied that in this particular application, mitigation of the effects of the development with regard to safeguarding the natural environment, protected species and habitats, the amenity of local residents, the protection of ground and surface water quality and traffic management can be achieved through the discharge of the planning conditions."

Richard Flinton, North Yorkshire's chief executive, said: "We are proud of our beautiful county which attracts so many visitors and maintains a thriving tourism industry. We have no intention of jeopardising those qualities and our rural industries and livelihoods. For that reason the planning conditions must be fully discharged and monitored."

Third Energy did not respond to a request for comment.

This does not mean fracking will ever really get going in UK



Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth and injecting shale rock with a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals to release the gas inside.

The Ryedale planning permission paves the way for the first shale gas exploration in Britain since 2011, when tests in Lancashire were believed to have caused minor tremors in the area. A ban was temporarily based on fracking but lifted the following year.

In 2013 Third Energy drilled an exploratory well near the village of Kirby Misperton, close to the North York Moors National Park. Now it has the green light to frack the well to test whether it can unlock shale gas from rocks up to 3,000m underground.

But Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said that it remained highly doubtful that large-scale fracking would ever go ahead in the UK:

"Although proponents of fracking will claim today's decision as a victory, the fundamental questions around UK shale gas haven't changed. As we see from protests outside the council today and from opinion surveys, the public is not supportive, and the economics remain unclear - so whether commercial fracking ever goes ahead is still an open question.

"Other issues also remain open. Last year, the Commons Environmental Audit Committee said fracking is incompatible with our climate change targets, and the government hasn't been able to show they're wrong. If leakage rates are above a few percent, gas burning turns out to be worse than coal for climate change, and yet the government hasn't set a maximum permissible leakage level.

Victoria Seabrook writes about climate change, the criminal justice system, and social justice. She is news editor at independent local newspaper Hackney Citizen, a co-editor of Prison Watch UK, and a regular correspondent for DeSmog.uk.

This article was originally published on DeSmog.uk. Some additional reporting by The Ecologist in this version.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde, who is on a visit in Astana, discussed main areas of cooperation, as well as key trends in the development of global financial and economic system, Kazakh president's press service announced.

Nazarbayev said that currently, Kazakh economy is experiencing difficult times.

Among the reasons, Nazarbayev named decline in commodity prices, delay of structural reforms, which are being implemented, as well as the situation with Russia and the economic situation in China.

"Despite this, we didn't allow the GDP to decrease and provided its positive dynamics, which we hope to maintain this year," noted Kazakh president.

"Our country has implemented measures for six years to reduce the economy's dependence on raw materials,"he said.

Lagarde, in turn, thanked Nazarbayev for the established partnership with the IMF, within which Kazakhstan continues to receive the necessary support, including technical support.

She said that the IMF supports the reforms implemented by Kazakhstan on the country's economic, industrial and infrastructural development.

Lagarde arrived in Kazakhstan to take part in an IMF regional conference, which is to be held May 24 within the Astana Economic Forum.

Edited by SI

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Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
New Burlington Area Homeless Shelter director carrying mission forward

The new executive director of the Burlington Area Homeless Shelter says she's excited for her new role and here to serve the community.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 24

By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti have discussed the possibility of EBRD's participation in Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, said the message from Turkmenistan's government May 24.

Suma Chakrabarti is on a visit to Ashgabat.

The main document for the TAPI, called the Ashgabat Interstate Agreement, was signed in 2010.

The groundbreaking ceremony for TAPI's Turkmen section was held in mid-December of 2015.

The annual capacity of the gas pipeline will reach 33 billion cubic meters.

Chakrabarti praised the measures taken in Turkmenistan for strengthening the national financial and banking system, noting that those measures enabled the country to ensure its domestic economic stability and maintain high rates of socio-economic growth.

The EBRD head pointed out that he supports Turkmenistan's strategy for economic diversification and improving the activities of financial and banking structures.

The parties also discussed the prospects for further developing the cooperation. They held detailed discussions on the proposals for implementation of new projects in the oil and gas sector and other key areas of economy, said the message.
NORWALK  Norwalk Public Schools are expected to receive an additional $1.38 million to sink into doors, windows and other building improvements, officials announced Monday.

Having this allocation is certainly critical for Norwalk, said State Rep. Christopher R. Perone, D-Norwalk, standing outside Norwalk City Hall on Monday afternoon.

The State Bond Commission, which is chaired by Gov. Dannel Malloy, is expected to approve two requests for the city of Norwalk, said state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, also in attendance.

One of those requests is the $1.38 million from Alliance District grants, which is intended to go toward general school building upkeep, according to the Bond Commission agenda for May 27.

The number is about $330,000 less than requested by the local Board of Education in its March 15 application to the program.

It will go toward improvements to windows or doors or boilers, heating or ventilation systems, basically hard costs that will help improve our schools, Duff said.

The Alliance District program, which invests in Connecticuts lowest-performing districts, is expected to approve these grants for 28 Alliance Districts on Friday. Of the $21.1 million in grants, Norwalks $1.38 million grant ranks third behind Bristol and Danbury (1.7 million each).

Perone said the funding is important to him as a legislator and as a parent.

I have a son who goes to West Rocks (Middle School), Perone said. I think that parents see first hand what the impact of deferred maintenance has been in some of the schools, whether its windows or playgrounds or other things where children are exposed to either drafts or other things that have to be addressed in real time, so having this allocation is certainly critical for Norwalk.

The anticipated approval of the grant money comes after Hartford lawmakers earlier this month made cuts to the state budget to close an expected $935 million deficit.

Despite the cuts, Norwalk stands to receive an additional $2 million in aid from Hartford compared to this fiscal year, largely through the states new sales tax sharing program.

t the same time, the city will receive $1.6 million less than it had anticipated when the Norwalk Board of Estimate and Taxation adopted the citys 2016-17 operating budget in early May.

Its not going to be a severe impairment and it wont prevent us from moving forward with the strategic plan, said Michael Lyons, chairman of the Board of Education. So there are going to be some staff reductions but compared to our employee base, a very small number.

The loss of $73,191 for public and non-public school student transportation should be somewhat offset by an anticipated $70,000 increase in Priority School District funding, Duff said.

The city of Norwalk and the Norwalk Board of Education should be receiving an additional $70,000 in Priority School money thats been sitting in the state (budget) for the year because of a drafting error because of the Office of Policy and Management, Duff said. In addition, theyll be receiving the next $70,000 next fiscal year as well.

The Bond Commission on Friday is also expected to approve a $850,000 grant requested by Norwalk Redevelopment Agency-affiliate Norwalk Walke Housing Corp. to buy, rehabilitate and resell single and multifamily properties near the South Norwalk Train Station. The properties will be targeted at homebuyers earning 80 percent of the area median income.
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NORWALK  The statewide graduation rates reached a record high in 2015, no doubt aided by local schools above-average percentages.

Norwalks 89.6 percent average is more than 2 percentage points higher than the states, with Brien McMahon High Schools 95 percent graduation rate leading the way.

This does not happen magically, said Brien McMahon Principal Suzanne Koroshetz at last weeks Board of Education meeting, which honored her for the 8 percent jump from the 2014 rate compared to last year. This was a labor of love, she said.

As the Norwalk districts overall graduation rate increased by about 5 percent from 2011 to 2015, Wilton and Weston districts decreased by 1 and 2 percent, respectively, in the same time frame. Westport, meanwhile, saw its graduation rate increase slightly from 96.6 percent in 2011 to 98.7 percent in 2015.

The new rates, continuing an upward trend in Connecticut since 2011, were posted Monday on the state Department of Education website. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Commissioner of Education Dianna Wentzell appeared at East Hartford High School to make the announcement.

Norwalks overall increase in the graduation rate in the last three years fits the trend of most so-called Alliance Districts, or those identified by the state as with the most need and poverty. Those districts rates rose 6.4 percentage points from 2011 to 2015.

The fact that Connecticuts graduation rate continues to climb means we are moving one step closer to our goal of ensuring every student has the tools and knowledge to succeed in college, career, and life, said Wentzell. I especially want to commend our Alliance Districts for reaching higher and pushing harder to improve their graduation rates and reduce achieve gaps.

Malloy and Wentzell also pointed out that Connecticuts graduation rate is also higher than the national average of 82.3 percent.

Within the district, while Brien McMahon catapulted 8 percentage points forward from 2014 to 2015, Norwalk High slipped .7 percent.

Dan Sullivan, a guidance counselor at Norwalk High, attributed last years 4 percent difference in graduation rates between the two schools to the Center for Global Studies program at Brien McMahon, which is a selective, inter-district magnet school.

It certainly doesnt hurt your numbers, he said.

Getting through school

Both Dawn Leeds, Brien McMahon school counselor, and Sullivan agreed that getting students on the graduating track from the get-go continues to improve the schools rates.

Leeds said the changes in Pre-SAT scheduling and a revamped advisory program have led to her schools increased numbers.

And last years graduating class was the first that took their Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Tests, or PSATs, as early as 10th grade, said Leeds, allowing them the opportunity to take the PSAT multiple times before taking the SAT at the end of their junior year.

It helps them realize The things Im doing in class apply to this test, that is leading me to the next steps in my life, Leeds said.

The advisory program has a set curriculum to help the same group of students over the course of four years build additional social and educational skills.

Norwalk High offers a similar study hall or advisory program Sullivan called executive functioning groups, which provides time-management and social-emotional support for students.

The school also offers transitional summer programs for identified kids who might have trouble assimilating to high school, which Sullivan said is critical.

According to Sullivan, the school has been making an additional effort to reach out to kids from other countries, including the Norwalk International Academy, which launched last fall and helps foreign students assimilate to the American education system.

Each school has its own personality and they do a great job, said Sullivan.  What Im really proud of is we have this college-going mindset for an urban high school. I see it almost as a hybrid district because there is such a high college-going culture.
NORWALK -- Police charged two Norwalk men in unrelated domestic violence incidents on Sunday.

According to police, both incidents began innocuously and quickly escalated into physical assaults in which two female victims sustained injuries.

In the first complaint, police received a complaint at approximately 3 a.m. about a disturbance at 261 Ely Ave.

Officers were told by the alleged victim that her ex-boyfriend, identified as Marc Princy, had struck her in the face following a verbal argument about her showing affection toward her son.

Police said that Princy hit the woman in the face with a Gatorade bottle, put the woman in a choke hold, and slapped her phone out of her hand as she attempted to call police.

Princy left the residence before officers arrived, but was spotted in the area of Exit 19 on Interstate 95 northbound, where he was taken into custody without incident.

Princy, 34, of 261 Ely Ave., was charged with third-degree assault, interference with a 911 call, and third-degree strangulation. He was issued a $10,000 bond and given a court date of May 23.

The victim in that incident refused hospital transport. Two minor children were present during the incident, police said.

In a second reported domestic violence incident on Sunday, police were dispatched to 3 Cutrone Road at approximately 8 p.m. on the report of an intoxicated man creating a disturbance.

Responding officers were told by the alleged victim that her husband had "gotten mad for a stupid reason," (because she works at night) and assaulted her following a verbal argument.

The victim said that she had been struck in the face by her husband and police said that the woman had visible swelling to her eyebrow area and facial bruising.

Police said that a child was home, and heard, but did not see the incident.

Police reached the suspect, identified as Krzysztof Zaniewski, via cell phone and he reportedly told police he could not talk to them because he was driving, and disconnected the call.

Patrol officers located Zaniewski driving on Connecticut Avenue and initiated a traffic stop in the area of the Exxon station at 104 Connecticut Ave. Police said the they detected a heavy odor of alcohol emanating from Zaniewski, and he reportedly was slurring his words and was unsteady on his feet. He refused to submit to a Breathalyzer test, police said.

Zaniewski, 35, of 3 Cutrone Road, was charged with third-degree assault, criminal violation of a protective order, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, use of a hand-held cell phone while operating a motor vehicle, and failure to use turn signal.

He was issued a $50,000 bond and given a court date of May 23.

Zaniewski was charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct by Norwalk police on Sept. 20, 2015. The disposition of that case is pending, and according to court records, Zaniewski is enrolled in a diversionary program known as the Family Violence Education Program.
Commencement for the Edwardsville High School Class of 2016 took place Saturday in the EHS Lucco Jackson gymnasium.

Among the approximately 580 students who walked across the stage and accepted their diplomas were EHS Valedictorian Pradeep Kandula and Salutatorian Amanda Schmidt.

Kandula, the son of Padma and Prasad Kandula of Edwardsville, has been involved in numerous academic clubs during his four years at EHS. Kandula, who is currently the senior class president, is also a member of National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, EPIC (Edwardsville PEER Influence Group), Science Olympiad, Model UN, Math team, WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering) and was part of the FIRST Robotics Team 4931. He was also president of the senior class.

Hes also active in Boy Scout Troop 216. This past year I was a senior patrol leader in the fall for my troop, and Im currently working on my Eagle Scout project.

Kandulas Eagle Scout project will be building a storage rack for the EHS orchestra room that will hold six to eight cellos and 16 violins. So it will just clear up space in the orchestra room and give them more room to practice, Kandula pointed out.

An avid violinist, Kandula started playing violin in the fourth grade and has been playing for the SIUE Suzuki Violin program for nine years.

In high school he joined the Suzuki programs Tour Group and as a sophomore traveled to Europe where the group played in various venues in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Kandula will be attending the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the fall where he will be enrolled in the universitys six-year medical program. He credited his parents with inspiring him to enter the medical field. Both of my parents are doctors so I grew up around medicine, he explained. I used to go to work with my dad and while I was at work with him, I started to notice how much I really enjoyed interacting with patients, and then I really like the science part of medicine and how all of it culminates into helping others.

A six-week STARS (Students and Teachers as Research Scientists) program that Kandula attended last summer solidified his desire to pursue a medical career. Working with mentor Dr. Vijay Sharma of Washington University, Kandula won an award for his research in Employing P-glycoprotein recognition status as a criterion for predicting blood brain barrier permeability of heterocyclic molecules. It really solidified my decision, Kandula noted. I was around like 80 percent sure that I wanted to go into medicine, but after working with the scientists in the lab, I really enjoyed it.

Kandula said he would fondly remember the teachers at EHS. Ive spent a lot of time in their classrooms after school with my friends. So Ill always remember just hanging out in the teachers classrooms after school making jokes or working on projects together there, he said.

He also offered words of wisdom for incoming EHS freshmen. For academics - just always make sure to do your work and put forth your best effort, Kandula advised. For just social - dont be afraid to talk to new people and branch out. Its a lot different than middle school, and youll meet new people. Also, dont be afraid to be friends with your teachers.

EHS Salutatorian Amanda Schmidt has been equally active in clubs and activities during her time at EHS. The daughter of Nicola and Geoff Schmidt of Worden, Schmidt has been in the French Club for four years and is the historian of the French Honors Society. Shes a member of National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, EPIC, WYSE, Key Club and was a member on the inaugural UAS4STEM drone team this year. In addition, she participated in the Econ Challenge.

Schmidt played on the EHS softball team her freshman and sophomore years and has played on a few select softball teams since she began playing softball in the sixth grade. She currently plays outfield for the Bluff City Elite.

This busy teen also works part time at the Childrens Library in the Edwardsville Library. I really like getting to talk to the families that come in, Schmidt said. Everyone that I work with is just really nice. Its a pretty laid back environment so its been a good first job.

In the fall, Schmidt will attend Colby College, a small liberal arts college in Maine. I was looking at a lot of good liberal arts schools, and I kind of wanted to be on the East Coast, Schmidt explained about her choice of school. They offered me this presidential scholars opportunity so I can be a paid research assistant starting as early as freshman year and I get other opportunities with that.

She attributed her interest in the East Coast to family. Both of my parents lived there for a while. My grandparents actually lived in Maine for a really long time, Schmidt noted. I just really like the East Coast.

Although shes not sure what she will major in yet, shes interested in several fields of study. Im interested in economics possibly international relations, possibly something with statistics, maybe something with writing too, Schmidt said.

She credited her economics teacher Adam Koester with piquing her interest in economics as well as providing encouragement. He really helped me enjoy economics because now I am maybe thinking about majoring in it, and I dont think I would be without his class, Schmidt said. And he just helped me. Im a pretty quiet person so he helped me, I think, work on getting more confidence. Its always nice when teachers put in an effort like that.

She also offered some tips for incoming freshmen. I think I would just say to get involved and to try things that they are interested in even if they dont know a lot of people that are doing those things. Because I think, especially this year, Ive been more involved and its just really nice to sort of branch out and meet new people, Schmidt added. With academics, probably just trying your best and taking classes that you are actually going to enjoy when you get the opportunity to choose.
The District 7 Board of Education reviewed proposed district-wide policy changes to comply with Illinois' Senate Bill 100 at its board meeting Monday. The bill amends Illinois school code concerning student suspension and expulsion, authority and procedures.

Governor Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 100 in August of last year, and school districts across Illinois are required to adopt policies incorporating the bill's provisions by Sept. 15.

SB 100 seeks to address excessive use of out-of-school suspension and expulsions, the most severe forms of discipline, by limiting them for only legitimate educational purposes. To ensure that the students are not excluded from school unnecessarily, it is recommended that school officials consider forms of non-exclusionary discipline prior to receiving public school suspensions or expulsions, Edwardsville District 7 Superintendent Lynda Andre explained about the SB 100 legislation.

The change in Illinois school code, which stresses that school districts refrain from enforcing out-of-school suspensions and expulsions until other positive interventions are exhausted, affected a few of District 7's policies.

Andre reviewed the proposed changes to District 7 policies during the Policy Committee meeting that took place prior to Monday night's board meeting. She outlined background information and the proposed modifications to each of 10 current district policies.

Discipline policies being reviewed included policy numbers 502, 502.1, 502.2, 502.3, 504, 505, 506, 507, 521, and 532.

The proposed revisions included Policy 505:Student general discipline-suspension from bus riding. The policy changes would involve adding the provision that students suspended from riding the bus would have the opportunity to complete or make up work for equivalent academic credit if the student does not have alternative transportation to school during their bus suspension.

The district's current Policy 521: Student: General - District 7 Substance Abuse Policy, specifically states a 10-day suspension will be administered with recommendation for expulsion if a student possesses, uses, purchases, or is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage, controlled substance, look-alike drug, drug paraphernalia or elicit drugs to schools, on school buses or at school related events. This policy (modification) provides treatment and assessment options in lieu of expulsion, Andre noted.

Two other policies, which were not related to Senate Bill 100, were also discussed. Policy 545: Student: Student Athlete Concussions and Head Injuries is a new concussion prevention policy required in the state of Illinois.

Policy 320, under business and finance, outlines the district's policy on facility rental. The current policy allows for non-district groups such as scouts, school clubs and PTOs to use district facilities at no charge. The proposed revision to the policy would continue to allow non-district groups to use District 7 facilities at no charge except when the facility use occurs on a Saturday or Sunday. This revision will enable the district to recapture costs associated with custodial and/or food service workers who must be present by contract when facilities are in use during hours when staff are not regularly scheduled, Andre pointed out.

The policy changes were presented to the full board in which the board members will have about three weeks to make any modifications before the final reading and approval will take place at the June board meeting.

In other new business, the board unanimously approved a bid for printer/fax cartridges for the 2016-17 school year to The Tree House, Inc. as well as a school bus diesel fuel bid from Energy Petroleum Company effective July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017.

In addition, the board approved the renewal of the high school's membership in the Illinois High School Association for the 2016-17 school year, and May bills were approved in the amount of $466,141.99.

Retiring Hamel and Midway Elementary Principal Barb Hutton was honored during the board meeting for her 33 years as an educator in the Edwardsville School District.

The board also recognized Columbus Elementary Custodian Nancy Stahlhut for recently being named the IEA's Education Support Professional of the Year.
A statement from the Madison County Sheriff's Office reports that on Sunday, May 22, at approximately 3:20 p.m. the Madison County Sheriffs Office was contacted by the victim of an Aggravated Vehicular Car Jacking. The victim told deputies that he arranged to meet with an unknown subject, who responded to a Craigslist Posting he made related to a car for sale. The victim arranged to meet the subject on the parking lot of a business near the intersection of St. James Road and Moro Road, in rural Edwardsville.

The victim responded to the business at approximately 1:45 p.m., where he met with the subject, who herein is referred to as the suspect. The suspect arrived at the business with an unknown female, in what is believed to be a black Ford Mustang. The suspect is described as a young black male (possibly a teenager), short (approximately 51 to 53), thin, with lighter skin and short dread locks, or twist in his hair. The female who was with the suspect is a young, light skinned, short black female, with a thin build. The female was captured on the business surveillance system before the robbery occurred.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 24

By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

A meeting of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) will be opened May 24 in Ashgabat, Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported May 24.

The event will be attended by the heads of environmental agencies, experts and authorized persons of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The newspaper also reported that the participants will discuss the issues of improving the legal basis for regional cooperation and sustainable development in the field of environmental protection and climate change.

The ICSD's activities are currently being implemented under the chairmanship of Turkmenistan, which took the chairmanship in 2015.

The IFAS was established in 1993 to support scientific and practical research and organize financing social and economic and environmental programs in the region aimed at improving the environmental situation of Aral Sea region.

The ICSD was created for providing a balanced solution of social and economic problems, the issues of environmental safety and preservation of the region's natural resource potential.
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Linkedin Pham Thu Ha (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

According to an International Labour Organization (ILO) report, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will create about 14 million new jobs. Young people in ASEAN are zealously preparing for this. Will you step beyond the frontier to take a chance, or will you just sit and wait for your name to show up on unemployed bachelor lists?

Trend of studying Burmese, Thai

At a Burmese language class in Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam, there are only four students, who take 24 lessons for 5 million VND [US$200]. Two of those students are tour guides, whose company intends to make a huge investment in the Myanmar tourist market.

The youngest in the class is a final-year student preparing for a volunteer trip to teach Vietnamese at a primary school in Yangon, Myanmar. She is the only one waiting for opportunities from the AEC. If she sees a good job opportunity in Myanmar, she will apply for it.

Architect Truong Van Son of GK Architecture is also a teacher of Burmese for masters services and at Phuong Nam Education in Ho Chi Minh City.

Truong Van Son, who has been in Myanmar for seven years, said: I thought the trend of studying ASEAN languages should have happened earlier, but not until the foundation of the AEC.

He stated that although Burmese classes were still limited, student numbers were increasing. Previously, the class only interested people who wanted to learn about Myanmar. Now, a lot of students who intend to work in Myanmar enroll.

However, our friends on the other side of the frontier have prepared sooner and much better than us, he added.

He has been teaching Vietnamese to friends from Myanmar who come to Ho Chi Minh City to learn Vietnamese and work for multinational companies. They were doing it even before the AEC was founded. And you, Vietnamese students, are losing your chances in your backyard, added Van Son.

The education system in Myanmar has invested in foreign languages for a long time. English is taught from Grade 6. Furthermore, Burmese students graduate two years sooner than their Vietnamese counterparts.

Last March, a meeting between Vietnamese Minister of Education Pham Vu Luan and Myanmar Deputy Education Minister Zaw Min Aung took place. The most important thing the deputy minister proposed was the establishment of a major Vietnamese teaching center at a Myanmar university.

Bui Hoang Dieu has just graduated from Hanoi University, majoring in English. He registered to learn Thai as a second language, and that helped him find a job. He has just returned from Thailand after a month teaching Vietnamese to Thai people. Thais, he added, are eager to learn Vietnamese. However, the trend is not mutual.

Many large Thai enterprises are located in Vietnam, but the number of Vietnamese people who know Thai language is small. It seems many teachers at my university see that huge potential so they go to Thailand, do research to open a new major of Thai language at Hanoi University, said Hoang Dieu.

Trend of seeking jobs across frontiers

Nguyen Thu Ha is studying an MA of environmental toxicology at Chulabhorn Graduate Institute in Bangkok, Thailand.

Environmental toxicology is a new major in Vietnam, but its application is very popular. Toxicity and cancer have a firm connection; one pattern can be a toxic substance triggering the formation of tumors and also inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. The field is essential for communities.

Ha said: After graduation, students can apply for jobs in institutes, hospitals, universities or pharmaceutical companies. But in Vietnam, the opportunities for this kind of job are not easy; even though [the field] is essential. Meanwhile, in other ASEAN countries, the demand for labor in this field is very open. I believe that I could find a good job in Thailand, or I could do research at a Singaporean institute.

Nguyen Thu Ha is pictured in a laboratory at the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute in Bangkok, Thailand.(-/Pham Thu Ha)

Kaung Myat Ahkar from Myanmar, a third year student of law at Dagon University, had a similar experience. At present, Kaung Myat Ahkar is an intern at SCG Legal Counsel Limited in Bangkok. Kaung Myat Ahkar found the chance on Facebook and quickly applied for the position.

The law student said such internships were hard to find in Myanmar, but easier in other ASEAN countries.

When frontiers open it means chances and challenges will come. We are running out of time to prepare for that, said Myat Ahkar.

Khine Zar was born and grew up in Yangon. She is taking a major of communication at Seameo. With the advantage of English like other students in Yangon, she secured good jobs at Air China and Huawei Techgroup.

However, she is now getting better offers from Singapore and Indonesia. When the AEC was formed, job opportunities became more attractive, and Khine Zar has not hesitated to change her line of work.

A friend of Khine Zar, Htet Myat Swe, has just found a good job with a high salary at SCG Cement-Building Materials in Bangkok. Many young people in Myanmar are looking for new pathways across frontiers. They have good foreign language skills and a modern approach to work; they are ready to step through an open door.

Hurry

The four main goals of the AEC are unified market and production; competitive economic zones; development of regions; and integration with the global economy. There are eight types of workers that are free to move between ASEAN countries  accountants, architects, dentists, doctors, engineers, nurses, transportation staff and tourist officials.

Also, high-level human resources workers, particularly those with special training or university degrees and fluent in a foreign language, especially English, are free to move.

General Directorate of Vocational Training deputy director general AP Dr. Cao Duc Sam stated: We now have 170 vocational colleges, 306 vocational schools, there are 45 schools invested with high-quality focus. From now to 2020, there will be 30 vocational ASEAN schools. The degree will be recognized in the region and all over the world. Studying these programs, Vietnamese laborers will have the full skills to work in any country in the region. Bachelors, architects, even when they get a good degree in their country, they still need other certification to be recognized by the region and the world.

However, Vietnamese students do know not much about the AEC, nor its chances. They also do not recognize the preparations being undertaken by universities or the related policies.

Many still question the chances of learning Burmese and seeking a job in the developing economy that holds only 0.2% of the Asian economy.

However, law student Kaung Myat Ahkar stated that: The potential of Myanmar is not small. According to an [International Monetary Fund] IMF report, the economic scale of Myanmar may rise four times to US$200 billion by 2030.

With a population of about 60 million, our country is now welcoming investment as well as ODA [official development assistance] from international organization such as the [World Bank] WB, [Asian Development Bank] ADB and developed countries such as Japan and Korea. Young people from Thailand and Indonesia are trying to come to Myanmar. And once the AEC door is open, Vietnamese friends, if you do not hurry, it will be too late.

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Linkedin Wildan Sena Utama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

The fear of the revival of communist ideology and the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) is groundless and unreasonable. President Joko Jokowi Widodos desire for communism to be handled has been blown all out of proportion, and been used to justify a string of sweep operations and confiscations of books discussing communism, the Sept. 30 movement (G30S) and 1965, or biographies of leftist figures in Indonesian history.

Publishers who sell critical and progressive books have been questioned by intelligence officers. Gramedia, one of Indonesian largest publishers, issued a policy to temporarily take books related to 1965 tragedy off the shelves. The most pathetic moment was the interim head of the National Library (Perpusnas) conveying that he fully supported the censorship of leftist books as the New Order did.

Seizure and destruction of books is a suppression of ideas and freedom of speech. Moreover, the books that were the target of the raids were serious academic texts, not tools of communist propaganda as alleged.

For example, one of the books that was targeted is a work by Hermawan Sulistiyo, Palu Arit di Ladang Tebu (Hammer and Sickle in the Cane Field), an adaptation of the authors dissertation at Arizona State University. In this book, Sulistiyo investigates the massacres that occurred in Jombang and Kediri in 1965 and 1966.

From the confiscation of books, it can be concluded that the rationale behind the raids remains unclear, as both the military and police apparently cannot distinguish between academic research and blatant propaganda.

Indeed, the on-and-off crackdown on books accused of containing elements of communism has never been grounded in research. In 2009, for example, the Attorney Generals Office banned an academic book published by University of British Columbia historian, John Roosa, Dalih Pembunuhan Massal, Gerakan 30 September dan Kudeta Suharto (Pretext for Mass Murder The September 30 Movement and Suhartos Coup d Etat ). Even though the distribution of the book was prohibited in Indonesia on the grounds of being communist propaganda, the book has been widely discussed in many academic forums and is being reviewed in various journals.

The issue of the resurgence of communism, in fact, was a New Order manipulation to strengthen the regimes grip on power and boost its popularity.

Although in 1998 the regime officially ended, the power of its former elites and its mental legacy continues to this day. The New Orders conservative approach to addressing the issue of a PKI or communist revival still strongly influences the government and society.

The New Order mindset about the 1965 tragedy, constructed through propaganda in the media, museums and education sector, has proven that it can outlive the regime itself. Many people react to the issue of the revival of the PKI without a clear and critical perspective. To date, the fear of the resurgence of the PKI still exists, although the party was destroyed more than 50 years ago.

Reviving the PKI would be a futile move given that the 1965 tragedy left a wound in Indonesias collective memory.

Communism as we know it today has lost its enchantment following the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Members of the elite, who were raised with the New Order mindset still have a strong influence on institutions in the so-called reformation era. The conservative worldview inherited by these elites stands in sharp contrast to todays politics, which demand a progressive approach to the 1965 case and other human rights tragedies in the past.

Scholar Ariel Heryanto (2016) states that the recurrence of PKI peril should be analyzed in relation to the conflict among elite groups in the government. The issue of the revival of communism has reappeared at the same time that the government took the initiative to organize a symposium on 1965. It turns out that not all political elite groups welcome the initiative.

Moreover, the 1965 symposium initiative annoyed some conservative elites, who are worried about the wave of curiosity to discuss the 1965 tragedy. Public curiosity in ferreting out the truth of the 1965 incident by reading books, attending seminars and film discussions have been accused of being neo-PKI efforts to revive the PKI and brainwash the younger generation.

We are living in a new era, but the states point of view is still old. We live in an age that demands critical thinking, yet in fact, conservative thinking still haunts this nation.

How long will this situation last? Will the New Order mindset last for decades, until the generation that lived under the New Order are replaced by a completely new generation, without the original sins of the past?

Time will tell us to be wiser in looking into the past. That does not mean we have to wait without any efforts to ease the burden of our past and walk together to face the future. Many other countries can make peace with their past and hold their heads up to future. Why can we not be like them? ( dmr/dan )

***

Wildan Sena Utama is a historian who obtained his masters degree from the Institute for History, Leiden University.

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Linkedin Stephen OBrien (The Jakarta Post) New York  Tue, May 24, 2016

This week at the first ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, leaders from governments, international agencies, the private sector and civil society will gather to announce their commitments to address some of the most critical challenges we face today.



The needs for the summit are clear: conflicts that know no end causing untold suffering, mass displacement and political and economic turmoil; flagrant violations of international humanitarian law; eye-watering levels of hunger and child malnutrition; more severe and more frequent natural disasters linked to climate change; and growing inequality that is cutting off millions from development progress.



The statistics are staggering: More than 130 million girls, boys, women and men are in need of access to humanitarian assistance and protection and the numbers keep on rising.



Over 40.8 million people are displaced within their own country as a result of conflict and violence and a further 20.2 million people have sought refuge in other countries.



In 2015 alone, 19.2 million people were displaced due to natural disasters in 113 countries.



Prioritizing the most vulnerable, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners are seeking almost US$21 billion to provide aid in 40 countries for the immediate life-saving needs and protection of 91 million people.



Yet, almost half-way into the year, $17 billion of that vital $21 billion is still missing, denying our ability to assist people who in many cases have lost everything.



When UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit four years ago he recognized that the status quo cannot continue.



World leaders, be they of states or NGOs, the UN and its funds, agencies and programs, the private sector, civil society and academia, must grapple with the reality of humanitarian needs spiralling out of control.



Coming together, we have this once in a generation opportunity to set in motion an ambitious agenda to change the way that we alleviate, and most importantly prevent, the suffering of the worlds most vulnerable people.



To succeed, the Secretary-General in his Agenda for Humanity calls for commitments and actions that focus on catalysing change in five areas: unleashing political will to prevent and resolve conflicts; stronger implementation of international humanitarian law and an end to impunity for perpetrators; ensuring that no one is left behind in striving for sustainable development, including the millions affected by crises; developing more diverse partnerships to reduce humanitarian need and build resilience; and investing in humanity by mobilizing new resources and improving efficiency and effectiveness in life-saving and protection humanitarian response.



None of these  and many other  changes will be possible unless we find smarter ways to finance and mobilize resources to not only alleviate suffering but reduce vulnerability and address risk.



This will require us to diversify, as well as intensify, our funding base and adopt a more innovative set of tools, such as social safety nets, cash responses, disaster insurance, to protect people at risk.



We must invest in people and in approaches with more flexible, multi-year funding, changing the way donors conceptualize and finance need at its very foundation.



These are just some of the calls for change that we will catalyze at the World Humanitarian Summit.



We will also see the launch of dozens of ambitious and realizable initiatives, the scale and scope of which attest to the vibrancy and diversity of the humanitarian sector: To stem the swelling number of displaced people, we will call on leaders to commit to halve the number of internally displaced people from 40 million in 2016 to 20 million by 2030, as well as to present policy, legal and financial solutions to improve the protection of refugees.



To reduce the human cost of disasters and protracted conflicts we will call on leaders to support a new Global Preparedness Partnership, which aims to achieve a minimum level of readiness for natural disasters in 20 countries by 2020.



We will also seek far more investment from donors and partners in risk reduction before crises play out.



We will launch the Connecting Business initiative, which will transform private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response and recovery at the local, national and regional levels.



There will also be new partnerships on global health emergencies and urban crises. To strengthen the safety, health and economic well-being of the worlds most vulnerable one billion people we will call on leaders to join the One Billion Coalition for Resilience.



And to deliver on the right to education for the 75 million children whose schooling has been interrupted by crisis, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education will launch an ambitious platform and fund for education in crises.



Over the past few decades, humanitarians have improved every aspect of humanitarian response: stronger analysis; better cooperation; more local and national capacity; and higher operational standards.



Yet, building on the best we must never stop striving to improve, to become more effective and efficient at saving and protecting more lives.



As part of this determined drive, we will ask leaders across the humanitarian spectrum to sign on to a Grand Bargain between donors and agencies to get more means into the hands of people who need them, by redirecting one billion dollars in efficiency savings to the front-line of humanitarian action over the next five years.



In signing up to this bargain, aid agencies agree to improve the efficiency and accountability of the money we spend. We recognize that these changes will not always be comfortable or easy.



They will involve disagreement and compromise. Last year through Sendai, through the climate change agreement and the 2030 Agenda, leaders showed that we can put the global good and affected people at the heart of our collaboration.



The Summit presents a historic, ground-breaking opportunity and it is our moral responsibility as leaders to take action  the cost of not doing so, is too high.

That is why all leaders are now called upon to come to the Summit to make  and act on  commitments to support the Agenda for Humanity: to show the peoples of the world that we care and to share our common humanity.



The millions of people affected by crisis the world over need us all  we owe it to ourselves to act; and those caught up in crisis deserve nothing less from all of us in a position to do something about relieving their suffering.



Join us!

***

The writer is United Nations Under-Secretary-General and emergency relief coordinator.

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Linkedin Ryan Nakashima (Associated Press) Los Angeles, United States  Tue, May 24, 2016

Facebook says it is dropping its reliance on news outlets to help determine what gets posted as a "trending topic" on the giant social network, a move adopted after a backlash over a report saying it suppressed conservative views.

Facebook's General Counsel Colin Stretch outlined the change in a 12-page letter sent Monday to Republican Sen. John Thune, chairman of the commerce committee, which oversees the Internet and consumer protections.

The move comes less than a week after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Glenn Beck and more than a dozen other conservative commentators to address concerns stemming from a report in the tech blog Gizmodo. The Gizmodo report, which relied on a single anonymous former Facebook worker with self-described conservative leanings, claimed that Facebook downplays conservative news subjects on its trending feature.

(Read also: Facebook shows new ways to chat, stream video)

As part of the changes outlined Monday, Facebook will stop looking to news outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post and Drudge Report to automatically nominate topics for its trending feature. It also automatically nominates topics based on a spike in user posts about a subject.

"In our meetings last week, we received feedback that any list  even a good one  inherently raises questions of which publications are included versus which are not," said Facebook spokeswoman Jodi Seth. "Based on this feedback, we felt that the best approach would be to clear up this issue by removing these lists entirely and focus on surfacing the conversation on Facebook."

Trending topics are seen on the right side of the screen on computers, or after tapping on the search bar in a mobile app.

As part of its review, Facebook found that members of the team working on trending topics could temporarily suppress topics if news outlets weren't reporting on them enough.

But said it found no evidence of systemic political bias, though it couldn't discount that a lone wolf might be able to game its system.

"It is impossible to fully exclude the possibility that, over the years of the feature's existence, a specific reviewer took isolated actions with an improper motive," it said.

(Read also: Facebook programs computers to describe photos for the blind)

Thune said in a statement he found Facebook's response "encouraging" though it revealed that its trending topics feature "relied on human judgment, and not just an automated process, more than previously acknowledged."

Brent Bozell, the president of the conservative Media Research Center and who attended last week's meeting, applauded the change.

"Facebook was relying on a preponderance of liberal and leftist 'news' organs. By not relying on any specific news outlets, Facebook returns to its neutral roots," he said in a statement.

Click here to read other articles related to Facebook.
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Linkedin Eko NM Saputro (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 23 2016

On April 22 we commemorated Earth Day, a day to remember the contribution of the Earth and its biodiversity to human life, to our existence and to the next generation. Coincidentally, just a month before celebrating this day, movie star Leonardo DiCaprio made a visit to Indonesia.

It was a visit that not only caused an outpouring of expression in social media when he took photos with elephant and orangutan in Leuseur, but also caused amazement due to his concern for Indonesian biodiversity.

DiCaprios visit was cause for reflection about our level of commitment to environmental conservation, given our status as the second-most biodiverse nation in the world. Indonesia is the home of ecosystems, species and a biodiversity with high economic value.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 23 2016

An acacia tree fell in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, on Saturday evening, hitting a motorcyclist and a school gate.

It was reported that the tree, 15 meter tall with a 40-centimeter-wide trunk, fell at 8 p.m., during heavy rain and when a 50-year-old motorcyclist was passing under it.

The victim suffered severe injuries to his head, said Duren Sawit subdistrict head Dede Syaipulah on Sunday as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Palu  Mon, May 23 2016

The hunt for Indonesias most wanted terrorist, Santoso, and his group, the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT), will not be disrupted by Ramadhan, the Islamic fasting month that will start next month.

We will continue with Operation Tinombala despite Ramadhan, the task force commander, Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi, said over the weekend.

The government has reinforced the military and police personnel sent to Poso, Central Sulawesi, to hunt down members of the MIT terror group led by Santoso, alias Abu Wardah.

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Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 23 2016

High hopes are pinned on President Joko Jokowi Widodos recent overseas visits to South Korea and Russia for a boost to foreign direct investment (FDI) across the archipelago.



Jokowi visited South Korea from May 15 to 17 and then Russia from May 18 to 20, during which he led an Indonesian delegation at a string of meetings with businesspeople and the presidents of both countries, aimed at strengthening economic ties and increasing FDI.



By the end of the visits, US$18 billion worth of investment commitments had been sealed from South Korea and $16.18 billion worth from Russia.



President Jokowi welcomed these investments, saying that the government was undergoing a deregulation processes to make it easier for businesses to invest in Southeast Asias largest economy.



We will continue to reform. We will continue to simplify, Jokowi told hundreds of businesspeople in South Korea.



Investment, which accounts for a third of Indonesias gross domestic product (GDP), is a crucial pillar that the government is boosting to stoke growth in the nations weak economy through 12 economic stimulus packages that have been launched since September last year.



Indonesias economy grew 4.92 percent in the first quarter of this year; still weaker than expected after 4.79 percent growth in the previous quarter, the weakest since the 2009 global financial crisis.



South Korea is Indonesias sixth-largest foreign investor with $188.92 million-worth of realized investments as of the end of March. Russia, on the other hand, had booked only $580,000 in realized investment in Indonesia as of the end of March, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) data shows.



During the visits, Jokowi was accompanied by a number of economic ministers and agency heads, including Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, Trade Minister Thomas Lembong, BKPM chairman Franky Sibarani and Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) head Triawan Munaf.



South Korean firms have shared plans to venture into new fields in Indonesia, including in the creative economy, a focus in Jokowis administration. Conglomerates Lotte Group and CJ Group, for example, wish to open new cinemas to add to the 1,117 screens that Indonesia has at the moment, said Triawan.



Jokowi also asked South Korean President Park Geun-hye to ease the process for Indonesias fresh fruit exports, especially bananas and mangos. Total exports of fresh fruit to South Korea now stand at around $9 billion annually and both parties expect to increase the figure to $12 billion.



Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the need to expand cooperation in energy.



We have agreed to build up investment cooperation and are interested in Russian investments in major Indonesian projects in the marine sector and infrastructure development, added Jokowi.



Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said that Russia had offered a nuclear-related investment as well, but said that Indonesia was now more focused on developing renewable energy.

---------------

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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 23 2016

The National Police are preparing for a competitive race to replace Gen. Badrodin Haiti as their next top commander, as Badrodin moves closer to retirement.



Learning from a controversial succession process that saw Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, then President Joko Jokowi Widodos first pick for the position, fail to win the nomination, the polices high ranking promotions and duty rotation council (Wanjakti) has yet to name any potential candidates to replace Badrodin, raising speculation that the current chiefs tenure, which is supposed to end in July, might be extended.



The National Police Commission (Kompolnas), which is responsible for providing information on decision-making at the institution and for feeding Jokowi information about the succession process, has been ordered to keep things quiet by its new chief, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.



Luhut ordered Kompolnas to appoint just one spokesperson, unlike on previous occasions when all commissioners could make statements in public.



Silence from police headquarters has caused public concern surrounding the impending succession.



The law only grants the President the authority to appoint and dismiss a National Police chief with the consent of the House. The law does not mention anything about the authority to extend tenure, said Bambang Soesatyo, chairman of House Commission III overseeing the police.



Thus, the President must stick to the law in order to avoid an unnecessary hullabaloo, added the Golkar politician.



Kompolnas member Insp. Gen. (ret) Yotje Mende claimed that his institution had yet to receive any information on candidates to succeed Badrodin, saying, we dont know anything about it.



Yotjes words contradicted those of former commissioner Edi Saputra Hasibuan, who told reporters, we have submitted our accountability report to our successors, and that also includes our assessment of candidates for the position of top cop, after an almost three-hour closed-door meeting with Yotje and his colleagues.



There are currently seven three-star police generals suitable for the position, including Budi Gunawan, who is currently the National Polices deputy chief, National Narcotics Agency (BNN) chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian, Police educational institutional head Comr. Gen. Syafruddin, head of the National Polices security maintenance division Com. Gen. Putut Eko Bayuseno, police inspector general Comr. Gen. Dwi Priyatno and chief secretary at the National Resilience Institute Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius.



While Kompolnas provides its own assessment to Jokowi, the nomination process for National Police chief is conducted through Wanjakti, who will present its list to the President.



The silence showed by Yotje and his colleagues also comes amid a debate on whether Jokowi will extend Badrodins tenure or appoint his deputy, Budi Gunawan, to take over the job.



Institutionally, Kompolnas is under the supervision of three ministers, including Luhut, Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo and Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly.



The presence of ministers as representatives of the government prevents Kompolnas from working impartially, National Police observer Bambang Widodo Umar said.



Bambang argued that installing the ministers in the institution colored Kompolnas with political interests, especially in giving advice to Jokowi regarding the selection of a new chief.



A minister is a politically appointed position. It is difficult to think of Kompolnas, which is led by three ministers, free from political intervention in delivering its recommendations to the President, Bambang told The Jakarta Post.

____________________________________

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Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 24

By Demir Azizov- Trend:

The meeting of Foreign Ministers Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) kicked off in Tashkent, Trend's correspondent reported May 24.

In his welcome speech, Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov expressed confidence in successful conduct of the meeting.

"I am confident that the meeting will take place in a constructive atmosphere and in the spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation," said Kamilov.

Participants of the meeting will discuss the preparation process for the meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO member states (June 23-24), the draft agenda of this meeting, as well as draft documents proposed to be signed on the meeting's results.

As it was reported earlier, the summit's main outcome document is the Tashkent Declaration, which was dedicated to the SCO's 15th anniversary and contains the assessment of the organization's activities during this period, approaches of the states to the prospects of its development, as well as the SCO's position on the current international and regional situation, solving topical security issues.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers of the SCO member states will also consider the progress in admission procedure of India and Pakistan to the organization.

Foreign ministers of the SCO member states, the SCO Secretary General Rashid Alimov and the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO (RATS SCO) Eugene Sysoev are taking part in the meeting.

The SCO members are China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia and Belarus are the SCO observer-countries, while Turkey, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are dialogue partners.

A procedure was launched at the SCO summit in Ufa in July 2015 for admission of India and Pakistan to the organization. Uzbekistan overtook from Russia the SCO chairmanship at the organization's summit in Ufa.

Edited by SI
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Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 23 2016

A ruling by the Central Information Commission (KIP) has provided a legal basis for the public to demand that the government release any documents related to proposals for clemency filed by inmates facing the death penalty.

The ruling is expected to break the barriers that have been in place for decades at the State Secretariat and human rights activists requesting explanations for the presidents rejection or approval of a clemency plea will finally be heard.

The State Secretariat has so far claimed that information regarding clemency proposals is private information protected under Article 17 of Law No. 14/2008 on freedom of information.

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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto and Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Yogyakarta/Jambi  Mon, May 23 2016

Amid intimidation from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) against scholarly discussions on Marxism, the countrys intellectuals and the government are still arguing about whether the leftist ideology is an acceptable subject for discussion.



If the countrys scholars and the government are unable to settle their differences, the FPIs hostility could become the ultimate winner in this lengthy debate over freedom of expression.



Several academics on Sunday called on the government to protect freedom of expression at universities following a series of crackdowns on discussions on Marxism in Bandung and Sumedang, West Java, by the FPI.



The FPI dispersed a discussion at the Indonesia Institute of Arts and Science (ISBI) in Bandung on May 10 and a seminar on the same topic at the Padjajaran University (Unpad) in Sumedang on May 19.



Despite the crackdown and coercion, the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry has washed its hands of the matter, proclaiming Marxism illegal in all universities in the worlds fourth largest democracy.



Marxism cannot be taught because it is not in line with the nations ideology of Pancasila, Intan Achmad, the ministrys director-general for learning and student affairs, told The Jakarta Post.



Responding to that statement, Mukhtasar Syamsuddin, head of Gadjah Mada Universitys (UGM) School of Philosophy, said the government should ensure protection for any kind of event on campus, including events at respectable education centers in West Java.



These discussions are within the academic realm. They are not efforts intended to change the nations ideology. The government has to provide protection as part of its mandate to educate the whole nation, Mukhtasar told the Post on Sunday.



He said Marxism had been taught at his school since the 2000s, a move aimed at giving his students a complete philosophical perspective.



We are obliged to learn every branch of philosophy, including Marxism, liberalism, pluralism and multiculturalism, because they cannot be critical toward everything without having a holistic comprehension, he said.



In stark contrast to Mukhtasars sentiment, Intan said there is no need to wax nostalgic on the uses of Marxism, for it does not have place anymore in this era.



Nonetheless, renowned scholar Franz Magnis Suseno said Marxism was still a relevant subject for discussion, especially in the academic forum, so that younger generations would know why the teaching could not be implemented in the country that uses Pancasila as its governing ideology.



The law only prohibits the dissemination of Marxism-Leninism, based on the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party, with the intention of changing the countrys founding ideology, Franz told the Post on Sunday, referring to Article 219 of the Criminal Code.



Marxism is not an ideology. There is a lot of it that is not related to communism, such as Marxs critical theory of society, said Franz, a senior lecturer at the Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta.



Franz also raised his concerns over the governments inaction in dealing with the swelling tide of intimidation and intolerance seen in West Java, saying it is a dangerous threat to freedom of academic expression. This threat is more dangerous than the threat posed by the FPI.



Meanwhile, several academics within the Progressive Intellectuals Forum, including UGM sociologist Arie Sujito, Sanata Dharma University historian Baskara T. Wardaya and Airlangga University political science lecturer Airlangga Pribadi, demanded on Saturday that the government protect freedom of academic expression on campus.



Separately, the crackdown on communist symbolism continues as soldiers from the Batanghari base in Jambi apprehended a man, identified as RS, on Saturday for wearing shirt with the hammer-and-sickle logo, similar to that of the PKI. (mos)

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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

The ambitious 35,000 megawatt (MW) power project is likely to miss its completion target because of tardiness on PLN's part in submitting the electricity procurement business plan (RUPTL), an energy analyst says.

Komaidi Notonegoro, executive director of the Jakarta-based research group, ReforMiner Institute, said the state-owned electricity company should have had submitted the RUPTL at the beginning of the year, as the basis of national electricity development including the 35,000 program.

However, PLN had only submitted the draft last week, where the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister is expected to approve it in early June. Meanwhile, the mega project, targeted for completion by 2019, is facing many problems regarding land acquisition.

"Since the beginning, ReforMiner has warned that the program cannot be completed by using a business-as-usual approach. It needs a breakthrough in land acquisition and coordination with local government to succeed," Komaidi told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.

Based on ReforMiner data, there were 113 power plant projects constrained by land clearance issues in Bali, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Java, Kalimantan, Maluku, Papua, Sulawesi and Sumatra.

One of the problems with the 35,000 MW project is that most of them have yet been included in the provincial spatial plan (RTRW). According to Komaidi, only 51 percent of the projects included were in the regulation and the RTRW, in the concerned area.

"While in the era of regional autonomy today, land acquisition is not in the domain of the central government but is up to local governments, which makes the land acquisition process more complicated," he continued.

Having received PLNs plan on May 20, the ministry's director general of electricity decided to revise the draft. The revised version of the draft would then be submitted to the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister for approval in June.

"We target the 2016-2025 RUPTL to be approved by the Minister in June, so that the electricity infrastructure can be implemented immediately, particularly the 35,000 MW program," the ministry's public relations head Sujatmiko said.

PLN portion

To expedite the completion of the draft, all related parties held a meeting on Monday to find a solution for three main problems namely the portion of renewable energy in the energy mix, the portion of PLN in the 35,000 MW program and the consistency plan.

The meeting decided to give PLN a 30 percent portion, or 10,233 MW, with a priority to power rural and remote areas. Meanwhile, the portion of renewable energy, excluding nuclear power, was targeted to reach 25 percent in 2025, in accordance with the national energy plan.

The meeting also decided that a 500-kilovolt grid linking Sumatra and Java would be included in the RUPTL, along with the mine-mouth power plants, the Sumsel-9 and Sumsel-10 in South Sumatra, and two 600 MW coal-fired power plants in Jambi.

In addition, coal-fired power plant development should take advantage of clean coal technology (CCT), Sujatmiko added. (ags)
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Linkedin Erika Anindita Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

A political analyst has said Golkar newly appointed advisory board chief Aburizal Bakrie is likely to continue to play a leading role in the party, with a substantial influence over decision-making processes within the party.

A senior researcher at Jakarta-based think-tank PARA Syndicate, F.S. Swantoro, said the newly elected Golkar Party chairman, Setya Novanto, would probably operate under Aburizals shadow.

He added that it was also likely that senior Golkar politician Nurdin Halid, who has been nominated to serve as the partys executive chairman, would be heavily influenced by Aburizal in the course of his duties. Nurdin and Aburizal have long had acted in partnership within the party.

In fact, Pak Nurdin and Pak Setyas positions in the party are under Aburizals control, Swantoro told thejakartapost.com in Jakarta on Tuesday.

In Golkars extraordinary national congress (Munaslub) in Bali last week, Aburizal was elected to head the partys advisory board. Most of the congress participants, comprising officials of Golkars regional executive boards at provincial, regency and municipality levels, approved the selection of the business tycoon as the leader of the newly established advisory board.

With his current position, Aburizal will have the authority to make two significant strategic decisions: First, appointing Golkars presidential and vice presidential candidates and second, appointing Golkar representatives who will sit in important state institutions.

However, the recommendation of the advisory board is not legally binding as the Golkar Partys central executive board is not obliged to follow the recommendation.

The partys previous leadership did not have an advisory board in its structure, unlike during the New Order era when the partys leadership had an advisory board, which was always led by the partys patron, former president Soeharto.

During the Munaslub last week, Golkar also established two other new boards, namely the board of experts and the honorary board. Senior Golkar politician Agung Laksono will lead the board of experts while former president BJ Habibie will head the honorary board. (ebf)
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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Yogyakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Activists said on Monday that Indonesia could either maintain the spirit of democracy or return to the era of excessive restriction tantamount to what was seen during the New Order.



National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner Roichatul Aswidah said since the nation embarked on the reform movement 18 years ago, the government had taken several steps to uphold the freedom of speech and democracy, including through the implementation of the 1999 Press Law, the 1999 Human Rights Law, an amendment to the human rights provision in the Constitution and the ratifications of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).



We should acknowledge that there has been an improvement in terms of creating a more democratic environment than during the 32 years of the New Order, Roichatul said on Monday during a discussion on freedom of expression after 18 years of reformasi in Cikini, Central Jakarta.



She was participating in the discussion along with Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) researcher Wahyudi Djafar, Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) senior researcher Anggara and Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI) political researcher Irine Hiraswari Gayatri.



Wahyudi said, however, that the freedom of expression was in jeopardy, with a widespread crackdown on the use of communist symbolism and threats by hard-line groups for academic discussions on Marxism.



Police, military officials and hard-line groups, including the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the FKKPPI, are using the 1999 State Security Law as their basis for the crackdown on events they deem as efforts to advocate leftist teachings with the intention to change the countrys governing ideology of Pancasila.



Wahyudi said the imposition of the law had resulted in limitations to freedom of expression akin to during the New Order.



The recent crackdown on the perceived use of communist symbolism nationwide is proof that there are still limitations within the government. The Press Law and the Human Rights Law in 1999 did not help too much in protecting citizens, Wahyudi told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the discussion.



In recent years, the government has used the law, such as the 2008 Electronic Information and Transaction [ITE] Law, to coerce the freedom of expression, he added.



ELSAM previously reported that there were 45 cases of criminalization threatening freedom of speech on online platforms in 2015. It also registered that there were 35 cases of repression on offline platforms, 20 of which related to the 1965 communist purge, last year.



Another screening of Pulau Buru: Tanah Air Beta (Pulau Buru: My Homeland), a documentary about political prisoners sent to the prison island after the purge, at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) received threats from hard-liners on Monday.



ICJR senior researcher Anggara said that the situation could further threaten democracy, providing the House of Representatives did not revise several provisions in an amendment to the Criminal Code (KUHP) amendment, ranging from possible criminal offenses for defaming the president and vice president and casting contempt upon the nations flag and national anthem, to the dissemination of communism and Marxism-Leninism ideologies. (mos)

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, May 24 2016

In the wake of horrifying reports about rapes and gang rapes, lawmakers have a lot of support to pass a bill to regulate or ban liquor. Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has denied earlier reports that he would revoke regional bylaws restricting or banning alcohol. The ministry thinks that it is important to have bylaws banning alcohol, Tjahjo was quoted as saying on Sunday.

The government has adopted a stance in contradiction to the 2014 regulation on liquor sales signed by then trade minister Rachmat Gobel.

Ahead of the Ramadhan fasting month, such a law and bylaws banning liquor would surely be popular policies. In March, Governor Lukas Enembe said Papuas ban on alcohol was decided onto save indigenous Papuans from becoming extinct, given that so many deaths were blamed on liquor, mainly among the productive age group. Papuan women have also long cried out for liquor bans to ease domestic violence.

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Linkedin Arif Gunawan S. (thejakartapost.com) Jakarta  Mon, May 23, 2016

Private company Pasifik Agra Energi has committed Rp 7.5 trillion (US$550 million) in investment to build the first cryogenic energy-integrated liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at an industrial park in Bantaeng regency, South Sulawesi.

Pasifik Agra president director Westana H. Wiraatmadja said a feasibility study for the megaproject had been conducted with a Japanese energy company since February, and was set to be completed in August.

"After that, we will start the detailed engineering design, then followed by the construction. The terminal is set to meet demand at the industrial park, as well as in eastern and central parts of Indonesia," he said on Saturday.

The LNG terminal, he explained, would be the first in Indonesia to integrate LNG and gas with the utilization of LNG cold energy. Thus, it would create efficiency. It will be the first LNG terminal in Indonesia to apply cryogenic energy.

The project is in accordance with Bantaengs policy to build clean, green and environmentally friendly industry. Therefore, the Bantaeng administration has issued a principle permit for the project.

Bantaeng Regent M. Nurdin Abdullah said Bajiminasa Bantaeng, a firm owned by the local administration, would be the gas distribution agent to industrial markets and power plants, while Pasifik Agra would supply the LNG either from local markets or imports.

"The gas terminal can support the development of gas-based power plants. The government can help prepare the infrastructure to transform Bantaeng into a city-gas based region," he said.

In the future, Nurdin continued, the administration would build a network to pipe gas to households. Bajiminasa Bantaeng will work on the gas transmission projects.

Bajiminasa Bantaeng president director M. Taufik Fachtuddin said he was optimistic that the gas terminal would accelerate the development of industry in the region. In the first stage, the firm will clear 20 hectares of land, from a total of 50 hectares needed.

Some of the land has been cleared, he said. (ags)
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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has insisted that National Police deputy chief Corm. Gen. Budi Gunawan is the most suitable candidate to replace National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti, who is set to retire on July 28.

If Badrodin's term is not extended, Budi Gunawan is the most suitable figure to replace him, said PDI-P lawmaker Masinto Pasaribu as reported by kompas.com on Tuesday.

On Monday another PDI-P lawmaker Junimart Girsang said his party rejected any extension of Badrodin's leadership, because there was no legal basis to delay the current police chief's retirement.

Among the potential candidates to replace him, besides Budi, include head of the National Narcotic Agency (BNN) Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, head of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Comr. Gen. Tito Karnavian and head of the Police Education Institute Corm. Gen. Syafruddin.

In January, 2015, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had nominated Budi Gunawan as the National Police chief with approval from the House of Representatives. But the President was not able to inaugurate him because the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named him as a graft suspect.

Budi filed a pretrial motion to challenge the KPKs decision and won the case as the court annulled his suspect status. It was the start of a war between the two institutions, where the police then named KPK commissioners  Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto, and KPK investigator Novel Baswedan suspects in criminal cases.

Later, the investigation into the three was suspended.

Masinton argued that Budi Gunawan had performed well as a National Police deputy chief, particularly in securing the implementation of the country's simultaneous regional elections. He added that under Badrodin and Budi, the National Police had succeeded in reforming the police institution to becoming more professional.

Meanwhile, Badrodin said the Police High Ranking Officials Nomination Council (Wanjakti) had not started the nomination process for police chief candidates. Badrodin said he did not know when the council would start work on selection, which must be submitted to the President.

Masinton expressed hope that the President would start proceedings on nominating a new National Police chief soon.

Based on Article 38 of Law No. 2/2002 on the police force, the names of National Police chief candidates should be submitted to the President 30 to 40 days before Badrodins term expires, on July 27.

Meanwhile, Junimart said the he recognized that nominating a National Police chief is the prerogative of President Jokowi, but he added that the President had to explain the legal basis of any decision he made, including if he wanted to extend the term of Badrodin. (bbn)
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Linkedin Vincent Lingga (The Jakarta Post) Hong Kong  Tue, May 24 2016

More than two years after its launch, Chinas One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative still seems far from being a coherent blueprint of interconnected international infrastructure investments.

Infrastructure investment is very complex, involving strategy planning, technical assessment, feasibility studies, deal structuring, financial and tax planning, financing, project management and risk control.

But the tone of discussions and mood among more than 1,000 government and business leaders from Asia and Europe and the Middle East attending the first Belt and Road summit here last Wednesday was quite positive, full of expectations of a much faster pace of infrastructure development to enhance connectivity within Asia and between Asia and Europe.

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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Kendal, Central Java  Tue, May 24, 2016

Rights group Setara Institute has expressed concern over a recent attack on an Ahmadi mosque in Kendal regency, Central Java, and criticized the government for failing to protect the minority group.

Setara Institute chairman Hendardi said the destruction of the Ahmadi mosque in Purworejo subdistrict, Ringin Arum district, Kendal, by a group of unidentified people early Monday was the 114th attack against Ahmadi congregations in Indonesia.

During 2007-2015, the Setara Institute recorded 113 Ahmadi mosques that had been damaged by people with support from officials of local administrations, said Hendardi as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.

Setara Institute recorded 197 violations against freedom of religion in the country in 2015. Hendardi urged Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo to take immediate action to prevent further violations against freedom of religion.

He said the minister must ensure that Ahmadis in Purworejo could exercise their right to religious freedom. The Setara Institute again reminds Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo to take measures against the [Kendal] attack, said Hendardi.

Separately, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Ahmad said the police were investigating the attack on the mosque and that action would be taken against the perpetrators.

Legal measures must be taken against those who committed the violence. If necessary, they must be named suspects for involvement in the attack or vandalism, said Boy as quoted by kompas.com at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta on Monday. The police have increased security at the site of the attack and in the vicinity.

Boy deplored intolerant acts against people of any religion or ethnicity. We should not use violence in efforts to solve problems regardless of religious or ethnic background. All problems should be resolved through dialogue; all must be settled using legal avenues, said Boy.

On Monday, a mosque belonging to Ahmadiyah followers in Purworejo village, Kendal, Central Java, was attacked in the early hours. The mosques walls and roof were damaged in the attack, which occurred during heavy rain. Dozens of books and copies of the Koran were scattered on the floor.

The police have sealed of the site for investigative purposes.

The leader of the Ahmadi community in Purworejo village, Tazis, explained the incident to thejakartapost.com on Monday. I got information [on the attack] from our member who phoned me at around 1:30 a.m. local time on Monday. It rained heavily from 8 p.m. on Sunday through Monday morning. Thats why I went to the mosque, Al Kautsar Mosque, at about 6 a.m. to see the damage, he said.

Tazis said he did not know the reason for the attack. We have around 100 followers here, although only 88 of them are officially registered. Our relations with local residents are fine. Thats why we dont understand why people attacked our mosque. We have reported it to the police. Several officials from the Central Java Police and the Kendal Police came here, he said.

Destroyed  Torn books and copies of the Koran are scattered in an Ahmadi mosque in Purworejo, Kendal, following an attack early Monday. (Courtesy of the Ahmadiyah central executive board/-)

Al Kautsar Mosque was built in 2012. Work was being done on the mosque. We were fixing the roof, but suddenly the attack occurred. Im the one who is responsible for the building activities, said Roy Attaul Djamil, head of the Ahmadiyah Youth Association for Central Java and Yogyakarta.

All this time, nothing has happened in Central Java and Yogyakarta. There had been no attacks or bothering of Ahmadis in those areas. How could such an attack happen in Kendal? said Roy. The attack caused about Rp 200 million (US$14,610) in financial losses.

According to Ahmadi central executive board data, attacks against Ahmadis are common in only two areas, namely West Java and West Nusa Tenggara.

Ahmadi officials in Kendal are waiting for the police to take action. The police said they will act as mediator in a meeting between us [Ahmadis] and village and district officials, said Tazis.

The attack is thought to have happened as a result of local opposition to construction of the mosque despite a building permit (IMB) and deed being obtained.

Ahmadiyah obtained the permit and deed in 2004. At that time, building a house of worship did not require approval from nearby residents. This became a requirement only after the issuance of a joint decree [SKB] issued by the Attorney Generals Office, the Home Ministry and the Religious Affairs Ministry in 2006, said the director of the Religion and Social Study Institute (eLSA) Semarang, Yayan M.Royani.

The problem is, residents and officials of local administrations in the lower levels do not understand the matter. They are forcing Ahmadiyah to abide by the SKB, said Yayan, adding that the eLSA would help the Ahmadis resolve the problem through the national unity and community protection division of the Kendal administration.

Ahmadiyah is officially registered as a mass organization in Kendal. It is not an illegal organization, said Yayan. (ebf)
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 24

By Demir Azizov - Trend:

Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) member countries called for adoption of the UN comprehensive convention on the fight against international terrorism, said the Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.

He made the remarks May 24 at a press conference held after the SCO Foreign Ministers Council meeting.

"The Foreign Ministers Council called for the adoption of the UN comprehensive convention on the fight against international terrorism and creation of an effective platform for broad cooperation in countering challenges and threats to the regional security," said Kamilov.

The Uzbek FM also noted that the fast restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan is an important factor in maintaining and strengthening the regional security.

"The meeting participants reaffirmed their support for the Afghan conflict's settlement through the promotion of the national reconciliation process and noted that these efforts must be undertaken exclusively by the Afghan people," said Kamilov.

Meanwhile, the UN should play a central coordinating role in international cooperation on Afghanistan, he added.

The SCO members are China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia and Belarus are the SCO observer-countries, while Turkey, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are dialogue partners.

Edited by EA
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Linkedin Tama Salim and Anggi M. Lubis (The Jakarta Post) Dili/Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Timor Leste remains upbeat about negotiations on outstanding border issues with Indonesia, as the two governments continue to build on previous commitments to expedite the process.

With 98 percent of the land border already agreed upon, officials from both countries are still looking to resolve disputes about the remaining segments, having previously hit a snag in providing assurances for the population living on and around the border.

But now both countries are very close to a consensus on the remaining border areas, a senior official from Dili said, as the two governments seek out lasting solutions for those who are likely to be affected by the border negotiations.

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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung  Tue, May 24, 2016

At least six people have been killed and hundreds have been evacuated in Subang, West Java, following torrential rain and flooding.

All victims were found inside an inundated house, the victims included children and adults, West Java Police spokesman Sr. Commr. Yusri Yunus said in a text message to The Jakarta Post on Sunday night.

The floods hit Sukamukti village in the middle of Sunday night destroying 16 homes. Further heavy rain is expected for the next two days.

Yusri said rescue teams had evacuated 388 people ahead of further flooding. Police, military personnel, rescue workers and volunteers had helped clear roads in the affected area, he added. (dan)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Women evicted from the Kampung Pulo area in East Jakarta now living in the nearby Jatinegara Barat low-cost rental apartment (rusunawa) have been learning about pastry making at a cooking club to help them make a living from home.

Around 150 women participated in the training on Sunday, which was organized by the Natural Cooking Club (NCC) Indonesia through its subsidiary the Natural Cooking Club Berbagi (NCCB).

The NCCB chairwoman, Tri Pipi Palupi, said the training was aimed at encouraging the women to establish cookie businesses and taught them to make cookies including kastengels (cheese cookies), nastart (pineapple jam cookies) and putri salju (cookies with powdered sugar) at home with simple tools.

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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

After a two-year hiatus, Canadian hospitality company Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is set to make its re-entrance into Jakarta next month, offering an all-suite luxury hotel to attract travelers seeking a lavish and comfortable stay in the bustling Indonesian capital.



The hotel first entered Jakarta in 1995 as the Regent Jakarta on Jl. Rasuna Said. Following a substantial refurbishment, it was reopenend in July 2004 as the re-branded Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta.



In 2007, Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talals Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI) acquired the hotel for US$48 million and in 2012, conglomerate Peter Sondakhs Rajawali Property Group bought the franchise for US$93 million from KHI. Rajawali closed the hotel for renovations two years later to prepare for a comeback in 2018.



Along the way, the group changed its plans and moved the location of the hotel to its newly opened Capital Place integrated office complex on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta. The old location is now being prepared for another of the groups projects.



Speaking in an interview over the weekend, Four Seasons president for global products and operations, Christopher Norton, shared his optimism about the hotels early comeback to Jakarta, scheduled for June 20. Although he acknowledged that the ongoing economic slowdown does affect the hotel industry, Norton said the impact would not persist in the long run.



A hotel is not a short-term business, he told The Jakarta Post.



Weve been in Jakarta for 20 years and well be here for another 80 or 100 years, so we will take a long-term view of the business. We have great faith in Indonesia as a country and an economy.



The company is also hopeful about getting the market segment of high-income earners, resting its optimism on its global reputation for providing first-class services to customers in its 98 branches worldwide.



Because of the brand, we already have a lot of customers around the world. People from America, Europe, Australia and China come to Jakarta to do business and we target the top half percent of the traveling public, those who prefer private and first-class services, he said.



Facing local competitors  like Hotel Mulia, the Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott  Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta differentiates itself from other players by bringing a more residential feel, rather than commercial, as is visible in the design of the building, which features high ceilings, a small private lobby, five dining options, a 720-square-meter ballroom, five multi-function rooms, a spa, fitness center and swimming pool, apart from its 125 suites.



All the suites were designed by renowned New York interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud with French olive green and white classic lines, gold leaf ceiling, brass doors, European chandeliers and all-Indonesian stonework and sculptures, as well as bright white bathrooms.



Each suite, which range from 60 to 330 square meters in size, is offered from Rp 3.8 million (US$279) per night.



The hotel is targeting an average occupancy rate of 40 percent this year before gradually going up to 70 percent next year, Norton said.



The hotel will also benefit from its strategic location, Norton said. Standing next to the 20-story hotel is the 52-story Capital Place office building and a three-story food and beverage retail place. A back road connecting the compound to the Sudirman Central Business District is also currently under construction.



Four Seasons, however, currently has no plan to open another venue in the country as it will focus on operating its Jakarta branch and revamping its two Bali resorts in Ubud and Jimbaran amidst the mushrooming hotel business in the region, Norton said.



The companys Bali resorts currently see an average occupancy rate of 70 percent, a drop from the 84 percent they enjoyed some 20 years ago.

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Linkedin Christine Susanna Tjhin (The Jakarta Post) Beijing  Tue, May 24 2016

Almost every year each May I am reminded of that day, the most terrifying and infuriating day of my life, usually followed by disappointment over the receding energy for finding justice in the past decade.

The year 2016 is different, not just because a path toward reconciliation has been opened, but also because the obstacles are manifold.

Most troubling is the resurrection of the ghosts of the triangular threat. In this case its the misconception that unfairly labels three elements  Chinese Indonesians, the Chinese Communist Party and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI)  as a combination of dangerous threats to Indonesia.

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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

The government expects to book additional tax revenue amounting to hundreds of trillion rupiah from the tax amnesty bill currently being deliberated at the House of Representatives.



The additional revenue the law would lead to is estimated at as much as Rp 165 trillion (US$12.23 billion), depending on the tax penalty rate imposed on evaders that participate in the amnesty.



According to the current bill, the penalty rates are set between 1 percent and 4 percent for those declaring and bringing back their wealth into Indonesia.



The Finance Ministry has calculated that the amount of wealth that would be declared and repatriated under the law would reach Rp 1 quadrillion, thus generating tax revenue of Rp 10 trillion to Rp 40 trillion from penalties.



Meanwhile, those who opt to declare their wealth only will face penalty rates of 2 percent to 6 percent. The ministry estimates that the amount of wealth that would be declared only would be greater than the amount repatriated, at Rp 3.5 quadrillion to Rp 4 quadrillion.



As the penalty rates for non-repatriated wealth are higher in the bill, revenue from merely declared assets would be far higher according to the ministry, at between Rp 70 trillion and Rp 240 trillion.



Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said that the government would include the targeted revenues in its upcoming revision of the 2016 state budget, signaling its confidence that the tax amnesty scheme could begin this year.



We think that the maximum total revenue could reach Rp 240 trillion, but we will put Rp 165 trillion in the revised state budget. Again, it will all depend on the rates, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro told lawmakers during a working meeting on Monday.



Bambang claimed that the calculations were based on intelligence data on special purpose vehicles (SPV) that it obtained from other authorities in two countries.



According to the data, there are 6,519 Indonesians listed as ultimate beneficiaries of the SPVs. Their assets are have accumulated since 1995.



I recognize some names and some others are unknown to me, but the data is valid, he said, trying to ensure the lawmakers.



He added that the amount of assets could be traced using data related to both tax evasion and tax avoidance practices.



Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia (BI) estimates that around Rp 53.4 trillion in additional revenue would result if the amnesty was implemented from June to December this year using the current range of penalties of between 2 and 4 percent.



The central bank based its calculation on Global Financial Integritys Illicit Financial Flows Report 2015 that highlighted the existence of an estimated Rp 3 quadrillion in illicit funds parked overseas by Indonesians.



BI projects that only 60 percent of the funds would be reported under the tax amnesty scheme.



Additional tax revenue from the tax amnesty would increase the governments ability to realize its infrastructure projects, BI governor Agus Martowardojo said during the meeting.



Funds generated from the amnesty will be locked for a certain period of time within several instruments, such as mutual funds, limited participation mutual funds (RDPT), stocks, venture capital and state-owned enterprise bonds.



In the long term, the government expects that the funds would be directed towards real sector investments through the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).



Meanwhile, Bahana TCW Investment Management president director Edward Lubis wrote in a research note that tax amnesty would provide the country with a chance to tidy up the tax administration.



The tax amnesty bill, if passed into law, will provide reduced tax bills and pardons to tax evaders who report and repatriate their assets by the end of this year.



According to the latest data from the ministrys treasury directorate general, the amount of tax collected as of April reached Rp 283 trillion, only around 20 percent of this years Rp 1.36 quadrillion target.



The amount is 8.4 percent lower than the Rp 309 trillion collected in the same period last year. This years tax revenue target, meanwhile, is 28 percent higher than last years total tax collection of Rp 1.06 quadrillion.



The government missed its tax collection target of Rp 1.29 quadrillion last year, forcing the then taxation director general Sigit Priadi Pramudito to resign in December, to be replaced by Ken Dwijugiasteadi.

----------------

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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

The government expects to book additional tax revenue amounting to hundreds of trillion rupiah from the tax amnesty bill currently being deliberated at the House of Representatives.

The additional revenue the law would lead to is estimated at over Rp 100 trillion (US$7.35 billion), depending on the tax penalty rate imposed on evaders that participate in the amnesty.

According to the current bill, the penalty rates are set between 1 percent and 4 percent for those declaring and bringing back their wealth into Indonesia.

The Finance Ministry has calculated that the amount of wealth that would be declared and repatriated under the law would reach Rp 1 quadrillion, thus generating revenue of Rp 10 trillion to Rp 40 trillion from penalties.

Meanwhile, those who opt to declare their wealth only will face penalty rates of 2 percent to 6 percent. The ministry estimates that the amount of wealth that would be declared only would be greater than the amount repatriated, at Rp 3.5 quadrillion to Rp 4 quadrillion.

As the penalty rates for non-repatriated wealth are higher in the bill, revenue from merely declared assets would be far higher according to the ministry, at between Rp 70 trillion and Rp 240 trillion.

He said that the government would include the targeted revenues in its upcoming revision of the 2016 state budget, signaling its confidence that the tax amnesty scheme could begin this year.

We think that the maximum total revenue could reach Rp 180 trillion, but we will put Rp 165 trillion in the revised state budget. Again, it will all depend on the rates, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro told lawmakers during a working meeting on Monday.

Bambang claimed that the calculations were based on intelligence data on special purpose vehicles (SPV) that it obtained from other authorities in two countries.

According to the data, there are 6,519 Indonesians listed as ultimate beneficiaries of the SPVs. Their assets are have accumulated since 1995.

I recognize some names and some others are unknown to me, but the data is valid, he said, trying to ensure the lawmakers.

He added that the amount of assets could be traced using data related to both tax evasion and tax avoidance practices.

Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia (BI) estimates that around Rp 53.4 trillion in additional revenue would result if the amnesty was implemented from June to December this year using the current range of penalties of between 2 and 4 percent.

The central bank based its calculation on Global Financial Integritys Illicit Financial Flows Report 2015 that highlighted the existence of an estimated Rp 3 quadrillion in illicit funds parked overseas by Indonesians.

BI projects that only 60 percent of the funds would be reported under the tax amnesty scheme.

Additional tax revenue from the tax amnesty would increase the governments ability to realize its infrastructure projects, BI governor Agus Martowardojo said during the meeting.

Funds generated from the amnesty will be locked for a certain period of time within several instruments, such as mutual funds, limited participation mutual funds (RDPT), stocks, venture capital and stateowned enterprise bonds.

In the long term, the government expects that the funds would be directed towards real sector investments through the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).

Meanwhile, Bahana TCW Investment Management president director Edward Lubis wrote in a research note that tax amnesty would provide the country with a chance to tidy up the tax administration.

The tax amnesty bill, if passed into law, will provide reduced tax bills and pardons to tax evaders who report and repatriate their assets by the end of this year.

According to the latest data from the ministrys treasury directorate general, the amount of tax collected as of April reached Rp 283 trillion, only around 20 percent of this years Rp 1.36 quadrillion target.

The amount is 8.4 percent lower than the Rp 309 trillion collected in the same period last year. This years tax revenue target, meanwhile, is 28 percent higher than last years total tax collection of Rp 1.06 quadrillion.

The government missed its tax collection target of Rp 1.29 quadrillion last year, forcing the then taxation director general Sigit Priadi Pramudito to resign in December, to be replaced by Ken Dwijugiasteadi.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

The government pledged on Monday to intensify efforts to help boost the countrys coconut industry, which has been stagnant mainly due to lack of supply.



Attending the 52nd Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) ministerial meeting in Jakarta, Trade Minister Thomas Lembong admitted that Indonesia had so far been unable to fully tap the potential of the global coconut industry.



Coconut is a high-demand product that has long been abandoned in Indonesia. We will pay more attention to it now, he said.



The Trade Ministry recently created a special team to analyze and review current coconut production activities in the country. The team will also map out global trade opportunities for the product, Thomas added.



Although a concrete plan has not yet been announced, the government, he said, had identified some problems regarding the lack of development in Indonesias coconut industry, including the inability to provide a sufficient supply of coconuts to meet both local and international demand.



Our coconut production is stagnant, probably decreasing. This is a worrying trend since demand for it remains extremely high, Thomas said.



The Indonesian Coconut Processing Industry Association (HIPKI) recorded that the industry had required a total of 14.6 billion coconuts in 2015, but available supply rests at approximately 12 billion coconuts per year.



HIPKI secretary-general Donatus Gede Sabon said low production was caused by declining crop productivity.



The government can help increase productivity by creating rejuvenation programs to help preserve coconut plantations, he told reporters.



HIPKI further suggests that raw coconut exports had experienced little restraint over recent years. In 2015, raw coconut exports rose by 4.4 percent to 1.73 million tons from 1.65 million tons the previous year. Meanwhile, export of processed coconut products declined by 0.87 percent to 1.09 million tons last year from about 1.1 million tons in 2014.



Observing this fact, the association has urged the government to issue a moratorium on raw coconut exports, a request that Thomas said the Trade Ministry was currently deliberating.



There has been discourse regarding the moratorium and we will consider it, Thomas said, adding that the government had previously implemented a moratorium on cacao export and this had proven to boost the local industry.



Crude coconut and coconut based products exported from Indonesia to the international market currently include crude coconut oil (CCO), virgin coconut oil (VCO), coconut dessert (Nata de Coco), coconut flour, desiccated coconut, coconut milk, and coconut charcoal.



President Joko Jokowi Widodo spoke a few weeks ago about the possible implementation of a moratorium on palm oil, taking into consideration Indonesias dependency on crude palm oil.



Delegations from 16 member countries, including Fiji, Kiribati and the Philippines, are attending the four-day APCC forum. (win)

----------------

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

South Jakarta Police have arrested a man for allegedly assaulting a police officer after he refused to be ticketed during a traffic compliance inspection.

South Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tubagus Ade Hidayat said on Monday that the incident took place at Dharmawangsa, South Jakarta on Sunday as 15 officers conducted the traffic inspection, known as Operation Patuh Jaya.

Yudha, who was told to stop for driving a motorcycle against the traffic flow, could not produce a drivers license to the officers.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Police have apprehended three suspected drug dealers from Taiwan at Sun Plaza Serpong shopping mall in Tangerang, Banten, and confiscated 60 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Moechgiyarto said on Monday his officers had arrested the suspects, identified only as CHJ, LDC and CMT, at the shopping mall and seized 6 kg of meth from the men.

Moechgiyarto said the officers found a further 54 kg of meth at the suspects rented house at Cluster Alicante in Paramount Serpong housing complex, also in Tangerang.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

Iran and China will sign two memorandums of understanding on investment and export, said Assadollah Asgaroladi, head of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce.

The documents will be signed on the sidelines of a meeting between a Chinese trade delegation and officials from Iran's Trade Promotion Organization in Tehran, May 24, Asgaroladi said, Tasnim news agency reported.

Under one of the deals, China will invest in Iran's state projects, he said, adding that the second deal foresees increasing exports from Iran to China.

He further said the deals' details and figures are to be set during the mutual talks today.

The Chinese trade delegation, which is in Tehran for talks, is the largest business delegation to visit the Islamic Republic in recent years, noted Asgaroladi.

China was the main importer of Iranian goods during the last fiscal year (ended March 20).

Beijing's imports accounted for 20.2 percent of Iran's total non-oil exports in terms of value and 33 percent in terms of volume.

Iran exported 25.6 million tons of non-oil goods, worth $7.23 billion to China during the period.
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

In view of a recommendation by the countrys judicial monitoring institution, the Judicial Commission, the House of Representatives is proposing to limit the terms of Supreme Court Justices to only five years. The proposed stipulation, which is included in a bill on the judiciary, is meant to set a high standard of integrity for justices and prevent any intervention by outsiders.

Article 32 of the draft law, which was proposed by House Commission III overseeing human rights, security and legal affairs upon the commissions request, would stipulate that a Supreme Court justices term would be five years long, with possible extensions every five years after an assessment and evaluation by the Judicial Commission. The evaluation results must go to Commission III to get approval for an extension.

A member of the Houses Legislation Body (Baleg), Arsul Sani, who is with the United Development Party (PPP), said in a hearing on Monday that the provision was aimed at building up an instrument to improve the standards of integrity in the judicial environment.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Former Indramayu regent Irianto Yance Syafiuddin was sent to prison late on Sunday to serve a 4 year sentence for his role in a graft case relating to a 2006 land purchase the construction of a power plant.

Yance, a Golkar politician, will be detained at the penitentiary in Indramayu, West Java.

Initially, he was charged with pocketing Rp 5.3 billion (US$390,450) from the land purchase and state prosecutors demanded a 1.5 year prison sentence. But, the Bandung District Court ruled Yance not guilty in June 2015.

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Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Residents of Kampung Tongkol, located between the Ciliwung River tributary and the Dutch colonial wall in Ancol, North Jakarta, have proposed to guard the heritage of the area and the river as part of its community development plans.

During a discussion over the weekend, Gatot, a 65-year-old resident of Kampung Tongkol, said that residents from three areas along the bank of the Ciliwung River, had started to revamp the neighborhood.

We have voluntarily minimized the size of our houses and made improvements, he said, adding that residents had taken the initiative to decrease the size of their homes to comply with a city regulation ruling that a house must be at least five-meters away from the river.

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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Agreed: Bank Mayapada Internasional director Rudy Mulyono (from right to left), director Suwandy, president director Hariyono Tjahjarijadi, independent commissioner Kumhal Djamil, independent commissioner Insmerda Lebang, director Hariati Tupang and vice president director I Jane Dewi Tahir attend its annual general shareholders meeting in Jakarta on Monday. Shareholders approved the lenders rights issue plan worth Rp 1 trillion (US$73.49 million). (JP/Ricky Yudhistira )



Private lender Bank Mayapada expects that its rights issue plan this year will help increase its capital to upgrade its status as well as support its business expansion.



The publicly listed bank confirmed Monday that it would conduct its ninth rights issue in the third quarter of 2016 in an effort to raise fresh funds worth at least Rp 1 trillion (US$73.6 million).



The corporate action would help the bank to increase its core capital to more than Rp 5 trillion, making it eligible to upgrade its status to a BUKU III category, which consists of lenders with core capital of between Rp 5 trillion and Rp 30 trillion, finance director Hariati Tupang said.



She said the banks capital adequacy ratio (CAR) would also increase to between 14 percent and 15 percent after the rights issue, from the current 13.2 percent.



With the rights issue, we will be able to become a BUKU III bank as our core capital will be higher than the Rp 4.2 trillion we maintained as of March, she said in a press conference on Monday.



Hariati said the rights issue plan would be the third conducted in the last three years, so that its existing shareholders would be ready to become standby buyers.



Based on our experience in the last three years we conducted rights issues, our shareholders always exercised their rights [to buy the new shares] Bank Mayapada president director Haryono Tjahjarijadi said.



As of 2015, Taiwanese life insurer JPMCB Cathay Life Insurance Co. Ltd. and local company PT Mayapada Karunia held 24.9 percent and 26.4 percent of the banks stake, respectively, while Brilliant Bazaar Pte. Ltd. owned 15.6 percent.



As much as 12.4 percent of the banks shares are owned by the public, while SCB SG S/A HL Bank A/C Jtrust Asia Pte. Ltd. holds 10 percent. The remaining 7.31 percent and 3.3 percent of shares are held by Unity Rise Ltd. and PT Mayapada Kasih, respectively.



After entering the BUKU III category, the lender expected to compete with its peers through business expansion as it would be allowed to start offering a number of new lines of products, Haryono said.



He said a BUKU III bank, according to the Financial Services Authoritys (OJK) rule, was allowed to become a custodian for capital market purposes and offer some derivative products.



The bank has also been actively improving its mobile banking channel, which mainly focuses on short message service (SMS) banking as this mode of communications is still powerful in the countrys remote areas where cellular phone signals remain weak, Haryono said.



With a stronger capital after the rights issue, Hariati said the bank was planning to revise upwards its loan growth target in June to 15 percent from the 12 percent set in the 2016 business plan it submitted to the OJK.



The bank posted Rp 36.7 trillion in outstanding loans in the first quarter, which already exceeded its target of Rp 33.75 trillion because of its smaller size of business compared to bigger lenders, Haryono said.



We are optimistic because of the acceleration of government spending, which will create multiplier effects in all sectors, including corporate as well as small and medium enterprise [SME] segments, which have been our main businesses, he said.



On Monday, the banks general shareholders meeting approved a dividend payout of Rp 99 billion, equal to 15.18 percent of its total Rp 652 billion net profits in 2015, while the remaining Rp 537.3 billion went to retained earnings and Rp 16 billion were kept as reserves. The meeting also appointed Andreas Wiryanto as a new member of the banks board of directors.

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Linkedin Dwi Atmanta (The Jakarta Post) Vienna  Tue, May 24, 2016

Indonesia is taking advantage of the 25th session of the UN crime prevention body here to further raise global awareness of fisheries crime as a common yet serious global threat.

The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CPCJ), as part of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is discussing prevention and counterterrorism in this years meeting of member states from Monday to Friday.

The head of Indonesias delegation, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti  reportedly the only head of a delegation with such a position among those present  stressed the need for the international community to underline illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as a form of transnational organized crime.

Prevention of fisheries crime and fisheries-related crimes is part of the effort to realize Indonesias vision to be a world maritime axis, Susi told the plenary session.

IUU fishing, particularly transnational organized fisheries crime, poses a serious problem for the economies of coastal states and the sustainability of their fisheries and has threatened the stability of marine ecosystems. More than 60 percent of ocean fisheries are being exploited beyond their sustainable yields.

In Indonesia IUU fishing has also contributed to annual economic losses of up to US$20 billion. A government study showed that several fishing grounds have been heavily depleted.

Transnational organized crime in fishing is growing into a complex and dangerous activity and is associated with other crimes, Susi said.

Indonesia has encountered several fishing vessels involved in transnational organized criminal groups in fishing that were also engaged in illegal activities such as money laundering, bribery, drug trafficking and human trafficking, as well as tax fraud and customs-related crime. The enslavement of Myanmarese men working for a fishing company operating on Benjina Island, Maluku, last year was a stark example of the transnational crime.

Over the last few years Indonesia has intensified efforts to woo support for its cause, including through bilateral cooperation with UN members sharing a common understanding of how to combat fisheries crime, such as Norway, the US, Australia, Mexico, South Africa and Namibia.

Indonesia, Norway and the UNODC co-hosted a side event on transnational organized fisheries crime later in the day. Nations [] need to take concrete actions to prevent fisheries crime and fisheries-related crimes in an effective way, which is through enhanced international cooperation on capacity building to implement international instruments, Indonesian Ambassador to Austria Rachmat Budiman, the alternate head of the delegation, said.

In the last few decades, the international community has developed mechanisms to curb fisheries crime.

At the national level supervision has been implemented, such as port state control, flag state control and enforcement, and by applying ecosystem approaches to ensure fish stock sustainability. In 1995 the UN adopted the Fish Stock Agreement.

Rachmat said it would take quite a long time to convince world leaders to recognize fisheries crime as a transnational organized crime, particularly because of challenges from countries that would be affected by any international mechanism to combat the emerging crime.

The link between IUU fishing and organized criminal syndicates was highlighted in the Dec. 4, 2009 UN Resolution 64/72 on sustainable fisheries, which noted the concerns about possible connections between international organized crime and illegal fishing in certain regions of the world.
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Linkedin Anita Lie (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya  Tue, May 24 2016

A symposium on Indonesian-Americans was held on May 14 at the Center of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. The organizer and the Indonesian studies coordinator at the university, Juliana Wijaya, said it was the very first symposium on Indonesian-Americans organized by a higher education institution in the US.

The event set the scene for further linkages between the Indonesian diaspora and their homeland. In 2013 in the US alone, immigrants originating from Indonesia reached over 100,000, according to 2015 immigration statistics.

The number was relatively small compared to those from other countries such as China and India. It was also very small in relation to the total population of the country of origin. In human and financial capital, however, it is worth discussing the potential contributions of the diaspora to Indonesia.

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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

The youth organization of Muhammadiyah, the countrys second-largest Islamic organization, has condemned an attack on a mosque owned by an Ahmadi community in Purworejo subdistrict, Ringin Arum district, Kendal regency, Central Java, early Monday.

Muhammadiyah youth condemn the violence. Whatever the reason, such violence is unacceptable, said Pemuda Muhammadiyah (Muhammadiyah Youth) chairman Dahnil Azhar as reported by kompas.com on Tuesday.

Theological beliefs must not be used as a reason to create anarchy and therefore the police must investigate the attack thoroughly so that the culprits are prosecuted, Dahnil added.

I do not share the same beliefs as the Ahmadis, but I believe that they have the same rights as other citizens of Indonesia, he added.

Al Kautsar mosque, which had been under construction since 2003, was attacked by unidentified people early Monday. No members of the mosques congregation were on the premises at the time.

Before the incident, a member of the Ahmadi community said the subdistrict and district heads went to the mosque to warn the congregation not to continue with the construction of the mosque because local residents opposed it.

Everything was destroyed. The walls of the Koran recital room were torn down, the roof was damaged and Korans were also [torn]," Encep Jamaludin, the iman at the mosque, said as quoted by kompas.com on Monday. Material losses are estimated at up to Rp 200 million (US$14,727).

The Ahmadi community obtained a land certificate and a building construction permit (IMB) in 2003, Encep added.

Meanwhile, Kendal Police chief Adj. Sr. Com. Maulana Hamdan said the police were investigation the case. "Just entrust the matter to [the police] and don't commit any activities that have the potential to hurt any of us," Maulana said.

It was the latest attack against Ahmadiyah community. In the past, similar attacks against the community occurred in many parts in the country, including a deadly one in February 2011, in which three Ahmadis were killed and five others were critically injured after hundreds of locals attacked Ahmadis in Umbulan village, Pandeglang regency, Banten. Ahmadis have also been driven out of towns.

Meanwhile, National Police chief spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Raflii Ahmad said the police were investigating the attack. He stressed that the police would focus on catching the people who had taken the law into their own hands.

The attackers could be accused of committing violence and vandalism, he added. (bbn)
Deliberate or indiscriminate attacks have decimated health facilities, killed medical workers and patients, and deprived countless civilians of care in 19 countries during 2015 and the first three months of 2016, a coalition of more than 30 health and humanitarian organizations said in a new report released Monday.

The Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition said the attacks took place from Colombia across Africa and the Middle East to Asia, including Pakistan, Myanmar and Thailand .

"The report shows both the pervasiveness and variety of attacks on health facilities, staff and patients globally," coalition co-chair Leonard Rubenstein of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said in a statement. "Sometimes the attacks are deliberate, sometimes they're a product of indifference to the harms caused, and sometimes they represent gross failures to take steps needed to prevent death and injury  but all violate longstanding obligations under international law."

The UN Security Council earlier this month adopted a resolution condemning attacks on health facilities and health workers and reiterating that under the laws of war hospitals and staff must be protected from attack. It called on all countries to prevent attacks, investigate them and bring the perpetrators to justice.

"Turning hospitals into battlefields is a grave breach of humanitarian law and an affront to humanity," said Susannah Sirkin of Physicians for Human Rights, a coalition member.

Laura Hoemeke of IntraHealth International, another member, said "the international community's failure to halt such attacks has sparked a chain reaction of impunity."

Among its recommendations, the coalition called on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the World Health Organization to document attacks on health facilities and workers, and urged the Security Council to refer such crimes to the International Criminal Court or other tribunals if countries don't take action.

Recent attention has focused mainly on the bombing and shelling of hospitals in five countries  Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen. In Syria, the report said, 122 attacks on hospitals were documented in 2015, while in Yemen health facilities were attacked over 100 times.

The coalition's report also cited extensive damage to medical facilities and deaths to health workers elsewhere in the world.

In six African countries  Central African Republic, Congo, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan  health facilities were burned or looted, medical vehicles attacked and staff abducted, the report said. Central African Republic saw more than 200 attacks on humanitarian compounds and vehicles in 2015, many providing desperately needed health care, it said.

The coalition said Nigeria's government has reported that the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram has destroyed 445 health facilities since 2012. During that time, it said six doctors were killed and 152 severely injured.

In Pakistan, the coalition cited a UN report documenting 37 attacks or threats on polio vaccination teams that killed 11 people in 2015, including four police escorts. Polio vaccination teams were also attacked in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Somalia, it said.

In Afghanistan, the coalition cited UN reports documenting 63 incidents in 2015 where anti-government groups targeted hospitals, clinics and health personnel  "an alarming 47 percent increase from 2014." It also singled an attack by Afghan forces on a Swedish-run clinic in Wardak province on Feb. 18 where two patients and a young boy with them were abducted and killed, and the US military attack on a Doctors Without Borders trauma hospital in the city of Kunduz on Oct. 3 where 14 staff and 28 patients and caretakers were killed.

The report cited several instances where medical aid has been obstructed  by the Turkish government which is engaged in military action against Kurdish separatists, by pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government in that country's volatile east, and by Israel in the Palestinian territories and Jerusalem.

In southern Thailand , the coalition cited a Human Rights Watch report saying at least 10 insurgents stormed Joh Airong Hospital in Narathiwat province on March 13, used it as a stronghold to attack a government security post and tied up a pregnant nurse and destroyed hospital computers and equipment before retreating.

The coalition reported a decrease in attacks in Colombia and Myanmar but noted a reported attack by FARC rebels on a Colombian Navy hospital boat on the Putumayo River in April 2015 and three attacks in Myanmar in 2015  two on Red Cross convoys and one in which police dragged a sick protester from an ambulance, beat him and destroyed the ambulance.
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Linkedin Haeril Halim/Margareth S. Aritonang/Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Kendal  Tue, May 24 2016

For decades, some 100 followers of the Ahmadiyah religious group have lived peacefully with their neighbors in Purworejo village in Kendal, Central Java, but this ended early on Monday when a mob ransacked their place of worship, the Al Kautsar mosque.

The destruction of the property belonging to the sect, which the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has declared to be deviant from mainstream Islam, marks a new departure for vigilante groups attacking beleaguered minority groups in the country; away from daylight harassment to attacks committed under the cover of darkness.

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Linkedin Franklin Briceno (Associated Press) Lima, Paru  Tue, May 24, 2016

Peru's government declared an emergency across a broad jungle region Monday because of mercury contamination caused by wildcat gold mining.

The 60-day decree affects 11 districts in the Madre de Dios region bordering Brazil where studies carried out by Stanford University and others have found high levels of the toxic element in people, rivers and fish.

Deputy Health Minister Percy Minaya said as many as 50,000 people could be exposed to high levels of mercury. Particularly affected are members of the Harakmbut indigenous group, some of whom were found with mercury levels six times the suggested level.

The government said it would send hospital boats to help treat people living in the affected area, where authorities have been trying to stamp out illegal mining along rivers.

Thousands of small-time miners have descended on the Madre de Dios region in the last decade, removing an estimated 40,000 hectares (about 98,850 acres) of forest and changing the course of entire rivers.

President Ollanta Humala's government has cracked down on illegal mining but the high price of the precious metal has proved a powerful incentive.

Peru is Latin America's largest producer of gold and an estimated 15 percent of the country's output is believed to be extracted illegally with little concern for the environment.(bbn)
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24



By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:



Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for resolving an issue over sharing the waters of the Helmand River between Iran and Afghanistan.



At a meeting with President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to common cultural areas that the both countries share, and said that such issues should not led to dispute between the countries, official website of the supreme leader reported.



In turn, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai said that over the next couple of weeks an expert-level meeting will discuss the issues about sharing waters along border areas between Iran and Afghanistan.



He further expressed hope that the issues would be properly solved.



Earlier Afghan ambassador to Tehran Nasir Ahmad Nour told IRNA News Agency that Kabul is committed to an agreement sharing the waters of the Helmand River between the two countries.



Disagreements over distribution of the waters of the Helmand River between Tehran and Kabul erupted as southeastern regions of Iran and southwestern regions of Afghanistan have been affected by severe drought over the past several years.






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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

To resolve human rights cases in Papua, the biggest challenge for the government comes from the police and military, activists say, citing that both institutions are alleged to have been involved as perpetrators.

It has been a major problem for us, because the state  especially the police and the military  is [allegedly] involved in those cases, said Feri Kusuma, the impunity monitoring division head of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), on Monday.

According to a report released by Komnas HAM in March, rampant human rights violations occurred in Papua during the first year of President Joko Jokowi Widodos administration, which started in 2014, including the arrest, torture and murder of at least 700 civilians. Cited cases include shootings in Yahukimo, Dogiyai, Tolikara and Timika regency.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan recently said that the government would resolve 12 human rights cases in Papua by the end of this year, cooperating with both the National Police and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

Feri, however, said the government are likely to face serious problems, internally, because many people from the police and the military now serve as government officials. People [from those institutions] have considerable authority. This is our biggest challenge, he added.

Komnas HAM chairman Imdadun Rahmat said last week that its team had begun to investigate the 2014 Paniai case, while the 2001 Wasior and the 2003 Wamena case had been investigated and investigation results had been submitted to the Attorney Generals Office.

The Paniai case involves a shooting incident on Dec. 8, 2014, that left five civilians dead. The death of five Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) members and one civilian in Wasior on June 13, 2001, led to the torture and murder of civilians, allegedly carried out by the police and the military.

In 2003, a raid on Military District Command (Kodim) arsenal in Wamena led to a number of human rights violations, allegedly carried out by the military, including torture, murder, and the burning of civilian houses.

Feri said that all rights abuse cases committed after the year 2000 should be resolved through the human rights court, as stipulated by the 2000 Human Rights Trials Law.

However, cases that occurred before 2000, could be resolved through an ad-hoc human rights court legitimized by a Presidential Decree [Keppres], he said. (vps/bbn)
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

The plan to punish sex offenders using chemical castration has created a heated debate among government officials and civil society alike, raising questions on the efficacy of the sentence and its effectiveness as a deterrent.

"Chemical castration is not the solution," Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo, a Gerinda Party lawmaker, said at a press conference held by an alliance of civil society groups against the regulation in lieu of law (Perppu), which is awaiting implementation.

The Perppu cites chemical castration as a deterrent effect to reduce sex crimes, especially against children.

"In most cases, pedophiles are not purely driven by sexual desire, but by power and dominance," she added.

Chemical castration may temporarily address sexual arousal, she continued, but in the long term, perpetrators are likely to find other ways to exercise power through violent means.

Careful to not speak on behalf of the House of Representatives, she said her opinion was personal. The statement was supported by 99 non-governmental organizations, united within a network called "Alliance 99 against Chemical Castration Perppu".

"We need to look at the bigger picture and put more emphasis on a holistic approach," said Rahayu, adding that a solution is necessary to make everyone, not just children, feel safe from sexual violence.

Referring to the Nawa Cita (nine agenda) development principles, programs outlined by the President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administration, Rahayu emphasized the importance of developing programs in support of the priority agenda as a framework of action to address the issue.

Moreover, Rahayu emphasized the need to enhancing the justice system, including capacity building for judges and correctional facility improvements, questioning the push for implementation of harsh laws if judges on the ground do not implement them.

It is not uncommon for judges to hand out less than maximum punishment, she said, adding that, even whilst in jail, perpetrators are exposed to conditions that could exacerbate criminal tendencies.

Finally, Rahayu said it was important to address the root cause of child sex crime.

Health Ministry official Lina Mangaweang, who is also a psychiatrist, said it was important to provide rehabilitation for child sex offenders.

For pedophiles, she continued, sexual behavior must be directed toward the norm so they do not target underage children as a means of sexual release.

"Pedophilia is a mental disorder, the mindset has to be changed," said Lina, an official at the prevention and control of mental health problems and drugs directorate at the Health Ministry.

She emphasized the benefits of rehabilitation to address sexual violence issues, which would be accompanied by psychotherapy and psychopharmacological approaches.

The increasing number of sexual violence cases committed against children recently led President Jokowi to issue the Perppu, which will serve as the new legal basis to deter people from committing sex crimes against children. He ordered officials to finalize the draft immediately.

The controversial medical sanction involves the administration of anti-androgenic drugs once every three months to reduce sexual interest, compulsive sexual fantasies and the capacity for sexual arousal. Its effects are reversible when treatment is discontinued but there are lasting side effects. (bbn)
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Karo  Tue, May 24 2016

Mount Sinabung eruption evacuees in Karo regency, North Sumatra, have requested that the government immediately relocate them to safer areas after seven villagers died after ash clouds engulfed Gamber village.

The request was expressed by evacuees during a dialogue with Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa at the Karo regents official residence in Kabanjahe on Monday

Gurukinayan villager Suensito Ginting, 26, said the government had yet to provide him with permanent housing three years after he was evacuated. Ginting claims to have received assistance from the government in the form of a housing and farm lease but not enough to support his family of three.

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Linkedin Erlinda Ekaputri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

The initiative of President Joko Jokowi Widodo to establish the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) is a very positive step for sustainable development. The agency is tasked with restoring 2 million hectares of degraded peatland that resulted from land clearing and burning by industrial plantations for agricultural cultivation.

The restoration target is part of the governments commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 26 percent.

Some 80 percent of Indonesias GHG emissions arise from land use, particularly the clearing and burning of forests driven by land cultivation interests, and peatland fires.

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Linkedin Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Monday that the rights of Dadap residents in Tangerang regency, Banten, had been violated on several occasions.

They have been denied the opportunity to express their opinions about spatial planning. They were never invited to participate in discussion prior to the administration issuing eviction notices in the area where they have been living for more than 20 years, Komnas HAM chairman Imdadun Rahmat said at his office in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Indonesian airlines have seen dozens of routes and schedules revoked by the authorities during the first five months of the year on the back of low demand.

However, the airline industry is optimistic that the market will recover by the end of the year.

According to data from the Transportation Ministry, permits for six routes operated by five airlines were revoked by the ministry between January and May 23.

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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

Suspected terrorist Santoso and his followers are unlikely to retire from their guerrilla warfare and surrender to security forces, said National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti on Monday.

Based on their concept and mindset, it would be impossible for them to turn themselves in," Badrodin said as quoted by kompas.com.

The force called on the Santoso-led terrorist group, the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT), to surrender in order to prevent further shootouts, Badrodin said, emphasizing that the police would prefer not to kill the MIT members.

However, Badrodin asserted that the joint police-military force would exchange fire in the mountainous Central Sulawesi forest if it were to end to the militant groups activities.

Initially scheduled to end in early May, Operation Tinombala was extended by a further three months, from May 10 to Aug. 10, because the task force had failed to capture Santoso, also known as Abu Wardah, within the given time frame.

Member of the House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs Syarifuddin Sudding said that lawmakers would continue to provide support for Operation Tinombala, adding that the commission had increased the operating budget to Rp 25 billion (US$1.8 million).

The government has also reinforced police and military personnel in Poso, Central Sulawesi, increasing the total deployed personnel to 3,700.

Previously, Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said that Santoso was traveling among a group of five people, while the remaining MIT members, decreased to 23 members, had broken up into smaller groups and dispersed to continue their activities.

"The police and military troops have stepped up efforts to track down the groups," Luhut said on Friday. (afr/bbn)
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto has appointed former deputy defense minister Lt. Gen. (ret) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin the partys candidate for the Jakarta gubernatorial election next year, challenging the incumbent Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama.

Sandiaga Uno, a businessman and a previous candidate hopeful, said on Sunday that Prabowo had picked Sjafrie among two other names and would make an official announcement after Idul Fitri in July.

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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

The government has finally signed a regulation on the Negative Investment List (DNI), three months after the measure was announced in February.

The issuance of the regulation would provide certainty for investment in Indonesia, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Franky Sibarani said on Tuesday. The DNI lists fields of business that are open and closed to foreign investment with certain percentages of share ownership.

"Cold-storage, movies and pharmaceutical industries are the main sectors where investors wait and see. With the new DNI regulation, it is expected that they will immediately realize their interests," Franky said.

He added that Taiwanese, South Korean and Middle Eastern investors were among those who had expressed an interest in entering the movie business in Indonesia. "With the regulation, it is expected that they will proceed with the investment commitment by acquiring the licenses and beginning construction," he said.

Franky, who is currently on a working visit to the US, has met with businesspeople in the pharmaceutical sector and is scheduled to meet with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

"As for US investors, cooperation with members of the MPAA, an association of six renowned film producers in Hollywood, is currently being explored," he said.

MPAA members include Dreamworks, Warner Bros., Twenty-First Century Fox and Walt Disney. A Walt Disney team had paid several visits to the BKPM and Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) offices in Jakarta, said Franky.

He expressed optimism that the DNI regulation would have a positive impact on the national investment target of Rp 594.8 trillion (US$43.52 billion) this year. "The certainty in the business field in Indonesia is expected to promote the realization of investment," he said.

The DNI is among stimuli mentioned in the 10th economic policy package released in February. (ags)
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Linkedin Dwi Atmanta (The Jakarta Post) Vienna  Tue, May 24 2016

Indonesia is taking advantage of the 25th session of the UN crime prevention body here to further raise global awareness of fisheries crime as a common yet serious global threat.

The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CPCJ), as part of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is discussing prevention and counterterrorism in this years meeting of member states from Monday to Friday.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Iran has launched several production lines for making proximity fuses that are used in rockets and missiles.

The production lines will make fuses to be used in the Fajr 3 and Fajr 5 artillery rockets and the Falaq 1, Falaq 2, as well as the Fateh missiles, Tasnim news agency reported May 24.

The fuses will also be used in air bombs, the report added.

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan attended the ceremony for inaugurating the production lines.

Last August, Iran test-fired a new solid-fuel precision-guided missile, named Fateh 313, which is capable of striking targets with pin-point accuracy within a range of 500 kilometers.

Media reports suggest that Iran maintains dozens of short, medium and long-range ballistic missiles with one of the largest missile arsenals in the Middle East.

Although several Western and regional countries have expressed concerns over Iran's missile program, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly said that its military might poses no threat to other countries, reiterating that its defense doctrine is merely based on deterrence.
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Linkedin Ida I. Khouw (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24, 2016

Some admired Han Awal as a heritage conservationist; others said he was a conservative modernist; media christened him a legendary architect and all agreed his death at the age of 85, on May 14, was a great loss for Indonesia.

The award-winning architect passed away peacefully in his sleep at home, beside his beloved wife, his son Yori Antar said at his familys house in Kemang, South Jakarta.

Han was best known for his conservation works and his legacy can be seen in the landmarks and heritage of many cities around the country, including Jakarta.

"The beauty of an old building lies in its details," Pak Han told me in early 2000 during an interview for Save Old Batavia, my (then) weekly column on Jakarta heritage published in The Jakarta Post.

With his typical soft voice and warm personality the Dutch-and-German educated architect taught me to pay attention to the beauty of bevel glass, stained glass, carvings, workmanship and many other elements that constitute the charm of old buildings.

Senior archeologist Mundardjito remembered the father of four children and seven grandchildren as a person who was willing to listen, accommodative of different opinions and soft-spoken in upholding or defending his principles.

His personality was key to the synergy between architecture and archeology during the conservation of the Gedung Arsip Nasional [National Archives building in West Jakarta], said Mundardjito who was also involved in the US$ 2 million project that was funded by the Dutch business community as a 50th Indonesian Independence anniversary gift in 1995.

Pak Hans virtue was consistent in every project we worked on together, even when we engaged in hot debate, the member of the Jakarta Cultural Heritage Expert Team added.

The National Archives Building on Jl. Gajah Mada, West Jakarta, as seen in this undated photograph. The conservation of the 18th-century Dutch country house won UNESCO Heritage Award in 2001. (JP/P.J. Leo)

Han and his colleagues Cor Passchier and Budi Lim received the Award of Excellence in the 2001 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation for the conservation of the 18th-century National Archives Building, a mansion once occupied by the VOC Dutch East Indies Companys governor-general Reinier de Klerk, considered the last remaining example of a closed Dutch style country house in Indonesia.

The delicate project also won the Indonesian Architect Association (IAI) Award upon its completion in 1999.

Hans first restoration project was the neo-gothic Jakarta Cathedral in 1987, followed by the revitalization of the Bank Indonesia building in Kota, Jakarta, into a museum, a project which won the IAI Jakarta Award in 2009; followed by similar Bank Indonesia building projects in Manado, South Sulawesi, Yogyakarta and Semarang in Central Java, among others; and the ongoing restoration of the iconic neo-classical Immanuel Church, formerly Willemskerk, in Gambir, Central Jakarta.

Even though he was well-known as a conservationist architect, Han, who was also a lecturer at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, the Soegijapranata Catholic University in Semarang, Central Java, and at the Malang Merdeka University in Malang, East Java, embraced modernism for his own style.

My father was a very conservative modernist architect. He always stressed aspects of functionality and simplicity in design. He never used ornaments because, for him, beauty emerged in simplicity, said Yori who is also an award-winning architect.

Hans original masterplan of the Atma Jaya Catholic University campus in Central Jakarta in 1962 emphasized the tenets of modernism.

It was a challenge for young architect Han Hoo Tjwan, who had only just returned to Indonesia from Germany, having graduated in 1960, when first President Sukarno asked him to contextualize modern-style design in tropical Indonesia.

He created the simple contemporary  in its era  functional, flat-roof campus that was adapted to the tropics as well as sufficiently frugal for the context of (then) poor Indonesia; while the construction was 30 meters behind the Building Line Restriction so as to allow maximum view of the Semanggi flyover, according to urbanist Marco Kusumawijaya.

Han planned open spaces for whole ground floor, where students could interact to broaden their social-political senses.

Some 30 years later the campus witnessed the student political movement that initiated the fatal May 1998 tragedy, which led to the downfall of the dictator President Soeharto, and later became the hotspot of the Semanggi I violence (Nov. 11 to 13, 1998) where 17 civilians and students were shot by the armed forces, and the Semanggi II tragedy (on Sept. 24, 1999) where nine people were killed.

Atma Jaya University campus in its original modern style as designed by architect Han Awal in 1962.(Courtesy of Han Awal & Partners/-)

Pak Han told me [the Atma Jaya project] was the best moment in his career, said Bambang Eryudhawan, chairman of the Jakarta Restoration Team (TSP).

The Atma Jaya campus design won the IAI Award in 1984.

However, according to Marco, Hans modernism was not spectacular or superstar. [His is] average modernism [but] well practiced with completely-trained skill and ingrained professional ethics, he wrote in his blog.

Marco said the recipient of the IAI Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 had a broad opportunity to implement his true spirit of modernist honesty and simplicity in the orthodoxy of Catholic Church bodies, his main clients in the past.

A devout Catholic, Han committed to build hundreds of churches and related public-service buildings like St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta and Pangudi Luhur Catholic senior high school in South Jakarta.

But Han was also known for his involvement in the design of the Conference of New Emerging Forces (Conefo) building between 1964 and 1972, the present Parliament complex in Central Jakarta, as well as hundreds more government and private offices.

According to his son, Han never had ambition to create a spectacular legacy. For him, monumental legacy lied in the functional aspect of anything he built, said Yori, who is known for his work in restoring customary buildings across the Indonesian archipelago.

The post-modern style Atma Jaya University campus in Central Jakarta, May 19. (thejakartapost.com/Wienda Parwitasari)(The Jakarta Post/Wienda Parwitasari)

Han Awal, who received the Satya Lencana Kebudayaan prestigious honor from the government in 2013 for his involvement in building, renovating, restoring or conserving some 500 public and private owned buildings throughout his lifetime, with no record of breaching the architectural code of ethics.

I never heard anything related to him breaching the code of ethics, said Marco, not all architects are as clean as Pak Han.

Born on Sept. 16, 1930, in Malang, East Java, Han Awal was a person raised between two worlds, said his friend and colleague Cor Passchier, former vice-president of the Royal Society of Dutch Architects (BNA).

In the late Dutch colonial period (ended in 1945) Han followed Dutch schools and later studied architecture at the Technische Hogeschool Delft in the Netherlands from 1950 to 1957, under scholarship from the Malang Catholic Church diocese.

Together with fellow Indonesian students, Han chose to leave Delft due to the ongoing political dispute between Indonesia and the Netherlands over competing claims for Irian Barat (now Indonesias Papua and West Papua) that occurred between 1950 and 1962. He completed his study at the Technische Universitat, Facultat fur Architectur, West Berlin, in 1960.

With such a broad background he could make himself understood in several languages besides Bahasa Indonesia; in English, French, German and Dutch, wrote Passchier, who is also an IAI honorary member, in an email sent from the Netherlands.

The person whom Passchier described as a great and wise man was indeed active in parting his skill, knowledge and wisdom through the clubs, associations and interest groups he initiated.

Eryudhawan recalled how Han supported the establishment of Young Indonesian Architects (AMI) in 1989 as an un-patronizing guru.

While, for the Architecture Documentation Center (PDA) staff, the centers co-founder left them with a memory of a humble man who treated human beings equally, said Eko Mauladi, the PDAs librarian.

The last initiative of the winner of the A. Teeuw Award in 2007 for his merits in improving cultural relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands, was the planned establishment of Heritage Watch, triggered by concern regarding the possible destruction Kota Tua heritage, during the ongoing eviction of Pasar Ikan in North Jakarta, located within the protected heritage boundary.

He can never sign the deed for the establishment of the watchdog, said archeologist Mundardjito, deep in grief beside the coffin containing Hans body on May 16.

The noted archeologist recalled how Han told some people that he had wished to pass away without burdening his loved ones. It seemed he knew his time was limited and he wanted to keep active until the last day, he added.

He got what he wanted, Yori said, adding that his father suffered heart problem. He died while still involved in several projects.

Husband of Anastasia Maria Theresia Gandasubrata (Gan Lian Hwa), and father of Paulus Rachmat Trisna Awal, Gregorius Yori Antar Awal, Maria Daryati Awal, and Maria Widyati Awal, Han was cremated at the Oasis Lestari Crematorium in Tangerang, Banten, on May 18.

Han Awal, the last modernist, has headed toward the light, wrote Marco.
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Linkedin Putera Satria Sambijantoro (The Jakarta Post) Guizhou, China  Tue, May 24 2016

Middle-earth: Surrounded by the Karst Mountains, the small village of Wanfenglin in Xingyi, China, presents travelers with a fabulous landscape normally seen in movies with Middle Earth settings.

A hidden tourism gem, secluded in one of Chinas poorest provinces, is offering a spectacular landscape to travelers, as well as something for Indonesias regional leaders who are looking to utilize tourism to spur their local economies to think about.

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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 24 2016

Ride-hailing app Uber might have an easier time dealing with regulators in relation to its ojek (motorcycle taxi) service  named Ubermotor  than it has regarding its cars given the Transportation Ministry has stated that it is not ready to issue a regulation on ojek services.



The leeway has prompted Uber to roll out a massive two-day recruitment process beginning Monday, in the hope of attracting 10,000 new Ubermotor drivers.



The requirements for any hopeful drivers include being 21 years old or older, having a motorcycle drivers license, having a vehicle license (STNK) and having police clearance letter (SKCK).



Uber claims that the requirements are easier to meet than the ones set for its Uber car drivers. The requirements for Uber car drivers include a vehicle roadworthy test (KIR) for any car to be driven and an STNK that belongs to the company that employs the driver.



There is a process that they must go through, such as document checking and briefing. Applicants can start working as Ubermotor drivers on the same day if they meet all the requirements and complete the process, Uber Indonesia head of communications Dian Safitri said on Monday.



The company insisted that the public should have more affordable choices for their travel and claimed that it was committed to partnering with the government for the ojek service.



Our focus is on providing high quality rides, on both two wheels and four wheels, built on principles of reliability, affordability and safety, she said.



The new Ubermotor service will charge a base fee of Rp 1,000 (7 US cents) and an additional Rp 1,000 fare for each kilometer traveled.



The fee is lower than that charged by other app-based ojek services, such as homegrown Go-Jek and Malaysia-based GrabBike. GrabBike currently charges a minimum fee of Rp 10,000, and Go-Jek Rp 12,000.



Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan has previously said that the government would not be able to issue a regulation on the ojek service.



I cant regulate it because right now there is no law regulating two-wheel vehicles as a form of mass transportation, he said.



Meanwhile, Ubers decision to introduce Ubermotor comes as the ministrys deadline approaches for Uber and similar operator GrabCars rental car services to still be considered legal.



They will soon be obliged to partner with a legal, registered transportation company and possess both a transportation business permit and an operating permit.



So far, their drivers have formed a cooperative called Trans Jasa Usaha Bersama.



To qualify, the partner companies will need to own at least five vehicles that have passed roadworthy tests, own a car pool and own a mechanics workshop, among other requirements.



Uber has also launched UberPOOL, an add-on service for its existing car service, allowing users to share rides and split the bill with other users heading in the same direction.



Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to taste this service.

---------------

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An officer stokes the fire beneath a pyramid of stuffed wild animals in the frontyard of the Department of Forestry office in Banda Aceh on Monday. The animal skins were confiscated from illegal traders during a series of raids carried out by Acehs Department of Forestry in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Agency and the police. The Aceh administration conducts regular raids to curb the illegal trade in animal skins.(JP/Hotli Simanjuntak)(JP/Hotli Simanjuntak)
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru  Tue, May 24 2016

Five men, including a village head, have been named suspects of illegal ivory trading following a series of interviews by the Riau Police. They were charged with violating the 1990 law on natural resources conservation, which could see them serve up to five years in prison if found guilty.

The Riau Police special crimes and intelligence unit announced it was looking for the elephant poachers who had allegedly supplied the traders with ivory.

Riau Police special crimes and intelligence director Sr. Comr. Rivai Sinambela said the five suspects were arrested on Friday, caught the offering a buyer a pair of elephant tusks at the Shushi Tei restaurant on Jl. Soekarno-Hatta in Pekanbaru.

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An official Chinese newspaper says improved relations between the US and Vietnam must not lead to greater pressure on China or threats to its interests.

The China Daily said in an editorial Tuesday that any attempt by the US to use Vietnam as a foil to China could further complicate regional tensions.

The comments point to Beijing's underlying concerns about closer ties between its chief regional rival and its southern neighbor, with which it is in dispute over ownership of islands in the South China Sea.
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Linkedin Tammy Webber and Chris Carola (Associated Press) Chicago, United States  Tue, May 24, 2016

The way Terry Neilen sees it, lifting the ban on US arms sales to Vietnam makes sense in the face of China's growing influence in the region.

Fellow Vietnam veteran Ned Foote said Americans long ago forgave Germany and Japan for World War II, so there's no reason not to do the same with Vietnam.

"We're actually acting as a team in a sense," said Neilen, of Saratoga Springs, New York, who served in the Army infantry in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. "They're joining together to give a show of strength."

Foote, who heads the New York State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America, noted that the Vietnamese have helped account for missing American service members.

President Barack Obama's decision to lift the half-century-old arms embargo was seen Monday by many veterans as a logical outgrowth of efforts to normalize relations between the US and the Southeast Asian nation that has become a major trading partner since the war ended in 1975.

Obama, looking to bolster a government regarded as a crucial ally in the region, vowed to leave behind the troubled history between the former enemies and embrace a new era. He steered clear of any condemnation of Vietnam for its treatment of dissidents.

"The war's over," said Bernard Edelman, deputy director of government affairs for the Vietnam Veterans of America.

He said the organization has not taken an official position on the president's action, but he compared it to US efforts after World War II to normalize relations with Japan, Germany, Austria and Italy.

"We've tried to build bridges to the Vietnamese," Edelman said, while acknowledging that people "whom I know and love and respect might be angry at what the president's doing."

Steve Rylant, of Loveland, Colorado, said he didn't think lifting the ban was a good idea.

"The wounds are too deep," said Rylant, who served at an Air Force base in Thailand during the war. "It's taken this long for people to say 'welcome home.'"

Al Huber, 69, is president of the Illinois state council of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He said he's not worried about whether that country gets weapons, but he doesn't think Obama's decision to lift the embargo near the end of his presidency "serves any purpose except his personal agenda."

Obama said the move would ensure Vietnam can defend itself but denied it was in response to territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. China has warned the US not to take sides, and Obama said the nation supports a diplomatic resolution.

Still, human rights activists and some American lawmakers had urged Obama to press Vietnam's communist leadership to offer greater freedoms before lifting the embargo. Vietnam holds about 100 political prisoners, and there have been more detentions this year. Some rank-and-file veterans echoed those concerns.

"They have plenty of human rights violations to account for, and I don't feel it's really appropriate to provide arms to them until we can see they're more in line with our ... way of human rights," said Air Force veteran Jesse Hawk of Marietta, Georgia, who served in Vietnam from 1971 to 1973.

He acknowledged China's growing influence but added, "Until there's any kind of action, there's no need to go providing arms to a country that still has their own problems to deal with when you don't know if it'll be used against their own people."

Obama did not say how soon arms sales might begin. He said each deal would be reviewed individually.

Neither the American Legion nor the Veterans of Foreign Wars has taken a position on the embargo, officials said.

But under a resolution adopted two years ago, the American Legion opposes the sale of long-range ballistic missiles, as well as nuclear or biological weapons, to communist nations, spokesman John Raughter said.

The group recognizes "that the president must be the chief architect of US foreign policy," said Raughter, adding that the organization would "study the situation very carefully" and discuss it at its national convention this summer.

"We realize there are a lot of factors at play, including China ... but we also remain concerned about the human rights situation in Vietnam."

Army veteran Willie Guzman, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971, said that, as commander in chief, Obama had the right to lift the embargo.

"They're an ally of ours now," he said. "I think they should be able to work together as a unit, you know, so we can help protect the freedom of that country as well."

___

Carola reported from Albany, New York. Associated Press writer Dan Elliott in Denver and AP video journalist Johnny Clark in Marietta, Georgia, also contributed to this report.
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Linkedin Nancy Benac (Associated Press) Hanoi  Tue, May 24, 2016

Eager to banish lingering shadows of the Vietnam War, President Barack Obama lifted the US embargo on selling arms to America's former enemy Monday and made the case for a more trusting and prosperous relationship going forward. Activists said the president was being too quick to gloss over serious human rights abuses in his push to establish warmer ties.

After spending his first day in Vietnam shuttling among meetings with different government leaders, Obama will spend the next two days speaking directly to the Vietnamese people and meeting with civil society groups and young entrepreneurs. It's all part of his effort to "upgrade" the US relationship with an emerging economic power in Southeast Asia and a nation that the US also hopes can serve as a counterweight to Chinese aggression in the region.

Tracing the arc of the US-Vietnamese relationship through cooperation, conflict, "painful separation" and a long reconciliation, Obama marveled during a news conference with the Vietnamese president that "if you consider where we have been and where we are now, the transformation in the relations between our two countries is remarkable."

President Tran Dai Quang said later at a lavish state luncheon that he was grateful for the American people's efforts to put an end to "an unhappy chapter in the two countries' history," referring to the 1965-1975 US war with Vietnam's communists, who now run the country.

The conflict killed 57,000 American military personnel and as many as 2 million Vietnamese military and civilians.

Quang added, though, that "the wounds of the war have not been fully healed in both countries."

Still, Quang said, both sides are determined to have a more cooperative relationship.

That mindset was evident in the friendly crowds that lined the streets as Obama's motorcade zigzagged around Hanoi on Monday. And when Obama emerged from a tiny Vietnamese restaurant after a US$6 dinner with CNN personality Anthony Bourdain, the president shook hands with members of the squealing crowd and waved as if he really didn't want to get back in the limousine.

Duy Hoang, US-based spokesman for Viet Tan, a pro-democracy party that is banned inside Vietnam, said that until Vietnam makes progress on human rights, the US should not sell its military gear that could be used against the population.

"The US should also reiterate the message that closer security cooperation is to bolster Vietnam's external security and that the proper role of the Vietnamese military is to protect the nation, not the current political regime," Hoang said by e-mail.

Veterans were split. Bernard Edelman, deputy director of government affairs for the Vietnam Veterans of America, cited the good cooperation surrounding efforts to account for troops still missing in action.

"The war's over," he said, noting his group hasn't taken an official position.

But Steve Rylant of Loveland, Colorado, who served at Ubon Air Base in Thailand during the Vietnam war, said he was "offended."

Asked if there would come a better time for lifting the embargo, Rylant said, "For me, there's never a time. ... It's just really difficult for us to try and agree to any kind of a thing like this with Vietnam, I guess."

Obama said there had been "modest progress on some of the areas that we've identified as a concern." He added that the 12-nation trans-Pacific trade deal that he's pushing could help prompt Vietnam to implement a series of labor reforms "that could end up being extraordinarily significant."

For Vietnam, lifting the arms embargo was a psychological boost. The United States partially lifted the ban in 2014, but Vietnam pushed for full access as it tries to deal with China's land reclamation and military construction in nearby seas.

It was unclear whether striking the ban would quickly result in an increase in arms sales. Obama said that each deal would be reviewed case by case, and evaluated based on the equipment's potential use. But he said he no longer believed a ban based on "ideological" differences was necessary. He added that the US would "continue to speak out on behalf of human rights we believe are universal."

Vietnam holds about 100 political prisoners and there have been more detentions this year, some in the past week. In March, seven bloggers and activists were sentenced for "abusing democratic freedoms" and "spreading anti-state propaganda." Hanoi says that only lawbreakers are punished.

___

Associated Press writers Foster Klug in Hanoi, Tammy Webber in Chicago, Dan Elliott in Denver and Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report.
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Linkedin Collin Binkley (Associated Press) Boston, United States  Tue, May 24, 2016

Colleges in the U.S. are opening their doors  and their financial aid  to Syrian refugees.

Over the past year, at least a dozen schools have promised to cover full or partial tuition for Syrian refugees who are accepted for enrollment. They join a coalition of more than 60 colleges that have started providing scholarships to Syrian students since the country's civil war began in 2011.

So far, colleges have awarded scholarships to more than 150 Syrian students. It's an effort organized by the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit group that offers financial help to students who are displaced by violence and natural disasters.

Among more than 11 million Syrians who have fled their homes, the institute estimates that at least 100,000 are qualified to attend college but have few options to do so.

"We've never really had those numbers before," said Allan Goodman, president of the institute. "The Syrian civil war is more complicated and at a much larger scale than any other crisis."

To help refugees resume their studies, an initial wave of schools volunteered to offer financial aid soon after war broke out. Since then, many have followed amid pressure from their students.

The University of Southern California is offering to pay full tuition for as many as six refugees starting next year. Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania pledged to cover $25,000 a year for five more.

Graduate students at USC had pushed the university to offer scholarships for several months before the administration agreed. Tufts University near Boston joined the coalition in late 2013 after a student government called for it. At Davidson College in North Carolina, officials said they learned about the effort only after students brought it to their attention. The private school pledged financial aid to Syrian students last month.

"This is largely driven by our students," said Kaye-Lani Laughna, the international admission officer at Davidson. "I'm hopeful that we'll be able to welcome a Syrian student in the next year."

The coalition includes colleges in some states whose governors tried to block Syrian refugees last year, including in North Carolina, New Jersey and Ohio. Experts said they hadn't heard of any universities taking a similar stand against refugees.

(Read also: UN creates education fund for refugee children)

Mohamad Bassel Khair, 28, fled Damascus after explosions and firefights became routine. After going to Egypt, where he and his wife couldn't legally work, Khair heard about scholarships at New Jersey's Montclair State University and decided to apply.

"They gave me a full scholarship, including rooming," Khair said. "They were so helpful for me."

He is graduating with a master's in nutrition and food science and is now seeking asylum in the U.S. for his family, including a 2-year-old son.

At least one college, though, questions whether it's legal to earmark financial aid for Syrian students. The University of Colorado Boulder rejected a petition asking to create scholarships for Syrian students, saying it would violate a federal law banning discrimination based on national origin. The school says it already offers other financial aid to help international students, including Syrians.

Officials at the Institute of International Education countered that other schools have offered scholarships for Syrian students without facing legal action, and they expect others to follow. Daniel Obst, a deputy vice president at the institute, said that more than 230 colleges recently agreed to waive tuition for at least one Syrian student if the institute can find other sources of money for airfare and lodging.

The number of Syrians studying at U.S. colleges has risen steadily in recent years but is still relatively low compared with other countries in the region. There were 800 Syrians enrolled in 2015, compared with 9,000 from Kuwait. Demand from Syrians has been lower, experts say, in part because they had a strong education system of their own before war broke out. Now, many Syrian schools have closed or been destroyed.

Along with offering financial aid, some U.S. colleges are also loosening their admission requirements to help bring refugees. Instead of measuring students' English language skills through standardized tests that carry fees, some schools are offering online interviews instead. Some are accepting scanned copies of academic transcripts if the original has been lost.

And some schools are also making room for refugees at their overseas branches. In March, Bard College announced three full scholarships for Syrian students at its Berlin campus. Meanwhile, the European Union recently announced 400 new scholarships for Syrian students, and colleges in Europe have also started offering financial aid to refugees.

But the demand still far exceeds what schools can offer. Thousands of Syrians typically apply for each new batch of scholarships, said Goodman, the institute's president.

"We have to try," he said. "The price to the world of having a lost generation is just incalculable, and it's all bad."
A US Judge sentenced a Canadian-Iranian citizen to three years in prison for conspiracy to violate economic sanctions placed on Iran, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said in a statement.

Parsa, 45, conspired to obtain high-technology electronic components from US companies between 2009 and 2015 in an effort to ship them to Iranian clients in violation of US economic sanctions, according to prosecutors.

"Ali Reza Parsa [was sentenced] to three years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR)," the statement said on Monday.

The components that Parsa attempted to obtain included cryogenic accelerometers, which measure acceleration and have both commercial and military uses, including in applications related to ballistic missile propellants and rocket engines, prosecutors added.

Moreover, Parsa allegedly provided false destination and end-user information about the components in order to conceal the illegality of these transactions, according to court records.

Parsa was arrested in October 2014 and pled guilty in January 2016.
Just last month, voters elected Alice Cancel to serve the remainder of Sheldon Silvers two-year term in the New York State Assembly. But a new political campaign is upon us. On Sunday, two candidates vying for the seat in the 65th Assembly District staged dueling kickoff events. Theyre both planning to compete in the Democratic Primary, which takes place Sept. 13. We have separate stories this afternoon on the announcements from Paul Newell and Gigi Li.

Newell huddled with supporters in front of the former Jewish Daily Forward Building in Straus Square, a center of left-leaning activism for decades. It was right here, he said, in this building that the Jewish Daily Forward cried out for justice for generations of Lower east Siders dreaming the American dream.

Newell is a district leader who lives in Masaryk Towers, the Mitchell Lama Cooperative. He unsuccessfully challenged Sheldon Silver in 2008, criticizing the former speakers refusal to disclose outside income and Albanys entrenched political culture. Over the weekend, he picked up the endorsement of CoDA, a political club just on the outskirts of the assembly district.

Newell emphasized his local roots (born and raised in Lower Manhattan) and said hes part of a proud Yiddish activist tradition here on the Lower East Side. He also was not shy about recalling the earlier assembly campaign. When three men sit in a secret room, he told supporters, and write laws for 20-million people, you can guarantee it is not our community that is being heard. Let me be as clear today as I was then.The culture of corruption and failure in Albany must end.

The cost of corruption, said Newell, is higher rents and higher taxes, overcrowded classrooms and crumbling subways. We can and must do better. He called the district an amazing place with an amazing story that draws strength from its many ethnic, working class communities. Newell said he would be a fighter for all of the districts diverse neighborhoods. We are not a passive people in Lower Manhattan, he explained. It is not who we are. It is not who we want to be. We stand up. We organize and we demand what we need, not by trading favors with the well-heeled and well-connected but by standing up for our communities.

At yesterdays event, several local residents spoke on Newells behalf. They included Lee Berman, a board member at the East River Cooperative. Paul will fight for all of us in Albany, said Berman, for quality education, for all of our children, unlike the former representative who only fought for some. Mathew Quezada, a board member at the Hillman Co-op, also voiced confidence in Newell, arguing that hes best suited to help out all people within my community. Others speaking for the candidate included Eddie Chiu of the Lin Sing Association in Chinatown and Carolyn English, a fellow Masaryk Towers resident.

Besides Newell and Gigi Li, candidates in September will likely include: Yuh-Line Niou, who ran on the Working Families Party line in the April special election; Jenifer Rajkumar, a district leader and attorney; local businessman Don Lee; Lower East Side resident Christopher Marte.; and John Bal, a contender who dropped out of the special election citing a rigged process to select Silvers successor.
Seward Park will be receiving an infusion of money for large-scale renovations. A few minutes from now, city officials will announce that the Lower East Side public space has won a grant through the Parks Without Borders Program.

A local organization, the Seward Park Conservancy, launched a robust campaign for a piece of a $40 million pie that will be divided among eight recipients. Heres more from the New York Times:

Those selected were Seward Park on the Lower East Side of Manhattan; Faber Pool and Park on the north shore of Staten Island; Jackie Robinson Park in northern Manhattan; Van Cortlandt Park and Hugh Grant Circle and Virginia Park in the Bronx; Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens; and Fort Greene and Prospect Parks, both in Brooklyn Residents say (Seward Park) is not reaching its full potential. They point to the fountain that has long been out of service, the play equipment with chipped paint and the few points of entry. The park has two gates, plus a third that is unlocked when the public library branch within the park is open. Elsewhere along the perimeter, gates are locked or a high fence stands in the way Amy Robinson, the president of the Seward Park Conservancy, which was formed almost two years ago, has helped lead the campaign for the park to be considered for Parks Without Borders. She said the objectives of the program aligned with the ambitions of Seward Parks boosters. Part of that is access: As times have changed, weve been able to get one other gate open, Ms. Robinson said, and there could be six gates open. But she also envisioned a park that was even more connected with its neighbors. The more care that is given to the park, Ms. Robinson said, the more people respect the park  the more people respect the plantings and whats in the park. And more than that, she added, the more people use it.

Well have more details after 3 p.m., when the city officially announces the awards. Note: the rendering posted above was prepared as part of the conservancys campaign; its not necessarily a depiction of any proposed design from the Parks Department.

UPDATE 3:32 p.m. The Parks Department says the project at Seward Park will include opening boundaries and sightlines within and outside the park and improving connections to adjacent spaces. The competition included online voting. A total of 659 votes were received for Seward Park, second only to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. In his remarks, Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver praised local activists for a brochure they prepared as part of their proposal (renderings were created by local architect Ron Castellano). Heres a look at what they put together:

UPDATE 5:12 p.m. More details from the Parks Department. While $40 million has been allocated for the eight projects, it is not yet know how much each park will receive. A spokesperson tells us community input and scoping sessions will take place first. Then city planners will determine how much is required in each community.

Excerpts from the Parks Dept. press release:
Tehran, Iran, May 24

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

An Iranian ferryboat has gone missing in stormy weather in the Persian Gulf.

The merchant vessel had left Dubai two days earlier and was heading for Genaveh Port in Iran's Bushehr Province, according to Hossein Talebnejad, director of Bushehr Port Safety and Shipping Bureau, Tasnim news agency reported May 24.

He explained that the watercraft lost contact with the shipping radio stations in Bushehr the day of departure while on the Lavan-Assaluhey route.

Iran has sent two rescue boats and two helicopters to find the ferryboat, with no results yet.

There were six people on board the watercraft.
The SpaceX Dragon cargo ship will depart for the International Space Station no earlier than July 16, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said in a statement soliciting media accreditation.

The unmanned craft's ninth mission will deliver equipment and suppliers, including the first of two international adapters to allow for future dockings by Boeing's CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft missions transporting astronauts.

"The next SpaceX commercial cargo resupply services mission to the International Space Station [ISS] targeted for launch no earlier than approximately 1:32 a.m. EDT [05:32 GMT] Saturday, July 16," NASA said Monday.

The space freighter will take off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida atop the private SpaceX company's Falcon 9 rocket.
If you're a postgraduate student at the London School of Economics (or planning on becoming one in the near future), you just may have the chance to take a course taught by a certain Professor Jolie.

Actress Angelina Jolie has been appointed a visiting professor in practice at the university for the 2017 school year, and will be teaching a course on the impact war has on women for master's degree-level students. Actress Angelina Jolie has been appointed a visiting professor in practice at the university for the 2017 school year, and will be teaching a course on the impact war has on women for master's degree-level students.

Despite her fame as a life-long Hollywood star, Jolie in recent years has become better known for her humanitarian work and has become an outspoken supporter of women's rights and safety.

Jolie launched a Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative with former UK Foreign Secretary William Hague in 2012. In the same year, she was appointed Special Envoy for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and in 2014 she co-chaired a Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was held in London and attended by 123 nations.

Hague and Jolie worked together to launch the new programme at LSE. The course will include lectures, workshops, research and other events for students in the one-year master's programme.

Jolie says: "I am looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students as well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations".
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Turkish regulators set a June 23 deadline for bids in the sale of seized Islamic lender Bank Asya on May 24, while saying that the bank could still be liquidated if no buyer can be found Hurriyet Daily News reportred

The bank, which was owned by interests said to be close to the U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen, was taken over by the state last year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the government accuse Gulen, a former close ally, of trying to overthrow the government by building a network of supporters in the judiciary, the police and the media.

Since being seized, Bank Asya has been managed by the Turkish Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF).

Bids will be accepted until June 23, with the tender to be held a day later, the TMSF said in a statement in the government's Official Gazette, as Reuters has reported.

"The tender will either be held through an auction or a negotiation, depending on the number of bids," the TMSF said.

The bank is due to be liquidated if no buyer can be found.

The tender was for the sale of a minimum of 183.6 million "A" shares, amounting to 51 percent of the bank, with an estimated price set at 0.7 lira per share, the TMSF said, as quoted by Reuters.

That would value the bank at around 252 million liras ($84 million).

At its height, it had a market value of more than $2 billion, according to Reuters data.

Within the framework of the existing legal situation, the return of the bank to its shareholders is not possible, the TMSF said in March, adding that it had given the bank a three-month deadline from Feb. 29 to find a buyer or be merged.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

The new composition of Turkey's government makes it possible to understand the political and economic situation in the country.

The new government consists mainly of the ministers who took up their positions before the parliamentary election of June 7, 2015.

Only four ministers are new political figures in the Cabinet of Ministers. Among them are the Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Ahmet Aslan, Minister of Environment and Urban Planning Mehmet Ozhaseki, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Faruk Ozlu and Minister of Family and Social Policy Fatma Betul Kaya.

Today, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the new Cabinet of Ministers shows that there are no staff problems in the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Nevertheless, the fact that the new government includes only four new ministers indicates that there are staff problems.

The AKP's staff shortage has already become a topic of discussion in Turkey, especially after a number of leading politicians, such as Ahmet Davutoglu, former prime minister, Abdullah Gul, ex-president, Bulent Arinc and Ali Babacan, former deputy prime ministers, were debarred from the party's political life.

Also it is not ruled out that after Ahmet Davutoglu has left the government, the AKP's political future is directly linked to the current president. That is, in case if the current president leaves his position, the AKP will lose its relevance.

Creation of a new "opposition" from the members of the current ruling party is also discussed.

After approval of the new Cabinet of Ministers in Turkey, a number of issues arose regarding a possible change in Turkey's energy, as well as domestic and foreign policies.

The new Prime Minister Binali Yildirim answered these questions in his first speech in brief.

He said Ankara sees the instability in the South Caucasus as its own problem. This shows that Ankara's policy towards the South Caucasus will not change.

Regarding the relations between the EU and Turkey, Yildirim clearly stated that Turkey has problems in its relations with the EU.

Appointment of ex-press secretary of the AKP, Omer Celik, as the minister for EU affairs shows that no one should expect any changes in Ankara's relations with the EU, as Celik is a more conservative politician in comparison with the ex-minister for EU affairs Volkan Bozkir.

No serious changes are expected in Turkey's energy policy.

As for the Russia-Turkey relations, the new Cabinet of Ministers, led by the new prime minister, is powerless. This issue is not in the competence of the new government - it is up to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and of course, Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

In short, no serious political changes should be expected from Turkey's new government.

Nevertheless, the approval of the new Cabinet of Ministers can be considered as a serious momentum for Turkey's transition from the parliamentary to the presidential system of government.

---

Rufiz Hafizoglu is the head of Trend Agency's Arabic news service, follow him on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
DSI targets abbot's cohorts

BANGKOK: Those who signed a medical certificate attesting to the ailments of Wat Phra Dhammakayas embattled abbot will be called in to explain their actions, says Department of Special Investigation (DSI) deputy chief Somboon Sarasit.

religioncrimepolice

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 24 May 2016, 08:55AM

Wat Dhammakaya shows the media that its embattled abbot is receiving medical treatment at the temple on Sunday. Photo: Bangkok Post

The DSI has set up panels to examine the medical certificate and the temples news conferences, which have defamed officers and committed contempt of court, Pol Lt Col Somboon said.

The probes into both cases will take about two weeks.

Phra Dhammajayo cited the abbot's illness as a reason why he was unable to meet officials at the DSI office to acknowledge charges of money laundering and receiving stolen property worth B1.2 billion in connection with the B12-billion Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement case.

The abbots legal team submitted the medical certificate issued by the army's Fort Phanurangsri Hospital in Ratchaburi to certify the 72-year-old monks illness.

Another was issued by a clinic in the compound of the temple.

However, doubts have arisen over the issuing of the document as it would have meant the monk travelled from the temple in Pathum Thani to the hospital.

The document must also be endorsed by the hospital's director but was reportedly issued by a deputy director of the hospital on May 11.

A committee will be formed to look into where the certificate was issued and regulations concerning the hospitals stamp, the deputy chief said.

He said the temples followers have held multiple press briefings in which their remarks were seen as defaming officials and holding the court in contempt. A committee will be set up to investigate.

The Criminal Court approved the DSI's request for the abbots arrest last Tuesday.

The deputy chief said Phra Dhammajayo must report to DSI officers to acknowledge his charges on Thursday. If he fails to turn up, the officers will convene the following day to proceed.

He also insisted the DSI is ready to grant bail for the abbot when he turns up.

If released on bail, the abbot will not be forced to leave the monkhood.

But if he is put in custody, he will be defrocked.

Pol Lt Col Somboon said the temple has yet to send the footage showing the abbot receiving medical treatment at its compound to the DSI for consideration.

DSI officers have never disputed the monks illness, he said, but added they believed the monk was still able to meet investigators.

He also said the DSI has not received any request from the temple for officials to go to the temple tomorrow and inform him of the charges there.

He also insisted investigators must adhere to the criminal procedure code in which the accused must meet the officers at their office.

The DSI has also prepared information to explain the row to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) after the temples followers lodged a petition with the anti-graft agency against the officers for malfeasance in connection with the charges, he said.

He added the DSI will try to avoid a clash with the public to ensure there is no unrest.

Read original story here.
Turkey's president said Tuesday there would be no readmission agreement with the European Union unless talks on visa freedom for Turks are "fruitful", Anadolu reported.

Speaking at the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "If these [talks] are fruitful, it's good, [but] if not, then what will happen is that a step will have to be taken at the Turkish parliament and the law regarding the readmission agreement will not be carried out."

A readmission process between the EU and Turkey, entered into in October 2014, makes it possible to return undocumented migrants who enter Europe via Turkey and vice versa.

Full implementation of the readmission agreement is also required in order to implement a visa-liberation process for Turkey.

Talks over visa freedom for nearly 80 million Turks soured when the EU requested that Turkey complete the five remaining benchmarks, out of an initial 72, including one on terrorism.

Turkey, which is currently fighting terrorist groups such as Daesh and the PKK, has refused to alter its terrorism laws. "[The EU] should not keep trying to impose criteria on us. This is Turkey," Erdogan said, adding that certain Latin American countries, whose citizens are exempt from visa requirements to travel to the Schengen borderless zone, did not have to fulfill the same criteria as Turkey.

Erdogan asked why Turkey, which is an EU candidate country and part of the bloc's customs union, would have to fulfill 72 requirements.

Visa freedom is also part of an EU-Turkey deal which provides a 6 billion euro ($6.8 billion) aid package to meet the needs of millions of refugees in Turkey and speeding up the country's accession talks.

But Erdogan reiterated that Turkey, which has already spent billions of dollars on Syrian refugees since the beginning of the crisis, does not need the EU's money.

"At the end of the day [the aid] doesn't come to Turkey, it is provided to refugees in camps mostly to improve their living conditions --Turkey is not asking for favors," Erdogan said.

"What we want is honesty, Turkey is supposed to fulfill criteria, what criteria are these, what [do] you mean by criteria?" he said.

The deal was agreed on late last year, when more than a million refugees reached the EU and more than 800 drowned in the Aegean Sea as human traffickers crammed them on unseaworthy vessels heading for the Greek islands off Turkey's coast.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Erdogan said that he hoped the summit would be an important turning point in ending humanitarian crises around the world.

"I hope this summit will reach its goal if it starts a new era in the life of all the oppressed around the world," he said.

"I would like to emphasize that we should be following the commitments of this summit as responsible countries," he said.

Erdogan added that the ongoing crises around the world will only come to an end "through strong action, not empty words".
End of the Year Show 2016

Start From: Saturday 25 June 2016, 09:00AM to Saturday 25 June 2016, 12:00PM Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun.

KIS (Kajonkiet International School, Phuket) are hosting a theatrical extravaganza, Disneys The Jungle Book for their end of year show, on Saturday 25 June at the Simon Star Cabaret Show, Samkong. Its a tale of a young boy, Mowgli who lives in the jungle. KIS will give the show their own spin, with classic songs and characters and their own brand of music and drama. For tickets or any additional information please visit www.kisphuket.ac.th

Proudly supported by The Phuket News and Live 89.5 Radio.
Escaped Rohingya migrants recaptured off Phuket

PHUKET: Police in Phang Nga have today (May 24) confirmed that 15 Rohingya migrants who were being hunted after escaping from Phang Nga Immigration Centre yesterday (May 23) have been recaptured.

immigrationMyanmarpolicedeath

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Tuesday 24 May 2016, 05:13PM

The 15 Rohingya migrants were recaptured after escaping from Phang Nga Immigration Centre before dawn yesterday (May 23). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Superintendent of Phang Nga City Police Station Col Jirapat Pochanapant told The Phuket News today, Together with Phang Nga provincial investigators and other officials we had been tracking the escapees since they broke out of the immigration centre. I can confirm that all 15 have now been recaptured and are being questioned, he said. However, he declined to say exactly where they were found. The 15 migrants escaped with six others from the detention block at the Phang Nga Immigration Centre before dawn yesterday. During the pursuit of the six, who had broken away in a separate group, one Rohingya migrant was shot dead in what police say was an act of self-defence. (See story here.)
EU gives Thailand six more months to tackle illegal fishing

BANGKOK: The European Union has decided to give Thailand another six months to tackle illegal fishing before the next appraisal, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has said.

marineimmigration

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 24 May 2016, 09:23AM

Crew members of a fishing boat gather on deck as authorities inspect their vessel in Chonburis Sattahip district in Febuary 2016. Photo: Bangkok Post file photo

The EU issued a yellow-card warning to Bangkok in April last year urging faster progress in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

If it fails to address the issue, Thailand risks getting a red card, which means the EU would ban the countrys seafood imports.

Gen Prawit said yesterday (May 23) it is good news that the EU has yet to issue Thailand with a red card and given the country more time to continue its efforts to deal with the issue.

His comment came after he received a report from a Thai delegation sent to negotiate with EU representatives.

The deputy premier said the move would be a boon for the countrys economy, adding that many countries have been reportedly downgraded for failing to combat illegal fishing.

The EU praised Thailand for its work in dealing with the problem, he said, and though several issues have yet to be addressed, the bloc considers the country has made a determined effort to deal with the matter.

The deputy premier said an EU technical team is expected to come to Thailand late next month and its main team the following month to give recommendations to Thailand on the problem.

Several issues have yet to be addressed, particularly the installation of tracking systems on fishing trawlers and the enforcement of laws, according to Gen Prawit.

Meanwhile, Somboon Siriraksophan, policy and programme coordinator at Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre based in Thailand, said yesterday that IUU fishing remains a big challenge for the Asean community as member states still lack common fishing management policies.

Despite the Asean guidelines to tackle illegal fishing activities, the community needs to show greater commitment by diminishing the level of differences in anti-illegal fishing measures, he said, citing the Asean guidelines for Preventing the Entry of Fish and Fishery Products from IUU Fishing Activities into the Supply Chain.

He was speaking at the 14th Infofish World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition seminar in Bangkok.

[Asean] needs to harmonise its restrictions on fishing activities, for example, entry into ports, inspection, access to port services and other enforcement in order to be on par with the global fishing system, Mr Somboon noted.

He also urged Asean governments to come up with a single traceability system as a way of sustaining fishing resources in the Southeast Asian region for years to come.

Read original story here.
PIA to become Thailand's first UWC

Phuket International Academy (PIA), located in Thanyapura, is set to become the first and only United World College (UWC) in Thailand, after two years of hard work and discussions with the London-based organisation

Tuesday 24 May 2016, 11:58AM

UWC Thailand comes with top-notch facilities.

We are excited about the direction in which the school is moving, said Julian Whiteley, Chief Executive of Phuket International Academy. We aim to challenge our students in all areas of our educational programme and encourage them to take the initiative, exercise selfdiscipline and accept responsibility for their actions. By so doing, they will develop the skills and qualities necessary for them to live happy and successful lives.

UWC has gained a worldwide reputation for developing young people who have a desire to work towards achieving peace and sustainable futures.

Already, I have talked with some parents who are changing their life plan because they want their children to be educated at a UWC. We have also had a number of people contacting us from Bangkok as they have heard the news and intend to move to Phuket to be part of our community, added Julian.

Julian, former Head of the United World College of South East Asia, Singapore, moved to Phuket because he shared his vision with the founder of Thanyapura and Phuket International Academy.

Not only are the aspirations of UWC and Phuket International Academy very similar, they align perfectly with my own philosophy of education and life. At the heart of this is a deeply held belief that education is about the personal development of all aspects of a child, it is not just about academics. Whilst it is possible to learn a certain amount in the classroom, so much more can be learnt by interacting with the world outside school. Hence the emphasis we place on outdoor education and service to the community.

In August, the school will welcome 25 scholars from around the world who have been selected for their leadership skills and desire to be future change-makers.

PIA, due to become United World College Thailand, is located at Thanyapura, 115/15 Moo.7, Thepkasattri Rd., Thalang, Phuket. Phone at 076 336 076 or visit their website phuketinternationalacademy.com.
Russian computer programmer found dead in Phuket

PHUKET: A Russian man who worked in Phuket as a computer programmer was found dead of suspected drug overdose in a rented room in Phuket Town yesterday afternoon (May 23).

Russiandrugspolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 24 May 2016, 12:20PM

The Russian man was found dead in his room after co-workers arrived worried for his well-being. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The mans Thai motorcycle drivers license identified the man* turned 39 years old last Friday (May 20). Police later noted in their report that the man was a Russian national.

A caretaker at Khao Rang View Mansion serviced apartments off Mae Luan Rd called police at 3:40pm after finding the man dead in his room on the top floor of the apartment block.

The caretaker opened the door to the Russian mans room after co-workers arrived, worried for his well-being, explained said Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Anek Mongkol.

The man was a computer programmer for a company in Phuket, Col Anek added, but did not identify which company he worked for.

He didnt show up for work as usual yesterday, and his workmates started as they said he had never missed a day of work except for when he was sick, Col Anek said.

When we found the him, a syringe was protruding from his left arm and a plastic tube was still tied around his left upper arm.

There were no signs of a struggle or any other indication that other persons were in the room, said Col Anek Mongkol.

The mans body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital to confirm the cause of death, Col Anek added.

* The Phuket News is withholding the mans identity until it has been confirmed that his next of kin have been notified of his death.
On Demand

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A Chinese citizen looks at his newly bought iPhone in Shanghai. (Photo : Getty Images)

The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) found that there are about 780 million smartphone users in the country in 2015. The state-run agency revealed that 16 percent of all these users (about 125 million) use Apple Inc.'s iPhone. In contrast, there are 110 million iPhone users in the U.S.



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Samsung, the strongest competitor of Apple, comes on second place with 15.8 percent market share. China-based smartphone developer Xiaomi is positioned at third place, enjoying 15.6 percent of the market.



The report sheds light on the importance of the Chinese market for Apple. This became more evident as the company gained $12.5 billion worth of iPhone sales in the second quarter of 2016. However, the company noted that this is a critical drop of 26 percent in comparison with the second-quarter sales in 2015.



Market analysts say that the recent revenue report of Apple is a reflection of the Chinese consumers' search for devices that are good alternatives to Apple phones. Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, is expected to convince Apple investors that the company will be able to recover its status in China.



Cook also looks forward to generating more iPhone sales in India. He believes that the country has many opportunities for Apple to excel in its gadget market, despite accounting for only 1 percent of the worldwide iPhone sales.



Apple's CEO is currently in India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss the future investments of Apple in the country. Cook also confirmed that more than 150 Apple developers will be assigned on the Apple Maps project. This will be developed in Hyderabad, Telangana.



Fortune reported that monitoring the number of iPhones being used in China is crucial in analyzing the smartphone market and planning for future investments. The data point will be useful in correlating the popularity of the iPhone and the increase or decrease in the level of Apple sales every quarter.


President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi during a meeting on Wednesday. (Photo : Getty Images)

President Xi Jinping called Mozambique "a good brother" during his meeting with President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi on Wednesday. Xi expressed China's plans to strengthen the ties between the two countries through the diplomatic system of Beijing.



Xi said that China is set to have a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership" with Mozambique in a tactical scheme to expand the nation's cooperative efforts with African countries in terms of energy, politics and economics.



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The Mozambican president positively responded to the support of China during their country's struggle for independence in the 1960s.



Xi further lightened the mood during the discussion when he stated that the two countries are "aligned in development concepts . . . as well as a wide range of common interests."



The meeting was followed by the signing of cooperation agreements between China and Mozambique. The accords involved a variety of areas, including food aid, production capacity and cultural enrichment.



Recently, Mozambique's $1 billion worth of debts was exposed. South China Morning Post reported that the revelation caused the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to stop the financial aid to the African country.



According to Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Ming, "China would offer support in national defence and maintaining social stability, and encourage more investment in Mozambique." He also said that the affirmative results of the meeting between the two leaders will result in an increase in mutual trust and support.



Zhang said that China would offer financial and technological support after the big loss of Mozambique in terms of financial aid from two of the biggest financial benefactors in the world. Since 2012, China has been providing Mozambique a steady increase in funding, making it the African nation's principal bilateral creditor.



Aside from Mozambique, China is also eyeing for better collaborative plans with other African countries. Beijing has plans to build a logistics support center in the Republic of Djibouti.


Not guilty pleas entered by Watertown woman facing 13 fraud charges

A Watertown woman is facing multiple federal charges of wire fraud in connection to checks she allegedly wrote to herself as local bookkeeper.
Vietnam's President Truong Tan Sang shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, Nov. 10, 2014 in Beijing, China. (Photo : Getty Images)

Vietnam leader Vu Khoan revealed his thoughts on how smaller countries like theirs should deal with China amid increasing tensions brought about by maritime disputes in the South China Sea.



Former deputy prime minister of Vietnam Vu Khoan shared a piece of advice via India's Economic Times, relating it to how their ancestors reacted to China's actions while noting the sizeable difference between the two countries.



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Khoan's statement comes ahead of a state visit by United States President Barack Obama to Vietnam.



Khoan's Advice



The Vietnamese leader said that no matter what happens, neighbors should strive to live together in harmony, even amid loggerheads.



"We understand that our country, in comparison with China, is a small one," he told the outlet, adding that it is a sensible way for a small country to make peace with a bigger nation. "Therefore, after each time our forefathers defeated China's invasions, we sent out emissaries to make peace."



"For thousands of years, we have always done it," he noted, saying that though it may be difficult to forget the painful results and consequences of a previous war, it is imperative for the countries to set aside their differences and make peace with each other in order to achieve national development.



However, he also warned China not to take advantage of a friendly neighbor, for there may come a time when that smaller country might become "allergic" to their deeds that do not match their words.



"Every coin has two sides," he warned. "We do not encourage extreme nationalism, but we should look back to see how China has treated us. Although they say friendship, they have invaded our territory. Ultimately, China must respect our nation and our sovereignty. Otherwise, Vietnamese will be 'allergic' to China."



Khoan's advice comes ahead of Obama's visit to Hanoi, which The Economic Times presumed to be a way of showing support for the Asian country in its maritime bout against China.



China-Vietnam Ties



China and Vietnam's relations remained friendly during the course of the decade.



One of the two countries' most recent consensuses involved Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan and the strengthening of China's "Belt and Road" initiative in 2015, per a backgrounder from the Xinhua News Agency.



In 2014, the two nations came across each other in the form of the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting held in Beijing which was attended by Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.






Red flags flutter in the wind near the Chinese national emblem outside the Great Hall of the People. (Photo : Getty Images)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged for less red rape as well as an enhanced regulation and services to promote a healthy economy during a national teleconference held on May 9.



A report from state-run Xinhua News Agency revealed Li's previous statements during a meeting earlier this month that calls for a decrease in red tape incidents in the government.



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According to the report, the country has still so much to improve on in terms of fair delivery of services and implementation of the law, and Li wants that to change.



Premier Li's Demand



"Although the economy operated steadily in the first quarter, with improvements in structure and quality and better-than-expected indicators, downward pressure remains considerable and the foundation for economic stabilization and improvements has yet to be consolidated," Li stated.



Li's statement comes amid a decline in the country's original international competitiveness.



Because of this, Li demanded that government officials level the playing field for all entrepreneurs in order to prevent foreign-funded businesses to pullout from the country.



"This is associated with changes in our resources, sluggish external demand and business environment," he explained. "We should guide some of them to move from eastern coastal areas to the central, western and northeastern regions."



Red Tape in China



According to the business magazine Entrepreneur, China is among the most difficult places to start a business, forcing businessmen to resort to red tape.



Citing the World Bank Group, the magazine said that the Asian giant is at 90th place in terms of ease of doing business and 128th place in starting a business all over the world in 2015.



While China's rank increased by 23 spots from the previous year, it is still a significant number that led the magazine to give American entrepreneurs with very few options.



According to Entrepreneur, the "hard way" entails the traditional process of starting a business, which includes a total of 11 procedures, a hefty number compared to the international average of 4.8 for other countries.



The magazine also noted that even things as simple as signing documents will "bog you down."



"The signature on each has to be exactly the same, or the authorities will reject whatever it is you're trying to do. By 'exactly the same,' I mean it needs to be a perfect match," it explained.



Because of this, many business enthusiasts tend to "make it easier" and hire "consultants" to help them with the processes, which oftentimes lead to red tape.






The Struggle Is Real: New Mothers Promote Breastfeeding in China

Kiki Valentine breastfeeds her 9-week-old son, Hart Valentine, on the steps of City Hall during a rally to support breastfeeding in public on Aug. 8, 2014 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images)

New Chinese mothers are calling for better government support for public breastfeeding as most moms struggle for better health services in the country where infant formula is more popular.



A report from Women of China revealed how hundreds of new mothers in the country's southeastern province of Fujian took part in a campaign that aims to promote and raise awareness on the benefits of breastfeeding babies.



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According to the report, majority of Chinese women tend to turn to infant formula even though studies revealed that children who are breastfed grow to have stronger immune systems.



Statistics cited by CRIEnglish showed that only 28 percent of all Chinese mothers have tried breastfeeding their children.



According to the outlet, this is a very low number compared to those recorded in other countries such as Japan and the United States, where more than 80 percent of all mothers are breastfeeding.



Why Is Breastfeeding Not Popular in China?



In 2015, Reuters reported how the Chinese government revealed their idea of banning advertisements for infant formulas to make way for breastfeeding.



While China had acknowledged the problem, their course of action may not be as effective, a Bloomberg report argued.



"China deserves credit for acknowledging this problem, but it's unlikely an advertising ban will make much of a difference," it stated. "China's breastfeeding problems trace back to cultural practices and economic trends that don't have an easy fix."



Bloomberg then went on to analyze the entirety of the problem, which basically revolves around cultural factors such as "zuo yuezi," or the traditional postnatal "confinement" period where the mother remains at home to rest for 30 days.



Apparently, most Chinese citizens opt to remove the burden of feeding a newborn baby from the mother to another person by choosing to feed the little one artificial milk.



Problems of Breastfeeding Mothers



New mothers in Fujian Province joined the celebration of the 26th National Breastfeeding Awareness Day in China on May 20.



Because it is not a popular concept in the country, the mothers' participation in the event became a notable improvement in the overall acceptance of pubic breastfeeding.



Aside from the shaming public breastfeeding mothers are subjected to, they also receive less health support from the government especially when their breasts become inflamed from feeding their babies.



According to Shanghai Daily, these mothers turn to masseuse instead of hospitals to seek treatment for their painful breasts.



"My dream is to have massage studios for breastfeeding mothers across the country," 52-year-old masseuse Shi Guilan explained. This service has turned out to be a lucrative business in the country.



While it may bring ease to some, massage is risky and has no guarantee of treating the inflammation of the breasts.






Vietnam celebrates Obama's historic visit. (Photo : Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obamas landmark trip to Vietnam should bring calm and refrain from being preceded by provocation amid maritime tensions in the South China Sea, analysts say.



A report from China Daily posted on ECNS said that some analysts urged Washington to refrain from making any provocative moves or statements on Monday.



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Reports said that the trip will focus on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Deal (TPP) and the trade embargo that prohibits Washington from selling arms to Hanoi.



Analysts' Opinion



Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, believes that it would be for the benefit of everybody if the United States did not do anything to harm the interests of other countries in the region.



"It's a kind of farewell tour for Obama, who expects to enhance his diplomatic legacy during the visit," he stated.



Canrong's warning on the 'interests of other countries' might be a reference to the U.S.'s latest plan to lift the restrictions on arms sales to Hanoi.



Meanwhile, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations Vice President Fu Mengzi said it would be better if the U.S. did not "hype up" the upcoming ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the unilateral arbitration case filed by the Philippines against China.



In both statements, it appears as though analysts want Washington to try not to provoke Beijing into a conflict by using the smaller Asian countries who also claim sovereignty over some of the territories in the South China Sea.



Obama's Trip



Many are speculating that there are some underlying goals for his trip to Hanoi, but Obama's visit to Vietnam appears to be focused on the trade embargo on arms and the establishment of a 12-country focal point for his Asia-Pacific policy.



According to The Wall Street Journal, Obama decided to lift the decade-long trade restrictions on the sale of arms to Vietnam, which definitely pleased its leaders.



"Vietnam views the move as a way to finally put relations between the two former adversaries on a more equal footing and build on other diplomatic moves," the outlet stated.



However, Obama clarified that the U.S. will remain strict in regulating applications to acquire American weapons and surveillance equipment.



In terms of the TPP, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said that Obama would be ensuring that it would benefit both Washington and Hanoi since it will open the Vietnamese market to American businesses with high tariffs for beef and vehicles.






Chinese vessels are seen around Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. (Photo : Reuters)

A retired Chinese diplomat has asked the United States not to meddle in Chinas internal affairs, despite strong bilateral ties between the two countries, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.



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The remarks were made last week at the sidelines of a seminar held in a university in Hong Kong by Li Zhaoxing, China's foreign minister between 2003 and 2007.



"I am fully confident about China-U.S. relations," said Li, who also served as China's ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2001. "The two countries share a lot of common interests but it is most important for [the U.S.] not to interfere in China's internal affairs."



The Chinese government had earlier called for the two countries to manage the South China Sea conflict positively.



The report said that Li's remarks were made as tensions at the South China escalate after the two countries exchanged accusations on Thursday, May 19, over the deployment of a U.S. reconnaissance plane near Hainan Island.



China rejected the claim of U.S. defense officials that the interception made by Chinese jet fighters of a U.S. Navy spy plane was "unsafe" and conducted in international airspace.



The report said that the incident is expected to dominate the issues to be discussed at the annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue to be held early next month, while the ruling on the disputes in the South China Sea is soon to be released by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.



"The islands in the South China Sea belong to us. . . . The international court does not have the right [to rule]," Li said. "The U.S. has been using the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [to pressure China]."



"The U.S. itself hasn't even ratified the convention yet, which is ridiculous. We won't give even one inch when it [involves] China's territory. But we won't compete for [territory] if it is not ours," Li added.



The retired diplomat also criticized the U.S. for making exaggerations on the capacity of China's military.



"There have been certain politicians and researchers who have exaggerated the rise of China's military power and the threat it poses in the South China Sea. . . . We have to be careful with these kinds of 'compliments,'" Li said.



Li added that the country's military strategy is aimed at defending the country. He also urged both China and the U.S. to implement the establishment of a new type of "major-country" relationship proposed by President Xi Jinping.


In this handout from the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory, a major solar eruption is shown in progress October 28, 2003. (Photo : Getty Images/NASA)

Coronal mass ejections from young and violent sun might have warmed up Earth and prepared it for emergence of life nearly 4 billion years ago. These are the findings of a new study conducted by a team of astronomers at NASA.



The study, published May 23, Monday, in the journal Nature Geoscience, explains the phenomenon of "faint young sun paradox." According to this phenomenon, the water on Earth remained in liquid form when the solar system was initially created, even when the sun was 30 percent less powerful than what it appears to be today.



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This phenomenon has kept researchers puzzled for years, who kept thinking about the greenhouse gases that kept the Earth warm and the question that how these gases percolated through the planet's atmosphere. Volcanic activity might have produced carbon dioxide around that time, but it would not have been sufficient to make up for 30 percent deficit energy from the sun.



Methane and water vapors are other options that could have trapped heat at that time, however, they are not capable enough. Another option is nitrous oxide, popularly known as the "laughing gas."



Nitrous oxide is 300 times more powerful that carbon dioxide when it comes to the greenhouse gas effect. In fact, 80 percent of the Earth's atmosphere today is molecular nitrogen and it is still not easy to break the bond between the two molecules of nitrogen.



But it was fairly important for the inert gas to break down and interact with other molecules in the atmosphere to make life possible. Keeping this paradox in mind, Vladimir Airapetian, the lead author of the study, went on to examine the effect of solar storms and coronal mass ejections on Earth's atmosphere.



The researchers figured out that the coronal mass ejection from the sun would have penetrated through Earth's weaker magnetic field and led to chemical reactions that tuned nitrogen molecules into hydrogen cyanide and nitrous oxide.



The accumulation of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere prevented water on Earth from freezing and hydrogen cyanide, on the other hand, helped produce amino acids that act as a key chemical building block for life. Based on the study findings, the researchers now suspect that a violent star might be a suitable source for emergence of life.



"And now it becomes really, really interesting,"Airapetian told the Washington Post. With the right temperatures and the right ingredients, "life can start the process of cooking."



The following video explores eruption of coronal mass ejection from sun:






Asteroid Lutetia (Photo : Getty Images)

An ex-Microsoft billionaire, Nathan Myhrvold, has accused NASA scientists of making "fundamental mistakes" in estimating the size of asteroids. According to the techie, the method used by the scientists to analyze the size of the asteroids is deeply flawed.



NASA scientists use the data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft. Since the time of its launch in 2009, the spacecraft has been clicking pictures of a billion stars, galaxies, asteroids and other celestial objects.



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The Neowise project, which is the asteroid-hunting part of WISE, used tha heat emission data of asteroids captured by the spacecraft to calculate the reflectivity and size of more than 158,000 asteroids. In his analysis of the Neowise result, published in the journal Icarus, Myhrvold claims that the entire system is flawed.



"The bad news is it's all basically wrong," Myhrvold told The New York Times. "Unfortunately for a lot of it, it's never going to be as accurate as they had hoped."



Myhrvold claims to have identified a series of irregularities in the data, one after another. This is concerning on the parts of astronomers, especially considering the fact that Neowise and WISE have discovered more asteroids than any other observatory around the world.



The molecular gastronomist further said that astronomers seem to have skipped some important factors while determining the size of the asteroids. For example, they did not apply the Kirchoff's law of thermal radiation to the thermal models they prepared. In addition, the margin of error introduced was completely ignored while extrapolating the data for small sample to the entire population of asteroids.



According to Myhrvold, the errors in the diameter calculated on the basis of WISE data should be around 30 percent. However, in some cases, it is as large as 300 percent.



Meanwhile, the Neowise and WISE teams stand by their results. The team says that Myhrvold's claims are false and should be readily dismissed. Ned Wright, the principal investigator for WISE states that the spacecraft's data match the data captured by other infrared telescopes as well, including IRAS and AKARI.



This is not the fist time that Myhrvold has criticized any study. In 2013, he claimed having found flaws in a study describing the growth rate of dinosaurs.



The following video describes a potentially hazardous asteroid discovered by Neowise:






US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in his election race, a senior North Korean official said on Monday.

Trump, in a wide-ranging interview in New York last week, said he is willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, proposing a major shift in US policy toward the isolated nation.

"It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his (Trump's) idea or talk is nonsense," So Se Pyong, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said on return from Pyongyang after attending the first ruling party congress in 36 years.

"It's for utilisation of the presidential election, that's all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement," he said. "This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election."

"There is no meaning, no sincerity," So added.

As a candidate, US President Barack Obama made unfulfilled campaign promises to meet the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), he said.

North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February, triggering tougher international sanctions and the adoption of a more hardline position by South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

So, who is also North Korea's ambassador to the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament, reiterated that his country was prepared to return to stalled six-party talks on its nuclear programme. China and Russia backed the idea, but the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan reject it, he said.

"As a responsible nuclear state ... we will never use them first," So said. "If the United States use their nuclear weapons first, then we have to use also that one."

"If the United States gives up their hostile policies and changes their attitude, then we also (can) have relations as a normal country," So said. "To South Korea, we proposed high-level military talks but South Korea refused now."

South Korea dismissed on Monday a North Korean proposal for military talks as "a bogus peace offensive" and said it was formally rejecting the overture because it lacked a plan to end the North's nuclear programme.

So said that North Korea would not share nuclear technology with other countries. "As a responsible nuclear state, we keep and observe the obligations of non-proliferation of nuclear technology".
To BJP president Amit Shah, it was not a fight for just five provincial legislatures. Nor was it a fight to win a few of the 824 assembly seatsof which the BJP held only five. For him, it was a fight to take the saffron flag to every corner of Indiafrom Kerala to Kashmir; from Kutch to Kamrup, as he put it on his V-day.

Coupled with it was his goal of achieving a Congress-free India. He has won only one state from the Congress this time, and the grand old party is still ruling Karnataka and the smaller states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya. Only weeks ago had Shah attempted a shortcut towards achieving his goal through a political coup in Uttarakhand, and faced a constitutional setback.

Now, the spectacular defeat of the 15-year-old Congress regime in Assam and the successful break-in battle into the formidable fortresses of Kerala and West Bengal have given him and his party a new confidence to achieve both goalsof flying the saffron flag in every corner and achieving a Congress-free India.

In the process, his party has also broken a few jinxes; one of perception, and the other about certain no-go territories.

The first jinx, of perception, was that the Narendra Modi regime had peaked within its first year itself and was on the way down. In the first year, the BJP had a victory run in Maharashtra and Haryana, and even formed a partnership government in Muslim-majority Jammu & Kashmir, but the party's growth seemed to have got frozen by the winter of 2014-15. In 2015, it suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the upstart Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and then got blocked by a formidable phalanx of parties in Bihar led by Nitish Kumar of Janata Dal (United).

The two reverses had also dampened the party's spirits. Though most partymen did not think that the Modi regime was on the way down, they felt that its growth had peaked. And the opposition parties had been finding common cause to oppose the Modi regime over legislative bills in Parliament, communal questions on the streets and ideological issues on campuses. Thus, faced with an energised opposition, the BJP had been fighting what had looked increasingly like a defensive battle of political issues.

In full bloom: Trinamool Congress supporters celebrating in Kolkata | Salil Bera

The jinx of perception has now been broken. There is now a confidence that the party is back on the victory track, and should do well in the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Uttarakhand next year.

The other jinx was over certain no-go political territories. No BJP legislator had ever sat on the treasury or opposition benches of the highly literate and politically proud state of Kerala. And, no BJP ticket-holder had ever won in a general election to the West Bengal assembly. A couple of partymen had 'wriggled in' through byelections. That jinx, too, has also been broken. Now, as Union Minister Prakash Javadekar put it, "We are emerging as the third political alternative in Kerala.

If it was sheer aggression that helped the party break the jinx in Kerala, it was superior political savvy in making alliances that helped the BJP in Assam. Unlike in Tamil Nadu or West Bengal, the fight in Assam and Kerala was against two parties, the Congress and the CPI(M), that harboured a visceral hatred for the BJP. To that extent the victory in Assam and the break-in into Kerala taste sweeter for the BJP than its fairly commendable performance in West Bengal. Now we have moved two steps closer to Congress-mukt Bharat, said Shah. Agreed Union Minister J.P. Nadda: The results show very clearly that India is moving towards Congress-mukt Bharat.

Congress leaders feel that Shah and company are reading too much into their own performance. That is misreading of the situation, said Congress leader and former minister Jairam Ramesh. "We lost Assam after being in power for 15 years there. In Kerala, there is a tendency of change in government every five years. India cannot become Congress mukt." But then, Congressmen also realise that while they could not buck the trend of yo-yo politics in Kerala, in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalithaa has done exactly that.

Though putting up a brave face in public, Congress leaders privately admit that they have been the worst performers in this round. While the BJP has been the clear winner among the national parties, the communists have the satisfaction of having performed brilliantly at least in Kerala where they are going to form the government. And this realisation has now put a question mark over the plan to elevate Rahul Gandhi as president of the Congress this year.

The Congress had gone to the polls making it look like a fight led by Rahul Gandhi. He took most of the strategy decisions and campaigned more actively than Sonia Gandhi. (Rahul addressed 28 rallies; Sonia 11.) With the party's performance being dismal in all the states, there is talk that his ultimate anointment will be delayed. Party spokesman Randeep Surjewala called it a "spectacularly speculative suggestion" and rejected it outright.

"Rahul will definitely take over as president of the Congress this year," a close aide of his told THE WEEK. "And, it will happen sooner than you think. Electoral reverses do not have any impact on the restructuring of the party." According to him, the All India Congress Committee will be reshuffled soon. The party revamp "has a separate roadmap," said he.

Clearly, there is an effort, as always, to insulate the central leadership from the blame for the losses in the assembly polls. "Besides anti-incumbency, we will introspect and look into all the reasons for our loss. However, we stand determined under the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi," said Surjewala.

Already the blame is being put on regional leaders. Surjewala said the decision not to have an alliance with All India United Democratic Front in Assam was "based on the opinion given by the Congress's three-time chief minister Tarun Gogoi, under whose leadership it went into polls." On West Bengal, the state leadership is being blamed for insisting on an alliance with the Left. (Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee is even said to have whispered to Rahul at Nitish Kumar's swearing-in as Bihar chief minister not to have an alliance with the Left.) In Kerala, Rahul is said to have backed state Congress president V.M. Sudheeran who wanted to deny tickets to some 20 contenders, but given in to chief minister Oommen Chandy's insistence on letting them contest.

Dawn in the east: Jubilant BJP workers in Guwahati | AP

However, what is important is that the Congress is left in power in only five states and a Union territory, and the broad message of the elections is that its base has shrunk, whereas that of the BJP is increasing. Within the BJP, this should signal the rise of RSS man Ram Madhav who, after having stitched up the impossible coalition with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, is now being viewed as the architect of the Assam victory.

The elections will also have their impact on how the Modi government conducts itself during the rest of its term. There will be a new confidence in its executive conduct, be it in pushing its political programmes, implementing its administrative schemes, and raising its rhetorical pitch. But this need not translate into legislative energy, given that there is not going to be much of a change in the current balance of forces in the upper house.

In fact, there are many who even believe that the opposition would be much more hostile now towards the government in the Rajya Sabha. The opposition was fairly cooperative with the government in the recent months, and helped pass non-contentious bills. "The Congress had helped them pass the insolvency bill," pointed out Surjewala. Given the fact that political rhetoric is already getting shriller after the elections, the atmosphere in Parliament in the monsoon session also could get nastier.

With the Congress and the Left turning legislatively more hostile, the government would also have to lean on the more mercurial parties like the AIADMK and the Trinamool Congress, which has become stronger in this round of elections. Negotiations with them will get harder, especially when seeking assistance over measures (the GST legislation, for example) that have political or financial implications to states. The pound of flesh that they seek will naturally get larger.

To that extent, the commendable show also makes governance tougher for the Modi regime. One question that everyone has begun to ask iswould Modi be able to install his nominee as the next president? The fact that the BJP has won Assam and has fared better in the other three states is not going to alter drastically the composition of the electoral college. Unless the BJP can win over several of the regional parties, chances are that the next president will have to be a consensus candidate.
Breast Massage Training (Photo : Weibo/315Org)

Mothers in China are pushing to regulate the booming breastfeeding massage business. The call came amid report of a Xiamen woman who suffered from mastitis because of improper treatment.



Whats on Weibo reported that a growing number of lactating Chinese women, instead of going to hospitals if they have difficulty in releasing milk or suffer from swollen breasts, turn to breastfeeding masseuses. Most of them are middle-aged women who do not have higher education or medical training.



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Some have taken a few courses and once they acquire their basic massage certificate, go around and give away calling cards to expectant mothers in hospitals. The World Health Organizations recommendation is for mothers to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months and continue doing so for two more years.



China has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. Only about 30 percent of new mothers in China breastfeed exclusively but majority prefer to feed their infants baby formula. In the 1970s, breastfeeding rates declined in the country when baby formula manufacturers pushed their products in Chinese hospitals. As a result, over one-third of newborns in China are given baby formula as their first feed.



Chinese mothers have complained about unskilled breastfeeding masseuses who overcharge. The standard fee for a one-hour breast massage could be up to 600 yuan, reported Xinhua News.



But due to insufficient medical training, safety of mothers and their babies are placed at risk. Wang Chao from Hebei Province, for instance, had eight masseuses who experimented with her sore breasts before she found a skilled masseuse. When she noticed that after not breastfeeding her baby for a short period of time, her milk quality deteriorated and her breast became painful and swollen.



Wang went to a local hospital where she was prescribed antibiotics, but it did not work. In a worst-case scenario, Wang was told she might need to undergo surgery. But on her ninth attempt, she found a skilled breastfeeding masseuse who helped solve her lactation issue.



But one woman from Xiamen was not fortunate as Wang because she spent thousands of yuan on breast massages to ensure a good milk flow, but due to wrong treatment, she instead had mastitis, an infection of the breast tissue, which results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness.



Women of China said that other factors such as absence of societal support system, including short length of maternity leave for private sector employees and lack of breastfeeding facilities contribute to the breastfeeding problems of new mothers in China.






The Foreign Ministry of Sunday 15 Iyar handed over two ancient relics from Pharaonic times, which had reached Israel illegally, to the Ambassador of Egypt.

The two artifacts are covers of Egyptian sarcophagi. One of the covers dates back to the period between the 10th and 8th centuries BCE and the other to between the 16th and 14th centuries BCE. The items had been smuggled from Egypt through a third country before they arrived in Israel, where eventually, they were confiscated by the Israel Antiquities Authority. Subsequently, the sarcophagus covers were held under climate-controlled conditions, in the laboratories of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The transfer was made possible in the framework of the longstanding peace treaty between the countries, and thanks to the strengthening dialogue between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Egypt in Israel.

MFA Director General Dr. Dore Gold expressed the hope that the handing over of these ancient items can be a precursor to further bilateral cooperation in the field of historical heritage, as well as in other fields of mutual interest, to the benefit of both countries.

Ambassador Hazem Khairat stated that Egypt appreciates the efforts made by the Israeli authorities to return these smuggled antiquities to their country of origin, Egypt, and is looking forward to the return of the rest of smuggled antiquities found in Israel.

PHOTO: MFA Dir-Gen Gold (center, right) with Egyptian Ambassador Khairat (center, left) at the ceremony

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: Eleram Mendel, MFA)
YWN-ISRAEL reported on the chareidi male who is seen taking a severe beating by an Israeli policeman. We will call the victim David (not his name), who is 27-years-old. The incident seen on the video took place in Beit Shemesh as was reported, two weeks ago on Monday, 1 Iyar 5776.

David spoke with Kol Chai Radios Mordechai Lavi on Monday, 15 Iyar, telling his story. The following is a synopsis of his statements to Lavi.

I want to explain that for me, I am not looking for monetary compensation but I am looking to have the policeman removed from his post. He is not worthy of serving on the police force. I tried to have the video publicized but the secular media person I contacted told me it is not newsworthy. A friend of mine got it published and it made the rounds and now an investigation is taking place. The actions of the officer, which caused me great physical pain, are not the main issue but his foul language, cursing and persistent insults. His language is unforgiveable. He is not worthy to serve as a policeman.

This occurred two weeks ago, on Monday. I received a phone call [while driving] and got pulled over as a result [of using my phone while driving]. I asked the officer if he could show mercy, explaining I have just moved and a NIS 1,000 summons is really more than I can handle right now. He told me I shouldnt waste my time and I realized I was going to get a summons. I continued asking for mercy, but clearly he was not going to exhibit any.

When he handed me the summons I said HKBH will pay you and then he went ballistic. As seen in the video I was subjected to foul language, unforgivable insults and then the physical punishment. He was out of control- knocking me to the ground, punching and shouting without letting up.

He claims that I called him Nazi and the like in an effort to justify his actions. I ask, even if I did, does that justify this behavior. More than this. I am not Neturei Karta and I do not use foul language and would never call anyone a Nazi, simple as that. There is no truth to his claims regarding my language towards him. At one point he even pulled his weapon at me!

I saw real hate in his eyes and have since learned there was an earlier incident when he was documented hurling rocks at chareidim. He simply has to go for one such as this policeman cannot serve as a policeman!

Why did they have to place me in handcuffs and shackles. I was treated like the last of the most dangerous criminals in the nation being taken into custody. There is no justification for the way I was treated and abused.

When police were contacted to comment, a department spokesman confirmed the matter is now being investigated by the Justice Minister police investigations unit.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Minister of Religious Affairs David Azoulai during a phone interview with Kol Chai Radio on Monday 15 Iyar called on Women of the Wall (WoW) and followers not to bring their provocative actions to Meron and the tziyun of the Rashbi on Lag BOmer. As reported by YWN-ISRAEL, an effort has already begun to compel a mixed gender arrangement on the so-called Mehadrin Derech which in past years was exclusively for men.

Azoulai told Mordechai Lavi that it is evident to all today that WoW has an agenda that involved machlokes and the destruction of Yiddishkheit and nothing more, as has been seen at the Kosel over recent years.

The minister stresses that for him, in matters such as these, it is quite simple. He will abide by nations High Court but as how to act, he relies on the head of the Shas Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and to date, he has always followed this line and continues to just that in the future.

He accuses the women of seeking out machlokes wherever possible, calling on them to avoid this in Meron where hundreds of thousands gather annually, in unity, without machlokes, and it is most unfortunate this small group seeks to change this.

Azoulai adds I will not be the person who grants recognition to this group or the Reform Movement. At present the battle at Rashbi is not on the level at the Kosel but we understand from this that this is their agenda and we will see more of this. I can only hope this group will not act to ruin this marvelous annual gathering.

For me, I will only act in line with halacha and receive my instructions from the head of the Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and not from these provocateurs.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
One of the priorities of monetary agencies in Western countries today is preventing money laundering, which includes compelling a greater use of digital funds, with the latter facilitating leaving a paper trail.

In Israel, the treasury is working in earnest to minimize money laundering and one new measure taken is monitoring of chareidi gemachs. The gemachs that exist in the chareidi community for many is the difference between making a family simcha or not, or getting though yomim tovim or other times of life with added expense. However, new government-imposed regulations and restrictions may compel some gemachs to shut down.

The Finance Ministry is pushing a bill that would result in the creation of a government agency that will oversee the operations of gemachs.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
On Tuesday, 16 Iyar, HaGaon HaRav Baruch Mordechai Eizrachi Shlita is hosting a kinnos to address the growing housing shortage and its impact on the chareidi community. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon plans to attend the event.

The timing of the kenos coincides with this weeks release of facts pertaining to housing prices nationwide, which clearly show that despite all his efforts, Kahlon to date has failed to lower the cost of housing as promised. In fact, housing prices in the first quarter of 2015 for an average four-room apartment has risen 8% during the same period the consumer price index fell 0.9%.

The issue of the cost of housing is high on the list of rabbonim, who are aware of the growing number of young chareidi couples who cannot afford housing. As such, Gedolei Hatorah Shlita will be among the rabbonim attending the kinnos, as well as other members of the Degel Hatorah Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah. The kenos is going to be held in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Yerushalayim.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has announced he will continue holding the Foreign Ministry and other cabinet portfolios for the Machane Tzioni party. Mr. Netanyahu announced this following the breakdown of talks with MK Yitzchak Herzog, who announced his Machane Tzioni party would not be joining the coalition government.

Nevertheless, PM Netanyahu continues to exhibit an air of confidence that Herzog will join, reaffirming he is not giving away the Foreign Ministry position. However, Herzog has stated repeatedly that the door to entering the coalition at present has closed, stating with certainty this is not going to occur.

What might occur however is that Herzog and six others who stand behind him, may enter the coalition and break away from Machane Tzioni. All signs signal that Herzog has burned himself as party leader by entering into talks with Netanyahu so leaving may extend his tenure as a party leader in Knesset and he could find himself serving as Israels Foreign Minister.

For the time begin Herzog continues signaling talks have ended and PM Netanyahu continues saving the FM post for him when he decides to make the shift form opposition to coalition. Simultaneously, Shelly Yacimovich and other Machane Tzioni MKs are pushing to move up party primaries in the hope of unseating Herzog. Herzog would prefer waiting another 18 months for the primaries to occur.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Rosh Kollel Mikdosh Sholom HaGaon HaRav Shalom Tanji Shlita, a well-known talmid chacham who lives in the Har Nof neighborhood of Yerushalayim is in need of the tziburs tefilos. The rav returned from a visit to Argentina six weeks ago where he traveled to deliver his inspirational Torah to the various communities. It appears he contracted a potentially deadly virus in S. America and is now battling for his life.

The rav complained of back pain a few days following his return and visited his HMO where the family doctor did not detect the potentially fatal virus. A few days later the rav departed for Chicago, where he collapsed suddenly and was transported to a local hospital, diagnosed with meningitis and arthritis. The ravs condition deteriorated and he lost consciousness and was listed in life-threatening danger.

The rav was moved to a larger medical facility where doctors succeeded in stabilizing his condition. Last week he was flown back to Israel, still listed in serious/stable condition and remains in an intensive care unit in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, sedated and on a respirator.

Rishon LTzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita has added the name Chai to the rav due to the seriousness of his condition. The family urged the tzibur to be mispallel for Meir Shalom Chai ben Rachel bsoch kol cholei am yisrael.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, who entered prison about four months ago, has been targeted by criminals in a nearby cell who have been threatening the rav to extort money from his chassidim.

According to the Channel 10 News report, the matter began with requests for large sums of money to keep an eye out and make certain no harm comes to Rabbi Pinto in prison. Not wishing to gamble with the ravs well-being, especially due to his weakened condition, chassidim made certain the sum was paid.

However, a short time later a third person become involved and began his own threats against the rabbi, seeking money for guaranteeing his safety.

During Pesach things took a turn for the worse as the mother of one of the imprisoned inmates arrived at the ravs home on seder night, asking to join in. It was explained to her that she could not due to Israel Prison Authority restrictions surrounding his leave for Yomtov. When the rav returned to prison following leave the criminals made note of how their mother was treated, warning Rabbi Pinto his family would pay the price.

At this point police became involved. The brothers in the nearby cell who made the original threats, who are affiliated with organized crime, were shipped out of Nitzan Prison where Rabbi Pinto is housed. Each was sent to a different prison, distanced from one another. The case against them is being prepared for the district prosecutors office.

Shortly before entering prison Rabbi Pinto told chassidim HKBH does what he wishes, not just that it is good for us but we must thank Him, even when it is not pleasant for us  we must thank Him.

After exhausting appeals, Rabbi Pinto entered prison to serve a one-year sentence, the result of a plea bargain agreement.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Two very different visions of the hell that is war are seared into the minds of World War II survivors on opposite sides of the Pacific.

Michiko Kodama saw a flash in the sky from her elementary school classroom on Aug. 6, 1945, before the ceiling fell and shards of glass from blown-out windows slashed her. Now 78, she has never forgotten the living hell she saw from the back of her father, who dug her out after a U.S. military plane dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan.

People were walking like zombies, with their flesh scraped and severely burned, asking for help, for water. A little girl looked up, straight into Michikos eyes, and collapsed.

Lester Tenney saw Japanese soldiers killing fellow American captives on the infamous Bataan Death March in the Philippines in 1942. If you didnt walk fast enough, you were killed. If you didnt say the right words you were killed, and if you were killed, you were either shot to death, bayonetted, or decapitated, the 95-year-old veteran said. He still has the bamboo stick Japanese soldiers used to beat him across the face.

Different experiences, different memories are handed down, spread by the media and taught in school. Collectively, they shape the differing reactions in the United States and Japan to Barack Obamas decision to become the first sitting American president to visit the memorial to atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima later this week.

The U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki three days after Hiroshima, and Japan surrendered six days later, bringing to an end a bloody conflict that the U.S. was drawn into after Japans surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Japan identifies mostly as a victim rather than a victimizer, Stephen Nagy, an international relations professor at the International Christian University in Tokyo, said. I think that represents Japans regional role and its regional identity, whereas the United States has a global identity, a global agenda and global presence. So when it views the bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, its in the terms of a global narrative, a global conflict the United States was fighting for freedom or to liberate countries from fascism or imperialism. To make these ends meet is very difficult.

A poll last year by the Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of Americans believe the use of nuclear weapons was justified, while 34 percent do not. In Japan, 79 percent said the bombs were unjustified, and only 14 percent said they were.

Terumi Tanaka, an 84-year-old survivor of the Nagasaki bombing, said of Obama: I hope he will give an apology to the atomic bomb survivors, not necessarily to the general public. There are many who are still suffering. I would like him to meet them and tell them that he is sorry about the past action, and that he will do the best for them.

The White House has clearly ruled out an apology, which would inflame many U.S. veterans and others, and said that Obama would not revisit the decision to drop the bombs.

A lot of these people are telling us we shouldnt have dropped the bomb  hey, what they talking about? said Arthur Ishimoto, a veteran of the Military Intelligence Service, a U.S. Army unit made up of mostly Japanese-Americans who interrogated prisoners, translated intercepted messages and went behind enemy lines to gather intelligence.

Now 93, he said its good for Obama to visit Hiroshima to bury the hatchet, but theres nothing to apologize for. Ishimoto, who was born in Honolulu and rose to be an Army major general and commander of the Hawaii National Guard, believes he would have been killed in an invasion of Japan if Japan had not surrendered.

It would have been terrible, he said. There is going to be controversy about apologizing. I dont think there should be any apology.  We helped that country. We helped them out of the pits all the way back to one of the most economically advanced. Theres no apology required.

Beyond the deaths  the atomic bombs killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 73,000 in Nagasaki by the end of 1945  the effects of radiation have lingered with survivors, both physically and mentally.

Kodama, the Hiroshima schoolgirl, faced discrimination in employment and marriage. After her first love failed because her boyfriends family said they didnt want radiated peoples blood in their family, she married into a more understanding one.

The younger of her two daughters died of cancer in 2011. Some say she shouldnt have given birth, even though multi-generational radiation effects have not been proven.

Obama doesnt have to apologize, Kodama said, but he should take concrete actions to keep his promise to seek a nuclear-free world.

For me, the war is not over until the day I see a world without nuclear weapons. she said. Mr. Obamas Hiroshima visit is only a step in the process.

Nagasaki survivor Tanaka views the atomic bombings as a crime against humanity. A promise by Obama to survivors to do all he can for nuclear disarmament would mean an apology to us, he said.

He added that his own government also should take some of the blame for the suffering of atomic bomb victims. It was the Japanese government that started the war to begin with, and delayed the surrender, he said, adding that Japan has not fully faced up to its role in the war.

Japan did issue apologies in various forms in the 1980s and 1990s, but some conservative politicians in recent years have raised questions about them, said Sven Saaler, a historian at Sophia University in Tokyo.

In particular right now when Japan has a government that is  backpedaling in terms of apologizing for the war, if now the U.S. apologized, that also would be, I think, a weird signal in this current situation, Saaler said.

Tenney, one of only three remaining POWs from the Bataan Death March, wants Obama in Hiroshima to remember all those who suffered in the war, not just the atomic bomb victims.

From my point of view, the fact that the war ended when it did and the way it did, it saved my life and it saved the life of those Americans and other allied POWs that were in Japan at the time, he said at his home in in Carlsbad, California. I was in Japan, shoveling coal in a coal mine. No one ever apologized for that.  I end up with black lung disease because they didnt take care of me in the coal mine, and yet there is no apology, no words of wisdom, no nothing.

Obamas visit is firmly supported by Earl Wineck, who scanned the skies over Alaska for Japanese warplanes during World War II.

Hes not going there like some of them might, and keep reminding them of all their transgressions, the 88-year-old veteran of the Alaska Territorial Guard said. That should have ended after the war, and I think a lot of it did, but of course, theres always people who feel resentment.

Japan occupied two Alaskan islands during the war. The battle to retake one of them, Attu Island, cost about 3,000 lives on both sides.

We hated them, Wineck said But things change, people change, and I think people in the world should be closer together.

How so?

One Tokyo high school student has a suggestion. Mayu Uchida, who said she cried when she heard survivors recount their memories on a school trip to Hiroshima, wants Obama to bring home what he learns and tell any supporters of nuclear weapons how horrifying they are.

He could also suggest, promoting opportunities for more Americans to visit Hiroshima, or to hear the story of Hiroshima, the 18-year-old said. It will be even better if those opportunities are available for younger generations like us.

(AP)
Egyptian Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Tayeb said on Tuesday that Al-Azhar would support French president Francois Hollande in correcting the perception of Islam after recent terrorist attacks in France and Belgium.

Al-Tayeb, who met with the French president on Tuesday, added in a media statement that he agreed with President Hollande on an official exchange between Islamic institutions in France and Al-Azhar in order to educate a new generation of Islamic scholars and leaders about the religion in true and objective way.

In the meeting with the French President, Al-Tayeb explained how Al-Azhar supported international peace in communities worldwide, giving special attention to France.

The Grand Imam then denounced recent terrorist attacks that took place in France and Belgium.

The French presidency welcomed El-Tayebs visit to France in a Tuesday statement by the Elysee palace.

According to the statement, Hollande and El-Tayeb discussed French priorities in fighting radicalism as well as the situation in the country following the Paris attacks.

President Hollande praised the efforts of Islamic leaders in fighting radicalism.

Al-Tayeb's meeting with President Hollande was also attended by French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and minister of interior Bernard Cazeneuve.

Immediately after his arrival in Paris Tuesday, the Grand Imam attended the second forum of eastern and western elders where he addressed Europeans and all Muslims around the world, stressing the importance of dialogue and building trust between religions and cultures.

During his speech at the forum, Al-Tayeb stressed the importance of how people of every nation should adopt ideas of coexistence - which will in the future lead to maintaining the identity of any religion - rather than thinking to preserve minorities' rights.

"I call on all Muslim citizens in Europe that they must know they are native citizens in their communities, and that full citizenship will never contradict the idea of coexistence," said El-Tayeb.

This week's events are considered to be the forum's second meeting, following a meeting which took place in the Italian city of Florence in June 2015.

Al-Tayeb arrived in the French capital following a historic meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Monday. The unprecedented meeting of the two religious leaders signaled the renewal of relations between Al-Azhar and the Vatican following five-years of suspended relations.

France is home to 4-5 million Muslims out of a population of 66 million.

In March, El-Tayeb visited Berlin where he met with top clerics in Germany's Catholic church and addressed the Bundestag, urging religious tolerance.

Last November, the Al-Azhar grand imam denounced the deadly terror attacks carried out by Islamist militants in Paris, describing them as "hideous" and "hateful" and urging the international community to work towards combating terrorism.

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Hillary Clinton said Monday that Donald Trumps economic policies would lead to lower wages, fewer jobs and more debt  warning unionized workers that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee could bankrupt America like hes bankrupted his companies.

Ask yourself, the likely Democratic nominee told thousands at the Service Employees International Union international convention in Detroit, how can anybody lose money running a casino, really?

Trump has accused Clinton of using the the womans card to win votes. Clinton said if fighting for equal pay, paid family leave, a higher minimum wage and affordable child care is playing the woman card, then deal me in.

Trumps call for the deportation of millions of people living in the U.S. illegally and the end of automatic birthright citizenship also drew Clintons ire. She criticized sending a deportation force to schools, workplaces and homes to round up moms, dads, grandparents  even children.

Hes talking about kicking children who are born here out of the only country they know, Clinton said.

The union endorsed Hillary in November. She thanked its members  who include child care workers, home health aides, janitors and others  and called them unsung heroes who deserve a living wage.

She said there has never been more at stake for working families than in the 2016 election, noting that she supports raising the federal minimum wage and protecting the right to organize.

Your fights are my fights, she said.

Clinton, pointing to the nearing end of the Democratic primary, applauded Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and his supporters for challenging us.

We are going to get unaccountable money out of politics and take on income inequality, she said to loud applause. And we are going to unify the Democratic Party and stop Donald Trump. There is so much more that unites than divides us.

Meanwhile, at a rally in East Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday afternoon, Sanders predicted he would win Californias June 7 primary  the nations largest with 475 delegates  through the strength of his rallies across the state. He said that by the end of the states primary he will have spoken to more than 200,000 people at his rallies.

It is a grassroots campaign, not a fancy campaign, Sanders said.

The Vermont senator has pushed for the party to adopt a progressive platform at the Philadelphia convention in July. The Democratic National Committee announced a 15-member platform drafting committee, the first step in that process, which will put together the first draft of platform.

The panel will be led by Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., who endorsed Clinton, and include Sanders allies such as Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., civil rights leader Dr. Cornel West and environmental activist Bill McKibben.

(AP)
Human remains retrieved from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft in the east Mediterranean, a senior Egyptian forensics official said on Tuesday.

The logical explanation is that an explosion brought it down, the official told The Associated Press.

The official, who is part of the Egyptian team investigating the crash that killed all 66 people on board the flight from Paris to Cairo early last Thursday, has personally examined the remains at a Cairo morgue. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

All 80 pieces that have been brought to Cairo so far are small. There isnt even a whole body part, like an arm or a head, said the official, adding that one piece was the left part of a head.

But I cannot say what caused the blast, he said. He did not say whether traces of explosives were found on the human remains retrieved so far.

The experts comments mark a new dramatic twist surrounding last weeks crash, which still remains a mystery. The planes black boxes have yet to be found and photographs of retrieved debris published by the Egyptian military over the weekend were not charred and appear to show no signs of fire.

Egyptian officials have said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, or some other catastrophic event, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek defense minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit.

But so far no hard evidence has emerged on the cause of the disaster.

An independent Cairo daily, al-Watan, quoted an unnamed forensics official in its Tuesday edition as saying the plane blew up in midair  but that it has yet to be determined whether the blast was caused by the an explosive device or something else. The official further said the remains retrieved so far are no larger than the size of a hand.

Frances aviation accident investigation agency would not comment on anything involving the bodies or say whether any information has surfaced in the investigation to indicate an explosion.

In a search for clues, family members of the victims gave been arriving during the day Tuesday at the Cairo morgue forensics department to give DNA samples to help identify the remains of their kin, a security official said. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Also, a technical team from Egypts forensic medicine department went to a hotel near the Cairo International Airport where relatives of the victims are gathered to take DNA samples to use in identifying the bodies.

The EgyptAir crash shocked a nation struggling to revive its ailing economy and contain a resilient insurgency by Islamic militants.

Safety onboard Egyptian aircraft and at the countrys airports have been under close international scrutiny since a Russian airliner crashed in the Sinai Peninsula last October, killing all 224 people on board, shortly after taking off from an Egyptian resort. The crash  claimed by the Islamic State affiliate in Sinai and blamed by Moscow on an explosive device planted on board  decimated Egypts lucrative tourism industry, which had already been battered by years of turmoil in the country.

If mechanical or structural failure is found to be behind the crash of Flight 804, that would deal another severe blow to both tourism and the national carrier. If downed by an act of terror, the Egyptians can point to security at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, from which the plane took off.

Egypt has dispatched a submarine to search for the flights black boxes and a French ship joined the international effort to locate the wreckage and search for the planes data recorders.

Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are also taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes.

(AP)
By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key U.S. allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyos decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, its the American president who could end up losing.

Many in China and South Korea feel that Japan got what it deserved when U.S. atomic bombs detonated in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and in Nagasaki three days later. They resent what they see as Japans focus on the bombs victims instead of the millions of civilians killed, raped and enslaved by Japanese troops. They worry that the first-ever U.S. presidential visit to Hiroshima will allow Japanese conservatives, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to further distance the country from its wartime sins.

Despite this anxiety, however, theres also a growing desire to work with Japan, the worlds No. 3 economy, on diplomacy, security, tourism, culture and trade. This is especially true in South Korea, a fellow democracy and U.S. ally.

Here, then, is a look at some of the issues that will roil beneath the surface as South Korea and China closely watch Obamas visit:

___

WHOS THE VICTIM?

Its complicated: Many in Northeast Asia claim the role.

Japans sense of victimhood stems from the more than 200,000 dead in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and from the huge numbers of civilians killed in U.S. air raids on major cities in 1945; 100,000 were killed in the Tokyo firebombing alone. Yet not only did Japan instigate the Pacific war with its 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, decades of colonial and wartime aggression before that claimed hundreds of thousands of victims in China and South Korea.

Those killed by the atomic bombs include an estimated 20,000 Koreans, many brought to Japan for slave labor.

We (South Koreans) think we were the real victims. For China, their pride was hurt a lot because they think they were in charge before being badly battered by Japan, Lee Myon-woo, an analyst at South Koreas Sejong Institute, said. The Japanese think they also suffered a lot because of the West. Each country has a victim mentality  and its not something that we can easily overcome.

The White House says Obama isnt going to Hiroshima to apologize, but just being there will be seen that way by many.

Assigning too much importance to the bomb, critics in Japans neighbors argue, distracts from Tokyos current expansion of its military and the hawkish Abes efforts to distance Japan from its wartime past. Some also worry that it signals a preference by Washington for Tokyo over Seoul.

The United States and Japan ignore our country a bit, said Park Jeong-mi, 50, from Seoul. I am dissatisfied with the fact that the U.S. president will visit Japan and also go to the specific area, Hiroshima, when Japan has not made an official apology to our country yet for its wartime atrocities.

Japanese leaders have apologized repeatedly in the past, but in recent years, Abe has been viewed by South Korea, China and others as attempting to backpedal those apologies and previous acknowledgements of wartime atrocities.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said recently that Japan, when it invites leaders to Hiroshima, should reflect that it will never tread on the path of militarism again, as it once brought unspeakable suffering to its people and (the) people of Asia and around the world.

Yukio Okamoto, a former Japanese diplomat, said the Japanese people simply want Obama to honor the dead. He said it will be seen by the Japanese people as the United States facing for the first time the incident eye-to-eye.

___

WHATS AT STAKE?

The White House wants the visit to look forward, not back.

My purpose is not to simply revisit the past, but to affirm that innocent people die in a war, on all sides, that we should do everything we can to try to promote peace and dialogue around the world, that we should continue to strive for a world without nuclear weapons, Obama told Japanese public broadcaster NHK in an interview aired Sunday.

Japan and its neighbors, however, could end up interpreting the trip differently. That holds risks for burgeoning cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea.

History disputes have rarely hurt economic and cultural ties among the three neighbors, but they have upset regional security efforts. Seoul, for instance, has been reticent to directly share North Korea-related intelligence with Tokyo because of fear about a domestic backlash to cooperation with Japans military.

Both Beijing and Seoul have sometimes been accused of using anti-Japan sentiments to stir up nationalist grievances in order to push domestic agendas or distract attention from governing failures.

Regional ties have recently improved. South Korea, Japan and China held a three-way summit in Seoul in November, and Seoul and Tokyo forged an important, but much criticized and still not implemented, deal late last year to compensate Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japans military.

These relatively positive feelings, a rarity in Northeast Asia, could fade if Japan is seen as trying to use Obamas visit to minimize its wartime aggression  or if South Koreans and Chinese think Obama is being indifferent to their painful experiences.

Obama will say all the right words, but the image of him being there will still upset many (in the U.S., as well as in Asia), Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS think tank, said in an email. At this point, its a lose-lose for Obama.

___

WALKING A FINE LINE

Obama will try to focus on his vision of a world without nuclear weapons while avoiding anything that portrays Japan exclusively as a victim.

Theres some debate, however, about how, or if, hell tackle the past.

The visit will entirely be framed in a futuristic discourse, for example about the future nuclear-zero-goal, said Victor Cha, an Asia expert at Georgetown University. There is, I think, a desire by Obama to heal the past, but I dont think he will make any direct reference to it.

Others disagree.

In order to try to satisfy audiences in the United States, Japan and the rest of East Asia, Obama will criticize Japans pre-A-bomb wartime actions and call for a world free of nuclear weapons, but he wont criticize American use of the bomb, according to Charles Armstrong, an Asia expert at Columbia University.

This balancing act might not be enough.

He will be criticized by Americans, Koreans and Chinese for being too soft on Japan, Armstrong said, and by Japanese for being too critical.

Some observers hope Obamas visit could lead to something that they say has proven extremely difficult for Japan: An honest accounting of its wartime record. They want reciprocal visits by Abe to Nanjing, China, for instance, to honor those killed in the 1937 massacre there, or to Pearl Harbor, which was attacked 75 years ago this December.

The powerful image of an American president ready to finally confront the brutal and morally questionable acts of the war can only be truly successful if he can use it to press for similar actions on the part of the Japanese toward their Asian neighbors, Asia experts Gi-Wook Shin and Daniel Sneider recently argued.

(AP)
A Bronx man has been arrested on charges he tried to support ISIS and terrorism.

FBI agents picked up Sajmir Alimehmeti at 5:30 a.m. at his home Tuesday without incident.

Sources said that he tried to travel to the Middle East to join ISIS on at least two occasions, but was blocked each time by British authorities. He later allegedly tried to aid an undercover agent who claimed to be attempting to go to Syria to join the organization.

Sources said that Alimehneti first traveled to the United Kingdom in October of 2014 in an attempt to continue on to the Middle East but was denied entry to the country when British authorities found nunchucks and camouflage clothing in his luggage.

Hes accused of buying the undercover agent weapons  mostly knives  and supplies. He showed him ISIS videos.

Hell appear in federal court in Lower Manhattan Tuesday morning.

The investigation was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprised largely of FBI agents and NYPD detectives, and the NYPDs Intelligence Division.

(AP)
When Shelagh Wisemans washing machine stopped working in April 2015, she thought she was being sensible by taking out insurance after it was fixed.

It was a hassle to mend and the retired secretary, 86, was told by the repairman from Domestic & General that the five-year-old machine wasnt as robust as it once was.

The cover was expensive at 14.99 a month, but it was reassuring to know an engineer could be called out at a moments notice.

While disasters like this can happen, white goods are more affordable than ever and rather than shelling out on insurance premiums, you can usually do better by ploughing the money into a rainy day fund

Sure enough, at the beginning of March this year, it conked out again.

Domestic & General sent two engineers to Shelaghs home in Hampstead, North London, but neither fixed the problem. They reassured her that another repairman would visit soon  but no one did.

Shelagh, who has lived alone since the death of her husband in 2011, spent hours calling Domestic & General trying to get help.

But as she was passed from one call centre worker to another, their promises seemed to get more and more muddled.

Nearly three weeks after the machine broke, Shelagh was so sick of doing without clean clothes that she visited her local John Lewis and forked out 313 for a new washer.

It felt as if the 160 shed paid in insurance premiums was money down the drain.

They talked me into it  they made me worried it would break again and that if I took out this policy I would be fully covered, says Shelagh.

But when it did break and I needed them, Domestic & General couldnt have cared less.

Its wickedly bad service. I am nearly 87 and disabled. Ive had as much worry from this company as any human being can stand. No one ever phoned to apologise or tell me what was going on. They didnt care.

Shelagh isnt the only one whos had problems with Domestic & Generals household appliance cover.

Frustrated customers are filling internet forums with posts about poor service. Many also complain of long waits for repairs and problems with the call centre.

One customer, Cat Finnie, wrote on Googles review page on April 17: Its near impossible to get through to the repairs team and then they are completely disorganised.

Another, Kieran Gallagher, wrote on March 25: I simply cannot get through  ten days I have tried and when it connects after 40-odd minutes, they hang up.

Its a disgrace  three weeks Ive been trying to log a call. I dread to think when I do get through what the engineer wait time will be.

The criticism has been so stinging that the company is rated at just 1.3 stars out of five on Google reviews.

Experts say these types of insurance policies can be more hassle than theyre worth. White goods are more affordable than ever and rather than shelling out on insurance premiums, you can usually do better by ploughing the money into a rainy day fund.

James Daley, managing director of the consumer website Fairer Finance, says: So-called self-insurance is often the most sensible option for white goods.

We would all do well to put away a couple of pounds a month into a savings account instead. Then you have a pot to dip into if an appliance breaks down.

Self-insurance: Putting money aside each month into a savings account may be a better option than forking out for insurance to cover your white goods

Washing machines and dishwashers normally last between five and ten years, and TVs can last as long as 20.

So its not always good value for money to take out a protection policy, and definitely not for 15 a month.

If you put 15 a month into a savings account paying 1.4 per cent for two years, youd have 365.

Its unlikely a modern washing machine would break down more frequently than that. Protection plans and extended warranties became popular during the Sixties when white goods were much pricier.

Domestic & Generals policy says that if your household goods break, you simply call them and they will arrange a engineer to fix it.

But the terms and conditions are littered with exclusions, including refusing to repair your goods if theyre damaged by humidity or plumbing problems.

If you do want protection, it pays to shop around and be wary of anything a retailer tries to flog you at the point of purchase.

Mr Daley says: If you are the kind of person who wants to insure a product with an extended warranty, there are a number of smaller players in the market who are cheaper than the Domestic & Generals of this world.

Never buy the insurance that the retailer offers you  it is almost always the worst deal.

After Money Mail contacted Domestic & General, it apologised to Shelagh and agreed to refund her the full price of her new washing machine.

The company says communication broke down when Shelagh was not at home for a repair appointment. She insists she stayed in all day.

A spokeswoman for Domestic & General says: After that repair visit, we agree Mrs Wiseman has not received the high standard of service we aim to provide for our customers.
Gracias: Every country has different customs about when and how much you should tip

You've just had a wonderful meal on holiday, tasted the local delicacies  and Roberto, the waiter, could not have been more helpful.

So the last thing you want when the bill arrives is to accidentally cause offence by getting the tip wrong.

Every country has different customs about when you should tip, when it's inappropriate and how much you should leave.

And even within each country it can be different if you are paying for a meal, taxi, room service or just a drink at the bar.

Here, we ask local experts in major holiday destinations for the insider's guide to tipping.

A smile is as important as cash for the Italians

In Italy, a tip is not expected, but a token gesture is appreciated.

Fabio Datteroni, the general manager of Castello Del Nero Hotel & Spa in Tuscany, says: 'If you tip someone it is because that person really made the effort to go the extra mile and has been extra kind and welcoming towards you.'

Restaurants: Any service charge should be included in the bill.

But most Italians will leave an extra couple of euros if the service was very good. Always leave any tips in cash and hand directly to the waiter.

Bars: Italians rarely tip when out for a coffee or glass of wine as most of the time they drink while standing in front of the bar rather than at a table. At most leave a little loose change.

Hotels: If a doorman parks your car or a porter helps with your luggage, tip between five and ten euros. Similarly, if you are pleased with room service, leave between five and ten euros for each day of your stay.

Fabio recommends leaving a thank you note in an envelope with the maid's name on. You can ask at reception who looked after your room during your stay.

Taxis: Just round up the bill. So if it is 16 euros and 60 cents, for example, make it 17 euros.

Top tip: Smile, say thank you and shake their hand. You don't have to give money to show your gratitude.

Round up the bill for taxis in Spain

The Spanish are not big tippers. Remy Arroyo, of Palladium Hotel Group which owns Only YOU Hotel & Lounge Madrid, says: 'Gratuities in Spain are certainly welcomed but not expected. If you don't tip, you won't get any nasty looks, and they won't chase you down.'

Restaurants: It's normal to leave a few coins. For example, if your meal costs a total of 35 euros, you might leave one euro, two at most.

It's unlikely you'll be able to add the tip to a card payment so keep some cash with you. In a fancy restaurant you might leave between 5 and 10 per cent.

Those who dine alone are also usually expected to tip a little extra, especially if the restaurant is busy, as are large family groups.

Bars: If you get table service or you are given free olives or cheese you would usually leave some small change. If you are just having a drink at the bar you wouldn't be expected to leave anything.

Hotels: You might want to leave chambermaids some loose change, and porters one euro  although Miguel Moreno, of price comparison website HotelsCombined, says bellboys will be very careful not to seem as though they are waiting for it because it is considered rude.

Tour guides get good tips  around ten euros from each person in the group.

Taxis: No tip is expected, but most Spaniards would round up to the nearest euro.

Top tip: Alfredo Martinez, head of concierge at Cotton House Hotel Barcelona, an Autograph Collection Hotel, says: 'When handing over a tip, say 'Muchas gracias por la ayuda'  it means thanks for your help.'

CRUISE LINERS CAN CHARGE 11.30 PER PERSON PER DAY Each cruise liner will have its own tipping policy. However, a spokeswoman for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says that the majority add a set amount to an on-board account each day, which you pay at the end of the trip. You are not expected to leave a tip every time you order a drink or eat a meal. P&O Cruises, for example, has a 5.50 per guest per day charge  though it maintains this is voluntary and that you can ask for it to be reduced. The money will be split between the whole crew, including waiters and cabin stewards. Some cruise liners may even encourage you to pay your tips in advance. Royal Caribbean says pre-paying its $13.50 (9.22) per day ($16.50 or 11.30 if you have a grand suite) charge makes it easier for passengers to budget for their trip. You will also avoid being hit by a fluctuating exchange rate because you can pay in pounds. When on board its ships you must pay in U.S. dollars. Many people prefer to put some cash into an envelope for the crew members at the end of the holidays. But this can be tricky as, with so many restaurants on board these days, its unlikely the same member of staff will serve you every day.

Pat French porters

The French word for tip is pourboire. It literally means 'for a drink'.

And, as a rule of thumb, a few euros  enough to buy a glass of wine or a beer  should be enough in most circumstances. It is not compulsory.

Restaurants: Most establishments add a 15 per cent surcharge on restaurant bills for service  though this usually goes directly to the owner who then distributes it to staff.

Some diners choose to offer something extra to waiting staff. Philippe Bassoul, UK sales manager at the luxurious Barriere Group of hotels in Paris, says: 'Normally how you tip depends on the calibre of the restaurant.

'If service has been exceptional, then you can add 10 per cent to 15 per cent. If it is a Michelin-starred gastro restaurant, then it's ten to 15 euros per person.

'If you visit the same cafe every day, it's nice to leave a couple of euros once a week.'

Bars: Tips are not demanded  but a couple of euros slipped to hardworking staff can help you get served more quickly.

Hotels: Tips are generally not expected, with the exception of porters, when you would usually pay two or three euros for each bag that is carried for you.

Some upmarket hotels might offer an envelope to leave a tip for the room cleaning staff, but again this is not expected.

Taxis: There is generally no need to tip.

Top tip: Be nice to people who are nice to you. Reward service but only if it goes beyond what is necessary.

What's fair? Every country has different customs about when you should tip, when it's inappropriate and how much you should leave

Leave a kuna for coffeee in Croatia

You are expected to make some gesture for the service you receive in Croatia. The extra kuna comes in handy for hotel and restaurant workers on relatively low salaries.

Restaurants: Mate Perajica, a private tour guide based in the city of Split, says: 'Around 10 per cent is typically expected in restaurants.

'You can also leave a kuna or two if you stay somewhere for a coffee. You don't need to tip in fast-food restaurants.'

Bars: Tips are optional, but feel free to leave a little extra cash.

Hotels: Tips are generally not expected. But Ivona Grgan, director of the Croatian National Tourist Office, says: 'In hotels, tips are seen as tokens of gratitude and small amounts are welcomed with good grace.'

Taxis: Round up the bill and tell the driver to keep the change.

Top tip: Try the phrase 'U redu je'. This means 'It's OK' and will let a waiter know you are happy for him to keep the change.

YOU COULD GET STUNG FOR AS MUCH AS 30% IN THE STATES In the U.S., tip everywhere. Joel Freyberg, MD of Gansevoort Park Hotel, Park Avenue, New York, says: If you have a terrible cab ride or bad service in a restaurant, you can just not pay a tip, but be prepared to be frowned on. Restaurants: Most Americans pay by card. To make it easy for customers to tip, there are three options on the card machine and you pick the one you want. Previously it was normal to tip 15 per cent of the total bill, but today its nearer 20 per cent. For exceptional service, Americans tip as much as 30 per cent. Hotels: For housekeeping, leave $5 for the day maid and another $5 in the evening if the hotel offers a turn-down service. If you are staying more than one night, leave the cash in an envelope at the front desk. If someone carries your bags to your room, tip $5; if a doorman hails a cab, give one to two dollars. If the concierge desk makes a dinner reservation in a restaurant that is difficult to get into you should give around $10. Bars: Just select an option on the card machine. If you are paying in cash, one or two dollars is enough  never less than a dollar or you may struggle to get served again. Taxis: As above. Top tip: If in doubt when working out how much to tip in a restaurant, double the tax part of the bill (its listed separately, a bit like VAT) and you should be fine.

Tip for beers on the beach in Oz

Australians have a minimum wage of $17.29 an hour (8.50), so tipping is never expected. But if you get good service and would normally tip at home, staff will always appreciate you rounding up the bill.

Leo Seaton, general manager of media and communications at Tourism Australia, says: 'Tipping in Australia is a discretionary thing. Some people do, some don't.

'Some restaurants include an optional service fee, but it is down to the customer as to whether they choose to pay this.'

Restaurants: You won't cause upset if you choose not to tip, but if you've particularly enjoyed your meal a 10 per cent tip would be welcomed. Either round up your bill when paying by card or leave a few dollars behind.

Bars: While tipping is not expected, lots of bars have outdoor areas where a waiter will bring out your drinks while you enjoy the sun. Leaving them a few coins would be appreciated.

Hotels: You don't need to tip your concierge, but leave a few dollars behind for the maid. The same applies for doormen if they help you with your luggage.

Taxis: Again, while not expected, it's not unusual to leave an extra $2.

Top tip: Australians are proud of their food, so a few kind words after a meal are always well received.

Add 10% to eat out in Portugal

Offering a tip is normal in cafes, restaurants and taxis in Portugal.

Restaurants: A tip of 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the bill is typically expected. If you visit a cafe for a drink, leave the change behind on the table along with the payment.

Bars: Offer around one euro each time you buy a drink  although it's not compulsory.

Hotels: Pedro Ribeiro, sales and marketing director of Dom Pedro Hotels, a chain around Lisbon, Madeira and the Algarve says: 'It's usual to offer a couple of euros for each bag to the bellboys, but it's not usual to give something to the maids, unless they have brought something from downstairs for you.'

Taxis: Add just one to two euros to the bill.

Top tip: If you go on an organised tour, most passengers will do a collection for the driver. For a half-day tour, expect to pay a few euros each.
Blow: Today's figures were not what Chancellor George Osborne had hoped for

The Treasury saw borrowing fall last month but official figures showed that George Osborne missed his target for the full year by more than previously thought.

The Office for National Statistics said public sector net borrowing excluding banks dropped by 0.3billion to 7.2billion in April, compared with the same month last year.

That was higher than analysts' forecasts of about 6.6billion.

But April aside, the bigger blow for Chancellor George Osborne was the overall debt figures for the year ending in March.

Public sector debt for the complete financial year ending in March was 76billion - 2billion higher than its previous estimate.

The main reason for the lower figure was weaker-than-expected income from workers' national insurance contributions

The ONS also revealed that the UK's overall national debt for the financial year to the end of March now stands at 1.6trillion, or 83.3 per cent of annual economic output.

That's a slight increase on last year's 83.2 per cent of gross domestic product.

The figures come just one day after a doom and gloom report by the Treasury, which warned that a Brexit vote would lead to a one year recession, a 6 per cent fall in GDP growth within two years and a loss of up to 820,000 jobs.

A Treasury spokesman said: 'Today's figures show further progress in fixing the record post-war deficit we inherited: borrowing is falling and we have the lowest April monthly deficit since the great recession.

'But the fiscal repair job is not finished and it would be dangerous to put this at risk.

'As uncertainty ahead of the referendum weighs on our outlook, Treasury analysis has shown that if the UK votes to leave the EU on June 23, we would be tipped into a year-long recession and receipts could fall by 36billion in the long term, unwinding years of hard work.'

Martin Beck, senior economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club, said there was a lot of work for the Chancellor to do if he wants to hit his targets for next year.

He added: 'There were sizeable revisions to the historical data, with borrowing over the fiscal year 2015-16 having been revised up to 76billion, almost 4billion higher than the OBR's forecast.

'There is still a long way to go, but borrowing would need to be 1.8billion a month lower than in 2015-16 in order to achieve the OBR's full-year forecast of 55.5billion.

This graph shows UK public sector net debt of GDP from March 1994 to April 2016 - a steep increase

'This looks to be a tall order, particularly given that the recent weakness in activity appears to be dampening growth in tax receipts.

'The government will need to see a strong rebound in activity in the second half of the year if it is to have a realistic chance of keeping its deficit reduction plan on track.'

A detailed analysis of April's figures show that Government tax receipts hit 55.9billion last month, up 2.7 per cent compared with April 2015, as it was boosted by rises in VAT receipts, income tax, stamp duty and National Insurance contributions.

However, corporation tax dropped by 5.1 per cent to 0.3billion over the period.

Commenting on the public sector finance figures for April 2016, published today by the ONS, David Kern, BCC Chief Economist, said: 'April's figures were disappointing but not surprising given the slowdown in economic activity, which is making it more difficult to generate tax revenue, reinforcing our assessment that the progress towards achieving a budget surplus will be slower than the OBR estimated in the March Budget.

This graph shows UK public sector borrowing, April 1993 to April 2016, which has gone down in recent years

'Cutting the deficit and restructuring the economy will necessitate difficult measures for the government in the short term, but only by putting our public finances on a sound footing will it be possible to create the stability that will enable businesses to drive economic growth.'

Howard Archer, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, questioned whether the Chancellor could now hit his long term targets.

He said: 'The muted start to fiscal year 2016-17 will fuel doubts about George Osborne's ability to get the deficit down to 55.5billion in 2016-17.
HINKLEY DELAY EDFs boss refused to give a date for the completion of Hinkley Point nuclear power station or for its final decision on funding when he was grilled by MPs for the second time in two months.

Vincent De Rivaz faced the Energy and Climate Change Committee after EDF failed to reach a decision on the finances of Hinkley by May 15, as had been promised. He said the decision had been delayed so EDF could consult trade unions on the project.

EASY PEACE A peace deal is being struck between Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and executives at EasyHotel after the firm posted a disappointing half-year update.

The founder of EasyGroup floated the budget hotel chain in 2014, but has been picking fights with directors over what he sees as spiralling costs that eat in to dividend payments.

His fears will not have been allayed yesterday when six months sales grew 10 per cent to 9.7million while profits crashed to 100,000 from 400,000 due to the cost of opening new hotels.

But yesterday sources said Sir Stelios was in discussions with the firm over a plan to revitalise the business.

MAIL PAIN UK Mail Group saw its profits halve after its performance was blighted by technical failures.

The delivery firm reported profits of 10.7million in the year to March, down from 21million in 2015. It opened a state-of-the-art sorting office in Ryton that was unable to sort odd-shaped parcels.

It announced a dividend of 10.9p per share, down from 14.5p in 2015.

DEMAND SLUMPS Hogg Robinson blamed lower demand in Europe and Asia Pacific for a 2 per cent fall in sales for the 12 months to March 31.

But the travel firm managed to post a 15 per cent rise in profit to 26.7million from 23.3million crediting strong performance in the UK and America.

It has recommended a final dividend of 1.83p a share taking its total payout for the year to 2.51p a share.

DOUBLE UP Severn Trent has more than doubled its profits, beating market expectations. The water firm saw profits soar 117 per cent to 332.3million in the year to the end of March, up from 148.2million a year earlier.

It said its combined annual bills were the lowest in the country at 329. Shares rose 2.5 per cent, or 56p, to 2269p.

IRISH SALE The AA is in talks to sell its Irish breakdown and insurance arm to private equity firm Carlyle Cardinal. AA Ireland employs 480 and made a profit of 13million in 2015.

The roadside assistance firm said it is exploring options in regards to its Irish business.
Many people put off thinking about their mortality. But there is vital paperwork to sort out before your time comes to an end. We explain.

Safeguard: Ryan and Louise Clifford made wills appointing a guardian when their son Maddox was born

WILLS

Dying without a will  or leaving a badly written one  can create financial headaches or even family feuds after you are gone.

Intestacy laws mean a surviving spouse or civil partner might be forced to sell their home or remortgage to pay other beneficiaries.

In England and Wales, without a will they receive the first 250,000, plus half the rest. The balance is split equally between any children, or grandchildren and great grandchildren if their child is dead.

For peace of mind, it is wise to get a will written so your assets go to whom you want. This is also a chance to detail funeral preferences and appoint executors  the people who carry out your wills instructions.

Many couples use a will to name guardians for their children  one of the main motives for Ryan and Louisa Clifford to draw up their wills.

The Cliffords, from Erdington, in Birmingham, wanted to ensure their six-month-old son Maddox would be cared for if they both died early.

They chose Ryans sister, Hayley, as guardian because she had also been Louisas best friend since childhood. Co-operative Legal Services drew up their wills for free in return for a donation to charity Oxfam.

Ryan, a 33-year-old school pastoral manager, says: We didnt name Maddox in the will, but mentioned children as it would cost us to change it if we have any more.

Many charities offer similar deals in return for a donation or bequest. Free Wills Month, held every October and March, also offers free will-writing to the over-55s. Will Aid, in November, gives access to solicitors who will draw up wills for a donation to charity  typically 95 for a single will or 150 for a couple.

You can create a will for just 9.99 with a DIY pack from stationers, or use an online service such as Law on the Web for 145. Rocket Lawyer gives you a free week to write your will. After that it charges 25 a month for access to a range of legal services. The more complex your financial affairs the more you should expect to pay.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We are living longer and with that comes growing health issues such as dementia that affect our ability to make decisions. Sufferers struggle to manage their own affairs and it is often left to friends and family to pick up the reins.

Unless a Power of Attorney has been drawn up in advance, an application needs to be made to the Court of Protection to appoint someone to look after a sufferers finances.

Angela Murfitt, a financial planner from Staffordshire, says this can prove stressful for next of kin. She says: The Court will appoint a solicitor and so control can be lost.

Plan ahead: Unless a Power of Attorney has been drawn up in advance, an application needs to be made to the Court of Protection to appoint someone to look after a sufferers finances

This painful and costly process can be avoided by setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney and registering it with the Court. Murfitt says: Do it when you are mentally competent and you can appoint who you want to act on your behalf.

There are two types  one to cover property and affairs and another for health and welfare.

Research by funeral plan specialist Golden Charter suggests that fewer than one in five people over the age of 45 has a Lasting Power of Attorney.

It is possible to set one up using documents from the website gov.uk/power-of-attorney. There is a 110 fee to register each power of attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian, though it is less for those on certain state benefits.

Using a solicitor or estate planner costs about 300 for each power of attorney plus the court fee.

PROBATE

Appointing an executor in your will should help your last wishes to be carried out smoothly. The executor usually has to apply for a grant of probate  permission from the authorities  to distribute the estate.

The executor will also need to pay the probate fee  215 for estates over 5,000.

Probate: Appointing an executor in your will should help your last wishes to be carried out smoothly

The Government is considering replacing this with tiered fees that could lead to some families paying as much as 20,000 for estates worth more than 2million, though those with estates of less than 50,000 would pay nothing.

An executor can be an individual or a professional body, such as a bank or solicitors firm.
Tycoon Sir Philip Greens senior advisers knew the buyer of BHS was led by a bankrupt three months before the sale of BHS was completed, MPs heard yesterday.

A series of leading figures in Sir Philips retail empire laid bare how they knew that businessman Dominic Chappell had at least one failed enterprise to his name and had been forced to go bankrupt.

The revelations, which emerged at a joint session of the Commons Business and Work and Pensions select committees hearing yesterday into the collapse of BHS, raise questions about why Sir Philip sold the retailer for 1.

The 88-year-old chain fell into administration last month, a year after it was sold by Sir Philip to little known investor group Retail Acquisitions, led by Mr Chappell.

Tycoon Sir Philip Green's senior advisers knew the buyer of BHS was led by a bankrupt three months before its sale was completed, MPs heard yesterday

It has left a question mark over the jobs of 11,000 staff and a 571million black hole in its pension scheme.

Lord Grabiner, chairman of Sir Philip Greens Arcadia, admitted the company was aware of Mr Chappells bankruptcies as did Sir Philips right-hand man Arcadia finance advisor Paul Budge.

Mr Budge, who is said to be one of Sir Philips most trusted advisers, said Mr Chappell had a good team of people around him including reputable advisory firms, which helped reassure the sellers the company would be in safe hands.

However, he conceded knowing Mr Chappell had one bankruptcy. In fact, Chappell has three bankruptcies.

Budge said this financial failing made the board cautious and was one of the key reasons Goldman Sachs was engaged by Sir Philip for advice.

Mr Budge also admitted they were aware of the association between Mr Chappell and a reported convicted fraudster, Paul Sutton.

He admitted Mr Chappell came to a meeting with Mr Sutton on one occasion.

He said one of the first questions Chappell was asked, when he put in a bid, was if he was working with Mr Sutton and he gave assurances this was not the case.

Mr Budge said the checks taken by Retail Acquisitions advisors - accountants Grant Thornton and the law firm Olswang  had reassured them.

He added: We wanted this business to thrive. We seriously believed he was surrounded by credible people.

Retail Acquisitions advisors will appear before the committee tomorrow. Mr Chappell is due to appear on June 8 and Sir Philip on June 15.

Until now, Sir Philip has failed to reveal whether he knew Mr Chappell was a bankrupt, and what checks had been done.

Yesterday Goldman Sachs Anthony Gutman, who jointly leads the banks investment division in the UK and Europe, said he told Mr Budge that Mr Chappell was a bankrupt, that Retail Acquisitions did not have retail experience and that its proposal lacked detail.

With so many of Sir Philips senior advisers now admitting they knew of this detail, it raises the likelihood that Sir Philip himself knew.

The 88-year-old chain fell into administration last month, a year after it was sold by Sir Philip to little known investor group Retail Acquisitions, led by Dominic Chappell

Mr Gutman said he believed there were clearly risks attached to proposal by Mr Chappells Retail Acquisitions.

Goldman Sachs was not paid for advice and did not advise formally on the deal as it was too small but Mr Gutman said it provided observations on proposals only.

Sir Philip and Retail Acquisitions have been criticised for taking money out of the company.

In the letter to the select committee Sir Philip said 325million has been invested in BHS between 2000 and 2009. BHS paid out 423million in dividends over three years, but none for the past 12 years.

The 164-store chains pension scheme holds the savings of more than 20,000 current and former staff. Although the firm had been taking steps to add extra money, it has been criticised because it would have taken 23 years to clear the deficit.

The pension deficit is expected to be transferred to the lifeboat vehicle run by the Pension Protection Fund, which is funded by other employer pension scheme contributions.

Yesterday, MPs were told by advisers to BHS pension trustees that there were serious concerns over the cash funding arrangement of the pension scheme as early as 2012.

Tony Clare, a partner at Deloitte who advised Sir Philip, said that a plan to restructure the BHS pension scheme - known as Project Thor - was put on pause - before Christmas in 2014 in the hope that seasonal trading might help turn the business around.

The firm, which employs 11,000 people, is expected to be sold out of administration to a new buyer as soon as tomorrow. Potential buyers for the chain include a European based investor, John Hargreaves, the founder of Matalan, who is working with the owner of Select Fashions; and Crown Crest, the parent company of retailer Poundstretcher.

Sky News reported yesterday that the mystery European bidder could be Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angolas president, or an unrelated dos Santos family of Portugal, which has interests in food distribution and retailing. However the dos Santos family have said they have not bid for the chain and are not interested.
Four Egyptian activists who were reportedly placing posters in a Cairo metro to visualise opposition to the recently signed Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea island have been questioned on Tuesday by South Cairo prosecution.

The activists were arrested on Monday inside the Helwan metro station in south Cairo as they were placing the posters.

The four arrested include Khaled Bassyouni, the son of Mohamed Bassyouni, the general-secretary of the Nasserist Al Karama Party founded by former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi.

Last month, a deal signed by Cairo and Riyadh - which transfers sovereignty over two islands in the Red Sea, Sanafir and Tiran, from Egypt to Saudi Arabia - caused widespread controversy and several protests throughout Egypt, which ended in the arrest and jailing of tens of protesters.

Members of Al Karama Party started last week a sit-in at the party's headquarters against the Egyptian- Saudi deal and the jailing of its opponents.

Sabbahi and other senior members of the party and supporters are taking part in the sit-in.

Last week, an Egyptian court sentenced more than 150 people to between two and five years in jail for their participation in the protests.

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AP and Reuters have quoted anonymous Egyptian forensic experts who claimed remains of victims suggest explosion on board the ill-fated flight

Egypt's forensics authority denied on Tuesday news reports that the bodily remains of EgyptAir flight MS804 passengers suggest a blast inside the plane, state news agency MENA reported.

"Everything published on that matter is unfounded and is a mere assumption that has not been issued by the forensics authority or any forensic experts working for it," the statement read.

Earlier on Tuesday, both Reuters and AP quoted an Egyptian forensic expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, saying that recovered human remains from the crashed EgyptAir flight suggest a blast took place inside the plane.

However, the reports added that the blast is not necessarily caused by a bomb, as authorities have yet to find any trace of explosives on recovered wreckage.

The forensics authority has not issued a statement on its investigation after examining the remains of some of the passengers.

The AP source said 80 pieces of the victims have been brought to Cairo so far, adding that all are small. Another unnamed Egyptian forensics official told Reuters that "only a tiny number of remains had arrived so far, and it is too early to specify whether there had been an explosion on board."

On Thursday, the Cairo-bound flight from Paris crashed over the Mediterranean, with all 66 people on board believed to be dead.

On Friday, the Egyptian military located debris, personal belongings, plane seats and human remains north of Alexandria near the spot where the plane vanished from radar.

The aircraft's black boxes, which could help investigators discover the cause of the crash, have yet to be located.

Egypt is leading an investigation intio the cause of the crash with the help of a French team.

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A delegation from Islamic Jihad, a leading Palestinian Islamist organisation, conducted talks on Tuesday in Cairo with Egyptian General Intelligence officials on reconciliation efforts among various Palestinian factions.

Egyptian sources say the talks were productive, with delegations from rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas expected to arrive in Cairo next week to consult with Egyptian mediators.

It is expected that a general conference of all factions will be held in Cairo within a month to announce the completion of reconciliation talks between all three movements.

Relations between Fatah and Hamas, the two leading Palestinian factions, have been strained since the two groups faced off in violent clashes in Gaza in 2005 following Hamas' victory in Palestinian general elections the same year.

Since then, the Islamist Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip, while Fatah, which is backed by various Arab and Western governments, controlled the occupied West Bank.

Israel has maintained an air-sea-ground siege of the Gaza Strip since 2006 to isolate Hamas.

An optimistic atmosphere is prevailing over the current discussions in Cairo, especially in light of the call made last week by Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi for Palestinian reconciliation.

El-Sisi addressed Israeli and Palestinian leaders, stressing that peace, prosperity and cooperation would only take place if both parties are able to reach a two-state solution. The address was welcomed by Israel, Fatah and Hamas.

Although Cairo received Hamas officials in March to discuss the security situation on both sides of Egypt's border with Gaza, the talks had not been renewed.

Egyptian officials had accused the Palestinian movement of not implementing recently agreed upon security arrangements along the border.

However, Hamas maintained that it is honoring its commitments to Cairo, saying it arrested a few days ago four individuals attempting to smuggle items through border tunnels Egypt deems both illegal and dangerous to its security.

Sources in Cairo, however, said that the relationship was not "warm" between the two parties.

Cairo has upgraded its relationships with the Islamic Jihad movement, a competitor of Hamas, since the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip in 2014.

Cairo mediated a ceasefire at the time between Israel and the Palestinians through direct talks with Jihad, and not Hamas.

Egypt has deemed Hamas dodgy in its intentions and modus operandi, especially after the ouster of Hamas' ally the Muslim Brotherhood from power in Egypt in 2013.

Moreover, Cairo has accused Hamas of interfering in internal Egyptian politics and aiding Islamist militants fighting the government in North Sinai. Hamas has repeatedly denied such accusations.

However, Mohamed Gomaa, an expert in Palestinian affairs at the Ahram Centre for Strategic Studies, told Ahram Online that Cairo has aspirations to see a genuine Palestinian reconciliation.

Gomaa added that the most powerful indication of this wish was El-Sisi's recent call for peace.

However, Gomaa believes several hurdles remain to achieving this reconciliation, including whether Hamas has actually changed its previous rigid positions and is now interested in real solutions.

"This has not taken place yet," Gomaa says.

Gomaa explained that Hamas might view Cairo-Jihad direct talks as a threat to its monopoly on power in Gaza.

Gomaa added that the outcome of reconciliation efforts remains unknown, especially since the current balance of power on the Palestinian front does not oblige Hamas to make any fundamental changes in its stances.

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Tens of grieving EgyptAir pilots and cabin crew mourned in uniform Monday their fellow colleagues and passengers who died on an EgyptAir plane that crashed while en route from Paris to Cairo.

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy and other ministers were among the attendees at the memorial service organised by EgyptAir in Al-Mosheer Tantawi Mosque in El-Tagammu El-Khames east of Cairo.

On Thursday, EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed over the Mediterranean with all 66 people on board believed to be dead.

Last Friday, several special prayers were held in mosques throughout Egypt to mourn the death of the victims.



Egypt's St Mark Cathedral also held a mass for the victims on Sunday.

The Egyptian military located debris, personal belongings, plane seats and human remains in the Mediterranean on Friday near the spot where the plane vanished from radar.

The reason behind the crash has not been determined.

The aircraft's black boxes, which could give investigators crucial clues to the cause of the crash, are yet to be located.

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By Philip Newman

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) said the Second Avenue subway is more than 94 percent completed and on schedule to start running in December, but she recommended guarded optimism since there is very little room for error in the final months of construction.

The project could fall behind if milestones are not met, said Maloney, who issued a report card on the project that awarded an A-minus overall to the MTA for its performance.

When the new line opens, the Q line will run from 96th Street to 63rd Street on the Upper East Side, alleviating the daily crush on the Lexington Avenue line. The MTA has proposed bringing back the W line this fall to pave the way for the Q line to begin serving Manhattan riders.

The project is 94.4 percent completed, all track and most of the third rail has been installed, station entrances and ancillary buildings are being completed and the MTA is starting to restore streets that have been under construction for years, Maloney told a news conference at 82nd Street and Second Avenue Monday.

There are three new stations at 96th Street, 86th Street and 72nd Street that will bring passengers to the 63rd Street station, which is also served by the F train.

The MTA broke ground for the Second Avenue subway in April 2007. The new subway line is expected to carry at least 200,000 straphangers a day and reduce crowding on the Lexington Avenue line, which now carries more than 40 percent of all subway riders in New York City.

Maloney praised the MTA, which she said has been admirably open in its outreach to the community.

On her report card, she gave the MTA an overall grade of A-minus on the project, a B-plus to the on-time record and a C to its efforts to mitigate the effects on the neighborhoods.

The MTA has demonstrated that it is aware that it needs to do more than merely solve engineering problems: It needs to work proactively to reduce impacts on residents and businesses, Maloney said. More frequent meetings with community members and building representatives have enhanced dialogue and allowed the MTA to take action quickly to resolve problems.

The MTA 2015-2019 plan includes $1.5 billion for Phase 2 of the new subway, which will include stations at 106th, 116th, and 125th streets.

Maloney has promoted and shepherderd the Second Avenue subway for 20 years.

Denise Richardson, executive director of the General Contractors Association of New York, said, Carolyn Maloney is truly the mother of the Second Avenue subway.

The project is a vital part of the East Side Access, which will bring Long Island Rail Road trains into Grand Central by 2022 where passengers will be able to get on the extended Second Avenue subway as well as the Lexington Avenue line.
The prosecution questioned Geneina over his report alleging that government corruption has cost Egypt hundreds of billions of pounds

Egypt's former top auditor Hisham Geneina attended a hearing before the State Security prosecution on Tuesday over a report he issued on government corruption, with the investigation into his allegations set to be completed next week.

Geneina was summoned on Monday for questioning over his report claiming that theft by public officials has cost the treasury LE600 billion since 2012.

"Surprisingly, the prosecution told me that I have not been charged with anything so far, and that I was summoned to clarify some points for the investigation," Geneina told Ahram Arabic website.

However, he added that the prosecution refused to let his lawyers attend the hearing.

He also said that the prosecution informed him that there would be another hearing on Sunday, though he said he would not attend unless official charges are filed against him.

"I have nothing more to say," he added.

In January, the country's top prosecutor issued a gag order on Geneina's report.

In March, a presidential decree dismissed Geneina from his post and appointed his deputy, Hesham Badawy, as the acting head of the Central Auditing Agency.

Following his dismissal, the State Security prosecution said that Geneina had exaggerated the sums lost to corruption by referring to violations that took place prior to 2012, and that he had abused his position as head auditor in gathering documents to make his case.

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TIMES RECORD NEWS FILE Some companies in the U.K. are offering employees "pawternity" leave so they can bond with their new pet and get them settled in.

I am a pet lover.

Otherwise I never would have posted that video that proclaimed, "The struggle is real!" as a bulldog huffed and puffed it onto a lawn chair, barely making it up there before struggling to turn himself around then falling off the chair.

Or I never would have shared those chicken-shaming photos on Facebook that proclaimed: "My owner had to buy eggs at the grocery store because I'm a freeloading slacker" and "I like to chase and bite the kitties."

What kind of pet owners would we be if we didn't make our pets the source of our amusement?

It's payback for all the times our pets have peed on our watermelons or any plastic bag from Walmart.

Or maybe that's just my dog.

Pet lover aside, it's sheer bunkum what some companies in the United Kingdom are offering to employees.

It is estimated about one out of 20 pet owners in the U.K. have been offered "pawternity" leave.

Just like with maternity and paternity leave, meant in part as time for parents to bond with their newborn children, pet owners at pet-loving companies can take time off to bond with their new pets and help them settle into their homes.

This is in addition to standard holiday pay, and pet-owners are allowed to take a few hours or up to a few weeks off, depending on the company.

Not to say I couldn't have used a week off to help one of my canine buddies, Gunther Aurelius Khan Shults, settle into his forever home.

We picked him from the Wichita County Humane Society because he was cute.

Little did we know what cute would cost.

And little did I know that Yorkies, a breed with notoriously small bladders, are notoriously hard to potty train. They leave little evidence on their target areas, let's say, because of those notoriously small bladders, which hold a notoriously minuscule amount of bladder fluid.

I did actually use some of my personal time off to be at home 24 hours a day to dole out some emergency potty training (my carpet thanked me). Every time Gunny looked like his notoriously small bladder was acting up, I took him outside.

Even at 4 a.m.

While it was snowing.

Pawternity time would have been lovely  and maybe it's a given for pet companies (pet food manufacturer Mars Petcare embraces pawternity leave)  but it also isn't really necessary. While it's an extra perk for some companies, pawternity leave for most would be ridiculously extravagant. I imagine personal time-off would cover all manner of, well, personal time an employee needs, including pet-bonding time.

Oddly, pawternity leave might not be as much hokum as "meternity" leave, as suggested by author Meghann Foye, who wrote a book about why women without children should also get time off for "me" time.

Foye has been slammed for comparing maternity leave to some kind of vacation, when it is far from that.

Recovering from a C-section, settling into a nursing schedule, waking up every three hours to feed a newborn, dealing with unruly hormones or postpartum depression because of said unruly hormones, and being practically shut in for a few weeks is nothing like relaxing vacation time.

"I couldn't help but feel envious when parents on staff left the office at 6 p.m. to tend to their children, while it was assumed co-workers without kids would stay behind to pick up the slack," she writes in her book, "Meternity."

I'm not sure I have ever expected co-workers to pick up any slack. I'm sure many moms feel the same way.

But once you get past the awful comparison, what Foye is really suggesting is that employees should be entitled to some kind of sabbatical.

I'm not sure employers would agree with that, though I'm all for it. Americans are entrenched in the workaholic culture and work entirely too hard.

One week away from all that is hardly any time at all to refuel before getting back to the daily grind.

I imagine myself in Belize somewhere, with Gunther and Chihuahua Georgie, the other family pet (the one who has something against round fruit and Walmart bags), lying a hammock, watching the sunset and bonding before returning to the high-stress, deadline-oriented world of journalism.

The struggle is real, people.
A long line of travelers wait for the TSA security check point at O'Hare International airport, Monday, May 16, 2016, in Chicago. Already faced with lines that snake through terminals out to the curb, fliers are bracing for long waits at security in the busy months of July and August. Some major airports are currently seeing wait times exceeding 90 minutes at peak hours. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

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By The Washington Post

First two hours, now three hours  this is how far in advance authorities are recommending people show up to catch a domestic flight, at least at some major U.S. airports with increasingly massive security lines. The Transportation Security Administration is struggling to keep up with a spike in airline travel that could result in line-waiting misery during peak summer vacation months. This is a totally unacceptable waste of time that violates the essential bargain between the TSA and air passengers. The TSA can do better  and it must.

Americans are willing to tolerate time-consuming security protocols in return for increased safety. The crash of EgyptAir Flight 804, which terrorists may have downed over the Mediterranean Sea, provides another tragic reminder of why. But demanding too much of air travelers or providing too little security in return undermines public support for the process. And it should: Wasted time is a drag on Americans' economic and private lives, not to mention infuriating.

Last year, a TSA inspector general sting found that undercover investigators were able to sneak weapons  both fake and real  past airport security nearly every time they tried. Enhanced security measures since then, combined with a rise in airline travel due to the improving economy and low oil prices, have resulted in long waits at major airports such as Chicago's O'Hare International. It is not yet clear how much more effective airline security has become  but the lines are obvious.

Part of the issue is that the government did not anticipate the airline travel spike, so the TSA is now rushing to get new screeners on the line. Part of the issue is that airports have only so much room for screening lanes. Another factor may be that more people are trying to overpack their carry-on bags to avoid checked-baggage fees, though the airlines strongly dispute this.

There is one step the TSA could take that would not require remodeling airports or rushing to hire: Enroll more people in the PreCheck program. PreCheck is supposed to be a win-win for travelers and the TSA. Passengers who pass a background check are eligible to use expedited screening lanes. This allows the TSA to focus on travelers who are higher risk, saving time for everyone involved. TSA wants to enroll 25 million people in PreCheck.

It has not gotten anywhere close to that, and one big reason is sticker shock: Passengers must pay $85 every five years to process their background checks. Since the beginning, this price tag has been PreCheck's fatal flaw. Impending reforms might bring the price to a more reasonable level. But Congress should look into doing so directly, by helping to finance PreCheck enrollment or to cut costs in other ways.

The TSA cannot continue diverting resources into underused PreCheck lanes while most of the traveling public languishes in unnecessary lines. It is long past time to make the program work.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures during the first Republican presidential debate at the Quicken Loans Arena Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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Kaleb Kendall, Iowa Park

It's no surprise the bigwigs of the GOP are driven crazy by the ascension of Donald Trump to the Republican nomination.

Many of them making a 180-degree turn to make peace with the nominee, most notably Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, who were arguably the two candidates most critical of Trump during the campaign.

Not everyone in the Republican party wants to ride under the firebrand. Several propose running a technically independent third-party candidate who, in actuality, takes orders from establishment Republicans.

Here's a spoiler alert for you: It's not going to work.

The issue with the idea comes from the failure of establishment Republicans to judge Donald Trump's audience.

His main sector is moderates  he's not evangelical enough nor enough of a hawk for the social republicans, nor does he promote a continuation of blind pro-industrial policy that the economic republicans like.

His upheaval of this demographic is what took him to this point, letting him safely ignore 8 of his 16 moderate-leaning rivals.

Republicans expect to be able to take voters to his right who they think wouldn't vote for him and, if not outright win the nomination, at least bring the election to their home territory in the House of Representatives.

However, of the battery of journalists, Representatives, Senators, and Generals proposed to run against the two candidates, all of them fail in the same way: Being the other right-wing candidate in the running.

While only 33 percent of the vote is needed to win a state in a 3-way race, no candidates have anywhere near enough ability to pull from Hillary, just Trump.

The most laughable proposition is that an "independent Republican" would deny victory on winning the swing states  in actuality, an Independent Republican would pull perhaps 10-12 percent of the vote at best in places like Flordia, Virginia, or Ohio, all of which from Trump.

It would also be very likely to create two new swing states  Texas and Idaho  which would both favor a Democrat with a split right wing.

A right-wing third-party spoiler candidate would ensure a President Clinton for the third time in a row. If you don't want that happening, it's time to hold your nose and vote for Trump.
John Ingle/Times Record News Riker Norriss (right), eldest son of NaDonna Norriss, addresses an audience at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Wichita Falls on Monday expressing his gratitude to the community on the city's east side for the decades-long support of Davenport's Grocery. NaDonna Norriss's death this past weekend has left the future of the store up in the air as the family works to decide what to do with the 90-year-old business.

SHARE A makeshift memorial from area residents adorn the front of Davenport Grocery on Farris Street in Wichita Falls to pay respect to NaDonna Norriss, who died Saturday at a local hospital. The family is discussing what to do with the store that has served the city's east side since 1926. Photo by John Ingle

By John Ingle of the Times Record News

A business is typically nothing more than four walls and a ceiling with a bunch of stuff mixed in between.

But a business becomes an institution when it makes a profound difference in the life of a community. Davenport's Grocery is one such business, and its future is somewhat in limbo after its current matriarch, NaDonna Norriss, unexpectedly passed away Saturday in Wichita Falls.

Community residents met Monday evening at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Wichita Falls to express their support for a family and store that has supported the Eastside community since 1926. Money was hardly an issue with transactions, according to those in the group, as lines of credit were extended and often paid off by the patrons.

In a sense, the store and the community often saved each other, based on comments from those in attendance.

Riker Norriss, NaDonna's oldest son who represented the family, told the Times Record News they are still working to decide what to do with the business that was awarded a historical marker in 2013.

"We all want to keep the store open, but we don't seem to have any options," Riker, a human resources specialist in the Army, said. "We're going to stay open all this week, and possibly next week. But, like I said. We want it open, but it doesn't look possible."

The store and the community it serves have survived a world war and many others, a great depression and much more throughout its history. The two continued to support one another as it was passed from generation to generation, Riker said.

Big-box retailers and other grocers slowed business down, he said, but his mother was never in the business to make money. It was always about helping others out.

Several in the community went to the meeting to share their memories and thoughts on what the store means to them.

One woman said NaDonna helped her pay for rent while she was away receiving treatment for drug addiction. She said she had a conversation about repayment for the generosity shown, but NaDonna considered her bill paid so long as the woman remained clean.

"Donna saved my life," she said. "Helped save my life."

Words like faithful, blessed and community seemed to be a common theme among those who knew NaDonna and the history and service of Davenport's Grocery.

One gentleman at the meeting said it's up to the East Side community to make sure the store remains a service to the folks there.

"It's up to us to keep it," he said. "It's nobody's fault but ours if we lose it."

Story after story was told of the service Davenport's has played in the community that is often underserved, at least at appearance. Its legacy reached beyond the boundaries of North Texas as cases of hot links were sent around the world because they were "the" Texas hot links.

As the store's future remains on hold while the family decides its fate, so, too, does the last institution of a community searching for a way to help it survive.

Services for NaDonna Norriss are as follows:

 Visitation on Wednesday at Owens & Brumley in Wichita Falls from 6:30-7:30 p.m. A candlelight vigil will be at Davenport Grocery at 8 p.m.

 The funeral will be Thursday at 4 p.m. at Booker T. Washington. The Rev. Reginald Blow and Chaplain Harvey McMurry will officiate.

 Burial will be at Highland Cemetery in Iowa Park.

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Wichita Falls.
Nassau

Developers of the Northeast Energy Direct gas pipeline project, which would have passed through southern Albany and Rensselaer counties to bring fracked gas from northern Pennsylvania to metropolitan Boston, withdrew their application Monday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, effectively killing the project.

J. Curtis Moffatt, a vice president and counsel with Houston-based developer Kinder Morgan, wrote FERC to say the planned 188-mile, $3.1-billion project, which the company suspended last month due to a lack of potential customers, was now being withdrawn. Moffat's three-paragraph letter offered no further rationale for the company's decision.

When it announced the suspension, Kinder Morgan had asked FERC not to take any action on the project until May 26 to give the company time to decide what to do. Last month, Kinder Morgan told FERC that the company was "in the process of determining how best to proceed with existing contracts" before filing more information by its May deadline.

Pipeline opponents hailed the withdrawal. "Today is a great day for the Capital Region," said Nassau Town Supervisor David Fleming.

In Rensselaer County, Kinder Morgan had wanted to use 53 miles of National Grid utility corridor through Schodack, Nassau and Stephentown for the pipeline.

"This project would have provided our communities with absolutely no benefit and would have inflicted tremendous environmental degradation," said Fleming. "The NED project would have abused eminent domain proceedings against private citizens for the corporate gain of one company. The NED project was simply poorly designed and outrageous in scale and execution."

Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino and Rensselaer County lawmakers also welcomed the move. "From the onset the siting process for this project seemed extremely flawed," said Jimino. "I want to thank the leaders of Nassau, Schodack, and Stephentown, as well all of our partners in Massachusetts who joined with the Berkshire Planning Commission to pool our collective resources and knowledge to help us better represent our constituents and protect the public's health, safety, and environment."

Legislative Chairman Stan Brownell said, "The proposed pipeline was opposed widely across Rensselaer County and the region because of potential threats to quality of life, health, safety, the environment and economic vitality. There were virtually no benefits from the project for this area, and we are glad to see the project application withdrawn."

Anne Marie Garti, co-founder of grass-roots group Stop the Pipeline, and an attorney volunteering with the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic, said the demise of NED showed that the company believes another stymied pipeline project  the Constitution pipeline  will fail in its legal challenge to overturn the state's denial last month of necessary environmental permits. That pipeline would carry gas from northern Pennsylvania to the town of Wright in Schoharie County, where it could have fed the NED project.

"They intended to carry some of Constitution's gas from Wright to Boston, and can't move forward without it," said Garti. Kinder Morgan suspended the NED project two days before the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced it was denying water quality permits to Constitution, which already had permission from FERC.

In the weeks after the suspension announcement, Kinder Morgan's stock slid about 12 percent from its April high of $19.16, but has since rebounded. It closed the day at $17.44, down from its starting price of $17.75.

bnearing@timesunion.com  518-454-5094  @Bnearing10
Schoharie

In the days, months and years since his wife, Michele, vanished in rural Tioga County on Sept. 11, 2001, wealthy auto dealer Cal Harris has held many identities:

Prime suspect. Convicted murderer. Four-time defendant.

On Tuesday, state Supreme Court Justice Richard Mott christened Harris with a new identity: Free man.

The Columbia County-based judge acquitted Harris, 54, of second-degree murder around 2:15 p.m., ending a perplexing case that attracted nationwide publicity.

A jubilant Harris embraced his two daughters and two sons, all of whom stood by his side, after Mott tersely delivered the verdict before a jam-packed second-floor courtroom in Schoharie County Court. The judge had been deliberating the case, on and off, since Wednesday.

"When he first came out and started talking, I thought I was done," Harris told reporters outside the courthouse. "I was numb. And when he came back with the 'not guilty' I was shocked. I was truly shocked."

Harris broke down at times during the news briefing, where he was joined by his children and Long Island-based attorneys Bruce Barket, Donna Aldea and Aida Leisenring. It was the fourth time since 2007 that Harris was tried for the murder of his wife, whose body has never been found. The case was moved to Schoharie County, after the second trial, due to heavy publicity around Binghamton.

"Obviously, my children and I are grateful to have this chapter behind us. We can now finally move forward and make some plans in our lives as normally people do. But I can tell you  there will be no celebration at our house tonight. There's no winners," Harris said.

Asked if there was a sense of closure, Harris said, "Not until we find Michele. Not until we find the mother of my children and we get those answers, there won't be closure. And we should have those answers. There is no reason that we shouldn't. This isn't a mystery. It just wasn't handled properly."

Barket said the case was "long on sympathy, short on evidence."

Harris said the case was a "horrible display of abuse of power and corrupt conduct" by Tioga County prosecutors and State Police.

"I'm not happy with the way this case was handled, obviously, and we're looking for some kind of retribution and accountability for those that were responsible for where we are today," Harris said.

Harris, who spent time in state prison after his second conviction, cried while adding, "I missed some of the best years of my life as a parent and I'll never get those years back ... three times, I've been ripped away from my kids and that's been hard."

Harris said he felt like he was "being kidnapped in broad daylight and no one could help me."

"I was helpless," he said.

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin, who prosecuted the case with assistance from former Albany County District Attorney Paul Clyne, declined to comment on Harris' remarks.

"We presented our evidence in this case. This is how our system works. The judge found the defendant not guilty and we will, of course, abide the verdict of the court," Martin said. He said he believed law enforcement officials did a thorough and complete case.

When asked if prosecutors would look into defense arguments that another man killed Michele Harris, the prosecutor said, "Michele Harris is still a missing person, so to the extent that if we had any credible evidence to the location of her remains or anything of that nature, we would certainly follow up on it."

Harris, a tall and lanky former athlete who with his family owned several Southern Tier car dealerships, and Michele, a petite blonde, lived in a large home by a lake on 250 acres in the town of Spencer. By Sept. 11, 2001, the infamous day of the terror attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., the couple was headed for divorce. Both were having affairs. That night, Michele Harris left her job at a bar and restaurant, went to her boyfriend's house, left and was never seen again.

State Police investigators quickly zeroed in on Harris. They built a case based on evidence that included the discovery of his wife's blood in the family's garage and threats Harris allegedly made to his wife, promising to kill her and make her disappear if she did not drop the divorce. The investigators and Tioga County prosecutors alleged that Harris killed his wife because he stood to lose more than $700,000 in their divorce and custody of their children.

Last week, attorneys in the case delivered their final arguments to the judge in the nonjury trial. Martin argued that Harris beat his wife to death using a hammer-type object in their home. Defense attorneys Barket, Aldea and Leisenring said Harris was the wrong man and pinned the murder on Stacey Stewart, a Texas man they said was spotted by a witness outside the Harris home on the night Michele Harris disappeared.

Mott deliberated for two days last week and returned to court Tuesday afternoon to announce his verdict.

Harris was convicted in 2007, but before he could be sent to prison a man named Kevin Tubbs came forward and said he believed he saw a woman who looked like Michele Harris arguing with a man whose vehicle description matched that of Stewart's vehicle. A judge set the verdict aside, which set the stage for the second trial, at which Tubbs and Harris testified. Harris was convicted again but it was overturned, in part, because of a judicial error during jury selection. That led to the third trial in Schoharie where a jury deliberated 55 hours over 12 days last May. A mistrial was declared.

Harris waived his right to a jury trial for the fourth trial, electing to take his chances with a judge.

rgavin@timesunion.com  518-434-2403  @RobertGavinTU
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Colonie

An Episcopal priest from Bethlehem admitted Monday he tried to film a woman getting dressed in a Salvation Army thrift store.

The Rev. Adam Egan is scheduled to be sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty in Colonie Town Court to misdemeanor attempted unlawful surveillance.

The plea deal includes an order of protection requiring him to stay away from the victim.

The Episcopal Diocese said in a statement that Egan submitted his letter of resignation to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Delmar, effective last Sunday.

Since his Dec. 23 arrest, Egan has been on administrative leave and is prohibited from functioning as a priest or wearing clerical dress, the diocese said. He will face ecclesiastical discipline.

Outside court, Egan's lawyer, Stephen Coffey, said Egan is receiving professional help.

"It's terrible and was a thoughtless and impulsive act," he said. He claimed Egan never planned to physically harm or attack the woman, but understands why she might have been scared.

Egan was pastor of St. Stephen's for six years. "Prior to Fr. Egan's arrest ... there had been no indication of inappropriate behavior on his part," Bishop William Love said in the statement. "He had served as an exemplary priest at St. Stephen's where he has been loved and well respected. ... Tragically, the events of December 23rd and Fr. Egan's ultimate guilty plea have cast a shadow on all the good work he had done."

Egan was charged with unlawful surveillance and tampering with evidence for the incident at the Salvation Army on Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham. Colonie police said Egan tried to flee the building after the victim noticed a camera peeking over the top of a curtain and contacted police. Police caught him nearby and said Egan tried to delete a video on a device he was carrying.

Town Justice Norman Massry is to sentence Egan on July 27.

pnelson@timesunion.com  518-454-5347  @apaulnelson
Washington

Sexual misconduct remains a destructive force in the armed forces and military communities, a U.S. senator said Monday in a new report that urges Congress to take more aggressive steps to end sex crimes in the ranks.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., examined files from 329 sexual assault cases that occurred in 2014 at bases in the United States. She said she found a "troubling command culture" that seems to favor closing cases over pursuing justice and leaves victims vulnerable to retaliation.

"The military justice system is still dysfunctional, the problem of sexual assault is still pervasive and survivors still don't believe they will get justice," said Gillibrand, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services personnel subcommittee.

The Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gillibrand's report could strike nerves. Many lawmakers and senior U.S. military leaders say strides have been made over the past three years toward curbing sex crimes and punishing offenders. Congress has ordered changes to the military justice system, they say, giving victims the confidence to step forward and report offenses.

The department said earlier this month that the number of reported sexual assaults involving active-duty service members dipped just slightly in 2015 compared to the previous year.

But Gillibrand said significant progress won't be made without more extensive reforms. She said the records reveal how sexual violence affects not only service members. Nearly a third of the cases involved civilian women, children and military spouses.

The report is being released ahead of the Senate's consideration of the annual defense policy bill. Gillibrand is pushing to include in the bill a measure that she said targets "the bias and inherent conflicts of interest" that exist because of the way the military decides whether to prosecute sexual assault cases. That decision-making power is held by a small number of high-ranking officers. Gillibrand's plan would give power to independent military trial lawyers.

A bipartisan group of senators led by Gillibrand and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, are scheduled to hold a news conference Tuesday to call on the Senate to pass her proposal. It was first introduced in 2013 and has won the backing of at least 50 senators. It has twice failed on the Senate floor to meet a 60-vote filibuster threshold. Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Critics of Gillibrand's bill said commanders are essential to maintaining discipline in the ranks. Removing them would mean fewer sex offenders will be caught and convicted, they said.

Yet Gillibrand said there were several 2014 cases that failed to move forward even after military investigators found probable cause. In one, a probe determined that an enlisted service member sexually assaulted a woman while he used force to subdue her. He was found guilty of battery, given 45 days extra duty and reduced in rank.

"The case files suggest a continued large-scale systemic failure and an ingrained culture that protects the accused and ostracizes the survivor at the expense of the public and our service members' safety," according to Gillibrand's report.

There were no examples among the 329 cases of action being taken against anyone who retaliated against a person who made a sexual assault claim. Gillibrand said she specifically asked for information about prosecutions for retaliation and the absence of any is concerning.

In December 2014, a RAND survey initially said that more than 60 percent of sexual assault victims believed they had faced a form of retaliation from commanders or peers. The estimate was reduced this year to 38 percent after officials concluded the survey questions may have inadvertently included actions by commanders seeking to protect the victim or other practices that were not designed to deter a victim from pressing forward with criminal proceedings.
However, the court upheld an EGP 100,000 fine for each defendant; lawyer says will present request to pay fine in installments

A Giza court of appeals overturned on Tuesday a five-year jail sentence for 47 people for participating in protests against the Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea maritime border demarcation deal announced last month.

However, the court upheld an EGP 100,000 fine for each defendant.

According to Egyptian law, the defendants will serve three months in jail if they fail to pay the fine.

One of the defendants' lawyers, Tarek Al-Awady, announced on his Facebook account early Wednesday that the lawyers would present a request to the court to pay the fine in installments.

"It is a procedure that is being used frequently and is always approved by the authorities," he said adding that the 47 defendants could be released as soon as they pay the first installment.

Thousands of people, including activists and politicians, protested last month against the government decision to acknowledge Saudi sovereignty over the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir.

The protests are believed to be the largest to take place in Egypt since President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi was elected president in 2014.

On 14 May 2016, a special criminal court circuit processing terrorism-related cases handed the 47 protesters five-year prison sentence and fined them EGP 100,000 each.

In April, the defendants were referred to court by the prosecution for "illegally protesting, attempting to overthrow the government, rioting, inciting against state institutions, disturbing public peace and disrupting traffic."

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Hanoi, Vietnam

Eager to banish lingering shadows of the Vietnam War, President Barack Obama lifted the U.S. embargo on selling arms to America's former enemy Monday and made the case for a more trusting and prosperous relationship going forward. Activists said the president was being too quick to gloss over serious human rights abuses in his push to establish warmer ties.

After spending his first day in Vietnam shuttling among meetings with different government leaders, Obama will spend the next two days speaking directly to the Vietnamese people and meeting with civil society groups and young entrepreneurs. It's all part of his effort to "upgrade" the U.S. relationship with an emerging economic power in Southeast Asia and a nation that the U.S. also hopes can serve as a counterweight to Chinese aggression in the region.

Tracing the arc of the U.S.-Vietnamese relationship through cooperation, conflict, "painful separation" and a long reconciliation, Obama marveled during a news conference with the Vietnamese president that "if you consider where we have been and where we are now, the transformation in the relations between our two countries is remarkable."

President Tran Dai Quang said later at a lavish state luncheon that he was grateful for the American people's efforts to put an end to "an unhappy chapter in the two countries' history," referring to the 1965-1975 U.S. war with Vietnam's communists, who now run the country.

The conflict killed 57,000 American military personnel and as many as 2 million Vietnamese military and civilians.

Quang added, though, that "the wounds of the war have not been fully healed in both countries."

Still, Quang said, both sides are determined to have a more cooperative relationship.

That mindset was evident in the friendly crowds that lined the streets as Obama's motorcade zigzagged around Hanoi on Monday. And when Obama emerged from a tiny Vietnamese restaurant after a $6 dinner with CNN personality Anthony Bourdain, the president shook hands with members of the squealing crowd.

Obama was to address the Vietnamese people on Tuesday. A White House official said the president would use his address to stress the importance of having a "constructive dialogue" even when the two nations disagree  including on human rights.

But that is unlikely to mollify activists, who said the president had given up his best leverage for pressing Vietnam to improve its rights record.

Duy Hoang, U.S.-based spokesman for Viet Tan, a pro-democracy party that is banned inside Vietnam, said that until Vietnam makes progress on human rights, the U.S. should not sell it military gear that could be used against the population.

"The U.S. should also reiterate the message that closer security cooperation is to bolster Vietnam's external security and that the proper role of the Vietnamese military is to protect the nation, not the current political regime," Hoang said by email.
Albany

The nation's second-largest chain of pizza restaurants is being accused by the state of using a company-owned, computerized tracking system that for at least the last decade has systemically and illegally underpaid workers and enriched owners.

A lawsuit filed against Domino's Pizza by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman cites 10 restaurants  including two in the Mohawk Valley  where restaurant and delivery workers were cheated out of more than a half-million dollars in wages by a system that Domino's uses in all its 5,200 stores in the U.S. The company has another 7,200 overseas locations.

The lawsuit includes Domino's franchise owner Matthew Denman, who has stores in Amsterdam and Gloversville where workers were shorted out of $233,000 in overtime and minimum wages between 2008 and 2014 because of the company's PULSE computer system, Schneiderman alleges. The other franchise stores named in the lawsuit are in New York, Nassau and Westchester counties.

Domino's franchise owners  who operate 136 such stores statewide  have been required to use PULSE since 2008. There are another 54 company-owned stores in New York with the system, which Domino's has been using since 2001.

"A company has to take responsibility for its actions and for its workers' well-being. We've found rampant wage violations at Domino's franchise stores," said Schneiderman, whose office conducted a three-year investigation. "Domino's can, and must, fix this problem."

The lawsuit marks the first time that Schneiderman has tried to hold a fast food corporation responsible for labor violations at stores owned not by the company, but by franchise holders who pay to use the corporate name. His office found that, between October 2011 and June 2013, eight out of every 10 Domino's franchise stores had paid workers less than minimum wage and the legally required overtime.

Filed in state Supreme Court in New York County, the lawsuit claims Domino's has known since at least 2007 that PULSE was underpaying wages at franchise restaurants, but did nothing to change at least four areas of the program responsible for shortfalls. The state investigation found no cases where PULSE resulted in overpayments to workers.

The lawsuit seeks to end the use of PULSE at all Domino's stores until "wage and hour" flaws in the program are corrected to comply with state labor law. PULSE is also used to track workers as they take orders for, make and deliver pizzas.

Schneiderman also is demanding the company:

Calculate "all underpayments" at franchise restaurants and pay that money to workers. Schneiderman's office estimated that could total millions of dollars.

Repay franchise owners for what they paid Domino's for PULSE, which runs up to $25,000 to acquire, and up to $4,500 a year in fees and upgrades to maintain.

Rewrite financial projections released to potential franchise purchasers to show higher legal labor costs  and lower profits  and to bar the company from selling franchises in the state until projections are corrected, citing state anti-fraud statutes.

A Domino's spokesman said Schneiderman was attacking small business and threatening the basis of franchise operations, where companies require independent owners to pay a substantial fee and to meet company-imposed standards in return for the corporate name, operational methods and support. "We were disappointed to learn that the Attorney General chose to file a lawsuit that disregards the nature of franchising and demeans the role of small business owners," said Tim McIntyre, a Domino's executive vice president.

In 2014, Domino's reported global sales of nearly $9 billion, including $4.1 billion in the U.S. Globally, about one million Domino's pizzas are delivered each day.

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McIntyre said the lawsuit, if successful, would "deprive our independent business owners of the opportunity to make their own employment decisions, but could impact the viability of the franchise model, the many opportunities it offers to those looking to start their own businesses, and the millions of jobs those franchised businesses create."

McIntyre's statement, as well as a proposed company settlement offer to Schneiderman that he released to the Albany Times Union, made no mention of the PULSE system.

In its settlement bid, the company offered to provide training in wage requirements to franchise owners, hire lawyers to guide store owners on labor and wage law, and administrate a worker wage repayment fund that would be paid for by those owners.

In the lawsuit, Schneiderman said Domino's "knowing omissions concerning PULSE went beyond a programming glitch. Domino's knew about the software flaws, knew about the impact on franchisees and workers, made countless other fixes and changes to PULSE since 2007 and timely communicated those changes to franchisees. But Domino's opted for silence regarding the PULSE flaws."

The lawsuit cited a statement given to state investigators by Domino's Vice President of Corporate Operations Wayne Pederson that changing wage underpayment issues with PULSE were a "low priority" and "nothing that we (can) do very easily."

bnearing@timesunion.com  518-454-5094  @Bnearing10
Greenwich

James Howard Kunstler is one of the most successful authors in the Capital Region.

He's published 18 books, including a national best-seller, and he's built up an online audience of tens of thousands of fans of his blog and podcast that offer social criticism of suburban sprawl and other targets with heavy dollops of snarky wit.

At 67, the versatile novelist and nonfiction writer  whom I've known for 30 years and once described as "an antic clown prince of American letters"  is struggling to stay afloat amid the digital disruption.

Kunstler's signature laugh-out-loud hilarity was replaced by a grim recounting of trade publishing's decline that left him with a paltry $3,000 royalty check last year. This rude awakening spawned in him a seething anger at an ongoing devaluation of the writer's craft.

"We get screwed on that deal (author's royalties) sort of like musicians that get screwed with their songs on Spotify downloads," he wrote.

The former reporter with Albany's Knickerbocker News and Rolling Stone magazine has also watched once plentiful checks for his journalism drain away.

He recalled writing long pieces for $1 a word in The New York Times Sunday Magazine in the 1990s, compared to talented writers of long-form narrative non-fiction getting paid a dime a word nowadays from popular online publications. "That dime won't buy anything but a cinnamon fireball," he wrote.

He's written a classic Kunstler jeremiad on https://www.patreon.com, a crowdfunding site for creative artists that the author has joined to help him survive in "a tough racket" that is his livelihood  which he called "producing work that nobody asked for."

Borrowing a page from indie filmmakers and musicians, Kunstler is among the first well-known writers with a national following who is passing the digital hat. As of Tuesday, he had received pledges from 483 patrons for a total of $2,673 a month. Most give Kunstler $5 a month so he'll keep crafting his widely-read weekly blog posts.

Kunstler's website has 53,000 loyal readers who spend 11,000 hours viewing 251,000 pages per month and his much-anticipated Monday rants often generate more than 800 reader comments. His podcast averages 67,000 listeners per episode.

The payoff for his literary labor has steadily declined. "The literature business has been ravaged by the tidal wave of free content on the web," said Kunstler, who lives on a three-acre farmstead in Washington County where he grows a lot of his own food.

On his Patreon page, Kunstler included a copy of his most recent six-month royalty check paystub ($489.93) for his political polemic on peak oil, "The Long Emergency" and the post-apocalyptic novel "The World Made By Hand."

It's been hard for Kunstler to monetize his high-profile appearances on "The Colbert Report," a popular TED talk and in the documentary film "The End of Suburbia."

Lucrative college speaking fees that long supplemented his writing income have also dried up. Kunstler blamed it on "the rising hysteria on campus against threatening ideas, and the clamor for 'safe spaces.'" He also happens to be a "controversialist" (his word) who does not toe a politically correct line.

In fact, the title of his weekly blog ("Cluster(expletive) Nation") is enough to make a provost cringe and is deemed unfit to print by this and other newspapers.

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This perfect storm of economic misery for a widely reviewed and acclaimed writer brought to mind an Ernest Hemingway quote that Kunstler has cited and now hits uncomfortably close to home: "He went broke slowly, and then all at once."

"I think it's a great thing he's doing and I'm encouraging more writers to try Patreon," said Duncan Crary, a Troy writer and marketing impresario who produced Kunstler's podcast for five years and published a book about it, "KunstlerCast," in 2011.

Crary became a Kunstler acolyte as a Union College student after hearing the author of "The Geography of Nowhere" speak in 1997 about the evils of suburban sprawl. "That book had a profound effect on me," said Crary, who became an advocate for New Urbanism and walkable cities in the mold of Kunstler.

Kunstler's brusque personality does him few favors in a crowded marketplace. "He's prickly," Crary said. "His subject matter is also very opinionated and he takes difficult positions others are afraid to articulate. He's a brilliant writer and Patreon allows him to go directly to his fans as a way of getting around the problem of the uncompensated online content stream. I don't see it as a sad moment for him at all. I think it's a smart move ahead of the pack."

Kunstler's longtime friend Peter Golden, a novelist and historian who lives in Guilderland, concurred. "Jim has found another way of monetizing writing at a time when writers are having to get more creative about it," Golden said. "He's built up an enormous following for his blog. He works hard crafting those pieces and he deserves to be paid for them. This is a smart way of testing the market."

What sets Patreon apart from other crowdfunding sites is that fans of Kunstler's writing pledge to pay him each month on a recurring basis, a sustainable total of about $32,000 annually if the patrons don't back out.

He's also hedging his bets. "The Harrows of Spring," the fourth and final volume in his "World Made by Hand" series set in a dystopian upstate New York, will be published on July 5 by Atlantic Monthly Press.

pgrondahl@timesunion.com  518-454-5623  @PaulGrondahl
Albany

James Lyman is on paid leave from his post leading Council 82, one of the state's largest police unions, pending an investigation of several unspecified allegations by the union's executive board, according to an email sent Tuesday to Albany police officers.

The Times Union reported Friday that Lyman, a retired Albany detective, appeared to have been sidelined from his job as executive director of Council 82, an umbrella union that represents about 3,800 state and local law enforcement and correction officers across New York.

Top union officials last week declined to discuss whether Lyman was still in the job he's held since 2008 and which paid $185,000 in gross salary last year, according to a filing with the U.S. Department of Labor.

But the email sent Tuesday by Albany Police Officers Union President Kevin Flynn to roughly 350 Council 82 members in the city confirms that Lyman was put on administrative leave May 17 and "relieved of his duties and authority as Executive Director while an investigation into several allegations against him is conducted."

Lyman has hired Albany attorney Michael Koenig to represent him in the matter, but Koenig said Lyman hasn't been told the nature of the union's inquiry.

"Jim will happily meet with Council 82 if and when they tell him what they're looking into," Koenig said.

Flynn, who is also treasurer of Council 82's executive board, declined to elaborate on the email Tuesday or describe the nature of the allegations.

Ennio Corsi, the Colvin Avenue-based union's top in-house lawyer, also declined to comment on Lyman's situation.

Lyman, who also serves on the executive council of the state AFL-CIO, previously served as Council 82's elected statewide president.

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In February, a new insurance brokerage geared toward law enforcement, National Public Safety Professionals, was incorporated at the address of a Loudonville home owned by Lyman.

On his LinkedIn page, Lyman lists himself as a partner in the venture  though another of the firm's principals, Saratoga Springs insurance agent David Daignault, told the Times Union last week that Lyman's role in the business has so far been "minimal."

Lyman has also held the liquor license for Duffy's Lucky Charm bar on Clinton Avenue since 2013.

Council 82 is also known as the New York State Law Enforcement Officers Union and is affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

jcarleo-evangelist@timesunion.com  518-454-5445  @JCEvangelist_TU
Greek police started clearing migrants and refugees out of a sprawling tent camp on the sealed northern border with Macedonia where thousands have been stranded for months waiting in vain for passage to Europe.

Reuters witnesses saw four to six bus loads of migrants leaving the makeshift camp of Idomeni early Tuesday morning, with about another dozen more lined up.

Greek authorities said they planned to move individuals gradually to state-supervised facilities further south.

"The evacuation is progressing without any problem," said Giorgos Kyritsis, a government spokesman for the migrant crisis.

A Reuters witness on the Macedonian side of the border said there was a heavy police presence in the area but no problems were reported as people with young children packed up huge bags with their belongings.

"Those who pack their belongings will leave, because we want this issue over with. Ideally by the end of the week. We haven't put a strict deadline on it, but more or less that is what we estimate," Kyritsis told Reuters.

Railway tracks between Greece and Macedonia have been blocked by migrants for more than a month, forcing trains to switch routes through Bulgaria further to the east. Some wagons loaded with goods have been stranded on the tracks for weeks.

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[May 24, 2016] Actus broadcast monitoring and logging system has been deployed by Cignal TV in the Philippines

BRUSSELS, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Actus Digital announced today that Cignal TV has deployed Actus broadcast monitoring and media intelligent platform for TOA recording of MCR TV channels. Actus provides Cignal TV a broadcast recording solution as well as a system to support the marketing requirements. The recorded TV contents are available for simultaneous users, for clips viewing, clips creation and quality assurance. "With Actus recording and logging system, time consuming processes became immediate and efficient for all concerned teams. The recorded contents are readily available 24 x 7 for review, clip creation and can be exported immediately when needed by our Channels and Marketing Team", says Gilbert D. Tan, TOC Supervisor of Cignal TV. Actus View robust system enables users with permissions to easily access the recorded contents with a user-friendly interface using Web Browsers. This solution was aimed on building trust and confidence with Advertisers that Cignal TV is only delivering competitive and high-quality broadcast contents to its viewers. "Actus View is not only a reliable and cost effective solution for recording TV channels, but also provides other integrated added values such as exporting clips, competitive monitoring and more', said Raphael Renous, Actus CTO. "We are very happy that Cignal TV has chosen Actus media monitoring platform for its recording requirements. It proves us once again that the broadcast industry trusts Actus solution as a critical 24 x 7 recording system, making sure no media will be lost." Cignal TV awarded TechTwist Corporaton the contract to deploy the Actus View solution for Broadcast Recording and Media Monitoring. The Actus team worked closely with TechTwist Corporation to design a winning workflow. "We were selected as a team together with Actus Digital because of the advanced capabilities, effectiveness, and reliability our systems have," said Peter Olase, CEO, TechTwist Corporation. "Together, the system installation and implementation was fast and efficient."



About Cignal TV

Launched in 2009, Cignal is the Philippines' premier DTH satellite provider using Broadcast Satellite Technology. Cignal TV broadcast premium TV content to both households and establishments nationwide. Cignal transmits 105 SD and 29 HD channels, including free-to-air and a varied mix of 12 audio channels. Cignal TV also offers on-demand viewing via Pay-Per-View subscription offers, as well as online streaming via a Front Seat website and app. As of 2015, Cignal TV has gained over 1,180,000 subscribers, making it the most subscribed Pay-TV provider in the Philippines!

About TechTwist Corporation

TechTwist aims to become the market leader in delivering technology advancements in its various platforms to customers in the Philippines and eventually other parts of the world. The goal of the company is to provide solutions to their clients that will help maximize operations efficiency and reap long-term benefits. TechTwist strives to achieve this by offering state-of-the-art technology, innovation, leadership and partnership. About Actus Digital

Actus Digital (www.actusdigital.com) is a leading provider of enterprise media intelligence platform, for broadcast monitoring and compliance logging. Actus solutions are designed for broadcasters, networks, cable and IPTV operators, and governments. Actus platform is a cost effective compliance solution that complies with all regulators requirements, such as closed caption and loudness. It also provides a solution for content repurposing for the Web, social media, VOD, OTT and Catchup TV as well as automatic ads tracking for competitive analysis and ads verification. Actus Alert Center provides audio and video alerts to assure high quality content. Actus Digital would like to invite you to our booth in BCA (5-A5-12) and present you our broadcast recording and monitoring platform for compliance recording, clips creation for Web, social media, VOD, OTT and Catchup TV, for rating and competitive analysis, for automatic ads detection and for real time alerts on audio and video issues. To schedule a meeting in BCA: http://actusdigital.com/bca16-meet-us/ Please meet us at BCA 2016, booth 5-A5-12 Please visit: www.actusdigital.com Mail: [email protected] Follow Actus Digital on:

Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+ Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160524/8521603338

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[May 24, 2016] Entrust Datacard Awarded Contract with Thomas Greg & Sons, Identificacion Plastica SAS and 3M Colombia to Provide Passport Issuance System for the Government of Colombia

Entrust (News - Alert) Datacard today announced that the company has signed a contract with Thomas Greg & Sons and 3M Colombia to provide the Datacard PB6500 passport issuance system to the government of Colombia for the issuance of the Colombian passport booklet. Colombian citizens who carry the new laser engraved passport booklet can now travel to the 22 countries of the European Union, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein without the need for a travel visa. "We are pleased to partner with Entrust Datacard to bring this solution to fruition for the government of Colombia," said Juan Carlos Yanez, managing director at Thomas Greg & Sons Colombia. "Our partnership has allowed us to deliver and implement a passport booklet issuance and authentication solution in a short amount of time. Additionally, the solution makes Colombia one of the first countries in the Americas with an extended access control (EAC) passport." On Sept 1, 2015, Colombia began issuing electronic passports that contain a chip with biometric and biographical information, the passport now meets the most advanced physical and electronic security standards. The implementation of this new passport has allowed Colombia to negotiate the revocation of visa requirements for its citizens while traveling to and within the Schengen area in the European Union. Thomas Greg & Sons and 3M (News - Alert) Colombia selected Entrust Datacard, and its local distributor Identificacion Plastica, to provide the software, personalization equipment and consulting srvices to implement this passport program in record time. Additionally, as part of the implementation process Entrust Datacard provided education sessions on electronic passports and border control automation. Colombia is now part of the growing list of countries capable to provide passports that are not only secure but electronically verifiable.



"Colombia is a pioneer within South America for providing its citizens with an enhanced access control passport booklet, thereby allowing ease of travel to the European Union," said Michael Berman, vice president of government sales for Entrust Datacard. "The Entrust Datacard passport issuance system, coupled with our high assurance identity solutions have allowed Colombia to quickly and confidently implement this program for its citizens." Today, the Government of Colombia is utilizing the PB6500 passport issuance system to laser engrave personal citizen information onto a polycarbonate page within the passport booklet, which is provided by 3M. Additionally, the government has chosen to include enhanced personal biometrics securely stored within the passport booklet, which allows the Colombian passport booklet to meet the European standard passport booklet requirements.

To learn more about Entrust Datacard solutions for governments, visit https://www.entrustdatacard.com/use-cases/citizen/. About Entrust Datacard Consumers, citizens and employees increasingly expect anywhere-anytime experiences - whether they are making purchases, crossing borders, accessing e-gov services or logging onto corporate networks. Entrust Datacard offers the trusted identity and secure transaction technologies that make those experiences reliable and secure. Solutions range from the physical world of financial cards, passports and ID cards to the digital realm of authentication, certificates and secure communications. With more than 2,000 Entrust Datacard colleagues around the world, and a network of strong global partners, the company serves customers in 150 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.entrustdatacard.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006440/en/

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[May 23, 2016] Exact Updates Solution for Accounting and Bookkeeping Firms with New Practice Management Capabilities

Exact, a global frontrunner in business software in the cloud for small- and medium-sized businesses, today introduced Exact for Accountants with Practice Management, a full service solution that gives accountants the tools and data they need to better manage internal and client-facing processes. Exact's solution, designed specifically for small and mid-sized accounting and bookkeeping firms, starts with a foundation focused on collaboration between accounting firms and their clients by providing multi-client visibility and management through dashboards and actionable analysis. This collaboration functionality sheds new light on client needs, which accountants can use to stay relevant and vital to the customer. The addition of the practice management functionality then allows the accounting professional to streamline their own internal processes, manage client onboarding, control documents and formalize prospect marketing efforts. Practice management presents a complete solution allowing a firm to grow without the addition of non-value headcount. The new features include: Client relationship management - giving accounting firms more insight into customer needs and opportunities at both the financial and strategic level

- giving accounting firms more insight into customer needs and opportunities at both the financial and strategic level Document management - providing accountants and their clients with the ability to conrol access to sensitive documents including contracts and financial statements

- providing accountants and their clients with the ability to conrol access to sensitive documents including contracts and financial statements Time and billing - providing firms the ability to track and invoice customers for actual time and costs incurred on engagements ensuring accurate billing of customers for work performed

- providing firms the ability to track and invoice customers for actual time and costs incurred on engagements ensuring accurate billing of customers for work performed Subscription/contract management - providing ability for firms transitioning to recurring revenue models to track monthly or annual service contracts with clients and easily manage the subsequent invoicing

- providing ability for firms transitioning to recurring revenue models to track monthly or annual service contracts with clients and easily manage the subsequent invoicing Workflow management - automating processes, which streamlines business operations and reduces inefficiencies



Exact for Accountants with Practice Management is available now as part of a limited release. To explore how the solution will streamline operations or find out more about Exact's other industry solutions, please stop by Exact's booth (number 68) at Scaling New Heights, May 22-25 at the Atlantis resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Otherwise, please visit www.exactonline.com/contact or call (855) 359-9256.

About Exact Vigorous business software. That's what Exact builds. For more than 250,000 businesses around the world. For entrepreneurial doers who dare and, if they fall, always get up again. Exact breathes that same spirit. Thirty years ago a garage start-up by six students, now a global company, employing 1,550 people in 15 countries with revenues of  188 million in 2014. With Exact, businesses can quickly respond to shifting market conditions and grasp opportunities with both hands when they arise. Our business software enables customers to focus on their next goal, and look ahead to the next challenge. For further information about Exact, visit http://www.exactonline.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523005465/en/

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[May 24, 2016] InMoment Breaks Ground on Global Headquarters at Innovative Development

Today, customer experience technology leader InMoment broke ground on its new global headquarters. The company will be the inaugural tenant in a first-of-its-kind Urban Transit Oriented Development located at the geographical center of Silicon Slopes, Utah's high-tech corridor. The new building will support the growth strategy InMoment has undertaken in response to the rapid increase in demand for the company's Customer Experience (CX) optimization technology. InMoment works with some of the largest, most respected brands in the world, including Nike, Starbucks, Tiffany & Co., General Motors, Chrysler, Comcast (News - Alert), global fashion retailer New Look, Post Office (United Kingdom), and more. The research firm Gartner has declared Customer Experience "the new competitive battlefield." Fourteen-year-old InMoment started as a survey automation provider and has evolved to become the leading innovator of customer experience technology in the world. The company's platform empowers brands to listen more effectively to customers and employees, run sophisticated analytics on a range of complex data, and channel real-time intelligence to people across organizations-from the CEO to the front line. "When it came to selecting a ste for our new global headquarters, we wanted a place that reflects our innovative technology and culture, where we can continue to grow and prosper," said InMoment Founder and CEO John Sperry. "Located in the heart of Silicon Slopes, surrounded by world-class recreation resources, a vibrant urban culture, and some of the most gorgeous landscape in the world, our new headquarters offers our current employees a dynamic, creative environment, while supporting our ability to recruit more of the very best local and global technology talent."



With offices in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, InMoment services enterprise clients across 25 industries in nearly 130 countries and 90 languages. InMoment (formerly Mindshare Technologies) was founded in 2002. In 2012, the company acquired a major competitor, doubling in size and achieving an international footprint and client base. InMoment has been profitable since 2006 and remains largely employee-owned, both rare accomplishments for a modern technology company.

"Who needs Silicon Valley to find exciting high tech opportunities when we've got it right here in Utah," said Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams. "And we've got it right here in Salt Lake County with companies like InMoment. The future looks bright for our community." Construction on the Urban Transit Oriented Development at SoJo Station is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2017. For more information about InMoment or to see a rendering of its new building, visit www.inmoment.com. About InMoment InMoment is a cloud-based customer experience (CX) optimization platform that helps brands leverage customer and employee stories to inform better business decisions, and create high value relationships. Through its Experience Hub, InMoment provides Voice of Customer (VoC), Social Reviews & Advocacy, and Employee Engagement solutions, as well as strategic guidance, support, and services. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006677/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Joliet Radiological Service Corp. Chooses McKesson

Joliet Radiological Service Corp. has contracted with McKesson Business Performance Services (McKesson) for comprehensive revenue cycle management services. The practice, based in Joliet, Illinois, seeks improved collections and benchmarking, as well as a stronger working relationship with its revenue cycle partner. Joliet Radiological is a 10-physician, independent practice that provides around-the-clock coverage for Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. The group is responsible for about 191,500 procedures annually. McKesson will deliver a wide range of services and capabilities to the group, including clinical documentation assistance, coding, claims management, denial management, business analytics, benchmarking and regulatory compliance.



Sasan Payvar, president of Joliet Radiological, said McKesson was chosen in part because of its strong reputation among radiology groups in Illinois. He said the practice also was attracted by the depth of resources McKesson would bring to bear to help the group navigate current and future healthcare challenges. "We are particularly enthusiastic about McKesson's ability to provide benchmarking information in key areas like reimbursement levels, compensation and RVUs," Payvar said. "Being able to make accurate comparisons in these and other categories from a local, regional and national standpoint will help us keep pace with the market and solidify our competitive position."

McKesson's commitment to maintaining a close working relationship with client practices through a dedicated client manager was also appealing to Joliet Radiological, Payvar said. "We wanted more than just a vendor," he said. "We need someone we can depend on and who will be there when we have questions, concerns and ideas. In short, we need a true partner, and from everything we've been able to learn from current McKesson clients, McKesson fits the bill. They do an exemplary job of working closely with physician practices to help them overcome barriers and take advantage of opportunities." Pat Leonard, president of McKesson Business Performance Services, said the addition of Joliet Radiological reflects McKesson's continued expansion in the Illinois marketplace. "We're gratified that Joliet Radiological, like many other Chicagoland practices, has entrusted their revenue cycle management to McKesson," Leonard said. "As our footprint in northern Illinois continues to expand, our knowledge and understanding of the market becomes that much greater. We look forward to helping Joliet overcome the challenges that face all radiology groups today." About Joliet Radiological Service Corp. Joliet Radiological Service Corp. is a 10-physician, independent practice affiliated with Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Ill. The group offers a full spectrum of diagnostic and interventional radiology services and is responsible for approximately 191,500 procedures annually. For more information, visit: www.midwest-imagingintervention.com/. About McKesson Corporation McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 11th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit McKesson. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005533/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Lemelson-MIT Program Appoints Stephanie Couch as Executive Director

The Lemelson-MIT Program today announced the hire of Dr. Stephanie Couch as executive director of the Lemelson-MIT (News - Alert) Program. Couch brings 16 years of experience in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education policy, research, development and deployment and strategic fundraising. In her new role, she will oversee the development and growth of partnerships and guide Lemelson-MIT's prestigious invention award and grant programs. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006060/en/ Lemelson-MIT Program Appoints Stephanie Couch as Executive Director (Photo: Business Wire) "Couch's leadership experience in education and passion for invention and STEM education make her an ideal executive director," said Michael Cima, faculty director of the Lemelson-MIT Program. "Dr. Couch's appointment will greatly help Lemelson-MIT increase the national discussion about invention's role in education and prosperity." The Lemelson-MIT Program celebrates outstanding inventors and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention. The program administers the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize awarded annually to an outstanding mid-career inventor, and the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, which honors promising collegiate inventors across the country. The program's invention education initiatives include InvenTeams, a national grants initiative for high school students, educators and mentors to invent technological solutions to real-world problems, and JV InvenTeams, a program for students in grades 7-10 to hone their hands-on skills and enrich their STEM education through invention-based design activities.



"Invention education takes the progress we have been making over the last five years in STEM education to a new level. It creates exciting opportunities for young people to apply new knowledge in ways that can make a difference in the world," said Couch. "By recognizing mid-career inventors and college students who have profound inventive accomplishments, young people see role models who can inspire them to greatness." Couch previously drove research and professional development as the interim associate vice president at California State University East Bay and served as Bayer executive director of the Institute for STEM Education and the director for Gateways East Bay STEM Network at California State University East Bay. Couch also helped design and launch the statewide California STEM Learning Network (CSLNet). She has won numerous awards for her leadership role in advancing STEM education in California. Most recently, she was selected as one of San Francisco Business Times' Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business for 2016 and inducted into Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame in the education category. In 2015, she received the Biotechnology Educator of the Year Award from California Life Sciences Association. She will join the Lemelson-MIT Program July 11.

ABOUT THE LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM Celebrating invention, inspiring youth The Lemelson-MIT Program celebrates outstanding inventors and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention. Jerome H. Lemelson, one of U.S. history's most prolific inventors, and his wife Dorothy founded the Lemelson-MIT Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. It is funded by The Lemelson Foundation and administered by the School of Engineering at MIT, an institution with a strong ongoing commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for K-12 STEM education. For more information, visit Lemelson.MIT.edu. ABOUT THE LEMELSON FOUNDATION Based in Portland, The Lemelson Foundation uses the power of invention to improve lives. Inspired by the belief that invention can solve many of the biggest economic and social challenges of our time, the Foundation helps the next generation of inventors and invention-based businesses to flourish. The Lemelson Foundation was established in the early 1990s by prolific inventor Jerome Lemelson and his wife Dorothy. To date the Foundation has made grants totaling over $200 million in support of its mission. For more information, visit http://lemelson.org. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006060/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Medford, Oregon, Chooses Incode Court Solution from Tyler Technologies

Tyler Technologies (News - Alert), Inc. (NYSE: TYL) has signed an agreement with the city of Medford, Oregon, for Tyler's Incode municipal court management solution. The agreement includes implementation, project management, data conversion and related professional services. The city sought a solution that could increase the effectiveness of its online presence and improve business operations to better serve residents. Medford Municipal Court ultimately selected Tyler's Incode court system, valuing Tyler's long and successful track record of developing and implementing software specifically for the public sector. City leaders also valued Incode's ability to help court staff easily track and manage day-to-day tasks, eliminate duplicate data entry and increase the collection of outstanding warrants. Medford investd in Incode court case management and document management applications to create efficiencies across court functions, including case management, jury management, and warrant and citation import scheduling. Incode will also help the court save time and money by reducing foot traffic and lobby wait times, as well as decreasing reliance on paper to improve staff communications.



The city will also benefit from Tyler's evergreen perpetual licensing approach that provides regular and significant, yet manageable, software enhancements without an additional relicensing or service fee, ensuring the city has continued access to evolving technology. Located in the Rogue Valley of southwestern Oregon, Medford has approximately 80,000 residents.

About Tyler Technologies, Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) is a leading provider of end-to-end information management solutions and services for local governments. Tyler partners with clients to empower the public sector - cities, counties, schools and other government entities - to become more efficient, more accessible and more responsive to the needs of citizens. Tyler's client base includes more than 14,000 local government offices in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and other international locations. Forbes has named Tyler one of "America's Best Small Companies" eight times and the company has been included six times on the Barron's 400 Index, a measure of the most promising companies in America. More information about Tyler Technologies, headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at www.tylertech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005468/en/

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[May 23, 2016] CDNetworks Shows How Enterprises Can Deliver Fast and Secure Web and Applications Content in China and Asia at CommunicAsia2016

SINGAPORE, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to McKinsey, China's annual online-retail sales passed those of the United States in 2013. By 2018, they are estimated to reach about $610 billion, surpassing those of Europe and the United States combined. [1] With a huge online market in China, enterprises cannot afford to ignore this market. However, penetrating the Chinese market is no easy feat. MNCs attempting to penetrate the Chinese market have found it challenging to deal with China's spotty network interconnectivity, the dispersion of Chinese consumers across vast geographies, and the country's Internet regulations. CDNetworks is the only content delivery network provider to own a China-based infrastructure that complements its global footprint. The global CDN provider also holds a leadership position in navigating the complexities of the Chinese Firewall. Its clients include well-known names in the Chinese market such as Tencent, Sina.com and Baidu. "CDNetworks has more than eight years' unique expertise and superior CDN infrastructure in China. Through our China CDN solution and more than 20 PoPs in Mainland China, enterprises can securely expand their reach and increase revenues by connecting with the country's vast Internet user community," said CDNetworks Singapore Country Manager Jerry Chung. Jerry and his team will be presenting at CommunicAsia2016 (see CDNetworks Presentations). Personal Consultation with CDNetworks Enterprises that wish to ride on CDNetworks' China expertise and global presence to expand their online business can make an appointment with CDNetworks' consultants at [email protected]. The team will be at CommunicAsia2016, Marina Bay Sands, Hospitality Suite, Angsana 3E, Level 3 from 31 May to 3 June. Complimentary White Paper by CDNetworks: Extending Your Web Business to Internet Users in China Interested parties can download the white paper at: http://www.cdnetworks.com.sg/resources-whitepapers/extending-your-web-business-to-internet-users-in-china. About CDNetworks CDNetworks is a global content delivery network (CDN) with fully integrated Cloud Security DDoS protection and web application firewall. Our mission is to transform the Internet into a secure, reliable, scalable, and high-performing Application Delivery Network. CDNetworks accelerates more than 40,000 websites and cloud services over a network of 200+ global PoPs in established and emerging markets including China and Russia. We have been serving enterprise customers for 15 years across industries such as gaming, finance, e-commerce, high tech, manufacturing, and media. CDNetworks offices are located in Singapore, the U.S., UK, South Korea, China, and Japan. For more information, please visit: http://www.cdnetworks.com.sg CDNetworks Presentations at CommunicAsia2016







Day 3, 2 June 2016, Thursday 12.00pm Panel Discussion Practical Opportunities and Challenges in Interoperable and Portable Cloud Infrastructure 2.30pm Presentation Delivering an Enhanced Web Environment to Customers Discover how enterprises can: - tap on a global infrastructure to accelerate delivery of their web content - safeguard their websites against attacks - analyse their web traffic to understand their customers Day 4, 3 June 2016, Friday 2.15pm Xperience Zone Presentation Emerging Market Acceleration: Challenging but Achievable with CDNetworks

Contact

CDNetworks

Rebecca Cheong, +65-6908-1192

[email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160511/8521603033logo [1] http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/five-keys-to-connecting-with-chinas-wired-consumers

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[May 23, 2016] Java, C and C# Remain the Undisputed Kings of Coding at India's Biggest Coding Arena

NEW DELHI, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Techgig Code Gladiators Enters its Most Exciting Phase - Top Coders Converge on the National Capital for the Ultimate Battle to Become the Undisputed Coding Champion The tech community is buzzing and suspense is thick in the air as TechGig Code Gladiators 2016 enters its final stage. Of the 1,43,000 who participated - just 2,500 moved to the semi finals. The battles got more grueling and only the top0.1 percentile of these contestants now stand facing each other - making it one of the toughest challenges in the world. "The gladiators in this edition of TechGig Code Gladiators have been truly remarkable - we had calibrated the tests with exponential difficulty - yet there were over 40 gladiators who still scored a perfect 300. Of these top scorers 75% were from the company rounds - some of who came as a pleasant surprise to these companies - clearly showing that TechGig is helping corporates discover hidden talents within their own companies. These people, in turn, become brand ambassadors for the company, greatly enhancing the company's brand across tech communities," says Nilanjan Roy, Head of Strategy, Times Business Solutions. "TechGig, through Code Gladiators, has given our associates an opportunity to don their best coding hats and compete with the best in the nation," says Partha Ghosh, Associate Vice President, Sears India. "Code Gladiators is a unique contest inthe coding world. The fact that the event entered into Limca Book of Records for being India's largest coding contest, makes it a most desirable contest for the tech community. It is definitely a great platform for networking with industry peers too," says Swaminathan T V, Executive Regional CIO, South Asia, GE Digital



"TechGig is a knowledge-sharing platform and also attracts professionals to the organization. Code Gladiators gives an opportunity to our engineers to pursue their passion. It allows people to come together and build something, completely outside their day jobs," says Syed Kaleem Raza, Head, Global Recruitment at Persistent Systems. Code Divas on the ascent

Another encouraging insight is that women are standing tall in the coding world with a substantial increase in participation in this year's competition over last year. Nearly 25% of the participants (over 35,000) this year are women. In addition, over 80 perfect scorers in round one and 11% of the finalists are women. Java and C languages are favorites Java, C and C# continue to be the languages of choice for contestants as they were chosen by over 1,00,000 coders. In addition, this time significant participation was also seen in Scala and R, indicating an increase of Data Science languages with the growth of Big Data applications in the tech world. Among top participating locations - Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai continue to hold sway - as they are the IT hubs of the nation. In addition, there were over a thousand international participants and some are travelling to Delhi for the finals. The grand finale will be a live event in Delhi NCR - where the top 125 coders will battle it out face to face on May 27, 2016. Stay tuned to http://www.techgig.com/codegladiators for live updates. About TechGig.com: TechGig.com is a culmination of everything related to technology, a platform exclusively for IT professionals to synergize, share, exchange ideas, facts and information as well as showcase their work and express their views on the vast repertoire that the IT industry encompasses. Garnering cutting edge views, reviews and news, jobs as well as providing a podium for connecting with your colleagues, peers are the mainstay of TechGig.com. The TechGig network is operated by Times Business Solutions - a Division of Times Internet Ltd. Media contact:

Aseem Seth

Head of Corporate Communications

TechGig.com

Times Business Solutions - A Division of Times Internet Ltd.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @aseems

Tel: +91-120-663-6338, +91-9910 273367





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Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah on Tuesday dismissed an Israeli proposal for direct negotiations instead of a French multilateral peace initiative, calling it an attempt to "buy time".

Hamdallah made the comments as he met French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who has held talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories this week to push Paris's peace initiative.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the plan and called for direct negotiations.

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[May 24, 2016] AllizHealth Launches 'Labkhoj' - Best Portal to Book Heath Tests and Packages

PUNE, India, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AllizHealth, a leading startup in preventive healthcare space has recently launched their diagnostic services marketplace - LabKhoj. Labkhoj is the first platform in India which allows it's users to search, compare and book health tests from diagnostic centres. Speaking about the product, Chief Marketing Officer, Dhairya Gupta said, "Labkhoj is unique in terms of how it lists and displays health packages. Most platforms list health packages in silos without any intelligence being built into them. With Labkhoj, a user can not only search for the health package they want, they can compare health packages within the diagnostic centre or compare two similar packages from two diagnostic centres. It allows the user to buy the most suitable health package for themselves." Diagnostic services are an integral part of a country's healthcare system. The diagnostic service industry is valued at about Rs. 15,000 crores and has a healthy annual growth rate of 18%. "This industry has a major paradox. While it uses the latest in technology to diagnose a disease, the rest of the operations haven't changed majorly over past decades. They still rely on word of mouth for marketing and there is hardly any transparency in their services both in terms of quality and costs. Labkhoj provides that transparency to the use and lets the user choose a diagnostic centre, not just based on cost but also on quality of services. Labkhoj has about 200 diagnostic centres including about 90 in Pune and 65 in Delhi NCR in their network. Users can choose from about 1,500 different health packages. The platform would not only benefit customers but acts as a window for diagnostic centres right now user's desktop. We are often told that no one buys health tests online and they are mostly driven by doctor's recommendation. We agree. But we are here to change that mind set," added Mr Gupta.



"If we were to tell someone in year 2005 that one could buy their grocery, clothes, books - basically everything online, most likely they would refer us to a mental hospital. If people can buy healthy food online, why not a preventive health package?" said Mr. Chinmoy Mishra, CEO, AllizHealth. Need for packages to diagnose specific health issues are most popular in diagnostic centers. Labkhoj lists specialised diabetes profile, thyroid profile, healthy heart or cardiac profiles at various diagnostic centers in major towns in India. AllizHealth has a complimentary service called 'Health Risk Assessment (HRA)' which enables its users to find out their individual health risks and required diagnostic tests. With HRA, users can undergo only those tests which are required. Not only does this save time and money, it enables one to understand their health better. Currently, they are offering the HRA service for free. Users can also call the number listed on the website to call an expert who will guide them to choose the right health package. When a user undergoes a health checkup, he/she can store his/her health reports on AllizHealth portal by creating their own personal health profile.

About AllizHealth AllizHealth started in 2013 is trying to bring in preventive healthcare as primary focus for an individual and for that has created a comprehensive Health Management Platform which helps individuals identify their health risks early, track such risks and access resources to mitigate the same. It already has more than 4,00,000 users and is growing as we speak. Founders of AllizHealth are industry veterans with several years of experience in their respective fields. One can follow them on Twitter: @AllizHealth or like their page on Facebook. Media contact:

Dhairya Gupta

[email protected]

+91-9871562423

Chief Marketing Officer

Caressa Solutions Pvt. Ltd.



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[May 24, 2016] Saxo Bank Announces Landmark Partnership with Lufax

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Saxo gathers momentum in Greater China with second partnership of the year. Saxo Bank, the online multi-asset trading and investment specialist, has today announced a new white label partnership with Lufax, China's largest internet finance company. The partnership, expected to launch within the next three months, will see Lufax leverage the trading technology that underpins the award-winning SaxoTraderGO - providing Lufax's considerable client base with a seamless experience across mobile and desktop platforms, including complete functionality across the trade cycle - from pre-trade, execution and post-trade services for ETFs and cash stocks initially. Overseas clients from Lufax will benefit directly from Saxo's multi-asset capabilities - through access to global capital markets from one single account incorporating data from both on and offshore products. Adam Reynolds, CEO Saxo Bank Asia Pacific, said: "Lufax is a milestone company to commit to providing its clients with a best-in-class trading experience through a white label partnership with Saxo Bank. Our second Chinese partnership in a matter of weeks is multi-faceted; highlighting not only our commitment to the empowerment of the region's investors and position as an enabler of financial market activity in one of the world's largest markets, but also the strength of our platform and penAPI technology - both of which we believe to be integral to the future of trading globally."



Gregory Gibb, CEO of Lufax added: "We are delighted to be able to offer an alternative channel of this calibre to our trading community. Saxo Bank is at the forefront of online trading and its expertise will strengthen our ambition to be China's leading online wealth management provider." Today's news follows the signing of a tri-party agreement between Saxo Bank, Wallstreet CN and LeanWork last month following Saxo's launch in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone in September 2015.

Saxo Bank is one of the first financial institutions to give access to its trading infrastructure through the bank's OpenAPI. The move, which covers Saxo's multi-asset trading and back office infrastructure, will allow its partners, clients and external developers to access over 20 years of trading infrastructure innovation and enable them to customise their trading experience and create new revenue streams. White label partnerships remain a fundamental part of Saxo Bank's business, providing banks with a reliable, sophisticated and cost-efficient way to replace outdated trading technology. Shanghai Lujiazui International Financial Asset Exchange, Lufax, is an online marketplace for the origination and trading of financial assets. Lufax was incorporated in Shanghai with the support of Shanghai's Municipal Government, and has grown into China's largest internet finance company in less than four years. As of April this year, Lufax's number of registered users stood at over 21 million, a quarter of which are active investors. About Saxo Bank The Saxo Bank Group (Saxo) is an online multi-asset trading and investment specialist, offering a complete set of trading and investment technologies, tools and strategies. A fully licensed and regulated bank, Saxo enables private and institutional clients to easily trade multiple assets from a single margin account on multiple devices seamlessly. Saxo's award winning trading technology platforms are available in more than 20 languages and form the technology backbone of more than 100 financial institutions worldwide. Saxo also offers traditional banking services through Saxo Privatbank in select markets. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Saxo employs 1500 people in 25 offices across the five continents.

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[May 24, 2016] Making Enterprises Mobile First: T-Systems offers MobileIron Enterprise Mobility Management Solution integrated with Dynamic Workplace Services

MUNICH and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- T-Systems today announced that MobileIron's Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) platform has been integrated into T-Systems Dynamic Workplace Services offering. With Dynamic Workplace, companies get a cloud-based, modern IT infrastructure  securely, flexibly and efficiently. Companies can order and administer MobileIron directly from the Dynamic Workplace user portal. MobileIron is hosted in T-Systems' secure datacenters. With T-Systems Dynamic Workplace and MobileIron, IT departments can secure a diverse set of mobile devices and apps, and automatically provision enterprise settings such as Wi-Fi and VPN. If a mobile device falls out of compliance, IT can define remediation actions; for example, notifying the user of policy violations or selectively wiping corporate information without touching personal data. Dynamic Workplace also features MobileIron's secure content management offering [email protected] With [email protected], companies can give employees an intuitive way to access, annotate, and share documents from Dynamic Worklace services like Exchange E-Mail or Dynamic Workplace repositories such as SharePoint or Fileserver and the IT administrator can establish data loss prevention (DLP) controls to protect these documents from unauthorized distribution.



"The future workplace is mobile, secure and easy to use. Our mutual crossoffering with MobileIron meets exactly these market demands. T-Systems' comprehensive IT and TC expertise allows us as one of the few providers to offer such a cloud solution," said Dr. Ferri Abolhassan, Director of T-Systems' IT Division and Telekom Security. "We believe that mobile technologies increase a company's velocity by making it faster and easier to get and act on business information," said Barry Mainz, CEO, MobileIron. "Our integration with T-Systems gives customer the ability to use MobileIron's industry-leading mobile security platform combined with the ease of use of Dynamic Workplace's cloud offering.

About T-Systems

As one of the leading global ICT service providers, T-Systems supplies integrated solutions for business customers. These are based on global offerings in fixed-network and mobile communications, highly secure data centers, a unique cloud infrastructure built around standardized platforms and global partnerships, and top security in line with the strictest German data protection regulations, as demanded by our customers. With a footprint in more than 20 countries, 46,000 employees, and external revenue of 7.1 billion euros (2015), T-Systems is the ideal partner for digital transformation. Alongside traditional ICT services, T-Systems' portfolio also offers cloud access, custom infrastructure, and platforms and software from the cloud, alongside innovation projects in future business areas such as big data, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and Industry 4.0. About MobileIron

MobileIron provides the secure foundation for companies around the world to transform into Mobile First organizations. For more information, please visit www.mobileiron.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140923/147891 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/making-enterprises-mobile-first-t-systems-offers-mobileiron-enterprise-mobility-management-solution-integrated-with-dynamic-workplace-services-300270259.html SOURCE MobileIron

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[May 24, 2016] Epson Introduces Fast, Versatile WorkForce 2700-Series Business Printers

LONG BEACH, Calif., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson America, Inc., a leading provider of superior performing printing solutions, today announced the Epson WorkForce 2700-Series all-in-one printers designed for the home office. The WorkForce WF-2760 and WF-2750 feature wireless connectivity and leverage Epson's PrecisionCore printhead technology for sharp, professional documents at fast print speeds. With 150-sheet paper capacity and compatibility with a wide range of mobile printing options, the WF-2700-Series increases productivity and offers users an easy-to-use and affordable solution. The WorkForce 2700-Series printers offer fast and easy home office printing, enabling users to wirelessly connect and print from a tablet, smartphone or computer with Epson Connect and partner solutions1, which support Android, Apple, Chromebook, Fire and Windows devices. The printers deliver easy-to-use wireless and Wi-Fi Direct2, which means no router is required, and enable users to scan documents and save them to the cloud3 for easy access and collaboration. The WorkForce WF-2760 includes built-in Ethernet, which makes sharing the printer on a network quick and easy, as well as support for NFC4 touch-to-print capabilities. "The Epson WorkForce printer portfolio is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of businesses and the new WF-2700 printers are fast, reliable and versatile offering easy to use features ideal for home offices," said Steve Michelle, product manager, Printers, Epson America. "In addition to the convenience enabled by a range of wireless printing options, the WF-2700-Series delivers the high quality prints for which Epson is known, due to the incorporation of PrecisionCore technology." Laser-like Performance: Powered by PrecisionCore

The WorkForce WF-2760 and WF-2750 are powered by PrecisionCore, Epson's next generation technology. PrecisionCore features Epson's advanced thin-film piezoelectric (TFP) elements, which are produced via a MEMS manufacturing process using semiconductor micro-fabrication techniques. At the core of this prprietary technology is the PrecisionCore MicroTFP print chip that can be arrayed in various printhead configurations. Each nozzle on the printhead delivers up to 50,000 droplets per second for increased precision and print quality.



Additional WorkForce 2700-Series features include: Fast print speeds  professional-quality prints at speeds of 13.7 ISO ppm (black) and 7.3 ISO ppm (color) 

Efficient and productive  150-sheet paper capacity, 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF) for copying and scanning, and auto two-sided printing

Affordable individual ink cartridges  replace only the color needed

Economical  uses up to 70 percent less power than laser printers 5

Documents that last  DURABrite  Ultra instant-dry inks for smudge, fade and water resistant prints

Ultra instant-dry inks for smudge, fade and water resistant prints Simple navigation  WF-2760 equipped with 2.7" color touchscreen and WF-2750 equipped with 2.2" mono graphic display to easily print, copy, scan and fax Pricing and Availability

The Epson WorkForce WF-2760 ($129.99*) and WF-2750 ($99.99*) will be available in Summer 2016 through major computer, office and electronic superstores, mail order, and the Epson Store, www.epsonstore.com. For more information and availability, please visit epson.com/workforce.

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 67,000 employees in 90 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impacts. Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica). Specifications are subject to change without notice. EPSON, DURABrite PrecisionCore, TFP and WorkForce are registered trademarks, Epson Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark, and Epson Connect is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. *Estimated street price  Black and color print speeds are measured in accordance with ISO/IEC 24734. Actual print times will vary based on system configuration, software, and page complexity. For more information, visit www.epson.com/printspeed 1 Most features require an Internet connection to the printer, as well as an Internet- and/or email-enabled device. For a list of Epson Connect enabled printers and compatible devices and apps, visit www.epson.com/connect.

2 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED; level of performance subject to the range of the router being used. Wi-Fi Direct may require printer software.

3 Requires an Internet connection, a free Epson Connect account and a destination email address or cloud storage account. For a list of supported cloud services, visit www.epson.com/connect.

4 NFC requires use of a device that includes NFC, and may require additional software.

5 Compared to best-selling, color laser multifunction printers priced at $499 (USD) or less, as of March 2014. Actual power savings will vary by product model and usage. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121130/LA21891LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/epson-introduces-fast-versatile-workforce-2700-series-business-printers-300272686.html SOURCE Epson America, Inc.

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[May 24, 2016] 89 Percent of UK Organisations Vulnerable to Data Threats

LONDON, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vormetric, a Thales company, and a leader in enterprise data protection for physical, virtual, big data, and cloud environments, today announced the results of the European Edition of the 2016 Vormetric Data Threat Report (DTR). The report is issued in conjunction with analyst firm 451 Research, reporting responses from senior IT security executives at large enterprises worldwide, including 100 from U.K. organisations. This edition of the fourth annual report extends earlier findings of the global report, focusing on responses from IT security leaders in European organisations, which detail IT security spending plans, perceptions of threats to data, rates of data breach failures and data security stances. "For U.K.-based organisations, protecting reputation and brand integrity was the top reason for securing sensitive information at 50 percent," said Garrett Bekker, senior analyst, information security, at 451 Research and the author of the 2016 Vormetric Data Threat Report. "But IT security spending plans tell another story, with compliance the top priority at 48 percent, while reputation and brand protection spending dropped to 45 percent. Clearly, organisations are having trouble prioritising their budgets to best ensure the safety of customers and the viability of their business." Key findings from the report include: 89 percent of U.K. organisations feel somewhat or more vulnerable than they have been in the past to both internal and external threats to sensitive data, with 23 percent feeling 'very or extremely' vulnerable

When asked to pick the three most important reasons for securing sensitive data, the top answers were 'reputation and brand protection', given by 50 percent of U.K. organisations, 'compliance requirements', given by 47 percent and 'implementing best security practices,' given by 41 percent

IT security spending plans contrasted with this, with compliance requirements the top priority at 48 percent while reputation and brand protection dropped to second at 45 percent

46 percent of U.K. organisations have experienced a data breach at some stage, with nearly one in five (19 percent) being breached in the last 12 months

42 percent of U.K. respondents planning to adopt Internet of Things (IoT) technologies say protecting sensitive data generated by an IoT device is their biggest security concern

Planned IT security spending by U.K. organisations for the next 12 months is highest for 'network defences' (42 percent), 'analysis and correlation tools' (39 percent) and 'endpoint and mobile defences' (38 percent) Click To Tweet: UK IT Security Pros worried about their data bit.ly/1Oe1Civ pic.twitter.com/GWda8Rib6C



Compliance continues to act as a security driver  but compliance alone is not enough Although there is a growing appreciation that the impact a data breach has on a brand's reputation cannot be underestimated, U.K. organisations continue to strongly associate compliance with security, despite data breaches continuing to affect organisations that have been certified as compliant.

"Compliance does not ensure security," continues Bekker. "As we learned from data theft incidents at companies that had reportedly met compliance mandates (such as TalkTalk, Morrison's and others), being compliant doesn't necessarily mean you won't be breached and have your sensitive data stolen. U.K. organisations don't seem to fully appreciate this, with almost half (47 percent) rating compliance as a top reason for protecting data, and with compliance the topmost IT security spending priority (48 percent)." Organisations are spending ineffectively to prevent data breaches With nearly one in five U.K. organisations experiencing a breach in the last 12 months, it is unsurprising that many are planning increased security spending over the coming year. However, most are planning investments in tools like network and endpoint defences which have been proven to be largely ineffective against current threats to company data. "Enterprises and public sector organisations are under increasing scrutiny from stakeholders and the public where it comes to safeguarding confidential and sensitive information," said Louise Bulman, vice president of EMEA for Vormetric. "It's therefore surprising and concerning that companies are continuing to over-rely on tools that consistently fail against modern, multi-layered attacks. Technology that concentrates fundamentally on controlling access to data is a far more affective approach, and one which can bring about additional benefits by enabling technologies like cloud, big data and IoT which may otherwise have been deemed too risky." The research report is available from Vormetric and can be found here. About 451 Research 451 Research is a preeminent information technology research and advisory company. With a core focus on technology innovation and market disruption, we provide essential insight for leaders of the digital economy. More than 100 analysts and consultants deliver that insight via syndicated research, advisory services and live events to over 1,000 client organizations in North America, Europe and around the world. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in New York, 451 Research is a division of The 451 Group. About Vormetric, a Thales company Vormetric's comprehensive high-performance data protection platform helps companies move confidently and quickly. Our seamless and scalable platform is the most effective way to protect data wherever it residesany file, database and application, in any server environment. Advanced transparent encryption, powerful access controls and centralized key management let organizations encrypt everything efficiently, with minimal disruption. Regardless of content, database or applicationwhether physical, virtual or in the cloudVormetric Data Security enables confidence, speed and trust by encrypting the data that builds business. Vormetric Data Security was recently acquired by Thales Group and is now a Thales company. Please visit: www.vormetric.com and find us on Twitter @Vormetric. About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 62,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of 14 billion in 2015. With over 22,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its exceptional international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world. Positioned as a value-added systems integrator, equipment supplier and service provider, Thales is one of Europe's leading players in the security market. The Group's security teams work with government agencies, local authorities and enterprise customers to develop and deploy integrated, resilient solutions to protect citizens, sensitive data and critical infrastructure. Drawing on its strong cryptographic capabilities, Thales is a global leader in data protection and one of the world leaders in cybersecurity products and solutions for defence, critical infrastructure and telecommunication operators, industrial and financial companies. Covering the entire cybersecurity chain, Thales offers a comprehensive range of services and solutions that includes: cybersecurity consulting and testing, cyber-secured software centric system design / development / integration and certification, provision and through-life management of data protection products and services, secured IT outsourcing and cloud computing solutions, as well as managed security services based on our network of Security Operation Centers in France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130626/SF38541LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/89-percent-of-uk-organisations-vulnerable-to-data-threats-300273553.html SOURCE Vormetric

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[May 24, 2016] Cloud Security Alliance Opens Call for Presentations for EMEA Congress 2016

MADRID, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) has opened the call for papers for the 2016 CSA EMEA Congress, to be held November 15th at the Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain. CSA EMEA Congress is Europe's premier cloud security event and is designed around the CSA's core mission of promoting the use of best practices for providing security assurance within Cloud Computing and to provide education on the uses of Cloud Computing to help secure all other forms of computing. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130723/DC51526LOGO The One-day conference will include two parallel tracks. Papers can be submitted online at: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=csaemea2016 The call for papers closes on August 1st and speakers will be notified by September 1st. The following topics are of key interest: Current and emerging trends Containerisation and micro service security

Software Defined Perimeter (SDP)

Blockchain

Cloud enabled vs Cloud-centric application

Multi factor authentication

Cloud based solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Threat landscape for cloud computing



IoT and Cloud, e.g Cloud and smart cities, smart transport.

Big Data security



Privacy in the Cloud The impact of the European General Data Protection Regulations

How to manage legal and security compliance in a multi national environment

Cyber Security Laws and Regulation in Europe

The impact of the right to be forgotten in the cloud

Privacy and Security by design

Encryption solutions and trends Risk Management, Certification and standards for the cloud

The role of standards within organisations

Case studies on the adoption of cloud certification

How manage Governance Risk and Compliance in the Cloud

Risk Profiling

Security and Privacy Service Level Agreements

Cloud Security Automation: how to develop and implement framework for automated risk calculation and response.

SaaS Governance Incident Management in the Cloud Incident Information Sharing

Leveraging Big Data for Threat intelligence in the Cloud

Cloud Forensics

SIEM in the Cloud

Cloud Security Gateways vs SIEM

Privacy Breaches Reporting

Reporting Security Breaches: the state of art in Europe

Cloud Disaster Recovery Cloud Computing in critical sectors finance sector

ehealth

eGovernement

Energy

Transport General guidelines Proposals cutting across the above topics are also encouraged.

Proposals, presentations, panels, or sessions must be in English and should provide a learning opportunity for the conference attendees.

In case a proposal is accepted, the author (or one of the authors) must attend

Proposals that focus on marketing or promoting a product or service will not be considered.

Proposals from marketing or PR professionals (external or internal) will not be considered. Contact information For general inquiries and speaking opportunities please contact [email protected]. For sponsorship enquiries please contact [email protected] For media credentials please contact [email protected], 1-703-928-9996



To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloud-security-alliance-opens-call-for-presentations-for-emea-congress-2016-300273570.html

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[May 24, 2016] Axis41 Invited to Present at Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Roadshow, an Exclusive Mobile-Only Event Hosted in Six Cities across the United States

SALT LAKE CITY, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Axis41, a digital marketing agency based in Salt Lake City, will partner with Adobe in its latest roadshow in an effort to visit cities and connect on all-things mobile app related. The exclusive mobile-only event, which will take place in six cities across the United States and consist of 25-75 business decision makers, will feature guest speakers, showcasing of apps, case studies, networking opportunities, and more. The purpose of the roadshow is to bring individuals together to discuss and solve the most challenging mobile app issuesthat companies face. Events will also feature segments that address how Adobe Experience Manager Mobile helps overcome those challenges and enables companies to maintain engaging mobile apps, thereby increasing business efficiencies.



Axis41's very own Marketing Technology Evangelist, Peter Nash, will be presenting at each event on the topic of Powerful Apps that Solve Business Problems and Leverage the Experience Manager Workflow. "We're excited to be part of this Adobe event," said Nash. "By integrating mobile with the Experience Manager workflow, companies can reduce their time to market and truly leverage content for the mobile experience." Cities included in the roadshow are Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. These smaller forums will allow attendees to receive an Adobe Experience Manager Mobile deep dive and see what the product can really do.

About Axis41 Axis41 offers a strategic blend of creative content and the most relevant technology to ensure that every facet of your digital presence is driving personalized brand relationships with your audience. Our fully-integrated creative and technical teams work together to create, deploy, and optimize marketing content that inspires and strengthens profitable consumer-brand relationships. Axis41 has worked with industry-leading clients such as Adobe, Stanford University, Fossil, Booz Allen Hamilton, Zions Bank, Backcountry.com, Ciena Corporation, Iron Mountain, and 1-800 CONTACTS. Contact:

Jon Baddley

[email protected]

(801) 303-6300 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160222/335737LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axis41-invited-to-present-at-adobe-experience-manager-mobile-roadshow-an-exclusive-mobile-only-event-hosted-in-six-cities-across-the-united-states-300273550.html SOURCE Axis41

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[May 24, 2016] Sky Cable Signs Deal with SES to Launch New Direct-to-Home Satellite TV in the Philippines

SES (News - Alert) (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) announced today a multi-year, multi-transponder agreement with Sky Cable, the largest cable television provider in the Philippines. Sky Cable will be broadcasting direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV channels via SES satellites at 108.2 degrees East - the SES-9 and NSS-11 satellites. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005707/en/ Sky Cable Signs Deal with SES to Launch New Direct-to-Home Satellite TV in the Philippines (Photo: Business Wire) The contracted capacity will enable Sky Cable to effectively roll out a nation-wide DTH satellite TV service across 251 cities and municipalities in the Philippine archipelago, complementing its existing cable offerings. The recently launched SES-9 is scheduled to enter service mid-year to provide incremental and replacement capacity at SES's prime neighbourhood of 108.2 degrees East which reaches 22 million homes. Sky Cable will be drawing on SES's capabilities and global expertise of serving more than 40 DTH platforms worldwide hosted on SES's comprehensive satellite network, to deliver high-quality content to homes across the Philippines. This includes broadcasting linear TV content to remote locations and islands that are underserved by terrestrial networks. Sky Cable currently offers cable TV services for 55 High Definition (HD) channels to 800,000 subscribers in 19 cities and municipalities in the Philippines. "The geography of the Philippines presents a unique set of challenges for fibre or terrestrial connectivity. Our satellites are able to overcome these limitations and provide comprehensive and high-powered coverage over the entire archipelago including under-connected areas in the Philippines. We ae glad to support Sky Cable as they use both ground and space infrastructure to expand their TV audience reach," says Deepak Mathur, Senior Vice President Commercial, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East at SES. "This latest contract on SES-9 shows the continued momentum of serving our prime DTH neighbourhoods on our largest satellite dedicated for Asia-Pacific."



Antonio S Ventosa, COO of SkyCable, said, "We are pleased to tap SES's global expertise and extensive satellite footprint as we venture into providing satellite TV services for our growing subscriber base. We are confident that with our partnership with SES, we will be able to deliver content seamlessly to potential new customers all across the country." Follow us on:

Twitter (News - Alert): https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites Facebook (News - Alert): https://www.facebook.com/SES.YourSatelliteCompany YouTube (News - Alert): http://www.youtube.com/SESVideoChannel Blog: http://en.ses.com/4243715/blog SES Pictures are available under http://www.ses.com/21472913/Our_Pictures SES White papers are available under http://www.ses.com/18681915/white-papers About SES SES (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) is the world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of more than 50 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide. SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the satellite industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements. SES holds a participation in O3b Networks, a next generation satellite network combining the reach of satellite with the speed of fibre. Further information available at: www.ses.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005707/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Tunisia Extends Broadcasting of New Free-to-Air Television Platform with Eutelsat

The Tunisian broadcasting corporation (ONT) has signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat (News - Alert) Communications (Paris:ETL) (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) to broadcast its new subscription-free TV platform across North and West Africa. ONT has selected the powerful EUTELSAT 7 West A satellite to reach viewers across the region. A benchmark broadcasting hub

The ONT is consolidating around ten Tunisian channels[1] in a single package at 7/8 West, North Africa's leading satellite broadcasting neighbourhood. EUTELSAT 7 West A's footprint also enables the ONT to extend reach to West Africa. Homes equipped with a satellite dish pointing to 7/8 West will be able to enjoy improved image quality and easier navigation of the channels in the platform. Noomen Elfehri, Tunisia's Minister of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy, stated: "The launch of this national project is a vehicle for Tunisia's sovereignty in the field of broadcasting. Viewers will be able to enjoy a diversified and quality line-up of Tunisian content." Furthering the partnership between Eutelsat and the ONT

Dhaker Baccouch, Chairman andCEO of the ONT, added: "In selecting the EUTELSAT 7 West A satellite, we are providing viewers with improved image quality and we are equipped to scale up our new platform with further channels."



Michel Azibert, Eutelsat's Chief Commercial and Development Officer, concluded: "With this new contract the ONT is strengthening its portfolio of capacity on Eutelsat, adding to resources already leased on three of our satellites, EUTELSAT 12 West B, HOT BIRD and EUTELSAT 36B, for newsgathering and broadcasting to the general public." About Eutelsat Communications

Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 40 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies. Eutelsat's satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user's location. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.

For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com [1] The first channels are: Aljanoubia, Attassia, Elhiwar Ettounsi, m Tunisia, Telvza TV, Tunisna et la chaine publique Nationale 1 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005755/en/

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[May 24, 2016] OPM Breach Fallout Grows as Imperatis Bails on the Clean-Up

SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The OPM breach continues to make headlines. In June 2015, the U.S. government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) discovered that the background investigation records of 21.5 million current, former, and prospective federal employees and contractors had been stolen. Much of the hacked information was highly sensitive, including Social Security numbers, fingerprints, and information on drug and mental-health histories. The mess got even messier in May 2016, when Imperatis, a contractor hired to help modernize the OPM's IT infrastructure, cited financial problems and stopped working without completing the job. As Violet Blue (@violetblue) summed it up in a post on Peerlyst (https://www.peerlyst.com), "As befits every story about the OPM and cybersecurity, the tale is twisted." Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/31058LOGO



As the Engadget journalist and author unspools some of those twists in her piece: "On one hand, we have yet to understand just how bad the OPM hackcertainly facilitated by the agency's own cybersecurity negligencehas hurt people, put them at risk, or gotten them killed. On the other hand, the never-ending, full-on rolling disaster of OPM's year-long InfoSec debacle has become more fascinatingly absurd than a Monty Python skit. And it just keeps going." She describes the murky origins of the Imperatis contract, as well as the fact that under a previous name, Jorge Scientific, company employees working on Army contracts were recorded in videos as they got drunk and shot heroin on the job. To see Blue's full post on Peerlyst, go here: https://www.peerlyst.com/posts/opm-s-rolling-cybersecurity-disaster-continues-violet-blue.

About Peerlyst Peerlyst is the place where information security pros go to share knowledge and build their professional reputations. With an audience of more than half a million and more than 10,000 posts by security experts, Peerlyst is the preeminent platform for spreading InfoSec news, asking a question, finding an expert, or offering product insight. For more information, email [email protected] or visit https://www.peerlyst.com. Media Contact: Maria Behan

650 281 7241 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opm-breach-fallout-grows-as-imperatis-bails-on-the-clean-up-300273653.html SOURCE Peerlyst

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Pressure mounted on the Islamic State group Tuesday as a Kurdish-Arab alliance launched a major assault north of the militants' Syrian bastion of Raqa and Iraqi forces advanced on their stronghold of Fallujah.

The twin offensives marked some of the most serious ground efforts against IS group since the group declared its self-styled "caliphate" straddling the Syrian-Iraqi border in 2014.

Territory under IS group control has been steadily shrinking for months but -- in a sign of its continued ability to mount attacks -- the group has carried out a wave of violence including bombings in the Syrian regime's coastal heartland Monday that killed more than 160 people.

On Tuesday, Kurdish and Arab fighters announced their largest offensive to date against IS group territory north of Raqa, the group's de facto Syrian capital.

The Syrian Democratic Forces -- a seven-month-old alliance between Kurdish and Arab forces -- said it would push IS group from the province's north and secure other areas already seized from the militants.

Its statement, posted on Twitter, made no mention of the provincial capital, Raqa city.

Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren confirmed the assault, saying: "The SDF have begun operations to clear the northern countryside, so this is putting pressure on Raqa."

The US military will conduct air strikes in support of the "several thousand" SDF fighters, some of whom have been trained and equipped by the United States, he said.

If Raqa falls, "it's the beginning of the end of their caliphate," Warren said.

Just before the SDF announcement, Russia said it would be ready to coordinate with both Washington and the SDF in an offensive for Raqa.

The US rejected a Russian proposal last week to carry out joint air operations against militants groups in Syria.

The anti-IS coalition headed by Washington has set its sights on Raqa in Syria, as well as Fallujah -- and eventually IS's main bastion of Mosul -- in Iraq.

"It's clear that if the US wants to eliminate IS group, it has to attack it on multiple fronts at the same time," said Washington-based Syria analyst Fabrice Balanche.

"Cutting the route between Raqa and Mosul isn't difficult today. It will put an end to the myth of a transnational IS," he told AFP.

On Tuesday, Iraqi forces closed in on Fallujah after capturing the nearby town of Garma and cutting IS group off from one of its last support areas.

"Federal forces advanced towards the east of Fallujah early today from three directions," police Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat told AFP.

The Hashed al-Shaabi umbrella paramilitary organisation, dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militias that are heavily involved in the operation, said ground was also gained south of Fallujah.

With forces converging on the city, concerns grew that the estimated 50,000 civilians believed to still be inside had nowhere to go.

"Families who have been suffering food and medical shortages over the last months now risk being caught in the crossfire," said the Norwegian Refugee Council's country director Nasr Muflahi.

He said it was "absolutely vital that they are granted safe routes out of there so that we can assist them."

Officials from Anbar, the vast western province in which Fallujah is located, reported that small numbers of civilians had managed to sneak out.

A Fallujah resident reached by telephone told AFP there was heavy shelling on the northern edge of the city Tuesday.

"Daesh (IS) is still imposing a curfew, preventing people from coming out on the street," said the man, who gave his name as Abu Mohammed al-Dulaimi.

"The number of Daesh members is decreasing and we have started seeing them walk in the street in groups of two or three. We don't know where the others are," he said.

It was unclear what kind of defence IS group was prepared to put up in Fallujah, a city that looms large in modern jihadist mythology since 2004 battles that saw US forces suffer some of their worst losses since the Vietnam War.

Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft have been pounding Fallujah and its surroundings in recent days to support the operation.

The offensives came as Washington and Moscow scrambled to salvage a shaky ceasefire between the regime and non-militants rebels intended to pave the way for peace talks to end Syria's five-year conflict.

The US envoy for Syria late Monday urged rebels to respect the February 27 ceasefire after they gave its brokers -- Washington and Moscow -- until Tuesday afternoon to stop an advance on rebel bastions outside Damascus.

"We recognise that the CoH (Cessation of Hostilities) is under severe stress, but believe that to abandon it now would be strategic error," Michael Ratney said in a statement on Twitter.

Staunch regime ally Russia late Monday also called for a 72-hour local truce in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya near Damascus -- within the wider nationwide ceasefire -- from Tuesday.

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[May 24, 2016] ClearDB MySQL Database Services Now Available to Microsoft Azure Customers in Canada

ClearDB, a pioneer in database virtualization services, today announced that its ClearDB MySQL database services are now available for Microsoft (News - Alert) Azure customers in both of Microsoft Canada's two new sub regions - Toronto and Quebec City. "Today ClearDB supports more than 100,000 Azure customers around the world and we are excited to add Canada to that list," said ClearDB CEO Jeff Vogel. "We are joining Microsoft in a growing cloud movement in Canada that is driving business efficiency and innovation." ClearDB MySQL database services provide a high performing, yet simple way to maintain nonstop access to MySQL databases in the Azure cloud. Compliant with Canada's in-country database residency requirements, ClearDB offers multi-master, geo-replicated database clusters that prevent commo database failure scenarios without requiring customers to alter their code. ClearDB's nonstop database virtualization services are designed to drive the highest possible levels of database reliability, efficiency and simplicity.



ClearDB MySQL database services are available in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace or Contact ClearDB at [email protected]. About ClearDB

ClearDB Inc. is a pioneer in database virtualization services that optimize the computing efficiency of any database application running in any data center or any cloud. ClearDB services provide customers with guaranteed high availability, accelerated performance, easy administration and interoperability with any database on any platform to deliver unprecedented levels of database reliability, efficiency and simplicity. With more than 200,000 companies worldwide relying on ClearDB services, we are transforming the way database resources are consumed so that IT can focus on innovation and business growth. Learn more at www.cleardb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006138/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Eyenalyze Announces Seed Funding

CONWAY, Ark., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Eyenalyze, the leader in CPA-friendly restaurant back-office solutions, today announced seed funding from Cadron Creek Capital. The funding will be used to further Eyenalyze's solution which simplifies restaurant back-office business including inventory, plating cost and employee tracking  all while providing end data that is useful and compatible with financial analysis and reporting. "We believe that Eyenalyze's mission, not only in producing a powerful suite of back-office PC and mobile apps, but also their vision in creating a seamless bridge between the data captured by their system and the world of CPAs, is an offering that is sorely needed by small- and medium-sized restaurant chains," said Jeff Standridge, co-founder, Cadron Creek Capital. "Having their solution already successfully adopted by numerous restaurant franchises, we're looking forward to Eyenalyze's continued momentum and development of their offerins."



With a focus on process innovators, technology and technology-enabled startups, Cadron Creek Capital is a seed capital investment fund designed to foster the growth in entrepreneurial activity and venture financing throughout Arkansas and the mid-South. "Eyenalyze provides powerful technology tools, usually reserved for national chains, to regional and independent restaurant operators," said Michael Rasmussen CPA, CEO of Eyenalyze. "Cadron Creek Capital's investment in our company underscores our value proposition and will help us to further improve our offering, providing restaurant owners and managers with the technology tools they need for success."

For more information on Eyenalyze, please visit: www.Eyenalyze.com About Eyenalyze, Inc Founded in 2013, Conway, Arkansas-based Eyenalyze is the first company to provide complete near real-time analytics developed by restaurant operators, for operators and advisors. Eyenalyze's proprietary, patent-pending API retrieves daily updates from POS, Vendor/Supplier, Ingredient/Menu, Payroll, Credit Card, and Banking systems. Eyenalyze tools, accessible via web or mobile device, enable restaurants to optimize nearly all back-office operations, increasing gross and profit margins and creating a platform for success that is not often available to the small independent operator. Media Contact:

Anders Steele

[email protected]

831-239-0960 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eyenalyze-announces-seed-funding-300274072.html SOURCE Eyenalyze

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[May 24, 2016] Blacc Spot Media Joins The Twilio Partner Program As A Development Partner Specializing In WebRTC

ATLANTA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Blacc Spot Media ( https://www.blaccspot.com) , the Atlanta-based Web Real Time Communications (WebRTC) development agency, announced today that the company has become an official member of the Twilio Partner Program ( http://www.twilio.com) . Blacc Spot Media builds and deploys real-time communications applications leveraging Twilio's cloud communications platform for clients around the world. As one of Twilio's preferred Development Partners, Blacc Spot Media provides custom mobile and web development services for customers seeking to integrate with the Twilio platform. Leveraging the knowledge and expertise of the Blacc Spot Media team, Twilio customers who want to integrate services, such as Programmable Video, Programmable Voice, Programmable SMS and IP Messaging now have access to a provider that can design, build and deploy their solutions. Lantre Barr, CEO and founder of Blacc Spot Media, says: "Twilio gives us the ability to deploy real-time communications applications for our clients both expeditiously and efficiently. In addition, Twilio eliminates the worry and angst often experienced when building and maintaining a global infrastructure by providing a simple set of APIs and SDKs that workacross a multitude of devices and programming languages."



"Lantre and the Blacc Spot Media team have demonstrated that they are a leading WebRTC development shop and we are proud to have them as a partner," said Jason Eubanks, VP GLobal Sales at Twilio. "Partners, such as Blacc Spot Media, provide a great resource for customers looking for technical expertise to help them build next generation communication applications." Twilio fundamentally changes the way businesses build communication solutions by bringing it into the realm of software and the cloud. It virtualizes the entire telecommunications infrastructure and makes it available at scale around the world, via a single, global API. Twilio turns massive potential capex cost into an easily controlled operating expense where businesses pay for only what they use. With Twilio, developers and businesses can innovate, prototype, build, deploy and change their communications systems easily - keeping pace with customer needs and bringing ideas to market faster than ever before.

Today's announcement comes during an exciting period for Blacc Spot Media, as a number of global partners are set to be added to the company's growing roster of global clients in the coming months. Additional information on the Twilio Partner Program can be found at www.twilio.com/partners. ABOUT BLACC SPOT MEDIA:

Blacc Spot Media https://www.blaccspot.com is a collaborative team of designers, developers and thought leaders specializing in Web-Real Time Communications (WebRTC). In January 2013, Lantre and his team transitioned the company services from being just another web and mobile development agency, to one that focuses on the niche technology WebRTC. While they are still a web and mobile development agency at their core, they only work with clients looking to implement WebRTC into their products and services. Their partners include the likes of Twilio, Xura and AT&T. Contact the Blacc Spot Media team at [email protected], or call +1.678.832.9502. About Twilio

Twilio's mission is to fuel the future of communications. Developers and businesses use Twilio to make communications relevant and contextual by embedding messaging, voice and video capabilities directly into their software applications. Founded in 2008, Twilio is privately held and has over 500 employees, with headquarters in San Francisco and other offices in Bogota, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Mountain View, Munich, New York City, Singapore, and Tallinn. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371330LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blacc-spot-media-joins-the-twilio-partner-program-as-a-development-partner-specializing-in-webrtc-300273917.html SOURCE Blacc Spot Media

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[May 24, 2016] MedyMatch to Present at Israeli Advanced Technology Industry's BioMed Conference

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MedyMatch Technology Ltd., the data analytics healthcare company focused on providing physicians with artificial intelligence, real-time decision support tools in the emergency room, announced today that it has been selected to present at the 2016 Israeli Advanced Technology Industries (IATI) BioMed Conference. The Conference is a part of Israel's 15th National Life Sciences and Technology Week, and is being held May 24th to 26th at the David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel. Gene Saragnese, Chairman and CEO of MedyMatch Technology is scheduled to speak two times at the conference. First on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 4:30PM  5:30PM as part of the CNS Starter Showcase Neurology Track, chaired by Dr. Yael Fuchs Shlomai, Braininnovations Program Manager.

The second opportunity to hear Gene present at the conference will be on May 26, 2016 from 11:50am  12:50pm as part of a panel discussion on image analysis, hosted by Dr. Michal Rosen-Zvi/span>, Director, Health Informatics, IBM Research - Haifa.



The Biomed conference is the preeminent event for the Israeli life sciences industry, attracting leading members of the healthcare industry from around the globe. It comprises group discussions, panel presentations, product demonstrations and networking opportunities, all designed to encourage business collaborations. Attendees are able to experience firsthand the entrepreneurial spirit which is a basis of Israel's vibrant life sciences community. Prior conferences have hosted over 6,000 industry senior executives, scientists, and engineers, including approximately 1,000 participants from over 45 countries and in excess of 4,500 one-on-one meetings. "We are excited to have been selected by two great companies, IBM Research and Pfizer to participate in their respective panels at the BioMed conference this year", said Gene Saragnese, Chairman & CEO of MedyMatch Technology. "This is the largest annual meeting of the Israeli life science industry and attracts people from around the world who are looking for ground breaking technology."

About MedyMatch Technology, Ltd. MedyMatch utilizes advanced cognitive analytics and artificial intelligence to deliver real-time decision support tools to improve clinical outcomes in acute medical scenarios. The foundation of clinical discovery and value creation lies in the deep clinical understanding of how to diagnose disease, utilizing the right data (electronic medical record, medical imaging, and genomic data). MedyMatch's vision includes an innovative approach in re-defining 'capacity in healthcare' by applying advanced analytic technologies in the emergency room setting to prognosticate downstream cost of care outcomes. The MedyMatch team of artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning and algorithmic experts along with its medical and science advisory boards are achieving breakthroughs in standards of cost and care. To learn more, please visit www.medymatch.com Contact: Yehuda Swizer

+972-52-370-2844

[email protected] (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371533 )

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medymatch-to-present-at-israeli-advanced-technology-industrys-biomed-conference-300274075.html SOURCE MedyMatch Technology Ltd

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[May 24, 2016] Technavio Announces Top Five Vendors in the Global Self-storage Software Market From 2016 to 2020

Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors in their recent global self-storage software market 2016-2020 report. This research report also lists three other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. Competitive vendor landscape The global self-storage software market is highly fragmented with the presence of many small and medium-sized vendors. This creates a huge opportunity for M&A. The consolidation of small players with larger players is shaping the vendor landscape. New players are also entering the market, and the competition in the market is intense as vendors are trying to sustain themselves by improving their delivery models with technology. "Organizations are assessing vendors based on document capture capability of the software and the degree of superiority of their solutions," says Amrita Choudhury, lead enterprise application analyst from Technavio. Request for sample report: http://goo.gl/ox4M1e E-SoftSys E-SoftSys is headquartered in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, US and has a geographical presence in over 15 countries in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC. It develops software after gathering an in-depth understanding of the requirements of the client. It offers high-quality software development, maintenance, and quality assurance services to its customers. E-SoftSys works with customers through the whole life cycle - from business vision to design, from coding to quality assurance, and from deployment to support. E-SoftSys developed Self-Storage Manager and is a technology leader in the self-storage industry. Self-Storage Manager is an ideal management software for small and large facility operators to streamline operations and increase efficiency. The company takes into account the latest technology upgrades and customer feedback to enhance their software. QuikStor Security & Software QuikStor was established in 1987 in Los Angeles, California. QuikStor Security & Software provides an extensive range of software, hardware, and video surveillance products for storage facilities around the world. It provides solutions in four different versions: lite, standard, professional, and platinum. The different versions help businesses as they can select the vesion which suits their budget requirements. It also offers the OnDemand version, which allows users to access tenant information, facility reports, and gate facility from any web browser. It also has a customizable screen which allows users to view collections totals, payment types, and move ins.



SiteLink Software Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, US, SiteLink Software has more than 11,000 self-storage locations running its software, thus making it the largest provider of self-storage management software.

SiteLink realized the importance of Asia for the self-storage market and implemented language support and tax compliance along with payment options to help local operators. It provides feature-rich software, with regular updates, a user-friendly design, and quality service thus making SiteLink Web Edition a highly scalable, and easy to deploy system for single and multi-store operators. At no additional charge, the Web Edition integrates with smartphones, websites, call centers, and central mail providers. Powerful features like revenue management, built-in CRM, and e-mail and text messaging enhance the customer experience, improve operations, and boost profits. Storman Software Storman Software was established in 1992 and is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. It creates self-storage management software for Mac and Windows. It offers phone, remote access, e-mail, and knowledge-based technical support from its offices in Brisbane, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; and London, UK. It takes customer suggestions and includes many of them in product updates. It offers an affordable, flexible licensing structure to suit the size of all business. It has won industry awards. The awards include the Self Storage Association of Australasia's "Innovation Award" for enterprise-class replication product for companies as well as a second "Innovation Award" from the association for its paperless office system. Yardi Systems The company was founded in 1984 with headquarters at Santa Barbara, California, US. Yardi Systems provides property management software and asset management solutions. It provides cost-effective solutions throughout the real estate life cycle, from operations to investors. It is the first fully cloud-based management system designed specifically for self-storage businesses. Its solutions help self-storage operators increase revenue, become more efficient, and reduce costs. The firm's Store Enterprise and Store Advantage are cloud-based applications that integrate with websites, corporate offices, call centers, centralized mail services, web aggregators, mobile devices, and other business systems. Its customers include small owners and management firms as well as some of the largest operators in the self-storage industry. Browse Related Reports: Global Cloud Storage Gateway Market 2016-2020

Global Software Defined Storage Market 2016-2020

Warehousing and Storage Market in the US 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/20160524006414/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Halogen Announces Details of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

OTTAWA, May 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Halogen Software Inc. ("Halogen") (TSX: HGN), a leading provider of cloud-based talent management solutions, today announced details of its fiscal 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. All interested parties are invited to attend. For those Shareholders that cannot attend the Meeting in person, Halogen has made arrangements to provide a live teleconference of the Meeting. However, Shareholders will not be permitted to vote or otherwise participate in the Meeting through the teleconference facility. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS:







DATE: Thursday, June 16, 2016



TIME: 10:00 a.m. EDT



LOCATION: Brookstreet Hotel, 525 Legget Drive, Ottawa

DIAL IN NUMBER: 1 (888) 231-8191 Conference ID: 15981177 About Halogen Software

Halogen Software (TSX: HGN) offers a cloud-based talent management suite that reinforces and drives higher employee performance across all talent programs  whether that is performance management, learning and development, succession planning, recruiting and onboarding, or compensation. With over 2,100 customers worldwide, Halogen Software has been recognized as a market leader by major business analysts and has garnered the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the industry. Halogen Software's powerful, yet simple-to-use solutions, which also include industry-vertical editions, are used by organizations that want to build a world-class workforce that is aligned, inspired and focused on delivering exceptional results. For more information, visit: http://www.halogensoftware.com. Subscribe to Halogen Software's TalentSpace blog: http://www.halogensoftware.com/blog/ or follow Halogen Software on Twitter: http://twitter.com/HalogenSoftware. SOURCE Halogen Software

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What you need to know about Powerball and the $610 million jackpot
A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian militias launched a new offensive against Islamic State militants near their de facto capital of Raqqa city on Tuesday, a monitoring group and an official said.

The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance is the main Syrian partner for the U.S.-led alliance battling the IS group that controls large areas of northern and eastern Syria. Its most powerful component is the Kurdish YPG militia.

Aided by U.S.-led air strikes, the YPG has driven IS from wide areas of northern Syria over the last year or more, though its advances have recently slowed.

There has been no indication of when a full assault on Raqqa city might take place. A Kurdish official contacted by Reuters declined to say whether it was a target of the latest offensive.

Syrian Kurdish groups have previously said an attack on the predominantly Arab city of Raqqa should be led by Arab militias. Syria experts say the SDF's Arab groups are not yet ready for such an attack, however.

An unspecified number of SDF fighters were seen moving south from their stronghold of Tel Abyad near the Turkish border towards Ain Issa, a town about 60 km north west of Raqqa city, and clashes were reported nearby, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

The ground operation was accompanied by a series of air strikes on militant hideouts in the area carried out by jets belonging to a U.S.-led coalition.

The attack follows a recent visit to northern Syria by U.S. Central Command Commander General Joseph L. Votel , the highest-ranking U.S. military official to visit Syria since the war erupted in 2011.

Neither Washington nor its allies have indicated they are about to embark on a campaign to retake Raqqa or Mosul city, the other main stronghold of the militants in Iraq.

Raqqa city sits in the centre of the province of the same name, which borders Turkey to the north.

During his visit, Votel met some SDF commanders as well as U.S. troops who are training the force, the U.S. Defence Department said.

The SDF have driven IS from wide areas of northern Syria and in February captured the town of al Shadadi, a major logistics hub for the militants that was connected by a network of highways in Hasaka province. Its capture had further isolated Raqqa.

IS territory in Iraq and Syria has shrunk significantly from its peak. The group is also being targeted in a separate campaign by the Syrian military and its allies, including Russia.

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Australian via Baltimore duo Inner Light have recently released the first in a series of releases paying compliment to 1970s provincial German electronica.

Featuring arrhythmic tape loops, extended guitar driven improvisation and modular

synthesizers overlaid by sparsely arranged minimal two part vocals, this effort from the duo aka Meredith McHugh and Christian J. Best is a fascinating textual journey into the bands exploration of sounds, art and music.

Both core members of the krauty / drone outfit Smoke Bellow, its clear a musical DNA between the projects can be detected however according to the duo Pastoral Homage Vol. I serves as a counterpoint to Smoke Bellows calculated approach.

To celebrate its release and to get to know Inner light a little more intimately, the duo have curated a track by track run through of Pastoral Homage Vol. I which you can check out below. If you like what youre hearing pop by Ehse Records Bandcamp page for more upcoming releases.

Cactus

This song is a straight tribute to a time when (almost) every one of our favourite artists from the 1970s German scene came together and made a record called Tracks and Traces by Harmonia and Eno. The Harmonia part of the group was comprised of Moebius and Roedelius from (maybe my favourite band ever) Cluster, and Michael Rother of NEU!

The Eno bit is Brian Eno of course, who is spoken about and highly lauded everywhere, so theres not much more to say there. They made a record together in a farm house by a river in Forst, in 1976. We began this track in Baltimore during the winter of 2014/2015, which really felt like being holed up in a farm house with an open fire.

Eucalypt

This one is again a nod to a collaboration between another rural German group Faust with this time an American outsider Tony Conrad. Together, they made a recording in 1977 called Outside the Dream Syndicate, which is essentially two 26 minute electric violin drone pieces, underpinned by a repeated primitive pulse.

Their use of repetition is utterly transcendent. We began with the same basic elements a bass pulse, some simple percussion, textural elements provided by Meredith and an imitation violin made by a synthesiser. Vocals came later once the foundation had been built. The idea for this piece began in LA when we was travelling home to Australia via the west coast of the USA and noticed how Eucalypts were common in both places.

Spring

This one is different to the others in that it was not pre-composed at all. Meredith set up some great textural guitar loops in the studio which made a drum kit in the corner rattle with certain frequencies.

It very much sounds like the space we were in that day, experiencing the first warm weather in Sydney that we had felt after two consecutive winters in Baltimore and Melbourne. I remember wearing a Hawaiian shirt on this day.

Furry Computer

In this phase I was listening to a lot of Asmus Tietchens, who is another personality loosely linked with this time and place. Im fascinated by Asmus because it seems to me like he views this period as more of a biographer or fan rather than a directly involved member.

In 1981 he released a record called Biotop which is absolutely immediate and futuristic. We were struck by his use of electronic and acoustic instruments, particularly on the track Rauschlinge. This one we named after a popular alias we use for our cat Spindles the Furry Computer.

Tidal Pool

This track pays respect to Hans Joachim Roedelius, a member of the aforementioned Cluster. Throughout the 70s he home recorded a series of releases titled Selbstportrait that optimise the pastoral vibe to me experimental, playful, introspective and cosy.

Yabbie Road

This final track is a nod to Harmonia, who wrote by recording their improvisations and using the tape machine as more of an instrument then a passive device. I followed this lead by cueing up a series of synthesiser loops, as Meredith improvised all of those vast washes of guitar noise. This was recorded straight to tape in the studio, with a big credit to our producer/engineer Todd Dixon who balanced the cacophony in the mix.
When Flume previewed his new album, Skin, to fans back in January, the response was mixed. Whether fans enjoyed what they heard or not, everyone agreed the Sydney producer had chucked everyone a curveball.

The album is set to drop on Friday and weve since heard several cuts from the eagerly anticipated album, but one constant remains: Skin doesnt sound anything like Aussie EDM golden boys 2012 debut.

At just 24 years of age, Flume is remarkable in that hes been able to forge an instantly recognisable and unique sound in the world of electronic music, which so often rewards producers who jump on any bandwagon.

Flumes sound is so distinct that its given rise to an entire army of copycat producers who are aping the warbles and off-beat drops the producer is known for. Its certainly not going unnoticed by other producers.

In fact, Flume is one of them. As he recently told triple js Richard Kingsmill, the swarm of copycat bedroom producers imitating the sound of Flumes first album forced him to jettison his old tricks and find new ones.

[include_post id=468070]

It was a difficult second record, the producer, whose real name is Harley Streten, told Kingsmill. I had moments where I couldnt write; had moments where I was writing lots. It was just a massive learning process for me.

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Streten admitted copycats forced him to explore new soundscapes. I do, I have to move on but as annoying as it is  its also flattering and it also means I move forward rather than just get lazy and keep using the same sounds, he said.

Skin is set to drop this week and features the singles Never Be Like You, Smoke & Retribution, Say It, and Wall F**k amongst its 16 tracks, including collabs with Raekwon, AlunaGeorge, Little Dragon, and more.
Youve got to hand it to Reddit, they know how to uncover a conspiracy. Whether or not theyre true is another matter altogether, but in this particular case we have a good feeling we may indeed be hearing new Avalanches music this week.

The Australian alternative hip-hop outfit dropped a mysterious teaser this morning, with fans speculating over what it could mean ever since. Some say its an upcoming documentary, others say its to hype up their long-awaited second album.

Well, as Consequence of Sound reports, one cunning Redditor may have figured the whole thing out. Curious about the song that comes in at the 1:20 mark in the trailer, the Redditor whipped out his Shazam app to find out what it is.

When you do so, the app returns the track The Wizord of Iz by BRAINZ, a band included on Noise 11s list of upcoming releases for the week commencing 20th May. According to the list, theyre set to drop a song called Frankie Sinatra.

The record is being put out by Universal Australia, who originally released Since I Left You, the bands legendary debut album, via the Modular Recordings imprint. So what? UA put out records all the time, right?

Well, remember how Detroit rapper Danny Brown revealed that hed been in the studio with The Avalanches? According to him, the name of one of the two songs he was working on was called, you guessed it, Frank Sinatra.

But it goes even deeper than that. According to another, even more obsessed Redditor, 16 days ago the song title Frankie Sinatra was copyrighted by APRA, registered to CHATER/DI BLASI/HOUDINI/RODGERS/HAMMERST.

This suggests the song features a sample of a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical as well as a sample from Wilmoth Houdinis calypso song Bobby Sox Idol, which features the repeated lyric Ahhh Frankie Sinatra.

Meanwhile, 13 days ago a member of The New Natives, a brass band from Louisiana, claimed on Instagram that he was shooting a music video for a song by The Avalanches titled Frankie Sinatra, but his posts were soon taken down.

Around the same time, a graphic designer posted an image of a butterfly-shaped patch emblazoned with the words Frankie Sinatra and a hashtag saying the same. As you will recall, the band recently updated their social media channels with a mysterious butterfly insignia.

And as Consequence of Sound notes, if you listen closely to the vocals in the The Wizord of Iz during the bands teaser, it does sound an awful lot like Mr Brown. We dont want to get your hopes up, but it looks like we may have new Avalanches music some time this week.
Loving live music isnt just about attending music festivals and seeing an international artists massive arena show. Even the biggest of big-name headliners started in the trenches, on the sticky carpets and bandrooms of your local bars and pubs  which is exactly where you should be if you want to discover your new favourite band or venue. Heres our picks for this weeks best local gigs from Aussie talent  from Perth to the East Coast  and all for the price of a good meal.

Black Mass

Where? Amplifier Bar, 383 Murray St, Perth

When? 8pm, Friday May 27

Why? RTRFM are embracing all things dark and heavy this Friday with Black Mass, a procession of doom and black metal featuring Sanzu, Drohtnung, Dirac Sea and Bolt Gun. Its also a low-key tribute to late presenter The Black Captain, aka Pete Dunstan, who passed away late last year and who was a fundamental part of the program Behind the Mirror, RTRs long-running exploration of ominous, foreboding and unsettling musical explorations.

Tickets & Info: Presales $15 for general public, $10 for RTRFM subscribers, RTRFM shop, Facebook event

ADKOB

Where? Moonshine, Hotel Steyne, 75 The Corso Manly, Sydney

When? 8pm, Thursday May 26

Why? Local indie rockers A.D.K.O.B are gearing up to tour the country in celebration of their new single and video Ghost which is a follow on from their impressive EP A Different Kind Of Busy that was met with critical acclaim. Catch these guys in action  you wont regret it!

Tickets & Info: $5-$15, www.hotelsteyne.com.au

Love Junkies

Where? Black Bear Lodge, 22 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

When? 7pm, Thursday May 26

Why? Perths The Love Junkies are celebrating the first taste of their upcoming third studio album, a bold, bass-y, deeply personal, and strangely beautiful track titled Nobody. If that wasnt enough the crew are also celebrating the addition of a new member to the fold  taking over from bassist Robbie Rumble (as he moves to guitar) is FOAMs very own Harley Barnab. Party!

Tickets & Info: $13.30, thelovejunkies.com.au

Funk Rabbit

Where? Cherry Bar, 103 Flinders Ln, Melbourne

When? 7pm, Thursday May 26

Why? A band whose name were hoping came from Melbournes one and only bunny busker, Funk Rabbit will be bringing the soul to Cherrys Soul in the Basement this Thursday. With DJs Vince Peach and Pierre Baroni keeping the vinyl spinning long into the night pop in and call it an early Friday!

Tickets & Info: $10, Facebook event

Cinta & Stina, Karli White, Various Asses

Where? Hugs N Kisses 22 Sutherland St, Melbourne

When? 8pm, Saturday May 28

Why? In whats set to be a night of Melbournes finest Stina Tester I Cinta Masters, Karli White and Various Asses aka V/A (ex Fatti Frances) are teaming up to host a night of upbeat pop, down tempo pop, new wave, techno, R&B, grime, future music and everything in between at Melbournes most underrated club, Hug n Kisses. If we had our money on one event you couldnt miss for the week, itd be this. Go there, get sweaty, have fun.

Tickets & Info: $10, Facebook event

The Lovely Days

Where? The Workers Club 51  55 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Melbourne

When? 7pm, Tuesday May 24

Why? The Lovely Days  the brotherly partnership originally from Byron Bay, who are now writing and playing in Melbourne are currently in the midst of a residency at The Workers Club celebrating the launch of their new release: a killer EP titled WATERMELON. Great indie pop featuring a whole stack of local legends on support duties  get on it!

Tickets & Info: $5, Facebook event
Are you in an up-and-coming band or perhaps forging ahead with a solo project? Do you dream of being on the lineup of one of Australias biggest music festivals? Well, triple j may just have the answer to your prayers.

As they do every year, triple j Unearthed are giving one talented homegrown artist or band the chance to join the lineup of Splendour In The Grass, performing alongside names like The Strokes, The Cure, and many more.

One winner will be flown from anywhere in Australia to Byron Bay, put up in VIP camping, and then be given the chance to christen Splendour In The Grass 2016 by playing the opening weekend set on the amphitheatre main stage.

Tired Lion won the thing last year and theyve since gone on to enjoy the biggest 12 months of their careers, including signing new record deals, nabbing awards, and even playing a set at the legendary Glastonbury festival.

There will also be a spot open for a local Byron Bay artist, so if youre registered to vote in the local government areas of Byron, Ballina, Lismore, and Tweed, you should get your best tracks on Unearthed by Sunday, 12th June too.
Two key opposition-controlled areas near Syria's capital were relatively calm on Tuesday after appeals by Russia for a temporary freeze in fighting there, a monitor and an activist told AFP.

Fierce fighting had been rocking the besieged opposition-held town of Daraya, southwest of Damascus, and in Eastern Ghouta, a large rebel bastion east of the capital.

But clashes subsided in both by Tuesday morning, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

"It has been quiet in both areas since dawn," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Daraya-based activist Shadi Matar confirmed that the shelling and clashes that had shaken his hometown over the past two weeks had stopped.

"There was fighting around midnight but it stopped around 1:00 am on Tuesday and it's been calm since then," he told AFP.

But he said fellow residents were sceptical that the quiet would hold.

"People don't believe (in these truces) like they did before. Their morale is low and they don't trust anyone," he told AFP.

Late Monday, Russia called for a 72-hour freeze on fighting -- or "regime of silence" -- in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya starting on Tuesday.

Both areas are supposed to be included in a broader ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia that came into place on February 27 but has since faltered.

Daraya was one of the first towns to erupt in anti-regime protests in 2011, and was one of the first areas to be placed under crippling government siege in late 2012.

The US and Russia have both pushed for local truces as a way to bolster the collapsing three-month ceasefire.

More than 270,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

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Hempel Kuwait, a leading paint manufacturer, said it will increase its production with the opening of a 20,000-sq-m factory in 2017, with the capacity rising to 19 million litres in two shifts.



With the new factory, the company seeks to leverage markets in a number of regional countries like Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, said a statement from Hempel Kuwait.



The new factory will produce solvent-borne as well as water-borne products, and will also include a regenerative thermal oxidiser in the paint production unit that will remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to prevent atmospheric pollution, it said.



Additionally, in order to create the best possible working atmosphere, the factory will also come with cooling facilities, which will provide a suitable environment for workers in the factory to cope with the extreme summer heat in Kuwait, it added.



The expansion plan coincides with Hempels golden jubilee anniversary in Kuwait as a result of an alliance with the Al Rashed family, which for the past 50 years has witnessed major developments and has strengthened its position as a leading coating and paints company in the country, said the statement.



Khaled Al Rashed, member of the board of directors at Hempel Middle East-West, said: We look forward to the big celebration of our five decades here in Kuwait this coming October. Additionally, the establishment of the Mina Abdallah factory in 2017 will increase our productivity by 40 per cent and will put us on the map in the region.



We realise that our customers requirements vary from one country to another, and therefore, based on our extensive experience in the region, we provide our customers with products and services that match their specific needs, he said.



Henrik Andersen, group president and CEO of Hempel Global, said: The Middle East region and Kuwait, in particular, play a very important part of the history of Hempel as 2015 marked our global centennial celebration.



During our 50 years in Kuwait, we have built an excellent partnership with local firms, not only in the oil and gas industry, but also when it comes to contractors, architects and consultants. We have dedicated 15 global research and development (R&D) centres which continuously provide local market with newly developed products that cater to special climatic conditions in Kuwait and the region, he said.



I would like to thank our valued partners and shareholders in Kuwait and the Middle East for their vision, support and business acumen over the last 50 years, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company (SAIIC) and GE have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to co-invest in strategic sectors that will help develop and localise industrial value chains in Saudi Arabia to serve the domestic market and beyond.



Joint investments of $1 billion (SR3.75 billion), will be rolled out by 2017, in addition to an aggregate potential investment of $2 billion to drive projects in water, energy, aviation, digital and other sectors from 2017, a statement said.



Complementing the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, the overarching aim of the agreement is to establish transformative projects that will promote industrial diversification, deepen manufacturing capabilities in the kingdom, build industrial know-how and create quality jobs for Saudi nationals.



This will be through joint ventures in advanced manufacturing facilities in the kingdom as well as by developing emerging digital and other industrial technological capabilities in Saudi Arabia.



SAIIC and GE will also co-develop wide-ranging digital industrial applications and solutions that aim to foster home-grown digital innovation. The software solutions will cover data visualization, big data management, and data analytics, among others.



Eng Abdullatif Al-Othman, SAIIC chairman of the board, said: This agreement with GE to form joint ventures and co-invest in strategic, high-growth industrial and digital sectors, is at the core of SAIICs mission and supports the Saudi Vision 2030 to strengthen the kingdoms economic diversification. SAIICs mandate is to invest in and establish strategic industrial value chains in Saudi Arabia that promote the development of local manufacturing capabilities, quality jobs and attract new technologies and investments. This strategic alliance with GE is an ideal fit to deliver on these goals, and together we will contribute to the long-term economic competitiveness and diversified growth of the Saudi economy.



Jeffrey Immelt, chairman and CEO of GE, said: We are honoured to be among the first companies to partner with SAIIC in meeting its strategic development goals of Saudi Vision 2030. We will work together to build manufacturing capabilities of GE in Saudi Arabia and develop more Made in Saudi high-tech technology, creating a robust local supply chain. The agreement will also lead to strengthening the culture of digital innovation in the kingdom. The joint investment and collaboration will be a game changer for the kingdoms industrial and digital sectors.



A joint venture of Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Aramco and Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), SAIIC has the mandate to investing in and developing globally competitive industrial sectors in the Kingdom. It focuses on driving inward investments to the Kingdom through joint ventures and partnerships with global industry leaders. - TradeArabia News Service


Iran and New Zealand have finalised an agreement to work together on the agriculture sector, said a report.



The agreement was reached during a meeting between Iran's Agriculture Jihad Minister Mahmoud Hojjati and the visiting Foreign Affairs Minister of New Zealand, Murray McCully, in Tehran recently, added the Iran Daily report.



At the signing ceremony, Hojjati said New Zealand has great capacities in agriculture and can have enhanced cooperation with Iran in this sector.



He added that the two countries also can cooperate in fisheries, animal husbandry as well as relevant technologies.



McCully said the cooperation document will top the agenda of bilateral exchange so that the two nations could also increase trade in other areas of economy.



Given the two sides considerable agricultural potentials, McCully noted that Iran and New Zealand could boost bilateral transactions, added the report.


Egypt's public prosecutor formally requested data on the crashed EgyptAir plane from France and Greece on Monday, as the victims' remains began arriving at a Cairo morgue ready for DNA testing.



EgyptAir flight 804 from Paris to Cairo vanished off radar screens early on Thursday as it entered Egyptian airspace over the Mediterranean. The 10 crew and 56 passengers included 30 Egyptian and 15 French nationals, all believed to be dead.



Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadek asked his French counterpart to hand over documents, audio and visual records on the plane during its stay at Charles de Gaulle airport and until it left French airspace, his office said in a statement.



He also asked Greek authorities to hand over transcripts of calls between the pilot and Greek air traffic control officials, and for the officials to be questioned over whether the pilot sent a distress signal.



Egyptian officials say they received no mayday call from the pilots before the plane disappeared.



Greek officials say that controllers chatted with the pilot after the plane entered Greek airspace and that he sounded cheerful.



He thanked them in Greek, they said. When they tried to call him again to hand over to Egyptian air traffic control they got no response. The plane then disappeared from radar.



French investigators say the plane sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke had been detected on board as well as other possible computer faults shortly before it disappeared.



The signals did not indicate what may have caused smoke, and aviation experts have not ruled out either deliberate sabotage or a technical fault.



Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said all scenarios were possible and that none were being ruled out.



He promised a transparent investigation but said it could take a long time.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Friday that Greek radar had picked up sharp swings in the jet's trajectory as it plunged from a cruising altitude to 15,000 feet, then vanished from radar.



That description of the plane's last moments has not been confirmed officially by Egyptian officials. The head of Egyptian air navigation services said Egyptian officials did not spot the plane swerving.



"We did not record any form of swerving," head of National Air Navigation Services Company Ehab Mohieeldin told privately owned local television channel CBC on Monday night.



He added that Egyptian officials were able to spot the jet on radar for one minute before it disappeared but they were unable to communicate with it.



Ships and planes scouring the sea north of Alexandria found body parts, personal belongings and debris from the Airbus 320, but were still trying to locate two "black box" recorders that could shed light on the cause of Thursday's crash.



If recorders are found intact their contents will be studied in Egypt, air accident investigator Captain Hani Galal told CBC, but they will be sent abroad for analysis if found damaged.



The State Security Prosecution will handle the criminal side of the investigation and will examine all debris and remains, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Sunday.



An Egyptian team formed by the Civil Aviation Ministry is conducting the technical investigation and three officials from France's BEA air accident investigation agency arrived in Cairo on Friday with an expert from Airbus.



"There were enough body parts to fill one body bag," a security official who saw the body parts arrive at Zeinhom morgue in Cairo told Reuters. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.



Investigators are due to take DNA samples from the families of passengers and crew on Tuesday as the task begins of identifying what few remains have been recovered so far.



Air crash investigation experts say the search teams have around 30 days to listen for pings sent out once every second from beacons attached to the two black boxes.

While global aviation regulators agreed several years ago to extend the life of such devices to 90 days, their decision will not take effect until 2018.



The crash was the third blow since October to hit Egypt's travel industry, still reeling from political unrest following the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak.



A suspected Islamic State bombing brought down a Russian airliner after it took off from Sharm al-Sheikh airport in late October, killing all 224 people on board, and an EgyptAir plane was hijacked in March by a man wearing a fake suicide belt.



Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Sharm al-Sheikh bombing within hours but a purported statement from the group's spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, distributed on Saturday, made no mention of the crash.



The October crash devastated Egyptian tourism, a main source of foreign exchange for a country of 80 million people.



Tourism revenue in the first three months of the year plunged by two-thirds to $500 million from a year earlier, and the latest incident could crush hopes for a swift recovery. - Reuters
Bahrain's Cabinet has approved a proposal to create two new kinds of entry visas and extend the validity of other visas as part of its efforts to attract more visitors and investors.



The decision was taken at a regular weekly Cabinet session chaired by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, a BNA report said.



According to the plan, recommended by the Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, a new BD5 ($13.17) entry visa, issued electronically at border points, will be added. Issued only once, the visa allows its holder to stay in the kingdom for five days.



The second visa is a multi-entry one. It is issued electronically for BD85 ($224) and allows its holder to stay in the kingdom for up to 90 days.



Holders of the current multi-entry visas, which are valid for three months, may stay in the kingdom up to one month instead of two weeks.



The memorandum on the new visa plan, highlighted in the presentation given by the Deputy Premier Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, was referred to the relevant sides to take the necessary technical and legal procedures.
Your family's Disney Vacation will get to a higher level as the Disney World offers new expereinces like a rollercoaster in the dark, real life Frozen, meet giraffes in the nighttime safari, feel the "Force Star Wars" fireworks, new day time and night time shows and many others.

The "Animal Kingdom" started its night time opening at Memorial Day Weekend wherein guests can ride "Expedition Everest" and "Kali River Rapids" in the dark and take a trip on the "Kilimanjaro Safaris."

"Turtle Talk with Crush" and "Toy Story Mania" will be updated with the addition of "Finding Dory" characters and a third track that will surely lessen waiting times for the 4D arcade shooting game.

Meanwhile, "Rock n Rollercoaster" and "Its A Small World" didn't change anything but it will be one of the first few rides that will inteact with the MagicBands.

The most awaited "Frozen Ever After" ride will be up on June 21 where guests will have a journey through Arendelle. The princess meet-and-greets will also be more amazing since Elsa and Anna will move to their cabin at Epcots Norway Pavilion, Orlando Business Journal reported.

But guests who wants to meet Olaf would have to visit Disneys Hollywood Studios where Fantasia-inspired Mickey and Hollywood Minnie will also be present. Disney Juniors Princess Elena will also arrive in the Magic Kingdom later this summer. You can also meet Joy and Sadness of Inside Out and Baymax from Big Hero 6, Travel and Leisure reported.

New shows coming in the happiest place on earth include "Mickeys Friendship Faire" this summer, nighttime show "The Jungle Book" and "Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular" fireworks show that will debut on June 17, Under Cover Tourist wrote.

The Disney Springs will also be opening and a huge variety of snacks and food locations will also be available which will no doubt make your visit to Disney world more fun, exciting and memorable.

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The number of migrants dying while trying to cross the Mediterranean has fallen sharply, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday, voicing hope the lethal trend seen since 2013 may be turning.

This year, 1,370 migrants and refugees have died trying to make the perilous crossings to Europe, on all routes -- a 24-percent drop compared to the 1,792 who had perished by this time last year, the IOM said.

So far in May, the toll stands at a total of 13 Mediterranean deaths, none of them on the eastern route between Turkey and Greece, IOM said.

By comparison, across all routes a total of 330 migrants and refugees perished trying to cross in May 2014, and 95 died during this month a year ago.

This marks "a considerable drop," IOM spokesman Joel Millman told reporters in Geneva.

He especially hailed the drop to zero deaths along the eastern route, where nearly 400 migrants and refugees perished during the first four months of the year.

That steep decline in deaths between Turkey and Greece is not surprising however, after a controversial EU-Turkey deal struck in March has all but shut down that route.

"We attribute obviously this drop in fatalities reported to the extremely sharp drop in arrivals between Turkey and Greece," Millman acknowledged.

In April, arrivals to Greece plunged nearly 90 percent, falling to 3,360 from 26,971 in March, according to IOM figures.

Under the March deal, Turkey agreed to take back migrants landing on Greek islands in exchange for incentives, including billions of euros in aid and visa-free European travel for its citizens.

The agreement is the cornerstone of the EU's plan to curb a crisis that has seen 1.25 million Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and other migrants enter Europe since January 2015.

But Millman said the dramatically lower Mediterranean death toll this month also appeared to be connected with increased efforts by the Libyan coast guard to stop migrants from setting off on dangerous voyages, as well as more rescues at sea.

"In the last 24 hours, more than 2,700 migrants were rescued between Europe and Libya by various vessels at sea," Millman said, adding he was "encouraged by the sharp drop in fatalities."

He voiced hope that "the period of stark lethality that has been going on since 2013 may have run its course."

"Maybe we will see a safer summer than we had anticipated a few weeks ago," he said.

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One in eight swimming pools in most populated states were allegedly been shut down due to inspection of filthy and suspected existing harmful water around, as announced by health authorities in the United States on Thursday.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, their findings were based from information of almost 50,000 pools, hot tubs, and water parks located in 5 states where the features are of utmost popularity, as reported in News.discovery.com. These facilities are located in Florida, New York, Arizona, California and Texas.

The report narrates the following statement in relation to the findings of the health violations in swimming pools. The statement states that:

"Most inspections of public aquatic venues (almost 80 percent) identified at least one violation. One in eight inspections resulted in immediate closure because of serious health and safety violations."

The report released was taken from the data distributed in 2013. The data showed that the Cryptosporidium can be the cause of diarrhea and vomiting, is the number one cause of water-related illnesses.

The greatest number of incidents occurred in pools for kids, or otherwise referred to as wading pools, which were one of the pools found to have violated the health regulations set forth health authorities.

The report indicated that the most common violation to have been found in the maintenance of the health regulations of swimming pools was inappropriate PH (15 percent), safety tools (13 percent), and disinfectant concentration (12 percent). MOst of the one-third of the local health departments do not inspect the pools, hot tubs and water playgrounds, that is according to Michele Hlavsa, CDC Healthy Swimming Program chief.

The illnesses that come with water infection are the following: water borne illness, drowning, chemical poisoning and burns, as reported in News-medical.net. These illnesses are on their way of being reduced slowly but surely, thanks to the upgraded health regulations put in effect by health officials.

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In a depths of the Leang-Leang caves of Maros in Makassar, South Sulawesi, lies a 39,900 year-old cave art that looks like it has just been drawn yesterday. This is a cave art depicting hands on the wall.

The cave painting of hands is the oldest dated hand drawing and possibly oldest symbolic depiction in cave art. It is made by blowing homemade paint to the cave owners' hands, leaving a ghostly stencil.

The paintings show the different sizes of the hands of the people that lived in the cave. There are hands from children and adults. There are even hands with missing fingers. The artworks are left at the entrance of the caves, where the visitors can easily view them in broad daylight.Another painting is a 35,400-year old painting. It is a female pig-deer or as locals call it, a babirusa.

Maxime Aubert, archaeologist and research leader from Griffith University stated: "Overwhelmingly depicted in Europe and Sulawesi were large, and often dangerous, mammal species that possibly played major roles in the belief systems of these people."

Both paintings have been discovered five decades ago but their origin is still undetermined. This discovery possibly rewrites the history of art. The artworks extend the geography of ancient cave painters. Before the discovery, cave paintings were thought to have been first created around Prehistoric Europe era.

Iwan Sumantri, archaeologist from Hasanuddin University in Makassar told CNN, "The prehistoric caves are very important in the history of the cultural development of mankind, not only for the people who live in South Sulawesi but also for all humanity."

The art from the caves suggests the possibility that cave arts already existed before the travel of modern humans from Africa more than 600 centuries ago.

Chris Stringer, anthropologist from London's National History Museum told National Geographic, "I predict that even older examples of cave art will be discovered on Sulawesi, and in mainland Asia, and ultimately in our African homeland."

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Travelling can be overwhelming to many, especially when they are going at it alone. Travelling, though, may be eased in the company of wonderful movies that make one laugh. Travellers need to conduct a good search to be able to find the movies that would make them laugh, just before they travel and while they are travelling. Travellers may utilize search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing to stumble upon the movies that would brighten up their days in no time.

1. Borat

"Borat" is a comedy movie whose lead star is played by Sasha Baron Cohen, as reported in Blog.uencounter.me. Cohen plays the role of a reporter from Kazakhstan who travels to the United States so he could get some insights as to how the American people could be of help to the Kazakh culture. Cohen plays the role of a wild character who tries out all sorts of out of this world antics to complete his mission in the United States. The thing that would make the audiences laugh hard is that only Cohen's character and his trusty sidekick associations believed in what he was doing.

2. Airplane

This film is kind of old, time speaking, but sure would never fail to make people laugh when they watch it. Viewers get to laugh at the events that take place inside the plane as they watch this movie.

3. The Hangover

This film features some guys on a wild trip to Las Vegas only for them to lose some money the next morning they wake up, as reported in Thetraveltart.com. The hectic search after discovering the lost bucks would make the audiences laugh out loud even more.

4. Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure

Two metal head slacker guys go at it in travelling through time by collecting figures of historical persons (i.e., Billy the Kid, Socrates and Abraham Lincoln) in time for their high school history presentation. The adventure of these guys looked hilarious, funnily ridiculous at the same time.

5. Bruno

In this movie, Sacha Baron Cohen plays the role of a gay Australian fashion reporter who takes a trip to the United States after he loses his job. The adventures Cohen's character goes through were ridiculous, but adorably exciting and funny at the same time.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Netflix and Disney are tightening their partnership. After signing an exclusive licensing deal for Netflix to show all the new Disney films that would come out in theaters in 2016, we now know one of the advantage that viewers like us would get out of it: by September, we can watch all 2016 Disney, Marvel, Lucas Film, and Pixar movies in the Pay TV Home channel.

It has been noted that other Marvel made-for-Netflix series are already streaming on the site. "Daredevil", "The Defenders", "Jessica Jones", "Luke Cage", "Iron Fist", "The Defenders", and "The Punisher" are all the Marvel series on the site.

The move to have exclusive rights to the film is to follow Netflix's aim to provide unique content for its subscribers. It has been clearing its library of non-exclusive titles and populating it with exclusive TV shows and movies.

However, the deal with Disney is only limited to America. Netflix depends heavily on the deals it makes from third-party providers. Deals vary with different geographical locations. This means that the right to show Disney to other countries other than America is not yet approved.

As an effect, Netflix also has to come up with a deal with some of the Disney classics. Come June, some Disney titles will be pulled out of the Netflix library. Netflix has released the title list of the Disney movies that would be added and removed, and it is noticeable that the 1990 classics ("Toy Story", to name one) are not in the list.

Favorites such as "Mulan", "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Hercules" will not be on Netflix - temporarily, we hope. There are classics though that would still be in the library: "A Walk to Remember", "Tarzan", "Robin Hood", "Lilo & Stitch", and "Emperor's New Groove".

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Kelly Hoggan, the agency's assistant administrator for security operations, has been removed from his position, according to an internal memo by TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger obtained by NBC News. The House Oversight Committee confirmed Hoggan's removal from the position.

Darby LaJoye, takes the position who is currently a deputy assistant, who previously ran security at Los Angeles International Airport and New York's JFK.

The decision was made as fliers complain about long, slow airport screening lines. That problem "has many parts," as NPR's Brian Naylor has reported: More people are traveling, and there are fewer screeners.

The May 12 hearing looked into attrition as well as management accountability. The committee says Hoggan received more than $90,000 in bonuses between November 2013 and November 2014, "despite significant security vulnerabilities." Lawmakers accused TSA of surreptitiously giving the payments in $10,000 increments, NBC News reports.

NBC also reports that during the hearing, Administrator Neffenger said that he did not think the "level of bonus is justified," but that he didn't have plans to fire Hoggan.

TSA plans to work on going forward:

"Congress gave the TSA authority to hire more than 700 new screeners, who are expected by mid-June, and the agency is redeploying others. It will also be making additional use of canine teams to help screen passengers, as well as stepping up marketing of the TSA Pre-Check program, which allows passengers who undergo a background check and pay $85 to go through expedited screening."

In an email on Monday, Neffenger said he had put in place a new leadership team at Chicago O'Hare International, infamous for travel delays, and said he had appointed Rod Allison, director of the Federal Air Marshal Service, as the deputy chief of operations.

LaJoye, taking Hoggan's position "effective immediately," has worked as federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

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We present everything a person need to know about planning their best romantic honeymoon destinations - most specifically to beaches. We will blurt out the most visually attractive and romantic beaches in the world.

As stated by NZ Herald, there are few things in a person's life that are as exciting as discovering the best beach getaway. Like the easy sands of Otama Beach to the massive surf of Banzai Pipeline or the waterside bars of Mexico. As every beach offers individuals something different and exciting to make it magical. As beaches provide a divine combination of salt, sand and society that gently calm a person to rest and enjoy.

According to Glamour, Jessica Festa of jessieonajourney.com experienced the astounding beach in Kealakekua Bay, Big Island, Hawaii. And Festa stated that individuals have to brave up a half-mile trail and steep steps to thrust out this remote place in a sheltered bay with views across Vineyard Sound, and people could easily wind up with the place to themselves.

While Jessica Wray of curiositytravels.org. refered the beach of Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi Leh, Thailand. Where people will recognize this cove that has a towering limestone formations and crystal-clear water that lights up at night. This is the place where Leonardo DiCaprio and Virginie Ledoyen did their underwater kiss in the film - The Beach.

Christina Perez of insideelsewhere.com made it known that Wilderness Beach, Puerto Rico is just a 20-minute walk along a trail through the jungle. Then a person will suddenly come to a rock-shielded beach which is so magical and windswept. The place could make a person feel like a mermaid could suddenly appear at any moment.

However, Bridal Guide stated that, British Virgin Islands is popular for its posh resorts. But, one of the archipelago's most romantic spots is the almost legendary Sandcastle Hotel, on a tucked away Jost Van Dyke island.

Cayman Islands - "made up the Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac) that are surrounded by gorgeous, clear water, making them a diving hotspot. The place also have a culture of politesse, which makes visitors feel safe and at home."

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Travellers have been having a hard time getting through airports' security lines in the United States. But to make matters worse, they are now going to even have a harder time getting through long lines at the airport during Memorial Day.

The previous year on 2015, 2.25 million passengers underwent airport screening, as reported in CNN Money. This year, the number of passengers to travel and undergo airport screening, is predicted to increase this summer.

John Helmich, the chief economist in Airlines for America, an industry trade group, explained his prediction of how the airport security process would be for travellers. He said:

"If we're having long wait times processing early spring demand, then we expect late spring/early summer to be even worse."

Just previously this month, two airports in Chicago encouraged passengers to be at the airport at the minimum of three hours before their flight departs during the summer to be able to pass the TSA security screening.

Heimlich has admitted that he has been concerned, though, these long lines would become more frequent in the coming days. 222 million passengers got through airport security screening in June, July and August the previous year. This figures were an increase as compared to the data released in 2014, according to the trade group as reported by CNN Money as well. According to the same website, this year the figure can increase as much as 231 million passengers travelling in airports going through TSA screening.

At the Atlanta's airport, for instance, the line at the TSA security earlier this month was so long that it wound up at the airport's atrium before it got all the way through the domestic airport terminal area baggage claim section, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via USA Today. Atlanta's airport has been considered as the world's busiest airport, as written in a USA Today article.

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(Beijing)  Police have arrested a reputed publisher in the southern province of Guangxi for bribery, the local prosecutor's office said in a statement on May 22.

He Linxia, a former president of state-backed Guangxi Normal University Press Group, was arrested three days after the general manager of Guangxi Xinhua Book Store Group, Li Xiaoyong, was found guilty of taking 6.75 million yuan in bribes by a regional court and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Li had established a private publishing house in partnership with Guangxi Normal University Press Group headed by He, court papers from Li's trial showed.

Li had accepted kickbacks, including cash and gifts, from a private book dealer between 2011 and 2014 when he served as the president of Guangxi Education Publishing House Co., court documents showed. Li brokered a deal that allowed this dealer to buy a stake in the private publishing house he had started together with He's company in 2010, prosecutors said during Li's trial. Li had also helped this wholesaler win lucrative contracts to supply textbooks to schools in the province, they said.

However, it is not clear whether He's arrest is linked to charges brought against Li.

He, 58, was an editor at the Guangxi Normal University Press Group before he was appointed as its president in 2008. In seven years, he turned the small company affiliated to Guangxi Normal University in Guilin into the sixth largest publishing house in the country in terms of assets, an industry report published by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television in 2015 showed.

The company, with a wide range of titles on subjects such as law, politics and modern Chinese history, sold books worth one billion yuan in 2015, its financial documents showed. He was named "publisher of the year" at a state-backed award ceremony in January.

It is not clear when He stepped down from his position. He's deputy, Zhang Yibin, attended a book launch in the provincial capital Nanning, where he introduced himself as the new president of the company in April, local media reported.

He was last seen in public on January 9 at an industry symposium in Beijing.

(Rewritten by Li Rongde)
Most people following the self-driving car (or AV for autonomous vehicle) scene are convinced that they will be small and they will be shared. It seems logical, because a regular car is parked 94 percent of the time, so why not have it do something useful instead?

I have never found this to be plausible; people build home theatres and dens in their homes that are empty 94 percent of the time when they could go get a better picture in the multiplex. I have been suggesting instead that just as the car changed the form of our houses (making the garage the dominant feature), the AV will as well, becoming an entertainment centre on wheels that plugs into your home.

IeMobi mockup/Video screen captureNow Honda has nailed exactly what I have been talking about with their propose for the Ie-Mobi. Their description:

The Honda IeMobi Concept connects to the home seamlessly, connecting electricity and entertainment information from car to home, and home to car. When parked, IeMobi becomes a room with around 5m2 [50SF] of living space. By using IeMobi matching the users lifestyle, such as a guest room to invite friends, or a mobile pantry for weekend shopping, new possibilities in mobility and lifestyle are born.



This would be a dream come true for many people. Whereas now people have to get out of their chairs, walk to the garage and get into their cars, in the IeMobi one just tells the chair to move from the big room to the little one. Honda thinks that this will be good for old people, never having to get up from their seats.

Its great that they have time together, but shouldn't the kid be walking?/Video screen capture

But also sends the kid off to school instead of telling him to get a bit of exercise.

Surprise! We're decorating the living room!/Video screen capture

It even gets decorated and turns into a traveling birthday party.

party time!/Video screen capture

The key point of the design that designers should think about is that this rolling box is actually part of the home, integrated right into it. Honda even thinks it might become more than a vehicle but a food truck: Its use is limited only by the imagination: open an impromptu cafe during the weekend, or a soup cafe or curry shop.

You can see in the vertiginous video from the Tokyo Motor Show that it really does attach seamlessly to the home, with a glass wall that opens it up to the rest of the space.

Honda is also building mobile chairs for the elderly, and a robot to watch over everything. Honda is showing the IeMobi connecting to houses, but really you can imagine them climbing walls and clicking into apartment buildings. It could be a home office that actually takes you to the office and clips into the office building side. It might clip onto an IeMobi curry shop for lunch, and then a fitness club with bath and shower so that you never have to stand up and go outside again.
(Beijing)  Internet giant Baidu Inc. said May 23, it would gradually take down discussion forums on literature from its popular online bulletin board service to remove content suspected of infringing upon intellectual property rights.

The country's biggest search engine operator did not say how many posts would be affected. The firm's bulletin board service, Tieba, has over 19 million forums with discussions on many fields including novels. Authors and Internet reading sites have criticized these online communities for circulating pirated content.

The forums will be put back online after the company combs through their content to delete material protected under copyright, Baidu said.

Forums that have been affected as of May 24 include those where some of the country's bestselling works of fiction were posted online without the authors' consent.

Baidu also said it would set up a quick response channel to handle complaints and scrub out any illicit material within 12 hours after verification.

This announcement comes after Wu Wenhui, CEO of popular reading website China Reading Ltd., criticized Baidu for failing to prevent users from sharing pirated material on its bulletin boards in an open letter on May 23.

Widespread copyright infringements affected authors' incomes, Wu said, adding that some were even verbally attacked by other users of Baidu's discussion boards for arguing that people should pay to read books.

"This cannot be tolerated," wrote Wu. China Reading, a subsidiary of Tencent Holding Ltd., owns the copyright for nearly 10 million digital books, or 70 percent of all online-only literary works in the country, according to the firm's website.

China Reading said it had filed two law suits against Baidu over the unauthorized republishing of two of its digital novels. It did not say when these legal suits were filed or in which court. An employee of the firm, however, told Caixin a court had accepted to hear these cases.

The National Copyright Administration has weighed in on the dispute. An unnamed "person in charge" from the organization told a state-media outlet on May 24 that by closing the online forums in question, Baidu sets a good example for others to follow.

In 2014, publishers lost about 7.8 billion yuan in sales revenue because people read pirated copies of digital-only books, according to an estimate from iResearch, which provides data on Internet-based consumption.

This is not the first time the search engine operator has been blamed in a dispute over copyright violations. In 2011, 50 authors penned an open letter highlighting the presence of pirated materials in one of Baidu's file storage and sharing platforms, Wenku.

The company reacted by removing all illicit content within days, but users started uploading pirated material even after the crackdown .

Not many angry authors have the time and money to sue a large firm, and Baidu knows that, said Bei Zhicheng, CEO of Dashenquan, which provides services to authors and literature sharing platforms.

"When the public debate dies down, most affected authors and publishers do not have any means to challenge the violators," he said.

(Rewritten by Wang Yuqian)
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 24

Scoot Air, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, flew in today from Singapore with a full load of over 370 passengers. The mammoth Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner aircraft was accorded a ceremonial welcome with water cannons during landing at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport today.

The delight among the passengers flying direct from Singapore and the capacity departure manifest was proof of the potential of direct flights to the holy city.

The present frequency will be thrice a week  on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Priced at one way fare from USD 49 to USD 261, the airline offers attractive fares to various destinations in the East.

Gratifying is the prospective of business opportunities, since the aircraft carried freight to Singapore from Amritsar today. At present, 15 tons of freight can be carried in the aircraft three times a week.

Airport Advisory Committee member and president of the Dilbir Foundation Gunbir Singh said: I have personally been pushing for the Scoot Air connections since 2012. Such a huge success at the very onset is phenomenal. Already, the airline is talking to us to increase the frequency from 3 to 4 times a week by July 2016. Hopefully, if this demand for seats continues, the frequency shall become daily once it gets more aircraft to cater to other sectors.

Today, travellers from Punjab have confirmed that they are flying to Australia, Japan and Hong Kong from the holy city as well.
Kanwal Sibal

WE should evaluate the conduct of foreign policy and national security in the first two years of the Modi government in the light of the challenges India has faced virtually since Independence and the essential continuity in our foreign and security policies.

Chinas policies towards us have always been strategically adversarial. Despite this, previous governments have engaged China at the highest levels, kept the channels of dialogue open, set up mechanisms to resolve border differences, strengthened confidence-building measures to prevent actual border clashes and increased trade exchanges to the point of China becoming our largest trade partner in goods.

Pakistan has been perennially hostile. It has abetted terrorism against us since the mid-80s. It has never abandoned its strategic objective of denying us access to Afghanistan and opposing our presence there. Pakistan was a territorial product of religious forces in the subcontinent which continue to threaten Indian security even today. Pakistan has not allowed SAARC to develop as an effective regional organisation. Despite Pakistans abiding hostility and terrorist attacks, previous governments have kept the doors of dialogue open, delinked terrorism from dialogue, and overlooked even the horrific Mumbai attacks in the hope that Pakistan in its own self-interest will abjure inimical policies towards us.

Over the decades, our relations with the US have been marked by positives and marred by negatives. With the India-US nuclear deal, the transformation of our ties began earnestly, to the point that the previous Prime Minister was criticised for being too pro-US. The US, however, continues to arm Pakistan, refuses to sanction it for terrorist activities against India, overlooks Pakistans nuclear misconduct and the Sino-Pakistan nuclear ties. Far from treating the Taliban as a terrorist organisation, it is willing to accommodate it in the power structure in Afghanistan under Pakistans auspices and Chinas participation. The US treats China as an adversary in the western Pacific and as a partner in our region.

With Russia, successive governments have endeavoured to maintain the intimacy of political and strategic ties, despite the absence of meaningful economic ties. Narasimha Raos Look East policy had Japan in view. We continue to strengthen our ties with Southeast Asia. We have maintained cordial ties with Gulf countries.

In this broad context of continuity, Modis two years have some distinguishing characteristics. Armed with an impressive electoral victory and heading a single-party majority government, Modi may have reasoned that he could act with greater credibility abroad. His strong personality and self-confidence have marked his dealings with foreign leaders, and explain his penchant to strike a personal rapport with them. His approach has not been to seek favours as a developing country from the industrialised world, but to offer them opportunities in a growing India in mutual interest. More pointedly than previous leaders whose goals were not different, he wants foreign policy to primarily serve Indias development goals. He has shown the knack of encapsulating his economic goals in neat slogans. The tremendous personal energy he has brought into his foreign policy pursuits is unprecedented, having made 40 visits and met with 100 world leaders in two years. The downside of this personalisation of foreign policy is that while there is applause for success, he gets the blame for perceived failures.

Modi began by courting all our neighbours and wanting to infuse new life into SAARC. His visit to Nepal in 2014, the first by an Indian PM in 17 years, was visibly successful. But Nepal finds self-realisation in trying India, and, unsurprisingly, relations have nosedived, as they did in Rajiv Gandhis time. Modi was the first Indian PM to visit Sri Lanka bilaterally in 28 years. The change in government there has helped in improving ties, but the Chinese challenge will not go away, as Sri Lanka has always played the China card to balance India. The internal disarray in the Maldives makes management of that country difficult, but the Maldivian President visited India in April this year. With Pakistan the flip-flops of the past continue. The dialogue process has got frozen because of terrorism, as before. The handling of the Pathankot episode has not been different from the long rope given to Pakistan in the past. But Modi invites strictures as he is expected to be tougher with the Pakistanis. His lack of success in dealing with Pakistan merely underlines the intractability of our Pakistan problem. With Bangladesh, Modi notched a success in signing the landmark boundary agreement. He has tried to give substance to the strategic partnership with Afghanistan by transfers of some military equipment.

If China has protected Pakistan on terrorism in the UNSC sanctions committee, and is opposing our membership of the NSG, it is less a failure of Modis engagement of President Xi than a continuation of rebuffs and provocations that China has habitually administered to India in previous years. With Japan, Modi has consolidated strategic understandings pursued by the previous government. With Russia, Modi has been careful in nurturing the vital defence and nuclear pillars of our bilateral relationship. The last two summits with Russia have been a success. Modi has consolidated the breakthrough achieved earlier in ties with key Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, besides scoring a significant political success in relations with the UAE. His visit to Iran should prove productive for the future.

Modi has galvanised the US relationship that stagnated in UPAs second term. He has struck a personal rapport with Obama, resolved differences over our nuclear liability legislation, assiduously cultivated the US corporate sector, worked with Obama on climate change issues, expanded defence ties and boldly elaborated a joint strategic vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions with the mounting Chinese assertiveness in view. The negative elements in US policies in our region will, of course, continue as before.

Under Modi, the the third India-Africa Forum Summit in 2015 was significantly successful. The Forum for India-Pacific Island Cooperation was a novel initiative. His visit to Indian Ocean island countries in March 2015 was timely. His outreach to the Indian diaspora has been dramatic, as has been his projection of Indias civilisational heritage through initiatives such as the UN-sponsored International Yoga Day and celebration of Indias Buddhist linkages with other countries.

In sum, if the yardstick used to evaluate Modis foreign and security policies in his two years in office is not different from the one used to judge the performance of previous Prime Ministers, Modi could legitimately claim high marks.

 The writer is a former Foreign Secretary
Kim Sengupta

The end of Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the head of the Taliban, in an American drone strike is a killing of great significance violently highlighting the shifting dynamics of conflict and intrigue in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The usual area of US air attacks hitherto had been the tribal belt of north and south Waziristan where the targets had been Al-Qaida and foreign fighters. This time it was in Balochistan, where the Taliban's governing Quetta Shura is believed to be based, and the target was a senior member of the Taliban.

Furthermore, Mullah Mansour was said to have been groomed by the Pakistani secret police, ISI, and was seen as their candidate to take over in the fractious struggle, following the death of Mullah Omar. It was the influence which factions of the Pakistani military and the ISI wield over the Taliban that led Afghan president Ashraf Ghani to reverse the policy of enmity of his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, with Islamabad. On assuming power, he visited the Pakistani military and ISI hierarchy before meeting the country's political leadership. The hope was that the people with real clout with the insurgents would be able to bring them to the negotiating table. That did not happen; instead the level of bombings and shootings in Afghanistan, including on the capital, Kabul, rose alarmingly.

Ghani has lately carried out a volte face and demanded that Islamabad take action against the Afghan Taliban who move around relatively freely inside Pakistan. The Pakistani position has remained that the Taliban need to be brought into the peace process and punitive action would only drive them underground. Islamabad also persuaded the Americans that this is the way to proceed; there have been hardly any drone strikes against the Afghan Taliban leadership in recent years. What appears to have changed was Mullah Mansour's growing closeness to Al-Qaida which is re-establishing itself in Afghanistan, joining Isis and the Taliban in a resurgent jihad. Ayman Zawahiri, the head of Al-Qaida, pledged fealty to Mullah Mansour and the latter promised co-operation. The rising violence in Afghanistan with the arrival of Al-Qaida and Isis has meant that it is highly unlikely Obama would be able to cut troop numbers there, as planned this year. There is a growing feeling in the US administration that drastic steps have to be taken. The Americans decided that Mullah Mansour and his coterie were not going to help to bring about negotiations but had, instead, become a hindrance. Obama, reportedly had personally authorised the strike. John Kerry stated: This action sends a clear message to the world that we will continue to work with our Afghan partners. The Afghan intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security, seemed to have details of Mansour's death before the Pakistanis. The US Secretary of State refused to say whether Islamabad informed of the attack before it took place. He had spoken to the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, after the air strike. The Pentagon sought to stress that Mansour had become an obstacle to peace and reconciliation between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban.

Since the death of Mullah Omar and Mansour's assumption of leadership, the Taliban have conducted many attacks that have resulted in death of tens of thousands of Afghan civilians and Afghan security forces as well as numerous US and coalition personnel. The killing of Mansour will boost Ghani in Afghanistan where he is facing severe criticism over growing strife and his failed overture to Islamabad.

The Independent
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 23

Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh held a protest in the office of Nagar Council today demanding compensation for a resident of Santpura locality, who recently passed away owing to health issues reportedly due to contamination of water.

The Congress MLA said three more persons from the locality were taking treatment in Jalandhar hospitals. He said the deceased Prem Pal was working on temporary-basis at Cooperation Bank in Kapurthala and was the only breadwinner for his family which includes four school-going children.

He said Rs 4 crore had been collected from the residents for regularisation of colonies but they were bereft of any civic amenities, including proper sewage system. DC Kapurthala Jaskiran Singh said, The deceased was actually suffering from kidney problem. We had got the facts checked about three days back when he passed away. The sewage mixing problem in the locality has been rectified.
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 24

The Army has gone full throttle this year so far and eliminated 45 militants in Kashmir. It has also reviewed its summer strategy along the 744-km-long Line of Control (LoC).

A total of 45 militants have been eliminated by security forces in Kashmir from January 1 this year, said Col SD Goswami, Northern Commands Udhampur-based defence spokesperson.

On May 16, a militant, Bilal Bhat, had jumped off a cliff to escape soldiers and died, taking the total number of slain militants to 46. Bhat along with his two associates was trying to exfiltrate to PoK via the LoC in the Poonch sector.

Army sources, however, said that despite gunning down 45 militants in Kashmir this year, militants were waiting in launching pads on the Pakistani side of the LoC.

The terrain is such that possibilities of successful infiltration cannot be ruled out. At the same time, there is immense pressure on ultras in launching pads because of continual success achieved by security forces in Kashmir this year, they added.

Sources said the rapidly depleting cadre of militant outfits in Kashmir had become a cause for concern for the Pakistani army and the ISI.

While the Army will be consolidating the gains made in the hinterland (within the state), we have a robust counter-infiltration strategy on the LoC, which has an appropriate mix of technology and human resource, said the sources.

Innovative troop deployment, including ambushes, efficient use of surveillance and monitoring devices, besides fencing along the LoC have enhanced our ability to detect and intercept infiltration, the sources added.

The Army anticipates that militants in launching pads may try some non-traditional routes to sneak into J&K this summer.

Our endeavour has always been to intercept and neutralise them (militants) before they reach the barbed fence, they added.

As per an official report, 18 highly trained militants crossed the LoC and sneaked into Kashmir via frontier Kupwara district in April this year. Out of them, five were shot dead in recent encounters with security forces.

Last year, over 100 militants were killed by the Army in the state.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 23

In back-to-back attacks in the city today, militants shot dead three policemen, one of them an officer, at two locations within a span of two hours. The Hizbul Mujahideen has owned responsibility for the attacks.

In the citys Zadibal area, two motor-borne militants shot dead ASI Ghulam Mohammad Bhat (58) and Head Constable Nasir Ahmad (49) point blank at 10.30 am. The policemen were unarmed. Working on a case, they were on their way to a tea stall when they were attacked.

Soonafter, police and CRPF personnel cordoned the area and launched a search for the assailants. Initial investigations reveal that the militants used pistols, said a senior police officer. Then at 12 noon in the city's Tengpora locality, militants shot personal security officer (PSO) Mohammad Sadiq Sheikh (37) while he was sitting in a car. They took away the deceased's rifle. Director-General of Police K Rajendra Kumar said the two attacks were an act of desperation and the militants were trying to demonstrate their presence.

He was speaking at a wreath- laying ceremony. He said it was yet to be determined if the attacks were carried out by the Hizbul.

Srinagar has been relatively peaceful over the past three years.The last time that policemen were targeted in the city was on June 23, 2013.

Later in the evening, a commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad and his associate were killed in the heart of Srinagar. The militants, hiding in a house, lobbed a grenade and fired at the forces. In the brief exchange of fire, Saifullah was killed along with his associate, the sources said.
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 23

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today asked the J&K Police and other security forces, especially new recruits, to calibrate with the policy of compassion adopted by the state government.

I want to take Jammu and Kashmir out of the whirlpool of violence that has broken the back of our society and economy, but I will not succeed unless the J&K Police and security forces include themselves in the mission to apply a balm on the wounds of the people, Mehbooba said while addressing an attestation-cum-passing-out parade of 228 recruits at Police Training Centre, Sheeri in Baramulla district.

Highlighting the role of the police in combating militancy, she said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved because of the efforts of security agencies.

If you had not acted in time, we could have landed in a situation similar to the countries like Syria, Iraq and Pakistan, which have been ripped apart by acts of violence carried out in the name of religion, she said.

While Mehbooba was speaking to the new recruits, militants carried out an attack on policemen in Srinagar, leaving three of them dead.

She said the police had more responsibilities in J&K and it was difficult to fight with youth.

Unfortunately, our police force has more responsibilities. The violence of the last three decades has landed you in a difficult situation. You can fight with outsiders but when your own youth pick up guns, it becomes a big challenge for you. You have given many sacrifices. You have stood your ground and I salute you for performing to the best of your abilities, the CM added.

The Chief Minister said the role of the police had evolved given the unprecedented improvement in the security situation of the state.

Your role is difficult because you have to tackle your own people. I cant tell you how to react when bullets are being fired at you. But during crowd control, we tend to overreact. We have to understand that these boys are our own and it is your responsibility to bring them into the mainstream, she said.

Addressing the newly recruited constables today, the CM asked them to respect the Constitutions of J&K and India while performing their duty.

I have a dream to see the J&K Police as the number one force in the country, Mehbooba said.

She asked the policemen to change their attitude and behaviour towards the common man.

The function was also attended by Principal Secretary, Home, RK Goyal, Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, SJM Gillani, General Officer Commanding, 19 Division, Baramulla, JS Nair, besides top officers of civil and police administration.
New Delhi, May 24

We will arrest and bring back India's most wanted fugitive, Dawood Ibrahim, soon, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday, although he did not specify a deadline for the task.

Dawood will be nabbed soon. He will be brought back to India at all costs. He is an International terrorist. However, there is need to take the help of international agencies to nab him, said Singh in an exclusive interview to a regional news channel.

All the relevant documents against Dawood have been given to Pakistan, he said.

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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said it would continue to ask Pakistan to hand Ibrahim over after a television channel claimed that it has tracked his location.

Singh also said India faced no threat from the Islamic State only days after the worlds most dangerous militant organisation warned in a video that it would avenge atrocities against Muslims in India.

There is no threat from the Islamic State. The muslims of the country are against the ISIS. In India, the Muslim community won't allow them to do so. Besides, security is on high alert, he said, using an acronym for the group.

Some Indian jihadists of the Islamic State, among them an engineering student from Maharashtra's Thane, had threatened to avenge demolition of the Babri Mosque and the purported killing of Muslims across the country.

Four youngsters from Mumbai's outskirts  Aarif Majid, Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, Amaan Tandel and Saheem Tanki  had fled to Syria May 2014 to join the swelling IS ranks.

Of them, Aarif Majid returned soon and has been in National Investigation Agencys (NIA) custody since.

The video, which features Sheikh, pays homage to Shahim Tanki, who is said to have been killed in a bomb attack in Raqqa last year.

Dawood Ibrahim has been accused of having been the mastermind behind 13 serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993. The blasts killed over 250 people and injured over 700.  ANI
Guangzhou, May 24

President Pranab Mukherjee arrived here on Tuesday on a four-day visit to China that will see significant political and economic push to bilateral ties while irritants like Beijings opposition to Indias membership of Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) and the blocking of UN bid to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist will also figure.

Mukherjee, who is making his first visit to China as President, has made a number of trips to the country in various capacities, including as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Defence Minister.

In Guangzhou, the highly industrialised city in China, Mukherjee will address the India-China Business Forum in which some top Indian industrialists will also be present.

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province in southern coastal China that contributes 12 per cent of the countrys GDP and is home to a wide-ranging set of multinational and Chinese corporations.

The President will arrive in Beijing on Thursday where he will meet with President Xi Jinping and other top Chinese leadership, including Premier Li Keqiang and National Peoples Congress Chairman Zhang Dejiang.

In discussions with the Chinese leadership, the issues of Chinese reservations on Indias membership in the NSG and the UN ban on Azhar are expected to figure prominently.

Bilateral ties have been on an upswing since Xis landmark India visit in September 2014 during which both countries had signed 12 agreements and China pledged an investment of USD 20 billion in Indias infrastructure sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited China in May last year during which both sides had resolved to further deepen ties in a range of areas.

However, irritants in ties cropped recently after China blocked Indias move to get a UN ban on JeM chief Azhar and opposed granting India membership of NSG, saying it must sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to get an entry into the 48-member group.

India had countered the Chinese contention of signing NPT before becoming a member of NSG as confusion as NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries.

Ahead of his state visit to China, Mukherjee had told the Chinese state-run television that India seeks a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question which will help in achieving full potential of Sino-India relationship. PTI
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 23

The strategically important Chabahar port deal was among 11 agreements that India signed with Iran today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while in Iran on a two-day visit, called the Chabahar agreement as a key milestone. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also reached Tehran today to participate in the discussions.

The agreement will strengthen our ability to stand against those whose only motto is to maim and kill innocents, said the PM in a veiled reference to Pakistan. He said the port would provide Afghanistan with an effective and a more friendly route to trade with the rest of the world.

The Chabahar port is of great strategic significance to India as it would open a transit route to Afghanistan and Central Asia for Indian goods and products, bypassing Pakistan.

For Pakistan and also for China, this is bad news, to put it mildly. The port would provide Kabul an alternative to the city of Karachi. And for China, its dominance in the region is likely to be checked. Also, the port will bring India, Iran and Afghanistan closer to one another. India and Iran also share a crucial stake in peace, stability and prosperity of the region. We have shared concerns at the spread of forces of instability, radicalism and terror in our region. We have agreed to consult closely and regularly on combating threats of terrorism, radicalism, drug trafficking and cyber crime.

We have also agreed to enhance interaction between our defence and security institutions on regional and maritime security, the PM said in a statement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, "Chabahar can become a big symbol of cooperation between Iran and India. Also, a trilateral agreement on transport and transit corridor was signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Modi said could "alter the course of history of the region

Since the lifting of the sanctions, Iran has played host to a number of nations that are eager to engage with it. India maintained its relations with Iran during the sanctions era, despite pressure from the US, and never stopped importing oil from Iran.

The Iranian media reporting on Modis visit was upbeat about the developments. The E'temad newspaper said Modi's visit and the signing of agreements on joint projects, energy and connectivity " will ring danger bells in Islamabad, China and Riyadh." India will help develop the Chabahar port and invest around $200 million to develop terminals and cargo berths. A 500-km rail line between Chabahar and Zahedan will also be built with Indian collaboration. Before the visit, India had cleared part of its $6.4 billion oil dues to Iran.
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

Guangzhou, May 24

India is looking to de-hyphenate itself from Pakistan as far as membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) goes. As President Pranab Mukherjee landed in China on a four-day visit, those familiar with the developments made it clear that India had never objected to Pakistan's NSG membership.

China, along with other countries, have been maintaining that there should be a thorough discussion on whether non-NPT countries can join the NSG, and this decision should be made on consensus. This applies to all non-NPT countries, including Pakistan, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told mediapersons on Monday, ahead of Mukherjee's visit.

China had recently objected to India's membership of the NSG on the grounds that it has yet to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This was seen as a sign of China's friendship towards Pakistan which has been arguing that if India is allowed in the elite NSG club, so should Pakistan.

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However, those in the know in the government maintain that India has never endorsed or blocked Pakistans membership to the club. The membership is by consensus and the US has backed India's claim, given Indias clean record on non-proliferation. Pakistan, whose nuclear proliferation record has always been a matter of concern, is pushing for a berth in the NSG, if India gets it. India had recently cited the example of France which became a member of the NSG without signing the NPT. The Chinese have, however, countered this saying, "France was a founder of the NSG so the issue of its acceptance to the NSG did not exist."

Officials in the government said the Chinese argument (that India could not be admitted in the NSG club without first signing the NPT) did not hold because there were no set of rules as such for the NSG membership. Also, India is primarily concerned with its own membership rather than that of another country.

India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan are some of the UN members that have not signed the NPT yet. The NSG membership issue is likely to be raised by Mukherjee during his talks with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping, over the course of next few days. While the India-China relationship is a not a smooth one, it is nevertheless being hoped that the visit of the President will help remove the strain between the two countries.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar/ludhiana, May 23

Damdami Taksal head Harnam Singh Dhumma said here today that the attack on Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale was the outcome of the preachers propaganda against the Taksal and the Sant Samaj.

Backing the persons arrested in connection with the attack, Dhumma said, The derogatory comments made by Dhadrianwale against the Sant Samaj went viral on the social media. It was natural that his remarks invited the ire of Taksal supporters. Condoling the death of Bhupinder Singh, Dhumma said Dhadrianwale was responsible for the incident.

The Ludhiana police today recovered the .315 bore rifle which was used to kill Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwales associate Bhupinder Singh Khasi Kalan. The rifle was recovered from Sukhwinder Singh alias Sonu, the main accused arrested in connection with the murderous attack on Dhadrianwale on May 17.

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On information provided by the accused, the police raided the house of Manveer Singh Hisowal, also arrested in the case, in the Dugri area and recovered the rifle.

Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Balkar Singh said: After attacking Dhadrianwale, the accused went to the house of Manveer Singh and hid the rifle there. During questioning, they confessed that they had used the .315 bore rifle to kill Bhupinder Singh.

Meanwhile, the police produced four accused Hardev Singh, Manjit Singh, Jaspreet Singh and Gagandeep Singh before a local court which extended their police remand by a day.

Nab real culprits: Mand

Moga: Dhian Singh Mand, acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, on Monday demanded that the Punjab Government should arrest the real culprits rather than protecting them. The government must ensure an impartial investigation by the police. Otherwise, the case should be handed over to the CBI, he said. Mand claimed that the parallel Jathedars were peace-loving people, but the Akali Dal was bent upon disturbing peace in the state by trying to divide the Sikhs for political gains.  TNS
New Delhi, May 24

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation at its headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday over allegations of having tried to bribe some rebel MLAs into voting for his government in a floor test in March.

As a law-abiding citizen, I will appear before the CBI so that people dont get the impression that I'm trying to avoid the agency, Harish Rawat said earlier in the day as he was accompanied by some supporters and an MLA.

Rawat has accused the central government of having misused the agency for harassing him.

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The CBI had previously summoned him on May 5 for the same case. It had rejected Uttarakhand Government's notification for withdrawing the case last week saying there was no ground for its withdrawal and it was "not legally tenable".

The Uttarakhand High Court also refused to stay the investigations.

Presidents Rule was imposed in the state on March 26  a day before Governor KK Pauls deadline to Rawat to prove his majority in the House  after rebel lawmakers released a video that showed Rawat trying to bribe the rebels into voting for his government in the floor test.

Rawat returned as Chief Minister after he won a floor test ordered by the Supreme Court on May 10.  Agencies
Lahore, May 24

The Nawaz Sharif government has been issued a notice by a Pakistani court here on a petition challenging the prime minister on his more than 70 foreign tours which has cost the exchequer over 600 million rupees.

The Lahore High Court yesterday issued the notice on a plea by barrister Javed Iqbal Jafrey, who pleaded that Sharif extravagantly spent public money on his foreign tours, and on his and family's projection in the media.

Jafrey alleged that the prime minister was spending public money to get medical treatment in London at a time when there are no medicines at hospitals and the country was mired in foreign debts.

"It is unfortunate that the prime minister fails to establish state-of-the-art hospitals in the country where he could go for his own medical treatment," he said, adding that taxpayers' money was been used by the premier and his family for their "lavish" foreign tours.

Sharif is currently in London, along with family members, for medical check-up. But speculation is rife that he has gone there to meet former president Asif Ali Zardari for "advice" on the "Panama Papers" documents leak in which the names of his two children has figured for having off-shore companies.

Petitioner Jafrey also told the court that millions was being spent on media advertisements to promote the prime minister and his political party (PML-N).

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah sought a reply from the government tomorrow, overruling LHC registrar's objection to the petition.

In February, the National Assembly was told that 638 million rupees had been spent on Sharif's foreign trips. He has lived at least every fifth day of his tenure out of the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had informed the National Assembly that Sharif has spent a total of 185 days abroad in 65 foreign tours with accompanying staff of 631 officers between June 2013 and February 2016.

After he came to power in June 2013, Sharif has often visited abroad, despite criticism by Opposition and media.

According to the data provided in the Assembly, Sharif visited Britain 17 times, spending about two months in the UK, of which 32 days were listed as official stay while 24 were listed as transits.

During each transit, Sharif has stopped for at least a couple of days which cost the exchequer 137.8 million rupees.

After the UK, Sharif spent most of his time in the US, visiting the country for 18 days. He has visited Saudi Arabia five times, followed by China, which he visited four times.

Turkey was Sharif's another favoured destination which he visited at least once every year.  PTI
BERLIN, May 24

The leaders of Russia and Ukraine discussed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President preparations to hold elections in an eastern Ukrainian area hit by a pro-Russian insurrection, according to the German government.

Progress on implementing the Minsk peace accords, negotiated by Berlin and Paris, has stalled. The elections are a key step in the agreement designed to end a conflict that has killed more than 9,000 people since April 2014.

Moscow and Kiev accuse each other of failing to stick to the deal, which also includes restoring Kiev's control over the whole border with Russia and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the conflict zone.

"In the centre of the consultations were security questions and the preparations for local elections in the conflict areas in eastern Ukraine," said German Government spokesman Steffen Seibert in a statement.

"The participants on the call agreed to intensify their cooperation in both areas to swiftly achieve progress." The EU imposed sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and stepped them up later that year when pro-Russian rebels seized territory and fought Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine. Russia denies Western accusations it has supplied equipment and tropps to the rebels.

The conference call, including Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and France's Francois Hollande took place late on Monday.

In a constellation called the Normandy Format, Germany and France have repeatedly tried to push Russia and Ukraine towards resolving the conflict.  Reuters
London, May 24

Britain has granted political refugee status to former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, who was handed down a 13-year jail term on controversial terrorism charges after a trial in the country that drew widespread international criticism.

Nasheeds lawyer Hasan Latheef said the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader had sought political asylum and was granted political refugee status.

A prominent human rights campaigner and Maldives first democratically elected president, 49-year-old Nasheed had been allowed to go to Britain in January for a spinal cord surgery following a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and the UK.

President (Abdulla) Yameen has jailed every opposition leader and cracked down on anyone who dares to oppose or criticise him, Nasheed said in a statement proclaiming his refugee status.

In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exilefor now, he said yesterday.

The Maldives government said yesterday that it was disappointed that the UK had agreed to be part of this charade, adding that British ministers were helping with efforts to circumvent the law.

Nasheed became Maldives first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was supposed to return to Maldives after the treatment but remained in London where his wife and daughters have been living since he was jailed.  PTI
While the results from Sunday's vote have not yet been officially announced, Alexander Van der Bellen, a former Green Party chief running as an independent, appears to have won a significant chunk of the 90,000 absentee ballots that remained to be counted.

Norbert Hofer, nominee of the euro-skeptic, anti-immigration Freedom Party, said Monday that he was "sad" he had not won, but called the work of his supporters an "investment for the future."

The two candidates were in a statistical dead heat as of late Sunday.

Sunday's faceoff came just weeks after Hofer and Van der Bellen swept aside challenges from ruling Social Democrat coalition candidates Rudolph Hundstorfer and Andreas Khol. Both Hundstorfer and Khol were routed April 24 in first round voting, with each winning about 11 percent of the vote.

A huge influx of migrants from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia into western Europe has spawned a backlash against official EU policy that initially welcomed migrants to the relative safety and prosperity of western Europe.

Sentiment began shifting as Austria took in 90,000 asylum seekers last year, while neighboring Germany opened its borders to more than one million migrants, many of them fleeing Syria's long and deadly civil war.

EU officials have since negotiated a deal with Turkey under which migrants fleeing its shores by boat for Greece will be returned to in exchange for nearly $7 billion in European aid.
Graph: FreightWatch International

The upcoming harvest season for one particular type of food is expected to get increased attention again from cargo thieves following big jumps in stealing the previous two years.

Nuts have become a sought after commodity for organized cargo thefts because of their high value density per truckload and typically low security protocols, according to a new report by the logistics security services provider FreightWatch International

Since the harvest season for most commercially grown nuts is from August to September, it stands to reason that the third quarter of each year tends to record the most nuts thefts, as was the case in 2014 and 2015, the report says.

The third quarters of 2015 and 2014 each accounted for more than a third of all annual U.S. nuts thefts. The thefts carried an average value of $215,719 last year, 65% higher than the average value in 2014.

Nuts will likely gain in popularity amongst cargo thieves due to their value and lack of serialization or refrigeration needs, unless steps are taken to secure the supply chain and increase security on these shipments, says the Freightwatch report. As of the publication of this report, measures are being taken in California to create a law enforcement task force specifically aimed at combating high value Nuts thefts.

Geographically, California is the leader in nut theft, accounting for 81% nationwide. Also, because 99% of the countrys walnuts are grown in the state, three of the top 10 agricultural products of California are nuts. With foreign nuts also being imported through the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, its clear why the Golden State is the nut theft capital of the country.

Fictitious pickup was by far the most common method of theft, accounting for nearly half of all nut thefts. By comparison, no other product has as high a share of thefts by ficticious pickup, according to the report.

This fact is indicative of the interest already being shown by organized cargo criminals to obtain this product, FreightWatch says. Typical scouting techniques on internet load boards for fictitious pickups, such as high requirements for insurance or team drivers, can be coupled with the unique geography of nuts producers to identify with near certainty the contents of a shipment before the criminal bids on a load. As such, this atypical theft type is particularly well suited towards nuts.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The author of a bill to make performing abortions a felony that passed the Oklahoma Legislature says he wants to talk with the governor before possibly attempting to override her veto of the measure.

Republican Sen. Nathan Dahm of Broken Arrow said Tuesday that he and other supporters of Senate Bill 1552 remain committed to protecting unborn life, but he stopped short of committing to try and push the bill through over Republican Gov. Mary Fallins veto.

Fallin said the bill is vaguely worded and would not survive a legal challenge.

Dahm has until Friday  the last day of the session  to decide whether to pursue a veto override.

An override attempt would have to start in the Senate. The Legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers, 68 votes in the House and 32 in the Senate. SB 1552 passed in the Senate by a vote of 33-12; the vote in the House was 59-9 with 33 members excused.

Dahm said he has received calls expressing support and encouragement for his efforts to address abortion. His frustration with the governors veto is echoed by his constituents, he said.

In his statement about the veto, Dahm on Tuesday referenced a project to build an abortion clinic in Oklahoma City, saying the veto effectively expands abortion in the state because the clinic wouldnt have opened if Fallin had signed SB 1552.

The Trust Women South Wind Womens Center has been under construction for months in Oklahoma City, according to a spokeswoman for the Wichita, Kansas-based agency.

Trust Women had no plans to stop construction if the governor had signed the bill, communication director Deb Gruver said.

We applaud Gov. Fallin for vetoing the bill, Julie A. Burkhart, founder and CEO of Trust Women, said in a news release. Were just anxious to open our doors.

In a May 20 interview with Rolling Stone, Burkhart said they may be able to move into the building as early as June 20.

Trust Women, which opened a similar clinic in Wichita in 2013, said Oklahoma City is the largest metropolitan area in the United States without an abortion provider.

Gruver said Oklahoma legislators should be concerned with the statistic that there are more than 18,000 women in the state for every OB-GYN, the second-worst access in the country. She pointed out that the Oklahoma City clinic will offer women full-spectrum reproductive health care, not just abortions.

There is a lack of access for womens health care in Oklahoma in general, Burkhart said. Women in Oklahoma are underserved.

Among the voices of those calling for an override of the veto is Oklahoma Wesleyan University President Everett Piper. He stood with a number of pastors already gathered Tuesday for the Christian Liberty Leadership Forum at the evangelical Christian college in Bartlesville in urging the Legislature not to let the veto stand.

More specifically, we ask that those whom we have elected to serve the people of Oklahoma, now listen to the peoples voice, Piper said in a statement after the news conference. Listen to Oklahomas women whose dignity should be respected, and listen to Oklahomas children  our youngest and most vulnerable  whose lives should be protected.
Joe Wilson, a Tulsa resident who, as an Army medic during World War II, participated in the liberation of the notorious Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, died May 17.

He was 95.

Wilson was featured last year in the Tulsa World story and video series Serving our country: World War II veterans remember.

A service was held Friday at Christ Church Episcopal. Leonard & Marker Funeral Home in Bixby handled arrangements.

Wilson received a Silver Star and other decorations for his service in the war.

During his interview with the World, Wilson, who served as a combat medic with the 45th Infantry Division, described the scene of his units arrival at Dachau on April 29, 1945.

The Germans (at the camp) at first were ready to put up a fight, he said. But after a brief firefight that left several of them dead, they saw the writing on the wall and surrendered.

About 32,000 prisoners were in the camp when the 45th arrived.

After securing the camp, Wilson said, the horror continued to unfold. Bodies were everywhere, he said, adding that boxcars were found filled with rotting corpses.

Born Joseph Francis Wilson in Cushing, Wilsons introduction to the military had come with the National Guard. He joined in 1938 to make extra money during the Depression. He was only 17 at the time and had to lie about his age, he said.

With the start of World War II, the guard would be mobilized for action overseas.

Wilsons first taste of combat came in Sicily, which the Allies invaded in July 1943.

Moving on to mainland Italy, France and ultimately Germany, his unit would be in combat for more than 500 days.

Wilsons Silver Star was for risking his life once under fire to protect fellow soldiers.

After the war, he returned to Cushing. He would work for the post office there for more than 50 years, later moving to Tulsa.

Wilsons survivors include four children and eight grandchildren.
The opposition is calling for public disclosure of the legal advice given to former Attorney General Faris Al Rawi relating to the indemnity agreement with Vincent Nelson.

Speaking at the UNCs weekly Sunday media conference this morning, MP Saddam Hosein also criticized what he sees as the law associations delayed and weak response to the entire matter.
Instead, he noted that one of his highest foreign policy priorities is for the United States to play a greater role in the Asia-Pacific.

In his remarks, the U.S. president downplayed the assertion that lifting the embargo was aimed at countering China's influence and activities in the region  particularly with respect to the South China Sea.

"If you consider where we have been and where we are now, the transformation in the relations between our two countries is remarkable," Obama noted during a joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in the Vietnamese capital.

Standing alongside his Vietnamese counterpart, Tran Dai Quang, in Hanoi on Monday, Obama noted how lifting the ban on the sale of military equipment to Vietnam would remove a vestige of the Cold War, strengthen defense ties and, more importantly, underscore U.S. commitment to the normalization of ties with its one-time adversary.

"Over the past century, our two nations have known cooperation and then conflict, painful separation, and a long reconciliation," Obama said. "Now, more than two decades of normalized ties between our governments allows us to reach a new moment."

As he did with Myanmar, Cuba and Iran, the decision by U.S. President Barack Obama to lift the more than 50-year ban on weapon sales to Vietnam was his latest move to highlight a foreign policy rooted in diplomacy and engagement.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies' Greg Poling says that while China is a factor in lifting the embargo, the real issue is deepening ties with Vietnam and the U.S. commitment to Asia as a whole.

"As far as the effort of normalizing the relationship that started 21 years ago, this was overdue, or at least it was time. And it sends a real message that the U.S. intends to engage Vietnam just as it would any other state in the region, and that it is committed to the rebalance to Asia," he said.

Poling, CSIS' Director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, acknowledged that the president does benefit from a confluence of the U.S. pivot to Asia and China's recent behavior.

"As the U.S. was seeking to engage these nations anew, all of them were terrified of the intentions of a rising China, and welcomed the U.S. in," Poling said. "Eventually the arms embargo was going to be lifted, but the fear that China has put into Hanoi helped accelerate that by several years."

Bill Wise, Associate Director of the Southeast Asia Studies Program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, notes that the lifting of the embargo comes at a critical time for Vietnam.

"Their air and naval forces need modernizing. They will never reach parity with China, but they need to develop their own forces, their own capabilities so they can increase the price that China would pay for any further aggression in the South China Sea," Wise said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter acknowledged the regional challenges in remarks to reporters Monday.

"Countries in the region are coming to the United States more and more, to do more and more with us, because of their general concern with the security environment in the region," he said.

Republican U.S. Senator Bob Corker welcomed the move, noting, "I've been supportive of the partial lifting of arms sales restrictions to help Vietnam strengthen its maritime defenses, and I look forward to continuing to examine proposed sales for that purpose."

 Human Rights

But not everyone welcomes Obama's decision to scrap the U.S. arms embargo on Vietnam.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, also a Republican, issued a statement noting the administration has now lost leverage to press Vietnam on its human rights record.

"The Obama administration's pivot to Asia should be about security ties, but also standing up for brave Vietnamese believers in democracy when they are under assault in Vietnam," Royce noted.

Human Rights Watch's Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson echoed that sentiment in an interview with VOA.

"Today, we have seen President Obama essentially reward Vietnam even though they haven't done anything of note on human rights. They haven't repealed repressive laws. They haven't released any significant number of political prisoners. They haven't made any substantial pledges," Robertson said.

In his remarks Monday, Obama noted the U.S. will continue to press Vietnam on universal human rights.

SAIS' Bill Wise dismisses the suggestion that the U.S. is giving up leverage, noting the need to balance strategic interests with that of promoting human rights.

"We have a very strong interest in promoting democratic values and human rights in Vietnam, and I cannot imagine that the president will stop, or any president will stop, pursing those courses."
If you werent concentrating you could be forgiven for thinking Revolution School was Summer Heights High.

The drone shots flying over Kambrya College are reminiscent of Chris Lilleys opening credits, theres a troubled female who causes class disruption and a drama teacher the narrator tells us is the schools very own Mr. G.

But Revolution School is no mockumentary. Its a 4 part documentary filmed for 12 months at a public high school in Berwick, outer south east Melbourne. After finishing in the bottom 10% of schools in Victoria on Year 12 results, principal Michael Muscat decides its time for radical change. He turns to Melbourne University Graduate School of Education for help and producers Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder take us along for the ride.

The series uses both fixed rig and roving cameras, but unlike SBS series Kebab Kings, cameras are not hidden and consent isnt justified with a small disclaimer at the doorway. With minors, teachers and parents all filmed this is clearly a community effort (a handful of faces are pixellated).

There are cameras in classroom, offices and exteriors showing both students and staff at work and play.

Melbourne Unis Professor John Hattie, who heads up a national study commissioned for the series, concludes that it isnt class sizes, facilities, funding levels or testing regimes that improve grades, its the learning relationship between teacher and student. His methodology recommends learning targets and criteria for each class so that both student and teacher can track their achievement. A programme known as SEAL (Select Entry Accelerated Learning) is put in place for high achievers.

Amongst the students who are profiled is a personable 15 year old girl who attributes her disruption to bullying, and a 13 year old boy having home problems with parents -he will also have to answer questions about drug paraphernalia. There are also occasional quotes from other students as young as 12.

In addition to Principal Muscat, we meet Asst. Principal Jo Wastle, a former student who has risen through the local ranks. I guess it would be fair to say I like to have control of the situation, she tells us before ordering students to remove piercings and jewellery. Look out.

Other teachers include sub school leader Brett Wilson, English teacher Pete Wallis and first year teacher Grace Wong, whose biggest challenge is establishing order in her class. Maths teacher Cam Denham (pictured) -who also runs Drama- uses YouTube clips and headphones in class so that students can work at their own pace with technology they enjoy. Experts are also brought in to assess the teachers at work.

The challenge for the show is to distil its vast footage into storylines that work for television and on that front it has mixed success. Aside from setting lesson targets, I wasnt always clear on the radical methodology (is everyone in SEAL or just some?). One teacher appeared to score his class behaviour at 5 minute intervals, based on his own review and the overall mood. There is also the question of how behaviour changes when cameras are present. Are kids playing up more? Are Assistant Principals more draconian? Probably.

As television we also need to connect with the characters and I suspect stronger casting would not have gone astray.

But clearly this is a project where hearts are in the right places and Im sure there is a feelgood ending coming and presumably a lift in Kambryas grades. I hope none of the students find themselves the targets of social media nor tabloid headlines -they are minors after all.

Revolution School works effectively as a day in the life of snapshot, but needs more compelling story arcs if it hopes to be more than a quiet revolution.

Revolution School premieres 8:30pm Tuesday on ABC.
Sir Kenneth Branaghs final appearance as Swedish detective Kurt Wallender, began in the UK this week.

Branagh, who has played the role since 2008, reflected on the late Henning Mankell who died in October, in a piece for Radio Times.

We made 12 television films from his books and talked regularly (aside from my father, he was the only person who ever called me Kenneth, not Ken). The last time I saw him was seven years later in 2014, once again we were having dinner, our Wallander was coming to an end, we were both a little sad about it, and more importantly he was living with cancer, he wrote.

You always had to be on your toes with Henning. He was quick-witted and meticulous. He was dismissive of lazy thought, and in his personal relationships he wanted stimulus and debate. Our films investigated if or when the job of a police detective might break his creation of Kurt Wallander. Or whether he could make the difference he hoped might be possible, at least in some lives, in the small town of Ystad.

Henning also had a (Swedish) dry, deadpan humour and a capacity to talk seriously about serious things in the world at large almost immediately upon meeting.

It was only when I met Henning one morning in Hamburg that I knew Kurts end could not be conventionally happy. We were promoting the programme in Germany, and Henning approached me like a man clutching the answer to a very great secret. He grabbed me excitedly by the shoulders and said, I have it, I have it! Have what? I asked. The last sentence, he replied, the last sentence of the last Wallander story!

He would not tell me what those words were, but I knew from the gravity with which he now spoke that a shadow would fall once again across the life of Kurt Wallander. In The Troubled Man, the last of the Wallander novels, and the last of our films, that shadow stretches out across Kurts very mind. With a cruel irony, as Henning charted Kurts descent, cancer held Henning himself in its grip until finally he was taken from us last year.

The scenes where Kurt battles with his own mind were played for our cameras as Henning, sick but still visiting us on set occasionally, was battling his own illness. They were painfully memorable days.
Details are in on the first episode of the new-look Top Gear, which is fast-tracked to BBC Knowledge at 8:30pm on Monday.

Celebrity guests are actor Jesse Eisenberg and celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay.

In the first show of the new series, Chris Evans takes the Dodge Viper ACR to the home of Top Gun in Nevada to battle Sabine Schmitz in a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Matt LeBlanc tackles wildest Morocco in Somersets finest off-roader, the Ariel Nomad. Back on British soil, Evans and LeBlanc take a rather soggy road trip to Blackpool in a pair of roofless Reliant three-wheelers, whereupon they are tasked with defending the honour of their nations in a series of gruelling UK-versus-USA challenges.

Meanwhile, heres what will feature on Extra Gear, directly afterwards.

Presented by Rory Reid and Chris Harris, Extra Gear will bring viewers half an hour of exclusive new footage, interviews, and specially recorded films. Rory and Chris will also be joined by a special guest from the celebrity or motoring world to reflect on that weeks episode of Top Gear. Extra Gear will air each week after Top Gear on BBC Knowledge.
Producers of The Biggest Loser (USA) have defended the show amid criticism of its practices.

A former contestant told the New York Post she was forced to use weight-loss drugs in order to shed weight. Joelle Gwynn took aim at trainer Bob Harper.

He goes away and his assistant comes in. Hes got this brown paper bag thats bundled up. He says, Take this drug, itll really help you. It was yellow and black. I was like, What the f*** is this?

She said the shows doctor gave some lame explanation of the drugs adding, it was up to us to take them.

Another contestant said they would utilise amphetamines, water pills, diuretics, and throw up in the bathroom, and claimed that Harper in particular told people to vomit to lose weight. I vomited every single day, she said.

But producers rejected the claims.

The safety and well-being of our contestants is, and has always been, paramount, they said in a statement.

Contestants are told at the start of the show that there is zero tolerance for any weight loss drugs. We prohibit the use of any illegal substances, in addition to the many other rules and procedures of the show that are designed to ensure safety.

Several former contestants also defended the show on social media.

The New York Times recently published findings from a government-backed study performed by a division of the National Institutes of Health. The study tracked 14 former contestants and found that all but one of them regained all of the weight they lost on the show within six years after appearing on the program.

Meanwhile the 17th season of the NBC show averaged roughly 3.5 million nightly US viewers  a steep drop for a show that never averaged fewer than eight million nightly viewers in any of its first 11 seasons.

Source: Variety, Forbes
Photo by Ambre Alexander Payne

President Barack Obama declared the bison Americas national mammal on May 9. Serendipitously, on May 10, University of Delaware alumna and former Board of Trustees member Ilona Holland visited the Early Learning Center (ELC) to read her new illustrated childrens book, Buddy Bisons Yellowstone Adventure.

I was excited to share my book with the ELC, but being able to relate the story to current events made the experience that much more interesting for the students, said Holland.

Holland didnt set out to be a childrens book author. She received a masters degree in reading from UD and a masters degree and doctorate from Harvard University, then spent 14 years teaching at Harvards Graduate School of Education and consulting for shows like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and WordGirl to help ensure the educational content was clearly understood by the intended audience.

But in 2011, Holland received two stuffed bison from Grace Lee, executive director of National Park Trust (NPT). Buddy Bison is the NPTs mascot. When Holland asked if Buddy had a story, Lee told her no.

That got her thinking. Maybe she could write a book about Buddy that would be both entertaining and educational for children. When she presented the concept to NPT, they loved it. They had a partnership with National Geographic Kids, who agreed to publish it.

The story is about two siblings, Elena and Christopher, who visit Yellowstone Park. Buddy is a stuffed animal on Elenas backpack, who talks only to her. When Christopher goes missing, Buddy transforms into a real bison and helps Elena find her brother.

During her visit at the ELC, Holland read her book in several classrooms, adapting the information for the various age groups. In the older grades, she talked about the writing process, sharing examples of ways in which the illustrations and the words were edited to enhance the story. In the prekindergarten class, she incorporated lessons in vocabulary, science and nature.

Yellowstone has a hydrothermal area, she explained to the class. Hydro means water, like a hydrant. And thermal means heat, like a thermos that keeps drinks warm. So hydrothermal means hot water.

The book includes a map of Yellowstone in the back, along with tips on park preservation and relevant websites.

Prior to the authors visit, I had my class review the National Parks website. It fit in well with the ecology unit we just completed. And her story was a good introduction for our upcoming unit on endangered and protected animals, said Susan Yetman, prekindergarten teacher.

The second through fourth grade class discussed the value parks like Yellowstone and Acadia bring to the nation.

We examined John Muirs involvement with Yosemite Park and drafted plans for our own national park. What would we name it? Who would come? said Katie Hughes, ELC teacher. Dr. Hollands visit was a great opportunity for our kids. They love these experiences.

For Holland, her book tour continues. Shell be appearing at the Gaithersburg Book Festival and will be reading to students in Maryland later this month and in St. Louis in the fall. Buddy Bisons Yellowstone Adventure is available both online and in bookstores.
Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Zika virus was first discovered in 1947, but for more than six decades it was regarded as more of a nuisance than a public health emergency  the illness is usually mild, with symptoms lasting a few days to a week after the victim is bitten by an infected mosquito.

But 2015 witnessed an alarming connection between the virus and birth defects in children born to infected women, and the quest was on for a test to diagnose the disease and a vaccine to prevent it.

One of the companies engaged in that quest over the past several months was UDefend, a fictitious manufacturer of biologic vaccines and diagnostics set up at the University of Delaware to challenge chemical engineering seniors in a capstone course, CHEG432 - Chemical Process Analysis. Student teams worked with pairs of advisers from academia and industry in carrying out their projects.

The Zika virus has heartbreaking consequences for individuals with neurological complications, for pregnant women, and for new mothers with affected babies, says Sujata Bhatia, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering who co-advised five student teams with DuPont researcher Steve Lustig.

Yet there is no available vaccine or therapy for Zika virus, and there is no reliable diagnostic test to track the spread of the virus. So this seemed like the perfect real-world challenge for our students.

The students were told that the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had engaged the leaders of major biopharma companies, including UDefend, to combat the Zika virus outbreak. They were charged with evaluating the challenges and opportunities associated with the introduction of a Zika virus vaccine and an associated rapid diagnostic test.

Each team conducted a feasibility study, considering technical and business feasibility as well as social factors, and then made a recommendation as to whether or not UDefend should pursue the production of a Zika virus vaccine and test. With the decision to move forward, they then suggested prices for the products and identified public policies for distributing them to the global community.

After writing a comprehensive 73-page report, Stage Gate Development of rVSV Vaccine and Diagnostic Test for the Zika Virus, Team T  Brendan Buckbee, Daphne Collias, and Jonathan Galarraga  stepped up to the podium in Room 366 Colburn Lab on Monday, May 16, to present their findings.

They had 20 minutes to cover project requirements, market challenges and barriers to entry, value-chain assessment, manufacturing, profitability analysis, and recommended action. They finished with four seconds to spare, recommending that UDefend proceed, with initial prices of $50 for the vaccine and $7 for the diagnostic test.

One of their more interesting recommendations was that the manufacturing plant be constructed in Brazil, the epicenter of the Zika outbreak.

Even though we knew that we were just pretending to be a large company with significant assets, going through the entire thought exercise taught us a lot about how products are developed and then disseminated to meet customer needs, said Galarraga. We were really challenged on what it would be like to work on a project that has the potential to make a difference in the world.

Collias found it exciting to work on such a contemporary problem. Every day, new articles about Zika virus popped up in the news, she said. It will be interesting to see what actually happens with the development of a vaccine and a test for it.

Both Bhatia and Lustig were pleased with the work done by the student teams.

They learned an amazing amount about vaccines, epidemics, clinical trials, regulations, global health, economics, and manufacturing in just two months, Bhatia said. Each of the five teams took a unique technical approach to the Zika threat. The students work shows the power of a chemical engineering education.

On Tuesday, May 17, the day after the students presented their work, the U.S. Senate voted to advance $1.1 billion in emergency financing to combat the Zika virus.

In a statement following announcement of the funding, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said, Congress, the Administration, and state and local governments have a responsibility to the American people to fully combat the health risks posed by Zika. Just like with our response to Ebola, our response to Zika must be an all-hands-on-deck effort.
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).
German drug and chemicals company Bayer AG announced Monday that it has made a $62 billion offer to buy U.S.-based crops and seeds specialist Monsanto. The proposed combination would create a giant seed and farm chemical company with a strong presence in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Bayer said the all-cash offer values shares of Monsanto at $122 each. That compares with a closing price Friday of $101.52 and is 37 percent higher than the closing price of $89.03 on May 9, the day before Bayer made a written proposal to Monsanto. Bayer had said on Thursday that its executives met recently with their Monsanto counterparts "to privately discuss a negotiated acquisition" of the specialist in genetically modified crop seeds, which is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Monsanto said then that it was reviewing Bayer's proposal.

Bayer said it plans to finance the acquisition with a combination of debt and equity, the latter to be raised largely by issuing new shares. Bayer's shares, which tumbled after the initial announcement last week, dropped 3.1 percent in early Frankfurt trading Monday to 86.78 euros ($97.37). Monsanto shares jumped 11.3 percent to $112.98 in pre-market trading.



The German company said that it "is prepared to proceed immediately to due diligence and negotiations and to quickly agree to a transaction.''



"Monsanto is a perfect match to our agricultural business,'' Bayer CEO Werner Baumann said in a video message posted on his company's website. "We would combine complementary skills with minimal geographic overlap.''



"The acquisition of Monsanto checks all the boxes in terms of strategic fit and value creation potential," he added. "At the same time, ongoing consolidation activities in the industry make this combination by far the most attractive one.''



Baumann said Bayer expects the transaction to "create significant synergies" and bolster earnings in the first full year after it is completed.



Both companies are familiar brands on farms around the globe. Bayer's farm business produces seeds as well as compounds to kill weeds, bugs and fungus.



Monsanto has some 20,000 employees and produces seeds for fruits, vegetables and other crops including corn, soybeans and cotton, as well as the popular weed-killer Roundup.



Bayer, headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany, employs some 117,000 people worldwide.
Luisetta E. Chomel

Luisetta E. Chomel, Emeritus Professor of Italian at the University of Houston, began her teaching career at Liceo-Ginnasio Italiano in Mogadishu, Somalia where she taught Italian from 1955 to 1959. She earned a B.A. in French from the University of St. Thomas in 1969, after which she held a teaching fellowship in French at Rice University until 1972 when she joined the University of Houston as an Italian language instructor. A dedicated classroom teacher and researcher, Chomel completed her Doctorate of Philosophy in French in 1975 at Rice while continuing her course instruction work at UH.

During her thirty years on the faculty at the University of Houston, Chomel significantly expanded the program of Italian study. In 1992 she introduced a number of new courses and established a Bachelors Degree in Italian language. She further expanded the curriculum in 1997 to include an understanding of Italian culture and art by offering classes that addressed architecture, cinema, and theater. Fittingly, that same year the Italy in America Association honored Chomel with the distinguished Light D'Albergo Bailey Award. Named for the founder of the University of Houstons Italian program, this award honors teachers whose work and inspiration touches the community with the beauty of the Italian language, culture, and people.

A celebrated educator and scholar, Chomel was also awarded a knighthood in the Stella della solidarieta italiana (Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity) by the Italian Republic in 1990 in recognition of her outstanding efforts in promoting Italian language and culture. A three-time nominee for the Master Teacher Award (1990, 1991, 1994), she would win the honor in 1994. The Italy in America Association made her an honorary member in 2011.

In her lifetime Chomel authored two books, D'Annunzio: un teatro al feminile and Italia: cultura e civilizzazione (co-authored with Prof. Paola Lorenzi), and wrote numerous articles on Italian literature, theater and cinema.

She retired from her post as director of the Program of Italian Studies in 2001, having built a thriving interdisciplinary program that gives undergraduate students a comprehensive vision of Italian civilization that now also includes courses in history, political science, and economics.

To celebrate his mothers remarkable legacy, Marc Chomel has established The Luisetta Chomel Scholarship in Italian Studies. This fund honors Luisetta Chomels passion for study of Italian language and culture and her commitment to inspiring students to pursue this field of study.

To give, please return the attached form. Or visit https://giving.uh.edu/class; select Modern & Classical Languages from the drop down menu; and enter Chomel Scholarship in the special instructions box.
Police are checking information about a bomb planted in a plane at Kharkiv airport. Because of the bomb threat the airport authorities have canceled Kharkiv-Istanbul flight, Karkiv region police department report on its site.

"Today, at 3.30 in the airport administration received a call from an unknown man who said there was an explosive device planted in an aircraft," the report noted.

Chiefs of the Main Directorate of Police in the Kharkiv region, explosives team and the investigative team have arrived on the scene immediately to check the information.

A total of 128 passengers were evacuated from the plane. Law enforcement officers are examining the plane, checking luggage and interviewing the witnesses of the incident.

UPDATE: No bomb was found inside the plane. The flight to Instanbul departed at 8.30.

tl
The situation in ATO area in eastern Ukraine escalated. Militants launched 47 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine along the entire contact line over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

"In the evening, the enemy shelled intensively our strongholds near Marinka [35 km south-west of Donetsk], using small arms, grenade launchers of various systems and 82mm mortars. Militants also used 82mm and 120mm mortars to shell Ukrainian troops outside Krasnohorivka [29 km west of Donetsk]," the report reads.

Ukrainian servicemen also came under mortar and grenade launcher fire near Avdiyivka (18km north of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, militants used grenade launchers to fire at Ukrainian soldiers, who serve near Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk).

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Four representatives of the Russian military-industrial complex were banned by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) from entering Ukraine. The Russians intended to come to resume cooperation with partners from a firm in the city of Mykolayiv, the SBU press group in Mykolaiv Region reports.

"The SBU has banned entry to four heads from one of the military-industrial complexes in the Russian Federation. The Russians intended to come to Mykolayiv city to restore possible cooperation with the partners of a local company," the report noted.

Last November, SBU operatives exposed the illegal activities of a Mykolayiv firm that specializes in developing design and technological documentation for naval ships and the Border Service of the Russian FSB.

tl
Over the past day in the ATO zone, seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed and nine soldiers injured in action along the contact lines - Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol, Presidential Administration of Ukraine Spokesman for the ATO Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told a briefing in Kyiv, Ukrinform reports.

"During the last day of fighting, to our utter regret, we have significant casualties. Seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and nine servicemen were injured. Ukrainian forces suffered these extremely heavy losses on all three frontlines" said Motuzyanyk.

He also noted that the heavy losses in the ATO were caused by shelling. Also, caseshave been reported when soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stepped on explosive devices.

tl
Governor the westernmost Transcarpathian region Hennady Moskal has revealed the names of the persons involved, in his opinion, in transport of 5,600 cartons of cigarettes under the guise of a diplomatic shipment. He also has requested to remunerate customs officers, border guards and the Security Service officers who detained the suspects, governors personal website reports.

"On Saturday night, at the checkpoint Luzhanka located on Ukrainian-Hungarian border, the officers put an end to an attempt for smuggling large quantities of cigarettes under the guise of diplomatic cargo from Ukraine. The driver of the minibus with diplomatic license plate - vehicle belongs to the Embassy of Ukraine in Slovakia - a resident of Kyiv Sergiy Lishchyshyn who is the spouse of First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in Slovakia O. Lischyshyn tried to transport abroad more than five and a half thousand cartons of cigarettes, said Moskal. Customs officers contacted the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine and after obtaining a permit for inspecting the minibus found 5,685 cartons of cigarettes worth UAH 620,000. Both goods and the van have been seized," according to a statement.

tl
Canada, Turkey and Israel are among non-EU Member States, Ukraine aims to conclude free trade area agreements with. However, the FTA talks with Serbia have been frozen.

Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister of Ukraine, Trade Representative of Ukraine Natalia Mykolska said this in a commentary to an Ukrinform correspondent in Brussels.

"Our priority for this year is to form a list of countries, which we are negotiating on further liberalization with, in unison with Ukrainian business. We have much work. We need to complete [FTA talks with] Canada - to ratify the free trade area agreement. It is necessary to reach a certain level in talks with Turkey and Israel. We have suspended talks with Serbia. It was on the agenda, but at the moment we do not see a big request of businesses for these negotiations," the Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister of Ukraine said.

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Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has expressed it protest in connection with head of the Russian government Dmitry Medvedevs stay in the sovereign territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol that was not approved by the Ukrainian authorities.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has stated in its comments, government portal site reports. Russian Foreign Ministry was sent an appropriate note of protest. Earlier, Ukrinform reported that PM Medvedev visited the Russian occupied Crimea on 23 May. tl
Ukraine and the European Union have completed talks and are planning to sign a new Memorandum on cooperation in the sphere of energy this year.

Hans Rhein, a representative of the European Commissions Directorate-General for Energy, told Ukrinforms own correspondent in Brussels.

The negotiations have been completed. We are planning to sign [a Memorandum] this year. This concerns our new form of cooperation in the energy sector for the next decade, the European Commissions representative said.

According to Rhein, the sides have made it aim to renew the Memorandum so as to keep record of regulations of the international and legal relations between the European Union and Ukraine and to determine new purposes of cooperation for the next years.

iy
Poland and other nations of Central and Eastern Europe after World War Two were deprived of their fundamental rights; this explains why the Polish people demonstrate solidarity with the people of Ukraine fighting for their right to self-determination and live in peace.

President of Poland Anjei Duda said when giving a speech at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

This experience explains why today the Polish people demonstrate solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as well as any other nation in the world fighting for its right to self-determination. We support their will to govern their own destinies without coercion, intimidation and a threat of war, Duda stressed.

The Polish president also noted that over the last several years there have been cases of obvious violations of the international law, national territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries.

Such practices are neither to be accepted nor tolerated if future is dear to us, Duda stressed.

iy
Another group of North Koreans who worked in a restaurant in China have defected and are waiting in a third country to come to South Korea, it emerged on Monday.

Their decision seems to have been triggered by the earlier defection of 12 waitresses and their manager from a North Korean restaurant in Ningbo.

"The North Korean restaurant workers arrived safely in a third country and should be able to arrive in Seoul this week," a source said.

A source in China said Chinese security forces are investigating the incident. There are conflicting reports on when and where the workers escaped, as well as their exact number.

Jang Jin-sung, a defector who edits the magazine New Focus International, said they were three women in their 20 who escaped from a restaurant in Shanghai.

But an intelligence source said that information "lacked credibility." Another source said they were two or three workers from a restaurant in Xian. The government merely said it is checking the information.
Since the start of conflict in Donbas, the Ukrainian government has paid over UAH 57 billion to internally displaced persons, UAH 30 billion of which are pensions, according to First Deputy Verkhvna Rada Chairman Iryna Gerashchenko, who is currently on a working visit to Strasbourg.

Together with my colleagues in Parliament and, most importantly, representatives of the local government in Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipro, today in Strasbourg, at the invitation of the Council of Europe, we are discussing problems of internally displaced persons and the protection of human rights ... Much attention was paid to the issue of pension payments in the occupied territories. Ive noted that in the course of these two years of conflict, Ukraine has paid over UAH 57 billion (UAH 30 billion of which are pensions, the rest  social payments] to the displaced persons. So any blockade [of payments] is out of the question, Gerashchenko wrote on her Facebook page.

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Former Oxy Korea CEO John Lee, now the head of Google Korea, was questioned by prosecutors on Monday afternoon over the germicide scandal.

Lee is the first foreign executive called in by prosecutors for questioning about the company's toxic sterilizers, which killed or seriously injured hundreds of people in Korea.

He was grilled over his involvement, including whether he pushed ahead with sales of the product despite civil complaints about side effects.

Prosecutors also wanted to know if Lee was aware of the toxicity of PHMG, a toxic compound used in the sterilizer and now blamed for numerous deaths over the past five years.

Lee was the CEO of Oxy Korea from 2005 to 2010, when sales of the sterilizers were at peak levels.

Another former CEO of Oxy Korea, Gaurav Jain, who was Lee's successor and at helm of the company until 2012, could also be summoned.
The event was attended by Minjoo Party leader Kim Jong-in, former party leader Moon Jae-in, as well as Saenuri Party floor leader Chung Jin-suk and People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo, and former first lady Kwon Yang-sook and around 4,000 citizens.

A ceremony in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province on Monday marked the seventh anniversary of the death of former president Roh Moo-hyun.

Roh's former confidants toned down their criticism of the Park Geun-hye administration this year.

At last year's anniversary, Roh's son Kun-ho addressed then Saenuri Party leader Kim Moo-sung and accused the ruling party of driving his father to suicide and failing to repent for the injustice. But this year, he was more gracious and merely thanked the guests for attending.

The leaders paid a visit to Roh's grave after the ceremony. Moon asked reporters to keep the former leader out of politics and allow him to rest in peace.

Roh, who was president from 2003 to 2008, died in 2009 by jumping off a cliff near his retirement home in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province as a corruption investigation closed in.
The Defense Ministry on Monday formally declined a request for military talks from North Korea that arrived via a supposedly severed hotline Friday.

"We pointed out that the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula were caused by the North's provocative acts like nuclear tests and missiles launches. We regret that the North offered military talks without any mention on the North Korean nuclear issue," ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said.

A government official here said, "Whenever it's driven into a corner, the North habitually pulls out the dialogue card, but once the talks take place they sabotage them with absurd demands. They're more interested in causing discord in the South than in having a sensible conversation."

All five military meetings during the Lee Myung-bak administration were held at the North's urging and broke up acrimoniously.

The North is reeling from international sanctions tightened after its latest nuclear test and rocket launch, and Seoul has resumed propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarized zone.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned against the propaganda broadcasts and spread of propaganda leaflets in a speech at the Workers Party congress earlier this month and proposed military talks.
National Police Agency Commissioner General Kang Shin-myeong told reporters on Monday, "When police officers discover mentally deranged people who are feared to cause harm to others, we'll ask local municipalities to put them in hospital."

The move follows the horrific murder of a young woman by a schizophrenic man in a unisex toilet near Gangnam subway station in Seoul last week.

Police on Monday pledged to make sure that dangerously mentally ill people are institutionalized by force if necessary.

Police and municipalities can lock up in a mental hospital any dangerously unstable people who are likely to commit crimes.

Police will distribute a checklist to officers so they can objectively determine how dangerous mental patients are. They will also designate hospitals in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Meanwhile, a sea of memorial notes, flowers and other offerings at the subway exit nearest to where the killing occurred were taken down on Monday to be preserved because rain was forecast for Tuesday.

They were moved to City Hall as Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon promised to preserve the memorial offerings.

Some will be displayed at City Hall and the rest kept at the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family along with notes posted in other parts of the country.
Cornell University in Ithaca, New York has received a $25 million gift from a high-yield bond investor and alumnus, David Breazzano to its Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management for an under-construction office and classroom building situated in the city's Collegetown neighborhood.

In a statement the school noted that the six-story building will be named Breazzano Family Center for Business Education, and is awaiting board's approval. Scheduled to open in the summer next year, the 76,000-square-foot building will boast four large tiered classrooms as well as a flexible flat-floor classroom that can further be divided into two separate classrooms.

In addition, the building will feature two high-definition broadcast studios and has the ability to accommodate student project teams in thirty open spaces as well as forty-two breakout rooms, PhilanthropyNewsDigest reported.

The under-construction facility will be connected to the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, the school said Tuesday.

The donation that sincerely supports Johnson's faculty, also plays a crucial role in propelling Johnson to its next stage of growth, Hunter R. Rawlings III, Cornell's interim president noted in the statement.

The donation from Breazzano, co-founder and chief investment officer at DDJ Capital Management, who graduated from the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management in 1980, also contributes $4 million for the Breazzano Family Faculty Excellence Fund as well as current-use support through the Johnson Annual Fund.

DDJ Capital Management started in 1996 and is located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The firm specializes in loans and high-yield bonds and boasted a $7.27 billion in assets as of March 31, DDJ Capital's spokesman Jack O'Connor divulged.

Aside from the management school, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, the School of Hotel Administration will also be under the Cornell College of Business, Bloomberg reported.

Breazzano's $25 million gift is one of the most substantial donations the Cornell's business education ever received.
Mental illness is often called an invisible struggle. Many people are afflicted by depression of thoughts of suicide every day without showing any physical signs or symptoms as there is a stigma surrounding it. University of Cincinnati President Santa Ono revealed his past struggles with mental illness in order to bring light to the issue. Ono was also actively involved for the free mental health counseling sessions to students at the University of Cincinnati.

Ono spoke to a crowd of 200 people this weekend at a fundraiser in Indian Hill, The Washington Times reported. He revealed that he attempted suicide twice, once at the age of 14 and second during his 20s. Ono hoped that by speaking out about his mental illness struggles, issues surrounding it will be addressed including the stigma and how depression can be curable.

"There's light at the end of the tunnel. If you have the proper counseling and support, it's really possible for you to move past that and move back into functioning life," Ono said, as noted by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The fundraiser was hosted by a nonprofit organization called 1N5, an organization dedicated to those suffering from mental illness. They have raised more than $115,000 in donations, WFMJ.com shared.

Free Mental Health Counseling Sessions at University of Cincinnati

The Enquirer shared that it was Ono who initiated the free mental health counseling at the University of Cincinnati. It was spurred by a death of 21-year-old UC student Brogan Dulle, who took his own life. The outlet also noted that college students are prone to depression and suicide as there are more than 100,000 who have attempted to take their own life since 2012.

My message tonight: There should be no stigma for those with mental illness. I tried to take my own life 2X. We need to support each other  Santa J. Ono (@PrezOno) May 22, 2016



Right after his speech at the fundraising event, Ono took to his Twitter account with 70,000 followers to get his message about mental illness, suicide, and depression to a broader audience. Many were thankful that the UC President took the initiative of speaking out about mental illness.
Moody's Investors Service assigned Aa3 rating to Georgia Institute of Technology.

Moody's Aa3, the bond credit ratings, has given Georgia Institute of Technology, the Aa3 ratings. The ratings applied to series of lease rental bonds and left the campus debt of $263 million in total.

Moody's Aa3 ratings simply represent the Georgia Tech as a good and reputable university for research and studies in technology. The campus holds an excellent brand and service including strong financial performance.

According to Moody's Investor Service, the rating outlines strategic support of the Board of Regents in the university. Other financial checklists include complex organizational debt structure, limited unrestricted liquidity, and rental agreement.

Moody's Aa3 rating on behalf of Georgia Institute of Technology confirmed a stable outlook. The strong moral of the campus financed facilities is solid along with evidence based on student enrollments and the growth in revenues. Georgia Tech strength highlights include the philanthropic programs and ongoing dynamic researches.

According to the announcement made by Moody's, the university also continues to receive large funds for sponsored research. The total award reached $622 million in 2013.

Georgia Institute of Technology is under University System of Georgia. The Atlanta based campus is a public university focused on research, established in 1885. In 2015, the university recorded 22,000 enrollments and more than $1 billion revenues.

Moody's also makes some notes on what could make the rating goes up and down. For instance, improvement in the credit profile in Board of Regent could mean an upgrade. It can also be combined with the resource growth for further upgraded ratings.

The ratings, can also move down if there is the lack of lease renewal seen by the Board of Regents. Also, if there is a decrease in support and weakening performance - it could lead to a downward rating.
The battle of the mid-range smartphones just got more interesting with the arrival of Lenovo's Moto G4 Plus.

In a bid to compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016, the new generation Moto G line packs a slew of awe-inspiring features. However Samsung definitely has an edge over the Moto G series in terms of looks - but its hardly surprising as the South Korean tech firm acquires several design ideas from the more expensive handsets in the array.

However, both phones are almost similar as far as dimensions are concerned. Despite its 5.5-inch display, the Moto G4 Plus feels more comfortable to hold as its text back offers a better grip as compared to the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016, reports NashvilleChatter.

Several phone manufacturers have taken the wraps off their latest mid-range smartphones offerings, but Samsung's Galaxy J7 2016 and Lenovo's Moto G4 Plus are by far the most preeminent among them.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy J7, the newest device in their Galaxy J line-up, in April. Lenovo was not far behind either as they launched their Moto G4 Plus just a few weeks later.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Vs. Moto G4 Plus:

Design

In terms of design, Samsung's Galaxy J7 2016 is not too different from its more expensive models. Both devices are geared with a 5.5-inch display, however the Moto G4 seems to be loaded with more pixels at FHD 1080p screen resolution, contrary to the HD 720p resolution of Samsung's Galaxy J7 2016.

Both the devices seem to be about 6-inches in length, however Samsung's J7 is comparatively heavier weighing 170 grams as compared to 155 grams of the Moto G4 Plus.

Specifications

Lenovo's Moto G4 Plus is powered by a Snapdragon 617 processor while the Galaxy J7 is geared with an Exynos 1.6 Ghz octa-core processor.

In terms of memory, the J7 packs 16 GB and 3 GB of RAM, whereas the Moto G4 Plus comes packed with either 16 GB or 32 GB of memory coupled with 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM, according to the International Business Times.

As far as camera is concerned, the Moto G4 outshines the Galaxy J7 with a 16 megapixel rear camera and 5 megapixel front camera. The Galaxy J7 on the other hand features a 13 megapixel primary camera and a 5 megapixel front camera with flash.

Price

Selling in the mid-range tier, the Galaxy J7 is priced around $240 while the Moto G4 Plus sells for $200 - The Moto G model packed with 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory sells for about $220.
Union Pacific Plans to Invest $54 Million in its Missouri Rail Infrastructure

Union Pacific plans to invest $54 million in 2016 to improve Missouri's transportation infrastructure. The company's multi-million dollar private investment will enhance employee, community and customer safety and increase rail operating efficiency. Freight railroads like Union Pacific operate on track built and maintained without taxpayer funds. Union Pacific's private investments sustain jobs and ensure the company meets growing demand for products used in the American economy.

Union Pacific's planned investment covers a range of initiatives: $38.7 million to maintain railroad track and $15.5 million to maintain bridges in the state. Key projects planned this year include:

A $9.6 million investment between Annapolis and Poplar Bluff to replace nearly 71,000 railroad ties and install 29,000 tons of ballast.

A $9.1 million investment between Valley Park, Pacific, Washington and Jefferson City to replace more than 70,000 railroad ties and install 22,000 tons of ballast.

This year's planned $54 million capital expenditure in Missouri is part of an ongoing investment strategy. From 2011 to 2015 Union Pacific invested nearly $195 million strengthening Missouri's transportation infrastructure.

"We constantly evaluate our customers' needs to make targeted investments that enhance our efficiency and deliver the goods American businesses and families use daily," said Donna Kush, Union Pacific vice president - Public Affairs, Northern Region. "Continuing to aggressively invest in our infrastructure is an important element in Union Pacific's unwavering safety commitment."

Union Pacific plans to spend $3.675 billion across its network this year, following investments totaling approximately $33 billion from 2006-2015. These investments contributed to a 25 percent decrease in derailments over the last 10 years.

ABOUT UNION PACIFIC

Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP). One of America's most recognized companies, Union Pacific Railroad connects 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail, providing a critical link in the global supply chain. From 2006-2015, Union Pacific invested approximately $33 billion in its network and operations to support America's transportation infrastructure. The railroad's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Coal, Industrial Products and Intermodal. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers, operates from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways. Union Pacific provides value to its roughly 10,000 customers by delivering products in a safe, reliable, fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible manner.

The statements and information contained in the news releases provided by Union Pacific speak only as of the date issued. Such information by its nature may become outdated, and investors should not assume that the statements and information contained in Union Pacific's news releases remain current after the date issued. Union Pacific makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update any of this information.
May 24 2016

Aberdeens student housing rush is continuing unabated with the submission of proposals by Ardmuir Developments and Cumming and Co to build 40 flats on the site of a redundant garage.Faced with blue/black brick, white smooth render and Siberian larch cladding over four storeys the scheme is the latest to be brought forward by the student housing provider, which specialises in delivering contemporary city centre flats.Incorporating private bedrooms alongside a dedicated bike store and amenity space the scheme will include shared bathroom/kitchen areas and communal break out rooms.No date has been given for a possible construction start.
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Cody Woman Receives UW Optometry Scholarship

Kristanza Bronnenberg, of Cody, accepts a certificate of accomplishment from Dr. James Boucher, a longtime Laramie optometrist. Bronnenberg, the latest Boucher Scholar, will attend the Southern California College of Optometry this fall. (UW Photo)

Kristanza Bronnenberg, of Cody, is the recipient of the University of Wyomings James A. Boucher, O.D. and Julie M. Uhlmann, Ph.D. Optometry Scholarship.

Bronnenberg will attend the Southern California College of Optometry this fall. She graduated from UW this spring with a B.S. in physiology, and minors in the Honors Program and Spanish.

Bronnenberg says she has been drawn to the medical field for years, but she did not know which profession to pursue -- until she shadowed a pair of optometrists. After observing the impacts of the optometrists work, Bronnenberg decided that optometry was the perfect fit for her.

She says that she is grateful to receive the award, which will help her to pursue her passion.

This scholarship will provide me with the means to fulfill my dream to attend optometry school, and I am so thankful to have been awarded this honor, Bronnenberg says. Someday, I hope to be able to assist in promoting this great career, because I believe it is an important one that will allow me to touch the lives of others. I would love to see the field of optometry continue to grow.

After she receives her Doctor of Optometry degree, Bronnenberg says she plans to practice optometry in Wyoming.

I have lived in Wyoming all of my life. This state and its people have given so much to me, and I cannot wait to return and begin giving back, Bronnenberg says.

The James A. Boucher, O.D. and Julie M. Uhlmann, Ph.D. Optometry Scholarship was established for UW students who demonstrate academic success and are accepted into any accredited optometry school or college.

Boucher, an optometrist in Laramie since 1966, and his wife, a retired university professor of cultural anthropology, hope to pass on their passion for the profession of optometry and for service to the profession and to humanity by providing this scholarship.

For more information, call the UW Preprofessional Health Advising Center at (307) 766-3499, or visit the website at www.uwyo.edu/preprof.
Town-Hall Meeting on UW Budget Wednesday, Thursday

University of Wyoming employees and students have an opportunity to learn more about the universitys approach to budget reductions during a town-hall meeting this week.

Employees and students will have the choice of two sessions: Wednesday, May 25, from 3:30-5 p.m., and Thursday, May 26, from 9-10:30 a.m. Both will take place in the Wyoming Union ballroom.

It is important that the UW community understands the scope of the reductions the university faces and the task that is ahead of us, both in the short term and the long term, UW President Laurie Nichols says. During these meetings, we will explain the administrations approach to reductions in state funding and the guiding principles we will follow to assure that UW emerges from this experience as a strong, vibrant institution.

In addition to a presentation by Nichols and other UW leaders, the meetings will include question-and-answer periods.

Nichols has approved 90 minutes of release time for UW employees to each attend one of the sessions. The scheduling of release time should be a collaborative discussion between employee and supervisor to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the unit.

UW employees unable to attend in person may view the meetings on the WyoCast system. The link to Wednesdays meeting is https://wyocast.uwyo.edu/WyoCast/Play/27ca75a5518346b08f24ca016c9d88ce1d. Thursdays meeting may be viewed at https://wyocast.uwyo.edu/WyoCast/Play/2e5ab9c8ad8c4e84b12aa14e95cc4af01d.

The president welcomes input on these issues and others via email at uwpres@uwyo.edu.

In response to forecasts of deepening state revenue shortfalls, Gov. Matt Mead has ordered a reduction of $35 million to UWs state appropriation for the 2017-18 biennium. Thats on top of a $5.8 million reduction resulting from action during the 2016 legislative session.
STAR FILE PHOTO Gold Coast Health Plan.

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By Tom Kisken of the Ventura County Star

A Medi-Cal commission voted Monday to reject bids and back up the process of finding a company for the high-priced job of running a pharmacy benefits program that serves more than 200,000 Ventura County residents.

Revolving around possible conflict-of-interest concerns, the decision came after impassioned presentations from two companies involved and a suggestion there may be more arguments to come.

"Finally, it is highly unlikely that another round of bidding will result in a challenge-free award. More likely, any eventual award will be protested and may be challenged in court," said lawyer Jennifer Dauer in a letter presented to the Ventura County Medi-Cal Managed Care Commission earlier this month.

Dauer represents Magellan Rx Management, which asked the commission to award it the contract outright Monday night over incumbent Script Care on the basis of higher scores in an evaluation process. Magellan Rx is part of Arizona-headquartered Magellan Health.

Whoever wins the battle will manage a pharmacy program for the Gold Coast Health Plan, the publicly funded Medi-Cal program governed by the commission.

Texas-based Script Care currently holds the job. The company will be paid about $4.35 million over the current fiscal year and another $96 million for the cost of medications, according to the company and Gold Coast.

Script Care's five-year contract is expiring, but the company is vying to keep it.

Script Care, Magellan Rx and a third company, OptumRx, emerged as finalists to be selected for the new contract with the first two emerging as front-runners. Both sent several people to Monday's meeting.

Magellan officials said the company scored highest in 14 of 18 categories and said they had been recommended by a Gold Coast committee to be awarded the contract. That, officials said Monday, should have sealed the deal.

"A rejection at this stage gives at least the appearance of favoritism for the incumbent, Script Care," Dauer said in her letter.

The commission first announced its intent to follow a different direction in a closed-door session in April. They indicated they would likely reject bids and start over, citing issues including Magellan stock owned at one point by Dale Villani, CEO of Gold Coast Health Plan. They noted Villani sat in on interviews held with Script Care and Optum.

The rejection of bids became official Monday night after a closed-door session. The vote was unanimous with Commissioner Peter Foy absent.

Commission Chairman Darren Lee said commissioners decided to act in an "abundance of caution."

Rather than start the entire process over, commissioners said they will submit a revised request for bids to the three finalists, Magellan, Script Care and Optum.

Commissioners said in April there was no evidence that Villani influenced the initial Magellan recommendation but said they wanted to be careful.

"We thought it was in the best interest to reject all bids," Lee said Monday.

Before the decision, Magellan lawyers argued that Villani's stock was not a conflict of interest because he owned little  well below $4,000 and less than 0.001 percent of the company's outstanding stock.

He would have to own 3 percent of the stock to warrant a conflict of interest, asserted Ron Foll, senior legal counsel for Magellan.

Villani declined to comment Monday and recused himself from commission discussions of the issue. Gold Coast staff previously said Villani no longer owned the Magellan stock.

A Script Care lawyer assured commissioners they had the authority to take whatever action they thought protected public interest, including rejecting the proposals.

"The commission has acted in the public interest and insulated (Gold Coast Health Plan) from needless risk," said lawyer Andrew Kugler in another letter presented to the commission this month.

Medi-Cal commissioners offered other reasons in April for rejecting bids. They said they wanted the commission to play a more active role in the selection process. They said they wanted to know more about the contractor's plans to work with local pharmacies.

They also expressed concern about a federal government discount pricing program. Called 340B, it is designed to allow organizations that care for underserved people purchase outpatient medications at discounted prices.

Tony Zappa, a Magellan consultant, said an earlier assertion that Gold Coast could lose $24 million in the pricing program if it switched pharmacy managers was not correct.

After the meeting, Script Care President Kevin Brown applauded the commission's decision.

"We're pleased that they're taking a deep look at this," he said.

A Magellan spokeswoman declined to comment.
FILE PHOTO

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By Staff Reports

Two alleged gang members were arrested in connection with reports of vandalism and a gun violation in Oxnard, authorities said.

Police said they responded to reports of several people vandalizing the 100 block of Eliza Court with spray paint just before 11 p.m. Monday.

Once on the scene, officers said they arrested a Port Hueneme 17-year-old who was found to be in possession of a loaded, small-caliber handgun. Officers said the teen is a known gang member, as well as a felon on parole. He was arrested on suspicion of multiple felony weapons violations, conspiracy, felony vandalism and violating the city's gang injunction and taken to juvenile hall, authorities said.

Officers said they also arrested Antonio Magallanes, 23, of Oxnard, on suspicion of violating the city's gang injunction, conspiracy and felony vandalism. Magallanes, another known gang member according to officials, was booked into county jail.
KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Kody Vanneman, 15, counts how many of his foot lengths it takes before Alfred, the robot he made with Garrett Santana, 14, gets out of range at the Santana home in Simi Valley on Monday. The boys formed a club, Simi Tech Robots, three weeks ago with Kody's sister Devyn Morrow, 13, and Santana's sister, Raquel Santana, 12, to compete in the international VEX Robotics Competition 2016 in October. Alfred will help them raise money to fund their venture.

SHARE KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Kody Vanneman, 15, a founding member of Simi Tech Robots club, works on a prototype robot on Monday for the international VEX Robotics Competition 2016 in October. Vanneman and Garrett Santana, 14, invented Alfred, a robotic sandwich server to raise money for the club to compete. The club meets once or twice a week in the Santana family home in Simi Valley. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Raquel Santana (from left), 12, Devyn Morrow, 13, and Garrett Santana, 14, step out of the Santana garage in Simi Valley on Monday where Kody Vanneman, 15, continues to work at a table. All are founding members of Simi Tech Robots robotics club. Alfred, their robotic waiter, will be put to the test shortly at a local restaurant to meet a challenge of delivering a sandwich from one point in the restaurant to the other. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Garrett Santana, 14, with Simi Tech Robots club, works on a prototype robot for the international VEX Robotics Competition 2016 from his home in Simi Valley on Monday. Having two club members who came in the top 10 in the world last year, the small club aspires to meet their financial needs with their robot Alfred as a fundraising tool. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Kody Vanneman, 15, makes an adjustment to Alfred on Monday, the robot he made with Garrett Santana, 14, at the Santana home in Simi Valley. The boys formed a club, Simi Tech Robots, three weeks ago with Devyn Morrow, 13, and Santana's sister, Raquel Santana, 12, to compete in the international VEX Robotics Competition 2016 in October.

By Robyn Flans, Special to The Star

Alfred the Butler will be serving sandwiches at The Sandwich Spot in Simi Valley on Wednesday.

A butler, you ask? Not exactly.

Alfred is a robot created specifically for the occasion by two teenagers trying to start their own robotics club. It will be on the job from 5 to 7 p.m. at the restaurant, 3060 Cochran St.

Kody Vanneman, 15, and Garrett Santana, 14, met three years ago when they joined the robotics after-school program at Grace Brethren School in Simi Valley. They were on the same team and became best friends. But they'll be going to different schools next year, so they approached their parents with the idea of starting their own Simi Tech Robotics Club, which would be on a par with the high school clubs they'd go up against in VEX Robotics competitions.

Bring me my sandwich! #robot A video posted by Sandwich Spot (LA) (@sandwichspotla) on May 5, 2016 at 3:07pm PDT

The enterprise is expensive. Kody's mom, Tina Vanneman, said it can cost $6,000 for the necessary VEX game pieces and playing field for competitions. So The Sandwich Spot owners, Steven Brazil and Ty Fleming, who have taken an interest in the boys' robotics involvement, offered their establishment for a fundraiser.

Kody and Garrett figured there was no better way for guests to understand what they do than to build Alfred and have him serve the sandwiches.

Kody said Alfred took two hours to build.

"It has one tray that can hold two sandwiches on it," Kody explained. "We have an iPad mounted on it, which allows us to drive it around to serve people their sandwiches."

They had put the tray on a lift so Alfred can reach not only the lower tables with chairs, but also the high tables with stools.

Trial and error allowed them to settle on the robot's speed.

"He used to be able to drive very fast, but it was inaccurate and hard to control," Kody said. "It would drift around on the slippery floors so we decided to change it to slower motors. We don't want to be driving it into people. Accuracy over speed every day."

Brazil said he's looking forward to see what the mechanical temp can do.

"We are excited to host this fundraiser for Simi Tech Robotics and see Alfred do his thing," he said.

Kody said he got into robotics because of the building aspects  "the fact that we could build what we wanted, be intuitive and explore robotics engineering."

Garrett loves coming up with the designs and writing the programs.

"It's fun to be creative and outwit the other teams," he said.

Tina Vanneman explained that because a team requires four members, the boys recruited their sisters, who are also friends but who had no prior robotics experience.

Devyn Morrow, 13, and Raquel Santana, Garrett's 12-year-old sister, say they're both looking forward to being involved. They will be working on the log book.

"It always seemed like fun when I watched Kody at competitions," Devyn said.

Added Raquel, "It's exciting to try new things."

Garrett hopes Simi Tech Robotics will attract more members and that they'll make more friends.

"And other people can have the fun that Kody and I have had," Garrett said.

Tina Vanneman said this particular hobby is excellent for young minds.

"My son is watching all these stories about robots performing surgeries and how they have built robots to build a specified hamburger in 10 seconds at McDonald's," Vanneman said. "I think it's giving him hope toward a future.

"If you see what these kids can do," she added, "it blows your mind."

The families are hoping Alfred will get lots of tips at the restaurant and that donations will start coming in to www.gofundme.com/23uwtnta.
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We know this weekend probably will be a busy one for you. Maybe you're driving down to San Diego to check out the zoo or some craft breweries. Or flying to Vegas to meet the in-laws. Or planning a trip to Disneyland. Or just staying home to shop the holiday sales and throw a big barbecue for family and friends.

Americans love their three-day holiday weekends. We work hard, so when our governments and banks and schools and employers give us an extra day off, we splurge on choice T-bones and long drives on the open road.

But at 3 p.m. Monday, we all need to put down our forks, take a break at the airport, step away from the gas pumps and pause to remember why we are blessed with Memorial Day. The National Moment of Remembrance, designated by Congress in 2000, asks all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died serving our nation.

And if you're in town Monday morning, we also encourage you to attend one of numerous Memorial Day ceremonies being held across Ventura County.

More than 42 million Americans have served in the nation's armed forces during our numerous wars, and more than 1.3 million have lost their lives. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an official day to remember those sacrifices dates to May 5, 1868.

It was three years after the Civil War ended, and Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, leader of a group of Union veterans called the Grand Army of the Republic, declared Decoration Day should be held May 30 for the nation to adorn graves of those killed in the war with flowers. The first large Decoration Day observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery.

History, however, is never that simple. Other springtime ceremonies honoring the Civil War dead had been held earlier, and 25 American cities now claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. In fact, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson in 1966 declared Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace, because it held a ceremony on May 5, 1866.

After World War I, the day was expanded to honor those killed in all American wars, not just the Civil War. Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday in 1971, moving it to the last Monday in May.

So where are we at today? WalletHub.com tells us that 39 percent of Americans plan to travel this weekend. Of those, 89 percent will drive  a 2.1 percent increase from last year, probably because a gallon of regular gas is 45 cents cheaper on average than a year ago. The top destination nationally will be theme-park capital Orlando, Florida, WalletHub says.

Unfortunately, all that driving means accidents. An average of 439 Americans are killed and 50,500 injured on our roads over Memorial Day weekend, with 44 percent of the fatalities involving alcohol.

More than 60 percent of Americans plan to barbecue this weekend, WalletHub says. But that has its downside, too: Memorial Day on average sees a 25 percent increase in home-cooking fires.

Finally, 14 percent of Americans will take advantage of Memorial Day sales at stores, Wallet Hub predicted.

The website gave no figures on how many people will attend a Memorial Day ceremony. Conventional wisdom says not that many, partly because the elimination of the draft and increasing automation and outsourcing of military tasks means fewer Americans are closely connected to someone in our armed forces.

But if you go to VCStar.com and search for "Memorial Day," you'll find events in virtually every Ventura County city where you can connect Monday with those who have served to preserve our way of life.
The first two American F-35C Lightning II fighter jets prepare tp land in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, on May 23, 2016. (AFP/Robin van Lonkhuijsen)

LEEUWARDEN, Netherlands: Two US-assembled F-35A fighter jets landed in the Netherlands on Monday (May 23), ahead of the stealthy plane's European air show debut over the summer.

The Lockheed Martin-built Lightning II jets, which are to form the mainstay of the Dutch fighter fleet for the next five decades, landed at Leeuwarden Air Force Base in the northern Netherlands on Monday night, AFP reporters saw.

Also known as Joint Strike Fighters (JSF), the sleek planes were escorted by a business jet with Dutch Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on board after an eight-hour flight from the eastern United States which included multiple in-flight refuelings.

Designated "AN-1" and "AN-2", the planes will undergo tests before returning to Edwards Air Force Base in California. "This is a first for the Netherlands," Hennis-Plasschaert told AFP after meeting the pilots on the tarmac.

The F-35s will carry out at least eight flights to test the effects of engine sound on the environment as well as their adaptability to hangars at Dutch air bases, Royal Dutch Air Force spokesman Frank den Edel said.

The planes will also be on display to the public for the first time in Europe at an air show at Leeuwarden next month, ahead of the world-renowned Farnborough International Air Show in July.

"This is the first time an F-35A touched down in northen Europe," Lockheed Martin's F-35 spokesman Michael Rein told AFP.

They are not, however, the first of their kind to fly in Europe as a whole, with an Italian-assembled F-35 making a test flight in September last year and crossing over to the United States in February.

"What's significant about this is that the F-35 will be in the Royal Dutch Air Force for the next 50 years," Rein said. The Netherlands is one of nine partner countries helping pay for the development of the futuristic F-35A.

The Netherlands has ordered 37 of the planes at a total cost of around 4.5 billion (US$5.0 billion) to replace its ageing fleet of F-16 fighters, according to Dutch newspaper reports, and they are scheduled for delivery by 2019.

But the F-35 project is not without controversy. A Pentagon report said in February that the F-35A remains dogged by dangerous problems sure to further complicate what is already the most expensive weapons project in history.

Engineers uncovered a slew of flaws during extensive testing of the newest versions of the F-35 series, the report found, adding to a litany of issues including software bugs, technical glitches and cost overruns.
WTO commitments made new areas of logistics available-Photo: Le Toan

According to Japans investment firm Seiko Consult in Hanoi, Vietnams logistics industry might become completely dominated by foreign firms which are trying to purchase large stakes from local partners.

Vietnams existing logistics market is valued at about $50 billion. There are around 1,300 logistics firms, 5 per cent of which are foreign-invested companies dominating the market with a share of approximately 75 per cent. Most local firms are small-scale companies with limited capital and human resources.

Realising the growing and increasingly liberal logistics market, many global logistics companies have strengthened their presence in Vietnam, said a recently released Seiko report on Vietnams logistics industry.

For instance, Hong Kongs Kerry Integrated Logistics bought Vietnamese Tin Thanhs stakes to set up Kerry TTC. DHL Vietnam offers comprehensive shipping and e-commerce solutions to support the expansion of domestic and cross-border online trade. Gefco Sotrans, a joint venture of the European leader in automotive logistics Gefco Group, and one of well-known local logistics firms, Sotrans, has officially received its investment certificate. The company will offer a comprehensive logistics service for the car and two-wheeler industry, covering warehousing, the supply of components, vehicle and spare parts distribution, and the custom clearance of imported cars.

Le Hoang Oanh, vice president of local Avina Logistics JSC, told VIR that many South Korean and Japanese firms currently wanted to buy Avina, which had a network of partners from 60 nations worldwide, and which grew 20 per cent last year.

In addition to our firm, many other local firms are also on the radar for foreign firms, Oanh said. I believe that in the near future, Vietnams logistics market will be totally controlled by foreign firms.

Beketzhan Zhumakhanov, Kazakshtani Ambassador to Vietnam, said that in the months to come a delegation of transport firms from his nation would come to Vietnam in search of investment opportunities.

Vietnams economy is strongly growing, with a population of more than 90 million people. This has pushed up the demand for transport and created opportunities for Kazakshtani firms, Zhumakhanov said.

Yerzhan Zhakishev, vice president of United Transport Logistics Company  a joint venture between the three largest railway firms from Russia, Belarus, and Kazakshtan, also said that this firm wanted to co-operate with Vietnam Railways to expand its operation in Vietnam.

According to Oanh, many logistics joint venture companies in Vietnam will likely become wholly foreign-invested in the future. Initially, foreign firms want to establish joint ventures with local companies as a way to gradually control the local market, before growing into a wholly foreign-invested company.

For example, a joint venture between Japans Nippon Express and Vietnams Transimex will end its operation in 2018. At this point, the joint venture is expected to become a wholly Japanese invested firm. To expand its logistics business in Vietnam, Nippon Express has established Nippon Engineering-Vietnam, which also operates in logistics, in addition to construction, design, and consultancy.

In Vietnam, the market access barriers for logistics are almost all removed. According to Vietnams World Trade Organization (WTO) service sector commitments, as of January, 11, 2014, foreign investors are permitted to provide most types of logistics services in the country subject to proper licensing requirements.

Still, the problem is that foreign investors suffer differences in the understanding and application of local investment licensing agencies.

In September 2015, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Dispatch No.9911/BCT-KH on creating a roadmap to open up the market for foreign logistics investors. It clearly states that the local authorities should directly apply related provisions under Vietnams WTO commitments, which use the United Nations Central Product Classification (CPC) codes. For example, the following sectors are now open to wholly foreign-invested enterprises: storage and warehousing services (CPC 742), and freight transport agency services (CPC 748). In addition, a number of sectors require joint ventures with Vietnamese partners, such as freight transport services by sea-going vessel (CPC 7212), freight transport services by non-sea-going vessel (CPC 7222), and freight transport services by railway (CPC 7112).
Foxconns poor record of making good on its commitments was improved somewhat with its Microsoft acquisition-Photo: Duc Thanh

Global software giant Microsoft last week announced the sale of its feature phone business to FIH Mobile Ltd, a subsidiary of Taiwans Foxconn, and to Finlands HMD Global Oy for $350 million. FIH Mobile would also acquire the Microsoft Mobile Vietnam factory in Bac Ninh as a part of this deal.

The acquisition deal, scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2016, marked the second sale of the factory, previously owned by Finlands Nokia, with a total registered capital of $302 million.

Prof. Nguyen Mai, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises, told VIR that the investment could be a success as Foxconns headquarters are in Taiwan, one of the fastest-growing IT development markets in the world. It mainly manufactured on contract to other companies such as Apple Inc. and Intel Corp. With a thorough knowledge of the Vietnamese market, the Taiwanese investor may restructure the Bac Ninh facility and have better investment strategies to take over the worlds mobile market share, Mai said.

While Microsofts move has caused controversy in the technology market in recent days, the deals value of $350 million remains far lower than Microsofts earlier $7.17 billion acquisition over Nokias Devices and Services section.

According to Mai, this is normal business activity in this market. Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are now the main trend in the worlds business activities. M&As now account for 30 per cent of the worlds total foreign direct investment.

The deal with Microsoft proved that Foxconn still has a strong interest in Vietnam, despite the fact that it failed to realise its previous commitment to invest $5 billion in many projects in Vietnam.

In 2007, Foxconn announced that it would invest $5 billion in Vietnam and this was expected to help bring Vietnam into the global supply chain. At that time, the Taiwanese company signed a cooperation framework with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, pledging to invest in a series of projects in the hi-tech sector and supporting industries. It was also linked to investment agreements in Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Vinh Phuc, and Binh Dinh.

Foxconn kick-started its Vietnamese investment by opening two factories, worth $160 million in total, in Bac Ninhs Que Vo Industrial Park. In 2008, they were licensed to build a $200-million smartphone project in Vinh Phuc. It also planned facilities in Bac Giang. A $1-billion industrial park on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City was also due to be developed. However, these ambitious investment plans seemed to fizzle out when Foxconns Vinh Phuc project had its investment licence revoked in 2015. Meanwhile, the hi-tech project in Bac Ninh went bankrupt, and other Foxconn investment commitments in Binh Dinh, Haiphong, and Ho Chi Minh City remain unclear.
With many foreign global brands becoming popular with young people in Vietnam, other franchises are sitting up and taking notice-Photo: Le Toan

After recently targeting broader market coverage in the Philippines and Malaysia, Edwin Ng, managing director of Singapore-based food brand Munch, came to Vietnam to explore franchising opportunities here.

Established over a decade ago, Munch operates a network of nine outlets in Singapore, which sell salads and sandwiches, hot appetisers, nutritional drinks, and light healthy snacks. Committed to providing customers with preservative-free products, Ng hopes that Munch can team up with experienced Vietnamese investors. Such investors must have goodwill and, crucially, at least $1 million in investment capital.

Meanwhile, Duc Luu, CEO of Hong Kong-based education brand Edge, is in Vietnam scouting for brand franchising investors with a knowledge and interest in the field of education. Edge currently operates three English-language centres in Hong Kong, mainly to help trainees enter universities in the US and the UK with a complete grasp of the English language.

The above examples are just two out of a multitude of foreign brands that have made their presence felt in Hanoi recently, searching for exclusive franchising partners in Vietnam. To date, the fields of food and beverages, fashion, healthcare, education, and retail have attracted the most global franchise brands to Vietnam.

Activities have been particularly noticeable in the food and drink sector, with a raft of big global brands making forays to Vietnam, such as McDonalds, Starbucks, KFC, Pizza Hut, Lotteria, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Cirkle K, Burger King, and Dominos Pizza. Many foreign brands have become popular with younger consumers and the middle-class market segment.

Industry experts forecast organic food usage will soon lead the food market in Vietnam. According to consulting firm VF Franchise Consulting managing director Hoang Kim Phuong, amid current information on alarming food quality, the brands related to the production and processing of organic food products will become the top choice for consumers.

Aside from the food and drink industry, which has enjoyed the hottest growth in franchising so far, the field of education has also proven to be fertile ground for franchising business in Vietnam. According to franchising experts, after sowing the initial seeds in previous years, franchising in Vietnam has now reached a stage of more progressive growth.

As of January 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Trades Domestic Market Department had welcomed 144 global brands which have registered for franchising deals in Vietnam. Conversely, only five Vietnamese brands have registered for brand promotion abroad. These businesses operate in the fields of coffee, fashion, and food.

With the penetration of top global brands, particularly those from the ASEAN region, the Vietnamese franchising market is expected to maintain its upward trajectory of 25 per cent growth per year for the next few years.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam last week signed a decision to establish the university (FUV) based in the Ho Chi Minh Citys Hi-tech Park. The establishment received support from the US and Vietnam governments, scholars and people who hoped that FUV would help improve the quality of the Vietnamese education sector.

We dont want FUV to be a foreign-invested project which will adopt an all-US curriculum and teaching staff. FUV stands out from FDI-modelled schools in that it receives funding from the two governments, as well as financial support from US and Vietnamese enterprises and individuals, Dam Bich Thuy, FUV President-designate, told local press.

According to the plan, in the first five years, FUV will focus on building three integrated training facilities: the Fulbright School of Management and Public Policy, Fulbright School of Engineering and Applied Science and Fulbright University.

As planned, Public Policy training will start right after the establishment of FUV, while other training programmes will open in 2017.

FUV sets an example for education co-operation between the US and Vietnam.

In the Joint Declaration of State President Truong Tan Sang and US President Barack Obama in July 2013, the two leaders acknowledged the efforts to promote bilateral education co-operation through the FUV initiative.

Following the joint document, in June 2014, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung agreed in principle to the FUV project. And five months later, the US Congress agreed to finance about $20 million for the FUV project in the first phase.

In July 2015 in New York, when Vietnam Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited Washington D.C., FUV got an investment license from Ho Chi Minh City to build the school in the local high-tech park.

Education co-operation, including the construction of FUV, is expected to be one of the key issues in US President Barack Obamas visit to Vietnam during May 23-25.

Vietnam is one of the countries sending a high number of students to the US. Vietnam now ranks first among the ASEAN countries sending students to the US with around 17,000 students studying in the country.
File photo: An aircraft of Indian airline Indigo preparing to land at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. (AFP/File/Raveendran)

MUMBAI: An Indian airline has grounded two pilots for attempting to land their plane on a road which they mistook for a runway, the airline and reports said Monday (May 23).

The IndiGo flight from Ahmedabad in Gujarat state to Jaipur in Rajasthan was close to touching down until the pilots were alerted by a "too low terrain" warning in the cockpit, IndiGo said in a statement.

"The captain in command immediately took a precautionary measure and carried a go-around. The aircraft landed safely on subsequent approach," added the statement.

The incident, the latest to highlight safety concerns in India's rapidly expanding aviation sector, happened on Feb 27 but has only just come to light in Indian media.

The Hindustan Times quoted an aviation official as saying the plane was at an altitude of around 900 feet and 90 seconds away from landing on a road running parallel to the runway.

IndiGo said the pilots were made aware of their mistake by an enhanced ground proximity warning system, which alerts the cockpit if the plane is in danger of flying into the ground or hitting something.

"At no time was safety compromised. Both pilots have been taken off flight duty with immediate effect, pending investigation," said the statement.

"The matter was duly reported to the (aviation regulator) Directorate General of Civil Aviation by IndiGo flight safety department," IndiGo added.

IndiGo, famed for its no-frills approach and fixation with punctuality, commands almost 40 per cent of its home market, the biggest share of any airline. It is the country's only consistently profitable airline.

The government wants to make air travel affordable for millions of its citizens but a number of safety incidents have led to concerns over the speed of growth.

Earlier this year an Air India plane with 160 passengers was forced to return to New Delhi almost 30 minutes into a Milan-bound flight after smoke was detected in the cabin.

In December a London-bound Air India flight with over 200 passengers returned to Mumbai after three hours in the air over a suspected rat sighting in the cabin. That same month a technician working for Air India died after being sucked into a jet engine as the plane pushed back for take-off at Mumbai airport.
Japans ANA Holdings will become Vietnam Arlines strategic partner under a deal expected to be signed this week Photo: Le Toan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) last week announced that during PM Phucs May 26-28 working visit to Japan, where he will also attend the G7 Summit, a co-operation agreement will be officially inked between Japans ANA Holdings and Vietnam Airlines.

After the agreement is signed, ANA Holdings, one of the worlds top-class airline companies, will become a strategic partner of the Vietnamese firm with 8.8 per cent stake valued at $108 million.

The agreement will help satisfy ANA Holdings ambitions to expand its operations in fast-growing regional markets, including Vietnam.

In turn, Vietnam Airlines will have additional funds to boost operational and management know-how.

According to the MoFA, the agreement between ANA Holdings and Vietnam Airlines is among five co-operation agreements which are expected to be signed by Vietnam and Japan, during PM Phucs visit.

The other four agreements include an exchanged diplomatic note on the proposed Japanese loan to Vietnam for the development of its railway system in Ho Chi Minh City; an agreement on receiving the loan for this railway system; an agreement on improving the citys water sources; and an agreement on providing a loan for Vietnam to develop its Thai Binh Thermal Power Plant.

During his visit, Phuc is to hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Shinzo Abe, focusing on further cementing the two countries extensive strategic partnership, with the focus placed on politics, trade, and investment among many other sectors.

Notably, PM Phuc and leaders of the ministries of Planning and Investment, Industry and Trade, Finance, Transport, and Construction are expected to hold large-scale talks with hundreds of Japanese firms.

By late last week, over 200 Japanese firms, including larger companies, have registered to attend the event.

Phuc will also meet with leaders of big groups and organisations, such as Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan External Trade Organization, Mishubishi and Toyota.

According to the MoFA, Vietnams government wants to attract more Japanese investment, especially in the sectors of automobile, machinery, supporting industry, and hi-tech agriculture. These sectors are vitally important to Vietnam for its modernisation and industrialisation.

As of April 20, 2016, Japan had 3,051 valid investment projects in Vietnam, registered at $39.17 billion, making Japan Vietnams second largest foreign investor, after South Korea.

During the bilateral talks, Vietnam and Japan are expected to further clarify and boost their economic link concept, created during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs official visit to Japan during September 15-18, 2015. The concept includes connection of economic development strategies and connection of production capacity.

During the visit, Phuc will attend a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) [including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and Canada]. This will be the first time Vietnam has been invited to attend this important event, which occurs every seven years in Japan.

This shows that Vietnams prestige and position among the G7 nations is increasing, stated an MoFA document on the visit.
Last week the General Department of Taxation (GDT) announced the establishment of an inspection team with the sole purpose of investigating the possible tax evasion and money laundering activities of Vietnamese enterprises and individuals named in the Panama Papers.

Investigations will focus on screening the tax data of those named, and will be carried out in co-operation with the investment supervisory agencies  State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the Ministry of Public Securities.

Anti-corruption agencies such as the Government Inspectorate and Anti-Money Laundering Administration were also asked to participate in the effort.

In order to verify the information, the GDT will conduct data exchanges with countries that have signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements with Vietnam.

However, the tax offices determination to delve into these cases will certainly face a lot of difficulties.

We understand the publics expectation, but tax authorities have to follow step- -by-step procedures, said Nguyen Van Phung, head of the GDTs Large Corporations Department.

Phung explained that although inspection is the primary role of tax agencies, they still have to ensure their compliance with standard procedures. Various efforts are required to launch an investigation, beginning with the identification of the fraud risks of those involved, and ending with in-depth analyses and a draft action plan to deal with such risks.

The Panama Papers leaks cannot be the sole reason for launching investigations, said Phung, adding that Being named in the papers does not necessarily imply tax evasion. Specific evidence is vital in order to address complicated violations.

The leaks named 189 Vietnam-related individuals and companies linked with the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, through intermediaries. Those names include Dam Bich Thuy, former CEO of ANZ Bank and Nguyen Duy Hung, chairman and CEO of Saigon Securities Incorporation, among many others.

Despite the opening of the financial market as a result of global integration, Vietnam still maintains its strict control over cross-border capital transfers. For instance, the Foreign Exchange Control Ordinance states that such transfers can only be processed after declaring the cash flows origins and after receiving approval from authorised agencies.

However, according to a report on international capital flows of the Global Financial Integrity, Vietnam had more than $9.29 billion of illegal overseas transfers each year during 2004  2013, ranking 18 out of 149 emerging countries with the largest illegal capital transfers.

The public has the right to question how such a huge amount of capital could be illegally transferred abroad, despite the Vietnamese governments strict controls, and if those 189 entities and individuals are in any way related, said Nguyen Khac Quoc Bao, vice dean of the Financial Faculty at Ho Chi Minh City Economics University.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and U.S. President Barack Obama, Ha Noi, May 23, 2016 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Mr. Trong expressed his delight to meet the President in Viet Nam and appreciated the official visit as re-affirmation of the commitments of high-ranking leaders to the Viet Nam-U.S. comprehensive partnership.

The General Secretary informed the guest leader about the successful organization of the 12th Party Congress; the elections of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and all-level Peoples Councils in the 2016-2021 tenure; and Viet Nams future foreign diplomacy policies.

Viet Nam, said Mr. Trong, regards the U.S. as one of her important and leading partners. He called on the two sides to promote the comprehensive partnership in a practical and efficient manner with respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political regulations.

The host leader acknowledged and hailed the U.S. goodwill to resolve war consequences in Viet Nam.

The Party chief reaffirmed Viet Nams orientations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and proposed the U.S. provide technical assistance for Viet Nam during the implementation of the TPP.

The two leaders took the occasion to discuss ways to promote economic ties in the coming time.

Regarding international and regional issues, the host leader welcomed U.S. declarations which aimed to maintain peace, security, and stability the region and highlighted Viet Nams stance on peaceful, diplomatic and legal resolutions to disputes in the East Sea on the basis of international law.

For his part, President Obama expressed his gratitude to the warm reception of the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam during his first tour to the Southeast Asian country.

He affirmed that the U.S. considers Viet Nam as an important partner in the region and pledged to provide necessary technical support for Viet Nam in accordance with the 2013 Joint Vision statement on comprehensive partnership and the 2015 Declaration on Joint Vision.

Mr. Obama stressed that the removal of ban on lethal weapons aimed to change the bilateral ties. He also underlined the necessity to ensure safety, security, freedom of aviation and navigation, peaceful solutions to disputes in the East Sea on the basis of international law.

The guest leader said he believed that the bilateral ties would flourish in the coming time, thus contributing to regional and international peace, stability, and growth.
US President Barack Obama delivers his remarks at the National Convention Center in Hanoi

On May 24, US President Barack Obama delivered his remarks to approximately 2,000 people at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.

Opening his remarks, he thanked the leaders and people of Vietnam for their warm welcome and said he had tried some of Hanois delicious foods during a visit to Hanois Old Quarter.

Obama highlighted he importance of bilateral ties, overcoming the pains of the past and looking towards a brighter future, We continue to assist Vietnamese with disabilities, including children. We also continue to help remove agent orange/dioxin, so that Vietnam can reclaim more of their land. But also, not forget that the reconciliation between our countries was led by our veterans who once faced each other in battles.

Think of Senator John McCain, who said our countries should not be enemies but friends. Think of all the veterans, Vietnamese and American, who help us heal and build new ties. Few of them, former Navy Lieutenant, and now Secretary of State for the United States, John Kerry, is also here today. Today Vietnam and the US are partners. At a time with many conflicts, seem as if they will never end, weve shown that hearts can change, and that different future is possible when we refuse to be prisoners of the past. Weve shown how peace can be better than war.

President Obama called the Vietnam War a big lesson for the world where foes become friends and partners. He reaffirmed the USs commitment to Vietnams prosperity and development, especially to supporting Vietnams participation in the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement.

The top US leader voiced his view about maritime security in the East Sea, The international order upon which our mutual security depends is rooted in certain rules and norms. National sovereignty, no matter how large or small a nation may be, its sovereignty should be respected and its territory should not be violated. Big nations should not bully smaller ones. Disputes should be resolved peacefully and regional institutions like ASEAN and the East Sea Summit should continue to be strengthened. The South China Sea, well stand with our partners in upholding core principles like freedom of navigation and over flight.

President Obama cited the USs removal of lethal weapon sales ban following his talks with President Tran Dai Quang on May 23 as a symbol of complete normalization of bilateral relations. The US will continue to support Vietnam in fostering maritime security and safety, anti-piracy and search and rescue operations at sea.

The President encouraged young peoples start-up inspiration, saying that the number of Vietnamese students studying in the US was the highest in Southeast Asia.

The US pledges to support Vietnams education and offer more scholarships to young people and scholars. He cited a verse from Nguyen Dus poem to remind the audience of his speech moment as a symbol of trust.
The Air Force One carrying the U.S. president landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in the southern metropolis at around 4:00 pm.

The visiting U.S. head of state had finished delivering his speech in front of 2,000 Vietnamese people in Hanoi on the morning of the same day before leaving the capital for Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon.

President Obama visited the Jade Pagoda at 4:30 pm to pay tribute to and admire the cultural traditions of Vietnam.

The Jade Pagoda is fully known as Jade Emperor Pagoda, or Chua Ngoc Hoang in Vietnamese.

Also known as Phuoc Hai Tu or Da Kao Pagoda, the temple is situated on Mai Thi Luu Street in District 1, the financial and commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City.

The monument was temporarily unavailable to visitors and Buddhists until the visit ended.

Many local citizens could not hide their excitement as they gathered on the sidewalks and at the cafes near the pagoda at around noon to see the president in the flesh.

Street blocks were erected on Mai Thi Luu Street hours before the arrival of President Obama and those residents living in the vicinity were required to close their windows and not to take any photo during his presence at the venue.

According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, a van carrying secret service agents came to the pagoda prior the presidents entry to carry out preparations and tighten security.

All reporters, along with their equipment, were thoroughly checked by the agents and detection dogs before entering the place, while all Wi-Fi and mobile signals in the area were blocked.

President Obama and the delegation of U.S. officials had a brief conversation with several Buddhist monks.

The U.S. head of state then headed to the main hall of the monument to pay his tribute.

As he left the venue at around 4:50 pm, President Obama did not forget to smile and wave at Vietnamese citizens from outside the pagoda.

Besides the pagoda visit, the U.S. presidents agenda in Ho Chi Minh City includes attending an event that is focused on both the two countries commercial ties and entrepreneurship, and hosting a town hall with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).

After that, Obama will end his Vietnam visit and leave the southern metropolis for Japan for a G7 summit on Wednesday afternoon.
Rentokil Initial has had a presence in Vietnam since 2007. Who have been your main customers?

Rentokil Initial is a global brand so firstly we have many foreign customers that operate businesses in Vietnam. They have used Rentokil Initials services before so when they come to Vietnam they are happy to repeat their business with us. Recently however, we have seen a growing domestic customer base. When domestic companies want to export their products, they need a partner to help them meet the requirements of their customers offshore.

Which sectors have seen the biggest increase in the demand for your services?

The biggest so far would be the industrial food processing sector. Many domestic companies want to grow their food processing market, and introduction of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is going to result in more export and import and higher regulatory standards. Rentokil Initial provides not only pest control services but also supply the necessary reports, for example, monthly pest and hygiene reporting, so that when our customers products go to other countries they meet all requirements. Customers can trust in Rentokil Initial because they can be sure that the documentation is exactly what the regulatory body is looking for. Moreover, its an ongoing partnership. We can partner with companies from the very beginning, even offering advice on initial construction. For buildings that are already operating, we advise them on how they can improve the integrity at the site.

So its not just about changing baits, it involves having a look at the whole pest management programme and continually offering advice. Some customers may be putting in another processing line or building another factory, there could be a change in supplier so we also need to make sure whats coming in is not harbouring pests of any kind.

Besides food processing, in what other areas do your customers operate?

We have been focusing on offering high quality hygiene products to foreign hotels and resorts. They have had experience with Rentokil Initial before. Rentokil Initial not only offers various products but also provides a valuable service to compliment them. Moreover, renting your entire washroom service makes sound financial sense as you treat washroom service as a monthly operating cost rather than a balance sheet item, repair, maintenance and upgrade costs built in.

For hygiene, along with having our signature products, we also have a premium scenting range that is put through the AC unit of the hotel. A nice scent creates an ambience and is very effective to remind guests of the customers brand.

We also have a successful matting business where we can emblazon the customers' logo on the floor covering, and we can supply special mats for the kitchen that can catch spilt oil safely. A laundry service is available for all mats. For five-star resorts our services are very important, from the hygiene products to mats with their logo and a signature scent to add to their customers experience.

Were not focusing entirely on international brands however. Were here for the long term so we have been promoting our brands among local customers. We are very aware of the big organisations operating in Vietnam, and like to keep informed as to what their growth plans are.

Since a wide selection of your products is imported from the UK and the US, are your products and services affordable compared to other competitors?

We import from our trusted suppliers in the UK and the US. As it stands, if we were only operating in Vietnam, the cost would be high but because we have a presence around the world and have a good relationship with our suppliers we can keep our costs down.

We have to remain competitive as there are a lot of rival companies on the global market. We think competition is a good thing because it helps us to focus on innovation and to make sure our products and services are always improving.

Do you see big differences between Vietnam and other countries in the region in terms of hygiene standards?

It all depends on the development of the country, in the last years there has been a focus on infrastructure investment in Vietnam. People will need a hygiene standard to match. In the years to come, this will continue to improve as infrastructure improves.
Besides the Philippine-backed Universal Robina Corporation (URC), many other beverage producers have faced scandals relating to production quality, like Vietnamese firm Number 1 with the fly in the bottle incident, and Suntory PepsiCo facing problems over the input materials in its Oolong Teaplus products. Should consumers be wary of beverage quality?

To be precise, technical risk is the root of the problem. In 2015 alone, there were 4.37 billion litres of soft drinks consumed. The figure is equivalent to over 13 billion bottles of a 330 millilitre serving. With such a huge volume of production, no beverage maker can 100 per cent guarantee every product meets the quality requirements.

Although the high lead content allegation of URCs products is very serious and merits investigation by the relevant authorities, its possible that just a tiny sample of the products do not meet requirements. Consumers should not believe all products are unsafe or of low quality.

While technical risks deserve some sympathy from consumers, many reacted angrily towards the producers, calling for the boycotting of the companies involved. Interestingly, URCs allegations of high lead content and bribery were sparked by rumours circulated widely on social networks. Is there any chance that these scandals were triggered and driven by their competitors?

There were many developments which contributed to the response from consumers in the aforementioned scandals, with social media playing a significant role.

With respect to the allegations concerning the actions of competitors, I think that fierce competition is unavoidable in a fast-growing market like Vietnam. Tropical weather, diverse cuisine trends, and the growth of fast-food services are paving the way for the local soft drink industrys development. With this in mind, it is crucial for enterprises to maintain their business culture and ethics.

Research shows that consumers preferences are moving towards healthier drinks which will set higher standards for beverage production. How has this trend affected drinks producers?

There has been a distinct shift by consumers who are demanding more nutritious content in drinks. As a direct consequence we have seen a move towards products such as green tea, juice, vitamin drinks, herbal teas with less or no sugar, and mineral waters.

Consumers new health-consciousness has pioneered the introduction of new products, for instance, Tan Hiep Phat Group launched Zero Degree Lingzhi Oolong Tea in 2015, taking advantage of the health benefits of lingzhi to target health-conscious consumers, especially the old. Vinacafe Bien Hoa also launched WakeUp Green Tea 247, infusing its product with green tea to minimise consumers negative perceptions of energy drinks.

Green tea products, which are renowned for their various health benefits, accounted for up to 37.6 per cent of the overall market share last year, according to the VietinBank Security Company.

Consumer demand will always direct the future course of business. Producers will have to centre on nutritious products and focus on their quality in the future.

Will Vietnams integration in the ASEAN Economic Community or the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership put pressure on the quality standard of local beverage producers?

It certainly will. Local firms will face cut-throat competition from overseas beverage suppliers due to the increased availability of alternative goods. Pressure can come from the quality of products supplied and customer care services.

Therefore, it is a must for enterprises to ensure their products quality in all cases, eliminating technical risks, effectively building brand names, and looking after their existing customers. The support of Vietnamese consumers is critical to the sustainability of any producers amid fierce competition.
The administrative center of Lai Chau. O Quy Ho Pass, connecting two northern provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau. The pass is nearly 50 kilometers long encompassing two thirds of Lai Chau's Tam Duong District, and one third of Lao Cai's Sapa District. Tourists will have to cover a few kilometers from Hoang Lien National Park gate to come to the top of O Quy Ho Mountain considered the border between Lao Cal and Lai Chau. Chu Va Mountain Muong Thanh field in Than Uyen district. Lai Chau Hydropower in Nam Hang commune, Muong Te district. Sin Ho plateau, which is called the second Sapa of Vietnam. The confluence of the two rivers of Da and Nam Na. In addition, Lai Chau has a lot of destinations as Pu Sam Cap Cave, the villages of Na Luong, Hon, Vnag Pheo, Tac Tinh Waterfall, Vang Po hot springs, Pu Ta Leng peak - the second roof of Indochina and Bach Moc Luong Tu mountain.
US President Obama and National Assembly Chair Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan feed fish at the pond near the house-on-stilts of President Ho Chi Minh.

The talks between the Vietnamese and US presidents after the official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace this morning. Photo: Pham Hai

The talks between the Vietnamese and US presidents after the official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace this morning. Photo: Pham Hai

President Tran Dai Quang and President Barack Obama at the welcome ceremony.

President Tran Dai Quang and President Barack Obama at the welcome ceremony.

The convoy of US President Barack Obama runs through Kim Ma Street.

The convoy of US President Barack Obama runs through Kim Ma Street.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives at the Presidential Palace.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives at the Presidential Palace.

The military band in position to prepare for the welcome ceremony.

The military band in position to prepare for the welcome ceremony.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of Defence, enters the Presidential Palace for the welcome ceremony.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of Defence, enters the Presidential Palace for the welcome ceremony.

The Presidential Palace before the welcome ceremony to US President Barack Obama.

The Presidential Palace before the welcome ceremony to US President Barack Obama.

Quyen, one of the 100 pupils participated in the welcome ceremony, who comes from Thang Long Primary School.

Quyen, one of the 100 pupils participated in the welcome ceremony, who comes from Thang Long Primary School.
The agreement is valued at $3 billion at list price, including spare engines.

Based in Ho Chi Minh City, VietJet Air has been a CFM customer since it commenced operations in late 2011 with CFM56-powered aircraft and currently operates a fleet of 35 airplanes.

It has been a real privilege to work with VietJet Air with the CFM56 fleet and we are excited to bring the value of the LEAP engine to their operations, said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International. In a very short time, the team has established it as the fastest-growing airline in the region, and we believe they are just getting started. We are honored to be part of this dynamic team and look forward to a very long relationship together.

We are thrilled to take our relationship with VietJet Air to the next level, said Gael Meheust, vice president of sales for CFM International. We are really looking forward to partnering with them as they introduce the advanced LEAP engine into their fleet and continue to build their brand in the region.

LEAP-1B engines are a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines. CFM, the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, has delivered nearly 30,000 engines to date. The LEAP engine family is the fastest-selling in aviation history with more than 10,500 orders place through April 2016.
The following is the full text of the Viet Nam-U.S. Joint Statement.

At the invitation of the President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Tran Dai Quang, President of the United States of America Barack Obama paid an historic visit to Viet Nam to celebrate the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries and to advance their shared vision for the future. On the occasion of the visit and the May 23, 2016, meeting between the two leaders, the United States and Viet Nam adopted this Joint Statement.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the rapid, substantive, and comprehensive growth of U.S.-Viet Nam relations over the past year, guided by the U.S.-Viet Nam Comprehensive Partnership of 2013 and the Joint Vision Statement issued during the historic visit to the United States by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen PhuTrong in July 2015.

The common interests of the United States and Viet Nam continued to expand through intensifying the exchange of delegations at all levels and maintaining dialogue mechanisms; promoting economic growth thanks to enhanced trade and investment relations; deepening cooperation in education, science and technology, health, security and national defense, people-to-people ties, human rights, humanitarian, and war legacy issues. The increasingly enhanced U.S.-Viet Nam relations have positively contributed to the joint efforts of the international community in maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and respect for international law in the region, and building a rules-based region. Together, we are addressing regional and global challenges, including climate change, sustainable development, global health, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peacekeeping, and wildlife trafficking.

Toward that end, the two countries reaffirmed their obligations to observe the UN Charter and commitments to respect international law, their respective political systems, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The United States and Viet Nam also committed to strengthening and developing the ASEAN Community, and working with the international community to respond to global challenges . Both sides committed to work together to advance the Comprehensive Partnership in the following areas:

Strengthening Political and Diplomatic Ties

Both sides pledged to continue to exchange delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations, and to strengthen dialogue between agencies of the two governments. The two sides also intend to expand annual high-level dialogues between their two foreign ministries to discuss measures to strengthen the Comprehensive Partnership and discuss other issues of mutual interest. The two sides concurred that strengthening mutual trust plays a crucial role in enabling a sustainable, healthy, and long-term friendship and cooperation.

Advancing Economic Ties

The two countries resolve to focus on fostering economic cooperation, including trade, investment, science and technology, human resource training, and climate change. The two sides stated that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is economically and strategically important, and would promote trade and investment between them, accelerate inclusive economic growth, and create jobs. The two sides reaffirmed their commitments to seek early ratification and full implementation of this high-standard agreement, including commitments on investment, business facilitation and development, intellectual property, textile, services, labor, and environment. The United States pledged to support Viet Nam through robust technical assistance and capacity-building programs to effectively implement and meet the high standards of the TPP. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that economic growth is inclusive and creates opportunity for all, which is furthered by fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic development. The two sides highlighted that development cooperation continues to be a driving force in the bilateral relationship. Both countries pledged to promote bilateral trade and investment, and would continue to work toward access for industrial, agricultural, and aquatic goods. The United States and Viet Nam committed to consult through the enhanced bilateral Working Group in a cooperative and comprehensive manner regarding Viet Nams desire to be recognized as a market economy. Both countries welcomed the conclusion of major commercial deals on the occasion of the visit, such as VietJets purchase of 100 Boeing aircraft and Pratt & Whitney engines, as well as a wind energy MOU between GE and the Vietnamese government.

Deepening People-to-People Ties

Both sides affirmed their support for the enhancement of people-to-people ties to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation, and friendship between the two peoples. The United States welcomed the Vietnamese governments approval of the Peace Corps to teach the English language in Viet Nam. The United States and Viet Nam hailed the establishment of Fulbright University Viet Nam, which will be a world-class Vietnamese university. Both sides welcomed the bilateral arrangement granting one-year, multiple-entry visas for short-term business and tourism travelers from both countries. Both sides highly valued and recognized the success of the Vietnamese-American community and their active contributions to the promotion of bilateral ties.

Enhancing Security and Defense Cooperation

The United States and Viet Nam reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation in 2011 and the United StatesViet Nam Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations signed in 2015, giving priority to humanitarian cooperation, war legacy, maritime security, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Both sides reiterated they would continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, combating transnational crime, and cyber security. Viet Nam welcomed the U.S. government decision to fully lift the ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Viet Nam. Viet Nam welcomed U.S. maritime security assistance  including through the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI), the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, and Foreign Military Financing  and looked forward to working with the United States to enhance Viet Nams maritime capabilities. The United States and Viet Nam signed a letter of intent to establish a working group for the Cooperative Humanitarian and Medical Storage Initiative (CHAMSI), which will advance cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The United States reaffirmed its support for Viet Nams peacekeeping efforts with an aim of assisting Viet Nams first deployment of the UN peacekeeping forces by 2017.

Both countries expressed their satisfaction with their joint efforts to advance humanitarian and war legacy issues. In particular, the United States valued Viet Nams active cooperation to support the humanitarian mission of providing the fullest possible accounting for U.S. personnel still missing from the war. Both sides agreed to continue their cooperation on unexploded ordnance removal. Viet Nam welcomed cooperation leading to the successful conclusion of the first phase of dioxin remediation at Da Nang International Airport, with the final phase already underway. The United States committed to partnering with Viet Nam to make a significant contribution to the clean-up of dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Air Base.

Promoting Human Rights and Legal Reform

Both countries pledged to continue supporting the promotion and protection of human rights in conformity with their own constitutions and respective international commitments. The two countries welcomed the results of positive, frank, and constructive dialogues on human rights, especially the 20th round of the U.S.-Viet Nam Human Rights Dialogue in April 2016, to narrow differences and continue to build trust. The United States welcomed Viet Nam's ongoing efforts in improving its legal system and undertaking legal reform in order to better guarantee the human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone in accordance with the 2013 Constitution. Viet Nam informed the United States of its plan to revise, amend, and draft laws, including the Law on Religion and Belief, Law on Association, the Amended Law on Legal Aid, the Amended Law on Legal Record, and Law on the Promulgation of Administrative Decisions. Both sides recognized the contributions that social and religious organizations continue to make in the fields of education, healthcare, and social services in both countries. Both sides encouraged further cooperation to ensure that all people  regardless of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation, and including persons with disabilities  fully enjoy their human rights. The United States and Viet Nam welcomed a letter of agreement on law enforcement and justice sector assistance.

Addressing Regional and Global Challenges

The United States and Viet Nam reaffirmed their shared commitment to the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes, including full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force in accordance with the UN Charter and international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Both countries underscored the commitments of parties to the disputes to refrain from actions that aggravate or broaden the disputes and recognize the importance of strictly implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) and working to accelerate negotiation with substantive results toward the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC). In this regard, both countries expressed serious. concerns over recent developments in the South China Sea that have caused tensions, eroded trust and threatened peace, security, and stability. Both countries recognized the imperative of upholding the freedom of navigation and over flight and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea, called for non-militarization and self-restraint in addressing disputes, reaffirmed shared commitments under the Sunnylands Declaration, and committed to working closely with other ASEAN partners in implementing this Declaration.

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to actively coordinate with and support Viet Nam in successfully organizing APEC 2017.

The United States and Viet Nam reaffirmed their commitment to addressing climate change and implementing the Paris Agreement. They shared a desire to see the early entry into force of the Agreement, and are both committed to formally joining the Agreement in 2016. The United States and Viet Nam pledged to take a number of practical actions to advance climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as enhance transparency and capacity building in the U.S.-Viet Nam Climate Partnership, including in the Mekong River Delta. Future work will build on the results of collaboration between the United States and Viet Nam in implementing programs under the Lower Mekong Initiative. The United States pledged its continued support for Viet Nam in responding to the latters worst drought in over 90 years and saltwater intrusion, and in advancing sustainable economic development in the lower Mekong basin. As a development partner of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the United States expressed its commitment to supporting cooperation among MRC members and between MRC members and other regional mechanisms in using, managing, and developing trans-boundary water resources in an effective and sustainable manner.

The two countries expressed support for an expanding civil nuclear partnership as we seek to reduce emissions from the global power sector, the signing of the Administrative Arrangement under the U.S.-Viet Nam Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful U.S.es of Nuclear Energy ("123" Agreement), and the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation. Both countries welcomed the successful outcomes of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit and pledged to continue to work together to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture. The two sides intend to establish the U.S.-Viet Nam Joint Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation to facilitate the implementation of the 123 Agreement.

The two countries committed to sustain their successful cooperation and joint leadership under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), particularly with respect to collaboration on the emergency operations centers and outbreak detection and response in humans and animals, as well as implementation of a national roadmap to achieve each of the GHSA targets. The United States pledged its support to improve Viet Nams capacity in coastal medicine. The United States and Viet Nam committed to work together regionally and globally to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic threats, and both countries affirmed to undertake a joint evaluation of these efforts in 2016.

Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and protecting biodiversity under the new U.S.-Viet Nam Partnership to Combat Wildlife Trafficking.

Deepening a Long-Term Partnership

Both sides agreed to further enhance the U.S.-Viet Nam Comprehensive Partnership, making it deeper, more substantive, and more effective in order to better serve the interests of the two peoples for peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world.
Vietnamese and US entrepreneurs at the meeting in Ha Noi on May 23. -VNA Photo

The event took place on the occasion of US President Barack Obama's official visit to Viet Nam. It was held by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Adam Sitkoff, Executive Director of AmCham Vietnam, said the TPP would bring numerous benefits and opportunities for companies, investors, workers, farmers and consumers in both Viet Nam and the US.

Once fully implemented, the TPP will pave the way for a digital economy, strengthen creative industries and help ensure fair competition.

The trade deal, signed by the economic ministers of 12 countries in New Zealand on February 4, will play an important role in improving the local business climate and open up many opportunities for Viet Nam to speed up industrialisation, modernisation and globalisation, he added.

US Trade Representative Michael Froman said Viet Nam was now in a transitional period and should focus on enhancing its competitiveness. The most important issues include vocational training, carrying out agreements with labourers, and tackling pollution.

He noted it is necessary to remove all barriers and obstacles that hamper the growth of businesses, especially small- and medium-sized ones. All enterprises must be treated equally to compete under transparent regulations.

The private economy should receive more opportunities to access big markets. Viet Nam should also stimulate competition, attract foreign investment and develop supply chains, Michael Froman added.

At the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh said Viet Nam used free trade agreements like TPP or the EU  Vietnam Free Trade Agreement because it wants to help its products make inroads into global markets.

By reducing import tariffs for many regional and global countries to zero, Viet Nam will be more attractive to domestic and foreign investors, Khanh noted.
CAFE de NAM Phin Dien was inspired by the unique and traditional Vietnamese phin coffee filters but with the added convenience and hygiene of contemporary coffee preparation. With a single capsule and a push of a button, consumers will be able to enjoy, within 45 seconds, a cup of genuine coffee in three Vietnamese-style coffee flavors: ice dark coffee, strong hot coffee, and ice coffee with condensed milk.

Currently, the world has two popular coffee cultures: espresso and Americano. With CAFE de NAM Phin Dien, we have successfully captured the original flavor of traditional Vietnamese-style coffee while introducing a unique and convenient way of enjoying our heritage drink to the world, said Nguyen Tan Ky, CEO of Vinacafe.

CAFE de NAM Phin Dien will first be made available exclusively through select coffee shops.

In connection with the launch, Vinacafe acquired an 85 per cent equity interest in CDN Production Trading Corporation for a total consideration of VND35 billion ($1.6 million) to expand its coffee R&D platform and increase its production capacity.

Vinacafe Bien Hoa JSC, a member of Masan Group Corporation (HOSE: MSN), currently manufactures and distributes a range of beverage products, including instant coffee, instant cereal and bottle beverages. The company commenced operations in 1968. Its portfolio includes consumer brands such as Vinacafe, Wake-Up, Phinn, Wake-Up 247 and Kachi.

Masan Group Corporation operates in the branded food and beverage sector and in the animal nutrition value chain. Masans businesses include Masan Consumer Holdings, the producer of brands such as Chin-su, Nam Ngu, Tam Thai Tu, Omachi, Kokomi, Vinacafe, Wake-up, Vinh Hao and Su Tu Trang, and animal feed producer Masan Nutri-Science, with brands such as Proconco and ANCO. The companys other businesses include Masan Resources, one of the worlds largest producers of tungsten and strategic industrial minerals, and associate joint stock commercial bank Techcombank.
Increasing the allowed foreign ownership ratio to 100 per cent is decided by the board of directors without the requesting shareholders approval.

At the same time, Vinamilk decreased the criteria for choosing foreign investors to create more favourable conditions in the approaching large government stake divestment.

The scrapping was backed by the two largest shareholders, State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC), a sovereign fund holding a 45 per cent stake, and F&N Dairy Investment, which is controlled by Thai beer tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, with an 11 per cent stake.

According to Vinamilks Board of Directors, a specific roadmap on the expansion of foreign ownership has not been compiled. Similarly, SCIC has yet to give a timeframe for its divestment from Vinamilk.

Mai Kieu Lien, Vinamilks general director, said that after the sale, the most important thing left would be to decide how to remain a truly Vietnamese brand. Vinamilk is currently valued at $7.5 billion and its brand is $7 billion, thus foreign investors are interested in the sale because of Vinamilks brand.

In 2015, Vinamilk earned VND40 trillion ($1.78 billion) in revenue, up 14 per cent on-year, with a net profit of VND7.77 trillion ($347.3 million), up 28 per cent on-year.

The company is expecting a rise of 11 per cent in revenue and 6 per cent in profit this year.

Vinamilk currently owns 25 subsidiaries and 13 dairy production factories, employing a workforce of over 6,000 people throughout Vietnam. Vinamilks products are present in more than 40 countries over the world. In addition, the company holds a 22.8 per cent stake in Miraka factory in New Zealand, 70 per cent in Driftwood Dairy Holding in the US, and 51 per cent of Angkor Dairy Products Company in Cambodia.
Vinamilk Chairwoman Le Thi Bang Tam told a shareholders' meeting in HCM City last Saturday that the company will not cap foreign investors' share holdings in it, and the firm will inform shareholders as soon as it completes legal procedures for this issue.

Tam said current regulations enable unlimited foreign ownership in a domestic enterprise without being adopted by a shareholder's meeting. The management board of the company just needs to issue a resolution to execute the matter.

She said Vinamilk had also cut several business areas where the Government stipulates conditions and restrictions for foreign investors, such as cultivation, breeding, seed processing and post-harvest services, as well as goods loading, printing, and real estate brokerage and consultancy services.

Vinamilk General Director Mai Kieu Lien said that, by enabling full foreign ownership, the company's leaders will face a big concern: how to preserve its brand identity.

The company now has a market capitalisation value of more than US$7.5 billion, with the value of its brand name alone amounting to $7 billion. Any investors who may want to buy shares of the firm must eye its trade name, she said. Last October, then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) to choose suitable times to withraw all State capital from 10 enterprises, including Vinamilk, for more business efficiency.

The SCIC currently holds a stake of more than 45 per cent in Vinamilk, and industry insiders calculate that this State stake is valued at around VND55 trillion, or $2.46 billion, in the market.


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The Anlong Veng Peace Center was launched in early May, in a joint initiative between the Sleuk Rith Institute and the Ministry of Tourism that it is hoped will foster peace building and reconciliation in the district that was the last Khmer Rouge stronghold.

Located on the Thai-Cambodian border, Anlong Veng was one of the main redoubts of the Khmer Rouge after their regime was toppled in January 1979.

Vietnamese forces, with the help of the United Front for National Salvation of Cambodiaa group of Cambodian defectorshad occupied most of country. But with the protection of thick forests and the Dangrek mountain range, the Khmer Rouge were able to regroup and stage a guerrilla war for almost two decades.

That came to end in 1998, when the remnants of the Khmer Rouge agreed to be integrated into the Cambodia state. The mass defection was the result of political concessions and compromise by the government, as well as the desire for national reconciliation among the districts population of cadres and their families, said Dr. Ly Sok-Kheng, the inaugural director of the Anglong Veng Peace Center, who appeared on the Hello VOA program on May 18.

In exchange for defecting, the leaders and cadres were given citizenship status. That entailed the right to hold administrative and military positions in the regionwhich many were given, as well as the rights to the land they had been occupying.

However, Dr. Ly Sok-Kheng noted, peace does not simply mean the absence of war, and many of the wounds of the conflict remain unhealed in Anlong Veng, worsened by discrimination, polarization and misunderstanding.

To address this, the new center is launching peace-building and reconciliation projects, he said, including the preservation and development of historical sites like Pol Pots grave for visitors. The Khmer Rouges top leader died abruptly in Anlong Veng in 1998, shortly before the mass defection.

The center would also organize peace tours, on which young people can speak with former cadres to bridge the gap between their often widely differing interpretations of history, he said.

Dialogues will bring about common understanding and forgiveness between individuals, the community and the country as a whole, he said.

The center is also mandated by the Cambodian government to do research and documentation for a better understanding of the area. It is publishing the book A History of the Anlong Veng Community: The Final Stronghold of the Khmer Rouge Movement, which will be used as training material for tour guides picked from among the local community.

Residents have been receptive to the idea of the Anlong Veng Peace Center, he said, explaining that they expect it to bring more visitors to the district and boost local businesses.

The local residents are the main sources for attracting visitors, said Dr. Ly Sok-Kheng. They can participate in discussion and historical sharing with visitors. This sharing allows visitors to learn not only the history but also the beliefs and ways of thinking of the former cadres.

The centers director said these activities will in turn bring Anlong Veng's residents closer to the larger Cambodian community, which is the key for ensuring peace and prosperity in the country. Visitors from fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations member statesBurma, for instancethat face the risk of conflict would also be serviced by the center, he added.
Political intimidation, the suppression of political expression and restrictions on freedom of assembly have Cambodias young democracy under threat, observers in the country say.

Government officials say limitations on freedom are necessary to avoid what they cast as the potential for catastrophic color revolution in Cambodia of the sort that erupted in Syria five years ago. That uprising, which began amid hopes of a democratic spring across the Arab world, has plunged the country into chaos.

Prime Minister Hun Sen argues he is defending Cambodias hard-earned peace and political stability, said Preap Kol, executive director of Transparency International Cambodia.

The government insists its actions have been legally based, but the differing treatment of pro- and anti-government demonstrators by authorities, and a series of prosecutions that appear politically motivated, suggest a double standard.

There is a lack of fairness and social justice that is an important standard of rule of law, said Preap Kol, who compared recent developments for Cambodian democracy to the choreography of a traditional Khmer dance. Dancers take three steps forward and three steps backward, he said. It goes forward slowly. In some circumstances, it retreats back swiftly.

The recent round of measures apparently designed to silence Hun Sens troublesome opponents began in August last year, when opposition senator Hong Sok Hour was arrested for falsifying public documents related to the 1979 Cambodia-Vietnam border treaty, despite having supposed immunity from prosecution as a parliamentarian.

The crackdown turned violent in October when two Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) lawmakers, Nhay Chamroeun and Kong Saphea, were badly beaten outside the National Assembly by youths, apparently aligned with the ruling party, who were granted relatively broad freedom to demonstrate. The protesters were demanding that the opposition partys deputy leader, Kem Sokha, be stripped of the parliaments vice presidency. The official investigation into the attack has become mired in the courts.

Intimidation peaked in January, when charges were leveled against CNRP President Sam Rainsy, including a charge relating to sharing one of Hong Sok Hours allegedly faked documents on Facebook. A defamation suit against Sam Rainsy, filed some years ago by former Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong, was swiftly reactivated, and a new defamation case was filed against the CNRP leader by National Assembly President Heng Samrin.

Sam Rainsy went back into exile for the fourth time. Thus, the culture of dialogue touted when the rival parties resolved a stalemate over the 2013 election was in tatters even before the latest round of judicial attacks.

CNRP lawmaker Um Sam An was arrested in April, also over comments about the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. Again, parliamentary immunity was disposed of with the argument that he was caught in the act of breaking the law. He has been denied bail and remains in jail.

An alleged sex scandal has also been whipped up, again involving youth activists aligned with the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party. The youths have demanded that Kem Sokha face legal consequences for an alleged affair that was purportedly exposed in recordings published online.

Political analysts, civil society organizations and even a United Nations employee have been caught up in the scandal. Some are accused of coercing the alleged mistress to deny publicly the claims. Kem Sokha, in response, has stuck to his proclaimed philosophy of no answer, no response, no argument, and determined to surrender himself to the courts rather than choose self-exile.

The United Nations human rights agency has called the actions politically-motivated persecution and pointed to woefully flawed due process in the cases. The defamation suits against opposition lawmakers and the arrests of workers for local human rights group Adhoc were breaches of the universal right to freedom of expression and opinion, the agency said.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan asserted that the government was committed to the rule of law, and said recent moves to make officials responsive to the public through social media were in fact improving freedom of expression.

It is the balance between the use of rights and the monitoring of [peoples] rights by authorities in a democratic society, he said

But the governments recent actions have made the political situation tense, said Chak Sopheap, executive director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. It is a sign of threats to other NGOs that have been working on similar issues to foster respect for human rights in Cambodia, she said.

Chak Sopheap noted the vast quantity of government officials time being dedicated to the sex scandal and the broader crackdown. The government and civil society groups seemed to be speaking different languages, interpreting the concepts of rule of law and freedom of expression entirely differently, she added.

No one is opposing what the government says about peace and development, she said. In fact, civil society is joining with the government to improve democracy and rule of law.
A U.S. federal appeals court threw out a mortgage fraud conviction Monday against Bank of America and dismissed a $1.2 billion fine against the country's second-biggest bank.

The three-judge panel in New York ruled there was not enough evidence for a jury to find the bank liable at a 2013 trial.

The judges said U.S. prosecutors failed to prove that Bank of America's Countrywide Financial division purposely set out to sell fraudulent mortgages.

A Bank of America spokesman says the bank is pleased by the appeals court ruling. The U.S. Attorney's office in New York, which prosecuted the case, had no comment.

The Justice Department charged Countrywide of purposely selling the government-backed mortgage providers thousands of bad loans that could never be paid back.

Such bad loans helped bring on the global financial collapse and worldwide recession in 2008.
Singapore is ordering Swiss bank BSI, which has been linked to a money-laundering scandal at Malaysia's state fund 1MDB, to shut down its local branch.

The Singapore central bank said it is the first time in 32 years it's withdrawing a license from a merchant bank.

Separately, the Swiss attorney general's office has opened a probe into the bank, saying it "suspects deficiencies in the internal organization" of BSI.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) says BSI was guilty of "serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight of the bank's operations, and gross misconduct by some of the bank's staff."

MAS said it has asked prosecutors to investigate six senior officials of BSI bank. Two Singaporean BSI executives have already been charged.

Investigations into Malaysias state investment company, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), allege that more than $4 billion dollars has been misappropriated from development funds. 1MDB came under more suspicion last year when media reports raised allegations that millions of dollars had been deposited into the private bank account of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Najib has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and the Malaysian attorney general said the funds were a personal donation from Saudi Arabias royal family.

But the scandal has led to probes in 10 countries  including Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland  over allegations of political donations, inaccurate disclosures, possible money laundering and embezzlement.
The latest round of talks to end Burundi's political crisis was "a positive step," according to Thomas Perriello, the U.S. special envoy to Africa's Great Lakes region.

Perriello spoke to VOA's Central Africa service from the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha on Tuesday as the four days of talks concluded.

Former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa facilitated the talks, aimed at ending protests and violence that began when President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for a controversial third term last year. Previous discussions led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni made no progress.

Perriello said the latest discussions were "high on substance and high on listening," and praised Mkapa's political skills.

I think, given the stakes in Burundi, it was good to see the facilitator play that role so well, he said.

He also praised Mkapa for getting the Burundian government and some of the opposition figures to come to the table, although several opposition groups, including CNARED, an umbrella group that includes exiled politicians and former government officials, were absent.

CNARED Chairman Jean Minani was one of those not present. I was not invited, Minani told VOA.

Facilitator praised

In his closing remarks Tuesday, the facilitator promised to meet with those who did not attend the talks.

In the next two weeks, I will continue and complete the consultations with those who did not come during this session, Mkapa said.

Special envoy Perriello said he was happy with how the facilitator moved quickly to make himself available to meet with all stakeholders.

One of the ways you judge a process like this is not by whether everything goes perfectly but how the facilitator and the team react, said Perriello.

The next round of talks is expected during the third week of June.

Burundi has been mired in a yearlong crisis in which more than 450 people have been killed. More than a quarter of a million people have fled to neighboring countries.

Perriello urged Burundian leaders to put the interest of their country ahead of any other particular interests they may have.

I think the facilitator is creating the space for a genuinely inclusive dialogue  which is not to say there have not been missteps along the way. I think this week was overall an indication toward some hope that that could work, he said.

He said getting people together to talk will help start to rebuild relationships of trust and lines of communications that you hope solutions will emerge from.
China is using tourism as an important lever to revive its slowing economy as well as enhance its influence in international affairs. This was evident at the recent First World Conference on Tourism, when a senior Chinese official revealed the government's strategy on using tourism in diverse ways.

State media quoted Li Jinzao, head of China National Tourism Administration, as telling delegates at the conference that "China plans to send 150 million travelers to countries along the One Belt, One Road in the next five years. These travelers are expected to spend $200 billion during the period, Li said, in a move to raise expectations among countries along the so-called Silk Road.

Total Chinese spending on tourism would vault up three times from the present level to $460 billion by 2020, he said, adding that tourism contributed 10.8 percent to the country's Gross Domestic Product last year.

Analysts find the figure about the contribution of tourism to the Chinese economy somewhat overstated, but there is no denying the government's enthusiasm to enlarge the role played by this industry. This was evident last week when State Council, the Chinese Cabinet, decided to open up low-altitude air space for high-end tourism and other industries.

"I think that statistic is highly dubious. You have to stretch massively to reach that calculation by including things that dont deserve to be in the figure," said Scott Kennedy, deputy director at the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington.

Soft power advantage

China has reasons to feel it can use outbound tourism as a soft power to influence foreign policy. Governments across the world are adjusting their visa and other regulations to welcome the rising tide of Chinese tourists. Even Japan, which is a strong political rival of China, recently announced it would offer 10-year visas to Chinese businessmen and artists.

Chinese travelers are changing preferences driven by either political sensitivities or their hunger for shopping for luxury goods. Hong Kong, an all-time favorite of Mainland travelers, is being ignored due to repeated protest demonstrations against the Chinese government. The latest casualty is Taiwan, where the new government is regarded less friendly to Beijing than the earlier one.

"South Korea and Thailand have overtaken Hong Kong as the most popular destinations; Europe beats North America as the most popular destination outside of Asia," CEIBS Adjunct Professor of Marketing Michel Gutsatz, said.

The new trend is driven by what is known as "the Millennials" who spend more and travel more independently instead of relying on the old tradition of traveling in groups, he said.

Chinese tourist spending has lifted up the economy of several Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, in addition to benefiting the United States and parts of Europe, HSBC said in a report.

The bank expects outbound Chinese tourists to reach 242 million in 2024, which is the total number of tourists received by Germany, Iran, Indonesia and Egypt combined in a single year. Chinese tourists account for more than 15 percent of all arrivals in Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan, the bank said.

In fact, several countries, including Nepal and Sri Lanka, are known to have revised their relationship with China and India based on tourist arrivals, which are crucial to their local economies.

Business Travel

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) recently announced that the business travel market in China has for the first time overtaken the United States to emerge as the biggest in the world.

Chinese spent $291.2 billion on business travel in 2015, which was slightly higher than U.S. spending of $290.2 billion. The difference would widen in 2016 as the Chinese market would rise 10.1 percent while that of the US would grow at 1.9 percent, GBTA predicted.

"China's growth rates, while relatively slow by Chinese standards, are still tremendously high compared to the rest of the world. Even with the difficult global economy, it was inevitable that China was on track become the global leader in business travel spend," said Colleen Lerro Gallagher, GBTA's Communications Director.
Global health hinges on drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a chief mover in the field of climate change told delegates Tuesday at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, praised the groundbreaking Paris Climate Change Agreement signed by 177 countries and likely to come into force in the next year or two.

She says the deal is promising for both the climate and global health.

"In addressing climate change by reducing emissions, we are preventing the worsening of health conditions around the world, she said, and  by improving so many different conditions that can be improved through climate measures  such as improving food and water, food security and water safety  we are actually improving health conditions."

Failure to take action on climate change will cost between $2 billion and $4 billion a year in direct damage to health by 2030, Figueres warns. In addition, she says, one-sixth of all illnesses and disabilities come from vector-borne diseases  which will rise if climate change is not checked.

Those who will suffer the most are people in developing countries, she adds.

Of the 189 countries that have presented national climate change plans, only 15 percent have mentioned health as an important component, Figueres says, calling the statistic alarming.

"If, over the next five years, we do not fundamentally change what we are doing in the energy sector, in the transportation sector, in the building sector and all of those sectors that are emitting, we are in danger of reaching a tipping point in the atmosphere that will have a direct negative and profound impact on health around the planet for many, many decades," she stressed.

Figueres urged the WHO to use its authority in the health sector to spread the word that climate change and health are inextricably linked.

The bottom line, she says: Whatever is good for the climate is also good for global health.
Family members of EgyptAir Flight 804 victims gave DNA samples to authorities Tuesday to help identify body parts recovered from the Mediterranean.

In an emailed statement to the French news agency AFP, the airline said, "DNA samples have been collected from the victims' families."

Investigators are still working to find out why the Airbus 320 jet vanished from radar last Thursday and crashed, killing all 66 people on the flight from Paris to Cairo.

The head of Egypt's forensics unit has dismissed a theory that the small size of the body parts retrieved indicated an explosion occurred on board.

An Egyptian official said a total of 23 bags of body parts have been retrieved since Sunday. Speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, the official said the largest of the body parts was no bigger than the palm of a hand.

Sources also said it is premature to assume that an explosion occurred.

"All we know is it disappeared suddenly without making a distress call," a source told Reuters, adding that only by analyzing the two black boxes or a large amount of debris could officials get an idea of what took place during the plane's last minutes.

Egypt Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy has said a terrorist attack is a more likely cause of the crash than technical failure. So far, however, no evidence has emerged as to what brought down the plane.

No militant group has claimed to have carried out an attack.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said a submersible that can operate at 3,000 meters below the sea was deployed to assist in the hunt for the black boxes that contain the jets recorded data.

"I will say that when an airplane disappears at 37,000 feet [11.28 km], it's a highly unusual event," aviation consultant Scott Hamilton of the Leeham Company told VOA. "It either typically indicates a catastrophic failure, catastrophic emergency of some kind, or, as we know from not too long ago, a bomb could go off. ... But you just have to be cautious and not jump to any conclusions at this point."
Shot by elephant poachers, the manager of Congo's Garamba National Park asked a ranger for help to bind his leg with a tourniquet to slow blood loss.



"While we were doing this, I could hear another person get hit on our right, and then within a few seconds, also hear another person get hit on my left,'' Erik Mararv said in an interview with The Associated Press in Johannesburg, where he received medical treatment.



Three rangers  half of a unit that deployed to the scene of an elephant killing  were killed in the April 23 shootout in Garamba, where armed groups poach elephants for ivory in one of Africa's most volatile areas.



It was not an isolated incident. A total of 11 Garamba rangers and Congolese soldiers have been killed during anti-poaching missions in the past year, highlighting how conservationists in some parts of the continent become combatants and, on occasion, casualties.



The poachers who attacked the rangers in Garamba, a UNESCO world heritage site, last month are believed to have come from South Sudan, just across the border. Other groups that have operated in Garamba include ivory hunters and militias from Sudan, and the Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group led by Joseph Kony, who is accused of war crimes. The park has also reported incidents in which poachers killed elephants from helicopters.



"We have lost a lot. We are not winning the battle today, but we can win the battle, absolutely,'' said Mararv, 30, who plans to return to Garamba at the end of the week after getting approval from doctors to fly. Mararv, on crutches, said the bullet that hit his right leg "cut my femur bone cleanly'' before tumbling out of his thigh, leaving a "fist-sized hole.''



"I was very, very lucky,'' said Mararv, who expects a full recovery. A Swede born in the Central African Republic, he described the rangers who died  Dimba Richard, Anigobe Bagare and Matikuli Tsago  as "some of our best people.''



African Parks, the Johannesburg-based group that manages Garamba and nine other wildlife parks in Africa, wants to increase the number of Garamba rangers from 100 to 250; additionally, some 50 to 100 Congolese soldiers are already deployed to guard the park. African Parks is also considering the acquisition of a "bigger air carrier'' more suited to military-style operations than a helicopter that carries fewer people, and wants to increase cooperation with U.N. and American forces operating against armed groups in the area, Mararv said.



Garamba's elephant population has plummeted over the years to an estimated 1,300, and tourism is minimal. Security concerns overshadow funding for schools, health centers and other development initiatives that Mararv said are critical to the park's turnaround but are seen as "not that sexy to talk about.''



Violence also erupts in some other African parks.



Zimbabwean rangers confronted 10 suspected elephant poachers from Zambia who had crossed into Zimbabwe's Zambezi National Park at night, and two poachers were killed, Bhejane Trust, a conservation group, said on Facebook last weekend.



In January, elephant poachers in Tanzania fired on a helicopter on an anti-poaching mission, killing the British pilot. In March, rebels in Congo's Virunga National Park killed two rangers, according to park director Emmanuel de Merode.



De Merode, who was seriously injured by gunmen in 2014, has been in touch with Mararv, a friend, since the Swede was shot. De Merode has been ``very encouraging,'' Mararv said.



Garamba rangers inspecting the area after the April fight found the backpack of a ranger killed last year and the South Sudanese poachers are believed to have also suffered casualties, Mararv said. The group had killed an elephant but didn't have time to remove its tusks.



Mararv concluded: "People who die on the ground, they die because of this trade.''
The mothers of two Somali-Americans on trial for allegedly planning to join Islamic State say their sons were "set up" by an FBI informant.

The women spoke to VOA Somali outside a Minneapolis court Monday, after the government's star witness, informant Abdirahman Bashir, told the court under cross examination that the FBI paid him $100,000.

The mother of defendant Abdirahman Daud called Bashir a "criminal" motivated by money.

No credibility



"He is a liar who wanted to sell our boys and to set them up," Farhiya Mohamed said. "He was unemployed and he wanted to earn money. All the kids were employed, they have never been to jail, and they used to attend school. He [Bashir] would visit them in the schools, the college, and their homes to record them."

The mother of defendant Guled Ali Omar decried what she called "incorrect information" being used by prosecutors.

"These kids were set up. He [Bashir] was recording them for a year. He told lies about them," said Fadumo Abdullahi Husein. "This is very wrong, I dont like it."

Charges against defendants



U.S. government prosecutors have charged Daud, 22, Omar, 21, and Mohamed Farah 22, with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder abroad.

Last week, jurors heard recordings in which the men were heard discussing travel plans to Syria and methods to obtain fake passports.



One recording caught the three men making a Skype call to a Minnesota friend who had already gone to Syria and joined Islamic State.

No blacks on jury



Daud's mother noted Tuesday that there are no Muslims or black people on the jury but expressed hope the jurors will be fair. "I hope they will look into the case and go to the bottom of it," she said.
Operations have ground to a halt at South Sudan's largest hospital thanks to a week-long power outage, owing to a massive fuel shortage in the capital city.

One doctor at Juba Teaching Hospital, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals from his bosses, said doctors can no longer perform most emergency operations. The last time this happened  in January  10 patients died because staff could not perform necessary procedures.

The doctor said he tells patients to either buy fuel to run the hospital's generators for the duration of the surgery, or pay for a private clinic elsewhere.

But this hospital serves the city's poorest residents. Most cannot afford it.

"Even me, they have been calling me now that we need operation, but I told them, frankly, there's nothing we can do, nothing in my hands," the doctor said.

Poorest of poor

One woman in labor was writhing in pain in the maternity ward. She has suffered epileptic seizures.

Her mother-in-law, Jennifer Joseph, looked frantically for one jerry can  about twenty liters  worth of fuel so the woman could have an emergency C-section.

"They say that if the fuel is now ready, they will just make the operation now," Joseph said.

But even if she finds the fuel, she doesn't know how she will pay for it.

"What can I say? I will just put God ahead, because I have no money," she said.

One jerry can of fuel costs about 500 South Sudanese pounds, or about $12. The lines at the pumps can last all day. Black market fuel is simply out of reach.

Wrecked economy

Two-and-a-half years of civil war have wrecked the economy.

South Sudan is actually an oil-producing country, but it doesn't have refineries so the government subsidizes imported fuel. Many citizens in Juba demand the new transitional unity government fix the fuel crisis.

The doctor said the hospital has mostly stopped working at night. There is simply no one to receive gunshot or accident victims.

In the nearly empty surgical ward, a man was in a bed, his abdomen dangerously distended two weeks after having his appendix removed.

His brother, Michael Chieng Bol, says the family doesn't have money to buy the three jerry cans of fuel needed for another surgery.

"It is the transitional government of national unity [that could] put its efforts to look into the problem of this hospital, Chieng Bol said. It is the one who could really bring the fuel, so the people of South Sudan could get the right treatment inside the hospital."

The minister of petroleum was unavailable to comment.
Greek authorities are busing thousands of migrants away from the makeshift camp at Idomeni on the Macedonian border, and to purpose-built camps farther inside Greece.

Police said they expect the operation to take a week to 10 days. They have pledged not to use violent tactics, and authorities say the refugees are not resisting the relocation.

"People are leaving by themselves, with no use of force. What remains now is to clear the railways that formed part of the camp," Anastasios Sahpakidis, a representative of the local rail transport companies, told reporters Tuesday.

Macedonia closed the frontier in March, but approximately 8,500 migrants stayed on in hopes that one day they would be allowed to continue their journey.

Desperation

Among them are dozens of newborn babies, whose parents once dreamt of raising their children in Western Europe. Now, they are being forced to retrace their steps back into Greece.

"My child's future is lost," said Alia Mohamad, a Syrian refugee who gave birth to a baby boy three weeks ago at the camp. With this situation and with what we're going through, I don't believe he will have a future. I'm desperate because my baby was born in such conditions. The child is tormented and I am tormented with him.

Dan Stewart of the aid agency Save the Children told VOA that Idomeni has become symbolic of the refugees' desperation.

"They are worried that they might be forgotten, that the attention might dissipate, he said. And it's really vital that, as people are moved today, we don't let that happen. It's really vital that we keep up the pressure to ensure that people in Greece at the moment have access to the right services, they have access to having their claims of asylum heard."

Hope

The migrants are being moved to purpose-built camps around the northern city of Thessaloniki. Stewart says that is not a long-term solution.

"Only a very small fraction of the number of people that the European Union has pledged to resettle from Greece and Italy have actually been resettled so far, he said. So it's vital that that starts to work better."

Many of the migrants are not giving up hope of reaching Western Europe, and say they will use illegal routes to continue their journey.

Around 200 migrants arrive in the Serbian capital of Belgrade every day. Most pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to smugglers to take them illegally across Bulgaria. Human rights groups say the refugees risk extortion from the smugglers, and abuse from police and vigilante gangs.
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have launched an operation to capture areas north of Raqqa, the Syrian de-facto capital of Islamic State, with the aim of eventually liberating the city.

The U.S. allied group made the announcement in a video statement posted online Tuesday. Were launching this campaign with the help of [U.S.-led] coalition forces in northern Raqqa, said Rojda Felat, a female Kurdish commander.

A senior SDF commander told VOA his forces are advancing from three different directions. "[Kurdish] YPG tanks and other heavy weaponry have been deployed," he said.

The SDF has announced they have begun operations to liberate the countryside north of Raqqa. We have always been focused evicting Da'esh [Islamic State] from Raqqa and we will continue to support the SDF as they conduct ground operations to further isolate the city, said Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS.

A commander with the Syrian Democratic Forces said earlier that coalition troops would be fighting with SDF forces, but Warren refused to comment on the specific role coalition forces would play.

"As you know, we dont talk about Special Forces operations, he said.

Russia's role

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a visit to Uzebekistan, said Moscow is ready to coordinate efforts with the Kurds and the U.S.-led coalition to liberate Raqqa.

Warren rejected any notion of possible coordination with Russia.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. focus with Russia right now is on restoring Syria's fragile cessation of hostilities and that the two countries were discussing proposals that could help strengthen and sustain the cease-fire.

"We believe that with our [U.S.] support for the Syrian Democratic Forces, that we can effectively put pressure on Raqqa, acting with the [U.S.-led] coalition, Toner said.

Hussam Eisa of Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, a Syrian group that reports on IS abuses, said the offensive is focusing on areas around two towns.

"I think it will take a long time before the YPG decides to march toward Raqqa city. They are supported by U.S. warplanes. They have targeted areas around the towns of Tel al-Saman and al-Haisha, 40 kilometers north of Raqqa. These areas are almost empty of civilians. Most residents have fled to Raqqa city, Eisa said.

Tamped-down expectations



The U.S. is supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces, mostly made up of Syrian Kurds, numbering at least 25,000 fighters, with a smaller element of Syrian Arabs, numbering perhaps 5,000 to 6,000. The U.S. is trying to increase the Arab numbers.

But U.S. officials have been tamping down expectations of rapid progress. And a European diplomat told VOA that the plan currently is to try to encircle much of the city of Raqqa, at least to take outlying villages north, west and south.



The Arab fighters are not sufficient in numbers, nor do they have the capabilities to take on the hardened IS fighters defending the city, he said. And the Kurds cant be in the vanguard in capturing Raqqa.

He puts the numbers of Sunni Arab fighters in the SDF lower than 5,000.

The diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there are an estimated 185,000 civilians left in Raqqa  out of an original population of 400,000.

Very difficult

In Washington, U.S. Senator John McCain told VOA's Azerbaijani Service that the push to retake Raqqa will be a "very difficult" undertaking.

"It is going to take a very big and important effort. ISIL, or Daesh, will not go down easy. They will fight to retain their territorial capital," McCain said.

Congressman Adam Schiff said he believes it will take time before there is a real push to retake Raqqa.

"But they are losing ground all around Raqqa, he said. And I think there is a beginning sense of siege for ISIL forces in Raqqa. They sense their days are numbered."
In Liberia, a special presidential task force, appointed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to investigate a corruption report released last month by Global Witness, began carrying out what it calls probable cause arrests on Monday.

The London-based Global Witness alleged that over $950,000 in bribes and other suspicious payments were made to top Liberian officials by the Britain-based Sable Mining Company and its Liberian lawyer, Varney Sherman.

Bribes for mining concessions

According to the report entitled The Deceivers, Sable Mining wanted to get the concession rights to Liberias Wologizi iron ore.

Sherman, who is also chairman of President Ellen Johnson Sirleafs ruling Unity Party, allegedly told the company that in order to get the contract, Sable Mining must first offer bribes to senior officials to change Liberias concession laws.

VOA contacted Sherman about this charge Monday but he said he had no comment.

Task Force chairman and Minister of State without Portfolio, J. Fonati Koffa said bribery under Liberian laws is a criminal offense.

But he said the probable cause arrests were not targeting Sherman alone but all those who have been named in the Global Witness report.

The multi-agency presidential task force on the Global Witness report started off this morning [Monday] to execute a series of probable cause arrests. The primary agents in charge of that portion of the operations were the agents from the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, he said.

Koffa said police did not surround Shermans residence as had been circulated on some social media platforms. But he said at some point some supporters of Sherman entered his residence which necessitated the deployment of additional riot police.

Lets remember one thing! This is not about Counselor Sherman. This is about the Global Witness report. And what the agents did was they had probable cause to believe a crime had been committed and an individual committed that crime, they can go and hold that individual for about 48 hours under our law. They did not attempt to do that only for Counselor Sherman. There were a number of persons who were targeted this morning [Monday], Koffa said.

'Consulting fees'

According to the report, among some of the officials who allegedly received bribes were Speaker of the Liberian House of Representatives Alex Tyler, $75,000 for consulting fees and Richard Tolbert, chairman of the National Investment Committee $50,000 for consulting fees.

Morris Saytumah, minister of state for finance, economic and legal affairs, now a senator, also allegedly received $50,000 for consulting fees, and Willie Belleh, chairman of public procurement and concessions commission, allegedly received $10,000 for consulting fees.

Two of the biggest payments went to persons identified in the report as Bigboy 01 and Bigboy 02, each allegedly receiving $250,000 with no explanation why the payments were made.

Sherman is adamant. He will not cooperate.

Sherman has told the Task Force that he has no intention of cooperating with the investigation, but he reportedly filed a motion over the weekend to dismiss the subpoena in a bid to deny access to the accounts of his law firm on grounds that there is no pending case that requires the firm to release its financial records.

Koffa said Sherman has informed the Task Force of his intention not to cooperate. He said they cannot break into Shermans house unless they get a search warrant.

Probable cause of arrest is not based on warrants. What we did have the Ministry of Justice do, within two hours, was issue a search warrant for the premises of Cllr. Sherman and the law offices of Cllr. Sherman. They are in the process of executing the search warrant on the law office. They have not yet done the premises, Koffa said.

Koffa said his task force is contemplating other steps, keeping in mind to always to conform to the law.

Vendetta against Sherman?

Sherman is also a Liberian senator and serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee. There had been speculation that the Global Witness corruption investigation was an attempt to get back at Sherman because he had told President Sirleaf not to nominate Koffa as justice minister because Koffa has a tainted record while a lawyer in United States.

Koffa denied the Global Witness investigation was a vendetta against Sherman.

I didn't write the Global Witness report; I didn't engineer the Global Witness report. The Global Witness report came to us and I was assigned that responsibility as a result of grave damage to the countrys image. The only way your theory or the assumption of someone can be true is if indeed they can show that I participated in engineering the report from Global Witness. I had no clue about that, and I absolutely and categorically deny that it is about any vendetta, Koffa said.
The southern U.S. state of Florida has the world's largest number of invasive species, mainly due to its subtropical climate. The latest invader could be the deadliest.

Three Nile crocodiles were captured in south Florida in the years between 2000 and 2014, from such varied locations as the Everglades and a suburban yard.

Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida biologist who studies the state's reptiles, told VOA the animals are now in captivity, but that Nile crocodiles, in addition to being bigger than their American cousins, could potentially put humans on the menu.

Guess who's coming to dinner

"Nile crocodiles are more prone to view humans as food," Mazzotti said.

The three reptiles were juveniles when caught, but could grow to five-and-a-half meters in length and weigh as much as a small car. In sub-Saharan Africa, the huge reptiles feast on anything from zebras to small hippos to people.

According to a study published in April in the Journal of Herpetological Conservation and Biology, it's likely more of them are out there.

The odds that the few of us who study Florida reptiles have found all of the Nile crocs out there is probably unlikely, according to Kenneth Krysko, herpetology collections manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus.

We know that they can survive in the Florida wilderness for numerous years," Krysko said. "We know that they grow quickly here and we know their behavior in their native range, and there is no reason to suggest that would change here in Florida.

Researchers from the University of Florida used DNA analysis to determine that the three crocodiles were genetically identical. That suggests they came from the same, so-far-unidentified source. They did not escape from zoos, since their DNA did not match the genetic profile of any Nile crocodiles in captivity.
President Barack Obama, in a forward-looking speech, told the Vietnamese people Tuesday that they and the American people were embarking on a 100-year journey together.

With this visit we've put our relationship on a firmer footing for decades to come, Obama predicted.

Whether the relationship involving the former enemies solidifies, as Obama desires, could depend on who succeeds him in the White House next January.

After all, when she was secretary of state, Hillary Clinton did play a major role in helping the pivot to Asia. But if it's a [Donald] Trump presidency, then all bets are off vis-a-vis ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations], Vietnam and quite a few other issues, including trade, said Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

In the audience for the U.S. leader's wide-ranging address at Hanois National Convention Center were more than 2,000 people, including some Vietnamese government officials.

The speech also touched on the very sensitive topic of human rights.

Obama noted that the rights to freedom of speech, the press and assembly are enshrined in Vietnams constitution. He also spoke of opening Vietnams political process to candidates from outside the Communist Party.

It is my view that upholding these rights is not a threat to stability, Obama said.

There are more than 100 political prisoners in Vietnam, and additional people have been detained in the past week, according to activists.

Prior to his speech Tuesday, Obama met with six Vietnamese civil society members, saying there were significant areas of concern about political freedom, and he praised those Vietnamese willing to make their voices heard.

Obama noted that there were several other activists who were invited who were prevented from coming for various reasons.

Dissident Ngueyn Quang A told reporters that he had been forced into a car by police Tuesday, driven outside Hanoi and detained for more than five hours, preventing him from meeting the U.S. president.

Also, activist Doan Trang said that when she was en route from Saigon to Hanoi to see Obama at the U.S. Embassy's invitation, she was detained at a hostel in the northern province of Ninh Binh for a day.

They told me I was detained because of my Facebook posts related to my report on the undemocratic election process in Vietnam," the journalist-turned-blogger told VOA. "They denied preventing me from meeting President Obama, but one can really see why they did that. When I told them that it is not right and undiplomatic to do so, they challenged me to sue them. They even told me that it is a lie, as there was no schedule of President Obamas meeting with activists on [the] official agenda.

"We protested to the government" of Vietnam about some civil society figures being prevented from attending the Hanoi meeting, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters in Saigon.

Vietnam has on numerous occasions denied detaining dissidents, reiterating that it imprisons only those who break laws.

Criticism from HRW

For the nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch the presidents remarks on human rights and the joint statement in Hanoi did not go far enough.

I would contest his characterization that there has been modest progress in Vietnam. ... There has been little or no progress in Vietnam, said Phil Robertson, Asia division deputy director of Human Rights Watch.

Robertson told VOA that human rights organizations had been promised by the White House and State Department that there would have to be significant progress demonstrated by Vietnam before any total removal of Washingtons ban on selling weapons to Hanoi, which was announced Monday.

What did they [the U.S.] get? They got nothing, Robertson asserted. You got a big fat goose egg when it comes to human rights.

Robertson also criticized the references to human rights in the joint statement as pretty thin gruel.

An outlawed Vietnamese pro-democracy party expressed a more enthusiastic reaction to Obamas comments in Hanoi on human rights, saying he outlined a forceful argument for a free Vietnam.

The widely watched speech and presidential visit in Vietnam will make it even harder for the communist leadership to justify the status quo, to sweep human rights abuses under the rug, Duy Hoang, spokesman for the U.S.-based Viet Tan, which claims members inside Vietnam, said in a statement.

Freedom of navigation

Without naming China, Obama also reiterated the right to freedom of navigation and said the United States would support that right for other nations.

Big nations should not bully smaller ones, the U.S. president said to applause.

Obama, on his first visit to Vietnam, on Monday gave his hosts a present they had been hoping for: a total lifting of the U.S. embargo on sales of lethal weapons.

Obama denied the removal of the ban was tied to increasing concerns about Beijings military activities in the disputed South China Sea.

But Chinas Global Times tabloid, run by the Communist Party, in its Tuesday edition, said Obamas assertion that lifting the arms ban was not tied to containing China was a lie.

The United States is taking advantage of Vietnam to stir up more troubles in the South China Sea, over which Beijing claims sovereignty, the newspaper said.

Some analysts are calling Obamas visit a showcase of the success of the administrations rebalance to Asia" policy.

The president's decision takes the normalization process between two former battlefield foes one step further and provides Vietnam a hedge against China's increased assertiveness in the South China Sea. said Murray Hiebert, senior Southeast Asia program adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Carl Thayer, a political science professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said the lifting of the arms embargo would enable diplomatic relations to normalize.

But human rights remain a key element in the U.S. policy, Thayer said, with the lifting of the embargo a political and diplomatic payback for Vietnams cooperation.

But in a practical sense nothing has changed. The arms embargo now lifted, Vietnam will still have to pass through the same restrictions" as any other purchaser of U.S. arms, "and the U.S. policy relating [arms purchases] to human rights remains in place, Thayer told VOA.

The benefits to Vietnam from the change mean an end to political discrimination, while for the U.S., it removes a major impediment to defense cooperation. But Thayer said in the immediate term, Vietnam will rely on long-term partner Russia for the purchase of major military items.

Vietnams most modern equipment  [Sukhoi] Su-30s [fighter aircraft], Gepard-class frigates, advanced Kilo-class submarines  are all Russian, he said.

But Thayer expects Vietnam will look to the U.S. for advanced communications technology, coastal radar and intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance technology to assist in maritime domain awareness.



China's influence



Thai political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak at Chulalongkorn University described the lifting of the arms embargo as a significant milestone in U.S.-Vietnam relations.

Thitinan said both countries have their own needs to build the relationship.

Vietnam really needs the United States to counter Chinas weight, and at the same time the U.S. wants to build and consolidate a legacy that Obama laid out under the rebalancing strategy, he told VOA. So now the United States is, I think, really stepping up its game around the regions, especially in the maritime front.

The Philippines also contests Chinas greater claims to the South China Sea and has looked to the U.S. for increased support.

This means that Beijing is going to be under more pressure, and Beijing may be driven now to try to further divide ASEAN because Beijing will feel more insecure from the stepped-up, bolstered relationship between the U.S. and Philippines on the one hand and the U.S. and Vietnam on the other, Thitinan said.

In that sense it is running the danger of being torn apart, that ASEAN's centrality of the 10 countries will suddenly weaken and each instead would become a satellite to one or the other great power, Tay in Singapore told VOA.

While Vietnam is a key member of the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Vietnam also relies on China for trade and business investment and it is Vietnams leading trading partner.

China is a huge, giant neighbor that Vietnam cannot antagonize. At the same time, Vietnam is hedging with the TPP, said Thitinan. So Vietnam has got its foot in the American camp now, at the same time its not antagonizing openly the Chinese. This is Vietnams geostrategic play.
Nairobi police used tear gas and water cannons to prevent demonstrators from assembling to protest the electoral commission, known as the IEBC.

Demonstrations went ahead Monday in several other Kenyan cities, and three people died under unclear circumstances in and around the western city of Kisumu.

Raila Odinga, Kenyas former prime minister and current opposition leader, says the ruling party has "no choice" but to discuss the opposition's demand for changes to the electoral commission. Odinga visited VOA's Nairobi studio Tuesday, a day after the deaths in Kisumu.

Peaceful dissent

Odinga says there is a better way to deal with the situation.

And if the police allow these demonstrations, they will be really very peaceful, and they will just agree with us, you start from point A to point B, at this time, said Odinga. And people will do those demonstrations the way they do it in London, they way they do it in New York, the way they do it in Tokyo and so on.

Odinga's CORD coalition has been organizing the protests to demand changes in the electoral commission, which opposition parties say favors the ruling Jubilee coalition.

Odinga says CORD wants a level playing field before presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for August of next year.

To do so, he says he and his supporters want the current nine full-time electoral commissioners to step down and be replaced with five new ones that act more like an executive board. They also want the multiple voter registers to be supplanted by a single accurate one, and for the electronic voting process to be smoothed out before election day.

Talks necessary

Odinga says the current government, and by extension, the ruling Jubilee coalition, must sit down for constructive dialogue.

They have no choice, said Odinga. They will have to agree to sit down and negotiate. So we will continue for as long as it takes. We will not surrender. That is not an option.

If the playing field is leveled, Odinga says, then the politicians, including himself, should accept the results of the elections, whatever they may be.

Why is it so difficult here in Africa? It can be done, said Odinga. What we are seeing happening right now is the emergence of the strongmen on the continent. You saw what happened in Burundi, you saw what happened in Uganda, what is about to happen to DRC. It is happening around the whole region and the continent. And were saying that this is not right for democracy. Africans should not be judged by different standards from the rest of the world. Africa needs to be recognized as part and parcel of the international community.

Odinga says that his coalition's protests will continue every Monday until the demands are met.
In the span of one year, Bernie Sanders has gone from 40 points down in polls to having near equal presence with Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party shapes its platform of policies at its convention in July.

In addition to formally nominating their presidential candidate every four years, the Democrats and their rivals in the Republican Party use the conventions to present detailed statements of what they stand for and the direction they seek for the country.

The Democratic National Committee announced Monday its platform committee will include five representatives picked by Sanders and six by Clinton, with another four chosen by DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

"We will be in a very strong position to fight for an economy that works for all of our people," Sanders told reporters Monday, highlighting the cornerstone of his campaign.

The self-described democratic socialist has gained a huge following, particularly among young people, as he has campaigned on a message promoting economic equality, ensuring affordable college, removing special interest influence from politics and expanding social services.

Sanders has ridden that wave of support to wins in 20 state contests, and along with Clinton and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is one of three major party candidates still competing in the race to succeed President Barack Obama in January.

Clinton leads the Democratic race having earned more delegates than Sanders thus far, and is expected to clinch the party's nomination when six states each hold a primary or caucus on June 7. Her campaign said Monday she will not participate in a planned Fox News debate with Sanders in delegate-rich California, instead focusing her energy on a looming general election battle with Trump. The last Democratic debate was on April 14.

Sanders said in a statement he was "disappointed but not surprised" by the decision, and later told supporters in California he thought it was "insulting" to people in the state.

"I also would suggest that Secretary Clinton may want to be not quite so presumptuous about thinking that she is a certain winner," he said. "In the last several weeks, the people of Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon have suggested otherwise."

Sanders won all three states, insisting that despite trailing in the delegate count he would remain in the race until the convention that begins July 25. It is with that persistence that he has been able to force the Democrats to consider his positions and incorporate them into a document that will stand as its basis for the next four years.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Sanders described the platform process as an "excellent time to educate the American people."

"There are two sides to every issue and I'm sure that Secretary Clinton will have very vigorous proponents of her point of view, as we will have."

He said his supporters are expecting a platform that represents working families, the poor and young people instead of Wall Street and corporate America.

The platform adopted at the 2012 Democratic Convention features a lot of what Sanders, and also Clinton, have promoted throughout their campaigns.

It has a large focus on the economy, including a line that resembles Trump's current "Make America Great Again" slogan.

"Reclaiming the economic security of the middle class is the challenge we must overcome today. That begins by restoring the basic values that made our country great," the document says.

It also highlights a need to prioritize the middle class, make college affordable for everyone, promote efforts to fight climate change, utilize a variety of energy sources, and to institute reforms on immigration, criminal justice, Wall Street and the campaign finance system.
Peru's President Ollanta Humala has declared a 60-day state of emergency in a large remote area of the Amazon jungle because of extremely high levels of mercury poisoning from illegal gold mining.

The country's environment minister said 41 percent of the population of Madre de Dios is being exposed. The mercury is not only in people, but also polluting rivers and fish.

The government plans to send hospital ships and loads of untainted fish to the area, near the border with Brazil.

Peruvian officials blame the mercury contamination on illegal gold mining, saying the miners use mercury to separate the gold from rock and dump the chemical into the rivers.

The government is trying to clamp down on illegal mining.
A Brazilian government minister, shown in a leaked recording to allegedly be plotting the impeachment of suspended President Dilma Rousseff to stop a corruption probe, said Monday that he would temporarily step down.

Planning Minister Romero Juca denied the allegations and said a partial transcript of the tape, published Monday in the Folha newspaper, was taken out of context.

The recording, made in March, allegedly showed Juca and a former oil company executive, Sergio Machado, discussing a government probe of corruption at the state-run oil company Petrobas, in which both men are implicated.

According to the transcript, Juca said, "We have to change the government so the bleeding is stopped."

Machado allegedly responded with "the easiest solution is to put Michel in"  a reference to Vice President Michel Temer, a Rousseff foe who is acting president.

Juca reportedly said he was working with the country's justices, who have the final word on impeachment.

Rousseff's supporters said the leaked tape bore out their contention that the president was the victim of a coup.

The Brazilian Senate voted to impeach Rousseff on charges that she used accounting tricks to hide the Brazilian budget deficit when she ran for re-election in 2014.

She has been suspended from office for the duration of her impeachment trial.
A Russian military official has denied claims by the Islamic State group that it destroyed four helicopters and other Russian equipment at a Syrian base.

Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday that Russian Mi-24 attack helicopters deployed to Syria are performing their planned mission to destroy terrorists.

Konashenkov rejected the claim that IS had damaged 20 trucks and helicopters at the T4 Diyas air base near the town of Palmyra, calling it propaganda.

But satellite images from the U.S.-based global intelligence company Stratfor show extensive damage at the air base used by Russian forces.

"We have no reason to believe that the incident at an airfield operated by Russian forces was the result of an ISIL attack," a U.S. official told VOA, using an acronym for Islamic State.

Konashenkov said the satellite images of the base show damaged helicopters and trucks from conflicts that took place in the same area between Syrian government forces and rebels.



'Ordnance impact points'

Stratfor reported that ordnance impact points are visible in the images and a Syrian MiG-25 fighter jet appeared to have been damaged.

On May 11, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported shelling at the T4 base after jihadists briefly took control of a route between the cities of Palmyra and Homs.

Though the Islamic State declined to cut off the road for any extended amount of time, it did move artillery within range of the base, which it subsequently shelled, Stratfor said in its analysis.

The report also said the attack, and considerable losses on the Russian side, stresses the continued threat to supply lines for Russian and regime forces, despite their victory in Palmyra.

An IS-affiliated news agency said Russian equipment had been destroyed at the T4 base, but according to AFP, the agency did not provide further details.

The five-year-old civil war has killed more than 270,000 people and driven millions of Syrian residents from their homes.
Pakistans interior minister said Tuesday that a blood relative of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor had come forward to claim the charred body of the man who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistans Baluchistan province.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a news conference in Islamabad that although the United States and Afghanistan had claimed that Mansoor was killed in a drone strike on Pakistani territory, it was not possible for Pakistan to confirm the news without scientific verification, like a DNA test.

That test, he added, was now underway because of an unexpected development.

Only today, an opportunity has arisen when a member of his family, who has a blood relationship with him, has formally requested for the body to be handed over to him, Khan said.

The government, he added, had immediately collected DNA samples from the relative and was waiting for the results to confirm that the body was that of Mansoor.



Criticism softening

Khan said the violation of Pakistans territory by a U.S. drone could have serious implications. But he seemed to soften the impact of his comment by adding that internal investigations had revealed that the U.S. drone didn't enter Pakistani territory. It was fired at Mansoors car from another country, he said, without naming the country.

Baluchistan province borders both Afghanistan and Iran.

Khan acknowledged that senior Pakistani officials in multiple government departments had played a role in issuing fake documents to Mansoor, although he blamed corruption for it. He said several officers had been either detained or were being probed for facilitating the documentation process for the slain Taliban leader.

I have been banging my head against the walls, Khan said regarding his efforts to reduce corruption in the authorities that issue national identity cards and passports.

The first ID card for Wali Mohammad, the alias that Mansoor allegedly used on his passport, was issued in 2001 when former military leader General Pervez Musharraf was in power, according to Khan.

The first passport was issued in 2005, again during Musharrafs regime, and was renewed in 2011 during the former government of the Pakistan Peoples Party.



Questions surrounding evidence

Khan also said Pakistan was investigating how Mansoors passport survived the drone strike on the car. Pakistan was informed seven hours after the drone strike, according to Khan.

He also said that Pakistan was investigating whether the passport found near the car was in the car at the time of the attack or someone threw it on the ground to mislead authorities. This was the reason he said Pakistan could not confirm whether Mansoor was using this passport when he crossed the border of Iran a few hours before he was killed.



Khan confirmed that the visas on Mohammads passport included Bahrain, Iran and Dubai. The passport also had stamps that showed it had been used to travel through Pakistani airports. The minister again rejected allegations his country was supporting the Afghan Taliban.

Mansoor was traveling alone in a car with his driver. If he had the support and surveillance of Pakistani intelligence agencies, he would not have been traveling under these conditions and would have not entered Pakistan through a regular border post without any security and in broad daylight, Khan said.

The Pakistani minister suggested the killing of Mansoor could be detrimental for efforts aimed at seeking a negotiated settlement to the Afghan conflict, because you cannot expect them [the Taliban] to come to the table after having droned their leader.
While the Afghan Taliban have still not officially confirmed or denied the death of their chief, Mullah Mansoor, in a U.S. drone attack, insurgent leaders appear to be preparing the ground for a leadership transition.

In a Pashto-language statement released to pro-Taliban media outlets, a senior member of the groups so-called Rahbari Shura, or leadership council, has urged Taliban fighters not to pay attention and desist from drawing conclusions about the fate of Mansoor in the wake of self-created reports.

In the statement, an unnamed council member pointed to what he said were enormous sacrifices by the Taliban and added that the movement would not let the enemy divide and weaken the movement.

The Islamic Emirate [the Taliban] will gain strength from the sacrifices of its leaders. All the members and other leaders in the movement think alike and are capable of leading come what may, he asserted.



Another Taliban official, quoted in a separate statement, said that the movement would not weaken and deter even if news of the death of its leader was accurate. The group, he maintained, did not rely on any one individual and was capable of swiftly filling a leadership vacuum.

He asserted that the death of Mansoor, if true, would only boost the Taliban ranks and create additional security challenges for the United States and the Kabul regime.



Commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, U.S. General John Nicholson reiterated on Tuesday that Mansoor was blocking peace and reconciliation efforts. "Two days ago we killed Mullah Mansour because he stood in the way of peace, the general said while speaking in southern Afghan city of Kandahar bordering Pakistan.

WATCH: Video from the scene of drone strike

Meanwhile, members of the leadership council of the Taliban have reportedly been meeting at an undisclosed location to elect their new leader and an announcement could be expected within the next couple of days.



But the Taliban has so far avoided publicly commenting on any development related to the fate of Mansoor.

Possible Mansoor successors



His two deputies, Sirajuddin Haqqani and Maulvi Haibatullah as well as Mullah Yaqoob, the elder son of the group's founder, Mullah Omar, are said to be among the top contenders.

Observers with knowledge of Taliban affairs and even some insurgent sources suggest that Yaqoob, in his late 20s, could be the next Taliban leader.

He is currently commanding military operations in 15 of Afghanistans 34 provinces. Some Taliban officials believe Yaqoobs elevation to the top position could help unify the insurgency and overcome divisions noted since last July when Mansoor took charge after it was confirmed Mullah Omar had been dead for more than two years.

President Barack Obama on Monday confirmed that Mansoor was killed in a drone attack on Saturday.

The Taliban leader was traveling in a vehicle in the southwestern Baluchistan province near the Afghan border when the missiles struck him. His driver, identified as Mohammad Azam, was also killed.

The bodies were transported to Quetta, where relatives were handed Azams remains in the presence of media. But it it still unclear what has happened to remains of the other body.

Taliban's silence



Meanwhile, Taliban spokespeople have continuously been sending statements claiming battlefield successes since the U.S announced the killing of Mansoor on Saturday. But they have not responded to queries about the fate of their top leader.

An insurgent spokesman, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, assigned to discuss affairs in southern Afghanistan, on Tuesday denied Kabuls claims that the Talibans shadow governor for southern Helmand province and a brother of the groups late leader, Mullah Omar, were killed in overnight U.S. airstrikes in the area.

Omars brother, Mullah Abdul Manan, is also among the Taliban leaders being projected as possible successors for Mansoor.

Afghan commentators and politicians in media interactions have expressed fears the death of Mansoor will lead to more violence and appeared less optimistic about peace talks.

Impact on peace prospects

It put the final nail in attempts to find a political way of out of the Afghan conflict, said Marvin Weinbaum, director of the Center for Pakistan Studies at the Middle East Institute.

None of the likely claimants to the Talibans helm is likely to join a peace process. Mansours death may set off a new leadership struggle, but is unlikely to weaken the insurgency in Afghanistan, says Weinbaum.

Baluchistan borders western and southern Afghan provinces that are traditionally considered Taliban heartlands.

U.S and Afghan officials have long maintained that Talibans leadership council, usually referred to as Quetta Shura, has been operating from the Pakistani province.

The direct order by President Barack Obama that Mansour be killed makes it clear that the Afghan conflict will be settled on the battlefield, not at a conference table, Weinbaum.

Islamabad acknowledges presence of Taliban leaders on its side of the border, but blames the long porous frontier with Afghanistan.

Mansoors Pakistani passport and travel history, though the documents are under a pseudonym Wali Mohammad, suggest he lived and traveled freely and with impunity within Pakistan and was even allowed to travel abroad through the countrys airports to multiple destinations, including repeated trips to Dubai.

Pakistani officials, however, say an investigation is still underway to determine the identity of the second man killed in the US drone attack.

Based on the address in the Pakistani passport and national identification card, authorities in Karachi have also raided a residential apartment in the name of Wali Mohammad and several suspects have also been detained.
Ethiopias foreign minister and previous health minister, Tedros Adhanom, has thrown his hat into the ring as Africas first and only candidate for the post of director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). A new U.N. health chief will be appointed during next years World Health Assembly.

The WHO, which was established as a United Nations specialized agency nearly 70 years ago, has never had a director-general from Africa. Tedros hopes to break that mold and promises to wage a vigorous campaign to achieve that goal.

Tedros does not impugn the work and achievements of previous directors-general, but suggests that the view of global health in the past has been seen through the narrow lens of mainly developed countries.

But, as you know, Africa and many of the developing countries carry most of the burden. And, we have never given a chance to Africa or a developing country to see the global health from that perspective and to see the global health from those who can understand the root cause of the problems that they have, he said.



'Based on merit'



Tedros rejects the assertion that he should be appointed to head the WHO because it is time for an African to assume this post. He told VOA he has the diplomatic and work experience needed to operate in both national and international spheres; but he noted that by virtue of his being an African, he can present a fresh perspective to global health issues.

I am stressing that I am actually competing based on merit and merit If you bring someone with experience from Africa, he can bring you a fresh view. So, there is a value proposition to it. We are saying we can add value. Let us see it from a different angle, with experience, but from a region where the burden is the highest in terms of health problems.

Africas sole candidate for director-general has an impressive resume. He is an internationally recognized malaria researcher and, prior to being appointed as Ethiopias foreign affairs minister in 2012, Tedros was minister of health from 2005 to 2012.

He also has served as chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
Boko Haram militants are believed to be holding hundreds of captives in Nigeria's Sambisa forest, including more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped in 2014.



The armed forces of Nigeria and Cameroon are trying to free the hostages, but the forest is a good place for militants to hide and a dangerous place for soldiers to operate.

The Sambisa forest reserve in northeastern Nigeria has been a key Boko Haram hideout for years.

Colonel Boubakar Bakary, one of Cameroon's senior military officers, commanding troops fighting Boko Haram around the forest, says Sambisa is very dangerous because it is one of Boko Haram's main remaining strongholds.



Many Cameroonian soldiers have lost their lives there. Many Cameroonian hostages they are looking for are in that forest. He says troops are doing everything possible to eliminate Boko Haram and take total control of the area.



Cameroon says 30 soldiers have been injured, and two killed, since a fresh offensive on Sambisa was launched in March. But Bakary said his troops have taken part in raids on the forest for more than a year.



Ideal hiding place



Part of the challenge is just how vast Sambisa is, covering parts of four Nigerian states. It's been called an ideal place for Boko Haram to hide because it's large, sparsely populated and has lots of tree cover that hampers aerial surveillance. It also has few roads and a rocky, hilly terrain, making access by land difficult to nearly impossible.



The Nigerian military has bombed the forest and succeeded in overrunning several Boko Haram camps, but the presence of kidnapped women and children remains a concern. Bakary says Boko Haram uses the captives as human shields. The forest, he said, is also infested with landmines.



Some good news



In the Cameroonian border town of Tourou, hundreds of people turned out Sunday to welcome home Habibba Assale.



Boko Haram grabbed the 16-year-old girl and several others two years ago and took them into Sambisa. She escaped last week during a raid by Nigerian soldiers but had to leave her baby behind.

She says after they were kidnapped, they spent a few weeks in a detention camp in a cave in Sambisa and then the girls were handed over to Boko Haram fighters as wives.

She says they were also given lessons on detonating bombs and told that if they died fighting Allah's course, they would go to paradise. She says she is very grateful to all the soldiers that saved her life but that so many girls and women are still in the forest.



"Obviously, beyond what popular opinion thinks, that you can just storm that place and then solve the problem, it is not that easy, said Fonka Mutta, a Cameroonian journalist who accompanied the military into Sambisa this month.



Cameroon's military says it is giving food and medical care to liberated captives, but that it is impossible to know how many more Cameroonian citizens are being held. Families, fearing stigma and retribution from Boko Haram, dont always report the abductions.
Another indication that Donald Trump is targeting Bill Clinton in an attempt to undermine Hillary Clintons presidential campaign has come in the form of a social media dispatch.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, released an Instagram video on Monday that features ominous music and audio from three women who accused the former president of sexual assault in the 1990s.

As the video approaches the end, it shows a photo of the Clintons sitting together while the words Here we go again! appear. Hillary Clinton is heard laughing in the background.

Trump has said in recent interviews that his campaign will continue the attacks to remind voters of the controversies involving Bill Clinton.

The intensity and frequency of Trump's attacks are almost irrelevant to the candidates platforms, Frank Sesno, American University professor of media and public affairs, told VOA, adding that "any attack will drive the media cycle.

Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon told Bloomberg TV on Monday that Trumps attacks are part of a strategy to distract from an issues-based campaign.

Marquette University political science professor Julia Azari said there is evidence voters care about the candidates positions on social, foreign policy and economic issues, so it would be wise for Clinton to emphasize her expertise, but even more, her policy stances."

"The smart thing for Clinton to do would be to keep issues in the mix, Azari added.

Trumps ability to garner attention through traditional and newer social media channels has been made possible, Sesno said, by a very lengthy and intense campaign season: There has been more horse race to cover, so the media have become ever more adept at and defined by the way they cover the horse race. And when the horse race is the focus, then every attack gets magnified.

While Clinton and Trump are far apart on substance and policy experience, Azari said they share two things in common: very high national profiles and unfavorable ratings. Those factors, she said, would make it easier for each candidate to emphasize the negative images of their opponent, and for those ideas to stick.

Trump's stated commitment to continue his attacks represent a complete reversal from many of his previous public positions on the former president. Between 1997 and 2008, the real estate mogul participated in at least six interviews with major media outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, and CNBC, defending then-President Clinton against allegations of sexual misconduct and touting his effectiveness as commander in chief.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Tuesday that Ankara will scrap a landmark migrant readmission deal with the European Union unless the Europeans authorize visa-free travel for Turkish citizens.

Erdogan spoke in Istanbul at the close of a United Nations humanitarian conference called to address the massive migrant crisis stretching from Syria and Iraq to Turkey and countries of Western Europe.

If visa exemptions are not authorized, "no decision and no law in the framework of the readmission agreement will come out of the parliament of the Turkish Republic," said Erdogan.

Latest sign of rising tensions



Erdogan's blunt warning is the latest sign of rising Turkey-EU tensions that spiked after European leaders unveiled a plan in March to limit the flow of migrants through Turkey to the West. Under the deal, Europeans agreed to supply nearly $7 billion in aid to Ankara to help the government process migrants forcibly returned to Turkey from Greece.





Turkey linked the deal to visa-free travel, leading the United Nations and EU leaders to demand an array of Turkish human rights reforms aimed at easing the plight of migrants on Turkish soil.

If the standoff is not resolved, EU officials and diplomats say the EU will most likely miss an end-of-June deadline for granting visa-free travel.

The 28-nation EU bloc is dependent on Turkey to enforce the new rules blocking the flow of migrants to Western Europe, and for reprocessing those returned to Turkey.

For his part, Erdogan has scoffed at EU demands for human rights reforms and has repeatedly told supporters he would scuttle the deal in its entirety if visa-free travel is denied by Brussels.

Last month, former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu  since fired by Erdogan  said his country's efforts to deter Syrian and Iraqi migrants from maritime crossings to Greece had cut migrant voyages from 6,000 in November to as few as 130 since early April.

But those efforts have come under heated criticism from human rights organizations, which accuse the Erdogan government of wholesale human rights violations as it seeks to curb the flow of migrants.

The global medical relief organization Doctors Without Borders withdrew from the humanitarian summit early this month, citing what it described as "shocking violations [by Turkey] of international humanitarian law and refugee rights."

Amnesty International on Monday cited the "complete collapse of humanitarian law" in Turkey, and accused the European union of "looking the other way when it comes to rights violations in Turkey itself."
When Islamic State fighters first arrived in the Syrian city of Raqqa before their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate the leaders of a Syrian militia called Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa, a minor Sunni Arab armed group, adapted to the newcomers  opportunistically collaborating with them to attack rivals and even adopting the same banner as the jihadists.



Within months Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa was pushed out of the city by IS and now it is one of a mixed bag of small Sunni Arab armed groups in the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF  an alliance which the U.S. is depending on to expel IS from Raqqa, the Islamic States de facto Syrian capital.



U.S. officials hope the multi-sectarian make-up of the SDF will make what is in essence a formation dominated by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, more palatable to local Sunni Arabs.



But analysts arent so sure and fear that the U.S. in its eagerness to accelerate the fight against IS and to oust the jihadists from Raqqa are trying to shape a force that will encourage greater sectarianism across northern Syria.

Problems ahead



Charles Lister, an analyst at the Middle East Institute, a Washington-based think tank, worries that the U.S.-backed SDF is creating a dangerous long-term power imbalance in northern Syria and exacerbating the long-standing divisions between the mainstream anti-Assad opposition and the Kurds.



He says that despite U.S. officials continuing to aggrandize the role of several former opposition groups and a number of small tribal, Syriac Christian and other minority community militias, our anti-IS force remains at least 75 percent YPG.

And he worries that YPG-led victories over IS will not be sustainable in the long run.

Syrias mainstream opposition has the most effective track record in defeating IS on the battlefield - without any foreign air support - and its forces are those who are more likely to represent something close to durable alternative representatives to jihadist rule. It is hubris at its most extreme to focus on defeating IS now and worrying about Syrias long-term stability later, he says.

Mainstream Syrian rebels



The SDF has drawn the ire of mainstream Syrian rebels in the Free Syrian Army. They argue the alliance will not advance the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and ultimately will be used by the YPG, an offshoot of Turkeys outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, for land-grabs to unite Kurdish cantons along the border with Turkey.



Syrian rebel commanders accuse Arab militias like Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa of being mere window dressing for the SDF, which Sunni Arabs see through. The Arab factions in the SDF are dismissed by most rebels as the Kurdish parties.



"The SDF is being branded more Arab than it is, a European diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told VOA. And it being done so not only with Raqqa in mind but with Manbij and Jarabulus, he added. Both those towns are west of the Euphrates and Turkey has warned Washington that the YPG forces should not cross the river to seize them.

Analysts, too, warn there is little but opportunism underpinning the coalition, and that is storing up problems for the future, they say.



The YPG's coalition, like so many in the region is not stable, but based on a few common goals, says Joshua Landis, an American academic who specializes on the Syria conflict and publishes the Syria Comment blog.

In this case the common goal is survival, to expel IS and to get money and arms, he adds. The groups within the SDF disagree on who should rule the area and basic national ambitions, he says.



Other analysts and rebels highlight the shadiness of some in the SDF, including a notorious contraband smuggler, a sheik who wants his own tribal emirate straddling Syria and Iraq and a militia that got thrown out of the FSA for persistent criminality.

Many of the armed groups in the SDF have fallen rapidly in and out of rebel alliances, veering from aligning with more secular and nationalist-focused insurgent groups to concluding formal tie-ups with jihadists.



Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa once swore formal allegiance to Jabhat al-Nusra, al Qaidas affiliate in Syria. Another group, Jaysh al-Qasas, worked with IS in 2014, and according to FSA commanders has a reputation for looting.

Strange bedfellows



Most armed groups in the long-running and brutal Syria conflict have been forced by battlefield circumstances to switch alliances and to collaborate with others they are ideologically at odds with.

In defense of insurgent-held parts of Aleppo FSA brigades have made common cause at various times with al- Nusra. Survival has demanded flexibility, both for militias and individual fighters.



But the SDF's Arab fighters have been more promiscuous than most. "They are fighters who have moved from one militia to another," says Abdul Rahman, a commander with the Army of Mujahideen. "Most of them are rejects. They are not reliable," he says.

U.S. officials swing from defending the integrity of the SDF to saying that they have to work with what they have to defeat IS.



In his weekend visit to SDF training camps in northern Syria, General Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters who accompanied him, I left with increased confidence in their capabilities and our ability to support them. I think that model is working and working well.



If it does, Lister says it may only do so in the short-term. A genuinely sustainable victory against IS necessitates a solution to the broader conflict in Syria.
Three high-profile current and former U.S. public servants who fought in the Vietnam War are reflecting on the conflict, while casting an eye on the present and the future.

In a joint op-ed Tuesday in the New York Times, Secretary of State John Kerry, Senator John McCain and former Senator Bob Kerrey, wrote as the U.S. strengthens relations with Vietnam, it is important to remember the lessons learned from the war that claimed the lives of more than 58,000 American and nearly one million Vietnamese.

Although there are "few easy answers" to questions about the lessons, they said "we must never again confuse a war with the warriors." American veterans "deserve our deepest respect, gratitude and support whenever and wherever they served," they added, an apparent reference to the derision Vietnam veterans faced when they returned home from the controversial war in the 1960's and 1970's.

They also cited the need for leaders "to be honest" with Congress and the American public about military plans, a declaration that comes decades after the first U.S. combat troops deployed to Vietnam were described as "flood relief."

Exercising "humility in assuming knowledge about foreign cultures" and overcoming "seemingly unbridgeable differences," which are evident this week in Vietnam, are among the other lessons the United States has learned from the war, which raged in Southeast Asia from 1955 to 1975.

Kerry, McCain and Kerrey are proud of the contributions they made toward the resumption of normal diplomatic relations 20 years ago between the U.S. and Vietnam. For example, fewer than 60,000 Americans visited Vietnam annually 20 years ago, compared to nearly one half million today, and bilateral trade with Vietnam is nearly 100 times the $450 million dollar figure of 20 years ago.

As President Barak Obama visits Vietnam this week, the three veterans describe his relationship building efforts as "wide-ranging," covering issues from security, trade, investment, the environment and "freedom of religion and human rights."

Looking ahead, they wrote, "mutual interests" and "natural affinities" such as family ties and a "fierce desire for freedom" will help strengthen ties between the two countries.

John Kerry was a naval officer in Vietnam. McCain was a naval officers and a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and 1/2 years. Bob Kerrey was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service as a Navy SEAL in Vietnam.
Republican U.S. Senator John Thune says Facebook has been "forthcoming" about how it determines what appears in its Trending Topics section, and adds that he appreciates the company's efforts to address allegations of bias against conservative viewpoints.

Thune asked the company to answer questions about its practices after reports cited a former Facebook employee saying contractors on the Trending Topics team routinely suppressed stories that would interest conservative users.

He said if the allegations were true, then Facebook was misleading the public in its claim to be a platform for people and perspectives from across the political spectrum.

The company responded Monday with a 12-page letter from Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch who said an internal review found no evidence of systemic political bias in either the selection or prominence of stories.

"In fact, our analysis indicated that the rates of approval of conservative and liberal topics are virtually identical in Trending Topics," Stretch said. But he did not exclude the possibility that since the feature launched in 2014 there have been "isolated improper actions or unintentional bias."

The letter addressed some of the specific allegations, including that Facebook suppressed news about Republicans Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mitt Romney and Scott Walker. The company said its probe did not substantiate the claims, and that stories about each figure appeared as trending topics dozens of times.

"Two of the most frequently accepted topics since early 2015 are presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and #GOPDebate," Stretch said.

Thune, who chairs the Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said after receiving the letter he looks forward to Facebook's actions meeting its public statements.

"Facebook has recognized the limitations of efforts to keep information systems fully free from potential bias, which lends credibility to its findings," Thune said. "While the committee remains open to new information on this matter, transparency -- not regulation -- remains the goal, so I thank the company for its efforts to acknowledge relevant facts and its recognition of a continuing need to transparently address relevant user questions."

The Trending Topics section appears in the upper right corner on the website version of Facebook. The company says its 1.6 billion users get different content there based on a computer algorithm that has certain limitations, requiring a team of humans to take steps such as weeding out duplicate and nonsensical topics and writing descriptions.

Stretch said as many as half of the topics identified by the algorithm are thrown out by reviewers who also have the ability to sideline certain topics for a short time in order to let better sources develop or for the reason a word or phrase is trending to become more clear. He gave as an example the hashtag #lunch that surges in use in the middle of every day but is not a meaningfully trending topic.

The system in part relied on looking at a number of prominent news sources and "boosting" those items that were leading the coverage across a number of sites. Facebook says ending that practice is among the changes it is making following its review. Others include updating terminology in its guidelines and giving refresher training to employees reminding them that their decisions about content cannot be based on ideology or politics.

"We want people to feel confident that our community welcomes all viewpoints and we are committed to designing our products to give all people a voice and foster the free flow of ideas and culture," Stretch said.
The World Health Organization condemned Monday's bombing at a hospital in the Syrian coastal city of Jableh, which killed more than 40 people and damaged the facility so much that patients had to be transferred to other hospitals.

The blast was one of several that hit Jableh and Tartus, another government stronghold nearby on Syria's Mediterranean coast. The Islamic State group claimed credit for the attacks.

WHO called the suicide bombing at the Jableh hospital a violation of international humanitarian law and said it is one of at least 17 attacks on health facilities in Syria this year.

"It is unacceptable that such attacks on health are increasing in both frequency and scale," WHO said.

Toll on infrastructure



The United Nations has often cited the toll that Syria's five-year conflict has had on the country's infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. WHO estimates that 60 percent of public hospitals have either closed or remain only partially functional.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors violence through a network of sources in Syria, said Tuesday that more than 150 people were killed in Monday's attacks.

Syria's state-run SANA news agency said the Foreign Ministry sent letters of complaint to the U.N. describing the bombings as a "serious escalation" by the governments of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. It said those countries want to undermine efforts to halt the violence in Syria.

Since the conflict erupted in March 2011, the Syrian government has often pointed to outside influences as driving the violence and cast any opposition fighters as "terrorists."
Since introduction in 2014 bond coins have remained pegged at one is to one with the US dollar, lending credence to the theory of its proponents that the proposed bond note may work as efficient as the coins.

But some economists are skeptical of the introduction of the bond notes with a value pegged against the US dollar because the country is not exporting many goods and production is at its lowest.

The central bank will also convert 40 percent of all bank deposits resulting from exports to rand, and a further 10 percent to euros, the central bank chief, John Mangudya said when announcing the launch of the notes.

Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti, who now heads the MDC-Renewal opposition party, is one of the skeptics of the new notes and said Zimbabweans would reject the new currency.

Another critic of the bond money, economist, Prosper Chitambara, said the notes will not work because the coins success was based on the need to use small change not any economic factors.

"I think for the bond coins was successful because it provided immediate relief to the consumer in the form of small change but when it comes to bond notes, the same cannot be said," said Chitambara.
The Zanu PF Youth League is allegedly forcing schools to handover buses to party activists who are set to join the so-called million-man-march to show solidarity for President Robert Mugabe. Businesses have also been ordered to shut down for the event set for Harare tomorrow.

Some youths have been ordered by opposition groups to carry placards during the million-man-march urging the president to step down for allegedly ruining Zimbabwe.

We will give you an update on a 24-hour ultimatum issued last Thursday by the National Railways of Zimbabwe urging striking employees to go back to work.

We will also highlight activities being done by some of the 60 Mandela Washington fellows set to visit USA within the next few weeks. The fellowship, targeting the empowerment of young African leaders, is an initiative of President Barack Obama.

Zimbabwes bond coins appear to have played a critical role in easing challenges of change in local shops.

Stay tuned for these stories and more coming up on Studio 7 at 7:30 pm on 9-0-9 Medium Wave and on the 4-9-3-0, 5-9-4-0 and 1-5-4-6-0 shortwave frequencies. We also broadcast on www.channelzim.net. Please check us out on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.

This evening on Livetalk our hosts of the Connection Ntungamili Nkomo and Tatenda Gumbo will be talking with listeners and experts about the so-called million-man-march being organized by the Zanu PF Youth League to show solidarity for 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe. Two factions are currently fighting for his succession.

Participate by sending your messages on our WhatsApp number 001 202 465 0318. You can also post comments on this Facebook wall or send us your number so we can call you back. Please note that we are livestreaming on all Studio 7 Facebook pages.
Divisions have rocked striking workers of the National Railways of Zimbabwe as some of them have heeded a 24-hour ultimatum to return to work issued by the company last week Thursday while some have vowed to continue with the industrial action until their grievances are met.

The workers have been demanding outstanding salaries backdating to 2015.

This came amid revelations from NRZ chairman Larry Mavhima that the parastatal was losing $250,000 a day and has already lost over $14 million ever since some of its workers went on strike end of March.

Kenneth Nhemachena, general secretary of the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railway Workers Union said although the strike was continuing, some workers have decided to return to work in compliance with Labour Minister Prisca Mupfumiras Show Cause Order and the NRZs ultimatum issued last Thursday.

The parastatal said in the notice to return to work that it shall invoke appropriate provisions of the Labour Act, NRZ Code of Conduct as well as other applicable laws if the workers did not heed the call.

From our side we havent have yet received any employee who has come forward saying Ive been charged by the employer. So we are still waiting to hear and see whether they are going to be fired, added Nhemachena.

He said workers will continue to fight for their rights despite minor setbacks they are currently facing.

The majority are still on strike demanding their fifteen months salary. They are adamant about that. They are saying we could rather get fired than going back to work, Nhemachena said.

Reacting to these reports, NRZ spokesman Fanuel Masikati refused to shed light on the issue and asked Studio 7 to call him Thursday for an update on the strike.

However, Nhemachena said they have been invited by the NRZ board to a meeting on Thursday, though he was not yet aware of the topic they will be discussing.

But economist Masimba Kuchera, who is the director of the Centre for Disability and Development, said the continued strike by the NRZ workers has a serious impact on the countrys economy.

It has a serious impact if its allowed to continue. Remember that it is far much cheaper to transport goods using rail transport, Kuchera said.

He said in the long run the prices of goods and services, especially goods that come from what is being transported by the National Railways of Zimbabwe could eventually go up because the costs of transporting coal or maize will have rapidly increased if the country moves from railway to road.
Some striking workers of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) are said to have heeded a 24-hour ultimatum issued by the company last week for them to return to work.

But others are continuing with the strike saying their grievances have not yet been met. The workers have been demanding outstanding salaries backdating to 2015.

Kenneth Nhemachena, general secretary of the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Railway Workers Union, told VOA Studio 7 that although the strike is continuing, some workers have decided to return to work in compliance with Labor Minister Prisca Mupfumiras show cause order and the NRZs ultimatum issued last Thursday.

The parastatal said in the notice to return to work that it shall invoke appropriate provisions of the Labor Act, NRZ code of conduct as well as other applicable laws if the workers did not heed the call.

Nhemachena said workers will continue to fight for their rights despite minor setbacks they are currently facing.

Reacting to these reports, NRZ spokesman Fanuel Masikati refused to shed light on the issue and asked Studio 7 to call him Thursday for an update on the strike.

Economic commentator Masimba Kuchera, who is the director of the Centre for Disability and Development, said the continued strike by the NRZ workers has a serious impact on the countrys economy.
Ruling party youth who allegedly failed to raise enough money from local people for ferrying about 100,000 people from Mutare in Manicaland province to Harare, are also said to be forcing schools and colleges to offer transport without the necessary compensation for costs to be incurred.

The Zanu PF provincial youth secretary for education, Kudzi Madhara, said the party is expected to pay for all the transport costs though most people who were interviewed by Studio 7 indicated that they were forced to provide buses for the million-man-march.

The business community has also not been spared as ruling party youth are moving around with begging bowls for contributions to meet other expenses such as food.

Political activist Pishai Muchauraya had no kind words for the organizers of the march.

I think it is a sign that Zanu PF has lost its support and respect and that is why they are relying on using force and violence, and this is also why they are going to the rural areas and forcing school children and business people to be part of this. What they have to do is to campaign peacefully.

Godwin Sithole, a parent with school-going children said they are worried that they may lose their bus if it breaks down.

What I can say is that they are just abusing people and school headmasters and their SDCs and SDAs to carry people to their programs. We are aware the headmasters cannot do anything to deny them what they want this is despite that we are the owners of the buses. Last time the minister of education banned the holding of political meetings at school and how come now a political party takes buses free of charge for political gatherings.

Zanu PF Manicaland provincial youth chairperson, Mubuso Chinguno, dismissed claims that schools and colleges have been forced to offer them transport.

Chinguno said the party had been given transport by well-wishers they had approached and those unwilling had not helped them.
Some youths are complaining that they are being forced by Zanu PF members to join a march in Harare on Wednesday in solidarity with President Robert Mugabe at a time when they do not have jobs.

Business operators also say they have been allegedly forced by the ruling party youth to close their shops and leave vending bays in honor of President Robert Mugabe.

This happens at a time when opposition parties are calling on the government to address economic and unemployment issues affecting the country.

Some Zanu PF members are complaining that they are being forced to be part of tomorrows One Million Men March being organized by the ruling partys youth wing in solidarity with President Mugabe.

A Chitungwiza based Zanu PF activist, who requested to be identified only as Chamunorwa, said he is not happy that he and many others in his neighborhood were ordered by his partys leadership to join other Zanu PF supporters in Harares streets to show support for Mr. Mugabe.

Other Zimbabweans, who are not members of the ruling party, also expressed the same sentiments. Elliot Munemo, who sells second-hand clothes at the popular Mupedzanhamo market, said some Zanu PF youth ordered all traders to close their businesses tomorrow and join the march.

Leorcadia Nhachi, who sells various items in the central business district, said a group of Zanu PF youth, wearing regalia emblazoned with President Mugabes picture raising a clenched fist, ordered all vendors to leave their wares at home tomorrow and participate in the much publicized event.

But Nhachi said she would not be part of the march.

Thats impossible, I will not be part of that march. Marching in the streets does not bring food to my table; I have kids to feed. Instead of calling for such a march, they should tell us where the $15 billion is. They must fix the economy as a matter of urgency instead of forcing us to gather something that does not bring food to our tables.

President announced recently that Zimbabwe lost at least $15 billion in diamond proceeds due to massive leakages in Manicalands Chiadzwa diamond fields. This has angered Zimbabwean who are demanding a full-scale investigation into the matter and jobs that were promised by Mr. Mugabes party before the 2013 general elections.

Harare resident, Densford Zindoga, said most youths do not have jobs, adding that it would be foolhardy for them to march in solidarity with President Mugabe who has been employed for the last 36 years.

Zindoga said he does not want to be dragged into Zanu PFs factionalism by attending tomorrows march.

Two factions  one allegedly led by First Lady Grace Mugabe and another by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa  are said to be fighting for the succession of the president.

For his part, President Mugabe has told the world that he would not leave office for as long as he remained sane or for as long Zimbabweans continue to re-elect him.

Secretary for policy and research in the MDCT's youth wing, Caston Matewu, said that instead of Zanu PF calling on youths to march in solidarity with a 92 year-old leader, the government should fix the economy to ensure that all youths in the country are employed.

Studio 7 failed to get a comment from Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo, who was not answering his mobile phone. But Kudzai Chipanga, secretary of the Zanu PF Youth League, who is organizing Wednesdays march, told Studio 7 by phone that his party has a lot of supporters and has no reason to force anyone to attend Wednesdays arguing that they already have the numbers.

Chipanga said they are expecting thousands of people from the countrys 10 provinces to attend the event and are likely to exceed the one million target. President Mugabe is expected to give a keynote address at the event.

Independent political commentator Dumisani Nkomo said the march was a waste of time and resources.
The first eruption of Etna in 2016 has been rapidly changing, involving 3 of the 4 summit craters. After yesterday and partly today's strombolian activity from the North-East (and probably New SE) crater, a short, but violent phase of lava fountaining (paroxysm) occurred at the main summit vent, the Voragine. After this, the eruption has become dominantly effusive and is now producing a lava flow from a fissure vent on the lower eastern flank of the New SE crater. The lava flow, with one main channel and few secondary branches, is currently traveling into the Valle del Bove. ...
1. The EU reaffirms the commitment it first made in the EU Regional Strategy for Syria and Iraq as well as the Daesh threat in March 2015 to achieving lasting peace, stability, security in Syria, Iraq and the wider region, ending the suffering of the people of Syria and Iraq, and preserving the multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-confessional character of Syrian and Iraqi societies as well as the rich cultural heritage of the region. In this effort, the EU will mobilise all the political, security and development resources required. The EU is strongly committed to providing humanitarian assistance according to humanitarian principles. Focus will also be on sustained efforts to address the root causes of refugee flows. Since the beginning of the conflict the EU and its Member States have provided 6.4 billion to address its causes and consequences. Combatting Daesh in the long-term requires addressing the political and socio-economic root causes that have facilitated the spread of terrorism. The EU reiterates its support for the Global Coalition, aimed at further degrading, and ultimately defeating, Daesh. The EU underlines once more its determination to protect EU citizens from the terrorist threat emanating from Daesh and other UN-listed terrorist organisations through joint EU and Member State action.

2. The EU has reviewed the implementation so far of the strategy and notes that its objectives remain valid and should continue to be pursued. The EU notes that circumstances have changed since the introduction of the Strategy. In order to respond, implementation of the Strategy should adapt in the ways set out in these Conclusions and in close coordination with activities of Member States in line with the Council Conclusions of February and March 2015. The EU and its Member States will continue to implement this Regional Strategy for Syria and Iraq as well as the Daesh threat and look forward to the next six monthly report on the implementation of the March 2015 Strategy.

Syria

3. The EU reiterates its commitment to the unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Syrian State and calls on all parties to the conflict to refrain from any action that will lead to disunity or disintegration of the country.

4. The EU believes, therefore, that the political process launched by the International Syria Support Group, endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council and led by the United Nations, is the only way of putting an end to more than five years of conflict in Syria and will do all in its power to ensure the full implementation of UNSCRs 2254, 2268 and the Geneva Communique. A Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition based on the principles of the Geneva Communique, is needed to bring a lasting peace to the country, defeat Daesh in Syria and enable Syrians to return to their homes in safe conditions and to contribute to the reconstruction of the country. The EU calls on all parties to actively support a process that will lead to a credible and inclusive transition. The EU urges the Syrian regime to finally lay out its plan for truly implementing a genuine political transition. There cannot be a lasting peace in Syria under the present leadership and until the legitimate grievances and aspirations of all components of the Syrian society are addressed.

5. The EU welcomes the outcome of the ISSG ministerial meeting of 17 May and insists on the need for all ISSG members to do all possible to swiftly strengthen the implementation and monitoring of the cessation of hostilities, secure country wide humanitarian access, including through air drops and air bridges where needed, and make progress on the issue of detainees in order to prepare for a credible resumption of the intra-Syrian talks. Serious negotiations are required to reach an agreement by 1 August on genuine political transition which would include a broad, inclusive non-sectarian transitional governing body with full executive powers.

6. Therefore, the EU will strengthen its collective work to:

 step up our active support for ongoing inclusive efforts of the UN Special Envoy in facilitating the intra-Syrian negotiations, as an active member of the International Syria Support Group and in assuring that civil society and women actively participate in the process;

 step up support to the Syrian opposition, and in particular the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), as the opposition delegation in the UN-brokered talks in Geneva, including through full use of the Comprehensive Syria Peace Initiative. Encourage the HNC to both continue to elaborate on its vision of a political transition and fully engage in the Geneva process.

 engage the key regional actors to work towards full implementation of the UN roadmap, and urge again all those with influence on the parties, notably the Syrian regime, to use this influence to encourage a constructive role in the process;

 support the efforts of the ISSG taskforce in revitalising and strengthening the cessation of hostilities as well as achieving a broader ceasefire. The cessation of hostilities is essential not only to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people but also for the different parties to regain confidence in the political process. The EU condemns all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, in particular against medical facilities, schools, markets and IDP camps. The EU strongly condemns these excessive and disproportionate attacks committed by the Syrian regime against its own people. The EU recalls that the Syrian authorities have the primary responsibility to protect the population in Syria;

 enhance its contribution to the the ISSG humanitarian task force, while continuing humanitarian work on the ground, to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to those in need and for the respect of international humanitarian law by all parties. The EU urges the regime and all parties to the conflict to grant full humanitarian access and end the hindering of the rapid and sustained delivery of aid, including medical material. The use of starvation of civilians through the besiegement of populated areas for which the regime bears the greatest responsibility, as a tactic of war, is contrary to international law. The EU calls for the immediate release of any arbitrarily detained persons, particularly women and children, and the respect of human rights for all, including for religious and ethnic minorities, by all parties in Syria;

 continue to support the Global Coalitions actions to counter Daesh in Syria and strongly condemns all indiscriminate attacks and atrocities perpetrated by Daesh and other UN-listed terrorist groups against the Syrian people.

 enhance its support to Syrian civil society starting in regions held by moderate opposition in areas such as local resilience, delivery of public services and local governance, human rights and accountability, peace building, gender and minority issues, in order to enhance its capacity to participate in the transition and stabilisation of the country;

 seek to increase assistance, combining cross-border assistance with support from inside Syria and will aim at delivering aid as part of a larger effort to address the needs of the population all across Syria and build local resilience.

 step up its preparations for early engagement in the recovery and rehabilitation effort in Syria to rapidly provide support to stabilisation, reconstruction and the return of refugees when a political transition is reached, including through support to the UN Interagency Task Force in their planning and coordination for post agreement stabilisation.

7. Since the beginning of the conflict, the EU and its Member States have supported Syrian refugees, IDPs and their host communities throughout the region. The EU and its Member States made nearly two thirds of the 2016 pledges at the "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016" Conference, and will work towards the swift implementation of these commitments and in assisting governments in the region to stimulate economic growth, provide livelihoods, education, health and job opportunities for Syrian refugees in order to give people prospects for a future and prepare for the return of refugees to their country. The EU will make best use of all its available instruments, in particular the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian crisis (the "Madad Fund") that has now reached EUR 730 million in combined EU and Member States funding, in order to address the Syrian crisis and contain the spill over of instability in the region especially to Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. The EU calls on other countries to sustain and increase their own contributions in response to the crisis.

8. The EU reiterates its strong support for transitional justice and accountability for all serious human rights abuses and violations of International Humanitarian Law including any which may constitute a war crime committed in Syria by all parties including Daesh and renews its call to the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. The EU welcomes the renewal of the mandate for the Commission of Inquiry and calls for the cooperation of all parties, in particular the Syrian regime to grant necessary access.

Iraq

9. The EU underlines its continued commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, which are essential for the stability of the country and the region. The EU reiterates its firm support for the government of Iraq and the programme of reforms proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and calls on all parties to maintain and respect the effective functioning of inclusive public institutions in line with the constitution. The EU is very concerned about the internal political situation and the lack of progress on the implementation of reforms and reconciliation, and calls on all parties, at the federal and regional levels, to demonstrate to the Iraqi people that they can put self-interest aside and deliver on the necessary progress that the country and its people urgently want and deserve.

10. The EU also sees an urgent need to boost the functioning of Iraqi public institutions. The EU and its Member States will seek to provide further technical support to the Iraqi Federal Government to improve security and rule of law, fight against widespread corruption, enhance service delivery to Iraqi citizens and create accountability for the perpetrators of abuses and crimes.

11. The EU remains extremely concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Iraq. Recognising that the campaigns to liberate additional territories from Daesh will continue, the EU will step up its humanitarian assistance to all conflict-affected civilians, insisting on the need for parties to the conflict to comply with International Law, including humanitarian and human rights law, both during and, where applicable, after the conduct of hostilities, and to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access in all areas. Security screening procedures must comply with national and international law, and camps must maintain their humanitarian and civilian character. The EU insists that returns of internally displaced persons to places of origin must be enabled in a safe, informed, voluntary and non-discriminatory way, in line with international protection standards. Moreover, the EU, together with the Iraqi authorities, will address mutual concerns regarding migration through dialogue.

12. In view of the fact that the momentum of the military campaign must continue, the immediate and successful stabilisation of areas liberated from Daesh is a high priority as a precondition for the voluntary and safe return of internally displaced persons and a basis for reconciliation at local and national level. The EU and its Member States will explore further support to the stabilisation process, in close coordination with the Iraqi Federal Government and local authorities, UNAMI and the Global Coalition, including through the UNDPs Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation (FFIS) and Funding Facility for Expanded Stabilisation (FFES). The focus will be on the removal of explosive devices, access to basic services, provision of livelihoods, rule of law and support to the security sector, including police training. The EU will step up coordination and synergies with the activities of Member States in the framework of the Global Coalition. It emphasizes that empowerment and participation of women is a key objective in all efforts for stabilization and development. The Council looks forward to options, which the EEAS will present shortly, for enhanced engagement in support of long term stabilisation, in particular in the areas of rule of law and the security sector, taking into consideration all available instruments, in line with the Council Conclusions of December 2015 and the High Representatives tasking in the Foreign Affairs Council of January 2016. This support will be essential to consolidating the military gains achieved against Daesh.

13. The EU once more condemns unreservedly the violations of international humanitarian law, the atrocities, killings and human rights abuses that Daesh has perpetrated in Iraq. These have affected all Iraqis. Whilst the primary victims of these acts have been among Muslims, ethnic and religious minority groups, such as Yezidis, Christians and Turkmens, have been particularly targeted. The EU endeavours to step up its support to the victims of Daesh as well as to the Government of Iraq in bringing to justice alleged perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It will also explore further support to peace building efforts by civil society. The EU reiterates its call on Iraq to accede to the Rome Statute.

14. Given the financial and budgetary difficulties facing Iraq, the EU will explore further means to help the Iraqi Federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to recover economic and financial health, in close coordination with the IMF and WB, in particular through support to the reform of public finance and macroeconomic management systems. The Council encourages the EIB to consider viable investment projects in Iraq once the Operational Framework Agreement is in place. In this context, the EU urges the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government to set aside their differences, ensure the transparent and equitable distribution of oil and gas resources, and to step up their efforts to fight corruption.

15. The EU and its Member States will continue to engage with and call on Iraqs neighbours, including Iran, Jordan, Turkey and the Gulf Countries to play a constructive role on stabilisation and reconciliation in Iraq. Regional support to PM Abadis programme of reform is crucial.

Countering Daesh

16. Daesh poses a clear threat to the people of Syria, Iraq and other countries in the region such as Libya, as well as Europe and beyond. The EU and its Member States condemn unreservedly and will, in line with UNSCR 2249, continue to engage in ways to prevent the indiscriminate and targeted attacks, atrocities, killings, human rights abuses and other international humanitarian law violations which are perpetrated by Daesh and other UN-listed terrorist groups. The EU also stands ready to support international efforts to prevent and combat the damage or destruction, looting, smuggling and illicit trafficking of archaeological cultural heritage. The EU welcomes the Global Coalitions recent successes against Daesh and acknowledges the potential for further success through continued EU and Member States cooperation. The EU will adapt its actions to the changing nature of the Daesh threat.

17. The EU and its Member States reiterate their commitment to the efforts of the Global Coalition to counter Daesh, including through co-chairing and active participation in the Coalitions working groups, as well as to its cooperation with partners in the framework of the Global Counterterrorism Forum.

18. The EU underlines the importance of the comprehensive long-term approach to counter terrorism and preventing violent extremism aiming at the elimination of its root causes. The EU is determined to deprive Daesh of its sanctuary and of its sources of financing and supply by reinforcing its own tools to fight international terrorism. The EU is also committed to prevent Daesh and its affiliates from extending their reach in third countries. The EU will further enhance its counter-terrorism action, coordinating the external and internal aspects, in the following ways:

 deepening security and counter-terrorism cooperation through high level engagement with MENA countries, Turkey, Western Balkans and regional and international organisations including the GCC and LAS to stem the spread of Daesh and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, funds and weapons, paying full regard to international human rights standards.

 enhancing its contribution to the Global Coalition to counter Daesh by further supporting, including through its membership of, the Working Groups to reduce foreign fighter flows, stabilise liberated areas, squeeze Daesh finances and counter Daesh messages; and support countries in the region in the implementation of all relevant UN Security Council resolutions. In line with UNSCR 1373 that provides guidance for a national approach to counter Daesh and with UNSCR 2253 (2015) the EU is committed to implement UN and EU autonomous sanctions targeting Daesh and its affiliates so as to hinder the running of the organisation and to disrupt jihadist networks.

 reinforcing its technical assistance to third countries in the development of national strategies to prevent and counter violent extremism, in line with the UNSG Action Plan, and supporting the UNSG Action Plan during the revision of the UN Counter Terrorism Strategy in June.

 addressing the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives related risks in the region by all available means, as well as the illegal trafficking and diversion of arms, in particular small arms and light weapons, in order to contribute to stability and security in the region.

 strengthening its work on counter-radicalisation within the Global Coalition as well as in cooperation with Muslim countries, by sharing best practice, enhancing EU cooperation with Internet operators and social media, promoting intercultural and inter-religious dialogue with a view to eradicating radicalisation and encouraging tolerance, engaging with youth leaders, and improving strategic communication and outreach, including through the Syria Strategic Communication Advisory Team, the Global Coalitions Communication Cell, the International Institute for Justice and Rule of Law, the Hedayah Center, the Global Community and Engagement Resilience Fund in Geneva, and the Radicalisation Awareness Network.

 enhancing the fight against foreign fighters, in particular through enhanced external border controls via a coordinated and systematic contribution to the appropriate files (Schengen Information System II, Europol, Stolen and Lost Travel Documents).

 strengthening its efforts aimed at disrupting terrorist financing through accelerating the implementation of the EU Action Plan on the fight against terrorist financing, in particular the freezing of terrorists assets, the fight against money laundering and illicit trade of oil and cultural goods. Deepening support to the region in complying with relevant Financial Action Task Force recommendations and the provision of technical assistance initiatives to financial authorities and regulators in the region.
The AKP will probably elect Binali Yldrm as its President during its meeting on the 22 May 2016. As we announced two weeks ago, he should then immediately assume his functions as Prime Minister.

Presented by the Western Press as a personality devoted to President Erdogan, he is in fact a key figure in the current Mafia system.

Binali Yldrm is a maritime expert, ex-representative for the International Maritime Organisation. He was introduced to Recep Tayyip Erdogan when Erdogan was elected as Mayor of Istanbul for the ultra-nationalist formation, Milli Gorus. Named as Director of the IDO (Istanbuls maritime bus service) in 1994, he set up a vast system of embezzlement of public funds for the benefit of the Mayor and himself.

Since then, the Yldrm family has made a fortune. His son Erkan and his daughter Bahar Busra created the company Derin Denizcilik Tasmaclk Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Deep Maritime Shipping Industry and Trade Company).

The family controls 17 companies, 28 ships and super yachts. The Kurdish deputy Sezgin Tanrkulu (CHP) proposed to the Grand Assembly that a committee of parliamentary enquiry should be created in order to determine the conditions of this sudden fortune, but the majority (AKP) rejected the request.

One month ago, the Turkish Press published photographs of Erkan Yldrm playing in a Singapore casino. The young man claimed that he had been deceived, and did not know how to play poker.

During the legal enquiry in December 2013  interrupted by the government  Binali Yldrm was cited as being the godfather of the Mafia organisation which gravitates around President Erdogan. According to the magistrates, Mr. Yldrm has used various forms of blackmail against the countrys leading businessmen.

Before entering politics, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was himself the leader of a gang in Istanbul.
A prosperous businessman and ex-Governor of Katanga, Moise Katumbi, was arrested on the 13 May 2016. He was one of the principal leaders of the opposition to President Joseph Kabila in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was apparently brutalised by the police and was hospitalised.

The General Prosecutor of Lubumbashi announced on the 20 May that Katumbi had been found guilty of violation of the internal and external security of the State. He was remanded into custody.

The High Court of the RDC accuses him of having engaged 10 US mercenaries in order to perpetrate a coup dEtat. The main suspect, Lewis Darryl L., an ex-contractor for Blackwater, was questioned in the presence of US diplomats and admitted that the accusations were true. Washington dissociated itself from the accused.

According to the AFP, Moise Katumbi arrived in South Africa on the night of 20 / 21 May.
Just three episodes in, Lady Dynamite drops an episode about race. White Trash doesnt attempt to impart some serious public statement in an overly precious half-hour, but instead, it thoroughly roasts the sitcoms that do. The episode focuses squarely on Marias white guilt, and the anxiety that fuels it.

White Trash starts with Maria bumping into Shanes ex, Gabriel, again and again. Hes the guy delivering her pizza, driving her Uber, treating her pugs at the vet. By the time she runs into him taking a dip at the community pool, shes frazzled and wants to know whats going on. Whats the matter? A black man cant be in the pool? Gabriel yells, messing with her. Wanna call the mayor and have him drain it?

That one joke is all it takes to send Maria panicking that shes unintentionally super-racist. Looking to surround herself with more diverse voices, she signs on to a sitcom called White Trash, which stars Keith and Kenny Lucas. Like all of Bruces ideas, this will surely end well.

Before filming the pilot, Maria heads to a meeting of L.A. Pure  thats People United for Racial Equality  a support group Bruce found on Ask Jeeves thats about as counterintuitive and troublesome as its name suggests. Maria tells the group, which is exclusively made up of white people, that shes afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing around people of color.

The groups ringleader, Sheri (Deborah Theaker), chastises her for referring to the black characters on White Trash as garbage men, even though that is their literal occupation. The verdict? If youre white, keep it light, meaning that Maria should only have surface-level conversations with people of color. In case its not already clear who were dealing with, Sheri also casually describes slavery as our nations ultimate shenanigan.

This apparently isnt the first time Maria has attended a hilariously unhelpful support group. We flash back to her earlier days, as she excitedly tells a mopey, uninterested meeting of Debtors Anonymous  featuring Sheri (now Cherie) as a dead ringer for Rachel Dolezal  that Karen has landed her a commercial for Checklist. Thanks to this new gig, shell be able to pay off her debt. If this story sounds familiar, its because in 2010, Bamford did a real-life commercial series for Target using the same over-the-top style she cribs from the support group.

Bruce worries that the commercial will be too much for Checklist, but when he and Maria stop by Karens office to soften the blow, she lets them know it was a huge success. Checklist wants to pay her $150,000 for the ad campaign. To celebrate, Karen leads them in singing, Cradle the balls and work the shaft! a riff on an urban legend often attributed to Sylvester Stallone.

Maria knows exactly what shes done. By taping a hit commercial, as she later tells a stand-up crowd, I am a radical, militant, Green Party socialist  and a hypocrite, as it turns out. (Yes, Patton Oswalt, theres a stand-up scene.) Its a quick shot of Bamfords signature style, complete with awkward silences she mines for humor.

Going forward, Maria vows to think more about the messages she promotes through the work she takes on  like White Trash. On set, the Lucas brothers play garbage men, while Maria plays a Russian immigrant who assists a homeowner named Mrs. White (Mira Sorvino as Jennipher Nickles).

Concerned the show is racist, Maria airs out her guilt with Jennipher. Jennipher suggests the logical option of asking Kenny and Keith how they feel, but Maria, remembering Sheris advice to avoid serious discussions with black people at all costs, decides not to do so.

In Duluth, we see Maria staring into space at the kitchen table in total silence. Her mother, whom Mary Kay Place has played almost as well as Bamford herself does, is upset with her husband for avoiding their daughter, his one and only loin fruit. Instead, Joel passes the time by working with a teenage cobbling apprentice, Jeremy, while Maria recovers at home.

Jeremy, to be clear, is the worst. He curses out Joel, which is also his parents reaction to being told about their sons behavior is also the worst. They berate Maria, calling her a cuckoo retard. After making some ableist comments to Jeremys parents, who both use wheelchairs, Joel heads home and apologizes to Maria for distancing himself. Not only is he a giant sellout, but he also lost track of what Ive always loved about cobbling, which is everything. Classic dad quote.

Applying her dads lesson to her White Trash dilemma, Maria gets the premise of the sitcom drastically changed. In this new version, she and Jennipher are horny, scantily clad garbage women who encourage the Lucas brothers to unload into their receptacles, if you catch their drift.

Keith and Kenny are none too thrilled with Marias changes, which minimize their roles and characters. We dont want to represent anything, they say. Were comedians, we just want to be funny. The sitcom gets picked up for 13 episodes, but Maria ultimately shuts it down by quitting. (I cant look sexy on the back of a trash truck if it means selling out people I respect.) Shes pleased with herself, of course, even after the Lucas brothers question the story lines lack of any coherent solution. (12 Years a Slave screenwriter John Ridley also stops by, calling the episode recklessly ignorant.) Gabriel isnt happy, either. As he asks Maria, why was he was introduced at the beginning of the episode only to vanish so quickly?

We did it! Maria says, still pleased with herself. We told a story about very sensitive racial issues in America! She most certainly did not, but Bamford does succeed in highlighting the absurdity, ignorance, and faulty logic that often drives white guilt. Its an approach totally in line with Lady Dynamites irreverence toward both Hollywood and sitcom conventions.

White Trash isnt the series strongest episode to date, mostly because the premise requires it to hit this single topic unreasonably hard for 27 minutes. Lady Dynamite seems to thrive when it has more room to bounce from joke to joke and topic to topic, catching viewers off-guard with its boundless energy. And with that, Mira Sorvina flies off in her rocket-powered Mini Cooper.
Beyonce. Photo: Larry Busacca/2016 Getty Images

Mondays arent all bad  in fact, today was sort of divine in Minnesota: In honor of the Formation World Tour hitting Minneapolis, Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith declared this day in history Beyonce Day. Beyonces impact and success has been widely recognized, Dayton explained in a statement, highlighting the singers achievements. Beyonce has influenced many young girls and women with powerful, positive messages in her songs. The Minneapolis Star Tribune added that the announcement also came hours after a legislative session, centered on transportation funding and a public-works bill, collapsed in dramatic fashion without a deal. Bey, whose Lemonade dropped last month, is performing at the TCF Bank Stadium tonight before stopping in Toronto on Wednesday and Chicago on Friday (full schedule here). Read Daytons official proclamation below:

Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor @tinaflintsmith have proclaimed today as @Beyonce Day in MN pic.twitter.com/JNkgkd3M5Z  Governor Mark Dayton (@GovMarkDayton) May 23, 2016

And, Minnesotan or not, enjoy the rest of BeyDay accordingly.
While we regularly lambaste tea-party groups for irresponsible endorsements, perhaps thats beginning to change in the wake of the candidacy of Donald Trump. In todays Republican primary runoff for the State Board of Education, decidedly right-wing Grassroots America  We the People pulled its endorsement of Mary Lou Bruner, poster child for extremist candidates who say anything to get elected, true or not.

Grassroots America, which endorsed Bruner because of her teaching background, yanked that endorsement for everything from Bruners citing a Lufkin school-system teacher shortage without checking to ensure her information was accurate to incorrect statistics involving college readiness and special education. We commend Grassroots America for its belated move, though we believe it could have avoided all this embarrassment just based on Bruners earlier claim that President Obama worked as a gay prostitute to buy drugs.
City gathers business leaders to outline big data's future

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-24 09:14

A researcher at the Guiyang Big Data Industry Innovation and Development Center in Guanshanhu district shows visitors the latest facial recognition system.[Photo by Wang Shuo/ China Daily]

Globally renowned corporate executives and experts will share their insights about the industry.

Global business leaders and experts in the information technology industry will gather in Guiyang later this month to discuss the future of big data technologies and hash out cooperation opportunities with domestic companies.

The Guiyang Big Data Expo 2016, which includes an exhibition, the China Big Data Summit and the China E-Commerce Innovation and Development Summit, as well as dozens of other activities, will be held from Wednesday through Sunday in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province.

Event organizers estimate that the number of attendants at the expo will surpass 20,000.

A number of renowned business leaders from major international and domestic companies will be present at this year's event.

The big names include Qualcomm President Derek Aberle, Dell Chairman Michael Dell, Foxconn Chairman Guo Tai-Ming, Tencent Chairman Ma Huateng, Baidu Chairman Li Yanhong and JD CEO Liu Qiangdong.

More than 2,300 experts from Chinese and foreign universities and institutions will share their insights about big data and related industries in seminars and forums, according to organizers.

Major activities at the five-day event will be the big data and e-commerce summits, the exhibition and a so-called tongker-maker competition.

Tongker is a new concept proposed by the host city of Guiyang and refers to a person or a team of individuals who have the capability of finding solutions to problems in all aspects of life, such as a company's specific logistics issue. The name is a play off the concept and title of maker, which in this case would convert a tongker's solutions into a viable business idea.

Well-known domestic and international companies, including Dell, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Foxconn, Huawei, Tencent and Alibaba will display their products, technologies and services during the exhibition.

Forums and seminars on various topics will be held at the event's main venue, the Guiyang International Convention and Exhibition Center, as well as at other sites in Guiyang, the neighboring Guian New Area and Qiannan prefecture.

Big data, intelligent technologies, smart manufacturing, e-commerce and internet-led innovations will be among the focuses of this year's event, said Xiao Lu, deputy chief of the Guiyang Industry and Information Committee, which is organizing the forums and seminars during the expo.

He said the event will highlight both high-profile dialogues and public participation.

"While big-name industry insiders are here to share their insights, Guiyang's residents as well as visitors from the rest of the country can take part in the event and learn about the recent developments in emerging industries," Xiao said.

The public, in addition to participating in the tongker competition, will have access to publicity events on big data and related fields.

Xiao said a major goal for the expo is to explore new ways to commercialize big data and related technologies.

He said there will be a forum on big data assets, where government officials, experts and industry insiders will discuss measures on property rights protection as well as facilitations for big data transactions.

The host city of Guiyang is on the forefront of Guizhou's big data industry.

Seeing the great potential of the industry, the Guizhou provincial government has designated the big data industry as one of the three strategic sectors in its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). Guizhou was approved by the central government earlier this year to be China's first big data pilot zone.

The provincial capital Guiyang aims to pilot the development in Guizhou and become China's "data valley", according to local officials.

Guiyang has planned to build an experimental area for big data technological innovation and the plan was approved by the Ministry of Science in July last year.

The city has established China's first big data exchange and is home to many data centers of renowned companies including Hewlett-Packard and JD.com.

Big Data Expo highlights

Exhibition

May 25-29

Guiyang International Convention and Exhibition Center

The 2016 China Big Data Summit and China E-Commerce Innovation and Development Summit

9:30 am to noon, May 25

The Guiyang Ecological Conference Center

China-UK Big Data Cooperation Forum

9 am to 5 pm, May 25

The Guiyang Ecological Conference Center

Big Data Safety Forum

May 25-26

The Guiyang Ecological Conference Center

Big Data and Intelligent Technologies Forum

2 pm to 5 pm, May 26

The Guiyang Ecological Conference Center

Big Data Transactions Forum

9 am to noon, May 27

The Guiyang Ecological Conference Center

Final contest and awards ceremony for tongker competition

May 29

The Guiyang Ecological Conference Center
Embassy Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for the Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley that provides traditional banking and related financial services to individual, business, and government customers in Pennsylvania. Its deposit products include savings, money market, individual retirement, and NOW accounts; demand and time deposits; and certificates of deposit. The company's loan portfolio comprises secured fixed and variable rate loans; business loans; consumer loans, including mortgages, secured home equity loans, lines of credit, auto, and unsecured personal loans, as well as mortgage escrow services; residential mortgage loans; and commercial mortgage/construction loans. In addition, it offers various other services, such as treasurer and certified check, wire transfer, credit/debit card merchant processing, direct deposit/ACH, ACH origination, fraud detection, cash and escrow management, safe deposit box, remote deposit capture, mobile banking, night depository, bank by mail, savings bond redemptions, person to person payment, positive pay, automated teller machine, and online banking and bill pay services, as well as gift, commercial credit, and ATM and debit cards. The company has branch offices in South Whitehall Township, Lower Macungie Township, the City of Bethlehem, Salisbury Township, Lower Saucon Township, Lower Nazareth Township, Borough of Nazareth, and Borough of Macungie, as well as in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania. Embassy Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Digging and diving deeper to reveal hydraulic projects and warships

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-24 09:14

Artifacts unearthed from the Jiangzhuang relic sites of Jiangsu province[Photo provided to China Daily]

Liangzhu hydraulic project site, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province

Researchers attribute the disappearance of the Neolithic Liangzhu culture, which dates back about 5,000 years in the Yangtze River delta, to environmental changes such as floods.

The discovery of a hydraulic project at a site in Yuhang district, on the northern outskirts of Hangzhou, shows that people at the time were adept at building city-states and protecting them from rising waters.

The project, which is believed to be one of the earliest of its kind in China, comprises 11 dams that protected Liangzhu's ancient cities from summer floods. Also, they formed water reserves that served as transportation channels.

Yan Wenming, a professor of archaeology at Peking University, says the hydraulic project is one of the surprising finds of their excavations.

He adds that the project was built before the time of Da Yu, the founder of the Xia Dynasty (c. 21th century-16th century BC), and it implies that the story of Da Yu's flood-control system may not be groundless even though it lacks archaeological evidence.

Jiangzhuang relic sites of Liangzhu culture, Jiangsu province

Another find relating to Liangzhu culture on this year's list is a settlement, which includes more than 280 graves, eight building foundations and other relics.

The finds follow four years of excavations at the border straddling the cities of Xinghua and Dongtai in Jiangsu.

The discovery shows the culture extended to the northern bank of the Yangtze River.

The tombs are arranged according to a highly stratified social structure, and contain burial objects such as pottery and jade.

Most tombs also contain well preserved human bones, giving archaeologists a better chance to understand the burial customs, interpersonal relations and other aspects of life of the Liangzhu people.

Artifacts unearthed from the Marquis Haihun's tomb in Nanchang [Photo provided to China Daily]

Tomb of Marquis Haihun, Nanchang, Jiangxi province

Liu He (92-59 BC), a dethroned Western Han emperor, is known to people today not only for his short-lived career as a ruler for only 27 days, but also because his well-preserved burial site was identified by archaeologists in March.

The excavations started in 2011, and since then around 10,000 artifacts, including objects made of gold, jade and bronze, have been unearthed.

Archaeologists say besides the eye-catching gold pieces, what also deserve attention, are hundreds of excavated bamboo writing slips that they have just started to decipher.

Warship Zhiyuan, waters off Dandong, Liaoning province

The Dandong No 1 was at the bottom of the Yellow Sea for more than a century before underwater archaeological exploration helped locate the ship in April 2014.

Archaeologists also identified it a vessel from the Beiyang Fleet of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), after their excavations revealed a large part of the ship's shell. More than 100 artifacts were recovered from the wreckage.

A broken ceramic plate helped confirm the ship's identity: It bears the ship's logo with zhi yuan written in the seal-character style of Chinese calligraphy.

The warship Zhiyuan was sunk by the invading Japanese during a fierce sea battle on Sept 17, 1894.

Research will be carried out on the wreckage to uncover more details of the First Sino-Japanese War and the final decline of the Qing Dynasty.

The Zhiyuan find also opens a new chapter in China's underwater archaeology, paving the way for more shipwrecks from the late 19th century and the early 20th century to be discovered and studied.
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Troubled ex-West Coast Eagles gun Daniel Kerr has pleaded guilty to breaching a violent restraining order against his former wife in court on Tuesday.

Kerr appeared via video link from Hakea prison where he has been since he was arrested and denied bail two weeks ago.

Daniel Kerr is released from custody on Tuesday morning. Credit:Nine News Perth

A second charge against the premiership player was dropped.

The former Eagles midfielder has avoided jail and was slapped with a community based order and fined $1000 for the VRO breach.
Human remains retrieved from the site of the EgyptAir flight 804 crash suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft, a senior Egyptian forensics official says.

The official, part of the Egyptian investigative team, who has personally examined the remains at a Cairo morgue, said all 80 pieces brought to Cairo so far are small and that "there isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head".

"The size of the remains points towards an explosion, the biggest part was the size of a palm," the official said.
Yet, overall, there is evidence that the Taliban overall are in a very strong position. Last October the United Nations concluded that the group was fighting across a wider area of Afghanistan than at any point since the war began in 2001. And last month, the Taliban mounted a successful attack in the capital, Kabul, against a building run by the National Directorate of Security. As for IS or Daesh, there are a number of signs of serious progress against the barbarians and their self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria. Last year, the group lost 14 per cent of the land area under its control, and the "caliphate" shrank by a further 8 per cent in the first three months of this year, according to the US. The population under Daesh's control has declined from 9 million to 6 million. And as it has lost land and population, it has lost tax revenue too. Documents turned up by researchers at counter-terrorism journal CTC Sentinel show that Daesh is having trouble paying for its single biggest expense, the wages for its fighters.

As the Guardian reports, even in oil-rich areas, confiscation now represents 40 per cent of Daesh's income. It has been forced to cut the pay it gives foreign fighters who join its ranks. The Pentagon claims that the number of foreign fighters entering the "caliphate" has fallen by 90 per cent in the past year. "When I first got here, we were seeing somewhere between 1500 and 2000 foreign fighters entering the fight," said the deputy US operations commander in Baghdad, Major-General Peter Gersten. "Now that we've been fighting this enemy for a year, our estimates are down to about 200. And we're actually seeing an increase now in the desertion rates in these fighters. We're seeing a fracture in their morale." Daesh has suffered a succession of losses in the last eight months. In Syria, it lost the important centre of al-Shaddadi. In Iraq it has lost Sinjar, Ramadi, Hit and the town of Bashir. Some level of Daesh concern over its retrenchments seems to be indicated by the remarks by the so-called caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who said in comments made public last December: "Don't worry, O Muslims, your state is fine and expanding every day and with every harshness that comes upon it, it spits out the hypocrites and agents and becomes more firm and strong."

As the Iraqi government troops mobilised on the weekend for the assault on Daesh forces holding Fallujah, important because of its location 50 kilometres from Baghdad, Daesh spokesmen made similar comments telling followers not to be troubled by any impending loss of territory. But could their situation be as dire as described by a US military spokesman, Colonel Steve Warren, who said that "we've got a foot on his neck but he's still got some fight in him"? Professor Amin Saikal of ANU says that, if the Iraqi forces can retake Fallujah, it will be an important step in shoring up the precarious position of Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. "The next task would be Mosul, and that is the big prize" with 2 million people at the time Daesh took it, says Saikal, "but al-Abadi is in very deep trouble domestically. His government is dysfunctional and corrupt. Protesters have twice invaded the Green Zone and occupied parliament  he can't get his cabinet through the parliament. "Even if Daesh is driven out of Fallujah and Mosul, even if they're driven out of Raqqa in Syria, it's not the end of Daesh  it's not even the beginning of the end.

"They would still be able to wage guerilla war." And the extremists have since expanded into Libya, Sinai, Yemen and Nigeria. Professor Peter Leahy of the University of Canberra, chief of the Australian army from 2002 to 2008, agrees. "To say that it's a stalemate" overall against Islamist extremism "would be optimistic. We are seeing pockets of light but no change in the overall situation. I don't see any reduction in the fervour of their ideology. "If the issue is their ideology, what are we doing to tackle that? Knocking off a few leaders and taking a town like Fallujah are minor victories in a major campaign." Leahy says that he remains concerned about the forgotten enemy, al-Qaeda. With recent revelations of a much bigger training camp in Afghanistan than any western government thought possible, it's clear that al-Qaeda is rebuilding.
Dutton was responding to a wildly unrealistic proposal from the Greens that our refugee intake should be almost quadrupled from just under 14,000 a year to 50,000. Dutton, perhaps more bluntly than some might prefer, simply pointed out a few realities. Namely, that many are illiterate and innumerate in their own language. It's just a fact.

If you read the commentary you would be forgiven for thinking that Dutton had said all refugees are a waste of our time and resources. That's exactly what he didn't say. But few Australians these days let the facts stand in the way of taking offence.

Bill Shorten diminished himself last week by trying to politicise some remarks made by Peter Dutton about refugees. The twitteratti joined in, along with a coterie of those who grasp any opportunity to take offence.

I'm proud of it and think we all should be. Our refugee program saves places for those most in need. People in camps with little or no money. And very often very little education. There's no point in pretending otherwise. It's especially true of women and girls. Have we forgotten Malala?

Illustration: John Shakespeare

That we are an immigration nation is to me our most defining characteristic. History means we have a lot of migrants from the United Kingdom. Geography and economics mean that has been turning inexorably to China and India. Our success however has come from the breadth of our intake. We really are one big melting pot. Ours is a non-discriminatory program. For the main intake, skilled migration, your race and ethnicity just don't matter. We are interested in your skills.

There is however something very special about us. We are one of all too few nations who set aside a special part of our program, year in year out, for the permanent resettlement of refugees.

We have for decades been in the top three takers of refugees for permanent resettlement, along with the United States and Canada. Per capita and by GDP we are first. The source of the intake varies a bit over time because we listen to UN advice as to where we can best help. We are good international citizens. We take people from Africa as well as from camps in our region.
Waleed Aly has made a passionate plea to young Australians to make politicians "really bloody nervous" by voting in the upcoming federal election.

On The Project on Monday night, the host and Fairfax Media columnist spoke directly to the "almost one million Australians who are not enrolled to vote in the election on July 2" and singled out the "democracy-resisters" aged between 18 and 25, which make up 38 per cent of all unenrolled voters.

"So, what are you thinking?" Aly asked. "Are you happy with the people that everyone else has elected to lead us so far?"

As a montage of politicians flashed onto the screen, Aly outlined the various issues facing young people, including 12 per cent youth unemployment, the prospect of cutting penalty rates, being locked out of entering the housing market, and the possibility of paying $100,000 for a university degree.
On ABC's Q&A on Monday night, Anthony Albanese was asked a relatively simple question that has so far dominated his election campaign.

Why should people vote for Labor and not the Greens?

It is a question that carries particular significance in Grayndler, the seat in Sydney's inner west which Mr Albanese has occupied since 1996, and where he is facing Greens candidate Jim Casey on July 2.
Telltale devil droppings have blown the cover of a secretive population of Tasmanian devils living in a remote corner of the Apple Isle.

The newly discovered devil population was confirmed by University of Sydney PhD researcher Rebecca Gooley on Friday, after she DNA sequenced droppings collected from the rugged south-west of the island. The area was once a stronghold of the Tasmanian tiger, of which the devil is the only living relative.

Geneticist Kathy Belov with a devil pup. Credit:Sydney University

News that a new population of devils which have lived in isolation is a significant boost for the fate of the tumour-plagued devil, which suffers poor resilience to disease due to its shallow gene pool.

Sydney University geneticist Kathy Belov said the genetically diverse population would provide a crucial boost to the endangered species' outlook.
Plane spotters who flocked to see the world's biggest plane, Antonov An-225 Mriya, land in Perth last week have another reason to be excited with Australia's first P-8A Poseidon aircraft completing its maiden flight.

The new Australian Defence Force aircraft flew a short distance from Renton Airfield to Boeing Field in Washington State USA, where the P-8A's sophisticated mission systems will be installed as part of project AIR 7000.

The first P-8A aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force leaves Renton Field for Boeing Field in nearby Seattlle. Credit:Matthew B. Thompson

The P-8A Poseidon is 39.5 metres long, with a maximum takeoff weight of 85,820kg and a wingspan of 37.6m.

It is powered by two jet engines with a top speed is 907km/h and a maximum range of 7,500km.
Unearthing history's secrets

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-24 09:14

Two archaeologists clean a bronze vessel unearthed from the excavation of the Marquis Haihun's tomb in Nanchang, Jiangxi province [Photo provided to China Daily]

An annual list of the top archaeological finds in China is getting more public attention thanks to increasing media coverage of excavations of historical sites.

They are commonly referred to as the "academy awards of Chinese archaeology". The annual list of the top 10 archaeological discoveries in China for 2015 was released in Beijing on May 16.

The finds cover a time span that ranges from the Paleolithic period to the First Sino-Japanese War in the 19th century.

The final list was picked from 25 candidates, and included finds such as a Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) tomb identified as the burial site of dethroned emperor Liu He in Jiangxi province and a vessel identified as the famous warship Zhiyuan from the Beiyang Fleet, which sank in 1894 in Liaoning province.

The list also recognized older projects that achieved breakthroughs last year.

Among them was a mining and smelting site in Hubei province. Excavations at the site have been continued since 1970, but last year archaeologists found a tomb cluster of laborers.

Also recognized were the Liangzhu cultural sites in Zhejiang province, which were discovered in 1936.

While finds from the Liangzhu sites have made the top 10 lists many times before, their latest claim to fame is the discovery of a hydraulic project.

The annual listing was launched in 1990 by the Beijing-based newspaper China Cultural Relics News, and the jury teams up archaeological authorities and scholars from leading museums and universities, such as the Palace Museum and Peking University, to make its final selection.

An analysis of the 260 finds that have made the lists since it was launched in 1990 shows that finds from Henan, Jiangsu, Shandong and Shaanxiall provinces boasting rich historical and cultural legaciesdominate the honor boards.

Interestingly, finds from the well-known Sanxingdui site in Sichuan province, which covers a period from the late Neolithic Age and to the Bronze Age, have never made the list. Many remarkable artifacts unearthed there in 1986 surprised the world, and a museum has even been built at the site.

Among the finds which were in contention for this year's list were several building foundations and city walls, but they failed to make the cut.

Tools made of bones unearthed from the Gantangqing Paleolithic sites in Yunnan province.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Gao Dalun, who heads the research institute that made the finds there, says he is not surprised that the site lost out, because in recent years there has been a big jump in major archaeological discoveries in the country, making the competition to get on the list even fiercer.

He adds that, when it comes to Sanxingdui, people have much higher expectations for it.

Giving reasons for this, he says: "The site covers about 25 square kilometers and we've only excavated fewer than 10,000 square meters.

"I believe Sanxingdui has great potential to make it to the list."

Meanwhile, the list has begun to garner growing public attention in recent years.

This is partly because of increasing media coverage of excavation sites.

The underwater archaeological excavation of the warship Zhiyuan was broadcast live on television.

Also, carefully curated exhibitions of unearthed objects boost public interest in the finds.

The Capital Museum is currently holding two exhibitions dedicated to the finds from the tombs of "Haihunhou" Liu He and Fu Hao at the Yin Xu relic site in Henan.

Speaking of what could appear on next year's list, Li Shuicheng, a professor of archaeology from Peking University, says it's difficult to predict what will happen next year because, besides ongoing excavations, accidental finds can always change the scene.

"But above all, the list aims to raise public awareness of cultural legacies and conservation work," he says.

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn

A bronze carriage component called xia wei from the Zhouyuan site in Shaanxi province.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Top 10 finds in 2015

1. Gantangqing Paleolithic sites, Jiangchuan county, Yunnan province

2. Jiangzhuang relic sites of Liangzhu culture, border of Xinghua and Dongtai cities, Jiangsu province

3. Liangzhu hydraulic project site, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province

4. Neolithic Age site, coastal area of Hainan province

5. Zhouyuan site, Baoji, Shaanxi province

6. Sifangtang site, Daye, Hubei province

7. Tomb of Marquis Haihun, Nanchang, Jiangxi province

8. Taiji Palace site, Luoyang, Henan province

9. Liao Dynasty imperial concubine tomb, Duolun county, Inner Mongolia autonomous region

10. Warship Zhiyuan, waters off Dandong, Liaoning province
Xia's return to painting parallels love of calligraphy

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-24 10:15

Xia Pengcheng is holding a solo show of calligraphy and ink paintings in Beijing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Titled Time Speed, Xia Pengcheng's solo exhibition currently at Songzhuang village, an art district in Beijing's eastern suburbs, examines how people can achieve inner peace when living in a fast-paced environment.

The show at the Fine Art Equivalence gallery displays dozens of calligraphic scrolls and abstract oil paintings he has executed over the past year. It continues through May 30.

Xia is viewed by critics as one of the most promising Chinese artists, as he extends one hand to modernize Chinese ink traditions and another to localize Western brushwork.

Practicing calligraphy since he was 6, Xia is noted for handling the highly expressive kuang cao (wild cursive) style.

Like many of his generation who were interested in Western art, Xia studied oil painting at Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts in the late 1990s.

After graduation, he returned to calligraphy, which he wanted to explore further. He dropped oil painting at that time, because he didn't want the distraction when practicing calligraphy.

"Chinese calligraphy is such an abstract and pure form. One has to keep practicing until one can find the right rhythm of writing and further achieve a breakthrough," he says. "It may take a lifetime."

The Beijing-based artist in his 40s has been a student of eminent calligrapher Shen Peng since 2009.

"Calligraphy is something one needs to complete within a fixed period of time. Whether the written characters look good or bad, one has to accept it and start over on a different piece of paper," he says.

"What looks simple normally turns out to be something quite time-consuming."

His desire to paint was reignited early this year when he drove by a stack of bicycle tires on the way to pick up his daughter. The round shape of the tires fascinated him, bringing him a similar sense of rhythm and freedom as that of writing characters in varied styles. He thus started to create circles on the canvases.

Xia Pengcheng is holding a solo show of calligraphy and ink paintings in Beijing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"With the help of tires, people can speed up and run ahead of others. But one can't always work at a high speed, otherwise one will lose control.

"And good control of being fast and slow is exactly what I'm learning to master in calligraphy," he says.

The largest of Xia's oil paintings on show occupies a whole wall at the gallery, measuring 8 meters in length and 3 meters in height.

Adopting a simple palette, he seeks to present a state of solitude and simplicity with which he hopes to remind viewers of the paintings of Shitao and Bada Shanren, masters of the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

He believes the juxtaposition of his oil works with calligraphy will give prominence to Chinese artistic spirit that stresses innovation.

Guang Jun, a professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts who taught Xia's class, says his creations on paper and on canvas both show an experimental attitude to connect Chinese and Western aesthetics with groundbreaking approaches. He expects Xia to develop the motif of tires into a series.

Bai Yefu, the curator of Xia's exhibition, says that standing before his artwork, people who are accustomed to a fast-paced society will want to slow down and refresh their minds with the beauty of colors and the free flow of writing strokes.

If you go

9 am-6 pm, through May 30. Block C106, Shangpu Art Zone, Songzhuang, Tongzhou district, Beijing. 010-8951-5019.
The WCO Capacity Building Director, Ernani Checcucci, attended the 6th Regional Joint Coordination Committee meeting for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project on capacity development for international trade facilitation in the East Africa region. The meeting was held in Dar es Salaam on 19 May 2016 and was chaired by Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority, Mr. Alphayo Kidata.

Commissioners General and Commissioners of Customs from the region were informed about the development of the project, including the highlights and results of capacity building for Customs administrations, the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) project component, and capacity building for Customs clearing and forwarding agents. They exchanged views on these developments and other relevant questions, such as security issues including API/PNR; the digital economy and revenue, data analysis; and data accuracy.

Director Checcucci emphasized the longstanding cooperation between the WCO and Japan Customs with respect to capacity building, referring to the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the WCO and JICA in 2015, as well as the WCO/JICA joint project on development of transit guidelines. He explained that the two partners are now negotiating a new platform for further cooperation. In addition, he promoted the Mercator Programme, aimed at supporting Members to implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, emphasizing his strong intention to enhance Members engagement through dialogue.

In conclusion, the Director re-affirmed the WCOs continued support to Members through its various tools, instruments, expertise and resources, in order to achieve the goals set.
Classical Chinese art on the block

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-24 10:15

The upcoming Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong features some of the country's rarest treasures, such as The Lotus Sutra from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and an album of landscape paintings and calligraphy by Shitao from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).[Photo provided to China Daily]

Works from several centuries past will be part of Sotheby's semiannual offering of Chinese art, Lin Qi reports.

Eleven classical Chinese paintings and calligraphic pieces, collected by a private library in Zhejiang province over a period from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to the time of the Republic of China (1911-49), will go under the hammer in Hong Kong on May 30.

A highlight is The Lotus Sutra, a calligraphic set of seven albums of Buddhism inscriptions written in gold on blue paper by an anonymous artist of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

The Mi Yun Hall library was built on an accumulation of books by Jiang Ruzao (1876-1954), an entrepreneur in Huzhou, Zhejiang province.

The collection boasts rare and quality titles of the Song (960-1279) and Yuan dynasties.

His son Jiang Zuyi (1902-73) extended the spectrum of the family collection to classical Chinese paintings, calligraphic pieces and other antique works of art.

Jiang Zuyi remained an art connoisseur after moving to Taiwan in the 1940s, together with his family's cultural specimens.

Items from the Jiang family's collection to be auctioned by Sotheby's Hong Kong also include Letters, four calligraphic scrolls of the Song Dynasty government official Zhang Wenjing.

They not only provide reference to the development of Chinese calligraphy but also Song politics.

An album of 10 leaves of landscape paintings and calligraphy by early Qing painter Shitao, the pseudonym of Zhu Ruoji, will also appear in the salesroom.

Measuring only 20 by 15 centimeters for each leaf, the works reveal his impressionistic brushstrokes and masterly use of space to present a feeling of solitude.

Sotheby's launched a sale devoted to classical Chinese painting as part of its autumn sales in Hong Kong in October. Starting with the upcoming sale, the auctioneer will hold two auctions of classical Chinese paintings every year.

The upcoming Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong features some of the country's rarest treasures, such as The Lotus Sutra from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and an album of landscape paintings and calligraphy by Shitao from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).[Photo provided to China Daily]

The practice follows its launch of classical Chinese paintings sales in New York in 2011, which generated some high prices. A calligraphic album of Ming Dynasty Buddhist sutras sold for $14 million to Shanghai collector Liu Yiqian in 2015.

Steven Zuo, head of Sotheby's classical Chinese paintings department in Asia, tells China Daily that the salesrooms in both New York and Hong Kong attract global bidders, while the Hong Kong auctions highlight the appetite of Asian buyers.

The category of classical Chinese paintings, normally referring to works executed before the 20th century, has performed steadily in the market, while modern ink art has dropped in value amid a market reshuffle since 2014.

A calligraphic letter by Song politician Zeng Gong fetched 207 million yuan ($31.85 million) at a Beijing auction on May 15.

The most expensive classical Chinese ink art sold at auction so far is Di Zhu Ming, a calligraphic hand scroll by Song master Huang Tingjian that grossed 436.8 million yuan in Beijing in 2010.

Zuo says classical paintings, as an important bearer of Chinese cultural traditions, have a mature, stable collecting group. Generally speaking, this is less affected by economic changes than other categories.

The classical Chinese art market doesn't create a lot of bubbles like modern and contemporary art because its "higher threshold" turns away speculators seeking short-term profits, says Tu Xin, a Beijing-based art dealer.

"When you want to know whether a Zhang Daqian piece is genuine or counterfeit, quality or ordinary, you have a stack of his other works for reference," she says, adding that for classical art, few examples are available today, making it difficult for people to judge right from wrong, excellence from a bunch of commonplace works.

"To collect classical pieces, one has to invest much time and energy to increase knowledge and be discerning. A devoted collector is sensible when bidding at auction, and he is unlikely to resell his collections for instant profit."

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 24, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 24, 2016 | 04:22 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A Paducah man faces DUI and leaving the scene of an accident charges, after police say he crashed his car into another vehicle and fled the scene.



Police say 58-year-old Kim Froman told them that she was driving east on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at around noon Tuesday, when another driver ran a stop sign at North 9th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and hit her van in the side. Froman said the other vehicle then ran into a yard, hit the porch, backed up and hit a light pole and fled the scene.



When officers arrived they met 47-year-old James A. West walking his dog on the sidewalk at the wreck site. West told officers that he was not involved in the crash. He told them was there to help his friend, 32-year-old Albert Reed, who he said was the one driving. Police said both Reed and Froman said that West had in fact been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.



Police said West fled on foot while they were treating Reed's injuries. Officers caught West and arrested him on charges of driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and being a fugitive from justice. A computer check showed that West is also wanted in Mississippi for a probation violation.



West was booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail. Reed was taken to Baptist Health Paducah for treatment.
Bond issue approved by McCracken Fiscal Court to pay for Barkley terminal
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/05/2016 (2345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

George Cibinel is gutting the former home of Comics America, but hes going to pay homage to the longtime retailer of pop-culture collectibles.

The partner at Cibinel Architects has bought the one-storey building on Academy Road and plans to move his 15-person firm there in July.

First, the place is being gutted and reconfigured to house three retailers with frontage on the busy River Heights roadway with the firm operating out of the back.

SUPPLIED art The building that was for many years the home of Comics America on Academy Road will soon house Cibinel Architects and other businesses.

After completing the deal to buy the 7,000-square-foot building a few months ago, Cibinel walked in and bought 30 comic books from Comics America.

Ill either put them on the desk for customers to read or use them as wallpaper in the washrooms. I want to keep some of the history in the building, he said.

It will be a new building inside of an old building.

Some of the history was far too difficult and expensive to take out. The Bank of Montreal ran a bank branch out of the space for many years, and you cant do that without a vault.

It was going to cost somewhere between $20,000 and $50,000 to take it out, so were leaving it in, he said.

The building was opened in 1954 by National Studio, a company that specialized in school pictures.

Cibinel got possession of the property a few weeks ago, and construction has already started.

Hes a little sad about the prospect of leaving behind the firms longtime office on Sherbrook Street but is looking forward to the future.

We want to create unique work areas and a courtyard for the staff and really put our own design talents to a space that we live in and work in. Some of us are here every day and every evening. Thats the industry were in, he said.

Some of the firms clients include the University of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Art Gallery Inuit Art Centre and the Arctic College in Iqaluit.

A pair of startups, North Flag  a casual mens clothing and accessory store  and a home decorations retailer called Grace & Co., have signed on for 800 and 1,200 square feet, respectively, leaving one retail space of another 1,200 square feet to fill.

The retailers will also open their doors midsummer.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS George Cibinel (centre) and his partners, Mike Robertson (right) and Michael Acht.

Cibinel isnt releasing the purchase price of the building, but he did say the total cost, including all of the renovations, is a seven-figure commitment.

Comic relief

Things arent as straightforward for Comics America, however. Owner Joe Krolik has temporarily suspended its daily retail operations and plans to take a well-deserved break for a few weeks after 39 years in the business.

Then well come back and see what opportunities lie before us. We didnt think it would make sense to feel obligated to run a retail operation without a breather. We wanted to stop and smell the coffee, he said.

One possibility is taking on a partner to help run some form of online operation.

If anybody is interested in acquiring the inventory or getting into some kind of business relationship with us, were open to any proposals. Were working on a website, he said.

Comics America has comic books, caricatures, magazines and figurines from every action hero known to mankind  plus a few you might not have heard of  and tonnes of other memorabilia ranging from Betty Boop to The Walking Dead. Its pop-culture collectibles cover television shows such as Batman and The Green Hornet, to Hollywood blockbusters such as The Avengers and Superman.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/05/2016 (2345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

EDMONTON  An Edmonton woman has been sentenced to 2 1/12 years in jail for exploiting foreign workers.

Jennilyn Morris was also ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution to 13 of those workers.

Canadian Border Services Agency says Morris made job offers between 2007 and 2010 to three people in the Philippines to induce them to come to Canada to work for her company.

CBSA says Morris, who is 46, did not pay the wages promised, or the required amount of overtime pay stipulated in the contracts, and did not employ the workers in the positions approved in the contracts.

It says she also employed at least 68 foreign nationals between 2006 and 2010 who were not authorized to work in Canada.

The CBSA executed two search warrants in April 2011 and seized over 12,000 evidentiary documents relevant to the investigation.

Morris was charged in June 2014.

The CBSA takes violations of Canadas immigration laws, including fraud, very seriously and works to identify, investigate, and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who violate our immigration laws. This sentencing is evidence of that, Kim Scoville, regional director general of the CBSA prairie region.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/05/2016 (2345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG  Manitoba New Democrats called on the Progressive Conservative government Tuesday to oppose the proposed takeover by Bell of Manitoba Telecom Services, or MTS.

NDP legislature member Jim Maloway said the loss of a regional cell phone and Internet service provider will reduce competition, cause prices to rise and potentially lead to corporate job losses.

Consumers of this province want this government to oppose this sale, Maloway said during question period.

This government doesnt care about the Manitoba consumer.

Premier Brian Pallister said prices will probably rise if the sale goes though, but service will be expanded into current dead zones and speed and reliability will improve dramatically.

I think were going to get improved services, and when you get improved services sometimes you pay a little more.

Montreal-based BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) announced earlier this month a friendly deal, valued at $3.9 billion, to have Bell buy MTS.

The deal requires approval from regulators, including the federal government and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. As part of the deal, Bell is promising to spend $1 billion on improvements over five years.

Bell officials have offered few details about the improvements, aside from three new cell towers announced last week along highway 75 south of Winnipeg. But generally, the company has said service will be expanded to cover areas that are now dead zones and broadband Internet service will be offered in more areas.

That promise has been welcomed by municipal officials in rural Manitoba, who have long complained that the lack of cell service in some communities is a serious hazard for emergency responders.

But the accompanying price hikes could be dramatic.

Reports, including one submitted to regulators in 2014 by MTS and other regional carriers, showed prices are much lower in provinces where Bell, Rogers and Telus face an additional competitor. Data plans of up to 1 GB per month cost less than $60 in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where MTS and SaskTel are part of the competitive mix. In other provinces, the same plan cost more than $80.

Pallister said faster, more reliable communications will benefit businesses and individuals.

When a farmer is trying to sell a product or order a part and their cell phone cuts out on them, that costs them time and money. When somebody goes in the ditch and cant get a tow truck to come to their car because their cell phone wont work, theres a danger there.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/05/2016 (2345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An increase in cellphone rates is worth it if it means better service for Manitobans, Premier Brian Pallister says.

The proposed purchase of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. was the topic du jour during Tuesdays question period, as the Opposition NDP continued to accuse Pallister of supporting a deal that will lead to increased rates for Manitobans.

I think it (a rate increase) is probable because I think we are going to get improved services and when you get improved services sometimes you pay a little more, Pallister said after question period. Where I grew up, we got TV and we got two stations, it was cheap. It is not so cheap now but we have better service.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Patricia Solman (MTS), Wade Oosterman (Bell), Chris Goertzen (Association of Manitoba Municipalities), and Premier Brian Pallister show off the map displaying cell coverage.

Montreal-based BCE Inc. announced earlier this month a friendly deal, valued at $3.9 billion, to buy MTS. As part of the deal, Bell promised to spend $1 billion on improvements over five years.

Interim NDP leader Flor Marcelino accused Pallister of being a public relations representative for Bell after he appeared at a news conference Friday with representatives from Bell and MTS, touting the deal.

Last week we were treated to the bizarre spectacle of the premier putting aside his official responsibilities to become a public relations representative for Bell Canada, she said, before demanding that he answer yes or no as to whether this sale will lead to an increase in rates.

The Opposition urged the government to lobby against the sale and go to regulators  including the federal government and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission  to make their concerns known.

This bad deal is not done, it can still be stopped, said Tyndall Park NDP MLA Ted Marcelino, urging Pallister to tell the Competition Bureau its a bad deal.

However, Pallister was steadfast in his approval of the multibillion-dollar deal, telling reporters he is optimistic about Bells commitment to invest in the province, calling it good news.

Better service, better Internet speed, these are advantages that accrue to us as a result of the change of ownership structure and I think it is a good thing for Manitobans, Pallister said.

It has been a longstanding issue for Manitobans for many years, in certain parts of the province that their Internet and phone reliability havent been as much as they liked.

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca
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OTTAWA  International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced an additional $331.5 million in humanitarian aid at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

Bibeau says in a statement Tuesday that the new funding will help the most vulnerable in more than 32 countries.

Those who will receive the funding include United Nations humanitarian agencies, the Red Cross and non-governmental organizations, as well as Canadian organizations.

Todays announcement was made on the final day of the summit.

On Monday, Bibeau announced $274 million in humanitarian and development aid that focused on emergency response, child protection and food security.

During the summit, the statement says Bibeau emphasized the need to focus on women and girls in every humanitarian response, as well as Canadas commitment to be innovative and make every dollar count. She also assured that Canada will continue to defend humanitarian principles.

Given the size of current humanitarian needs, Canada is committed to working with all partners  including those at the local level  to combine our strengths and maximize the impact we have on humanitarian crises, Bibeau said.

We are especially concerned with women and girls, who are often the most vulnerable in crises. That is why they are at the heart of Canadas humanitarian response.
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QUEBEC  Ride-hailing giant Uber is willing to temporarily suspend operations in Quebec in order to find common ground with the province and is prepared to offer various concessions, a company representative said Tuesday.

Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, general manager of Uber Montreal, said the U.S.-based firm would charge clients taxes on every ride  at the source  which he said would provide state coffers with about $3 million a year.

His comments came on the first day of hearings into Bill 100, which would force Uber drivers to conform to the same laws as cabbies with regard to regulations such as permits and taxes.

Taxi drivers demonstrate outside the premier's office as the cabinet meets at the Quebec legislature, in Quebec City on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The head of a taxi lobby in Quebec says ride-hailing company Uber has the attitude of a hardened criminal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Uber says the bill, if enacted as is, would mean the end of the companys operations in Quebec.

Guillemette said Uber would be willing to charge an added tax of seven cents a ride that would go to Quebecs automobile insurance board.

Additionally, Uber is open to letting traditional taxis have exclusive access to reserved lanes, government contracts and rides hailed from the street.

Guillemette said that if Uber can sit down with the government to talk and find common ground, we are ready to suspend our operations during that time.

We are showing good faith, he told the hearing.

Transport Minister Jacques Daoust and other members of Quebecs legislature reacted skeptically to Guillemettes offer.

In terms of how much taxi permits represent, its very marginal, Daoust said.

Daoust noted Quebecs taxi industry was founded on the idea of supply management and that the government enforces a system whereby people have to pay  sometimes as much as $200,000  for a permit to drive a taxi.

He said that if the government allowed Uber to operate without buying into the permit system, the value of existing permits would erode.

There is a large population of immigrants often more educated than the job requires, and they bought the right to work in the land that welcomed them, he said. The minute we add to (the existing permits) the value of their taxi licence necessarily diminishes.

Earlier in the day, the head of a Quebec taxi lobby said Uber has the attitude of a hardened criminal and is stealing money from the state.

Just watch them, Guy Chevrette told reporters, explaining how he believes Uber will try to stall the passing of the bill. Its theft. Today, watch them go, with crocodile tears, like hardened criminals. They will pull out all the stops to try and waste time.

According to Chevrettes organization, the government has two choices: pass Bill 100, which would force Uber out of the Quebec market, or compensate all the drivers and companies that have paid for taxi licences.

He said paying back drivers could cost as much as $1.4 billion.
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Environment Minister Catherine McKenna and Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr are each hosting public meetings in the lead-up to the federal Liberal convention this week in Winnipeg.

McKennas town hall, set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Canad Inns Fort Garry on Pembina Highway, is part of a public consultation process for Canadas participation in the Paris Accord for Climate Change. Terry Duguid, Liberal MP for Winnipeg South, is expected to be part of McKennas event.

Carrs town hall, also set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, will be held at the Asper Jewish Community Centre in the heart of his constituency. A spokeswoman said he expects to field questions on both his riding and his departmental responsibilities including the Fort McMurray fire and Canadas pipeline expansion.

Jim Carr's meeting is expected to attract a bus load of supporters who oppose pipeline expansion.

McKennas meeting is expected to attract a bus load of supporters who oppose the pipeline expansion.

When we sat down to look at the questions the federal government is asking about climate solutions, we realized we have to be prepared. So we started a series of training (sessions) to help (supporters) become familiar with the consultation process and the specific format, the pipeline opponents, the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition, said in a statement.

Coalition spokesman Alex Patterson said at least 40 people are booked to take a bus to the event, with more supporters coming on their own. Theyre prepared to argue against the expansion, using the Paris Accord to do it, Patterson said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally added Canadas signature to the accord in April but most environmental commentators have said fulfilling it will the be hard part. Canadas nowhere near meeting targets to cut Canadas greenhouse emissions by 30 per cent over the coming decades.

Canadas regulator on pipelines, The National Energy Board, approved one pipeline last week, but slapped on 145 draft conditions designed to protect the environment. The Kinder Morgan pipeline will add or reactivate 1,200 kilometres of pipelines to carry diluted bitumen from the Alberta oil sands across southern British Columbia to Burnaby for export.

The other major pipeline which is the focus of opposition in Quebec is Energy East. Its largely supported in western Canada except for environmental coalitions like the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition.

TransCanadas Energy East is a 4,500 kilometre pipeline designed to carry oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan through to Quebec and New Brunswick for overseas shipping. Its still in the consultation phase.

ADRIAN WYLE / CANADIAN PRESS FILES Catherine McKenna's town hall is part of a public consultation process for Canada's participation in the Paris Accord for Climate Change.

The Liberal convention, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet, starts Thursday and lasts through the weekend in Winnipeg.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
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OTTAWA  More than 2,000 Liberals are set to descend on Winnipeg later this week for a big red tent bash.It is the first Liberal Party of Canada convention since the partys huge victory last fall, a win many Liberals thought wasnt going to happen for at least another four years.

This is very much a celebration of our 2015 victory, said Winnipeg South Liberal MP Terry Duguid. But its also a recognition of the hard work ahead.

Almost every cabinet minister and the majority of the partys 184 MPs will be in attendance along with Liberal faithful from every province. Duguid said the delegate count is more than 2,000 and climbing.

GRAHAM HUGHES / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's federal Liberal Party is set to hold its convention in Winnipeg later this week, and some party faithful are calling it a celebration of victory.

The convention is proving so popular hotel rooms in the city have become a hot commodity. Porter Airlines is even using the event as a chance to test flights to the city, with flights scheduled from Toronto and Ottawa to Winnipeg coinciding with the start and end of the convention.

It is also a glimpse of deja vu all over again for the Liberals. The last time the party held a convention in Winnipeg was in July 1980, when Pierre Elliott Trudeau was the prime minister. That convention also came just months after a Trudeau defeated a Conservative government to win a majority government.

The convention is set to kick of Thursday at the RBC Convention Centre with a keynote address from residential school survivor Chief Robert Joseph. A Winnipeg traditional social will follow at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.Policy debates and commission meetings will take up most of the next two days, highlighted by a speech from the prime minister on Saturday afternoon. Justin Trudeau will only be in attendance for the final day of the convention. He is in Japan attending the G7 meeting and will fly directly to Winnipeg to give his speech on Saturday.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is set to speak Saturday morning.

Duguid said there was a lot of lobbying to get the convention in WInnipeg, and said its fitting for it to be in western Canada, where the party has struggled but saw a breakthrough winning 29 seats last fall, up from just four in 2011. The Liberals were nearly wiped out in Winnipeg in 2011, hanging on to just one seat by a mere 44 votes. Last fall, the party nearly swept the city, winning seven of its eight seats.

Duguid said the enthusiasm for the party continues and his riding had 50 people apply to be delegates but there were only 24 spots per riding. Delegates, those with voting privileges on policy resolutions, will spend $975 to attend, while observers will shell out more than $1,500.

There are about 80 policy resolutions on the table for debate, proposed by various provincial wings of the party. At least 20 per cent of them deal with indigenous issues, including one proposing to ensure at least every third governor general is indigenous.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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OTTAWA  Manitoba First Nations are demanding the federal government reopen an almost 20-year-old agreement on Treaty Land Entitlement, saying the governments decision to consult with the Manitoba Metis Federation before approving additions to reserves is a breach of the agreement.

The demand is part of a growing feud between some Manitoba First Nations and the MMF, which have historically had a difficult relationship.

The 1997 Treaty Land Entitlement Manitoba Framework Agreement set out that Manitoba First Nations were owed about 567,000 hectares of land that had not been properly distributed from treaties signed between 1871 and 1910. Another $190 million would be paid out in cash.

SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation, middle, carries the Metis flag as he and fellow Metis Federation leaders and delagates march to the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa on Thursday, April 14, 2016. Manitoba First Nations have argued government consultations with the Metis Federation are holding up land-distribution deals.

Since then, only about one third of that land has been approved as First Nations identified and requested specific land, and the federal government set about approving it. A process that was already slow came to a complete halt in 2015, with not a single hectare approved for conversion. That was after fewer than 50 hectares were approved between 2012 and 2014.

The holdup, says Chris Henderson, executive director of the Treaty Land Entitlement Committee of Manitoba, is the government deciding it has to now consult with the Manitoba Metis Federation before any land exchange is approved.

Its become an obstacle, Henderson told the Free Press in an interview. This constitutes an interference in the land-conversion process.

Hendersons committee has filed a grievance under the framework agreements dispute resolution process accusing the government of unilaterally deciding it had to consult with the MMF.

In a letter to Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett in April, TLE Committee president Chief Nelson Genaille said nearly 32,000 hectares of land are prevented from being converted to reserve as a direct result of Canadas consultation process with the Manitoba Metis Federation.This is simply unacceptable, he wrote.

Many First Nations have been waiting years to have their requests for land approved and have economic development opportunities hinging on it.

But MMF President David Chartrand said some First Nations have taken the position that Metis have no rights, despite what the Supreme Court has said in recent decisions. The MMF contends, and the government agrees, the Metis have to be consulted.

Canada has taken the position that clearly the Metis cant be ignored any longer and we have to be consulted, Chartrand said.

Chartrand said the MMF is not being obstructionist its standing up for its rights. He said he has asked repeatedly for chiefs to sit down with the MMF and establish their own agreements to solve the problem but says it got nowhere.

First Nations will remain a challenge until leadership on that side accepts we are not a people of lesser rights, he said.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett is set to meet with both sides this week and try and solve this dispute, but her job wont be easy.

If Im being honest there is a lot of anger about it among the chiefs, said Henderson.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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Not everyone at the Manitoba legislature is ready to get behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

With hopes of gaining unanimous support, Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen brought forth a motion Tuesday to pledge the provinces support of the controversial free-trade agreement.

However, the Opposition NDP was not ready to get on board and tied up the afternoon debating whether the deal will be good for Manitobans. The vote was supposed to occur late Tuesday afternoon, but its now unclear when the vote will happen.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen will seek unanimous support of the controversial free-trade agreement

Brian Pallister has shown, through his endorsement of Bells deal to acquire MTS, that he will throw his support behind business agreements without making sure Manitobans get the best possible deal, said NDP spokeswoman Alex Krosney in an email statement.

Before the PC government wholeheartedly endorses this agreement, we believe the people of Manitoba deserve for them to do a full review of the fine print.

Krosney would not say whether the NDP caucus would eventually support the motion.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is still not ratified, and we believe that Manitobans deserve to understand all of the terms of agreement and its implications for Manitoba families, she said in the statement.

The Progressive Conservative MLAs remained steadfast in their approval of the massive free-trade agreement involving Canada and 11 other nations; with a 40-member caucus the motion will likely get passed.

Canadas ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is critical not only for the agreements ability to expand opportunities to trade outside our borders, but also for the necessary protection of thousands of Manitoba jobs, said Cullen in a news release. Inclusion in the TPP would mean an increase of approximately $250 million per year in sales for Manitoba exporters, while exclusion would close our provinces access to critical trade markets, putting Manitoba jobs at risk.

The yet-to-be-ratified TPP was negotiated by the former Conservative government under Stephen Harper, but has raised concerns in several Canadian industries including dairy farming and the automotive industry.

Each country has up to two years to consider ratification before making a final decision. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not committed to passing TPP, which he said is undergoing a review.

 with files from The Canadian Press

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca

.
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Andrew Swan has this thing he does when he visits classrooms with students of diverse backgrounds in his West End riding, to make the kids aware of Canadas short history of equality.

Its a history lesson combined with a civics lesson, pointing to some of the cabinet ministers the NDP has had, and telling the students they can be cabinet ministers one day, too.

It will be tougher now, the New Democrat MLA and former cabinet minister mused as he contemplated adjusting to four years of opposition, with Premier Brian Pallisters mostly male, white, anglophone cabinet.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Andrew Swan, NDP MLA for Minto

Swan is well aware hes not a disinterested observer in the situation.

The NDP has attacked the Pallister government about diversity within the caucus and in terms of the make up of the boards its appointed.

Swan said he is still figuring out how to talk about diversity and opportunity with students, without getting political, given that access to schools doesnt include an invite to proselytize or be partisan.

Swan said he loves to read to kids, and his book of choice for older elementary school children is Viola Desmond Wont Be Budged, by Jody Nyasha Warner and Richard Rudnicki. Its the story of the young black woman who refused to be relegated to segregated seating at a Nova Scotia theatre in 1946.

Swan says he asks everyone in the class to stand up. Then he tells all the girls and women to sit down, and they do so. Swan tells them how long it was before women got the right to vote, and how long before they were legally considered persons. And the majority of the people in the room, he said, sit there seething.

Then he does the same with the indigenous boys, and any indigenous men in the room, and tells the same grim message.

Finally, Swan asks the boys and any men of Asian heritage to sit down, and tells them how few years its been since they became eligible for full participation in Canadian society.

By this time, The students are ready to go to the barricades, Swan said.

At this point, Swan is standing up, along with his legislative assistant and occasionally a male white teacher. Sometimes  but not always  with a few white boys.

Swan asks the students and teachers: Would you like these to be the only guys who choose your leaders and make decisions for you?

 Nick Martin
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Are you safe from terror at public events and your workplace? Experts on intelligence and counter terrorism gather in Winnipeg on Wednesday for a one-day seminar dubbed the rise of radicalization and the active shooter.

Its how to plan for the unexpected, said David Douglas with DHD International, the Winnipeg security firm organizing the seminar. Its how to provide a safe and secure environment for people under your care.

A wide range of attendees registered for the event. Its a mix of private and public sector employers and managers and law enforcement with RCMP and Winnipeg city police, he said.

SUPPLIED Phil Gurski

The seminar looks at the global reach of terrorism, reflecting on the attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, Calif., and around the globe; the search for behavioural indicators and understanding the complexity of active shooter incidents; and how to prevent attacks. Most public facilities have undergone a vulnerability assessment to see where security needs to improve, said Douglas.

The Forks, which has four million visits a year, has its own 24-7 security team with closed circuit camera surveillance and regular security assessments at least once a year, said spokeswoman Chelsea Thomson, who couldnt discuss details. The Forks works with third-party security firms when it comes to hosting large events like Canada Day celebrations and the Interstellar Rodeo music festival this summer, she said.

There is a fine line between keeping a place open and accessible to the public while making sure it is secure, said Douglas. Subtle mechanisms like closed circuit TV are used a great deal in open areas but then there are concerns about privacy issues, he said. The same balance has to be struck with freedom of speech and the right to personal expression.

Anyone can have extremist views, said Douglas. Its when they move towards violence that it really becomes problematic for everyone.

Knowing when someone is moving towards violence is the challenge, says a retired CSIS strategic analyst scheduled to speak at the seminar at Canad Inns Polo Park. Ottawas Phil Gurski says he wants to help Canadians better identify threats here.

Most people have a fairly inaccurate picture of what the threat is, said Gurski, author of The Threat from Within: Recognizing Al Qaeda-Inspired Radicalization and Terrorism in the West. People think its all about mental health issues or that people are marginalized, said Gurski, president and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting. Theyre not. There is no profile. Theyre from all walks of life, he said, pointing to the killers in the 2014 attacks against two Canadian soldiers in Quebec and at Parliament Hill, and the three University of Manitoba students who a decade ago left Winnipeg to fight with terror groups overseas.

They do, however, share some detectable attitudes and behaviours that could prompt an intervention before someone follows through and hurts people, Gurski said

You see a real religious intolerance  theyre convinced theyre the only true Muslims. They reject democracy, elections and the rule of law. Theyre convinced the West is at war with Islam and Muslims have an obligation to fight. Theyve made a very distinct break with their past, and who they used to be, he said.

The problem with intervention strategies is that we just started doing these things so theres not a lot of case work. Nobody really knows what works.

Today in Manitoba, potential threats include neo Nazis and sovereign citizens  who dont recognize the authority or taxing power of government. For now, though, religious extremists following the Islamic State are the focus of security concerns, Gurski said.

That could change with a whole wave of environmental extremists and as global warming heats up.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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The Supreme Court recognized in the Carter decision the right to assisted death for consenting adults with grievous and irremediable medical conditions.

The Liberal government subsequently struck a special joint committee on physician-assisted dying.

The committee, led by co-chairmen Kelvin Kenneth Ogilvie and Robert Oliphant, undertook considerable research and submitted a well-considered and thoughtful report to government.

PATRICK DOYLE / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Price Carter, son of Kay Carter, speaks at a news conference on Bill C-14, while his sister, Lee Carter, and Josh Paterson, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, listen on Parliament Hill in April.

The report contained 21 recommendations that, if implemented, would provide a framework for medical assistance in dying (MAID) that would provide comfort to many in pain or afflicted with degenerative disease and facing a dire future.

The government elected to ignore the advice provided by its own committee and drafted legislation that is much narrower than what was recommended. This legislation, if passed, will effectively disenfranchise many in a very vulnerable population. This is deplorable.

The bill allows MAID only for competent adults 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. It does not allow people with Alzheimers to make an advanced request for MAID while they are still competent.

Based upon my experience and observations, the import of this legislation on people with Alzheimers will vary. My wife, Lynne, was diagnosed with Alzheimers at the age of 50. She did not at any time express an interest in ending her life. She had many good years, and a few that were not so good, before passing 13 years later. At the end of her life, Lynne experienced significant pain and fear caused by hallucinations.

After considerable suffering, the medical team charged with Lynnes care recommended palliative care be implemented and food and water be stopped. Lynne passed away four days later.

I believe Lynne wanted to live and enjoy life, even in her diminished capacity, for as long as she could. However, I do not believe she would have chosen to end her life that way if she had the option to specify when enough was enough and receive MAID.

I witnessed others in care at the same time as Lynne who endured symptoms that seriously eroded their quality of life and only the most courageous of us would want to endure. Life and death should not be a contest; people should have the right to choose when they will succumb to Alzheimers. Sadly, for some, the fear of what is to come is too overwhelming and they take their own lives. This deprives them of a few more good years with their families, and subjects the families to all the trauma a suicide inflicts.

I do not believe this was the intent of the Supreme Court decision, notwithstanding that a person with Alzheimers was not the subject of the decision.

Before rendering its decision, the Supreme Court considered compelling and moving testimony from witnesses who described the horrible choice faced by a person suffering from a grievous and irremediable illness.

The stories in the affidavits vary in their details: some witnesses described the progression of degenerative illnesses such as Huntingtons disease, while others described the agony of treatment and the fear of a gruesome death from advanced-stage cancer. Yet, running through all the evidence was a constant theme; they suffered from the knowledge that they lacked the ability to bring a peaceful end to their lives at a time and in a manner of their own choosing.

Unlike the legislation introduced by the Liberal government, the Supreme Courts decision was broad and compassionate: We conclude that the prohibition on physician-assisted dying is void insofar as it deprives a competent adult of such assistance where (1) the person affected clearly consents to the termination of life; and (2) the person has a grievous and irremediable medical condition (including an illness, disease or disability) that causes enduring suffering that is intolerable to the individual in the circumstances of his or her condition. We therefore allow the appeal.

The joint committee appointed by the Liberal government made a specific recommendation intended to respond to the needs of people with Alzheimers and others: That the permission to use advance requests for medical assistance in dying be allowed any time after one is diagnosed with a condition that is reasonably likely to cause loss of competence or after a diagnosis of a grievous or irremediable condition but before the suffering becomes intolerable. An advance request may not, however, be made, prior to being diagnosed with such a condition. The advance request is subject to the same procedural safeguards as those in place for contemporaneous requests.

The government has chosen to ignore this and many equally important recommendations of the report.

Many who have contributed greatly to bringing this matter forward are in strenuous opposition to the legislation and believe the proposed law falls far short of the mark.

Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, co-chairman of the committee to study and recommend on MAID, says he cannot support the governments bill to regulate the practice. Oliphant has stated: I wont be supporting Bill C-14 as it currently stands, even with the minor amendments.

It is encouraging that members of the Senate appear prepared to give this legislation serious consideration.

Senators James Cowan and Serge Joyal dont believe it passes the charter test, and have said they are prepared to try to amend the bill or even defeat it if necessary. This is exactly the role the Senate should play in the legislative process.

This is an important issue for all Canadians. Sooner or later, we all die. This legislation will affect how our lives might end, when we are most vulnerable.

Tom Pearson wrote Please Dont Forget Me to raise awareness about Alzheimers and to remember his wife, Lynne, whom he cared for for 13 years.
Opinion

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I was disappointed to have read the media accounts of the so-called behavioural contract imposed on an alleged victim of sexual assault by Brandon Universitys administration a few weeks ago, and the administrations attempt to deflect responsibility and play down the crisis by asserting that sexual assault is a problem across all university campuses.

While the problem may be pervasive, thankfully not all campuses impose gag orders on students, silencing them at the time of perhaps their greatest need, while threatening sanctions, including expulsion, if they disobey.

What BUs administration does not point out is that colleges and universities across North America have been questioning the imposition of gag orders for years.

If BU had been paying attention, it would have been aware of this controversy, most recently at the University of Victoria, where a similar story broke just a couple of weeks before the BU incident hit the media.

At the same time, I am encouraged by the actions of several caring students and faculty who have brought comfort and counsel to victims and alleged victims of sexual misconduct who have felt silenced by a culture of concealment. However, when concerned faculty, according to one former student, are the only form of recourse to protect students, that suggests not simply an isolated mistake, as the universitys administration has portrayed the incident, but a larger, more contextual problem.

In the end, fewer mistakes would be made if a more inclusive, less authoritarian administrative culture were encouraged on campus.

Unfortunately, the universitys gag-order management style is not confined to issues of sexual misconduct. Having witnessed an administrative subculture where there have been suggestions that deans think and cast votes in senate in lockstep with BUs central administration, as well as expressions of dissatisfaction, even anger, directed by the universitys central administration at effective dissent and constructive disagreement while riding roughshod over the universitys processes and policies, I am not optimistic about progress.

If history helps to inform our future, my fear is there will be little substantive progress around these issues at BU consistent with one students view that after five years, nothing appears to have changed when it comes to how the university responds to and is proactive about sexual assault on campus, and one alumnas sense that the incident in question is not isolated, despite the administrations assertions to the contrary.

A campus student group claims eight more BU victims have stepped forward, including an alumna who alleges she was a victim of sexual harassment by a faculty member, but was silenced by the administration.

One student described BUs culture of silence on victims and victim-blaming and attempts at keeping (the universitys) name clean.

I would add to a culture of poorly informed paternalism that, according to one report, continues to insist behavioural contracts are there to protect students, then states it will no longer ask alleged victims of sexual violence to sign them.

Add to this the revelation by an alleged victim who was told by administration that her incident was small compared to others  despite assertions by BUs central leadership that the incidents of sexual misconduct were rare on the BU campus.

This cacophony of contradictions and disconnects suggests an administration that is out of touch, scrambling to get its story straight.

It also raises the question whether it is behaving in its own narrow self-interest, rather than in the interest of the health and safety of its own students  its primary duty.

The attempt to deflect criticism and control the headlines by hiring a professional in the area of victim support only after news of the gag order went viral, while a step in the right direction, comes across as disingenuous  its something it should have done long ago.

The current administration has admitted it behaved inappropriately and expressed a willingness to be malleable as a way of assuaging concerns around a badly misapplied policy.

Going forward, this incident could be used as a catalyst for more holistic change at the university and not simply another attempt to cover its tracks.

However, having someone from BUs central administration chair the committee that will ostensibly drive change around sexual misconduct on campus makes little sense, since the chair is a member of the same cloistered cabal responsible for issuing the gag order.

In order that the universitys administration can learn from others on campus who appear to be ahead of the curve on matters of sexual misconduct, it would seem a better idea to cede leadership on this to those at the university with a greater appreciation for the issues, with representatives from central administration participating, but listening much more carefully than they have in the past.

Simply dealing with BUs current crisis with reactive, slapdash solutions wont lead to institutional growth and more durable outcomes.

Andrew Egan is a former dean of science at Brandon University. He is currently a chancellor at a large state university in the U.S.
Opinion

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If there were ever a doubt the criminal justice system unfairly targets victims of sexual violence, it was erased earlier this month in a Winnipeg courtroom.

On May 18, veteran defence lawyer Richard Wolson used a victims Facebook posts to point out inconsistencies with her victim-impact statement at a sentencing hearing for a Winnipeg man convicted of sexual assault. And so it goes.

Robert Zamrykut, 25, was found guilty of a March 2014 sexual assault on the woman. At the sentencing hearing, the Crown asked for a three-year sentence; the defence wanted a shorter term, citing the fact Mr. Zamrykut is a father of two young children, with no prior criminal record, and at a low risk to reoffend.

The purpose of victim-impact statements is to provide the victims of crime the opportunity to have a voice in the courtroom. The Criminal Code makes it clear that once an impact statement has been read in court, the judge must consider it in determining the sentence. In this case, the victim described suffering emotional trauma, anxiety, and weight loss from being unable to eat.

Mr. Wolson took the victim to task for posting things such as being thrilled about her weight loss on Facebook, arguing its inconsistent to blame his client for not being able to eat and then posting remarks online about being happy about the results. Mr. Wolson stated he wasnt trying to victimize the woman, but was merely pointing out inconsistencies, which were found after he launched an investigation at the behest of Mr. Zamrykuts family. That sounds just a bit self-serving.

When Queens Bench Justice Sadie Bond questioned whether these postings were admissible, the Crown said they were, and that means this line of questioning  in essence, victim-blaming  can continue.

It would be nice if this case were a one-off, an anomaly. However, Federal Court Justice Robin Camp berated a sexual-assault victim last year because she didnt keep her legs together to prevent penetration in a case that involved a Calgary man accused of raping the 19-year-old woman. Justice Camp has been relieved of his duties and is under investigation by the Canadian Judicial Council.

Perhaps more heinous was the decision by Manitoba Queens Bench Justice Robert Dewar who called a man convicted of sexual assault a clumsy Don Juan, noted the victim was wearing a tube top and spared the offender jail time because sex was in the air. Justice Dewar was also investigated by the Canadian Justice Council but was not disciplined. Meanwhile, the Crown appealed the sentence and the perpetrator was given three years.

Theres no doubt the recent Jian Ghomeshi case laid bare the increasing frustration women are feeling about the criminal court system and the lack of justice for sexual-assault victims. Mr. Ghomeshi was found not guilty of sexual assault and choking in March after the judge determined the three women involved were not credible. Mr. Ghomeshi signed a peace bond in May in the case of another woman who said he had sexually assaulted her. A peace bond means, in essence, Mr. Ghomeshi has to keep the peace and be on good behaviour for a year. Its not an admission of guilt.

Many who work with sexual-assault victims are concerned these types of cases, which garner national attention, force women to stay silent  and sexual assault remains one of the most underreported and under-convicted crimes in Canada.

Were at a serious point in this country  it being 2016 and all  and Canadas justice minister should begin the long process of once again reforming Canadas sexual-assault laws so victims do not have to be re-victimized by a system that, so far, hasnt been working particularly well.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/05/2016 (2345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its as though it is a disaster no one wanted to touch, the recovery job no one wanted to take on. Thats the impression left by reading through repeat audits and assessments of Ottawas approach to getting Lake St. Martin flood evacuees back into their homes.

Five years after the historic flooding on the Assiniboine River, almost 2,000 First Nations evacuees are still out of their communities, living in temporary homes or residences (hotels, even). There have been numerous reviews of whats gone wrong, what has been holding up the return or relocation of the people  now dubbed Operation Return Home.

The latest, completed in December, is a reprise in many respects of one conducted in 2013. That report found those on the ground when the crisis hit were left with little support and limited expertise, and chains of command fell apart or were entirely absent.

Lake St. Martin took the brunt of the 2011 flood.

The December audit looked at the federal project from April 2013 to September 2015. Despite the fact the government had appointed an assistant deputy minister as project champion, the review found Operation Return Home was almost an orphan itself. It wasnt well-managed, lacked the people with critical skills and those tasked across the department worked on the project as an add-on to daily jobs.

These findings are remarkable, given the complexity of the project.

Four First Nations around Lake St. Martin were evacuated because they were on the receiving end of water shunted from Lake Manitoba through the Fairford channel, and east towards Lake Winnipeg. The whole of the Lake St. Martin band, for example, had to be relocated. The tense, protracted negotiations about where that would be  eventually to higher ground near the original reserve  were hugely problematic. The land has been prepared for building, but no houses have been constructed yet; that might start this fall.

People lived out of hotel rooms, other rental lodgings, or moved like nomads. In all, Ottawa has spent $136 million on temporary accommodations to date, and the bill rises by almost $1.6 million each day the 1,933 evacuees are not permanently settled.

Further, while the provincial and federal governments agreed to share the infrastructure costs 50/50, the funding mechanism was not formalized. There were clear, identifiable risks in a project of this size, but they werent tracked and monitored. Missing were details as basic as setting the construction specifications for houses particular to each band.

The new Liberal federal government says the settlement is a priority, that it will be managed better and people will get into their new homes, back to their communities, without delay. That remains to be seen, of course.

The overriding concern is getting evacuees into new homes. First Nations people struggle with difficult living standards, and the toll on their physical and mental health, along with all the social consequences that follow, is well-documented. Peoples lives hang in the balance.

But the history of bungling in this enormous project also reflects on the federal governments capacity to rise to the next crisis. And there will be the next crisis. It has been well-recognized that First Nations are especially vulnerable to flooding because, lacking good land-use and development planning, they often do not have the infrastructure to prevent or mitigate it.

The changing climate means weather extremes can be expected, if not predicted; flooding, like forest fires, is inevitable. Canadas governments are focused, for now, on better co-ordination of forest firefighting because Fort McMurray, Alta., has exposed the vulnerabilities. Ottawa is starting to talk about national planning.

Equal attention should be paid to flood risks, and protecting First Nations must be central to the plans. Lake St. Martins fate shows the high cost of putting it off until a crisis hits.
Eighteen students from the Lewiston-Altura Supermileage Team traveled to Brainerd International Raceway this past week to compete in the 28th annual Supermileage Challenge, sponsored by the Minnesota Technology and Engineering Educators Association.

This years team took four cars to the competition. Three of the cars were running in the stock class and one car was in the E85 class. This years competition consisted of more than 100 cars competing in four classes.

At the competition, the goal is to complete six successful runs of two laps, which is about 6 miles. The top six runs from each car is then averaged and that is how winners are determined.

The freshman car, in the E85 class, took top honors with a six-run average of 296.35 miles per gallon. Their best single run was 345.79 miles per gallon. The freshman team consisted of Casey Nahrgang, Christopher Schell, Lincoln Wobschall, Danner Brummer and Noah Herber.

The competition is a culmination of a school years worth of work. After the proposals are completed and approved the building and modifications begin.

Building is the fun part, said senior and four-year team member, Ethan Ellinghuysen.

Ellinghuysen is a member of the junior and senior group, which designed and built a totally new car this year. The car had a best run of 361.81 miles per gallon in the stock class.

The junior and senior team consisted of Ethan Ellinghuysen, Walker Sikkink, Joey Veerkamp, Kenny Veerkamp, Tim Unruh, Justin Mueller and Eric Leibfried.

The supermileage event is such a great way to expose students to real world problem solving and hands on experiences, said team advisor and LAs technology and engineering teacher Joel Ellinghuysen. Students learn to work with many different tools, equipment, processes, materials and each other.

Other team members are Jacob Sovell, John Merchlewitz, Clay Wegman, Carter Brummer, Peyton Sikkink, Mason Pilger, Zach Dresselhaus, Malachi Mill and Garrett Meisch.

The team is sponsored by donations from local businesses, organizations, and others members of the community. The team would not be able to compete if it were not for the generosity of these awesome sponsors and would like to thank all who helped make this years event a success.
ST. PAUL, Minn.  As a midnight Sunday deadline passed, lawmakers left plenty of work undone. But they did manage to pass along a number of to the governor to be signed into law. Heres a look at some of the work legislators have finished and what got left behind:

TAX CUTS

The Legislature passed the compromise package of tax cuts Sunday, a mix of property tax relief to farmers and businesses, a new tax credit for college graduates with loan debt and expanded aid to Minnesota parents with childcare costs.

A smaller item that triggered Democratic criticism would remove the automatic, annual tax hikes to cigarettes and other tobacco products that lawmakers approved as part of a major tax increase in 2013.

Gov. Mark Dayton has said his support will hinge on whether the Legislature funds some of his priorities. He has 14 days to decide whether to sign the bill.

PRESCHOOL

Dayton is finally poised to get one of his top prizes. A supplemental spending bill would provide $25 million for a phased-in preschool program, targeting impoverished school districts without early education options. Its expected to allow about 3,700 more 4-year-olds to attend preschool.

BROADBAND, RACIAL EQUALITY

Lawmakers checked some other boxes on Daytons wish list  sort of. The $35 million in extra grants for broadband Internet development fell well short of the $100 million request Dayton made. So did the $35 million lined up for programs meant to tackle longstanding racial disparities.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk and House Speaker Kurt Daudt both hoped they had come close enough to satisfying the governor and gaining his approval.

PRIMARY

Goodbye, caucuses.

The Legislature passed a bill scrapping the presidential caucus voting system for 2020, opting for a presidential primary format after long lines at polling locations frustrated voters and party officials alike. Dayton signed the bill Sunday evening.

REAL ID

The Legislature ran out of time to upgrade Minnesotas drivers licenses.

Federal officials say theyll start requiring Real ID-compliant licenses at domestic flight gates in 2018. Lawmakers were largely in agreement to start issuing new licenses in 2018, but other, smaller details held up a final deal.

BODY CAMERAS

It took two years, but the Legislature finally passed a bill setting ground rules for police use of body cameras.

The legislation makes most footage private. It required some last-minute maneuvering to gain Daytons approval, as the governor demanded that lawmakers remove a section that allowed officers to review videos before submitting a written incident report. They relented.

That was one of many provisions open government advocates complained would make body cameras a tool for law enforcement rather than a window for public transparency. Still, Dayton has said hell sign it.

DRUG SENTENCING

It came down to the wire, but lawmakers approved a broad set of reductions to prison sentences for most drug offenders. It supplanted the more drastic changes set in motion late last year by the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, which law enforcement and county officials complained would offer lighter treatment to drug dealers. The commissions actions would have taken effect in August had the Legislature not stepped in.

TRANSPORTATION

A last-ditch effort to provide some one-time funding for roads and bridges fell apart in a blur Sunday night.

Legislative leaders spent the week tussling over how to fund a decades worth of transportation fixes, with a gas tax increase, license tab fee hikes, borrowing and surplus money all in the mix. As the deadline approached, some lawmakers were floating a last-ditch option to provide some one-time funding for road and bridge repairs.

In the end, House Republicans attempt to add some road and bridge repair funding into a bonding bill  a package of more than $1 billion in public works projects  failed amid a dispute with Senate Democrats over funding mass transit projects. Both legislative leaders suggested they could revisit a bonding bill in a special session, if Dayton would agree to call one.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton pronounced the outcome a tragedy, but Winona-area lawmakers gave the 2016 session of the Minnesota Legislature mixed and more nuanced reviews after wrapping up business at the stroke of midnight Sunday.

Plans for Winona State Universitys Education Village will be shelved for at least another year, with the Legislature failing to act on a major bonding bill. Other area projects didnt get cash, either. A comprehensive transportation package died.

And efforts to build consensus on bills collapsed in an end-of-session scramble that has all but become the norm in recent years.

The Legislature did manage, though, to work out a compromise on a tax bill to send to the governor, which among other initiatives will include a measure of relief for farmers, rural land owners, and business owners across the state.

This session clearly showed that we need to discuss legislative reform, said Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona. We cannot operate this way.

Pelowski said that more than 4,020 bills were introduced throughout the session, all major discussion and voting was put off until practically the final days, legislators saw mistakes made in the language, staff reviewing the bills were overloaded, and lawmakers didnt have the time to even skim material in some cases before being asked to vote.

Pelowski said that while the special session, a possibility raised by some House GOP leaders but with an uncertain future, could fix this years situation, the operation of the regular session highlighted a need for deeper structural changes.

The bill containing nearly $1 billion in funding for capital projects and included one-time funding for road and bridge work failed in the last minutes of the session. The bonding bill had particular local significance, as it included $25 million for phase two of WSUs Education Village and $3.6 million for the Lanesboro dam project.

The final bill that came out of the House included Education Village funding, but the Senate didnt take up a revised bill in time. The Senate had failed previously by a single vote to approve an earlier version of the bonding bill, which had also included Education Village funding. Gov. Mark Dayton, meanwhile, has supported the project for years.

While this is a considerable setback for the project, we are hopeful that funding for Education Village will be realized in either a special session or the next regular session, said WSU President Scott Olson. We remain committed to our goal of transforming teacher preparation.

Area legislators are open to the possibility of a special session to pass a bonding bill and a single year of transportation funding.

Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, said he was holding onto it as a possibility and remained positive the Legislature could still hit their three major goals for the session.

Thats my perfect world, Davids said of a special session. We have a window of opportunity.

Meanwhile, the House Tax Committee chair praised the successful completion of the tax bill, calling it high among the sessions successes.

We passed some significant tax reform, Davids said. Its just amazing.

The $260 million tax relief and reform bill, approved Sunday, primarily focused on farmers and small business.

The bill also includes a $150 million expansion of the working family tax credit and $32 million to reduce the cost of childcare.

It provides another $90.6 million in agriculture property tax relief for Minnesota farmers and $146 million in property tax relief for every small business in the state by exempting the first $100,000 of commercial-industrial property tax.

There is also $13 million in tax relief for veterans and $110 million in tax relief for college graduates paying off student loans through a refundable tax credit up to $1,000.

The bill received broad bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.

A $182 million supplemental funding bill also received wide-ranging support after its introduction toward the end of the final night, Davids said.

Sen. Matt Schmit, DFL-Red Wing, said that he thought the tax and spending bills continued a good streak of fiscal responsibility and a conservative approach to the budget.

The spending includes another round of funding for broadband expansion, an issue of particular interest to Schmit. The $35 million in funding fell well short of the goals of the Governors office and Senate, but continues the program to bring faster and more consistent internet access to Greater Minnesota.

Those two bills represent a balanced approach to targeted investment, Schmit said.
The Winona Planning Commission put a hitch in the proposal for the Winona YMCA to build a new facility behind Winona Health and sell its existing building and land to Kwik Trip, following several hours of listening to residents debate both sides of the issue Monday night.

A 4-3 vote recommended denial of the YMCAs request to change the block it is on from traditional neighborhood to downtown fringe as designated by the citys comprehensive plan, which was created in 2007 before the neighborhood was dramatically changed by demolishing nearly two dozen commercial and residential properties to make way for the new interstate bridge.

Commission members Mandi Olson, Dale Boettcher, Peter Shortridge and Brad Buelow voted for the denial, with Ed Hahn, Brad Ballard and Craig Porter voting against. Commissioner LaVerne Olson was present, but left earlier in the meeting and wasnt there for the vote.

The commissions vote on the comprehensive plan change was a recommendation, which will now come to the Winona City Council for a binding vote. The commissions decision to ask the council to deny the change put a hold on a subsequent discussion of rezoning the property; that discussion will come later, depending on how the council rules.

Winona YMCA CEO Derek Madsen said that the YMCA will continue to the council to move the project forward and clarify a number of misunderstandings.

Madsen said the purpose behind the comprehensive plan change, necessary to allow the rezoning, is needed regardless of whether Kwik Trip or any other developer purchases the property.

Traffic has changed, accessibility has changed, parking has changed, Madsen said. And really, that area of the community has reshaped itself.

Concerns about any development, especially a gas station, were high at the meeting; the development would be adjacent to Winonas Windom Park neighborhood, which is historically significant and features a large public park and a number of restored homes.

Around 70 people gathered in the council chambers and spilled off into the hallway, with many neighbors and residents present at the meeting saying they were against the proposal. The majority spoke particularly about being against Kwik Trip in the location, and not to the merits of the YMCA relocating and replacing its aging facility, a move it has planned for years but has struggled to find enough donors to fully fund without selling its existing assets.

Concerns ranged from property tax decreases, to being a bad fit in the neighborhood, to potential for attracting college students at night and transients.

Dozens read letters and statements highlighting the importance of the neighborhoods insulation and preservation.

Scott Turner, who lives in the Windom Park area, said Kwik Trip shouldnt be the first thing visitors coming across the interstate bridge see in the city.

Im unaware of any other river city that has a gas station greet visitors, Turner said. The fact that Kwik Trip plans to denigrate the gateway to our beautiful city does not surprise me, it disgusts me.

Kwik Trip had stayed away from the initial negotiations the YMCA had with several potential suitors over the years, until all decided they werent interested in the building and land, Madsen said. The YMCA also at one point had hoped the interstate bridge plans would include seizing and paying for their building and land, but that didnt happen.

Kwik Trip real estate director Hans Zietlow said the same, and that the company sees the proposal as a way to support the YMCA and what it provides the Winona community.

The greatest goal is to be able to repurpose this property for the YMCA, Zietlow said. It solves some problems for the YMCA that I dont think anyone else has any solutions for.

The YMCA has said that it has set a target goal of raising $13 million, but has only been able to raise $9 million, with another $2.5 million potentially pending. Madsen has said the agreement with Kwik Trip to purchase the building and land is included in the $9 million.

Kathy Christenson, who arrived with a petition and 152 signatures from both neighbors around Windom Park and other supporters, said that they opposed the rezoning.

We want to rezone because we can make more money, is not an appropriate reason to rezone, Christenson said.

Others argued that the property abuts increasingly mixed-use zoning, primarily because of the substantial effects that the interstate bridge project has had. The changes in the area have included the removal of several rental houses and multiple commercial properties, and new projects have included multi-level apartment buildings, including a proposal to build a 20-unit apartment building with ground-level commercial space on the former Timbers restaurant property.

Leslie Hittner, one of the supporters of changing the comprehensive plan, said that Windom Park and the view coming off the bridge shouldnt be seen as representative of everything Winona had to offer in the way of arts, culture and history, and noted that the area had already changed.

The nature of the neighborhood from Fourth Street north wasnt changed by Kwik Trip, it was changed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, he said. Its a done deal. I think were far better off working with the developer than fighting any kind of development.

The change to the comprehensive plan was found fitting by planning staff, who judged that the area had already undergone substantial changes, that the site no longer fit the qualifications of traditional neighborhood, and that the development wouldnt have an undue impact on the surrounding community.

Still, the Planning Commission voted it down.

Supporting the recommendation to deny, Mandi Olson said that the commission didnt have much control over the design, and that it could impact the community more than expected.

A change to the comprehensive plan should not be taken lightly, Olson said.

Other commission members considered the idea of tabling the proposal and returning to it at a later meeting. But they wouldnt have had a chance to put it off long, given that the city is already considering changes to zoning standards.

Commission chair Ed Hahn said that the commission was in a tough spot, with the neighborhood change coming from the bridge project clashing with the zoning updates still in effect. He questioned the feasibility of any development on the lot, citing traffic issues.

The timing of this particular issue could not be worse, Hahn said. Right now we find ourselves in this position, but the way that this comes down right now it seems very reactive rather than proactive.
Twenty-nine years ago this week, I graduated from law school. Its been almost three decades since Ive been able to officially call myself an officer of the court, a title I wear with a great deal of pride and an even greater amount of embarrassment. Ive always been a little ashamed of using that moniker because, in a vague way, it implies valor on my part that I dont possess. The word officer makes me think of someone in a uniform, either on an urban or foreign battlefield, defending fellow citizens against imminent danger. Thats hardly the stuff of my daily life.

Yes, its true some attorneys confront very real threats in the course of honoring their oaths to uphold the law. Ive written about one of them, someone I knew quite well, who went to Mississippi in 1967 during the waning days of the civil rights movement and had encounters with screaming bigots and the Ku Klux Klan. My father was not alone in this, not by a long shot. That particular moment in history was filled with brave men and women, some of whom also happened to be lawyers, the real-life Atticus Finches who walked among us in those dangerous days.

Then, of course, there was Thomas More, who paid for his scruples with his life.

But these are magnificent exceptions to the more mundane rule, and, while I will always be extremely proud of my pedigree and of the work it involves, I do not equate it with the profound physical courage demanded of other officers.

Last week, President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Valor to 13 public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety. The honor, created by Congress in 2001, recognizes the type of bravery that requires both mental and physical acuity, the symbiosis of mind, body, and most especially, heart. Twelve of the men who received their medals were able to take them from the hands of a clearly moved commander in chief. One, tragically, surely surveyed the ceremony from heaven, as his grandmother accepted the award in his name.

Sgt. Robert Wilson III earned that medal on March 5, 2015. He was at a GameStop store in North Philadelphia, buying a present for his son, when two brothers entered the store and announced a robbery. They brandished semi-automatic handguns, Wilson drew his weapon and engaged the robbers, two on one. He is credited with having distracted the robbers from other customers in the store, and didnt stop shooting, even though he himself had been wounded. He was stopped only by a fatal bullet to the head. There were no other casualties that day.

I remember reading about Wilson last year, and I could barely make it through the reports without stopping to wipe my eyes. That mans courage is too big for words, too deep for normal understanding, too painful for dispassionate discussion. He, and his brothers and sisters in uniform, stand alone. They form an island of honor we can observe, but cannot hope to inhabit.

The other officers honored this week had similar stories, and, while they escaped with the precious rest of their lives, their acts are no less heroic than Wilsons. One rescued a toddler from a knife-wielding predator. One, off duty, rescued a man from a burning car and suffered serious injuries. One engaged in gunfire with a young man who had shot and wounded his parents and was threatening to go on a rampage near an elementary school.

I know police officers have been the target of negative publicity in the past few years. Some of it is justified, I suppose, although I do think there has been far too much negativity and far too little context given to the stories in Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore, New York and elsewhere around the country. Hashtags about racial divides are newsworthy, and make for juicy headlines, but they have a tendency to demonize one side and canonize the other.

Neither posture advances the truth.

What I do know is that the bad cops, that bread and butter of investigative journalists, are in the minority. And even the bad ones are still, on occasion, noble creatures who have willingly enlisted in a profession that places them on a collision course with danger, every blessed day.

The vast majority court that danger with pure hearts, and the souls of giants.

A month or so ago, a police officer I knew who was a very good man took his own life. There were the complications of a troubled life, but, in the end, he was an honorable man and served his city up to his final moments. The shadows surrounding the circumstances of his death do not change the importance of that service.

All of this is to say we owe this profession a higher level of deference and respect than we do almost any other, except perhaps the firefighters who run toward the flames and the soldiers who run toward the gunfire. Their flaws come from their humanity, and we are all susceptible to that. But their heroism reaches heights that we will never touch, and that should be remembered.

Im grateful to the president for remembering our bravest.
A Reedsburg man reached a deal with prosecutors Tuesday in which he will serve 60 days in jail and three years on probation for possessing heroin with the intent to sell it.

Adam R. Zimmerman, 26, pleaded no contest to the felony drug possession charge. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed a misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession charge and encouraged the judge to withhold sentencing pending Zimmermans compliance with terms of the deal.

He will have work release privileges during his jail time, and must undergo drug addiction counseling as directed by his parole agent.

Mr. Zimmerman will leave here with a criminal record, Sauk County Assistant District Attorney Dennis Ryan said in court Tuesday. Hell leave a felon. Thats a crucifix. But in the end, that burden is a lighter load to bear than the prospect of addiction and a terminal junction.

In August 2015, a team of officers tailed Zimmermans vehicle after receiving information that he traveled to Illinois to pick up a large quantity of heroin, according to the criminal complaint. During a traffic stop in Sauk County, officers retrieved about 10 grams of heroin that Zimmerman had attempted to conceal between his butt cheeks.

Police say Zimmerman later admitted that he paid $1,320 for 11 grams of heroin, and that he typically sold the drugs for $120 per gram.

Zimmerman allegedly told officers he only sold drugs because of his own addiction and to make sure other addicts within his community did not get ripped off.

This was Mr. Zimmermans first contact with the criminal justice system, and obviously we hope it will be his last, said Baraboo defense attorney Andrew Martinez.

Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Guy Reynolds agreed to the joint recommendation of the prosecution and defense. He withheld sentencing and ordered the 60-day jail stay followed by three years of probation.

If Zimmerman does not comply with terms of the deal, which also include submission of a DNA sample and payment of $1,158 in court costs, he could be back in court for sentencing on the possession charge. The felony carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and $50,000 in fines.

Reynolds encouraged Zimmerman to push through the hard work of beating his addiction.

This is a significant hammer hanging over your head for the next three years, Reynolds said. I hope you understand that.

Yes, I do, Zimmerman replied.
A Baraboo agency is providing assistance to Adams County after state regulators suspended the license of an ambulance service that typically serves that area.

Weve always been flexible to any (emergency medical services)-related issues in our area, said Baraboo District Ambulance Service Chief Dana Sechler. We have that built into our day-to-day operations.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services ordered Adams County Emergency Services to cease operations Friday after an inspection uncovered numerous issues, including safety violations, a lack of certification, and the failure to provide certain coverage.

Sechler said state officials contacted him Wednesday about the possibility of covering the main portion of Adams County that the private ambulance service normally handles. He said the Baraboo agency has provided two personnel and one vehicle stationed near the Moundview Memorial Hospital in Friendship.

From 7 p.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Monday, the outpost had responded to 10 calls, Sechler said. The Baraboo service has agreed to continue to provide services through Friday.

Costs incurred by the Baraboo ambulance agency in Adams County should be recouped by patient billings, Sechler said. Anything above and beyond that may require the agency to bill the Adams County Ambulance Commission, but that will be decided by the Baraboo District Ambulance Commission.

An inspection at the Adams County agency, referred to as ACES, took place Wednesday.

DHS Wisconsin EMS Director James Newlun sent a letter to ACES Chief Christopher Quinnell on Friday in which he cited the deficiencies with the agencys operational plan and service operations. The letter said the agencys license was revoked pending the outcome of an investigation.

Two of three ACES ambulances were taken out of service due to safety violations and one could not be inspected because it was out for repairs. The agency also has been operating without certification from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, according to DHS.

State inspectors also allege that ACES has failed to provide backup services to communities outside its coverage area.

Adams County Emergency Services, Inc. has failed to maintain coverage agreements or mutual aid agreements with the surrounding EMS agencies, leaving your primary service areas without formalized backup mutual aid coverage and placing the public health, safety or welfare of the communities at risk, in violation of (state codes), Newlun wrote.

ACES has the right to request a hearing to show that the suspension should not be continued, which must be submitted within 30 days of receiving Newluns letter.

Madison attorney Susan Crawford, who is representing ACES, said the ambulance violations have been corrected, and the mutual aid agreement problem has been resolved. She said ACES may request that it be permitted to operate at a lower license level until it has resolved the DEA certification issue.

Crawford said ACES is a young organization, and initially was licensed in 2013. The agency misinterpreted state rules that require ambulance services to have coverage agreements with only two of its neighbors but mutual aid agreements with all neighbors.

ACES does have a DEA certification through its medical director, Crawford said. But she said the doctor neglected to list the ACES headquarters on paperwork, which resulted in the states finding of non-certification. She took issue with one portion of the DHS letter.

ACES places the safety and welfare of its communities above all else, Crawford said.

Sechler said the Adams County Sheriffs Department and hospital staff have been helpful in assisting Baraboo personnel in their effort to fill in temporarily.
Faculty from the University of Wisconsin Systems two-year colleges joined their peers at several four-year campuses Friday by approving a resolution declaring they have no confidence in the Systems president and Regents.

The UW Colleges Faculty Council of Senators, which is made up of professors from the 13 two-year colleges across the state, approved the resolution on an 11-5 vote, with one member abstaining.

They joined professors at six four-year UW System campuses who have said they dont have confidence in the Board of Regents or President Ray Cross in light of what many faculty members view as weak advocacy for public higher education among UWs leaders, and new tenure policies that make it easier for administrators to fire faculty members. UW-Eau Claire professors also met to consider a vote of no confidence in Cross and the Regents on Friday but decided they would put the resolution to an online survey of all the campus faculty.

Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans in the Legislature have criticized the resolutions, saying they exaggerate the effect of the budget cuts and new tenure rules.

The UW Colleges resolution opens by listing several things in which faculty say they do have confidence: Their students, their colleges role in spurring local economies, the value of their research and the ability of their institutions to live out UWs cherished service mission, known as the Wisconsin Idea.

But the resolution states faculty members opposition to new shared governance policies that have weakened professors role in managing campuses, and actions by the Regents that support rather than decry austerity measures brought about by state funding cuts. The word tenure does not appear.

Like resolutions that have passed around the state, it ends by declaring faculty have no confidence in Cross or the Regents to uphold the Wisconsin Idea.

Finalists for financial aid director announced

The directors of financial aid offices at Marquette University and the University of Missouri-Columbia are the finalists to lead UW-Madisons Office of Student Financial Aid.

Susan M. Teerink, from Marquette, and Nicholas Prewett, from Missouri, are the top candidates for the position of director of student financial aid, which was held by Susan Fischer until she retired last year.

The search for Fischers replacement was pushed back last November after Steven Hahn, the universitys vice provost for enrollment management, decided not hire any of the candidates.
To explain the unexplainable, a saying caught on generations ago: It must be the water.

Following the killing of Kathryn Steinle in the sanctuary city of San Francisco by an illegal immigrant felon, one might reasonably think lawmakers would thoughtfully consider the life and death results of their aiding and abetting illegal immigrant felons traipsing through the streets.

The killer, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, is a five-time catch-and-release illegal immigrant convicted of seven felonies. In fact, he would have been in jail and Kathryn would still be alive today were San Francisco not a sanctuary city.

In March of last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement formally requested that Sanchez be kept in custody until immigration authorities could pick him up for an outstanding drug warrant.

The geniuses who govern San Francisco decided to limit cooperation with ICE to whatever extent they need to avoid losing unsightly federal lawsuits. As a result, they chose not to honor what is known in legal terms as the federal detainer and released Sanchez.

Kathryn is dead.

The response from liberals coast to coast is bizarre.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, a body so intellectually lacking it recently voted to propose voting rights for 16-year-olds, has on the docket a resolution to prohibit local law enforcement from responding, except in very limited cases, to requests from federal immigration officials for an inmates personal information or release date.

After all, the liberal Democrats recklessly ponder, why should federal authorities have any information about criminals being released from jail?

On the opposite coast, Democrat State Sen. Bryan Townsend has sponsored a bill that would make Delaware the nations first sanctuary state.

This after Juan Leonardo Quintero, an illegal immigrant arrested for killing a Houston police officer 10 years ago, confessed in February that he used the laws in sanctuary cities to evade authorities.

The grotesque irony is that Quintero was deported for indecency with a child, while the officer he murdered, Rodney Johnson, received a commendation for valor for pulling several children from a burning building.

Without sanctuary laws, federal authorities would not be so thwarted in their dangerous jobs to capture and prosecute these criminals.

These laws are not protecting the innocent, hardworking people risking their lives to come to America for the promise of a better life. These laws are not protecting the young illegal immigrants who become victims of the underground sex trade.

These laws are protecting the criminals.

A report last fall from the Center for Immigrant Studies reveals hundreds of sanctuary cities nationwide released thousands of criminal illegal aliens from jail rather than turn them over to federal authorities for deportation.

In less than a year 340 sanctuary cities, counties and states around the U.S. released 9,295 alien offenders.

The nonpartisan organization Judicial Watch confirmed, Of the illegal immigrants released into unsuspecting communities, 58 percent had prior felony charges or convictions and 37 percent had serious prior misdemeanor charges, the CIS probe found. An astounding 2,320 of the freed offenders were subsequently arrested within the eight-month time period studied for new crimes.

If our lawmakers know thousands of illegal immigrants are being released and then arrested again for committing more crimes, we must ask if these lawmakers are ignorant of the facts or just dont care.

We also should blame ourselves, the voters, for electing them out of our own ignorance.

The sanctuary concept is that illegal immigrants would be more likely to communicate with local police and firefighters in times of need if they know they wont be deported. The consequences are crime and death.

Wouldnt it be more helpful to law-abiding citizens to pass laws overriding these sanctuary city laws and require states and municipalities to cooperate with ICE and federal agencies?

Whatever these left-wing Democrats are drinking during working hours, it might not be water.
In 2008, the federal government initiated the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan to improve the conditions of the Mississippi River Basin and the Northern Gulf of Mexico by addressing excess nitrogen and phosphorus loads. There are 30 states, including Wisconsin, that were approached with this plan because of our relationship with the Mississippi River.

In order to broadly manage the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen reaching the Gulf, the federal Environmental Protection Agency initiated guidelines and recommendations to states including encouragement to adopt numeric criteria for maximum phosphorus and nitrogen levels.

In 2010, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board, the governing board of the Department Natural Resources, voluntarily signed up to participate in the Action Plan and set arbitrary numeric standards for phosphorus limits in our states waterways. The board did not sign up to monitor nitrogen. The DNR Board set the phosphorus discharge standard at .075 parts per million or mg/liter. This threshold was not based on any science or cost/benefit analysis. The standard is the lowest in the country.

While the intent of this action was pragmatic, the real-world application of arbitrary numeric limitations has placed significant strain on communities throughout the state, including many in the 17th Senate District. The point sources of phosphorus are primarily wastewater treatment facilities. These are the only source that can be easily regulated by government. As such, a very large problem is on the shoulders of a small part of the cause.

As a result of the wide presence of phosphorus, this nutrient enters our waterways from natural, nonpoint and point sources. Natural sources include lake-bottom sediment and other natural decomposition. Nonpoint sources include general run-off, farm fields, feedlots, streets and parking lots. Point sources include municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants that release liquid effluent to lakes and rivers or spread sludge on fields.

In analyzing the three sources of phosphorus, it is clear to see that the only sources that are easily monitored, measured and regulated are point sources. This is where phosphorus regulation becomes a burden for many residents of the 17th Senate District and throughout the state.

The point sources in our communities are our municipal wastewater treatment facilities. These facilities are funded by ratepayers.

Municipal wastewater facilities are issued five-year permits by the DNR. Since 2011, new permits include new phosphorus requirements and a timeline to reach specific levels of phosphorus in order for our state to comply with the federal Clean Water Act, which we volunteered to do in 2010.

As the first round of permits comes to a close, many of our municipalities face significant challenges to meet their requirements. The villages of Plain and Benton are at the point where they are adding the chemical ferric chloride to meet their goals. Plain spends $20,000 per year on the chemical fix while Benton spends $100,000 per year.

Plain has an interim limit of 3.6 ppm until 2020 and then will need to meet the .075 ppm standard. According to Plain Director of Public Works Nick Ruhland, the village would have to significantly upgrade and renovate its wastewater treatment plant in order to accomplish this standard. The cost for this, according to Ruhland, would be astronomical and the burden on ratepayers would be unreasonable. Plain is a village of only 782 people.

Sewer rates in Plain already have increased 10 percent per year since the last permit was signed in 2012. The minimum service charge for village customers $35.75 for up to 5,000 gallons per quarter and $143 for non-village customers per quarter. Adding a major renovation to the plant would multiply these rates significantly.

Benton faces similar issues. Benton Director of Public Works Ryan Carver said user rates are likely to double if the village is to comply with the phosphorus standards on its current permit. The average household in Benton currently about $40 per month for sewer fees.

The cheapest option for Benton to meet its standard is the chemical additive method of water treatment, at the 20-year cost of $1.97 million. Annually, the village will spend $98,688 to remove only 800 pounds of phosphorus per year. The chemical option will raise the average fee for ratepayers to at least $75.05 per month.

Looking ahead, in order to reach the .075 ppm standard, Benton estimates it also will have to invest $950,000 to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility in order to apply the chemical fix. Carver, and village leaders, would rather not raise fees and add a chemical to their water in order to meet standards that they believe are unreasonable. The village things there are a lot of other contributing factors to the phosphorus issue they are trying to mitigate.

Benton is the first point source on the Galena/Fever River. There are 72 miles of watershed above the point source where the village discharges its water. The village measures its discharge at less than 800 pounds of phosphorus annually. The DNR estimates there are 116,000 pounds of phosphorus in the river.

The expense in Benton is shared by the 973 residents who live there. This unreasonable burden is nearly impossible for the small village to bear. But they are not alone.

The 17th Senate District includes 94 industrial and municipal wastewater discharges. According to the DNR, 85 of these facilities have potentially restrictive phosphorus limits that may warrant a facility upgrade. Nine facilities do not have restrictive phosphorus limitations or already are complying with their limits.

As much as we would like to, we cannot go back to 2010 and drop out of these phosphorus standards. Non-compliance would impact significant federal dollars to our state and the EPA once again would enforce regulations within our state. We dont want to do that.

In response to this terrible burden, the Wisconsin Legislature recently passed legislation that enabled the DNR to seek approval from the EPA to offer multi-discharger and individual variances to the numeric standards for individual municipalities. The state is waiting to see if the EPA will grant this request.

Current water treatment technology to achieve the very low, arbitrary standards we voluntarily set in 2010 is expensive and unproven. By allowing our municipalities time to meet the standards, the EPA will enable Wisconsin to take advantage of new technology, study untested techniques and seek lower-cost alternatives.

The variances also would allow permit holders to undertake some activity to reduce phosphorus contributions from other sources in their watershed. They may be able to do this through water trading or adaptive management practices.

Water quality trading provides point sources with the flexibility to purchase pollutant reductions from other sources in their watershed so they can comply with their own permit requirements.

Adaptive management practices allow point and nonpoint sources (e.g. agricultural producers, storm water utilities, developers) to work together to improve water quality in those waters not meeting phosphorus standards. This option is time and people intensive and requires cooperation among a wide variety of entities.

While some villages, like Plain, would prefer to do water trading in order to meet their standards, other villages, like Benton, would prefer to pursue adaptive management. Either way, municipalities throughout the 17th Senate District would greatly benefit from the ability to seek a variance on the stringent standards our state volunteered to adopt several years ago.

Like most municipalities in Wisconsin, both Benton and Plain recognize their role in protecting water quality, but they also know that the responsibility is much broader than the small shoulders of their village wastewater treatment plant. It is my hope that the EPA will approve the DNRs request so that our state can offer municipalities the time, technology and flexibility to meet standards while working with their nonpoint neighbors to improve phosphorus levels overall.
I keep hearing and reading about how Republicans are not yet ready to back the "presumptive" nominee Donald Trump.

"Local Republicans not yet ready to endorse Trump."

"State Republicans not yet ready to endorse Trump."

"Speaker Ryan not yet ready to endorse Trump."

That's all I hear everyday. My question is when are you going to be ready to back Donald Trump, when they're swearing in Hillary Clinton as the next president? Is that what you want? That will happen if you don't get with the program.

First of all, he's not the presumptive nominee, he is the nominee. There isn't anybody

else. Cruz is gone. Rubio is gone. Walker is gone. Everyone else is gone. They had their shot and it didn't work out. Tough.

Trump has the most delegates and that's the way the system works. If you don't like that, if you don't like Donald Trump, too bad. That's the way it is. The people have spoken. That's what they call democracy.

If you're in government, if you're in party leadership and you don't understand that, then maybe you shouldn't be there. Paul Ryan, if he doesn't watch himself, could loose his own re-election and get tossed out of office. That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world in my opinion.

Yes, Donald Trump has his flaws just like all the other candidates, but those flaws do not include being under investigation by the FBI for serious violations of national security like Hillary Clinton is.

Trump has never been arrested for being part of violent demonstrations and confrontations with the police while in college like Bernie Sanders was. He wasn't born in Canada like Ted Cruz was. That doesn't make Cruz a bad person, it just makes him ineligible to serve as president of the United States.

No, Trump just wants to "Make America great again." What a terrible thing to say. Who can get behind that? We don't need that. Well we do need that and Donald Trump is the only one talking about that so, what are you waiting for?

Tom Stone, Beaver Dam
Columbia County Aging and Disability Resource Center is commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15 by hosting a gathering of support at 9 a.m. in front of the Columbia County Courthouse, which is located at 400 DeWitt St. in Portage. People are asked to wear purple to this event to take a stand against elder abuse.

Did you know that every day 10,000 people turn 65 in the United States alone? That trend is going to continue for nearly the next 20 years. The countrys demographics are shifting, and there will be more elder people than ever before. At the same time that the population is growing, a startling number of elders face abusive conditions. Every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And thats only part of the picture: Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23.5 cases go unreported.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders. The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations launched the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2006 in an effort to unite communities around the world in raising awareness about elder abuse. WEAAD is in support of the UNs International Plan of Action acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.

It is estimated that in 2015, Columbia County had approximately 9,500 residents age 65 and older. Columbia County received 137 reported Elder Abuse referrals in 2015.

For more information about this topic, contact the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Columbia County at 608-742-9233 or email to ADRC@co.columbia.wi.us.
Memorial Day will be observed on Monday, May 30. Children from all Columbus schools  kindergarten through grade 3  are encouraged to walk in the parade organized by the American Legion and Legion Auxiliary. The parade will form at the Columbus Middle School at 9:15 a.m.

Girls are asked to bring flowers to carry, and boys will carry flags which will be provided. The children will walk to the Soldiers Monument in front of the library. A short program will follow. Flags and flowers will be placed at the monument. Children should be picked up at the monument after the ceremony.

In case of unfavorable weather, the entire program will be held in the Columbus Middle School gym. Children should sit with their parents after placing the flowers and flags.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is raising money for a Wisconsin state lawmaker, Rep. David Bowen of Milwaukee.

Bowen, who is vice chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, became the state's first Democratic super-delegate to endorse Sanders last month.

On Tuesday the Sanders campaign emailed its national fundraising list in support of Bowen and seven other legislative candidates in other states, the campaign said in a news release.

The release highlights Bowen's advocacy for "a living wage for Milwaukee city employees."

"The leaders were raising money for today are the members of Congress, senators and presidential candidates of tomorrow," Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said in the release.

Bowen voiced his support for Sanders shortly after he won the Wisconsin primary last month. Six of Wisconsin's 10 Democratic super-delegates are backing Clinton, while the other three are publicly uncommitted.
Nearly five years after passage of the 2011 state redistricting plan, tarred in a lawsuit by a group of Democratic voters as one of the worst partisan gerrymanders in modern American history, a panel of federal judges began hearing testimony Tuesday that will help them decide whether to let the plan stand or throw it out.

The trial, before a three-judge panel in federal court in Madison, is slated to last through Friday. It will focus principally on a claim by the Democrats that the boundaries dilute the power of their supporters votes, a measure known as the efficiency gap. In past decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court has said no reliable test for gerrymanders exists.

The judges are U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb of Madison, Chief U.S. District Judge William Griesbach of Milwaukee and Senior Circuit Judge Kenneth Ripple, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, based in Chicago.

A decision is unlikely at the end of this weeks trial, which is more an opportunity to put on live testimony to supplement the reams of depositions and expert reports already submitted in the case. The panel will more likely issue a written decision later.

An appeal of that decision is inevitable, and because of the makeup of the panel, can be appealed directly to the Supreme Court.

In his opening statement for the plaintiffs, attorney Nicholas Stephanopoulos, of the University of Chicago Law School, repeated that the 2011 legislative redistricting plan was one of the worst partisan gerrymanders in modern American history.

He said the plan has a discriminatory intent and that its authors had the aim of disenfranchising Democratic voters. The plan, he said, cannot be justified on the states geography and legitimate objectives.

The plan was devised in secret, he said, in a tightly controlled map room at the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich, hired by GOP legislators to create the new map. Only GOP legislators were shown the results, and no Democrats were allowed access to the process. After the maps were finished, he said, they were approved on party-line votes in nine days.

The maps were tested for partisan effect and durability using data models created by University of Oklahoma Professor Keith Gaddie, who was hired to assess the maps. The maps increased the number of safe GOP seats by cracking (breaking up blocs of Democratic voters) and packing (concentrating Democratic voters within certain districts), Stephanopoulos said.

Stephanopoulos said the efficiency gap measures wasted votes  excess votes for one party in safe districts and votes cast for losing candidates in those safe districts. He said the efficiency gap is a simple calculation and provides a measurement of partisan gerrymandering that lawyers for the state maintain cant be measured.

But Assistant Attorney General Brian Keenan said the judges would see no evidence of gerrymandering, based on the traditional meaning of the term  the creation of tortured, oddly-shaped districts for partisan purposes.

There arent any districts like that in Act 43, Keenan said. He said the lawsuit created a radical conceptual change in the definition of gerrymandering.

The 2011 legislative redistricting plan is not a constitutional violation, Keenan said. Prior court cases on gerrymandering also have never taken exception to the drawing of new legislative boundaries by the majority party that was currently in power.

The efficiency gap and other numbers provided by the plaintiffs provide a false sense of certainty but do not predict the future, Keenan said.

The plaintiffs statistics are illuminating, Keenan said, but they dont provide any evidence of a constitutional violation.

In testimony, legislative aide Adam Foltz, who at the time worked for then-Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, said he was assigned to work on redistricting plans. Called to the stand by the Democrats as an adverse witness, Foltz denied that the plans formulated by the redistricting team were done with an eye toward keeping a GOP majority in both houses of the Legislature.

I wouldnt agree that it measured expected future performance, Foltz said.

At one point he stated that a map labeled as strong Republican meant nothing more than Republican-leaning in a generic sense.
Items are listed under the day of the event only, running as space permits prior to the event. To submit items, call 745-3511, email jcutsforth@capitalnewspapers.com or visit www.portagedailyregister.com. Include name and phone number.

Today

Genealogy Researchers, 1 to 3 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Finding Black Gus is the title of the presentation by one of our members, Peggy Amend. She will go through the steps and sources used to find a paternal great-grandfather, Black Gus. All that the family members knew about Gus was that he had been in prison and also tried to poison his wife with strychnine. This search then lead to the true story of what happened to his first wife.

Portage Family Skate Park Public Meeting, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Gerstenkorn Administration Building, 305 E. Slifer St., Portage. All interested people are welcome to attend. If the Portage Schools are closed or released early the PFSP meeting will be canceled and announced on our Facebook page with a new meeting location as soon as possible.

Pardeeville FFA Chapter annual Awards Banquet, 6:30 p.m. Pardeeville High School Cafeteria. We will be recognizing our top leaders and presenting many awards.

Portage Community School District Building Trades 2015-2016 Open House, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 401 School Road, Portage. The public is invited. Visit www.portage.k12.wi.us for more information about the house, click on the House for Sale link. United Country Hamele Auction and Realty will be available to accept offers to purchase the house beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Open House.

Portage Public Library offers adult coloring, 4 to 5 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Open to adults age 18 and older. Coloring sheets and colored pencils provided. Runs every other Tuesday.

Zumba Toning, 4:30 p.m. Woodridge Primary School, Portage. $5 drop in or session fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

Wednesday

Bingo, 5:30 p.m. 131 Restaurant, North Main Street, Pardeeville. Bingo will be played every Wednesday, except the first one of the month.

Free Breastfeeding Workshop, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Divine Savior Healthcare, 2817 New Pinery Road, Portage. This free workshop will introduce parents-to-be about the latest information on breastfeeding. Topics include proper techniques, proper use of breast pumps, what to expect, and the benefits of breastfeeding in todays world. Call: 608-745-5607 to register or for more information.

Endeavor Sharing Supper, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Endeavor Elementary School, Endeavor. Enjoy a free dinner with neighbors and friends. Informational booths and free blood pressure checks will be set up for the adults. Kids Corner provides activities for the children. This months sponsor is Royal Bank of Endeavor.

Columbia County Public Health Walk-In Clinic, 8 a.m. to noon, Columbia County Division of Health, 2652 Murphy Road, Portage. Use door No. 4. Bring childs immunization record. Call the Flu Vaccination Hotline at 608-742-9735 for information about flu vaccines. Visit www.co.columbia.wi.us for more information.

Free blood pressure screenings, 1 to 5 p.m. Divine Savior Healthcare, 2817 New Pinery Road, Portage. No appointment necessary. Call 745-6405 for more information. Do not eat, smoke, drink caffeine or exercise for 30 minutes prior.

Ignite Your Kids 4 Greatness parenting class, 6 to 7 p.m. Portage United Methodist Church, 1804 New Pinery Road, Portage. Topic will be Choose Positive Correction. Free childcare provided by quality volunteers with background checks. Sponsored by the Portage Family Skate Park.

Portage Pedalers Wednesday night ride, meet at 6:30 p.m. at Pat and Dougs house, W7956 Douglas Center Road (East of Briggsville on Highway 23 North via 3rd Avenue). Meeting place May through July is Pat and Dougs house; AugustJohn Muir Park; and September at 6 p.m. at Pat and Dougs house. Wear a helmet and bikers under 18 must ride with a parent.

St. Vincent de Paul free medical clinic, 9 a.m. to noon. Wilz Drugs lower level, 140 E. Cook St., Portage. No appointments needed. Information needed is name, date of birth and a contact number. A chiropractor is available from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays. A foot clinic is available every week. The clinic can do exams and prescribe medications. Physical therapist available. Discounted medications are available at Wilz and Wal-Mart. Call Bonny Oestreich, RN, at 608-234-0159 for information.

Texas Hold em card tournament, VFW Hall, 215 W. Collins St., Portage. Register at 6 p.m. Cards begin at 6:30 p.m. Entry fee is $20. One hundred percent payout. Open to the public. For information, call the VFW Hall at 742-5350.

Pauquette Wordcrafters, 9:30 a.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. All writers welcome.

Photos at Tivoli  Portage Center for the Arts at Tivoli presents an exhibit featuring paintings by Dr. James Foskett, MD. Runs through June. Free and open to the public. Tivoli is located at 2805 Hunters Trail, behind Divine Savior Healthcare in Portage.

Womens Civic League Board, 10 a.m. at the clubhouse, West Edgewater Street, Portage. Lunch to follow meeting.

Zumba, 5:30 p.m. 1208 Northport Road (the former Freedom Carpeting building). This is a $5 drop-in class. For more information, contact Deb at DJMACK00001@yahoo.com or Rena at 697-6713.

Zumba Toning, 5 p.m. Diverse Options, Montello. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

Thursday

Endeavor Lions Club Bingo, 6:30 p.m. Endeavor-Moundville Fire Department, Endeavor.

Marquette County Immunization Clinic, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Marquette County Health and Human Services Building, 428 Underwood Ave., Montello. Bring childs immunization records. Parents must accompany all children younger than age 18. If this is not possible, call the Marquette County Health Department at 608-297-3135 prior to the clinic. Flu shots are also available.

Museum at the Portage, 804 MacFarlane Road, Portage. Open from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in April, May, September and October; and 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in June, July and August. Admission is free.

Open Texas Hold em, 7 p.m. Sport Club 22, Pardeeville. For information, call 566-9655.

Portage Center for the Arts Brown Bag Presentation, noon to 12:45 p.m. Portage Center for the Arts, E. Cook St., Portage. Presenter is Bob Kann, author, professional storyteller/juggler/magician, who will discuss Cordelia Harvey, Civil War Angel who was also known as The Wisconsin Angel and The Florence Nightingale of Wisconsin for her compassionate and competent care for Wisconsin soldiers during the Civil War. She was the wife of former governor Louis Harvey. Bring a sack lunch if you desire. Cost is $5 at the door. Excellent for students, also.

Portage Red Cross blood drive, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Portage United Methodist Church, 1804 New Pinery Road, Portage. Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767 to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed. A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required.

Portage World War II Museum, 119 E. Cook St., Portage, offers free tours to all veterans from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tours take 2 1/2 hours. For information, call 608-697-3690.

Zumba, 5:15 to 6 p.m. Woodridge Primary School, Portage. $5 drop in or session fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

Friday

Art at Tivoli  Portage Center for the Arts at Tivoli presents Carnival on the Banks of the River Styx by Jim Foskett. Exhibit runs through June. Free and open to the public. Tivoli is located at 2805 Hunters Trail, behind Divine Savior Healthcare in Portage.

Portage World War II Museum, 119 E. Cook St., Portage, offers free tours to all veterans from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tours take 2 1/2 hours. For information, call 608-697-3690.

Unique Singles, 5 p.m. Portage Country Club, Highway 33 East, Portage. All single men and women older than age 50 welcome. The group is strictly social with no dues or officers.

Saturday

Portage World War II Museum, 119 E. Cook St., Portage, offers free tours to all veterans from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tours take 2 1/2 hours. For information, call 608-697-3690.

Sunday

Corpus Christi Mass and Procession, 11:30 a.m. Durwards Glen Retreat and Conference Center, W11876 McLeisch Road, Baraboo. The mass will be celebrated at the outdoor Holy Family Altar by Father Pedro Escribano from Divine Mercy Parish. Mass will be followed by a Eucharistic procession. A picnic-style lunch of brats, hot dogs, salads and beverages will be served afterward (free will offering). Tours of the grounds and the historic Log Lodge will be available. For more information, call 608-356-8113 or email theglen150@gmail.com, check us out on Facebook or visit www.durwardsglen.org.

Portage EAA Chapter 371 Fly-In Drive-In Breakfast, 7 a.m. to noon, Portage Municipal Airport (C47), Silver Lake Drive, Portage. All-you-can-eat pancakes, eggs made to order, sausage, milk, juice, coffee. Adults are $7 and children ages 10 and younger are $4.

Salty Strings musical ministry with John and Connie Nicholas, 9 a.m. Merrimac United Methodist Church, corner of Church and School Streets, Merrimac. They have been involved in music ministry for more than 15 years, and have played in a wide variety of settings from concerts to worship services. As a certified Lay Speaker, Connie has been trained to present a message relative to Biblical teaching. Her husband John is responding to Gods call in writing songs and ministering through music. All are welcome.

Zumba Toning, 6 p.m. Rusch Elementary School, Portage. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.
Information is taken from the records of the Portage Police Department and does not represent a comprehensive list of police activity. Each individual named in this report is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Between 6:13 a.m. May 20 and 8 a.m. Monday police responded to 133 calls.

Kwik Trip South: Police on May 20 at 2:09 p.m. responded to an accident in which a vehicle was rear ended, resulting in emergency medical services being contacted. Portage Fire Department was also dispatched to clean fluid from the roadway. Jacob D. Witt, 18, of Portage, was cited for following too closely.

East Wisconsin Street and Superior Street: Police on May 20 at 4:11 p.m. stopped a vehicle for following too closely. Three juveniles in the vehicle were cited for underage possession of alcohol and possession of an open intoxicant.

Walgreens: Police on May 20 at 6:39 p.m. responded to a report of a driver possessing an open intoxicant. Jerry Simonson, 57, of Portage, was later cited for driving with an open intoxicant.

Highway 16 and Interstate-39: Police on May 20 at 7:36 p.m. stopped Donte J. Delamar, 22, of Milwaukee, who was cited for operating a vehicle after revocation of a license as a fourth offense and driving without proof of valid insurance.

New Pinery Road: Police on May 20 at 10:46 p.m. responded to a disturbance in which a 16-year-old female from Oxford was cited for disorderly conduct following an incident involving yelling over money owed.

West Cook Street: Police on Saturday at 6:36 p.m. responded to a disturbance in which a 50-year-old Portage man was yelling at two women including threats, a 32-year-old man with them, then hit the man in the face. The 50-year-old was charged with disorderly conduct while the 32-year old was cited with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, battery, resisting an officer, and battery to a law enforcement officer.
With the arrival of summer-like temperatures over the weekend, many people naturally headed to the nearest water, which for some is the often unpredictable Wisconsin River.

Wednesday will mark one year since a Chicago man drowned in Wisconsin Dells while trying to swim from a rock island to shore, the first in a string of deaths in the Wisconsin River last summer.

Even if you know how to swim, the currents and the drop-offs can be dangerous, said Columbia County Emergency Management Director Pat Beghin.

It has been a relatively safe and unremarkable start to the summer on the river, saying that there is a normal flow for this time of year, though the high water or spring floods has changed the layout of portions of the river. Some of the river channels changed, Beghin said. Downstream there are places where it has gone from about 50 inches to 25 inches.

This can make it easy for a non-expert to run their watercraft aground, but more importantly, it means that even if the DNR has a nearby boat in the water, the river might be impassible in the event of an emergency.

Right now were a little low for this time of year, said Department of Natural Resources Conservation Warden Dave Youngquist, saying that this results in the sandbars that have surfaced in the past couple of weeks, which has attracted beach-goers.

The lower Wisconsin River is trending downward, from Castle Rock all the way to the end of the river. The sandbars have really started popping in the past couple days, said Mark Cupp, executive director of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board.

We had some unusual high flows, Cupp said, referring to spring flooding. We usually have a June bump in the river level and it may have already happened.

The showers and thunderstorms that are forecast almost daily through this weekend for the area could change things up on the river.

There are no real precautions to take besides reminding people of the same things as always, said Youngquist, explaining how the DNR will approach the new busy season. If you have a boat over 16 feet, have a throw cushion on board, if you are going swimming, stay upstream from the sandbars.

We really emphasize safety, said Cupp, giving the two main points, first, by far, is recommending that everyone and especially children wear lifejackets. The second, is that when a person goes to a sandbar, they should be sure to know what exactly is around the sandbar.

Always walk upstream on a sandbar, said Cupp, explaining that if you do discover that there isnt solid ground, the current will likely carry you in the direction where you came from, whereas, exploring downstream, it is much easier to go in the water and be immediately carried away.

A June 2015 accident that resulted in the drowning death of a father and his son as they were wading between a Dekorra beach and a mid-river sandbar inspired a nearby family to raise money and donated lifejackets to install a lifejacket station.

Since then, the Department of Natural Resources has also added six loan stations along the Wisconsin River in Sauk and Columbia counties.

The Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway is hosting a dedication ceremony Sunday afternoon, opening a life jacket kiosk in Gotham, in the memory of Angela Girton, a 5-year-old girl who drowned near there in April 2015. The kiosks are marked with the phrase, Kids Dont Float.

There are a couple stands down at Lake Wisconsin, said Beghin, referring to stations in Columbia County, just in case people are short a vest.

But as Beghin has mentioned before concerning water safety, they dont do anyone any good if you leave them on the shore.

A river can be so deceiving, it can seem calm on the surface, but with those currents and eddies said Cupp. When you are dealing with any body of water, you have to have respect for it.

Among the deaths in the Wisconsin River in 2015, one thing they seemed to all have in common, Cupp said, is that someone went in the water without a life jacket.
TOWN OF NEWPORT -- One of Sarah Lloyds earliest pieces of campaign literature consists of a quarter-sheet of goldenrod-colored paper, with the headline Sarah Lloyd for U.S. Congress.

The body text talks about how those at the top are getting richer, but the rest of us are losing ground.

It says, enough is enough to divide-and-conquer politics, and calls on people to stand together.

And then it asks for money: Contribute 5 bucks right now!

Lloyd, 44, acknowledged Friday that she will accept financial contributions larger than $5 for her quest to unseat one-term Republican Congressman Glenn Grothman, in the sprawling Sixth District that includes parts of 11 Wisconsin counties, including all of Columbia and Marquette counties.

However, she said, she doesnt have a political action committee or a SuperPAC backing her campaign, and that the influence of big money is a key part of whats wrong with the modern political process.

Citizens United kind of took the genie out of the box, Lloyd said, referring to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission, in which the high court held, 5-4, that the First Amendment prohibited limiting campaign spending.

Democracy (small 'd')

Lloyd said she thinks she can win a campaign fueled by small financial contributions and grassroots support.

I do believe in small d democracy and the power of citizens, she said. Im going to people-power it.

Grothman, 60, of Glenbeulah in Sheboygan County, has not yet declared candidacy for a second term.

But if Lloyd is to challenge Grothman on Nov. 8, she will have to survive an Aug. 9 primary challenge from another Democrat, W. Michael Slattery of Maribel, a district director for the Wisconsin Farmers Union. Maribel is in Manitowoc County.

Both Lloyd and Slattery have declared their candidacy with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, and both have until June 1 to acquire at least 1,000 signatures from District 6 residents to finalize their inclusion on the ballot.

When shes not working on the family dairy farm in the town of Newport, just outside Wisconsin Dells, Lloyd is traveling throughout the district, campaigning in mostly small venues like house parties.

Shes held elected office before. From 2004 to 2007, she represented what was then District 13 (including the villages of Cambria and Doylestown and parts of the towns of Courtland and Fountain Prairie) on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors.

She resigned the seat when she married Nels Nelson and moved to the Wisconsin Dells area, but in 2010 she vied unsuccessfully to win the District 2 seat that was being vacated by her father-in-law, Donald Nelson of the town of Newport. Mike Weyh of the town of Lewiston won that seat, and just won his fourth term.

In addition to working on the 400-cow Nelson dairy farm, Lloyd also works off-farm for the Wisconsin Farmers Union and the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative.

Why run now?

Nows the time to run for Congress, she said.

Theyre not taking care of business in Congress, she said. There is obstructionism going on. When I see neighbors and communities struggling, I think something should be done.

Grothman, according to Lloyd, plays a part in the obstructionism.

Take, for example, recent congressional action, which Lloyd characterizes as making it harder for poor children to get free and reduced-price school lunches.

Grothman is a member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce Development, which recently approved a bill that would toughen the requirements for high-poverty school districts to be able to offer free lunches to all their students, rather than requiring each student to verify his or her eligibility.

Under current rules, at least 40 percent of students in a school would need to receive government assistance that would qualify them for free lunches, for the school to offer free lunches to all students. The bill that came out of the committee recently raised the threshold to 60 percent; committee members turned back a proposed amendment by Grothman, to raise the requirement to 80 percent.

In proposing the amendment, Grothman was quoted in the Indianapolis Star as saying, Were creating a culture in which parents no longer consider themselves responsible for their own children."

Lloyd said she also takes issue with remarks that Grothman made in 2012, when he was a state senator, regarding equal pay for women. Grothman was quoted as saying, in essence, that women typically are paid less than men because they care less about money than do men, who are usually the household breadwinners.

Now, thats like a 1950s attitude, and its 2016, Lloyd said. I dont think its acceptable that our congressman hold that view of women, and their right to equal pay for equal work.

Infrastructure aid

However, one of Grothmans statements -- that District 6 has more manufacturing jobs than any other U.S. Congressional district -- is part of Lloyds campaign message. (Grothmans statement, given in an interview shortly after his election in 2014, was verified by PolitiFact, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

If she is elected, Lloyd said, she would like to work toward aid for schools, such as technical colleges, to help train young adults in the skills that they would need to get and keep a manufacturing job.

Infrastructure is also a concern for District 6, she said, including better roads for the Fox River Valley and reliable, affordable broadband service for areas that are underserved. (That would include, she said, her family dairy farm, which gets satellite Internet service, and where cellular phone signals are spotty.)

Lloyds campaign has an online presence (www.lloydforwisconsin.com) and shes using Facebook, but she said her main source of outreach is in person.

I do feel like people are wanting a change, she said, and this is the cycle to see something move.
Halloween at the country school was a much anticipated event

It was hard for a young student to concentrate when a Halloween party was looming at the end of the school day.




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First criticality for Watts Bar 2

24 May 2016

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The Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) newest nuclear reactor, Watts Bar unit 2, has reached first criticality. The 1165 MWe (net) pressurized water reactor is the first nuclear unit to start up in the USA since Watts Bar 1 in 1996.

Operator Todd Blankenship monitors reactor conditions ahead of initial criticality at Watts Bar 2 (Image: TVA)



Watts Bar 2 is the second unit to be built at TVA's site near Spring City, Tennessee. Its construction began in 1972, but work was suspended in 1985 when the unit was about 55% complete. TVA decided to resume work on the unit in 2007, awarding an engineering, procurement and construction contract to Bechtel.

TVA received an operating licence for the unit from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in October 2015 and fuel loading was completed in December. The reactor achieved first criticality - its first sustained nuclear fission reaction - at 2:16 am EDT yesterday and is now generating heat under its own power. TVA said that the unit was operating in a stable condition at low power levels that will slowly be increased over the coming weeks as it moves towards commercial operation.

Plant systems and controls will be monitored and tested at various power levels up to 100%. The unit is expected to enter commercial operation later this summer.

Watts Bar 2's completion has incorporated upgrades in response to the Fukushima Daiichi accident of 2011 required by the NRC of all US nuclear power plants. Enhancements include a new hardened FLEX equipment storage building designed to withstand earthquakes, floods and other incidents similar to those that occurred in Japan. This houses emergency backup diesel generators, pumps and other equipment needed to keep the reactor containment cooled in the event that onsite power is lost.

The total estimated project cost of $4.7 billion was approved by TVA's board in February. Orders related to post-Fukushima regulatory requirements and cyber security issues have increased by $125 million TVA's original $4.5 billion estimate to complete the project.

In addition to Watts Bar, TVA also operates three boiling water reactors at Browns Ferry in Alabama and two PWRs at Sequoyah in Tennessee. The company recently decided to sell another partially built nuclear power plant, Bellefonte in Alabama, after deciding that it will not need to build any new large-scale baseload capacity for at least the next 20 years. Bellefonte was to have been home to two B&W pressurized water reactors, but construction was suspended in 1988, when unit 1 was about 90% complete and unit 2 58% complete. The units' levels of completion are now substantially lower, as in the interim many components have been transferred or sold while others would now need to be upgraded or replaced.

The company is continuing to explore small modular reactors (SMRs) as a potential long-term resource and recently submitted the first early site permit application for an SMR - at Clinch River, Tennessee - to the NRC.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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China to help Sudan develop first nuclear plant

24 May 2016

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China and Sudan have signed a framework agreement for the construction of the east African country's first nuclear power plant.

The signing of the framework agreement (Image: CNNC)

The agreement was signed yesterday in Khartoum by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) chairman Sun Qin and Moataz Moussa, Sudan's Minister of Water Resources and Electricity. The signing of the framework agreement came during a three-day visit to Sudan by a Chinese delegation led by Nur Bekri, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission's National Energy Bureau.

Ministry spokesman Mohamed Abdelrahim Jawish was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying, "The agreement will allow Sudan to build in the future a nuclear plant to generate nuclear energy for peaceful use. This preliminary agreement was signed on Monday and we are now talking of capacities."

Sudan - one of China's main suppliers of oil - was on the list of priorities for Chinese reactor sales in a State Council (cabinet) Energy Development Strategic Action Plan 2014-2020.

Sudan's Ministry of Energy and Mines initiated a nuclear power program in 2007, and in 2010 the country started considering the feasibility of a nuclear power plant. At that time, Sudan was envisaging a nuclear plant with four 300-600 MWe units operating by 2030.

The country's Atomic Energy Commission has been consulting the International Atomic Energy Agency on introducing nuclear energy.

In July 2015, the government's Geological Research Authority said that uranium exploration was a high priority and that any mining would be undertaken by Russian companies.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed last September, China General Nuclear and the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board are to discuss CGN's Hualong 1 technology, and carry out comprehensive cooperation in nuclear power development and capacity building in neighbouring Kenya. This will include research and development, construction, operation, fuel supply, nuclear safety, nuclear security, radioactive waste management and decommissioning.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Batman v Superman movie poster

By: Mahesh Sarin

A couple in the United Kingdom, who went to watch the Batman v Superman movie, seemed to be more interested in each other than in superheroes, according to police.

Manchester police said that they have arrested the young couple after they were caught having sex in full view of the public who tried to watch the new Batman v Superman movie.

The man was charged with one count of outraging public decency and one count of assault while the woman was charged with one count of outraging public decency.

According to the police investigation, the couple were in the crowded movie theater when they started having sex with each other.

When a guard told them to stop, the man punched him in the face. Investigators believe that the couple was under the influence of alcohol.
Peanut and the peanut butter jar

By: Wayne Morin

A fox in the United Kingdom, is lucky to be alive after workers at a cemetery saw it banging itself against the ground in order to free a peanut butter jar from its head.

The incident unfolded after the 3-week-old female fox named Peanut, tried to stick its head into a nearly empty peanut butter jar in order to lick some peanut butter that was stuck to the bottom.

When workers of the Salisbury Crematorium heard the fox banging itself on the ground to free the jar from its head, they called Kevin Drew of Creatures in Crisis.

Drew first tried to stick his finger between the head and the jar, but there was no room so he picked it up and took it home. He then used scissors to cut the plastic peanut butter jar.

The fox recovered nicely from the ordeal, but it will be kept under observation for another three months.
He is the third British prime minister this year and will enter 10 Downing Street as the youngest PM in two centuries.
Prison gates (illustration)

By: Tanya Malhotra

A prisoner in Alaska, seems to very caring as he was not concerned about his freedom, but that of other inmates.

Alaska State Troopers were called to the Fairbanks North Star Center correctional facility about 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, on a report of an inmate who escaped.

The investigation revealed that 20-year-old Joshua Yaska, had escaped from the minimum security prison.

He was last seen wearing grey sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and riding a bicycle away from the facility.

However, at 4:20 a.m., Yaska returned to the correctional facility in a silver Isuzu SUV, and he attempted to help other inmates escape.

While in the North Star Center parking lot, Yaska attempted to strike an employee with his vehicle. Staff members were told not to physically restrain inmates.

At this time, Yaskaas whereabouts are unknown.

Yaska was in state custody while awaiting trial for charges of misdemeanor theft and making a false report, according to online court records.

When he failed to attend his court appearance, a judge issued an arrest warrant. He now faces additional charges of Escape in the fourth degree and Assault in the third degree.
Council Elections Will Go Ahead in 2017 Amid Uncertainty Over Mergers

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, May 24th, 2016

Local government elections will take place across Wales next year, however the long-term future of councils across Wales remains uncertain.

During an interview with BBC Radio Wales over the weekend, First Minister Carwyn Jones stated that a map proposing that the 22 authorities across Wales were cut to eight or nine was not going to proceed.

The proposed mergers, which would have seen Wrexham merge with both Flintshire and Denbighshire, or just with Flintshire was first mooted a few years ago  however agreements on this could be implemented were never reached.

Today clarity on the future of local councils was called for by Welsh Conservative Leader Andrew RT Davies who today stated during the inaugural First Ministers Questions of this term that Carwyn Jones has spoken at length about this particular issue of local government reorganisation.

He added: Can you confidently say today there will be local government elections in May next year and that your government will not be looking to postpone those elections by bringing forward either new proposals for a local government map here in Wales or indeed actually moving the date so there can can be wider consultation over local government reorganisation in Wales.

First Minister Carwyn Jones stated that he couldnt envision a situation where they wouldnt take place, and offered assurances local council elections will go ahead as planned next year.

Mr Jones continued onto say the 22 authorities across Wales is not sustainable, adding: In terms of local government reorganisation its clear to me the map would not attract support in this chamber, but I do know in this chamber there is support for local government reorganisation.

So its a question of spending the next few months examining what common ground there may be between the parties so we can remove the situation where we have 22 local authorities, one of which collapsed entirely and six were in special measures at one point in education.

While the subject of Council mergers was debated, former Minister for Public Services Leighton Andrews, who lost his seat to Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood, appeared to be enjoying life away from the Assembly.

Hot here in Dublin. Time for a beverage. pic.twitter.com/H7gcTaZdjT  Leighton Andrews (@LeightonAndrews) May 24, 2016

For those who like electoral nostalgia you can read our coverage from the 2012 Council election count day and night (and our first election back when we were tiny!) here.
Open Drop-in Sessions to Discuss Future of Town Centre Post Office

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, May 24th, 2016

A drop-in customer forum on proposed changes to a town centre Post Office is to take place this week  providing local people with the opportunity to discuss its plans.

Last month Wrexham.com reported that the Crown Post Office had launched a public consultation proposing that their Henblas Street branch relocates to the first floor of WH Smith on Hope Street.

The proposed relocation of the Henblas Street branch comes as part of the ongoing modernisation programme being carried out by the Post Office.

If the relocation takes place the Post Office will be based on the first floor of WH Smith, with five serving positions, a mixture of one screened and four open-plan counters, plus two self-service kiosks. However for those unable to access the services upstairs, there will be a designated till point at the ground floor retail counter as required.

It is anticipated that if the consultation is successful, the move will take place in August.

Following on from the proposals there will be a public drop-in session held on Thursday 26th May at Wrexham Methodist Church, Regent Street, Wrexham between 3:30pm and 7:30pm with people welcome to call in when they wish, between these times.

The intention of the drop-in session is to help inform customers of the details of the changes proposed for Wrexham Post Office and provide an opportunity to discuss what has been put forward.

Roger Gale, General Manager of the Post Office Crown Network, said: We are committed to keeping our services on high streets which we know is hugely important to people. We need to make changes so that we can continue to do that into the future.

The way customers do business with us has changed  people want flexible and convenient choices of how they access our services, whether that is face to face at our branches or on the web. We are adapting to that and making sure we take the right course of action to sustain services for years to come.

WHSmith already operates over 100 Post Office branches from their stores in the UK and weve been successfully working with them for nearly ten years. They have a proven record of running Post Office branches with consistently high levels of customer service.

The new branch would continue to offer the same wide range of services and the existing Wrexham branch team would move to the new site and continue to be employed by the Post Office.

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas last week raised concerns about the proposed Post Office move to Hope Street and has encouraged local residents to take part in the consultation.

Public consultation on the proposals runs until 1st June 2016 and customers can take part by phone, by post or on online by visiting the Post Office website and entering the code 02961499.
HYAK - A new traffic shift is now in effect near Easton as one of the busiest construction seasons on Interstate 90 between North Bend and Ellensburg winds down for the upcoming winter.
On Friday, US President Barack Obama ordered military drones operated by Special Operations soldiers to kill Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour. The emir of the Taliban had been extensively tracked by American and Afghan intelligence prior to being targeted by drone-fired missiles while riding in his vehicle in Pakistans Baluchistan province Friday evening.

Mansour, whose remains have been transferred to Quetta for burial, maintained contacts with Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and owned homes in Quetta and in Dubai with the ISIs knowledge, according to British and US media.

The American military establishment hailed the strike as a victory for peace and stability in Afghanistan. This was considered a defensive strike, US Navy Captain Jeff Davis said Monday. According to the US Defense Department, Mansours extra-judicial killing was legal on account of the specific, imminent threats the Taliban leader posed to US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

President Obama boasted that Mansours demise was an important milestone in our longstanding effort to bring peace and prosperity to Afghanistan. He thanked our military and intelligence personnel for once again sending a clear message.

The strike was aimed at pressuring the Taliban into joining a reconciliation process with the US-backed Kabul government, Obama said. He added, The Taliban should seize the opportunity to pursue the only real path for ending this long conflictjoining the Afghan government in a reconciliation process that leads to lasting peace and stability.

Mansours death eliminates one roadblock to peace in Afghanistan, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Monday. This action sends a clear message to the world that we will continue to stand with our Afghan partners as they work to build a more stable, united, secure, and prosperous Afghanistan, Secretary of State John Kerry declared.

The US government is striving to maintain its grip over Afghanistan and Pakistan and control the entire Asian continent through military violence. The Obama administration has vastly escalated the US drone war in Pakistan, authorizing at least 350 strikes, a sevenfold increase over the George W. Bush administration.

The strike against Mansour marks a significant expansion of US war-making in South and Central Asia. It occurred in Pakistans southwestern province of Baluchistan, which was previously off-limits to US strikes due to opposition from sections of the Pakistani state. Seventeen months after Obama proclaimed the end of the US war in Afghanistan, Washington is carrying out yet another escalation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan theater.

In Afghanistan, the US is maintaining a permanent military occupation force of nearly 10,000 troops. Thousands of US combat troops are involved in a brutal counterinsurgency war against the Taliban and other armed factions. Current Pentagon plans envision a US presence that lasts for decades to come. Since January 2016, in the name of fighting Al Qaeda and Afghanistans Islamic State faction, the Pentagon has re-launched offensive operations in Afghanistan, including commando and air attacks in Nangarhar Province.

Calls are mounting for even greater US involvement in Afghanistan. On Friday, retired Gen. David Petraeus called for less restrictive limits on US bombing raids in the country, lamenting that US forces have dropped only 300 bombs in Afghanistan as compared to 7,000 in Iraq and Syria.

In a Monday evening posting on the newspapers web site, the Washington Post editorial board demanded that Obama give the military a blank check to cancel any further reductions of US forces. The Post criticized Obamas reluctance to provide adequate support to the Afghan military and called for the White House to rubber-stamp the Pentagons plans for open-ended war in Afghanistan.

The editorial demanded that Obama approve recommendations currently being drawn up by the new US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, for more airpower and an extended troop presence.

Washington is determined to expand its operations in Pakistan against the objections of significant sections of the Pakistani elite. Despite reassurances from the Pentagon that American and Pakistani forces collaborated throughout Fridays raid, Pakistans foreign affairs chief, Syed Tariq Fatemi, denounced Mansours killing as a breach of the United Nations Charter.

To punish Islamabad for resisting expanded US operations on Pakistani soil, the US Congress recently withdrew support for a $700 million arms package that would have sent eight F-16 fighters to Pakistan. The House Armed Services Committee is debating measures to block another $450 million in military aid to Islamabad.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange addressed a meeting at the University of Sheffield May 12, condemning a campaign to ban him from speaking at several universities across Britain.

The efforts to silence Assange are part of the no platform policy adopted by the National Union of Students (NUS), based on the theories of gender and identity politics.

Nearly 300 people, mostly students, turned out to the ticketed event at the Sheffield Students Union Foundry. The large audience points to the groundswell of support for Assange, who has exposed war crimes carried out by the US government and other major powers in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the conspiracies hatched by the State Department and the CIA in countries around the world.

Assange spoke via video link from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The event was sponsored by the Festival of Debate (FoD), which overcame initial efforts by the student union executive to ban the event and a campaign by feminist organisations based on slanderous claims that Assange is a rape denier.

Prior to the May 12 event, Assange was asked by FoD organisers for his opinion on efforts at Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University to block him from speaking. I think, spreading out of US universities from about five years ago, there is a new culture of censorship on campuses and it is spreading to the UK, Assange told Now Then magazine. The problem in this case for me and for numerous other people, is that there is very high demand from students, but censorship at the management level.

According to Sheffield Students Union (SU) president Christy McMorrow, (a member of the Labour Party), the eight-member executive voted unanimously to deny Assange a platform based on a zero tolerance policy toward sexual assault and providing a supposedly safe space on campus. This decision was subsequently overturned after consultation with students.

An open letter issued by LaDIY (a feminist collective) denounced Sheffield SUs decision to reverse the ban as rape apologism. Showing contempt for democratic legal principles, including the presumption of innocence, the letter claimed, [T]he FoD event implicitly contributes to the silencing of rape and sexual assault survivors.

The rape allegations against Assange have formed a central component of the attack on WikiLeaks. Their bogus character is a matter of public record. They were revived by the Swedish state in September 2010, having been earlier dropped by a senior prosecutor as groundless, in order to provide a legal mechanism by which Assange could be extradited from Sweden to the United States, where a sealed US Grand Jury indictment has been prepared.

LaDIY dismisses the political origins and context of the rape allegations and turns reality on its head, portraying Assange as the oppressor: We are angered that this is yet another public opportunity for Assange to evade accountability using his position of power. This of a man who is the victim of one of the most concerted state witch-hunts in modern history!

Opening the Q&A event, the compere referred to WikiLeaks belief that if Assange were extradited to the US he would face criminal prosecution. Assange responded by explaining, This aspect of the presentation galls me. Someone believes something? But the question isnt what one believes, but what one knows as a result of facts and evidence.

This approach, he said, was used to cast doubt: It is a fact that the largest investigation in history is now underway against myself and WikiLeaks. It is a fact that a grand jury has been empanelled in the United States. And it is a fact that documents have been produced making clear the lines of investigation and the allegations against me. It is not a matter of what one believes.

Assange spoke about the far-reaching implications of censorship, describing a disastrous ongoing shift about what you are now allowed to publish.

He responded to claims by the Pentagon, recycled endlessly by media outlets, that WikiLeaks caused collateral damage by releasing unredacted classified documents. When people say you need to be responsible in your reporting of the documents, you should be deeply suspiciousresponsible to whom? WikiLeaks is not responsible to the establishment.

What are we up against? he asked the audience, pointing out that the Pentagon employs a staggering 29,000 public relations officers whose role it was to suppress the truth, promoting violence and illegal wars of aggression around the world: They have blood on their hands.

Asked about attempts to ban the meeting at Sheffield University, including the open letter from LaDIY, Assange replied, One must really question the statements that preceded this meeting. The generous conclusion is that people dont read. Im sure to some degree that must be true. Womens rights are important. But there is no excuse for not doing basic due diligence.

He continued, This is something that Ive been wanting to say for a long time: It is not acceptable to persecute people who are themselves only known to the world because they are persecuted peoplepersecuted by the most powerful military superpower in the world.

In the Q&A session that followed, a World Socialist Web Site reporter said, In Australia, Britain, the US and internationally there is overwhelming support for the stand you have taken to expose war crimes that have taken the lives of millions of people. This sentiment stands in stark contrast to the position taken by two of the largest pseudo-left groups in Britainthe Socialist Workers Party [SWP] and the Socialist Party [SP]who have insisted that you face extradition to Sweden over bogus and politically manufactured rape allegations.

What do you think of the role played by these organisations, including commentators such as Owen Jones in the Guardian, who have utilised gender politics in order to line up with the state witch-hunt against you and against WikiLeaks? Do you believe that these forces have played a role in blocking the opposition of workers and young people to your ongoing incarceration?

Assange said he was unaware of the positions of the SWP and SP, but acknowledged that identity politics was being grabbed onto to suppress debatedescribing this as an especially UK phenomenon. He pointed to a longstanding nexus between identity politics and imperialism, including the 19th century interventions by British imperialism into the Ottoman Empire that were justified on the pretext of protecting the rights of women.

The Sheffield meeting was a victory over efforts to silence Assange and close down debate on fundamental issues surrounding the escalation of militarism and war. It points to mounting opposition among students to the anti-democratic implications of the NUS no-platform policy.

Last November, a similar attempt to block Assange from speaking at the Cambridge Union debating society was overturned. Its president Oliver Mosley (who worked for the Conservative under secretary of state for prisons, Crispin Blunt, in 2013), called a student referendumthe first in the Unions 200-year historyto decide whether to ban the WikiLeaks founder. Its womens officer promptly resigned and was supported by the student union womens officer, Charlie Chorley, who said the invitation to Assange had alienated women and minorities. Students voted overwhelmingly to host Assange with 76.9 percent voting yes.

In 2012, the NUS banned George Galloway (then MP for Bradford West) for being a rape denier after he stated that the allegations against Assange dont constitute rape.

The ban on Galloway was part of efforts to prevent any critical discussion of the way in which Swedens byzantine rape laws have been deployed for nakedly political objectives.

Numerous legal experts have challenged the veracity of the rape allegations against Assange. Should they also be banned from speaking at university campuses, or perhaps stripped of their teaching posts? The thrust of the NUS no-platform movement is to transform universities into institutions of state-sponsored propaganda and repression.

Melbourne barrister James D. Caitlin, who acted for Assange during proceedings in London in 2010, penned an impassioned article concluding that Swedish authorities were making it up as they go along. Rape he explained, is a crime of violence, duress or deception, yet none of these elements was present in the sexual relations of Assange with either Anna Ardin or Sofia Wilen. Both willingly slept with Assange and subsequently boasted of their conquests via SMS and social media.

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Britains Socialist Workers Party and Socialist Party back extradition of Assange

[27 August 2012]
AT&T West workers in San Diego, California are now entering the fifth day of a strike over working conditions and the corporate offensive against pensions and wages.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has kept the workers at AT&T West on the job without a contract for two months, even as 39,000 Verizon workers on the East Coast have been on strike for more than five weeks. The CWA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have sought to separate the struggles of the telecommunication workers on both coasts, even though there is widespread support for joint action.

There are 16,000 AT&T workers in California and Nevada covered by the contact that expired on April 9. However, only 1,700 workers are striking the company, with the CWA insisting that it is not over contract negotiations but instead over an unfair labor practices grievance related to call-center monitoring.

Aware of the sentiment for a united struggle of all telecommunications workers, the unions felt they had to take some action while trying to limit it as much as possible.

As the CWA negotiates with AT&T behind closed doors to end the strike in San Diego, the media has maintained a virtual news blackout of the struggle. Workers informed us that Fox News came to the picket line in Chula Vista in the morning and packed up their truck and left without interviewing the workers.

The WSWS Verizon Strike Newsletter spoke to workers in Mira Mar and Chula Vista, both in San Diego County.

We stand with the Verizon workers, said Dotty, a customer service representative for 26 years. We know their struggle and we are on the brink of it ourselves.

AT&T has continued to show billions of dollars in profit when everyone has been going under. I dont understand the concept of taking away from your employees when you have been making hand over fist as far as quarterly gains are concerned. Corporations are doing fine. [AT&T CEO Randall] Stephenson made an exorbitant amount of money last year on his bonus.

Dotty added, There are a lot of things wrong with this country, and the people running for office are scary. There is nothing concrete in voting for either party right now, and you dont know who to trust.

The working class people carry most of the weight of the country. A lot of working class people have no voice, and Im one of them. I feel like my voice is not heard.

Armando is a premises technician, or prim tech, who installs and repairs AT&Ts U-Verse video and Internet systems. He said that workers have closely following the Verizon strike from California. We stand with our brothers and sisters on the East Coast. We have been out for five days ourselves and have picketed the Verizon store here in San Diego. We are in full support of their cause, because what happens to them can happen to us.

Corporate America is taking away our rights, and we have to take them back.

Derek, also a prim tech, talked about the working conditions at AT&T West: From the time I have been here there have been many different grievances, people have been wrongfully terminated, and we as a local have walked out until they have been put back on the job.

Being a prim tech, we are at the bottom of the totem poll, we dont get a lot of time off, working 365 days a year with only a little bit of time off.

Felix, another prim tech, talked about the safety conditions, referring to the death of Robert Alfred Hernandez, a 61-year-old worker from Los Angeles who suffered from a medical emergency working alone. We are expected to work faster and harder and still maintain a good relationship with the customer, which puts a lot of stress on us that we take on to the next job.

When someone gets hurt, management tells us it is because of a choice that the technician makes. There is so much hypocrisy in this, because they are telling us we have to get the job done faster, and we cant do the best we can with the time we are givenit is a formula for disaster. It is the company taking advantage of us. Safety is not important for them, it is money, it is numbers.

Felix then expressed his solidarity with the Verizon strike: Their concerns are our concerns, what they are fighting for we are fighting for. Even though the company titles are different, we are doing the exact same job. We are concerned with the exact same thing. We are here to provide for our families and are worried about issues such as health care. How can we get a raise when they raise our health care?

Alec, a maintenance technician with nine years, said, Were the ones that make AT&T work. Without us nothing would function. Were the ones that have to install it, maintain it and repair everything.

Right now, were only trying to keep what we have. How much the CEOs make versus what workers makeits an outrage. They keep pushing and pushing and at some point we have to push back. What we do is dangerous, technical work that takes years to learn, and not everyone can do it. We take pride in what we do, but the company thinks otherwise. They dont value what we do. They would be fine paying us $10 an hour.
The 72-year-old economics professor Alexander Van der Bellen won the Austrian presidential election with 50.3 percent of the vote. Norbert Hofer of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) received 49.7 percent.

Van der Bellen officially stood as an independent candidate, but is close to the Greens, which he led from 1997 to 2008. On Sunday evening, he was running behind Hofer, with just 48 percent of the vote. Only after the postal votes were counted did Van der Bellen move into the lead, winning the election with a minimal majority of 31,000 out of 4.4 million votes cast.

This was just enough to prevent an outcome in which, for the first time since 1945, an extreme right-wing politician has entered the highest office in a Western European state. Nevertheless, the Austrian election marks a turning point for Europe. Hofers defeat will not halt the rightward turn in Austrian and European politics. On the contrary, the assumption of the presidency by Van der Bellen, behind whom large sections of the old political elite, sections of the urban upper middle class and almost all the pseudo-left organisations have assembled, intensifies the conditions that are providing an impetus to the far-right.

According to opinion polls, 80 percent of Austrians are dissatisfied with the government, the establishment parties and the countrys political system. A section of them voted for Van der Bellen through gritted teeth in order to prevent the election of a right-winger. But large sections of the poorest and most oppressed sections of Austrian society voted for Hofer, who posed as an opponent of the old elites. As one political scientist put it, the angry voted for Hofer, the disappointed for Van der Bellen.

It is striking that the far-right candidate scored above average not only in backward, rural areas, but also in former strongholds of social democracy and among layers of the population with low education and low incomes. The reason for this lies in the role of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPO), the trade unions and the pseudo-left organisations which move in their orbit.

The pseudo-left outfits have suppressed the class struggle for decades, while moving further to the right. They play a leading role in the attacks on jobs, social and democratic rights, in the witch-hunting of refugees, the stepping up of the powers of the state at home and of the military abroad. This enables far-right organisations like the FPO to channel the anger against the old elites in a reactionary direction, at least initially.

This is an international phenomenon, which is especially pronounced in Austria, where Social Democracy can look back at a long and influential history, which is only comparable to some of the Scandinavian countries and Germany.

The SPO is the countrys oldest political party. Its roots go back well into the 19th century and are closely linked to those of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD). Like the SPD, the SPO betrayed its internationalist programme in 1914 and supported the First World War. After defeat in the war and the dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy, Red Vienna became the epitome of a social democratic city. For a time, one in five inhabitants of the Austrian capital was a card carrying member of the SPO, which implemented numerous reformist projectsfrom building housing, establishing education and health provisions, and organising mass leisure activities.

The Austro-Marxism of Otto Bauer, Max Adler and Rudolf Hilferding, embellished with Marxist phrases, defended bourgeois rule. While Austro-Marxism exposed the bourgeoisie in speeches and articles, wrote Leon Trotsky in 1929, it prevented the workers from rising up against their class enemies. Austro-Marxism proved powerless against the rise of fascism.

The economic recovery that began after the Second World War gave Austrian social democracy another impetus. Between 1945 and 2000, with just four years of interruption, it participated in every federal government. From 1970 to 2000, and from 2007 until today, Austrias chancellor was a Social Democrat.

Its influence reached its zenith in the early 1970s, when Bruno Kreisky, Willy Brandt and Olof Palme headed the governments of Austria, Germany and Sweden, forming an international triumvirate, which extended the influence of social democracy internationally, notably in Spain and Portugal, where the fascist dictatorships collapsed.

While the Social Democratic reformist policies attracted many workers and youth, the real task of Kreisky, Brandt and Palme was in bringing under control the wave of protests, strikes, riots and national liberation struggles that had swept over large parts of Europe and the world between 1968 and 1975.

Since then, the Social Democracy has stood at the head of the attacks on the working class. Tony Blairs New Labour, Gerhard Schroders Agenda 2010 and Francois Hollandes recent labour law have become the epitome of class war in the interests of the banks and corporations. In Austria, the SPO responded to the devastating defeat in the presidential election (its candidate was eliminated in the first round with just 11 percent) by appointing the railway manager Christian Kern, who has pledged to step up austerity, as the new chancellor.

As president, Van der Bellen will work closely with Kern. He would also do this with an FPO government, should the extreme right win the next general election.

The most urgent issue in Austria and throughout the world is to build a new party of the working class, in order to provide a progressive, internationalist and socialist perspective to mass anger and indignation with the established parties.
On May 21, IBEW Local 2222 held a Family Day at the site of one of its regular Verizon pickets in Boston. Attendance at the event was low, but news was circulating of the Friday walkout by AT&T workers in San Diego and a pending strike vote by nurses at Bostons Brigham and Womens Hospital.

In Massachusetts, striking Verizon workers still havent been told whether their unemployment compensation applications have been approved. The IBEW does not have a strike fund. A Verizon worker who discussed the issue with WSWS reporters pointed out that Governor Charlie Baker, whose administration approves unemployment claims, is preparing attacks on public transit workers while delaying benefits for Verizon strikers.

WSWS reporters also spoke with Trish Powers, the chairperson of a Massachusetts Nurses Association chapter that represents 3,300 workers at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston (often referred to as the Brigham). Powers was supporting Verizon workers, who also had attended an information picket at the hospital on May 17.

Powers commented on the Verizon strike that Verizon is a billion dollar company, and coming down on the little guy. Its just not right, its disgusting. She raised the need to fight the two-tiered wage system and the companys demand that it be able to send workers long distances at the drop of a hat.

When a WSWS reporter said that workers from all industries must join together in a common fight, Powers responded with the example of mass protests in 2011, saying, I agree, because were all in this. All you have to do is turn on the national news, you look at Wisconsin.

Nurses at Brigham and Womens, part of Partners HealthCare, have been in negotiations for a new contract since the beginning of September 2015. Partners, using tactics similar to those of Verizon, is trying to foist its last and final offer on the nurses with the help of a federal mediator. The nurses, 3,300-strong, have scheduled a strike vote for May 31.

Partners HealthCare was formed in 1994 in a merger of Brigham and Womens with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and in the last two decades the organization has acquired many other Massachusetts hospitals, including Newton-Wellesley Hospital, McLean Hospital and the North Shore Medical Center.

In the year ending September 30, 2014, Partners had income of more than $11 billion, up more than $400 million from the previous year. Its Form 990 listed 19 executives and doctors who made more than $1 million in the year that fiscal year, including a package of close to $2.7 million for CEO David Torchiana.

Brigham and Womens, before forming Partners with MGH, was the product of a 1980 merger between the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, the Robert Breck Brigham Hospital and the Boston Hospital for Women.

It now has almost 800 beds and encompasses 12 city blocks in Bostons Mission Hill neighborhood. Approximately 28,000 patientsincluding Level 1 trauma victimsare treated there each day, and the hospital has 20,000 employees.

Partners and the Brigham both qualify as not-for-profit corporations under Massachusetts law, despite their billions in yearly revenues and lavish compensation for executives. In addition, MGH owns the adjacent building in which the 4-star Liberty Hotel is located. Wealthy business people and tourists pay top dollar for a room in what used to be the Charles Street Jail, and MGM collects rental income.

When asked about the not-for-profit status of the Brigham, Trish Powers responded, Well, its a joke that they call it a non-profit. The Brigham itself made $179 million, I believe, just in one of the recent quarters. Our CEO, Betsy Nabel, makes over $2.4 million.

Powers explained a code team as a team of medical professionals who save patients through CPR and other techniques, as is sometimes depicted in TV dramas. Nabel, said Powers, cut a code team citing that it cost a half million dollars a year. Coincidentally, she got a half-million-dollar bonus. So thats pretty sad.

Brigham and Womens is among the top 10 hospitals in the United States and, according to Powers, does face transplants, double-lung transplants, and other state-of-the-art procedures. Nonetheless, the nurses who make this medicine possible are facing stagnating wages and cuts in benefits, and are anticipating attacks on their pensions. Nurses at the top step for wages have not had a significant raise since 2009.

Partners is using trickery to deny benefits to new hires. New nurses are given per diem appointments, which are not eligible for health insurance or accrued sick time, but are then expected to work 40 hours per week. Others are hired in at 24 or 32 hours per week so that Partners can avoid giving them health insurance. In a scheme resembling a company store, Partners is making new hires buy insurance that it sells.

So not only will they be paying more money and have less choice, but the moneys going back into the profit of Partners. That will be their only choice for insurance, Powers said.

Staffing levels are inadequate, she said, leading to stress. During a recent emergency they mandated the nurses then to stay over their shift, the next shift, because they didnt have enough staff on that day. So they havent been hiring. We have nurses aides and things like that that help us out, and theyve eliminated all of them, pretty much. In one building, theyve totally eliminated them.

In a hospital where patients are sometimes violent toward nursesrecent examples include a nurse being punched in the face and a nurse having a knife held to her throatmanagement has also provided inadequate security. When the union raised this issue in negotiations, Powers said, They said that it wasnt our business; security at the hospital.

Nurses at Brigham and Womens do not get health insurance after they retire, and instead have to wait for Medicare eligibility. They also do not receive supplemental coverage, Powers said. After describing the stressand even violenceexperienced by nurses, she said that I work in a trauma unit, so Im looking to do that til Im in my late 60s in a trauma unit because if I retire early I dont have any health insurance, even though I work at a hospital.

In preparing for a possible strike, the nurses held an information picket attended by approximately 1,500 people on May 17. Nurses from the Dana Farber Cancer Center, Boston Medical Center, Tufts New England Medical Center, Childrens Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital attended, along with Verizon workers and ironworkers. Were fighting not just for the nurses, were fighting for everyone, Powers said.
Ruling circles in Canada responded enthusiastically last week to the announcement that Foreign Minister Stephane Dion would be joining the negotiations led by the US and Russia in Vienna involving the parties in the Syrian civil war.

Dion attended his first meeting of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) last Tuesday, where it was agreed to set a June 1 deadline for the resumption of aid to residents cut off from the outside world by renewed violence.

The meeting failed to agree on a timetable for future talks.

Washington never had any intention of concluding a permanent peace agreement with the Assad regime in Damascus. From the outset of its intervention in Iraq and Syria in the fall of 2014, the US and its allies have been pursuing the goal of regime change in Damascus so as to strengthen Washingtons geopolitical hegemony over the worlds most important oil-producing region and weaken rivals Iran and Russia.

The invitation extended to Canada to participate in the discussion reflects that it is fully on board with this predatory agenda. At last Tuesdays meeting, Dion was reportedly one of the most strenuous advocates of allied air drops of humanitarian supplies to the Syrian population, a pretext which has been used repeatedly over recent years to serve as the trigger for aggressive imperialist interventions.

In a Globe And Mail interview, the foreign minister committed Canada to providing a large amount of resources for such operations. I insisted on the necessity to be strong on air drops of food and medication if we cannot help the population in difficulty, Dion told the Globe. We provide the parachutes and we provide mostly the money to make it possible.

In Syria, the use of a humanitarian trigger to justify a full-scale US-led war is no mere distant possibility. The ISSG meeting Dion attended warned any party violating Februarys cessation of violence agreement with consequences. US warplanes already bomb ISIS targets in Syria, and could quickly shift their aim to pro-Assad forces.

Canadas seat at the table has been secured through its services rendered in the US-led military operations in the Middle East. In 2014, the Conservative Harper government sent aircraft to join in the bombardment of ISIS targets in Iraq and later Syria. Earlier this year, the Liberal government junked its pose during the election as opponents of the military intervention in Iraq and Syria by tripling the contingent of Canadian Special Forces in the region and increasing soldiers by a third. The Special Forces are playing a central role in northern Iraq in the training of Kurdish peshmerga forces to take back territory controlled by the Islamic State.

A key priority of the Liberal government is the deepening of Canadas strategic partnership with the US so as to project Canadian interests around the world more aggressively. The government is currently sponsoring a defence policy review that is considering a vast expansion in resources for the armed forces and potential deployments of military personnel on virtually every continent. Potential interventions in Libya, Mali and Haiti are already in the works. As well as the Middle East, the Liberals are continuing the Conservative policy of closely integrating Canada with the US in its aggressive drive against Russia in eastern Europe and the Baltic, and in its pivot to Asia aimed at preparing for war with China.

Canadian imperialisms interests in the Middle East are closely aligned with those of Washington. Immediately upon taking power, the Trudeau government vowed that there would be no weakening in its staunch support for the Zionist Israeli regime. Unlike its Conservative predecessor, it embraced the Obama administrations nuclear agreement with Iran.

An important section of the ruling elite in Canada is of the opinion that Dions position at the talks was secured by the determination of the Trudeau government to press ahead with a C$15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia in the face of widespread public opposition. The agreement, which will supply light armoured vehicles to the absolutist dictatorship with one of the worst human rights records in the world, was initiated by the Conservatives but had to be approved and signed off by Dion earlier this year.

Pressure mounted on the government two weeks ago when the Globe published footage of Saudi forces using similar vehicles to those that Canada will ship in the suppression of Shia regime opponents in the Al-Qatif region.

Armoured vehicles have also been used by the US-backed Saudi forces, which have been waging a murderous war in Yemen for more than a year. In the course of the conflict, thousands of civilians have been killed and millions forced from their homes in what was already the regions poorest country.

The military vehicles, which are capable of carrying small cannons or machine guns, are being shipped by Canada to a regime which is also one of the most aggressive advocates for an all-out war for regime change against the Assad regimea policy that could quickly spiral into a broader regional war drawing in the US and its allies on one side and Russia on the other. Adel al-Jubair, the Saudi foreign minister, commented at the Vienna talks last week, The choice about moving to an alternative plan, the choice about intensifying the military support [to the opposition] is entirely with the Bashar regime.  He will be removed, either through a political process or through military force.

Such risks are, however, from the standpoint of Canadian imperialist interests, worth taking. Michael Bell, who served as Canadian ambassador to a number of Middle Eastern countries and advised Trudeau on foreign policy prior to the election, enthused that Dions inclusion at the ISSG was recognition of the governments resolve to play a significant role on the world scene. He claimed that the Liberals were reviving the multilateral traditions of Lester Pearson by pursuing a policy of constructive intervention. The desire for a more active role in multilateral institutions, which served over the years to enable Canada as a lesser imperialist power to project its interests around the globe, led a large section of the ruling elite last year to back the return to power of the Liberals, the Canadian bourgeoisies preferred party of government for much of the last century and the party most closely associated with the multilateral tradition.

Lest anyone harbour any illusions about the character of this new engagement, Bell wrote of the murky world of international relations, before getting to his main point, One has to get ones hands dirty and engage with, and persuade, those whose power and influence determine outcomes.

Bell insisted that this be undertaken with Saudi Arabia as an ally. After rejecting any criticism of the governments actions, he went on to assert that the most important reason for sticking to the arms deal was the consequences, in a world of political hardball, for the Arabian peninsula of undermining the House of Saud, no matter how repellent its tribal practices.

Another outspoken ally of the Liberal governments foreign policy has been the arch-conservative Conrad Black. In a comment entitled Why Canada is justified in selling arms to the Saudis in the right-wing National Post, Black explicitly linked the arms sale to Canadas great power ambitions. Canada can now decide whether it wants to be one of the worlds important powers or not. This does not mean a super power, which is not and will not be on offer for a country of 35 million people. It means a G7 country with the ability to extend its status to be one of worlds influential countries beyond economics and including the full range of factors that create a countrys stature in the world.

The sections of the ruling elite that raised concern about Dions invitation to Vienna attacked him from the right. His seat at the table with the US and Russia had been secured only by toning down criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin, argued Globe columnist Conrad Yakabuski, including among other things by abandoning plans for a law targeting Russian corruption. He went on to worry that this could compromise Canadian support for the far-right regime in Ukraine, which continues to wage a civil war against pro-Russian separatists in the east.

The Trudeau government has continued the firm support extended to Kiev by its Conservative predecessor. Around 200 Canadian troops are currently in western Ukraine training military personnel, and Dion has vowed to implement a free trade agreement between the two countries. Trudeau is reportedly planning an official visit to Ukraine this summer.
The National Transportation Safety Board decided this month that the most likely causes of an Amtrak train derailment on May 12, 2015 in Philadelphia was a radio transmission that distracted the train engineer and the lack of safety technology that could have prevented the operator from speeding. The crash killed eight people and injured 220 passengers.

The engineer, Brandon Bostian, a 32-year old resident of Queens, New York was operating the train, Amtrak No. 188, which was traveling from Washington DC to New York City and flew off the tracks while moving at 106 miles per hour, more than twice the speed limit for that stretch of track. He then applied the emergency brake which slowed the train down to 102 mph. But it was too late: four of the trains seven cars, including its locomotive, careened off the track in a tangled heap.

Bostian told investigators that he remembered a radio transmission from a commuter train operator who transmitted that a rock had just shattered his windshield. Bostian was concerned because one of his friends had lost partial eyesight in a rock throwing incident. The engineer did not tell the investigators about any other radio chatter that he might have heard.

The boards chairman, Christopher A. Hart, said that Bostian lost situational awareness when his attention was diverted by the radio transmission.

The Frankford Junction curve in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Port Richmond is one of the sharpest in Amtraks Northeast Corridor. Investigators believed that Bostian accelerated because he thought that he was past the curve.

The lead investigator, Robert Sumwalt, told reporters, He went in a matter of seconds, from distraction to disaster. This is not a complex error. Its a very basic error. But in this case it was a very costly error.

NTSB investigator Steve Jenner stated that This is a standard human error. [Train engineers] have no more of the right stuff than pilots  or anyone else.

NTSB chairman Christopher Hart noted that even the best engineers are fallible and that, it is a world in which the engineer relies in part on the memorized details of the route and a world in which a loss of awareness can take a terrible toll.

According to transcripts, Bostian told investigators, I pushed the throttle forward in order to accelerate from 70 to 80. And I dont remember anything from that point until after the train was already in the curve.

He also told investigators, After North Philadelphia, there are a few speed changes. One of the significant speed changes is theres a 65-mph curve that leads into an 80 mph straightaway that leads into a 50-mph curve. I think at Frankford Junction or around Frankford Junction area.

He further explained that, For the 50-mph curve, its difficult to see where the curve starts. As that track curves to the left, it kind of, youre looking into something of a black abyss. It would be easy to hit the curve a little bit hot by 5 or 10 mph if you werent being careful and looking very carefully at the cues because it can sneak up on you.

The derailment could have been prevented if proper signal protection called Positive Train Control (PTC), which automatically stops trains from going too fast around designated speed limits, had been installed. Such technology was not in place in this area at the time of the crash.

One of the investigators, Ted Turpin said that had PTC been in use along that stretch of track, we would not be here today.

NTSB chairman Hart said that unless the technology is fully in place soon, Im very concerned that were going to be back in this room again, hearing investigators detail how technology that we have recommended for more than 45 years could have prevented yet another fatal rail accident.

NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said Based on what we know, had such a system been installed in this section of track, the accident would not have occurred.

Over the past 20 years, the NTSB has cited the lack of this technology as a contributing factor in 25 crashes. The installation of this technology has proceeded very slowly throughout the country. With President Barack Obamas signature last year Congress passed a bill that extended the original legislative deadline of 2015, and gave the railroads another 3 to 5 years to implement it.

Authorities have determined that Bostian was not on a cell phone, using drugs, or involved in alcohol use at the time of the crash. Although since the crash, Bostian has been suspended without pay by Amtrak for speeding, his fellow engineers have always held him in high regard for his concern for safety. Bostian often complained that the railroads were not moving fast enough to adopt PTC protections.

The NTSB also concluded that there was a problem with the trains emergency windows since four people were killed after they were ejected through them during the crash.

The safety agency found that the police were in error in transporting some people to the hospitals instead of waiting for ambulances. Just 23 of the 185 who ended up in a hospital were taken in ambulances. The rest were taken by other means such as city buses, police cars or vans. The NTSB found that only three of the 43 most seriously injured passengers had an ambulance transport them from the scene of the derailment. The agency is recommending better coordination of the police and the fire department.

The NTSB investigation has revealed, not for the first time, that without proper signal protection, especially in areas with sudden sharp turns such as the Frankford Junction Area, rail accidents such as the Amtrak one of 2015 are disasters waiting to happen.

Under conditions where train operators have little control over their break times but must submit to a prearranged schedule, how competent the operator may be is increasingly irrelevant to preventing accidents. As the NTSB board chairman has explained, all it takes, for whatever reason, is a moments lack of awareness, especially in areas like Frankford Junction, to end up in tragedy.

Indeed, in the spring of 2015, Amtrak cut layover time for the engineers on the Northeast Corridor from an average of two- and a- half hours to only ninety minutes or less. On the day of the accident, Bostian was behind schedule and had much less break time than normal before operating the train that derailed.

The real crime is that the rail companies, in cahoots with the federal government, have allowed these dangerous conditions to continue. It has been estimated that it would take little more than $21 billion to repair and replace existing tracks and other infrastructure just in the Northeast Corridor, the busiest in the country.

This is another example of the vital infrastructure which is being sacrificed in order to meet the needs of the banks and big business or to pay for the ever expanding military industrial complex, as required by capitalism.
The US-backed regime in Iraq announced on Monday it was launching a military offensive to retake the city of Fallujah, which has been held by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militias since early 2014. The operation is part of the intensification of the US-led war in Iraq and Syria to ensure continued American dominance in the Middle East.

Flanked by senior military commanders, Prime Minister Haider al Abadi declared in a nationally televised announcement that Iraqi forces would tear up the black flags of the despicable strangers who abducted this dear city. Fallujah, which is just 65 kilometres west of Baghdad in Sunni-dominated Anbar province, has been under siege by government troops for months.

Abadi has launched the military offensive in a desperate bid to shore up his fragile government. In dramatic protests in late April, thousands of demonstrators stormed Baghdads heavily-fortified Green Zone and invaded the parliament building to denounce corruption and demand improved security and social services.

Yesterdays announcement came just three days after thousands of people again took to the streets in Baghdad to join anti-government demonstrations. Security forces were mobilised in large numbers, using tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to suppress the protesters.

Abadi indirectly acknowledged that the protests were a factor in launching the Fallujah offensive. It was supposed to start earlier, but unfortunately political disputes and the events in Baghdad, which threatened security  all this delayed some of the preparations for this battle, he said.

Other analysts were more pointed. The Wall Street Journal cited Kirk Sowell, publisher of the Inside Iraqi Politics newspaper, who declared that the Fallujah operation was just what Abadi needed. Sowell added: If Abadi wanted to have any future at all as a political leader, he had to do this.

The Iraqi military is mounting a massive operation to retake Fallujah from an estimated 800 to 1,000 ISIS fighters entrenched in the city. Around 10,000 regular army troops, supported by 8,000-10,000 Iraqi national police, as well as Shiite militias and tribal fighters, are involved in the offensive.

The assault is being spearheaded by 1,500 members of the elite Counter Terrorism Services. There are largely Shiite special forces units that are notorious for carrying out sectarian murders and terrorising the Sunni population in areas where they have been deployed.

American and allied warplanes in Iraq conducted two strikes in Fallujah yesterday, making a total of 21 in the city since May 17. The Iraqi military has also carried out its own strikes using US-supplied F-16 war planes. In addition, the US military is making available long-range artillery based at the Taqaddum air base, west of Fallujah, and Apache helicopter gunships. US advisers have been intimately involved in planning and preparing the attacks.

Abadi, who is also the Iraq governments commander in chief, toured the Fallujah front dressed in the all-black uniform of the counterterrorism forcesan ominous warning of what is to come. He hailed the big successes being made, declaring: The enemy is collapsing. Our message to civilians is that these operations are to save you from Daesh [ISIS].

The limited reports of fighting painted a different picture. By late Monday, government forces had taken over two districts on the citys outskirts. They claimed to have killed 34 ISIS fighters and destroyed a communications centre. Local sources told Al Jazeera that six civilians were killed in shelling and 14 soldiers died in fighting, but neither figure has been officially confirmed.

Up to 75,000 civilians remain trapped in Fallujah, lacking food and other essential necessities of life. As a result of the blockade of the city, the UNs World Food Program has not been able to deliver aid since September. According to the Wall Street Journal, numerous people have died of starvation. Denunciations of ISIS for using civilians as human shields are designed to justify a massive assault on the city that results in widespread devastation and death.

Katharina Ritz, head of the International Red Cross delegation in Iraq, declared yesterday: Civilians must be spared and allowed to leave Fallujah safely, while houses and other civilian infrastructure must not be targetted. While ISIS has been blamed for not allowing civilians to leave, the Sunni residents undoubtedly fear their fate at the hands of Shiite militias.

Fallujah must not be allowed to become another Ramadi, Ritz said. The government offensive to retake the city of Ramadi in December led to the destruction of thousands of homes and buildings, and basic infrastructure such as water and electricity. The city is still uninhabitable, with buildings not cleared of booby traps. More than 100 civilians have died trying to return to Ramadi since ISIS was driven out.

The destruction, social dislocation, death and ongoing fighting are the direct consequence of the US-led criminal invasion of Iraq in 2003. The levelling of Fallujah by the US military in 2004 was one of its worst crimes. A city of some 300,000 people was reduced to rubble in a bloody siege that lasted months. About 10,000 of the citys 39,000 homes were completely destroyed and many more damaged. An unknown number of civilians were killed. Embedded journalists who entered the city with US troops found bodies lying in the streets.

The tragedy of Fallujah helped drive segments of the Sunni population into the anti-government insurgency that spawned Al Qaeda in Iraq. It crossed over the border into Syria and became one of the main ground forces for the US-orchestrated regime change operation against President Bashar al-Assad. Formed as a breakaway from Al Qaeda, ISIS was greatly strengthened by the money and guns funnelled into Syria by the US and its allies. ISIS then crossed back into Iraq during 2014 and inflicted a series of devastating blows on the US-trained and equipped Iraqi security forces, including the capture of Mosul, the countrys second largest city.

Mosuls recapture has been the main US objective. Hudson Institute analyst Richard Weitz told Al Jazeera: The American military has been pushing them [Iraqi military forces] to reconquer Mosul as the decisive battle, not Fallujah. Mosuls conquest would strike a devastating political and military blow against ISIS, setting the stage for an escalation of the US-backed war in Syria, not only against ISIS but also the Assad regime, the chief US target.
New Zealand Coroner Wallace Bain released findings earlier this month from an inquest into the death of 23-year-old Robert Epapara, one of 10 forestry workers killed on the job in 2013. The inquest was one of eight carried out into recent deaths in forestry, New Zealands third largest export industry.

The findings came after five more fatalities at logging operations in the first quarter of 2016, making it still one of the deadliest occupations in the country. With the most technologically advanced equipment, such deaths are largely preventable. The majority of companies continue to operate with cheap harvesting gear, and many have lax procedures and poor safety training.

In 2014, Epaparas employer Complete Logging Limited was fined $60,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $75,000 for failing take all practicable steps to ensure his safety. Epapara was hit by a log felled by another worker. In violation of an industry code of practice, he did not have a radio to communicate his location with the rest of the crew.

Bain criticised the company but, according to the Rotorua Daily Post, said forestrys safety record had dramatically improved following an industry-led review in 2014, and several inquests and prosecutions over deaths. Bain said: The industry is now a far safer place to work and families will not have to go through the heartbreaking process of losing a loved one when that death was preventable.

The coroner was forced to concede, however, that this years deaths were a concern ... especially after all the publicity and education in the sector. In fact, the five recent deaths are a significant spike that gives the lie to official claims of a dramatic improvement.

This years toll is already higher than 2015 (three deaths) and 2014 (one death). In the past decade there have been 54 deaths27 since 2010and some 2,000 serious harm incidents. Forestry workers are 70 times more likely to be killed on the job than the average NZ worker. The industrys death rate is 34 times higher than Britains and seven times that of Australia.

The deaths this year include Blair David Palmer, a 53-year-old foreman with over 20 years experience. He was crushed by a falling tree on March 31 while working for contractor DG Glenn Logging at Pan Pacs Pohukura forest block near Napier. A week earlier, Damian Lee Tai, a worker in his thirties, was hit by a log and died in Pakotai near Whangarei.

On March 10, 31-year-old Matangaroa Taramai was killed, apparently by a tree that fell on him on a block managed by Forest Enterprises east of Masterton. A few days earlier, three-year-old Felyx Rhys Hatherley was killed by a rolling log while visiting his fathers workplace with his mother, at Point Lumber Washdykes operation in Timaru. Gaddum Construction worker Miki Butler-August died on February 17 when he was run over on a block in the Bay of Plenty.

In addition to five worksite deaths, there have been at least eight logging truck accidents this year. A collision between a car and a truck in Waikato last month killed one woman and seriously injured two others. Five serious incidents involving logging trucks in the Northland region between April and mid-May prompted a 150-strong public meeting in Whangarei recently to confront Transport Agency officials over the ongoing danger to public safety.

The spate of deaths comes after a public relations campaign designed to create the impression that the industry and the government regulator WorkSafe NZ had learned from the 2013 toll and, with the collaboration of the trade unions, made significant safety improvements.

In 2014 the industry launched an Independent Forestry Safety Review. Its task, as the WSWS noted, was to whitewash the responsibility of the forest owners, contractor companies, governments and unions by not assigning blame and making vague calls for safer practices.

Far from being independent, the review was led by the business owners themselves. It included Forest Industry Contractors and the Farm Forestry Association, alongside WorkSafe and the Council of Trade Unions (CTU).

The review resulted in the formation of the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC), which includes business leaders, WorkSafe representatives and FIRST Union leader Robert Reid. In February, the council trumpeted the reduction in deaths and injuries in 2014-2015 as a dramatic improvement.

After insisting that the FISC would lead to safety improvements, the CTU described the latest deaths as totally unacceptable. CTU president Richard Wagstaff asked whether companies were putting additional pressure on those working to get the logs cut in order to maximise profit.

Reid similarly told the media: We need to make sure that if the market for wood goes up, the price of wood goes up, its not workers who are going to suffer and lose their lives. Neither union leader explained why their collaboration with big business and the government had failed to prevent the deaths. The unions role in the FISC is precisely to keep the industry profitable and prevent any industrial campaign among workers to demand decent working conditions.

FISC distributes health and safety information to forest workers, their supervisors and managers, and aims to make everyone as accountable for their safety as their roles allow. There is no legal requirement for businesses to adopt the safest technologies. Shifts up to 12 hours are common, leading to fatigue among workers. Regulation consists chiefly of occasional inspections and advice. In a number of cases, WorkSafe has refused to prosecute companies over workplace deaths.

The decline in forestry deaths in 20142015 appears to have been due, not to improved safety, but a downturn in activity. The 2013 toll coincided with the biggest forestry harvest ever seen. By August 2014, an industry group estimated that 50 small contractors had left the industry amid falling export prices, largely due to Chinas economic slowdown. In 2015, the volume of logs harvested dropped 3 percent, the first decline in seven years.

While the precise causes of the latest deaths are not yet clear, they correlate with an upswing in the industry. By November 2015, demand had rebounded and log prices were at a seven-month high of $92 a tonne, driven by a decline in the New Zealand currency and falling international oil prices. By April 2016, the wharf gate price rose a further 30 percent to $119 a tonne.

The opposition Labour Partys workplace relations spokesman Iain Lees-Galloway declared on April 27 that the toll of at least 46 workplace deaths in the past year was a damning indictment of the National Party government. In reality, both Labour and National governments are to blame for the deregulated environment that inevitably results in fatal incidents.

In 1987, the Lange Labour government, as part of a global market liberalisation offensive, transformed the NZ Forest Service, which owned most plantation forests and directly employed workers, into a state-owned enterprise, in preparation for privatisation. The 1990s National government then sold off more than 500,000 hectares of forests.

Today there are 15,000 forest owners and approximately 400 logging companies, which compete for harvesting contracts. There is intense cost-cutting at the expense of workers pay and conditions. Workers wages as a share of industry profits have dropped from 70 percent in the 1980s to 19.6 percent today. Many workers earn little more than the minimum wage, while putting their lives at risk to generate expanding profits for the forestry companies.
A so-called youth internship scheme was a centrepiece of the Liberal-National Coalition governments May 3 budget. Under the pretence of providing training for non-existent jobs, thousands of unemployed young people will be pushed into menial labour for private employers. For this, they will be paid the equivalent of just $4 an hour on top of their poverty-level unemployment benefits.

Young people are among the chief targets of the austerity agenda demanded by the corporate elite, regardless of which parties form government after the July 2 elections. Working-class youth already confront dire conditions. Even on understated official figures, youth unemployment is around 12 percent. In working-class areas, it has reached depression-era levels of over 40 percent. Casualised, low-wage work without any rights or security, has become the norm for an entire generation.

The governments cynically titled PaTH (Prepare, Trial, Hire) scheme seeks to use this social crisis as a battering ram to drive down the wages and conditions of all workers by exploiting young people as a mass pool of cheap labour.

PaTH will force young people under the age of 25 who have been unemployed for five months or more into compulsory six-week pre-employment training courses, then offer them to employers as low-cost interns.

Employers will receive $1,000 government subsidies to hire interns for up to 12 weeks. If they ultimately offer interns full-time work, businesses will be eligible for government bonuses of between $6,500 and $10,000.

In return for working 25 hours a week, interns will be paid $200 a fortnight or $4 an hour on top of their Newstart dole payments, which for a single unemployed person is $527 a fortnight. This translates into a weekly payment of just $364 or $68 less than the minimum wage. By comparison, the average apartment rent in Sydney is $467 a week.

Businesses on the other hand receive up to 12 weeks of work for nothing or next to nothing.

Over the next four years, 100,000 unemployed young people will be forced into the PaTH program. According to the budget estimates, they may not be covered by workers compensation and thus they will have no recourse if injured during the program.

PaTH essentially extends the two-decades-long work for the dole program to enable businesses to make use of its victims. Until now, the long-term unemployed had to work for charities, councils and other not-for-profit organisations in order to receive their Newstart benefits. First imposed by the Howard government in 1998, the scheme was maintained by the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments from 2007 to 2013.

In 2015, the Coalition government, with the Labor Partys support, moved to force into the scheme everyone under the age of 50 who had been unemployed for more than six months. Unemployment services were also contracted out to corporate jobactive providers, at a cost of $6.8 billion.

Work for the dole is a punitive regime of harassment and persecution, with the participants under constant threat of being cut off their welfare payments. The often substandard and dangerous conditions were underscored by the tragic death of Josh Park-Fing, 18, who was killed in an accident while working on the scheme last month.

Last year, Tony Abbottthen the prime ministerdeclared that the Coalition government would expand work for the dole to give businesses an opportunity to try before you buy. This is the reality of PaTH. It will allow businesses to churn through an endless stream of interns, without providing any real employment. Studies have shown that similar schemes have led to jobs for only 19 percent of interns, leaving more than 80 percent on the scrap heap.

All the parties of the political establishment are responsible for depriving an entire generation of a future. Successive Labor governments have gutted apprenticeship programs and technical colleges. Billions of dollars have been handed to private colleges, which prey on working-class youth, signing them up for substandard courses and burdening them with tens of thousands of dollars of debt.

In line with its record, the Labor Party welcomed PaTH, repeating the lie that it will help young people find work. Following a widespread public backlash, Labor leaders have since called for more details of the program.

For their part, the trade unions have run a cynical media campaign against PaTH. Their claims to be concerned about the exploitation of vulnerable young people were exposed last week by revelations that the countrys largest union, the Shop Distributive and Allied Workers (SDA), which covers retail and service workers, colluded with major fast-food and supermarket chains to deprive employees of weekend and after-hours penalty rates.

The unions have long played the central role in enforcing the dictates of big business for the erosion of wages and working conditions. Today, many young people have never been paid penalty rates, or held a job with elementary rights such as sick leave and holiday pay.

While the ruling establishment insists there is no money to meet the needs of young people, all the major parties support spending billions of dollars on the military. In the May 3 budget, the government, with Labors support, earmarked $195 billion for new warships, aircraft and military infrastructure, all in preparation for a conflict with China. Young people, with no other prospects, are being bombarded with advertisements touting military careers.

The Socialist Equality Party insists that all young people have basic social rights. They have the right to a decent job with a living wage, to free education and access to culture and leisure facilities. These are necessities of life in a complex, modern society.

Securing these rights requires a political struggle against the capitalist system, which subordinates every aspect of social and economic life to the profit demands of the billionaires, and all the parties that defend it. We call on students and young people to study our program, support our campaign and to take up the fight for socialisma society organised on the basis of social need, not private profit.

Authorised by James Cogan, Shop 6, 212 South Terrace, Bankstown Plaza, Bankstown, NSW 2200
President Barack Obamas announcement in Hanoi on Monday that Washington is lifting its four-decade-old arms embargo on Vietnam is described by the media, and Obama himself, as a decisive step in the normalization of relations between the US and Vietnam.

That process has been ongoing since the restoration of diplomatic relations in 1995. On the military front, the US agreed to sell Vietnam non-lethal military hardware in 2007, and last year it agreed to provide the Vietnamese coastguard with five unarmed patrol boats.

While there are no immediate prospects for massive arms deals between Washington and Hanoi, the US gesture is aimed at drawing Vietnam more closely into the orbit of US imperialism and the Obama administrations pivot to Asia. It seeks in Vietnam, as in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Australia and elsewhere in Asia, the creation of a string of military alliances and bases to contain and ultimately wage war against China. The Pentagon wants the right to utilize the same bases it built up during the Vietnam War and to pre-position military hardware in preparation for such a conflict.

What has stood in the way of normalization until now is the bloody history of US imperialisms encounter with Vietnam. Between 1964 and 1975, the US military unleashed violence of near-genocidal proportions against the Vietnamese people.

The war, which cost the lives of at least 3 million Vietnamese, saw the deployment of a US military force that at its height numbered more than 536,000 troops, 58,000 of whom died in Vietnam. By the time the war was over, US warplanes had dropped more than three times as much explosives on Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia as were dropped all across Europe and Asia during the Second World War. In addition, some 20 million gallons of toxic chemicals were dumped on the Vietnamese countryside, turning at least 10 percent of it into wasteland and leaving behind a health crisis that still inflicts cruel deformities upon Vietnamese newborns.

The politicians, both Democratic and Republican, and the senior military commanders who planned and prosecuted this devastating war of aggression were responsible for the worst war crimes committed since Hitlers Third Reich, though, of course, none of them have faced the equivalent of a Nuremberg Tribunal.

Despite US imperialisms massive military power, it suffered a humiliating defeat, caused in the first instance by the immense heroism and sacrifice of the Vietnamese people. This was combined with the overwhelming hostility to the war and the growth of militancy within the American working class that made it impossible to continue the imperialist intervention.

The image of the last American personnel scrambling onto helicopters on the US Embassy rooftop in Saigon in April 1975 remains an indelible expression of the historic crisis and decline of US imperialism.

That 41 years later Vietnam is being drawn into the preparations for an even more bloody and catastrophic US war against China is an expression of the tragic fate of the Vietnamese Revolution.

Vietnams evolution in the aftermath of the US war provides an historical vindicationin the negativeof Leon Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution. The liberation of this oppressed country from imperialist domination could, in the end, be accomplished only through a revolution of the working class, leading the oppressed masses behind it. Moreover, none of the immense economic problems confronting a war-shattered Vietnam could be resolved on the basis of nationalist policies such as those advanced by the Stalinist leadership of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP). In the epoch of the domination of the world capitalist economy over all national economies, socialist transformation, while beginning on the national soil, could be completed only on the international arena.

The isolation of the Vietnamese Revolution was a function not only of the VCPs Stalinist perspective of socialism in one country, but even more decisively of the betrayals of a series of revolutionary upheavals internationally at the hands of Stalinist, social democratic and trade union leaderships during the same period. From the May-June events in France in 1968 through to the collapse of Francos fascist regime in Spain in 1975, these leaderships all worked to prevent the revolutionary mobilization of the working class and to re-stabilize capitalist rule.

In the end, the Vietnamese Stalinist bureaucracy took the same road as its Chinese counterpart, adopting its Doi Moi (renovation) policy in 1986 and declaring the creation of a socialist-oriented market economy as its goal.

Vietnam has been transformed into a cheap labor platform for transnational capital, with its working class subjected to grinding exploitation and wage levels that are half those prevailing in China. Corruption pervades the ruling party, which represents the interests of foreign capital and the emerging financial elite within Vietnam itself, while using police state measures to ensure labor discipline.

The Obama administration is attempting to draw Vietnam more tightly into its economic orbit through its participation in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), whose principal aim is to counter Chinas economic influence in the region. The agreements intended effects are to remove the remaining fetters on US capitalist investment and trade, while tearing down what remains of Vietnams state-owned enterprises.

China remains Vietnams number one trading partner, even as the US is its top export market. The ruling bureaucracy, while tilting toward Washington, still attempts to maintain a delicate balancing between the two.

The increasingly aggressive provocations being organized by the US military in the South China Sea and Washingtons drive to stoke tensions between China and neighboring states over control of islands, reefs and territorial waters will inevitably upset this balancing act, dragging Vietnam once again into the horrors of war.

Only the working class can prevent such a catastrophe. With its promotion of the penetration of Vietnam by foreign direct investment and the correspondingly rapid growth of capitalist production, Vietnams ruling bureaucracy and the wealthy layers it represents are creating their own grave diggers, in the form of a young and concentrated working class that will inevitably be drawn onto the road of class struggle.
At least 17 young girls died in a horrific fire that broke out at 10:30 on Sunday night at a school dormitory in the Wiang Pa Pao district of Chiang Rai, Thailand. According to local police, two girls were unaccounted for and five were injured.

The school, Pithakkiart Witthaya, is run by the Siam Ruam Jai Foundation, a charity that provides classes for children aged between 5 and 12 years from the northern regions impoverished hill tribes who live near the border with Myanmar and Laos.

Approximately 14 girls managed to escape unharmed. The provinces deputy governor, Arkom Sukapan, told Agence France Presse: Some were not yet asleep so they escaped. But others were asleep and could not escape, resulting in the large number of casualties.

According to the Nation, Police Major-General Sant Sukhavach ... said yesterday evidence suggested the fire broke out because of a melting fluorescent tube, which had ignited a pile of clothes. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed, however.

Like many buildings throughout Thailand, it appears that the dormitory had no fire alarm, sprinkler system or fire escape. Reports indicate that the fire spread rapidly and students had very little warning; a teacher ran through the hall shouting fire. Within minutes, the blaze had become extremely dangerous.

Many children were trapped on the second floor. At least one survivor, Makhata Taweejirakul, was forced to jump for her life. Twelve-year-old Kwanjira Anantapetch told the Nation: Our teacher started tying bed sheets together and using it as a rope for children to scale down from the second floor. Others used a nylon rope.

Two fire trucks, along with 10 members of the Siam Ruam Jai Foundation, took two hours to bring the fire under control. One described it as the worst fire Ive ever seen.

Thai media reports indicate that families of the dead children can receive 200,000 baht under the schools insurance provisions. This is just over $US5,600.

The tragedy is the product of a lack of basic safety precautions, combined with the extreme poverty and hardship suffered by large sections of the population who are forced to rely on charity to educate their children.

The Chiang Rai hill tribes are among the most exploited populations in Thailand. According to AFP, Many are descendants of refugees from Myanmar or China and exist within subsistence farming communities often beyond the reach of state resources.

Hill tribe children suffer at school, as well as in their health and development. Poverty means adults are easy prey for drug gangs who pay them to smuggle narcoticsincluding heroin and amphetaminesacross the zone, known as the Golden Triangle. The tribes also face discrimination from the state and repression by Thai security forces.

The countrys military regime, installed in a coup in May 2014 with the tacit support of the United States, has sought to whip up nationalism and xenophobia to divert from the countrys social crisis. It is waging a brutal campaign to repatriate more than 100,000 Myanmar refugees who live in nine camps near the border.

On Monday morning a Myanmar migrant was shot dead by Thai police following an escape by 21 men from an immigration detention centre in Phang Nga province. The victim was a member of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority.

The dormitory fire is only the latest in a litany of disasters linked to Thailands extremely poor building standards and the intense exploitation of workers. According to the latest government statistics there were 100,392 workplace accidents or injuries in 2014, including 625 deaths and 1,485 cases of loss of organ. These figures, which are based on reported incidents, no doubt underestimate the scale of the problem.

In 1993 the worlds largest ever factory fire, at the Kader Toy Factory outside Bangkok, killed 188 workers and injured over 500. There were no fire extinguishers, no alarms and no sprinkler systems. The building was essentially a death trap.

The collapse of the Royal Plaza Hotel in Nakhon Ratchasima three months later, due to the improper addition of three new floors, resulted in 137 deaths and 227 injuries. In July 1997, the Royal Jomtien Resort Hotel fire in Pattaya, blamed on poor fire-preparedness, killed 91 people and injured 53.

On 1 January 2009, 66 people died in a fire at the Santika night club in Bangkok. Again, there was a lack of adequate prevention and safety measures, including sufficient emergency exits.

According to the Bangkok Post, former general and self-appointed Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha made a brief statement on Monday expressing deep regret on hearing of the deaths in the Pithakkiart Witthaya dormitory fire.

As with the previous disasters, however, any official investigation into the Chiang Rai school dormitory fire will be strictly limited to identifying the immediate cause and possibly finding an individual scapegoat. There will be no effort made to address the broader lack of regulation and enforcement of building standards, or to alleviate poverty and the lack of basic services for people in the hill tribes.

The author also recommends:

Thai toy factory fire: 10 years after the world s worst industrial inferno

[16 May 2003]

Industrial Inferno: The story of the Thai Toy Factory Fire can be purchased online from Mehring Books
In recent weeks, an increasing number of workers in the United States have been engaged in strikes, lockouts, contract rejections and other struggles. Social inequality is at historic highs, and workers are suffering the longest period of wage stagnation since the Great Depression, producing a radicalization that is in its initial stages.

According to President Obama, life has never been so good in America, and an Internet search for the word strike brings up far more coverage in the news media of murderous air strikes by the US military than of workers struggles. Despite the best efforts of the trade unions to suppress the class struggle, however, workers in the telecom, manufacturing, airline and supermarket industries, as well as public sector workers, are entering significant battles.

Developments in the US are part of an international tendency. Recent months have seen mass protests and now an oil refinery strike in France; a three-day general strike by Greek workers against austerity; a week-long strike by Nigerian workers against rising fuel and electricity prices; a strike by Mexican teachers to defend public education; a one-day strike by train conductors in the United Kingdom; and the first strike by Kuwaiti oil workers in two decades.

In the US, the strike by 1,700 telecom workers at AT&T West in San Diego, California has undermined the efforts of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and other unions to isolate the six-week strike by 40,000 workers at Verizon. The CWA was forced to call the strikewhich involves only 10 percent of the 16,000 AT&T West workers who have had no contract since April 9because of growing rank-and-file opposition to giant telecom company. AT&T made $13.2 billion profit in 2015 and spent billions on acquisitions and dividend payments to its richest investors and top executives.

The CWA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are currently involved in secret negotiations under the auspices of Obamas labor secretary and a federal mediator to shut down the strike at Verizon as soon as possible on managements terms. Despite being put on starvation strike pay rations by the CWA and IBEW, Verizon workers remain determined to beat back the attack on their living standards.

In the working class as a whole, there is widespread support for a unified struggle. We stand with our brothers and sisters on the East Coast, an AT&T worker in San Diego told the World Socialist Web Site. What happens to them can happen to uscorporate America is taking away our rights and we have to take them back.

A worker at the GM Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit told the WSWS on Monday, I truly feel all workers should support the Verizon and AT&T workers. There is nothing on the news. They dont want anyone to know. They look at it like a cancer that should be stopped from spreading.

An estimated 8,788 collective bargaining agreements, covering 2.2 million workers, are due to expire or be modified in 2016. The chief obstacles to a fight against the companies are the AFL-CIO and Change to Win unions, which are allied with the Obama administration and the Democrats. The unions function as an arm of corporate management and the state. They support the policy of lowering wages and cutting health care and pension costs to make US corporations more globally competitive.

The unions have long abandoned the principle of no contract, no work, keeping workers on the job for months or even years without a contract. On Friday night, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) announced that it would continue negotiations with the US Post Office past the contract expiration date for 204,000 city letter carriers. Another 370,000 USPS workers were forced to accept arbitration by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and other unions.

The United Auto Workers barely survived a rebellion by autoworkers and required a campaign of lies, threats and vote fraud to get sellout contracts past the resistance of the rank-and-file last fall. This year has already seen sick out protests by Detroit teachers organized in defiance of the union, opposition to a union-backed concessions deal by Chicago teachers and a wave of student walkouts in Detroit, Chicago and Boston.

Earlier this month, hundreds of Honeywell workers rejected a last, best and final offer containing massive health care concessions by a nine-to-one margin at factories in South Bend, Indiana and Green Island, New York. The UAW forced workers to continue to labor past the May 3 contract extension, allowing the worlds largest aircraft parts manufacturer to lock out workers and bring in a notorious strikebreaking firm, Strom Engineering.

Four hundred workers have been on strike for two weeks at Triumph Composite Systems in Spokane, Washington, another parts supplier for Boeing, after overwhelmingly rejecting a company ultimatum. The International Association of Machinists, which rammed through an eight-year contract extension on 25,000 Boeing workers in 2014 by less than a 400-vote margin, is now isolating the Spokane workers.

Five thousand retail workers at Macys four New York stores, including in mid-town Manhattan, voted last Thursday to strike when their contract expires on June 15. The workers are fighting attacks on their health care, pay and the right to opt out of working on holidays. Thousands of workers at Krogers, the largest traditional grocery store in the US, have also voted to strike 41 stores in Virginia, Tennessee and West Virginia unless the company offers better pay and health benefits for retirees. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) has forced them to continue working after the contract expired May 8.

Two thousands pilots for five cargo companies contracted by DHL Express have voted to strike the German-based package delivery company because their wages are below those of workers at competing firms, UPS and FedEx. Meanwhile, thousands of UPS pilots and aircraft mechanics could strike after nearly three years of federal mediation.

Hundreds of thousands of other workers at United Airlines, Costco, Safeway and Albertsons supermarkets face contract expirations. Across the border in Canada, some 23,500 hourly workers at Ford, General Motors and FCA Canada have a mid-September contract expiration.

In the US elections, the radicalization of workers and young people is expressed in the widespread support for Bernie Sanders, who has centered his campaign on social inequality and opposition to the billionaire class. Sanders role, however, has been to try to channel growing anti-capitalist sentiment back behind the Democratic Party, which, under the Obama administration, has overseen a historic transfer of wealth from the working class to the corporate and financial elite.

The Socialist Equality Party is running in the US presidential election to fight to unify every section of workers in an industrial and political counter-offensive. We call for the formation of rank-and-file committees, independent of the pro-capitalist and nationalist trade unions, in order to fight for common actions to defend the Verizon and AT&T workers and organize a joint offensive against the attack on jobs, benefits and working conditions.

Above all workers need a new revolutionary leadership, the Socialist Equality Party, to transform these struggles into a conscious political fight against the capitalist system, which is the root cause of social inequality, war and the drive towards dictatorship.
6 years, 5 months ago by Scott Hardy

Three picked up at 5th and Locust Monday night

Four Quincy residents face meth charges after their arrest Monday.

The West Central Illinois Task Force said Monday its' agents saw suspected drug activity around 5th and Locust. That led to the arrest of 35 year old Amanda Brown for Meth Possession and Unlawful Delivery of a Look a Like Substance. After Brown's arrest, agents say they then raided an apartment in the 500 block of Locust, and arrested 47 year old Bobby Wofford, 37 year old Melinda Cox and 34 year old Susan Vasterling, all for Meth Possession.

All four are in the Adams County Jail were they're waiting to have their bond set. Court records show that Cox has been convicted four times in the last 13 years on meth charges, and is currently out on bond in a 2015 meth case and is set to be sentenced July 7th. Brown also was sentenced to probation in 2007 on a meth charge.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Salvation Army in Tallahassee is offering free disaster training services.

The Salvation Army offers these courses for those who are looking to become a disaster volunteer.

The first class is Saturday, June 11, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army's office, 2410 Allen Road, Tallahassee, Florida. The second class is on the same day from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided for those who take both classes.

To become a disaster volunteer, please visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and click the VOLUNTEER page to build your disaster worker profile. Once you have completed your profile, you can register for the first two classes through the TRAIN page.

According to the Salvation Army, these courses are designed for new disaster workers who have limited disaster experience, including an overview of The Salvation Armys mission and its role within disaster work. They add, participants will also be taught how to prepare and equip themselves for a disaster deployment.

For more information, contact Julie Smith at (850) 222-0304 or Julie.smith@uss.salvationarmy.
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Sitting shirtless in sweltering temperatures at a homeless encampment in East Yakima, Dee carved small melons into chunks that he handed to nearby friends.

Were just out here doing what we do: take care of each other  survive, said the 37-year-old.
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State Comptroller Yosef Shapira has accused the Attorney General's office of covering up the "Bibitours Affair," pertaining to the funding of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family's travels while he was and MK and finance minister between the years 2003-2005.

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The comptroller stipulates that former attorney general Yehuda Weinsten and his successor Avichai Mandelblit have been stalling the investigation into the matter so that the statute of limitations on the investigation material expires, making it inadmissible in court.

Channel 2 reported on Monday that the police restarted its investigation into the case, after it was closed a year and a half ago by then-attorney general Weinstein.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and wife Sara (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO)

According to the state comptroller, there's need for an investigation into two main issues that he believes raise suspicions of criminal activity.

The first is the discrepancy between the documentation from the travel agency Ayala Tours and those of the Israel Bonds organization with regards to the funding the latter provided to Netanyahu and those who accompanied him on travels.

The state comptroller suspects the trips were funded both by the Israel Bonds organization and by a third party. This discrepancy occurred in five of the six trips funded by the Israel Bonds organization.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and predecessor Yehuda Weinstein (Photo: Amit Shabi)

The second issue is the ambiguity on the Netanyahu family's use of state-accumulated frequent flier miles for their own private trips. These suspicions are reminiscent of the "Rishon Tours Affairs" for which former prime minister Ehud Olmert was prosecuted.

The comptroller's report, which will be published on Tuesday at 4pm, is expected to show that trips taken by Netanyahu, his wife, and his children, which were funded by outside sources during the aforementioned time, deviated from protocol. This, the comptroller argues, could create the appearance of a conflict of interests or of receiving illicit benefits.

Much like other ministers at the time, Netanyahu did not turn to the Knesset's Gifts Committee or the State Comptroller's Committee for Giving Permits to Ministers to see if there is need to examine whether the outside funding is considered an illicit benefit or a prohibited gift.

The report will detail the occasions in which the comptroller turned to former attorney general Weinstein and his replacement Mandelblit, asking them to open a criminal investigation into the Bibitours Affair, after the comptroller and his staff determined that the findings raise "suspicions of criminal activity." So far, the answer the comptroller received from the Attorney General's office was that the "issue was under examination."

Senior legal officials called the state comptroller's accusations at the Attorney General's office "unprecedented."

After Weinstein closed the initial criminal investigation, the comptroller once again sent the material he gathered to the Attorney General's office, hoping Weinstein decides to launch a full-blown criminal investigation.

The comptroller is concerned that the delay in receiving a response from the Attorney General's office on the issue is meant to create a situation in which the statute of limitations on the investigation material10 yearsexpires, and so it will no longer be admissible in court.

The report published Tuesday will include a redacted version of the letter Shapira sent Weinstein in early December 2015. In the letter, which was classified as "sensitive," the comptroller asks the attorney general to give him an update on the handling of the investigation material. Shapira stresses the fact that he first asked Weinstein to look into Netanyahu's travels as a finance minister and MK in December 2012.

Weinstein informed Shapira of his intention to close the case in September 2014, leading the comptroller to complete his report on the affair.

Senior officials in the comptroller's office said that "there is only one way to examine the suspicion of criminal activitya criminal investigation which includes questioning witnesses under caution and turning to the banks for evidence and data."

The report will also deal with problematic payments made over personal expenses at the PMO and shortcomings in filing requests for ministers' trips abroad and their approval in the government.

"The fact that employees at the Prime Minister's Office are covering debts for the prime minister out of their own pockets was revealed in the prime minister's residences affair as well," one official said. "It's problematic, because it's not clear where the money to pay these employees back comes from."

In addition, some of the money was paid in cashand its origins should be traced.

The PMO said in response: "There has been no fault and or double funding in Netanyahu's trips. The attorney general has already examined the issue and reached the conclusion there is no reason to open an investigation based on the material he was provided with in 2013. We're certain the same will apply to the material provided to him in 2015. For many years, Netanyahu and his wife have been placed under strict scrutiny and no fault is foundbecause there is no fault."
While France has pushing for an international peace summit in Paris in an effort to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Egypt has been working behind the scenes on its own diplomatic initiative.

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The last few days have seen significant diplomatic efforts led by Egypt designed to organize a summit between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The latter, who intends to mediate between the two, is said to be planning the summit to take place in Cairo.

I say to the Israelis and ask the Israeli leadership to allow the broadcast of this speech at least once or twice. There is a real opportunity for peace even if in the short term there is no real basis given the conditions in the region, al-Sisi said on Egyptian television.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Photo: AFP/PPO/THAER GHANEM)

A senior Palestinian official confirmed to Ynet on Monday night that contact had indeed been established between the two conflicting parties via the Egyptians in an effort to hold the summit in the near future. Despite the fact that these efforts are yet to have formalized into anything concrete, the Palestinians say all the relevant sides are involved in the matter and no one has dismissed the possibility of such a meeting.

From the Palestinian perspective, the fact that al-Sisiconsidered to have a lot of influence over the Palestinian leadershipis the one behind the initiative, greatly increases the chances that the summit will come to pass. Moreover, given the close security relationship between Jerusalem and al-Sisi's administration, it is believed that even Israel will find it difficult to refuse the Egyptian initiative - especially since Netanyahu himself has been repeatedly saying that he is prepared to meet with Abbas and engage in direct negotiations.

Last week, al-Sisi called on Israel and the Palestinians to work towards a peace agreement that will bring an end hostilities, citing the Israel-Egypt peace treaty as a positive example and precedent of what could emerge from a similar Israeli-Palestinian agreement. However, with talks currently underway in Israel about Avigdor Lieberman joining the government and filling the recently vacated post of defense minister, Egypt has expressed its dismay.

The Prime Ministers Office on Monday night declined to comment on the subject.
Five hundred medical residents and their families turned out to demonstrate on in Tel Aviv to demand a reduction in their shift duty which can be as much as 26 consecutive hours on Saturday night.

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A doctor who works 26 hours in a row can't provide effective treatment to their patient, said Dr. Erel Botzinski, chairman of the Mirsham organization who is directing the efforts to achieve labor improvements.

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As part of the campaign, young doctors are seeking to raise money from an organization called Headstart (a crowdfunding platform) to take the matter to the courts, politicians, and to the public

The slogan of the campaign - 26 hours duty kills the sick - is not one which would be found in most developed countries. Indeed, in many European countries and North America, shifts last only between 12 and 16 hours

Doctors protest in Tel Aviv (Photo: Dana Kopel)

The results of a recent poll conducted by the Mirsham organization show the devastating consequences which these protracted working hours can have. Of the 600 trainee doctors polled, 52% said that they fell asleep at the wheel after a 26-hour shift while 25% said that they were involved in car accidents.

(Photo: Dana Kopel)

We're angry because we feel like soldiers on the frontline who have been abandoned without equipment or supplies. Our 26 hour shifts claim lives. This is the medical service, it affects all of us, Dr. Botzinski said.

Dr. Lior Tzvivan, a pediatric intern, recalled at the protest how A few months ago I came home after a 26-hour shift in the hospital. It was the night of a Jewish holiday and loads of children were coming in to be treated. I didnt sleep for one second. On the journey home which lasts 20 minutes to Rehovot, I fell asleep for a few seconds and crashed into a street post. Fortunately, I woke up a second before and managed to quickly break and to reduce the impact of the crash. But I didnt manage to stop it completely.

(Photo: Dana Kopel)

Sigal Shafran, a nurse, also attended the demonstration to show her support for the doctors. She praised the excellent medical services in Israel and lauded the doctors and nurses who she said are coveted all around the world. However, she emphasized that we have to allow them to do what they're good at. Nobody can provide top quality care for 26 hours. I came to stand with them in their justified struggle.

I wouldnt want a person who hasn't slept for 26 hours to make decisions about my health and about tests I need to undergo, said Talya Peled Keenan who also came to show her solidarity with the protestors. I know how I function after 12 hours and how the brain doesnt function. We, the sick, pay with our health and sometimes with our lives, she concluded.
The funeral of terrorist Alaa Abu Jamal from Jabel Mukaber turned into a display of hatred and incitement overnight Monday, with some 200 East Jerusalem residents crowding outside the cemetery and calling out "Allahu Akbar" and "In blood and spirit we will avenge you, shahid."

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In response, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan instructed the police on Tuesday to stop the returning of terrorists' bodies to their families for burials.

"I was just shown the outrageous images from the funeral last night in East Jerusalem, in which the conditions set by the police were violated and the commitments made by the families were broken," Erdan said. "The terrorists' families lied to the High Court of Justice. It's a shame the High Court believed them and pressured the police to return all the bodies by Ramadan."

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But while Erdan claims the family has broken its commitments, police said the family met the conditions it had been set, as only 40 people were allowed into the cemetery for the funeral, while the chanting was done outside while the body was being taken from the nearby mosque to the cemetery. In addition, Border Police forces that were near the cemetery prevented the crowd from entering it.

Abu Jamal murdered 60-year-old Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky in a vehicular and stabbing attack on Malkhei Yisrael Street in Jerusalem last October. The Bezeq phone company employee ran over pedestrians waiting at a bus stop before exiting the car and striking his wounded victims with an ax until he was shot dead by a security guard.

Alaa Abu Jamal

The police had delayed for six months the return of the bodies of East Jerusalem terrorists until reaching agreements with their families that funerals will be held late at night with a small number of participantsprecisely to avoid such displays of incitement that encourage others to carry out attacks as well. Families were required to sign guarantees to that end.

At first the families charged that it was the desire to take revenge against them, not the concern of incitement, which prevented police from returning the bodies to them for burial.
Israel's foreign media union condemned a demand for a photographer to submit to a strip-search before entering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Monday.

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"The Foreign Press Association is disturbed and disappointed to hear once again that a photographer covering an event today with the prime minister was asked to take part in a humiliating security check before being allowed to attend," the FPA said in a statement.

Atef Safadi, a Druze journalist with the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA), was attending as the FPA representative to take photos of a meeting between Netanyahu and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls that would later have been shared between media.

Photographer Atef Safadi

Before entering he was asked to remove his clothes as part of a security check, a request he refused.

He left, resulting in no photos for foreign media of the event. Furthermore, foreign news agency refused to even use photos distributed by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO).

"The FPA again calls on security agencies to respect the right of journalists at such events, who already hold Israeli government press accreditation," the statement added.

"This isn't my first time at the Prime Minister's Office, I'm there at least once a month," Safadi told Ynet on Monday. "They know me, I've been a photographer for news agencies for 18 years, but the difference is that today I was representing all of the agencies."

Safadi recounted the incident, "A security guard approached me and asked me to undergo a physical search. At some point, the security guard asked me to pull down my pants. I felt humiliated, and I refused. He tried to convince me, said it only took a few seconds and then it would be over, and I said I refused to do it for even half a second - and left."

A photo of Valls and Netanyahu, released by the Government Press Office (Photo: Koby Gideon, GPO)

"The foreign journalist who was with me was not subjected to a physical search," he charged. "I don't know if they searched the rest. They didn't tell me why they wanted to search me. They don't answer, just take orders."

"It felt like humiliation and discrimination," he continued. "They do this sometimes to show strength in front of the media. The result of this is that none of the foreign papers have photos of the prime minister with the French prime minister."

"After the incident, I sent an email to the agencies to apologize for the fact there would be no photos. I received full backing from all of the agencies, every journalist sent me an email, people called to express their support," Safadi added.

This isn't the first time members of the foreign press are asked to take off their clothes. Reporters from al-Arabiya were asked to take off their bras during security check ahead of one of the prime minister's speeches, and Arab photographers were asked to pull down their pants - and refused.

The PMO said in response: "The security division was acting according to procedures. The photographer received a respectful and courteous treatment. The photographer decided not to complete the security check."

Israel's media status was downgraded from free to partly-free last month by a US-based watchdog, Freedom House.
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah on Tuesday dismissed an Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for direct negotiations instead of a French multilateral peace initiative , calling it an attempt to "buy time."

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Hamdallah made the comments as he met French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who has held talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories this week to push Paris's peace initiative.

"Time is short," Hamdallah said. "Netanyahu is trying to buy time... but this time he will not escape the international community."

Hamdallah and Valls in Ramallah (Photo: EPA)

Netanyahu has rejected the French plan and called for direct negotiations instead, arguing that "the Palestinian leadership doesn't see the French initiative as an inducement to compromise, but rather as a way to avoid it.

"In fact, the Palestinian Prime Minister, Hamdallah, let slip the other day his hope for an imposed timetable, rather than a negotiated peace."

Valls told Netanyahu when he met him on Monday that he would discuss his proposal with French President Francois Hollande, but he has insisted that Paris plans to stick with its approach.

The French initiative involves holding a meeting of foreign ministers from a range of countries on June 3, but without the Israelis and Palestinians present.

An international conference would then be held in the fall, with the Israelis and Palestinians in attendance. The goal is to eventually relaunch negotiations that would lead to a Palestinian state.

Negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.
BEIRUT- The spokesman for the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces says the US- backed group has launched its campaign to expel the Islamic State group from Raqqa, the extremists' de facto capital in northern Syria.

Talal Sillo says the present goal is to "liberate" the countryside north of Raqqa, without setting a date for the offensive to capture the city itself.

The announcement follows a meeting between a top US commander and SDF officials in Kurdish-held northern Syria, Saturday. Sillo says the US-led coalition against the ISIS group is providing air support for the campaign.
Four residents of the Israeli-Arab town of Jaljulia who were planning to travel to Syria and join ISIS were convicted by the Lod district court on Monday.

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The four either attempted to travel to Syria and failed or had a change of heart and didn't go through with the plan. An additional person was charged with assisting his friend in joining the terror group.

They planned on entering Syria either via Turkey or by using a hang glider to fly into ISIS held territory from the Golan Heights. Husam Hajlah, the one who attempted to fly over the border, was inspired by his friend who previously succeeded in joining ISIS in this manner . ISIS affiliate Liwa Shuhada al-Yarmouk is in control of a large swath of Syrian territory on the border with Israel.

The six Jaljulia residents accused of attempting to join ISIS (Photo: Hassan Shaalan)

The four were each sentenced to jail terms ranging between 10 months to three years. A fifth person's sentence has yet to be decided, and a sixth person has yet to be sentenced.

The Center Prosecutor's Office filed the initial indictments in November of 2015 against Husam Hajlah, 27; Ihab Hajla, 22; Anes Hajlah, 19; Mohammed Oudeh, 29; Adnan Inash, 21; and Mohammed Zajti, 23. All of them are from the Israeli-Arab village of Jaljulia which is located close to Kfar Saba.

According to the initial indictment, three of those convicted would go to meet with a man named Nidal Salah to inquire and learn about joining ISIS. They met in the middle of the night once a week every week between July and October 2015.

Arab-Israelis from Jaljulia attempted to join ISIS in Syria (Photo: Hassan Shaalan)

The Jaljulia residents planned to travel from Israel to Syria to join up and fight with ISIS against the Syrian regime. Ihab Hajlah was the only one who didn't plan to actively travel to Syria.

The plan was for several of the accused to fly to Turkey and enter Syria from there while Husam would fly over the Israel-Syria border in a hang glider and land in ISIS controlled territory on the other side. Two other suspects, Anes Hajlah and Mohammed Oudeh did succeed in flying to Turkey, but were unable to cross the border. They have yet to be sentenced

Husam began to learn how to fly a paraglider, but he failed due to technical issues, and gave up.

They were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, contacting a foreign agent, attempt to illegally leave the country, and providing assistance to those attempting to illegally leave the country, amongst other crimes

The sentences for those convicted are considered to have begun from the day they were arrested.
BOGOTA- Two more journalists have gone missing in a lawless region in Colombia where security forces are already carrying out a massive search for a prominent Spanish journalist, President Juan Manuel Santos said Tuesday.

Santos said two journalists from the right-leaning network RCN are unaccounted for and now also being sought. The two were part of a group of journalists that had traveled to the volatile Catatumbo region to cover the hunt for Salud Hernandez-Mora, a longtime correspondent for Spain's El Mundo newspaper whose weekly column in Bogota daily El Tiempo is one of the most read in Colombia.

Authorities were refusing to call Hernandez-Mora's disappearance a kidnapping, though speculation heightened that she could have been taken hostage by the National Liberation Army, or ELN, one of several illegal armed groups and drug traffickers dominant in the mountainous area bordering Venezuela.
Trips that outside sources have funded for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family between the years 2003-2005 deviated from protocol, State Comptroller Yosef Shapira determined in a report released on Tuesday.

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The comptroller argues that this may create the appearance of a conflict of interests or of receiving illicit benefits.

Additional investigative materials relating to Netanyahu's travels that raise the suspicions of criminal activity have been passed on to the attorney general - the only one who can order the opening of a criminal investigation. These materials therefore do not appear in the public report.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara getting on a flight to the US (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

The "Bibitours Affair" first came to light five years ago in an investigative report by Channel 10s Raviv Drucker. During his tenure as finance minister under former prime minister Ariel Sharon, Netanyahu traveled abroad 15 times. Seven of those flights were funded by the Finance Ministry and the rest were funded by outside sources. According the comptroller's report, 1.5 flights were funded by foreign governments, two flights were funded by Jewish organizations, and 3.5 flights were funded by Israel Bonds, an organization funded by the Israeli government.

The comptroller has already asked the attorney general to look into the suspicions six months ago, and is now accusing Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and his predecessor Yehuda Weinstein of dragging their feet on the matter in an effort to "cover up" the affair.

"It's inappropriate that when a minister goes abroad on an official trip funded by the government, an outside party also pays for the trip," Shapira wrote in his report. Furthermore, if a ministers trip is funded by an outside source, it is not appropriate for his wife or childrens expenses to be funded by a third party, especially one that has no connection to the purpose of the trip.

He stated that in all of the instances mentioned, much like other ministers at the time, Netanyahu did not turn to the Knesset's Gifts Committee or the State Comptroller's Committee for Giving Permits to Ministers to see if there is need to examine the legal ramifications of the outside funding, and whether it is considered an illicit benefit.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Yair Sagi)

Shapira mentioned that Netanyahus spouse, Sara, accompanied him on most of his trips. Some of her flights were funded by outside sources and in some cases the sources of funding for her and her husband were different. In another instance, Netanyahus son accompanied him on a trip and his expenses were funded by an outside source (as well).

Israel Bonds pays the bills

The comptroller found that the Israel Bonds organization paid for Netanyahus hotel room during a private trip to the United States while he was serving as finance minister. Also, on an official government-funded trip to the UK, Israel Bonds paid for the Netanyahu couple's hotel room, and on two official trips in which Sara Netanyahu joined her husband, Israel Bonds funded her but not his expenses.

Netanyahu flew to the US, the UK, and France in one trip in June 2003. The cost of his flight was $6,992, while a businessman funded Sara Netanyahus flights, which cost $4,795.

In January 2004, Netanyahu flew to the UK with his wife, and Israel Bonds funded both of their expenses. Israel Bonds paid $7,469 for flights for Netanyahu, his wife, and third person. A few days later, Netanyahu and his wife flew to the United States, with Israel Bonds funding his flight and an unnamed source funding her flight.

On another flight to the United States and the UK in January 2004, Israel Bonds funded the couple's flights. A businessman paid for the London hotel room used by the couple and their son, at the cost 8,568. Israel Bonds and the businessman both funded Netanyahu's son's stay in London.

In March 2004, the Netanyahu couple traveled to the Netherlands. Saras flight cost $733 and was funded by a foreign organization. Three months later, according to the Channel 10 report, another foreign organization paid for half of the couples flights to the United States, which cost $11,860.



Netanyahu flew to the United States with his wife on October 1, 2004. Israel Bonds paid $13,747 in expenses for Netanyahu, his bureau chief, and a body guard. The organization also funded Netanyahus flight from the United States to the French Riviera and then back to Israel. The comptroller's

report states it's unclear who funded Sara Netanyahus flights in this instance. The couple stayed at the French Riviera for four days and three nights and the cost of their hotel room was 7,627 or 2,500 a night. For this expense, Netanyahu paid 3,494, while Israel Bonds covered the remaining 4,133.

An educational institution also funded the sons flight to Belgium in 2005 and another organization, Friends of Likud in the United States covered the cost of fights to the United States three months later, according to Drucker. A month later, Israel Bonds funded Sara Netanyahus flights to the UK, and covered the cost of the couple's stay.

Director-general pays for private expenses

On a trip to the UK in July 2005, Yehiel Leiter, the director-general of the Finance Ministry at the time, used his own credit card to pay for different expenses relating to Netanyahus trip, including the flights of Netanyahus children to the UK, which cost $2,800.

Initially Leiter reported that he did not remember the incident and the payment and that the matter surprised him because of the large sum.

Yehiel Leiter (Photo: Tomeriko)

Leiter later changed his version of the story and in response to a draft of the report, explained that he used a credit card to pay for additional expenses of Netanyahu and his familys trips abroad and that Netanyahu paid him back.

In a meeting with the comptroller and his staff in January 2016, Netanyahu noted that every time Leiter had to pay for anything, the amount was returned to him in cash.

The report also states that flights for Netanyahu's entourage were also funded by foreign sources, including other nations. In December 2003, the Romanian government funded the expenses of the then-finance minister while Israel Bonds covered the cost of body guards on three trips, and a foreign organization funded the expenses of an accompanying person and body guard, all of which cost a total of NIS 20,000.

Meanwhile, an educational institution in Belgium paid in March 2005 for car rental, board and lodging for the driver, and cellphone expenses.

Ball is in AG's court

The comptroller wrote that "Netanyahu did not consult the Finance Ministry's legal adviser before allowing Israel Bonds to fund his trips, despite the procedure for fundraising, which determines that the participation of ministers in fundraising events constitutes a sponsorship of the event. In light of that, and in light of the concern Netanyahu could be facing a conflict of interests, he should have consulted with his ministry's legal adviser before confirming his participation in the event organized by Israel Bonds."

From the findings, the comptroller wrote, it appears that Mr. Netanyahu's trips abroad for work, and that of his family members, were funded by outside sources including institutions, businessmen, private individuals with different ties to the finance minister and the Israeli economy. This funding was done without legal considerations to the possibility of a conflict of interest."

Former AG Weinstein and Comptroller Shapira (Photos: Ohad Zwigenberg, Alex Kolomoisky)

In 2013, the comptroller sent documents related to Netanyahus travels abroad to the attorney general for further investigation. In September 2014, then-attorney general Weinstein determined he "did not find cause to launch an investigation into suspicions of criminal activities by Mr. Netanyahu," and as a result of that, he informed the state comptroller that he has finished his examination of the issue.

One of the reasons cited by the attorney general was that the prosecution believed that "there is no real chance that continuing examining this matter, or even a criminal investigation, would lead to findings that would allow the prosecution to bring this to trial, among other reasons because of the long time that has passed."

PMO: 'No conflict of interests'

The Prime Minister's Office responded to the report, saying After years of massive headlines and countless reports, it has become clear that the mountain turned out to be a mouse. There were no conflicts of interest, double funding, or anything illegal in Mr. Netanyahus travels. The attorney general has already investigated the documents that the comptroller sent him in 2013 and determined that there is no reason to open an investigation. We are convinced that this is what will happen with the annex that was sent to him in 2015.

The state comptroller has determined that Netanyahu acted exactly like other ministers. The procedures for ministers' travel were only set in 2008, while the report deals with a period of time ending in 2005. The attempt to retroactively impose the procedures on Netanyahu, and only Netanyahu, is unacceptable. The feeling is that there is a special set of laws for Netanyahu and another set of laws for everyone else.

"Mrs. Netanyahu joined her husbands trips as is customary for the wives of former prime ministers and sometimes of ministers as well. The outside bodies that invited Netanyahu are public bodies like Israel Bonds, a pro-Israel lobby in the UK, educational institutions, and others. These trips were important for Israel. During those trips, Mr. Netanyahu raised millions of shekels for the benefit of the state, was interviewed tens of times in the international media, and appeared in front of many public institutions for the purposes of Israel's public relations.

"In the many years that have passed, Netanyahu and his wife have been under vigorous scrutiny and but nothing has been foundbecause there is nothing to be found.
AMMAN- A US-backed alliance of Syrian militias launched a new offensive against ISIS fighters near their de facto capital of Raqqa city on Tuesday, a monitoring group and an official said.

The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance is the main Syrian partner for the US- led alliance battling the Islamic State group that controls large areas of northern and eastern Syria. Its most powerful component is the Kurdish YPG militia.

Aided by US-led air strikes, the YPG has driven Islamic State from wide areas of northern Syria over the last year or more, though its advances have recently slowed.
ZARQA - Jordanian and American soldiers took part in training drills on Tuesday as part of the annual military Eager Lion exercise.

The training programme, launched in 2011, kicked off on May 15 and wrapped up after Tuesday's drills at a Jordanian military base in Zarqa.
State Comptroller Judge Yosef Shapiras recent report, issued Tuesday, has no qualms in outlining the governments failure to successfully respond to the BDS movement. It begins by describing the movement behind actions of certain international, anti-Israeli organizations have been aimed to delegitimize Israel, both on an ethical and political level, in different countries throughout the world, by presenting Israel as a singular Apartheid state and cause real damage to Israel through academic, cultural, financial and commercial boycotts.

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State Comptroller Yosef Shapira (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

This phenomenon has not been missed by decision makers in the political echelon, states the report. And yet as late as the end of 2015 there was still confusion as to what authorities and resources fall within the jurisdiction of the Foreign Affairs Ministry as opposed to the Strategic Affairs Ministry regarding a response to the BDS movement, while agreements that were previously reached between the two ministries in 2012 were never actualized.

Despite the Security Cabinets decision in October 2015 that granted the of Strategic Affairs Ministry (headed at the time by Gilad Erdan from the Likud) the authority to assemble and manage the states fight against boycotts, the state comptrollers report stated that the ministry lacks certain operational advantages that the Foreign Affairs Ministry has, including over 100 delegates stationed throughout the world who already have a deep understanding of local dynamicsa necessity when putting out an efficient response to the BDS. In addition, it is likely that Foreign Affairs Ministry delegates have established connections to local allies in their fight against the BDS, including associate organizations sympathetic toward Israel.

Despite the Strategic Affairs ministry being awarded a wide range of authorities to head the governments battle against forces looking to delegitimize Israel and against any boycotting initiatives in 2013, the ministry did not manage to use the entire budget it was given for these tasks, and it didn't achieve significant accomplishments in this field. It also failed to actualize its work plans in 2015.

The division within the Foreign Affairs Ministry entrusted with fighting the boycotts, which only has two positions, has yet to formalize clear measures by which to assess the ministrys goals regarding boycotts. For this reason, the ministry found it difficult to present any achievements in its battle to thwart efforts to delegitimize Israel on an academic level, cultural level, through professional unions and within public opinion in various countries. In fact, the state comptrollers report stated that according to the information provided by the ministrys international representatives, these problems have only been growing.

The report went on to say that it appears that despite the threat of boycotts becoming greater and greater, the Foreign Affairs and Strategic Planning Ministries have been busy quarreling with each other over various authorities, in lieu of cooperating toward their shared goal.

Back in 2010, The Strategic Affairs Ministry recommended that then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approve the erection of a an official division within the Prime Ministers Office tasked with the research and strategic development needed for establishing government policy visavis its struggle against attempts to delegitimize Israel. In August 2011, then-Foreign Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman voiced his objection to this recommendation. The division was never set up.

The Strategic Affairs Office Director-General had then initiated the founding of a volunteer network that would unite a list of Jewish organizations in a joint effort to fight the BDS movement. The initiative was faced with the objections of the Foreign Affairs Ministry Director-General, who opposed the Prime Ministers Office creating new positions and allocating budgets to the Strategic Affairs Ministry for the management of such a network. Any attempt to build a coalition with our natural allies abroad is not only inappropriate under the very definition of the Strategic Affairs Ministrys duties, it is a wasteful and borderline ludicrous act, he said.

In January 2012, the Foreign Affairs Ministry director-general had written the head of the National Security Council in response to his decision regarding the division of responsibilities between the two ministries, saying that what should be done is strengthen the relevant experts within the existing systems dealing with this issue, instead of creating parallel and double divisions, whose involvement in the matter creates more disadvantages than advantages. According to the director-general, creating such divisions would cause a confusing duality that would hinder the work that is being done instead of promoting it, while weakening our delegates and weighing down on our missions.

Three months later the two director-generals came to an agreement as to how to divide the different authorities and responsibilities between the two ministries, but the agreement was never actualized.

The report goes on to say that the Strategic Affairs Ministry did not receive the necessary services pertaining to attaining its objectives, such as legal council, accounting, acquisition or human resources management.It had to rely on the Prime Ministers Office to provide them. This continued even after October 2015, when the Security Council commissioned the Strategic Planning Ministry with the task of leading the campaign against the delegitimizing of Israel and boycotting both outright and covertly. According to the state comptroller, the Cabinets decision did little to provide a solution to the lack of general and managerial staff needed to promote the relevant strategic and diplomatic objectives. The Strategic Affairs and Foreign Affairs Ministries continued to quibble with each other following the PMOs decree.

A poster issued by teh BDS movement

Despite the fact that higher education institutes continue to make up the majority of the BDS movements area of operation, the Foreign Affairs Ministrys division charged with communications and hasbara has not executed any detailed plan regarding the fight against delegitimizing Israel across campuses in North America and Britain.

The comptrollers report went on to say that despite the various delegates involvement in heading off the BDS movement, involvement that mainly included monitoring boycott initiatives promoted by non-governmental organizations, apart from a single emissary that the Foreign Affairs Ministry had sent to the Israeli Embassy in London, there were no delegates sent with the explicit purpose of combating the BDS movement as of the summer of 2015. The importance of sending such delegates was made clear when the Israeli Embassy in The Hague wrote the Foreign Affairs Ministry in August 2014, saying that one of its two positions dealing with public affairs had yet to be filled. At the same time, anti-Israel activities in the Netherlands had resulted in more than 50,000 Dutch people downloading an application to their phones that promotes consumer boycotting initiatives.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has explained that while it aims to assign more delegates to the fight against the BDS movement, it has recently been dealing with manpower and budget cuts, and that it has been finding it increasingly difficult to recruit more cadets.

The state comptrollers report also mentioned the governments failure to combat anti-Semitism abroad alongside and perhaps in relation to the growing BDS movement. The Diaspora Affairs and Foreign Affairs Ministries both deal with this issue, but according the report, the two have not cooperated with one another on the matter.

Foreign Affairs Ministry failed to intercept hostility

The comptrollers report stated that the Foreign affairs Ministry has been unsuccessful in managing its hasbara campaign, and that it has not been able to stave off the overt hostility aimed at Israel by certain groups abroad. As a result, the messages promoted by the BDS movement have managed to convince sectors of the population that used to unequivocally defend Israel.

According to the report, a great deal of anti-Israeli sentiment has been found in many countries, and particularly in Europe and Muslim countries. In Germany for instance, 60 percent of those polled expressed criticism toward Israel, while only 30 percent expressed any sympathy. Sweden was similarly found to have a 68 percent criticism rate, but Turkey was even higher, where 86 percent expressed anti-Israel sentiment.

The situation was found to be somewhat better in the United States, yet even there an erosion has been spotted, as the more liberal sect in the Democratic Party was found to be wavering in its support of Israel, and while the countrys overall statistics have gone from 70 percent support in 2009 to 59 percent at present.

The IDF Spokespersons Unit is out of sync with the Foreign Affairs Ministry

As things continue to progress regarding the BDS movement, the IDF Spokespersons Unit has issued a statement of its own, criticizing the Foreign Affairs Ministry and officials in the Prime Ministers Office in charge of hasbara for waiting to be debriefed while failing to contribute information themselves, saying that it was impossible to receive a clear picture as to the actions it has carried out both domestically and abroad and that the ministry did not seem to have any strategic plan in place. It added that there was no concrete request received from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to do anything substantially different in an effort to improve matters or offer support. The IDF Spokespersons Unit concluded by saying that there is no official communications policy set by its office and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

On top of criticism directed at government offices, the report also found that the IDF Spokesperosns Unit had dawdled in approving the distribution of visual material from the battle field, which had worked the BDS movements advantage.

The IDF Spokespersons Unit accepted this criticism, but claimed that waiting to approve the images did not delay matters.

The government, on its part, and specifically the Foreign Affairs Ministry, have conceded that more positions must be added for Arabic-speaking delegates to promote a dialogue with the Middle Easts Arabic-speaking community, but that the ministry has been finding it difficult to fill such positions, which substantially hinders its ability to communicate with Arabic-speaking domestic and foreign press.
At an event in Tel Aviv Tuesday evening, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit spoke about State Comptroller Yosef Shapiras report on Bibi tours, which suggested the possible criminal liability of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his conduct during his tenure as finance minister. He said, The report contains material that should be reviewed without delay and an investigation should be carried out swiftly.

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In the few months that I have served as (attorney general), I have not hesitated to open investigations when necessary, including against public officials. There is one law for all. No one wants to jump the gun, but if the evidence justifies bringing someone to trial, I will not hesitate, said Mandelblit.

Additional documents related to Netanyahus travel that are raising concerns of criminal liability were sent to Mandelblit, the only person authorized to open a criminal investigation. This afternoon, Yedioth Ahronoth published that the comptroller has already asked the attorney general to look into the suspicions six months ago, and is now accusing Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and his predecessor Yehuda Weinstein of dragging their feet on the matter in an effort to "cover up" the affair.







Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

Mandelblit also came to the defense of his predecessor, Yehuda Weinstein: In the past few hours, I have heard unacceptable statements in the press on a personal level regarding my predecessors. I strongly reject these statements against someone who has contributed so much to Israel in his six years of work.

The "Bibi tours Affair" first came to light five years ago in an investigative report by Channel 10s Raviv Drucker. During his tenure as finance minister under former prime minister Ariel Sharon, Netanyahu traveled abroad 15 times. Seven of those flights were funded by the Finance Ministry and the rest were funded by outside sources. According the comptroller's report, 1.5 flights were funded by foreign governments, two flights were funded by Jewish organizations, and 3.5 flights were funded by Israel Bonds, an organization funded by the Israeli government.

"It's inappropriate that when a minister goes abroad on an official trip funded by the government, an outside party also pays for the trip," Shapira wrote in his report. Furthermore, if a ministers trip is funded by an outside source, it is not appropriate for his wife or childrens expenses to be funded by a third party, especially one that has no connection to the purpose of the trip.

In 2013, the comptroller sent documents related to Netanyahus travels abroad to the attorney general for further investigation. In September 2014, then-attorney general Weinstein determined he "did not find cause to launch an investigation into suspicions of criminal activities by Mr. Netanyahu," and as a result of that, he informed the state

comptroller that he has finished his examination of the issue.

In a press release, the state comptroller said that he has continued his audit and in the process of it has came across a handful of other issues in addition to more evidence regarding previously known issues. He added that he sent documents to the attorney general in May and December 2015 regarding double funding, money diversion, and the ambiguity surrounding Netanyahu accumulating rewards points on El Al for work related trips and then using them for private trips. He also mentioned that there are some relevant issues that he has been prevented from investigating for this report
GRANSEE- Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said on Tuesday he would not exclude the possibility of his country taking in refugees directly from Turkey or other countries.

Roivas said his country had agreed to take refugees from Greece and Italy and this was "ongoing work".

"But I would definitely not rule out (taking them from) Turkey or any other country as well so we are willing to do that, of course," he told Reuters during a visit to Germany, where he took part in a meeting of Germany's cabinet at Meseberg palace 37 miles north of Berlin.
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

We hope you are equally as excited as us.

This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited.

In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy.

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As Australian lenders continue to tighten their lending standards for foreign buyers of residential property a report from Melbourne based buyers agency Secret Agent suggests developers face losing up $100,000 dollars on each apartment settlement that is prevented by the lending crackdown.

Working on a hypothetical sale of a two-bedroom 68 square metre apartment in Melbourne for $714,000 (worth $10,500/sqm), Secret Agent director Paul Osborne believes a developer would lose $100,046 if a foreign buyer could not settle.

According to Osborne, the buyer would have paid a 10% deposit of $71,400 which the developer would keep when the settlement fails, however the apartment would then be competing in Melbournes secondary market which only attracts at $8,463/sqm, making the units market value just $575,500.

By recouping the deposit, the developer would now only be out $67,100, however after paying commissions and fees for the apartments resale, the loss would again move into six-figure territory.

Others have previously said the lending restrictions, especially those faced by Chinese buyers are something that people need to keep an eye on and Osborne said a number of developers are becoming increasingly concerned about the situation.

Conversations between Secret Agent and various developers over the past month have revealed their increasing anxiety about potential settlement issues. These developers, who have settlements due in the next 18 months, are worried that many of their apartments may not be able to settle due to the restrictions placed on foreign buyers by local banks. This is likely to have substantial implications, Osborne said.

With most of the local major banks out of the market, there is hope for developers that Australian domiciled Chinese Banks will take on the lending to buyers. However, the current loan ratios are unlikely to be favourable and the valuations of the apartments might push foreign buyers to drop their deposits and not settle their contracts at all, he said.

The apartments built marketed to and built for overseas buyers are also likely to be smaller preferred by Australian buyers, which could also further hurt their resale prospects.

Osborne also said recent stamp duty and land tax charges levied against foreign buyers in Victoria are also posing real risks for the citys apartment market.

The overseas buyer that can still purchase it under limited circumstances would now have to pay stamp duty plus a further foreign purchasers levy of 7% which is set to come into the market in July 2016. This means that $87,890 would need to be paid in additional fees by a foreign buyer purchasing the unit at settlement, he said.

This is unlikely. The developer has a right to claim a shortfall in price to the defaulting purchaser, however this might be extremely hard to do when committed contracts have originated from countries such as China.
The Global and United States Hydrobike Market Report has been published by QY Research recently. Hydrobike Market Analysis and Insights This report focuses on...
News

Yuma, Arizona - Border Patrol agents with night vision goggles spotted seven people with backpacks walking through the desert near Sentinel, yesterday morning. They requested air support, while pursuing the suspected drug mules.

Pilots from Air and Marine Operations, Yuma Air Branch, observed the individuals placing backpacks next to a tree, and then continued walking north toward Interstate 8. AMO pilots guided agents to the tree, where they found backpacks loaded with more than 300 pounds of marijuana. AMO then led agents to the seven suspects hiding in brush, one hundred yards north of the area. Agents determined that the seven were illegally present in the U.S.

The estimated value of the drugs was over $155,000.

All of the illegal aliens and the drugs will be processed per Yuma Sector guidelines.

Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents effectively combat smuggling organizations attempting to illegally transport people and contraband through southwestern Arizona and California. Citizens can help the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection by calling 1-866-999-8727 toll-free to report suspicious activity. Callers can remain anonymous.
Latest News

Hanoi, Vietnam - On the occasion of the official visit to Vietnam by the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, and (inaudible) between His Excellency Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and His Excellency John Kerry, Secretary of State, the two sides will sign the framework agreement concerning the program of the Peace Corps in Vietnam.

Allow me the pleasure to introduce and invite His Excellency Secretary of State John Kerry and His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh to witness the signing of the framework agreement.



Now Id like to invite Madame Carolyn Hessler-Radelet, Director of the Peace Corps, to have some remarks.



MS HESSLER-RADELET: (Inaudible.) Secretary Kerry, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, Ambassador Osius, Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, and colleagues from the U.S. Government, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the press corps: I am fully delighted and honored to be here today to sign this historic agreement between the Peace Corps and the Government of Vietnam. I want to start by thanking the Government of Vietnam for your hard work and collaboration over many years to prepare and conclude this framework agreement.



I want to thank Secretary Kerry and the Department of State for working night and day, especially over the last week, to finalize this historic agreement. I want to thank Ambassador Osius and the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi for your support over a number of years to get us to this day. And finally, I would like to thank my Peace Corps colleagues, Regional Director Keri Lowry and Counsel Leanne Galloway, for seeing this long process through to completion.



The opening of a Peace Corps program in Vietnam further strengthens and deepens our relationship between the two countries and people-to-people engagement. Peace Corps volunteers will assist Vietnamese teachers and students in English education, and they will learn the language, rich traditions, culture, and history of this great nation.



We look forward to a long and productive partnership with the government and people of Vietnam. And now I am honored to invite Secretary of State Mr. John Kerry to give brief remarks. You have waited for this for a long time, and Im thrilled that youre here to witness this historic event.



SECRETARY KERRY: Carrie, thank you very, very much. Thank you for your leadership. And its a great pleasure for me to be doing this with Carrie because Carrie herself was a Peace Corps volunteer, so she knows what this is all about. I guess its in the blood. Now let me express my gratitude to Ted Osius, our ambassador whos worked very hard on this, and to Pham Binh Minh, the foreign minister of Vietnam who Ive known a long time and who has worked hard at helping to make this happen.



Let me just share with you the words of the first Peace Corps director, Sargent Shriver, because it says everything about what is happening here today. He said, Peace is much more than the mere absence of war. Peace requires the simple but powerful recognition that what we have in common as human beings is more important and crucial than what divides us. I think that just says everything that one needs to say about what were doing here today. These Peace Corps volunteers who will now come to Vietnam, to Hanoi 



MODERATOR: (Inaudible.)



SECRETARY KERRY: Oh, excuse me. Xin loi. (Laughter.)



INTERPRETER: (In Vietnamese.)



SECRETARY KERRY: Congratulations. (Laughter.) Sorry. Did you get it all?



INTERPRETER: Yes, yes. (Laughter.)



SECRETARY KERRY: Im so sorry. I think that statement of Director Sargent Shriver explains exactly what we are doing here. Peace is more than war. Peace is really the visible, tangible efforts by which a great people are together.



As everybody knows, more than half the population of Vietnam was not alive when the war between the United States and Vietnam took place. For 20 years now, we have had what we call a normal relationship. But this is normal, having the Peace Corps, being able to move forward, having young Americans come here  not always young  to be able to teach English in Hanoi and in Ho Chi Minh City is the next step forward in building the relationship between the United States and Vietnam. And I thank all those who have worked hard to make this happen.



Thank you. (Applause.)



MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Now I have the honor to invite Madame Carolyn Hessler-Radelet, the Director of the Peace Corps, and His Excellency Pham Quang Vinh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to the United States of America, to come to the table and sign the framework agreement concerning the program of the Peace Corps in Vietnam.



(The agreement was signed.)



SECRETARY KERRY: No wonder it took so long. Too much to sign.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to attend the following sessions at the Coworking Oasis, Yumas first coworking space! The Coworking Oasis is located on the second floor of the Main Library, 2951 S 21st Drive.

Wednesday, June 1st, 15th, 29th  1:00-3:00 p.m.

Online Business Video Training

Online webinars cover a variety of business-related topics. Webinars are chosen by attendees, followed by Q&A. To register, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Monday, June 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th  6:00-7:00 p.m.

Meet-Up Monday

Meet with other entrepreneurs in the Coworking Oasis. Find out where you are with your small business goals!



Tuesday, June 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th  1:00- 3:00 p.m.

SBDC Mentoring

Counselors from the AWC Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be onsite to provide evaluation and guidance. If you have an idea and dont know where to start, mentoring can help you fast-track your plans!



Wednesday, June 8th & 22nd  1:00-3:00 p.m.

Drop-In Job Help

Get help with online searches, resume writing, and other job search tools. Requests for specific topics can be e-mailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Thursday, June 9th & 23rd  5:30-7:00 p.m.

ASU Start-up School

This series of facilitated workshops by the Arizona State University (ASU) Entrepreneurship Outreach Network teaches entrepreneurs what they need to do in order to develop a successful venture. To register, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Saturday, June 18th @ 10:00 a.m.

Introduction to WordPress Workshop

Business Librarian Andrew Zollman shares tips for building a website in WordPress. Participants will create a basic webpage during the workshop. Space is limited to 12 people.



For more information, contact Andrew Zollman, Business Librarian, at (928) 373-6480 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . There is no charge to attend any program.



This project was funded in part by the State Grants in Aid Program through the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records Agency.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Yesterday, just after midnight Yuma police officers responded to Motel 6 located at 1640 S. Arizona Avenue reference an armed robbery. The victim, an elderly male, reported a knocking at his room door, when he answered the door two adult males forced entry into his room. One of the men was wearing a black mask and armed with a rifle. The suspects tied up the victim and took an undisclosed amount of money along with some personal belongings.

The suspects fled in an unknown direction. The victim was able to eventually free himself after the suspects left the room and he called 911.

The suspects are described as Hispanic males, one approximately mid 20s, the other wearing a mask with a skull on it.

The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous. Remember if your information leads to an arrest you may receive up to a $1,000 cash reward.
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Mekong Delta lacks water, scientists discuss turning seawater into fresh water

VietNamNet Bridge - Though saline intrusion in Mekong River Delta has eased, helping farmers cultivate the summer-autumn crop, 1 million people still lack clean water for daily life.

Though saline intrusion in Mekong River Delta has eased, helping farmers cultivate the summer-autumn crop, 1 million people still lack clean water for daily life.







A report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) shows that 208,800 hectares of rice fields have been damaged by the saline intrusion.Of these, 19,300 hectares have been damaged by less than 30 percent, 71,100 hectares by 30-70 percent and 118,400 hectares by more than 70 percent.The natural calamity has also damaged 9,400 hectares of fruit trees. Meanwhile, 226,000 households, or more than 1 million people, have been affected by the clean water shortage.The Ninh Thuan provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on May 14 said 1,600 households still lacking clean water need 37 cubic meters of water every day.In Kien Giang province, the situation is so serious that many schools finished the 2015-2016 academic year one or two weeks early.Ben Tre, Soc Trang, Kien Giang and Tra Vinh provinces are the hardest hit in Mekong River Delta.Vietnam National Television (VTV) on May 7 reported that MARDs Minister Cao Duc Phat, when visiting Ben Tre province believed that the water supplied to local people was even saltier than the bittern sold at drug stores. The salinity was measured at 3.2.Meanwhile, scientists are still arguing whether Vietnam can convert salt water into fresh water.Hua Chu Khem, chair of the Soc Trang province Union of Science and Technology Associations, said it was extremely difficult to do unless fresh water is abundant.Meanwhile, the volume of water supply from rivers upper course is very modest and water cannot reach the districts in remote areas.This proves to be an impossible mission. As far as I know, this has not been implemented in any other countries, Khem said.Tran Phu Cuong from the Ca Mau provinces Union of Science and Technology Associations also thinks this is impossible because of the lack of fresh water, the natural geographical conditions and climate change.What we can do now is wait for rains and replace saltwater with fresh water, he said. The water for Ca Maus people depends on God.Nguyen Van Ngau, chair of the Hau Giang province Union of Science and Technology Associations, also said it was possible to make fresh water from sea water for drinking, but impossible to produce fresh water for irrigation from salt water.Meanwhile, Nguyen Bao Ve from the Can Tho province Union of Science and Technology Associations affirmed that the work could be done by distilling.CV
Hi there, reader! Yes you, my dear, ogling at this bright page spilling into red. Its because of you that we at Zee News are all worked up! From the bossy types (hey boss its just a blog!) to the <I> chai chors</I> (the peon who is too busy looking at Mallika Sherawat on site)! All excited and taking a deep breath before plunging into the spicy world that the new India- Your India, my India- has come to live in.<br/><br/>Welcome to the heady times of a youngistan India. Where the gentlemens game has turned into a sporting orgy incomplete without a bevy firang beauties jiggling what they got, where your fav stars are willing to shake what they got with YOU on a reality show, where blogs have replaced eyes as the window to ones soul, and where the letter S truly represents everything we love- silver spoons, saucy curves, sushi, sex, street food, style, smooth skin, saree, spotlight, speaking (arguing, if a certain Sen is to be believed), soul-searching, sparkling drinks and spice.<br/><br/>Lots of the last S.<br/><br/>Its not for nothing that our land is often called the spice bowl. Since the time our ancients found spices to churn the curry culture, our <I>mirch-masala</I> has tickled many a-nose and made them stream with tears of gluttonous gratitude.<br/><br/>You see, we are like that only.<br/><br/>Celebrating birth and death, kindling a thousand lights on a moonless night, squeezing lemon into our soft-drinks, making our <I>sati-savitris</I> drench on screen with proper <I>jhtakas</I> in my-white-is whiter-than-your-white sarees, throwing colours at none other than Godthe spice train just goes on.<br/><br/>Spice is truly the way of life in India. And in such a charged atmosphere, how could we ignore the amount of fun you are having and, indeed, want to have?<br/><br/>After all underneath us all Indians is a <I>chaat </I>loving foodie who just cant do without his daily mouthful of <I>golgappa</I>. No, not even the hard news nosed nosey types (us) who like to drown themselves under the Sethusamudram or periodically choke themselves with nuclear deal dramas.<br/><br/>So it was that we decided to add some <I>tadka</I> in your- and our- life. Smelling it already? Well thats Spicezee.com brewing!<br/><br/>Its your adda, dhaba, lounge, pub, disc, mehfil- call it what you will- of glamour, glitz and girls. From Rakhi Sawants latest nakhra to Britneys newest revelation (not just the sans underwear type), from movies and music ratings to whats happening at a theatre near you, from the latest offering from Salman Rushdie to Sri Sri Ravishankars enlightening musings- Spicezee is your first and last stop on the entertainment trail.<br/><br/>Basically spicezee.com puts anything and everything about the well heeled and sought after trendsetters from India and across the world just a click away.<br/><br/>Television, Fashion, fads, funny & weird stories from around the world, Bollywood/Hollywood gossip, hotties on the dating circuit, latest pictures & videos, blogs, interviews, reviews & previews, fitness & yoga- you ask it, Spicezees got it.<br/><br/>And oh I hope you didnt miss the main ingredient of this mouth watering salami of a site, its main <I>masala</I>- You. This offering is made entirely with you in mind. You can have your say on every story posted, every picture shown, every video played- you type it, we make it live instantly.<br/><br/>Believe me you, feedback is something taken very seriously here. So bring on the compliments/<I>Wah Wahs</I>, the brickbats/<I>Chi Chis</I>- we are all ears dear reader.<br/><br/>And in the end, well a statutory warning:<br/><br/>Logging on to Spicezee.com can be intoxicating. You may feel like abandoning the eggs simmering on your pan or the sandwich grilling in the oven and find your eyes & ears glued to the computer screen. We take no responsibility for sudden wardrobe changes due to the fashion tips offered on site nor would the company be liable in case of your sudden urge to karaoke your neighbours deaf just to be published on the website. We will entertain no complaints about any rise in the number of gossip aunts who know why Katrina has become such a cat or why Amy Winehouse craves for pills. In short, click at your own risk.<br/><br/>Happy snee..ee.e.aAAAcChHOOOO..zing!<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>
LIVE-2 Inning |25-29

AUSTRALIA VS SRI LANKA

AUS 79/2 VS 157/6 SL

Australia need 79 runs in 61 balls at 7.77 rpo
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal along with a 10-member cabinet including ministers from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) take oath here today.

Both AGP and BPF are likely to get two berths each in the new cabinet initially, although the Parafulla Kumar Mahanta-led party has been demanding three instead of two, a media report said on Tuesday.

Former Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma is also likely to take oath today.

Of the nine MLAs who had deserted the Congress after Sarmas rebellion, six had fought the elections and all of them won.

People who have worked their way up in the party would have to be accommodated; there are also people the RSS wants in the cabinet, the Indian Express quoted a source as saying.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Khanapara. More than 1 lakh people are expected to attend.

PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah are among senior party leaders who will also attend the event.
Guwahati: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sarbananda Sonowal, who steered BJP to power for the first time in the Northeast, was on Tuesday sworn-in as the 14th Chief Minister of Assam.

Sonowal along with Himanta Biswa Sarma took oath in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi.

Watched by PM Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, senior BJP leader LK Advani, party chief ministers and leaders of NDA allies, 54-year-old Sonowal and his ministers were administered the oath of secrecy by Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya at a well attended public function at Khanapara field here. He took his oath in Assamese.

The whole Guwhati city was literally turned into a security fortress for the oath taking ceremony at the Veterinary College, which was attended by over 100 VVIPs including, BJP president Amit Shah, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Suresh Prabhu, VK Singh, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states and northeastern states.

Addressing the huge gathering, PM Modi heaped praise on Sonowal saying, A leader belonging to the tribal community, a leader dedicated to serving society will now be the CM of Assam.

"I am sure Sonawal ji will serve Assam and work very hard to transform the state and his team will do the same," PM asserted.

Promising to provide all help for Assam, PM Modi said, "The Central government believes in cooperative federalism. Want to give the states maximum strength & enable them to progress."

"Democracy is about Bhagidari. The Centre and states must walk shoulder to shoulder for development."

"India's development has to be all-round and inclusive. Eastern part of India cannot remain away from the development journey," PM said.

Along with Sonowal, 10 ministers including from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BPF took their oath of office.

The six from BJP to take oath as ministers were Himanta Biswa Sarma, a party strategist who quit Congress last year, Chandra Mohan Patowary, Ranjit Dutta, Parimal Suklabaidya, Pallab Lochan Das and Naba Kumar Doley.

Assam's newly sworn-in chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal promised a "poverty-free" state that will serve all sections of the society irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

"We all have to work together. In this election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bodoland People's Front and Asom Gana Parishad went to the people with a pledge to work for all sections of the society, for Assamese, Bengalis, Rabhas, Marwaris and all others. People have reposed their faith in us," Sonowal said in his maiden speech after being sworn-in as the chief minister.
Gaya: The hearing on the bail plea of suspended JD(U) MLC Manorama Devi in the Gaya sessions court has been postponed and next date of hearing is yet to be decided.

The Gaya sessions court has asked for case diary and local case report from the police.

Dev, who is accused of violating prohibition law, was last week sent to 14-day judicial custody.

She, however, blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for falsely implicating her under political conspiracy.

Devi is the mother of Rocky Yadav, the main accused in the sensational road rage killing of a Class 12 student on May 7.

She had been evading arrest after an arrest warrant was issued against her.

The district administration had declared her a proclaimed offender, after she went underground following institution of case against her under the new Excise Act.

A few bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor had been seized during raids at her residence to nab her son.
New Delhi: Hundreds of BJP workers on Tuesday staged a protest in front of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here demanding improvement in power and water supply in the national capital following which police used water cannons to disperse them.

Attacking the AAP government in Delhi on the issue of electricity and water supply, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay charged that the Delhi government has no vision and did no work on the summer action plan for water and power supply.

"The government has turned a blind eye to the issues of power cuts and water crisis in the city. The Chief Minister is on a Goa trip and the minister in-charge of water is touring Punjab."

"There are areas which are reeling under severe shortage of water and there are power cuts for over three hours a day affecting water supply. This government lacks vision and administrative control. While Delhiites are craving for water, the Chief Minister is busy in his political expansion in Goa and Punjab," Upadhyay said.

Apart from power cuts, most areas in Delhi were facing heavy voltage fluctuations due to which there were reports of damage to electronic gadgets like TV, refrigerator and air-conditioners.

The protestors demanded that Delhi government ensure that private companies buy and supply adequate electricity to people and resolve the problem.
New Delhi: In a stern warning to the private power distribution companies, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today gave deadline of one week to them to address the problem of outages saying government will not hesitate to cancel their licenses if they fail to comply with the directive.

The message was conveyed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a meeting that was attended by representatives of the private distribution companies BSES, Tata Power (TPDDL) and also the chairman of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).

"Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal sets one week deadline for discoms to put an end to public inconvenience due to local electricity faults," Media advisor to CM, Nagender Sharma said in a tweet.

The city has witnessed large scale power cuts in the last few days mainly due to problem in transmission network of private discoms.

"Delhi govt warns discoms it won't tolerate public inconvenience due to their inefficiency & won't hesitate to take extreme action," Sharma tweeted.

Power Minister Satyendra Jain said the policy on getting consumers compensated for unscheduled black outs will be implemented within a week and that DERC (Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission) will issue a notification in this regard.

"The CM has given them (discoms) a week's time to take corrective measures while making it clear that strict action will be taken otherwise. We will not hesitate to consider cancelling their licenses.

"There's no shortage of power in the city but the outages are due to local faults. The compensation formula will be implemented within a week. DERC will notify this within a week. Discoms will decide how to implement it," Jain told reporters.

A senior government official said the discoms could not offer a "single explanation" behind the outages despite there being no shortage of power in the national capital.

"The government has categorically asked them to set their house in order as people of Delhi will not suffer for the efficiency on their part," the official said.

Delhi's power demand hit an all-time peak of 6,188 MW on May 20, which is expected to rise by the month of July. Today's peak load was relatively low at 4,834 MW, as the weather has slightly cooled down due to yesterday's rain.
Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: In a latest research, the Brazilian health authorities finally confirmed that Aedes aegypti mosuito as the source of Zika virus which is responsible for causing microcephaly- a birth defect categorized by smaller head- in hundreds of babies .

Since its outbreak in early 2015, Brazil is the country hit hardest by Zika virus . According to The Globe and Mail reports, there are 1,332 confirmed cases of fetal Zika syndrome, and another 3,332 under investigation.

Not only this, Zika virus is also linked with the rising cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which causes paralysis.

The researchers, from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, yesterday confirmed they had found the virus in three groups of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes collected in neighborhoods in northern Rio de Janeiro state.

They said Zika had previously only been detected once in mosquitoes in the Americas, in a recently published Mexican study that found the virus in the Aedes albopictus species.

The Brazilian researchers collected almost 1500 adult mosquitoes over 10 months, around half of them Aedes aegypti. The latter were the only ones in which Zika was detected, they said.

That "reinforces the evidence that A. aegypti must be the most frequent Zika transmission vector in Brazil," they said in a statement on the institute's website, adding that they were in the process of publishing their results.

Zika, a tropical virus that originated in Africa, can cause relatively mild, influenza-like symptoms.

But since the outbreak was detected in Brazil in October last year, authorities have reported a surge in babies born with microcephaly - a condition that causes abnormally small heads and brains - after their mothers were infected with the virus.

The health ministry said last Wednesday that 1384 babies had been born with the condition and 59 had died since the outbreak began.

The World Health Organization, which has labelled the suspected link between Zika and microcephaly an international emergency, said yesterday that a "massive policy failure" on mosquito control and access to family planning services was to blame for the crisis.

Zika has also been linked to neurological problems including Guillain-Barre Syndrome, in which the immune system attacks the nervous system, causing paralysis and sometimes death.

The virus can also be transmitted through sexual contact, but is believed to be spread mainly by mosquitoes.

(With AFP inputs)
Delhi: The kickbacks in the AgustWestland VVIP chopper deal were in all likelihood routed through an Indian Ocean island, as per a media report.

As per an India Today report, the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet and the phone intercepts between Agusta middlemen to India's official letters to other countries points towards the fact that dirty money moved from Mauritius.

As per the report, a chargesheet filed by Indian agencies in the Agusta case mentions one Shakil Fakeermahamood who is supposedly the person who allegedly handled the flow of kickbacks through Mauritius.

Shakila handled the kickbacks at the instructions of one of the main scam suspects - Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan.

Khaitan is currently out on bail.

The media group's undercover reporters, who posed as real estate agents, reportedly hunted down Fakeermahamood in Port Louis - Mauritius' capital.

As per India Today, Fakeermahamood is privy to confidential emails from Khaitan and managed his Interstellar Technologies in Mauritius by proxy.

He was also privy to secret transactions in dollars and euros to unknown destinations.

Following is the transcript of the conversation that media group's reporters had with Fakeermahamood and was published by the website:

R: Sir, we are from India. We have real estate consultancy firm in Gurgaon.

SF: Ok.

R: We are dealing with various clients. One of our clients is into trust. It is based in UK.

R: Sir, our clients have agricultural products business.

Shakil: The best structure would be trustee... you have to give me trust deed. I will know who is the trustee. Then trustee forms Global Business License 1 company in Mauritius and GBL 1 invests in India through an industry which is allowed. Now, there is no issue of tax as there is no income. The trustee is extending itself through investments through assets.

R: So you know Gautam Khaitan, the top lawyer?

SF: Yes, everybody knows him in Mauritius. He was adviser of Financial Services Commission

R: Ok.

SF: He was negotiating on the tax treaty with India. He was... If you take the case of Mr Khaitan, he is a lawyer. Everybody pays consultancy fees.

R: Yes.

SF: The guy who negotiated to get the contract from the Italian company was paid consultancy fees for their work to be done for this thing.

R: Yeah.

SF: You see how it happened. Now, what they will do afterwards because there's a contract everywhere. Everybody is assigned a responsibility. Now, if some money was given... money from... a public servant... Tyagi...

R: Tyagi... Tyagi.

SF: Chief... chief.

R: SP Tyagi, Mr SP Tyagi.

SF: Air-Force officer... Now, if he has received money. We should know... with whom he has received that money. But it was a deal. It was not fictitious from A to Z. There was a contract. I can understand. It is a commercial transaction.

R: According to media reports, Gautam Khaitan looks like mastermind of the deal.

SF: He cannot be the mastermind. He is a lawyer, how can he be the mastermind?

Once the shell company is formed, the kickbacks money gets funnelled in many ways, like through FDI route in India.

It has been alleged that bribes were paid in clinching the deal for AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica.

The Milan Court of Appeals - equivalent of an Indian high court - has given details of how alleged bribes were paid by helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal.

The order mentions the name of former IAF chief SP Tyagi at several points.

The allegation against Tyagi is that he had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids.

However, this decision was reportedly taken in consultation with the officials of SPG and the Prime Minister's Office including then NSA MK Narayanan, as per PTI.

The deal for the choppers went off track in 2013 when Italy arrested the head of Finmeccanica, which owns AgustaWestland, for paying bribes to secure the deal.

Meanwhile, the BJP has been targeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other leaders on the Rs 3,600 crore chopper deal case during the UPA II regime.

On the other hand, Congress has alleged that it is a political conspiracy to malign the party leadership.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Tuesday condemned the 'obstinate behavior' of Jammu University Vice-Chancellor Professor R.D Sharma to ban the party's youth wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in all educational institutions in the region and said action would be taken accordingly.

"BJP Ministers take up Jammu University vice-chancellor obstinate behaviour against ABVP. Action wl b taken (sic)," Madhav tweeted.

The entry of the ABVP has been banned in all educational institutions in the Jammu region. The ban on ABVP comes in the back drop of BJP sharing power with PDP in the state. It is reported that the ABVP had sought permission from Government Women College Prade, Jammu, for holding national executive committee meet, which was out rightly rejected, even though Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmal Singh was the guest for the event.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir BJP leaders have come at forefront in ABVP`s defence.

State legislative assembly speaker Kavinder Gupta has termed the move as unfortunate and related it to depriving the organization of its political rights.
New Delhi: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday said that the presidential nod to the Centre's Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination (NEET) that keeps state boards out of its purview has given it a much-needed statutory support.

Addressing a press briefing on the issue, Health Minister JP Nadda said, ''Through this ordinance, NEET has been given a statutory support.''

Maintaining that NEET or the common medical entrance examination has been implemented from May 1, the Health Minister said, ''In some sections of media, it was coming that NEET has been deferred. I want to make it clear that in fact it has been implemented.''

The Health Minister said while states will be able to hold the undergraduate exams, the postgraduate exams to be held in December will be under NEET.

The central government was committed to implementing NEET but the states expressed their concerns which had to be addressed, Nadda said.

"State governments wanted exemption and the issues were related to parity of syllabus and option of giving exam in regional languages," Nadda said.

"After due consultation, we came out with an Ordinance, which provides NEET a statutory basis and where we give state governments an option to conduct examination and those who have conducted exams to go forward in that direction," he said.

State governments will get an opportunity to appear this year (2016-17) for under-graduate examinations. But this year from December, the post-graduation examination will be held under NEET provisions, Nadda added.

The reactions from the Health Minister came shortly after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his nod to the Centre's Ordinance or the executive order which puts on hold the common medical exam NEET for a year.

The President gave his consent after seeking more information and clarification on few points from the Union Health Ministry over its decision to bring an Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination NEET that sought to keep state boards out of its purview.

This was conveyed to Union Health Minister JP Nadda who had met the President on Monday afternoon to brief him about the need for bringing the Executive Order. The meeting lasted for more than half-an-hour and the minister reportedly briefed the President on three set of issues -- different exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

The Ordinance was sent to the President on Saturday.

The Ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier on Friday, is aimed at "partially" overturning a Supreme Court order which said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET.

The ordinance exempts certain state boards from the ambit of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for a year. The exempted states include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab.

The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24. Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1.

Health Ministry sources earlier said that seven states will take medical exams as per NEET while in six other states, around 4 lakh students have already taken the examinations.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday signed the Centre's Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination (NEET) that keeps state boards out of its purview.

The presidential nod to the Centre's Ordinance or the executive order will now put on hold the common medical exam NEET for a year.

The President gave his consent after seeking more information and clarification on few points from the Union Health Ministry over its decision to bring an Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination NEET that sought to keep state boards out of its purview.

This was conveyed to Union Health Minister JP Nadda who had met the President on Monday afternoon to brief him about the need for bringing the Executive Order.

The meeting lasted for more than half-an-hour and the minister reportedly briefed the President on three set of issues -- different exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

The meeting between the President and the Health Minister was "satisfactory", the sources said.

The Ordinance was sent to the President on Saturday.

Nadda was to attend a global health summit in Geneva but had to cancel the trip to meet the President.

The Ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier on Friday, is aimed at "partially" overturning a Supreme Court order which said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET.

The President has also sought the opinion of in-house legal experts on the Ordinance. The assent of the President is still awaited.

Clarifying that the exemption is only for the state government seats, government sources had said the state seats which are earmarked in the private medical colleges have also been exempted.

Different states earmark seats in various private medical colleges for state quota so that students from one state can get seats in another state.

The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24. Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1.

Health Ministry sources said that seven states will take medical exams as per NEET while in six other states, around 4 lakh students have already taken the examinations.
New Delhi: In a major development with regard to NEET, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday signed the ordinance on the uniform medical entrance examination.

So, what does this signing of ordinance by President Pranab Mukherjee really mean for medical aspirants?

It's explained here in just three easy-to-understand points:-

- NEET has been deferred for a year

- Ordinance gives nod to keep state boards out of the ambit of NEET

- This will hold valid for one academic year

Why did all this happen?

The states flagged various issues in the health ministers conference recently, including problems related to language and syllabus for students.

They said the students affiliated to state boards will find it tough to appear for the uniform test as early as July.

Health minister JP Nadda met President Pranab Mukherjee and explained about the need for the ordinance.
Beijing: President Pranab Mukherjee is to begin his four-day China visit from Tuesday with an aim to further broaden ties between the two Asian economic giants.

During his visit, Mukherjee is likely to raise the issues of China blocking India's bid to get a UN ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar and its stand that New Delhi must sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to get membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The lingering boundary issue may also figure in talks.

Keeping up the tempo of high-level visits, Mukherjee will first arrive in Guangzhou -- a heavily industrialised city in south China which has strong trade links with India.

The President will be meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Le Keqiang and other top leaders.

Mukherjee, who had visited the capital city of Guangdong province in 2009 as then foreign minister, will meet Indian and Chinese businessmen at an event. It is Mukherjee's maiden visit to China as President.

Located along the Pearl river, Guangzhou has some 5,000 Indians who are primarily into business. The city has various industries such as ship building, textile, and chemical among others.

Mukherjee is likely to touch upon the bilateral trade ties, since the balance of trade is heavily slanted in China's favour.

Close to Hong Kong and Macau, Guangzhou was one of the first cities to exploit China's opening up to the outside world in 1978. In the following 25 years, the city has maintained an average of 14 percent economic growth.

Guangzhou has British-era buildings that stand testimony to the city being captured in the Opium War.

The President arrives in Beijing on May 25 where he is slated to attend a reception hosted by Chinese People's Friendship Association of Foreign Countries.

Mukherjee will also visit Peking University which recently ranked 21 in the world's 100 varsities. He is to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on May 26.

This is the first visit by an Indian President since 2010 when Mukherjee's predecessor Pratibha Patil came on a visit.

The visit comes days after Beijing blocked India's bid at the UN to designate Pathankot terror attacks mastermind, Masood Azhar, as terrorist. In a move seen as retaliatory, New Delhi issued visa to Chinese dissident Dolkun Isa, an Uighyur, for an international meet on democracy in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, only to retract the invitation later.

China has also not backed India's entry into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a move that has worried New Delhi.

These issues are likely to figure in talks with the Chinese leadership.

Mukherjee leaves for New Delhi on May 27.

In June 2014, Vice-President Hamid Ansari visited China, while President Xi was in India in September that year. In May 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to China, while Chinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao visited India in November last year.

Modi is to visit Hangzhou for the G20 summit in September while Xi will be in Goa for the BRICS summit that India is hosting in mid-October.

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was in Beijing in April this year.

(With Agency inputs)
Jaipur: Controversial Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Gyandev Ahuja, who had earlier courted a controversy by claiming that JNU students indulge in sex and booze and go naked on campus, has now attributed the growing instances of rapes in India to the Nehru, Gandhi family.

Blaming the Nehru family for all social problems in the country, the BJP legislator from Alwar's Ramgarh also urged that all statues and monuments named after the Gandhis should be immediately demolished like it was done in Iraq where hundreds of agitators uprooted dictator Saddam Hussain and broke into pieces his iconic statue in central Baghdad.

Interestingly, the BJP MLA hailed PM Narendra Modi as a ''divine'' person, who will rid India of all societal evils very soon.

However, Ahuja's explosives comments have drawn sharp reactions from the Rajasthan unit of Congress, which said that BJP MLA is mentally unfit and should be treated in a mental hospital.

Ahuja had sometimes back stirred a controversy by saying JNU students were responsible for 50 percent of rapes and molestation cases in the national capital.

The BJP MLA had also alleged that some 3,000 condoms and anti-pregnancy injections are used daily in the JNU campus and students there do bad things with our daughters and sisters.

This is a place (JNU) where Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru is praised. These people are traitors,'' he had said.
Jaipur: In what could have turned into a major disaster, an IndiGo flight recently nearly landed on a road here, as per a report.

The Hindustan Times reported that pilots of the IndiGo Airlines Ahmedabad-Jaipur flight 6E-237 were flying in to land at the Jaipur airport when they mistook a road parallel to facility as the runway.

The report said the pilots realised the error when the plane was barely 900 feet or less than 1.5 minutes away from the runway.

The pliots aborted the landing and pulled up as soon as the enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) alarm went off in the cockpit.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), taking note of the serious incident that took place on the February 27, has ordered an investigation and grounded both the pilots.

IndiGo Flight 6E-237 enroute Ahmedabad to Jaipur being operated with A320 aircraft VT-IGK was involved in EGPWS 'Too Low Terrain' warning on 27 February 2016 when the aircraft was on finals during visual approach at runway 27 at Jaipur, an IndiGo statement said.

The Captain-in-command immediately took a precautionary measure and carried a go-around. The aircraft landed safely on subsequent ILS approach on runway 27. At IndiGo the safety and security of customers, crew and the aircraft is the top priority  at no time the safety was compromised. Both the pilot have been taken off from flight duty with immediate effect by IndiGo chief of flight safety pending investigation. The matter was duly reported to the DGCA by IndiGo flight safety department, the statement added.
New Delhi: An air ambulance crash landed on the outskirts of Najafgarh area in southwest Delhi on Tuesday afternoon.

As per reports, the six-seater Beech King Air C-90A aircraft  a chartered flight from Patna to Delhi - crash-landed in a field in Kair village in Jaffarpur Kalan at around 2:40 pm.

The 27-year old plane belonging to Chandigarh-based private operator Alchemist Airways had to force land after both its engines failed, airport officials said.

The aircraft landed 6.0 nautical miles short of IGI Airport. Pilot reported failure of both engines. All seven on board are safe, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

Alchemist Airlines Air Ambulance that crashed in Delhi's Najafgarh area. 5 rushed to hospital. pic.twitter.com/JR7yB5PdGB  ANI (@ANI_news) May 24, 2016

Delhi: Pictures from spot where Air Ambulance crash landed pic.twitter.com/AmqKUcJWHD  ANI (@ANI_news) May 24, 2016

Alchemist Airlines Air Ambulance that crashed in Delhi's Najafgarh area. 5 injured rushed to hospital. pic.twitter.com/ykLttAfRiW  ANI (@ANI_news) May 24, 2016

Meanwhile, the 61-year-old cardiac patient Virender Rai who was being flown to Delhi was rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon immediately after the incident.

The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.

The 1989-make aircraft, carrying registration number VT EQO, was in touch with to Air Traffic Control as it was in the final approach to landing.

The six other onboard persons include Rupesh (doctor), Jung Bahadur (aircraft technician), Juhi and Bhagwan Rai (both relatives of the patient), Amit Kumar (pilot) and Rohit (co-pilot).

According to ATC sources, the plane's first engine stopped functioning at 1422 hours prompting the Commander to seek emergency landing.

"A little later, at 1435 hours, the pilot-in command reported that the second engine had also failed. Two minutes later, the aircraft lost radar and VHF contact as well," sources said, as per PTI.

At 1440 hours, the ATC received a phone call that the aircraft has crash landed, they said.

(With Agency inputs)
Sindhudurg: Thousands of people on Tuesday bade a tearful farewell to Pandurang Mahadev Gawade, a soldier martyred in a gun battle in Kashmir, as his last rites were performed with full military honours at his Amboli village in this district, officials said.

Gawade's widow and two young children were joined at the funeral by thousands of villagers and mourners from surrounding areas, who chanted "Pandurang Gawade amar rahe" (Long live Pandurang Gawade).

The young soldier of the Indian Army was wounded last Saturday in a gun battle with five heavily armed terrorists in Durgmulla in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. He died on Sunday in a military hospital.

The successful anti-terror operation resulted in all the five terrorists being eliminated by the security forces.

The Indian Army on Monday paid a befitting tribute to Gawade, lauding his valour and sacrifice at a solemn ceremony in Badami Bag Cantonment in Srinagar.

Chinar Corps' commander Lt. Gen. Satish Dua and other officers laid wreaths beside Gawade's mortal remains and saluted the brave soldier.

Gawade's body was taken to Goa on Monday and held at the Panaji Military Hospital till Tuesday morning.

After a wreath laying ceremony by Brig. S.K. Agarwala, Commandant of 2 Signal Training Centre in Goa, the mortal remains were taken by road to Amboli village in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra and the last rites were performed.
New Delhi: After registering a landslide victory in Assam Assembly elections, BJP's big focus is on Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections!

Upbeat over Assam victory, Rajnath Singh, former UP CM, has claimed that BJP will get absolute majority in the UP polls.

However, the former UP CM admitted that Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party will give them fight in some seats but eventually only BJP will bag the state elections with clear majority, according to a report in TOI.

Also, Rajnath Singh has said that call on projecting a face in UP like Assam will be taken by BJP Parliamentary Board.

Rajnath seemed confident of getting votes from all the sections and castes.

"There is one section in every caste and community, big or small, which supports BJP," Rajnath said.

Notably, BJP emerged victorious in Assam polls with landslide mandate.
New Delhi: Will Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, ever join active politics? There are no clear answers yet.

However, with the party facing defeat after defeat in local, state as well as national elections, chorus has been growing within the party to bring in Priyanka to lead and revive the fortunes of the Congress.

Even senior party leader Digvijaya Singh recently said that many within the Congress favour Priyanka Gandhi getting into active politics, adding she has the potential to emerge as a mass leader.

However, it is not the voices within the party but those outside it that are making the case to bring in Priyanka to lead the Congress and make it stronger.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev recently said that the Congress can give a tough fight to the BJP politically if it makes Priyanka Gandhi its chief.

Ramdev reportedly told a news channel during an interview, BJP will have to work hard if Priyanka Gandhi takes charge of the Congress.

And now, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party scion Akhilesh Yadav has also, indirectly, rooted for Priyanka Gandhi.

Asked during an interview by The Economic Times, whether Congress will gain if Priyanka Gandhi becomes the party's face in UP, Akhilesh said, That's a good thing. At least new ideas will come into that party.

While the young CM did not endorese Priyanka, he clearly hinted that it was time the charismatic lady is brought in to lead the Congress if it needs to avoid a 'Congress-mukt Bharat', as propagated by the ruling BJP.
Chennai: Andhra Pradesh's Minister for Non-Resident Indian Welfare, Palle Raghunatha Reddy, has written a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in a bid to gain her attention towards the plight of women domestic workers from Andhra Pradesh languishing in jails in Gulf states.

In the letter, Reddy called for action to bring back the women.

"Necessary steps should be initiated to bring them to their native areas safely by providing free travel and necessary visa documents at the earliest possible (opportunity)," he wrote.

"Instructions should be issued to Indian embassy officials in Gulf countries to interfere in the matter and provide necessary help in terms of food, clothing and shelter."

Women from Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring state of Telangana "are being sold like products in a retail shop," Reddy wrote in the letter sent last week.

"Women are being sold to the tune of Rs 400,000 in Saudi Arabia and between Rs 100,000 to 200,000 in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait," the minister wrote.

He added that at least 25 women jailed in Gulf states have sought the state government`s help recently.

As per government figures, there are an estimated six million Indian migrants in the six Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman.

These include women who leave their villages to take up jobs overseas paying up to three times more than in India, putting their fate in the hands of recruitment agents, who often dupe them.

There is no official data on the exact count of the migrants stranded in Gulf countries but experts put the numbers in tens of thousands, many of them in jail.

Some of the migrants overstay on tourist visas and are unable to pay the fines required to return home. In some cases, they do not have exit visas. Many others have been jailed on petty offences waiting for their case to be heard, according to the Andhra Pradesh state government.

In response to a query in Parliament in March, the Foreign Ministry said their diplomatic missions in all six Gulf states had registered complaints of physical abuse, maltreatment, non-payment of salary, and other grievances.

Requesting anonymity, a senior official in the Andhra Pradesh government said a group of ministers from the state would travel to the Gulf next month to investigate the plight of migrants from their region.

The state government is also in the process of appointing lawyers to provide legal advice to Indian prisoners in Gulf jails, the official said.

(With Agency inputs)
Jammu: A suspected leader of the Pakistani militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and another suspected militant have been killed in a shootout with security forces in Indian Kashmir, police said Tuesday.

The clash happened in the regional capital Srinagar late Monday, hours after rebels shot dead three policemen in separate attacks in the city.

Deadly attacks on security forces are relatively common in the disputed Indian-controlled Himalayan region, but Srinagar has been largely free from such incidents in recent years.

"Two militants, including a JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammad) commander, were killed after a brief encounter," Srinagar police chief Amit Kuma told reporters.

Another senior officer, Ghulam Hassan Bhat, told AFP that police had launched an operation against the men after receiving intelligence they were hiding out in the city.

Bhat identified one of the dead as Saifullah, a Pakistani national and senior leader of JeM, one of the groups India blames for a 2001 attack on its parliament.

The operation was apparently not related to the two attacks earlier in the day by gunmen on motorbikes in which three police officers were killed in the heavily militarised city.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in its entirety.

An insurgency to end Indian rule in the mainly Muslim region broke out in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians. India blames Pakistan for backing the militants in Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse on Tuesday demanded an investigation by the Mumbai Police Cyber Crimes Cell into allegations leveled against him by an AAP leader pertaining to phone calls made on his mobile number from a Pakistan landline number registered at the residence of absconder mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar.

Khadse has shot off a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking the enquiry by the Cyber Crimes Cell since his mobile number in question (Idea No. 9423073667) was out of service during the time when he purportedly received several calls from the Karachi-registered residence phone number of Dawood.

"Last Saturday, AAP leader Priti Sharma-Menon held a media briefing where a Vadodara-based techie Manish Bhangale said he had hacked the website of Pakistan Telecommunications to make the (above) allegation against me," Khadse said in his letter to CM.

He pointed out that his mobile number was switched off September 5, 2015 to April 5, 2016, and there were no incoming or outgoing international calls from that number.

In this connection, he had secured the records of the Idea Cellular Co. proving that the number was switched off.

"However, though my number was switched off, it appears some hacker has used the Internet connection to clone my SIM card and use my number illegally," Khadse claimed.

Bhangale has admitted to hacking the Pakistan Telecommunications website and procuring the information from there, which is violative of the IT Act's sections 65 and 66F-1B, he said.

Moreover, instead of passing on the information to police, Bhangale made it public in a press conference, which raises question on his intentions, the minister said in the letter.

Accordingly, he sought Cyber Crimes Cell police investigation into the entire phone calls matter, against Sharma-Menon, Bhangale and their associate Jayesh Dave, followed up with appropriate action.

Last Saturday, the AAP made the sensational claim that Khadse received calls on his mobile from the don's Karachi residence phone number (021-35871719) between September 5, 2015 to April 5, but the minister rubbished the allegations.

Sharma-Menon said Bhangale, an "ethical hacker" had brought it to the notice of Vadodara police but they did not initiate investigations and later he faxed the details to Prime Minsiter's Office on April 29.

She followed it up with a meeting with Fadnavis on the issue and Bhangale met Mumbai Police Commissioner D. Padsalgikar on May 19, for submitting the details.

Terming it "a very serious issue", the AAP demanded an enquiry into Bhangale's revelations and sacking of Khadse to ensure a free and fair probe.
New Delhi: Social networking giant Facebook apologised for refusing to run an advert featuring a plus-size model wearing a bikini.

The image of Tess Holliday, an American plus-size model, meant to promote body positivity at an event was rejected by Facebook stating that it depicts a body or body parts in an undesirable manner.

The move had infuriated Cherchez La Femme, Australian feminist group and Melborne's monthly talk show of popular culture, news and current affairs from an unapologetically feminist angle.

Jessamy Gleeson, one of the producers of "Feminism and Fat" event, told the BBC she was furious.

"They're not policing women's bodies when it comes to acceptable standards of beauty elsewhere," she said.

However, the social site later said it had made a mistake and that the image has been reinstated.

Our team processes millions of advertising images each week, and in some instances we incorrectly prohibit ads. This image does not violate our ad policies. We apologize for the error and have let the advertiser know we are approving their ad, the statement from Facebook said.
Kabul: The Afghan Taliban are struggling to find a successor to slain chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, militant sources said today, with one saying the two main contenders had backed out of the leadership race.

Mullah Yakoub, the Taliban founder's son, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, an implacable foe of US forces, were seen as the two frontrunners for the job after Mansour was killed Saturday in a rare American drone strike deep inside Pakistan.

"Yakoub has refused to accept the role, saying he is too young for it," a senior Taliban source in northwest Pakistan told AFP.

"Mansour's deputy and operational head of the Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has also refused due to personal reasons."

That development will complicate the job of the Taliban's supreme council, which has been holding emergency meetings since Sunday at an undisclosed location in Pakistan to find a unifying figure for the leadership post.

The insurgents have yet to officially confirm the death of Mansour, which has thrown the deeply factionalised Taliban into disarray nine months after he was elevated to the Taliban leadership following a bitter power struggle.

"The main challenge is to save the Taliban movement from being further divided," another Taliban source said, adding that supreme council members were constantly changing the venue of their meetings to avoid potential air strikes.

"It will take time to reach a consensus for the leadership position."

Other candidates in the fray include Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the movement's former deputy who is said to be close to the Pakistani military establishment.

He was jailed by Pakistan in 2010 but freed in September 2013 as part of efforts to boost Afghanistan's peace process. He has since been reported to be under house arrest by Pakistani authorities.

Mullah Adbul Qayyum Zakir, considered one of the group's most violent and committed commanders, is another leading contender.

The complicated search for a new leader risks igniting a new succession battle within the Taliban, which saw its first formal split last year.

Many top commanders refused to pledge allegiance to Mansour, saying the process to select him was rushed and biased as they accused him of keeping founder Mullah Omar's death secret for two years.

"The Taliban movement is passing through a very crucial stage. We need a conciliator not a warrior to take his place," one of the Taliban sources said, citing some of the commanders at the supreme council meetings.
Washington DC: A day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the drone strike by the United States in Balochistan was a violation of Pakistan`s sovereignty, the Barack Obama government responded saying that they do respect Islamabad`s territorial integrity, but that will not stop them from carrying out strikes to remove terrorists targeting US forces.

Speaking at a press briefing, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said that the drone strike last week had had been about removing Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who was actively pursuing, planning, carrying out attacks against US and Afghan forces in the region.

"First of all, this was a strike directed against this individual, Mansour, in the Afghan-Pakistan border region. We certainly do respect Pakistan`s territorial integrity, but as we`ve said before, we will carry out strikes to remove terrorists who are actively pursuing and planning and directing attacks against US forces," Toner said.

Asserting that the drone strike sent a clear message that those who target the US and the Afghan people, are not going to be given a safe haven, and that there`s only one option for the Taliban, which is to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

"What I think it does send is a clear message, as I said, that if you`re going to carry out attacks, if you`re going to lead attacks against our forces and against Afghan`s forces - Afghanistan`s forces - then you`re going to be targeted and you`re not going to have safe haven," Toner said.

"And I also think that it sends the message that the Taliban must decide what its future is going to be and whether it`s going to be part of a peaceful political future for Afghanistan. And there is a path towards that. They can sit down with the Afghan Government and begin negotiations and talks. We`ve encouraged that; we support an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led process," he added.

He further said that following the drone strike, the US has been in touch with Pakistan and have continued to talk about how they can collaborate and cooperate on rooting out terrorist organisations that continue to Pakistan`s territory to carry out attacks.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sharif slammed the drone strike carried out by the United States in Balochistan saying that a strong protest had been lodged with the US over the attack.

Sharif said that it was not clear that Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was among the two people reportedly killed in the air strike, adding that details of the incident were still being collected.

A statement by the Foreign Office in Islamabad said that while investigations were being carried out, "Pakistan wishes to once again state that the drone attack was a violation of its sovereignty, an issue which has been raised with the United States in the past as well".

People close to the Taliban said the strike took place as senior `commanders` were travelling to attend a wedding in a Pakistani village.

Taliban`s chief justice official, Mullah Shaikh Abdul Hakim, could have been among those killed in the strike, they said.
Washington: A Senate panel has approved a legislation which blocks USD 300 million US military aid to Pakistan unless the Defence Secretary certifies to the Congress that Islamabad is taking "demonstrable" steps against the Haqqani terror network.

The Senate Armed Services Committee - which renewed blockage of USD 300 million coalition support fund to Pakistan subject to action against the Haqqani network like previous year when it passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)-2017 last week - has, however, argued in favour of continuing security assistance to Pakistan.

"In recognition of the critical importance of the bilateral US-Pakistan relationship and the need for enhanced security and stability in Pakistan, the committee recommends a provision that would provide the Secretary of Defence the authority to reimburse Pakistan up to USD 800.0 million in fiscal year 2017 for certain activities that enhance the security situation in the northwest regions of Pakistan and along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border," it said in a report.

"The provision would also make USD 300.0 million of this amount contingent upon a certification from the Secretary of Defence that Pakistan is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani Network in Pakistan," the report said.

NDAA-2017 is scheduled to come up before the Senate for voting, during which several Senators are expected to bring in amendments to this bill.

Senate version of the NDAA differed with that of the House on many issues, including Pakistan.

While the House version of the bill, which was passed last week, calls for blocking USD 450 million of the USD 900 million US aid to Pakistan in coalition support fund, the Senate version has reduced both the figures to USD 300 million and USD 800 million, respectively.

NDAA 2016, which ends on September 30 this year, makes it mandatory for the Defence Secretary to certify that Islamabad is taking action against the Haqqani network for the release of last USD 300 million of the coalition support fund to Pakistan.

"The Defence Secretary has not taken a decision yet," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Devis told reporters yesterday when asked if Ashton Carter has issued the Congress- mandated certification.

The Committee, which passed NDAA-2017 before the weekend's US air strike on Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in the Af-Pak border region, in its report noted that since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Pakistan has been a vital partner in US efforts to combat terrorism in South Asia.

"The committee believes that stability in the region cannot be achieved without stability in Pakistan itself and that fostering a strong, stable, and secure Pakistan is consistent with the national security goals of the United States," the report said.

The Committee noted that Pakistan has been a long-standing strategic partner of the US and believes that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to be strong and enduring.

It said it recognises that some have criticised security assistance for Pakistan in recent years.

"However, the committee believes that security and stability within the borders of Pakistan is vital to the stability of the region and to transregional efforts to combat terrorism more broadly," the report said.

The committee said in this context, it notes with concern that terrorist attacks continue to plague Pakistan and strongly supports efforts by the country's government to take steps to degrade and defeat terrorist networks and activities within its own borders.

"For these reasons, the committee believes that security assistance for Pakistan should continue," the Senate Armed Services Committee said.

"To ensure sustainability and viability over the long- term, the committee also believes that security assistance for Pakistan should transition to a bilateral programme focussed on the stability and security of Pakistan, rather than the more narrow previous focus of Coalition Support Funds, which were based on the country's support for coalition operations in Afghanistan," the report said.

Noting that the coalition presence and mission in Afghanistan continue to evolve, the committee expressed its concern that, if left unchanged, continued reliance on coalition support funds for the provision of security assistance to Pakistan could negatively impact US support of Pakistani operations to combat terrorism.
Chennai: A day after Jayalalithaa took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK supremo thanked DMK treasurer MK Stalin for attending her swearing-in ceremony.

She also said that she looked forward to working with his party for development in the state.

At the same time, she clarified that there was no intention to show disrespect to Stalin or his party.

A controversy had broken out yesterday on Stalin being allotted a back-row seat at the venue of Jayalalithaa's swearing-in ceremony.

DMK president Karunanidhi had alleged yesterday that his party was 'insulted' at the ceremony and had complained about the seating arrangement made for his son.

He had said that Stalin was made to sit 'among the crowd' even as a losing candidate and AIADMK ally, R Sarath Kumar, was allotted seat in the front row.

"Stalin, who has the qualification to sit in the Main Opposition (possibly as its Leader) after (DMK) won 89 seats, was given seat among the crowd whereas Sarath Kumar was seated in the front row," Karunanidhi had said in a statement.

DMK was "insulted" in a planned manner, Karunanidhi had added.

Stalin, attired in a white shirt and dhoti, was spotted seated in the 16th row at the Madras University Centenary Auditorium.

Former DMK Ministers EV Velu and Ponmudy besides their party MLAs Sekhar Babu, Vagai Chandrasekhar and Ku Ka Selvam were also seated near him.

However, today Jayalalithaa said in a statement, "I am happy to note that Thiru MK Stalin, MLA, attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new council of ministers. I thank him for attending the event," as per PTI.

She said Stalin was seated in the block of seats intended for Members of the Legislative Assembly.

"I am informed that the Public Department had followed the protocol manual in allocating seats in the hall for the event," she said, adding, "if this seating plan caused him any discomfiture, I would like to assure him that there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his party."

"Had the officers brought to my notice that Thiru MK Stalin would be attending the event, I would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms in the protocol manual," she further said.

Conveying Stalin her good wishes, she said she looked forward to "working with his party (DMK) for the betterment of the state."

AIADMK and DMK leaders meeting each other in public functions or exchanging pleasantries are very rare and in this context Jayalalithaa's reaction is seen as important.

Jayalalithaa, who bucked a 32-year trend to storm back to power for a second consecutive term, yesterday took oath as CM of Tamil Nadu for the sixth time.

(With PTI inputs)
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday thanked DMK treasurer MK Stalin for attending the swearing-in ceremony in which the Council of Ministers were administered oath of office and Secrecy.

In her 'thank you note' the AIADMK also clarified that there was no intention of AIADMK to insult him by making him sit in a block of seats meant for MLAs.

"I am informed that the Public department had followed the protocol manual in allocating seats in the hall for the event. If this seating plan caused him any discomfiture, I would like to assure him that there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his party," Jayalalithaa was quoted as saying.

"Had the officers brought to my notice that Stalin would be attending the event, I would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms in the protocol manual. I convey my good wishes to him and look forward to working with his party for the betterment of the state," the Chief Minister added further.

On Monday, Stalin and newly elected party MLAs attended the swearing-in ceremony of Jayalalithaa and her Cabinet ministers held at centenary hall of the Madras University. Stalin was made to sit in the middle row along with other MLAs.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Monday issued a statement accusing the Jayalalithaa-led government of ill-treating Stalin and even went to the extent of stating that 'Jayalalithaa had not changed and would never change'.
Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in connection with its ongoing probe into an alleged sting video which showed him striking a deal with the rebel Congress MLAs to save his government before the trust vote.

The video shows Rawat indulging in horse trading a day before President's Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on March 27.

As per reports, the Uttarakhand CM reached the CBI headquarters in Delhi at around 12 noon.

Talking to reporters today, Rawat said, ''I'm going there to appear before CBI to cooperate in its probe.''

As a law abiding citizen I will appear before CBI so that people won't get an impression that I'm trying to avoid the agency, Rawat added.

The BJP had alleged that the sting was proof of unfair means used by the Rawat regime to stay in power.

Rawat has since then maintained his innocence in the matter and termed the entire episode as a conspiracy to tarnish his image.

The Centre revoked President's rule from Uttarakhand on May 11 after Harish Rawat proved his majority on the floor of the House. The Congress won by a margin of 33-28 in the floor test that took place on May 10.

The nine Congress rebels were barred from voting in the 71-member assembly.

With ANI inputs
Kolkata: The CBI on Tuesday conducted raids at five premises of Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan of West Bengal's Birbhum district in connection with alleged irregularities committed by its sacked vice chancellor Sushanta Dattagupta.

Two places here and two in Bhubaneswar were also searched by separate Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) teams and relevant incriminating documents were recovered. Searches at some of the places are still continuing as on Tuesday evening.

A team of 15 CBI officials participated in the raid at the Visva Bharati University located within the Santinketan Complex in Bolpur town.

The raids in the universitys office and residences of officials located in the campus lasted nine hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In Kolkata, raids were carried out at the universitys city office and residence of Duttagupta.

The CBI conducted the raids after filing an FIR against Dattagupta and three other officials of Visva Bharati on the direction of central government.

The agency booked Dattagupta, deputy registrar Shyamala Ray Nair, former registrar B. Gunashekharan (presently registrar, IIT, Bhubaneswar) and finance officer A.P. Trivedi under sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI sleuths questioned Mitra, Nair, and officiating vice-chancellor Swapan Kumar Dutta.

"The CBI officials sought details about appointment and finances of the university. They have made a list of documents required and these will be provided by the Registrars office, said Dutta.

It is alleged that University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines were not followed in the appointment process during the tenure of Dattagupta, who is also accused of drawing salary from the Visva Bharati University and a pension from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) simultaneously, said sources.

"It has been alleged in the FIR that Dr.S. Duttagupta in connivance with other accused officials appointed Shyamala Ray Nair as deputy registrar illegally in violation of UGC guidelines," said a CBI official.

"The allegation is that Nair did not meet the educational criteria and exceeded the maximum age limit by at least seven years," the official said.

Dattagupta, who was appointed in 2011, had challenged the legality of the ministry's fact-finding committee but his petition was dismissed by the Calcutta High Court.

The university was founded by the first non-European nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1921 and was declared a central university in 1951.


Rome: Around 2,000 migrants seeking to reach Europe were plucked to safety from unseaworthy boats in the Mediterranean in 15 operations off the coast of Libya Monday, the Italian coastguard service said.

Two Italian naval vessels rescued more than 500 people while two Doctors Without Borders (MSF) boats took another 788 migrants.

An Irish navy boat rescued hundreds more as did a passing cargo ship, according to the coastguard.

They did not give the nationalities of those saved, but most of the migrants who undertake the perilous journey in overcrowded vessels come from sub-Saharan Africa.

So far this year more that 34,000 people have been brought to the Italian coast after being rescued off Libya, according to the UN refugee agency.

With the return of the good weather the rescue operations are expected to increase. For the time being the numbers arriving are similar to those seen last year and in 2014.
Hanoi: US President Barack Obama called on Tuesday for territorial disputes in the South China Sea to be "resolved peacefully" as Vietnam baulks at Chinese actions in the bitterly contested waters.

"Big nations should not bully smaller ones, disputes should be resolved peacefully," he told an audience in Hanoi, referring to the disputed maritime region.

His remarks won loud applause from more than 2,000 delegates including top Vietnamese leaders.

Washington and Hanoi have been drawn closer together through their mutual concern at Beijing`s increasing assertiveness in the sea.

China claims almost all the South China Sea and has rattled neighbours with a series of reclamation and construction projects -- including airstrips -- on reefs and islets.

Vietnam and four other countries also have claims to parts of the sea.

The United States takes no position on the competing territorial claims but asserts freedom of navigation and flights in the sea and has sent warships near Chinese-held islets.

"As we go forward the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and we will support the right of all countries to do the same," Obama said.

On Monday, Obama announced he was scrapping a Cold War-era ban on weapons sales to Vietnam, seen as a major boost for Hanoi as it tries to bolster its defences against its giant northern neighbour.

"Vietnam will have greater access to the military equipment you need to ensure your security," Obama told delegates, adding the US would continue to train Vietnam`s coastguard to "enhance maritime capabilities".
Cairo: Egyptian forensics officials collected DNA from relatives of EgyptAir MS804 victims on Tuesday to help identify body parts retrieved from the Mediterranean, as investigators hunt for clues into the mysterious crash.

Investigators are still searching for the Airbus A320's two black boxes on the seabed as they seek answers as to why the aircraft came down early on Thursday, with 66 people on board.

French and Egyptian aviation officials have said it is too soon to determine what caused the disaster.

France's aviation safety agency has said the aircraft transmitted automated messages indicating smoke in the cabin and a fault in the Flight Control Unit before contact was lost.

Finding the victims' remains and the black boxes remain the priorities as families and friends hold funeral services in Cairo to mourn their loved ones, but without the closure of being able to bury their bodies.

"Body parts arrived at the morgue yesterday and other body parts arrived the day before yesterday," EgyptAir Holding Company chairman Safwat Musallam told AFP on Tuesday.

"DNA samples have been collected from the victims' families to help identify body parts," the airline said separately in an emailed statement.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had said a submersible that can operate at 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) below sea level was deployed from the oil ministry on Sunday in the hunt for the black boxes.

Specialised French equipment will also be used in the search.

A French patrol boat arrived in the search area yesterday morning, where it will concentrate mainly on the surface.

According to a French Navy spokesman, the priority is to find as much debris and remains as possible.

"For the moment, the priority is searching for any trace of the aircraft, for debris and victims," the spokesman said.

The French boat also carries hydrophones, specialised underwater microphones that may be able to locate black boxes by listening to the "pings" they emit for a month or more after being activated.

"Weather conditions have been terrible for the past few days, but that is beginning to improve," the French spokesman added.

A source in Paris close to the search told AFP that once more specialised gear arrives at the area, "it will take several more days" before the black boxes can be located and raised to the surface.

A French maritime surveillance plane overflying the area has already located floating objects, according to a French Navy spokesman.
Idomeni: Hundreds of Greek police on Tuesday began clearing the squalid Idomeni camp, a migrant flashpoint on the Macedonia border where thousands of people have been camped out for more than three months.

The overcrowded camp packed with desperate refugees and migrants has become a potent symbol of the human suffering and chaos as Europe struggles to cope with its worst migrant crisis since World War II.

In an operation which began shortly after sunrise, hundreds of Greek police began evacuating the sprawling camp which is currently home to 8,400 refugees and migrants, among them many families with children, an AFP correspondent said.

At its height, there were more than 12,000 people crammed into the site, many of them fleeing war, persecution and poverty in the Middle East and Asia, with the camp exploding in size since Balkan states began closing their borders in mid February in a bid to stem the human tide seeking passage to northern Europe.

A helicopter hovered overhead as the operation got under way, with police sources saying at least 700 officers were involved in the evacuation which aims to clear the camp and take the people to reception centres and camps dotted around the country.

The move comes after a brutal winter of freezing rain and mud which saw many people trying to force their way across the border, sometimes resulting in a violent standoff with the Macedonian police.

But officials said Tuesday`s operation was proceeding calmly in the flashpoint camp, which has often been the scene of angry confrontations with the security forces.

"The operation began on Tuesday around 0400 GMT and is taking place slowly and in a calm atmosphere. There has not been any need to use force," Yiorgos Kyritsis, the government`s migration spokesman, told AFP.On Monday, Kyritsis said the operation to clear all 8,400 people living there would take at least 10 days.

Officials have said 6,000 spots are available at reception centres, and that most of the migrants are to be moved to camps at former industrial facilities near Greece`s second city Thessaloniki, which lies about 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the south.

No force was used as officers, who started to arrive at the camp Monday, urged people to leave their tents and board buses waiting nearby to transfer them to reception centres.

Four buses with around 400 people on board could be seen leaving the site early Tuesday, an AFP correspondent said.

Journalists were unable to enter the camp itself on Tuesday morning with police keeping them out of the site, added the correspondent on the ground.

Many of the camp`s residents are women and children keen to be reunited with male relatives who have pushed ahead on their own -- with the aid of smugglers -- hoping to find a place of refuge in EU states more financially viable than debt-hit Greece.

The leftist government of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has for months been trying to persuade migrants to move away from makeshift tent encampments at Idomeni and at the port of Piraeus for their own comfort and safety.

Over the past two weeks, Greek officials have managed to convince some 2,500 people to leave Idomeni, while the number at Piraeus was brought down from around 5,000 people in March to 1,500.

But many are wary of relocating to organised camps away from the border or the city of Athens, because it could be harder to find people-smuggling contacts.

There are over 54,000 migrants stranded in Greece, according to government estimates.Meanwhile, around 2,000 migrants seeking to reach Europe from Africa were plucked to safety from unseaworthy boats in the Mediterranean in 15 operations off the coast of Libya on Monday, the Italian coastguard service said.

Two Italian naval vessels rescued more than 500 people while two Doctors Without Borders (MSF) boats took another 788 migrants.

An Irish navy boat rescued hundreds more as did a passing cargo ship, according to the coastguard.

So far this year, the International Organization for Migration says an estimated 190,000 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Another 1,359 have died en route.
Washington: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he would have no problem asking the Congress for a declaration of war against terrorism.

"It would not bother me at all doing that, we probably should have done that in the first place. This is a war against people that are vicious, violent that we have no idea who they are or where they come from," Trump, 69, told Fox News yesterday when asked if he would support asking Congress for a declaration of war to fight terrorism.

"We are allowing tens of thousands of them into our country now, so on top of wars on foreign land, wait until you see what happens in the future. It is probably not going to be pretty," Trump said.

Meanwhile, Trump met Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in New York, fuelling speculation that this was part of his vice presidential search. Corker, however, refuted such reports.

"We talked more about China, Russia. You know, I will tell you what is interesting. I met my counterpart last week from China. The fact that he is challenging some of the status quo, it is causing these countries to think a little bit differently about the US and I say that in a positive way," Corker told reporters after meeting Trump.

A new poll by Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Trump is leading his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, 68, by four per cent in a hypothetical November match up.

In the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Clinton is leading Trump 46-43. But both the polls are within the sampling error.

Trump, who so far has self-funded his campaign, would hold his first fund raiser today in New Mexico. About 25 people are expected to attend this fund raiser of USD 10,000 per person.

Last week, Trump had signed agreement with the Republican National Committee in this regard. He has set a target of USD one billion for fund raisers.
Near Fallujah: Iraqi forces battled the Islamic State group on Monday in the opening stages of an operation to retake Fallujah, one of the toughest targets yet in Baghdad`s war against the jihadists.

As Iraqi forces retook a town east of Fallujah as they closed in on the city which saw deadly battles in 2004 between insurgents and American forces, IS claimed bombings in neighbouring Syria that killed at least 148 people.

The jihadist group has increasingly turned to the tactic of killing civilians in bombings as it faces battlefield losses, and its spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani appeared to acknowledge in a recent statement that IS would probably lose more ground.

"In the early hours of the morning today, the heroic fighters advanced from different sides" to retake "all the areas occupied by (IS) around Fallujah", Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in televised remarks.

Abadi said the operation was supposed to start earlier, but "political problems and also the events... threatening security inside Baghdad delayed some of the preparations".

Iraq has been hit by a months-long political crisis that has paralysed the legislature, and demonstrators have twice broken into the fortified Green Zone area, storming parliament and Abadi`s office.

IS has also carried out a series of deadly attacks in and around Baghdad this month.

Iraqi forces had not yet entered the Anbar province city just 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Baghdad, but an AFP photographer near Fallujah said they were advancing as aircraft hit targets inside it.

Less than a day into the operation, security forces retook Karma, a small town that lies in a sprawling rural area northeast of Fallujah, the general in charge said.

"They took control and raised the flag above the city council building," Abdel Wahab al-Saadi said, adding that many IS fighters were killed defending the town.Abadi`s announcement settled the issue of which IS-held city Iraq should seek to retake next -- a subject of debate among Iraqi officials and international forces helping Baghdad battle the jihadists.

Iraq`s second city Mosul was the US military`s recommended target, but powerful militias may have helped force the issue by deploying reinforcements to the Fallujah area in preparation for an assault.

On Sunday, Iraq`s Joint Operations Command warned civilians still in Fallujah -- estimated to number in the tens of thousands -- to leave.

It told families that could not depart to raise a white flag over their location and stay away from IS headquarters and gatherings.

Officials said several dozen families had fled the city, but IS has sought to prevent civilians from leaving, as have forces on the government side, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

The United Nations called for safe corridors to be set up to allow Iraqi civilians to flee Fallujah, where 50,000 remain "at great risk", according to spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"Civilians are under grave danger as they try to flee," he said.

Anti-government fighters seized Fallujah in January 2014 after security forces withdrew during unrest sparked by the government`s destruction of a protest camp, and the city later became one of IS`s main strongholds.

Fallujah and Mosul, the capital of the northern province of Nineveh, are the last two major cities IS holds in Iraq.On Monday, seven near-simultaneous explosions targeted civilian sites in the Syrian seaside cities of Jableh and Tartus, killing at least 148.

The jihadists have also struck Baghdad, and attacks in and around the Iraqi capital have killed more than 160 people this month.

Fallujah has a long history as an insurgent bastion, and US forces launched two major assaults on the city in 2004, in which they saw some of their heaviest fighting since the Vietnam War.

Iraqi forces have the advantage of greater knowledge of the area, especially if they employ pro-government Anbar tribal fighters in the battle, but they lack the training and enormous firepower that American forces could bring to bear.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in June 2014, and Iraqi forces performed dismally during the initial offensive despite significantly outnumbering the jihadists.

But the "caliphate" the jihadist group subsequently proclaimed has been shrinking as anti-IS forces score major victories in both Iraq and Syria, where the group had also seized significant territory.
Tokyo: Japan and Canada share "serious concerns" over reclamation and militarisation in the South China Sea, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday, in an apparent reference to China`s maritime activity.

China and the United States have traded accusations of militarising the South China Sea as Beijing undertakes large-scale land reclamation and construction on disputed features while Washington has increased its patrols and exercises.

Abe`s comment, made at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, came ahead of a Group of Seven summit later this week, where maritime security, along with the global economy and terrorism, will be among main issues.

"As for the South China Sea, we share serious concerns over unilateral actions that raise tensions, such as large-scale reclamation, the building of facilities and militarisation," Abe told reporters.

"It is a significant achievement that we have agreed to cooperate to secure rule-based, free, safe seas," he said, referring to his talks with Trudeau.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea. 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 on the waterway but worries about China`s growing military reach into sea lanes through which much of Japan`s ship-borne trade passes.

Trudeau steered clear of the maritime dispute in his comments and instead chose to focus on economic ties with Japan.

"As part of our delegation, Canada`s trade minister is here. She will be meeting with Japanese companies and is expected to make a number of announcements as part of her visit," he said.

He did not elaborate on the plans of International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland in Japan.
Geneva: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump`s proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in the election race, a senior North Korean official said on Monday.

Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters in New York last week, said he is willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang`s nuclear programme, proposing a major shift in U.S. policy toward the isolated nation.

"It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his (Trump`s) idea or talk is nonsense," So Se Pyong, North Korea`s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said told Reuters on return from Pyongyang after attending the first ruling party congress in 36 years.

"It`s for utilisation of the presidential election, that`s all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement," he added. "This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election."

North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February, triggering tougher international sanctions.

So, who is also North Korea`s ambassador to the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament, reiterated that his country was prepared to return to stalled six-party talks on its nuclear programme. China and Russia backed the idea, but the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan reject it, he said.

"As a responsible nuclear state ... we never use them first," So said. "If the United States use their nuclear weapons first, then we have to use also that one."

But he added: "As a responsible nuclear state, we keep and observe the obligations of non-proliferation of nuclear technology".
Stockholm: A Swedish anti-corruption prosecutor said Tuesday he had closed an inquiry into Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, concluding no crime was committed when she obtained a Stockholm rental apartment from a union.

Special prosecutor Alf Johansson at the National Economic Crimes Bureau opened a preliminary inquiry in January after daily newspaper Aftonbladet revealed details about the apartment obtained by Wallstrom, a 61-year-old Social Democrat and the undisputed star of the government.

The influential municipal workers` union Kommunal had allowed the minister to move into a rent-stabilised apartment, bypassing a queue for ordinary tenants.

Stockholm has an acute housing shortage and the average waiting period to officially obtain a rental apartment is 13 years.

Wallstrom, who has since moved, insisted at the time that she had acted in good faith and that she had received guarantees that Kommunal was following the rules.

"There is no evidence that a crime has been committed," Johansson said in a statement.

The Swedish government is struggling in the opinion polls and has lost two ministers in recent weeks: housing minister Mehmet Kaplan stepped down in mid-April after comparing Israelis to the Nazis, and deputy prime minister in charge of the environment, Asa Romson, resigned in early May after repeated gaffes.

Another prominent leftwing politician, Mona Sahlin, the national coordinator for protecting democracy against violent extremism, was also forced to resign in mid-May after media revealed that she had made false income declarations for her bodyguard to help him obtain bank loans.
Vatican City: People who are not gossips and don`t speak ill of others are heading in the right direction for sainthood, Pope Francis said in a sermon on Tuesday.

"If you are capable of not speaking badly of someone else, you are on the right path to becoming a saint," Francis said as he celebrated mass at the Vatican hotel, where he lives.

He urged Catholics to "bite their tongue" and resist the temptation to criticise their neighbours and workmates.

"Yes, your tongue will get a bit swollen, but your spirit will be saintlier if you go down this route.

"Don`t turn around but keep going in this direction, with moral strength," he said.

Sainthood is a "blameless" journey before God and it can`t be bought or sold, the pontiff said.

"I can pray for someone to become a saint, but that person must make the journey, not me. The path to sainthood takes courage."


Detroit: Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump's economic policies are a "recipe" for lower wages, fewer jobs and more debt warning union members that he could "bankrupt America like he's bankrupted his companies."

The Democratic presidential candidate urged thousands of union workers gathered in Detroit today to ask: "How can anybody lose money running a casino, really?"

The presumptive Republican nominee's plan to deport millions of people living in the US illegally also drew Clinton's ire.

She says Trump would send a "deportation force" to schools, workplaces and homes "ripping apart families." Clinton spoke at the Service Employees International Union's international convention. She says child care workers, home health aides and others in the union are "unsung heroes" and their fight for higher wages "are my fights."
London: Britain has granted political refugee status to ousted former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, his lawyer has claimed.

A prominent human rights campaigner and Maldives' first democratically elected president, 49-year-old Nasheed had been allowed to go to Britain in January for the for spinal cord surgery following a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and the UK.

His lawyer Hasan Latheef claimed yesterday that Nasheed had been granted political refugee status, but the British government is yet to comment.

"In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile - for now," Nasheed said in a statement confirming his exile.

The Madives government said yesterday that it was disappointed that the UK government had agreed to "be part of this charade", adding that British ministers were helping with efforts to circumvent the law.

Nasheed became Maldives' first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was supposed to return to Maldives after the treatment, but remained in London where his wife and daughters have been living since he was jailed.

Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on terrorism charges after allegedly illegally ordering the arrest of a judge in a trial that put a spotlight on instability in the Maldives.

The jail term was widely criticised by international bodies, including the United Nations, and foreign governments.

A popular figure on the world stage, Nasheed's case was championed with the help of a international legal team that included Amal Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of the American actor Georg Clooney.

He was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for his treatment.

Cameron described Nasheed as his "best friend" in 2011 and this year hosted the ex-president, his wife and Amal at Downing Street after he arrived in London.

The Maldives stripped Nasheed of his pension entitlements and health insurance last month, after demanding he return from medical leave in Britain.
Beirut: The US envoy for Syria has urged rebel groups to respect a shaky nationwide truce after they gave its brokers 48 hours to stop a regime offensive near the capital.

Twenty-nine rebel groups on Sunday set the deadline for the US and Russian sponsors of the February 27 ceasefire to halt an offensive by President Bashar al-Assad`s regime in the Damascus region.

"We recognise that the CoH (Cessation of Hostilities) is under severe stress, but believe that to abandon it now would be strategic error," Michael Ratney said in a statement posted late Monday on Twitter.

"If the armed factions abandoned the CoH, Assad and his supporters would claim this gives them licence to attack all the opposition forces without international objection," he warned.

"Please know that we share your concerns and have raised them directly today with senior Russian officials," Ratney said, addressing opposition factions.

"We urge all armed factions to continue to submit violation reports to the United Nations," he added.

Rebel groups on Sunday called on ceasefire sponsors to force the regime "to completely and immediately halt their brutal offensive against Daraya and Eastern Ghouta", rebel areas outside Damascus.

Syria`s army, backed by Lebanon`s Shiite militia Hezbollah, on Thursday recaptured the town of Deir al-Assafir and nine nearby villages in the south of Eastern Ghouta.

The town of Daraya, also near the capital, was one of the first to erupt in demonstrations against the government in 2011. It has been under a strict regime siege since late 2012.

Syria`s conflict has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011.
Hanoi: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Vietnam to improve its human rights record to guarantee sustainable economic progress and greater political stability for its future.

"From my point of view, nations are most successful when human rights are respected," Obama said in a speech at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi.

"Upholding these rights is not a threat to stability but actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress. Vietnam will do it differently than the US ... But there are these basic principles that I think we all have to try to work on and improve," he said.

Obama acknowledged that the US and Vietnam had differences, but avoided any direct mention of Vietnam's poor human rights record and limited himself to making a generic defence of the importance of freedom of expression, association, religion and the need for a democratic system, Efe news reported.

Ahead of his speech, the US president also met a dozen activists -- the meeting lacked the attendance of some dissidents arrested on Monday by the Vietnamese regime, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Obama is travelling on Tuesday afternoon to Ho Chi Minh city, where he is scheduled to meet businessmen and inaugurate an American university before flying to Japan to participate in the G7 Summit.
Hanoi: The United States and Vietnam on Tuesday signed an agreement allowing the U.S. Peace Corps to work in the country for the first time.

The signing, which comes amid a historic three-day visit by President Barack Obama, follows more than a decade of negotiations between the two countries to establish a Peace Corps operation in Vietnam.

The program, which is expected to begin over the next two years, allows Peace Corps volunteers to teach English in schools in the country`s two largest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, said Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet, who signed the agreement with Vietnam`s ambassador to the United States, Pham Quang Vinh.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was present for the signing, said the agreement marked a further normalizing of relations between the United States and Vietnam.

"For 20 years now we have had what we call a normal relationship," said Kerry, who in 1968 served as a young U.S. naval officer in the Vietnam War.

"This is normal, having the Peace Corps being able to move forward, having young Americans come here, not always young, to be able to teach English in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh is the next step forward to building the relationship between the United States and Vietnam," he added.

After the signing, Hessler-Radelet turned to Kerry saying: "You`ve waited for this for a long time."
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. In an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian commented on the results of the meeting of the EU and EaP FMs in Brussels on May 23 and the announcement of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev about the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Armenian forces. Armenpress presents the answers and questions posted in the official website of MFA Armenia.

Question: Minister Nalbandian, what are the outcomes of this meeting in Brussels?

Edward Nalbandian: Armenia actively continues cooperation with the European Union. Three phases of negotiations on the new legal framework of the relations have already been held. The cooperation in the fields of human rights, democracy, rule of law, good governance, as well as sectoral cooperation in the areas of science, education, small and medium enterprises, healthcare, transport, agriculture is deepening; we have joined the Horizon 2020 and COSME programmes. The cooperation on mobility continues, we are discussing the issue of launching a dialogue on visa liberalization.



The intensive contacts within parliamentary, local government formats are being pursued. All these issues were included in the agenda of todays discussion in Brussels.

Question: If I may, a question on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Today in Istanbul Aliyev again voiced accusations on the alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict zone by the Armenian forces. What would you say in this regard?

Edward Nalbandian: Its an obvious fabrication. The Foreign Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh in its corresponding statement has denied it and expressed readiness to receive an observer mission to expose the lies of Baku, as well as to get acquainted with the crimes committed by the Azerbaijani Armed Force on the ground. Such orchestrated performances of Baku are aimed at distracting the attention of international community from the vivid facts of the gross violations by Azerbaijan of the international humanitarian law and international human rights law, presented to different international institutions by Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

If Baku is really interested in the revelation of reality, then it should not hinder the establishment of a mechanism for the investigation of ceasefire violations, proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries years ago and once again approved in Vienna, and should undertake concrete steps in that direction as soon as possible.

Question: High-ranking officials of Azerbaijan are stating that in Vienna Azerbaijan has only agreed to the maintenance of ceasefire regime, and Azerbaijan has not made any other commitment, such as the establishment of mechanism for investigation, the enhancement of capabilities of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. Was this something predictable?

Edward Nalbandian: All the commitments and agreements the sides undertook are written in white and black in the statement of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs countries. The ink has barely dried on the statement when Azerbaijan again tried to make a step back.

It is noteworthy, that the authors of those statements are, I would say, well-known Azerbaijani officials who are famous for their perils of mind, as well as the Ambassadors of Azerbaijan, who, according to the definition of the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, act independently without the instruction of the capital.

In fact, according to Bakus logic, all the participants of the summit, including also the US Secretary of State, Foreign Minister of Russia, State Secretary of France misunderstood the essence of the reached agreements.

This is yet another proof that the international community and Baku are speaking in different languages. The attempts of Baku to present its false interpretations through some officials are in vain.

Armenia together with the Co-Chair countries will spare no effort to implement the agreements reached in Vienna and to create conditions for the continuation of joint efforts with the Co-Chair countries towards an exclusively peaceful settlement of the issue.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The NKR Defense Ministry informs that overnight May 23-24 the situation was calm in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani line of contact.

The NKR Defense Ministrys announcement reads: Overnight May 23-24 the situation was relatively calm in the line of contact between the Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing forces.

The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire agreement by firing various caliber weapons in several parts of the frontline.

The Defense Army forces refrained from taking counter measures and continued confidently carrying out their military duties.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Kremlins Press Service says Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with Germanys Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, reports TASS.

They discussed political settlement of the situation in the southeast of Ukraine," the report said. "The sides stressed the importance of observing the ceasefire, raising the efficiency of operations of the OSCEs Special Monitoring Mission in the region, expanding its current scope of powers, and building up the Joint Control and Coordination Center."

"Vladimir Putin called for an immediate end to the shelling of populated areas in Donbass by Ukrainian Armed Forces," the press service said. "The Russian side stressed the need for a direct dialogue between Kiev on the one hand, and Donetsk and Lugansk, on the other, for the purpose of full-scale and all-embracing implementation of the February 12, 2015 Minsk accords."

Putin indicated that the package of proposals on local elections, the special status, amnesty, and decentralization had been coordinated with the leaderships of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics and it would make sense for the Contact Group in charge of attaining peace settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine to scrutinize them, the Kremlin said.

The sides also had an exchange of opinion on possible steps towards resolution of social, economic and humanitarian problems in eastern Ukraine. In addition to it, some elements of the ongoing crisis in Syria were discussed.








YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Hillary Clinton will not debate Bernie Sanders in California, her top campaign spokeswoman said on May 23, Armenpress reports citing CNN.

Declining to participate in the Fox News debate -- which Sanders had agreed to -- is another clear sign that Clinton and her top aides are fully focused on the general election against Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

"As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses," Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's spokeswoman, said. "We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands."

Clinton's campaign is currently fighting a two-front war against both Trump, who has all but locked up the nomination, and Sanders, who has pledged to campaign until the last vote is counted in June.

Clinton and her top aides are ready to no longer focus on Sanders and have signaled for the weeks that they are turning their focus to Trump whether the Vermont senator is around or not.

"I will be the nominee for my party," Clinton told CNN last week.

Clinton and Sanders, however, agreed in February to add four more debate to the calendar, including a debate in May. So far, the two candidates have had three of the four debates the agreed to, the last being in New York on CNN.

Sanders, behind in the popular vote and in delegates, agreed to an invite from Fox News late last week. A statement from the Sanders campaign Monday night said Clinton "reneged" on her prior debate agreement.

"I am disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clinton's unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process," Sanders said.

"I also would suggest that Secretary Clinton may want to be not quite so presumptuous about thinking that she is a certain winner," Sanders added. "In the last several weeks, the people of Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon have suggested otherwise."

Fox News formally proposed the debate last Tuesday, though the network always knew it was a stretch for a number of reasons. Political considerations aside, Clinton's appearances on the network are few and far between.

Fox's proposal letter noted: "Democrats have not debated on Fox News for the last 12 years."

But the pitch went like this: Clinton and Sanders "will reach a vast number of viewers -- many of whom are certainly open to persuasion -- just as we pivot to the general election."

In other words, it was promoted as a way to appeal to moderates.

For the Clinton campaign, the proposal was a non-starter. There was no advantageous reason to debate, and if there was, other networks would be in the running to host it.

Bill Sammon, FOX VP and Washington managing editor, said in a statement, "Naturally, Fox News is disappointed that Secretary Clinton has declined our debate invitation, especially given that the race is still contested and she had previously agreed to a final debate before the California primary."

But now Fox's executives can say they tried -- and its conservative-leaning hosts and commentators can criticize Clinton for the snub. Time will tell if any do.

Anchor Bret Baier straightforwardly reported Clinton's decision on his nightly political newscast on Monday night.

"The decision, they say, has nothing to do with Fox," he said.

Baier's panelists said they thought Clinton's decision was politically logical.

But it does set a not-so-friendly tone between Clinton and the conservative-themed network as the general election looms.

Clinton has largely tried to avoid talking about the potential California debate. When she was asked about it on Sunday, she told NBC that she had not thought about it.

"We'll consider it," Clinton said. "But I think what's important is we're not going to let, at least my campaign, is not going to let Donald Trump try to normalize himself" when he doesn't have an opponent.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Armenia informs that overnight May 23-24 the situation was calm in the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border.

The Armenian Defense Ministrys announcement reads: Overnight May 23-24 the situation remained the same in the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border. The Azerbaijani side opened sporadic irregular fires from various caliber weapons in the northeastern direction of the border.

The Armenian Armed forces control the border situation and confidently fulfill their tasks.

According to the information received from the NKR Defense Army overnight May 23-24 the situation was relatively calm in the line of contact between Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing forces.

The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire agreement by firing various caliber weapons in several parts of the frontline.

The Defense Army forces refrained from taking counter measures and continued confidently carrying out their military duties.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Parliament Speaker of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov on May 23 received OSCE Parliamentary Assemblys Special Representative on the South Caucasus Kristian Vigenin, press service of the National Assembly of Armenia informed Armenpress.

Welcoming the guest Sharmazanov presented him the Azerbaijani military operations unleashed in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border on early of April and the hostilities and inhuman atrocities of the Azerbaijani side against the Armenian soldiers and the civilian people. Sharmazanov presented Kristian Vigenin the evidence of these atrocities some of which can be found in the website of the Baku State University.

Eduard Sharazanov said the Azerbaijani aggressive actions bear the signature of the Islamic State. He noted that Turkey openly supports Azerbaijan and keeps Armenia in blockade over 23 years. Deputy Parliament Speaker also stated that both Armenia and the Nagorno Karabakh want to reach the peaceful settlement of the conflict based on three international fundamental principles two of which are always being rejected by Azerbaijan. Eduard Sharmazanov expressed concern over the unaddressed calls by the international community, and he highly appreciated the OSCEs addressed assessments over that issue.

The Nagorno Karabakh has never been a part of Azerbaijan: it withdrew from the USSR, and the people of Nagorno Karabakh have used their right to self-determination like many other people in the world, Sharmazanov said. He also emphasized that the conflict cannot be settled without the Nagorno Karabakhs participation in the negotiation process.

Expressing gratitude to the warm reception Kristian Vigenin highly appreciated the active cooperation of Armenian parliamentarians in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and stressed the importance of frequent meetings.

Referring to the issue of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict Vigenin highlighted the necessity of making great efforts towards the establishment of peace in the region without questioning the OSCE Minsk Group mandate. He informed that he will prepare a report based on the results of his visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan and will present it in the OSCE PA annual session which will be held in Tbilisi.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS/ARTSAKHPRESS. Armenian prominent boxer Vic Vakhtang Darchinyan, who is currently in the NKR, calls Armenians to spend their summer holidays in the Nagorno Karabakh.

In an interview with Artsakhpress, Darchinyan said it is nearly two decades he did not visit Stepanakert and is very happy that he had a chance to visit the Nagorno Karabakh and spent good time there. I met the NKR President, the Prime Minister, I am very grateful for their warm reception. I am going to visit also the Armenian positions, will meet our soldiers and encourage them, Darchunyan said and stated that he is very impressed by the visit to the NKR.

It is really a wonderful place, it is impossible not to admire the NKR nature and its wonderful places. Since summer holidays are coming, I would like to call all our compatriots to spend their vacations in the Nagorno Karabakh. They will have a full relax and will enjoy their time here, as well as they will show Azerbaijanis who are the real owners of the Nagorno Karabakh, Darchinyan stated.

To the question whether he has a planned bout in the nearest future, Darchinyan said he has a bout for the World Cahmpionship in July. After visiting the Nagorno Karabakh I will depart for the US to prepare for the bout, he stated.

Vakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan is an Armenian professional boxer and former three-division world champion, having won eight titles in three different weight classes. He has held the IBF flyweight title, as well as the undisputed WBA, WBC and IBF super flyweight titles. He has also captured a record four IBO titles in three weight classes.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh branch of the ARF SYU Central department on May 22 organized a ceremony dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the NKR independence in G. Yesayan hall, Aleppo, press service of the MFA of Armenia informed Armenpres.

The ceremony was attended by the Consul General of Armenia in Aleppo Tigran Gevorgyan, the NKR National Assembly MP, representative of the ARF NKR Central committee, volunteer Davit Ishkhanyan, spokesman of Berio Diocese Zareh Shaqaryan, members of the National Leadership, Armenian cultural and sport union representatives of Aleppo and a large number of people.

During the artistic part of the ceremony the history of the NKR starting from the ancient times up to now was presented, videos depicting the heroic episodes of war and everyday life of the NKR were shown.

The NKR National Assembly MP Davit Iskhanyan delivered a speech expressing gratitude on behalf of the NKR people and leadership to the Syrian-Armenians for being with the NKR people from the very start of the independence and participating in the struggle for victory. He also presented the current social-economic situation and the recent military operations in the Nagorno Karabakh.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Former Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Viktor Khristenko was elected the Chairman of the Business Council of the Eurasian Economic Union, Armenpress reports, Chairman of the National Chamber of entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Atameken Ablay Myrzakhmetov informed this.

Today the second session of the presidency of the EAEU Business Council was held, during which a decision was made to define the position of the Council Chairman. Viktor B. Khristenko was appointed the Chairman of the Council for four years, he stated.

The agreement on the creation of the EAEU Business Council was signed in May 2015 based on the results of the 8th Astana Economic Forum.

Khristenko became the first Chairman of the Business Council, reports TASS.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution which is going to be discussed in German Bundestag on June 2, is very important in terms of keeping always alive the memory of the violent crime, Armenpress reports, Edelgard Bulmahn, Vice-President of the German Bundestag said this to journalists in the National Assembly of Armenia. Earlier he met the Armenian Deputy Parliament Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov and discussed bilateral issues with him.

This resolution will firstly condemn the deportations, massacres and violence against the Armenian and other people living in the Ottoman Empire. We think that it is first and foremost important to keep alive that memory. Thus, with this resolution we will commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide, and will condemn the role of Germany for being an ally of Turkey that time and not preventing that crime, Bundestag Vice-President stated.

Speaking about her country and German people on the issue of the Holocaust recognition, she stated that taking a responsibility means a commitment to transform this responsibility to the new generations. The number of people in Turkey, who face their history and criticize the actions of their government during that times, is gradually increasing, she said. She added that they want to take a responsibility over the reconciliation of the Armenian and Turkish people, creating dialogue between them in order to jointly face the history.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Vice-President of the German Bundestag Edelgard Bulmahn says Germany is convinced that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict does not and will not have a military solution. So we urge the sides to maintain the ceasefire agreement. We think that the installation of the monitoring mechanisms is very important precondition to prevent the further escalation of the conflict. The increase of the OSCE staff will be a part of this monitoring process towards the establishment of peace in the region, "Armenpress" reports, she said this during the briefing in the National Assembly of Armenia.

Bundestag Vice-President expressed hope that the upcoming meetings between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be as productive as was the Vienna meeting. We hope that the ceasefire agreement will create a base for restarting the negotiations, and these negotiations will be based on the principles proposed by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Edelgard Bulmahn said.

She ensured that Germany, which assumed the OSCE presidency, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs will make efforts to prevent the escalation of conflicts in the region.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. On May 24 Armenian Deputy Parliament Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov received the Vice President of the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany Edelgard Bulmahn, press service of the National Assembly of Armenia informed Armenpress.

Welcoming the guest Eduard Sharmazanov stated that Armenia is concerned about deepening the Armenian-German multi-lateral relations, including the inter-parliamentary cooperation in different formats. Touching upon Armenia-EU relations, Sharmazanov expressed hope that this year a document will be signed between Armenia and the European Union. Eduard Sharmazanov presented to his German colleague the Constitutional reforms occurred in Armenia and the process of the adoption of the new Electoral Code.

Eduard Sharmazanov introduced Edelgard Bulmahn the details of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border on early of April, noting that it had been accompanied by a number of military crimes: not only the military were tortured, but also the civilians. Eduard Sharmazanov conveyed to the guest materials ensuring those facts, and some part of them, were published in the Azerbaijani press. In this context Sharmazanov has noted that the occurred tortures remind the signature of the Ottoman Turkey and DAESH. Eduard Sharmazanov, as well as Edelgard Bulmahn positively assessed the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna and the reached agreements. Eduard Sharmazanov highlighted the importance of the installation of trust and investigative mechanisms for restarting the negotiations and expressed hope that Germany will be consistent in this issue.

At the meeting the process of the Armenian Genocide recognition in the German Bundestag was also touched upon. Eduard Sharmazanov highly appreciated Edelgard Bulmahns position over the issue of the Armenian Genocide, noting that recognition and condemnation of the gravest crime prevents the implementation of new genocides.

Edelgard Bulmahn expressed gratitude for the warm reception and also highlighted the importance of deepening the relations in various platforms and mutual visits. Referring to the Bundestag resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide she stated that an attempt has been made in the resolution to name the things by their name and show the share of the guilt of the German authorities in the Armenian Genocide. She emphasized the need of facing the history by Germany, raising the realities from the depth of history and overcoming the problems, as it happened in the case of Holocaust victims. Bundestag Vice-President said the existing messages of the resolution are also directed against Turkey.

Edelgard Bulmahn highlighted the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement and the implementation of the agreements reached during the meeting of the Presidents of the two countries in Vienna. She expressed hope that the ceasefire will be maintained, and the agreements wont remain on the paper and will be called into life, otherwise, the situation will be repeated, which, she says, should not be permitted. She agreed with the statement by the OSCE Minsk Group which says the conflict has no military solution.

Other issues of bilateral interest were also discussed during the meeting.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Russian Envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Georgias joining NATO would be a blow to European security and create colossal risks, Armenpress reports citing Sputnik News.

I think that common sense still prevails in NATO because the acceptance of Georgia into NATO would be a blow to European security and would carry colossal risks for peace and security in Europe, Grushko said during a live video uplink with Brussels.

Earlier Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevics said in an interview with the news portal "Delphi" that Georgia and Ukraine do not have prospects of NATO membership in the nearest future.

"NATO has always made statements about the open door" principle. But now, we cannot talk about integration of Georgia or Ukraine with NATO in the near future, Rinkevics stated adding that NATO has no common position on this issue.

The fact that Montenegro is joining NATO is a clear proof that the "open door" policy is still valid. But the candidate countries themselves must be prepared to carry out reforms. This does not apply only to defense policy, said Rinkevics, reports RIA Novosti.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The regular hjearing of the trial over the murder of former editor-in-chief of Agos periodical started on May 24 at the 14th High Penal Court of Istanbul. Armenpress reports, citing Agos, Dink family's lawyers Bahri Belen, Hakan Bakrcoglu, Sebu Aslangil, Tangul Ozer, Melike Polat and Zeynep Parmakszoglu are present at the hearing.

Arrested suspects Yasin Hayal, Ali Fuat Ylmazer, Ramazan Akyurek, Ercan Demir, Tamer Bulent Demirel, Osman Gulbel, Ali Poyraz and Hamdi Egebatan are attending the trial via video call.

Celalettin Cerrah, Ahmet Ilhan Guler, Resat Altay, Faruk Sar, Hasan Durmusoglu, Sabri Uzun, Onur Karakaya, Mehmet Ayhan, Erhan Tuncel and Mehmet Ali Ozklnc, the suspects who are tried without arrest, are also present at the hearing.

Muhittin Zenit and Ozkan Mumcu, who were released at the previous hearing, are also present.

HPD Istanbul MP Garo Paylan is following the trial.

The court read the decision concerning the refusal of the demands of recusal and release.

Before the hearing, Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had prepared an indictment against the Deputy Governor of Ordu and a former civil inspector Mehmet Ali Ozklc. The court approved the indictment and joined it with the main case.

The current Chief of Security General Directorate Intelligence Branch Engin Dinc is absent once again. Having presented an excuse to the court, he also hadn't attended the previous hearing.

Speaking at the hearing, the lawyers of Celalettin Cerrah, who is a former Istanbul Provincial Police Chief, demanded a stay of proceedings on the ground that the indictment against him was prepared without a permit for investigation. They also stated that, since he is currently serving as a governor, only the Supreme Court can try him.

Former Chief of Istanbul Police Directorate Intelligence Branch Ahmet Ilhan Guler and Mehmet Ucar also demanded stay of proceedings with the same ground.

Lawyers of Dink family Bahri Belen and Hakan Bakrcoglu spoke about these objections.

Bahri Belen reminded that after Dink was murdered, the public officials couldn't had been tried because of the political atmosphere. Belen stated that there is nothing preventing Cerrah from being tried.

Bakrcoglu reminded the decisions of 8th High Penal Court and the Constitutional Court and stated that the indictment was prepared in accordance with the procure.

The prosecutor also expressed his opinion in favor of refusal of the demands.

The court decided that, in terms of procedure, there is no obstacle for trying Cerrah and Ucar. The court referred to ECHR's ruling concerning Dink case and 8th High Penal Court's decision concerning the trial of public officials.

The trial continues after the lunch break.

Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Armenian Agos newspaper, was shot dead by a teenager on Jan. 19, 2007 outside his office in Istanbul.

Dink`s assassination organizer Yasin Hayal was sentenced to life imprisonment and the perpetrator Ogyun Samast was sentenced to imprisonment for 22 years by the decision of the court on January 17. 2012.

In October 2014 Istanbul's 5th High Criminal Court made a decision to start the trial into the murder of Hrant Dink from zero.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Robert Harutyunyan on May 23 received the newly appointed Ambassador of Australia Peter Tesch (residence in Moscow) over the issue of presenting his credentials, press service of the MFA of Armenia informed Armenpress.

Welcoming the guest Deputy Foreign Minister wished him success in his diplomatic mission and expressed hope that Armenian-Australian relations will take a new path and quality in various spheres during Ambassadors tenure.

In his turn, Ambassador of Australia stated that Australia is always interested in developing political, economical and cultural cooperation with Armenia. He highly appreciated the active role of the Armenian community of Australia in the development of bilateral relations.

The sides discussed other issues of bilateral cooperation giving importance especially to the productive cooperation within the framework of international organizations.

Ambassador expressed confidence over the existence of potential necessary for the Armenian-Australian mutual cooperation and expressed his countrys willingness to expand the bilateral economic and business ties.

Regional and international issues were also touched upon during the meeting.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia has issued a statement commenting on the changes of the profitability from Eurobonds caused by the unprecedented escalation on the contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijan.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of Armenian CB, some extent fluctuation of the profitability of Eurobonds of Armenia is characteristic of all the Eurobonds, which is caused by the reaction of investors towards risk factors. The CB also clarified that regular daily fluctuations of Eurobonds are also a normal phenomenon. Armenia's Eurobonds maturing on September 30, 2016 is 65 basis points. The four-year Eurobond profitability of Armenia rose by 23 basis points as a result the unprecedented escalation on the contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijan during April 2-5.

We believe this rise is in harmony with the regular daily changes, the CB statement said, attaching a graph that shows that the fluctuation of the Eurobond profitability during the April war does not significantly differ from the daily fluctuations. The CB also stated that the previous escalations had a more powerful impact on Eurobonds.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Artak Zakaryan on May 24 received OSCE Parliamentary Assemblys Special Representative on the South Caucasus Kristian Vigenin. The meeting was also attended by the head of the Armenian National Assembly delegation to OSCE PA Artashes Geghamyan, press service of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs informed Armenpress.

The sides discussed issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the regional affairs, Armenia-EU relations, the process of the Constitutional amendments in Armenia, and Armenia-Bulgaria inter-parliamentary relations.

Welcoming the guest Artak Zakaryan presented him the settlement process and the current situation of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. He considered unacceptable the military solution of the conflict and stated that Armenia stands for peace.

Armenia understands very well that it is the responsible of peace in the region and takes every possible step to reach the peaceful settlement of the conflict, Artak Zakaryan stated.

By the request of the guest Artak Zakaryan referred to the regional affairs, Armenia-EU relations, presented the process of the Constitutional reforms in Armenia, as well as spoke about the changes and views over the new Electoral Code.

Expressing gratitude for the warm reception Kristian Vigenin said the OSCE PA stresses the importance of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and expressed its willingness to support the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group during his tenure.

The sides also spoke about Armenia-Bulgaria inter-parliamentary relations and highlighted the cooperation development between the committees of legislative bodies of the two states.

They also stressed the importance of the increase of the OSCE monitoring powers and capabilities in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani line of contact, the stable maintenance of the ceasefire regime, as well as the implementation of the detailed investigative mechanisms of every ceasefire violation incidents.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. German Deutsche Welle published an article on May 23 referring to the EU-Turkey refuge deal, as well as the discussion of the Armenian Genocide to be held soon in Bundestag.

In interviews, Erdogan has been threatening outright to break his end of the refugee deal with the EU if, in future talks, the EU does not comply with his country's demands.

Feisty is one way you might put it; perhaps, irrational, as well. But for Merkel it's a reality that she has long had to accept. She needs Turkey and at the moment there is simply no other alternative than the refugee deal with Erdogan. And Erdogan knows this and is showcasing his newly found power with relish, reads the article.

The author of the article, Jens Thurau, says that Erdogan abuses this power domestically as well, Journalists are being incarcerated; removing the immunity of Kurdish members of parliament in order to throw them in prison, he says, adding that soon the German parliament will discuss the Armenian Genocide, which will be another big adrenalin rush for Erdogan. At the beginning of June, the German parliament will be discussing a resolution regarding the genocide against the Armenian people at the hands of Ottoman Turks which is certain to gall Erdogan even more, he wrote.

Berlin Direkt program of German ZDF channel has also referred to the discussion of the Armenian Genocide on May 22. Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany Thomas de Maiziere, representing Christian Democratic Union of Germany, told at the program that domestic issues such as removing the immunity of Kurdish members of parliament cast a shadow over relations between the two countries. We want to delve in that issue so that the shadow disappears, he said, while, in the words of the broadcaster German-Turkish relations are negative and will further deteriorate in the near future. The date is already known, June 2. Commemoration and tribute for the victims of the Armenian Genocide and other Christian minorities- this is what all the parties have proposed.

The problem is in one word. As Federal President Joachim Gauck mentioned in April 2015, the fate of Armenians in the 20th century is an example of horrible massacres, ethic cleanings, deportations and ,yes, genocide. The use of the words genocide for the first time by the Federal President caused serious discontent in Ankara, which announced that it will never be forgotten and Gauck will never be forgiven, the broadcaster said.

Cem Ozdemir, the Turkish-origin co-leader of the Greens in Bundestag says that there is quite difference between recognizing the Armenian Genocide by the German Bundestag of parliaments of other countries, as Germany, being the then ally of the Ottoman Turkey, best knows what was happening there.

It was mentioned at the program that there is much pressure on Germany up till now, which is the reason the Foreign Ministry of Germany avoids to use the word genocide.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The delegation led by Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Ashot Hovakimyan participated in World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 23-24 organized by the UN, where he delivered a speech touching upon the announcement made by the Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia, Hovakimyan particularly stated, The recent acts of barbarism, including the deliberate and indiscriminate targeting of the civilians, particularly children, women and elderly, as well as civilians facilities, including schools and kindergartens, executions, beheadings, tortures and mutilation of the bodies of the killed are inconsistent with the elementary norms of the civilized world, he said, adding that all these are a result of Azerbaijani long term policy of disseminating racism, intolerance, and hatred against Armenians.

The periodic and gross violation of international humanitarian law and the glorification of those directly involved in crimes by top state level are crimes against humanity and war crimes on their own, Ashot Hovakimyan stated.

Referring to the announcement of the Azerbaijani president on May 23 at the summit, Hovakimyan mentioned, The president of Azerbaijan, who bears personal responsibility for unleashing the aggression and glorifying the terrorists who acted in ISIL-style, raised imaginary accusations against Armenians from this high platform. The lies he told have nothing in common with reality. Armenia definitely has no plans to create a nuclear weapon, and of course, the Armenian armed forces never used chemical weapons, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia said.

He also spoke about the issues of refugees who arrived in Armenia from Syria and the efforts of the Armenian Government to grant them asylum.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. The US Department of State has published the briefing of two senior US officials, whose names are not mentioned. They answered the questions of reporters and referred to the Vienna meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents.

Armenpress reports, citing the official website of the US Department of State, the first senior official told that since 1994 there has been a ceasefire in place. Some call it a frozen conflict but its far from frozen. There have been, over the past 20 years, repeated incidents along the so-called line of contact and along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. There are literally dozens of casualties each year, and as you may know, fighting flared up dramatically in early April, April 2 to April 5  so-called 4-day war  with hundreds of casualties  an estimated 350 casualties including civilians, he said, adding that the aim of the Sargsyan-Aliyev Vienna meeting was to persuade the sides to respect the 1994 ceasefire, as well as to come with some confidence building proposals. He also mentioned that they want to see the resumption of the peace talks leading to a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.

According to the official, both sides stated at the meeting on May 16 that preservation of the status-quo is unacceptable and that it is necessary to take measures aimed at the settlement of the conflict.

The official also touched upon the monitoring mission in the conflict zone, noting that the 6 observers are too few to act effectively and that it is necessary to increase their number, as well as to invest mechanisms monitoring the ceasefire violations. The American diplomat emphasized that Azerbaijan opposes these measures and the the aim of the Vienna talks was to change the position of Azerbaijan.
Americans have for the first time streamed more music on audio services such as Spotify than through videos, in a welcome shift for the industry, a study says

Streaming leader Spotify said Monday that its losses deepened last year even as the company topped $2 billion in revenue amid the global boom in online music.

The Swedish company founded in 2008 has been at the forefront of the music industry's turn to streaming, which offers unlimited music on demand, yet it has never turned a profit itself.

Luxembourg-based holding company Spotify Technologies, submitting its annual earnings report, said its revenue jumped 80 percent to 1.95 billion euros ($2.18 billion) in 2015.

The growth rate is significantly stronger than the 45 percent it charted in 2014 and slightly higher than the 74 percent seen in 2013.

"In many ways, it was our best year ever," the company said in a message to shareholders, describing Spotify as the top driver of growth for the entire music industry.

The company said its revenue from advertisements nearly doubled and that its user base also grew significantly.

Spotify said it had 89 million active monthly users by the end of 2015, up from 60 million a year earlier, of whom some 28 million were paying for subscriptions.

The company's founder, Daniel Ek, had said in March that Spotify reached 30 million paying subscribers.

But the growth did not erase losses, with Spotify putting a priority on investments at a stage when streaming is increasingly becoming mainstream.

The company's net losses totaled 173 million euros, nearly seven percent deeper than a year before.

"We believe our model supports profitability at scale," the company said.

"We believe that we will generate substantial revenues as our reach expands and that, at scale, our margins will improve," it added.

"We will therefore continue to invest relentlessly in our product and marketing initiatives to accelerate reach."

- Growing competition -

Spotify's growth is all the more remarkable as last year marked a pause in its international expansion. It resumed its global push this year, adding Indonesia as its 59th country.

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But Spotify also faces growing competition.

Tech giant Apple launched its own streaming service last year and rap mogul Jay-Z has spearheaded rival Tidal, adding to a market that also includes French-based Deezer and US-based Rhapsody.

Deezer's revenue stood at 142 million euros in 2014, well below Spotify. The company, which put off a market listing in October, has not released figures for last year.

Apple does not break down its revenue from streaming. Rhapsody, which also operates as Napster, posted $202 million in revenue in 2015.

Spotify has sought to expand its offerings, starting video content and recently began a tie-up in the United States with Starbucks aimed at bringing in new subscribers.

But it has also faced prominent holdouts including Taylor Swift, Adele and Radiohead who have kept some or all of their music off the service, in part due to objections to its free tier.

The soaring growth of subscriptions to Spotify and its rivals led the global music industry to post significant growth for the first time in nearly two decades last year, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

But with an accompanying fall in sales of CDs and digital downloads, some players in the music industry wonder whether streaming will offer healthy margins in the long term.

Spotify remains a private company under the control of its founders, Ek and fellow Swede Martin Lorentzon, and has financed its commercial push on its own through investors.

A listed shareholder, Swedish telecom firm Telia, last year made it known that Spotify was valued at $8.2 billion.
When a team of "vested up and gunned up" U.S. Marshals in Tennessee apprehended Tracy Hinson and began interrogating her about selling 10 Xanax tablets in 2012, she gave them answers that made it clear they had the wrong woman. The marshal in charge told Hinton he needed to make a call.

"After he went and made a call, he came back and told me that he had to do what the paper said he had to. He asked if I ever lived in Mt. Pleasant, and I said no," said Hinson. "They took me to the Dyer County Jail and I was fully processed there, and that included being shackled and strip searched. They said they were holding me until Lawrence County could come and pick me up that night."

From State Gazette:

Unfortunately for Hinson, officials from Lawrence County didn't arrive until late on Saturday, a full day after being arrested. During the time of being incarcerated, a frightened Hinson said she tried to think of how she was in the predicament, but she simply could come up with nothing.  Once Hinson arrived at the Lawrence County Jail, with a $5,000 bond, her husband Kenny was not far behind and was able to arrange for her to be bonded out of jail at 11:40 p.m. on Saturday night. The cost was $536 for the bail bondsman, something Hinson hopes at the very least to recoup, along with an apology from the law enforcement agency.

The U.S. Marshal's Office in Jackson issued the following statement: "The West Tennessee U.S. Marshals arrested a woman on an outstanding warrant out of Lawrence County. During transport, the U.S. Marshals discovered the arrest was made due to a clerical error made by the local agency (Lawrence County). The person was misidentified and all charges were dismissed."
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is the cheapest city in the world for a weekend getaway.

If you are looking for a vacation that wont break the bank, then its probably best to avoid Switzerland.

For the fifth year in a row, Deutsche Bank has released its survey of global prices, which concludes that Swiss and Nordic cities are generally the most expensive in the world to visit.

For instance, the most expensive place in the world to take a weekend getaway is Zurich, Switzerland, which Deutsche Bank estimates would cost $2,475. The survey defines a weekend getaway as two nights at a standard five-star hotel, two pub meals for two, two restaurant dinners for two, a two-day car rental, two pints of beer, four liters of soft drinks/water, and a bit of shopping including a pair of jeans and sport shoes. Note the hefty price tag doesnt even include airfare!

Sydney, Australia, was deemed the most expensive city for a weekend getaway, costing $2,320, and London, England, rounded out the top three with a projected cost of $2,226 for a weekend away.

With its shopping and world-class restaurants, New York CIty was the most expensive destination for a weekend getaway in the US; visitors spend $1,763 in two days there, the survey predicts. The Big Apple ranked seventh on the global list, followed by eighth-place San Francisco, which costs $1,662 for a weekend getaway.

If spending your rent money on a two-day trip isnt in the cards, consider a visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the average cost of a weekend getaway will cost you just $688.

When you break down the individual costs of a weekend getaway, the biggest expense is definitely the hotel. Five-star hotels are never cheap, but Sydney has the most expensive rates in the world, costing guests a staggering $874.70 a night. Close behind is Zurich ($711), followed by Milan, Italy ($698.50).

Again, Kuala Lumpur comes in at the bottom of the list, letting guests check in to five-star hotels for just $89.60 a night.

Public transportation is a great way to save money while traveling, but if you decide to rent a car, prepare to pay. If you choose to skip the Tube in the United Kingdom, it will cost approximately $174.50 to rent a car for one day. In Switzerland, the price drops to $165.60 a day, and in the Netherlands you can rent a car for the not-so affordable price of $160.30 a day.

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But then you have China, which holds the designation as the cheapest country to rent a car and basically gives away vehicles for just just $26.10 a day. We cant promise the cars are safe, but for that price, well just wear a helmet.

Other note-worthy travel prices to know:

Public Transportation

Most expensive:

1. Amsterdam, Netherlands: $3.32

2. Stockholm, Sweden: $3.11

3. Melbourne, Australia: $2.97

Least expensive:

1. New Delhi: $0.08

2. Mumbai: $0.12

3.Beijing: $0.15

Taxi trip on a business day-5 Miles

Most expensive:

1. Zurich, Switzerland: $32

2. Stockholm, Sweden: $29.50

3. Tokyo, Japan: $29

Least expensive:

1. Bangalore, India: $2.30

2. New Delhi, India: $2.50

3. Mumbai, India: $2.70

Do you have questions about the cost of traveling to different cities around the world? Email us at yfmoneymailbag@yahoo.com.
Postal ballots in Austria's presidential elections are set to determine whether Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer will become the European Union's first far-right head of state.

A projection by the SORA Institute for broadcaster ORF after the polls closed on Sunday put Mr Hofer and former Greens leader Alexander Van der Bellen in a dead heat on 50% each.

The final result will hinge on the large number of postal votes - almost 900,000, a record 14% of Austria's 6.4 million eligible voters - which will be added to the totals today.

Mr Hofer caught everyone by surprise when he scored 35% in the first round of voting.

Support for Mr Hofer, a 45-year-old aviation engineer, has been buoyed by a migration crisis that has heightened fears about employment and security.

Around 90,000 asylum-seekers arrived in the country last year - the second-highest number in the EU on a per-capita basis.

Mr Hofer could give the far-right real power in a western European country and confirm a trend of anti-establishment parties stamping on liberal traditions across the continent.

If Mr Hofer wins, he has threatened to dismiss the government coalition of Social Democrats and centrist People's Party if it fails to heed his repeated calls to do a better job.

With his party now outpolling the main groupings in popularity, he could be tempted to dismiss the power-sharing administration in order to give the Freedom Party the chance to win an ensuing election.

But his rival, an economics professor, could also overturn the traditionally cosy relationship between Austrian presidents and governments.

Running as an independent, Mr Van der Bellen, 72, has said he would not swear in a Freedom Party chancellor even if that party wins in the next elections, which have to take place within the next two years.

That, too, could create political upheaval and uncertainty that has so far not been seen in post-war Austria.

Mr Van der Bellen's views stand in stark opposition to his rival's anti-immigrant and eurosceptic messages.

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Observers thought he would have little chance of beating his polished rival Mr Hofer in the runoff.

Karin Cvrtila from polling institute OGM called his surprise success an "election thriller".

"He has really recovered in the past couple of weeks, partly because of a good campaign," she told AFP.

The president traditionally plays a largely ceremonial role but swears in the chancellor, can dismiss the cabinet and is commander in chief of the military.
Documentary filmmaker Josh Fox's outlook used to be pretty bleak whenever he thought about the consequences of climate change.

But then he went on a journey to find the things he thinks would survive climate change. That journey is documented in his new film, How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can't Change, which is being screened in Vancouver on Monday.

"I quickly realized we're in deep, deep trouble, and it's too late to prevent so many of the things that we most associate with the most negative effects of climate change," Fox told On The Coast host Stephen Quinn.

"It's extraordinarily upsetting. And I couldn't make a film where the most obvious answer is: as an individual, there's nothing you can do."

Fox says he wanted to find a way for people to get into the question of climate change "without wanting to jump off a bridge." He says by exploring the grief and sadness people feel about climate change, he was able to get to more uplifting emotions.

"All the joy, all the celebration, all the fight, all the things that are inside of us, and those are the things climate [change] can't destroy. It's sort of our will to live," he said.

Fox is currently touring North America with his documentary, and he says he hopes to energize environmentalists in the cities he stops at.

"It's a movie for a movement that's exhausted and a movement that's being pushed to the brink, but we need more energy," he said. "And the way that we do that, I think, is we punch through, we have that emotional journey and get through to the other side."

How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can't Change screened in Vancouver on May 23.

With files form CBC Radio One's On The Coast

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: Filmmaker says addressing climate change means addressing emotions, good and bad
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Three Congolese activists, arrested hours before a general strike in February to demand that President Joseph Kabila leave power when his mandate expires this year, were sentenced on Friday to one year in prison, the United Nations said. Bienvenu Matumo and Heritier Kapitene, members of the pro-democracy group Struggle for Change (Lucha), and Victor Tesongo, a member of an opposition party, were convicted of inciting disobedience and spreading false information, said Jose Maria Aranaz, director of the U.N. human rights office in Democratic Republic of Congo. "We are very worried about this instrumentalisation of the judiciary and the continued criminalisation of civil society," Aranaz told Reuters. The three were arrested shortly after attending a meeting with other peaceful pro-democracy activists to prepare for the strike, the campaign group Human Rights Watch said. Dozens of Kabila's critics have been arrested since last year as part of what the United Nations and rights groups say is an escalating crackdown on political dissent ahead of a presidential election scheduled for November. Kabila is ineligible to stand for re-election after serving two elected terms but opponents accuse him of trying to delay the poll to hold onto power. Congo's highest court ruled last week that Kabila could stay in power if elections did not occur by the end of his mandate. The government says it is unlikely to be able to organise the vote on time due to logistical and budgetary constraints. It denies that any of the arrests are politically motivated. On Thursday, a leading opposition presidential candidate, Moise Katumbi, was indicted for allegedly hiring mercenaries in a plot against the state. Katumbi denies the accusation, which he says is meant to derail his presidential bid. (Reporting by Aaron Ross; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
(Reuters) - Shareholders of Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp , two of the world's largest oil producers, will vote on Wednesday on a raft of proposals designed to push the companies to respond more proactively to climate change risks and regulations. The stakes are highest at Exxon, which has come under intense scrutiny from environmentalists and some investors this past year over the way it handled climate change data. With public sentiment pressuring big oil companies on environmental issues, the votes this year could mark the first time a climate change-related proposal passes muster with a majority of Exxon's shareholders. Below is a summary of key issues on ballots for the annual meetings: EXXON MOBIL RESOLUTION 5: ADD CLIMATE EXPERT TO BOARD The resolution's sponsor, a group of Wisconsin monks, says that by adding a climate expert to its board, Exxon would be able to "more effectively address the environmental issues and risks inherent in its present business model." Exxon's recommended vote: No. Executives say holding a board seat for a "single-issue candidate who lacks other important attributes would, in our view, not be in the best interests of the company." RESOLUTION 7: PROXY ACCESS BYLAW This resolution's sponsor, New York City pension funds, says minority shareholders with a 3 percent stake in the company should be able to nominate directors to the company's board. This is part of a broader shareholder push to put climate experts on the boards of oil companies. Exxon's recommended vote: No. It highlighted "the potential risk for the proposal to increase the influence of special interest groups" on the board. RESOLUTION 10: BOOST SHAREHOLDER PAYOUTS This resolution's sponsor, an investor with 200 shares, wants Exxon to increase dividends and share buybacks, rather than invest in new oil or gas deposits, claiming that climate change throws the long-term viability of the company's business model into doubt. Exxon's recommended vote: No. Executives defended their history of generous shareholder payouts and noted they use a proxy cost for carbon, which takes into account potential impacts from climate change and environmental legislation. RESOLUTION 11: SUPPORT THE PARIS AGREEMENT This resolution's sponsor, a group of New Jersey nuns, wants Exxon to support the Paris climate accords with a company policy that commits to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius. Exxon's recommended vote: No. Executives said they take the risks of climate change seriously and also have an obligation to "invest in economically attractive energy sources in an environmentally responsible manner." RESOLUTION 12: PUBLISH AN ANNUAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT This resolution's sponsor, the New York State Common Retirement Fund, which holds nearly 11 million Exxon shares, wants the company to publish a report annually that would outline how climate change could affect the company's ability to operate. Exxon's recommended vote: No. Executives noted the company already updates its annual Outlook For Energy report with the latest climate policy information. RESOLUTION 13: REPORT RESERVES IN BRITISH THERMAL UNITS The resolution's sponsor, the environmental group As You Sow, wants Exxon to report its reserves of oil and natural gas in British Thermal Units, arguing it is a better metric to track the company's effect on, and vulnerability to, climate change. Exxon's recommended vote: No. Executives note the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requires oil assets be reported in barrels. CHEVRON Note: Chevron does not identify resolution sponsors. RESOLUTION 6: TARGETS FOR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS CUTS The sponsor wants Chevron to set goals for how the company can best comply with the Paris climate agreements and arrange its business operations in such a way as to help limit global warming to less than 2 degrees C. Chevron's recommended vote: No. Executives say such a requirement could put the company at an economic disadvantage in some countries where it operates. RESOLUTION 7: CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT The sponsor wants Chevron to publish an annual report from 2017 through 2035 outlining how legislation designed to curb climate change could affect its business operations. Chevron's recommended vote: No. Executives say such a report is "unnecessary in light of the safeguards" in place throughout its operations. RESOLUTION 8: REPORT RESERVES IN BRITISH THERMAL UNITS The sponsor wants Chevron to report its reserves of oil and natural gas in British Thermal Units, arguing it is a better metric to track the company's effect on, and vulnerability to, climate change. Chevron's recommended vote: No. Executives note the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requires oil assets be reported in barrels. RESOLUTION 9: BOOST SHAREHOLDER PAYOUTS This sponsor wants Chevron to increase dividends and share buybacks, claiming that climate change throws the long-term viability of the company's business model into doubt. Chevron's recommended vote: No. Executives say the proposal is based on a "flawed, if not dangerous, premise: that stockholders would be best served if Chevron stopped investing in its business." RESOLUTION 11: BOARD MEMBER WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTISE This sponsor wants more candidates for Chevron's board with a "high level of expertise and experience in environmental matters" who are also independent of the company's management. Chevron's recommended vote: No. Executives say the current board has "significant environmental experience." (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston; Editing by Terry Wade and Matthew Lewis)
By Duncan Miriri KIGALI (Reuters) - Gabon expects its economy, which has been hit hard by the slide in world oil prices, to grow by 3 percent in 2016 and then pick up pace next year, its president told Reuters on Thursday. Ali Bongo, who is seeking another seven years in office in August, told Reuters he would speed up measures to diversify the economy away from oil if he secured a second term. Bongo, who won power in an election held after his father died in 2009, is expected to win the single-round electoral system that critics say favour the incumbent. But he has been grappling with a breakaway faction of the ruling party. "This year is going to be difficult, I see more (like) 3 percent (growth) and next year we then go up again," he said in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Africa, which is being held in the Rwandan capital Kigali. The president said growth had been running at an average of about 6 percent a year since he took office in 2009. "In the second term, I will be able to accelerate reforms," he said, adding that oil now accounted for about 60 percent of gross domestic product compared with 80 percent in 2009. The IMF said in March that it expected Gabon's economy to grow 3.2 percent this year and then possibly as fast as 5 percent in 2017 and 2018 if it invests in agricultural, particularly in cash crops such as palm oil and rubber. Gabon cut spending by 14 percent last year due to falling oil prices and lower output. Ratings agency Moodys downgraded its debt, while Fitch and Moodys gave it a negative outlook. "It is difficult for every oil-producing country, but we started ... the programme of diversification of our economy," he said. "We are still a long way from what we want to achieve, that is why we are asking the Gabonese people to support me." Gabon was building a manufacturing industry for wood products instead of only exporting the raw commodity from its forests and was developing the mining industry by producing manganese, he said. Bongo said the government was also distributing swathes of land - 200,000 hectares at first with a further 500,000 hectares in a second phase - in a bid to boost agricultural produce and cut reliance on food imports, which now account for 80 percent of its needs. A hub to produce petrochemicals was being developed at Port Gentil, he added. "We are studying right now about the potential for a refinery," he said. Dissidents complain of dysfunction in Bongo's Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) and accuse him of mismanaging the nation of 1.7 million people that lies on Africa's west coast. He dismissed accusations that he had risen to power on the back of his father's position, saying: "I did not inherit that seat. I had to fight for it." (Additional reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Iraqi Clashes with IS Over Fallujah Subside

Iraqi officials say fighting between government forces and Islamic State on the outskirts of Fallujah has briefly eased off.

Troops have been trying to drive IS militants from their stronghold west of Baghdad.

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said there were "big successes" in the opening stages of the long-awaited offensive to retake the city.

Mahmoud al-Mardhi, who leads Shiite militia forces in the operation, said troops had recaptured some land in Garma, a small town east of Fallujah, which is considered a main supply line for the terrorist group.

The town's Mayor, Ahmed al-Halbosi, said engineering teams are now clearing booby traps from houses and government buildings.

There is also air support from a US-led coalition which carried out two airstrikes.

Captain Faris Hussein Ali said: "Coalition planes destroyed IS hideouts and we are advancing from the south towards the centre of Fallujah city.

"Since yesterday we have received between 60 to 70 families and we separated women from men.

"The women were taken to a camp in Amiriyat al-Fallujah and we carried out security checks on the men."

It is estimated that around 75,000 people remain in the city despite warnings to leave.

According to one member of the Anbar Council, civilians are being used as human shields by IS.

Raje' Barakat said: "IS tried to hide in some civilian areas and some civilians were either martyred or wounded.

"We have opened several routes toward Falalhat and the Salam centre and Bou Assi and Amiryeh to give shelter to the displaced."

Mr al-Abadi announced the beginning of the military operation on his official Twitter feed: "Zero hour for the liberation of Fallujah has arrived.

"The moment of great victory has drawn near and Daesh (IS) has no choice but to flee."

He also posted a photo of himself surrounded by the country's military commanders.

In a statement, he added: "The Iraqi flag will be raised high over the land of Fallujah."

Fallujah is about 40 miles west of Baghdad and has been under IS control since January 2014.
British drivers have become stranded after French petrol stations ran out of fuel amid a strike affecting oil refineries.

The AA says it has received several calls from motorists needing assistance after 1,600 petrol stations shut across the country.

Six of France's eight refineries are currently closed as a result of industrial action, with activists holding protests outside.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its travel advice with a warning over fuel rationing in parts of northern and north-west France.

AA president Edmund King said: "AA breakdown services in Europe have been taking calls from UK drivers this morning who have run out of fuel.

"We are recovering vehicles stuck at the side of the road to places of safety until fuel supplies are resumed."

The blockades are the latest action in months of protests against proposed changes to France's labour laws, which would make it easier for employers to hire and fire workers.

The government pushed through a new bill on 10 May without having a vote in parliament.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the government would do what it could to end the blockades, moving the strikers if necessary.

"We are determined there will be no shortages in France," BFM TV reported him as saying, during a visit to Israel.

"We will continue to clear a number of sites, including the depots."

Le Point reported that out of France's 12,000 service stations, 816 are completely out of fuel and a further 800 did not have one type of fuel.

Transport Secretary Alain Vidal told Europe 1 radio that in the worst affected towns and cities, just 60% of the service stations are open.

Last week, riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters as dozens of people were arrested.

The main action is being organised by the CGT union (General Confederation of Labour).

Departmental secretary of the CGT Maxime Picard, who was one of those taking part in a 500-strong blockade of a fuel depot at Fos-sur-Mer, about 20 miles (32km) west of Marseille, told Le Point: "We want the withdrawal of the Labour Law."

Story continues

President Francois Holland was determined to push through the legislation because he believes liberalising the labour market is the only way to tackle France's unemployment problem.

The new laws allow some employees to work far longer than the 35-hour week set down in previous legislation and make it easier to fire workers when companies run into economic difficulties.

The row over the reforms has plunged Mr Hollande's administration into crisis, forcing it to win a 'no confidence' vote.

The confidence vote came after Mr Valls invoked a rarely used clause in France's constitution, which allows reform by decree, to push through the bill which updates France's existing 3,000-page Code de Travail (Employment Rules), which has been described as "bloated" and "unreadable".
Reuters

Microsoft Corp is stocking up on Chinese video game content to emulate Sony Group Corp's success with "Genshin Impact", sources said, solidifying China's transition from a land only of players to a hub of blockbuster developers. The U.S. software giant and Japan's vanguard of technology have for some years been offering big money to small developers to nurture programmes and licence titles, but the impact of "Genshin Impact" has added a sense of urgency, sources said. The action role-playing game from budding Shanghai studio miHoYo has generated billions of dollars since its release two years ago, and raised the bar in multi-player, cross-platform games - the type sources said Microsoft and Sony seek in China for their Game Pass and PlayStation Plus subscription services.
A submarine that can operate at a depth of 3,000m (10,000 ft) is being deployed in the hunt for the black boxes of a downed EgyptAir flight.

The vessel, which has been enlisted from Egypt's oil ministry, has been sent to search the seabed of the Mediterranean, Egypt's President said.

Flight MS804 came down at 2.45am local time on Thursday, south of the Greek island of Karpathos and north of the Egyptian coast.

It was carrying 66 passengers and crew from Paris to Cairo at the time and is suspected to have crashed into a part of the sea that is several thousand metres deep.

The plane's black boxes are yet to be found but emit a signal for four to five weeks after a crash in water.

Despite his officials previously saying terrorism was the most likely cause, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi said: "All the theories are possible.

"There is no particular theory we can affirm right now."

Ships scouring the sea have already found body parts, personal belongings and wreckage from the Airbus 320.

The US Navy's Sixth Fleet said one of its patrol aircraft had seen more than 100 pieces of debris identified as having come from an aircraft.

They said the data was passed to the Egyptian Navy.

EgyptAir Holding Company chairman Safwat Moslem said the priority was finding the passengers' remains and the flight recorders.

"The families want the bodies. That is what concerns us. The army is working on this. This is what we are focusing on," he said.

It came as the first funerals of the victims took place.

Hundreds of family and friends of air stewardess Yara Hani Tawfik gathered at St Mary and St Athanasius Church in Cairo on Sunday morning.

Others attended a Coptic cathedral in Cairo to mourn two other victims, Medhat Tanious and Wagih Moris.

On Saturday, data showing trouble in the cockpit and smoke in a plane lavatory emerged.

It provided a window into the doomed jet's last three minutes before contact was lost, with multiple alarms going off, one after another.

Story continues

Experts said the short time it took to descend 38,000ft into the sea indicated that a sudden, catastrophic event brought it down.

Aviation security expert Philip Baum said: "If they lost the aircraft within three minutes that's very, very quick. They were dealing with an extremely serious incident."

Several other nations, including the UK, are involved in the search of the Mediterranean.

The first available audio to have been released indicates there were no problems when the crew checked in with air traffic controllers in Zurich, Switzerland, late on Wednesday night.
By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Afghan guerrilla commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, a possible successor to Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, would likely prove an even more implacable foe of beleaguered Afghan government forces and their U.S. allies. The United States killed Mansour in an air strike in a remote border area just inside Pakistan, the Afghanistan government said on Sunday, in an attack likely to dash any immediate prospect for peace talks. The U.S. has not confirmed Mansour's death. Haqqani, who has a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, is widely seen by U.S. and Afghan officials as the most dangerous warlord in the Taliban insurgency, responsible for the most bloody attacks, including one last month in Kabul in which 64 people were killed. If Haqqani is confirmed as the next Taliban leader it may be seen as fitting for the scion of a family that has been famously involved in Afghanistan's decades of bloodshed. His father, Jalaluddin Haqqani, was a heavily bearded leader of the mujahideen who fought the Soviet troops that invaded Afghanistan in 1979. A former U.S. Congressman, Charlie Wilson, once called Jalaluddin "goodness personified" and he was held in such high esteem he visited the White House when Ronald Reagan was president. His son is seen as even more ruthless. Sirajuddin Haqqani became one of two deputy Taliban commanders last year, integrating his feared militant faction, known as the Haqqani network, closely into the Afghan Taliban insurgency. The Taliban now control more territory than they have done since their ouster from government in 2001, and hopes of peace talks that the United States was pushing have all but collapsed as the bloodshed has increased. The Haqqani network is thought to have introduced suicide bombing to Afghanistan and the U.S. State Department calls it the most lethal insurgent group targeting U.S.-led and government forces in Afghanistan. It labels Sirajuddin Haqqani a specially designated global terrorist. Sources close to the Haqqani network said they were still trying to verify whether Mansour had been killed. "It is too early to comment if Sirajuddin Haqqani would be willing to replace Mullah Mansour," a source said. Haqqani, who is in his mid-40s, has been trying to reconcile factions within the Taliban who refused to accept Mansour's leadership since last year when it became clear that the group's founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had died nearly two years earlier. He had been made head of a committee tasked to resolve a bloody split between Mansour and a rival faction led by Mullah Mohammad Rasool, a senior member of the Afghan Taliban told Reuters earlier this week, speaking on condition of anonymity. HAQQANI FAR FROM CERTAIN But it is by no means certain Haqqani would be named Taliban leader. The Haqqani network, which has for years had strongholds in northwest Pakistani border lands, is a powerful force in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province, and the wider Loya Paktia region, but not in the birthplace of the Taliban - Kandahar province in the south. "Haqqani ... as a non-Kandahari and as someone who is unfamiliar with the insurgency landscape beyond Loya Paktia, would likely struggle to gain the support of the powerful southern Taliban commanders who still dominate," Thomas Ruttig from the Afghanistan Analysts Network wrote in a February article on potential successors to Mansour. Ruttig said Haibatullah Akhundzada, a former top member of the Taliban judiciary who became the other deputy along with Haqqani in July 2015, was a more natural successor. A respected cleric from Kandahar, Haibatullah was among the few thought to have gained Mullah Omars trust and to whom the late Taliban leader would turn for a final say on sensitive decisions, Ruttig said. The other question is if Pakistan is ready to show its hand by having a leader of the Haqqani network, with which it has long been tied to, command the Taliban. Former U.S. military chief Admiral Mike Mullen described the Haqqani network as a "veritable arm" of Pakistan's intelligence services after a 2011 attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul. Pakistan remains a powerful player in the Afghan theater. Instead, the choice of a successor may fall to someone with more distance from Pakistan, said Mohammad Taqi, a former columnist at Pakistan's Daily Times newspaper who has written extensively on Pakistan's intelligence agencies' ties to militant groups. Mullah Omar's son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, and brother, Mullah Abdul Manan, who were given important positions recently within the Taliban could also be in the running. What looks almost certain, is more violence in the Taliban ranks as rivals lay claims in a leadership struggle that has not been resolved since Mullah Omar's death was announced, Taqi said. Still, the Haqqani network is the most cohesive, capable and best-funded insurgent organization in the region, with activities ranging from extortion and ransom to investments in firms abroad through front companies. It may therefore be best placed to wield the muscle in the weeks ahead to ensure it is in a position to decide the leadership. (Additional reporting by James Mackenzie in KABUL; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Robert Birsel and Martin Howell)
Internships

Brown U Platform Connects Students to Internships

A survey in 2015 found that those students who serve an internship "enjoy a distinct advantage in the job market" over those who don't. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers in its annual survey of students, about 56.5 percent of students who performed an internship received at least one job offer compared to just 36.5 percent of those with no internship experience.

To help students make connections that will lead to internships, Brown University in Rhode Island is running BrownConnect, a platform that allows alumni and parents who specifically want to work with Brown students to post internship and research opportunities.

"BrownConnect is a direct result of the Building on Distinction strategic plan, which called for increased opportunities for students to bridge theory and practice during their time at Brown," said Aixa Kidd, director of BrownConnect. "President Paxson specifically noted a need for expanded access to summer internships and research experiences and a strengthened undergraduate internship and career advising network. These are all things that BrownConnect provides."

When the program was introduced two years ago, the idea was to give Brown students preferential hiring treatment. The goal then was to have 250 "Bruno Opportunities" available at the launch in 2014. Now there are 700 positions on the site.

As coverage on the school's website reported, sophomore Olivia Sykes, who is concentrating on human health and biology, found an internship in New York City with the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center, a position listed by Jane Martin, a Brown alumna and parent as well as a doctor who runs the cognitive assessment center there. Sykes will be working in neuroscience on clinical trials with Alzheimer's patients.

Her decision to take the position was enhanced when she won a LINK award. The Linking Internships and Knowledge awards, along with Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards (UTRA) and summer earnings waivers for students on financial aid are intended to help students cover living and travel expenses related to their internships.

"As I was applying for this internship, I was aware that the stipend was very low, and that was a source of anxiety for me," Sykes said in the article. "So I ended up applying for the LINK. I was awarded a very generous amount of money, and that greatly relieved the pressure. It gave me a chance to do something that wouldn't have normally been accessible."

Students have also landed internships at CNN International in Hong Kong, the United Nations World Food Programme, Kaargo, the National Gallery of Art and the Department of Homeland Security.

For Martin, the doctor at Mount Sinai, finding interns through BrownConnect made a lot of sense. "Brown students are smart, excited and engaged," she said. "We are very happy to have this new relationship with Brown. We really feel a responsibility to mentor the next generation of great researchers and clinicians, and this connection has been really helpful in doing that."
TUESDAY, May 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Risk of heart failure appears high within a few years of a first heart attack, a new study finds.

"Heart failure is a major medical problem with a high chance of hospitalization and death," said study author Dr. Johannes Gho, a cardiology resident at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands.

Heart failure means the heart can't pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body's demands.

Improved heart attack treatment has led to higher survival rates, leaving more patients susceptible to later heart failure, Gho said in a European Society of Cardiology news release.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 25,000 people in the United Kingdom who suffered a first heart attack. Nearly 25 percent of these patients developed heart failure within four years, the investigators found.

Certain risk factors increased the risk of heart failure after a first heart attack, Gho and his colleagues said. For example, every 10-year rise in age was associated with a 45 percent higher risk, and the poorest patients had a 27 percent increased risk.

Atrial fibrillation -- a condition characterized by an abnormal heartbeat -- and diabetes also significantly increased the risk of heart failure, by 63 percent and 44 percent, respectively.

Other health conditions associated with a higher risk of heart failure after a first heart attack included: peripheral arterial disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), high blood pressure, and a type of heart attack known as STEMI (ST elevation myocardial infarction).

"Patients with ischemic heart disease are at the highest risk [for heart failure]. This includes those who have had a myocardial infarction, also called heart attack," Gho said.

"Research studying incidence of heart failure following [heart attack] is limited and mainly stems from the thrombolytic era, when drugs were used to dissolve blood clots," he explained. Today, stenting is the preferred treatment for heart attack, where a small mesh tube is used to open the blocked artery, he said.

On the one hand, stenting has improved treatment for heart attack, so the risk of heart failure would be expected to decrease, Gho said. "On the other hand, because treatment has improved, more patients are alive after a heart attack to subsequently get heart failure," he added.

"Finding which heart attack patients are most likely to get heart failure would help us target preventive therapies," he said.

The findings were scheduled for presentation Tuesday at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology's Heart Failure Association in Florence, Italy. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about heart failure.
English Latvian

AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" hereby informs that:

[1] On 10 September 2015, AS LATVIJAS TILTI submitted an offer for the procurement organized by the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority Construction works of the object Reconstruction of the berths No 67 and 68 (construction stages II and III) in Klaipeda (hereinafter  Procurement) with a validity term of 90 calendar days from the day of the offer submission. The offer of AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" was acknowledged as the winning in the Procurement.

[2] The Procurement results were contested in the District Court of Klaipeda City by one of the Procurement applicants submitting a claim on abnormally low price of the offer submitted by AS LATVIJAS TILTI. The District Court of Klaipeda City initiated proceedings by applying a temporary injunctive relief - a prohibition to conclude the Procurement Agreement with a winning applicant.

On 4 February 2016, the Court of Appeals of Lithuania by evaluating a justification for the aforementioned prohibition reversed the applied injunctive relief, allowing the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority to enter into the Procurement Agreement with AS "LATVIJAS TILTI". But whilst the offer by AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" was in force, the client adopted a decision not to enter into the Procurement Agreement and wait for the final judgement by the court in this matter.

The judgement of the Court of Appeals of Lithuania came into force on 12 May 2016 whereby the claim for abnormally low price of the offer submitted by AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" was fully dismissed.

[3] AS LATVIJAS TILTI during the adjudication procedure actively supported a position of the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority and on multiple occasions extended its offer for the Procurement up to 30 April 2016.

But, taking into consideration the lengthy adjudication procedure (more than 8 calendar months) during whereof the prices offered by the subcontractors of AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" significantly increased, AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" was not able to fully extend its offer.

AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" on several occasions initiated negotiations with the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority for the purpose of resolving the current situation but the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority refused to start negotiations, excluding AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" from a list of the Procurement applicants.

Additionally, AS "LATVIJAS TILTI" would like to emphasize that taking into account a change of the price offer conditions offered by the subcontractors, repeal of the Procurement obligations will not have negative economic impact on future operation of AS "LATVIJAS TILTI".
SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greenwood Hall, Inc. (OTCQB:ELRN), an education technology company that helps colleges and universities increase revenue and improve student engagement and outcomes, today announced it has been retained by the University of Arizona, in its push to continue to expand its highly-regarded academic offerings online.



Greenwood Hall will provide the University, which formally launched its 24 online academic programs last year, with strategic services to help create an even, more streamlined and student-centric journey for prospective learners who are considering enrolling in any of the University of Arizonas online programs. Greenwood Halls objective is to further support the 42,000 student land-grant and research university in reaching its goal of serving 7,000 students online by 2020.

Ask 10 people how to expand online programs and you will likely hear 10 different answers, said Dr. John Hall, Greenwood Halls Chief Executive Officer. The University of Arizona understands that by providing the highest quality academic offerings coupled with a student-focused model of support through the entire lifecycle is critical to successful student outcomes. We are proud to support the University of Arizona as it expands access to its highly-regarded academic programs via online delivery.

About Greenwood Hall

Greenwood Hall is an education technology company that helps colleges and universities manage the student journey. Every Greenwood Hall solution is designed to increase revenue and improve student engagement as well as learning outcomes. Since 2006, Greenwood Hall has developed customized turnkey solutions that touch the entire student lifecycle - combining strategy, people, proven processes and robust technology to help schools effectively and efficiently improve student experience and student outcomes, as well as increase revenues and expand into new marketing channels, such as online learning. Greenwood Hall has served more than 50 education clients and over 75 degree programs.

For more information, visit http://www.greenwoodhall.com, follow us on Twitter @GreenwoodHall and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GreenwoodandHall.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this document, including, but not limited to, predictions and projections that may be considered forward-looking statements under securities law, involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, lack of consumer acceptance and demand for Greenwood Hall (the Company, our, we) products and solution offerings developed with strategic partners, insufficient working capital to expand the Companys technology and engage in product marketing, intense competition from larger and more well-established companies, and other economic, competitive and technological factors involving the Companys operations, markets, services, products and prices, and other factors, as described in Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as in our other filings with the SEC. In addition, actual results may differ as a result of additional risks and uncertainties of which we are currently unaware or which we do not currently view as material to our business. For these reasons, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements we make speak only as of the date on which they are made. Greenwood Hall expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof to conform such statements to actual results or to changes in our opinions or expectations, except as required by applicable law. If we do update or correct any forward-looking statements, investors should not conclude that we will make additional updates or corrections.
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
#Korean Air Korean Air plane heads to Cebu to bring back stranded passengers An alternative Korean Air plane departed for the Philippines on Tuesday to bring home passengers stranded after another plane run by the air carrier overran the airport runway in C...

#(G)I-dle I-dle tops local music charts with 'Nxde' Girl group (G)I-dle topped daily and weekly charts of five major local music streaming services with its release "Nxde" on Tuesday, a week after it dropped. "Nxde," the main tra...
Good question. All but two of the restaurants on my list of Top 10 newcomers in the spring guide have been reviewed in the Magazine; Pineapple and Pearls and Hank's Pasta Bar were the exceptions, and I let readers know that with a "not yet rated" flag. The former restaurant, highly anticipated, opened just before the deadline for my guide. I was lucky to get in a visit.

Even though I only ate there once, Pineapple and Pearls is significant because of how the restaurant is redefining the notion of fine dining. The establishment, from the owner of Rose's Luxury, also happens to be as handsome as it is delicious, with polished service adding to its allure. In its admittedly short life, it seems to be doing something lofty and different (and better than its competitors) and for those reasons, I felt P and P merited the top spot.

Good morning, everyone. Thanks for joining me for another hour of restaurant talk. I leave tomorrow for a week in Munich and Budapest (jawhol!), so our next discussion will be June 1 at 11 a..m.

Let's rock and roll.
New Standards, Enforcement Working, OSHA Chief Says

OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels discussed several enforcement initiatives of his agency May 24 at the AIHce 2016 conference

BALTIMORE -- OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels discussed several enforcement initiatives of his agency May 24 at the AIHce 2016 conference, including the new injury tracking regulation and the mandate to report amputations and hospitalizations of injured workers. During the first year the severe injury rule was in effect, OSHA received about 10,000 reports but did not inspect most of those workplaces, he said, choosing instead to call the employers and send them an accident investigation form. That has been very successful, he explained, and has brought some very severe cases to OSHA's attention at the agency otherwise would not have know about.

Michaels also supported the idea of vacating some outdated PELs where the limit that is in place is actually allowing unsafe exposures, he said, citing n-hexane as an example. Its PEL is 500, which is clearly too high to be safe, he said.

NIOSH's Dr. John Howard said nanotechnology is a good example of an area where his agency looks to international standards and beyond the current OSHA PELs for guidance. Both men agreed that he current model, proceeding chemical by chemical to write exposure limits is not useful in the 21st century, and both expressed support for the control banding approach, where limits are set for a group of similar substances of concern.

Howard urged the assembled industrial hygienists to participate in developing consensus standards, noting that the federal government's scientists are encouraged to do this.

Michaels said the injury tracking rule his agency recently issued and its revised silica exposure limits will be effective. As OSHA prepares to receive 400,000 companies' injury data and post it online, he said that will lead to better safety performance, likening it to a system used by New York City to give restaurants letter grades for hygiene and food safety. "This works," Michaels said.
Arrivals dropped 7% last year.

The weak ringgit was not enough to draw more Singaporeans over the Causeway last year.

Statistics from Tourism Malaysia show that the number of Singaporean tourists who visited the country dropped to 12.39 million in 2015, 7% less than the 13.93 million tourists who visited the country in 2014.

This is also the lowest number of visits from Singapore nationals on record.

The ringgit lost over 20% of its value against the Singapore dollar in 2015, dragged by Malaysia's escalating economic woes.







More From Singapore Business Review


(Bloomberg) -- Singapore is closing Swiss bank BSI SAs unit in the city-state and Switzerland began criminal proceedings against the firm, as investigations into a troubled Malaysian state fund reverberate throughout the private banks international operations.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore said it will withdraw BSI Bank Ltd.s license for breaches of money laundering rules and impose S$13.3 million ($9.6 million) in financial penalties on the BSI unit for 41 breaches, including its failure to conduct due diligence on high-risk accounts and monitor suspicious customer transactions. Singapore authorities have also referred six senior BSI executives to the public prosecutor, including the private banks former chief executive officer in the city state and his deputy.

BSI Bank is the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector," Ravi Menon, managing director of MAS, said in the statement. It is a stark reminder to all financial institutions to take their anti-money laundering responsibilities seriously.

Singapores move -- the first time the city-state has withdrawn a license from a merchant bank since 1984 -- came as Swiss authorities took action against the bank related to money flows from 1Malaysia Development Bhd, or 1MDB. Switzerlands Attorney General said it will seize 95 million Swiss francs ($96 million) from BSI and start enforcement procedures against two of its former employees.

Global Echoes

The move echoed through the international operations of BSI, which is in the midst of a sale by Brazils Grupo BTG Pactual SA to Swiss-based EFG International AG.

BSIs Group CEO Stefano Coduri resigned, effective immediately, on Tuesday, the bank said in a statement. Separately, Swiss regulator Finma approved BSIs takeover by EFG. EFG is proceeding with the purchase of BSI from BTG Pactual at an undisclosed reduced price, it said in a statement.

Coduri wasnt one of the people referred by Singapores monetary authority to the prosecutor, who will assess if there were any criminal offenses. BSI said Tuesday that it has cooperated fully with the investigations into 1MDB by the Singapore and Swiss authorities.

Story continues

The probes and move against BSIs Singapore unit are part of the global money laundering and embezzlement investigations surrounding 1MDB. A Malaysian parliamentary committee identified at least $4.2 billion of irregular transactions by the state fund, and recommended the advisory board headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak be disbanded.

For a Q&A on the connections between 1MDB and BSI, click here.

Both 1MDB and Najib have consistently denied wrongdoing. In a statement Tuesday, the fund said it hasnt been contacted by any international legal authority on matters relating to the company. 1MDB remains committed to fully cooperating with any foreign lawful authority, subject to advice from the relevant domestic lawful authorities, and in accordance with international protocols governing such matters, it said.

BSI, which employed 1,983 people at the end of last year, remains well capitalized, it said on Tuesday. The firm was founded in 1873 and opened its Singapore unit in 2005, where the lobby to its office at Suntec Tower One was orderly and quiet on Tuesday, with no signs of staff moving out.

Asset Transfers

EFG has its own office and banking license in the city-state, so it isnt dependent on BSIs license there. Singapores central bank said it will allow the transfer of the BSI Singapore units assets and liabilities to the local branch of EFG or to the parent entity BSI SA.

BSI managed 84.3 billion Swiss francs of client money on Dec. 31, a decline of almost 10 billion francs from a year earlier, according to its annual report.

For a Gadfly commentary piece on Singapores no-nonsense approach, click here.

Switzerlands Attorney General said the criminal proceedings there are based on information gathered in the course of its investigation and from Finma, Switzerlands financial regulator.

BSI ignored clear warning signals about the risk of some of its transactions as it pursued higher-margin returns, Finma CEO Mark Branson told reporters on a conference call Tuesday. The regulator has investigated other Swiss banks related to 1MDB and started proceedings against some, he said.

The attorney generals office pointed to internal deficiencies at BSI, saying the information suggests that the offenses of money laundering and bribery of foreign public officials currently under investigation in the context of the 1MDB case could have been prevented if BSI had been adequately organized.

Chilling Effect

This will send a chilling effect to banks and financial institutions to make sure that they have robust anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism programs, as their regulatory licenses could be at risk," Nizam Ismail, head of banking regulatory practices in Singapore at law firm RHTLaw TaylorWessing, said by e-mail. Worse, there is also the real threat of personal criminal liability.

BSI had introduced 1MDB to a Cayman Islands fund that received a $2.32 billion investment, according to a report from a Malaysian parliamentary hearing. That investment and transactions related to it are the subject of criminal probes, including those conducted in Singapore.

BSI is conducting an internal inquiry into its employees and their dealings related to 1MDB, Bloomberg News reported last week, citing people familiar with the matter. The probe centers on Kevin Swampillai, whos been suspended as head of wealth-management services and named as one of the six individuals by the MAS. Swampillai was the manager of Yeo Jiawei, the first banker to be charged in global probes into 1MDB. Swampillais lawyer Kenneth Pereira declined to comment.

Yeo, who has been held in remand since April 15, was slapped with two more changes when he appeared in a Singapore court on Tuesday, bringing the total to nine. The banker is central to the activities that led to the MASs move against BSI, said Kwek Mean Luck, second solicitor general.

Tampering Allegations

Kwek argued against allowing bail for Yeo. The banker sought to tamper with five witnesses, including telling them to destroy evidence and not make themselves available to authorities, Kwek said. The bail review was deferred to Thursday. Yeos lawyer has said that several BSI employees are in a similar position and can answer queries by the authorities.

BTG and BSIs previous owner, Assicurazioni Generali SpA, have been at odds over indemnities for potential losses tied to BSIs dealings with the Malaysian fund. BTG will seek compensation from Generali for fines levied on BSI saying the flaws occurred prior to its acquisition of the Swiss private bank last year, the firm said Tuesday. Generali declined to comment on BSI and the criminal proceedings.

EFG, in its statement, said Swiss authorities approval of the deal would pave the way for a swift and orderly closing of its purchase of BSI. EFG had secured indemnities in relation to the legal matters as well as an undisclosed discount for the bank. "The fine and the penalty will result in a reduction in the purchase price, it said in the statement.

EFG fell as much as 1.6 percent, to the lowest since April 7, in Zurich trading, and the shares were at 5.51 Swiss francs at 3:08 p.m.

(Adds BTG Pactual comment in second last paragraph.)

--With assistance from Mara Bernath Niluksi Koswanage Chua Baizhen Colin Keatinge Jan Dahinten David Yong Neil Callanan Hugo Miller Giles Broom Klaus Wille and Chanyaporn Chanjaroen To contact the reporter on this story: Andrea Tan in Singapore at atan17@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stephanie Phang at sphang@bloomberg.net, Marcus Wright at mwright115@bloomberg.net, Linus Chua at lchua@bloomberg.net, Sam Mamudi at smamudi@bloomberg.net, Neil Callanan at ncallanan@bloomberg.net, Michael Shanahan, Jeffrey D Grocott

2016 Bloomberg L.P.
By Matt Spetalnick HANOI (Reuters) - The United States announced a complete end to its arms embargo on Vietnam on Monday, a historic step that draws a line under the two countries' earlier enmity and underscores their shared concerns about China's growing military clout. The move came during President Barack Obama's first visit to Hanoi, which his hosts described as the arrival of a warm spring and a new chapter in relations between two countries that were at war four decades ago. Obama, the third U.S. president to visit Vietnam since diplomatic relations were restored in 1995, has made a strategic "rebalance" toward Asia a centrepiece of his foreign policy. Vietnam, which borders China, is a key part of that strategy amid worries about Beijing's assertiveness and sovereignty claims to 80 percent of the South China Sea. The decision to lift the arms trade ban suggested such concerns outweighed arguments that Vietnam had not done enough to improve its human rights record and Washington would lose leverage for reforms. Obama told a joint news conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang that disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully and not by whoever "throws their weight around." But he insisted the arms embargo shift was not linked to China. "The decision to lift the ban was not based on China or any other considerations. It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving towards normalization with Vietnam," he said. Obama later added his visit to a former foe showed "hearts can change and peace is possible." In 2014, the Obama administration eased the decades-old arms embargo to allow its former Cold War enemy to buy maritime surveillance and "security-related" systems to strengthen it with China in mind. Now Hanoi will be able to buy a full range of U.S. weapons and military equipment. Immediate big-ticket purchases are not expected, but Vietnam's military strategists are likely to seek U.S. drones, radar, coastal patrol boats and possibly P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft. The sale of arms, Obama said, would depend on Vietnam's human rights commitments, and be made on a case-by-case basis. The announcement met a mixed reception in the U.S. Congress, which can block foreign arms sales. Some lawmakers said they supported lifting the embargo, but would keep a close eye on Vietnam's human rights record. "Congress will work with the administration to ensure today's more expansive shift in policy aligns with U.S. interests, including the desire for progress on human rights," said Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But others, including some of Obama's fellow Democrats, saw a missed opportunity. "Now what incentive is left for the Vietnamese government to meaningfully enact human rights reforms and respect the civil rights of the Vietnamese people?" asked U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam. HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS The advocacy group Human Rights Watch reacted with dismay to Washington's decision to toss away a critical lever it might have had to spur political reform in the Communist Party-ruled state. Phil Robertson, the watchdog's Asia director, said in a statement that even as Obama was lifting the embargo, Vietnamese authorities were arresting a journalist, human rights activists and bloggers. "In one fell swoop, President Obama has jettisoned what remained of U.S. leverage to improve human rights in Vietnam - and basically gotten nothing for it," he said. Obama told the news conference with President Quang that Washington would continue to speak out for human rights, including citizens' right to organise through civil society. Obama is scheduled to meet with activists on Tuesday. Quang, who announced the lifting of the U.S. embargo before Obama could do so, was until recently minister of public security, which activists say harasses and arrests dissidents. Dissent was once the domain of just a few in Vietnam. But while the party has allowed more open criticism in recent years, it is quick to slap down challenges to its monopoly on power. Although the communist parties that run China and Vietnam officially have brotherly ties, China's brinkmanship over the South China Sea - where it has been turning remote outcrops into islands with runways and harbours - has forced Vietnam to recalibrate its defence strategy. Carl Thayer, an expert on Vietnam's military at Australia's Defence Force Academy, said the steep costs of U.S. arms would remain a factor for Hanoi, pushing it towards its traditional suppliers of missiles and planes, particularly long-time security patron, Russia. On the other hand, lifting the embargo will provide Vietnam with leverage in future arms deals with those suppliers. China sees U.S. support for rival South China Sea claimants Vietnam and the Philippines as interference and an attempt to establish hegemony in the region. Washington insists its priority is ensuring freedom of navigation and flight. However, China's response to the embargo announcement was muted. The Foreign Ministry said it hoped the development in relations between the United States and Vietnam would be conducive to regional peace and stability. Underlining the burgeoning commercial relationship between the United States and Vietnam, one of the first deals signed on Obama's trip was an $11.3 billion order for 100 Boeing Co planes by low-cost airline VietJet. China is Vietnam's biggest trade partner and source of imports. But bilateral trade with the United States has swelled ten-fold over the past two decades to about $45 billion. Vietnam is also now Southeast Asia's biggest exporter to America. (Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen, Ho Binh Minh, My Pham and Martin Petty in Hanoi, Greg Torode in Hong Kong and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Alistair Bell and G Crosse)
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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 Kieran Guilbert DIFFA, Niger (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Boko Haram attacked Falmaya Baba Gama's village last year in northeast Nigeria, executing a dozen men and burning down the market, thousands of people fled across the border into Niger, with some forced to leave behind their children amid the chaos. The 30-year-old and her seven children arrived safely in the region of Diffa, but almost one year on, they are hungry, scared of further violence and haunted by the bloodshed they witnessed. "Even now, the children dream about Boko Haram and cry," she said outside a thatched hut, held together with sticks and plastic sheets, in Assaga - a ramshackle site for the displaced located just a few miles from Niger's border with Nigeria. Gama is one of some 240,000 uprooted people living in Diffa, a sweeping tract of desert in southeast Niger sparsely populated with isolated villages and dotted with shrubs and trees. Many of the displaced live in makeshift huts alongside the country's main highway, having been driven from their homes in northeast Nigeria and southeast Niger by Boko Haram violence. The militant group has killed more than 15,000 people and displaced some 2 million in the West African states of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria during a seven-year campaign to carve out an Islamist caliphate. Military offensives mounted by a regional taskforce and Nigerian and Cameroonian troops have pushed Boko Haram further back into the northeast corner of Nigeria, prompting the militants to scatter and ramp up attacks across the border in Diffa. The violence has traumatised many of the Nigerian refugees and displaced Nigeriens residing in Diffa, and left them with scarce food or water, little opportunity to work or trade, and vulnerable to disease and malnutrition, aid agencies say. Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said Boko Haram had not only caused significant upheaval in Diffa and destroyed schools and health clinics, but also paralysed the region's economy. Niger, one of the world's least developed counties, has also been hit by plummeting global oil prices and a soaring number of migrants passing through the vast, landlocked nation, crossing the Sahara Desert on their way to the Mediterranean coast. "We are facing a catastrophic humanitarian situation," Issoufou told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Niger's capital, Niamey, before preparing to attend a panel on the Lake Chad Basin at this week's World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. NOTHING TO DO In Assaga, teenage boys slouch against tree trunks, seeking shade from the dry, midday sun as they play on their phones, while their fathers and grandfathers roam back and forth across Niger's east-west highway, swapping gossip and sharing stories. While the road divides the site into Assaga Niger and Assaga Nigeria, there is little tension between the two communities, said Nigerian refugee and father-of-six Kyani Buaki. Assaga is one of 135 informal camps in Diffa, a region hosting 160,000 uprooted Nigeriens and 80,000 Nigerian refugees. "We are the same people, us, our uncles, our grandparents - here, we are together," said Bukai, formerly a headmaster. The road running through Assaga has afforded aid agencies easy access to the camp, allowing them to provide food aid, and build health clinics, schools and sanitation facilities. Yet many people fear this makes the camp an easy target for Boko Haram, following a recent spike in violence in Diffa. There have been some 30 attacks by Boko Haram in the region this year, with half of them since April, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The militants have carried out raids, suicide bombings and looted a health centre, according to several aid agencies, and the government last month extended Diffa's state of emergency, which was first declared in February 2015, by three months. "When cars drive by, you sometimes see many people running away because they are afraid of bombings," said Mustapha, a Nigerien farmer who fled his village in Diffa and sought refuge in Assaga when he heard that Boko Haram were nearing the border. Many of Diffa's markets, and several in Nigeria, have been destroyed by Boko Haram or closed due to insecurity, leaving the young men in Assaga with little opportunity to work or trade. Some men said they had resorted to picking grass or chopping wood in the hope of selling it in order to feed their families. "Living here, we have fallen through the cracks, there is no market or business ... we have nothing to do," said 25-year-old Adam Alhagi Bukai, who used to work as a farmer in Nigeria. FEARS FOR THE FUTURE While the security situation worries many of the displaced, a lack of food aid is the most pressing concern ahead of the upcoming lean season and holy fasting month of Ramadan. "When we arrived in Assaga (last year), we received maize, millet, oil and tomatoes ... now we haven't received any food for five months," said 18-year-old Ataha Balai, a mother of two. Some 450,000 people in Diffa, more than half of the region's population, lack enough to eat, and a humanitarian funding shortfall is hindering efforts to ensure food aid reaches those who need it the most, said the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP). "This is worrying when you consider the threat that more people may be displaced in the coming months by the insecurity," said Fode Ndiaye, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Niger. There could also be pockets of displaced people in Diffa who have not yet been found, as the insecurity restricts the reach and access of aid agencies, said Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien said Diffa posed a unique humanitarian challenge, where a combination of various factors could drive more displacement and make it harder to deliver aid. "These vulnerable communities are facing climate related challenges such as desertification, booming population growth, poverty, a lack of food and of course, Boko Haram violence." O'Brien will speak at the World Humanitarian Summit, hoping to raise awareness and funds for Niger's U.N. aid plan, which has only received a quarter of its $316 million target for 2016. A world away from dignitaries and diplomats, girls on the Nigerian side of the Assaga camp giggle as they swing up and down on a water pump like a seesaw, singing and making fun of each other as they fill up bright yellow and orange jerrycans. For Assaga's older residents, such joy and positivity is unfathomable as they ponder the future for their families. "We don't know when we'll be able to return home, but not until things are right, the situation is normal, and there are no problems left," said 50-year-old Bukai, choking back tears. "There are still many Boko Harams ... we can't go back." (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Ros Russell; 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 news.trust.org)
Food ordering app TinyOwl is significantly scaling down operations and is merging with hyperlocal delivery company Roadrunnr

In India, foodtech has been one of the hardest hit industries in the recent past  thanks to several reasons. Many companies were either shuttered or scaled-down operations, while some fired employees en-masse as part of restructuring.

Over the past few months, big names like Foodpanda and Zomato significantly restructured operations and axed hundreds of jobs, while companies such as Dazo, iTiffin, Kitchit, Dinner Labs, among many others, totally disappeared from the market.

Mumbai-based food ordering app TinyOwl is another high-profile startup that is making headlines these days  for the deep crisis in the company. TinyOwl, which has raised approximately US$28 million from Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners and Nexus Venture Partners, is now staring at a bleak future.

In a blog post, TinyOwl Co-founder Harshvardhan Mandad announced the firm is scaling-down operations from the current four cities (Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune) to just one.

Every company goes through its set of difficulties in its journey, and in my opinion, we are fortunate to see these hardships in our earlier days itself. It gives us a chance to adopt the learnings, imbibe the same in our business model and lay stronger foundations for the brand from a long term perspective.

We scale operational resources back from 4 cities and will move to the e-sales platform going forward to support customer needs and supply and logistics requirements. Our current focus remains to be building TinyOwl as a sustainable, profitable and scalable business, with the aim to add more value to our partners and continue to offer the best of food ordering experience to our customers, he mentions in the post.

The crack began to appear around August last year, when TinyOwl let go of over 100 people employed at its Pune and Bangalore offices, citing cost cutting.

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Co-founder Tanuj Khandelwal told Inc42 then, The elimination of certain positions in the company have been made on a strategic level, to increase efficiency, productivity and re-direct our diverse talent to focused departments, providing the best innovative offerings to our customers. We appreciate the contributions of all the employees in making TinyOwl an amazing growth story. We see this development as a positive move towards growth, and will continue to hire informed talent across the country, to provide our customers a seamless food ordering experience.

In November, Medianama reported that some of the fired employees held Co-founder Gaurav Choudhary hostage at the company office in Pune.

Also Read: Once VCs favourite dish, has Indian foodtech bitten off more than it can chew?

The company could never recover from the crisis. Recent news reports indicate the the crisis is deepening further and the company is on the verge of a shut-down. According to some media reports, it is merging with hyperlocal delivery company Roadrunnr to form an integrated food service startup, while other outlets say it is shutting down.

Tinyowl--

It is hard to say whether they are shutting down, but scaling down operations to just a few areas of Mumbai is a clear indication that the company is running on fumes, Raj K Mitra, AVP (Investment Publishing) at Credit Suisse told e27.

TinyOwl is reportedly merging with Roadrunnr to form an integrated food service startup called Runnr as both the companies share the same venture capitalists. But Roadrunnr has its own problems and is thus unlikely to be a happy marriage.

The crisis in TinyOwl is part of a larger crisis affected the Indian foodtech industry. While the opportunities are massive, the sector is nowhere close to maturity, and startups have just scratched the surface. Plus, companies have failed to find a sustainable business model; some still rely on discounts, and last-mile delivery continues to be a huge hurdle. The glamour attached to the sector is wearing off.

More importantly, the economics in India is terrible. For instance, if the order value is US$3, the delivery costs are US$1, the margins are 10 per cent, you will lose US$0.60 per order. Then add to that cost of acquiring a customer, the company will lose a lot more. More the orders, more is the loss.

Adding to that, hardly any innovation is happening in the sector; all companies follow the same business model and list the same restaurants. And they have no control over the quality of food.

Things will be hard for startups to sustain in the long run, unless and until they find a way out in a highly competitive world dominated by the likes of foodpanda.

Mandad is, however, confident: No dream, however big, is unattainable  and TinyOwl is a testimony of the same belief. From being a five member startup to being one of the youngest and leading players in Indias food ordering space today, TinyOwl has grown immensely in the past year. The big dream to take the brand to greater heights yet remains, as our efforts continue to be focused on strengthening the brands position in the market, he says.

The post This Tiny, 2-year-(Owl)d startup raised US$28M, flew over India, and now looking for a crash landing appeared first on e27.
The human gut is a complex and amazing system, and the more we learn about it, the more amazed we are. It turns out
Policy

California DOE Pushes Forward on ESSA-Based Improvement System

Testing is out; "whole child outcomes" are in. California is working through the impact of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which places responsibility for figuring out how to evaluate schools and districts on the states themselves. Recently, a Department of Education task force handed in its recommendations for building an accountability and continuous improvement system that emphasizes three themes: performance, equity and, most prominently, improvement.

The overall result, as the Los Angeles Times reported in its coverage, is a model that moves beyond testing scores and incorporates such factors as "suspension rates, graduation rates, attendance and the rate at which students who are still learning English are becoming proficient."

At the heart of the new system are two sets of outcomes:

Whole child outcomes with indicators that demonstrate the extent to which children are "healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged and valued"; and

School and district academic outcomes with indicators that show the extent "to which students achieve meaningful learning outcomes, including the acquisition of the knowledge, language and lifelong learning skills needed to succeed in today's world."

The emphasis on improvement is an important one to the task force. As the report stated, "The value of improvement lies in both the importance of striving to increase student and system outcomes, and the opportunity that improvement provides for shared learning across the system."

"User-friendly" dashboards would allow people to monitor progress and pinpoint areas for improvement at each level of reporting. State-mandated indicators, for example, would be used for required state and federal purposes, including proficiency on annual high-stakes assessments, high school graduation rates and progress in achieving English language proficiency. But they'd also include some indicator of school quality or student success such as suspension or expulsion rates, school climate survey scores, chronic absenteeism or college and career readiness indicators.

Some of those measures would also show up in state-reported indicators, which would complement the required measures in order to gain a "holistic picture of performance, equity and improvement." In that category, college and career indicators and school climate survey scores would be included, alongside an equity measure, such as school facilities quality or access to curriculum materials.

Local education agencies  districts and school systems  would also have the chance to throw in their own indicators, appropriate to their needs, such as parent engagement or kindergarten readiness assessments.

The report acknowledged that building the new system will take time because, for example, data isn't being collected to support the indicators laid out by the task force. "Now is the time, however, to take meaningful steps in the direction of what we know will work," the report stated, "and away from what has failed us, and our children, in the past."

In the next meeting, which takes place in July, the state school board will face the job of approving the final design and descriptors for the local education agency performance indicators. The early draft of the ESSA state plan is expected to be submitted to the United States Department of Education by January 2017, which has up to 120 days to review the proposal. The new accountability system is scheduled to be in place by August 2017.
Mobile Computing

Tough Tech Choices: Laptops, Tablets, Chromebooks, BYOD?

Practical Advice to Help You Find Your School's Solution

I began my education career right out of college in the fall of 1992. My first teaching job was at Brewster Academy, a small boarding school in central New Hampshire. That year, the school began planning efforts that led to one of the nation's first 1-to-1 learning programs. Little did I know that, only a decade later, I'd be working in a small gray office cubicle in the Maine Department of Education, helping lead the nation's first statewide 1-to-1 learning program: the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI).

One of my responsibilities as Maine's coordinator of education technology was buying the technology and associated services for the MLTI. To say that I've been responsible for buying a lot of computers (and tablets) is an understatement. It's from this perspective that I share some thoughts about the selection and purchasing of students' primary learning devices.

Choosing a Purchasing Model: BYOD vs. District-Purchased Devices

There are generally two purchasing models: The district pays, or families pay (bring your own device/BYOD). In some instances, I've seen a cost-sharing model.

BYOD has its supporters and opponents. On page 72 of the 2016 National Education Technology Plan (NETP), the U.S. Department of Education shares some issues for districts to consider when looking at BYOD, including three key concerns:

Economic disparity Instructional burden, and Privacy and security.

Many BYOD programs have attempted to mitigate economic disparity by budgeting district funds to buy devices for families that qualify for free and reduced lunch. However, I argue that doing so can jeopardize student privacy and security. By using district funds to buy devices for these families, the district makes visible which students have means and which do not. Districts should seriously consider whether this practice violates student privacy.

Another option, a district-purchased device for all students, also has its challenges, but I believe those are outweighed by the benefits. Economically, a BYOD program means less spending by the district because spending has been shifted to the family. However, the district-purchased option can be less expensive overall to the community since districts qualify for educational discounts. Depending on the size of the district, competitive bidding and subsequent negotiations can be a significant cost saver to the community as well.

A district-purchased program also tends to lead to a standardized device. I learned from the mission statement of my second school, the Allendale Columbia School in New York, that "structure should liberate, not confine." While some in your community may want the personalization that BYOD affords, the device you select should be a proverbial Swiss Army Knife. Personalization shouldn't focus on variations in design, color, brand or operating system so much as the capacity to shape how an individual interacts, creates and consumes media with the device.

Defining the Education Goals of Your 1-to-1 Program

This leads to one of the most critical considerations: What do you envision students and teachers doing with the devices? If your conversations have been dominated by gigabytes, screen size, operating systems and cost, then you should ask yourself: "Am I choosing a device based on my education goals? Or are my goals being defined by my device?" If you believe that structure should liberate, not confine, then seek a solution that solves for your educational goals, not the other way around.

Use the SAMR model of technology integration developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura to help guide discussions about how the technology will be used  how it will change how teachers teach and students learn. You can use Common Sense Education's quick video introduction to SAMR along with videos and blog posts written by Dr. Puentedura; also, the MLTI iTunes U page hosts an excellent podcast series by Dr. Puentedura himself. An additional benefit to using this or another model is it will provide a common vocabulary for your school community to discuss technology use. Broad terms such as "integrating technology" are better defined, and, as a result, discussions can be more meaningful and useful.

With a model like SAMR in hand, you can define your educational vision and goals. This will help you better determine your device needs. As you go along, note who is involved. Including students and teachers is important. Remember: Your students outnumber the teachers by a large margin, and they'll be the most common user of the device. Never assume what they want or what will be easy or hard for them, and don't project your perspective on student-facing tools. Otherwise, you're allowing what I like to call Adult Paradigm Paralysis Syndrome (APPS) to drive your thinking. Go ask a student.

Additional Questions to Drive Your Planning

Finally, let's get to the more nitty-gritty aspects. What about tablets versus laptops? Or a Chromebook versus a traditional computer? These are some questions to consider.

What age are the students? I mentioned the benefit of a standardized device, but in a real-world context, that may mean one standard for early elementary students, which differs from that for upper elementary, middle or high school students. Your students' developmental needs are an important factor.

Which devices do the teachers need? Whichever device you select for students you should also distribute to the teachers. That may mean teachers have two devices. Teachers' needs are different from students'; institutional realities may mean compatibility and productivity needs that aren't met by the student device. However, if the teacher doesn't have a student device, how will she be able to fully understand the student experience? How can the teacher test that the resources she creates or curates are fully compatible on the student device?

What type of software is needed? The software you use is as critical as the device itself. Productivity software is still highly leveraged by students and teachers. Don't ignore it, but also don't fixate on it. Beyond the productivity suite are tools that facilitate communication, collaboration and creativity. Additionally, consider visualization, modeling, simulation and gaming. You may decide you don't need all these tools, but it's better to at least consider them than discover later that you need them.
By Libby George

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Nigeria was clawing back lost oil production this week after militant attacks on pipelines and an accident at an export terminal hobbled the country's crude exports.

A spate of militant activity in Nigeria's oil-producing region slashed output by some 40 percent, to more than 22-year lows, and an ExxonMobil terminal accident forced it to cut output of Qua Iboe, the country's largest export stream.

On Tuesday, Italy's ENI (LSE: 0N9S.L - news) confirmed it issued a force majeure - suspension of deliveries because of events beyond its control - on Brass River crude, leaving at least four crude streams under force majeure on Tuesday.

But both current and planned exports have already begun to edge higher, according to traders and early July-loading programmes.

"The Nigerian issue seems to be easing," one trader said.

Planned exports of Qua Iboe were set at 337,000 barrels per day (bpd) for July, the highest since January. Already this week, traders said Exxon Mobil (Swiss: XOM.SW - news) 's production was approaching 300,000 bpd, close to the initially planned May exports of 317,000 bpd.

Bonny Light exports for July were also pegged at 240,000 bpd, the highest of 2016. Even (Taiwan OTC: 6436.TWO - news) as both grades remained under force majeure, traders said cargoes were loading with less than two weeks of delay.

"Cargoes are loading," a trader said, adding the forces majeure were largely just delaying the loadings of Bonny Light, Qua Iboe and Brass River.

Traders said that even Forcados, which has been under force majeure since February, was loading in small amounts via alternative export pipelines.

Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) declined to comment, but a spokeswoman referred to earlier comments from Osagie Okunbor, managing director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC), saying it was looking for "viable alternatives of crude exports" while it repaired the primary Forcados pipeline.

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Still, the prospect of further attacks cast a shadow on Nigeria's oil production, and traders said the loading delays and unpredictability of exports made some buyers reluctant to buy the country's oil.

"There is a strong likelihood that the high frequency of attacks on oil infrastructure will continue at least in the short to medium term, resulting in depressed oil output over much of 2016," PGI Intelligence, a UK-based risk management company, said in a note.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) added "the government's handling of its crackdown on militants will be key to determining whether violence will escalate".

(Additional reporting by Florence Tan in Singapore; editing by Susan Thomas)
Customers hoping for a quiet pint and a packet of peanuts at their local Wetherspoon pub may get more than they bargained for as boss Tim Martin drops in for a chat about the EU referendum.

Mr Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon and one of the most prominent business campaigners in favour of a Leave vote, is visiting 100 of his company's pubs over the next four weeks.

He will tell customers why he believes the UK will be better off leaving the EU

To tie in with the referendum on June 23, Wetherspoon has also printed hundreds of thousands of copies of its Wetherspoon News magazine featuring views from both sides of the debate.

Mr Martin said: "The EU referendum is extremely important and I believe it is vital that voters are given the arguments both for and against, so they can make up their minds.

"Our Wetherspoon News EU special brings together a number of articles which I hope people will read and help them make up their mind on which way they are going to vote.

"I look forward to speaking with Wetherspoon customers during the next four weeks in our pubs across the UK as part of the EU referendum debate."

JD Wetherspoon has more than 900 pubs and employs more than 35,000 people. For the year to 26 July 2015 the group reported revenues of 1.51bn and pre-tax profit of 77.8m.

Earlier this month, Sky News revealed that Mr Martin was donating 200,000 to the Vote Leave campaign.

A vocal advocate of Brexit, Mr Martin has signed a number of letters arguing that leaving the EU will give the UK greater economic freedom.

He founded JD Wetherspoon nearly four decades ago, and has repeatedly said that small businesses are hampered by red tape from Brussels.
SANTIAGO, May 23 (Reuters) - Workers at BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) 's Spence mine in northern Chile (Stuttgart: 704599.SG - news) went on a 24-strike on Monday due to a contractual dispute, a union official told Reuters.

Workers there previously went on a 24-hour strike earlier in May, as the union demanded improvements in labor conditions and to protest alleged contract breaches. Spence produced 175,600 tonnes of copper in 2015. (Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Gram Slattery; Editing by W Simon)
By Francois Murphy and Michael Shields VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria came close to becoming the first European Union country to elect a far-right head of state as postal ballots on Monday decided a knife-edge presidential vote in favor of the anti-immigration candidate's environmentalist opponent. The results were awaited nervously by governments across Europe, where populist anti-immigration parties have surged over the past year on concerns over a refugee influx, continued weak economic growth and high unemployment. After the election was too close to call on Sunday, a count of absentee votes on Monday thrust 72-year-old Alexander van der Bellen past anti-immigration Freedom Party rival Norbert Hofer and into the largely ceremonial post of president. The Freedom Party and its European allies expressed disappointment at the defeat but delight at the record support from Austrian voters, while traditional parties of government breathed a sigh of relief. "Fifty percent confidence in Norbert Hofer is a gigantic showing," his campaign manager Herbert Kickl told public broadcaster ORF, toning down comments before the election that suggested the Freedom Party (FPO) might contest the count. "One thing is clear: there are many Norbert Hofers in the Freedom Party and we are very, very well placed for parliamentary elections - whenever they come," he added. The Interior Ministry count gave van der Bellen, a former Greens party leader, 50.3 percent of the vote, compared to 49.7 percent for Hofer. The margin of victory was just over 31,000 out of nearly 4.5 million valid votes cast. One factor behind the strong FPO showing was dissatisfaction with the two centrist parties that have dominated politics in Austria, often by governing in coalition, as they do now, and carving up top institutions between them over the decades. Opinion polls in the Alpine republic of 8.5 million people regularly suggest the FPO would win parliamentary elections if held now. The current government's term runs until 2018. "This is just the beginning," FPO boss Heinz-Christian Strache said on his Facebook page. Van der Bellen said he planned to unite Austria after its almost dead-even split in the vote. "We are the same," he said in his first speech as president-elect. "There are two halves that make up Austria. The one half is just as important as the other." Please click on http://tmsnrt.rs/1YSxvkK for our graphic on right-wing party support in Europe. EMBARRASSMENT Hofer conceded defeat in a post on his Facebook page, thanking his supporters and telling them not to be despondent. The outcome averted a major potential embarrassment for Europe's political establishment though exposed how vulnerable it has become to a popular backlash against immigration. "It's a relief to see the Austrians reject populism and extremism," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said in a Twitter post. "Everyone in Europe must draw lessons from this." Prosperous Austria has been swept up in Europe's migrant influx, fanning concerns about rising unemployment and the erosion of the country's high living standards. Pollster SORA had said mail-in ballots were likely to favor van der Bellen because they are traditionally used by more educated voters, 81 percent of whom backed van der Bellen on Sunday, according to SORA polling. The vote in Austria had unsettled leaders elsewhere in Europe, particularly in neighboring Germany, where the new anti-immigration Alternative for Germany is on the rise. TWO HALVES In France, the National Front of Marine Le Pen is leading in polls ahead of a presidential election next year. Across the Channel, the UK Independence Party is campaigning for Britain to leave the 28-nation EU in a referendum on June 23. "Despite the disappointment, a historic score for our ally from the FPO," National Front Secretary General Nicolas Bay said on Twitter. "The future belongs to patriots!" Greece's leftist Syriza party said Hofer's strong showing "means it is time that alarm bells start ringing for Europe". Hofer, 45, has described himself as a center-right politician and told voters not to believe suggestions from opponents that he would be a dangerous president. His party, however, traces its roots to the Nazi past that Austria has not confronted as openly as Germany. The FPO was founded by a decorated member of the Nazi SS who served as agriculture minister after Hitler annexed Austria in 1938. More recently, it has focused much of its critical campaigning on Muslim immigrants and its leaders have courted Jewish voters with moves like a recent visit by Strache to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. "Unfortunately, the dissatisfaction with the moderate mainstream parties is providing oxygen to those like Hofer and the Freedom Party, and we are seeing signs of these trends across Europe," European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor said of the Austrian election result. (Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald in Brussels, Ingrid Melander and Jean-Baptiste Vey in Paris, Kirsti Knolle and Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich in Vienna; Writing by Noah Barkin and Francois Murphy; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The arrival of a tough-talking foreign minister in Brazil marks a move away from ideologically-driven diplomacy that raised tensions with the United States and towards a big push on trade. Jose Serra's first foreign visit to Argentina on Monday focused on restoring South America's Mercosur customs union to its purpose as a free trade area, after Venezuela's entry in 2012 turned it into a left-leaning political forum. The suspension of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to face an impeachment trial and her replacement by centrist Michel Temer has pushed the political pendulum toward the center in South America after the election of a center-right government in Argentina last year. "Diplomacy will once again reflect the values of Brazilian society and the interest of its economy, and no longer be at the service of the ideological preferences of one political party and its allies abroad," Serra said in his first speech as minister last week. His first move as Temer's foreign minister was to strongly rebuke Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua for interfering in Brazilian affairs by describing Rousseff's removal as an illegal "coup." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is resisting opposition calls for a referendum to oust him in the midst of a painful recession, recalled his ambassador from Brasilia for consultations. Serra is under pressure to act against Maduro. The chairman of Brazil's Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the government to trigger Mercosur's democratic clause and have Venezuela suspended. Maduro's government "is fast becoming an open dictatorship," Senator Aloysio Nunes told Reuters. REVIVING MERCOSUR The 74-year-old Serra is a prominent senator who would like to use his ministerial post as a springboard for a third bid for the presidency. His success may hinge on keeping his pledge to open new export markets for Brazil's tanking economy. His ministry has been given increased authority to negotiate trade deals. He plans to increase trade with traditional markets like the United States and the European Union, as well as more recent ones such as China, which has quickly risen to become Brazil's biggest export market. Relations between Washington and Brasilia cooled during the 2003-2010 government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who prioritized South-South relations but also raised Brazil's international profile while the economy was booming. Rousseff, his successor, was less rigid but ties with the United States were badly shaken in 2013 by reports of U.S. spying on Brazil, which prompted her to cancel a state visit to Washington. Serra said improved U.S. relations were inevitable and will rely on easing trade barriers between the two largest economies in the Americas. "There will be greater alignment between the United States and Brazil on some global issues," said Michael Shifter, president of the InterAmerican Dialogue, a Washington-based policy group. Argentina will be fundamental in Brazil's renewed quest for trade as the top destination for Brazilian manufactured goods. In seeking to revive Mercosur, Serra will also ask the customs union to be more flexible on members reaching bilateral accords. His plans were applauded by business leaders. "Mercosur must be more proactive, less closed," the head of Brazil's most powerful industry lobby CNI, Robson Andrade, said. "Instead of political debates it should be negotiating international accords, such as with the European Union." Mercosur's swing to the right has raised hopes for a trade deal with the European Union, which could create a market of 750 million people but has faced setbacks since talks began in 1999. Serra was quick to play down expectations of a quick deal. "I don't think anything crucial will happen in the next six months," he said in Buenos Aires on Monday. "We must study the offers [from the Europeans] well." IMPOVERISHED ITAMARATY An intellectual who works late into the night and often sleeps through midday, the blunt and abrasive Serra would appear to be the least diplomatic figure to run Brazil's foreign policy. But the appointment of this high-profile politician to lead Itamaraty - as the foreign ministry is called - was welcomed by Brazil's respected diplomatic corps, largely sidelined by Rousseff. The ministry was underfunded to the point that diplomats posted abroad have been unable to pay their rents. Serra promised to put the ministry back at the center of government and rescue it from "penury" by covering a funding shortfall of 800 million reais ($227 million). Brazil is in arrears on contributions to the United Nations and other multilateral organizations by $852 million, a debt that threatens its right to vote, Serra told O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper on Sunday. Workers Party governments created 48 new embassies during 13 years in power, many in Africa and the Caribbean to win votes at the United Nations, where Brazil unsuccessfully sought a permanent seat on an expanded Security Council. Serra, pointing to the absurdity of Brazil having more embassies than Britain in the English-speaking Caribbean, plans to study the benefits of its 139 embassies and close those that are unproductive. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Additonal reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in Caracas, Maximiliano Rizzi in Buenos Aires; Editing by Mary Milliken and Andrew Hay)
By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - The arrival of a tough-talking foreign minister in Brazil marks a move away from the ideologically-driven diplomacy that raised tensions with the United States in the past decade and towards a big push on trade. Jose Serra's first foreign visit to Argentina on Monday is expected to centre on restoring South America's Mercosur bloc to its purpose as a free trade area, after Venezuela's entry in 2012 turned it into a left-leaning political forum. The suspension of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to face an impeachment trial and her replacement by centrist Michel Temer as interim leader has pushed the political pendulum more toward the centre in South America, following the election of a centre-right government in Argentina last year. "Diplomacy will once again reflect the values of Brazilian society and the interest of its economy, and no longer be at the service of the ideological preferences of one political party and its allies abroad," Serra said in his first speech as minister last week. His first move as Temer's foreign minister was to strongly rebuke Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua for interfering in Brazilian affairs by describing Rousseff's removal as an illegal "coup." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is resisting opposition calls for a referendum to oust him in the midst of a painful recession, recalled his ambassador from Brasilia for consultations. Serra is under pressure to act against Maduro. The chairman of Brazil's Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the government to trigger Mercosur's democratic clause and have Venezuela suspended. Maduro's government "is fast becoming an open dictatorship," Senator Aloysio Nunes told Reuters. REVIVING MERCOSUR The 74-year-old Serra is a prominent senator who would like to use his ministerial post as a springboard for a third bid for the presidency. His success may hinge on keeping his pledge to open new export markets for Brazil's tanking economy. His ministry has been given increased authority to negotiate trade deals. He plans to increase trade with traditional markets like the United States and the European Union, as well as more recent ones such as China, which has quickly risen to become Brazil's biggest export market. Relations between Washington and Brasilia cooled during the 2003-2010 government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who prioritised South-South relations but also raised Brazil's international profile while the economy was booming. Rousseff, his successor, was less rigid but ties with the United States were badly shaken in 2013 by reports of U.S. spying on Brazil, which prompted her to cancel a state visit to Washington. Serra said improved U.S. relations were inevitable and will rely on easing trade barriers between the two largest economies in the Americas. "There will be greater alignment between the United States and Brazil on some global issues," said Michael Shifter, president of the InterAmerican Dialogue, a Washington-based policy group. Argentina will be fundamental in Brazil's renewed quest for trade as the top destination for Brazilian manufactured goods. In seeking to revive Mercosur, Serra will also ask the customs union to be more flexible on members reaching bilateral accords. His plans were applauded by business leaders. "Mercosur must be more proactive, less closed," the head of Brazil's most powerful industry lobby CNI, Robson Andrade, said. "Instead of political debates it should be negotiating international accords, such as with the European Union." IMPOVERISHED ITAMARATY An intellectual who works late into the night and often sleeps through midday, the blunt and abrasive Serra would appear to be the least diplomatic figure to run Brazil's foreign policy. But the appointment of this high-profile politician to lead Itamaraty - as the foreign ministry is called - was welcomed by Brazil's respected diplomatic corps, largely sidelined by Rousseff. The ministry was underfunded to the point that diplomats posted abroad have been unable to pay their rents. Serra promised to put the ministry back at the centre of government and rescue it from "penury" by covering a funding shortfall of 800 million reais (156 million pounds). Brazil is in arrears on contributions to the United Nations and other multilateral organizations by $852 million, a debt that threatens its right to vote, Serra told O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper on Sunday. Workers Party governments created 67 new embassies during 13 years in power, many in Africa and the Caribbean to win votes at the United Nations, where Brazil unsuccessfully sought a permanent seat on an expanded Security Council. Serra, pointing to the absurdity of Brazil having more embassies than Britain in the English-speaking Caribbean, plans to study the benefits of its 227 embassies and close those that are unproductive. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Additonal reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in Caracas; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Mary Milliken)
By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia said on Tuesday it will send a team to a South Pacific detention centre next month to interview two refugees who have volunteered to be resettled, reviving an agreement with Australia that seemed on the verge of collapse. Australia has vowed to stop asylum seekers sailing from Indonesia and Sri Lanka and landing on its shores, instead intercepting boats at sea and holding those on board in camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Cambodia agreed with Australia in 2014 to take in refugees from Nauru in exchange for A$40 million (19.7 million pounds) in aid, but it later threatened to withdraw from the agreement. Only five people have gone to Cambodia under the pact and three of them later chose to go back home. But now two more might be on their way. "Our team is ready to go and interview two more refugees who volunteered to be resettled," Tan Sovichea, head of the Interior Ministry's refugee unit, told Reuters on Tuesday. Sovichea said his three-man team would fly to Nauru in the first week of June to vet the refugees, an Iranian man and woman. Rights groups have condemned Australia for trying to resettle refugees in poorer countries such as Cambodia, which is frequently accused of human rights abuses and has an economy less than one percent the size of Australia's. A Rohingya Muslim man from Myanmar and an Iranian couple, who all left Nauru for Cambodia last year, have since gone home. The two remaining refugees in Cambodia are a Rohingya and an Iranian. Sovichea said Australia had originally delayed the trip, which was supposed to be on May 2, for unspecified reasons, and Australian officials had not yet set an exact date for the trip in June. Officials at Australia's Foreign Ministry and Immigration Department did not immediately respond to calls and emails from Reuters seeking comment. (Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; additional reporting by Matt Siegel in Sydney; Editing by Robert Birsel)
By Libby George and Dmitry Zhdannikov LONDON (Reuters) - Poorer oil-producing countries which took out loans to be repaid in oil when the price was higher are having to send three times as much to respect repayment schedules now prices have fallen. This has crippled the finances of countries such as Angola, Venezuela, Nigeria and Iraq and created a further division within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Ahead of an OPEC meeting next week, poorer members have continued to push for output cuts to lift prices but wealthier Gulf Arab members such as Saudi Arabia, which are free of such debts, are resisting taking any action despite prices falling 60 percent in the past 2 years. Angola, Africa's largest oil producer has borrowed as much as $25 billion (17.3 billion pounds) from China since 2010, including about $5 billion last December, forcing its state oil firm to channel almost its entire oil output towards debt repayments this year. This year Angola, Nigeria, Iraq, Venezuela and Kurdistan are due to repay a total of between $30 billion and $50 billion with oil, according to Reuters calculations based on publicly disclosed information and details given by participants in ongoing restructuring talks. Repaying $50 billion required only slightly over 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil exports when it was trading at $120 per barrel but with prices of around $40, the same repayment would require exports of over 3 million bpd. "All of those oil nations  Angola, Nigeria, Venezuela  have taken money for survival but haven't got any money left for investments. That is very damaging to their long-term growth prospects," said Amrita Sen from Energy Aspects think-tank. "People tend to look at current production volumes but if you have committed your entire production to China or other buyers under loans  then you cannot invest to keep growing and won't benefit from higher prices in the future." China has also become Venezuela's top financier via an oil-for-loans programme which since 2007 has funneled $50 billion into Venezuelan coffers in exchange for repayment in crude and fuel, including a $5 billion deal last September. While details of the loans have not been made public, analysts from Barclays estimate Caracas owes $7 billion to Beijing this year and needs nearly 800,000 bpd to meet payments, up from 230,000 bpd when oil traded at $100 per barrel. Last week, Venezuela said it had reached a deal with China to improve the terms of loans, giving its economy "oxygen". It did not disclose the new terms. Nigeria and Iraq also owe billions of dollars repayable in oil to companies such as Shell and Exxon Mobil , according to national oil firms and industry sources. Iraq is trying to renegotiate contracts for investment and development of new oil fields that it has with companies including Exxon, Shell and Lukoil. It was supposed to repay the companies $23 billion this year with oil but is now arguing that it will only have enough crude to repay $9 billion. Nigeria owes $3 billion this year in oil repayments to big oil companies which have helped the country fund its share of joint oil field development. Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan has leveraged all its oil production, worth $3 billion, to trading houses Vitol and Petraco as well as to Turkey to fund a fight against Islamic State, according to its natural resources minister. Ecuador, one of OPEC's smallest member countries, borrowed up to $8 billion from Chinese and Thai firms, repayable with oil, between 2009 and 2015, according to the national oil company. SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS In contrast, OPEC's Gulf Arab members -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar -- have very few joint ventures with oil companies, do not have pre-payment deals with China and do not need to borrow from trading houses. While Saudi Arabia saw every dollar from its oil sales going to state coffers, the poorer members had a large part of their oil revenue eaten up by debts, leaving no money to invest in infrastructure and field development. As a result, Nigeria and Venezuela are now facing steep production declines at a time when Saudi Arabia is preparing to further ramp up supplies as it invested heavily in new fields. This helps to explain why Saudi Arabia is resisting a global deal to reduce output because the lack of debt means it is able to use the money for development and reinforce its dominant position in oil markets. Nigeria and Venezuela, meanwhile, are desperate for a deal that would reduce output and push up prices to help them invest in oil fields and repay fewer barrels to creditors. "It may ultimately be mounting supply disruptions in stressed states, rather than collective cartel action, that causes an accelerated market rebalancing, RBC Capital's head of commodity strategy Helima Croft said. (Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by Anna Willard)
(Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Tuesday requested a recount in the close Kentucky presidential primary against front-runner Hillary Clinton, state election officials said on Tuesday. The recanvass will take place at all 120 county boards of election on Thursday, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Grimes. Clinton won Kentucky by just 1,924 votes, according to the unofficial totals posted on the secretary of state's elections page. She won Jefferson County, which includes Louisville and is the largest by far of the state's 120 counties, by nearly 10 times that amount In his filing on Tuesday, Sanders requested a full check and recount of every voting machine and absentee ballot from all precincts in the counties, according to Grimes' website. "My office is notifying all county boards of elections that Sen. Sanders has requested a recanvass, and we are reminding them of the laws and procedures to be followed," Grimes said in a statement. Clinton, a former U.S. senator and secretary of state, narrowly defeated Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, in the May 17 presidential nominating contest in Kentucky, a state she had not been expected to win. A Sanders campaign representative said the recount request was important for the integrity of the Democratic presidential contest, in which Sanders is continuing to challenge Clinton despite her formidable lead in the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination. "I think the point is just transparency, it's not just about Kentucky," Sanders aide Larry Cohen said on CNN. "It's about trying to create a context, now and at the (Democratic) convention, that these primaries and caucuses need transparency, they need to be authentic, they need to build confidence among voters, particularly younger voters, that this is not rigged." Sanders has generally drawn more support from young voters than Clinton. (Reporting by Steve Bittenbender and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Today in One Paragraph

The Democratic National Committee asked Bernie Sanders to appoint five members to the group that will draft the partys 2016 platform at the national convention. Edward Nero, the first officer charged in the 2015 death of Freddie Gray, was acquitted on all charges. President Obama lifted the American arms embargo on Vietnam and emphasized a new friendship between the two countries. And the U.S. Supreme Court upended the death sentence of a Georgia man because prosecutors deliberately excluded African Americans from serving on the jury.

Top News

Sanders Gets His Say. The Vermont senator will fill one-third of the seats on the Democratic Partys 2016 platform committee, the DNC said. The group is responsible for drafting the partys platform and is normally appointed by the DNC chair, but the group changed the selection process to better include Sanderss supporters. The senators five picks include the pro-Palestinian activist James Zogby and Cornel West, a racial-justice advocate. (Anne Gearan, The Washington Post)

Recommended: How to Undermine Your Own Revolution

Baltimore Officer Acquitted. A judge found Officer Edward Nero not guilty on all four charges related to his role in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray. Prosecutors said Nero assaulted Gray by detaining him without justification, but Judge Barry Williams said there were no credible facts showing that Nero was directly involved in Grays arrest. (Justin Fenton and Kevin Rector, The Baltimore Sun)

New Friendship With Vietnam. President Obama said he is lifting the American arms embargo on the country during a news conference in Hanoi. Just a generation ago, we were adversaries, and now we are friends, Obama said, also touting new business deals between the U.S. and Vietnam. The announcement comes two days into the presidents weeklong trip to Asia. (David Jackson and Thomas Maresca, USA Today)

Story continues

Upending a Verdict. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction and death sentence of a black man in Georgia, saying prosecutors violated the Constitution in excluding African Americans from the jury deciding his case. Timothy Tyrone Foster was sentenced to death for killing a white woman by an all-white jury nearly 30 years ago, but his lawyer says there is no doubt that Mondays decision will lead to a new trial. (Mark Sherman, Associated Press)

Tomorrow in One Paragraph. Hillary Clinton will fundraise in California and appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Bernie Sanders will hold a rally in San Bernardino, California, and Donald Trump will campaign in New Mexico.

Recommended: End the Imperial Presidency Before It's Too Late

Follow stories throughout the day with our new Politics & Policy page. And keep on top of the campaign with our 2016 Distilled election dashboard.

Top Read

Hes the candidate for people who think the conventional wisdom of the American establishment is hopelessly out of touch with the real world. Hes the little boy saying that the emperor, or in this case, the aspiring empress, has no clothes. What energizes the Trump phenomenon is the very power of rejection: people who think the train is about to head off a cliff want to pull the emergency cord that stops the train even if they dont know what happens next. Walter Russell Mead of The American Interest on the movement propelling Donald Trump.

Top Lines

Activism and Allyship. At Oberlin college and other liberal-arts schools across the United States, a new wave of student activism is redefining modern liberalism. (Nathan Heller, The New Yorker)

The Future of American Politics. The fragmentation of the Republican party in 2016 is a sign that party realignment has already happened in the United Statesand a new policy realignment is about to begin. (Michael Lind, Politico)

Romneys Destiny. Running as a third-party candidate against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump could be Mitt Romneys lasting legacyand the #NeverTrump movements last chance. (Jamie Weinstein, The Daily Caller)

Top View

Dinner in Hanoi. President Obama joined the food guru and television host Anthony Bourdain for dinner at a local restaurant in Vietnams capital on Monday. These photos show the two men sitting on plastic stools, eating their $6 meal. (David Nakamura, The Washington Post)

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By Andrew MacAskill and Jim Finkle LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England ordered UK banks to detail steps taken to secure computers connected to the SWIFT bank messaging network about two months after a still-unidentified group used the system to steal $81 million from Bank Bangladesh, according to three people familiar with the effort. The central bank sent the request to update cyber security measures to all banks it regulates in mid-to-late April, according to these people, who were not authorized to discuss the confidential communications. The previously unreported action marks the earliest known case of a central bank in a major economy to order its member banks to conduct a formal security review in response to the Bangladesh theft, which has shaken the global system for transferring money among both commercial and central banks. The Bank of England, one of the G10 central banks that oversee Brussels-based SWIFT, said it had no immediate comment. The FBI, authorities in Dhaka and private forensic experts are investigating the February cyber heist in Bangladesh where thieves raided a central bank account kept at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, stealing $81 million. They installed malware inside the bank's Dhaka headquarters that hid traces of their attack in a bid to delay discovery so they could access the funds, according to police and private security firms. The Bank of England told banks to conduct a "compliance check" to confirm whether they are following security practices recommended by SWIFT, which the firm recently reissued to members in the wake of the February heist, one of the people said. SWIFT declined to comment. The group has previously declined to release those guidelines, which were issued in private communications. The checks called for by the Bank of England include conducting what are known as user entitlement reviews, which ensure that only authorized staff have access to SWIFT applications and the service's messaging gateway, that person said. Banks were also told to review computer logs for digital evidence known as "indicators of compromise," including IP addresses and email addresses linked to recent attacks. Those indicators include technical details included in reports from several private cyber security firms, including Britain's BAE Systems PLC. The communication from the Bank of England asked banks to respond by early May and provide details about plans for installing a security update to SWIFT Alliance Access software, according to the person. The messaging group last month released the update and asked members to install by May 16 Meanwhile, Sweden's Riksbank on Wednesday called on all users of the central bank's RIX payments system for large transaction to follow the SWIFT recommendations, a central bank spokesman told Reuters. Earlier this week, Singapore's central bank asked banks to maintain a high level of security for their critical IT systems following recent cyber attacks using the SWIFT financial messaging system. In the Philippines, a senior central bank official said on Tuesday that regulators were crafting regulations to help banks and other financial institutions fend off cyber heists and minimize damage after any systems breach. (Reporting by Andrew MacAskill in London, Jim Finkle in Washington; Additional reporting by Daniel Dickson in Stockholm; editing by Edward Tobin)
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Google's Paris headquarters have been raided as part of an investigation into the U.S. company's tax payments, reports said.

SEE ALSO: Google made I/O fun again, but is that enough?

Around 100 tax officials and investigators from financial police are involved in the raid, which started at 5 a.m. local time, according to Le Parisien.

"These searches are in the framework of a preliminary inquiry opened on 16 June 2015 on aggravated tax fraud and money-laundering charges following a complaint from the French fiscal authorities," said a court statement.

The probe wants to verify if Google Ireland "is permanently established in France and whether by not declaring a part of his activities carried out in the French territory, it has lacked its tax obligation" under French law.

A Google spokesperson told Mashable: We comply with French law and are cooperating fully with the authorities to answer their questions."

Google is accused of owing France 1.6 billion ($1.8 billion; 1.3 billion) in unpaid taxes.

The UK struck a 130 million settlement with Google earlier this year.
By Patrick Markey and Tarek Amara BEN GUERDANE, Tunisia (Reuters) - After a U.S. air strike killed a Tunisian jihadist commander in western Libya in late February, dozens of Islamic State fighters sneaked across the border into Tunisia and attacked an army barracks and police bases in the town of Ben Guerdane. In the battle that followed, Islamic State militants shot dead local Tunisian anti-terrorism chief Colonel Abdel Atti Abdelkabir metres from his home. Residents, including the colonel's brother, say they recognised some of the attackers as former neighbours and classmates who had left to train with Islamic State in Libya. In all, more than 50 militants died in the assault. The battle was further evidence of how Libyas chaos has spilled over into its more stable neighbour. Tunisia, one of the most secular countries in the Arab world, is trying to nurture the nascent democracy that grew out of its 2011 uprising against the government of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. But it also faces an intensifying battle against Islamist militants  not least Tunisian fighters now based just across the border. "We're sitting right next to a nation that has no peace," Abdelkabir's brother Hussein told Reuters in the family home. "My brother was directly targeted. He said they would come to attack one day and they came for him." Tunisia's 2011 uprising created fertile ground for jihadist recruiters. Hundreds of Islamist militants were freed from prison as part of an amnesty for those detained under Ben Ali. Ultra-conservative salafists began to flex their muscle, seizing control of mosques and clashing with secularists. As Tunisia's politics have stabilised, the government has reasserted control, taking back mosques, banning the local al Qaeda affiliate Ansar al Sharia, and forcing many militants to flee. At first the jihadists mostly headed to Syria. But now Libya is more popular with them - many Tunisians have become key figures in Islamic State there. In all, officials estimate that between 4,000-6,000 Tunisians have left to fight for Islamic State and other groups, among them university graduates and professionals recruited online. The flow continues. Since last summer, for instance, nearly 80 young Tunisians from Remada, a town two hours south of Ben Guerdane, have crossed into Libya, according to residents there, spirited along the same desert scrubland tracks used by traffickers to ferry cheap Libyan fuel into Tunisia. Over the past year or so, some militants have begun to return. Security forces say recent attacks on a beach hotel and a museum were carried out by Tunisian gunmen who had trained in Libya. Earlier this month, more than 20 suspected militants were arrested in Tunis. They are believed to have brought explosives from Libya for attacks on the capital, the government said. RECRUITMENT The Tunisian jihadist commander killed in the U.S. air strike on Sabratha was Noureddine Chouchane. He trained gunmen in his Libyan camps to kill foreign tourists in Tunisia, according to U.S. and Tunisian officials. A former senior member of Ansar al Sharia, Chouchane had also become a key recruiter for Islamic State. Among those who joined him were his wife, Rahma, 17, and her sister, Gofran, 18, the girls' mother told Reuters. She said the two were typical music-loving teenagers. But after meetings with local Ansar al Sharia recruiters in 2013, they became more conservative, demanded a ban on television at home and harassed their mother to wear more modest headscarves. Last year, they both left for Libya. They are now held in Maitiga prison in Tripoli, after being arrested by local forces there. "Rahma always told me she was proud of what she was doing," her mother said in the family home in Tunis, where two younger sisters still live. "After the Sabratha strike, she said she wanted to come back." NEW FRONTLINE Ben Guerdane, a dusty town of one-storey buildings, has a long history of supplying jihadists going back to the 1980s, when Tunisians fought in Afghanistan. Later it sent fighters to Iraq where they fought U.S. troops. Its inhabitants now feel a kind of war has come to them. A mosque minaret used by jihadists as a base during the attack is pockmarked by dozens of bullets fired from a helicopter, and several white villas have been damaged by grenade explosions. "Libya is just there, 30 kilometres away, it's easy for them to come here, and they knew exactly where they needed to go when they came," said Hamid Ishi. His home is charred by bullets and has a gaping hole from a tank shell. Security sources say several arms caches were in place before the March attack. Some militants arrived in an ambulance and then used Ishi's home as cover to fire on the barracks. Others set up roadblocks and demanded documents. "They asked for my papers and told me to go home, saying they were from Islamic State, here to free us from tyrants," said Hedi Grisia, a telecoms worker. "I recognised one of them. He hadn't been around for a few years." Hussein, the counter-terrorism chief's brother, said he recognised at least one of the gunmen who came to his home. He also went to school with militant commander, Meftah Ben Hassine Ben Mohamed Manita. A Ben Guerdane native and former Ansar al Sharia member, Manita was jailed in 2007 after an Al Qaeda insurrection and released in 2011 along with other Islamists during the amnesty, a security source said. "He joined Daesh after being a member of Ansar al Sharia," said the Tunisian security source, using one of the Arabic names for Islamic State. "He fled to Libya after the government made Ansar al Sharia a terrorist group." MILITARY ADVANCES To stop its jihadists returning, Tunisia is reinforcing its border. The army has built a 200-km earthen berm and trench along part of the frontier. British and German troops are also training Tunisian forces in border protection and surveillance. Under a state of emergency declared last year and since extended, hundreds of suspected militants have been rounded up, leading rights activists to worry that repressive tactics may fuel more militant recruitment. Tunisian security officials, analysts and diplomats say that since the first attacks early last year, the army has progressed in counter-terrorism and special forces operations. Intelligence networks are growing, if slowly. "Today we are more worried about suicide attacks, and sleeper cells and lone-wolf style attacks that could strike at any time," a senior Tunisian security source said. The ministry of religious affairs last month started a programme to promote moderate imams. The European Union has promised funding for deradicalisation programmes, though they are still in their infancy. Officials say that border towns need moderate messages, economic development and jobs. Sitting in parched flatlands, Remada, one such town, has a short main street with an army barracks, houses and a few stores. Small plantations of olive trees surround the town and disperse into the desert and hills beyond. Two ministers flew into town last month to talk to young men about economic development. Many locals dismissed the visit as more promises from northern politicians who have abandoned the south. "There is nothing for young people here, they just look for an alternative, something to do," Yarusi Kadi, an unemployed 21-year-old said of those who join Islamic State. "It's almost like a revenge against themselves  to prove something, some worth." Bechar Zongya, a former smuggler who police say became an Islamic State commander in Sirte, grew up on an olive tree plantation. His father Yahya still works there. Last summer, police and residents say, Zongya helped lead a group of 30 people, including an air force pilot, two soldiers and an oil engineer, across the border into Libya to join Islamic State. Since then, other groups have left, too. Yahya denies his son is a jihadist commander but said he had long been harassed by police for wearing his beard long and for his conservative views. "If you put yourself in his place, with the arrests and the abuses, the treatment he got, what do you think would be the result?" his father said of his son. "You might find yourself joining one of these groups, too." (Edited by Simon Robinson)
At Least 18 Girls Killed In Thai School Fire

At least 18 girls have died after a fire swept through the dormitory of a school in northern Thailand.

The fire broke out at about 11pm on Sunday local time (4pm GMT) and the girls died as they slept in the private Pitakiatwittaya School Christian primary school in Thailand's northern Chiang Rai province.

Five of their classmates were injured - two of them seriously - and two are still missing, Police Colonel Prayad Singsin, Commander of Vingpatao district in Chiang Rai, said.

The province's deputy governor Arkom Sukapan told AFP: "There were 38 students inside the dormitory when the fire broke out.

"Some were not yet asleep so they escaped.

"But others were asleep and could not escape, resulting in the large number of casualties."

The school belongs to a local foundation and is home to girls aged between five and 12.

It is understood that many of the pupils are from impoverished hill tribes in the mountainous region.

Mr Singsin said the fire had been extinguished but its cause was still being investigated, with forensic officers due to arrive later.
By Lesley Wroughton and John Irish VIENNA (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed unity government met Western and regional powers on Monday to seek their help as it tries to establish authority over a country divided by armed factions and threatened by Islamist insurgents. Germany's foreign minister said it was still unclear if the Government of National Accord (GNA), which sailed into Tripoli on March 30, would be able to end the bloody chaos that Libyans have endured since Muammar Gaddafi's fall five years ago. "The decisive question is whether Libya, directly on Europe's southern border, remains a place where terrorism, the crime of human trafficking and instability keep spreading or whether we and the GNA will be able to restore stability and the rule of law," Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters as he arrived at the talks in Vienna. "This is an open question at the moment." As the talks began, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Fayez Seraj, prime minister of the GNA which is supposed to replace the two rival administrations - one based in Tripoli, the other in the eastern city of Tobruk - that have been battling each other for more than a year. It has won the backing of factions in western Libya but the Tobruk parliament has yet to accept it. Both sides command the loyalty of armed brigades that have fought for power and oil wealth in the North African country, an OPEC member. The West sees the GNA as the best hope to defeat Islamic State, which has seized pockets of territory, and to stop the smuggling of migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe. "I think theyre going to ask for military assistance," a senior U.S. official told reporters ahead of the talks co-hosted by the United States and Italy. "We want to see a co-ordinated national effort against Daesh (Islamic State) and we want to see it secure its land and maritime borders." The U.S. official said he hoped Monday's meeting would "show the international community lining up unambiguously behind the GNA as the recipient of security assistance in Libya," adding that the GNA would be expected to do its part. "We expect the Libyans will make commitments about their next steps on security and that the countries participating will, in turn, commit to helping." President Barack Obama has ruled out sending combat troops, but the Washington Post reported last week that special operations personnel have been stationed at two outposts in eastern and western Libya since late 2015 to line up local partners in advance of a possible offensive on Islamic State. A spokesman for the GNA-backed military operations room, based in the western Libyan town of Misrata, when asked by Reuters to comment, denied the presence of any U.S. forces. The United States has already conducted air strikes against Islamic State militants in Libya. French and British military advisers have also been operating on the ground, sources in Libya and from those two countries have said. Both Paris and London have ruled out direct military intervention. (Additional reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Luxembourg denied a report on Tuesday that it was offering multinationals tax rulings verbally rather than in writing to keep them secret from the grand duchy's EU partners. The Belgian newspaper De Tijd cited what it said were several tax experts saying that large companies had started to conclude verbal deals with Luxembourg concerning their future tax payments. "It is completely false," a spokesman for Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna said. "The aim of the ruling is to create legal certainties. If you were to do this orally, and I say 'were to' do it orally, because we don't do it orally, you wouldn't have this legal certainty." EU members have agreed that from 2017 they will exchange information on the tax affairs of multinationals. Luxembourg says it has already started sharing information with some EU states, such as neighbouring Belgium. Luxembourg, exposed by the "LuxLeaks" revelations of November 2014, has faced accusations from politicians and the media that it conspired with multinational companies to agree tax deals that deprived other European Union states of revenue. The leaked documents showed that companies such as PepsiCo, AIG and Deutsche Bank secured deals with Luxembourg to slash their bills. However, the country says others have similar arrangements. The European Commission has in fact investigated tax rulings in Luxembourg, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands, so far ordering Luxembourg and the Netherlands to claw back tax due. Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt, arriving for a meeting of euro zone finance ministers in Brussels, said unwritten tax rulings would be hard to defend as EU members pushed for greater transparency, adding he would ask Gramegna for clarification. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
HANOI (Reuters) - A BBC correspondent in Vietnam for U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to the country said on Monday he had been ordered by the Vietnamese authorities to stop reporting apparently because they suspected he had met one of the government's sharpest critics. "We have now been told that our accreditation has been withdrawn and all our reporting activities must stop," Bangkok-based Jonathan Head said in a report on the BBC's website. Vietnam's foreign ministry had no immediate comment. There were no other indications of a clampdown on foreign media and local media reported at length on Obama's three-day trip, which is aimed at bolstering diplomatic, economic and military ties though the U.S. side is expected to prod Hanoi on human rights. There was no suggestion that Head had been told to leave. Earlier this month North Korea expelled a BBC journalist for his reporting as a large group of foreign media members visited the isolated country to cover a ruling party congress. Communist party-ruled Vietnam has long been suspicious of the BBC, whose Vietnamese-language service is routinely blocked in the country because it often reports on human rights issues. The BBC World's TV service is relayed with a 10-minute delay in Vietnam. An on-camera report by Head from Hanoi on Monday was blocked for about 10 seconds, with a notice on the screen saying the programme was temporarily suspended. Head said no reason was given by the authorities for the ban on his reporting activities. But he said that "in a fraught exchange" with officials it was suggested that it was because he had met Nguyen Quang A, one of about 20 dissidents who tried to run as independents for an election to parliament that took place on Sunday. Head said he had not met Quang A, who was detained twice last year after meeting political prisoners and attending democracy seminars abroad, and failed to get onto the ballot for the National Assembly election. (Editing by Michael Perry)
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's constitutional crisis should be resolved internally but the European Union is ready to help find a solution, the European Commission's First Vice President Frans Timmermans said on Tuesday. Timmermans was speaking after talks with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo in Warsaw on the issue, subject to an investigation by the EU executive. "I fully agree with the Polish prime minister when she says this is only a Polish problem and that we can only find a Polish solution," Timmermans told reporters. The European Commission launched its unprecedented probe after Poland's eurosceptic government introduced changes that critics say paralyse its top constitutional court, key for upholding democratic checks and balances. (Reporting by Jakub Iglewski; Writing by Justyna Pawlak; Editing by Marcin Goclowski)
By Ed Stoddard JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed a government bid to uphold a seven-year ban on the domestic trade in rhino horn, an industry group said on Monday. The decision has no bearing on a ban on international trade in rhino horn. Potential domestic buyers could include those who see rhino horn as a store of wealth that could appreciate in value and those who want it as a decoration. Thousands of South African rhinos have been slain in recent years to meet demand for the horn in Asian countries, where buyers consider it an aphrodisiac, a cure for cancer or treatment for hangovers. "Legal finality has now been achieved," Pelham Jones, chairman of South Africa's Private Rhino Owners Association (PROA), told Reuters, saying trade could resume this year. Around 5,000 rhinos, or about a quarter of South Africa's population, are in private hands. Rhino horn can be harvested as it grows back and it can be removed from a tranquilized animal. The government has not revealed the size of its rhino horn stockpile but the PROA estimates its members have around 6 tonnes and reckons the state has close to 25 tonnes. The combined 31 tonnes could fetch $2 billion by some estimates. A spokeswoman for South Africa's department of environmental affairs said it would comment later in the day on the ruling, which was made on Friday. It was not immediately clear if the department would now appeal to the Constitutional Court, the top court in the land. Supporters of rhino horn trade say the money earned could be used for conservation and to pay for security. Opponents counter that a legal trade could tempt poachers who kill rhinos to launder their "blood" horns with clean supplies. The decision is a setback to government efforts to keep a lid on the domestic trade in rhino horn, which was imposed in 2009. It comes just months ahead of a major U.N. conference on wildlife trade that South Africa will host. The domestic trade ban was challenged by rhino owners in court last year and the moratorium was overturned. Both buyers and sellers of rhino horn in South Africa still need to apply for a permit, so that the government can keep tabs on the commodity. John Hume, the world's biggest rhino rancher who owns around 1,300 of the animals, said he was hoping to sell some of his stock of five tonnes. "We will certainly try and sell some rhino horn very shortly," he said. (Editing by James Macharia and Tom Heneghan)
By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - William Pryor, in urging the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 to uphold a Texas law banning gay sex, argued against the notion that the U.S. Constitution should safeguard a person's choice of partners. Pryor, who then was Alabama's attorney general and now serves on a federal appeals court, was one of 11 conservative jurists who presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has named as people he would consider nominating to the Supreme Court, if elected. "A constitutional right that protects 'the choice of one's partner' and 'whether and how to connect sexually' must logically extend to activities like prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia," Pryor said in a legal filing to the Supreme Court. Pryor has a record of provocative remarks, as do some others on Trump's list. But many have established solid conservative judicial records that likely would appeal to Republicans in the Senate, which has the power to confirm Supreme Court nominees, and have steered clear of inflammatory rhetoric. Trump's list, unveiled on Wednesday, included judges who have indicated support for various conservative causes, range in age from 41 to 58 and hail primarily from conservative and Republican-governed states. The eight men and three women all are white. The list's release seems to have reassured some conservatives who may have doubted Trump would name a genuine conservative to the high court, which has a vacancy following the February death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. "I've heard nothing but positive about this. People in the Senate say this is going to relieve a lot of people," said Republican Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a key Trump supporter in the Senate. The Republican-led Senate has refused to consider Democratic President Barack Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, arguing the winner of the Nov. 8 election to determine Obama's successor should get to fill the post. Scalia's replacement could tip the ideological balance of the court, now evenly divided with four conservative justices and four liberals. Don Willett of Texas is one of five state supreme court judges on the list. His job is an elected one. "Don Willett helped defend the right of Texas to display the (Bible's) Ten Commandments and fought the liberals who tried to remove the words 'under God' from our pledge" of allegiance, his campaign said in a 2012 advertisement. Before becoming a judge, Willett was part of Texas' legal team that won a Supreme Court battle to display the Ten Commandments on a monument in the state Capitol despite opponents' concerns that it amounted to government endorsement of a religion. During Pryor's stint as Alabama attorney general from 1997 to 2004, he described the 1973 Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortion nationwide as "the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law." ABORTION AND CONTRACEPTION Some of the judges on Trump's list have ruled against abortion and birth control rights. Federal appeals court judges Diane Sykes, Steven Colloton and Pryor all ruled in favor of Christian objections to the mandate under Obama's healthcare law that health insurance covers birth control for women. Federal appeals court judge Raymond Gruender wrote a 2012 ruling upholding a South Dakota law that requires doctors to inform patients that women who have abortions are more likely to commit suicide. Colloton, who sits on the same court, joined the opinion. As on abortion and contraception, the U.S. Supreme Court is closely divided on the scope of the individual right to bear arms under the Constitution's Second Amendment. In a 2013 case, Thomas Hardiman, another federal appeals court judge, dissented when the majority on his court upheld a New Jersey law regulating the possession of handguns in public. Hardiman endorsed a broad reading of Second Amendment gun rights that would protect carrying weapons outside the home for self-defense. The list also includes David Stras, a member of Minnesota's Supreme Court. In 2014, that court waded into the contentious subject of when a person who is incapacitated may be taken off life support and allowed to die. The court ruled, in the case of a 57-year-old man with irreversible brain damage, that a guardian who was given medical-consent power could authorize the removal of life-sustaining treatment when "interested parties" agreed it would be in the incapacitated persons best interest. Stras dissented, writing that because the man had already died when the case was heard, the matter was moot and the court should have stayed out of it. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by Robert Iafolla, Richard Cowan and David Ingram)
By Michele Kambas ATHENS (Reuters) - The success in Cyprus's parliamentary elections of a far-right party opposing the island's fragile peace process should spur on those aiming for a deal this year before more momentum is lost, analysts said. The right-wing ELAM party took two seats in the 56-member chamber in the Greek Cypriot parliamentary elections on Sunday, its first since it was created in 2008. The result largely mirrors voter disillusionment over the country's financial meltdown in 2013, with fringe parties picking up protest votes. But it could also endanger reunification talks between the island's estranged Greek and Turkish communities. Diplomats say the talks are one of the best chances in generations to solve the Cyprus problem. Split in two following a 1974 Turkish invasion and a brief Greek-inspired coup, Cyprus has defied a small army of peacemakers. Now, however, each side of the island is run by a moderate politician, with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci both saying they are committed to agreeing a peace deal this year. But Anastasiades's term as President of Cyprus expires in 2018, so the talks need to move forward before another year of electioneering begins, said James Ker-Lindsay, a senior research fellow at the London School of Economics who focuses on southeast Europe. "If he is really serious, this is where he should come out and say this is the task at hand and move forward," Ker-Lindsay said. "There has been a certain tailing-off in talks in recent months. But now the election is out of the way it's an opportunity to move forward" before negativity seeps in over the perceptibly slow pace of talks, he added. CLOCK TICKING Political analyst Hubert Faustmann echoed Ker-Lindsay's sense of urgency. "If they haven't made a major breakthrough by the end of the year, we are done. I don't see it happening next year," he said. Anastasiades's right-wing Democratic Rally party lost 3.7 points, or two seats, in the election, while Communist AKEL lost 7.1 points, or three seats. Both parties have a moderate stance on the Cyprus question. By contrast, Greek Cypriot parties which decry a federal solution to the problem as a sell-out made gains. Opponents to the federal idea say it runs roughshod over the principle of freedom of movement and settlement, a basic tenet of the European Union itself. This is because the deal would create two zones, a Turkish one and a Greek one, where there would be quotas on ethnic populations. At the extreme on the right is ELAM, an affiliate - and some say 'kindergarten version' - of Greece's Golden Dawn party. ELAM has been involved in isolated acts of violence against Turkish Cypriots in the past. Some members stormed a lecture delivered by former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in 2014. Some of its sympathisers are also thought to be behind attacks on Turkish Cypriot cars in November 2015 in incidents roundly condemned by Anastasiades. For most people, however, life goes on as usual, with thousands of commuters making their way daily across the designated checkpoints that divide the island. "I have a lot of confidence in social control in Cyprus," said Faustmann. "We know it only takes a few idiots to mess things up. Cyprus is no exception to the rule, but I don't see it happening." Akinci, the Turkish Cypriot leader, avoided any reference to ELAM in a statement after the election but also focused on the need to push ahead in the peace talks, saying it was "time to act responsibly". "All attention should now be directed towards the efforts for solving the Cyprus problem," he said. (Editing by Hugh Lawson)
BlackRock Alternatives has raised $4.5bn in the first close of its fourth Global Infrastructure Fund, which is more than half its targeted size.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. Vice-President of the National Assembly of Armenia Hermine Naghdalyan received the delegation members of the National Assembly of Bulgaria on May 24, press service of the Armenian National Assembly informed Armenpress.

Welcoming the guests Hermine Naghdalyan stated that Armenia always perceived Bulgaria as a traditional friendly country with which our country has close historical-cultural ties and similarities. Armenian Vice-President welcomed the visit of Bulgarian MPs to Armenia and stated that this step is the best manifestation of being with Armenian people and supporting them after the April events.

Hermine Naghdalyan spoke about the most important issues for Armenia: the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. She highly appreciated the efforts of the Bulgarian MP Valeri Simeonov and his colleagues over the adoption of declaration by the Bulgarian Parliament recognizing the mass massacres of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire and declaring April 24 a remembrance day of victims. She said the adoption of the declaration was a serious step once more to show the world that crimes against humanity do not have expiration date and the perpetrators should bear the responsibility. She emphasized that efforts should be taken throughout the world to prevent the tragedies like these.

Speaking about the problems facing by the Armenian community of Bulgaria, Hermine Naghdalyan noted that Armenians are protected in Bulgaria, they live there as full citizens of Bulgaria.

Issues related to the development of inter-parliamentary relations were discussed during the meeting. Hermine Naghdalyan said Armenia-Bulgaria parliamentary friendship group plays a key role in the development of bilateral relations.

Bulgarian MP Valeri Simeonov stated that Armenia is a friendly country of Bulgaria, and Bulgaria always welcomes the development of relations with Armenia. He said he is well aware of the Armenian history and added that the crimes committed by the Ottoman Turkey must be recognized. We stand for the truth over the issue of the Genocide recognition, he stated. Bulgarian MP highlighted that regardless of the Turkish threats, he and his colleagues have always continued their frank struggle for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He informed that he had close relations with the representatives of the Armenian community of Bulgaria.

At the end of the meeting Hermine Naghdalyan awarded Bulgarian MP Valeri Simeonov with the Medal of Honor by the National Assembly of Armenia for his pro-Armenian activity and the input in strengthening the inter-parliamentary ties.
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS. An estimated 191,134 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 21 May, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain, Armenpress reports citing IOM official website.

Deaths through 21 May this year stand at 1,370 on all Mediterranean routes, which is 24 percent lower than last years total of 1,792 through the same period.

It is notable that a total of just 13 fatalities have been reported this month in just three incidents, none occurring on the eastern Mediterranean route between Turkey and Greece, where through the first four months of 2016, nearly 400 migrants and refugees drowned.

The deaths in May 2016 include at least 10 people believed to have drowned off Sardinia on Saturday, part of a voyage IOM believes left from Algeria. Additionally two bodies were recovered this month off Egypt and one body was found off Spains North African enclave of Ceuta.

By contrast, nearly 330 migrants and refugees drowned in the Mediterranean during May 2014, and another 95 died in May last year.

Through the first five months of 2015, IOM reported 1,828 migrants or refugees missing or drowned at sea. This years total through May 22 indicates that migrant fatalities may at last be declining, in part due to stepped up vigilance on both the North African and Turkish coasts.

IOM Rome reports that 2,725 migrants attempting to reach Italy from Libya were rescued at sea over the past 24 hours. Another 850 migrants were turned back after being intercepted by the Libyan authorities. Several hundred rescued migrants and refugees are due to arrive in Italian ports on May 24.
Modified On May 24, 2016 03:50 PM By Alshaar

The countrys second largest carmaker, Hyundai is reportedly planning to ramp up its production through a new facility and is in discussions with the authorities regarding the same. It is also said to be laying a foundation for its global partner Kias entry on the subcontinent though the plant.

The rumours suggesting Kias arrival on Indian shores have been doing the rounds quite regularly over the past few years. And the Korean automaker aroused fresh speculation as it flew in an Indian delegation of auto experts to its homeland this week, told a source.

The source also added that Kia wants Indian automobile enthusiasts to drive its range of cars and suggest changes according to Indian requirements, both in terms of the customer demands and road infrastructure.

According to a Financial Express report, Hyundai remained tight-lipped when questioned about its new plant. But in order to meet the increasing demand for its cars and to also put a cap on their escalating waiting periods, its only a matter of time that the Korean carmaker lays new cornerstones.

Currently, Hyundai manufactures passenger cars at its plant duo in Chennai. While the Elite i20 premium hatch and the Grand i10 hatch have been consistently popular products over the years, its the Creta SUV that is leading the charge for Hyundai these days.

As for Kia, it will help Hyundai further expand its portfolio in India and thus take on bigger fish in Indias automotive waters. Are you looking forward to seeing Kia in India? Let us know in the comments section below.
NAFCU Senior Regulatory Affairs Counsel Michael Emancipator highlighted the associations support for a rule allowing corporate credit unions to have a correspondent relationship with the Central Liquidity Facility, in a letter to NCUA Monday.

Emancipator responded to NCUAs request for comments on the entity, which he noted is an important resource for credit unions.

NAFCU remains convinced that it is important that a viable and dependable resource such as the CLF exists to offer credit unions liquidity when necessary, Emancipator wrote. In fact, NAFCU recently expressed such support when the agency finalized its rule allowing corporate credit unions to establish a correspondent relationship with the CLF.

Under the final rule, corporate credit unions are now enabled to serve as financial correspondents to help service and administer liquidity advances for CLF members, without requiring the credit union to maintain an account at the corporate credit union, he continued. Now, credit unions have a new opportunity to take advantage of the valuable services that corporate credit unions provide.
The bad news is that there are more inconvenient truths. Climate change is present, not future. Globalization and protection of the atmosphere do not go together. Climate policy has a policy. Economic profit dominance always has priority over climate protection. The logic of the financial markets to which climate protection often falls victim must be broken. A whole bundle of measures is necessary. Climate protection must go hand-in-hand with fighting poverty.

WHO OWNS THE SKY? THE CLIMATE IN THE GLOBALIZATION TRAPBy C. Methmann, A. Haack and J. Eisgruber[This introduction to the 2007 Who Owns the Sky?, an Attac Basis Text, is translated from the German on the Internet, http://www.vsa-verlag.de .]This is not a book about climate change. In 2007, global warming entered the mainstream. The culprits of decayed grain harvests from rainy weather are quickly named: the global temperature increase. Costs will be high if we remain inactive according to the report of the former World Bank economist Nicholas Stern. In unusual harmony, environmental associations and the Bild newspaper campaign for more protection of the atmosphere. Climate skeptic number 1 wavers and Chancellor Angela Merkel travels through the world for environmental protection. Climate change is talked about everywhere since Al Gores Oscar-winning film The Inconvenient Truth. Is the danger recognized and banished? No. The bad news is that there are even more inconvenient truths.The first is: climate change is present, not future. People in many African countries lack water. In India, no one knows when an unusual monsoon will bring a flood. Millions of people are fleeing from the consequences of global warming. Is there financial help for developing countries in their adjustment? Is there asylum for climate refugees? No such luck. No one wants to see that climate change is a problem of global justice. The second is: too many black sheep jostle on the market of solutions. Coal and nuclear are protectors of the atmosphere. In the US, bio-fuels are sold as freedom fuel. The European emission trade has hardly had any appreciable effects up to now. Only the electricity price has risen filling the pockets of energy companies.The third is: globalization and protection of the atmosphere do not go together. It is modern to increase the upswing of the worldwide economy and clearly and immediately lower greenhouse gas emissions (A. Merkel). No one sees a contradiction when global shipping today emits more CO2 than all Africa and when air traffic posts enormous growth rates. The whole neoliberal architecture of globalization undermines the goals of climate protection.The fourth is: climate policy has a past. Much has been discussed, planned and ratified since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. But nothing was done: We seriously consider cutting global CO2 emissions in half by 2050, we read in the final document of the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm. The impression often arises that only political will was lacking in the past. That the causes are dee4per is hardly admitted. The power relations in globalized capitalism stand in the way of protecting the atmosphere. Economic profit dominance always has priority over climate protection.This book grapples with these and other inconvenient truths (the masculine and feminine forms alternate). Starting from very concrete examples, we show that global warming is not simply an environmental problem. Climate change and climate policy have enormous social effects. Protection of the atmosphere involves the roots of our economic system. The globalization of capitalism opposes the most powerful tendency of our society to solve the climate problem.Whoever speaks of climate change may not ignore capitalism. This is an introduction and several questions will remain open at the end. Climate change is more a social than an ecological question.PROJECTS INSEAD OF WAITING  ANOTHER CLIMATE IS POSSIBLE!Whoever has long been active as a climatologist felt like Stanislav Lems honest astronaut Ijon Tychy who fell into a bizarre time loop on his adventurous space travel. The World Climate Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) appeared and warned of the consequences of greenhouse gases in 1990. The scientific facts shook up the public and politics. Heads of state focused on climate change and resolved countermeasures, the climate scientist Stefan Rahmstorf wrote (2007). The present turmoil around global warming is nothing new. Only one thing has changed. The carbon dioxide emissions of industrial states today are 16% above those of 1990 (DIW 2006).Almost weekly there is a new report that climate change is striking earlier and more vehemently than expected. The Arctic will be free of ice in less than 35-40 years. That we humans change the climate is an irrefutable fact. The miserable balance of 15 years of climate policy is really inconvenient. It is high time to admit this inconvenient truth. Nothing less than the predominant climate ideas must be radically reconsidered. In the meantime, many hopeful initiatives exist. Many past answers are obviously not automatically false. The global CO2 emissions must be cut at least in half by 2050 at any price. Industrial countries must reduce their emissions 80%. A combination of renewable energy and energy savings is the only realistic way to that target. For that reason, we need a strong realistic international agreement.16% more greenhouse gases in 15 years shows impressively that the conventional answers were hardly adequate. Climate change is a social problem, not a technical or ecological problem. Three crucial points result that are indispensable for genuine climate protection.Firstly, climate change is a question of justice. The change of the climate concerns the whole world. Those who have nothing to do with the causes are threatened, expelled and even killed. On the other side, the global South will only be included in protection of the atmosphere when it is organized. The North must compensate for climate damage in the South and pay for the necessary adjustment in urban development, coastal protection, agriculture and so forth. Every person deserves the same right to CO2 emissions. There must be an accounting for the ecological damages of the North. Only a climate regime with these two fundamental principles of ecological justice deserves its name.Secondly, the debate around global warming is caught in the neoliberal paradigm. Guillaume Paoli (2006) summarized in a few sentences how irrational is this economic rationality. The original question whether world destruction is delayed is replaced by whether the venture counts. When war is declared on a country, those attacked do not ask can the defense be financially rewarding. Decision-makers who still make growth the supreme goal should be viewed as suicide-assassins. Since the Stern Report, climate change has been regarded as the greatest market failure of our history. The market should be judged by this.Without doubt, the ecological reconstruction of our society is a profitable business. Nothing against earning money with climate protection. However this often happens at the expense of the South and the environment. If climate change is reduced to a cost-benefit calculation, principles like ecological justice and sustainability are ignored. Trade with bio-fuels and the Clean-Development mechanism are impressive examples how climate protection can backfire with an oblique economic logic. Protection of the atmosphere must be freed from the golden cage of ecological modernization. Climate protection first of all is a question of ecological necessity and social identity, not of cost efficiency.Thirdly, we will only reduce global warming to a somewhat tolerable level if we do our utmost for another globalization. The globalization of finance market capitalism must be countered with a democratic globalization from below. Such a global democracy is inseparably connected with the demand for global social rights, democratic regulation of property, the more just distribution of wealth, the democratization of society and the expansion of the solidarity economy. Another world needs strong international institutions that fulfill these claims. It needs a nation-state policy that sets social and ecological rights above growth and profit. It needs a solidarity society that exerts pressure on politics and the economy and tests and expands initiatives for another economic system. Ecological justice and climate protection can only be realized in such a world society. A struggle to save the climate must also be a struggle against the globalization of capitalism.Some will reply: no time remains for far-reaching changes. The threatening climate chaos does not allow any delay. But what happens if these far-reaching changes do not occur? Fifteen lost years and a haphazard climate policy imply that climate protection is only possible with an essential reorganization of world society. We cannot wait for the world revolution. But we also cannot close our eyes to the roots of the misery.BUILDING BLOCKS FOR ANOTHER WORLDCredible alternatives to the status quo can only arise out of society (Altvater 2005). When we question ecological modernization and globalized capitalism, our criticism concerns principle sand alternative suggestions become vague. Radical social change does not originate on the drawing board and a comprehensive picture of a new world system cannot be simply projected on the wall. Building blocks for another policy are vital.The Kyoto Protocol needs a strong successor agreement that also includes developing countries. Such an agreement must set binding reduction goals to 2050 on the basis of a per-capita formulation. The basis must be the historical responsibility of industrial countries and the different reduction capacities of individual countries must be considered. In this way, the powerful blockers would not emerge as winners from the negotiations. The contraction and convergence model can serve as an example. The Mechanism for Environmental Development must be replaced by binding technology transfer and a fund that develops renewable energy in the South and finances adjustment measures like dikes.The development assistance of the North must be generously increased for this fund. The assistance must cover the 0.7% of the GDP earmarked for combating poverty The strange double standards of transportation policy should be ended If the emission trade should prove unjust and ineffective, it must be replaced by energy taxes.Industrial countries must change to renewable energy as quickly as possible Patent protection outside industrial countries must be dissolved so climate-friendly technologies can be available to everyone at affordable prices.Democratic reforms in the IMF and World Bank must lead to a fair weighting of votes. Local communities must have a right to join the project-based conversations. The IMF and World Bank should invest the released money in renewable energy and abolish structural adjustment programs and not invest one more cent in fossil projects.Real climate protection is closely connected with fighting poverty. This is best guaranteed through self-governing energy production systems so the little money of developing countries is not spent on energy imports. With these two approaches, the organizations will not be misused any more as instruments of industrial countries for securing raw materials.De-globalization does not require a relapse to small states with high protective tariffs against everything under the sun (Bello 2005). But all social and ecological cost advantages must have priority over alleged comparative cost advantages. In a first step, transportation services should be given their true costs so the trade streams regionalize for cost reasons. This will reduce transportation revenue. If economically weak states can re-regulate their trade and capital streams and not be forced to liberalization by the WTO, they will gain possibilities for protecting social and ecological interests. Free trade with agricultural products should be abolished because it undermines food sovereignty and furthers the expansion of industrial agriculture.The WTO meddles too intensely in national responsibilities and thereby undermines climate protection. Exemptions of GATT and GATS in the scope of a Border Tax Adjustment could favor climate-friendly products. The basic principles of most-favored nation states and domestic preference oriented purely in economic criteria must be restricted. A product always bears an ecological and social footprint and is not only a product.Climate protection often falls victim to the logic of the financial markets. A whole bundle of measures is necessary. Short-term speculation must be stopped. Hedge funds should be prohibited. Currency transactions and stock market profits should be taxed globally. Such capital transaction controls would bind invested capital in the long term. A democratization of businesses and operational joint decisions in firm takeovers is needed as a counterbalance to the rule of the financial markets. A globalization of democracy is nece3ssary as a counterbalance to the globalization of finance market capitalism. Otherwise the economic dynamic will take the water from climate protection. The demand for global social rights is part of protection of the atmosphere. Climate protection must go hand-in-hand with fighting poverty. Precarious living conditions must be consigned to the past. Every person has a right to a dignified survival worldwide, whether with or without work.Opposing the global wealth economy also means limiting the rights of property and capital. Climate protection needs common property. The example of the four big energy conglomerates in Germany shows climate-sensitive areas like energy production should be under public control  not vice versa. Therefore the energy companies should be transferred to the public hand. A socialization is necessary, not a nationalization. Sacramento, California has a large share in renewable energy.Different forms of solidarity economy exist worldwide as a concrete alternative to business as usual. In Argentina, workers occupied closed factories and successfully operated them under their own control. In Germany, a multitude of cooperative projects tested an economic style beyond competition. These initiatives must be promoted. The example of the Schonau electricity plant shows such initiatives can be very promising in energy policy. The power rebels took over their local energy production network and are successful nationwide in the production of eco-current.FOR A SOCIAL AWAKENINGThese building blocks are a beginning. Obviously they only function when individuals are ready to change their personal lifestyles. The change to an eco-current provider hardly costs more than customary current The way to another lifestyle is far greater than the right decision in the supermarket. Our economic logic determines our personal conduct. Greed is sexy as a maxim of everyday conduct is the logical consequence of a globalized capitalism that makes the rich richer and the poor increasingly poor. Where individuals become individual capital, members of society cannot be reproached for flying from Hamburg to Munich when it is cheaper than railMany examples - transfer-coffee, Brent Spar and bio-land  show individuals can accomplish something  while society as a whole is overstrained. Acting as citizens and not only as consumers is crucial.The building blocks have one thing in common. They can only become reality when we mobilize enough social power behind them. The forces that earn their way in fossil energy and the globalized world economy are too stubborn. We will only prevent climate change against these forces, not with them. A social awakening is necessary that resists the dominant interests in politics and the economy with new radicalism.In short, a climate movement must emphasize the connection between ecology and justice, globalization criticism and climate policy, a climate movement that together in North and South fights for another environment, a climate movement that offensively raises the power question with political protests, legal resistance and civil disobedience.There are many starting points for such a movement. Where politics preaches climate protection while serving economic interests, we as a society must oppose the power relations. Whoever builds new coal power plants must be called to account. When gas guzzlers like SUVs are sold as modern forms of transportation, a social headwind must arise. When politicians withdraw from affairs with informal announcements, the movement must take to the streets. While the book was written, coal power plans in Koln, Bremen and Bielefeld were abandoned because they could not be carried out socially. We can win these struggles if we adopt them. Who should prevent this nonsense if not us?
On Sunday (17 May 2016), Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines president-elect, announced that his administration, which is due to take office on June 30, would restore capital punishment and issue shoot-to-kill orders to the police and military.





In the same press conference, Duterte announced he was offering four cabinet positions to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and later echoed the Maoist CPPs strident questioning of whether the US would strongly enough back the Philippines in the event of a war with China over territorial conflicts in the South China Sea.Duterte, the mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao, was elected on May 9 after a campaign in which he promised to extend a policy of extra-judicial killings in Davao, which he presided over, to the entire country. Dutertes first week since election indicates that he is making preparations to carry out this threat and launch violent repression against the working class, while whipping up reactionary nationalism, with the assistance of the Maoists, as a diversion from the countrys social crisis.Duterte proposes to bring back the death penalty, which has been suspended since 2006, and reintroduce the barbaric practice of public hangings. Hangings were carried out by US colonial authorities in the country during the bloody Philippine-American War (18991902) and its aftermath. Those who fought against American rule were labeled criminals and were hanged.The president-elect told the press conference that anyone convicted of two crimes would have two hanging ceremonies, until the head is completely severed from the body. He declared: I like that, because I am mad. He added that he would order the military and the police to shoot-to-kill anyone they deemed to be resisting arrest, saying he would commission the training of police and military snipers for this purpose.Duterte has previously stated that one of the main targets of his murderous plans will be striking workers. He declared in February that if workers tried to organize in Export Processing Zones, I will kill you.On Sunday, Duterte said the police would impose a 10 p.m. curfew for all minors. Any parent whose child violated the curfew more than once would arrested and jailed for abandonment.International finance capital is salivating at the profit opportunities that Dutertes violent suppression of the working class will afford them. Bloomberg wrote on May 13 that investors were spell bound by this business-friendly leader. Dutertes election was re-invigorating financial markets. The business paper enthused over Dutertes commitment to greater foreign ownership of businesses.Andrew Wood, the Singapore-based head of Asia country risk at BMI Research, declared: A forceful campaign against crime and corruption could reap benefits for the Philippine economy over the long run.Duterte is preparing police-state measures in preparation for dictatorial rule and violent suppression of class struggle. The Maoist CPP and its front organizations have given enthusiastic support to this fascistic figure.On Sunday, Duterte insisted that the Philippines would not back down from its territorial claims in the South China Sea, but was open to negotiations with China in exchange for economic and trade concessions. They are there illegally, whether they want to believe it or not, he told reporters before meeting Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua.The president-elect said he would honour the countrys military alliance with Washington, which includes the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that allows for the return of US bases to the country. However, he indicated that he did not believe the US would back up the Philippines in a confrontation. Im asking point blank, America, are you with us or are you not with us? he declared. If there is war and I will attack, will you be at my back to support me?This stance reflects that of the Maoists, who have argued that EDCA does not go far enough in securing US military protection of the Philippines in the event of an all-out war against China.The CPP and its armed wing, the New Peoples Army (NPA), and its legal front organizations, including Bayan and Bayan Muna, have played a key role in supporting Duterte in Davao over several decades. They have served in his administration, run on his ticket and overseen his campaign.In January 2015, Duterte announced that if he became president, he would privatize the Social Welfare bureau and would make Jose Ma. Sison, head of the CPP, the secretary of the bureau. Since his election, Duterte has met with Sison via Skype on a daily basis, according to press reports. Sison has issued repeated statements of support for Duterte, telling CNN, for example, that I am very proud of him. He promises to be the first left president of the Philippines. I will be satisfied if he can remain patriotic and progressive.Neither Sison nor any of the CPPs front organizations have said a word about the danger posed by the Dutertes fascistic political preparations. On May 13, Bayan offered tepid criticisms of Dutertes economic proposals, claiming they were a continuation of the neo-liberal policies of the [outgoing] Aquino regime.Dutertes press secretary immediately struck back at Bayan, saying they would have to mend their ways. They could not demonstrate and protest on every issue, he stated. Sison issued a press statement trying to separate the CPP from Bayans statement. He wrote: The National Democratic Front of the Philippines [a wing of the CPP] is already committed to dialogue with the Duterte government. Bayan, he claimed, has its own political and organizational integrity and independence.Suitably chastened, the CPP front organizations took an even more conciliatory stance. Teddy Casino, a leading representative of Bayan Muna, appealed to Duterte: Please take the early criticism as it isan effort to engage in earnest, open dialogue with someone who we respect, admire and yes, consider as a friend.Duterte is offering the CPP the cabinet positions of Agrarian Reform, Environment and Natural Resources, Social Welfare and Development and Labor and Employment. These departments are responsible for policing the working class and the peasantry. Duterte is clearly expecting the CPP to restrain and suppress the Filipino masses.Sison responded to Duterte, stating that the CPP welcomes the magnanimous offers of President-elect Duterte of Cabinet positions. Sison and Duterte are expected to soon begin peace talks to end the 47-year-long armed conflict waged by the NPA.The CPP was founded in 1968 on the Stalinist program of the two-stage revolution. It subordinated the working class to a section of the bourgeoisie in the name of nationalism, telling workers that the tasks of the revolution were not socialist, but nationalist in their character.The CPP has provided support for a section of the bourgeoisie throughout its history. In 1965, Sison led what would become the youth wing of the party, the Kabataang Makabayan (KM). But the CPPs enthusiastic endorsement of Duterte represents a marked shift further to the right. It is entering an alliance with a fascistic political figure who promises to murder workers if they attempt to resist.Related articles:_______________________________________________Duterte OKs Filipino dictator's burial at heroes' cemeteryMANILA, Philippines (AP)  The presumptive Philippine president-elect said Monday he will allow the immediate burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos at a heroes' cemetery and will support the release of ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from detention on corruption charges, in moves likely to spark anti-government protests.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3604977/Duterte-OKs-Filipino-dictators-burial-heroes-cemetery.html#ixzz49ZRrQSQw _______________________________________________Duterte backs burying dictator Marcos at heroes cemetery, freeing ArroyoPhilippines president-elect Rodrigo Duterte says he will allow the body of dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried at a heroes' cemetery.Mr Duterte also said he would pardon ex-president Gloria Arroyo, who is being detained at a military hospital while on trial for graft and vote fraud.
The most important thing, my friend said on our way home, is to destroy the state. The Syrian revolution went very far and a big reason for this is that we were able to completely destroy the state in many areas. Even if we can't prevent the counter revolution, destroying the state makes whatever comes after much weaker.



Text analyzing anarchist solidarity with Rojava and with the Syrian Revolution.



(Sorry for the double post - files didn't attach the first time)

This text is available as a zine for easy printing and distro: readable pdf and imposed booklet.The most important thing, my friend said on our way home, is to destroy the state. The Syrian revolution went very far and a big reason for this is that we were able to completely destroy the state in many areas. Even if we can't prevent the counter revolution, destroying the state makes whatever comes after much weaker.My friend was an active participant in the first few years of the Syrian revolution, and we had just spent the evening at Leila al-Shami and Robin Yassin-Kassab's speaking tour for their book Burning Country: Stories of Syrians in Revolution and War. These two authors, based in the UK, spoke passionately about the various revolutionary projects that unfolded in Syria between 2011 and 2013 and that continue struggling to survive today, under the bombs and indifference of the world. A few days earlier, we'd also attended a talk by Paul Z Simons describing his experiences travelling to Rojava, the majority-Kurdish areas in what used to be northern Syria. Paul compared his motivations for travelling to Rojava to those of anarchists around the world who travelled to Spain in the 30s  describing Rojava1 as the most significant anarchist revolution since that time, he has been travelling North America trying to inspire direct support among western radicals.These two tours both offered anarchist perspectives on Syria and yet their narratives were surprisingly different  on our walk to the bus station, we dug into those differences and tried to understand them. In spite of their scale and commitment, the anarchic practices carried out by the Syrian revolution (not in Rojava) have been largely ignored by anarchists in the west, while Rojava has been widely, and often uncritically, celebrated. In light of rapidly changing events on the ground, as grassroots groups risk being decisively overshadowed by the maneuvers of states, it's important to look more carefully at Rojava and the Syrian revolution to see where our solidarity should lie. This will help us support revolutionaries there in the years to come and also make sure that, in the present, anarchist support isn't fuelling forces that divide and undermine revolutionary energy.My friend's comments about destroying the state remind me of the well-known quote by Syrian anarchist Omar Aziz that we heard again at the event: We are no less than Paris Commune workers: they resisted for 70 days and we are still going on for a year and a half. While the Paris Commune was able to destroy the state in a major city, it quickly became isolated and the state was able to march back and defeat the revolutionaries militarily. By the time of Omar's death in prison in 2013, the Syrian state had been destroyed in dozens of cities and towns -- it was continuing to contract and was obviously not going to be able to retake major centres of the rebellion any time soon.At the Burning Country event, Leila briefly told the story of the last years of Omar's life, focusing on his work elaborating a revolutionary practice of local councils and committees that began in Barzeh, Damascus, and spread throughout the country. Hundreds of these councils are still active today, following many of the anarchist principles developed by Omar in spite of the ever more difficult conditions. Alternatives to state structures, these autonomous forms of self governance transitioned from organizing protests to organizing collective self-defense to distributing food, providing electricity, and dealing with conflict. A comrad of Omar's who was present in the audience reminded us that Omar had been living abroad and returned to Syria to support the revolution and questioned why more people who escaped Assadist tyranny haven't also supported the revolution. She also spoke about her friend Razan Zeitouneh, a human rights lawyer and prisoner support activist who dedicated herself to forming and federating local committees that could co-ordinate protests and mutual aid, who was arrested and likely killed in the Damascus area by rebel group Jaish al-Islam.One reason for the lack of international support for the Syrian revolution might be that it has largely been made invisible. The stories of Razan and Omar underline an important reason for this invisibility  many of the anarchists and most passionate activists were killed (usually by the regime )early on or were forced to flee the country. Rojava, on the other hand, had a different experience of the regime's violence, which contributed to increased visibility.In his talk, Paul shared many personal stories of his travels through the liberated territories of Rojava, mostly in the Kobane area. These stories are compelling and inspiring, they demonstrate a clear commitment to building international understanding between anti-authoritarian rebels and deepening practices of solidarity. However, when it came to the broader context of struggle in the Syrian territory, he seemed not to understand that there could possibly be revolutionaries outside of Rojava. I don't raise this to criticise him personally  I think his work in building international solidarity with Rojava is very valuable. However, he is far from alone in this attitude and I want to understand how someone so evidently committed to engaging with revolutionary currents in Syria could ignore the struggles being waged in the rest of the country.When several people in the audience questionned the recent attacks by the SDF2 against territory controlled by other rebel groups north of Aleppo, Paul largely repeated the propaganda of the SDF, the Assad regime, and the Russian military (all of whom collaborated in these attacks): everyone there is al-Qaeda or ISIS, there is no one worth listening to. Paul insisted that these attacks were necessary to link the Efrin Canton to Kobane Canton (two provinces of Rojava) and assumed that only Assad supporters would have a problem with this.Those following the (admittedly complex and confusing) politics of the Syrian civil war mostly agree that the space between the two Rojavan cantons is controlled in one area by ISIS and in another by a coalition of rebel groups, prominently including many branches of the Free Syrian Army that still support the liberatory goals of the revolution. They have held on here even while being defeated by counter-revolutionary attacks (by ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and the Assad regime) elsewhere in the country because of the proximity to the Turkish border and their control of important crossing points. Although the SDF and the YPG3 claim they are only fighting al-Qaeda there, this is a transparent lie.4Robin and Leila, while voicing a lot of support for Rojava and describing its democratic confederalism as a model for the rest of the Syrian terrirory, consider the goal of militarily linking the cantons to be disastrous. They said that the PYD's recent declaration of 'federalism' for Rojava seems like laying the groundwork for a state, which would of course need contiguous territory, and that it runs counter to democratic confederalism. A model of councils would spread by encouraging and supporting the formation of councils other regions, not by conquering those regions. This is especially true north of Aleppo around Azaz, where local revolutionary councils have been active for years. Leila and Robin described the PYD's recent declaration of 'federalism' in northern Syria to be essentially a coup against the grassroots revolutionaries in Rojava, who were never consulted.They worry that the PYD has given up on democratic confederalism, because the recent Russian bombing so dramatically changed the balance of power against revolutionaries. Paul, however, claimed that the PYD, the single political party active on the level of the cantons (local affairs are run by the councils), is dissapearing. Perhaps this would be the famous withering away of the state and party following a successful revolution? But the claim still seems bizarre  to my friend and I, as well as to those we talked with at the Burning Country event, the PYD seems to have never been stronger and more present. It's true that it continues to support local councils and continues to pass responsabilities to popular committees, but with its sole control of militias, ability to negotiate with other states, and, as we'll see, control over police, it still plays a dominent role in shaping the future of the Rojava project.However, Paul did also tell stories that showed the tension that exists between the PYD-led initiatives and the bottom-up commune-level initiatives. He contrasted the Assayish, a police force responsible to the PYD at the level of the canton, to the HPC, a grassroots armed group tied to specific neighbourhoods and towns that aims to secure areas behind the front. Paul sees the HPC as essential to the Rojavan strategy of preventing counter-revolution, which is very interesting considering how rarely anarchists talk seriously about what it would take to prevent counter-revolutions inside liberated territory. The more the HPC can take power away from the Assayish, the more the councils win out over the party. This was a big example Paul pointed to for the reduced importance of the PYD in daily life in Rojava  supporting the HPC and pushing the PYD to follow through with dissolving its police force is an important role international supporters can play to support the Rojava revolution long-term.The tension between the PYD and the grassroots reveals however a broader difference between Rojava and the Syrian revolution. My friend says he nearly laughed out loud when Paul claimed that Rojava didn't take over the airport or post office in Qamishli because those are statist institutions and revoltionaries there didn't want to take on the trappings of states. My friend explains that it was never a question of the YPG capturing those regime positions or not, because none of the territory in the north-east was captured from the regime  it was a negotiated withdrawal by Assad's forces to allow the regime to fight more effectively in other parts of the country. Yes, there have been occasional clashes between Rojavan armed groups, especially the YPG and Assayish, and the regime (the post office in question was in fact recently captured following some skirmishes), but the huge majority of their territory was not taken by force.Revolution could perhaps be defined as attempts to attack the state, to act on the national level, either to destroy the state or capture it. If we accept this definition, there are many inspiring movements in the world that frame their struggles as something other than revolutionary. Indigenous sovreignty movements in North and South America generally are not seeking to overthrow colonial governments, but are rather seeking autonomy and justice on their traditional territories and to develop a new balance of power with those states. Notably, this includes the Zapatistas. Rojava would fit into this tendency of territorially-oriented struggle that is not trying to produce a new state (and so isn't a traditional national liberation movement) or to capture the old (as the groups referred to as Houthis have in Yemen, for a recent example of a revolt based in a specific community aimed at the level of the state).My friend continues though and points out that Assad's withdrawal means that Rojava didn't destroy the state in its territory. There are regime checkpoints, border crossings, offices, military bases and even intelligence agencies still based in Rojava with some level of consent from the PYD. Yes, there are workers in many parts rebel-occupied Syria who are still receiving their salaries from the regime, even if their offices have been destroyed and they haven't worked in years5. The destruction of the state in revolutionary areas of Aleppo, Latakia, Homs, Damascus (Ghouta), Idlib, and Dara'a has been nearly total  even when fascistic armed groups are in control, they depend on the popular assemblies and councils (of generally democratic politics6) who have stepped in to meet people's needs that had been provided by the state. Although the fight against the Syrian state has been horrific, it forced the revolution to go very far  in Rojava though, the Syrian state has continued to operate in a larval state, ready to regrow at any time, and the PYD stepped in to provide other state-like services, using a similar infrastructure7.This recalls the experience of the Arab Spring revolution in Egypt. When the protestors began seriously dismantling the state, burning nearly every police station and ruling party office in the country, the military intervened to protect the protests, push out the government, and organize a transition. The military acted to preserve the state and, after a brief interlude with the Muslim Brotherhood (who literally assumed the levers of state power after participating in the revolution), is more or less openly in control of all its institutions that continue to act much as they did under the previous dictatorship.Following the withdrawal of Assad's forces, the PYD even assumed the role of restricting protest, targetting other Kurdish political formations (the probable assassination of Mashall Tammo is a prominent example) and attacking demonstrations in support of the Syrian revolution: this pattern started in 2012 and the YPG fired on demonstrators flying the revolutionary flag as recently as April 2016. Echoing the official PYD line, Paul claimed that these were responses to armed provocateurs from the FSA, affiliated with Salafist groups. This is again eerily similar to Assad's narrative for firing on similar demonstrations in areas he controls  they are all terrorists, armed gangs trying to destabilize our brave socialist nation...(Again, Paul's tour and his Rojava dispatches are very useful and important, especially when he stays close to his own experience and described the practices and discussions he saw and participated in. However, repeating this kind of propaganda contributes to driving a wedge between revolutionaries and to strengthening authoritarian elements in the conflict  please hear this as comradely criticism in line with our shared desire to develop better practices of anarchist solidarity.)We recall the words of an audience member at Leila and Robin's talk who said that the story of the Syrian revolution is always told from the middle  the dominant narrative starts from around 2013, the civil war and the rise of Salafist groups like ISIS and al-Nusra, and completely ignores the two years of revolutionary struggle by Syrians against the regime before that. This partially explains why many western radicals have been far more likely to support Rojava than the Syrian revolution. Rojava was able to spend those two years building a clear, coherent political project without any serious threats. Rojava's crucial military struggle was against ISIS in 2014, with significant international support. This after ISIS had already crushed all the non-Rojava rebel groups in eastern Syria, capturing areas with strong revolutionary presences like Deir el-Zor and Raqqa and leading to the rapid collapse of the FSA throughout the country.Rojava was also building from an established ideology, similar to the PKK's, and had access to militias, the YPG and YPJ, that had existed (mostly in Turkey) for ten years before. During those same two years, revolutionaries elsewhere in Syria were literally fighting for survival, beseiged, outgunned, and largely abandonned by the world. Areas under rebel control were never able to meaningfully unify (rather, the tendency has been towards divisions over time) or to articulate a clear ideology or political project. Most of the international left either listened to the ideology of Assad or to the ideology of Rojava but were unable to see or understand the practices of the Syrian revolution.It's unfortunate that ideology has been so much more important than practice in determining who has received international support in Syria. This focus on ideology has meant that chillingly few anarchists or anti-authoritarians have objected as PYD and SDF spokespeople claim that there are no Syrian revolutionaries, that the protests they attack in Rojava are just provocations by Islamists or that there is nothing but al-Qaeda and ISIS in the Azaz corridor. By repeating this kind of divisive propaganda, supporters contribute to rifts between revolutionaries, reduce international support overall, and do nothing to actually help people on the ground. All it does is serve the short-term interests of the militias and political parties in Rojava, and it is increasingly unsure whether these groups will still be friendly to revolutionaries in years to come. It's no different than repeating the kinds of lazy anti-kurdish insults thrown around at demonstrations in Idlib or Aleppo  they're all PKK terrorists, they are anti-arab, and so on.Why should anarchists make their support contingent on seeing explicitly anarchist ideology? Even looking briefly at the history of the Syrian revolution, it's clear there is no shortage of anarchic practice present everywhere in the country. Another friend who attended the event said that her desire as an anarchist is to make the identity of anarchist irrelevant  that we talk about anarchy now to name a thing that doesn't exist, but that in situations where those ideas take on a life of their own and far exceed our milieus, there's no purpose in clinging to that label. Throughout Syria, as the state retracted or was driven back, people autonomously organized themselves for defense, distribution and production of food, providing electricity and water, dealing with conflict, and creating ideas for how to live after the war, with the tendency being towards decentralization and autonomy. This in a state that was for over fifty years controlled by a dictatorship that prevented all forms of political association or speech. The absence of well-formed ideology makes these practices invisible to us.As well, ideology can prevent us from seeing what is actually happening, as with the inconsistent positions of the PYD, SDF, and YPG around statehood and federalism and their break of solidarity with the Syrian revolution. This problem is far larger than Syria, with anarchists waiting for something explicitly anarchist to emerge before supporting it. I'm sure we can all think of other movements anarchists have hesitated or refused to engage in, in spite of their anarchic characteristics, because they didn't seem anarchist enough...During his talk at the Burning Country event, Robin described the dense ideology people bring to the Syrian conflict as a lack of desire to know or to challenge misconceptions. It's the belief that we already know, that there is no need to ask Syrians. He insisted that the real conflict in Syria is not imperialist/anti-imperialist, Sunni/Shia, or Arab/Kurd, but rather decentralization versus authoritarianism8. This struggle between centralized and popular control is playing out in every city and town in the country: in Rojava, in regime held areas, and in areas controlled by rebel militias.He also made a distinction between culture and politics that parallels the disctinction between the people and statist formations: When the grassroots do politics, it's culture, meaning a set of practices and ways of living that make centralized authority unnecessary. Revolutionary politics can thus be distinguished from revolutionary culture. The central cultural practice of the Syrian revolution, he explained, is to question everything: the regime, the elite opposition in exile, the free army, islamist militias, the PYD, gender roles, tribal structures, democracy, everything. Unfortunately, this practice of critical questioning has not been taken up by anarchists and anti-authoritarians around the world when they set out to engage with the conflicts in Syria.At the event, Leila and Robin echoed the argument made in Burning Country for critical solidarity, with Rojava and with all groups involved. They urged us to not confuse the actions of armed groups or political bodies with the struggles of grassroots revolutionaries, be they in Rojava, Damascus, Homs, or wherever. They said that a crucial role for international supporters right now is to participate in conversations across sectarian lines9, to resist the polarization playing out on the ground that is pushing Syria towards terrible solutions like partition. Robin said, the solution to this is not more states, it's weaker states with more local autonomy. Critical solidarity is why Leila and Robin can strongly support democratic confederalism, offer solidarity to grassroots revolutionary in Rojava and throughout the Syrian territory, while still opposing the Azaz offensive by the SDF.The preoccupation of anarchists with ideology and their uncritical support of Rojava has its parallel in the broader left's support for the Assad regime. The emphasis on dialogue includes confronting regime supporters, talking with them and pointing out the weakness in their narratives10. One reason why so many leftists have supported the Assad regime is an excessive focus on international politics, on the maneuvers of states, on ideology. Like the uprising in Ukraine and the NATO intervention in Libya, the Syrian revolution has refreshed the binary, anti-imperialist worldview, where the United States and its allies are trying to control the world, opposed by heroic anti-imperialist socialist states. There's a lot to be said about why this position is horrible: after 10 years of neo-liberal reforms, it wasn't a socialist country; the tens of thousands of political dissidents dead under torture; the shabby oedipal logic that the role of the dissident is to oppose the actions of their own country no matter what; the racist belief that Arabs and other Middle Eastern peoples are ignorant children, unable to see their own conditions and to take action without some foreign power lurking behind the scenes... One could go on.Leila and Robin's project with Burning Country is to tell the story of the Syrian revolution from the beginning, on the level of actual people. One way to support the Syrian revolution is to fight against memory loss and silence: to learn and tell the story of a revolution that has gone further than any in recent history, that is rich in new theories and practices useful to people in revolt around the world. We can intervene within our circles and within anarchist spaces as well as within the wider left to encourage critical solidarity with revolutionaries throughout the Syrian territory. We can prepare ourselves to offer practical, material support to the struggle against authority in Syria in the years to come.Some resources:-- Documentary film made by Spanish anarchists, Ecos del Desgarro / Echos of Rupture, tells the story of the Syrian revolution from the beginning. https://tahriricn.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/syria-film-ecos-del-desgarro/ -- Leila's blog: https://leilashami.wordpress.com/ -- Robin's blog: https://qunfuz.com/ -- Paul's Rojava dispatches start here: http://modernslavery.calpress.org/?p=875 -- More essays about solidarity with the Syrian revolution at The Hamilton Institute: https://thehamiltoninstitute.noblogs.org/post/category/around-the-world/ --Local Co-ordinating Committees in Syria Facebook page (mostly in Arabic, some translations): https://www.facebook.com/LCCSy?_fb_noscript=1 -- Yalla Souria, Live updates on the struggle from a revolutionary perspective: https://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/ -- A new blog started in December focussing on the 'democratic' revolution in Syria. Some posts support militarism and western intervention, but it's also got some great content: https://isqatannizam.wordpress.com/ -- The sub-reddit Syrian Civil War provides detailed analysis of the military dimension of the conflict. It takes a bit of work to get caught up enough on the details to follow, but once you're there, it's a good resource, though it's very militaristic which is generally the opposite of revolutionary: http://reddit.com/r/syriancivilwar ; this user posts daily summaries of events from a generally pro-rebel perspective: https://www.reddit.com/user/HeresWatReallyHappnd -- Posts by Budhour Hassan, an anarchist based in Jerusalem, on the Syrian Revolution: https://budourhassan.wordpress.com/tag/syrian-revolution/ -- Michael Karadjis writes some very thorough essays debunking propaganda about the Syrian Revolution: https://mkaradjis.wordpress.com/ -- Syria Solidarity Collective Toronto: https://www.facebook.com/SSCToronto 1For this text, I'm using phrases like Rojava and Rojava project rather than referring to Kurds or Kurdish struggle because of what I see as genuine attempts throughout Rojava to go beyond ethnic lines. That these attempts are sometimes undercut by belligerent actions by particular armed groups doesn't undermine the broadly inclusive work.2The SDF, or Syrian Democratic Forces, is a coalitional military project attached to Rojava. The largest group by far is the YPG, the People's Defense Forces, which formed as the armed wing of the PYD, the largest (read, only) political party in Rojava). The SDF's mandate is to incorporate armed groups not part of the YPG and often not Kurdish into the military struggle for Rojava, part of the goal of making Rojava more than just a Kurdish project.3 The armed branch of the PYD party that is guiding the Rojava project4Rather than get into a lot of detail here, I'll refer those interested in proof of this claim to Michael Karadjis' thorough article: The Kurdish PYDs alliance with Russia against Free Aleppo: Evidence and analysis of a disaster5This may seem odd but it's a strategy of the regime's to avoid economic collapse, probably a larger threat than military defeat, and to maintain some level of authority  to avoid the destruction of the state, in short. Most oddly, this has included oil refinery workers in ISIS territory who then sell oil to the regime.6Democratic is a vague term claimed by almost every party in the conflict that isn't fighting for a salafist islamic state. There are over a hundred and fifty revolutionary councils operating throughout Syria. Most vote in temporary members who then either vote on issues or operate on consensus, though some are more similar to tribal structures and some have been taken over by authoritarian armed groups. Most all have some practice of assemblies, usually informal.7Though as mentionned above, there have been steady steps over especially the last year to hand responsabilities to local councils.8Leila and Robin emphasized that there are many revolutionaries who are devoutly Muslim and could be described as Islamist, in that they want Islam to guide political life, but who do not seek to impose it on anyone else  they evoked demonstrations against Ahrar ash-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra when they have tried to impose religious garb or Islamic laws on people who do not accept them. The writings of Samer Yazbek, a revolutionary and an Alawi woman who does not wear religious garb as she travels through revolutionary areas, are very insightful on this. There is also a thread on Anarchist News compiling protests against the regime and against Jabhat al-Nusra in the Idlib area: http://anarchistnews.org/content/demonstrations-against-state-and-against-fascists-idlib-province-syria 9They were primarily talking about the Syrian diaspora community here, though the general idea probably holds for anyone trying to understand and engage with this conflict.10 Robin entertainingly singled out Democracy Now as a pro-fascist outlet doing the opposite of of encouraging critical dialogue through their repeated interviews with racist fool and pro-Assad conspiracy theorist Seymour Hirsch
Memorial Day Celebrations ~ Block 27 Stockton Rural Cemetery by Khubaka, Michael Harris

A total of 28 formerly enslaved African men went to the site and re-buried the men properly, largely as a thank you for helping fight for their freedom. They built a protective fence around the cemetery, and on the outside, put the words, Martyrs of the Race Course. In Block 27 ~ Stockton Rural Cemetery 2016 Memorial Day we continue the journey to honor the early California pioneers of African ancestry.

Beginning May 1, 1865, after the US Civil War, people of African ancestry began the task to bestow honor, dignity and respect for fallen Union Soldiers that today is called Memorial Day throughout the United States of America.



Many believe this act began a renaissance of the restoration of an African concept of an afterlife. The ancient notion of a monotheistic belief system with a reunion with the creator of all things seen and unseen, connecting the supreme being of the universe in a ritual connection through revered ancestors, connecting life and death is the original reason for Memorial Day.



May 1, 1865, provides the earliest known documentation of previously enslaved Africans in the low country of South Carolina, reconnecting ancient African burial traditions.



Professor David Blight of Yale University and many other scholars have researched the events beginning on May 1, 1865 when a group of former enslaved Africans in Charleston, South Carolina began the task of giving a proper burial to 257 Union soldiers whod been put into a mass grave, many were US Colored Troops who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the US Civil War.



The ancient connection to proper burial with honors by people of African ancestry in Charleston, SC was consecrated by the new cemetery with an amazing parade of over 10,000 people.



The event was initially called Decoration Day and was led by 3,000 school children, followed by hundreds of women and men with baskets of flowers and crosses and followed by uniformed Union soldiers, including US Colored Troops. .



During the US Civil War, many US Soldiers lived in horrible conditions, and 257 US Colored Troops died from exposure and disease. This was the reason for the creation of the mass grave site by the Confederate Army. A total of 28 formerly enslaved African men went to the site and re-buried the men properly, largely as a thank you for helping fight for their freedom. They built a protective fence around the cemetery, and on the outside, put the words, Martyrs of the Race Course.



Today, the movie "Roots Reimagined" will bring attention to an ongoing journey to honor enslaved Africans who made profound contributions to the original Memorial Day ~ Martyrs of the Race Course.



Memorial Day 2016 we honor the founders and members of the African Baptist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church who keep us connected, within Block 27 ~ Stockton Rural Cemetery, to the distant past, while preparing our children for amazing future opportunities.


Bob in Coachella, California

BOB FITCH - BIOGRAPHY

Part 1: Organizer Activities -- Doing Non Violencein My Back Yard

Bob Fitchs 60+ years or peace and justice work started during the 1950s & 50s, when, as a teenager in Berkeley, CA, he was influened by the activities and conscience of Socialist and CP organizer families. Youthful apprenticeships included working with KPFA-FM, San Franciso's Glide Foundation, the southern Black Civil Right Movement (Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC) and the United Farmworker Union (AFL-CIO).

Less known experiences are active labor movement membership (United Food and Commercial Workers, Operating Engineers 3E, & SEIU 1000), community activities and a lifetime of draft resistance and GI Rights organizing.

In 1982 Bob started two decades of work with the CA Dept. of Housing developing affordable housing in rural communities. Bob eventually created and managed the award winning state-wide multi-million dollar Emergency Housing Shelter Program (ESP, now EHAP).

Bob organized the Viet Nam era west coast Sanctuary church movement ("parent" for the Latin American Sanctuary movement) and was a founder (with April Burns, Carl Stancil, and Joe Williams) of the model CA Central Coast GI Rights counselling team which is currently associated with the Santa Cruz Resource Center for Nonviolence. He was also Co-Chair of the successful Santa Cruz County Living Wage campaign.

Bob moved to Watsonville, CA in 2008 where he manages his photo archives and remains active in community empowerment programs.

Bob's recommended reading: THE PEOPLES' HISTORY OF THE U.S., Howard Zinn; THE LONG HAUL, Myles Horton; WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE, Martin Luther King Jr.; RULES FOR RADICALS, Saul Alinsky; TO THE MOUNTAINTOP, Stewart Burns; LABORS UNTOLD STORY, Richard Goyer & Herbert Morais; AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOM X, Alex Haley; WRETCHED OF THE EARTH, Franz Fanon; THE UNKNOWN STORY  MAO, Jung Chang & Jon Halliday; AFORCE MORE POWERFUL, Peter Ackerman & Jack Duvall; READY FROM WITHIN, (Septima Clark bio), Cynthia Brown.

Part 2: Photojournalism Activities

While working as a community organizer Bob Fitch began his photography and writing career in the mid-1960s as a photographer for San Franciscos fledgling Glide Foundation Press.

Initially trained to be an engineer and a Protestant minister, Fitch reports, Photojournalism seduced me. It is a compelling combination of visual aesthetics, potent communication and story telling. In order to tell the story effectively one has to be there - close! It was my way to support the organizing for social justice that was transforming history, our lives and future.

Shortly after working for Glide, in 1965 he became the staff photographer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), of which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was president. Traveling throughout Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia Bob documented day-to-day Civil Rights Movement events -- local community organizing, violence against Afro American citizens, numerous demonstrations, voter registration and Afro American political campaigns.

His stories and images were shipped to national Afro American publishing outlets that could neither afford nor risk sending reporters to the south. Those communities, workers and their families, says Fitch, are still my heroes. Many of his best images document the courageous contribution made to the Civil Rights movement by the men, women, and children who organized the cause for freedom in their local communities.

Bob is also recognized for his extensive documentation of numerous peace and social justice activities in the 1960 and 70s including Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker houses of hospitality, the first congressional campaign of Congressman Ron Dellums (who coined the nick-name "Bullet Bob, each shot a bullet of truth into the heart of evil.") the war resistance activities of Fathers Dan and Phillip Berrigan and the Draft Resistance work of David and Joan Baez-Harris.

For seven years Bob documented the organizing efforts of Cesar Chavez and United Farm Workers Union. The Chavez stamp issued by the U.S. Post office in 2002 is a rendering of one of Bobs photos. The stamp is an honor, but also a disappointment, says Fitch. The stamp rendering replaces the original background, a vivid red and black United Farmworker Union huelga flag, with an agricultural field. The Bush Republican administration was not ready to put a union label on a stamp.

Bobs photographs have been featured in two Smithsonian traveling exhibits. They are reproduced globally in print, film and electronic media. [To obtain prints and permission for reproduction & publication contact Bob].

Throughout the 80s and 90s Bob immersed himself in variety of human services programs. He was photographing less, but continued to actively use any media necessary to support organizing efforts.

During these decades his pursuits have expanded to music. He is an accomplished folk musician, songwriter and rally song leader. He has organized numerous family song circles. For a decade he sang with the Sacramento Labor Chorus contributing baritone vigor and clever rally song lyrics to innumerable Sacramento capitol steps rallies.

Retiring state service in 1997, Bob traversed the West Coast for three years finally settling in Santa Cruz, CA where he worked a decade for the Resource Center for Nonviolence (RCNV), a 30-year-old community-based non-profit that supports various local and national peace and social justice programs.

Bob also reinvigorated his interest in photojournalism by documenting local peace & justice actions and special projects in Vietnam (Friendship Village), Brazil (alcohol fuel), Sri Lanka (International Peaceforce) the 2006 241 mile Guerrero Azteca Tijuana-to-San Francisco march with Fernando Suarez del Solar, Camillo Mejia and Pablo Paredez, and the successful State Assembly campaign of Watsonville, CA "home boy" mayor Luis Alejo.

Travels journeys include every county in CA, most of the U.S.. Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Bahamas, England, New Zealand, China, Palestine, Israel, Vietnam, Brazil and Sri Lanka.

Bob lives in Watsonville,California where he is involved in local political justice empowerment campaigns and continues to photograph for nonviolent organized labor, peace & justice campaigns.

In October 2013 Bob's images were acquired by Stanford University to establish the Bob Fitch Photographic Archive at the Stanford University Libraries. In approximately one year Stanford will web-post 5,000 of his most historical and iconic images for free download and reproduction for non-commercial, personal and social justice movement use.

Books with Fitch photos: MY EYES HAVE SEEN, Bob Fitch, 1972; HIPPIE IS NECESSARY, Bob Fitch, 1969; RIGHT ON DELLUMS - MY DAD GOES TO CONGRESS, Bob & Lynne Fitch; GRANDFATHER'S LAND - WE ARE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE, Bob & Lynne Fitch, 1971; MARK WILL WARD - A BLACK FAMILY IN THE CITY, Bob & Lynne Fitch,1972; SOY CHICANO, Bob & Lynne Fitch, 1971, COMING OUT, David & Joan Baez Harris, photos by Bob Fitch. Magazines: Life, Time, Newsweek, National Georaphic, Ramparts, Stern, Motive, Win, National Catholic Reporter, Jet, Ebony.
Update 8.10pm:

Gardai in Mountjoy investigating the murder of Gareth Hutch have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with the shooting.

He is being detained under the provisions of section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 as amended at Mountjoy Garda station.

Gardai reacting fast to Gareth Hutch's murder this morning..heavy raids on Sean Mac Dermott st.at present pic.twitter.com/mEM9zHh083  Padraig O'Reilly Photographer (@padraig_reilly) May 24, 2016

6pm

Gardai are looking for two men involved in this mornings shooting of Gareth Hutch close to OConnell Street in Dublin.

It is believed the dad of one has become the seventh man to be murdered as part of the Hutch/Kinahan feud.

He was getting into his car at around 10am on North Cumberland Street when two gunmen approached him and opened fire.

The men then got into a black BMW before abandoning it and ran down Sean McDermott Street.

Superintendent Daniel Flavin is hoping someone saw these men: One is described as wearing a red top and the other is a grey coloured top.

They ran in the direction of Sean McDermott St and again we are appealing for any witnesses, who saw two men running, in that area this morning shortly after 10am if they please contact us.

Update: 4.30pm

The Taoiseach says he does not think he can stop the vicious and murderous dispute that has led to another gangland killing in Dublin.

Enda Kenny's condemned the murder and has said the people involved - believed to be linked to the Kinahan-Hutch feud - show no respect for life or limb.

He's told the Dail that he has been assured by the Garda Commissioner that she has the resources necessary to tackle this issue.

Mr Kenny also plans to visit Dublin's north inner city and says the response by Gardai to gangland has been extensive: Its not normal to have a 1,000 intensive armed checkpoints since February in any location.

And that what has been done. 1,000 of them.

This is a dispute between two families and it is a vicious murderous dispute and I dont think that I can stop that.

From the Government point of view we can provide the resources that the commissioner of the Gardai needs to have her forces deal with this.

Update 3.30pm

The Tanaiste and Justice Minister has said this 'unprecedented cycle of evil, cold-blooded violence must stop'.

Frances Fitzgerald says the Government and Gardai stand with the community in the North Inner City.

She has said all necessary resources to provide high visibility policing - including extensive armed checkpoints across the city - will be in place to reassure communities.

Sinn Fein's deputy leader and Dublin Central TD, Mary Lou McDonald, has also condemned this morning's shooting in the North Inner City: All of it has been beyond the Pale from the word go.

In any community for this to happen is unacceptable.

I just want to say very very clearly incase there is anyone out there who has a different view or a different perception this isnt acceptable in the North inner city of Dublin.

This isnt acceptable in any flats on any street corner I think that we have a job to do just to instill some level or sense of security and safety for people.

Update 3pm

The victim has been named as Gareth Hutch, nephew of Eddie Hutch and Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

The man was 35-years-old and a father of one.

Update 2.15pm

Local Councillor in Dublins North inner city, Neil Ring, has said the man was aware his life was in danger.

Yesterday, Councillor Ring met with the man to discuss his application to move to a different flat in the complex.

He was in the office yesterday and we had a chat for about an hour and between the two of us we composed a letter to the welfare section of Dublin City Council, and he was inquiring as to whether or not he could get a transfer within the complex.

He was aware his life was in danger.

Update 2pm

A father of one has been shot dead in the North inner city in Dublin.

The gangland style attack happened at a block of flats on North Cumberland Street, shortly after 10 o'clock this morning.

His death is being linked to the ongoing Hutch-Kinahan feud.

Locals say the victim knew he knew his life was in danger and had applied to be moved to a different flat complex.

This man worked with the victim: Yeah, he was a lovely fella you know?

So he is a Hutch, so what?

I mean its horrible a chap getting shot over a feud that is going on, its horrible for a chap to be shot in his prime."

1pm

Investigations are underway after a man died following a shooting in Dublin's North inner city this morning.

The attack, which happened at a block of flats on North Cumberland Street shortly after 10am, is believed to be linked to the ongoing Kinahan Hutch gang feud.

Inner city residents held a protest last week to voice their fears over the escalating violence that began with the murder of Gary Hutch in Spain last September.

11.50am

A man has been killed in a shooting in Dublin's North inner city.

The incident occurred at a block of flats on North Cumberland Street, shortly after 10am.

It follows a spate of shootings in the capital amid the ongoing Kinahan Hutch gangland feud in recent months - this latest incident is believed to be connected to the dispute.

Residents of the North inner city protested last week to voice their fears over the situation.

Earlier

A man has been shot in North inner city Dublin this morning.

Gardai confirmed that a shooting occurred around the Parnell St area of the city at around 10am.

Emergency services are at the scene.

The scene of this morning's Dublin shooting pic.twitter.com/9vSlrPaFNL  Daragh Brophy (@DaraghBroph) May 24, 2016

Gardai were unable to confirm the condition of the victim at this time.

More as we get it.
The speech by Andrew Little this weekend was very revealing, but not in a good way. The Herald reports:

Mr Little said in the eight years under a National Government, the proportion of economic growth that went back to working New Zealanders in wages had dropped from 50 per cent to 37 per cent. Instead he accused National of favouring those at the top through policies such as allowing foreign trusts and tax on multinationals.

These are the same policies of course that existed under the last Labour Government, but lets ignore that for now.

Stuff further reports:

Little said just 37 per cent of economic growth had gone into the pay packets of working families since National came to power  down from over 50 per cent under the previous Labour government. That meant the average family had lost out on more than $13,000 under the Government, and would miss out on $50 a week this year.

The use of this statistic is rather revealing, as to both how desperate and also how ill informed Labour are. Three things Id note:

In all my years of politics Ive never known a voter to talk about the proportion of economic growth that goes to wages. 99% of NZers dont even know such a statistic exists lets alone give a flying f**k about it. Im not sure Ive even hear of it before. It reeks of desperation in trying to find an obscure economic statistic that they can campaign on. Voters care about jobs, wages, hospitals, schools and families  not the proportion of economic growth that goes to salaries. Wages have in fact risen twice as fast as inflation in the last seven years. Little seems to believe that the Government sits around the Cabinet table and determines what share of economic growth will go to wages. The Government does not create the economic growth and decide which sectors generate it and where. While policies have some small impact, the over whelming factor is decisions made by tens of thousands of businesses. Use of this statistic goes against Labours efforts to show they understand the modern economy. They are effectively railing against entrepreneurs and innovation. Why might a smaller share of economic growth by going to salaries. Well companies like Xero and Uber. Theyre great for the economy (and customers) but according to Little they are robbing working NZers of $50 a week.

So Labour have managed to look desperate, ill informed and backwards in one speech. Thats quite an achievement.

Claire Trevett reports in the NZ Herald:

The centrepiece was a very convoluted piece of research about the proportion of economic growth returned to workers. Labour had concluded New Zealanders were getting $50 less a week than they would have been. It was effectively meaningless beyond showing what clever clogs they were to have worked out such a thing.

Maybe their staff were so busy working on finding this obscure statistic, that they didnt have time to do due diligence on the home they claimed had 17 people living in it!

It also opened Little to questioning on how Labour would get that back into the pockets of those workers.

Ban tech companies?

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Washington, DC Employees who filed an unpaid wages lawsuit against Tyson Foods were given a victory by the US Supreme Court, which recently upheld a lower courts $5.8 million judgment against Tyson. At issue was time spent Employees who filed an unpaid wages lawsuit against Tyson Foods were given a victory by the US Supreme Court, which recently upheld a lower courts $5.8 million judgment against Tyson. At issue was time spent donning and doffing protective gear, required for employees who worked on the production line at Tyson Foods.

According to the lawsuit , originally filed in 2006 by workers at Tysons Iowa pork processing plant, Tyson didnt record the time employees spent in what was known as K-Code time. Rather, they added a certain amount to each employees paycheck per shift to compensate for that time. But plaintiffs claimed the time Tyson added to their checks was not enough to cover all the time they spent putting on and taking off their safety gear, which was vital to their jobs slaughtering pigs and preparing meat for shipment.At one point, Tyson attempted to remedy the issue, by increasing the amount of time added to employee timesheets. Prior to 2010, the plaintiffs argued, they were only paid for four to seven K-Code minutes per shift. After a change in 2010, employees were paid for 20 to 22 K-Code minutes per shift.Employees were awarded $2.9 million in unpaid wages by a lower court. Tyson appealed, arguing that the district court should not have certified the lawsuit as a class action because employees did not share enough common traits. Employees, Tyson argued, did not all have the same donning and doffing time - their time could vary from 30 seconds to 10 minutes - and some had none at all.Although the Supreme Court agreed to hear Tysons arguments, it ultimately found in a six to two decision, that the district court did not abuse its discretion by allowing the lawsuit - involving 3,344 employees - to go ahead as a class action.Finally, it bears emphasis that this problem appears to be one of petitioners own making, Justice Kennedy wrote . Respondents proposed bifurcating between the liability and damages phases of this proceeding for the precise reason that it might be difficult to remove uninjured individuals from the class after an award is rendered. It was petitioner who argued against that option and now seeks to profit from the difficulty it caused.The lawsuit isin the Supreme Court of the United States, case number 14-1146.
Last night, streaming giant Netflix signed a major deal with Disney to be the exclusive streaming platform for Marvel, Lucasfilm and Disney films.

The caveat, of course, is that it's for US only. That'll mean that - most likely - we can expect all seven Star Wars movies, each and every Marvel movie to date and a rake of Disney films will be added Netflix's US library. Whether or not this'll be the case for the Irish and UK library remains to be seen.

The additions will be added from September onwards, meaning that Netflix will be on the only place to see Disney / Marvel / Lucasfilm titles on streaming in the US.

This is a pretty huge get for Netflix, as Disney's titles are some of the most popular on the streaming platform. Not only that, there's a massive library of Disney films since their acquisition of both Lucasfilm and Marvel.

We've reached out to Netflix Ireland and UK for any information on seeing Star Wars, Indiana Jones et al on our own library, but in the meantime, let's watch this random scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark and remind ourselves just how good Indiana Jones and how much Kingdom of the Crystal Skull sucked.
- The Emir of Kano has called for banning under 18-years old marriage in Nigeria

- Muhammad Sanusi said this policy will save the lives and health of thousands of Nigerian woman

- The emir added that Nigeria should follow the examples of Egypt and Morocco in interpreting Islamic law

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, has come out in favour of banning marriages of people below 18 years as these marriages are highly detrimental to womens health, according to the Premium Times.

The emir, who spoke at a workshop organised by the Northern Islamic Forum in Kano on Tuesday, said time had come for the Muslim community in Nigeria to accept the reality of economic recession and consequences of early marriage.

He said the era when people gave out their daughters in marriage at early ages and asked the husbands to wait until puberty was over, no bad thing as it led to divorces and other problems.

Mr Sanusi became the emir of Kano two years ago

The emir recounted that in the past the rich and the poor married four wives and bore between 30 and 40 children because the economy was not only buoyant but also because people were not relying on government for sustenance.

He went on to add however that harsh economic realities now make it impossible for people to feed twice a day.

Unfortunately our people do not change and somebody with virtually nothing still give birth to 20 or 30 children and this must stop.

READ ALSO: Gov El-Rufai visits Senator Shehu Sani over mother's death

Mr Sanusi said there was a need to peg the marriage age now because of the challenges early marriage was posing.

According to him, the marriage age in Egypt at is presently 18 while that of Malaysia and Morocco were 19 and 17 respectively.

Why not we here urgently call for pegging of marriage ages within Muslim Umma in Nigeria?

READ ALSO: Borno emirs reclaim palaces from BH after months in exile

He argued that since Nigerian Muslims also practice the Maliki School of Islam as these countries Nigeria should follow these countries example.

M Sanusi called on the relevant authorities to create a law that would punish those responsible for child neglect as, in his words most neglected children not only turned victims of social vices but also engage in terrorism.

Source: Legit.ng
Yesterday, we told you about all the new movies and TV coming to Netflix in June. But there must be balance in the Force. You win some, you lose some. And next month, youll be losing quite a few great movies from your streaming options. Here are our top seven picks for movies to watch before theyre gone, followed by a list of everything thats leaving Netflix in June.



Year: 2003

Director: Thomas McCarthy

One of the early breakout roles for Game of Thrones Peter Dinklage was this warm, funny story of a reclusive man who moves into an abandoned train depot. Director Thomas McCarthy has made a career of caring deeply for his characters in films like The Visitor and Win Win, and here its to slowly convince Dinklages Finbar McBride that his low view of humanity might just be wrong. Its a contemplative, tender, hilarious film that feels both real and uplifting. If only George R.R. Martin would give Tyrion this kind of break.Josh Jackson





Year: 1993

Director: Harold Ramis

Bill Murray, director/co-writer Harold Ramis and screenwriter Danny Rubin take a Twilight Zone-esque comedic premisea self-centered weatherman gets stuck experiencing February 2 again and againand find unexpected profundity. A more conventional film would have love resolve the chronological predicament, but instead, it falls to Murray to become the best man he can possibly be. A Hollywood comedy that challenges middle-class Americans to better themselves, Groundhog Day doesnt just elicit laughs, but leaves audiences more deeply moved than they ever expected.Curt Holman







Year: 2001

Director: Sharon Maguire

Diehards may have been initially miffed at her casting, but Renee Zellweger was crucial to the movies success. Shes boundlessly charming as Bridget Jones, gaining 20 pounds to play the British singleton who falls for Hugh Grant and (eventually) Colin Firth. From her appalling bad public speeches to lip-synching to Sad FM songs in her pajamas, Zellweger carries the film on her (still slender) shoulders.Jeremy Medina





Year: 1982

Director: Alan J. Pakula

William Styrons soul-shattering story of an ethereally beautiful concentration camp survivor is brought to life on screen by Meryl Streep. Streep learned to speak French with a Polish accent in order to preserve the integrity of one of the most important literary characters of the modern age. Alan Pakula allows Streep to do what she does best: She dons the character like a perfectly fitted coat. The result is one of the greatest film performances of all time. Sophies Choice is the embodiment of the horror of war and its aftermath.Joan Radell





Year: 2002

Directors: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

No stranger to romantic comedies, Hugh Grant delivered perhaps his best performance ever in About a Boy, a different kind of rom-com. Through his relationship with a young teenager, Grant subtly transforms from notorious womanizer into, well, a man capable of loving the beautiful Rachel Weisz. Grants relationship with the boy is tender and thoughtful, much like the film itself.Jeremy Medina





Year: 1998

Director: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook

It seems like all of Eddie Murphys best comedic performances since Coming to America are animated. His little dragon Mushu is a sharp source of humor in this otherwise touching retelling of a Chinese folktalea wonderful move by Disney to give its target market a strong heroine, whose bravery and sense of duty and honor is admirable. Gorgeously animated with rich, saturated colors, the 2-D film is populated by three-dimensional characters. And in a story about honor, the studio brings just the right Eastern touches to pay due respect to Chinas history.Josh Jackson





Year: 1988

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Rating: PG

Bob Hoskyns is a P.I. charged with exonerating the titular Mr. Rabbit in a noir send-up to old-school animation. The 1940s world of Toontown is a place where toons and people intermingle, and Kathleen Turner voices Rogers bombshell girlfriend Jessica Rabbit. This imaginative mix of live action and animation remains an original a quarter-century later.Josh Jackson





A Wrinkle in Time (2003)

About a Boy (2002)

Bounce (2000)

Bridget Joness Diary (2001)

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004)

Clear and Present Danger (1994)

Click (2006)

Darkman (1990)

Disney Animation Collection: Vol. 5: Wind in the Willows

Dude, Wheres My Car? (2000)

Duplex (2003)

Elias: Rescue Team Adventures: Season 1

The Faculty (1998)

Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (1995)

Ghost (1990)

Groundhog Day (1993)

Hamlet (2000)

Hercules (1997)

In the Bedroom (2001)

Jersey Girl (2004)

Kinky Boots (2005)

Lassie (2005)

Losing Isaiah (1995)

Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)

Marvins Room (1996)

Music of the Heart (1999)

My Bosss Daughter (2003)

Nine Months (1995)

The Others (2001)

Paris Is Burning (1990)

Private Parts (1997)

Proof (2005)

Schoolhouse Rock!: Earth (2009)

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

The Station Agent (2003)

The Stepford Wives (2004)

Stir of Echoes (1999)

Stir of Echoes 2: The Homecoming (2007)

The Super Hero Squad Show: Seasons 1-2

Velvet Goldmine (1998)

View from the Top (2003)

Waynes World (1992)

The Yards (2000)



Eureka Seven: Seasons 1-2



HawthoRNe: Seasons 1-3



The Bank Job (2008)



A Late Quartet (2012)

The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: Season 1



Mixology: Season 1



Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (2013)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002)

Marvels Avengers Assemble: Season 1

Mulan (1998)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)



Sophies Choice (1982)
New York State attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman delivered a $567,000 lawsuit to Dominos Pizza on Monday. According to the lawsuit, the chain and three of its franchisees have been underpaying workers in 10 stores in New York at least $565,000 in wages over the past four years by using a payroll system, PULSE, that under-calculated workers wages.

The franchise supplied stores with the system, knowing that it undercalculated employee salaries, according to an investigation by Schneiderman. Despite updating PULSE, Dominos has not fixed the issue of underpayment to employees. His investigation also found that Dominos played a role in the hiring, firing, and discipline employees, pushed for anti-union position on franchisees and closely monitored employee job performance through onsite and electronic reviews.

At some point, a company has to take responsibility for its actions and for its workers well-being, said Attorney General Schneiderman in a press release. Weve found rampant wage violations at Dominos franchise stores. And, as our suit alleges, weve discovered that Dominos headquarters was intensely involved in store operations, and even caused many of these violations. Under these circumstances, New York law  as well as basic human decency  holds Dominos responsible for the alleged mistreatment of the workers who make and deliver the companys pizza. Dominos can, and must, fix this problem.

In response, Dominos, the nations largest pizza delivery company, has argued that they worked with the attorney generals office over the past three years to improve fair compensation to workers and to meet New Yorks wage laws.

Dominos spokesman Tim McIntyre said to the Associated Press, Its unfortunate that these steps were not enough, and that the Attorney General now wants the company to take steps that would not only deprive our independent business owners of the opportunity to make their own employment decisions, but could impact the viability of the franchise model, the many opportunities it offers to those looking to start their own businesses, and the millions of jobs those franchised businesses create.

The charges at each of the Dominos stores vary per store, but they include poor wages, not paying overtime, delivery drivers being paid the tipped minimum wage despite (when not making deliveries) and not fully reimbursing employees for expenses for deliveries.

Previously, the Attorney Generals Office resolved cases involving 61 Dominos stores over similar allegations, which led to a $1.5 million settlement by the stores.
Now that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have separated themselves as the presumptive nominees, we are beginning to hear more and more about potential Vice Presidential candidates. There is even VP speculation for candidates who arent even running, as Elizabeth Warren was rumored to be on Joe Bidens nonexistent ticket (Warren, by the way, is definitely not going to be Hillarys pick for VP, because Massachusettss GOP governor Charlie Baker would most certainly replace her with a Republican in the Senate). With so much attention paid to this selection in the media, one would think the VP is a vitally important position.

However, as far as the actual governing body of the Executive Branch is concerned, the VP might as well be its appendix. There is no harm in its existence, yet as far as allocated constitutional powers go, the Vice President has slightly more control over the mechanisms of Washington than you or I do.

Because everything the founders did was created out of a fear of centralized power, they initially created the office of the Vice Presidency as a consolation prize to the runner up in every Presidential contest. This setup was inevitably fractured by Americas fourth election, when Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the electoral college and nearly caused a riot in the House of Representatives, which finally elected Jefferson President on the 36th ballot. The 12th Amendment was soon ratified in 1804, freeing each party to choose their own Vice Presidential candidate. Franklin D. Roosevelt bucked that precedent in 1932 and bypassed his party, selecting John Nance Garner as his running mate, who famously derided the office as not worth a pitcher of warm spit.

During the New Deal era, the influence of the Vice President expanded in kind with the rest of the Federal Government and rose from there. Between the eight years from the end of Richard Nixons Vice Presidency to the beginning of his Presidency, the VPs staff increased by over 300 percent. Walter Mondale, Jimmy Carters running mate, further expanded the offices influence, as he was the first VP to schedule weekly policy meetings with the President.

In the 2000s, Dick Cheney stretched the limits of the office further than any man before, as he took it upon himself to attend Republican Senate meetings. Jonathan Mahler of the New York Times claimed that you could set your watch by the arrival of Vice President Cheneys motorcade on Capitol Hill for the Republican caucuss weekly strategy sessions.

Joe Biden followed and scaled back what was essentially a 2nd Presidency created by Dick Cheney, with Obama describing his role as such: The best thing about Joe is that when we get everybody together, he really forces people to think and defend their positions, to look at things from every angle, and that is very valuable for me. I also know, when he gives me his advice, he gives it to me straight.

Save for Dick Cheney, the Vice President has essentially just been another adviser to the President. There is no legislative utility to the VP other than breaking ties in the Senate, and making sure they keep breathing in case something should happen to the President. So given the importance afforded to the position, that must mean that their value comes on the campaign trail.

However, there is very little data that suggests the Vice President actually makes a difference to the electorate. Lets be real, these wannabe stock photos from Paul Ryan working out alone in a bunker certainly didnt help Mitt Romney expand his appeal amongst young Americans in 2012. Ryan could not even help Romney win his home state of Wisconsin in a year where it was very much up for grabs.

Typically, the Vice President is there to buttress the Presidential candidates weaknesses. Barack Obama was young and inexperienced, so he tapped one of Washingtons most accomplished legislators in Joe Biden as his running mate. George W. Bush did the same thing with Dick Cheney. John Kerry and Mitt Romney followed suit, but in reverse with John Edwards and Paul Ryan. John McCain must have had a similar mindset when he selected Sarah Palin, but that mindset was tinged by a fatal dose of Honey Boo Boo.

So the question becomes, does the VP really matter on the campaign trail? After all, everyone knows the job is mostly symbolic anyway.

Sarah Palin certainly seemed to matter in the 2008 election, and not in a good way. One month after McCain announced her as his running mate, Barack Obama passed him in the polls for the final time, turning what was a back and forth slugfest into a complete and utter blowout. One study suggested that Palin cost McCain about 2 million votes, but luckily for her, she will never find this out since she doesnt read the newspaper.

John McCain probably wishes he could get a do-over on that one, or at the very least go back to the era where Vice Presidents were selected by parties at conventions, which are typically held in August. Looking at Gallups data for every election going back to 1932, the complexion of the race did not change much from August to the final day of the campaign, save for 1960. JFK and Nixon flip flopped in nearly every poll right down to the finish, but given their popularity within their parties at the time, its unlikely that either Lyndon Johnson or Henry Cabot Lodge moved the needle for the electorate much more than the men at the top of the ticket did.

It seems improbable that the VP will ever inspire a bunch of Americans to vote for a flawed Presidential candidate, but the central value VPs allegedly have is carrying their home state. Hell, its pretty much the only reason anyone still says John Kasichs name. If he were the governor of Indiana instead of Ohio, Im not sure many in the Republican Party would even acknowledge his existence given his relatively mainstream views.

Yet, there was no election in the past half century where a Vice Presidential candidate capably demonstrated their value in the state they call home, save for one mostly fruitless example. Walter Mondale, Jimmy Carters VP, helped the Democrats carry Minnesota in 1976 four years after they lost the state to a now-disgraced Nixon. The Democrats won Minnesota again in 1980, but the entire country voted against Jimmy Carter except for Maryland, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Georgia, and Mondales aforementioned native state.

Other than Mondale, there are only four instances in the last half-century of a party winning the VPs home state the Presidential election immediately after they lost that state, and the average Electoral College result in those four elections was 402 to 131. One can safely assume that the VPs home state was simply following a national trend. The only election in that sample which was not a complete blowout came the last time America had a serious third party candidate.

Looking back to 1992, it seems as if Al Gore really helped Bill Clinton win his home state of Tennessee, as he reclaimed it for the Democrats after losing it to George H. W. Bush in 1988. When it comes to that election, everything is distorted by Ross Perot crashing the two party system, but it does not seem as if Perot helped give the vote to Clinton by taking votes from Bush, as Perot under performed in Tennessee compared to its neighboring states. However, Gore handily lost Tennessee when he ran for President eight years later, so the best explanation for this whole ordeal can be summed up as follows:

Given how little the Vice President actually does in their day to day job, combined with the lack of any concrete proof of their positive value on the campaign trail, the VP seemingly exists only to provide more vacuous content for our incessant 24 hour news networks. Perhaps its time for a re-evaluation of Americas most overrated position in government.
June is almost upon us, and with it comes a crop of new titles to Netflix. Highlighted by the new fourth season of Orange is the New Black, June will also feature a new influx of films. These include Best Picture-winner Spotlight, a trio of Jurassic Park flicks for the dino-lovers and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, if youre in the mood to punish yourself.

Below are some highlights, followed by the full list of new programming.



Available: June 22

Year: 2015

Director: Tom McCarthy

Always a director whos drawn great performances from his ensembleswell set aside the disastrous The Cobbler for a momentactor-turned-filmmaker Tom McCarthy has made his best drama since his first, 2003s The Station Agent, with this stripped-down depiction of the Boston Globes 2001 investigation into the Catholic Churchs cover-up of sexual misconduct. Starring the likes of Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber and John Slattery, Spotlight is about nothing more than watching smart, passionate reporters do their job, digging into a story and using their savvy and moxie to bring it to the world. The cast lets its characters jobs fill in the backstory of their lives, and in the process Spotlight does what Zodiac, The Insider and All the Presidents Men did before it: let us appreciate the difficulty and rigor required for good journalism. Special kudos to best-in-show Mark Ruffalo as Michael Rezendes, a ruthless bloodhound of an investigative reporter who may inspire a lot of impressionable high school juniors in the audience to take up the profession. (Read the full review here.) Tim Grierson





Available: June 1

Year: 2014

Director: Jim Mickle

Richard Dane seems like a decent-enough man. Living in East Texas in 1989, he has a wife and child, and when he hears a noise coming from the living room late one night, he goes out cautiously, holding his dead fathers gun tentatively. He didnt mean to kill anyone. And he certainly didnt intend to have just about everything in his world change in the moment when he accidentally pulled the trigger. Michael C. Hall plays Richard, not overdoing the characters regular-hick modesty. Adapted from Joe R. Lansdales novel, Cold in July has a steely, slightly off-kilter vibe. Less extreme than the regional portraits preferred by the Coen brothers, the movie soaks up the period details, particularly in Jeff Graces wry nod to the synthesizer-driven scores of the 1980s. As in his past films, Mickle demonstrates an impressive degree of tonal control: Cold in July clearly pays homage to a certain style of bygone genre filmmaking, but not at the expense of the characters or the stakes. (Still, not for nothing is a crucial scene set at a drive-in theater.) Consequently, the film has both a giddy, escapist feel and a grim suspense, its self-conscious artificiality melding perfectly with its barebones emotional authenticity.Tim Grierson





Available On: June 1

Year: 2015

Director: Amy Berg

Capturing the life, career, persona and phenomenon that was Janis Joplin in the space of a less-than-two-hours-long documentary is a daunting task. Amy Berg makes a crucially important decision in Janis: Little Girl Blue, opting to let the performances speak for themselves. Theres not a lot of talking head analysis of Janis music; Berg instead gives us a few well-chosen, extended clips of that otherworldly voice in action (as well as a good many selections backgrounded in the mix). Berg also focuses on Janis inner life, and boy, does that pay off. With the full cooperation of the estate and interviews with many of Janis intimates, including her two siblings, the marvelous Dick Cavett, and the one man with whom, in another universe, she surely found lifelong happiness, Berg is able to dig deep into who Janis actually was behind the raucous stage persona. Most effective of all is Chan Marshall (a.k.a. Cat Power), reading from Janis diaries and letters with the simple delivery of a born performer. Its as if Janis is narrating her own life story, and its pure magic. Michael Dunaway



7 Chinese Brothers (2015)

72 Cutest Animals: Season 1

72 Dangerous Places: Season 1

A Walk to Remember (2002)

Big Stone Gap (2014)

Bob Ross: Beauty is Everywhere (1990)

Breaking the Magicians Code: Magics Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed: Season 1-2

Cold in July (2014)

Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land On The Moon? (2001)

Cuba: The Forgotten Revolution (2015)

(Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies (2015)

El Libro de Piedra (1969)

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

Extraordinary Tales (2015)

The Fear of 13 (2015)

Gabo: The Creation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (2015)

Gentlemen and Gangsters: Season 1

The Good Witch: Season 1

The Great Alone (2015)

Hadwins Judgement (2015)

J. Edgar (2011)

Jaco (2015)

Janis: Little Girl Blue (2015)

Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic Park III (2001)

Lion Heart (2013)

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Meadowland (2015)

The Odd Couple II (1998)

Off Camera: Series 1

Pokemon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (2015)

Pokemon: XY: Kalos Quest: Season 2

Portrait of a Serial Monogamist (2015)

The Resurrection of Jake the Snake (2015)

Rock the Kasbah (2015)

Sam Klemkes Time Machine (2015)

Second Coming (2014)

Tab Hunter Confidential (2015)

UFOs: The Best Evidence Ever (Caught on Tape) (1997)

Underdogs (2013)

What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy (2015)

Wildlike (2014)



Beauty & the Beast: Season 3

Hibana: Spark  NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Pretty Little Liars: Season 6



Bo Burnham: Make Happy  NETFLIX ORIGINAL



Darkweb (2015)



Every Thing Will Be Fine (2015)

Jarhead 3: The Seige (2016)



LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship: Season 2  NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Voltron: Legendary Defender: Season 1  NETFLIX ORIGINAL



Me Him Her (2016)

Scandal: Season 5



Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (2015)



The League: Season 7



After The Spill (2015)

Boom Bust Boom (2016)

The Giver (2014)

In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)

Naz & Maalik (2015)

Night Owls (2015)

Poverty, Inc. (2014)

Top Spin (2015)

TransFatty Lives (2015)



Being Mary Jane: Season 3

Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 3

The Unborn (2009)



All Hail King Julien: Season 3  NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Orange is the New Black: Season 4  NETFLIX ORIGINAL



Cedar Cove: Season 3

Greys Anatomy: Season 12



Bunkd: Season 1

I Am Thor (2015)



Life Story: Series 1

The Making of Life Story



Best Friends Whenever: Season 1



Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)

Spotlight (2015)



Dragons: Race to the Edge: Season 3  NETFLIX ORIGINAL

The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)  NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Justin Time GO!  NETFLIX ORIGINAL



Cronies (2015)



Life (2015)



Avail 6/30/16 A Very Secret Service: Season 1  NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Palio (2015)

(T)ERROR (2015)
Sturgill Simpsons junior album, A Sailors Guide To Earth, has been out just over a month. Receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews across many outlets, fans have been excited to hear the songs live. His promotion so far has included performing the album front-to-back at spots like Rough Trade in NYC and for KCRWs popular Morning Becomes Eclectic and for late night TV spots on Conan and Colbert (including a hilarious honky tonk ode to the Waffle House).

Three weeks after the album hit store shelves, Simpson kicked off the first leg of The Sailors Tour in Austin, and on Saturday, May 21, he docked at the Egyptian Room at the Old National Centre in Indianapolis for his tenth show of the tour. Having been to Indianapolis a handful of times previously, his most recent being an opening spot for Old Crow Medicine Show last August, hes performed at four different venues across town. The Egyptian Room, the second largest of the three performance spaces in the Old National Centre, is known to be a standing-room-only venue with the occasional upcharge for paid seating along the sides of the room. At Saturdays event, even with that seating available, the crowd was on their feet for most of the two hour show.

Kicking off at 8:30 PM sharp and without an opening act to a sold-out 3000-capacity crowd, Simpson and his band, which included a three-piece horn section, rolled out Sitting Here Without You followed by Water In A Well, both from his debut album, to showcase his golden voice. Noticeably, a trombone solo adorned Sitting Here Without You, which was a nice way to introduce a new wrinkle to the song. A sax solo did the same during the The Promise, which avoided 80s sax cliche and instead brought a sense of desire and yearning. The horns, which are prominent on his latest self-produced album, were able to work their way in throughout the night for other new arrangements of older tracks that have been performed numerous times over the last few years as Simpsons star has risen. He made sure to give the group their due when he stepped aside, nearly offstage, during the country-gospel A Little Light for an extended break.

It wasnt long before the band dipped into their bag of covers for When The Levee Breaks and what sounded like Percy Sledges It Tears Me Up, although the latter was hard to confirm due to muddy sound issues that crept in occasionally early in the show. Later, he also covered the William Bell-penned You Dont Miss Your Water originally on Stax (but has also been given a fantastic country cover in 1972 from Jerry Lee Lewis on the Mercury label) which married the country-meets-horns vibe blissfully.

There was plenty of time for original material as well. Living The Dream, from Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, drew a strong crowd response after he belted the final verses closing line of, And she thinks mercys overrated. The live version is filled with much more attitude than even the excellent album version. Participation also boiled over during It Aint All Flowers when he yawped woo hoo hoo after the first verse with the stage lights blaring. The Texas boogie that underpins the fantastic Life Of Sin is infectious enough to encourage a little dancing and the crowd obliged mid-set when the band played it in extended form.

Over an hour into the show, nary a track from A Sailors Guide had been played, and it was clear that he was saving it in full for closing the set. As had been done with early online streams of the album, the night finished with the full album being played from beginning-to-end. While the lush strings that brought such a beautiful dimension to the studio version were absent, there was still enough emotional energy in the performances to carry the weight that a love letter to your son deserves. Simpson put down his guitar and clutched only a microphone for Welcome To Earth (Pollywog), Breakers Roar, In Bloom, and All Around You, which appears to be a sign that hes becoming even more comfortable on stage.

While Simpson still doesnt offer much in the way of banter or song introductions at his performances, he builds rapport at his live shows through his own underrated guitar playing (seriously, this guy can play) and his tight bands musical adeptness. As the fiery Call To Arms drew to a close, a rare (in these days) encoreless set wound down. For an artist still early in his career who could benefit from befriending the media, hes not afraid to cry afoul about the bullshit on the TV, bullshit on the radio. Simpson exudes a working class attitude that resonates. In this decidedly messy and mean election year for both parties, maybe hes created the best campaign slogan no ones yet using: Bullshits got to go.

Set List:

Sitting Here Without You

Water In A Well

Long White Line

When The Levee Breaks (Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy/Led Zeppelin cover)

It Tears Me Up (Percy Sledge cover)

Time After All

Id Have To Be Crazy (Willie Nelson cover)

Life Of Sin

Living The Dream

Voices

Just Let Go

A Little Light

The Promise (When In Rome cover)

Turtles All The Way Down

It Aint All Flowers

You Dont Miss Your Water (William Bell cover)

Welcome To Earth (Pollywog)

Breakers Roar

Keep It Between The Lines

Sea Stories

In Bloom (Nirvana cover)

Brace For Impact (Live A Little)

All Around You

Oh Sarah

Call To Arms
The enormity of the situation dawned on me as I entered the tasting room at the Jack Daniels distillery. Laid out in neat squares at each seat were 24 Glencairn glasses, each filled with an ounce or so of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey in varying shades of brown, each representative of a single barrel specially selected for the occasion. Seated at the front of the room were master distiller Jeff Arnett and assistant master distiller Chris Fletcher, each providing an informative and convivial presence presiding over the proceedings. Shit, I thought, thats a lot of whiskey to taste before noon. But that was the job I signed up for  well, the job I was invited to tag along for  tasting barrels of Jack Daniels with a state liquor commissionso taste I must, taste I would, bring on the day-drunk.

I arrived at the distillery that morning with representatives from Brown-Forman, the parent company that owns Jack, and the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, to select 16 single barrels that will be bottled and sold at New Hampshire liquor stores starting in early June. New Hampshire, along with 16 other states, is a control state. This means that the state controls the marketing and sale of all wine and spirits. This also means that the guys who run the Commission get to travel to various distilleries and hand select barrels to buy and sell in New Hampshire. This year would add one barrel to last years record purchase of 15 barrels, and the mission this morning was to taste through 24 samples and select the 16 most worthy of single barrel bottling. I think if you just taste single barrel occasionally, you dont get it, Arnett told us. But when you go back-to-back like this, youre like, I just cannot believe how much difference there is between barrels.

The Hew Hampshire Liquor Commission operates almost 80 retail locations throughout the state, offering low prices that draw in customers from around New England looking for bargains on spirits and wine. The profits from liquor sales in New Hampshire go to a state General Fund, which then disperses money into programs for education, social services, and transportation. For those that dont live in control states, the system can appear to be a little mysterious and antiquated, but it seems to work pretty well in New Hampshire, which is recognized as being one of the more progressive control states.

Looking back at my tasting notes, I see words like fruity, oak, full, balanced, long finish, and apricot burn. The truth is that after the first 10 samples or so, my palate began to get just a little bit burned out. But as I continued to taste, it started to come back, and it seemed that with each new taste, the differences became sharper, the flavors more pronounced, the singular characteristics of each barrel exploding in my mouth. Clearly, the guys from the Commission were the experts here, though, picking up nuances and marking their favorites like seasoned pros. Jeff and Chris, clearly the most informed of the bunch, guided us through the process as well, offering their thoughts and advice on how sessionable one barrel was over another, reminding us that most people will add ice or water to their whiskey, and to pay attention to where we tasted in our mouths, as some barrels were sweeter or more oaky than others and play on different parts of your tongue.

Chris and Jeff tasted along with us, their enthusiasm never waning as they sipped (and spit, more often than not  hey, they were on the clock), and explained what they see as the benefits of participating in a barrel selection program. Thats really the great thing about what the state of New Hampshire has done, said Fletcher. Were able to sit down and experience all of these flavors and were able to take this back for the people of New Hampshire. People drink on a lot of occasions for discovery. If you pick [barrel] 2231, youre gonna get a whole new discovery than if you pick [barrel] 2074. With this many barrels, I dont know of anywhere else in the world where people get to experience this type of variation and complexity in these whiskeys.

Ultimately, tasting notes will be assembled for each barrel thats bottled, and surely some whiskey fanatics will seek out each of the 16 bottles to compare and contrast the sometimes subtle, sometimes pronounced differences. A regular bottle of Jack is a blend of around 150 barrels, so these single barrel bottlings are truly unique and special. If you like Jack Daniels, its hard to dislike Single Barrel, said Arnett. Its sort of like Jack Daniels on steroids. Its gonna be bigger, more aromatic, more flavorful.

As the tasting wrapped up and we started to think about soaking up all that whiskey with some fine Southern cooking, Arnett philosophized about the meaning of whiskey, and how Jack Daniels, certainly an iconic brand in the category, fits into todays whiskey-loving world. Whiskey is a journey, he said. What we would love to be able to do is carry people through their journey. We say, as a brand, our target demographic is hard to figure out. Its bikers and bankers, but from an age standpoint its LDA to DND. Thats legal drinking age to damn near dead.
Movie theaters are officially back. As the cinematic offerings slowly return to the big screen compared to the streaming services and various digital rental retailers, were here to sort out whats actually the best bang for your buck at the box office.

A new year and a new COVID variant are in full swing, so now might be a good time to exercise restraint even if there are bigger budget offerings hitting the big screen.

Of course, use your judgment when choosing whether to go back to the movies or not, but theres an ever-growing percentage of vaccinated moviegoers who are champing at the bit to get back in front of the big screen. And Im very happy to say that were back, here to help.

That said, things in theatrical distribution are a little strange right now, so apart from some big recent blockbusters, theres a mix of Oscar-winners, lingering releases, indies and classics bookeddepending, of course, on the theater. But thankfully, theres been enough good movies actually released recently this year that you should have no problem finding something great to watch.

Check out the 10 best movies in theaters right now:

Release Date: September 9, 2022

Director: Zach Cregger

Stars: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long

Rating: R

Runtime: 102 minutes





The deceptively simple premise of Barbarian, the horror debut from writer/director Zach Cregger, is enough to induce genuine goosebumps. However, Cregger takes a creepy idea and concocts a breakneck tale of unyielding terror, giving audiences whiplash with each unpredictable revelation. When Tess (Georgina Campbell) arrives at her Detroit Airbnb on a forcefully stormy night, she finds that theres no key in the encrypted lockbox to let herself in. After calling the host proves fruitless, she suddenly sees a light turn on through a front window. Tess frantically rings the doorbell, and the recently roused Keith (Bill Skarsgard) awkwardly answers the door. Realizing they accidentally double-booked the same rental for the next few days, Keith immediately insists that Tess get out of the rain and take the bedroom for the night (of course, hes totally content with taking the couch). Surprisingly, she agrees. Though few viewers would likely make the same decision as the films protagonist, Barbarian wastes no time creating a thick sense of dread that clings until the credits roll. To divulge any further details of the films plot would thwart the winding, increasingly shocking narrative crafted by Cregger. With each terrifying reveal feeling fresher and freakier than the last, its encouraged to go into Barbarian with as little background and context as possible. Even citing Creggers horror references would serve to unnecessarily hint at jarring shifts in the films story, though comparisons to the work of fellow horror filmmakers James Wan, Tobe Hooper and George Romero are particularly apt. Barbarian offers up plenty of food for thought in its rancid banquet from hell. Its got a biting socially-conscious undercurrent that addresses the bleak reality of existing as a woman in the U.S.both past and present, whether residing in manicured suburbs or shady inner-city neighborhoodseven successfully weaving in a #MeToo subplot that doesnt feel one-note or cursory. Even more impressive, Cregger incorporates this throughline with a heavy dose of humor, no doubt aided by his tenure as a member of IFC sketch comedy show The Whitest Kids U Know. Barbarian offers a fascinating take on the oft-unspoken claim men have long believed they have over womens bodies. It does an excellent job at juxtaposing banal excuses for gendered violence with ghoulish, heinous ploys to strip women of their bodily autonomy (and their very humanity), exposing the malevolent nature of this deeply ingrained cultural misogyny. With the wounds still raw from the recent repeal of Roe v. Wade, Barbarians fixation on the omnipresent threat of rape in our society hits as hard as it (hopefully) ever could. Never relishing in the very brutality that it denounces, the film has its heart in the right place. It refuses to depict sexual violation on screen, cleverly illustrating the pervasiveness of this miserable reality without exploiting it for shallow shock value. Yet, even with the best of intentions, Barbarian will mercilessly run you through the wringer, letting these fucked-up facets of America absolutely ravage the screenand your sanityfor 102 remarkably tense minutes.Natalia Keogan

Release Date: September 9, 2022

Director: Mathieu Amalric

Stars: Vicky Krieps, Arieh Worthalter, Anne-Sophie Bowen-Chatet, Sacha Ardilly

Rating: NR

Runtime: 97 minutes





A woman (Vicky Krieps) gets up, collects her things and leaves her family in a reckless hurry. She embarks on a road trip in the red family car and imagines what her family members are doing in her absence. As she drives toward the sea, Clarisse imagines herself encouraging her daughter Lucie (Anne-Sophie Bowen-Chatet) as she practices piano, watching her son Paul (Sacha Ardilly) measure his growing height and speaking to her husband (Arieh Worthalter) of love and loss in hushed tones. Sometimes they speak back to her and sometimes they dont, as the line between what is real, imagined and mere memory becomes deliriously blurrier. Adapted from Claudine Galeas unproduced play, Hold Me Tight is a visual and sonic poem that expresses the intricacies of how we communicate with loved ones across time, space, grief and memory. It is a true artistic accomplishment that writer/director Mathieu Amalric was able to take Galeas text, originally meant for the stage, and spin it into a vivid piece with such a uniquely lush cinematic language. Amalrics formal risks emotionally pay off tenfold each time a visual or auditory motif is repeatedsuch as falling snow or Lucies piano music. Superb performances from all four leads elevate Hold Me Tights emotional avalanche, but Krieps performance is a standout in its profound, elegiac devastationone not seen since Juliette Binoches turn as a grieving woman in Krzysztof Kieslowskis Three Colors: Blue. Amalric knew he wanted Krieps for the role ever sinceas the filmmaker explained at a Lincoln Center post-screening Q&Ahe saw her walk through that door and take Daniel Day-Lewis order, in Paul Thomas Andersons Phantom Thread. Grounded yet imaginative in her desolation, Krieps brings a soft yet strong benevolence to the role even in the womans darker moments of anguish. An enigmatic revelation about a womans descent into grief-stricken madness, Hold Me Tight packs an agonizingly painful wallop in the form of a complete reversal which would not work without Krieps deft skills or Amalrics confident audiovisual risks. Right when the audience believes theyve grasped Hold Me Tights dreamy threads, the film shifts into something totally new and nightmarish, yet still cohesive with the emotionally forthright throughline of the film overall.Katarina Docalovich

Release Date: September 9, 2022

Director: Juan Pablo Gonzalez

Stars: Teresa Sanchez, Rafaela Fuentes, Tatin Vera, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo

Rating: NR

Runtime: 99 minutes





The lush, rolling hills of Western Mexico set the scene in Juan Pablo Gonzalezs Dos Estaciones, the directors first foray into narrative filmmaking. More specifically, the rows of agave plants that speckle these highlands are what bring the film into sharp focus, as the succulent plants most prized byproducttequila, named after the town in Jalisco it was first distilled inis the lifeblood of the films namesake, a tequila factory named Dos Estaciones. Gonzalez takes his sweet time bringing characters and their motivations to the forefront, relishing in the details of the laborious process inherent to producing the coveted spirit coupled with the surrounding natural beauty of his home state. Having grown up in Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco, across the street from a tequila factory owned by his grandfather, Gonzalez imbues the film with intimate touches gleaned by a native to the state and its most lucrative industryblending his sparse yet stirring narrative with the observational eye typical of his previous documentary work. The directors personal history is also evident in the setting of the titular tequila factory, which is actually owned by Gonzalezs extended family. However, for the purposes of Dos Estaciones, the factorys owner is Maria Garcia (a superb, shattering performance by Teresa Sanchez). She oversees everyonefrom the fieldhands to the women who hand-affix stickers on each bottlewith a brusque directness, yet is clearly respected and admired by her workers despite her inability to promise paychecks on time. Gruff demeanor and dwindling finances notwithstanding, Maria is a beloved pillar of her community: she loans out her own equipment to workers, regularly supports other local businesses, and even attends the birthday parties of her employees kids. Dos Estaciones is Mexican slow cinema that defies conceptions often projected onto the country by Americans, while simultaneously criticizing the role the U.S. has played in destabilizing a vital industry in its financial and cultural infrastructure. Whether a tequila factory is owned by American corporations or a local independent business, those responsible for the laborious process of actually making tequila will likely always be Mexicans. What was once a mode of production that sustained a community is now having its resources depleted, with all gains flowing into one corporations pocket instead of the land which cultivated itcertainly something to keep in mind before buying Kendall Jenners recently launched tequila brand.Natalia Keogan

Release Date: September 30, 2022

Director: Rita Baghdadi

Rating: NR

Runtime: 78 minutes





Mixed into the wail of alarms, hiss of teargas and thunderous calls for the fall of the regime in Beirut, another sound is ripping through the night air, and this one comes from the depths of hell itself. Meet Lilas, Shery, Maya, Alma and Tatyana of Slave to SirensBeiruts newest (and only) leather- and mesh-clad all-girl thrash metal band. Rita Baghdadis new documentary Sirens is a smartly crafted, hugely entertaining look at the band as it goes through growing pains, fights for bookings, and navigates inter-band dyke drama against the backdrop of a city under constant threat of attack. The star duo of the documentary are rhythm guitarist Lilas and lead guitarist Shery, who met in the madness of a protest. Though all the members are obviously talented, and there are any number of reasons for certain subjects in documentaries to give or get more access over others, focusing on the originators of the band is a logical and successful choice. Lilas is a 25-year-old perfectionist, a brooding but apt music teacher for schoolchildren, and a young woman who wants to claim her independence outside the household she feels is stuck in the past. Twenty-seven-year-old Shery feels stuck in her own expectations of herself, and in an uneven relationship with her best friend, bandmate, and former secret sweetheart, Lilas. The two have a sparkling, live-wire chemistry that drives the band at its goofy, passionate best, and threatens to tear it apart at its worst. Sirens is remarkable from start to endespecially as a portrait of queer friendship and expression that mends itself even as everything threatens to literally explode around it. Come revolution or continued resistance, come rain or shine, long live the Sirens, and may their vision of a thrash metal utopia built among the abandoned buildings of Lebanon one day come true.Shayna Maci Warner

Release Date: September 16, 2022

Director: Andrew Dominik

Stars: Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel, Evan Williams

Rating: NC-17

Runtime: 166 minutes





There are pieces of Marilyn Monroe everywhere: In tributes, parodies and homage; in bits of her movies, sliced into iconic clips rendering them instantly recognizable even to those who havent actually watched them; in mournful recollections of stars snuffed out too soon. Its like a jigsaw puzzle, but youre not the one to put it together, says the version of Marilyn played by Ana de Armas in Blonde. Not every puzzle piece or image in the Monroe kaleidoscope makes it into Andrew Dominiks film, which is neither traditional rise-and-fall biopic nor playful Im Not There-style biographical deconstruction. But this adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates novel (not biography) is fragmented and visually rich enough to convey what Dominik and Oates seem to be after: How the collective ownership an audience feels over its beloved icons has unseemly origins, and often destructive endings. We see glimpses of Monroe as a thoughtful, well-read young woman; a passionate actress; an optimistic survivorand for all these reasons and more, people dismiss her, or attempt to take possession of her. After a harrowing childhood sequence ending with the institutionalization of her mother (Julianne Nicholson), Blonde jumps to the early 1950s, with de Armas playing the former Norma Jeane Baker, now a model and up-and-coming actresswhich means being treated, in her words, as meat. De Armas eyes have a pleading desire, and the edge of her accent peeks through her imitation of Monroes voiceperfectly appropriate, even lovely, for a figure who has inspired so many broad impressions. This version of Marilyn regards her stage name as a creation separate from her genuine self, and is on a perpetual search for the love that will fill the dual void left by her abusive mother and father shes never known. Increasingly, she finds that the adulation felt by millions for Marilyn Monroe doesnt necessarily count for Norma Jeane. Blonde can be a tough sit, for the 166-minute monotony of its images of abuse and misery almost as much as the misery itself. At the same time, its explosion of visual ideas never quite wears out its welcome. Dominik has created his own dark-flipside version of the Norma Jeane/Marilyn bifurcation, perhaps almost too neatly: The movie is both a daring and empathetic deconstruction of Monroe iconography anchored by a beautiful performance from de Armas, as well as a miserabilist wallow in exploitation. Like its fictionalized subject, the lines between the two are sad, blurry and spellbinding.Jesse Hassenger

Release Date: October 14, 2022

Director: Park Chan-wook

Stars: Tang Wei, Park Hae-il

Rating: R

Runtime: 138 minutes





A detective finds himself falling for his murder suspect, who is fingered for killing her husband. If that sounds like a plot ripped straight from an Alfred Hitchcock film, thats because its textbook Park Chan-wook. The Korean director has been taking inspiration from Hitchcock for much of his career, one defined by twisty mysteries and perverse thrillers that the Master of Suspense likely could never have fathomed. Parks latest is perhaps the directors most Hitchcockian in the most crucial aspects, though also more subdued compared to his track record. Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is an overworked detective who isin true cliched, noir formmarried to his job more than to his actual wife. The latter lives in quiet, foggy Iso while the youngest detective in the countrys history works weeks in Busan, where the crime and murder that sustains him runs rampant. The couple tends to talk about how to keep their marriage lively instead of actually acting upon it. Hae-juns wife (Lee Jung-hyun) relays helpful facts about the health benefits of having regular sex, suggesting that they commit to doing it once a week. Still, Hae-jun spends more time on stake-outs than in his own bed due to insomnia, which plagues him as a symptom of his pile of unresolved cases. Concurrently with another active case, Hae-jun finds himself adding another crime to his growing folder: A mountain-climber who fell tragically to his demise. Though by all appearances an accident (despite the late climbers proficiency), the mountaineers much younger Chinese wife, Seo-rae (Tang Wei), quickly elicits suspicion from Hae-jun and his hot-head partner Soo-wan (Go Kyung-Pyo). Park introduces the films femme fatale in the most unassuming way: Camera on Hae-jun, with her measured voice off-screen as she enters the morgue to identify her deceased husband. Hyper-stylized, surprisingly funny and a little convoluted, at its heart, Decision to Leave is a tragic story about love, trust and, of course, murder. Arguably, Decision to Leave is more of a romance than anything else; the crime/mystery aspect of the narrative is the least interesting part, though one could assume thats entirely intentional. While not negligible, the crime is more of a conduit through which the real meat of the story, the relationship between Hae-jun and Seo-rae, is catalyzed and slowly evolves. Their romance is dependent upon requited longing and looming, unresolved threatthe kind of threat that fuels Hae-juns sleepless life, the kind that he cant live without. From the string-centric score to the noir archetypes, to the themes of romance, betrayal, obsession and voyeurism, Decision to Leave is Parks most clear evocation of Hitchcock to date. Because of this, it becomes somewhat evident where the story will go, even when things take a turn. But the familiarity of the crime narrative reads as intentionally superficial, a vehicle for a more unconventional exploration of the standard detective/femme fatale romance which has laid the foundation for Parks own sumptuous spin. While not Parks best work, nor a masterpiece, Decision to Leave is an extravagant and hopelessly romantic thriller that weaves past and present into something entirely its own.Brianna Zigler

Release Date: October 7, 2022

Director: Todd Field

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Noemie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, Mark Strong

Rating: R

Runtime: 158 minutes





Lydia Tars fabled career can be summed up in one four-letter word: EGOT. The all-consuming subject of writer-producer-director Todd Fields TAR joins rank with Tracy Jordan as one of the only fictional forces of gravity to pull it off. A career composer, Tar (Cate Blanchett) climbed the ranks from prestigious orchestra to more prestigious orchestra until she mounted the top of the totem. A titan of the medium, a la Leonard Bernstein (her mentor), shes managed to usurp critique through sheer contribution, an untouchable virtuoso. But power is fleeting. Once a symbol of modernity, a harbinger of artistic progress breaking ground for women conductors, now she breathes smoke. She doesnt see it, but everyone else canuncritical, exploitative, out of touch, legendary debris from an imploding generation hellbent on teaching a lesson. Shes come full circle in her philosophies by the time we meet her in her 50s. On a scale from The Assistant to TMZ, TAR is as much the former as a Hollywood-made cancel-culture narrative can be. Most of the film snails along with a still yet compelling subtlety, hovering in the consequential despair of actions past, the spaces in between. The dry, tense tone is interrupted every so often by the discordant tuning of an orchestra, or an explosive performance at the conductors podium in Berlin, or a rare crumb of confession, until the mood suddenly shifts from slow spiral to imminent plane crash and the drama sets in. Fields first film in 16 years lands with a thud. Not a crack, or a bang, or a boom, but a lead-heavy thudthe kind that shakes the earth after the toppling of a giant, slow-falling tree, one that takes two hours and 38 minutes to hit the ground. If we measured the maestros intelligence the way Schopenhauer did, by ones sensitivity to noise, shes all but illiterate at this point, incapable of sitting down at the piano without looking over her shoulder or going for a run in fear of her own footsteps. We witness it in slow motion with rapt attention, always out of the loop, Tars every move taking on more severity, more self-assurance, more insecurity, until it cant.Luke Hicks

Release Date: May 27, 2022

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Stars: Tom Cruise, Jenifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Monica Barbaro, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer, Jay Ellis, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 137 minutes





Not quite four years since Mission: ImpossibleFallout and much of Tom Cruises purpose remains the sameif it hasnt exactly grown in religious fervor. In Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to Tony Scotts 1986 original, Cruise is Captain Pete Maverick Mitchell, a man trapped in the past, refusing to advance his career as resolutely as he refuses to do much of anything besides continue to prove hes the greatest pilot in the worlda title the film never forgets to remind the audience that Maverick earned long agoand mourn his best friend, Goose (Anthony Edwards), who died 35 years ago in an accident for which Maverick still feels responsible. Tom Cruise is also, simply, Tom Cruise, the only notable show business scion left to throw his body into mind-numbing danger to prove that it can be done, to show a younger generation that this is what movies can be, what superstars can do. Must do. The more modern action films teem with synthetic bodies bursting apart at the synthetic seams, the more Tom Cruise builds his films as alters upon which to splay his beautiful sacrificed flesh. To that end, Joseph Kosinski is the precisely correct director to steer Cruises legacy sequel. As was the case with Kosinskis Tron: Legacy, Maverick seems to exist to justify its existence, to update an IP that seems to only work in the past. For Top Gun this means translating Scotts vision of sweat-drenched beach volleyball and unmitigated military spectacle into a soberer IMAX adventure, moving from the halcyon days of Reagans America to a world with no more need of a man like Maverick. The futures coming, and youre not in it, hes told; every one of his superior officers appears to have no patience for him left. One cant help but imagine that every new Tom Cruise vehicle is a way for him to reckon with that. Kosinskis dogfights are pristine, incredible feats of filmmaking, economical and orbiting around recognizable space, but given to occasional, inexplicable shocks of pure chaos. Then quickly cohering again. If Scotts action was a melange of motion never meant to fully cohere, keeping the American dream just that, then Kosinski is dedicated to allowing the audience a way into the experience. With his regular cinematographer Claudio Miranda, he revels in symmetry to keep the audience tethered. A wide glimpse of a dogfight in total, resembling a beach scene earlier, so suddenly appeared silently in the vast theater and unlike anything Id ever really seen before, I gasped.Dom Sinacola

Release Date: September 23, 2022

Director: Kirill Serebrennikov

Stars: Semyon Serzin, Chulpan Khamatova, Vladislav Semiletkov, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Ivan Dorn, Yuri Borisov, Yulia Peresild, Aleksandr Ilyin

Rating: NR

Runtime: 145 minutes





Perhaps the best way to describe Petrovs Flu, the latest from Russian stage and film director Kirill Serebrennikov, is as an extended cinematic fever dream. However, this simple assessment doesnt adequately capture the films overarching artistic thoughtfulness. It never descends into pure Dadaist absurdism, instead crafting a hallucinatory environment thats politically poetic in narrative and incisively innovative in visual style. Though Petrovs Flu is totally non-linear and at times deliriously dense, its 145-minute runtime hardly weighs on the viewer. Serebrennikov creates a compelling labyrinth of a story, composed of delusions, memories, projections, fantasies and banal real-life occurrencesall seamlessly blending and blurring together with exquisite precision. Based on the 2016 novel The Petrovs In and Around the Flu by Alexey Salnikov (a hit in Russia thats yet to be translated into English), the film begins with Petrov (Semyon Serzin) on a packed bus in bustling Yekaterinburg on New Years Eve. Pale, clammy and incessantly coughing, Petrov looks so ill that a woman gives up her seat and demands he get off his feet. You look cancerous, she plainly observes. Its just the flu, he counters before taking a load off. Just one minute later, the bus comes to a screeching halt. Petrov is beckoned off the vehicle, given a rifle and ordered to partake in a makeshift firing squad. Citizens in suits and lavish fur coats are unloaded from an unmarked van, lined up against a wall and swiftly shot dead. Hes thanked for his service and allowed to re-board the bus. His fellow riders look on behind dingy, fogged glasstheir faces are blank, almost bored. This all occurs less than five minutes into the film, imparting a sense of whiplash onto the viewer that is exhilarating in its immediacy. With Petrovs Flu finally releasing stateside after premiering at Cannes in 2021 (which the director was barred from physically attending), the liberatory nature of the film is entirely palpable. Like downing shots of vodka after receiving dizzyingly good news, the films harsh bitterness gives way to an intoxicating warmth that eats at the very fabric of reality. Only the sobering chill of the next morning will determine the veracity of the previous nights exploits, some actions far more uncanny than others only in retrospect.Natalia Keogan

Release Date: July 22, 2022

Director: Jordan Peele

Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun

Rating: R

Runtime: 130 minutes





Among his most amusing directorial quirks, Jordan Peele appreciates the melodrama of a good biblical citation: 2019s killer doppelganger vehicle Us tirelessly invokes Jeremiah 11:11 and his latest effort Nope opens with Nahum 3:6: I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle. Its that last clause which perfuses Nope, a shrewd, tactile yarn about a brother-sister rancher duo in pursuit of video evidence of a UFO circling their home. Though Peele routinely prods at the Hollywood machine and its spectacles, here he unlades it all: Image-making as brutality, catharsis, posterity, surveillance, homage, indulgence. Six months after a freak accident killed their father, siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) have taken over Haywoods Hollywood Horses, Agua Dulces intergenerational horse-wrangling business which specializes in equine showbiz. Working in beautiful contradistinction, Kaluuya plays OJ as stoic and reticentthe true older brother typeand Palmers Emerald is prodigiously magnetic and full of puckish chatter. After a series of strange happeningsblackouts, agitated horses, pained noises emanating from the canyonsOJ observes what appears to be a flying saucer gliding through the inky night sky. The next day he spots a cloud that doesnt move an inch. Suspecting a connection between the saucer and their fathers death, OJ and Emerald enlist the help of gawky, unstable techie Angel (Brandon Perea) and renowned documentarian Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott, excellent rasp) to obtain proof of the UFO, with intent to profit off of the footage. In a sense, the Haywoods want to make a movie. This is Peele rescripting the American film canon, asking what it means to engage with such an exclusionary medium. Shot in IMAX by Dutch cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytemaa Christopher Nolan regular, responsible for the slick, beautified landscapes of Interstellar, Dunkirk and TenetNope configures a world of sweeping, dusty landscapes and bloodied dwellings. Steven Spielberg is less a point of reference here than he is the emotional roadmap. The Close Encounters of the Third Kind comparisons write themselves, but notionally, Nope is more like Jaws in the sky. Parts neo-Western, family drama, sci-fi and cosmic horror, Nope sees Peele balance more throughlines here than ever before: Aliens, Muybridge revisionism, undigested grief, chimpanzee carnage, a punctilious documentarian chasing the impossible. Nope is indisputably one for Peelea spectacle in the least derogatory sense; a palimpsest of nostalgic blockbusters and Peeles deservedly self-assured vision of Hollywoods future; but mostly, a solution to and an undertaking of modernity.Saffron Maeve
The official opening ceremony of Dominikanski, the office complex developed by Skanska in Wroclaw, was held on 17th May 2016. The ceremony, which took place on the projects patio, dispensed with the usual formalities of cutting a ribbon. Instead the participants planted the symbolical plants which will decorate the Dominikanski

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Acting in its capacity as advisor for a German depositary bank, who is currently administrating the German Special-AIF UBS (D) Sector 3 Real Estate Europe, UBS Real Estate GmbH has sold the Nova Praga office building in Warsaw to Mazovia Capital. Cushman & Wakefield and Magnusson Law represented the vendor

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Phase II of the Rosada Fashion Outlet in Roosendaal has been officially opened (on Friday 13 May) with a major 8,000 sqm extension adding to a total of more than 23,000 sqm and generating more than 60.000 of footfall in its first weekend of trading. Rosada Fashion Outlet, which is

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SRV has signed an alliance agreement with Senate Properties on the renovation of the Lappeenranta police building. Part C of the state office building, located in the centre of Lappeenranta, will be completely renovated. In the project, all of the building systems, roof, facades and windows will be renewed. At

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A slightly subdued start to the first quarter of 2016 has seen just 3.7bn of closed European real estate loan (RE loan) and real estate owned (REO) sales completed following a record year in 2015, according to analysis by Cushman & Wakefield Corporate Finance. Despite volumes being down by 91%

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Dev Niyogi, Purdue University professor of agronomy and earth, atmospheric and planetary science and Indianas state climatologist, says its possible to design cities to reduce the effects of climate change. A tradeoff, he says, is that while the thermal load would decrease there, it would increase in the surrounding region, in effect spreading pollution around. (Purdue Agricultural Communication file photo/Tom Campbell)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Urban planners can take steps to reduce the heat cities may experience from climate change, but there would be other consequences and tradeoffs to consider, according to a study at Purdue University.

Dev Niyogi, a Purdue University professor of agronomy and earth, atmospheric and planetary science and Indianas state climatologist, wanted to know what effect, if any, urban planning could have on mitigating rising temperatures associated with urban heating and climate change. The amount of concrete and lack of vegetation in many large cities could make those places heat islands, where temperatures rise higher than in the suburbs or rural areas.

Are there ways the two synergize and make the combination of climate change and urbanization worse? Niyogi said. Or are there ways that we can utilize urban form and function in a way that can help us mitigate what is happening with climate change?

Niyogi and colleague Long Yang, a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University who had been a visiting scholar at Purdue, looked to Beijing, China, as a model. The two collaborated with researchers from Tsinghua University, IBM and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The city is developing in different ways, with some concentration in the city as well as areas where satellites cities are branching out.

It is sort of emblematic of the rapid urbanization taking place, Niyogi said.

Yang said most studies look at thermal loading as cities develop, but little is known about how the design of a city can affect its heat. In this scenario, they considered population doubling and either being in a compact, central city, or spread among a central city and several satellite cities.

Based on complex urban climate models, Niyogi, Yang and their collaborators found that creating polycentric cities - those with a center and suburban satellites - could reduce future temperatures in cities that are developed in a more compact way over time.

The thermal comfort over the old downtown area increased in the polycentric city compared to the compact city scenario, Yang said.

But that comes with tradeoffs.

All that heat and pollution doesnt just go away, Niyogi said. Those in satellite cities would have to travel longer distances as destinations are spread out, and that means more miles driven by vehicles and other forms of transportation. And while the thermal load would decrease in the central city, Niyogi and Yang found that the thermal load for the region increases to compensate.

In other words, the heat may simply spread around, and pollution is likely to increase.

Niyogi says that while there are no simple solutions, the decisions that go into urban planning will affect cities and their surrounding areas in some way as temperatures rise.

This will require an intimate interaction between the urban planning community and the urban climate community, Niyogi said. While people have been looking at it in a theoretical perspective, we take a real scenario, a real case, a real plan and show that it matters. How you design the city is going to matter in terms of the tradeoffs that well want to achieve for future climate and the impacts on the population.

Daniel Aliaga, associate professor of computer science at Purdue, employed inverse modeling tools to understand how changes in Beijings urban planning would affect temperatures and pollution. He can predict how changes in urban planning policy will affect the city in decades to come, as well as determining the types of changes that would be necessary to reach a desired outcome in the future. The hope is to develop easy-to-use tools for planning committees as they determine policies that will affect urban heating in their cities.

You could say, In 20 years, I want a particular case, so what should be the building setbacks and building heights, and what materials should I use to get there, Aliaga said. Thats a useful thing, to enable these visual and quick-responding tools for the concerned citizen,

Niyogi and Yang will continue to monitor Beijing and other urban areas, using wider spans of time to improve model projections.

The National Science Foundation funded this research.

Writer: Brian Wallheimer, 765-532-0233, brian.wallheimer@gmail.com

Sources: Dev Niyogi, 765-496-2926, climate@purdue.edu

Daniel Aliaga, 765-494-6010, aliaga@purdue.edu

ABSTRACT Contrasting impacts of urban forms on the future thermal environment: example of Beijing metropolitan area Long Yang 1,2,7, Dev Niyogi 1,3, Mukul Tewari 4, Daniel Aliaga 5, Fei Chen 6, Fuqiang Tian 2 and Guangheng Ni 2 1 Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 2 Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China 3 Department of Agronomy- Crops, Soils, Environmental Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 4 IBM, T J Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 5 Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 6 National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 7 Current address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey This study investigated impacts of urban forms on the future thermal environment over Beijing, the capital city of China. Beijing is experiencing remarkable urban expansion and is planned to undergo the transformation of urban forms from single-centric (compact-city)to poly-centric city (dispersed-city). Impacts of urban forms on the future thermal environment were compared and evaluated by conducting numerical experiments based on a regional atmospheric model coupled with a single-layer urban canopy model as well as future climate forcing output from a global climate model. Results show that a dispersed city is efficient in reducing mean urban heat island intensity, but produces larger thermal loading and deeper thermal feedback at the regional scale compared to a compact city. Thermal comfort over downtown areas is reduced in compact-city scenario under future climate conditions. Future climate contributes almost 80% of the additional thermal loading over urban areas, with the remaining 20% contributed by urbanization (for both the compact-city and dispersed-city scenarios). The thermal contrast between the two urban forms is dominated by the expected future climate change. This study leads to two complementary conclusions: (i) for developing assessments related to current climate comfort, urban form of the city is important; (ii) for assessing future climate change impacts, the areal coverage of the city and urbanization extent emerges to be more important than the details related to how the urbanization will evolve.

Agricultural Communications: (765) 494-2722;

Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu

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Contextual factors, such as the race of participants in an experiment or the geography of where the experiment was run, can reduce the likelihood of replicating psychological studies, a team of New York University researchers has found. Their work, which appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), analyzed papers examined by the Reproducibility Project in an effort to identify potential challenges to replicating scientific scholarship.

"The scientific community is continually evaluating how it can optimize its research process and should remain open to new practices to improve scholarship," observes Jay Van Bavel, an associate professor in NYU's Department of Psychology and the study's lead author. "These new findings suggest that we will need to improve both our methods and our theory if we want to improve reproducibility in science and we propose a roadmap for enhancing scientific research: scientists should avoid making universal generalizations based on limited data, explicitly define contextual factors that may influence their results, and work closely with original researchers to enhance reproducibility."

Last year, the Reproducibility Project, a collaborative of psychology researchers, sought to replicate the findings of 100 previously published psychology studies. However, it was able to do so with only 39 percent of these studies, raising questions about the validity of the original scholarship. In March, a group of psychology researchers from Harvard University and the University of Virginia published a critique in Science, raising doubts about the Reproducibility Project's findings. They concluded that its analysis was statistically flawed and that several replication studies were poorly designed.

In the new PNAS paper, the NYU researchers took a different approach--they focused on the nature of the research topic in the original studies. They re-analyzed all 100 papers that the Reproducibility Project sought to replicate, including some co-authored by other NYU faculty.

Specifically, they assessed the extent to which the effects reported in the original studies were likely to be influenced by contextual factors such as time (e.g., pre- vs. post-Recession), culture (e.g., Eastern vs. Western culture), location (e.g., rural vs. urban setting), or population (e.g., a racially diverse population vs. a predominantly white population). In other words, they appraised the contextual sensitivity of the topics in the original 100 studies. The coders were blind to the results of the Reproducibility Project's replication attempts for all the papers they coded.

The researchers then examined the relationship between ratings of contextual sensitivity (i.e., how likely context would affect the chances of replicating a given study) with the findings from the Reproducibility Project.

The results showed that context ratings predicted replication success even after statistically adjusting for methodological factors such as effect size and statistical power. Specifically, studies with higher contextual sensitivity ratings--where, for instance, altering the race or geographical location of study participants could alter the results--were less likely to be reproduced by the Reproducibility Project researchers.

In a second analysis, the NYU researchers examined which of the 100 replication studies were endorsed by the original authors--prior to the Reproducibility Project's data collection. Here they found that replication studies, which were not endorsed by the original authors, were far less likely to reproduce the results.

Van Bavel and his colleagues note that challenges facing replication are not limited to psychology--and stretch back hundreds of years. For example, Sir Isaac Newton alleged that his contemporaries were unable to replicate his research on the color spectrum of light due to bad prisms. After he was able to direct them to better prisms (ones produced in London, rather than Italy) they were able to reproduce his results. In modern times, studies using mice or rats may be hampered by subtle environmental differences, such as food, bedding, and light, which can affect biological and chemical processes that determine whether experimental treatments succeed or fail.
Chloride plays a key role in the formation of the basement membrane, a suprastructure on the outside of cells that undergirds and guides the function of most of the tissues of the body.

In particular, chloride signals the assembly of collagen IV "smart scaffolds," a critical step in basement membrane formation, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) reported in the Journal of Cell Biology.

"This is a fundamental discovery," said senior author Billy Hudson, Ph.D., Elliott V. Newman Professor of Medicine and director of the Center for Matrix Biology. It's the first signaling function identified for chloride, an electrolyte that helps maintain proper blood volume, blood pressure and acid/base balance.

Chloride's newly discovered role in establishing a "microenvironment" on the outside of cells highlights the importance of collagen IV in the evolution of animal tissues, Hudson said. It also suggests a potential way to treat or prevent diseases that affect the basement membrane.

Nineteen scientists from several departments and research centers at VUMC and Vanderbilt University contributed to the study, which began nine years ago. Four co-authors were participants in the "Aspirnaut" summer research program for high school and college students from disadvantaged backgrounds co-founded by Hudson and his wife, Julie Hudson, M.D.

Collagen IV scaffolds are found throughout the animal kingdom. They provide tensile strength to epithelial tissues, tether diverse macromolecules and growth factors, and bind integrins (cell surface receptors).

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In this respect, these extracellular scaffolds are a "molecular GPS," Hudson said, "laden with information about how cells grow and communicate with each other." Yet, even cell-matrix communication systems can be "blown up." That's what diabetes does to the kidney and cancer to tissues, he said. It disrupts communication.

During the past 45 years, Hudson and his colleagues have helped define the structure and function of the collagen IV scaffolds.

The building-block molecule is a triple helix, three strands twisted together like rope. One end of each ropelike chain is capped with a globule of amino acid molecules called the NC1 "domain." Scaffold assembly is initiated when the domains of two triple-helical molecules bind together.

Christopher Cummings, Ph.D., Vadim Pedchenko, Ph.D., and Kyle Brown, Ph.D., the first three authors of the paper, led the current study, which began when chloride was found on the surface of a crystallized domain. That got the researchers wondering: might chloride regulate the assembly of collagen IV chains into scaffolds?

Through a series of experiments, they showed that was the case: chloride is absolutely required for collagen IV assembly on the outside of cells. When chloride binds to NC1 domains, it "throws the switch," by inducing a conformational change, enabling them to fit together like puzzle pieces.

Since these binding motifs are found throughout the animal kingdom, "we infer that the switch is a fundamental mechanism of collagen IV scaffold assembly," the researchers concluded.

The researchers also showed that scaffold assembly was disrupted in fruit flies with a mutation in the gene for the NC1 domain. Similar mutations in humans have been associated with stroke and with Alport disease, a genetic disease that causes hearing loss and lung and kidney damage.

In an editorial accompanying the paper, Hudson said the discovery is "just a small window into this complex extracellular machinery." But one day, he added, it may be possible to treat certain basement membrane disorders by altering the chloride switch.
Researchers have made the first microscopic movies of liquids getting vaporized by the world's brightest X-ray laser at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The new data could lead to better and novel experiments at X-ray lasers, whose extremely bright, fast flashes of light take atomic-level snapshots of some of nature's speediest processes.

"Understanding the dynamics of these explosions will allow us to avoid their unwanted effects on samples," says Claudiu Stan of Stanford PULSE Institute, a joint institute of Stanford University and SLAC. "It could also help us find new ways of using explosions caused by X-rays to trigger changes in samples and study matter under extreme conditions. These studies could help us better understand a wide range of phenomena in X-ray science and other applications."

Caught on Camera: X-ray Laser Makes a Splash

Liquids are a common way of bringing samples into the path of the X-ray beam for analysis at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, and other X-ray lasers. At full power, ultrabright X-rays can blow up samples within a tiny fraction of a second. Fortunately, in most cases researchers can take the data they need before the damage sets in.

The new study, published today in Nature Physics, shows in microscopic detail how the explosive interaction unfolds and provides clues as to how it could affect X-ray laser experiments.

Stan and his team looked at two ways of injecting liquid into the path of the X-ray laser: as a series of individual drops or as a continuous jet. For each X-ray pulse hitting the liquid, the team took one image, timed from five billionths of a second to one ten-thousandth of a second after the pulse. They strung hundreds of these snapshots together into movies.

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"Thanks to a special imaging system developed for this purpose, we were able to record these movies for the first time," says co-author Sebastien Boutet from LCLS. "We used an ultrafast optical laser like a strobe light to illuminate the explosion, and made images with a high-resolution microscope that is suitable for use in the vacuum chamber where the X-rays hit the samples."

The footage shows how an X-ray pulse rips a drop of liquid apart. This generates a cloud of smaller particles and vapor that expands toward neighboring drops and damages them. These damaged drops then start moving toward the next-nearest drops and merge with them.

In the case of jets, the movies show how the X-ray pulse initially punches a hole into the stream of liquid. This gap continues to grow, with the ends of the jet on either side of the gap beginning to form a thin liquid film. The film develops an umbrella-like shape, which eventually folds back and merges with the jet.

Predicting Future Challenges and Opportunities

Based on their data, the researchers were able to develop mathematical models that accurately describe the explosive behavior for a number of factors that researchers vary from one LCLS experiment to another, including pulse energy, drop size and jet diameter.

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They were also able to predict how gap formation in jets could pose a challenge in experiments at the future light sources European XFEL in Germany and LCLS-II, under construction at SLAC. Both are next-generation X-ray lasers that will fire thousands of times faster than current facilities.

"The jets in our study took up to several millionths of a second to recover from each explosion, so if X-ray pulses come in faster than that, we may not be able to make use of every single pulse for an experiment," Stan says. "Fortunately, our data show that we can already tune the most commonly used jets in a way that they recover quickly, and there are ways to make them recover even faster. This will allow us to make use of LCLS-II's full potential."

The movies also show for the first time how an X-ray blast creates shock waves that rapidly travel through the liquid jet. The team is hopeful that these data could benefit novel experiments, in which shock waves from one X-ray pulse trigger changes in a sample that are probed by a subsequent X-ray pulse. This would open up new avenues for studies of changes in matter that occur at time scales shorter than currently accessible.

Other institutions involved in the study were Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Germany; Princeton University; and Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland. Funding was received from the DOE Office of Science; Max Planck Society; Human Frontiers Science Project; and SLAC's Laboratory Directed Research & Development program.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5bH01qNN0Y

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Conspiracy theories and pseudoscientific claims refuting the facts around Zika virus vaccines could be putting vulnerable people at risk, according to a new study published in Vaccine. By analyzing social media in real time, researchers were able to identify conversations about Zika virus vaccines and pinpoint the conspiracy theories being discussed.

The researchers behind the study, from George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Georgia in the US, say health authorities could make use of their real-time social media monitoring method to keep track of and respond to conspiracy theories that could harm public health.

Zika virus is found in Asia, Africa and South America, with Brazil and neighboring countries seeing a significant rise in cases in recent months. Spread by mosquitos and through sexual intercourse, Zika virus has also been linked to babies being born with small heads and brains -- a condition called microcephaly.

There is still uncertainty around the origin and effects of Zika virus. Because of this, it has been subject to many conspiracy theories and pseudo-scientific claims. These claims, while lacking authority and easily disproven, can have a lasting effect on people's health-related decisions.

One such pseudoscientific claim was that microcephaly is caused by the MMR vaccine and pharmaceutical companies are blaming Zika virus in order to profit from selling Zika vaccines. If people who are concerned and searching for information about Zika come across this story, they may be led to avoid vaccination and distrust health authorities.

"Once people have made up their minds about something it's hard for them to change their opinions," said lead author Prof. Mark Dredze from Johns Hopkins University. "I'd find it surprising if this sort of story really had no impact whatsoever, and I can't imagine it would make people more likely to pursue a healthy response."

To investigate the impact of the claims, the team monitored Twitter in real-time, which meant they could identify conversations as soon as they happened. The method gave them a fast insight into what people were talking about online. They identified nearly 140,000 Tweets between 1 January and 29 April 2016 that contained the keywords "vaccine" and "Zika." They observed a number of conspiracy theories, or pseudoscientific claims, questioning why governments wanted a vaccine.

"Even though the science is relatively clear, we found many conspiracy theories that could be affecting people's health-related decisions, such as whether to vaccinate," said corresponding author Prof. David Broniatowski from George Washington University. "Unfortunately, the people most affected are from the most vulnerable communities, with little access to the facts."

The researchers say public health authorities must address people's concerns and debunk unscientific claims if they are to ensure a vaccine is effective. One way to do this, they say, is using their method of tracking conversations on social media. The method cuts the time it takes between the researcher wondering what people are talking about and them finding out, potentially making it much faster for a public health response to be mounted.

"Shortly after Zika rose to prominence, we were able to track these conversations very quickly using our social media monitoring method," said Prof. Broniatowski. "This is a promising approach to the fast response to disease, and could help counteract the negative impact of these conspiracy theories in future."
Drinking during early to mid-adolescence can lead to vulnerability to chronic stress, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

A research team led by Linda Spear, distinguished professor of psychology at Binghamton University, gave alcohol to rats every other day, starting from early to mid-adolescence. When the team looked at the same rats in adulthood, they found that adult males didn't show hormonal stress adaptation, making them more vulnerable to chronic stress.

"Stress hormones are released when you get anxious or are in a stressful circumstance," said Spear. "The classic stress hormone is cortisol in humans; it's corticosterone in rats. When you expose the animals to a stressor, the first time they show a large hormone stress response. However, this hormonal response normally adapts over time, such that less hormone is released following repeated exposure to a relatively mild stressor. And that's important, because cortisol or corticosterone helps you respond to an emergency. But it's bad to have elevated levels in the long term, because sustained elevations in these levels of these hormones have adverse effects on a lot of body systems. So cortisol is needed for emergencies, but you don't want it elevated all the time. And what we found is that following adolescent alcohol exposure, adults don't show that hormonal stress adaptation. They don't adapt to the chronic stressor, which suggests that they may be more vulnerable later to chronic stress."

Spear's work is a part of a national consortium, funded by the National Institute of Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, that's examining, using animal models, the effects of alcohol exposure during adolescence.

"I think what these studies are showing is that there are long-lasting effects from adolescent alcohol exposure, and it is not innocuous. And these effects are most dramatic with exposures during mid- and early adolescence, which is the time when alcohol use is typically initiated in humans. So now we're trying to understand the neural mechanisms that underlie these effects, and ways to prevent or reverse consequences of adolescent alcohol exposure," said Spear.
An international study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found evidence that marine life can easily invade Antarctic waters from the north, and could be poised to colonise the rapidly-warming Antarctic marine ecosystems.

The Antarctic Polar Front, a strong ocean front formed where cold Antarctic water meets warmer waters to the north, has historically been seen as a barrier preventing movement of marine life.

But the study has found the Antarctic Polar Front is often crossed by floating kelp that can form rafts carrying crustaceans, worms, snails and other seaweeds across hundreds of kilometres of open ocean.

"So far, the northern species don't seem to be surviving long in the cold, icy Antarctic. But with climate change and warming oceans, many non-Antarctic species could soon colonise the region," said lead researcher Dr Ceridwen Fraser, from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society.

"We now know marine species from the north can easily get into Antarctic waters. The Antarctic is one of the world's fastest warming regions, and the consequences of new species establishing there could lead to drastic ecosystem changes," Dr Fraser said.

The evidence was collected by surveys of floating kelp. On three different ship voyages in 2008, 2013 and 2014, researchers counted drifting seaweed species in both sub-Antarctic and Antarctic water.

"Although we saw more seaweed north of the Polar Front, we still found lots of kelp in Antarctic water, especially just south of the Front," said co-author Professor Peter Ryan, from the University of Cape Town.

Dr Fraser said the study will help scientists to plan strategies for conserving Antarctica's unique marine life.

"We've been focusing a lot on minimising plants and animals being accidentally carried into the Antarctic by humans, for example with ship ballast water," Dr Fraser said.

"This research shows that some species can also get into the region without our help."

The research has been published in the journal Ecography.
A 195-year-old discovery is behind a new system that will save vehicles hundreds of litres of fuel and reduce their carbon emissions by as much as 2 to 3 tonnes per year.

Working with automotive manufacturer Scania, researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology have been testing semi trucks equipped with a system that converts exhaust heat into power -- through a process called thermoelectric generation (TEG). The voltage produced by the system can power the truck and reduce the strain on the engine, explains researcher Arash Risseh.

The TEG system operates on the principle of the thermoelectric effect, by which differences in temperature are converted into voltage -- a phenomenon discovered in 1821 by German physicist Thomas Johann Seebeck, and often referred to as the "Seebeck effect."

"Most fuel energy is not used to drive a truck forward," Risseh says. "Some 30 percent of this unused energy is lost as heat from the exhaust pipes."

A truck that generates 440kW would see about 132kW of energy disappear in the form of heat coming out of the exhaust pipes, he says. "That's enough to power a typical passenger vehicle."

Capturing this excess energy takes a load off the truck's generator, and in turn, the engine, Risseh says. That means better fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

The Seebeck effect requires a temperature differential -- cool on one end of the circuit and hot on the other, which means a truck must rely on a coolant in order to stimulate the voltage. Cooling the circuit is easier with natural alternatives, such as seawater for a ship's engines. Ships also make good candidates for TEG because their buoyancy offsets the constraints of weight and volume that road vehicles face, he says.

TEG is also regarded as a potential energy saver in data centres that are located in cold climates. Near the Arctic circle in northern Sweden, a data centre that uses 1 Terawatt hour per year could potentially recover 1 Gigawatt per year -- a savings of some EUR 100,000, he says.

The research project, which is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, also includes partners Eberspacher, TitanX and Swerea IVF.
Monday, 23 May 2016 23:41:53 (GMT+3) |

Mexico s economic activity improved 3 percent in March, year-on-year, according to data released by the nations statistics agency, Inegi.





According to Inegi, primary activities in March declined 0.2 percent, year-on-year, while secondary and tertiary activities in the same month rose 0.3 and 4.5 percent, respectively, year-on-year.





In the month-on-month comparison, both primary and secondary activities in March fell 4 and 0.2 percent, while tertiary activities increased 0.5 percent, year-on-year in the same month.


<p><em>Foothills Animal Shelter</em><span></span></p>

Trooper the kitten used to live underneath a porch in Colorado, surrounded by his four siblings. He had been alive for only 10 days when he and his family were attacked by a dog. Trooper and his sister, Patience, were the only survivors. A Good Samaritan came across the two kittens and brought them to the Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, which then contacted the Foothills Animal Shelter. Trooper's situation was particularly dire - his right front leg was so mangled that there was no choice but to amputate it.

Foothills Animal Shelter

But at just 10 days old he was far too young to undergo surgery. Both Trooper and his sister could barely open their eyes, let alone walk properly.

Dodo Shows Little But Fierce Pocket-Sized Kitten Grows Up To Be A Wild Woman

Foothills Animal Shelter

"Anesthesia for such young animals can be very dangerous, but we knew without the surgery he wouldn't survive, so we decided to take the chance," Dr. Emily Hays, chief veterinarian at Foothills, said in a press release.

Patience, Trooper's sister | Foothills Animal Shelter

Against all odds and expectations, Trooper survived the extremely risky surgery.

Trooper and Dr. Hays | Foothills Animal Shelter

The next step of his journey was recovery. Trooper was placed into a foster home with his sister, where both of them were bottle-fed, and Trooper was monitored carefully. His wounds and bandages had to be cleaned daily to prevent him from getting an infection.

Foothills Animal Shelter

But Trooper stayed true to his name and, two months later, he's just as rambunctious and happy as any other kitten, with a healthy love of toys. Naturally, with such a charming personality, it didn't take long for both him and his sister to be adopted out to different homes.

Foothills Animal Shelter

"We feel so fortunate that he's a part of our family and settling in nicely," Cindy H., Trooper's new mom, said in the press release.

Trooper with Dave and Cindy H., his new family
Did you know a bank can place a hold on a certified cheque you deposit into your account?

When that happened to Chris Priess, he asked me to find out why and to get back the $52 cheque certification fee. I succeeded only on the first count.

On March 24, Priess closed a deal to sell his house. He asked his lawyers to deposit a certified cheque for $390,000 into his RBC account.

Later that day, he went to his RBC branch to get a $100,000 bank draft for a business transaction. To his surprise, although the funds were shown as deposited, there was a hold placed on the certified cheque.

I had a contractual commitment for those funds, so not having access was frustrating and stressful. I had assumed a certified cheque was guaranteed money, especially when drawn from a lawyers trust account, he said.

Because it was a holiday weekend, Priess was told he had to wait up to five business days for the cheque to be cleared. In the end, he had the money released two days after complaining to the branch manager.

RBC usually tells the customer in advance when it places a hold on a certified cheque. Its policy was not followed in this case, said spokeswoman Kathy Bevan.

Better communication to this client at the time the deposit was being made would have been helpful, she said.

When a bank certifies a cheque, it collects the funds up front from the person or company paying them. This allows the bank to guarantee that the funds will be available for payment.

Holds are placed to protect clients and banks from fraudulent activity, she explained. Certified cheques can be targeted for fraud, since large amounts of money can be involved.

For example, holds are required when the funds being deposited  including certified cheques  exceed the funds that customers have readily available in their accounts.

Holds are also applied when a certified cheque comes from another financial institution or a third party, Bevan said.

While RBC can verify certified cheques issued by RBC for deposit into an RBC account right away, it cant do so when a certified cheque is written from an account outside the bank.

We understand the inconvenience that placing a hold on a certified cheque can cause, she said. However, holds help to mitigate the real potential of a fraud impacting our clients.

We have to take reasonable precautions to ensure a certified cheque is valid. Our first line of fraud protection is to put a hold in effect  typically four business days  to ensure payment by the issuing party.

My advice: If you make a deposit of funds that exceed the funds readily available in your account, do it as early as possible to avoid any potential delays in getting access to your funds.

Fridge fracas

In another case, I worked with a customer whose one-year-old refrigerator was damaged in a household move.

Linda Blatt chose Two Men and a Truck, a franchised mover in Toronto and member of the Canadian Association of Movers, because she was assured that customer satisfaction was guaranteed. The trucks are painted with a slogan, Movers who care.

When she reported the damage, she was offered a cash payment of $1,890 for the LG 25-cubic-foot fridge (her original cost). She felt that wasnt enough.

The model had been discontinued and replaced by one that sold for $2,269 (because of the Canada-U.S. currency gap). She would also lose the four-year extended warranty she had purchased.

I was taken in by their verbal guarantee, she said. I dont want to lay out $500 for a replacement model and new warranty. I only want what I started out with  an almost-new, undamaged appliance.

Chuck Resnick, vice-president of marketing and operations at Two Men and a Truck Canada, spoke to the franchisee after I got involved.

He has agreed to replace the old fridge with the brand new one and have it delivered directly to Ms. Blatt, he said. Our franchisee will also, at his cost, pick up the customers scratched fridge and remove it from her home.

Two Men has the right to give a refund for the depreciated value only, Resnick told me. But it also has a policy that says, If we damage it, we will fix or replace it.

My advice: Ask about compensation for damage before hiring a mover. What is the total coverage you get? What is the limit per item? What is the deductible? Is the coverage market value or replacement value?

It also helps to tell the company you wont recommend it to others if theres an issue. Service suppliers rely on client endorsements.

In its ads, Two Men boasts of a 96 per cent referral rating from happy customers. Paying $500 more to replace a fridge can be worth the cost to ensure a positive endorsement.

Ellen Rosemans column appears Tuesdays in Smart Money. She deals with consumer issues involving large companies. You can reach her at eroseman@thestar.ca or send a message though her website, www.ellenroseman.com

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TOKYOPrime Minister Justin Trudeau personally invited Japanese auto executives Tuesday in Tokyo to invest more in Canada.

But it appears his efforts in Japan wont secure immediate, concrete commitments from the auto industry.

Trudeau met with parts manufacturers and the presidents of three auto companies: Honda, Toyota and Subaru.

The CEO of Fuji Heavy Industries, the firm that makes Subaru, told Trudeau he doesnt have any plans to expand capacity in the near term, though he might in the future, the prime ministers press secretary Cameron Ahmad said after the meeting.

Trudeau was asked what his auto sector meetings might yield at a news conference later Tuesday.

I am very much in the relationship-building mode, where were talking about the kinds of challenges and opportunities that companies are facing, said Trudeau, who met with Fuji Heavy Industries Yasuyuki Yoshinaga at the official residence of Canadas ambassador to Japan.

There are of course many positive conversations being had, not just by me but by our Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, by Canadians working around the world to highlight the extraordinary opportunities to invest in our country.

Unlike Toyota and Honda, Subaru does not have an operation in Canada.

As part of his pitch, the prime minister also told Yoshinaga that Canadians are innovative and focused on quality.

Trudeau also sat down Tuesday with his Japanese counterpart to discuss the countries business ties as well as security co-operation before the Group of Seven summit later this week.

His meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was expected to address issues like investment, education and trade, such as the huge 12-country treaty known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

For his part, Abe was expected to raise a pressing subject for the Japanese: regional security.

Japan is deeply concerned about North Koreas recent nuclear tests and missile launches as well as an ongoing territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea and South China Sea.

Following their meeting in February, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida issued a statement reconfirming their commitment to maintaining a rules-based order in international maritime law.

Without naming China, they also said they opposed the use of intimidation, force or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo in the Asia-Pacific.

When it comes to China, Keio University law professor Masayuki Tadokoro said Japan will listen carefully to Trudeaus words on the matter. The concern is Canada may not want to take very strong position due its economic interests in China.

Canada has always been watching toward the east and south because Canada is an Atlantic state, Kenjiro Monji, Japans ambassador to Canada, said in an interview last week.

Canada is also a Pacific nation and it is only recently that Canadians started to look to the west, but only through economic lenses.

Abe is also expected to urge Trudeau to move quickly to open up Canadian liquefied natural gas exports to Japan.

Japan, the worlds biggest importer of LNG, is hoping Canada will issue necessary environmental permits to allow companies to export it from British Columbia.

Monji said LNG is still very important energy source for his country, which makes Canada one of the most promising potential exporters to Japan. He noted that Japanese companies are involved in several LNG projects in Canada.

Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, visited the Meiji Shrine and met with the emperor and empress of Japan.

Trudeaus Tokyo visit comes ahead of the G7 summit on Thursday and Friday in Ise-Shima.

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The book worm has turned.

Local libraries are making noise about eBook prices, saying that they pay multinational publishers up to five times more than average consumers do for the same titles.

And libraries  including ones in Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax and Vancouver  say theyd like things to change, so that they can pay according to their size and needs, rather than using the current one-size-fits-all model.

That model is part of whats causing higher prices for them, says to Kate Edwards, executive director of the Association of Canadian Publishers.

Theyre not tailored to the Canadian market, Edwards said of the way international publishers evaluate libraries reach and determine prices. Many publishers also charge in U.S. dollars, which adds to the cost for Canadian branches.

Last summer, four Canadian public libraries began pushing for change; since then, their group, Canadian Public Libraries for Fair Book Pricing, has grown to include 29 systems. Libraries say demand for their eBooks has grown 1,200 per cent since 2009, and meeting that is denting their budgets.

In February, the group outlined its demands in an open letter to the Big Five publishers  Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Random House and Simon & Schuster.

They have a meeting scheduled with Simon & Schuster this month as a result, said Toronto Public Library city librarian Vickery Bowles. And one major publisher, Penguin Random House, has agreed to offer better prices for its digital books

Libraries say the eBook prices they face are 1.5 to five times what consumers pay, and have not been adjusted to take the drop in the Canadian dollar into account (apart from the recent changes by Penguin Random House). They say charges from Canadian publishers, with whom they meet regularly, are not a problem.

In the case of a James Patterson crime book, the library groups says, average readers pay $14.99, while a library pays $121 per copy (which would be read by multiple patrons). And some publishers eBooks expire after a year, so libraries must repurchase the stock.

For print books, well pay $18 to $25, said Bowles of the Toronto library. Theres no premium; in fact, we get volume discounts.

Why the high prices? My understanding is that publishers are concerned that borrowing an eBook is so much easier, said Bowles, adding that she understands why there would be a premium, but the current rate isnt sustainable for public institutions.

HarperCollins Canada says the prices they offer libraries are already similar to what the group is asking for  except for the expiry its placed on eBooks after 26 consecutive lends, determined by the publisher to be the average uses a physical library book gets before breaking or becoming unpopular.

HarperCollins is committed to the library channel and has a model that supports library purchasing . . . . Our model is designed to be cost-effective for libraries and based on actual usage, the publisher said in an emailed statement.

Though the library group has reached out to government agencies, including the Competition Bureau and minister of Canadian heritage, they arent suggesting what the legislative tools are to help with that, Bowles said.

Its unclear which government department could create policy surrounding the public purchasing of eBooks. Ottawa councillor and chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Tim Tierney says regulation could come from the Copyright Act. It dictates who can use something without being sued, in a nutshell, Tierney said, adding that the act was amended in 2012 so that schools dont have to pay to play films and music in their classrooms.

Were not asking for free, but were asking for fair, he says.

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Travelling through Cambodia recently, I saw tinder-dry fields baking in 40-degree heat, evidence of the countrys severe drought, now defined as the worst in a half-century.

Rice planting has been delayed and its not uncommon to see boats run aground in the countrys famous lake, the Tonle Sap. By Aprils end the Phnom Penh Post was reporting water shortages in 18 of the countrys 25 provinces, from Siem Reap to Kampot.

Yet on Tuesday the kings royal oxen showed their favour for dishes of rice over grass at a ceremony held at the temple ruins of Angkor Wat, leading the royal palaces astrologer to predict a bountiful harvest.

And so the story of Cambodia starts to assume the shape of a parable and the visitor attempts to square what is evident to the naked eye with pronouncements from the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

There are multiple business angles here. At the start of June the International Labor Organization holds its 105th international conference, in Geneva, an opportunity to address the application of the countrys new and contentious labour law. In April the ILO reflected on key concerns and gaps with the law through the drafting process. These are mainly related to insufficient protection of the right of all workers and employers to freely set up organizations of their own choosing, the ILO said in a release, and of the right of these organizations to decide on their internal matters without interference, as part of Cambodias obligations under ratified ILO conventions.

In mid-May, a group of independent UN human rights experts, including the special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, called for the government to cease its crackdown on human rights defenders, parliamentarians, UN personnel and civil society at large. The escalation of criminal charges, questioning, court proceedings and public statements against them must cease, the group of rights experts said. We urge the Cambodian authorities to ensure a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders and civil society, which play a critical role in holding the Government to account and bringing benefits of human rights to the whole of Cambodia society.

The particulars are bizarre. On May 2 a group of human rights activists from ADHOC, the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, were arrested. Four of those were charged with bribery and sent to prison in Phnom Penh. The charges centre on the alleged bribery of a hairdresser, her silence apparently bought to deny an affair with Kem Sokha, the acting vice-president of the Cambodian National Rescue Party. The CNRP is the prime opposition to Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party. The circumstances, say the UN experts, generally suggest that this entire episode is nothing more than a politically-motivated persecution of civil society.

So-called Black Monday protests, named for the black T-shirts worn by human rights defenders protesting the arrests, resulted in the detention of a further eight activists. The wearing of the T-shirts was unauthorized, the government says. Offering clarity, the countrys defence minister offered: If you want to protest, it is OK. But you have to ask for permission. Ask for permission, and it will either be allowed or not allowed.

International NGOs face an equally tough go of it. Nine months ago, the CPP passed the Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organizations. International NGOs have to register with the Ministry of the Interior and sign a memorandum of understanding before undertaking any activities. According to the International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law, the memorandum requires INGOs to carry out its humanitarian projects in other locations or provincial cities upon due approval of relevant governmental authorities based on government priorities. Article 18 requires INGOs to work in close consultation with counterpart government institutions and local authorities to implement the approved projects or programs.

NGOs and INGOS are required to refrain from activity in support of any political party.

Censure has extended to well-known political analyst Ou Virak, who, in seeking the truth behind the Kem Sokha affair, has been slammed with a defamation suit by the ruling party. The government is stoking an atmosphere of fear, Virak said of the suit.

Many observers credit next years local elections, and the national elections to follow in 2018, as the motivating factors behind the sweeping and aggressive moves on the part of Hun Sen and the CPP. That should make for an interesting dialogue at the international labour conference in June, as delegates discuss the global supply chain and the repressive political regime that rules Cambodias part in it.

jenwells@thestar.ca

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When Belinda Stronach turned the big 5-0 in May, there was no party, no special trip.

The Toronto heiress  whose family fortune is estimated at $1.4 billion  opted, instead, for a low-key dinner around the corner of her house, at Nao, on Avenue Rd., where, she notes, there were no candles.

Every day is a great day, she went on, giving me the spiel over a cappuccino (almond milk, please) at the Four Seasons, some days later. Every day is a blessing.

Looking great in a short-but-not-too-short skirt, and giving off a dont-sweat-the-small-or-big-stuff serenity thats a part of the Stronach arsenal, her birthday philosophy struck me as the M.O. for the way shes been operating of late: not exactly hiding, but quietly, and on her own terms.

It wasnt always thus. In the mid-naughts  back when Lost was still on the air, and selfie not yet a word  the woman known simply as Belinda was as ubiquitous as Justin is today in the Canadian sphere. Living her life in big font, the erstwhile politician and irrepressible businesswoman  known for her party-hopping, in Parliament and beyond, and her vivid romantic resume  was someone youd see here at Bymark (with her friend Bill Clinton, for instance), or making the charity-round circuits in Montreal (with Prince Andrew on her arm).

Once ranked No. 2 by Fortune Magazine in its list of most powerful women in business, she also made Times 100 Most Influential list (the same list Prime Minister Trudeau made this year), flying into the party for the list in Manhattan where  with my own eyes  I saw Martha Stewart buttonholing Stronach to tell her, We need more women in politics!

Today  after that abbreviated legislative career, a victorious battle with breast cancer, spending a fine fraction of the year at a home she has in California, and a renewed focus on her two children  shes venturing back into the spotlight. Somewhat. The lemony beauty is, for one, the honorary chair of the arty perennial thats the Power Ball, happening June 2, to support the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. Sponsored by Max Mara, and spearheaded by the gallerys power director Gaetane Verna, the fundraiser is a tentpole event, and Belinda  who tells me shes been collecting since she was 20  was only too happy to be involved.

I remember not buying Cindy Sherman and John Currin. . . she laments, remembering all the through-the-roof-now pieces that got away.

Whats hanging over her sofa these days, art-wise?

A video art piece by the legendary Marina Abramovic, she says. It loops. Takes about 45 minutes, and in the dark, it kinda scares everyone.

Stronachs involvements now run a spectrum: they include the recently opened Belindas Place, York Regions only shelter for homeless women (I did not ask for it to be named that, she sidebars) to her romp in the fountain of youth with an investment in the ingestible beauty brand, Age Quencher (its beauty from the inside out) to her partnership in the private equity firm Acasta Capital.

Her principal focus these days? Building the next generation of racing fans in her stewardship of The Stronach Group, the leading owner of horse tracks in America. The demo-shift has involved luring Jennifer Lawrence to a track, and also a big VIP tent that Stronach just hosted at The Preakness, a marquee thoroughbred race held every third Saturday in May in Maryland. Soho House meets Ralph Lauren, was the concept for the do.

The family enterprise connects a lot of dots: not only is her daughter, Nikki, a professional rider (shes jumping all over the world), but her son, Frank, is an in-demand DJ who was on hand to play at The Preakness. Both 20-somethings  their father is Belindas first husband, Don Walker  have a great deal of charm, from what Ive observed.

My kids are awesome people, Stronach tells me. We legitimately have fun together.

Asked what her own father  auto parts mogul Frank Stronach  makes of his namesake DJ grandson, she tells me that hes into music and young people, though, admittedly, my dad doesnt totally understand the DJ world.

Does she have time for romance? We had to ask, of course.

Know any candidates? demurs Stronach, whose paramour-parade has included everyone from Norwegian Olympian Johann Olav Koss (her second husband) to Toronto Maple Leaf Tie Domi to, perhaps most famously, former Tory pretty boy Peter MacKay. No, shes not against the idea of marrying again. No, she doesnt have a type. No, there isnt currently anyone special.

Yes, shes remained on good terms with all her exes  except for MacKay. Since their sensational front-page breakup more than 10 years ago  when she stunned her beau by crossing the floor to become a Liberal  she hasnt spoken to him. About the woman that became MacKays wife, Nazanin Afshin-Jam  activist, writer and a former Miss World Canada  Stronach says she knew her way back when. Shes cool, she tells me.

Life is great, she reiterates finally, giving me an everyday-is-a-birthday beam as were wrapping. Ive packed a lot in. Be a good person, and have fun. What else is there in life?

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Kevin Massey is careful not to give away the devious manner in which he dispatches the large DYsquith family in A Gentlemans Guide toLove & Murder.

As greedy heir Monty Navarro, he needs to get rid of eight relatives to get his hands on the family loot in the Tony Award-winning musical comedy opening Wednesday at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

The action takes place in Victorian England with sumptuous costumes that netted a Tony for costume designer Linda Cho. The show also won Best Musical in 2014 and Best Direction.

Monty is driven to these murderous extremes because the woman he loves wont marry him if hes poor. Meanwhile, he has started to like another young lady and his antics to keep the two love interests apart stops the show every night, Massey says.

He didnt want to give away too much, but he did say two instances of his knocking somebody off involve bees getting angry and a skating incident.

As each dearly departed is carted off the stage the audience is in stitches, says Massey, who has been touring with the production since September 2015.

They are really fun ways to go, says Massey.

Come prepared to laugh your head off.

The actor, whos onstage for the entire musical, praises the creative team behind the production.

Robert L. Freedman won a Tony for the book of the musical, and he and Steven Lutvak, who composed the music, were also nominated for the original score.

Among the songs are the crowd-pleasing Ive Decided to Marry You, Poison in My Pocket and I Dont Know What Id Do.

The lines are so clever and so are the jokes, says Massey. Also its very physical; all these crazy falls and timing. This is not a typical Broadway show. It is so physical.

Massey, who did pre-med studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before turning to performing, has been in four Broadway shows, including Gentlemans Guide, Tarzan, Memphis and Big River. He is married to actress Kara Lindsay of Broadways Little House on the Prairie.

In Gentlemans Guide, a cast of 11 play multiple roles, particularly John Rapson, who plays all eight DYsquith family members.

In fact, spying the actors as they take the stage in various roles is a game the audience plays, says Massey, the only actor to play just one character. Many people return to the show to sort out the players.

Masseys not worried about Toronto audiences getting the humour.

Toronto is a great theatre town. This is right up their alley, he says.

A Gentlemans Guide to Love & Murder is at the Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. W., until June 26. go to mirvish.com for information.

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CALGARYThe Crown agrees a young man was suffering from a mental disorder when he stabbed five people to death at a Calgary house party two years ago.

The two psychiatrists and psychologist who testified last week at Matthew de Groods trial did careful, thorough work and have vast experience dealing with such cases, prosecutor Neil Wiberg said during his closing arguments on Tuesday.

As an officer of the court, I do not take issue with the reports that are provided by these three experts, Wiberg told the packed courtroom.

I agree that the accused was suffering psychosis, which qualifies as a disease of the mind, on a balance of probabilities. And I also agree that on a balance of probabilities, the accused was incapable of realizing his acts were morally wrong.

The trial heard evidence that de Grood became withdrawn about a month before the attack on April 15, 2014 and started posting about the end of the world, religion, vampires and Darth Vader on Facebook.

He reported hearing voices telling him to kill and believed the end of the world was coming before he grabbed a knife from a kitchen in the northwest Calgary home and stabbed the victims to death.

Killed in the attack were Kaitlin Perras, 23; Lawrence Hong, 27; Josh Hunter, 23; Zackariah Rathwell, 21; and Jordan Segura, 22.

Defence lawyer Allan Fay said in his closing argument that his client believed he was defending himself from werewolves and vampires at the time.

Some might question the manner in which he did it. The stabbings seem somewhat purposeful, but Mr. de Grood explained that in his delusions, he believed that the only real way to kill demons of this nature was to stab them in the heart, Fay told the court.

He was not trying to be cruel. He was trying to do this as best he could under the circumstances. He truly believed that his life would be forfeit if he did not.

Wiberg said the experts weighed all possible alternatives  including that de Grood may have been feigning mental illness or intoxicated  before coming to the conclusion that de Grood, now 24, was suffering psychosis at the time of the killings.

There was a rapid descent into that state where he committed these five murders, said Wiberg. They were done with brutality and ruthless efficiency. The psychotic episode that affected his mind did not reduce his effectiveness as a killing machine.

Alberta Justice Eric Macklin is to release his verdict on Wednesday.

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OTTAWA  International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced an additional $331.5 million in humanitarian aid at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

Bibeau says in a statement Tuesday that the new funding will help the most vulnerable in more than 32 countries.

Those who will receive the funding include United Nations humanitarian agencies, the Red Cross and non-governmental organizations, as well as Canadian organizations.

Todays announcement was made on the final day of the summit.

On Monday, Bibeau announced $274 million in humanitarian and development aid that focused on emergency response, child protection and food security.

During the summit, the statement says Bibeau emphasized the need to focus on women and girls in every humanitarian response, as well as Canadas commitment to be innovative and make every dollar count. She also assured that Canada will continue to defend humanitarian principles.

Given the size of current humanitarian needs, Canada is committed to working with all partners  including those at the local level  to combine our strengths and maximize the impact we have on humanitarian crises, Bibeau said.

We are especially concerned with women and girls, who are often the most vulnerable in crises. That is why they are at the heart of Canadas humanitarian response.

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The Canadian governments designation of an Egyptian man as a threat to national security is unreasonable, a federal court judge has ruled.

The decision in favour of Mahmoud Jaballah, a father of six, could see the end of an ordeal that first saw Canada brand him as a terrorist more than 16 years ago.

I conclude that the security certificate filed by the minister is not reasonable and will be set aside, Federal Court Judge Dolores Hansen said in her decision.

Classified reasons will also be issued and will include the information that cannot be disclosed for reasons of national security.

The public reasons for Hansens decision were not immediately available Tuesday.

The government has long insisted that Jaballah, now 54, was a ranking member of the Vanguards of Conquest, an Egyptian group linked to Al Qaeda.

His lawyers argued the government had failed to produce independent evidence that Mahjoub ever committed, or would commit, terrorist acts. They also said Canadas spy agency had made no attempts to investigate or verify information about him it was given by foreign intelligence services.

A beaming Jaballah, of Toronto, who came to Canada in 1995 and was initially granted refugee status, was not immediately able to comment on Hansens ruling due to court-imposed conditions, but his lawyer, Marlys Edwardh, told The Canadian Press it had been a long and difficult ordeal.

He has spent, earlier on, years in a maximum-security setting, part of it in solitary confinement . . . merely because of the allegations, Edwardh said.

A spokesman for the minister of public safety said the ruling was under review and the government would have no immediate comment.

Jaballah was originally arrested in Canada in 1999 under a highly criticized national security certificate based largely on secret evidence he was not allowed to see. That certificate was quickly deemed unreasonable, but the government issued a second one in 2001, which was upheld in 2003 after the government argued it had new secret evidence against him.

In 2007, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the national certificate process to be unfair because of the secrecy and quashed the certificates, but gave the government a year to rewrite the rules. As a result, Ottawa appointed special advocates  lawyers with top-level security clearance able to review the governments secret evidence.

In 2008, the government issued the third certificate against Jaballah  the one Hansen has now found unreasonable.

It is a long, deeply challenging road to have walked, Edwardh said.

In previous years, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service admitted listening in on calls between Mahjoub and his lawyers and, in 2011, government lawyers mistakenly took files belonging to his defence.

Jaballah has said that he was jailed without charge and tortured on several occasions in Egypt. He staved off deportation to Egypt on the basis he would likely be tortured there.

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OTTAWAMike Duffys lawyer, Don Bayne, is calling for a long, hard look at the practice of allowing the media access to preliminary court documents, long before a suspect gets his or her day in court.

With the Crowns decision Tuesday not to appeal the sweeping acquittals last month of Senator Duffy on 31 charges of fraud, breach of trust and taking a bribe, Duffy is now formally in the clear.

However, with the RCMPs initial suspicions laid out in great detail in sworn affidavits filed to seek judicial orders for the production of documents by the senate and by banking institutions, Bayne suggested a lot of the damage to his reputation was done long ago.

Known as ITOs or information to obtain, the affidavits are sworn statements by investigators, released after the orders had been executed, and they offer detailed looks at the police theory, in Duffys case based on evidence they had gathered through interviews and in some cases, emails.

Media lawyers, including for the Toronto Star, have long fought for such access to court documents, citing legal principles of an open and public court system, a free press, and the idea that justice must not only be done, but be seen to be done.

In most cases ITOs are released after the fact as long as there is no sealing order to protect an ongoing investigation. They have been the basis of media coverage of the senate expenses investigation into Duffy, Mac Harb, and Pamela Wallin  all senators who no longer face an RCMP probe  as well as the robocalls scandal, Rob Fords travails, the OPP investigation into the Ontario gas plant scandal, and in other high-profile cases.

I certainly have concerns about the general nature of publicized ITOs and how theyre represented in the media, said Bayne. And the public take them as salacious fact.

Most of what was in those ITOs was disproved at trial, and yet it was out there, that Mike Duffy had engineered this $90,000 payment and was guilty of a whole bunch of other criminal offences, according to the ITO, he said.

That isnt limited to Mike Duffy, said Bayne. Thats a terrible fallout of the approach that is taken to the publication of ITOs and the damage they do to people and their reputations.

Its a balancing act that the courts are striving to achieve between public legal proceedings and fairness to the accused people.

In the end, the Ontario Crowns office opted to not appeal the Duffy acquittals, but in doing so raised eyebrows when it referenced factual matters.

Brendan Crawley, spokesman for the Ontario attorney-generals office, said in a statement issued Tuesday, that after the 30-day appeal period expired on the weekend, there is no legal basis upon which to appeal the acquittals.

The Crowns right of appeal from an acquittal is limited to errors of law, and does not include errors relating to factual matters, said Crawley.

This is an important end to the legal proceedings, said Bayne, in an interview moments after he learned of the decision via media. He said he was relieved for Duffy and his wife Heather.

It finalizes Judge (Charles) Vaillancourts judgment as legally sound, said Bayne, adding there is nothing more to say. A trial judges findings of fact are unassailable unless he or she misapprehends the evidence, and that was clearly not done here, Bayne added.

Vaillancourt acquitted Duffy last month in a stinging rebuke of the last governments role in mismanaging the Senate expenses scandal, and its pressure on Duffy in a bid to make a politically embarrassing story disappear.

Bayne had not yet spoken to Duffy, but said he intends to encourage him to write to the Senate to seek his back pay, pension accrual and legal fees.

Bayne declined comment on the conduct of the Duffy prosecution by RCMP and Crown attorneys, saying only that he was very close to it. He noted it was carried by two senior Crown litigators, Mark Holmes and Jason Neubauer, and senior RCMP investigators, led by Sgt. Greg Horton.

None of those individuals agreed to speak to the Star Friday after the Crown agreed to drop charges against another senator, former Liberal appointee Mac Harb over his housing expense claims. Last week, the RCMP also announced it would not charge Senator Pamela Wallin in connection with her travel expenses paid out of Senate funds. All three senators had paid back money.

(In Duffys case, he received $90,000 from former prime minister Stephen Harpers chief of staff Nigel Wright to repay the Senate and was not out of pocket for the repayment  a point of irritation for Harper throughout the whole scandal.)

Senator Patrick Brazeau is the one senator who still faces fraud and breach of trust charges in connection with his housing expense claims. His lawyer Christian Deslauriers called on the Crown to immediately drop those charges as well. He said Brazeau had an even clearer claim to the expenses, having sought written permission of Senate officials to do so.

Brazeaus trial was scheduled for June 2017, after his suicide attempt last winter.

Bayne told the Star it seems, very strange that they would proceed against him, given all the man has been through and the terrible toll it has taken on him.

He said in making its decision, the Crown must ask if there is a reasonable prospect of conviction, but it must also ask itself whether it is in the public interest to prosecute.

Hes been through so much, and with everyone else now cleared, is it right to go ahead against him? You know, I think that has to be a question the Crown asks itself, and I would think it is not in the public interest now.

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A surprise family reunion ended in tragedy when a Canadian man who had flown out to join the festivities was later killed in the mysterious EgyptAir crash.

Medhat Tanious of Toronto was one of two Canadians to die when Flight 804 plunged into the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday en route from Paris to Cairo.

His daughter Merna said her father had flown to France to surprise his youngest sister, who lived in Australia and who was meting other family members in Paris. He was en route to Cairo to pay his respects to his in-laws at the time of the crash, she added.

Merna Tanious said she, her mother Gehan Erian and sisters Marina and Mariem are seeking solace for his death by remembering his impact on others.

He had a heart of a child, Merna Tanious said in a telephone interview from Toronto. He loved unconditionally, and he had an unbelievable ability to forgive all people that did him wrong.

Medhat lived much of his life in Egypt, his daughter said. He married Erian in 1988 and the couple began raising their three girls there before deciding to immigrate to Canada in 2004.

He brought us here to try and give us the best life possible, and thats what he did every single day, Merna Tanious said.

She declined to discuss what her father did for a living, but said he became quite active in Torontos Coptic Orthodox Christian community.

Upon learning of his death, she said hundreds of mourners filled a cathedral north of Toronto on Monday to offer prayers and share memories of a man who they felt had a gift for connecting with people.

He would cheer everyone around him. He fit into every single generation from the seniors to the teenagers, Merna Tanious said. He can sit with anybody and make them laugh.

Medhat Taniouss trip to France, undertaken less than a month after his 54th birthday, was an impromptu affair meant to surprise one of his two siblings who currently live on the other side of the world. His other three siblings have also relocated to Canada.

Tanious was one of two Canadians killed in the EgyptAir crash, which is currently being investigated by international aviation authorities.

The other, Marwa Hamdy, was born and raised in Saskatchewan before relocating to Egypt. Friends described her as a devoted and loving mother to her three school-age sons.

The cause of Thursdays crash that killed all 66 people aboard still has not been determined. Ships and planes from Egypt, Greece, France, the United States and other nations are searching the Mediterranean Sea for the jets voice and flight data recorders.

Egypts civil aviation minister has said he believes terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure or some other catastrophic event. But no hard evidence has emerged on the cause, and no militant group has claimed to have downed the jet. Leaked flight data indicated a sensor detected smoke in a lavatory and a fault in two of the planes cockpit windows in the final moments of the flight.

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A high-profile push for Toronto to consider bidding to host Expo in 2025 appears to have kept the dream alive.

After ex-mayors and an ex-premier joined Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam to make the case for a Worlds Fair bid, Mayor John Tory said he supports city staff this fall looking at a privately funded feasibility study.

Tory, however, made it clear he wont support Toronto officially signalling an intention to bid until the provincial and federal governments guarantee theyll backstop the cost of hosting a six-month international showcase.

Its just not something the property taxpayers of Toronto can bear on their own, Tory said of total costs, pegged in the billions of dollars.

If you look at the citys financial state . . . it is not such that we could absorb very much of the cost of putting this on, above and beyond infrastructure we might have been contributing to anyway.

Councils executive committee unanimously backed a move by Tory to accept the privately funded study, which must still be approved by council next month.

Councillors also agreed that any possible bid to host Expo 2025 should be contingent on financial commitments from the federal and provincial governments that would not take away from any funds allotted to transit, housing or other infrastructure projects.

Tory called it a cautious move after some executive members questioned the costs, including an estimated $400-$900 million for security cited by city staff.

Previously, a lack of enthusiasm from Torys office, along with a city staff recommendation to not pursue it, appeared to have doomed Wong-Tams relentless campaign for an Expo bid. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, however, breathed life into the effort with a letter to Tory and others stating that, should Toronto signal its interest, the federal government will explore next steps to support a potential bid.

Former premier David Peterson, who chaired the 2015 Pan Am Games organizing committee, joined Wong-Tam, former mayors Barbara Hall and Senator Art Eggleton, and business and labour leaders supporting a bid.

This is an opportunity of a lifetime, if its squandered here it probably will not come back, Peterson told reporters at city hall Tuesday. Dont be frightened by the money, he urged Tory and councillors, arguing that, paid over eight years and shared among city, provincial and federal governments, costs would be manageable and exceeded by increased tax revenues and economic development.

A Worlds Fair would not just be a few Serbian dancers running around in pavilions, Peterson added. Google, Tesla and other firms are spending billions on technology to address the rapid growth of cities, he said  They will be our partners, as will be all of the other countries, to build the most advanced technological city in the world.

Others argued an Expo bid could accelerate transit expansion and jump-start Port Lands development.

That may be true, Tory acknowledged, but he said the city needs to take a sober, steady, responsible businesslike approach, to ensure any benefits outweigh the substantial costs.

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Torontos ban on hookah lounges is being challenged in court by four Scarborough lounge owners.

Their lawyer, Ryan Zigler, said he will be in court June 24 arguing that Toronto city council had no right last fall to ban, on public health grounds, use of water pipes in city-licensed establishments.

The City of Toronto only has powers given to it by the (provincial) City of Toronto Act, Zigler said in an interview Tuesday.

Our argument is that the act does not give the city the power to pass a bylaw that prohibits my clients from operating a lawful business anywhere in the city of Toronto. We say the bylaw puts them out of business.

The ban passed by council took effect April 1. City staff say that until June 30 they are focusing on warning businesses that offer the water pipes.

Beginning July 1, 2016, enforcement could include issuing tickets and summonses and possibly initiating licensing tribunal hearings, a licensing spokeswoman said in an email.

Ashraf Hasouna, owner of Alexandria Cafe in Scarborough, who is supportive of the legal challenge but not officially part of it, said his customers continue to smoke hookah.

We got a letter from the city saying there wont be any ticket until July 1, Hasouna said.

We still offer hookah to people and there is no ticket whatsoever. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

Council voted 34-3 to stop hookah smoking  tobacco or otherwise  at city-licensed businesses, after recommendations from the citys medical officer of health outlined significant risks to the public, including sending the wrong message to youth.

Medical officer David McKeown told council that hookah smoking has been scientifically linked to chronic health problems, sets back efforts to discourage young people from taking up smoking, and puts bystanders, including employees, at risk from poor air quality.

Council rejected a bid by Councillor Jim Karygiannis, an occasional hookah smoker, to establish a separate licence for a hookah lounge allowed to use only non-tobacco products and serve only coffee, tea and juices.

With files from Jennifer Pagliaro

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Arsham Parsi fled Iran stalked by the danger of violence and death. But even when the gay rights activist finally found refuge in Toronto, the threats never stopped chasing him.

For a while he called the police every week to report disturbing voicemails  mostly, he says, from less tolerant members of this citys sizable Iranian community.

Now he just shrugs at them.

When people are attacking you a lot, it shows you are on the right track, he says.

If I wanted to give in to these kinds of threats, I would have stayed in Iran.

Related:

A photographers eye on Tehranto

That sense of confidence and security stems from a decade of activism in his new-found home of downtown Toronto; this month marks 10 years since he arrived as an Iranian refugee. He now battles homophobia everywhere  including here  and directs an organization called the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees, which helps people like him, who flee the Islamic Republic of Iran, a theocratic state where penalties for homosexuality range from corporal punishment to public execution.

Though its hard to measure how many people have been killed for being gay since the Islamic revolution of 1979, estimates range from several hundred to more than 4,000.

Still, there is homophobia. Still, there is death penalty for being gay, says Parsi, 35, sitting in the shade outside a voguish Wellesley St. cafe last week. Nothing has changed  I am determined to keep working.

Parsis world changed at 12:45 p.m. on March 5, 2005. Thats when he crossed by train from Iran into Turkey, gazing at the twin flags at the border in a teary-eyed rush of melancholy and relief. At that point his sexuality was a secret from almost everyone, including his parents and three sisters.

He had been instrumental in the conception of a burgeoning activist network in his hometown of Shiraz  for the lovely wine, he readily confirms  that was set up to discuss homosexuality using online aliases and provide support in the face of the republics anti-gay laws.

Then 24, Parsi told his family that he had gotten into a university in Cypress, and that he needed to travel to Turkey to pick up a visa.

His family later found out, through his increasingly prominent activism, that he had fled for his life; his departure was prompted by a word from a well-placed friend, who told him government agents were looking for an activist named Arsham.

My sister never forgets this, he says now, referring to his sibling who was just 8 and sorely struck by the abrupt disappearance of her big brother.

Parsi was in Turkey for 13 months before he was granted passage to Canada through the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). During that time, while walking down the street with a friend who also fled Iran, he was savagely beaten in the street by a group of men. He says police told him at the time that they were targeted because they are gay. To this day, Parsi says, it hurts to raise his left arm.

Once in Canada he began anew as an activist, first as director of the Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization he founded while still in Iran, and later as the head of the refugee railroad he founded in 2008. He is now one of the worlds most prominent activists for LGBTQ people in Iran and the Middle East; his organization recently began working with the UNHCR to help transfer Syrians from refugee camps who are under threat because of their sexuality.

As his activism gained steam, the Iranian state started moving against his family, he says.

A friend who works at a courthouse in Shiraz saw an investigation file with Parsis mothers name on it. The title was Promoting Immoral Behaviour and Homosexuality, Parsi says. One of his sisters was inexplicably booted from her university, and another was beaten in the street by a man who pulled up to her on a motorcycle. Parsi said his sister was told by the man that she was targeted because of your faggot brother.

In the face of this, his family decided to emigrate, too. In 2012, his parents and sisters arrived in Toronto, reuniting the family in their new country.

Sometimes your enemies can be the cause of good, Parsi says, displaying his tendency to explain himself by translating Persian proverbs.

Though he has experienced homophobia in Canada, it has mainly come through his own community, Parsi says. He has received death threats in Farsi and has argued with Iranian business owners who allegedly fired employees because they were gay or lesbian.

Im a very proud Canadian, Parsi says. Im happy because I can exercise my right to stop this kind of behaviour.

Yet he believes social mores are changing, even in Iran. More people are aware of the realities of homosexuality, that its natural and shouldnt be shameful.

Just the other day, he says, he received a call from a woman in Richmond Hill, the heart of Torontos Iranian community, who wanted advice on how to tell her son that she accepted his sexuality.

A lot of people have changed, Parsi says.

As he tells his story, Parsi sporadically grabs his phone and puts it to his ear. Noticing his behaviour is out of the ordinary, he explains that he set up a monitor for his two Maltese poodles, so that he can listen in when hes not home and make sure nothings wrong.

And why two dogs? Parsi says he never planned on it, but when he went to buy one from a litter of newborns, he found these two were so enamoured with each other that he couldnt bear to tear them apart.

I thought its very inhuman to separate, he says.

Then, a wry smile. I know about separation.

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The second Canadian killed when EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed while en route to Cairo from Paris has been identified as Medhat Tanious.

Several media reports on Monday confirmed Tanious, of Toronto, was one of 66 people  56 passengers and 10 crew members  who died when the plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea last week.

The congregation of the church of St. George and St. Rueiss church is lifting up deep prayers for the recent disaster of Egypt Air flight MS804, the Coptic Orthodox church said on its website commemorating victims of the crash.

The Don Mills-area church informed members of their congregation of Tanious death in another web post. It says Tanious left behind a wife, three daughters, and a son-in-law.

His funeral was held Monday at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Markham.

Last week, a spokeswoman with EgyptAir confirmed the first Canadian victim identified as Marwa Hamdy, who was born and raised in Saskatoon but moved to Egypt several years ago. She was remembered as an amazing super hero mother to her three sons by friends on social media.

On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion wrote in a statement Friday.

Authorities have said the plane suddenly lurched left, then right, before plummeting out of a clear sky. Officials and air experts have said the aircraft might have been brought down by terrorists.

The French navy announced Monday that its ships will join the search for wreckage from the flight, focusing especially on the hunt for its flight recorders.

With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press

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When celebrities are on trial, the publics skepticism of our justice system reaches its peak. The recent cases of Senator Mike Duffy and disgraced radio host Jian Ghomeshi are prime examples.

Though both were acquitted of all charges (and one against Ghomeshi was withdrawn), they were quickly found guilty in the court of public opinion, where the threshold of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is nothing but a vague legal term.

But in a court of law, that threshold is everything.

The swift and damning reaction to the outcome of these two trials has some lawyers concerned that the publics perception of the way Canadian courts operate is dramatically skewed when a celebrity becomes the accused.

Convinced the celebrity will get off easy, members of the public are then left with a flawed portrait of how our system actually works.

I think the biggest thing about cases like this is that while it spotlights something, it also to a certain degree ends up diminishing the experiences of everybody else that goes through these courtrooms every day, said criminal defence lawyer and former Crown attorney Antonietta Raviele.

Theres no question that celebrity trials and cases involving the rich-but-not-famous attract the most attention. Media outlets, with already limited resources, will likely devote more time to these trials than others.

Rightly or wrongly, our society has defined celebrity as increasing the news value of any story, said Ryerson University journalism professor and former lawyer Lisa Taylor.

A trial with the same allegations or more serious allegations may not attract attention because the celebrity themselves become so galvanizing for the public.

But what happens all too often is the focus falls more on the celebrity and the world of privilege in which the alleged offences occurred than on the law and the systemic issues at play.

(Members of the public) simply dont know more today than they did before about what it takes to prove these particular offences and what are the defences available, said Raviele, speaking specifically about the Ghomeshi trial.

Im not sure people would have learned the test of beyond a reasonable doubt, and why it is so damn high, and what are the costs and benefits of pulling that standard down, added Taylor.

When hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse involving children were made against popular British TV presenter Jimmy Savile following his death in 2011, hope was expressed in the media that this would shine more light on sex offenders and how to stop them.

But a 2014 study published in the British Journal of Community Justice argues that that is simply not the case.

We argue the celebrification of crime will do nothing to challenge popular understandings about sex offenders or their victims, wrote the studys authors from Glyndwr University.

This is because the celebrification of sex crime locates the danger to women and children within the world of glitz and glamour rather than where it normally exists  in the home and within patriarchal structure . . .

Even when a more conventional and well-loved celebrity is accused and convicted of a sex crime it does not follow that the public will become more sensitized to the scale and nature of such offending.

The sexual assault charges laid against Ghomeshi in 2014 sparked a worldwide discussion on sexual assault, although lawyers point out it also led to much misunderstanding on the complexities of prosecuting such crimes.

Duffy was painted as a greedy individual at his fraud and breach of trust trial, already earning a six-figure salary from a job many Canadians feel should be abolished.

Why so quick to convict public figures outside the courtroom?

The O.J. Simpson case is probably the classic one in all of this, said University of Toronto anthropology professor Marcel Danesi, who specializes in popular culture and celebrity-following.

He was a hero, but as soon as a hero in any way becomes besmirched in the public arena, just as in ancient Greece and Rome, then you throw him to the lions . . . It doesnt matter if hes innocent or not, the opinion has come down, hes off his pedestal, hes down on the ground, and people love to spit on fallen heroes.

There are of course some benefits that celebrities have compared to the rest of us when it comes to trial. One obvious example is that they can hire top-notch, expensive lawyers who can dedicate more preparation time.

But contrary to what some may think, the mighty can indeed fall inside a courtroom.

Take for instance Toronto police Const. James Forcillo, who shot and killed 18-year-old Sammy Yatim on a streetcar in 2013. While Forcillo certainly doesnt fall within the standard definition of celebrity, his name became well-known after Yatims death, and his case was one of the most high-profile to take place in Ontario this year.

He was convicted by a jury of attempted murder.

Some people believe that celebrity justice can be a double-edged sword because celebrities occasionally are made into public examples, says a 2013 study by criminal justice professor Carmen Cusack in the Journal of Law & Social Deviance.

Because celebrities receive so much media coverage, members of the justice system may want to castigate celebrities harshly to send a message to the public.

In the same study, one of O.J. Simpsons lawyers, Robert Shapiro, is quoted as describing that trial as the original reality show. Contrary to his practice during the Simpson case, he said he no longer speaks to the media on behalf of clients for fear theyll be crucified.

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Two dog-sized tropical rodents known as capybaras busted out of the High Park Zoo Tuesday morning, the latest in a line of daring critters that have made a mad dash for freedom over the years.

The great capybara escape of 2016 began around 7 a.m. The zoo was attempting to trade their male capybara, Chewy, for a breeding couple. But when a handler brought in the young female and male capybaras, they somehow slipped out of the pen, said Doug Bennet, a spokesperson for the Parks, Forestry and Recreation department.

There is no telling how Chewy felt after the couple abandoned him. I cant venture a guess on the mental state of a capybara, he said, laughing.

About 30 staff members from different city departments combed the areas surrounding the zoo, looking for a pair of missing herbivores  they look like tailless beavers, said Bennet  weighing more than 40 pounds each.

Mayor John Tory joked to reporters that he would appoint a city councillor to a one-person task force to track down the strays. The city got help from volunteers with a bit more expertise  Seth Falk, co-owner of Hands On Exotics, a local shelter for exotic animals, and his 3-year-old capybara, Willow.

He brought Willow  sporting a harness, lest she be tempted to join the fugitives  to High Park hoping she could lure the young fugitives out of hiding.

But as of Tuesday evening, there was still no trace of the runaways.

They shouldnt be too hard to spot. The capybara, native to South America, is the largest rodent in the world. An average full grown male weighs about 100 pounds and measures around 120 centimetres, but chubbier ones can get as big as 200 pounds.

The rodents may have been following the example of a peacock from the same zoo, which went on the lam last summer. The four-foot tall bird was on the loose for a few days before returning to the zoo.

Like the peacock, the capybaras lit up the Twitterverse and inspired joke accounts made in their name.

Loved the view from up here, tweeted @TorontoCapybara, with a Photoshopped picture of two capybaras sitting on either side of Drake atop the CN Tower, an homage to the cover of his new album, VIEWS.

The capybaras seem to have escaped without any deliberate help, but other runaways had accomplices.

In 1994, vandals freed three wild bison from their paddock at the High Park Zoo. They roamed the west-end for nearly six hours before parks staff were able to wrangle them.

And in 2009, unidentified mischief makers struck again, breaking several locks and chains and prying open a fence to let out llamas, a yak and a wallaby. Toronto police rounded up the llamas with crime-scene tape and also corralled the wallaby.

The obedient yak stayed close to its pen and was escorted back inside.

Rodent roundup

What are they like?

High Park staff say the missing capybaras are inoffensive and skittish. The rodents are known to make a low, clicking sound when they are happy.

What do they eat?

They feed on stems of tall grasses and aquatic plants. After filling their bellies, they are known to relax on river banks and soak up the sun.

How long do they live?

They can live up to 10 years, but few ever reach their twilight years. Many are gobbled up by predators ranging from large snakes and alligators to jaguars and cougars.

How do they taste?

The capybara is said to be a delicacy in some parts of South America, including Venezuela. Actually capybara meat is delicious, one so-called capybara expert told the New York Times in 2007. Rexford D. Lord, a now-retired professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, added: Its more like rabbit than chicken, though when dried with sea salt in Venezuela it acquires a fishy flavour.

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A dashing man in a kilt poses in front of a rugged outdoor scene beside a chic woman in an elegant fur coat.

In another snapshot, the same woman is seen on the seaside in a bathing suit that now seems stiff and old-fashioned, but at the time was sensationally skimpy.

The photos, of King Edward VIII and his lover Wallis Simpson, sat in a safe in Canada collecting dust for decades until they were discovered by the granddaughter of the couples lifelong friend.

Theyve now been placed up for auction in Britain, along with a collection of other keepsakes from the once-scandalous celebrity pair.

Its been secret all these years and a lot of people are very excited, said Kerry Taylor of Kerry Taylor auctions house on the phone from London, U.K.

A photo album of the royal lovers 1936 Adriatic summer cruise, along with Cartier cigarette and vanity cases from them and other mementoes, were discovered around the year 2000 by a descendant of Herman Rogers, Taylor said.

Rogers and his wife Katherine travelled with Edward and Simpson on the cruise and later accompanied them to the royal Balmoral Castle.

Taylor declined to provide the identity of her client but said she was the granddaughter of Lucy Rogers, who Herman married after Katherine died.

It was Lucy who kept all these things safe and realized the historic importance and just kept them safely packed away, said Taylor.

Reached by phone, Hermans Toronto-based granddaughter told the Star she did not want to speak about the discovery of the safe and preferred to keep the focus on Edward, Wallace and the Rogers.

Soon after the photos were taken news got out in Britain that Edward was engaged to Simpson, but the British prime minister told him the public would never accept the two-time American divorcee as his Queen.

A constitutional crisis ensued that ended in Edward abdicating the throne to his brother George VI, which put into motion the series of events that gave the world the current line of royal family members, from Queen Elizabeth II all the way down to one-year-old Princess Charlotte.

(They) really record this remarkable moment in history, probably one of the greatest romantic gestures of all time, when a king gave up his throne and empire all for the woman he loved, said Taylor of the safes contents.

The Rogers had been friends with Simpson since the 1920s, first meeting her when they were living in China, according to Taylor.

The couple also hosted Edward and Simpson at their villa in the south of France. History is captured in the pages of the Villa Lou Viei estates guest book, which is also up for auction.

Katherine and Herman just went round the world culture-vulturing, visiting various countries, staying in lovely places, said Taylor of the Rogers.

Once news broke of the scandal in Britain, Simpson was hounded by paparazzi and fled to Lou Viei, where she heard Edward abdicate the throne over the radio in December 1936, Taylor said.

He probably expected that hed be able to force it through and that it would be acceptable for him to marry this now twice-divorced American, but it was not going to happen, no way.

Edward and Simpson married in a small 1937 ceremony in Frances Loire Valley, attended by Herman and Katherine Rogers, and became known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

He died in 1972, she in 1986  but the controversy surrounding them has never quite ceased.

In his 2015 book 17 Carnations: The Royals, The Nazis, and the Biggest Cover-Up in History, royal biographer Andrew Morton explores the Dukes long-rumoured Nazi sympathies and includes photos of him meeting Hitler.

In the book Morton wonders just what might have happened if Edward hadnt given up the throne for love.

Correction - May 24, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version to update an incorrect photo caption that misidentified Herman Rogers as King Edward VIII.

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A Liberal MPP who called police on the mother of a child with autism planning to protest at his constituency office has been called onto the carpet by Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Wynne, who, herself, is meeting with parents of children on the autism spectrum Tuesday to explain her governments controversial changes to therapy, did not sound impressed by MPP Bob Delaney (Mississauga-Streetsville).

Ive already had a conversation with Bob Delaney, the premier said of the MPPs decision Friday to call Peel Regional Police on protesting mother Melanie Palaypayon.

She said shed met Delaney on Tuesday and asked him to issue an apology, though he had already determined that he was going to reach out to the family to set up a meeting, she said after a tour of Toronto Western Hospital.

Hours later, Delaney delivered a 147-word statement expressing his regret for how Palaypayon was treated.

I want to apologize to Mrs. Melanie Palaypayon for the visit she received from Peel Regional Police last week, the veteran Liberal MPP said.

I understand the concerns raised by Mrs. Palaypayon. I am profoundly sorry for the set of circumstances that resulted in the Peel Police visiting her home, and for the anxiety caused to her and her family, he said.

Mrs. Palaypayon deserves a full apology, which I offer. As an MPP, I understand how important it is to listen to the concerns of my constituents.

She had told Delaneys constituency staff that she would be handing out pamphlets outside their office last week to raise awareness about policy changes affecting her 6-year-old son, Xavier.

For her efforts, she had two Peel officers at her Mississauga home early Friday explaining that while she could protest, she was not allowed to touch Delaneys office door.

I know my voice was strong, I know Im aggressive. I know I was really persistent, because I think that was the only way that I could be heard, she told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

Palaypayon had spoken with Delaney before, calling his office repeatedly to express concerns about the Liberals new five-year $333-million revamp of autism services, under which children over the age of 5 are no longer eligible for intensive behavioural intervention (IBI) funded by the province.

That move has affected more than 3,500 families, including Palaypayons, and, with private IBI costing $50,000 a year, they are frustrated.

I know that the transition is a challenging one, said Wynne.

Asked by a reporter if the message to Liberal MPPs is Dont call the cops when parents with autistic children are protesting at your constituency office, the premier didnt mince words.

Right.

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MADRIDA woman in Spain may be fined under the countrys public security law for carrying a bag bearing the initials A.C.A.B., which police interpreted to stand for All Cops Are Bastards and not All Cats Are Beautiful, as was written on the bag.

A spokesman said Tuesday the type and colouring of the lettering are traditionally associated with the insult to police. He spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with police regulations.

The police department later issued a statement saying it had decided to further investigate the matter given the circumstances of the incident and the possible ambivalence of the initials.

The fine of between 100 and 600 euros ($145-$880) was proposed under the 2015 Public Security Law nicknamed the gag law, which has been criticized by opposition parties, United Nations experts and journalists and rights groups, who say it curtails free assembly and expression. Opposition parties say they will ditch the law if they get into government.

The woman told several Spanish news outlets that police stopped her Sunday in Madrid. She said she explained to them that the bag made no mention of police.

The online newspaper Eldiario.es and others showed photographs of the bag and the police complaint reportedly posted on the womans Twitter account.

It was not immediately possible to obtain comment from the woman.

The A.C.A.B. slogan has long been used to insult police on T-shirts and graffiti, while the cat wording is seen by some as a way of concealing it.

The gag law allows the expulsion of migrants illegally entering Spains two North African enclaves, sets stiff fines for protests outside Parliament or strategic installations and allows authorities to fine journalists and media organizations who distribute unauthorized images of police. In this case, the alleged offence was a lack of respect for police.

The measure was drawn up following a wave of anti-government protests in 2012 as Spain was in the throes of the financial crisis.

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Angelina Jolie Pitt, the Oscar-winning actress and special envoy for the U.N. refugee agency, has taken on a new role: university professor.

Jolie Pitt will join the London School of Economics Centre for Women, Peace and Security as one of four visiting professors in a new masters program that starts taking applicants in the fall, according to a statement released Monday by the university, one of Britains most renowned academic institutions. Her work there will include delivering guest lectures and taking part in workshops as a visiting professor in practice.

Jolie Pitt was appointed along with William Hague, with whom she founded the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative in 2012, when Hague was the British foreign secretary.

I am very encouraged by the creation of this masters program, Jolie Pitt said in the statement. I hope other academic institutions will follow this example, as it is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance womens rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict.

Jolie Pitt, who is married to the actor Brad Pitt and has six children, said she was looking forward to sharing her experiences working with governments and the United Nations. She has been involved in humanitarian work with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees for more than a decade, taking on some of the most difficult issues related to conflict, refugees, women and sexual violence, as a goodwill ambassador and a special envoy.

Her duties have been interspersed with her acting roles in films like Wanted, Salt, Maleficent and Kung Fu Panda, among others, and her directing work in By the Sea, Unbroken and In the Land of Blood and Honey. She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for Girl, Interrupted (1999). Her activities have fostered a surreal dichotomy in her public persona, as she is photographed on red carpets and in refugee camps.

In an Op-Ed article in The New York Times last year, Jolie Pitt described a visit to a refugee camp in the Dohuk province of Iraq.

For many years I have visited camps, and every time, I sit in a tent and hear stories. I try my best to give support, she wrote. On this trip I was speechless.

What do you say to a mother with tears streaming down her face who says her daughter is in the hands of the Islamic State, or ISIS, and that she wishes she were there, too?

She has recently waded into the global migrant crisis, saying in London last week that she has been very disheartened by the U.S. response and that she feared countries would adopt increasingly isolationist policies, The Associated Press reported. She said worries about uncontrolled immigration had given a false air of legitimacy to those who promote politics of fear and separation.

In its statement Monday, the London School of Economics gave no details about Jolie Pitts specific teaching duties or how often she would be on campus. It said the new masters program included courses titled Women, Peace and Security, Gender and Militarization, and Gender and Human Rights. Students will conduct research on preventing sexual violence in conflicts and on women, peace and security.

The other two visiting professors were Jane Connors, an Amnesty International advocacy director; and Madeleine Rees, the secretary-general of the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom.

Critics of some of the summit meetings organized by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative have said they cost more to conduct than Britains government commits in spending to prosecute rape in conflict zones, The Guardian reported in 2015.

When she was named a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR in 2001, Jolie Pitt said she wanted to get involved because it was impossible to ignore the fact that millions of people were suffering worldwide.

I honestly want to help, she said. I dont believe I feel differently from other people. I think we all want justice and equality, a chance for a life with meaning.

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NORRISTOWN, PA.Bill Cosby, leaning lightly on a male assistants arm, entered the Montgomery County Courthouse Tuesday for his preliminary hearing on sexual assault charges with an entourage of lawyers and assistants.

His accuser, Torontos Andrea Constand, was a no-show  her right under state law.

For more than three hours, the prosecution and the defence argued before district Judge Elizabeth A. McHugh over statements Constand made to investigators more than a decade ago. Cosby, appearing relaxed and genial, listened intently but did not speak other than to chat with some of his entourage during short breaks, occasionally making them laugh quietly.

His lawyer, Brian J. McMonagle, told the court that Constands absence at the hearing was a complete denial of the defendents due process. Montgomery County co-prosecutor M. Stewart Ryan shot back that in cases like this, the use of a statement given to police is the law of the land.

It took McHugh just 10 minutes to render her decision that Cosby should stand trial.

Still, the 78-year-old comedians defence team gave clues throughout the hearing that inconsistencies in Constands story, her character and her financial motives will be contentious issues at trial.

McMonagle told the court he expected Constand to be on the witness stand Tuesday to put her to the test with direct questions.

In my 30 years I have never once had a sexual assault case where the prosecution has relied on hearsay evidence, he said.

Constand was the Director of Operations for the womens basketball team at Temple University, Cosbys alma mater, at the time of the alleged assaults. She had considered Cosby a mentor and friend, according to an affidavit supporting the charges.

While authorities in recent months have paraphrased her account and quoted fragments, this was apparently the first time that large sections of her statement  or Cosbys, for that matter  were made public.

In the affidavit, Constand, now 43, alleges Cosby invited her to his home to talk about her career plans.

There, she said, she told him she was drained and emotionally occupied and was missing sleep. Cosby urged her to take three blue pills that would help her relax; she asked if they were herbal and he said yes, according to the affidavit.

Cosby would later tell police he gave her one and half over-the-counter Benadryl pills.

After taking the pills, she said, everything was blurry and dizzy.

I told him, I cant even talk, Mr. Cosby. I started to panic, Constand told police.

She told police she could not keep her eyes open, and was in and out of consciousness. She further stated that Cosby got behind her on the couch, and that she was aware that he was fondling her bare breasts, put his hands in her pants, penetrated her vagina with his fingers and put her right hand on his erect penis.

Constand told investigators she did not consent to any of these acts and was unable to move or speak during the assault. She said she awoke in Cosbys home around 4 a.m. and discovered that her sweater was bunched up and her bra undone and moved above her breasts.

She said Cosby gave her a muffin and a tea and left the home.

Cosby has steadfastly denied all charges.

In court, McMonagle asked why it took Constand a year to report the allegations to police.

(Court heard that by 2005, Constand had moved back from the United States to live with her mother in Pickering, Ont., then first contacted Durham Regional Police about the alleged assault. Durham police relayed Constands complaint information to the Philadelphia police, who then  because Cosby lived outside their jurisdiction  forwarded Constands complaint information to the Cheltenham Township Police Department.)

McMonagle told the court that Constand made calls to personal injury lawyers before she contacted Canadian police when he was questioning a local investigator who took Constands statement in January of 2005.

Judge McHugh reminded McMonagle that he was not at trial and this is not discovery, after which McMonagle threw his hands in the air and said: So I should just leave? as courtroom watchers burst into laughter.

McMonagle also focused on contact Constand had with Cosby after the alleged assault, and questioned why Constand continued to see the comedian and even returned to the house to meet with him after the alleged assault.

In addition, he seized on discrepancies in the three police statements, including her memory of precisely when the encounter occurred. McMonagle also raised issues about Constand crossing out original parts of her statements to police upon review and rewriting them (as did Cosby in his police statements, court was told) and initially telling police the alleged assault was in March of 2004.

In his closing address, McMonagle told the court that on the night of the alleged assault, that Constand  31 at the time of the incident  was incapacitated by her own hand by taking pills and wine that Cosby offered her to relax.

On Feb. 17, 2005, former Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor chose not to proceed with criminal charges against Cosby but said in a press release Castor would reconsider (this) decision should the need arise.

In March of 2005, Constand sued Cosby for battery and assault. The civil case was settled on July 13, 2006.

The criminal case was reopened in 2015 when a federal judge ordered portions of depositions given by Cosby in Constands civil matter unsealed. The publicity surrounding the material in the depositions (which included Cosby admitting he gave Quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with) and claims by dozens of other women that Cosby also assaulted them led to the revisited criminal case under a new district attorney. Cosby was charged on Dec. 30, 2015.

After charges were laid, Cosbys defence team mounted an aggressive, sustained legal campaign to have the charges dismissed and the preliminary hearing stayed.

On Tuesday, Cosby did not flinch when McHugh told him the trial was on. He simply said thank you, and through his lawyer, chose to waive a formal arraignment. It was the only time he spoke publicly.

A date has not been set for the trial.

Related:

Janice Dickinsons defamation lawsuit against Bill Cosby going to trial, judge rules

Bill Cosby accusers allowed access to file from earlier case, judge rules

Cosbys wife testifies on womens claims.

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Can Canada make an impact upon the world? Or, even if done well, would a sustained attempt to achieve this kind of stature leave us looking foolish?

That such an effort will be made by this government was signaled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at last Decembers climate change conference in Paris. There, Trudeau declared that Canada would exercise, a new leadership role internationally.

This work has now begun. Beyond argument, it is extensive and it is determined.

The minister of international development, Marie-Claude Bibeau, has just announced a major study of Canadas badly lagging program of aid to poor countries.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has announced he will complete his project by the end of this year. Hes described his goal as to put together, a perfect mix of personnel, training and equipment.

The minister of international trade, Chrystia Freeland, is doing the same for her responsibilities for negotiating trade pacts.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion is the furthest ahead. Hes already coined a name for Canadian foreign policy, namely that it will be based on responsible conviction, a term that seems to mean well listen to other countries rather than tell them what to do.

The scale of these studies is unprecedented, and the goodwill that motivates them is genuine. Already, invitations are coming our way. This month Dion took part in the meeting in Vienna of a 24-member group, headed by the U.S. and Russia, that is trying to negotiate a ceasefire in Syria.

These qualities, though, are where the difficulties begin. Were indeed an exceptionally successful nation. But we are only a medium-size nation.

In several respects, our capacity to take on international roles is decidedly limited. Our military capacity is well-below our national size, indeed its one of the smallest proportionately of all the member-states of NATO.

Were as mingy about foreign aid. The target of the United Nations is that well-off countries should spend 0.7 per cent of their national output on aid. While Britain is at that mark, Canadas equivalent is a mere 0.28 per cent.

This is to say that we often talk better than we actually do. The most vivid example is Canadas recent sale of armoured cars to Saudi Arabia where some are certain to be used against that countrys own people. (Earlier, that fear had prompted Sweden to cancel a military sale to the same customer.)

Sometimes, luck makes us look better than we really are. Our taking in 25,000 Syrian refugees with another 10,000 due to join them was a major accomplishment, most especially so in comparison to the bungling of most of the European states. We enjoyed, though, one asset that made it much easier for us to cope with the intake of newcomers. Its called the Atlantic Ocean.

The attempt to do what we can to make the world a better place, of some bits and pieces of it at least, is well worth undertaking. Dion caught the character of the challenge by his comment, This is not a choice. Its a duty.

Actually, its not so much either a choice or duty; rather, it is us.

Richard Gwyns column appears every other Tuesday. gwynr@sympatico.ca

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Back in the autumn, as a Toronto candidate for the NDP  dont need to tell you what happened there  the first question put to me at the occasion that was my political debut had to do with my seeking to represent a riding in which I was not a resident. The question was hostile. The not-so-implicit charge was that because I did not live in TorontoSt Pauls, I could not understand the issues and would be a less effective MP.

I was sympathetic. Representation is key. But there is a big difference between having MPs from Toronto and MPs representing Toronto.

At the door, the candidate encounters a second suspicion, or even a reality: The candidate comes round once every four years to plead for votes by addressing local issues. And then the successful candidate disappears. The local is forgotten.

The inherent contradiction of parliamentary democracies is that the MP in Ottawa holds the partys and not the constituencys interests paramount.

My answer to the question of living out of riding was to say that no matter where one lived in the GTA, the issues were similar and shared. Most of all these had to do with transit and investment in infrastructure.

Then, typically, Id talk about Tom Mulcairs declaration that Toronto was the most important city in Canada. And I would point out that the GTA NDPers understood the city and part of the change wed bring to Ottawa would be Toronto having a capable group of MPs furthering its interests.

That didnt happen. Instead, Toronto handed itself over in its Anyone But Conservatives entirety to the Liberals. The pit in my stomach had less to do with my own candidates loss than it did my realization, as a Torontonian, that wed see an abrogation of the citys interests for another four years.

Thats what happens when you go with entirely one colour  blue, green, orange or red, it doesnt matter. You ask to be taken for granted.

To illustrate the failure of Toronto MPs to represent Toronto, I need only say one word: Bombardier.

Bombardier, the Quebec-based and family-controlled aerospace and rail equipment corporation, is, despite a recent order for its C-Series jets, in trouble. The government of Quebec has already given $1 billion to help out, and though it is negotiating terms, the Liberal government is being asked to ante up the same and is likely to do so.

This is not some vague $1 billion of Canadian taxpayers money. Its Torontos money. Its $1 billion of the $1.25 billion contract for 204 TTC streetcars to be delivered by 2019, of which the company has delivered but 17 of the at least 73 that should already have been running at this time. Torontos money is being used to shore up a family making a mockery of corporate governance.

Toronto is once again behaving selflessly for Canadas greater good. But Im a Torontonian fed up with lumbering, antiquated streetcar stock were now paying millions to refurbish. I also dont like paying money to contractors who dont do the work.

Among the gang of Liberal MPs not representing Toronto in this issue are three ministers: Carolyn Bennett is Minister for Indigenous and Northern Affairs; Chrystia Freeland is Minister of International Trade, and Bill Morneau is Minister of Finance. The latter two portfolios could not be more directly tied to the Bombardier fix and able to exert pressure on Torontonians behalf.

But they are doing no such thing and, as voters at the door told me would happen, a duty to the local will be postponed till the next electoral go-round.

Now, if you or I were a contractor owed $100,000 by someone subsequently selling the house, or the CRA owed back taxes by Conrad Black, wed put a lien on the sale for the money due.

Seventeen of 204 streetcars amounts to a bit more than 8 per cent of a job done, so I say take the cue, and  whether the instigator is the TTC, the City of Toronto, or a bunch of savvy class-action minded citizens  lets be ready to place a lien on the government should it decide to hand $1 billion to Bombardier. This sum is still less than the 92 per cent of the original $1.25 billion contract it effectively owes to Toronto for services unprovided.

Lets use a little legal action to get the unrepresented citys transit, if not the government, back on track.

Noah Richler ran for the NDP in Toronto-St Paul's. His account of one of the last federal election's 1,792 campaigns, The Candidate, will be published by Doubleday Canada on October 19.

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It should be the most normal thing in the world. A married couple goes into the hospital to have a baby, and both come out as the legal parents of the child.

But thats not how it works with lesbian parents in Ontario who have used a sperm donor. In those cases, the partner who gives birth to the child is registered as a parent, but her spouse is not. She must adopt the child after he or she is born.

As Raquel Grand, a gay wife and now an adoptive parent, told the Stars Alyshah Hasham: We have equal marriage rights. We also need equal parent rights.

Its about time.

Its been 10 years since the Ontario Superior Court ruled that couples who use reproductive technologies should be afforded the same parental rights as those who conceive naturally. It found that the current rules discriminate against same-sex couples. But the laws governing who is registered as a parent have yet to change.

And there doesnt seem to be any rush to do so on the part of the Ontario government. This despite the fact that New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo introduced a private members bill to make the change last year and a group of LGBT families has launched a constitutional challenge to the current law.

There is already precedent-setting legislation in this field in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. All protect the parental rights of same-sex couples, and Ontario should follow suit.

In fact, its hard to believe the Ontario government could take so long to act on this issue. In the original ruling 10 years ago, Justice Paul Rivard of the Superior Court of Justice accused the provincial government of targeting lesbian co-mothers for exclusion from Ontarios birth registration system. For their children, it perpetuates the idea there is something wrong with their families, he said.

Rivard also noted that those not officially registered as parents may have difficulty obtaining medical treatment or a passport for their child or travelling with them outside the country. Indeed, in Grands case, her wife Deanna Djos was hemorrhaging dangerously after giving birth to their daughter. Grand worried that if something happened to Djos she would not be able to leave the hospital with their daughter.

All this shows that the law has not kept up with the many ways that parenting and families have changed in recent years. New legislation should take into account other types of non-traditional parenting. For example, multiple parents cannot be listed on a birth registry form, despite another court ruling.

After all this time, theres no excuse: the province must signal its intent to change the law as quickly as possible to give LGBT parents the same rights as others.

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In its original form, Canadas tax code was 11 pages long. A century later, it is more than 200 times that length. That the Income Tax Act has become a complex tangle will come as no surprise to the many Canadians for whom tax time is an annual nightmare. But the implications of the codes exponential expansion go well beyond inconvenience to the taxpayer. Somewhere along the way, Ottawa lost track of whether its labyrinthine tax policy was doing the job it is intended to do.

The tax codes current prolixity is in large part the result of successive governments embrace of so-called tax expenditures. The Harper Conservatives were particularly fond of boutique tax credits aimed at, say, promoting childrens fitness or arts education; they introduced dozens of these during their decade in power. (After all, such credits served two of the Tories chief interests: retail politics and shrinking the public purse.)

Tax expenditures now amount to upwards of $100 billion annually; by some estimates, they comprise about one quarter of total government spending. Yet these measures have never been subjected to the kinds of accountability or evaluation that are applied to other government outlays.

Federal departments are required to submit reports on direct spending for parliamentary review, but no such rules exist for tax credits. As Auditor General Michael Ferguson warned last year, not even the finance department seems to know exactly how much money is forgone or whether these giveaways achieve their objectives.

Thats a lot of money to lose track of. And what little we do know suggests that, while some of these measures are used to good effect, many others are not or benefit most those who need help the least.

Take the Canada Education Savings Grant, Ottawas most significant post-secondary program. A government study, uncovered by CBC News late last month, confirmed what economists have long argued: the program profits the well-off most of all. Roughly half of the money goes to families with annual household incomes between $90,000 and $125,000; an additional third is allotted to families making more than that. Surely the goal of the credit is to increase access to education, not simply to help those who can already pay for school do so more easily. Yet this credit has persisted for more than a decade, ineffective but unscrutinized.

Even more regressive is Canadas backwards tax break for executive stock options. A study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that in 2013, 75 of Canadas 100 top-paid CEOs received part of their income in the form of stock options, which provides them a significant tax benefit. This loophole allowed them to accrue combined savings of $495 million, or $6.6 million each. Thats half a billion dollars of forgone public money to subsidize 75 very rich people.

The Liberals rightly vowed to close that loophole, but failed to do so in the March budget. Thats a shame. Still, they did deep-six several wasteful Harper-era boutique tax credits (while adding a dubious one of their own for teachers). More important, Finance Minister Bill Morneau promised to undertake a thorough review of tax expenditures in the coming year to ensure that these measures are consistent with our approach to tax fairness.

The review is essential. Clearly we ought to subject tax expenditures to the same oversight and public debate as other spending. As it stands, we dont know whether these astronomically expensive measures are the most cost-effective way of achieving their objectives or whether they achieve them at all. Morneaus stated goal of finding $3 billion in savings through the review seems a plausible, if modest, aim.

But if the government wants to fix our tax system, this does not go far enough. The review is an opportunity to simplify our sprawling tax code, making it easier for Canadians to navigate and less vulnerable to abuse. And, post-Panama Papers, to do a better job of collecting what Ottawa is owed.

Equally, as the Liberals try to find a way to pay for their ambitious investments, they should bear in mind that their willingness to undertake deficit spending, while welcome, is not good enough. Sooner or later, Ottawa will have to address the revenue gap, too.

The last comprehensive evaluation of our tax system was the Carter Commission of 1966. Over the half-century since then, several economic orthodoxies have come and gone and our tax code has grown into an inscrutable behemoth. The crucial public tool that is our tax system has fallen into disrepair. Its time we took another look.

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Who gets to judge?

The question is critical whenever a tribunal is given wide latitude to make decisions affecting life, liberty or property. But in the case of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitrations -- where the adjudicators have almost unassailable power -- quality control of the judging pool can go wanting. Let's look at an instructive case.

Last week, Wall Street's in-house cops fined St. Petersburg, Florida-based Raymond James Financial Services and Raymond James Associates a total of $17 million for botching the rules meant to deter suspicious transactions by drug lords, penny stock hucksters and other dregs of society.

The two subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial Inc. earned the distinction of paying the biggest Finra fine ever for violating anti-money laundering regulations, known as AML.

It wasn't the first time a Raymond James unit wound up writing a check to Finra for running afoul of AML rules. Only four years ago, the authority slapped Raymond James Financial Services with a $400,000 fine for its poor oversight of the account of a customer who was running a Ponzi scheme. Finra's message in the settlement of that case: Review your procedures and fix them.

At the helm of the anti-money laundering operations for Raymond James & Associates since 2002 was Linda L. Busby, who had been with the firm since 1995. Although neither she nor the subsidiary she worked for was named in the 2012 case, Finra said in its settlement this month that the two AML operations have had a "close affiliation." Raymond James Financial Services "heavily relied upon" Raymond James & Associates to provide AML systems and tools, Finra said.

In this month's settlement, Ms. Busby was suspended for three months and fined $25,000.

In Finra-world, it's unlikely she will ever pay, because the Wall Street self-regulator only expects her to make good on the fine if she wants to get back into the securities business. Busby's lawyer, Andrew W. Sidman, said his client "is enjoying her retirement" these days.

He added that she is "very proud of her many AML accomplishments dating back to 2002."

The two Raymond James units and Busby neither admitted nor denied the charges in their settlements last week with Finra. In a statement, a Raymond James spokesman said the firm has hired new staff, including a new chief AML officer, and taken other steps to better monitor and detect suspicious activity.

While Busby was managing the Raymond James & Associates AML operations, she also was signed up to evaluate investor disputes as a Finra arbitrator. Her regulatory records say she joined the pool of adjudicators on September 4, 2004.

In one case, she and her fellow panelists allowed a broker to expunge a black mark from his records after a settlement took place. It would be the fifth arbitration panel to let him delete a customer complaint.

In another, her panel awarded $183,000 to three investors and had the good sense to deny the broker's request to cleanse his record.

Finra spokeswoman Michelle Ong said that Busby is no longer a Finra arbitrator, but declined to say when she left, or why. Sidman said his client left the pool of arbitrators voluntarily and that she was not under investigation during the periods that she sat on the two panels.

Busby joins a collection of former Finra arbitrators who wound up on the wrong side of securities regulators or law enforcement.

In a column I wrote this time last year, I told the story of a former commissioner for the Washington State Court of Appeals who stepped down because of "acts of judicial misconduct." The former judge, who denied the misconduct charges, had also undergone two years of counseling for voyeurism in order to have a misdemeanor trespass charge dropped.

He did not disclose his history on Finra's required arbitrator disclosure form. Nor did Finra appear to have vetted him: The first item on a Google search of his name and title is a stipulation of his acts of judicial misconduct and an agreement that he wouldn't seek judicial office in any state.

Maybe he couldn't qualify as a judge. But he made the cut as a Finra arbitrator.

Finra in the past has sent the parties in disputes lists of available arbitrators that included people who were dead, according to a Bloomberg report. It also had an arbitrator who told Finra he was a lawyer but turned out not to be a lawyer at all. Reuters reported that he participated in 38 arbitrations.

You don't have to be a lawyer to be a Finra arbitrator, but you're not supposed to say you are one if you aren't.

Investors who have lost money at the hands of their brokers have no choice but to use Finra, because all of us sign away our rights to court when we open an account at a securities firm. And unless we ask for an all-public panel, we can wind up with people from the securities industry judging our cases.

That's bad enough. But shouldn't the people running the dispute forum that we're forced to use be making sure that the adjudicators are who they say they are, and that they aren't disbarred jurists or make-believe lawyers? Or the very same people involved with managing problematic compliance operations?

You be the judge.



Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify Linda Busby's role at Raymond James.
If there ever were a "Razzie Award" for worst stock market performance, the energy sector would win it hands down this year.

And if you had to choose an investment in this sector that looks hopeless, you wouldn't have to look too far: BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (BPT) is staring into an abyss of bad numbers and zero possibilities.

Down by 80% over the past year, its appalling performance, coupled with the lack of any chance of recovery, makes it toxic.

BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust

There's no doubt about it, oil royalty trusts have been pummeled in the past 12 months by the decline in oil prices. In the past year, Sandridge Mississippian Trust (SDT) , Marine Petroleum U (MARPS) , Mv Oil Trust (MVO) , Pacific Coast Oil Trustundefined , Mesa Royalty Trust (MTR) , Hugoton Royalty Trust (HGT) and Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust (CHKR) have dropped between 47% and 73%.

BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust's one-year losses are particularly bad, and indicate the loss of hope investors have about it.

First, it's important to understand what royalty trusts are. They're not stocks. They're investment trusts that buy the rights to royalties from a company and then distribute the royalty flows to investors. When oil prices are high and a trust is linked to a productive oil asset, a trust can be a great investment, because it receives royalties from an agreed-upon collection of energy assets and doesn't have the overhead or risks associated with a company. When oil prices are weak, it's a different matter.

BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust's value is entirely based on the volume and price of oil produced in the future by BP's (BP) Prudhoe Bay oil field located on Alaska's North Slope.

Here's the problem. In the past, the trust had estimated that would receive income until 2029. That forecast was based, however, on much higher oil prices.

Bleak news emerged at the end of February, when the BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust filed its 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The trust said that based on the average price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil in 2015 of $50.28 a barrel, royalty payments to the trust would continue through 2020 but be "zero" the next year.

That's right: The lifespan of the royalty payments just got shortened by eight years. Keep in mind, too, that current WTI crude oil prices are around $48.61, below that 2015 average.

After investors caught wind of the 10-K filing, the trust's value fell 23% in a single session. It has continued to lose value since then and is currently trading at about $13.74. You can expect shares to head even lower in coming months. Only one analyst covers the trust these days, but that analyst has a 12-month price target on it of $6, which is more than 50% less than current levels.

Part of the reason for the trust's changed forecast appears to be a decision by BP. The oil company plans to reduce its active rigs in Prudhoe Bay to two from five, Alaska News Dispatchreported on March 7.

This illustrates a risk of investing in a royalty trust. When oil prices fall, the company whose royalties the trust depends on can make production decisions that reduce the volume of oil that the trust will receive revenue on.

Terrible prospects in the energy patch have prompted bearish investors to seek new moneymaking opportunities. For the time being, it's best to stay away from oil royalty trusts such as BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust.

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This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
If you're looking for ignored stocks with "multi-bagger" potential, here's what you want. Below, examine the moneymaking potential of an aggressively expanding professional staffing services company, and a unique hospitality and vacation ownership pioneer.

Trading 20%-to-30% down this year, these two stocks are available at throwaway prices, despite the potential 30%-to-50% annual growth rates for the next half a decade.

What's more, analysts expect these stocks to deliver outsized returns over the next 12 months. Here's the full breakdown.

1. Kforce (KFRC)

Tampa-based Kforce provides flexible and permanent staffing solutions in the skill areas of technology (its sweet spot), and finance and accounting. The company operates with 63 offices located throughout the United States and one office in the Philippines.

Here are four reasons to be bullish on Kforce:

1. The large, attractive end market with positive recent trends (tech staffing spending is projected at $29 billion in 2016). Kforce is equipped to cater to this burgeoning demand for higher skill sets in a temp led recovery.

2. The company has a strong position in serious high-end skill sets, with domestic focus yields, higher bill rates, better spreads, longer assignments and long-tenured customers, plus a diverse client portfolio.

3. Its unique business and operating model contains NRC (Tampa and Phoenix) and a Shared Service support platform helping Kforce operate without a physical location.

4. Kforce has an attractive financial model with tangible growth opportunities, capital efficient model driving strong free-cash-flow (FCF), stock repurchases at scale and 2.69% dividend yields.

Analysts project the company, with 50 years of operating experience, to deliver 30% year-over-year earnings-per-share (EPS) growth for the next five years, outperforming the industry (17.4%).

Kforce is also geared up to outgrow competitors like Manpower (9.65%), Korn/Ferry (12%) and Kelly Services (15%).

Available at a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.5 times only, Kforce is far cheaper than ManPower (11.9 times), Robert Half International (12.1 times), Korn/Ferry (13.7 times) and Hays PLC (27.2 times).

The stock is slated to hit $22 levels in the next 12 months, providing a juicy upside potential of 23%.

2. Diamond Resorts (DRII)

Diamond Resorts International, founded in 2007, is a leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industry. It manages 109 resort properties under evergreen contracts that yield highly predictable cash flows.

The business is based on a vacation ownership program whereby members acquire vacation ownership interests, or VOIs, in the form of points. Unlike a traditional weeks-based vacation ownership product that is linked to a specific resort and week during the year, Diamond's points-based system permits its members to maintain flexibility relating to the location, season and duration of their vacation.

The stock has faced some short-term pressure, like peer Wyndham Worldwide, after the recent Westgate probe weighed on timeshare companies. However, beaten down consumer discretionary stocks like DRII associated with travel should soon witness a load-up by investors.

The company has almost tripled revenues over the last five years and added profits at a superb speed. Trading at around eight-times forward earnings despite growing EPS by 37% per annum in the past half a decade, Diamond hasn't really received the acclaim it deserves.

Analysts expect the company to sustain its earnings momentum and accelerate the rate to over 50% in the next five years.

With trailing twelve month return on assets at 8.6% out-weighing the industry's measly 1.1% clip as does its return on equity at 58% (dwarfing the industry's 5.1% rate), Diamond is expected to deliver fantastic returns.

Analysts expect the stock to gain nearly 70% in the next year and touch $35 levels.

The company's capital efficient strategy which generates substantial free cash flow ($140 million in 2015), its delevered capital structure, the management's proven ability to successfully complete strategic acquisitions are further instances of a reinforced core. The largely fragmented and weakly-penetrated vacation industry, which has not yet 'recovered to 2007 peak sales levels', offers a significant opportunity for growth -- and Diamond is your best bet in this arena.

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This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
Chinese vice premier urges poverty relief via industrial development Updated: 2016-05-24 10:19 (Xinhua)

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (Center) speaks at a national poverty reduction teleconference in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2016. Wang Yang said Monday that China aims to lift more than 30 million rural residents out of poverty from 2016 to 2020 through industrial development. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

BEIJING - Vice Premier Wang Yang said Monday that China aims to lift more than 30 million rural residents out of poverty from 2016 to 2020 through industrial development.

In a national poverty reduction teleconference, Wang asked officials to develop industries according to local conditions and engage the poor people in these industries so that they can share the benefits.

Local governments should spend more on poverty relief-related industrial development, improve financial support, and create an enabling market environment for these industries.

At the end of 2014, China had 70 million people living below the nation's poverty line of 2,300 yuan (about $354 ) in annual income, almost all of whom live in the countryside.

China aims to eliminate poverty by 2020 when its 13th Five-Year Plan is completed.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify a company's name in paragraph seven.

The public markets have yet to fully recognize that Pfizer (PFE) has a nice recipe to win in oncology in its quest to cure cancer, the pharmaceutical company's president and general manager of global oncology told attendees of the UBS Global Healthcare Conference.

Pfizer is a holding in our Dividend Stock Advisor portfolio.Learn more now.

"I'm not sure we're getting credit for oncology yet at Pfizer," Liz Barrett said at the Grand Hyatt New York on Monday. "Ibrance, yes, but we have a broad portfolio."

Pfizer's therapy for metastatic breast cancer, Ibrance, has done tremendously well and has exceeded everyone's expectations since its launch about a year ago, Barrett said. Ibrance, having already treated 28,000 patients, is the first therapy for this patient population in almost 10 years and has been tried by more than 70% of physicians, she said.

"We've looked at Ibrance as our anchor brand," Barrett said. "We've really put a lot around it."

While Ibrance has already taken the No. 1 share in the metastatic breast cancer market, Barrett stressed that there are other growth drivers in the broader oncology portfolio to pay attention to. "The business is growing overall," she said.

Among those drivers, Barrett explained, is Pfizer's partnership with Merck KGaA (of Darmstadt, Germany), which involves the development on the anti-PD-1 immuno-oncology treatment, avelumab. The collaboration has forced both companies to up its game, she pointed out, noting that the therapy can be used alone or combined with other therapies.

"We have to hold each other accountable, which is a good thing," she said. "That's really the foundation of our [immuno-oncology] strategy. Ultimately, we believe that to cure cancer you'll have to have combinations, and we feel like we have the broadest portfolio of IO compounds."

Pfizer's broad portfolio of immuno-oncology therapies and existing pipeline may also benefit the company from a pricing standpoint, she said, explaining that its access to multiple medicines will help it offer discounted bundles to prescribing physicians.

It was just last week that Pfizer agreed to spend $5.2 billion on Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. in a move to built up its inflammation and immunology business. The deal gives Pfizer access to Crisaborole, an anti-inflammatory drug currently under U.S. Food and Drug Administration review for the treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis, or eczema.

While Barrett didn't comment on the company's M&A strategy when it comes to oncology, Pfizer is among several drugmakers that have been rumored to be weighing a bid for cancer drug maker Medivation (MDVN) . The latter is viewed as a highly sought-after asset, largely because there exist few late-stage or already-launched oncology products in the market.
Editors' pick: Originally published May 24.

Delta (DAL) said Tuesday it won't back a proposal that U.S. carriers eliminate bag fees this summer in an effort to speed up long airport security lines that result from insufficient staffing by the Transportation Security Administration.

But Delta said it would assist TSA when possible -- on Monday, the carrier told The Minneapolis Star-Tribune that it will hire 40 people this summer to help agents move passengers through security faster at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Delta's third-biggest hub with 408 daily departures.

The carrier said it will spend between $3 million and $4 million on additional staff at its 32 largest U.S. airports between June and August to help shorten the long security lines. American (AAL) and United (UAL) are taking similar steps at their key airports.

"Delta believes the focus should remain on our current efforts," the carrier said Tuesday in a prepared statement. "We are investing significant time and resources to work alongside the TSA to improve checkpoint efficiency and staffing, mitigate wait times, and encourage customer PreCheck enrollment."

Besides providing workers, Delta has partnered with Clear, a biometric identity company, to enable rapid screening for premium passengers at key airports. The partnership "will shorten wait times and reduce the workload on TSA screeners," Delta said.

But Delta won't consider dropping its checked bag fees, Bill Lentsch, senior vice president of airport customer service and airport, told the Star-Tribune. "We've seen heavy travel periods in the summer months before," Lentsch said. "We know we can solve this."

Last week, U.S. Senators Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D.-Conn. proposed that airlines eliminate the checked baggage fee in order "to encourage people to check their luggage rather than putting in in the carry-on," the two men said.

The proposal gained support from Homeland Security Chief Jeh Johnson. "We've asked the airlines to consider possibly eliminating the checked baggage fee to encourage people to check their luggage rather than putting it in the carry-on," Johnson said in the prepared statement. Earlier this month, Blumenthal and Markey sent letters to the 12 major U.S. airlines urging a summertime halt to bag fees.

In 2015, the airline industry collected baggage fees of $3.8 billion, which contributed to record profits of $25.6 billion, according to the U.S. Transportation Department.

Nevertheless, the airline industry has little appetite for cutting revenue in order to assist a federal agency that already derives its income largely from ticket fees. The prevailing feeling is that Congress should adequately fund the TSA.

"If Congress really wanted to take action to address lengthy security lines it should return the $13 billion it diverted in 2013 from the increase passengers pay in TSA fees to the general fund," said Jean Medina, spokeswoman for the Airlines for America lobbying group.

"There is absolutely no data to suggest a causal relationship between airfare pricing and recent unacceptable security wait times," Medina said. "The model of giving customers the option of buying services they value and use, like checking a bag, has been in place since 2008. Further, airports served predominantly by carriers that do not charge separately to check a bag are also experiencing security wait times in excess of 90 minutes."

In particular, airline experts point to Chicago's Midway Airport, where the primary airline, Southwest, does not charge for bags and yet security lines have been unreasonably long.

In allocating about $4 million to assist TSA, Delta is joining American, which said last week it will allocate a similar amount to provide contract workers to assist TSA at its hubs and gateways, and United, which announced a similar commitment on Monday.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- General Mills (GIS) stock is down 0.73% to $62.24 in late morning trading on Tuesday after Goldman Sachs downgraded the food company to "sell" from "neutral."

"It's un-American," TheStreet's Jim Cramer said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" this morning.

Goldman Sachs analysts forecast a 7% downside to the stock price, which could fall to $58 per share because of challenges in the food industry, including lower organic sales, weaker earnings and pressured margins.

"I didn't like the fact that they said they need to make a big acquisition," Cramer added, referring to Goldman Sachs analysts' expectations that General Mills will need to make a large, expensive acquisition to deliver strong returns in the short term.

"No one has sold General Mills and made money," Cramer observed.

Separately, General Mills has a "buy" rating and a letter grade of A at TheStreet Ratings because of the company's solid stock price performance, notable return on equity, expanding profit margins, good cash flow from operations and earnings per share growth.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: GIS

TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author.
TheStreet's Jim Cramer wasn't very optimistic about Action Alerts PLUS portfolio holding Costco Wholesale (COST) last week ahead of earnings expected Wednesday after the close.

The co-manager of the Action Alerts PLUS portfolio hasn't changed his mind, saying he doesn't expect big things from Costco this quarter. However, he is making this bold prediction: "This is the last bad quarter."

Why? The retailer is almost finished with its transition from American Express (AXP) credit cards to Visa (V) credit cards. Inevitably there will be customers who are slow to switch for various reasons, which will weigh on results in the short term, Cramer said.

However, once Costco gets through that process it should go back to its strong operational ways. "I do want to buy it" on any weakness, Cramer added. Shares are down 11.5% on the year.

At the time of publication, Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS had a long position in V and COST.


Analysts at Cowen Group have upgraded their outlook for Microsoft (MSFT) shares and expect better numbers from the company, something TheStreet founder and Actions Alerts PLUS portfolio manager Jim Cramer thinks could boost the company's stock price several dollars.

"The reason it's not been going up is because of that last quarter ... their cloud business and the regular business related to PC have slowed," Cramer says. "This piece implies they've gotten better. If that's the case, Microsoft goes to $55."

During midday trading Tuesday, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant's shares traded at $51.48, up 2.89%. The company's 52-week high share price is $56.85, a mark it reached in late December. The company also reported a decrease in earnings per share in the first three months of 2016, when it posted a 48 cents EPS against a 61 cents EPS from the same time last year.

The Cowen report comes after the company reported a decrease in revenue for the three months ending March 31, to $20.53 billion, down from $21.73 billion during the same time last year, a decrease of 5.5%, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Over that earnings period, Microsoft shares fluctuated between slightly more than $49 and $55.

Last week the company also announced it reached an agreement to sell its entry-level phone assets to FIH Mobile for $350 million. FIH will also acquire Microsoft Mobile Vietnam, a manufacturing facility in Hanoi, Vietnam. Among the products Microsoft will still make are Windows 10 Mobile and Lumia phones. Some 4,500 Microsoft employees will have the option to work where they are or be transferred to FIH, as part of the deal.
Viacom (VIAB) share price spiked upwards Tuesday after billionaire mogul Sumner Redstone named two new trustees to a trust controlling his assets, in a move that one activist fund manager believes could drive the ouster of the media giant's CEO and push the company to recombine with CBS (CBS) .

"I don't think he [Redstone] would want to sell the company given that he doesn't want to sell a minority stake in Paramount," said activist Eric Jackson of SpringOwl Asset Management LLC. "One possibility is that he merges Viacom and CBS."

Specifically, on Tuesday, the 92-year-old Redstone (pictured), whose National Amusements firm owns 79.8% stake in Viacom, installed Jill Krutick and Tad Jankowski as trustees of a seven-person trust that will control Redstone's assets if he passes away or becomes incapacitated.

The move comes after Redstone on Friday removed Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman -- his former protege - and another director from the trust. Some observers believe that the move could be the first step in the removal of Dauman from his CEO position after Viacom's stock price has dropped significantly over the past year. Viacom's (VIAB) share price traded upwards in mid-day trading Tuesday at $40.92 a share, up 2.4%.

The shift comes as Viacom is nearing the completion of a strategic review launched in February for its Los Angeles movie studio Paramount Pictures unit. Activist investors including Jackson, a who is a columnist at TheStreet, have been pushing for Viacom to sell a minority stake in Paramount to Chinese Internet company Alibaba (BABA) or Amazon (AMZN) . Dauman said at a conference in February that Viacom's goal would be to have the strategic review completed by June.

However, Redstone reportedly reiterated earlier this week that he's against a sale of a minority stake in Paramount. Nevertheless, Jackson said he believes that Redstone's move to restructure his trust suggests that Dauman isn't likely to remain as CEO of Viacom for long. Jackson in January issued a 99-page report urging Viacom to shake up its management and board and consider strategic options. He suggested that removal of Dauman is more important to an improved share price at Viacom than a Paramount strategic partnership.

"We did support and talked about the idea of them selling a minority stake at Paramount," Jackson said. "However we were pretty clear that there was no single action that we thought Viacom could take to improve value for shareholders more than getting rid of Dauman. If he does want to get rid of Dauman then that is a huge net positive for Viacom."

Jackson added that he didn't think Redstone wants to sell Viacom and instead it is possible he will want to re-combine it with CBS, putting CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves in charge of both companies. Redstone also controls an 80% stake in CBS and the trust will assume voting control of it as well if he dies or is incapacitated.

Viacom split off CBS in 2005. "Viacom has fallen on hard times and the only reason to undo the separation would be if Redstone believes they would be both better recombined," Jackson said. "It's all about managing the businesses and if you want to know the value of a good CEO vs. a bad CEO look at the difference between CBS and Viacom."

A Viacom spokesman said that the actions taken in Redstone's name to his trust are inconsistent with his long expressed wishes and intent and "extremely disruptive and damaging to Viacom and all its shareholders." In addition, the spokesman took issue with Redstone's daughter, Shari Redstone, who is also a member of the seven-person trust. "Mr. Redstone is being manipulated and used by his daughter in an attempt to accomplish her long-held goal, which Mr. Redstone has always opposed, of gaining control of National Amusements and Viacom," he said.

In addition, Dauman and George Abrams, the two trustees removed from the trust, filed a suit in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Probate and Family Court seeking to invalidate the move.
The University of Phoenix last week announced that it was going to drop arbitration clauses from the enrollment contracts it signs with students.

Arbitration clauses--or arb clauses--prevent students from suing their schools in the event of a dispute. When students sign enrollment contracts with arb clauses, they sign away their rights to seek a fair shake in court.

When it comes to legal expertise and resources, students are generally out-gunned in these company-run hearings, which Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) described as "secret arbitration proceedings."

Apollo Education, the University of Phoenix parent, announced earlier this year that the for-profit college was going private and will no longer have to divulge key information, such as pending law suits and CEO compensation. It has also not stated unequivocally that it will end arb clauses. An Apollo spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Durbin wants the Department of Education (ED) to impose a full ban on arb clauses as a condition of receiving federal money.

"Mandatory arbitration clauses are unfair to students and their families," said Durbin. "Many for-profit schools have promised to end these unfair practices and failed to deliver. We will watch carefully to see if Apollo will truly change its practices and protect its students."

Mandatory arbitration clauses are almost never found in not-for-profit schools but are common in for-profit college enrollment contracts. Durbin first called on ED to crack down on mandatory arb clauses as a condition of ED's approving the sale of half the campuses of Corinthian Colleges, the bankrupt for-profit college chain, to ECMC Group, which re-branded the former Corinthian campuses as Zenith Education Group. In April of last year Durbin introduced the Court Legal Access and Student Support (CLASS) Act to ban arb clauses from all schools that get aid from the federal government, including funds that go to students for student loans.

"A number of for-profit schools have misled and cheated their students in very serious, ugly ways," said Paul Bland, executive director of Washington, D.C.-based Public Justice, a public interest litigation law firm. "And many of these schools have used forced arbitration clauses to insulate them from the consumer protection laws, making it effectively impossible for cheated students to get relief. If Apollo Education genuinely abandons forced arbitration and any other contract term banning its students from bringing a class action lawsuit, that will be a great day for consumers."

For its part, ED took some of the credit for movement toward ending arb clauses in enrollment contracts. "The Department has put forth proposals to ban schools from using fine print gotchas to skirt accountability," said ED's assistant press secretary Kelly Leon. "We are pleased the use of these clauses is being reconsidered by the industry."

ED's proposal, released on March 11, would establish better processes that would protect students from mandatory arbitration provisions in enrollment agreements. Still, many student advocates are concerned that ultimately ED will not slam the door on arb clauses in student enrollment contracts once and for all. Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell has said that ED will limitbut not endarb agreement.

"Legal aid, consumer and student advocacy groups have all shared with us how mandatory arbitration has harmed students across the country," said Mitchell when the March 11 proposal was released. "We heard them and agree. Which is why we've incorporated ideas from non-federal negotiators to limit mandatory arbitration agreements. These efforts build on our work to protect students and require institutional accountability."
China beefs up support for lackluster manufacturing sector Updated: 2016-05-24 10:30 (Xinhua)

Workers on a motor vehicle production line at a factory in Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo provided to China Daily]

BEIJING - The manufacturing sector in China will receive more support as policymakers try to stabilize and restructure the economy.

Last week, three more plans were released to help the embattled sector, including encouraging technological innovation, such as intelligent machines, and funding for 10 major manufacturing projects, which will enhance competitiveness.

The country aims to achieve over seven-percent annual growth in the manufacturing sector during the 2016-2018 period, and hopes to attract 15 percent more corporate investment, which will support upgrades, during the period, according to the plans.

It also announced supportive policies for certain manufacturing industries, including ship-building, advanced equipment and general aviation.

Wu Qi, a researcher with China Minsheng Bank, said the support had been designed to shore up the traditional manufacturing sector while fostering new industries, providing better goods and services through supply-side structural reform.

These policies came after data showed that growth in China's industrial output had slowed to six percent in April, while exports and imports fell more than expected, underlining weak demand both at home and abroad.

More plans -- which will focus on software and information technology, big data, new materials, and energy-efficient and environmental-friendly industries -- are expected within the year, Xinhua-run newspaper Economic Information Daily reported Monday.

Improving the manufacturing sector is a pressing task for China, as its status as "the world's factory" has been undermined by developing nations, and it is looking to identify new engines of growth amid a slowing economy.

Moreover, rising labor costs, shrinking export demands and tighter resource and environmental constraints are weighing heavily on the manufacturing sector. It is facing pressure on two fronts: competition from mushrooming manufacturers in lower-cost developing countries and a renewed push by developed nations seeking an advantage in industrial manufacturing.

According to statistics from Oxford Economics, China's manufacturing labor cost was less than half of the United States in 2003, is now only slightly lower than the US level. However, China's manufacturing productivity, measured by output per employee, is less than one sixth of the US level.

To catch up, China last year announced the "Made in China 2025" campaign, a 10-year plan to upgrade its manufacturing capacity.

Lu Bingheng with the Chinese Academy of Sciences said compared with the United States and European nations, China still has a competitive edge because of the country's comprehensive industrial system, a huge market and a massive labor pool.

Upgrading of the manufacturing sector through industrial modernization will revitalize the sector and help sustain growth in the economy, Lu said.
A police car is seen outside the Paris offices of Google as French police carry out a search as part of a tax fraud investigation. (Matthieu Alexandre/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

TECHNOLOGY

French police raid Google over tax issue

Police raided Googles French headquarters Tuesday looking for evidence of aggravated tax fraud, one of Europes most conspicuous attempts yet to cast a U.S. technology leader as a manipulative scofflaw.

The probe reflects European indignation looming over Google and other U.S. tech companies as they amass huge amounts of cash while cutting their tax bills through complex maneuvers that shield their profits.

Google issued a statement Tuesday maintaining that it complies with all laws. The company, owned by Alphabet, also said it is cooperating with the French investigation.

Other major tech companies, including Apple and Facebook, also have been skewered in Europe for scrimping on their tax bills. At the end of last year, the U.S. technology sector had stockpiled $777 billion in cash, nearly half of the $1.68 trillion held by non-financial companies in the country, reported a study by Moodys Investors Service.

Nearly 90 percent of the cash held by five tech companies is being kept in overseas accounts.

Frances investigation is focused on an Ireland subsidiary that enables Google to do business with customers across Europe while minimizing its taxes, known as profit-shifting. European regulators have been pressing companies to pay taxes in the jurisdictions in which they do business.

An anti-corruption unit and 25 information technology experts descended on Googles Paris office, according to Frances financial prosecutors office. French daily Le Parisien said the raid took place at dawn and involved about 100 investigators.

 Associated Press

ACQUISITIONS

Monsanto rejects Bayers takeover bid

Monsanto rejected a $62 billion takeover offer from Bayer as too low, while saying it remains open to further deal talks, putting pressure on the German pharmaceutical giant to raise a bid that has already sent its stock tumbling.

We believe in the substantial benefits an integrated strategy could provide to growers and broader society, and we have long respected Bayers business, Hugh Grant, chief executive of the U.S. seeds company, said in a statement Tuesday. However, the current proposal significantly undervalues our company and also does not adequately address or provide reassurance for some of the potential financing and regulatory execution risks related to the acquisition.

Bayer will likely come back with a higher bid, Jonas Oxgaard, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York, said in a note, adding that an offer below $135 per share would be challenging for Monsanto to accept.

Buying Monsanto would create the worlds biggest supplier of farm chemicals and seeds.

 Bloomberg News

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Earnings in 529 plans are not subject to federal tax or, generally, state tax if the beneficiary uses the funds for qualified educational expenses at a college, university, vocational school or other post-secondary institution. (istock)

My son is about to head off to college. Thats two kids down and one to go.

With my son, Kevin, I have a lot of special concerns. He falls on the autism spectrum, so my husband and I have been meeting with college administrators to map out a plan for his success. Hes going to the University of Maryland Baltimore County. So far, the school has exceeded our expectations in responding to his needs.

The president of UMBC, Freeman Hrabowski, even asked to meet with us.

Hrabowski understood when Kevin didnt look him in the eye at times and didnt appear to be as focused as he actually was. Hrabowski engaged Kevin with such genuine interest and respect. He got him. The encounter made me tear up.

My son had so wanted to go to a four-year university and live on campus. Hrabowski and his staff made us feel its possible.

I tell you all this because sending your child off to college can come with a lot of anxiety, even if he or she is neurotypical. If your child has special needs, your concern can be off the charts.

But Im grateful there is one less thing to cry about or fret over.

The funds needed for Kevins education  even for a special summer program that will help him get acclimated to college  are sitting in his 529 college savings plan.

My husband and I started saving for Kevins college expenses when he was 3. We made a few lump-sum payments into the plan at the beginning, but most of the money came from our monthly contributions of just $210. Our target had been to save at least for costs at an in-state institution.

I know for some that amount could be too much to handle, but for many it isnt. Over the years, between our contributions and investment returns  even accounting for some heart-stopping down years  theres enough for tuition, fees and room and board. Just enough  but still enough.

I have always been a fan of 529 plans. Earnings are not subject to federal tax or, generally, state tax if the beneficiary uses the funds for qualified educational expenses at a college, university, vocational school or other post-secondary institution.

May 29 (5/29)  529 College Plan Day  has become a time for states and financial firms administering the plans to promote the advantages of this investment option. If only the campaign lasted the whole year.

A whopping 72 percent of Americans dont know what a 529 plan is, according to the financial services firm Edward Jones. Thats up from 66 percent last year.

In the past two weeks, several parents have asked me about investing in a 529. I met one mother in Chicago who was worried about how to save. I directed her to Illinois 529 Education Savings Plan, which like many state plans offers residents a tax break. Contributions from in state are deductible up to $10,000 per parent per year ($20,000 if youre married and filing jointly). I made her promise to sign up. And she did.

Another mother, in Maryland, had been discouraged from putting money in a 529 based on a common misconception. She believed her children could only go to schools in the state where she held an account, which is not true.

Money invested in a 529 can be used at any public or private eligible educational institution in the country  even around the world.

Dont let misinformation stop you from saving in a 529 plan. Here are some places to get the truth:

Your states 529 website. In any search engine, type in your state and 529 plan. Stop first at the FAQs section. We do a lot of myth busting, said Mary Morris, chief executive of Virginia529.

Many states offer special promotions to get you to sign up for an account. Virginia has been randomly awarding $1,000 a day to new accounts. The contest continues through May 31. For the eighth year, the Virginia baby born closest to 5:29 p.m. on May 29 at participating hospitals will win a $529 contribution.

 Savingforcollege.com. This independent site contains a mountain of information about 529 plans. Download a free copy of Family Guide to College Savings.

 Morningstar.com. The independent investment research site has an annual ranking of 529 plans. Check out the latest report.

Look, youve got enough to be nervous about when it comes to sending your child to college. Take the time to figure out whats fact or fiction. And then save in a 529 plan.

Readers may write to Michelle Singletary at The Washington Post, 1301 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 or michelle.singletary@washpost.com. To read previous Color of Money columns, go to wapo.st/michelle-singletary.
Return of the Pink Panther with Burt Kwouk and Peter Sellers. (Rex Features via AP Images/AP)

Burt Kwouk, a British character actor indelibly remembered for his work in the Pink Panther films as Cato, the manservant who sprang comic traps on the bumbling detective Jacques Clouseau with karate chops and nunchaku skill, died May 24. He was 85.

His agent, Jean Diamond, announced the death but did not disclose the cause or place.

As Cato Fong, Mr. Kwouk (pronounced Kwawk) was a highlight of the slapstick Pink Panther franchise. His boss Clouseau, originally played by Peter Sellers, tasked him with keeping the police inspectors wits sharp through frequent, unexpected surprise attacks whenever Clouseau came home.

Their confrontations inevitably destroyed Clouseaus apartment, where Cato hid behind doors or atop Clouseaus four-poster bed. With the exception of major stunts, such as an 80-foot leap into the Seine, Sellers and Mr. Kwouk performed the fights themselves.

Cato is a physically very agile human being, Mr. Kwouk said in Mr. Strangelove, a 2002 biography of Sellers by film scholar Ed Sikov. In those days, so was Burt Kwouk.

Burt Kwouk in 2001 (Michael Crabtree/AP)

The gag spanned seven films and numerous beatings to Mr. Kwouks head and body, and the bouts always ended promptly when a knock came at Clouseaus door or his telephone began to ring.

The Pink Panther films brought Mr. Kwouk greater visibility than many other British actors of Asian descent at the time, even as they trafficked in stereotypes. Clouseau referred to him as his little yellow friend with little yellow skin.

Mr. Kwouk appeared in sinister or henchmen roles in the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964) and You Only Live Twice (1967), as well as in a spoof of the Bond series, Casino Royale (1967), that starred his onscreen sparring partner Sellers as the ultra suave British secret agent.

On television, Mr. Kwouk had stints in the 1960s spy series Danger Man (Secret Agent in the United States), The Avengers and The Saint, and a 1982 appearance in the long-running British adventure series Doctor Who. In the 2000s, he played the electrician Entwistle on the British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine.

In what was perhaps his strangest role, he performed exaggerated, heavily accented voiceovers for Banzai, a British spoof of Japanese game shows that aired in the early 2000s. The show urged viewers to bet on how much a mans genitals weighed or whether someone was hiding under the shame of a wig.

Mr. Kwouk was named an officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 for his role in paving the way for other actors from the Chinese community.

When I started as an actor 50 years ago, Mr. Kwouk said in an earlier interview with Londons Independent newspaper, every Chinese character had to say flied lice. Now, thankfully, thats finally changing and we are allowed to say fried rice like in real life.

Herbert Tun-Tse Kwouk was born in Warrington, England, on July 18, 1930. He moved to Shanghai a few months later, and his prosperous family sent him to study at Bowdoin College in Maine. After his graduation in 1953 with a degree in government, he settled in England and worked odd jobs until a girlfriend nagged him into acting.

He had a noteworthy supporting role in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958), a melodrama featuring Ingrid Bergman as a missionary in China helping guide orphans to safety from Japanese invaders in the 1930s. He played a reformed prisoner who sacrifices his life to aid Bergman.

Mostly, Mr. Kwouk was cast in villainous and untrustworthy roles. He found ample work in Hammer studios horror films of the 1960s as the assistant to Christopher Lees Fu Manchu. He debuted as Cato  then spelled Kato  in A Shot in the Dark (1964), the second Pink Panther installment, and continued in the series after it sunk into the doldrums after Sellers died in 1980.

His later credits included The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Rollerball (1975) and Steven Spielbergs World War II drama Empire of the Sun (1987).

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Caroline Tebbs, and a son.

In an interview with film historian Barry Littlechild at the London Cinema Museum in 2010, Mr. Kwouk acknowledged that the Pink Panther films had brought him an unusual amount of fame  enough that people recognized him, but not enough that they knew who he was.

Im a very familiar face, he said. People dont say, Oh theres Burt Kwouk. What they say is, Isnt he the bloke off the telly? 
Hes 24, but Will Toledo doesnt look his age at all. A tall, skinny dude with black hair and big glasses, he seems like he should be in science class, not in one of the freshest indie rock groups in the world. Toledo looks like McLovin, the scene-stealing character from the 2007 teen comedy Superbad, and as frontman of Car Seat Headrest, he speaks to an urgency mostly felt by kids with summer jobs and curfews. And younger patrons certainly filled Toledos Monday night gig at the Black Cat.

A Leesburg, Va., native, Toledo began recording under the name Car Seat Headrest in 2010, and has released 12 albums in that time, including this months nationally acclaimed Teens of Denial. He tours and records with a band, but remains the lead visionary of Headrests recent music. In a live setting, the new songs felt combustible, seething and maladjusted. They hold all the density of Toledos studio work, yet onstage, the tracks feel loose enough to convey a jaunty punk ethos, bolstered by ear-splitting guitar riffs and crashing drum cymbals. Toledo mostly remained calm, even if the music swirled around him in combative surges.

Toledo opened with a subdued ballad that transitioned to Cosmic Hero, an expansive standout near the end of the new Car Seat Headrest album. As with other songs throughout the night, this one bubbled right to the point of spilling over, except Toledo did a masterful job of pulling back, giving listeners just the right amount of aggression. On America (Never Been), for instance, he shouted his disdain atop a shape-shifting beat that grew more intense as it unfolded. This performance was loud  really loud  built on a controlled rage that offered great glimpses into the bands creative dexterity.

Toledo didnt chat much with the crowd, instead offering one-liners that are synonymous with his conversational blend of music. All of my friends are getting married, he quipped on Times to Die. Its hot up here, he deadpanned another time. His most expressive moments came when he hunched over almost out of sight, plucking strings while singing from the heart. Theres a strong connectivity in his art, an honesty that transcends genre. The band culminated with The Ballad of the Costa Concordia, the new albums volcanic centerpiece. On what was already a grand night, Toledo concluded on petulant note, screaming, I give up! multiple times toward the songs end. Much like everything else that evening, Toledo didnt relent, saying things weve all felt in our most isolated moments. You dont have to be 16 to appreciate that.


Ruth Ann Aron Green, a former U.S. Senate candidate who was once sentenced to prison for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill her husband, attempts to sell a memoir she has written about the experience at the Kensington Book Festival. (Matt Roth/For The Washington Post)

Feeling exiled and frustrated in her Florida condominium, Ruthann Aron decided she needed a makeover. Not of the cosmetic variety but of the cosmic  a public image redo, which would not be particularly easy nearly 20 years after the trial that put her in a Maryland prison for hiring a hit man to murder her rich urologist husband.

One step involved returning to Montgomery County, where all her troubles began and where she served on the county planning board and ran for the U.S. Senate. Another step involved hiring Victor.

Victor Wainstein, 41, is Ruthanns attorney. She hired him because, in addition to the usual qualities that one looks for  intelligence, creativity  he agreed to temporarily set aside other clients and work for her, arriving every morning at her rented townhouse and working on nothing but the rebranding of Ruthann, recasting her role in one of the most infamous cases in Montgomery County history.

First, there is the court petition, a long-shot attempt to have her case reexamined.

I cant talk to you about that, says Ruth Ann, 73. (That is how she spells her name now: Ruth Ann Aron Green, the Green being a shortening of her maiden name.) Well, I can talk to you about the one, she continues. I, or Victor, can talk about the one we filed. But anything else we are thinking about filing, I cant help at all.

Maybe I can help a little, says Victor, a large man with earnest features. If you Google her name now, all you find is a lot of artless stories that tell the story of 1997 in the way it was told.

The news stories imply that Ruth Ann pleaded guilty, when in fact she did not plead guilty. She pleaded no contest, which is different from guilty, even if it was her voice on those tapes spelling out her husbands name to a supposed hit man  B like boy, A-R-R-Y  and instructing him to look for a taupe Acura. (Her husband survived, by the way; the would-be assassin was actually an undercover policeman.)

Now Ruth Ann has asked Victor to file a motion asking a Montgomery County court to overturn her plea, saying that she was bullied into making it and should receive another trial.

A hearing is scheduled for August.

Second, there is the book.

Its really four books for the price of one, Ruth Ann likes to say, because the book, a self-published paperback memoir of her trial and life, is 764 pages and weighs 3.2 pounds on a bathroom scale. The cover artist wanted to do this naked woman, she sighs one day.

Lady Justice, Victor supplies patiently.

Nude, says Ruth Ann, who is small and slight and stylishly dressed. I was knocked off my chair, it was like she was posing for Playboy. Finally, on the third draft, I said, Listen, I dont want a naked lady. 

The new cover of Corrupted Justice has a bloody gavel on the front. For a time it also had a complete chapter missing that the publisher had accidentally omitted; Ruth Ann thinks that has been fixed.

She hopes to sell the book at festivals and bookstores.

Third, there is the general business of redefining what it means to be Ruth Ann these days, which sometimes spirals back to what it meant to be Ruth Ann 20 years ago, before all of this happened.

You look at the popularity of someone like Donald Trump, Victor offers, explaining Ruth Anns life. What do people supposedly like about him? Hes an outsider. Hes not taking lobbyist money. I look at Ruth, and I say, Guess what? In 1994 she ran for U.S. Senate as an outsider, a businesswoman, raised many of the same issues . . . she was the Trump of 1994, minus the bravado and the language and all of that. 

In the coming weeks, Ruth Ann would like to get back to this version of Ruth Ann. The businesswoman. The politician. The fighter, but also the victim.

Everyone elses lives have moved on, says Ruth Ann. Mine is still stuck in 1997. Since then, she says, she has been very misunderstood.



Ruth Ann works with her lawyer, Victor Wainstein at her rental home in Montgomery County. They have filed a court petition to have her old case re-examined. (Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

A well-known woman

Ruth Ann and Victor, in the townhouse, on the subject of Ruth Anns 1997 treatment in the media: There were so many gender issues, Victor says. It was somehow viewed as if she was an aggressive . . . 

Bitch, Ruth Ann supplies.

Ruth Ann and Victor, in the townhouse, on the subject of her first attorney, whom she says forced her into the plea: He presented, in the words of the Godfather, a deal she couldnt refuse, Victor says.

No, he threatened me, Ruth Ann says. (The attorney in question, Barry Helfand, says the accusation is false and shocking).

Ruth Ann and Victor, in the townhouse, on the subject of the townhouse:

How did this house happen? Ruth Ann throws up her arms and looks around at the dingy gray carpet and poorly insulated walls. Im going to throw a rock at Victor while I tell you how this house happened.

The house happened, she explains, because although her comeback involved returning to Maryland, at the time she was still in Florida. A real estate agent identified a few houses; Victor, who lives in Montgomery County, looked at them, and she relied on his opinion.

I have no comment, Victor says. Im not going to speak against my clients interest. Thats all Ill say.

What, are you kidding around or are you serious? Ruth Ann asks. Are you saying its my fault that you rented me this house?

What Im saying is that I was tasked one day to look at two townhouses. There was one that was not good. And there was this one. Between the two of them, I said this one was better than the other one, he says.

I think this house is a dump, Ruth Ann says.

Dump is a relative term. The house is, however, a dump compared with the custom, two-acre Potomac home she lived in the last time she was in Montgomery County.

Before 1997, which is the way that she refers to everything that happened  1997 or the events of 1997 or the troubled waters of 1997  Ruth Ann Aron was a well-known name in the Washington area. A Cornell-educated New Yorker, she came to Maryland in the 1970s with her doctor husband and two young children, acquired a law degree at Catholic University and became a real estate developer. She completed several big deals.

In 1994, after winning a seat on the county planning board, she decided to run for Senate. Her campaign manager said she had been drafted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee: A self-made female millionaire was exactly the type of person that appealed to them. She was petite, with queenly features and impeccable style; a spitfire who attended target practice with the Montgomery County park police.

But the primaries got ugly. She was defeated by a fellow Republican, then sued him for what she said had been defamatory campaign ads. She lost, but her appeal dragged on for more than a year. It was June of 1997 before word came down that Ruth Ann could have a new trial on the defamation case because of a judicial error. By then, acquaintances speculated that she was planning a political comeback; police said she was planning something else as well.

On June 9, Ruth Ann walked into the lobby of a local Marriott hotel carrying a manila envelope containing $500. She handed it to an attendant, the attendant later recalled, and the next day the headlines read, Former Senate candidate arrested in murder for hire plot.



Ruth Ann leaves the Montgomery County Courthouse in 1997 with then-attorneys Barry Helfand and Erik Bolog, after being judged competent to stand trial for solicitation of murder and released on bond. (Dayna Smith/The Washington Post)

Like a kaleidoscope

When Ruth Anns solicitation-for-murder trial came around, the emerging details only made the story stranger: Before the defamation case could go back to trial, Ruth Ann met with an acquaintance who owned a local landfill. She implied, he later said in court, that she wanted a certain witness from the case eliminated. The landfill owner went to law enforcement. Investigators outfitted him with a wire for his next meeting with Ruth Ann and gave him the phone number of an undercover detective who would pretend to be a hit man.

By the time Ruth Ann spoke with the supposed hit man, she had an addendum to her original wish. There are two jobs, she was recorded saying. The first job was the defamation witness. The second job was Barry Aron, her husband of 32 years.

You want a car accident? the detective asked in one conversation.

Yeah, she said.

What about a suicide?

If it would pass muster, she agreed.

The case walked the line between absurd and tragic. In the Marriott, Ruth Ann  a woman accustomed to dressing properly for many occasions  wore a trench coat, a floppy hat and glasses, as if she had purchased a criminal-mastermind costume from a Halloween shop.

When arrested, she told a police officer maybe I just lost it, the officer said. On a jail intake form she indicated that she had been a victim of domestic abuse, although this largely wasnt made a part of her defense. At her trial, Barry Aron testified that he had recently asked for a divorce, and he later told reporters that the couple had slept in separate bedrooms for years. (Barry Aron, through an attorney, declined to comment for this story).

Ruth Ann didnt take the stand on her own behalf. She says that she was overmedicated, on a cocktail of prescription drugs that had been given to her by her husband, and which caused her to have a psychotic break. She was barely aware of what she was doing when she made those calls, she says. Her attorneys ended up using an insanity defense, introducing psychiatrists as expert witnesses and arguing that Ruth Ann had been entrapped, encouraged to go further than she otherwise would have with the hit-man plot.

You ever look through a kaleidoscope? she now says. That was my mind. My mind looked exactly like a kaleidoscope.

The judge declared a mistrial after a lone juror could not be persuaded that Ruth Ann was in her right mind and legally responsible for her actions. During her second trial, Ruth Ann pleaded no contest. In a no-contest plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges they will be sentenced for a crime. That plea, which she now says she did not fully understand, put her in prison for three years.

At the Montgomery County Detention Center and a pre-release facility where she served her time, staff members submitted updates on her progress. There seemed to be a chasm between how Ruth Ann understood her situation and how others did: Ms. Aron struggled with adhering to the programs rules and generally manipulated the staff for personal gain, one staffer wrote. She often portrayed herself as a victim . . . and attempted to use past history and mental illness as excuses for her criminal behavior.

As her release date approached, Ruth Ann petitioned to get out early to attend her sons wedding in New York. I have been a model inmate, she wrote. Toiling long hours in the jail library helping others with their legal research needs.

After her release in 2000, she moved to New York and later to Florida, where she learned that serving her time and being embraced back into society were separate tasks.

I always tried to live my life being very good to the people around me, and when I needed that very same quality it was nowhere in sight, Ruth Ann says.

She tried to join the Florida Citizen Police Academy in Palm Beach but was informed she could not. Her insurance carrier dropped her because, she was told in a letter, solicitation of murder is demonstrative of behavior and judgment characteristics that present an increased and unacceptable risk of loss insured under our policies.

Twenty years of these frustrations led her to move back to Montgomery County last year, to this crummy townhouse, with piles of legal papers and boxes and boxes of the self-published books.

This kitchen is a testament to my resiliency, she tells Victor, dragging a stepladder over to a cupboard to search for a cooking spice. A testament to my willingness, even at this point in my life, to stand on ladders. . . . In no other kitchen would I have to go through this.



Ruth Ann works with her lawyer, Victor Wainstein at a rental home in Gaithersburg, MD. (Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

A difficult life

On a Friday evening, Ruth Ann and Victor leave the townhouse. They go to Victors house to celebrate Passover with his wife and son. Ruth Ann brings the chicken soup.

The secret is that it needs a little bit of seltzer, she had confided while making the soup the afternoon before. It makes the matzoh buoyant.

In any event, life goes on.

One potential outcome of her attorneys motion is that her case would go to trial again. And if it went to trial, Ruth Ann, a woman who had been free for more than a decade, who has the financial resources to live independently in Florida, to rent an additional townhouse in Maryland, to hire an attorney to fight her case, and hire a publicist to promote the book whose publishing she funded  one possibility is that Ruth Ann could be found guilty and go to prison again.

Why gamble?

Its a question that only a person who has gone through what she has gone through can answer, Victor says one afternoon by telephone. Its easy to say, Why dont you just move on, why dont you put this past you? Maybe thats what another person feels like he would do. It speaks to how seriously and passionately she feels about whats happened to her.

There is no doubt that Ruth Ann is a complicated person, Victor says, or that she has lived a complicated life.

He acknowledges her past.

Ruth Anns father was brutally murdered in a 1994 robbery gone awry while Ruth Ann was fighting for the Senate seat. They were not close. He had called her cruel and written her out of his will; in her trial, Ruth Anns attorney claimed that her father had molested her.

Victor acknowledges her only son.

Her son, Joshua, was killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in his office on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center. She never got his body back, and her townhouse is filled with image after image of the handsome young man.

She is estranged from her daughter, Dana. In her memoir, in some of the sections that blame others for bad relationships, Ruth Ann is the one who inadvertently comes across as difficult. She doesnt have many friends.

But all of this, all of her, has become a footnote in a life that has been reduced to one day in June of 1997. The events of 1997 have uncomplicated her life. They have made her life simple, because they have made her guilty, and her guilt overshadows everything else good and bad about eight decades of existence.

There were all of these parts of her. She was a lawyer, a mother, a wife, a community activist, Victor says. And then in 1997, those parts of her died.

There are so many other things in her life that cannot be undone, but  even if only by a legal, technical standard  maybe 1997 can.



At the Kensington Book Festival, Ruth Ann talked to potential buyers of her new self-published autobiography. (Matt Roth/For The Washington Post)

The real story

Is the table in here? Ruth Ann asks Victor a few days later, on an early Sunday morning outside of the townhouse. They are going to an outdoor book festival in Kensington, Md.

The table is where it was, he says, nodding toward a card table waiting to be loaded into his SUV.

Can you get it? she asks. Where is my pocketbook? She disappears into the house and returns a few minutes later  not with her pocketbook, but with a crate containing a jar of candy that she hopes will draw people to her table at the book festival, and two red, white and blue pinwheels.

Here are two pinwheels, she says. I thought they would blow if we had a breeze, and if not, we could just blow on them.

They get in the car and drive toward Kensington.

They hope this event goes better than the one the day before in Annapolis. The audience consisted of one former business acquaintance and one reporter from a local newspaper who had been sent to cover the reading but did not seem to know exactly who Ruth Ann was. Eventually Ruth Ann stood up in the middle of the room and started reading the first chapter as a coffee grinder whirred in the background and a clerk wove past her, reshelving books. She did not introduce herself as a person who went to jail for hiring a hit man. She did not explain that she was infamous.

When asked by the reporter for more detail about her past, she said: Id rather not get into the whole story, but basically my mind imploded and my husband ended up putting me in jail. I never meant anything, I never pled anything, but I went to jail.

At the Kensington festival, she unloads the table and the pinwheels and the books, which a few days earlier her publisher confirmed now contained the missing chapters. Other authors have tents and tablecloths and big, polished displays.

Would you like some candy? she asks a passing child, gesturing to the plastic candy bin. To her mother, she asked, Can she have some candy?

The little girl chooses a mini Butterfinger but does not say thank you. Youre welcome, Ruth Ann says.

A couple of hours pass. No books have been sold. Ruth Ann sends Victor off in search of a coconut ice.

Eventually a woman walks by the table. She stops. She looks. She takes a few steps backward and then comes over.

Well, what do you know? the woman says. Youre Ruthann Aron.

Yes, Ruth Ann says.

Werent you accused of killing your husband or something?

No, Ruth Ann says. No, hes very much alive.

The woman shakes her head. I cant even remember the whole story. But I would have thought Id hear something about you getting out of jail.

Thats because you dont know the whole story. The real story, Ruth Ann says.

She picks up a copy of the book and offers it to the woman, who doesnt take it and moves on to the next table. Ruth Ann holds the book for a few more minutes before putting it down again.
Adapted from an online discussion.

Dear Carolyn: My husband and I have just purchased our first home. We are excited to finally host all the friends and family who kindly fed us over the years.

My husband is agnostic, I am atheist and we do not say grace. My father-in-law always says grace and insists everyone bow their head and participate. I have always respected this in his home, but I do not want this in my own home.

How do I explain our house policy without causing a rift? Husband thinks we should just go along, but this makes me incredibly uncomfortable. Ironically, my father-in-law does not practice what he preaches and will easily hold a grudge for 50 years.

The logical solution would be to have my husband speak with his father, but he is unwilling to do this. How can a daughter-in-law ask her father-in-law not to pray? Seems like a cold request, but Im genuinely uncomfortable with the practice. I am also very bad at having difficult conversations and will stutter, sweat, flush and basically panic before strangling out the words.

(Nick Galifianakis/The Washington Post)

Gracefully Decline

Gracefully Decline: Your father-in-law cant make you pray!

And I, apparently, cant preempt these questions: How do I [action] without [consequences of action]?

You cant explain your no-grace policy rift-free unless your father-in-law decides not to go rifty on you  and thats beyond your control.

So, all anyone can do is decide whether a desired action is worth the feared consequences.

Youve got a partner in this decision through marriage, so heres your only play: You and your husband figure out, together, what actions and consequences you both can live with.

Because your husband has decided his interests (hes nonreligious and its his home) arent worth defending at the cost of family (that 50-year grudge, wrong as it may be), then your options are limited  unless you decide your interests (nonreligious, your home) are worth defending at the cost of family (you vs. husband, husband vs. his dad).

Its clunky to spell it all out this way, but this dissection shows whats really at stake here, and thats how you avoid unintended consequences.

Re: Prayer: I am a devout Christian. My grown daughter does not accept any organized religion. Respect should go in every direction, but I am on the side of the daughter-in-law. This is her home.

However, its hard when other family members are present who are used to sitting quietly until a prayer is said.

My daughter has begun a tradition of having everyone at the table state what they are thankful for. This might be a nice solution. Respect brings family harmony. I can pray on my own time.

Anonymous

Anonymous: Elegant solution, thank you.

Re: Prayer: In my opinion its as wrong to insist that the faithful not pray as it is to insist that the non-religious participate in prayer. Why cant they sit in respectful silence while the father-in-law says grace?

Anonymous 2

Re: Grace: Reading my own words, I can see my unbecoming stubborn streak. Family harmony is even more important to me than making a point (which I love to do). A light but heartfelt thank you would be both genuine and even fun. I can do that!

Gracefully Declining again

Gracefully Declining again: Amen. (Sorry.)
Some things just arent cool. One of those, according to our no-drama president, is ignorance.

Its not cool to not know what youre talking about, President Obama said during his recent Rutgers University commencement address. It was a swipe clearly intended for he-who-didnt-need-to-be-named: Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee for president.

Okay, no argument there.

But the Obama administration itself has been part of a different know-nothing problem. It has kept the news media  and therefore the public  in the dark far too much over the past 7 1/2 years.

After early promises to be the most transparent administration in history, this has been one of the most secretive. And in certain ways, one of the most elusive. Its also been one of the most punitive toward whistleblowers and leakers who want to bring light to wrongdoing they have observed from inside powerful institutions.

Thats why Im skeptical about the notion that Americans will soon know what they need to know about drone strikes  the targeted killings that have become a major part of the administrations anti-terrorism effort in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya.

How many of the dead were terrorists or militants? How many were civilians, killed as collateral damage? The administrations accounting  promised three years ago  will arrive when it hardly matters anymore for holding this administration accountable. But, as The Washington Post reported on Monday, its also going to be incomplete, omitting what has happened in Pakistan, where hundreds of strikes have taken place.

Jennifer Gibson, a lawyer for the international human rights organization known as Reprieve, made this pointed statement: Excluding the vast majority of drone strikes from this assessment means that it will hardly be worth the paper it is printed on. Reprieve and another British organization, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, have long challenged the administrations accounting of drone deaths, using their own research to insist that there are far more fatalities, and a higher percentage of civilian deaths, than the U.S. government admits.

Meanwhile, the most transparent administration in history continues doing transparency its own way.

Call it Transparency Lite. On Monday, during a visit to Vietnam, the president spent some quality time with the media  in the form of Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef. A couple of years ago, he did a heavily publicized interview with the comedian Zach Galifianakis on the faux talk show Between Two Ferns, and last year he made a visit to podcaster Marc Marons garage for a chat about fatherhood and overcoming fear.

But his on-the-record interviews with hard-news, government reporters have been relatively rare  and, rather than being wide-ranging, often limited to a single subject, such as the economy.

Remarkably, Post news reporters havent been able to interview the president since late 2009. Think about that. The Post is, after all, perhaps the leading news outlet on national government and politics, with no in-depth, on-the-record access to the president of the United States for almost all of his two terms.

I couldnt get anyone in the White House press office to address this, despite repeated attempts by phone and email  which possibly proves my point.

But a thorough study from Martha Joynt Kumar, a retired Towson University professor, describes the administrations strategy. The president does plenty of interviews, she writes  far more than any other president in recent history. But these interviews are tightly controlled and targeted toward specific topics, and, it seems to me, often granted to soft questioners. (All of this is a major shift from a time when news conferences and short question-and-answer sessions allowed reporters to pursue news topics aggressively and in real time.)

More interviews, less accountability. Feet kept safe from the fire.

Meanwhile, on media rights generally, the Obama administration hasnt walked its talk. It has set new records for stonewalling or rejecting Freedom of Information requests. And it has used an obscure federal act to prosecute leakers. It continued the punishing treatment of a National Security Agency whistleblower, Thomas Drake (dismaying new details have emerged recently in book excerpts by John Crane, a former Pentagon investigator), and threatened to send the New York Times investigative reporter James Risen to jail for his good-faith insistence on protecting his confidential source.

Promising transparency and criticizing ignorance, but delivering secrecy and opacity? That doesnt serve the public or the democracy. And thats deeply uncool.

For more by Margaret Sullivan visit wapo.st/sullivan
China figures among Britain's top 10 most valuable inbound tourism markets Updated: 2016-05-24 11:15 (Xinhua)

LONDON - Latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed China has moved into Britain's top 10 most valuable inbound markets, British tourism authorities said Monday.

VisitBritain said on Monday that records have been set last year for inbound visits with strong growth from Britain's major inbound markets including the United States and Europe and double digit growth from newer markets China and the United Arab Emirates.

Statistics showed stellar growth from China in 2015 with visits up 35 percent on 2014 to 528,661, and spend up 16.53 percent to 939.53 million pounds ($1.3 billion). The number of visits from the Chinese mainland reached 270,000, with an increase of 46 percent, and the total expenditure was 586 million, up about 18 percent.

Visits from the United States, the most valuable tourism source market of Britain, grew 10 percent to 3.3 million in 2015, with their spending increased to a record 3 billion pounds.

A record was also set for visits from the high-spending UAE, up 34 percent in 2015 to 347,000 with spend up 12 percent to 487 million pounds, it added.

"Britain boasts some of the best attractions in the world and drawing more visitors in from key markets like China and the United States is fantastic news for the whole country and shows our tourism strategy is working," said David Evennett, British Tourism Minister.

"Tourism is a fiercely competitive global industry so it is fantastic to see Britain competing strongly in our most valuable source markets. Our innovative digital marketing campaign continues to drive tourism across our nations and regions, spreading its economic benefits across the UK," said Patricia Yates, VisitBritain director.
The fear of random violence has caused some people to avoid the transit system, the head of the Riders Advisory Council said. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

At a recent meeting about crime on the Metro transit system, a group of Washington-area young adults and Metro officials spoke frankly about their frustrations and fears.

There was Petrina Pettegrue, a Metro Transit Police officer:

I saw a kid running who had snatched a phone, and I had to get off the train and make the arrest, she recalled. While taking his information, I noticed that he lived six doors down from me. I have a daughter in the same age range, and so I have to worry: Does he attend her school? I noticed that wed locked him up three times already, so Im wondering why the court system isnt doing its job.

There was Erica Briscoe who, as a teenager, had been homeless, joined a gang for protection, and became involved in gang fights and cellphone thefts in and around Metro stations.

When Id rob people or steal their phones, it was to get money to buy food to feed my younger siblings, said Briscoe, now 24 and a youth counselor with the D.C.-based nonprofit organization Contemporary Family Services. Not everyone who is out there snatching phones is doing it just to have a free phone.

A woman says she was sexually assaulted twice while riding Metro's Red Line. Here's the latest on the investigation. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

She told me later: When kids are hungry, being abused, cant go to school because its not safe, they dont think about tomorrow. They do whatever it takes to survive that day.

The meeting, held Saturday at Metro headquarters in the District, was organized in response to a disturbing spike in crime in and around Metro stations and at bus stops. Last month, 15-year-old John Rufus Evans III was stabbed to death at the Deanwood Metro station. Two weeks earlier, another 15-year-old boy, Davonte Washington, was shot to death at the same station.

There has also been an increase in assaults, including the recent rape, at knifepoint, of a woman on a Metro train near the Wheaton-Glenmont station.

[D.C. man accused of raping woman on Red Line train in morning attack]

Arrests have been made in each of those cases. But aside from wanting to make sure that perpetrators are convicted, riders want to know what is being done to curb the violence and what they can do to protect themselves.

What we are hearing from some riders is that they are afraid to ride some of the trains, said Barbara Hermanson, who chairs the Riders Advisory Council. Everybody knows we are not talking about all youths being involved in crime, but it seems that young people are involved in the scarier things.

Metros unreliable service was bad enough, but the specter of random violence was causing even more people to avoid the transit system, she said. Riders complain of not knowing if arguments among school kids is just rowdy talk or a prelude to a killing.

It did not go without notice that most of the violence was being perpetrated by black youths against other black youths.

My 65-year-old mom loves young people, but when shes on the bus and they are having loud, vulgar conversations, calling each other [racial and sexual slurs], that frightens her, said Jawauna Greene, who is black and director of marketing for Metro. Heres a woman who raised two children, managed to send both of us to college. So when I find out that she has been pushed, assaulted, while riding a bus, that makes me angry.

[Timeline of violence on the Metro system]

The participants acknowledged that the problems dont start at the bus stop or the train station.

Ronald Moten, who is involved in gang-conflict resolution, noted that far too many D.C. youths who find themselves involved in crime are coming from troubled homes. Poverty is a constant presence, but stable two-parent households are not. There is no strong male presence in the community, and both boys and girls are missing that, Moten said.

Briscoe emphasized the importance of mentors to fill that void. But ultimately, she said, the individual must want to change.

I had to realize that I am somebody, said Briscoe, who ended up doing time in the D.C. jail for carjacking and armed robbery.

Sometimes you just have to go through what you have to go through, and there is no guarantee that you will make it.

She was being realistic. But such insight would hardly provide solace for fearful Metro riders.

It breaks my heart to see some of the things that are going on, like five or six kids beating up on one child, kicking him in the head, Pettegrue said. I ride Metro, too, in my regular clothes, and I can only sit back and wonder how you all feel with no protection.

Ive got protection under my clothes, she said, referring to her service weapon. But nobody should be riding the Metro scared.

To read previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/milloy.
Supporters of D.C. statehood call for an end to taxation without representation outside the Capitol building. (Jim Lo Scalzo/European Pressphoto Agency)

The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote Wednesday on a Republican bill that would block the District of Columbia from spending locally raised tax revenue without congressional approval, prompting President Obama to pledge to veto it.

In issuing the veto threat on Tuesday, the Obama White House made one of the strongest statements to date in support of the Districts attempt to win financial independence from Congress.

The residents of the District and their elected leaders deserve to have the same ability as other U.S. residents and elected leaders to determine how to use their local revenues to address their unique needs, the White House statement said. Such authority is fundamental to a well-functioning democracy, and the Congress denying the District this authority is an affront to the residents and elected leaders of the District.

Obama has previously made gestures in support of District residents, who do not have a voting representative or senators in Congress. His administration has supported legislative efforts to give the city more budgetary freedom from Congress, and his limousine sports the citys Taxation Without Representation license plates.

But advocates for the city have also been disappointed that Obama has not done more on their behalf, and bemoan the presidents decision in 2011 to settle a budget showdown with congressional Republicans in part by agreeing to bar the District from using local dollars to subsidize abortions for low-income women.

The Washington Posts Aaron Davis explains why the District is fighting Congress to control its own budget, and why Congress says that is a violation of the Constitution. (Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post)

The GOP bill that will come to the House floor for a vote Wednesday  with backing from House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.)  would nullify the results of a city referendum that called for the District to be able to spend its own tax dollars without congressional approval. But anticipating their bill may run into resistance from the more closely divided Senate and the White House, House Republicans said they have a backup plan.

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday will mark up a draft of a budget bill that includes language that would accomplish the same goal of squashing the Districts bid for financial autonomy.

Even if Congress does not pass a budget, the same language could be inserted into a must pass resolution to keep the federal government operating, said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.).

There are multiple strategies, Meadows, chairman of the House subcommittee with oversight of the District, said in an interview.

District leaders have cast the showdown with Congress over the budget as a stepping stone toward making the nations capital the 51st state. The District has a larger population than Vermont or Wyoming, and its residents pay more in federal taxes than those in 22 states. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton this month said it is time to give the District full statehood.

D.C. leaders have vowed to spend most of the citys $13 billion in revenue as they wish unless halted by Congress.

[Related: D.C. is about to declare its independence  from Congress]

But the House budget released Tuesday would do just that.

In an unprecedented move, House Republicans would tuck into the federal spending plan a directive to repeal the 2013 ballot measure, which 80 percent of D.C. voters ratified.

The Districts authority to rewrite its congressionally approved charter to assert fiscal independence from Congress has been confirmed by a court and endorsed by Obama. House Republicans have gone so far as to warn D.C. leaders that they risk jail time if they go forward.

The Districts budget is of particular interest to conservative federal lawmakers, because they can attach riders to dictate spending on abortions, drug treatment, school vouchers and other social issues in the nations capital.

In addition to repealing the citys budget autonomy, the House budget language maintains a long-standing prohibition against the District using its own local tax revenue from helping to subsidize abortions for low-income residents on public assistance.

No funds available for obligation or expenditure by any officer or employee of the District of Columbia government shall be expended for any abortion except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or where the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest, the budget bill reads.

The 51st state: D.C. is about to declare its independence  from Congress]

D.C. mayor calls for vote on D.C. statehood

D.C. prepares for constitutional convention in June

Clinton vows to be a champion for D.C. statehood  Trump, not so much
Karen B. Salmon was named Marylands state superintendent of schools on May 24. (Maryland State Department of Education)

Maryland officials tapped a former schools chief on the Eastern Shore for the states top education post Tuesday, ending a national search that started in January.

Karen B. Salmon, who joined state government in August and is acting deputy state superintendent for school effectiveness in Maryland, is expected to take over as state superintendent of schools on July 1.

The Maryland State Board of Education unanimously approved the selection at its meeting Tuesday. Salmon was chosen from among several dozen candidates, officials said.

Dr. Salmon knows our State, understands our challenges, and has a track record of developing effective solutions to educational issues through collaboration, Guffrie M. Smith Jr., the boards president, said in a statement.

The appointment comes four months after the state launched a search to replace its previous state superintendent, Lillian M. Lowery, who left Maryland in September to lead FutureReady Columbus, an education nonprofit in Ohio.

Lowery was hired during the administration of Gov. Martin OMalley, a Democrat, and her exit followed Republican Gov. Larry Hogans election. State officials have said Lowery did not leave because of political pressure.

[Maryland schools superintendent announces resignation]

Jack Smith, previously the states chief academic officer, stepped into the top job on an interim basis following Lowerys departure. Smith was selected as the next superintendent in Montgomery County, Marylands largest school system, in February. He starts there on July 1.

Though Salmon began her state-level job less than a year ago, she was superintendent in Talbot County, on the Eastern Shore, for a decade, and has worked as a Maryland educator for more than 30 years. She also was superintendent for two years in Bay Shore, N.Y.

I am committed to collaborating with all of our stakeholders to ensure a world-class education for every Maryland public school student, Salmon said in a statement. I want to build on Marylands past accomplishments, streamline programs at the Maryland State Department of Education, and articulate a shared vision for educational excellence.

[Maryland launches search for state schools superintendent]

Responding to the choice, Betty Weller, president of the Maryland State Education Association, said teachers look forward to working with Salmon to improve resource equity, close opportunity gaps and reduce standardized testing.

We hope that Dr. Salmon will serve as an independent, apolitical voice for research-based solutions that help all students, Weller said in a statement.

Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince Georges) said that he knows little about Salmons tenure in Talbot or about her philosophy but that Salmon was informed and clear in her answers when she appeared before the Senate education committee this year.

Salmon takes the helm during a difficult stretch that includes the loss of a number of key staffers, he said. Its a very transitional time, Pinsky said. I think she will have some rebuilding to do of the department, and she has to build a relationship with the new current board.

As the Maryland board began its search for a new schools leader, several state lawmakers led a failed effort to allow the legislature to have a say in the choice of Marylands schools chief.

Pinsky, lead sponsor of the bill, said at the time that the state superintendent has a trickle effect on local school policy.

[Some Maryland lawmakers want a say in who is states next schools chief]

He said he worried about the direction the state education system could take under Hogan, who has appointed six members to the state board, several of whom embrace nontraditional education policies.

The Democratic-controlled legislature has raised some concerns about several education proposals Hogan has pushed, including a bill last year that would have given charter schools greater authority and allowed the state board to authorize charters in local school districts.
A new report shows racial disparities in suspension rates at Virginia schools, and the authors argue that removing students from class does not solve behavior problems. (Globalstock/iStock)

Black students in Virginias schools were three times as likely as white students to be suspended last year, according to a new report on school punishments.

The JustChildren Program and the Legal Aid Justice Center found that although short-term suspension rates in Virginia schools fell 20 percent between 2010 and 2014, they have remained relatively unchanged during the past two school years, according to the report, called Suspended Progress. Expulsions, while generally rare, rose 6 percent from 2013 to 2015.

[Read the Suspended Progress report]

The organizations are advocating for alternatives to suspensions and expulsions, which they think can derail a students path to a high school diploma and do not provide any benefits. They want schools instead to encourage good behavior and to implement programs that address the roots of misconduct.

Students who are excluded from school are more likely to experience academic failure, dropping out, mental health problems, and justice system involvement, the reports authors wrote. Worse yet, there is no evidence to suggest that suspension and expulsion deter misconduct or improve school safety.

Many school systems have reexamined discipline after harsh drug and weapon policies meant to keep campuses safe resulted in what some think was an overreaction to typical childhood behavior, such as students using their fingers to make the shape of a gun or leaving prescribed antibiotics in their lockers. There also has been increased focus on disparities in disciplinary outcomes, as many studies have found that black and Hispanic students are suspended at far higher rates than their white counterparts.

The report found that 12.4 percent of Virginias black students received short-term suspensions, compared with 3.4 percent of white students in the 2014-2015 school year.

[Researchers point to racial disparities in school suspension, spotlight new practices]

Angela Ciolfi, one of the authors of the report and legal director of the JustChildren Program, said many schools issue suspensions for minor infractions. Virginia schools issued more than 126,000 suspensions to approximately 70,000 students during the 2014-2015 school year. More than 7,800 out-of-school suspensions were issued for disrespect/walking away, and more than 2,100 suspensions were issued for cellphone use.

More than 22 percent of out-of-school suspensions were issued to elementary school children, including nearly 300 to pre-kindergartners.

We have to ask ourselves what we hope to achieve by that, Ciolfi said, referring to punishing the youngest students. It certainly isnt teaching them how school is important and how they need to conduct themselves in a classroom. And theyre missing out on instruction.

In some school districts, as many as 1 in 5 students received short-term suspensions last school year. Some districts suspended black students at four times the rate of white students.

Large Northern Virginia districts all had short-term suspension rates below the state average of 5.4 percent.

Prince William County led Northern Virginia districts in long-term suspensions  those longer than 11 days  with 148 last school year. Karyn Riddle, the countys supervisor of student management, said the district has worked to reduce all forms of disciplinary problems that remove students from class. But students exhibiting dangerous behavior can be a challenge, she said.

The challenge overall for us is how do you maintain safety of schools when serious things are going on with drugs and weapons and other serious offenses? Riddle said.

Her office has focused on ensuring that all students have access to an education regardless of why they are suspended from school, turning to alternatives such as online courses.

Loudoun County has seen a dramatic drop in the rate of short-term suspensions in the past seven years and now has one of the lowest rates in Virginia. Fewer than 1 in 100 Loudoun students received short-term suspensions last school year, the report said.

John Lody, director of diagnostic and prevention services for the Loudoun district, attributed the drop to a program that trained educators to teach good behavior just as they would any subject, such as math or science. Educators also learned to recognize when students behave well and to set clear expectations for student conduct. It is all part of program known as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) that state and federal education officials have promoted.

Weve always been good at responding to bad behavior, but PBIS is about preventing it in the first place, Lody said.
THE DISTRICT

Woman robs bank in Spring Valley area

A woman used both spoken and written demands to rob a bank Monday in Northwest police said.

They said the robber got an unspecified sum from a teller at the Bank of America about 11 a.m. in the 4300 block of 49th Street NW. The address is in the Spring Valley area.

The woman fled on foot, police said. They described her as black, in her 20s, about 5-foot-5, with a medium build and a dark complexion. Her hair was shoulder length and twisted, police said. She wore black pants and a black sport coat over a white shirt, and carried a black and gray backpack, they said.

 Martin Weil

VIRGINIA

2 die in plane crash

in Orange County

A small plane crashed in north-central Virginia on Tuesday, killing two people, police said.

A spokesman for the Virginia State Police said the department received a call about a small aircraft crash in the 10000 block of Tinder Lane in Orange County at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The plane is a small, fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft that crashed in the road at the intersection of Tinder and Ridge Field lanes, according to a statement from the department. That intersection is about 70 miles northwest of Richmond.

State police were investigating the crash, and the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified, the statement said.

State police said they are working on confirming the identification of the deceased and notifying next of kin. No information about the cause of the crash was immediately available.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

Man, woman found

dead are identified

An 18-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were identified by authorities as the two people officers found dead inside a Triangle apartment, Prince William County police said Tuesday.

The pair  Danesha Lana Simpson and Elvin Francisco Draper Jr.  were discovered Monday about 6:45 p.m. Officers forced their way into a room inside an apartment they shared after a relative could not reach one of them, a spokesman said.

Simpson and Draper were living together, but authorities declined to describe the nature of their relationship. Investigators are trying to determine the cause and manner of the deaths, said Officer Nathan Probus, a police spokesman.

Probus added that authorities are confident that other people  besides Simpson and Draper  were not involved.

 Victoria St. Martin
U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards calls on Democrats to stop sidelining women and minorities April 26, 2016, after losing to Rep. Chris Van Hollen in the Maryland primary to select a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.) has declined interview requests since losing a heated Senate primary to Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) last month.

But she made her views known Tuesday in a first-person essay published on Cosmopolitan magazines website, in which she described her 15-point loss as her hitting a glass ceiling for black women with a concussion-worthy crash.

Her essay largely mirrors her fiery election-night speech, in which Edwards accused the state Democratic Party of sidelining women and people of color, and dismissing candidates such as her who raise it as an issue.

[Heres what Donna Edwards said after she lost her Senate bid in Maryland]

I believe the real divide that we must come to terms with in American politics is the shocking extent to which Americas elected bodies, from governors mansions, to state legislatures, to the U.S. Senate, do not resemble the American electorate in income, race, or gender, Edwards wrote, citing data from the Campaign for Reflective Democracy showing that white men make up 31 percent of the population but hold 65 percent of elective offices.

The Prince Georges County congresswoman, who gave up her House seat to run for the Senate, hinted that a shake-up could be necessary if Maryland ends up with its first all-male congressional delegation in 43 years.

The retirement of Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), the longest-serving woman in Congress, and the departure of Edwards in January, mean there will be no female incumbents on the November ballot. Female Democrats who ran to succeed Edwards and Van Hollen in Congress were defeated in the April 26 primary. And although women won the GOP nominations for the Senate and for Marylands 6th Congressional District seat, both of those candidates  state Del. Kathy Szeliga and Amie Hoeber  are considered underdogs in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans more than 2 to 1.

[Female GOP candidates: Md. needs women in congressional delegation]

We must be honest about the depth of the problem in order to unloose the structural barriers that contribute to it  the money, the process, the lineage, Edwards wrote. It may require some to simply step aside.

Edwards, whose candidacy received major support from the Democratic pro-choice group Emilys List, also talked about race, arguing that the Democratic Party cannot survive in the 21st century without the real leadership of people of color, especially black women, at every level.

She said Democrats should not be complacent about female representation even if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, so long as men continue to hold a disproportionate share of elective offices. We are neither post-racial nor post-gender, she wrote.

Edwards relied on national female-oriented news media during her campaign. She did an interview with Lena Dunhams newsletter Lenny and a live show of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend, and she penned an op-ed in Glamour.

Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.
The long-awaited Prince Georges County regional hospital is too big and too expensive to win state regulatory approval without major changes, according to the Maryland Health Care Commission member reviewing the project.

Commissioner Robert E. Moffit told project leaders last week that they must reduce the number of beds, shave off square footage and bring down the price by more than $100 million before he can recommend approval of a certificate of need.

The teaching hospital, projected to cost $651 million, has been touted for years as a crucial part of improving health care for Prince Georges residents and bringing high-paying jobs and economic development to the county. It had strong backing from then-Gov. Martin OMalley (D) and continues to be a priority for leaders of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly in Annapolis.

[Ambitious hospital would boost health care, economy in Prince Georges]

But delays in receiving state approval have pushed the hospitals projected opening date from 2017 to at least 2020  and that was before the latest round of questions. Twice in the past two years, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has clashed with Democratic lawmakers over state funding for the hospital.

Gov. Larry Hogan (R), center, announces $55 million in funding over five years for the Prince Georges Regional Medical Center in February. (Brian Witte/AP)

Dimensions Healthcare Systems and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS)  which would run the proposed Prince Georges Regional Medical Center near the Largo Town Center Metro station  said they will modify the application by the end of August but need Moffit to clarify some of his proposed changes.

In a response letter delivered Monday, attorneys for the project questioned many of Moffits concerns, saying his comments about size and cost may conflict with the projects vision to adequately address the health care needs of the residents of Prince Georges and nearby jurisdictions.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), who sponsored legislation mandating state funding for the project, agreed. Its just unbelievable, Miller said in an interview. The hospital will serve all of Southern Maryland, and instead of being scaled back, it needs to be allowed to grow.

[Read the response letter from U-Md. and Dimensions]

Moffit, a health-policy fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, raised pointed questions about key financial projections, essentially saying that the hospital as proposed is a larger facility than the market can bear.

His letter said planners should be more conservative in estimating how many patients the hospital would attract and how much money their stays would generate, especially given a decline in hospital rates and changes in health care and technology that generally mean patients are admitted for shorter periods of time.

Specifically, Moffit said, the hospital should reduce the number of beds from 251 to no more than 219, and reduce the space per bed from 2,987 square feet to no more than 2,400 square feet. Moffit also said that the capacity of the hospitals emergency department should be limited to 45 patients and that the proposal should eliminate at least one planned operating suite and jettison plans for a dedicated ambulatory-care center.

[Read Commissioner Robert E. Moffits letter]

Moffit pointed to the lower costs of the recently approved relocation of Washington Adventist Hospital, in Montgomery County, as proof that the Prince Georges hospital is unnecessarily large and can do more with less.

Reducing the cost of this project, Moffit concluded, should reduce the risk that this project will be inefficiently used.

Dimensions said comparing the two projects is unfair, noting that Washington Adventist does not have a trauma center and that the Prince Georges hospital, which will rely on public money, must follow wage and hiring restrictions that increase overall costs by 15 percent.

Its obviously a very conservative view, but the fact of the matter is hes the one thats been selected to make the decision, said Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), another longtime backer of the project. Its part of the give-and-take process. I dont think anyone wants this project to fail. It is too important to the state to not move forward.

Moffit expressed deep doubts about the capacity of Dimensions to run an efficient operation. The private nonprofit corporation, which leases and manages county hospitals, has struggled to sustain the existing Prince Georges Hospital Center in Cheverly, seeking county and state subsidies to overcome operating shortfalls and watching top medical staff  and their patients  head to better-performing hospitals in neighboring jurisdictions.

The history of PGHC has been one of long-standing managerial and financial difficulties, wrote Moffit, who asked for more details about what will happen to Dimensions once the regional hospital is built. One of the key objectives of UMMS involvement is to assure a turnaround and put the institution on a path toward permanent progress.

Hogan expressed similar concerns about Dimensions this year, people involved in the discussions have said. He was reluctant to guarantee public funding for the hospital project until he had more information about who would ultimately run it.

Prince Georges elected officials said the plan is simple. The county government would get out of the hospital business once the new facility is built, and UMMS would take over Dimensionss role in managing the hospital and its related primary-care network privately.

Although the project proposal was first submitted to the Maryland Health Care Commission in October 2013, it was not taken up for consideration until April 2015, according to state documents. It is by far the oldest application currently on the docket.
Londons financial centre warns of dangers of EU exit for UK Updated: 2016-05-25 00:19 By Liu Jing in London(chinadaily.com.cn)

Mark Boleat, policy chairman for the City of London Corporation. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

A month before Britons decide in a referendum whether the country should stay in or leave the European Union, the City of London Corporation, which covers the capital's financial district, warned that its role as an international financial center will be threatened if the so-called Brexit happened.

"We at the City have looked very carefully at what EU membership means and as far as we're concerned it's been a critical factor in making the city what it is," said Mark Boleat, policy chairman for the City of London Corporation, underlining that the decision may cost large amount of jobs and new investment.

During a media briefing in the City on Tuesday, Boleat noted that the successful businesses in London regard Europe as their home market and rely on being able to attract people from other European countries.

If Britain leaves the 28-member bloc, London will be not as advantageous as it has been, because it would lack access to the single market and businesses would clearly need to build up a presence somewhere else in the European Union, he said.

Citing an analysis by Capital Economics, an analysis group, Boleat said if the referendum results was to leave, the UK's exports in financial services could decline by 10 billion, which may translate into the loss of 100,000 jobs.

"HSBC actually said 1,000 jobs could move to Paris but that's because it has a big European business in Paris. If it is a Chinese company, it will open business predominantly in Luxembourg," he added.

"About 400,000 people work in the city, but there are more financial services jobs outside the city than there are inside the city. It's not just about the city," he said.

"It's also not just the jobs in the investment banks or the insurance companies; it's the jobs for the people who supply things, even down to coffee and sandwiches."

A woman takes a photograph in front of the skyline of the City of London, Britain January 24, 2016. The City of London financial district is home to a variety of banks and financial instiutions. [Photo/Agencies]

According to previous surveys and analyses by the City of London Corp, the overwhelming view of city businesses is that Britain needs to be in the EU and a number of big city businesses, including Barclays, HSBC, RSA and Lloyds of London, have said that publically.

The trend has also been witnessed nationwide. A latest ORB poll made for the Daily Telegraph newspaper puts Remain on 55 percent and Leave trailing on 42 percent among people who definitely plan to vote in the referendum, which is scheduled on 23 June.

Amongst all voters, the Remain campaign now has a 20-point lead, with 58 per cent of voters saying they back the pro-EU campaign.

Boleat explained that if Britain chooses to leave the EU the country wouldn't lose all of its business overnight but it will lose some new investment and almost certainly its euro-clearing business.

"The people from Vote to Leave say that we can easily renegotiate trade deals with other countries, I think nobody who has ever been involved in trade deals believes that, no trade deal is ever easily negotiated unless we ask the other side to set up the terms."

He argued that some of those voting to leave said business in the UK will be liberated from the European regulations, but he pointed out that a large chunk of suffocating regulation is domestic in origin or made at the G20 or G8 level.

When asked about the upside of remaining in the EU, Boleat said UK could continue to enjoy the benefits of the single market by doing so and have access to cheaper goods and services, which perhaps have been underestimated and taken for granted.

Lara Wolfe contributed to this story.

To contact the reporter: liujing-4@chinadaily.com.cn




Brandon H. Grove Jr., a Foreign Service officer for 35 years, served as ambassador to the African country then known as Zaire, among many other positions and assignments. (Family Photo)

Brandon H. Grove Jr., a Foreign Service officer for 35 years who served as ambassador to the African country then known as Zaire, director of the Foreign Service Institute and a leader of a 1992 task force to alleviate a humanitarian crisis in Somalia, died May 20 at home in Washington. He was 87.

The cause was complications from cancer, said a son, Paul Grove.

From 1974 to 1976, Mr. Grove was the charge daffaires and deputy chief of mission at the first U.S. embassy to open in East Germany. He was consul general in Jerusalem from 1980 to 1983, a period that included Israels war with Lebanon.

He was then nominated for ambassador to Kuwait, but the Kuwaiti government refused to accept him because of his previous service in Jerusalem, declaring that to do so would amount to acceptance of the Israeli annexation of parts of Jerusalem.

Instead he was posted to Zaire, where he served as ambassador from 1984 to 1987 during the autocratic reign of Mobutu Sese Seko. (The country is now called Congo.)

Brandon Hambright Grove Jr. was born in Chicago on April 8, 1929. He graduated in 1950 from Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., and in 1952, he received a masters degree in public administration from Princeton University.

He served in the Navy and then, in 1959, joined the Foreign Service. In Washington, he was assigned to various advisory and oversight bureaus for U.S. relations and policies in specific geographical areas around the world.

As director of the Foreign Service Institute from 1988 to 1992, he supervised training practices for foreign assignments.

After retiring in 1994, he served on the boards of directors of the American Academy of Diplomacy, the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, and Georgetown Universitys Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.

His marriage to Marie Cheremeteff Abernethy ended in divorce. His second wife, Mariana Moran Grove, whom he married in 1988, died in 2006.

Survivors include four children from his first marriage, John Grove of Boston, Catherine Jones and Paul Grove, both of Bethesda, and Mark Grove of Los Angeles and Washington; a stepdaughter, Michele Parsons of New York City; and seven grandchildren.
D.C. Police released surveillance video from April 27 that shows three suspects beating and robbing a student from Georgetown Day in the 4200 block of Davenport Street , near the private school. (D.C. Police Department)

D.C. Police released surveillance video from April 27 that shows three suspects beating and robbing a student from Georgetown Day in the 4200 block of Davenport Street , near the private school. (D.C. Police Department)

A student at Georgetown Day School was robbed last month in the same area of the District where a student at another school was stabbed during a robbery attempt, and near where two other robberies also occurred last month.

The student at Georgetown Day was robbed about 1:30 p.m. April 27 in the 4200 block of Davenport Street , near the private school. Three robbers approached, and began beating the victim, police said, although they did not identify him as a student.

They went through his pants pocket and took his glasses, wallet and phone before fleeing on foot, police said.

A spokeswoman for Georgetown Day issued a statement saying that a student there was robbed along 42nd Street in Tenleytown on April 27, and the school provided immediate medical and security support.

The statement said the school has held an assembly devoted to neighborhood safety training and it has adjusted the patrols of school security officers.

That robbery occurred two days after an April 25 incident in which authorities said a student at Woodrow Wilson High School was stabbed in the leg during an attempted robbery near the school.

In the Wilson incident, the robber was described as a man in his 30s. No description was provided of the robbers on Davenport Street NW. Police released video Monday of three people described as persons of interest.

The video showed the victim and the robbers approaching each other on a sidewalk, with school buses lined up at a curb. Suddenly the student is knocked down and one or two of the robbers appear to go through his pockets.

But the video does not appear to make possible a detailed description of the robbers.

The stabbing comes nearly a week after two robberies, one of them involving a student victim, were reported on streets near Wilson and near Georgetown Day. Both occurred within about 15 minutes of each other April 19. In each instance, three people, one of whom who was armed with a knife, approached female victims and demanded their cellphones and debit cards. A juvenile male has been arrested in those cases, police said.
Two men were arrested and charged in connection with a jewelry store heist at a shopping center in Springfield, Va. (Frederick Kunkle/The Washington Post)

Two Waldorf, Md., men have been charged in connection with a jewelry store heist over the weekend that involved a gun battle with police at a busy Fairfax County shopping center, left a bystander wounded and led to a massive manhunt.

Fairfax County police announced Tuesday that 24-year-old William Timothy Franklin IV was arrested in Waldorf and that 26-year-old Jasminder Sethi was captured at Newark International Airport, where he may have been trying to escape on a flight. Authorities will seek to extradite both men to Fairfax County.

Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. said detectives were exploring whether the pair had help escaping the Fairfax County police, who used patrol units, a helicopter and dogs to hunt for the men.

We had two violent, evil felons at large through multiple communities on the East Coast, Roessler said.

[Fairfax police hunt for robber after gun fight that leaves 1 hurt]

Police were trying to piece together the roles Franklin and Sethi allegedly played in the robbery and escape.

The incident began shortly after 12:20 p.m. Saturday, when police were called to the Dubai jewelry store in the Brookfield Plaza shopping center in Springfield for an unknown situation.

An officer who took up a position outside the store saw a man leave with a handgun. Roessler said the officer immediately challenged the man, and the man opened fire on the officer. The officer returned fire.

The gun battle was so intense that a merchant nearby described the sound as similar to rain on a tin roof. Roessler said Tuesday that police were still investigating how many shots were fired.

[Fairfax police continue hunt for robber involved in gun battle outside jewelry store]

One of the rounds struck a driver in the leg as the driver passed by the scene. Roessler said it appeared the bullet came from the robbers gun, but it was still under investigation. Roessler said the victim was doing well.

One or both robbers then drove away in a getaway car, which crashed nearby on Spring Village Drive. Police said one or both of the men carjacked another vehicle and drove away, before crashing in the 7600 block of Hooes Road and fleeing on foot. No motorists were injured in the crashes or carjacking.

Citing the ongoing investigation, Roessler declined to elaborate on what evidence led police to the suspects, who were arrested after 9 p.m. Monday. Roessler said Sethi was arrested at the Newark airport because police had issued a warrant for him.

Someone obviously assisted their getaway, Roessler said.

Franklin was charged with robbery and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and Sethi was charged with robbery. It was unclear whether Franklin or Sethi had retained lawyers. Calls to Franklins family were not returned, and a relative of Sethi declined to comment.

Franklin had numerous previous arrests in Maryland in connection with attempted theft, theft and assault, according to court records.
Prince William County authorities are investigating the deaths of two people in Triangle, police said.

Officers forced their way into a room inside an apartment there around 6:45 p.m. Monday, according to a department press release. Investigators found two adults and they were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Police went to the apartment  in the 3600 block of Jurgensen Drive  after a family member told authorities they were unable to reach one of the victims, the release said.

Authorities said there is no public threat and the incident does not appear to be random. No further details were released.
Less than a month after he came under stinging criticism from whistleblowers testifying before Congress, the chief of the Transportation Security Administrations key security division has been replaced.

TSA Administrator Peter V. Neffenger defended security chief Kelly Hoggan in his own testimony on Capitol Hill on May 12. On Monday, he announced in a memo to TSA staff that Hoggan had been replaced.

Though TSA is best known for the blue-shirted security officers that staff its airport checkpoints, the unseen side of the 60,000 member agency is a vast intelligence network that interacts with other federal intelligence agencies in an effort to protect the nations transportation system.

Neffenger's predecessor as administrator, former FBI official John S. Pistole, set out to transform the TSA from a front-line agency known for its defense of airports into an intelligence-gathering organization that identified and acted on terrorist threats.

With operatives overseas and on the ground in major American cities, the TSA coordinates real-time intelligence information in a vast center in Northern Virginia that tracks suspected terrorists around the world and evaluates incidents here and abroad.

Kelly Hoggan, former head of security for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is seen in an undated picture from the Transportation Security Administration. Hoggan was removed from his position on May 23, 2016. (Handout/Reuters)

[Connecting the dots is anti-terrorism centers mission]

The criticism of Hoggan by three whistleblowers who testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in April focused on the fact that he had no prior experience in the intelligence arena, that he played a role in punitive reassignments of whistleblowers and that he received $90,000 in bonus pay for his TSA work.

Neffenger defended Hoggan before the same committee on May 12.

I do not currently have a plan to remove Mr. Hoggan, said Neffenger, who became TSA administrator in July, after the allegations had been lodged against Hoggan. I have not seen any direct misconduct on the part of Mr. Hoggan in the time I have been here.

In the staff memo on Monday, Neffenger named his deputy assistant administrator, Darby LaJoye, as Hoggans acting replacement. He also elevated Rod Allison, who has headed the Federal Marshall Service, as his deputy chief of operations.

[TSA bosses are called some of the biggest bullies in government]

These adjustments will enable more focused leadership and screening operations at critical airports in the national transportation system, Neffenger said in the staff memo.

Here are four reasons so many flyers are getting stuck in long security lines at the airport. (Claritza Jimenez,Dani Johnson/The Washington Post)

At the April oversight committee hearing, the lawmakers heard from whistleblower Mark Livingston that The refusal to address or to hold senior leaders accountable is paralyzing this agency.

He told the committee that when he raised concerns, his supervisors reduced his pay by two grades and sought to make an example of me.

Monday night, Livingston said the replacement of Hoggan as assistant administrator for security operations did not resolve that issue. He said that other top leadership who approved excessive bonus payments and directed punitive reassignments to distant locations need to be held to the same accounting.

I also kept telling Congress that character assassination was an Olympic sport at TSA, Livingston said. Once you told the truth, they would do any and everything to destroy you.

[TSA struggles with balancing speed and security at airport checkpoints]

He said that he and the other two whistle blowers  Andrew Rhoades, an assistant director in the Office of Security Operations, and Jay Brainard, a TSA security director in Kansas  had not been given an opportunity to share their concerns with Neffenger.

Neffenger promised to have an open-door policy for retaliation cases, but he has not even spoken to the three whistleblowers or the others who might have requested to see him, Livingston said. He cannot fix the airports if he can fix the most obvious management issues that Congress and whistleblowers show him.
With Donald Trumps misogyny under the microscope, Democrats could have a secret weapon on their side between now and November: not the womans card, as Trump has called it, but the actual progressive women who will appear on ballots nationwide.

Hillary Clintons bid to become the first woman president has gotten far more attention in the media, but there are hundreds of female candidates running for office in 2016. And although Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is rightly credited for calling attention to the fundamental unfairness of our rigged economic and political systems, inspiring women such as Zephyr Teachout, Pramila Jayapal and Lucy Flores are carrying the mantle of progressive populism in congressional races across the country. Notably, Sanders has endorsed and fundraised for all three women in their upcoming primaries, recognizing them as important allies in the battle to create progressive change.

Teachout, who is seeking an open House seat in New Yorks Hudson Valley, shares a similar background to another progressive champion, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Like Warren, Teachout was a respected academic and progressive activist long before she entered politics. A law professor at Fordham University, Teachout is a widely recognized authority on political corruption and antitrust issues who gained visibility as a digital strategist for Howard Deans presidential campaign in 2004. She is also a longtime advocate of publicly financed elections, and her scholarly work was cited in former justice John Paul Stevenss dissent to the Supreme Courts ruling in Citizens United.

In 2014, Teachout made her first foray into electoral politics as a candidate with an audacious primary campaign against incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Taking on the Democratic Party establishment  Cuomo received support from, among others, Hillary Clinton  Teachout joined forces with grassroots movements in the state on her way to winning more than a third of the vote. Two years later, she is building on that success. In a district that has been represented by a Republican since 2011, Teachout is running as an unapologetic progressive populist in the mold of Warren and Sanders. So far, Teachout has attracted thousands of small donors and has won support from a roster that includes the Working Families Party, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), Emilys List and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

Similarly, in Washington state, Pramila Jayapal has been one of Seattles leading progressive activists for more than a decade. Following the September 11 attacks, she founded the group Hate Free Zone (now called OneAmerica) to combat the backlash against Muslims and immigrants. A passionate advocate of comprehensive immigration reform dating to the Bush administration  and an Indian-born immigrant herself  Jayapal has also been deeply involved in the fight for environmental and economic justice throughout her career. Since being elected to the state senate in 2014, Jayapal has sponsored legislation to raise the state minimum wage, to provide for two free years of community college tuition and to pre-register teenagers who are receiving their driver licenses to vote. Running to replace retiring Rep. Jim McDermott, Jayapals notable backers include Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Rep. Keith Ellison and an array of labor, womens and progressive organizations.

And in Nevada, congressional candidate Lucy Flores overcame incredible odds on her unlikely path into politics. As a poor teenager in Las Vegas, Flores was on parole, had an abortion, and dropped out of high school. Yet, remarkably, she went on to earn her GED, became a lawyer and won a seat in the state legislature by the time she was 31 years old. Inspired in part by her own experience, Flores fought for victims of domestic violence as an assemblywoman, passing a law that permits domestic abuse victims to break their leases without penalty. She then mounted an unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor in 2014. In a primary race against multiple opponents with establishment support, Flores has been endorsed by leading progressive groups, including NARAL Pro-Choice America and PCCC.

These women, in short, are the anti-Trump. In stark contrast with Trumps contemptible blend of ignorance and intolerant bullying, they are serious thinkers and determined activists who have spent their careers defending the poor, religious and ethnic minorities, and vulnerable members of society who are too often shut out of the political process. They are also proud members of the ascendant Warren wing of the Democratic Party, part of a new generation of leaders who understand the need to build a progressive infrastructure at the local and national level in order to make durable change. And while they are just a few of the many women  including women of color  fighting to change the face of Congress, their candidacies should serve as a reminder that, as important as the presidency is, the White House is not the only thing at stake in 2016.

As much as any election in recent memory, this election is about who we are as a country. That is why its so important for Democrats and progressives to organize and mobilize over the next five months. After all, defeating Trump is not just about keeping one person out of the Oval Office. Its also about electing leaders like Teachout, Jayapal and Flores who will fight fearlessly to defeat everything that he represents.

Read more from Katrina vanden Heuvels archive or follow her on Twitter.
A Baltimore city judge acquitted officer Edward M. Nero on May 23 of four criminal counts in the case of Freddie Gray. Nero is one of six police officers charged in Gray's arrest and subsequent death. (Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post)

A Baltimore city judge acquitted officer Edward M. Nero on May 23 of four criminal counts in the case of Freddie Gray. Nero is one of six police officers charged in Gray's arrest and subsequent death. (Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post)

William Yeomans, a fellow in law and government at American Universitys Washington College of Law, served in the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division from 1981 to 2005.

Why are successful prosecutions of police officers so rare? Mondays acquittal of Baltimore police officer Edward M. Nero in connection with the death of Freddie Gray again raises that sobering question  and some of the usual explanations dont apply here.

While prosecutors have all too often been reluctant to bring cases against those with whom they work, Baltimore City States Attorney Marilyn Mosby charged the case promptly and aggressively. While jurors have all too often balked at convicting those sworn to protect them, Neros case was tried before, and decided by, an experienced judge, who, as a federal civil rights prosecutor, had prosecuted police officers for violations of rights.

Five officers remain to be tried, and there may yet be convictions, but the Nero acquittal reminds us of the limits of criminal prosecutions as vehicles for social change.

Events of the past two years  including the deaths of Gray, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Laquan McDonald and others  have propelled police killings of African American men into the national consciousness and made prosecutions of police officers a matter of national concern. Yet those efforts have repeatedly run up against the limited effectiveness of criminal prosecutions.

Such cases are crucial to bringing justice to victims, and they reassure communities that crime will be punished and deterred. But they remain an unreliable tool for a national reckoning on race and policing. Prosecutions focus on individual circumstances and personalized evaluations of culpability. They occur within a structure designed to protect individual defendants through procedural safeguards, including rights to counsel, to confront witnesses, to a jury and against self-incrimination and, most important, the requirement that the government prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. And the outcomes of these cases are limited to a binary finding of guilty or not guilty. Indeed, an acquittal that may be appropriate within the realm of criminal safeguards can send the misleading message that nothing wrong occurred.

Further, because criminal charges against police officers often are lodged under tense circumstances, they are inevitably imbued with high  and often unreasonable  expectations. Prosecutors must pursue them aggressively but they must also ensure that they have investigated the matter thoroughly, developed a theory of culpability, identified the individuals responsible and gathered evidence to prove it all beyond a reasonable doubt. Although prosecutors on the whole have been too reluctant to pursue charges against police, they also must guard against responding to public outcry by bringing charges too quickly and too aggressively. The impact of criminal prosecutions is magnified because they often address high-visibility, traumatic events; the proceedings are public; and they end definitively.

In the Nero case, individual circumstances made conviction difficult. We know that Gray died tragically and unnecessarily in police custody, but much about the events remains uncertain. Judge Barry G. Williams found that Nero was a bit player in Grays death. Though Nero failed to belt Gray into his seat, so did others of higher rank on the scene. Additionally, Neros conviction would have depended, in part, on acceptance of a far-reaching theory that officers commit a crime whenever they make an arrest without probable cause.

The prosecution alleges that the remaining five defendants played more substantial roles in the events that led to Grays death. As we watch, however, we should not let criminal convictions or acquittals substitute for the need for broader solutions.

Recent events have triggered an overdue wave of systemic police reform. The Obama administration has reinvigorated the Justice Departments use of its power to bring civil actions against police departments for patterns of misconduct. It has obtained broad injunctions attacking racially biased policing; unreasonable stops, searches and arrests; excessive force; inadequate training; and failed accountability systems. The department is investigating the Baltimore police force in a process that promises to bring significant change to its operations.

While convictions may affect the behavior of some individuals, they are an inadequate driver of systemic change in policing and, of course, do nothing to affect the underlying problems of poverty, unemployment, substandard education and inadequate housing that lie at the root of many tensions between law enforcement and the communities they serve. We should press ahead with appropriate criminal prosecutions of police officers, but we cannot expect those prosecutions to sweep away the consequences of centuries of racial and social inequality.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) quoted a legal definition from Wikipedia May 24, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing to consider the impeachment of Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen. (Reuters)

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) quoted a legal definition from Wikipedia May 24, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing to consider the impeachment of Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen. (Reuters)

Everything Rep. Darrell Issa knows about impeachment he learned from Wikipedia.

At Tuesdays House Judiciary Committee hearing to consider the impeachment of Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen, Issa, the California Republican and dogged investigator of the Obama administration, confessed he was relying on an open-source website.

You and I are not lawyers, Issa told Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who was presenting the panel with the legal case for impeaching Koskinen, so well tax each other a little bit on a constitutional question. According to Wikipedia, at least, the definition of high crimes and misdemeanors constitutionally says it covers allegations of misconduct . . .

Issa then questioned Chaffetz about each of the examples cited by Wikipedia contributors.

This was a fitting close to the congressional probes of the Obama years. Again and again, Republicans in Congress have dug into President Obamas White House, and each time they have failed to unearth high-level scandal.

Now House Republicans are taking up the low-probability impeachment of the IRS commissioner  even though Koskinen wasnt even working at the IRS until well after the behavior in question, the targeting of conservative political groups, had allegedly occurred.

Only three executive-branch officials have been impeached by the House in all of U.S. history, as my colleague Lisa Rein has noted: Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton and a secretary of war. In 1876. The case against Koskinen is weak: The Justice Department declined to launch a prosecution, saying its investigation found no evidence that IRS officials acted on political motives. Both Justice and an inspector general first appointed by President George W. Bush cast doubt on lawmakers allegations that there was a conspiracy to destroy or hide evidence or hide it from investigators.

And so Obamas congressional accusers defined impeachment down.

I dont believe you have to prove intent, Chaffetz alleged Tuesday.

False testimony or dereliction of duty is still impeachable whether or not the Justice Department determines it as a crime, Issa intoned.

The notion that you can only impeach someone that commits an actual violation of the criminal code is nonsense, asserted Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.).

The Obama-hunters have been thwarted by a relatively scandal-free administration. Second-term scandals are the norm: Nixon had Watergate, Reagan had Iran-Contra, Clinton had Monica Lewinsky, and George W. Bush had the Valerie Plame affair, which led to the conviction of Vice President Cheneys chief of staff. But Obama?

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) speaks during the House Judiciary Committee hearing Examining the Allegations of Misconduct Against Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen on May 24. (Michael Reynolds/European Pressphoto Agency)

The Obama administration has been remarkably scandal-free, David Brooks, a conservative New York Times columnist, wrote this year. Conservative critics of the administration protested that assessment by listing a variety of controversies: a gun-running sting gone bad, mistreated veterans, the botched rollout of HealthCare.gov, the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange, stimulus funds wasted, Edward Snowdens leaks, Secret Service debauchery, the harassment of whistleblowers and journalists, the IRS targeting, Hillary Clintons email server and Benghazi.

There have, no doubt, been screw-ups: failures of policy, misbehavior and poor management. But Obamas accusers have yet to document high-level malfeasance or corruption, and in the case of Benghazi, even some investigations led by Republicans have discredited the allegation.

Watergate it isnt  a point made to Chaffetz when he invoked the impeachment standards set by the Judiciary Committee in 1974.

I was there for that, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), the committees ranking Democrat, reminded him.

I was 7, Chaffetz said. I was playing soccer.

Conyers suggested Chaffetz was being a little heavy-handed in trying to impeach the commissioner  despite the great work youve done on it since you were 7.

Support for the impeachment inquisitors was iffy: Half the seats in the room were empty when they began, and two hours later, 25 percent were filled. Koskinen blew off the panel. GOP leaders, who stalled the hearing for months, didnt allow impeachment to be used in the title.

Chaffetz made the case for impeachment with a 10-minute video  part documentary, part attack ad  narrated by one of his staffers: This was orchestrated. It was planned. . . . Possibility of criminal activity.

Chaffetz rationalized his use of the nuclear option of impeachment this way: Rather than Congress continuing to whine and complain about . . . the executive branch, the founders gave us tools.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) asked if this tool might connect the scandal to the White House.

Chaffetz acknowledged that Ive seen no evidence of that.

But who cares about evidence? By the impeachment standard House Republicans set, the punishment neednt fit the crime  or any crime. There are lots of ways to screw up in your job that dont rise to the level of meeting the U.S. criminal code, Gowdy argued. The failure to perform the duties of your office could be an impeachable offense.

If so, half the members of Congress would be out of work.

Twitter: @Milbank

Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Who the hell cares about a trade war?

You, dear reader. Or at least you should, despite the bloviations of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Usually, when making reckless threats about the economic furor hell unleash upon China, Mexico and other major U.S. trading partners, Donald Trump claims theyll all cower helplessly in terror in response. Such a skilled negotiator is he that no country would dare retaliate. Hence, in the battle to Make America Great Again, no trade war will ever materialize.

But at his first campaign rally in almost two weeks, Trump also offered another, slightly different justification for his hot-headed comments. A hedge, if you will.

As usual, he savaged our current trade deals, calling them disgusting, the absolute worst ever negotiated by any country in the world. As usual, he said that China and other countries are killing us, that we are viewed as the stupid country. And, as usual, he pledged to slap gigantic tariffs on products manufactured abroad. Such measures, he promised, would deter further offshoring, bring jobs back and make the rest of the world behave and respect us.

But he added one additional argument. Rather than just assuming away the possibility of a trade war, he suggested it would be no big deal if one erupted.

These dummies say, Oh, thats a trade war. Trade war? Were losing $500 billion in trade with China. Who the hell cares if theres a trade war?

Lets take his question at face value. Whats so terrible about a trade war?

Plenty, for both us and our trading partners.

As my Post colleague Jim Tankersley reported in March, Moodys Analytics has modeled the consequences of the specific trade policies Trump advocates. These include a 45 percent tariff on Chinese imports and a 35 percent tariff on Mexican imports.

Trump is right that China and Mexico should fear tariffs of this magnitude: They would indeed throw both countries into recession, according to the Moodys model. Unfortunately, the resulting damage would drag us down with them, and within a year the United States would probably tumble into recession.

Heres why.

If other countries choose to retaliate  or punch back, in the Trumpian vernacular  by introducing tariffs of their own, our own exports will get more expensive to buyers abroad. If our exports get more expensive, the employment of millions of workers in export-supporting industries becomes endangered, too. As exportdependent businesses shed workers, those businesses and their newly laid-off workers will have less money to spend, causing knock-on effects throughout the economy.

A downward spiral would result, leading to about 7 million fewer American jobs than there would be in the absence of Trumps machismo-driven trade policy.

Even if Mexico and China for some reason chose not to levy retaliatory tariffs, mind you, Trumps policies would still batter the U.S. economy. Thats because tariffs here  just like any other taxes  are not costless.

If we levy new tariffs on Mexican and Chinese imports, those imported products become more expensive to U.S. consumers. Which means Americans have less spending power. Which means they buy less in general, and fewer dollars land in the pockets of U.S. retailers and other producers. Which means those U.S. businesses in turn can employ fewer workers.

According to the Moodys model, if we raise tariffs as Trump desires and there is (astonishingly) no retaliation from abroad, we may not fall into recession, but well still lose out on several million jobs.

What about Trumps claim that raising tariffs would encourage more companies to move their manufacturing activities to the United States? The likely magnitude of this effect looks small, according to Moodys calculations, especially if firms believe the tariffs will be temporary. And even if some jobs were reshored, its not clear those jobs would be terribly desirable.

Americans romanticize the manufacturing industry because it used to provide stable, middle-class jobs to large numbers of U.S. workers. The kinds of manufacturing jobs available today look pretty different, though. A recent report from researchers at the University of California at Berkeley found that about a third of families of front-line manufacturing workers receive some form of public assistance because they earn so little.

Finally, theres another, scarier reason to fear Trumps dangerous trade policies. The capitalist peace theory posits that commerce and economic interdependence help prevent violent conflict. Or as Frederic Bastiat is credited with observing (perhaps apocryphally), when goods dont cross borders, soldiers will.

In other words: Its not called a trade war for nothing.
DONALD TRUMP appeared Friday before the National Rifle Association and promised to roll back gun restrictions if elected president. The next day, Hillary Clinton stood before a group of mothers who have lost children or other relatives to gun violence and vowed to fight for stricter gun control. The back-to-back speeches by the presumptive Republican nominee and his likely Democratic opponent signal the prominent role that gun issues may play in the presidential election. That would be a welcome contrast to the recent past, when the critical matter of gun violence  and how to combat it  was missing in action from national election debates.

Ms. Clinton has highlighted her disagreement with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over gun policy in their primary battle. Traditionally, Democrats running for office tread gingerly on the issue so as not to rile the NRA, but Ms. Clinton seems eager to take on the powerful organization. Unlike Donald Trump, I will not pander to the gun lobby, she said Saturday, after the NRA had endorsed Mr. Trump.

The NRAs earlier-than-normal backing  further evidence of the prominence that gun control promises to have this fall  came despite Mr. Trumps highly changeable positions on gun laws. In 2000, he backed a ban on assault weapons and longer waiting periods to purchase firearms. After the 2012 slaughter of schoolchildren at Sandy Hook, he lauded the presidents call for gun reform, saying Mr. Obama spoke for me and every American.

That is no longer operative, apparently. In his speech to the NRA, Mr. Trump sought to confirm his gun-toting credentials, wrongly depicted Ms. Clinton as wanting to abolish the Second Amendment and vowed to get rid of gun-free school zones. Of course, as tends to happen with Mr. Trump, there was incoherence in his proposed policies, as evident in his remarkable attempt to parse his comments on guns in schools. I dont want to have guns in classrooms, although in some cases teachers should have guns in classrooms, frankly, because teachers are, you know, things that are going on in our schools are unbelievable  that is just part of what he said less than 24 hours after calling for elimination of gun-free school zones.

What should not get lost in trying to make sense of the senseless is how much the nation has lost by avoiding serious debate on this issue for so long. Some 33,000 Americans each year are killed by guns. This year the statistics will include the 5-year-old girl who shot herself over the weekend when she picked up her fathers gun; last year, the 56-year-old man caught in the crossfire when he stopped to get cigarettes at an Elks Lodge in Cincinnati. Gun violence is a public-health crisis. If we actually debate ways to manufacture a gun, say, that a 5-year-old cant accidentally fire, many lives might be saved.
Watching the excellent documentary Ebola in America: Epidemic of Fear is to relive the confusion and controversies of the summer of 2014: the initial public health mistakes, the divided and unclear responsibilities, the hysterical coverage on cable TV. But it is the political role played by Republicans and conservatives that stands out, and not in a good way.

At every stage, elements of the right made a reasonable, science-based response to Ebola more difficult. Against the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie quarantined a nurse returning from West Africa who had tested negative for the disease. Some conservative media outlets spread false information about the disease to exaggerate an impression of public health incompetence.

But it was Donald Trump who led the opposition. He tweeted: The U.S. must immediately stop all flights from EBOLA infected countries or the plague will start and spread inside our borders. Act fast! And: Ebola is much easier to transmit than the CDC and government representatives are admitting.

Health officials were not lying. Travel to and from West Africa was essential for medical personnel and aid workers to defeat the disease at its point of origin. Trumps ban would have made Ebola materially more likely to spread beyond control.

President Obama recognized the work and leadership of U.S. health-care workers in their response to the Ebola threat at the White House on Wednesday. (Ashleigh Joplin/AP)

What kind of politics is ascendant in the United States? A distrust of institutions that borders on conspiratorial. Here is Trump again: Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesnt feel good and changes  AUTISM. And: I am being proven right about massive vaccinations  the doctors lied. And: So many people who have children with autism have thanked me  amazing response. They know far better than fudged up reports!

Lying doctors. Fudged reports. It would all be disturbing  if it were not conspiratorial nonsense. No connection has ever been demonstrated between vaccinations and autism. And this particular nonsense is potentially deadly. Trump is undermining a consensus for vaccination that builds up herd immunity and saves the lives of children.

Who else is plotting against us  I mean, other than public health officials and your local pediatrician? Well, the Mexican government, because they send the bad ones over because they dont want to pay for them. And how does Trump know the cunning Mexicans are purposely exporting criminals? Because some unspecified Border Patrol people told him.

Even more disturbingly, there are the thousands and thousands of Muslims in New Jersey who Trump claims celebrated the Twin Towers collapsing. For proof of this, he linked to an article at the Infowars website, run by Alex Jones, who has famously argued that the U.S. government was behind the 9/11 attacks. Trump has pledged that, if he is elected, you will find out who really knocked down the World Trade Center.

And then there are the black criminals who are responsible, according to a Trump retweet, for 81 percent of homicides against whites. Except that this turned out to be a racist myth from a white supremacist source.

And then there is the death of justice Antonin Scalia. They say they found a pillow on his face, responded Trump, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow.

Republican presidential candidates Ben Carson, Donald Trump and Rand Paul responded to a question about vaccines and autism at the GOP debate. (CNN)

Does Trump really believe that liberals may have ordered a hit on a Supreme Court justice? Who knows? We do know he finds such ideas useful. Trump emerged in conservative circles by questioning Barack Obamas citizenship, and thus the legality of his presidency. This required the existence of a conspiracy to hide the circumstances of Obamas birth. They cannot believe what theyre finding, he said of people that have been studying it. Having actually discovered nothing, Trump doubled down on a deception.

As a leader, Trump has succeeded by appealing to stereotypes and ugly hatreds that most American leaders have struggled to repress and contain. His political universe consists of deceptive experts, of scheming, of criminal Mexicans, of lying politicians and bureaucrats and of disloyal Muslims. Asked to repudiate David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan, Trump hesitated, later claiming a bad earpiece. Asked to repudiate the vicious anti-Semitism of some of his followers, Trump responded, I dont have a message to the fans. Wouldnt want to offend the fans.

This is not flirting with the fringes; it is French-kissing them. Every Republican official endorsing Trump should know: This is the company he keeps. This is the company you now keep.

Read more from Michael Gersons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook .
THE OBAMA administration says the killing of Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in a U.S. drone strike eliminates one roadblock to peace in Afghanistan, as Defense Secretary Ash Carter put it in a statement. While that may be true  Mansour was said to have resisted negotiations with the Afghan government  the Taliban chief was not the only nor even the most important block to an Afghan settlement. Unless and until President Obama addresses some of the others, including his own reluctance to provide adequate support to the Afghan military, Saturdays strike cant be expected to much improve a deteriorating situation.

The Taliban head, who was formally named last summer, was said to have resisted pressure from Pakistan to take up the offer of peace talks pressed by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The airstrike that killed him occurred in Baluchistan, the Pakistani province that has long been the base of the Talibans leaders, and appeared to be the first U.S. drone attack in that area. While U.S. officials said Pakistan was not informed in advance, the relatively mild initial protests from Islamabad suggested some degree of acquiescence with the U.S. move.

Whether the killing will advance the dormant peace process or slow the Talibans ongoing military offensive is far from clear. The insurgents current military operations are said to be directed by Sirajuddin Haqqani, a Pakistani client and implacable U.S. enemy who could become the next Taliban head. If so, a settlement would look improbable. In any case, the Talibans annual offensive, which is pressing the government hard in both the south and east of the country, is unlikely to slow. Having regained substantial ground in the last year, and inflicted some 5,500 combat deaths on the Afghan army, the Taliban has little incentive to stop fighting and cut a deal.

Thats where the obstacles created by Mr. Obama come in. To his credit, the president decided last fall to set aside his ambition to withdraw almost all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of his term, and allowed 9,800 to remain through most of this year. However, he has not yet revised a plan to reduce that number to 5,500 by early 2017, though several senior U.S. commanders have suggested publicly that any further withdrawal should be conditions-based.

Nor has Mr. Obama agreed to loosen the restrictions on U.S. airstrikes against Taliban forces, which are allowed only if U.S. troops are under attack or a government unit is in danger of collapse. The recently departed U.S. Afghanistan commander, Gen. John Campbell, proposed that Afghan forces receive U.S. air support until the government can build up its own air force. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed written with Michael OHanlon of the Brookings Institution, former commander David Petraeus pointed out that in the first three months of this year, U.S. and allied planes dropped 7,000 bombs in Iraq and Syria, but only 300 in Afghanistan.

Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., the new commander in Afghanistan, is preparing a recommendation on troop and air deployments that is expected to be completed by next month. If Mr. Obama is serious about helping Afghanistan move toward peace, he will approve the generals likely request for more airpower and an extended troop presence.
Speaking in D.C. May 24, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), slammed GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying the "central question" of the 2016 election is "whether this country works for billionaires like Trump and their big bank friends or whether this country works for everyone else. " (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Speaking in D.C. May 24, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), slammed GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying the "central question" of the 2016 election is "whether this country works for billionaires like Trump and their big bank friends or whether this country works for everyone else. " (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has a new partner in her battle against Donald Trump: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who gave a speech Tuesday mirroring Clintons own talking points accusing Trump of profiting from the housing crash of 2008.

Warren (D-Mass.) has stayed out of the ongoing Democratic primary race between Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont  she is the only Democratic woman in the Senate who has not endorsed Clinton  but she recently has become more aggressive in taking on Trump on his favorite medium, Twitter.

Warrens speech, at the Center for Popular Democracys annual gala in Washington, struck what are familiar themes for her.

Donald Trump was drooling over the idea of a housing meltdown  because it meant he could buy up a bunch more property on the cheap, Warren said. What kind of a man does that? Root for people to get thrown out on the street? Root for people to lose their jobs? Root for people to lose their pensions?

The timing of her remarks Tuesday, and their convergence with Clintons stump message in California the same day, was not entirely a coincidence. And it may serve a dual purpose for Clinton: helping her begin the general-election battle against Trump, but also beginning the difficult task of unifying the fractured Democratic Party.

Warren enjoys strong support with many of the Democratic constituencies passionate about Sanders. An aide said she takes seriously her potential role in helping to bring those constituencies together and focus the partys energy on defeating Trump.

Among other points, she criticized Trump for proposing a plan that would dismantle Dodd-Frank financial regulations.

Donald Trump is worried about helping poor little Wall Street? Warren asked. Let me find the worlds smallest violin to play a sad, sad song.

Can Donald Trump even name three things that Dodd-Frank does? Seriously, someone ask him, she added.

While campaigning in California, Clinton used Trumps own words to make a similar case: that he cheered on the market crash eight years ago.

Trump economics is a recipe for lower wages, fewer jobs and more debt, Clinton told a crowd here Tuesday afternoon.

1 of 46 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail View Photos The former secretary of state, senator and first lady is the Democratic nominee for president. Caption The former secretary of state, senator and first lady is the Democratic nominee for president. July 31, 2016 Hillary Clinton is seen aboard the campaign bus in Cleveland on the third day of a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

You know what happened in the Great Recession. Donald Trump said when he was talking about the possibility of a housing-market crash before the Great Recession, he said, I sort of hope that happens,  Clinton said. He actually said he was hoping for the crash that caused hard-working families in California and across the country to lose their homes.

In his own defense, Trump called Clinton a low life for using a clip of his comments about the housing crisis in an ad.

Im a businessman, thats what Im supposed to do, Trump said at a rally in Albuquerque on Tuesday night.

He also targeted Warren, calling her Pocahontas and accusing her of saying that she was Native American because her cheekbones were high.

She is probably the senator thats doing just about the least in the United States Senate, he said of Warren. Shes a total failure.

Clinton and more than a dozen surrogates and allies hammered the message across the country on Tuesday, showing a level of coordination on message and strategy that amounts to a dry run for the general election.

Elected leaders, including Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.), Sen. Timothy M. Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), held calls with local and national reporters to push the message.

This is Trumps view of the world: When Americans suffer, Trump looks to cash in, Ryan said on a conference call with reporters.

Pro-Clinton group Americans United for Change, the AFL-CIO and other progressive groups rallied outside of Trumps soon-to-be hotel in Washington, D.C., toting anti-Trump signs that repeated  word for word  the message that Ryan delivered on the call.

Trump wasted no time to respond to the attacks.

I am a businessman, and I have made a lot of money in down markets, he said in a statement distributed to reporters. In some cases, as much as Ive made when markets are good. Frankly, this is the kind of thinking our country needs, understanding how to get a good result out of a very bad and sad situation.

Clinton has for weeks been bogged down in a two-front war against Trump and Sanders. But since Trump essentially secured his partys nomination in April, Democrats have grown increasingly anxious that they are running out of precious time to set the terms of the general election before Trump does.

[Its all about Calif,: Clinton hopes to avoid ending primary season with epic loss.]

We cant normalize Donald Trump  nothing about him is normal, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Tuesday.

Democrats have tried out different strategies to take on the presumptive Republican nominee, but on Tuesday, Clinton sent a clear signal to her allies that they should focus on a single message: that Trump pursues profit above all else.

The effort was also aimed specifically at voters in battleground states of Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada.

The Washington Post reported earlier this year that in 2005, Trump ignored growing warnings that the housing market was on shaky ground just before launching his failed mortgage company.

Clinton and her surrogates also called attention to Trumps statements in 2006 and 2007  in the lead-up to the housing crash in 2008  saying that if the housing bubble burst, he would go in and buy like crazy to make money.

Now he says he wants to roll back the financial regulations that we have imposed on Wall Street to let them run wild again, Clinton said.

She noted that Trump has experience with bankruptcy and questioned how he lost money in the casino business.

Hes bankrupted companies, Clinton said. I dont know if thats one of the qualifications of running for president, but I kind of doubt it.

Tumulty reported from Washington. Jose DelReal in Washington contributed to this report.


Hargie Randall at his home in Houston Wednesday May 19, 2016, was able to get his state ID with the help of an attorney after a clerical error in the spelling of his name was discovered. (Michael Stravato/For The Washington Post)

In his wallet, Anthony Settles carries an expired Texas identification card, his Social Security card and an old student ID from the University of Houston, where he studied math and physics decades ago. What he does not have is the one thing that he needs to vote this presidential election: a current Texas photo ID.

For Settles to get one of those, his name has to match his birth certificate  and it doesnt. In 1964, when he was 14, his mother married and changed his last name. After Texas passed a new voter-ID law, officials told Settles he had to show them his name-change certificate from 1964 to qualify for a new identification card to vote.

So with the help of several lawyers, Settles tried to find it, searching records in courthouses in the D.C. area, where he grew up. But they could not find it. To obtain a new document changing his name to the one he has used for 51 years, Settles has to go to court, a process that would cost him more than $250  more than he is willing to pay.

It has been a bureaucratic nightmare, said Settles, 65, a retired engineer. The intent of this law is to suppress the vote. I feel like I am not wanted in this state.

Anthony Settles confers with his attorney Abbie Kamin. Settles is trying to overcome the state of Texas' strict voter-ID law. (Photo Courtesy of the Campaign Legal Center )

In November, 17 states will have voting restrictions in place for the first time in a presidential election. Eleven of those states will require their residents to show a photo ID. They include swing states such as Wisconsin and states with large African American and Latino populations, such as North Carolina and Texas. On Tuesday, the entire 15-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans is to begin hearing a case regarding the legality of the Texas law, considered to be the most stringent in the country.

Supporters say that everyone should easily be able to get a photo ID and that the requirement is needed to combat voter fraud. But many election experts say that the process for obtaining a photo ID can be far more difficult than it looks for hundreds of thousands of people across the country who do not have the required photo identification cards. Those most likely to be affected are elderly citizens, African Americans, Hispanics and low-income residents.

A lot of people dont realize what it takes to obtain an ID without the proper identification and papers, said Abbie Kamin, a lawyer who has worked with the Campaign Legal Center to help Texans obtain the proper identification to vote. Many people will give up and not even bother trying to vote.

A federal court in Texas found that 608,470 registered voters dont have the forms of identification that the state now requires for voting. For example, residents can vote with their concealed-carry handgun licenses but not their state-issued student university IDs.

Across the country, about 11 percent of Americans do not have government-issued photo identification cards, such as a drivers license or a passport, according to Wendy Weiser of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.





North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R), compares his states new voter-ID requirement to what is needed for boarding an airplane and purchasing Sudafed. Texas officials, who say the laws are needed to combat possible voter fraud, recently said in court papers that the Justice Department and civil rights groups suing the state are not able to find anyone who would face a substantial obstacle to voting.

But former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. has called the costs associated for voters seeking a photo ID a poll tax, referring to fees that some Southern states used to disenfranchise blacks during the Jim Crow era of laws enforcing racial segregation between the late 1800s through 1965.

Republicans giddy

Soon after Obamas election, a surge of Republican-led state legislatures passed laws requiring photo IDs.

Voters who have to show ID constantly in their everyday lives certainly dont see ID as a problem, said Hans von Spakovsky, manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the conservative Heritage Foundation. It is a common-sense, basic requirement needed to ensure election integrity, which is an essential part of free and fair elections.

In this video from the Campaign Legal Center, lawyer Abbie Kamin works with three people who have had difficulties getting registered to vote after Texas passed a law requiring a photo identification. (Youtube/Campaign Legal Center)

Opponents say that the laws were designed to target people more likely to vote Democratic.

Last week, during the federal trial on Wisconsins voter-ID law, a former Republican staffer testified that GOP senators were giddy about the idea that the states 2011 voter-ID law might keep Democrats, particularly minorities in Milwaukee, from voting and help them win at the polls. They were politically frothing at the mouth, said the aide, Todd Allbaugh.

A recent voter-ID study by political scientists at the University of California at San Diego analyzed turnout in elections between 2008 and 2012 and found substantial drops in turnout for minorities under strict voter ID laws.

These results suggest that by instituting strict photo ID laws, states could minimize the influence of voters on the left and could dramatically alter the political leaning of the electorate, the study concluded.

The question of whether photo IDs are difficult to obtain has become central to cases across the country, where government and civil rights lawyers are challenging new state laws.

Three courts have in fact struck down the voter-ID law in Texas, but the states governor has not backed down and has promised to keep it in effect in November.

In 2012, a federal court in Washington concluded that the burden of obtaining a state voter-ID certificate would weigh disproportionately on minorities living in poverty, with many having to travel as much as 200 to 250 miles round trip.

That law will almost certainly have retrogressive effect: it imposes strict, unforgiving burdens on the poor, and racial minorities in Texas are disproportionately likely to live in poverty, wrote David S. Tatel, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in the panels 56-page opinion.

Voter-ID laws are also being litigated in North Carolina and Virginia, in addition to Texas and Wisconsin. Election experts predict that one of these cases could go to the Supreme Court before November.

A lot of them just give up

Many of the residents struggling to obtain a valid photo ID are elderly and poor and were born in homes rather than hospitals. As a result, birth certificates were often lost or names were misspelled in official city records.

Hargie Randall, 72, was born in his familys home in Huntsville, Tex., and has lived in the state his entire life. Randall, now living in Houstons low-income Fifth Ward neighborhood, has several health problems and such poor eyesight that he is legally blind. He cant drive and has to ask others for rides.

After Texas implemented its new law, Randall went to the Department of Public Safety (the Texas agency that handles drivers licenses and identification cards) three times to try to get a photo ID to vote. Each time Randall was told he needed different items. First, he was told he needed three forms of identification. He came back and brought his Medicaid card, bills and a current voter registration card from voting in past elections.

I thought that because I was on record for voting, I could vote again, Randall said.

But he was told he still needed more documentation, such as a certified copy of his birth certificate.

Records of births before 1950, such as Randalls, are not on a central computer and are located only in the county clerks office where the person was born.

For Randall, that meant an hour-long drive to Huntsville, where his lawyers found a copy of his birth certificate.

But that wasnt enough. With his birth certificate in hand, Randall went to the DPS office in Houston with all the necessary documents. But, DPS officials still would not issue him a photo ID because of a clerical mistake on his birth certificate. One letter was off in his last name  Randell instead of Randall  so his last name was spelled slightly different than on all his other documents.

Kamin, the lawyer, asked the DPS official if they could pull up Randalls prior drivers-license information, as he once had a state-issued ID. The official told her that the state doesnt keep records of prior identification after five years, and there was nothing they could do to pull up that information.

Kamin was finally able to prove to a DPS supervisor that there was a clerical error and was able to verify Randalls identity by showing other documents.

But Myrtle Delahuerta, 85, who lives across town from Randall, has tried unsuccessfully for two years to get her ID. She has the same problem of her birth certificate not matching her pile of other legal documents that she carts from one government office to the next. The disabled woman, who has difficulty walking, is applying to have her name legally changed, a process that will cost her more than $300 and has required a background check and several trips to government offices.



Myrtle Delahuerta, 85, left, going over all of her historical documents at her home with attorney Abbie Kamin, right, in Houston Wednesday May 19, 2016 has still not been able to obtain a photo ID to vote in Texas because the name on her birth certificate doesn't exactly match other legal documents. (Michael Stravato/For The Washington Post)

I hear from people nearly weekly who cant get an ID either because of poverty, transportation issues or because of the governments incompetence, said Chad W. Dunn, a lawyer with Brazil & Dunn in Houston, who has specialized in voting rights work for 15 years.

Sometimes government officials dont know what the law requires, Dunn said. People take a day off work to go down to get the so-called free birth certificates. People who are poor, with no car and no Internet access, get up, take the bus, transfer a couple of times, stand in line for an hour and then are told they dont have the right documents or it will cost them money they dont have.

A lot of them just give up, Dunn said.

Read more:

More than 30 states offer online voting, but experts warn it isnt secure

How North Carolina became the epicenter of the voting rights battle

The conservative gladiator from Kansas behind restrictive voting laws

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
With a U.S. Supreme Court deadline looming, judges on a federal appeals court here Tuesday questioned whether accommodations could be made to protect minority voters and save Texass strictest-in-the-

nation voter-ID law.

Among the 15 judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit who heard oral arguments Tuesday morning, there did not seem to be much support for striking down the law or blocking its use in Novembers presidential election.

But several questioned why Texas did not have more fallback provisions  as other states do  for voters who lack the kinds of identification that the state requires.

Three other courts have said the Texas law discriminates against African American, Hispanic and poor voters, who are less likely to have the specified ID documents.

Despite those decisions, the appeals court has left the law in place. It is now under pressure from the Supreme Court to decide by July whether Texass approach is a responsible way to combat potential voter fraud or an impermissible Republican effort to discourage minority turnout.

In this video from the Campaign Legal Center, lawyer Abbie Kamin works with three people who have had difficulties getting registered to vote after Texas passed a law requiring a photo identification. (Youtube/Campaign Legal Center)

[Supreme Court declines to block Texas law  for now]

The appellate judges are considering a district courts finding that 600,000 people, disproportionately minorities, lack the specific kind of identification required  a drivers license, military ID, passport or weapons permit, among them  and that it would be difficult for many to secure it.

A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit reviewing that decision put aside the district judges ruling that the law was enacted by the Texas legislature with a discriminatory purpose, which would have required striking down the law. But the panel did find the law had a discriminatory effect.

Texas Solicitor General Scott A. Keller told the court Tuesday that the panels finding was incorrect and that challengers have not been able to prove the law has reduced turnout or participation in any of the three statewide or five local elections in which the law has been used.

He said a Supreme Court decision in 2008 upholding an Indiana law recognized a states interest in requiring voter IDs to maintain a fair and honest voting system.

If the challengers are right that any voting requirement that has even a slightly disproportionate impact on minority voters is unlawful, he said, all voting laws are in jeopardy.

[Former Supreme Court justice now has doubts about voter-ID decision]

Keller found support among what is considered the most conservative appeals court in the nation. Ten of the 15 judges were nominated by Republican presidents. Led in questioning by Judge Edith H. Jones, several on the court wanted to know the challengers limiting principle.

Im just looking for a place to draw a line between which state restrictions are acceptable and which are not, Judge Leslie H. Southwick said.

Attorneys for the laws challengers said the Voting Rights Act requires courts to look closely at the context and consequences of the changes and whether they are needlessly burdensome.

Janai Nelson, representing the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the legislatures purpose, in part, was to curb the increasing power of minority voters in the state. The legislature couldnt change those demographics, Nelson said, so it worked with surgical precision to rule out the kinds of identification  government employment cards, for instance, or college IDs  that minorities were most likely to hold.

Several judges asked about remedies that Texas could provide without a strike-down of the law and whether the court would have to come up with them. Jones said courts usually allow legislatures the first crack at such a task. But Judge Catharina Haynes, who wrote the panel decision that said the law had a discriminatory effect, said a special session of the legislature was unlikely.

Among the remedies could be accepting other kinds of IDs besides those the law specifies or allowing people to vote after supplying an affidavit that they are registered and qualified.

Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart, who was also on the panel that found the law discriminatory, said that Indiana, Wisconsin, Virginia and other states that have enacted voter-ID laws provide infinitely more options and that Texass was the strictest of all the law enacted.

But Keller said Texas does provide exceptions and that even the individuals challenging the law are able to vote. He said experts for the challengers found that among registered voters, 96 percent of whites, 94 percent of Hispanics and 92 percent of African Americans had the necessary ID.

Chad Dunn, a lawyer representing some of the challengers, said courts have found that disenfranchising any voter is prohibited, whether it is one or 1,000.

The Supreme Court last month turned down a request to stay the Texas law but told the 5th Circuit to act quickly on it.

[Supreme Court throws out key portion of Voting Rights Act]

The court recognizes the time constraints the parties confront in light of the scheduled elections in November, 2016, it said in an order issued in late April. If, on or before July 20, 2016, the Court of Appeals has neither issued an opinion on the merits of the case nor issued an order vacating or modifying the current stay order, an aggrieved party may seek interim relief from this court by filing an appropriate application.

The Texas law, known as SB 14, is one of several that will face court tests between now and the general election. Seventeen states have more-restrictive voting laws than they did during the presidential election four years ago, and several are under court scrutiny.

A voter-ID law in North Carolina was recently upheld, and that case now heads to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond. Virginias less-restrictive law was upheld, as well. Wisconsins law is the subject of an ongoing trial in Madison, where a former Republican aide testified that his bosses were giddy over the possibility that the restrictive law would discourage voters who favor Democrats.

But the Texas law has a long legal past. It was passed in 2011 but blocked by a panel of judges in Washington who at the time were required to review any voting changes in states with a history of discrimination.

[Getting a photo ID to vote is easy. Unless youre poor, black, Latino or elderly.]

The Supreme Court, in Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, threw out Congresss designation of which states required pre-

clearance of their laws. Within hours, Texas declared that its blocked law was now in effect.

Civil rights groups and the Obama administration then challenged the Texas law under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which forbids changes that discriminate against minorities.

After a trial, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos struck down the law in October 2014. But the 5th Circuit issued a stay, allowing the law to be used in the November 2014 election.

The Supreme Court agreed with that action, over the strong dissent of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

The greatest threat to public confidence in elections . . . is the prospect of enforcing a purposefully discriminatory law, Ginsburg wrote.
Donald Trump is getting fundraising assistance from some of the Republican partys top financiers (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Donald Trump spent much of the Republican presidential primary contest inveighing against politicians for leaning on wealthy contributors for support. Now hes doing the same.

On Tuesday, some of the GOPs best-connected fundraisers signed on to help raise as much as $1 billion for Trump and the Republican National Committee, part of an effort to rapidly build out a finance operation that the candidate has lacked until now.

Half a dozen of the partys elite money players  including New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and Wisconsin billionaire Diane Hendricks  have agreed to serve as vice chairs of the Trump Victory fund, a joint fundraising committee between Trumps campaign, the RNC and 11 state parties, the party announced Tuesday.

Johnson served as finance chairman for former Florida governor Jeb Bushs presidential bid, while Hendricks donated $5 million to a super PAC supporting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Corey Lewandowski, Trumps campaign manager, said that the candidate was not contradicting his stance on rich donors by accepting their help, noting that most of the money raised would go to the RNC for its national voter mobilization this fall.

1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump captures the nations attention on the campaign trail View Photos The Republican candidate continues to dominate the presidential contest. Caption Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the partys convention in Cleveland. Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

That will benefit not only Mr. Trump, but all the races down ballot, he said, adding: I dont think its fair to say that an individual worth $10 billion will be indebted to someone who writes a check for $10 or $100.

In fact, the victory fund is seeking donations in far greater amounts. The first fundraiser, which Trump was set to headline Tuesday in Albuquerque, requires a $10,000 donation per person. Tickets for a high-priced dinner in Los Angeles on Wednesday at the home of investor Thomas Barrack Jr. start at $25,000.

And a rich supporter who wants to give more could shell out as much as $449,400 to the joint committee, whose proceeds are split between the Trump campaign and the party.

[Heres how a wealthy Trump supporter could give $783,400 to support his campaign and the RNC]

Leading the effort to bring in big dollars are major financial backers of Trumps past rivals  even some he targeted as special interests who seek to control the agenda of the politicians they support.

Earlier this year, Trump regularly cited Johnson, an heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, as someone who would influence Bushs health-care and pharmaceutical policies.

Nevertheless, his comments did not rankle the New York Jets owner, who has been friends with Trump for three decades, according to a person familiar with Johnsons views. Among the ties between the two men: Their daughters went to school together.

That kind of long-standing relationship that Trump has with wealthy business leaders has helped convert apprehension about the real estate developer into active support, donors said. The coalescing among the partys money class has been accelerated by antipathy to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Its the party unifying because they realize that Mrs. Clinton is not a viable choice, said Ron Weiser, who was a national co-chair for Sen. John McCains 2008 presidential campaign and is one of the new Trump Victory vice chairs. I think youre starting to see that across the board.

Just a few months ago, Florida developer Mel Sembler expressed dismay at the thought of Trump as the partys nominee. I kept telling myself that wont happen, that cant happen. . . . I now fear it may happen, he told the Tampa Bay Times in February.

Now Sembler, who helped lead fundraising for a pro-Bush super PAC, has agreed to serve as a vice chairman of the victory fund.

When asked why, Sembler responded in a text message: Trump will be the Republican Partys nominee.

[Trumps deal with the RNC shows how big money is flowing back to the parties]

As a sign of party unity, the past three RNC finance chairmen have come aboard the effort: Weiser, a former ambassador to Slovakia; Dallas investor Ray Washburne, who had been the national finance chairman for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; and Los Angeles venture capitalist Elliott Broidy, who serves on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

There is truly a sense that were going to win this thing, that Trump can win it, Washburne said. Everyone is going to throw their shoulders behind it and put money behind it.

The operation is being led by Lew Eisenberg, the RNCs finance chairman, and is getting a big boost from experienced finance staff at the party headquarters. Chairman Reince Priebus is even calling major fundraisers himself, asking them to host events.

The firepower reflects anxiety among senior GOP fundraisers about meeting Trumps declared goal of $1 billion  a sum that would require the committee to pull in an average of $250 million a month during the next five months.

If everybody does their job, anything is possible, Weiser said. But thats a lot of hard money.

The team is finalizing a schedule of fundraisers and is recruiting state finance chairs in each state.

An effort to actively solicit small donations online is also expected to kick off soon. That could provide a major infusion of cash for Trumps campaign, which could tap into the kind of online fundraising juggernaut that has helped power the bid of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Clintons Democratic challenger.

Theres a real opportunity with the enthusiasm that people have for Donald Trump, said Henry Barbour, a Mississippi-based GOP strategist who serves as a RNC national committeeman. I think were going to find a lot of new low-dollar donors.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is reviving some of the ugliest political chapters of the 1990s with escalating personal attacks on Bill Clintons character, part of a concerted effort to smother Hillary Clintons campaign message with the weight of decades of controversy.

Trumps latest shot came Monday when he released an incendiary Instagram video that includes the voices of two women who accused the former president of sexual assault, underscoring the presumptive Republican nominees willingness to go far beyond political norms in his critique of his likely Democratic rival.

The real estate mogul has said in recent interviews that a range of Clinton-related controversies will be at the center of his case against Hillary Clinton.

They said things about me which were very nasty. And I dont want to play that game at all. I dont want to play it  at all. But they said things about me that were very nasty, Trump told The Washington Post in an interview. And, you know, as long as they do that, you know, I will play at whatever level I have to play at. I think Ive proven that.

[Working-class whites see Trump as the champion Romney never was]

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is digging into scandals from Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's past. The Fix's Chris Cillizza explains what Trump hopes to gain and why Clinton isn't hitting back. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Clintons campaign has largely refused to engage the recent attacks directly, instead focusing  as Clinton did Monday during an appearance in Detroit  on Trumps demeanor and job qualifications.

Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said Monday on Bloomberg TV that Trumps attacks were part of a strategy to try to distract from an issues-based campaign, which is what we intend to run. . . . To me, every day he spends in this type of stuff is a misspent opportunity by him in terms of doing the outreach he needs to do to improve his numbers.

The race already appears to be teed up as a referendum on the two candidates pasts rather than their visions for the countrys future. Clinton has increasingly directed fire at Trumps long history of derogatory statements about women, his bankruptcies and other controversies to argue he is unfit for office.

Trump, meanwhile, has sought to brand the former secretary of state as Crooked Hillary, pointing to such issues as the Whitewater real estate controversy in the 1990s and foreign donations to her familys philanthropic organization over the past decade. Trump also regularly accuses the Clintons of hypocrisy on womens issues and argues that Hillary Clinton has been an enabler of her husbands actions and attempting to discredit the women in question.

In one recent interview, Trump said another topic of potential concern is the suicide of former White House aide Vincent Foster, which remains the focus of intense and far-fetched conspiracy theories on the Internet.

Its the one thing with her, whether its Whitewater or whether its Vince or whether its Benghazi. Its always a mess with Hillary, Trump said in the interview.

The presumptive Republican nominee and his associates hope that his tactics will bring fresh scrutiny to the Clintons long record in public life, which conservatives characterize as defined by scandals that her allies view as witch hunts. Through social media and Trumps ability to garner unfiltered attention on the Internet and the airwaves, political strategists believe he could revitalize the controversies among voters who do not remember them well or are too young to have lived through them.

The Clintons collectively have dodged many, many, many bullets. So much that was suppressed [by the media] is going to get re-analyzed. So many of the things that they slipped by on will get reexamined, Trump confidant Roger Stone said Monday. Thats something they should have counted on before getting into the race.

At the same time, Trump has often dismissed scrutiny of his own behavior, including his questionable treatment of women, which served as tabloid fodder in New York City in the 1980s and 1990s. He has regularly criticized the media for reporting on events from decades ago.

When was this? Twenty-five years ago? Wow, you mean youre going so low as to talk about something that took place 25 years ago, Trump said earlier this month when asked about pretending to be his own publicist in the 1990s.

[Donald Trump masqueraded as his own publicist to brag about himself]

The video that Trump published Monday on Instagram  and blasted out to his 8 million Twitter followers  marked a stark turn in a campaign that has already been particularly nasty. The clip includes audio from two well-known accusers, Juanita Broaddrick and Kathleen Willey, describing their allegations against Bill Clinton, who is shown smoking a cigar. Then the video switches to a picture of Hillary Clinton and the sound of her laughing loudly, with the final words: Is Hillary really protecting women?

Broaddrick accused Bill Clinton of assaulting her in 1978, when she worked on his Arkansas gubernatorial campaign. Willey said the former president tried to kiss and grope her in a private hallway in the White House when he was president. Clinton has denied the allegations, and inconsistencies in the womens stories sowed doubts about their accounts.

Democratic-aligned groups called Trumps attacks a distraction from his own record.

Donald Trump is a known misogynist who tears down women for fun. His credibility among women is shrinking by the day, and playing gender card politics isnt helping either, said Marcy Stech, vice president of communications at Emilys List. Its these types of attacks that only draw more attention from Trumps extreme and hateful worldview toward women.

Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), a Long Island moderate who voted against impeaching Bill Clinton in 1998, is skeptical of Trumps aggressive approach. He noted that House Republicans tried to run on similar issues in 1998 amid the impeachment debate and lost seats.

Weve been here before, and for most its probably old news that people get a little squeamish about, King said in an interview. Especially he brings it up in the abstract, he risks making the same mistake that Republicans made in 1998 when we got caught up in this stuff.

Stone said he expects a super PAC will air television ads and steer research to mainstream media organizations to revive elements of 1990s scandals. But he added, What Trump is going to do only Trump knows. Trump is not scripted, hes not programmed and hes not handled, but he can read, and he does know the facts about the Clintons.

[Trumps primary success may have convinced him to make a critical error]

One issue on Trumps radar is the 1993 death of Foster, which has been ruled a suicide by law enforcement officials and a subsequent federal investigation. But some voices on the far right have long argued that the Clintons may have been involved in a conspiracy that led to Fosters death.

When asked in an interview last week about the Foster case, Trump dealt with it as he has with many edgy topics  raising doubts about the official version of events even as he says he does not plan to talk about it on the campaign trail.

He called theories of possible foul play very serious and the circumstances of Fosters death very fishy.

He had intimate knowledge of what was going on, Trump said, speaking of Fosters relationship with the Clintons at the time. He knew everything that was going on, and then all of a sudden he committed suicide.

He added, I dont bring [Fosters death] up because I dont know enough to really discuss it. I will say there are people who continue to bring it up because they think it was absolutely a murder. I dont do that because I dont think its fair.

Philip Rucker in Washington and Jenna Johnson in New York contributed to this report.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who is up for reelection this year, has said she supports but does not endorse Donald Trumps presidential bid. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) said he hadnt thought about it. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) sidestepped it. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) insisted that he had said enough.

The question they faced: Would you campaign with Donald Trump?

Im campaigning for myself, Ayotte said on a walk in the underground tunnel from the U.S. Capitol building to the Senate offices. An aide interjected to say that they were late for a meeting, cutting short the conversation.

I have one priority and thats campaigning for myself, Ayotte added as she walked away.

One after another, Republican senators on the front lines of the effort to hold their fragile majority dodged, diverted or acquiesced halfheartedly when asked if they would appear with Trump on the campaign trail. As the Manhattan mogul cements his position as the GOP standard-bearer, these down-ballot contenders are trying to save their jobs by running away from their partys presumptive nominee.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., arrives for a news conference, Monday, May 9, 2016, in Philadelphia. (Matt Rourke/AP)

The dynamic underscores the tightrope that at-risk Republicans are attempting to walk with Trump, who commands a devoted following within the GOP base but is entering the general-election race with historically low favorability ratings, especially among women and minorities. And although the party is for the most part coalescing around Trump, the hesitance to campaign with him shows that there are limits to how fully Republicans are willing to embrace him  at least for now.

Im going to run, you know, my own campaign and if he wants to help me thats fine, said Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a state expected to be a key presidential battleground again.

What if Trump offered to campaign with Portman?

Im going to have my own campaign out there and do my own thing, Portman repeated. So I dont know that thatll happen. But if he wants to help, thats fine.

[The 10 most tortured Republican responses to Donald Trump]

During the 2014 midterms, vulnerable red- and purple-state Democratic senators tried unsuccessfully to outrun President Obamas unpopularity as Republicans relentlessly tied them together. Given the close historical link between the outcome of presidential and congressional elections, Democrats are wagering that they can turn the tables in November by tethering blue- and purple-state Republicans to Trump in areas that they hope Hillary Clinton will carry.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been promoting a website that encourages visitors to Meet the ReTRUMPlicans. It features a video showing Republican senators pledging to support the GOP nominee and some of Trumps more controversial moments, including his mocking of a reporter with a disability. Other Democratic groups are planning similar efforts.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) sounds less than enthusiastic about campaigning with Donald Trump:  Im going to run, you know, my own campaign and if he wants to help me thats fine. (John Minchillo/AP)

Anticipating the Democratic onslaught, Republican senators have committed to running heavily localized campaigns. The National Republican Senatorial Committees mantra: Run as if you are running for sheriff.

Ayotte and Portman are two of the GOPs top priorities on a map that was ripe for Democratic gains long before Trump emerged as the nominee. Republican officials have identified GOP Senate seats in New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as a Democratic seat in Nevada, as decisive battlegrounds.

Democrats can win the Senate majority by gaining four seats. They view three  Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida  as particularly promising. Senate Republicans are defending seven seats in states that Obama won twice.

[Inside the GOP effort to draft an independent candidate to derail Trump]

Both parties are aggressively targeting Pennsylvania, where the Democratic presidential nominee has won every election since 1992. Asked whether he would campaign with Trump, Toomey said: I havent thought about that. Im running my own campaign.

But in a local radio interview quickly publicized by Pennsylvania Democrats last week, Toomey wouldnt rule out campaigning with the mogul.

Kevin McLaughlin, the deputy executive director of the NRSC, the Senate Republicans campaign arm, said that the committee is not instructing its candidates to take a uniform position when it comes to campaigning with Trump. There is no blanket answer for everything, he said.

There are signs that running the kind of personalized campaigns that Republican leaders envision will be difficult. Ayotte and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) recently attracted widespread attention for trying to distinguish between supporting and endorsing Trump. Democrats believe that Republican senators will find themselves so contorted over Trump that it will overshadow their messaging.

Trumps campaign appears content to help from afar by taking part in a joint fundraising effort with the Republican National Committee to raise money for Senate and House races. The presumptive nominee huddled with top Senate Republicans at NRSC headquarters during a rapid-fire round of meetings in Washington this month. GOP leaders said both sides understood that some Senate Republicans would distance themselves from Trump.

Yeah, they care about it, although I dont sense that theyre in any way intimidated or panicked by it because theyve been running against the establishment all along, said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), a Trump backer who has recently spoken directly to him.

Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said that in addition to fundraising help down the ballot, the campaigns main assistance will come in boosting turnout for Republicans.

Right now were interested in our race and to make sure we have the strongest candidate on the top of the ballot, he said.

[Trumps plan to rehabilitate himself: Explain past controversies]

Asked about the reluctance of many vulnerable Republican senators to commit to campaigning with Trump, Lewandowski pointed to Trumps dominating primary finishes in places such as Pennsylvania and New Hampshire and to polling that shows a close contest with Clinton.

While Democrats are eager to use Trump to their advantage in competitive Senate contests, Republicans see an opportunity to use Clintons image problems  polls show many Americans distrust her and that many Republicans strongly dislike her  as an opportunity in races further down the ballot.

Pressed whether Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) would appear with Trump, his campaign responded with a statement saying that Burr looks forward to working with Mr. Trump at the top of the ticket and added: There will not be a third term for a Clinton/Obama Administration in the White House.

One of the toughest states for Senate Republicans will be Wisconsin, where Trump lost in the primary. The Badger State has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee seven times in a row.

Right now its hypothetical, Johnson said when asked about the prospect of appearing with Trump. I have no idea what his campaign strategy is going to be.

Even in states that look more challenging for Democrats, the Republican incumbents are treading carefully. If the election turns into a strong anti-Trump wave, Democrats think, underdog challengers could ride it to victory in states that seemed to be safely Republican only a few months ago.

Im campaigning [on] my own in Arizona, McCain said. Pressed on whether he would campaign with Trump, McCain said: Ive said enough about Mr. Trump.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who hasnt faced a close race since he was first elected to the Senate in 1980, said: Im in a position where Im going to run my campaign as if this is the toughest campaign I ever had.

What about campaigning with Trump?

Hed have to call me a month ahead of time, Grassley responded, because Im going to be scheduled a month ahead of time.

Mike DeBonis and Paul Kane contributed to this report.
Security guards patrol Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai. Doctors in India say that their medical residents and others have been subjected to a series of attacks by angry patients and their relatives in recent years, prompting new laws and security measures at medical facilities. (Annie Gowen/The Washington Post)

On the closed-circuit tape, the young resident doctor works on his computer in a hospital ward as a patient and two men approach. The patient, who police say was frustrated by delay in treatment, confronts the doctor, hitting him and then picking up a nearby chair and bringing it sharply down on his head.

The late April incident in a city in the western state of Maharashtra is one of a growing number of attacks on doctors in health-care facilities in India by patients or their families unhappy with the quality of care. The trend has prompted strikes by health-care workers throughout the country and calls for new laws and greater security in emergency rooms and intensive care units.

Some doctors have sought permission to carry guns.

Last week, young residents in the eastern state of Bihar went on strike after an altercation over a patient death  a walkout that quickly spread to other facilities around the state. More than 20,000 doctors in New Delhi went on strike in June to demand better working conditions and security, temporarily shuttering hospitals and delaying surgeries.

In January at Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, doctors who had treated a pregnant woman who died from respiratory failure were attacked by a mob of about 50 of her relatives, who threw chairs, saline bottles and equipment at them, doctors said. Terrified staffers avoided the melee by locking themselves into a nearby room until help arrived.

Attacks against doctors are on the rise in India. Experts say that many people are frustrated about rising health care costs and low quality health care. (Video courtesy of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors)

To combat the violence, one group of doctors working in small private hospitals in Maharashtra has hired a security team, and after the April attack, an association of medical residents asked the state for licenses to carry firearms in government hospitals.

We do not have adequate security, so we are saying we need to be armed, said Sagar Dilip Mundada, president of the group, whose members have been involved in 90 altercations since 2013.

Since 2007, 18 Indian states have passed laws protecting doctors and health-care workers from attacks, but more needs to be done, said K.K. Aggarwal, the general secretary of the Indian Medical Association. The group is pushing for a nationwide law to curb workplace violence in health facilities.

Three out of 4 doctors in India have reported some kind of verbal or physical abuse in the workplace, according to an Indian Medical Association survey, with more than half of those assaults occurring in intensive care wards and surgical units involving families or other escorts of patients. The confrontations are often sparked by a sudden, unexpected death, a delay in providing care, denial of admission due to overcrowding or allegations of abuse or negligence by staff.

Experts say that dual forces are driving the increase in India, a country that spends only about 1 percent of its gross domestic product on public health, far less than many other countries.

Those in the emerging and Internet-savvy middle class are paying more for health care and turning to private and corporate hospitals  raising expectations, sometimes unrealistic, about the standard of care.

Salma Begum, left, and her husband, Meraj Qureshi, whose 3-year-old son Abu Sufian died from complications of dengue in September. (Annie Gowen/The Washington Post)

The countrys poor are increasingly fed up with Indias fraying and overcrowded government hospitals, where drugs and supplies are often in short supply

and the doctor-patient ratio is

1 to 11,500, according to last years National Health Profile.

The expectation levels have gone up exponentially, Mundada said. If the doctor is not able to save the patient, they blame the doctor.

Resident doctors are so overworked  with 18- to 20-hour workdays commonplace  they have little time to adequately counsel family members of a patient, even in the case of a life-threatening emergency, he said.

Khushal Sharnagat, 25, a second-year pediatric resident at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, was treating a gravely ill 3-year-old boy suffering from dengue last September when four relatives of the boy stormed past guards and attacked him and two colleagues with wooden sticks and a metal stool. The men were eventually arrested, but the episode left Sharnagat shaken.

Is it because of frustration they were beating us? Is it because they were losing hope? he wondered. At that time, they became angry and they were blaming us.

In a small home in a crowded lane in Mumbais Govandi slum area, Meraj Qureshi, 32, a garage mechanic, and his wife, Salma, 30, are still mourning the death of their boy, Abu Sufian.

They say they had taken Abu Sufian to the hospital when he began vomiting earlier that day. They say he was feeling fine, sitting up and asking for a glass of water, before he was given an injection that sparked breathing problems. Sharnagat denies this and says the boy was treated

with antibiotics and intravenous fluids.

According to us, doctor is next to God, Meraj Qureshi said. But in this case, we lost a child due to negligence.

After the incident, Mundada said, the state medical education ministry installed 500 closed-

circuit security cameras in government teaching hospitals throughout the state. Although security has been beefed up at K.E.M. Hospital, he said, additional security guards promised for other facilities have yet to materialize.

Naazma Siddiqui and Farheen Fatima contributed to this report.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will take world leaders, including President Obama, into the beloved Ise Grand Shrine on Thursday morning at the start of the Group of Seven summit. The pictures will undoubtedly occupy the front pages of Japanese newspapers and the top of the TV news bulletins.

Abes government has been hard at work for months, trying to whip up excitement about the summit in the local and foreign media alike, and over the next few days, he will get plenty of good press. Thats exactly what he wants before the election season here.

But many analysts say that Abes government, which has been struggling with its main promise to revive the economy, has also found other ways to make sure it gets favorable coverage by creating an environment in which media companies have learned to read the air, as the Japanese saying goes, and refrain from critical reporting.

The pressure isnt direct  the media is censoring itself, said Shiro Segawa, a professor of journalism at Waseda University. The idea that they must obey the rules prevails in all Japanese companies, including media companies, and that leads to a mind-set in which media think they should not be making any trouble.

There have been several accusations of government interference this year, after high-profile departures from Japans airwaves.

1 of 51 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What Obama is doing on his historic Asia trip View Photos The president met with his counterpart in Hanoi and found time to sample some traditional Vietnamese food. Caption The president arrived in Japan for the Group of Seven summit, where the leaders of the seven advanced economies are meeting for two days. Obama also visited Hiroshima, the Japanese city where the United States dropped an atomic bomb in 1945. May 27, 2016 President Obama hugs atomic bomb survivor Shigeaki Mori as he visits Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Carlos Barria/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

Most notably, Hiroko Kuniya, the Ted Koppel of Japan, was ousted as host of Close-Up Gendai, a current-affairs program on NHK, after 23 years at the helm. She ran afoul of the government when she had the temerity to ask one of Abes top aides an unscripted question on the air in 2014.

NHK has denied her dismissal was politically motivated, and Kuniya herself has been silent about the reasons for her departure. But she has obliquely described the environment in which broadcasters operate.

In Japan, there remains an atmosphere that its not proper for an interviewer to persistently ask about things that your subject doesnt want to talk about, even against politicians and corporate managers that are accountable, she wrote in a long piece in this months Sekai magazine, without directly mentioning her ouster.

Shigetada Kishii, a senior writer for the Mainichi newspaper who had anchored the News 23 program on Japans TBS, said the station had a feeling that they needed to get rid of me when it transferred him to a lesser role last month. He had been highly critical of the governments move to loosen the post-war restrictions on Japans military and had heard that the government was very displeased with his analysis.

TBS has publicly denied any political interference and has privately indicated that low ratings were a factor.

Ichiro Furutachi, who presented TV Asahis Hodo Station program and was often tough on the government, finished in March after 12 years at the anchor desk. Last year, the program let go of Shigeaki Koga, a former government official who became an outspoken critic of the Abe administration.

Koga said the decision came after a series of messages and briefings from government officials, offering emails and faxes as evidence, although TV Asahi and the government denied it.

There is no doubt in my mind that this was linked, Koga said, accusing the government of trying to muzzle its detractors. The government has created an environment in which people cannot be critical.

[Obama will visit Hiroshima, the first sitting U.S. president to do so]

Abe has made concerted efforts to foster cozy relationships with media executives. A review of the prime ministers public schedule since May 2015 shows that he has dined with media chiefs on at least 17 occasions, and all of the big names are on his dinner list: NHK, Nippon and Fuji television stations; the Yomiuri, Nikkei, Asahi, Mainichi and Sankei newspapers; and the Kyodo and Jiji wire services.

This is part of a trend  alarming to many analysts inside and outside Japan  that does not involve overt pressure from the government but rather includes media executives reining in their staff members.

Indeed, Sanae Takaichi, Japans communications minister, said the government could shut down broadcasters if their reports were not politically neutral, as stipulated in the broadcasting law, a comment viewed as threatening to government detractors.

David Kaye, the University of California at Irvine professor serving as the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, has publicly noted that trends in media independence in Japan are moving sharply and alarmingly in the wrong direction.

Well-known broadcasters and commentators with reputations for tough questions have left long-term positions, allegedly because of an environment hostile to or fearing the consequences of criticism of the government, he said in a punchy initial report issued in April after a week-long visit to Japan.

[Japans most salacious crime news  and the American who publishes it]

The government has strongly pushed back against his report and is now preparing an official response.

Freedom of expression, notably freedom of speech, is an essential and fundamental human right strictly guaranteed under the Japanese Constitution and also ensures democracy, said Kenko Sone, a spokesman for Abe, adding that the prime minister highly respects freedom of expression.

There is no truth whatsoever to the claim that the government put pressure on news media or persons connected with the press, Sone said.

To be sure, when it comes to press freedom, Japan is not North Korea or China.

But Kaye is not the only one to have noticed a trend in the wrong direction. Reporters Without Borders has said that media freedom in Japan has declined since Abe returned as prime minister at the end of 2012, noting the increase in self-censorship within leading media outlets. Japan fell 11 places to 72nd in the watchdogs latest World Press Index, below Mongolia and Senegal, although this was mostly because of a new law that makes it a crime to report classified information.

Yuki Oda contributed to this report.

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A model of a fighter jet is displayed at the Vietnam Peoples Air Force Museum in Hanoi. President Obama announced the United States is lifting its embargo on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam. (Linh Pham/Getty Images)

China warned President Obama on Tuesday not to spark a fire in Asia after he announced the lifting of a long-standing embargo on lethal arms sales to Vietnam.

Obama unveiled the historic step on Monday during his first visit to Vietnam, insisting the move was not based on China while simultaneously acknowledging that Washington and Hanoi share a common concern about Chinas actions in the South China Sea.

Beijing, not surprisingly, was unimpressed. It has a complex relationship with its southern neighbor: The two governments are united in their communist ideology and distaste for Western democracy but are historical adversaries and fought their latest border war in 1979. They now fiercely contest sovereignty over many small islands in the South China Sea.

The United States and Vietnam must not spark a regional tinderbox, the Communist Party newspaper, China Daily, warned in an editorial Tuesday, noting concerns that Obamas move was meant to curb the rise of China.

This, if true, bodes ill for regional peace and stability, it argued.

The United States accuses China of militarizing the South China Sea by turning contested reefs and rocks into putative military bases.

Beijing says it is only asserting its indisputable sovereignty over the islands and charges that the United States is interfering by encouraging rival claimants to antagonize China.

[China assertiveness pushes Vietnam to old foe, the United States]

The nationalist Global Times tabloid called Obamas claim that the Vietnam move was not aimed at China a very poor lie, adding that it would exacerbate the strategic antagonism between Washington and Beijing.

While not an official mouthpiece, the Global Times nevertheless often represents a strain of nationalist thinking within the ruling Communist Party.

It accused Washington of trying to knit three nets around China  in ideology, in security and in economy and trade  in an attempt to secure its dominance of the region.

While it is unlikely that Vietnam, whose weapons systems are largely Russian-made, would import significant quantities of U.S. arms for the moment, the paper said, lifting the embargo draws Hanoi into a U.S.-dominated regional security system.

1 of 51 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What Obama is doing on his historic Asia trip View Photos The president met with his counterpart in Hanoi and found time to sample some traditional Vietnamese food. Caption The president arrived in Japan for the Group of Seven summit, where the leaders of the seven advanced economies are meeting for two days. Obama also visited Hiroshima, the Japanese city where the United States dropped an atomic bomb in 1945. May 27, 2016 President Obama hugs atomic bomb survivor Shigeaki Mori as he visits Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Carlos Barria/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

Vietnam hopes trade deal will tip balance towards the United States

The paper also implied that there was some hypocrisy in the move to cozy up to Communist Vietnam. When the U.S. has an urgent need to contain China in the South China Sea, the standards of its so-called human rights can be relaxed, it wrote.

Speaking in Ho Chi Minh City after Obama arrived there Tuesday, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said the relaxation of the arms embargo was not about China but about promoting a rules-based order in the fastest-growing marketplace in the world.

If you want to point to the possibility of tinderbox and possibly igniting something, I would caution China, as President Obama and others have, to not unilaterally move to reclamation activities and the militarization of the islands and areas that are part of the claims being contested today, Kerry told reporters in the former South Vietnamese capital.

We dont take a position on those claims. China should note that. We are not saying China is wrong in the claims. We are simply saying, Resolve it peacefully; resolve it in the rules-based order. 

Relaxing an out of the ordinary arms embargo was neither out of order nor inflammatory, Kerry insisted. I hope China will read this correctly.

Experts in China said they expected that U.S. warships would sooner or later be granted access to Cam Ranh Bay, a deep-water port that served as the key U.S. naval base during the Vietnam War.

Shi Yinhong, a professor in international relations at Renmin University of China, said Beijing would not respond in a tit-for-tat way but would continue to build its military power in the South China Sea, while exerting pressure on Hanoi not to draw too close to Washington.

China will try to cozy up to Vietnam but at the same time put pressure on it, he said.

On social media, there were some angry reactions. It looks like Vietnam is going to be Americas new puppet, one user wrote. Vietnam needs to give serious consideration to inviting the wolf into the house.

The U.S. is walking an arms race path, wrote another, arguing this was good news as Beijing had deeper pockets. China can wait until the enemy is exhausted.

David Nakamura in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Liu Liu in Beijing contributed to this report.

Read more

Vietnam and Americas surprising turn from foes to friends

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Marco Pannella, a political provocateur who, as a co-founder and longtime leader of Italys Radical Party, used hunger strikes to help spur the legalization of divorce and abortion in his country, died May 19 at a clinic in Rome. He was 86.

He had liver and lung cancer, according to Italian media, which reported his death.

In the seven decades since World War II, dozens of governments have formed and fallen in Italy, where the long-dominant Christian Democrats squared off against the Communists and an array of other parties in what at times seemed a continuous political melee.

A constant amid the turbulence was Mr. Pannella, a consummate showman, protesting, striking, holding court and holding forth. He served in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, from 1976 to 1994 and in the European Parliament from 1979 to 2009.

Founded in 1955, the Radical Party promoted itself over the years as a challenge to the entrenched and often corrupt Italian political establishment and to the influence of the Catholic Church. Its platform included expanded rights for women, gays and lesbians, prisoners and conscientious objectors, as well as the legalization of marijuana and euthanasia, disarmament, and the discontinued use of nuclear energy.

Mr. Pannella protests outside St. Peters Basilica in Rome in 2007. (Sandro Pace/AP)

News reports over the years described Mr. Pannella as eccentric and his party as quixotic. In elections, the party polled in the single digits. What Mr. Pannella did not win in votes he won in affection, endearing himself to the public in Italy and beyond with his spunk.

He drew international headlines for his hunger strikes, which sometimes lasted months, and which he used most effectively in the 1970s to force parliamentary debates on divorce and abortion, both of which were opposed by the Catholic Church.

Italians affirmed a law permitting divorce in a historic 1974 referendum. Abortion in some circumstances was legalized in 1978 and affirmed three years later in a referendum.

Mr. Pannellas protests sometimes took the form of stunts. He once played Robin Hood to protest public financing of campaigns, distributing a total of $148,000 to thousands of citizens in the northern city of Treviso and telling them that it was money stolen by the parties from the Italian people. The source of the money was not reported at the time.

In 1995, he donned a Santa Claus costume and distributed hashish in Romes Piazza Navona in protest of drug policies that he said indirectly benefited the Mafia. Two decades earlier, he had been arrested for partaking publicly of the drug, declaring at a news conference, This is 1.5 grams of what I believe is rather good hashish, the New York Times reported.

In 1979, he and a reported 8,000 followers descended on St. Peters Square on Easter Sunday, during Pope John Paul IIs Urbi et Orbi address, to draw attention to world hunger. In what was interpreted as a nod to the group, John Paul said in his remarks that he was thinking of all those who are suffering for the lack of what is strictly necessary for existence and of all those who suffer hunger, and above all of the little children.

Upon Mr. Pannellas death, a Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, described the politician in a statement as a person with whom we often found ourselves in the past in different positions, but whose total and disinterested commitment for noble causes could not fail to be appreciated.

Giacinto Pannella, known as Marco, was born May 2, 1930, in Teramo, in the central Italian region of Abruzzo. His father was Italian and his mother was Swiss.

Mr. Pannella received a law degree from the University of Urbino in 1953 and worked as a lawyer and journalist before helping found his political party.

Mr. Pannella, who identified as bisexual, had a long relationship with Mirella Parachini, a gynecologist. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

For his nonviolent protest, the Times once reported, Mr. Pannella became known as the Gandhi from the Abruzzi. He did allow himself certain indulgences. He confessed to smoking 60 grappa-flavored Toscanello cigars a day and, during his hunger strikes, subsisted on vitamins and cappuccino.
Claire Houd, the sister of one of the Paris attack victims, talks to the media before entering the Ecole Militaire building with other victims families as part of investigations on May 24. (William Wilson Lewis III/AP)

Six months after terrorists struck the French capital, survivors of the rampage and family members of the 130 people killed in coordinated attacks across the city met Tuesday with the justices in charge of the ongoing investigation, seeking closure to the deadliest incident on French soil since 1945.

During a three-day hearing that began Tuesday, more than 1,000 people touched by the attacks demanded specifics on how the victims died and how such a tragedy could have happened in Paris. Most of those who died were shot as they watched a concert , and others while they drank and chatted with friends at cafes.

The November bloodshed was ultimately claimed by the Islamic State, whose operatives largely planned their attacks from Brussels. The same cell of terrorists then carried out the March 22 attacks on the Belgian capitals airport and metro system as authorities began to close in on the network.

The victims need direct contact with the judges, Juliette Meadel, the secretary of state responsible for victim support, said in an interview.

They can pose many questions about the investigation and about what happened. The judges are the only ones who can speak precisely and who can verify details.

Jean Francois Mondeguer, the head of an association for victims of the deadly 2015 Paris attacks, speaks before a May 24 meeting on the attacks. (Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images)

For survivors and families, many details remain unclear.

As Georges Salines, who lost his daughter Lola, 29, at the Bataclan theater, asked the French newspaper Le Monde: How is work being organized with Belgian investigators? Will Mohamed Abrini be interviewed in Belgium or in France? How many people can be held accountable and prosecuted? Can we see that the Franco-Belgian cell was dismantled and taken out of harms way?

In France, hearings between judges and victims are customary after significant crises: There were similar meetings after the crash of the Air France flight between Rio de Janeiro and Paris in 2009 and after the attack on the editorial offices of Charlie Hebdo in January 2015.

What makes this particular hearing different, according to Meadel, is the staggering numbers: There are over 1,000 people represented as civil parties in this case, a number so large that Tuesdays hearing was held at an amphitheater at Pariss Ecole Militaire, a stones throw from the Eiffel Tower.

Meadel also said that she had hired a team of mental health professionals to be stationed on-site throughout the three days of hearings.

The simple fact of reliving the crime  the terror, the death, the atmosphere of November 13. The memory can cause an enormous anguish in victims, she said. It risks a traumatic outburst.

Tuesdays hearing began just days after the arrival in Paris of Salah Abdeslam, 26, the last surviving suspect of the group that carried out the November attacks.

Abdeslam was arrested in Brussels on March 18, which authorities think may have prompted the Brussels attacks four days later. He was extradited to France last month and was first questioned by French judges May 20.

Despite his long-awaited appearance in French court, Abdeslam exercised his right to silence. However, his French lawyer, Frank Berton, told reporters that his client objected to the 24-hour video surveillance in his cell at Fleury-Merogis prison outside Paris, Europes largest jail.

That doesnt help, Meadel said. Its very disappointing for the victims that Salah Abdeslam does not describe anything.

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A Kurdish-led force backed by U.S. airstrikes launched an offensive on Tuesday to seize territory around the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the first ground attack to directly challenge the Islamic States control of its self-proclaimed capital.

Although the operation appears to have relatively limited goals, it will serve as an early test of a coalition being forged with U.S. help between local Arab fighters and the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, to take on the militant group in its most symbolically significant stronghold.

A few thousand Kurdish and Arab fighters  grouped under the umbrella of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes  began moving south from the existing front line about 30 miles north of Raqqa, according to a statement from the SDF and the U.S. military.

The operation aims to secure control of a stretch of territory in the mostly desert terrain north of Raqqa, said Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S. military, speaking by telephone from Baghdad.

[The troubled plans to move against Raqqa ]





He described the operation as a significant step toward an eventual bid to recapture Raqqa and said it would add to the pressures confronting the Islamic State in its territories in Syria and Iraq.

Certainly theyre not going to seize Raqqa with this offensive, but they are going to squeeze Raqqa directly, he said. This is putting direct pressure on Raqqa itself. The enemy will be forced to react.

In recent days, there had been signs of growing panic within Islamic State ranks as indications mounted that some form of offensive was planned for Raqqa. It was the first major city captured by the Islamic State when it first began conquering territory in 2013, and Raqqa has since served as a hub for the militant groups operations  the first destination for foreign fighters and the focus of its propaganda.

Warplanes with the U.S.-led coalition dropped leaflets over the city late last week urging civilians to flee. On Friday, the Islamic State lifted a months-long ban on all travel out of Raqqa, triggering an exodus of thousands of people, according to residents.

A Syrian man from Raqqa, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of his familys safety and now lives in Turkey, said relatives told him that everyone they knew was trying to get out. Half of the people in Raqqa have escaped, and the other half are afraid, the man said.

[Top U.S. commander makes secret visit to Syria ]

A statement by the Islamic States chief spokesman on Saturday apparently suggesting that the group is at risk of losing control of Raqqa heightened the sense of unease, said Ahmed Mhidi of the Syrian activist group Eyes on the City, which monitors Islamic State activity in northern and eastern Syria.

[ French warplanes take aim at Raqqa after Paris attacks]

The U.S. military also believes that the Islamic State has been moving family members and nonessential personnel out of Raqqa, Warren said.

The offensive comes as the Islamic State is on the retreat from numerous front elsewhere in Iraq and Syria. It is battling to counter a major Iraqi offensive launched Sunday to recapture the militant groups stronghold of Fallujah in Iraq.

The campaign on the Raqqa front had long been stalled by political quarrels between Arabs and Kurds in the area, which is under the control of the Kurdish YPG but inhabited mostly by Arabs. The SDF was formed in October, under U.S. auspices, in an attempt to bring Arabs and Kurds together in the fight against the Islamic State.

The SDF has claimed some important victories elsewhere in northern Syria, but the force remains overwhelmingly dominated by the Kurds, and efforts to recruit Arab fighters have been plagued by disputes and mistrust.

The U.S. military in April dispatched 250 Special Operations forces to northern Syria to join the 50 who were already there, with the goal of helping recruit and train more Arab fighters north of Raqqa.

The YPG has expressed little interest in fighting for Raqqa, which is a predominantly Arab town, and U.S. officials say a significantly larger Arab force is needed before launching an assault directly on the city. But U.S. officials have not put a time frame on how long it could take to assemble enough Arab fighters to retake the key city.

Read more:

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Iraqi forces pounded the city of Fallujah with artillery fire on Tuesday, as they sought to advance Prime Minister Haider al-Abadis offensive to reclaim a strategic area of Anbar province from the Islamic State militant group.

Hundreds of fighters aligned with the government, including federal police, SWAT forces and at least seven well-armed Shiite militia groups, flooded into the dusty scrubland around an abandoned cement factory reclaimed only the day before.

Nearby forces lobbed regular artillery fire at Fallujah, about three miles to the west. Capture of the largely Sunni Muslim city, whose seizure by the Islamic State in early 2014 foreshadowed the groups later military success across Iraq, would be an important victory for the embattled Abadi.

On the factory grounds in an area called Harariyat, vehicles displaying the fighting factions emblems and flags rushed men and supplies in different directions as various commanders came and went. On a rise overlooking Fallujah, Shiite militiamen from the Badr Organization and Kitaeb Hezbollah, which the United States considers a terrorist group, celebrated their recent gains against the Sunni Islamist group, shouting pro-Shiite slogans and unleashing volleys of gunfire into the air.

[Abadi: Operation to retake Fallujah has begun]





The chaotic scene was a sign of what Iraqi commanders described as a battle being fought by one hand, meaning government, militia and tribal forces advancing together toward a common goal. It was also a sign of the challenge that the Iraqi government and its Western backers will face in coordinating what they hope is a final series of offensives by forces with varying loyalties, weaponry and skills.

Speaking during a visit to the factory, Lt. Gen. Raeed Shakir Jawdat, commander of the federal police, said the government and allied forces have dismantled dozens of car bombs and killed scores of Islamic State fighters. Some escaped by river, he said.

Now the enemy is collapsing, and we are hunting them, Jawdat said.

He spoke the day after the government said it recaptured the district of Garma, about 10 miles northeast of Fallujah. It was the initial move in an operation that officials in Baghdad hope will result in a rapid liberation of the city, allowing the government to turn its sights to a bigger prize, the major northern city of Mosul, which the Islamic State captured in June 2014.

Also Tuesday, Iraqi army units positioned in other areas near Fallujah took control of the villages of Luhaib and Albu Khanfar, the government said.

Iraqi commanders said Islamic State militants have put up a fierce fight around Fallujah in recent days, but they declined to share figures on the governments casualties.

[The U.S. show of power against the Islamic State]

Iraqi pro-government fighters hold position in Shahabi village, east of Fallujah, on May 24 as part of a major assault to retake the city from the Islamic State. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)

The Islamic State fired the occasional artillery round in response to the incoming fire. One landed in an overgrown field far behind the front lines, sending smoke into the air.

Maj. Gen. Saad Ali al-Harbiya, commander of operations west of Baghdad, said forces from the 1st, 6th, 4th and 17th Iraqi army divisions were taking part in the Fallujah operation, along with the police and militia units. So far, Sunni tribal fighters whom the United States has encouraged the Shiite-led government to arm have played a minimal role, officials said. The U.S. military said Sunni tribesmen would be advancing on the Islamic State from the west of the city.

U.S. and Iraqi aircraft carried out strikes in the Fallujah area Monday and Tuesday, officials said.

Harbiya spoke from a nearby field headquarters that Abadi visited Monday, an opportunity for the prime minister to burnish his commander-in-chief credentials as he battles a political crisis in Baghdad.

The outcome of the Fallujah operation will be crucial for Abadi, whose government was forced to declare a curfew last week after protesters stormed the heavily guarded Green Zone, where Abadis office and the U.S. Embassy are located.

As the second anniversary of Mosuls collapse draws near, Abadi is under pressure to show he can deliver not just security, but also prosperity and political reform.

[Iraqi forces push Islamic State out of key city]

Iraqi commanders have promised that the operation in Fallujah will demonstrate that a mixed military force, including an important militia component, can function without the problems that have plagued previous offensives in places such as Tikrit and Jurf al-Sakhr, where Sunni residents accused Shiite militiamen of arbitrary arrests, looting and abuse.

Although Shiite militias have said that they will not press into the city proper, their presence in Anbar and other areas is a complication for the United States and its allies, which have sought to limit their support to government and Sunni tribal forces. But Abadis government, in need of combat power, continues to rely heavily on the Shiite militias.

Many militiamen are suspicious of the residents of Fallujah, where the Islamic State found fertile ground when it first appeared in force in late 2013.

Hamid Abeed Mutlak, a member of parliament from Fallujah, urged the government to prevent militiamen from entering the city. He said residents were terrified of sectarian retaliation, even as they struggled with a prolonged lack of necessities such as food and medicine.

[Navy SEAL killed as U.S. troops edge closer to Iraq combat]

Mutlak said the operation, which is only in its opening days, was already taking a toll on civilians. He said 11 members of a single family were killed Monday by shelling from government-aligned forces.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, an Iraqi military spokesman, denied that civilians were killed. He said that the shelling targeted Islamic State headquarters and that civilians were warned to stay away.

The purpose of this operation is to save them from the injustice of the terrorism of Daesh, he said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State.

Military and police officials said they were awaiting orders from Baghdad to begin a ground advance into Fallujah. We are getting very close to this area, Harbiya said.

He said U.S. forces were providing assistance from Baghdad, helping the military identify positions occupied by militants. Italian advisers also are lending remote support to the federal police, officials said.

Read more:

In Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State is in retreat on multiple fronts

Iraq is broke. Add that to its list of worries.

Under strain, Islamic State takes its battle to the streets of Baghdad

Tony Blair feels bad about the war in Iraq. But he still wants to try it again.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Vials of the injectable steroid product made by the New England Compounding Center implicated in a fungal meningitis outbreak. (Minnesota Department of Health via AP)

Kathy Pugh quit her job when her mother got sick from a tainted medication, and now Pugh spends her days helping the once-vibrant 85-year-old get out of bed, shower and dress. If her mom ever were compensated for what she endured, Pugh said she would like to install laminate flooring  which would make it easier to move around in a wheelchair  and maybe buy a handicap van.

Evelyn Bates-March, Pughs mother, is one of hundreds of victims of a 2012 outbreak of fungal meningitis that federal investigators traced to a batch of contaminated steroid injections manufactured by the New England Compounding Center. A civil fund of more than $200 million was created after victims sued the compounding center and companies with which it did business. The federal government also has money available to compensate crime victims.

But the 85-year-old, like all the others affected by the outbreak, has yet to see a dime to help her cope with how her life has changed since she was given a tainted shot.

[Federal prosecutors charge 14 in deadly meningitis outbreak]

Ongoing negotiations with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over what portion that agency, which paid some of the medical bills, should receive have stalled any payments to victims from the civil fund.

Kathy Pugh, right, sits with her mother, Evelyn Bates-March, who fell ill after receiving a tainted steroid shot in 2012. (Photo courtesy of Kathy Pugh)

Prosecutors  who charged two leaders of the compounding center with racketeering and second-degree murder  separately have advocated making federal victim-assistance money available to the victims, though their request has been waylaid by a dispute in the top levels of the Justice Department, people familiar with the case said.

Its been devastating, Pugh said. Everybody has dropped the ball.

The case illustrates how the court system, the Justice Department and other parts of the federal bureaucracy can slow or even stop crime victims from obtaining financial assistance that most would agree they deserve.

Wyn Hornbuckle, a Justice Department spokesman, said in a statement, We are still exploring funding options for the NECC victims, but he declined to provide any specific information about what that exploration entailed. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorneys office in Boston, which is prosecuting the criminal case, reiterated that no final determination has been made.

We will continue to do all that we can to ensure compensation for the victims in this case, said the spokeswoman, Christina Sterling.

The 2012 meningitis outbreak had a devastating impact. According to federal prosecutors and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 750 people got a fungal infection after receiving injections from the New England Compounding Center, and at least 64 people died  making it the deadliest meningitis outbreak in U.S. history.

In 2014, federal prosecutors alleged the incident was criminal. They charged 14 people in a 131-count indictment, alleging employees at the New England Compounding Center knew they were producing medication in an unsafe and unsanitary way and shipping it to customers anyway. Owner and head pharmacist Barry J. Cadden and supervisory pharmacist Glenn A. Chin were charged with 25 acts of second-degree murder and are scheduled to go on trial later this year.

Lyn Laperriere in 2006, six years before he was killed by a deadly meningitis outbreak. His wife, Penny Laperriere, is now among hundreds unsuccessfully seeking compensation as crime victims from the Justice Department. (Photo courtesy of Penny Laperriere)

[Compounding pharmacy linked to meningitis outbreak knew of mold, bacteria contamination]

Lawyer Stephen J. Weymouth, who represents Chin, said his client, who has pleaded not guilty, wants people to be compensated financially from as many different sources as can be possibly financed. An attorney for Cadden did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment.

Penny Laperriere, 59, of Sterling Heights, Mich., said her husband, Lyn, began to struggle within a few weeks of having a shot with the tainted medication in 2012. A bowler whose average topped 200 a game, Lyn suddenly began to struggle with balance and couldnt finish a practice, she said. Then came the splitting headaches, which caused pain so severe he had to be hospitalized, she said.

Laperriere said doctors traced Lyns symptoms to a contaminated shot, but the treatment  anti-fungal medication with nasty side effects  failed. One night, when Lyns parents and sister were in town visiting, Laperriere said doctors called to say her husband, a retired General Motors machine repairman who would travel the country racing cars, had flat-lined. She said doctors revived him but I knew he was brain-dead.

In October 2012, the family took him off life support. He was six days shy of his 62nd birthday.

Laperriere said she had to sell her home because it required too much maintenance, and she had to put her and her husbands dogs up for adoption because their vet and other bills were too high. She said she does not think she will see any money in compensation after lawyers and others take their cut.

Which is really sad, Laperriere said. My husband died, and his pain and suffering is worth nothing?

There are two pools of money from which victims might be paid: federal funds and funds from the civil lawsuits. Kimberly Dougherty, a Boston lawyer representing 100 victims, said each victim has been sent a letter stating how much he or she is eligible to receive from the civil fund, but payouts have been stalled while lawyers negotiate with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which covered some of the victims medical care and has liens on the payouts. Dougherty said the victims share a sense of frustration, particularly when they know theres money sitting in a bank account that they cant access.

A spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement that Medicare paid for medical care associated with the outbreak and was required by law to recover those payments from settlements like the NECC settlement.

We understand that many NECC settlement recipients who are Medicare beneficiaries are concerned about the distribution of the settlement money, the spokesman said. Medicare routinely works to make sure that, in similar situations, beneficiaries are able to keep a portion of their settlement.

Separately, federal prosecutors in Boston and the Justice Departments Office for Victims of Crime have advocated that victims be compensated using funds from the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program, which sets aside $50 million from the federal governments $9 billion Crime Victims Fund for victims of terrorism or mass violence. But the Office of Justice Programs Office of General Counsel determined that the injuries sustained by the victims were not the result of an intentional violent criminal act, as the program requires and, thus, were not eligible for funds from it, according to officials familiar with the matter.

Though Justice Department officials say other funding mechanisms are being discussed, victims say they think they are being treated unfairly.

Willard Mazure Jr., 55, of Jackson, Mich., said before he received the tainted shot, he was a heavy-equipment operator who would hunt and fish regularly. Now he lives off disability and his wifes income, unable to work because his short-term memory is virtually gone and even modest physical activity can leave his legs feeling as if theyre being prodded with pins and needles.

The compensation for each victim from Justice Department funds, which are administered through the state, might be minimal. Massachusetts law likely limits the payouts for most to $25,000, though those with catastrophic injuries could receive as much as $50,000. The victims say even that would help, and they have waged an aggressive campaign to persuade government officials to free up the money. Officials estimate that as much as $25 million might be needed for all those affected.

Eighteen members of Congress from both political parties recently wrote to Shaun Donovan, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, asking that the decision to keep money from the victims be reversed. A spokeswoman for that agency said in a statement that the issue was still being considered by the Department of Justice and has not yet been referred to the Office of Management and Budget.

If and when it is, we will move swiftly to make a determination, the spokeswoman said.

Mazure said although financial compensation would be welcome, it would not undo the damage the shots inflicted on him.

Every cent will help, Mazure said, but nothing will make me whole.

Adam Goldman contributed to this report.
This photo from May 22 reportedly shows the destroyed vehicle in which Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was traveling in Pakistan when the Pentagon said he was probably killed in a U.S. airstrike. (Abdul Salam Khan/AP)

Last weekends drone strike that killed Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was the first acknowledged by the U.S. military in Pakistan and will be included in an upcoming White House accounting of all those killed in counterterrorism operations outside active war zones.

The inclusion of attacks in Pakistan, nearly all of which have been conducted as CIA covert actions, will significantly boost the overall number of strikes taken since 2009. The statistics, which may be presented in aggregates without specific reference to geographic location or date, will include drone-fired missiles in Pakistan and drone and other air attacks in Yemen, Somalia and Libya, along with government tallies of combatant and civilian casualties.

The Washington Post had previously reported that Pakistan would probably not be included in the tally.

[The foggy numbers of Obamas wars and non-wars]

The statistics to be released will not include airstrikes or casualties  either combatant or civilian  in what are considered the active war zones of Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

Were still working on it; we dont have anything to announce yet, said a U.S. official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue. The numbers are expected to be released in the coming weeks as part of President Obamas pledge to be more transparent in describing lethal U.S. actions overseas.

Absent specific information about when and where they occurred, the total accounting of civilian deaths could spark as much controversy as the attacks themselves. One official said the number could be significantly lower than the hundreds estimated by several independent groups who use local contacts and media reports to assemble their counts.

The administration has long since discarded the 2011 statement by John Brennan, then Obamas chief counterterrorism adviser and now CIA director, that nearly for the past year there hasnt been a single collateral death from drone strikes.

But it has consistently rejected the high independent claims of civilian casualties from the precision weapons. There is no doubt that some innocent people have been killed by drone strikes, Obama, who has cited misinformation on the subject, said last month. What I can say with great certainty is that the rate of civilian casualties in any drone operation are far lower than the rate of civilian casualties that occur in a conventional war.

The administration gathers its own reporting from after-strike overhead surveillance and both signals and human intelligence on the ground.

Since 2013, when Obama announced newly restrictive guidelines for drone and other strikes outside official war zones and a desire for increased transparency, the Pentagon has released information on a number of drone and other airstrikes taken by the military in Yemen, Somalia and Libya.

Pakistan has been the administrations most active and written-about drone program, with hundreds of strikes in the tribal regions close to the Afghanistan border reported by local residents, the Pakistani government and outside organizations.

The administration has only thrice publicly acknowledged drone attacks there. The first was in April 2015, when hostages Warren Weinstein, a U.S. aid worker, and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto were mistakenly killed in a CIA strike targeting al-Qaeda. The White House also announced in April 2015 that a January strike that year had killed U.S. citizen and alleged al-Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn.

The third time was this past weekend, when the military announced it had targeted Mansour in the southwestern Pakistan province of Baluchistan. The attack that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May 2011 was a CIA-operated ground assault carried out by helicopter-borne U.S. Navy SEALs.

Strikes in Pakistan have always been particularly sensitive. Begun in 2004 by the George W. Bush administration and sharply escalated during Obamas first term, CIA drone attacks were conducted with what U.S. officials said was the private acquiescence of Pakistans government, which nonetheless sharply protested them in public.

Correction: An earlier version of this article included an incomplete quotation attributed to then-senior White House aide John Brennan. Brennan said in June 2011 that nearly for the past year there hasnt been a single collateral death in U.S. counterterrorism operations. The article also incorrectly stated that only two U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan have been announced by the Obama administration. There have been three. The White House announced in April 2015 that a January strike that year had killed U.S. citizen and alleged al-Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn.

Read more:

Obama: U.S. at crossroads in fight against terrorism

Hostages deaths raises wider questions about drone strikes civilian toll

In Syria, Obama stretches legal and policy constraints he created for counterterrorism
A soldier searches for debris from EgyptAir Flight 804 over the Mediterranean Sea. (Alexandre Groyer/Marine Nationale via AFP/Getty Images)

Egyptian forensic experts have examined human remains retrieved from the site of the EgyptAir Flight 804 crash, officials told news agencies on Tuesday, amid conflicting statements on whether the initial findings suggest an explosion brought down the plane.

Senior forensic officials, speaking to Reuters and the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, were quoted as saying that the small size of the body parts suggested that some type of explosion tore the plane apart last week over the Mediterranean. All 66 people aboard were killed.

But in a statement carried by state television, the head of Egypts forensic authority, Hesham Abdelhamid, called the reports mere assumptions that do not reflect any official position from investigators.

[Twice before, Egypt was the last to acknowledge the real cause of its plane crashes]

A police official close to the investigation said Tuesday that a small number of bags carrying remains had arrived in Cairo and that nothing indicates yet what the cause of death could be.

EgyptAir Flight 804 left Paris late Wednesday night, but lost contact with the tracking system at 2:30 a.m. Cairo time on May 19. Investigators are placing terrorism high on the list of possible reasons the plane crashed. (The Washington Post)

But the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media, said that some of the bodies had disintegrated  suggesting that a blast had occurred.

The conflicting remarks underscore the pressures facing Egyptian authorities after the crash Thursday of the Paris-to-Cairo plane. Officials say all theories remain on the table, but speculation has increasingly focused on the possibility of a terrorist attack.

Such a conclusion by investigators would mark another major blow to Egypts battle against militants  including factions linked to the Islamic State  andto the nations struggling tourism industry, a critical source of revenue.

The pieces of bodies recovered are small, a senior official told the AP, indicating that a blast probably tore apart the aircraft, scattering passengers and wreckage. However, no traces of explosives have been detected on the body parts, Reuters reported.

More than 20 bags of remains, including 80 pieces, have been retrieved, the agencies reported.

Egypts civil aviation minister, Sherif Fathy, said last week that terrorism is more likely to have brought down the Airbus A320 than mechanical failure.

According to the AP, a report published by an organization affiliated with Egypts Ministry of Civil Aviation notes that the same plane had made an emergency landing in 2013 after one of its engines overheated.

[Discovery of debris offers few clues to EgyptAir crash]

Flight 804 had been en route from Paris to Cairo when it disappeared from radar screens over the Mediterranean Sea about 2:30 a.m. Thursday. Automated messages sent from the aircraft in the minutes before the crash said smoke was detected aboard , near the nose of the plane and in one of the bathrooms, French investigators said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi said this week that all scenarios are being considered in the investigation. The plane was said to have made abrupt turns before plummeting from its cruising altitude of 37,000 feet, according to Greek officials involved in the investigation. The airliners last contact was with Greek air traffic controllers, who said the pilots reported no problem.

But the head of Egypts National Air Navigation Services Co. said Monday that the plane did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared, the AP reported. The reasons for the discrepancy remain unclear.

[Plane hijacking rekindles concerns about Egyptian airport security]

Egypt is engaged in a battle against Islamist insurgents, including an Islamic State affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula. In October, a bomb smuggled onto a Russian flight departing from Egypts Sharm el-Sheikh resort exploded in midair, downing the airliner and killing more than 200 people.

The crash led many nations, including Russia, to halt flights to and from Egypt until security was bolstered at its airports. The EgyptAir flight that crashed last week had flown to the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and the Tunisian capital, Tunis, before landing in Paris.

Islamic State militants also have targeted France, including attacks last fall that killed at least 130 people in cafes and a concert hall in Paris. In March, the Islamic State carried out attacks at the airport and a metro station in Brussels.

Cunningham reported from Istanbul.

Read more:

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said Sunday he was backing the primary opponent of Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and that he would remove her from her Democratic Party leadership position if he won the Democratic nomination and was elected president.

Sanders reiterated this stance during several appearances on Sunday morning television interview programs, bringing his conflict with the Democratic Party leadership to a new level. The Sanders campaign has repeatedly criticized Schultz, a longtime political ally of Hillary Clinton, for manipulating party rules and procedures to favor the Clinton campaign.

Schultz limited the number of presidential debates and scheduled many of them for Saturday evenings, when they were sure to draw the smallest audience, in order to minimize the chances of any lesser-known Democratic rival gaining ground on the former first lady, senator and secretary of state. Despite her formal neutrality in the race, Schultz was known to be backing Clinton, having played a prominent role in her 2008 contest against Barack Obama.

Sanders previously complained of Schultzs brazen favoritism, particularly at the time of a conflict last fall when the Sanders campaign was shut off from access to Democratic Party data for several days after a Sanders staffer improperly accessed Clinton campaign records during a software malfunction at the Democratic National Committee. Tensions flared up again earlier this month when Schultz selected a heavily pro-Clinton slate as the DNCs nominees for the committees that will handle credentials, rules and the platform at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.

But on Sunday, in an appearance on CNNs State of the Union program, Sanders went further, telling interviewer Jake Tapper he was supporting Tim Canova, a law professor who is challenging Schultz for the Democratic nomination in her South Florida congressional district. Canova has publicly backed Sanders against Clinton and has echoed the Vermont senators political attacks on Wall Street influence, but the Sanders campaign had refused until now to embrace him as a challenger to an incumbent Democratic representative. The primary will take place August 30.

In another appearance, on the CBS program Face the Nation, Sanders made a more sweeping critique of Schultz as a DNC chair who personified the role of big money in the Democratic Party. Do I think shes the kind of chair that Democratic Party needs? No, I dont, he said. Frankly, what the Democratic Party is about is people running around to rich peoples homes and raising obscene sums of money from wealthy people.

Sanders continued his political doubletalk about the class nature of the Democratic Party, claiming that a party controlled lock, stock and barrel by corporate interests can be transformed into a vital party of working class people.

At campaign events throughout California, the main battleground for the June 7 primaries and caucuses in six states, Sanders has begun to downplay his attacks on Hillary Clinton, tacitly conceding that she is likely to become the Democratic nominee and that he will support her 100 percent in that event.

As a news roundup of campaign appearances published in the Los Angeles Times noted, in San Diego, Sanders gave her a pass on most of the criticism hes regularly leveled about her $225,000 speeches to Wall Street. Later, in Vista, he made a one-paragraph reference to her choice to allow super PACs to raise money for her benefit, and that shed received donations from Wall Street employees. But that too was less biting than what Sanders has said in the past.

At Irvine, When he raised the issue of the minimum wage, he did not mention Clintons opposition to the $15-an-hour national rate that he supports. Similarly, when he mentioned the Iraq war, he did not cite Clintons vote for it, as he has throughout the campaign. And when he stated his objections to trade agreements, he did not mention Clintons past support for some deals. His discussion of new criminal justice measures left aside his earlier mentions of the 1994 crime bill supported by both Clintons.

In his appearance on CNN Sunday, Sanders appeared to be laying the ground for an eventual concession speech aimed at convincing his own supporters that Clinton was a legitimate victor in the nomination fight. While criticizing the role of superdelegates, the officeholders and party officials who vote at the convention without having to win a delegate slot in a primary or caucus, he said, in response to a direct question, that the candidate with a majority of pledged delegates at the end of the primaries should be the nominee. This is what I believe, he said.

Clinton currently leads by nearly 300 pledged delegates, and Sanders would need to win nearly 70 percent of the delegates on June 7 to overtake her. I understand that it is a very, very uphill fight to go from 46 percent, where we are today, to 50 percent in the nine remaining contests, he said. I got that. But were going to try. California obviously is the big race that remains.

The California contest is attracting unprecedented numbers of new voters, according to press reports citing official registration figures. More than twice as many residents have registered this year than in the similar four-month period in 2012, and they were overwhelmingly young and registering as Democrats, an indication they were turning out for Sanders and not the presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Nearly 200,000 people registered to vote in California through Facebook on May 16-17 alone, after the company put a voter registration button on its newsfeeds, linking directly to the state online registration system. According to press reports, the registration surge is motivated partly by support for Sanders and partly by hostility to Trump. Only 16.7 percent of new registrants chose the Republican Party, down from 27 percent of current registered voters. Two-thirds were under 35, and nearly one-third were Latino.

Two major polls, released Sunday, suggested that a general election contest between Clinton and Trump could be extremely close. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found Clinton leading Trump by 46-43 percent, while a Washington Post/ABC poll put Trump slightly ahead, 46-44 percent. Both leads were within the margin of error.

The polling organizations cautioned that these numbers reflected a consolidation of Republican Party support behind Trump, while Democratic Party voters remain divided between Clinton and Sanders. More significant than the Clinton-Trump horse race were the figures showing that both frontrunners are viewed unfavorably by the majority of those polled: 58 percent viewing Trump unfavorably in the ABC poll, with 54 percent opposing Clinton. About 20 percent viewed both candidates unfavorably.

While large numbers view the likely Democratic and Republican candidates with distaste, nearly 50 percent said they would seriously consider a third party candidate, and 10 percent said they were likely to vote for one. The figure wanting a third party option stood at 44 percent in the ABC poll and 47 percent in the NBC poll, one of the most sizeable displays of opposition to the long-entrenched, corporate-controlled two-party system. A survey a week earlier by the Republican-aligned Data Targeting firm found that 55 percent of all voters and 91 percent of young voters wanted a third party alternative in the 2016 elections.
Latin America

Mexican military, police dislodge striking Mexican steelworkers

Some 160 workers for Korea-based steel producer POSCOs plant in Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexico went on strike May 18 to protest unjust working conditions. The workers are demanding the reinstitution of their union director, who they claim was unjustly expelled. Jorge Gomez, a representative of the workers, told reporters that the workers have engaged a lawyer to present their complaint before a labor court.

The workers set up a blockade at the entrance to the plant, which was constructed in 2009 and produces around 400,000 tons of galvanized sheet steel annually for automakers. That night, a POSCO legal representative and ministerial personnel came to the encampment and they asked for our petition, we gave it to them and they said that they were going to check it and after 20 minutes they came with judicial [attorney generals office] people with instructions to carry out people by force, said Gomez.

In the early morning of May 21, state police and military units forcibly dislodged the workers, clearing the way for nonunion employees. Afterwards, a group of about 30 workers went to the offices of the municipal president and state governments liaison, asking them to intervene and prevent them from being fired. The municipality made it clear that the action undertaken by the workers  of stopping production was not the best option; however, they said that it would be necessary to come to a good agreement, reported eldiariodevictoria.com.

Honduran nurses join medical interns in strike over wage issues

On May 20, nurses in the Hospital Rivas, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, joined interns who had walked out on May 16 over wage issues. The doctors struck after almost five months without pay. Only two of the 55 doctors at Rivas have received their salaries since then.

One of the doctors told laprensa.hon reporters: Supposedly the process is now in the Health Secretariat payroll department, but the payment hasnt been put into effect; were in our fifth month. They always have an excuse, that they need a signature or a stamp; what we believe is that there is a lack of will.

Every six months we hand in all the required documentation; there are people who have been working at the hospital for 12 years and its still the same. The cumbersome steps should be eliminated and be automated.

The hospital employs at least 200 nurses, who have been demanding a monthly salary adjustment of 4,000 lempiras (US$177) for over six years.

Panamanian veterinarians strike for pay raise

Members of the Panamanian Veterinary Doctors Association (APMV) began a 24-hour strike on May 16 to press their salary demands. About 270 veterinarians in the Health Ministry (Minsa), Panamanian Food Security Authority (Aupsa), Farming Development Bank (BDA), Farming Security Institute (ISA), Farming Development Ministry (Mida) and the Panamanian Farming Research Institute (IDIAP) walked off the job.

The veterinarians struck to protest Midas proposed repeal of a 2014 executive decree that regulates salaries and classifications for veterinarians, and with which authorities had never completely complied. Repeal of the decree, according to the veterinarians, would end remuneration for specialized studies and academic titles, exclude all except Mida employees from salary scale adjustments and limit salaries to US$800 for starting veterinarians, not to exceed US$2,000 after 20 years.

At the beginning, the strike affected the transfer of animals, inspections of butcher shops, registrations and Depa operations. It did not include border inspections, airports and diagnostic labs. However, when the vets got no response, they extended the strike another 24 hours and expanded it to include the aforementioned.

That afternoon, Minsa and Mida signed an accord with the APMV in which the agencies agreed not to repeal the decree, to raise the starting salary to US$960 and to retain and raise the remunerations for masters, doctorates and specialist degrees. Another demand, that contract workers be given permanent status, will be taken up in future meetings.

The current starting salary for veterinarians is US$800 a month.

24-hour strike by Bolivian health workers for salary rise

Health workers throughout Bolivia held a one-day work stoppage May 17 to press their salary demands. Hospitals only provided emergency and internal services, while external consultations were paralyzed.

Health Ministry and union negotiators held talks during the walkout. A spokesman for the health workers union said that the strike was part of a national demand that was supported by the national Workers Confederation.

The health minister claimed that the workers demands had already been met, and that they will receive a raise soon.

The United States

Salinas, California hospital workers carry out 24-hour strike

Over 600 workers at the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) in Salinas, California carried out a one-day strike May 17 against cuts in benefits, outsourcing of jobs to contractors and some 16 other issues touching on sick leave, personal time off and overtime pay. Health care would skyrocket with monthly increases doubling for full-time workers and quadrupling for part-timers. The nurses aides, technicians, custodial and other staff workers are members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers and have been without a contract since July of last year.

A series of 23 bargaining sessions, including mediated talks, have failed to make a dent in managements determination to slash living standards. On May 13, in the lead-up to the strike, management unilaterally implemented several parts of their concession package.

SVMH brought in 263 replacement workers at a cost of $1.6 million and in the agreement with the contractor they worked for three days, displacing strikers for an additional two days.

Further provoking the strikers has been the fact that SVMH has made $30 million in annual profit in each of the last three years while CEO Peter Delgado increased his compensation by $230,000. Pay for top-level executives has increased by 16.7 percent during the period 2013-14.

Canada

Montreal port workers set to strike

Two hundred workers employed by the Old Port of Montreal Corporation, which runs a number of attractions in what is now a tourist area of the city, are set to go on strike in the coming days after rejecting the employers final contract offer on May 13.

The workers, who are represented by the Syndicat des employes du Vieux-Port de Montreal (SEVPM), include sales, maintenance and education workers at various centers and sites of the Crown Corporation in the area. The union is fighting to raise entry-level wages from $10.68 to $15 an hour and for improvements in wages and working conditions across the board with management offering only a 2 percent annual wage increase.

Workers gave their union an overwhelming strike mandate after their last contract expired at the end of March and they will be in a legal strike position this week.
Drew Peterson, the Illinois ex-cop sentenced to 38 years in prison for the murder of his third wife is in court again.



The 62-year-old is accused of offering a fellow inmate $10,000 to kill State Attorney James Glasgow.



According to prosecutors, the inmate, Antonio Smith, reported the offer to prison authorities. He then agreed to help secretly record Peterson.



The trial began on Monday. In opening arguments, the prosecution alleged that Peterson plotted to kill Glasgow out of "anger, hatred and revenge."



But Peterson's attorneys maintain that their client's innocence. In opening statements, Defense attorney Lucas Liefer warned that prosecutors would "sensationalize the heck out of this thing."



Among the evidence expected to be presented: the wiretapped conversations in which Peterson allegedly sets up the killing.



According to prosecutors, the recordings also include him discussing his 2012 conviction of first-degree murder for the death of his ex-wife, Kathleen Savio. He allegedly discusses his concern that Glasgow would prosecute him for the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacey Peterson.



If he's convicted, Peterson faces a sentence of up to 60 years in prison. The trial is expected to last for a week.
Maroon 5 aren't nearly done playing songs from V for their fans. To celebrate their upcoming North American fall dates, they shared a seven-minute mini tour documentary chronicling their Feb. 29 and March 1 shows in Mexico City, directed by Travis Schneider, which Billboard is exclusively premiering today.

Maroon 5 Cancels North Carolina Concerts

The short film features live shots from the sold-out shows, plus behind-the-scenes footage of the band meeting fans and hanging out backstage. Their world tour returns to arenas in the fall with North American dates that kick off on Sept. 3 in San Antonio. The tour, which will feature support from Tove Lo, R. City and Phases, is currently slated to run through a New Year's Eve gig in Las Vegas.

Maroon 5 tour dates:

Sept. 3: San Antonio, TX -- AT&T Center

Sept. 5: New Orleans, LA -- Smoothie King Center

Sept. 7: Miami, FL -- AmericanAirlines Arena

Sept. 9: Orlando, FL -- Amway Center

Sept. 10: Columbia, SC -- Colonial Life Arena

Sept. 12: Memphis, TN -- FedEx Forum

Sept. 14: Knoxville, TN -- Thompson-Boling Arena

Sept. 16: Baltimore, MD -- Royal Farms Arena

Sept. 17: Worcester, MA -- DCU Center

Sept. 19: Hartford, CT -- XL Center

Sept. 21: Albany, NY -- Times Union Center

Sept. 23: Montreal, QC -- Bell Centre

Sept. 24: Quebec, QC -- Centre Videotron

Sept. 26: Buffalo, NY -- First Niagara Center

Sept. 28: Cleveland, OH -- Quicken Loans Arena

Sept. 29: Cincinnati, OH -- U.S. Bank Arena

Oct. 1: Milwaukee, WI -- BMO Harris Bradley Center

Oct. 3: St. Louis, MO -- Scottrade Center

Oct. 4: Lincoln, NE -- Pinnacle Bank Arena

Oct. 6: Denver, CO -- Pepsi Center

Oct. 8: Salt Lake City, UT -- Vivint Smart Home Arena

Oct. 9: Boise, ID -- Taco Bell Arena

Oct. 11: Seattle, WA -- Key Arena

Oct. 13: Portland, OR -- Moda Center

Oct. 15: Sacramento, CA -- Golden 1 Center

Oct. 16: Oakland, CA -- Oracle Arena

Dec. 30: Las Vegas, NV -- Events Center at Mandalay Bay

Dec. 31: Las Vegas, NV -- Events Center at Mandalay Bay
John Hancock and his signature are two of the best-known elements related to the Declaration of Independence. But how much do you know about the former president of the Continental Congress?

On May 24, 1775, Hancock was named as the presiding officer over the Second Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia to discuss the military threat posed by the British. A little more than a year later, Hancock was the first to sign the document declaring independence.

Here are 10 facts about the man whose name is now synonymous with impressive signatures.

1. Hancock was a wealthy guy. He was from Massachusetts and his family had money, which he inherited when his uncle died. In fact, Hancock may have been the richest man in New England when he inherited a shipping fortune.

2. He was a bright student. Young Hancock graduated from Harvard at the age of 17. He was also a quick learner in the business world.

3. Hancock should have been a Loyalist, but he wasnt. With his wealth and social standing, Hancock should have been a leading member of an elite group that didnt want independence. Instead, he sympathized with people like John and Samuel Adams, who were patriots.

4. John Hancock, smuggler? Well, he may have been an importer, too, but goods like tea that arrived in New England on Hancocks ships may have escaped paying a duty. The suspicions led the British to seize Hancocks ship, Liberty, which started a riot. John Adams got Hancock off the hook from the smuggling charges.

5. Hancock also had a role in the Boston Tea Party incident. While Hancock wasnt on a ship tossing tea overboard, he was at meetings when outrage was vented at the British. He riled up the crowd with a famous statement: Let every man do what is right in his own eyes.

6. The British really didnt like Hancock. The British troops that set out to Lexington and Concord in 1775 may have been hunting for Hancock and his friend, John Adams, as well as for military supplies that were stored for militia use. Hancock had to be talked out of taking the battlefield against the redcoats. And his arrest was ordered by the British after the battles.

Story continues

7. Hancock was a behind-the-scenes force early in the American Revolution. Hancock raised money for the Revolution, he helped secure troops, and he played a role in getting naval forces organized. But a homesick Hancock left Congress in 1777 to return to Massachusetts.

8. He was the longtime governor of Massachusetts. Hancock was elected in 1780 to lead his state and was its governor for most of the remaining years of his life. He was immensely popular in his home state.

9. Hancock wasnt at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Hancock had health issues by 1787 and wasnt in the Massachusetts delegation. But he played a key role in his states ratification of the Constitution, when he overcame his own objections about the lack of a Bill of Rights to urge its passage.

10. Whats the deal with the signature? Its not true that Hancock signed the Declaration in a big way to taunt the King of England. The legend goes that Hancock stated that King George will be able to read that! In reality, Hancock was the first to sign in a matter fitting for the president of the Congress. And only one other person was in the room when he signed it, unlike that famous painting that shows a gaggle of patriots witnessing the event. Hancock did take a big risk: His signature was evidence of treason if things didnt go well in the war!

Constitution Daily History Stories About The Founders

Forgotten facts about George Washingtons private life

Ben Franklins best inventions and innovations

10 facts about Thomas Jefferson for his 273rd birthday
The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or graduate school search.

The cost of attending college is even pricier when a student decides to attend a public school as an out-of-state student, but a significant financial aid package can help pay for the bump in price.

On average, tuition and fees for an out-of-state student for the 2014-2015 school year were double what in-state students paid, according to U.S. News data. But some public institutions offer larger financial awards to offset the higher costs and attract nonresident students.

The Citadel, known as "The Military College of South Carolina," offers the largest average amount in financial aid to nonresident recipients -- the highest out of the 283 public colleges and universities that submitted the data to U.S. News.

[Knowfive strategies for appealing a college financial aid package.]

The military college, which has about 2,750 undergraduates, handed out seven financial aid awards to nonresidents during the 2014-2015 school year, averaging around $36,414 per award. The average aid amount offered more than covers the Citadel's out-of-state tuition and fees -- a sticker price of $32,176 that school year.

Half of the public schools offering the largest average amounts in financial aid are in South Carolina and California.

[Learn 10 student loan facts college graduates need to know.]

Three of the 10 are in the University of California system -- University of California--San Diego, University of California--Santa Barbara and University of California--Irvine. Two of these schools, UC--Santa Barbara and UC--San Diego, made the list as some of the most costly public universities for out-of-state students in 2015-2016, according to U.S. News data.

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At UC--San Diego, out-of-state students received $33,715 on average in the 2014-2015 school year, an amount that almost covers the the out-of-state tuition and fees: $38,066 that school year. UC--San Diego has a large student body with 29,909 undergraduates, 6 percent of whom are from out of state.

[Save$90K in high school for college.]

These are the 10 public universities where nonresidents who received financial aid were awarded the most during the 2014-2015 school year. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.

School name (state) Average financial aid award for out-of-state students Number of recipients U.S. News rank and category The Citadel (SC) $36,414 7 3, Regional Universities (South) The University of California--San Diego $33,715 232 39, National Universities The University of California--Santa Barbara $33,164 57 37, National Universities University of New Hampshire $28,769 58 103 (tie), National Universities University of Virginia--Wise $28,659 10 *RNP, National Liberal Arts College University of Hawaii--Manoa $26,718 126 161, National Universities University of California--Irvine $26,007 569 39 (tie), National Universities Coastal Carolina University (SC) $25,018 34 63 (tie), Regional Universities (South) New Jersey Institute of Technology $24,184 81 140 (tie), National Universities Alabama State University $24,056 86 *RNP, Regional Universities (South)

*RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.

Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find financial aid data, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed nearly 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2015 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News' data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News' rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The financial aid data above are correct as of May 24, 2016.





More From US News & World Report


From Harper's BAZAAR

SPOILER ALERT for Game of Thrones Season 6, Episode 5, "The Door."

Tonight's episode was loaded with suspense. After ending on Daenerys's fire-centric return as leader of the Dothraki last week, GoT returned this week with ice, thanks to Bran Stark and what he learns about (and does with) the White Walkers. Read through for the best moments below.

(Missed out on last week's episode, "Book of the Stranger?" Catch up with our recap.)

1) Sansa and Littlefinger meet again. Sansa Stark meets with Petyr Baelish for the first time since he left her at Winterfell to wed Ramsay. He's come to tell her that her Uncle Brendan retook the Tully forces at Riverrun, which she can now use for her advantage and protection. Despite the good news, Sansa is angry at Lord Baelish for leaving her with the evil Boltons. "What do you think he did to me?" she presses him, hinting at how Ramsay raped her on their wedding night. Their meeting ends with Sansa parting ways with Baelish for good. "I don't believe you anymore. I don't need you anymore. You can't protect me," she tells him.

2) Arya's loyalty is tested again. As Arya continues to train with the Waif, Jaqen H'ghar sends her on a mission that will test her loyalty to the Many-Faced God. Her task? To assassinate an actress named Lady Crane. Arya finds Lady Crane performing in a play that reenacts and parodies her father's beheading. Seeing her father and Sansa mocked in the production makes Arya uncomfortable. Later, she spies on Lady Crane, who seems to be a kind person. Arya tells Jaqen this, but he responds, "the price was paid" for her head. Arya needs to accept this if she wants to prove she serves the Many-Faced God.

3) Bran learns how the White Walkers were created. In another time-traveling scene, Bran goes back to the Cave of the Three-Eyed Raven to find the Children of the Forest, the nymph-like characters who were supposedly the first inhabitants of Westeros. They've captured a man and pinned him against the tree. They stab him with a dagger through the heart and his eyes start turning blue as he transforms into a White Walker (is he the Night's King?).

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Back in reality, Bran asks one of the Children why they made the Walkers. "We needed to defend ourselves," she responds. "From whom?" Bran asks. She answers, "From you. From men."

4) Euron Greyjoy takes the crown. Yara steps forward to claim the Salt Throne and Theon keeps his word, pledging his support and praising her leadership and warrior skills. The people agree to make her the first queen of the Iron Islands, but Euron Greyjoy interrupts to claim the throne for himself. He admits to killing Balon, but wins over the crowd by promising to build a fleet and wed Daenerys, who is set to claim the Iron Throne. As Euron is coronated as King of the Iron Islands, Theon and Yara escape with his best ships to delay his mission. The new Greyjoy king pledges to murder his niece and nephew and build a thousand ships.

5) Jorah reveals his greyscale to Daenerys. Daenerys acknowledges that though she banished Ser Jorah Mormont twice, he also saved her life. Now, she can neither take him back or send him away. Jorah promises to leave, but not before revealing his greyscale and declaring his true feelings for her: "I'll always love you," he tells her. When he dismisses himself, she reminds him that he swore to obey her commands as his queen. She demands he find a cure for greyscale and return to help her conquer the Seven Kingdoms.

6) Meereen gets its own version of Melisandre. As advisors in Meereen, Tyrion and Varys decide to acquire a figure to help keep the public loyal to Daenerys as a queen. Enter Kinvara, a red priestess dressed much like Melisandre (red dress, magic necklace and all) who professes that Daenerys is the one who was promised (remember, Melisandre believes that's who Jon is now). When Varys reveals his skepticism because of Melisandre's mistake with Stannis, Kinvara reminds hims of the night he became a eunuch, when the sorcerer threw his parts in the fire and a voice called out from the flames. Varys looks truly shocked and doesn't know how Kinvara knows all this.

7) Bran meets the White Walkers-and accidentally lets them in. Bran decides to enter a vision on his own while the Three-Eyed Raven is sleeping, and ends up outside the Cave in front of an endless sea of wights and four White Walkers, including the Night's King. He doesn't think they can see him, but the Night King does-as does everyone else-and grabs his arm. When he returns from the vision, he learns that the King can now come after him, and he is no longer safe because the Night King touched him and left his mark.

8) Jon and Sansa leave Castle Black and ride south. Jon, Sansa, Davos, Brienne and their allies at Castle Black decide to call upon the support of other houses of the North to take down the Boltons. Sansa mentions that they'll have the Tully forces at their side, and sends Brienne to Riverrun to talk to her uncle. Brienne, however, is hesitant to leave Sansa because of her grudge towards Melisandre and Davos. Meanwhile, sparks are flying between Tormund and Brienne.

9) The White Walkers are after Bran. While getting ready to leave the Cave of the Three-Eyed Raven, Meera realizes the air is getting cold and runs outside to find the Night King and his Army of the Dead approaching. Meanwhile, Bran and the Raven are stuck time-traveling to a scene with young Ned and young Hodor. The Children of the Forest assist Meera in fighting off the Walkers by throwing fire to kill them, but the Night King and his three accompanying frontmen-and only them-are immune to it. Meera is surprisingly able to kill a White Walker with her spear. Unfortunately, in an attempt to escape, they lose some major allies: the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran's direwolf Summer and a Child of the Forest who was helping them.

10) The reason behind Hodor's condition is finally revealed. At the end of the episode, Bran (who is still mid-vision) wargs into Hodor to help himself and Meera escape out the back door of the Cave, trapping the wights and White Walkers inside. Meera instructs Hodor to keep the dead inside, yelling "Hold the door!" at him. Meanwhile, in his vision, Bran accidentally wargs into young Hodor (who is really named Wylis). Wylis collapses and starts to convulse while also screaming repeatedly, "Hold the door!" In real life, Hodor is attacked by the wights he is trying to hold back. Back in the vision, Wylis keeps shouting "Hold the door," which gets slurred into, simply, "Hodor."
From Cosmopolitan

According to NBC News, Japanese pop star and college student Mayu Tomita is in critical condition after being repeatedly stabbed in the chest and neck before a performance in Tokyo on Saturday. Tomohiro Iwazaki, a 27-year-old fan, was arrested as the stabbing suspect at the scene.

Tomita became famous after she starred in an online series in 2011 called Secret Girls in which she and four other young Japanese women were "normal junior high school girls who lead secret lives as J-Pop stars," Billboard reports. She began performing live after that.

Billboard also reports Tomita alerted Iwazaki to the police as her stalker earlier this month. He'd been reportedly harassing her on Twitter and her blog about a present he sent her that she allegedly returned to him upon receiving. The man allegedly admitted to stabbing the woman, who has not yet gained consciousness. According to the Japan Times, he faces a charge of attempted murder.

Tomito wrote on her blog earlier that day she was excited about the upcoming performance.

Follow Tess on Twitter.
SeaTac TSA lines

Airport security lines across the US have become unbearable, and checkpoints operated by the Transportation Security Administration have come under fire for their lengthy wait times.

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the average maximum wait times at JFK International Airport's security lines have shot up 82% compared with 2015.

The TSA and its checkpoints have been around for a decade and a half.

So what has caused the sudden ballooning of wait times?

While it might be tempting to look for a single mistake on the part of the TSA, gridlock at America's airports was in fact caused by a confluence of factors.

1. The travel industry is booming

Air travel is growing a record pace. According to the International Air Transport Association, demand for air travel in North America increased 4.3% last year while domestic air travel in the US surged 5.5%.

Some airports have reported even higher figures. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported a 10% increase in traffic for 2015 and became the first airport to host more than 100 million passengers in a year. For the first quarter of this year, the world's busiest airport reported a 14% increase in travelers.

Chicago's O'Hare international reported a 10% increase in passengers, while Los Angeles International reported a 6% increase in 2015.

In other words, more people than ever are flying.

2. The TSA is grossly understaffed

While the number of people flying has surged, the number of security screeners has not. In fact, according to The New York Times' Ron Nixon, the number of TSA screeners have dropped 12% since 2011. In 2011 the TSA employed 47,630 screeners. By this year that number had fallen to 41,928.

The TSA blames this chronic understaffing on a series of cuts to its budget. In 2011 the agency operated with a $7.6 billion budget. In 2015, however, its fund had shrunk to roughly $7.3 billion.

To help alleviate the problem, Congress gave the TSA an additional $34 million in funding this month. Eight million dollars will go toward hiring 768 new screeners, while $26 million will pay for additional part-time hours and overtime.

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But this may not be enough. The lack of available of workers has gotten so bad that major airports in Atlanta, New York City, Phoenix, and Charlotte, North Carolina, have threatened to bring in private-security contractors if the TSA is unable to improve its performance. In addition, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle has already hired 90 private-security screeners to supplement the TSA.

3. TSA gambled on PreCheck and failed

To compensate for the lack of available screeners, the TSA gambled on a campaign to enroll 25 million people in its PreCheck program. For $85, PreCheck allows preapproved passengers to go through special expedited security lines for a period of five years. But that campaign has failed to generate the level of enrollment the government anticipated. Only 9 million people have enrolled in PreCheck, and the TSA does not expect to reach its goal of 25 million people until 2019.

NOW WATCH: How To Get Treated Just Like The 1% And Avoid Long Lines At The Airport





More From Business Insider


U.S.defense stocks have had a good year up to now, propelled higher by geopolitical factors. Several major companies have posted encouraging results while the broader sector has also reaped the benefits. Meanwhile, global defense spending is likely to rise as a new customer has entered the picture.

The rest of the year is also likely to be favorable for defense stocks since the conditions which led to such gains will probably remain in place. Picking creditable performers for your portfolio makes for a smart move to capitalize on the gains ahead.

Stocks of Sector Heavyweights Rise, Earnings Impress

Stocks of many sector heavyweights have gained considerably over the year while posting encouraging earnings at the same time. Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings and revenues with both beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8% and 5.5%, respectively. The stock has gained 10.6% over the last three months.

Additionally, Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC reported upbeat first-quarter 2016 results with revenues and earnings beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.8% and 12.1%, respectively. Earnings and revenues of Raytheon Company RTN also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate during the first quarter by 5.1% and 5.6%, respectively. Shares of Northrop Grumman and Raytheon have gained 11.7% and 4.2% over the last three months.

However, this phenomenon is not simply restricted to a handful of companies. The largest ETF covering the sector, the iShares US Aerospace & Defense (ITA), has gained 3.6% year to date and 11.2% over the last three months.

Factors Boosting the Defense Sector

Defense companies thrive when the world is grappling with severe conflicts. Such a situation already exists in several regions of Africa and the Middle East. Meanwhile, sea related tensions are rising in Asia while the military posture of Russia has been a cause for worry. Nearly $29 billion worth of foreign arms sales have already been completed since January.

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Meanwhile, a new market for arms will become available since Vietnam has been made accessible to U.S. companies. A removal of a ban on arms sales will help the defense industry capitalize on the exponentially high increase in arms imports that the country has been making over the last five years.

However, domestic expenditure on defense has only been modest in recent years. But change is coming to the White House at the end of the year, which may also result in an increase on this front. With a contest between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump nearly certain, Clinton is being tipped to be ahead at the moment. She is likely to adopt a more hawkish posture, which would result in an expansion in domestic expenditure.

Our Choices

Defense stocks have been doing well this year. With rising global conflict and tensions in South China Sea, the trend is likely to persist. Stocks from the sector will continue to move higher as gains keep coming in.

This is why you must add select defense stocks to your portfolio. We have narrowed down our search based on a good Zacks Rank and other relevant metrics.

CAE Inc. CAE provides simulation and modeling technologies, and integrated training services to the civil aviation industry and defense forces around the globe.

CAE has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and its projected growth for the current year is 4.2%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 5.8% over the last 30 days.

KLX Inc. KLXI is a distributor and service provider of aerospace fasteners and consumables for civil and military customers.

KLX has a Zacks Rank #2 and its projected growth for the current year is 9%. The forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for the current financial year (F1) is 13.30, lower than the industry average of 16.24. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 1.7% over the last 30 days.

TransDigm Group Incorporated TDG is a leading global designer, producer and supplier of highly engineered aircraft components that are used in in-service commercial and military aircraft.

TransDigm has a Zacks Rank #2 and its projected growth for the current year is 29.4%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 5.2% over the last 30 days.

Esterline Technologies Corp. ESL is a specialized engineering and manufacturing company principally serving aerospace and defense markets.

Esterline Technologies has a Zacks Rank #2 and it has a P/E (F1) of 14.80, which is lower than the industry average of 16.24.Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 0.1% over the last 30 days.

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After three consecutive days of losses, the Dow managed to snap the trend with gains on Friday. Yet the index ended last week in a negative tone, losing 2.8%. This was the first time since Oct 2014 that the blue-chip index registered losses for four consecutive weeks. Concerns including June rate-hike fears and weak first-quarter earnings had a negative impact on the index.

Weak Q1 Earnings

Weak first-quarter earnings and intensified rate hike fears affected the financial markets. As of May 20, total earnings for 480 S&P 500 members were down 6.9% from the same period last year on 1.1% lower revenues. Like the last few quarters, disappointing results from energy companies dampened the first-quarter earnings season. The energy components of the Dow  Chevron Corp. CVX and ExxonMobil Corporation XOM  posted disappointing first-quarter results.

While Chevron reported a first-quarter loss per share of 39 cents against the year-ago quarters earnings of $1.37 per share, ExxonMobil posted a year-over-year decline of 63.2% in earnings of 43 cents per share. Moreover, Apple Inc. AAPL posted disappointing fiscal second-quarter earnings results after Phone sales witnessed the first ever year-over-year decline.

Rate Hike Fears

Also, the minutes of the Federal Reserves two-day policy meeting in April indicated that most of its officials remain optimist of a rate hike in the June meeting. Moreover, New York Fed President William Dudley said that he is "quite pleased" to see strong possibilities of a rate hike in JuneJuly. Dudley also said that the Fed is on track to satisfy a lot of the conditions" for a rate rise.

Also, Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker pointed to a June rate hike, after risks from global and financial developments having virtually entirely dissipated. Lacker previously wanted a rate hike in April, and now agrees that the case would be very strong for raising rates in June. These have intensified rate hike fears among investors, which in turn affected the major benchmarks.

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Despite this negative tone, some Dow components performed better than the index over the past three-month time frame on the back of strong fundamentals. These stocks may be profitable additions to your portfolio.

4 Stocks to Buy

We have identified four favorably ranked Dow components that are likely to outperform the blue-chip index in the near future. Separately, these stocks also performed better than the Dow over the past three-month period. Notably, the Dow registered a gain of 6.5% in trailing three months despite the recent decline.

Pfizer Inc. PFE focuses on the development and commercialization of a wide range of products including human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as consumer health care products. Pfizer rose 12.4% over the past three-month period.

Pfizer has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and its first-quarter reported earnings of 67 cents per share easily beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 55 cents. The company also has a four-quarter average positive surprise of 12.8%. Pfizers expected EPS growth is 11.7% for the current year, higher than the industry average of 6.4%.

Johnson & Johnson JNJ focuses on the development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical, medical, and consumer related healthcare products. JNJ rose 7.8% over the past three-month period.

Johnson & Johnson has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and its first-quarter reported earnings of $1.68 per share easily beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.64. The company also has a four-quarter average positive surprise of 2.1%. Johnson & Johnsons expected EPS growth is 6.4% for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated UNH leverages core competencies in advanced technology-based transactional capabilities; health care data, knowledge and information; and health care resource organization and care facilitation. UnitedHealth Group rose 7.7% over the past three-month period.

UnitedHealth Group has a Zacks Rank #2 and its first-quarter reported earnings of $1.81 per share easily beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.72. In the trailing four quarters, the companys average beat was 3.1%. For the current year, UnitedHealths expected EPS growth is 22.1%, higher than the industry average of 10.7%.

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company DD is a global science and technology company with a diverse array of product offerings. The company's operating segments are  Agriculture, Electronics & Communications, Industrial Biosciences, Nutrition & Health, Performance Materials and Safety & Protection. Du Pontrose 13.9% over the past three-month period.

Zacks Rank #2 Du Ponts first-quarter reported earnings of $1.26 per share crushed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.02. The companys trailing four-quarter average positive surprise was 14.1%. Du Ponts expected EPS growth for the current year is 12.8%, higher than the industry average of 6.6%.

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The United Arab Emirates has earned a reputation as a world-class travel destination. But it also stands out as an attractive place to study abroad, drawing a steady stream of international students to its universities scattered across seven emirates.

Some 64,119 international students studied in the UAE during the 2012-2013 academic year, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The data show that the majority were Arab international students coming from Syria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and Yemen, as well as a large number of students from India.

The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, leads the United Kingdom in attracting students from Arab countries and has become the third most popular destination, followed by France and the U.S., for students from the region, according to the institute. Prospective Arab international students should keep the following four facts about the country's universities in mind as they weigh their options.

1. Universities offer a variety of scholarships. A big draw for students is the ability to study in the UAE on scholarship. Jordanian national Yazeed Sharaiha is studying applied foreign languages at Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, a branch campus of a French university, and received a scholarship that pays 25 percent of his tuition fees. At Sorbonne, scholarship and housing assistance are given to undergrads only, with the latter covering between 20 percent and 80 percent.

"I see that the UAE is the best place. It's modern, open-minded and beautiful," says Sharaiha. "And for Sorbonne, I didn't want to study in English. I prefer French."

Al Ghurair University in Dubai offers merit scholarships regardless of nationality, depending upon a student's high school grade-point average, says Ameer A. Al-Bayati, dean of student affairs. He says the university also offers special discount programs for Palestinian and Syrian students as long as they maintain a certain GPA during college. The percentage of the discount in some cases is up to 100 percent, depending on the student's GPA, Al-Bayati says.

Story continues

[Find out how Arab region universities are enticing students with scholarships.]

2. International students can take advantage of the country's rosy employment outlook. Job prospects are looking bright. Year over year, the UAE has had the highest rise in employment opportunities compared with neighboring countries, with the health care industry the largest generator of employment opportunities, according to the Monster Employment Index released earlier this month.

Anna Dechert, director of admissions at New York University Abu Dhabi, says many of the school's students are drawn to it because of the "opportunities within the UAE for Arab expatriates across a broad range of industries."

The school has career counselors who work with students to identify internship and job opportunities. It holds biannual career fairs in September and February that bring about 50 organizations to recruit for volunteer opportunities, internships and full-time jobs.

Dechert says the school provides students with an academic environment that they can use "to launch a career that perhaps brings them back to their home country further down the line."

[Don't make these mistakes when choosing a university in the Arab region.]

3. Students have access to a variety of U.K. and U.S. branch campuses. From Rochester Institute of Technology to Middlesex University, the UAE has the highest number of branch campuses in the world, with the majority in Dubai. Degrees from these schools are recognized worldwide. Students can choose between U.K. universities that require students decide on a major early on and U.S. universities that give students time to ease into their major of choice, among other options.

Egyptian national Abdallah Youssef says he chose the UAE for its well-established education system. He selected Heriot-Watt University in Dubai, a branch campus of a U.K. institution, for its one-year preparatory program for a bachelor's in engineering.

"I joined the program in order to gather enough information about the types of engineering studies and decide my major at the end," says Youssef.

An advantage of U.K. and U.S. branch campuses is that they often allow students to study at the home campus as part of their program. Heriot-Watt offers intercampus transfers where students can spend one semester or more at the U.K. home campus or the other branch campus in Malaysia.

Sudanese national Hamam Elkhidir Ahmed Suliman, also in Heriot-Watt's preparatory program in civil engineering, applied to and was offered the opportunity to spend two years in Dubai and the other two years in Scotland.

Suliman says in Sudan, "undergraduate studies are not good" and says the courses are limited and no British or American branch campus universities exist in the country.

"I always wanted to study at a top-ranked university in the U.K. or U.S.," says Suliman, who was drawn to the UAE for its large number of branch campuses. "I applied to a lot and got lots of offers from different schools but Heriot-Watt is the best in civil engineering."

[Understand key facts about American-style universities in the Arab region.]

4. Studying in the UAE is an international experience. The UAE is host to many national and international competitions, conferences and conventions. This is in line with the country's vision to transition to a knowledge-based economy and promote innovation, research and development.

Palestinian Rami Salahat, who received a full scholarship and is studying computer science and engineering at Al Ghurair University, won first place in the scientific innovation category in the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance competition. Salahat competed against students of different nationalities from various UAE universities.

"I am definitely participating in future national and international competitions, conferences and events," says Salahat. These competitions and events allow him to explore his limits and develop new technical and social skills and abilities, he says.

Heriot-Watt student Suliman says he appreciates that the UAE is such an international country, which attracts people from all parts of the world, giving him exposure to different cultures and perspectives. Having visited the country many times before moving, he says he feels welcomed and at home in the UAE.

"UAE is located at the center of the world," says Suliman, who plans to pursue his master's degree there and work in the UAE. "They are used to international students and tourists more than other MENA countries, because the country is developing very fast."

See the complete rankings of the Best Arab Region Universities.

Anayat Durrani is a Los Angeles-based freelance education reporter for U.S. News, covering Arab region universities.




Barley might have been the "secret ingredient" in a 5,000-year-old beer recipe that has been reconstructed from residues on prehistoric pots from China, according to new archaeological research.

Scientists conducted tests on ancient pottery jars and funnels found at the Mijiaya archaeological site in China's Shaanxi province. The analyses revealed traces of oxalate  a beer-making byproduct that forms a scale called "beerstone" in brewing equipment  as well as residues from a variety of ancient grains and plants. These grains included broomcorn millets, an Asian wild grain known as "Job's tears," tubers from plant roots, and barley.

Barley is used to make beer because it has high levels of amylase enzymes that promote the conversion of starches into sugars during the fermenting process. It was first cultivated in western Asia and might have been used to make beer in ancient Sumer and Babylonia more than 8,000 years ago, according to historians. [See Photos of Ancient Beer Brewing in China's 'Cradle of Civilization']

The researchers said it is unclear when beer brewing began in China, but the residues from the 5,000-year-old Mijiaya artifacts represent the earliest known use of barley in the region by about 1,000 years. They also suggest that barley was used to make beer in China long before the cereal grain became a staple food there, the researchers noted.

Surprising ingredient

The prehistoric brewery at the Mijiaya site consisted of ceramic pots, funnels and stoves found in pits that date back to the Neolithic (late Stone Age) Yangshao period, around 3400 to 2900 B.C., said Jiajing Wang, a Ph.D. student at Stanford University in California and lead author of a new paper on the research, published today (May 23) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Wang told Live Science that the discovery of barley in such early artifacts was a surprise to the researchers.

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Barley was the main ingredient for beer brewing in other parts of the world, such as in ancient Egypt, she said, and the barley plant might have spread into China along with the knowledge of its special use in making beer.

"It is possible that when barley was introduced from western Eurasia into the Central Plain of China, it came with the knowledge that the grain was a good ingredient for beer brewing," Wang said. "So it was not only the introduction of a new crop, but also the knowledge associated with the crop."

The ancient art of beer

The Mijiaya site was discovered in 1923 by Swedish archaeologist Johan Gunnar Andersson, Wang said. The site, located near the present-day center of the city of Xi'an, was excavated by Chinese archaeologists between 2004 and 2006, before being developed for modern residential buildings.

After the full excavation report was published in 2012, Wang's co-author on the new paper, archaeologist Li Liu of Stanford, noticed that the pottery assemblages from two of the pits could have been used to make alcohol, mainly because of the presence of funnels and stoves.

Wang said that some Chinese scholars had suggested several years ago that the Yangshao funnels might have been used to make alcohol, but there had been no direct evidence until now. [Raise Your Glass: 10 Intoxicating Beer Facts]

In the summer of 2015, the Stanford researchers traveled to Xi'an and visited the Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology, where the artifacts from the Mijiaya site are now stored.

The scientists extracted residues from the artifacts, and their analysis of the residues turned out to prove their hypothesis: that "people in China brewed beer with barley around 5,000 years ago," Wang said.

Reconstructing the recipe

The researchers found yellowish remnants in the wide-mouthed pots, funnels and amphorae that suggested the vessels were used for beer brewing, filtration and storage. The stoves in the pits were probably used to provide heat for mashing the grains, according to the archaeologists.

The beer recipe used a variety of starchy grains, including barley, as well as tubers, which would have added starch for the fermentation process and sweetness to the flavor of the beer, the researchers said.

Wang and her co-authors wrote that barley had been found in a few Bronze Age sites in the Central Plain of China, all dated to around or after 2000 B.C. However, barley did not become a staple crop in the region until the Han dynasty, from 206 B.C. to A.D. 220, the researchers said.

"Together, the lines of evidence suggest that the Yangshao people may have concocted a 5,000-year-old beer recipe that ushered the cultural practice of beer brewing into ancient China," the archaeologists wrote in the paper. "It is possible that the few rare finds of barley in the Central Plain during the Bronze Age indicate their earlier introduction as rare, exotic food."

"Our findings imply that early beer making may have motivated the initial translocation of barley from western Eurasia into the Central Plain of China before the crop became a part of agricultural subsistence in the region 3,000 years later," the researchers wrote.

It's even possible that beer-making technology aided the development of complex human societies in the region, the researchers said. "Like other alcoholic beverages, beer is one of the most widely used and versatile drugs in the world, and it has been used for negotiating different kinds of social relationships," the archaeologists wrote.

"The production and consumption of Yangshao beer may have contributed to the emergence of hierarchical societies in the Central Plain, the region known as 'the cradle of Chinese civilization,'" they added.

Follow Tom Metcalfe @globalbabel. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

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Millions of people take antidepressants as a way to treat depression, but a new study reveals what some physicians are prescribing antidepressants for off-label uses that are not depression-related.

In the study, published Tuesday in the journal JAMA, researchers looked at nearly 10 years worth of electronic medical records for antidepressant prescriptions. In total, they reviewed over 100,000 prescriptions for antidepressants written by close to 160 doctors for nearly 20,000 people. They found that nearly 50% of the prescriptions were made for a disorder that was not depression. Instead, many of these prescriptions were made for issues like anxiety, insomnia, pain, attention deficit disorders (ADD) and even bulimia.

Its an interesting phenomenon, says study author Jenna Wong, a PhD candidate at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. We had heard that in the scientific community there has been a suspicion among doctors that physicians are commonly prescribing antidepressants for uses other than depression. We also found that for the major classes of antidepressants, there was an increasing prescribing trend over time.

There are a few reasons why the new findings raise some concern among the authors. First, if scientists wanted to know whether antidepressants are increasingly being prescribed over time for depression, Wong says that data may be warped since the drugs are also commonly being prescribed for other uses. Wong also argues that some of the uses that are being prescribed are not based in scientific evidence. Some drugs are prescribed off-label because there is data to suggest they work for other medical problems, but in the case of issues like migraines and ADD, Wong says the science is not solid for using antidepressants as treatment. It raises the question of why they are prescribing them, she says.

The researchers did not look at why doctors are prescribing depression drugs for other uses, but they suspect it could be a last-resort measure. Some of these conditions are things where there is no exact treatment, says Wong. The patients may be desperate for something to treat their ailments.

It should also be noted that scientists do not fully understand how antidepressants work for depression. While evidence does suggest they work to eleviate some symptoms, how the drugs achieve that is still unclear. The researchers of the new trial say the trend of prescribing for other indications should be more fully explored, to understand the reasons why people are being given the drugs for reasons that are even less clear cut.
A former drug dealer and heroin addict from Harlem, New York became the oldest graduate of Columbia Universitys class of 2016 at 67 on Sunday.

David Normans road to receiving a diploma was a long one.

Read: High School Student With Cerebral Palsy Steps Out of Wheelchair for First Time at Graduation

As a teen, he says he fell victim to substance abuse due to a "lack of self-confidence" and a "way to self-medicate," according to a press release from the university. He was also selling narcotics at a young age.

In 1968, he was incarcerated, and it was in prison where he discovered the power of literature and philosophy from fellow inmates.

They went to school and I didnt, and wed have these long discussions. The guy on my right liked Shakespeare, and I didnt know anything about him, and in turn I would talk to him about everything I had read, which included philosophy, Norman said in a statement from the university.

In 1995, he had his last stint in prison, where he was serving time for manslaughter. When he was released, he took a job as a volunteer that helps inmates transition back into society.

That job changed my perspective. It let me know that I have something to offer, Norman said. I decided I would devote my time to working toward something bigger than myself.

He has remained drug-free for 20 years and this past weekend, he was the oldest to receive a bachelors degree from Columbias 547-student graduating class. The average age of the Ivy League schools class was 29.

Read: Celebrities Dish Out Advice for 2016 Graduates

He graduated from the Universitys School of General Studies.

(Columbia University)

I remember a time when people would avoid me on the street, because of my attitude. Now I smile and say hello to people and ask them how theyre doing. When my perspective changed, my life changed. Whatever happens outside has to begin inside, Norman said.

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His family is proud of his accomplishments.

His brother, Howard, posted to Facebook: So proud of my big brother! Thank you God for taking care of him. God is so good. He is always on time. If you don't know God you better get to know him, it's never too late. Don't give up. Love you brother! May God bless Everyone!

His post-graduation plans including writing a book that he hopes will help others who have been in similar circumstances. He also works as a research assistant at Columbias Mailman School of Public Health. He also volunteers with the Coming Home Program at Riverside Church, where he mentors recently-incarcerated individuals, providing support and teaching skill development as they reintegrate into the community.

Watch: Trump and Circumstance: Donald and Family Come Out to Support Daughter Tiffany at Graduation

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By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prosecutors of Baltimore police officers charged in the death of black detainee Freddie Gray will likely stick to their arguments of illegal arrest and causing criminal injury in a transport van even though an officer was acquitted in the case this week, legal experts said.

Although it was the second setback for prosecutors who have brought charges against six officers, the narrowly focused judge's decision acquitting Officer Edward Nero suggested that the prosecution's strategy could bear fruit in at least some of the five remaining trials, the experts said.

Prosecutors could hope for a turning point in the June 6 trial of Officer Caesar Goodson, Jr.

Goodson drove the transport van in which Gray, 25, suffered a broken neck in April 2015, and he has been charged with second-degree murder.

"I have a feeling that the prosecution sees this as a closer loss than they might have expected and, if they're not emboldened, I think they're going forward with the case against Officer Goodson relatively unchanged," said David Jaros, a law professor at the University of Baltimore.

The first case brought against any of the officers charged in Gray's death ended in a mistrial last December.

The judge dismissed the jury in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Officer William Porter after 16 hours of deliberations during which it was unable to reach a verdict on any of the charges.

Porter's retrial is to be held in September.

Jaros and others have said that Nero had a minor role in the Gray case. It was widely seen as the weakest case brought by State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office, making it less likely that her team would change course with the acquittal, they said.

Mosby has not commented on the trial results since there is a court gag order on the cases.

Prosecutors contended that Nero arrested Gray without cause when he fled from him and two other officers unprovoked, and then failed to secure Gray in the transport van.

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Gray died a week after the arrest and his death triggered rioting in the majority black city.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams, who heard the case in a bench trial, said prosecutors had failed to prove that Nero was involved in the arrest and should have secured Gray.

UNDERPINNING CASE

In his verdict, Williams said it was reasonable for Nero to have assumed that his superior officer, Lieutenant Brian Rice, and Goodson would decide whether Gray should be seat-belted, the analysts said.

"I think he seemed to signal that the person who ultimately has responsibility for that is the van driver, who is coincidentally the next one up, Goodson," said Warren Brown, a Baltimore defense lawyer who has followed the case.

Williams also wrote that "the detention morphed into an arrest," a view that Jaros said could prop up prosecutors' argument that Gray was arrested without justification.

That view might have bearing on the case against Officer Garrett Miller, Nero's partner, who testified under immunity that he arrested Gray and handcuffed him, Jaros said. Miller is charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office.

Jaros said that if he were Miller, "I would have been surprised and somewhat concerned that the judge seemed to accept the prosecution theory that this was an arrest without probable cause."

Law professor Chris O'Brien at the State University of New York at Buffalo said Miller's testimony that he had arrested Gray would make prosecuting him much more difficult since it was done under immunity.

"But in terms of the other officers (Rice and Goodson), I don't know that it will really have any impact," he said. Rice faces trial in July on charges that include involuntary manslaughter and assault.

Sergeant Alicia White, 32, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and her trial is scheduled for October.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
Global Dynamics Challenged Archer Daniels Midland in 1Q16

(Continued from Prior Part)

ADM fell after 1Q16 results

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) reported its 1Q16 results on May 3. The stock didnt react well to the results. It fell 3% on the same day. It closed at $39.1compared to the previous days closing price of $40.26. Its earnings and revenue missed estimates for the first quarter with declining growth year-over-year.

Archer Daniels Midland stock gained 18% since its last quarter earnings release on February 2. The stock fell ~9% after the company reported its fiscal 4Q15 results. The company missed earnings and revenue estimates.

The stock closed 1% higher on April 19 when Archer Daniels Midland announced investment for (NFS) National Foodworks Services new headquarters. It rose another 2% and closed at $38.87 on April 20.

So far in 2016, Archer Daniels Midland has gained 7% as of May 6. It lost 30% in fiscal 2015. It outperformed the Market represented by the S&P 500 Index by 4% as of May 6. It closed at $38.2 on May 6.

Peers stock performance

Archer Daniels Midland is an agricultural company based in Chicago, Illinois. Through its four segments, it procures, transports, stores, processes, and merchandises agricultural commodities and products.

So far in 2016, Archer Daniels Midlands peer Pinnacle Foods (PF) stock hasnt gained or lost much. Ingredion (INGR) has returned 27%. Bunge (BG) lost 9%, respectively. They closed at $42.14, $117.54, and $43.09, respectively, on May 6. Its peers in the industry also include Flowers Foods (FLO) and Cal-Maine Foods (CALM). So far, they returned -10.1% and 11.4% in 2016. The PowerShares Dynamic Large Value (PWV) invests 1.5% of its portfolio in Archer Daniels Midland.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
In the new film, Manhattan Night, which is available On Demand, in theaters and on Digital HD, Adrien Brody plays a crime reporter sucked into a tale of sex, murder and blackmail as he investigates the mysterious death of a film director.

The role is just one of many to be adapted from a novel -- in this case, Manhattan Nocturne by Colin Harrison -- for Brody, whose work still remains as varied since some of his earliest work in The Thin Red Line. The Terrence Malick film was based on the novel by James Jones.

PHOTOS: The 5 Highest-Rated Films of Adrien Brody

Figuring out how faithful to be to the original text has been the downfall of many adaptations, but successfully avoided here. "Brian [DeCubellis] crafted a beautiful screenplay adaptation of the novel and worked closely with Colin," Brody tells ET. "He really came to me with some of the most well-written characters and stories I've read in ages, so there was no work for me to do in that respect."

Instead of having to worry about the text, Brody could focus on his performance. "He gave me the ammunition to portray a nuanced family man who makes a mistake and gets in way over his head," Brody adds.

MORE: Watch Salma Hayek and Adrien Brody Fight for Freedom in Emotional 'Septembers of Shiraz' Trailer

Any added pressure of adapting the film came from stepping up as a producer of Manhattan Night, which Brody did to help finance the project. "I first became involved several years back, when I was offered a role in the film," he says. "They were struggling with getting the movie made, so ultimately I decided to come on board as a producer."

Lionsgate

While it's not his first time as a producer, it was his most active yet. "For as long as I can recall, participated in helping first-time directors or less-experienced productions navigate the obstacles that inevitably come up in making independent films," Brody says. "In this case, I've taken on a much bigger, more formal role in actively fundraising as well as on-set producing. The process is more cumbersome but more gratifying as you really participate in the complexity of putting together a good movie and appreciate the collaborative efforts of everyone involved."

Story continues

MORE: Watch Adrien Brody's Chilling Flashback to Tragedy in 'Backtrack'

The result is a twisty thriller that surprises and entertains, though the reviews have been mixed. But the biggest takeaway, for Brody at least, may be the value of time.

"You also gain a lot of insight into what it is like on the other side of the camera -- for instance, you realize how frustrating it is when an actor doesn't get back to you when considering them, and how much pressure it is being under the gun with having to make decisions," Brody says. "I try to be more considerate to productions now when presented with a script to consider. And I am always punctual."

Related Articles
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A senior Taliban leader identified by Afghan authorities as a shadow governor of the southern province of Helmand has been killed by security forces, officials said on Tuesday, although the Taliban immediately denied the report. The report came days after Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed by a U.S. airstrike in south western Pakistan. Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor of Helmand, said Mullah Muzamel had died of injuries sustained during an air strike in Marjah district late on Sunday. "First he was wounded and later that night he died of his wounds," Zwak said. Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said in a tweet that Muzamel had been killed in a special forces operation along with two of his commanders. However Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman for southern Afghanistan, denied the report. The shadow governor for Helmand's name is Haji Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund and he is safe, he said. "No official has been killed or wounded in Helmand," he said. Helmand, the region that supplies the largest share of Afghanistan's opium crop, has seen months of bitter fighting and much of the province is under Taliban control but government forces have launched an offensive to retake lost ground. (Reporting by Abdul Malik; writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Gareth Jones)
By Ellen Wulfhorst

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Susanna was young, single, broke and pregnant in southern Texas where, thanks to the state's strict laws, her chances of getting a surgical abortion at a clinic were slim to none.

So she did what an estimated 100,000 women or more in Texas have done - had a self-induced abortion.

With the help of a friend, some online instructions and quick dash across the Mexican border for some pills, she addressed the issue of unwanted pregnancy in a state where women are finding abortion services too expensive and too far away.

Restrictive laws took hold in Texas in 2013, forcing so many clinic closings that fewer than 20 remain to serve 5.4 million women of reproductive age.

Supporters of the laws say they protect women's health. The regulations require clinics to upgrade to hospital standards and doctors performing abortions to have formal agreements to admit patients to local hospitals.

But experts say that if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds Texas' restrictive abortion laws, the numbers of self-induced abortions will escalate.

So far, the number of Texas women who have taken that option could be as high as 100,000 to 240,000, depending on how it is calculated, experts say.

"We certainly hypothesize that if there is a bad ruling from the Supreme Court that leads to more clinic closures, yes, this will only become more common," said Dr. Daniel Grossman of Ibis Reproductive Health in California and researcher with the Texas Policy Evaluation Project at the University of Texas at Austin.

Susanna, a musician in Texas' Rio Grande Valley who chose to use an alias to protect her identity, described her self-induced abortion two years ago at age 23 as "almost primal."

"It was like we were back in the days of the Wild West, like we have to figure this out by ourselves and just grit our teeth and get through it," she said.

Research shows U.S. women opt to self-induce due to the closing of their local clinic, the expense of a clinical procedure or the costs of traveling to a distant facility.

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Most commonly they take misoprostol, available in Mexico without a prescription, at home.

Educating themselves on the procedure, women like Susanna's friend Selena, also not her real name, have stepped in to teach other women to do what clinics can no longer provide.

DO-IT-YOURSELF

Selena said she and a handful of friends decided to learn the do-it-yourself method after their local clinic, Whole Woman's Health in McAllen, shut down in the midst of its legal fight.

Whole Woman's Health is challenging the Texas abortion law before the U.S. Supreme Court.

With that clinic closed, the closest option was four hours away in San Antonio, Selena said.

But how-to instructions are easily found online on websites belonging to Women on Waves and Women on Web, Dutch reproductive rights groups, and the World Health Organization, said the 28-year-old social worker.

"Our objective was to share this knowledge with our friends and hope that from there, they will take that information and branch out and help other people," she said.

For Susanna, a surgical abortion at a clinic, if it were even open, would have cost nearly $600.

"I wouldn't be able to afford it," she said. She earned money cleaning houses and at night played trombone in a band.

So Susanna drove across the border to the small town of Nuevo Progresso in Mexico to buy misoprostol over the counter at a pharmacy for US$19.

"This is a trend we only anticipate growing in light of many factors, including this spate of state-level provisions on access that are resulting in clinic closures," said Jill Adams, a legal expert on self-induced abortions and executive director of the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice at the University of California, Berkeley Law School.

INSTRUCTIONS

Misoprostol, originally prescribed to treat ulcers and arthritis, induces abortions with contractions and heavy bleeding.

The process lasted about 12 hours, said Susanna.

"It sucked," she said.

Self-inducing is not risky so long as women have the right information and follow medical instructions carefully, experts say.

"This is not the coat hanger abortion of the days of yore," said Adams.

But Grossman added: "We also hear of women using ineffective methods like herbs or doing things that are potentially dangerous like getting punched in the stomach."

Whether self-induced abortions are legal or not depends

on an array of factors, Adams said.

While seven states not including Texas explicitly ban self-induced abortions, others may have pertinent laws on the books such as the unauthorized practice of medicine or drug charges, she said.

Susanna keeps her story secret from her family but said she has helped other women undergo the same process, directing them to websites or helping obtain misoprostol.

"A child is a very important, precious thing, and to just bring it into the world willy-nilly is I think a preposterous idea," she said.

The paucity of clinics in Texas is especially hard in the poor and largely Hispanic Rio Grande Valley, which stretches along the river separating the United States from Mexico.

"They're trying to make us jump through all these hoops," Susanna said. "It's like a war on the poor people."

Selena says she sees self-induced abortions as a good solution if the Texas abortion laws remain in place.

"Some people may feel more secure because they get to be in the comfort of their own home, and it's more affordable," she said.

"And it's something they do more on their own terms."

(Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst, Editing by Ros Russell; 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)
SINGAPORE, May 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's long-haul budget airline AirAsia X swung to quarterly profit boosted by strong traffic from China, and said it would re-evaluate its operations in Indonesia due to regulatory issues.

First-quarter profit totaled 179.5 million ringgit ($43.57 million), compared with a loss of 125.9 million ringgit in the year-ago quarter. Revenue rose 25 percent to 970.7 million ringgit, with revenue from China alone surging 49 percent.

"In the first quarter, the China market contributed the highest growth," AirAsia X Group CEO Kamarudin Meranun said in a statement on Tuesday.

We see this growth trend continuing through 2016 with the introduction of visa-free travel for Chinese visitors to Malaysia, and we expect the strong inbound traffic from China to feed into other core markets, he added.

AirAsia X also said that based on current forward bookings, second quarter passenger numbers looked encouraging. It would focus on strategic growth initiatives in Malaysia and Thailand while re-evaluating its operation in Indonesia.

Net loss at the company's Indonesia operations halved to 4.6 million in the first quarter, but the company said the operational environment remained challenging due to restrictions imposed by regulators.

Earlier this month, Indonesia said it plans to suspend the in-house ground handling operations of two budget carriers at two of the country's biggest airports while it investigates possible handling errors. ($1 = 4.1200 ringgit) (Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Alice Through the Looking Glass brought the magic of Disney to Hollywood Blvd. as the cast and creators walked the red carpet for the Los Angeles premiere on Monday.

Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska and Anne Hathaway, along with director James Bobin and producer Suzanne Todd, attended the premiere at the El Capitan Theater to discuss how they brought Alice and the fantastical Underland to life this time around.

In the first film, Alice was quite uncomfortable in her skin and in this one she has a pretty strong sense of herself, said Wasikowska. Wasikowska, who reprises her role in the sequel, said it was fun playing a character that no one could make question about who she is.

While the producers did not envision making a sequel, the success of the first film, which made over $1 billion dollars worldwide, changed their minds. But, it took the producers a long time to come up with an idea that we thought would be special and important.

We intentionally wanted the movie to be both funny and comedic in a way that the first movie wasnt, but we also wanted some deeper emotional depths with the characters and the story lines, said Todd, who also produced Alice in Wonderland.

So we dove back into the literature and we liked this idea of focusing on time and the preciousness of time and there was this literary reference where Lewis Carroll had written about it so it made a lot of sense.

Alice Through the Looking Glass takes viewers on a journey through time as Alice ventures to help the Mad Hatter (Depp) recover from the loss of his family. While keeping the fantasy alive, the movie touches on the importance of family, death and treasuring time.

Bobin, who directed the Muppet films, took the reins from Tim Burton for the sequel. He said he aimed for Alice Through the Looking Glass to have the comedic feel that his previous works had, but stay true to Carrolls work.

The story had to feel like a Lewis Carrol-inspired story and therefore it had to have a certain complexity, but at the same time you dont want to make the film too complex, so I regularly tested the story on my daughter, said Bobin.

Story continues

When I was a kid I would read Lewis Carrol and he made me laugh. I wanted to bring a bit of that back into the world, Bobin continued.

Alice Through the Looking Glass opens in theaters May 27.

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Before 1976, the words judgment of Paris called to mind a story in Greek mythology: Paris, son of a king, is asked to decide which goddess is the fairest. When Paris is swayed by Aphrodites promise to bestow the exquisite Helen of Troy upon him, it starts a chain of events that leads to the Trojan War and the fall of a city.

And so those three words made a trenchant headline, written by an unknown editor, to describe a contest held 40 years ago Tuesday, which would eventually topple another kingand change the world of wine.

Everybody turned [the invitation] down. I turned it down the first time, says former TIME reporter George Taber, the only journalist to show up on May 24, 1976, for a blind tasting of the finest French vintages and wines from upstart Napa Valley. Everybody knows that French wines are going to win, so why waste a day? Its the giant and the little guy. Nobody took it seriously.

California wine did not exist

Though the French hoisted themselves on their own petards that daybecause the judges who sipped and scored the whites and reds were among the most reputed oenophiles that country had to offerthe story began with a British man named Steven Spurrier, who ran a wine shop in Paris and the only private wine school in France. Because Spurrier and his team spoke English, winemakers from Californias Napa Valley would often pass through with their wares in tow.

How was California wine viewed back then? California wine was not viewed. California wine did not exist, says Spurrier, in his British brogue, from his home in England, where he eventually returned to work as a wine consultant and writer. Back then, even Americans werent drinking much besides fortified dessert wine, industry experts say, and were largely oblivious to what Taber described in his story as rather expensive ($6 plus) bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay being produced in the vineyards operating north of San Francisco.

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If Americans were oblivious, the French acted as if there werent even anything to be oblivious to. The French bamboozled the world into thinking that only in France could you make great wines, that only in France did you have the perfect climate, the perfect earth, the perfect grapes,says Taber, now 76 years old and splitting his time between Rhode Island and Florida. France was on a pedestal. France was alone.

And yet, when Spurrier tasted the American wines that found their way to his shop, they didnt just existthey were good.

An Englishman in Paris

So Spurrier quickly agreed when his colleague, a woman of American heritage named Patricia Gallagher, came up with the idea of hosting a tasting of California wines in Paris to mark the bicentennial of the American Revolution. Though he says he did not need the publicity (contrary to plot line in the move Bottle Shock, which clearly still rankles him), he did feel what might be described as a sense of wine justice.

I was an Englishman in Paris, I was already a square peg in a round hole, he says. And these were very, very good wines. So why dont we do something about it?

After Gallagher scouted Napa wineries in 1975, Spurrier returned the following year with her notes to make the final selection, settling on six California Pinot Chardonnays and six California Cabernet Sauvignons. He gathered his distinguished panel of judges and secured a room at the Intercontinental Hotel for an afternoon. Then, about two weeks before the tasting, he had the idea that would make the day historic instead of just a pleasantly passed Monday: to make the judges pay attention to the California wines, he would offer them alongside the top wines for Bordeaux and Burgundy, as a blind competition.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

Ah, back to France!

Ted Baseler now heads the company that owns Stags Leap Wine Cellars, a Napa winery whose 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon was tasted that day, and he describes what came next as the ultimate underdog story. As Taber explained at the time:

The contest was as strictly controlled as the production of a Chateau Lafite. The nine French judges [were] drawn from an oenophiles Whos Who  The wines tasted were transatlantic cousinsfour white Burgundies against six California Pinot Chardonnays and four Grands Crus Chateaux reds from Bordeaux against six California Cabernet Sauvignons. As they swirled, sniffed, sipped and spat, some judges were instantly able to separate an imported upstart from an aristocrat. More often, the panel was confused. Ah, back to France! exclaimed [one judge] after sipping a 1972 Chardonnay from the Napa Valley. That is definitely California. It has no nose, said another judgeafter downing a Batard Montrachet 73 [from France]. Other comments included such Gallic gems as this is nervous and agreeable, a good nose but not too much in the mouth, and this soars out of the ordinary.

The whites were tasted first, and Spurrier announced before the red tasting that the judges had given top scores not to a Burgundy wine but to the 73 chardonnay from Chateau Montelena, a boutique vineyard in Calistoga, Calif.

Mike Grgich, a native Croatian who made that vintage, says he didnt even know about the tasting until after it happened. Even then, he says he didnt understand it mattered until the New York Times called wanting to take his picture. I started dancing around the winery and singing in Croatian that I was born again, he recalls. It was a miracle!

The French judges were not so elated. Spurrier recalls believing that they were determined to pick a French winner from among the reds. Taber, who has written a book on this judgment of Paris and its significance, believes the same. (One particular red that Taber believes was easily identifiable as non-native, Taber says, received two points out of 20worse than battery acid or something.)

Whether those judges made their choices based merit or ulterior motives, they soon heard, to their absolute dismay, that they had done it again: the top-marked red was the cab from Stags Leap, a bottle that the Smithsonian honored as one of 101 objects that made America, alongside Meriwether Lewis compass and Alexander Graham Bells telephone.

At the time, however, no one really had a sense of quite how big a deal the win would be. When Taber called up Jim Barrett, the general manager and part owner of Chateau Montelena, the vineyard that produced the winning white, Barrett had no idea that he had won. Not bad, he said, for kids from the sticks.

A kick in the pants

The tasting put Napa on the map, and boosted other areas of California now heavy with wineries, like Sonoma County and the Central Coast. Investment started rolling in, as did French people who traveled to the Pacific Coast to see what it was all about. What they found was that there was fine terroir outside France: fast-draining soil, plenty of sunlight, a climate thats not too hot but not too cold. The first vintage of Opus One, a wine that prides itself on establishing the ultra-premium category in America, was produced in 1979. Spurrier believes its no accident that this collaborationbetween American winemaker Robert Mondavi and French winemaker Philippine de Rothschildhad not happened earlier.

The number of wineries in California is today above 3,000, up from little more than 300 in the 1970s.

And the sound of Frances pedestal crumbling was heard beyond the Pacific Coast. The most important thing in my view is the judgment of Paris created a template whereby unknown wines of high quality could go up against known benchmark wines of high quality, blind, provided they were in front of an incredibly reputable panel of judges, says Spurrier. Davids from all over felt power to take on Goliaths. It was a great democratizing moment for vintners.

It opened up the doors not only to Napa but other regions in the world, says Stags Leap Wine Cellars Baseler. That helped other people say Gee, we can too, whether it was in New Zealand, Australia, Oregon, Washington, Chile. Perceptions among people buying and collecting wine, shifted, too. And with France forced off its laurels, everyone felt a greater sense of competition, industry veterans recall, which meant the world was getting and continues to get more variety and innovation in its vino.

There were some casualties. The owner of the greatest Burgundy estate in France, according to Spurrier, told him that the judgment of Paris was a kick in the pants for French wine. Spurrier got kicked out cellars where he was once a welcome customer, blamed for organizing Frances humiliation, and several of the judges were asked to resign from positions of honor and recognition.

Taber was spared any blowback he might have received. At the time, TIME Magazine did not print bylines on stories like the one he filed. Yet in a way, as he was the single journalist to show up that day, the four paragraphs he wrote are the most responsible for the fallout and the progress: hes the reason that the story got out. Thats why this became such a phenomenal thing, says Baseler, why today everybody knows well made wines are great wherever they come from.

Read TIMEs original coverage of the contest, here in the TIME Vault: Judgment of Paris
Teslas 1Q16 Earnings Results: The Big Bet on Model 3

(Continued from Prior Part)

Analysts consensus

As of May 9, 2016, 45% of analysts covering Tesla Motors (TSLA) have given the stock a buy recommendation, while 30% have recommended a sell. The remaining 25% are still maintaining a neutral view on the companys stock. This reflects no major changes in analysts outlook after Teslas 1Q16 earnings release. Now, lets take a closer look at these recommendations.

Investors should pay attention to analyst recommendations because they can affect the companys stock price movement. If a popular analyst changes his or her view, a significant short-term movement in the stock price could follow.

Target prices revised upward

After Teslas 1Q16 earnings release, Teslas consensus 12-month target price was revised upward to $283, from $262. This new price target reflects an upside potential of 35.5% from its current market price of $208.92 as of May 9, 2016.

Among all popular analysts, Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley maintained the highest price target of $333 for Tesla stock, which represents a 59% upside potential.

Ryan Brinkman of JPMorgan Chase and Colin Langan of UBS are still expecting Tesla to underperform the broader market. But they have also revised their target prices upward to $185 and $160, respectively.

This upward revision in target prices can be seen as a positive indication for Tesla stock. The companys focus on timely delivery of its Model 3 could be one of the key reasons behind the upward revision. Higher production and deliveries of the Model S and Model X in 2Q16 are going to play a critical role in keeping these positive sentiments intact.

Recommendations for other automakers

By comparison, analysts consensus buy recommendations for other automakers (VCR), with expected 12-month stock price movements, are as follows:

Ford (F): 38.1% of analysts with a 17.6% upside potential

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU): 53.3% of analysts with a 32.4% upside potential

General Motors (GM): 50% of analysts with a 21.9% upside potential

Ferrari (RACE): 56.3% of analysts with 12.1% upside potential

Story continues

In the final part of our series, well look at updated key technical price levels for Tesla stock.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
LONDON  Angelina Jolie  Oscar-winning actress, humanitarian activistand now a visiting professor at one of Britains most prestigious universities.

The London School of Economics has named Jolie one of four new professors in its novel masters-degree program focusing on women in conflict zones and on issues of sexual violence. The program, slated to begin accepting applications in the fall, is administered by the universitys Center for Women, Peace and Security, which Jolie helped launch last year together with former British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

In her new role, the actress is expected to deliver lectures, participate in workshops and appear at public events.

Already a United Nations goodwill ambassador and a special envoy for the U.N.s High Commissioner for Refugees, the actress said in a statement released Monday that she was very encouraged by the creation of this masters program. I hope other academic institutions will follow this example, as it is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance womens rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict.

Besides Jolie and Hague, the other visiting professors are Jane Connors, a senior figure with Amnesty International, and Madeleine Rees, the secretary-general of the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom. The four new LSE faculty members are professors in practice, selected for their experience in the field rather than strictly on the basis of academic credentials.

Bringing practitioners, policy-makers and activists together with scholars is essential in advancing knowledge and influencing global and local policy-making, Christine Chinkin, the director of the new womens center, said in a statement.

Jolie said she was looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students as well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations.

Story continues

Jolie and her husband, actor Brad Pitt, have been living in London since earlier this year while Pitt works on a film set during World War II.

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By Caroline Humer

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Anthem Inc (ANTM.N) Chief Executive Officer Joseph Swedish said on Tuesday the health insurer was pushing for approval from antitrust regulators reviewing its $51 billion acquisition of Cigna Corp (CI.N) and expects to hear a decision in July.

Anthem's bid for Cigna followed closely after Aetna Inc's (AET.N) proposed $34 billion purchase of Humana Inc (HUM.N) last July. The two transactions would reduce the U.S. health insurance market to three major players from five, raising questions about whether regulators scrutinizing the deals would approve both.

Swedish said antitrust regulators have asked many questions about how it and Cigna manage healthcare benefits for large employers, but that the overall review was moving forward as expected.

Speaking at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference, Swedish said Anthem has argued to regulators that the deal will save consumers money as the combined company would be able to negotiate better prices for medical services.

Swedish expects the U.S. Department of Justice to make a determination on the deal in July. He spoke openly about the process after the Wall Street Journal reported there was heated correspondence between Anthem and Cigna lawyers working on the review. The company had previously declined to comment.

Anthem General Counsel Thomas Zielinski provided further detail, saying the company is due to meet with the Justice Department in July, when they expect to learn if the deal will be rejected, approved, or approved with remediations such as asset sales.

The company announced plans to buy Cigna nearly a year ago in a cash and stock deal worth about $54 billion at the time.

Anthem shares fell 1.9 percent, or $2.43, to $130.75 and Cigna shares were off 54 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $125.61 in Tuesday trading. Based on those share prices, the deal is worth $51 billion and values Cigna shares at $170.67.

In particular, investors have focused on doubts that large national customers support the deal, an issue that has turned federal antitrust regulators against other acquisitions it has reviewed this year and last year.

Story continues

Zielinski said that both Anthem and Cigna had provided antitrust regulators with 30 to 50 national customers to contact. National hospitals and doctors groups have spoken out against the deal, saying it would hurt Americans.

Zielinski also told investors on Tuesday that he was considering several different ways that he could meet any conditions regulators might set. He did not provide details on those alternatives, but said that there were interested buyers for assets if sales were required.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Andrew Hay)
Anthem (ANTM) CEO Joseph Swedish denies reports his firm and Cigna (CI) have been at loggerheads in their attempt to gain approval from the Department of Justice for their $54 billion merger.

"The reality is the process is working very well," Swedish said, speaking at a panel at the UBS Global Healthcare conference in New York City. "The two teams are working extremely well together. We're meeting deadlines on all the submittals."



On Sunday, a report in The Wall Street Journal said a series of letters showed the Cigna and Anthem officials are squabbling and accusing each other of missing deadlines on DOJ requests for documents.

An earlier report in the New York Post suggested regulators were not convinced the companies had made a strong enough case that the $2 billion in savings achieved through the merger would actually benefit consumers. That report cited unnamed DOJ officials.



"I think we will get a determination from the DOJ in the not too distant future," Swedish said, expressing confidence the deal will be approved.



Hospitals and doctors' groups have opposed megainsurance mergers, and have been particularly vocal about the Anthem-Cigna deal because Anthem is already the nation's largest Blue Cross operator and the deal could increase the Blue Cross network's dominance.

Others have raised concerns that the combination of the two companies will reduce competition and result in higher prices in the national market for employer-based insurance.

"I still feel very comfortable that we'll be able to demonstrate that there is not a national market for national accounts," Anthem general counsel Tom Zielinski said at the UBS panel.

He added that the deal wouldn't be scuttled if the company were required to make divestitures.

"If I have to get there, I do believe there are ways that we could construct a remediation plan ... that the DOJ would be comfortable with," Zielinski said.

Anthem and Cigna's march toward a merger has been contentious from the beginning. Nearly a year ago, Cigna laid bare the conflicts that arose in their negotiations, saying the complexities of the deal would make it hard to win regulatory approval. Anthem later disclosed that one of the biggest points of contention was who would lead the combined company; Cigna CEO David Cordani wanted assurances that he would succeed Swedish as chief executive.



Story continues

Centene (CNC) CEO Michael Neidorff said he expects Swedish and Cordani to find a way to resolve their differences as they had previously in order to reach their merger agreement.



"They're both smart people and I think as they move through this, they'll work it out and they'll able to structure the deal," Neidorff said in an interview at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference. "At some point, cool minds have to prevail."



Stifel analyst Thomas Carroll said he expects Centene and its Medicaid-focused rivals Molina Health (MOH) and Wellcare (WCG) could become attractive acquisition targets for Anthem and Cigna if their own deal falls apart.



"Both Anthem and Cigna would likely rethink their product portfolios as they look to maintain relevance in the market and with investors," Carroll wrote in a research note.

Neidorff said he's more interested in being an acquirer and growing the company's footprint.



"It's something we haven't thought about," he said. "I'm more concerned with delivering earnings and growth to our shareholders, and it's pretty hard to match our growth."

Correction: An earlier version of this story attributed certain remarks to Anthem's chief financial officer. The comments were made by the firm's chief legal counsel Tom Zielinski.







More From CNBC


Associated Press

An Ohio man convicted of shooting five of eight family members killed in a 2016 massacre testified Monday he had no choice but to kill the mother of his child. Jake Wagner pleaded guilty last year to shooting the five victims, an attack that investigators said resulted from a custody dispute between two families. As part of his plea deal, Jake Wagner had agreed to testify against his older brother, George Wagner IV, in exchange for being spared the death penalty.
jeff Williams

Apple wants to hire a high-level lawyer who specializes in health privacy regulations, the latest sign of the iPhone maker's growing ambitions in the healthcare market.

In a job posting on Monday, Apple seeks a "privacy counsel" focused on "HIPAA, Health" who can work with the company's engineering teams as well as advise on privacy aspects of acquisitions.

HIPAA is a set of U.S. laws that govern how health information is stored and transferred, and is something every medical technology company that deals with private patient information must take into account.

HIPAA compliance is difficult, and Apple has until now pushed most of the responsibility to third-party app developers, even as its released health-focused software. But the listing for a HIPAA specialist indicates that Apple might be looking to expand further into medical technology in a way that means it's handling sensitive medical data.

Privacy by design

According to the listing, Apple is looking to fill a senior position. It wants someone with 5-9 years experience "at a top-tier law firm or business" along with outstanding academic credentials and health privacy expertise as well as professional certifications related to information privacy.

The person hired for the job will work on "privacy by design reviews and projects," will assist with "privacy complaints and breaches," and will "advise on the privacy aspects of licensing and procurement deals and corporate acquisitions."

Apple's products increasingly overlap into the health area. Its year-old Apple Watch is capable of monitoring a user's heart rate and other physical traits.

Earlier this year, Apple introduced CareKit, which allows developers to build apps for iPhones and Apple Watches that can monitor biometric data and communicate with doctors. But Apple has been clear that its latest software doesn't trigger federal medical regulation, although CareKit developers might choose to use the tools to build apps that would be regulated.

Story continues

Whether Apple is a "covered entity" under HIPAA  meaning that it must be classified as a medical provider  has been the subject of considerable debate among healthcare professionals. Apple does not currently provide a HIPAA-compliant "backend" database for CareKit developers.

Apple did not immediately return requests for comment.

The next frontier: Medicine

The possibility that Apple might push into medicine has certainly energized digital health professionals, who are excited about what Apple might do next.

Right now, Apple is working on "care delivery and coordination," Ahmed Albaiti, CEO of digital health consultancy Medullan, told Business Insider. Eventually, he believes Apple is working up to supporting apps that might diagnose a condition or apply therapeutics.

"In the development of digital health you've got your ResearchKit, you've got your CareKit which has the basics and the fundamentals of a winning formula, and the real coup de grace is yet to come," Albaiti said.

"How much money do you want to put down on a 'MedicalKit'?" he joked.

"Apple has done so much in the healthcare space compared to the other platforms. They've totally thought of it from a data and security and privacy standpoint and also thought about it from a regulatory standpoint and an ecosystem-building standpoint," Julia Hu, CEO of health app Lark, told Business Insider. "I'm excited that HealthKit is more healthcare based."

Blogger Neil Cybart recently wrote that Apple is on track to spend more than $10 billion on research and development this year. It's safe to say that a good proportion of that R&D money is going to Apple's scores of medical professionals and its research labs staffed with certified nurses.

The holy grail

Tim Cook Startup Fest

The HIPAA counsel job listing was posted a day before Apple CEO Tim Cook made some of the most revealing comments yet about Apple's health ambitions at a conference in Amsterdam.

"If you look at some of the things that do not drive revenue, but have massive interest in them from our teams, health is very much one of those," Cook said. "We've done some things with the Apple Watch to encourage activity, but we've also gotten interested in research, and launched ResearchKit."

"We believe that health is something that is a huge problem in the world, and we think it is ripe for simplicity and a new view, and we'd like to contribute to that," Cook added.

Ultimately, he offered a view of the Apple Watch as a less of a smartwatch and more of a sensor-packed medical device.

"One day, this is my prediction, we will look back and we will wonder: how can I ever have gone without the Watch? Because the holy grail of the watch is being able to monitor more and more of what's going on in the body," Cook said.

NOW WATCH: Uber is making customers pay for having drivers wait





More From Business Insider


PARIS (Reuters) - French state-controlled nuclear group Areva said on Tuesday that talks with its Finnish customer TVO about the long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 reactor were "difficult".

Areva and Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) are claiming billions of euros from one another because of delays and cost overruns on the EPR reactor that Areva is building in Olkiluoto, Finland.

"The discussions with TVO are difficult, but the door remains open. Our priority remains the successful completion of OL3," an Areva spokeswoman said.

French daily Le Monde reported on Tuesday that the Areva-TVO talks had broken down in recent weeks.

The two parties have taken their dispute to the International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) arbitration court which is expected to take years to resolve.

But the French government early this year had asked Areva to speed up the talks as the issue is blocking a planned takeover of Areva's nuclear reactor division by utility EDF, which does not does not want to take on any Olkiluoto-related liabilities.

Earlier this month, Areva chief executive Philippe Knoche told a French parliament committee that talks with TVO were progressing but had not been conclusive.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Laurence Frost and Jane Merriman)
Buenos Aires (AFP) - An Argentine court jailed two former top security officials for the deaths of five demonstrators in a 2001 crackdown on protests that brought down then president Fernando de la Rua.

De la Rua was forced to resign and flee the presidential palace at the height of a raging economic crisis that triggered riots in the streets after his government slashed Argentines' salaries and froze their bank deposits.

The court ruled that former security secretary Enrique Mathov and former federal police chief Ruben Santos were responsible for the deaths of protesters killed when police opened fire on a crowd outside the presidential palace.

Mathov was sentenced to four years and nine months for culpable homicide and culpable injuries and banned from public office for nine and a half years.

Santos was sentenced to four years. Two former police chiefs and four police officers were given sentences ranging from three to three and a half years.

The sentences can be appealed.

The violent police response to the protests that swept Argentina on December 19 and 20, 2001, left some 30 people dead nationwide.

Police outside the presidential palace opened fire on a crowd of thousands, killing five and wounding some 100.

De la Rua, who resigned on December 20 and fled aboard a helicopter, was cleared of responsibility for the protesters' deaths in 2010.
Pop songstress Ariana Grande has unleashed a new music video for her latest single "Into You" taken from her third album "Dangerous Woman", which was released last week.

The clip of just over four minutes opens with Grande traveling through the desert with a man, played by Don Benjamin of "America's Next Top Model" fame, with the video coming to an end in a Hollywood scenario which reveals that the man is actually her bodyguard.

Commenting on the clip, Grande said the story is about "love ... and life" as well as "how the little things are so much more important than the bougie facade" (via RollingStone)

Watch "Into You" here: https://youtu.be/1ekZEVeXwek
Ariana Grande is battling it out with Richard Ashcroft in a tight race for the U.K. albums chart crown. Grande's third album Dangerous Woman (Republic) is at No. 1 on the midweek chart, just 100 sales ahead of Ashcroft's These People (Righteous Phonographic), the former Verve frontman's fifth studio album and his first solo collection since 2010's United Nations Of Sound.

Grande has never tasted life at the summit of the Official U.K. Albums Chart. Her debut Yours Truly reached No. 7 in 2013 and its followup, My Everything, peaked at No. 3 in 2014. Grande's new album should get a nudge along with the release overnight of the official clip for her latest single, "Into You".

Drake Scores Double No. 1s Again on U.K. Charts With 'Views' and 'One Dance'

Meanwhile, Beyonce's Lemonade (Columbia/Parkwood Ent) drops 2-3 on the Chart Update, Drake's Views (Island) falls 1-4, and Bob Dylan starts at No. 5 with Fallen Angels (Columbia), his 37th studio album.

Eric Clapton's 23rd studio album I Still Do (Polydor) is close behind at No. 6 on the midweek chart, while a remastered version of the David Bowie compilation Changesonebowie (Parlophone) begins at No. 11.

The jostling for singles chart supremacy is just as heated with Drake's "One Dance" (Cash Money/Republic Records) leading Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop The Feeling" (RCA) by just 614 chart sales at the halfway point.

"One Dance" last week locked-in a sixth week at No. 1, making it the longest stint at the summit for a single since Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk".

Adele, Sam Smith & Ed Sheeran Help U.K. Achieve Record Global Market Share

The top 5 on the Chart Update is rounded out by Calvin Harris and Rihanna's "This Is What You Came For" (Columbia) at No. 3, Sia's "Cheap Thrills" (Monkey Puzzle/RCA) at No. 4 and Galantis' "No Money" (Atlantic) at No. 5.

The new Official U.K. Charts will be published late Friday local time.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / ATA Inc. ("ATA" or the "Company"), (ATAI), a leading provider of advanced testing technologies and testing-related services in China, today announced that the Company is scheduled to present at the 6th annual LD Micro Invitational in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 7 at 9:30 AM PDT / 12:30 PM EDT. Management will also be participating in one-on-one meetings with investors at the event from June 7-8.



The conference will be held at the Luxe Sunset Bel Air Hotel and will feature 195 companies in the small / micro-cap space.

View ATA's profile here: http://www.ldmicro.com/profile/ATAI

Profiles powered by LD Micro - News Compliments of Accesswire

About ATA Inc.

ATA is a leading provider of advanced testing technologies in China. The Company offers comprehensive services for the creation and delivery of assessments based on its proprietary testing technologies and test delivery platform. ATA's testing technologies are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology services, banking, teaching, asset management, insurance, and accounting. As of December 31, 2015, ATA's test center network comprised 3,250 authorized test centers located throughout China. The Company believes it has the largest test center network of any commercial testing service provider in China.

ATA has delivered more than 75.4 million billable tests since ATA started operations in 1999. For more information, please visit ATA's website at http://www.atai.net.cn/.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe.



For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com for more information.

Story continues

Contact:

At the Company

ATA Inc.

Lucy Ma, Senior Associate

+86 10 6518 1122 x5517

maxiaopeng@atai.net.cn

Investor Relations

The Equity Group Inc.

Carolyne Y. Sohn, Senior Associate

415-568-2255

+86 10 6587 6435

csohn@equityny.com

Adam Prior, Senior Vice President

212-836-9606

aprior@equityny.com

SOURCE: ATA Inc. via LD Micro
LONDON (Reuters) - Auctioneer Christie's has been fined 3,250 pounds ($4,750) for selling elephant ivory without the correct documentation, London police said on Tuesday. Last month, Christie's offered for sale an ivory tusk mounted on silver with a guide price of 1,200 to 1,800 pounds, a police statement said. At Hammersmith magistrates' court this week it admitted selling elephant ivory in contravention of Article 8 of Council Regulation, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The 63-year-old owner of the piece of unworked ivory has been charged with offering it for sale, the police statement added. "The tusk in this case was mounted on silver but was basically a raw, unmodified elephant tusk and therefore should not have been offered for sale without the correct documentation," said Constable Rowena Roberts, wildlife officer for Kensington and Chelsea borough in London. "These laws were established to protect the world's remaining elephants," she added. Christie's said in a statement that this was an isolated incident. "We believe that the honorable response was to accept the charge as made. "Christie's unequivocally condemns the slaughter of elephants for illegal ivory and will not sell modern ivory, or unworked tusks of any age." Christie's is owned by French retail magnate Francois Pinault's holding company Artemis SA. (Reporting by Stephen Addison; editing by Kate Holton)
Melbourne (AFP) - An Australian state on Tuesday formally apologised for "shameful" historical laws that saw people jailed for being gay, admitting the "state-sanctioned homophobia" ruined lives.

Until 1981 in Victoria state, thousands of gay men were convicted and even imprisoned for up to 15 years for offences ranging from buggery and loitering for homosexual purposes to indecency.

Activists said that in some cases, individuals who would today be treated as victims of sexual abuse, were instead charged.

"To our knowledge, no jurisdiction in the world has ever offered a full and formal apology for laws like these," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told state parliament in Melbourne, as the rainbow flag flew over the building.

"So please, let these words rest forever in our records. On behalf of the parliament, the government and the people of Victoria, for the laws we passed and the lives we ruined, and the standards we set, we are so sorry. Humbly, deeply sorry."

Being gay is no longer illegal anywhere in Australia. South Australia state was the first to decriminalise male homosexuality in 1975, with Tasmania the last in 1997.

Victoria is the first to apologise, with survivors able to apply to have their convictions quashed.

"This won't erase the injustice, but it is an accurate statement of what I believe today -- that these convictions should never have happened," added Andrews, who described the laws as "nothing less than official state-sanctioned homophobia".

Rights groups applauded the formal apology.

"This apology is a powerful symbolic act that helps to repair the harm caused by these unjust laws and affirms the value of gay, lesbian and bisexual people's sexuality," said the Human Rights Law Centre's director of advocacy, Anna Brown.

"It's extremely pleasing to see the Victorian government showing leadership on this issue."

Story continues

Prominent indigenous Australian Noel Tovey, who was convicted of buggery nearly 60 years ago at the age of 17 years, said he felt relieved.

"It's good to know at the age of 83 that I am no longer a criminal in the eyes of the law and society," he said. "The apology ... is really about the young gay men and women of today."

Sean Mulcahy, co-convenor of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, called Andrews' statement "a symbol of how far we have come".

"Now we live in a state that embraces the diverse sexual orientations and gender identities that make up our community," he said.
An Ohio mom has been arrested after police say she drunkenly crashed her car with her 4-month-old inside.

Ohio State Highway Patrol says Brandy Wilson, 35, can be heard in dashcam footage repeatedly asking troopers where her son is at the time of her arrest on May 17.

The boy, police say, was in his car seat hanging upside down in Wilson's car, which had burst into flames.

Read: Amish Teens Arrested in DUI Stop After Driving 110 MPH in Minivan: Cops

Trooper Sean Eitel of the Ohio State Highway Patrol told WCMH he spotted a car swerving in Granville, about 30 miles outside Columbus, at about 9:30 p.m.

Her vehicle was so out of control, it was like it was just a pinball, Eitel said.

In disturbing dashcam footage, the car hits a curb then a pole before overturning and bursting into flames.

According to the OSHP, Eitel jumped from his cruiser, extinguished the fire and pulled out the unharmed baby.

"He was upside down in his car seat, held by the car seat belt, Eitel said.

Watch: Abby Wambach Gets Mocked By U.S. Men's Soccer Team After DUI Arrest

The footage shows a woman identified as Wilson as she's unable to walk to the patrol car without help.

Neither WIlson nor her baby were injured.

Wilson was arrested for suspicion of DUI and other charges. She was not given a field sobriety test.

According to court records, Wilson was released on her own recognizance on Wednesday and has pleaded not guilty to charges that include child endangerment and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, The AP reported.

Watch: Abby Wambach Gets Mocked By U.S. Men's Soccer Team After DUI Arrest

Related Articles:
We have issued an updated research report on Ball Corporation BLL on May 23, 2016. The company will benefit from focus on successfully executing its capital projects. It will also gain from increasing EVA dollar generation, along with focus on cost optimization and acquisitions. However, currency translation effects, tough comparisons and aluminum exposure remain headwinds for the company.



Notably, the company expects to benefit from increasing EVA dollar generation and multiple growth capital projects ramping up in the remainder of 2016 and beyond. Its businesses will gain momentum through the balance of this year as the growth capital deployed in 2015 transitions into full production.



During the first quarter of 2016, Ball Corporation began production on one of the new beverage can lines and multiple end lines at its Monterrey, Mexico facility, with a second beverage can line scheduled to start up in mid 2016. Further, the addition of new customers at the new aluminum impact extruded aerosol facility in India; increasing efficiency in its new contour bottle line at Conroe, TX, and new tin plate aerosol technology in Chestnut Hill, TN, will also drive growth.



Additionally, Ball Corporation made notable progress with respect to strategic acquisitions. In Jan 2016, its Aerospace and technologies business acquired Wavefront Technologies. The company will leverage its existing hardware capabilities to complement this acquisition. Last year, the company acquired Sonocos metal end and closure manufacturing facilities in Canton, OH, and entered into a long-term supply agreement with Sonoco. Further acquisitions will aid Ball Corporations business growth.



Moreover, the company continues to execute a disciplined cost control growth equation, with cost-out initiatives like the announced closure of its Weirton, WV steel food and household metal service center, which is expected to cease production in early 2017. In addition, incremental investments will support continued metal aerosol growth and production efficiencies initiatives in Europe and India.



However, Ball Corporations first-quarter results were unfavorably impacted by the economic hedges to reduce currency exchange-rate exposure associated with the proposed acquisition of Rexam. In connection with this, the company entered into collar and option contracts to partially mitigate its currency exchange rate risk from Feb 19, 2015, through the expected closing date of the acquisition. Thus, changes in the U.S. dollar to British pound exchange rate pose a concern for the company.



Again, Ball Corporations first-quarter earnings were impacted by competitive pricing in China, tough year-over-year comparisons in metal food packaging and start-up costs for growth projects. These factors will remain headwinds for the companys performance.



At present, Ball Corporation carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



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Some better-ranked stocks in the sector include Crown Holdings Inc. CCK, Avery Dennison Corporation AVY and Altra Industrial Motion Corp. AIMC. Each of these stocks carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



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LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England would not seek to counter moves in sterling's exchange rate if Britain votes to leave the European Union in a referendum next month, Governor Mark Carney said on Tuesday.

"(You) would not expect the Bank to stand in the way of necessary adjustment in the exchange rate..." Carney told members of parliament.

"It would be inconsistent as well to use the exchange rate for competitive purposes or other reasons that would be inconsistent with our G7 commitments."

The BoE has said it expects sterling to fall if the country votes to leave the EU on June 23.

Carney said the BoE would take all necessary steps to ensure markets function in an orderly way in the event of a vote to leave the EU. Such a response would be mainly through extra liquidity operations which it announced in March, he said.

(Reporting by Andy Bruce; editing by William Schomberg)
May 24 (Reuters) - Barington Capital said on Tuesday it nominated two directors to the board of Chico's FAS Inc, launching a proxy fight over expenses at the women's apparel retailer.

Barington, which owns about 1.4 percent of Chico's FAS, said the company "should reduce its substantial corporate overhead and significantly decrease its advertising and other SG&A expenses."

The activist investor has nominated its Chairman and Chief Executive James Mitarotonda and industry veteran Janet Grove, who served as vice chairman of department store operator Macy's Inc from 2003 to 2011.

If Barington and Chico's FAS cannot reach an agreement on the nominations before an annual meeting on July 21, the fate of the nominees will go to a shareholder vote.

Barington said that if the company was "more effectively managed" and expenses were reduced to levels comparable to its peers, Chico's could more than double its earnings per share in three years.

The Wall Street Journal reported news of the proxy fight on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

(Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian)
(Adds details, background, quote)

By Michael Flaherty

NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) - Chico's FAS Inc is headed for a proxy fight with shareholder Barington Capital, as the women's apparel retailer resists the activist hedge fund's push to put two nominees on the company's board.

Barington nominated its chairman and chief executive, James Mitarotonda, and industry veteran Janet Grove, who served as vice chairman of department store operator Macy's Inc from 2003 to 2011, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Chico's quickly followed by saying it would nominate Bonnie Brooks, vice chairman of Hudson's Bay Co, and Bill Simon, the former president and chief executive of Walmart U.S. , to run for election to its nine-member board. Two of Chico's existing directors will step down this year, the company said.

Chico's said members of its board reviewed Barington's nominees and spoke to them directly, but decided in the end that Brooks and Simon "have the most current and relevant skill sets and experience." Simon and Chico's CEO Shelley Broader both worked at Wal-Mart during the same period, starting in 2010.

Broader became CEO in December and soon launched a turnaround effort, which included plans to close 170-175 stores through 2017.

Despite the company's moves to refresh the board and reduce costs, Barington is pressing ahead with its proxy fight.

Barington, which owns 1.4 percent of the company, said that Chico's shares are down 77 percent from its all-time high in 2006 and that it has significantly underperformed its peers. The New York-based hedge fund also said its concerned about Chico's high headquarter and advertising expenses.

Unlike other activist campaigns that push for the return of cash to shareholders, an outright sale or management team changes, Barington is mainly targeting the underperformance and expense concerns for now.

BOUTIQUE

Chico's was founded in 1983 as a boutique selling Mexican folk art and cotton sweaters from a store on Florida's Sanibel Island. The company, with a market worth of about $1.5 billion, caters to women 35 years and older.

Story continues

If Barington and Chico's FAS cannot reach an agreement on the nominations before an annual meeting on July 21, the fate of the nominees will go to a shareholder vote.

Chico's stock has fallen around 40 percent since last May. Shares of its competitor, Ascena Retail Group, have fared even worse, down by more than half from a year ago.

Chico stock was selling at $10.93 a share, up 0.28 percent, on the New York Stock Exchange late on Tuesday morning.

(Additional reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian and Jonathan Oatis)
Frankfurt (AFP) - A proposed tie-up between Bayer and Monsanto may still face numerous hurdles but it has already inflamed opinion in Germany where most people oppose genetically modified foods.

German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer, a household name thanks to its painkiller Aspirin, said this week that it is offering $122 per share in cash for Monsanto, or $62 billion (55 billion euros) in all.

It would be the biggest takeover by a German group of a foreign company and would create a new world leader in seeds, pesticides and genetically modified (GM) crops.

But the US agrochemical giant, Monsanto, already under fire in Europe over the possible health risks connected to its pesticide glyphosate, has long been a red rag to environment groups worldwide because of its work in altering the genetic make-up of crops to make them more resistant to disease.

"Monsanto couldn't be more unpopular in Germany," said Anne Isakowitsch, a Berlin-based activist for the environmentalist campaign group, Sum of Us, who has launched a petition against the tie-up.

A combination of the two groups would be "disastrous and diabolical," she told AFP.

"The biggest fear is that Bayer is seeking to buy Monsanto to inundate the European market with GM crops."

Isakowitsch is not alone in expressing such concerns.

- New lobbying heavyweight -

A study published by the Environment Ministry in April estimated that 76 percent of Germans feel that the ban on GM crops is justified.

Individual members of the Social Democrat, or SPD party, junior partner in the ruling coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel, are critical of the tie-up.

"I am very, very critical about the deal. Monsanto has an extremely bad reputation in Germany in the area of genetics," said Elvira Drobinski-Weiss, who is in charge of GM issues within the SPD.

Opposition is so deeply ingrained that BASF, Germany's other agrochemicals giant, moved its GM research activities to the US in 2012 and halted development of GM seeds for the European market.

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The prospect of a tie-up between Bayer and Monsanto is therefore likely to rekindle the whole GM debate in Germany, observers said.

"I hope it will," said Drobinski-Weiss, who wants to harness the debate to campaign for a nationwide ban on GM crops in Germany. Currently, it is up to each regional state to ban them.

The new giant "would have enormous lobbying power on both sides of the Atlantic," said Marco Contiero, policy advisor for agriculture and genetic engineering at Greenpeace.

Bayer is already under fire from environmental activists for manufacturing pesticides that are blamed for the decline in the world's bee populations.

- 'Wrong signal' -

The European Union has placed a moratorium on sales of those chemicals, which are classed as neonicotinoids, since the end of 2013.

But Bayer is contesting the ban.

Its chief executive Werner Baumann conceded that the company would have to "decisively address the point of reputation and challenges of Monsanto in Europe", insisting that "our brand stands for responsibility, transparency and openness".

Critics also argue that a marriage between Bayer and Monsanto would give the two dangerous dominance in the world's agriculture sector, which is already undergoing a wave of consolidation.

US groups Dow Chemical and Dupont are planning to tie the knot, China's ChemChina is taking over Swiss player Syngenta.

And a combined Bayer and Monsanto would be the world leader in seeds and pesticides with market shares of 29 percent and 24 percent respectively, according to Greenpeace.

The new entity "will decide what consumers can have on their table," because it would be in a position to dictate to farmers "what to plant and how to grow it," said Greenpeace's Contiero.

Bayer's plan to take over Monsanto "sends the wrong signal for Germany and protection of the environment," said Renate Kuenast, member of the environmentalist Green party and a former agriculture minister.

Bayer "is going in the opposite direction to current global discussion," she told AFP.

The EU last week failed to agree on the re-approval of the glyphosate weedkiller in Europe amid fresh fears the product could cause cancer.

Monsanto markets glyphosate under the brand name Roundup. And Kuenast suggested that if the product becomes a Bayer brand, German politicians could even be persuaded to drop their opposition to it.
Beijing Capital International Airport has opened a security line for women only.

After conducting a trial run earlier this year, the airport hub has officially opened the Female Only security line, identified by bright pink signs in Chinese and English, reports The New York Times.

The move is meant to make female travelers more comfortable and eliminate contact with male security staff who may have to frisk or pat them down, reports People's Daily, the state-run media.

All security personnel are also women.

The newly-opened service is expected to help speed up security checks by 10 percent compared to regular lines.

The logic? Fewer women to slow down the line with bags filled with cosmetics and liquids that need to be inspected.

The female-only security lines are being put in place at T1, T2 and T3.

It's the latest example of sex-segregated travel to emerge.

Last month, the city of Zhengzhou introduced a women-only bus during rush hour to spare women from being harassed or groped by male passengers.

An American entrepreneur is working on a ride-sharing scheme SafeHer, described as Uber for Women that would hire only female drivers for female passengers out of Massachusetts.

Citing security reasons, a private train operator in Germany launched a women-only car for its Leipzig and Chemnitz route in March.

And Australia is also considering opening an all-female pink' carriage with distress buttons and security checks to ward off rising crime rates against women.
Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign requested a recanvass of the May 17 Kentucky Democratic primary results, the Associated Press reported Tuesday, asking Kentucky election officials to review the state's primary results in which the Vermont senator apparently lost to Hillary Clinton by less than one half of 1%.

Clinton's 1,924-vote victory in Kentucky allowed her to garner one more pledged delegate than Sanders, bringing her total pledged delegate lead to 274  a nearly insurmountable hurdle as the primary contest enters the final stage.

Clinton's delegate lead would make an unlikely flip of the Kentucky primary into Sanders' column a moral victory, rather than a game-changing one.

@BernieSanders's campaign is doing a recanvass over 1 pledged delegate. Here's where the delegate total standspic.twitter.com/lsb2oWpMVe https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjPGP0IUgAAg61c.jpg:large

"He's in this until every last vote is counted and he's fighting for every last delegate," Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs told the Associated Press.

Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Clinton backer, tweeted Sanders' letter requesting a recanvass.

We have received a request from @BernieSanders for recanvass of the vote totals in May 17 Dem presidential primary.pic.twitter.com/eDKhpHn8iK https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjPKqRzUgAAHgC4.jpg:large

A recanvass merely requires election officials to add up the reported results from across the state, rather than recount each ballot.

A recanvass in KY is not a recount but a review of the voting totals. Sanders trails Clinton in KY by less than 1/2 of 1 pct.

Sanders' campaign could also request a recount of the results, in which each ballot is recounted. But that would come with a hefty price tag for his campaign, which would be responsible for shouldering the costs.
Bernie Sanders is standing by his warning that this summer's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia could get "messy" after some interpreted his comments as a suggestion of violence on the part of his supporters.



Clarifying the remarks he made in an earlier interview with The Associated Press, the Democratic hopeful said on the Today show Tuesday, "The media often takes words out of context. The context of that was that democracy is messy. That people will have vigorous debate on the issues."



"That's what democracy is about," he added.



Sanders raised some eyebrows when he told The AP in an interview published Tuesday morning: "I think if they [the Democratic Party] make the right choice and open the doors to working-class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, it's going to be messy. Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go."







Asked by The AP if the convention could be problematic, Sanders said: "So what? Democracy is messy. Every day my life is messy. But if you want everything to be quiet and orderly and allow, you know, just things to proceed without vigorous debate, that is not what democracy is about."



The Vermont senator, a self-described Democratic socialist, has come under fire recently for what some see as his failure to fully condemn the violence and death threats allegedly made by his supporters at the Nevada State Democratic Party Convention on May 14. Though he said in his interview with The AP that he will "condemn any and all forms of violence," some interpreted the senator's warning of a "messy" convention as "a subliminal message to his supporters to create chaos in Philadelphia," Politico reports.



Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver said Tuesday on CNN's New Day that the "messy" comment referred not to violence but only to votes on the floor of the Wells Fargo Center.



"Look, there's a process that goes on at the Democratic convention," Weaver said. "There's a committee process, and then if you don't prevail in the committee process you can go to the floor in many cases and have the delegates as a whole vote on your proposals, and that's just the way the process works. So I think  what the senator was referring to is, he intends to press his case for a progressive agenda within the Democratic Party, press his case for electoral reform bringing many more into the Democratic Party, makes the Democratic Party stronger and there's a process for doing that at the convention."





RELATED VIDEO: Why Did Bernie Sanders Wag His Finger at Hillary Clinton?





In his Today show interview Tuesday, Sanders also dismissed the suggestion that his continued presence in the race is damaging rival Hillary Clinton's chances of defeating presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.



"Well, I guess if we take your assumption and Clinton supporters' assumption to the logical conclusion, you know what we should do? We should go back to a monarchy, and not have any elections at all," Sanders said.



And at a rally in Santa Monica, California, Monday night, Sanders blasted Clinton for backing out of a scheduled debate with him before the state's Democratic primary on June 7.



"Our campaign and her campaign had reached an agreement on a number of debates including one here in California in May," Sanders told supporters. "I gotta tell you this. I think it is a little bit insulting to the people of California, our largest state, that she is not prepared to have a discussion with me about how she will help the Californians address the major crises we face."



Clinton, who has largely turned her focus to Trump in recent weeks, issued a statement Monday declining to participate in the debate that was set to take place two weeks before the California primary.



"We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands," Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's communications director, said in a statement.
Bernie Sanders is warning that the Democratic National Convention could get "messy" this summer, as the Vermont senator and his supporters attempt to make the party's platform more progressive.

"I think if they make the right choice and open the doors to working-class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, it's going to be messy," Sanders told the Associated Press in an interview published Monday night. "Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle, but that is where the Democratic Party should go."



Sanders added that he would "condemn any and all forms of violence," but expressed no remorse if the party's meeting to certify the Democratic presidential nominee does get messy.

"So what?" Sanders told the AP. "Democracy is messy. Everyday my life is messy. But if you want everything to be quiet and orderly and allow, you know, just things to proceed without vigorous debate, that is not what democracy is about."

On Tuesday morning, Sanders went on to clarify his comments about the "messy" convention, saying his definition of "messy" was misconstrued.

"The media takes words out of context ... the context of that is democracy is messy. That people will have a vigorous debate on the issues," Sanders said on NBC's Today.

@BernieSanders on 'messy' convention remark: 'The media takes words out of context' http://on.today.com/1OTIn1s pic.twitter.com/0ivusCZIWL https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjODkb4VEAAERZy.jpg:large

Democratic officials have expressed concern over possible chaos at the DNC after an incident at a Democratic convention in Nevada to certify the state's primary results. Sanders supporters got rowdy at that convention, allegedly throwing chairs and issuing threats to party officials.

Story continues

Some of egun to organize a protest outside of the convention in Philadelphia.

Barbara Boxer on Nevada convention: 'I feared for my safety' http://cnn.it/1TYZv1B pic.twitter.com/TKouyp56N4 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CiwI-lCUYAAFReL.jpg:large

And while it's unlikely Sanders will be the Democratic nominee  as Hillary Clinton is currently 90 delegates away from clinching the nomination, according to the New York Times  the DNC has already begun to make concessions to Sanders.

On Monday, the DNC announced that Sanders' team got to appoint six of the 15 members of the committee that will draw the party's platform at the convention in Philadelphia  a rare concession the
(Updated with formal statement from Cosby lawyer) 3RD UPDATE, 9:59 AM: Bill Cosby will face a trial on criminal charges of allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004, Judge Elizabeth McHugh has just ruled. Cosby has waived a formal arraignment appearance so the process moves straight to a trial on three felony second-degree aggravated indecent assault charges  or a plea bargain.

Outside the Norristown, PA courthouse, Cosby lawyer Brian McMonagle called the ruling a travesty of justice. He went on to say that what the Montgomery County D.A.s office presented today was evidence of nothing. D.A. Kevin Steele says Constand will testify at the trial if necessary but her presence at the preliminary hearing today was not required.

A trial date is expected to be set by late July.

Tuesdays hearing lasted about four hours with several short breaks. The big question mark going forward, and you can be sure the subject of many, many motions from both sides, will be if others from the over 50 women who claim that Cosby assaulted them will be allowed to testify. Cosby has spent the past six months trying to get civil cases all over the country put on pause while the criminal charges matter moved forward or was dismissed -now that a trial is happening, many of those cases may come off the bench so to speak.

(Statement from Cosby attorney Brian McMonagle, 11:53 AM: Today, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 12 years after the alleged incident in question, the Commonwealth had an opportunity to put the complaining witness on the stand but refused. After hearing the weak, inconsistent and incredible evidence presented, it is clear why the prosecution did not allow its witness to speak and be confronted by the person she has accused. Instead, they chose to rely on an 11 year old hearsay statement from that witness, riddled with numerous corrections and inconsistencies.

Through the complainants own written statements, admitted in court, the fact of multiple consensual sexual interactions was established. As was the fact that the complainant communicated with, returned to the home of, had dinner with and gave gifts to Mr. Cosby after the alleged assault occurred. Mr. Cosby is not guilty of any crime and not one single fact presented by the Commonwealth rebuts this truth. Though the Court decided the government reached the low threshold required for todays preliminary hearing, we have no doubt this case ultimately will be resolved in Mr. Cosbys favor.)

Story continues

2ND UPDATE, 9:57 AM: After hearing from three witnesses this morning a preliminary hearing, Pennsylvania Magisterial District Justice Elizabeth McHugh is now deciding if the criminal case against Bill Cosby over the alleged 2004 rape of Andrea Constand will go forward or not based on the evidence. A ruling is expected very soon.

If the Norristown, PA judge says it will move forward, an arraignment hearing is the next step in the process followed by the setting of a trial date. If found guilty on the trio of felony second-degree aggravated indecent assault charges, the 78-year old Cosby be behind bars for up to 10 years.

UPDATE, 8:16 AM: Bill Cosbys lawyers went on the offensive fast at todays preliminary hearing in Pennsylvania on criminal charges that could see the 78-year old actor in jail for 10 years for an alleged 2004 sexual assault of Andrea Constand. At no point in time, Cosby attorney Brian McMonagle asked the Montgomery County Detective Bureaus Katharine Clark on Monday, did she ever tell Mr. Cosby no?  The implication is that the occurrence between Cosby and Constand was consensual, as the actor has insisted in recent years.

Clark told Judge Elizabeth A. McHughs Norristown, PA courtroom that Constand did not ever say no because she said she was paralyzed by drugs Cosby had given her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion on the day in question in January 2004.

The detective then read out the original statement that the then-Temple University employee had provided 12 years ago where Constand describes Cosby giving her pills and wine, and then she felt a sense of wooziness. Constand claims Cosby then sexually assaulted her and she was unable to tell him to stop.

I remember Mr. Cosby positioned himself behind me, Constand told investigators in her statement. I was unable to move my body. I was pretty much frozen I was unable to speak. I was, like, paralyzed.

The judge ruled that Constand herself does not testify in the preliminary hearing that could be the next step to a trial for Cosby. Instead, statements Constand gave to law enforcement can be read out in court by others on the witness stand.

Police Captain John Norris today read out a 2005 statement from Cosby where the actor told authorities he did not have any form of intercourse with Constand. Never asleep or awake, Cosby said.

A year after the allegedly assault, Constand reported the incident to police in Canada where she had moved back to. Canadian law enforcement passed details to the local police in Pennsylvania in early 2005, but then-D.A. Bruce Castor refused to prosecute based on what he has since said was a lack of evidence. Castor then pledged a no prosecution agreement for Cosby if the actor would waive his Fifth Amendment privileges in any civil case stemming from the matter. Constand filed a civil lawsuit against Cosby that was settled in 2006  though the actor now wants his money back after the current Montgomery County D.A. pressed criminal charges in late 2015.

The now-unsealed deposition Cosby gave in that civil case has revealed the actor did use prescription pills to intentionally drug women and teens for sex as well as making payments through his then-agents at William Morris to women hes been involved with  some of whom were sent over to him on set weekly by a modeling agency.

The preliminary hearing continues today.

PREVIOUS, 6;54 AM: After a last-ditch attempt to stymie todays preliminary hearing failed, Bill Cosby arrived in court just now have to face Pennsylvania prosecutors as they seek to move towards a trial on a trio of felony second-degree aggravated indecent assault charges that could land the 78-year-old behind bars for a decade. The proceedings before Judge Elizabeth A. McHugh are expected to last at least a day as the Montgomery County D.A.s office lays out evidence of Cosbys alleged 2004 drugging and rape of then-Temple University employee Andrea Constand.

Walking arm-in-arm with a bodyguard, Cosby arrived at the Montgomery County Courthouse about 15 minutes before the scheduled 9:30 AM ET start of the preliminary hearing, The actor appeared to be in better shape than his last court appearances back here in early February when he unsuccessfully tried to have the whole matter stopped based on a no-conviction promise from a former D.A. Today, Cosby wasnt noticeably limping, and smiled and waved at supporters as he entered the courthouse.

In Tuesdays hearing, the prosecutors will present their case that there is a probable cause that Cosby committed the crimes and hence the charges are justified. Witnesses may be called, including Cosby, who has to be in attendance under PA law, and Constand. The standard in such a preliminary hearing is lower that the notion of beyond a reasonable doubt and if the judge decides there is enough evidence for a jury, the next step is to set a formal arraignment date and then next a trial date. For the D.A.s office in matters such as this, the fine balance is to present just enough evidence to move the matter forward but not reveal all your cards to the defense.

Amidst all the claims and cases that Cosby is facing from over 50 women who say the actor assaulted them over the year, the PA case is the only criminal case at present. Then newly elected D.A. Kevin Steele laid the charges against Cosby right at the end of 2015 to beat the Keystone States 12-year statute of limitations for such crimes. Cosby was arraigned December 30 and released on $1 million bail without entering a plea. After the then D.A. declined to press criminal charges back in 2005, Constand and Cosby had come to a settlement in 2006 in a civil case  a settlement Cosby now wants back because he says Constand and her attorneys broke the confidentiality agreement of that deal. On May 13, Constands lawyers filed a motion to have Cosbys case against her, her mother, her 2005 attorneys and National Enquirer owner American Media dismissed.

A team of lawyers represents Cosby from L.A., D.C. and Philadelphia led by the actors main attorney Christopher Tayback of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.

Anna Orso & Chris Krewson contributed to this report

RelatedBill Cosby & Hugh Hefner Hit With Sexual Battery Suit Over 2008 Playboy Mansion Assault Claims

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Bill Cosby Again Denied Halt In Criminal Case Over 2004 Rape Claim; Expected In Court Tomorrow

Bill Cosby & Hugh Hefner Hit With Sexual Battery Suit Over 2008 Playboy Mansion Assault Claims

Bill Cosby Tries Again To Halt Criminal Case Over 2004 Rape Claim
Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby is back in court in Pennsylvania where prosecutors

will revisit his assault charges, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Cosby has been accused of  but hasn't admitted to  sexual assault and rape. Last month, Cosby's lawyers tried to have his criminal case dismissed on the grounds that he struck a non-prosecution agreement with a former Montgomery County district attorney 10 years ago. They failed.

Cosby has acknowledged that he obtained drugs to give to women he wanted to have sex with during the 1960s and '70s. Back when all of this was happening, so-called date-rape drugs didn't exist. There were no "roofies" (slang for Rohypnol), no "easy lay" (slang for GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyric acid), no Ketamine.

Yet Cosby acknowledged that he got seven prescriptions from a Los Angeles doctor for quaaludes, lab-produced pills that act to suppress the central nervous system, which slows heart rate and can make users feel relaxed or sedated.

The drugs, which soared in popularity in the '70s, were taken off the market in the US in 1983 because they were linked with a high risk of abuse.

Quaaludes' effects  which can include sleepiness and a sense of euphoria  are strikingly similar to those of modern date-rape drugs, including alcohol. (Booze is "the drug most commonly used to help commit sexual assault," according to the US Department of Health.)

A brief history of quaaludes

Quaaludes, or methaqualone, were first produced in labs in India in 1955; the scientists who made the drug were trying to find a cure for malaria. While the drug was ineffective against the disease, it appeared to work as a sedative. After the drug was patented in 1962, doctors in the UK began prescribing it to patients who had trouble sleeping; it started being widely used in the US in the '70s.

As early as the late 1960s, people at dance clubs were using quaaludes, known then as "disco biscuits." By the '80s, they were outlawed.

Story continues

Quaaludes and the brain

Like other drugs, quaaludes affect our brain chemistry by altering the levels of neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that pass along the signals that control our thinking and behavior.

Quaaludes are a type of sedative, which work in the brain by halting the functioning of our "excitatory" messengers, the ones that typically increase our energy levels, and boosting the activity of our "inhibitory" messengers, those that usually work to calm things down.

Jordan Belfort, the man who inspired the film "The Wolf of Wall Street," described his experience with the drug in his autobiography:

All at once a warm feeling came rising up my brain stem, as a pleasant tingling sensation went ricocheting through every molecule of my body. The phone receiver was still at my ear and I wanted to tell Bo to have Rocco come pick me up at the Brookville Country Club, but I couldn't get my lips to move. It was as if my brain was sending out signals but they were being intercepted  or scrambled. I felt paralyzed. And I felt wonderful. I stared at the shiny metal face of the pay phone and cocked my head to the side, trying to find my own reflection  How pretty the phone looked!  So shiny it was!

The key important inhibitory messenger that quaaludes act on is GABA, short for gamma-aminobutyric acid.

This action is why quaaludes make us drowsy and slow down our heart rate and breathing. It's also one of the reasons they're so dangerous  a quaalude overdose can result in coma or even death. If they're combined with another sedative like alcohol, they become far more dangerous, and much lower doses of the drug can kill.

NOW WATCH: Popular new drug flakka is causing hallucinations and violent outbursts across Florida





More From Business Insider


After strenuous efforts by his attorneys to get criminal charges against him dismissed, entertainer Bill Cosby heads to criminal court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on accusations of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple employee Andrea Constand in 2004.



He is facing three counts of aggravated indecent assault, each of which carry a prison sentence of up to ten years.



It is unlikely Constand will testify Tuesday. A detective can read her statement to authorities instead.





Bill Cosby Due in Court to Face Preliminary Hearing on Drugging and Sexual Assault Charges| True Crime, Real People Stories, Bill Cosby

Both sides were keeping mum about what's expected to happen at the hearing. Prosecutors only have to make a so-called prima facie case to send the case to trial. Cosby, who denies Constand's allegations as well as similar allegations from more than 50 women, could also decide to waive Tuesday's hearing.



"It's fairly easy to meet the burden of proof requirements to send the case to trial," former Montgomery County sex crimes prosecutor Rich DeSipio, who is now a Philadelphia criminal defense attorney, tells PEOPLE.



"They just have to have some evidence that Bill Cosby likely committed a crime that meets the elements of the Pennsylvania statute," he says. "It's a very low, low standard."



In previous statements to authorities and in depositions he gave for Constand's civil suit against him, which he settled in late 2006, Cosby, 78, insisted the sexual contact between the two was consensual.



Constand, who revealed she was gay in court filings last summer, says it was not and that she as in a relationship with a woman at the time.





Attempts by Cosby to Dismiss Case

In February 2005, then-Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. declined to file criminal charges against Cosby in Constand's case, citing "insufficient credible and admissible evidence."



After Steele charged Cosby in December, Cosby's attorneys filed a motion saying the case should be dismissed because Castor had an agreement with Cosby that he would never be prosecuted in her case if he cooperated with the civil suit Constand was expected to file against Cosby.



On Feb. 3, after a two-day hearing that included seven hours of testimony by Castor, Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill refused to dismiss the case. Cosby's attorneys have been unsuccessfully trying to overturn O'Neill's decision ever since. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected his most recent attempt Monday afternoon.





Cosby Deposition Compels Prosecution to Reopen Case

The case re-emerged in the public eye last summer after Cosby's deposition in Constand's case became public. In that deposition, Cosby admitted to giving women Quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with. Those revelations prompted the Montgomery County district attorney's office, by then led by a new prosecutor, to reopen Constand's case.



Here's what Cosby said in his 2005 and 2006 depositions, according to the Associated Press, which edited some of the exchanges between Cosby and Dolores Troiani, one of Constand's attorneys:





On Constand

Q. When did you first develop a romantic interest in Andrea?



A. Probably the first time I saw her (at Temple's arena).



"On the night in question:



Q: Can you tell me ... what you recall of the night in which you gave the pills to Andrea?



A: Andrea came to the house. I called her. ... We talked about Temple University. We talked about her position. And then I went upstairs and I got three pills. I brought them down. They are the equivalent of one and a half. The reason why I gave them and offered them to Andrea, which she took after examining them, was because she was talking about stress.



Cosby describes a several-minute sexual encounter that followed.



Q: So, you're not telling us that you verbally asked her for permission?



A: I didn't say it verbally, I said. The action is my hand on her midriff, which is skin. I'm not lifting any clothing up. This is, I don't remember fully what it is, but it's there and I can feel. I got her skin and it's just above the hand and it's just above where you can go under the pants.



Q: Then what happens?



A: I don't hear her say anything. And I don't feel her say anything. And so I continue and I go into the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection. I am not stopped.



Troiani asks Cosby about a phone call a year later between Cosby and Constand's mother, Gianna Constand, who told him something was wrong with her daughter, who was also on the line.



Q: What was the thing that you did not want to talk about?



A: I didn't want to talk about, "What did you give her?"



Q: Why?



A: Because we're over the telephone and I'm not sending anything (the pill bottle) over the mail and I'm not giving away anything.



Q: Why didn't you simply tell her ... that you had given her daughter an over-the-counter drug called Benadryl?



A: I'm not going to argue with somebody's mother who is accusing me of something. And then when I apologize she says to me, "That's all I wanted to know, Bill." ... And I'm apologizing because I'm thinking this is a dirty old man with a young girl. I apologized. I said to the mother it was digital penetration.



Q: When she sat here and cried (Constand, during her deposition), how did you feel?



A: I think Andrea is a liar and I know she's a liar because I was there.





On Quaaludes

Cosby testified that he had gotten quaaludes from his doctor in Los Angeles in the 1970s. He said he was given seven prescriptions for the now-banned sedative, ostensibly for a sore back.



Q: Why didn't you ever take the quaaludes?



A: Because I used them.



Q: For what?



A: The same as a person would say, "Have a drink."



Q: You gave them to other people?



A: Yes.



Q: Did you believe at that time that it was illegal for you to dispense those drugs?



A: Yes.



Q: How did (the doctor) know that you didn't plan to use (them)?



A: What was happening at that time was that, that was, quaaludes happen to be the drug that kids, young people were using to party with and there were times when I wanted to have them just in case.



Q: When you got the quaaludes, was it in your mind that you were going to use these quaaludes for young women that you wanted to have sex with?



A. Yes.



Cosby acknowledges having a sexual relationship with accuser Therese (Picking) Serignese starting around 1976, when she was 19. Serignese, who has gone public with her accusations, has said the first time she met Cosby at a Las Vegas hotel in 1976, he gave her quaaludes and a glass of water before they had sex.



Q: Did you give her quaaludes?



A: Yes.



Q: What effect did the quaaludes have on her?



A: She became in those days what was called high.



Q: She said that she believes she was not in the position to consent to intercourse after you gave her the drug. Do you believe that is correct?



A: I don't know. ... How many years ago are we talking about? 197(6)? ... I meet Ms. Picking in Las Vegas. She meets me backstage. I give her quaaludes. We then have sex.



Q: Why didn't you ever take them yourself?



A: I get sleepy.



Q: How would you know that if you never took them?



A: Quaaludes happen to be a depressant. I have had surgery and while being given pills that block the nervous system, in particular the areas of muscle, the back, I found that I get sleepy and I want to stay awake.
Bill Cosby will stand trial for an alleged 2004 sexual assault, a Pennsylvania judge ruled Tuesday.

The case in question involves an 11-year-old incident at Cosbys home in Cheltenham, Pa., where a woman named Andrea Constand says the former Cosby Show patriarch drugged and sexually assaulted her.

RELATEDThe Carmichael Shows Bill Cosby Debate: Does Talent Trump Morals?

Per the Associated Press, Cosby could get 10 years in prison if convicted of violating the accuser while she was impaired, unconscious or could not give consent.

In December, the comedian was charged with aggravated indecent assault, also known as felony sexual assault. Constand claims that Cosby pressured her to take three blue pills with wine, then took advantage of her on his couch.

Cosby maintains that the incident with Constand was consensual.

RELATEDCosby Show Legacy Kind of Tarnished By Bill Cosby Sex Scandal, Says EP

Constands is the only criminal case being brought against Cosby, though more than 50 women have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct over the past three decades, and various other lawsuits have been brought against him in other states. In February, a judge dismissed Cosbys claims that hed secured a deal rendering him immune from criminal charges in the Constand case. The comedian has been free on $1 million bail since his arrest.

Cosbys arraignment date is set for July 20.

Related stories

The Carmichael Show's Bill Cosby Debate: Does 'Talent Trump Morals'?

Bill Cosby Charged With Felony Sexual Assault Over 2004 Incident

Family Guy Recreates Cosby Show Intro 'Knowing What We Know Now'
Bill Cosby was ordered to stand trial in a criminal assault case on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

The charges stem from the accusations of former Temple University employee Andrea Constand, who alleges that the comedian drugged and assaulted her at his home.

During a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against the scandal-battered comedian on Tuesday, the court heard a statement from his accuser saying that the comedian had given her pills that incapacitated her.

Though Cosbys accuser, former Temple University employee Andrea Constand, was not present, the court heard a statement that Constand made to detectives in which she said that the comedian gave her three pills, which left her dizzy and her legs feeling like jelly, USA Today reports.

I told him, I cant even talk, Mr. Cosby. I started to panic, said Constands statement, read aloud in court by former Montgomery County detective Katherine Hart.

Also Read: Hugh Hefner Deposed in Bill Cosby Lawsuit

Cosby, 78, attended the hearing.

Constand alleges that the comedian drugged and assaulted her in 2004. Though Cosby and Constand later settled a lawsuit brought against her, the comedian was charged with aggravated indecent assault in December.

During Tuesdays hearing, the comedians attorney argued that he should be allowed to ask more questions about Constands statement, contending that, since Constand wasnt present to testify, he was left to rely on questions about the statement.

If not, this is a travesty of justice, Brian McMonagle said. I say that from my heart.

Also Read: Bill Cosby Heading to Court for Criminal Assault Case in May

Cosbys legal team had unsuccessfully attempted to get the criminal case against him dropped, in part because they said that former Montgomery County, Pennsylvania district attorney Bruce Castor said that he would not bring charges against the comedian.

Cosby has been accused of rape or sexual assault by dozens of women, many of whom claim that he drugged them beforehand. Cosby has denied the allegations.
REDWOOD CITY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / Biotricity, Inc. (OTCQB: BTCY), a healthcare technology company dedicated to delivering innovative, medically relevant biometric remote monitoring solutions, has been invited to present at the sixth annual LD Micro Invitational, being held June 7-9, 2016 at the Luxe Sunset Bel Air.

Waqaas Al-Siddiq, Co-founder and CEO of Biotricity will present on Tuesday, June 7 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time with 1x1 meetings held throughout the day. The conference will feature 195 companies in the small/micro-cap space and will be attended by investors, analysts and other influential members of the investment community.

Biotricity is focused on delivering ground-breaking, clinical-grade remote biometric monitoring solutions to the medical and consumer markets, including diagnostic and post-diagnostic solutions for chronic conditions and lifestyle improvement. The company's flagship product, which is currently in development, is a mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT) solution that is designed to enable physicians to remotely monitor and diagnose cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease by detecting arrhythmias.

For more information or to request an invitation to the event, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com for more information.

TWEET THIS: Med device provider @biotricity_inc invited to present at #LDMicroInvitational #wearables

View Biotricity's profile here: http://www.ldmicro.com/profile/BTCY

Profiles powered by LD Micro - News Compliments of Accesswire

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe.

Story continues

About Biotricity Inc.

Biotricity is a modern medical technology company focused on delivering innovative, remote biometric monitoring solutions to the medical and consumer markets, including diagnostic and post-diagnostic solutions for chronic conditions and lifestyle improvement. Biotricity's R&D continues to focus on the preventative healthcare market, with a vision of putting health management into the hands of the individual. The company aims to support the self-management of critical and chronic conditions with the use of innovative solutions to ease the growing burden on the healthcare system. To learn more, visit www.biotricity.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding (i) the plans and objectives of management for future operations, including plans or objectives relating to the design, development and commercialization of bioflux or any of the Company's other proposed products or services, (ii) a projection of income (including income/loss), earnings (including earnings/loss) per share, capital expenditures, dividends, capital structure or other financial items, (iii) the Company's future financial performance and (iv) the assumptions underlying or relating to any statement described in points (i), (ii) or (iii) above. Such forward-looking statements are not meant to predict or guarantee actual results, performance, events or circumstances and may not be realized because they are based upon the Company's current projections, plans, objectives, beliefs, expectations, estimates and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and other influences, many of which the Company has no control over. Actual results and the timing of certain events and circumstances may differ materially from those described by the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties. Factors that may influence or contribute to the inaccuracy of the forward-looking statements or cause actual results to differ materially from expected or desired results may include, without limitation, the Company's inability to obtain additional financing, the significant length of time and resources associated with the development of its products and related insufficient cash flows and resulting illiquidity, the Company's inability to expand the Company's business, significant government regulation of medical devices and the healthcare industry, lack of product diversification, existing or increased competition, results of arbitration and litigation, stock volatility and illiquidity, and the Company's failure to implement the Company's business plans or strategies. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in the Company's filings with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this release.

Media Contacts

McCoin & Smith Communications Inc. for Biotricity

Chris McCoin, Chris@mccoinsmith.com, 508-429-5988

Richard Smith, rick@mccoinsmith.com, 978-433-3304

Investor Relations:

Michael Koehler

Liolios Group, Inc.

BTCY@liolios.com

949-574-3860

SOURCE: Biotricity, Inc. via LD Micro
LeBron James finished an alley-oop over Bismack Biyombo early in the first quarter, and adjusted in midair for a breathtaking finish over the Toronto Raptors shot blocker a few moments later. Needless to say, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar was winning that individual battle in the first half  until this incredible play as the second quarter clock ticked below a minute.

One problem: The officials called a phantom foul. Ridiculous. Not that Biyombo will be too upset, though. The Raptors lead the Cavaliers by double-digits at intermission.
In what can be called as a major win for banks, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York dismissed the $1.27 billion penalty imposed on Bank of America Corporation BAC related to the sale of risky residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) by Countrywide Financial Corp. (acquired in 2008).



The three-judge panel found the evidences inadequate to hold the bank responsible for the fraud. The appeals court stated the evidence provided by the regulators only proved that underlying mortgages were of lower quality than promised in the agreements. However, they were not sufficient to to prove that Countrywide intended to do any fraudulent activity.

While giving its ruling, U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Wesley said, The trial evidence fails to demonstrate the contemporaneous fraudulent intent necessary to prove a scheme to defraud through contractual promises.



The Behind Story



The $1.27 billion fine was levied in Jul 2014 by the U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff, after a jury held BofA accountable for selling defective loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from Aug 2007May 2008 via Countrywide. The bank was accused of selling loans underlying these RMBS without properly assessing the creditworthiness of borrowers.



The Federal prosecutors indicted Countrywide for creating the program 'high-speed swim lane' or 'Hustle,' which rewarded employees for the quantity rather than quality of loans. These loans, worth approximately $2.96 billion, were bundled and sold off to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.



BofA was sued under the Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989. The act permits the government to pursue civil charges against any party for fraud that affects any federally insured financial institution. Moreover, it provides 10-year time limit to bring-in cases.



Moreover, a former Countrywide executive, Rebecca Mairone was found guilty of civil fraud. Mairone was ordered to pay $1 million for allegedly playing a lead role in the above-mentioned program. Notably, the fine imposed on her has also been revoked.



What Next?



The revocation of BofAs penalty is a huge setback for the U.S. prosecutors who have been trying hard to hold banks liable for the 2008 financial crisis. Notably, this is the second major legal setback for the government this year. In March, a federal judge had overturned the governments decision to enforce new regulatory oversight on MetLife Inc. MET after officials had deemed the insurer "too big to fail."



Further, the current ruling is likely to encourage other banks, who hasten to settle government cases, without contesting such litigations. Also, the decision is expected to affect the other remaining lawsuits/probes pertaining to similar allegations, including several foreign banks like Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC RBS and UBS Group AG UBS.



Nonetheless, the government may choose to appeal against the ruling to either the full appeals court or Supreme Court.



For BofA, the decision of overturning the penalty is a breather. Though the bank has been able to move past the legal hassles, huge penalties had significantly hampered its profitability.



Currently, BofA carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).



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By Jee Heun Kahng SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean author Han Kang, whose novel "The Vegetarian" had sold just 20,000 copies in her home country before it became a candidate for Britain's prestigious Man Booker International Prize, urged Koreans on Tuesday to read more. Han won the prize for fiction last week with the novel, a dark, surreal story about a woman who gives up eating meat and seeks to become a tree. "There are many writers whom I like and respect, who are quietly, silently writing in their rooms. I hope that you read them as well," the soft-spoken Han, 45, told a news conference, her first back home since winning the award in London. Han, a creative writing instructor in Seoul who shared the prize with the British woman who translated the book, Deborah Smith, has been catapulted to literary stardom with the win. While relatively few Korean novels have been big sellers overseas, the country's cultural exports, from music and movies to cosmetics and food, are creating a global buzz. "The Vegetarian" sold about 20,000 copies in Korean from its 2007 publication to early this year, before its inclusion on the long list for the Booker International Prize, awarded to a work of fiction translated into English and published in Britain. A total of 462,000 copies in Korean had been printed as of Tuesday, Changbi Publishers said. "I am overwhelmed. I had thought the previous 20,000 copies sold was good enough. I am thankful to everyone who is reading my books," said Han. In "The Vegetarian", Yeong-hye, a dutiful wife, rebels against societal norms after struggling with gruesome recurring nightmares. She forsakes meat and stirs worry in her family that she is mentally ill. Han comes from a literary family. Her father wrote the best-selling novel "Aje Aje Bara Aje", which was made into a movie. Her brother is also a novelist, and her husband is a literary critic. "I was raised enveloped in Korean literature. I read works from Korean and foreign writers, so I have affection as well as debt towards literature," she told the more than 100 journalists at a cafe in a Seoul district popular with students and artists. "I feel, and hope, that Korean pieces can be read widely. I feel that Korean literature is starting to become a trend, now is just the beginning." (Editing by Tony Munroe, Robert Birsel)
Brad Pitt Astrid Stawiarz Getty final

While taking a break from making his latest movie, "Allied," a World War II drama from director Robert Zemeckis ("The Walk") currently shooting in the Canary Islands, Brad Pitt helped a young girl who looked to be in danger among the crowd of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the actor.

In a video that shows what transpired, Pitt walked over  still in costume from the scene he shot  to wave at the crowd that was behind a fence. While waving and blowing kisses to the crowd, Pitt noticed that a young girl in the front was being pressed against the fence by the excited crowd.

A concerned Pitt walked up to the fence, asking people to move back, but the crowd only got closer. The girl was able to get to the top of the fence, where Pitt spoke to her and, from what it seemed, tried to get her to catch her breath.

Here's a picture of Pitt with the girl at the fence:

#bradpitt totally saved this little girl from being crushed by crowd. facebook.com/montanamayhem1 A photo posted by Montana Mayhem (@montanamayhem1) on May 24, 2016 at 6:57am PDT on May 24, 2016 at 6:57am PDT

While Pitt talked with crew members around him, the girl was eventually pulled over the fence and Pitt stood beside her until paramedics arrived.

Once the girl seemed to be fine, Pitt waved again to the crowd and walked away.

Watch the full video here:

NOW WATCH: 4 important things you probably missed on this week's 'Game of Thrones'





More From Business Insider


BRASILIA, May 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian police launched raids for a second straight day as part of the wide-ranging graft probe into state-controlled oil producer Petroleo Brasileiro SA , the GloboNews TV channel said on Tuesday.

Tuesday's raids, part of the so-called "Car Wash" operation that has rattled the heights of Brazil's business and political circles over the past two years, targeted an unnamed company suspected of receiving money illegally taken from Petrobras, GloboNews reported.

A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

Police on Monday arrested a former treasurer of one of the parties in the country's ruling coalition. He was accused of receiving about 1 million reais ($280,465) in bribes.

(Reporting by Silvio Cascione Editing by W Simon)
* Petrobras boss paid $11.2 mln to grant pipe deals -prosecutors

* Prosecutors say bribes won pipe contracts worth $1.4 bln (Adds additional company comment)

By Jeb Blount and Caroline Stauffer

RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO, May 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian police said on Tuesday they investigated local units of three international steelmakers in a second-straight day of raids probing graft at the country's state-controlled oil producer, Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

Police and prosecutors allege that Apolo Tubulars, which is 50 percent owned by United States Steel, and Luxembourg-based Tenaris SA's Brazilian unit Confab were involved in a bribery scheme to win work from Petrobras, as the oil company is known. Tenaris is part of Italian-Argentine steel group Techint.

Brazil's largest-ever corruption investigation has unveiled a scheme in which local construction and engineering firms colluded to overcharge Petrobras for work and used the excess funds to bribe high-level officials.

The probe, which forced a key minister in interim President Michel Temer's government to resign on Monday, has ensnared around a dozen international companies over the past two years and caught the attention of U.S. regulators.

Between 2009 and 2012 two tube companies involved in the scheme paid about 40 million reais ($11.2 million) in bribes to Petrobras executives to win about 5 billion reais ($1.4 billion) of pipe contracts, prosecutors said.

Police said they had no proof of corruption at French pipe-maker Vallourec SA but were continuing their investigation of the company's Brazilian unit, Vallourec Brasil, formerly known as V&M.

Rio de Janeiro-based Interoil Representacoes Ltda also arranged bribes for Petrobras, police said. Interoil Representacoes declined to speak with Reuters.

In Brazil, Interoil Representacoes owns 5 percent of the Brazilian unit of German oil tank company Oiltanking GmbH. Police and prosecutors made no mention of Oiltanking and the company was not mentioned in any of the warrants. Oiltanking's Brazilian lawyer did not return calls for comment.

Story continues

U.S. Steel said it is reviewing the matter and is in contact with Apolo Tubulars. U.S. Steel acquired the 50 percent stake when it bought Lone Star Technologies Inc in 2007. Apolo Tubulars said it was cooperating with authorities but had no other comment.

Tenaris officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but Confab said it has no evidence its employees paid bribes and is collaborating with authorities.

Tuesday's actions were the latest in the "Operation Car Wash" probe in which 205 people have been accused and 105 convicted of crimes ranging from price-fixing to kickbacks. Total prison and other sentences total more than 1,333 years.

The Tuesday operation, called "Operation Vice" sought to jail two people, and take nine in for questioning, police said. They also had search warrants for 28 locations.

The sweep was aimed at probing alleged money laundering that used fictitious contracts arranged by Petrobras contractors and an executive in Petrobras' international unit to hide bribes and political kickbacks.

"Some parts of the state still need to go through a detoxification process," the statement said.

On Monday, police arrested a former treasurer of Brazil's Partido Progessista (PP), one of the parties in the country's ruling coalition. He was accused of receiving about 1 million reais ($280,465) in bribes and contract kickbacks.

Operation Car Wash also contributed to the dive in popularity of President Dilma Rousseff who was suspended earlier this month after the Senate voted to put her on trial for breaking budgetary laws, charges she denies. She was chairwoman of Petrobras' board for seven years when much of the corruption took place.

($1 = 3.5705 Brazilian reais) (Additional reporting by Silvio Cascione; Editing by Frances Kerry and Andrew Hay)
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is investigating reports that cluster munitions made in the country during the 1970s have been used by a Saudi-led coalition during the ongoing conflict in Yemen, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told parliament on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies began a military campaign in Yemen in March last year with the aim of preventing Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, taking control of the country. Amnesty International said on Monday it had documented Saudi use of cluster bombs in Yemen that had been manufactured in Britain. "The MoD (Ministry of Defence) is now urgently investigating the allegations that have been made," Hammond told parliament. He said the weapons described in Amnesty's report were decades old, and that it was now illegal to use or supply such bombs under British law. Britain has ratified an international treaty prohibiting the use of cluster bombs, which scatter smaller bombs over a wide area. Saudi Arabia has not ratified the treaty. Hammond said that there was currently no evidence that Saudi Arabia had used cluster munitions, and that Britain had previously been told by Saudi authorities that such weapons had not been used. Responding to an urgent question in parliament, junior defence minister Philip Dunne said Britain was seeking fresh assurance in light of the report, but he urged caution over its findings. "There have been seven conflicts in the border area between Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen in the last decade, so it is not clear to us from the evidence provided thus far that this munition has come from the current conflict," Dunne said. (Reporting by William James; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
LONDON (Reuters) - The bad bank charged with winding down the assets of two failed British lenders will sell a 15.65 billion pound mortgage portfolio in two or three transactions starting this year, the group's incoming boss said on Tuesday.

UK Asset Resolution, which is selling off the loans from bailed-out Bradford & Bingley, is aiming to find a buyer for the portfolio to speed up the repayment of taxpayers' money.

The British government spent 133 billion pounds bailing out banks and has so far recouped about 76.8 billion, according to a report by the Treasury in March.

Credit Suisse has been hired to advise on the sale, with private equity firms and banks among those that may bid for the bundle of loans. "It is a complicated process, it is a very big book," said Ian Hares, who is due to replace Richard Banks as chief executive of the bank. "We are looking for a first round expression of interest and then moving on to a short list."

Chancellor George Osborne is keen to sell the government's banking assets to recoup taxpayers' money splashed out in a bailout of troubled lenders during the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Britain last year sold 13 billion pounds of loans once held by former mortgage lender Northern Rock to U.S. private equity firm Cerberus [CBS.UL], marking the biggest ever sale of a book of loans in Europe.

Richard Pym, the bad bank's chairman, also announced he is stepping down from the organisation and will be replaced by John Tattersall, a non-executive director.

UK Asset Resolution reduced the size of its balance sheet by a further 22.8 billion pounds during the year ending March. That means assets worth 72.8 billion pounds have been shed since UKAR's formation from its 115.8 billion balance sheet in 2010.

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, editing by Louise Heavens)
At only 17, Brooklyn Beckham is already following in his famous parents footsteps.

The son of David and Victoria Beckham, who is dating actress Chloe Grace Moretz, is on the cover of Chinas Vogue Me alongside models Jing Wen and Heather Kemesky.

Taking to Instagram, Beckham shared an image of the cover, captioning it, My vogue me cover with Jing and heather. #VogueMe #VogueChina. Thank you @VogueChina @Angelica_Cheung.



According to the magazine, Brooklyns 13-year-old brother Romeo will also appear in the pages of the issue. The publication, which just launched this year and is the countrys version of Teen Vogue, is targeted at the post-Nineties generation and the latest issue will hit stands of June 1.

The teen, a burgeoning photographer, will also be taking over Vogue Chinas Instagram in connection with the cover to post his own images. Yet in February, Beckham came under fire when it was announced that hed be shooting the new campaign for Burberrys This Is Brit fragrance.

Twitter users expressed their distaste of Burberrys hire  calling it nepotism and an insult to actual professional photographers who typically scrape by for years before scoring something as major as this.

Celebrity portrait photographer Chris Floyd and magazine photographer Jon Gorrigan also discussed their frustrations with The Guardian, respectively calling Beckhams work a devaluation of photography and infuriating. Gorrigan also spoke of Beckhams lack of technical training: Hes obviously not going to be doing the lighting, hell have no clue of the programs, the cameras or Photoshop. Its going to be so well managed  hell have the best hair and makeup, the best models, the very best equipment, so that the chance of any risk is greatly reduced. He added, People who are under-trained can get a good result with an Instagram filter. I suppose it keeps me on my toes. The industry is like that, a bit of injustice in a lot of areas.

Story continues

It seems safe to say that Goldenballs kids have inherited his Midas touch  even if it stirs up a bit of controversy in the process.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.


Protesters mixed it up with police in central Brussels on May 24, with some demonstrators throwing eggs, firecrackers, bottles and stones at police officers, according to Radio Television Belge de la Communaute Francaise. The police reportedly charged the protesters, and used pepper spray and water cannons. Some rioters were said to have been arrested and gagged.

Confrontations took place as more than 60,000 people people marched to oppose changes to labor laws. Credit: Instagram/Ilke Solakoglu
(Adds Generali statement in paragraph 5, updates share performance)

By Guillermo Parra-Bernal

SAO PAULO, May 24 (Reuters) - Grupo BTG Pactual SA is seeking indemnity from Swiss private bank BSI SA's prior owner after losses tied to a Malaysian fund led EFG International AG to cut the price it paid for a controlling stake in BSI, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Singapore closed BSI's local branch on Tuesday as part of a probe into 1Malaysia Development Bhd, a Malaysian fund that was a client of the bank. As a result, EFG got permission from Swiss regulators to take over BSI from BTG Pactual at a price below the original 1.33 billion Swiss francs ($1.34 billion) announced in February.

According to the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, BTG Pactual will receive less cash from the BSI sale. The Brazilian bank paid insurer Assicurazioni Generali SpA 1.5 billion francs for BSI five months before selling up to 80 percent of BSI to EFG.

Sao Paulo-based BTG Pactual now wants compensation from Generali in an equal amount to the difference between the new price and the price announced in February, the source added. Problems between BTG Pactual and Generali mounted since BSI's ties with 1MDB, which is thought to have carried out $4 billion in irregular deals in recent years, were unveiled.

Generali "has not received any communication that qualifies as an indemnifiable claim under the agreement," the Trieste, Italy-based insurer said in a statement. "Moreover, as already stated, Generali is protected by several contractual provisions and BTG Pactual has a duty to mitigate any damage."

Investigators in several countries are trying to determine whether related transactions between 1MDB, banks and clients were funneled into the accounts of influential powerbrokers and politicians.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore on Tuesday withdrew BSI's local status as a merchant bank for serious breaches of anti-money laundering rules, the first time in 32 years it has taken such action against a bank.

Story continues

In a statement, watchdog MAS highlighted an "unacceptable risk culture," regulatory lapses and gross misconduct of BSI's staff. (http://bit.ly/1TtsyAw)

On Tuesday, BSI reiterated a pledge to fully cooperate with the investigations into 1MDB by Singaporean and Swiss authorities.

WOES

The situation adds to woes surrounding BTG Pactual, whose founder Andre Esteves was arrested last November in connection with a corruption probe in Brazil.

The arrest led Esteves, the architect of BTG Pactual's acquisition of BSI, to surrender his executive duties and control of the bank, which suffered massive client withdrawals and sold assets to mitigate the scandal's impact.

One of those assets was BSI, which Esteves saw as a stepping stone towards BTG Pactual's transformation into a global money management powerhouse with more than half its revenues outside Brazil. Since founding the firm in 2008, Esteves wanted to turn BTG Pactual into the largest independent investment bank in emerging markets.

When BSI's merger with EFG was concluded, BTG Pactual would own 20 percent to 30 percent of the new company, behind only the 35 percent stake held by Greece's Latsis family, which controls EFG.

Units in BTG Pactual, a blend of common and preferred shares in BTG Pactual's investment-banking and buyout divisions, gained 2 percent to 18.79 reais in mid-afternoon trading in Sao Paulo.

EFG fell 0.2 percent to 5.59 euros, while Generali added 5.7 percent to 12.84 euros on Tuesday.

BSI, based in Lugano, Switzerland, was founded in 1873 under the name of Banca della Svizzera Italiana. Since the start of the decade, BSI tried to grow wealth management activities in Asia, a region buoyed by China's strong economic growth and a boom in commodities prices. ($1 = 0.9918 Swiss franc) (Additional reporting by Silvio Cascione in Brasilia and Silvia Aloisi in Milan; Editing by Alan Crosby and Andrew Hay)
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao is a petite woman with a tendency to smile sweetly as she answers questions in a soft voice. But don't be fooled - she is no pushover.

As founder and chief executive of VietJet, she has grown Vietnam's only private low-cost carrier (LCC) so quickly that, less than five years after opening for business, its passenger volume is on track to surpass that of Vietnam Airlines, the country's national carrier.

Smart, decisive Thao explains that she is a feverish researcher.



"When my first son was only a few months old, I started to research the low cost carrier space," the 45-year old recalls. "Then I spent the next 10 years researching aviation, meeting the CEOs of different LCC's like Jetstar, Air Asia and Southwest Airlines."



The airline industry was a fairly new field for Thao, who had made her fortune in Vietnamese real estate.

Her secret to success: research and timing. In the years leading up to VietJet's first flight in December 2011, there was no independent low-cost carrier in Vietnam. The middle class was growing and the Communist government was opening up the aviation sector to competition.

Thao's also unafraid of courting attention and controversy.



In 2012, the new airline generated sizzling media coverage by staffing its flights with bikini-clad attendants. Those bikini flights no longer run but that doesn't mean they won't return.

"If a beautiful image helps our customers feel happy, we will always try our best," Thao says.



Addressing criticism the bikinis were a gimmick that objectified women, she says, "In this world, there are a lot of beauty contests where the contestants wear bikinis in the competition. The bikini shows beautiful characteristics. Our message at VietJet is we did this for the benefit of beauty and happiness."

VietJet's bread and butter is the domestic market. It currently flies 34 domestic routes and 16 international routes, including flights to Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar.

Story continues

And with ambitious expansion plans, VietJet is reportedly planning to float this year.



Thao will not confirm how much money will be raised in an inital public offering (IPO) nor the percentage of the company that will be floated but will say her plan is to expand internationally into North Asia and Northeast Asia, to new destinations five to six hours from Vietnam. That includes possible routes to China, Russia and Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka).

"They're very ambitious. So far, they've focused on the domestic market. Domestic is the easiest, low-hanging fruit, " says Brendan Sobie, chief analyst at Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.



"Now, they're reaching the point where they're completing that first phase. If they want to keep up with the rate of growth, they need to do more international, which is more challenging. It's more risky. They'll have to rely on inbound or transit traffic. They have a harder part of the business to crack."



The IPO would help carry out VietJet's plan to increase its 2016 fleet from thirty-six A320 and A321 planes to forty-five. The airline also wants to add two more domestic routes and 18 additional international routes.



Will they succeed? "If they make the right decisions and are not overly ambitious, yes, they can succeed," says Sobie. "They have to do it at a pace that's reasonable."

Thao openly admires the track record of Dubai-based Emirates Airline and sets her sights on turning VietJet into the "Emirates of Asia."



"They have a global vision. Emirates is the airline of a small country that wants to conquer the world," Thao says.



Thao acknowledges that to conquer the world would mean moving away from the low-cost carrier model but believes she can succeed without losing her core, price-sensitive customer base.



"We can build up our cost-effectiveness and provide high-end service," she says. "VietJet is confident in its service quality, it's not inferior to other carriers in the world."



Thao points to in-flight means meals as an example of VietJet's skill in cost-effectiveness. She says a hot meal on a Ho Chi Minh City -Singapore flight costs $3 on VietJet compared to the $10 she says other carriers would charge.



"That's why we don't consider ourselves a normal low-cost carrier," she said. "We consider ourselves a hybrid airline or a new age carrier."



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LONDON (Reuters) - British actor Burt Kwouk, best known for his role as Inspector Clouseau's manservant Cato Fong in the "Pink Panther" comedy films, died on Tuesday aged 85, his agent said. Born in northern England but raised in Shanghai in China, Kwouk's career began on British television in the 1950s and over the next six decades he had parts in some of its best-known shows most notably "Last of the Summer Wine" and 1980s war drama "Tenko". He also starred in numerous films, among them three James Bond movies including "Goldfinger". But he will be most remembered for starring alongside Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther films in which Cato would leap out at unexpected moments to attack his boss to test his readiness, leading to furious, comedy fight scenes. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)
Burt Kwouk, who played Inspector Clouseau's nimble manservant in seven Pink Panther films opposite Peter Sellers has died, the BBC reports.



"Beloved actor Burt Kwouk has sadly passed peacefully away. The family will be having a private funeral but there will be a memorial at a later date," his agent told the British news agency.



Kwouk rose to fame playing Cato Fong opposite Sellers, who regularly assaulted the bumbling detective to keep him vigilant. After seven films with Sellers, he revived his character in later films that featured Roger Moore and Roberto Benigni as the French detective.







Born in England but raised in China, Kwouk began acting in 1954 after graduating from Bowdoin College in Maine. He rose to fame when director Blake Edwards offered him the role of Cato a decade later, per the BBC.



He also appeared in three James Bond films, including Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice.



On television he had roles in shows including The Avengers and Doctor Who.



In 2011, Prince Charles presented Kwouk with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama  and the royal confessed to Kwouk that he was a Pink Panther fan.



"He told me that when he gets depressed, he puts on a Pink Panther film and that makes him feel better," said Kwouk.
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - A Burundi opposition group that includes politicians in exile said on Tuesday it was ready to attend any new round of peace talks hosted by Tanzania, after a first round from which it was excluded. The mediator, former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, said the first round was more of a "monologue" by the government but that he would meet with those who did not attend and might have "positive contributions" to make. Burundi has been mired in a year-long crisis in which more than 450 people have been killed since President Pierre Nkurunziza pursued and won a third term. Opponents said his move violated the constitution and a deal that ended a civil war in 2005. A new round of peace talks was launched in the Tanzanian city of Arusha at the weekend, after previous discussions in Burundi and Uganda over the past year collapsed or stalled. But several opposition groups, including CNARED, an umbrella group that includes exiled politicians and former government officials, said the talks had little value as they and other leading opposition voices were left out. "If President Mkapa decided to invite CNARED to the next round of talks, we will respond to his invitation," CNARED spokesman Pancrace Cimpaye told Reuters. Cimpaye had described the talks as a "monologue" when they opened on Saturday. "Talks should be between Nkurunziza's side and all political parties and civil society grouping opposed to the third term." The government has said CNARED is not a registered party. In a closing statement on Tuesday, Mkapa said he would continue mediation efforts in the next two weeks, including speaking to those who had not attended the first round. "I will continue and complete the consultations with those who did not come during this session, but whom I feel might have positive contributions to make to the process." Arusha was also the location for negotiations that led to the deal to end the ethnically charged 1993-2005 civil war. Renewed violence in Burundi has alarmed a region where memories of the Rwanda's 1994 genocide remain raw. Like Rwanda, Burundi has an ethnic Hutu majority and a Tutsi minority. The violence in Burundi has so far largely followed political rather than ethnic loyalties. But diplomats fear ethnic wounds could reopen the longer strife continues. (Additional reporting by Patrick Nduwimana in Kigali and Clement Manirabarusha in Bujumbura; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
(Adds J&J comment, details from lawsuit, Washington state lawsuit, other background)

By Jessica Dye

NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) - California has accused Johnson & Johnson of failing to warn doctors and patients about the severity and frequency of complications associated with its pelvic mesh devices.

According to the lawsuit filed by the state's attorney general on Tuesday, J&J and its Ethicon unit falsely marketed the devices as a safe and superior option to non-mesh treatments for pelvic floor disorders, when it was aware that they could cause pain, bleeding, loss of sexual function and other side effects.

"Johnson & Johnson put millions of women at risk of severe health problems by failing to provide critical information to doctors and patients about its surgical mesh products," California Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a statement. Her office led a multi-state investigation into J&J's mesh products, which included 46 states and the District of Columbia.

The lawsuit seeks monetary penalties and an order halting any unfair advertising for mesh.

J&J said in a statement that the lawsuit was "unjustified" and could discourage women from seeking treatment for incontinence symptoms.

"The evidence will show that Ethicon acted appropriately and responsibly in the marketing of our pelvic mesh products," said spokeswoman Samantha Lucas.

J&J is one of several manufacturers that sold the devices to treat conditions like stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women. Those companies are facing tens of thousands of individual lawsuits from plaintiffs who said they were injured by the mesh's poor design and substandard materials, which plaintiffs say led to serious complications that require surgery to repair.

According to California's attorney general, J&J sold more than 787,000 pelvic mesh devices in the United States from 2008 until 2014, including more than 42,000 in California.

Also on Tuesday, Washington state's attorney general, Bob Ferguson, filed a similar consumer-protection lawsuit against J&J over its marketing of pelvic mesh devices.

Story continues

Over the past several years, the devices have come under increasing scrutiny by regulators as well as private litigants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has received thousands of reports of complications in connection with mesh used to treat pelvic organ prolapse.

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration said it was reclassifying mesh used to treat pelvic organ prolapse transvaginally from class II, or moderate risk, to class III, for high-risk devices, which will require manufacturers to submit extensive data to establish the devices' safety.

(Additional reporting Nate Raymond n New York; Editing by Bernard Orr and Matthew Lewis)
(Reuters) - Jury selection began on Monday in the California murder case against actor Michael Jace, who played a police officer conflicted about his sexuality in the cable television drama "The Shield" and was accused of killing his wife in 2014. The jury seating process is expected to continue Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison said. She said the trial is expected to last about a week once the jury is seated and opening statements begin. Jace has pleaded not guilty to shooting and killing his 40-year-old wife April on May 19, 2014 in their South Los Angeles home before calling authorities to report an emergency. The couple's two children, who were both younger than 10, were home at the time of the shooting and were placed in the care of relatives, authorities said. A cellphone expert overrode the lock function of April Jace's Apple iPhone to help Los Angeles police in the homicide investigation, court records released earlier this month showed. 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. Jace, who has appeared mostly in supporting roles on television in the past 20 years, is best known for portraying police officer Julien Lowe, a religious Christian who is conflicted about his sexuality, on the FX cable drama "The Shield" from 2002 to 2008. He also had small parts in the films "Forrest Gump," "Boogie Nights" and "Planet of the Apes," among others. April Jace had worked in the financial aid office at Biola University, an evangelical Christian university southeast of Los Angeles, for a year before she died. Jace filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection in 2011. If convicted, Jace faces a minimum sentence of 50 years and a maximum life sentence in state prison. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Cynthia Osterman)
Ottawa (AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's popularity has reached a new high, even after his arguably worst day in office that saw him recently jostle fellow lawmakers, a poll found Tuesday.

"Trudeau has now hit a new personal best," polling firm Nanos said in a statement.

Its random telephone interviews with 1,000 Canadians over four weeks ending May 20 found that 54 percent of respondents prefer the Liberal leader as prime minister.

Opposition heads, meanwhile, scored 16 and nine percent, respectively. Seventeen percent were unsure.

The survey is considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points.

Both the Conservatives and New Democratic Party (NDP), however, have been effectively rudderless after former Tory prime minister Stephen Harper resigned in the wake of electoral defeat last October and NDP leader Thomas Mulcair lost a confidence vote in April.

The Tories and the NDP are scheduled to hold leadership conventions next year.

Trudeau was forced to publicly apologize last week for seemingly losing his temper, elbowing an opposition MP and manhandling another.

He had crossed the floor of the House on Wednesday, pushed through a crowd of Conservative and NDP lawmakers and grabbed the opposition Tory whip by the arm, dragging him toward his seat.

As Trudeau reached for the whip, parliamentary video showed he elbowed a female NDP lawmaker in the chest.

Tensions had been rising in parliament over a deadline to pass legislation on assisted dying after the Supreme Court struck down the original measure.
The oil industry looks downright abysmal right now any way you slice it.

Earnings are in the tank, the number of bankruptcies is shooting through the roof, and layoffs are widespread.

The only solace that one could take from all of this is that the damage appears to be contained for the most part to the oil industry. In fact, many market watchers are presenting statistics "ex-energy" to get a better picture of what is really happening in the economy.

The biggest instance of this thinking is in the credit space, as the high yield bond default rate for energy companies has shot up to nearly 20%. Otherwise, high yield default rates sit around 3.5%, much closer to the historical norm.

This line of thinking, according to a note circulated by Deutsche Bank's Oleg Melentyev and Daniel Sorid, is a mistake.

The credit strategists looked at the past two turns in the credit cycle in 2001 and 2008, and stripped out the worst performing sectors to see the impact in the overall default rate. The blue lines show overall defaults while the other colors illustrate the still-high default levels in sectors other than the worst performing sector in each downturn.

DB oil debt default COTD

"Default cycles of the past have never been about a single sector, or small group of sectors," said the analysts. "Yes, cycles were always driven by concentrated distress but they always found their way to affect other areas of the market."

There are reasons to assume that it is, as they say, different this time around. For one thing, oil prices are rebounding, so that could alleviate the energy sector's issues somewhat. Another difference is that both of the last two credit cycles coincided with an economic recession, while projections are for the US to continue its slow and steady growth.

And finally, a downturn in the oil sector usually supports consumers' incomes via savings from low gas prices and could actually drive economic growth eventually, as opposed to dragging the whole economy down as tech and finance did in the past two cycles.

Story continues

The problem here, according to Melentyev and Sorid, is that other sectors have also seen their default rates rise along with the energy industry's, meaning the problem is already spreading. The retail industry, which should theoretically be a beneficiary of oil's weakness, has the second-highest rate of high yield defaults.

"The biggest surprise here is the contribution of the consumer products sector to the current default environment, where multiple issuers have hit the wall recently, including Quicksilver, American Apparel, and Aeropostale among others," wrote Melentyev and Sorid. The analysts also cited capital goods manufacturers as another example of a non-commodity sector with increasing default rates.

The upshot of all of this is that special circumstances can cause a downturn in a certain sector, like the housing bubble taking down the financial sector in 2008. That doesn't mean the ramifications are going to be limited to that part of the economy. Financing conditions can tighten and economic ramifications can infect other sectors.

Ignoring the upward creep in high yield defaults because "it's just an energy problem" is therefore short-sighted.

Or as the analysts put it:

A frequent argument is being made here how all problems are going to stay limited to the commodity sector. Evidence like this, coupled with emerging credit pressures in retail and capital goods sectors, suggest a contained cycle to be a weak starting assumption.

It's all connected.

NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy





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Washington (AFP) - Former US president Jimmy Carter is decrying the resurgence of racial tensions coinciding with the rise of Donald Trump, warning that the billionaire tycoon's White House candidacy has tapped a reservoir of "inherent racism."

Carter told The New York Times on Monday that he was disappointed about a recent spike in racism, "except for one thing: I think the country has been reawakened the last two or three years to the fact that we haven't resolved the race issue adequately."

Republican animosity toward President Barack Obama has had "a heavy racial overtone," Carter told the daily, adding that the presumptive Republican nominee's stunningly successful presidential campaign had "tapped a waiting reservoir there of inherent racism."

"I think there's a heavy reaction among some of the racially conscious Republicans against an African American being president," Carter said.

The 91-year-old politician-turned humanitarian aims to address such issues of when he convenes the New Baptist Covenant Summit 2016 on race relations and social inequality.

Carter is seeking to bring together white, black Hispanic and Asian Baptists to the Atlanta gathering in September in part as a way to heal the racial divide and ease tensions in the country.

The former president last year began treatment for cancer that originated in his liver and spread to his brain. In December, he announced that he was free of cancer but was still receiving treatment.

Carter, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for helping promote human rights and democracy, told the Times that Trump had violated "basic human rights" when he referred to some Mexican immigrants as criminals and called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

"When you single out any particular group of people for secondary citizenship status, that's a violation of basic human rights," Carter said.

Story continues

Carter grew up on a Georgia farm, where he was raised a Southern Baptist. He was also the first US president to describe himself as a born-again Christian.

Asked why polls show many American evangelicals are backing Trump's candidacy, Carter said: "They have a heavy orientation to right-wing political philosophy, and he obviously is a proponent of that concept."

Carter left the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000 as the denomination shifted to the right politically.

In 2007, he brought together several black and white Baptist associations and founded the New Baptist Covenant. The group is holding a summit in September in Atlanta.
This week Goldman Sachs Asset Management recommended a strategic shift in equities out of U.S. stocks. There are more investors today who believe U.S. stocks are in the least fully valued. Goldman recommends investors favor Europe, Japan and emerging markets. If the Fed does move to a second rate hike sooner than the market has been anticipating, will this recommendation play out well for investors? We took a look at how European and Japanese indexes performed the past three times the Fed pulled the trigger on a second rate hike.

Send us your investing questions and we will Ask Kensho: askkensho@nbcuni.com.





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* Zloty weakest since February, EU's Timmermans in Warsaw * Worries over tension with EU weighs on Polish assets * Forint near multi-month low, 15 bp rate cut seen By Sandor Peto BUDAPEST, May 24 (Reuters) - The zloty hit a 3-1/2-month low against the euro on Tuesday as tensions flared between Warsaw and Brussels about the rule of law in Poland.

Other Central European currencies were mostly flat.

The forint steadied near 4-and-1/2-month lows ahead of Hungarian central bank meeting where it is expected to cut rates but may signal the end of easing.

The zloty traded at 4.454 versus the euro at 0810 GMT, down 0.35 percent.

But Serbia's dinar firmed after the central bank revised its forecast for economic growth to 2.25-2.5 percent from 1.8 percent, citing rising investments and exports.

European Commission deputy head Frans Timmermans visits Warsaw on Tuesday to discuss changes to Poland's constitutional court that have raised concerns.

Polish assets including the zloty have been under pressure for weeks with added worry over a bill that would see banks footing the bill for the conversion of Swiss franc mortgages.

Piling on the negatives, the finance ministry said on Monday that it planned to impose a new tax on retailers, plans for which have already drawn heavy criticism from Brussels.

"In comparison to PLN (zloty) we would see more short-term recovery potential for the HUF (forint)," Raiffeisen analysts said, noting that they expected the Hungarian central bank to make its final rate cut for this cycle at its Tuesday meeting.

Analysts almost unanimously forecast in a Reuters poll last week that the bank would cut its 1.05 percent base rate by 15 basis points. The poll saw about 50 percent odds for one more cut before the easing cycle ends.

Hungary received its first investment grade credit rating since 2012 from Fitch on Friday.

The move, which surprised many investors, pushed the forint to its weakest levels since Jan. 12 because it generated expectations for more monetary easing.

Story continues

Several scenarios are possible at the meeting now, including a bigger-than-expected rate cut to finish the easing cycle or a smaller reduction, possibly coupled with signals for further cuts or monetary easing through less orthodox measures.

"I do not think that any of the scenarios could shock the market," one Budapest-based fixed income trader said.

Hungarian government bond yields, following a retreat after the ratings upgrade, changed little on Tuesday.

If the central bank ends its rate-cut cycle, that could limit the gains of short- and medium-term Hungarian debt, but the market will get a boost if Moody's also upgrades Hungary's rating in a review in July, market participants said.

CEE SNA AT 1010 MARKE PSH CET TS OT CURRENCI ES Lat Pre Daily Cha est vio nge us bid clo chang in se e 201 6 Czech 034 031 % 13% 0 0 Hungar .89 .96 2% 71% forint 00 50 Polish 540 385 % 40% Romani 184 140 % 1% Croati 943 955 2% 3% kuna Serbia .71 .78 6% 01% dinar 00 00 Note: calcu pre clo 1800 daily lated vio se CET change from us at STO CKS Lat Pre Daily Cha est vio nge us clo chang in se e 201 6 Prague 877 874 +0.3 -8.

.53 .83 1% 24% Budape 75. 68.
CF Industries CF and Netherlands-based fertilizers and industrial chemicals producer  OCI N.V.  said yesterday that they have terminated the planned combination of CF Industries with specific assets of OCI after the U.S. governments new tax inversion rules scuppered the merger.



CF Industries, in Aug 2015, agreed to purchase the European, North American and Global distribution assets of OCI N.V. in a deal worth around $8 billion, including assumption of roughly $2 billion in debt. The deal included OCIs nitrogen production plants in Geleen, Netherlands, and Wever, IA, and its interest in an ammonia and methanol complex in Beaumont, TX, along with its global distribution assets in Dubai, UAE.



The companies amended their merger agreement in Dec 2015 and changed the jurisdiction of incorporation and tax residency of the proposed combined company to the Netherlands from the UK after the U.S. government took certain steps to crackdown on tax inversions.



The companies noted that, by being tax resident in the Netherlands, the combined company would satisfy the requirements of the U.S. Department of the Treasurys notice issued in Nov 2015. The new Treasury rules are aimed at reducing the tax benefits available to companies that move their tax residence overseas to avoid paying taxes.



The Treasury, in Apr 2016, announced additional actions to further curb corporate tax inversions. These aggressive actions are aimed at reducing the economic benefits of inversion and slow the pace of inversion deals. The rules would make it more difficult for U.S. companies to qualify for a tax inversion. Since then, CF Industries and OCI have been exploring alternative transactions and structures that would be attractive to their respective shareholders.



However, the companies failed to come up with an alternative acceptable to both parties and, as a result, agreed to end the merger. CF Industries and OCI said yesterday that the Treasury actions materially reduced the structural synergies of the merger. Per the deal terms, CF Industries will pay OCI a $150 million termination fee.



The termination of the OCI deal is another blow to CF Industries after its merger talks with Norwegian fertilizer maker Yara International ASA YARIY was terminated in Oct 2014 as the companies were unable to agree on the terms of a transaction that met the requirements of all their respective shareholders. The U.S. Treasurys crackdown on inversions also led to the termination of the proposed $160 billion mega-merger between Pfizer PFE and Allergan AGN last month.



The merger of CF Industries and OCI assets would have created a global nitrogen behemoth with combined production capacity of around 12 million nitrogen-equivalent nutrient tons. The combined entity would have emerged as the worlds biggest publicly traded nitrogen company.



The merger was expected to boost CF Industries production capacity by 65% and also extend the companys portfolio into the rapidly growing methanol market. The combination was also expected to deliver around $500 million (post-tax) in annual run-rate synergies through optimization of operations, capital and corporate structure.



CF Industries continues to see pricing pressure in its nitrogen business. Urea prices have been under pressure due to higher supply from Chinese producers. Global capacity expansion continues to exert pressure on urea and other nitrogen fertilizer prices, mainly urea ammonium nitrate (UAN).



Lower selling prices weighed on CF Industries bottom line in first-quarter 2016 as the company saw a roughly 89% plunge in its profits. Elevated supply in the global nitrogen market and weaker demand for ammonia globally pressured pricing in the quarter. Nitrogen prices are expected to remain under pressure in the near term due to higher supply.



CF Industries shares rose roughly 4.4% to close at $29.85 yesterday.



CF Industries is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock.



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SILVERDALE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / CGrowth Capital, Inc. (OTC Pink: CGRA) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that they have engaged the services of BF Borgers CPA PC, an approved PCAOB audit firm located in Lakewood, Colorado. The engagement covers the Company's financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, as well as the review of each of the quarters in the year ended December 31, 2016.

Bill Wright, CEO of CGrowth Capital, Inc. stated, "We are very excited to announce the next stage in our growth. BF Borgers is a professional accounting and audit firm with experience in our industries and we are extremely happy to have them under contract."

Mr. Wright continued, "We have stated all along our intention to apply to a higher exchange when appropriate. Completing our audits will pave the way towards completing this task. With the increase in assets, significant revenues in the near horizon, and funding in hand, now is the time for us to be making this move."

About CGrowth Capital, Inc.:

CGrowth Capital, Inc. The Company continues to serve as a holding company for businesses and assets focused on all aspects of mining, minerals, exploration, and commercial real estate. The processing of metal ore mining, mineral and specialty rock extraction, as well as oil and gas production, are multi-billion dollar market opportunities which is capitalized on through processing, sales, contracting and licensing of assets. CGrowth Capital's services and solutions are designed to assist land owners with monetizing undervalued assets by bringing commodities such as gold, silver, oil and gas, and other commodities to market. CGrowth Capital will focus on acquiring or land assets, while also providing partners and affiliates with management services, capital, contract management and logistical services necessary for the successful execution of operations.

For more information about CGrowth Capital, visit their website:

http://www.CGrowthCapital.com

https://www.facebook.com/CGrowthCapital

http://www.CGrowthCapitalBond.com

Story continues

Investor Inquiries:

CGrowth Capital, Inc.

360-536-4500

Safe Harbor

Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. The above information contains information relating to the Company that is based on the beliefs of the Company and/or its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company or its management. When used in this document, the words "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plans," "projects," and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the Company regarding future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties noted. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended or projected. In each instance, forward-looking information should be considered in light of the accompanying meaningful cautionary statements herein. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, successful performance of internal plans, the impact of competitive services and pricing and general economic risks and uncertainties. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: CGrowth Capital, Inc.
Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book mixtape is a hot commodity, becoming the first streaming-exclusive set to chart in the Billboard 200. The Chicago rapper opened up about the sensational project during an interview with Beats 1's Zane Lowe on Tuesday (May 24), where he discussed the recording process with Kanye West for "All We Got," his views on labels and his decision to not sell his records.

He also revealed that he's "turned off" from making new music at the moment, partially due to him being sick -- the rapper was hospitalized last month for pneumonia. See the highlights and listen to the full interview below.

Chance the Rapper Brings Shades of 'Willy Wonka' & 'Edward Scissorhands' to Coloring World in Chicago

On Working with Kanye

"...They bring out the MPC [Music Production Controller] almost like in the gold suitcase in Pulp Fiction. He records drums in a way I've never seen before he does everything live off the MPC. As it plays now the drums aren't mixed separately, all the kicks all the hi-hat are the same level. He does it literally in one take from top to bottom, he just stands there and goes through it and plays all the drums that you hear on the track as you hear now. Less than five seconds after he does that one take through he goes through and freestyles over it."

On What Makes His Native Chicago Special

"I think one, it's a very cultured place. Chicago is a big city but it's in the middle of Illinois and all of the suburban areas around us kind of create this wall of inclusive sound...And on top of that we've never had a music industry. I think because there was no industry or big labels posted there it gave everybody a lot of air to make what the f--k they wanted to make and bred a lot of awesome talent across all genres."

On Record Labels and the Industry

"I don't agree with the way labels are set up...that anybody should sign 360 deals or sign away their publishing or take most of the infrastructure that's included in a formal deal. But I've learned to not be like f--k this company, f--k that company, even though a lot of those people tried to make it really hard for me to release my projects."

Story continues

Chance the Rapper's 'Coloring Book' is First Streaming-Exclusive Album to Chart on Billboard 200

On His Decision to Not Sell His Records and the Grammys

"I think a big part of it is we are at such a crucial time in terms of music. The charts are already changing, they're including streaming...I don't really care about that but at least they're making that move and I think the Grammys started making the move...The wording is they can't nominate a project unless it's a commercial release."

On Releasing Mixtapes

"Because of this timing, I think it was important to have these mixtapes be trilogized and be a thing that existed regardless of how the revolution goes. I know that I was not on the bus when everything was changing. I was like f--k it I'm still dropping mixtapes."

And on What's to Come Next

"Now whatever is next I don't really know. I'm a little turned off from making music right this second cause I'm still sick and shit and I just did a whole project, but I know I did the three projects exactly how I wanted to and they were mixtapes and that's where I came from."
Charter Completes Merger with Bright House and Time Warner Cable

(Continued from Prior Part)

US pay-TV market with new Charter Communications

Previously in this series, we learned that the merger of Charter Communications (CHTR), Time Warner Cable (TWC), and Bright House Networks was completed on May 18, 2016. We also learned that the new Charter Communications is the second largest US Internet provider based on subscriber base. In this part of the series, well look at the US pay-TV space with the new Charter Communications.

Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks bring a significant video subscriber base to the new Charter Communications. With the completion of the merger, Charter Communications has the third largest pay-TV base in the United States after AT&T (T) and Comcast (CMCSA). In July 2015, the acquisition of DIRECTV (DTV) significantly boosted AT&Ts video subscribers in the domestic market.

Content cost benefits for Charter Communications

A large video subscriber base of the new Charter Communications should help, at least to some extent, with negotiating with media companies for content costs. The company expects to get similar programming rates that Time Warner Cable gets.

According to Chris Winfrey, Charter Communications chief financial officer, On programming, yes we believe we will step into the Time Warner Cable rate card in the appropriate places effectively at close. He spoke about this in the 1Q16 earning call.

For diversified exposure to some of the largest US cable companies, you might consider investing in the PowerShares QQQ ETF (QQQ). QQQ held a total of ~3.4% of its holdings in Comcast (CMCSA) (CMCSK) and Charter Communications (CHTR) on May 18, 2016.

Browse this series on Market Realist:
The author is a professor of physiology and neurobiology at Dartmouths Geisel School of Medicine and a former fellow of the OpEd Project.

The countersuits being brought by the federal government and states such as North Carolina over the use of bathrooms by transgender individuals encompass many complex issues on federal versus states rights. But they also highlight a critical, common and incredibly damaging misperception: that gender and biology are two separate things. A letter writer to my local paper notes with respect to the Obama administrations actions dictating bathroom policy, Strangely enough, it seems to be predicated on the idea that ones gender is a matter of choice rather than biology.

The writer is right  it is biology, but not in the way he means. I have spent more than two decades studying sex-specific differences in the brain. I hazard a guess that I know more than most people on this issue, although I also know that we scientists have only a rudimentary understanding of how genetic, epigenetic, hormonal and environmental factors interact during brain development and into adulthood to form the incredibly diverse and complex spectrum that forms gender roles and gender identity.

But, I know for damn sure that biology is a big part of it, and it is not simply what sex gets put on your birth certificate  an assignment that is predominantly based on whether or not one has a penis. There are numerous biological conditions, such as androgen insensitivity syndrome, 5-alpha reductase deficiency or Rokitansky syndrome, in which individuals with either XY and XX chromosomes are born without a normal vagina or uterus but also without a penis, and are nearly always assigned to be a girl.

It has to do with the biology of your brain.

What most people dont know is that our brain is both literally and figuratively our biggest sex organ. The parts of our brain that control behaviors that have to do with sex and things that differ by sex are exquisitely sensitive to hormones and chemicals that can mimic hormones. They also express genes in patterns that differ between males and females.

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Tune in Tuesday at 11/10C for PBS new late-night series Point Taken to see OZY co-founder Carlos Watson moderate a spirited debate on gender.

Whats more, the factors that regulate these brain regions do so not only during the hormonal rages of puberty but also early on in our development. In humans and other animals, these brain regions are molded to be different from before the time we are born. Once established, many of these changes are permanent. And while we may not fully understand all of these early actions, they are key to sex-specific behaviors, sexual preferences and, just as likely, gender identity.

We dont know how or if nonhuman animals have a sense of gender, and so cant study that experimentally. But we do know that male versus female partner preferences in rodents can be changed by altering those brain regions that govern sexual behaviors. We also know that that there are significant differences between cis- and transgender individuals in brain structures and the connections between them; these are correlated with differences in behaviors, such as processing of positive affective and erotic imagery.

Brain differences are biological. We should know then that to be transgender is not a choice.

There is evidence to suggest that increased levels of gender dysphoria (i.e., the variance between gender identity and chromosomal sex) may result from developmental exposure to abnormal hormone environments, especially increased levels of androgens in XX fetuses that can occur in conditions such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Anecdotally, my neuroscience colleague Ben Barres has suggested that prenatal exposure to testosterone-like drugs may explain his own transgender identity.

In humans, care must always be taken relating correlation to causation. Differences in brain structures may reflect mutual interactions among innate brain processes, expressed gender roles and societys response to those actions. But brain differences are biological.

We should know then that to be transgender is not a choice.

It is not a choice when meta-analysis of suicide rates indicates that lifetime prevalence of attempted suicide in transgender individuals is ~40 percent as opposed to ~4 percent in the overall population. It is not the same as deciding whether you will wear a red tie or a green one.

It is a choice for us to educate those who mistakenly believe that allowing transgender people to use bathrooms appropriate for their identity endangers women and children. Such people either do not know transgender people or, more likely, know them but do not know they are transgender. And those that believe that real sexual predators will be dissuaded by a sign on a bathroom door are truly lost.

It is a choice for those of us who study the complexities of biology and the human brain to inform those who are not neuroscientists so that they can understand why it is not a choice for transgender people; it is who they are.

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Chewbacca Lady is still going strong.

On Monday night, Candace Payne, the Wookiee-mask- wearing Texas mom who took the Internet by storm a few days ago, appeared on The Late Late Show With James Corden. Even better, Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams was there, too.

In the bit, done in a similar fashion to Corden's immensely popular "Carpool Karaoke," Payne was behind the wheel, mask on, ready to "drive" the men to work. Abrams jokingly gave Payne some direction for the best Chewie mask performance.

The married mother of two also sat on stage with the Late Late Show host for an interview. Payne told Corden she was bragging to friends when the video of her laughing hysterically while trying on a toy Chewbacca mask reached 1,000 views the first night; by the time she woke up the next morning, it was more than 20 million.

"I like, had to breathe," she said of her disbelief. The video currently has more than 140 million views, a Facebook record.

Corden also showed Payne freaking out when she met Abrams for the bit and read a message to her from Peter Mayhew, the actor who plays Chewbacca in the Star Wars saga, thanking her for bringing so much goodwill and happiness with her video.

Payne also has been good for business as the masks have been selling out online and in stores. Hasbro declined to comment to The Hollywood Reporter on just how many masks have been sold since Thursday.

Read More: After 100M+ Video Views, Chewbacca Lady Drops by 'GMA': "I Deserve a Gold Medal"

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Armed conflicts are like living organisms. Some grow and die in the blink of an eye, others ebb and flow like the tides of a river and others survive half buried, but alive, for centuries. In Xinjiang, its been over 300 years  and counting.

This vast region in Chinas far northwest is home to an ethnic Uyghur population of Turkic origin that has been waging violent independence campaigns of varying intensity since the commencement of Chinese rule in the 18th century.

And theyre still going at it. This arid land of endless deserts and imposing mountains is home to a largely Muslim insurgency, which claims that most new opportunities from the regions rapid economic development have gone to the ethnic Han immigrants. Violence is escalating: A 2013 attack in Tiananmen Square killed five people and, last June, 18 people were killed after ethnic Uyghurs attacked police with knives and bombs at a traffic checkpoint.

The Uyghur have their own culture, language and religion (Islam), yet lately they have been subjected to humiliating measures, including bans on beards and veils  something observers say is only fueling the insurgency. For peace to prevail, we need to stop treating Uyghurs as second-class citizens and routinely denying their human rights, says Greg Fay, project manager at the Uyghur Human Rights Project. There is no free press in the region, but activists like Fay say its a bloody, never-ending cycle: The growing death count increases political repression, and the more Beijing clamps down, the more attacks are carried out. Meanwhile, HRW accuses the central government of limiting the Uyghurs rights of mobility, speech (the use of their language is restricted) and assembly.

Yet some believe the central government has no choice but to be implacable. China must counter Xinjiangs insurgency because threats from the periphery are multiple and linked: If one area of China secedes, the country could disintegrate, argues Martin I. Wayne, author of Chinas War on Terrorism: Counter-Insurgency, Politics and Internal Security. Indeed, like Tibet or Taiwan, this chunk of territory (twice the size of Texas) is a vital organ to the whole  one rich in oil, gas and mineral resources. (The government of China did not reply to our request for comment.)

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Reconciliation seems way out of the picture. Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti ran a website in Chinese to try to build bridges between Uyghur and Han communities, but last year the government sentenced him to life imprisonment for separatism. Instead, President Xi Jinping hopes to win Uyghuri hearts by providing development to the region. But thats not going so well either. Locals resent that the oil-extraction industry and other large-scale development projects employ mostly Han immigrants  50 of whom died in a recent attack on a coal mine. So Xinjiang is starting to look less like Tibet and more like Chinas Chechnya.

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By Lawrence White and Patrick Graham

LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese banks are moving to fill the gap left by European lenders retreating from areas of investment and retail banking worldwide, Barclays' deputy chairman Gerry Grimstone said on Tuesday.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of a China financial forum in London, Grimstone said that major Chinese lenders would be cautious about buying assets outright but were optimistic about becoming as powerful as their U.S. and European peers.

He declined to say whether banks like ICBC, Bank of China or China Construction Bank were bidding for Barclays' Africa business, which the UK bank is selling as part of a withdrawal from 26 markets worldwide.

"(Chinese banks) are interested in everything," he said. "We've embarked on a journey there (in Africa). We've had a very successful capital markets transaction. We are continuing with that journey. That's all I have to say."

Speaking in a personal capacity at a China business school (CEIBS) event in London, he cited conversations with senior staff at some of China's biggest banks as evidence for the scale of the ambitions of the country's big state-controlled banks.

"European banks, driven by regulatory pressures and capital constraints, are simplifying their operations, leaving a natural space. Its not a 1-for-1 trade but Chinese banks will take up the slack," he said.

"A major Chinese bank's chairman told me recently that they would become like HSBC. I'm sure that's true."

(Writing by Patrick Graham; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
An unimpeachable little birdie let us know that movie producer Chris Bender  hes had a hand in hugely successful franchises including American Pie and The Hangover  shelled out $2.1 million for a freshly refurbished 1920s Spanish-style residence tucked into the hills above Beachwood Canyon in Los Angeles.

Once owned by country music star and actor Dwight Yoakam, the residence, which is slightly short of 2,900 square feet, sits high atop a two-car garage above the street and behind a secured gate. A long exterior stairway climbs to the front door, which opens to a stone-floored foyer and a wood-floored living room with imposing fireplace and vaulted exposed-wood ceiling. A separate dining room connects through to the kitchen, which has a butcher-block center island, while a separate media lounge benefits from another fireplace.

A carpeted stone staircase switchbacks up to the private family quarters comprising three en suite guest bedrooms, a master suite with a walk-in closet and exposed-wood ceiling, and a lofted lounge with an over-the-treetops city view. At the back of the house, a playfully Escher-esque series of terra cotta tiled terraces cascade down to a walled courtyard with a swimming pool, spa, and vibrantly tiled waterfall.

Our research indicates that Bender, who recently and amicably uncoupled with long-time BenderSpink partner J.C. Spink to start his own Good Fear company, owns a charmingly unassuming yet stylishly modernized English Tudor cottage in the historic Windsor Square neighborhood that came up for sale in April at just under $1.8 million, and was quickly put into escrow to be sold at an unknown price.

The property was represented by Brent Watson at Compass

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Noted TV actor Chris Noths mom, Jeanne Parr, died on Monday, May 23, according to reports. She was 92.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Deaths in 2016: Stars Weve Lost

Parr started her career at a local radio and TV station in Madison, Wisconsin, before she was scouted by a CBS producer, making her one of the networks first female correspondents. The producer discovered her after she made an appearance on What's My Line? in 1960.



The late reporter, who also worked as a weather girl on the Jim Jensen Show, famously covered the Republican National Convention in San Francisco and the riots in New York in 1967.

PHOTOS: Stars Gone Too Soon

In 1978, Parr got her own talk show, The Jeanne Parr Show, on CBS. Later in her career, she produced several documentaries.



The journalist is survived by her three sons, Charles Jr., Chris and Michael Noth. Her husband, Charles Noth, died in a car accident in 1966.



PHOTOS: Sex and the City's Best Fashion Moments of All Time

Chris, 61, is best known for his roles as Detective Mike Logan on Law & Order, Mr. Big on Sex and the City and, most recently, Peter Florrick on The Good Wife.






In des people who do not lead a "biblical lifestyle."

The Statement of Understanding, first uploaded to the internet by blogger Friendly Atheist, shows several statements the family must agree to in order for their child to matriculate.

They must recognize the authority of the Bible, refrain from using drugs and must attend a Bible-believing church. Detractors of the document take the most umbrage with its final clause, which seems to allow the school to expel students who have LGBT family members.

Given the debate and confusion in our society about marriage and human sexuality it is vital that Trinity families agree with and support the school's traditional, Christian understanding of those issues. Therefore, when the atmosphere or conduct within a particular home is counter to the school's understanding of a biblical lifestyle, including the practice or promotion of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) lifestyle or alternative gender identity, the school should have the right, in its sole discretion, to deny the admission of an applicant or discontinue enrollment of a current student.





Source: Giphy

Trinity Academy released a statement about the clause to local affiliate KSN after news of the Statement of Understanding leaked online.

According to Trinity's statement, the academy wants prospective students to understand their interpretation of the Bible as it pertains to the LGBT lifestyle.

The statement reads:

Trinity would not and has not denied admission to a student simply because they have a sibling who is gay. Neither would we necessarily deny admission to a student with same sex attraction. We do not condone sexual activity of any kind for our students whether heterosexual or homosexual.

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All good, right?

Source: Giphy

Not quite. While the statement addresses the admissions process, it did not discuss the expulsion process.

Mic reached out to Trinity Academy for a statement on the expulsion process, but did not immediately hear back.
London (AFP) - Christie's auction house has been fined A3,250 ($4,750, 4,270 euros) for selling a piece of elephant ivory without the correct documentation, London police said Tuesday.

The silver-mounted tusk, put up for auction last year, did not have the right documentation under wildlife protection laws, a police statement said.

A representative for the auction house pleaded guilty in London for selling the ivory, in contravention of an article in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

"The tusk in this case was mounted on silver but was basically a raw, unmodified elephant tusk and therefore should not have been offered for sale without the correct documentation," said Rowena Roberts, wildlife officer for London's Kensington and Chelsea borough.

"These laws were established to protect the world's remaining elephants."

Christie's stressed that it took the protection of endangered species seriously and had a training programme in place.

"Christie's unequivocally condemns the slaughter of elephants for illegal ivory and will not sell modern ivory, or unworked tusks of any age," a statement said.

"This was an isolated incident and we believe that the honourable response was to accept the charge as made."

The 63-year-old owner of the ivory was charged with offering it for sale, police said.

Elephant numbers are in decline with 30,000 killed every year in Africa out of a population of between 450,000 and 500,000 to satisfy demand for ivory in Asia, where raw tusks sell for around $1,000 (800 euros) a kilo (2.2 pounds).
The CIOSynergy 2016 takes place in Chicago on May 26th, 2016.

Cimpl's President and AVP of sales will be attending CIOSynergy 2016.

The symposium will explore innovations and challenges in enterprise IT.

MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / Cimpl, leading the revolution in telecom, IT and cloud expense management will attend CIOSynergy's next symposium at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Chicago, IL. The event will take place on Thursday, May 26th 2016, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. Cimpl's President, Christopher Thierry and AVP of Sales, Martin Sommer will be representing the company at this event.

Christopher Thierry, President of Cimpl, had this to say, "IT is under attack to deliver more with less, while constantly trying to justify IT expenses to the business. All this needs to be done across a complex array of hardware, software, telecom, mobile and cloud services, or what we call the Enterprise Digital Footprint. At CIOSynergy, we will show companies the Cimpl solution, manage the Enterprise Digital Footprint and create a crowd-sourced approach to IT asset and expense management that will dramatically impact your culture and bottom line."

Cimpl appreciates innovation and strongly believes that it is the heart of progress in the IT industry. This is the reason why Cimpl is so enthusiastic about sponsoring CIOSynergy 2016. This event will encourage CIOs to exchange their experience of success and failure in the face of innovation. CIOSynergy will be moderated by Scott Shuster, consulting editor for the BusinessWeek and former ABC News correspondent. Conversations on IT transformation, management and innovations will be led by an expert panel of IT leaders.

Cimpl's team is delighted to attend the symposium and looks forward to connecting with IT leaders as they learn and share innovative tools and strategies in IT.

About CIOSynergy

CIOSynergy strives to provide a space where true visionaries of enterprise IT leadership can exchange ideas that promote advancements within their respective organizations. CIOSynergy holds events that provide opportunities for leaders to form new partnerships in the IT community. For more information on CIOSynergy, visit the organization's website.

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About Cimpl

Founded in 2000, Cimpl is leading the revolution of telecom, IT and cloud expense management for large multinational corporations by offering a platform-as-a-service and managed services. Cimpl helps companies control the costs associated with the use of mobile, fixed telecom, cloud, M2M, IT, and UC assets. Privately owned and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, they are growing both in size and scope. Cimpl's growth rate has surpassed 145% in the last five years. They are expanding their mission globally to lead the revolution in enterprise digital footprint management.

As one of Canada's fastest growing companies, they've received multiple prestigious awards confirming their status in the industry. Their employees are treated like gold - that's how they've earned for three consecutive years the title of top 50 Best Small and Medium Employer (BSME) in Canada. With Cimpl, customers save money ($), save time (h) and accurately manage their inventory (%). Visit www.cimpl.com.

Contact:

Caroline Le Brun

Marketing Manager

Cimpl

Caroline.Lebrun@cimpl.COM

SOURCE: Cimpl
The Daily Beast

Kremlin via ReutersThe cracks in Vladimir Putins war machine appear to be growing as two of his biggest allies in the senseless slaughter of Ukrainians blast the countrys weak military.Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov went public with his complaints late Monday on Telegram, where he said he was very unhappy with the current state of the war.Earlier we used to say that we were conducting a special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, but the war is already happening on our territor
The likely presidential nominees will undoubtedly debate each other about trade this election  especially since Donald Trump has denounced free trade and Hillary Clinton has shifted her position on it.

Indeed, trade is becoming an increasingly contentious topic. In the US anti-trade sentiment is certainly rising, particularly in key swing states in the industrial midwest, Yahoo political consultant Brian Goldsmith recently told Yahoo Finance.

That anti-trade attitude marks a big shift, he said: For generations now, economists have said trade is an absolute positive for the economy. Some studies have begun to emerge that show ... its more of a double-edged sword.

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) passed in 1993, the US economy has added about 30 million jobs, public-policy professor Guian McKee wrote in the Washington Post. Thats compared to about 680,000 US jobs that NAFTA eliminated.

But the benefits of trade, Goldsmith explained, tend to be very widely distributed and almost invisible. Meanwhile, the costs like plant shutdowns and eliminated jobs are more targeted and visible. Plus, two recent studies cited by The New York Times have shown that trade with China has had a significant negative effect on the US economy.

Trumps anti-trade view

Trump has consistently said foreign countries are killing us on trade. Hes asserted that trade is a zero-sum game, meaning the US is losing if it imports more than it exports (a view many economists disagree with).

This has been consistent for Trump for 30 year now: he believes that trade deals are killing this country; he believes politicians have made horrible deals that hurt workers; he believes that China has engaged in the greatest theft in terms of US manufacturing and blue collar jobs, Goldsmith said. So his policy is to go after both companies that move jobs and plants overseas as well as countries that promote different policies.

Trump has proposed a 35% tariff against Mexico and a 45% tariff against Chinese goods. A model of Trump's proposals, prepared by Moody's Analytics, found the US would fall into recession if Trump managed to impose these tariffs and unravel NAFTA.

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Hillarys shifting stance

Clintons ideology is more trade-friendly than Donald Trumps, notes Goldsmith. But, he said, some of her viewpoints have shifted in recent years in response to a different political environment.

As a US senator in 2005, Clinton opposed the Central American Free Trade Agreement. She currently opposes the Trans Pacific Partnership  but only after supporting it as secretary of state.

Of course, its not unprecedented for a presidential candidate to change positions after winning a nomination, Jan Hatzius and his team at Goldman Sachs pointed out in a recent note. Hatzius noted that Bill Clinton opposed NAFTA during his campaign but then approved it; George W. Bush ran on a free trade agenda but imposed tariffs on steel and textile imports in office; and Obama opposed the US-Korea trade agreement before signing a modified version into law.

It would not be surprising if the next president also shifts policy positions once in office, either due to political realities  or a change in views, Hatzius wrote, noting the president has more authority over trade than other issues.

He noted: On trade, for example, the President has significant influence over decisions involving protective duties in response to complaints brought by domestic industries, and could in theory withdraw from existing trade agreements without Congressional approval.
Scheduled for 1pm ET, Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Binder to Discuss its Business Model, Strategic Vision and Near-Term Opportunities

BOULDER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (CLSH), a development stage diversified cannabis company, will be presenting on the CANNAINVESTOR Webcast (http://cannawebcast.com) on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 1:00pm ET.

Jeff Binder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of CLS Holdings USA, will discuss the Company's business model, strategic vision and near-term opportunities.

Jeff Binder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of CLS Holdings USA, stated, "Our company is entering a very exciting phase as our licensing partner's affiliate in Denver, Colorado has completed the construction of its cannabis grow and its first harvest. The extraction and processing facility will occupy 15,000 square feet and is expected to be operational by the end of 2016. We look forward to explaining and demonstrating our proprietary technology, methods and processes and sharing our strategic vision with the Wall Street community and expanding our investor audience."

CLS stands for "Cannabis Life Sciences", as it maintains a proprietary method of extracting various cannabinoids from the marijuana plant and converting them into higher quality and quantity. The Company mission is to be the industry leader in the extraction, conversion and marketing of cannabinoid oils, wax, edibles and shatter by leveraging our extraction methods and conversion processes.

"We're excited to have CLS Holdings USA present to our online audience of industry investors, analysts, executives, and financial media," said CANNAINVESTOR Webcast. "Our online interactive webcast will assist CLS Holdings in increasing its awareness and exposure."

The CANNAINVESTOR Webcast will include presentations from privately-held and publicly-traded industry companies and industry professionals. CLS Holdings USA's presentation will be 30-minutes long and followed by 15-minutes of Q&A. The Cannabis Investor Webcast is a great opportunity for the audience to research industry companies without taking time-off from work, paying registration fees and incurring travel-related expenses.

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Cannabis investors, analysts, executives, media, and consumers who would like to attend the free online webcast please click on the link: http://cannawebcast.com and visit the Registration Page and to view the recording of the webcast please visit: https://www.youtube.com and search for Cannabis Investor Webcast two weeks after the live presentation.

About CLS Holdings USA, Inc.

CLS Holdings USA, Inc. plans to be a diversified cannabis company, specializing in the extraction and conversion of cannabinoids. CLS stands for "Cannabis Life Sciences", as it maintains a proprietary method of extracting various cannabinoids from the marijuana plant and converting them into higher quality and quantity. CLS Holdings USA business model includes licensing operations, processing revenue, processing facilities, sale of products and brand creation and consulting services.

For more information, check out: http://www.clsholdingsinc.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements. 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 (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance or achievements. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional risks and uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's most recent Form 10-K filed as of May 31, 2015, including but not limited to the discussion under "Risk Factors" therein, which the Company has filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at http://www.sec.gov.

Contact Information

Corporate:

Chairman and CEO

Jeff Binder

jeff@clsholdingsinc.com

888-438-9132

Investors:

Hayden IR

Brett Maas, Managing Partner

brett@haydenir.com

646-536-7331

SOURCE: CLS Holdings USA, Inc.
Bogota (AFP) - Countless rare insects and flowers are said to inhabit the jungles of Colombia, but decades of war have stopped naturalists from discovering them -- until now.

The promise of a peace deal has scientists hoping they may soon explore tropical forests that they have long avoided for fear of being kidnapped or killed.

"When you look at the map of Colombia in terms of biodiversity, you see incredible gaps," says the biologist Brigitte Baptiste, director of the Humboldt Institute, a Colombian research group.

"That clearly reflects the difficulties researchers have in moving around" the country, where parts of the jungle are no-go zones controlled by rebels or criminal gangs.

She recalls having to flee when she came under fire while carrying out fieldwork near the Inirida river in the Amazon.

She had unwittingly drawn near a clandestine cocaine factory in a remote area.

Other naturalists have been less lucky.

In 2011 a gang killed two students, Margarita Gomez and Mateo Matamala, who were researching in swamps in the north of the country.

"Sometimes researchers are a bit too daring," Baptiste said.

"They fail to judge the risk and don't take account of the fact that the country is in a serious armed conflict."

- Bird-watching hostage -

In 2004 the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) kidnapped the ornithologist Diego Alarcon in the northeastern Sierra del Perija.

The communist guerrillas marched him hundreds of miles, giving him the chance to observe unfamiliar bird species. He secretly made notes about them on cigarette papers.

"He never stopped doing his job as a biologist," said Lina Tono, author of a study on nature research in the conflict, which recounts the story of Alarcon.

Colombia's jungles are considered one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world.

Scientists would like to know more about the movement of fauna between Central America and the tip of South America, says Maria Angela Echeverry, head of a conservation program at Javeriana University in Bogota.

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Between those two points lies the Darien jungle spanning the border with Panama -- one of the hotspots of the Colombian conflict.

"As a university, we cannot take students there or have scientists based in those areas because of the lack of security," she says.

"There are some very dangerous areas that we know too little about."

- Science, business opportunities -

The Colombian government and the FARC say they are close to sealing a peace agreement to end their half-century conflict.

"That offers a lot of opportunities for science," says Alejandro Olaya, vice-president of the state science institute Colciencias.

The government has already planned 22 scientific expeditions to little-explored territories due to start in June. It aims to draw up a new complete national inventory of the country's ecosystems.

It also aims to identify natural products that can be sold to cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies, "to place Colombia in the bio-economy sector," Olaya told AFP.

Once the sides agree on how to settle the conflict, questions about how to conserve the territories will emerge -- as well as threats such as illegal mining.

They will also look to reintegrate former fighters into post-conflict society.

The Humboldt Institute has suggested demobilized guerrillas could join in the scientific research, contributing their knowledge of the jungle and mountain areas.

Baptiste said former guerrillas could find work in "tourism, forest management or fishing projects."

If the peace talks prosper, scientists will then be able to get to work.

"The biggest surprise that awaits us is in plants and insects," said Echeverry.

"We are convinced that 60 percent of the species on the planet have yet to be discovered, and most of them are in the tropics."
Cable Division Drove Comcast's Growth in 1Q16

(Continued from Prior Part)

Five-year average dividend yield

In 1Q16, Comcast (CMCSA) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.275 per share, up by 10% over the same quarter last year. During fiscal 1Q16, Comcast paid total dividends of $611 million.

Now lets compare Comcasts five-year average dividend yield with its peers. Comcast has a five-year average dividend yield of 1.7%. As the graph below shows, Time Warner Cable (TWC) had the highest five-year average dividend yield of 2.2%. Comcast has the second-highest five-year average dividend yield. The Walt Disney Company (DIS) and 21st Century Fox (FOXA) have five-year average dividend yields of 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively.

A dividend yield is a measure of a companys annual dividend per share relative to its price per share. It indicates how much cash an investor is getting for every dollar invested in the companys equity.

Share repurchase

During fiscal 1Q16, Comcast bought back 22 million shares for $1.2 billion. Comcast expects to buy back $5 billion of its Class A stock in 2016. As of March 31, 2016, Comcast had $8.8 billion of shares authorized for share repurchase. Share buybacks are a popular way for a company to return money to its shareholders, as they boost the value of the stock thats still available.

Comcasts net leverage is at a comfortable level

Comcast had a net leverage ratio of 2.0x as of March 31, 2016. Net leverage is the ratio of net debt to operating cash flow. Considering Comcasts comfortable net leverage ratio and its investments in growing its business, Comcast expects to be able to strike a good balance between returning capital to its shareholders through dividends and buybacks and investing in its business growth.

Comcast makes up 3.0% of the PowerShares QQQ ETF (QQQ). QQQ has 4.6% exposure to the television sector. Now lets look at what the analysts are saying about Comcast.

Continue to Next Part

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hannibal buress bill cosby

Back in 2014, comedian Hannibal Buress made a joke about Bill Cosby at a comedy club in Philadelphia, and the resulting media pandemonium brought the sexual-abuse allegations against Cosby to center stage.

Cosby was later charged with aggravated indecent assault in one case that's more than a decade old, his first criminal charge over his conduct with women. He has now returned to court for a hearing in that case.

"Pull your pants up black people, I was on TV in the '80s," Buress said in the bit, mocking Bill Cosby's public persona. "Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby," Buress reasoned, "so turn the crazy down a couple notches."

Shaky video footage of Buress' Cosby joke went viral.

Since the joke, more than 40 women have come forward to accuse Cosby of sexual abuse. Cosby has since been vilified by comedians (Judd Apatow, most prominently) and pundits alike, and the evidence against Cosby continues to pile up  a 2005 deposition uncovered by the Associated Press revealed that Cosby acknowledged that he obtained quaaludes with the intention of "giving them to young women he wanted to have sex with."

Nonetheless, Buress' public reaction to the media firestorm he helped ignite has been one of relative apprehension.

In an interview with GQ, Buress opened up about the situation and revealed that the buzz around his Cosby joke actually halted Comedy Central's announcement of his new show, "Why? with Hannibal Buress."

hannibal buress

While he doesn't exactly regret doing the Cosby bit, Buress said he was definitely shocked by the uproar.

"You can't predict s--- like that," he said.

The GQ interviewer pressed Buress on the subject, asking whether he realized that his Cosby joke had made him "a feminist hero" for giving Cosby's many accusers the opportunity to speak openly about their abuser.

Story continues

"People are going to put on you whatever they want to put on you," Buress responded, reluctant to accept the "feminist hero" title.

"It is conflicting, because people think I'm like this amazing guy or something," he said, with a laugh. "I'm a decent guy."

Still, the comedian in Buress can't resist pulling a shot at Cosby when he's able to get people to laugh about it. At the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber, for instance, Buress joked that he hates Bieber's music "more than Bill Cosby hates my comedy."

In the context of the GQ interview, though, Buress seemed tired of the subject.

"I don't know what the f--- else you want me to say," he concluded.

NOW WATCH: Heres is the uncomfortable moment when Bill Cosby asked a journalist not to air part of an interview about allegations against him





More From Business Insider


Young comedy writer Niki Schwartz-Wright has signed her first overall deal, a 2 + 1 pact with 20th Century Fox TV. It stems from her stint as a producer on the studios Fox comedy series The Grinder this past season. Under the overall deal, Schwartz-Wright will join 20th TVs new ABC comedy series Speechless as supervising producer and will also develop.

Speechless, from creator/executive producer Scott Silveri and exec producers Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar, centers on Maya DiMeo (Minnie Driver) a mom on a mission who will do anything for her husband Jimmy, her kids Ray, Dylan, and JJ, her eldest son with special needs. The comedy landed a spot on ABCs Wednesday comedy block in the fall at 8:30 PM.

Speechless (ABC)

Niki has a fierce and original comedic voice and she did fantastic work for us on The Grinder last season, 20th TV president of creative affairs Jonnie Davis said. We knew we wanted to be in business with her exclusively, and shes the perfect addition to the dream team Scott, Jake and Melvin are putting together for Speechless. Shes a big talent with a bright future and were thrilled to have her on our roster.

Schwartz-Wright started writing when she was in film school at NYU. She wrote on the final season of NBCs The Office and also worked on ABCs The Goldbergs. On the feature side, she wrote a spec comedy about two young women called In It for the Cash with Robin Schiff, which Adam Schroeder is producing. It will go to market later this year. Schwartz-Wright is repped by WME and her attorney is Jared Levine at Morris Yorn.

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By Lisa Lambert

WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives will consider shaving $50 million off the budget of the top U.S. securities regulator, despite pleas to boost the agency's funding, in an appropriations hearing on Wednesday.

According to a summary of legislation released on Tuesday, the Financial Services Subcommittee will debate appropriating $1.5 billion for the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is $50 million below current levels and $226 million less than the amount President Barack Obama requested.

Funding would be focused on the SEC's "critical information technology initiatives and its economics division," according to the summary.

All spending bills begin in the House, which is controlled by Republicans.

The legislation goes beyond the SEC and encompasses funding for the Treasury Department, the Judiciary, and many other agencies concerned with financial regulation and taxes. In total, funding for all agencies in the measure would drop $1.5 billion. After the bill passes from committee, the entire House will vote on it.

Last month, SEC Chair Mary Jo White pressed Congress for an increase, saying the regulator needed hundreds more employees to carry out its core responsibilities and improve its information technology. It offsets taxpayer funds it receives with user fees and fines, and its spending does not affect the federal deficit.

The bill would also rescind leftover balances of the SEC's reserve fund, prohibit the regulator from requiring corporations to disclose political spending, and impose "reporting requirements to improve transparency, accountability, and fairness" from the agency.

The Internal Revenue Service would take one of the greatest hits in the bill, with the tax collector's budget shrinking $236 million to $10.9 billion, which is $1.3 billion less than Obama requested in his annual proposal.

The bill would also change the funding and organization of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a watchdog created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law.

Story continues

Many Republicans say the bureau reaches beyond its authority, unchecked by any external overseer. The legislation would end direct funding for the CFPB from the Federal Reserve and make its spending a part of the annual federal budget. At the same time, it would expand leadership of the agency from a single director to a five-member commission.

The bill would also require the agency to study the use of arbitration prior to issuing regulations. Earlier this month, the CFPB proposed blocking 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.

(Editing by Frances Kerry)
Lyle Denniston, the National Constitution Centers constitutional literacy adviser, looks at the controversy over a Texas-based federal judge who has filed sanctions against Justice Department lawyers.

THE STATEMENTS AT ISSUE:

Federal judge Andrew S. Hanen did not have enough with blocking [President Obamas immigration orders]. He has now assigned himself the role of ethics supervisor of the Department of Justice and manager of the personal information of over 100,000 immigrants benefitting from the [Presidents] actions.It is unusual to punish someone who has not committed any faults, like the 100,000 recipients [of deportation delay and work permits].

 English translation of an editorial May 23 in La Opinion, which describes itself as the nations largest Spanish language newspaper, reacting to the sweeping new order by a federal judge in Brownsville, Texas, in the case on the Obama delayed deportation policy. Judge Hanen imposed broad remedies for what he concluded were serious and intentional ethical violations in his court by at least two Justice Department attorneys in 2014 and 2015. His order came in the same case, United States v. Texas, that is now awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the Presidents policy.

Whatever misconduct the United States and its lawyers may have committed does not warrant imposing on thousands of immigrants the fear of disclosure and the actual threat of being targeted by states whose hostility to [the Presidents policy] is epitomized by their participation in this suit.We expect to take action in court to prevent private information submitted in good faith to the federal government from being released to hostile parties.

 Excerpt from a news release on May 20 by Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, in reaction to the new order by Judge Hanen.

WE CHECKED THE CONSTITUTION, AND

No words or phrases in the Constitution spell out the scope of the power of a judge in a federal court to impose sanctions on attorneys who engage in ethical lapses in that judges presence. It has long been understood, however, that the dignity of the court  a quality that is believed to be essential to a courts work and to its ability to have its work widely accepted by the public  depends upon the judge having the authority to discipline misconduct that disturbs the tribunals decorum.

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It is widely accepted, of course, that a judge can impose contempt-of-court sanctions on a misbehaving lawyer, without waiting for federal prosecutors to do so. That, in fact, is one of a series of potential disciplinary actions a federal judge can impose, under several federal laws.

But clearly the most expansive power exists under what is called the inherent power of the court to do what is necessary to be able to perform its function. Whenever the phrase inherent power comes into play in a discussion of government authority, it conveys almost as much authority as a royal prerogative  its scope is said to lie largely within the discretion of the judge.

The Supreme Court engaged in a deep discussion of the concept of inherent power to preserve judicial decorum in a famous 1991 case, Chambers v. NASCO, Inc. And, while the Justices split 5-to-4, inherent power won out over limited and specific grants under congressionally-approved rules for federal courts.

The majority in that case did stress, though, that the judge should use that awesome authority with care. Because of their very potency, the opinion said, inherent powers must be exercised with restraint and discretion. In that case, the judge used that power only to impose on the misbehaving lawyer and his client a duty to pay the other partys legal fees.

Would the Supreme Court still take that broad position today? It is interesting to note that, among the nine Justices who took part in that 1991 decision, only one continues to serve on the court: Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. And he was among the four dissenters.

The sweep of a judges authority in this area may well be tested for the actions last week by a federal judge in Brownsville,Texas  Andrew S. Hanen. He is the same judge who, early last year, blocked the enforcement of President Obamas program to delay deportation of close to 4 million undocumented immigrants. (That policy puts priority for deportation on people who pose threats to public safety and seeks to benefit people  youths and their parents  who have lived peacefully, though illegally, in the country for years.)

The judges grievance with Justice Department lawyers was that they did not keep their word, after they had told him, and told the lawyers for the 26 states that sued to challenge the Obama policy, that the government would do nothing to implement the program until after the judge had a chance to decide whether to block its enforcement. He has now concluded that he and the states had been duped. It turned out that, before the judge issued that blocking order, some 108,000 young people were given three-year deferrals of potential deportation, along with a document allowing them to get jobs, even though none of them was entitled to more than a two-year delay (under a prior program whose legality is not now in question.) It also turned out that more than 2,100 youths were given three-year deferrals even after the judge had ordered no enforcement.

While the complained-of misconduct occurred in late 2014 and early 2015, Judge Hanen has just now decided to take steps to sanction the government for what he considered to be deeply serious affronts to the court.

Although the Justice Department has taken steps to withdraw the extra-year grants to those who got that benefit after the judge barred enforcement, it has not taken similar action for the more than 100,000 who were granted those benefits prior to the judges order. The Justice Department takes the position that those were not illegal, because enforcement had not yet been stopped when those benefits were extended.

Judge Hanen, however, is firmly convinced that he had specific assurances from the governments lawyers that they would not issue any such benefits while the overall program was under review in his courts, and is firmly convinced that the lawyers intentionally went back on their word.

In the broadest part of his order, he has told the Justice Department to come up, by June 10, with a list of all of those who got the benefits and have not had them withdrawn. He has insisted on having detailed personal information about each one of those individuals, and has said he may release them to the 26 states, eventually.

He also has ordered every Washington-based Justice Department lawyer who appears, over the next five years, in any federal or state court in any one of the 26 states to get training in ethics at classes every year during that period. And he has ordered the Justice Department to draft new policies to make sure there are no further such ethical lapses in the future.

Judge Hanen has not spelled out the sources of the power he has exercised, but it is a fair bet that his order will be tested in court, to see whether inherent powers reach as far as he has presumably assumed that they do.

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PARIS (Reuters) - Four of the hottest prospects in the men's game clashed at the French Open on Tuesday with Croatian trailblazer Borna Coric and French teenager Quentin Halys reaching the second round. Nineteen-year-old Coric, already a seasoned Tour professional ranked 47 in the world, had the unusual experience of playing someone younger than himself in American 18-year-old Taylor Fritz. And he made his 'experience' count. While Fritz has the more powerful game and has risen from 821 to 67 in the rankings in a year, he is a novice on the European clay and was no match for Coric, losing 6-3 6-1 6-3. Halys, 19, was one of five Frenchmen to progress on Tuesday, beating South Korea's 20-year-old Chung Hyeon 6-1 6-4 6-4. Already tipped as a future French number one, Halys preferred just to concentrate on his second round against tough Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas. "I can't just say this is going to happen (become number one)," he said. "It would be ridiculous. There are so many other things I need to do. It's still very far." Coric faces Australian 20th seed Bernard Tomic in round two. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)
Will Petrobrass New CEO Be Able to Steady the Ship?

(Continued from Prior Part)

What is a correlation coefficient?

In this series, we analyzed Petrobrass (PBR) new CEO appointment, the companys latest quarterly performance, valuations, and analyst recommendations. In this concluding part, well test the correlation between Petrobrass stock and crude oil prices.

A correlation coefficient shows the relationship between two variables. A correlation coefficient value of zero to one shows a positive correlation, zero states no correlation, and -1 to zero shows an inverse correlation. We have considered price history for the past 12 months for Petrobras and WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil prices.

Petrobras and crude oil prices

The degree to which integrated energy companies are affected by volatility in crude oil prices varies from company to company. Petrobrass correlation coefficient versus WTI stands at 0.62 over the last 12 months. This shows a strong positive correlation. It also means that on average, 62% of the movement in Petrobrass stock price can be explained by changes in WTI prices.

However, the strength of the correlation is lower for Petrobrass peer ExxonMobil (XOM). The correlation of XOM versus WTI stands at 0.54. Statoil (STO), Cenovus Energy (CVE), and Imperial Oil (IMO) show higher correlations with WTI at 0.72, 0.68, and 0.70, respectively.

On the other hand, standalone downstream companies show feeble correlations with crude oil prices. A case in point is Tesoro (TSO). The refiner that has a 0.21 correlation with WTI.

For exposure to high dividend stocks, you can consider the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM). The ETF has ~10% exposure to energy sector stocks.

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Planete Terre opens each week with extraterrestrial electronica and a creaky intonation, in French: Ive always dreamed of knowing the future, of seeing how the world changes, of seeing humanitys advances. Hearing that, you might suspect this weekly radio broadcast is beaming to your laptop or iPhone straight from outer space.

This year is the 10th birthday of the worlds most prominent  only?  major radio program about geography. Hosted by the great Sylvain Kahn, the show, which airs every Wednesday online and on public channel France Culture, is a dynamic exploration of geographys interconnection with damn near everything: borders, Creoles, train stations, how Paris smells, scary viruses, shrinking cities, lions and polar bears, Peter Pan and Tintin. Chocolate as mirror of the world!

But lets back up for a second. Yes, this is the story of a respected geographer and his drive to educate, but its also the story of one mans starry-eyed rapture for radio. Kahn and I spoke earlier this spring when he was visiting San Francisco from Paris. Theres an atmosphere, an ambience, that doesnt exist in the platform of television, Kahn says. Radio is much more magical. He enthuses about the intimate rapport  Its sensual, physical  that radio creates with individuals. We can imagine that whoever is speaking has a voice that is being carried across the radio waves, a voice that is speaking everywhere in the world, in every house, car, kitchen, boat, Kahn says. Listeners accept radio into their intimite.

Geographer or poet?

Kahn has a hunch that people come to radio for the rhythm or sound or modulation of a voice or voices  for a connection that packs a warm punch. No argument here. One of the first things I did when I moved to Silicon Valley: set up speakers amid the sea of boxes and play recent episodes of Planete Terre. Kahns voice has the calm authority of a professor, the warmth of a dad, the curiosity of a detective, the charm of someone youd take to your favorite bar.

Story continues

A professor-researcher at Sciences Po, the center for research in contemporary history of the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, Kahn has also worked for the French government. PT was born when the Paris native was at a crossroads  navigating a family crisis and realizing he wanted to shift course. I had a dream, for a number of years, which was to do radio, he says. He knew someone who knew the director of France Culture, and he decided to try his luck. Kahn got a meeting; FC asked for 30 show ideas. And then the light turned green.

Kate and Sylvain Kahn

Sylvain Kahn, creator and host of radio show Planete Terre, with OZY features editor and Planete Terre fangirl Kate Crane at the San Francisco Macys Cheesecake Factory.

Source: Courtesy of Kate Crane

Evolving over the years, the Planete Terre mission is to deliver timely science while expanding listeners understanding of the contemporary world. Kahn finds it easy to link geography with global issues: Space is part of the social fabric. When you look at things through the lens of space, how land functions, how its structured, you see things that are otherwise less visible, he says. His guests include economists, sociologists, political scientists and biologists, and Kahn tries to avoid a purely Western point of view. Two of my favorite episodes: Les tres grandes gares sont elles des non-lieux ou des lieux de vie?, about massive train stations, and Lespace des femmes est-il en recul dans le monde? The latter explores the question of female spaces, and whether or not theyre on the decline. Some geographers, after examining how male and female activities occupy space, realized that certain public places are very much dominated by men. Research like this allows the explanation of things that you cant see, that seem banal, says Kahn.

Planete Terre, envisioned each week by Kahn and a small team, is part of a Monday-through-Friday block of science programming. Last fall, France Culture moved all five shows from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  rush hour. Three years ago, it expanded PT from 30 minutes to an hour  at the same time, Kahn and FC director Sandrine Treiner reimagined the show as a magazine of global issues on a planetary scale. And, according to him, listenership has tripled since the show first began. (France Culture did not reply to requests for comment.) This level of emphasis on science at a national radio station, even one focused on culture, leaves me, an American writer, incredulous.

Jason Dittmer, professor of political geography at University College London and author of Captain America and the Nationalist Superhero, says something similar isnt out of the question in the U.S., that it all depends on how much the government wants to educate the public via the programming it funds. And more geography on the airwaves would be a good thing. We like to think we really want to know how the world works, says Dittmer. But everything happens somewhere, and that somewhere shapes how global happenings unfold. If youre ignorant about the somewhere, its not possible to understand how the world works.

I tell Kahn that Planete Terre takes me on journeys.

A reply so swift it almost finishes my sentence: But its not tourism.

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(Adds details on operations)

By Eric M. Johnson

CALGARY, Alberta, May 24 (Reuters) - Some crude producers restarted operations on Tuesday in Canada's energy heartland as a mass evacuation of the Fort McMurray oil town entered its fourth week, though cool weather and light winds were helping firefighters dampen the blaze.

No oil facilities or communities were in the fire's path as of Tuesday morning as its footprint grew slightly to 523,000 hectares (2,008 square miles) from roughly 522,900 hectares on Monday, Alberta officials said at a news conference.

The blaze was spreading mainly across forested areas to the east on Tuesday as firefighters were working to hold fire breaks around prized oil sands facilities where crews have stripped away tinder-dry trees and vegetation.

Firefighters from the United States and South Africa were expected to join the fight in the next few days, the officials said.

"We have some hot, dry conditions coming this week so we'll really be put to the test here to see how that holds," Alberta Wildfire Compliance and Investigations Manager Chad Morrison said. "We feel fairly confident in the coming days that we'll hold most of the ground there."

No rain has been forecast for Tuesday.

On Monday, authorities lifted evacuation orders for all work camps in the area, a significant step for companies eager to restart production. Workers could return to camps once safety assessments were completed over the next two days.

The fire has shut down about half of the oil sands' production capacity, though some producers are beginning to come back online.

Athabasca Oil Corp resumed operations at its Hangingstone site following a shutdown on May 5, before which production volumes exceeded 9,000 barrels per day, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Athabasca said it expected to return to normal operating levels over the next several weeks with no anticipated long-term impacts.

Suncor Energy Inc said on Monday it was preparing for a staged restart of its operations, with some workers in the area doing necessary "pre-work."

Story continues

"Given our current assessment, we are confident we can safely return people to the region to begin the process of restarting operations," Suncor President and Chief Executive Steve Williams said in a statement. "We believe that getting our employees back to work is an important part of the process to get things back to normal in Fort McMurray."

Some of the area's more than 90,000 evacuated residents may be allowed to return starting on June 1, depending on air quality and other factors.

The regional government published a pamphlet late on Monday that recommended returnees bring at least two weeks' worth of food, water and prescription medication.

Alberta officials said they were developing logistics plans to guide the thousands of residents expected to return, many of them to uninhabitable homes damaged by fire and smoke.

Challenges include limited medical services and labyrinthine insurance claims, as well as dealing with black bears that have been lured into the desolate neighborhoods by the scent of rotting food.

The fire destroyed entire neighborhoods when it tore through Fort McMurray on May 3 and 4, but most of the city remained standing. Even so, insurers say the fire could be the most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history, costing up to C$9 billion.

"You are returning to a community that was profoundly affected by a wildfire," the government pamphlet said. "Services that you are used to or rely on may be limited for some time."

($1 = 1.3151 Canadian dollars)

(Additional reporting by Allison Martell; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Richard Chang)
On May 23, 2016, we issued an updated research report on Cummins Inc. CMI. The company continues to gain from increased use of its engines by a number of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), share buybacks, innovative products and benefits from acquisitions in North America. However, weakness in the operating markets and a highly competitive environment are considerably affecting the companys results.



Cummins adjusted earnings per share decreased 8.3% to $1.87 in the first quarter of 2016 from $2.04 earned in the year-ago quarter. The bottom line, however, surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.77.



Revenues went down 9% year over year to $4.29 billion in the reported quarter. The figure also missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.33 billion. The year-over-year decline in the top line was due to currency headwinds, mainly stemming from a stronger U.S. dollar.



Cummins is poised to benefit from its innovative products. The transition to new emission standards in various economies will boost the results of the company. In Apr 2016, Cummins announced that it will develop a Class 6 commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that will reduce fuel consumption by 50% compared to conventional Class 6 vehicles.



Cummins has the potential to benefit from higher use of its engines by a number of OEMs, including Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. NSANY and Navistar International Corporation NAV. In first-quarter 2016, shipments to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. FCAU increased 9% to 34,000 units. This was the highest volume recorded in the last 10 years. Shipments to Nissan also increased due to the launch of the 5-liter V8 engine in fourth-quarter 2015.



Additionally, the company is focused on reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiency. Further, Cummins will make disciplined investments in organic growth opportunities and adopt strategies such as partnerships and acquisitions in order to record high returns.



However, for 2016, Cummins anticipates revenues to decrease 5%9%. The decline is expected due to lower levels of production in the North American on-highway markets, reduced demand globally for off-highway and power generation equipment, and the negative impact of currency. Cummins expects EBIT for 2016 in the range of 11.6%12.2%, down from 12.5% recorded in 2015.



Moreover, most of Cummins businesses are expected to be under pressure in 2016 due to soft global demand. High competition and supplier concentration are other concerns.



Cummins currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



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Paige VanZant is finally ready to return to the site that caused her so much pain during her teenage years.



The UFC fighter describes herself as someone who likes to hide her emotions in public.



"I'll cry alone in my room instead," she's said with a laugh. But after opening up on Dancing with the Stars about being severely bullied in high school, VanZant is finally ready to return to the Oregon town that her family moved from so she could escape the relentless bullies.



"I recently got asked to go back to the town and speak at a school my aunt teaches at," VanZant told PEOPLE after Monday's DWTS season 22 performance finale. "I've been wanting to speak to students for a long time now but I just wasn't quite sure how to go about it. So what a better place to start than the town where I had my own problems."







VanZant believes her message about bullying is even more important now than when she was in school.



"It happens to everybody, but with social media I feel like it can be even worse now," she told reporters. "You can't change everyone. There's going to be mean people out there. But no matter what you're going through, there is a brighter future and the hurt and pain you're feeling is real but there is a light at the end of the tunnel."



It's a message she was glad to tell in her final dance with partner Mark Ballas on Monday's show.



"I've used this as a platform to inspire people," she said. "Just like in the song, I'm somewhere over the rainbow. I went through it and I've come out the other side."



VanZant is one of three finalists who could be crowned the winner on the Dancing with the Stars season 22 finale on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f94115%2farianagrandedangerouswoman

On the 4th of July, Ariana Grande declared her own independence during a fateful trip to a modest doughnut shop, licking the pastries and shouting I hate America! while a security camera caught her every move.

For many, it was the first indicator that whatever is going on underneath Grande's ponytail is far more complex than the average child-actor-turned-pop-superstar story.

We've seen meltdowns, but nothing this delightfully strange or harmless  all respect to the fine people of Wolfee Donuts, whose merchandise was tragically compromised with Grande's saliva. As far as scandals go, Doughnutgate was quite literally sweet as sugar. Grande's bizarre apologies in the aftermath only helped feed the increasingly compelling mythology of Ariana, who, if rumors are to be believed, demands being carried around like a baby.

On Dangerous Woman, Grande is definitely not an infant. She's letting her "bad bitch Super Bunny" within call the shots, and the appeal of her her black latex rabbit hole is undeniable. If you're looking to soundtrack your summer night mischief, Ari's got some bangers for you.

SEE ALSO: Behold the terror of the dog face filter in Ariana Grande's Snapchat horror trailer

The album starts out somewhat deceptively with "Moonlight," a retro love song that references James Dean and Elvis. Her candy-coated vocals will remind you that Grande can provide that Mini Mariah, peppy Lana del Rey service on autopilot.

On Dangerous Woman's sultry title track, everything starts falling into place as she immediately informs you, "Don't need permission/Made my decision to test my limits."

Grande is quick to acknowledge that she's not ready to grow up completely yet, nor does she feel any need to rush into it  so at 22, she's right on track. Sometimes she feels like a dangerous woman, but she's still figuring her shit out, as she should be.

Story continues

It's something fellow 22-year-old megastar Justin Bieber (who is finally achieving respect as an artist) is in crisis mode right now trying to work though. Anyone growing up in the public eye is required to turn their transition into adulthood as a performance  a magic trick where a fresh-faced teen turns into an adult after a few seconds hidden behind a cape.

In February 2016, GQ published a cover story titled, Justin Bieber Would Like to Reintroduce Himself. Two months later, the magazine ran a profile of Selena Gomez called The Emancipation of Selena Gomez.

There are some concrete ways a line can actually be drawn  the 18th birthday of a starlet is the publics go-ahead to openly objectify the teenager theyve been objectifying all along. Never forget the horrifying website counting down to the Olsen twins' age of consent.

But achieving a passable level of adulthood is not the sort of thing that is curated between album cycles  it's an excruciating process of self-examination, often in the clarity of morning light. It's when you realize blaming your own immature behavior on childhood obesity is ludicrous and you apologize for your botched first attempt at an apology.

Your twenties are defined by falling on your face, not sudden maturity. As the slow march of time threatens to speed up, you swipe through possible lives like Snapchat filters. You won't be a puppy forever, but if you can be a puppy for ten seconds, seize the opportunity. And so, on Dangerous Woman, Grande's animal ears remain, but now they're sexy animal ears.

And club wear is an appropriate choice as Grande commits more fully to a slick EDM-lite sound that she debuted on My Everything. Grande worked with Swedish mastermind producers Ilya Salmanzadeh and Max Martin to craft the majority of the record's persistent pop sheen this time around.

Even with the magic touch of some of the most omnipresent producers in the industry, it's hard to imagine anyone else pulling together this group of collaborators. Ariana, after all, has always been just as natural duetting with Andrea Bocelli and Iggy Azalea.

Future and Lil Wayne contribute verses to Dangerous Woman, with Weezy bidding, "goodbye to the good girl." On "Side to Side," she reunites with Nicki Minaj, which Grande told the crowd at a show May 18 just before the album's release, was inspired by SoulCycle, naturally.

The best  and most surprising  feature comes from Macy Gray on the soulful "Leave Me Lonely," a hangover of a love song that serves as the album's emotional center.

But for the most part, Grande seems pretty psyched  especially at the prospect of making mistakes.

"Bad Decisions" achieves a glee that's rare even in pop music. "Ain't you ever seen a princess be a bad bitch?" she asks scoffing at anyone who underestimates her as she seems to glide through the world in a pink cloud, and it's an important question.

In Grande's world, femininity is never a weakness and her claws come out whenever that world view is challenged.

In its spirt, Dangerous Woman, and Grande's whole deal, is a firm demand for respect. Since her Nickelodeon days, her talent has been a force to be reckoned with. How many singers get compared to the likes of Mariah Carey as a teenager? And if she ever decides she's over being a diva, her talent for impressions puts the bulk of Saturday Night Live's current cast to shame.

For an artist with as many options as she does, these choices are meaningful and for now, Grande sees to be asking who will dare to tell her she can't have it all. She doesn't have to abandon tenderness for strength or youth for wisdom if she doesn't want to. And when that's challenged, Ariana is going to put up a fight.

The fact that Grande keeps the strangest parts of her personality hidden in her music is frustrating, but brilliant. Grande is in it for the long-term, and if you try to threaten that, well, you can't say she didn't warn you.
Though the S&P 500 Aerospace & Defense (Industry) declined 1.29% over the last five trading sessions, there was some positive buzz that would benefit the sector immensely.



The U.S. has fully lifted its arms embargo against Vietnam, 41 years after the close of the Vietnam War. This move from President Obama will help to build a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries. As per Reuters, Vietnam is the worlds No. 8 arms importer, with sales increasing nearly 700% since 2005.



Although Obama maintained that "the decision to lift the ban was not based on China or any other considerations," we cannot ignore the fact that Chinas significant share claim of the South China Sea has somewhere motivated the U.S. on supporting China's rivals who have claims to the sea.



Among the important headlines last week, Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT and Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. HII nabbed important contracts. Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC made its 13th consecutive annual dividend hike.



(Read Defense Stock Roundup for May 17, 2016 here.)



Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories



1. Lockheed Martin Corp.s Missiles and Fire Control division has won a foreign military sales (FMS) contract from the U.S. Army for international allies, Israel, Finland, Jordan and Singapore. The contract is valued at $331.8 million.



Lockheed Martin will deliver Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) alternative warhead rocket pods (290 units), 34 unitary rocket pods, and 529 reduced range practice rocket pods to the above mentioned international partners.



Lockheed Martins Sikorsky Aircraft unit won a contract from the U.S. Army for UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. This is a modification contract, which is valued at $88.1 million, and the contracting activity is Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL.



2. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. has received a $152 million contract from the U.S. Navy for advance planning for the construction of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80).



The work under the contract includes engineering, design, planning and procurement of long-lead-time material. It will be carried out at the companys Newport News Shipbuilding division and is slated for completion by Mar 2018.



Construction on Enterprise will begin in 2018 with delivery to the Navy slated for 2027. Enterprise will replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) when the aircraft carrier enters the fleet.



3. Falls Church, VA-based Northrop Grumman Corp. announced that its board of directors has approved an increase in the quarterly dividend rate by 12.5%, bringing the annualized payout to $3.60 per share from $3.20 paid earlier.



The raised quarterly dividend will amount to 90 cents per share from the prior payment of 80 cents. The hiked dividend will be paid on Jun 22, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Jun 6, 2016.



Increasing the dividend has become an annual ritual for this defense major. This will be the companys 13th consecutive annual dividend hike.



4. Shares of L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. LLL scaled a new 52-week high of $138.00 on May 19, eventually closing a little lower at $136.85.



L-3 Communications rating was upgraded to outperform from sector perform by Robert Stallard, an equities research analyst at RBC Capital, as per a report released on Thursday. The target price was raised to $150 from the previous target of $137. The brokerage firms target price shows a potential increase of 9.61% from the current price of the stock.



After a discussion with the companys management, Stallard has come to believe that L-3 Communications is poised to achieve its long-term operating margin target. Moreover, he stated that the companys latest initiatives related to the portfolio and balance sheet will allow it to deploy cash for mergers and acquisitions as well as for boosting investor value.



L-3 Communications CFO, Ralph DAmbrosio, stated that in 2017, Electronic Systems may touch the low end of the range of 1314% of operating margin, while Aerospace Systems is expected to keep up its robust performance.



Performance



Almost all the major defense stocks depreciated last week barring L-3 Communications Holdings. Boeing BA lost the most followed by Rockwell Collins Inc. COL.



In the past six months, however, the picture is somewhat mixed. Northrop Grumman gained the most while Textron TXT and Boeing were the biggest losers.



The following table shows the price movement of the major defense players over the past five trading days and during the last six months.



Story continues

Company Last Week Last 6 months LMT -0.83% 7.36% BA -3.76% -12.68% GD -1.90% -1.17% RTN -0.76% 3.14% NOC -0.67% 15.05% COL -2.67% -5.45% TXT -1.59% -12.68% LLL 1.07% 11.93%



Whats Next in the Defense World?



Raytheon Co. RTN is hosting its 2016 Annual Shareholder Meeting on May 26, 2016.



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Tel Aviv, ISRAEL  The world faces an extreme water crisis, and the worst is yet to come.

The statistics alone are staggering: More than 780 million people around the world don't have access to clean drinking water. At least 4 billion  two-thirds of the world's population  experience at least one month of water scarcity each year. By 2030, close to half of the world's population is projected to face water shortages.

But what if technology could be leveraged to fix the problem? What if it's possible to build a device that turns air into clean drinking water?

Enter WaterGen. The Israeli-based startup, founded six years ago by Arye Kohavi, is on a mission to help solve the world's water crisis. The company's premise is simple: turn air into clean water.

WaterGen is certainly not the only company attempting to do this. A company called Fontus has raised over $300,000 online to develop a self-filling water bottle that creates water from air and light.

Still, Kohavi's project  which he says began as a daydream he had while jogging on a treadmill  is growing rapidly. It now boasts 25 full-time engineers in Israel and is doing business across the world.

"My goal is to help the rest of the world," Kohavi said in an interview at WaterGen's Tel Aviv headquarters. "If our company can help others live a longer and better life, we'll have been a success, and I will have really made something of my life."

The background: Kohavi, who previously served as a commander in the Israeli special forces before entering a career in finance, said WaterGen was initially designed for military purposes: "The goal was to produce water for soldiers in the field."

Using a WaterGen device, military troops could turn air into drinkable water, rather than having to wait for a resupply convoy on the battlefield. The technology works by extracting water from the air and cooling it so that it becomes drinkable. This moves the water from being a gas to being a drinkable liquid. It re-uses the cold air generated in the process for further cooling, so it can efficiently generate hundreds of gallons of water at a time.

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The company has evolved. Today, WaterGen has begun manufacturing home appliances for civilians. The technology, according to Kohavi, works best in certain climates. "We look for places where there's no tap water and where the climate is hot and humid," Kohavi said.

Kohavi's latest product is called the Civilian Spring, a battery-operated unit that can provide water for villages that don't have drinking water or electricity, in places like North Africa and the Southeast Asia. These larger devices, according to Kohavi, .

That's the dream. One major obstacle is cost. The Civilian Spring, which Kohavi says is set to go to market in the next year, costs $4,000 per unit, a steep figure for the developing countries where Kohavi hopes the product will have an impact. Individual units are no less pricey: $650 for one unit that produces 20 liters of water per day from the air.

While t , Kohavi is quick to point out that the Spring will be used to provide water for an entire village. "Everyone at home has an appliance that's more expensive than that," Kohavi said. "I'm not speaking of people in the street. This is a product for the top 20%."

Despite the cost, Kohavi remains convinced WaterGen can help raise life expectancy and make an environmental impact. "Life expectancy is 50 or 55 in many of these places, and a big part of the reason is lack of access to clean drinking water," Kohavi said. "This technology can ultimately be used in cities, on islands and in homes."

Watch more here:
From Esquire

Before we go on, it's important to remember that Justice Clarence Thomas was appointed to the Supreme Court to replace Justice Thurgood Marshall, the legal titan who first brought down separate-but-equal and who drove a stake through the heart of Plessy v. Ferguson. Keep that in mind as we go on through the news that the Supreme Court Monday, by a 7-1 vote, Mr. Justice Thomas dissenting, ordered that a man named Timothy Foster, currently residing on death row in Georgia, be given a new trial, as explained by Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal.

Timothy Foster was sentenced to death by an all-white jury after his conviction for the 1986 murder of Queen Madge White, a 79-year-old widow in Rome, Ga. Prosecutors used their peremptory challenges, which allow removing a juror without expressing a reason, to exclude all blacks in the jury pool. Mr. Foster's attorneys objected under a Supreme Court decision handed down earlier in 1986, Batson v. Kentucky, which found it unconstitutional to strike jurors based on race. Georgia courts at the time rejected those claims. Decades later, Mr. Foster obtained the prosecution's internal notes by filing a request under a Georgia open records law. The notes disclosed that prosecutors had marked the name of each black person in the jury pool with the letter B, and highlighted each name in green, amid other evidence showing the state's effort to keep African-Americans off the jury. The all-white jury sentenced Mr. Foster, who was 18 at the time of the murder, to death after prosecutors urged it to "deter other people out there in the projects."

In other words, this was so nakedly About Race, although nothing ever is About Race, and the prosecutorial misconduct so egregious, that it revolted even Chief Justice John Roberts, the man who never misses a chance to declare the Day Of Jubilee.

"The focus on race in the prosecution's file plainly demonstrates a concerted effort to keep black prospective jurors off the jury," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court's majority. "Two peremptory strikes on the basis of race are two more than the Constitution allows."

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The sound of the scales dropping from the Chief's eyes is deafening. After all, when he gutted the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County, Roberts expressed amazement at how close Dr. King's dream was to its fulfillment. From ThinkProgress:

"There are examples of progress, more poignant than the numbersDuring the Freedom Summer of 1964 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, three men were murdered while working in the area to register African-American voters. On Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama in 1965, police beat and used tear gas on hundreds marching in support of enfranchising African-Americans. Today, both Philadelphia and Mississippi and Selma, Alabama have African-Americans mayors.Our country has changed."

'Ees a puzzlement, surely.

As we mentioned, the only dissent in Monday's case came from Justice Clarence Thomas-and did we mention that he replaced Thurgood Marshall?-who has had enough of this meddling by the federal government into the inalienable rights of local prosecutors in Bugtussle to wear their kangaroo suits on the job. Again, via ThinkProgress:

"The Court today invites state prisoners to go searching for new 'evidence' by demanding the files of the prosecutors who long ago convicted them . ...I cannot go along with that 'sort of sandbagging of state courts."

Remember that the defense here didn't go fishing for whether an assistant DA was shtupping the help, or whether a prosecutor was taking a free trip to some felon's fishing camp. The defense contended that the prosecutors had deliberately and unconstitutionally struck black jurors from Foster's trial. They went looking for evidence of thatandtheyfoundit.

What the hell Justice Thomas's problem with that is, I wouldn't begin to guess, because it would require me to go spelunking through the psychology of someone who once wrote in another dissent that an inmate who was severely beaten in a Louisiana prison had no recourse, and in another that an Alabama prison could fasten a prisoner to a "hitching post" in the summer sun. (One of Thomas's clerks at the time was an ambitious young lawyer named John Yoo.)

This is the man who replaced Thurgood Marshall, giving history a scar that it never will lose.

Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page.
Starbucks, a company that has built an empire refusing to use normal names for cup sizes, has brought back its Mini Frappuccino for the summer.

While the drink is objectively adorable, there's nothing all that "mini" about it: In reality, the itty-bitty Frap is a marketing ploy meant to drain customers' wallets (and perhaps their dignity).

For those hoping the smaller size would help them with their ~*~summer figure~*~, there is some bad news: The Mini Frappuccino  which clocks in at 10 ounces, making it just two ounces less than a "tall"  isn't worth the financial or nutritional investment. Here's the breakdown:

Nutrition

At the the end of the day, all Frappuccinos are essentially milkshakes masquerading as coffee, no matter their size.

Let's compare some nutrition facts for a Caramel Frappuccino made with two-percent milk, a caramel drizzle and no whipped cream. (Pro tip: Leave off the whipped cream, as it adds a glut of calories and fat.)

Source: Mic

When it comes to calories, a Tall clocks in at 190 calories while a Mini Frappuccino is 140 calories. That's only a 50 calorie difference, or the caloric equivalent of just one Oreo cookie.

Admittedly, there is a little bit of a difference when it comes to sugar. A Tall has 42 grams of sugar compared to a Mini's 28. That's a difference of 14 grams, or about the equivalent of the sugar in a Tootsie Pop. While the Mini Frap does reduce sugar content by a meaningful amount, it still has way too much of the sweet stuff.

The numbers are especially shocking when you consider that the World Health Organization recommends that adults consume less than 25 grams of sugar per day, or

Size

Source: Khushbu Shah/Mic

When you remove all the accoutrements  such as the cloud of whipped cream, the signature green straw, and charming cup designs  it's even harder to tell the difference between the two sizes.

Source: Khushbu Shah/Mic

When the Frappuccinos are poured into equal-sized glass and placed next to one another, their volume appears nearly identical. Essentially, the Mini just looks like a friend stole a few sips out of the drink.

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Price

You're not really saving much dough by ordering a Mini rather than a Tall. If anything, you are paying more. At a New York City Starbucks, the difference between the two sizes is just 20 cents: A Tall retails for $4.45, while a mini goes for $4.25.

But per ounce, the Tall works out to be the better deal:

Mini: 10 ounces at $4.25 = 42 cents/ounce

Tall: 12 ounces at $4.45 = 37 cents/ounce

This means 10 ounces at the Tall's per-ounce price would cost $3.70  55 cents less than the price of a Mini.

Yay, math!

The Verdict

If you're going to order a Frappuccino, you might as well really go for it and treat yourself to a Tall. At the end of the day, the Mini won't save you much in terms of your waistline or your wallet (unless you purchase one in keychain form). So instead of worrying about calorie and sugar counts, you should embrace the motto of Tom Haverford and treat yo self.
At the end of May, the summer constellations are moving into view for evening stargazers. In this edition of mobile astronomy, we'll showcase one of my favorites  mighty Hercules!

This easily recognizable constellation features interesting folklore, some lovely double stars within reach of backyard telescopes and one of the deep sky's best showpieces for amateur astronomers. Your favorite astronomy app can help you find the treasures within Hercules and tell you all about them.

Getting oriented

Hercules doesn't contain any very bright stars, but you can use your sky-charting app to find it very easily. As the sky darkens in late May, look low in the eastern sky for a very bright blue-white star. That's Vega, the brightest star in the small constellation of Lyra. Higher, and to the south, is another prominent star: orange Arcturus. Between these two stellar signposts is the realm of mighty Hercules. [Stunning Photos of Our Milky Way Galaxy (Gallery)]

Hercules' body is defined by a very distinctive keystone-shaped quartet of modestly bright stars. The keystone is about 6 degrees across (a palm's width), with the wide end to the north and the narrow end to the south. The hero of mythology is upside down for Northern Hemisphere observers. His sharply bent legs extend northward, and his two arms are outstretched to the southeast and southwest. The star marking his left hand (to the lower left) combines with four others to form a loose chain of five stars running left to right, each separated by a couple of finger widths. In classical drawings, Hercules is grasping the three-headed dog Cerberus, which he was tasked with capturing as one of his 12 labors.

Hercules is the fifth-largest constellation as measured by area, and was one of the original 48 constellations tabulated in the "Almagest," an early astronomy treatise produced in ancient Greece by Ptolemy. The early Greeks depicted Hercules with his legs bent  "The Kneeler" praying to his father, Zeus, to aid him in an upcoming battle. Below his feet, to the north, are the stars of Draco the Dragon, ready to be crushed underfoot. To the southwest is the little circle of stars that form the constellation of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown.

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Hercules and its treasures will be in the night sky from now until early autumn. Let's take a look at some of the best objects within the constellation.

Seeing stars in Hercules

Hercules contains quite a few double and binary stars within reach ofthat can be viewed with a backyard telescope. One of the nicest is modest Rasalgethi, or Ras Algethi ("Head of the Kneeler"), which sits about 16 degrees to the southwest (lower right) of the bottommost corner of the keystone. In a small telescope, this star easily splits into a lovely pair of orange and greenish stars. The slightly brighter one is a red-giant-class star that varies in brightness randomly over months to years. The partner is a yellow, sun-like star that is itself a binary star too tightly spaced to resolve. The stars are about 360 light-years away and are orbiting one another witha period of 3,600 years. This double star, like many others, was given a single name centuries before telescopes revealed that there was more than one star there.

The brightest star in Hercules, Kornephoros ("the club bearer"), sits just below Corona Borealis. Only 3 degrees (about two finger widths) to its right is the double star Gamma () Herculis. This is another pair that easily splits into two yellow stars in a modest telescope. But this double is an optical illusion; the fainter star is actually much closer to us! [Jupiter, Virgo Cluster and More: May 2016 Skywatching Video]

Marsic ("the Elbow"), or Kappa () Herculis, is another "line of sight" double star that's easy to spot in a small telescope. It's not far from Gamma Herculis. I'll leave it to you to track it down using your sky-charting app.

Globular Cluster Messier 13

Hercules contains one of my favorite objects, a globular cluster known as the Great Hercules Cluster or Messier 13 (M13). This object is a tightly packed ball of about 300,000 old stars. At magnitude 5.9, it is visible with unaided eyes under dark skies as a faint smudge, but reveals much more under magnification. M13 is located along the western (right) edge of the keystone, about one-third of the way from the wide end. Midway between Hercules' knees, there is another, smaller globular cluster called Messier 92. This one is also readily visible in binoculars. A third, fainter globular cluster, designated NGC 6229, is 6.5 degrees, or a palm's width, above M92.

Globular clusters are one of the most interesting classes of objects for amateur astronomers. These spherical concentrations of old, densely packed stars orbit in the region just outside our Milky Way galaxy, and we've observed many of them around other galaxies, including the Andromeda Galaxy. In a telescope under dark skies, they will appear similar to a pile of salt poured onto black velvet, with a dense, white center surrounded by a sprinkling of outlying stars. Each one looks different, varying in the scattering of stars. Photographs reveal that these objects contain a mixture of reddish, blue and yellow stars in different proportions.

The Great Hercules Globular Cluster was first observed by British astronomer Edmond Halley in 1714 and was later included as No. 13 in Charles Messier's famous list of noncometary objects. The cluster is relatively close, at 21,500 light-years away, making it a bright magnitude 5.8, and it actually covers an area of sky 20 arc-minutes across. That's about two-thirds of the moon's diameter! [The Moon: 10 Surprising Lunar Facts]

More than 150 of these clusters have been mapped around our galaxy. They are so densely packed that the stars in their interiors are extremely close together, stirring the imagination of those contemplating extraterrestrial intelligent life. Advanced civilizations around stars deep in a globular cluster would be able to exchange radio messages on timescales of weeks or months  and travel between adjacent solar systems would not require the decades or centuries we would need to visit our nearest neighbors. In fact, M13 was also one of the first targets for potential contact with other civilizations, when a radio message was beamed there from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico in 1974.

Your astronomy app lists these objects under the Deep Sky category. In the SkySafariand Stellariumapps, they are displayed using a crosshatched circle. In Star Walk 2,they are rendered as fuzzy patches. (All three apps are available for iOS and Android.) Ensure that your app has the deep-sky object display enabled as you tour around the night sky all summer, especially from more remote locations.

Depending on your app, you may need to enlarge the constellation for the symbols to appear. SkySafari has an option to show objects even in wide fields. As the Milky Way climbs overhead in the summer months, many globular clusters are distributed on both sides of it. How many can you spot?

Going beyond

The figures that constellations depict are unique to our vantage point on Earth. Each star lies at a different distance from the sun, and if we could travel to another star, the shape of the constellations would change.

You can try this for yourself. In the SkySafari app, search for Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the sun. Tap the Orbit icon, and the app will fly you there. Once there, you can use the search option to find Hercules and center it. The shape will become quite a bit different! A tap on the Globe icon flies you home again, but while you're out there, try looking at some other familiar constellations. Some will be completely unrecognizable. The Star Walk 2 app allows you to select a constellation and rotate it in 3D. You may have to purchase the additional content pack to use it.

The stars of Hercules host at least 15 known exoplanets, including TrES-4, whose mass is 1.7 times that of Jupiter and is one of the biggest alien worlds ever discovered. However, its calculated density is extremely low  about that of cork! This is one of the "hot Jupiter" class of exoplanets, with a surface temperature in excess of 2,750 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius). There a number of exoplanet apps for iOS and Android, including the free Exo Planets Explorer 3Dfor Android and Exoplanet for iOS.

In future editions of mobile astronomy, we'll look at photographing objects with your smartphone, some cool astronomy virtual-reality apps and hardware, how to use astronomy apps in the classroom, and more. Until then, keep looking up!

Editor's note: Chris Vaughan is an astronomy public outreach and education specialist, and operator of the historic 1.88-meter David Dunlap Observatory telescope. You can contact him by email, and follow him on Twitter @astrogeoguy, as well as Facebook and Tumblr.

This article was provided by Simulation Curriculum, the leader in space science curriculum solutions and the makers of the SkySafari app for Android and iOS. Follow SkySafari on Twitter @SkySafariAstro. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Copyright 2016 SPACE.com, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
PARIS (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic began his pursuit of the only grand slam title missing from his collection with a no-nonsense 6-4 6-1 6-1 win over Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun in the French Open first round on Tuesday. The Serbian top seed now stands only six matches away from becoming the first man in almost 50 years to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time. Looking to achieve a feat that was last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969, the 11-times major champion appeared to be a in a hurry to escape the cold and dank confines of Philippe Chatrier Court. In fact, facing an opponent who had not played a top tier match since last October, Djokovic's only blip was when he dropped serve in the eighth game of the opening set. But having leveled for 4-4, the wheels came off for Lu and the 32-year-old only won two more games before Djokovic safely secured a second-round clash with Belgian Steve Darcis. (Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Ed Osmond)
An Oregon dog will live to camp another day thanks to a veterinary employee who saved him from euthanasia with mere moments to spare.

Ollie, a 10-year-old Shetland sheepdog had led a healthy life up until he suddenly and mysteriously began to lose control over his body.

As veterinarian after veterinarian scratched their heads about what was causing the paralysis, Ollie's condition worsened to the point he could no longer walk or even control his bowels.

The situation became so dire and Ollie's quality of life so poor that his owners, Al and Joelle Meteney, decided to euthanize their beloved companion rather than watch him suffer.

The couple took Ollie to DoveLewis Animal Hospital in Portland, where Dr. Dr. Adam Stone was put in charge of his end-of-life care.

Read: After 2 Years Apart, Animal Lover Reunites With Chained Dog She Once Cared For

The clinic explained what happened next in a release:

As he and extern Neena Golden were preparing for the procedure, Neena took a moment to comfort Ollie. She was scratching behind his ears and felt a strange lump in his thick fur. The lump turned out to be a tick. Even though Ollie was wearing a tick collar during his outdoor trip, the creature had still managed to lodge itself in Ollies fur.

As it turned out, Ollie's mysterious illness could be explained by a rare reaction to a substance found in the saliva of certain tick species.

The family had, not long before Ollie's symptoms appeared, taken the dog on a camping trip where he likely picked up the parasite.

Read: Great Dane Gets Rescued From 20-Foot Tree After Somehow Getting Stuck

The tick was very bloated, and there was lots of fecal material from the tick. It had obviously been there for a while, Dr. Stone said. " I had never seen a tick paralysis case. Its one of those things you learn about randomly in school  its on one slide during one presentation.

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As stunning as the diagnosis was, Ollie's recovery from tick paralysis  which usually takes days was just as shocking.

Only about 10 hours after the tick was removed, Al Meteney was surprised to hear the clicking of Ollies nails on their hardwood floor, the press release reads.

Ollie was walking on his own power and ready to be let outside for a bathroom break. We were astounded by the quick turnaround, he said. Ollie is looking better and better every day.

Watch: Heart-Thumping GoPro Footage Shows Hero Motorcyclist Saving Kitten from Busy Road

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By Daniel Wiessner

May 24 (Reuters) - The New York attorney general's office on Tuesday filed a lawsuit claiming Domino's Pizza Inc is liable for alleged wage theft by franchisees because the company used a computer system that it knew under-calculated workers' pay.

The lawsuit is the first by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office to claim a fast-food company is a "joint employer," meaning it is liable for the labor violations of its franchisees, but only the latest such case by U.S. regulators against other companies, including McDonald's Corp.

Domino's micromanaged employee relations at 10 stores owned by three franchisees in New York City and its suburbs, according to the lawsuit, including ordering the disciplining or firing of specific workers and discouraging union organizing. The company and the franchisees were each named as defendants.

Employees at the restaurants were underpaid by $565,000 because of a faulty computer program that Domino's required franchisees to use and refused to fix, the attorney general said.

"We've discovered that Domino's headquarters was intensely involved in store operations and even caused many of these violations," Schneiderman said in a statement.

Domino's spokesman Tim McIntyre said the company's franchisees are solely responsible for the hiring, firing and payment of their own employees. Nonetheless, he said, the company has worked with Schneiderman's office and franchisees to ensure employees are paid properly.

"The attorney general now wants the company to take steps that ... could impact the viability of the franchise model, the many opportunities it offers to those looking to start their own businesses, and the millions of jobs those franchised businesses create," he said.

Schneiderman's office in recent years has settled cases with 12 other Domino's franchisees who own 61 stores and had been accused of depriving workers of minimum wage and overtime pay.

Tuesday's lawsuit comes as McDonald's Corp is facing a high-profile trial at the National Labor Relations Board on similar claims that it is liable for various labor violations because of the degree of control the company exerts over franchises.

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The NLRB last year issued a controversial decision that said companies may be considered joint employers of workers supplied by a contractor if they possess even the potential to control working conditions.

Business groups say that ruling, which is being challenged in a federal appeals court, could upend labor contracting and the franchise model.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Trott)
ALBUQUERQUE  Donald Trumps ability to unite a splintered Republican Party faces another crucial test Tuesday as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee makes his first visit to New Mexico, the most Hispanic state in the nation and where Latino Republicans have condemned his harsh rhetoric on immigration and other policies.

Even before he arrives, Trump is getting the cold shoulder from the states most prominent Hispanic politician, Republican Gov. Susana Martinez. She told reporters on Monday she was too busy to attend his rally scheduled for Tuesday evening at a convention center here.

The snub comes as Martinez, a longtime Trump critic who backed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the primary, has notably refused to line up behind the presumptive Republican presidential nominee even after GOP leaders have called for the party to unify behind him.

Martinez, the nations first Latina governor and a rising star in the GOP who heads the Republican Governors Association (RGA), has been heavily critical of Trumps anti-immigrant fervor. At a closed-door fundraiser for the RGA in Florida last month, Martinez reportedly told some of the partys biggest donors that, as a Hispanic, the language Trump had used about immigrants offended her and threatened to taint the GOP brand. Among other things, the real estate mogul kicked off his campaign last summer with a speech that accused Mexico of sending criminals and rapists across the border  comments Martinez has described as horrible.

At the same time, Martinez, a former prosecutor, mocked one of the central planks of Trumps campaign for the presidency: his bid to erect a massive wall along the countrys border with Mexico and force Mexican officials to pay for it. According to the Washington Post, which first reported on Martinezs comments, she called the proposal unrealistic and irresponsible.

But Martinez isnt the only person staying away from Trumps rally. Several other leading New Mexico Republicans were expected to skip the event, including Rep. Steve Pearce, the states lone GOP congressman.

Story continues

The trip comes as Trump is not only trying to unite the party, but also make nice with Hispanic voters, an increasingly influential part of the electorate that has been largely alienated by his anti-immigrant message that fueled his unlikely path to the GOP nomination.

While Trump is not expected to back away from his proposal to build a border wall, there has been some speculation about whether he might moderate his tone or try to find compromise with Republicans who have encouraged the party to find ways to appeal to Latino voters this fall.

In some ways, Trump has softened his message. While its still listed as a plank of his immigration proposal, the real estate mogul no longer uses his stump speech to tout his plan to deport the estimated 10 million people who immigrated to the U.S. illegally  one sign of hope for those encouraging compromise. A spokeswoman for Trump did not respond to a request for comment on whether the candidates position had changed.

At the same time, Trump, whose campaign does not formally have an adviser for Latino outreach, has had more than a few missteps in trying to woo Hispanics. Earlier this month, the former reality television star caused a stir when he marked Cinco de Mayo by tweeting a photo of himself posing with a taco bowl. I love Hispanics! he wrote.

But in recent weeks, Trump has launched more serious efforts find common ground with Latino leaders. He met privately with representatives of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the largest Latino evangelical organization in the country. He later taped a video for the groups members, which was played at the organizations California conference last weekend.

In the message, Trump talked up his business record, touting his ability to create jobs. Echoing a message that hes also pushed to black voters, Trump also vowed to take care of minority unemployment  once and for all.

But a Fox News Latino poll released last week suggests that Trump faces a serious challenge with Hispanic voters heading into the fall. The poll found Trump trailing Clinton by 39 points among Latinos. At the same time, 74 percent of Latinos polled said they had an unfavorable view of the presumptive GOP nominee.

Those statistics are of particular concern to Republicans in New Mexico, where Latinos make up an estimated 25 percent of the GOP voting electorate and growing. Privately, GOP officials are concerned about Trumps effect on down-ballot Republicans in what is considered a crucial swing state.

Thats one reason why Martinez is still holding out on formally backing Trump. A GOP official, who declined to be named, said the governor isnt necessarily #NeverTrump but that she wants to influence Trump to moderate his tone toward immigrants and women  two voting blocs the party and Trump desperately need this November.
The Philippine President-elect says the countrys late former dictator Ferdinand Marcos  who died in exile in Hawaii in 1989 after his countrymen threw him out of power in a popular uprising  can have a heros burial.

Agence France-Presse reports that Rodrigo Duterte will allow Marcos to be interred at a Manila cemetery reserved for military personnel and national heroes, which would give a boost to his familys hopes of further political rehabilitation.

I will allow the burial of Marcos in the Heroes Cemetery, not because he was a hero but because he was a Filipino soldier, Duterte, the tough-talking mayor of Davao City who won the May 9 elections and is set to assume power next month, told reporters in his hometown.

Although Marcos is accused of widespread human-rights abuses and stealing about $10 billion from the state during two decades in power, his family remains a powerful political force. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., better known by the nickname Bongbong, ran for the vice presidency this year, but preliminary results show he was narrowly beaten, although he has questioned the validity of the results.

[AFP]
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - The number of people in France and Britain who have tried an electronic or e-cigarette has risen sharply in just two years, according to a Europe-wide study published on Tuesday. The research, led by scientists at Britain's Imperial College London, looked at attitudes to and use of e-cigarettes across Europe between 2012 and 2014. It found that France had the highest use of e-cigarettes, with the proportion of those who had tried one nearly tripling to 21.3 percent from 7.3 percent. In the UK the figure rose from 8.9 percent in 2012 to 15.5 percent in 2014 - higher than the European average. Using data from more than 53,000 people across Europe - with at least 1,000 from each country - the study also found the proportion of people across Europe who consider e-cigarettes dangerous nearly doubled to 51 percent from 27 percent. E-cigarettes are metal tubes that heat liquids typically laced with nicotine and deliver vapor when inhaled. The liquids come in thousands of flavors, from cotton candy to pizza. Use of the devices has grown quickly in the last decade, with U.S. sales expected to reach $4.1 billion in 2016, according to Wells Fargo Securities. Experts fiercely debate whether the devices can help people give up smoking and whether they are safe - with some studies raising concerns about the toxicity of some of the ingredients. "This research shows e-cigarettes are becoming very popular across Europe - with more than one in ten people in Europe now having tried one," said Filippos Filippidis, who led the European study and published it in the BMJ journal Tobacco Control. Noting that there are still questions about the long-term risks and benefits of e-cigarettes, he added: "We urgently need more research into the devices so that we can answer these questions." The average number of people across Europe who had tried an e-cigarette rose by 60 percent between 2012 and 2014, to 11.6 percent from 7.2 percent. Most people who reported trying e-cigarettes were former or current smokers, although the number who had never smoked tobacco but had tried them also rose. A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday found that in the United States use of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices has stalled with about 10 percent of those surveyed using the devices, the same percentage as in a similar poll in 2015. (editing by John Stonestreet)
By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - Infants exposed to higher levels of vehicular air pollution more often have problems later on in the small airways near the edges of their lungs, according to a new study. The finding that early life exposure to air pollutants affects the so-called peripheral airways, has not been reported before, said lead author Dr. Erica S. Schultz of the Karolinska Institutet Institute of Environmental Medicine in Stockholm, Sweden. The lungs and airways are exposed to different air pollutants throughout life, but as the lungs are not fully developed at birth, young children are considered to be particularly vulnerable to adverse effects, she said. Because the effects are small, they may have little impact on healthy people living in areas with little pollution, Schultz and her coauthors write. But the findings may be relevant in areas with high pollution levels and for people with respiratory conditions. The researchers studied roughly 2,400 children recruited between 1994 and 1996 in Sweden for whom they had data on air pollution exposure as infants and lung function as teens. In particular, they studied the resistance in the teens peripheral airways, or how hard it is to get air through those passages. The researchers focused on nitrogen oxides in vehicle exhaust and particulate matter from road erosion. They used records of road traffic, meteorological conditions and topography to model pollution levels at residential and school addresses for the kids in the first year of life and for the year prior to their 16th birthdays. As infant exposure to nitrogen oxides increased by 10 micrograms per cubic meter, teen airway resistance also increased. The association was strongest for boys and for those with asthma at age 16. Pollution exposure at ages 15 and 16 was not related to lung function, however. The authors reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology that particulate matter did not have a significant relationship with airway resistance. An increasing amount of studies demonstrate the importance of airway periphery for lung health, Schultz told Reuters Health by email. Whats concerning is that the effect from first year of life seem to be long-lasting although we yet dont know the full clinical implication of this effect. Most teens would not feel any symptoms of their reduced lung function as the effect was small, she said. Stockholm has relatively low air pollution levels, she said. For more polluted cities, the effects may be greater and cause conditions like asthma, heart attacks, strokes and early death. From this study, we cannot say that children with asthma or any other respiratory conditions will become worse from current exposure, even though that has been reported from several other studies, Schultz said. But policymakers should take traffic air pollution levels into considerations when planning for housing, schools and daycare centers, she said. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/20wLuxb Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, online May 7, 2016.
Reading (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Comedian Eddie Izzard threw his surreal wit behind the campaign to keep Britain in the European Union on Tuesday, calling June 23's vote "the biggest decision of our lives".

Izzard, known for his rambling monologues and cross-dressing, is appearing at a string of universities around the country to encourage young people to vote -- and to back staying in the EU.

As well as drawing support from establishment figures in industry and politics, Prime Minister David Cameron's push to keep Britain in the 28-nation bloc has attracted a string of entertainers.

These include actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Jude Law and Helena Bonham Carter, all of whom signed an open letter last week.

"Don't let other people decide your future for you -- this is the biggest decision of our lives," was how Izzard summed up his message to AFP ahead of a debate at the University of Reading at the start of his 31-stop tour in 31 days.

He joked that the EU was set up to help Europeans make "beautiful stuff" and stop them from fighting each other.

"I say we've fought wars from Alexander the Great to World War II," he said.

"Two and a half thousand years in Europe where we were fighting -- in between that, we were making beautiful stuff, getting on, and then we'd do fighting again.

"The European Union was set up for that."

Young people would notice a string of changes to their lives if Britain left the EU, from more expensive flights to Europe to the loss of free healthcare access on the continent, Izzard added.

The comedian, who performs in French and German as well as English, said he has gigged in 18 European countries and hoped young people in the future would enjoy the same kind of access.

"We can all do this," he said. "I want all young people to have these opportunities."
CAIRO (Reuters) - Human remains retrieved from the crashed EgyptAir flight suggest that there was an explosion on board the plane, although no traces of explosives have been detected, an Egyptian forensics official and investigation sources said on Tuesday. The official based his assessment on the small size of body parts so far recovered from the Mediterranean Sea, where EgyptAir flight 804 crashed on Thursday. The size of the remains points towards an explosion, the biggest part was the size of a palm, the forensics official said, adding that about 23 bags of body parts had been collected since Sunday. However, another senior forensics official said only a tiny number of remains had arrived so far and it was too early to specify whether there had been an explosion aboard. French investigators say the plane sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke had been detected on board as well as other possible computer faults shortly before it disappeared. The signals did not indicate what may have caused smoke, and aviation experts have said that neither deliberate sabotage nor a technical fault could be ruled out. Investigators rely on debris, bags and clothes as well as chemical analysis to detect the imprints of an explosion, according to people involved in two previous probes where deliberate blasts were involved. (Reporting by Haitham Ahmed; Writing Lin Noueihed; Editing by Dominic Evans)
The Godzilla El Nino that began last fall is finally over after months of above-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific that altered weather patterns around the world, the Australian weather-monitoring agency said Tuesday.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorologys counterparts in other countries around the world will likely announce the same finding in their coming El Nino reports. Reports published earlier this month by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the World Meteorological Organization suggested that El Nino was already in decline.

A majority of climate models suggest that the climate pattern La Nina will develop in the wake of El Nino, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. La Nina  a climate phenomenon characterized by significantly below-average temperatures in the equatorial Pacific  brings dry and warm weather to the southern U.S. and Mexico, and wet weather throughout much of the Pacific, according to an NOAA report.

The outgoing iteration of El Nino brought rain to California and worsened drought across Africa and elsewhere. Globally, the climate phenomenon contributed to high temperatures that made last year the hottest on record and will likely make 2016 even hotter. But still, El Nino failed to live up to some expectations that it would dwarf the 1997 El Nino in size and impact. The rainfall in California, for instance, was not enough to lift the state out of its crippling drought.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f9698%2f0fbfda0c71f74db6ba1d2cb8103c9ac7

A lullaby may be intended to help children doze off to sleep, but Faamai the elephant seems to enjoy them just the same.

After giving caretaker Lek a big elephant hug, Faamai knows that some serious nap time is about to go down.

SEE ALSO: Baby elephant gets unstuck from mud with a little help from its squad

Faamai is located at Save the Elephant Foundation, a Thai non-profit elephant rescue that provides care and assistance to the country's elephant population.

Bonus: 100 years of kitten beauty in 60 seconds
Embraer S.A. ERJ announced that it has signed an agreement to supply 23 business jets to Across, Mexicos premium business aviation services provider. The order includes eight Legacy 500, eight Phenom 300 and seven Phenom 100E jets. The total value of the deal at current list prices is $260 million.



Embraer is a leading producer of jets in the 70130 seat category. The company continues to receive orders for its high quality jets, exiting the first quarter of 2016 with a backlog of $21.9 billion. This reflected a 7.4% increase from $20.4 billion a year ago.



The order from the Mexican aviation service provider is already included in the first-quarter backlog. This deal will deepen the bond between Embraer and Across.



The small commercial airplane market is slated to expand over the long term. Embraer in its 20-year Market Outlook had stated that it expects total market deliveries of 6,350 jets  2,250 units in the 70- to 90-seat segment and 4,100 units in the 90- to 130-seat segment. The global fleet-in-service of the 70- to 130-seat jet is expected to increase from 2,590 aircraft in 2014 to 6,490 by 2034, the fastest growing among all aircraft seat segments.



The replacement of ageing aircraft will represent 39% of new deliveries while 61% of deliveries will come from market growth. Embraer has a strong presence in this segment and is likely to witness significant top-line growth. Its R&D focus will also help the company to hold its ground in a tough competitive market.



The large commercial airplane market is also poised to expand over the long run and have ample growth opportunity for the big commercial airplane producers like The Boeing Company BA and Airbus Group SE EADSY.



Embraer S.A. currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the same space is Engility Holdings, Inc. EGL, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



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Encanas May 17 Presentation on Montney: Some Key Takeaways

Natural gas prices are in a downtrend

The lower-for-longer trend in natural gas prices over the last two years has seen the value of natural gas decline by ~72%. It has also taken its toll on natural gas producers. When natural gas prices are in decline, profit margins for natural gas producers are adversely affected. Their stock prices fall along with natural gas prices. Encana (ECA) is no exception. Its stock price has fallen ~87% since natural gas prices peaked in February 2014.

The stock of other natural gas producers also fell. Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD), EOG Resources (EOG), ConocoPhillips (COP), and Southwestern Energy (SWN) saw share prices fall ~40%, ~39%, ~51%, and ~84%, respectively, in the same period. Movements in natural gas (GASX) (UNG) prices also affect the VelocityShares 3X Long Natural Gas ETN (UGAZ) and the VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN (DGAZ).

Encanas downtrend

As you can see in the above chart, Encanas stock price is in a downtrend with a clear pattern of lower highs and lower lows. When natural gas prices were in an uptrend from mid-2012 to February 2014, Encanas stock price displayed poor relative performance and was bound in a range of $15$24. This set the stage for a steep decline when natural gas prices started to fall in February 2014. The result was steep reductions in earnings due to lower natural gas prices.

In this series

On May 17, 2016, Encana held its Presentation for Investors on its Montney Resource Play in Canada. In this series, well see what Encanas management is thinking about Montney. Well also take a close look at the most interesting fundamental points outlined by Encana in its Montney presentation. Finally, well see what Wall Street analysts are saying about Encana after the presentation.

Lets start by seeing why Montney is Encanas core resource play.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Yenagoa (Nigeria) (AFP) - A subsidiary of Italian oil producer Eni has declared a force majeure following an attack on a key gas pipeline in southern Nigeria, the company said Tuesday.

The measure at the Brass Rivers terminal took effect Sunday after the OgbaimbiriTebidaba pipeline was attacked by suspected militants.

"I can confirm the force majeure on Brass," Eni said in an emailed statement.

Force majeure is a legal term that frees a company from any contractual obligation due to circumstances beyond its control.

The company said the attack on the pipeline -- the second in under a month -- led to an oil output loss equivalent to 4,200 barrels per day.

Nigeria has seen an upsurge in attacks on critical oil infrastructure in recent months, prompting President Muhammadu Buhari to order enhanced security.

Africa's leading economy relies on oil sales for 70 percent of government revenue but income has been hit by the global fall in oil prices since mid-2014 and increased militancy.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said production is now at 1.4 million barrels per day, against a budgeted 2.2 million bpd.

A group calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has claimed responsibility for a wave of attacks on pipelines and facilities operated by Shell, Chevron and Nigeria's state-run oil firm.

The Niger delta region was plagued by attacks on oil facilities and personnel in the 2000s by militants seeking a fairer share of the region's oil wealth, until a government amnesty was introduced in 2009.
We all saw the terrific trailer of the Salman Khan - Anushka Sharma starrer Sultan, which released today. Salman and Anushka were excited and happy to release their trailer and spoke about their movie at the grand launch. Speaking about his experiences shooting for this challenging role of a wrestler, Salman, being his usual witty self said, I enjoyed shooting in langots. Now I know how heroines feel in shorts or in swimsuits. Needless to say, Salman had the crowd in splits with this revelation.

Recommended Read: Salman Khans Reaction To His 'Marriage Rumours is Epic!

He added, When I came out wearing the langot, I had tears in my eyes. And Im not at all sharmila type.

Well, we however know for a fact that Salman pulled it off quite successfully, dont we? The film, which also stars Randeep Hooda and Amit Sadh is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and all set to release on July 6.

Are you looking forward to this one?
Manchester United legend Eric Cantona turns 50 on Tuesday May 24.

He was voted as the greatest player in the history of the club by fans, ahead of greats like George Best, Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards.

But whether you agree with that or not, the engimatic Frenchman played a huge role in establishing United as a Premier League force, winning four titles and two FA Cups - and creating a million headlines.

Yahoo Sport looks at the impact he made at Old Trafford year-by-year.

1992

November 27



HIGH: Signs for Manchester United from Leeds for 1.2m.



December 6

HIGH: Makes United debut in 2-1 win over Manchester City.



December 19

HIGH: Scores first United goal in 1-1 draw at Chelsea.



December 26

HIGH: Scores second goal as United come back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Sheffield Wednesday.

1993

February 8

LOW: Spat at a Leeds fan on his return to Elland Road. Fined 1,000 by FA.



May

HIGH: United win Premier League, becomes first player to win back-to-back titles with different clubs.

[ERIC CANTONA'S MANCHESTER UNITED CAREER IN PICTURES]



November 3

LOW: Sent off as United knocked out of the Champions League by Galatasaray in Istanbul.



March 27

LOW: Beaten in League Cup final by Aston Villa.



March

LOW: Sent off in successive Premier League games, against Swindon and Arsenal, and receives a five-match ban.

Eric Cantona scores his side's first penalty as Chelsea goalkeeper Dmitri Kharine dives the wrong way in the 1994 FA Cup Final

May

HIGH: United retain the Premier League.



May 14

HIGH: Scores twice in 4-0 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea.



May

HIGH: Voted PFA Player of the Year, first foreign player to win the award.

1995

January 25

LOW: Sent off at Crystal Palace for kicking Richard Shaw. Reacting to taunts of a Palace fan, Matthew Simmons, Cantona launched a 'kung-fu' style kick into the crowd, followed by a series of punches.

Receives a two-week prison sentence after being found guilty of assault. This was reduced to 120 hours of community service on appeal.

United banned Cantona for four months, with the suspension later increased to eight by the FA. He was also fined two weeks' wages.

Story continues

August 8

LOW: Hands in transfer request but after a Paris meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson declares his intention to remain at Old Trafford.

October 1

HIGH: Scores against Liverpool in first game back after suspension.

1996

March 4

HIGH: Scores only goal at Newcastle, part of a sequence in which he finds the in six successive matches.



May 5

HIGH: United beat Middlesbrough to regain title.



May 11

HIGH: Scores only goal as Reds beat Liverpool at Wembley to win the FA Cup and complete a second double in three years.

Eric Cantona as Manchester United lose to Dortmund





May

HIGH: Named FWA player of the year.



July

HIGH: Appointed permanent captain.

1997

April 12

HIGH: Scores final goal as a United player in a 3-2 win at Blackburn.



April 23

LOW: Beaten by Borussia Dortmund in Champions League semi-final.



May

HIGH: Wins fourth Premier League in five seasons with United.



May 11

LOW: Plays his final game for United, a 2-0 win against West Ham.



May 17

LOW: Announces retirement at the age of 30, the day after playing in a testimonial for David Busst.

Cantona stats

Appearances: 175

Goals: 79

Honours

Premier League: 1992-93, 93-94, 95-96, 96-97

FA Cup: 1993-94, 95-96.
Brussels (AFP) - The EU's anti-trust regulator on Tuesday cleared the blockbuster buyout by the world's top brewer AB InBev of rival SABMiller, but only on condition that it sells off most of SABMiller's European business.

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 European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of SABMiller, the world's second largest brewer, by AB InBev, the world's largest brewer," the EU's executive said in a statement.

"The clearance is conditional on AB InBev selling practically the entire SABMiller beer business in Europe," it added.

AB InBev, brewer of Stella Artois and Budweiser, has already agreed to sell off major European brands owned by SABMiller, including Peroni and Grolsch. Japanese beer giant Asahi Group agreed to buy those brands last month for an undisclosed sum.

But the EU demanded the brewer go further with AB InBev offering to also divest SABMiller's business in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

"The Commission's decision to approve the deal is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments," the statement added.

Last month, InBev also said it would sell SABMiller's stake in leading Chinese beermaker Snow Breweries, in a move that appeared aimed at persuading Chinese regulators to sign off on the giant merger deal.

Australia's corporate regulator earlier this month approved the buyout after AB Inbev offered some minor concessions on its distribution agreements with rivals.

AB InBev 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.
By Gabriela Baczynska and Jakub Iglewski BRUSSELS/WARSAW (Reuters) - The European Union gave Poland more time on Tuesday to settle a constitutional crisis, saying it was not about to escalate its unprecedented investigation into whether government policies were threatening the rule of law. The EU executive Commission launched its inquiry after the government changed the way the constitutional court operates, something critics said undermined the tribunal's ability to uphold democratic checks and balances. Last week, the Commission gave Warsaw until Monday to make substantial progress in addressing its concerns, threatening to pursue a procedure which could ultimately see Poland stripped of its voting rights in the EU - something never done before. After meeting Prime Minister Beata Szydlo on Tuesday, however, Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans said Poland should find its own solution to the crisis. "I fully agree with the Polish prime minister when she says this is only a Polish problem and that we can only find a Polish solution," Timmermans told reporters in Warsaw. Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said no formal decision on escalating the probe would be made right away. Since coming to power in October, the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) has strengthened its grip on key institutions, including the secret services and public media. It also enacted legislation increasing the number of constitutional court judges required to make rulings, changing the order in which cases are heard and rejecting court appointments made by the previous government. The court itself has refused to implement the new rules. The Commission has to tread a thin line between ensuring Warsaw does not breach the EU's democratic standards and avoiding souring relations with governments as the continent struggles with the migration crisis and awaits Britain's vote on whether to leave the 28-nation bloc. Szydlo, who last week said in an emotional speech that she would "not yield to any ultimatum" from Brussels, said after Tuesday's talks with Timmermans that the government had proposed ways to make the constitutional tribunal operate transparently. "The Polish government has proposed such solutions to the debate over the court which ... meet all the conditions to settle the conflict," she said. Neither Warsaw nor Brussels announced any details about the talks that were largely aimed at calming the escalating spat. "Actions speak louder than words. I look forward to the day when the (Polish) PM will present her compromise proposal to all political groups," Guy Verhofstadt, a Liberal member of the European Parliament, said in an emailed comment. (Additional reporting by Marcin Goclowski in Warsaw, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska and Justyna Pawlak, Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
By Foo Yun Chee

The world's largest brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR) gained EU antitrust approval on Tuesday for its $100 billion-plus (68.4 billion-plus) acquisition of SABMiller (SAB.L) on condition it sell almost the whole of SABMiller's beer business in Europe.

Reuters was the first to report that AB InBev's concessions to sell substantial assets would secure the EU green light for one of the largest corporate takeovers ever.

AB InBev has already agreed to sell SABMiller's Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime beer brands to Japan's Asahi Group Holdings Ltd and to divest eastern European assets, three people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The takeover will give it a third of the global beer market, selling twice as much beer as its nearest rival Heineken (HEIN.AS).

The European Commission said Europeans bought around 125 billion euros (95.2 billion) worth of beer every year so even a relatively small increase would cause considerable harm to consumers.

"It was therefore very important that AB InBev's takeover of SABMiller did not reduce competition on European beer markets," EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

The deal still needs to be approved by authorities in the United States and China. Australia and South Africa have already given their blessing.

The Belgium-based maker of Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois wants to strengthen its presence in Latin America and Africa to offset weaker markets such as the United States where craft brews and cocktails are gaining popularity at the expense of beers.
* Finance ministers to OK Greek reform review in principle

* Technical tweaks needed before next loan tranche paid

* Euro zone still at odds with IMF over debt relief

By Jan Strupczewski and Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS, May 24 (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers are likely on Tuesday to approve in principle a reform package from Greece that will unblock new loans, but they appear far from committing to the debt relief that the IMF has called for.

Euro zone officials said Greece has implemented all the economic reforms required for new disbursements, though final approval would depend on unspecified "technical corrections" to aspects of the Greek legislation.

The ministers were therefore likely to ask their deputies to oversee the required amendments over the next week or two and then give the final go-ahead.

"I'm expecting an agreement in principle on Greece, subject to some technical review in the next couple of weeks," Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan told reporters.

The size of the next loan tranche has not been decided, officials said, with proposals ranging from 8-9 billion euros ($8.9-10 billion) to 12 billion euros.

"The most important thing is to conclude the review and agree on the tranche to give Greece some breathing space. We don't need another liquidity crisis," said Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir.

Greece's needs another tranche of bailout funds by mid-July at the latest to avoid defaulting on debt repayments to the IMF and the European Central Bank.

Athens' debt servicing costs will become progressively less manageable over coming decades, and the ministers are also due to discuss relief on the debt pile, most of which is held by the euro zone bailout fund.

But any agreement beyond a tentative "roadmap" on that issue is unlikely, official said.

A group of countries led by Germany - where aid for Greece is politically contentious - argue that any firm commitments on euro zone debt that Greece does not have to start servicing until 2023 would remove the incentive to continue with reforms.

Story continues

DEBT RELIEF DILEMMA

The IMF, which has yet to sign up to the current Greek bailout, insists that Athens needs substantial debt relief and that binding decisions have to be taken before the package ends in 2018.

"Providing an upfront unconditional component to debt relief is critical to provide a strong and credible signal to markets about the commitment of official creditors to ensuring debt sustainability," the Fund said in a report on Greece.

But Germany believes a detailed discussion on debt relief can be held later, and should be made conditional on Greece's progress with reforms and on data.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told reporters he was also not willing to commit to any action after next year, when Germany holds parliamentary elections.

"We will take the decisions when they need to be made. Now I have the legitimacy and in 2018 it will be for those who the German people have chosen in 2017," Schaeuble said.

On May 9, euro zone finance ministers offered to consider debt relief after the reform review was complete with a view to offering, if necessary, relief from 2018, if the country had delivered on all reforms by then.

Officials said on Tuesday that an outline text of an agreement on debt measures was likely to take a similar line.

"We see the outcome as a roadmap of potential measures and preconditions," a senior euro zone official said.

To facilitate a deal on Greece, the chairman of euro zone leaders Donald Tusk met earlier on Tuesday with the head of euro zone finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi and the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

"I am cautiously optimistic. A positive outcome for the euro zone and a satisfactory one for Greece is in the cards," a second senior euro zone official said after the meeting.

($1 = 0.8966 euros) (Additional reporting By Phil Blenkinsop and Tom Koerkemeier; editing by John Stonestreet)
* Finance ministers to OK Greek reform review in principle

* Technical tweaks needed before next loan tranche paid

* Euro zone still at odds with IMF over debt relief (Adds draft agreement on new loans)

By Jan Strupczewski and Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS, May 24 (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers are likely to approve new loans to Greece worth some 10.3 billion euros in two instalments, according to a draft statement seen by euro zone officials during a meeting on Tuesday.

The disbursements, one next month worth 7.8 billion euros and a second of 2.5 billion later, acknowledge fiscal reforms Athens has undertaken this year. But the ministers were still far from committing to the debt relief that the International Monetary Fund says Greece should also have.

Euro zone officials said Greece has implemented all the economic reforms required for new disbursements, though absolutely final approval is likely to depend on unspecified "technical corrections" to aspects of the Greek legislation.

The ministers, who continued to debate the issue late into the evening in Brussels, were therefore likely to ask their deputies to oversee the further required amendments over the next week or two before giving the final go-ahead.

"I'm expecting an agreement in principle on Greece, subject to some technical review in the next couple of weeks," Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan told reporters.

Greece's needs another tranche of bailout funds by mid-July at the latest to avoid defaulting on debt repayments to the IMF and the European Central Bank.

Athens' debt servicing costs will become progressively less manageable over coming decades, and the ministers were also due on Tuesday to discuss relief on the debt pile, most of which is held by the euro zone bailout fund.

But any agreement beyond a tentative "roadmap" on that issue is unlikely, official said.

A group of countries led by Germany - where aid for Greece is politically contentious - argue that any firm commitments on euro zone debt that Greece does not have to start servicing until 2023 would remove the incentive to continue with reforms.

Story continues

DEBT RELIEF DILEMMA

The IMF, which has yet to sign up to the current Greek bailout, insists that Athens needs substantial debt relief and that binding decisions have to be taken before the package ends in 2018.

"Providing an up-front unconditional component to debt relief is critical to provide a strong and credible signal to markets about the commitment of official creditors to ensuring debt sustainability," the Fund said in a report on Greece.

But Germany believes a detailed discussion on debt relief can be held later, and should be made conditional on Greece's progress with reforms and on data.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told reporters he was also not willing to commit to any action after next year, when Germany holds parliamentary elections.

"We will take the decisions when they need to be made. Now I have the legitimacy and in 2018 it will be for those whom the German people have chosen in 2017," Schaeuble said.

On May 9, euro zone finance ministers offered to consider debt relief after the reform review was complete with a view to offering, if necessary, relief from 2018, if the country had delivered on all reforms by then.

Officials said on Tuesday that an outline text of an agreement on debt measures was likely to take a similar line.

"We see the outcome as a roadmap of potential measures and preconditions," a senior euro zone official said.

To facilitate a deal on Greece, the chairman of euro zone leaders' meetings, Donald Tusk, met earlier on Tuesday with the head of euro zone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi and the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

"I am cautiously optimistic. A positive outcome for the euro zone and a satisfactory one for Greece is in the cards," a second senior euro zone official said after that meeting.

($1 = 0.8966 euros) (Additional reporting By Phil Blenkinsop and Tom Koerkemeier; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)
Paris (AFP) - Europe's Galileo sat-nav system, a rival to America's GPS, took a step closer to becoming operational Tuesday with the launch of a fresh pair of satellites to join a dozen already in space.

Orbiters 13 and 14 blasted off on a Russian Soyuz rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 0848 GMT as planned, according to space agencies.

After a journey of nearly four hours, the 700-kilogramme (1,540-pound) satellites entered Earth orbit at an altitude of 23,522 kilometres (14,615 miles).

"Named for the astronomer who pinpointed the Earth's true position in the Solar System, the Galileo satellite navigation system that will help Europe find its way in the 21st century now has 14 satellites in orbit," the European Space Agency (ESA) said.

Seventeenth century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was tried for heresy and jailed by the Catholic Church for insisting the Earth orbited the Sun.

Ultimately, the multi-billion-euro constellation named after the "father of modern science" is meant to comprise 30-odd satellites -- the final number is yet to be determined -- providing navigation and search-and-rescue services.

"This morning's launch... marks a further step towards European independence in satellite navigation," said Stephane Israel, chairman of launch firm Arianespace.

Another launch, this time of four orbiters on a single rocket, is expected to boost the constellation to 18 by year-end, allowing for Galileo to start providing usable signals.

Israel told AFP the target launch date was November 17.

More modern than the US Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo's high-tech instruments should allow it to provide a more precise signal, its developers say.

But the project has been plagued by delays, technical glitches and budgetary difficulties.

The launch of the seventh and eighth orbiters in March last year was about three months late to allow engineers time to probe an August 2014 mishap which sent satellites five and six into a lopsided orbit.

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That incident was blamed on frozen fuel pipes on the Soyuz rocket's fourth stage, called Fregat -- a problem the ESA says has since been fixed.

The first four, so-called In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites, were hoisted in 2011 and 2012.

In March 2013, the quartet managed to pinpoint their first-ever ground location with an accuracy of between 10-15 metres (32 to 49 feet).

- Catching up -

However, the launch of satellites five and six -- meant to have been the first fully operational Galileo constituents -- was delayed by more than a year due to "technical difficulties".

This was followed by the mislaunch of orbiters seven and eight, which ESA says have since been nudged closer to their intended orbit, although their ultimate usefulness to the constellation has yet to be determined.

Another satellite dubbed IOV4, among the first four launched, has developed antenna problems, according to ESA, but is still able to transmit on one frequency.

The space agency had initially hoped for early navigation services to be available from 2014.

Tuesday's "textbook" launch, the seventh for Galileo, was a late addition to the schedule in a bid to speed up deployment of the project funded by the European Commission, the European Union's executive body.

"Today's launch brings Europe's Galileo constellation halfway to completion," said Paul Verhoef, ESA Galileo director.

The commission had budgeted some seven billion euros ($7.8 billion) for Galileo until 2020.

"It is time we view Galileo in a positive light; it has been a fantastic success even if there were some stumbling blocks along the way," insisted Israel.

The next 12 satellites will be launched with Europe's own Ariane 5 ES launcher, especially adapted to handle four at a time.
Blake Shelton opened up to ET behind the scenes of The Voice two-night finale on Monday, dishing on his relationship with Gwen Stefani.

Fresh off their dynamic Billboard Music Awards performance of romantic duet "Go Ahead and Break My Heart," Shelton couldn't say enough about how proud he is to be with Stefani.

WATCH: Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani Heat Up the Billboard Music Awards With Romantic Duet

"I just like being with her, but when she's all dolled up and we go places, it's always fun for me," Shelton told ETonline's Sophie Schillaci. "If she was here right now, not one person here would be looking at anybody else but her. It's just cool to know that's who I came here with. That's basically what ['A Guy With a Girl'] is about. They may come up and talk to me, but it's only because I'm one person over from her. Pretty cool."

"A Guy With a Girl" is one of the most touching tracks from Shelton's latest album, If I'm Honest.

While Shelton is clearly infatuated with the No Doubt frontwoman, dating her means he also has to get along with her three sons, which luckily doesn't seem to be a problem for the country crooner, who has already welcomed Stefani's boys -- 9-year-old Kingston, 7-year-old Zuma, and 2-year-old Apollo -- into his home life.

WATCH: Gwen Stefani Speaks Out on 'Shocking' Duet With Blake Shelton

"When they come out there, I don't see them much because if they're at my place in Oklahoma, they're in the woods," Shelton said. "I don't know how to keep control of them."

One of the downsides to dating another celebrity is dealing with the constant rumor mill churning out various gossip, but Shelton had fun with recent headlines.

"I read that we're having twins in the latest tabloid, and I think you can fit two humans in there," Shelton said, referring to his belly. "Maybe three in there!"

Story continues

After the couple brought fireworks to the BBMA stage over the weekend, there's sure to be demand for an encore. Shelton held out hope for a repeat performance, but shifted focus to his protege, The Voice finalist Adam Wakefield.

WATCH: Blake Shelton Admits Writing Country Duet With Gwen Stefani Was a Way to 'Impress' Her

"If she is ever at one of my shows or I'm at one of her shows, we got to do it. But this is the guy I want to bring on tour!" he said gesturing to Wakefield.

"I'm going to hold you to that!" Wakefield said.

Watch Shelton and Stefani get cozy after Sunday's much-talked-about duet in the video below. The Voice's two-part finale airs Monday and Tuesday at 8p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

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By Greg Roumeliotis

(Reuters) - Monsanto Co (MON.N), the world's largest seed company, turned down Bayer AG's (BAYGn.DE) $62 billion acquisition bid as "incomplete and financially inadequate" on Tuesday, but said it was open to engage further in negotiations.

Monsanto's decision, first reported earlier on Tuesday by Reuters, puts pressure on Bayer to decide whether to raise its bid, even as the company faces criticism from some shareholders that its $122-per-share cash offer is already too high.

Monsanto shares ended trading up 3.1 percent at $109.3 in New York, substantially below Bayer's bid price, underscoring some investor scepticism that a deal can be done. Bayer shares rose 3.23 percent at 87.15 euros in Frankfurt.

"We believe in the substantial benefits an integrated strategy could provide to growers and broader society, and we have long respected Bayers business," Monsanto Chief Executive Hugh Grant said in a statement.

"However, the current proposal significantly undervalues our company and also does not adequately address or provide reassurance for some of the potential financing and regulatory execution risks related to the acquisition," he added.

Bayer responded that its $122 per share offer represents "full and certain value" for Monsanto shareholders, but that it looks forward to engaging in constructive discussions with Monsanto.

"We are confident that we can address any potential financing or regulatory matters related to the transaction. Bayer remains committed to working together to complete this mutually compelling transaction," Bayer Chief Executive Officer Werner Baumann said in a statement.

It was not clear what price Monsanto would be willing to sell for but several analysts have suggested Bayer would have to pay much more than the current offer to clinch a deal.

"We believe it is unlikely that the deal gets done at $122 and still believe $135 is a more likely price," JPMorgan analysts wrote in a research note last week.

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Manning & Napier Advisors LLC, an investment management firm that is Monsanto's 14th largest shareholder according to Thomson Reuters data, agreed with Monsanto's decision to seek a higher offer.

"Monsanto's assessment that the initial offer was inadequate is valid, as we believe it does not appropriately value the companys existing product portfolio," said Michael Knolla, a managing director at Manning & Napier.

Global agrochemicals companies are racing to consolidate, partly in response to a drop in commodity prices that has hit farm incomes. Seeds and pesticides markets are also increasingly converging. This has driven Monsanto to consider a tie-up to build strength.

Monsanto approached Bayer in March to express interest in its crop science unit, Reuters reported at the time. Among the possibilities discussed were an outright acquisition of the crop science unit and a joint venture, or other type of partnership between the two companies.

ChemChina plans to buy Switzerland's Syngenta (SYNN.S) for $43 billion, after Syngenta rejected a bid from Monsanto. Dow Chemical Co (DOW.N) and DuPont (DD.N) are forging a $130 billion business.

With German rival BASF SE (BASFn.DE) having previously considered a tie-up with Monsanto, Bayer has moved to avoid being left behind.

Leverkusen-based Bayer's unsolicited bid for Monsanto is the largest all-cash takeover on record, according to Thomson Reuters data, just ahead of InBev SA's $60.4 billion offer for Anheuser-Busch in June 2008.

Bayer said on Monday it would finance its cash bid with a combination of debt and equity.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Additional reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago, Mike Stone in New York, Patricia Weiss in Frankfurt and Pamela Barbaglia in London; Editing by Tiffany Wu, Bernard Orr)
chechez la femme

Facebook has apologized after banning a photo of a plus-size model the social network originally said depicted "a body or body parts in an undesirable manner."

The Australian feminist group Cherchez la Femme had attempted to put money behind the photo to promote an event called "Feminism and Fat."

It featured an image of Tess Holliday wearing a bikini. The size-22 model, who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, is known as the first woman of her size and height to sign a contract with a major modeling agency (MiLK Model Management in London).

Facebook did not remove the photo from the site, but it prevented it from being used in a Sponsored Post.

The Facebook ad teams said the photo violated the company's "health and fitness" advertising policy, according to a copy of the message Cherchez la Femme received and posted to its Facebook page.

"We thought it was really horrible and isolating and alienating," an organizer of the feminist group, Jessamy Gleeson, told The Guardian, where we first spotted the story.

Quite simply they need to understand we can use images of fat women to promote women being happy," she added.

Facebook was not immediately available for comment.

The event aimed to promote body positivity for people of all sizes. Facebook said in its message, however, that "ads like these are not allowed since they make viewers feel bad about themselves."

Cherchez la Femme responded in a Facebook post: "We're raging pretty hard over here  both because Facebook seemingly has no idea that plus sized, self describing fat women can feel great about themselves, and also because we haven't been able to boost the original damn post."

The feminist group asked its followers to share their post to "join us in our disgust" and to promote the event on June 7.

Facebook later backtracked and issued an apology.

It said in a statement sent to The Guardian: Our team processes millions of advertising images each week, and in some instances we incorrectly prohibit ads ... This image does not violate our ad policies. We apologized for the error and have let the advertiser know we are approving their ad."

Story continues

According to the email Facebook originally sent to Cherchez la Femme, Facebook's health-and-fitness policy prohibits ads that display:

"Close-ups of 'muffin tops' where the overhanging fat is visible."

"People with clothes that are too tight."

"People pinching their fat/cellulite (even with full body visible)."

"Human medical conditions in a negative light (ex: eating disorders)."

Before it apologized, Facebook recommended that Cherchez la Femme replace the photo of "body positive activist" and model Tess Holliday with someone "running or riding a bike."

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What's in Store for Facebook: A Must-Read Investor's Guide

Facebook continues to grow at a rapid rate

Facebook (FB) needs no introduction. Facebook along with other social media companies like Twitter (TWTR), LinkedIn (LNKD), and Tencents (TCEHY) WeChat have become an integral part of our daily life.

On one hand, Facebook enables people to connect with others and on the other its an important tool for companies. Advertisers get unmatched opportunities for consumer engagement, which helps them to evolve and stay relevant with ever-changing consumer taste and preference patterns.

As of March 31, 2016, Facebook had 1.1 billion daily active users on average and 989 million mobile daily active users on average. Approximately 84.2% of the companys daily active users were outside the US and Canada (EWC).

Abundant growth engines

Facebook is known for its bold moves. The companys multi-billion dollar acquisitions, which were once criticized, have proven to be prudent. Through strategic acquisitions, Facebook commands a formidable portfolio of other platforms, which bolstered its growth.

Facebook has many growth engines. Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and Messenger all fortify the companys position in the mobile space and are expected to be the future growth drivers considering the advertisers mix toward mobile.

A brief history

Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Facebooks story dates back to February 2004 when Mark Zuckerberg along with co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and Eduardo Saverin launched the website thefacebook. Initially, the founders limited the websites membership to Harvard students, but they later expanded it to colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. Facebook gradually added support for students at various other universities before it opened to high school students and eventually to anyone aged 13 and over.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
San Francisco (AFP) - Facebook on Monday said it was making changes aimed at keeping political bias out of its "trending" stories list even though an internal investigation revealed no evidence it was happening.

"Our investigation has revealed no evidence of systematic political bias in the selection or prominence of stories included in the Trending Topics feature," Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch said in a letter responding to a query from Republican US Senator John Thune, who chairs the commerce committee.

"In fact, our analysis indicated that the rates of approval of conservative and liberal topics are virtually identical in Trending Topics."

Facebook was unable to substantiate any specific accusations of bias made in media reports, which relied on anonymous sources, Stretch said in the letter, a copy of which was made available by the leading social network.

"At the same time, as you would expect with an inquiry of this nature, our investigation could not exclude the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias in the implementation of our guidelines or policies," Stretch said.

"As part of our commitment to continually improve our products and to minimize risks where human judgment is involved, we are making a number of changes."

Facebook updated terminology in its guidelines to be clearer and gave reviewers refresher training that emphasized content decisions may not be based on politics or ideology, the letter said.

The review team will be subject to more oversight and controls, and Facebook will no longer rely on lists of external websites and news outlets to assess the importance of topics in stories.

"We want people to be confident that our community welcomes all viewpoints," Stretch said in the letter.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said last week that conservatives are an important part of the social network after a meeting aimed at defusing concerns it is politically biased.

Story continues

"We've built Facebook to be a platform for all ideas," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page after a meeting at the company's California headquarters to discuss the allegations about anti-conservative bias.

"It doesn't make sense for our mission or our business to suppress political content or prevent anyone from seeing what matters most to them."

Zuckerberg called the meeting after technology news outlet Gizmodo a week earlier reported allegations that Facebook was deliberately omitting articles with conservative viewpoints from the sidebar that lists popular stories.

"Very productive meeting at @Facebook with Mark and team," CNN conservative commentator S.E. Cupp tweeted after attending the gathering. "Strong commitments to address issues, as well as to work together on common goals."
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Monday that an investigation into its editorial practices had found no evidence of political bias in the selection or prominence of stories shown on its Trending Topics feature. The company also said the investigation revealed that conservative and liberal topics were approved as trending topics at "virtually identical rates" and it was unable to substantiate any allegations of politically-motivated suppression of particular subjects or sources. (http://bit.ly/1Tvv3Nm) (Reporting by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Editing by Mary Milliken)
Faraday Future

Electric-car company Faraday Future (FF) says it's getting equipment ready for the construction of its new factory in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

But officials in Nevada say that the proper permits have not yet been granted, and one has expressed doubts to Business Insider that the project will come to fruition.

What FF says it's doing now

A statement from the company on Monday mentions:

Heavy equipment will arrive at the site next month

Construction company AECOM will spearhead work on the project

Staff will work out of an office inside North Las Vegas City Hall.

But while the statement says crews will begin grading land at the site in late June, North Las Vegas spokesperson Delen Goldberg tells Business Insider the grading permits have not yet been approved.

"There is no general timeline for how long such permits take," Goldberg said in an emailed statement. "In this case, the city is waiting on a couple of documents from Faraday."

Goldberg said once those documents are submitted, the city would review them and make a decision on the permits "within a couple of days."

FF held a ceremonial groundbreaking for its planned 900-acre, $1 billion factory in Nevada last month. Shortly after the event, FF told Business Insider that it finalized deals to buy that land, but declined to reveal how much it paid.

Faraday Future

A secretive funding structure

Ever since FF came out of stealth mode and revealed its plans to build battery-powered autonomous cars, crucial parts of the company's business have remained a tightly held secret.

We know that the company is based in Southern California, and is partnered with Chinese tech giant, LeEco, which is run by a secretive billionaire investor named Jia Yueting.

Story continues

Jia Yueting LeEco

In previous conversations with Business Insider, FF has said that Jia is personally backing FF.

The privately held company hasn't disclosed any other investors. FF has told Business Insider in several conversations that a "diverse" funding structure was in place.

The claim was echoed in a letter Jia sent to Nevada lawmakers in March.

The letter, which Business Insider has viewed, ;read in part: "While I am personally backing FF, there is also a diverse funding strategy to help us fully realize our mission and vision."

A document released from a Nevada public agency last week sheds more light on the nature of FF's dealings.

The document from the Southern Nevada Water Authority shows that, as of March, Jia Yueting held a 94% stake in a limited-liability company that purchased land on behalf of FF. Nevada in December granted FF hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives for the factory project.

Dan Schwartz

The nature of FF's funding structure has worried Nevada state treasurer, Dan Schwartz, who is responsible for approving some tax incentives related to the factory deal.

Those concerns stem from Jia's apparent close relationship with the company.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that Jia has put up shares of his Beijing-based, publicly traded company  Leshi Internet Information & Technology  as collateral for personal loans, and that Jia uses that money to fund his businesses.

That strategy was seen as problematic because trading in Leshi stock has been suspended for nearly six months, prompting worries that it may have lost significant value in the interim.

LeEco Opening San Jose

A Nevada state official with knowledge of the FF factory deal tells Business Insider that there are significant doubts about whether FF can truly bring its ambitious plans to fruition. However, the project still appears to enjoy the full confidence and support of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee.

Lee, who helms the city where FF's plant is to be built  and were some 4,500 jobs are expected to be created  said at last month's groundbreaking ceremony, "We plan to succeed."

In a statement to Business Insider last week, FF spokeswoman Stacy Morris said "Our business continues to grow steadily."

FF is now vying for 150 acres in the city of Vallejo in Northern California, where it's planning a second plant on the site of a former US Navy shipyard.

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The U.S. Justice Department will seek the death penalty against Dylann Roof, the 22-year-old man accused of killing nine people at a prayer meeting inside a South Carolina church last summer.

The nature of the crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement released Tuesday.

Read: Dylann roof Charged With Killing 9; Friends Say He Wanted 'Race War'

Roofs professed hatred of blacks and his lack of remorse influenced the decision, federal authorities said.

He was indicted last summer on 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, using a firearm in the commission of a crime and violating the victims constitutional rights to practice their religion.

He sat in the Bible group at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church for an hour before opening fire last June, officials said.

He also faces nine murder charges and three attempted murder charges in state court, where prosecutors have said they will also pursue the death penalty. That trial is scheduled to begin in January.

Read: Dylann Roof's Stepmom: He Fell Prey to 'Internet Evil'

The federal trial date has not been selected.

A website registered by Roof was discovered after the shootings, authorities said, and contained a manifesto of racist and white supremacist views. Roof allegedly wrote he felt compelled to open fire in the AME church because of its history in the black community.

Watch: Is Dylann Roof Obsessed With 'Heil Hitler' Number '88'?

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Medicare and Medicaid funding is on the line for Native American-run hospitals in Indian country after federal health care regulators this week cited a tribal facility for deficiencies in care to patients and poor administration. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  which administers health care programs for the needy, disabled and elderly  noted earlier this month that patients at Sioux San Hospital in Rapid City, South Dakota, are in "immediate jeopardy" of serious injury, harm, impairment or death, the Associated Press reported.

It's the third time in recent months that a South Dakota hospital serving Native Americans has been found to have serious deficiencies. Each of the facilities is run by the Indian Health Service, an ailing network of hospitals located on and off American-Indian reservations. Officials inspected the facility unannounced between May 10 and 12.

The network was established . But critics have claimed for years that the government is shirking its responsibility to American-Indian communities, as evidenced by the overall state of its health care facilities.

Health care professionals attend a meeting organized by the Indian Health Service in April.

The CMS has given the Indian Health Service until June 15 to correct deficiencies at Sioux San Hospital, or it won't get reimbursed .

Longstanding health disparities between American Indian populations and other ethnic groups have been a concern for decades, particularly among veterans. Tribal leaders and health care policy experts are calling on the United States to increase its commitment to providing care to tribal members, according to the AP.

Americans Indians and Alaska Natives account for 1.9 million of the more than 300 million American residents in the 2010 U.S. Census, but this demographic faces life threatening illnesses disproportionate to their share of the population. According to the most recent data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 13% of American Indians were judged to have fair or poor health status, compared with 10% of the general population.

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American-Indian families also account for an alarming number of sudden infant death syndrome cases, or SIDS; their rate is twice that of whites, according to the CDC. The CMS report on Sioux San Hospital highlights the case of a 6-month-old boy who was misdiagnosed at its emergency department in April after his mother complained her child was suffering from congestion, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, according to the AP. The care provider did not ask the boy's mother about his medical history, which included his being born prematurely and having respiratory distress. The boy had a seizure and was treated in an intensive care unit in another South Dakota facility.

"The hospital failed to provide a medical screening examination that was, within reasonable clinical confidence, sufficient to determine whether or not an Emergency Medical Condition existed," the CMS report stated.

Source: Kristi Eaton/AP

Indian Health Services funding cutoff deadlines have also been issued to hospitals on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian reservations in South Dakota, for substandard conditions, and at a facility on Nebraska's Winnebago reservation, within the last year. The hospital network said in a statement Monday it had already begun instituting changes that include "new leadership, expanded oversight, staff retraining and policy changes," the AP reported.
By Fiona Ortiz

(Reuters) - The city attorney for Ferguson, Missouri, who was criticized in a U.S. Justice Department report on policing in the town, said on Tuesday she is stepping down.

Stephanie Karr, who had also served as city prosecutor until recently, said the decision to resign was hers alone, in a letter dated on May 23 that she provided to Reuters by email.

Ferguson will start looking for a new city attorney next week, the city said in a statement. The city contracts for legal services, so it will issue a request for proposals on June 1.

Ferguson became an international symbol of problems with race and policing in the United States when it was rocked by protests and riots in 2014 after white police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed black teenager Michael Brown, and after a grand jury decided not bring charges against Wilson.

In the wake of the protests, the Justice Department investigated policing and court practices in Ferguson and found a widespread pattern of abuse and racism. The report said that the city imposed onerous fines for minor infractions, using the police department to generate revenue rather than to ensure public safety.

Among other findings, the report said that the city prosecutor, which it did not name, would retaliate against lawyers who tried to challenge charges against their clients.

Protesters had asked for her removal and city officials announced three weeks ago they were seeking a new city prosecutor.

Karr works for a private St. Louis firm, Curtis, Heinz, Garrett and O'Keefe, which has contracts with a number of local cities to provide representation and work as prosecutors.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said that Karr and other attorneys from the firm who are contracted to work for Ferguson continued to prosecute cases that the Justice Department cited as constitutional violations, such as "failure to comply" charges against protesters.

Karr declined to comment on that allegation.

(Reporting by Fiona Ortiz in Chicago; Editing by Alistair Bell and Alan Crosby)
By Patrick Markey and Tarek Amara BEN GUERDANE, Tunisia (Reuters) - After a U.S. air strike killed a Tunisian jihadist commander in western Libya in late February, dozens of Islamic State fighters sneaked across the border into Tunisia and attacked an army barracks and police bases in the town of Ben Guerdane. In the battle that followed, Islamic State militants shot dead local Tunisian anti-terrorism chief Colonel Abdel Atti Abdelkabir metres from his home. Residents, including the colonel's brother, say they recognised some of the attackers as former neighbours and classmates who had left to train with Islamic State in Libya. In all, more than 50 militants died in the assault. The battle was further evidence of how Libyas chaos has spilled over into its more stable neighbour. Tunisia, one of the most secular countries in the Arab world, is trying to nurture the nascent democracy that grew out of its 2011 uprising against the government of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. But it also faces an intensifying battle against Islamist militants  not least Tunisian fighters now based just across the border. "We're sitting right next to a nation that has no peace," Abdelkabir's brother Hussein told Reuters in the family home. "My brother was directly targeted. He said they would come to attack one day and they came for him." Tunisia's 2011 uprising created fertile ground for jihadist recruiters. Hundreds of Islamist militants were freed from prison as part of an amnesty for those detained under Ben Ali. Ultra-conservative salafists began to flex their muscle, seizing control of mosques and clashing with secularists. As Tunisia's politics have stabilised, the government has reasserted control, taking back mosques, banning the local al Qaeda affiliate Ansar al Sharia, and forcing many militants to flee. At first the jihadists mostly headed to Syria. But now Libya is more popular with them - many Tunisians have become key figures in Islamic State there. In all, officials estimate that between 4,000-6,000 Tunisians have left to fight for Islamic State and other groups, among them university graduates and professionals recruited online. The flow continues. Since last summer, for instance, nearly 80 young Tunisians from Remada, a town two hours south of Ben Guerdane, have crossed into Libya, according to residents there, spirited along the same desert scrubland tracks used by traffickers to ferry cheap Libyan fuel into Tunisia. Over the past year or so, some militants have begun to return. Security forces say recent attacks on a beach hotel and a museum were carried out by Tunisian gunmen who had trained in Libya. Earlier this month, more than 20 suspected militants were arrested in Tunis. They are believed to have brought explosives from Libya for attacks on the capital, the government said. RECRUITMENT The Tunisian jihadist commander killed in the U.S. air strike on Sabratha was Noureddine Chouchane. He trained gunmen in his Libyan camps to kill foreign tourists in Tunisia, according to U.S. and Tunisian officials. A former senior member of Ansar al Sharia, Chouchane had also become a key recruiter for Islamic State. Among those who joined him were his wife, Rahma, 17, and her sister, Gofran, 18, the girls' mother told Reuters. She said the two were typical music-loving teenagers. But after meetings with local Ansar al Sharia recruiters in 2013, they became more conservative, demanded a ban on television at home and harassed their mother to wear more modest headscarves. Last year, they both left for Libya. They are now held in Maitiga prison in Tripoli, after being arrested by local forces there. "Rahma always told me she was proud of what she was doing," her mother said in the family home in Tunis, where two younger sisters still live. "After the Sabratha strike, she said she wanted to come back." NEW FRONTLINE Ben Guerdane, a dusty town of one-storey buildings, has a long history of supplying jihadists going back to the 1980s, when Tunisians fought in Afghanistan. Later it sent fighters to Iraq where they fought U.S. troops. Its inhabitants now feel a kind of war has come to them. A mosque minaret used by jihadists as a base during the attack is pockmarked by dozens of bullets fired from a helicopter, and several white villas have been damaged by grenade explosions. "Libya is just there, 30 kilometers away, it's easy for them to come here, and they knew exactly where they needed to go when they came," said Hamid Ishi. His home is charred by bullets and has a gaping hole from a tank shell. Security sources say several arms caches were in place before the March attack. Some militants arrived in an ambulance and then used Ishi's home as cover to fire on the barracks. Others set up roadblocks and demanded documents. "They asked for my papers and told me to go home, saying they were from Islamic State, here to free us from tyrants," said Hedi Grisia, a telecoms worker. "I recognised one of them. He hadn't been around for a few years." Hussein, the counter-terrorism chief's brother, said he recognised at least one of the gunmen who came to his home. He also went to school with militant commander, Meftah Ben Hassine Ben Mohamed Manita. A Ben Guerdane native and former Ansar al Sharia member, Manita was jailed in 2007 after an Al Qaeda insurrection and released in 2011 along with other Islamists during the amnesty, a security source said. "He joined Daesh after being a member of Ansar al Sharia," said the Tunisian security source, using one of the Arabic names for Islamic State. "He fled to Libya after the government made Ansar al Sharia a terrorist group." MILITARY ADVANCES To stop its jihadists returning, Tunisia is reinforcing its border. The army has built a 200-km earthen berm and trench along part of the frontier. British and German troops are also training Tunisian forces in border protection and surveillance. Under a state of emergency declared last year and since extended, hundreds of suspected militants have been rounded up, leading rights activists to worry that repressive tactics may fuel more militant recruitment. Tunisian security officials, analysts and diplomats say that since the first attacks early last year, the army has progressed in counter-terrorism and special forces operations. Intelligence networks are growing, if slowly. "Today we are more worried about suicide attacks, and sleeper cells and lone-wolf style attacks that could strike at any time," a senior Tunisian security source said. The ministry of religious affairs last month started a programme to promote moderate imams. The European Union has promised funding for deradicalization programmes, though they are still in their infancy. Officials say that border towns need moderate messages, economic development and jobs. Sitting in parched flatlands, Remada, one such town, has a short main street with an army barracks, houses and a few stores. Small plantations of olive trees surround the town and disperse into the desert and hills beyond. Two ministers flew into town last month to talk to young men about economic development. Many locals dismissed the visit as more promises from northern politicians who have abandoned the south. "There is nothing for young people here, they just look for an alternative, something to do," Yarusi Kadi, an unemployed 21-year-old said of those who join Islamic State. "It's almost like a revenge against themselves  to prove something, some worth." Bechar Zongya, a former smuggler who police say became an Islamic State commander in Sirte, grew up on an olive tree plantation. His father Yahya still works there. Last summer, police and residents say, Zongya helped lead a group of 30 people, including an air force pilot, two soldiers and an oil engineer, across the border into Libya to join Islamic State. Since then, other groups have left, too. Yahya denies his son is a jihadist commander but said he had long been harassed by police for wearing his beard long and for his conservative views. "If you put yourself in his place, with the arrests and the abuses, the treatment he got, what do you think would be the result?" his father said of his son. "You might find yourself joining one of these groups, too." (Edited by Simon Robinson)
(Repeating for additional clients with no changes to text)

By Gabriel Stargardter

MEXICO CITY, May 24 (Reuters) - For two decades, Noe Sanchez sent money from California to his father in Mexico City through storefront outlets of traditional remittance firms such as Western Union.

Now he grabs his smartphone and uses Remitly, one of several new competing mobile apps promoting cheap and quick international transfers. Sanchez quickly got over his initial unease of sending money through an unfamiliar company.

"If it goes badly, I'll cancel it and try another," said Sanchez, a 44-year-old Mexican technical support professional in Oakland.

Founded in 2011 and backed by Amazon.com Inc Chief Executive Jeff Bezos's venture capital arm, Remitly is among a vanguard of financial technology, or fintech, companies targeting what they view as an underserved immigrant market - traditionally disregarded as high-risk and low-margin.

The upstart firms - along with expanding digital and mobile options from Western Union Co and MoneyGram International Inc - are helping immigrants deepen their roots in the United States at a time when incendiary anti-immigration rhetoric dominates national politics.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump recently attacked remittances from illegal immigrants as a form of "welfare" for Mexicans. Trump threatened to impound such money transfers unless Mexico agreed to pay up to $10 billion for his proposed wall on the southern U.S. border.

Many emerging companies in the fast-growing fintech sector, by contrast, view financial services for immigrants as an untapped source of revenue. They include remittance apps, such as Remitly, TransferWise and Xoom - an early player bought last year by PayPal Holdings Inc for $890 million - along with companies such as Lendup and Oportun, which lend to high-risk borrowers.

"We're part of a community of companies that is helping (immigrant) customers understand the landscape of financial services" in the U.S., said Raul Vazquez, chief executive of Oportun.

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GLOBAL CASH FLOW

It remains unclear whether Trump's campaign attacks represent a real threat to the remittance industry. He proposes regulating remittance firms through U.S. anti-terrorism laws that now apply to banks and other financial institutions.

The plan has been criticized in part because of the difficulty in differentiating between the transfers of legal and illegal immigrants.

"Good luck with that," U.S. President Barack Obama quipped, reacting to Trump's proposal at a recent news conference.

Trump's campaign did not respond to request for comment from Reuters.

Many financial technology companies expect a continuing boom in cross-border transfers and other financial services for U.S. immigrants. According to the World Bank, remittances to Mexico totaled nearly $25 billion in 2015, their highest level since 2008. Globally, nearly $600 billion is transferred each year.

The World Bank reported that 700 million people opened bank accounts globally between 2011 and 2014 - making them more likely to use financial technology - and about 2 billion more people remained unbanked, representing huge growth potential.

Immigrant communities increasingly access financial services through phones. Thirteen percent of Latinos in the U.S. are dependent on smartphones as their only source of internet access, compared to just 4 percent of white people, according to a 2015 Pew study.

Those trends play into the strategy of remittance apps like Remitly and Xoom. Many other financial tech firms are private and not required to share financial results, but some claim fast growth in customers or revenue when releasing selective data.

Remitly said it transferred five times the amount of money in the first quarter of 2016 as it did in the same period a year earlier. The company said it recently surpassed $1 billion in annual transfers.

Western Union, a $9.36-billion public company, acknowledged new threats in its 2015 annual report.

"We are seeing increased competition from, and increased market acceptance of, electronic, mobile, and Internet-based money transfer services," the company told investors.

In a statement to Reuters, the company said the transfer industry is teeming with new players and that competition had contributed to falling prices. Western Union's digital money transfer sales reached about $300 million in 2015, and the company expects online and mobile transfers to be a "major driver of overall remittance market growth," it said.

Arjan Schutte, the CEO of fintech investor Core Innovation Capital, said he'd seen more than 100 different business plans for companies wanting to disrupt Western Union or Moneygram, but that's "not nearly enough relative to the market opportunity."

ECONOMIES OF SCALE

Smaller financial technology companies can be flexible in crafting creative solutions to serve customers on the margins, said Lisa McFarland, an executive vice president at Ingo Money, which charges between 1 and 4 percent to deposit paychecks through a mobile app.

McFarland previously worked at Visa Inc setting up prepaid products for the immigrant market. She said more established financial companies have long struggled to serve lower-income markets because of high development costs and low profit margins.

"The problems have to be solved, in many cases, in unique ways," she said. "That's what opens the door to technology players."

Oportun and Lendup, for instance, use their own underwriting formulas rather than traditional credit scores to underwrite risky borrowers, and they offer declining interest rates over time for those who pay reliably.

The alternative online lending sector as a whole has faced new scrutiny in recent months in the wake of scandals at industry leader Lending Club.

But Lendup says its customer base of half a million borrowers is growing at 15 percent per month. The company says it can charge less than traditional payday lenders because of its underwriting software and because it saves money by not opening physical branches.

"If the work is lower margin, technology has a real opportunity to allow you to reach that profitability," said Leslie Payne, who runs public affairs at Lendup. "Once you reach scale, the economics can work out." (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Brian Thevenot)
(Editor's Note: Please be advised that the last paragraph contains language that some readers may find offensive) By Liz Hampton, Eric M. Johnson and Ethan Lou (Reuters) - Fighting massive forest fires is dangerous and taxing enough, but those sent into Canadas oil sands are not only wrestling with one of the worst wildfires in the countrys history. They are doing it surrounded by the volatile, explosive chemicals and compounds critical to pumping oil from some of the worlds largest reserves. Now in its third week, the fire's proximity to the billions of dollars worth of oil equipment, flammable liquids, and extraction sites had people fearful that the flames, which can jump as far as more than a kilometer with gusts of wind, could do catastrophic damage to critical infrastructure. Dozens of safety workers and industrial firefighters are working at places like Syncrude and Suncor Energy's upgrading facilities north of Fort McMurray surrounded by flames burning to the edges of the oil sands, facing temperatures running as high as 1,100 Celsius (2,000 Fahrenheit). The heavy bitumen in the oil sands themselves is not flammable, but the facilities and people inside are at risk. The most harrowing moments were when we first arrived on scene, dealing with these forest fires growing on you, flames jumping fifty feet in the air," said Aron Harper, 35, a firefighter and emergency medical technician employed by Suncor, who lives in Fort McMurray, Alberta province's main oil hub. "We were yelling at guys to get out of there because the thing was growing so fast. Ive never seen a fire grow that fast in my life. Firefighters do not measure forest fires by temperature, but by a measure known as "head fire intensity," said Travis Fairweather, Alberta wildfire information officer. It is calculated as the rate of heat energy released over time at the front of the fire, and this fire at times reached five times a level considered extreme, he said. Almost half of Alberta's 2,351 firefighters have been assigned to Fort McMurray and oil companies have drafted industrial firefighting specialists to protect operations in the area, where about one million barrels of capacity has been shuttered. (Graphic:http://tmsnrt.rs/1T6HcrN) "DOZER BOSS" These specialists are armed with special foam used to spray exposed equipment and sprinklers that can cover distances of 150 feet (45.7 m). In Alberta many facilities are built with protection against such fires. This includes firebreaks around them, where vegetation is cleared and replaced with pavement or gravel to stop the progression of fire. But with this fire, companies including Enbridge and Suncor had to enhance their buffer zones by widening firebreaks. Philip Haggis, a wildfire technologist with the province of Alberta, found himself driving an all-terrain vehicle over blackened earth and through smoke-filled forests, leading a small convoy of bulldozers in containing the fire surrounding them. Haggis was involved in protecting a Brion Energy Corp facility northwest of Fort McMurray. He was a "dozer boss" for the first week of the fire, supervising a team that removes vegetation - what he calls "fuel" - from the path of the blaze to prevent its spread. The fire shifts without warning, and at least one team has been caught off-guard in a dead end. "They got overtaken by fire," Haggis said. "They had to get evacuated and some of their equipment got burned up." Suncor, one of Canada's largest oil producers, put additional sprinklers on its sites, a company spokesperson said. Enbridge Inc, which saw a fire come within just one kilometer (0.62 mile) of its Cheecham crude oil tank farm, said it has not yet had to use a foam perimeter at its facilities but did spray tanks down with water to protect from the fires. Early last week, after the fire forced the evacuation of thousands of workers from oil sands sites, Harper was tasked with securing the perimeter of Suncors facilities from behind the wheel of a massive 8-wheeled ARFF fire truck (aircraft rescue and firefighting) with a built-in 3,000-gallon water tank linked to a water cannon operated by a crew member. For days they drove up and down a 10 km-stretch of highway adjacent to the plant, with the fire raging on the other side, and would beat back encroaching flames to make sure the fire didn't jump the highway onto Suncor's land. "The major concern was if it ever jumped the highway. Theres a lot of valuable stuff behind us that you definitely cant have catch fire," he said. The weather, it was so dry, the wood so dry, the wind, everything was working against us. You think youd have (the fire) out and youd turn your back and youre like, holy shit, this fire would come right back to life. (Reporting by Liz Hampton in Houston and Edmonton, Eric M. Johnson and Nia Williams in Calgary and Ethan Lou in Toronto; Editing by David Gaffen and Tomasz Janowski)
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont wont be getting one last debate with Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton before the critical June 7th Democratic primary in California, as he had hoped. But he has extracted concessions from Clinton and party officials that will assure a contentious and messy national convention in Philadelphia this summer.

Clinton, who is just 90 delegates shy of locking up what Sanders calls the rigged Democratic presidential nomination, rejected an invitation from Fox News on Monday to debate her nemesis Sanders, who is desperately trying to change the narrative of the campaign. Clintons campaign spokesperson, Jennifer Palmieri, said in a statement that the former secretary of states time would be better spent waging war with presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Related: While Clinton Braces for Trump, Sanders Sets Sights on Dem Platform

But Sanders is still leaving his mark on this election. Clinton has made major concessions to Sanders in the partys platform that will all but assure that the democratic socialist will affect a wide range of domestic and foreign policy matters.

Sanders has vowed to carry his campaign all the way to the convention floor, regardless of the delegate count, hoping to somehow persuade scores of super delegates to shift their support from Clinton to him. For months, he has highlighted his sharp differences with Clinton over economic policy, health care, Wall Street reforms, the environment and even U.S. policy towards Israel and the Palestinians -- which Sanders complains is tipped too heavily towards Israel.

Sanders was given a say in the choice of five of the 15 members of the platform committee, according to The Washington Post, and he wasted no time Monday in selecting James Zogby, a longtime advocate of Palestinian rights. He also selected

Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, one of his most prominent backers; Bill McKibben, an author and environmentalist, and Native American activist Deborah Parker.

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Related: Why Democrats Need Bernie Sanders to Stay in the Race

Feelings run high between the Sanders and Clinton camps, with some polls suggesting that a quarter or more of Sanderss Democratic and independent supporters would refuse to vote for the more moderate Clinton in the general election.

In the wake of the recent violent clash between Sanders and Clinton forces at a Nevada Democratic state convention, Sanders said that he would "condemn any and all forms of violence. But he insists on welcoming political newcomers or those with differing views from the status quo at the convention.

"I think if they make the right choice and open the doors to working-class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, it's going to be messy," Sanders told the AP.

While the two sides differ sharply on many issues, here are the five that will likely create most of the fireworks at the Democratic National Convention this July:

Related: Did the Fight for the U.S. Senate Just Tip in Favor of Democrats?

Israel and the Palestinians  Clinton, the former secretary of state, understandably has a stake in preserving the status quo in U.S. relations with Israel and the Palestinian authority since she helped to negotiate them, including the November 2012 cease fire between Israel and Hamas. The Democratic Partys current policy calls for a just and lasting Israeli-Palestinian accord that would eventually produce a two-state solution.

However, the platform is silent on the issue of Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and the conduct of Israeli troops in cracking down on violence. Here, Sanders wants a more even handed approach to Israeli occupation of land that the Palestinians claim for a future state. Sanders insists that Israelis response to the uprising and violence in Gaza and missile attacks on their villages in 2014 was disproportionate and led to unnecessary loss of innocent life.

Clinton says that Israel had no choice but to defend itself from missile attacks from the terrorist organizations that control the Palestinian territory. So, I don't know how you run a country when you are under constant threat, terrorist attacks, rockets coming at you, she said during an April Democratic debate. You have a right to defend yourself.

Related: Heres What Happens If Sanders Drops Out of the Race

National Health Care -- Sanders and Clintons have repeatedly dueled over the future of the Affordable Care Act and other federal health programs, with Sanders pressing for a single-payer national health care program to supersede existing programs while Clinton has argued for incremental improvements to gradually extend coverage to all Americans.

Sanders complains that the U.S. is the only major industrialized country without a national health insurance program, and has promoted a Canadian-style national health and long-term care program that would cost an additional $13.8 trillion over the coming decade, according to some estimates. Clinton has been adamant in her support of Obamacare and has dismissed Sanderss plan to guarantee all Americans health care as too costly and impractical.

However, amid mounting pressure from Sanders and liberal Democrats, Clinton signaled recently that she would be open to allowing some people under the age of 65 to buy into Medicare, the federal health care plan for seniors. Clinton for years has been open to changes and improvements in Obamacare. More recently, she has proposed a number of methods for expanding health care coverage to millions of uninsured Americans and lowering the price of prescription drugs. So clearly there is plenty of room for compromise heading into the national convention this summer.

Breaking up the big banks  There is probably no more politically sensitive issue in the Democratic race than what to do to avert another banking industry crisis and meltdown, if for no other reason than Sanders has relentlessly hammered Clinton for being too cozy with Wall Street and accepting $2.9 million in speaking fees from a dozen banks including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

Related: Clinton Still Cant get Sanders to Give It Up

Sanders and Clinton both stressed during their mid-April debate that they were more than willing to break up big banks that continue to pose a systemic risk to the U.S. and international economy. However, they differed significantly in how they would approach mitigating too big to fail.

Clinton says she supports the broad framework created under the Dodd-Frank Act, while Sanders says he would take a much tougher approach by having Treasury officials set a hard cap on the size of assets that banks can legally hold and leaving it to bank officials to decide where to cut back. "What the government should say is, 'You are too big to fail, you have got to be a certain size,' and that the banks have got to figure out what they have to sell off," Sanders said during the debate. "I don't know that it is appropriate for the department of the Treasury to be making those decisions."

Clinton, for her part, would take a more nuanced approach, following the strictures of Dodd-Frank. She said it "has to be the judgment of the regulators" whether the government tells banks what assets they have to sell off or leaves it up to the institutions themselves.

Raising the minimum wage  One of the touchstones for Sanders in addressing income inequality in the U.S. is raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. Millions of Americans are working for totally inadequate wages, according to Sanders. We must ensure that no full-time worker lives in poverty. The current federal minimum wage is starvation pay and must become a living wage.

Related: Clinton -- Trumps Not Qualified, and Sanders Is Done

Clinton agrees that the current national minimum wage is inadequate, but has advocated a far less generous approach to creating a new national floor on wages. She initially favored raising the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour, amid howls from liberal Democrats, and then subsequently voiced support for state and local level action to set the floor at $15 an hour. Her logic was that while wealthier cities and jurisdictions with higher costs of living  like New York and Los Angeles -- reasonably could set the minimum wage at $15 an hour, poorer cities and regions should not have to be forced to follow suit under a federal mandate.

However, Clinton began to bob and weave when she was pressed on her views during the last Democratic debate. Asked by the moderator whether she would sign a bill raising the national minimum to $15, Clinton replied, Of course I would. I have supported the Fight for $15, adding that she had recently stood with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and labor leaders in support of the increase in New York State.

By time she completed her answer, it was clear that Clinton continued to support a tiered system in which Congress would raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour we will set a national level of $12, while urging any state or local jurisdiction that can go above it to go above it. Sanders is dismissive of what he considers to be Clintons double-talk, and will press on at the convention for a $15 an hour minimum wage plank to the platform.

Carbon Tax -- While Sanders and Clinton basically agree that traditional energy sources such as coal are dirty and that the future is in renewable energy, they are split on how best to get there.

Sanders has been pushing for a European-style tax on carbon emissions to curb climate change and has urged Clinton to come around to his point of view if she is concerned about the environment. The former Secretary of State hasnt proposed putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions, preferring to follow the course set by President Obama. He has sought to rein in pollution through regulation and other steps, like the Paris climate agreement that pledged 175 countries to cut back to their emissions.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Neighbors2-Efron-Feature

Universal

Rarely have good intentions and commercial limitations battled it out so transparently within the same movie as in Neighbors 2. This is a hell of an effort to do something meaningful with an inherently soulless vessel  the studio-mandated comedy sequel, where anything successful gets another chapter, whether it needs one or not. In this case Neighbors, which felt sort of like a marketing plan in search of a story to begin with.

As you may have heard by now, the sequel is a rather overt attempt to create a comedy with a feminist message. The original was a surprise hit, grossing $270 million worldwide on about 35 minutes of material. The sequel grew out of another strong elevator pitch: what if instead of a fraternity moving next door it was a sorority! But then something kind of magical happened. Rogen and his four male co-writers (Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan OBrien, Evan Goldberg, and director Nicholas Stoller) had to try to see the college Greek/party system from a female perspective. And apparently, they didnt like what they saw.

So in a weird way, it was the crass commercialism of trying to milk a surprise hit that forced the Neighbors team to try to make a feminist movie. Of course, this also raises the question of what a feminist movie is. I always thought that meant a movie where women got to tell a story from their point of view without male tempering or interference. Neighbors 2 is a story written by five dudes. Not that thats a bad thing, in an environment where toy companies force comic book villains be made male on account of market research, splicing a female empowerment message into a crassly commercial sequel to a half-assed dude comedy, that easily couldve been 90 more minutes of half-assed dude comedy, is better than nothing (and hey, nothing against dude comedies, I just know Seth Rogen is capable of better than Neighbors).

The best thing about Neighbors 2 is that the Rogen bong trust is pretty transparent  about feeling the weight of their responsibility, and also that it came about sort of inadvertently. Their protagonist, prospective sorority girl Shelby, played by Chloe Moretz, finds out that, unlike fraternities, sororities cant throw parties at their own houses. She learns this from a sorority president played by Selena Gomez (who between this and The Big Short, is fast becoming Americas queen of explaining-sh*t cameos), who finishes her expository spiel with, Its true, Google it.

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Which is basically Neighbors 2s writers telling us Can you believe the sh*t we found out when we were researching this?

Now, the part thats not in the movie is that while the no-drinking-in-the-house rule is a double standard, its not one imposed by men (not directly, anyway). Its the 26 member sororities governed by the National Panhellenic Conference who came up with this rule  i.e. the sororities themselves. It would be an interesting conversation to have whether this sexist rule imposed on women by women is the result of internalized sexism, merely an attempt to avoid victimization by men (no alcohol, no roofying and date rape, so the theory might go), or something else, but I realize thats a pretty touchy subject to tackle in a movie written by five dudes (though apparently they did consult Lena Dunham). I dont blame them, but thus we run into the limitations of the form.

What Neighbors 2 does instead, and pretty brilliantly, is to focus on the result of that rule: girls always having to party on boys terms. Following a scene at your typical dress like sluts and get f*cked up!-themed frat party, Shelby ends up trying to explain to Zac Efrons character why she doesnt like frat parties (ie, because they seem to exist solely to get girls f*cked up enough to bone frat guys). Efron only remembers how much fun everyone was having. We had great parties! he says, and then he starts listing off themes: Pimps and Hoes CEOS and Corporate Hoes Boise Boys and Ida-Hoes Oh God, I see your point!

Finally, a comedic moment Zac Efron is perfect for: the excited, dopey frat guy realizing what was there all along. The scene is funny, insightful, and, to be honest, probably hits home for a lot of guys in my generation, who never bothered to consider the implications of telling the women in our lives to dress like prostitutes (important sub-point: theres nothing wrong with being a prostitute, if thats what youre into).

Even better than Zac Efrons mea culpa (and by extension, an entire generations), is the way its framed around the impending birth of Seth Rogen and Rose Byrnes characters second daughter. This is a nice way of showing us that this movie isnt five guys telling us what ladies want, its merely five guys struggling with the question of what kind of world they want to raise daughters in.

They actually care! Yes Im aware Im guilty of the soft bigotry of low expectations, but I cannot stress enough how important the mere act of giving a shit and trying to write a real story is in the context of a movie called Neighbors 2.



Thing is, caring about a comedy sequel cant make it not a comedy sequel. It was likely pushed out on a tight schedule  releasing exactly two years after the original  and it feels sloppy and rushed. Shelby and her girls have a nice I wish scene (shout out to This American Life for teaching me what that is), where they wish they could start a sorority and throw parties on their terms. But the script sort of yadda yaddas the details of how they would go about doing this (maybe they should uh *bong rip* sell some weed or something *cough, cough*). In fact, in generally, the film introduces big ideas only to resort to convoluted montages, throws in gross-gags when it runs out of jokes, and bends over backwards trying to find an excuse to redo bits that werent that funny in the first movie. The airbag? Again? F*ck.

Why do comedy sequels keep doing this? I could understand wanting to revisit characters, but not specific jokes. You know how they say comedy is all about timing? Yeah. And in this case, the callback is not only ill-advised but just crammed in with no lube. Efron and Rogen are trapped in a garage, and their solution to getting out is to take out the cars airbag? While the cars locked? With no tools? In a few minutes? And where did the second airbag come from? Come on, man, I shouldnt have to think this hard for a bit this mediocre. And anyway, the new slapstick bit they came up with for the sequel was much better, as it usually is.

Also, because this is a Seth Rogen movie, someone has to be messed up on drugs at one point, which takes the form of Rogens buddy played by Ike Barinholtz (Unnecessary Character, I believe his name was, who is married to Mrs. Unnecessary Character, played by Carla Gallo) getting roofied at the sorority party. We got Cosbyd! shouts Rogen. But wait. How did girls get roofied at their own party, when theyd only just begun letting people in? Cosby as a verb is an okay joke, but its not good enough to excuse an entire sequence that makes no sense in the midst of a Rogen writing tic.

Basically, how much you like Neighbors 2 depends on how much leeway you give it for having its heart in the right place, even when its brain is slightly addled and the entire gesture shrinkwrapped in limitations of the format.

In a way, mainstream Hollywood releases are still a lot like the Greek system parties. Ladies throwing one on their own terms would be nice, but in the absence of that, Seth Rogen and company are feeling the weight of their responsibility to plan one where women at least get to do more than dress slutty and f*ck dudes. And even if a lot of the decor wasnt on point and the punch kind of sucked, they did accomplish that.

Vince Mancini is a writer, comedian, and podcaster. A graduate of Columbias non-fiction MFA program, his work has appeared on FilmDrunk, the UPROXX network, the Portland Mercury, the East Bay Express, and all over his moms refrigerator. Fan FilmDrunk on Facebook, find the latest movie reviews here.
Billy Murphy, Freddie Gray's family attorney, made an appearance on Fox News on Monday night, during which he declared that the station's "approach to the black community is racist." Things got a little awkward.

Murphy was speaking to the eponymous host of Fox's On the Record with Greta Van Susteren after Edward Nero, one of the officers involved in the arrest and subsequent death of Gray, was cleared of all charges.

"They had faith that Judge [Barry] Williams made the correct call," Murphy said. "And we're blessed to have somebody who's not going to be influenced by public opinion  and your station was rife with speculation about whether Judge Williams was playing to the audience or whether he was following his internal, fair compass."

"I don't know where you get that, Billy. Billy, no, stop that," Van Susteren retorted, visibly agitated. She stated there was a Fox reporter present for most, if not all, of the trial, suggesting her network's coverage was comprehensive. She also attempted to prohibit Murphy from making wider commentary about Fox, telling him to keep his criticisms restricted to her show.

"So, if I think the whole network's approach to the black community is racist and that's a relevant thing to say during this program, I can't say it?" Murphy queried.

"I know the way you're trying to play this," Van Susteren answered. "I got the picture, I wasn't born yesterday."

The clip can be seen here:
By Michel Rose and Chine Labbe

PARIS (Reuters) - Dozens of French police raided Google's Paris headquarters on Tuesday, escalating an investigation into the digital giant on suspicion of tax evasion.

Google, which said it was fully complying with French law, is under pressure across Europe from public opinion and governments angry at the way multinationals exploit their presence around the world to minimise the tax they pay.

Investigators from the financial prosecutors office and France's central office against corruption and tax fraud, accompanied by 25 IT specialists, took part in the raid.

"The investigation aims to verify whether Google Ireland Ltd has a permanent base in France and if, by not declaring parts of its activities carried out in France, it failed its fiscal obligations, including on corporate tax and value added tax," the prosecutor's office said in statement.

Google, now part of Alphabet Inc, pays little tax in most European countries because it reports almost all sales in Ireland. This is possible thanks to a loophole in international tax law but it hinges on staff in Dublin concluding all sales contracts.

If staff in countries like France finalise contracts with local clients, then the company would be obliged to report the revenues nationally and pay taxes in each country.

Al Verney, a spokesman for Google in Europe, said in an email: "We are cooperating with the authorities to answer their questions. We comply fully with French law."

Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, approached for a reaction at a conference in Amsterdam, declined to comment.

"HEAVY OPERATION"

Tuesday's raid was carried out as part of an investigation into aggravated tax fraud and the organised laundering of the proceeds of tax fraud. The probe, triggered by a complaint by the French tax authorities, started in June last year but was only made public on Tuesday.

"This is a heavy operation," the judicial source said, referring to how many people took part in the raid. "It's quite an unusual one."

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Should it be found guilty, Google faces either up to 10 million euros ($11.14 million) in fines or a fine of half of the value of the laundered amount involved.

Budget Minister Christian Eckert, who declined to confirm or deny the sums involved in the Google case on Public Senat television, said France had raked in 3.3 billion euros in back taxes and penalties from just five multinationals in 2015.

Separately, French tax authorities are seeking some 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in back taxes from Google, a finance ministry source said in February.

It wasn't clear to what extent the judicial investigation made public on Tuesday was related to the tax authorities' case or was part of a larger probe into Google's tax practices.

A Reuters investigation in 2013 found that while Google said it didnt sell in countries like Britain and France, it advertised "sales" jobs in London and Paris which it said would involve "negotiating deals" and meeting "sales quotas". (http://reut.rs/1RnJZe2)

The group agreed in January to pay 130 million pounds in back taxes to Britain, prompting criticism from opposition lawmakers and campaigners that the sum was too low.

According to the last available statutory financial filing, Google France posted a profit of about 12.2 million euros on revenues of 225.4 million euros ($251.14 million)in 2014 and employed 534 people in the country.

Parent company Alphabet posted net profits of $14.1 billion in 2014 on revenues of $66 billion and had a total headcount of 53,600.

($1 = 0.8945 euros)

(Reporting by Michel Rose, Chine Labbe, Ingrid Melander, Mathieu Rosemain and Gwenaelle Brazic in Paris, Svebor Kranjc in Amsterdam, Tom Bergin in London, Peter Henderson in San Francisco; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Andrew Callus and Tom Heneghan)
By Kit Rees and Alistair Smout

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's top share index rose on Tuesday, bolstered by a rally in banking stocks and a well-received trading statement from Kingfisher.

The FTSE 100 index was up 82.83 points, or 1.4 percent, at 6,219.26 points at its close, touching a three-week high.

The rally was broad-based, with grocer Tesco, Old Mutual, Legal & General and Royal Bank of Scotland and all gaining between 4.8 percent and 6.8 percent.

Royal Bank of Scotland rose after a U.S. appeals court voided a Bank of America Corp mortgage penalty.

Investors said this could mean that the U.S. Department of Justice might now relax its stance on mortgage settlements.

RBS is preparing for the biggest fines in its history to settle U.S. investigations into accusations that it misled investors in mortgage-backed securities.

Analysts also said that the UK banking sector, which rose 2.4 percent, was boosted by readacross from a 9 percent rise in underlying profit at Nationwide Building Society, Britain's biggest customer-owned lender, as mortgage lending increased to volumes last seen before the 2007-08 financial crisis.

"UK banks are once again in demand, with a reported rise in mortgage activity at Nationwide further enhancing the attractiveness of names like RBS," Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst at IG, said in a note.

Financial services firm Old Mutual rallied 5.9 percent after confirming it had received multiple approaches from potential buyers of its stake in U.S. fund firm Old Mutual Asset Management (OMAM).

Kingfisher rose 3.5 percent, among top gainers after the owner of the B&Q chain reported a 3.6 percent increase in like-for-like sales in the first three months of its financial year. Traders said its UK and French divisions had performed better than expected.

"In its first half-year, it is a little early to be judging the returns from the five-year One Kingfisher strategy but management is pleased with progress so far," David Stoddart, analyst at Edison Investment Research, said in a note.

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Tobacco firm Imperial Brands rose 3 percent, benefiting from an upgrade by Barclays to "overweight" from "equal weight".

"Imperial is executing strongly. Organic sales momentum is improving and margin/cash generation increases underpin (at least) 10 percent dividend growth," analysts at Barclays said in a note.

"Moreover, we are increasingly confident margins will surprise to the upside and that the U.S. is performing ahead of expectations."

Coca-Cola HBC, however, was among the top fallers, down 3 percent after a shareholder said it was going to sell its 1.5 percent stake in the bottling company.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
A ontinue to descend on cities, urban planners are looking for solutions to accommodate growing populations  especially in regard to transportation.

One Chinese company is exploring the potential of a bus system that glides above existing infrastructure. At the China Beijing High-Tech Expo, Transit Explore Bus showed off a tiny prototype of its futuristic bus, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Source: YouTube

Conceptually speaking, the straddle bus follows the same thinking as Hyperloop One's proposal. Rather than build new infrastructure, both TEB and Hyperloop One are exploring how they can build on top of right-of-ways that already exist.

Source: YouTube

The elevated bus is as wide as two lanes of traffic and sits on a set of rails. The spacious vehicle is designed to ferry 1,400 passengers at a time. One straddling bus could potentially replace 40 standard buses, Song Youzhou, TEB's chief engineer, told the Xinhua News Agency.

To board, passengers will take elevators that port directly into the

Source: YouTube

In addition to evading congestion, the traffic-straddling bus is conceived to be all electric, so it won't generate more emissions to already-polluted cities. Though the bus will be able to sit above roadways, it won't be speeding between destinations. After all, this vehicle is no Hyperloop. The bus can travel approximately 37 miles per hour.

Song said the bus will also save cities money. He told Xinhua News Agency the system will cost 16% of what a subway system costs.

Source: YouTube

Song said his company is working on a pilot version of the vehicle in China's Changzhou Province. The first test of the vehicle is scheduled for later this summer, potentially between July and August, he said.
European finance ministers are poised to free up $12 billion in loans to Greece early Wednesday, meeting their self-imposed deadline to fill the coffers of a close-to-broke EU member. Deal or no deal, though, the grim reality remains the same: Athens owes a jaw-dropping $358 billion, and theres no way it will ever be able to pay it all back.

The International Monetary Fund is well aware of Greeces unrelenting economic nightmare  on Monday, the fund predicted double-digit unemployment in Greece until at least 2040, and the countrys economy has been battered by years of recession. IMF chief Christine Lagarde insists Europe forgive some of Greeces debt if the fund is to participate in the bailout program.

Enter the Germans, who have steadfastly refused to even consider a Greek haircut until at least 2018, after Germany holds parliamentary elections in 2017. They also wont continue to provide bailout funds unless the IMF puts up some money as well. Without Germany, both parts of the rescue package fall apart because Berlin is the biggest financial donor to Athens and holds more of its debt than any other EU member. Germanys finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, once again made that clear Tuesday that a so-called haircut is far from imminent; he said debt relief is not a pressing problem in Berlin.

#Greece #euro group ongoing as Schaeuble tries to square the circle of disbursing with the #IMF onboard while not giving any debt relief now  Yiannis Mouzakis (@YiannisMouzakis) May 24, 2016

Top German officials worry that Athens wont make the pension reforms, tax cuts, and spending decreases it has promised  Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has struggled to get individual bills through parliament  and lawmakers in Berlin are unconvinced Greece will live up to its end of the $96 billion bailout approved last summer.

Some German allies want Berlin to go a bit softer on Athens. French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said Tuesday, Greece needs room to breathe, it needs certainty. It has made considerable efforts, which again we have seen this weekend in adopting a difficult package of measures.

Little substantive process was made on the impasses that remain between the Eurogroup, or the 19 finance ministers who are meeting in Brussels Tuesday. As their meeting crept into the Belgian night, a grand solution appeared unlikely. Greeces ANA news agency reported Tuesday that $12 billion would be given to Athens and that talks over outstanding issues  primarily debt relief  would continue. This loan would reportedly be split up into two separate tranches: one now, and one in the fall, conditioned on Greece making the reforms its promised.

As the meeting took place, in scenes reminiscent of violent protests in Athens, anti-austerity protesters took to the street of Brussels where they clashed with police. This shows little has changed since last summer, when both brutishness and disagreement defined the crisis.

Photo credit: JOHN THYS/Getty Images
The big question on everyone's minds as the Dancing With the Stars finals kicked off Monday night was whether or not Ginger Zee would be able to perform after suffering a painful pelvic injury during rehearsals.

In the pre-taped package before Zee and her pro partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, took the stage, viewers got a behind-the-scenes look at Zee's mishap, which caused debilitating back spasms that prohibited her from dancing or even camera blocking in preparation for the episode.

"Right now [my body] is giving out. My back, my pelvis, everything is starting to give, and it couldn't come at a more pressure-filled, stressful-filled time," Zee explained in the pre-recorded segment. "If I perform full-out, with how I feel right now, it will spasm. And I could, in the middle of the dance, in front of America, fall down and not be able to move."

WATCH: Ginger Zee Seriously Injured, Suffering Back Spasms

Miraculously, this didn't happen. In fact, Zee, 35, and Chmerkovskiy, 30, came out strong with a beautiful contemporary routine set to a soulful cover of Coldplay's "Adventure of a Lifetime," and it was almost impossible to tell that the new mom was hours away from not being able to hit the dance floor at all.

The number, which was a so-called "Redemption Dance," recreated a low-scoring routine the pair performed back in Week Three.

This time around, Zee and Chmerkovskiy incorporated some key elements from some of their most successful dances -- including the water fountain from their Beauty and the Beast dance from Disney Week, as well as a bench and a series of mirrors that they utilized for wonderful dramatic effect. And the judges were more than impressed with her recovery and redemption.

WATCH: Ginger Zee Fights Through Swollen Feet for Disney Week on 'Dancing With the Stars'

"The improvement from week three, when you did this dance, is amazing," judge Len Goodman said. "Far more fluidity through the movement and much more confidence. It was organic, and I loved it."

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"It was like watching Ginger and Val's greatest hits remastered and remixed in contemporary style," Bruno Tonioli gushed. "Great tactic, because you've really shown how she has blossomed."

Speaking with DWTS co-host Erin Andrews after their performance, the two opened up about dancing in the face of Zee's painful injury, and how they didn't plan on letting it slow them down.

WATCH: Ginger Zee Scores First Perfect Score of Season on 'Dancing With the Stars'

"The back spasms are unfortunately a challenge we had to face, but we don't want to make any excuses. I don't think it's a big deal," Chmerkovskiy explained. "This is our last week, we're gonna give it all we got and, you know, I'm proud of her."

"She doesn't surprise me. I hope she surprises America, but I see this week in and week out," Chmerkovskiy added.

For their efforts, the powerhouse partners earned at formidable score of 28 out of 30.

For their second dance, Zee and Chmerkovskiy paid homage to one of the greatest dance duos of all time -- Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.

Donning 1940s-era attire and dancing frestyle to Nat King Cole's "Orange Colored Sky," the dynamic duo out-did themselves delivering a dance that was even more spectacular than their first.

PHOTOS: Complete List: 'Dancing with the Stars' Winners

"Tonight, you've shown your versatility. That first [performance] had a poignancy about it, and then you come out on this second dance [and you're] fun, effervescent," Goodman raved. "Let me tell you one thing: Pain is temporary. Glory lasts a life time."

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba was awash with praise, calling Zee a "classy, elegant, sophisticated, mature" performer.

The second time around, the judges gave them the scores they were really hoping for, with 10s across the board, giving Zee and Chmerkovskiy the first perfect score of the evening with a 30 out of 30.

WATCH: Ginger Zee Talks 'Dancing With the Stars' Gig, Juggling Work and Motherhood

The two were over-joyed with their combined total of 58, and Chmerkovskiy even picked Zee up and spun her around in celebration. However, fans will have to wait until tomorrow's season 22 finale to see if the GMA weather anchor takes home the mirror ball trophy.

For more on Zee's painful pelvic problems during this week's rehearsals, check out the video below.

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From Seventeen

Aniya Wolf, a junior at a Catholic high school in Pennsylvania, was devastated after she was kicked out of prom for wearing a tuxedo. But now, after Bishop McDevitt High School brought her down, a nearby school stepped up to give her the prom night she always dreamed of.

William Penn High School, in a nearby school district, invited her to bring a date and show up in her snazzy tuxedo. According to the Associated Press, that school's principal, Brandon Carter, said he invited her to show that "we do embrace all."

This weekend, she was greeted at their prom to cheers and lots of media attention. "It was just amazing to know that many people cared," Aniya told ABC 27 News. And clearly, she looked awesome at the prom.

Aniya's mom, Carolyn Wolf, posted an open thank-you letter to William Penn's principal for welcoming her daughter. Now that's how to throw a great prom.
(Reuters) - Google Maps will soon carry promotional offers from nearby businesses along with ads and allow users to browse product inventories and menus.

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Tuesday it would introduce the new ad features on both Google Maps and Google.com.

Google Maps already allows businesses to advertise store locations based on search keywords. The new feature will show ads automatically to users along their driving route.

Nearly one-third of all mobile searches on Google are related to location, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google's senior-vice president for ads and commerce, said in a blog post.

(Reporting by Kshitiz Goliya in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
Google's headquarters in Paris were raided by French tax officials and law enforcement on Tuesday morning as part of an investigation over alleged tax fraud. The news was first reported by French outlet Le Parisien and then later confirmed to Reuters by sources who claim the raid began at 5:00AM local time.

READ MORE: This is probably our first look at a real iPhone 7

In an update to the story, added shortly after the report was published, a French prosecutor explains that the raid "aims to verify whether Google Ireland has failed in fiscal obligations in France." Google's current tax structure allows it to pay taxes in Ireland even when sales appear to be coming from the UK.

As Reuters notes, France isn't the only country with significant concerns about the way Google conducts its business. Britain has also complained about Google's penchant for having its tax base in countries where it can pay lower corporate taxes.

The financial prosecutor's office also mentioned allegations of money laundering in a statement to the press, but there aren't many details to work with at the moment.

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This article was originally published on BGR.com
PARIS  Googles headquarters in the French capital were raided by police Tuesday in a preliminary federal investigation into alleged tax fraud.

The probe was confirmed to Variety by the financial division of Frances justice department, which said it conducted the search of Googles Paris office along with officers from the anti-corruption and tax fraud unit (OCLCIFF) and 25 computer experts.

The financial division said the preliminary federal investigation into possible aggravated tax fraud and organized money laundering was launched on June 16 last year. It follows a lawsuit filed by Frances tax administration.

Google has come under even heavier scrutiny since February, after news broke of the scale of its Dublin headquarters financial operations. Reports indicated that Googles Irish office  which employs more than 2,200 people and serves as headquarters for Europe, the Middle East and Africa  reportedly handled transactions worth 28.7 billion euros ($32 billion) over three years, as part of a scheme to cut its tax bill.

The financial division of Frances justice department said in a statement today that the probe aimed to verify whether the company Google Ireland Ltd. has a stable operation in France.and verify whether  since Google hasnt declared part of its business done in France  [the company] failed to fulfill its tax obligations, such as corporate and value-added taxes.

Back in February, Google was asked to pay 1.6 billion euros ($1.78 billion) in back taxes to the French government.

Google has been on the radar of French authorities for more than five years. The companys Paris office was already raided in 2011 by tax officers as part of an investigation into the companys transfer-pricing assessments between the French division of Google and its holding in Ireland.

Michel Sapin, Frances finance minister, said in January that Google would not get away with a deal like the one it struck with authorities in Britain, where it agreed to pay 130 million ($190 million) to cover back taxes for the last 10 years. The deal was deemed disproportionately small by a wide range of high-level British figures.

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French investigators on Tuesday raided Google's Paris headquarters as part of a tax evasion and money laundering investigation.

Sources near Google confirmed the raid, and Reuters said the French financial prosecutor's office also confirmed the news.

The probe, launched last June, focuses on whether Google Ireland has failed in meeting its fiscal obligations in France, it quoted the prosecutor's office as saying.

"We comply with French law and are cooperating fully with the authorities to answer their questions," said a Google representative.

Google was asked earlier this year to make about $1.75 billion in past tax payments to the French government.

Google's taxes have been in focus on the continent. The Internet giant's Paris office was raided in 2011 in a probe about inner-European financial flows. And in the U.K., the company this year struck a $190 million tax deal for the 2005-2014 period, which critics said was too low for such a big company.

The European Commission earlier this year formally accused Google of antitrust violations, saying in a so-called statement of objections that the online giant has been abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system.

The EU Commission is carrying out separate investigations into Google practices in other areas, including allegations that it is giving favorable treatment to its own specialized services in Google Search and concerns regarding the use of rivals' web content.

Read More: EU Claims Google's Android Practices Violate Antitrust Law
Paris (AFP) - French police and two dozen computer experts raided Google's Paris offices Tuesday in a fraud probe, with the US Internet giant already suspected of owing 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in back taxes.

The French authorities suspect Google of "aggravated tax fraud and conspiracy to conceal (it)," the national financial prosecution service (PNF) said in a statement.

Google is one of several multinational corporations that have come under fire in Europe for paying extremely low taxes by shifting revenue across borders in an often complex web of financial arrangements.

A Google spokeswoman told AFP: "We respect French legislation and are fully cooperating with the authorities to answer their questions."

The PNF said police, tax officials and 25 computer experts took part in the raid.

A source close to the matter said in February that French authorities believe the Californian group owes 1.6 billion euros in back taxes.

Its European operations are headquartered in Ireland, which has some of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe.

The PNF said the probe, launched in June 2015, aimed to "check" whether Google Ireland Limited, "by not declaring part of its activity carried out on French territory... has failed in its tax obligations, notably in terms of company tax and value-added tax".

Google France received a "notification" of the investigation back in March 2014, which did not give any precise figures.

Its offices have been raided by French authorities before, in June 2011, during an investigation into transfers to its Irish headquarters.

In January, Google agreed to pay 130 million (170 million euros, $190 million) in back taxes in Britain after a government inquiry sparked by a public outcry.

Italy has demanded more than 200 million euros from Google, which is accused of perpetrating tax fraud there for years.

- Friendly 'tax rulings' -

Authorities in the United States and several European countries have begun cracking down on so-called "tax optimisation" practices thought to rob their coffers of billions of euros in potential revenue every year.

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The European Union has also been investigating "tax rulings" by some member states that benefit multinationals.

Brussels is probing online retailer Amazon's tax arrangements in Luxembourg, one of a series of such probes targeting major global firms, including Apple, Starbucks and Fiat.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai defended the Internet giant's tax practices during a visit to Paris in February.

"We're a global company. We have to abide by tax laws everywhere, we do abide by local tax laws in every single country," he said.

"We're advocating strongly for a simpler global tax system," he added.

France has previously refused to negotiate the amount of back taxes it would request.

However, a source inside France's tax authority said in February that bargaining may still be possible.

"This does not mean that Google will ultimately pay 1.6 billion," the source told AFP. "There will be appeals, and perhaps a negotiation in the end, in particular on penalties."
As Eurozone finance ministers on Tuesday prepare to gather for a meeting to discuss Greece's bailout, some officials are once again holding out on approving much needed funds to help the financially-troubled country pay off its debts. Regardless of their reasons, the idea of limiting aid to Greece is different today from previous years and shouldn't even be an issue, given how increasingly vulnerable Europe's economy has become.

The architecture of Greece's series of bailouts in 2009, 2012 and 2015 was conceived by the 'Troika,' which includes the European Union Commission in Brussels, the International Monetary Fund in Washington and the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.

The marriage of these vastly different organizations that created the EU-IMF bailout was only ever a civil ceremony-- not a match made in heaven. Back in 2012, French President Nicholas Sarkozy railed privately against German Chancellor Angela Merkel's plan to bring the IMF on board to bailout Greece.

Needless to say, this dysfunction has not improved. Earlier this month, a leaked letter from IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned Greece's creditors to restructure Athens' loans, or the Fund would no longer participate in any future rescue package. Another internal IMF discussion hinted at provoking a crisis to force the EU's hand and compel Eurozone leaders to undertake yet another significant restructuring of Greek debt. Lagarde and the IMF clearly view Athens' debt position as unsustainable, with sporadic threats of default interspersed with regular bailouts by the EU and IMF. For the Fund, this merely reinforces the widespread perception of financial instability in Europe, while contagion always threatens to spill over into global markets.

The notion of the IMF's non-participation in the bailout program, especially today, remains an empty threat. Lagarde and German Chancellor Angela Merkel know full well the panic that would ensue on global markets, already rattled by the prospect of a Brexit, anaemic global growth and weak US jobs figures, if the Fund were to withdraw entirely.

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This comes as Greece tries to meet a June 7 deadline to repay 299 million euros to the IMF, a relatively small sum. But from this point onwards, the trickle turns into a tsunami, with over 18 billion euros in repayments due in 2016. In June and July alone, over 11 billion euros falls due. In order to access funds secured in the EU's third bailout package from last July, Athens needs to deliver more structural reforms.

Last weekend, the Greek parliament passed another raft of bills that raised taxes and cut spending, as the constant threat of another Greek crisis has worn the IMF's patience. The Fund has a sobering view of Greece's long-term future: Athens' debt will reach almost 300% of GDP by 2060, unless it receives debt relief.

The IMF's position today puts Washington on a collision course with Berlin. Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's iron finance minister, has stated he will not countenance variations to the package, citing the difficulties associated with parliamentary ratification. Adding to the complexity, the ECB cannot forgive Greece's central bank loans.

The ECB finds itself blocked by a German government that refuses to countenance a quantitative easing (QE) strategy similar to the four rounds pursued by the US Fed throughout 2010-14. ECB President Mario Draghi is also hamstrung by the Bank's charter: unlike the Fed or Bank of England, the ECB is forbidden from becoming a lender of last resort; nor is it permitted to mutualize or assume responsibility for sovereign debt. In theory, the ECB could shoulder all of these burdens, but Eurozone politics means that surplus countries, like Germany and Finland, have no intention of financing deficit economies, such as Greece, Portugal and Spain, who they believe have no intention of repaying their debts.

The IMF-EU dispute will end like all institutional contretemps: with compromise. Eurogroup ministers agreed in mid May that Greece would receive some debt relief, but Germany will oppose the IMF's insistence upon a debt moratorium. That will leave Greeks in the same suspended animation they have endured since 2009. But the next time Athens is in crisis, it may be too late to resuscitate the patient.

Remy Davison holds the Jean Monnet Chair in Politics and Economics at Monash University in Australia.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
By Phoebe Fronista and Fedja Grulovic IDOMENI, Greece (Reuters) - Greece sent in police and bulldozers on Tuesday to knock down tents and relocate hundreds of migrants who had been stranded for months in a squalid makeshift camp on the border with Macedonia. Several busloads of people, most of them families with children, left the sprawling expanse of tents at Idomeni to move to state-run centers further south. Buses were lined up ready to take more, Reuters witnesses said. By the latest count, at least 8,000 people were camped at Idomeni in difficult, overcrowded conditions with poor sanitation, ignoring previous calls by the government to leave. As many as 12,000, mainly Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis, were stuck there at one point after Balkan countries shut their borders in February, barring them from crossing to central and northern Europe. Greece was the main entry point for more than a million migrants who made it to Europe last year, mostly after perilous sea crossings. New arrivals there have slowed sharply since the European Union struck a deal with Turkey to get it to curb the flow, but the government says there are still more than 54,000 migrants on Greek soil. It plans to move people gradually to state-supervised facilities which currently have a capacity of about 5,000. About 1,500 people had been relocated by late afternoon, police said. "The evacuation is progressing without any problem," said Giorgos Kyritsis, a government spokesman on the migration crisis. They would be relocated "ideally by the end of the week", he said. "We haven't put a strict deadline on it." A Reuters witness on the Macedonian side of the border said there was a heavy police presence in the area, but no problems were reported as people with young children packed up huge bags with their belongings. Media on the Greek side of the border were kept at a distance. Inside the Idomeni camp, police in riot gear stood guard as people boarded the buses, state TV footage showed. But at the Oreokastro camp near the city of Thessaloniki, migrants already there shouted at new arrivals not to get off the buses because of conditions there, a Reuters witness said. POOR CONDITIONS A police official said about 1,000 people continued to block the only railway tracks linking Greece and Macedonia, closed off for weeks by protesters demanding passage to northern Europe. Trains were forced to divert through Bulgaria to the east, and some goods wagons have been stranded on the tracks for weeks. "This should have happened a long time ago," said Anastasios Sachpelidis, a local transporters association representative. The closure was "a big loss," he said. "We lost clients, we lost money, time and our credibility." Human rights groups had raised alarm about the deteriorating conditions at Idomeni, where children slept in the open, scuffles broke out over food, and Macedonian forces who tear-gassed migrants trying to storm past the razor-wire fence. International charity Save the Children said it was also concerned about a lack of basic services such as bathrooms and shelters for children in some of the official camps. "Many of the children, especially lone children, have been through enough trauma already," said Amy Frost, its Greece team leader. "Relocations to formal camps need to be managed sensitively to ensure the process is not adding to the trauma." The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said Greece had to ensure the individuals now had access to asylum. "That has been an issue - making sure Greece has this capacity to do that. It is something that we have to continue to watch," spokesman Adrian Edwards told a briefing in Geneva. A sharp rise in asylum applications since the EU-Turkey deal has burdened Greece's asylum system, already criticized as inadequate and slow. Progress has also lagged on a scheme to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU states to alleviate pressure on the two frontline countries. Just 1,145 people have been relocated so far. The evacuation of Idomeni signaled "the establishment of medium to long-term camps on European soil," said Melanie Ward of aid group International Rescue Committee. "How long do we expect people  so many of whom have fled war and conflict - to be living in tents in refugee camps in Greece?" (Additional reporting by Angeliki Koutantou in Athens and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Michele Kambas and Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Greek riot police moved in before dawn on Tuesday, May 24, to start clearing Idomeni, the countrys largest informal refugee camp. Thousands of migrants have been stranded at the camp on the Greek-Macedonian border for months, since Macedonian authorities passed tighter passage restrictions in February.

Reporters were excluded from the scene, so little is known about the operation, but reports suggest most of the refugees will be moved to Thessaloniki.

This video, captured by a Greek police helicopter, shows people boarding buses at the edge of the camp before being driven away. Credit: YouTube/EllinikiAstynomia
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek port workers will walk off the job on Thursday for 48 hours to protest against the sale of the country's two biggest ports, which Athens has promised to international lenders in exchange for much-needed bailout loans. Privatizations, a key term of Greek bailouts since 2010, have generated only a fraction of an initial 50 billion euro ($56 billion) target and have met strong union resistance. Port workers, who fear job cuts, have staged repeated strikes. "Selling the ports is a mistake, it won't help bring growth," George Gogos, general secretary of the Piraeus Port dock workers' union, told Reuters. Port workers unions will decide on a new 48-hour walkout after the end of the strike, Gogos said. Rolling strikes can lead to container pile-ups and disrupt cargo operations. The left-led government halted the sale of its two main ports in Piraeus and the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki when it first won elections last year but relaunched the tenders under Greece's 86 billion-euro bailout deal agreed in August. Greece last month named China Cosco Shipping as the highest bidder for a 67 percent stake in Piraeus Port. Investors are expected to submit binding bids for a majority stake in the port of Thessaloniki at the end of September, sources close to the privatization said on Monday. Denmark's container terminal operator APM Terminals [APMOLM.UL], Philippines's International Container Terminal Services and Dubai-based P&O Steam Navigation Company (DP World) were interested in the Thessaloniki Port, the head of the country's privatization agency said last month. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Mark Potter)
(VIENNA)  A pro-European Union candidate eked out a victory Monday over a right-wing, anti-migrant rival to become Austrias next president, in a tight contest viewed Europe-wide as a proxy fight pitting the continents political center against its growingly strong populist and anti-establishment movements.

European mainstream parties joined Austrian supporters of Alexander Van der Bellen in congratulating him on his victory over Norbert Hofer, with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier declaring, All of Europe is now breathing more easily.

But with less than a percentage point separating the two, Hofers Freedom Party and its allies across Europe also had reason to celebrate what they cast as a major political surge by one of their own.

Hofer had been narrowly ahead of Van der Bellen, a Greens politician running as an independent, after the counting of votes directly cast on Sunday. But around 700,000 absentee ballots still remained to be tallied Monday, and those numbers swung the victory to Van der Bellen.

Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said Van der Bellen collected 50.3 percent of the votes compared with 49.7 percent for Hofer of the Freedom Party. Only a little more than 31,000 votes separated the two, out of more than 4.6 million ballots cast.

The results diminish the scenario that Austrias political landscape could immediately move away from its centrist political image through a new president who could oppose the governments E.U.-friendly policies and increase pressure for tighter migrant controls.

Still, the narrow margin for Van der Bellen is the latest indication that Europes anti-establishment parties are gaining influence.

Hofer announced his defeat shortly before the official announcement in a Facebook post thanking his backers for their support.

He acknowledged he is naturally sad, adding: I would have been happy to have cared for our wonderful country as federal president. His post said that the work of his supporters during the election is not lost but an investment in the future.

Story continues

With the results close, Herbert Kickl, secretary general of Hofers party, said it might demand a recount in case of significant signs of abuses during the absentee vote count. A Freedom Party meeting was called for Tuesday.

Hofers Freedom Party has exploited anti-E.U. sentiment and fear that Austria could be overrun by refugees to become the countrys most popular political force. Van der Bellen was generally supported by pro-European Union Austrians favoring humane immigration policies and others opposed to the right.

Despite pledges by both candidates to be the president of all Austrians, the split vote revealed unprecedented polarization over which direction the nation should now take, particularly over migration and the E.U.s future. Van der Bellen sought to smooth over the differences in post-result comments.

Were equals, the 72-year old economist told reporters. Its two halves that define Austria  and together we make this beautiful Austria.

But one thing united Hofer and Van der Bellen despite their ideological differences. Both were protest candidates, mirroring the depth of Austrian dissatisfaction with the status quo. Contenders for the Social Democrats and the centrist Peoples Party  the two parties that form the government coalition  were eliminated in last months first round of voting.

Those parties have dominated Austrian politics since the end of World War II and winners of all previous presidential elections since then have been backed by one of the two.

Hofers strong showing reflects the growth of support for anti-establishment parties across the continent to the detriment of the political middle. Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, a Social Democrat, described it as a continuation of a trend.

People are dissatisfied with the traditional, standard political parties, he said on arrival at an E.U. foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. I really believe its time for us to reflect upon it because we must be doing something wrong.

In a tweet reflecting a collective sigh of European establishment relief, Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky of the centrist ANO party hailed Van der Bellens narrow but for Europe important victory. German President Joachim Gauck described Van der Bellen as a convinced European who wants to work for a strong, steady, and in the long run stronger European Union.

Europes right, meanwhile, praised Hofers close finish as a milestone on the path of international dominance for the right. Frances National Front offered warmest congratulations, adding This historic performance certainly ensures future success for all patriotic movements, in Austria and elsewhere in the world.

Comments from Austrias foreign minister before the final tally was announced showed the government bracing for the worst in terms of international reaction had Hofer won.

President Kurt Waldheim, who was backed by the centrist Peoples Party, already was boycotted by most of the world decades ago after revelations that he served in a German unit linked to atrocities in World War II. In Brussels, Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz appealed to everyone to respect the results, totally independently from  whether they are happy with it or not, because this was a democratic Austrian election.

Hofer as president may have been unwelcome in some European capitals as governments there try to keep their populist Euroskeptic parties in check. And the Freedom Partys anti-Muslim campaigning also could have led to Mideast governments avoiding him.
BONN, Germany (Reuters) - Environmental groups urged Group of Seven (G7) nations led by Japan and Germany to stop financing coal projects abroad, which they said amounted to $42 billion since 2007. Japan provided more than half of the total, with $22 billion between 2007 and 2015, a study released on Tuesday by groups including the U.S. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), WWF and Oil Change International said. Many rich nations have sharply restricted financing of coal-fired power plants at home in recent years in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the report said Tokyo was considering a further $10 billion in coming years in projects including Mozambique and Myanmar. The report said the $42 billion from G7 countries was for coal projects in developing nations in the form of "direct finance, guarantees, technical assistance, and aid for coal power, coal mining, and related projects." The study, released before a G7 summit in Japan this week, said Germany was second behind Japan on $9 billion, ahead of the United States ($5 billion), France ($2.5 billion), Italy ($2 billion), Britain ($1 billion) and Canada (below $1 billion). South Africa, India and the Philippines were the main recipients of finance. Almost 200 nations agreed at a summit in Paris in December to shift the world economy towards cleaner energies from fossil fuels in coming decades. Governments are meeting in Bonn this week to start planning detailed rules. Last November, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) agreed to restrict subsidies used to export technology for coal-fired power plants. From now on, funds will only go to the most efficient plants. $42 billion "is probably an under-estimate," NRDC's Jake Schmidt told a news conference in Bonn, adding it was an "inconsistent use of scarce public dollars" to invest in coal rather than cleaner energies such as wind or solar power. (Reporting by Alister Doyle; Editing by Alexander Smith)
A grizzly bear roams through the Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, in this file photo taken May 18, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart/Files

Grizzly-polar bear hybrids are becoming a reality.

The two bears typically don't occupy the same habitats  polar bears, or Ursus maritimus, like to hang out near or in the sea, while grizzlies, a subspecies of brown bear, or Ursus arctos, prefer forests. But as warmer temperatures hit the Arctic Circle, there have been increasing sightings of crossovers.

Most recently, a bear was shot in northern Canada that didn't quite fit the description of a polar bear.

Its head was the same shape as a grizzly bear and its paws were brown, hunter Didji Ishalook told CBC News.

The reason for the crossover? The bears would rather mate with a different kind of bear than not mate at all, The Washington Post reports. But that's not necessarily great news for the future of the polar bear, which needs arctic ice to thrive.

"I hate to say it, but from a genetic perspective, it's quite likely grizzly bears will eat polar bears up, genetically," University of Alberta professor Andrew Derocher told The Post. The warmer temperatures have led to expanded territories for the grizzlies to roam and run into polar bear mates, which could lead to polar bears as we know them to dissolve into the grizzly population.

NOW WATCH: Doctors now say this type of cancer isnt actually cancer  and the new classification is changing thousands of lives





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MUMBAI, INDIA / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / Groupe Athena, Inc. (GATA) announced today that the company is confident of meeting its projected revenue projections of $75 million in line with projections. The company also stated that it has an estimated $35 million of outstanding orders to provide a solid revenue base to build on for the 2017 fiscal period.

The company stated that since over 92% of its orders are dollar denominated, the significant rupee depreciation over the past year would have minimal effect on revenues this fiscal year.

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is estimated to be over $55 Billion in 2020 and is expected to experience 8% annual growth through the end of the decade. GATA has emerged as a vital component of this growth by its ability to help Indian manufacturers get their products approved by the FDA for sales in the US.

For more information on Groupe Athena, Inc. please go to www.otcmarkets.com/stock/GATA/quote or visit our corporate website at www.groupeathena.com.

About Groupe Athena, Inc.

Groupe Athena Inc. was incorporated in June 2008 and began operations on July 1 of that year. The company is a research and testing organization and helps various pharmaceutical and medical products and devices companies in India and Southeast Asia to get regulatory approvals and facilitate exports of their products to the United States. The Company accomplishes this by assisting clients from concept through development, providing consultation on regulatory requirements, filings and processes.

The company has a research and marketing facility in India that currently employs 22 consultants and marketing personnel and is working towards aggressively expanding its presence in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. The Company's web address is www.groupeathena.com

For more information contact:

Groupe Athena, Inc.

info@groupeathena.com

877-647-6876

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "estimate," "project," "intend," "forecast," "anticipate," "plan," "planning," "expect," "believe," "will likely," "should," "could," "would," "may" or words or expressions of similar meaning. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from those included within the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Company's ability to grow its business. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's limited operating history, the limited financial resources, domestic or global economic conditions -- activities of competitors and the presence of new or additional competition and conditions of equity markets.

SOURCE: Groupe Athena, Inc.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of security for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has been removed from his position, according to an internal TSA memo on Monday seen by Reuters, after the agency was criticized for long lines at airport security checkpoints. Kelly Hoggan, who had served as TSA assistant administrator for security operations since May 2013, was replaced by his deputy, Darby LaJoye, who will serve on an acting basis, according to the memo from agency head Peter Neffenger. Long security lines at U.S. airports this spring have frustrated travelers and caused thousands of passengers to miss flights. TSA has blamed the problem on a lack of security screeners and an increase in passenger volumes. Hoggan came under fire at a U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing on May 12 for receiving over $90,000 in bonuses and awards over a 13-month period in 2013-14. Earlier this month, TSA said it would add screeners at the country's busiest airports. About 231 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines from June through August, up 4 percent from the same period last year, according to trade group Airlines for America. In the memo, Neffenger said TSA is doing a better job of moving passengers through security at Chicago's O'Hare Airport after particularly long lines at the nation's second-busiest airport made national news several weeks ago. He also said TSA has established a National Incident Command Center at agency headquarters in Washington to track daily screening operations nationwide and shift resources in advance of higher predicted passenger volumes. A TSA spokesman said the agency does not comment on personnel matters. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Eric Walsh)
Robert McDonald (DC)

The head of the Department of Veteran Affairs was heavily critic zed by Republicans after comparing wait lines veterans face for healthcare to lines at Disneyland.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald compared VA wait times to lines at Disneyland during a Monday breakfast with the Christian Science Monitor.

When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or whats important? Whats important is, whats your satisfaction with the experience? McDonald said during the breakfast. And what I would like to move to, eventually, is that kind of measure.

Republicans were quick to denounce McDonald for his statements. Arizona Sen. John McCain said Tuesday that McDonald's statements reflected a "fundamental lack of understanding about the serious problems plaguing veterans healthcare."

"Secretary McDonalds comparison further erodes what little confidence the American people have left in the Department of Veterans Affairs and its commitment to our veterans," McCain said.

McCain's comments were echoed by Illinois Senator Mark Kirk, who said McDonald "should be embarrassed for making such a comparison."

Kirk went on to say that veterans were consistently disappointed by the services that the VA provided and that McDonald should more thoroughly make amends for his statements.

"The secretary should apologize for his tone deaf comments and show more respect for the men and women he is supposed to be serving," Kirk said.

Two of the Republican Party's leaders also chimed in, noting how the issues affecting the VA were potentially life threatening and were nothing to be made light of. House Speaker Paul Ryan tweeted how the wait times at the VA have led to deaths.

This is not make-believe, Mr. Secretary. Veterans have died waiting in those lines. https://t.co/OxfT3AYzTi  Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) May 23, 2016

And presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump used McDonald's statements as a springboard to criticize Hillary Clinton while promising that he would "take care of our vets."

Story continues

Obamas VA Secretary just said we shouldn't measure

wait times. Hillary says VA problems are not widespread. I will take care of

our vets!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 23, 2016

McDonald was appointed to head the Department of Veterans' Affairs in July 2014, following a wait-list scandal that forced former Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign. Dozens of veterans are thought to have died at the Phoenix VA hospital system alone while waiting for care, from which the wait-list scandal first emerged.

A report from the Government Accountability Office last month found that the VA still lacks the ability to ensure that veterans receive care on time.

NOW WATCH: This electric patch helped a veteran with PTSD reconnect with his kids





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From ELLE

Last night's Billboard Music Awards ceremony gave us many memorable performances and outfits, but the reason so many of the music industry's luminaries were gathered at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was, of course, to celebrate their achievements throughout the year.

The Weeknd had 19 nominations, so it wasn't surprising that he was the night's biggest winner, taking home eight awards in all. Adele was awarded five honors, including Top Artist and Top Selling Song for "Hello," while Rihanna's Navy ensured she won the fan-voted Billboard Chart Achievement Award.

Top Artist: Adele

Billboard Chart Achievement Award: Rihanna

Top R&B Song: The Weeknd, "The Hills"

Top Billboard 200 Album: Adele, 25

Top Male Artist: Justin Bieber

Top Country Song: Thomas Rhett, "Die A Happy Man"

Top Hot 100 Song: Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"

Top Hot 100 Artist: The Weeknd

Top New Artist: Fetty Wap

Top Female Artist: Adele

Top Duo/Group: One Direction

Top Billboard 200 Artist: Adele

Top Song Sales Artist: The Weeknd

Top Radio Songs Artist: The Weeknd

Top Streaming Songs Artist: The Weeknd

Top Social Media Artist: Justin Bieber

Top Touring Artist: Taylor Swift

Top R&B Artist: The Weeknd

Top Rap Artist: Drake

Top Country Artist: Luke Bryan

Top Rock Artist: Twenty one pilots

Top Latin Artist: Romeo Santos

Top Dance/Electronic Artist: David Guetta

Top Christian Artist: Hillsong United

Top Gospel Artist: Kirk Franklin

Top Soundtrack: Pitch Perfect 2

Top R&B Album: The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Top Rap Album: Meek Mill, Dreams Worth More Than Money

Top Country Album: Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Top Rock Album: Twenty one pilots, Blurryface

Top Latin Album: Juan Gabriel, Los Duo

Top Dance/Electronic Album: Zedd, True Colors

Top Christian Album: Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be

Top Gospel Album: Kirk Franklin, Losing My Religion

Top Selling Song: Adele, "Hello"

Top Radio Song: Walk the Moon, "Shut Up and Dance"

Story continues

Top Streaming Song (Audio): The Weeknd, "The Hills"

Top Streaming Song (Video): Silento, "Watch Me"

Top Rap Song: Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"

Top Rock Song: Walk the Moon, "Shut Up And Dance"

Top Latin Song: Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias, "El Perdon"

Top Dance/Electronic Song: Major Lazer & DJ Snake Featuring M, "Lean On"

Top Christian Song: Hillsong UNITED, "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)"

Top Gospel Song: Kirk Franklin, "Wanna Be Happy?"
William Penn had invited them to live in a land of religious tolerance, and they began flocking to the New World. But some Quakers were appalled by a great injustice they found on American shores: slavery.

While many are familiar with the abolitionist movement of the 19th century, fewer know about the white Americans who first took a public stance against slavery. On April 18, 1688, Quakers met at Thones Kunders home in Germantown, Pennsylvania, and read aloud a pioneering document that would become known as the Germantown Protest, or Germantown Declaration.

Have [they] not as much right to fight for their freedom, as you have to keep them slaves? Germantown Declaration

Kunders often hosted the meetings, but it was Francis Daniel Pastorius  founder of the Germantown community in the northwest part of current-day Philadelphia  who proved the most influential in voicing the groups abolitionist views. Pastorius had a significant impact on Germantown, both physically and psychologically, says Alexander Bartlett, librarian of the Germantown Historical Society. The town is physically laid out the way Pastorius envisioned, and psychologically, Bartlett says, the influential Quaker helped instill [abolitionist] values in the community  so much so that Germantown became known as an anti-slavery community, built largely on Quaker values, he adds.

Francis daniel pastorius relief

Francis Daniel Pastorius

Source: Public Domain

Born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1651, Pastorius came from a wealthy family, was educated in fine schools and became a lawyer and tutor for German nobility. He was born a Lutheran and became a Pietistic Lutheran who increasingly frequented Quaker worship services, according to Henry Warner Bowdens Dictionary of American Religious Biography. Because Quakers, as well as Pietist Lutherans, were persecuted throughout Europe, Pastorius sought a place where he and other victims of religious persecution could enjoy religious freedom.

He arrived in Philadelphia in 1683 and, acting on behalf of a collection of Quakers, Mennonites and Pietist Lutherans, purchased from Penn  the states founder  some 15,000 acres of land. It was here they established Germantown, and Pastorius served as the towns longtime mayor, raising a family and writing prolifically on subjects ranging from law to medicine to beekeeping.

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But Pastorius was particularly dismayed by Black slavery and the fact that Quakers, many of whom had just escaped persecution themselves, were oppressing others this way. The declaration  signed by Pastorius and three others  says slavery violates the Golden Rule, questioning: Is there any that would be done or handled in this manner? It adds that slaves were really stolen property, driving home that its less than admirable for God-fearing citizens to possess other humans and profit from them. Going a step further, it seems to justify a slave rebellion, noting have [they] not as much right to fight for their freedom, as you have to keep them slaves?

The document made its way up the Quaker hierarchy until it reached the Quaker Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, where it was considered  and dismissed. Because it was tossed aside at the bigger meeting, some historians consider it an isolated effort. But others like Brycchan Carey, author of From Peace to Freedom: Quaker Rhetoric and the Birth of American Antislavery, 16581761, argue that it was a seminal and connected moment in the development of Quaker anti-slavery discourse, and that it had an immediate and important afterlife.

The declarations ideas resurfaced at the 1696 Quaker Yearly Meeting, which advised against bringing in more slaves. The 1711 meeting expressed dissatisfaction with [Quakers] buying and encouraging the bringing in of Negroes, and the 1715 meeting said Quakers involved with slavery should be advised to avoid that practice. The concepts of the Germantown Declaration, in other words, were spreading throughout the community, planting the seed for Quaker abolitionism. Debate among Quakers about slavery persisted until 1776, when they formally banished slave ownership.

The 1688 germantown quaker petition against slavery

The 1688 Germantown Quaker petition against slavery.

Source: Public Domain

They then moved on to raise the moral issue for everyone, both in Britain and in North America, according to QuakersInTheWorld.org, which also notes that the community provided leadership, networking and financial backing to American and British abolitionist causes. British Quakers helped effect the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which banned the trade of slaves 26 years before the Slavery Abolition Act prohibited slavery there altogether. Quakers in America continued leading their own abolitionist campaign, taking an active role in the Underground Railroad and helping fugitive slaves obtain their freedom.

Meanwhile, the 1688 manuscript of the Germantown Declaration had gone missing. Though its ideas had catalyzed the abolitionist cause, the original document wasnt seen for more than a century. By the time it was rediscovered, in 1844, abolitionism was reverberating across the North, and freedom was only a civil war away.

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BRUSSELS, May 24 (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers meet on Tuesday to discuss whether Greece has passed sufficient reforms to unblock new loans and how international lenders might grant Athens debt relief.

To meet the conditions for the loans, without which Greece would again default in July, the government introduced pension and income tax reforms, as well as measures to privatise state assets and deal with bad loans.

The following are comments from the finance ministers and top EU officials arriving for Tuesday's meeting.

GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE

ON GREEK REFORMS

"We will have a decision. I am confident we will get an agreement in substance today, with technical, detailed work afterwards. We will see."

"Without the IMF on board, there is no programme... Of course we have partly different positions, but it is not a conflict, it is a difference."

"If debt sustainability in a few years is not what we are expecting now... then we will have to find a path. Who is right, we will have to see. In the past the pessimistic assumptions of the IMF were not always right."

"We take the decisions when we take them. The decisions for 2016 we will take in 2016. If we need to take decisions in 2018, we will take them then."

"In 2016, I am the finance minister. In 2018, we have parliamentary elections, which I cannot predict. So we will take the decisions when they need to be made. Now I have the legitimacy and in 2018 it will be for those who the German people have chosen in 2017."

EUROPEAN COMMISSION VICE PRESIDENT VALDIS DOMBROVSKIS

"We hope that we will be able to really reach agreement in principle and which then, subject to fulfilment of certain conditions, would allow disbursement of the next tranche within the Greek programme."

"Another important element will be IMF participation in the programme where we are willing to work very constructively and assist the IMF's full participation in the programme and (answer) questions as regards debt measures, debt restructuring."

Story continues

SLOVAK FINANCE MINISTER PETER KAZIMIR

"Many things remain open and unresolved. We should focus on disbursement, on agreement on the tranche and we would also like to conclude the review, conditionally maybe, but just concluding is crucial for us.

"Talking about debt measures and IMF participation, I can imagine to wait for a later stage with these issues."

CHAIRMAN OF EURO ZONE FINANCE MINISTERS JEROEN DIJSSELBLOEM

"Today we are going to hear from he institutions whether all the reforms have been implemented in the right way, but I think the Greek government has done a lot of work, certainly since the summer and in the last weeks also, pushing forward reforms, difficult measures and getting them through parliament., So I hope there is full agreement between the institutions and that we can move on in the programme.

The purpose of today's meeting is to get that agreement with the IMF (between the euro zone and the IMF on debt relief).

WOULD YOU CONSIDER GOING ON WITHOUT THE IMF?

"No I think that would be very difficult. Many countries in the Eurogroup have always expressed that they would like the IMF to be on board. The IMF is very experienced in running programmes, the IMF is very precise in assessing the situation in Greece and whether Greece sticks to its commitments, so that there is real added value to have he IMF on board, so it is not an option to go on without the IMF.

There is a reason to look at debt relief because the debt is very high and there will be some problems in the future. The debt analysis shows that . How big these problems are and how we can deal with them and when we can deal with them that's today's topic. " (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop and Jan Strupczewski)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f95853%2fhodor

Warning: the post is dark and full of spoilers.

When you think about death on Game of Thrones, you probably don't immediately feel warm and fuzzy. Yet, here we are.

Fans were shocked when the lovable Hodor met his violent end on the series while protecting Bran from the White Walkers. And while you'll never be able to hug a fictional character, take some comfort in the man who brought Hodor to life, actor and DJ Kristian Nairn, being a big old softie on Twitter.

SEE ALSO: Hodor, you've changed us forever

Nairn also gave a shout out to Sam Coleman, the actor behind young Hodor, who previously paid respects to his future fictional self.

Nairn also discussed Hodor's fate on After the Thrones, saying, "It feels very true to Hodor for me."

Bonus: Sad George Martin
- Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne is undergoing tests in hospital after falling during a race and complaining of acute abdominal pain. Australia's Payne -- the first woman to win the 155-year-old Melbourne Cup last year -- tumbled from her horse Dutch Courage at Mildura in Victoria state on Monday and was taken to a nearby hospital. Early scans did not detect anything and doctors sent her to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne for further tests, Victorian Jockeys Association's chief executive Des O'Keeffe said. "At the Alfred Hospital this morning, she's undergone an extensive lot of scans of her abdomen after complaining of really acute pain," O'Keeffe told AFP, adding that the 30-year-old was "heavily sedated and heavily medicated". "The doctors will decide today if and what other steps they need to take to try and give her some relief in that area."

AFP
(Reuters) - Houston police dispatched a bomb squad on Tuesday to George Bush Intercontinental Airport to investigate a possible bomb threat against a Delta Air Lines plane, a police spokesman said, but no device was found on the airplane. Bill Begley, spokesman for the Houston Airport System, said the plane had since departed the airport. "It is a non-specific threat," he said. "We worked with the airline and with TSA to pull the passengers and baggage off the plane and re-screen them. Officials at Atlanta-based Delta , the No. 2 U.S. carrier by traffic, said the affected passengers were aboard flight 227, an MD-88 aircraft flying between Houston and Atlanta. Passengers were rescreened and the flight departed after a short delay due to a threat deemed by authorities as being non-credible, the airline said in a statement, but no information was given as to the number of passengers and crew on board. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas and Jeffrey Dastin in New York; editing by G Crosse)
MasterCard announced Tuesday the launch of a new app for SoftBank Robotics' humanoid robot Pepper, which will enable Pepper to join the team at Pizza Hut Asia.

Pepper, who is designed to interact with humans, will be able to help customers who have a MasterCard MasterPass account, offering customized suggestions, special offers, order-taking and assistance in paying.

Vipul Chawla, Managing Director of Pizza Hut Restaurants Asia, expressed his delight at the news saying, "We are excited to welcome Pepper to the Pizza Hut family. Core to our digital transformation journey is the ability to make it easier for customers to engage, connect and transact with Pizza Hut. With an order-and-payment-enabled Pepper, customers can now come to expect personalized ordering at our stores, reduce wait time for carryout, and have a fun, frictionless user experience."

Visitors to Pizza Hut Asia can expect to be greeted by in-store by the end of 2016.

Pepper has already been put to work in Japan in SoftBank retail locations as well as with Nescafe, selling coffee machines.
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. HII has won a contract from the U.S. Navy for advance planning of the detail design and production of the fiscal 2018 nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 80).



The contract is valued at $152 million and the contracting activity is Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, WA, District of Columbia.



Per the contract, Huntington Ingalls will carry out research and development, integrated designing, engineering, and purchase of long lead-time materials. Designing and production of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier involves vast technical and expert knowledge regarding the ships mission, design, systems and nuclear reactor plants.



Work is scheduled to be complete by Mar 2018 and will be performed in Newport News, VA. The aircraft it will be delivered to the Navy in 2027. The contract will use fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds.



The Enterprise (CVN 80), Gerald R. Ford class third aircraft carrier, bears the name of the Navys first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65). Once it enters service, Enterprise will retire the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Nimitz-class ship.



Huntington Ingalls is the prime industrial employer in Virginia. It is the sole designer and manufacturer of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the U.S. Over 70% of the active U.S. Navy fleet consists of Huntington Ingalls ships. The company has developed an exclusive ability in all aspects of aircraft carrier designing, production, innovation, repair, and technical and engineering support.



Huntington Ingalls currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



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CarWale Team

Korean auto giant Hyundai will run three cars at the iconic Nurburgring 24h Race taking place from May 26 to 29. As part of the development of its motorsport-inspired sub-brand N, Hyundai will race two production-based models - i30 1.6 Turbo and a Veloster, as well as the development car in the form of the i30 2.0 Turbo.

The i30 1.6 Turbo will be looking to defend its 2015 class win, while the i30 2.0 Turbo development car will be used to gauge further performance potential ahead of Hyundais future N models. The i30 2.0 Turbo will tackle the challenging German circuit to test the performance-focused power-plant.

Around 40 per cent of the development i30 2.0 Turbo is new with a recently-developed engine, plus enhanced transmission, suspension and dampers. The brand has also worked on other areas such as wheels, steering, wider fenders and the safety features that are obligatory in motor racing.

In September 2015, Hyundai previewed the N sub-brand models which the company said would be focused on performance. While the brand is keen on achieving a strong result at the Nurburgring 24h, the real purpose of the i30 development car is to gather vital track-based data to help future mass production of N sub-brand performance cars.

For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com.

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Sarajevo (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday it had approved a new loan to Bosnia worth 550 million euros ($613 million) to help it carry out economic reforms sought by the European Union.

The reforms are intended to improve the business climate in the Balkan country, resume the privatisation and restructuring of public enterprises, and slow down a rise in public debt.

The IMF said in a statement that its mission in Sarajevo had reached an agreement with Bosnian authorities on an economic programme to be supported by a 36-month loan.

The loan has yet to be approved by the IMF Executive Board, with the green light not expected until July.

"The economy is showing firmer signs of recovery. Growth is expected to reach 3.0 percent this year... but vulnerabilities remain," the IMF said.

EU membership is a major political objective for Bosnia, and under pressure from Brussels it launched economic reforms last year, notably on the labour market, hoping to cut a jobless rate that has exceeded 40 percent.

The IMF deal "will play a catalytic role in mobilising international financial assistance. The European Union and the World Bank are planning to also provide additional financing," the Washington-based lender said.

Bosnia's public debt rose from 3.9 billion euros in 2010 to 6.1 billion euros at the end of 2015, equivalent to 39.5 percent of GDP, according to official figures.

Loan repayments in 2016 represent more than a third of Bosnia's central and regional governments' budget.
(Adds quote, details)

By Daria Sito-Sucic

SARAJEVO, May 24 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund and Bosnia reached a long-awaited agreement on Tuesday on a new, 3-year 550 million euro ($613 million) loan arrangement with a 4-year grace period, an IMF official said.

The IMF sees Bosnia's economic growth this year at about 3 percent, Nadeem Ilahi, the head of an IMF mission, said on completion of its two-week visit to Bosnia.

Bosnia has sought to clinch a deal with the fund since a previous, 33-month programme worth around $720 million expired last June after the IMF froze it because of delays to reforms.

Bosnia's two autonomous regions, the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic, whose total budget deficit amounts to about 1 billion Bosnian marka, need IMF cash to secure their financing needs.

The IMF returned to Bosnia this month after authorities in the Serb Republic liquidated a troubled state-controlled bank, fulfilling the fund's main condition for resuming talks.

Ilahi said the focus of a new programme for Bosnia, known as an extended fund facility, would be on structural reforms, including the improvement of the business environment, restructuring and privatisation of state-owned enterprises, and cuts in taxes to encourage employment.

The authorities also agreed in a Letter of Intent on a gradual fiscal consolidation to reduce public debt, to reduce Bosnia's complex government, and better target government spending.

"We expect to see improvements in the financial safeguards of the economy as well as improvements in credits going forward," Ilahi told a news conference.

The measures sought by the IMF are part of a wider programme the European Union wants Bosnia to implement to further its bid to join the bloc, particularly on social welfare, pensions and health funding.

($1 = 0.8977 euros) (Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; editing by Giles Elgood)
India must do away with laws that allow its government to silence dissent and impugn freedom of speech in the country, international advocacy group Human Rights Watch said in a report released Tuesday.

The report, entitled Stifling Dissent: The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in India, examines the Indian Penal Code and details several laws against sedition, hurting religious sentiments, defamation and hate speech that the group says belie Indias status as a vibrant democracy.

Putting critics in prison or even forcing them to defend themselves in lengthy and expensive court proceedings undermines the governments efforts to present India as a modern country in the Internet age committed to free speech and the rule of law, Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watchs South Asia director, said in a statement.

The report cites specific examples such as the recent controversy at New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University, where a student president was jailed under the colonial-era sedition law for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans. Freedom of expression has repeatedly become a matter of debate in India over the past year, with many accusing the right-wing administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of intolerance toward dissenters and religious minorities.
By Rajendra Jadhav

MUMBAI, May 24 (Reuters) - Indian farmers are set to reduce the area given over to soybeans by up to 10 percent this year in response to falling prices, pushing up likely imports of edible oils such as palm oil and soyoil.

Soybean is the main summer-sown oilseed crop for the world's biggest importer of edible oil, but prices have dropped 10 percent in the past two years, while the prices of pulses such as red gram have nearly tripled over the same period.

Lower soybean output will force the country to increase imports of edible oils, supporting their prices. It could also limit India's soymeal exports, given prices for its GMO-free produce are already above international prices.

The further price rise due to lower supply could even make imports of soymeal viable for local consumers.

"In the last two-three years soybeans have given lower returns than competing crops like pulses," said K N Rahiman, chief research officer at Ruchi Soya, the country's biggest edible oil refiner.

"This year, since pulses prices are ruling near record high levels, farmers will be inclined to shift towards pulses. We could see 5 to 10 percent reduction in soybean area."

Farmers planted 11.63 million hectares with soybean in 2015/16. A 10 percent reduction would cut acreage to around 10.5 million hectares in the 2016/17 marketing year starting July.

Most Indian farmers begin cultivating soybean and pulses, which are rain-fed crops, in June after the arrival of the monsoon rains, and they are sown mainly in the states of Madhya Pradesh in central India, Maharashtra in the west, Rajasthan in the north-west, and Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the south.

Dinesh Garg, a farmer from Morena in Madhya Pradesh, plants soybean during summer, but this year he has decided instead to cultivate red gram, better known locally as tuar.

"Soybean is not remunerative due to lower prices. This year I am more interested in growing tuar," said Garg, who cultivated soybean on 5 hectares of land last year.

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Soybean production plunged 20 percent in 2015/16 to its lowest in more than a decade after drought and pests hit output.

India exports soymeal mainly to Asian buyers, but the drop in production has forced it to import soymeal and soybean in small quantities for the first time in many years.

Since the country imports most of its edible oil, limited soybean supply means imports will go up in 2016/17, said Faiyaz Hudani, associate vice-president, research, at Kotak Commodity Services Ltd.

"Even though oilseed production is stagnant, edible oil consumption has been rising steadily due to growth in population and rising prosperity," Hudani said.

India imports mainly palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, while it brings in soyoil from Argentina and Brazil. (Additional reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal in NEW DELHI; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath and Richard Pullin)
By Samia Nakhoul and Richard Mably TEHRAN (Reuters) - Hopes that Iran would quickly reintegrate with world markets after its nuclear deal, bringing investment and opportunities to a young population, are turning to frustration. An opaque business environment in Iran and political uncertainty in the United States are to blame. Tehrans hotels are buzzing with businessmen keen for a slice of a big new emerging market, more industrially developed than most oil and gas-rich nations but isolated since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that turned Iran into a pariah state for most of the West and many of its Middle Eastern neighbours. Yet potential foreign investors have found that the removal of international sanctions in exchange for monitored curbs on Irans nuclear programme is only part of the story. Barriers to entry include resistance from hardliners within Iran who worry an opening to the world will undermine their entrenched interests, and fear among foreign investors of falling foul of residual U.S. sanctions. Under the nuclear deal, the U.S. and Europe lifted sanctions in January. But other U.S. restrictions remain. These include a ban on Iran-linked transactions in dollars being processed through the U.S. financial system and sanctions on individuals and entities identified as supporting "state-sponsored terrorism". The chief target of the anti-terrorism sanctions is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the theocratic establishment's enforcer at home and strike-force abroad. The IRGC is also behind a business empire, encompassing construction to banking, and is expert at hiding its involvement. Investors and top-tier foreign banks fear U.S. action could shut them out of the international banking system if they deal, even by mistake, with sanctioned bodies. Adding to the uncertainty, Iranian analysts and foreign executives say, is the rise of Donald Trump, the U.S. tycoon set to clinch the Republican nomination in this years presidential election, who has threatened to tear up the Iran deal. Yet even without this uncertainty, prospective dealmakers are finding themselves blocked. IRGC TIES Foreign executives scouting for business in Iran say when they examine the tangle of ownership behind companies they approach, they often detect IRGC ties. Claude Begle, executive chairman of SymbioSwiss, a logistics and infrastructure company, says he found that one exploratory project turned up such links. "We did a lot of due diligence and we found that the names of institutions appearing on the OFAC (the US Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control) sanction list are sometimes not far away," he said in apparent reference to the Revolutionary Guard. "When you look at the shareholders structure at the second or third level, then you see that such names may appear. They are sitting there." "Very often when you look at Iran's successful companies, you can see that. And unless those companies are willing to modify accordingly their board structures, it will be very hard to raise international financing to work with such entities." The central problem for potential foreign investors is that even unwitting contact with an Iranian counterparty under sanctions could result in heavy U.S. Treasury penalties, effectively cutting them off from Americas financial markets - a powerful disincentive for any globalized business. Alexander Gorjinia, part of the second German business delegation to visit Iran since August 2015, says the biggest problem is the banks. While businesses and banks may have German go-ahead to operate in Iran, OFAC puts the responsibility of establishing whether the (Iranian) company is clean on the foreign company. The foreign company has to investigate the Iranian company, whether it is linked to or is part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Gorjinia told Reuters. It has to investigate their dealings, how they operate behind the scenes. We have to work with companies that have money in their pocket and most of them are part of the Revolutionary Guard. This is what our information tells us. European companies feel all these rules are part of a U.S. administration plan to block business between Europe and Iran, he complains. Part of the problem is that units of the Revolutionary Guard are intervening in several of the wars across the Middle East. In Iraq, Iran is aligned with the U.S. in the fight against the jihadis of Islamic State. But in Syria it is on the opposite side along with Russia, propping up the government of President Bashar al-Assad, while in Yemen Tehran has backed the Shiite Houthi insurgency that last year prompted U.S. ally Saudi Arabia to launch an air war across its southern border. Few expect the U.S. to loosen sanctions on the IRGC and its business empire against this backdrop. FEAR AMONG BANKS While Western businessmen commonly assume that their Chinese or Russian counterparts would be less inhibited by US sanctions, one Chinese executive in Tehran, who asked not to be named, also highlights the issue that international banks, fearful of being locked out of US capital markets, are so far spurning Iran. Representing an oil and gas machinery company, he has visited Iran several times after the nuclear accord, but has yet to sign a single deal. Most Iranian companies, he says, even when there is clear demand for his drilling equipment, dont have money to pay. They ask the sellers to provide financing, he says but that is impossible because throughout the world no foreign bank dares to do business with Iranian banks because they are scareduntil the big (international) banks start doing business, but European banks are still scared of U.S. banks. Iranian leaders are complaining they have been short-changed on the sanctions relief part of the nuclear deal. "On paper the United States allows foreign banks to deal with Iran, but in practice they create Iranophobia so no one does business with Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei said last month. Begle, the Swiss executive, says President Hassan Rouhani earlier this year asked the visiting Swiss president to press leading Swiss banks to start financing foreign operations in Iran. "But of course the Swiss government cannot tell a private company to do this," Begle says. "It can indicate that it would see it favourably, it can even consider some guarantees, but after all, it is a decision for the bank itself." HOSTILITY There are other obstacles. The IRGC and other vested interests built up by hardliners grouped around Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, are hostile to foreign entry into Irans economy. Khamenei, whose power far outweighs that of Irans elected officials in parliament or the presidency, gave decisive support to the nuclear deal which greatly strengthened the position of Rouhani, the reform-minded centrist president. Rouhani, in coalition with reformists and independent conservatives, wrested back control of parliament from hardliners in Februarys elections. This, some of his allies believe, should make it easier for the government to introduce business-friendly laws. Yet four years ago, parliament passed a law intended to reduce the states role in the economy, put in place credible regulators and investor guarantees, and eventually get entities like those controlled by the IRGC to pay taxes. It has not been implemented. Rouhani embodies popular expectations that IRGC-linked vested interests seem determined to thwart, some Iranian analysts believe, because sanctions have enabled them to win and keep control of the economy. Hossein Raghfar, professor of economics at Tehrans Alzahra University, says there are many interest groups that have become very rich because of the economic crisis. They dont want sanctions to be lifted. Saeed Laylaz, an economist close to Rouhani, says Irans economy was brought to its knees more by mismanagement than by sanctions. Jailed after hardliners cracked down on protests at the allegedly rigged presidential vote that gave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term in 2009, he does not underestimate the hostility of vested interests towards a more open economy. I strongly believe some clear part of the regime has and had the project of creating sanctions against Iran to hide their mismanagement and their organised looting of economic wealth. To change the general atmosphere for business in the country, the Supreme Leader, the Revolutionary Guard and the judicial system must all be on board, Laylaz says. These are very important elements to attract foreign investment, just having the support of parliament doesnt work at all. Because of this I am not too optimistic about it." (editing by Janet McBride) (Created by Samia Nakhoul)
Intercontinental Exchange Inc (NYSE: ICE) revealed that it has elevated Mayur Kapani to the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The company added that as CTO, he would oversee its global technology infrastructure including its futures exchanges, as well as clearing houses.

According to Intercontinental Exchange, he would offer guidance for technology at the NYSE and Interactive Data. He would report to its president and COO, Chuck Vice. Kapani joined the company in 2006, serving most recently as Senior Vice President of Trading Technology.

The company's chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Sprecher, commented about the appointment saying, "During the past decade, Mayur has played a key role in helping ensure our technology infrastructure is scalable, secure and among the most reliable in the financial industry. As we've grown from a single market to a leading operator of exchanges, clearing houses and data services for customers around the world, Mayur's expertise in technology and understanding of the financial markets remains instrumental in achieving our growth objectives."

Intercontinental Exchange said that Kapani came from the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, where he was VP of options development, focused on the transition of trading from a floor-based model to a high performance electronic platform. After joining ICE, he has been heading the teams responsible for several of its most critical systems. This included all ICE futures and options exchanges, ICE Trade Vault trade repository, ICE Benchmark Administration and SuperDerivatives.

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LONDON (Reuters) - British asset manager Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) (ICP.L) posted a 20 percent rise in full-year assets under management to 21.6 billion euros(16.7 billion pounds)on Tuesday, driven by strong demand for its debt strategies.

The firm said it had raised 5.2 billion euros in new money over the year with 2.7 billion euros heading in to its European Mezzanine and Senior Debt Partners strategies, it said in a statement.

ICG said its focus would turn to raising money for a number of newer funds in the coming months, so it did not expect total fundraising to be maintained at the same pace in the new financial year.

Despite the strong inflows, the firm said full-year pretax profit fell year-on-year to 158.8 million pounds($230.02 million)from 178.5 million pounds, hit by a fall in the value of derivatives used to hedge.

Profits for its fund management operations, meanwhile, were up 18 percent to 61.2 million pounds from 52 million pounds, helping underpin a 4.6 percent increase in the final dividend to 15.8 pence a share.

The firm also announced a special dividend of 200 million pounds.

"This will re-gear the balance sheet to within our target range and contribute to the increase in our return on equity to over 13 percent. It will also take to 600 million pounds the amount returned to shareholders, in addition to the ordinary dividend, in the last three years," Chief Executive Christophe Evain said.

(Reporting by Simon Jessop; Editing by Rachel Armstrong)
By Douglas Busvine

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Having bitten the bullet on bad loans, India's state-owned banks now need to merge into half a dozen well-capitalised institutions than can underwrite economic growth, the official overseeing the sector's overhaul said.

Vinod Rai, the veteran bureaucrat appointed this year to run the new Banks Board Bureau, told Reuters the government stood ready to inject fresh funds beyond the $3.7 billion earmarked in the 2016/17 budget.

Restoring banks to health is vital for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive lending, investment and create jobs for the million young Indians who join the labour market each month.

Rai said stronger banks should decide which of their bad loans to shift off their balance sheets, while weaker banks need fresh capital before a round of consolidation that would cut the number of state banks to no more than six from 27 now.

"In the current budget, the government has put in about 25,000 crores ($3.7 billion), but it has not said that this is the end," Rai said in an interview.

"If the need arises, in the current year, the government has said it would be willing to come forward with more."

State banks - which account for around 70 percent of lending in Asia's third largest economy - hold most of India's $120 billion in troubled loans after a lending spree under the last government hit trouble.

The government set up the Banks Board Bureau in April to drive balance sheet improvement and consolidation the sector.

It will evolve into an investment holding company for state-owned banks, shielding them from political interference in management appointments and lending decisions.

Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan has set a deadline of March 2017 to clean up the sector.

MERGER DRIVE

Rai, a 68-year-old former auditor general of India, said consolidation has already begun with State Bank of India's move to absorb five subsidiaries and Bharatiya Mahila Bank, a bank for women set up in 2013.

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He expects more mergers but declined to be specific on timeframes.

Well-performing larger banks could tie up with one another, he said, while smaller, troubled lenders could be taken over once recapitalised - if they offered good value to suitors.

Specifically, Bank of India - the country's third-largest state bank by assets - would not be considered a merger candidate until it was recapitalised.

Kolkata-based UCO Bank, the state bank with a large presence in eastern India, would be "re-energised" as a standalone institution and not merged.

And Indian Overseas Bank, after recapitalisation, could be absorbed by an acquirer that could leverage off its large branch network in southern India.

Rai said that, with state banks trading at just 0.5 times book value, valuations were attractive for minority shareholders to subscribe to planned rights issues, alongside the government.

TAKING A HAIRCUT

India's state banks have been reluctant to write down loans, especially to high-profile borrowers like liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya. Rai said talks were well advanced on creating a separate mechanism to review such cases and expedite balance sheet cleanups.

This mechanism could be a committee, involve an existing joint lenders' forum, or new guidelines from the RBI, he said. A solution that could include all three options is expected within weeks.

Rai said there were no plans to create a "bad bank" to relieve lenders of dud loans. India has more than a dozen asset reconstruction companies, or ARCs, with state banks owning stakes in four. The government has let promoters take full control of ARCs and scrapped caps on foreign direct investment.

"There is sufficient financial interest to invest in the ARCs," said Rai. "But all are waiting to see whether the PSBs (public sector banks) are willing to transfer their stressed assets."

(Editing by Devidutta Tripathy and Sam Holmes)
* Forensics head denies reports that explosion suspected

* Officials say still too soon to say what brought plane down

* Families give DNA samples to help identify remains

By Amina Ismail and Lin Noueihed

CAIRO, May 24 (Reuters) - The head of Egypt's forensics authority dismissed a suggestion on Tuesday that the small size of the body parts retrieved since an EgyptAir plane crashed last week indicated there was an explosion on board.

Investigators struggling to work out why the Airbus 320 jet vanished from radar screens last Thursday, with 66 passengers and crew on board, are looking for clues in the human remains and debris recovered from the Mediterranean Sea so far.

The plane and its black box recorders, which could explain what brought down the Paris-Cairo flight as it entered Egyptian air space, have not been located.

An Egyptian forensic official said 23 bags of body parts have been collected since Sunday, the largest of them no bigger than the palm of a hand. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said their size suggested there had been an explosion although no trace of explosives had been detected.

But Hisham Abdelhamid, head of Egypt's forensics authority, said that assessment was "mere assumptions" and that it was too early to draw conclusions.

At least two other sources with direct knowledge of the investigation also said it would be premature to say what caused EgyptAir flight 804 to plunge into the sea.

French investigators say the plane sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke had been detected on board as well as other possible computer faults shortly before it disappeared.

The signals did not indicate what may have caused the smoke, and aviation experts have said that neither deliberate sabotage nor a technical fault could be ruled out.

Investigators rely on debris, bags and clothes as well as chemical analysis to detect the imprints of an explosion, according to people involved in two previous probes where deliberate blasts were involved.

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An Egyptian team formed by the Civil Aviation Ministry is conducting the technical investigation and three officials from France's BEA air accident investigation agency have also been in Cairo since Friday, with an expert from Airbus, to assist.

Egypt has deployed a robot submarine and France has sent a search ship to help hunt for the black boxes, but it is not clear whether either of them could detect signals emitted by the flight recorders, lying in waters possibly 3,000 metres deep.

The signal emitters have a battery life of just 30 days.

LAST MOMENTS

Five days after the plane vanished off radar screens, Egyptian and Greek officials -- who monitored the flight before it crossed into Egypt's air space -- have given differing accounts of its last moments.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Thursday that Greek radar had picked up sharp swings in the jet's trajectory, 90 degrees left, then 360 degrees right as it plunged from a cruising altitude to 15,000 feet before vanishing from radar.

But Ehab Mohieldin Azmi, head of Egypt's air navigation services, said Egyptian officials saw no sign of the plane swerving, and it had been visible at 37,000 feet until it disappeared.

"Of course, we tried to call it more than once and it did not respond," he told Reuters. "We asked the planes that were nearby to give it a relay and we could not reach it. That's it."

Egypt's public prosecutor has asked Greece to hand over transcripts of calls between the pilot and Greek air traffic control, and for the officials to be questioned over whether the pilot sent a distress signal

He also asked France for documents, audio and visual records on the plan during its stopover at Charles de Gaulle airport and until it left French airspace.

At a hotel near Cairo airport where relatives of the victims were giving DNA samples to help identify the body parts recovered so far, grief mixed with frustration.

Amjad Haqi, an Iraqi man whose mother Najla was flying back from medical treatment in France, said the families were being kept in the dark and had not even been formally told that any body parts had been recovered.

"All they are concerned about is to find the black box and the debris of the plane. That's their problem, not mine," he said. "And then they come and talk to us about insurance and compensation. I don't care about compensation, all I care about is to find my mother and bury her." (Additional reporting by Haitham Ahmed, Ahmed Tolba and Ahmed Aboulenein in Cairo, Tim Hepher in Paris; Writing by Dominic Evans, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Associated Press

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AP)  The U.S. military said Monday it's ready to begin draining 1 million gallons (3.79 million liters) of fuel from three pipelines as part of an initial step toward closing a World War II-era fuel storage facility that leaked petroleum into Pearl Harbor's tap water last year. Starting Tuesday, the military will spend six days draining the pipelines one by one. The fuel has been sitting in the pipes since the military suspended use of the Red Hill facility last year after it leaked petroleum into a drinking water well serving 93,000 people in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's travel expenses came under fresh scrutiny on Tuesday with the release of an official report into alleged overcharging and conflict of interest.

The state comptroller's report covers 2003-05, when Netanyahu was finance minister, and concerns five foreign trips, some with his wife and children, Israeli media reported.

"Trips by Mr. Netanyahu and his family, funded by external bodies during the period in which he served as finance minister, deviated from regulations on the subject and as such could give the appearance of obtaining a benefit or of a conflict of interest," the Hebrew-language document published on the comptroller's official website said.

It said that the premier did not report the funding to the necessary state oversight bodies.

"Mr. Netanyahu did not apply to the gifts committee or the permits committee in order to ascertain if in receiving outside funding there was acceptance of a benefit or a prohibited gift," it said.

State Comptroller Yosef Shapira, tasked with overseeing the use of public funds, investigated allegations of double billing of flights, initially reported by the Haaretz and Yediot Aharonot daily newspapers -- both hostile to Netanyahu.

He also looked into an allegation that bonus points from Israeli carrier El Al earned through official travel were used by Netanyahu's relatives for private trips.

The report did not allege criminality by Netanyahu but said some of its findings had been passed to the attorney general's office and could therefore not be publicised while the subject of its checks.

"In light of the attorney general's examination into these and other matters there are issues related to the subject which the state comptroller cannot examine in the context of this report," it said.

Media reports also said Shapira is concerned that former attorney general Yehuda Weinstein stalled on investigating, before the case was dropped.

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Incumbent Avichai Mandelblit said in televised remarks that such concerns were unfounded and pledged that he would deal with the issue "without delay."

"The examination must be carried out honestly and objectively," he said.

Privately owned Channel 2 television reported that the police have renewed an inquiry into the allegations to determine whether to open a formal investigation.

Netanyahu's lawyer dismissed the allegations, saying they had previously been looked into and nothing improper had been found.

"There is nothing in the report of the state comptroller," Yossi Cohen, the lawyer for the Netanyahu family, told public radio.

Former prime minister Ehud Olmert also faced allegations of double billing in a travel case, though it was later dropped.

In February, however, he began a 19-month sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice.
By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under criticism in an Israeli state audit on Tuesday over free air tickets that he and his family received for travel abroad when he was finance minister more than a decade ago. Netanyahu, through his lawyers, has denied any wrongdoing, and it was not immediately clear whether Israel's attorney-general, who is also examining the issue, would launch any criminal investigation. The findings by State Comptroller Joseph Shapira, detailing air and hotel payments made by "foreign entities", most prominently the U.S.-based Israel Bonds, marked the latest chapter in what Israeli media have dubbed the "Bibi Tours" affair. Netanyahu's attorneys said the travel involved appearances at fund-raising events for Israel in which - as the comptroller's report noted - host organizations abroad would pay for their guests' expenses. "The trips by Netanyahu and his family that were funded by external sources when he was finance minister deviated from the rules, and could give the impression of receiving a gift or of a conflict of interest," the report said. Netanyahu, like other ministers at the time, Shapira found, had not provided full details of funding for their trips to a government committee, which the report said gave "rubber stamp approval" of their travel on official business. On many of his trips, Netanyahu - who was finance minister from 2003 to 2005 and is now in his fourth term as prime minister - was accompanied by his wife Sara, and the couple, at times, also took along their two sons. In 2014, then-Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein closed an initial probe of Netanyahu's foreign travel, saying available evidence provided no grounds for a criminal investigation. But in his report, Shapira said new material has since been presented to Weinstein's successor, Avichai Mandelblit, at the new attorney-general's request. Suspicions of criminal activity have focused on whether there were instances when organizations were double-billed for Netanyahu's travel and expenses. David Shimron, a lawyer for the Netanyahu family, said "there was no double-billing", and that the Israeli leader had "raised tens of millions of dollars for Israel Bonds", which underwrites securities issued by the State of Israel. "During the relevant period, he behaved like everyone else - the report says - when it came to getting permission and approvals," Shimron told Israel's Army Radio." "So if he's not okay, no one is okay." (Editing by Richard Balmforth)
The Italian Coast Guard released video on May 24 described as showing the rescue of 229 migrants traveling aboard a fishing vessel in the Strait of Sicily the previous day.

Another video from the Italian Navy, released on May 23, showed assistance being provided to dozens of migrants crammed into a rubber dinghy in the Mediterranean.

Italian media reported that some 2,000 migrants were rescued from rickety vessels in the Strait of Sicily on Monday during several hours of operations involving ships from Italy, Malta, Ireland and the humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Irish media reported that the Irish naval vessel LE Roisin was involved in the rescue of 274 migrants off the coast of Tripoli on Monday before being reassigned to help in the rescue of another boat of migrants thought to number 125. Credit: YouTube/Guardia Costiera
Italy is launching its own version of the GLAAD Media Awards to honor representations of LGBT characters and storylines in both Italian and international media reports Variety.

Named the Diversity Media Awards, the event will take place on Monday night in Milan.

The event has been launched by Italian organization Diversity in an effort to tackle prejudice and discrimination against the LGBT community, often still common within Italy.

Although inspired by the GLAAD Media Awards it is not an official GLAAD event, however GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis will be in attendance.

The event will include categories for film, TV, radio, advertising, and web, with some of the films up for an award including Maria Sole Tognazzi's lesbian romcom "Io e lei," Sabrina Ferilli's local box-office success "The Great Beauty," and Laura Bispuri's "Sworn Virgin," nominated for the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival.

The awards will be streamed on Discovery Italy's Dplay service and via the Diversity website.
By Gavin Jones ROME (Reuters) - "O-ne-sta ! O-ne-sta! O-ne-sta!" When Virginia Raggi, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement's candidate for Rome mayor, arrived at a modest pizzeria in the city for a fund-raising event, her supporters greeted her with a rhythmic call for honesty - her movement's battle-cry. The anti-graft message sums up the identity and appeal of a grass-roots party that may soon run not only Rome but Italy. Opinion polls suggest Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer, is likely to win the June 5 election and become the Eternal City's first woman mayor. That could provide a launch-pad to national government for a movement that is unique among Europe's raft of anti-establishment parties which have drawn strength from public anger over high unemployment and immigration. Unlike the leftist Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain, or the far-right National Front in France and Austria's Freedom Party, 5-Star is an ideology-free party with voters from the left and right alike. Despite many setbacks since it was founded seven years ago, 5-Star has swelled to become Italy's second largest political force and is just a whisker behind Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party. If opinion polls are correct, it could become the first "anti-system" government in a major European country at national elections which are due in 2018 but widely expected next year. Victory in Rome is a vital stepping stone. If Raggi runs the city well it would blunt Renzi's charge that 5-Star may be good at protesting but is too inexperienced to govern. If she fails, the blow to the party's momentum would be enormous. "5-Star is not going to go away whatever happens, but I can't deny that winning Rome is fundamental for us," says Carla Ruocco, a lower house deputy and one of 5-Star's five member national leadership. Raggi, a city councillor who was chosen as candidate for mayor in an on-line ballot of 5-Star's members, says she is focused just now on solutions to the capital's problems rather than the party's future. Rome's previous rulers treated it as a "feud", she says, offering jobs in city companies and tenders for useless building projects in exchange for votes, while services from transport to trash collection were "devastated" by mismanagement and neglect. "They attack me because they are afraid that I can break this mechanism, that Rome can become a normal city, don't you find that terrible?," she told Reuters. EURO REFERENDUM 5-Star is seeking income support for the poor, tax cuts for small businesses and state run banks to fund investments in new technologies, renewable energy and high-quality agriculture. It promises to slash politicians' pay and privileges, and hold a referendum on whether Italy should remain in the euro. Such proposals resonate with its main voter base among the young, the relatively well-educated and those in the poor south. But its chief asset remains its image as the only party that is serious about taking on graft and privilege. "There is corruption at all levels," said Federico Tucci, a 50-year-old building engineer who works with both the public and private sector and, like the other 200 guests, paid 20 euros for his pizza at the fund-raiser to help Raggi's campaign. "To work well you always need a favour from someone, and those who want to do things properly are demoralised," he said. Italy slipped two places to 61st in Transparency International's 2015 corruption perceptions index, second to last among the 28 European Union countries above only Bulgaria. That, along with listless economic and job growth, helps explain why Renzi's popularity has slid for the last year. Many graft scandals have involved his own Democratic Party. 5-Star has its problems too. Its politicians are novices and several have run into trouble, especially at the local level. It suspended the mayor of Parma, the largest city it controls, after he disclosed he was being investigated over the way he appointed the head of the local opera house. This lines up potential clashes between the Rome city hall and national government if Raggi wins. The capital is saddled with over 12 billion euros ($13.46 billion) of debt, partly towards the Treasury. Raggi says she will renegotiate the terms of payment. It remains to be seen whether Renzi will cooperate. She also opposes Renzi's bid for Rome to host the 2024 Olympics, saying the city has far more urgent priorities. Raggi said she did not want to believe speculation the premier would try to block her efforts if she wins. "If Renzi is honest he will behave honestly towards Rome," she said. (This refiled version of the story amends Italian spelling in first line). (Editing by Richard Balmforth)
By Ami Miyazaki and Linda Sieg

TOKYO (Reuters) - Raising Japan's sales tax to 10 percent from 8 percent as planned from April would be the best way to win the trust of international society, unless special circumstances intervene, a close aide to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda told Reuters in an interview he could not rule out the possibility that Abe would call a snap election for parliament's lower house if opposition parties submitted a threatened motion of no-confidence in the government.

Hagiuda's comments follow speculation that Abe would postpone the sales tax hike and call a snap general election alongside a scheduled poll for parliament's upper chamber on July 10.

"It has been decided (to raise the tax) from next April," Hagiuda said. "As long as no special situation arises, wouldn't going ahead as planned be the better way to win the trust of international society?"

He added that he did not think the current economic situation warranted a change in the plan.

An initial rise in the sales tax to 8 percent from 5 percent in 2014 tipped the economy back into recession, but some ruling party lawmakers favour offsetting any potential damage this time with a huge government spending package.

Hagiuda also said opposition parties submitting a no-confidence motion, even if it were rejected, would give Abe a reason to seek a popular mandate in a snap election.Wouldn't this give the leader of the country a reason to ask the people if they agree? asked Hagiuda.

(Reporting by Ami Miyazaki and Linda Sieg; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Eric Meijer)
TOKYO, May 24 (Reuters) - Japanese government bond prices were little changed on Monday, staying comfortably near the middle of their recent trading ranges that partly reflected investor uncertainty over domestic economic policies.

The 10-year JGB yield stood flat at minus 0.105 percent . It has moved between minus 0.135 and 0.080 percent for more than a month.

The 20-year yield rose 0.5 basis point to 0.260 percent. The 10-year JGB futures price added 0.04 point to 151.79 in thin trade.

Investors are on a holding pattern in part due to uncertainty over the domestic policy outlook after Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Saturday the government plans to go ahead with a planned sales tax hike in April despite widespread expectations it would be postponed.

Many investors expect Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to come up with additional stimulus to support the economy to offset the negative impact on the economy from the tax hike.

(Reporting by Tokyo Markets Team; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter said Monday that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump had tapped into "inherent racism" to bolster his candidacy.

In an interview with The New York Times, Carter, the 39th president, also said Trump violated "basic human rights" by labeling Mexican and Muslim immigrants as criminals and terrorists.

"When you single out any particular group of people for secondary citizenship status, that's a violation of basic human rights," Carter said.

The 91-year-old Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for promoting human rights across the globe through his work with the Carter Center.

Carter, the oldest living US Democratic president, told The Times that "racially conscious Republicans" hadn't been able to handle an African-American as president, though he said President Barack Obama's election was a hopeful sign in race relations. Carter said Republican animosity toward Obama had "a heavy racial overtone."

Trump, he said, was a stunning success because he "tapped a waiting reservoir there of inherent racism."

The first born-again evangelical Christian to hold the presidency, Carter was asked why evangelicals had flocked to support Trump's candidacy. An NBC News poll from earlier this month found that 40% of white evangelicals supported Trump in the Republican primaries and caucuses  more than any other GOP presidential hopeful.

"The use of the word evangelical is a misnomer," he told The Times. "I consider myself an evangelical as well. And obviously, what most of the news reporters thought were evangelicals are conservative Republicans ... They have a heavy orientation to right-wing political philosophy, and he obviously is a proponent of that concept."

Carter spoke with The Times to promote a summit he will hold in Atlanta later this year. He is aiming to bring together Baptists  Carter is a Southern Baptist  of all races and cultures to work on race-related issues as well as issues of social inequality.

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NOW WATCH: Its surreal to watch this 2011 video of Obama and Seth Meyers taunting Trump about a presidential run





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john kasich

John Kasich is in no rush to get aboard the Trump train.

The Ohio governor told Cleveland.com and The Columbus Dispatch that it's going to be "really hard" for him to back Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

"Unless I see a fundamental change it's really hard for me to do a merger," Kasich said in his first interview with his home state's media since ending his failed presidential campaign earlier this month. "If the values are not somewhat similar  if the culture is not somewhat similar  it's hard to do a merger."

"If he changes, that's a whole new ballgame," he continued.

Kasich is one of a handful of Republican governors who has yet to throw his support behind the presumptive GOP nominee.

He said that he, his wife, and his teen daughters have been put off by the Manhattan billionaire's "negativity," but he added that he would not vote for Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

"That's not going to happen," he said.

Kasich also discussed a book he's working on about his unsuccessful presidential bid.

"How can I let an experience like this not be written about?" he said.

Last week, the Ohio governor shot down the prospects of a third-party bid, which came about after a Washington Post story reported that GOP operatives unhappy with Trump's presumptive nomination were looking for a candidate to run as an independent.

The Post reported that 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney made an effort to court Kasich for the bid.

"I'm not going do that," Kasich said. "I gave it my best where I am. I just think running third party doesn't feel right. I think it's not constructive."

NOW WATCH: The real story behind Trump's taco bowl tweet





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From Harper's BAZAAR

Trip Duration: 3 days

Where I stayed: Hotel Belles Rives in Juan Les Pins. The hotel famously used to be the home of F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote Tender is the Night while living on the property; some say the green light on the end of the Belle Rives private dock inspired the one mentioned in The Great Gatsby. My room had an incredible view of the Mediterranean.

Best thing I ate: This one's a toss up between the impromptu pizza I ordered at the Piano Bar Fitzgerald one afternoon, the steak dinner I had at La Chunga, and the lemon soufflee at La Passagere  their pastry chef, Steve Moracchini, received the Best Pastry Chef nod this year.

Best thing I drank: A Belvedere Vodka Spritz at the Monaco Yacht Clubit's their classic vodka, tonic and a splash of soda, all infused with cucumber. It was exactly the type of light, refreshing cocktail you hope for when lounging seaside.

Best hang out spot: The Marriott Hotel boasts two cool pop-up clubs during the Cannes Film Festival-Albane on the rooftop, as well as VIP Room where my friends Mia Moretti and Margot of The Dolls performed on Friday night.

Best daytime activity: Taking a boat to Monaco for lunch at Monaco Yacht Club.

Best night out: The amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala-it was a glamorous evening to remember! There were so many notable and familiar facesfrom Katy Perry to Leo DiCaprio to so many supermodelsall in one room helping to raise money for a good cause, and looking quite good while doing so. Carine Roitfeld's '70s disco runway tribute with the help of Karlie Kloss, Doutzen Kroes, Jourdan Dunn, Alessandra Ambrosio and more was definitely a highlight. I loved having a very glamorous excuse to wear my semi-sheer Zac Posen gown.

Could not leave home without: bright bikinis from Eres, Figue's whimsical coverups, a Janessa Leone boater and a sexy Cushnie et Ochs cocktail for a night out.

I wish I had... gotten a chance to experience more of the quaint town of Antibes. I chose to lay out by the sea on my last day-but I have a feeling I will return sooner rather than later!
The man whose investigation of former President Bill Clinton led to his impeachment is now praising him instead, calling him the most gifted politician of the baby boomer generation.

In comments first reported Tuesday by the New York Times, former Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr praised Clinton as genuine last week, just as presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has begun to draw more attention to Clintons impeachment and sexual transgressions of the 1990s as part of an attack on likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

His genuine empathy for human beings is absolutely clear, Starr said of Bill Clinton at a May 16 panel discussion on the presidency at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. It is powerful, it is palpable and the folks of Arkansas really understood that about himthat he genuinely cared. The I feel your pain is absolutely genuine.

Read more: Leave Bill Clintons Sex Life Alone, Says Arkansas Gov Who Helped Impeach Him

Starr said, there are certain tragic dimensions which we all lament, expressing some regret for what he called the unpleasantness brought up by his investigation, which looked into the Whitewater scandal, the death of White House deputy counsel Vince Foster, the lawsuit filed against Bill Clinton by Paula Jones and his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Starr did not mention Trump by name, but he also warned about the transnational emergence of almost radical populism, deep anger, a sense of dislocation and said he is concerned by party division, the Times reported.
By Ayla Jean Yackley ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Kenya will close the world's largest refugee camp this year because the facility housing Somalis displaced by decades of war poses an "existential threat", Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto said on Monday. The United Nations and Western states have warned against forcibly repatriating the 350,000 or so Somalis who still live in the sprawling Dadaab camp in northeast Kenya, saying it would violate international obligations. But Ruto, speaking at a U.N. humanitarian summit in Istanbul, said the international community had failed Somalia, still struggling to recover from the anarchy of the 1990s. "The refugee camp poses an existential security threat to Kenya," he said, arguing attacks including the Westgate mall rampage in 2013 and the Garissa University massacre in 2015, which claimed hundreds of lives, were planned at Dadaab. Now those extremists pose a global risk, he told Reuters. "There is radicalisation by extremist elements in the camp, especially of young people," he said. "Their recruitment into terror networks, including al Shabaab and al Qaeda, is a threat to the world ... The route to (Islamic State) is established." Ruto, who was due to meet U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon at the Istanbul summit, expressed frustration that other states have lagged on pledges to rebuild Somalia. He said Kenya has spent $7 billion on Dadaab over the past quarter century. "We understand well our international obligations," he said. "We have unfortunately ... not seen a shared responsibility in Somalia. We not only risk leaving Somalia behind, we risk forgetting Somalia all together." Kenya wants the international community to build schools and other infrastructure across the border to lure refugees back. The government has previously threatened to eject refugees, but this time it will stick with a deadline expiring in six months that was agreed with Somalia and the U.N., Ruto said. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said in January it might miss a 2016 target to repatriate 50,000 refugees because the Somali government is battling the al Shabaab insurgency and provides few public services. Somalia is slowly rebuilding and is due to elect a new parliament in August. Ruto said exiled communities were needed for the recovery: "It would not be possible to comprehensively work on peace, reconciliation and stability without the participation of the almost 1 million refugees who currently live in our country." (Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Nairobi (AFP) - Kenya's biggest donors and the UN on Tuesday warned against violence after three died as police suppressed opposition demonstrators demanding a change of leadership at the electoral commission ahead of next year's polls.

Police said two people died of gunshot wounds in the western town of Siaya on Monday, and one from a head injury after falling over while running from tear gas in Kisumu, also in the west. The opposition CORD party claimed several people were killed.

The opposition protests, in their fourth week, are organised by the CORD party and aimed at forcing a change of leadership at the country's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ahead of polls due next year.

Riot police equipped with shields and batons used tear gas and water canon to disperse protesters who also tried to gather in the capital Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa.

"We are deeply concerned by the escalation of violence during the demonstrations," a joint statement by a dozen ambassadors read, including Britain, the European Union and United States. "The deaths and injuries of Kenyan citizens were tragic and unnecessary," they added.

Other ambassadors include those from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden also signed the letter.

"We urge the government of Kenya to investigate the actions of the security services and to hold accountable anyone responsible for the use of excessive force," the statement read, adding that they "call on all demonstrators to act peacefully."

Speaking in Geneva, Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said he was "very concerned by the increasing violence surrounding the weekly protests."

CORD leader Raila Odinga believes the commission is biased, blaming it for his defeat by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2013 vote.

Police said that prison wardens escorting criminals shot and injured five "rioters" who attacked their bus.

"We urge both the authorities and the protest organisers to cooperate in ensuring that peaceful protesters are protected from violent elements joining the demonstrations -- and it is vital the authorities do not overreact to the presence of such elements, thereby placing many other innocent protestors at risk of physical harm," Colville said.
Baghdad (AFP) - Here are milestones in the fight against the Islamic State group as a Kurdish-Arab alliance announced an assault against the IS north of its Syrian bastion of Raqa.

In neighbouring Iraq, government forces have also launched an offensive to recapture Fallujah, a key IS stronghold west of Baghdad.

The first air strikes

On August 8, 2014, US jets strike IS positions in northern Iraq in response to an appeal from Baghdad, in the first American military operation in the country since troops withdrew in late 2011.

Already entrenched in neighbouring Syria, IS seized swathes of Iraqi territory in a lightning offensive launched in June 2014 and marked by a complete collapse of the security forces.

On September 5, US President Barack Obama vows to build an international coalition to defeat IS.

On September 23, the US and Arab allies launch air strikes on IS in Syria.

IS driven out of Kobane

IS is driven out of the Syrian border town of Kobane on January 26, 2015 after more than four months of fighting led by Kurdish forces backed by coalition air strikes.

An Iraqi military official also says the eastern province of Diyala has been liberated.

Iraq's Tikrit recaptured

On March 31, 2015, Baghdad announces the "liberation" of Tikrit, 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of Baghdad. Government forces and Shiite militias had launched their offensive on March 2 against the IS, which controlled Tikrit for nearly 10 months.

But in May, the IS takes Iraqi provincial capital Ramadi, and Syria's famed ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

IS ousted from border town

On June 16, 2015, Kurdish militia backed by Syrian rebels and coalition air strikes seize the town of Tal Abyad on the Syrian border with Turkey from IS, which had occupied it for more than a year.

Tal Abyad was one of two main transit points on a key supply route to de facto IS capital Raqa.

Turkey declares war on IS

On July 24, 2015, Turkish warplanes bomb IS positions inside Syria for the first time in a dramatic toughening of Ankara's stance.

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Turkish raids are nonetheless mostly aimed at positions of the Kurdistan Workers Party in Iraq and Syria.

Turkey gives Washington the go-ahead to conduct operations over Syria from Ankara's strategic southeastern air base of Incirlik.

Russia intervenes in Syria

On September 30, 2015, Russia launches air strikes in Syria to help its Damascus regime ally, but Washington accuses Moscow of targeting US-backed Syrian rebels rather than IS fighters.

Iraq's Sinjar, Ramadi retaken

On November 13, 2015, Iraqi Kurds announce the "liberation" of Sinjar from IS in an assault that severs a key jihadist supply line with Syria. Across the border, a coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters drives IS out of the village of Al-Hol, also on the supply route. The US-led coalition provides air support.

Iraqi forces retake Ramadi on December 27.

Syrians retake Palmyra

On March 27, 2016, Syrian forces backed by Russia retake Palmyra.

Two-pronged offensive begins

On May 24, Kurdish and Arab units grouped within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launch an assault backed by US-led air support against IS fighters north of Raqa, but makes no mention of the city itself. Russia, which appears to have suffered an IS attack on one of its air bases in Syria, says it is ready to coordinate actions with both the US and SDF.

In Iraq, IS fighters in Fallujah were besieged by government troops and paramilitary units.

IS showed it could still strike back, with a wave of attacks killing more than 160 people a day earlier in Syrian regime coastal strongholds.

US tally of IS retreats

On May 16, a Pentagon spokesman says the IS has lost about 45 percent of its territory in Iraq, and between 16-20 percent of land it seized in Syria.
Killing it in pink: Thats what some lawmakers are hoping more women will be doing if a new bill thats been proposed in several states becomes law.



According to the BBC, drafters of a bill known simply as Blaze Pink are hoping to introduce a new color of legal hunting garb to purportedly attract more females to the deadly sport. The neon hue is intended as a safety precaution to prevent hunters from accidentally wounding or killing each other. Currently, the only option is blaze orange  which apparently is just a little too masculine for us lady folk.

In February, Blaze Pink was signed into law by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; and in early May, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards legalized the color. Copy-cat bills have also popped up in Minnesota, New York, and Colorado.

Opponents of Blaze Pink say it reinforces dated gender stereotypes. The BBC notes that hunting as a sport has been declining for years and that the majority of participants are men. But Wisconsin Rep. Nick Milroy insists that the pink hue isnt meant just for women, explaining, Nobody has to wear blaze pink, and everybody can wear blaze pink. This isnt something thats specifically tailored for specific sexes or ages or whatever.

Yet Milroy also mentioned that the fastest growing segment in new recruits into hunting are females, and thats one of the big reasons that companies have been marketing things like pink camouflage, pink guns, pink knives. Well thats settled then!

Whatever happens law-wise in those aforementioned pink-lovin states, as well as the others that are sure to follow, its clear that the real losers here are the animals  especially those sartorially savvy does and ducks whod been waiting all year to see someone hunting them in pink.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Kingfisher (KGF.L), Europe's largest home improvement retailer, said on Tuesday it had made a solid start to its new financial year, with sales growth driven by its markets in Britain and Poland.

The firm, which trades as Castorama and Brico Depot in France and B&Q and Screwfix in Britain and Ireland, also highlighted early progress in the five year strategic plan outlined by Chief Executive Veronique Laury in January.

Kingfisher said group sales at stores open over a year rose 3.6 percent in the three months to April 30, its fiscal first quarter.

Total sales rose 5.1 percent to 2.72 billion pounds.

We have made a solid start to the year, trading in line with expectations," said Laury.

Kingfisher said a supportive economic backdrop and continued strong Screwfix performance drove a 6.2 percent increase in UK and Ireland like-for-like sales.

In France, the group's most profitable market, like-for-like sales rose by a more subdued 0.2 percent, but they were up 10.8 percent in Poland, benefiting from supportive market conditions and well-received new ranges.

In January, Laury announced a strategy to boost Kingfisher's annual profit by 500 million pounds from 2021 that will cost 800 million pounds over five years to deliver. The plan involves unifying the product offer across the business, improving its ecommerce capabilities and driving efficiencies.

She also said the firm would return 600 million pounds to shareholders over the next three years through share buybacks.

Shares in Kingfisher, up 9.4 percent so far this year, closed on Monday at 360.5 pence, valuing the business at 8.21 billion pounds.

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Mark Potter)
A group of North Koreans working at a restaurant in China have defected to the South, Seoul confirmed Tuesday, a month after a similar, high-profile defection.

South Korean news agency Yonhap had reported Monday that three women in their 20s were waiting in Thailand to board a flight to Seoul after leaving their jobs at a restaurant in the Chinese city of Xian.

Seoul's unification ministry, which handles cross-border affairs, confirmed the defection in a statement but declined to elaborate, citing safety of the refugees.

It is the second such incident in two months, after 13 workers at a North Korea-themed restaurant in the Chinese city of Ningbo made a high-profile defection to Seoul in April.

Nearly 30,000 North Koreans have fled poverty and repression at home to settle in the capitalist South.

But group defections are rare, especially by staff who work in North Korean restaurants abroad, which are a key source of hard currency for the regime in Pyongyang.

They are generally handpicked from families that are "loyal" to the regime and go through extensive ideological training before being sent out.

Pyongyang reacted angrily to April's defection, insisting that the 12 women were tricked by spies from Seoul who effectively "kidnapped" them with the help of a North Korean manager who also escaped.

Seoul says all 13 members of staff defected voluntarily.

The isolated, impoverished North operates a network of more than 100 restaurants abroad where young female workers entertain patrons with singing and dancing.

But many suffered a drop in sales after the United Nations imposed tougher sanctions on Pyongyang following its latest nuclear and long-range rocket tests staged in violation of UN resolutions, according to Seoul's spy agency.

The UN sanctions do not target the restaurants but Seoul has urged its citizens to avoid them, saying a boycott would block the foreign currency cash flow to the regime.
Milan (AFP) - Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk moved closer to a history-making Giro d'Italia triumph Tuesday after stretching his lead over Esteban Chaves and Vincenzo Nibali in a thrilling 16th stage won by Alejandro Valverde.

Kruijswijk, of the Lotto team, started the hilly 132 km race from Bressanone to Andalo with a 2min 12sec lead on Colombian Chaves (Orica) and 2:51 on 2013 champion and pre-race favourite Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).

Kruijswijk didn't have enough in the tank to stop Movistar team leader Valverde, 36, from claiming his maiden stage win on the race after a two-up sprint at the finish.

After leaving Nibali nearly five minutes in his wake however, he said: "I wanted to give my team a win but it's an ideal situation for the pink jersey as I'm now three minutes ahead of Esteban Chaves and the others."

On his Giro debut, Movistar leader Valverde has done better than expected as years of racing experience, and good legs, came to the fore for the Spaniard when he launched a telling attack inside the final 15 km.

"It's a good day for me as I move up in the overall standings, although I wanted a stage win as a gift for the mechanics, soigneurs, directors, my family... all the people who have helped me overcome the day I had on Saturday because of the altitude," said Valverde.

"We wanted to break the race up today. It's a great feeling to win for the first time at the Giro."

Chaves crossed the finish line 42secs in arrears, with Nibali finishing nearly two minutes behind alongside compatriot Domenico Pozzovivo.

Chaves remains second but is 3:00 behind Kruijswijk, with Valverde moving up to third at 3:23 and Nibali, the 2014 Tour de France champion, dropping one place to fourth at 4:43.

Italian champion Nibali had been at the forefront all day but came up short on the final climb, the Fai della Paganella, following an attack by Valverde.

There were only 15 kms remaining and Kruijswijk was quickly on to the Spaniard's wheel. Nibali, by this time, had used up most of his fuel. He was dropped back to a chasing group that contained Chaves.

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Nibali has now lost time to Kruijswijk on the past two stages having been only 41secs behind the Dutchman after Saturday's 'Queen Stage' in the Dolomites mountains.

Kruijswijk, meanwhile, keeps going from strength to strength.

"I was feeling really good so I had to make the best of this short but really hard stage," he added.

"I had to follow Nibali when he attacked early in the stage. I didn't expect so much action the day after the rest day."

A day after Nibali promised to bite into his deficit, 'Lo Squalo' (The Shark) will now look to recover on stages 17 and 18 before the race for the pink jersey resumes in earnest with two big days in the mountains on Friday and Saturday.
Washington (AFP) - A US-backed alliance of Kurdish-Arab fighters has started to clear Islamic State fighters from the area north of Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital, a US official confirmed Tuesday.

"The SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have begun operations to clear the northern countryside, so this is putting pressure on Raqa," Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.

The US military will conduct air strikes in support of the SDF forces, some of whom have been trained and equipped by the United States. It was not clear when an assault on Raqa itself might come.
Washington (AFP) - A US-backed alliance of Kurdish-Arab fighters has started to clear Islamic State fighters from the area north of Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital, a US official confirmed Tuesday.

"The SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have begun operations to clear the northern countryside, so this is putting pressure on Raqa," Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.

The US military will conduct air strikes in support of the "several thousand" SDF forces, some of whom have been trained and equipped by the United States.

Warren said the operation began earlier on Tuesday, and SDF forces had met little IS resistance across the sparsely populated area.

Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 IS fighters are in Raqa, Warren said, noting it was not clear when an assault on the key city itself might eventually come.

A separate US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said SDF troops were taking territory on their way to Raqa, but "they are not attacking Raqa" itself.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, coalition warplanes on Tuesday carried out dozens of strikes north of Raqa city.

If Raqa falls, "it's the beginning of the end of their caliphate," Warren predicted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said Moscow was ready to coordinate with both the United States and the SDF in the offensive for Raqa.

The SDF has a total of about 25,000 Kurdish fighters and about 5,000 Arab fighters.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / Leo Motors Inc. (LEOM) ("LEO") announced today that it has closed on an initial financing from an institutional investor through the sale of $395,000 in principal amount of debentures ("Debentures"). Net proceeds of $179,527.50 was received on May 18, 2016 and $179,527.50 shall be funded by June 18, 2016.. NMS Capital Advisors, LLC advised LEO on the financing and is working with LEO on additional financing.

LEO will use part of the proceeds from this funding towards its overall business plan to expand into China by forming a China based joint venture company which will manufacture electric buses and trucks. In addition, LEO will further expand its U.S. operations in developing its electric motor boat and power yacht conversion services. In its domestic market, LEO will market electric buses in Korea.

LEO has developed its patented battery swap system which enables vehicles to operate 24-hours a day without downtime for charging, as is currently the only solution with end users. By using the LEO technology, end users may swap-out used batteries with freshly charged batteries. Unlike its competitors, LEO's battery swap system allows it to use low cost equipment in swapping as a result of its patented cartridge battery system. This results in power package being divided into many lighter pieces.

In addition, LEO has developed a patented electric shock prevention system for electric motor boats and power yachts. Electric boat power systems have traditionally presented electric shock hazards because of the proximity of water. Thus users of "e-boats" are exposed to the potential of fatal electric shock accidents. LEO's proprietary technologies eliminate such dangers and this innovation positions LEO as the first company in the world to offer safety compliant water-friendly electric boats.

Dr. Kang, Chairman and CEO of LEO Motors, said, "We will start to commercialize our technology with the motor boat and power yacht conversion business in the U.S. We will offer to customers to convert existing Internal Combustion Engine motor boats and power yachts into electric motor boats and yachts. Through the use of our technology, we have developed an electric power system able to generate up to 600 horse power. Our electric power systems are also available as outboard ones." Dr. Kang added "There are many companies in the world who make electric cars, but only very few companies can make electric boats. The primary reason for this is that they do not have safety technology. The most important technology feature for e-boat safety is the LEO electric shock prevention technology. As a result of this, we are the only company in the world which can produce a truly safe e-boat."

Story continues

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. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes," "belief," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "will," or "plans" to be uncertain and forward looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source Leo Motors

For more information please call

Mike King 702 650 3000

SOURCE: Leo Motors Inc.
Our video team recently posted a short documentary featuring the story of Marisol Conde-Hernandez, an undocumented immigrant currently studying at Rutgers Law School:

I think that Im the first undocumented person to attend law school in the state of New Jersey, Conde-Hernandez says in the film. Its still in the back of my mind because Im undocumented. What if I cant practice as an attorney?

In the comments section for the video, Atlantic readers discussed immigration policy, which has become the signature issue for the presumptive GOP nominee for U.S. president. One reader wants to know more about a landmark piece of legislation passed under President Ronald Reagan:

Has there been any deep longitudinal or follow-up study of Reagans 1986 amnesty recipients? There were about three million of them, if I recall correctly. Id be interested in how they fared economically and, more so, how their kids fared.

First, a bit of background: The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) passed Congress 30 years ago this November. (Heres the New York Times report of Reagan signing the bill.) Eric Schlosser, in his award-winning 1995 investigative piece for The Atlantic, In the Strawberry Fields, described how the IRCA was so long in the making:

In 1951 the Presidents Commission on Migratory Labor condemned the abysmal living conditions of illegal immigrants employed as migrant farm workers in the United States. At the time, workers were found living in orchards and irrigation ditches. They lived in constant fear of apprehension, like fugitives, and were routinely exploited by their employers, who could maintain unsafe working conditions, cut wages, or abruptly dismiss them with little fear of reprisal. In many cases the life of these migrants was, according to the commission, virtually peonage.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Karen Brooks

(Reuters) - Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards plans to sign legislation making it a hate crime to kill a police officer or another first responder, bolstering penalties for an offense that already qualifies for the state's death penalty, his office said on Tuesday.

The legislation adds language to an existing law enhancing penalties for crimes targeting people based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and other identity categories to include "actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer, firefighter or emergency medical services personnel."

Edwards, a Democrat whose relatives have served as law enforcement officers, is expected to sign the bill sometime this week. The state legislature unanimously approved the measure last week.

Police officers and firefighters often perform life-saving acts of heroism, oftentimes under very dangerous circumstances, and are integral in maintaining order and civility in our society," he said in a statement. "The members of the law enforcement community deserve these protections."

Supporters say police officers are facing increased threats simply because they wear a badge. Advocates for the law have dubbed the Louisiana measure "Blue Lives Matter," a reference to the color of uniforms often worn by police.

The name draws on a prominent national movement, known as Black Lives Matter, which has generated wide protest over the killings of unarmed black citizens by police officers.

Yet opponents argued that the bill was unnecessary because state law already makes it a capital offense to kill police officers in the course of duty. Critics say it could weaken the hate crimes law by including a professional distinction that a matter of choice, in contrast to the color of someones skin.

"Adding professional categories to the current Hate Crimes statue deters efforts from protecting against identity-based crimes," Allison Padilla-Goodman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, said in a statement earlier this month.

Louisiana would be the first state to use a hate crimes statute to enhance penalties for crimes against police officers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, but other states allow for similar outcomes using different approaches.

(Reporting by Karen Brooks in Fort Worth, Texas and Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Letitia Stein and Alan Crosby)
German carrier Lufthansa has launched a new booking feature that could appeal to both travelers who love surprises as well as those who are hopelessly indecisive.

Is your partner keen on visiting Paris, while you prefer Prague? Are you looking for a warm, sun-soaked holiday but can't decide where to go?

Lufthansa Surprise which will make the decision for you.

Travelers can choose between nine themes that range from nature, sun and sand, to romance and gourmet cuisine.

Each theme lists about half a dozen possible destinations that leave from either Munich or Frankfurt.

After choosing the theme, booking dates, and adding payment information, travelers play a round of Russian roulette by clicking proceed and give the airline the decision-making power on their next holiday.

Possible destinations listed under Romance' include Paris, Florence, Budapest, Prague, Venice, Vienna and Zurich.

Other themes include partying, bromance, cities, sightseeing and culture, and shopping.

Lufthansa Surprise is the latest player to join the blind booking trend.

Some of the early players include companies like Priceline and Hotwire, which offer discounts to travelers who are willing to learn the name of their hotel, airline or car rental only after they book.

The concept has been gaining traction over the last few years, appealing to those who are already well-traveled and looking for some spontaneity, as well as the adventure-seeking millennial traveler, who may be more open to the unexpected.

Lufthansa's budget spin-off Eurowings also sells mystery flights at a fixed price based on thematic trips, with fares starting at 33.

Virtual travel agent Pack Up + Go will also take the stress out of travel planning by choosing a destination and creating a weekend travel itinerary in the US based on the user's budget, transportation preferences and hobbies. The destination and itinerary are kept secret until the day of departure.
The identity of the victim cannot be revealed due to a High Court gag order. (Yahoo file photo)

The teenage couple was behaving intimately on the 11th floor staircase landing at a block of flats in Woodlands on 9 October 2013 when they spotted someone peering at them from the 12th floor.

The couple, who were both 16 at that time, then found Muhammad Firman Jumali Chew hiding behind a wall on the 12th floor. They panicked and decided to leave and went to the lift landing where they were allegedly confronted by Firman.

Identifying himself as a police officer, Firman, 30, allegedly questioned the couple and demanded to see their identity cards before instructing the boy to leave him and the girl alone.

Firman then allegedly brought the girl to another block of flats where he proceeded to rape her.

Victim testified via video-link

Firman, who was working as a pizza delivery rider during the incident, appeared before Judicial Commissioner Hoo Sheau Peng on Tuesday (24 May) and claimed trial to one charge of rape, one charge of sexual assault by penetration and one charge of impersonating a police officer.

The victims identity cannot be revealed due to a gag order. She took the stand on Tuesday at the High Court via a video-link.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz told the court in her opening address that Firman brought the victim to a nearby block of flats where he asked her if she wanted her parents to find out what she has done with her boyfriend.

According to the DPP, the girl begged Firman not to report her and even offered him money. Firman then proceeded to rape and sexually assault her.

DPP Sharmila said that the victim complied with Firmans instructions at all times as she believed he was a police officer and feared that he would inform the police, her school and parents about her sexual activities with her boyfriend.

The hearing will continue on Wednesday (25 May). If found guilty of rape and sexual assault by penetration, Firman could be jailed up to 20 years, and also be fined and caned for each charge. For impersonating a public servant, he faces a jail term of up to two years.

(Update 25 May 2016: We have updated the headline to indicate that the offences were allegedly committed)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f96290%2fa6cd62787863453aab53da5c7f13e474

If Captain America stands for his country's firm belief in democracy, then he is finally seeing it in its truest form. Marvel fans on Monday sparked the hashtag #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend, which continued to trend into the next day on Twitter.

The call for more sexually diverse and fluid Disney heroes is growing louder since Twitter's #GiveElsaAGirlfriend, and we all know Captain America makes a fine poster boy.

SEE ALSO: Idina Menzel is totally here for Princess Elsa having a girlfriend

For many fans, giving ol' Stevie Rogers a boyfriend would mark the first major visibility for the LGBTQ community in a Marvel film.

On the question of whom Cap should date, there was one clear frontrunner:

And some shade for Civil War...

Indeed, a Google image search for "steve rogers AND bucky barnes" yields whole categories for fan art and "kiss." Longtime Marvel fans were quick to compile evidence from the films and comics to support #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend.

Some opposed the movement based on canon:

While others just took it too far:

Boyfriend or not, who can argue with how happy they look?
Marvel's Captain America fights for truth, justice and the American way, but late Sunday night on Twitter Marvel fans fought for something else. Give Captain America a boyfriend.

While the first Captain America film, Captain America: The First Avenger, presented Agent Peggy Carter as a potential love interest for Steve Rogers, Twitter thought perhaps giving Rogers a man by his side would be a better idea.

And #GiveCaptainAmericaaBoyfriend was born.

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend is trending and I'm likepic.twitter.com/ZCsgbLqVPr

REPRESENTATION IS SO IMPORTANT DO NOT FIGHT ME ON THIS!! #givecaptainamericaaboyfriend

when u see that #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend is still trendingpic.twitter.com/09gwHgNB31

the more fanboys cry over the idea of cap having a boyfriend the stronger i get #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend

I woke up to see that #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend has 30k more tweets from when I went to sleep, amazing

Woke up, drank my coffee, looked at Twitter. #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend is trending. Amazing

To fans, Rogers' perfect partner already exists: Rogers' best friend James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes.

Bucky was Rogers' childhood friend and war buddy, and even after Bucky tried to fight Captain, Rogers refused to give up on his brainwashed best friend. Captain America eventually ended up starting a whole civil war over him.

Cue lots of adorable gifs of Rogers and Barnes staring at each other with warm, loving eyes.

Im going to put this GIF, nothing else more. #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriendpic.twitter.com/4dyGdqNVG5

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend !!!!!! preferably one that looks like THISpic.twitter.com/PZCaqZtOxk https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjOCexIUkAAOgr8.jpg:large

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend Bucky:pic.twitter.com/pleFPLLPhz

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend boyfriend boyfrien boyfrie boyfri boyfr boyf boy bo b bucky barnes

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend bc Steve gets distracted JUST by hearing Bucky's name but kissing ur dead ex's niece is somehow more normal?!

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend Steve gave up his shield for Bucky. If this isn't love I don't know what it is.pic.twitter.com/Ilg0l8aUEd

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend because you don't oppose 117 nations just for "a childhood friend"

look at how they look at each other this is the relationship goals that matter #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriendpic.twitter.com/29TIQjL53x

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend because him dating Bucky makes more sense than having him date his dead ex-girlfriend's niece I'm sorry

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend because even my religious, borderline homophobic mum wondered why Steve & Bucky weren't dating after CA:CW

bc a straight guy doesn't start a war and give up everything for "just a friend" #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriendpic.twitter.com/6JRCoQRhGV

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend 3 films were spent building his relationship w/ a man but then he kisses a women he's had 7mins screen time w/

But not everyone wants Captain America and Bucky to hook up  some fans felt Tony Stark aka Iron Man would be the best fit for Rogers.

And a classic love triangle emerged: Who should Steve Rogers choose?

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GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend here are some of the lovely candidatespic.twitter.com/EBaKYesN4m https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjOMliAVEAEg3gN.jpg:large

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend - okay but look hes practically already married, just look at them #makeitofficialpic.twitter.com/bj36SnscWc https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjOApNXXEAEsNiT.jpg:large

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend but he already has onepic.twitter.com/HpwfCWmII1

But then again, he doesn't have to choose. For some fans, monogamy was not the last stop on this hashtag train. One solution: give Rogers all the boyfriends.

GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend? no. don't give him a boyfriend. give him lots of boyfriends

#GiveCaptainAmericaaGirlfriend comes only a few weeks after the Twitter campaign #GiveElsaAGirlfriend, which asked for better LGBT representation in the children's movie franchise Frozen. Both Frozen and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are properties of Disney, who received a failing grade from LGBT advocacy group GLAAD for their lack of LGBT representation in its films.
There were widespread control failures, says MAS.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has ordered Swiss BSI Bank Limited to cease its local operations after discovering serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight of the banks operations, and gross misconduct by some of the banks staff.

Apart from revoking BSIs merchant bank status, the MAS has also referred six members of the banks senior management and staff to the Public Prosecutor to evaluate whether they have committed criminal offences.

BSI Bank has been operating as a merchant bank in Singapore since November 2005 where it offers private banking services. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BSI SA, a bank founded in 1873 and headquartered in Switzerland.







More From Singapore Business Review


Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke in Me Before You (New Line)

By Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter

A bubbly broody love triangle in which death is the third party, Me Before You stars Game of Thrones Emilia Clarke as the caregiver of a quadriplegic, portrayed by The Hunger Games Sam Claflin. Brought together by needhers for a job, his for a friendtheyre chalk and cheese, and therefore, by the rules of the movie-romance game, meant for each other. Theres no question that Jojo Moyes adaptation of her popular novel, directed by Thea Sharrock, has more on its mind than such storytelling conventions. But far too much of this high-gloss tearjerker proceeds as a by-the-numbers romantic fantasy, nudging the viewer every step of the way.

The chemistry between the leads and a few finely etched supporting turns provide welcome counterweight to the movies formulaic progression, welcome especially for those who have seen their fair share of entries in the love-story-with-medical-complication subgenre. Those who haventteens and young adultswill most appreciate the feature, but all-ages fans of the book and of cryfests like The Fault in Our Stars (whose screenwriters had at one point been tapped for the adaptation) will be eagerly getting out their handkerchiefs.

Related: Cannes: Emilia Clarke, Jack Huston to Star in Thriller Above Suspicion

At the big-screen helm for the first time, stage wunderkind Sharrock takes a straightforward approach, relying on such familiar tools of the trade as the pop-song-backed montage and ping-pong cross-cutting in conversations. She reserves the films visual flourishes for its design elements and settings, and the drama opens with one of its most striking images: two lovers in a bed so white and fluffy it might be a cloud, or a romance novel cover. Dashing go-getter Will Traynor (Claflin), waking in his London dream pad beside his girlfriend (Vanessa Kirby), is starting another glamorous day.

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The opening section sets up the yin-yang between thirtysomething Will and 26-year-old Louisa Lou Clark (Clarke) with admirable economy. In contrast to his moneyed joie de vivre, she still lives in the cramped home of her parents (Brendan Coyle and Samantha Spiro) and, like many women in screen romances, has a boyfriend (Matthew Lewis) whos cartoonishly wrong for her. Lous explosively colorful girlie getups announce her quirky vivacitycostume designer Jill Taylor has a field day with fuzzy sweaters and polka-dot shoesbut any ambitions attached to that creativity have fizzled.

Watch the music video for Unsteady by X Ambassadors from the Me Before You soundtrack:



When Lou and Will meet, hes almost completely paralyzed, two years after an accident cut short his seemingly unstoppable upward trajectory. That Wills stoically suffering mother (Janet McTeer, powerfully understated) hires the inexperienced Lou in the first place is a testament to either the womans desperation or her ability to see beyond a nicely played wardrobe malfunction to Lous compassion and resilience. With a physical therapist (Stephen Peacocke) tending to Wills hygiene, Lou is expected to occupy a different realm of intimacy, as a hired friend of sorts. You can work out your level of interaction, his mother tells her. But the movie doesnt quite allow such leeway for the viewer, instead underlining every exchange and reaction.

Related: Cannes: THR Critics Debate Rape Comedy, Overlong Movies, and Award-Worthy Women

In the castle that rises above Lous village and is Wills family home, she becomes an Eliza Doolittle to his princely Henry Higgins. He encourages her to widen her horizons; first step: watching movies with subtitles. The self-actualization goes two ways, with Lou gradually, predictably drawing Will out of the fortressliteral and figurativewhere hes been biding his wheelchair-bound time in sullen despair. Alarmed by the jagged scar on his arm from a botched attempt at self-destruction, Lou determines to make him fall in love with life again and cancel his pending date with assisted suicide in Switzerland.

Cue the string of storybook excursions, both local and far-flung, each one higher on the aphrodisiac meter until the ultimate island getaway (Mallorca plays Mauritius). With their charm and good looks, Clarke and Claflin give the duos sublimated sensuality an undeniable charge, enhanced by the honeyed light of Remi Adefarasins camerawork. Clark overdoes Lous exuberance, though; whatever emotional complexity and uncertainties the character had on the page get lost amid the performances insistent effervescence. And however superbly delivered, Lous rant about unhappy marriages indicates a level of understanding thats at odds with her supposed lack of introspection.

Related: Sam Claflin: 5 Things to Know About the Catching Fire Star

Within the extreme physical constraints of his role, Claflin works a subtler palette, giving Wills mourning for his former self an affecting depth beyond the screenplays all too obvious signposts. Both leads embody the class divide that their characters have crossed, with Andrew McAlpines polished production design accentuating the difference between the spirited bustle of Lous home life and the quiet anguish of the Traynors well-appointed rooms.

The pointedness of the dialogue and direction can, when it isnt detracting from the story, serve the pared-down supporting roles well, heightening smartly restrained performances that convey whole backstories. Thats the case when Lous crucifix-wearing mother reacts to the idea of euthanasia, when her father buoys her with encouraging words, and especially in the potent silences between Wills coexisting parents, played to perfection by McTeer and Charles Dance. A cameo by Joanna Lumley, as a stranger spouting agreeably tart words of wisdom, is entirely unnecessary. But its nonetheless a gratifying jolt of Lumley-ness as this villainless fairy tale draws toward its happily mawkish ever after.



Me Before You: Watch a trailer:


Every medical school applicant seems to ask, "What score do I need to get on the MCAT to be a competitive candidate?" One student was told by his teacher that he must rank in the 95th percentile on the new test -- which is not the case.

All the admissions officers that I know are using the percentile rank, but I don't know anyone who is looking only at 95 and up -- a raw score of 516-528. From a statistical standpoint, it makes no sense to look only at the raw score and try to split hairs. The percentile rankings are much more realistic.

The medical school admissions requirements on the Association of American Medical Colleges website no longer include the mean score for any school. The unsanctioned lists on the Web are using only the old scores from the prior test.

Remember that between 25 and 26 was the 50th percentile rank before 2015. With the current admissions season ending only now, no one knows the percentile ranking, range or mean that other schools considered this year.

The AAMC encouraged all schools to consider that students who rank in the 50th percentile -- a raw score of roughly 500 -- and above should be able to handle the work of a medical student successfully and pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam.

This is not to say that a student with a score of 500 will be accepted into every school. However, it does mean that admissions committees were encouraged not to get fixated on a cutoff number. Our school did have a broader range if one compared percentile rankings from the prior year. Hopefully others did the same. The raw scores remain from 472 to 528.

With the numbers for the next season -- May 1, 2016, to April 30, 2017 -- 500 is now the 53rd percentile rank. The AAMC reports that "79% of total scores were equal to or less than 508" from April through September last year.

[Follow a three-month MCAT study plan.]

Every May 1, the AAMC updates the numbers. Next year, two years of results will be analyzed, and the following year, three years of results will be included. The more exam results they include, the more helpful the statistics should be.

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The four subscales remain in place:

1. Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (59 questions in 95 minutes)

2. Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (59 questions in 95 minutes)

3. Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior (59 questions in 95 minutes)

4. Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (53 questions in 90 minutes)

For students who haven't practiced interpreting data, the fourth subscale may be the hardest. The data can be displayed in graphs, figures, tables or another format. The questions are much more about using what you know rather than memorizing facts.

Schools can teach you a lot of facts, but can you untangle what they mean and accurately make sense of them? Students should not only practice with research data, but also take a statistics class.

Many schools are looking closely at the fourth subscale. We have seen a few students do well on it and not as well on the others, though, generally, this one has been tougher.

[Select premed courses that will prepare you for the MCAT.]

The other three subscales require you to know chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, biology and physics. Many schools, including ours, recommend taking psychology and sociology.

If you haven't read extensively in these areas, completed a lot of Khan Academy courses or otherwise prepared, don't take the MCAT until you have done so. All four subscales score from 118 to 132, with the percentile rank of 50 between 124 and 125.

Prepare well, take lots of practice exams and then give it your best. Don't take the MCAT until you are happy with your practice scores or see that you are plateauing and are unlikely to move higher.

Eat healthy foods, exercise and get good sleep. Literature supports these healthy habits to enhance learning and test performance. You might even have to analyze some of that data on the exam!

Kathleen Franco, M.D., is associate dean of admissions and student affairs at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. She previously served both as director of residency training and director of medical student training in psychiatry at Cleveland Clinic. She is board-certified in psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine and attended Medical College of Ohio -- Toledo.


VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / Mezzi Holdings Inc. ("MEZZI", "MEZZI BRAND GROUP" or the "Company") (TSX-V: MZI, FRA: 0MZ) is pleased to announce that its summer MEZZI capsule collection is nearing launch and will feature availability of all-new styles in several new colourways.

As part of this launch, MEZZI plans this summer (June through August) to partner with 18 different retailers and boutiques to host 25 in-store pop-up shops in 20 North American cities. Named the #ShowAndTech Summer Tour, and based upon the success of previous events, the pop-up shop strategy is being aggressively expanded to allow more customers the ability to see and experience MEZZI's unique products in-person.

Approximately half of the participating retailers are new to the brand and are not current stockists, representing great potential growth to the number of retail stockists carrying MEZZI.

"With the additions of new integrated tech, including the wireless speaker, in-bag light and call/message notifications we truly have the most sophisticated line of handbags on the market today. We're on the leading edge of a completely new accessory category that didn't really exist 24 months ago. These in-store pop-ups represent the fastest go-to-market strategy for us, in terms of product sales and revenue growth," Keir Reynolds, CEO, commented.

About MEZZI BRAND GROUP

MEZZI Brand Group is a Vancouver-based consumer accessory brand management company. We believe that great brands are built one great product and one valued customer at a time. We have gathered a group of young talented experts ranging from accessory design, product development, marketing, branding, e-commerce, digital media and PR to build and scale our millennial-customer focused brands. A well-defined, strategic philosophy and clear mission statement promotes and protects MEZZI Brand Group's most valuable assets  our brands  MEZZI Smart Luxury, Capital Eyewear and MLine Cases.

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For further information, please contact:

Mr. Keir Reynolds

CEO

Tel: (778) 998-9242

Email: keir@mezzi.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Keir Reynolds

Chief Executive Officer

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.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE: Mezzi Holdings Inc.
"This is our favorite kind of conversation," Miike Snow frontman Andrew Wyatt says as Billboard sits backstage with Wyatt and the band's Pontus Winnberg at KROQ's Weenie Roast on a Southern California Saturday afternoon. We're flattered, but we can't take credit for the captivating interview, which turns into a seminar on the evolution of rock stardom -- covering Neil Young, Nick Cave, Davie Bowie, Madonna and Wyatt's choice for the most important artist of our generation, Kanye West.

The conversation is a testament to the impressive music fandom and intelligence of the band, who go so deep as to reference Talk Talk. The subtext of the interview says a lot about how the trio handles their own continued unexpected successes, from songs like breakthrough hit "Animal" to "Genghis Khan," a recent single they never figured would become a hit.

Wyatt says of their approach, "When we're in the studio we tend to throw aside what we should do and just do what feels good to us." That ethos, which is obviously connecting, is something they've picked up from some of music's great rebels. That's where we start the conversation.

Weenie Roast 2016: Anthony Kiedis Rushed to Hospital, Weezer Restores Spirit, New Blink-182 Surprises

Who are the artists you admire the way their careers have evolved, those artists who've had multiple careers?

Andrew Wyatt: If you think about the ultimate it's Bowie.

Pontus Winnberg: It's so obvious, especially now. I think that it's courageous minds, like Madonna. She's tried stuff, some of it works, some of it doesn't work as good. Or she might have a different opinion about what has worked and didn't work.

Another one that comes to mind for me is Nick Cave.

Wyatt: I was just gonna mention Nick Cave because of the whole thing with Kylie [Minogue], that would kind of count because to a lot of people he's the guy who had that duet with Kylie Minogue and that was like a huge song in the U.K. and Australia. It wasn't big here, nobody heard it here. But he is definitely, there's Birthday Party, early Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds stuff, then pop stuff, then later phase. I think Kevin Parker has reinvented Tame Impala on this new album in a cool way. I think all the great ones do and the rest try.

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Winnberg: And also [they] dare to do stuff and aren't anxious. There have to be failures, at least failures from our perspective.

How do you become that David Bowie in this day and age? For Miike Snow, how would you begin that evolution into the next career level?

Wyatt: It's too late. But I think you see that people who are in other chapters in their lives where they may have seized the brass ring and it's just about where they carry it now. And also, time will tell. If you went back and talk about David Bowie in 1976 in America he wasn't this legend. He was a guy who had a couple of hits from England and he was superstar status in the U.K. but that was his home country and he wasn't a superstar in America until "Let's Dance." People always loved his music and were looking forward to hearing it and stuff.

Winnberg: I think one thing too is to not think about being the next David Bowie 'cause I think people think about that too much. I saw a fraction of an interview with David Bowie this morning when he was talking about that. You probably remember the essence better than I do.

How David Bowie Fearlessly Changed Rock'n'Roll: Billboard's Special Tribute

The essence was never work for somebody else as an artist and get to the edge of your comfort and then go further because that's where you'll find your best work. But why can't Miike Snow evolve? It doesn't seem too late. For Bowie, part of it was he engaged in other mediums.

Wyatt: I've been working on a graphic novel for a long time. But the good thing about Miike Snow is we do see it as an experiment. So it's something that we can come back to and take some risks. I think when you get into that place where you have to either have a hit or satisfy the fans you have so you don't lose the fans that you have, it's where you can really go wrong and start making bad music. I think the only thing to focus on is what do you see in the new developments in music and in the world that speak to you and then try to do your own thing with that. Fearlessly bend those boundaries to do something that hasn't done before, because if you do something that hasn't been done before and do it well that's when you're actually offering something to the world because you're giving people a new emotion that they haven't quite felt, which is an interesting thing.

Winnberg: I think the most important component to be able to do that is to be fearless and not care too much. We have a seed of that because that was the premise as we started the whole band. We didn't really care, the first plan was to put it out on MySpace. We didn't care; a deal kind of came just through friends and someone reaching out. We weren't doing it to get a career, we were doing it because we had fun and we did stuff that was exciting. I think that's probably the one thing we should protect the most. Also, it's good to have to have spent so much time in the studio because we can be fearless in that whole world. We can just play around.

Wyatt: We can be as dysfunctional as we want to be.

Do you feel like you can be more creative because you approach recording the same way?

Winnberg: It's just when we're in the studio there are no boundaries like that. I don't think anyone is scared of shooting out crappy ideas. I think that's also part of the fearlessness that we have to be creative, is to dare to be really bad and say something that's stupid and doesn't make sense because that idea probably had to come out to get good ideas eventually.

How much does it surprise you then when "Genghis Khan" becomes this hit that goes everywhere?

Winnberg: That's when it gets very tricky cause then Miike Snow has taken on a life of its own. We don't quite own Miike Snow, it's something that we share with other people that like it. We're doing this thing that has a sound, that has a life of its own and luckily we still like it. It can even go to the point, and I think it does sometimes, where people are just like, "I'm not really into this shit anymore." Then you can either take it into a zone you really like, leave the band or just put up with it and do what you do.

Wyatt: I think those people that do a complete 180 and sometimes end up alienating people and sometimes making brilliant work, like in the case of let's say Talk Talk, those happen sometimes as a result of extraordinary success. You can afford to do that kind of a cliff dive if you've been as successful as say Talk Talk or Neil Young. He really wanted to get away from all of that and so did Mark Hollis. In one way it was a deliberate move to get rid of his popularity and I think Neil did the same thing. You have to go through that thing and even when Miike Snow got as big as it did on the first album it's just a little overwhelming. You feel like you're going to be lost in the sauce.

Winnberg: But if you're gonna connect that, so do you think those people, are they dealing with this so much theoretical we are discussing now or is it something Bowie was talking about, where it's just like, "Okay, I'm just gonna do whatever"?

Wyatt: Bowie's a little different because Bowie is a British Bulldog at heart, who fought through every situation. His solution to the overriding success he had in the '70s was to come to America, where people didn't know him as well and get completely doused in drugs for like six years. But during that time he didn't collapse on himself, he fought through it and worked his ass off. When he got too fucked up in L.A. he moved to Berlin. But then what do we have on the flip side of today? Who's the most relevant artist now? It's Kanye, he would never do that. I think he is the most important artist of our time. I don't think there's any argument.

Miike Snow Announces New Album: Listen to 'Genghis Khan' Single Now

Why Kanye?

Wyatt: He's massive and he definitely is the only huge artist that takes massive risks with his music. Other people might make the video for this or that, but he is always leading the way. Even Kendrick Lamar's career is basically taken from "Jesus Walks." Listen to "Jesus Walks," sounds like what Kendrick did on his last album. I love Kendrick, he's awesome, visionary, but Kanye was kind of there first.

Winnberg: Also I think it's a cultural thing too. Looking at it from the perspective of different giants in the past, the modern pop star has to take all the new vanity aspects in account and live in that world. And that kind of takes away some stuff you really admire by the old giants.

Wyatt: That's right. It's important not to throw the baby out with the bath water though because he's such an interesting person to talk to and he's also interested in what other people have to contribute. He's as problematic as our society is. There definitely are some philosophical disconnects for me in terms of the whole ethos. But the more I think about it the more I like it.

I would argue a case for Adele though and she seems much more relatable.

Wyatt: I've hung out with both of them and I like Adele, she is a nice person, and Kanye definitely is a person that I like to talk to at parties. The influence and the brain is working so fast it's fascinating to rap to him.
MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / ML Capital Group Inc. (OTC PINK: MLCG) is on the move! We are pleased to announce that a Letter of Intent has been signed and filed to acquire the exclusive high-end Hawaiian tour and transportation company mentioned in our previous release.

"A definitive agreement is expected to be signed later this week, marking a significant and exciting milestone in the Company's plan to expand into the travel and tourism sector," says CEO Kevin Bobryk. "We are looking forward to sharing more news about this important acquisition in upcoming announcements. I am confident this will be the first of many successful acquisitions in the coming months."

ML Capital Group has made significant progress by reducing its authorized capital share limit to 5.01 Billion shares. We are working diligently with Cox CPA Services to help bring the Company's accounting and financial statements up to date, and are close to filing the first of several outstanding reporting periods with the OTC Markets.

"We are right on track to our goal of reaching OTC current status within the next two weeks," says Bobryk, "Our reorganization and reduction of authorized shares demonstrates our commitment to building a solid growth platform for our ambitious expansion plans."

Additional updates on our progress will be posted to our Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/mlcginc.

Safe Harbor : This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. 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. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions.

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ML Capital Group Inc .

Contact: Kevin Bobryk

Email: info@mlcginc.com

SOURCE: ML Capital Group Inc.
New York (AFP) - German pharmaceutical giant Bayer sees in agroindustry giant Monsanto a gem worth at least $62 million for its dominant global position selling seeds sought by farmers of corn, soybeans, cotton and other commodity crops.

But for the Green movement, especially in Europe, Monsanto turns stomachs for unstinting promotion of genetically modified crops and its widely used herbicide Roundup, often feared as a possible carcinogen.

The merger is still under discussion -- Monsanto rejected the price as too low on Tuesday, but said it is willing to keep talking.

But it raises questions across an industry that is pushing the frontiers of biochemistry amid great nervousness, and consolidating into just a handful of very powerful firms.

- What is Monsanto? -

St. Louis, Missouri-based Monsanto was established by pharmacist John Queeny in 1901 to produce saccharine. Queeny named the company after his wife Olga Monsanto Queeny.

By the 1940s, the company was producing farm-oriented chemicals, particularly the widely used herbicide 2,4-D, and slowly became a US household name.

Combined with another dangerous chemical, 2,4-D was used to make the notorious Vietnam War-era defoliant Agent Orange.

In 1976, it launched probably its most famous product, Roundup, the world's most widely used herbicide. Its active chemical is glyphosate.

The company began in the 1970s looking at the crops that the herbicides were protected, building cell and molecular biology units. In 1982, its scientists were the first to genetically modify a plant cell.

Monsanto then started buying other seed companies and withing five years began field trials of genetically modified seeds.

It eventually developed soybean, corn, cotton, canola and other crops that were genetically engineered to be tolerant of Roundup.

In 1994, Monsanto also became the first to begin selling the biotechnology-based hormone for dairy cows, rBST and rBGH, which was used across the United States to boost milk production. The two have been banned by many other major dairy producers.

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- Why is Monsanto so valuable to Bayer? -

Monsanto is by far the world's leading producer of genetically modified crop seeds, and in many of its seed lines it has a dominant market position.

According to Farm Journal, it had 35.5 percent of the market for corn in the United States in 2014. It had a 28 percent share for soybeans, behind DuPont.

The company owns around 1,700 patents. In 1991, it lost its patent on glyphosate herbicide, but retains a huge market share in part by having marketed its "Roundup-Ready" genetically modified seeds.

Monsanto also owns one of the leading data analytics firms for farmers, Climate Corp.

- What makes Monsanto so controversial? -

Many people and countries, especially in Europe, have not accepted the use of genetically modified organisms -- which they label "frankenfoods."

They say GMO seeds are dangerous to introduce to the farm and food system generally, and foods produced from GMO crops could turn out unsafe to eat.

In addition, Monsanto's strong market position, critics say, can leave farmers dependent on it because they cannot reproduce Monsanto crops with their own seeds due to the company's patents.

In addition, critics say the herbicides the company sells are dangerous to human health, and some have been banned in certain countries.

A merger with Bayer thus could give the combined company even more power in the market, with farmers already facing consolidation among suppliers.

In December, DuPont and Dow Chemical announce plans to merge, and in China National Chemical Corp. or ChemChina, made a $43 billion offer for Syngenta.
(Adds Bayer statement, shareholder comment, updates shares)

By Greg Roumeliotis

May 24 (Reuters) - Monsanto Co, the world's largest seed company, turned down Bayer AG's $62 billion acquisition bid as "incomplete and financially inadequate" on Tuesday, but said it was open to engage further in negotiations.

Monsanto's decision, first reported earlier on Tuesday by Reuters, puts pressure on Bayer to decide whether to raise its bid, even as the company faces criticism from some shareholders that its $122-per-share cash offer is already too high.

Monsanto shares ended trading up 3.1 percent at $109.3 in New York, substantially below Bayer's bid price, underscoring some investor skepticism that a deal can be done. Bayer shares rose 3.23 percent at 87.15 euros in Frankfurt.

"We believe in the substantial benefits an integrated strategy could provide to growers and broader society, and we have long respected Bayer's business," Monsanto Chief Executive Hugh Grant said in a statement.

"However, the current proposal significantly undervalues our company and also does not adequately address or provide reassurance for some of the potential financing and regulatory execution risks related to the acquisition," he added.

Bayer responded that its $122 per share offer represents "full and certain value" for Monsanto shareholders, but that it looks forward to engaging in constructive discussions with Monsanto.

"We are confident that we can address any potential financing or regulatory matters related to the transaction. Bayer remains committed to working together to complete this mutually compelling transaction," Bayer Chief Executive Officer Werner Baumann said in a statement.

It was not clear what price Monsanto would be willing to sell for but several analysts have suggested Bayer would have to pay much more than the current offer to clinch a deal.

"We believe it is unlikely that the deal gets done at $122 and still believe $135 is a more likely price," JPMorgan analysts wrote in a research note last week.

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Manning & Napier Advisors LLC, an investment management firm that is Monsanto's 14th largest shareholder according to Thomson Reuters data, agreed with Monsanto's decision to seek a higher offer.

"Monsanto's assessment that the initial offer was inadequate is valid, as we believe it does not appropriately value the company's existing product portfolio," said Michael Knolla, a managing director at Manning & Napier.

Global agrochemicals companies are racing to consolidate, partly in response to a drop in commodity prices that has hit farm incomes. Seeds and pesticides markets are also increasingly converging. This has driven Monsanto to consider a tie-up to build strength.

Monsanto approached Bayer in March to express interest in its crop science unit, Reuters reported at the time. Among the possibilities discussed were an outright acquisition of the crop science unit and a joint venture, or other type of partnership between the two companies.

ChemChina plans to buy Switzerland's Syngenta for $43 billion, after Syngenta rejected a bid from Monsanto. Dow Chemical Co and DuPont are forging a $130 billion business.

With German rival BASF SE having previously considered a tie-up with Monsanto, Bayer has moved to avoid being left behind.

Leverkusen-based Bayer's unsolicited bid for Monsanto is the largest all-cash takeover on record, according to Thomson Reuters data, just ahead of InBev SA's $60.4 billion offer for Anheuser-Busch in June 2008.

Bayer said on Monday it would finance its cash bid with a combination of debt and equity.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Additional reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago, Mike Stone in New York, Patricia Weiss in Frankfurt and Pamela Barbaglia in London; Editing by Tiffany Wu, Bernard Orr)
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Dave Gleich had just seconds to react when an elk leapt in front of his cruiser while responding to a call on May 17. NBC Montana reported that Gleich was not injured in the crash near Great Falls.

Montana Highway Patrol published the video with the warning to drivers: Please always wear your seatbelt and never veer for deer. Credit: Facebook/ Montana Highway Patrol
More Americans were shot over the course of a 16-hour period in Chicago than have been shot by Muslim terrorists in all of 2016  let that sink in for a moment.

Last week, the Chicago Tribune reported that "at least 20 people were shot over 16 hours in Chicago on Wednesday into early Thursday." That's more than one person shot every hour. So far in 2016, there have been zero people shot by Muslim terrorists in the United States.

Chicago is experiencing a wave of gun related violence that's far outpacing the same time last year. The Tribune reported Monday "so far this year, at least 1,382 people have been shot in Chicago and at least 244 of them have died of their wounds. Last year at this time, 904 people had been shot, 157 of them fatally."

Source: Scott Olson/Getty Images

But even amid ongoing gun violence in Chicago, even as Americans are dying on U.S. soil, much of the rhetoric of the 2016 election has centered around protecting Americans from the looming threat of Muslim terrorists. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump even proposed, and has continued to voice support for, a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States.

According to ABC News' exit polls on Super Tuesday in March, 6 in 10 people who voted Republican supported banning Muslims from entering the United States.

Yet gun control, which studies suggest could actually reduce gun deaths, continues to be a nonissue for Trump. Speaking to the NRA last week, Trump told the audience that "the only way to save our Second Amendment is to vote for a person that you all know named Donald Trump."

Meanwhile, the Tribune reports, Chicago is "bracing" for fatal summer gun violence.
Paris (AFP) - Top seed Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a first French Open title with a routine victory while Serena Williams began the defence of her crown, but Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber crashed out on Tuesday.

Djokovic, a three-time Roland Garros finalist, faced little resistance from Taiwan's world number 95 Lu Yen-Hsun as he cruised to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory.

The Serb, bidding to become just the eighth man to secure a career Grand Slam, needed only 90 minutes on Court Phillipe Chatrier to book a second-round encounter with Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis.

"Well, second and third set were really good. I thought I found my rhythm. First set was up and down. But I'll take the positives out of it, and I'm hoping I can progress as the tournament goes on," said Djokovic.

Serena Williams needed just 42 minutes to dispatch Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 6-0 as the American aims for another title that would see her equal Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 Grand Slam wins.

"Today was great for me. I hope I continue to play like today, it's only the first round. I hope I win six more matches," said Williams, showcasing her French to an appreciate crowd.

Andy Murray was forced to recover from a two-set deficit to overcome 37-year-old Radek Stepanek 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 in a match lasting three hours 41 minutes in total.

The second seed had been trailing by two sets to one but up a break in the fourth when play was suspended on Monday due to darkness.

The Scot duly returned to complete the job after making the crucial breakthrough at 5-all in the decider to set up a second-round encounter with 164th-ranked French wildcard Mathias Bourgue.

"He's always been extremely difficult to play," said Murray after a ninth career comeback from two sets down.

"He was playing drop shots, hitting the ball very flat, it was very difficult to get into a rhythm. That's credit to him and the way he played."

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While Murray toiled, there were no such problems for nine-time champion Rafael Nadal who extended his record at Roland Garros to 71 wins against just two losses.

The fourth-seeded Spaniard made quick work of 100th-ranked Sam Groth, taming the Australian's powerful serve with eight breaks in a resounding 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win.

"It's obvious that was a good start for me," said Nadal.

"I managed to break him very quickly. It was important because against such an opponent it's not easy to take his serve."

- Kerber dumped out -

Kerber became the tournament's first major casualty as Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens consigned the German third seed to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 defeat.

"The first rounds are always tough in the tournament, especially for me, but, yeah, what can I say? It happens," lamented Kerber, who was hampered by an ongoing shoulder problem.

"She's a tough opponent. I was ready. But, yeah, at the end she made the important points."

Another former Melbourne champion, Victoria Azarenka, retired in her opening-round match with Italy's world number 118 Karin Knapp.

Fifth seed Azarenka quit with a knee injury down 4-0 in the third set having already saved a match point in a second set tie-break.

Both Kerber and Azarenka were in Williams' section of the draw.

Sixth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga strolled to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory against German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff, with Tomas Berdych also cruising to a straight-sets win over Vasek Pospisil.

David Ferrer, the 2013 runner-up, thrashed Russia's Evgeny Donskoy 6-1, 6-2, 6-0.

Austria's Dominic Thiem struggled initially against Inigo Cervantes, dropping the opening set to the Spaniard, but the 13th seed rallied to claim a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory.

Thiem, who retained his Nice title over the weekend, is one of just three players alongside Nadal and Pablo Cuevas with multiple clay-court tournament wins this season.

John Isner fired 40 aces to advance 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (14/12), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 over Australian John Millman, while Bernard Tomic put recent struggles behind him to dispatch American Brian Baker in three sets.

Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky swept past Spanish lucky loser Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-3, 6-1, while 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro needed three sets to beat Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova.

Seven-time major winner Venus Williams, who lost the 2002 final to sister Serena, edged out Estonia's Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), while 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic held off French wildcard Oceane Dodin in three sets.

Former runner-up Sam Stosur overcame Misaki Doi of Japan 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, but Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 champion, bowed out in straight sets to French 26th seed Kristina Mladenovic.
By Martyn Herman PARIS (Reuters) - Andy Murray survived a nervy fifth-set decider against Czech veteran Radek Stepanek to complete a 3-6 3-6 6-0 6-3 7-5 comeback win and scrape into the French Open second round on Tuesday. The second seed had been tormented by his 37-year-old opponent in the previous evening's gloom, being outplayed in the opening two sets before repairing some of the damage by the time bad light intervened with him leading 4-2 in the fourth set. If he hoped things would be less complicated when the match resumed on Philippe Chatrier Court, he was sadly mistaken as a reinvigorated and inspired Stepanek came within two points of an unlikely upset. Feeding off the crowd, Stepanek conjured numerous moments of magic, out-foxing Murray with crafty drop-shots and slices and throwing in some classic serve and volley to keep his 29-year-old opponent off balance. But Murray has a few tricks up his sleeve too, not too mention his renowned fighting qualities and he never panicked, even when defeat looked a distinct possibility. Stepanek, bidding to become the oldest man to win a match at Roland Garros since Jimmy Connors (38 years 280 days) in 1991, finally relented and Murray, not without a few more alarms, finished the two-day duel. There was plenty of respect from Murray, though, as he warmly consoled the 128th-ranked Czech and applauded him off court. "It is unbelievable what he is doing. He had a bad injury last year yet at 37 is still coming out and fighting like he is," Murray, who overturned two-set deficits nine times in his career and three times in Paris, said in an interview on court. "He has always been extremely difficult to play. He hardly missed any volleys -- until the one on match point and even that nearly got over -- hit a lot of drop shots and hit the ball very flat and that made it very hard for me. "I don't expect to be doing that at his age! I am just pleased to have got through." Murray won 10 of the last 12 games on Monday to seize the momentum and after fending off a couple of break points in Tuesday's first game he levelled the contest. But Stepanek, a former top-10 player, was in no mood to go away quietly and the fifth set was an engrossing battle of wits. Twice Stepanek extricated himself from trouble on serve to stay ahead as the crowd roared their approval. When he held to love to lead 5-4 he scented victory and the alarm bells were ringing in the Murray camp when he trailed 15-30 in the next game. Even when Murray got his nose in front and served for the match the nerves were still jangling as he double-faulted on his first match point. But he sealed victory when Stepanek netted an attempted drop-volley and, with a kind-looking draw, can now look forward to another deep run at a venue where he has reached the semis three times. "I had a bit of momentum yesterday. But I had to fight extremely hard today," Murray said, before walking off to prepare for French wildcard Mathias Bourge. (Editing by Ed Osmond)
By Martyn Herman PARIS (Reuters) - Andy Murray survived a nervy fifth-set decider against Czech veteran Radek Stepanek to complete a 3-6 3-6 6-0 6-3 7-5 comeback win and scrape into the French Open second round on Tuesday. The second seed had been tormented by his 37-year-old opponent in the previous evening's gloom, being outplayed in the opening two sets before repairing some of the damage by the time bad light intervened with him leading 4-2 in the fourth set. If he hoped things would be less complicated when the match resumed on Philippe Chatrier Court, he was sadly mistaken as a reinvigorated and inspired Stepanek came within two points of an unlikely upset. Feeding off the crowd, Stepanek conjured numerous moments of magic, out-foxing Murray with crafty drop-shots and slices and throwing in some classic serve and volley to keep his 29-year-old opponent off balance. But Murray has a few tricks up his sleeve too, not too mention his renowned fighting qualities and he never panicked, even when defeat looked a distinct possibility. Stepanek, bidding to become the oldest man to win a match at Roland Garros since Jimmy Connors (38 years 280 days) in 1991, finally relented and Murray, not without a few more alarms, finished the two-day duel. There was plenty of respect from Murray, though, as he warmly consoled the 128th-ranked Czech and applauded him off court. "It is unbelievable what he is doing. He had a bad injury last year yet at 37 is still coming out and fighting like he is," Murray, who overturned two-set deficits nine times in his career and three times in Paris, said in an interview on court. "He has always been extremely difficult to play. He hardly missed any volleys -- until the one on match point and even that nearly got over -- hit a lot of drop shots and hit the ball very flat and that made it very hard for me. "I don't expect to be doing that at his age! I am just pleased to have got through." Murray won 10 of the last 12 games on Monday to seize the momentum and after fending off a couple of break points in Tuesday's first game he leveled the contest. But Stepanek, a former top-10 player, was in no mood to go away quietly and the fifth set was an engrossing battle of wits. Twice Stepanek extricated himself from trouble on serve to stay ahead as the crowd roared their approval. When he held to love to lead 5-4 he scented victory and the alarm bells were ringing in the Murray camp when he trailed 15-30 in the next game. Even when Murray got his nose in front and served for the match the nerves were still jangling as he double-faulted on his first match point. But he sealed victory when Stepanek netted an attempted drop-volley and, with a kind-looking draw, can now look forward to another deep run at a venue where he has reached the semis three times. "I had a bit of momentum yesterday. But I had to fight extremely hard today," Murray said, before walking off to prepare for French wildcard Mathias Bourge. (Editing by Ed Osmond)
Paris (AFP) - World number two Andy Murray launched himself into recovery mode against veteran Radek Stepanek in the French Open first round before play was suspended due to darkness on Monday with the Czech leading by two sets to one.

Murray, who stunned Novak Djokovic to win the Rome Masters last weekend to boost his title hopes, struggled mightily against 37-year-old Stepanek early on before fighting back to 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 4-2 with play to resume on Tuesday.

The second seed relinquished his serve in third game of the first set and was broken again while trying to stay in it as Stepanek, the oldest player in the draw, drew upon his vast experience.

Murray broke to love to start the second set but then immediately lost his own serve and Stepanek, using his craftiness to draw the Scot around the court, broke again at 4-3 to carve out a two-set lead.

Murray though showed his resolve and raced through the third set in just 18 minutes as former world number eight Stepanek began to lose his way in the fading light.

The Scot charged into a 3-0 lead in the fourth set before Stepanek temporarily halted Murray's momentum, but the world number two was well placed to force a decider when play was called off for the evening.
Some American Muslims are backing Donald Trump this election cycle  and no, it's not a joke.

On Monday evening, Muslims for Trump founder Sajid Tarar appeared on CNN with Don Lemon to explain how the likely Republican nominee is the best choice for the American Muslim community.

Donald Trump and Muslim voters: Can he win them over? Two join @DonLemon to discuss. http://cnn.it/go http://cnn.it/1qG4jSg

During the segment, Tarar expressed support for Trump's ban on all Muslims  even though he's an immigrant from Pakistan. Lemon, noticing an element of hypocrisy in this belief, pushed back by asking Tarar how it could be possible to reject Muslims immigrating into the United States when he is an immigrant himself.

"

Tarar had trouble responding, saying he "came here legally" and went through a screening process. Muslim immigrants  not to mention  are often subjected to a "secretive immigration program" unlawfully delaying their citizenship process, according to Buzzfeed.

He later insisted that Trump's ban is only temporary until the U.S. can find out why Muslims are seeking to immigrate into the country and understand their "objective."

"I wouldn't want to see this country going on a chaos like Belgium and France and, you know, the situation of We have to solve it, otherwise we will be feeling guilty for it. We have to create a safety net."

"

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The internet was having none of this, and took to Twitter to call out the anti-Muslim rhetoric spewed:

On behalf of the Muslim delegation, we have released Sajid Tarar and apologize for this utter tomfoolery.https://twitter.com/zohamian1/status/734966691898216448 ...

if #SajidTarar went through screening to come here "legally" how can he say there's no screening #SellOut #MuslimsForTrumpHateThemselves

Some thought he was making a "fool" out of himself with his support for Trump  and with the bow tie he was wearing:

The Pakistani-born founder of 'Muslims for Trump', Sajid Tarar, is wearing a bow tie on CNN right now. #justsaying

I just witnessed Mr. Sajid Tarar making a fool of himself on CNN tonight with Don Lemon. A pink bow tie does not increase your intellect!

Some pointed out a double standard in coverage of minorities supporting candidates other than Trump, and that CNN is an example of the media "normalizing" Trump's bigotry.

Mexican & Muslim supporters for #Bernie - little to no media coverage. Mexican & Muslim supporters for #Trump - entire news segments.

CNN has now had on a Muslim and Mexican for Trump - in case you didn't think the media wouldn't normalize Trump's racism and bigotry

And some said Tarar will cry when he realizes what he has done:
BHUBANESWAR (Reuters) - National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) and Iran's mining development body have agreed to explore the possibility of building an aluminium smelter in Iran, NALCO said in a statement on Monday, as New Delhi tries to boost trade ties with Tehran after the lifting of sanctions.

NALCO's Indian refinery would supply the alumina for the smelter if the project were to go ahead.

The agreement also opens up the prospect of other Iranian smelters using alumina supplied by India.

The deal was signed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a visit to Iran to further diplomatic and trade ties.

(Reporting by Jatindra Dash. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Washington (AFP) - In an international battle stretching from Native American lands in the American West to the auction houses of Paris, two tribes on Tuesday renewed a years-long campaign to prevent the sale of sacred objects.

The Acoma Pueblo Nation located in New Mexico and The Hoopa Valley Tribal Nation of California have announced their opposition to a scheduled sale next week of close to 500 artifacts at Paris' EVE auction house.

They want the sale stopped and the artifacts returned.

"This is not a work of art," Governor Kurt Riley of the Acoma Pueblo Nation told AFP, explaining how the Acoma view the objects up for sale. "This is a religious item that is dear to us. And when it's gone, it's like a piece of ourselves goes missing."

The tribes have the support of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian and the US departments of Interior and State. The EVE auction house did not respond to a request for an interview.

"In the absence of clear documentation and clear consent of the tribes themselves, these objects should not be sold," Mark Taplin of the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs told a Tuesday press conference in Washington.

Taplin said US authorities have been talking with their French counterparts since the auctions began in 2013, "But I must say we are still awaiting a response from the French side."

The battle is both cultural and legal.

Selling Native American artifacts in the United States is either highly restricted or illegal, depending on the objects and where they were recovered. And tribes have said that such sales are offensive insofar as they expose treasured and sacred objects to public commerce.

"These items are part of our daily lives and on certain occasions these are used in ceremony," Riley said. Tracking artifacts has become easier thanks to the Internet, he said, and the Acoma have stepped up efforts to recover them.

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"We've been successful in the United States to recoup some of those items," he said. "It's in France that they've not been receptive to our position."

- Considered living beings -

There have been numerous Paris auctions of Native American artifacts.

In June 2014, nine masks from the Hopi tribe sold for a total of 137,313 euros ($187,000), with one 19th century mask alone fetching 37,500 euros.

French judges have supported the auctioneers' view that selling the artifacts is legal -- since no French law expressly prohibits them -- and have refused to stop auctions when tribes have sued.

But American tribes see the sales as an affront to their religion and culture, rooted in wrongs that date back hundreds of years when settlers pillaged artifacts.

Many of the sacred items are believed to contain spirits, such as the masks sold in 2014, considered living beings by the Hopi people and worn by dancers during religious ceremonies.

"It's amazing what's left our communities," D. Bambi Kraus of the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers told the Washington news conference.

Kraus said members of her organization have been reviewing auction listings, and have been astonished.

"They're seeing things they didn't even know existed that were being now sold overseas," she said.

Kraus specifically objected to one item in next week's auction, lot #206 described as a warrior jacket of scalps.

"In our world, if that's human remains, you cannot sell human remains. It's just not the thing to do," Kraus said.

Conroy Chino, a Native American political and strategic consultant who is Acoma, said they have tried to explain their position to the French auction regulator, the Conseil des Ventes, but the agency has ruled that Native American groups do not have legal standing on French soil.

"We've been quite dismayed," Chino told AFP. "It creates a black market when French authorities don't take it upon themselves" to stop the sales, he said.

- 'No law violated' -

In a letter to US authorities this month, Riley said many of the 443 items scheduled for sale in Paris are "from the Hopi Tribe, Zuni Pueblo, Acoma Pueblo, or other Ancestral Pueblos that are within our respective cultural provinces and with which we maintain a strong, deep connection."

The US embassy in Paris has tried to intervene. In 2014, it held an informational session on the cultural and religious significance of artifacts, and why Native American groups find their sale objectionable.

In 2013, the embassy called for a halt to another EVE auction, saying tribes should have time to examine artifacts to see if they can be recovered under a UNESCO convention against the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

But EVE defended the auction, saying that "no American law has been violated." The sale went ahead, fetching 520,375 euros ($714,180) for 24 Hopi masks.

The US has two federal laws, passed in 1990 and 1979, that offer protection for Native American artifacts. But the laws do not explicitly ban their export.

New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives asking federal agencies to do more to address the theft of tribal artifacts, as well as their trafficking domestically and internationally.
NBC may have been quick to sever ties with Donald Trump when he announced his bid for the U.S. presidency - but, just over a year later, the presumptive GOP candidate's subsequent rise does not seem to come as a shock to one executive.

Paul Telegdy, NBC president of alternative and late night programming, was pushed about the former Apprentice host and executive producer during a Tuesday panel for the Hollywood Radio and Television Society at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. And while his comments may have been brief, they were clear. "Of course not," said Telegdy, when asked if he felt Trump could have locked up a majority of the Republican primary votes without having appeared on TV for so many years. "On Celebrity Apprentice and The Apprentice before it, master television production created a phenomenal television personality."

Referring to the current scenario as "very, very peculiar," Telegdy was quick to note that while many of the people on his team are intrigued by the current scenario, they are not shocked: "[It's] no surprise to anyone who's worked closely with him."

Telegdy also said that he doesn't think that candidate Trump is any different that the one who spent over a decade with the Apprentice franchise. "His persona seems to have been in lockstep with his persona on the show," said Telegdy.

Trump was not the only former reality giant to come up during the panel, which also featured Warner Bros.' Mike Darnell and FremantleMedia North America's Trish Kinane. The latter, involved with American Idol's entire run between the two of them, talked about the Fox show's recent conclusion and the likelihood of future iterations.

"When you have a ship that big ... once it starts going down, there is no stopping it," said Darnell. "I thought it was still good, but it didn't matter. I think it was less people not liking it, but every year another group would catch up to the fact that it wasn't what it was five years ago. ... There's something to Fox letting it go out with dignity. Nothing lasts forever."

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Forever might be a stretch, but American Idol probably is not gone for good - as Kinane, a former executive producer of the show, said in so many words.

"There were still 12 million viewers who would regularly tune in - those are not numbers to scoff at," she said. "Idol is finished for the moment, but who knows? That sort of classic format, there'll always be there in some form or another."
From Cosmopolitan

A Planned Parenthood clinic in Sarasota, Florida has been evacuated after an unknown substance was discovered at the clinic, the Associated Press reports.

According to Sarasota Police Department spokeswoman Genevieve Judge, two hazardous materials teams arrived on the scene and 38 people were evacuated at 10:45 a.m. Monday morning. Seven people were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital for medical evaluation. The downtown clinic was put on lockdown, and the nearby Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences was put on modified lockdown, with no one allowed to enter or leave the building. The children in the building are reportedly safe.

Planned Parenthood has released the following statement:

"At Planned Parenthood our top priority is the safety of our patients and staff. The situation at our Sarasota Health Center is still developing. All staff have been evacuated, with seven taken to the hospital to monitor their health. No patients were on site. We are grateful to emergency responders and law enforcement for their quick response. Here in Florida and across the country, Planned Parenthood has strong security measures in place, works closely with law enforcement agencies, and has a very strong safety record.We are looking into the cause of this issue and will keep you informed of our progress."

The Herald Tribune reports that the symptoms of those hospitalized included shortness of breath, but none of the conditions were deemed life threatening. Those remaining on the scene are being decontaminated by the hazmat crews.

The evacuation was prompted "by cleaning chemicals in closet [sic], according to the Sarasota Police Department," who also discovered baby food in a stairwell "that was likely spilled during the evacuation," the Herald Tribune reported. Staff will be able to return to the building soon, and police are not pursuing a criminal investigation.

Planned Parenthood, which provides reproductive health care and family planning services, has been a longtime target for anti-abortion extremists. Harassment against abortion providers dramatically increased after a series of highly edited videos alleged the clinic illegally profits from aborted fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood has denied the allegations, but dozens of Planned Parenthood clinics tightened security nationwide after Robert Lewis Dear opened fire on a Colorado clinic, killing three and wounding nine.

Follow Prachi on Twitter.
Donald Trump's presidential campaign got off to a rocky start last June when  after playing Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" after the rally announcing his presidential bid  the rocker immediately asked the mogul to stop using the Freedom track on the campaign trail. The issue sparked a public argument between Young and Trump, as Young stated that Trump was "not authorized" to use the track, while a spokesperson for the GOP candidate insisted they had acquired the necessary publishing rights.

34 Musicians Who Told Politicians to Stop Using Their Songs

However, in a new interview with Reuters, Young said he doesn't harbor any resentment towards Trump for using the Freedom track; in fact, he might have okayed the mogul's usage if Trump had just asked permission first.

"The fact that I said I was for Bernie Sanders and then [Trump] didn't ask me to use 'Rockin' in the Free World' doesn't mean that he can't use it," Young said. "He actually got a license to use it. I mean, he said he did and I believe him. So I got nothing against him. You know, once the music goes out, everybody can use it for anything. But if the artist who made it is saying you never spoke to them, if that means something to you, you probably will stop playing it. And it meant something to Donald and he stopped."

Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told Rolling Stone in June 2015 after Young protested the song's usage on the campaign trail, "We won't be using it again. There are plenty of other songs to choose from, despite the fact that Mr. Trump is a big fan and likes Neil very much. We will respect his wish and not use it because it's the right thing to do."

After the "Rockin' in the Free World" incident, Young's rep issued a statement saying, "Donald Trump was not authorized to use 'Rockin' in the Free World' in his presidential candidacy announcement. Neil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America." Eleven months later, Young is still supporting the Vermont senator.

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"He's the only one talking about the issues, about issues that matter to me, the issues on my mind," Young told Reuters. "Problems of corporate control of democracy and everything slipping away and not being able to have six major companies owning all the media in the United States."

Although Young supports Sanders, come November, he won't be able to vote for the Vermont senator, or any other candidate for that matter: The rocker maintains his Canadian citizenship, making him ineligible to vote in the presidential election. When asked if he'd consider U.S. citizenship, Young quipped, "Oh, that would be a big ruse. I'm a Canadian. There's nothing I can do about that."

"I vote in my own way, by making a lot of noise. If you don't want to listen to me, fine. If you don't want to vote like I would, don't," Young said. "But I still have a voice."

Related
From September 2016 onwards, Netflix will become the first-stop US pay TV home of Disney studio output -- including Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar.

Should the deal last four years or more, here's what US users can expect to see arrive on the streaming service.

The reminder was slipped into a May 23 blogpost about Netflix's summer plans, but in fact has been in the works since 2012 when the two companies went public with plans for the multi-year exclusivity deal.

New films, beginning with those theatrically released in 2016, will head to Netflix first - though the length of the multi-year deal wasn't specified, and it's for "the first pay TV window" rather than forever.

So with that in mind, what's going to be popping up on Netflix?

Walt Disney Animation Studios has Oceanic island adventure "Moana" for November 2016, Jack and the Beanstalk remake "Gigantic" for March 2018. An untitled release set for November 2020 could be "Frozen 2" - or it could be something else.

Pixar's schedule has "Finding Dory" in June 2016, "Cars 3" in June 2017, "Toy Story 4" in June 2018, and "The Incredibles 2" in June 2019; November 2017's "Coco" looks to Mexico's colorful Day of the Dead celebrations for inspiration.

If the mystery multi-year deal runs four years, that's still 10 films from Marvel Studios. Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off with May's "Captain America: Civil War," includes new "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Spiderman" "Thor," and "Ant-Man" movies, introduces solo films "Black Panther" and "Captain Marvel," and rounds off with "Avengers: Infinity War - Part 2" in May 2019.

(This February's "Deadpool," like the "X-Men" films, was from Fox, not Marvel Studios.)

Disneynature's Panda documentary "Born in China" comes out in 2017, while the group's figurehead studio, Walt Disney Pictures, has presided over two of 2016's biggest hitters to date -- "Zootopia" and "The Jungle Book" -- with Steven Spielberg's "The BFG" out in a few weeks.

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Over the next year or two there's fantasy adventure "Pete's Dragon" (Bryce Dallas Howard), true life chess drama "Queen of Katwe" (Lupita Nyong'o, David Oyelowo), plus "Beauty and the Beast" (Emma Watson) and six more live-action fairy tale adaptations; the first of four "Avatar" sequels was most recently rescheduled for 2018.

And while Lucasfilm wasn't part of Disney when the 2012 announcement was first made, it was just three weeks later, and is also part of the deal.

So while 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" isn't subject to Netflix exclusivity, we can expect this December's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," then "Star Wars: Episode VIII," the young Han Solo spin-off, 2019's "Star Wars: Episode IX" and possibly even a new "Indiana Jones" to make Netflix a first stop before landing anywhere else.
Star Trek Beyond cast on Enterprise bridge: (from left) Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, and John Cho. (Paramount/Twitter)



The Borg. Tribbles. Romulans. Klingons. Khan. Mere trifles compared to the daunting new adversary staring down the crew of the starship Enterprise: time. Its the middle of July 2015, and the cast and crew of Star Trek Beyond, just three weeks into filming, are already feeling the crunch. Chris Pine wheezes as sawdust relentlessly rains down on the soundstage, one of three otherwise nondescript warehouse-size buildings tucked under train tracks in suburban Vancouver, B.C., where the sprawling galaxy of Beyond will eventually be housed. Now, however, the setting feels more like a construction site than a film shoot.

With J.J. Abrams, the director of the previous two Treks, off in a galaxy far, far away, Roberto Orci, a co-writer on Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), was tapped to write and direct Beyond. But his script didnt fly with Paramount executives: Simon Pegg, the Enterprises stalwart chief engineer Montgomery Scott, was brought on to rewrite the screenplay with Doug Jung, best known for his work on HBOs Big Love. Abrams, still a producer and architect of the rebooted Trek franchise, recruited Justin Lin, the director of several Fast and Furious films. While most projects of this scale have a year or more of prep time, Star Trek Beyond only had months.

More: Cast, Crew Dispel Notion of Star Trek-Star Wars Rivalry

When I got the call from J.J., it was in December. And to mount a movie of this [scope] from ground up in about five months  it takes a lot of great people, says a surprisingly calm Lin between takes on a scene involving Kirk (Chris Pine), Scotty (Pegg), and a new female alien named Jaylah (Sofia Boutella, the blade-legged assassin in Kingsmen: The Secret Service)  a scene that devolves into laughter as Pegg screams out, Holy f***balls! at one point.

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Justin Lin flanked by Danny Pudi and Kim Kold as Beyond aliens. (Justin Lin)

On the Fast movies when I didnt have any time, I had more time than this, Lin says.

After kicking around the soundstages, meeting with Lin and the cast, and walking the halls of the Enterprise, we gleaned plenty of intel on the new Trek, from the redesigned ships and costumes to the cavalcade of never-before-seen aliens to the casts utter obsession with Dubsmash. Read on to learn just how beyond this installment is boldly going.

This is the (new) voyage of the starship Enterprise

When last we saw the crew of the Enterprise, at the end of Star Trek Into Darkness, they had survived the terror attacks of Khan and were ready to embark on a journey of exploration, with Kirk (Chris Pine) reciting Treks classic Space, the final frontier mantra as the ship warps off and the credits roll.

This is the five-year mission now, says Pine, setting the scene for Beyond. Were a couple of years into it. You get a sense of what its like being on a ship for that many years with the same people. As the crew goes through the motions, they suddenly come under attack by swarming fighters, which thoroughly trash the starship. Kirk orders the ship abandoned, scattering the crew into the void.

The Enterprise under attack. (Paramount)

The other films that weve made have been about this group coming together, forging a sense of unity, says Zachary Quinto, returning as Spock. In this film theres a lot of fragmentation. Circumstances dictate that were not all in it together; we have to divide in order to conquer. Were off in unconventional pairings.  Theres a sense of scrambling to defeat our common enemy and not being in the same place to do that.

More: New Star Trek Beyond Trailer Now Reflects What We Were Hoping to Achieve

Kirk spends much of the film with Chekov (Anton Yelchin). Spock and McCoy (Karl Urban), who always butted heads on the original series, are thrown together. Were exploring new territory, says Urban. The fact that Bones and Spock get to spend so much time together and come to a deeper understanding is going to be a true treasure to moviegoers. These are two characters that are historically diametrically opposed, adds Quinto. Theres a lot of humor that comes from that and, as Karl says, a lot of depth. Adds Pine: It has aspects of a buddy comedy.

Spock (Quinto) and McCoy (Urban) get stuck with each other. (Paramount)

Pegg, meanwhile, suggests that some familiar faces might be not be around for the next Trek. Its fun to be able to dip into their lives. Its not to say that these characters are safe in any way. This is a different reality, you know. Just because [the original] Kirk and those guys lived until they were in their 70s doesnt mean its going to happen in this universe. Its nice to have that element of unpredictability.

Shes purring like a kitten, Captain

The characters might be familiar  the main cast is intact from the past two films  but the ship itself is updated. Lin, perhaps channeling his Fast background, made some modifications to the venerable Enterprise, both inside and out. Astute observers will notice differences from the bridge in Into Darkness. The ships corridors are brand-new, built on an elevated, metal-trussed hydraulic rotator rig capable of spinning 360 degrees when the Enterprise comes under attack by the minions of Idris Elbas antagonist, Krall. (Gone are the days when the cast would have to jerk back and forth to simulate the ships movement.)

The uniforms have also been upgraded. The crews wardrobe now includes a thick blue survival suit, as modeled by Kirk and Chekov in the trailers.

Kirk sporting his survival suit. (Paramount)

Another notable development: Uhura finally has sleeves. Zoe Saldana proudly shows off her new duds, which pay homage to the Enterprise uniform worn by Nichelle Nichols in the original 1960s series. I do have my stripes, just like each and every crew member on the ship. Im very happy about that, she says. But the sleeves are the only part of her uniform that were elongated.

Saladana smiles and points to her skirt. Its still short. Im like, Are you kidding me? But you know what? I just had twins and the fact that Im able to wear this little dress seven months later, Im grateful! (Saldana and her husband, Italian artist Marco Perego, welcomed sons Cy and Bowie in November 2014.)

Speaking of Uhura, she and Spock need a break, says Saldana, no doubt sending shippers everywhere into a panic. Theyve been together for a while; they have not been home. Theyre tired, and though they love and respect each other a great deal, they need a break. I think that all the relationships in the movie, in this third installment, at the start, they kind of feel like they need a break.

New life and new civilizations

We have a new creative team. This is a new production designer, new costume designer, new director, new cinematographer. Were shooting on digital for the first time, but were still shooting anamorphic so well have that big, epic scope, says Pine.

More: Inside the First Star Trek Beyond Trailer

New is a word the cast and crew of Beyond toss around a lot. And nowhere is that more evident than with the the species that inhabit the film. Because this year marks the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek series, the filmmakers thought it would be appropriate to come up with 50 different kinds of creatures never before seen in the Trekverse. Were creating brand-new worlds, new species, says Lin with a smile. I went to Joel Harlows studio  he does all the effects makeup for the creatures. He showed me three bins for the last two Star Treks, and we have 15 bins.

With this one, it felt like they needed to be out there now, they needed to be doing what those characters did in the series, which is to explore the universe, explains Pegg. And that means theyre off in parts of the galaxy we havent seen before. Theyre not going to run into the same people again.

Thats Idris Elba under the alien mask; hes just boarded the Enterprise. (Paramount)

Although hes unrecognizable beneath all that makeup, Elbas Krall is engineered to be a formidable villain. We were talking about having that historic and icon Star Trek antagonist, recounts Lin. So Idris and I get on the phone. I explained that for the 50th anniversary, one of the things I really wanted to do was challenge the idea of the Federation, the philosophy of the Federation and what that means. And I needed an actor of his caliber to come in with conviction and establish his own philosophy.

Sofia Boutella battling aliens in Beyond. (Paramount)

The other key newcomer is Boutellas Jaylah. First week, were in the forest, and Im putting Sofia through hell in her intro fight, says Lin. And we had to go take after take after take. It was four days of really pushing it. She was so pumped up, and she just went for it. Im already cutting that. Im excited for that.

Life without Leonard Nimoy

One person involved in the previous two movies but missing for Beyond is Leonard Nimoy, who died in February 2015 at age 83. No one in the cast feels the loss harder than Quinto, who developed a strong friendship with his fellow Spock.

Leonard long ago gave me the legacy of Spock and the responsibility of carrying it forward, the actor says. I spent a lot of time dealing with the personal impact that Leonards death had on me emotionally  then I came up here and started the movie and was washed over again with this whole new wave of emotion for stepping into the role for the first time without him.

this. maybe for the last time. maybe not. A video posted by Zachary Quinto (@zacharyquinto) on Oct 15, 2015 at 9:27pm PDT

I think hes very much a part of this  with me, for me.  I feel him with me in a very powerful way all the time. And doing this film, I feel hes a part of it for all of us. Everybody feels his absence. We want to honor him with continuing to tell these stories with integrity.

Words With Friends was so last movie

Working intensely with the same group of people for three films over eight years might lead to some off-camera issues. After all, the original Trek TV cast members were not all buddy buddy away from the Enterprise. But the new Trek crew genuinely like each other  Saldana calls it a "lovefest  and find time to bond over their mutual love of a certain lip-syncing app.

Theres been a lot of Dubsmash energy on this set, which has been a lot of of fun, Pine tells us. Everybody brings theyre own flavor to it. John Cho [Sulu] has been surprisingly aggressive in his Dubsmashiness.

It became an epidemic. I cant remember, it might have Zoe who started it, says Pegg, noting that Words With Friends was their obsession of choice on Into Darkness. As soon as were done saying lines, we just sit in our chairs and Dubsmash something, says Saldana. Its our comic relief. John, Simon, and Karl have a knack for it. They are so spot-on.

Beyond what?

While Pegg states that the title has specific meaning that will become apparent as you watch the movie, the word has different connotations for the cast.

The first film was about establishing the characters. The second film was about taking it into a darker place, which was the in vogue thing circa the Batman/Dark Knight era, Pine says. For us, Beyond is reestablishing, especially in the 50th anniversary of the Enterprise, the world of Star Trek, reestablishing why Star Trek is uniquely its own beast. Its not super-dark like Dark Knight, its not super-campy like Guardians of the Galaxy  its its own thing.

Pegg and co-writer Doug Jung on the Beyond set. (Twitter)

Pegg, who had made headlines for saying the original treatment for Beyond was too Trek-y a few weeks earlier, sought to clarify his remarks in describing his vision. That was a misnomer, he says. Ive never read the original script, so [my comment] was a bit of a generalization.  In the end it came down to trying to write a great screenplay that embodied everything that made Star Trek great through the years. And make that accessible to a person who has just discovered the story.

Star Trek Beyond beams into theaters on July 22, and well see whether Pegg, Lin, and the rest of the gang can make their voyage pay off.
Key Events in the Consumer Sector in the Second Week of May

(Continued from Prior Part)

Price movement

Newell Brands (NWL) rose by 0.96% and closed at $47.49 per share at the end of the second week of May 2016. The stocks weekly, monthly, and YTD (year-to-date) price movements were 0.96%, 7.5%, and 8.3%, respectively, as of the same day. This means that Newell Brands is trading 3.5% above its 20-day moving average, 7.7% above its 50-day moving average, and 13.0% above its 200-day moving average.

Related ETF and peers

The Vanguard Large-Cap ETF (VV) invests 0.06% of its holdings in Newell Brands. VV tracks a market-cap-weighted index that covers 85% of the market capitalization of the US equity market. VVs YTD price movement was 0.15% as of May 13, 2016.

The market caps of Newell Brands competitors are as follows:

Fortune Brands Home & Security (FBHS)  $8.6 billion

Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY)  $6.8 billion

Tupperware Brand Corporation (TUP)  $2.8 billion

Newell Brands declared a dividend

Newell Brands declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.19 per share on its common stock. The dividend will be paid on June 15, 2016, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 31, 2016.

Ralph Nicoletti has been appointed as the companys executive vice president and CFO effective June 8, 2016.

Performance in fiscal 1Q16

Newell Brands reported fiscal 1Q16 net sales of ~$1.31 billiona rise of 4.0% compared to net sales of ~$1.26 billion in fiscal 1Q15. Sales of the companys Writing, Home Solutions, and Baby & Parenting segments rose by 10.8%, 2.1%, and 9.2%, respectively. Sales of its Tools and Commercial Products segments fell by 0.39% and 5.8%, respectively, in fiscal 1Q16compared to fiscal 1Q15.

Newell Brands reported restructuring costs of $17.7 million in fiscal 1Q16compared to $27.3 million in fiscal 1Q15. It also reported a loss on the termination of its credit facility of $45.9 million in fiscal 1Q16.

In fiscal 1Q16, its net income and EPS (earnings per share) fell to $40.5 million and $0.15, respectivelycompared to $54.1 million and $0.20, respectively, in fiscal 1Q15.

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In fiscal 1Q16, Newells accounts receivable and inventories rose by 12.8% and 2.7%, respectivelycompared to fiscal 1Q15. It reported cash and cash equivalents of ~$8.2 billion in fiscal 1Q16compared to $215.4 million in fiscal 1Q15. Its current ratio and long-term debt-to-equity ratio rose to 4.8x and 6.0x, respectively, in fiscal 1Q16compared to 1.1x and 1.2x, respectively, in fiscal 1Q15.

Projections

Newell Brands (NWL) made the following projections for fiscal 2016:

core sales growth of 3.0%4.0%

normalized EPS of $2.75$2.90

effective tax rate of 29%30%

For ongoing analysis of this sector, visit Market Realists Consumer Discretionary page.

Browse this series on Market Realist:
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's central bank is adopting a flexible foreign exchange rate regime, Governor Godwin Emefiele said on Tuesday, in a policy U-turn designed to boost exports and stave off a recession in Africa's biggest economy. The bank has previously kept a de facto peg of around 197 naira per dollar but that has become unsustainable due to a shortage of hard currency stemming from a slump in oil revenues. On the parallel market, the naira has fallen to some 40 percent below the official rate. "The MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) voted unanimously to adopt a flexible exchange rate policy to restore the automatic adjustment properties of the exchange rate," Emefiele told reporters. Details of the new rules would be published in a few days, he added. He said the central bank would "retain a small window for funding critical transactions" and that "details of operations of the market would be released by the central bank at the appropriate time". On Monday, the government said it would use a lower rate of 285 naira per dollar for petrol imports rather than the pegged official rate of 197. [nL5N18K53U] (Reporting by Camillus Eboh, Ulf Laessing and Alexis Akwaqyiram; Editing by Ed Cropley and Catherine Evans)
Lagos (AFP) - A Nigerian state governor has declared "war" against nomadic herdsmen, after another deadly attack in an escalating conflict killed two people.

"The killing of our people must stop," Ayo Fayose, governor of the southwestern state of Ekiti said on Monday during a visit to the community affected.

"We must take all action to stop it. They have killed two. This Ekiti war must be fought with the totality of our spirit, strength."

Fayose called on the crowd to "bring down" any cow grazing unnecessarily in any part of the state and local communities to "terminate the lives" of herdsmen that attacks them.

The governor's comments go way beyond any of his counterparts also affected by the Fulani conflict, which has seen a spate of attacks this year against farmers in central and southeastern states.

President Muhammadu Buhari last month directed police and soldiers to "take all necessary action to stop the carnage" and has proposed the creation of grazing land to prevent further clashes.

But Fayose promised to send a bill to the state parliament to criminalise cattle grazing in the state after last Friday's attack in Oke Ako, which also left five others critically injured.

The mainly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farmers have clashed for decades over increasingly scarce land and resources, particularly in Nigeria's religiously mixed central states.

But the violence has escalated in recent months and spread further south.

In February, hundreds of people were said to have been killed and about 1,000 homes destroyed in farming villages in the Agatu area of Benue state in a wave of attacks blamed on Fulani.
TOKYO, May 24 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks fell on Tuesday as uncertainty on whether Tokyo would intervene to weaken the yen over U.S. objections sapped confidence, while worries over fiscal policy and a pending decision on a sale tax hike sent turnover to its lowest level this year.

The Nikkei share average dropped 0.9 percent to 16,498.76.

Appetite for risk was weakened by receding expectations that Japan can act to weaken its currency after a fresh warning from the United States last week against intervention. That sentiment was reinforced by comments from Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso, who said on Tuesday that Japan has no intention to devalue the yen sharply and consistently.

The broader Topix fell 0.9 percent to 1,326.50, with turnover hitting 1.67 trillion yen, the lowest since last December. Thin trading value has been a recent trend, with May 18 being the only day in the past week when turnover rose above 2 trillion yen.

Traders said that the Nikkei share average is expected to stay sluggish and trade is likely to be thin for now until the market sees clear directions on fiscal policies as well as on whether the government will go ahead with a planned sales tax hike.

"The market is easily swayed by conflicting headlines on tax hike and fiscal measures," said Hikaru Sato, a senior technical analyst at Daiwa Securities.

On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda told Reuters in an interview that raising Japan's sales tax to 10 percent from 8 percent as planned from April would be the best way to win the trust of international investors, unless special circumstances intervene.

All but two of the Topix's 33 subsectors were in negative territory.

The JPX-Nikkei Index 400 declined 1.0 percent to 11,974.59.

(Reporting by Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
When the pictures of estranged lovers, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif surfaced online during the Morocco schedule of Jagga Jasoos, fans were hopeful that there might be a reunion on cards - soon! It was expected that away from the glare of media, RanKat might sit down and resolve their differences.

Though sadly, RanKat didnt kiss and made up during the Morocco schedule of their upcoming film!

As per reports in a popular daily, with rumours of Ranbir-Katrina being aloof on set making headlines, it is clear that there is no love lost between them. Reportedly, now that the films schedule has been wrapped, Ranbir will return to Mumbai in a day or two. However, Kat plans to whisk off for a quick break to London to meet her family.

Recommended Read: Never Been Ranbir Kapoors Fan nor Liked His Work & Im NOT Dating Him: Bharti Malhotra

The fairy-tale affair has ended indeed
In 2004, the Democratic Party platform said, We support the creation of a democratic Palestinian state dedicated to living in peace and security side by side with the Jewish State of Israel.

In 2008, it said the United States should take an active role to help secure a lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and support the creation of a viable and democratic Palestinian state.

The current platform says a just and lasting Israeli-Palestinian accord, producing two states for two peoples, would contribute to regional stability and help sustain Israels identity.

And what of the party platform  the Democrats overarching vision and principles for the coming four years  in 2016?

Will language have to change? Of course, Jim Zogby told Foreign Policy, shortly after the Democratic National Committee announced he was selected by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to join the committee drafting the platform that will be adopted at the partys convention in July. Zogby wants this years platform to elevate Palestinian rights and use the word occupation to refer to the nearly five-decade Israeli presence in land Palestinians claim for a future state.

Its part of what Zogby described as a need for the Democrats policy language, particularly on Israel-Palestine, to be toughened up a bit to reflect a new consensus.

Zogby, a Sanders foreign-policy advisor, has been part of the DNCs executive body for a decade, including as co-chair of the resolutions committee and co-founder of its Ethnic Caucus. A Maronite Catholic of Lebanese descent, Zogby founded the Arab American Institute and has long advocated for Palestinians. In 1988, as a member of a larger platform committee, he had to push for mere recognition of the Israel-Palestine issue.

While non-binding, these inclusions would be an important reflection of the more even-handed approach that Sanders, the strongest-running Jewish presidential candidate in U.S. history, has taken toward the conflict, Zogby said.

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Israelis are concerned about what is happening to their country because of this occupation, he said. We have to be able to talk about it, too.

To Zogby and other Sanders supporters, the independent Vermonters 20 states won in the Democratic nominating contest have given his message a mandate. In conceding appointments on the drafting committee, the DNC has acknowledged Sanderss clout among the party electorate. And Sanderss picks, sure to clash with those selected by Democratic leaders and the more hawkish Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and likely nominee, are his most powerful statement yet that he intends to fight for the partys future beyond the convention in Philadelphia.

Still, the goal is consensus, Zogby emphasized  not provoking the kind of chaos seen in the 1968 Democratic Convention, when protests over the Vietnam War erupted in violence.

Were going to have a much less hawkish approach, Zogby said of Sanderss picks compared to Clintons. But, he continued, nobody wants Chicago 1968. Its going to take two sides to have this work.

Observers and Republican leaders alike expressed fears of a violent and contested GOP convention. But now the Democratic contest between Clinton and Sanders also threatens, as the senator himself put it Monday to the Associated Press, to get messy.

Hours before, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, a prominent Jewish congresswoman from Florida, announced that the DNC had granted Sanders five seats on the drafting committee to Clintons six, proportional to votes.

Several of Sanderss other backers on the committee have also been critical of Israel. Among them is Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim elected to Congress, who has advocated for more consideration of Palestinian rights, but also emphases Israels security. Also selected was Cornel West, a civil rights activist and provocative scholar, who has said actions of Hamas, a designated terrorist group, pale in the face of the U.S. supported Israeli slaughters of innocent civilians.

Most of the committee members who were chosen by Clinton and Wasserman-Schultz are Clinton surrogates or Democratic Party veterans.

Clinton pick Wendy Sherman was a top State Department official and lead negotiator on the Iran nuclear deal. Sherman, who is Jewish, called the divisiveness the historic agreement inspired painful after it was signed last summer. The Clinton campaign did not respond to requests for comment on the drafting committee picks.

Of the four drafters selected by Wasserman-Schultz, former Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) helped push through strict Iran sanctions in 2010. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), chosen as the drafting committees chairman, is ranking member on the House panel investigating the attacks in Benghazi. But he has been highly critical of the GOP-led investigation, which he says is politically motivated against Clinton. He endorsed her last month. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), the only member of Congress to vote against the 2001 authorization that serves as legal foundation for the war on terror, has declined to endorse either Clinton or Sanders.

Following the 2009 Gaza war, Lee urged the Obama administration to pressure Israel to allow greater humanitarian relief to the Palestinian territory and defended a U.N. report that found evidence of war crimes committed by both sides but was strongly rejected by Israel. Lee, like the rest of her congressional colleagues on the platform drafting committee, has been endorsed by J Street, a liberal Jewish American advocacy group critical of the Israeli government.

Sanders and Clinton, who both describe themselves as 100 percent pro-Israel, sparred viciously in the most recent Democratic presidential debate in New York last month. Sanders pushed Clinton to similarly call Israels 2014 strikes on Gaza disproportionate, underscoring growing tensions between Washington and Jerusalem as well as among Democrats and Jewish Americans.

Though facing an insurmountable deficit in the delegate count, Sanders has dug in. Now, the conventions drafting committee promises similar sparks.

Still, Sanders is dismissive of concerns that deepening divisions could disrupt the convention and doom Democrats in November.

So what, Sanders said in the AP interview. Democracy is messy.

Photo credit: Andrew Burton / Staff
By Tracy Simmons

SPOKANE, Wash. (Reuters) - A former trucking company operator from North Dakota's Bakken oil patch was sentenced on Tuesday to life in federal prison for orchestrating the contract killings of two business rivals but told the judge he deserved to be executed.

James Terry Henrikson, 36, found guilty in February on 11 felony charges, including murder-for-hire, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms by a U.S. district judge in Spokane, Washington, where one of the victims was shot to death.

Addressing the court before his sentence was pronounced, Henrikson expressed no remorse and offered no apologies but spoke in a rambling political diatribe of his opposition to abortion and liberalized marijuana laws.

He also said his case demonstrated how America needs to be tougher on crime.

"I believe this case should have been a death penalty case from the beginning," he said.

Henrikson's conviction stems from the slayings of two associates - Douglas Carlile, fatally shot in 2013, and Kristopher Clarke, bludgeoned to death in 2012. Clarke's body has never been found.

Prosecutors cast Henrikson in court documents and at his trial as a vindictive, ruthless businessman determined to eliminate anyone he viewed as an impediment to his various enterprises in western North Dakota's petroleum fields.

The case came to symbolize the darker side of an energy boom that saw a rapid expansion of drilling rigs, trucking and work camps all tied to a resurgence in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of the region's vast Bakken oil shale reserves.

Carlile was described by prosecutors as an investor who owed Henrikson money and refused to give up his stake in an oil lease that was of interest to Henrikson.

Clarke was an employee of Henrikson's North Dakota-based trucking company whom Henrikson regarded as disloyal. He believed Clarke was planning either to join a competing trucking firm or start one of his own, prosecutors said.

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Five other men have been convicted in the case.

Timothy Suckow, who was paid $20,000 by Henrikson and pleaded guilty to carrying out both killings, was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison. Two other co-defendants, Lazaro Pesina and Robby Joe Wahrer, received prison terms of 12 years and 10 years, respectively.

Another, Robert Andrew Delao, who pleaded guilty to helping arrange Carlile's killing by acting as a middleman between Henrikson and Suckow, faces sentencing in August. The final co-defendant, Todd David Bates, is slated for sentencing in June.

(Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Bernard Orr and Cynthia Osterman)
SPOKANE, Wash. (Reuters) - A former trucking company operator from North Dakota's Bakken oil patch was sentenced on Tuesday to life in federal prison for his conviction on charges of orchestrating the contract killings of two business rivals.

James Terry Henrikson, found guilty of 11 felony counts in February, including murder-for-hire charges, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms by a U.S. district judge in Spokane, Washington, where one of the victims was shot to death in 2013.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Bernard Orr)
Three women have handed themselves in to police in Derry, Northern Ireland, demanding they be prosecuted for their past abortions. According to the BBC, Diana King, 71, Colette Devlin, 68, and Kitty OKane, 69, were accompanied by their solicitor and a statement laying out how, when and why they procured illegal abortion pills. Their aim was to highlight Northern Ireland's repressive abortion laws.

Pro-choice campaigners also circled the Strand Road police station to protest the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, which stipulates that all abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland except in extremely rare circumstances  that is, when a woman's life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious risk to her mental or physical health. Fatal foetal abnormalities, rape and incest are not circumstances that merit abortions to be performed legally.

Northern Irish women are able to travel to the UK for an abortion, but are not eligible to have it on the NHS, therefore requiring about 1000 for travel, accommodation and the private procedure.

Photo: Facebook

"We do now have one law for the rich and one law for the poor," said King in a statement, according to The Derry Journal. "If you can raise the 1,000 to 2,000 to travel to GB for a legal abortion, no-one will bother you, but if you access the nine-week abortion pills online for 60, there's a climate of fear resulting from Stormont [the Northern Ireland Assembly] and the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions] hounding women who are already at their most vulnerable."

The three women were prompted after the prosecution last month of a young woman who bought pills on the internet to carry out an abortion. However, taking drugs to induce a miscarriage without a doctor's consent is technically an offence across the UK.

The women were questioned for three hours before being released. A report will be filed to the director of public prosecutions for Northern Ireland and a decision about prosecution will be made at a later date.

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Novartis NVS announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted its generic arm Sandozs Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for its proposed biosimilar of Roche's RHHBY MabThera (rituximab).

We note that MabThera is approved for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which includes follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Sandoz is seeking approval of its biosimilar for the same indications as the reference product.

We are impressed by Sandozs efforts to broaden its biosimilars portfolio. MabThera is one of the leading oncology drugs across the world and Sandozs oncology portfolio already boasts two marketed products.

Sandoz currently markets three biosimilars  Omnitrope, a human growth hormone; Binocrit, an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent; and Zarxio  in the U.S. Backed by its deep pipeline of biosimilars, the company plans to make 10 regulatory filings over the 20152017 time frame, of which six applications have already been submitted.

We note that the EMA had earlier accepted Sandozs MAA for its proposed biosimilar of Neulasta (pegfilgrastim).

Approval of new drugs, generics and biosimilars, along with the label expansion of existing ones, should bode well for Novartis as it has been facing stiff generic competition for some of its key drugs like Diovan and Gleevec of late.

Additionally, its oncology drugs are facing competition from immuno-oncology therapies. Moreover, the Alcon segment is facing a decline in surgical equipment sales in the U.S. and emerging markets.

Novartis currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). A couple of better-ranked stocks in the healthcare sector include Abbott Laboratories ABT and Johnson & Johnson JNJ. Both the stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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For moms who want a keepsake to remember the months they spent tirelessly nursing their newborn babies, a woman in Rutherford, New Jersey, has a pretty innovative solution. After difficulties nursing her two daughters, Ann Marie Sharoupim wanted a way to carry the memories of breastfeeding with her forever - so she crafted a way to preserve the breast milk in the form wearable jewelry.

The idea came when Sharoupim wanted to give her breast milk donor - she was unable to produce enough for her second daughter, Gabriella - a gift to show how grateful she was for her help. "I created a pendant for her," Sharoupim wrote on her website. "Her gratitude and joy after receiving her pendant from me, inspired me to create Mamma's Liquid Love."

As Sharoupim told the New York Post, the process she uses for creating the jewelry involves turning the liquid milk into a solid resin that looks almost like a milky-white pearl (Sharoupim is also a pharmacist as well as a DIY jeweler). After perfecting the method herself, she launched Mamma's Liquid Love out of her home in January and invites women to send in a few ounces of their own breast milk (in a medical-grade container) for custom-made jewelry and pendants made by Sharoupim.

Sharoupim sells all of her jewelry on her own website (Etsy bans the sale of breast milk), and her creations range from vintage-style rings to classic pearl-like pendants. As Sharoupim told the Post, her business has been steadily picking up each month.

"Getting your little one to latch on, the sore bleeding nipples, the endless leaking, the feeding on demand, and then going back to work and trying to pump . . . it's all incredibly intense," Jessia Gromek, one of Sharoupim's customers who got breast milk necklaces made to give to her two daughters in the future. "It's a piece of me - a symbol of my love."

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New York (AFP) - Environmentalists urged US nuclear regulators Tuesday to shut down a nuclear plant near New York after inspections showed an unusually high number of degraded bolts in a reactor.

The problem -- uncovered during a maintenance inspection of the Unit 2 reactor at Indian Point in March -- showed that 227 of 832 stainless steel bolts in the reactor vessel were degraded, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Environmentalists said the complications with the bolts, which hold together metal plates used in power production, could have catastrophic consequences.

"Failure of (the bolts) could cause coolant to leak through gaps between adjacent baffle plates, providing pathways for coolant to bypass the reactor core, potentially leading to a core meltdown," they said in their petition to the NRC.

Environmentalists said Unit 2 should be kept off line until regulators fully investigate the cause and remedies of the bolt problem, and that the sister Unit 3 should be shut until potential problems there can be assessed.

Nuclear foes have long sought to shut Indian Point, which is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Times Square in Manhattan.

"The purpose of the petition is to prevent a hasty restart of Indian Point until the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sure it's safe to operate," said environmental attorney Richard Ayres.

"In the case of Indian Point, located within 50 miles of tens of millions of people, there is no room for error."

Plant operator Entergy said it replaced degraded bolts in Unit 2 and installed additional bolts there. It also moved up the inspection of Unit 3 from 2019 to 2017 "out of an abundance of caution."

Entergy has said it plans to bring Unit 2 back online by the end of June in time for the peak summer cooling season.

"Rigorous technical analysis conducted by Entergy and outside engineering experts demonstrates Unit 2 and Unit 3 can continue to operate safely," it said.

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"Entergy is proceeding according to NRC process and under the watchful eye of this regulator."

Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the NRC, said the agency would not permit Unit 2 to return to service until its safety was assured.

The NRC is reviewing the latest submission from Entergy, and plans to set up a group to review the petition from environmentalists.

Sheehan said the findings were that Indian Point's bolts were "degraded," meaning some sign of cracking.

"It doesn't mean failure," he said.

"The worst-case scenario is they get a significant failure of bolts and it could impact the flow of coolant through the core," Sheehan added.

"We've seen no indication that that's a likely scenario. But we will continue to look at the company's analysis and they're going to have to address this."

Sheehan declined to comment on a possible timetable for returning Unit 2 to service.
President Barack Obama urged communist Vietnam on Tuesday to abandon authoritarianism, saying basic human rights would not jeopardise its stability, after Hanoi barred several dissidents from meeting the US leader.

In a sweeping speech, which harked back to the bloody war that defined both nations but also looked to the future, Obama insisted that "upholding rights is not a threat to stability".

Vietnam ruthlessly cracks down on protests, jails dissidents, bans trade unions and controls local media.

But the US leader, speaking to a packed auditorium including Communist Party officials, said bolstering rights "actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress".

The visit is Obama's first to the country and the third by a sitting US president since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Direct US involvement in the conflict ended in 1973.

Obama's visit has formally reset the relationship between the former foes with the lifting of a decades-old US arms embargo.

Trade has dominated the trip, with multi-billion-dollar deals unveiled, as well as further endorsement by both sides of the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Immediately after his speech, Obama flew to Vietnam's boisterous southern commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City where thousands lined the streets to greet him.

He has been cautious to avoid aggressively hectoring his hosts -- an increasingly important regional ally -- on human rights.

"Vietnam will do it differently to the United States," Obama said.

"But these are basic principles that we all have to try to work on and improve," he added, referring in particular to the importance of a free media.

His speech, punctuated with humourous asides and references to Vietnamese culture and history, was greeted with warm applause and cheers.

Earlier Obama met civil society leaders, including some of the country's long-harassed dissidents.

One of those present was Mai Khoi, a pop star dubbed Viatnam's 'Lady Gaga' who was recently barred from standing as an independent in legislative elections.

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She said she had asked Obama to use America's alliance with Vietnam to push for "measurable improvements, not just rhetoric and formal agreements".

- Dissidents blocked -

But in a country where state control remains the default response, authorities also stopped several prominent activists from meeting Obama.

Nguyen Quang A told AFP he was bundled into a car by "plainclothes security men" and released only after Obama had left for the commercial capital.

Secretary of State John Kerry, who is also in Vietnam, later confirmed at least three invitees were stopped by local authorities from attending.

He said progress had been made on rights but added: "Is it as much progress as we want? No, not at all."

Washington has trailed the three-day visit as a chance to cement ties with Vietnam, a fast-growing country with a young population seen as a key element in America's diplomatic pivot to the Asia-Pacific.

Crowds have enthusiastically welcomed Obama wherever he has gone, including late Monday at a streetside restaurant where he supped beer and a local noodle soup speciality.

The US President alluded in his speech to the lingering shadow of the war, recognising the enduring "ache" for the families of the millions of Vietnamese and almost 60,000 Americans who died.

But looking forward, he said the new relationship founded on economic, educational and security bonds showed how nations can reshape their histories and "advance together".

After landing in Ho Chi Minh City -- formerly Saigon -- the president's entourage was whisked to the Jade Pagoda, one of the city's oldest shrines, before a meeting with technology start-up entrepreneurs.

"When you look at Vietnam right now it seems a culture of entrepreneurship is really beginning to grow," he said.

The scrapping of the weapons embargo is seen as a major boost for Hanoi, which shares US fears over Chinese expansionism in the disputed South China Sea.

Obama vowed American support to keep sea routes open for all.

"Big nations should not bully smaller ones, disputes should be resolved peacefully," he said to the delight of his audience in a country where anti-China sentiment is growing.

China claims almost all the South China Sea and has rattled neighbours with a series of reclamation and construction projects -- including airstrips -- on reefs and islets.

Vietnam and three other countries, plus Taiwan, also have claims to parts of the sea.

The United States takes no position on the competing claims but asserts freedom of navigation and flights in the sea and has sent warships near Chinese-held islets.
By Matt Spetalnick and Martin Petty HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama chided Vietnam on political freedoms on Tuesday after critics of its communist-run government were prevented from meeting him in Hanoi, a discordant note on a trip otherwise steeped in amity between the former foes. Tens of thousands turned out to welcome Obama on the second leg of his visit, Ho Chi Minh City, which was called Saigon until April 1975 when North Vietnamese tanks rolled in to bring U.S.-backed South Vietnam under communist rule. Many in the crowds lining the streets chanted "Obama, Obama," some held handwritten signs reading "Obama, we love you," and one woman held a boy dressed in a Captain America costume, complete with shield. Underlining the importance of the growing economic ties between the countries, Obama held an open forum with young entrepreneurs and laid out the benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact between 12 Pacific Rim countries. The high point of his visit came on Monday, with an announcement that Washington was scrapping its embargo on the sale of lethal arms to Vietnam. That clears the biggest hurdle remaining between two countries drawn together by concern over China's military build-up. Critics said that by removing the ban, a vestige of the Vietnam War, Washington had put concerns about Beijing's assertiveness in the South China Sea first and given up a critical lever to press Hanoi for improvements in human rights. 'FREEDOMS STILL A CONCERN' One prominent intellectual, Nguyen Quang A, told Reuters that about 10 policemen had come to his house at 6:30 a.m. and put him in a car that was driven out of the capital until Obama was about to leave. An outspoken lawyer, Ha Huy Son, said he was also stopped from joining Obama's meeting with six other civil society leaders. Human Rights Watch said a journalist who was also invited had been arrested on Monday. Quang A, a former IT entrepreneur, was one of more than 100 Vietnamese who tried to run as independents for last weekend's election to the parliament, which is tightly controlled by the Communist Party. Almost all failed to get on the ballot. Before he was taken away, Quang A posted on Facebook a photograph of himself dressing for the meeting with Obama, with the message: "Before going. May be intercepted, arrested. Advising so people know." Vietnam's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Obama noted that several activists had been blocked from meeting him and said this was an indication that, despite some "modest" legal reforms "there are still folks who find it very difficult to assemble and organize peacefully around issues that they care deeply about." "There are still areas of significant concern in terms of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, accountability with respect to government," he said. U.S. officials said that lifting the arms embargo would make it easier for Washington to engage with Vietnam on such issues. In Washington, members of the U.S. Congress, including Republicans as well as some of Obama's fellow Democrats, criticized the policy shift alongside about a dozen Vietnamese human rights activists. "This is the definition of a bad deal," Republican Representative Chris Smith said at a news conference. "This is not smart diplomacy, it is surrender of U.S. interests and values." Democratic Representative Adam Lowenthal said, "I am very disappointed that we lost yet another opportunity to elicit any kind of commitment from the Vietnamese government on improving the human rights of the Vietnamese people." TOUTING THE TPP In a speech before leaving Hanoi, Obama stressed the importance of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, where China has been turning remote outcrops into islands with runways and harbors. "Big nations should not bully small ones. Disputes should be resolved peacefully," he said, without naming China, which claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. China's Global Times, run by the Communist Party's official People's Daily, said the decision to lift the embargo showed a willingness to relax standards on human rights for the sake of containing China. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in Ho Chi Minh City with Obama, told reporters that Washington's efforts to normalize relations with Vietnam were not aimed at China. "This is not about China. Nothing that we did here or (are) arguing here is focused on China. It is focused on the fastest-growing marketplace in the world," Kerry said. Obama interviewed three entrepreneurs at Ho Chi Minh City's "Dreamplex," which hosts budget tech start-ups with support of angel investors and Silicon Valley funds. He also touted the benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, especially for unlocking entrepreneurial innovation. Vietnam's manufacturing and export-led economy is seen as the biggest TPP beneficiary. Annual U.S.-Vietnam trade swelled to $45 billion last year from $450 million when ties were normalized. Washington is a big buyer of Vietnam's televisions, smartphones, clothing and seafood. But the TPP, which would remove tariffs across a 12-nation bloc worth a combined $28 trillion of gross domestic product, is not a done deal. Opposition is expected in Washington amid concern about competition and a loss of U.S. jobs. (Additional reporting by My Pham, Ho Binh Minh and Mai Nguyen in HANOI and Megan Cassella in WASHINGTON; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Toni Reinhold)
The Obama administrations decision to kill Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in his Pakistani sanctuary signals that the White House has given up on peace talks for the moment and is willing to roll the dice on trying to undercut the insurgency by decapitating its leadership.

The operation represented a break in the administrations approach to the war, as it had never launched a concerted effort to take out Taliban leaders based in Pakistan despite repeated pleas from Washingtons allies in the Afghan government.

But with efforts to kick-start peace negotiations going nowhere and the Taliban not even bothering to show up for talks, President Barack Obama gave the green light for the U.S. military to launch its first-ever drone strike in the anarchic Pakistani region of Baluchistan. The rhetoric the U.S. Defense Department used to explain the strike was notable in its emphasis on the Talibans chief diplomatic role rather than his military one: Mansour has been an obstacle to peace and reconciliation between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, prohibiting Taliban leaders from participating in peace talks with the Afghan government.

The stakes for the administrations gamble in killing Mansour couldnt be higher. The White House hopes the strike will inflict a lasting blow on the Taliban, undercutting the groups capacity to carry out attacks, sapping morale and disrupting long-term planning, akin to the raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, which had a debilitating effect on the terrorist groups ability to carry out overseas attacks. But it could wind up prolonging the war by permanently fracturing the insurgency and complicating any attempt at a political settlement.

Theres reason to assume the worst. When the Taliban acknowledged last August that its reclusive leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, had been dead for two years, it was unclear how the insurgencys foot soldiers would respond. But after the revelation, there was no letup in the scale and frequency of the Talibans attacks in Afghanistan. If anything, the group has stepped up the pace of its strikes, including large-scale attacks in the capital Kabul  and has enjoyed more battlefield gains than it has in years.

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Since last September, the Taliban  under Mansours hand  have mounted an escalating offensive against Afghan government forces across the country, from Kunduz in the north to Helmand province in the south, gaining territory and killing hundreds of troops and civilians. The Taliban initiated about 800 to 1,000 attacks per month in the second half of 2015, according to the Pentagon. In September 2015, the Taliban seized the city of Kunduz in what was an embarrassing setback for Kabul. Afghan forces, backed by American air power, pushed the group out two weeks later but at an enormous cost: An accidental U.S. airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital left 42 people dead.

With no clear successor, the killing of the Taliban chief opens the door to a power struggle in the already divided insurgency. Speculation as to who will take over the Taliban has focused on Mullah Omars eldest son, Mohammad Yaqub; former Guantanamo detainee and senior commander Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir; and Mansours senior deputies, Sirajuddin Haqqani and Moulavi Haibatullah Akhunzada. All four are considered to be even more hard-line than Mansour, which could portend even bloodier attacks on civilian targets inside Afghanistan and even less willingness to take part in peace talks.

Still, the impact of Mansours death on the peace process is far from clear, and many of the worlds top regional analysts remain divided over whether his killing will help jump-start the long-stalled negotiations or, in fact, doom any attempt at national reconciliation.

The strike would never have taken place if there were any prospects for peace talks coming together in the near term, said Andrew Small, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The fact that it happened is a reflection of how much people had given up on this coming together this year.

Washington, at least publicly, says it believes talks are still the best way to end Afghanistans carnage. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told FP the United States continues to support an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process for a negotiated resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan.

All groups, including the Taliban, should be part of such a dialogue so that Afghans can talk to other Afghans about the future of their country, he added.

The prospects for a negotiated settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan government peaked last July following a breakthrough round of talks between the two sides in Murree, Pakistan. But the reported death of former Taliban leader Mullah Omar not long after derailed the negotiations and led to a postponement of future talks as an internal power struggle ensued between Mullah Omars successors. Mansour  who had deep roots in the insurgency and even served as the Talibans aviation minister in the 1990s  eventually wound up on top.

It was clear [Mansour] was the leader of the Taliban, a U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Senior deputies were handling day-to-day tactical operations while Mansour was concentrating on its military and political strategy, including efforts to persuade breakaway factions to rejoin the insurgency, the official said.

The failure of peace talks to materialize in March further damaged the credibility of the Pakistani government, which the United States and China had pressured to help bring the Taliban to the table.

In February, following the meeting of the so-called Quadrilateral Coordination Group  Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and the United States  Pakistani diplomats raised expectations about a new round of direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in March. But that too failed to materialize after a Taliban bomb-and-gun assault on a government intelligence agency in Kabul slaughtered nearly 70 people in the groups deadliest attack on the capital since it was thrown from power in 2001. The attack, which injured hundreds of people, prompted calls for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to abandon plans to engage in peace talks.

Small and other experts said the strike could prove useful because it raises the costs for the Taliban to avoid the peace talks. The problem has been that not taking part in the reconciliation process became a cost-free proposition, he said. Now thats no longer the case.

But others say the killing of Mansour could actually make the Talibans return to the negotiating table even more unlikely.

Thats because despite 10 months of uncooperative behavior from the militant group on peace talks, Mansour may have been the Taliban leader most open to reconciliation and most capable of speaking for the entire group or instructing others to do so. By contrast, his potential successors are likely to aggressively oppose the peace process, said Marvin Weinbaum, a Pakistan expert at the Middle East Institute.

His chief competitor for leadership, Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, a former Guantanamo prisoner, had regularly attacked Mansour for his conciliatory moves and close links to Pakistan, Weinbaum said, adding that Zakirs rival, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has the reputation of being a ruthless, radical ideologue opposed to dialogue.

That dynamic correlates with research done by terrorism analyst Max Abrahms of Northeastern University, who has not found a significant reduction in violence following the targeting of militant chiefs in most cases.

Ive found that decapitation strikes can be counterproductive because the successor is not more moderate, Abrahms said. In fact, just the opposite is true, and the replacement is actually more extreme.

He pointed to two studies he conducted in 2015 looking at the behavior of militant groups around the world in the aftermath of a decapitation. The studies find that the groups become more extreme and tend to increase their attacks on civilian populations.

Even if the next Taliban leader is more moderate, he may have a weak hold on power, forcing him to rally his subordinates against the Afghan government in order to unite the various Taliban factions.

Theres also the possibility that taking out Mansour could trigger in-fighting that sets back peace talks by preventing any one leader from being able to negotiate for the group as a whole.

The strike is likely to sow some confusion within the Taliban and interrupt some of the insurgencys fighting plans, said Scott Worden, an Afghanistan expert at the U.S. Institute of Peace. But a more fractured movement can make peace negotiations more difficult. While Mansours death may buy the government some breathing room, it is unlikely to bring Afghanistan closer to the long-term strategic goal of peace.

But given the serious threats to the Afghan governments rule  only expected to increase during the summer fighting season  the value of disrupting the Taliban may be worth the price. Throwing the Taliban into some disarray and shaking things up is probably a good tactic, given that the peace talks werent working, said Daniel Markey, a Pakistan expert at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Afghan officials were elated over the operation, with many in Kabul interpreting it as a sign that the United States was committed to helping it defeat the Taliban.

The strike also represented a boost for Ghani, who has presided over a dramatic security deterioration in the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led force, which has dwindled to about 12,000 troops.

Ghani had come into office promising to shore up relations with neighboring Pakistan in a bid to breathe life into stalled peace talks with the Taliban, but he came away empty-handed.

He was seen as having failed, as having been weak, been outwitted and manipulated by the Pakistanis, said David Sedney, a former senior policy advisor at the Pentagon on Afghanistan and Pakistan who has just returned from Kabul.

But the strike against Mansour has given Ghani a new lease on his political life and allows him to point to a success thanks to his close ties with the United States. It has bought him not only time but a huge amount of political capital, Sedney said.

Photo credit: BARKAT TAREEN/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Basic human rights are not a threat to Vietnam's future, Barack Obama told the country's communist leadership Tuesday during an impassioned appeal for the one-party state to abandon its authoritarian past.

"It is my view that upholding these rights is not a threat to stability but actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress," he told delegates during a speech in Hanoi.
Per a report by research firm IHS, the year 2015 marks the least amount of oil and gas discovered in over the last 64 years.



New oil discovered outside North America in 2015 totaled 2.8 billion barrels, the lowest amount since the industry actively started its worldwide oil exploration after World War II. The year also represented the fourth straight year of declining oil volumes  something that had never happened before.



Notably, about 9 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) was added through gas discoveries in the year. This signifies the fifth consecutive year wherein gas volumes discovered surpassed oil volumes discovered.



Factors Behind the Decline in Volumes



Per Morgan Stanley, major oil players have been forced to make substantial budget cuts to combat the freefall in oil prices. This is particularly true with respect to exploration, where spending was reduced to a meager $95 billion in 2015 from $168 billion two years earlier. ExxonMobil Corp. XOM, Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A, ConocoPhillips COP, Hess Corp. HES and EOG Resources Inc EOG are among the long list of companies that have slashed their capital budget.



Moreover, the industry-wide pullback of drillships from international waters as companies began to shift focus to shale formations in Texas, North Dakota and Oklahoma resulted in decline in discoveries. Given that investments in shales are both cheaper and less risky than drilling in international waters, the move was an expected one in the lackluster commodity price scenario.

However, analysts are of the opinion that the unconventional oil in North America is not sufficient to resolve the lack of discoveries. Tight oil production is estimated to account for about 15% of global output by 2040.



At the start of the decade, when oil demand rose rapidly, explorers were seen splurging astronomically on exploration. However, the outcome was poor with only a few notable hydrocarbon discoveries, such as Statoil ASA's STO Johan Sverdrup field off Norway's coast or EniSpA's E giant Zohr gas field off Egypt.



In 2015, companies drilled about 4,300 conventional exploration and appraisal wells compared with 5,200 in 2014 and 5,300 in 2012. Deep-water drilling, which means drilling in 1,000 to 5,000 feet of water, decreased by more than 20% and the ultra-deepwater well count plunged more than 40% from 2014.



However, a surge in new oil fields in recent years and the increase of Iran's production on the back of international sanctions raises optimism about exploration in the short term.



Over the longer run we feel to avoid any supply gap in the future, we believe that exploration companies should continue to focus on exploring instead of waiting for the commodity price to improve. In case the companies do not take immediate action, the challenges may be difficult to overcome. After all oil discoveries are essential to substitute resources, meet an ever-growing demand and offset the depletion of existing fields.



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It was a week where oil prices marked its highest settlement in 7 months but natural gas futures ended lower.

On the news front, oilfield service providers FMC Technologies Inc. FTI and Technip SA have agreed to merge in an all-stock deal worth $13 billion, while Chevron Corp. CVX hopes to resume its Gorgon LNG operations soon.

Overall, it was a mixed week for the sector. While West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 3.3% to close at $47.75 per barrel, natural gas prices fell 1.6% to $2.062 per million Btu (MMBtu). (See the last Oil & Gas Stock Roundup here: Shell Mulls $40B Spin-Off, Range Resources to Buy Rival.)

Oil prices moved north for the sixth time in 7 weeks on supply disruptions in Nigeria, Libya, Venezuela and Canada. Things were further helped by a continued decline in U.S. crude production.

On the other hand, natural gas fared badly after an encouraging inventory report was more than offset by mild temperatures across most parts of the country that restricted the commoditys requirement for power burn.

Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories

1. Oilfield service players FMC Technologies Inc. and Technip SA are merging in an all-stock deal of equal proportions, in a sign that consolidation is picking up in the energy space. The tie-up  which should close early next year  would combine Houston-based FMC Technologies, a major underwater energy equipment maker, with Paris-based Technip, an offshore oil and gas field developer.

The merged organization will do business as TechnipFMC (stock symbol not stated). Based on May 18 closing prices, the joined company will be worth $13 billion boasting of 2015 pro forma revenue of $20 billion, EBITDA of $2.4 billion and total order backlog  as of Mar 31, 2016  of $20 billion.

Under the terms of the transaction, Technip shareholders will receive two shares in the new business for each share they hold, while each FMC Technologies share will be converted into one share of TechnipFMC. Post merger, Technip investors will own around 50% of the combined firm while FMC Technologies shareholders will own the remaining half. (See More: More M&A in the Oil Patch: FMC Tech, Technip Combine.)

Story continues

2. U.S. oil major Chevron Corp. said that it has started preparation to resume its Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) development.

The $54-billion project  located off the coast of Australia  was shut down last month due to technical problems. Before that on Mar 7, the company commenced the production of LNG and condensate from the massive Gorgon project. In March, the company also sent the first LNG cargo to a Japanese customer from the project.

Chevron foresees the fundamentals of LNG to be favorable in the long run and revealed that there is growing need for natural gas specifically in the Asia-Pacific area. The company believes that Gorgon LNG, which will help Australia to become the largest exporter of LNG worldwide in a few years by edging out Qatar, will serve this huge demand for several decades. (See More: Chevron Prepares to Resume $54B Gorgon LNG Project.)

3. Hamilton, Bermuda-based offshore drilling firm SeaDrill Ltd. SDRL confirmed that the contract for its semi-submersible drilling rig, West Hercules to Norwegian oil major Statoil ASA has been terminated ahead of schedule.

Per the terms of the contract, SeaDrill will receive a hefty compensation of approximately $61 million from Statoil. The company will also get dayrate and reimbursement of costs associated with disbandment of the rig from the latter.

As oil remains in a bearish territory, the top energy companies have cut spending (particularly on the costly drilling projects) on the back of lower profit margins. This, in turn, has meant less work for the beleaguered drillers as offshore exploration for new oil and gas projects has almost come to a standstill. (See More: SeaDrill's West Hercules Rig Receives Termination Notice.)

4. Rowan Companies plc RDC announced that owing to the premature cancellation of one of its drilling contracts it would receive millions in compensation. The companys drilling contract for the drillship Rowan Relentless with its customer Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (Freeport) was terminated with immediate effect. The contract was scheduled to terminate in Jun 2017.

Per the agreement, Rowan would receive $215 million in cash from Freeport to settle outstanding receivables and the early termination of the contract. The company may also receive additional contingent payments of $10 million and $20 million, respectively, depending on the average price of oil over a 12-month period. In addition, Rowan expects to reduce its costs for the Rowan Relentless by efficient warm stacking of the rig. (See More: Rowan to Receive Premature Drilling Contract Compensation.)

5. Brazil's state-run energy giant Petrobras PBR  having the highest debt load in the oil industry  is issuing new global debts to buy back notes that will mature in the coming years. Notably, this the first time in a year that Petrobras is offering an international bond.

Petrobras has offered five-year notes worth $5 billion having yield 8.625% along with 10-year notes that yield 9%. From the sale proceeds, the company will likely buy back notes having principal amount of $3 billion and about to mature by 2018. Credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service has rated the global bonds as "B3" - six notches below the investment grade.

The record high rate that the company is offering reflects its weak fundamentals. In other words, Petrobras hasnt been in good shape after it got involved in a multimillion dollar money laundering scam. Also, the business scenario for the energy players has not been favorable for a long time following weak oil and gas prices, although crude has started taking a bullish turn. (See More: Petrobras Issues First International Bond in a Year.)

Price Performance

The following table shows the price movement of the major oil and gas players over the past week and during the last 6 months.

Company Last Week Last 6 Months XOM +0.19% +9.43% CVX -1.41% +8.79% COP -0.57% -21.20% OXY -2.05% -1.36% SLB +1.26% -4.05% RIG -1.69% -37.97% VLO +1.70% -25.43% TSO +1.75% -34.87%

Over the course of last week, The Energy Select Sector SPDR was up 1.06% on supply outages. Consequently, investors witnessed a buying spree in most large companies. The best performer was downstream operator Tesoro Corp. TSO that added 1.75% to its stock price.

Longer-term, over the last 6 months, the sector tracker is down 2.06%. Offshore drilling giant Transocean Ltd. RIG was the main casualty during this period, experiencing a 37.97% price decrease.

Whats Next in the Energy World?

As usual, market participants will be closely tracking the regular weekly releases i.e. the U.S. government data on oil and natural gas. Moreover, oil prices will again guide market proceedings to a significant extent.

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oil tankers

The worst of the crude-oil supply glut may not be over.

In the last few weeks, sentiment about the oil market has improved.

This happened, in part, after supply disruptions hit Nigeria and Canada. Additionally, Goldman Sachs analysts said that the imbalance between supply and demand may be correcting faster than they had expected.

But Adam Longson, head of commodity research at Morgan Stanley, is not yet convinced.

In a note on Monday, he said that the physical oil market is barely responding to supply disruptions.

Rising oil storage floating in tankers on the world's oceans and global gasoline stocks were among the concerning signs he pointed out.

"The poor physical market response suggests the worst of the market oversupply may not be over, which could be problematic as outages resolve," Longson wrote to clients.

For example, even after rebels took out up to 900,000 barrels per day of Nigerian production, as many as 20 cargoes for June delivery remain unsold and floating off the West African coast. And last week, Reuters reported that oil stored off Singapore's coast rose 10% week-on-week despite outages.

Longson again:

Southeast Asia floating storage is getting worse, with offshore volumes reaching the highest level in at least 5 years and continuing to rise WoW. The growing glut suggests oil markets are not as healthy as sentiment suggests. Similar situations are being repeated in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea, but to a lesser degree, and product markets show a number of similar unhealthy trends.

He noted that the prompt Brent contract remains in contango, meaning that the spot price is cheaper than prices for future delivery. This is usually a sign that the market is oversupplied, and encourages traders to lock up inventories they can sell for higher prices later.

These so-called arbitrage trades have become unprofitable, Longson said. But they hide the fact that traders are making many of them with increasing amounts of debt, he said.

Story continues

The worst oil crash in a generation happened in the first place because producers pumped out more crude than anyone needed.

And even now, many cargoes of oil are sitting on the world's oceans with few willing buyers.

NOW WATCH: This defunct oil rig in the middle of the ocean is now a cool hotel for divers





More From Business Insider


By Barani Krishnan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil rose about 1 percent on Tuesday on a boost from Wall Street and expectations of a drawdown in U.S. crude inventories, then prices jumped another 1 percent after settlement to nearly $50 a barrel after an industry group suggested the draw was larger than expected.

Data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed U.S. crude inventories fell 5.1 million barrels last week, double the expectations of analysts polled by Reuters.

The market will watch for confirmation of the big draw when the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) issues official inventory numbers on Wednesday.

The rally in crude prices could push prices beyond the $50 long targeted by market bulls.

"The crude numbers are certainly bullish to an extent, reflecting the supplies lost from the Canadian wildfires," said John Kilduff, partner at New York energy hedge Again Capital. "We could certainly test $50 anytime now, even close above that, if the EIA data turns out to be as supportive."

The API also reported higher gasoline inventories which could pressure prices, but traders said the market would probably focus more on the crude drawdown.

U.S. crude's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures (CLc1) settled up 54 cents, or 1.1 percent, at $48.62 a barrel. After the release of the API data, it got to as high as $49.27 by 4:58 p.m. EDT (2058 GMT) in post-settlement trade.

Brent crude futures (LCOc1) finished up 26 cents, or 0.5 percent, at $48.61, ending a four-day slide. It reached $49.24 in after-hours trade.

U.S. equities surged, giving oil a further lift, as investors grew more comfortable with the possibility that the U.S. Federal Reserve might soon raise interest rates. Crude buyers also seemed unfazed by a stronger dollar (.DXY), which typically makes greenback-denominated oil costlier in other currencies.

Earlier in the session, oil was supported by the drop in Iraqi oil output to 4.5 million barrels per day from January's record high of 4.78 million bpd.

Story continues

Consultant IHS said just 2.8 billion barrels of oil were discovered outside North America in 2015 following a sharp fall in exploration and appraisal drilling. It was the lowest total since 1952. Morgan Stanley said in a separate report the figure would be 12.1 billion barrels if it included the United States.

"As spare capacity dwindles, the threat of a price spike increases," said Matt Smith, who tracks crude cargoes for New York-based Clipperdata.

(Additional reporting by Simon Falush in LONDON; Editing by David Evans and David Gregorio)
By George Obulutsa and Humphrey Malalo NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas and water cannon on Monday to disperse hundreds of people protesting at alleged bias in the country's electoral commission, and at least one person died in the disturbances. The next presidential and parliamentary polls in Kenya, East Africa's largest economy, are not due until August 2017 but politicians are already trying to galvanise supporters in a country long prone to political strife. Violence erupted after the 2007 vote and the opposition disputed the outcome in 2013. On Monday police launched tear gas at a convoy of vehicles carrying opposition leaders and supporters accompanying them on foot in the capital Nairobi to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in the capital. In the western city of Kisumu, the political bedrock of opposition leader Raila Odinga, one man died after sustaining an injury as he ran away from the clashes. "The injury he has was in the mouth which is very much consistent with somebody who was running and then fell down," Willy Lugusa, the regional police commander, told Reuters. He said police did not use live ammunition. Officials at Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu, where the man was rushed by ambulance, said the man had no gunshot wounds. "He fell down as he was running away from rioters," Sam Oula, a doctor at the hospital, told Reuters. The opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) accused police of using live bullets to break up their rallies, adding they had collected two cartridges from one spot where protesters were dispersed in Nairobi. "We condemn this brutality in the strongest terms possible," Moses Wetangula, one of the leaders, told a news conference. CORD, led by Odinga who lost the 2013 vote and unsuccessfully challenged the result in court, has accused the electoral commission of bias and said its members should quit. IEBC officials have dismissed the charge and say they will stay. Seven protesters were arrested in the port city of Mombasa, police said earlier. About 300 demonstrators there held up placards reading "IEBC must go home now". Protests called by CORD are in their fourth week. Police have sometimes used tear gas and water cannon against stone-throwing protesters. (Additional reporting by Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by)
Oracle Joins the Cloud Space Acquisition Spree: What's to Come?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Oracles scale in the software space

Earlier in this series, we discussed Oracles (ORCL) recently announced acquisitions in the cloud space. In this part, well compare the value proposition of the company and other software companies in the United States.

As of May 4, 2016, and as the above chart shows, Microsoft (MSFT) was the worlds largest software player by market capitalization. It was followed by Oracle. Red Hat (RHT), ServiceNow (NOW), and Tableau Software (DATA) are some other leading players in the systems software space.

Oracles valuation multiples

Lets look at Oracles EV-to-EBITDA (enterprise value to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) multiple. Well also look at other US software players multiples.

Oracle was trading at a forward EV-to-EBITDA multiple of ~9.1x on May 4, 2016. This metric was lower than Microsofts multiple of ~9.3x. Red Hats and ServiceNows multiples stood at ~16.3x and 29.1x, respectively.

Oracles dividend yield

Oracles forward annual dividend yield was ~3.5% on May 4, 2016. This was higher than Microsofts forward dividend yield of ~2.7% on May 3, 2016. ServiceNow and Tableau Software dont pay dividends.

Investors who want to gain exposure to Oracle could consider investing in the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). While XLK invests ~3% of its holdings in Oracle, it also has a 31% exposure to application software. In the final part of our series, well see what kind of recommendations analysts are giving for Oracle.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., May 24 (Reuters) - Orbital ATK on Tuesday unveiled plans for a new rocket to compete against United Launch Alliance and Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies for missions to launch U.S. military and commercial satellites.

Orbital's Next Generation Launcher is based on the solid-rocket strap-on boosters that flew on NASA's space shuttles, Orbital Business Development Director John Steinmeyer said at the 2016 Space Congress conference in Cape Canaveral.

The company plans to buy the rocket's second stage from Jeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin.

Currently, United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co and Musk's SpaceX, as the California-based firm is known, are the only companies certified to launch U.S. military and national security satellites.

"We're working cooperatively with the Air Force to make sure there's room for three players," Steinmeyer said in an interview with Reuters.

Orbital would launch the rocket from one of the space shuttle's old launchpads at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

If the Air Force maintained requirements for a West Coast launch site as well, Orbital could refurbish a pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Steinmeyer said.

Orbital in January won an Air Force contract worth up to $180 million to develop rocket propulsion technologies. Steinmeyer declined to say how much Orbital was investing in the project.

Orbital, meanwhile, is preparing to return its refurbished Antares rocket to flight, following a launch accident in October 2014 that destroyed a cargo ship bound for the International Space Station.

The rocket, which has been outfitted with new engines, is scheduled for a test firing at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on May 31, Steinmeyer said. The rocket is scheduled to fly in early July to deliver another cargo capsule to the station for NASA.

(Reporting by Irene Klotz)
Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to Asaph Polonskys debut feature film One Week And A Day. The Hebrew-language movie just had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Critics Week sidebar, where it won a pair of awards. A theatrical release is planned. The plot of the pic from the Israeli-American writer-director Polonsky: The day following a week of mourning of their late son is the one on which Eyal and his wife, Vicky, are supposed to return to their daily routine. But just because the shiva has ended doesnt mean its life as usual. Each coping in their own way, Eyal and Vicky both attempt to get back to their everyday and discover that there are still things in life worth living for. Saar Yogev and Naomi Levari produced and Jan Naszewski from New Europe Film Sales brokered the deal.

FilmRise has acquired exclusive worldwide distribution rights to The Sunshine Makers, a documentary about the untold story of Nicholas Sand and Tim Scully, the unlikely duo at the heart of the 1960s psychedelic revolution. The underground chemists manufactured industrial quantities of Orange Sunshine, the most famous acid ever made, as they tried to stay one step ahead of the feds. Cosmo Feilding Mellen, the son of LSD advocate and drug policy reformer Amanda Feilding, directed the pic, which made its world premiere at the 2015 DOC NYC festival. George Chignell and Nicole Stott of Passion Pictures produced, and Passions John Battsek and Persephone Pictures Omar Fayed are executive producers.

Related stories

Asaph Polonsky On 'One Week And A Day' & "The Larry David Of Israel"? - Cannes

Critics' Week Grand Prize Goes To 'Mimosas' - Cannes

Oscilloscope Acquires U.S. Rights To 'Always Shine' - Cannes
Paige VanZant has already showed off her versatility outside of the cage by being voted in as one of the finalists on "Dancing With The Stars." It will be the 6th installment of the martial arts series that started back in 1989 with Jean-Claude Van Damme cast in the lead role. According to Deadline, VanZant will play Gamon, a 26-year-old with high-level fighting and shooting skills with some strong criminal connections too.
ICE, the one-stop pan-European online rights hub, has signed its first license deal in the digital market place, partnering with Google Play Music.

ICE, or International Copyright Enterprise as it's also known, was formed by three of Europe's biggest collection societies - PRS for Music (United Kingdom), STIM (Sweden) and GEMA (Germany) - and officially launched earlier this year, having received clearance from the European Commission in June 2015.

Designed to enable faster, more cost efficient and simplified rights negotiations for digital music services operating in Europe, the licensing and royalty processing service collectively represents over 250,000 songwriters.

Europe and Copyright: A Comprehensive Look at the Continent's Digital Plans

The organization bills itself as the world's first integrated licensing and processing hub and claims to have the most comprehensive copyright database in Europe. It says it will process online music usage through a single matching engine that will eliminate "unnecessary processing" and significantly reduce disputed claims.

The deal struck with Google Play Music - which has a catalog of 35 million songs - is ICE's first license deal and grants the streaming service and download store access to the repertoire of PRS for Music (including the rights of MCPS and IMPEL), STIM and GEMA in one single license.

"We are proud to have been able to work together with Google Play Music to launch the first ICE Services online music license," said ICE ServicesCEO Robert Ashcroft announcing the deal.

"ICE will make a major contribution to the Digital Single Market by simplifying pan-European licensing for digital music service providers and maximising value for rights holders. We are delighted to mark the beginning of a revolution in the online market," continued Ashcroft, who also holds the post of PRS for Music chief executive.

European Commission Unveils Details on Digital Single Market

"We are honoured to have been selected as the pilot digital service and are pleased to be the first licensee to sign an agreement with ICE," added Victoria Campoamor, head of international music publishing partner operations, YouTube and Google Play Music.

Campoamor continued: "We look forward to building a constructive relationship with ICE and to the realization of operational efficiencies from the new platform and its benefits to composers and publishers."
Paris Jacksons father is gone but not forgotten. On Monday, Michael Jacksons only daughter debuted a new tattoo on her forearm featuring the cover art from her dads 1991 multiplatinum album Dangerous. The elaborate ink showcases his eyes surrounded by an elaborate frame of jewels and animals, including monkeys, elephants, rhinos, small birds, and a peacock.



The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life, the she explained alongside an Instagram shot of the artwork. "It is present in the infinity of forms and phenomena that exist in all of creation. Never forget your roots and always be proud of where you came from.

The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life. It is present in the infinity of forms and phenomena that exist in all of creation. Never forget your roots, and always be proud of where you came from. A photo posted by Paris-Michael K. Jackson (@parisjackson) on May 23, 2016 at 4:28pm PDT

Justin Lewis of Timeless Tattoo in Hollywood did the honors  though according to his Instagram, his work isnt done just yet.

Tattoo I did today on Paris Jackson, he wrote beside his own posting of the same shot she had shared. Lots of love my friend, 1 more session to go, bit more shading. #wip.

This is hardly the first time that Paris has honored her late father with body art. In fact, shes been racking them up at an impressive rate. Roughly six weeks ago, she celebrated her 18th birthday with a tattoo reading Queen of My Heart in Michaels handwriting on her wrist.

To everyone else, he was the King of Pop, she explained. To me, well, he was the king of my heart. For the record, Justin Lewis was also the artist behind that tattoo.

She also recently paid tribute to Motley Crue by getting Motley inked on the inside of her lip (ouch!) and honored her grandmother, 85-year-old Katherine Jackson, with a bright blue flower on her inner left wrist.

Kaiselin for Grandma Katherine, done by the ink goddess herself @thetattooprincess. Love you, G-Ma, Paris wrote next to a pic of herself alongside the tattoo artist.

Only time will tell whether Pariss penchant for tattoos will continue going strong or if its just a teenage phase, but one thing is for sure: Nearly seven years after his untimely death, her father continues to be at the forefront of her mind.
Stocks (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC) are rallying at midday, led by financials (XLF) and tech (XLK), with materials (XLB) pulling in the rear but still in the green. Jonathan Corpina of Meridian Equity Partners joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange.

To discuss the other big stories of the day, Alexis Christoforous is joined by Yahoo Finance's Rick Newman and Melody Hahm.



Googles Paris offices raided

Googles offices in Paris were raided by French investigators. The company is under investigation for aggravated financial fraud and money laundering. Google says it is complying with the authorities to answer their questions.

Instagram's controversial new algorithm

Instagram is ditching its time ordered feed in favor of letting an algorithm decide which posts to show you. The timeline change goes into effect today.

Raising more than Trump

Even though Donald Trump is the last man standing for the GOP, Hillary Clinton is still raising more money.
The first two episodes of a six-part virtual reality documentary series about Paul McCartney will debut Tuesday and is built around the June 10 release of compilation album Pure McCartney.

Presented by the British Tourist Authority and the GREAT Britain campaign, Pure McCartney VR is directed by Tony Kaye (the Grammy winner's first VR project) and produced by Palo Alto-based VR startup Jaunt.

The VR experiences were filmed in McCartney's home as the legendary performer recounts memories and anecdotes related to various tracks, while sharing archived and never-before-seen footage.

It also includes digitally remastered audio mixed in Dolby Atmos (the first time original Paul McCartney tracks have been remixed in the Dolby format). Geoff Emerick seved as producer and soundscape architect on the series; and Cliff Plumer, Lucas Wilson and Doug Allenstein exec produced.

Pure McCartney VR episodes chronicle Dance Tonight and Coming Up, which will be released Tuesday; followed by My Valentine Parts 1 and 2 (debuting May 31 and June 7), Mull of Kintyre (June 10) and Early Days (June 14).

Each track will be released in the Jaunt VR App. (Jaunt VR is available on iOS, Android, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Desktop 360).

Jaunt previously teamed with McCartney for a VR shoot of his 2014 concert at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. McCartney's performance of Live and Let Die helped launch the Jaunt app.

The startup's investors include The Walt Disney Company, Google Ventures, Sky and Dolby chairman Peter Gotcher.
The first two episodes of a six-part virtual reality documentary series about Paul McCartney will debut on Tuesday and is built around the June 10 release of compilation album Pure McCartney.

Presented by the British Tourist Authority and the GREAT Britain campaign, PURE McCartney VR is directed by Tony Kaye (the Grammy winner's first VR project) and produced by Palo Alto-based VR startup Jaunt.

The VR experiences were filmed in McCartney's home as the legendary performer recounts memories and anecdotes related to various tracks, while sharing archived and never-before-seen footage.

It also includes digitally remastered audio mixed in Dolby Atmos (the first time original Paul McCartney tracks have been remixed in the Dolby format). Geoff Emerick seved as producer and soundscape architect on the series; and Cliff Plumer, Lucas Wilson and Doug Allenstein exec produced.

PURE McCartney VR episodes chronicle "Dance Tonight" and "Coming Up," which will be released on Tuesday; followed by "My Valentine" Parts 1 and 2 (debuting May 31 and June 7), "Mull of Kintyre" (June 10) and "Early Days" (June 14).

Paul McCartney's Top 10 Billboard Hits

Each track will be released in the Jaunt VR App. (Jaunt VR is available on iOS, Android, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Desktop 360).

Jaunt previously teamed with McCartney for a VR shoot of his 2014 concert at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. McCartney's performance of "Live and Let Die" helped launch the Jaunt app.

The startup's investors include The Walt Disney Company, Google Ventures, Sky and Dolby chairman Peter Gotcher.

This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
"Detroit has a history that has to be preserved, because it's unique to any other city in the country."

This is Jason Huvaere, founder of Paxahau Events: the team behind Detroit's Movement Electronic Music Festival, which returns to Hart Plaza for its 10-year anniversary on May 28-30.

Movement Detroit Announces 10-Year Anniversary Lineup: Kraftwerk, Richie Hawtin, Caribou & More

A Motor City native, Huvaere got his start producing events in 1993, and has played an instrumental role in upholding the city's musical heritage ever since. In 2006, for instance, when Movement found itself on the brink of cancelation due to financial troubles, it was Huvaere and Paxahau who stepped in to take the reigns. "We did not want to see this event collapse and go away," Huvaere says.

Kevin Saunderson Talks 'ORIGINS' Stage Ahead of Detroit's Movement Festival

This was six years after the festival first began, and only after a variety of techno's forefathers -- figures like Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May -- had taken their stab at running the event. Writing a letter to the Mayor's office with a management proposal, Paxahau soon entered into an eight-week long vetting process. "They wanted to make sure that if they gave us the green light to produce this event independently, we weren't going to let the city of Detroit down," Huvaere says.

Coming together for the love of #DetroitTechno and 10 years of #MovementDetroit! Which artist are you most pumped to see?

A photo posted by Movement Detroit (@movementdetroit) on May 21, 2016 at 6:00pm PDT

Clearly, the Mayor's office made the right choice, as Paxahau has helped transform Movement from a fledgling techno celebration into one of the genre's foremost global gatherings.

"It's set the bar as one of the best electronic festivals in America because it doesn't give way to commercial radio and hype," says Claude VonStroke, head of Dirtybird Records. "It has tried its hardest to stay as close to its roots as possible in a marketplace where that is an extremely difficult thing to do."

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Stacey Pullen Talks Blackflag Recordings & The Impact of Detroit Techno

For the Paxahau team, however, staying true to their roots has become second nature: "We know right away whether something is authentic or not," Huvaere says. "We know right away whether something feels or sounds right or not. It's so ingrained in our souls, that it would be impossible for us to drift and to start to do things more mainstream or more commercial."

GRiZ Raises Over $30,000 for Charity, Receives 'Spirit of Detroit' Award

There is perhaps no better display of this mentality than Movement's 2016 artist lineup. With over 140 finely curated acts -- everyone from Swedish techno legend Adam Beyer to local Detroit veterans Ectomorph -- it's a savvy mixture of international superstars and homegrown heroes. To top if off, Paxahau have enlisted pioneering electronic act Kraftwerk to headline the affair.

A special moment with some of the most influential figures who built electronic music's everlasting legacy. Photo: @mariestaggat

A photo posted by Movement Detroit (@movementdetroit) on May 9, 2016 at 6:26pm PDT"This is a booking we've looked forward to our entire careers," Huvaere says. "For all types of reasons, there were obstacles that were non-negotiable for the last ten years. As soon as we sort of shrugged our shoulders, one day the phone rings and it's Kraftwerk."

It's bookings like these, combined with the long-standing legacy of Detroit techno, that have solidified Movement as a bona fide electronic music pilgrimage. It's a reputation that continues to attract fans old and new, benefiting Detroit in the process.

Joris Voorn Channels Detroit Techno on New EP, 'This Story Until Now': Exclusive

"We've seen more people every travel to a city each year that was previously not a destination for many," Huvaere says. "And now you're getting a combination of people that are fearless and loyal patrons from the early days of electronic music in Detroit, and you're getting another wave of people that have become generally interested because of the popularity of this music, and the growing popularity of the city."

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Ultimately, as Huvaere mentions, Movement isn't just about celebrating Detroit's musical history, but the raw, authentic spirit of the city itself.

"We don't have fireworks, we don't have flames, we don't have fairytale figures or hundreds of LED Screens," Huvaere says. "That is not what this festival is about."
The Taming of the Shrew begins previews on Tuesday night in Manhattans Central Park as part of the Public Theaters annual Shakespeare in the Park season.

The controversial 16th century comedy centers on the relentless and violent efforts of a young suitor, Petruchio, to subdue the headstrong Katerina, and convince her to marry him. The widely-produced play inspired 1967s Kiss Me Kate, 1999s 10 Things I Hate About You, and a 1981 production in Central Park starring Meryl Streep.

To tackle the challenging theme, director Phyllida Lloyd, who also helmed The Iron Lady and Mama Mia!, only cast women  a style she perfected recently with all-female productions of Julius Caesar and Henry IV. The Good Wifes Cush Jumbo stars as Katerina, and Petruchio is played by Tony-winner Janet McTeer.

Variety spoke with Lloyd about the challenges of staging a play outdoors, why she prefers doing single gender productions of Shakespeare, and if the Bard of Avon was a feminist. The Taming of the Shrew runs through June 26 at the Delacorte.

What made you want to stage The Taming of the Shrew in Central Park?

It feels just such an extreme sport out here. Youre performing in broad daylight, and anything from the city can ambush you. You have raccoons, mosquitos, rain, low-flying helicopters to the Hamptons. It is more of a war zone than my usual very controlled atmosphere of the theater is.

How are you handling those elements?

Weve been told to bring thermal underwear and sunscreen and mosquito spray and massively secure rainwear. It feels like were going into some sort of Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, show in the jungle.

Youve put together all-female Shakespeare productions in the past, why do The Taming of the Shrew this way?

This is a very tricky and controversial play, and I think conventional casting struggles to make sense of the play in the 21st century. Often people end up having to do a commentary on the play. But theres something about doing Shakespeare with a single gender, whether it is all-male or all-female that opens up certain possibilities. You are able to throw the behavior of the men into a particular relief, and be playful within a slightly larger than life way with it.

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How does it let you put aspects of the male characters in relief?

Petruchio behaves appallingly, and really abuses Kate by torturing her in order to force her into submission. I suppose we are able to push those themes slightly harder, and take them slightly further than maybe we would were this a man and a woman playing it. It would be maybe hard to embrace the horror of his behavior without losing complete sympathy for Petruchio. There is a curious equation by which we are able to commit quite boldly to it.

This play has been read in a number of different ways, some scholars think Shakespeare is commenting on sexism, others think he was sexist, what do you think?

Shakespeare was writing about his time, and it was a time when women were beginning to demand a voice, demand a say in their lives for one reason or another, mainly to do with the economics of the time. So I think that he is writing what he sees around him, women for the first time in history are taking their husband to the divorce court. It is full of ambiguity. You dont know whose side he is coming down on and thats the beauty of the writing. He offers it up to the audiences and then asks them to interpret it, and I think that is what makes it feel so resonant. There are still women living all over the world who feel like chattels in their societies, or feel that in order to achieve any agency, or any voice in the society they live, they have to conform to certain stereotypes of how women should behave, of how women should be, and so the play feels curiously timely. And all the more so because the United States is on the cusp of electing a woman to the White House, who only has to put one foot wrong and is described as shrewish and hysterical. In that way, I think women are judged very harshly for very strong opinions.

We are having a national conversation around gender, and transgender rights. How does this conversation relate to the play?

We have so far to go in terms of equal rights for women and minorities. Of course we have come so far, but it is astonishing how recent that is. We are still battling for equal pay, equal rights everywhere, and thats in the Western world, leave alone in some other societies.

Themes of female suppression exist throughout western literature, how did you update the narrative?

An apparent war of the sexes underlines a massive amount of western drama starting with the Greeks, and I think weve had to take our own line with this, and not get to influenced by previous productions otherwise wed get too nervous, not least ones sort of taken place in the park. Cush [Jumbo] is very aware that Meryl Streep was a legendary shrew here, and she is stepping into quite hallowed shoes.

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Burt Kwouk, the veteran actor most closely associated with the role of the long-suffering Cato in The Pink Panther series opposite Peter Sellers, has died at age 85. A statement released by the actors family confirmed Kwouk passed away peacefully May 24. Kwouk was born in Warrington in the UK but lived in Shanghai until he was 17. His long career took in seven Pink Panther films, three James Bonds as well as appearances in Doctor Who and The Avengers.

Kwouks big break came in 1964 when he was cast as Inspector Clouseaus manservant Cato in A Shot In The Dark, the second in the Pink Panther series that followed the mishaps of Sellers bumbling French police officer. The relationship between Clouseau and Cato  something of a hate-hate dynamic with a healthy sprinkling of kung fu designed to keep the police officer vigilant  soon became a staple of the franchise and popular with audiences. Kwouk continued in the role following Sellers death in 1980.

Kwouk played a number of different characters in a trio of Bond films: Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and the 1968 spoof Casino Royale, appearing  somewhat uniquely  opposite Sean Connery and David Niven as the iconic Brit superspy.

In later life, Kwouk became a regular on British TV, appearing on The Saint, The Kenny Everett Television Show and Last Of The Summer Wine. He also became the face of UK broadcaster Channel 4s hyperactive gaming show Banzai!

The actor received an OBE for services to drama from Prince Charles in 2011. Kwouks passing saw a number of social media tributes, including Warcraft director Duncan Jones.

Just heard the wonderful Burt Kwouk has passed away. Lovely man. Was willing to work with film students like myself. pic.twitter.com/JnXayuly9g  Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) May 24, 2016

Heres a clip of Cato vs. Clouseau:

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Sydney (AFP) - Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne underwent surgery Tuesday for internal abdominal injuries after falling during a race and complaining of acute pain, racing officials said.

Australia's Payne -- the first woman to win the 155-year-old Melbourne Cup -- underwent surgery at Melbourne's The Alfred hospital after tumbling from her horse Dutch Courage at Mildura in the northwest of Victoria state on Monday.

She was taken to hospital in Mildura for scans after complaining of acute abdominal pain before being transferred to The Alfred for further tests, said Victorian Jockeys Association chief executive Des O'Keeffe.

"Doctors have performed a number of tests and scans on Michelle today after she complained of acute abdominal pain," O'Keeffe told AFP.

"She's actually undergone surgery here at The Alfred Hospital on her abdomen on some (internal) injuries there," he said, adding that the operation had gone ahead "without complication and she's done well in recovery".

"Doctors advise they are happy with the outcome but they will monitor her really closely over the next few days."

The 30-year-old was in serious but stable condition and expected to remain in hospital for at least a week, O'Keeffe said.

No further details about Payne's injuries or surgery were released.

Payne had tweeted before being transferred to The Alfred that her pancreas and liver were being assessed, and posted an image of her bruised abdomen.

Earlier O'Keeffe said "it appears that the horse might have accidentally stood on her and whilst it hasn't done fractures to her legs or arms or anything like that, certainly it may have done some damage internally".

He said he expected Payne to be "bitterly disappointed" at what happened, but added that she could have been more seriously hurt.

"Anything she's done sounds like it will be fixable. Luckily it's not a head trauma, not a neck or spinal trauma," O'Keeffe said.

Before her fall, Payne on Monday won two Mildura races on the horses Chamois Road and Matamanoa, trained by her brother Patrick Payne.

Payne comes from a family steeped in racing. She has suffered a range of injuries including falling head-first from a horse when she was just 18, fracturing her skull and bruising her brain.
(Reuters) - A Pittsburgh man was convicted on Monday of killing two of his neighbors, who were the sisters of an Iowa state lawmaker, during a robbery at their home in 2014, authorities said.

Allen Darrell Wade was found guilty on all charges related to the deaths, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of robbery and three counts of theft, Alleghany County District Attorney spokesman Mike Manko said.

Wade, 45, was charged with the murder of Susan and Sarah Wolfe, the sisters of Iowa state Representative Mary Wolfe. Their bodies were found on Feb. 7, 2014, in the basement of their Pittsburgh home.

Susan, 44, was found nude and doused with chemicals, and Sarah, 38, was found clothed nearby, police said.

Mary Wolfe is a Democrat serving her third term in the Iowa House of Representatives. She is the oldest of eight children, according to her biography on the Iowa House website.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that prosecutors were seeking the death penalty in the case and that the penalty phase was set to begin on Tuesday morning.

(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Peter Cooney)
Diyarbakir (Turkey) (AFP) - Six soldiers were killed and two others wounded when a bomb hit a military convoy in southeast Turkey on Tuesday, the army said, blaming Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants for the attack.

The armoured vehicle carrying the soldiers "was hit by a roadside bomb that was hidden" at the edge of a road in Van province, the army said in a statement.

A military official confirmed the attack to AFP, adding that the soldiers had been on their way to the scene of a dozen vehicles set on fire by PKK members when their convoy was hit.

After the bombing, the convoy was hit by several rockets, the official said on condition of anonymity, suggesting the soldiers may have fallen victim to a trap.

The army launched an aerial operation after the attack, the army said.

Turkey has been waging an offensive against the PKK in the Kurdish-majority southeast following the collapse of a two-year ceasefire in summer 2015.

Since then, hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed in attacks, but civilian deaths have rarely been confirmed. Thousands of people have fled the fighting.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed no let up in the operation and new Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, unveiling his programme for government on Tuesday, vowed to prioritise the fight against the PKK.

"We will pursue with determination the fight against the separatist terrorist organisation," he said.

More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding a homeland for Turkey's biggest minority.

The group is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies.
By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - The widow of a man fatally shot at a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Colorado and a woman wounded in the same 2015 attack are suing the facility over lax security, court records showed on Monday.

The suit claims that given the "long history of violence" at U.S. abortion clinics, Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs should have implemented safeguards that would have prevented a gunman from going on a shooting rampage that left three people dead and nine wounded on Nov. 27 last year.

The wife of Ke Arere Stewart, who was killed, and Samantha Wagner, who suffered a gunshot wound to her arm, accuse the clinic of being liable, negligent and of outrageous conduct in the suit filed on Friday in Denver District Court.

Stewart is suing for the wrongful death of her husband, and Wagner, who sustained a shattered and severed humerus bone, is asking for monetary damages to cover her medical bills and permanent physical impairment.

Planned Parenthood provided little or no security at (the clinic) such as an armed guard and perimeter fencing, as they do in other clinics, the lawsuit said.

It provided no signs, posters, verbal or any other type of warning describing the risk of physical harm, injury or death associated with entering (Planned Parenthood) properties.

The gunman accused of the rampage, Robert Dear, 58, surrendered after a standoff with police. He has been charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault.

A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains said the organization could not comment on the ongoing litigation.

"We believe that our health centers throughout the region are both safe and inviting for our patients and our staff who care for them, said Whitney Phillips, a spokeswoman for the organization.

At least eight abortion clinic workers have been killed since 1977 and clinics have reported nearly 7,000 incidents of trespassing, vandalism, arson, death threats, and other forms of violence since then, according to the National Abortion Federation.

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The judge in Dears criminal case ruled last week that he is mentally unfit to stand trial after two state psychologists diagnosed him with a psychotic delusional disorder.

Dear proclaimed himself guilty and that he was a warrior for the babies in several outbursts at earlier court hearings.

Dear has been sent to a state mental hospital to undergo treatment in an attempt to restore him to competency.

(Story corrects location in headline to Colorado, instead of Denver.)

(Editing by Nick Macfie)
In March, American Eagle's loungewear offshoot Aerie teased a new underwear campaign, called #AerieMan, starring men with a variety of body types. There was Matt, who looked more like your average male fashion model with six-pack abs. There was Doug, who was smaller than your average runway model with a bit of a tummy. There was Kelvin, an African-American model who also had a more pronounced stomach. And there was Devon, who was pretty lanky.

At the time, many people leapt to champion the campaign, with Mic calling it "the underwear campaign we've all been waiting for." It even seemed to come at an ideal time, with the recent announcement that IMG Models was opening a plus-size male division called "Brawn" and plus-size male model Zach Miko landing a few spots on Target's website.

Aerie's campaign seemed to be yet another sign that plus-size male models were finally getting their due.

Source: Aerie

But one week later, the campaign was pronounced an April Fools' Joke, with Aerie saying that, although it's known for embracing female models of all sizes, the campaign with men wasn't real.

"American Eagle Outfitters proves once again they're not afraid to take a risk and have a laugh in support of a good cause," according to a company press release announcing its pledge to "forgo retouching its male models in its underwear and swim images beginning Holiday 2016."

But by "male models," Aerie doesn't mean male models that look like Kelvin or Doug. It means the models on its website, who look like this:

Source: Aerie

Aerie in particular has been a leader of body positivity, casting female models with a variety of body types while pledging not to digitally alter them in its campaigns or on its website. Since pledging to stop altering them, its business has gone through the roof, with sales up by double-digits, which may have also been helped along with big names (on social media, at least) like Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence recently and frequently speaking out about the importance of body positivity, as well as our clap-back culture, which encourages calling out Photoshop.

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But even in March, Aerie wasn't ready to bring plus-size men into their body positivity fold.

Why, with all this press and talk surrounding plus-size male models, are there still no real campaigns starring plus-size male models? Why is it taking so long for retailers and companies to realize the potential?

While the #AerieMan campaign wasn't real, the company insisted it still isn't deviating from its body-positive stance which was... confusing to some. When Mic reached out for a more detailed comment, a spokesperson wrote in an email, "#AerieMan was not a prank but rather an opportunity for us to raise awareness about body positivity," which they also reiterated on Twitter later that day.

Twitter didn't miss a beat to call out the company's hypocrisy.

"Omg you know what would be funny? Making a fake campaign to mock body positivity for men! Super *~edgy~*!"

To add insult to injury, one of the models, Kelvin Davis, announced days later that he was not told the advertisement was a hoax when he it was filmed. For him, had it been real, it would have been his biggest campaign to date.

"The word 'AerieMan' was supposed to be the joke, not the campaign," Davis, who runs the body-positive fashion blog and Instagram Notoriously Dapper and is featured in many Chubbies campaigns, said in a phone interview. "They told me they're fully devoted and look forward to working with me in the future."

If anything, what they did was get the idea of a "plus-size male model" out there, which does help raise awareness. Since then, more people have been more vocal about plus-size male models, with the New York Times profiling Zach Miko.

It's now a topic more people are aware of than ever before. However, oddly enough, especially given how everyone reacted so strongly to the fake campaign, few companies have taken advantage of this opening in the market and cast plus-size male models in their own campaigns or advertisements since. No one has looked at the outrage post-#AerieMan and thought, "People have a lot of feelings about this. Let's give them a campaign that actually does what #AerieMan didn't."

Kelvin Davis

"There was positive feedback to Aerie, but also negative," Davis said. "People talked all about my stretchmarks. With everything comes a negative, and I think [companies are] afraid of that negative feedback, but they're going to have to eventually give in because we're not going anywhere."

Davis said there's still not a lot of business for men like him because people are also still very confused as to what a plus-size male model is.

"People are like, well, 'What makes a plus-size male model?'" Davis said. "A lot of me honestly thinks that a lot of agencies want to do it, but I learned at New York Fashion Week that the way the fashion industry works is that if the designer or brand doesn't have the sizing for it, there's no need for the models. So until brands and designers start saying that I want my brand and models to look like this, then things will change."

And these companies actually have good reason to still be confused. There is still, to this day, a loose definition of what a plus-size male model is. For instance, plus-size female models usually start at a size 12 or larger across the board; for Davis, a "plus-size man" should mean someone who is simply larger than the average size of the American male model. American male models are usually a size 30 or 32, according to Davis, so a man who is a 34 or larger should qualify, but there's truly no exact definition as of now. (If a man who is a size 34 or larger could be plus size, that would mean that men like the Rock would qualify, for instance.)

Even when IMG Brawn launched, there was still a loose definition of what a plus-size male model is, and Davis doesn't think that's helping things.

Kelvin Davis for Chubbies

"It shines light on that issue of body positivity for men and more diversity for men," Davis said. "It's almost like this separate connotation on us like, since we're like this separate branding and item that nobody wants to touch. It's almost like a catch-22. It brings a light on this issue but then, it doesn't really give any specifics on what a plus-size male model is."

Since the #AerieMan debacle, the first plus-size male modeling agency, Bridge Models, opened up in England in May. Much like IMG Brawn, the agency didn't seem to be dedicated to defining what is and isn't a plus-size male model, focusing more on the overall body type and personality instead.

"We are looking for healthy and attractive men that are photogenic and have the confidence and personality needed to become a model," Charlotte Griffiths, the co-owner of Bridge Models, said in an email. "Ben [Whit] is a great example of a tall, broad man that is into health and fitness and struggles to find clothes that fit. The fact that he is a personal trainer is an added bonus to us as we feel strongly about promoting a healthy body image with all our models."

"I think that people jump straight to one conclusion when it comes to the phrase plus size," Ben Whit, Bridge Models' first signed plus-size man, told the BBC. "But it means many things and for women in modeling it's about being curvier and for men, representing those that are broader."

Ben Whit

And that may actually end up being a good thing in the long run. Although people still remain confused as to what constitutes a plus-size man, having a loose definition helps eliminate the idea that male models will have to meld themselves to certain constraints, like being a size 34 or larger. Instead, plus-size male models can define what a "plus-size male model" is on their own terms. Rather than agencies pushing a physical ideal onto these men, it's these men making the rules. For that to happen, though, the plus-size male model community needs to come together, much like the plus-size female model community did years ago.

If they do, they could create a figure that's the male equivalent to model Ashley Graham, who is incredibly vocal about things like Photoshop and taking pride in one's own body, who can help champion the cause. Already with agencies beginning to open up for them, plus-size men are in an interesting position, seemingly just waiting for brands to catch on, which means that they may have to do some footwork themselves.

"The women never gave up. The reason why the women's industry is what it is that they kept on pushing," Davis said. "The more we're consistent as a community, the more brands will pay attention. As soon as we give up, the mission dies. Imagine if we all just stopped, and there was just silence. People would be like, 'Well, glad we didn't give into it.' People think it's a fad, and it's not."

Imagine if we all just stopped, and there was just silence. People would be like, 'Well, glad we didn't give into it.' People think it's a fad, and it's not."

In addition to coming together as a community, Davis also thinks that certain campaigns could be elemental to the group's success. Currently, Chubbies, which specializes in printed shorts, is the only brand that actively embraces male models with a variety of body types in its campaigns and ads. So in Davis's mind, the most impactful campaign for him and his peers would actually be one that's similar to #AerieMan in that it's from a brand that thousands or even millions of people can see and access, while helping to eliminate some of the stereotypes surrounding plus-size male models now.

"I think underwear campaigns would get the most publicity," Davis said. "If Calvin Klein did an underwear ad with us people would go crazy. You don't see those kind of guys in those campaigns. If you passed by that ad, you would not only know see that they were being inclusive, but looking to the future."

And that's precisely what Davis is waiting on the industry to do.
Warsaw (AFP) - Poland on Tuesday began logging in the ancient Bialowieza forest, which includes some of Europe's last primeval woodland, despite fierce protests from environmental groups battling to save the World Heritage site.

"The operation began today," national forest director Konrad Tomaszewski said of the plan to harvest wood from non-protected areas of one of the last vestiges of the immense forest that once stretched across Europe.

He told reporters the goal was "to stop forest degradation" -- by combating what the environment ministry says is a spruce bark beetle infestation -- and protect tourists and rangers from harm by cutting down trees that risk falling on trails.

But environmental campaigners warn that the tree chopping will destroy an ecosystem unspoiled for more than 10,000 years that is home to the continent's largest mammal, the European bison, and to its tallest trees.

"We're calling on the European Commission to intervene before the Polish government allows for the irreversible destruction of the Bialowieza forest," Greenpeace Poland activist Katarzyna Jagiello said in a statement.

Campaigners have taken issue with the government rationale for the project, saying the beetle's presence does not pose any threat to the forest's ecosystem.

"The minister does not understand that this insect is a frequent and natural visitor, that it has always existed and the forest has managed to survive," Jagiello told AFP.

Greenpeace said its patrols had come across the first signs of logging between the eastern town of Hajnowka on the border with Belarus and the village of Bialowieza to the north.

The Bialowieza project is the latest action by Poland's new rightwing government to draw criticism at home and abroad, including an overhaul of the country's top court and legislation strengthening state control over public broadcasters.

The environment ministry has said loggers will chop down more than 180,000 cubic metres (6.4 million cubic feet) of wood from non-protected areas of the forest over a decade, dwarfing previous plans to harvest 40,000 cubic metres over the same period.

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Last month, seven groups including Greenpeace Poland and the Polish branch of WWF lodged a complaint with the European Commission over the logging.

EU environment spokeswoman Iris Petsa told AFP at the time that the Commission "is concerned" about the project.

- Nature 'to fend for itself' -

Bialowieza, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, covers about 150,000 hectares (370,650 acres) in Poland and Belarus.

It is home to 20,000 animal species, including 250 types of bird and hundreds of European bison, plus firs towering 50 metres (160 feet) high and oaks and ashes of 40 metres.

In Belarus the entire forest is protected as a nature park, but only part of the Polish section is protected.

Warsaw has vowed that the logging would not take place in the protected areas.

Tomaszewski said forest management would refrain from logging in two "reference areas" to allow "nature to fend for itself".

Environment Minister Jan Szyszko said the operation was aimed at protecting sites of great heritage value that are part of Natura 2000, an EU network set up to preserve Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats.

But the non-profit environmental law organisation ClientEarth said it was "surprised that Szyszko had invoked EU law to justify the logging".

"The decision to multiply the cutting is not compliant with EU law because it was not preceded by an environmental impact study of the species and the protected sites," said ClientEarth lawyer Agata Szafraniuk.

"A case before the EU court is unfortunately becoming more and more likely."

A delegation from UNESCO is due to visit Bialowieza between June 4 and 8 to assess the situation.
WROCLAW, Poland (Reuters) - A Polish agency is campaigning to take monuments to the Soviet armed forces off the streets, dubbing them a bitter reminder of Moscow's domination, and consign them to less conspicuous "educational parks". The state-backed Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), which probes crimes from World War Two to the end of communist rule, wants local authorities to take down so-called "monuments of gratitude to the Red Army". "The monuments ... would most likely be placed in ... monument parks," Grzegorz Waligora, from the IPN's research department, told Reuters in an interview. "An educational park will be built where visitors can see the monuments as well as learn why they were built and by whom." The agency is currently cataloguing 300 such monuments, of which those in a decent state would be preserved. The plans would not affect Soviet cemeteries in Poland. Waligora said two potential sites for a monument park had been proposed, including a former Soviet army base in Borne Sulinowo in northwestern Poland. The plan leaves local councils free to make their own decisions. It has been criticized by Moscow, which urged historians to "talk to the Polish veterans ... who fought side by side with Russian soldiers" before deciding anything. Moscow last July said it was outraged by a move by Polish authorities in Nowa Sol to reduce to rubble a memorial depicting Polish and Red Army soldiers as brothers in arms. In September, Moscow summoned Poland's ambassador to protest against the removal of a Soviet-era statue in the town of Pieniezno. The neighbors share a complex history. Soviet troops invaded eastern Poland weeks after Adolf Hitler's forces attacked from the west in September 1939. The Red Army later freed Poland from Nazi occupation, but also persecuted soldiers from the Polish underground army. After World War Two, Poland spent four decades under Soviet domination before embracing democracy and joining the European Union. More recently, it has been among the strongest critics of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. (Reporting by Natalia Dobryszycka; writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; editing by Andrew Roche)
Donald Trump

The overwhelming majority of US voters think Donald Trump should release his tax returns, new polls show.

A Morning Consult poll released Tuesday found that 67% of voters thought presidential candidates should be required to release their tax returns. Just 21% did not think it should be a requirement.

On Sunday, an ABC News-Washington Post poll found that 64% of voters thought Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, should release his returns. In addition, 54% of respondents felt strongly that the Manhattan billionaire should do so. Just 31% were fine with Trump withholding the release of his tax returns.

Trump previously insisted that he would release his tax returns only when the Internal Revenue Service completed a routine audit. But that may not come before the November general election, he has said.

Trump's stance has led to pressure from both Republicans and Democrats over what is considered a routine practice by presidential candidates.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee who has been staunchly against Trump's candidacy, has said it would be "disqualifying" if Trump did not release his returns. Romney faced intense pressure to release his returns four years ago.

"Mr. Trump says he is being audited. So?" he wrote in a lengthy Facebook post earlier this month. "There is nothing that prevents releasing tax returns that are being audited."

He continued by speculating that Trump's returns could contain a "bombshell of unusual size."

"There is only one logical explanation for Mr. Trump's refusal to release his returns: there is a bombshell in them," Romney said. "Given Mr. Trump's equanimity with other flaws in his history, we can only assume it's a bombshell of unusual size."

Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has seized the issue along the campaign trail and on social media.

"When you run for president, especially when you become the nominee, it is kind of expected," she said at a New Jersey event earlier this month. "My husband and I have released 33 years of tax returns. We've got eight years on our website right now. So you have got to ask yourself, why does he not release them?"

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Donald Trump NRA

When pressed by ABC's George Stephanopoulos about his tax rate, Trump was defiant.

"It's none of your business," he said, adding that he fought hard to "pay as little tax as possible."

Trump last week filed his personal financial-disclosure report with the Federal Election Commission. In it he detailed what he has called his $10 billion fortune.

"I have built an incredible company and have accumulated one of the greatest portfolios of real-estate assets, many of which are considered to be among the finest and most iconic properties in the world," Trump said in a statement ahead of the report's release. "This is the kind of thinking the country needs."

But that report leaves the true scope of Trump's wealth unclear, as items worth more than $50 million are not further specified.

NOW WATCH: Sacha Baron Cohen recounts his 2003 Trump interview: 'I was the first person actually to realize that hes a d---'





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ROME (Reuters) - A Portuguese and a Russian national were arrested in Rome at the weekend on suspicion of espionage, the European Union's judicial cooperation unit Eurojust said on Tuesday. Portuguese media said the arrested Portuguese citizen worked for the national SIS intelligence service and was suspected of being a double agent who was passing sensitive information about NATO and the European Union to Russia. There was no official confirmation of this from either Portugal or Italy, and the two suspects were not named. Portugal's prosecutor-general confirmed that Lisbon had requested the twin arrests, saying in a statement that investigations suggested the Portuguese national had handed over information in exchange for money "to a foreign national supposedly linked to a foreign information service". The Hague-based Eurojust said besides the two arrests and the seizure of evidence in Italy, house searches were carried out in Portugal as part of the operation. "Espionage cases are relatively rare, and require unique solutions," Eurojust said. (Reporting by Isla Binnie in Rome and Axel Bugge in Lisbon; editing by Crispian Balmer and John Stonestreet)
When customers buy Parmesan at their local supermarket, they expect it to be 100 percent cheese.

But an Inside Edition investigation has found that is not always the case.

Read: 3-Star Michelin Restaurant Changes Menu After Investigation Finds Its Kobe Beef is A Different Meat

Freshly grated parmesan tends to clump up and stick together so some manufacturers add cellulose, a harmless additive made from wood pulp, to keep Parmesan cheese from caking.

The FDA says as a general rule there should be no more than two percent cellulose in grated Parmesan cheese but the industry says they can have upto four percent.

Inside Edition bought 34 samples of Parmesan cheese from major supermarkets, as well as from major restaurant chains like Pizza Hut and Dominos, and sent it to IEH Labs in Seattle, Washington where it was tested for cellulose.

Mansour Samadpour, the president of IEH labs said, I was very surprised, I did not expect the numbers to be so high.



The results showed that 69 percent of the cheese contained more than the FDA recommends.

A sample from Pizza Hut had 4.9 percent cellulose and one at Dominos came in at 5.4 percent of the filler -- each more than double the FDA guideline. Dominos said the cellulose in its Parmesan cheese falls within the acceptable industry standard.

The label on Stop and Shop's supermarket's brand says "100% grated parmesan cheese with no fillers" - but tests showed it contained 5.8 percent cellulose. When alerted to our findings, the supermarket chain expressed concern and said it has now switched to a new supplier for its grated cheese.

Read: Breast Milk Bought Online May Contain Bacteria That Could Harm Your Child, Investigation Finds

The worst by far was a packet of Colonna brand grated cheese, sold in grocery stores across the country. It had a whopping 21.6 percent cellulose.

"Something fishy is really going on here, food investigator Mitchell Weinberg told Inside Edition. They are making that much more money by substituting this cheaper filler in place of what should be there.

Story continues

Colonna Brothers, the maker of the brand with nearly 22 percent cellulose, had no comment.

So, if you want to make sure your Parmesan cheese is 100% cheese, you are going to have to grate it yourself -- or visit upscale restaurants like Patsys Italian Restaurant or Osteria Morini in New York City, where the Parmesan cheese is freshly grated at your table.

Watch: Instead of White Tuna, Some Sushi Restaurants Secretly Serve Cheap Fish That May Cause Sickness

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May 25 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Headlines

* Former Mothercare managing director joins BHS bidding. (http://on.ft.com/1U84tsY)

* Monsanto opens door to talks on Bayer bid. (http://on.ft.com/1U84w8f)

* Google's Paris offices raided by French authorities in tax probe. (http://on.ft.com/1U84ixW)

Overview

* Greg Tufnell, ex-managing director of Mothercare is leading a bid to acquire BHS.

* Monsanto Co, the world's largest seed company, turned down Bayer AG's $62 billion acquisition bid as "incomplete and financially inadequate" on Tuesday, but said it was open to engage further in negotiations.

* Dozens of French police raided Google's Paris headquarters on Tuesday, escalating an investigation into the digital giant on suspicion of tax evasion.

(Compiled by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru)
Beirut (AFP) - Kurdish and Arab fighters aided by US soldiers battled the Islamic State group north of its Syrian stronghold of Raqa as Iraqi forces edged towards the jihadist-held city of Fallujah.

The twin offensives are two of the most significant ground assaults against the extremists since they declared a self-styled "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The assaults came as Syria's UN envoy said trapped civilians risk starvation unless Damascus and rebel groups allow greater access to humanitarian aid convoys.

The UN Security Council is to discuss Friday the humanitarian situation in Syria and the possibility of parachuting aid to besieged cities.

Near the front line north of Raqa city, an AFP photographer saw US soldiers on Wednesday assisting a Kurdish-Arab alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The SDF is working its way through villages and farmland south of the town of Ain Issa, less than 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Raqa city.

It said its fighters had "advanced seven kilometres from Ain Issa and liberated five villages and four fields."

"We liberated the villages of Fatisah, Namroudiya, and Wastah as well as several fields. The coming battle will hold a lot of big surprises," SDF field commander Baraa al-Ghanem told AFP.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF fighters Thursday were shelling IS positions near Ain Issa as the US-led coalition carried out nearly non-stop air raids.

The Britain-based monitor updated its toll for the five-year war to more than 280,000 dead.

- Tunnel, car bombs -

A fragile truce agreed between the US and Russia in February had curtailed Syria's bloodshed despite consistent allegations of violations, but the international fight against IS was excluded from the ceasefire deal.

The first of 250 members of the US special operations forces were due to arrive this week in northeast Syria to support the campaign, joining dozens of advisers already on the ground.

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An SDF field commander told AFP that US ground forces were "taking part" in operations north of Raqa.

"There are US forces using (anti-tank) TOW missiles to fire on the explosives-rigged cars that (IS) is using to attack the SDF," said Hawkar Kobane.

Asked about the men seen on the front line, US defence officials did not dispute that they were American special operations forces.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said IS is "concentrating 2,000 fighters along the front lines north of Raqa" to repel the SDF offensive.

"IS has prepared for this fight in recent months by digging tunnels and lining them with explosives, as well as preparing car bombs and hiding in buildings among civilians," Abdel Rahman added.

The SDF has insisted its current campaign is only for the rural area north of Raqa city -- but IS's de facto Syrian capital is expected to be the end goal.

"The ultimate purpose is Raqa city. It may not be short-term or mid-term, but besieging the city and blocking IS movements is also very important," said Washington-based analyst Mutlu Civiroglu.

The battle for Raqa province was announced on Tuesday with much fanfare, just one day after a major offensive began across the border for IS-held Fallujah.

Iraqi troops backed by pro-government militias have been advancing towards the city from surrounding areas.

As they close in, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Iraq said she was receiving "distressing reports" of trapped civilians.

The UN said only 800 people of an estimated 50,000 had been able to flee Fallujah since May 22, "mostly from outlying areas".

The UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said "plenty of civilians" would starve across Syria unless aid deliveries are sped up.

Diplomats in New York said the envoy told the Security Council on Thursday that he has no plans to convene a new round of talks in the next two or three weeks.

More progress was needed to strengthen the ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid before talks can resume, he said.

- 'Enormous' challenges -

The United States and its allies have set their sights on Raqa, Fallujah, and eventually Mosul in their bid to defeat IS.

But experts said ground efforts are likely to be drawn out and complicated.

"The challenges involved in weakening and dislodging the Islamic State from long-held fortified positions are enormous," wrote the New York-based Soufan Group.

To definitively defeat IS, Iraqi and Syrian fighters would have to address local concerns, sectarian politics, and ethnic divisions.

The Soufan Group said recapturing Fallujah "poses the biggest military challenge Iraqi forces have faced in the two years" since IS seized Mosul, their main Iraqi city.

In Syria, it wrote, IS fighters' "determination" to defend Raqa will make the fight to retake it "one of the fiercest yet".
New York (AFP) - Two people who say they are heirs to pop icon Prince have objected to a proposal by his estate to ask for genetic tests.

Prince died on April 21 without a will and with no recognized children, leaving a giant question mark on an estate that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars and includes a vast vault of unreleased material.

Bremer Trust, a special administrator assigned to manage Prince's estate, said last week that it may wish to ask people claiming to be the "Purple Rain" star's descendants to undergo and pay for genetic tests.

In a legal filing made public Tuesday, two people who recently came forward as heirs said that they had already offered sufficient proof under law of their relationship to Prince in his home state of Minnesota.

The proposal by Bremer Trust would "grant it complete unfettered discretion to determine when to require parties claiming genetic relationship" to Prince to undergo tests, the filing said.

The objection was filed by Brianna Nelson, who says she is the sole living child of Prince's late half-brother Duane Nelson, and the guardian of an 11-year-old said to be the daughter of Duane Nelson's son, who has also died.

Duane Nelson had headed security for Prince but later became estranged. He died in 2011.

Another person who claims to be Prince's heir is Carlin Williams, a 39-year-old inmate from Kansas City whose mother says she had sex with the rocker in a hotel in 1976.

The court in Carver County, Minnesota, where Prince maintained his Paisley Park estate, has set a June 27 hearing to examine the proposal for genetic testing.
Scholars are deeming a proposed textbook that aims to teach Texas public schools about Mexican-Americans to be racist and not of academic merit. The textbook is a part of the effort for the state curriculum to be more inclusive of Mexican-Americans and their cultural history  which is a battle activists have been fighting for for years.

The 500-paged textbook called Mexican American Heritage has Christian undertones along with racist explanations of Mexican-Americans. The book blames Mexican-Americans for causing "economic and security problems" because of drugs, crime and "non-assmiliation," among other things.

As one passage reads, "Chicanos adopted a revolutionary narrative that opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society," according to the Texas Observer.

The textbook in question was created by Momentum Instruction, which is owned by Cynthia Dunbar, a Republican "right-wing Christian activist" who also served on the Texas State Board of Education from 2007 to 2011.

University of Houston professor Nicolas Kanellos said the book "appears to be blatant opportunism from certain people to make money and/or to water down the real Mexican American history," according to the Washington Post.

The company behind the book, Momentum Instruction, is owned by Cynthia Dunbar, a Republican "right-wing Christian activist" who also served on the Texas State Board of Education from 2007 to 2011.

"Frankly, that author is not recognized as someone who is part of the Mexican-American studies scholarship and most individuals engaged in scholarship will not recognize her as an author," Douglas Torres-Edwards, coordinator of a Texas Education Agency-approved Mexican-American studies course that's taught in some schools in Houston told Associated Press.

After September, a special committee will review all of the proposed textbooks and their reviews before making recommendations to the Texas State Board of Education. However, in the end, each chosen textbook is up to the school's discretion.
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors said on Tuesday they were investigating Senate speaker and former prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu for giving false testimony to aid suspects in a wider real estate graft case. Tariceanu, prime minister from 2004-08, is the latest high-level official to be investigated in a crackdown on corruption widely praised by the European Commission, which keeps Romania's justice system under special monitoring. Prosecutors said Tariceanu made untrue statements under oath in April when he was called to testify in an investigation in which a grandson of former king Carol II is accused of illegally obtaining a state-owned forest and farm, and causing damage to the budget worth 145.4 million euros ($162.5 million). Tariceanu denied wrongdoing and fired back at magistrates, saying "we live in a republic of prosecutors based on the politics of dossiers and handcuffs". "It is absurd that I should be suspected of wanting to jeopardize my position in society and aid through false testimony people with whom I have no connections and affinities," he said in a statement. Tariceanu has a track record of criticizing anti-corruption prosecutors. Earlier this month, prosecutors sent Prince Paul Philippe of Romania - who is not officially recognized as a legitimate member of the country's royal family - and 21 other people including businessmen and public servants to trial for a slew of crimes related to illegal land dealings. "In a deposition taken under oath he (Tariceanu) made statements that do not coincide with truth over essential aspects of the case, thus aiming to make the investigation... of the accused harder," prosecutors said in a statement. Romania is perceived as one of the European Union's most corrupt states where graft has deterred foreign investment and tax evasion and bribery are a drain on public finances. Prosecutors have investigated lawmakers, ministers, mayors, magistrates and businessmen in recent years. ($1 = 0.8945 euros) (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Ed Osmond)
Violent protests broke out across Hammanskraal, South Africa, on May 23, as residents demonstrated against forced evictions by the Red Ants agency. Two people were reportedly killed and six people injured during the violence.

These videos, captured on the morning after the deadly protests, show the remains of illegally built shacks that were demolished by the Red Ants, police patrolling the streets of Hammanskraal, and tires that were set alight in protest. Credit: Twitter/Maryke Vermaak
By Nick Brown

SAN JUAN, May 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress' latest attempt to solve Puerto Rico's debt crisis appears to strengthen some - though not all - creditor positions in what has been a robust fight to influence the writing of a bill that lawmakers started to debate on Tuesday.

The House Natural Resources Committee presented the legislation, formally called the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act or PROMESA, last week after several false starts.

The bill would put Puerto Rico's finances under a federally appointed oversight board, while allowing the U.S. territory to restructure a $70 billion debt load that threatens to collapse an economy already hamstrung by rampant emigration and a 45 percent poverty rate.

While that structure is unchanged from prior drafts, several small tweaks seem to benefit bondholders, including restricting the government's ability to override decisions of the seven-member board.

Still, other elements of the bill are ambiguous, experts say - including the ability of Puerto Rico to enforce cuts to creditors' debt portfolios through a bankruptcy-like court process without their consent. This is also referred to as a "cram-down."

"It doesn't strike me that there are obvious winners and losers," said David Skeel, a bankruptcy expert and professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, adding, "a lot will depend on who ends up on the control board, and what stance the control board takes."

The bill also allows provisions for Puerto Rico's 18 distinct debt-issuing agencies to try to come to terms consensually with creditors, through a cooperative process where creditors would be able to vote on debt restructuring plans. Two-thirds of a creditor class would need to support a plan for it to take effect.

CREDITORS BENEFIT

PROMESA, also referred to as H.R. 5278, gives significant latitude to the board to manage Puerto Rico's books and form a plan to stabilize its finances.

Story continues

In a change from a prior version released in April, the bill would strengthen language barring the Puerto Rican government from passing any laws to curb the board's authority.

"At the end of the day, the real virtue and vice of this bill is the strength of the control board," Height Securities analyst Daniel Hanson, who follows Puerto Rico closely, said in an interview.

The latest draft would also restrict the government's ability to transfer property on which creditors have liens. In the case of a proposal to cut repayments to creditors, it would compel a judge to assess the fairness of the proposal against Puerto Rico's constitution, a protection absent from the April draft.

Such protections seemed to modestly reassure markets when the bill was unveiled last week and investors bid up prices on Puerto Rico's benchmark July 2035 general obligation debt.

"The revised language is certainly more positive for the commonwealth's GO (General Obligation) and GO-guaranteed bondholders as it attempts to preserve the constitutional protections they currently enjoy," Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts wrote clients.

'CRAM-DOWN'

Still, the new bill retains enough ambiguity to make some creditors nervous.

Most significantly, it preserves cram-down power and in one sense makes it easier to start the process.

That is because the latest draft of PROMESA removes a pre-condition to cram-down which would have required Puerto Rico to first complete consensual workout talks with creditors, allowing them to vote on a restructuring plan.

The current bill merely requires Puerto Rico to make "good-faith efforts" toward a cooperative deal before initiating a cram-down action.

Determining when Puerto Rico had satisfied that fuzzier standard would be up to the oversight board, giving the board more leeway on deciding when to push Puerto Rico into bankruptcy, and thus more leverage in creditor talks, said Melissa Jacoby, a bankruptcy expert and professor at University of North Carolina School of Law.

"It's important that the restructuring provisions are strong enough to provide the leverage to encourage voluntary deals," Jacoby said in an interview. "This bill asks a lot of Puerto Rico in some respects, and therefore, it's not a good deal for Puerto Rico unless it has a robust restructuring possibility."

One creditor source who was not authorized to speak to the press voiced concern over how the "good-faith efforts" standard would be assessed: "We don't know how the it will be enforced and those are the questions we'll be asking." (Editing by Daniel Bases and Matthew Lewis)
By Daniel Bases

NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) on Tuesday unveiled a new rate structure as part of a broader debt restructuring plan that proposes a total increase of about 4 cents per kilowatt-hour for customers in a two-step process.

The plan, approved by PREPA's governing board, will be presented to the U.S. commonwealth's Energy Commission of Puerto Rico (CEPR) on Friday, the utility said in a statement.

PREPA is proposing a 1.3-cent-per-kilowatt-hour rate increase as the first stage, followed by a 2.99-cent-per-kilowatt-hour increase in the first quarter of 2017.

"The interim rate will help cover the PREPA gap in cash flow to continue operating, while the Commission assesses the application of a rate restructuring in the long term," Harry Rodriguez, PREPA governing board chairman, said in the statement.

If PREPA did not negotiate a debt restructuring with creditors, the rate increase would have been 11 cents per-kilowatt hour, PREPA spokesperson Jose Echevarria told Reuters.

Creditors absorbed 5.2 cents per kilowatt-hour while PREPA achieved savings of 2.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, in order to bring the total increase down to the 4.3 cents, the utility's chief restructuring officer, Lisa Donahue, explaned in the statement.

PREPA reached a deal with some of its largest creditors in September to reduce its $9 billion debt load. Creditors are receiving about 85 percent of their existing bond claims.

The new rate structure, should it be approved, is expected to be effective starting in August, PREPA said.

(Reporting by Daniel Bases; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
By Todd Rosenbluth, Director of ETF & Mutual Fund Research  S&P Global Market Intelligence

State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) is the third largest ETF provider with $436 billion in assets according to Factset, aided by $2.1 billion of new assets in April. Jim Ross is an Executive Vice President of State Street Global Advisors and is Chairman of the Global SPDR business and SSGA Funds Management. Ross is responsible for advancing SSGAs long-term ETF strategy and innovation.

Year to date through April, SPDR Gold (GLD) and SPDR Barclays High Yield (JNK) gathered $6.2 billion and $2.6 billion in new money, making them among the ten most popular ETFs in the industry in 2016. Meanwhile, with $2.4 billion and $785 million in assets, SPDR DoubleLine Total Return (TOTL) and SPDR S&P North American Natural Resources (NANR) had the most assets among ETFs launched in 2015. In addition, the firm has a broad suite of sector and industry ETFs such as Financial Select Sector PDR (XLF) and SPDR S&P Bank (KBE) . S&P Global Market Intelligence has research reports on these and other SSGA ETFs available on this platform.

Below is the interview S&P Global Market Intelligence interview.

Q: Sector investing using ETFs has also remained popular. Your firm was a pioneer with the Select Sector SPDRs. How do you position them amid increased competition?

A: We look at sectors and industry ETFs holistically and dating back to 1998 they are the longest standing family of products. They are tied to well-constructed S&P indices and there is breadth of coverage. We try to provide our clients with the tools to build portfolios and use them ourselves with our sector rotation strategies. They are used in a variety of ways across different client profiles, both retail and institutional, which is why we tend to see more volatility in our flows. Sector SPDRs and industry ETFs like XLF are also liquidity driven products and are used by some short-term tactical investors.

Story continues

Q: Real Estate is being elevated to its own GICS sector for the S&P 500 index, out of financials, later in 2016. SSGA recently launched new ETFs to provide investors with access to the two sectors. What impact do you think the change will have for sector investors?

A: It will give investors the opportunity to evaluate how they want to get exposure to the financials sector. If they want to follow the GICS change they will have ability to do so through the Sector SPDRs family. This was an important flexibility we wanted to provide our clients. We are very engaged with our clients and the board of directors of Sector SPDRs to make sure we can support a change in the market place being driven by indices.

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We have a history of dealing with index changes like this where some countries will move into or out of emerging or developed markets. At SSGA, we have a talented team that deals with index tracking of global benchmarks and we look forward to displaying the Real Estate change to our clients.

Q: Relative to your peers, SSGA has a number of sub-advisory relationships to support ETFs. Why have you formed them?

A: There are a number of opportunities we identified where we can bring additional investment management expertise to our ETF clients. This would include Nuveen for municipal bonds. Another one is the partnership with MFS for active equity investments. They are still building a track record and while we have not seen a lot of assets yet, we expect the ETFs will do well. We have a partnership with GSO Blackstone on bank loans, which is an area they offer expertise. Last and most recently there is DoubleLine Capital. We launched in April two additional products to go along with TOTL, which was a highly successful ETF launch for us in 2015. For these ETFs, we are the sponsor and we hire the subadvisor and work closely with them on how to position the products in the marketplace.

Q: In addition, some of your newer ETFs have come to market with the support of large investors. Can you cite some examples?

A: These are more joint development efforts. For example, Edelman Financial had a view on North American natural resources and NANR was formed. Another one was the SPDR SSGA Gender Diversity ETF we launched and the initial investor was the California State teachers plan. Diversity of our talent force is an issue that State Street believed firmly in. A third one was the Fossil Free product tied to the S&P 500 index, which was launched with the support of the Natural Resources Defense Council. We think there are a lot of investors that want to invest in a socially responsible manner.

Q: Smart beta has been a favored theme for investors and asset managers in recent years. What do you think of these dividend or low volatility strategies?

A: We are spending a lot of time with what we call factor investing or advanced beta products.

The term smart beta leads someone to believe that market cap weighted investing, which has been around a long time and been successful, is not smart. I am not a fan of that view. But we have seen some significant interest from institutional investors around slicing factors. We want to make sure we have products to meet this demand. Dividend investing is not new, but different ways at looking at dividends and focusing on factors would be.

The concern is that if investors do not commit to an investment strategy they can be disappointed. An example is a low volatility investor that did not keep up with a rising market in 2015 and decided to redeem their shares. They lost out on the benefits of this approach to start 2016 when that type of strategy worked relative to a market cap weighted approach. We are trying to educate the market place about the best way to use factor investing is from a long term asset allocation perspective.

For more news and strategy on the Smart Beta market, visit our Smart Beta category .
Juelz Santana

Rapper Juelz Santana reportedly owes $700,000 in back mortgage payments and lawyers fees on his condo in Teaneck, NJ, which he recently lost to foreclosure, according to Bossip. The prolific rhymer reportedly hasnt made a mortgage payment on his $486,000 loan in three years.

Bossip reports that a judge issued a final foreclosure judgment on April 22, and Santanas 2,300-square-foot condo is set to be sold at a sheriffs sale. But dont expect to bid on the condo anytime soon. The Bergen County Sheriffs Department told us it takes about a year for foreclosure properties to be sold.

Santana, born LaRon Louis James, grew up in Harlem and is a member of the East Coast hip-hop group The Diplomats, aka Dipset.

Santanas housing drama adds to whats becoming a long list of legal problems. In January, 2011, the rapper was arrested on four counts of narcotics and weapons offenses after police raided his New Jersey studio and allegedly found two loaded handguns, ammunition, and 17 bags of vegetation presumed to be marijuana, according to Billboard. Later that year, Santana was arrested on the suspicion of making terrorist threats, according to BET.

Santana isnt the only rapper with foreclosure woes in New Jersey. Lil Kim reportedly has stopped paying the mortgage on her Alpine, NJ, mansion, which is in danger of going into foreclosure again.

The post There It Go: Rapper Juelz Santana Facing Foreclosure in New Jersey appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.





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Bayer Makes an Unsolicited Approach to Monsanto

(Continued from Prior Part)

Bayer envisions becoming an agricultural powerhouse

In this merger, Bayer AG envisions combining its strength in crop protection (think herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides) with Monsantos (MON) seeds, traits, and genetically modified products. Bayer is viewing this transaction as a way to deepen its portfolio and gain exposure to a faster-growing (albeit volatile) sector. Pro forma, the combined company would have had 23.1 billion euros in sales in 2015. Bayers focus on plant health and Monsantos focus on yield do make for a complementary transaction. That said, theres overlap in a couple categories: Seeds & Traits and Herbicides.

Managements comments

We have long respected Monsantos business and share their vision to create an integrated business that we believe is capable of generating substantial value for both companies shareholders, said Werner Baumann, CEO of Bayer AG. Together we would draw on the collective expertise of both companies to build a leading agriculture player with exceptional innovation capabilities to the benefit of farmers, consumers, our

employees and the communities in which we operate.

Bayer is committed to enabling farmers to sustainably produce enough healthy, safe and affordable food capable of feeding the worlds growing population, said Liam Condon, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of the Crop Science Division. Faced with the complex challenge of operating in a resource-constrained world with increasing climate volatility, there is a clear need for more innovative solutions that advance the next generation of farming. By supporting farmers of all sizes on every

continent, the combined business would be positioned as the partner of choice for truly integrated, superior solutions.

Impact on earnings

Bayers shareholders should expect to see mid-single-digit accretion to core EPS (earnings per share) in the first year and double-digit accretion thereafter. Bayer also expects annual synergies of about $1.5 billion after three years.

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Other merger arbitrage resources

Other important merger spreads include the merger between Cigna Corporation (CI) and Anthem (ANTM), which is set to close at the end of 2016. Another large chemical merger is between DuPont (DD) and Dow Chemical (DOW). 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 agriculture sector can look at the VanEck Vectors Agribusiness ETF (MOO).

In the next part of this series, well explore the next steps in the Bayer-Monsanto deal.

Continue to Next Part

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burger eating food man

Road trip time!

You plug your destination into Google Maps and start cruising down your route when a purple pin appears, showing you the location of the nearest McDonald's and offering a few dollars off on a combo meal if you stop.

"Add to your route," it prompts. Well, you were getting hungry...

This is the new ad experience that Google is testing out in its Maps app to help businesses entice you into visiting their coffee shop, gas station, pharmacy, whatever.

"A Promoted Pin for McDonald's might convince someone to stop to eat," Google ads vice president Jerry Dischler explains.

The company has had some form of advertising in Maps since 2010, but it's now building out its Promoted Pins to be much more prominent, adding new features for advertisers such as letting them list special offers or a local product inventory search bar (so you can check whether the Walgreens down the street has the right kind of contact solution before you actually go there).

You'll also see more Promoted Pins when you make a search like "coffee shops near me." Though Google says its biggest priority is making sure the ads are useful and unobtrusive, they will be a good little reminder for users about why Google offers nearly all of its services free: It's selling your eyeballs.

Dischler says that, for now, Promoted Pins won't be personalized (meaning Google won't use your location history to suggest certain businesses), and if you're listening to navigational directions from your phone, the advertisements won't come on the audio.

Google is due to announce this next-generation Maps ad at its annual Performance Summit on Tuesday. Google's big pitch to advertisers is that it is the best partner for the "mobile-first" world because its combination of search and maps data can show when its ads actually drive people into stores.

That has actually been Google's pitch for a while, but now it is showing off proof of success: Since it introduced its "store visits" metric two years ago, advertisers have measured over 1 billion visits. (Google can tell whether an ad interaction is followed by a store visit if the user's location history is turned on  learn how to turn it on or off here.)

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Here's what the new ads in Google Maps will look like:

Maps Ads

"Mobile has been something that was going to happen or was happening, and this is the year that mobile has firmly happened," Sridhar Ramaswamy, the senior vice president of ads and commerce, says. "There are trillions of searches on Google every year, and over half of those searches happen on mobile."

You can read about the other ad updates Google is making here.

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From Seventeen

McHenry High School West Campus, in McHenry, IL, is currently facing serious backlash for not allowing a student to walk in graduation because she was wearing her military uniform.

Megan Howerton, a U.S. Marine, chose to wear her Dress Blues instead of the required graduation cap and gown, NBC New York reports. School officials refused to let her walk in graduation, instead making her sit in the audience. Megan wasn't even mentioned in the graduation lineup, sparking outrage and a hashtag.

In response to the controversy, Magan's classmates returned to school the day after graduation to protest. They also plan to attend a school board meeting to try to get the school to change the policy for future students.

The school told NBC 5 News, "In some past cases, active-duty students elected to wear their gowns over top of their military uniforms, with their military hats, which was allowed. There was no communication to the administration that attire protocols would not be followed prior to the ceremony."

Megan wasn't available for comment, but she did share a Facebook post condemning the school's actions.

Follow @Seventeen on Instagram!
(Reuters) - The "Remain" camp holds a 13-point lead over "Leave" rivals in Britain's EU referendum campaign, after winning support for the first time from a majority of men, those aged over 65 and Conservative voters, according to a poll from ORB published in Tuesday's edition of the Telegraph newspaper.

The poll found that among those who definitely plan to vote, support for remaining in the union stood at 55 percent, while that for Brexit was at 42 percent. (http://bit.ly/1Xsqmsp)

The three voter groups of men, older people and Tory supporters had all favoured leaving the European Union when they were surveyed in March, the newspaper said, but a majority of each now backed "Remain".

Pensioners, previously considered to be the most reliable Brexit supporters, now narrowly favoured staying in the union the survey found, with 52 percent of the over-65s intending to vote to "Remain" and 44 percent backing "Leave".

Britons will vote on June 23 on whether to remain in the 28-member bloc.

ORB has been polling 800 voters by telephone for the Telegraph in a series of polls since March. It has said the data has been weighted to be demographically and politically representative of Britain.

(Reporting by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru and Paul Sandle in London; Editing by John Stonestreet and Peter Cooney)
LONDON (Reuters) - The "Remain" camp holds a 13-point lead over "Leave" rivals in Britain's EU referendum campaign, after winning support for the first time from a majority of men, those aged over 65 and Conservative voters, according to a poll published on Tuesday. The ORB survey for the Daily Telegraph newspaper found that among those who definitely plan to vote in the June 23 referendum, support for remaining in the union stood at 55 percent while backing for a British exit was at 42 percent. The three voter groups of men, older people and Tory supporters had all favoured leaving the European Union when they were surveyed in March, the newspaper said, but a majority of each now backed "Remain". Pensioners, previously considered to be the most consistent Brexit supporters, now narrowly favoured staying in the union the survey found, with 52 percent of the over-65s intending to vote to "Remain" and 44 percent backing "Leave". Amongst all voters, those wanting to stay in the European Union had a 20-point lead with 58 per cent of voters saying they backed the pro-EU campaign, the survey of 800 voters carried out between May 18 and 22 found. The proportion of voters undecided or likely to change their minds stood at 16 percent, up one percentage point from its May 16 poll, but down 8 points from March. ORB pollster Johnny Heald said the undecideds, when pushed, were twice as likely to be considering "Remain" over Brexit. "Evidence from other referendums in countries such as Ireland and Canada indicate that those who tell pollsters they don't know how they will vote in the end are significantly more likely to support the status quo as they have not been convinced by the arguments to leave in this case," he said. However, he said the Remain campaign needed younger people to turn out to vote, something they were traditionally less likely to do than older people. (Reporting by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru and Paul Sandle in London; Editing by John Stonestreet, Peter Cooney and Michael Holden)
By Lin Noueihed and Tim Hepher CAIRO/PARIS (Reuters) - The EgyptAir jet that crashed last week showed no technical problems before taking off from Paris according to an Aircraft Technical Log signed by its pilot before takeoff, Egypt's state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram said on Tuesday. Al-Ahram published a scan of the log on its website. The paper said EgyptAir flight 804 transmitted 11 "electronic messages" starting at 5.09 p.m. ET on May 18, about 3 1/2 hours before disappearing from radar screens with 66 passengers and crew on board. The first two messages indicated the engines were functional. The third message came at 8.26 p.m. ET on May 18 and showed a rise in the temperature of the co-pilot's window. The plane kept transmitting messages for the next three minutes before vanishing, Al-Ahram said. Earlier on Tuesday, the head of Egypt's forensics authority dismissed as premature a suggestion that the small size of the body parts retrieved since the Airbus 320 jet crashed indicated there had been an explosion on board. Investigators struggling to work out what happened are looking for clues in the human remains and debris recovered from the Mediterranean Sea. The plane and its black box recorders, which could explain what brought down the flight Paris-to-Cairo flight as it entered Egyptian air space, have not been located. An Egyptian forensics official said 23 bags of body parts had been collected, the largest no bigger than the palm of a hand. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said their size pointed to an explosion, although no trace of explosives had been detected. But Hisham Abdelhamid, head of Egypt's forensics authority, said this assessment was "mere assumptions" and that it was too early to draw conclusions. At least two other sources with direct knowledge of the investigation also said it would be premature to say what caused the plane to plunge into the sea. "All we know is it disappeared suddenly without making a distress call," one of them said, adding that only by analyzing the black boxes or a large amount of debris could authorities begin to form a clearer picture. SCRAPS OF DATA The investigators do have a few scraps of data in the form of fault messages sent by the jet in the last minutes of flight, logging smoke alarms in the forward lavatory and an electronics bay just underneath, but they are tantalizingly incomplete. "The difficulty is to connect these bits of information," said John Cox, executive of Washington-based Safety Operating Systems who co-authored a report on smoke and fire risks by Britain's Royal Aeronautical Society. There are too few messages to fit a typical fire, which would normally trigger a cascade of error reports as multiple systems fail, he said, and too many of them to tie in neatly with a single significant explosion. Investigators will also need to understand why, for example, there was no message indicating the autopilot had cut off, progressively handing control back to the pilots as systems failed and computers became unsure what to do. The Frenchman who headed a three-year probe into the 2009 loss of an Air France jet in the Atlantic said the data published so far appeared insufficient for any conclusion. Egypt has deployed a robot submarine and France has sent a search ship to help hunt for the black boxes, but it is not clear whether either of them can detect signals emitted by the flight recorders, lying in waters possibly 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) deep. The signal emitters have a battery life of 30 days. Although government officials have acknowledged the need for international assistance, the U.S. Navy said Egypt had not formally requested American support beyond a P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft, which was deployed on Thursday. LAST MOMENTS Eighteen loads of debris have been recovered, the Egyptian investigation committee said, in a search operation assisted by French and Greek aircraft. The plane had just crossed from Greek into Egyptian airspace when it vanished off radar screens but, five days after the crash, air traffic controllers from the two countries were still giving different accounts of its final moments. In Greece, two officials stood by earlier statements that Greek radar had picked up sharp swings in the jet's trajectory - 90 degrees left, then 360 degrees right - as it plunged from a cruising altitude to 15,000 feet before vanishing. But Ehab Mohieldin Azmi, head of Egypt's air navigation services, said Egyptian officials had seen no sign of the plane making sharp turns, and that it had been visible at 37,000 feet until it disappeared. "Of course, we tried to call it more than once and it did not respond," he told Reuters. Relatives of the victims were giving DNA samples at a hotel near Cairo airport on Tuesday to help identify the body parts, their grief mixed with frustration. Amjad Haqi, an Iraqi man whose mother Najla was flying back from medical treatment in France, said the families were being kept in the dark and had not been formally told that any body parts had been recovered. "All they are concerned about is to find the black box and the debris of the plane. That's their problem, not mine," he said. "And then they come and talk to us about insurance and compensation. I don't care about compensation, all I care about is to find my mother and bury her." (Additional reporting by Amina Ismail, Haitham Ahmed, Ahmed Tolba and Ahmed Aboulenein in Cairo, Lefteris Papadimas in Athens and Idrees Ali in Washington; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Howard Goller)
Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant

Monsanto is playing hardball.

The agrochemical company has rejected a $62 billion takeover offer from the German pharmaceutical giant Bayer.

Bayer announced the unsolicited offer on Monday.

The $122-a-share offer was a 37% premium to Monsanto's share price before news broke of Bayer's interest.

Bayer CEO Werner Baumann on Monday said, "We fully expect a positive answer of the Monsanto board of directors."

Here is the statement from Monsanto:

Monsanto Company (MON) today announced that its Board of Directors unanimously views the Bayer AG proposal as incomplete and financially inadequate, but is open to continued and constructive conversations to assess whether a transaction in the best interest of Monsanto shareowners can be achieved.

"We believe in the substantial benefits an integrated strategy could provide to growers and broader society, and we have long respected Bayers business, said Hugh Grant, Monsanto Chairman and CEO. However, the current proposal significantly undervalues our company and also does not adequately address or provide reassurance for some of the potential financing and regulatory execution risks related to the acquisition.

There is no assurance that any transaction will be entered into or consummated, or on what terms. The Monsanto Board of Directors has not set a timeline for further discussions and Monsanto does not intend to make further comment at this time.

Morgan Stanley & Co. and Ducera Partners are acting as financial advisors, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is acting as legal advisor, to Monsanto.



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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / REVOLVER RESOURCES INC. (RZ.V) (the "Company" or "Revolver"). The Board of Directors of Revolver has agreed to appoint Mr. Dan Stuart as interim president to assist the Company in focusing its efforts on the emerging gold market and procuring financing for any upcoming opportunities.

With respect to Mr. Stuart's appointment, Barry Brown, director of Revolver stated: "We are grateful to have the opportunity to provide Mr. Stuart with a platform that we feel he can accelerate and utilize his experience in a new capacity."

Mr. Stuart is the Senior V.P. Western Canada of Aberdeen Gould Capital Markets Ltd located in Toronto. He is a successful financier in Canada's capital markets with over 20 years of experience and has raised over $100 million in funding for public and private corporations. He has a vast network of high net worth and institutional clients in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Mr. Stuart previously built substantial client businesses within two of Canada's largest independent brokerage firms.

The Company further announces that it intends to raise up to $450,000 on a non-brokered basis through the sale of up to 3,000,000 units at a price of $0.15 cents per unit. The units of the financing will comprise one common share and one share purchase warrant, which may be exercised for a period of five years at a price of $0.20 per share. The term of the warrants may be accelerated in the event that the Company's shares trade at or above a price of $0.25 per share for a period of 10 consecutive trading days. In such case of accelerated warrants, the Company may give notice, in writing or by way of news release, to the subscribers that the warrants will expire 30 days from the date of providing such notice.

A finder's fee may be paid to eligible finders in accordance with the TSX Venture Exchange policies. All securities issued pursuant to the offering will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of closing. The offerings and payment of finders' fees are both subject to approval by the TSX-V.



On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Barry Brown, Director

604-488-3900

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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including those identified by the expressions "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities, financings and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. 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 exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, continued availability of financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and 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, except as expressly required by applicable securities laws.

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.

SOURCE: Revolver Resources Inc.
Jake Tapper

For the second time in less than a month, Jake Tapper has used a CNN segment to clear up an unsubstantiated "falsehood" lobbed by Donald Trump.

Tapper on Tuesday discussed what he called "ridiculous and frankly shameful" comments Trump made to The Washington Post related to the death of White House aide Vince Foster.

Foster, an aide to President Bill Clinton, was determined to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound back in 1993, according to law-enforcement officials and a separate federal investigation. He was found to have suffered from depression.

But conspiracy theories surrounding Foster's death  suggesting the Clintons were somehow involved  have been the subject of internet rumors for years. Trump engaged on the subject during an interview with The Post last week.

"I don't bring [Foster] up because I don't know enough to really discuss it," Trump told The Post. "I will say there are people who continue to bring it up because they think it was absolutely a murder. I don't do that because I don't think it's fair."

Tapper brought up the fact that five separate investigations all came to the same conclusion  that Foster was not murdered.

"The notion that this was a murder is a fiction born of delusion and untethered to reality and contradicted by evidence reviewed in at least six investigations, one of them by Ken Starr, hardly a Bill Clinton defender," Tapper said during the segment.

"To say otherwise is ridiculous, and, frankly, shameful," Tapper continued, adding that his scrutiny of Trump's comments wasn't "pro-Clinton" or "anti-Trump" but "pro-truth."

The CNN host said Trump had "lent credence to a bizarre and unfounded conspiracy theory" and said the presumptive Republican nominee was right to say it wasn't fair to bring up the unfounded theory.

"You're right: It's not fair that you did that, certainly not to Mr. Foster's widow or their three children," he said.

Tapper held a similar segment earlier this month to correct the record on Trump's suggestion that Ted Cruz's father was somehow linked to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Trump based that claim off of a photo that appeared in a supermarket tabloid that attempted to link Cruz's father to Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Both Cruz and his father vehemently denied the uncorroborated and unfounded claim.

Story continues

Trump has stepped up his attacks on Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton in recent days, hitting her over some of the controversies from her husband's White House.

Watch Tapper's segment below:

A must must watch: @JakeTapper addresses Trump's comments about an "outrageous and long-ago-debunked falsehood" https://t.co/4hkReaDK5G  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 24, 2016

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Protesters broke out in the Gracia district of Barcelona on the evening of Monday, May 23, after the governments clearance of a squat. Demonstrators clashed with police, tore road signs and set fire to vehicles, according to La Vanguardia.

Activists had occupied the former CatalunyaCaixa bank building, dubbing it Banc Expropiat, since 2011. A judge in November 2015 ordered the eviction of the occupants from the premises, according to El Mundo. Credit: Instagram/ipe242
Three Secrets behind Applied Materials' Fiscal 2Q16 Charm

(Continued from Prior Part)

Revenue by geography

The graph below shows the transition of semiconductor manufacturing from developed economies of the US and Europe to Asian economies. Some of the biggest foundries such as TSMC (TSM) and Samsung (SSNLF) are located in Asia. In fiscal 2Q16, Applied Materials (AMAT) revenue was flat as strong growth in China and Southeast Asia was offset by declines in other countries.

Meanwhile, revenue from the US and Europe fell by more than 42% YoY (year-over-year) to $272 million and $97 million, respectively, in fiscal 2Q16. Surprisingly, revenue from Taiwan (EWT) fell by 32.5% YoY to $311 million. The earthquake in February 2016 might explain this decline.

In any case, China emerged as a strong market for AMAT with fiscal 2Q16 revenues rising 73% YoY to $752 million, accounting for 31% of the companys revenue. The revenue was driven by domestic and multinational companies investments in fabrication facilities, or fabs. Intel (INTC) and TSMC are building fabs in China.

Southeast Asia is emerging as a new market for AMAT, with revenues rising 163% YoY to $252 million, accounting for 10% of the companys fiscal 2Q16 revenue. This is because Micron Technology (MU) is ramping up its 3D NAND production at its Singapore plant.

New orders by geography

The new orders and revenues from Europe and the US moved in the opposite direction while in Asian countries, new orders and revenues moved in the same direction. In Europe, revenues declined by 42% YoY, but new orders rose by 48% YoY to $194 million in fiscal 2Q16. In the US, new orders rose by 5% YoY to $386 million, but revenues fell by more than 42% YoY in fiscal 2Q16.

Southeast Asia and China were the most aggressive in terms of new orders. New orders from China rose by 157% YoY to $903 million in fiscal 2Q16 while in Southeast Asia, new orders rose by 281% YoY to $392 million in fiscal 2Q16. New orders from Korea rose by 30% YoY to $792 million.

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AMATs key markets are thus shifting from developed economies to Asian economies. Now lets look at the companys product mix from different consumer markets.

Continue to Next Part

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full frontal abortion film samantha bee tbs

On Tuesday's "Full Frontal," host Samantha Bee explained how a strange film rallied the religious right against abortion.

Bee continued last week's history lesson about the rise of the religious right by introducing sci-fi filmmaker Frank Schaeffer.

"One of the things that I did, back in the day, when I was young, was help found, start, begin what became known as the pro-life movement," Schaeffer said in a video. "It is the single biggest regret of my life."

Schaeffer, the son of conservative theologian Francis Schaeffer, created a strange art/propaganda film against abortion titled "Whatever Happened to the Human Race?" It featured Schaeffer's father and C. Everett Coop, who would later become US Surgeon General during the Reagan administration, and strange elements taken from experimental film.

As Bee previously explained, it wasn't the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that mobilized evangelical Christians to become active in voting. It was earlier in the '70s when the IRS decided it would pull tax exemptions from segregated private schools. Specifically the evangelical school Bob Jones University became the focus of conservative Christians.

Proud of the movement they created, the leaders of the religious right were looking for other issues to continue the movement's momentum. This is when abortion was suggested and they latched on to it.

Bee joked, "Were they founding a movement or deciding what toppings to get on their pizza?"



First, they had to educate the evangelical masses by screening the anti-abortion film at churches across the nation. But the film was flopping.

"Abortion was that thing Catholics worried about. Most evangelical leaders didn't want anything to do with it," Schaeffer explained of the reluctance to get on the anti-abortion train.

But then Republican politician Jack Kemp got involved. He gave the issue credibility and rallied 50 congressmen and senators to see the film. It snowballed into the pro-life movement we're familiar with from there.

Story continues

Bee joked of the pro-life movement's history, "As Margaret Mead said, 'Never doubt that a cynical conference call and a fundamentalist faux-Fellini film festival can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.'"

Watch the segment below:

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By Sylvia Westall and Angus McDowall DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) - The participation of tens of thousands of young Saudis in a social media debate over plans to reform the kingdom's oil-reliant economy last month marked a shift in how Riyadh's conservative rulers interact with their subjects. Saudi Arabia's dynastic leaders, who rule by fiat and strictly limit public dissent, have historically courted public opinion only via informal councils with tribal, religious and business leaders or citizens seeking to petition them. But in one of the most active countries on social media in the Arab world, the ruling Al Saud have started trying to shape the online debate with carefully managed media campaigns and senior officials have been sacked after social media criticism. "It's a new focus for the government as it reaches out to a young Saudi population that is more likely to use social media," Saudi analyst and commentator Mohammed Alyahya said. "That's the most effective way to capture their attention." One recent showcase for this was the launch of 31-year-old Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform plans, which used Twitter alongside traditional media to build anticipation and introduce hashtags - key discussion phrases. "A strong and determined country with a connection between the government and the citizen," one of the slogans read. Some 190,000 Twitter users in Saudi Arabia actively took part in the ensuing debate over Vision 2030, generating more than 860,000 messages according to France-based social media monitor Semiocast. This meant the discussion reached 46 percent of the 7.4 million active Twitter users in the kingdom, Semiocast said, describing this level of outreach in a state-sponsored debate as exceptional. SOCIAL MEDIA STORMS There is good reason for the sensitivity: since 2012 social media storms in Saudi Arabia over government policies or the actions of senior officials have culminated in the sacking of senior people on at least five occasions. The level of participation means even ministers without social media accounts invest time and money monitoring what people say about them online, said Diya Murra, a Riyadh-based account director for social media agency The Online Project. "People are holding them accountable for things that are being done or not," he said. Social media use among the 21 million Saudis and roughly 10 million foreign residents of the kingdom cuts across political and religious lines: keenly followed social media users include both strict Muslim clerics and self-described liberals. In a country in which debate has traditionally been strictly regulated by state decree and cultural tradition, and in which gender mixing is often illegal, social media has allowed many young Saudis to interact in ways that were impossible before. Twitter is most popular among 18 to 24-year-olds in Saudi Arabia, followed closely by users in their late 20s to early 40s and its useage is split roughly between men and women, according to iMENA Digital, which serves clients in Saudi Arabia. It said photo-sharing site Instagram has become the leading channel among young Saudis, around three-quarters of them women. ONLINE DISSENT Speaking at a packed discussion about Twitter in an expensive Riyadh hotel last month, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the platform was not always an accurate barometer of public opinion, but that it could help track trends. "It is direct. There are no barriers," he told the largely young audience, who were segregated by gender. However, he and other Gulf Arab politicians speaking at the forum also said they were in favour of controls to prevent anonymous posting and of punishing users who broke taboos by criticising religion or calling to end monarchical rule. Rights groups have criticised Saudi Arabia and its neighbours for jailing some who voiced dissent online, including Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for a "cyber crime" of insulting Islam. He remains in prison 18 months after sentencing, but no more than 50 lashes were carried out. When asked about Badawi in May, Jubeir told a news conference the case was complicated and involved civil lawsuits that did not involve the government. On Monday, a Riyadh court sentenced a man to 80 lashes for Tweets that carried "insults to the country", as well as for drinking alcohol, Okaz daily reported. Diplomats in Riyadh say while the judiciary has given harsh sentences to online dissenters who drew the anger of hardliners, the police routinely ignore on social media far more severe criticism of senior people than was ever allowed before. The growing influence of social media became apparent in 2012 when the late King Abdullah sacked the religious police chief and replaced him with a relative progressive after a viral video showed members of the body harassing a family in a mall. CULTURE OF RESPECT In April 2014, as a deadly outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) swept Jeddah, anger over a perceived cover-up surged on social media and Abdullah sacked the health minister. Since King Salman came to power in January 2015, such sensitivity seems to have only amplified. Another health minister, Ahmed al-Khateeb, widely regarded as a protege of the king, was dismissed after footage of him shouting at a Saudi citizen during a heated argument was captured on a smartphone. Weeks later, Salman replaced his own head of royal protocol after he was caught on camera slapping a news cameraman covering the arrival of the Moroccan king in Riyadh. It is a far cry from the days before widespread internet use in Saudi Arabia, when discussion was limited to informal meetings or to newspapers and television channels that rarely held officials to account or criticised government policies. Still, a culture of public expressions of respect for government endures. More than a third of reactions to Vision 2030 on Twitter were positive, Semiocast said, adding the debate generated "patriotic pride" and expectations of progress. The debate had been closely coordinated over various media and driven by influential Saudi personalities young people were already connected to, The Online Project's Murra said. One was Omar Hussein, a young comedian popular on YouTube and with 1.5 million followers on Twitter. He promises in a video to explain the vision in three minutes. Filmed as a piece to camera it has been viewed more than a quarter of a million times. He is careful to explain the plan as a vision, with a more concrete blueprint coming later, something observers say is important for managing expectations about the ambitious goals. "The vision as it stands has very few concrete measurable outcomes to hold anyone accountable for," analyst Alyahya said. However, as programmes were developed to implement it, there would be performance indicators and ministers held responsible for meeting targets. (Additional reporting by William Maclean, editing by Peter Millership)
RIYADH (Reuters) - A man has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for killing six Westerners and a Saudi soldier in an al Qaeda attack in the city of Yanbu in 2004, local media reported on Tuesday. The shooting at Swiss engineering firm ABB Lummus Global and a subsequent police chase killed two Americans, two Britons, one Canadian, one Australian and one Saudi. Three of the four attackers also died. Reports in the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat and other media did not name the man but said he had assisted in the assault in Yanbu, an oil and petrochemicals hub on the Red Sea. At the time, the only surviving attacker was named as Saudi national Mustafa al-Ansari. The other three were all members of the same family. Reuters could not immediately contact the kingdom's Justice Ministry spokesman for comment on the case. Al Qaeda carried out a campaign of shootings and bombings against Western and state targets in the kingdom from 2003-2006, killing hundreds of people. Saudi Arabia subsequently stamped out the insurgency and has since sentenced hundreds of convicted militants to prison terms or death. It executed dozens of them on January 2. Human rights groups say Saudi Arabia's justice system is flawed and that its campaign against Islamist militants has also been used to suppress peaceful dissent. Saudi Arabia says its legal system is fair and independent. Since 2014, al Qaeda's ideological rival Islamic State has been staging attacks in the kingdom, killing dozens, resulting in hundreds of arrests. (Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Raissa Kasolowsky)
As Americans, we live in one of the richest nations on the planet, and yet 1 in 5 children struggles with hunger. We live in a country that's mastered innovation -- we were able to send a rolling robot to Mars and communicate with it from 250 million miles away -- and yet 15 million children in our own backyard live in food insecure households. Government officials are engaged in a "school food fight" over whether to gut existing regulations that limit junk food in schools and ensure hungry kids can get free meals. As a society, we often turn a blind eye to childhood poverty and hunger. We may be generally aware of these issues, but most of us never see what it does to children.

Hunger is a huge health problem in the U.S., and researchers and advocates tell us the impact goes well beyond a child's stomach. Childhood hunger affects a student's health, academic performance and behavior. Hungry children cannot learn as much, as fast or as well. They don't perform as well in school, because they are not well-prepared and cannot concentrate. Malnutrition can have a detrimental impact on a child's ability to grasp basic skills and diminishes concentration and overall learning potential. In addition, hunger can result in behavioral issues -- it can increase absences, tardiness and disciplinary actions -- and it's also associated with a higher risk of suspension among older students.

Taken together, the effects of childhood hunger increase the achievement and life expectancy gaps separating some low-income children from their peers, making this the social issue of our time.

[See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids' Health.]

There are numerous organizations working on hunger-related issues, including Share Our Strength, Feeding America, Stop Hunger Now, U.S. governmental programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, as well as food banks, faith-based organizations and local nongovernmental organizations.

In Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, we implemented a public/private partnership that works toward alleviating hunger for our most at-risk students and their families. Our program takes a two-pronged approach: We serve our preschool students breakfast and/or lunch during the school day, and we send them home with food for the weekend, which is also known as a "backpack" or "bag" program.

Our school district partnered with local food bank Community Food Share, the YMCA of Boulder Valley and local philanthropist Gordon Gamm to implement our backpack program. Currently running in four schools, this program prepares and delivers bags to approximately 250 children and their families every week. Our collaboration is not the first to implement a backpack program, but ours has some unique components. First of all, our school district administers the program. We work with Community Food Share on food procurement, with the YMCA on fundraising and distribution, and with all of the departments in the school district to procure, store, pack and distribute the bags.

[See: The 10 Best Diets for Healthy Eating.]

Additionally, where most backpack programs offer highly processed, shelf-stable foods only, fresh fruit and vegetables comprise at least 50 percent of the food our program provides -- and much of that produce is procured from local farmers. The shelf-stable products that are included in the bags meet the district's rigorous food and snack guidelines, so they're free of chemicals, dyes, high fructose corn syrup and the like.

To further support the students and families, our bags include "Harvest of the Month" cards that showcase the local produce and recipes to assist the families in utilizing the fresh food in their weekend meals. The inclusion of a high percentage of fresh food makes our program unique, and the "Harvest of the Month" cards and recipes help to support families cooking and eating together. On the first day of the program, one preschool parent sent us a picture in which she and her child were cooking dinner together. Not only was it too cute, but it was exactly the type of healthy food interaction that we hoped to instill.

[See: Dietary Guidelines Do-Over.]

Our backpack program is a success and we want to see it replicated in communities all across America. There are hungry children in every state, county and city in our country, and we believe that with public/private partnerships at a local level, we can help these food insecure children live long, healthy and active lives. With programs like these, we can begin to close both the achievement and life expectancy gap, and perhaps start to reform our food system as well. It should be a birthright in our country that every child has healthy food every day, and that no child is ever hungry. As we work together to make this a priority, backpack programs can and should be part of the solution.

Chef Ann Cooper is a celebrated author, chef, educator and enduring advocate for better food for all children. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Ann has been a chef for more than 30 years, over 15 of those in school food programs. She currently serves as the director of nutrition services for the Boulder Valley School District. Known as the Renegade Lunch Lady, Ann has been honored by The National Resources Defense Council, selected as a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow and awarded an honorary doctorate from SUNY Cobleskill for her work on sustainable agriculture. In 2009, Ann founded the nonprofit Chef Ann Foundation to focus on solutions to the school food crisis. CAF's pivotal project is The Lunch Box -- a web portal that provides free and accessible tools, recipes and community connections to support school food reform.
I want to follow up on something that jumped out at me from our collection of dress code rules: the ones justified as a way of preventing students from joining gangs (Olga noted that trend here). We werent allowed to wear any Dickies-brand clothing or backpacks, writes one reader who attended a Georgia public school in the early 2000s. They were considered a gang symbol. Another reader: Because one of the gangs had adopted Mickey Mouse as one of its symbols, we were not allowed to wear anything with Mickey Mouse on it.

This reader thinks school administrators invoke gangs as a catch-all for dress violations:

Everyone I knew who violated the dress code did so for almost exactly the same reason: wearing clothes that were too baggy or wearing something that was believed to be gang-affiliated. A particularly unusual example of this is when a star-student friend of mine came to school with a mohawk and had to get it shaved off. Some of the teachers believed it demonstrated some sort of gang affiliation, which it clearly did not.

Whether Dickies or Mickeys or mohawks are gang-related symbols remains an open question, but do dress codes actually help prevent students from joining gangs? I reached out to Professor Todd A. DeMitchell of the University of New Hampshire, who, along with University of Louisiana Professor Richard Fossey (the pair co-authored a book on dress codes and the First Amendment), emailed some thoughts. They begin with some historical context:

For nearly a century, student-dress codes and the litigation they have spawned have been important policy concerns for the public schools. One of the earliest legal battles was Pugsley v. Sellmeyer, a 1923 case out of Arkansas. In that dispute, Pearl Pugsley was disciplined for wearing talcum powder on her face in violation of a school policy prohibiting students from wearing transparent hosiery, face-paint, cosmetics, or immodest dress. The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the schools rule on the grounds that it was reasonable and not oppressive, but in later years, courts have sometimes sided with students in dress-code disputes.

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Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Scots must vote to keep Britain in the European Union or risk social rights protected by the EU being eroded under the "tender mercies" of post-Brexit London governments, a Scottish minister said on Tuesday. Visiting Brussels after last week being named Europe minister in the devolved Scottish government, Alasdair Allan told Reuters a British vote next month to leave the EU could jeopardise trade and labour rights cherished by Scots and would lead to new calls for independence. His remarks highlighted a leftward slant in Scottish politics - also a feature of Scotland's 2014 independence referendum - as well as expectations that Scots will vote heavily in favour of remaining in the EU. The 84 percent of the UK electorate living in England, where the referendum debate has split the governing Conservatives and prompted accusations of scare-mongering on both sides, is more evenly divided. Noting cross-party support in Scotland for staying in the EU, Allan said the Scottish National Party (SNP) of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - reappointed following elections to the Scottish parliament on May 5 - would stress the benefits of membership in campaigning for the June 23 referendum. It was not just about trade, but also "a range of rights that we've got from Europe that we couldn't be certain that Scotland would get if we were left to the tender mercies of the UK," Allan said. British Prime Minister David Cameron may have to quit if he loses his campaign to stay in the EU, but the eurosceptic right wing of his Conservative party would hold a powerful position in the British parliament, where the Labour opposition was weakened by a heavy loss of seats in Scotland last year to the SNP. SECOND REFERENDUM While reluctant to comment on how the Scottish government would react to a vote for Brexit, Allan restated that this would revive pressure for a new referendum on breaking up the United Kingdom less than two years after Scots rejected that by a 55-45 margin in what was billed as a "once in a generation" decision. "If Scotland is taken out of the European Union against the will of her people as expressed in the referendum that will certainly increase the pressure ...for independence in future," he said. He declined comment on the timing of a new secession vote. Asked whether EU leaders, who cold-shouldered Scotland's bid to secede in 2014, would be more willing to welcome an independent Scotland into the EU in the event of Brexit, he said "Scotland has friends around Europe" but it was premature to discuss it. Spain, Belgium and other states with secessionist opponents fear Scottish independence could set an unwelcome precedent. Allan declined comment on whether the Scottish government may consider a legal challenge to Brexit. Cameron rejected an SNP call for Scotland to have an effective veto in the matter. If Britain remains in the bloc, Allan said he would press for a greater direct Scottish role in EU affairs, for example during the six-month British presidency of EU ministerial councils starting in July 2017. With Scotland accounting for much of Britain's fishing industry, he said, a minister in the Scottish government might chair EU meetings on the issue. (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; @macdonaldrtr; editing by John Stonestreet)
On Tuesday, the Senate will vote on repealing a new rule aimed at protecting retirees from being preyed upon by financial brokers. President Barack Obama released the new rule in April, which requires brokers to operate with their clients best interest in mind. In the past, these brokers were allowed to recommend expensive or risky investments without thorough disclosure in order to generate kick-backs or higher fees for themselves.

Obama made the retiree protection rule a second-term priority, but the rule has been met with strong opposition from the financial industry and Republicans in Congress.

Brokers argue that the rule will be expensive for their business and force them to raise prices for the services they provide to retirees, ultimately making investment advice unaffordable to many Americans.

On April 28, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the new rule, and the Republican-controlled Senate needs only a simple majority vote on Tuesday to do the same.

Related Link: Your 401(K) Plan May Be More Expensive Than You Think

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has fought hard for more financial regulation since the Financial Crisis, said this week that Republicans voting to repeal the retirement advice protection rule want to make it "easier for giant Wall Street financial institutions to cheat Americans out of their retirement savings.

She went on to say that senators that vote to repeal the rule will likely have no problems soliciting campaign donations from the financial industry in the future.

For retirees worried about the impact of Tuesdays vote, its likely that President Obama will veto any bill that would strike down the new rule.

See more from Benzinga

 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted along party lines on Tuesday to repeal a new Labor Department rule on retirement advice after a debate that stretched over the course of the day. The resolution, approved by a vote of 56 to 41, is a largely symbolic move that President Barack Obama has already threatened to veto. The House of Representatives passed a similar version last month. Obama's administration in April released the rule setting a fiduciary standard for financial brokers who sell retirement products, requiring them to put clients' best interests ahead of their own bottom lines. Tuesday's arguments revolved around what is best for middle- and lower-income workers. Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, say the rule will be expensive for brokers and force them to get rid of Main Street clients and small businesses that offer 401(k) plans. They also say the rule does not take into account existing regulations on financial advice. Democrats say profit-hungry advisers have exploited middle- and lower-class workers by recommending retirement products that mostly serve to line their own pockets. Kicking off the debate, the most powerful Republican in the Senate, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, said blocking the rule would help "smaller savers." "I have sincere concerns about what this could mean for the ability of investment advisers to provide quality financial advice, but also for the ability of consumers to seek affordable retirement options," he said. Nevada's Harry Reid, the most powerful Democrat in the chamber, countered that there was nothing wrong with "a rule that would require investment advisers to act in the best interest of their investors." One Republican, Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, described the rule as "a solution in search of a problem," while fellow party member Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said "we should call this the 'Only the Rich Retire' rule." Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey said the rule would allow people to "retire with dignity" and without worries that an "adviser will exploit you." Fellow Democrat Patty Murray of Washington said: "Some financial advisers have lined their own pockets by steering clients toward complicated investments. Some have recommended that retirees make transactions that come with hidden fees. And some get commission when they sell a financial product, even if it doesn't make sense for a client," she said. "We finally have a new protection that would right that wrong." (Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Dan Grebler)
The United States Senate finally found something they can agree on: the guarantee of basic rights for sexual assault survivors. On Monday night, the Senate unanimously voted in favor of the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act, Refinery29 reported.

The bill passed the Senate today!!https://twitter.com/brendatracy24/status/734829026632572929 ...

Amanda Nguyen, a 24-year-old activist-slash-aspiring-astronaut, partnered with New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen to push the legislation in February. Herself a survivor of sexual assault, Nguyen and her civil rights nonprofit, Rise, are advocating for the legislation in hopes that it will fix the country's legal infrastructure, which, in the attempt to achieve justice, often punishes the victim.

"The hardest part [of discerning her rights as a survivor] was realizing that the system meant to protect and deliver justice is broken," Nguyen told the New York Times. "Navigating the broken system was worse than the rape itself. ... The deck is stacked so high against survivors."

Amanda Nguyen

But according to Nguyen, the Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights "will change that."

As New York magazine reported, Nguyen and Shaheen's bill pays special attention to the way rape kits are handled, stipulating they must be preserved until the statute of limitations on the case runs out. If and when a kit is destroyed, the prosecutor must notify the survivor in writing 60 days in advance. That way, survivors can request to put off the kit's expiration date.

Notably, survivors would be granted the right to be informed of the rape kit's results. It would also be illegal to charge a person for a kit.

Bill sponsor, New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

"The system failed Amanda, and so many other survivors across the country, but Congress can begin to reform it," Shaheen wrote in an April 29 Medium post. Rise's Change.org petition urging Congress to pass the bill has garnered over 100,000 signatures and will now move to a vote in the House of Representatives.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, the chamber's second-ranking Democrat, expressed deep reservations on Tuesday with a Puerto Rico debt relief bill being debated by a House of Representatives panel this week. "I want to see the final product. The initial draft, I have some real problems with it," the Illinois lawmaker told reporters. He added that some other Democrats had also expressed strong reservations with the measure. Durbin said he was concerned that the bill that could move through the House would cut the minimum wage and overtime pay for some Puerto Ricans and fail to increase federal payments for Medicare and Medicaid, the healthcare programs for the elderly, poor and disabled, on the island. He also said there were deep concerns whether bondholders ought to be able to be paid back in full under any debt restructuring plans that would be overseen by a newly created oversight board at a time when social services are being cut on the island. Lawmakers are trying to enact a bill to prevent further economic and social chaos in Puerto Rico, where the government faces a July 1 debt payment of $1.9 billion. The island, a territory of the United States, has a total debt of roughly $70 billion. The Republican chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee is hoping his panel votes by Wednesday to approve a Puerto Rico debt bill he negotiated with leading House Democrats and the Obama administration and send the measure to the full House for debate and passage. Durbin told reporters he heard strong opposition to the House bill during a meeting in Chicago on Monday with Puerto Rican community leaders. Durbin spoke following a weekly closed meeting of Democrats in which the Puerto Rico legislation was discussed. "There wasn't a single person (speaking) in support" of the bill during that meeting, he said. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Alan Crosby and Peter Cooney)
(Reuters) - Indian shares edged higher on Tuesday, posting their first gain in five sessions after well-received corporate results, including from Tata Power, offset worries the U.S. Federal Reserve would increase rates as early as June.

The broader NSE index rose 0.23 percent to close at 7,748.85, after falling as much as 0.2 percent earlier in the session. The index has lost 2 percent over the previous four sessions.

The benchmark BSE index ended up 0.3 percent at 25,305.47.

Tata Power rose 1.5 percent after its fourth-quarter consolidated net profit doubled to 3.6 billion rupees ($53.24 million), beating analysts' estimates.

(Reporting by Aastha Agnihotri in Bengaluru; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
By Kirstin Ridley

LONDON (Reuters) - The Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Britain's leading fraud and corruption investigator and prosecutor, said on Tuesday it was re-examining a funding model that has been criticised for risking weakening investigations and delaying cases.

So-called "blockbuster funding", under which the agency can request extra cash for costly cases directly from the government, was criticised in a report published on Tuesday by the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (CPSI), which reviews the effectiveness of the SFO's structures and governance.

The CPSI said such a model, which allows the SFO to shore up its staffing levels with external experts for big cases, could damage investigations, did not provide value for money and prevented the agency from building future expertise in-house.

It said that when it inspected the agency 21 percent of staff were not permanent employees.

"There is therefore an inherent lack of consistency in (SFO) teams, which becomes particularly problematic because of the lengthy nature of SFO investigations," the report said. "This disruption increases the risk of delay in cases and may weaken the investigative strategy going forward."

The CPSI report, which praised the SFO board for improving the reputation of the agency externally over the last four years, also suggested other reforms such as a smaller management board, appointing a chief executive, clearer reporting and delegation lines for committees and holistic risk management.

SFO head David Green said in an emailed statement that the agency was "giving new consideration" to a funding model he has said in the past is not perfect, but which "does the job".

He said the SFO was also carefully considering recommendations such as appointing a CEO or chief operating officer and changing the structure of the management board.

Legal experts have already criticised a funding model they argue could lead to political interference with cases that can concern influential blue-chip British companies. The SFO's current caseload includes investigations into Barclays, Rolls-Royce and GSK.

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The SFO operates on a core annual budget of around 35 million pounds, although extra cash injections to pay for costly cases have pushed that up to around 50 million pounds a year over the last few years.

Its biggest and costliest cases have included the investigation into the alleged manipulation of financial benchmarks such as Libor (London interbank offered rate), which to date has yielded one conviction and one guilty plea.

Five former Barclays traders are on trial at Southwark Crown Court and further trials of individuals accused of manipulating Euribor (euro interbank offered rate) are expected to begin next year.

(Reporting by Kirstin Ridley; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones has revealed the North American release date for his his autobiography, "Lonely Boy".

The book, written with music journalist Ben Thompson, is scheduled to hit shelves in North America on January 10, two months after its UK release.

The content of the book includes details of Jones' early childhood, through to his musical awakening by the likes of David Bowie and Roxy Music, and "self-imposed exiles" in New York and Los Angeles, where he worked through alcohol, heroin and sex addictions (via RollingStone).

It is also expected to contain background regarding his solo recordings (1987's Mercy and 1989's Fire and Gasoline), and his work as a record producer (Joan Jett's Bad Reputation, Buckcherry) and actor (Californication, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains).
New York (AFP) - Investors of ExxonMobil and Chevron vote at annual shareholder meetings Wednesday on whether the two oil giants should do more to address climate change following a historic global climate agreement.

Shareholder votes in Dallas, Texas, near ExxonMobil headquarters, and at Chevron's San Ramon, California, headquarters will be closely watched in light of the December agreement reached in Paris, in which nearly 200 governments pledged measures to cap global warming.

Environmentalists believe climate change may be at a tipping point for shareholders of Big Oil, who have enjoyed a reliable stream of dividend checks as the oil giants have racked up profits.

"We have a breakthrough this year," said Anne Simpson, director of investment at Calpers, the public employees retirement system for the state of California.

"We really have to step up and make sure that companies are in sync. They have to stop looking backward."

Under a proposal by New York state's retirement fund, ExxonMobil and Chevron would be directed to publish the results of an annual climate "stress test" of how changing public policies affect their assets and long-term business prospects.

A second proposal stipulates that the two oil companies should enact policies to ensure that global temperatures do not rise more than two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial level, as agreed in the Paris pact.

Environmentalists have called on the oil giants to champion renewable energy and stop producing fossil fuels, arguing in part that the long-term viability of oil will be undermined by climate mitigation policies.

Addressing climate change is "a real issue of financial risk," said Edward Mason, head of responsible investments at the Church of England.

"We hope that this vote will be the moment when shareholders give an unequivocal signal that, following the Paris agreement, the time for climate risk reporting has arrived."

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- Resistance from oil giants -

The oil giants, which have successfully beaten back shareholder proposals on climate change in prior years, argue the latest measures are unnecessary.

ExxonMobil says it has already built in stricter climate policies into economic planning and that progress is being made in part because of the company's investments in technology.

"It is equally essential that society manages the risk of climate change by increasing energy efficiency and by investing in research into technology solutions to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions," said Jeff Woodbury, vice president of investor relations at ExxonMobil.

"Our outlook by no means represents a 'business as usual' case and is generally consistent with other forecasting organizations, such as the International Energy Agency."

ExxonMobil has faced increased scrutiny over the last year following news investigations that accused the oil giant of waging a deceitful publicity war against climate science.

Chevron also said it is addressing climate change in its policies and that a stress test is based upon "the flawed premise" that tough policies will adversely affect all fossil fuel producers to the same extent.

"We believe that Chevron is a capable and efficient producer, well-positioned to compete in any supply-and-demand scenario," it said in its proxy statement.

The climate measures have won support from 50 large shareholders with more than $10 trillion in assets, said Andrew Logan of the environmental group Ceres, which is coordinating the campaigns against ExxonMobil and Chevron.

These include Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest; French banks BNP Paribas and Natixis; and insurers Axa and Aegon.

Also backing the measure are prestigious universities such as Harvard, Yale and Oxford, and shareholder advisory firms Investor Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis.

But crucial to the outcome will be the vote of big investment companies such as Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street, which hold hundreds of millions of shares in oil companies.

Bill McNabb, head of Vanguard, which owns about 6.5 percent of both ExxonMobil and Chevron, has said that shareholders are more likely to effect change by working with the company rather than trying to send a message with a vote.

But Pete Grannis, a deputy comptroller of New York state, said there may be victory even in defeat.

"Win or lose clearly the message is out there that there are number of investors that have concerns about this," he said.

The results of Wednesday's votes are not binding, but ExxonMobil and Chevron have said they will reexamine their policies if the climate measures garner more than 50 percent support.
On May 20, tourists on an Australian cruise witnessed an incredible but gruesome sight: approximately 70 tiger sharks tearing apart the carcass of a humpback whale in Shark Bay.

The tour company, Eco Abrolhos, encountered the bloody scene during the fourth day of a 14-day cruise, as the group traveled near Steep Point, Dirk Hartog Island, according to a post on the company's Facebook page. They used an aerial drone to capture footage of the carnage and shared the video on Facebook, showing scores of tiger sharks circling and ripping into the dead whale, as clouds of gore stained the turquoise water.

The sharks were described as having "a whale of a time."

In an earlier image that Eco Abrolhos shared on Facebook before posting the video, a group of sharks clustered around the whale carcass, close enough to the boat  and the photographer  that they appear no more than an arm's length away.

The video has accrued more than 850,000 views since it was shared on May 21.

Shark Bay is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site on the western coast of Australia. Its waters, islands and peninsulas cover approximately 5.4 million acres (2.2 million hectares) and host diverse communities of plants, amphibians, land mammals and marine life.

Shark Bay earned its name in 1699, after English explorer William Dampier visited the region and was deeply impressed by the number of sharks he observed there. He also pronounced those sharks to be delicious, according to Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife.

But in the May 21 video, it was whale that was on the menu. Increasingly, humpback whales and southern right whales have been using Shark Bay as a stopping point along their migratory routes, UNESCO explained in a site description. While the tour guides were unable to tell how the whale got there or describe the circumstances surrounding its death, the sight of the feeding frenzy likely will not be forgotten anytime soon  by the tourists who witnessed it firsthand, or by the hundreds of thousands of people who glimpsed it on video.

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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.
The murder trial of The Shield actor Michael Jace began Tuesday with the prosecution revealing a chilling line that Jace allegedly uttered while fatally shooting his wife.

During Tuesdays trial in Los Angeles, deputy district attorney Tannaz Mokayef told the court that the actor said to his wife, April Jace, You like to run so much, why dont you try running to heaven as he shot her, the New York Daily News reports.

According to Mokayef, Jace shot his wife three times, once in the back and twice in the legs, with the couples two sons in the house.

Also Read: 'The Shield' Star Michael Jace Pleads Not Guilty to Murder

Mokayef told the court that Michael Jace intended to shoot his wife because she wanted a divorce, describing the couples relationship as a really sad story of obsession and control.

During Tuesdays trial opener, Jaces attorney Jamon Hicks said that the actor takes responsibility for killing his wife, but the defense will focus heavily on the actor state of mind at the time, WRAL reports.

Jace was charged with murder in May 2014. He was arrested after calling the police to report that he had shot his wife. Police arrived to find the body of April Jace, who had been shot several times.

Jaces two young sons were also at the scene.

Also Read: DA Charges 'Shield' Actor Michael Jace With Murder (Updated)

The actor faces 50 years to life if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

Jace, 53, is best known for playing a police officer on the FX drama The Shield. His other credits include Southland, 2001s Planet of the Apes and Forrest Gump.

Related stories from TheWrap:

'The Shield' Star Michael Jace Pleads Not Guilty to Murder

DA Charges 'Shield' Actor Michael Jace With Murder (Updated)
Los Angeles (AFP) - US actor Michael Jace gunned down his wife in front of their children at their Los Angeles home after taunting her over her request for a divorce, a court heard.

April Jace was able to stagger away after being hit in the back, only for her husband to shoot her twice more, Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef told the trial in LA.

"You like to run so much. Why don't you try running to heaven?" Jace taunted his keep-fit enthusiast wife before shooting her in the legs, according to the prosecutor.

The 53-year-old, famous for his part in police drama "The Shield" and big-screen roles including in "Forrest Gump", faces 50 years in jail if convicted of murder over the 2014 shooting in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

His defense team doesn't dispute that he killed the victim but says data from her iPhone 5S could provide insights into his state of mind as he gunned her down.

Her smartphone does not have the robust security that prompted the FBI to demand Apple's help cracking a newer model during the investigation into the December 2015 San Bernardino mass shooting.

The jury heard that Jace believed his wife, a financial aid adviser, was having an affair and that she had asked for a divorce.

The couple's two sons were taken into protective custody after Jace was arrested in the early hours of May 19, 2014.

"What you will hear is a really sad story of obsession and control," Mokayef said, adding that the actor had "been out of work for a while" when the fight broke out.

"The defendant did not want her to leave, or the divorce," she said.

The two had exchanged text messages throughout the day, including one in which Jace said he was at a friend's house when he was actually "at home waiting with a loaded gun," Mokayef said.

Jace dialed 911 himself, the court was told, a few minutes after texting his father-in-law to say: "Come get the boys. I shot April."

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Defense attorney Jamon Hicks described the shooting as a "terrible, terrible, terrible tragedy."

"This case is not about who did it. We acknowledge it, we acknowledge responsibility. This case is about why it was done," he said.

Hicks told the jury text messages exchanged between the couple earlier in the day would provide a crucial insight into Jace's mindset and demonstrate that the killing was not premeditated.

The actor, who split from his previous wife, Jennifer Bitterman, in 2002, filed for bankruptcy in 2011, citing debts of more than $500,000, with neighbors reporting that he struggled to find work since the end of "The Shield".

Besides "Forrest Gump", Jace appeared in "Boogie Nights" and "Planet of the Apes".

The TV series "The Shield" followed a movie of the same name in which he played officer Julien Lowe.
Singapore (AFP) - Singapore's central bank on Tuesday said it was kicking out Switzerland's BSI Bank, which has been linked to a global money-laundering scandal that has embroiled neighbouring Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak.

In the toughest legal action so far in the crisis rocking Malaysian state fund 1MDB, Switzerland also disclosed it had launched criminal proceedings against the parent firm BSI SA for "deficiencies" in its internal organisation.

BSI Bank is the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector," Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), said in a statement.

MAS said it had asked state prosecutors to investigate six senior executives of BSI Bank for possible criminal offences and fined it Sg$ 13.3 million ($9.6 million) for 41 breaches of Singapore's laws against money laundering.

Among those facing investigation is former chief executive Hans Peter Brunner.

Two Singaporean executives of the bank are already facing criminal proceedings in the city-state, which is Southeast Asia's financial hub and hosts more than 200 banks.

BSI has been operating as a merchant bank in Singapore since November 2005, offering private banking services to wealthy individuals.

The last time Singapore stripped a merchant bank of its status was in 1984, when the local branch of Jardine Fleming was shut down for "serious lapses" in its advisory work.

Najib, who founded 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in 2009, has battled allegations that billions were looted from the investment vehicle in a vast campaign of fraud and embezzlement stretching from the Middle East to the Caymans.

- Denials -

The fund, which ran up more than $11 billion in debt in a series of much-questioned investments, has steadfastly denied money was stolen or that it was in financial trouble.

Najib also faced questions after the Wall Street Journal revealed $681 million in transfers to his personal bank accounts.

Story continues

But since the scandal erupted last year, Najib has weathered the allegations by curbing scrutiny by authorities, purging officials demanding accountability, and stifling media reporting.

He insists the $681 million was a gift from the Saudi royal family, most of which he returned. A Saudi official in April said that was true, but only after weeks of silence that cast doubt on the claim.

In a series of more recent reports, however, the newspaper said Malaysian investigation documents indicated more than $1 billion in 1MDB-linked money had been funnelled to Najib.

Najib and 1MDB vehemently deny that claim.

Najib has faced calls to resign but has tightened his grip on the ruling party and thwarted domestic investigations. His position is not seen as under imminent threat.

Singapore's MAS said it was "working closely" with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), which has already approved the sale of the BSI parent firm to another Swiss-based bank, EFG International.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland said Tuesday that it had opened criminal proceedings against BSI SA "based on information revealed by the criminal proceedings in the 1MDB case".

In Singapore, former BSI Bank relationship manager Yak Yew Chee is undergoing a criminal investigation for his dealings with a unit of 1MDB. His bank deposits have been frozen.

Separately, former BSI Bank wealth planner Yeo Jiawei, also a Singaporean, faces seven charges including forgery, money laundering, cheating and perverting the course of justice. He is in police custody and scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
By Anshuman Daga, Saeed Azhar and Joshua Franklin

SINGAPORE/ZURICH (Reuters) - Singapore closed down BSI's operations in the city-state, while Switzerland began criminal proceedings against the private bank, in the biggest international crackdown on financial entities dealing with a scandal-hit Malaysian government fund.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Tuesday it had withdrawn BSI Bank's status as a merchant bank in Singapore for serious breaches of anti-money laundering rules, the first time in 32 years it has taken such action against a bank.

In a statement that highlighted an "unacceptable risk culture," regulatory lapses and gross misconduct of some of BSI's staff, MAS said it was also reviewing transactions of other banks in Singapore. (ttp://bit.ly/1TtsyAw)

The central bank has referred five former executives of BSI Bank to the public prosecutor for possible criminal charges, including its previous Asia CEO, Hanspeter Brunner, and another suspended executive.

Brunner did not respond to a request for comment.

"BSI Bank is the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector," said Ravi Menon, managing director of MAS.

'STRONG SIGNAL'

The Singapore central bank's action was "a shot across the bow to the industry," said Chris Wilson, a partner at PwC Consulting, specializing in anti-money laundering and financial crime.

"This sends a strong signal to senior management of any institution out there that they could also face these issues," he said, adding that regulators in other countries may now review their own rules or step up enforcement.

MAS did not explicitly name 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)in its statement. But the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority or Finma said in Zurich that Swiss-based BSI AG had committed serious breaches of money laundering regulations through business relationships and transactions linked to the corruption scandals surrounding the Malaysian state investor.

Story continues

The fund, which was founded by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009 shortly after he came to office, is being investigated for money-laundering in at least six countries.

A Malaysian parliamentary committee in April identified at least $4.2 billion in irregular transactions by 1MDB. It recommended the fund's advisory board, which Najib chaired, be disbanded. Both 1MDB and Najib have denied any wrongdoing.

The Malaysian attorney general's office in January cleared Najib of any criminal offences or corruption, declaring that $681 million deposited into his personal bank account was a gift from Saudi Arabia's royal family.

The probes surrounding 1MDB have cast an unwelcome spotlight on Singapore, which is one of the world's leading wealth management centers and has been trying to burnish its anti-money laundering credentials.

SWISS ACTION

In Switzerland, Lugano-based BSI now faces a criminal investigation from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), while financial watchdog FINMA ordered it to fork over almost $100 million in profits.

The OAG suspects that internal BSI deficiencies meant it was unable to prevent suspected offences in a wider OAG investigation in connection to 1MDB.

Swiss authorities said in February a criminal investigation into 1MDB had revealed that about $4 billion appeared to have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies.

1MDB said in a statement on Tuesday it has not been contacted by any foreign authority.

The OAG investigation comes amid a takeover of BSI by Swiss rival EFG International AG <EFN.S>, which agreed in February to buy it from Brazil-based BTG Pactual <BBTG11.SA> for 1.33 billion Swiss francs ($1.34 billion).

FINMA said the deal could still go ahead on condition that 143-year-old BSI be fully integrated with EFG and then dissolved. BSI's assets in Singapore will be transferred to EFG, MAS said.

SEIZING PROFITS

FINMA also said it is seizing 95 million Swiss francs of profits from BSI and had launched enforcement proceedings against two of its former senior managers.

No BSI senior managers will be allowed to take similar positions at EFG, FINMA added.

"Management ignored clear warning signals and the system of controls failed," FINMA CEO Mark Branson told reporters, adding that other legal issues involving BSI left it little choice in its measures.

"Unfortunately, it is also not an isolated case... So we, like our colleagues in Singapore, had to come to the conclusion that the bank must be dissolved."

BSI responded to the OAG, FINMA and MAS measures by saying that group CEO Stefano Coduri had stepped down with immediate effect and that it had undertaken steps to strengthen management, including introducing a new chief risk officer and appointing a new group legal counsel.

"BSI acknowledges that these events are important steps with regard to the regulators to resolve legacy issues," it said in a statement, "and removing uncertainty for clients and staff in relation to 1MDB."

The actions in Singapore and Switzerland show both the transnational problem of money laundering and the trend for greater international regulatory collaboration, said Chrisol Correia, director of international anti-money laundering compliance at LexisNexis Risk Solutions .

"This will lead to new operational challenges as banks economic crime controls are updated and expanded," he said, adding customers will need to disclose more information "or find it difficult to continue to access the banking system".

(Reporting by Anshuman Daga and Saeed Azhar and Joshua Franklin in ZURICH Additional reporting by Oliver Hirt in ZURICH,Michelle Price in HONG KONG and Praveen Menon in KUALA LUMPUR)
When Sir Ian McKellen was growing up in Northern England in the 1930s, being gay wasn't just not discussed -- it was illegal.

The 76-year-old X-Men: Days of Future Past actor opens up about coming to terms with his sexuality and devoting his life to fighting for gay rights in the third season of the docuseries It Got Better -- the It Gets Better project-inspired series of intimate testimonials -- which launched on Tuesday on L/Studio, Lexus' digital content channel. In the revealing video, McKellen says the more tolerant attitude of today didn't exist when he was an adolescent.

The British actor says he knew he was gay since his early teens, and was bullied though he wasn't out yet.

PHOTOS: Celebrities Who Have Recently Come Out

"I wondered, lying on the ground ... with a lot of boys on top of me, laughing, whether they detected a difference in me which they found unnerving," he reflects.

McKellen says he knew his best friend, David, was also gay but didn't discuss it.

"That was the world we were living in -- we didn't talk about it because to accuse someone of being gay, or even to ask that question, it was thought to be the most insulting thing you could possibly say about them," he explains. "And if you did talk about it, you could be put in prison ... the language and attitude of today didn't exist."

Still, McKellen was honest about his sexuality to his inner circle, and had relationships with other men in college.

"I fell in love, then I had sex, and I sort of understood myself for the first time, and then went into the theater," he says.

McKellen at first didn't talk about his sexuality because he feared it would limit the roles he would get, but decided to publicly come out in 1988 after Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher introduced Section 28. The amendment said it would be illegal to "promote homosexuality" in any school in the country in order to protect children.

Story continues

"I was so appalled by this when I heard of it, I joined in groups vocally explaining why this was an unjust law," McKellen recalls, "and in a debate on BBC radio, I came out and said I was gay."

"Once you are honest about your sexuality, you will feel better about it," he now says about the monumental moment. "I felt better about my life because I was enjoying it."

These days, the actor couldn't be happier about his decision despite receiving death threats and "many insults" from public figures.

"My life totally changed for the better, my relationships with my family were better," he notes. "I was a better son. I was a better brother. I was a better uncle. I was a better friend ... everything was better."

McKellen isn't the only celebrity sharing his own story on coming out for L/Studio's series, which is executive produced by Dan Savage, Dan Bucatinsky, and Lisa Kudrow. Adam Lambert, Wanda Sykes and EJ Johnson are just a few of the stars talking about their own deeply personal experiences when it comes to being open about their sexuality.

WATCH: Best Bromance Ever! Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen Kiss at 'Mr. Holmes' Premiere

In former child star Raven-Symone's video, she says suppressing her sexuality "ate at" her soul.

Watch below:

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Taliban strike fallout. Has the White House given up on peace talks with the Taliban? The decision to kill Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in his Pakistani sanctuary signals, at the very least, that the Obama administration didnt think talks  which have been stalled since last July  were going anywhere, anyway.

FPs Dan De Luce and John Hudson write that the stakes for the administrations gamble in killing Mansour are high. The White House hopes the strike will inflict a lasting blow on the Taliban, undercutting the groups capacity to carry out attacks, sapping morale and disrupting long-term planning, akin to the raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, which had a debilitating effect on the terrorist groups ability to carry out overseas attacks. But it could wind up prolonging the war by permanently fracturing the insurgency and complicating any attempt at a political settlement.

Meanwhile, it shouldnt come as much of a surprise to learn that the Pentagon wants more authority to strike the Taliban during their upcoming summer offensives.

Quotable, Pt. I: A good summation of the strike, and its potential effect on U.S./Pakistani relations: The administration is no longer worried about blowing up anything, said Vali Nasr, a former State Department official. This is literally carrying out an operation, not against an Arab terrorist leader, but against a Pashtun ally of Pakistan, inside Pakistani territory.

Obama in Asia. President Barack Obamas visit to Vietnam this week is the presidents last chance to convince allies old and new that the U.S. has their back in disputes with China. But trouble lies ahead. As Obamas time in office winds down, Asian nations are deeply skeptical about how much they can rely on Washingtons commitment and staying power in the region. They sense that for the first time in memory, Americans are questioning whether their economic and defense interests in Asia are really that vital.

Story continues

Fallujah, Take 3. Or, where in the world is Qassem Soleimani? The Long War Journal flags a pic of the well-traveled Iranian military leader conferring with Iraqi Shiite leaders near Fallujah. As these things happen, the picture was posted on the Facebook page of Iraqi Shiite militia Harakat al-Nujaba. Washington has designated the militias leader, Akram al-Kaabi, a terrorist. Also making appearances in the photo are Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, another U.S. designated terrorist who leads Kataib Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Units, a collection of mostly Shiite militia groups fighting alongside the Iraqi army. And of course theres Hadi al-Amiri, the leader of the Iran-backed Badr Organization and member of the Iraqi parliament.

The fight for Fallujah. Meanwhile, Iraqi forces continue to bombard the Sunni city, which ISIS has held since January 2014. The Pentagon says, however, that U.S. military advisors wont be joining them on the ground, even if American aircraft will support the offensive through airstrikes.

Dont forget: SitRep is in sunny Tampa, Fla. this week for the annual SOFIC Special Operations conference. Well be attending a series of panels and meetings with the Pentagons top generals and admirals running Washingtons secretive wars and advising missions around the globe. Tuesdays schedule kicks off with remarks by Gen. Raymond Thomas III, the newly installed commander of the Special Operations Command. Were going to tweet out as much as possible over at @paulmcleary, and if you have any suggestions, or requests, the line is always open: paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com.

Quotable, Pt. II: Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald probably wishes he could take another shot at comments he made Monday morning at a media breakfast where he downplayed the wait times for vets at clinics  by comparing it to Disneyland. The days to an appointment is really not what we should be measuring. What we should be measuring is the veterans satisfaction, he said. When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Whats important is whats your satisfaction with the experience.

Thanks for clicking on through as we work through another week of SitRep. As always, if you have any thoughts, announcements, tips, or national security-related events to share, please pass them along to SitRep HQ. Best way is to send them to: paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or on Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley

Whos where when

2:30 p.m. Former Pentagon comptroller Robert Hale speaks at The Stimson Center at the rollout of their new report, Defense Divided: Overcoming the Challenges of Overseas Contingency Operations. The event comes just days after the House voted to shift $18 billion from OCO  a budgetary move that Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, raids war funds in a time of war. The Senate considers its version of the defense policy bill this week.

South China Sea

China is working on a new base in the South China Sea that will act as the home port for an advanced new rescue ship capable of carrying drones and underwater robots, which will deploy later this year. The base is being built under the guidance of the South China Sea Rescue Bureau, which gives the base some civilian pedigree, but that will probably matter little to Chinas neighbors who also have staked out claims in the region. No word yet exactly where ship will be based, but China has carried out land reclamation and construction on several islands in the Spratly Archipelago, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Russia

Russia has summoned a U.S. official to complain about what it says was a risky move by an Air Force spy plane. The incident in question involved a U.S. Air Force RC-135 flying in the Sea of Japan on Sunday, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Russias defense ministry claims that the plane switched off its transponder while flying at a height used by civilian airlines, risking a potential collision. The alleged incident follows a tense encounter over the Baltics in April involving a Russian fighter jet and another Air Force RC-135 spy plane. The Pentagon accused the Russian jet of performing a dangerous barrel roll over top of the aircraft.

Canada

Canadas military wants to carry out more operations in the Arctic and build out a logistics infrastructure to support them, Defense News reports. The military wants to expand an existing training facility in Resolute Bay to stash enough extra equipment so that it can support operations all year long. Canadian Forces also want to establish northern operations hubs throughout the Arctic that would provide on-demand support for operations for up to a month. Canadas interest in the Arctic has grown as climate change has opened up access to new waterways and mineral and energy deposits.

Islamic State

The stats on the Islamic States declining territorial control, foreign fighters, and finances may look good to the U.S.-backed coalition, but dont count the jihadist group out just yet, warns Rand analyst Colin P. Clarke. Clarke writes that the group has withstood lean years before, such as when the U.S.-backed Anbar Awakening deprived it of allies and territory back in the groups al Qaeda days. In the event of further losses, he argues, ISIS could carry on its mission either by telling would-be foreign fighters to stay home at carry out attacks there, or send its current ranks already in the caliphate abroad to stir up trouble around the world.

Afghanistan

Who, if anyone, will take over the leadership of the Taliban in the after the killing of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour? NBC News takes a look at the candidates and finds four potential emirs in waiting. The candidates include two famous sons: Sarjuddin Haqqani, scion of the powerful Haqqani clan and the son of famed 1980s Afghanistan warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of the deceased former Taliban emir, Mullah Omar. Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir and Mullah Sherin could also ascend to the groups top spot.

Syria

Four bombs struck in the heart of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads support base in Tartus and Latakia provinces on Monday, with state news citing the tally of the dead at 78. A car bomb and suicide bomber hit a bus station in Tartus, and the Amaq News Agency, a jihadist media outlet affiliated with the Islamic State, said the group claimed credit for the attack. According to Amaq, the Islamic State targeted members of the minority Alawite sect, to which President Assad belongs.

The visit of U.S. Central Command boss General Joseph Votel with Kurdish anti-Islamic State fighters isnt going down well with Arab Syrian rebels, according to Voice of America (VOA). Votel made a brief, secret trip to Syria on Saturday to speak with the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, which the U.S. has supported as a proxy against the Islamic State. Rebels VOA spoke to interpreted Votels visit as a snub to the U.S.-backed Arab groups looking to topple the Assad regime. Over the past few months, theyve clashed with Kurdish groups supported by the U.S. and they say theyre concerned about deepening ethnic conflict and what they say is anemic U.S. support.

Defense Department

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has released a report highly critical of the U.S. militarys handling of sexual assault cases, in spite of a push to change how the services approaches such crimes. According to the Hill, Gillibrands report says sexual assault remains pervasive within the military, and that more reform is needed to ensure that survivors receive justice and perpetrators are punished. The report singles out a troubling command culture among military brass that leads to cases being closed instead of receiving thorough investigations.

Photo Credit: Farida Amini/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
From Esquire

The shebeen is closed temporarily on the general subject of the Democratic presidential nominating horse race. The two candidates are so close on 90 percent of the issues that, as they say around the backstretch, you can't shine a flashlight between them. The other 10 percent of the issues are made up of an unstable compound of butthurt and outrage that has exploded the whole thing into uncharted and fantastical political realms and I choose not to vacation in any of them.

One thing I will talk about is how to keep the legitimate populist concerns of the Sanders campaign alive.

And, no, I don't want to talk about it.

But one thing I will talk about is how to keep the legitimate populist concerns of the Sanders campaign alive and thriving within the Democratic Party absent the candidate himself. This is to prevent a repeat of what happened between 1982 and 1990, when the Democratic Party handed itself over so thoroughly to the money power that it made the current unpleasantness completely unavoidable. The way to do this is for the Sanders campaign to repurpose itself to the task of getting people who share its policy ideas and political philosophies elected at every level of the party and every level of government.

That's why I think the smartest thing Sanders has done in the past two months is to come out and clearly support Tim Canova, the progressive candidate who is running against Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the mysteriously still-employed chairman of the Democratic National Committee, in a Democratic congressional primary in Florida. And, as ABC News has found, Sanders has jumped into this race with both feet.

"We're doing this because it is too late for establishment politics and establishment economics," Sanders wrote in the joint fundraising appeal, which had the subject line "Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz." "We need real change. We need U.S. Senators, members of Congress and state legislators who have the guts to take on the big money interests whose greed is destroying the American middle class." Canova, a longtime progressive who opposes Wasserman Schultz's support of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, welcomed Sanders' support in a statement Saturday. "Like Senator Sanders, I'm running a campaign that's truly backed by the people, not big corporations-one that stands up to Wall Street interests instead of cozying up to them. Together, I feel confident that our campaign of nurses, teachers, students, seniors and working class Floridians can work together to demand accountability from our leaders, and offer a more positive path forward to the people of Florida's 23rd district," Canova said in a statement.

Story continues

It's hard to argue that DWS doesn't deserve a primary. From her support of the vampiric payday loan industry, to her sub rosa support for her Republican colleagues in Florida, to her abysmal performance as DNC chair, she's infuriated sufficient numbers of Democrats to warrant Canova's opposition. The fundamental questions being contested in this year's Democratic primaries has remained unchanged since Bernie Sanders got up on the shores of Lake Champlain and announced that he was running.

Is the institutional Democratic Party capable of being the party opposed to the dangerous increase in the money power in the country?

And is it the vehicle through which our politics can litigate and punish the crimes that nearly destroyed the national economy?

Those questions are still open ones. The Canova campaign is one of the very first campaigns in the country to try and answer those questions at the polls. This is what the Clinton people have said Sanders should do, now that his chances of being the party's presidential nominee are barely even a shadow.

Here it is, then. Have fun.

Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page.
Snapchat Stories

Snapchat's massive valuation appears to be growing even bigger.

Sources have told TechCrunch that Snapchat is expanding its Fidelity-led $175 million Series F round into a Series FP round, and it reportedly comes with a valuation around $20 billion.

VC data provider VCexperts have pegged Snapchat's share price at $30.72 per share, and that the new round could propel Snapchat to a valuation "as high as $22.7 billion," according to TechCrunch.

In addition to Fidelity, Alibaba, Coatue Management, General Catalyst, IVP, Kingdom Holding Company, Lightspeed, SV Angel, Tencent, and Yahoo are all investors in Snapchat, and many of them appear to be interested in participating in this new funding round, according to the report.

Snapchat has been making moves, most recently purchasing the custom emoji creation tool Bitstrips back in March, and improving its core functionality. Coupling those with the fact that Snapchat is more popular than ever, it's no surprise why investors both new and old are trying to get a bigger piece of the action.

Below is the copy of Snapchat's updated Certificate of Incorporation VCExperts provided to TechCrunch.

VCExperts Snapchat COI 05132016 by TechCrunch

NOW WATCH: Bumble founder: Men should stop putting these 4 things in their profiles





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On May 23, 2016, we issued an updated research report on Sonoco Products Co. SON, a global manufacturer of consumer and industrial packaging products.



Sonoco reported adjusted earnings of 65 cents per share in first-quarter 2016, up 35% year over year. It was a record performance with each business segment reporting solid year-over-year improvement. This included historical performances in its targeted growth segments  Consumer Packaging and Protective Solutions.



Given such a strong start to 2016 despite headwinds from a strong U.S. dollar and generally flat-to-weak economic conditions, Sonoco reiterated its earnings per share guidance in the range of $2.64 to $2.74. Compared to prior-year results, the guidance reflects an expected benefit of approximately 7 cents per share from lower pension expense. Sonoco remains focused on further improving its cost competitiveness by optimizing its supply chain, enhancing productivity, and streamlining corporate and business unit structures.



Sonoco also remains committed to its Grow and Optimize strategy, which is focused on targeted growth of its Consumer Packaging and Protective Solutions businesses and optimization of its Industrial-focused businesses. The company will also launch several innovative products in 2016, as it continues to work closely with customers through its i6 Innovation Process, utilizing the full capability of the recently opened IPS Studio in Hartsville. According to the company, there are ample opportunities that would accelerate growth and optimize its customers operations in Europe.



Sonoco has capital growth projects in the pipeline through 2017 that will help expand its global production capability in composite cans, flexible packaging and rigid plastic containers. In consumer packaging, Sonoco will add more capacity to its new composite can plant in Kutno, Poland. The introduction of a third line to this facility is in the pipeline for this year and Sonoco plans to add a fourth by mid 2017. The ramp-up of the Kuala Lumpur plant in Malaysia is also on track, delivering profits despite start-up costs. The company plans to add a new composite can line at its new plant in Shanghai, China, and follow it up with the development of a second new plant in South China in the next two years.



Sonoco plans to develop a new rigid paper product technology engineered by its European rigid packaging operations for commercial development at its West Chicago, IL, can plant. In the flexible packaging business, Sonoco completed the installation and began operating a triplex laminator at its Morristown, TE plant. A new rotogravure press for its Waco, TX facility is also on schedule and will start trials this July. Sonoco also added a new portion control and food tray capacity in its thermoforming operations and expanded the capacity of its Beauty Park, OH blow-molding facility in rigid plastics to meet customer demand.



These positives have been reflected in the northward movement of the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sonoco over the past 30 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the second quarter has gone up 4% to 71 cents and for 2016 it has gone up 1% to $2.70.



Other Stocks to Consider



At present, Sonoco carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Some other stocks worth considering in the same industry include Avery Dennison Corporation AVY, Berry Plastics Group, Inc. BERY and Crown Holdings Inc. CCK. All of these stocks carry the same Zacks Rank as Sonoco.



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A judge ruled Tuesday that Bill Cosbys trial on charges of sexual assault can go forward despite his lawyers attempts to have the charges against the entertainer dismissed.

The 78-year-old actor could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted in the case brought in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, by Andrea Constand, one of his many accusers. She says Cosby sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious.

The allegations stem from a 2005 police report by Constand, who at the time worked for Temple University and who Cosby mentored. The Associated Press reported that Constand told police Cosby violated her as she:

 drifted in and out of consciousness soon after he gave her three blue pills in 2004. She said she had told Cosby she "trusted" him when he gave her the pills and told her it was herbal medication.

Cosby was charged in December with drugging and sexually assaulting the woman. Cosbys lawyers have questioned why she continued to see Cosby even after the alleged assault, and why it took a year for her to file a report.

Recommended: A Shocking Find In a Neanderthal Cave In France

Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, but as of now, Constands is the only case in which he faces criminal charges. She was not in the court Tuesday. Instead, an officer read her 2005 statement to the judge. The report came from a civil suit brought by Constand in 2006, and Cosbys lawyers have argued that he spoke with police at the time with the understanding that his testimony would not be used against him in a criminal case. The judge dismissed that argument in February.

That was the decision that led to Tuesdays ruling. The judge set an arraignment date for July 20, but Cosby waived his right to appear, which sets the case on a path for trial.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A team from credit rating Standard & Poor's visited South Africa last week for meetings, the Treasury said, ahead of a review due to be published on June 3 which could see the country's debt rating cut to junk. South African officials also spoke to Fitch Ratings by phone, National Treasury spokeswoman Phumza Macanda said. Fitch has not given a date for its next rating decision. S&P rates the debt of Africa's most industrialised country at BBB-, one notch above speculative grade and with a negative outlook, while Fitch assigns a similar rating after a downgrade in December. Seen by numerous analysts as the most likely to push South Africa to "junk" status, S&P said earlier in May that the weak economy posed an immediate risk to the rating. "S&P's was here last week and concluded all their meetings ... They met with government, labour representatives, some political leaders and some business leaders as well," Macanda said in an emailed response late on Monday. A cut to below investment grade would push up South Africa's borrowing costs. Last week, the central bank cut its 2016 growth forecast to 0.6 percent from 0.8 percent, reflecting the risk the economy will tip into recession. Major sectors are already in decline. "While we pray and hope for a reprieve it would be sensible and pragmatic for any business person and anyone engaged in the economy to anticipate the worst," Standard Bank chief economist Goolam Ballim said. Fitch said after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan unveiled his budget in February that it saw a number of implementation risks to his plan to cut spending and lower debt. The other major rating agency, Moody's, kept South Africa's rating on hold at Baa2 with a negative outlook, two notches above junk, on May 6. Government officials said afterwards that they do not expect South Africa's rating to be downgraded by S&P or Fitch. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by James Macharia and Catherine Evans)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African President Jacob Zuma is appealing against a court ruling that corruption charges against him should be reinstated, his office said. "The President believes that the decision of the Court affects him directly and is of a strong view that the Court erred in several respects in its decision," it said in a statement released late on Monday. The Pretoria High Court last month ordered a review of a 2009 decision by the National Prosecuting Authority to set aside hundreds of charges against Zuma, terming it "irrational". Zuma's office said the court made a mistake in saying the National Director of Public Prosecutions was not entitled to terminate a prosecution on the basis of misconduct and abuse of the process. "President Zuma believes that the appeal raises important issues of law and fact and also believes that the appeal has reasonable prospects of success," the Presidency said. The National Prosecuting Authority said earlier on Monday it would also appeal the Pretoria court ruling, which could have lead to 783 corruption charges being reinstated against Zuma. (Reporting by TJ Strydom; Editing by Ed Cropley)
By Magdalena Mis LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Tens of thousands of people in western South Sudan have been forced to flee killings, gang-rape, torture and other abuses by government soldiers, leaving entire neighborhoods empty, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. It said South Sudanese soldiers were "getting away with murder" and called for the government to halt abuses and support the creation of a war crimes court to investigate and prosecute perpetrators. Attacks on Fertit civilians in and around the town of Wau in the Western Bahr el Ghazal region surged in December following a deployment of soldiers from the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) to the region, HRW said, adding that most were from the Dinka ethnic group. The soldiers looted and burned down homes and unlawfully detained Fertit men, HRW said. The abuses continued into the spring despite the local authorities reporting the attacks to the army and government officials, it added. "With all eyes on the new national unity government in Juba, government soldiers have been literally getting away with murder in the country's western regions," HRW's Africa director Daniel Bekele said in a statement. The rights group said the SPLA had denied the accusations in a letter received this month. Residents reported that soldiers were moved out of positions in and around Wau in early May, HRW added. A spokesman for the South Sudan government was not immediately available for comment. Fighting erupted in the country in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir sacked his first vice president Riek Machar, triggering ethnically charged clashes that the United Nations says have killed thousands and forced more than 2.3 million to flee. Under pressure from the United States, the United Nations and other powers, both sides signed a peace deal in August, but it broke down repeatedly. Kiir named a new "national unity" cabinet in late April, including former rebels and members of the opposition, after Machar returned to Juba and regained his old job. GANG-RAPE HRW researchers who visited Wau in April said several Fertit neighborhoods remained largely empty. "They collected our things and burned our houses," a 42-year-old man told HRW, describing an attack by some 30 soldiers on Ngumba village. "Those who resisted or could not move were killed. My grandmother tried to flee and was shot just outside the hut." In one attack a man was forced to watch as soldiers gang-raped his 60-year old aunt. "The soldiers asked the nephew if it was good or bad what they were doing to the auntie and he was forced to say it was good," the woman's niece told HRW. "They took turns raping her and then left and she had to struggle to get to the main road." Kiir sent a fact-finding commission to Wau in March but no report has yet been submitted, HRW said. The rights group said it had recorded cases of torture by soldiers and at least six reports of enforced disappearances. HRW said there was a history of tension between the Fertit - a collection of ethnic groups - and the Dinka, cattle herders who have migrated to Wau from neighboring areas. (Reporting by Magdalena Mis, editing by Emma Batha. Please credit Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
SRK-Gauri Head Back from London Post Aryans Graduation & Suhanas BDay! SRK-Gauri Head Back from London Post Aryans Graduation & Suhanas BDay!

It was a dual celebration for SRK-Gauri Khan last weekend. While their elder son Aryan graduated from high-school, their younger daughter Suhana ringed in her 16th birthday. The loving parents were in London to celebrate the special moments with their kids.

On their way back, a fan clicked a few pictures of SRK-Gauri at the London station. What made us smile was, unlike the superstar tag, Khan was busy taking care of his luggage. Also, can be seen in pics is Gauri(back). The actor also helped to tow out his bags from the car.

Now thats the mark of a true superstar.

We Like!
Hedge fund mogul Steven Cohen is cutting out the middleman to recruit top talent for his firm, Point72 Asset Management. Friday, the fund launched its inaugural Sophomore Summit to introduce an elite group of 20 college sophomores to the business of stock picking.



The summit is the first step in a new approach to training asset managers. After successfully completing a summer internship and earning an undergraduate degree, entrants into Point72s hedge fund university go through an intensive 15-month program. At the firms Stamford, Connecticut, headquarters, the small class learns to develop and implement investment ideas, working with veteran traders at the firm.

Source: Point72







The program cuts down the time a college graduate spends learning to become a portfolio manager. The typical career path toward attaining the coveted position requires a two-year stint at an investment bank. The problem is that Wall Street is having a tough time competing with Silicon Valley for the best and brightestso much so that Cohen recently said, Frankly, Im blown away by the lack of talent.

Wall Street and Silicon Valley are in a war for talent

With the rise of electronic trading in the early 2000s, Wall Street was able to attract top programmers and physicists. Hedge funds and brokers trained them to code lucrative, high-frequency trading algorithms. But with the second tech boom in full swing, the tables have turned, and Silicon Valley is luring elite graduates away from Wall Street. In addition, most hedge funds have underperformed the S&P 500 every year since the financial crisis and face increasing competition from strategy-based ETFs.



Fridays summit was a success for both the students and Point72. The firms president, Doug Haynes said, The caliber of candidates was extremely impressive. We struck gold." Jonathan Jones, Head of Talent Development agreed, saying, The participants were engaged and asked incredibly insightful questions. This was a talented group. According to a survey completed after the summit, all of the 20 students said they are more likely to consider a role at Point72 as a result of the experience.

Three things to prepare for a hedge fund career



Point72s screening criteria are extremely stringent, with the average student boasting a GPA of 3.8 and an SAT score of 2280. The firm accepted only 5% of the 379 applicants this year, but it does not discriminate based on major. One student said of the experience, I felt very well prepared for the event. Even though I did not have a finance background, I never felt overwhelmed.



Despite the tight entrance standards, Jones says there are three things a budding hedgie can do to get a leg up. He says prospective portfolio managers should read some of the numerous books about trading and investment, join an investment club (or start one if there isnt one in the area), and also open a personal trading account to wade into the markets. For those without the funds, Jones says, Even if you dont have any money lying around to do that, you can open a paper portfolio.
* Erosion of Swiss banking secrecy means loss of business

* BSI and others look to riskier Asia in hunt for wealth to manage

* FINMA has opened enforcement proceedings against six other banks

By Joshua Franklin, Saeed Azhar and Anshuman Daga

ZURICH/SINGAPORE, May 24 (Reuters) - Regulators' closure of the Swiss BSI bank's Asian outpost for failing in its duty to prevent money-laundering has highlighted the risks of hunting wealthy clients farther afield as Swiss banks' traditional line in hiding money from foreign tax men is choked off.

The Swiss banking watchdog FINMA has already opened enforcement proceedings against no fewer than six other unnamed Swiss banks in relation to either the Malaysian fund that tripped up BSI or a separate scandal involving Brazil's state-controlled oil producer, Petrobras.

"We've made clear over recent years and months that we see money-laundering risk as having risen in our country," FINMA Chief Executive Mark Branson told reporters.

"We're concerned that not all organisations have matched their control processes to this increased risk."

The head of Singapore's central bank accused BSI of the "worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct" ever seen in the city-state's financial sector for its dealings with the scandal-hit Malaysian government fund 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

LOOKING FOR WEALTH

In recent years, Swiss banks have paid billions of dollars in fines as global prosecutors, led by the United States, chipped away at the secrecy that for decades enabled the world's wealthy to keep their cash in Switzerland, out of sight of the tax man.

Faced with the prospect of a sharp decline in their wealth management business at home, and an economic slowdown in Europe, BSI and other Swiss private banks expanded rapidly into Asia, where economies - and the number of ultra-rich individuals - were growing much faster.

In 2009, BSI made clear its intentions by hiring around 100 Asian-based bankers from its rival RBS Coutts.

Story continues

What BSI and perhaps others failed to take account of was the higher prevalence of corruption in the region, and the greater difficulty of making compliance checks.

"You end up kicking out clients who suddenly are unacceptable because of tax issues, but you replace them with clients who are far worse," said Carlo Lombardini, a banking lawyer and professor of banking law at the University of Lausanne. "They have no tax issues but have corruption issues."

As well as courting wealthy individuals, BSI took on a group of state-owned wealth funds as clients, including 1MDB. They became, according to FINMA, its most profitable client group, paying fees well above the norm.

The wheels began to come off last year when Singaporean and Swiss regulators began questioning transactions linked to 1MDB.

FINMA said BSI had repeatedly missed red flags in various transfers involving 1MDB over several years, and failed to double-check potentially suspect transactions, including a deposit of $20 million described by the client as a "gift".

1MDB is now at the centre of a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal, and its transactions have triggered investigations on three continents.

ILLEGAL EARNINGS

While Singapore shut down BSI's branch there, FINMA confiscated 95 million Swiss francs ($96 million) that it said BSI had earned illegally through suspect transactions.

BSI's chief executive, Stefano Coduri, resigned and the bank said it would, among other measures, appoint a new chief risk officer and group legal counsel.

"BSI acknowledges that these events are important steps with regard to the regulators to resolve legacy issues and removing uncertainty for clients and staff in relation to 1MDB," it said in a statement.

More than a dozen executives who were associated with the 1MDB account or related accounts have left BSI over the past year, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters - something on which BSI declined to comment.

1MDB for its part said on Tuesday that it had not been contacted by any foreign authority after the Singapore and Swiss actions.

For now, 143-year-old BSI's ongoing business, with total client assets of 84.3 billion Swiss francs at the end of 2015, will be salvaged through an already-agreed takeover by its Swiss peer EFG International.

Swiss regulators said the deal could still go ahead on condition that BSI, currently owned by Brazil's BTG Pactual , was fully integrated into EFG and then dissolved.

But Bradley Birkenfeld, an American whistleblower in a breakthrough tax fraud case against UBS who later won a $104 million reward from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, said it had taken too long to bring the issue into focus.

"If you don't fix a problem, it will fester," he said. "And this is exactly what we have now." ($1 = 0.9925 Swiss francs) (Editing by Kevin Liffey)
By Joshua Franklin, Saeed Azhar and Anshuman Daga

ZURICH/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Regulators' closure of the Swiss BSI bank's Asian outpost for failing in its duty to prevent money-laundering has highlighted the risks of hunting wealthy clients farther afield as Swiss banks' traditional line in hiding money from foreign tax men is choked off.

The Swiss banking watchdog FINMA has already opened enforcement proceedings against no fewer than six other unnamed Swiss banks in relation to either the Malaysian fund that tripped up BSI or a separate scandal involving Brazil's state-controlled oil producer, Petrobras.

"We've made clear over recent years and months that we see money-laundering risk as having risen in our country," FINMA Chief Executive Mark Branson told reporters.

"We're concerned that not all organizations have matched their control processes to this increased risk."

The head of Singapore's central bank accused BSI of the "worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct" ever seen in the city-state's financial sector for its dealings with the scandal-hit Malaysian government fund 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

LOOKING FOR WEALTH

In recent years, Swiss banks have paid billions of dollars in fines as global prosecutors, led by the United States, chipped away at the secrecy that for decades enabled the world's wealthy to keep their cash in Switzerland, out of sight of the tax man.

Faced with the prospect of a sharp decline in their wealth management business at home, and an economic slowdown in Europe, BSI and other Swiss private banks expanded rapidly into Asia, where economies - and the number of ultra-rich individuals - were growing much faster.

In 2009, BSI made clear its intentions by hiring around 100 Asian-based bankers from its rival RBS Coutts.

What BSI and perhaps others failed to take account of was the higher prevalence of corruption in the region, and the greater difficulty of making compliance checks.

Story continues

"You end up kicking out clients who suddenly are unacceptable because of tax issues, but you replace them with clients who are far worse," said Carlo Lombardini, a banking lawyer and professor of banking law at the University of Lausanne. "They have no tax issues but have corruption issues."

As well as courting wealthy individuals, BSI took on a group of state-owned wealth funds as clients, including 1MDB. They became, according to FINMA, its most profitable client group, paying fees well above the norm.

The wheels began to come off last year when Singaporean and Swiss regulators began questioning transactions linked to 1MDB.

FINMA said BSI had repeatedly missed red flags in various transfers involving 1MDB over several years, and failed to double-check potentially suspect transactions, including a deposit of $20 million described by the client as a "gift".

1MDB is now at the center of a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal, and its transactions have triggered investigations on three continents.

ILLEGAL EARNINGS

While Singapore shut down BSI's branch there, FINMA confiscated 95 million Swiss francs ($96 million) that it said BSI had earned illegally through suspect transactions.

BSI's chief executive, Stefano Coduri, resigned and the bank said it would, among other measures, appoint a new chief risk officer and group legal counsel.

"BSI acknowledges that these events are important steps with regard to the regulators to resolve legacy issues and removing uncertainty for clients and staff in relation to 1MDB," it said in a statement.

More than a dozen executives who were associated with the 1MDB account or related accounts have left BSI over the past year, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters - something on which BSI declined to comment.

1MDB for its part said on Tuesday that it had not been contacted by any foreign authority after the Singapore and Swiss actions.

For now, 143-year-old BSI's ongoing business, with total client assets of 84.3 billion Swiss francs at the end of 2015, will be salvaged through an already-agreed takeover by its Swiss peer EFG International.

Swiss regulators said the deal could still go ahead on condition that BSI, currently owned by Brazil's BTG Pactual <BBTG11.SA>, was fully integrated into EFG and then dissolved.

But Bradley Birkenfeld, an American whistleblower in a breakthrough tax fraud case against UBS who later won a $104 million reward from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, said it had taken too long to bring the issue into focus. "If you don't fix a problem, it will fester," he said. "And this is exactly what we have now."

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Joel McHale to Host 2016 CFDA Awards, Jennifer Hudson to Perform [Pret-a-Reporter Inbox]

Funny man Joel McHale, former host of E!'s The Soup and star of Community, has been named as the host of the 2016 CFDA Awards, which are set to take place June 6 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. The show, which unfortunately will no longer be televised, also will feature performances from Jennifer Hudson and Michael C. Hall, and Tilda Swinton will make an appearance to accept the Board of Directors' Tribute Award on behalf of David Bowie.

Kim Kardashian Is Over Contouring [Vogue U.K.]

Former reigning Kween of Kontour Kim Kardashian has officially declared the end of the contouring era. While speaking with makeup legend Charlotte Tilbury at British Vogue's Festival in London, Kardashian revealed that she's actually trying to wear less makeup, per Kanye's request. The less-is-more approach, which the reality star dubbed "nontouring," emphasizes highlighting and strobing rather than adding shadow with bronzer. However, she admits that old habits die hard: "I don't think I'd stop contouring my nose - I know people think I've had a nose job, but it really is just makeup!"

Victoria Beckham Designed Eva Longoria's Wedding Dress [Yahoo Style]

Being friends with Victoria Beckham comes with many perks - especially if you're a bride-to-be. That was the case for Eva Longoria, who tied the knot with media mogul Jose Antonio Baston on Sunday in Mexico while wearing a custom wedding dress by her pal Beckham. The look was Beckham's first foray into bridalwear, but hopefully not her last.

A photo posted by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on May 22, 2016 at 9:29am PDT

Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham Featured in China's Vogue Me [Instagram]

Speaking of the Beckhams, Victoria isn't the only one nabbing headlines this week. Her eldest boys, Brooklyn, 17, and Romeo, 13, both landed features in the second issue of Vogue China's teen spinoff, Vogue Me. Brooklyn, who confirmed his relationship with Chloe Grace Moretz last week, landed the cover alongside models Jing Wen and Heather Kemesky, while Romeo showcased his modeling chops in an inside feature.

A photo posted by VOGUE CHINA (@voguechina) on May 23, 2016 at 1:59am PDT
Viacom employs a lot of accomplished storytellers. But few of them could dream up a drama thats more compelling  and potentially important  than the one taking place right now at the companys own offices in New York and Hollywood.

On Friday night, Sumner Redstone  or people around him  rocked his media empire by kicking Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and board member George Abrams off of his family trust and the board of his privately held theater chain, National Amusements.

That effectively would give Redstones daughter, Shari, control of Viacom and CBS.

How? Sumner Redstone, who turns 93 on Friday, owns 80% of National Amusements, which, in turn, owns 80% of the voting shares of Viacom and of CBS. When he passes, or is deemed incapable of deciding his own affairs, his seven-member trust will control those votes on behalf of Redstones five grandchildren and succeeding generations.

This story is important, but complicated. Here are some of the things youll need to know to keep up with it:

Q: What happened on Friday?

A: On Friday night, a lawyer representing Sumner Redstone faxed letters to Dauman and Abrams telling them that theyd been kicked off his family trust and the board of National Amusements.

Q: Where do things stand now?

A: Dauman and Abrams today asked the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Probate and Family Court to nullify the decisions, saying that Redstone suffers from profound physical and mental illness and was being manipulated by his daughter, Shari.

Q: And Redstone?

A: His camp filed a separate petition asking the Los Angeles County Superior Court to validate the decisions.

Q: Was Fridays move a surprise?

A: Yes. The executives are among Redstones longest and closest allies. He used to refer to Dauman as the wisest man he had ever known. And Abrams has been on Viacoms board since 1987, when Redstone bought Viacom  a deal that Abrams helped to engineer.

Story continues

Q: The membership of the trust is important. Whos on it?

A: Its designed to have four independent members and three representatives of the family. Aside from Dauman and Abrams, independent members include Redstones divorce lawyer, Norman Jacobs, and lawyer David Andelman, whos also on the CBS and National Amusements boards. The family is represented by Sumners daughter Shari, whos president of National Amusements and Vice Chair of Viacom and CBS, her son Tyler Korff, and Leonard Lewin, the lawyer for Phyllis Redstone in her divorce from Sumner.

Q: Who would replace Dauman and Abrams?

A: Theres been no formal announcement, but its believed that Redstone will name granddaughter-in-law Kim Ostheimer and a friend, Jill Krutick, to join the family trust. Krutick and National Amusements General Counsel Tad Jankowski would join the theater companys board.

Q: Will the fight have any impact on short-term initiatives?

A: Redstone said in a statement that he opposes Daumans plan to sell a minority stake in Paramount. A deal was supposed to be announced by the end of June. Theres been no word yet about whether anything has changed.

Q: What would it mean for Viacom and CBS if the Redstone effort stands?

A: Dauman will be history. Beyond that its hard to say. A change at the top could clear the way for big deals  especially at Viacom, which has lost about half of its market value over the past two years as ratings declined at its core cable channels. Directors might decide to sell the company, either as a whole or in pieces, or reunite it with CBS. (Redstone split them in 2006.)

Q: Why are you so sure that Dauman would be out?

A: He told the Massachusetts court today that Shari is attempting to illegally hijack her fathers well-established estate plan by removing professional managers and replacing them with people who are firmly under her control.

Q: What does Shari say?

A: She called the charges absurd, saying that her father makes his own decisions.

Q: Any other losers?

A: Paramount chief Brad Grey has been close to Dauman and might find himself in the cold if the CEO is ousted.

Q: How about winners?

A: CBS chief Les Moonves relationship with Shari Redstone appears solid. She supported the recent decision to make him Chairman of CBS.

Q: Didnt a Los Angeles court just find that Redstone was competent enough to withdraw the authority of his former companion, Manuela Herzer, to make his health decisions? She sued, saying that Redstone was a living ghost who was incapable of making the decision himself.

A: On May 9, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan dismissed the case. He said that a recorded deposition showed that Redstone seemed very alert and appeared to not have any confusion about what he was asked, about his wishes or the reasons for his wishes. Without specifically ruling about the moguls competency, he said that Redstone is presumed to have capacity.

Q: What did Dauman say?

A: Redstone shifted the health care authority from Herzer to Dauman in October. The Viacom chief said during the case that in November he found Redstone to be engaged, attentive and opinionated as ever.

Q: So Dauman changed his mind?

A: His complaint says that Redstones health has rapidly declined since November. It adds: At this point in time, Mr. Redstone, to the extent he can perceive his circumstances, can only understand that his continuing care and health depend on Shari and that he must accept her wishes.

Q: What evidence does he have?

A: The court filing cites some of the evidence from the Los Angeles case challenging Redstones competence. Dauman adds that when he visited Redstone in the first week in March he appeared almost totally non-responsive, and could not meaningfully communicate at all.

Q: Is that it?

A: In statements over the weekend, Viacom said that during an in-depth strategy session of Viacoms Board Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday, not a sound was heard from Sumner, who was connected by phone. In addition, Lead Independent Director Fred Salerno said that despite numerous requests, I, along with the Chair of Viacoms Governance and Nominating Committee, have been denied access to Sumner for a face-to-face meeting.

Q: And Sumner?

A: A statement released on his behalf Sunday says he remains today as Philippe Dauman described him less than six months ago: engaged, attentive, and as opinionated as ever.' Redstone kicked Dauman and Abrams off the trust and the National Amusements board based on what Mr. Redstone believes are the best interests of beneficiaries and shareholders.

Q: Why didnt he contribute to Viacoms board meeting?

A: His camp said, in a statement, that Viacom knows Redstone has significant speech impairment and, for much of the past two years, has not relied on verbal statements at board meeting to make his opinion known.

Q: Why hasnt he met with other board members?

A: Redstones team says that on May 16 he sent a letter to Dauman, Abrams and Salerno asking to be briefed concerning managements plans for improving Viacoms business outlook and share price. This was an opportunity for direct engagement, but the board leadership did not respond.

Following the charges and countercharges during the past few days, its problematic to move forward with any direct meeting and briefing as Mr. Redstone had previously requested. However, Mr. Redstone remains intent on receiving the briefing through his advisers  a request that still has not been responded to despite Mr. Redstones rights as a director.

Q: So whats next?

A: Probably a fight over which court should determine whether Redstones competent to make the decisions regarding Dauman and Abrams. Its easy to see why the Redstone camp favors the court that sided with them in the Herzer case. Daumans counsel, Les Fagen, said today that the Redstone trust is settled in Massachusetts and calls the California action Sharis attempt to run away from the Massachusetts courts and to deflect attention from the real issue: Whether our friend and colleague Sumner is under the undue influence of his daughter, surrounded by a web of unfamiliar lawyers and public relations firms that she directs.

Related stories

CBS To Sweep TV Season As Networks Kick Around Super Bowl Impact

Big Media CEO Compensation Fell In 2015, But Not As Much As Their Stock Values

Sumner Redstone Names Replacements For Family Trust And National Amusements Board
SunPower Corporation SPWR in collaboration with TOTAL S.A. TOT has agreed to supply 300 gigawatt (GW) hours per year of clean solar energy to Santiago metro. Electricity generated from SunPowers 100-megawatt (MW) El Pelicano solar project will be supplied to the subway system in Chiles largest city. The company will start constructing the solar project this year and is expected to complete the same by 2017 end.

The El Pelicano Solar Project should meet about 60% of the subway networks total energy requirement. The subway network serves 2.2 million passengers a day. With this deal, it will become the first public transport system to operate mostly on solar power.

Similar Initiatives

SunPower strives to provide high-performance solar products to its customers. The company utilizes sophisticated manufacturing techniques to improve solar cell efficiency, reduce wafer thickness, improve throughput, process yield and quality, and introduce new products that assist customers to develop solar projects.

In spite of the ongoing slump in oil prices, alternative sources of energy, particularly solar, have been gaining popularity rapidly mainly on the back of their clean burning nature.

To tap the growing demand for solar products, SunPower has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen existing operations and increase production volumes. The companys customer base is spread across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In Japan, it has started the construction of the 27-MW Nanao project, which is slated to begin commercial operation from first-quarter 2017. Mexico has recently shifted its focus to clean energy and SunPower is playing a key role in this transition. Recently, the company received orders to develop 500 MW solar projects in the country.

In the U.S., solar energy will constitute only 1.1% of the total utility-scale generation in 2017, according to a U.S. Energy Information Administration report. This provides immense room for growth both for the industry and its players like SunPower and First Solar Inc. FSLR.

Story continues

Zacks Rank & A Key Pick

SunPower currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

A better-ranked stock in the same space is JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. JKS, with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Tuesday seven of its servicemen had been killed in the past 24 hours as a result of increased attacks by pro-Russian rebels, the highest reported daily casualty figure since August. International efforts are under way to end a conflict that has contributed to the worst tensions between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. A ceasefire signed in February 2015 has failed to quell all fighting in Ukraine's separatist eastern territory, with each side accusing the other of violations. Oleksander Turchynov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said militants backed by Russia had intensified attacks on government troops using heavy weapons that are meant to have been withdrawn from the frontline under the 'Minsk' peace deal negotiated by Berlin and Paris. "I want to draw the attention of our strategic partners to the blatant and cynical discrediting by Russia of all the joint peace efforts," he said in statement. The German government said the leaders of Russia and Ukraine had talked to Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President on Monday night about preparations to hold elections in the conflict zone of eastern Ukraine. Progress on implementing the Minsk accords, including the elections and restoration of Ukrainian control over its border with Russia, has stalled. Russia denies Western charges it has provided the rebels in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions with arms and troops in a conflict that has killed some 9,000 people and led to Western economic sanctions against Moscow. Government forces shelled the Western outskirts of separatist-held Donetsk city late on Monday, damaging eight residential buildings, separatist news service DAN reported. (Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Ralph Boulton)
Iasia Sweeting disappeared in 2010 when she was a sophomore at Dekalb School of the Arts outside Atlanta. At the time, Sweeting's loved ones weren't worried about if she would ever finish high school  they wondered if she was alive.

According to WSB Atlanta, authorities rescued Sweeting from a Gwinnett County, Georgia, hotel in November 2014, where she was held hostage and starved. Sweeting, 21 at the time, weighed just 59 pounds. Sweeting was allegedly one of five victims kept captive by Calvin Mcintosh and his daughter Najilla, alleged cult members, who remain in prison awaiting trial.

But on Monday night, Sweeting was happy and healthy as she walked across the stage to finally receive her high school diploma to a standing ovation from her classmates.

When WSB anchor Tony Thomas asked Sweeting if she ever doubted she would make it to graduation she said, "There were several moments, so many."

"It's a culmination of every type of emotion that you could ever feel," said Sweeting. "It's fear, it's happiness, it's anger that it didn't happen sooner, but it's appreciation that it did happen."
Paris (AFP) - A French court on Tuesday ordered the chief suspect in a deadly attack on a Paris synagogue in 1980 to be sent back to jail, ten days after he was released on bail.

Hassan Diab, a Lebanese-Canadian sociology professor who had been detained for 18 months, is accused of being part of the Special Operations branch of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The PFLP was blamed for the bombing on October 3, 1980 that left four dead and around 40 injured.

Targeting the synagogue in rue Copernic, western Paris, it was the first major attack on a Jewish site in France since World War II.

Diab, 62, was extradited from Canada in November 2014 and charged with the attack. He maintains his innocence and denies he was a member of the PFLP.

On May 12, a judge authorised his release on bail after ruling there was doubt over the "fundamental question" of whether he was in France on the day of the attack.

His ex-wife had told investigators that he was in Beirut on September 28, 1980, despite stamps in his passport indicating that he was already in Europe.

Federal prosecutors appealed the May 12 decision, leading an appeals court Tuesday to order him sent back to jail.

"It's a very unfair decision," Diab's lawyer William Bourdon said.

Bernard Cahen, lawyer for one of the civil parties to the case, said that "on the merits of the case, we are absolutely convinced of his guilt".

"The defence will struggle to destroy this case," he added.

Diab has been charged with murder, attempted murder and destruction of property as part of a terrorist enterprise.
ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has opened criminal proceedings against Swiss bank BSI in connection with embattled Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), it said on Tuesday.

"The OAG suspects deficiencies in the internal organisation of the BSI SA bank," the OAG said in a statement. "It is believed that due to these deficiencies, the bank was unable to prevent the commission of offences currently under investigation in the criminal proceedings relating to 1MDB."

In February, Swiss bank EFG International (EFGN.S) agreed to buy BSI from Brazil-based BTG Pactual (BBTG11.SA) for 1.33 billion Swiss francs (925 million pounds).

In a separate statement, Swiss financial watchdog FINMA said it found BSI in breach of money laundering regulations in connection with 1MDB.

(Reporting by Joshua Franklin; Editing by Maria Sheahan)
(GENEVA)  The Swiss attorney generals office said Tuesday that it has opened criminal proceedings against Swiss bank BSI SA in connection with a probe into suspected embezzlement of a Malaysian state investment fund.

Separately, Singaporean authorities said they were ordering the banks local branch to shut down, citing serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight and gross misconduct by some staff. BSIs chief executive resigned.

In Switzerland, the attorney generals office said it suspects deficiencies in the internal organization of BSI, based in Lugano, that made it unable to prevent offenses that are being investigated in the 1MDB case.

Investigations into Malaysias 1MDB fund have indicated that $4 billion earmarked for development projects in Malaysia may have been misappropriated from state-owned companies.

Read More: Corruption Allegations Continue to Build Against Malaysias Prime Minister

Switzerland says part of the money was transferred to accounts in the Alpine country. It opened an investigation last year of two former fund officials and persons unknown on suspicion of bribery and money laundering, among other offenses.

The investigation so far suggests that the offenses of money laundering and bribery of foreign public officials currently under investigation in the context of the 1MDB case could have been prevented had BSI SA been adequately organized, the attorney generals office said.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore said it had served BSI Bank Limited, the banks local subsidiary, notice of intention to withdraw its status as merchant bank in Singapore. It said it also has referred to prosecutors the names of six senior BSI Bank managers and staff to determine whether they committed criminal offenses.

Read More: These 5 Facts Explain the State of Global Corruption

MAS. said it will, in the interest of BSIs customers, allow the transfer of the subsidiarys assets and liabilities to the local branch of EFG International, another Swiss bank which is buying all of BSI.

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The announcement from Singapore didnt explicitly mention 1MDB, but BSI said it had cooperated fully with both Swiss market supervisors and Singapores MAS. on investigations into the fund arising from activities between 2011 and 2015.

It added that it has undertaken significant steps to strengthen management. Regarding the Swiss attorney generals announcement, it said that B.S.I. will cooperate to ensure a quick and fair resolution.

CEO Stefano Coduri offered his resignation with immediate effect. The resignation was accepted by the board of directors, which thanked him for his sense of responsibility, the banks statement said. Roberto Isolani, currently a BSI board member, was appointed to replace him.
Image via ABC

Image via ABC

Ta-ku is all about collaborations. After announcing his new project brrwd, a project that combines photography and music in collaboration with Repeat Pattern and Berlin-based label Jakarta Records, and sharing the Ty Dolla $ign and Kit Pop-assisted single Plays, the Perth producer gives us the first taste of yet another collaborative project with fellow Aussie, Wafia.

The two are certainly no strangers to one another having collaborated before, but Meet In The Middle really focuses in on the strengths of both artists: the alluring, soulful production by Takuwho also lends his voice for the singlepairs perfectly with Wafias sensual vocals.

Its a song about compromise, a relevant notion for any relationship, but a particular theme that Ta-ku and Wafia wanted to especially highlight. Says Wafia of the song as told to The FADER: This song came out of a need to write about a very personal experience that both Reggie and I shared independently of each other.

Meet In The Midde will be a part of Wafia and Ta-kus upcoming (m)edian EP, which will be released on June 24. You can pre-order it now. Listen to their airy single below.

Related Daily Discovery: Wafia

Related An Interview with Ta-ku

More from Pigeons & Planes
* Taiwan banks expand into SE Asia

* Ownership caps in some target country a challenge

* Profit from overseas contributions growing

* Banks struggle in crowded home market

By Faith Hung

TAIPEI, May 25 (Reuters) - Taiwan banks led by CTBC Financial and Fubon Financial are looking to step out of their comfort zone into newer markets in Southeast Asia, as the domestic economy slows and growth peaks for the $1.2 trillion-asset banking sector.

The expansion began in 2013 and is likely to accelerate over the next few years thanks to the new Taiwanese government's backing for companies to diversify away from China and venture into countries like the fast-growing Philippines.

Fatter margins and burgeoning middle classes are two of the prizes, although they come with risks such as tough foreign ownership restrictions and competition from established players like Singapore's DBS and ANZ of Australia.

"It's not easy to compete in Asia ... Southeast Asia governments place a 40 percent stake cap on what foreign banks can buy, and most financial institutions are family-controlled," Fubon Financial President Vivien Hsu told Reuters in an interview.

"The big challenges are how can you find a partner you can work with, and reach agreements in management and strategic directions," Hsu said in her first interview with foreign media since she took the position in 2013.

In just a few weeks, CTBC Financial Holding, parent of Taiwan's biggest credit card issuer, has announced two southbound deals, agreeing to buy a 35.6 pct stake in Thailand's LH Financial Group for $469 million and RBS's Malaysia unit for $189.7 million.

These come on top of a wave of acquisitions over the past three years.

Fubon bought a 48 percent stake in Hyundai Life Insurance for T$6.1 billion ($185 million). Bigger rival Cathay Financial Holdings purchased a 24.9 percent stake in Bank Mayapada and a 22.3 percent stake in the Philippines' Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC).

Canada-based Scotiabank's $1.7 billion stake in Thailand's Thanachart Bank could be the next target, with Morgan Stanley reaching out to potential bidders before an auction, according to banking sources.

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Japanese, Taiwanese and Malaysian banks have been approached, the sources said, requesting anonymity because the matter was confidential.

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

On top of the foreign investment restrictions that prevent banks taking control of their investments, some analysts warn that hasty expansion into Southeast Asia could leave some Taiwanese banks stretched.

"We expect banks to ramp up their overseas expansion initiatives over the next two to three years," Standard and Poor's Taiwan ratings' credit analyst Eunice Fan said in a report published this week.

"But expansion into unfamiliar territories with often higher economic risk highlights the need for prudent capital management and adequate risk controls. Without such, banks could face constraints to maintain their capitalisation and overall credit profiles above the domestic average during expansion cycles."

Pretax earnings from Taiwan banks' overseas business have risen each year from 2008 to 2014, exceeding T$100 billion for the first time in 2014, according to the latest data from the Financial Supervisory Commission.

That made up 37.3 percent of their total earnings and surged 48 percent from 2013, it added. This contrasted with a mere 14 percent gain in domestic earnings.

Even so, the banks have already hit some headwinds in their journey south.

The Philippines' RCBC, in which Cathay Financial is one of the two biggest stakeholders, said earlier this month it had accepted the resignation of its president, even as it cleared the official of any wrongdoing in connection with a $81 million money laundering scandal.

"This is an isolated incident in the course of development. I don't' think it will affect our continuing investments in Southeast Asia," Cathay President C. K. Lee told Reuters.

ANZ's experience is another reminder of the difficulties. The only major Australian bank that expanded into Southeast Asia is now exiting non-profitable segments in the region to focus on its home market.

(Additonal reporting by Saeed Azhar and Swati Pandey; Editing by Lisa Jucca and Stephen Coates)
Venkat Desirazu

Tata Motors appears to be the latest to jump on the expanding relations with Iran and may set up an assembly plant in the nation and produce a range of its cars for the local market. The Mumbai-based automaker is believed to be talks with Iran Khrodo, the leading national automobile manufacturer in the country.



This is expected to be a CKD operation where Khrodo will assemble the cars but still carry the Tata badges. This will include the Tata Bolt, Zest, Tiago and possibly the Xenon, as pickup trucks are quite popular in Iran. All these are expected to be petrol only models. Tata is also expected to use the Iranian manufacturers sales and service network.



Tata has so far refused to comment on this issue but we expect an announcement for the same very soon. Iran Khrodo is the leading automobile manufacturer in Iran and makes vehicles for automakers like Renault, Peugeot, Suzuki and Samand. It has been in operations since 1962 and accounts for nearly 65 per cent of the vehicles produced in Iran.





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
Tattoo artist gives sick kids awesome airbrushed tattoos

New Zealand artist Benjamin Lloyd updated his Facebook page on Sunday with a short message: Nothing brings me more joy than boosting a kids confidence with a custom tattoo 50 likes and ill [sic] go to starship hospital and tat all the kids up.



Within 10 minutes, Lloyd received his 50 likes and then some. In fact, the post has garnered more than 425,000 likes, with many commenters leaving praise.

Props to you for doing something so wonderful. You will be the light on the kids faces for weeks to come! wrote Kelli Sweitzer-Hock.



So amazing to see artists like yourself in our city who give back especially to children. Seriously amazing job! commented Danyelle Gates.



To those who expressed concern about the effects of inking young kids, Lloyd assured them that the tiny tats arent permanent. He airbrushes the works of art onto his little clients using a custom ink that washes off in the shower, so they get all the coolness without the commitment.

While he hasnt laid out plans with the hospital yet, he hopes to visit some time later this week.

Click through the gallery to see his previous designs and let us know what you think by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
Out there on the web, there's a group of Swifties who believe the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Taylor Swift is a secret Nazi poised to start a racial war when the time is right. That conspiracy theory alone is a major hint as to who it could be: Neo-Nazis and the hipster-white supremacist subculture "alt right," who seem to have found a leader in Swift, whether she knows it or not.

Rather than just an extremely rich pop icon with an empire beneath her feet, these folks have deemed Swift an "Aryan goddess" who has been peddling white supremacist views through her wildly popular music and innocent public image.

Blame her "sculpted Aryan form and angelic demeanor," Andre Anglin, who writes for the white supremacist blog the Daily Stormer, told Broadly. The community manager for the Facebook group named Taylor Swift for Fascist Europe told Broadly that Swift "embodies the Aryan 'spirit'" of pure femininity (unlike that reckless Miley Cyrus, Anglin pointed out.)

Source: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Swift "is simply waiting for the time when Donald Trump makes it safe for her to come out and announce her Aryan agenda to the world. Probably, she will be betrothed to Trump's son, and they will be crowned American royalty," Anglin told Broadly.

Anglin believes Swift became a Nazi icon since she released "Teardrops on My Guitar" in 2006. But in 2013, theories about Swift's Nazi association went viral when a Pinterest user began misattributing Adolf Hitler quotes to Swift. Pinterest didn't take down the memes because of parody rights.

While Swift has tiptoed around the occasional race controversy, she is usually private about her political views, although she once alluded to supporting Barack Obama's presidency to Rolling Stone in 2009.
Want to cry some happy tears today? Check out this viral video from Chicago teacher, Kendria Harris, who inspires her young students with the best song ever.

In a video uploaded to Facebook , Harris, who also , practices her call-and-response affirmation song with a group of young girls.

And then adorable dancing ensues.

The song is "an affirmation chant I developed to help deprogram little girls from the negative ideas that mainstream media subliminally fills them with," Harris explained in a video description on her YouTube channel in August 2015. "The first group I did it with was a group of beautiful little girls from Hughes Elementary School on the South Side of Chicago."

Since the video was uploaded to Facebook, it's gotten thousands of likes and been shared more than 35,000 times.
I every day we hear good news about a group of high school boys and the way they treat young women. But this tale about a group of students at James Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Connecticut, fills our hearts with pride.

T are fundraising to provide free feminine products for their classmates. They're founding members of the , promotes self-improvement among African-American men and mutual respect across genders.

"This is an opportunity for us as young men to help diminish the inequality gap between males and females," Kiyama Samithasen Hubbard told the New Haven Register. "I take pride in what we are doing."

M , a teacher and a founder of the Kiyama Movement, said in a phone call that the students were inspired to launch this project after .

"It resonated with [them] and now they are trying to do something about it on a local level," Jefferson said. "From marketing to stock management, every one of the students has a role." Now there are more than 15 male students working to make sure their fellow classmates have access to tampons and pads at school.

"This is an opportunity for us as young men to help diminish the inequality gap."

New York activist Jennifer Weiss-Wolf has seen firsthand how access to free menstrual products can have a positive impact for students. Although the impact of periods on student performance hasn't been studied much in the United States, that across New York City reported they're not able to focus when they lack access to menstrual products.

"For a 13- or 14-year-old girl who is new to the experience of menstruation, it can be so much more than a distraction," Weiss-Wolf said. "It can keep them from being fully engaged and participating in school." Indeed, many of the girls talked openly about their parents' financial struggle to provide them with pads and tampons.

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Weiss-Wolf believes the lack of free products at public schools creates a great barrier for low-income students, and that free menstrual products should be provided just like toilet paper, or lunch tickets for low-income students.

"[Tampons and pads] are essential school supplies," she said in a phone interview.

This substitute teacher is trying to give me a referral for asking a friend for a tampon. She said my problems are irrelevant to school.

I like how the school nurse acts like I want drugs whenever I ask for a tampon, HEY GUESS WHAT, IM A WOMAN AND I NEED ONE STOP BEING RUDE

These proactive teens aren't the first male high schoolers to crusade on their female classmates' behalf.

Earlier this spring, college student Chance Ward wrote a viral Facebook post about carrying tampons in case he comes across a woman who needs them.

"Y'all know literally like half this world goes through this?" Ward wrote. "I keep some in my fanny pack when I go to the gym, and some in my backpack all the time. Never feel embarrassed for asking for one. Never feel embarrassed for being human."

Last year in Miami, student Jose Garcia experienced his 15 minutes of internet stardom when social media posts about his habit of carrying emergency pads to school for his female friends went viral.

"My inspiration didn't come from one source only, but just from day to day things that have happened around me, like a friend staining her pants or feeling uncomfortable to ask for a sweater to tie around their waist because their pants are stained," Garcia told The Daily Dot. "I also believe that asking for a pad or a tampon shouldn't be such a taboo thing to boys."
The Real Housewives of New Jersey are back.



The first trailer for the hit Bravo series's long-awaited seventh season promises "a whole new Jersey," starting with ...





Teresa Giudice's Emotional Family Reunion

It's safe to say this season of RHONJ will be all about original Jersey Housewife Teresa Giudice. After serving nearly a year in a Federal Correctional Institute for fraud charges, Giudice returns home for a tear-jerking family reunion. "I was dreaming about this moment for the past 11 and a half months," Teresa says, hugging her family. "I'm going to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again."



Of course, the happy family reunion is short lived, as Teresa's husband Joe leaves to serve his 41-month prison sentence. "You can't change what it is," says Joe. "The only thing we can do is just get through it."









RELATED VIDEO: Teresa Giudice Opens Up About Repairing Her Relationship with Melissa Gorga

Real Housewives of New Jersey Trailer  but She Can't Stop Feuding with Jacqueline Laurita and Kathy Wakile!" data-ad-channel="Brightcove" data-ad-subchannel="" data-auto-play="no">





Long-Standing Feuds Come to a Head

"I'm going to leave the past in the past and look to a bright future," Giudice says early on in the trailer  but that doesn't last long.



With the return of original Jersey Housewife Jacqueline Laurita looks peaceful at first, the love between the former BFFs doesn't seem to linger as the two lash out at one another in multiple fights.



Laurita calls Giudice a "f---ing criminal" at one point, and Giudice mocks, "Oh my God I feel threatened."



The women don't seem to be the only ones feuding. Giudice's sister-in-law Melissa Gorga gets in on the action, clashing with Laurita. Former Housewife and Giudice's cousin Kathy Wakile also returns in a supporting role, alongside sister Rosie Pierri, who are both hoping to put their family back together.



"I want to cut the cancer out," Giudice tells Wakile, who responds, "We're not cancer."



At one point, Giudice even lashes out against one of ladies (we don't know which yet), saying, "She's an evil person  like Osama bin Laden."





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Two New Housewives

With Dina Manzo and Amber Marchese out, two new Housewives will join the franchise.



There's Dolores Catania, a divorced mom of two with ties to Giudice and Laurita, as well as Siggy Flicker, a professional matchmaker who ( gasp!) doesn't have Italian heritage.



The new ladies seem to fit right in with the drama. "I'm in Vermont with a bunch of wacko, what the f---?" Siggy says at one point during signature Housewives group vacation.





Kim D!

And it wouldn't be a season of RHONJ without a visit with Kim D!



The fashion boutique owner does make an appearance this season, telling Laurita and Gorga: "Some people love me for who I am, and some people hate me for who I am."



Could a trip to the Posche be down the road?



The Real Housewives of New Jersey returns July 10 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - A Dallas jury sentenced a teenager to 38 years in prison on Tuesday for murdering an Iraqi immigrant as he took family pictures while experiencing snow for the first time. Nykerion Nealon, 19, was convicted on Monday of fatally shooting Ahmed al-Jumaili, 36, in March 2015 in the parking lot of his apartment complex. Al-Jumaili had only been in the United States for about three weeks and authorities had thought the case might have been a hate crime. They later determined Nealon did not know al-Jumaili's ethnicity and said he may have been trying to retaliate for a shooting at his girlfriend's apartment. Prosecutors said Nealon, who was 17 years old at the time, fired 14 rounds from an AK-47, striking al-Jumaili, who was in the snow with members of his family, once in the chest. Al-Jumaili ran to his apartment and collapsed. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. "Coming to this country for a new start, only to have it stripped away from them in such a horrible fashion, has been unimaginable, Alia Salem, executive director of the local branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group, told reporters after the guilty verdict. Nealon faced up to 99 years in prison and was sentenced by the same jury that convicted him. A lawyer for Nealon was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott)
Texas that is at the center of a blockbuster voting rights case heard by a federal appeals court Tuesday. Whatever ruling a 15-member panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals makes will impact 14 million Lone Star State voters in the upcoming presidential election, the Associated Press reported.

In Texas, conservative leaders have pushed strict voter-ID laws that . Observers expect that the case will eventually be appealed up to the Supreme Court, where justices will decide whether Texas and other states with similar proposals are within their right to require forms of ID that black and Democratic voters are less likely to have than white, Republican voters.

The 5th Circuit had agreed to consider a lower court's injunction against the law in March. A federal judge in Texas ruled the law was unconstitutional in 2014, comparing it to a poll tax that historic civil rights-era legislation outlaws.

Source: Eric Gay/AP

Here are a few reasons why Texas' voting rights case deserves your attention:

Studies show that enough Americans lack government-issued photo IDs to swing statewide and national elections.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, 21 million Americans lacked a government-issued photo ID in 2006, even though they were eligible and registered to vote. More than 600,000 voters in Texas lacked a government ID.

Proponents of ballot box access laws have cited the need to protect against voter fraud, but national voting rights advocates have said the laws are a solution in search of a problem. Conservatives typically fall back on a claim that deceased people are mysteriously casting ballots, although that claim is often found to be exaggerated. For example, in 2006, a pair of Georgia researchers examined approximately 2.1 million ballots cast in a statewide election and found "no evidence that election fraud was committed under the auspices of deceased registrants."

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Source: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Texas law recognizes gun licenses as proof of identity for the purposes of voting, but not student IDs.

Texas' halted voter ID law would require residents to show one of seven forms of approved identification  which includes military IDs and concealed carry handgun licenses, according to the AP.

The state's law is among the strictest in the nation because it does not recognize given to college students. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has estimated that college enrollment climbed from 1.44 million students in 2014 to 1.47 million in 2015.

Source: Kris Connor/Getty Images

The surge in voter-ID laws began after the election of the first black president and threatens to upend decades of voting rights gains.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned states from passing laws that imposed cumbersome and discriminatory barriers to voting on black and other minority voters. The law required states with a history of racial disenfranchisement to seek federal preclearance before instituting any changes to voting rules and redistricting plans.

Nearly 50 years later, a crop of restrictive voting laws has crept up in Republican -led legislatures across the country. The Obama administration responded by taking legal actions against states that adopted so-called voter-ID laws, including in Texas, where it successfully blocked a strict photo-ID law.

In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled in Shelby County v. Holder that the federal preclearance of voting law changes was no longer needed in a nation that had presumably progressed on racial relations. That's when states such as Missouri, Kansas, Georgia and Ohio began adopting

If Texas' law is allowed to move forward, it could again embolden states to seek new changes that disenfranchise voters, advocates have said.
From Town & Country

Everyone in this town wants a piece of the Hamilton magic (even T&C!), and the New-York Historical Society is no exception. Inspired by Lin Manuel Miranda's musical, the museum and library is planning a summer-long exhibit on the $10 Founding Father.

Life-size bronze statues depicting Hamilton and Aaron Burr in the midst of their deadly duel are already in the museum lobby (seen above with Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Aaron Burr onstage). Starting (appropriately) over the July 4th weekend, artifacts include a tall case clock presented to Hamilton in 1796 by the Bank of New York and Hamilton's writing desk (a loan from the Museum of the City of New York) will also be on display.

The exhibit will also feature documents from both the Historical Society and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, including a love letter from Hamilton to his wife, Eliza Schuyler, the first federal budget, a letter supporting Thomas Jefferson in the election of 1800, and the infamous Reynolds Pamphlets.

"We never could have expected that Hamilton, the man, would have captured the popular imagination in the way that he has," Louise Mirrer, the president and chief executive of the historical society, said in a statement. "Now admirers of the Broadway hit and those interested in learning more about one of New York City's most influential citizens can decide for themselves, as the show says, 'who lives, who dies, who tells your story' as we commemorate the anniversary of Hamilton's death and the achievements of his life."

For more information on the Summer of Hamilton, head to nyhistory.org.
Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis in 1991s Thelma and Louise (Everett Collection)

So, you think the new version of Ghostbusters launched a nasty debate about gender politics in popular culture? Consider the firestorm kicked off 25 years ago today, long before instant vitriol on social media became a fact of life, when moviegoers first met Thelma & Louise on May 24, 1991.

Ridley Scotts film, from Callie Khouris script, stars Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as two friends whose empowering road trip takes a dramatic turn after Louise (Sarandon) kills a man attempting to rape Thelma (Davis). It was a modest sleeper hit upon release, eventually was nominated for six Oscars, and maintains a fan base a quarter century later. It won the approval of many critics in 1991, but acclaim certainly was not universal. In fact, the films feminist message sent a few critics over the edge. Heres a look back at the divided contemporary verdicts on the film as it celebrates its milestone anniversary today.

Related: 25 Years After Thelma & Louise, Geena Davis Says She Wanted the Susan Sarandon Role

Janet Maslin of The New York Times was perhaps the most enthusiastic, writing that the film reimagines the buddy film with such freshness and vigor that the genre seems positively new. It discovers unexpected resources in both its stars, Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, who are perfectly teamed as the spirited and original title characters.

Thelma and Louise: Watch the trailer:



Hollywood bible Variety also raved, and attempted to play down the more controversial elements. Despite some delectably funny scenes between the sexes, an uncredited Variety staffer wrote, Ridley Scotts pic isnt about women vs. men. Its about freedom, like any good road picture. In that sense, and in many others, its a classic.

Ralph Novak in People couldnt have disagreed more, and he wrote one of the more obviously pearl-clutching responses that saw it bluntly as male-bashing: Any movie that went as far out of its way to trash women as this female chauvinist sow of a film does to trash men would be universally, and justifiably, condemned.

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John Leo in U.S. News and World Report, in a widely discussed column that came to symbolize the negative view of the film (unfortunately, the essay itself does not appear to be online now), detected an explicit fascist theme, wedded to the bleakest form of feminism and a paean to transformative violence."

Sarandon and Davis in Thelma & Louise (Everett Collection)

Julie Salamon in the Wall Street Journal objected that the heroines responses on screen are so disproportionate to the mens crimes that Thelma and Louise come off not as victims but as the worst kind of bullies. And Newsdays Liz Smith declared that They are horrible role models. I wouldnt send any impressionable young woman I know to see Thelma & Louise.

Related: Thelma & Louise Reunion: Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon on Brad Pitts Audition and That Shocking Ending

Gender politics wasnt the only thing on critics minds, though. Clifford Terry in the Chicago Tribune took issue with Scotts filmmaking approach: Whereas the material begs for the off-stride touch of a Jonathan Demme, it is sabotaged by Scott, who seems to have little affinity for whimsy; instead, he resorts to the by-now-cliched barrage of hard-driving traveling music as well as periodic sun-dappled close-ups of crusty Western faces.

Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times was more complimentary to Scott, though, writing the director helps us to understand whats going on inside the hearts of these two womenwhy they need to do what they do, though the execution of the films final shot bothered him so much, he wrote, he reduced his rating to 3  stars from 4 because of it.

Thelma & Louise: Watch the shocking final scene:



In a subsequent essay following up on his review, Ebert directly challenged Novaks view that women on screen would never be subjected to the kind of treatment received by men in Thelma & Louise: Men have been making victims out of women in hundreds of movies for years. Its an old story in our society: Oppressive behavior is permitted from the oppressor class, but becomes offensive if practiced by the formerly oppressed.

Today, many of the more vociferously, misandry-decrying reviews feel like they were reacting against exactly what thrilled women in audiences. As Gary Thompson in the Philadelphia Daily News wrote, Theres something to be said for seeing Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in a movie like this, aside from the fact that neither one is Sylvester Stallone. They give this tired genre a much-needed lift.

Related: Geena Davis on Hollywood Sexism: Nothing Changed After Thelma & Louise

It felt at the time like an exciting game-changer. Unfortunately, 25 years later, feature films that tell womens stories are still notoriously difficult to get made, a point not lost on the films stars, though studios lately have at least slowly begun to embrace female leads in big-budget genre movies like The Hunger Games, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and yes, Ghostbusters. Those films attract their own detractors. But as Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune wrote in an essay about the reaction to Thelma & Louise, I am most amused to see white men overreacting to this films unflattering portrayal of white men Some of us cant bear to see our worst sides portrayed on the screen without getting our wid-dow feel-wings hurt.

Thelma and Louise: Watch Susan Sarandon join James Corden on The Late Late Show to create three alternate endings for the film:


Man Holding Breath

Step away from the mouth wash.

In the near future, the source of our stinky morning breath could be the thing that helps us beat it.

Our body is filled with trillions of microorganisms, some of which hang out in our nice and humid mouths. But while we sleep, our mouths often get dried out, which can kill off some good bacteria. In their absence, the stinky gas-emitting bacteria thrive, which is why you sometimes wake up with a foul-smelling mouth.

But there could be a solution. Its name is Streptococcus salivarius K12. Researchers think the bacteria strain could soon be put into a lozenge or spray and used as a probiotic, or beneficial mix of bacteria, to knock out the bad bacteria that causes bad breath.

The delicate balance of microbes living inside each of us, collectively called our microbiome, help keep our body running. Unfortunately, when we take antibiotics or use an antibacterial hand wash, those actions can wipe out many of these beneficial microbes, which throws off the balance in our bodies.

So, researchers have been exploring ways to make it right, taking a particular interest in S. salivarius K12. A 2006 study of 23 people with halitosis (bad breath) found that those given S. salivarius K12 lozenges had lower levels of smelly breath. The participants started by using an antimicrobial mouthwash followed by either a placebo lozenge or one with S. salivarius K12. They found that the addition of the bacteria reduced the levels of smelly breath better than the mouthwash on its own. A follow-up study in 2011 on 53 participants demonstrated the safety of the probiotic, though larger studies would likely need to happen before we all start adding doses of bacteria to our body.

Ideally, this probiotic could be used in addition to antiseptic mouthwashes like Listerine, which kill all the bacteria  good and bad  in your mouth. Andrea Azcarate-Peril, director of the University of North Carolina's Microbiome Research Core, told Business Insider that antibacterial solutions like mouthwash and hand sanitizer are being overused to the point where they could be doing more harm than good.

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"We are just too clean," she said.

But probiotics aren't a perfect solution either  at least not yet. We still don't know everything about the bacteria in our bodies, and not every probiotic works for every person. Plus, probiotics still aren't regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, so it's a little tricky to know if the supplements people are taking are actually doing what they say they are.

Even so, the probiotics industry is expanding. Susan Perkins, one of the curators of an exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History focused on the microbiome, told Business Insider in November that she wouldn't be surprised if we started using bacteria to treat morning breath within the year. Eventually, the hope is to eventually use these probiotics to treat everything from cancer to bad body odor, said Perkins.

In the meantime, keep your eye out for S. salivarius K12, possibly coming soon to a drugstore near you.

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Talk about one young womans breakout role.

Last week, one brave blogger decided to share her pre- and post- acne face shots on Imgur. According to her short announcement, shed been taking the prescription Prednisone (a common steroid used to treat a number of inflammatory conditions, such as allergy disorders and psoriasis), and believes this drug was the cause of her severe, painful-looking acne.



And while her dermatologist recommended Accutane, a popular med for nodular acne, she opted instead for the Pill. And the transformation is clear.



This blogger, known as seventytimes, had such an overwhelming response that she posted a follow-up message with the humorous title, When your face is birth control enough

But this young lady is not alone. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting up to 50 million Americans annually.



Related: Heres How Fish Scales Might Heal Your Skin



When the female hormones are off, the levels of testosterone go up, Misbah Khan, MD, founder and president of MKhan Dermatology and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College New York Presbyterian Hospital, tells Yahoo Beauty. And this imbalance results in male-pattern acne, which is this large, cystic acne affecting the face, chest, and back. So what the Pill does is equalize  or normalize  these female hormone levels, so as the testosterone goes down, the acne goes down.



It takes three months, on average, before the skin begins to clear. However, not every version of the Pill is a guaranteed solution.



Some forms of birth control can have a reverse effect making acne worse, Kally Papantoniou, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at the Advanced Dermatology Center for Laser and Cosmetic Surgery in New York and a clinical instructor at Mount Sinai Dermatology, tells Yahoo Beauty. Birth control that are progesterone only  for example, the methods that reduce the number of periods per year  can have a very negative impact on skin.



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Related: The Ultimate At-Home Blue Light Acne Treatments



And while this blogger was hesitant to take Accutane, its understandable why her doctor recommended the treatment. Dr. Papantoniou explains its the brand name for the drug isotretinoin, a pill derived from a high-strength Vitamin A.

It may have a lowering effect on testosterone, and addresses hyperactive oil glands in acne-prone patients, she says. Since oil harbors bacteria, decreasing the oil clears blemishes. And people see results pretty quickly.



Dr. Khan adds that its deemed the magic drug.



Its one of the strongest medications on the market that offers a cure for cystic acne, she states. But keep in mind that in the U.S., the regulations are enormous for prescribing it  and thats because the list of side effects are very long.



For one thing, Accutane has been linked to severe birth defects. The risk of miscarriage is very high, and if the baby is born, it will be severely deformed and have a number of congenital abnormalities, continues Dr. Khan. The baby may not be able to make it. This explains why a female patient has to be using at least two forms of birth control and must take a pregnancy test every month before a new prescription of Accutane is given.



Related: All Sunscreens Are Not Created Equal: Check This Guide Before You Step Outside

Additional reports have indicated that this med has caused skin dryness, severe depression (even suicidal thoughts and attempts), as well as long-term stomach issues. Some studies had found that people on Accutane can suffer from chronic diarrhea and constipation, as well as trigger Crohns Disease and ulcerative colitis, she says.



Dr. Papantoniou concurs, noting, Its also very harsh on the kidneys and liver, so doctors typically require a monthly blood test to make sure the drug isnt causing internal damage to these organs.



Now heres the good news: There is hope for women who cannot  or will not  be prescribed birth control and/or Accutane.



Ive hardly prescribed Accutane because I have been able to manage my patients acne without it, admits Dr. Khan. There is a long list of topical medications that are safe to use during pregnancy. These treatments do require a little more diligent work and you do have to see your doctor more often, but there are no side effects.



Spironolactone, originally formulated to treat hypertension and a few other cardiovascular conditions, is a drug that can help with hormonal acne, says Dr. Papantoniou. It is widely used by many dermatologists for those not on birth control, and the application remains off label (meaning the FDA doesnt include this use on the drugs label), she states.



Above all, Dr. Khan stresses discussing your options  along with your issues and concerns  with a dermatologist.



For the person who has bad acne, I would not recommend receiving advice from an aesthetician, she says. Make sure to consult with a trusted practitioner.

Read This Next: People Arent Really Getting Lasik Anymore



Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
ROME (Reuters) - Some 3,000 migrants were saved off the Libyan coast on Tuesday in 23 separate rescue missions, the Italian coastguard said in a statement. The coastguard said this meant more than 5,600 migrants had been rescued from various boats and dinghies in the southern Mediterranean in just two days, with every ship in the area being called on to help with the complex operation. Humanitarian organizations say the sea route between Libya and Italy is now the main route for asylum seekers heading for Europe, after a European Union deal on migrants with Turkey dramatically slowed the flow of people reaching Greece. Officials fear the numbers trying to make the crossing to Italy will increase as weather conditions continue to improve. Earlier this month, Italy said some 31,000 migrants, mainly from Africa, had reached the country by boat, slightly down on 2015 levels. However, the number of new arrivals has picked up markedly in recent days. Most of those trying to reach Italy leave the coast of lawless Libya on rickety fishing boats or rubber dinghies, heading for the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is close to Tunisia, or toward Sicily. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Warm summer nights should be spent outdoors with friends, lingering over last bites of peach pie and glasses of white wine.

However, with family vacations on the horizon, summer camp checks due and air conditioning bills skyrocketing, hosting a posh dinner party might seem like an extravagance. But fancy feasts don't have to be expensive.

To celebrate with good food and friends without overstepping your budget, try out these tips for throwing a fabulous, frugal dinner party.

[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]

1. Add Inexpensive Ambiance

When you look back on the last dinner party you went to, you probably remember the conversations, laughs and the delicious lemon fish. The china plates or rustic centerpiece were probably less of a highlight.

Still, dazzling decor can do a lot to create ambiance. You can impress with inexpensive, elegant touches like fresh flowers, candles and mason jars. Set the table with handmade menu cards, salad forks and dessert spoons, and sparkling wine glasses. To add to the tranquil atmosphere, set up speakers outside and play a soft music station on Pandora.

2. Scour Your Home

Preparing your table and backyard for your party doesn't require a trip to a home furnishing boutique. You may be surprised with all the useful goodies you can find in your very own home. Your indoor furniture can fashion a cheery backyard sitting area. Tables can be arranged around the yard to serve as separate drink and dessert sections. Ceramic mugs make attractive soup bowls, while martini and shot glasses can serve as classy dessert cups. Colorful curtains can be cut into sophisticated cloth napkins, while large bowls can hold floating flowers. An eclectic mix of plates can create a laidback feel, and brown craft paper can give your table a finished look and simplify post-dinner cleanup.

3. Choose One Inspired Entree

When it comes to dinner parties, go for quality over quantity. Focus your efforts on one delicious entree rather than stretching your energy over multiple dishes. Go for inexpensive but imaginative entrees, such as pineapple tilapia tacos, bacon quiche and pizza with different toppings. Check out frugal food blogs and recipe sites to find inspired and original ideas.

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[See: 10 Meals to Make When You Are Trying to Save.]

4. Swap Out Expensive Cuts of Meat

Cook with expensive cuts of meat and you could easily spend over $100 on a party of six. Swap out the expensive cuts in your favorite dishes for less expensive meats, such as chicken ($3 a pound), ground beef ($4.50 a pound) and ground turkey ($4 a pound). Frozen seafood can also be a light, sophisticated and inexpensive protein.

5. Go Vegetarian

Keeping your main entree meat-free will please vegetarians and omnivores alike in addition to saving you a hefty sum. There's plenty of veggie dishes that will delight taste buds and satisfy tummies. Try linguine with breadcrumbs and garlic, black bean and avocado arepas or chickpea curry.

6. Go Easy on the Apps

Why spoil your guest's appetites before getting to the main course? Stick to light and simple appetizers like self-made veggie trays, white bean dip and tomato and salsa crostini.

7. Keep Desserts Simple and Sweet

After filling your guests with a scrumptious dinner, you don't need to serve an extravagant dessert. Keep it sweet and simple with strawberries and ice cream or roasted peaches with cookie crumbles.

[See: 10 Fun, Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time.]

8. Skip the Fancy Wines

With all the cheap and quality wines out there, you don't need to shell out for a fancy bottle. Look for varieties from lesser-known countries -- like Turkey or Romania -- which are often better deal than popular wines. Or, head to Trader Joes or a big-box store to hunt down cheap and tasty selections.

For something a little different, try serving one simple, signature drink at the party, such as apple sangria, cape codders and gin rickeys.

9. Don't Fly Solo

After sending out invitations, your friends are certain to ask what to bring. Go ahead and request a contribution of an appetizer, dessert or bread. It's also not a bad idea to make the party BYOB and invite guests to bring their own wine, beer or other preferred libation.

10. Plan Free, Fun Entertainment

As everyone digests your delicious dinner, party games can entertain and stimulate conversation. Reawaken your inner children with games like Apples to Apples and Monopoly, or with friendship bracelet and keychain crafts. Start up a round of a classic dinner party game like charades or 20 questions. Encourage discussion by going around and answering playful questions, such as "What superpower would you choose?" and "What would you bring to a deserted island?"

Maria Lalonde honed her deal-hunting skills while traveling through South America and Southeast Asia, combing colorful local markets for unique finds. Her love of blogging and thirst for deals brought her to Offers.com, where she blogs about savings tips.





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From Esquire

Back in 1999, the last time we had a President Clinton, the United States and NATO intervened in Kosovo to prevent the slaughter of civilians in yet another of the brutal civil wars that resulted from the dissolution of what used to be Yugoslavia. The intervention was vigorous enough to draw criticism from, among other organizations, Amnesty International, but it had the desired effect. The slaughter was of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, most of whom were Muslims, a community that, until all hell broke loose, generally lived in harmony with its Christian neighbors.

I mention all this because, as The New York Times reports, our great good friends, the Saudis, and their affiliated statelets around the Persian Gulf, are doing their best to start the bloodletting all over again.

The mosque is one of scores built here with Saudi government money and blamed for spreading Wahhabism-the conservative ideology dominant in Saudi Arabia-in the 17 years since an American-led intervention wrested tiny Kosovo from Serbian oppression. Since then-much of that time under the watch of American officials-Saudi money and influence have transformed this once-tolerant Muslim society at the hem of Europe into a font of Islamic extremism and a pipeline for jihadists. Kosovo now finds itself, like the rest of Europe, fending off the threat of radical Islam. Over the last two years, the police have identified 314 Kosovars-including two suicide bombers, 44 women and 28 children-who have gone abroad to join the Islamic State, the highest number per capita in Europe. They were radicalized and recruited, Kosovo investigators say, by a corps of extremist clerics and secretive associations funded by Saudi Arabia and other conservative Arab gulf states using an obscure, labyrinthine network of donations from charities, private individuals and government ministries.

Absent western intervention, Kosovo wouldn't exist today. That doesn't matter to the purveyors of hate and death. If someone can tell me what benefits-besides cheap oil and the feeling that it can always get worse-the world gains from the continued existence of the governments in the Gulf states, I'd be keen to know.

Any influence over them that might come from us arming these governments is clearly nil. They are authoritarian theocracies, bribing murderers to kill people all around the world so they won't kill anyone back home. These countries are a blight, and their rulers, largely plutocratic criminals. These are our allies in the fight against terror.

Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page.
heisman

On May 11th, the Titans announced they have signed 6th round pick Sebastian Tretola. He is a mauler type guard from Arkansas.

His four year 2.4 million dollar deal will never net him a million annually, but averages roughly $620,000 per year. Rookie salaries are slotted, based upon where a player was selected, so there is no reading into numbers here; other than the fact that they simply did not pay him like a former two-time Heisman winner.

When Tretola was asked about Mariota winning the 2014 Heisman, he told Jim Wyatt of the Titans website Ill talk to him about it when I get there. I was definitely robbed. And I definitely have some concerns to address with him about that.

AROUND COVER32

Twitter Tuesday: Doug Baldwin calls out Roger Goodell

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2016 Preview: Top coach of the year candidates

About Henry: He has done amazing things in college. Hes another Heisman winner that I think I outperformed (laughing). He is a machine. He is a freak in every sense of the world. He is an awesome guy. 

As you can see, the Titans got a huge value here. Sarcasm aside, you have to love this guys spirit.

The post Titans signed the real Heisman winner appeared first on Cover32.
* Tom/next aluminium volumes fell 50 pct in Jan 2015

* Metals a sideshow for funds this year, oil more lucrative

* 20-50 percent of metals trading activity estimated to be OTC

* Monthly tom/next LME aluminium volumes: http://reut.rs/1WcvtOy

* LME volumes 2000-2016: http://tmsnrt.rs/1V7pJ7w

By Pratima Desai

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Core industrial clients of the London Metal Exchange (LME), unhappy with a steep rise in trading fees, are taking some of their business to top-tier investment banks and rival exchanges, industry sources said.

Business moving to banks and in some cases, the CME group , is reflected by a 4 percent drop in volumes on the 139-year old exchange last year, the first annual fall since 2009.

Turnover in the first four months of 2016 has dropped more than 9 percent from the same period last year.

Sources blame the exodus on an eye-watering 31 percent average fee hike designed to boost profits for the exchange's new owner, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd, which bought the LME for $2.2 billion in 2012.

The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 and broker MF Global in 2011 meant that for some years after over-the-counter (OTC) trade had been shunned by many seeking safety on exchanges and centralised clearing houses.

But the physical market -- consumers and producers -- has rethought that premise. OTC business in metals is rising, with estimates now ranging between 20 and 50 percent of total metals trading activity, sources say.

"If you choose your counterparty carefully, banks that still have investment grade rating, OTC is not going to be a problem," a commodity trading source said. "More business is going OTC to avoid the fees."

U.S. banks JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs are two banks which kept their investment grade rating after the 2008 financial crisis. Both banks declined to comment.

"Trading costs on the LME are now exorbitant. I'm surprised they haven't cut the fees yet, the damage is obvious. We avoid the LME where possible," a source at a copper consumer said.

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CLIENT BASE EROSION

A major hit to LME volumes comes from deals up to and within 14 days, which before January 2015 were not subject to fees. One very popular trade in this category used to be tom/next -- buying tomorrow and selling the day after.

But not any more. Tom/next volumes for aluminium slumped an annual 50 percent in January 2015 when the higher fees were introduced. So far this month they are on track for a more than 40 percent annual drop.

"The LME is eroding its core client base in the physical market," said Malcolm Freeman, chief executive at Kingdom Futures. "The CME is picking up volumes."

LME volumes are still a large multiple of those for metals on the CME, but sources say recent gains on the U.S. exchange are noteworthy. Copper volumes on the CME jumped an annual 16 percent in the first four months of 2016, while on the LME they fell nearly 13 percent.

A copper consumer wanting to buy 100,000 tonnes of copper through a LME member could pay up to $10,080 in trading costs if all the fees are passed on. The costs of trading for a consumer on the CME for the same amount of copper are nearly $6,200.

Part of the problem for the LME this year has been subdued volatility.

"Base metals compared to other commodities have been a bit dull in terms of volatility," a broking source said."

"Oil has been more profitable for funds and metals have been a sideshow," the broking source said.

Benchmark copper touched $4,318 a tonne on January 15, its lowest since May 2009, but since then daily moves have mostly ranged between a gain of 3.5 percent and losses of 2.8 percent compared with 11 percent and 7.8 percent respectively for Brent oil.

"The LME sees substantial trading volumes across the entire base metals market, not just copper. These volumes naturally fluctuate for many reasons, including macroeconomic factors," an LME spokeswoman said.

"Historically low prices have led to lower hedging activity from the physical industry, which is a significant constituency of the LME market."

(Reporting by Pratima Desai; Editing by Veronica Brown and Louise Heavens)
jim ayres

When a hiring manager asks you a super-weird interview question ("What kind of tree would you be?"), it's rarely because the interviewer is just a super-weird person.

Instead, the person is most likely trying, in a subtle way, to see whether you can think on your feet or to find out whether you'd be a cultural fit.

So when Jim Ayres, the managing director of Amway North America, is interviewing candidates for leadership positions and wants to measure their emotional intelligence, he rarely goes with the standard, "Do you work well in groups?"

Instead, he prompts the candidate to tell him who's on his or her team.

Say they answer, "Karen, Bill, and Steve." Ayres will respond: "Tell me about Karen." Specifically, he'll want to know about her family, how she works best, and what typically gets in her way.

If the candidate doesn't know anything about Karen's work style or personal life, that's a bad sign.

"It may seem odd," Ayres said, "but if you're a leader and you know [the answers], it's a good indicator that you have emotional intelligence."

Ayres wants to see that leadership candidates will be invested in their teams and that they value interpersonal relationships  in other words, that they're emotionally intelligent.

The term emotional intelligence was coined in the 1990s by psychologist Daniel Goleman, and it refers to self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. A growing body of research suggests that emotionally intelligent leaders are more effective (though some researchers think otherwise).

Ayres believes that emotional intelligence is especially important at Amway.

"Our culture is built on relationships," he said, noting that the company was founded by two business partners, Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos.

Leaders need to be able to relate to people, he said, and work effectively on teams.

"Technical expertise is important," he added, "but it's difficult to be successful with only technical expertise."

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PARIS (Reuters) - French oil and gas company Total warned on Tuesday that strikes that have forced the shutdown of two of its refineries, with two more in the process of shutting down, could make it reconsider investments in its French plants.

The temporary shutdowns are the result of industrial action over France's planned labour reforms, which have triggered weeks of street protests and risk paralysing the country with rolling strikes at refineries, ports and railways.

Total's Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne told journalists on the sidelines of the company's shareholder meeting in Paris that the strikes were a breach of a pact reach with workers four years ago.

When Pouyanne took over as head of the oil major's refining and chemicals unit in 2012, he promised to make the business profitable by the end of 2016 through heavy investment.

"This (strike) will lead us to seriously reconsider the investment plans we had for the various sites," Pouyanne was quoted as saying by French business daily Les Echos on Tuesday.

Total, Europe's largest refiner, operates five of eight refineries in France and nine oil depots.

Its Feyzin and Normandy refineries have shut down because of the ongoing strike, while operations at Donges and Grandpuits are in the process of shutting down.

Output at its La Mede refinery is at the lowest possible level to keep operations running and two of Total's fuel depots were still being barricaded by striking workers on Tuesday, preventing fuel deliveries.

Total invested about 1 billion euros (0.75 billion pounds) in its Normandy refining and petrochemical complex between 2012 and 2014, with a further 200 million euros spent on its Carling petrochemical unit.

It said last year that it will invest 400 million euros to modernise the 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) Donges refinery to produce fuel for the European market and 200 million euros in the 153,000 bpd La Mede plant to transform it into Frances first biorefinery.

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Both refineries are still loss-making.

In a letter to employees on Friday, the company's current head of refining and chemicals, Phillippe Sauquet, warned of the potential impact of the ongoing industrial action.

"It constitutes taking our business hostage in a fight that is not ours," he said in the letter, which was seen by Reuters.

"If we are not able to avoid such circumstances, leading to the shutdown of our units, it goes without saying that our customers would reconsider the confidence they have placed in us, and thus we should revise our future projects."

(Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by David Goodman)
Travis Kalanick

Toyota and Uber are looking for a way to "explore collaboration, starting with trials, in the world of ridesharing."

The companies announced Tuesday that they had entered a "memorandum of understanding" to start exploring how they could work together. That begins Tuesday with new leasing options from Toyota that let Uber drivers cover their payments with their earnings.

Toyota Financial Services Corp. and Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership will also be making a strategic investment in Uber. The amount was not disclosed.

Were excited that Toyota, the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, is making a strategic investment in Uber as part of a broader global partnership. Toyota vehicles are among the most popular cars on the Uber platform worldwide and we look forward to collaborating with Toyota in multiple ways going forward, starting with the expansion of our vehicle financing efforts, said Emil Michael, chief business officer of Uber, in the press release.

It's not the first time a traditional automaker has come knocking on a ride-hailing company's door.

The Uber-Toyota collaboration comes on the heels of Volkswagen announcing a $300 million investment in Uber competitor Gett.

Uber's other rival, Lyft, may be a better example though of a direction Uber could take in a newly minted collaboration. Lyft previously received half a billion from General Motors. Lyft and GM have since teamed up on projects like providing rental cars to people who want to drive for Lyft.

NOW WATCH: Uber drivers reveal 5 ways to get a better passenger rating





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San Francisco (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp and Uber said on Tuesday they would partner to explore ridesharing, including an investment by the Japanese automaker in the on-demand ride company, the latest in a wave of high-profile partnerships between carmakers and ride-sharing services.

Toyota and Uber will create new leasing options in which car purchasers can lease their vehicles from Toyota Financial Services and cover their payments through earnings generated as Uber drivers, the companies said in a joint statement.

Traditional automakers are racing to find ride-sharing partners as a response to the rush of technology companies such as Apple (AAPL.O), Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) and private companies such as Uber that are reshaping the global auto industry.

Earlier on Tuesday, German automaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) announced a $300 million investment in Gett, a smaller ride-sharing company.

The Toyota-Uber partnership comes more than four months after General Motors' $500 million investment in Lyft, Uber's main U.S. rival, to develop an on-demand network of self-driving cars.

More recently, Apple said it would invest $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing, seen as a political move by the technology giant to cement its presence in the crucial Chinese market.

At the same time, Ford Motor Co (F.N) is looking at partnerships to expand beyond manufacturing and selling cars, with Chairman Bill Ford saying on Monday that "you'll hear more from us" as the year progresses.

Toyota is making the strategic investment through its unit Toyota Financial Services Corporation and Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership. (http://toyota.us/1Ro2Upc)

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage in San Francisco and Radhika Rukmangadhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Alan Crosby)
San Francisco (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp and Uber said on Tuesday they would partner to explore ride-sharing, including an investment by the Japanese automaker in the on-demand ride company, the latest in a wave of high-profile partnerships between carmakers and ride-sharing services.

Toyota and Uber will create new leasing options in which car purchasers can lease their vehicles from Toyota Financial Services and cover their payments through earnings generated as Uber drivers, the companies said in a joint statement.

Traditional automakers are racing to find ride-sharing partners as a response to the rush of technology companies such as Apple (AAPL.O), Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) and private companies such as Uber that are reshaping the global auto industry.

Earlier on Tuesday, German automaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) announced a $300 million (205 billion) investment in Gett, a smaller ride-sharing company.

The Toyota-Uber partnership comes more than four months after General Motors' $500 million investment in Lyft, Uber's main U.S. rival, to develop an on-demand network of self-driving cars.

More recently, Apple said it would invest $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing, seen as a political move by the technology giant to cement its presence in the crucial Chinese market.

At the same time, Ford Motor Co (F.N) is looking at partnerships to expand beyond manufacturing and selling cars, with Chairman Bill Ford saying on Monday that "you'll hear more from us" as the year progresses.

Toyota is making the strategic investment through its unit Toyota Financial Services Corporation and Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership.

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage in San Francisco and Radhika Rukmangadhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Alan Crosby)
A transgender rights organization is calling out Hillary Clinton for failing to complete a trans-focused questionnaire it distributed to the presidential candidates.

Trans United Fund, the first tax-exempt political advocacy group to focus specifically on transgender issues, announced Monday that both Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders had committed to completing the survey, but that only Sanders campaign had filled it out.

According to a press release from the Trans United Fund, a representative from the Clinton campaign called the TUF to say that the survey was too long and the campaign couldnt complete it on time. The organization is now calling for the Clinton campaign to complete the questionnaire by May 27.

They also sent presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trumps campaign the questionnaire, but did not receive a response. The group is planning to endorse a presidential candidate based partly on the results of the questionnaire, which reportedly includes questions about non-discrimination, violence, and HIV.

The questionnaire and the public call-out represent a changing tactic for transgender activists, who only recently organized a 501(c)(4) to push for political action on behalf of the transgender community. If people thought the old patterns of silent gratitude; quiet, off the record conversations and hoping for the best would be how we react to slights in this new trans rights paradigm, that would be a critical mistake, TUF Presidential endorsement committee member Monica Roberts said in a statement.

Secretary Clinton has consistently supported transgender rights, and as Secretary of State she approved a new policy that would allow trans Americans to have their true identity reflected on their passports. Shes also called for the Justice Department to collect more data about transphobic violence and improve reporting of hate crimes against transgender people. Clinton has strong support from the LGBTQ community, and some trans supporters have created Trans United for Hillary to help her get elected. She also posted a sympathetic Facebook message to a transgender woman after she was harassed on the New York subway.

The Clinton campaign declined to comment on whether they would be completing the questionnaire.
A photo posted by Janine Ker (@janine_ker_hair) on Apr 21, 2016 at 8:10am PDT

Looking for your next fun hair experiment? According to Instagram, hair stenciling is where its at right now.

Combining vibrant temporary spray hair color with any stencil design your heart desires, the jaw-dropping final result is artistic and whimsical.

A photo posted by Janine Ker (@janine_ker_hair) on Apr 21, 2016 at 6:49pm PDT

And while weve pictured adults with the eye-catching art form here, hair stenciling is a total hit with kids, too. With endless cool graphics to choose from, its the perfect party activity for both girls and boys. And dont worry, mom - this stuff washes right out in the shower.

Among the most viral hair stencilers of the moment is Janine Ker (@janine_ker_hair), a hairstylist out of Salon Aguayo in Pasadena, California. From fun pop art prints to intricately-layered patterns, her work looks painstakingly created  but she says its way easier than it looks to do on someone else. The great thing about stencils is that no artistic skill is necessarily required, Ker tells Yahoo Beauty. Basically, you spray color over the patterned guide  and voila!

A photo posted by Janine Ker (@janine_ker_hair) on Apr 21, 2016 at 8:01am PDT

Another popular stenciler is London hair stylist Brad Baker, whose playful designs are big on happy imagery, like smiley faces, hearts and dreamy clouds. While hair stenciling has been around for awhile, he says the current resurgence online has to do with the ease of making such a strong visual statement that looks amazing both in person and in photos. Its a quick way of funking up your hair for a party, event or festival, Baker tells Yahoo Beauty.

A photo posted by Brad Baker (@bradbaker) on Feb 27, 2014 at 6:53am PST

For inspiration, the artists look to everything from nature to fashion prints, graffiti, tattoos and iconic popular culture. Animal prints like leopard and zebra are popular accents on both genders. There is no right or wrong when it comes to hair stenciling, there is only expression, says Ker.

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A photo posted by Brad Baker (@bradbaker) on Aug 27, 2013 at 5:47am PDT

If youd like to give hair stenciling a go, the expert stencilers suggest these steps.

1. Get temporary spray hair color from a beauty supply store and gather your stencils of choice from a craft store.

Try: Beyond the Zone Color Bombz ($6 each, sallybeauty.com)

2. (Optional) Prep hair with a smoothing spray for a sleek canvas.

Try: Ion Frizz-Defying Foundation Spray ($6, sallybeauty.com)

3. Hold stencil to hair and spray. Thats all! You can get creative by contrasting with an edgy base color sprayed all over first, and layering multiple stencils on top. Or experiment with finishing accents like glitter gel and metallic leafing.

4. Spray all over your design with hairspray, which helps set the stenciling to stay.

If you decide to give it a try, get ready to turn some heads  and dont forget to snap that selfie for Instagram.
Conservative commentators are cautioning Donald Trump not to give fuel to conspiracy theories and sordid controversies that have long swirled around Bill and Hillary Clinton after the presumptive Republican nominee called a former White House aides suicide fishy and released an Instagram ad featuring audio recordings of the former presidents accusers.

Im not sure its a good thing to do that, Fox News host Bill OReilly told Trump on Monday night, hours after the Instagram ad was posted. Kind of tawdry stuff.

The brash billionaire said he only did so to counter Hillary Clintons attacks on him.

She has been very nasty, Trump said. I dont like doing [ads like] that. But I have no choice. When she hits me on things, I just have no choice.

The Instagram video featured the voices of Juanita Broaddrick and Kathleen Willey, two women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault in separate incidents  Broaddricks in 1978, when she was working on Clintons gubernatorial campaign in Arkansas. The 30-second spot was posted to Trumps social media accounts along with the message, Is Hillary really protecting women?

Is Hillary really protecting women? A video posted by Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on May 23, 2016 at 8:27am PDT

Bill Clinton has long denied the allegations and was never charged.

I understand what you are trying to do here is inhibit Mrs. Clinton from attacking you personally by saying, If you play that game, then can I come back 10 times harder,' OReilly said. But it is  you know that it makes the country look bad abroad and things like that. Thats what worries me.

In an interview with the Washington Post published on Monday, Trump was asked about Vincent Foster, the former White House aide whose 1993 death was ruled a suicide by both police and federal investigators. The likely GOP nominee called the circumstances surrounding Fosters death very fishy.

He had intimate knowledge of what was going on [with the Clintons], Trump said. He knew everything that was going on, and then all of a sudden he committed suicide.

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Trump continued: I dont bring [Fosters death] up, because I dont know enough to really discuss it. I will say there are people who continue to bring it up because they think it was absolutely a murder. I dont do that because I dont think its fair.

Its the one thing with her, whether its Whitewater or whether its Vince or whether its Benghazi. Its always a mess with Hillary, Trump said.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon called Trumps recent attacks an effort to distract from an issues-based campaign, which is what we intend to run.

Every day he spends in this type of stuff is a misspent opportunity by him in terms of doing the outreach he needs to do to improve his numbers, Fallon said.

.@realDonaldTrump dredges up past Clinton conspiracy theories, @JoeNBC weighs in on this general election strategy https://t.co/QFaxoKloU5  Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) May 24, 2016

MSNBCs Joe Scarborough said Trumps tactic of elevating conspiracies simply wont work in the general election.

I think its about as effective as accusing your Republican opponents father of being friends with Lee Harvey Oswald and implying he may have had something to with the assassination of JFK, Scarborough said, referring to Trumps attack on his former rival in the GOP primaries, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. I wonder what Republicans who are now going to treat Donald Trump as their prospective nominee  what are they thinking?

Scarborough added: Instead of building a coherent foreign policy  instead of building any coherent policy, hes going out and dredging up murder conspiracies from the 1990s that only kooks were trying to sell.
From Town & Country

One way or another, Trump is heading to D.C. Whether or not his presidential ambitions pan out, the presumptive Republican nominee is opening a hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue this September, and the property is already taking reservations. Here's what we know so far:

It's located within the Historic Old Post Office.

The Trump team has spent years renovating the 19th-century post office into a luxury 263-room hotel. Special attention has been paid to restoring the Post Master General's office and the original mail room, and guests can expect 16-foot ceilings, a massive ballroom, and original wood milling and stonework. Complimentary access will also be available to the building's historic Clock Tower, which houses the Bells of Congress and is the second highest point in the city.

Trump's daughter, Ivanka, is spearheading the project.

The Donald has been more than a little busy this year, so his daughter Ivanka is taking the lead on the $200 million project. "It has been an incredible journey transforming the Old Post Office into what will be the finest luxury hotel in the country-if not the world," she said in a statement. "We have worked tirelessly to meticulously restore one of the United States' most high profile landmarks and are incredibly proud to unveil the results of our efforts this September."

The new mom is not only handling the design for the project (including one of the largest presidential suites in the country), but she is also launching her own spa, a 10,000-square-foot luxury facility, which will feature Technogym Cardiovascular equipment, personal trainers, and a menu of yet-to-be-announced treatments.

The Hotel will host a BLT Prime.

Earlier this month, the property announced that Chef David Burke will serve as the executive chef of BLT Prime at the hotel. Guests can expect the quality steaks and seafood BLT Prime is known for alongside "new surprises" on the menu. This announcement comes after controversy regarding the hotel's restaurant. Previously, chefs Jose Andres and Geoffrey Zakarian backed out of the project, severing ties with Trump over his anti-immigration comments.

For more information on the hotel, head to trumphotelcollection.com.
Istanbul (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned the European Union that the Turkish parliament would block laws related to the landmark deal to stem the flow of migrants to Europe if Ankara was not granted its key demand of visa-free travel.

The stark and unexpected warning from Erdogan came amid spiralling tensions between the Turkish strongman and the bloc over a string of issues ranging from existing accords and human rights as he seeks to further consolidate his powers.

"If that (the visa exemption) is not what will happen... no decision and no law in the framework of the readmission agreement will come out of the parliament of the Turkish Republic," Erdogan said at the close of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.

"Our foreign ministry, our EU affairs ministry will have discussions with the Europeans. If there is a result then great. If not, then I'm sorry."

There have been growing indications Turks will not be given the visa-free travel by the target of the end of June and Chancellor Angela Merkel warned after talks with Erdogan on Monday that the target was unlikely to be met.

The agreement -- which is already being implemented -- saw Turkey pledge to work to stop migrants cross the Aegean to Europe and also readmit migrants who crossed illegally.

EU officials have hailed the success of the deal, but Ankara has grown increasingly uneasy about the bloc's wariness to grant it the visa-free travel to the passport free Schengen area it was offered in return.

- 'Disappointed' -

Erdogan also complained about the EU's wariness in handing over to Turkey a promise of 3 billion euros followed by another 3 billion to help Syrian refugees.

"Turkey is not asking for favours what we want is honesty," Erdogan said, speaking alongside UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the closing news conference.

"Turkey is supposed to fulfil criteria? What criteria are these I ask you?" he asked in an angry tirade that overshadowed the end of the summit.

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Erdogan had emphasised during the summit how Turkey's hosting of some 3 million refugees from Syria and Iraq was an example to the world and said he hoped the event would lead to a "rekindling" of the world's collective conscience.

But he added: "If it goes into history books as one of the countless meetings where nothing comes out.. I will be very upset."

But Ban said he was a "bit disappointed" many world leaders, with the exception of Merkel, had stayed away from the Turkish metropolis and said their absence was "no excuse" for not taking action.

Erdogan meanwhile also floated once again his idea to build a city in Syria "from scratch" that could house some of the Syrian refugees in Turkey and be part of a safe zone.

He said that he had raised the idea in his talks with Merkel.

- 'Why these conditions? -

EU leaders are insisting that Turkey abides by 72 conditions before the visa exemption takes place, with a demand to change counter-terror laws proving particularly contentious.

The EU wants Ankara to narrow its definition of terror to stop prosecuting academics and journalists for publishing "terror propaganda".

Turkey has refused to do so, pointing out it is in the midst of a campaign against Kurdish militants.

Erdogan complained Latin American countries were not asked such strict conditions as Turkey to be given visa-free travel.

"Turkey on the other hand is a candidate countries so why are you asking for these conditions, all these question marks?" he said.

EU capitals have also been unsettled by the sudden resignation this month of prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who was widely seen in Brussels as a more amenable figure than the combative Erdogan.

Germany and other EU states have also sounded alarm over issues including a law to strip MPs of immunity and Erdogan's drive for a presidential system in the country.

Incoming Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Tuesday announced his new cabinet with the ruling party spokesman Omer Celik, an Erdogan loyalist, taking over the EU Affairs Ministry from Volkan Bozkir who had helped Davutoglu to negotiate the deal.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is still aiming for full membership of the European Union but is frustrated by progress so far, and will support U.N. efforts towards a resolution in Cyprus, according to a new government program announced on Tuesday. The program, read out by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in parliament after he earlier named his new cabinet, also said the government would work on boosting ties with Iran, and on mending relations with Russia through dialogue. (Reporting by Gulsen Solaker; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Ece Toksabay)
By Megan Rowling ISTANBUL (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Tuvalu's prime minister on Tuesday called for a U.N. resolution to create legal protection for people displaced by the impacts of climate change, saying there was currently no international framework to protect their rights. Speaking at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, where he made the proposal, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation it was time to start working out how to deal with communities that might have to be moved due to rising seas, water shortages and other threats to their homes. "Think of a situation where Tuvaluans have to be relocated because no land is there," said Enele Sopoaga, suggesting the low-lying island nation could start disappearing under the waves as the planet warms. "Under current international law, we don't have any framework to work from," he added. There was a need for one, he said, "so we can be relocated to elsewhere... but we still can claim our sovereignty rights to our part of the world". The Refugee Convention does not cover people displaced across borders by environmental degradation or climate-related disasters, and more recent initiatives to address the problem are non-binding. "We have a real situation on our hands right now - 62,000 people every day are displaced by the impacts of climate change," Sopoaga said. "We are going to see more of that happening, as predicted by science." He said he supported a push by Pacific small island developing states to appoint a U.N. Special Representative on Climate and Security. SECURITY THREAT Baron Waqa, the president of Nauru, told the Istanbul summit such a representative should report regularly to the U.N. General Assembly and the U.N. Security Council on emerging climate-related security threats, as well as helping vulnerable countries develop action plans to boost their resilience. "A new Special Representative... would be a lasting legacy of the World Humanitarian Summit and demonstrate to vulnerable countries and communities that we take seriously one of the greatest security threats of our generation," Waqa said during a roundtable on natural disasters and climate change. At the session, the treasurer of the Philippines presented a new plan, backed by U.N. agencies and the World Bank, to strengthen the disaster preparedness of 20 vulnerable countries by 2020. Other initiatives for managing climate and disaster risk also were discussed, including a new business-led forum to increase access to insurance in the most vulnerable countries. Maarten Van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Climate Center, said the summit had underlined the need for a dramatic shift in how the world manages risk - something already recognized in the new Paris climate change agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. "Rather than waiting for disasters to happen, we need to anticipate shocks and stresses, and build resilience especially among the most vulnerable," he said. He said several commitments had been made at the summit that address that need, such as a Red Cross pledge to double by 2018 its emerging system of putting in place pre-crisis funding triggered by forecasts of weather hazards. Van Aalst urged the U.N. climate change negotiations to take up the baton of the issues raised in Istanbul. "Many of these challenges cannot be addressed by the humanitarian community alone," he added. (Reporting by Megan Rowling; editing by Laurie Goering. 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)
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Two FBI agents were shot and wounded in a Chicago suburb on Tuesday as they tried to arrest an alleged gang member wanted for dealing drugs, and the suspect was killed, the FBI and local media said.

The agents suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, said Garrett Croon, spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago. The man they were trying to arrest was found dead in the Park Forest, Illinois, home where an arrest warrant was being served, Croon said.

He said it was not known who shot and killed the suspect in the suburb about 30 miles (50 km)south of downtown Chicago.

The Chicago Tribune, citing a federal law enforcement source, said FBI agents had gone to the home to arrest the man, who was a high-ranking member of the Black P Stone Nation street gang, on charges of narcotics trafficking. The attempted arrest was part of a sweep involving several other ranking members of the gang.

The man was charged with selling heroin to an FBI informant, the newspaper reported.

Park Forest-Chicago Heights School District 163 had asked children to stay home because of law enforcement activity in the area, local media reported. But the district said on its website later that the incident had been resolved and school was back in session.

(Reporting by Justin Madden; Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Jonathan Oatis)
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian militias launched a new offensive against Islamic State fighters near their de facto capital of Raqqa city on Tuesday, a monitoring group and an official said. The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance is the main Syrian partner for the U.S.-led alliance battling the Islamic State group that controls large areas of northern and eastern Syria. Its most powerful component is the Kurdish YPG militia. Aided by U.S.-led air strikes, the YPG has driven Islamic State from wide areas of northern Syria over the last year or more, though its advances have recently slowed. There has been no indication of when a full assault on Raqqa city might take place. A Kurdish official contacted by Reuters declined to say whether it was a target of the latest offensive. Syrian Kurdish groups have previously said an attack on the predominantly Arab city of Raqqa should be led by Arab militias. Syria experts say the SDF's Arab groups are not yet ready for such an attack, however. An unspecified number of SDF fighters were seen moving south from their stronghold of Tel Abyad near the Turkish border toward Ain Issa, a town about 60 km north west of Raqqa city, and clashes were reported nearby, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. An SDF spokesman, Talal Silo, confirmed a military operation began this morning but gave no details. He told Reuters via internet messaging it was focused at this stage on capturing large tracts of territory north of Raqqa, not the city itself. "CAPABLE AND COMPETENT PARTNERS" The ground operation was accompanied by a series of air strikes on militant hideouts in the area carried out by jets belonging to a U.S.-led coalition. The attack follows a recent visit to northern Syria by U.S. Central Command Commander General Joseph L. Votel , the highest-ranking U.S. military official to visit Syria since the war erupted in 2011. After meeting with commanders of the SDF, Votel said the local forces being trained by U.S. special forces were proving to be "capable and competent partners". "They're exhibiting their initiative, their innovativeness, their skills [and] their expertise to really make a difference here," he was quoted as saying by the U.S. Defence Department. His visit fueled expectations of an imminent attack but neither Washington nor its allies have indicated they are about to embark on a campaign to retake Raqqa or Mosul city, the other main stronghold of the militants in Iraq. Washington's strategy in Syria has shifted from trying to train thousands of fighters outside the country to supplying groups headed by U.S.-vetted commanders. U.S. officials said delivery of weapons since the alliance was set up has helped the SDF fighters push further south into Islamic State-held territory. "As weve done (before), we are providing air power and support," said Colonel Steve Warren, the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. Islamic State's territory in Iraq and Syria has shrunk significantly from its peak. The group is also being targeted in a separate campaign by the Syrian military and its allies, including Russia. (Writing by Suleiman al-Khaldii, Additioanl reporting by Tom Perry and Lisa Barrington in Beirut and Ali Idrees in Washington; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Gareth Jones)
Helen Clark, the U.N.s development czar, has emerged as a front-runner in the race for U.N. secretary-general, inspiring international hopes that a powerful woman could lead the worlds preeminent diplomatic organization for the first time. Back home in New Zealand, where Clark served as prime minister from December 1999 to November 2008, the teenage pop star Lorde declared she was all in for her awe-inspiring fellow countrywoman. Fans produced T-shirts proclaiming, Aunty Helen for UN Secretary General.

But many of her own U.N. colleagues are not rooting for her. Clarks seven-year stewardship of the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) has left a trail of embittered peers and subordinates, who accuse Clark of ruthlessly ending the careers of underlings in her quest to advance her candidacy and of undercutting the U.N.s promotion of human rights. In the most controversial move, Clarks top managers allegedly drove one UNDP official out of her job in retaliation for participating in an investigation that sharply criticized the agencys response to mass atrocities in Sri Lanka, according to internal U.N. emails and several current and former U.N.-based officials and diplomats. The offices of the deputy U.N. secretary-general and a top aide to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon lobbied Clarks office to rescue the UNDP officials career, but they were unsuccessful.

UNDP denies it retaliated against the employee or that Clark played any role in denying her a job. Clarks supporters concede her popularity may have taken a hit after she led a traumatic restructuring of the development agency from September 2013 to September 2015, sacking more than 200 staffers at UNDPs New York headquarters, part of an effort to thin the ranks of senior management in New York. But they say it is a testament to Clarks leadership that she had the grit to undertake such painful cuts  something that few other U.N. managers have achieved. Even her detractors say she has been a tenacious advocate for her agencys interests. She is one of the most aggressive turf warriors the U.N. has ever seen, one senior diplomat said.

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But there have also been casualties during her tenure, notably Lena Sinha, a Swedish-American dual citizen, who was forced out of UNDP after helping craft a landmark report on the U.N.s shortcomings in the final months of the Sri Lankan civil war, ending a 15-year career there.

Sinhas fall from grace  which has not been previously reported  highlights a broader resistance within the U.N. development agency to play a more proactive role speaking out against human rights abuses in overseas missions. UNDP manages the most senior officials in most of the U.N.s far-flung offices, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and human rights advocates believe the agency should play a more pro-active role in spotting and reporting abuses before they erupt into full-blown crises.

More than four years ago, Sinha was appointed to serve as chief of staff on a high-profile panel producing a report on the mass atrocities in Sri Lanka. The Petrie report  named after the lead author, Charles Petrie, a former U.N. official and occasional advisor to the U.N. chief  provided a damning account of the U.N.s systemic failure to advocate for the protection of hundreds of thousands of Tamils caught in the line of fire in the final months of the countrys brutal civil war in 2009. It criticized senior officials in New York, as well as UNDPs leadership team in Colombo, charging they routinely downplayed the extent of the Sri Lankan governments complicity in killing the vast majority of the more than 70,000 civilians who died in indiscriminate shelling. The U.N. team in Sri Lanka did not perceive the prevention of killing of civilians as their responsibility  and agency and department heads at UNHQ were not instructing them otherwise, according to the Petrie report.

The Petrie report was endorsed by the U.N. chief, and its recommendations formed the basis of Bans push to step up the U.N.s human rights advocacy around the world. In November 2013, Ban launched his Human Rights Up Front initiative, which instructed all U.N. agencies to place the protection of civilians from atrocities at the forefront of their missions and to speak out publicly when abuses occur.

The undertaking had enormous implications for UNDP, which administers a stable of more than 130 resident coordinators who serve as the face of the United Nations in most countries. First, it placed greater pressure on the officials  many of whom are primarily responsible for running development programs  to take on a stronger role in promoting human rights. But it also risked complicating their relations with host governments, many of which see the promotion of human rights as an unwelcome challenge to their sovereignty. A sharp rebuke of a countrys human rights abuses can get a resident coordinator expelled, jeopardizing the U.N.s development and humanitarian operations there.

The Petrie reports release infuriated UNDPs brass, who felt it maligned the U.N. development agency, presented an unfairly harsh account of UNDPs top official in Sri Lanka, and posed a potential threat to its leadership in far-flung operations.

It seems that UNDP, and Helen Clark in particular, took the Petrie report personally, said Edward Mortimer, who served as a top advisor to former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. But even if you think the report is wrong it is not a reason to discriminate in giving them a job. Mortimer, who became an active proponent of human rights in Sri Lanka after leaving the United Nations, served as an informal advocate for Sinha, bringing her case to the attention of officials in Bans office.

In a confidential point-by-point rebuttal obtained by Foreign Policy, UNDP rejected some of Petries key findings. It claimed the Petrie report was deeply flawed and that its authors were not sufficiently rigorous in their assessments of the U.N.s alleged failings. It accused Petries team of citing documents out of context and failing to consult sufficiently with UNDP or other agencies. It pushed hard against plans by Petrie that would dilute its control over the U.N.s field operations, including a proposal to strengthen the role of the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, saying what was needed was more money to fund the U.N.s response in the face of crisis.

Only UNDP in the entire UN system has the operational presence, capacity and broad development and policy mandate, and financial resources to manage the RC [resident coordinator] system, the confidential UNDP report stated.

The Petrie report, meanwhile, fueled resentment that one of UNDPs own had played a role in the report.

Word quickly filtered around UNDPs New York headquarters that Sinha was finished.

Sinha would later recall in a July 2015 email to a UNDP human resources official that two days after the formal release of the Petrie report she was informed that UNDP had convened a high-level crisis meeting regarding the Sri Lanka report, with the findings and recommendations, and my role therein, discussed, and that it was said that I would never work for UNDP again, according to the email, which was reviewed by FP.

Christina LoNigro, UNDPs press secretary, said no such decision had ever taken place. She said Sinha had simply been unsuccessful finding a New assignment. Another senior official reached out to FP after learning it was investigating the case claimed that Sinha had not faced retaliation. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that while Sinha was a smart and capable official she lacked the kind of extensive field experience needed to rise in UNDP. I dont think she was retaliated against.

Still, after 15 years of employment with the development agency, UNDPs top managers stopped offering her new assignments. She applied for more than half a dozen UNDP jobs but failed to even get shortlisted. Shortly after, Sinha was placed on leave without pay.

In the meantime, Sinha took up an unpaid job at the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, a New York-based human rights advocacy group, living off her savings and analyzing atrocities in Syria. She hoped the matter would blow over and that UNDP would ultimately welcome her back in. But that was not to happen, and after four years in limbo, she accepted a severance package earlier this year and left.

I was, of course, shocked by the developments following the completion of the Sri Lanka review, Sinha told FP. I tried to remain with UNDP, she added, but as it became clear that I would be unsuccessful in obtaining further regular appointments, I agreed to voluntary termination of my permanent contract with the U.N.

Petrie  a veteran U.N. player who once worked for UNDP  characterized UNDPs treatment of Sinha in an email to FP as an extraordinary demonstration of vindictiveness and abuse of authority.

At the time I thought the whole approach was extraordinarily stupid, he added. UNDP, he noted, was in the midst of launching a management reform that would result in scores of job cuts. They could have discreetly terminated her contract a few months later as part of the reform. But I wasnt surprised by the way Lena was treated. It fits a very familiar pattern.

Petrie said it was his understanding that the message conveyed to Lena, of never being able to find work with UNDP, followed a senior management meeting with Helen Clark.

UNDPs LoNigro, denied that Clark played any role in the decision to deny Sinha employment, saying, issues related to her employment status were dealt with at the working level in the organization and not at the level of or at the instruction of the administrator.

Either way, the controversy was subsequently brought to her offices attention by Bans office, which sympathized with Sinhas plight. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson and Susana Malcorra, Bans chief of staff at the time and currently a candidate for secretary-general herself, reached out to Clarks office to urge UNDP to back down, according to emails and sources briefed on the exchanges.

Bans office learned about Sinhas situation as early as November, 2012. His top advisors grew concerned that a high-profile case of potential retaliation against a U.N. staffer who had participated in the Petrie report would undermine public confidence in the U.N. chiefs initiative.

In July 2013, several months before Ban was due to launch his human rights initiative, the secretary-generals office contacted Clarks office to raise concern about the political implications of a public battle over Sinhas case. A short time later, Sinha received a call from UNDPs human resources office. It had found a temporary assignment reviewing UNDP staff diversity policies. That assignment was extended until the fall of 2013. But a full-time job never materialized.

Several sources that had been briefed by Bans office said that both Eliasson and Malcorra had spoken directly to Clark. According to those accounts, Clark said she was unaware of Sinhas case but that she would look into it.

UNDP denied that either Malcorra or Eliasson had spoken directly to Clark about the matter. UNDP, not the administrator, was asked about the status of the staffer in question, LoNigro said. No link was made to Human Rights Up Front, and the response from UNDP was that she had been unsuccessful in job fairs. Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the U.N. secretary general, said we have no recollection of direct contact between Eliasson and Clark.

Human rights advocates tracking the case said it was travesty of justice that those who were criticized in the report suffered no disciplinary action while Sinha saw her career destroyed.

UNDP has it tragically backward, apparently retaliating against a staff who helped document the U.N. failings in Sri Lanka, while promoting staff who were actually responsible for those failings, said Philippe Bolopion, the deputy director for global advocacy at Human Rights Watch.

Bolopion claimed UNDP has resisted Bans efforts to strengthen the U.N.s human rights advocacy and that the Sinha case sent a chilling message to any U.N. employee who might be tempted to speak about the world bodys human rights failings.

Ban Ki-moon can promote Human Rights Up Front all he wants, but UNDP has been notoriously slow getting on board, Bolopion said.

UNDPs LoNigro challenged that assessment, saying Clark was appointed co-chair, along with Eliasson, of a high-level working group implementing Human Rights Up Front, testifying to Clarks commitment to implementing Bans human rights initiative.

We expect resident coordinators to recognize and respond to serious human rights concerns and their cause, and will provide you with support in doing so, Clark and Eliasson wrote in a July 29 joint letter to UNDPs resident coordinators.

Following the launch of the Human Rights Up Front initiative, UNDPs resident coordinators received special new training on the issue. As a result, human rights have a more prominent role in the world of the U.N. country teams than ever before, LoNigro said.

But human rights advocates and many officials in the U.N. say they remain unconvinced.

One U.N. official raised concern in an email to a colleague that Clark had used her position to weaken some of the U.N.s chief most important initiatives, and to veto any policy that challenged UNDPs interests.

For instance, the official noted, Clark and her aides sought to dilute a key proposal to deploy teams of human rights experts and conflict specialists to countries beset by a sudden influx of violence. The idea was that these teams  operating under the authority of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the U.N.s top political adviser  would have greater freedom to promote human rights. But Clarks team pushed back, demanding that the UNDP administrator provide clear direction to any such human rights team, according to an email from a UNDP official involved in the internal negotiations. Clarks office also fought internally to ensure UNDP staffers secured most of the resident coordinator posts. Current or former staffers from UNDP currently have about 50 percent of such posts, far more than any other U.N. agency.

Human rights advocates inside and outside of the U.N. have also voiced frustration that the lessons of Sri Lanka have yet to be learned at UNDP. In Myanmar, for example, the UNDP-led mission has come under criticism for inadvertently abetting a system of government-sponsored discrimination against the countrys minority Muslim Rohingya population, and failing to speak forthrightly enough about abuses against the group. More than 100,000 Rohingya have fled the country in recent years, and those that remain face pervasive discrimination.

The U.N. Secretary Generals Human Rights Up Front doctrine was aimed at helping the U.N. system and others learn from the mistakes of Sri Lanka (among others) and avoid allowing this subservient attitude toward the state become an excuse for aiding and abetting abuses, stated a confidential October 2015 independent report, commissioned by the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and obtained by FP. It is difficult to see that learning in this respect is happening effectively.The situation bears a striking resemblance to the humanitarian communitys systemic failure in the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka.

Photo credit: LISA MAREE WILLIAMS/Getty Images
By Dasha Afanasieva and Ayla Jean Yackley ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday they were disappointed Chancellor Angela Merkel was the only G7 leader to attend a summit on how the world deals with humanitarian crises. The meeting, which drew 55 heads of state and government, sounded a "wake-up call" about the scale of the problems. But many participants saw the event as a modest step that fell short of stirring political will for real change. "It is a bit disappointing that some world leaders could not be here, especially those from the G7 countries," Ban told a news conference at the end of the summit. Disasters, both man-made and natural, mean that 130 million people need humanitarian aid, costing an annual $240 billion, a 12-fold increase since 2000 but still just 1 percent of global military spending, he said. Summit host Turkey is at the forefront of efforts to control the flow of migrants from Syria and elsewhere to Europe, which has confronted the continent with its biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. Erdogan said he was "saddened" that the leaders of Canada, Japan, Britain, Italy, the United States and France failed to show up for the two-day event in Istanbul. In what was seen as a diplomatic snub, Russia - one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council which can veto resolutions - also failed to send a high-level delegation. Moscow was concerned about a plan to limit the veto powers of Security Council members in certain situations. Ban said divisions among the permanent members of the Security Council have stymied efforts to end war and promote peace, as well addresses humanitarian issues. In a paper ahead of the summit, Ban urged the permanent members to withhold their veto power on measures addressing mass atrocities, a step welcomed by Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Programme and a candidate to succeed Ban when his term expires at the end of this year. The U.N. "is not seen as able to cope with today's conflicts," she told Reuters. "By the time an issue has gotten to the Security Council, the world has already failed." 'OVERWHELMING' CHALLENGES "This one summit is not going to be able to galvanize a level of political will to deal with what we're all facing, which is really overwhelming," said Justin Forsyth, deputy executive director of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, saying the summit meant a "modest step forward." Participants pushed for more efforts at crisis prevention. Nancy Lindborg, head of the U.S. Institute of Peace, said the U.N. lacks the tools to prevent and end conflict, describing "paralysis" on the Security Council. "The summit is a giant wakeup call to the political leadership that, hey, the world is on fire. We can fix how we provide humanitarian assistance, but you need to muster the political will to end these terrible conflicts." The summit launched an education fund aimed at raising $4 billion for emergency schooling, and a "grand bargain" which commits major donors to more funding in return for aid groups being more transparent about how they spend the money. Sixteen aid organizations, the European Commission and 17 countries endorsed the agreement, but Turkey, which Erdogan said was the world's second-biggest donor, did not. Salil Shetty, secretary general of rights group Amnesty International, said without any binding documents and only voluntary commitments, the summit in Istanbul was a staging post for a follow-up conference in September in New York when there need to be clear specific outcomes. "This one is principles and broad statements, which is simply not good enough. People are suffering. We need action." (Writing by Dasha Afanasieva; Editing by Ayla Jean Yackley and Mark Trevelyan)
By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. State Department official assured lawmakers on Tuesday that India has addressed concerns over liability that had for years kept U.S. corporations from signing nuclear power contracts in the country.

"We believe that the steps that India has taken have addressed by and large the key concerns that have been in place," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

She also said the United States supported India joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 48-member group of nuclear trading nations.

India wants to increase its nuclear energy capacity dramatically as part of a broader push to move away from fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the dangerous effects of climate change.

India was shut out of the nuclear trade for decades because of its weapons program. A 2008 agreement with the United States gave it access to foreign suppliers without giving up arms primarily meant as a deterrent against nuclear-armed China.

But hopes that U.S. nuclear reactor manufacturers would get billions of dollars of new business evaporated after India adopted a law in 2010 giving the state-run Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) the right to seek damages from suppliers in the event of an accident.

Biswal declined to say that all U.S. companies would now be comfortable doing business in India. "Those are going to be individual determinations that companies are going to have to make," she said.

Some companies are moving into the market. The chief executive of Toshiba Corp's Westinghouse Electric said in March he expected to sign a deal in June to build six nuclear reactors in India.

Senator Edward Markey questioned Biswal on whether India had met the requirements to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which is dedicated to curbing nuclear arms proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that could foster nuclear weapons development.

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Diplomats quietly launched a new push last year to induct India into the group, which would carry the risk of antagonizing Pakistan as well as its ally, China. Beijing could veto any application by India.

Biswal said the United States backs India.

"We believe that India has complied with, and is consistent with, the requirements of the NSG and therefore should be considered for membership," she said.

(Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Dan Grebler)
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. State Department official assured lawmakers on Tuesday that India has addressed concerns over liability that had for years kept U.S. corporations from signing nuclear power contracts in the country. "We believe that the steps that India has taken have addressed by and large the key concerns that have been in place," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She also said the United States supported India joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 48-member group of nuclear trading nations. India wants to increase its nuclear energy capacity dramatically as part of a broader push to move away from fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the dangerous effects of climate change. India was shut out of the nuclear trade for decades because of its weapons program. A 2008 agreement with the United States gave it access to foreign suppliers without giving up arms primarily meant as a deterrent against nuclear-armed China. But hopes that U.S. nuclear reactor manufacturers would get billions of dollars of new business evaporated after India adopted a law in 2010 giving the state-run Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) the right to seek damages from suppliers in the event of an accident. Biswal declined to say that all U.S. companies would now be comfortable doing business in India. "Those are going to be individual determinations that companies are going to have to make," she said. Some companies are moving into the market. The chief executive of Toshiba Corp's Westinghouse Electric said in March he expected to sign a deal in June to build six nuclear reactors in India. Senator Edward Markey questioned Biswal on whether India had met the requirements to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which is dedicated to curbing nuclear arms proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that could foster nuclear weapons development. Diplomats quietly launched a new push last year to induct India into the group, which would carry the risk of antagonizing Pakistan as well as its ally, China. Beijing could veto any application by India. Biswal said the United States backs India. "We believe that India has complied with, and is consistent with, the requirements of the NSG and therefore should be considered for membership," she said. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Dan Grebler)
By Harriet McLeod

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for a white man accused of killing nine black parishioners in a racially motivated attack at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, last June, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

"The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.

Dylann Roof, 22, is accused of opening fire on June 17, 2015, during a Bible study session at Charleston's historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The killings shook the country and intensified the debate about race in America.

He faces 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, obstruction of religion and firearms offenses. In a court filing, federal prosecutors accused him of holding racist views, targeting the victims because of their race and lacking remorse as factors justifying their decision.

His federal trial had been delayed while U.S. prosecutors decided whether to seek the death penalty.

Defense attorneys have said he would plead guilty if he did not face the possibility of execution and that they could not advise him until federal prosecutors decided.

Roof's attorney, Michael O'Connell, declined to comment on the prosecution's decision when reached by phone on Tuesday.

Roof also faces the death penalty if convicted on separate, state murder charges in a trial set to begin in January.

Owing to their religious beliefs, some of the victims families do not believe in the death penalty, while others felt it was appropriate, the state prosecutor trying the case said last September.

Steve Schmutz, an attorney representing families of three victims, said his clients "support whatever decision the U.S. government is making in this case, and I'm sure they support this decision."

When Roof was charged days after the shooting, some relatives of the slain worshippers tearfully offered words of forgiveness during an initial court appearance. One asked God to have mercy on his soul, while others noted that the victims would have urged love.

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Almost a year later, views diverged on the U.S. government's death penalty decision, the local Post and Courier newspaper reported.

Its a great message being sent by the government that this wont be tolerated, Kevin Singleton, whose mother was killed, told the newspaper.

The relative of another victim cited the Bible in calling for Roof to spend his life in prison rather than die.

Federal prosecutors rarely seek the death penalty against defendants. Only three federal prisoners have been executed in the past half century and none since 2003, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The best-known of those was Timothy McVeigh, responsible for the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building that killed 168 people.

(Reporting by Harriet McLeod in Charleston, S.C.; Additional reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Fla. and David Ingram in New York; Additional reporting and writing by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Dan Grebler and Peter Cooney)
By Jibran Ahmad and Jonathan Landay PESHAWAR, Pakistan/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama approved the drone strike that killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour because the Taliban leader was overseeing plans for new attacks on American targets in Kabul, the Afghan capital, U.S. officials said on Monday. While the Taliban have yet to confirm the death of their leader Saturday in a remote area in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, senior members of the insurgency's leadership council met to begin choosing Mansour's successor. Two senior members of the movement also said Pakistani authorities had delivered Mansour's badly burned remains for burial in the western city of Quetta. Pakistani officials, however, denied handing over a body. U.S. forces targeted Mansour because he was plotting attacks that posed "specific imminent threats" to U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, said Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, later specified that the Taliban were planning new attacks against "our interests and our people in Kabul." He did not elaborate. But the administration hopes Mansour's death will have a long-term impact by pushing the Taliban to end its refusal to engage in peace negotiations with Kabul and "choose the path to reconciliation," the official said. He expressed hope that the death of Mansour will convince Pakistan to live up to its "rhetoric" and deny safe haven to the Taliban. American intelligence and military officials have long said the Pakistani military supports elements of the insurgency. But the Taliban's direction is hard to predict and hinges largely on what happens in the leadership contest and in fighting over the summer season. Mansour's death cleared "an obstacle to reconciliation," said one U.S. intelligence official, also speaking on condition of anonymity. "But it's not clear if it clears the path for reconciliation." A second U.S. intelligence official was more pessimistic. "Its at least equally likely that killing Mansour will destroy any chance to get the Taliban into negotiations with the (Afghan) government, not that there ever was much of one," said the second official, who specializes in South Asia and also spoke on the condition of anonymity. "His successor could be even more loathe to negotiate." NO SHIFT IN U.S. STRATEGY Obama confirmed Mansour's death while on a three-day visit to Vietnam, calling it "an important milestone." "The Taliban should seize the opportunity to pursue the only real path for ending this long conflict - joining the Afghan government in a reconciliation process that leads to lasting peace and stability," Obama said. He stressed that the operation against Mansour was not a shift in U.S. strategy in Afghanistan or a return to active engagement in fighting, following the end of the international coalition's main combat mission in 2014. The U.S. now has 9,800 troops in Afghanistan, and a decision is expected later this year on whether to stick with a timetable that would see their numbers cut to 5,500 by the start of 2017. Pentagon spokesman Davis said the drone strike that killed Mansour was carried out under U.S. rules of engagement that permit the military to conduct defensive strikes. He said it was the first time to his knowledge that U.S. forces had attacked inside Pakistan under that rule. Previous strikes there were done under U.S. rules on counterterrorism. Pakistani authorities have said the attack was a violation of the country's sovereignty, and an official from the foreign ministry told the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad that the attack could "adversely impact" peace talks. U.S. military officials said they had discussed their interest in Mansour with Pakistan. Reaction from Islamabad was otherwise relatively muted, and a number of questions remained over what happened. An undamaged Pakistani passport in the name of Wali Muhammad, which Pakistani authorities said contained a visa for Iran, was recovered next to the burned-out car at the scene of the attack and is believed to have belonged to Mansour. The Taliban have set up a 10-member commission to try to establish how Mansour was targeted by the U.S. drones, sources within the group said. They said he had crossed into Pakistan from Iran, where he had been holding meetings with Iranian officials and Taliban leaders located there. According to Taliban officials, the movement has set up offices in Iran, which Mansour used to visit. But the U.S. intelligence officials questioned that account, saying they have seen little credible evidence of close ties between the Sunni Muslim extremist Taliban and Shiite Iran. A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry was quoted on state media denying that such an individual had crossed the border from Iran to Pakistan at the time in question. LEADERSHIP 'VERY CAREFUL' Although some individual Taliban members have said that Mansour was killed, the group's leadership, keenly aware of the need to limit splits, has not issued its own confirmation, concentrating instead on naming a successor. "The leadership is being very careful because one wrong step could divide the group into many parties like former mujahideen," said one Taliban official from the eastern province of Nangarhar, referring to guerrilla leaders who fought the Soviets in the 1980s before splitting into warring factions. Mansour's number two, Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the militant network blamed for a series of high-profile attacks in Kabul, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the movement's late founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, are among the main contenders. Yaqoob initially opposed Mansour's claim to the leadership when his father's death was belatedly made public last year. Choosing a member of Mullah Omar's family would be a means of building consensus, but one of the Taliban officials said Yaqoob was reluctant to take over. Serious divisions emerged last year when it was confirmed that Mullah Omar had been dead for two years, leaving his deputy Mansour in effective charge of the movement and open to accusations he deceived his commanders. Haqqani had the backing of Pakistan, while Yaqoob had support among members of the Afghan Taliban, one member of the leadership council, or shura, said. (Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Hanoi, Samihullah Paiwand in Gardez, Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar, Rafiq Shezar in Jalalabad, Drazen Jorgic in Islamabad, Gul Yousafzai in Quetta and Syed Rasa Hassan in Karachi, Babak Dehghanpisheh in Beirut and David Alexander and John Walcott in Washington; Editing by John Walcott and Mary Milliken)
HANOI (Reuters) - The United States and Vietnam on Tuesday signed an agreement allowing the U.S. Peace Corps to work in the country for the first time. The signing, which comes amid a historic three-day visit by President Barack Obama, follows more than a decade of negotiations between the two countries to establish a Peace Corps operation in Vietnam. The program, which is expected to begin over the next two years, allows Peace Corps volunteers to teach English in schools in the country's two largest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, said Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet, who signed the agreement with Vietnam's ambassador to the United States, Pham Quang Vinh. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was present for the signing, said the agreement marked a further normalizing of relations between the United States and Vietnam. "For 20 years now we have had what we call a normal relationship," said Kerry, who in 1968 served as a young U.S. naval officer in the Vietnam War. "This is normal, having the Peace Corps being able to move forward, having young Americans come here, not always young, to be able to teach English in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh is the next step forward to building the relationship between the United States and Vietnam," he added. After the signing, Hessler-Radelet turned to Kerry saying: "You've waited for this for a long time." (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Singapore will be the first city in Asia to welcome UberEATS, with the food delivery service launching on Wednesday (25 May).



As the service is still in the testing stage in Singapore, the delivery service will only be available in the Central Business District, Tanjong Pagar, Orchard and River Valley.

The service, which operates from 11am to 10pm daily, will be free of charge for a limited period of time. After the promotional period, a $3 delivery fee will be added to the order. There is also currently no minimum order for UberEATS.



UberEATS says it has tie-ups with over 100 restaurants.



The new delivery service will compete with existing food delivery apps like Deliveroo and Foodpanda.

Deliveroo, which has no minimum order, promises to deliver food within 30 minutes. It delivers from noon to 11.00pm. Delivery fees range from $5 for orders below $25 and $3 for orders above $25.



Foodpanda, on the other hand, has a minimum order that varies with the restaurants. It delivers from 9.30am to 10.30pm daily. Delivery time varies, depending on the restaurant and time of order, and the cost varies, depending on the food establishment.

Delivery services in Singapore currently do not deliver food from hawker centres. However, UberEATS says this might become a possible option in the future if there is sufficient demand.



The UberEATS app will be available on iOS and Android from Wednesday.



UberEATS currently operates in 10 cities in the US, three cities in Canada, Melbourne, Australia, and in Paris, France.


* Vimpat 2015 sales 679 mln euros, 75 pct in U.S.

* U.S. court verdict on Vimpat likely in June (Adds shares, legal battle, analyst comment)

BRUSSELS, May 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is to review UCB's patent for its epilepsy drug Vimpat, the latest round in a legal battle between the Belgian pharmaceutical company and generic rivals.

U.S. pharmaceuticals group Argentum Pharmaceuticals, which challenged UCB's patent, said in a statement late on Monday that the PTO had granted approval for a review of the sole remaining U.S. patent of UCB's Vimpat drug, due to expire in March 2022.

The PTO had concluded that Argentum had established a "reasonable likelihood that it would prevail" in showing that certain claims made by UCB in the patent are "unpatentable", Argentum said, adding a decision was likely within a year.

UCB shares fell more than 6 percent in Brussels on Tuesday to a nine-month low.

This is just the latest in a legal battle over UCB's epilepsy drug Vimpat, which had sales last year of 679 million euros ($759 mln), of which about three quarters were in the United States.

UCB filed a number of lawsuits in 2013 against generic drug companies that were planning to make their own version of Vimpat. The Delaware district court, which has grouped the lawsuits, is expected to deliver its verdict in June.

UCB said it was aware of the latest development and that it remained confident that its patent for Vimpat was valid and would be upheld.

Argentum, a generic drug maker, said it works with pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of prescription drugs by challenging patents that they consider are not innovative and artificially support high drug prices.

Its shares were down 6.1 percent at 63.79 euros at 0945 GMT, one of the worst performers in the FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European stocks.

Jan De Kerpel, analyst at KBC Securities, said the market had assumed the patent would hold and that this had served as a wake-up call, even if it was not the start of legal action.

"They have not won anything but the PTO has accepted that it will review it ... In my opinion the district court decision is more important. It is higher up the hierarchy and it is imminent, most likely in June," he said.

($1 = 0.8950 euros) (Reporting by Wout Vergauwen; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Susan Fenton)
By Elias Biryabarema KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda said on Monday four policemen patrolling on its side of Lake Albert had been killed by Congolese troops and demanded Kinshasa punish those responsible. The lake is shared in roughly equal parts by the two countries and has in recent years been the scene of sometimes deadly clashes, mostly over alleged illegal fishing in each other's waters. The discovery of commercial oil deposits on the Ugandan side has heightened the tensions, with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sometimes accusing Uganda of conducting illegal exploration in its waters. The frontier area's security is also undermined by the lawless nature of DRC's eastern region where militias roam and Kinshasa's grip is fragile. In a statement, Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the four police personnel had been attacked on Saturday by soldiers of the FARDC, the Congolese army, while "on official patrol duty on Lake Albert within the territorial sphere of Uganda". Uganda had sent a protest note to Kinshasa and demanded "that the officers of the FARDC who are responsible for the murder ... be brought to justice and appropriate compensation to the bereaved families be effected", the statement said. Uganda hopes to start pumping crude from the Lake Albert region by 2018. In 2007 Congolese troops opened fire on a barge belonging to Heritage Oil Corporation (HOC) and a British oil contractor, Carl Nefdt, was shot dead. DRC accused the company of prospecting for oil in its waters and said its soldiers had acted in self-defence. HOC then co-owned the fields with Britain's Tullow Oil but later sold out to its partner. Uganda estimates it has 6.5 billion barrels of crude reserves in the Albertine rift basin fields. Tullow, French oil major Total and China's Cnooc jointly own the fields. Uganda agreed last month to build a crude export pipeline through Tanzania. (Editing by Andrew Roche)
Kampala (AFP) - Uganda has sent an official complaint to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo after four police officers were shot dead on a lake between the neighbours, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The Ugandan police officers were in a patrol boat investigating reports of illegal fishing on Lake Albert on Saturday when gunmen opened fire. Uganda has blamed DR Congo troops for the killing.

"The four police officers were on official duty on Lake Albert within the territorial sphere of Uganda," Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem said. "They were killed in line of duty and their bodies were taken by the DRC authorities."

DR Congo government spokesman Lambert Mende told AFP there had been "exchanges of fire" between the "forces of two friendly countries" and that they regretted the incident.

He said that a joint investigation commission had been established to determine exactly what had happened.

Tensions have risen between security forces along the lake in recent years, with each side detaining soldiers and police from the other.

"The government has requested that a meeting of security chiefs of both states be held urgently," Oryem said.

"We have made it clear, in future these incidents may compel Uganda to take self-defence measures including hot pursuit of those responsible."
From an insect with a raunchy name to one of the ugliest species in the world, there were approximately 18,000 newfound species named last year.

With such a large number of species discovered each year, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) has put together a list of the "Top 10 New Species," celebrating species named in the previous year, since 2008. This year's list honors 10 species representative of global biodiversity.

In the absence of a global species registry, the annual list is a reflection the Earths diverse species population, said Quentin Wheeler, ESF president and founder of the school's International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE). [See the Top 10 New Species from Last Year]

"We want to bring attention to the biodiversity crisis," Wheeler told Live Science. "We want to bring attention to how little we know about species on our own planet. And we want to bring attention to the fact that this science is going on and every day new species are being discovered."

Given the thousands of species discovered each year  and an estimated 10 million species yet to be discovered, five times the number already known  Wheeler said the top-10 list includes species that "stand out in some way." This could include the largest or smallest of a species, the last known living, or first discovered  or, in the case of this year's list, the ugliest.

A new species of anglerfish, Lasiognathus dinema, was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico during a damage assessment after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. With an unusual headpiece that looks, ironically, like a fishing pole, this anglerfish could make an ugliest species list.

"The bizarre anglerfish that's on the list this year, that's like driving by a car wreck. The thing is so ugly you cant help but stop and look at it," Wheeler said.

Then there are species that make the list for their names, like the damselfly this year, whose genus name Umma lent itself to a rock-and-roll reference. The Umma gumma, one of 60 new damselfly species reported this year, gets its name from the 1969 Pink Floyd double album "Ummagumma" (which has yet another meaning  it's British slang for sex).

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Asked each year for his favorite, Wheeler said it's like asking to name a favorite child. But he said he couldn't help but be drawn to one from this year's list for its historic connection.

"This year, I was just astounded at the discovery that the giant tortoises on one of the Galapagos Islands actually represent two discrete species that apparently have been isolated for a long time," Wheeler said. "The giant tortoises are just so iconic for Darwin and for the discovery of evolutionary theory and so forth. To me, they're just pretty spectacular."

Follow Kacey Deamer @KaceyDeamer. Follow Live Science @livescience, on Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

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When Crystal Kendrick bought a 150-year-old Colonial in Cincinnati that had been vacant for seven years, she knew the house would need a total, down-to-the-studs renovation, and she was fine with that. But what she wasnt prepared for was the tree.

Shortly after beginning her home improvements, Kendrick learned that the roots from the 40-foot orange tree in the backyard had crept into the sewer linesrequiring that she replace the busted and tangled pipes. Then she learned that the roots had also caused the homes foundation to tilt. Kendrick cut down the tree, and spent $19,000 more fixing the damage.

The experience left such a bad taste in her mouth, she refuses now to plant even one tree in its place.Ill plant grass, she says. Thats all.

Moral of the story? Trees may be beautiful, but they can cause major problems that cost tons of money (and no small amount of heartache) to fix. So before you swoon over some foliage, check out some of the damage it can do, and learn how to stop these homewreckers in their tracks.

Root of the problem

When underground sewer and water pipes develop small cracks, roots can quickly catch a foothold and widen those rifts. Next thing you know, youve got a choked or burst line and pools of water and sewage in your yard. Even worse, roots can burrow beneath your foundation and lift the house; or they can leach water from the ground during dry spells and sink or settle the house unevenly.

To fight back: Luckily, only certain trees have shallow or invasive roots that can do damage to a home. Here are the most insidious evildoers to keep an eye out for:

Hybrid poplars (Populus)

Willows (Salix)

American elm (Ulmus Americana)

Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)

If you must grow (or keep) these trees on your property, make sure you dont plant one closer than 10 feet from your homes foundation; 20 to 30 feet from water and sewer lines; or 10 feet from driveways and patios.

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Also make sure to keep an eye out for signs of trouble. Clues that roots have clogged pipes include slow-flowing drains, as well as gurgling from toilet bowls. If you suspect a problem, sewer cleaning companies can send a camera down the line and look for clogs.

Crash warning

Above ground, trees can cause other problems for homes when they get pummeled by severe storms, wind, or lightning. This can send trees or branches crashing onto your yard, or even through the roof of your house.

In April, a Detroit homeowner whod been complaining to the city for years about a rotting tree in front of his house saw his worst fears realized when it came crashing down during a storm and crushed his van parked in front of the house.

In February, a storm in Cincinnati caused an 80-foot tree to crash right through one homeowners bathroom ceiling (which the homeowner luckily wasnt using at the time).

To fight back: Dead or dying trees are particularly vulnerable because branches are already brittle. You can tell a tree is dead or dying if:

The tree doesnt leaf out in spring, or it produces small, discolored leaves.

Splits appear in trunks and branches.

Trunks become hollow.

Fungi such as mushrooms grow on branches or root flares.

Trees tilt more than 15 degrees from straight up.

To protect trees from lightning strikes, hire an arborist to ground the tree with a copper cable system, which can cost up to $1,500 but can prevent damage that would cost much more.

A silent scourge waiting to strike

Its sometimes hard to look at a beautiful tree and predict all the ways it can wreck your property. Home inspectors dont typically assess landscaping health, either. Thats what trained arboristsaka tree surgeonsare for.

Mike Galvin, president of the American Society of Consulting Arborists, says house hunters can hire these pros to conduct a risk assessment of trees before buying a property. The arborist will begin by looking for obvious tree defects such as holes on trunks and dead branches, and can dive as deeply as taking tree and soil samples and using diagnostic tree radar to see inside the tree and look for rot.

From there, you can also ask an arborist or landscape professional to inspect trees annually for root rot, dead branches, and trunk cracks. Homeowners should also prune trees every two years to raise canopies, remove dead branches, and keep tree limbs away from roofs and neighboring properties, says Adam Morelock, a landscape expert with The Grounds Guys, a nationally franchised landscape and lawn care company based in Waco, TX.

If youve got a tree thats stirring up problems for your home, you have some options:

Remove the tree, which will rob you of shade and beauty but could protect life and limb (yours, not the trees).

Move the tree, which depends on age and size. Younger trees are more likely to survive the move than older trees, which could cost tens of thousands to transplace, Galvin says.

Tame the roots by either pruning them, blocking them with plastic barriers, or applying a growth inhibitor that will redirect the trees energy toward fighting disease and pests, rather than growing roots and branches.



More from realtor.com : Do You Need to Remodel Before You Sell?

The post The Ugly Truth About Those Beautiful Trees Near Your Home appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.





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London (AFP) - Campaigners in Britain said Tuesday they would take their fight against fracking national after the first scheme since 2011 was given the green light.

The move came after a project to extract shale gas near the North York Moors National Park in northern England was given the go-ahead by local councillors Monday.

Fracking at the site is expected to go ahead in November or December, when the weather is cold and fewer protestors are expected to show up, according to British media reports.

"Today we resolve to continue to fight to remain free from fracking, to protect our communities, our beautiful countryside, our air and water, and to protect the future of the planet," said a "People's Declaration" issued by campaign group Friends of the Earth.

"We ask people across the country to join us by supporting this declaration."

The declaration was backed by local campaigners against the scheme near the market town of Pickering in North Yorkshire.

A spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth said there were no firm plans for protests at this stage but added they were looking into "all our options" for possible legal action.

The project, which will involve fracking using an existing well two miles (3.2 kilometres) deep, was the first to be approved in Britain since 2011.

Then, operations at a previous project on the northwest English coast in Lancashire triggered tremors in the area.

A moratorium on fracking was subsequently imposed, though this was lifted by Prime Minister David Cameron's government in 2012.

A string of other applications for fracking projects around the country, including two other sites in Lancashire and two in Nottinghamshire, central England, are reportedly under consideration by planning authorities.
The UK took another step toward fracking on Monday, when North Yorkshire county council's planning committee approved of a shale gas fracking application. Councilors at the aforementioned body voted in favour of the application 7 to 4 after two days of hearing.



The application was put forward by energy company Third Energy for its site at Kirby Misperton. Barclay's Global Natural Resources Investments owns a 97% stake at Third Energy. The tilt toward fracking in the face of steep public opposition comes on the heels of steadily declining North Sea output.



Trouble at the North Sea stemming from media speculation on another round of job cuts was compounded by major energy players plans to exit the area. Integrated energy major, Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A is moving ahead to divest its North Sea properties. The primary reason for specifically considering the North Sea asset sale is that operating cost is high there. Given the prolonged weakness in oil and gas prices, operating in the North Sea is proving difficult for energy players.



Reversal for Environmentalists



The decision must have dealt a blow to environmentalists who rejoiced last year when local government officials in Lancashire rejected two permits to shale gas firm Cuadrilla Resources. The company subsequently appealed against the decision which forced the government to make the rules friendlier for shale gas projects. If the matter, which is still pending approval, gets the green light, we may see the delivery of first shale gas from Cuadrillas wells by mid-2017.



Fracking: Bone of Contention



Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a process by which water, sand and chemicals are pumped into a well for extraction of oil or gas. However this process  which poses hazards to health  is highly debated by environmentalists. Energy companies already suffering from losses due to low oil prices are obviously against these rules.



Conclusion



With the positive move toward fracking amid concerns, the case for companies with substantial positions in the North Sea requires close monitoring. Accordingly, a smart strategy to adopt now would be to identify stocks that are profoundly influenced by any change in the North Sea, including large-cap firms such as BP Plc BP, ConocoPhillips COP and Eni SpA E.

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BP PLC (BP): Free Stock Analysis Report



ROYAL DTCH SH-A (RDS.A): Free Stock Analysis Report



ENI SPA-ADR (E): Free Stock Analysis Report



CONOCOPHILLIPS (COP): Free Stock Analysis Report



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HONG KONG, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / UMeWorld Limited, (UMEWF) an online educational technology company, with a focus on the K-12 educational market in China, is pleased to announce that UMFun has been named a China Online Education Top 100 by Zhongjiao Media, an affiliate of the Ministry of Education Research Center for Online Education. UMeWorld and the other winning companies will be honored at the 2016 China Online Education Industry conference to be held on June 3, 2016 in Beijing.

"We are honored that UMFun was selected for this prestigious recognition," says Michael Lee, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board, UMeWorld. "Our cloud-based, patent-pending, adaptive learning and assessment platform intelligently analyzes and adapts to a student's performance and personalizes the delivery of proprietary educational items in accordance with the student's individual learning needs."

Under the supervision of the Ministry of Education Research Center for Online Education, this year's China Online Education Top 100 were selected by an evaluation committee consisted of industry experts, investment institution representatives, leading educators and government officials. The selection was based on five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value and media buzz.

UMFun is the largest K12 online real name registration adaptive learning and assessment platform in China with over 6 million users.

About UMeWorld

UMeWorld is an internet technology company with a focus on the K-12 education market in China. UMFun, the Company's K-12 flagship product, is a cloud-based, patent-pending, adaptive learning and assessment platform that can intelligently analyze and adapt to a student's performance and personalizes the delivery of proprietary educational items in accordance with the student's learning needs. UMFun's off-school version is made available to Chinese K-12 students through China Mobile, the world's largest mobile service provider by network scale and subscriber base, serving over 823,000,000 customers.

Story continues

For more information, please contact:

Investors

Ruby Hui, Executive Vice President

UMeWorld Limited

E-mail: info@umeworld.com

Website: www.umeworld.com

Telephone: (86) 020-89237947

or

Media

Nancy Tamosaitis-Thompson

Vorticom, Inc.

Email: nancyt@vorticom.com

Telephone: (212) 532-2208

Website: www.vorticom.com

SOURCE: UMeWorld Limited
By Paola Arosio and Gianluca Semeraro

MILAN (Reuters) - UniCredit (CRDI.MI) Chief Executive Federico Ghizzoni is to step down, the Italian bank said on Tuesday, in a move expected to lead to a broader shake-up of the group and possibly a multi-billion euro capital increase.

Italy's biggest bank by assets said it had asked Chairman Giuseppe Vita to start the succession process and that Ghizzoni would stay on until a replacement was found.

"The UniCredit board of directors and Federico Ghizzoni acknowledged that the conditions are now such that it is time for a change at the top of the group," the bank said in a statement issued after an extraordinary board meeting.

Ghizzoni, who has led UniCredit since 2010, had been expected to go due to growing shareholder discontent over the bank's falling share price, stretched capital and low profits.

A successor should be appointed at a board meeting on June 9, a source close to the matter told Reuters.

Candidates tipped for the job include Frenchman Jean-Pierre Mustier, a former Societe Generale (SOGN.PA) and UniCredit executive, UBS's (UBSG.S) investment banking boss, Andrea Orcel, and Merrill Lynch's (BAC.N) Italy chief, Marco Morelli.

The choice is likely to hinge on whether the board considers the possibility of merging with another bank. Orcel is seen as a candidate that could lead UniCredit into a tie-up.

Alternatives to a deal include cutting UniCredit's sprawling international network and raising funds via a capital increase, which some sources put at 8 billion euros (6 billion).

Nationality could be an issue, with some sources close to the matter saying an Italian would be preferred, especially since another French national, Philippe Donnet, took the helm of insurer Generali (GASI.MI) recently.

"I would like an Anglo Saxon who is not going to get muddied in the local politics," said Xavier Van Hove, fund manager at THS Partners, which owns a small stake in UniCredit.

"If they did do a capital raise, we would obviously participate and that would add to our position, reluctantly ... but we want to see who they put in charge."

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Shareholders representing 15 percent of the bank took a big step towards ousting Ghizzoni last week by asking Vita to improve governance, including possibly by replacing the CEO.

Ghizzoni has come under pressure because UniCredit, Italy's only globally systemically important financial institution, failed to put to rest worries it might need a capital increase soon.

Its core capital fell to 10.5 percent at end-March, just above a 10 percent minimum level set by the European Central Bank for 2016, which will gradually rise to 11 percent in 2019.

The bank's shares have plunged 40 percent this year in a rout of Italian banking stocks. In comparison, shares of domestic rival Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI), which has a core capital ratio of 13.1 percent and is twice as profitable as UniCredit, have dropped 25 percent over the same period.

Adding to investors' concerns was UniCredit's role as underwriter for a 1.5 billion euro cash call at troubled regional bank Banca Popolare di Vicenza. A group of Italian financial institutions had to step in to backstop the capital increase.

Bankers say the new CEO will need to revamp, and probably prune, the bank's international operations, now spanning 17 countries after a buying spree in Germany and central Europe.

In the past, such a broad exposure helped to offset weakness in Italy's economy, but it has also exposed the bank to the volatility of countries like Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.

The Milanese bank may cut stakes in online broker Fineco (FBK.MI), Poland's Bank Pekao (PEO.WA) and Turkey's Yapi Kredi (YKBNK.IS), a source said last week.

(Additional reporting by Simon Jessop. Writing by Silvia Aloisi. Editing by Jane Merriman)
From Road & Track

Many people are aware of the "Aero Wars" of 1969 and 1970 in NASCAR, when Chrysler and Ford reshaped their cars in radical ways to make them go faster. While pushing the bounds of what could plausibly be called "stock" cars, the companies raced-and sold to the public-some of the most outlandish cars ever built in Detroit. And one of the lesser known carsthe Charger 500is also the rarest of the bunch.

By the mid-1960s, the automakers realized that sheer horsepower was not enough to win on the big tracks of NASCAR. Sure, they could push a car into the 180+ mph range, but at those speeds the cars often became unstable. And there was the problem of diminishing returns. The faster a car is pushed into the air, the more horsepower it needs to get more speed. Chrysler brought in rocket scientists to study the problem and they pointed to the obvious answer: streamlining.

In 1968, Dodge had released a new body style for the Charger. It won awards, sold well, and raced horribly. The car had an indented grille and the rear window was also recessed. In a wind tunnel the car was a catastrophe. Too much air got under the car and the air that went over swirled over the trunk. Someone suggested making the grille flush with the leading edge of the hood and filling in the cavity at the rear. Wind tunnel tests confirmed that this would solve many of the car's problems.

At the time, NASCAR required at least 500 cars to be sold to the public for a car to be considered "stock." When the tests confirmed improvement with the modifications, Dodge gave the go-ahead for the cars to be sold to consumers. Dubbed the "Charger 500," The car was unveiled to the press in June 1968 and then pitched to the NASCAR czar, Bill France. France had no problem with the car being allowed to race except he objected to a spoiler Dodge wanted to place under the car's front bumper.

NASCAR was hesitant about any aerodynamic modifications on the cars.

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NASCAR was hesitant about any aerodynamic modifications on the cars which made them look more like race cars and less like street cars (The opposite of today). France met with Chrysler engineers to discuss the Charger 500 and told them his only objection was the front spoiler. John Pointer, an outspoken Chrysler aerodynamicist, noted to France that the car he had driven to the meetingan Indianapolis "Pace Car" Camarohad a front spoiler on it. Apparently unware of the fact, France got on his hands and knees in the parking lot to inspect the car's front spoiler.

The memo went out July 18, 1968 to Dodge dealers, telling them the 1969 Dodge Charger 500 would be available in very limited numbers. Initially, dealers were told the car would only be available with the 426 Hemi. Dodge shipped unfinished 1969 Chargers to Creative Industries and let them install the grille, front spoiler, rear window plug, and chrome a-pillar covers which the engineers had also found helpful in the wind tunnel. Dodge also decided to make the car available with a 440. Base price was $3,843 and a Hemi would bump that up by $648. Most experts think the cars were sold at a loss.

But somewhere along the line, Dodge either lost interest in building the street cars or someone noticed that France wasn't counting how many cars were actually being built. Most agree that only 392 Charger 500s were built and sold to the public. And for those who are curious, none of those were ever raced. The cars NASCAR drivers and others raced were simply the ones they had been racing when the modifications were announced. Chrysler sent the parts necessary to turn a regular Charger into a 500 to the teams racing the Chargers and they simply upgraded their rides.

Everyone knows the rest of the story: The Charger 500 did not dominate or compete at the level Chrysler had hoped. They pulled out all the stops in their next effort when they built and sold the Dodge Charger Daytona with its nosecone and huge wing. That one was sold in appropriate numbers for NASCAR homologation, with 503 turned loose on the streets. And while those are highly sought after in the collector market, many people have forgotten that the interim Charger 500 is actually a rarer car. And the prices of the 500s are climbing. They will probably never reach the values of their winged brethren but a nicely maintained example sold at auction in 2014 for $181,500. Not bad for a car which retailed for $5,821.91.

Steve Lehto is a writer and attorney from Michigan. He specializes in Lemon Law and frequently writes about cars and the law. His most recent books include Preston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of Tomorrow, and Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird: Design, Development, Production and Competition. He also has a podcast where he talks about these things.
A US Navy P-3 Orion aircraft assisting in the search for debris from EgyptAir Flight MS804 found a three-mile field of debris on Sunday, May 22, the second such discovery by US planes, the Navy reported. The Egyptian Navy then sent small boats to the debris fields, the navy said. This image above is of a debris field seen on Saturday, May 21. The videos were taken during subsequent flights being made out of the US base in Sigonella, Italy.

A member of the Egyptian investigation team trying to understand why Flight MS804 crashed into the Mediterranean on May 19 on a journey from Paris to Cairo, killing all 66 passengers, told the Associated Press some of the body parts recovered show signs of a possible explosion on board. Credit: YouTube, Flickr/US Naval Forces Europe-Africa
Washington (AFP) - The man accused of gunning down nine African American churchgoers in South Carolina last year will face two death penalty trials, after federal prosecutors announced they would seek capital punishment.

Dylann Roof, 22, allegedly joined an evening Bible study class at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, then shot participants with a .45-caliber Glock handgun. Three people survived the shooting.

He has been indicted for the killings in both state and federal court. It is not yet clear when the federal trial will begin.

"Following the department's rigorous review process to thoroughly consider all relevant factual and legal issues, I have determined that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty," US Attorney General Lynch said in a statement.

"The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision."

In a separate filing in US District Court in Charleston, federal prosecutors listed several aggravating factors they said justified execution.

Roof "has expressed hatred and contempt toward African Americans, as well as other groups, and his animosity towards African Americans played a role in the murders," read the seven-page filing entered by Assistant US Attorneys Julius Richardson and Nathan Williams.

The document also noted Roof "demonstrated a lack of remorse" and "targeted men and women participating in a Bible study group at the Emanuel AME Church in order to magnify the societal impact."

Roof's defense attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

- 33-count indictment -

Roof was arrested in North Carolina a day after the shooting.

A website attributed to him was later found to contain racist views toward African Americans, as well as photographs of Roof brandishing guns and the US South's historic Confederate battle flag.

In July, Roof pleaded not guilty to a 33-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury including charges under a hate crime law that prohibits the use of force to harm an individual on the basis of race or color.

Story continues

He is also charged under a second hate crime law that bans the use of force to prohibit the free exercise of religious belief.

In addition, he stands accused of using a firearm to carry out what Lynch has called "racially motivated murders and attempted murders."

Roof's state trial, in which he is also facing murder charges, is set to begin on January 17, after a judge granted a delay requested by defense attorneys.

The local county prosecutor there, Scarlett Wilson, said in September that she would seek the death penalty for Roof. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has also backed execution in the case, labeling Roof as "a person filled with hate."

Roof's attorneys have said he would prefer to avoid execution by pleading guilty in exchange for life in prison.
Looking for a stock that might be in a good position to beat earnings at its next report? Consider USG Corporation USG, a firm in the Building & Construction Products-Miscellaneous industry, which could be a great candidate for another beat.



This company has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. In fact, in these reports, USG has beaten estimates by at least 40% in both cases, suggesting it has a nice short-term history of crushing expectations.



Earnings in Focus



Two quarters ago, USG expected to post earnings of 30 cents per share, while it actually produced earnings of 42 cents per share, a beat of 40%. Meanwhile, for the most recent quarter, the company looked to deliver earnings of 27 cents per share, when it actually saw earnings of 43 cents per share instead, representing a 59.3% positive surprise.



Thanks in part to this history, recent estimates have been moving higher for USG Corporation. In fact, the Earnings ESP for USG is positive, which is a great sign of a coming beat.



After all, the Zacks Earnings ESP compares the most accurate estimate to the broad consensus, looking to find stocks that have seen big revisions as of late, suggesting that analysts have recently become more bullish on the companys earnings prospects. This is the case for USG, as the firm currently has a Zacks Earnings ESP of 2.08%, so another beat could be around the corner.



This is particularly true when you consider that USG has a great Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) which can be a harbinger of outperformance and a signal for a strong earnings profile. And when you add this solid Zacks Rank to a positive Earnings ESP, a positive earnings surprise happens nearly 70% of the time, so it seems pretty likely that USG could see another beat at its next report, especially if recent trends are any guide.

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USG CORP (USG): Free Stock Analysis Report



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* Expectations of lower output also provide support-trader

* Ringgit falls to its weakest since March 16

(Updates latest prices)

By Emily Chow

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures

recovered from the previous session's near three-month low on

Tuesday, supported by a weaker ringgit while gains in

rival oils also boosted sentiment.

The contract for August delivery on the Bursa

Malaysia Derivatives Exchange had risen 0.4 percent to 2,503

ringgit ($608) per tonne at the end of the trading day. It hit

its lowest level since March 3 on Monday, dragged down by losses

in Chinese vegetable oils.

Traded volume stood at 30,536 lots of 25 tonnes each on

Tuesday evening, lower than the 2015 daily average of 44,600.

"The U.S. dollar has strengthened, and markets have

recovered a bit on the Dalian," said a trader from Kuala Lumpur,

referring to the Dalian Commodity Exchange.

"Nearby tightness on supply also created some buying."

The ringgit lost as much as 1.1 percent to 4.1290 per

dollar, its weakest since March 16, as most Malaysian government

bond prices slipped. The currency was down 0.9 percent at 4.1200

per dollar in the evening, making palm oil cheaper for holders

of foreign currencies.

Better performing rival oils on the Dalian Commodity

Exchange also boosted prices of Malaysian palm. The most

actively traded September contract for palm olein

gained 0.4 percent, while the September soybean oil contract

rose 0.3 percent.

Expectations of lower output in May and early June, due to

the impact from a crop-damaging El Nino weather event, also lent

support to palm, said the Kuala Lumpur-based trader.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that the strongest

El Nino in nearly 20 years that persisted through 2016 is now

over.

In other vegetable oils, the Chicago Board of Trade soyoil

contract for August was down 0.2 percent.

The offer price for crude palm kernel oil stood at 4910.78

ringgit per tonne (PKO-MYSTH-M1) in the evening, according to

price assessments by Thomson Reuters.

Story continues

Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1034 GMT:

Contract Month Last Change Low High Volume

MY PALM OIL JUN6 2540 +21.00 2539 2554 116

MY PALM OIL JUL6 2523 +10.00 2522 2540 5103

MY PALM OIL AUG6 2503 +10.00 2499 2519 14999

CHINA PALM OLEIN SEP6 5058 +22.00 4980 5084 830054

CHINA SOYOIL SEP6 5806 +14.00 5712 5842 675760

CBOT SOY OIL JUL6 31.11 -0.13 31 31.26 4469

INDIA PALM OIL MAY6 530.00 -0.15 529.70 534.9 575

INDIA SOYOIL JUN6 639 +0.05 638.3 643.4 39680

NYMEX CRUDE JUL6 47.91 -0.17 47.64 48.12 53562

Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne

CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound

Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne

India soy oil in Indian rupee per 10 kg

Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel

($1 = 4.1200 ringgit)

($1 = 67.6500 Indian rupees)

($1 = 6.5538 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and

William Hardy)
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities freed congressional president Henry Ramos' head of security on Monday after he was arrested last week on allegations of masterminding the beating of police officers, the opposition said. President Nicolas Maduro's government had accused Coromoto Rodriguez of paying a group of youths who attacked three officers, including at least one woman, with their fists, stones and sticks during last week's opposition rally in Caracas. "Prosecutors abstained from charging Coromoto Rodriguez because they didn't have a single proof against him," congress spokesman and Ramos aide Oliver Blanco said on Twitter, confirming the security chief's release. Ramos' aides had said Rodriguez's arrest was an attempt to intimidate the head of the National Assembly, who is at the forefront of an opposition push to oust Maduro via a recall referendum in the South American OPEC nation. Maduro, who won a 2013 election to replace late president Hugo Chavez, charges the opposition is seeking a coup against him with U.S. backing. He had said Rodriguez was a known "torturer" who would go to a high-security jail. (Reporting by Corina Pons; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Sandra Maler)
By Malathi Nayak

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) Chief Executive Officer Lowell McAdam said on Tuesday the ongoing strike by the No.1 U.S. wireless provider's nearly 40,000 union employees could pressure second-quarter results.

Network technicians and customer service representatives in the company's Fios Internet, telephone and television services units walked off the job on April 13 in one of the largest U.S. strikes in recent years. The action was called by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

The wireless and broadband provider has "pushed off" new Fios service installations as a result of the strike, McAdam said at the J.P Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference in Boston.

"We're doing a lot of installations but we're not doing the same volume that we had before," Lowell said. "So we won't be driving similar numbers in second quarter that we would in first from an installation perspective."

Union members protested outside the conference venue on Tuesday. The company has brought in managers and thousands of temporary workers aiming to avoid service disruptions.

Verizon's Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo, speaking at another conference last week, said the company has been focussing on repair and maintenance issues and that new installations and orders had "significantly dropped."

"I would be optimistic if I said we would be net positive for broadband and TV this quarter," Shammo said.

Verizon is expected to report second-quarter results on July 26. In April, it reported first-quarter earnings and said the strike was expected to hurt second-quarter earnings.

The company's legacy wireline business, which includes Fios, generated about 29 percent of company revenue in 2015, down about 60 percent since 2000, and less than 7 percent of operating income.

If the strike continues for an extended period of time, it could pressure full-year earnings, Shammo told Reuters in April.

Story continues

Verizon Communications and representatives from the two striking unions are in contract discussions with the help of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Sticking points in the talks include job relocations, offshoring call-centre jobs, pensions and healthcare coverage.

The groups will not make any public statements during these talks, the Labor department said last week.

"When it's done we will make sure to communicate with our investors about what the overall net-net impacts are," McAdam said at the J.P Morgan conference.

Verizon shares were little changed at $49.44 (34) on Tuesday afternoon.

(Reporting by Malathi Nayak; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Ciel Hunter, who started as an intern at Vice Media more than a decade ago, has been promoted to Head of Content for the youth media company. She was Executive Creative Director. As Head of Content, Hunter will oversee Vices digital presence across the web, including its video and editorial arms, platforms such as Snapchat and go90 and new and emerging platforms. He also will work to integrate Vices existing verticals with the Viceland TV network. She also will manage the launch of Vices recently announced new digital channels and direct its existing roster of 11 owned-and-operated sites. Hunter takes over for Alex Miller, who is returning to Vices London office as the newly appointed Creative Director of Viceland EMEA.

Fusion has promoted three execs on its content team. Keith Summa will be taking on an expanded role as SVP Content & Programming, George Lansbury is the new SVP Production and Programming, and Alexis Madrigal, has been upped to SVP Content & Editor-in-Chief. Summa will now oversee all content for the cable network, with Lansbury leading the production and operations teams. They will be working closely with Madrigal, who hosted The Real Future docuseries on the network earlier this year.

Former Bensderspink principal Chris Bender has launched his new shingle, Good Fear Film + Management, today. Producer and manager Jake Weiner is a partner in the company, and managers Jake Wagner, Daniel Vang and Scott Stoops and talent manager Ryan Revel also will join Bender at the new shingle along with CE David Baggelaar and Matthew Reis.

Related stories

ESPN, Vice Partner On Production & Distribution Deal

The A.V. Club Sets Up At Fusion; Weekly Show To Bow This Year

Vice Media Writers Ratify First WGA Contract
(ALEXANDRIA, Va.) Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday that he is confident he followed the law in accepting donations that now appear to be part of a federal criminal investigation.

McAuliffe defended his actions to reporters, a day after a law-enforcement official told The Associated Press that McAuliffe is the subject of a federal investigation looking at donations to his 2013 gubernatorial campaign.

McAuliffe said he believes the investigation centers around a donation connected to a Chinese businessman, Wang Wenliang. Federal law forbids foreigners from contributing to U.S. political campaigns, but McAuliffe said Wang has held a green card for nearly a decade and is a legitimate donor.

He was vetted by the campaign and this gentleman is certainly entitled to give money to the campaign, McAuliffe told reporters, after speaking at a preplanned event at a parole and probation office in Alexandria.

He described Wang as a very substantial individual whos made major donations to Harvard University and is on the board at New York University.

McAuliffe said he doesnt think hes even met Wang, though he believes hes met people from Wangs company.

He said hes 100 percent confident that he did not take any illegal donations. I rely on the people who did the vetting. They have unequivocally said he was entitled to write a check.

The FBI and Justice Department have declined to comment on the long-running investigation.

One of Wangs companies, New Jersey-based West Legend, gave $70,000 to McAuliffes gubernatorial campaign and $50,000 to his inaugural committee in 2013, according to Virginia campaign finance records.

A spokeswoman for Wang did not immediately return a request for comment.

Wangs campaign giving appears limited to McAuliffe. Neither West Legend nor Wang has given to any other state-level campaign, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a nonprofit money-in-politics tracker. Nor has Wang personally given to federal candidates, according to the Federal Elections Commissions database.

Story continues

McAuliffe said he is not particularly worried about an investigation, and that he was totally unaware of it before Monday.

No ones alleged any wrongdoing on my part, he said. If you havent done anything wrong, what should you be worried about?

McAuliffe, a Democrat and longtime friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton, said hes also confident the investigation wont harm Hillary Clintons presidential bid.

I dont think this has anything to do with Hillary Clinton, McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe is a former board member of the Clinton Global Initiative, a program of the Clinton Foundation. The foundation reports that it received $1 million to $5 million from one of Wangs companies, Rilin Enterprises, but does not say when the money was given.

One of Wangs companies, Dandong Port Group, has a trade deal to ship Virginia soybeans to China. Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore said Dandong has purchased hundreds of millions worth of Virginia soybeans in recent years.

Wang is also an active environmentalist. Democratic Leader Harry Reid last year thanked Wang for his commitment and dedication to restoring the Dandong Yalu River Estuary Wetland in China, a major wetlands, according to a statement published in the congressional record.
(McLEAN, Va.) Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is a subject of a federal investigation looking at donations to his gubernatorial campaign, according to a U.S. law enforcement official.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation. CNN first reported the story Monday.

Marc Elias, a lawyer for McAuliffes campaign, said Monday that the governor, a Democrat, is unaware of any investigation.

The Governor will certainly cooperate with the government if he is contacted about it, Elias said in a statement.

Spokespeople at the FBI and Justice Department declined comment Monday.

The law enforcement official did not say what specific contributions were drawing scrutiny, but said that campaign finances and donations to his 2013 campaign were part of the investigation.

The official said the investigation has been ongoing for some time and there was no indication that it was close to concluding.

McAuliffes predecessor in the governors mansion, Republican Bob McDonnell, was convicted on federal corruption charges but has appealed his conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Before winning his gubernatorial campaign in 2013 over Republican Ken Cuccinelli, McAuliffe made his name in national Democratic politics as a prolific, well-connected fundraiser with close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Although McAuliffe is close to the Clintons, the official told AP that the investigation of McAuliffe is unconnected to a separate FBI investigation looking at the legality of private email servers that Hillary Clinton used while serving as secretary of state.

Last year, McAuliffes political action committee, Common Good Va., returned a $25,000 donation from a company with ties to Angolas state-owned oil company after The Associated Press raised questions about its legality. Federal law prohibits campaigns at any level from receiving money from outside the U.S.

McAuliffes international business connections also came under scrutiny prior to his gubernatorial campaign. He served as chairman of GreenTech Automotive, a company that hoped to bring supercompact automobiles to the U.S. market. The company attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreign investment, in part through a federal program that granted visas to investors who met certain job-creation thresholds.

McAuliffe resigned from the company in December 2012. GreenTech, which received millions of dollars in economic incentives from state and local officials to build a plant in Mississippi, faced criticism for falling well below expectations in production and job creation.
HAMBURG (Reuters) - Volkswagen believes it will not need to raise provisions of 16.2 billion euros (12 billion pounds) it has already made for its diesel-emissions cheating, as it moves closer to a civil settlement with the United States Department of Justice, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

"We know the sum we are facing as of today," the source said, ahead of a U.S. federal court hearing at which the two sides are expected to report "significant progress" towards reaching a final agreement by late June, according to two sources briefed on the matter.

In April, Volkswagen agreed a framework settlement with authorities in the United States to buy back or potentially fix about half a million cars, after admitting it masked the level of pollution from its cars using cheating software, plunging the carmaker to a 4.1 billion euros operating loss for 2015.

The Wolfsburg-based company could still face further costs, including from a DoJ investigation that could lead to criminal charges, and potential class-action suits.

(Reporting by Jan Schwartz, writing by Edward Taylor; Editing by Georgina Prodhan)
By Alexandria Sage and David Shepardson

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) has made substantial progress towards reaching a final settlement next month with car owners and the U.S. government over the German automaker's cheating on diesel emissions tests, a federal judge said on Tuesday.

But major issues remain, including how much the world's No. 2 automaker may have to pay in fines, which could run in the billions of dollars, to federal and state regulators for violating U.S. clean air rules, as well as an ongoing U.S. Justice Department criminal probe.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco reiterated that a settlement will include substantial monetary compensation for U.S. owners of 482,000 polluting vehicles that emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution.

The so-called Dieselgate scandal has hurt VW's global business as well as its reputation and led to the departure of its chief executive officer and other executives. Dieselgate erupted last September after the company admitted using sophisticated secret software in its cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests. As many as 11 million vehicles worldwide have been affected.

At a brief court hearing, Breyer said lawyers for car owners suing Volkswagen and the U.S. Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission, the state of California and the company were on track to file the final proposed settlements by June 21.

The "parties ... have reported that in the month since we last met they have made substantial progress in intensive daily efforts to finalise the agreement, and most importantly are on track to meet the court's deadline," Breyer said.

The U.S. settlement would also include an environmental remediation fund to address excess emissions and a fund to promote green automotive technology.

Elizabeth Cabraser, lead lawyer for the U.S. car owners, and a Volkswagen spokeswoman both said the parties were pleased with the continued progress and planned to finalise the agreements next month.

Story continues

Breyer said engineering studies and testing were continuing towards a resolution for the owners of 80,000 larger 3.0 litre vehicles but offered no timetable.

The vehicles emitted up to nine times the legally allowable pollution, and it was not clear if the automaker will offer to buy back the larger 3.0 litre Porsche, Audi and VW SUVs and cars under investigation.

The EPA ordered VW last September to stop selling all new 2016 2.0 diesel vehicles. The ban was extended to 3.0 litre VW, Porsche and Audi diesel vehicles in November. The order remains in effect.

After the June 21 deadline the agreement faces a public comment period and must get final judicial approval, which could come at a July 26 hearing.

Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) shares closed up 4 percent.

FAMILY DIVISIONS

Many thorny issues remain, including what happens to vehicles that Volkswagen repurchases and how the automaker will handle buybacks and fixes if the EPA approves.

Reuters reported last month that owners could have as long as two years to decide on whether to sell back their vehicles.

VW agreed on April 21 to a framework settlement with U.S. authorities to buy back or potentially fix about half a million cars fitted with illegal test-fixing software, and set up environmental and consumer compensation funds.

The next day, Volkswagen said it would set aside 16.2 billion euros (12.4 billion) and slash its dividend to cover the costs from Dieselgate.

And there is unrest among investors. On Monday, three investor groups called for an independent inquiry, saying the company's investigations may not be sufficiently far-reaching or transparent.

Reuters has reported that a Volkswagen official said an investigation by law firm Jones Day into who was responsible for rigging the emissions tests was dragging on.

Volkswagen has come under attack from London hedge fund TCI and other investors who say the automaker needs to improve its performance and create a new governance structure.

The campaign has exposed divisions between the Porsche and Piech families who own the majority of Volkswagen, the state of Lower Saxony and powerful labour representatives who hold one-half of the seats on the companys supervisory board.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Alexandria Sage in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Georgina Prodhan in Frankfurt; Writing by David Shepardson and Will Dunham; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
(Adds VW and plaintiff comment, background on VW under pressure)

By Alexandria Sage and David Shepardson

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG has made substantial progress toward reaching a final settlement next month with car owners and the U.S. government over the German automaker's cheating on diesel emissions tests, a federal judge said on Tuesday.

But major issues remain, including how much the world's No. 2 automaker may have to pay in fines, which could run in the billions of dollars, to federal and state regulators for violating U.S. clean air rules, as well as an ongoing U.S. Justice Department criminal probe.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco reiterated that a settlement will include substantial monetary compensation for U.S. owners of 482,000 polluting vehicles that emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution.

The so-called Dieselgate scandal has hurt VW's global business as well as its reputation and led to the departure of its chief executive officer and other executives. Dieselgate erupted last September after the company admitted using sophisticated secret software in its cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests. As many as 11 million vehicles worldwide have been affected.

At a brief court hearing, Breyer said lawyers for car owners suing Volkswagen and the U.S. Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission, the state of California and the company were on track to file the final proposed settlements by June 21.

The "parties ... have reported that in the month since we last met they have made substantial progress in intensive daily efforts to finalize the agreement, and most importantly are on track to meet the court's deadline," Breyer said.

The U.S. settlement would also include an environmental remediation fund to address excess emissions and a fund to promote green automotive technology.

Elizabeth Cabraser, lead lawyer for the U.S. car owners, and a Volkswagen spokeswoman both said the parties were pleased with the continued progress and planned to finalize the agreements next month.

Story continues

Breyer said engineering studies and testing were continuing toward a resolution for the owners of 80,000 larger 3.0 liter vehicles but offered no timetable.

The vehicles emitted up to nine times the legally allowable pollution, and it was not clear if the automaker will offer to buy back the larger 3.0 liter Porsche, Audi and VW SUVs and cars under investigation.

The EPA ordered VW last September to stop selling all new 2016 2.0 diesel vehicles. The ban was extended to 3.0 liter VW, Porsche and Audi diesel vehicles in November. The order remains in effect.

After the June 21 deadline the agreement faces a public comment period and must get final judicial approval, which could come at a July 26 hearing.

Volkswagen shares closed up 4 percent.

FAMILY DIVISIONS

Many thorny issues remain, including what happens to vehicles that Volkswagen repurchases and how the automaker will handle buybacks and fixes if the EPA approves.

Reuters reported last month that owners could have as long as two years to decide on whether to sell back their vehicles.

VW agreed on April 21 to a framework settlement with U.S. authorities to buy back or potentially fix about half a million cars fitted with illegal test-fixing software, and set up environmental and consumer compensation funds.

The next day, Volkswagen said it would set aside 16.2 billion euros ($18.2 billion) and slash its dividend to cover the costs from Dieselgate.

And there is unrest among investors. On Monday, three investor groups called for an independent inquiry, saying the company's investigations may not be sufficiently far-reaching or transparent.

Reuters has reported that a Volkswagen official said an investigation by law firm Jones Day into who was responsible for rigging the emissions tests was dragging on.

Volkswagen has come under attack from London hedge fund TCI and other investors who say the automaker needs to improve its performance and create a new governance structure.

The campaign has exposed divisions between the Porsche and Piech families who own the majority of Volkswagen, the state of Lower Saxony and powerful labor representatives who hold one-half of the seats on the company's supervisory board.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Alexandria Sage in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Georgina Prodhan in Frankfurt; Writing by David Shepardson and Will Dunham; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
By Martyn Herman PARIS (Reuters) - Defending champion Stan Wawrinka breathed a huge sigh of relief and Andy Murray faced a sleepless night after both got bogged down by belligerent Czechs at a sodden French Open on Monday. A day that began two hours late after torrential rain ended with world number two Murray hanging on against 37-year-old Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek having lost the opening two sets in the Philippe Chatrier Court gloom. When play was finally suspended Murray had repaired some of the damage but still trailed 3-6 3-6 6-0 4-2. Third seed Wawrinka did book his place in the second round, although his path to victory against straight-hitting Lukas Rosol was equally tortuous. The Swiss, decked out in an eye-straining fluorescent yellow shirt, was left in the shade by the world number 59 and twice trailed by a set before his opponent tired and he scratched out a 4-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory. Wawrinka puffed out his cheeks after tucking away a volley on his third match point, happy to have avoided becoming the first defending men's champion to lose his opening match since Australian Lew Hoad in 1957. It was touch and go, however, as Rosol, who famously knocked out Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon second round in 2012, threatened another huge upset with his murderous groundstrokes. "A really tough match, the conditions were slow and heavy," Wawrinka, who only arrived on Saturday hours after winning the Geneva title, told reporters. "He kept me under pressure permanently. I kept running after the score. You can't really relax." TRICKY STEPANEK Murray, second favourite to de-throne Wawrinka after world number one Novak Djokovic, had to wait until 7pm local time to take on tricky Stepanek, the oldest man in the draw. He might have hoped to polish off the world number 128 in time for dinner, but Stepanek had other ideas. With Murray off-key, Stepanek used his full range of slices, pinpoint forehands and bamboozling drop shots to torment the twice grand slam champion. A fraught Murray dropped serve with a double-fault and conceded the opening set with a misfired forehand. The second set went the same way as Stepanek delighted a sparse crowd with his repertoire. Murray, scolding himself into action, waltzed the third set and was a break up in the fourth. Yet Stepanek will return on Tuesday believing he can become the oldest man to win a round at Roland Garros since Jimmy Connors (aged 38) in 1991. Three fancied players did succumb on a cheerless day. Former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, seeded 10, went down to Argentine qualifier Marco Trungelliti 7-6(4) 3-6 6-4 6-2. It was a poor day for Italians in the women's draw where seventh seed Roberta Vinci was crushed 6-1 6-3 by Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko and 16th seed Sara Errani, runner-up in 2012, lost to Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3 6-2. Fourth seed Garbine Muguruza, a Wimbledon finalist last year, showed plenty of grit as she avoided an early exit. Wearing a long-sleeved top like most of the women players, the flat-hitting Spaniard took a while to warm up before eventually overpowering Anna Karoline Schmiedlova 3-6 6-3 6-3. "It was so cold. Even though I was running and playing, I felt like cold. I thought it was going to rain. I was looking to the sky," Muguruza told reporters. (Editing by Ed Osmond)
Photo credit: Saul Loeb

From House Beautiful

Even though the world has figured out how to hack all of its products, there's still one thing most of us don't know about Ikea: how to pronounce its name.

Apparently, Americans have been mispronouncing the Swedish company since it first arrived in the states more than three decades ago, saying "I-kee-ya" instead of the totally different but correct "ee-KAY-uh." Wait - what?!

It sounds so wrong, but IKEA's Scandinavian reps confirm that the authentic way to say the brand is with a long "e" (not "i") sound at the beginning, followed by the emphasized second syllable "KAY."

Of course, the clever execs knew all along that the new market would butcher the name, so they actually embraced our American accents from the start. When the company launched in the U.S. in 1985, they specifically decided to use the alternate pronunciation, Ikea U.S. spokeswoman Marty Marston told ABC News. They even ran a billboard campaign with the images of an eyeball, key, and a person saying "ah." So really, don't blame yourself for the misunderstanding.

"I think they realized back then that Americans would automatically pronounce it with an 'i' sound," said Marston, who changes her pronunciation when she visits the Swedish headquarters. "I have to make a point out of saying it the way they do or they will look at me in a funny way," she explained.

If you still don't believe it, just check out this handy video of two employees demonstrating the pronunciations:

Now the only thing left to learn is how to say all of their products.

[h/t Tech Insider

('You Might Also Like',)
There is nothing in consumer tech right now that's as hot as the smartphone market, even as it nears saturation in many regions, and the real beauty of it is that there are so many options. Every company out there wants a piece of the action and they're all looking for ways to differentiate their products, so there really is something for everyone. It's not easy to make a choice that can truly be considered wrong since different people have different needs and wants, but there is one line of smartphones that people probably shouldn't bother with unless they having a burning desire to dump hundreds of dollars into a dead platform.

As noted by market research firm Gartner, Windows Phone's share of the global smartphone market actually fell below 1% this past quarter for the first time ever, market yet another stop on Microsoft's one-way trip to smartphone irrelevance. As such, the worst mistake you can make when buying a new phone is to buy a Windows Phone, unless you're fine with burning cash on a platform that's on its way out.

Actually, there is one smartphone platform that somehow has an even lower share of the global market  BlackBerry OS  but it's so low that it's not even worth discussing anymore.

HUGE LEAK: This is our first look at a real iPhone 7

According to Gartner's estimates, smartphone shipments grew 3.9% in the first quarter of 2016 compared the same quarter one year earlier. That seems like a small figure, but it's pretty impressive when you consider how far iPhone sales fell between January and March. Gartner says total "smartphone sales," which is a figure that actually includes end-user iPhone sales and estimated channel sales for other brands, reached 349 million units in the quarter.

Samsung led the way with estimated shipments totaling 81 million units, which is indeed a massive number that was bolstered by the launch of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Chinese Android brands grew too fast in the quarter though, so Samsung's global market share actually fell to 23.2% in the first quarter from 24.1% in the same quarter last year.

Story continues

Meanwhile, Apple's global smartphone market share saw a much bigger drop, from 17.9% in Q1 2015 to 14.8% in Q1 2016.

"In a slowing smartphone market where large vendors are experiencing growth saturation, emerging brands are disrupting existing brands' long-standing business models to increase their share," Gartner research director Anshul Gupta. "With such changing smartphone market dynamics, Chinese brands are emerging as the new top global brands. Two Chinese brands ranked within the top five worldwide smartphone vendors in the first quarter of 2015, and represented 11 percent of the market. In the first quarter of 2016, there were three Chinese brands  Huawei, Oppo and Xiaomi  and they achieved 17 percent of the market."

Screen Shot 2016-05-23 at 9.00.38 AM

Screen Shot 2016-05-23 at 9.03.37 AM

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Its not surprising that the near-election this week of Norbert Hofer as president of Austria would generate a fresh round of worries over the rise of the right in Europe. Hofer would have been the first European far-right head of state since the end of World War II, and while the left-leaning Alexander Van der Bellen managed to eke out a win, Hofers clear popularity is a clear concern. But lets take a deep breath and a step back to avoid exaggerating the danger this phenomenon represents for the future of Europe.

Ive written here and elsewhere about the rise of populist right-wing parties in multiple European states. The migrant crisis has exacerbated a deepening anti-E.U. feeling across the continent, and political opportunists are reaping the benefits. Lets note, however, that in Europes most important countries, there are clear limits to the far rights influence. Germanys Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD), Britains United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), and Frances Front National (FN) are all having a real impact on debate in these countries, but theyre a long way from holding real power. Next year, Angela Merkel will likely win re-election as Germanys chancellor, even if the need to draw votes from AfD hardens her approach on some issues. The FNs Marine Le Pen is unlikely to become Frances president. The Conservative Party will continue in power in Britain, and UKIP will remain at the political margins.

Read More: These 5 Facts Explain Why Venezuela Could Be on the Brink of Collapse

And its not surprising that mainstream parties performed poorly in Austrias election. This is a country that has flirted with the far right before. Jorg Haider, a man made famous by his praise for the Nazis and his fascist-inspired taste in clothes and flags, led the Freedom Party into Austrias governing coalition in 2000back when the unwelcome migrants were coming from Eastern Europe, not the Middle East. The E.U. responded with sanctions.

This country of just 8.5 million people is near the front lines of a new migrant crisis. In 2015, Austria received about 90,000 asylum requests from migrants from the Middle East and Africa, the second highest total per capita in Europe, feeding a deepening sense of insecurity that was further fueled by populist demagogues. That said, Van der Bellen, the man who actually won the election, represents the Green Party.

Read More: These 5 Facts Explain What Obama Wants From Europe

Austrias Freedom Party, the Danish Peoples Party, the Swiss Peoples Party, Hungarys Jobbik, The Sweden Democrats, True Finns and others will continue to exploit the fear that those in power are no longer accountable to citizens or represent their true interests. But pragmatism, not right-wing populism, remains at the core of European policymaking.
Consider these Investing Opportunities Before the Second Half

BlackRock Global Chief Investment Strategist Richard Turnill shares a few investing opportunities to consider before the second half.

Markets today are characterized by low returns and lots of me-too trades, but its important to remember low return doesnt mean no-return. So where do we see opportunities?

My colleagues and I mention a few in our recent BlackRock Investment Institute publication Global Investment Outlook: Q2 2016. Heres a quick look at four in particular to consider before the second half.

1. U.S. stocks, particularly dividend growers.

Equities look attractive versus government debt, recently offering dividend yields above the yield on 10-year government bonds in all major markets, based on an analysis using MSCI index data. The gap is widest in negative-rate countries such as Japan and Switzerland. The U.S. is the only major region where bond yields rival equity dividends, though its important to remember that theres no guarantee stocks will continue to pay dividends. We like dividend growers here, and see strength in consumption and housing supporting equities overall. We see peak margins and payout ratios limiting returns, however.

Market Realist  Many markets are offering higher dividend yields

The dividend is back in favor as the mainstay of the stock market value creation process. In many developed markets (ACWI), stocks offer a higher yield than long-term government bonds. At the same time, bond yields in the United States and in many developed countries have fallen drastically over the past year, making bonds an unattractive proposition compared to stocks dividend yield. In the United States, the ten-year Treasury yield fell from 2.3% at the end of 2015 to nearly 1.8% currently.

The MSCI Japan Index (EWJ) offers a dividend yield of 2.23% compared to -0.10% for the ten-year government bond. Similarly, the MSCI Switzerland Index offered a dividend yield of 3.39% compared to the -0.31% offered by the 10-year government bond. The MSCI USA Index (SPY)(IWM) has a dividend yield of 2.16% compared to 1.79% on the ten-year Treasury. The MSCI Europe Index (EZU), which represents 15 developed markets in Europe, has a dividend yield of 3.65% compared to the 0.96% offered by the Eurozone ten-year government benchmark bond.

Story continues

While dividends arent guaranteed and can fall in economic downturns, a higher dividend yield offers a safety cushion to stocks. As bond yield fall further, higher-dividend stocks become an attractive asset class.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Why Estee Lauder Has Fallen 2 Weeks after Its Fiscal 3Q16 Results

(Continued from Prior Part)

Skincares fiscal 3Q16 revenue

Estee Lauders (EL) skincare segments net revenue fell 2.5% in reported terms and remained unchanged on a constant-currency basis at $1.1 billion in fiscal 3Q16. The fall was due to the unfavorable impact of foreign currency translation.

However, in constant-currency terms, the skincare segments net sales were helped by double-digit gains from its online business and from Genaissance de La Mer The Serum Essence, one of the companys luxury skincare brands.

Operating income

The operating income of ELs skincare segment fell 6.5% to $0.2 billion in fiscal 3Q16. The fall was primarily due to lower results from the Estee Lauder brand, partially offset by higher results from La Mer.

The skincare segment is a dominant beauty category in China and Hong Kong. However, the challenging macroeconomic trend within the Asia-Pacific region, especially in Hong Kong, has contributed to the categorys slower global growth.

Cotys (COTY), LOreals (LRLCY), and Avons (AVP) revenues have also been affected by the negative impact of foreign currencies.

In addition, according to Estee Lauders CEO Fabrizio Freda, the increased consumer spending shift from skincare to makeup and the difficult comparison to the companys greater launch activity in fiscal 3Q15 resulted in fiscal 3Q16s lower sales.

Leverage on GLAMGLOW

The company continues to focus on consumer-preferred products across different regions. Estee Lauders skincare innovation is more focused on instant benefit skincare versus long-term antiaging, according to Freda. MACs and Bobbi Browns skincare lines rose by double-digits in fiscal 3Q16.

In addition, EL is focused on investing in fast-growing channels. Estee Lauder launched GLAMGLOW in Korea and is using social media to leverage and draw new consumers from other parts of the globe. Apart from launching E&M (electronic and mobile) commerce sites and opening freestanding stores, the company is selling its GLAMGLOW products on Nordstroms (JWN) website.

Story continues

EL makes up 0.7% of the iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL).

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
An In-Depth Exploration of NVIDIA's Fiscal 1Q17 Earnings

(Continued from Prior Part)

NVIDIA is on the lookout for a licensing deal

So far, weve seen that NVIDIAs (NVDA) GPUs (graphics processing units) are widely used in its four key markets: gaming, professional visualization, data center, and automotive. The company has failed to make its mark in the mobile and tablet space. Its looking to earn revenue by claiming royalties from competitors using GPUs.

NVIDIA has been looking to secure a licensing deal with South Koreas (EWY) Samsung (SSNLF) and the United States Qualcomm (QCOM) as a settlement to its patent lawsuit filed in September 2014.

NVIDIA reaches out-of-court settlement with Samsung

Recently, NVIDIA reached an out-of-court settlement with Samsung a few hours before the US ITC (International Trade Commission) was due to announce its final verdict.

As part of the settlement, NVIDIA and Samsung would cross-license a small number of intellectual property, not a broad patent portfolio, for zero financial compensation. Moreover, the two companies agreed to end all of their patent disputes in the US district courts, the US ITC, and the US Patent Office.

The dismissal of all litigations between the two companies will reduce legal costs for NVIDIAs operating expenses.

Settlement surprises investors

The settlement came as a surprise, as it was not what was expected. NVIDIA entered into this legal battle to get a royalty payment, and the final settlement included no exchange of money. Neither company furnished any further details about the settlement, creating ambiguity about why theyd entered into this legal battle in the first place.

As for Qualcomm, it was only involved in NVIDIAs initial case against Samsung. As the settlement dismissed all patent lawsuits between NVIDIA and Samsung, it automatically dismissed NVIDIAs case with Qualcomm.

The future of NVIDIAs licensing business

NVIDIA won a six-year licensing deal from Intel (INTC) in 2011 as part of a patent lawsuit settlement. The royalty amount of $66 million earned from Intel accounts for 5% of NVIDIAs quarterly revenue. The deal expires in March 2017, which means that NVIDIA will lose 5% of its revenue in fiscal 2018.

Story continues

The settlement with Samsung means that NVIDIAs licensing segment will cease to exist unless the company attracts other companies to license its technology. While NVIDIA is losing its licensing revenue, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has secured a $293 million licensing deal with China for its server chips.

In the next part of the series, well look at NVIDIAs cash position and whether it can withstand this headwind.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
When President Obama stood beside Tran Dai Quang, the Vietnamese leader, on Monday and announced the end of Americas arms embargo on Vietnam, he did so despite pleas from human-rights groups to delay a decision until the Communist regime released political prisoners.

Obama portrayed the decision as one based on removing one of the last vestiges of the war, which ended in 1975 with the fall of Saigon. The U.S. would wait two more decades to restore diplomatic relations with its Cold War-era adversary, and it wasnt until 2000 that an American president, Bill Clinton, visited Vietnam. Six years after that, President George W. Bush followed suit. And while the U.S. has engaged in trade with Vietnam, and has become, in fact, one of the countrys largest trading partners, it maintained the embargo for years, saying its removal depended on improvements in Vietnams human-rights record. In recent years, the country has imprisoned more than 100 political dissidents and has cracked down on dissenting speech onlinethough Human Rights Watch notes an increasing numbers of bloggers and activists have called publicly for democracy and greater freedoms.

Recommended: How the World Works

Obama acknowledged the two countries still have differences on human rights. Indeed, as The New York Times reported Tuesday, some of those differences were grounded in the fact that while Obama met with six activists in Hanoi, several others who were scheduled to meet with him were prevented by Vietnamese authorities from doing so. Human Rights Watch, which regards Vietnams human-rights record as dire in all areas, identified them as Pham Doan Trang, Nguyen Quang, and Ha Huy Son. The organization has been especially critical of Obamas visit, as is clear in this tweet by its executive director.

Sadly, this pretty much sums up Obama's lifting the Vietnam arms embargo for no real progress on human rights. pic.twitter.com/EmXTFZs3Vu  Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) May 24, 2016

But human-rights concerns notwithstanding, Obamas decision on the arms embargo may have to do as much with Vietnams strategic importance as its capacity to buy weapons, and the presidents famous pivot toward Asia.

[T]he increasingly tense situation in the South China Sea, and Vietnams growing strategic and economic importance, outweigh U.S. concerns about Hanois admittedly terrible human rights record, writes Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. He adds: The lifting of the embargo, and Vietnams increasing willingness to be seen, regionally, as a close partner of the United States, is a sign that Hanoi is abandoning its decades-old strategy of balancing relations between Beijing and Washington.

Recommended: What Good Is a United Europe to America?

Indeed, Vietnam and China have had a history of tensions and conflict. Both claim the Spratlys and Paracel island chains. Chinas recent military activity in the South China Sea, where it has built artificial islands, has many of its neighbors worried; but Vietnam is especially so because those islands are only about 300 miles from the Vietnamese coast.

The U.S. has expressed concern over Chinas actions in the South China Sea, and Mondays announcement on the arms embargo may be tied to that concern. The fact that Vietnam is the worlds fifth-largest arms buyer probably didnt hurt either. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute notes that Vietnams arms imports rose almost 700 percent from 2011 to 2015. The country buys most of its weapons from Russia, but has been considering diversifying its supply base, and has already bought some military equipment from Israel. Still, experts note that the lifting of the embargo is unlikely to benefit U.S. arms manufacturers, mainly because U.S. weapons, while more sophisticated, are also more expensive. And even when, in 2014, the U.S. eased the embargo to allow Vietnam to buy non-lethal maritime equipment, the country did not turn to American weapons suppliers.

Obamas own view of Asia may also have informed his decision. As my colleague Jeffrey Goldberg wrote in April, Obama believes Americas economic future lies in Asia.

From his earliest days in office, Obama has been focused on rebuilding the sometimes-threadbare ties between the U.S. and its Asian treaty partners, and he is perpetually on the hunt for opportunities to draw other Asian nations into the U.S. orbit, Goldberg wrote. His dramatic opening to Burma was one such opportunity; Vietnam and the entire constellation of Southeast Asian countries fearful of Chinese domination presented others.

Recommended: A Shocking Find In a Neanderthal Cave In France

Trade is one part of that equation: Obama has engaged Vietnamese officials on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a key policy goal of the president. Vietnam agreed to recognize independent labor unions in the country as part of the massive agreement that involves 12 countries, including the U.S. and Vietnam. But, as Goldberg pointed out, U.S. strategic interests are another part:

Administration officials have repeatedly hinted to me that Vietnam may one day soon host a permanent U.S. military presence, to check the ambitions of the country it now fears most, China. The U.S. Navys return to Cam Ranh Bay would count as one of the more improbable developments in recent American history.

Still, Obama, in his remarks to reporters on Tuesday while meeting with some of the Vietnamese activists, did note that while the U.S. and Vietnam agreed on several things, disagreements remained.

Vietnam has made remarkable strides, the economy is growing quickly, the Internet is booming, and theres a growing confidence here, he said. But as I indicated yesterday, theres still areas of significant concerns in terms of areas of free speech, freedom of assembly, accountability with respect to government.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / Wi2Wi Corporation (Wi2Wi or the Company) (TSX V: YTY.V), a leading global developer and manufacturer of wireless connectivity solutions, high precision frequency control, timing, and microwave filter devices, is pleased to announce a Low Power High Performance module WM826C00 in its maximum performance (MX) series of products.

This Very High Throughput (VHT) 802.11ac 1x1 module incorporates MAC, baseband, crystals, filter, Power Amplifier (PA), Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) and RF switch, providing the industry's highest level of RF front end integration which allows for a cost-efficient solution with a significantly smaller footprint and reduced design complexity compared to existing available solutions. With Transmit Beamforming technology and Low-density parity check (LDPC), this module provides unparalleled WLAN performance with up to 433 Mbps. It supports advanced power management features to optimize battery life and full interoperability and coexistence with LTE 4G networks. The best in class and cost effective WM826C00 is ideal for various demanding WLAN applications that require low power consumption and high performance. Examples include home and industrial automation, wearables, medical electronics, intelligent vehicle infrastructure (IVI), streaming audio and video, and many other emerging applications. Using WM826C00 in their systems, system designers can eliminate integration and multi-radio co-existence issues from their designs which reduces the time to market and substantially reduce the overall product cost.

The module is currently undergoing FCC, CE, and IC certifications and comes with out of the box integration tools with all the required protocol stacks, extensive software libraries including cloud access support and sample applications. Fully certified production units will be available in the early third quarter of 2016.

"We are delighted to announce this simultaneous dual band 802.11 ac/a/b/g/n module which can work simultaneously on 5G and 2.4G bands. This module can also support simultaneous access point and client mode enabling variety of applications. Module can address both high performance applications and battery powered applications such as wearables with its small size and low power consumption," said Ramesh Duvvuru, VP of Engineering Wireless Connectivity.

"We are excited about the release of WM826C00 which addresses the high performing and cost effective 802.11ac dual band Wi-Fi solutions the industry is demanding. WM826C00 will position Wi2Wi well in front of others to tap the fast growing IoT and M2M markets," said Zachariah Mathews, President and CEO of Wi2Wi.

For further information, please contact:

Zachariah Mathews

President and Chief Executive Officer

408 416 4202

zach@wi2wi.com

About IoT and M2M

Essentially, IoT and M2M describe the network of physical objects or "things" embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity, which enables these objects to collect and exchange data. Driven by several factors including the growth in the availability of Broadband Internet, which reduces the cost of connecting, and the related increase in Wi-Fi capabilities as well as sensors built into myriad technologies, this has been described as the "perfect storm" for the IoT. Almost any device with an on and off switch that can be connected to the Internet (and/or to each other) - anything from cell phones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices, cars, as well as machine components in the engine of a jet airplane or the drill of an oil rig. According to analyst firm Gartner, by 2020 there will be over 26 billion connected devices. Others think this figure could be too conservative by a factor of four.

About Wi2Wi Corporation

Wi2Wi is a vertically-integrated technology company which designs, manufactures and markets high performance, low power wireless connectivity solutions, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) modules, and frequency control devices. The Company's products and services address numerous applications in the markets of Internet of Things (IoT), Machine to Machine (M2M), Avionics, Space, and Government Sponsored Projects. Wi2Wi's products and value-added services provide highly integrated, rugged, robust, and reliable multiprotocol wireless actuators with embedded software, along with customized timing and frequency control devices for customers, worldwide. The Company was founded in 2005 and is strategically headquartered in San Jose, California with satellite offices in Middleton, Wisconsin and Hyderabad, India. Wi2Wi's manufacturing operations, its laboratory for reliability and quality control, together with design and engineering for timing and frequency control devices are located in Middleton, WI. The branch office, located in Hyderabad, India, focuses on the development of wireless connectivity; both hardware and software. Wi2Wi's strategic objective is to service the unique needs of each customer by providing end to end wireless integration solutions and highly customizable timing and frequency control devices. Wi2Wi distinguishes itself from commodity grade products, with best in the market performance, highly reliable, low power wireless connectivity products with integrated software that supports broader temperature ranges and a longer product life cycle. Furthermore, Wi2Wi's end to end product solutions helps the customer substantially reduce their end product expense, certification cost, and overall R&D investment, in addition to substantially reducing the time to market. Wi2Wi has partnered with best in class global leaders in technology, manufacturing, and sales. The Company uses a wide network of manufacturer's representatives, worldwide, to promote its products and services, and has partnered with world class distributors for the fulfillment of orders along with direct sales.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including management's assessment of future plans and operations, and the timing thereof, that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks associated with the ability to access sufficient capital, the impact of general economic conditions in Canada, the United States and overseas, industry conditions, stock market volatility. The Company's actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits, including the amount of proceeds, that the Company will derive there from. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect the Company's operations and financial results are included in reports on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com). Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements and if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

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: Wi2Wi Corporation
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 24, 2016 / Wi2Wi Corporation (Wi2Wi or the Company) (TSX-V: YTY), is pleased to announce that Dr. Kalliwoda International Research GmbH has initiated coverage on the Company and has issued an Initial Coverage research report dated May 11, 2016 entitled: "Wi2Wi Corporation Harnessing The Tidal Wave of IoT" The research report can be obtained by contacting Dr. Norbert Kalliwoda at:

DR. KALLIWODA INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH GmbH

Steinstrasse 24

D-64839 Munster

Germany

Office Frankfurt:

Arndtstrasse 47

D-60325 Frankfurt am Main

Germany

Tel.: +49 69. 972 058 53

Fax: +49 69. 138 192 15

E-Mail: research@kalliwoda.com

About Dr. Kalliwoda International Research GmbH

Founded in 2003, and based in Frankfurt, Germany, Dr. Kalliwoda Research GmbH, is an independent equity and bond research firm, specializing in Mid and Small-Caps in following sectors; Technology, IT & Software, Media, Engineering & Special Engineering/Laser/Photonics, Biotech & Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Renewables, Utilities, Oil/Gas Producers, Logistics and Financial Services.

For further information, please contact:

Zachariah Mathews

President and Chief Executive Officer

408 416 4202

zach@wi2wi.com

About IoT and M2M

Essentially, IoT and M2M describe the network of physical objects or "things" embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity, which enables these objects to collect and exchange data. Driven by several factors including the growth in the availability of Broadband Internet, which reduces the cost of connecting, and the related increase in Wi-Fi capabilities as well as sensors built into myriad technologies, this has been described as the "perfect storm" for the IoT. Almost any device with an on and off switch that can be connected to the Internet (and/or to each other) - anything from cell phones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices, cars, as well as machine components in the engine of a jet airplane or the drill of an oil rig. According to analyst firm Gartner, by 2020 there will be over 26 billion connected devices. Others think this figure could be too conservative by a factor of four.

Story continues

About Wi2Wi Corporation

Wi2Wi is a vertically-integrated technology company which designs, manufactures and markets high performance, low power wireless connectivity solutions, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) modules, and frequency control devices. The Company's products and services address numerous applications in the markets of Internet of Things (IoT), Machine to Machine (M2M), Avionics, Space, and Government Sponsored Projects. Wi2Wi's products and value-added services provide highly integrated, rugged, robust, and reliable multiprotocol wireless actuators with embedded software, along with customized timing and frequency control devices for customers, worldwide. The Company was founded in 2005 and is strategically headquartered in San Jose, California with satellite offices in Middleton, Wisconsin and Hyderabad, India. Wi2Wi's manufacturing operations, its laboratory for reliability and quality control, together with design and engineering for timing and frequency control devices are located in Middleton, WI. The branch office, located in Hyderabad, India, focuses on the development of wireless connectivity; both hardware and software. Wi2Wi's strategic objective is to service the unique needs of each customer by providing end to end wireless integration solutions and highly customizable timing and frequency control devices. Wi2Wi distinguishes itself from commodity grade products, with best in the market performance, highly reliable, low power wireless connectivity products with integrated software that supports broader temperature ranges and a longer product life cycle. Furthermore, Wi2Wi's end to end product solutions helps the customer substantially reduce their end product expense, certification cost, and overall R&D investment, in addition to substantially reducing the time to market. Wi2Wi has partnered with best in class global leaders in technology, manufacturing, and sales. The Company uses a wide network of manufacturer's representatives, worldwide, to promote its products and services, and has partnered with world class distributors for the fulfillment of orders along with direct sales.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including management's assessment of future plans and operations, and the timing thereof, that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks associated with the ability to access sufficient capital, the impact of general economic conditions in Canada, the United States and overseas, industry conditions, stock market volatility. The Company's actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits, including the amount of proceeds, that the Company will derive there from. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect the Company's operations and financial results are included in reports on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com). Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements and if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

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: Wi2Wi Corporation
Kevann Carter made a disturbing discovery online. (Photo courtesy of Kevann Carter)

Kevann Carter was shocked when she discovered photos of herself on a strangers Instagram account, through which he asked others to rate her appearance. Carter, a 24-year-old musician and copywriter in Canada, had recently shaved off her long hair after being inspired by the hashtag #girlswithbuzzcuts. Hoping to inspire other women to do the same, Carter posted some selfies with the hashtag. Thats how the man  who gives his name as John on the Instagram account lifetooshortforboringhair  found photos of her and then reposted them, asking his 2,000-plus followers whether she looked hotter before or after shaving her head.

This user liked one such photo [of mine], and out of curiosity, I went to his page, Carter tells Yahoo Beauty. I saw the way he was putting people up for discussion and was really uncomfortable with it. I scrolled through and saw hed used my photos. Seeing it made me feel incredibly violated. I shaved my head in hopes of freeing myself from the male gaze, but instead, I was being sexualized for it.

A stranger asked his followers to rate Carters appearance in this post. (Photo courtesy of Kevann Carter).

For Carter, shaving off her long locks was supposed to be a symbol of independence for her. I have always felt that I needed long hair to feel beautiful, to feel feminine, she told Canadas CBC News. I was always concerned with, What will men think if I dont have long hair? She had hoped that shaving it all off would free her from that. Instead, Carter says it somehow got warped into an excuse to objectify and discuss her like a sculpture. My looks, my body, my face, my hair, anything like that, is not up for discussion, she says. Making my appearance a matter of public opinion is saying that my body is public property.

Carter says this issue isnt just about her, noting the ongoing trend that seems to dictate that anything a woman does or doesnt do is for male consumption. Its ridiculous, and its infuriating, she says. I want the world to let me and every other female-presenting person in the world exist without someone making it about them or their opinion. I want people to understand that its OK to appreciate a hairstyle or eye color or freckles or anything like that. But its not OK to dehumanize someone because of it, even if you think its complimentary. If you want to use someones photos, ask consent, and make sure that person understands the context under which they will be posted. Because the only one who has the right to invite criticism to my look is me. Period.

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Tamara Shepherd, a University of Calgary media studies professor, agrees. At the surface level, it seems like something somewhat flattering is the argument people might make on the opposite side, but by the same token, this whole issue of consent is clearly a big problem, Shepherd told CBC News. The other problem is the gendered nature, the way that womens photographs in particular circulate in masculine online spaces.

Although having privacy settings can help, Shepherd added that they still may not protect you from having a stranger use a photo of yours. As soon as something goes online, even if you think you have privacy settings on it, there are all kinds of ways you can screenshot or circumvent those settings, she noted. Anything you ever post Facebook, even if you delete it, it still exists somewhere.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
From Cosmopolitan

Three people died this weekend climbing down the 29,029-foot Mount Everest, the New York Times reports. One of them was 34-year-old Dr. Maria Strydom, an Australian finance professor who just a few months ago told her school she and her husband were planning to climb Everest "to prove that vegans can do anything and more." They'd already climbed the six other highest peaks in the world.

"It seems that people have this warped idea of vegans being malnourished and weak," Strydom continued, and "We've all heard stories of frostbite and having to turn around from excessive waiting times due to inexperienced people blocking routes. This can lead to life threatening situations and death." Ultimately, it wasn't any of these things that killed her - board director at Seven Summit Treks Pasang Phurba Sherpa told AFP Strydom fell ill on Saturday afternoon between camps 4 and 3: "She said she was feeling very weak and suffering from a loss of energy  signs of altitude sickness."

She and her husband Dr. Robert Gropel suffered from high-altitude pulmonary edema, the Washington Post reports, which caused fluid to build up in Strydom's brain and Gropel's lungs around 3,000 feet below the top of the mountain. While Gropel was able to fight his altitude sickness and try to help resuscitate his wife when she collapsed, he was unable to successfully resuscitate her. He remains in a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Gropel does not want to leave the country without Strydom, whose body remains 26,000 feet up the mountain. Her sister, Aletta Newman, told the paper the family would not begin organizing a funeral until they knew for sure whether or not they could recover Strydom's body: "It just wouldn't feel right leaving her up there alone. It will make it so much harder." The BBC reports bodies are oftentimes left up on Mt. Everest because it's incredibly dangerous to try and recover them. More than 200 bodies reportedly remain on the mountain.

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Gropel's father Heinz told the Australian, "Physically, [Gropel]'s OK, we think. Mentally, he is a mess. He's just lost his wife. These guys were not amateurs, they were experienced climbers."

In her original interview with Monash Business School, Strydom had said the first thing she'd do after coming down off the mountain was to have a hot shower: "And then, depending whether we reach the summit, I am sure my mind will turn to the next adventure."

Everest's other two victims this weekend were Eric Arnold, a 35-year-old alpinist who'd tried to climb the mountain five times and made it to the top this time before succumbing to frostbite, and Subhash Paul, another climber who died due to altitude sickness on his way down the mountain.

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Montreal (AFP) - Evacuated workers began returning Tuesday to Canadian oil sands camps with orders to restart production, three weeks after encroaching wildfires forced a partial shutdown.

A "phased re-entry" at 10 camps near Fort McMurray, Alberta "is now underway," the city said in a statement.

Oil companies "are looking at their re-entry plan," Scott Long, executive director of Alberta's emergency management agency, told a press conference.

But, he added, "There's no set time for them to go back."

An evacuation order remains in effect for Fort McMurray and nearby towns, affecting some 100,000 residents. They have been told they will be allowed to go home starting June 1 after the smoke clears.

Canada's largest petroleum producer, Suncor, said it was moving to resume oil sands operations, but did not provide a specific timeline.

"Fire risk close to our base plant facility has been significantly mitigated as little fuel (trees) to support a fire remains in the area," Suncor said in a statement.

"Critical third party pipeline and power infrastructure have largely been restored and we expect lodges near our base plant facility to be ready to house workers within a few days."

Athabasca Oil Corporation said it had resumed operations at its Hangingstone facility. It reported no damage to the site but said it would take several weeks for its "reservoir to re-pressurize to normal operating levels."

The blaze is still out of control and has grown to nearly 523,000 hectares (1.3 million acres), crossing into neighboring Saskatchewan province, according to Alberta wildfire authorities.

But it has started to move away from populated regions, as it tracks northeastward.

"The fire has experienced some growth primarily along the northern perimeter," Alberta wildfire manager Chad Morrison said.

"This fire is not under control by any means," he said. "While the fire continues to spread to the north and northeast away from (oil) facilities and the community, there always is that potential (for it to turn back)."

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Morrison noted ongoing efforts to secure Suncor and Syncrude facilities which accounted for most of the 1.2 billion barrels of lost oil production due to the wildfires.

"We feel fairly confident in the coming days that we'll hold most of the ground there, but we have some hot, dry conditions coming this week so we'll really be put to the test," Morrison said.

"Now that most of the vegetation around those (oil) facilities has been burnt and removed, it's much safer," he said.

Some 8,000 people had been ordered out of the area one week ago after the fire intensified and spread suddenly, destroying a sprawling 665-room lodge that housed oil workers.

Oil companies began shutting down operations in the oil sands region in early May as the fires advanced.

The shutdown costs for the Canadian economy could reach 0.5 percent of gross domestic product, according to analysts' estimates.

The oil sector accounts for four percent of Canada's GDP.
MILAN (Reuters) - Global sales of personal luxury goods will rise this year but only moderately, with higher spending in Japan and Europe compensating for flat trends in Asia and the United States, an industry report showed on Tuesday.

The sector - including fashion accessories, homeware, jewellery and watches but not cars, yachts and fine art - will grow no more than 2 percent this year, according to a study by consultancy group Bain & Co and Italian luxury industry association Altagamma.

Japan is expected to be the fastest growing market for luxury goods this year, with sales seen up 5 percent, helped by spending from incoming Chinese tourists, the report added.

Sales in China were expected to rebound after three years of decline, but Hong Kong and Macao will struggle to grow.

"Growth year on year is always more restrained but the sector is performing better than almost all the other industrial branches," Altagamma Vice President Armando Branchini said in a statement.

A strong dollar and uncertain consumer confidence ahead of presidential elections is expected to weigh on demand for luxury in the United States, while local spending will outweigh a slowdown in tourism in Europe on the back of security threats.

Cosmetics and leather, shoes and accessories will be the best selling product categories this year while so-called hard luxury, represented by jewellery and watches, will not grow.

In coming years, the luxury market is expected to keep expanding at an average annual rate of 2-3 percent, mainly driven by growth in China.

"All eyes are turned towards China, key in guiding the relaunch (of the sector), and on the recovery of the United States, where currently local consumption is not able to counterbalance the absence of tourism spending," Bain and Co partner Claudia D'Arpizio said.

By 2020, Chinese buyers will represent 34 percent of overall consumption, helped by more than 40 million new middle-class consumers, the study added.

At the end of 2015 the market was up 13 percent to a value of 253 billion euros (192 billion pounds). It grew 1 percent at constant exchange rates.

(Reporting by Giulia Segreti, editing by William Hardy)
From Seventeen

The McCaughey family of Carlisle, Iowa had a lot to celebrate on Sunday. They weren't just celebrating one graduation... they were celebrating seven! Alexis, Brandon, Joel, Kelsey, Kenny Jr., Natalie and Nathan McCaughey all graduated from Carlisle High School. The siblings are notable for being the first surviving set of septuplets.

The siblings were born nine weeks early on November 19, 1997, and weighed between two pounds, five ounces and three pounds, four ounces. They have one older sister, Mikayla.

The McCaughey family's unusual circumstances propelled them to international fame. Throughout their childhood, the siblings were often the subject of interviews and major news events - like when they met George W. Bush, then president, in 2002 during his visit to the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

During the graduation ceremony, Alexis and Natalie were recognized as part of the National Honor Society. Natalie was also recognized for being among the top 15 percent of the class.

Last fall, their parents Bobbi and Kenny told The Des Moines Register that all seven children were promised free tuition at Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri. Two of the siblings plan to enroll there this fall.

Kenny Jr. plans to go into construction, Brandon has enlisted in the Army, and Kelsey is pursuing a career in music, People reports.
The world's first set of septuplets to survive infancy are now high school graduates.

The McCaughey septuplets  Alexis, Brandon, Joel, Kelsey, Kenny, Natalie and Nathan  graduated from Carlisle High School in Carlisle, Iowa on Sunday.

Read: Family Discovers Adopted Daughter's Long Lost Twin At Chinese Orphanage And Now Wants To Adopt Her Too

The siblings grew up together in the public eye since they were born in 1997. At four years old, they met President George W. Bush.

For the first time, theyre parting ways. Kenny is heading into the construction business; the separation is hurting him the most.

I am going to miss everyone, to see us all go, he told KCCI.

Brandon is leaving the nest for the military. My job is the infantry. I am going active duty for that, he said.

Others are heading out of state for college. I want to go into musical theater, said Kelsey.

Read: How Family is Adjusting to Life After Adopting Best Friend's Four Daughters

Nathan said, I plan to go into computer science.

Their mother Bobbi, 29 at the time, took a fertility drug after she and her husband had trouble conceiving. Their pregnancy captured worldwide attention, and stirred a debate about her treatments.

But through it all, the siblings stuck together. [We are] best friends, not brothers and sisters, and blessed that we've gotten to that point, Alexis said.

Two of the siblings said they will at Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri, where their parents were told they would receive a free education, according to KCCI 8.

Watch: Inseparable Identical 100-Year-Old Twins Revealed How They Stay Sharp

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Everything's coming up roses: Yes Way Rose creators Nikki Huganir and Erica Blumenthal co-hosted a "Sip Into Summer" soiree for their wine, Summer Water, on May 21 in Playa Vista.

"Our wine is made in Santa Barbara and we're in New York, but we love coming out here [L.A.]," said Blumenthal. "We're trying to be bicoastal." The tasting, which took place at Winc's headquarters, included sweet food pairings - pink cupcakes, made-to-order crepes and bagels with strawberry cream cheese. Here, the duo talks favorite summer wines and unexpected food pairings if you're going to drink pink.

Why do you think rose is having such a moment?

Huganir: It kind of got a bad rap - people remember white Zinfandel being sweet and really sugary and something that their grandmother drank, but the perception of rose has completely changed. People are ready to embrace it again.

Blumenthal: We love having bottles around because a little splash of pink is a beautiful thing!

DRINK PINK: Summer Water; $13, clubw.com

What is unexpected food pairing with rose?

Huganir: We're big proponents of pizza and rose.

Blumenthal: Yeah, it's fun to have friends over and pair a pizza situation with a really nice rose. We think rose elevates any casual situation - Chinese takeout is great.

What are the top three salads in L.A. to pair with rose?

Huganir: The crispy rice salad at Sqirl is really good.

Blumenthal: We just had the avocado salad at Rose Cafe in Venice and it was great with a glass of rose - you could go for something sparkling or still.

Blumenthal: We're going to Gjelina tonight, so we might have to report back on number three.

PINK LADIES: Nikki Huganir and Erica Blumenthal (Photo: Courtesy Summer Water)

In addition to Summer Water, what are three of your favorite rose wines for summer?

Blumenthal: We love Lorenza - it's made in Napa by our friend Michele [Ouellet] and her mom. It's really delicious. It's a small production wine, but there are definitely shops in Venice and throughout California that carry it.

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Huganir: For special occasions, we will get a Domaine Tempier Bandol rose. It's a beautiful wine.

Blumenthal: We also love Jolie Folle - a rose from Provence. It's a beautiful, fun wine and it has the most incredible nautical label that we just adore.

Do you have a favorite wine app?

Huganir: Delectable is a cool app. You can take a photo of any label of wine that you're drinking and it will read it and record it. It's a great way to learn more about the wine that you're drinking. You can also follow people like you do on Instagram to see what they're drinking.
By Marcus E. Howard

NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) - The New York City Department of Corrections said on Tuesday it was investigating what appears to be a photo of inmates from Rikers Island jail taken with a cellphone, a device banned in city jails.

It was not clear how the group of male inmates was allowed to pose, who snapped the photo, or how it was uploaded to Facebook as reported by the New York Post on Monday. It was the latest in a string of problems, from a spike in violence to a crackdown on corrections officers running contraband networks, facing the department run by Commissioner Joseph Ponte since 2014.

"Commissioner Ponte has zero tolerance for the introduction of contraband into any DOC facility. This matter is under investigation," Department of Corrections spokeswoman Eve Kessler said in an email. She declined to comment further.

The New York Post reported that the four inmates in the photo, who appeared to be making the same hand gesture in the back of a bus, are members of the West Brighton Crew street gang facing gun charges and were on their way to court.

A friend of one of the inmates, the Post reported, posted the photo on Facebook, which generated about 100 "likes" before it was taken down. It said Department of Corrections officials discovered the photo last Thursday.

Last week, two guards and six inmates at the troubled Rikers Island jail complex were among 17 people charged with running extensive contraband networks involving weapons and drugs.

A Reuters analysis previously found that since 2012 more than 50 guards at the jail, which houses about 10,000 inmates, have faced criminal charges, including smuggling contraband.

According to city data, about 165 cellphones have been recovered by the Department of Corrections since 2011, including 12 this year through April 30.

Governors around the country have urged the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow states to block cell signals in prisons to combat contraband phones.

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The devices have been smuggled into jails and prisons in creative ways, including in underwear and legal papers, Ajit Pai, an FCC commissioner, said last month at a hearing on the issue in Columbia, South Carolina.

Contraband phones, sometimes used in violent crimes, also are used by inmates "to run phone scams and con innocent members of the public out of their hard-earned money," Pai said.

(Reporting by Marcus E. Howard; Editing by Richard Chang)
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  May 24, 2016  Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses the Alt-Energy, part 2, including NRG Energy Inc. (NRG), Sempra Energy (SRE), Duke Energy Corp. (DUK), SunPower Corp. (SPWR) and First Solar Inc. ( FSLR).

Industry: Alt-Energy, part 2

Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/81419/are-go-green-plans-brightening-alt-energy-stocks

The extension of key renewable tax credits, reduced solar photovoltaic (PV) capital costs, and low natural gas prices along with state-level renewable mandates will be driving the alternative energy growth trajectory.

After months of suffering from collapsing oil prices, green energy companies suddenly seem to be on firmer footing now. The historic Paris climate change summit gave the renewables sector a shot in the arm last year, while Congress vote to extend federal subsidies for renewable energy has also perked up the space.



Solar and wind energy got a major boost from the environmental tax credit extension that came as part of the $1.15 trillion federal spending bill, which also lifted a 40-year ban on exporting American crude oil. The latest report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) also shows that renewable energy will be the fastest growing power source through 2040, accounting for 27% of total U.S. generation.



Solar and wind are gradually transforming the way we produce and consume energy, driving the ongoing global energy transition. Although some better-established sources of alternative energy  hydro, wind, biomass and waste, not to mention solar photovoltaics (PV)  are supported extensively, niche renewable energy sources such as geothermal and concentrated solar power (CSP) are also on the rise, natural conditions permitting.

Moreover, declining capital costs for technologies are improving their competitiveness. As per Solar Energy Industries Associations (SEIA), national solar PV system pricing fell up to 17% over the course of 2015.

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Here we take a look at the alternative energy space and attempt to identify this nascent industry's growing strengths.



A Greener White House: "Clean energy" has long been the focus of the current administration. President Obamas "Climate Change Action Plan" and the favorable green energy trends have already done a lot in pushing the sector northward.



On Dec 15, 2015, Congress passed an extension and modification of federal tax credits for new wind and solar generators. The new environmental tax credit extension allows solar power companies to keep claiming federal Investment Tax Credits ("ITC") at 30% of the price of solar energy systems installed by businesses or homeowners. The ITC, which was earlier set to expire at the end of 2016, was forcing developers to rush to finish projects. Now they look good through 2019 with the five-year extension. However, the credit will start to decline, going down to 10% in 2022.



The wind sector also benefited significantly from the production tax credit (PTC) extension. The PTC, which had expired at 2014 end due to Congressional gridlock, was extended through 2020. However, the PTC that pays 2.3 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated will be gradually reduced over the next four years before being completely phased out.



In addition, the Obama administrations efforts to restrict carbon emissions are a net positive for renewable energy stocks. On Aug 3, 2015, the White House revealed the final version of its ambitious climate policy. This Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program seeks to cut CO2 emissions from the nation's power plants.

The administration has vowed for CO2 reduction of 28% by 2025 and 32% by 2030, from 2005 levels. This version turns out to be a little stronger than the draft proposal released last summer, wherein the EPA had proposed total CO2 reduction of 29% by 2025 and 30% by 2030.



The plan sets carbon pollution reduction goals for power plants and requires states to implement plans to meet these goals. States have until Sep 2016 to submit plans, but all must comply by 2022. Coal generates about 40% of U.S. electricity and coal plants are the largest source of carbon emissions in the country. Increasing regulatory mandates to safeguard the environment will be a catalyst for renewable stocks.



The proposed rule has influenced utility providers like NRG Energy Inc. (NRG), Sempra Energy (SRE) and Duke Energy Corp. ( DUK) to gradually shift their mode of power generation to solar, wind and water.



The EIA projects that utility-scale solar capacity will expand by more than 13 GW between year-end 2015 and 2017 in the U.S., in tandem with considerable consumption growth in renewables for electricity and heat generation purpose. California, along with North Carolina and Nevada, will account for most of the projected utility-scale capacity additions over the said period.



Anti-Dumping Tariff and Trade Conflict: Washington imposed import duties on solar panels and other related products from China and Taiwan. The U.S. believes that Chinese manufacturers have benefited from unfair subsidies offered by their government. U.S. solar stocks like SunPower Corp. (SPWR) and First Solar Inc. ( FSLR) are expected to make the most of the trade conflict between the U.S. and China.



The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), in Dec 2014, set anti-dumping duties at about 52% on most module imports from China and at 19.5% on most imports of Taiwanese cells. It has also slapped 39% anti-subsidy tariffs on most China-made panels. The move is intended to close a gap in which Chinese companies could use solar cells made in Taiwan to avoid paying higher tariffs.



The Sun Is Everywhere: Solar power is generally located at a customer's site due to the universal availability of sunlight. As a result, solar power limits the expense and losses associated with transmission and distribution from large-scale electric plants to the end users. For most residential consumers seeking an environment-friendly power alternative, solar power is currently the only viable choice. Residential solar is undeniably gaining on utility-scale solar in the U.S. in a marked change in industry dynamics.

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By Joseph Menn SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc , which has resisted pressure from U.S. law enforcement to unlock encrypted iPhones, this month rehired a top expert in practical cryptography to bring more powerful security features to a wide range of consumer products. Jon Callas, who co-founded several well-respected secure communications companies including PGP Corp, Silent Circle and Blackphone, rejoined Apple in May, an Apple spokesman said. Callas had worked at Apple in the 1990s and again between 2009 and 2011, when he designed an encryption system to protect data stored on a Macintosh computer. Apple declined to detail his new role, and Callas declined to comment. The Cupertino, California-based company has clashed with the U.S. government over whether Apple should help law enforcement access encrypted customer information stored on its devices. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice asked federal judges in California and New York to force Apple to break into locked iPhones, including one that was used by one of the shooters in last year's attacks in San Bernardino, California. The cases were dropped after the authorities managed to access the iPhones without Apple's help, but the political debate over encrypted technology continues. The FBI and law enforcement maintain that tech companies need to help the government hunt criminals. Apple and other tech companies say that requiring them to circumvent their own encryption would undermine the security of their products and make them more vulnerable to malicious hackers. A Senate committee, meanwhile, is mulling legislation to require companies to help law enforcement agencies bypass encryption. Callas has said he is against companies being compelled by law enforcement to break into their own encrypted products. But he has also said he supports a compromise proposal under which law enforcement officials with a court order can take advantage of undisclosed software vulnerabilities to hack into tech systems, as long as they disclose the vulnerabilities afterwards so they can be patched. "Jon is someone who has deep appreciation of all sides of the story," said Phil Dunkelberger, who was chief executive of PGP Corp and its predecessor PGP Inc, which invented a system for securing email. Callas' return to Apple shows how encrypted communications are going mainstream. Silent Circle protects phone calls from eavesdroppers and Blackphone sells a mobile phone that is very difficult to hack. Both companies are small but well regarded. Apple has said it would continue to increase the security of its products. Companies including Facebook Inc's WhatsApp messaging service have also implemented encryption that makes it harder for law enforcement to access digital information. "It has always been Jon's dream to bring the most secure products possible to a bigger population," said Mike Janke, who co-founded the secure email company Silent Circle with Callas. (Reporting by Joseph Menn; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Tiffany Wu)
It normally shouldnt matter what smartphone a person chooses to use, but when the executive chairperson of one of the biggest tech conglomerates in the world says they use a product from the competition, well, it kind of does. In this case, were looking at former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, currently the executive chairman of Alphabet, the little company thats the owner of Google. He apparently uses an iPhone 6s, Apples latest and greatest. He admitted his iPhone-using-ways during an interview, but still professed a little love for Samsung.

DONT MISS: New photo leak shows big differences between iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

In a fireside interview with CNBC at Startup Fest in Amsterdam on Tuesday, Schmidt did say that he was an iPhone user, but that he also owns a Galaxy S7.

"Samsung S7 is better. It has a better battery. And those of you who are iPhone users (know) I'm right," Schmidt said. Apparently, thats the first and only feature that came to his mind when recommending the Galaxy S7 over the iPhone. Maybe he should switch to an iPhone 6s Plus that should offer plenty of extra battery life. If not, Apple has a handy iPhone battery case that can fix any battery issues he might experience.

Whats interesting is that Schmidt did not recommend the Nexus 5X or the Nexus 6P over the iPhone, which are Googles latest Nexus handsets.

Schmidt was caught taking pictures with an iPhone during a March trip to South Korea, but only know the Alphabet exec admitted to actively using it.

eric schmidt google iphone

Of course, many could point out that Schmidt must use an iPhone just to keep a close eye on the competition. At least thats what Microsofts Joe Belfiore explained his use of an iPhone in late January when he was caught tweeting from an iPhone.

Furthermore, Googles mobile apps are available on both iPhone and Android, with iOS versions sometimes getting preferential treatment over their Android equivalents. That would be a good reason for Schmidt to use a new iPhone. Or is it because he uses the iPhone that some of Google's apps are launched first, or updated first, on iOS?

Story continues

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This article was originally published on BGR.com
Huawei has emerged as the world's third largest smartphone vendor but has had only limited success in the United States (AFP Photo/JOHN MACDOUGALL) (AFP/File)

Washington (AFP) - Chinese technology titan Huawei said Tuesday it filed suit in the United States against Samsung, claiming its South Korean rival has infringed on patents on wireless connectivity for mobile devices.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in California alleges that "Samsung and its affiliates have earned billions of dollars by selling (mobile) products that use Huawei's technology."

Huawei said it was filing a similar lawsuit in China alleging infringement of patents which allow mobile devices to connect to high-speed networks.

The suit opens up a legal battle over wireless patents for 4G networks between two of the largest global technology firms.

"Our very strong preference is to resolve disputes on licensing through negotiations," William Plummer, Huawei's US-based vice president for external affairs, told AFP.

"It is unfortunate when we have to take this route but when you are the leader in the industry in making investments to develop these technologies, protecting your investments is very important."

Plummer said Huawei had reached agreements to license its patents to many other global tech firms including Apple, Qualcomm and Ericsson.

Huawei is well behind Samsung as a maker of mobile devices, but the Chinese firm has a large networking business and its research arm last year spent over $9 billion.

"As a major holder of standard essential patents relating to cellular networks, Huawei is committed to licensing these patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms, but it believes that it is entitled to reasonable compensation from firms that use its technology without such a license," said a statement released by the company.

Ding Jianxing, head of intellectual property rights for Huawei, said in the statement that "industry players should work together to push the industry forward through open, joint innovation."

"While respecting others' patents, we will also protect our own," he added.

Samsung did not immediately respond to an AFP query.

The California suit asks for unspecified damaged "to compensate Huawei for the patent infringement that has occurred, together with interest and costs," as well as royalties after the case is over, if it prevails.
By Yasmeen Abutaleb SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Monday that it had changed some of the procedures for its "Trending Topics" section after a news report alleging it suppressed conservative news prompted a U.S. Congressional demand for more transparency. The company said an internal probe showed no evidence of political bias in the selection of news stories for Trending Topics, a feature that is separate from the main "news feed" where most Facebook users get their news. But the world's largest social network said in a blogpost that it was introducing several changes, including elimination of a top-ten list of approved websites, more training and clearer guidelines to help human editors avoid ideological or political bias, and more robust review procedures. Earlier this month, a former Facebook contractor had accused the company's editors of deliberately suppressing conservative news. The allegations were reported by technology news website Gizmodo, which did not identify the ex-contractor. The report led Republican Sen. John Thune to write a letter demanding that the company explain how it selects news articles for its Trending Topics list. (http://bit.ly/1Tvv3Nm) Two days after Thune's letter, Facebook published a lengthy blogpost detailing how Trending Topics works even though it rarely discloses such practices. Previously, it had never discussed the inner workings of the feature, which displays topics and news articles in the top right hand corner of the desktop homepage for its more than 1.6 billion users. Facebook said its investigation showed that conservative and liberal topics were approved as trending topics at nearly identical rates. It said it was unable to substantiate any allegations of politically motivated suppression of particular subjects or sources. But it did not rule out human error in selecting topics. "Our investigation could not fully exclude the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias in the implementation of our guidelines or policies," Colin Stretch, Facebook's General Counsel, wrote in a company blogpost. Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg met last week with more than a dozen conservative politicians and media personalities to discuss issues of trust in the social network. In his letter, Thune had called on Facebook to respond to the criticism and sought answers by May 24 to several questions about its internal practices. "Any attempt by a neutral and inclusive social media platform to censor or manipulate political discussion is an abuse of trust and inconsistent with the values of an open internet," Thune said. (Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb in San Francisco and Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Alphabet, pictured on May 2, 2016, revealed he had an iPhone -- made by his rival -- in his pocket as well as a Samsung (AFP Photo/Frederic J. Brown)

Amsterdam (AFP) - Tech industry titans Tim Cook and Eric Schmidt took their battle for corporate domination to the heart of Europe on Tuesday seeking to win over new startups and IT enthusiasts.

In a rare move, Apple chief executive Cook and his bitter rival, Alphabet boss Schmidt appeared at the opening day of a seminar organised in Amsterdam for the week-long Startup Europe Fest -- although they did not take the stage together.

And Schmidt, chief executive for Alphabet and former Google boss, triggered laughter when he revealed he had an iPhone -- made by his rival -- in his pocket as well as a Samsung.

When an audience show of hands revealed more people had an iPhone than an Android, Schmidt said ironically: "So much for the Android monopoly in Europe."

"The Samsung is better, has a better battery. Are we clear?" he insisted. "And to those of you who are iPhone users, I'm right!"

At the top of the corporate world, Apple and Google are in a back-and-forth battle to be number one.

It's not clear which of the two Silicon Valley giants will emerge on top in a contest which highlights the contrast of very different business models.

The two companies have a virtual duopoly on the smartphone market, but Apple makes its own hardware and software while Google provides only the free Android software for handsets, including many made by low-cost manufacturers.

"Part of our job is to seed the market with ideas," Schmidt said, as the two men lobbed a series of jabs at each other's companies in their separate appearances.

- 'Creativity, innovation' -

He also urged more European entrepreneurs to take a risk and get behind start-ups, saying Google was hiring thousands of Europeans every year because they had nowhere to go to on their home continent.

Apple was meanwhile on a mission "to bring the app economy to places where it's missed, because ... we recognise it hasn't gone everywhere yet and we want it to very much," Cook told the Amsterdam forum.

Story continues

"There is nothing like ... unlocking the creativity and innovation of millions of people," he said.

He also defended Apple from accusations that it was operating a kind of "closed" policy on its app store.

There were now two million apps on the Apple store, "that doesn't sound too closed. We do curate ... there's certain things we don't want to sell like pornography," he added.

"As Apple we have always felt that our role is to stand at the intersection of technology and the liberal arts, because that's where the real magic comes."

The Netherlands is hosting the week-long event as part of meetings organised during its six months at the helm of the European Union presidency.

"The thing that has fundamentally changed from being the shop-owner on the corner is that now you are selling your product to the world," Cook added.
Without question, Google Maps is one of the most widely used and highly regarded navigation apps in the industry, but an upcoming change might be enough to convince some users to give other apps a try.

In a blog post on Tuesday, Google revealed that it will begin experimenting with local search ads on Google Maps. Ads for nearby businesses will appear on both the desktop and mobile version of Google Maps, giving advertisers the ability to show off their stores when users search for goods or services they carry.

DON'T MISS: The CEO of Google is an unashamed iPhone user

Additionally, Google is testing out several ad formats in order to help businesses increase store visits from Maps users. One of these formats is known as a "promoted pin," which shows up as a logo of the business on Google Maps. (You can see what that might look like in the header image with the Walgreens logo.)

Google is also upgrading pages for local business, giving users the option to explore the store from Google Maps. Product inventory, special offers and more can be added to the page to entice nearby shoppers to visit.

If you've ever used Yelp, you're probably already familiar with the basic premise of Google's latest advertising scheme  promoted restaurants appear above the standard results, carrying an "Ad" label to let you know someone paid for that spot. It's relatively unobtrusive in Yelp, but as often as many of us use Google Maps, it's hard to say whether or not ads crowding the screen will have users jumping ship.

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This article was originally published on BGR.com
Users of Ingram Micro Inc.s IM Cloud Marketplace can now avail Dropbox services in Singapore.

According to the vice president of Ingram Micro, Francis Choo, "Through the Cloud Marketplace's automated portal, channel partners can now quickly access and deploy an affordable and secure file sharing solution that enhances collaboration capabilities and drives new business opportunities in the cloud."

First launched in North America, the Cloud Marketplace was quite well received, which prompted the company to launch it globally. The availability of Dropbox through Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace is aimed at making it easier for people and organizations to work with files on the go.

Dropbox is a file backup service that offers cloud-based file management, storage systems and client software. It enables users to access and synchronize files and use applications through multiple devices. Users can create a special folder on their computers, which can be synchronized for viewing on any computer. Files placed in this folder are also accessible through website and mobile phone applications.

This move will help both Ingram Micro and Dropbox to leverage each others resources. Dropbox, in addition, will be able to attract even more business users. Moreover, the channel partners can have cross-selling prospects by attaching Dropbox Business to Microsoft MSFT Office 365 through Ingram Micro's productivity suite. The integration will make it easier for Office users to edit and share files across different devices and software.

Moreover, it will broaden Ingram Micros capabilities as a cloud solution provider, thereby helping it to capitalize on the increasing opportunities in the cloud computing market. The accessibility will also be a good source of monthly recurring revenues for Ingram Micro.

Ingram Micro has been striking distribution deals with a number of original equipment manufacturers thus expanding its product portfolio. Moreover, Ingram Micro's exposure in cloud computing products is expected to remain its key growth driver.

Story continues

Though Ingram Micros high debt burden is a concern, we remain fairly optimistic about its strategic relationships with network giants such as Juniper Networks Inc. JNPR, Cisco CSCO and International Business Machines Corp.

Ingram Micro carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. firm Iridium Communications Inc on Monday said its Satellite Time and Location (STL) system was ready for use as an alterative or companion to the U.S. Air Force's Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. Iridium developed the new STL system with Satelles, a private firm, to deliver signals using Iridium's 66 low-earth satellites, making it less vulnerable than ground-based terminals used for GPS services. The Virginia-based company said the STL system gives users access to accurate position, navigation and timing technology using inexpensive chips that work anywhere on earth, providing an alternative to GPS and a way to verify GPS signals. "STL can help solve an important and growing problem for governments and businesses, and serve as a platform for continued innovation," Matt Desch, chief executive of Iridium, said in a statement. Satelles provides technology and services to companies that are using the new capability to protect assets, authenticate users and carry out other functions reliant on GPS time and location. GPS jamming, "spoofing" and other attacks in recent years have prompted the U.S. military and other users to look for ways to augment and authenticate GPS signals. South Korea, for instance, told the United Nations Security Council last month that North Korea has been jamming its GPS signals since March 31, threatening the safety of civilian aircraft and vessels and violating international agreements. Desch said the new technology used chips that were the size of a postage stamp, and could ultimately be integrated into other devices, heavy machinery, automobiles and the power grid. The STL system transmits signals through Iridium's satellite constellation to deliver a unique code to each position on the ground that can be independently authenticated. Iridium and Satelles said the new system had been demonstrated in military, academic and commercial applications, but gave no specific details. Desch told Reuters in March that at least 20 military and government agencies and private companies had expressed interest in STL. Iridium gave no immediate details on any launch customers for the new service. (Reporting by Berlin Newsroom; editing by Jason Neely)
By Himank Sharma and Matthew Miller MUMBAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - With slowing iPhone sales in China, Apple Inc is having to take India more seriously, but investors hoping for a stock price fillip from CEO Tim Cook's week-long Asia trip instead were given a taste of the daunting challenges that lie ahead. The second leg of Cook's trip, to India, the world's third-largest smartphone market, comes at a crucial time as Apple battles slowing growth in China, its second-biggest market. But the challenges suggest it will be years before India is anything close to a major earnings pillar for the U.S. tech giant. "With China saturating, everybody has no choice but to look at India, and Apple's rivals have been strengthening there in the last two years. Apple is playing catch-up," said Ville-Petteri Ukonaho, a senior analyst at Strategy Analytics. While the numbers in India suggest huge potential - fewer than two in every 10 of the country's 1.3 billion people have a smartphone - the world's fastest growing major market operates differently to other markets where Apple has enjoyed stellar growth and high margins. Apple's traditional model is to sell its phones at full price to local telecoms carriers, which then discount them to users in exchange for charging them for data as part of a multi-month contract. Not so in India. "In India, carriers in general sell virtually no phones and it is out in retail - and retail is many, many different small shops," Cook told analysts recently. "Because smartphones there are low-end, primarily because of the network and the economics, the market potential has not been as great," added Cook, likening India to the Chinese market 7-10 years ago. In meetings with India's two largest carriers, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone , Cook discussed ways to work more closely to sell iPhones, including whether a contract pricing model could work in India. He said Apple sees opportunities to expand in the market as operators roll out 4G services. "The trip was more about understanding the Indian market, but was also about signaling to the world that Apple has arrived in India," said Vishal Tripathi, research director at Gartner. PRICE SENSITIVE Another challenge for Apple is how to be a premium-end player in a low-income market. "In India, incomes are so low that not many customers appreciate the full value of the Apple ecosystem, and it will take a lot more effort for Apple to sell the Macs and iPads in Indian stores compared to China," said Strategy Analytics' Ukonaho. India is a more price sensitive market than China, and Apple's relatively expensive iPhones are out of reach to most Indians, who on average live on less than $3.10 a day according to World Bank data. With per capita income of $1,570 as of 2014 and the average smartphone selling for less than $90, a third of the global average, India's market growth is predominantly led by cheaper phones. High-end smartphones - costing from $300 - make up only 6 percent of the market, or just 6 million units, according to Morgan Stanley. Rebuffed by India's government in its plan to import and sell used, refurbished iPhones, Apple has seen only slow growth in a market dominated by Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> and Chinese brands. That issue was not resolved in talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - which a Modi aide called "extremely successful" - and government officials have pressed Apple to set up manufacturing facilities in India, said officials involved in discussions, a move that would create jobs and boost Modi's "Make in India" initiative. "Now it's for Apple to talk about their plans," the Modi aide said. Apple declined to comment on what Cook achieved on his Asia trip. MORE MARKETING Apple's brand awareness ranks 10th in India, trailing Samsung, Sony <6758.T>, Blackberry and some local rivals. Almost half of respondents in a Morgan Stanley survey said they do not know Apple. While Apple is likely to double its share in the $400-plus segment to 40 percent, it "has to significantly increase its store presence, ramp up marketing, and add local content," the brokerage said in a recent note. A first Apple retail store in India is unlikely to open its doors until next year at the earliest. In internal meetings, Cook stressed how Apple wants to increase its retail operations in India and work with re-sellers to make its products available more widely. "We've been hiring for India retail and distribution for the last few months, and Tim's message was that we need to double down on that," said an Apple official in India. In China, where iPhone sales slumped in January-March and some online entertainment services were suspended, Cook also had little to cheer investors. At meetings with Chinese officials, Cook emphasized Apple's contributions to China's economy - creating jobs, generating revenue and paying taxes - said people familiar with the matter. His visit came just days after Apple announced a $1 billion investment in a local ride-hailing app firm, a move Cook says will help Apple better understand China. But when he asked about the shutdown of online services and emphasized that Apple had followed procedures in establishing those services, he was told only that China would look into it, the people said. (Reporting by Himank Sharma in MUMBAI and Matthew Miller in BEIJING; Additional reporting by Rupam Nair in NEW DELHI; Writing by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)
By Dan Levine SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Oracle Corp filed a multibillion-dollar copyright lawsuit against Google because Oracle failed in its own attempts to enter the smartphone market, a Google attorney said in closing arguments on Monday. However, an Oracle attorney accused Google of taking its intellectual property without permission and reaping huge profits as a result. In a retrial at U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Oracle Corp has claimed Google's Android smartphone operating system violated its copyright on parts of Java, a development platform. Alphabet Inc's Google unit said it should be able to use Java without paying a fee under the fair-use provision of copyright law. A trial in 2012 ended in a deadlocked jury, and if the current jury rules against Google on fair use, then it would consider Oracle's request for about $9 billion in damages. The case has been closely watched by software developers, who fear an Oracle victory could spur more software copyright lawsuits. However, investors see little risk for Google because the company could afford to pay a onetime fine, and the possibility of an injunction that would force Google to pay ongoing royalties to Oracle appears remote. In court on Monday, Google attorney Robert Van Nest played a video of a speech by Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison praising "our friends at Google" for building devices that use Java. Ellison then suggested Oracle should also build similar hardware. But Oracle was never able to build a smartphone of its own, Van Nest said, so it decided to accuse Google of unfair copying instead. "They now want all the credit and a whole lot of money," Van Nest said. "That's not fair." But Oracle attorney Peter Bicks said it was Google that needed a quick way to build a viable smartphone, and purposefully decided to use Java without a license. Bicks presented internal Google documents, in which company executives contemplated being "out of business in 10 years" if they did not quickly enter the mobile market. "They knew they were breaking the rules, they knew they were taking short cuts, and they knew it was wrong," Bicks said.
By Jemima Kelly LONDON (Reuters) - China's second-biggest insurance company, Ping An Group, has become the first Chinese member of a global consortium led by fintech firm R3 that is working on ways blockchain technology can be used in financial markets, the companies said on Tuesday. Ping An <601318.SS> joins a group of more than 40 of the world's biggest banks and other financial institutions, such as Barclays and Goldman Sachs, brought together last year by New York-based R3 to work together on using the technology that underpins digital currency bitcoin. Chinese financial firms -- some of the biggest in the world -- had been conspicuous by their absence in the consortium. R3 CEO David Rutter, formerly CEO of electronic trading at ICAP, one of the world's largest interdealer brokers, called the addition of Ping An "an important milestone". The blockchain works as a huge, decentralized ledger of every bitcoin transaction ever made, which is verified and shared by a global network of computers and therefore is virtually tamper-proof. The technology is being viewed as a potentially "disruptive" force that could reduce the role of banks and other intermediaries, and change the way trades in financial instruments are cleared and settled. "We are excited about joining R3 and look forward to developing and using blockchain technology to create a more efficient way of managing financial assets digitally end-to-end," said Ping An Group's Chief Operating Officer Jessica Tan. (Reporting by Jemima Kelly; Editing by Catherine Evans)
As we approach the end of May, it's finally beginning to heat up  even in the colder regions of the United States. It's a welcome change after winter decided to stick around for a few extra weeks, but come mid-July, there's a good chance we'll all be wishing for snow. This summer is going to be a rough one.

READ MORE: The true story behind one of the Internets most famous memes

On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published its summer outlook, warning Americans that "most of the continental United States is facing elevated chances of well above average summer temperatures."

In other words, temperatures are likely to be in the warmest top third of summers from 1981-2010 in the states highlighted on this map:

NOAA Summer 2016

The West Coast and the Northeast are most likely to experience sweltering summers, but virtually every state in the country (save for Kansas and Nebraska) is expected to get hit hard by the sun in the coming months.

Keep in mind, darker doesn't mean warmer, just that the chances of an especially warm summer are greater. Vermont isn't going to be warmer than Alabama just because it's a darker shade of red.

In case you thought the record temperatures might finally be tapering off after a relatively mild winter, summer's almost here to set you straight.

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More from BGR: This is probably our first look at a real iPhone 7

This article was originally published on BGR.com
On my way to the office and carrying too many things, as usual, I dropped my iPhone nearly five feet onto a hard slate floor. Thanks to tech21s innovative impact-protective case, what could have been a minor disaster turned out to be a non-event.

Ive been using cases made by the British company for years, dropped countless phones and never suffered so much as a scratch, let alone a cracked screen. When technology works as promised, its a beautiful thing. Its what I live for. But when it doesnt work, I sure as hell dont want to die for it.

Weve been using technology in medical and other life-critical applications for ages, but those applications have been relatively self-contained. The assumption has always been that the benefits outweigh the risks, that companies act ethically and responsibly and that users know what theyre getting into.

For better or worse, thats changing. As venture capitalist Marc Andreessen so aptly put it, software is eating the world. Technology has shed its traditional boundaries and is spreading into nearly every industry and nearly every aspect of our lives. And every day, we rely more and more on the information and benefits that technology provides.

You might be inclined to think that a gadget or an app is one thing, but a medical device or self-driving car is another matter entirely. But that distinction is quickly disappearing, which begs the question, are tech companies and users aware that theyre taking greater risks that require higher levels of scrutiny and responsibility?

Yesterday, a study conducted at Cal Poly Pomona showed that heart rate monitoring on certain Fitbit models was highly inaccurate. While the research was commissioned by a law firm engaged in a class action suit against Fitbit  which disputes the results  it did jive with a previous study done at Ball State University.

You and I might think it foolish to base any significant medical decisions on a $249 fitness tracker, but then, we both know that there are a lot of foolish people out there. And while the Fitbit website promotes the benefits of heart monitoring to avoid overtraining, I found no disclaimers about device accuracy.

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Last week, embattled Silicon Valley unicorn Theranos voided tens of thousands of blood-tests conducted over a two-year period using its proprietary Edison tester, according to the Wall Street Journal. Its reasonable to assume that those erroneous test results led to countless incorrect diagnoses and treatment.

Its important to note that Theranos  whose $9 billion valuation was built on the viability of its supposedly breakthrough technology  did not exactly take the initiative to issue this unprecedented recall of its own volition.

The company has long maintained that the Journals reports casting doubt on the efficacy of its technology and the validity of its claims  that it could run a full set of blood tests from a few drops of blood obtained from a finger prick  were inaccurate, misleading and defamatory, and that the allegations were baseless.

It wasnt until federal regulators conducted their own investigation, found serious problems with the companys methods and the accuracy of its tests, and threatened to shut down its California lab and ban CEO Elizabeth Holmes from the business for two years, that the company finally acquiesced.

After a decade of stealth development, Theranos brought a product to market that apparently wasnt ready for prime time, even pushing through legislation in Arizona so people could obtain blood tests without a doctors prescription. The question is, why the rush? Im pretty sure it wasnt running out of cash and hadnt been pressured by investors. And yet, that question remains unanswered.

Meanwhile, Valley residents have seen Googles autonomous vehicles driving around town for years. Tesla, Uber and Apple are also reportedly working on self-driving electric cars. Clearly, we have the processing power, sensor networks and artificial intelligence to make a viable product. But youve got to wonder what corners might be cut on the way to beating competitors to market?

Perhaps my concerns are unjustified. After all, the auto business is highly regulated. But that didnt stop GM from using a faulty ignition switch it had known about for more than a decade in millions of cars. The company has since acknowledged that the defect is linked to more than 100 deaths and countless accidents and injuries, but only after it came to light in a 2013 deposition of one of its engineers over a fatal crash involving a Chevy Cobalt. Even then, GM didnt issue its first recall until eight months later.

Make no mistake, my concern is not with Silicon Valley or the technology per se, but to create awareness that apps and gadgets dont always work as advertised and that all sorts of factors affect executive decisions. And you will never get a CEO to admit this on the record, but thats true of products that affect human lives, as well.

Its a good idea to exercise caution as we rely more and more on these miracles of modern science.

Related Articles
Online success stories like ride-sharing app Uber and Airbnb have caused major disruptions in Europe, with taxi drivers and hotel owners furious at the inroads made by frims into their markets (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman) (AFP/File)

San Francisco (AFP) - Toyota and Volkswagen announced separate partnerships Tuesday with rideshare companies Uber and Gett, in the latest such moves by major carmakers.

Japan's Toyota and ridesharing titan Uber said they had entered into a memorandum of understanding to explore collaboration, starting with trials in countries where ridesharing is expanding.

"Through this collaboration with Uber, we would like to explore new ways of delivering secure, convenient and attractive mobility services to customers," Shigeki Tomoyama, senior managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation, said in a joint statement.

The deal includes a strategic investment by the Toyota Financial Services Corporation and its Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership, although no figure was disclosed.

The partnership will create new leasing options enabling car buyers to lease their vehicles from Toyota Financial Services and cover their payments with what they make as Uber drivers.

Toyota and Uber are also exploring collaboration on developing in-car apps and setting up a program to sell Toyota and Lexus vehicles to Uber.

"Toyota vehicles are among the most popular cars on the Uber platform worldwide and we look forward to collaborating with Toyota in multiple ways going forward," said Emil Michael, Uber's chief business officer.

Separately, German auto giant Volkswagen said it had made a $300 million strategic investment in Uber competitor Gett, which has a presence in more than 60 countries worldwide including London, Moscow and New York.

"The ride-hailing market represents the greatest market potential in on-demand mobility, while creating the technological platform for developing tomorrow's mobility business models," it said in a statement.

Shahar Waiser, Gett's chief executive and founder, said the company "provides VW with the technology to expand beyond car ownership to on-demand mobility for consumers and businesses."

Toyota and Volkswagen are not the first carmakers to link up with rideshare apps.

In March, General Motors and Lyft unveiled a joint car rental service for drivers, a move aimed at boosting the number of vehicles available for the Uber rival.
As per a recent report by NextTV Latam, Mexican telecom behemoth America Movil SAB AMX is eyeing Argentina as its new growth area. The report stated that America Movils owner Carlos Slim recently had a meeting with the Argentine president Mauricio Macri to assess investment opportunities in Argentinas state-owned telecom operator Arsat and Buenos Aires-based cable company TeleCentro.

The deal, if it materializes, may see America Movil acquiring a stake in Refefo Federal Fibre-Optic Network as well as on the Arsat-2 satellite. Notably, America Movil already has a footprint in Argentinas telecom market through its Claro and Telmex Argentina subsidiaries. However, the company is barred from providing pay-TV services under the provisions of the Broadcast Media and Telecommunications Law.

America Movil is facing intense competitive pressure in Mexico. In 2014, the government of Mexico had introduced reforms within its telecommunications sector. The countrys telecom regulator, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), seeks to restrict the maximum hold of a company in the market to 50%. However, America Movil currently controls an enviable market share of nearly 68%. Another existing operator -- Telefonica S.A. TEF -- holds nearly 20% share in the market.

As part of these reforms, the IFT has banned America Movil from charging national roaming fees. Further, the company will have to share its infrastructure with other operators, particularly in the local loop (last mileage) segment. In Nov 2015, the company received the IFTs approval regarding prices that it can charge as interconnection fees.

Also, in November, America Movil spun-off its wireless tower division in a strategic move to restrict its market share within the 50% limit imposed by the IFT. The company may also divest some non-core wireless and fixed-line assets in the future in order to comply with regulatory norms.

In 2015, U.S. telecom behemoth AT&T Inc. T forayed into the Mexican telecom industry with the acquisition of Grupo Iusacell and Nextel de Mexico. Since its entry, AT&T has been gradually expanding its 4G LTE wireless networks in Mexico. Currently, this service is available across 12 Mexican cities. It covered 40 million people by the end of 2015 and will be available to 75 million by the end of 2016.

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Furthermore, AT&T aims to provide 4G LTE mobile Internet service to 100 million Mexican customers by the end of 2018. Management has decided to invest $3 billion toward the expansion of high-speed mobile Internet network in the country. In addition, Mexican cable MSO (multi service operator) Grupo Televisa S.A. TV has received a go-ahead from the IFT to enter the wireless space. However, the company is yet to take any decision in this regard.

We believe America Movils expansion drive in Argentina and other international markets is fuelled by the increasing competitive pressure in its homeland. America Movil currently holds a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - AQM Copper Inc. (TSX VENTURE:AQM)(AQM.V) ("AQM" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of a positive, independent Preliminary Feasibility Study ("PFS") of the Company's Zafranal Project ("Project") located in the southern Peru porphyry copper belt.

The Zafranal Copper Project is owned by Compania Minera Zafranal S.A.C. ("CMZ"), a joint venture company that is beneficially owned by AQM, Teck Resources Limited, and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. AQM, through Minera AQM Copper Peru S.A.C. ("MAQM"), has been the operator of the Project since 2009.

The Zafranal PFS was independently prepared by Ausenco Peru S.A.C., ("Ausenco"), Amec Foster Wheeler PLC ("AmecFW") and NCL Ingenieria y Construccion SpA ("NCL"), with the support from other specialist consultants. The PFS report reflects the design of an open pit mine, conventional flotation concentrator processing facility and associated infrastructure.

PFS Highlights:

The reported mineral reserve totals 401 million tonnes ("Mt") grading 0.40 % total copper ("Cu") and 0.07 g/t gold ("Au"), and the mine-concentrator as designed is expected to produce 3.1 billion pounds of copper and 484,000 ounces of gold over the 19-year life of the operation.

Initial capital cost is US$ 1.16 billion and the base case after-tax valuation yields an expected net cash flow of US$ 1.6 billion with a net present value ("NPV") of US$ 496 million at an 8 % discount rate.

After-tax internal rate of return ("IRR") is 15.9 % and the Project has a 5.1-year payback period from the start of operations.

Production averages 120,000 tonnes per annum ("tpa") of copper in concentrate over the first 5-year period and 75,000 tpa over the life of the operations.

A total of 4.4 million dry metric tons ("dmt") of concentrate will be produced over a 19-year period with an average grade of 32.5 % copper and 3.4 grams per tonne gold.

No deleterious elements in any significant concentration were found in the copper concentrate produced from the flotation testwork, and all the impurity elements were found to be below smelter penalty limits.

A brackish-water aquifer located within 35 kilometres ("km") of the proposed process plant site has the potential to satisfy the projects process water requirements. Testwork has indicated this water is suitable for concentrator processing,

Thickened tailings disposal will be in a natural basin approximately 1 km downhill from the plant site.

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Bruce Turner, President and Chief Executive Officer of AQM states, "We are extremely pleased with the results of the PFS as it provides a solid basis for advancing the Project. The PFS reflects the combined experience and efforts of the partners and our consultants in delivering an excellent result. Our engagement with the regional and local authorities and representatives of the local communities has generated a constructive space for continued dialogue and we are optimistic that all the stakeholders will benefit from the continued development of the Zafranal Project. AQM currently has CDN$ 2 million in the bank in Canada, and an additional US$ 10 million in its subsidiary MAQM in Peru to contribute towards its share of the cost of the next level of study for the Project. We are currently in discussions with our partners as to the next steps to advance the Project."

The PFS was commissioned to further define the development plan for the Zafranal deposit based on the findings from earlier studies but incorporating the following modifications:

An additional 17,671 metres ("m") of diamond drilling and 9,931 m of reverse circulation ("RC") drilling, including 5,534 m in-fill drilling of Zafranal Main Zone, 4,965 m of metallurgical drilling, 2,267 m of geotechnical drilling, 8,388 m of hydrogeological drilling and 6,447 m of condemnation drilling

Revised geological and resource models, and development of a geometallurgical model

Variable concentrator throughput based on mineral zone (competence, hardness and rock quality)

Variable recovery and concentrate grade based on geometallurgical domains

Identification and investigation of a brackish groundwater resource within 35 km of the process plant site that is unlikely to be of value for other than industrial uses and could potentially be a water supply for the Project.

PFS Results Summary:

Economic Analysis

Long-term forecasted copper and gold prices of US$ 3.00 /lb and US$ 1200 /oz, respectively, were used to estimate Mineral reserves and the base case valuation. The basis of the economic analysis contained in the PFS was signed off by Ausenco and contains production parameters, capital costs, operating costs, pre-tax and post-tax financial projections. The Project is projected to yield the following financial results:

Summary of Financial Results (1)

DESCRIPTION PRE-TAX (2) POST-TAX (3) Initial Capital Cost (US$ million) 1,157 1,157 Net Cash Flow (US$ million) 2,711 1,649 Net Present Value at 5 % discount rate (US$ million) 1,536 813 Net Present Value at 8 % discount rate (US$ million) 1,084 496 Net Present Value at 10 % discount rate (US$ million) 849 333 Payback (years) (4) 2.6 5.1 Internal Rate of Return (%) 23.8 15.9

Notes: 1. Valuation based on 100% Project and 100% Equity. The Zafranal Project is owned through CMZ, a 50/50 corporate joint venture between Teck Resources Limited and the Company's operating subsidiary, Minera AQM Copper Peru S.A.C. ("MAQM"). MAQM is owned 60% by the Company and 40% by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. As such, the Company has a 30% beneficial ownership interest in the Zafranal Project. 2. Based on pre-tax economic cash flows. 3. Based on after-tax economic cash flows, reflecting mining royalty, special mining tax, corporate income tax (26%) and workers' profit sharing. A 9.3% dividend withholding tax is not included but it would be applied to any repatriation of profits. The calculation of taxes in the valuation was reviewed by Peruvian tax specialists from the law firm of Zuzunaga, Assereto & Zegarra Abogados, Lima Peru. 4. From the start of mill operations.

Key Operating Parameters

DESCRIPTION UNITS LOM Mine Production Flotation Ore kt 400,569 Waste kt 583,684 Stripping Ratio (incl. Leach Stockpile) 1.46 Ore Processing Flotation Ore kt 400,569 Copper Head Grade - Average % 0.40 Gold Head Grade - Average g/t 0.07 Copper Recovery - Average % 88.1 Gold Recovery - Average % 54.3 Metal Production Copper - Recovered million lb 3,123 Copper - Annual Average million lb 164 Gold - Recovered koz 484 Gold - Annual Average koz 25

Initial Capital Cost

The initial capital cost, including contingency, for the Project is estimated at US$ 1,157 million with an expected accuracy range of 25 %. The PFS envisages that a mining contractor will operate the open pit for the pre-mine period and until Year 3 of production. Year 4 will be a transition year with the contractor winding down and the CMZ operation of the open pit ramping up and continuing until the end of mine life. A summary of initial capital expenditures follows:

Description $US Million Mine $ 142 Concentrator $ 430 On-Site Infrastructure $ 33 Off-Site Infrastructure $ 98 Total Direct Capital $ 703 Project Preliminaries $ 103 Indirect Costs $ 132 Owners Costs $ 68 Total Indirect Capital $ 303 Contingency (15%) $ 151 Total Initial Capital Cost $ 1,157

Sustaining Capital Cost

The significant sustaining capital in the Mine reflects the purchase of mine equipment fleet in Year 3 and 4 of production as CMZ takes over operation of the mine.

Description $US Million Mine $ 213 Concentrator $ 15 On-Site Infrastructure $ 1 Total Sustaining Capital $ 229 Contingency (15%) $ 34 Total Sustaining Capital Cost $ 263

Total Project Capital Cost

The total Project capital cost is shown in the following table for the LOM:

Description $US Million Initial Capital Cost $ 1,157 Sustaining Capital Cost $ 263 Project Closure Cost $ 136 Total Capital Cost $ 1,556

Each element of the estimate is developed initially as a base cost only. A growth allowance has then been allocated to each element of the cost to reflect the level of definition in pricing and design maturity relating to that element. A growth allowance of US$ 95 million, which is expected to be expended, has been included in the initial capital cost, and represents 11.2 % of Total Direct Cost.

The estimated contingency was then assessed as 15 % of total initial capital cost and 15 % of total sustaining capital cost to arrive at a project estimate within the required 50 % confidence interval ("P50"). The estimated project closure cost was deemed to already include sufficient contingency. The value of the base estimate, the growth allowance, the contingency and the project closure cost represent the total project estimate. Risk events that may or may not affect the capital cost estimate are covered in the positive range of sensitivity analyses.

Operating Cost

Average mine site production cost is estimated to be $ 1.29 /lb copper produced from plant feed material processed, including mining, re-handling, milling, and flotation as shown below:

COST ITEM UNIT UNIT COST (US$) Contractor Mining (Y1 to Y4) $ /tonne mined 1.93 Owner Mining (Y4 to Y19) $ /tonne mined 1.76 Production Mining (Y1 to Y19) $ /t milled 4.25 Milling $ /t milled 4.59 G&A $ /t milled 1.22 Total Mine Site Operations $ /t milled 10.05 Total Mine Site Operations $ /lb Cu Produced 1.29

Notes: The estimated costs exclude the two-year pre-stripping period. Rounding of numbers may result in apparent summation differences.

Average C1 operating costs for the 19-year production period total $ 1.59 per payable pound of copper net of transport losses and smelter deductions. A breakdown of these costs is shown in the following table, along with estimates for C2 and C3 costs as per Wood Mackenzie definitions.

COST ITEM AVERAGE YEAR 1 TO YEAR 6 TO FOR 19 YEARS YEAR 5 YEAR 10 Onsite Costs (Mine, Mill and G&A) 1.33 0.95 1.35 Concentrate Road Transportation 0.06 0.06 0.06 Port Charges, Ocean Freight & Insurance 0.14 0.13 0.14 TC/RCs and Marketing 0.24 0.23 0.24 Less By-Product Credits (0.17 ) (0.15 ) (0.17 ) Total C1 Costs 1.59 1.21 1.62 Depreciation & Amortization 0.49 0.57 0.33 Total C2 Costs 2.07 1.78 1.96 Royalties 0.07 0.09 0.06 Total C3 Costs 2.14 1.87 2.02

Notes: Unit Costs based on payable pounds of copper and rounding of numbers may result in apparent summation differences.

Financial Sensitivities

In addition to the base case after-tax evaluation of economic cash flows using a copper price of $3.00 /lb, initial capital cost of US$ 1,157 million and a discount rate of 8 %; different copper prices and other variables at the base case copper price were tested to determine financial sensitivities of the Project as shown in the following tables:

Copper Prices (US$/lb) Copper Price Sensitivity 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 Undiscounted Cash Flows Pre-Tax (311 ) 1,204 2,711 4,236 5,753 US$M After-Tax (478 ) 648 1,649 2,623 3,574 After-Tax NPV US$M at 5% (515 ) 180 813 1,426 2,029 Discount Rates 8% (547 ) (5 ) 496 978 1,454 10% (567 ) (101 ) 333 749 1,162 Internal Rate of Return IRR % 0.0 % 7.9 % 15.9 % 22.1 % 27.6 %

Changes To Base Case NPV8% (US$M) Inputs /Changes to Inputs Base Case -25 % -10 % 0 % 10 % 25 % Initial Capital (US$M real) 1,157 745 595 496 394 241 Total Op. Costs (US$/t milled) (1) 10.05 788 613 496 374 188 Head Grade - Feed (Cu %) 0.401 (155 ) 239 496 745 1,118 Head Grade - Feed (Au g/t) 0.069 455 479 496 510 534

Notes: 1. Excludes in-land freight costs

Location

The Zafranal Project is located in southern Peru about 166 km by road (90 km straight-line distance) northwest of the city of Arequipa, 80 km from tidewater and approximately 216 km by road from the Port of Matarani.

The regional climate is arid with scarce precipitation, and average temperatures range between 7 C in winter and 24 C in summer. Elevation ranges between 1,400 and 2,900 m above sea level ("masl") in the Project area.

Geology

Zafranal is a classic example of an Andean style porphyry copper-gold deposit. Mineralization is hosted in Jurassic volcano-sedimentary rocks and in a diorite intrusive suite of late Cretaceous age. The emplacement of mineralized porphyries is structurally controlled and occurs near or at the intersection of a series of northwest trending strike-slip faults belonging to the Incapuquio fault system, and regional east-west trending structures. Primary mineralization occurs as chalcopyrite both as disseminations and in quartz stockworks. A near surface well-developed sub-horizontal chalcocite rich supergene enrichment blanket has developed over a 2.5 km strike length, with thicknesses of up to 180 m.

Mining

Conventional open pit operation with mine life of approximately 19 years (excluding two years of pre-stripping) with an average waste to ore strip ratio of 1.36: 1, for the production period. The mine plan developed for the Zafranal Project is designed for a variable feed to a concentrator in the range of 55,000 to 64,000 tonnes per day depending on mineral type, with a peak total material movement of 75 million tonnes per year. The mine is scheduled to work seven days per week or 365 days per year.

The mine design proposes two contiguous pits with a combined strike length of 3,500 m, maximum width of 1,000 m, and maximum depth of 456 m. Pre-production stripping of 45 Mt will be required prior to the start-up of the concentrator. Peak daily movement of 205,000 t of material occurs in production Year 1.

A total of 18 Mt of waste from the mine will be used to construct facility platforms and roadways, and the remaining 548 Mt of waste will be deposited in valley dumps using relatively short haulage cycles. The mine will utilize three of these types of dumps, two above and one below the planned open pits. The northeast dump will receive 12.8 million tonnes. The north waste dump will receive 151 Mt and the central waste dump, below the main open pit will receive 384 Mt. A 17.6 Mt oxide and mixed mineral stockpile will be created on top of the north section of the central waste dump with a crest elevation of 2,580 masl. There are no plans to construct a process plant to process this material at this time and the material in this stockpile is considered as waste. A 38.7 Mt low-grade sulfide stockpile will be created to the west of the open pit. This material will be reclaimed at the end of the mine life and processed through the concentrator.

Milling

The primary crusher will be located adjacent to the mine on the opposite hillside of the valley immediately south of the Main Zone open pit at a base elevation of 2,494 masl. Due to the steep topography between the primary crusher and the rest of the concentrator, the conveyor that transfers the crushed ore to the crushed ore stockpile, which feeds the grinding circuit, passes through a 3,600 m long tunnel.

The rest of the concentrator will be terraced down a ridge with the major facilities including: the crushed ore stockpile and reclaim, grinding and pebble crushing; flotation, regrind, reagents, and concentrate thickening; filtration; concentrate load-out and tailings discharge and water utilities. The concentrator support buildings, general and administration buildings and accommodation camp are located further downhill from the concentrator on the same ridge. The areas are compact but adequate for the facilities.

The tailings management facility ("TMF") will be located 1 km southeast of the concentrator and has been sized to provide sufficient capacity to store approximately 396 million tonnes of tailings based on the mine and concentrator production schedules. Due to the favourable topography in the TMF area which provides a natural basin for the impoundment, only one embankment will be initially required in the southwest of the impoundment with a small embankment required later in the northwest. Sand cycloned from the tailings will be used to raise tailings embankments in ongoing operations. During the design of the TMF to its current status a number of trade-off studies were developed involving alternative disposal sites, disposal methods, embankment construction methods and alternative construction materials.

A comprehensive metallurgical testwork program was performed by C.H. Plenge Laboratories in Lima, Peru and supervised by Transmin Metallurgical Consultants. The testwork was completed on representative samples of the proposed concentrator feed appropriately representative for the PFS. The results of the comminution and flotation programs were combined with results from previous programs for a comprehensive geometallurgical analysis. The proposed flotation feed is amenable to typical copper flotation using conventional concentrator processing technology.

A variable throughput design has been established for the concentrator, dependent on the proportions of feed from each mineral zone ("minzone") domain, based on geometallurgical analysis of the results of comminution testwork and rock quality data, as follows:

MINZONE DOMAIN PROJECTED THROUGHPUT t/d Hypogene 57,400 Supergene 65,300 Mixed 72,500

Notes: During the first year of concentrator operation throughput has been ramped up in staged intervals reaching 55,000 t/d after 11 months of operation, and this throughput rate was also maintained for the full second year of operation. Variable throughput commences at the beginning of the third year of concentrator operation and continued until the end of operations.

Variable concentrate grades and recoveries have been assigned to the concentrator feed based on geometallurgical analysis of flotation testwork results as follows:

MINZONE DOMAIN GEOMETALLURGICAL RECOVERY % CONCENTRATE CHARATERISTICS COPPER GOLD GRADE % CU Hypogene Low secondary copper 90.5 56 28 Supergene Low acid soluble copper 89 52 37 Supergene Medium acid soluble copper 84 55 34 Supergene/Mixed High acid soluble copper 77 52 32 Oxide Low S/Fe ratio - - -

A total of 4.4 million dmt of concentrate will be produced over the life of the Project. No deleterious elements in any significant concentration were found in the copper concentrate produced from the testwork, and all the impurity elements were found to be below smelter penalty limits.

Site Access:

CMZ has secured all legal rights for the Projects mineral concessions, and these rights have been recorded at the Public Registry.

CMZ holds the right of surface access to Projects mining concessions to carry out mineral exploration through a renewable lease agreement entered into with, Autodema, the regional governmental agency that manages the Majes Siguas irrigation project. The lease agreement term was last renewed on 11 September 2015 and is in force until 27 October 2017. This annual renewable agreement allows for continued exploration activities within the Zafranal Project and may, under certain conditions, be modified to allow for future development of the Zafranal Project.

CMZ is aware of an ongoing title dispute between Autodema and local landowners, and although CMZ is not involved in the legal dispute, it maintains open dialogue with both parties. As a result of these discussions, CMZ has entered into an option to purchase agreement to acquire the land needed for development of the Project from the local landowners who are disputing title with Autodema to ensure that it will have access to surface rights required for the Zafranal Project regardless of the final outcome of the litigation process.

The main access to the site for personnel and supplies will be via 34 km of an existing and partially paved road from Pedregal de Majes on the Pan American Highway, then from there to the plant site via 9 km of new gravel topped road. A refurbished 26 km gravel topped access road will also be constructed from Anexo de Pedregal to the plant site for transporting personnel, supplies and copper concentrate. Concentrate will be truck transported 216 km, initially from the plant site to Anexo de Pedregal then via existing road to the coast and from there, southeast to the Port of Matarani, using the newly constructed highway along the coast.

Industrial Water Supply

An estimated 410 liters per second ("L/s") of make-up water is required for operations. Field investigations have identified several potential sources of brackish water, unsuitable for human and animal consumption or irrigation of crops, one of which could become a water supply for the Project. One of these is a brackish groundwater resource located 35 km from the process plant site where the groundwater quality is poor but potentially suitable for industrial use at the Zafranal Project. Groundwater extraction from this or any other aquifer will require the approval of the water authorities and the acceptance of the local authorities and community residents. Metallurgical testwork using this brackish water has produced positive results.

Power Supply

The power delivery and site power distribution systems are based on total installed equipment rated at 99 MW with a peak demand of 91 MW. Power supply for production is scheduled to be available from the New Socabaya Substation that is located close to the city of Arequipa. This will require the installation of an approximately 96 km long transmission line to a proposed 220 kV substation that will be located adjacent to the concentrator.

Social and Environment

CMZ has an ongoing extensive stakeholder relations program implemented in an effort to ensure that the Company fully engages with the local communities and regional authorities, informs on project activities, addresses concerns and reduces or mitigates the potential impacts of the Project. A working table forum was established in 2015 with representatives from the local communities.

Environmental and social baseline studies for the Project have been conducted to compile a third modification of the Semi-Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIAsd) in order to obtain environmental certifications and permits for the ongoing exploration and study programs of the Project. The application is currently under review by the relevant authorities.

Formal baseline studies for the Project are being carried out with the completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) currently scheduled for December 2017.

Mineral Resource Estimate

Geological logging and assay results from 295 core holes totalling 95,619 m and 88 RC holes totalling 27,041 m were used as the basis for preparation of three dimensional (3D) wireframe models of geological structures, lithology, alteration, and mineral zonation envelopes.

CMZ prepared the new mineral resource estimate using the revised geological model of the Zafranal Main and Victoria Zones. The mineral resource was subsequently reviewed and audited by Amec Foster Wheeler ("AmecFW"). The resource estimate included in the PFS pertains to the Main Zone and Victoria deposits only, as other known mineralized areas in the Project area were not deemed to be economically attractive at this time. AmecFW reviewed the resource model that had been provided by CMZ and considered that it was suitable for use in resource estimation.

An external review of the analytical QA/QC program completed by Julio Bruna, MAusIMM CP (Geology) and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, of Politax S.A. Santiago, Chile, concluded that the sample preparation, analysis and security program provided an acceptable level of confidence in the assay results and that they can be used for resource estimation and mine planning studies.

Mineral resources were estimated using long-term forecasted copper and gold prices of US$ 3.50 /lb and US$ 1,400 /oz, respectively.

A summary of the mineral resource for the PFS at a 0.15 % total copper cut-off grade appears in the following table:

Mineral Resource Estimate for the Zafranal Deposit based on a 0.15% Total Copper Cut-off

Effective Date 14 December 2015, Peter Oshust, PGeo

Tonnage Grade Contained Metal Classification (Mt) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Cu (Mlb) Au (Moz) Measured Mixed - - - - - Supergene 83.3 0.58 0.07 1,056 0.20 Hypogene 120.5 0.28 0.07 744 0.28 Total Measured 203.8 0.40 0.07 1,801 0.47 Indicated Mixed 23.5 0.28 0.12 146 0.09 Supergene 100.3 0.53 0.07 1,176 0.21 Hypogene 139.7 0.26 0.06 804 0.28 Total Indicated 263.5 0.37 0.07 2,126 0.58 Measured and Indicated Mixed 23.5 0.28 0.12 146 0.09 Supergene 183.6 0.55 0.07 2,234 0.40 Hypogene 260.2 0.27 0.07 1,543 0.56 Total Measured and Indicated 467.3 0.38 0.07 3,925 1.05 Inferred Mixed 7.8 0.22 0.09 37 0.02 Supergene 8.7 0.30 0.04 57 0.01 Hypogene 4.9 0.18 0.03 20 0.00 Total Inferred 21.4 0.24 0.06 114 0.04

Notes: 1. Mineral resources are reported inclusive of those mineral resources that have been converted to mineral reserves. Mineral resources are reported on a 100% basis. 2. Mineral resources are reported within a constraining pit shell developed using Whittle software. Assumptions include metal prices of US$3.50 /lb for Cu and $1,400 /oz for Au; process recoveries of 86% for Cu and 50% for Au in supergene, 86% recoveries for Cu and 50% recoveries for Au in mixed, and 89% for Cu and 50% for Au in hypogene, US$1.58 /t of mining at 2,534 m plus $0.01 /bench downward and $0.03 /bench upward. US$5.45 /tonne for processing, and US$0.38 /tonne for G&A. 3. Assumptions include 100% mining recovery. 4. An external dilution factor was not considered during this resource estimation. Internal dilution within a 15 m x 15 m x 12 m SMU was considered. 5. The 1.0% Royalty was not considered during the preparation of the constraining pit. 6. Quantities and grades in the mineral resource estimate are rounded to an appropriate number of significant figures to reflect that they are approximations.

Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content. The reader should be aware that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves so do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Mineral Reserve Estimate

NCL Ingenieria y Construccion SpA ("NCL") prepared the mine design and mineral reserve estimate by evaluating the measured and indicated mineral resource and sequencing the mining development based on the scheduling the mine pushbacks according to their net processed value. A summary of the mineral reserve for the PFS at a 0.15 % total copper cut-off grade appears in the following table:

Mineral Reserve Estimate for Zafranal Deposit

Reserve Ore Ore Grade Contained Metal Category Type Mt % Cu g/t Au Mlbs Cu koz Au Proven Mineral Reserves Mixed 0.4 0.48 0.11 4 1 Supergene 97 0.61 0.08 1,308 233 Hypogene 105 0.28 0.07 660 249 Total Proven Mineral Reserves 202 0.44 0.07 1,972 483 Probable Mineral Reserves Mixed 2 0.4 0.11 16 6 Supergene 78 0.5 0.06 861 156 Hypogene 118 0.27 0.06 694 246 Total Probable Mineral Reserves 198 0.36 0.06 1,571 408 Total Mineral Reserves (proven and probable) Mixed 2 0.41 0.11 20 8 Supergene 175 0.56 0.07 2,169 389 Hypogene 224 0.27 0.07 1,354 495 Total Mineral Reserves (proven and probable) 401 0.4 0.07 3,543 891 Notes to accompany mineral reserves table

Notes: 1. The Qualified Person for the estimate is Carlos Guzman, RM CMC and FAusIMM, an NCL employee. Mineral Reserves have an effective date of 31 March 2016. Mineral reserves are reported on a 100% basis. 2. Mineral Reserves are reported as constrained within measured and Indicated pit designs, and supported by a mine plan featuring variable cut-off. The pit designs and mine plan were optimized using the following economic and technical parameters: metal prices of US$3.0 /lb Cu and US$1,200 /oz; recovery to concentrate assumptions according to geometallurgical domains for Cu and Au; copper concentrate treatment charges of US$90 /dmt, US$0.09 /lb of Cu refining charges and US$4.0 /oz of Au refining charges; concentrate charges of US$12 /wmt for marketing, US$37.55 /wmt for road transport, US$20 /wmt for port and insurance, US$65 /wmt for shipping and 0.3% for transport losses; average payability of 96.9% for Cu and 90% for Au; average mining cost of US$1.86 /t, process costs of US$4.47 /t for mixed and supergene materials and US$4.75 /t for hypogene, and G&A US$1.25 /t processed; average pit slope angles that range from 36 to 41; a 1% royalty rate assumption, and an assumption of 100% mining recovery. 3. Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content. 4. Tonnage and grade measurements are in metric units. Reported copper grades are total copper grades. Contained gold ounces are reported as troy ounces.

Qualified Persons for this Press Release

The NI 43-101 Technical Report has been prepared by an integrated engineering team led by Ausenco in Lima, Peru. The Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of the Press Release date.

The geological information for this press release was approved by Alvaro Fernandez-Baca, P.Geo, a consulting geologist and a Qualified Person under NI 43 - 101.

The analytical QA/QC program for drill samples was reviewed and approved by Julio Bruna Novillo, MAusIMM CP (Geology), of Politax S.A. and a Qualified Person under NI 43 -101.

The mineral resource estimate was prepared by CMZ then reviewed and approved by Peter Oshust, P. Geo., of Amec Foster Wheeler plc and a Qualified Person under NI 43 -101.

The mine design and mineral reserves estimate were prepared under the supervision of Carlos Guzman, RM CMC and FAusIMM, an employee of NCL Ingenieria y Construccion SpA, and a Qualified Person under NI 43 - 101

The metallurgical and process information contained in this release was approved by Greg Lane, FAusIMM, of Ausenco Services Pty Ltd and a Qualified Person under NI 43 -101.

The full list of other Qualified Persons and their responsibilities for geotechnical, hydrogeological, hydrological, environmental and other contributions to the Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) will be provided in the Technical Report.

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed, summarized from the PFS and approved by Bruce L Turner, P.Eng., CEO of AQM Copper Inc., and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101.

On Behalf of the Board

AQM COPPER INC.

Bruce L. Turner, President and Chief Executive Officer

About AQM Copper

AQM Copper Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company exploring and developing copper deposits in South America. Through its Peruvian subsidiary, Minera AQM Copper Peru S.A.C. (MAQM), the Company is developing the Zafranal Copper-Gold Porphyry Project located in Southern Peru. MAQM is the operator of a 50/50 Joint Venture with Teck Resources Limited through a sole purpose Peruvian company, Compania Minera Zafranal. MAQM is owned 60 % by AQM Copper Inc. and 40 % by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation.

The Company's management and directors have extensive experience working for the world's largest mining copper producers and investment banking backgrounds. Please refer to the Company's website at www.aqmcopper.com, for further information regarding the Company and the Zafranal Project.

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

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Except for statements of historical fact relating to AQM Copper Inc., certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "believes", "considers", "intends", "targets", or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "may", "will", "should", "would" and "could". We provide forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about our current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those identified and reported in AQM Copper Inc's public filings, which may be accessed at www.sedar.com. Other than as specifically required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events, results or otherwise.
TORONTO, CANADA--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - BacTech Environmental Corporation ("BacTech" or the "Company"), (CSE:BAC) (OTC PINK:BCCEF) (WKN:A1H4TY) announced today that its 98% owned Bolivian subsidiary Empresa Minera Ambiental BacTech S.A. ("EMABSA"), has signed an Association Contract with Corporacion Minera de Bolivia ("COMIBOL"), the state mining company of Bolivia.

The ten-year contract calls for the environmental remediation and restoration of the "Antigua" tailings and an option on the "Nuevo" tailings, both situated at the Telamayu mill site. Telamayu is situated near the town of Atocha in the Department of Potosi. The agreement envisions three phases, with the first phase focused on the completion of a technical study on the 600,000 tonne Antigua tails. Included in the study will be the drilling of a grid of 10 metre holes that will provide information for a NI 43-101 study. In addition, tailings material will be used in metallurgical studies to determine the optimal flow chart for the proposed plant. Engineering of the plant will be conducted by Bumigeme Inc. of Montreal, Canada.

To date, the Company has conducted its own preliminary study on the tailings from material provided by COMIBOL. Approximately four years ago, COMIBOL collected some 2,000 bags of material at 1 metre intervals from 4 separate holes dug to the bottom of the tailings. BacTech engaged SGS Bolivia S.A. to take samples from each bag to create a 250 tonne representative sample for assay and early flotation work.

The work was carried out at PRA Inspectorate Labs in Vancouver and confirmed the reported grades provided earlier by COMIBOL. The tailings contain high levels of silver (8.8 oz/tonne), copper (2.24%), and commercial quantities of tin (1.5%). The early testwork showed that the material responded well to concentration by washing followed by flotation, while the assay and particle size data suggested that gravity separation may also be appropriate for recovery of coarse silver and tin values and should be investigated in subsequent testwork. It is therefore expected that the recovery will be improved by conducting further testwork. The results from the early work conducted by PRA Laboratories are summarized later in the press release.

The second phase will be the construction of a processing plant that will create concentrates of silver, tin and copper using conventional processing. There will be contributions from gravity separation, flotation concentration, and copper precipitation from water creating the final products leaving site.

There is considerable infrastructure at the mill site including power, rail, a mill housing and a local workforce. The Telamayu mill has processed ores from the surrounding mines for over 70 years, with the Antigua and Nuevo tailings created from the operation. The existing infrastructure should lead to reduced capital costs.

The final stage is the commercialization of the plant which is expected to be completed within the next 12 to 15 months. All three stages require the posting of a performance bond that is released upon completion of each phase. BacTech has posted a bond of USD$26,000 to cover the initial phase.

The Nuevo tailings are considerably larger, estimated to be approximately 4 million tonnes, but contain lower grades than Antigua. At some point in the future, BacTech will conduct an evaluation and an economic study to determine the viability of the tailings.

Previous Assays Element Unit Telamayu Tailing Comp. Silver g/mt 275.0 Gold g/mt 0.24 Tin % 1.57 Antimony % 0.95 Copper % 2.24 Bismuth % 0.56

As mentioned previously, BacTech conducted its own evaluation from material provided by COMIBOL. It is understood that the mill processed head grades of 9,300 grams per tonne (300 opt) silver which provides an explanation for the high silver grades. It seems that the high grade copper is a result of no effort to capture the metal during processing of zinc, silver and tin.

"This agreement provides BacTech with a soft entry into the Bolivian market. The combination of low capex, multiple metals for recovery and a strong partner in COMIBOL, provides a great stepping stone for additional environmental reclamation projects in partnership with COMIBOL in the future. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company receives 100% of the cash flow in the initial 18 months or until the project financing debt is repaid, whichever comes first," said Ross Orr, President and CEO of BacTech.

BacTech's in-country General Manager for Bolivia is Dr. Jose Cordova, who has 32 years of experience in global mining, including positions as both President and as Technical Manager for COMIBOL. Dr. Cordova will be responsible for the development of the Telamayu project. EMABSA's in-country legal representatives are Reynolds and Associates.

The tonnages provided by COMIBOL are of a historical nature and have not been confirmed by the Company. BacTech is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or reserves as they are not NI 43-101 compliant.

The Qualified Person ("QP") on the press release is Gary Williams, P.Geo.

Company Profile

BacTech Environmental Corporation holds the perpetual, exclusive, royalty-free rights to use the patented BACOX bioleaching technology for the reclamation of tailings and mining waste materials. The Company's principle focus is a high- grade silver/copper tailings project called Telamayu, located in Atocha, Bolivia, in association with COMIBOL, the state mining group. The Company signed an MOU with Duran Ventures Inc. to explore the viability of building a BACOX plant in Peru to treat high-grade gold/arsenic ores. Investigation has begun to identify similar opportunities in Ecuador. The Company continues to field enquiries globally with respect to additional opportunities for remediation, including licensing transactions for the technology.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information", which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to future tailings sites, sampling or other investigations of tailing sites, the Company's ability to make use of infrastructure around tailings sites or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements 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. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. 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, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Shares outstanding 42,393,994

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.
Authorities in Liberia are investigating the Panama-flagged tanker named Tamaya 1, which drifted onto the shore on May 3, but for now its backstory is a mystery (AFP Photo/Zoom Dosso)

Robertsport (Liberia) (AFP) - When an empty oil tanker drifted onto a Liberian beach, it disturbed golden shores usually troubled only by baby crabs, and raised rumours of everything from an Islamist invasion to a ghost crew.

Robertsport is more usually known as a surfers' paradise, attracting beach bums from afar to its epic breaks and chilled nightlife.

But when visited by AFP journalists this week, the vessel was under police guard after episodes of attempted looting.

Authorities in Liberia are investigating the Panama-flagged tanker, named Tamaya 1, which drifted onto the shore on May 3, but for now its backstory is a mystery.

All that is known is that the ship had last signalled its position at 10:00 am on April 22, hours after leaving the port of Dakar, Senegal.

"Citizens of Cape Mount noticed the presence of the ship for more than three days and could not see anyone coming out of it. That created security concerns, people even got panicked", said the superintendent of Grand Cape Mount County, Tenneh Kpadebah.

"Some youths went in and they discovered that no crew members were there and no one was in the vessel.

"I called security officials because this is a security matter, and they have deployed men around the vessel," she added.

The ship still sits metres from the shore, painted red with Chinese characters imprinted on its side, with burnt sections visible on the walls of its control room and mast.

- Rumours rife -

Sergeant Himie Merchant, who is part of the team guarding the vessel, said his police support unit were called in after reports of disturbances on the beach.

Officers arrested some looters, while others escaped, Merchant said. However it is not known what -- if anything -- was actually taken from the ship.

Still the rumour mill in the area was running at full capacity, said Merchant, who is seeking to play down fears among the local community of an elaborate terrorist plot by west African jihadist group Boko Haram.

Story continues

"There is no security threat. Because (there is) news going to town saying that Boko Haram entered Cape Mount; but of course, it's not true."

Emmanuel Belema, 34, isn't to be persuaded. "No one can convince me that no one was on the ship. If people were there then where have they gone? I believe that we have to realise that this is how Boko Haram get into areas," he said.

Palm trees rustled, and waves lapped the shore as he spoke, but the idea of gunfire and attackers seemed very off.

On Friday, a security source confirmed to AFP that the vessel's lifeboat had been located 200 kilometres (125 miles) down the coast, spreading the mystery even further afield.

"The lifeboat of Tamaya 1 was seen floating on the ocean yesterday in Buchanan (a port city). No one was on board," the source said.
(Recasts for Juca stepping down to return to Senate, adds comments, market reaction)

By Silvio Cascione and Maria Carolina Marcello

BRASILIA, May 23 (Reuters) - Brazil's interim government was rocked on Monday by the loss of one of its key figures, Planning Minister Romero Juca, who stepped aside amid accusations he had conspired to obstruct the country's biggest-ever corruption investigation.

Interim President Michel Temer was counting on Juca, a close confidant and experienced senator, to steer a budget bill through Congress to avoid a government shutdown next month.

However, a recording of his conversation with a suspect in the investigation threatened to stain the new, center-right administration, already unsettled by a series of policy reversals during its first week in office.

The scandal weakened Brazil's currency on fears of further instability less than two weeks after President Dilma Rousseff was suspended to stand trial in the Senate for allegedly breaking fiscal laws, leaving former Vice President Temer to lead the country.

"Starting from tomorrow, I will step aside," Juca, appointed by Temer after Rousseff's suspension, told reporters in Brasilia. He denied any wrongdoing and insisted that his recorded comments had been distorted and taken out of context.

In the recording, made before Rousseff was put on trial and published by newspaper Folha de S. Paulo on Monday, Juca told a friend he agreed on the need for a "national pact" to limit the graft probe rattling the political establishment.

Asked for help by his ally, ex-senator Sergio Machado under investigation in the probe, Juca replied: "The government has to be changed in order to stop this bleeding," Folha reported, adding that the conversations were taped "secretly."

Juca said the conversation happened either at his home or at his office but it was not clear how the hour-long recording was made. Local media reported it may be connected with Machado who has been negotiating a plea bargain deal with prosecutors. Machado was not immediately available for comment.

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Juca and other ministers in Temer's new government are under investigation for their alleged roles in the massive bribery scheme stemming from state-run oil company Petrobras.

At a press conference earlier on Monday, Juca insisted that he would never interfere in the investigation and his comments were not incriminating in any way. He said the "bleeding" he was referring to was Brazil's free-falling economy and the Rousseff government's recent paralysis.

By the end of the day, however, the scandal had reached a fever pitch in the capital Brasilia, and Juca announced his plans to take a leave of absence from the ministry until public prosecutors make public statements exonerating him.

Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index was knocked lower by the news, falling 0.8 percent on Monday. The local currency lost 1.8 percent against the U.S. dollar.

Temer said in a statement that Juca would support the government from the Senate to ensure that the budget and other reforms were passed.

A trained economist with over 20 years in the Senate, Juca was a key member of Temer's new economic team that is racing to approve a series of economic measures in Congress aimed at rescuing investor confidence in the slumping Brazilian economy.

New Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles will announce on Tuesday some of those measures to include limits to public spending to close a widening fiscal gap that cost Brazil its coveted investment-grade rating.

EARLY BACKLASH

The blow of Juca's leave of absence followed a political about-face over the weekend, when Temer reinstated the culture ministry just over a week after announcing he was folding it into the education ministry to save money.

The decision to combine the ministries provoked the ire of famous artists and musicians, adding to a backlash against the interim government last week that included protests outside Temer's Sao Paulo residence.

Eliane Cantanhede, a seasoned political columnist, wrote Monday on the website of the Estado de S.Paulo newspaper that tossing Juca overboard was the only option for Temer, but that it will not solve the interim president's political problems.

"Juca is gone, but the trail of the recordings remain ... and will serve as the fuel to further ignite the movements that will take to the streets against Temer," she wrote.

Federal police in the southern city of Curitiba have spearheaded the Petrobras probe with broad popular support.

They said on Monday they had no direct knowledge of the Juca recording but were not concerned about his reported remarks.

"From everything we have seen so far, it's extremely clear that (the investigation) has not and will not be blocked by anyone," said Igor Romario, a lead investigator on the case.

Sergio Moro, the federal judge who has overseen much of the Petrobras case, said at a public event in Sao Paulo that he would not comment specifically on the Juca recording.

But he said "the judiciary has demonstrated its independence in relation to the other powers and to any political interferences." (Additional reporting by Caroline Stauffer and Brad Brooks; Writing Brad Haynes and Alonso Soto; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Andrew Hay)
(Adds Buenos Aires to dateline, quote from Serra there)

By Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA/BUENOS AIRES, May 23 (Reuters) - The arrival of a tough-talking foreign minister in Brazil marks a move away from ideologically-driven diplomacy that raised tensions with the United States and towards a big push on trade.

Jose Serra's first foreign visit to Argentina on Monday focused on restoring South America's Mercosur customs union to its purpose as a free trade area, after Venezuela's entry in 2012 turned it into a left-leaning political forum.

The suspension of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to face an impeachment trial and her replacement by centrist Michel Temer has pushed the political pendulum toward the center in South America after the election of a center-right government in Argentina last year.

"Diplomacy will once again reflect the values of Brazilian society and the interest of its economy, and no longer be at the service of the ideological preferences of one political party and its allies abroad," Serra said in his first speech as minister last week.

His first move as Temer's foreign minister was to strongly rebuke Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua for interfering in Brazilian affairs by describing Rousseff's removal as an illegal "coup."

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is resisting opposition calls for a referendum to oust him in the midst of a painful recession, recalled his ambassador from Brasilia for consultations.

Serra is under pressure to act against Maduro. The chairman of Brazil's Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the government to trigger Mercosur's democratic clause and have Venezuela suspended. Maduro's government "is fast becoming an open dictatorship," Senator Aloysio Nunes told Reuters.

REVIVING MERCOSUR

The 74-year-old Serra is a prominent senator who would like to use his ministerial post as a springboard for a third bid for the presidency. His success may hinge on keeping his pledge to open new export markets for Brazil's tanking economy.

Story continues

His ministry has been given increased authority to negotiate trade deals. He plans to increase trade with traditional markets like the United States and the European Union, as well as more recent ones such as China, which has quickly risen to become Brazil's biggest export market.

Relations between Washington and Brasilia cooled during the 2003-2010 government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who prioritized South-South relations but also raised Brazil's international profile while the economy was booming.

Rousseff, his successor, was less rigid but ties with the United States were badly shaken in 2013 by reports of U.S. spying on Brazil, which prompted her to cancel a state visit to Washington.

Serra said improved U.S. relations were inevitable and will rely on easing trade barriers between the two largest economies in the Americas.

"There will be greater alignment between the United States and Brazil on some global issues," said Michael Shifter, president of the InterAmerican Dialogue, a Washington-based policy group.

Argentina will be fundamental in Brazil's renewed quest for trade as the top destination for Brazilian manufactured goods.

In seeking to revive Mercosur, Serra will also ask the customs union to be more flexible on members reaching bilateral accords.

His plans were applauded by business leaders.

"Mercosur must be more proactive, less closed," the head of Brazil's most powerful industry lobby CNI, Robson Andrade, said. "Instead of political debates it should be negotiating international accords, such as with the European Union."

Mercosur's swing to the right has raised hopes for a trade deal with the European Union, which could create a market of 750 million people but has faced setbacks since talks began in 1999.

Serra was quick to play down expectations of a quick deal.

"I don't think anything crucial will happen in the next six months," he said in Buenos Aires on Monday. "We must study the offers [from the Europeans] well."

IMPOVERISHED ITAMARATY

An intellectual who works late into the night and often sleeps through midday, the blunt and abrasive Serra would appear to be the least diplomatic figure to run Brazil's foreign policy.

But the appointment of this high-profile politician to lead Itamaraty - as the foreign ministry is called - was welcomed by Brazil's respected diplomatic corps, largely sidelined by Rousseff. The ministry was underfunded to the point that diplomats posted abroad have been unable to pay their rents.

Serra promised to put the ministry back at the center of government and rescue it from "penury" by covering a funding shortfall of 800 million reais ($227 million).

Brazil is in arrears on contributions to the United Nations and other multilateral organizations by $852 million, a debt that threatens its right to vote, Serra told O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper on Sunday.

Workers Party governments created 48 new embassies during 13 years in power, many in Africa and the Caribbean to win votes at the United Nations, where Brazil unsuccessfully sought a permanent seat on an expanded Security Council.

Serra, pointing to the absurdity of Brazil having more embassies than Britain in the English-speaking Caribbean, plans to study the benefits of its 139 embassies and close those that are unproductive.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Additonal reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in Caracas, Maximiliano Rizzi in Buenos Aires; Editing by Mary Milliken and Andrew Hay)
By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The arrival of a tough-talking foreign minister in Brazil marks a move away from ideologically-driven diplomacy that raised tensions with the United States and towards a big push on trade. Jose Serra's first foreign visit to Argentina on Monday focused on restoring South America's Mercosur customs union to its purpose as a free trade area, after Venezuela's entry in 2012 turned it into a left-leaning political forum. The suspension of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to face an impeachment trial and her replacement by centrist Michel Temer has pushed the political pendulum toward the centre in South America after the election of a centre-right government in Argentina last year. "Diplomacy will once again reflect the values of Brazilian society and the interest of its economy, and no longer be at the service of the ideological preferences of one political party and its allies abroad," Serra said in his first speech as minister last week. His first move as Temer's foreign minister was to strongly rebuke Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua for interfering in Brazilian affairs by describing Rousseff's removal as an illegal "coup." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is resisting opposition calls for a referendum to oust him in the midst of a painful recession, recalled his ambassador from Brasilia for consultations. Serra is under pressure to act against Maduro. The chairman of Brazil's Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the government to trigger Mercosur's democratic clause and have Venezuela suspended. Maduro's government "is fast becoming an open dictatorship," Senator Aloysio Nunes told Reuters. REVIVING MERCOSUR The 74-year-old Serra is a prominent senator who would like to use his ministerial post as a springboard for a third bid for the presidency. His success may hinge on keeping his pledge to open new export markets for Brazil's tanking economy. His ministry has been given increased authority to negotiate trade deals. He plans to increase trade with traditional markets like the United States and the European Union, as well as more recent ones such as China, which has quickly risen to become Brazil's biggest export market. Relations between Washington and Brasilia cooled during the 2003-2010 government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who prioritised South-South relations but also raised Brazil's international profile while the economy was booming. Rousseff, his successor, was less rigid but ties with the United States were badly shaken in 2013 by reports of U.S. spying on Brazil, which prompted her to cancel a state visit to Washington. Serra said improved U.S. relations were inevitable and will rely on easing trade barriers between the two largest economies in the Americas. "There will be greater alignment between the United States and Brazil on some global issues," said Michael Shifter, president of the InterAmerican Dialogue, a Washington-based policy group. Argentina will be fundamental in Brazil's renewed quest for trade as the top destination for Brazilian manufactured goods. In seeking to revive Mercosur, Serra will also ask the customs union to be more flexible on members reaching bilateral accords. His plans were applauded by business leaders. "Mercosur must be more proactive, less closed," the head of Brazil's most powerful industry lobby CNI, Robson Andrade, said. "Instead of political debates it should be negotiating international accords, such as with the European Union." Mercosur's swing to the right has raised hopes for a trade deal with the European Union, which could create a market of 750 million people but has faced setbacks since talks began in 1999. Serra was quick to play down expectations of a quick deal. "I don't think anything crucial will happen in the next six months," he said in Buenos Aires on Monday. "We must study the offers [from the Europeans] well." IMPOVERISHED ITAMARATY An intellectual who works late into the night and often sleeps through midday, the blunt and abrasive Serra would appear to be the least diplomatic figure to run Brazil's foreign policy. But the appointment of this high-profile politician to lead Itamaraty - as the foreign ministry is called - was welcomed by Brazil's respected diplomatic corps, largely sidelined by Rousseff. The ministry was underfunded to the point that diplomats posted abroad have been unable to pay their rents. Serra promised to put the ministry back at the centre of government and rescue it from "penury" by covering a funding shortfall of 800 million reais (154.7 million). Brazil is in arrears on contributions to the United Nations and other multilateral organizations by $852 million, a debt that threatens its right to vote, Serra told O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper on Sunday. Workers Party governments created 48 new embassies during 13 years in power, many in Africa and the Caribbean to win votes at the United Nations, where Brazil unsuccessfully sought a permanent seat on an expanded Security Council. Serra, pointing to the absurdity of Brazil having more embassies than Britain in the English-speaking Caribbean, plans to study the benefits of its 139 embassies and close those that are unproductive. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Additonal reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in Caracas, Maximiliano Rizzi in Buenos Aires; Editing by Mary Milliken and Andrew Hay)
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders got their California campaigns into high gear on Monday, each holding events in Los Angeles with less than two weeks before the states highly contested primary on June 7.

Clinton raised money at the home of CAAs Bryan Lourd and restaurateur Bruce Bozzi, with Anna Wintour as one of the co-hosts. Tickets started at $2,700 per person at the event, which drew such industry figures as Allison Janney, Melanie Griffith, Morgan Freeman, Simon Halls, Michael Rubel and Kevin Huvane.

Later, she attended an event at the Hancock Park home of Clarence Daniels, chairman and CEO of CMS Hospitality, and his wife Monet, with co-hosts including Matt Johnson, Kerman and Capri Maddox, Pluria and Paula Marshall, Marcus and Christina Mason, Robyn Ritter Simon and Tara Taylor.

Sanders spoke on Monday evening at Santa Monica High School, where he joined by Cenk Uygur, Rosario Dawson and Dick Van Dyke, to a crowd that filled about half the schools football field. Van Dyke, 90, introduced Sanders as the sanest man in America.

We are going to win here in California, Sanders said, adding that the campaign would he having rallies from one end of the state to the other.

As he has at other rallies, he criticized media coverage, saying that one of the crises is we have a corporate media that talks about everything but what is most important.

In his hourlong speech, Sanders addressed the penalties that many face because they have marijuana possession convictions on their records.

Sanders said that if he lived in California, he would vote for an initiative to legalize marijuana.

Sanders faces very long odds to be able to overcome Clintons delegate lead, and she is likely to clinch the nomination on June 7. Clinton has a lead of almost ten points over Sanders in California according to polling averages collected by Real Clear Politics.

If he wins on that date, it could prove a setback to Clinton as she will move to unify the party in advance of the Democratic National Convention in July. But it could bolster Sanders argument that his campaign has been a revolution that requires major changes to the party and its platform.

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Clinton supporters have become increasingly concerned about party unity and that Sanders continued criticisms will only exacerbate divisions. Sanders, however, has repeatedly cited the enthusiasm of his crowds as well as polls that show him beating Trump by a wider margin than Clinton.

Sanders will have influence over the party platform, as five of his representatives were named to the platform writing committee.

Both candidates are expected to campaign heavily in California over the next two weeks. Clinton on Tuesday is scheduled to tour a foster care facility in Los Angeles, and later events in Commerce and Riverside. Sanders is scheduled to hold rallies on Tuesday in Anaheim, San Bernardino and Riverside.

One event that wont be happening: another debate. Clintons campaign on Monday declined an invite from Fox News to attend another debate, this time in California. Although Sanders campaign accepted the invite, Clintons campaign had not been expected to agree.

At his rally, Sanders said he was disturbed but not surprised that Clinton backed out of the debate. The crowd booed, and one attendee shouted, she sucks!

Laura Amelia, 28, was at the Sanders rally with her daughter, Harmony. She said that she has never voted in a presidential election, but has been active in her support of Sanders.

Weve donated. Weve converted our whole family, she said. A musician, Amelias group Anodica has created a song and a poem in support of Sanders campaign.

She called Sanders a breath of fresh air. Its a lot of truth to take in, but we got to do it.

Ill write him in. The other candidates dont deserve my vote. They havent earned it, she said. She said it would be a disaster if Trump were elected, but that doesnt mean that she would vote for Clinton. She is just as bad, in my opinion, she said.

Dave Holtzman, 56, of Brentwood, said that he was impressed because Sanders has a clear stand against the war on drugs, noting what he has said about marijuana legalization.

I think he has every right and the obligation to his supporters to contest this battle to the end, to take it to the convention and stand up for what he believes in, he said.

He said that if Clinton is the nominee, he would vote for her if she needs our vote in California, given that the state has been a Democratic stronghold. He said that it depends on what the polling is in October, and whether he could still cast his vote for a candidate like Jill Stein of the Green Party. Basically you dont make that decision until you look at the polls and make sure you are not screwing something up like the people did by voting for Ralph Nader in Florida [in 2000] and later regretted it.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, is returning to California on Wednesday, for a rally in Anaheim and a fundraiser that evening at the Los Angeles home of Thomas Barrack and his wife Rachelle. Barrack is the founder of Colony Capital and serves as its executive chairman. The company sold its stake in Miramax earlier this year, but Barracks primary investments are in real estate.

According to a spokeswoman, Barracks friendship with Trump dates to 1988, when Barrack was an executive with the Robert M. Bass group and negotiated the sale of the Plaza Hotel to Trump.

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As Hillary vs. Bernie Rivalry Hardens, Hollywood Democrats Voice Concerns Over Divisions
By Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Spain and Portugal might yet face economic sanctions for their excessive budget deficits, the head of euro zone finance ministers said on Tuesday, after the European Commission gave them a reprieve last week.

Madrid and Lisbon both breach EU rules that require deficits stay below 3 percent of national gross domestic product.

The European Union's executive could have imposed economic sanctions on the two countries, but the Commission proposed last week to give them more time to plug their fiscal gaps, citing political and economic reasons.

"Sanctions are absolutely a possibility because they are in our rules and regulations and when you look at the current situation in Spain and Portugal there was a serious reason to look at sanctions," Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said before a euro zone finance ministers' meeting in Brussels.

The meeting will focus on Greece, but ministers may also discuss the reprieve conceded to Spain and Portugal, Dijsselbloem said.

Commission decisions on member states' budgets need the approval of EU finance ministers. They will adopt a position on last week's proposals at their next regular meeting, in June. The Commission said it would review its decisions on Spain and Portugal in July.

Dijsselbloem's line mirrors German concerns that Brussels is failing to enforce the stricter budget rules adopted by EU countries during the euro zone financial crisis between 2010 and 2013.

The Commission has given Italy wide leeway over additional spending on reforms, investments and the migration crisis, despite Rome's debt being above agreed limits and not decreasing as it should.

Last year France was given two more years to bring its deficit below the 3 percent ceiling, causing criticism from more thrifty euro zone countries.

Southern European countries have urged more flexible fiscal rules to revive the bloc's sluggish economy.

(Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Edo Japan (Edo) was honoured as a recipient of the Franchisees' Choice designation on April 18, 2016 during a Gala Awards Presentation at the 25th annual Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) National Convention in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This is the sixth year for the annual Franchisees' Choice designation program and Edo was recognized for its accomplishment in receiving the designation every year since 2011.

The Franchisees' Choice designees are CFA member franchise systems who voluntarily took part in an independently-administered survey. This year, more than 60 CFA member franchise systems participated in the survey and more franchisees completed the survey than ever before. Franchisees were asked to assess their franchisor in key areas of the franchise business model, including the franchisee selection process; franchisee Information package; leadership; business planning and marketing; training and support; ongoing operations; and the relationship between the franchisor and franchisee. In order to qualify for this designation, a minimum of 10 per cent of a brand's franchisees must participate. In many cases, franchisee responses were significantly higher. Edo Japan had over 50 per cent of its franchisees participate in the survey.

"We are very grateful to the Canadian Franchise Association in recognizing Edo Japan's continued commitment and dedication to our franchisees," says Tom Donaldson, Edo Japan. "We celebrate this tremendous honour with our franchisees as they are a part of our story and the reason behind our enduring success. Their unrelenting support has allowed our business to expand and deliver quality food that Canadians can enjoy."

Edo made its first appearance on the Canadian food scene more than 35 years ago and remains a favourite amongst customers by serving delicious, fresh and affordable Teppan-style meals. The company stands true to its initial core values through its commitment to provide a 'Simply Better' experience by using fresh ingredients, offering legendary service, and helping customers make healthier choices that they can feel good about. A leader in its industry, Edo offers detailed marketing and training support to its franchisees to ensure their success in achieving their own business goals.

In the due diligence process of investigating a franchise opportunity, speaking with existing franchisees about the opportunity being explored is essential. For prospective franchisees, the Franchisees' Choice designation identifies that a franchise brand has received solid endorsement and ratings from its franchisees. The 2016 Franchisees' Choice designees are representative of the spectrum of franchise opportunities and the diversity and excellence of CFA members.

"The true strength of a franchise system lies in the mutually-rewarding relationship between a franchisor and its franchisees," says Lorraine McLachlan, CFA President and Chief Executive Officer. "Being a Franchisees' Choice designee is an honour and a vote of confidence because the high rankings in franchisee satisfaction come directly from the franchisees themselves."

To learn more about Edo Japan, visit www.edojapan.com.

For more information about Franchisees' Choice designation and a full list of winners, visit www.awardsprogram.ca.

About Edo Japan

Established in 1979 in Calgary, Alberta, Edo Japan was designed to bring the freshness of hot Japanese Teppan-style cooking to suburban shopping centres and food courts across Canada. Offering the highest quality, freshly prepared food in the quick service restaurant industry, Edo Japan has quickly become a popular alternative with more than 112 locations across Canada, serving more than eight million meals annually. For more information please visit www.edojapan.com.

About the Canadian Franchise Association

The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) is the recognized authority on franchising in Canada. With almost 600 corporate members nation-wide, representing many of Canada's best-known brands, CFA is the indispensable resource for the franchise community and advocates on behalf of franchisors and franchisees in Canada to enhance and protect the franchise business model. CFA promotes excellence in franchising and educates Canadians about franchising, specific franchise opportunities and proper due diligence through its many events, programs, publications, and websites (www.cfa.ca / www.LookforaFranchise.ca).
(Adds Egypt air traffic control comments)

By Haitham Ahmed and Amina Ismail

CAIRO, May 23 (Reuters) - Egypt's public prosecutor formally requested data on the crashed EgyptAir plane from France and Greece on Monday, as the victims' remains began arriving at a Cairo morgue ready for DNA testing.

EgyptAir flight 804 from Paris to Cairo vanished off radar screens early on Thursday as it entered Egyptian airspace over the Mediterranean. The 10 crew and 56 passengers included 30 Egyptian and 15 French nationals, all believed to be dead.

Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadek asked his French counterpart to hand over documents, audio and visual records on the plane during its stay at Charles de Gaulle airport and until it left French airspace, his office said in a statement.

He also asked Greek authorities to hand over transcripts of calls between the pilot and Greek air traffic control officials, and for the officials to be questioned over whether the pilot sent a distress signal.

Egyptian officials say they received no mayday call from the pilots before the plane disappeared.

Greek officials say that controllers chatted with the pilot after the plane entered Greek airspace and that he sounded cheerful.

He thanked them in Greek, they said. When they tried to call him again to hand over to Egyptian air traffic control they got no response. The plane then disappeared from radar.

French investigators say the plane sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke had been detected on board as well as other possible computer faults shortly before it disappeared.

The signals did not indicate what may have caused smoke, and aviation experts have not ruled out either deliberate sabotage or a technical fault.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said all scenarios were possible and that none were being ruled out.

He promised a transparent investigation but said it could take a long time.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Friday that Greek radar had picked up sharp swings in the jet's trajectory as it plunged from a cruising altitude to 15,000 feet, then vanished from radar.

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That description of the plane's last moments has not been confirmed officially by Egyptian officials. The head of Egyptian air navigation services said Egyptian officials did not spot the plane swerving.

"We did not record any form of swerving," head of National Air Navigation Services Company Ehab Mohieeldin told privately owned local television channel CBC on Monday night.

He added that Egyptian officials were able to spot the jet on radar for one minute before it disappeared but they were unable to communicate with it.

Ships and planes scouring the sea north of Alexandria found body parts, personal belongings and debris from the Airbus 320, but were still trying to locate two "black box" recorders that could shed light on the cause of Thursday's crash.

If recorders are found intact their contents will be studied in Egypt, air accident investigator Captain Hani Galal told CBC, but they will be sent abroad for analysis if found damaged.

The State Security Prosecution will handle the criminal side of the investigation and will examine all debris and remains, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Sunday.

An Egyptian team formed by the Civil Aviation Ministry is conducting the technical investigation and three officials from France's BEA air accident investigation agency arrived in Cairo on Friday with an expert from Airbus.

"There were enough body parts to fill one body bag," a security official who saw the body parts arrive at Zeinhom morgue in Cairo told Reuters. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Investigators are due to take DNA samples from the families of passengers and crew on Tuesday as the task begins of identifying what few remains have been recovered so far.

Air crash investigation experts say the search teams have around 30 days to listen for pings sent out once every second from beacons attached to the two black boxes.

While global aviation regulators agreed several years ago to extend the life of such devices to 90 days, their decision will not take effect until 2018.

The crash was the third blow since October to hit Egypt's travel industry, still reeling from political unrest following the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

A suspected Islamic State bombing brought down a Russian airliner after it took off from Sharm al-Sheikh airport in late October, killing all 224 people on board, and an EgyptAir plane was hijacked in March by a man wearing a fake suicide belt.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Sharm al-Sheikh bombing within hours but a purported statement from the group's spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, distributed on Saturday, made no mention of the crash.

The October crash devastated Egyptian tourism, a main source of foreign exchange for a country of 80 million people.

Tourism revenue in the first three months of the year plunged by two-thirds to $500 million from a year earlier, and the latest incident could crush hopes for a swift recovery.

(Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Andrew Roche, Tim Hepher)
By Alonso Soto, Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Tatiana Bautzer

BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The Brazilian government plans to host a round of investor meetings to market a broad plan of asset sales, a key initiative to help raise cash and cut a record budget deficit, a senior official and people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

According to Wellington Moreira Franco, the head of a government agency to draw foreign investment to Brazil, a round of so-called roadshows will help advertise the assets and the legal and regulatory framework behind the plan. He did not give a timetable nor say which assets will be sold.

The planned sales, which could be Brazil's most ambitious privatization drive in two decades, offer more evidence of a policy shift since the Senate's decision earlier this month to suspend leftist President Dilma Rousseff and try her on charges of breaking budgetary rules.

Five sources with knowledge of the plan told Reuters over the past week that Moreira Franco and Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Serra will lead the roadshows, which may take place in New York, London and other financial hubs. Two of the sources said the presentations are scheduled for mid-July.

The list of ready-for-sale assets is still in the making. Yet, interim President Michel Temer wants to sell majority stakes in the fuel distribution unit of oil producer Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras and in power utility Furnas Centrais Eletricas SA, and in ventures in which airport authority Infraero has minority interests, the sources said.

Moreira Franco said the programme's goal is to help create jobs as Brazil wrestles with a two-year long recession and slumping commodity prices. Still, the plan could help Brazil raise extra funds to narrow a deficit that most economists forecast to top 10 percent of gross domestic product this year.

"It's time to end with the government monologue and start building solutions with our partners," Moreira Franco said late on Friday, adding that the legal and investment framework will be designed in a way that bidders "feel safe and confident."

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Temer, Rousseff's replacement during the impeachment trial and afterwards if she is found guilty, has vowed to streamline Brazil's bloated state and open room for more private investment.

Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Investment Co PJSC, and Mubadala Development Co PJSC are among the sovereign wealth funds invited to attend the roadshows, three of the sources said. Canadian investment firms and European infrastructure companies have already been contacted too, the sources added.

Moreira Franco declined to give an estimate of how much the government could fetch from asset sales, although two of the sources said proceeds from stake divestitures could range between $10 billion (7 billion pounds) and $20 billion over the next two years.

Some of the largest investment banks operating in Brazil will also attend the meetings, many of them representing potential buyers, the sources added.

In a statement to Reuters, Temer's office said the government "plans to transfer to private investors several assets, stakes and companies, although it is still analyzing which and which others will remain in the hands of the state." Serra's office declined to comment.

Mubadala is unlikely to attend, a spokesman said. Spokespeople for QIA and ADIA, as well as the Canadian firms including Brookfield Asset Management Inc, declined to comment.

SANITATION, LOTTERIES

Temer planned to deliver to lawmakers later on Monday a request to raise a key budget deficit target for this year, which requires congressional approval before the end of the month to avoid a government shutdown. The new estimate is for the so-called primary deficit goal, or the difference between spending and revenues before debt payments.

Brazilian equities, bonds and currency have gained in recent months, on optimism that an eventual removal of Rousseff from office for breaking budgetary rules could usher in more business-friendly policies.

Moreira Franco noted that the asset sale programme and contacts with investors could also help the government resume auctions of oil and natural gas exploration permits.

The programme will be implemented in phases that will hinge on the ability of officials and their advisors to prepare deals, the sources noted. Moreira Franco said that no banks have yet been hired to advise on the programme.

According to the sources, the government will first offer those state companies with the most attractive or profitable business models, keeping a smaller stake in them. At a later stage, the government would try to exit stakes in privately-held or listed companies owned by BNDESPar, an investment holding company controlled by state development bank BNDES, they said.

The Temer administration is considering asking debt-laden regional governments to sell to investors or surrender to the federal government their stakes in some of their sanitation firms, one of the sources said. Other assets that could be put for sale include state lender Caixa Economica Federal's insurance unit and lottery licensing, the same source said.

Between 1995 and 2002, then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso embarked on the sale of mining firms, utilities banks and licenses to operate telecommunications and electricity networks that raised about $78 billion. Cardoso sold 10 companies as well as five road and seven railway concessions, more than any other president in the country's history.

Brazil's federal government has 2 trillion reais ($568 billion) in direct or indirect stakes in about 77 companies, according to data compiled by Economatica and Thomson Reuters. Among federal agencies that invest in state-controlled as well as private-sector companies is BNDESPar, which manages 45 billion reais in equity holdings.

(With additional reporting by Ethan Lou in Toronto, Stanley Carvalho in Abu Dhabi and Tom Finn in Doha; Editing by Mary Milliken and Frances Kerry)
For some hikers, the ideal trail is a smooth, flat pathway leading to a view. For others, it's a rugged track blazed through the deep woods. The Sierra Nevadas offer both types of excursions and everything in between.

There are thousands of miles of trails to choose from -- Yosemite National Park alone has 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) of trails [source: NPS/Hiking Safety]. Some are suitable for children. Others require technical rock climbing skills. In Yosemite, you might start with the trail to Bridalveil Falls, the famous cascade that breaks into a mist as it drops down a precipice. The trail is an easy half-mile walk along a paved path that offers a cool spray in summer. The falls drop 617 feet (188 meters), almost four times as far as Niagara Falls.

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A popular but challenging hike in Yosemite is the climb up Half Dome, the iconic rock outcropping that towers 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) above Yosemite Valley. It's 14 miles (23 kilometers) round trip and requires a permit. The trail leads to the huge stone outcropping that's one of the park's premier sights. Two parallel cables attached to the rock assist hikers up the final 400-foot (122-meter) climb. The view from the top is dazzling [source: NPS/Day Hikes].

The High Sierra Loop takes you on a tour of the highlights of Yosemite. It's a strenuous all-day hike of 12.8 miles (21 kilometers) with 3,124 feet (952 meters) of elevation gain. Shuttle buses take you to the beginning and pick you up at the end. Along the way, you'll come close to Vernal and Nevada Falls and get a great view of Half Dome [source: Modern Hiker].

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks feature their own great trails. Only a quarter-mile (402 meters) long, the Moro Rock trail mounts a steep staircase for 300 feet (91 meters) to reach the top of a huge granite outcropping. On a clear day, the views of the high peaks of the Sierras from this vantage point are breathtaking.

The Sierra National Forest has 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) of hiking trails [source: Forest Service]. The Jackass Meadow Handicap Access Nature Trail provides easy access to a grassy meadow, rock outcroppings and a variety of trees. The trail is 0.7 miles (1.1 kilometers) long and accommodates wheelchairs. The Kaiser Peak Trail is a tough 10-mile (16-kilometer) hike with a 3,000-foot (914-meter) climb. You start at Huntington Lake in the Sierra National forest, which is already 7,000 feet (2134 meters) above sea level. At the top, you'll have a glorious view of the entire central Sierras.

For experienced hikers, the Sierras offer trails you can walk for weeks. The John Muir Trail, for example, is one of the outstanding hiking trails in the U.S. It stretches from Yosemite through the Ansel Adams Wilderness, the spectacular stretch of craggy peaks along the Sierra crest. The beauty of this area inspired Adams, one of America's premier nature photographers. The trail ends at the very peak of Mt. Whitney. Hiking the complete 215 miles (346 kilometers) requires careful planning and takes about a month [source: Muir Trail].

Along all these trails, you'll be taking in some stunning scenery. Keep reading to find out about the vast range of landscapes and terrain in the Sierras.

Leave No Trace First rule of hiking: Leave the wilderness as pristine as you found it. Get a permit for your campfire and keep burning to a minimum. Camp at established campsites rather than disturbing new areas. Carry out all your trash. Stay on trails instead of cutting across switchbacks. Hold down the noise, even in remote areas, to avoid disturbing wildlife (and other hikers). Leave only your footprints behind [source: backpackthesierra].
The Google internet homepage is displayed on a product at a store in London, Britain January 23, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall

By Michel Rose and Chine Labbe

PARIS (Reuters) - Dozens of French police raided Google's (GOOGL.O) Paris headquarters on Tuesday, escalating an investigation into the digital giant on suspicion of tax evasion.

Google, which said it was fully complying with French law, is under pressure across Europe from public opinion and governments angry at the way multinationals exploit their presence around the world to minimise the tax they pay.

Investigators from the financial prosecutors office and France's central office against corruption and tax fraud, accompanied by 25 IT specialists, took part in the raid.

"The investigation aims to verify whether Google Ireland Ltd has a permanent base in France and if, by not declaring parts of its activities carried out in France, it failed its fiscal obligations, including on corporate tax and value added tax," the prosecutor's office said in statement.

Google, now part of Alphabet Inc, pays little tax in most European countries because it reports almost all sales in Ireland. This is possible thanks to a loophole in international tax law but it hinges on staff in Dublin concluding all sales contracts.

If staff in countries like France finalise contracts with local clients, then the company would be obliged to report the revenues nationally and pay taxes in each country.

Al Verney, a spokesman for Google in Europe, said in an email: "We are cooperating with the authorities to answer their questions. We comply fully with French law."

Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, approached for a reaction at a conference in Amsterdam, declined to comment.

"HEAVY OPERATION"

Tuesday's raid was carried out as part of an investigation into aggravated tax fraud and the organised laundering of the proceeds of tax fraud. The probe, triggered by a complaint by the French tax authorities, started in June last year but was only made public on Tuesday.

"This is a heavy operation," the judicial source said, referring to how many people took part in the raid. "It's quite an unusual one."

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Should it be found guilty, Google faces either up to 10 million euros (8 million) in fines or a fine of half of the value of the laundered amount involved.

Budget Minister Christian Eckert, who declined to confirm or deny the sums involved in the Google case on Public Senat television, said France had raked in 3.3 billion euros in back taxes and penalties from just five multinationals in 2015.

Separately, French tax authorities are seeking some 1.6 billion euros in back taxes from Google, a finance ministry source said in February.

It wasn't clear to what extent the judicial investigation made public on Tuesday was related to the tax authorities' case or was part of a larger probe into Google's tax practices.

A Reuters investigation in 2013 found that while Google said it didnt sell in countries like Britain and France, it advertised "sales" jobs in London and Paris which it said would involve "negotiating deals" and meeting "sales quotas". (http://reut.rs/1RnJZe2)

The group agreed in January to pay 130 million pounds in back taxes to Britain, prompting criticism from opposition lawmakers and campaigners that the sum was too low.

According to the last available statutory financial filing, Google France posted a profit of about 12.2 million euros on revenues of 225.4 million euros in 2014 and employed 534 people in the country.

Parent company Alphabet posted net profits of $14.1 billion (9.6 billion) in 2014 on revenues of $66 billion and had a total headcount of 53,600.

(Reporting by Michel Rose, Chine Labbe, Ingrid Melander, Mathieu Rosemain and Gwenaelle Brazic in Paris, Svebor Kranjc in Amsterdam, Tom Bergin in London, Peter Henderson in San Francisco; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Andrew Callus and Tom Heneghan)
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

In keeping with the Government's commitment to openness and transparency, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), today announced that the progress defence contractors are making in fulfilling their obligations under the Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRB) Policy and the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy will be published for the first time.

This information will help Canadian companies and research institutions promote their business and develop partnerships with defence contractors while keeping Canadians informed about contractors' progress in fulfilling their obligations.

Under the IRB and ITB policies, defence contractors are required to undertake business activity in Canada equal to 100 percent of the value of their contracts. These policies are helping to build regional strengths across Canada in the defence and other sectors of the economy. Defence contractors and their major suppliers have created significant new opportunities for small and medium-sized firms in Canada, notably in the manufacturing sector. These investments are also fostering research, development and innovation and positioning Canada for export success and future growth.

Quotes

"These government policies create opportunities for Canadian firms across all sectors. Releasing this information will help Canadian businesses gain a foothold in important and lucrative defence supply chains, growing both their business and our economy. Sharing this information with Canadians is also an important part of the Government being open, transparent and accountable."

- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

"CADSI welcomes the opportunity to communicate the progress defence contractors have achieved in fulfilling their Industrial and Regional Benefits and Industrial and Technological Benefits obligations to Canada. This will also help Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises access global supply chains. CADSI worked in close partnership with the Government to support enhanced transparency around policies that are enabling the Government to leverage economic benefit for Canada from defence procurements."

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- Christyn Cianfarani, President, Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries

Quick facts

The IRB and ITB policies have been applied to 125 contracts since 1986, resulting in obligations to invest $37.7 billion in Canada.

Of those obligations, $24 billion has been invested, $9 billion is in progress and $4.7 billion has yet to be invested in Canada over the life of the contracts.

Presently, 30 defence contractors have outstanding obligations and report annually to ISED on their progress toward fulfilling their commitments. The status of these obligations will be reported on an annual basis.

Related products

Backgrounder: Industrial and Regional Benefits Policy and Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy

Associated links

- IRB obligations

- ITB obligations

- IRB and ITB policies

Follow Minister Bains on social media.

Twitter: @MinisterISED

May 24, 2016

Backgrounder

Industrial and Regional Benefits Policy and Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy

The Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRB) Policy and the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy generally require prime contractors of defence procurements to undertake business activity in Canada equal to 100 percent of the value of the contracts that they are awarded by the Government of Canada.

As part of the Government's commitment to transparency, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has, for the first time, posted information on its website that shows the progress that prime contractors are making toward meeting their obligations under the IRB and ITB policies. This will help Canadian companies, especially small and medium-sized firms, position themselves for supply chain and partnership opportunities with contractors that have outstanding obligations to invest in Canada. The information reflects progress as of January 4, 2016 and will be updated each winter.

Since 1986, the IRB and ITB policies have been applied to 125 procurement contracts. To date, $24 billion has been invested, $9 billion is in progress and another $4.7 billion remains to be invested over the life of contracts in question. There is a lag between the time when companies make investments in Canada and when these are reported publicly, as companies are required to report annually. Taking this into account, progress in fulfilling obligations is generally on pace.

Generally, contracts with significant outstanding obligations are in-service support contracts that have an estimated ceiling price. At the end of the contract, ISED will reduce the obligation to match the actual project cost or extend the period of time that contractors have to fulfill their obligations to match the extended contract term should options be exercised.

In December 2014, the IRB Policy was transformed into the ITB Policy. Previously, procurements were awarded based on price and technical merit. Now the Government also takes into account the economic benefit to Canada associated with each bid when determining which companies will be awarded procurement contracts. This allows the Government to steer investments in Canada into priority areas like research and development to advance Canada's innovation agenda.
A piggybank painted in the colours of the Greek flag with a 20 euro banknote in it's slot, stands amongst various euro coins in this picture illustration taken in Berlin, Germany June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski/Files

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers are likely to approve new loans to Greece of 10.3 billion euros (8 billion), according to a draft statement seen by euro zone officials.

The 10.3 billion euros in new loans is likely to be paid out in two tranches, officials said, with the first one in June worth 7.8 billion euros. The amount and timing are not final yet, officials said.

The disbursement was conditional on Greece delivering on reform promises.

(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski)
By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK, May 23 (Reuters) - A 71-year-old man who helped run a complicated offshore scheme to manipulate prices of more than 40 U.S. stocks and launder more than $250 million of profit pleaded guilty on Monday to a money laundering conspiracy charge, federal prosecutors said.

Robert Bandfield admitted to involvement in what prosecutors called a large "pump-and-dump" scheme that in 2014 briefly caused the market value of Cynk Technology Corp, a development stage company with no revenue or assets, to rocket past $6 billion.

Gregg Mulholland, a U.S.-Canadian penny stock promoter who prosecutors said also helped run the scheme, pleaded guilty on May 9 to a money laundering conspiracy charge.

Bandfield, a U.S. citizen who had been living in Belize City, Belize, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge I. Leo Glasser in Brooklyn, New York.

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison at his Sept. 1 sentencing. He will also forfeit $1 million and give up stakes in three Belize companies sharing the IPC name.

Bandfield has been in federal custody since his September 2014 arrest, and had been scheduled to go to trial on May 31.

"This is a sad day for Mr. Bandfield and those who care about him," his lawyer Eugene Ingoglia said in an interview. "We look forward to making our arguments for a fair sentence."

Prosecutors said Bandfield helped set up a network of shell companies in Belize and the West Indies to let Mulholland, who was known as "Stamps" and "Charlie Wolf," and other accomplices manipulate the prices of penny stocks.

They also said Bandfield's activity enabled his corrupt clients to evade taxes and disclosures required by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, and launder illegal proceeds with unverifiable debit cards and attorney escrow accounts.

The scheme allegedly ran from January 2009 to September 2014, prosecutors said.

The case is U.S. v. Bandfield, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 14-cr-00476.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
Signs of life for Greeces economy and ability to stay in the European Union are piling up of late. Greeces parliament recently approved austerity measures required to unlock its next wave of rescue funds from its creditors. The International Monetary Fund has called for unconditional debt relief for the country as far out as the year 2040.

Investors looking to cash in on potential improvement in the Greek economy may consider the Global X MSCI Greece ETF (Global X Funds (NYSE: GREK)). Any investment in Greece carries with it a significant degree of risk, and GREK is no exception, but this ETF looks to have some momentum behind it.

Related Link: IMF Says Oil Dependent Countries Lost Out ON 0 Billion In Oil Revenue In 2015

In May, it made a sustained move above both its 20 and 50 moving averages, and last week it rose above its 200 day moving average. Shares gained 37 percent since March 1 as of Mondays close and have been trading with above average volume.

Moving averages are used by traders to spot trends in a stocks share price movement. When traders see a shorter-term average crossing over a longer-term average, it can be a signal that an uptrend is occurring.

At time of writing, GREK was down 1.99 percent at $8.85.

See more from Benzinga

 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
(Adds detail on export quota, 2016 production target)

JAKARTA, May 24 (Reuters) - Indonesia's mining ministry recommended renewing the export licence for the local unit of U.S. copper and gold miner Newmont Mining Corp to export copper concentrate for the next six months, a ministry official said on Tuesday.

Newmont, Indonesia's second-biggest copper miner, will be allowed to export up to 419,757 tonnes of copper concentrate from its Batu Hijau mine in eastern Indonesia, Coal and Minerals Director General Bambang Gatot told reporters.

The allocated export quota was "in accordance with original plans," said Rachmat Makkasau, president-director of Newmont's Indonesian unit, PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT).

NNT is targeting production of approximately 700,000 tonnes of copper concentrate this year, Makkasau said.

No decision had been made on the sale of Newmont Nusa Tenggara, he added.

Indonesian state miners and prominent Indonesian businessman Arifin Panigoro have expressed an interest in buying control of Newmont Nusa Tenggara, in a deal that could reach $2 billion.

"The shareholders are in continuing communication with interested parties and until now there has been no final decision," he said.

NNT's shareholders include Japan's Sumitomo Corp and Indonesia's PT Bumi Resources Minerals Tbk.

(Reporting by Wilda Asmarini; Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
isis palmyra

A senior ISIS leader released a new audio message last weekend in the latest sign that the terrorist group is shifting its strategy, as it has been beaten back in the Middle East.

Abu Mohammad al-Adnani  who serves as the main spokesman for the terrorist group aka the Islamic State, ISIL, or Daesh  attempted to justify ISIS's recent losses and insisted that the group's fight against the West is far from over.

"Indeed, we do not wage jihad to defend a land, nor to liberate it, or to control it," Adnani said in the message.

He continued:

We do not fight for authority or transient, shabby positions, nor for the rubble of a lowly, vanishing world. ... If we were able to avert a single fighter from fighting us, we would do so, saving ourselves the trouble. However, our Quran requires us to fight the entire world, without exception.

This is a far cry from ISIS's prior propaganda works, which pushed a message of "remaining and expanding," implying that ISIS was on a path to world domination. Since its stunning rise to power, during which the group seized territory across Iraq and Syria and declared a "caliphate" ruled by strict Islamic law, the group has suffered a series of battlefield losses.

J.M. Berger, a fellow at the George Washington University Program on Extremism and coauthor of the book, "ISIS: The State of Terror," told Business Insider that Adnani's audio recording is "the weakest message we've seen from ISIS possibly ever."

"Their previous messaging and communications have sought to advance the narrative that they're winning, that they're succeeding on the ground," Berger said. "What we've heard in this message is some cold water being thrown on that. There's confession to the possibility that they could lose some territory."

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Just last year, ISIS was calling on people from all over the world to travel to the "caliphate," which it depicted as an Islamic utopia. But now, ISIS is telling its supporters to stay in their home countries and attack "infidels" there rather than travel to the Middle East.

"The recruitment and foreign fighter flows do seem to have peaked, and this message was pretty clear that it's difficult to go to the Islamic State now," Berger said, adding later that it's "getting harder for them to maintain the narrative that they are running a land of milk and honey."

And the group seems to be preparing its followers for even more setbacks. In his message, Adnani asked:

Do you, oh America, consider defeat to be the loss of a city or the loss of land? Were we defeated when we lost the cities in Iraq and were in the desert without any city or land? And would we be defeated and you be victorious if you were to take Mosul or Sirte or Raqqah or even take all the cities and we were to return to our initial condition? Certainly not!

Berger explained that this constituted "an effort to spin the situation that they're in."

ISIS map

"It also seems to be setting up that they can maintain their legitimacy if they don't have Raqqa or Mosul," Berger said, referring to ISIS's strongholds in Syria and Iraq.

Charlie Winter, a senior research associate at Georgia State University's Transcultural Conflict and Violence Initiative who has studied ISIS propaganda extensively, said that Adnani's statement is part of a "gradual shift" in ISIS's message. Winter told Business Insider that ISIS is "hedging a little bit" as it suffers losses in the Middle East.

"This is to be expected," Winter said. "It's not at all surprising that this is the message now because ... their followers aren't idiots. So this kind of thing is an important thing to be told."

Winter cautioned that ISIS's territorial losses don't necessarily negate the group's message entirely.

He said:

While territory is very important to Islamic State, it's not the be-all and end-all. The institution is the caliphate and the bureaucracy that supports it and the overall apocalyptic utopianism that makes up its message. Territory makes its argument more compelling, but it's not going to disappear if this territory gets lost.

Berger echoed this view.

He said:

Because of the complexity of the conflict, there are still opportunities for [ISIS] to turn it around and keep that territory, at least. Or really, really, if the situation becomes more chaotic around them, there may be opportunities for them to make incremental gains. This [message] clearly establishes that they intend to continue.

A military coalition led by the US is preparing to launch offensives against ISIS in Raqqa, the group's de-facto capital in Syria, and Mosul, ISIS's stronghold in Iraq.

In response to the increased pressure on these cities, ISIS has been building a "back-up capital" in Sirte, Libya. But the group has been struggling to expand there.

Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Steve Warren said during a Pentagon briefing last week that ISIS has lost 45% of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and 30% to 35% of the populated areas it once held across its "caliphate."

As the group loses ground, the flow of foreigners to its territory has slowed significantly and defections have increased.

NOW WATCH: Trump says he would 'not rule out' using nukes against ISIS





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CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) today announced a new partnership with the oldest and largest independent IoT Meet-Up Group in Chicago. The working partnership between the ITA's IoT Council and the IoT Chicago Meet-Up will leverage the strengths of both organizations to build the IoT's educational, funding, and technology base in the Midwest.

ITA's IoT Council was formed in 2015 to drive the advancement of IoT technology, policy, and industry, establishing Chicago and the Midwest as an epicenter of IoT. The Council recently released an inventory of all IoT companies in the Midwest and is currently developing programming for the Fourth Annual IoT Summit and Capital Conference, to be held November 9 and 10 in Chicago.

The IoT Chicago Meet-Up group was established in 2013 to promote education, collaboration, and the sharing of IoT knowledge. Meetings explore design practices, technologies, and opportunities around new information networks of physical "things." The group believes that a cross-pollination of ideas from creative thinkers, designers, engineers, researchers, data scientists, and entrepreneurs to create meaningful and tangible solutions that will make the Internet of Things (IoT) more human, ubiquitous, and commercially viable.

"We are thrilled to partner with the IoT Chicago Meet-Up group," said ITA's CEO, Fred Hoch. "Collaborative relationships like these are critical to building and sustaining our local tech ecosystem. It's important that groups like ours find ways to come together to leverage our strengths for the benefit of the community."

"The IoT Chicago Meet-Up group has always operated as an independent group without affiliation to any company, association, or collaborative," said Steven Loving, group organizer. "However, a partnership with ITA's IoT Council made sense given the overlap of our mission and goals. We plan on joining together on mutual events and are exploring additional opportunities to collaborate -- always with the best interests of the IoT community in mind."

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About ITA

Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is focused on scaling Illinois tech companies. With innovative resources that allow members to collaborate with each other, build their talent networks, and elevate their local and national presence, ITA is growing the local tech community. Founded in 2005 and supporting 500-plus growth-stage tech companies, ITA has a rich history of driving the business forward. For more information, visit illinoistech.org, follow @ITAbuzz on Twitter or find us on LinkedIn.

About IoT Chicago Meet-up

The IoT Chicago Meet-up group is focused on advancing collaboration within the IoT community in Illinois and through out the Mid-west. Through innovative meetings and content members build knowledge, skill-sets, and relationships to further their IoT expertise and initiatives. The IoT Chicago Meet-up group was founded in 2013 and has growing community of 2,600+ members. For more information join us at IoT Meet-Up Group and on LinkedIn.
People stand outside a 7-Eleven convenience store outside the headquarters of Seven & I Holdings in Tokyo January 9, 2015. REUTERS/Yuya Shino/File Photo

By Jeremy Wagstaff and Taiga Uranaka

SINGAPORE/TOKYO (Reuters) - Criminals who stole millions of dollars from automatic teller machines across Japan in a three-hour spree probably chose the country because banks consider it a low fraud risk, security experts say.

The gang used counterfeit Standard Bank credit cards to withdraw 1.4 billion yen ($13 million) in 14,000 transactions from ATMs at 7-Eleven convenience stores over three hours on a Sunday morning, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Most ATMs in the 7-Eleven stores belong to Seven Bank, a Japanese bank part-owned by Seven & I Holdings (3382.T) which runs the store chain in Japan, one of only two Japanese banks that allow withdrawals on foreign cards.

The thieves are still at large.

"They were smart in selecting Japan," said one banking security consultant who asked not to be identified.

"They found a badly protected ATM network in a low-risk country, guessing that the fraud analytics software would not automatically block the transactions."

South Africa's Standard Bank (SBKJ.J) said on Monday it had suffered the losses, not its customers, and that it had alerted the authorities. It estimated its total loss at 300 million rand ($19 million).

The bank declined to comment further on Tuesday.

Seven Bank said it was cooperating with police. Japan's banking regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and Japanese police declined to comment.

Seven has about 22,000 ATMs across the country. Japan Post Bank also accepts overseas credit cards, but only about 540 of its 27,000 are open 24 hours a day.

Reports in Japanese media said the withdrawals were made on May 15 at ATMs in Tokyo and 16 prefectures across Japan's main island Honshu and neighboring Kyushu. That would have taken a substantial number of "mules" to make the transactions and ferry the cash, said experts.

"($13 million) in a matter of hours is nothing short of blinding," said Dan Kelly, a Hong Kong-based cybersecurity researcher at Dragon Threat Labs.

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"The use of loopholes in the bank's procedures makes sense, but trying to rustle up a mule network in one country without making too much noise can't be easy."

FLOOD OF TRANSACTIONS

Experts said both banks should shoulder some blame for failing to monitor the flood of transactions, saying they should have had systems in place to catch spikes in unusual activity in so many locations at the same time during what would usually be a quiet period.

"The liability is on the issuing bank, which is Standard Bank, but as the case gets further investigated, more blame will fall on the acquiring bank," said Subhashish Bose, head of anti-financial crime in Asia-Pacific for FICO, a U.S.-based software company that also scores consumer credit risk.

The criminals may have harvested the data in a variety of ways, said the experts - possibly by "skimming" cards - but they would have had limited options when it came to using them to withdraw cash.

For one thing, they would have to pick a country that still uses magnetic strip card technology, not the newer and more secure "chip and pin" system, which would have ruled out South Africa itself.

"If they would have gone to any of the surrounding countries, they would risk detection (and blocking) by Standard Bank's fraud analytics software", which would consider any transaction in such countries to be high risk, the banking security consultant said.

The same risk assessment would have ruled out most other African countries, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Russia, the consultant added.

Japan, meanwhile, is considered low-risk because of low crime rates and its banks, most of which do not accept foreign cards in their ATMs, the experts said.

Japan has long been ignored by criminal gangs and cybercrime groups because of its relative isolation. But that is changing, say specialists, and the country has yet to catch up.

"They are less experienced in dealing with these frauds and are behind in terms of monitoring, detection and response," said Stephen McCombie, an Asia-Pacific cybercrime specialist at RSA, the security division of data storage firm EMC (EMC.N).

Last year hackers broke into Japan's pension system and leaked more than a million cases of personal data.

(Reporting By Jeremy Wagstaff and Taiga Uranaka; Editing by Alex Richardson)
el chapo baby

On Friday, the Mexican Foreign Ministry announced that it had approved the extradition of jailed drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to the US to face charges including drug trafficking, homicide, and money laundering in Texas and California.

Coming after two rulings by two Mexican judges, the ministrys decision effectively clears the way for Guzmans transport to a US courtroom. But, as US experts and Guzmans own lawyers have said, the kingpin still has means to fight his transfer.

We expected it. It is no surprise, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, one of Guzmans lawyers, said of the ministry's decision in an interview with Milenio TV, according to The Associated Press.

Guzman knows and is conscious that the real battle against extradition is going to be waged through the constitutional appeals process, Rodriguez said, adding that the kingpin could stay in Mexico for one to three years as the appeals process plays out.

Guzman now has up to 30 days to appeal the decision, after which a judge will decide how to move forward. His defense team has at least two attempts to appeal, according to The Washington Post, which could last months.

"It kind of sounds crazy because he was first apprehended two or three years ago. So a lot of people think, "Oh, you got him, just bring him across the border," David Shirk, a professor at the University of San Diego and the director of the schools Justice in Mexico program, told Business Insider prior to the ministrys decision. "They forget one important consideration, which is there is a process."

There's both a sort of technical process and what we can think of as due process. I mean, there's the technical steps, Shirk said, referring to the diplomatic and bureaucratic wrangling involved in the extradition process, and then there's the fact that he actually has some rights.

Mexico El Chapo Guzman prison transfer

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The Sinaloa kingpin, apprehended in January after his July breakout, has been in Mexican custody for more than four months, and the extradition process with Mexico can take anywhere from six months to over six years, Mike Vigil, the former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Agency, told Business Insider.

The Mexican governments approval of extradition came less than two weeks after Guzman was suddenly transferred from a high-security jail in central Mexico (one that he broke out of in July 2015) to another one near Ciudad Juarez, not far from El Paso, Texas.

The relocation fueled speculation that Guzman who has signaled his willingness to cut a deal with the US under certain conditions  was about to be sent north, an unlikely assumption, according to Vigil.

Just because they put him there doesn't mean that it's imminent, hardly the case. Because under the extradition treaty, the attorneys" can file legal injunctions, Vigil told Business Insider before the ministry issued its decision.

El Chapo Guzman lawyer trial plead case

And for every injunction  that the defense attorneys will file, under the Mexican extradition treaty, they have to hold a judicial hearing for each and every  injunction, which takes a lot of time, Vigil added.

In particular, Guzmans attorneys have seized on the prison transfer, arguing that it hurts the drug lords defense because the new prison is far from the court dealing with his case.

Rodriguez told the AP that Guzman could be transferred back to the original prison if jail officials deem the conditions acceptable.

Vigil also suggested Guzman could try to strong-arm his way out of extradition using violence and intimidation. There is a very strong possibility that he will launch a frontal assault on the Mexican government, to try to intimidate the government to stop his extradition," Vigil told the AP.

Future developments in the case  however far down the road they happen  could also come unexpectedly, as the Mexican government will likely try to keep the legal proceedings under wraps.

It seems to me that the pattern has been when extradition happens, they happen in a swift and usually unexpected fashion, insofar as the authorities don't want people to know that someone's being moved because that could obviously lead to a jailbreak attempt or something like that, Shirk said.

NOW WATCH: EX-DEA AGENT: What I did when a drug dealer tried to bribe me with $3 million





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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - OnDeck (ONDK), the leader in online lending for small business, announced today an expansion of its offerings to include a line of credit up to $50,000 and an expanded term loan up to $250,000 to help meet the growing needs of Canada's 1.1 million small businesses.

New OnDeck Line of Credit: $10,000 to $50,000 in flexible cash

Beginning immediately, Canadian small businesses that have annual revenue of at least $100,000 and have been in business for at least one year can apply for a line of credit from OnDeck from $10,000 to $50,000.

OnDeck's new line of credit offers eligible Canadian small businesses access to capital when they need it, whether they need to manage cash flow or be prepared for unexpected opportunities. The line of credit can be drawn upon at any time and has all the benefits of a credit card but can be used for expenses where a card won't work, such as making payroll.

Expanded Term Loan: $5,000 to $250,000 (up from $150,000) over 6 to 24 months

OnDeck's term loans enable eligible Canadian small businesses to access capital from $5,000 to $250,000 (up from $150,000) with loan repayment terms of 6 to 24 months.

Since OnDeck entered Canada in 2014, the company has delivered more than $50 million in financing to Canadian small businesses.

"Small business owners need financing at every stage of their business' lifecycle, whether to take advantage of growth opportunities like buying inventory, investing in major equipment purchases, or managing cash flow," said Gary Fearnall, country manager, OnDeck Canada. "The new OnDeck Line of Credit - along with the expanded Term Loan - will provide Canada's small businesses the growth capital they need in as little as 24 hours. That type of speed and service is exactly what small businesses need to grow in today's economy."

Tom Collver and Kyle Dutka are the owners of pb+j, an integrated digital and design agency, based in Toronto, Ontario. When Tom and Kyle went looking for additional capital to grow their business faster through new hires and marketing initiatives, they chose an OnDeck term loan.

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"We were amazed at how quickly and smoothly the loan application process at OnDeck went for us," said Tom Collver, co-owner pb+j. "Thanks to financing from OnDeck, we were able to hire new employees and boost our marketing efforts, ultimately doubling our revenue. They have been true partners in helping us grow our business and we are now on our third round of financing with OnDeck."

Since 2007, OnDeck has harnessed its proprietary technology, including the OnDeck Score, to assess the health and outlook of a business in real-time and deliver streamlined capital access to the largely underserved small business community. As a result, the company has delivered more than $4 billion (US) to small businesses in the United States and Canada. Since 2014, OnDeck has delivered more than $50 million in financing to Canadian businesses.

To learn more about OnDeck and its lending options for Canadian small businesses, visit www.ondeck.com/canada.

About OnDeck

OnDeck (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 (US) 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.

All dollar amounts noted in this release are Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: QTA) (QTRRF) ("Quaterra" or the "Company") and its subsidiary Singatse Peak Services LLC ("SPS") today announced results from Hole B-052, the fifth core hole of a drill program to explore and further define the Bear deposit, a large porphyry copper system on the Company's 52-square mile property in the historic Yerington Copper District of Nevada. The drill program is being funded with option payments to SPS by Freeport-McMoRan Nevada LLC ("Freeport Nevada").

Highlights

Hole B-052, drilled vertically to a depth of 3,468 feet, intercepted two zones of 0.4% copper, the first of 43 feet (13.1 meters) with 201 ppm molybdenum starting at 2,508 feet and another of 29 feet (8.8 meters) starting at 2,667 feet. Overall, the hole intercepted 666.2 feet (203.1 meters) of 0.14% copper mineralization beginning at a depth of 2,081.3 feet.

Table 1. Significant intercepts from Bear core hole B-052*

HOLE B-052 From To Interval Interval % ppm ppm ppm feet feet feet meters Cu Mo Au Ag 2081.3 2747.5 666.2 203.1 0.14 89 0.006 <0.5 includes 2508.0 2551.0 43.0 13.1 0.40 201 0.009 <0.5 includes 2628.5 2747.5 119.0 36.3 0.23 83 0.007 <0.5 includes 2667.0 2696.0 29.0 8.8 0.40 68 0.011 <0.5 2399.5 2982.5 583.0 177.7 0.11 160 <0.005 <0.5

*Drill intercepts are based on actual core lengths and may not reflect the true width of mineralization.

Note: 1 ppm = 1 gram per tonne

Discussion

Hole B-052, collared 700 feet north-northeast of hole B-051, was sited to determine if the favorable alteration and mineralization intersected in hole B-051 extended and strengthened to the north. Although the alteration and style of mineralization encountered in hole B-052 is similar to B-051, the narrower and lower grade mineralization shows that this is most likely not the case. Molybdenite is more common than in previous SPS holes, occurring in narrow quartz veins that cut and often offset chalcopyrite-pyrite veins and veinlets and continuing over a longer vertical range (709.5 feet) than the copper mineralization. The lower copper and gold grades, combined with a higher pyrite/chalcopyrite ratio, indicate that hole B-052 was drilled in a more distal part of the system. Additional drilling will be necessary to test this concept as Bear mineralization remains open in three directions.

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Hole GHH-001, the sixth and final drill-hole of the current program located in Ground Hog Hills about 6,000 feet south of previous SPS holes, has been drilled to a depth of 2,017.5 feet and cased for possible future deepening. It was drilled to test an area of favorable geology and mineralization coincident with an historic IP anomaly. Assays for this drill hole are pending. Hole locations are shown on a map available on Quaterra's website at http://quaterra.com/projects/quaterras-yerington-copper-projects/bear-deposit/. A video of the current drill-program at the Bear deposit is available for viewing on the Company website at http://quaterra.com/quaterra-video-2015-bear-drilling/.

For background on the Bear deposit, Quaterra's Yerington project and the option agreement with Freeport Nevada please see the news release dated November 17, 2015, or visit the Company website at www.quaterra.com.

Quality assurance and control

Core samples were either sawed or split by SPS personnel in Yerington, Nevada, and shipped to Bureau Veritas Minerals NA -- Inspectorate America Corporation, an ISO certified assaying/geochemistry facility, in Reno, Nevada, for sample preparation. Gold analyses are assayed in Bureau Veritas' lab in Reno using their "FA430" procedure (fire assay with atomic absorption finish) with a 5 ppb Au detection limit. Prepared pulps are shipped to Bureau Veritas' lab in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, for analysis using their "MA 300" procedure for 35 element ICP-ES analysis. Commercially prepared standards and blanks are inserted by SPS at 50-foot intervals to insure precision of results as a quality control measure. SPS has a chain of custody program to ensure sample security during all stages of sample collection, cutting, shipping, and storage.

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Thomas Patton, Ph.D., the CEO of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.

About Quaterra Resources Inc.

Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: QTA) (QTRRF) is a copper exploration and development company with the primary objective to advance its U.S. subsidiary's copper projects in the Yerington District, Nevada.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Thomas Patton, Chairman & CEO

Quaterra Resources Inc.

Disclosure note:

Some statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements under Canadian securities laws and within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified in this news release by words such as "believes", "anticipates", "intends", "has the potential", "expects", and similar language, or convey estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives, potential outcomes, expectations, or goals. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. In particular, forward looking statements in this news release include or assume that the Company will receive all option payments over the next six months, that exploration results on the Bear deposit will define further mineralization, that historic exploration results will be confirmed by new exploration, that further drilling will extend the boundaries of the known high-grade mineralized area, and that drill results from the current drill program point to a large copper system. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. A summary of risk factors that apply to the Company's operations are included in our management discussion and analysis filings with securities regulatory authorities, and are publicly available on our website. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.
Singapore's regulators have shut down a private bank implicated in investigations of Malaysia's troubled development fund 1MDB, with prosecutors in the city-state and Switzerland weighing criminal charges.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said Switzerland-based BSI Bank would lose its status as a merchant bank in Singapore due to "serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight of the bank's operations, and gross misconduct by some of the bank's staff."



"BSI Bank is the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector. It is a stark reminder to all financial institutions to take their anti-money laundering responsibilities seriously," Ravi Menon, managing director of MAS, said in the statement.



This is the first time since 1984 that MAS has withdrawn a merchant bank's approval.



The central bank's criticism of BSI was harsh and wide-ranging. In its statement, MAS said the bank had an "unacceptable risk culture, with blatant disregard for compliance and control requirements as well as MAS regulations."

MAS accused several bank staff of making material misrepresentations to auditors and abetting improper valuations of assets. The central bank said it had referred six members of BSI's senior management to the public prosecutor in order to evaluate whether they had committed criminal offences.



"MAS found considerable evidence of gross dereliction of duty and failure to discharge oversight responsibilities on the part of BSI Bank's senior management. Their ineffective governance led to a poor risk culture, which prioritized questionable customer demands ahead of compliance with anti-money laundering regulations and the bank's own internal controls," MAS said.



At the same time, Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General said it had opened criminal proceedings against BSI SA Bank, based on information uncovered by a Swiss criminal investigation into 1 Malaysia Development Berhad, adding that the bank's governance deficiencies had made rendered BSI unable to prevent the offenses under investigation related to the debt-ridden Malaysian development fund.



Story continues





Former employees at BSI in Singapore have been named in various reports as having handled transactions for 1MDB, and although the Singaporean regulator did not refer directly to 1MDB in its statement, BSI Bank in Switzerland issued a statement in which it said it had ooperated with both Swiss and Singapore regulators in their investigations into the troubled wealth fund.



BSI also said its Group CEO Stefano Coduri had stepped down with immediate effect. Coduri had been in the role since 2012.

"The board of directors thanks Stefano Coduri's for his sense of responsibility and accepts his resignation," the statement said.

One of the BSI bankers named in the MAS statement, Yak Yew Chee, a former senior private banker, already faces a criminal probe in Singapore.

Yak, who left the bank in March, filed an affidavit with the Singapore High Court earlier this year denying any wrongdoing or receiving unlawful benefits from managing 1MDB accounts, according to a Reuters report.

Another of the names the MAS said on Tuesday it had referred to prosecutors, former BSI Bank wealth planner Yeo Jiawei, has reportedly been served with seven charges related to the 1MDB probe, including receiving benefits from criminal conduct, forgery and money laundering.

The forgery charge was related to Yeo allegedly signing a reference letter to another bank's compliance chief in order to help faciliatate a fund transfer.

Yeo has also been accused of asking another person named in the MAS statement on Tuesday, Kevin Michael Swampillai, BSI's head of wealth management services, to lie to police about a fund transfer.

A lawyer for Swampillai declined to comment. A lawyer for Yeo did not immediately return an emailed request for comment.

Two others named in the MAS statement, Hans Peter Brunner, the Singapore unit's former CEO, and Raj Sriram, the former deputy CEO, did not immediately return LinkedIn messages sent requesting comment.

No contact details could be found for Seah Yew Foong Yvonne, a former senior private banker at BIS, who was the sixth person named in the MAS statement as having been referred for potential prosecution.

Questions about movement of funds from 1MDB gained attention in July, when the Wall Street Journal reported that in 2013 nearly $700 million had flowed from the fund to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's personal bank account.

Najib has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and, under pressure from the outcry caused by the WSJ report, said the funds were a private donation from a Middle Eastern country he declined to name. He has denied benefiting personally from any of the funds.

In January, Malaysia's Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali said that Saudi Arabia's royal family gave Najib a $681 million gift, of which Apandi said about $600 million was later returned.

Apandi said that no criminal offense had been committed. But globally, investigations into 1MDB in locales as varied as U.S., Switzerland, Singapore and the Seychelles have continued.

The WSJ has reported that funds filtered from 1MDB financed Red Granite Pictures, a film production company co-founded by Najib's stepson Riza Aziz, which produced the film the Wolf of Wall Street.

The WSJ has also reported tha Riza used at least $50 million from 1MDB to purchase luxury properties in London, Los Angeles and New York. The WSJ said Riza had denied any wrongdoing.

In an emailed comment, Red Granite noted that it has received hundreds of millions in funding over the past six years from multiple sources, including U.S. commercial and investment banks, while generating nearly $1 billion in box office receipts.

"To its knowledge, none of the funding received by Red Granite was in any way irregular or illegitimate," the email said. "Red Granite is cooperating fully with all inquiries and is confident that when the facts come out, it will be clear that neither Riza Aziz nor Red Granite has done anything wrong."

Nyshka Chandran contributed to this article.



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* MAS shuts Singapore unit of BSI for money laundering

* First bank to be closed in city state since 1984

* Swiss start criminal proceedings against BSI

* BSI Group CEO to step down (Updates to add TV link)

By Anshuman Daga, Saeed Azhar and Joshua Franklin

SINGAPORE/ZURICH, May 24 (Reuters) - Singapore closed down BSI's operations in the city-state, while Switzerland began criminal proceedings against the private bank, in the biggest international crackdown on financial entities dealing with a scandal-hit Malaysian government fund.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Tuesday it had withdrawn BSI Bank's status as a merchant bank in Singapore for serious breaches of anti-money laundering rules, the first time in 32 years it has taken such action against a bank.

In a statement that highlighted an "unacceptable risk culture," regulatory lapses and gross misconduct of some of BSI's staff, MAS said it was also reviewing transactions of other banks in Singapore. (ttp://bit.ly/1TtsyAw)

The central bank has referred five former executives of BSI Bank to the public prosecutor for possible criminal charges, including its previous Asia CEO, Hanspeter Brunner,m and another suspended executive.

Brunner did not respond to a request for comment.

"BSI Bank is the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector," said Ravi Menon, managing director of MAS.

'STRONG SIGNAL'

The Singapore central bank's action was "a shot across the bow to the industry," said Chris Wilson, a partner at PwC Consulting, specialising in anti-money laundering and financial crime.

"This sends a strong signal to senior management of any institution out there that they could also face these issues," he said, adding that regulators in other countries may now review their own rules or step up enforcement.

MAS did not explicitly name 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)in its statement. But the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority or Finma said in Zurich that Swiss-based BSI AG had committed serious breaches of money laundering regulations through business relationships and transactions linked to the corruption scandals surrounding the Malaysian state investor.

Story continues

The fund, which was founded by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009 shortly after he came to office, is being investigated for money-laundering in at least six countries.

A Malaysian parliamentary committee in April identified at least $4.2 billion in irregular transactions by 1MDB. It recommended the fund's advisory board, which Najib chaired, be disbanded. Both 1MDB and Najib have denied any wrongdoing.

The Malaysian attorney general's office in January cleared Najib of any criminal offences or corruption, declaring that $681 million deposited into his personal bank account was a gift from Saudi Arabia's royal family.

The probes surrounding 1MDB have cast an unwelcome spotlight on Singapore, which is one of the world's leading wealth management centres and has been trying to burnish its anti-money laundering credentials.

SWISS ACTION

In Switzerland, Lugano-based BSI now faces a criminal investigation from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), while financial watchdog FINMA ordered it to fork over almost $100 million in profits.

The OAG suspects that internal BSI deficiencies meant it was unable to prevent suspected offences in a wider OAG investigation in connection to 1MDB.

Swiss authorities said in February a criminal investigation into 1MDB had revealed that about $4 billion appeared to have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies.

1MDB said in a statement on Tuesday it has not been contacted by any foreign authority.

The OAG investigation comes amid a takeover of BSI by Swiss rival EFG International AG, which agreed in February to buy it from Brazil-based BTG Pactual for 1.33 billion Swiss francs ($1.34 billion).

FINMA said the deal could still go ahead on condition that 143-year-old BSI be fully integrated with EFG and then dissolved. BSI's assets in Singapore will be transferred to EFG, MAS said.

SEIZING PROFITS

FINMA also said it is seizing 95 million Swiss francs of profits from BSI and had launched enforcement proceedings against two of its former senior managers.

No BSI senior managers will be allowed to take similar positions at EFG, FINMA added.

"Management ignored clear warning signals and the system of controls failed," FINMA CEO Mark Branson told reporters, adding that other legal issues involving BSI left it little choice in its measures.

"Unfortunately, it is also not an isolated case... So we, like our colleagues in Singapore, had to come to the conclusion that the bank must be dissolved."

BSI responded to the OAG, FINMA and MAS measures by saying that group CEO Stefano Coduri had stepped down with immediate effect and that it had undertaken steps to strengthen management, including introducing a new chief risk officer and appointing a new group legal counsel.

"BSI acknowledges that these events are important steps with regard to the regulators to resolve legacy issues," it said in a statement, "and removing uncertainty for clients and staff in relation to 1MDB."

The actions in Singapore and Switzerland show both the transnational problem of money laundering and the trend for greater international regulatory collaboration, said Chrisol Correia, director of international anti-money laundering compliance at LexisNexis Risk Solutions .

"This will lead to new operational challenges as banks' economic crime controls are updated and expanded," he said, adding customers will need to disclose more information "or find it difficult to continue to access the banking system".

(Reporting by Anshuman Daga and Saeed Azhar and Joshua Franklin in ZURICH Additional reporting by Oliver Hirt in ZURICH,Michelle Price in HONG KONG and Praveen Menon in KUALA LUMPUR)
By Anshuman Daga, Saeed Azhar and Joshua Franklin

SINGAPORE/ZURICH (Reuters) - Singapore closed down BSI's operations in the city-state, while Switzerland began criminal proceedings against the private bank, in the biggest international crackdown on financial entities dealing with a scandal-hit Malaysian government fund.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Tuesday it had withdrawn BSI Bank's status as a merchant bank in Singapore for serious breaches of anti-money laundering rules, the first time in 32 years it has taken such action against a bank.

In a statement that highlighted an "unacceptable risk culture," regulatory lapses and gross misconduct of some of BSI's staff, MAS said it was also reviewing transactions of other banks in Singapore.

The central bank has referred five former executives of BSI Bank to the public prosecutor for possible criminal charges, including its previous Asia CEO, Hanspeter Brunner,m and another suspended executive.

Brunner did not respond to a request for comment.

"BSI Bank is the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector," said Ravi Menon, managing director of MAS.

'STRONG SIGNAL'

The Singapore central bank's action was "a shot across the bow to the industry," said Chris Wilson, a partner at PwC Consulting, specialising in anti-money laundering and financial crime.

"This sends a strong signal to senior management of any institution out there that they could also face these issues," he said, adding that regulators in other countries may now review their own rules or step up enforcement.

MAS did not explicitly name 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)in its statement. But the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority or Finma said in Zurich that Swiss-based BSI AG had committed serious breaches of money laundering regulations through business relationships and transactions linked to the corruption scandals surrounding the Malaysian state investor.

Story continues

The fund, which was founded by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009 shortly after he came to office, is being investigated for money-laundering in at least six countries.

A Malaysian parliamentary committee in April identified at least $4.2 billion in irregular transactions by 1MDB. It recommended the fund's advisory board, which Najib chaired, be disbanded. Both 1MDB and Najib have denied any wrongdoing.

The Malaysian attorney general's office in January cleared Najib of any criminal offences or corruption, declaring that $681 million deposited into his personal bank account was a gift from Saudi Arabia's royal family.

The probes surrounding 1MDB have cast an unwelcome spotlight on Singapore, which is one of the world's leading wealth management centres and has been trying to burnish its anti-money laundering credentials.

SWISS ACTION

In Switzerland, Lugano-based BSI now faces a criminal investigation from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), while financial watchdog FINMA ordered it to fork over almost $100 million in profits.

The OAG suspects that internal BSI deficiencies meant it was unable to prevent suspected offences in a wider OAG investigation in connection to 1MDB.

Swiss authorities said in February a criminal investigation into 1MDB had revealed that about $4 billion appeared to have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies.

1MDB said in a statement on Tuesday it has not been contacted by any foreign authority.

The OAG investigation comes amid a takeover of BSI by Swiss rival EFG International AG, which agreed in February to buy it from Brazil-based BTG Pactual for 1.33 billion Swiss francs ($1.34 billion).

FINMA said the deal could still go ahead on condition that 143-year-old BSI be fully integrated with EFG and then dissolved. BSI's assets in Singapore will be transferred to EFG, MAS said.

SEIZING PROFITS

FINMA also said it is seizing 95 million Swiss francs of profits from BSI and had launched enforcement proceedings against two of its former senior managers.

No BSI senior managers will be allowed to take similar positions at EFG, FINMA added.

"Management ignored clear warning signals and the system of controls failed," FINMA CEO Mark Branson told reporters, adding that other legal issues involving BSI left it little choice in its measures.

"Unfortunately, it is also not an isolated case... So we, like our colleagues in Singapore, had to come to the conclusion that the bank must be dissolved."

BSI responded to the OAG, FINMA and MAS measures by saying that group CEO Stefano Coduri had stepped down with immediate effect and that it had undertaken steps to strengthen management, including introducing a new chief risk officer and appointing a new group legal counsel.

"BSI acknowledges that these events are important steps with regard to the regulators to resolve legacy issues," it said in a statement, "and removing uncertainty for clients and staff in relation to 1MDB."

The actions in Singapore and Switzerland show both the transnational problem of money laundering and the trend for greater international regulatory collaboration, said Chrisol Correia, director of international anti-money laundering compliance at LexisNexis Risk Solutions .

"This will lead to new operational challenges as banks economic crime controls are updated and expanded," he said, adding customers will need to disclose more information "or find it difficult to continue to access the banking system".

(Reporting by Anshuman Daga and Saeed Azhar and Joshua Franklin in ZURICH Additional reporting by Oliver Hirt in ZURICH,Michelle Price in HONG KONG and Praveen Menon in KUALA LUMPUR)
ZURICH, May 24 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has opened criminal proceedings against Swiss bank BSI in connection with embattled Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), it said on Tuesday.

"The OAG suspects deficiencies in the internal organisation of the BSI SA bank," the OAG said in a statement. "It is believed that due to these deficiencies, the bank was unable to prevent the commission of offences currently under investigation in the criminal proceedings relating to 1MDB."

In February, Swiss bank EFG International agreed to buy BSI from Brazil-based BTG Pactual for 1.33 billion Swiss francs ($1.34 billion).

In a separate statement, Swiss financial watchdog FINMA said it found BSI in breach of money laundering regulations in connection with 1MDB.

($1 = 0.9908 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Joshua Franklin; Editing by Maria Sheahan)
The logo of Takata Corp is seen on its display at a showroom for vehicles in Tokyo, Japan, May 11, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said on Monday it will recall almost 1.6 million additional U.S. vehicles for front passenger side Takata air bag inflators that could rupture.

Earlier this month, Takata Corp (7312.T) said it was declaring another 35 million to 40 million U.S. inflators defective at the urging of U.S. regulators, a move that more than doubles the number of inflators recalled. Faulty Takata inflators have been linked to more than 100 injuries and 13 deaths worldwide.

Toyota said the new recall includes some but not all Corolla, Matrix, Yaris, 4Runner, Sienna, Scion xB, Lexus ES, GX and IS vehicles built between 2006 and 2011.

Toyota said it has now recalled 4.73 million vehicles in the United States for Takata air bags.

Other reports from the 17 automakers now recalling Takata vehicles are due this week.

On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE) said another 197,000 vehicles in the United States will need to be recalled -- but all have been recalled in previous driver-side airbag calls.

Last week, Takata filed reports with U.S. auto safety regulators declaring nearly 14 million air bag inflators defective -- in the first of a series of required reports. Takata agreed to expand recalls by 35 million to 40 million inflators in several tranches through 2019, adding to the 28.8 million recalled before May 4.

This is the largest recall in U.S. auto safety history. Malfunctioning Takata air bag inflators can explode with too much force, sending shrapnel into vehicles.

Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O), Fisker Automotive and Jaguar Land Rover will recall Takata air bag inflators, bringing the number of automakers involved to 17, including Honda Motor Co , Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCHA.MI).

Jaguar Land Rover is a Tata Motors Ltd brand.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra Maler)
(Adds criticism from U.S. Congress, paragraphs 11, 13-16)

By Matt Spetalnick

HANOI, May 23 (Reuters) - The United States announced a complete end to its arms embargo on Vietnam on Monday, a historic step that draws a line under the two countries' earlier enmity and underscores their shared concerns about China's growing military clout.

The move came during President Barack Obama's first visit to Hanoi, which his hosts described as the arrival of a warm spring and a new chapter in relations between two countries that were at war four decades ago.

Obama, the third U.S. president to visit Vietnam since diplomatic relations were restored in 1995, has made a strategic "rebalance" toward Asia a centerpiece of his foreign policy.

Vietnam, which borders China, is a key part of that strategy amid worries about Beijing's assertiveness and sovereignty claims to 80 percent of the South China Sea.

The decision to lift the arms trade ban suggested such concerns outweighed arguments that Vietnam had not done enough to improve its human rights record and Washington would lose leverage for reforms.

Obama told a joint news conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang that disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully and not by whoever "throws their weight around." But he insisted the arms embargo shift was not linked to China.

"The decision to lift the ban was not based on China or any other considerations. It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving towards normalization with Vietnam," he said. Obama later added his visit to a former foe showed "hearts can change and peace is possible."

In 2014, the Obama administration eased the decades-old arms embargo to allow its former Cold War enemy to buy maritime surveillance and "security-related" systems to strengthen it with China in mind.

Now Hanoi will be able to buy a full range of U.S. weapons and military equipment. Immediate big-ticket purchases are not expected, but Vietnam's military strategists are likely to seek U.S. drones, radar, coastal patrol boats and possibly P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft.

Story continues

The sale of arms, Obama said, would depend on Vietnam's human rights commitments, and be made on a case-by-case basis.

The announcement met a mixed reception in the U.S. Congress, which can block foreign arms sales. Some lawmakers said they supported lifting the embargo, but would keep a close eye on Vietnam's human rights record.

"Congress will work with the administration to ensure today's more expansive shift in policy aligns with U.S. interests, including the desire for progress on human rights," said Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

But others, including some of Obama's fellow Democrats, saw a missed opportunity. "Now what incentive is left for the Vietnamese government to meaningfully enact human rights reforms and respect the civil rights of the Vietnamese people?" asked U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam.

HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS

The advocacy group Human Rights Watch reacted with dismay to Washington's decision to toss away a critical lever it might have had to spur political reform in the Communist Party-ruled state.

Phil Robertson, the watchdog's Asia director, said in a statement that even as Obama was lifting the embargo, Vietnamese authorities were arresting a journalist, human rights activists and bloggers.

"In one fell swoop, President Obama has jettisoned what remained of U.S. leverage to improve human rights in Vietnam - and basically gotten nothing for it," he said.

Obama told the news conference with President Quang that Washington would continue to speak out for human rights, including citizens' right to organise through civil society.

Obama is scheduled to meet with activists on Tuesday.

Quang, who announced the lifting of the U.S. embargo before Obama could do so, was until recently minister of public security, which activists say harasses and arrests dissidents.

Dissent was once the domain of just a few in Vietnam. But while the party has allowed more open criticism in recent years, it is quick to slap down challenges to its monopoly on power.

Although the communist parties that run China and Vietnam officially have brotherly ties, China's brinkmanship over the South China Sea - where it has been turning remote outcrops into islands with runways and harbours - has forced Vietnam to recalibrate its defence strategy.

Carl Thayer, an expert on Vietnam's military at Australia's Defence Force Academy, said the steep costs of U.S. arms would remain a factor for Hanoi, pushing it towards its traditional suppliers of missiles and planes, particularly long-time security patron, Russia. On the other hand, lifting the embargo will provide Vietnam with leverage in future arms deals with those suppliers.

China sees U.S. support for rival South China Sea claimants Vietnam and the Philippines as interference and an attempt to establish hegemony in the region. Washington insists its priority is ensuring freedom of navigation and flight.

However, China's response to the embargo announcement was muted. The Foreign Ministry said it hoped the development in relations between the United States and Vietnam would be conducive to regional peace and stability.

Underlining the burgeoning commercial relationship between the United States and Vietnam, one of the first deals signed on Obama's trip was an $11.3 billion order for 100 Boeing Co planes by low-cost airline VietJet.

China is Vietnam's biggest trade partner and source of imports. But bilateral trade with the United States has swelled ten-fold over the past two decades to about $45 billion. Vietnam is also now Southeast Asia's biggest exporter to America.

(Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen, Ho Binh Minh, My Pham and Martin Petty in Hanoi, Greg Torode in Hong Kong and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Alistair Bell and G Crosse)
By Daniel Wiessner and Dan Levine

(Reuters) - The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers trumpeted an agreement reached earlier this month to represent New York Uber drivers, saying it "gives organized labor an opportunity to shape the new economy in a way that supports and values workers and their families."

But not everyone in the U.S. labor movement is cheering.

The deal falls short of actual union representation, and it has revealed sharp divisions among labor advocates about how to address a central reality of the so-called gig economy: The classification of workers as independent contractors rather than employees.

Under the terms of its agreement with Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL], the Machinists will form an Independent Drivers Guild that will be able to intervene with the company on behalf of wrongly terminated drivers and negotiate for benefits, such as disability insurance and roadside assistance.

The Machinists also agreed to refrain for five years from organizing strikes or unionizing drivers and said they would not push regulators to change the status of drivers from contractors to employees.

Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, decried the deal as a "historic betrayal" of drivers because it gives up their most important tools to achieve economic power.

She said her organization had been in talks with the Machinists about collaborating on a driver unionization campaign before the agreement with Uber. The Machinists had successfully organized car service drivers in the past, and Desai said her group believed a similar path would work with Uber drivers.

Jim Conigliaro Jr, general counsel for Machinists Union District 15, said the agreement can help Uber drivers earn more money and work under better conditions in the short term. Longer term, if the National Labor Relations Board were to rule that drivers should be classified as employees, then a unionization drive would be possible.

Story continues

"To us this deal is the best of both worlds," Conigliaro said.

THE CHANGING NATURE OF LABOR

Rideshare companies say contracting, rather than employing, workers keeps costs down and provides the flexibility drivers say they want.

But contract workers are not entitled to the same legal protections employees enjoy, including minimum wage guarantees and overtime pay.

Organized labor has struggled with how to react with the new realities of the rapidly growing part of the economy dominated by gig, or temporary and contract, workers. Some union officials have argued it's crucial to engage in new ways with the changing nature of labor, while others have doubled down on traditional organizing.

"We desperately need risk-taking innovation in search of the next model," said Service Employees International Union (SEIU) vice president David Rolf.

Traditional collective bargaining does not work with on-demand tech companies, but new models, such as the Uber deal, can introduce worker organizing, he said.

Last month, the SEIU drew flack from another union, Unite Here, for negotiating with internet-based home rental company Airbnb Inc to encourage its hosts to hire union-approved house cleaners who would make at least $15 an hour.

The deal was abandoned after Unite Here, which represents hotel workers, attacked the arrangement as "cheap cover" for Airbnb.

"We are appalled by reports that SEIU is partnering with Airbnb," Unite Here spokeswoman Annemarie Strassel said at the time. She accused the rental service of "driving up housing costs and killing good hotel jobs in urban markets across North America."

Seth Harris, a Washington D.C. lawyer who was deputy U.S. labor secretary from 2009 to 2013, said both unions and companies like Uber are formulating strategies for the new labor market in the face of outmoded labor and antitrust laws that restrict their options.

"Both sides are hemmed in, so they have found a way to navigate the narrow path those laws have carved for them," Harris said.

The Machinists are not the only union to engage with Uber drivers. Earlier this year, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers launched a campaign to represent 600 of the company's drivers at New York City's LaGuardia Airport. The union, which like the Machinists is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, backed off after the Machinists launched their drive.

Last month, Uber agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by California and Massachusetts drivers for up to $100 million. Drivers would remain independent contractors under the deal, but Uber said it would help establish an association for them to communicate with the company.

The next day the Teamsters, in conjunction with worker rights group Silicon Valley Rising, announced it would launch a driver association in California. Kara Deniz, a spokeswoman for the International Teamsters, said it is difficult to predict what kind of organization will ultimately be formed.

"As a union whatever we do will be based on discussions with the drivers and their wishes," Deniz said.

The Machinists' deal could make it difficult for other labor groups to take a harder line with Uber, unless drivers are united and clear in their demands, said Catherine Fisk, a labor law professor at the University of California Irvine.

"In the end what any worker organization can get is a function of the solidarity of the workers," she said.

In Seattle, Uber and Lyft drivers worked with the Teamsters to lobby officials for an ordinance allowing them to bargain collectively. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit to block it, which is pending.

Fasil Teka, an Uber driver who helped found the App Based Driver Association in Seattle, said collective bargaining - and the ability to strike - was his main reason for organizing.

Otherwise, he said, "there would be no point in having a union."

The one thing all sides agree on is that the struggle over how to organize labor in the new economy is just beginning, and for some observers, that's not a terrible thing.

"Unions are in a state of crisis and are desperately trying to figure out a model to stay relevant," said Phil Wilson, president of the Labor Relations Institute Inc, which casts itself as "the preeminent firm in countering union organizing campaigns."

(Reporting by Dan Wiessner in Albany, New York and Dan Levine in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Heather Somerville in San Francisco; Editing by Sue Horton and Lisa Girion)
By Jessica Toonkel

(Reuters) - The legal battle over control of Sumner Redstone's $40 billion media empire has investors hopeful that change will come to underperforming Viacom Inc <VIAB.O>.

On Friday, Sumner Redstone removed both Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and Viacom board member George Abrams from the trust that will determine the future of CBS and Viacom after controlling shareholder Redstone dies or is declared mentally incapacitated.

Dauman fired back on Monday saying the moves to replace him and Abrams from both the trust and National Amusements board would amount to an "unlawful corporate takeover" by Sumner's daughter, Shari Redstone. Sumner Redstone's privately-held movie theater chain National Amusements holds 80 percent of the voting stock in both Viacom and CBS.

Separately, Sumner Redstone on Monday asked a Los Angeles Court for an order validating his removal of Dauman and Abrams from his trust and from the board of National Amusements Inc.

The outcome of the court cases, and who ends up with control over the trust, and over the National Amusements board, will have wide-ranging implications for Viacom and CBS shareholders and could result in changes at the top of both companies, possibly through mergers and acquisitions.

Some investors are hopeful that change is imminent. Viacom shares rose 2.5 percent to $40.02 on Monday.

This whole company should be a case study of how to destroy shareholder value, said Salvatore Muoio, principal with New York-based S. Muoio & Co, a major owner of Viacom voting shares. They should sell this business to the highest bidder and get it over with.

Michael Cuggino, president and portfolio manager at San Francisco-based Permanent Portfolio Family of Funds, which owns voting shares of CBS and Viacom, said he would also welcome some change at Viacom, including a sale, but had concerns about what kind of premium Viacom could get from a potential buyer right now.

Story continues

Cuggino said he would welcome the idea of Viacom becoming part of CBS again, but would need to make sure it made sense for CBS. Viacom spun off CBS in 2006.

"There are certainly a lot of good synergies there," he said.

Others investors are showing more patience. Mario Gabelli, the second-largest owner of Viacom voting shares, told CNBC on Monday that Dauman has six months to turn the company around.

Representatives for CBS and Viacom declined to comment.

Viacom, like other media companies, has suffered from falling ratings at its cable networks such as Nickelodeon and MTV as younger viewers migrate online and to mobile video.

Over the past 12 months, Viacom is down 40 percent, lagging the Standard & Poor's 500 Media Index <.SPLRCME>, which is off only 4.7 percent. CBS shares edged down 0.5 percent to $52.49.

BATTLE FOR CONTROL

Redstone, who turns 93 on Friday, suffers from diminished mental capacity and is dependent on his daughter, Shari Redstone, the lawsuit said.

"Shari Redstone is attempting to illegally hijack her father's well-established estate plan," Dauman said in a statement.

The complaint named Shari Redstone, her son Tyler Korff, as defendants and trust members David Andelman, Norman Jacobs and Leonard Lewin as nominal defendants.

A statement sent on behalf of Shari Redstone said, It is absurd for anyone to accuse Shari of manipulating her father ... Sumner makes his own decisions regarding whom he wants to see both in his home and elsewhere."

Redstone's attorneys have said he made the changes to the trust and board after trying to reach out to Viacom's board to discuss the future strategy of the company.

The California and Massachusetts courts will need to sort out which of them has jurisdiction, and that may not be easy, said Keith Davidson, a probate lawyer in California.

Massachusetts will likely have a strong preference to let California take jurisdiction, especially since a part of the case has already been litigated here. But you never know, Davidson wrote in an email.

The standards for determining that someone is not mentally competent differ. California requires evidence of a mental defect that correlates to the specifics of the situation, such as a will or contract; Massachusetts does not have that requirement but does look to expert opinion and would evaluate a persons ability to manage affairs effectively, lawyers said.

Viacom said in a statement its board has tried to meet with Sumner Redstone many times, adding that he was silent during a recent call about the company's strategy.

Sumner Redstone has not participated in an earnings conference call or an annual investor meeting since 2014.

Sumner Redstone plans to name National Amusements general counsel Tad Jankowski and family friend Jill Krutick to the trust, sources told Reuters on Sunday.

Besides Shari, trust members include her son, lawyer Tyler Korff; David Andelman, another lawyer who is on the CBS board; Norman Jacobs, Sumner Redstone's divorce lawyer; and Leonard Lewin, who represented Redstone's first wife, Phyllis, in her divorce from Redstone.

'LIVING GHOST'

Sumner Redstone and Dauman have worked together for more than 30 years, and Redstone has called Dauman "a great friend."

In February, Shari Redstone was the only one to vote against Dauman's elevation to executive chairman of Viacom to replace her father.

This month, a judge dismissed a lawsuit by a former girlfriend who had argued Redstone was not mentally competent to remove her from his advance healthcare directive.

The case, which claimed that Redstone was a living ghost, shined a spotlight on Redstone's health.

The mogul struggled to speak when questioned by attorneys. But he was clear about wanting ex-girlfriend Manuela Herzer out of his life, and putting his daughter in charge of healthcare decisions if he could no longer make them.

In that trial, Dauman submitted statements in November that Redstone was engaged and attentive in recent conversations.

However, the complaint filed Monday claims that Redstone suffers from dementia, impaired cognition, a slowness of mental processing, a loss of memory, apathy and depression.

(Additional reporting by David Ingram in New York; Writing by Nick Zieminski; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
A U.S. flag flutters in the wind above a Volkswagen dealership in Carlsbad, California, U.S. May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake (Reuters)

By Alexandria Sage and David Shepardson

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG <VOWG_p.DE> has made substantial progress toward reaching a final settlement next month with car owners and the U.S. government over the German automaker's cheating on diesel emissions tests, a federal judge said on Tuesday.

But major issues remain, including how much the world's No. 2 automaker may have to pay in fines, which could run in the billions of dollars, to federal and state regulators for violating U.S. clean air rules, as well as an ongoing U.S. Justice Department criminal probe.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco reiterated that a settlement will include substantial monetary compensation for U.S. owners of 482,000 polluting vehicles that emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution.

The so-called Dieselgate scandal has hurt VW's global business as well as its reputation and led to the departure of its chief executive officer and other executives. Dieselgate erupted last September after the company admitted using sophisticated secret software in its cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests. As many as 11 million vehicles worldwide have been affected.

At a brief court hearing, Breyer said lawyers for car owners suing Volkswagen and the U.S. Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission, the state of California and the company were on track to file the final proposed settlements by June 21.

The "parties ... have reported that in the month since we last met they have made substantial progress in intensive daily efforts to finalize the agreement, and most importantly are on track to meet the court's deadline," Breyer said.

The U.S. settlement would also include an environmental remediation fund to address excess emissions and a fund to promote green automotive technology.

Elizabeth Cabraser, lead lawyer for the U.S. car owners, and a Volkswagen spokeswoman both said the parties were pleased with the continued progress and planned to finalize the agreements next month.

Story continues

Breyer said engineering studies and testing were continuing toward a resolution for the owners of 80,000 larger 3.0 liter vehicles but offered no timetable.

The vehicles emitted up to nine times the legally allowable pollution, and it was not clear if the automaker will offer to buy back the larger 3.0 liter Porsche, Audi and VW SUVs and cars under investigation.

The EPA ordered VW last September to stop selling all new 2016 2.0 diesel vehicles. The ban was extended to 3.0 liter VW, Porsche and Audi diesel vehicles in November. The order remains in effect.

After the June 21 deadline the agreement faces a public comment period and must get final judicial approval, which could come at a July 26 hearing.

Volkswagen <VOWG_p.DE> shares closed up 4 percent.

FAMILY DIVISIONS

Many thorny issues remain, including what happens to vehicles that Volkswagen repurchases and how the automaker will handle buybacks and fixes if the EPA approves.

Reuters reported last month that owners could have as long as two years to decide on whether to sell back their vehicles.

VW agreed on April 21 to a framework settlement with U.S. authorities to buy back or potentially fix about half a million cars fitted with illegal test-fixing software, and set up environmental and consumer compensation funds.

The next day, Volkswagen said it would set aside 16.2 billion euros ($18.2 billion) and slash its dividend to cover the costs from Dieselgate.

And there is unrest among investors. On Monday, three investor groups called for an independent inquiry, saying the company's investigations may not be sufficiently far-reaching or transparent.

Reuters has reported that a Volkswagen official said an investigation by law firm Jones Day into who was responsible for rigging the emissions tests was dragging on.

Volkswagen has come under attack from London hedge fund TCI and other investors who say the automaker needs to improve its performance and create a new governance structure.

The campaign has exposed divisions between the Porsche and Piech families who own the majority of Volkswagen, the state of Lower Saxony and powerful labor representatives who hold one-half of the seats on the companys supervisory board.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Alexandria Sage in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Georgina Prodhan in Frankfurt; Writing by David Shepardson and Will Dunham; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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Updated: 2016-05-24 14:06

(Xinhua)

Korean Air has launched direct flights between Seoul and Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province to meet the increasing travel demand of tourists, tourism authorities in Guizhou said Tuesday.

The first flight took off at 9:35 pm (local time) on Monday from Incheon International Airport in Seoul, capital of the Republic of Korea, and landed at Longdongbao airport in Guiyang four hours later, said an official with the Guizhou Provincial Tourism Development Commission.

The route will be operated three times per week, with flights from Seoul to Guiyang on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the returned trip the following day, said the official.

It was the company's second direct air route to Guiyang, after it launched one between the city and Jeju Island last year.

According to the commission, around 50,000 tourists from Guizhou travel to Republic of Korea every year, and the province receives 5,000 Korean tourists annually.
inb4 OP is a fag etc.Canada's Liberal Party government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has introduced a bill that would ban transgender discrimination, including both gender identity and gender expression, with up to two years in prison for violators.The bill seeks to amend the Canadian Criminal Code to expand existing "hate speech" prohibitions to include any public speech or communication that "promotes hatred" on the basis of "gender identity" or "gender expression," and also the Canadian Human Rights Act, to cover transgender people."As a society, we have taken many important steps toward recognizing and protecting the legal rights for the LGBTQ2 community  from enshrining equality rights in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to the passage of the Civil Marriage Act," Trudeau said in a speech , announcing the bill on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17. "There remains much to be done, though. Far too many people still face harassment, discrimination, and violence for being who they are. This is unacceptable."He added: "To do its part, the Government of Canada today will introduce legislation that will help ensure transgender and other gender-diverse people can live according to their gender identity, free from discrimination, and protected from hate propaganda and hate crimes."In July, Prime Minister Trudeau plans to march in the Toronto Gay Pride parade.mo
Hypocritical Justin with Butts in Japan Car manufacturers need cheap Hydro. Ontario highest thanks to Butts. Japan will not invest in ONT.Japan -country steeped in honour, tradition, respect, deference, sincerity, maturity, serious reflection etc.....we know why Justin failed.2/ Energy cost to build car almost =labour costs. ONT increased hydro cost by 100% in 10yrs. So no way Japan dealsunny story here:thanks to trudeau, butts and wynne.sounds like the got a big "no thank you" but papered it over saying they were building relationships.Magna, Ontario's largest manufacturing employer, has opened 5 plants in Michigan and Ohio in last 5 years. None in Ontario.
Smoky Mountains Park euthanizes wrong bear after hiker bittenTim Ghianni, ReutersFirst posted: Monday, May 23, 2016 03:38 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, May 23, 2016 03:56 PM EDTNASHVILLE - Officials at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park killed the wrong bear after a man who was hiking the Appalachian Trail was bitten in the leg earlier this month, a park spokeswoman said on Monday.After a bear bit through the hiker's tent on May 10, park workers took saliva and fur samples to try to identify the bear that was responsible. The hiker was treated in a hospital and released.On May 13, before results came back from the DNA testing on the samples, park service wildlife officials confronted a 400-pound (180 kg) male black bear and tranquilized it.Wildlife biologists examined the bear and noted dental-canine injuries consistent with the hiker's wounds, said Dana Soehn, spokeswoman for the park, which straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina border."It was a large, dominant male bear that fit the profile of the bear we expected to be responsible for the attack," Soehn said.The biologists decided to euthanize the bear because it was too big to be carried for six miles from the back-country to a place it could be confined while awaiting the test results, and they could not fit a tracking collar on its head, she added.When test results came back, it was determined that the wrong animal had been killed, she said.Park officials tranquilized another bear on Friday and released it with a GPS tracking collar while they examined its DNA, but that animal has also now been ruled out as the attacker.Approximately 1,600 black bears live in the park, about two per square mile, but Soehn said attacks are rare."We have about one attack with a human that causes injury each year," she said. (Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Andrew Hay)
Talk about ignorant people! Unbelievable. Did they even listen to what he was saying? He was basically calling for genocide and total destruction of the democratic nation and everyone that was shown, agreed. OMG!! That is totally disgusting and I hope I don't live to see this come to fruition because that's not the world I want to live in. These guys would likely support ISIS too!





Unbelievable!
A total of 1.4 billion in cash was stolen from some 1,400 convenience store ATMs across the nation in the space of two hours earlier this month, investigative sources said Sunday.Police suspect the cash was withdrawn simultaneously using counterfeit credit cards containing account information leaked from a South African bank.Investigators now suspect a large-scale international crime organization was involved. Police investigators will work with South African authorities through Interpol to probe the incident, including how credit card information was leaked, the sources said.The theft took place on the morning of May 15 in Tokyo and 16 other prefectures, and police believe more than 100 people might have worked together to execute the grand theft.In each of the approximately 14,000 transactions, the maximum amount of 100,000 was withdrawn from Seven Bank ATMs using the fake credit cards, according to the sources.ATM transaction data suggests that information from 1,600 credit cards issued by a South African bank was used, the sources said.Police are now checking images taken by security cameras in the stores to identify those who withdrew the money.In 2012 and 2013, a total of 4.5 billion was withdrawn with forged credit cards from financial institutions in more than 20 countries, including Japan.Japanese police have put suspects belonging to a Malaysian group on an international wanted list.
Craig Corn, a genuine restaurant connoisseur and entrepreneur, makes no hesitation to sincerely express, with great privilege, the many people, places, events and stories that graced his life during many years spent in Fremont.

So many of these people have passed away; I could talk about and tell so many stories of events and things that have happened  Ive had to deal with heart attacks, diabetic attacks and chokings and even deaths in the 34 years that Ive been here  Ive been open 365 days a year, including Christmas  it always gave me great pleasure to be here on the holidays, to provide a place for people to celebrate when they had nowhere else to go, Corn said. Ive grown up in the food business all my life. Thats all Ive ever done is food.

Weve always been here. Were always here he added

However, all that changes on June 5 when Corn, the unarguably eccentric founder, owner, and operator of several Fremont area restaurants (past and present), permanently departs Nebraska with his wife, Jill and daughter, Marissa for Clearwater, Fla. Looking back, anyone who knows him can appreciate the richness of those years.

Serendipitously enough, Corn arrived in this world on Labor Day weekend 1961 in Iowa. Somehow, the theme of that holiday interlaced itself with the course of his life as an unremitting drive to work  and work hard.

Ask any restaurant busboy, server, bartender, cook, manager or owner and theyll tell you the food service business looms like Mount Everest for anyone hoping to conquer its sheer demanding nature. But Corn fit the mold with a resume that reads like a lengthy menu of good home cooking; one thats been a longtime staple in Fremont.

Almost since birth, restaurants have served as cornerstones in Corns life. From a dive called the Green Lantern in Decatur, Iowa, to Macs Cafe, Mels Diner and the Chatterbox  all in Fremont  and including numerous venues in between, Corn built a life based on nourishing customers with home-style goodness. At the same time he grew a solid foundation of long-time employees that bonded into what might be called a second family.

Darlene Arnold, general manager at Macs Cafe, still remembers the first time she met Craig, when Corn hired her on as an overnight manager at the Fremont Village Inn.

He was only 19 years old and just new to this whole thing  nervous, Arnold said. He would give anyone the shirt off his back if they needed it.

Joel McTaggart, the kitchen manager at Macs, can definitely relate to Corns generosity. After a rocky road that veered McTaggarts life through rough times with drugs, a criminal background and rehabilitation, Corns compassion reached out when other employers might not have done the same.

Hes great at giving people second chances  always there when needed McTaggart said.

The story of Craig Corn in Fremont is rooted in the early 1980s with the decline of Sambos, a national chain restaurant with one location in Fremont  where the Village Inn now stands. He came to Fremont to help Village Inn open and manage the store 1982. He was only 19 years old at the time.

When we opened this Village Inn it became the largest volume Village Inn in the nation at that time, Corn said.

After establishing the Village Inn, Corn made a detour out of Fremont: first, back to Iowa to help his parents at the Green Lantern, then to a Perkins in South Dakota and also a Grisantis.

Eventually, he returned to Fremont, opening Craigs Old Fashioned Cafe. What followed was a flurry of new restaurants and other businesses in Fremont, each one backed by the Corn name. Some examples include the Kalico Kitchen, Life Styles Beauty Salon and Nifty 50s.

Then came Marissa, Corns daughter, and the seed to what would eventually become Macs Cafe. Because Macs moved into the old Wendys location  and because Wendy is the name of Wendys founder Dave Thomas daughter  Corn decided to name his new venture after his own daughter, whose full name is Marissa Ann Corn: initials M.A.C.

Early Monday morning, Marissa could be found working at the Chatterbox on Military Avenue. She has worked for her father a long time and conveys learning a lot about people and life. She carries much pride in the fact that her father built several businesses where people from all walks of life, with all kinds of opinions, can come together and enjoy a meal. Its like a second family she said, adding it will be very hard to leave Fremont.

(Fremont and the restaurant business) is all Ive ever known, Marissa said. But Im looking forward to my future  and attending college in Florida.

Corn also confronted his fair share of controversy. Over the years he has earned, by some, the unofficial title, Watchdog of Fremont.

Ive had several run-ins with lots of organizations, people, places, events and issues, Corn said. Ive always taken a stand on those issues and have never wavered from those positions  I was standing up not only for what I believe in, but what many of the people might believe in.

George Antrim, cook at the Chatterbox, can testify to Corns sometimes imposing stance on issues. In the end, Antrim described Corn as a good guy and down to earth.

When right comes to right, Craig does the right thing, Antrim said. I love him to death.

Arnold agreed, Craig is very opinionated, but he respects everyones opinion. And he will listen

Whether or not youve agreed with me or disagreed  we still have a relationship built on mutual respect, Corn said.

Despite controversy Corn said Fremont remained good to him. Hes always enjoyed the city and its people and said its a great place to raise a family.

When prompted to describe his departure, Corn puts it this way:

Its like living your own funeral because its very difficult to say good-bye to people. But I have the opportunity to say it in person instead of in a casket.

Now Corn can embrace other aspirations. With a smile and perhaps a bit of tongue-and-cheek, but also with purposeful conviction, Corn divulges one of those aspirations.

Its my dream to go to work for Costco. Its funny, but thats the truth  Im being dead serious, Corn said, though he admits he has not yet procured a position with the company as he hopes to work as a cashier. I want to do something different other than the day to day operations of being responsible for people  I no longer want to be the boss. I want to be someone whos bossed, Corn said

Jim Coover, who owns Mels Cafe, in Fremont, will also take over ownership of Macs. Corn said that for now, he will retain ownership of the Chatterbox.
Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians is seeking nominations for the Nebraska Family Physician of the Year.

The purpose is to honor a physician who exemplifies, in the tradition of family medicine, a compassionate commitment to improving the health and well-being of people and communities throughout Nebraska. Nominations may be made by physicians or patients. Candidates must be AAFP and NAFP members in good standing.

The winner will be selected based on the following criteria.

 A practicing Family Physician

 Member of the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians

 Board Certification/Recertification

 Provides his/her patients with compassionate, comprehensive, and caring family medicine on a continuing basis

 Is directly and effectively involved in community affairs and activities that enhance the quality of life in his/her community

 Acts as a credible role model professionally and personally to his/her community, to other health professionals and to residents and medical students

 What one characteristic makes this person stand out among his/her colleagues?

Patients and friends are asked to mail nominations before June 17 to the:

Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians

11920 Burt Street, Suite 170

Omaha, Nebraska 68154-1598

Or you may submit nominations online at the NAFP website: www.nebrafp.org

Please direct questions to: Samantha Flemmer

Member Services & Communication Coordinator

Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians

(402) 505-9198

(402) 505-9281 (fax)
CHARLES DWAYNE SLUMP

1940- 2016

Charles Chuckie D. Slump age 75 of Plattsmouth, NE passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at CHI Bergan Mercy in Omaha, NE.

He was born on December 31, 1940 to Darwin Anthony and Mildred A. (Pullen) Slump in Sioux City, IA.

Charles attended school at Ashland Park Grade School and South High School in Omaha, NE. After high school, he began working at a beef packing plant in Omaha. He met Sandra Kay Parriott and they were later married on February 17, 1968 at First United Methodist Church in Plattsmouth. Charles and Sandra made their home and raised their children in Omaha until 1976, when they moved to Plattsmouth. Chuckie loved spending time with his grandkids and he enjoyed hanging out with his friends at the boat club.

He was a member of Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #365 of Plattsmouth.

Charles is survived by his wife of 48 years: Sandra Slump of Plattsmouth, NE; daughter: Nikki Slump and Gene Konkler of Plattsmouth, NE; son: Jeffrey Slump and wife Jamie of Savannah, GA; four grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Owen, Gavin and Gracie; brother: Ron Slump and wife Patti of Omaha, NE; sister: Norma Goble of Omaha, NE; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Darwin and Mildred Slump and his brother-in-law: Al Goble.

The Pallbearers were Jesse Clark, Gary Hellwig, Shane Jensen, Charlie Konkler, Kevin Wagner, and Bob Voelker.

The Honorary Pallbearers were Dan Covert Sr., Danny Covert Jr., Larry Jensen and Charles Konkler.

His final resting place is at Oak Hill Cemetery in Plattsmouth.

The family suggests memorials to Plattsmouth Volunteer Firefighters Association.

Services are entrusted to Roby Funeral Home, 346 Ave. A, Plattsmouth, NE 68048. (402)296-3123 robyfuneralhome.com
A probable act of terrorism is once again dominating the news. Following the Russian airliner that was bombed out of Egypts skies several months ago, reports appeared about the downing of an Egyptian plane, this one carrying 66 people from Paris to Cairo. Some wreckage has been found, but initial indications point to jihadist extremism as the culprit behind the destruction and deaths.

If you want to discover the root cause of this systemic problem, I recommend a book called Inside Jihad, written by a friend of mine named Tawfik Hamid. Tawfik was an Egyptian medical doctor. Thirty years ago, he was recruited into a radical Islamic group called Jammaa Islameia. The leader of this group Al-Zawahiri went on to found Al-Qaeda. Fortunately, Tawfik grew disillusioned with the ruthless ideology. His first assignment was to bury an Egyptian policeman alive. Suddenly, he had an awakening in his conscience, quickly left, and now forcefully rejects and courageously denounces such radicalism.

In his book, Tawfik traces the process by which persons are so radicalized that they regard other human beings as infidels, even as sacrificial targets of religious observance. I remember talking to Tawfik a number of years ago about the psychological dynamic that would lead someone to do such grave harm to others, assuming it must be a bizarre need for affirmation or self-actualization. He said, Jeff, youve got it all wrong. It is the process of dulling the conscience through a twisted form of strict religious observance.

He further identified the problem as Petro-Islam. The world's materialistic desire for oil has inadvertently funded the emergence of a narrow sect in Islam called Wahhabism. The book examines the darker aspects of this theological strain, and traces the process as to how violence in the name of God becomes a form of worship. It is irrational, and ISIS is the latest brand.

I wrote to you a few weeks ago about my experience in China. One morning, as I woke up and went to exercise, I saw Tawfik on the television in the hotel. He is a highly courageous man who found new life and is consistently speaking out to the world. His lifes work is to revive a narrative of thought within Islam that rejects religious violence and looks instead to a spirituality of harmony and peace. In America we have the most advanced weaponry, the most dynamic economy, and the most opportunity in the world, despite our difficulties. However, military force alone will not eradicate this problem. It is men like Tawfik and others who are building bridges and confronting the desperation of this type of violence that will help us bring about stability in the world.

At the moment, there seems to be little hope for the Middle East. In times like these, I reach back to an earlier experience. When I was a younger man, I spent time in Sinai dessert in the place where Israel and Egypt fought the 73 war. On a twisted pile of concrete and rubble, which is an all too familiar scene now in the Middle East, there was a spray-painted sign both in Arabic and English: Here was the war, here is the peace.
I have no hope for the Democratic Party, I have no hope for the Republican Party. The only hope for our nation today is Almighty God. The most important thing we can do as Christians is pray. It is our only hope.

This was one of the statements from Franklin Grahams address to several thousand people on the steps of the State Capitol who took their lunch hour last Wednesday to listen and pray for our Country.

This statement encapsulated his message of hope and warning to fellow Christians as his Decision America Tour made its 24th stop in his tour of all the state capitols across the country.

Urging those in attendance to live a life of faith not only at home, but also putting into practice biblical principles in their public life and in the voting booth, Franklin Graham spoke of the hope of restoration found in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah.

As God provided for Nehemiah to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem that were destroyed and lay in ruin, so can God provide for the rebuilding of Americas broken moral and spiritual walls and gates, he explained.

As Nehemiah asked God for forgiveness for their national sins, personal sins, and sins of his family, so Franklin ask the crowd to also ask for forgiveness in these three areas.

With this hope of moral and spiritual restoration was also a warning. He spoke directly saying, We are more concerned about political correctness than about Gods truth and righteousness.

Speaking about abortion, same-sex marriage and the transgender debate he declared America has lost its moral compass and is being stripped of its biblical heritage and God-inspired foundations by a secular progressive ideology.

Mr. Graham commented Secularism is godless. Secularism is taking over our country. He continued to describe how it has crept into local, state, and federal government at every level.

This is where he began to challenge the crowd to vote and to be publically engaged in their sphere of influence, and to even consider running for office themselves.

In discussing the duty of Christians to vote, he reminded people that in the last presidential election millions of Christians didnt vote, then turned around and complained about the condition of our country.

He also reminded people that historically there have been many elections that were won or lost by a very small number of votes, where turnout by Christians could have made a difference.

In addition, he said, you will have to hold your nose, when you vote in some elections; voting for the least of two heathens.

Mr. Graham reminded us, who were there, what was at stake. We will lose this country if we do not vote. The enemy is already at the gate. We have allowed the moral walls to deteriorate and fall down.

He challenged those in attendance to sign a pledge, which you can do at www.decisionamericatour.com.

The pledge consists of a pledge to God and our country to honor Him at home, in public and with your vote, including a pledge to pray fervently and faithfully for America. To also pledge to vote in every election supporting, where possible, candidates who uphold biblical principles, and to engage in your own community with Gods truth and consider running for an elected office yourself.

Being engaged and praying for American is a pretty good idea, it certainly worked during the days of Americas founding.

As always, I really appreciate hearing from you on important matters. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff for information on legislative bills or if I may be of assistance. Please reach me at: Sen. Bill Kintner, 1000 State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509 (402-471-2613), or at my email: bkintner@leg.ne.gov.
The Fantastic Future Me Tour, sponsored by First National Bank of Omaha and Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg, will open Thursday at Keene Memorial Library, 1030 N. Broad St., in Fremont. The exhibit will be located in the childrens area and accessible during open hours through Aug. 19.

First National Bank of Omaha is program manager of the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST) 529 College Savings Plans. Treasurer Stenberg is Trustee.

The Fantastic Future Me tour features an interactive exhibit where children envision themselves in future roles by creating personalized, one-of-a-kind avatars. The exhibit will kick off with an open house from 5-7 p.m. with refreshments provided by First National Bank of Fremont.

Representatives from different career paths will be available to talk to kids and their parents about what its like to be a firefighter, police officer, and many more vocations. Before stopping in Fremont, the tour has made stops at nine libraries in Nebraska where it was met with enthusiasm and attracted more than 170,000 visitors.

As a part of the Fantastic Future Me tour, NEST is offering incentives for families to begin saving for college. The first 50 families to open new NEST accounts using a location-specific promo code will each receive a $25 contribution into an account. And all new accounts using the promo code will be entered in the drawing to win a $1,000 scholarship. Official guidelines are available at www.NEST529.com/scholarships and treasurer.nebraska.gov/csp/.

In the Fantastic Future Me exhibit, children take photos of their faces using a large touch screen and camera and then drag and drop elements representing careers and grown-up roles onto their own Future Me creations. Children mix and match their personal interests and future aspirations to create one-of-a-kind future selves. Careers and roles range from artist to programmer, scientist to teacher, pilot and even President of the United States.

Future Me images can be shared by email and on Facebook and Twitter. When the email arrives in the users inbox, it includes the one-of-a-kind Future Me avatar along with messages about dreaming for the future and saving for those dreams.

Fantastic Future Me was created by Omaha Childrens Museum and Gallup. Gallups research shows that excitement about the future and thinking about oneself in a positive future role creates hope. More hopeful people go to school more often, get better grades, and even live longer than people who are not hopeful. Thinking about what they want to be when they grow up is one way that children can get excited about planning for their futures and understanding the steps necessary to get there. Future Me helps children do all of this while having fun.

To find out more about NEST 529 College Savings Plans, visit www.NEST529.com or treasurer.nebraska.gov.
Millicent Joan Troupe was born April 3, 1923, in Oakland to Clyde C. and Edna (Neff) Neumann.

Millicent passed away on Monday, May 16, 2016, at Oakland Heights Nursing Home in Oakland at the age of 93 years, 1 month and 13 days.

Millicents roots in Oakland were deep, as her grandfathers family (her father was 6 months old) came to Oakland from Illinois in 1881  thus her love of Oakland history. Millicent had finished her goal in life by completing her 200-page book of Oakland History Revisited. Even with her failing eyesight, she was pleased to finish this gift to Oakland, and donate the proceeds to the Sesquicentennial in 2018.

Millicent attended Oakland Public Schools and graduated from Oakland High School, Class of 1940. Although Millicent wanted to go to business school in Omaha, her father wanted her to stay home. She worked at the Oakland Public Library and typed War Bonds at the Farmers & Merchants Bank. In 1941, Millicent enrolled at Doane College in Crete. She was a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, an honorary society recognizing academic excellence for freshmen.

In January 1943, Millicent met Charles W. Windy Troupe, who was training to become a fighter pilot in the Navy Air Corp V-5 program at Doane College in Crete. Windy said he had found a girl who would wait for him. Windy changed to the Army Air Corp and he was shipped out for training in Pasco, Wash. On Sept. 6, 1943, Windy passed through Oakland to meet Millicents parents and ask Millicent to marry him. Millicent said yes. Corresponding only by letter, they did not see each other until December 1944. Windy had received his wings. Millicent and Windy were married Dec. 28, 1944, at Dundee Presbyterian Church in Omaha. Windy and Millicent were married for 60 years, until Windys death in 2005. The Troupes have three sons: Jeff, Phil and Roger.

After World War II, Millicent and Windy returned to Oakland. Millicent was a wonderful mother and homemaker. Millicent served on the Oakland School Board from 1954 to 1960. She was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church. Millicent was a longtime member of Chapter EL, P.E.O., serving many offices. Millicent was given the AK-SAR-BEN Good Neighbor Award in 1986 for her decades of reading her weekly story hour to the residents of Oakland Heights Nursing Home and taking them on trips, reading a story hour to children at the library, and for her thousands of hours researching, compiling and saving the history of Oakland. Millicent instilled in her children the importance of correct writing and spelling, knowledge in travel, the love of all humanities, letters and current events (which she cut out of newspapers, underlined and sent to her children and grandchildren often).

Millicent was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Windy; brother, Chase Neumann and wife Jean; and brothers-in-law, Earl Holle, Ralph Troupe and wife Peggy.

Millicent is survived by her three sons, Jeff (Judy) Troupe of Oakland, Phil (Pam) Troupe of Adams and Roger (Betty) Troupe of Fremont; eight grandchildren, Jill (Ryan) Flessing of Lawrence, Kan., JoAnna (Aaron) Going of Oakland, Melissa Zahourek of Lincoln, Meagan (Greg) Gates of Lincoln, Mark (Katie) Troupe of Lincoln, Matthew (Grace) Troupe of Lincoln, Ana (Josh) Harms of Blair and Sara Troupe of Fremont; and 11 great-grandchildren.

The memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church in Oakland. There is no visitation. Private family burial will be in Oakland Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to Oakland Public Library and Friends of Oakland Foundation ~ to be used for education.
Today

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Alzheimers Support Group, 2-3 p.m., Nye Wellness Center at Nye Square, 655 W. 23rd St., Fremont. For more information, contact Mary Atkinson at 402-721-9224.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Fresh Hope Support Group, 7 p.m., Trinity Lutheran School, 16th Street and Luther Road, Fremont. The support group offers faith-based help for those with mood disorders and for loved ones trying to understand. For more information, call David and Wray Lynn Trost at 402-480-1777.

Narcotics Anonymous Library Group, 7 p.m., Keene Memorial Library East Building, Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Thursday

Alcoholics Anonymous big book study, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Storytime, 10-10:30 a.m., Keene Memorial Library auditorium, Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Cosmopolitan 100 Club, noon, Midland University cafeteria, Fremont.

Fremont Kiwanis Club, noon, Fremont Golf Club.

Fantastic Future Me Tour exhibit open house, 5-7 p.m., Keene Memorial Library, Fremont. Refreshments will be provided. The tour features an interactive exhibit where children envision themselves in future roles by creating personalized, one-of-a-kind avatars. The exhibit, which will be on display through Aug. 19, will be located in the childrens area and accessible during open hours.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Pioneer Amateur Radio Club, 6 p.m. supper, 7 p.m. meeting, Gambinos Pizza/Hero Deli, 1900 E. Military Ave., Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous It Works Group, 6:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church East Building, west of the church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Enter through the rear door.

Bingo, 7 p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8223, 742 N. Main St., North Bend. Everyone is welcome.

Civil Air Patrol, 7 p.m., 1201 W. 23rd St., in yellow hangar at Fremont Airport.

Storytime, 7-7:30 p.m., Keene Memorial Library auditorium, Fremont.

Tally Ho Toastmasters, 7-8 p.m., Keene Memorial Library annex, Fremont. Everyone is welcome to learn skills in communication, self-confidence and leadership. For more information, call Jan at 402-720-5526.

Alcoholics Anonymous big book study, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous open meeting, 8 p.m., First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 201 N. Davis Ave., Oakland.
It was June 1967 in Kontum.

Fremonter Ken Frost, who was in the U.S. Army, was serving in the central highlands of Vietnam.

The Viet Cong came in one night and threw satchel charges in our trucks, our ammo dump, threw a grenade in the majors tent that was right next to me. That kind of disrupted the whole night, he said, adding, The place we found to lie in didnt smell very good.

He and other soldiers would be on the perimeter with their guns, firing into the jungle. Five of the enemy were killed. One of the Viet Cong had been their barber. While hed come to give haircuts to the G.I.s, he was getting familiar with the layout of the area.

This was supposed to be a very safe place, Frost said. It wasnt that safe.

Almost 50 years later, Frost is in a good place  at home south of Fremont with his wife, Vivian. The home is warm and comfortable and Frost often combines dry humor with his comments.

On June 6, he will be among some 500 Vietnam combat veterans from Nebraska who will board airplanes that will take them to the nations capital and back. As part of Operation Airlift, theyll see memorial monuments and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Frost was living on First Street in Fremont when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965 on a buddy plan with a friend. They went to Fort Leonardwood, Mo.

Our buddy plan lasted two weeks and then we each went a different directions, he said.

Frost had basic training at Fort Leonardwood. He also went to combat engineers school. Because hed also enlisted for Army Airborne, he went to Fort Benning, Ga.

I learned to run a lot and jump out of airplanes, he said.

After that, he was sent to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky. He then was sent to school to be a radio teletype operator at Fort Gordon, Ga., and to Fort Knox, Ky., for more training and back to Fort Campbell. There, he was in a signal platoon.

In May 1967, Frost figured he wouldnt go to Vietnam because he didnt have a year left in the military.

He was mistaken.

Frost learned he was going to Vietnam. He would be sent to the Bien Hoa and from there was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade with the army.

He had a job with a signal platoon in Headquarters Company and was assistant platoon sergeant.

We went to many places, he said. We were in the highlands of Vietnam most of the time, towns like Pleiku, Kontum and Dak To, and an awful lot of hills with numbers on them. Wed set up the main camp and run telephone lines for the colonels. We set up radio communications for the brigade commanders.

One of his main jobs was to make up cryptographic codes. He had to make sure that the radio operators in the infantry companies had the correct codes for the day. That meant taking new codes to them and destroying the old ones.

He would be promoted to staff sergeant.

Frost has various memories of Vietnam. He recalls seeing a helicopter toting a large, big king cobra snake that someone had shot and was bringing back to camp.

One morning he saw a tiger across a field and watched it go from one side of the clearing to the other.

Someone shot a wild boar.

We had a pig roast, he said.

One of hardest parts of being in Vietnam was seeing the little children.

They were so needy, he said. We got one hot meal a day. Other than that it was sea rations from 1945.

Some of that included canned bread.

Youd try to give it to the little kids and they wouldnt eat that. They were hungry and wanted about everything else, but they wouldnt eat that bread. They threw it back at us.

Looking back at the attack on Kontum, Frost notes that the major wasnt in his tent when the Viet Cong tossed a grenade inside of it.

That was real good for him, Frost said.

Frost left Vietnam in 1968 and was honorably discharged that year.

He came home to Fremont and got a job at Hormel Foods Corp., where he worked for 40 years. He and Vivian married in 1970. They adopted a son and a daughter and now also have two grandchildren.

Frost retired in 2008 from Hormel. He now works at the Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area, where he repairs mowers and vehicles and does plumbing and electrical work.

He is being treated for Stage 1 multiple myeloma from Agent Orange. He has post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from an incident in Vietnam.

Frost looks forward to going to Washington, D.C., to see the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

Ive seen the traveling ones twice, he said. I want to see the whole thing, but especially the wall.

He thinks veterans will enjoy the trip and with smile says something similar to what other vets have said:

Theyre going to have some awful tired old people on their hands.
We do not know if we will ever again see the equivalent of the siberian traps. We can see a super volcano at work, but that is likely to be...
Making a pot of risotto requires practically all of your attention, but the effort and time are worth it.

In addition to keeping the broth at a bare simmer, the rice needs almost nonstop stirring.

At the beginning, all there is to see are firm grains of rice simmering in broth. But as the cooking continues and more broth is added, the rice swells and the mixture develops the creaminess that defines risotto.

Restaurant cooks, who dont have the kind of time it takes to make risotto in a single step, have devised ways to do some of the prep ahead.

Home cooks generally make risotto from start to finish without leaving the stove and serve it as soon as it comes off the heat.

In Italy, risotto, like pasta, is eaten as the first course as part of a meal that has several courses, but you and your family and guests will have no trouble sitting down to a big plate of risotto and calling it supper. Its that good.RISOTTO WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

2 tablespoons butter

 cup minced onion or shallots

1 cup Arborio rice

 cup dry white wine

2/3 teaspoon salt

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, heated

1 cups fresh green peas, asparagus tips, arugula or spinach leaves.

 cup light cream, heated

 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Lemon wedges

1. Heat butter in a large saucepan. Add onion; cook 3 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.

2. Add wine and salt; cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring, adding  cup broth at a time and making sure most of the liquid is absorbed before adding more. With the second to last addition of broth, add peas. (Total cooking time is about 20 minutes.)

3. After all broth has been added, stir in cream and cheese. Serves with lemon wedges on the side. Serves 4.

Note: If you have leftovers, make risotto cakes: Form patties using about  cup leftover risotto per patty. Liberally sprinkle both sides with flour.

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add patties and cook on both sides until crispy.

As a variation, you can add a bit of shredded basil or crumbled feta cheese to the leftover risotto before forming patties.
DES MOINES  Gov. Terry Branstad said Tuesday the Mason City Council made a mistake in defeating the plan for a Prestage pork processing plant in the city.

Branstad responded to a question at a press conference concerning the City Councils May 3 vote on a development agreement with Prestage.

Branstad attended a March 21 event in Mason City announcing Prestages plans to build in Mason City.

Its my understanding the mayors a strong supporter of it, but he doesnt have a vote under their rules and so the council on a 3-3 vote decided not to go ahead with it, said Branstad. I think they made a mistake.

He said Iowa is a leading pork-producing state and it makes sense to process the pigs in Iowa.

I was impressed with this company, said Branstad. Its a family owned business. They have a great reputation in North Carolina.

The son (Ron Prestage), who is the chief operating officer is a veterinarian and a graduate of North Carolina State University, he said. Im somewhat familiar with that school. I got a few credits from there when I was at Fort Bragg. Its a good agricultural school. (ISU president) Steven Leath came from there.

Branstad said he thinks other communities in Iowa will be interested in having a Prestage plant.
NORTHWOOD | The former mayor of Northwood has filed a written plea of guilty to two fraud-related felonies.

Randy Severson, 52, was charged with two counts of first-degree fraudulent practice committed against a city bank while he was president of a now-closed lumber business.

He has a formal plea change hearing June 20 in Worth County District Court for the charges, Class C felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison on each count.

Winnebago County Attorney Adam Sauer, who was appointed as special prosecutor in the case, said an additional count of first-degree fraudulent practice, as well as three counts of second-degree fraudulent practice and one count of ongoing criminal conduct, will be dismissed.

Severson was accused of fraudulently using the names of customers, family members and others on invoices he submitted to Northwood State Bank for lines of credit.

He was accused of defrauding the bank of $300,000 from 2011 to 2014 while president of Northwood Lumber.

Severson resigned as Northwood mayor in November 2012 citing health reasons. Northwood Lumber closed earlier this year.

-- Mary Pieper
MASON CITY  Julie Eaton of Mason City has been named the honorary chairwoman of this years Relay for Life of Cerro Gordo County.

This years relay will take place on Saturday, June 4, at the All Seasons Building at the North Iowa Events Center.

Eaton was diagnosed in April of 2015 with Stage 3c ovarian cancer. While she is in remission, ovarian cancer typically spreads by the time of diagnosis. She will need to be tested every three months to see if cancer is present, and if it is found, will need to have chemotherapy again.

Everyone has been affected by cancer in one way or another, Eaton said in a press release. It is crucial that we all stand together to donate to the American Cancer Society to continue the needed research to put an end to cancer.

Any cancer survivor who lives in Cerro Gordo County is encouraged to attend the Relay For Life to meet other cancer survivors, share stories and celebrate.

I attended my first Relay For Life event in 1997 in Springfield, Missouri, Eaton said. Never would I have imagined that raising money for this amazing cause would ever come back to benefit me years later.

Relay For Life of Cerro Gordo County will officially start with the Opening Ceremonies and Survivor Lap at 11 a.m. The Luminaria Ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. inside the All-Seasons Building where the lights can be turned off. The closing ceremony will be held immediately following.

For more information call 641-251-1082.
MASON CITY | The Mason City Harley Owners Group will be completing its annual Memorial Day tribute to veterans.

The group will go to Memorial Park cemetery at 1:15 p.m. May 29 to clean and decorate graves of veterans killed in action.

The activity will be followed by a ride to the Mason City VFW to make a donation to the veterans relief fund.

For more information, contact Kyle Easley at 641-430-2033 or hogdirector@harleyofmc.com.
LAKE MILLS | Edison Harlan Meland, 92, of Lake Mills, died Sunday, May 15, 2016, at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

A memorial graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 26, at Salem Lutheran Cemetery, Lake Mills, with Pastor Steven Bang officiating. Military honors will be conducted by the Otto Chose Post #235 of Lake Mills.
VENTURA  Leeza R. Phinney, 60, of Ventura, died Sunday, May 22, 2016, at Mercy Medical Center  North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner, with the Rev. Scott Kozisek officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 810 State St., in Garner, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Cataldo Funeral Home, Garner is in charge of arrangements.
CRYSTAL LAKE | Paul L. Smith, 71, of Crystal Lake, died Monday, May 23, 2016, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, at Cataldo Schott Funeral Chapel, in Forest City, with Pastor Bob Snitzer of the Calvary Lutheran Church of Crystal Lake officiating.

Burial will be held in Crystal Lake Cemetery with military honors performed. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral chapel.

Memorials may be directed to the Paul L. Smith Memorial Fund in care of the family.

Arrangements are with Cataldo Schott Funeral Home in Forest City.
Eager for one more symbolic first and another historic photo op before he leaves office, President Obama announced last week he will visit Hiroshima, Japan, on May 27.

Like his ill-advised trip to Cuba in March, this visit raises questions. Chief among them, of course, is whether Obama will apologize, either directly or indirectly, for Americas decision to drop a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and, later, Nagasaki in August 1945 in an effort to end World War II.

America need make no apology today for an action taken by another president in another time when  after 3-1/2 years of U.S. involvement in a global conflict  war raged on in the Pacific, the Japanese were our enemies and the possibility loomed of an invasion of Japan in which countless more Americans would lose their lives.

According to the White House, Obama will talk about nuclear disarmament but will not revisit the decision by President Harry Truman to use nuclear weapons against Japan.

Perhaps he wont address Trumans decision directly, but the mere presence of Obama in Hiroshima will appear apologetic and signal regret, in our view. As a result, we question the propriety of this trip.

Frankly, this appears to be little more than a personal wish by Obama to be the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima. If he wanted to visit the city, Obama should have waited until he was a private citizen and former president.

We would prefer Obama visit, say, Russia in the time left to him as president. The deteriorating state of relations with Americas old Cold War adversary during his time in office seems sufficient reason for Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk to, instead of about one another.

Or, perhaps, Obama could visit China, another world superpower with whom the U.S. isnt exactly close these days.

Either of those trips would carry the potential for more substance and value to the future of America than Obamas planned visit to the past.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) was awarded a $152 million contract today for advance planning for the construction of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80). The third aircraft carrier in the Gerald R. Ford class was named in honor of the U.S. Navys first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65).



The work, which includes engineering, design, planning and procurement of long-lead-time material, will be performed at the companys Newport News Shipbuilding division through March 2018.

Construction on Enterprise is slated to begin in 2018 with delivery to the Navy in 2027. The new Enterprise will eventually replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) when the aircraft carrier enters the fleet.

We are eager to begin planning and purchasing long-lead-time material for the next Enterprise, said Mike Shawcross, Newport News vice president of CVN 79 and CVN 80 construction. Advance planning allows us to begin applying lessons learned from CVN 78 and CVN 79 more effectively, while providing stability to our workforce and the industrial base, in order to deliver the ship at the lowest cost possible.

Shipbuilders have captured thousands of lessons learned in the process of building Gerald R. Ford, most of which are being implemented as cost-saving initiatives in building the second ship in the class, John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). These initiatives will continue on Enterprise, and HII will work with the Navy to identify additional cost-saving initiatives for future Ford-class carrier construction.

Huntington Ingalls Industries is Americas largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of engineering, manufacturing and management services to the nuclear energy, oil and gas markets. For more than a century, HIIs Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs nearly 35,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: www.huntingtoningalls.com

HII on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HuntingtonIngallsIndustries

HII on Twitter: twitter.com/hiindustries

Statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in these statements. Factors that may cause such differences include: changes in government and customer priorities and requirements (including government budgetary constraints, shifts in defense spending, and changes in customer short-range and long-range plans); our ability to obtain new contracts, estimate our future contract costs and perform our contracts effectively; changes in government regulations and procurement processes and our ability to comply with such requirements; our ability to realize the expected benefits from consolidation of our Ingalls facilities; natural disasters; adverse economic conditions in the United States and globally; risks related to our indebtedness and leverage; and other risk factors discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. There may be other risks and uncertainties that we are unable to predict at this time or that we currently do not expect to have a material adverse effect on our business, and we undertake no obligations to update any forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements that we may make.
Estonian English

On 12th of May 2016, the Tribunal Panel of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), reached a decision regarding the disclosure of information directly related to the ongoing dispute.

AS Tallinna Vesi had requested that it be permitted to publish certain extracts of its Memorial, the document which sets out its case and the history of the privatisation, including the roles played by the City of Tallinn, the Government of Estonia and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Government of Estonia objected to this and the Tribunal Panel has agreed in part to this objection, such that neither party can publish arbitration documents although, subject to certain limitations, general discussion about the case in public is permitted.

The full decision and other procedural orders and decisions issued during the arbitration process, subject to the redaction of confidential information, are available on the ICSID website. The final hearing remains scheduled for November 2016.

Background information:

In October 2014, AS Tallinna Vesi and its shareholder United Utilities (Tallinn) B.V., registered in the Kingdom of The Netherlands, commenced international arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Estonia for breach of the Agreement on the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between the Kingdom of The Netherlands and the Republic of Estonia.
INDIANAPOLIS, May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AOTMP is pleased to announce Avery Dennisons alignment of its Efficiency First Framework and methodology, a disciplined and best practice approach for managing a fixed and mobile telecom environment. The partnership objective is to build a high-performance, best-in-class telecommunications environment that will become a strategic asset used to drive business growth within the global organization.



As part of the Efficiency First Certification Program, a comprehensive baseline was established to identify technical, operational and financial improvement opportunities; and ongoing optimization activities will assist in alignment with the Efficiency First Framework.

Its telecom environment was then measured and benchmarked against the AOTMP Efficiency First Performance Index, which evaluated over 750 potential points of inefficiency as well as 300 performance and opportunity identification measures.

"Avery Dennison was experiencing policy and process deficits in its telecom environment. In each of the over 50 countries, there seemed to be a different approach for managing telecom costs, services, assets and technology, stated Tim Lybrook, CEO of AOTMP. This made it difficult for the organization to have visibility, achieve accountability and effectively manage its telecom environment.

AOTMP drew back the curtains on our telecom practices and dove into the weeds with us," said Chris Zafirson, Director of IT Finance at Avery Dennison. AOTMP has seen so many environments like ours that it was very easy for them to drill right in, pinpoint the points of failure and determine what we needed to address first.

Less than a year ago, Avery Dennison described its telecom environment as very, very fragmented, and lacking alignment on most policies. Almost a year and a half later, its telecom departments operate nothing like they did before. In the past, measuring its global telecom environment was unthinkable; today, it is a reality. The organization now has a roadmap to building an aligned and efficient telecom environment that is transforming beyond a necessary expense to an asset that will drive business results.

ABOUT AOTMP

AOTMP is an information services company that assists organizations in taking their fixed and mobile environment to a greater level of performance, and helps telecom vendors achieve excellence in creating value for their clients. Using information and analytics to drive efficiencies, performance and productivity, business solutions are based on the patented Efficiency First Framework which drives adoption and utilization of industry standards and best practices to create a high-performing telecom management ecosystem. AOTMPs clients represent $24+ billion in annual telecom spend and include 100+ of the Fortune 500, small and medium businesses, public sector organizations and industry suppliers. For more information, visit aotmp.com.

ABOUT AVERY DENNISON

Avery Dennison is a global leader in labeling and packaging materials and solutions. The companys applications and technologies are an integral part of products used in every major market and industry. With operations in more than 50 countries and 25,000 employees worldwide, Avery Dennison serves customers with insights and innovations that help make brands more inspiring and the world more intelligent. Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) is a Fortune 500 company with $6 billion in sales. For more information, visit averydennison.com.
TORONTO, May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay" or the "Company") (TSX:MND) is pleased to announce the appointment of Amy Freedman, as independent director, to its Board of Directors (the Board) effective immediately. Ms. Freedman will also serve on Mandalays Audit Committee, where she will replace Peter R. Jones, who was serving on an interim basis. Mr. Jones will remain on the Board.



Brad Mills, Executive Chairman of Mandalay, commented, On behalf of the Mandalay Board, I would like to welcome Amy Freedman to the Board of Directors. We believe Amys diverse skill set, experience and capital markets perspective are valuable additions to our Board, and we look forward to working with her. We would also like to thank Peter Jones for stepping in on an interim basis to serve on the Companys Audit Committee.

Amy Freedman is President, Canada at Kingsdale Shareholder Services, and is a capital markets professional with over 15 years of experience in investment banking, corporate governance, marketing and communications, and transaction management. Ms. Freedman obtained her JD/MBA from the University of Toronto.

About Mandalay Resources Corporation:

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia, Chile and Sweden, and a development project in Chile. The Company is focused on executing a roll-up strategy, creating critical mass by aggregating advanced or in-production gold, copper, silver and antimony projects in Australia, the Americas, and Europe to generate near-term cash flow and shareholder value.




NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beazley, a leading provider of specialist environmental liability insurance, has appointed Chris Biddle as an environmental liability underwriter. This appointment is the latest in a series of recent senior hires by Beazley's environmental team, expanding their underwriting and claims capabilities throughout the US. Mr Biddle will be based in Beazley's Philadelphia office.

Beazley covers a wide range of environmental risks including ongoing fixed site operations, contractor's pollution liability and brownfield site remediation. Beazley underwrites risks ranging in size from single-site habitational, commercial and retail locations to scheduled portfolios of industrial, treatment, storage and disposal facilities and petroleum bulk storage facilities, with limits of up to $25,000,000. Key target industry sectors include manufacturing, industrial, real estate, hospitals and schools.

In addition to its fixed site policy, Beazley also provides operational coverage to businesses that may face claims for polluting the premises of third parties, as well as professional liability coverage for environmental consultants.

Mr Biddle joins Beazley from XL Catlin where he worked for almost 20 years, most recently serving as West Regional Manager building a profitable book of environmental liability business. Prior to that, he worked as an environmental consultant. The Beazley environmental team is over 20 strong across the US, with local underwriting and claims contacts in every region.

Nathaniel Martin also recently joined Beazley's environmental team and is based in New York. Mr Martin most recently managed a $42 million book of business for AIG as VP and Regional Manager, Environmental Division in their New York office.

Other new senior hires on Beazley's environmental team over the past few months include:

Courtney Salinas, formerly with AIG, and based in Houston

Miles Foxworth, formerly with Ironshore, and based in Chicago

"Beazley continues to build out our environmental capabilities with experienced underwriters and support staff in the key insurance hubs across the United States," said Jayne Cunningham, Beazley's environmental focus group leader. "Our talented team can quickly address client needs and offer superior service to our broker partners to meet the strong growth we're seeing in the marketplace."

For further information, please contact:

Beazley Group

Hunter Hoffmann

Hunter.Hoffmann@beazley.com

917-344-3329

Note to editors:

Beazley plc (BEZ) is the parent company of specialist insurance businesses with operations in Europe, the US, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. Beazley manages six Lloyd's syndicates and, in 2015, underwrote gross premiums worldwide of $2,080.9 million. All Lloyd's syndicates are rated A by A.M. Best.

Beazley's underwriters in the United States focus on writing a range of specialist insurance products. In the admitted market, coverage is provided by Beazley Insurance Company, Inc., an A.M. Best A rated carrier licensed in all 50 states. In the surplus lines market, coverage is provided by the Beazley syndicates at Lloyd's.

Beazley is a market leader in many of its chosen lines, which include professional indemnity, property, marine, reinsurance, accident and life, and political risks and contingency business.

For more information please go to: www.beazley.com
PHILADELPHIA, May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemispherx Biopharma (NYSE MKT:HEB) announced today that it has executed an amended and restated agreement with Impatients, N.V., a Netherlands based company doing business as myTomorrows, for the commencement and management of an Early Access Program (EAP) in all of Europe and Turkey.



myTomorrows, as Hemispherx exclusive service provider in Europe and Turkey, will perform EAP activities in Europe and Turkey to include the supply of rintatolimod for the treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) to patients with an unmet medical need.

The original agreement was executed on August 3, 2015 and then terminated by Hemispherx Biopharma on April 20, 2016 allowing both parties to renegotiate and rectify certain aspects of the original agreement.

Thomas K. Equels, CEO of Hemispherx said, I am very enthusiastic about the possibilities moving forward with myTomorrows now that we have resolved all outstanding issues and have come to an agreement that is potentially mutually profitable for both companies.

About Rintatolimod

Rintatolimod is a member of a new class of specifically-configured ribonucleic acid (RNA) compounds targeted as potential treatment of diseases with immunologic defects and/or viral causation.

About myTomorrows

myTomorrows provides services to patients and physicians in need of drugs in development and diagnostic tests. Through its Internet-based platform, myTomorrows provides uniform public information about early access programs, clinical trials and diagnostic tests to enhance data-driven decision-making and enable rational pharmacotherapy. myTomorrows also facilitates requests for diagnostic tests and drugs in development. For more information about myTomorrows, please visit the website http://www.mytomorrows.com

About Hemispherx Biopharma

Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. is an advanced specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the manufacture and clinical development of new drug entities for treatment of seriously debilitating disorders. Hemispherxs flagship products include Alferon N Injection and the experimental therapeutics Ampligen and Alferon LDO. Ampligen is an experimental RNA nucleic acid being developed for globally important debilitating diseases and disorders of the immune system, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Hemispherxs platform technology includes components for potential treatment of various severely debilitating and life threatening diseases. Because both Ampligen and Alferon LDO are experimental in nature, they are not designated safe and effective by a regulatory authority for general use and are legally available only through clinical trials. The FDA approval of Alferon N Injection is limited to the treatment of refractory or recurrent external genital warts in patients 18 years of age or older. The Companys Alferon N Injection approval in Argentina includes the use of Alferon N Injection (under the brand name "Naturaferon) for use in any patients who fail, or become intolerant to recombinant interferon, including patients with chronic active hepatitis C infection. The Company wholly owns and exclusively operates a GMP certified manufacturing facility in the United States for commercial products. For more information, please visit www.hemispherx.net.

Disclosure Notice

Information contained in this news release, other than historical information, should be considered forward-looking and is subject to various risk factors and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors; the Companys ability to adequately fund its projects; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and healthcare legislation in the United States and internationally; trends toward healthcare cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the Companys ability to accurately predict the future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; dependence on the effectiveness of the Companys patents and other protections for products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions; and numerous other factors discussed in this release and in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The production of new Alferon API inventory will not commence until the validation phase is complete. While the facility is approved by FDA under the Biological License Application ("BLA) for Alferon, this status will need to be reaffirmed by a successful Pre-Approval Inspection by the FDA prior to commercial sale of newly produced inventory product. The validation phase is delayed until we are able to repair the damage caused by a flood that occurred on January 5, 2016 at the facility. At this moment, there is no definitive timetable to have the facility back online. If and when we obtain a reaffirmation of FDA BLA status and have begun production of new Alferon API, we will need FDA approval as to the quality and stability of the final product to allow commercial sales to resume. With regard to our NDA for Ampligen to treat CFS, we note that there are additional steps which the FDA has advised us to take in our seeking approval. The final results of these efforts and/or any other activities could vary materially from Hemispherxs expectations. Any failure to satisfy the FDA regulatory requirements or the requirements of other countries could significantly delay, or preclude outright, approval of Ampligen in the United States and other countries. No assurance can be given that myTomorrows EAP endeavors on behalf of the company will enable the company to dispense and eventually sell rintatolimod for the treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in Europe or Turkey. No evidence is suggested that Ampligen will be commercially approved for any treatment or that Alferon N Injection will be commercially approved for potential new treatment indications or for new manufacturing procedures.

Forward-Looking Statements

To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, all such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as potential, potentially, possible, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Hemispherx that any of its plans will be achieved. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees of future performance, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Hemispherxs control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include those set forth in the Disclosure Notice, above, as well as the risks described in Hemispherxs filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and Hemispherx undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise revise or update this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.




NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Target Corporation (Target or the Company) (NYSE:TGT) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, District of Minnesota, and docketed under 16-cv-01485, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Target securities between February 27, 2013 and May 19, 2014 inclusive (the Class Period). This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act).



If you are a shareholder who purchased Target securities during the Class Period, you have until July 18, 2016 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Target currently operates general merchandise discount stores throughout the U.S. The Company sells a wide variety of household essentials, music and movies, electronics, clothing, and other items, through its traditional stores, its website, and via direct shipment from vendors or third-parties.

On January 13, 2011, Target announced that it would expand its retail operations into Canada, with plans to open between 100 and 150 stores in the country during 2013 and 2014.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) at the time of the opening of Target's first group of stores in Canada, Target had significant problems with its supply chain infrastructure, distribution centers, and technology systems, as well as inadequately trained employees; (2) these problems caused significant, pervasive issues, including excess inventory at distribution centers and inadequate inventory at retail locations; (3) the excess inventory at distribution centers and lack of inventory at retail locations forced Target to heavily discount products and incur heavy losses; (4) the supply-chain and personnel problems were not typical of newly launched locations in Target's traditional U.S.-based market; and (5) as a result, Targets public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On August 21, 2013, Target announced its results for the second quarter of 2013, including weak guidance for full-year earnings per share (EPS) for 2013. Although Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Defendant Gregg Steinhafel sought to reassure investors that the poor performance was of the same kind that Target saw every time we open a new store here in the United States, Targets stock price declined by $2.45 per share, or 3.61 percent.

On November 21, 2013, Target released downbeat results for the third quarter of 2013, including news that the Companys Canadian segment had suffered a drop in operation margin from rates exceeding 30 percent in prior quarters to only 14.8 percent due to the need to aggressively discount merchandise. Although Chief Financial Officer (CFO) John Mulligan attempted to assure investors that Targets personnel were working to rationalize the Companys inventory overhang, Targets stock price declined by $2.30 per share, or 3.46 percent.

On May 5, 2014, Target announced that its Defendant Steinhafel, the architect of the Companys Canadian expansion, would leave the Company effective immediately, without any clear successor. Instead, the Companys CFO Mulligan was appointed interim CEO. On this news, Targets stock price fell $2.14 per share, or 3.45 percent.

On May 20, 2014, prior to the trading session, news reports circulated that Target had fired Tony Fisher, the Companys president of Canadian operations. The abrupt termination of Mr. Fisher revealed that the string of weak results from Targets Canadian operations were not simply growing pains associated with normal store openings, but rather due to significant operational issues and were partial disclosures of Defendants fraudulent scheme to conceal the persistent and ultimately intractable problems with the expansion.

Eventually, on January 15, 2015, Target revealed the Company would discontinue its Canadian operations and that Target Canada Co. had filed for bankruptcy protection in Canada. In response to this news, Target stock declined $1.63 per share, or 2.1 percent.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com
LISLE, Ill., May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Niemann Foods and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families, to honor a Rochester, Ill. military family on Tuesday.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/01d40157-2f78-4fde-b008-12ad9acffc54

Eckrich hosted a surprise grocery giveaway inside a County Market store in Springfield, Ill. to honor, thank and support the Robbins family. As the family checked out at the register, they were surprised with a gift of free groceries for one year at County Market, courtesy of Eckrich.

Chad Robbins served five-and-a-half years in the Marine Corps as an infantryman. His wife, Melissa, is a peer group leader and is certified through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to be a caregiver to Chad. The family has four children.

We are pretty humbled to be honored today, said Chad Robbins. It was a surprise to us and we are very thankful to everyone involved.

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Robbins family is supported by Operation Homefronts Hearts of Valor program, a network of people caring for wounded, ill or injured service members.

Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2 million to the organization since 2012. Now through July 4th, Eckrich is donating 5 cents for every purchase of specially marked products, up to $500,000, to Operation Homefront to assist military families.

Todays event was another example of how Eckrich is supporting our military families, said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. These families make great sacrifices. We are proud to partner with Niemann Foods to thank the Robbins family for their service with free groceries for one year.

For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com.

About Eckrich

Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Ind. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care and pride. For more information, visit www.eckrich.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, Cook's, John Morrell, Gwaltney, Kretschmar, Margherita, Curly's, Carando and Healthy Ones. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Operation Homefront

A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. With more than 3,200 volunteers nationwide, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to tens of thousands of military families since its inception shortly after 9/11. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefronts expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.
LISLE, Ill., May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods hosted an exclusive culinary event Sunday in Chicago at the Chicago Cultural Center. Smithfields MenuQuest event was hosted by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani and attended by many leading Foodservice professionals. Smithfield also showcased its support of Share Our Strengths No Kid Hungry campaign by donating $5,000 in its ongoing support of the organization.



MenuQuest is an innovative program that offers strategic council to restaurants and food service providers. It lends its culinary expertise to assist with menu innovation and culinary consultation. This years MenuQuest event featured several unique tasting stations driven by daypart themed recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The event also highlighted concepts focused on snacks and desserts. A unique station dedicated to exploring ethnic flavors, all using Smithfield products, was the centerpiece of the tasting stations.

Helping to host this experience was Chef Fabio Viviani. Chef Viviani has possessed a true passion for food since his early childhood days growing up in Florence, Italy. He made his television debut on Bravo's hit reality series "Top Chef" and has since launched several top restaurants, written numerous cookbooks and has launched multiple successful food and cooking product lines.

"Smithfield Foods is committed to delivering exceptional products and value-added services to food service operators, said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. MenuQuest is a proprietary Smithfield Foods service that provides operators with the latest trend information and culinary support to drive their menu strategies and delight their guests. This event showcased a number of leading trends, including the blurring of dayparts in food service, with intriguing menu applications. We were delighted to have Chef Viviani host this event with us as well as the opportunity to continue to support the No Kid Hungry mission to end childhood hunger in America.

For more information on MenuQuest or to schedule a consultation, contact your Smithfield Foods sales representative.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, Cook's, John Morrell, Gwaltney, Kretschmar, Margherita, Curly's, Carando and Healthy Ones. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign

No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. The No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals and teaches low-income families to cook healthy, affordable meals through Cooking Matters. This work is accomplished through the No Kid Hungry network, made up of private citizens, public officials, nonprofits, business leaders and others providing innovative hunger solutions in their communities. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.
LISLE, Ill., May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Randalls and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families, to honor a Cypress, Texas military family on Tuesday.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2d0f2ca-c227-4716-8d2f-3bfc8e1716ad

Eckrich hosted a special presentation outside a Randalls store in Houston to honor, thank and support the Wright family. The family was surprised with a gift of free groceries for one year at Randalls, courtesy of Eckrich.

As part of the event, crowds of shoppers were treated to samples of delicious Eckrich smoked sausage and deli meat, live country music and an appearance by Houston Country radio station 92.9. In addition, Eckrich provided local military service members and their families with $25 Randalls gift cards to thank them for their service.

Nathan Wright joined the Army in 2006 and served for five years. He was deployed to Afghanistan for 15 months as a specialist. His wife, Jessica, is a member of Operation Homefronts Hearts of Valor program. The couple lives in Cypress, Texas.

Id really like to thank Eckrich, Operation Homefront and Randalls for their support for military families and for the free groceries, said Jessica Wright. Its humbling to be recognized like this and it touches our hearts.

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Wright family is supported by Operation Homefronts Hearts of Valor program, a network of caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members. Operation Homefront supports these caregivers through annual retreats, support groups and online communities.

Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, entering its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2 million to the organization since 2012. Now through July 4th, Eckrich is donating 5 cents for every purchase of specially marked products, up to $500,000, to Operation Homefront to assist military families.

Eckrich continues to thank, support and honor our military families across the country, said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. We appreciate Randalls partnership in this event. We thank the Wright family for their service and are proud to present them with one year of free groceries.

For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com.

About Eckrich

Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Ind. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care and pride. For more information, visit www.eckrich.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, Cook's, John Morrell, Gwaltney, Kretschmar, Margherita, Curly's, Carando and Healthy Ones. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Operation Homefront

A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. With more than 3,200 volunteers nationwide, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to tens of thousands of military families its inception shortly after 9/11. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefronts expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.
Re: The table above shows the results of a survey of 100 voters who each [ #permalink

The table above shows the results of a survey of 100 voters who each responded "Favorable" or "Unfavorable" or "Not Sure" when asked about their impressions of Candidate M and of Candidate N. What was the number of voters who responded "Favorable" for both candidates?

at least one candidates

at least one

Voters responded favorable for= 40+30-x = 70-x (x represent the # of voters who responded favorable for both candidates)(1) The number of voters who did not respond favorable for either candidate was 40 --> The voters responded favorable for100-40=60=70-x --> x=10. Sufficient.(2) The number of voters who responded unfavorable for both candidates was 10. Clearly not sufficient.Answer A._________________
Two framework deals have been signed by China National Nuclear Corp with Sudan on nuclear power development, including building a 600-megawatt atomic reactor, the first such project in the African country.

The agreements may involve a blueprint for nuclear power development in the next decade for Sudan and building the first nuclear power station in the country, according to a statement issued by the State-owned nuclear giant on Tuesday.

The agreements were signed on Monday during a three-day visit to Sudan by a Chinese delegation. It was led by Nur Bekri, head of the National Energy Administration and deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Sun Qin, chairman of CNNC, said the company will cooperate with Sudan's Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity through the agreements.

The company did not disclose the contract value or the type of nuclear technology to be used for the reactor.

But experts said there is a great opportunity for the homegrown reactor design Hualong One, a type of third-generation technology, to be used for the reactor.

"Hualong One is most likely to have been chosen for Sudan, said Chai Guohan, chief engineer at the Ministry of Environmental Protection's Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center.

"China is looking to popularize this nuclear technology at home and abroad," Chai said.

With the world's largest number of reactors under construction, China plans to develop this experience into nuclear exports.

Chinese nuclear companies are making huge inroads in global nuclear markets, including Britain and Argentina.

CNNC has clinched deals with Argentina to build two nuclear reactors, while CGN, another domestic energy giant, partnered with Electricite de France to build three reactors in Britain.

Sudan has faced power shortages in recent years and is seeking to build two 600-mW pressurized water reactors to meet the growing demand for electricity, with construction on the first one starting in 2021.

Sudanese Finance Minister Badr-Eddin Mahmoud said the agreements reviewed all energy issues facing the country and will provide solutions for these and for new projects.
A 23-year-old banker died after jumping out a window of his Murray Hill apartment building this weekend.

The Post reports that the victim, whom they've identified as Alex Lagowitz, was high on "magic mushrooms" at the time.

Police say the incident happened around 10 a.m. on Sunday at the Windsor Court building on E. 31st Street near Lexington Avenue. The victim was found on a patio below his 26th floor bedroom window. Cops say he jumped out his window, but add that the investigation is ongoing.

Sources told the Post that the victim took four grams of the drug, and it is unclear whether he fell by mistake or purposely jumped.

Police confirmed that the victim's roommate, 22-year-old Max Kaplan, was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substancethe paper claims that substance was the remaining mushrooms in the apartment.
The developers behind a tech office complex that is being created in DUMBO buildings formerly owned by the Jehovah's Witnesses are planning to add a sidewalk plaza out front. DUMBO Heights owners LIVWRK and Kushner Companies, owned by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, have already gotten the city to bump out the sidewalk from 15 to 30 feet wide, though they did it without consulting the local community board. Whoops!

The pedestrian plaza will be rolled out as part of the city's Street Seats program, in which the city Transportation Department provides the signage and street transformation, and the developers who apply are on the hook for maintenance and design of the actual plaza.

Manuel Mansylla of the design firm Fantastica told the Wall Street Journal that Kushner and co. are going for an "adult playground" vibe. When the plaza opens up late this summer, office drones will get to lunch facing and breathing in the sweet ambrosia of car traffic on the foot of the Manhattan Bridge, which bounds the two-block stretch of Sands Street on one end, and a Brooklyn Bridge on-ramp lining the other.

"I think we all need these spaces in between our desks and our beds," Mansylla told the Journal. "I think they are sort of like buffer zones."

2,500 workers are expected to arrive at the complex by fall. Lest any corporate executives fear that the plaza might foster lunchtime lollygagging or discussion of working conditions between laborers across the industry, LIVWRK CEO Asher Abehsera told the paper the aim is to extend the office outdoors by creating "a continuation of a collaborative environment without having to stay at their desks." Sounds about right.

A rendering of the plaza shows it dotted with square benches with planters in the middle, as well as a bike lane running down Sands Street. It's not clear whether the addition of the lane is wishful thinking or the DOT is actually considering itthe DOT didn't immediately respond to a comment request. A Kushner Companies spokesman said the plaza is supposed to include charging stations.

According to DNAinfo, the benches are supposed to stay open 24 hours a day, from March through December.
If you're still having regrets about last weekend's midnight cheesy bread bender, today's news may be just what you need to swear off the stuff (or at least start tipping much better): Domino's has been systematically shortchanging its workers, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages over the past several years, NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alleged in a lawsuit filed today.

Domino's corporate, as well as three of its franchisees, are accused of committing wage theft at 10 stores in New York, withholding at least $565,000 from employees over four years.

Domino's apparently required those franchisees to use a payroll system called PULSE, which, the AG's investigation revealed, systematically under-calculated workers' wages. Schneiderman's office obtained emails that showed Domino's became aware of this flaw in the system years ago, but didn't take any action to correct it, and insisted that franchises keep using the broken system.

Over a two-year period, 33 of the 42 Domino's franchisees in New York reported in their own payroll records that they were paying workers less than the minimum wage at the time, and 36 out of 42 were paying less for overtime than is required by law. Overall, 86% of Domino's franchisees in the state violated basic wage protections for workers, the AG said today.

Schneiderman previously settled cases with 12 franchisees in New York, who will pay about $1.5 million in restitution to cheated workers. Those franchisees, as well as those named in this new suit, used the PULSE system, according to the AG's office, but this is the first time that Schneiderman has held a fast food corporation itself liable as a joint employer when alleging wage theft.

"It's time for Domino's parent corporation to be held accountable," Schneiderman said during a press conference Tuesday. "It's time for Domino's to step up to the plate, to stop hiding behind the franchise business model and to accept responsibility for the widespread harm they have inflicted upon working New Yorkers and the widespread fraud they have perpetrated and caused."

Tim McIntyre, a spokesperson for Domino's, said that the company had been working with Schneiderman's office for over three years to help its franchisees understand wage and hour laws, and was "disappointed to learn that the Attorney General chose to file a lawsuit that disregards the nature of franchising and demeans the role of small business owners instead of focusing on solutions that could have actually helped the individuals those small businesses employ."

Schneiderman isn't the only one who's accused the pizza giant of unfair wage practices: in 2014, 61 delivery workers won $1.3 million in a class-action lawsuit against Domino's, accusing a franchisee, DPNY Inc., of minimum wage and overtime violations. Not long before that settlement, employees at a Washington Heights Domino's claimed that they were fired after protesting unfair wages by participating in a nationwide walkout as part of the Fight for $15.

When asked whether pizza-craving customers should be buying from Domino's, Schneiderman said, "I don't," but added that "it's important to note that there are other chains that also have very, very bad records."

That would be Papa John's, one of whose NYC franchisees recently had to pay $2.12 million in a wage theft lawsuit also brought by Schneiderman. But it's not only fast food joints that have come under the AG's scrutiny: his office accused the bong-water-serving Manhattan eatery Per Se of withholding tips from employees, and last year, announced that the restaurant would have to pay a settlement of $500,000.

In response to news of this latest wage theft lawsuit against Domino's, Joseph Bello, who works at a Domino's franchise and is active in the Fight for $15 movement, said that "corporations like Domino's...can't mistreat their workers and then hide behind franchisees, pretending to have no responsibility. We're going to keep on joining together to make sure that fast-food companies don't steal our wages, and that they pay us $15 so we can support our families and respect our right to a union."
A cop was arrested on Sunday for allegedly leaking information about an impending Bronx gang raid to a woman he was seeing, whom he met while on duty. Adam Malki, 24, was researching gang members on Facebook when he came across one of their girlfriends and thought she was "hot," the New York Post reported. He reportedly met her in uniform at a hookah bar in Highbridge, and they started dating.

Malki allegedly told the woman that she might be arrested as part of an investigation that in March led to the indictment of 84 alleged members of the crews Eden Boys, Miami Ave., UGZ, and RGZ, active in Tremont, Highbridge, and Fordham.

Police arrested Malki on Sunday and charged him with official misconduct, a misdemeanor punishable by as much as a year in prison. He has been suspended from the NYPD without pay.

His mother told the Daily News that the charge is bogus.

"The girl is not telling the truth. When he asked her if she was in the gang, she said she wasnt. He didnt know it when they started going out," she said. "I dont believe this."

Malki then kicked the tabloid's reporter off of the premises.
Jia Lee has been teaching in New York City schools since 2001, working with elementary and special needs students in the Bronx and Manhattan. In recent years, she has been an activist in the opt-out movement, where students abstain from sitting for state exams tied to teacher and school ratings.

Last year, bowing to pressure from parents and teachers, Governor Cuomo and the state Board of Regents reversed their previous policies and eliminated test results from the state teacher evaluation system.

Lee, a United Federation of Teachers union representative for her school, is running for the unions leadership in opposition to current president Michael Mulgrew. She is the candidate of the MORE (Movement of Rank and File Educators) caucus, a faction of delegates calling for less top-down bureaucracy in the union and increased mobilization and advocacy for teachers rights.

Gothamist talked to Lee about her experience working in the New York City Department of Education, the opt-out movement, her campaign for the city union presidency and her role as a parent with a student attending city public schools.

When I was a kid, I would play school. I was fascinated with the idea of working with children. But I had experiences at school that I felt werent open to my way of learning. I would hear about experiences that my college friends had had at private school, in more progressive settings, which made me want to study child development and public education.

I started in the New York City Department of Education as a Teaching Fellow in District 75. I taught in the Bronx in a self-contained high school, with students with severe emotional disabilities and behavioral disorders. Ive taught K-12 throughout the course of my career. I eventually landed at an elementary school in the East Village. I started co-teaching with a general education teacher and then I taught self-contained for a couple of years. Then I transferred to the Earth School, which was around the corner from my first school, PS 63, here in the East Village.

When I first started, it was in the first year of No Child Left Behind, during the roll-in of using standardized metrics to evaluate schools and teachers and administrators. Which just didnt feel right. I was teaching students who were in and out of incarceration, in and out of public institutions for mental disorders. A lot of them had been born during the crack epidemic, so many had developmental delays and cognitive deficits as a result. But they were expected to pass Regents Exams.

Half of my students under 21 could barely read, let alone have the background knowledge to access the content on the tests.

Racial segregationnot just among students but also staff populationsits a crisis that the methods and policies that we know are causing ranking and sorting of students are the very mechanisms that are ranking and sorting us as teachers.

Even new teachers coming into the system, they are not passing the [new Pearson-administered certification program] edTPA and the new certification tests. Disproportionally, black and Latino educators are not passing these tests. And theres a reason for that. I find it to be a huge problem that we are continuing with systems that are unfounded and that have huge racist implications and contribute to systemic racism. Its like were going backwards instead of forwards.

Real teacher preparation comes from working with experienced educators. That has gone to the wayside and there is now so much emphasis on passing tests. There are too many tests and theres too much jumping through hoops. They are an added barrier in a profession thats already seeing dwindling numbers. Nobody wants to go into teaching any more.

But that was the position I was put intoto teach Regents-level science. I was just trying to work within those parameters. And my first elementary school teaching experience, it was very traditional, compliance-based. It wasnt until I arrived at the Earth School, which was founded about thirty years ago during the progressive education movement, that I realized what whole child learning could look like.



Mayor de Blasio, First Lady McCray, NYC School Chancellor Farina and Queens Borough President Katz Visit Home Sweet Home Childrens School in Queens, September 2014 (Rob Bennett / Mayoral Photography Office)

At the school, we design our own curriculum. But its a public school. It wasnt until I got here that my mind was blown away, and I thought, Oh my god, this is the kind of thing I wish I had. In my classroom, I have 27 students. Its a co-teaching classroom and we have a broad range of students with Individualized Educational Plans who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds. And they are all so engaged in the work.

I feel that a lot of students in our system are missing out, because of the pressure to raise test scores and to follow certain content standards. Thats being mistaken for real learning. This system has produced school cultures of compliance which denigrate engagementwhich is at the root of learning.

We are still expected to administer the state tests. We are still expected, in a lot of ways, to follow certain compliance mandates. Because of the rich history and traditions in our school, there is a natural pushback against that and so you see a rise of the opt out movement in our school.

The last few years, the opt-out movement has grown incrementally, but its in schools like oursthe Brooklyn New School, the Earth School, the Neighborhood School these schools have all had their share of resistance. Its because of the work that we do and what we value. Its hard to say where the movement started, with teachers or parents. Its a chicken or the egg kind of question. If you already have a culture of communicating with your families about where your students are really doing well and what they are struggling with, theres already a conversation happening. We have an open door policy at our school.

Once New York City had a grading system for schools, and that became a focal point in our school building because the grade would be great one year and down the next. Just because of the nature of our school size, one test score, or one item on one childs test, could totally skew the metrics.

The more research that we did, parents and teachers together, through the school leadership team, we realized that these results were based on faulty metrics. These results which have big implications for our schools are hugely problematic. The results are public and people make their decisions on whether or not they send their child to your school based on these ratings. The ratings affect the morale in the school buildingand they are based on a metric that is completely flawed. Parents started saying, Were not going to participate in this. The conversation with the teachers is just natural; it wasnt taboo in our building.

The majority of our students opted out. There is a disparity between the families whose parents can make it to meetings and those who cant. Several meetings are held through our Parents Association or our School Leadership Team and the parents who work really long hours or certain times of day dont always make it. Being able to get them to have access to those discussions, to let them know what is going on, is a lot of work. We dont always reach everybody. For the small percentage of students who did participate in the tests, those parents might be afraid of consequences that might affect their particular child. They ask, Will this have implications for middle school admissions and beyond? In some cases, students say, I want to see what the test looks like. I want to try it out. They dont understand the politics of it. And Im not going to argue with a child. And parents arent going to argue with a child over it.

My child goes to the middle school thats on the third floor in my building because of convenience, number one, and because I got to know the community so well. For him, hes opted out since the 4th grade. Fourth grade is supposedly the year that they look at test scores for admissions. It did not affect my sons ability to get into any school.

What I worry about as a parent, is that his teachers start to feel the pressure of being able to meet a certain standard that we may not be able to reach. Its okay to meet him where hes at and foster his sense of learning, his sense of understanding of how to work with other people, of how to analyze situations. That thats more important to me than content. Having a nurturing school community is way more important.

The school ratings on the city level were done away with. At the state level, they are using the test scores, putting them on a norm reference bell curve. And you are guaranteed a bottom quartile when you grade on a curve; you are guaranteeing that teachers can be labeled as failing, that there will be schools labeled as such. Its an excuse to label them, put them on a receivership list and shut them down. We are seeing a connection with the proliferation of charters. Privatizers, charter hedge fund supporters, politicians even, are not shy about saying what their real agenda is.

Since the tests are scored on a bell curve, one childs high test score begets another childs low test score, and that could mean the closure of a school in a poor community, which is probably black and Latino.

Thats a civil rights issue and an equity issue, when theres so much more linked to the outcome of a test than what happens in a classroom. About 1 to 14 percent of performance can be attributed to what the student learns in a classroom; the greater factors for how a child will perform on a test are linked to a parents educational attainment and their socioeconomic status.



Mayor de Blasio gives remarks at the UFT Spring Conference in May of 2015 as UFT leader Michael Mulgrew looks on (Ed Reed / Mayoral Photography Office)

Under the new contract negotiated by the UFT and the DOE, I think there was a cap of 200 schools that could apply to become a PROSE schoolthe Progressive Redesign Opportunity for Schools of Excellence. I have a problem with PROSE personally, because schools like ours apply for it right away, so we can be free to do what we are already doing. We can design our own MOSUL [the exam on which teacher performance is based], which has to get approved by the state. We can develop our own methods of learning.

What I dont like about it is that you create tiers of schools. Its another divide and conquer tactic, where schools that already have strong democratic processes can protect themselves, because a lot of the consortium schools and the progressive public elementary and middle schools are in the PROSE program. Schools like ours are able to continue what they are doing without the immense pressure that is on the other schools. And that comes at a societal price.

The diversity initiative, which our school is a part of it, thats another piece. I feel like we should do some deep research into why New York City is so segregated. It has deep roots in zoning laws, it has to do with gentrification, it has to do with other issues that you cant just stop at the school level. You cant just stop it with a policy. I feel as though a lot of the answers coming from the DOE are problematic.

They still support standardized testing. The tests dont give us any valuable information, but the chancellor keeps saying that the metrics let us see how the kids are doing. No, it doesnt! Scores are determined after the tests are taken. They wont include test items on exams if too many students get them correct in field testing. So its rigged. To know that and say that its a valuable tool, I think thats very dangerous, because its the same tool that is used to stigmatize and label failing schools as a reason to shutter them and allow privatizers to come in and open up charters. And we know thats part of a real estate game. Thats where its a double edged thing for me with the new administration; they are doing more of the same, in a lot of ways.

The more I got into it, the more I learned about how our union has been complicit in the mayoral control that led to Bloomberg being able to put into place Joel Klein, who had absolutely no experience in the public education system, to be able to implement fast-track leadership academies, take away local elected school boards, in essence, depriving communities of any democratic voice, shuttering schools and wreaking havoc in neighborhoods that needed so many resources.

These neighborhood schools could tell the DOE what they needed in order to thrive and be able to succeed, but instead they were being punished. It wasnt until I came to the Earth School that I realized what education could look like and what a democratically governed school looked like. This is what all schools should have, we alone shouldnt just be protected. We get to do our own thing, but everyone else has to suffer.

I think that the basis for MORE [the United Federation of Teachers Movement of Rank and File Educators caucus] is to empower for teachers at the school level to build strong chapters. Any foundation of a union is based on solidarity. You cant allow divide and conquer tactics. The staff has to be solid. It doesnt mean that they all have to be in agreement all of the time, it just means that there have to be practices and structures in place that allow for collaborative decision making and a respectful environment. Sadly, in most places, that is gone. Teachers who have won Teacher of the Year Award have been targeted. The work has to done be school-by-school, it cant be top-down. We have to ask ourselves, what does our school need? And what can we do to get it? So we can support our work and our students.

I was at the first MORE meeting. And we thought, every time we would assess a situation, we would always go back to our unionWhat is our union doing? Why are we not feeling empowered in our schools to fight back against co-locations of charters? Why arent we getting the support when we need it? The further we looked, if you follow the line, you see they have gone along. Even under former UFT head Randi Weingarten-who gave the okay for mayoral control of the schoolsyou see these behind closed doors negotiations happening and then being presented to us, the members. Mayoral control is going to happen and its a good opportunity for us to focus on our schools. There was always some kind of excuse being given.

You have to do some reading and research outside the UFT to look at the bigger picture in the labor movement. We have the Taylor Law here in New York City, which means we are not allowed to so-called strike. Thats the very power of a labor union which has been restricted. What we have become is a business union, where its a service-based union instead of a real rank-and-file led union.

MORE is about changing that culture. That decision-making should come from bottom-up. There are issues about working conditions that affect our work with our students who we should be able to advocate for.



Jia Lee (Jennifer Preissel)

Instead, what we are seeing, is that policies are being negotiated with politicians, with hedge fund managers, with people like Bill Gates, people with no experience in education at all, people working in for-profit industries, who are making decisions which are being relayed to members by union leaders. Money is being taken. I think the AFT, the national union, has taken something like $335 million dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The UFT has also taken something like $4 million dollars from the Gates Foundation to support Common Core. When you have your own union leadership negotiating with the very entities that are out to privatize the school system via targeting the teachers union, because we stand in the way, you start to say, Wait a minute, our union leadership is basically an arm of the government and no longer representative of us.

What Im seeing is that the old union vanguard is very weakened. The Chicagos teachers union was successful in their strike and a MORE-affiliated caucus that won control in LA did so because they mobilize and organize teachers to have voice. They are actively vocal which is what the old guard unions dont know how to do. Our union does not know how to organize at all.

If you look at places like Chicago, the ability to link the community issues as teacher issues, to implement social justice unionismyou see tens of thousands of people are coming out to support teachers. We saw that in the one-day strike that happened on April 1st in Chicago. I was there. It was incredible to see people coming off the streets and solidarity from other workers. Their transit workers took 15-minute stall on the line in solidarity. You have a social justice lens and framework for what a union should do and how it should practice. That becomes your fulcrum for community organizing.

The Unity Caucus has been in power since the beginning of our union. They have what is called the loyalty oath and its a form of democratic centralism. Their idea is that you have power in unity. The party line is that even though we may disagree, we have more power if we vote the same. At the delegate assemblies, Michael Mulgrew will give longwinded announcements and speeches. Its a two-hour meeting, after school, when people are exhaustedand he spends over an hour talking. Then there are announcements done by another personthats also very slow. Then you get to the part where you can raise questions. There are a lot of comments to the questionsand round-about ways of answering. Then the time set aside for debates and raising motions is like 15-20 minutes. A lot of people have things that they want to raise, but for example, two delegate assemblies ago, there were ten minutes for raising of motions period. One person got to raise a resolution and it was shot down within the time period. They vote as a bloc.

I raised a motion to get retroactive pay for people who are on maternity leave or medical leave who didnt receive theirs. Somebody from Unity spoke upwho happened to work in the Queens Borough office as the lead maternity liaison, and she spoke against it. She said, If you are going to have a baby, you have to make those decisions in advance, you have to make those accommodations in advance. I couldnt believe it. People were dismayed. But because she is identified as a Unity person, people voted against it, even bringing it to discussion. But we need the strength and force of our union leadership to do something about it.

I know the chances to win the union presidency are very slim. A large part of the voter turnout are retirees, who dont live here. The current leadership works hard to get that support. Im running because I think its an opportunity for teachers to see that there are others speaking out about the issues that we are all concerned about and that we can be very vocal and organize around them. There can a support system which doesnt exist at our union. Our major emphasis is on building empowerment at the chapter level.

This is about mobilizing and organizing and getting people excited about possibilities instead of feeling like, You know, I dont think I can take this anymore, and wanting to leave, which I hear a lot. We want to keep our public school system alive. We dont want to cower and let the system make us leave what we love and abandon the very reasons we came to it.



This interview has been edited and condensed.

Jennifer Preissel is a New York City high school teacher.

Read our entire New York City teacher interview series here.
More than three quarters of commuters who live along the L train route would prefer a complete, 18 month suspension of service while the MTA does necessary repairs to the Hurricane Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tube over a three-year partial shutdown, according to a survey conducted by the straphangers' advocacy group Riders Alliance.

The group surveyed 350 New Yorkers, the vast majority of whom live along the L line. All told, 77% of respondents said they'd prefer the shorter, complete shutdown. The Alliance plans to formally endorse the complete shutdown this afternoon, in a letter to the MTA. In doing so, they'll join the ranks of the Regional Plan Association.

Top MTA officials have also indicated that they'd prefer the 18 month approach. Both MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast and New York City Transit President Veronique Hakim make the case that it's the more efficient option, impacting 80% fewer riders. Under the proposal, L train service would run normally in Brooklyn, but would be suspended completely from Bedford Avenue all the way along 14th Street in Manhattan to 8th Avenue.

For comparison, the three-year plan would single-track L trains between Brooklyn and Manhattan, stopping every 12 to 15 minutes between 8th Avenue and Bedford Avenue. Brooklyn service would be relatively normal, with the exception of suspended service between Bedford Avenue and Lorimer Street. Most significantly, under the partial shutdown the L would only have capacity for 20% of the L train's 225,000 daily cross-borough commuters.

"It's crowded now," Hakim said at the first public meeting about L train closures earlier this month. "We are concerned about crowding and how constrained that service would be."

Survey respondents also weighed in on the backup service options they'd like to see implemented, including additional J and G train service and new, dedicated bus lanes. "People really want bus options," said Riders Alliance spokesman Nick Sifuentes on Tuesday. "Not just, 'Oh, here's a couple of shuttle buses,' but something more robust like bus lanes over the Williamsburg Bridge, through Williamsburg and along 14th Street."

At the second MTA-hosted L train meeting this month, some constituents and elected officials rallied around the possibility of closing 14th Street to car traffic altogether, turning the street into a dedicated Select Bus Service route. The MTA deferred the request to the Department of Transportation, but Hakim assured attendees that, "Making 14th Street work is obviously a top priority."

The authority has also alluded to running extra buses over the Williamsburg Bridge, and expanding ferry service.

The Riders Alliance conducted its survey primarily by blasting its own members, according to Sifuentes (local council members also did a bit of legwork, distributing the survey to constituents). The majority of Alliance members live in North Brooklyn, Sifuentes conceded, with much less representation around the Livonia Avenue L in Brownsville and in Canarsie.

"We do need to take into account folks who live farther into Brooklyn who haven't been heard as much," he added. "It's obviously important to look at the entirety of the line."

The MTA is planning to take a stab at this on Thursdaythe third public L train meeting will take place at Beraca Baptist Church on Flatlands Avenue in Canarsie, at 6 p.m.
A group of wily bank robbers managed to break into a Maspeth Federal Savings bank by cutting a hole through the roof to access the bank's vault. When they finished the job, they left what looks like dozens of safe deposit boxes on the roof.

A bank employee noticed the missing safe deposit boxes and the hole in the ceiling of the Rego Park bank yesterday morning around 8:30 a.m.

The heist was rather clever, as PIX 11 describes, "Thieves stole a ladder from a nearby home to get onto the roof. They then constructed a wooden box to hide themselves while boring a hole in the ceiling of the bank. That hole led right into the vault where the safety deposit boxes were kept. One by one, dozens of boxes were taken to the roof, where thieves emptied the boxes of customers' possessions. They then cut a hole in the back fence and escaped, undetected."

Police say that the thieves cut wires before the robbery so there's no surveillance footage. And, besides the customers' safe deposit boxes, the vault contains cash for tellers.

It's unclear when this happened, but the bank closed for business on Saturday at 1 p.m. and was closed all Sunday before reopening on Monday. The NY Times reports:

John Greco, who owns the house behind Maspeth Federal Savings Bank, said he called [the police] on Saturday to report suspicious findings in his backyard: a hole in the fence, an aluminum ladder painted flat black, a black box on the roof of the bank.

He made the call at 4:11 p.m., Mr. Greco said. The desk sergeant said he would get back to him, Mr. Greco said. And he did.

He says, I guess you own a ladder. Quote, Mr. Greco recounted Monday evening.

The police wouldn't confirm Greco's call to the Times.

Customers have not been able to learn whether their items were taken yet; one said, "My whole life can be ruined."

A spokesman for the bank said, "We are hopeful that the breach will have only affected a limited portion of the boxes rented on site, and for those that were breached, that some of the items may have been left behind by the perpetrators and be recoverable after the police finish investigating."

Authorities believe that this robbery is linked to nine other similar bank robberies where the thieves gain access by cutting a hole in the roof. In April, a Borough Park HSBC was robbed of $280,000. The robberies have taken place in Brooklyn and Queens.
The father of late 26-year-old Obiamaka Adubawho was allegedly murdered by her husband on Staten Island last week, her body rolled around the neighborhood on a metal dollytold reporters that his daughter was about four months pregnant at the time of her death.

Adubah's father spoke off camera with NY1 on Monday, confirming that his daughter was married to the suspect, 31-year-old Anthony Lopez, for about three years, and that she was afraid of him. He added that he had encouraged her to leave Lopez, reminding her that she could always move back home.

Police arrested Lopez over the weekend, concluding a manhunt for the suspect who abandoned his wife's body and fled on Friday. He was apprehended in Harlem with a shaved headapparently an attempt at disguise after police released a photograph of him with longer hair.

Lopez has since been charged with murder and concealment of a human corpse. He was reportedly pushing the body towards the Kill van Kull in the Mariners Harbor section of Staten Island, suggesting to investigators that he may have been attempting to dump the body in the water.

The Medical Examiner's office is determining Aduba's cause of death. According to the Daily News, Lopez and Abuda's relationship was mired with domestic violencehe allegedly beat his wife regularly, enough to break her bones, and often confiscated her cell phone.

The Staten Island DA's office confirmed to NY1 that there have been eight domestic violence homicides in the borough this year to date. The Advance reports that five of the victims were stabbed to death, and four of them were children.

"There's clearly a problem with intimate-partner violence happening repeatedly," Diane Arneth, CEO of Community Health Action of Staten Island, told the news outlet last month. "It's not necessarily tied to socio-economic status. It crosses all lines."
BUTTE -- Butte-Silver Bow police are seeking two male suspects who they say stole medical marijuana estimated at $12,000 in a brazen early-morning burglary executed while police responded to two alarms at the dispensary.

The men, seen on video surveillance released by police, approached Evergreen Medical, 624 E. Front St., from the east along the railroad tracks around 1:30 a.m. Friday.

Wearing desert-type (light tan) camouflage clothing, they placed a collapsible ladder against the building and then climbed toward the roof, Undersheriff George Skuletich said Monday.

Police recovered two saw blades and observed footprints on the roof, where a hole was cut and the suspects made entry. Police believe the culprits used an electric power saw to make the cut.

Police dispatch logged reports of alarms at the business at 2:24 a.m. and again at 3:56 a.m., which officers responded to and found a dark building with doors secured, and no evidence the shop had been compromised, the undersheriff said.

Management did not respond to the scene when the alarms sounded. The alarms, Skuletich said, may have gone off in response to the movements of the suspects, including the opening of doors.

According to the time stamp on the video surveillance, the suspects exited the dispensary at 4:07 a.m. and descended the ladder with a backpack and large garbage bag. They fled toward the railroad tracks, police said.

When the owner arrived around 7 a.m. Friday morning, the burglary was discovered. The hole in the ceiling was shown to police.

Skuletich said cool coil wiring valued at $1,400 was also reported stolen.

The undersheriff said the incident was not a crime of opportunity or a smash and grab, but rather a planned crime.

They were prepared; they knew what they were doing, Skuletich said.

On Monday afternoon, an Evergreen Medical employee  on behalf of the owner  expressed appreciation for law enforcements response to the break-in and theft.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects is asked to call police at 406-497-1120 or Crimestoppers at 406-782-7336.
An 27-year-old East Helena man is in custody on suspicion of a pair of May 18 robberies.

According to a news release Saturday from the Helena Police Department, officers announced Kolby David Schmidt, who was found on foot in the area of McHugh Lane and Forestvale Road and arrested without incident, is suspected of the felony crimes.

The complaint filed with Justice Court on Monday alleged Schmidt was involved in the robberies of Village Inn Pizza in Helena and Montana Lils Casino in East Helena.

The affidavit that accompanied the complaint said that Helena police were summoned to Village Inn Pizza after a 1:44 a.m. report of an armed robbery.

An employee of the business, who is not identified in the affidavit, said that the man suspected of the robbery had entered the business about 1 a.m. and began playing gambling machines.

As the man went to hand a ticket to the employee to redeem winnings, the employee saw a handwritten note that demanded money and threatened violence.

The robbery suspect allegedly placed one of his hands over the grip of a handgun that was tucked in his waistband, the employee said.

The employee gave the man the roughly $375 that he had, and the man then left through the front door of the business.

Police officers viewed images from a surveillance camera inside the business and then received photographs from dispatch that might match the description of the robbery suspect.

The employee selected a photograph of Schmidt that he identified as the robbery suspect.

The second robbery was reported at 5:30 a.m. at Montana Lils in East Helena. An employee, who was not identified in the affidavit, met with one of the Lewis and Clark County Sheriffs Office deputies that responded.

The suspect had given the business employee a ticket to claim his winnings and allegedly provided a note demanding cash, according to the affidavit.

The robbery suspect was given $318 before fleeing the business.

The court papers said the two robberies appeared to have involved the same person and that a woman who knows Schmidt allegedly identified him from photos taken from video and distributed.
Let's start with where the data comes from: The Commissioner of Higher Education, which collects employment data from students one year after they graduate, and the Department of Labor.

The Montana University System finalized a memorandum of understanding in 2007 with the state's Department of Labor and Industry that allows the MUS to track the labor force outcomes for recent graduates. Nearly all employed Montanans are identified in the Department of Labors Unemployment Insurance records (You wouldn't be if you're self-employed, for example. The state's data grabs about 80 percent of graduates).

Using these records, MUS can ascertain how many graduates obtain work in Montana and what wages they receive. That's from this PDF, which gives a bit more insight into the data.
As a teacher in our public schools, I encourage you to vote for Kim Abbott for House District 83. I first came to know Kim through her volunteer efforts to support our public schools. She recognizes the importance and value of a strong public school system. And, as importantly, she recognizes the importance of making sure that all of our students feel supported, respected and protected. On a daily basis, I deal with the challenges that many of our young people face, whether it's dealing with peer pressure, difficult situations at home, health issues, or their own identities and sense of self-worth. On a daily basis, Kim Abbott works on behalf of people in our community and state who face these same kinds of challenges. She cares deeply about the welfare of all. I want her voice in the Legislature, and I hope you will give her your vote.
As a 73-year-old, I have voted for many Republican and Democratic presidential candidates in my lifetime, but have yet to see a more honest, straightforward and well-qualified candidate than Bernie Sanders. I hope Bernie will remain in the race all the way to the convention and challenge Clinton for the nomination. Here's why:

First, if Clinton had not been given an unfair jump-start of 400 superdelegates before Bernie even entered the race, I doubt Hillary would have enough delegates to win the nomination on the first ballot.

Second, Debby Wasserman-Schultz, the Democratic Party chairman, purposefully scheduled the Clinton v. Sanders televised debates during obscure, non-prime times. This denied Sanders the national audience he needed to help him overcome the huge name recognition advantage enjoyed early on by Clinton.

Third, Hillary is quick to sell herself as a foreign policy expert. Yet, the fact that she voted to authorize the disastrous war in Iraq that cost hundreds of thousands of American and Iraqi lives and trillions of taxpayer dollars shows a serious lack of foreign policy judgement on her part. Sanders voted no. So, really, which of the two candidates has demonstrated sound foreign policy judgement on major issues?

Fourth, Sanders was at a disadvantage in states with "closed primaries" because independent voters who overwhelmingly support Sanders were unable to vote. Those independent Sanders supporters will not be excluded in a General Election, however.

Fifth, so despite rigged debates, gratis superdelegates and closed primaries that have favored Clinton, Sanders has gained huge momentum late in the contest. Poll after poll now shows that Sanders consistently beats Trump by a wide margin in a General Election while Clinton wins narrowly over Trump, often by just the margin of error.

So, here is my suggestion to Montana voters who do not want to see Donald Trump become president. Let's vote for Sanders and give him a huge landslide in the Montana primary election. This, plus big wins in California and the other remaining primaries on June 7, may just give Bernie the leverage he needs to successfully derail Clinton's nomination at the National Democratic Convention and become the Democratic nominee.

Bob Balhiser

Helena
The primary race for House District 84 features a pair of names that will be familiar to many East Helena voters.

Former state lawmaker Steve Gibson and East Helena City Council President Kit Johnson will square off in next months contest to determine which Republican will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell and newcomer Paula Bonar, a Libertarian, in Novembers general election.

Gibson, who was narrowly bested by Dunwell in 2014, filed campaign paperwork nearly a year ago declaring his intent to retake the House seat he lost to Dunwell by just 23 votes.

The two-term former lawmakers name recognition, coupled with a trio of recent, high-profile endorsements from his former statehouse colleagues, has some calling Gibson the favorite to emerge from Junes primary contest.

Johnson plans to spoil that coronation.

The 51-year-old auto shop owner has served as a city councilman, school board trustee and planning board chair since moving to the East Helena area more than a quarter-decade ago.

Johnson said he has been dissatisfied with Dunwells performance at the Capitol, but only decided to join the race to unseat her after years of encouragement from community and industry leaders.

The retired Marine and Operation Desert Storm veteran blamed overzealous regulations for a deplorable lack of livable wage jobs in Montana -- a problem he said hed be well-equipped to fix if elected.

I started a small business 22 years ago that employs seven people with good paying, livable wages and complete benefit packages, Johnson said. I have had to make a payroll from day one and I know how to stick to a budget.

Gibson, like Johnson, emphasized the need to create good paying jobs -- the type of jobs hesaid wouldve been created under a contentious infrastructure spending bill vetoed by Gov. Steve Bullock after a protracted debate last Legislative session.

The 64-year-old former state corrections department administrator said he wouldve supported that bill, but opposed the controversial closure of state-run facilities for the developmentally disabled at the Montana Developmental Center in Boulder -- a move supported by Rep. Dunwell, his former election opponent.

Gibson and Johnson agreed efforts to kickstart Montanas job growth should include continued development of the states coal, oil and other natural resources, though Johnson said hed seek a balanced existence between environmental and natural resource development concerns.

The pair expressed cautious support for medical marijuana programs twice approved by Montana voters, programs pot providers say would be devastated by a February Montana Supreme Court ruling that upheld key provisions in a 2011 state law limiting providers to selling the drug to a maximum of three patients.

The GOP hopefuls also seemed wary of so-called right-to-work bills -- legislation that seeks to limit the extent to which labor organizations can require employee membership in a union.

With so much in common, Gibson figures theres one major thing that distinguishes him from his opponent: Experience.

Experience, knowledge of the (legislative) process and leadership in the Legislature, he said. Prior to being elected I presented budget proposals and policies to the Legislature for over 20 years.

I have developed working relationships with legislators from both parties, including past and current legislators, which facilitates ones ability to work together and come up with common sense solutions for Montana.

Johnson and Gibson have reported campaign contributions totaling $12,400 since last year -- around $2,200 less than the war chest Rep. Dunwell has managed to compile over the same time period.
If fundraising totals are any indication, the crowded primary contest for House District 80 could prove a tight race.

Unlike candidates in some other Montana statehouse races, all three Republicans seeking to replace outgoing four-term Rep. Mike Miller have amassed a four-figure war chest in the run-up to next months primary.

Campaign reports filed in May show environmental consultant Becky Beard holds a narrow $11 fundraising lead over Patrick Johnson, the Helena water engineer who Miller topped by a wide margin in 2014.

Rancher Zach Wirth had raised only about one-fifth the campaign cash collected by those two through the end of April. He does not expect to close that gap in the weeks before the June 7 primary.

The 64-year-old Wolf Creek resident, who is self-funding his first political campaign, referred to the growing influence of campaign cash as one of the biggest problems in todays political world.

Besides, Wirth isnt sure hell need all that much money to separate from the GOP primary pack.

He hopes to position himself as the outsider candidate in a field populated by Helena insiders; though he, like his opponents, tended to take a dim view of Montanas regulatory climate and the lawmakers who helped craft it.

A guy should be able to do business here, even if you have to make compromises, he said. I used to think I was the dumbest guy in the room, until I saw the 2015 Legislature.

Neither Beard nor Johnson seemed to shy away from their experience working with state government or walking the campaign trail.

Beard, who won a ringing endorsement from Miller early this month, said she plans to pick up where the longtime GOP lawmaker left off -- by continuing to advocate for the private sector.

The 56-year-old Elliston resident said Montana faces an imminent financial reckoning as small businesses labor under excessive regulations amid continued declines in coal and gas tax revenues.

She hopes to reverse those trends through a program of streamlining rules and expediting infrastructure projects.

We must expedite those (projects) ready to proceed to design and construction, Beard said. This is crucial to the economic viability and welfare within our communities.

Non-critical and inappropriate projects should be culled."

A long-running spat over such non-critical projects -- including a gymnasium in Bozeman and a much anticipated Montana Historical Society campus in Helena -- helped stall an eight-figure infrastructure spending package proposed during last years Legislative session.

Reinvesting in infrastructure -- like allowing regulated use of medical marijuana -- proved an issue on which Beard, Wirth and Johnson largely agreed.

Those were about the only areas in which they offered mostly similar views.

Johnson, 63, said he admired Rep. Millers Libertarian principles, but felt the longtime legislator did not adequately support infrastructure funding efforts and did not adequately appreciate the economic impact of outdoor tourism on the states economy.

The Army veteran and West Point attendee said he would use a combination of user fees, existing state funds and bonding to pay for long-awaited statewide road and sewer improvements.

He was the only one of the three GOP hopefuls to suggest the state was over reliant on natural resource industries, explaining the current attack on coal and regulatory constraints on timber harvests helped reveal the need for a more diverse economic base.

We need to promote quality, accountable education; fund infrastructure and have small, efficient state government, Johnson said. At the same time, we must promote agriculture and natural resource development which are the backbone of our economy in many areas.

In sum, we need a diverse economy which plays to the natural advantages of Montana.

The Helena resident, like Beard, did not take a specific position on so-called right-to-work legislation -- bills that seek to limit the extent to which labor organizations can require employee membership in a union. Wirth said he opposed mandatory union membership.

Johnson did take a firm stance against transferring ownership of federal lands to the state, a controversial move Wirth supports and one Beard said merited more discussion.

Whomever emerges from next months three-way primary will take on Independent Valerie Clague and familiar HD 80 Democratic challenger Elizabeth Cain in Novembers general election.

Neither of those two candidates has yet raised any campaign cash, according to May election filings.
Three Republicans are vying for the nomination in Senate District 40 and hoping to bring another seat into their partys majority this fall.

The primary race features in alphabetical order, Carl Garcia, a college student in criminal justice, Terry Gauthier, owner of Helenas two McDonald's restaurants, and Drew Turiano, a real estate investor with a masters degree in political science. The district is currently served by term-limited Democrat Christine Kaufmann, and the Republican candidates promised a new direction if elected in the fall.

Garcia, 39, was born in Valparaiso, Indiana, and grew up in Virginia. He formerly owned his own construction company and still works construction by request, but primarily focuses on his college coursework in criminal justice through Helena College and Montana State University Northern.

This is Garcias first time as an official candidate and bills himself as a candidate of the voters.

Ive been up to the Legislature trying to support and oppose bills and just the ruckus between the left and right has gone, in my opinion, ridiculous, he said. What better way to make a change than to run because the voters voices dont seem to be getting heard.

Garcia says he does not have a single most important issue. He does see a need for more common sense legislation that helps all citizens rather than just a specific group. To open up the process Garcia wants to involve voters as much as possible.

It almost feels like a dictatorship than a democracy, he said.

The economy could benefit from business tax reform, a check on regulations and policies that hire local firms for state government contracts, he said.

We definitely need to allow business to come in and lower business taxes, Garcia said. Its so hard for a small business to stay afloat because of taxes and hiring out-of-state for local infrastructure. We need to bring in more local contractors and give them a fighting chance for these government contracts.

Seeing Montanas economy grow is important but comes with the balance of maintaining the states character.

We need to keep Montana in the 21st century but at the same time keep our Montana roots, Garcia said. Jobs are the big thing and we need more people working more jobs and more comparable jobs and employers willing to pay.

Raising the minimum wage is an ineffective means of generating economic growth as it also increases the cost of living, he said.

While he sees some good and bad points with medical marijuana, Garcia believes it should be available for doctors to prescribe but needs strong regulation.

On the issue of public land management, he would like to see places such as national parks stay in federal ownership, but other lands transfer to state control.

States know best in my opinion rather than the feds, he said.

Garcia says he would like to know more about pre-K funding before deciding his position. He does see a need to fund more space for the Montana Historical Society.

If elected, Garcia believes he can find middle ground with fellow legislators and put the power back in constituents hands.

We need someone thatll keep the public in mind and not have their own personal issues. I feel that Im the voters candidate rather than an establishment candidate, he said.

Gauthier, 58, grew up south of Seattle, Washington. Along with three years of college, he is a retired 20-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and has owned McDonalds restaurants for 17 years, including the last 12 in Helena.

This is his first run for public office, although Gauthier says he stays active in local affairs, attending Hometown Helena and testifying during the Legislature. It was time to stop voicing his concerns and put his hat in the ring, he said.

My motivation right now is as a business owner in Helena, and Im very concerned about job growth, he said. Montana is very fortunate to have some of the best natural resources in the world  (but) a lot of things are coming to a screeching halt. Our revenue stream is shrinking.

Creating a business friendly environment can be coupled with Helena and Montanas outdoor recreation opportunities to attract more businesses and diversify the economy. With sliding revenues, building up the tax base staves off decreases in government spending and strengthens communities by keeping individual taxes down, Gauthier said.

Montanas business equipment tax makes the state less competitive than many other states and means businesses may choose to pass Montana up when deciding where to locate. But we just cant get rid of $90 million in revenue, so how can we make it easier for businesses to be competitive and that will drive new revenue, he said.

On infrastructure funding, Gauthier noted his own business experience and borrowing from the bank for building a new restaurant. Not every project should be financed, however, and he is troubled by earmarks when the state has basic needs such as sewers and schools.

The cost of health care is also a major issue for Gauthier.

We have to get health care costs under control, he said. Medicaid expansion was likely the right move, but weve got to work on the cost of health care with our insurers.

While not an advocate, Gauthier believes small amounts of marijuana for personal use should be legal.

On the issue of public land management, Montana could not afford the ownership of federal lands, although individual transfers or sales may be appropriate on a case by case basis, he said.

Gauthier is a big fan of education and the Montana Education Foundation, and looks at pre-K as a positive.

Gauthier sees the Montana Historical Society as a great attraction for Helena, but a nonessential priority when it compared to infrastructure funding for roads or other public needs.

I understand Montanas economy, the natural resources we have and the agricultural community, and we need to make Montana more accessible to future business growth, he said.

Turiano, 42, was born and raised in Westchester, New York, moving to Big Sky Country in 2006 to find more freedom. The real estate investor earned his masters degree in political science from Fordham University in New York, and holds an undergraduate degree in political science with a minor in history.

He has previously run unsuccessfully for secretary of state and U.S. Congress, and felt he brought a conservative voice to both races, and brings a strong conservative voice to the Senate District 40 primary.

I tried to bring some conservatisim to those campaigns, but unfortunately my opponents had millions and that makes it hard to compete, he said.

In self-financing his campaign, Turiano says he had to compete against PAC funded opponents, but it means he is not beholden to special interests.

Resettling Syrian refugees and calls by some to locate them in Helena and Missoula, is Turiano s leading issue as a candidate. The potential of infiltration by terrorist organizations such as ISIS is too great a risk to take, he said, and both Democrats and Republicans have largely ignored the issue.

Its something that needs to be halted, he said. Why are we compromising the lives of our children when we see rapes or murders in Europe?  I dont see why were taking the chance. Obama is shoving it down our throats. Bullock doesnt mind it. My opponent (Hal) Jacobson is all for it. Im saying lets stop and see what we can do against a possibly terrible thing.

Montanas economy would benefit from a growing tax base, and Turiano sees cutting regulations and taxes on small businesses as a means of making the state more business friendly. Good businesses are being strangled under the current tax and regulation scheme, he said.

In driving a larger tax base and making Montana more business friendly, Turiano says he would support a Republican governors infrastructure bill if it held true to conservative priorities.

Obamacare has been a disaster, Turiano said, as his personal insurance premiums have skyrocketed and hurt businesses and employees by costing jobs.

On public land management, he would like to see federal lands transferred to the state. Montana is blessed to have a wealth of natural resources, and Turiano says those resources should be extracted and used.

I believe the land should be transferred -- I believe its our land, he said. We can sell it. We can frack on it. Its better having it in private hands because so much of our wealth comes from our natural resources.

Turiano is in favor of medical marijuana if strictly supervised by a doctor.

He did not have an opinion on funding pre-K.

Funding a new campus for the Montana Historical Society would have to come solely through private donations, he said.

Turiano reiterated his stance as the conservative candidate who will bring those values as a legislator. He is against refugee resettlement, against Obamacare and against gun control, while pro-business, pro-life and pro-cutting regulations.

I think I can make a difference as a conservative Republican, he said.
Toyota airbag recall

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling nearly 1.6 million vehicles in the U.S. to replace potentially faulty front passenger air bag inflators made by Takata Corp. of Japan.

The action expands what was already the biggest automotive recall in U.S. history. The U.S. government announced earlier this month that 17 automakers  including Toyota  are adding 35 million to 40 million Takata inflators to the 28.8 million that have already been recalled after multiple investigations showed more vehicles could be affected.

The latest recall includes Toyota, Scion and Lexus models from the 2006-2011 model years.

Bayer bids $62 billion

Bayer wants to buy Monsanto for $62 billion, hooking up the German chemical and drug company with the St. Louis-based producer of seeds and weed-killers.

The deal would create a global giant in agriculture technology touching much of global food production through the development of seeds and pesticides.

Bayer says that combining research and development as well as product lines would make the two companies worth more together than separately. The combined company would have higher earnings and save $1.5 billion a year by eliminating overlapping functions and overhead.

ConAgra sells Spicetec

ConAgra Foods is unloading another business by selling Spicetec Flavors & Seasonings to Givaudan for roughly $340 million.

The Spicetec sale was announced Monday, and is expected to close in the next 60 to 90 days.

About 280 employees will become Givaudan employees as part of the sale, which includes facilities in Cranbury, N.J., and Carol Stream, Ill. Givaudan is based in Switzerland.

Since last summer, ConAgra has sold off its private-label operation to TreeHouse Foods for $2.7 billion and announced plans to spin off its Lamb Weston frozen potato business.

ConAgra CEO Sean Connolly says the sale will help the company focus more on its core consumer products.

Fraud finding reversed

Bank of America Corp. was not liable for fraud and subject to a penalty of over $1.2 billion for its actions before the economy collapsed in 2008 despite a jury's finding to the contrary, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in Manhattan said there was insufficient evidence for a jury to conclude at a 2013 trial that mail and wire fraud was committed by the bank's Countrywide Financial unit in late 2007 and 2008 when it passed along mortgages to government housing agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Prosecutors had alleged that the bank sold mortgages at break-neck speed without regard to quality as the economy hurtled toward one of the nation's worst financial downturns.

Viacom CEO sues

Viacom's embattled chief executive sued Monday to be restored as a director and trustee to entities that control Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. after a weekend move by media mogul Sumner Redstone stripped him of the positions.

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and lawyer George Abrams  who was also stripped of identical roles  filed the lawsuit in Norfolk probate court in Massachusetts, saying Redstone was "not mentally competent" and that he is being manipulated by his once-estranged daughter, Shari Redstone.

The question is key for Dauman. Without a board seat on theater chain National Amusements Inc., which controls 80 percent of the voting stock of Viacom and CBS, or a trustee seat in the trust which will receive the chain's assets when Redstone dies, his position as Viacom's CEO is in jeopardy.

Tribune rejects bid

Tribune Publishing rejected a second takeover bid from USA Today owner Gannett, but did say Monday that it was open to further talks.

Gannett last week raised its per-share bid for the owner of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other newspapers to $15, from $12.25. Gannett, based in McLean, Virginia, put the total value of the revised offer at about $864 million, which includes some $385 million in debt.

The Chicago publisher called the offer inadequate, but on Monday it revealed that it would sell 4.7 million shares to a California entrepreneur for $70.5 million, which on a per-share basis is exactly what Gannett is offering.

Mixed economic signals

Mixed economic signals emerged Monday about the state of the eurozone economy.

Though a closely watched survey of business activity pointed to waning economic growth following a strong start to the year, another report pointed to consumer confidence holding up, crucial for the region's prospects over the coming months.

Most forecasters are penciling in a slowdown in the economy over the rest of the year as many of the factors that previously buoyed growth have largely played out, such as the export-boosting fall in the value of the euro. The region also faces a number of risks from beyond its borders, such as the British vote on June 23 on whether to leave the European Union and ongoing uncertainty over China's economy.
DECATUR  As the state of Illinois' budget problems continued to grow, Tim Macken, Heritage Behavioral Health executive vice president and chief operating officer, kept wondering, Are they really going to cut this money?

As it turned out, they did. And it wasn't just delayed, as with Medicaid and public school funding. Last July, the state cut a grant it had previously provided for psychiatric services at behavioral health centers throughout the state, including Heritage in Decatur.

Still, Heritage held on to its psychiatric program, feeling an obligation to its patients to not abruptly stop service.

A lot of times, you're not sure in the beginning if the budget is going to change and the funding will come back, Heritage Chief Executive Officer Candace Clevenger said. So we held on and kept employing our psychiatrists and delivering service. To stop services and then start them up again is hard for the patients. It creates a lot of havoc.

But as Illinois sputtered through the next several months with no budget and a glaring need to make more cuts, it became evident that money wasn't coming back. So Heritage began making a contingency plan. The answer was a collaboration with Crossing Healthcare: a Federally Qualified Health Center that isn't affected by the state budget because its funding comes from the U.S. government.

The collaboration has meant no delays in treatment for the 1,500 to 2,000 patients who seek psychiatric treatment at Heritage.

When it happened, our biggest concern and our focus was a seamless transition for our clients. We didn't want anything interrupted in their treatment, Macken said. It's vital medications that aren't abruptly stopped, and that's happening in various communities in Illinois where they've lost their funding and they have no FQHC in their town. We see referrals from people in other counties and we can't take them. It's a big problem.

Crossing, formerly Community Health Improvement Center, has had a long history of collaborating with Heritage. Five years ago, Heritage received a grant that allowed Crossing to place a primary care physician inside Heritage. Two years ago, Heritage's grant ran out but Crossing took it over, and a nurse practitioner from Crossing sees Heritage patients at Heritage twice a week.

We have an overlapping patient population  not all of our patients have mental illness, but many who have mental illness are low income, Crossing director Tanya Andricks said. Many times, they were providing the mental health care and we were providing the primary care. For us to not collaborate would be bad for the patient.

And what's been found is that when you make care more accessible to the severely mentally ill, they're more likely to access it.

Heritage offers the only psychiatric service in Decatur for Medicaid patients. But Clevenger said the rate Medicaid pays doesn't cover the cost of the psychiatrists. There was what Andricks called a wrap-around grant that covered the difference, but that grant was cut statewide.

When Andricks heard Heritage had lost that grant, and that it wasn't coming back, Crossing stepped in.

We looked at their situation  they were left providing psychiatric services at a loss, and an organization can't stand that forever, Andricks said. So we said, 'If you can't cover the cost of keeping them in the community, we can, so we'll do it.'

That's what the collaboration is like. It's not about boundaries or whose patients are whose, it's about, 'How can we maintain these services for these people.' 

Last month, Heritage's psychiatric staff became Crossing employees, and patients are billed by Crossing. Heritage's counselors and behavioral health specialists remain Heritage employees.

We're already accustomed to practicing inside their facility, and there are no federal hoops because we already jumped through them, Andricks said.

That collaboration made the transition of Heritage's psychiatric staff -- two psychiatrists, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a psychologist -- much easier. The staff had to learn a new electronic record system, but after meeting nightly at first to work out kinks, it's now weekly.

There have been challenges dealing with the electronic health records, the health records and other nuts and bolts, but after all was said and done, it was seamless, Macken said. The only change for the patients is they used to go to the third floor and now it's the second floor. It's the same building and the same doctors. We really haven't had complaints.

In addition to the four members of the psychiatric staff, Crossing's primary care nurse practitioner has advanced training in psych and all five can prescribe medication. They also share records with Heritage.

Everything that Heritage does, all their wraparound services, are hinged to that psychiatric service. That's core, Andricks said. The information is now in our records because we're billing for the service, but we also share it with Heritage because their case managers need that information.

That was a scary part of this for them: If this is no longer technically theirs, but they need the information, how do we work it out to make sure they always get that information? But this has been a high-level collaboration between two not-for-profits, which is uncommon in other communities, but very common in our community.

While Crossing is running Heritage's psychiatric services, Heritage is still offering behavioral health services with multiple levels of outpatient and inpatient services, including detox and residential drug rehabilitation. It also does counseling and therapy for adults and children, and offers mental health crisis services.

But psychiatric services aren't all Heritage lost with state funding drying up. Other grants were cut for a program that helped find housing and kept patients from going to institutes for mental disorders, and a transitional living center for short-term (90-day) stays . Oasis -- a homeless shelter -- remains funded, but it's year-to-year.

"If we have the opportunity to develop a system where we can bill fee for services, or bill Medicaid for it, those programs are OK," Clevenger said. "Otherwise we had to discontinue the service.

The overall outlook for Heritage is positive, unless the state doesn't come through with promised funds, or makes additional cuts.

We were issued contracts and we're delivering the services. Depending on where the state gets the money or who's telling the state to deliver the services, they may or may not be sending the agencies cash," Clevenger said. "Some agencies are getting into cash-flow situations. Our cash flow is less than it was last year at this time, but it's not close the door time, either.

The risk involved is if something happened and the state never paid us their debts they owe us. But I assume they'll have a budget at some point.
House Speaker Michael Madigan doesnt care that most Illinois residents want the state to change the way it draws its legislative maps.

He also doesnt care that a citizens group raised $3.6 million and recently delivered twice the number of signatures required by law in a single binder that stands 35 feet tall.

All Madigan cares about is retaining his power in the Illinois General Assembly and his stranglehold on state government.

Independent Maps, a nonpartisan group, delivered the petitions last week to the Illinois Board of Elections. That board now has to validate the signatures, most likely under a challenge orchestrated by Madigan.

Madigan has also challenged the amendment in court. Well actually, the challenge was filed by Michael Kasper, general counsel for the Democratic Party, of which Madigan is the chairman.

The framers of the Constitution in 1970 were careful about how citizens could place amendments on the ballot. But those intentions have been twisted to prevent any substantial change from going to the voters.

Kasper, as he did in 2014, is arguing that the proposed amendment falls outside the legislative realm because it requires the state auditors general office to establish an independent commission to draw the legislative maps. He is also arguing that the amendment does not address both structural and procedural matters, which he said is a requirement.

These are old arguments and ones that the court should reject. The purpose of the amendment process is to allow voters to change the way the legislature functions. This amendment does exactly that.

The result of the current map-making process is a legislature where most seats are virtually guaranteed for one party or the other. That results in few legislative races and legislators that arent required to listen to their constituents. The current maps also guarantee a Democratic majority, although plenty of Republican legislators are content to be in the minority as long as their well-paid legislative jobs are protected.

Its also clear that Illinois residents want this process changed. Poll after poll shows residents in favor of a fairer map-making process. This is the third citizens attempt at change since 2010. Each attempt has boasted plenty of signatures, but has been stopped by court decisions or challenges to those signatures.

Illinois government needs a ton of reforms, but this is the one that would make the most difference. The courts should recognize that this is a fair attempt to amend the constitution and deny Madigans challenges.

Madigan has every reason to protect the status quo. But the status quo has resulted in a dysfunctional, broken government.
By Florence Low

Among the rubble of neglected buildings in the artistic heart of old Yerevan, in a basement with an inconspicuous sign reading 45 outside, lived Home 45, a space open to all, which never closed its doors to anyone - that is, until last Friday night.

In a city where there is little space for those who think differently to the dominant mainstream discourse, it was a refuge for those who needed a platform to debate, to discuss, to understand, to fight.

Home 45 self-defined itself as an art commune.

It was a home for activists, for artists, for anyone who wanted to change or challenge the status quo, using whatever skills, talents or resources available to them. Home 45 was their platform and their community.

It is through the nature of Home 45 as a free platform for discussion and debate that it became famous for political activism and protests, eventually attracting the notice of the authorities and thus bringing about the closing of Home 45.

Carine, an artist and regular at Home 45, notes that [the authorities] feel danger. They think this space attracts protest people against the regime, against the [political] situation, and they can have a lot of input into destroying it. With the investigations of the police came the eviction of the activists and end of Home 45, and on Friday they celebrated their so-called Last Supper, where they reflected on their time at Koghbatsi 45, and the future of the Home 45 community.

There was a demand for it, simply states Artak, a street artist, activist and one of the founders of Home 45, when asked how the idea for Home 45 came about. He describes how, two years ago, he and his friend Lusine, along with the activist group Counter Attack, suffering from the limitations placed upon them by any other public or private space, came up with the concept of Home 45: a space where everyone would contribute to the upkeep, and everyone was free to create and perform their art and their ideas how they wished. A place which would help people and encourage civic action, which would educate, challenge and rouse the rest of the community. They understood that it was not enough to carry out all the political action themselves; they needed a space which would inspire people to become involved in their actions too.

The inconspicuous entrance to the underground art commune Home 45 on Koghbatsi Street

They found a space on Koghbatsi Street, an old, rotten underground cellar without running water, and they dedicated their own time and money into renovating the space. And as word of mouth started to spread, as friends brought their friends along, the space turned into a vibrant community. Carine, who co-founded aeon, an anti-cafe in the same neighbourhood as Home 45, comments, we witnessed the process, how it became a commune, how it began to breathe, how people began to be involved.

One of its key principles is that it was not based around a capitalist money-making concept, but around the idea that you pay what you can. It was a place not just to take, but to contribute your ideas, your discussion, your art. Anyone could come to Home 45 and hold a discussion, a movie screening, an exhibition. As an anonymous commentator noted, at Home 45 you were always a participant, never just an observer.

Photojournalist Narek documented the events and actions of Home 45

Narek, a photojournalist who become involved with Home 45 when he was photographing street artists, describes it as a place where people could do many things which they couldnt in other places without money. There were people with different ways of thinking gathering here. Here, young people had a chance to discuss many things. Home 45 helped the youth of Yerevan to create new things.

Both Artak and Lusine describe Armenians as political and activists by nature, and Home 45 offered a rare place to cultivate and grow a community which was stronger together. It flourished during the Electric Yerevan protests in June 2015 as a place which offered refuge to the protesters. Carine recalls how, as a hidden place, people could go there to take a break from the protests, to smoke a cigarette, drink some coffee then go back to the street, and draw their posters and signs. Not only has it been a safe space during political protests, but it is also viewed by some in the LGBT community as a safe space in what is otherwise a homophobic culture, argues Murad. It is apparent that many activists are proud of the Homes pro-LGBT approach when both Artak and Murad make sure that the rainbow LGBT flag is in the background when I ask to photograph them.

Home 45 was Yerevans home to art and activism, one of the few public spaces where anybody could come learn about activism and street art, according to an anonymous regular at Home 45. The concept of the space as a free platform was of particular importance to the artistic community, since it was envisioned by its founders as a free platform for artists to do whatever they want, to make their dreams come true, whilst everywhere else there were conditions and limitations on their work. Carine held an exhibition of her art here in February, and describes how Home 45 had transformed her attitude to her art and introduced her to a philosophy that you dont need a lot of money to show art, that you can self-organise and take it less seriously, and she cites a huge boost in her confidence which she puts down to her exhibition.

Lusine was one of the founders of Home 45. Meinhof was the resident dog of Home 45 and the star behind them is the logo of Counter Attack, the group which started Home 45.

Some of Home 45s most exciting innovations came from when these worlds of art and activism collided. Its activists have been the artists of numerous political street art which were removed swiftly by the police. Among its innovations, Carine mentions in particular a wedding they held at Home 45 last year between Artak and another Home 45 activist. She explains it as a rebellion against the traditional Armenian wedding because there is so much artificial stuff... [Armenian weddings] became something ridiculous...the money they spend just to make people feel envy, [they] said that if people love each other they dont need money, they dont need ritual, they dont need to invite so many people they dont even know. It was based around the idea that they just wanted love as it was, no matter how long it lasts.

She also describes the importance of that space for her personally; when she was suffering a period of depression, she used Home 45 as a safe refuge, when there was nowhere else to do art; for her, a place of art therapy. Home 45 was therefore not just a place of impact for the community as a whole, but for individuals on a personal level too. Lusine, one of the founders, says Home 45 is a home; there is nothing else to be added, and it seems that the use of Home as a refuge, as a safe space, as a home, has been incredibly important for people. Many of the people I speak to at the closing party recall fondly a time when they needed a place to stay and Home provided that for them; Ani, for two nights on holidays from Lithuania; Murad lived here for a week; and Artak remembers a time when Home hosted 30 hippies from the Rainbow Gatherings. Moreover, everyone who tries to recall a favourite memory from Home 45 simply says that all memories are good; it is clear that Home is much more than a basement room with art on the walls, but a community. This is particularly key in a country like Armenia; Carine argues that Homes lasting legacy was to introduce the idea of community to a people who are very attached to private property.

It was its participants protests about the imprisonment and ill treatment of political prisoner Vardges Gaspari which finally attracted the attention of the authorities. After the arrest of Gaspari in early 2016, Artak and the other activists from Home 45 went to the presidential residence, where they planked outside demanding his release, and there was a discussion held at Home 45 about the issue. Soon after this, many police officers started to come to Home 45 to make enquiries. They found the landlord and, discovering that there was no legal contract for renting the space, used the fact that it is illegal to rent a space without a contract to force the landlord to evict them from Koghbatsi 45. Although Gaspari was freed, the activists had to move out. And, as Arman argues, it is through these events that you can see the true impact of Home 45: If Home hadnt changed anything, it wouldnt be closing. If the street art didnt change anything, they wouldnt erase it.

But will its community survive the removal of its base? Both Carine and Narek note the decline that was taking place in Home 45 for many months before the police arrived to evict them, and they blame it on the Yerevan culture of getting used to new services, taking them for granted, not making their own contribution, both in the upkeep and in planning the events and activities. Carine notes that the spirit changed when different people started coming, who only complained about the political and social situation in Armenia, and were not willing to make action to fight against it and making [Home 45] rot, pointing out the numerous fundraisers that were necessary to help Home 45 pay bills towards the end. Artak argues that Home is not a space that is needed any more; if people needed it, they would contribute, or they would set up similar spaces based on the same concept, which has not happened so far.

When discussing the future of Home with its regular participants, it is overwhelmingly clear that it is not the space which is important; it is the idea. Likewise, when considering its impact, Artak argues that we should not pay attention to Homes actions themselves but the ideas, and in fact this seems to be Homes most important legacy, that it was a space with the power to change peoples opinions and mentalities concerning different issues, for example Murad references homophobic people whose opinions concerning LGBT people were changed upon going to Home 45. Likewise, the concept of Home 45 has now been shown to the public, and Artak welcomes anyone who wishes to copy the idea. They have created the audience, the community, and now they are free to take the ideas to any place. Carine, discussing the polices tactic of divide and conquer to get rid of the activists, argues that they dont understand that its not about the place, people can sit in the park, in the street, in Baghramyan. Narek comments that I dont want to speak about Home in the past tense. It exists, and there was a time when it was created, and I think Home, as a concept, will exist as long as these people exist, and it doesnt matter the place. For Artak, their location from now will be the street, and they will never have a permanent home, because wherever they go, they will be asked to move. There is an overwhelming sense among Home 45 participants that the idea of Home will long outlive any location in which it finds itself; the idea is out there, and it is for people to do with it what they can.

Florence Low is from London, UK, and currently lives in Yerevan, Armenia. She works as an events coordinator at aeon anti-cafe, and is involved in womens rights and LGBT activism in Armenia.

Top Photo: "Artak, activist, street artist and co-founder of Home 45, behind the bar."

All photos by Florence Low
Land Team Competes at State

by Weston Born



Gruver FFA Places in Texas FFA State Career Development Event Members of the Gruver FFA chapter traveled to Stephenville, April 21st, to compete in the state Land Career Development Event.



Career Development Events (CDEs) build on what is learned in agricultural classes and encourage members to put their knowledge into practice. Approximately 14,100 students began the statewide tournament in 28 different events which reflect classroom instruction in technical, leadership, interpersonal and teamwork skills.



Gruver FFA placed 30th out of 49 teams in the land contest. Team members included:

Anthony Cruz

Nicolas Rivera

Erik Sigala

Meny Terrazas



The Texas FFA is the nations largest state FFA association with a membership of more than 115,000 active FFA members. Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources programs teach skills in leadership, career development and personal growth. FFA gives students the opportunity to practically apply classroom knowledge to real-world experiences through local, state and national competitions.






Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
State Debate: 'Giddy' legislators are despicable, says the Beloit Daily News; time to fix our roads, says La Crosse Tribune
A model of a high-speed train is seen outside of a 2009 press conference where then-Gov. Jim Doyle announced Wisconsin's partnership with the Spanish train manufacturer Talgo. But after Scott Walker was elected governor, he nixed the plan.
PARDEEVILLE  A strong applicant pool for open principal positions in the Pardeeville Area School District does more than highlight the disparity between candidates interest in teaching and administrative jobs.

Its showing administrators a teacher shortage thats only getting worse.

Pardeeville Superintendent Gus Knitt reported Friday the number of applicants received for middle school and high school principal positions soon to be vacated by Ted Lenz and Jason LeMay, respectively, has exceeded expectations with 24 applicants for the high school job and 38 for the middle school.

We talk about shortage of teachers, but there surely wasnt a shortage of administrator candidates, Knitt said, adding that five years ago when the district ultimately hired LeMay and Lenz, the candidate pool was not nearly what it is this time.

But contrast the principal pool numbers with candidates who since April have applied for Pardeevilles vacant high school positions of business education and special education teachers  a pool that, right now, isnt strong at all, Knitt said  and youll find school leaders left wondering where to turn. So far Pardeeville has received only eight applicants for the special education position and seven for business education.

It is certainly a challenge, and for a lot of school districts, Knitt said. When Knitt was a business education teacher several years ago, he added, teacher shortages existed then, too, but today its gotten much more severe.

I would say vocational areas  the business, technology, agriculture, the industrial arts  people could always go out in the private sector and make more money than they could teaching, Knitt said. But now what were finding is that in some of the other areas its more difficult, also. Math and science can be real struggles, as there just arent a lot of people going into those fields.

Scary situation

Portage Community School District Administrator Charles Poches said earlier this month that he believes teacher shortages in Wisconsin have reached a critical stage.

Its scary, Poches said. The ramifications are, if we dont have teachers then we dont have classes.

Poches added the district has this year tried to get ahead of its teaching openings with uninspiring results so far. Portage, Poches estimated Friday, has about 10 open positions, including two at the elementary level that each would have had 150 applicants three or four years ago. Those positions posted a month ago  for first grade and fifth grade  today have only 25 applicants each, including applicants who applied for both openings.

Poches said even last year the first- and fifth-grade teaching positions would have generated about 50 applicants, especially this time of year.

Regarding positions traditionally more difficult to fill, like in special education, Poches noted Portage has an opening posted a month ago at the elementary level that still has no applicants.

We thought it was bad last year, Poches said. But were early this year, and the number of candidates just are not there.

Portage is in a favorable location due to its proximity to Madison, Poches said, a fact that makes him think other districts in the state are in even tougher situations than Portage.

Avoid the firing line

As Ive talked to other superintendents in state, Knitt said, the farther north you go the harder it is to fill high school English and math. The applicants are way down.

Even in physical education where youd get 35, 40 applicants, we probably got nine or 10 a couple years ago.

Education just doesnt have the draw it once did, Knitt said. People are simply looking at other kinds of occupations.

I think part of it is, quite honestly, that education makes the news all the time, in one regard or another, and people look and wonder if there are other occupations they can go into and not be on the firing line, Knitt said.

Shrinking pools for technology education are emphasized by fewer and fewer technology education graduates from University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, regarded as the only place where tech ed teachers come from in the state, Knitt said.

Baby boomers who have retired or are getting ready to retire is also a major factor in teacher candidate shortages, Knitt said. Sometimes, he added, you just have to get lucky, as the district seems to have been when it hired Jesse Huset to fill its vacant technology education position. Huset, a technology education teacher in Portage, was one of only three candidates who applied for the position.

What hasnt changed with teachers we have hired in the past few years, compared to 10, 15, 20, 25 years ago, is the passion of those for educating kids, Knitt said. They have that passion, that love, and they understand the pay may not be the greatest. They understand they can make money elsewhere, but its about their passion for teaching.

We may not have as many applicants, but the ones we do, they have that passion for teaching kids, and thats always important.

Principals search

Pardeeville currently has five finalists for its middle school principal position and six for high school, and the district hopes after its regular board meeting Monday theyll have two candidates for each.

The boards target date for filling the principal positions is its June 6 meeting.

Knitt was impressed by the strength of the principal candidates and, noting schools are presently very busy due to graduations, said the district is gearing to move as quickly as we can after Memorial Day.

Lenz submitted his letter of retirement in March, while LeMay in April informed the district hed accepted a high school principal position in Altoona. Both of their tenures in Pardeeville were five years.
Jim Morgan, senior vice president of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce  one of the states biggest business associations and most powerful lobbying groups  is stepping down, abruptly, after nearly three decades at the organization.

In an email Tuesday to hundreds of businesspeople and chambers of commerce around the state, as well as to officials of several state agencies and of his own organization, Morgan said he will leave WMC on May 27 after 29 years with the organization to take a look at one more career change before I ride off into the sunset.

Reached briefly by telephone on Tuesday, Morgan, 56, confirmed the news. He said he has not accepted another position but wants to continue working in the business and education field, and to try a new gig.

WMC officials were mum about the announcement, and Morgan agreed to an interview later in the day but cancelled.

Morgan also is president of the WMC Foundation and serves as secretary-treasurer of the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives association. He oversees the WMC Foundations educational programs on economics, business, workforce development, safety and corporate best practices, according to the organizations website.

Morgan is leading Future Wisconsin, a project of WMC and its education and government partners to plan for the states future workforce needs.

I can say without reservation that one of the best parts of working at WMC has been the incredible people I have had the opportunity to work with. Through the local chambers, our Business World program, the Wisconsin Safety Council and all of our state and local partners in The Future Wisconsin Project, I have been blessed to associate with some truly incredible people, he wrote, in the email.

WMC drew attention in March when records were released about communications over the future of Oscar Mayers headquarters in Madison.

Emails made public by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., at the request of the Wisconsin State Journal, showed WMC president Kurt Bauer had forwarded an email to the state agency in which Morgan warned that other states were using financial incentives to try to lure Kraft Heinz plants out of Wisconsin.

When Morgan met with a WEDC official, Morgan discouraged contacting Kraft Heinz. But in an interview with the State Journal, Morgan said the conversation with WEDC business attraction account manager Wade Goodsell was about the prospects for Kraft Heinzs Beaver Dam cheese factory and made no mention of Oscar Mayer.

Kraft Heinz announced in November it will close Oscar Mayer operations in Madison by early 2017, ending the jobs of about 1,000 employees. The Beaver Dam cheese plant will stay open.
Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Urban affairs, investigations, consumer help ("SOS") Follow Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Im not sure what to make of this rash of spring shootings, including three homicides since mid-April.

In a way, it all seems so familiar. Like last year, police are talking in dire terms about a spike in the number of shots-fired incidents as the weather warms. Like last year, police are saying many of the incidents appear to involve gang members.

Unlike last year, police and Mayor Paul Soglin seem happy to enable the presumption some longtime Madisonians are all too ready to make: That the violence can be blamed on people who didnt grow up in Madison and just happen to have skin that is darker than the skin of the vast majority of people who did grow up in Madison.

I was expecting to get some blowback for my Sunday column, in which I challenged Soglins statements about the recent violence being anunwanted import from big, bad Chicago, which has a gun-violence problem that is hundreds of times worse than Madisons.

Still, I was surprised at the level of vitriol folks can muster when you point out that most of the people police believe are connected to Madisons recent violence appear to have lived in Madison for a long time.

The blame-Chicago narrative was not the one officials put forward last yeararound this time when there was a similar spike in shootings.

Then, police put together a map showing 33 incidents of shots fired in Madison from April 1 to May 14, and the talk from city officials about who was to blame was decidedly Madison-centric.

In a May 22, 2015, news conference, police Chief Mike Koval said the citys gang unit has probably been critical, to the point of seminal in the investigation of that springs shootings.

And who were the gangs? Well, two and a half months earlier, a Madison police officer and former gang unit member told this newspaper: These are kids whose parents grew up here, and kids who have gone to school in Madison all their lives. ... This is a Madison home-grown issue.

This years map shows 23 shooting incidents in the Madison area between April 1 and May 11, but last week Soglin  with Kovals backing  strongly suggested people from Chicago were to blame.

When a Dane County sheriffs deputy said more or less the same thing about the 2015 shootings  albeit in much coarser terms  he was deemed a bigot and forced to retire. Perhaps when Soglin blows the same dog whistle, it doesnt prick quite as many ears.

Police are taking the same tack this year to try to stem the violence as they did last year.

It is all hands on deck for the entire department right now, police spokesman Joel DeSpain said.

Hopefully, it will work, like DeSpain said it worked last year.

Hopefully, all the factually suspect talk about Chicagos bad influence will end, too.

Because you know who else is from Chicago? Soglin, for one. Michael Johnson, the black CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County and all-around decent citizen, for another. I spent nearly a decade working, living or going to school there myself.

Call me a pox on Madison if you like. But Soglin and Johnson are undoubtedly only two of the many Chicago ex-pats who have made Madison better.
Update: A daylight search on Tuesday failed to find a man who reportedly jumped into the Rock River in Janesville Monday night.

Firefighters used a boat and police walked the banks of the river, but no drowning victim was located. The area searched was between the Centerway and Monterey dams.

Police also have not been able to determine the identity of the person who supposedly jumped into the river.

Janesville rescue teams searched the Rock River for a man who reportedly jumped into the water Monday night, but the man wasn't found.

Police were called at about 10:30 p.m. Monday by a witness who said he saw a person jump off the south side of the Centerway bridge into the river, with the man last seen going over the west side of the dam that's just south of the bridge.

The Janesville Fire Department sent two boats to the scene to search the river from the dam down to South Jackson Street, but the man wasn't found.

The witness said the man was white, about 6 feet tall, medium length brown curly hair, clean shaven, wearing a green- or lime-colored shirt, khaki shorts and white shoes.

Anyone with information about the incident or who might know the person who reportedly jumped into the river is asked to call Janesville Police, 755-3100 or Rock County Dispatch, 757-2244.
A Muscoda man seen driving erratically in Richland Center on Sunday was arrested for his alleged seventh drunken driving offense.

Joshua Perkie, 32, was taken into custody at about 9:35 p.m. Sunday near Church Street and Fourth Street, the Richland County Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office was called to check on a man who just left the Richland Hospital parking lot.

"Deputies were able to locate the suspect vehicle and did observe erratic driving while following the vehicle," the report said.

The deputy stopping Perkie smelled alcohol and saw open intoxicants in the car.

Perkie also faces tentative charges of operating while revoked-second offense, and failure to install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle.
The Madison School Board significantly revised the districts approach to expulsions Monday, giving administrators greater ability to halt the process early on and creating a new program that non-violent students can complete to avoid being expelled.

The revisions to the districts discipline code, which will take effect for the 2016-17 school year, are intended to reduce the number of cases that proceed to expulsion hearings. Board members have described those hearings as sometimes seeming to be unwarranted by the circumstances and stressful for the students and families involved.

Many details are yet to come, but the changes set in motion Monday are expected to provide what district officials called more off-ramps during the expulsion process, part of an ongoing effort to move away from so-called zero tolerance policies.

Going forward, the expulsion policy will require that a three-member team of district administrators review and agree that a students behavior warrants a recommendation for expulsion. This adds one additional person, the executive director of student services, to the vetting process. The other two people on the team are the coordinator of progressive discipline and the chief of school operations.

Board member TJ Mertz had suggested a three-person team at a February work session as one way to provide more input and multiple perspectives at the front end of the expulsion process. According to language approved by the board Monday, the team will use established criteria to determine whether the interest of the school demands the students expulsion or not.

The administration is working on the exact language of the criteria. It is expected to include mitigating factors, such as whether students have taken responsibility for their conduct, whether they demonstrate a willingness to meaningfully participate in a restorative process, and whether the conduct was an isolated event.

Sherrice Perry, the districts coordinator of progressive discipline, said the criteria will ensure consistency, so that it never comes down to just someones gut feeling.

Some student behaviors, because of their seriousness, will not be eligible for mitigating factors and will still lead to mandatory recommendations for expulsion. Those behaviors include possessing a firearm or bomb and engaging in non-consensual sexual contact with another student coupled with the use of force, a weapon, threat or coercion.

In another big change, the board voted to create an abeyance program for students who are recommended for expulsion but who are not considered a danger to others. These students could opt to participate in the abeyance program, which would put the expulsion process on hold before a hearing is held.

If they complete the program successfully, they would return to school.

Details of the abeyance program are still to be determined, but it likely will include new, off-site classrooms where students would continue to receive academic services while also being provided help for any social, emotional and behavioral issues, Perry said. The program likely would last at least six weeks, she said.

The board also beefed up the student rights section of the discipline code. A student now will have the right to have a parent, guardian or advocate present at any investigatory interview by school staff for behaviors that could lead to a Level 4 or 5 disciplinary action, the two highest levels of offenses.

Board member Anna Moffit proposed the new rule. The districts Student Senate also had discussed the idea.

Now we need to make sure its applied consistently across the district so that students know their rights, Moffit said.

The new rule could have been relevant during the highly publicized and controversial case in January of sixth-grader Dereian Brown. He was expelled for allegedly bringing a BB gun to school, though he did not threaten anyone and no staff members saw him with it.

During Dereians expulsion hearing, his attorneys questioned the legitimacy of the boys alleged confession, saying it occurred when Dereian was tag-teamed by two school administrators.

The number of students recommended for expulsion in the district has declined each of the past five years, from 197 during the 2010-11 school year to 52 last year. The number of students actually expelled has fluctuated, but was 42 in 2010-11 and 22 last year.

The board hires independent examiners to hear expulsion cases and recommend punishment. The board can accept, reject or modify any expulsion recommendation after reviewing transcripts from the hearing.
Hundreds of low-income high school students across south-central Wisconsin could attend Madison Area Technical College without paying for tuition under a new program that officials hope will help more young people see that college is open to them.

Next falls class of high school seniors will be the first group of students eligible for the MATC Scholars of Promise program. If they meet income limits, have a 2.25 GPA and keep an attendance rate higher than 80 percent their senior year, MATC will pay for whatever costs from tuition and fees the students scholarships dont cover for up to three years.

The program will be open to students in the MATC district, which includes nearly all of Dane County and parts of 11 others. MATC estimates it could help about 350 students afford college each year.

Officials have been organizing Scholars of Promise, which was originally called Madison Promise and is modeled on similar free-tuition programs at community and technical colleges across the country, for several months. They will hold a press conference officially announcing it on Tuesday.

Along with the tuition help, Keith Cornille, MATCs senior vice president for student development and success, said the college is working with local school districts to put together a range of services that keep students on track, starting while theyre in high school and continuing through their time at MATC.

This is all of us working together to make sure that (students)  see that college is possible, and have the supports early on to make that a reality, Cornille said.

Students will still have to shoulder other costs associated with attending college  Scholars of Promise doesnt cover expenses such as textbooks or housing that make up the majority of the cost of attending MATC, according to the colleges estimates.

But Alex Fralin, assistant superintendent for secondary schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District, said the program will remove one barrier students face in getting a college education.

Its a real stab at the equity challenge that our district and our college are facing, Fralin said.

MATC estimates it will cost about $1.1 million to put one years worth of students through the program, Cornille said.

It will be funded by the Madison College Foundation, and wont use state or local tax money, Cornille said. He declined to say how much money the foundation has raised for the program.

To qualify, students will have to fill out the federal Free Application For Student Aid and have an expected family contribution of $3,000 or less. The program is only open to high school students, not those currently enrolled at MATC or adults who come back to school.

Filling out the FAFSA will determine how much participants will receive from the federal Pell Grant program for low-income students, which provided up to $5,775 for the 2015-16 school year, though not all students got the full grant.

Once those students know how much the federal government will give them, as well as any state grants or scholarships, the Scholars of Promise program will pay for the difference between those awards and MATCs annual tuition of about $4,700.

Although the program launches with this years rising high school seniors  meaning those who will enroll at MATC in the fall of 2017  its efforts to support students will start during their junior year. Cornille said MATC will reach out to those students and their families during the school year with information about the program and work with guidance counselors to offer summer classes at the college so kids can brush up on subjects in which they need more help.

Fralin said working with students before their senior year will be an important step toward keeping them on track for college.

The earlier the better, especially for those students who are right on the cusp of making key decisions about their future, Fralin said.

While they are at the college, students will have to stay enrolled at MATC full time while in good academic standing, which means maintaining a GPA of 2.0 or better.

Along with the support services in high school, MATC will provide workshops in financial literacy, career options and study skills to help students in college.

Sara Goldrick-Rab, a former UW-Madison professor who studies issues affecting low-income college students, warned the full-time requirement could pose a challenge for less well-off students who might have to reduce their course load because of work or family demands on their time.

But overall, Goldrick-Rab said, the programs rules do a good job of making sure its barriers to entry are not set so high that youre excluding the very people that were trying to help.

According to Goldrick-Rab, Scholars of Promise could benefit students who fall into a middle ground among their peers. They are not those with high GPAs who are already applying to colleges and getting scholarships, nor are they students who have fallen behind in high school to the point where they arent ready for college academically.

They are often students who could go to college, she said, but they just cant afford it.
A UW-Madison scientist says a method he developed to predict flu virus mutations could make the annual flu vaccine more effective by better matching it to the flu strains that circulate each flu season.

The development by virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka follows research he did last year suggesting another way to improve flu shots: manufacturing them with dog or monkey cells instead of the current, lengthy process using chicken eggs.

Kawaokas findings come despite an effective ban on some of his research, which started in October 2014. The government asked him and others to stop studies that raised concerns about biosecurity during a review of the risks and benefits.

The National Science Board for Biosecurity, which is overseeing the review, meets Tuesday in Bethesda, Maryland, to discuss recommendations for oversight of the research.

Known as gain-of-function research, the studies involve altering flu viruses and other pathogens in the lab to make them more deadly or spread more easily, generally in an effort to develop vaccines or prepare for pandemics.

Some of the new research about predicting flu virus mutations, reported Monday in the journal Nature Microbiology, is considered gain-of-function. But Kawaoka and Rebecca Moritz, a campus biosafety manager, said the National Institutes of Health approved it.

The work reported last year, related to dog or monkey cells, involved virus engineering research covered by the gain-of-function ban. Kawaoka said he conducted that study before the ban.

The new research could help solve a problem related to the way flu vaccines are made. It takes six months or more to produce the vaccine, so health officials select the three or four strains to be covered each year in February, well before the next flu season starts.

But viruses can mutate, leading to a poor match. This happened in 2014-15, when the vaccine was only 23 percent effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2015-2016, it was 59 percent effective.

In his lab, Kawaoka mixed flu viruses carrying a range of mutations with antibodies like those that offer protection in vaccines. For the viruses that had enough mutations to evade the antibodies, he mapped their patterns of mutation.

Such mapping could predict the molecular characteristics of upcoming flu viruses, he said. That could allow the World Health Organization, which selects virus strains to be used in the vaccine, to choose strains with the expected mutations.

This is the first demonstration that one can accurately anticipate in the lab future seasonal influenza strains, Kawaoka said in a statement. We can identify the mutations that will occur in nature and make those viruses available at the time of the vaccine (virus) candidate selection.

Some of the co-authors of the new research paper are members of the WHO strain selection committee, Kawaoka said, so the information we provide will likely be considered at the meetings.

The approach allowed Kawaoka and his colleagues to assemble the 2014 flu virus before the onset of the epidemic, UW-Madison said in a news release.

In the study reported last year, Kawaoka used a process called reverse genetics to generate flu strains that could grow well in dog or monkey kidney cells, which regular flu viruses generally dont do.

Most flu vaccines approved in the United States are egg-based. Only one uses the method Kawaoka studied, called a cell-based vaccine.
A former Madison woman whose image on the cover of Life magazine helped propel the city into the national spotlight has died, according to family members.

Jeanne Parr died Thursday in Hawaii, where she had retired to the island of Maui after a successful career in radio, broadcast journalism and modeling. She was 92.

Parr left Madison in 1959 to do the weather at a television station in New Haven, Connecticut, but by her departure had achieved local celebrity as a radio host and a subject in perhaps the most famous magazine story ever written about Madison.

For its Sept. 6, 1948, feature story, Life sent famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt to Madison for several weeks, where he chose the 24-year-old mother as the subject for the issues cover. Parr was pictured holding her then-infant son, Charles James Noth, with the accompanying headline, The Good Life in Madison, Wisconsin.

With a weekly circulation exceeding 5 million at the time, Life had an immense reach, and being featured in its pages represented a landmark moment for the city.

When they said this was one of the five most outstanding cities, people really wanted to read that magazine, and there she was right there on the cover for all the people that knew her to see, said Rosann Parr, Jeanne Parrs sister in-law and a former colleague at WKOW radio.

That was a big, big deal to have your town go all over the world with Life magazine. And then to have her on the cover  that was very special.

Parr attended school at UW-Madison and met her first husband, Charles Noth, while she was on a date with another man at local restaurant.

Noth, a former Navy pilot, brazenly interrupted the date after recognizing the officer she was dining with. He later declared he would marry her despite her lack of a Catholic upbringing, said Michael Parr Noth, the couples middle son.

The two married shortly after World War II and went on to have three sons, Charles, Michael and Chris Noth, who became a well-known actor with roles such as Det. Mike Logan on Law & Order, Mr. Big on Sex and the City and Gov. Peter Florrick on The Good Wife.

Parr was widowed when her husband was killed in a car crash in 1966.

She used her experience hosting a daily radio show at WKOW to break into television news. Parr eventually became one of the first female correspondents for CBS News in New York.

After working at CBS, she produced several documentaries and wrote a book before retiring in Hawaii. But despite her expansive travels, her son Michael said Madison was always a special place for her.

Madison was always  certainly for my mother  home. They had a nice life in Madison, he said. It was jobs that drove them out of there. If that pressure hadnt been there, I dont think they ever would have left.
Oh, right. Fiscal responsibility. That's just the thing to bond principled voters of Illinois to those who are ethically impaired. Plan A: Attracted moral relativists to the Republican Party so that we can stop the Illinois legislature from overspending, confiscating wealth and redistributing that wealth to gain votes, because crippling taxpayers with debt is - what? Wrong? Immoral?

Just what shining light of core principles remains after the GOPs progressive scorched earth policy on traditional values, I'm not sure.

Quoting Ryan Higgins of the 8 th CD, "Why can't we be more receptive to those who agree with most of our core principles? [Inclusive language] is a beacon."

Pat Brady represented the 6th Congressional District on the 2016 platform committee on May 20, 2016 at the Peoria Civic Center at which time the committee voted 10 to 7 to end the 6000-year-old traditions surrounding the one-man-one-woman nuclear family. Although the bid was ultimately unsuccessful, we are witnessing an attitudinal shift in the Republican Party that is unprecedented. There was also a less effective attempt to supposedly broaden party appeal through agreeable language regarding abortion.

"Do not replace the marriage plank with the proposed RINO/Libertarian plank that marriage has an intrinsic nature, that children have an intrinsic right to be raised by a mother and a father whenever possible. The language in this pernicious plank necessarily endorses the legal recognition of plural unions. Evidently, the RINOs/Libertarians on the committee have no understanding of the essential role marriage has in the health and survival of any society. Mr. Brady, you have done enough damage to Illinois."

After receiving Ms. Higgins simple plea for sanity via text, the former Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady offered a response that was a bit more complex by its nature than the Higgins appeal:

"Fuck U"

Perhaps you're thinking, "Complex? No, complex is not the word I'd use."

Pat Brady's comment, however, should be lauded as particularly complex in spite of its monosyllabic and ribald nature because Pat Brady is by definition the public servant representing the woman he verbally assaulted. Thus we begin a new era in American politics. In keeping with this election cycle's GOP gold standard, Brady bullies his constituency into submission through insult and violent rhetoric.

Just so there's no misunderstanding over my allusion, if you are a Trump supporter, please spare me your moral outrage over Pat Brady's malicious rhetoric. Welcome to the exciting new world of inclusion, because verbal abuse is now the benchmark by which election standards are measured.

And hey, don't misunderstand. I personally commend the former GOP chairman for dropping the pretense of representation and finally delivering the tag line that confirms what conservatives already knew. The Illinois GOP leadership has been politely screwing over conservatives for decades while they play fast and loose with constitutionally protected freedoms; while they shelter politically connected, accused child molesters from public scrutiny; and while they provide the Democrat Party any tools necessary for amassing insurmountable debt, regulation and cultural blight in the name of bipartisan unity in the State of Illinois. Brady's FU is merely affirmation that the days of polite are over.

The Illinois GOP thinks that the only way to survive is to shape shift with the pop culture echo chamber rather than to offer a contrast and choice. This will supposedly bring in more voters.

So civility is dead, our culture is in disarray and what does this mean in real world terms? With some basic markers of societal advancement like traditional marriage, bathroom/changing room privacy and an infant's right not to be dismembered being washed away in avalanches of inclusion, many casual observers will begin to notice contradictions in conventional wisdom as the thin veil of courtesy tears away and reveals our manufactured decline.

The first incongruity within scientific consensus that observers will notice is that homosexuality is not actually genetic in nature. In the next corresponding decades of emphasis and glamorization surrounding the LGBT-QRSTUV lifestyles, witnesses will note that the oft touted 3% rule with regard to LGBTQ populations will no longer apply. Watch that number grow to 15% and then to 30% by the year 2030.

The number claiming LGBTQ status will increase exponentially by design because LGBTQ is a cultural phenomenon that is the totality of learned behaviors that develop and take hold within declining societies in the same way any other vice can.

As institutions of primary and secondary learning increasingly extoll the virtues of sexual diversity to the point of deification and increasingly condemn the evil of hegemonic cisgenderism, future generations will learn to view reproduction within the bonds of traditional marriage as barbaric, and they will ultimately coopt new social norms at much higher rates than that 3% you thought was etched in stone.

The LGBTQ lifestyles can absolutely be encouraged and enlisted because they are not a result of biological inheritance. These are learned or adopted behaviors.

The second inconsistency that will be noticed by many is that the progressives are devastatingly religious in spite of their overt hatred of traditional religious tenets. The problem for the Left isn't faith per se. I mean, you have to be some kind of religious zealot if you really thought you were going to keep your doctor if you liked your doctor. No, faith isn't the issue. The problem is that Judeo-Christian principles require an external, fixed locus that easily confirms and disparages incongruity once it is exposed.

The Left demands a new, more fluid value system that won't get caught up in details. Like this:

What is murder? It's the taking of innocent life. What is abortion? It's the taking of innocent life. Is abortion a form of murder? No. Why? Because.

Or this:

What is theft? Theft is the taking of another person's property. What is social justice? Social justice is the taking of another person's property. Is social justice a form of theft? No. Why? Because.

See? Lots of promises. No demands. Who knew that paradise regained would be so easy?

The third inanity to understand is that appeasement doesn't really appease. This current GOP platform of fluid inclusion is not even close to the depths that progressives will take us as additional concessions are made. We are not shepherding in an era of peace and tranquility by surrendering traditional marriage, the incontrovertible differences between XX and XY or prolife principles. This is because tranquility and peace are the last things that progressives actually want.

Pinky and the Brain notwithstanding, totalitarians know that the best way to destroy a free society is to teach people how to destroy themselves by bastardizing their understanding of what freedom is. Freedom does not mean you get to do whatever you want. People who do whatever they want are people who end up subjugated.

It's a well preserved analogy. I have a car. I want to boost fuel efficiency, so I mix water in with my petrol. You say, "Don't do that. You'll ruin your engine." I say, "Says who?" You say, "The car manufacturer for a start. Check the owner's manual." I say, "No! You're not the boss of me. I'm free. It's my car. I can do what I want with it."

And that's true. I can do what I want with my car. But when I do, my car will no longer run, and I will be a little less free. It's simply a law of physics.

And so it is with culture. We are free. We can do what we want. It's our society. But when we do whatever we want, our culture will break and we will be less free. When all is said and done, we are asking to be conquered by warping the fixed principles of morality. Further, the future vanquishers of America will feel no sting of conscience in conquering us because they will believe themselves justified in destroying a degenerate society. Americans led by the people of Illinois will have no means of stopping the subjugation because they will be so infused in the rigor of inclusion that they won't be able to justify self-defense.

To that end, Pat Brady has never spoken so truthfully as he did when he when demeaned his constituent with his directive "Fuck U."

First the he said it, and then he did it.
At the NRSC, our goal is to construct campaigns the way a shipbuilder would construct a ship for a long journey: build a vessel, train a crew, give them coordinates, and set them to sail. Our campaigns are staffed and fully functional. Weve done exhaustive training for campaign staff, with the NRSC hosting a communications boot camp, two digital summits, two campaign management and field workshops, eight in-state field schools, and were currently underway with eight digital training sessions.

The results of our preparation are already apparent. In a cycle where many reporters like to pontificate about the Trump effect, our Senators have successfully navigated tricky waters in their primary contests. Across the board, Republican Senators have outperformed the top of the ticket in raw votes, and Senators like Richard Shelby, John Boozman, Richard Burr, and Mark Kirk scored decisive primary wins that were hardly guaranteed given the mood of Republican voters. In fact, every Republican Senate incumbent has won with over 60%.

In addition to mastering the intricate mechanics of running a modern campaign, we have a very clear messaging strategy. Republican Senators are talking to voters like theyre running for sheriff. Every message is highly targeted and purposefully local. Our Senators are making sure their voters know theyre focused on issues that matter in their states  Rob Portman and Kelly Ayotte are leading the fight against opioid abuse; Roy Blunt is a forceful advocate for mental health funding; John McCain and Ron Johnson are going above and beyond for reform and accountability at Veterans Affairs and VA hospitals. We want to make sure voters are casting votes for Senate candidates based solely on issues related to that Senate race  not up, down, or adjacent on the ticket. Weve embraced data analytics, new digital platforms and non-traditional message delivery in order to talk to voters in targeted segments amounting to 7-8% of the electorate at a time. The results are self-evident: Portman is running the best field and data program in America and Pat Toomey has been a leader on the digital front with the use of Snapchat to expand his message universe.
Yang Yanyi, Chinese Ambassador heading the Chinese Mission to the EU. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

For some time now, the South China Sea issue has attracted much attention and media coverage. Some accused China of changing the status quo in the South China Sea by taking unilateral actions that caused tensions in the region. Some claimed that China's refusal to recognize and accept the "Award" on the South China Sea to be issued by the Arbitral Tribunal established at the unilateral request of the Philippines would be "in violation of international law".

These arguments are but biased and unjustified.

As the waters of the South China Sea issue have been so muddied up by certain intentional forces, it is highly necessary to help those who are truly interested in the maintenance of peace and stability in the South China Sea to get the facts and essence of the matter straight.

I. The real issue is disputes over territorial sovereignty.

China enjoys sovereignty over the South China Sea Island, (the Xisha, Nansha, Zhongsha and Dongsha Islands) and the adjacent waters since ancient times.

The Nansha Islands comprise over 230 islands, islets, sandbanks, rocks and shoals that are scattered along a 1,000 kilometer span from the southeast to the northwest of the Sea. This area was discovered and named by China as the Nansha Islands, over which China has continuously exercised sovereignty in a peaceful, effective and uninterrupted manner.

Beginning in the 20th century, western colonial powers, including France and Japan, kept coveting the Nansha Islands as they colonized Southeast Asia and invaded China. Yet, due to strong resistance from China, most of their territorial ambitions ended in failure.

The Cairo Declaration of November 1943 proclaimed that Japan shall be stripped of all the islands in the Pacific and that all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese shall be restored to China. The 1945 Potsdam Declaration reiterated the proclamation of the Cairo Declaration.

It has been widely recognized by the international community that the Nansha Islands and the adjacent waters belong to China, and no country ever challenged this during a long course of history.

It was only since the 1960s and 1970s specially after the discovery of abundant oil reserves in the Nansha waters and the coming into being of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS/the Convention) that some countries in the region illegally occupied 42 of China's islands and reefs as part of the Nansha Islands in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and fundamental principles of overning international relations.

It is obvious from the above: One, China is the victim of the South China Sea issue. Two, the real disputes are centered on sovereignty and rights over the Nansha Islands and the adjacent waters caused by illegal occupation. Three, the other is the dispute over maritime delimitation caused by overlapping claims of maritime jurisdiction.

II. Settlement of territorial sovereignty dispute is beyond the scope of the UNCLOS.

There is the argument that the Philippines initiated the arbitration in line with international law, and that the Philippines didn't request the Tribunal to decide on the issue of sovereignty, but only requested the Arbitral Tribunal to decide that some features in the South China Sea are low-tide elevations incapable of generating any maritime entitlement. And in some corners of the world, there have been demands on China to abide by international law, especially the UNCLOS and its arbitration procedures.

As a saying which goes: there is more than meets the eye. The South China Sea Arbitration against China initiated by the Philippines is very deceptive. Abundant evidence has shown that the Philippines is actually focusing on territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation, and its actual objective is but to deny China's sovereignty over maritime features of the Nansha Islands, and to legitimize its unlawful stealing of maritime features of the Nansha Islands from China.

So it is highly advisable that before talking of respecting and acting in accordance with international law, one needs to get clear in the first place the subject matter in question and its essence and what international law is all about.

As above illustrated, the true nature of the South China Sea issue is territorial sovereignty dispute. Given that disputes over territorial sovereignty concern China's core interests, and that the settlement of such kind of dispute is beyond the scope of the UNCLOS and its arbitration procedures; and does not concern the interpretation or application of the Convention, China like many other countries in the world goes for bilateral negotiation rather than third-party dispute settlement mechanism, not to mention accepting the jurisdiction and solutions imposed by third-party mechanisms that are not chosen by it voluntarily.

To add a further point, as a basic principle of arbitration, for an arbitral award to be recognized and implemented, one of the preconditions is, the arbitral tribunal that renders the award has jurisdiction over the disputes. If the tribunal lacks jurisdiction, the arbitration proceedings shall not be continued. Even if they are carried forward, the outcome would be invalid, and shall neither be recognized nor implemented. The tribunal shall not decide on its jurisdiction arbitrarily, but prudently in line with international law including the UNCLOS.

III. Application of compulsory arbitration is subject to several preconditions.

It is worthwhile to underline here that of the various means to peacefully settlement of disputes, compulsory arbitration is only a new type of procedures established under the UNCLOS, and which is subsidiary and complementary to negotiation and consultation, and its application is subject to several preconditions.

As illustrated by Mr. XU Hong, Director-General of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, there are four preconditions or four bars for States Parties to initiate compulsory arbitration, and for the arbitral tribunal to establish its jurisdiction.

First, compulsory arbitration can only be applied to disputes concerning the interpretation and application of the Convention. If the subject matters are beyond the scope of the UNCLOS, the disputes shall not be settled by compulsory arbitration. The issue of territorial sovereignty is one such case. Consequently States shall not initiate compulsory arbitration on disputes concerning it; and even if they do, the arbitral tribunal has no jurisdiction over them.

Second, a State Party to the UNCLOS may declare in writing that it does not accept compulsory arbitration with respect to disputes concerning maritime delimitation, historic bays or titles, military and law enforcement activities, etc. Such exclusions are effective for other States Parties. With respect to disputes excluded by one party, other parties to the dispute shall not initiate compulsory arbitration; and even if it does, the arbitral tribunal has no jurisdiction over them.

China's 2006 Declaration on Optional Exceptions made in accordance with Article 298 of the UNCLOS excludes disputes concerning maritime delimitation and some other issues from the dispute settlement procedures under the UNCLOS. The unilateral initiation of arbitration by the Philippines is a violation of the right to seeking dispute settlement of its own choice that China enjoys as a State Party to UNCLOS.

Third, if parties to a dispute have agreed on other means of settlement of their own choice, no party shall unilaterally initiate compulsory arbitration; and even if it does, the arbitral tribunal has no jurisdiction over the disputes. Given that China and the Philippines have agreed to settle their disputes in the South China Sea through negotiations, the Philippines is precluded from initiating arbitration unilaterally.

Fourth, parties to a dispute are obliged to first exchange views on the means of dispute settlement. Failing to fulfill this obligation, they shall not initiate compulsory arbitration; and even if they do, the arbitral tribunal has no jurisdiction over the disputes. And the actual fact is the Philippines failed to fulfill the obligation of exchanging views with China on the means of dispute settlement.

The above four preconditions, acting as the "four bars" form a part of the package system of dispute settlement, which shall be interpreted and applied comprehensively and in its entirety.

The very reason why China neither accepts nor participates in the arbitration lies in the fact that the Arbitration Tribunal does not have jurisdiction over the issue and is illegal from the very beginning. The so-called "Award" issued by a tribunal so established does not have any legal validity. By doing so, China is exercising its rights endowed by the international law and safeguarding the international rule of law.

It should be also emphasized that according to one of the basic principles of law, an arbitral tribunal must firstly have jurisdiction before it deals with the merits, no matter what award it makes. If it does not have jurisdiction, its subsequent actions will have no legal basis. Without jurisdiction, all its acts, including the so-called award made eventually, would be meaningless in law, just as water without its source or a tree without roots.

IVChina is doing nothing more than maintaining and defending its long-standing and legitimate position.

Lately, some people seem to be concerned about freedom of navigation and over-flight and militarization in the South China Sea. Some have alleged that China's island reclamations and construction work on its maritime features in the South China Sea is the main source of instability.

While these concerns are duly taken note of, I am afraid that fingers have been put on the wrong root cause.

The Chinese side has made crystal clear the rational and purpose of what it has been doing on some of the Nansha islands and reefs: It is nothing but maintenance and construction work with the main purposes of optimizing their functions, improving the living and working conditions of personnel stationed there, better safeguarding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, as well as better performing China's international responsibility and obligation in maritime search and rescue, disaster prevention and mitigation, marine science and research, meteorological observation, environmental protection, navigation safety, fishery production service and other areas.

Our maintenance and construction work does not target nor affect any country, nor does it have any impact on the freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea. There has been no complaint from the commercial shipping business about inconveniences or insecurity as such and there is no jump in shipping insurance rates. Facts speak for themselves.

With regard to freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea, as one of the major trading countries in the world, with a huge volume of import and export and energy supply going through South China Sea, stability there is very much of our interest. China is more concerned than anybody else about freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea, and China has always been sincere and serious in respecting and safeguarding freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea.

That said we do have our share of concerns about the real root cause of the continuing tension in the South China Sea, serious provocations by the U.S. politically and militarily.

The United States has been asserting that it is against actions to militarize the South China Sea. Yet, it is the United States that has been sending more and more military vessels and aircrafts in close proximity to China's coastal waters, constituting grave threats to China's security on land and sea, and threatening to escalate tensions in Asia.

More and more Chinese people have good reasons to believe that the U.S. is no longer just an invisible hand behind the rising tension in the South China Sea. They are afraid that the deployments by the U.S., if not curbed, can only have the effect of militarizing the region.

And also in the eyes of many that freedom of navigation, a concept originally designed by the U.S. as a counter-measure against the freedom of navigation defined by the Convention, has been conveniently used by the U.S. these days to justify its military actions in the South China Sea and the freedom of movement of its navy around the world.

Equally disturbing is that the statements and actions by the U.S. would most probably embolden some players to be even more aggressive and provocative. It has been made public that the U.S. alliance obligations would be invoked if China responds to such provocations. As pointed out by H.E. Ambassador Cui Tiankai:"It could be possible that all this is intended to intimidate China, not to start a real conflict. But what if China is not intimidated? This approach is clearly a path to conflict. It is indeed a dangerous path and an irresponsible policy".

V. China stands for peaceful solution of the issue through dialogue and negotiation.

China's pursuit in the South China Sea has been consistently maintained. That is to safeguard national territorial integrity and maintain regional peace and tranquility. Accordingly, though China is the victim of the South China Sea issue, it has been firmly committed to resolving disputes peacefully through friendly consultations and negotiations with countries directly concerned.

This sincerity and commitment by China has been a deciding factor for stability of the situation in the South China Sea.

Especially since the late 1990s, China has been proactively engaged with some directly concerned parties of ASEAN to work out possible solutions of sovereignty disputes over islands and reefs in question through bilateral consultation, and with ASEAN as a whole to build up confidence and to collectively maintain peace and stability in the region.

I am proud to say that as head of the Chinese delegation taking part in the first few rounds of Working Group Meeting on the draft of Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), I myself contributed in a small measure to such a significant endeavor.

From my personal experience working with ASEAN and its member states, I should say that China and ASEAN countries have the wisdom and every capability to resolve disputes peacefully and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea on their own.

Now, China is working with ASEAN countries to implement the DOC and we are speeding up the "code of conduct in the South China Sea" consultation.

With a view to securing common interest and common objective of maintaining long-lasting peace and stability in the South China Sea, China has made quite a few proposals.

Firstly, the disputing parties must peacefully resolve their disputes through negotiation in accordance with the DOC. Article 4 of the DOC makes it crystal clear that the dispute must be resolved by the directly concerned states. And the leaders of China and 10 ASEAN countries signed off on the DOC. This is a binding commitment. Regrettably, the Philippines has closed the door of dialogue with China. Still, China and other ASEAN countries are doing our best to implement Article 4 of the DOC.

Secondly, pending eventual solutions, countries in the region, claimants or otherwise, that border the South China Sea must work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, and to uphold the freedom of navigation in accordance with international law. China has played and will continue to play its responsible and constructive role.

Thirdly, it is hoped that countries outside of the region support the resolution of the disputes through negotiation between the directly concerned parties, and support the efforts of China and ASEAN to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. We hope countries outside the region could play a constructive role.

So long as the above-mentioned points are put in place, peace and stability in the South China Sea will continue to be maintained.

As pointed out by Ms. Fu Ying and Mr. Wu Shichun in their article contributed to the National Interest -- South China Sea: How We Got to This Stage, "the future direction of trend would very much depend on the perceptions and choices of the parties involved. If they choose to cooperate, they may all win. If they choose to confront each other, they may only head for impasse or even conflict and no one can benefit totally."

China and the EU have shared strategic interests in maintaining the freedom and safety of navigation, and promoting stability and prosperity in the South China Sea area. Yet, China and the EU are not disputing parties to each other, and the South China Sea issue is not an issue between the two.

Given this, we sincerely hope the EU will strictly abide by its political commitment of respecting China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and China's position on the South China Sea issue and refrain from taking any action that constitutes interference in the South China Sea issue. We also hope that the EU will play a constructive role by supporting the resolution of the disputes through negotiation between the directly concerned parties, and support the efforts of China and ASEAN to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

The author is Chinese Ambassador heading the Chinese Mission to the EU.
The all-new Indian Scout Sixty will be available in three classic Indian Motorcycle colors viz. Thunder Black, Indian Motorcycle Red and Pearl White color.

the all-new Indian Scout Sixty shares the identical chassis, suspension, brakes and core engine - all mated with a new 60 cubic inch engine.

By India Today Web Desk: Polaris India on Tuesday announced the launch of the versatile all-new 2016 Indian Scout Sixty in India with an expected price tag of Rs 11.99 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi), to be available from July, 2016 onwards.

True to the craftsmanship, reliability and legendary agility of the Indian Scout, the all-new Indian Scout Sixty shares the identical chassis, suspension, brakes and core engine - all mated with a new 60 cubic inch engine. The silky smooth, easy-to- shift 5-speed transmission coupled with the 78HP engine produces a whopping peak torque of 5800 RPM.

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ALSO READ: Indian Motorcycle introduces a bigger Chieftain Dark Horse

Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd said, "The legendary heritage of the Indian Scout is carried forward in the all-new 2016 Indian Scout Sixty. Expertly balanced and lightweight, the bike has won the hearts of bike enthusiasts around the globe. I am quite sure that the introduction of the All-New 2016 Indian Scout Sixty in the Indian market will help us grow in terms of volumes in the fast-growing."

"The Indian Scout has been a stunningly successful introduction for us, with balance, performance and manoeuvrability that appeals to a broad swath of riders here in America and around the globe," said Steve Menneto, President of Motorcycles for Polaris Industries.

ALSO READ: Polaris launches Indian Springfield in India

Not shy on performance, the all-new Indian Scout Sixty features a black seat, matching black frame and wheels, and is compatible with the more than 200 accessories already available for the Indian Scout.

A seat height of 25.3 inches allows for sure-footed comfort at stops, and the low centre of gravity ensures agile cornering, precise balance and overall rider confidence and control. A series of accessories including seats, handlebars and foot peg relocators allow the motorcycle to be tailored to fit each rider, while additional accessories such as saddlebags, wire wheels and quick-release windscreens give owners virtually unlimited freedom to customize their rides.

ALSO READ: Indian Motorcycle unveils Springfield in US market

The all-new Indian Scout Sixty will be available in three classic Indian Motorcycle colors viz. Thunder Black, Indian Motorcycle Red and Pearl White color.

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Toyota has now recalled 4.73 million vehicles in the United States for Takata air bags.

The new recall includes some but not all Corolla, Matrix, Yaris, 4Runner, Sienna, Scion xB, Lexus ES, GX and IS vehicles built between 2006 and 2011.

By Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp said on Monday it will recall almost 1.6 million additional US vehicles for front passenger side Takata air bag inflators that could rupture.

ALSO READ: Scientists find cause of Takata air bag explosions

Earlier this month, Takata Corp said it was declaring another 35 million to 40 million US inflators defective at the urging of US regulators, a move that more than doubles the number of inflators recalled. Faulty Takata inflators have been linked to more than 100 injuries and 13 deaths worldwide.

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Toyota said the new recall includes some but not all Corolla, Matrix, Yaris, 4Runner, Sienna, Scion xB, Lexus ES, GX and IS vehicles built between 2006 and 2011.

Toyota said it has now recalled 4.73 million vehicles in the United States for Takata air bags.

ALSO READ: Toyota reissues recall for 1.6 million cars in Japan over airbags

Other reports from the 17 automakers now recalling Takata vehicles are due this week.

On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Daimler AG said another 197,000 vehicles in the United States will need to be recalled -- but all have been recalled in previous driver-side airbag calls.

Last week, Takata filed reports with US auto safety regulators declaring nearly 14 million air bag inflators defective -- in the first of a series of required reports. Takata agreed to expand recalls by 35 million to 40 million inflators in several tranches through 2019, adding to the 28.8 million recalled before May 4.

ALSO READ: Takata Corp fined $70 million over exploding airbags

This is the largest recall in US auto safety history. Malfunctioning Takata air bag inflators can explode with too much force, sending shrapnel into vehicles.

Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tesla Motors Inc, Fisker Automotive and Jaguar Land Rover will recall Takata air bag inflators, bringing the number of automakers involved to 17, including Honda Motor Co, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.

Jaguar Land Rover is a Tata Motors Ltd brand.

ALSO READ: Toyota recalls 7,129 units of Corolla in India to fix airbags

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During the January-April 2016 period, Toyota sold 419 Camry hybrids, while the gasoline models sales stood at a low 44 units in the same period.

Toyota is the only company that assembles and sells pure hybrid models in the country.

By India Today Web Desk: As much as 90 per cent of the demand for premium sedan Camry in the country is for its hybrid model, carmaker Toyota said.

Over the years, the Japanese auto major has been witnessing a steady rise in sales of Camry Hybrid. While in 2013, the share of hybrid in Camry sales was only 15 per cent, within a year it soared to 73 per cent and in 2015 it jumped further to 86 per cent.

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ALSO READ: Toyota Innova to get petrol option now

"As much as 90 per cent of our Camry sales come from the hybrid model now. During the January-April 2016 period, we have sold 419 Camry hybrids, while the gasoline models sales stood at a low 44 units in the same period.

"In the whole of last year, out of the 1,024 units sold, as much as 879 units were hybrids, constituting 86 per cent of the total sales," Toyota Kirloskar Motors Vice Chairman Shekhar Vishwanathan told PTI here.

Toyota is the only company that assembles and sells pure hybrid models in the country. It began local assembly of the Camry Hybrid way back in August, 2013.

ALSO READ: Spec Comparison: Toyota Innova Crysta vs Renault Lodgy vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga vs Tata Aria

While it assembles the Camry Hybrid at its Bengaluru plant, it also sells another such model, the imported Prius Hybrid, in the country.

Globally, Toyota sold 9 million hybrids in 2015, most of which were Camry's followed by Prius, he said, adding that with the government incentive of Rs 70,000 cash discount on each unit, the company expects the demand for hybrids to only go up.

Currently, Camry Hybrid has a price tag of Rs 33 lakh in New Delhi, which is its largest market, while the Prius Hybrid comes at Rs 38 lakh.

ALSO READ: Toyota Innova Crysta bookings open, deliveries start from May 13

He refused to answer whether the company will look at local assembly of the Prius Hybrid also.

When asked about the largest market for hybrids, Vishwanathan said though demand comes from the top 10 metros, smaller cities like Kochi too have good potential.

"Recently we were surprised to welcome a farmer from a small town in Karnataka at one of our showrooms who demanded a Camry Hybrid on full cash down payment. And he wanted the car immediately to welcome his son from the US," he said.

ALSO READ: Toyota Innova Crysta launched in Mumbai; prices start at Rs 13.84 lakh

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He said now a customer can drive away a Camry Hybrid in 7-12 days.

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The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) class 12 intermediate arts stream results will be declared soon at http://www.biharboard.ac.in/.

By India Today Web Desk: Latest update from the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) officials says that the Bihar intermediate exam result 2016 (Arts & Vocational) has been postponed and will not be released today i.e. May 25 at 3 pm. This is for the fourth time since May 18 that the exam result declaration for Bihar Board 12th Arts stream has been postponed. The BSEB officials have not given any date and time for the result declaration, although there is a chance that it may be published in the next two days.



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Over 5.5 lakh students are eagerly waiting for the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) class 12 intermediate arts stream results. The board will declare the results soon at the official website, the link for which is http://www.biharboard.ac.in/. How to get the results:

In order to get the results, the candidates should visit the official website and click on 'BSEB Arts Stream 2016'. Thereafter, the candidates should enter their roll number. After submitting the same, the results will appear on the screen. The candidates must take a print-out for future reference.



To get the Bihar board result 2016 for class 12 (Arts/ Voc) on mobile, you can send the following SMS to 56263:



BIH12 Roll Code + Roll number

For example, if your Roll Code is 11001 & Roll Number is 00001, then you must SMS - BIH12 1100100001



Send this SMS to 56263



Class 10 results:



Around 15 lakh candidates appeared for the class 10 examination. The results for the same will get declared on May 28. The candidates can access the results from the official website.

The board declared the class 12 science stream and commerce stream results on May 10 and May 17 respectively.



About the board:

The board functions under the Government of Bihar and conducts secondary and senior secondary school examinations twice a year. One being annual board examinations in the months of February-March and other being supplementary examination held in August-September of every year.



For any query regarding the results, the candidates are advised to visit the official website.

With inputs from Nishatha Abraham Bijeesh from IndiaEducation.net.



Get latest updates on exam notifications and scholarships across India and abroad here.

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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has declared the results of the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) on the official website.

By India Today Web Desk: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has declared the results of the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) on its official website.

The candidates can get the results from the official website, the link for which is ctet.nic.in.

How to get the results?

Go to the official website

Candidates can click on to , 'Result of CTET -FEB 2016'

Enter the roll number



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After submitting the same, the results will appear on the screen. The candidates must take a printout for future reference.

The board conducts CTET in the month of February and September. The next exam is scheduled to be held on September 18.



Paper pattern:

Paper 1 had 150 multiple choice questions based on the following subjects:

Child Development and Pedagogy

Language 1 (compulsory)

Language 2 (compulsory)

Mathematics

Environmental Studies



Paper 2:

The exam consisted of 150 multiple choice questions based on Child Development & Pedagigy (compulsory), Language 2 )compulsory), Mathematics and Science (for Mathematics and Science teacher) and Social Studies/Social Science (for social studies/social science teacher).



All about CTET application:



The CTET shall apply to schools of the central government (KVS, NVS, Central Tibetan Schools, etc.) and schools under the administrative control of UT's of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and NCT of Delhi

CTET may also apply to the unaided private schools, who may exercise the option of considering the CTET

Schools owned and managed by the state government/local bodies and aided schools shall consider the TET, conducted by the state government. However, a state government can also consider the CTET if it decides not to conduct the state TET.

About the exam:

Paper 1: Paper 1 for a person who intents to be a teacher for classes 1 to 5.



Paper 2: This exam is for a person who intents to be a teacher for classes 6 to 8.

The candidates must note that if a person who intents to be a teacher for both levels (classes 1 to 5 and classes 6 to 8) will have to appear in both the papers (Paper 1 and Paper 2).

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The Manipur HSLC (High School Leaving Certificate) Class 10 board results will be announced shortly. Students may check their scores at the official websites such as manresults.nic.in or bsem.nic.in.

By India Today Web Desk: The results of Manipur HSLC (High School Leaving Certificate) Class 10 boards will be announced shortly. All those students who had appeared for the exam, may check their scores at the official websites such as manresults.nic.in or bsem.nic.in.

The new secretariat of the Manipur government will be announcing the result and the state education minister M Okendro and Manipur Board Chairman H. Deleep Singh will preside over the result declaration ceremony. The HSLC examination was conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur. It began on March 1 (Tuesday) with English language paper and ended on March 19 (Saturday) for additional subjects.

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Steps to check the results:

Log on to the official website manresults.nic.in

Click on the direct link "Manipur HSLC Result 2016"

Enter your hall ticket number in the provided field

Click on submit

Your result will be displayed on the screen

Download the same and take a print out for future reference

(Read: Assam Class 12 Boards 2016: Results expected to be out on June 2 at www.ahsec.nic.in)



The results published online are for immediate information to the examinees. These cannot be treated as original mark sheets. The original marksheets will be issued by the board or council separately.

About Board of Secondary Education, Manipur:

The Board of Secondary Education, Manipur was set up by an act of Manipur legislative assembly in 1972. It conducts public examinations at the end of class 10 for the courses studied in class 10 only. The Board does not conduct any other public examination.

Read: Goa Board Class 10 Results to be declared tomorrow at 3 pm on indiatoday.intoday.in/education



Read: Gujarat Board Class 10 results declared: Check the official website www.gseb.org



For information on more upcoming exams and results, click here.



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Solar explosions may have heated up the Earth and helped the process of building complex molecules: Read to know more.

By India Today Web Desk: NASA has come up with a new theory that explains how life spawned on Earth.



According to a published research in Nature Geoscience, the US space agency says that solar explosions in the Sun may have provided the crucial energy that was used to heat up the Earth and create complex molecules, which created life.

What is Solar Storm?

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Solar Storm is a collection of solar flares, which is a sudden flash of brightness observed on the surface of the Sun.

Solar flares are caused by the collision of charged particles, mainly electrons, with the plasma matter of the Sun. The magnetic reconnection, which runs the core reactor of the Sun, leads to the acceleration of charged particles.

Each solar flare can emit up to 1 ? 1025 joules, which is roughly equivalent of 1 billion megatons of TNT.

Here are some key points you must know:



Four billion years ago, the Sun had only one-third of the brightness it has now. Solar Storms helped the Sun reach its present state of energy

Back then, the Earth would receive only 70 per cent of the energy it now gets from the Sun

In its 'pre-adolescent' stage, the Sun was more active on its surface. Solar flares and giant eruptions sent huge waves of radiation and solar energy throughout the Solar System

Such energy was absorbed by the simple molecules to merge and form complex molecules such as RNA and DNA, the binaries of life

Research shows that the solar particles reacted with the Nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere, which was the first building block of life on Earth.

WATCH: Solar Storms (Video Source: Youtube/nationalgeographics)

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 toeducation.intoday@gmail.com

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President of India signs executive order deferring implementation of NEET. This decision has come after Supreme Court passed the order saying states will have a separate medical examination.

By India Today Web Desk, Press Trust of India: As the Delhi government recently made a decision to make National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) the only entrance exam for entrance in medical courses this year onwards, the President of India, in a fresh move, has finally signed the order to put the common medical entrance examination on hold for a year.

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On Monday, May 23, the President also held a late night meeting at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where Health Minister JP Nadda made clear a few points raised by him over the validity and importance of the ordinance to exclude states from the common medical entrance test NEET.

Before the President signed the order last night, only a few officials from the Health Ministry indicated a strong possibility of the ordinance getting the presidential nod.

(Read: Delhi accepts NEET as only medical entrance exam, President seeks clarification)



This decision has come after Supreme Court passed the order which said that states will have a separate medical examination.

The order came after states demanded for either exemption from NEET or permission to conduct their own medical common entrance test.

(Read: Students of blind institute in Chandigarh hold 100 percent record in CBSE Class 12: Meet some unbeatable individuals)



Clearance from Union Cabinet:

The Union Cabinet on May, 20 marked NEET as the only examination for entrance in all deemed, government and private medical colleges.

A high level meeting was organised in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodiya, regarding the implementation of NEET.

Moreover, in a recent tweet by Chief Minister, Arvind kejriwal urged the President of India not to sign on the ordinance that calls for a delay of NEET this year.

(Read: NEET verdict out: Government to organise coaching classes for students)



Coaching classes for NEET candidates:

Also, the government requested the Union Minister for Human Resources, Smriti Irani to help the students fall in line with NEET.

According to reports, about 6.5 lakh students have appeared for NEET 2016 phase 1 on May 1, 2016.

Further, few days back, JP Nadda said that the government was all set to implement the order as per Supreme Court's order.

However, it was deferred, as the government wanted to look for ways to lodge concerns of the states.

As per the official information, this year, nearly 6.5 lakh candidates have already taken the first phase of NEET that was held on May 1 and the next phase of the exam is scheduled to take place on July 24.

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READ: NEET 2016: Supreme Court dismisses all state medical entrance tests



READ: NEET 2016 All you need to know



Click here to get latest updates on education news.



--- ENDS ---
A 24*7 helpline has been started by the students of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. The crisis helpline has been started for more than 2,000 students.

By India Today Web Desk: The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh has come up with a 24*7 helpline for its students. The initiative has been taken for its medical and paramedical students who may need help when they are undergoing stress or depression. The crisis helpline has been started for more than 2,000 students.

Why was the helpline started?



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According to an Indian Express report, the PGI authorities said the helpline was started as a support system for the students. The dean of the institute, Dr Subhash Varma said "At times, resident doctors or other students of the institute are in some kinds of stress and need help. This helpline will provide an emotional support to such students.

(Read: Students of blind institute in Chandigarh hold 100 percent record in CBSE Class 12: Meet some unbeatable individuals)



Who will be managing the helpline?



He also mentioned that the department of psychiatry will be managing the helpline, "A senior resident doctor from the department of psychiatry will answer the calls round-the-clock. The aim of the helpline is to take preventive steps if any student faces any kinds of stress or depression," said Varma.

Lack of awareness about the helpline:



A message regarding this new helpline number has been circulated among the students by the institute, which has sent an SMS to every student.

Till Monday, not a single call was received on the helpline and a doctor attributes it to the lack of awareness. He said, "Since the helpline was recently started, many people did not know about it. We are trying to make everyone aware of the helpline, so that they can approach us."

The PGI's Association of Resident Doctors has welcomed the move.

Read: Mumbai university may lose autonomy if malpractices continue: Smuggling of answer sheets



Read: The Twin Connection: Two pairs of twins score identical marks in CBSE Class 12 results



For information on more latest news and updates, click here.



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The Uttarakhand Board of School Education (UBSE) is expected to release the UBSE Class 10 Results 2016 shortly on its official website.

By India Today Web Desk: The Uttarakhand Board of School Education (UBSE) is likely to release the Uttarakhand Board Class 10th Results 2016 in one hour on its official website www.uaresults.nic.in . Around 1.75 lakh students had appeared for the exam this year.



The students who appeared in the class 10 board written examination will be able to check their scorecards, once the UBSE announces the results.

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The steps to check the online results are:



Log on to the official website, the links for which are www.ubse.uk.gov.in and www.uaresults.nic.in

Click on the link 'UBSE Class 10 Results 2016'

Enter the requisite details such as roll number, date of birth etc. in the space provided and submit

The result would appear on the screen, take a print out of the same for future reference.

The Uttarakhand Board had successfully conducted the class 10 examination in 1317 centres across the state.

Around 1.75 lakh students appeared for the High School examination, which commenced March 3 and ended on April 2, 2016.

Last year, the class 10 board results were declared on May 26, 2015 by the Uttarakhand Board.

For any information, candidates should visit the official website.

Read: The Twin Connection: Two pairs of twins score identical marks in CBSE Class 12 results

Read: No grace marks for Haryana students, 51 per cent fail in Class 10

Get latest updates on exam notifications and scholarships across India and abroad here.



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By Brijesh Pandey: First it was supposed to be the 3 Khans of the Bollywood, hosting the 2 years of Modi government. Now it will be superstar Amitabh Bachchan who will be leading the pack to celebrate the 2 years at the iconic India Gate on 28th of May. This programme will go on for 5 hours from, 5 pm to 10 pm, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself in attendance along with several other ministers. Several other Bollywood starts like Anupam Kher, Madhur Bhandarkar, Prasoon Joshi will also attend the programme. Talks are on for some more eminent personalities to join the celebrations. All this event is being organised by a PR agency.

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Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a go ahead to this programme after he had a detailed meeting with Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. The biggest attraction of this programme will be Bachchan himself who will be talking to people who have benefited from the various populist schemes launched by the Union government.

Mega show at India Gate

There will be mega event at India Gate in which a big podium will be made. Lots of cultural programme will be held on this and the theme song of the government, "Mera desh badh raha hai, aagey badh raha hai" will be played. Apart from it, short films and interviews of ministers as well as people who have benefited by schemes, launched by various ministries will also be aired.

This programme will not be limited to Delhi only. Apart from Delhi, this kind of programme will be hosted in six other places like Shilong, Mumbai, VIjaywada, Jaipur, Karnal and Ahmedabad. In all the places, Cabinet ministers accompanied by their MoS will be there and all the programme will held for 5 hours only. All this programmes will be telecast live by Doordarshan only.

Govt's flagship schemes to be showcased



According to sources, the government has listed its programmes like Jan Dhan yojna, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin Jyoti Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and rural employment guarantee scheme as these schemes target the core area of focus of government including Poor, Farmer and youth. The government has laid special emphasis on poor and farmers as it had also asked its ministers to make every effort to convey to the masses that this government is working for the poor, contrary to the allegation leveled by the opposition parties. It will also focus on "Give it Up" - which means voluntary surrendering of LPG subsidy. The government claims that one crore people have given up on LPG subsidy which will help providing gas connection to 5 crore people.

The government will start 15 days long celebration from May 26, when the Prime Minister will address rally in Saharanpur along with a Presser by party president Amit Shah at party headquarters. Apart from this the entire cabinet along with their Mos across the country holding rallies as well as press conferences. Apart from this, the NDA MPs have also been asked to spend at least a week in their constituencies so that the message of the work done by the government will reach the masses.

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ALSO READ: Two years of Modi: BJP plans 15-day gala from May 26



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By PTI: From Aditi Khanna

London, May 24 (PTI) The last unnamed member of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) Beatles gang was today identified as a 27-year-old from west London.

The gang named in reference to the English accents of the terrorist suspects was led by Mohammed Emwazi, dubbed Jihadi John andkilled last year in a US drone strike in Syria.

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Sudanese-born El Shafee Elsheikh has emerged as the fourth member of the cell, which has been filmed killing and torturing western hostages in ISIS held territory.

"We tried to handle this in a mild, considerate way, but before we could do anything he [his son] just left," said his father Rashid Sidahmed ElSheikh, a translator based in London.

According to western hostages who were later released, the so-called Beatles were allegedly responsible for beatings, waterboarding, mock executions and killings of a number of mainly western hostages.

El Sheikh was identified through a joint Washington Post and BuzzFeed News investigation.

His name was confirmed by a former US countert-errorism official and other people familiar with British nationals in Syria.

His family said he is still alive and living in Syria and remains in touch with some friends and family.

All four Britons who made up the ISIS Beatles grew up in the same part of west London, but it is unclear whether they knew each other before they left for Syria.

All of them apparently joined Al Qaedas branch in Syria before defecting to the ISIS.

Besides Jihadi John, the others identified previously include 31-year-old Aine Davis, who is in custody in Turkey for suspected terrorism, and 32-year-old Alexe Kotey, a Londoner ofGhanaian and Greek-Cypriot backgroundwhose whereabouts are unknown.

Davis wife, 27-year-old Amal el-Wahabi, became the first woman to be jailed for terrorism offences connected to Syria in 2014 after she was caught paying a smuggler to take 20,000 euros in cash to Turkey for her husband. PTI AK NSA

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A cross-border railroad link to the Rasuwagadhi area in Nepal has already been discussed between the two countries.

By India Today Web Desk: Having already expanded its influence in Nepal with road and rail network through Tibet, China is now looking to stretch its railway link to Bihar to improve connectivity with India and South Asia, state-run Chinese media reported today.

A cross-border railroad link to the Rasuwagadhi area in Nepal has already been discussed between the two countries.

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Enter, the dragon, via Nepal

China's railroad is expected to reach Nepal border by 2020, an article in the state-run Global Times said This rail line makes it possible to connect China to India as the distance from Rasuwagadhi to Birgunj, which borders Bihar is only 240 km, the article said For Bihar, trade with China through the rail link will be easier along this route than through Kolkata, saving time, cost and distance, it said "The railroad connection to China is not only important for Nepal and Nepalese people's future development, but also has the capacity to build connectivity with the whole of South Asia. The government of Nepal has the chance to make history," the article said It also criticised attempts to block major projects in Nepal "Unfortunately due to oversensitivity, some major projects were aborted before even a brick was laid. So the Nepali government must play a key role in bringing all the stakeholders into a sufficient consensus," it said

ALSO READ: China investment into India up 'six-fold' in 2015, says report



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By PTI: New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) Raising the issue of murder of NDMC lawyer M M Khan with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, the AAP today demanded arrest of NDMC vice-chairman Karan Singh Tanwar and a "fair and impartial probe" into the issue.

"Unless the Delhi Police interrogates Tanwar, the reality of this case will never come to light since late Mr Khan had turned down the bribe offer made to him.

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"This is bringing further disgrace to his position of NDMC vice-chairman. It has now come to light that Mr Tanwar tried to undermine the Delhi Cantonment Board and illegally interfered in its functioning," the delegation led by AAPs Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey said in the memorandum to Jung.

Tanwar has termed the allegations as baseless.

Khan was shot dead on May 16, a day before he was scheduled to pass the final order on the lease terms of hotel The Connaught which was functioning on a property leased by the civic body. Police last week arrested the owner of hotel, Ramesh Kakkar, and five others in connection with the murder.

The AAP also alleged that the Delhi Cantonment Board has accused Tanwar of "provoking religious sentiments and disturbing peace."

The party also sought to drag East Delhi BJP MP Maheish Girri into the controversy and alleged that he had also written a letter against the Khan.

"I would also like to bring to your notice that Lok Sabha MP from east Delhi, Mr Maheish Girri had also written a letter against the late Mr Khan. It is suspicious as to why these BJP leaders were taking so much interest in this particular hotel?

"I demand that your goodself direct the Delhi Police to arrest and question both Mr Tanwar and Girri to bring out the reality of this case," the memorandum said.

Girri denied writing any letter in this regard and asked AAP to produce the letter.

The party had earlier alleged that Tanwar had threatened Khan with dire consequences, a few days before his murder and demanded the Delhi Police arrest him and probe his "complicity" with the murderers. It also said that Tanwar had written a letter to LG seeking action against Khan.

Addressing a news conference, Pandey said the Cantonment Board in its meeting on May 13 had made very "stinging remarks" against Tanwar. PTI PR RG

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By PTI: New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) An air ambulance coming from Patna with seven persons on board crash landed in Najafgarh area of South West Delhi after both its engines apparently shut down but no one sustained any major injury.

The six-seater Beech King Air C-90A aircraft crash landed at around 2:40 PM on a field in Kair village in Najafgarh about 10 km from the Indira Gandhi international Airport, police officials said.

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The 27-year old plane belonging to Chandigarh-based private operator Alchemist Airways had to force land after both its engines failed, airport officials said.

Aviation regulator DGCA has already started an inquiry into the incident.

A 61-year-old cardiac patient Virender Rai who was being flown to Delhi has been rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon immediately after the incident. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.

The 1989-make aircraft, carrying registration number VT EQO, was in touch with to Air Traffic Control as it was in the final approach to landing.

The six other onboard persons include Rupesh (doctor), Jung Bahadur (aircraft technician), Juhi and Bhagwan Rai (both relatives of the patient), Amit Kumar (pilot) and Rohit (co-pilot).

"I pray for the early recovery of the injured. The causes of the accident shall be looked into," tweeted Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said DGCA officials have been sent to the site of the incident to conduct a probe.

"We received an emergency call from the pilot. Both the engines of the aircraft had reportedly failed. They made the landing safe. The DGCA is looking into the incident," Sharma told reporters.

As many as 14 fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately after the aircraft crashlanded. PTI DEY IAS MPB VMN

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There is no official data on the exact count of the migrants stranded in Gulf countries but experts put the numbers in tens of thousands, many of them in jail.

By Reuters: Women domestic workers from Andhra Pradesh are languishing in jails in Gulf states after attempting to flee abusive employers or overstaying their visas, Andhra Pradesh's minister for NRI welfare, Palle Raghunatha Reddy has said.

In a letter to foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, Reddy, called for action to bring back the women.

"Necessary steps should be initiated to bring them to their native areas safely by providing free travel and necessary visa documents at the earliest possible (opportunity)," he wrote.

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"Instructions should be issued to Indian embassy officials in Gulf countries to interfere in the matter and provide necessary help in terms of food, clothing and shelter."

6 MILLION INDIANS IN 6 GULF COUNTRIES

Government figures show there are an estimated 6 million Indian migrants in the six Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman.

These include women who leave their villages to take up jobs overseas paying up to three times more than in India, putting their fate in the hands of recruitment agents, who often dupe them.

There is no official data on the exact count of the migrants stranded in Gulf countries but experts put the numbers in tens of thousands, many of them in jail.

VISA ISSUES

Some of the migrants overstay on tourist visas and are unable to pay the fines required to return home. In some cases, they do not have exit visas. Many others have been jailed on petty offences waiting for their case to be heard, according to the Andhra government.

Women from Andhra and Telangana "are being sold like products in a retail shop," Reddy wrote in the letter sent last week.

"Women are being sold to the tune of Rs 4 lakh in Saudi Arabia and between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait," the minister wrote.

CRY FOR HELP

He added that at least 25 women jailed in Gulf states have sought the state government's help recently.

In response to a query in Parliament in March, the foreign ministry said their diplomatic missions in all six Gulf states had registered complaints of physical abuse, maltreatment, non-payment of salary, and other grievances.

Requesting anonymity, a senior official in the Andhra Pradesh government said a group of ministers from the state would travel to the Gulf next month to investigate the plight of migrants from their region.

The state government is also in the process of appointing lawyers to provide legal advice to Indian prisoners in Gulf jails, the official said.

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By PTI: Pune, May 24 (PTI) A 46-year-old Army Subedar allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his revolver inside his room on the premises of Air Force Station at Lohegaon today.

The Junior Commissioned Officer, identified as Beant Singh, has left behind a suicide note in which he has named four warrant officers (WOs) responsible for his death, police said.

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He was posted at Army field post office which is located at the Air Force Station.

"Army Junior Commissioned Officer Subedar Beant Singh posted to the Field Post Office located at Air Force Station Pune was found dead in his room today.

"He was staying alone. His body was found with two bullet holes and a civil revolver lying by his side. A suicide note was found near his dead body. Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide," stated a press release from Air Force Station.

The civil and Military Police are investigating the case, it stated.

According to a senior police officer, Singh was spotted lying in a pool of blood by some officials at around 11 AM with two bullet wounds on his chest and a revolver lying next to him.

"We have recovered a suicide note from spot and in the note, Singh has named four warrant officers (WOs) responsible for his death and we are investigating the case," said Airport police station senior inspector, Sanjay Kurundkar. PTI SPK NSK RCJ

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Parmanand allegedly sexually abused childless women under the pretext of curing their infertility. He even made videos of his act and used them to blackmail the victims.

By India Today Web Desk: Self-styled 'godman' Baba Parmanand, who was absconding for the past 15 days, was on Tuesday arrested in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, on charges of sexually exploiting women at his ashram in Barabanki. His student-turned-aide Arvind was also arrested.

Parmanand allegedly sexually abused childless women under the pretext of curing their infertility. He even made videos of his act and used them to blackmail the victims, police said. He has now been sent for a medical examination and will be produced in Barabanki court today.

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The 'godman' has maintained he is not guilty and the whole thing is a conspiracy to trap him.

HOW HE WAS CAUGHT

Parmanand was arrested while attempting to sneak into his ashram in the middle of the night - the police had, earlier, sealed the ashram and set up police surveillance around it.

His crimes came to light when a victim shared one of the clips on social media. The video went viral and drove the police to file an FIR in the matter. Subsequently, they raided Parmanand's ashram and discovered many more explicit videos.



HISTORY OF SEXUAL CRIMES

Two cases were filed against Parmanand last night itself, in which one woman accused him of attempt to rape, assault and fraud. His former driver Sushil Avasthi also filed a case against him in Thane, accusing his son and wife of helping to blackmail women.

The 'godman', whose real name is Ram Shankar Tiwari, set up the Barabanki ashram 30 years ago, where his followers turned up in huge numbers every day. A big chunk of his followers included women who were unable to conceive or had given birth only to girls. These women were desperate for a baby boy and Parmanand used to 'guarantee' the birth of male children.

According to Barabanki SP Abdul Hamid, nine cases are filed against Parmanand, which include charges of loot and rape. "He used to choose simple bhakts to lure and trap in his ashram. He had installed CCTV cameras in his ashram and used to watch the videos later," he said.

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By PTI: Moga, May 23 (PTI) A two-member Belgian police team has questioned ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Rajwinder Kaur in connection with the alleged murder of a woman who was reported missing in 2012. The team recorded statements of at least nine people related to each other yesterday, police said today. The team is probing the suspected murder of woman Jagwinder Kaur. Jagwinder, who hails from Mullanpur Dhakha in Ludhiana, was married to Kewal Singh, a resident of Bhagike village.

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Rajwinder is the sarpanch of the Bhagike village and her family members allegedly killed Jagwinder. Kewal had been living in Belgium for over 20 years. Police took blood samples of Bakhtaur Singh, Jagwinders brother-in-law for a DNA test. In Februray 2012, Kewal came to his ancestral village to attend a marriage, police said, adding that a few days after his arrival, he got a phone call from Belgium that his wife has gone missing from the house. He left for Belgium, police said. Belgium police suspects it to be a case of honour killing. PTI cor VJ UZM RG UZM

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The model said she took Andrew Bush's Hummer but did not know he was dead.

By AP: In a sensational case, a Slovakian model on trial in the fatal shooting of her millionaire British ex-boyfriend has testified that she fled the scene in his vehicle because she was scared after he threatened her and was shot in a struggle over a pistol.

Maria Kukucova said she took Andrew Bush's Hummer but did not know he was dead.

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THE CASE

Prosecutors say Kukucova shot Bush, 48, twice in the head and once in the shoulder on April 5, 2014, at his home in the southern Spanish beach resort of Estepona and are seeking to have her imprisoned for 20 years.

The 26-year-old Kukucova testified in the Malaga courtroom a day earlier that the gun "just went off" and she didn't know how many shots were fired after going temporarily deaf following the first blast.

Maria Kukucova wept as she told the jury that there had been a struggle with Bristol-based millionaire Bush and the revolver in his hand had gone off accidentally.

"I didn't want to cause him any harm... the gun just went off. I just wanted to break free from his grasp."

Prosecutors argue that Kukucova waited with a gun for Bush to enter his holiday home, shooting him three times, twice in the head and once in the arm.

They say the accused placed the gun in Bush's hand as he lay in a pool of blood.

Following the shooting, Kukucova - a swimwear model - handed herself over to Spanish authorities after being detained in Slovakia on suspicion of 'consumed intentional homicide'.

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Priyanka Chopra wishes to replace Daniel Craig in the new James Bond movie.

By India Today Web Desk: Priyanka Chopra, who walked the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (May 22), has once again hit the headlines.

ALSO READ: Baywatch: Priyanka Chopra is fiercely talented, says producer Beau Flynn

ALSO READ: Bye bye, Savannah: Priyanka Chopra's Baywatch shoot comes to an end



Bollywood's Desi Girl wants to play James Bond. Nope, she doesn't want to be a Bond girl, but is eager to don the James Bond tux.

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Of course, Priyanka's fans want to see her in the next James Bond movie - as a Bond girl - but the Quantico star has a different goal altogether to achieve.

"F... that - I wanna be Bond," she said in her recent interview with Complex.

She definitely won't relish the title of Jane Bond and cleared the air in an interview with The Wrap. Talking about the idea of a female James Bond (which will supposedly be titled Jane Bond), she said, "No..it has to be James Bond. It is so hot."

"I don't think Bond does too much, he's just suave and sexy," Priyanka said, "He rolls out with his martini and fancy cars. Wow, it sounds like my life already."

Buzz is high that Daniel Craig, who has given up the Bond tuxedo, will be replaced by Tom Hiddleston or Idris Elba.

Fans are also vouching for another female lead for the upcoming James Bond movie. The X-Files star Gillian Anderson is being backed by her fans, who want to see her as the next James Bond. A fan even created a poster of Gillian Anderson with 007 written on it.

"It's Bond. Jane Bond. Thanks for all the votes! (And sorry, don't know who made poster but I love it!) #NextBond," Anderson commented.

Meanwhile, Priyanka is enjoying her growing popularity in Hollywood these days.

The star enjoyed a 'girls' day out' with her new friends - TV actor Meghan Markle and filmmaker Mubina Rattonsey in Los Angeles.

Girls day out.. #whoruletheworld @meghanmarkle @mubinarattonsey thank u for the kinda day I needed A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 22, 2016 at 9:32am PDT

Meghan Markle recently took to her Twitter account to share a picture of her chilling with Priyanka Chopra by the pool, writing "Cheers to the weekend. With this diamond @priyankachopra."

Replying to the Suits actor's tweet, Chopra said, "Lovely to hang @meghanmarkle we need to do this again. #champagneproblems."

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On the professional front, Priyanka has wrapped up the shoot of her highly-awaited Hollywood debut Baywatch and is now gearing up for its promotions.



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By Ananth Krishnan: The past year has seen a record surge in investment from Chinese companies to India with total investment rising sixfold from 2014, a Chinese Party-run newspaper has reported ahead of President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to China which starts Tuesday.

The paper attributed some of the rise to the Narendra Modi government's "Make in India" campaign as well as "favourable tax policies".

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Total investment was still a relatively low US$ 870 million in 2015 according to the report in the Global Times, a tabloid published by the official People's Daily.

NET INVESTMENT VALUE OF $10 BILLION

But that number, the report added, is expected to surge with recent major investment deals such as an industrial park in Haryana from real estate giant Wanda group, with a projected net investment value of $10 billion, as well as a $1 billion investment commitment from construction giant Sany.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday morning attended a high-level summit in Guangzhou and push for greater investment. He began his visit with a community reception Tuesday evening in the southern manufacturing hub, before travelling to Beijing on Wednesday afternoon.

Mukherjee told State broadcaster CCTV in an interview before his arrival that India "requires investment from China in areas like infrastructure, modernisation and development of railways, communication, manufacturing etc." and promised "no risk".

"These are fields in which investment from China is welcome," he said. "Our Make in India, Digital India, Smart Cities programme etc. will open windows for Chinese investment. And, we have the mechanisms through which these investments could be assured and there would be no risk in investment".

CHINESE FIRMS SHOWING ENTHUSIASM IN iNDIA

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), one of China's 'big four' banks which has a branch in Mumbai, last year opened a special team "to provide its Chinese clients with consultation services for mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in India", according to Chinese media reports, which cited a growing interest from Chinese enterprises in seeking mergers.

"More Chinese firms are showing their enthusiasm for investing in India due to its huge market potential, along with low costs and strong demand," Pang Guoteng of Morning Whistle, a Shanghai-based consultancy, told the Global Times.

The paper also quoted a Chinese legal counsel of the India-based DH Law Associates which advises a number of Chinese investors that "currently, there are no laws or regulations restricting Chinese firms from investing in India".

Chinese investors say security restrictions that were seen as 'targeting' Chinese companies deterred investment in recent years. The Modi government has, however, pledged to Chinese companies that China-specific security restrictions would be removed, and the Home Ministry has since given clearances to 19 firms from China as well as liberalised visa procedures.

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For the Congress, which is often dubbed as late starter and less motivated on social media, the biggest challenge will be to counter the narrative of the Modi government.

The Congress is preparing to unleash an online blitzkrieg over the 2nd anniversary of the Modi government.

This has come as a bit of a surprise for Congress supporters as social media is considered to be the stronghold of the BJP.

SPECIAL TEAMS TO FIGHT THE BJP ONLINE?



The congress team operates out of 15 Gurudwara Raqab Ganj road, aka, the congress war room. It's a motley group of 15 people who run this show, apart from collating research.

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To take this battle to the Modi camp, they have come up with shadow Twitter handles of various ministries of the central government.

Eight front-line ministries have been targeted, which include Home, HRD, Defence, Railways, Power, MEA, law and Tourism.

These shadow handles will start bringing out the critique of the government post 26 May. Though these twitter handles have been in operation for a year, now a specific mandate has been given to them to display facts and expose Modi government on social media.

NEW RESEARCH TEAMS?



Apart from the team stationed at 15 Gurudwara Raqab Ganj road, two more research teams have been pressed to provide inputs to this team.

Congress has asked Sandeep Dikshit and Rajeev Gowda to head these research teams.

Sandeep Dikshit has a team of three researchers who provide valuable inputs to the social media team. Dikshit says, "It has been a disappointing two years of this government and we will go all out to expose it on all platforms."

The other team is run by Congress MP Rajiv Gowda. His team consists mostly of students who provide research to the team in the war room.

Interestingly, apart from people in the Congress war room, there are a lot of volunteers for the Congress in social media. Handles like Friends of Congress and many others are propagating the critique of the government.

Spokesperson RPN Singh said, "We are going to tell the people what this government has done and yes we will be big online."



Sources say that Congress has come up with Hashtags like

#15lakhpromise

#kaladhan

#AchheDin

#FoodPrice

#Employment

#FuelPrice

#Pakistan

The biggest challenge for the Congress will be the performance of the Congress leaders, which leaves a lot to be desired.

HOW TO FIGHT PM MODI'S ONLINE PRESENCE



In the BJP, PM Modi tops the list in outlining his government's achievements. Not only him, senior Cabinet ministers like Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari are very active in propagating their government's policies on twitter.

In addition to this, the BJP recently organised a work shop of its IT force to become force multiplier in spreading the message of the government.

Party president Amit Shah called its IT cell people as "Online Yodhas" who will leave no stone unturned to spread the message of the work done by this government.

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For the Congress, which is often dubbed as late starter and less motivated on social media, the biggest challenge will be to counter the narrative of the Modi government.

It's going to be a very big test for the Congress' social team.

Also read:

Congress hits back at Rishi Kapoor, names public toilet in Allahabad after him

Decoding #Verdict16: Rout for Congress or big BJP triumph?



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By PTI: New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) Three suspected members of Jaish-e-Mohammed, arrested for allegedly planning an attack in the national capital, were today sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Delhi court.

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh sent the accused persons -- Mohd Sajid, Shakir and Sameer -- to jail till June 6 after the special cell of Delhi police submitted that their further custodial interrogation was not required in the case.

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The accused were produced before the court after expiry of their police custody.

Earlier, the court had extended the police custody of the accused as the police told the court that they were required to be quizzed to unearth the larger conspiracy.

The Police, in its application, had also submitted that it had recovered a number of WhatsApp messages which needed to be verified and the accused were required to be confronted with some Facebook data.

Delhi Police had detained around 10 more persons suspected to be linked with a terror outfit planning an attack in the city and recovered explosives from their possession after a series of overnight raids in the national capital and neighbouring states.

However, they were later let off after questioning.

The special cell teams had conducted raids in Delhi and UP in a joint operation of Delhi Police and a central intelligence agency.

All the three accused were suspected to be members of a sleeper unit of a terror outfit, planning an attack in the national capital and other cities, police said. PTI UK RRT VMN

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Maharashtra Minister Eknath Khadse has changed his stance on the Dawood Ibrahim phone calls alleging that his phone was hacked.

This news come hours after India Today's probe proved that his phone, on which he received calls from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was being used till April.

KHADSE DEMANDS THOROUGH PROBE

Khadse has written to Mumbai Police claiming that someone hacked into his phone and cloned his telephone number.

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Khadse has also demanded an inquiry into AAP leader Preeti Sharma Menon and ethical hacker Manish Bangale, who had claimed that the senior minister had been in touch with Dawood.

"In a press conference Preeti Sharma Menon alleged that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim called on my number 942******7 from his land line. In the same conference, Manish Bhangale also claimed that I had received calls from Dawood on a number of occasions. Bhangale said he hacked the site of a Pakistani mobile operator and got this information," Khadse's letter to Mumbai Police stated.

"When I checked the CDR of my phone, it showed that my cell was off but internet was used. It means some one must have cloned my SIM card and used it. Manish had hacked Pakistani website which is illegal and without giving information obtained by him to police he made the details public. His motive looks doubtful," it added.



MUMBAI POLICE TAKES COGNIZANCE OF INDIA TODAY REPORT

Earlier, taking cognizance of India Today's exclusive report that Dawood spoke to Khadse last year, Mumbai Police launched a fresh probe into the matter."I DON'T CARE, AM A BIG MAN"



Khadse, however, remains defiant over the report. When India Today approached him for his reaction to the latest probe by Mumbai Police in the issue, Khadse retorted, "I don't care. I am a big man."

Also read:

India Today Impact: Heat on Khadse as Mumbai Police launch fresh probe into Dawood calls



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By PTI: torpedos

New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) Defence Ministry is now looking for an alternative for the chopper scam tainted Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanicas heavy weight torpedos for the Scorpene submarines.

Defence sources said the proposal to acquire 98 Black Shark torpedoes for the six under construction French Scorpene submarines for a price of Rs 1,200 crore has been nixed.

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"There is an alternate that is being worked on," the sources said adding that the SeaHake torpedos from Germanys Atlas Elektronik could be an option.

Black Shark torpedoes, made by Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS), a subsidiary of Finmeccanica, had emerged the lowest bidder to arm the Scorpene submarines, the first of which will be handed over to the Navy by September this year.

However, the proposal to acquire it had been stuck because of the VVIP chopper scam.

The Navy had been pushing for it citing "operational necessity". However, sources said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has now decided to go for an alternative.

Atlas Elektronik had come second during the bidding and sources said the reason for it to lose was due to certain differences between the Germany company and the French firm which is making the submarine in collaboration with MDL in Mumbai.

"However, it seems that the differences have been resolved now," sources said adding that either a fresh tender could be placed or the government may go in for direct purchase.

If the issue is not resolved fast, the Navy would be inducting the first Scorpene submarine without its main anti-ship attack system.

Sources said the Scorpene class submarines have already been customised to integrate its fire control system with the Black Sharks.

Integrating another type of torpedo, will not only cost extra but also more time, the sources said.

Six submarines are being built at the Mazagon Dock Ltd with technology from French firm DCNS under an over Rs 25,000 crore project called P-75. PTI SAP RG

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By PTI: "opening of a new chapter", Modi said, "today, we all are witnessing creation of history, not just for the people of our three countries but the entire region. It will build bonds of connectivity." Underlining that the agreement was part of the endeavour to "carve out new routes for peace and prosperity" in the region, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the corridor will "spur unhindered" economic growth and help stop radicalisation of the youth by providing job opportunities. "The arc of economic benefit will go beyond the three countries... Its reach can extend to Central Asian Countries. It can link South Asia on one end and Europe on the other," he said. He asserted that the agreement "will strengthen our ability to stand in mutual support against those whose only motto is to maim and kill the innocents. Its success will be a positive vote for peace and stability in the region." Rouhani, while describing the Chabahar agreement as a "spring" in the ties among the three countries, said it was "not against any country", an apparent reference to Pakistan. Modi, while quoting Persian poet Hafez, spoke a few lines in Persian to say, "Days of separation are over; night of wait is coming to an end;Our friendship will stay forever." Earlier, Modi and Rouhani, during bilateral talks, discussed a wide range of issues of mutual concern. "We have agreed to consult closely and regularly on combating threats of terrorism, radicalism, drug trafficking and cyber crime. We have also agreed to enhance interaction between our defence and security institutions on regional and maritime security," the Prime Minister said.

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Terming terrorism as a "big problem running rife and rampant in the region", Rouhani said that both the nations have discussed the issue and agreed to share intelligence to combat the menace.

"Due to the importance of stability and security in the region and especially in the countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen and because a big problem called terrorism is running rife and rampant in the region.

"The two countries discussed about political issues as well and how they can cooperate on intelligence sharing and how they can get closer to each other in the fight against terrorism and extremism and how they can contribute to peace and stability in the whole region," Rouhani added. (MORE) PTI ANZ ASK AKK AKK

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India Today has managed to track down mystery man Shakil Fakeermahamood, who funnelled Agusta kickbacks into India on Gautam Khaitan's instructions.

While the probe by Indian agencies into the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal scandal continues at snail's pace, India Today has managed to dig in explosive revelations surrounding the country's biggest arms scandal since Bofors.

India Today has managed to track down the cash trail in the AgustaWestland chopper deal to Mauritius.

From the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet, to phone intercepts between the Agusta middlemen to India's official letters to other countries, all of them explicitly state that the kickbacks were likely routed through an Indian Ocean island. India's Today's hunt for truth has revealed that the dirty money moved from Mauritius.

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The mystery man - Shakil Fakeermahamood

A chargesheet filed by Indian agencies in the Agusta case mentions one Shakil Fakeermahamood.

Fakeermahamood is the person who allegedly handled the flow of kickbacks through Mauritius at the instructions of one of the main scam suspects, Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan, who is currently out on bail.

Undercover India Today reporters have hunt down Fakeermahamood in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius.

How is Fakeermahamood related to Agusta scam:

1. He is privy to confidential emails from Gautam Khaitan.

2. Managed Khaitan's Interstellar Technologies in Mauritius by proxy

3. Privy to secret transactions in dollars and euros to unknown destinations

Here's the transcript of the conversation that India Today reporters, who posed as real estate agents, had with Fakeermahamood:

Reporter (R): Sir, we are from India. We have real estate consultancy firm in Gurgaon.

Shakil Fakeermahamood (SF): OK

R: We are dealing with various clients. One of our clients is into trust. It is based in UK.



After a long chat Fakeermahamood is beaten in his own game. Candidly, he offers his advice demonstrating the kickbacks professional that he is.



He advised India Today reporters to apply for a permit to set up a shell company in Mauritius, that's the key to funnelling kickbacks.

R: Sir, our clients have agricultural products business.

SF: The best structure would be trustee... you have to give me trust deed. I will know who is the trustee. Then trustee forms Global Business License 1 company in Mauritius and GBL 1 invests in India through an industry which is allowed. Now, there is no issue of tax as there is no income. The trustee is extending itself through investments through assets.

Here's what Fakeermahamood said when reporters asked him about Gautam Khaitan

R: So you know Gautam Khaitan, the top lawyer?

SF: Yes, everybody knows him in Mauritius. He was adviser of Financial Services Commission

R: OK...

SF: He was negotiating on the tax treaty with India. He was...If you take the case of Mr Khaitan, he is a lawyer. Everybody pays consultancy fees.

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R: Yes

SF: The guy who negotiated to get the contract from the Italian company was paid consultancy fees for their work to be done for this thing.

R: Yeah...

SF: You see how it happened. Now, what they will do afterwards because there's a contract everywhere. Everybody is assigned a responsibility. Now, if some money was given... money from... a public servant... Tyagi...

R: Tyagi... Tyagi

SF: Chief... chief

R: SP Tyagi, Mr SP Tyagi

SF: Air-Force officer... Now, if he has received money. We should know...with whom he has received that money. But it was a deal. It was not fictitious from A to Z. There was a contract. I can understand. It is a commercial transaction.

R: According to media reports, Gautam Khaitan looks like mastermind of the deal.

SF: He cannot be the mastermind. He is a lawyer, how can he be the mastermind?

THE MODUS OPERANDI

Once the shell company is formed, the Mauritian kickbacks factory blossoms with hundreds of consultants suddenly available to work the scam. A brilliant, well-oiled nexus between local money hustlers and overseas law-dodgers.



The kickbacks money gets funnelled to nations in various seemingly innocent ways. For India, it's the FDI route.

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Mauritius is a fertile market for operatives like Fakeermahamood, courtesy of local laws.



Business comes to them in steady streams and that perhaps explains the reason why they work on the low-price, high-volume model.



Billions of unaccounted dollars are channelled from this hideaway for as low a fee as $20,000 a year - all with ease and without taxes.

This is how the Agusta scam money entered India.





Also Read:

AgustaWestland deal: Christian Michel says government tried to fix Gandhis



AgustaWestland: Why are Indian agencies looking for this mystery woman?

The men and women named in AgustaWestland scam: A primer



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By PTI: Washington, May 24 (PTI) People who commit violent acts such as mass shootings may do so because of their extreme beliefs and not due to the fact that they are mentally ill, scientists say.

Researchers from University of Missouri (MU) studied the 2011 case of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, and suggested a new forensic term to classify non-psychotic behaviour that leads to criminal acts of violence.

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"When these types of tragedies occur, we question the reason behind them," said Tahrir Rahman from MU.

"Sometimes people think that violent actions must be the byproduct of psychotic mental illness, but this is not always the case," said Rahman.

"Our study of the Breivik case was meant to explain how extreme beliefs can be mistaken for psychosis, and to suggest a new legal term that clearly defines this behaviour," he said.

Breivik, a Norwegian terrorist, killed 77 people on July 22 in 2011, in a car bombing in Oslo and a mass shooting at a youth camp on the island of Utoya in Norway.

Claiming to be a "Knights Templar" and a "saviour of Christianity," Breivik stated that the purpose of the attacks was to save Europe from multiculturalism.

Two teams of court-appointed forensic psychiatrists later examined Breivik. The first psychiatric team diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia.

However, after widespread criticism, a second team concluded that Breivik was not psychotic and diagnosed him with narcissistic personality disorder. Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison, researchers said.

"Breivik believed that killing innocent people was justifiable, which seems irrational and psychotic. However, some people without psychotic mental illness feel so strongly about their beliefs that they take extreme actions," said Rahman.

"Our suggested term for criminally violent behaviour when psychosis can be ruled out is extreme overvalued belief," he said.

Rahman defines "extreme overvalued belief" as a belief that is shared by others and often relished, amplified and defended by the accused.

The individual has an intense emotional commitment to the belief and may act violently as a result of that belief, researchers said.

Although the individual may suffer from other forms of mental illness, the belief and the actions associated with it are not the result of insanity, they said.

"Certain psychological factors may make people more vulnerable to developing dominating and amplified beliefs," said Rahman.

"However, amplification of beliefs about issues such as immigration, religion, abortion or politics also may occur through the internet, group dynamics or obedience to charismatic authority figures," he said.

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The findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. PTI SAN SAR AKJ SAR

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Did you know Facebook guidelines do not allow health or fitness ads to depict "perfect or extremely undesirable" body weight because apparently it makes viewers feel bad about themselves.

By India Today Web Desk: Have you ever felt disappointed after looking at extremely fit models who feature in Facebook ads? Well, you obviously know that not everyone looks like that in reality.

But, actually blame Facebook for altering what 'body weight' can feature in an ad. It is responsible for creating a virtual reality.

Recently, Facebook had to apologise to an Australian feminist group after it blocked an ad featuring plus-sized model in a bikini.

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And why?

"Ads like these are not allowed because they make viewers feel bad about themselves," a Facebook ads representative said.

Cherchez La Femme was told by Facebook that according to the social networking site's guidelines any health or fitness ads are not allowed to depict a particular body weight as being either "perfect or extremely undesirable".

Facebook went on to even suggest an image of someone "running or riding a bike" to be used.

The ad was created to promote an event the group is hosting called "Feminism and Fat". Later on, Facebook apologized and called the prohibition a mistake.

"Our team processes millions of advertising images each week, and in some instances we incorrectly prohibit ads," a Facebook representative said in a statement. "This image does not violate our ad policies. We apologize for the error and have let the advertiser know we are approving their ad."

Facebook and its body policing



Cherchez La Femme producer Jessamy Gleeson said the group is not satisfied with a simple apology and wants more action on their part, as reported by Mashable.

"It shouldn't take international media attention for Facebook to realise it has a problem with how it is policing women's bodies in its network," Gleeson said.

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By Reuters: Facebook Inc will no longer rely on a top-10 list of websites to help choose items for its Trending Topics section, even though an internal probe showed no evidence of political bias in the selection process, the company said on Monday.

The world's largest social media network said in a blogpost that changes include clearer guidelines for human editors on the Trending Topics team, more training to emphasize avoiding ideological or political basis, and more robust review procedures.

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The internal investigation was prompted by a letter from Republican Sen. John Thune earlier this month demanding that the company explain how it selects news articles for its "trending" list.

A former Facebook contractor had accused the company's editors of deliberately suppressing conservative news. The allegations were reported by technology news website Gizmodo, which did not identify the ex-contractor.

Facebook said its investigation showed that conservative and liberal topics were approved as trending topics at nearly identical rates. It said it was unable to substantiate any allegations of politically motivated suppression of particular subjects or sources.

Also read: Not manupulating Trending Topics, says Facebook

In his letter, Thune called on Facebook to respond to criticism that it suppressed conservative news and sought answers by May 24 to several questions about its internal practices.

"Any attempt by a neutral and inclusive social media platform to censor or manipulate political discussion is an abuse of trust and inconsistent with the values of an open Internet," Thune said.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg last week met with more than a dozen conservative politicians and media personalities to discuss issues of trust in the social network.

Also read: Facebook explains how Trending Topics feature works

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By PTI: Chennai, May 24 (PTI) Four kg of gold valued at about Rs 1.5 crore was today seized from three passengers, who arrived by different flights at the airport here, officials said.

They had arrived in separate flights from Kuala Lumpur, Sharjah and Qatar.

Customs authorities found the gold during routine frisking and scanning of personal effects, officials said.

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The gold was seized and the passengers were questioned, airport officials said. PTI COR VGN BN AMS KK

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By PTI: Mohali (Pb), May 24 (PTI) Girls outperformed boys in the matriculation (class X) examination, results of which were today declared by Punjab School Education Board (PSEB).

Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal, chairperson of the board, said the top positions were bagged by the girls and their pass percentage was 78.30 per cent while pass percentage of boys was 67.43 per cent.

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The result of the board this year stood at 72.25 per cent which was better by 7.5 per cent than previous year which was 65.77 per cent, she said.

A total of 355 students secured a place in merit and the student placed last in this merit list got 625 marks out of 650, Dhaliwal said.

"The state witnessed an increase in the number of students getting more than 80 per cent marks for the second consecutive year," she said.

This year, 39,041 students got 80 per cent or more marks which included 10,255 students studying in government schools. The cut out list of merit stopped at 96.18 per cent.

Among subjects, Punjabi got the top billing with pass percentage remaining at 94.98 per cent.

Dhaliwal said the pass percentage of rural area students was 72.66 per cent and that of urban area students was 71.46 per cent.

The result of affiliated schools was 82.76 per cent, associated schools 70.46 per cent, government schools 69.03 per cent and aided schools 69.28 per cent.

Dhaliwal said Ludhiana achieved the top ranking in merit list with 121 students. Bathinda and Hoshiarpur had 29 students each, Patiala had 28, Amritsar had 16 and Barnala had 15 students in the merit list.

The board again prepared separate sportspersons and academic merit lists, she said.

In academic merit lists, Simrandeep Kaur of BGSUS senior secondary school, Khadoor Sahib, Tarn Taran, stood first with 99.08 per cent marks followed by Simranjit Kaur of Prabhakar Senior Secondary School, Bhalla Colony, Chheharta in Amritsar, securing second position with 98.92 per cent and Arsh Malhotra of Shivalik Model School, Jagraon of Ludhiana stood third with 98.77 per cent marks.

In Sportspersons merit, Tanisha Sharma and Pushwinder Kaur of BCM senior secondary school, jamalpur colony, Ludhiana stood first jointly with 100 per cent marks each.

Damanpreet Kaur of Teja Singh Sutantar senior secondary school, Shimlapuri, Ludhiana secured second position with 99.85 per cent marks while Mehakjot Singh of the same school stood third with 99.69 per cent marks. PTI VJ DIP RG DIP

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In a house of 245, the government will require 165 votes for a two-third majority since GST is a constitutional amendment.

By Maha Siddiqui: The Modi government is set to complete two years in office close on the heels of its electoral success in Assam. While it is busy celebrating and listing out its successes, it is also number-crunching for a crucial bill, the GST (Goods and Services Tax).

NDA CONFIDENT OF CLEARING GST

For the first time, the government believes it is close to passing the bill in the Upper House in the upcoming session. Fifty-three members of the Rajya Sabha are set to retire before the Monsoon session and the government seems sure the changed equations in the house will help in the passage of the bill.

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"We are confident. GST will be approved in the next session of Parliament," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu during his press briefing today.

Naidu added, "One madam has given the green signal from Kolkata, hope the other madam will also do the same." The other madam refers to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha.

AMMA MORE POWERFUL THAN BEFORE

The state has been opposed to GST. In fact, it wants to levy a tax over and above GST on tobacco and tobacco products. Once GST Bill is passed, only the Centre will have the power to do so.

After her thumping victory in the recently concluded assembly elections, Amma has become more powerful than before. At present, the AIADMK has 12 members in the Rajya Sabha. Along with Congress' 64, the two are likely to create a situation for the government where the bill may just scrape through if there is a demand for division of votes.

In a house of 245, the government will require 165 votes for a two-third majority since GST is a constitutional amendment. Even as old members retire and new enter, AIADMK is likely to remain a strong voice.

Though the TMC, BSP, SP and JD(U) have already promised to support the GST bill, the NDA is still in minority in the Rajya Sabha and will need many parties on board. The government has been unable to get Congress, who is refusing to put an 18 per cent cap clause in the bill.

Moreover, the Congress has taken personally the 'personal attack' on the Gandhis in the Agusta scam in Parliament. According to a senior Congress leader, "a constitutional amendment can't be passed in din and if the Congress continues to protest there will be no order in the house to pass the bill."

In this scenario, the government is unlikely to try for a consensus. Instead, it is likely to press for division, where every other party will count, including the AIADMK. The Centre has pledged 'all support' to the J Jayalalitha government, with the hope that Amma will be kind to Modi. But will she be?

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The government has initiated the UCF (Unique Case File) scheme in which any foreign national, who wishes to come to India on a tourist visa, must provide their fingerprints and other details on their E-Visa request forms.

By Jitendra Bahadur Singh: In wake of the heightened threat from ISIS and Pakistan-based terror groups, India is planning to create a data base of foreign tourists visiting the country, similar to the one being used by the US.

According to reports, security agencies have already collected fingerprints from 10 lakh foreign tourists through the E-visa system.



How the data will be collected

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The government has initiated the UCF (Unique Case File) scheme in which any foreign national, who wishes to come to India on a tourist visa, must provide their fingerprints and other details on their E-Visa request forms.

Why it is important

Once implemented, the database will help Indian security agencies keep a tab on suspicious travellers. David Coleman Headley, the American terrorist of Pakistani origin who helped Lashkar-e-Taiba plot the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, had frequently travelled to India to recce the attack sites.

Headley, who is currently behind bars at an undisclosed location in the US, had used a tourist visa to gain entry into India but our security agencies had failed to keep track of him due to lack of information.

India's no to global terror database

The Modi government had recently decided not to join a global terror database maintained by the US after the security agencies raised objections over it.

Both the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had questioned providing unrestricted access to US agencies to the database of terror suspects in India.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh was expected to sign a deal with his US counterpart Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, during the bilateral homeland security meet in June. However, the proposal has now been put on the backburner.

How the US keeps check on suspect travellers

The Terrorist Screening Center or TSC of the US government was born after the deadly September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Established in 2003, the TSC maintains the US government's consolidated terrorist watchlist.

The TSC helps US agencies get information about terror suspects trying to obtain visas or enter the country.

There was widespread anger in India after superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained and questioned for hours in two separate instances in the US after his name cropped up on a computer alert.



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Sources said a bureaucratic mix-up was to blame and denied their pulling out was linked to the May 24 visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to China, which is sensitive about foreign leaders visiting Taiwan.

By Smita Sharma, Ananth Krishnan: Two Members of Parliament pulling out of Friday's high-profile inauguration of Taiwan's first female President has left Taiwan upset and New Delhi red-faced.

Sources said a bureaucratic mix-up was to blame and denied their pulling out was linked to the May 24 visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to China, which is sensitive about foreign leaders visiting Taiwan.

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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) "had nothing to do with the Taiwan trip", official sources said, adding that "no political clearance was sought from the ministry, and no instructions were issued by the MEA".

The two MPs, BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi and NCP's DP Tripathi, were expected by Taiwan at the inauguration.



Vijay Jolly, India's only representative

Taipei was at least assuaged by the attendance of BJP leader Vijay Jolly, who was India's only representative besides director general of India's trade and culture office in Taipei, Manish Chauhan.

Jolly told Mail Today from Taipei he had been warmly received and that the new dispensation was very keen to deepen ties. Jolly raised setting up of a Netaji memorial institute or think-tank to deepen ties, which was positively received.

"They did not broach the issue of MPs not attending and were happy that I attended," he said, adding that he had been received by Vice President Chen Chien-jen.

But the MPs' pulling out has disappointed some in Taipei - all the more after new President Tsai, in a first, directly referred to India in her speech, pledging to expand Taiwan's "dynamic relationship" with India as she looks to cut economic reliance on China.

Travel on diplomatic passports on official trips

MPs can travel on diplomatic passports on official trips, but this does not include Taiwan as India does not maintain formal diplomatic ties. For Taiwan, they would require a visa on their normal passports from Taipei's representative office in Delhi.

While MPs do not need to seek clearance from the MEA for personal trips, they usually consult with the ministry for official trips. That they had appeared to not be on the same page as the MEA for an event as high-profile and sensitive as the inauguration of Taiwan President Tsai has itself raised questions on a lack of coordination. Two former diplomats said they were surprised the MEA had not been not involved and suggested the pullout may be seen by some as tied to Chinese pressure, even if not the case.

Bureaucratic mix-up

Another bureaucratic mix-up last month between the MEA and Home Ministry (MHA) was blamed for revoking a visa to the Uighur exile Dolkun Isa ahead of a conference following Chinese objections. The incident brought criticism that Delhi was bowing to Chinese pressure, although MEA sources have since suggested they had not been told of the MHA deciding to revoke the visa after it emerged an Interpol Red Corner Notice has been issued in Isa's name.

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Taiwan sources said India had sent representatives to past inaugurations. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said there were 700 representatives from 59 countries on Friday, including 39 countries with which Taiwan has no formal diplomatic ties such as India, Japan and the US. Taiwan, also known as the ROC, and China have been administered separately since the 1949 civil war, and India is among countries that only recognise the PRC.

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A trilateral agreement on transport and transit corridor was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi said could alter the course of the history of the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani arrive to attend trilateral meeting at Saadabad Palace in Tehran, Iran, on Monday.

By Mail Today: India will invest $500 million to develop the strategically located Chabahar port in Iran allowing New Delhi easy access to Afghanistan and Europe circumventing Pakistan. India and Iran signed a landmark agreement on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the oil-rich country.

The development of the port in southern is a tactical decision as it will counter China's growing involvement in the region. Chabahar port lies just 72 km from the Gwadar port in Pakistan, which is part of China's $46 billion plan to develop China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and is aimed at opening new trade and transport routes across Asia.

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A trilateral agreement on transport and transit corridor was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi said could alter the course of the history of the region.



Deepening ties

As Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Iran in 15 years the several agreements aimed at deepening India-Iran ties in diverse fields, covered areas of economy, trade, transportation, port development, culture, science and academic cooperation.

Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Balochistan Province on the energy-rich Persian Gulf nation's southern coast, lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India's western coast, without entering Pakistan.

"This major effort would boost economic growth in the region. We are committed to take steps for early implementation of the agreements signed today," Modi said. The bilateral agreements signed by India and Iran after detailed discussions between Modi and President Hassan Rouhani included one on setting up of an aluminium plant and another on laying a railway line to give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The agreements come months after the lifting of international sanctions on Iran following Tehran's historic nuclear deal with the Western powers over its contentious atomic programme.

Trilateral agreement

The trilateral agreement on, linked to the Chabahar port development, was signed later by India, Iran and Afghanistan in the presence of Modi, Rouhani and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Inviting President Rouhani to visit India, Modi said, he would look forward to strengthen the engagement between the two countries quoting a Ghalib's poetry. "Once we make up our mind, the distance between Kaashi and Kaashan is only half a step," he said.

Modi had earlier said the lifting of sanctions had opened up immense opportunities and India was looking to expand cooperation with the Persian Gulf nation in sectors such as trade, investment, infrastructure and energy. India and Iran have always focused to add strength to our relations, even during the difficult times. In the current context, both countries can look to expand our cooperation in the fields of trade, technology, investment and infrastructure and energy security, he had told Iran's IRNA news agency.

Age-old bonds

Modi also called on Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, signifying the strength of the unique relationship between the two countries.

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Invoking the age-old cultural bonds between India and Iran, Modi said it was time for the two countries to march together by regaining the past glory of historical ties which had witnessed its share of ups and downs.

Addressing a conference on the traditional ties between India and Iran before winding up his two-day visit here, Modi spoke about how the cultures of the two countries were woven over centuries.

He said the conference, aimed at highlighting sufism and other cultural linkages, was a perfect response to those who preach radical thoughts in our societies as he underlined that the ancient civilizations of the two countries have been inclusive and welcoming to foreign cultures.

Also read:

India, Iran ink pact to develop Chabahar port; our dosti as old as history, says PM Modi





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Cops have started a fresh round of investigation in the allegations levelled against Maharashtra Revenue Minister Khadse. The minister has rubbished the report, saying his phone was hacked.

By India Today Web Desk: The Mumbai Police has taken cognizance of India Today's exclusive report that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim spoke to senior Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse last year.

Cops have started a fresh round of investigation in the allegations levelled against Maharashtra Revenue Minister Khadse. The minister has rubbished the report, saying his phone was hacked.

"I don't care, am a big man"

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Khadse, however, remains defiant over the report. When India Today approached him for his reaction to the latest probe by Mumbai Police in the issue, Khadse retorted," I don't care. I am a big man."

Mumbai Police launch fresh probe Mumbai Crime Branch is probing whether there have been any calls made between January 2015 to March 2015. Mumbai Police Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar has said that they are looking into whatever fresh dates have come. Khadse has denied any links with Dawood, who is wanted by India in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case but India Today has evidence contradicting his claims of innocence. Call details provided to India Today by ethical hacker Manish Bhangale show that in the three months between January and March, 2015, seven calls were exchanged between the two numbers. The longest of these calls was made on March 23, 2015. The call lasted for 5:43 minutes. These latest call records add to several loopholes in Khadse's alibi. The minister had claimed that his phone was switched off. Khadse had then claimed that the SIM he was using may have been hacked, however, bills generated for the number he was using was paid till February 2016, and the SIM was replaced in March, 2016. Earlier, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Atul C Kulkarni had claimed that initial analysis showed no calls were made or received from the cell number of Eknath Khadse or Dawood Ibrahim. With evidence stacking up against the minister, the big question is will the police conduct a thorough probe to get to the root of the case?

Also read: Exclusive: Maha minister Khadse denies Dawood's calls, says never spoke to him or his family members



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Asian-American Coalition for Education (AACE) group on Monday filed a complaint against Yale, Brown University and Dartmouth College.

In the complaint, the three institutes were accused of engaging in 'unlawful discrimination against Asian-American applicants to their colleges' and for participating in a "covert and insidious scheme to enforce race-based quotas in college admissions" in violation of the US Constitution.

This is not the first time a complaint of racial discrimination has been filed against a reputed institute. In May last year, a complaint was filed against Harvard University for discriminating against Asian-American applicants in its admissions process and "unfairly" rejecting well-qualified students.

The AACE compliant cited a 2012 complaint filed by an Indian-American student against Harvard and Princeton and said there have been prior attempts to hold Ivy League colleges and other elite institutions accountable for their "illegal discrimination" against Asian-American applicants.

The complaint further alleged the Asian-American college- age population in the US has grown from 2.5 per cent in 1995 to 5.1 per cent in 2011.
Wahid will be shown a recent ISIS viral video, which features people believed to be Indian Mujahideen operatives.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Abdul Wahid Siddibapa, a 35-year-old Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative suffering from diabetes, has been questioned by the National Investigative Agency in the CBI headquarters in New Delhi.



Adbul could help establish ISIS link



Wahid, who was deported last week from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to spill the beans on IM. He will also be questioned over former IM operatives who have joined ISIS.

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According to sources in the NIA, Wahid will be shown a recent ISIS viral video, which features people believed to be Indian Mujahideen operatives.

Shafi Armar alias Yousuf al Hindi, former IM operative, is the man leading ISIS' propaganda against India.

Wahid's relationship with Indian Mujahideen founders

Wahid is not only a close blood relative of Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal but was also married to the daughter of Yasin's Uncle. He later had three children and was in close contact with Yasin.

Wahid met Yasin at least five times during the period of IM terror activities (2007-2011).

Later, after the ISIS movement gathered steam, Dubai also became a route for former terror operatives including Indian recruits to fly to Syria.



Abdul Wahid is wanted in a 2012 case against India, and is believed to have facilitated the travel of jailed Yasin Bhatkal from Dubai to Pakistan in 2005.

When the crackdown on the IM apparatus began in India, Wahid was roaming freely in the UAE and he sheltered IM operatives sent by Riyaz Bhatkal, who fled to Dubai in 2008.

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By PTI: From Yoshita Singh

United Nations, May 24 (PTI) Seeking to internationalise the issue of Indias proposed maps bill, Pakistan has said depiction of the "disputed territory" of Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India in the bill is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is "factually incorrect and morally unacceptable."

Pakistan had last week sought UN intervention on the draft bill in the Indian Parliament over the map of Kashmir, with its ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi writing to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Security Council President for the month, Abdellatif Aboulatta of Egypt.

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In the letter, released to the media by the UN today, Lodhi referred to Indias draft Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016 and said Pakistan has "serious concerns" over the bill.

"However, in violation of UNSC resolutions and international law, the official map of India has been depicting the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India which is factually incorrect, legally untenable and morally unacceptable. Sadly, the international community and the United Nations have failed to take notice of this Indian action," Lodhi said in the letter.

Lodhi said in the letter that the international community should "honour" its responsibility to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"More than 65 years later, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are still waiting for the international community and the United Nations to fulfil their commitments by holding an independent and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.

"Failure on the part of the UN to ensure the sanctity of UN resolutions has resulted in blatant violations of international law as well as human rights abuses of the Kashmiri people. The Indian government has been using force as state policy, which has been exacerbating the situation. In view of this, the UN should intervene to uphold UNSC resolutions and urge India to stop such acts which are in violation of international law," she said.

India had reacted strongly to Pakistan seeking UN intervention on the Indian draft bill on map, saying it was an "entirely internal legislative matter" and Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi on it.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said that India "firmly rejects" repeated and increasing attempts by Pakistan to impose on the international community matters that it has always been open to address bilaterally with it.

"The Government firmly rejects Pakistans repeated and increasing attempts to impose on the international community matters that India has always been open to address bilaterally with Pakistan," Swarup had said in response to a question on Pakistan Foreign Office press release on Indias Geospatial Bill.

Lodhi cited UNSC resolutions, saying the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir would be made in accordance with the "will of the people, expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite, conducted under the auspices of the United Nations."

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She said the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is a "UN declared and internationally accepted disputed territory". PTI YAS PMS

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A letter sent to the hospital's medical superintendent complains about a cash-for-jobs scam, with junior doctors alleging that no vacancies have been advertised in the past six months.

Young doctors at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital say they are asked to pay up to Rs 80,000 to get a job.

By Astha Saxena: Young doctors in the city's Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital have accused seniors of selling vacant posts at the Delhi government-run institute, bringing pinprick reminders of the rampant corruption that ails India's healthcare system.

A letter sent to the hospital's medical superintendent complains about a cash-for-jobs scam, with junior doctors alleging that no vacancies have been advertised in the past six months.

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"The first interview was conducted in November 2015. After that, the interviews have been re-conducted around five times. We were never informed about the number of vacancies," said a doctor from the hospital who did not wish to be named.

Mail Today has a copy of the letter written by the resident doctor's association on May 18. "We have received a large number of complaints from various doctors who have informed about the monetary involvement during the interviews. We have asked the administration to take immediate action in the matter," said Dr Sumit Paria, president of the association.

A modus operandi has been identified by the doctors. According to paramedics, a panel of three interviews the resident doctors and rates them on various parameters.

Past record

"We are asked to pay around Rs 70,000-80,000 if we want to get the job. The price is even higher if we want a specific department. The choice of a particular department will cost an additional Rs 20,000-30,000," said a doctor who purportedly went through the process.

The institute was in the news two years ago when some of the staff posted it the labour room and private wards were purportedly caught on CCTV cameras taking money from patients' relatives.

The 640-bedded hospital located in west Delhi provides specialised services to people and imparts training to postgraduate and undergraduate medical students as well as paramedics.

"The health department is aware of the matter and the hospital administration is looking into it," said Dr Tarun Seem, secretary, department of health and family welfare, who also heads the Delhi government's directorate general of health services.



Probe

After receiving the complaint, the hospital administration has swung into action.

"A committee has been formed to look into the matter. But we have not got any substantial information or proof in the case. No one has come forward to accept that they bribed the doctors to secure a seat," said Dr Savita Babbar, the hospital's medical superintendent. "Going forward, we will ensure that the interview process is done with utmost transparency."

Even for getting a joining certificate, completion certificate, experience certificate or an NOC, doctors are allegedly asked to pay what is known as "one-month sewa".

"From lower-division clerks to higher authorities, all are involved in this corruption. The administration has been ignoring the matter for a while but it's high time now and some action should be taken," a senior doctor told MAIL TODAY.

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Illegal activities

Doctors also alleged that during interviews, the marks accorded are written in pencil and the final signature is done by pen.

"This leaves scope for manipulation as the marks given in pencil can be changed any time," added the doctor.

The hospital administration has a different tale to tell. According to officials, more than 10 junior resident doctors were found to be involved in illegal activities, such as running private practices alongside their government jobs. The institute sacked some of these doctors.

"This letter may be a repercussion of the action we took against them," said Dr Babbar.

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Kashmiri writers and poets say HRD ministry's plans to introduce Devnagri as alternate for Kashmiri language will bifurcate Kashmiri community as the move is politically motivated.

The meeting was presided over by noted Kashmiri poet and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Naseem Shafaie today.

By Naseer Ganai: Kashmiri writers and poets are up in the arms. They say a proposal of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to introduce Devnagri as alternate script for Kashmiri language is dangerous and will divide the society.

"We see the move as politically motivated aimed at bifurcating Kashmiri community in the name of the script," reads a resolution passed unanimously at meeting of prominent Kashmiri writers and poets.

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The meeting was presided over by noted Kashmiri poet and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Naseem Shafaie today.

In 2011 Shafaie became the first Kashmiri woman to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for her poetry.

Dangerous move



"It is aimed at demolishing our cultural identity as the existing script has been in vogue for past over five centuries and entire Kashmiri literature is available in this script. There is no need to have an alternative script that will not only divide the place but also lead to confusion", the resolution reads.

Presently Kashmiri is written in Nastaliq or Perso-Arabic script and has been approved by state legislative assembly six decades ago.

Syed Shuja'at Bukhari is president of Adbee Markaz Kamraz, a forum of Kashmiri language poets and littrateurs. He says 100 per cent Kashmiri literature is available in Perso-Arabic script and it has been written by both Kashmiri Muslims and pandits. He says if there is another script it will divide the society. He sees the move dangerous and argues that political leadership of the state should play its role in forcing the government to stop this move.

"The Chief Minister should also intervene and make Delhi understand that this will have dangerous ramifications", he said. The state government, however, has already made it clear that any move to replace Nastaliq script will not be supported.

"We have welcomed the proposal to have National Council for Promotion of Kashmiri language but it should serve the language only through the existing script", Bukhari said.

"So the proposal of changing the script is truly a part of conspiracy, which we need to tackle strongly", he added.

Identity crisis



Abdul Majeed Zargar, well known columnist said the move was a part of a big conspiracy to suppress Kashmiri identity. "We should bring all the stakeholders on one platform to pressurize the government of India to desist from any such script inclusion," he said.

Former Director Doordarshan Srinagar, Farooq Nazki said the move should be rejected by one and all united so that the vested interests wouldn't succeed.

Writer Deepak Kanwal said: "The proposal is unacceptable to the Kashmiri Pandit community also as it is being projected on communal lines by some unscrupulous elements."

He said the Kashmiri Pandit writers had been writing in Persio-Arabic script and they are comfortable in it as it doesn't violate their religious obligations.

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"We must unite on this issue and fight the bad people who are trying to create a crack between the communities," he said.



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By PTI: Mumbai, May 24 (PTI) The residents of Mulwandwadi village in Sindhudurg district of coastal Konkan today bid a tearful adieu to martyr Naik Pandurang Mahadev Gawade of 41 Rashtriya Riffles, who was killed while fighting a group of highly-trained militants in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Gawade was cremated with full military honours at his native village. The villagers had put up posters lauding his supreme sacrifice for the country.

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Guardian Minister of Sindhudurg, Deepak Kesarkar said the government will render all possible financial assistance to the martyrs family.

Gawade, who is survived by wife and two children, was critically injured in the fierce gunbattle that resulted in the elimination of five heavily-armed militants at Chak Drugmulla in Kupwara.

The Army yesterday paid tributes to Gawade, lauding his "valour and sacrifice", at a solemn ceremony held at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.

Gawade was part of the column which located and engaged the terrorists hiding in a cluster of houses. The injured soldier was admitted to the Military Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. PTI VT GK DIP RYS

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By PTI: Malkangiri (Odisha), May 24 (PTI) A woman Maoist and another person were today sentenced to life imprisonment by a district court for the abduction of the then District Collector R Vineel Krishna five years ago.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Bamashankar Mishra convicted Tapan Sha and M Divya alias Shanti and awarded life term for for the abduction of the IAS officer on February 16, 2011.

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While Sha was a former government employee and had worked as a Gram Rozgar Sevak, Divya was a Maoist.

The court, however, acquitted another accused Ghasiram Pangi due to lack of evidence.

The court pronounced the judgement after examining 23 witnesses including Vineel Krishna and Balwant Singh, who was the Project Director, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) at the time of the abduction, said Government Counsel Bhabani Mishra.

Vineel Krishna and Pabitra Mahji, a junior engineer accompanying him, were abducted by a group of Maoists on the evening of February 16, 2011, when the then Collector was on a visit to a remote and Naxal-hit Chitrakonda area.

He was returning to the district headquarter town here after attending a panchayat-level meeting when the Maoists intercepted them.

The abductors first released the junior engineer on February 22 and sent a letter listing their demands including halt to the operations by security forces and release of tribal rebels lodged in jail. The IAS officer was released on February 24 by the red rebels. PTI COR SKN NN PAL LNS

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Rakesh Pilania, a banker and an IIT alumni, committed suicide on October 5 last year by jumping from his apartment's balcony in Gurugram. His wife registered a dowry harassment case against him and his family a day after his death.

Rakesh Pilania had committed suicide on October 5, 2015, out of fear of being charged under Section 498A of the IPC by his wife.

By Sneha Agrawal: Anand Pilania's 30-year-old son committed suicide, alleging harassment by his wife and her relatives, but this is not the end of the ordeal for the 54-year-old man.

Faced with dowry allegations within two months of his son's death, adding to Pilania's woes is his daughter-in-law's complaint to the police that his son subjected her to unnatural sex.

Legal hurdles

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Anand Pilania, father of 30-year-old deceased Rakesh Pilania, claims that his daughter in-law has been trying to entangle them in legal hurdles and is making a mockery of her husband's death.

Rakesh Pilania, a banker and an IIT alumni, had committed suicide on October 5 last year. He jumped from his apartment's balcony located in an upscale locality in Gurugram.

His family alleges that he committed suicide out of fear of being implicated under Section 498A of the IPC (cruelty against wife by husband or his relatives).

Stree dhan

His wife, meanwhile, registered a dowry harassment case against her husband and his family a day after Rakesh died.

On November 26, 2015, Rakesh's family was taken aback when they got to know of a fresh complaint that was later filed at Harpur police station claiming her husband had performed unnatural sex along with a court case claiming stree dhan worth Rs 50 lakhs.

"They were married for ten months. Why is she speaking of her ordeal after his death? The kind of court cases and police complaints we are left to deal with are frivolous and just an attempt to trouble us further," said Rakesh's father.

Rakesh's parents, however, say he was depressed due to the constant fear of being implicated in a fake dowry case. "This took his life. But even his death could not deter her from registering a case against us. This clearly shows the police did not carry out proper investigation before lodging an FIR," Rakesh's father said.

Abetment to suicide

The wife's lawyer, Naveen Sahlaut, said a closure report has been submitted before the court on the first FIR filed a day after her husband's death and is pending before the trial court and would not like to comment on it.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently refused bail to Rakesh's wife, against whom a complaint of abetment to suicide was filed with the Gurugram police.

Rakesh Pilania was working as a quant for Royal Bank of Scotland.

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The aircraft, which was on its way from Patna to Delhi, developed a technical snag leading to the emergency landing.

The aircraft was on its way from Patna to Delhi.

By India Today Web Desk: An air ambulance with seven people on board crash landed at Kair village in Delhi's Najafgarh area today injuring two people onboard. The pilot of the aircraft averted a major disaster after the engines shut down while the aircraft approached the runway. The plane carried a brain hemorrhage patient Virendra Rai accompanied by a doctor and a technician besides the crew.

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The aircraft, which was on its way from Patna to Delhi, developed a technical snag leading to the emergency landing.

Fire tenders and emergency services have arrived at the spot and relief and rescue work is on.

Engine failure

The aircraft was 6 nautical miles from Delhi when the pilot contacted the ATC reporting engine failure. The captain of the plane told the ATC that he will be trying emergency landing at the best possible place as both the engines have failed.



About the aircraft

The Beechcraft King Air C90 plane was being operated was manufactured in 1989. The twin turbine engine plane, which is operated by the Alchemist Pharma Company, has a seating capacity of 7, including 1 crew and 6 passengers.

2011 air ambulance crash

In May 2011, an air ambulance had crashed in a colony in Faridabad's Sector-22 killing all 10 people onboard. The aircraft was also on its way from Patna to Delhi.

The captain of the plane told the ATC that he will be trying emergency landing at the best possible place as both the engines have failed.

BSF plane crash

In December 2015, an 11-seater plane carrying 10 BSF officers, including seven technicians, crashed near Dwarka in Delhi. All 10 people on board the aircraft were killed in the accident. The plane had developed a technical snag soon after taking off from Delhi airport and was returning to the runway when it hit a tree and crashed. Also Read:

BSF aircraft crashes into Delhi airport wall, all 10 officers onboard killed

Air ambulance with patient, doctors crashes in Faridabad, 10 dead

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Kanhaiya said that the idea of India is being challenged.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he and HRD Minister Smriti Irani are trying to destroy India's education system.

Kanhaiya also alleged that Modi led Central government was militarising university campuses in the name of security.

Addressing the audience on the topic "Universities: Crushing dissent, equity and public funding", the 29-year-old researcher said "the idea of India is being challenged."

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"People learn from education and can express dissent and ask questions. They no longer remain students but become prospective political opponents," he said.

"If Smriti Irani claims to be our mother, why did she not feel hurt when students were being arrested, why did she not come to our rescue. On the other hand, she seems to have instigated action against students," Kanhaiya added.

Kanhaiya along with fellow students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February in a sedition case in connection with an event on campus against hanging of Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were reportedly raised. All accused students are on bail now.

Also read:

JNU rusticates Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya; Kanhaiya Kumar fined Rs 10,000



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The luxury to view nature from your living room is what you can enjoy now, bringing the real life Mount Everest experience into peoples' living rooms.

By India Today Web Desk: Yes, you read that right. Four men became the first ones in the world to document the whole South route of the mighty Mount Everest in Nepal with a 360 degree camera rig.



Two Nepalese Sherpa mountain guides Pemba Rinji Sherpa and Lakpa Sherpa supported by Kusang Sherpa and Ang Kaji Sherpa achieved this milestone in virtual mountaineering.

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It was due to Swiss mountain sports specialist Mammut that they could capture beautiful shots from the world's highest mountain under their project, #project360.



Mammut's #project360 has brought the real life Mount Everest experience into peoples' living rooms - without special effects, animations or computer generated images.



Before they started their journey a customary Buddhist Puja ceremony took place and the Sherpa climbers asked the 'divine' Mount Everest for clear passage.



Also read- Everest safety under scrutiny as third climber dies in as many days

Check out the video and experience it yourself:



It is not easy as they made it look like, climbing Mount Everest is a huge task and not everyone is survives the journey. After last year's avalanche tragedy at Base Camp, a 43-year-old Indian mountaineer became the third person to die during his rough journey.



Subash Paul climbed the 8,850 metre (29,035 feet) on Saturday but died the next day due to exhaustion.





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By PTI: Mumbai, May 24 (PTI) In the wake of an alleged engineering course answer sheets scam in Mumbai University, the police today seized five more compromised answer papers, taking their total to 97 so far.

Police had last week unearthed the racket of alleged tampering of engineering course answer sheets to increase the scores of students in the varsity and seized 92 answer sheets and eight persons were arrested in this regard.

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The scam was effected allegedly by some officials of the MU in connivance with gullible students through agents.

A Bhandup police station official today said the police have identified two more officials of the varsity who are on the run.

However, he did not disclose from where and whom the answer sheets were seized today.

The arrested persons included the kingpin Prabhakar Vaze (50), a havaldar (guard) in the university who keeps vigil of the storeroom where the exam papers are stored on its Kalina campus, besides three clerks and four peons.

According to police, the accused allegedly used to sneak the answer sheets out of the storeroom and hand them over to the students through agents.

The answer sheets were put back in the storeroom within 48 hours after answers were written on papers by the students at home, before they are scanned for evaluation.

The lid on the racket was blown after Bhandup police received a tip-off and subsequently traced a 22-year-old student, Manoj Shendge who was acting as an agent for his friend.

Shendges questioning led police to Vaze and others.

Police had seized 92 answer sheets of the applied mathematics of the examination that was conducted on May 11 apart from Rs 1.18 lakh from the arrested persons, including Rs 45,000 from Vaze alone.

Most of the seized papers were from exam centres of Kamothe, Khargar, Airoli and Karjat, police said.

The accused were booked under relevant sections of IPC and section 8 (abetment of copying) of the Maharashtra Protection of Malpractices at University and other specified Board examination Act, 1982.

Taking a serious cognisance of the matter, Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Sunday demanded a detailed report from MU Vice Chancellor Dr Sanjay Deshmukh. PTI NS NSK KIS BAS

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Last year, PM Modi had declared that he will award two ambulances to Muktijoddhas - the freedom fighters of the Liberation War

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: The Indian High Commission in Bangladesh handed over two ambulances to Bangladesh after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured them of the same last year.

On his tour to Bangladesh, PM Modi had declared that he will award two ambulances to Muktijoddhas - the freedom fighters of the Liberation War.

For the good of the Muktijoddha

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The National Freedom Fighters Foundation (NFFF), a government-registered organisation established for the welfare of the Muktijoddha will receive the vehicles. The NFFF's activities include providing education support to kin of Muktijoddha, financial/material support and organising seminars, meetings and cultural programmes, etc.

In a programme organised today in the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, two ambulances were formally handed over to NFFF.

An ambulance each will be utilised in Dhaka and Chittagong area for movement of Muktijodha patients from rural areas to the city for treatment.'

AKM Mozammel Haque, Minister of Liberation War Affairs, was the Chief Guest and Harsh Vardhan Shringla, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh was the guest of honour for the programme.

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By PTI: admissions by states New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) Decks were cleared today for exempting state government medical colleges from the Supreme Court-mandated single All India entrance exam for a year with President Pranab Mukherjee giving his assent to the NEET Ordinance before he embarked on his China visit. Ending the uncertainty on the fate of the Ordinance after the President raised some queries on the measure that was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday, states now have the option of either conducting their own exam or be part of the NEET to fill 85 per cent of the Under Graduate (UG) medical and dental seats. 15 per cent of the remaining seats will be filled through NEET route by all India counselling. Union Health Minister J P Nadda while giving details of the Ordinance, which, he said gave a "firm statutory status" to the concept of Uniform Entrance Examination, however,

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made it very clear that all private medical colleges and deemed universities will come under the ambit of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test(NEET). However, for PG courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year. Nadda said that the necessity of promulgating the Ordinance arose as the Supreme Court is presently in vacation while both the Houses of Parliament had been adjourned sine- die. Allaying apprehensions that the Centre is trying to defer NEET through the Ordinance, Nadda said that NEET is already implemented and the second phase will be held on July 24.

"The purpose of the Ordinance is to provide a firm statutory status to the concept of Uniform Entrance Examination for all undergraduate and post graduate admissions in medical or dental colleges while providing a relaxation to the state governments in relation to only UG admissions for this year [2016-17] in view of their difficulties," he told reporters.

Mukherjee signed the Ordinance this morning after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the Presidents Secretariat early this morning along with the top ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by Mukherjee on the NEET issue.

"All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill UG seats.

"The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams. 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET 1," Nadda said.

Nadda said that the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and The Dentists (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 are being promulgated to amend the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 and Dentists Act, 1948 respectively. (MORE) PTI TDS SKL GSN GSN

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Currently, the fees for the MBBS course in private medical colleges hovers anywhere between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 70 lakh, and for BDS, it is between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 35 lakh, which may further be increased by up to 25 per cent, a Union Health Ministry source said.

Private medical and dental colleges have hinted the government that they are considering to hike fees for the MBBS and BDS courses.

By Neetu Chandra Sharma: In the backdrop of National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), private medical and dental colleges have hinted the government that they are considering to increase their fees for MBBS and BDS courses.

This, in turn, may make it difficult for poor students to study in a private college.

Fee hike

Currently, the fees for the MBBS course in private medical colleges hovers anywhere between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 70 lakh, and for BDS, it is between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 35 lakh, which may further be increased by up to 25 per cent, a Union Health Ministry source said. As per the trend, private colleges also ask for one-off capitation fees, besides tuition and maintenance fees. The Union Cabinet on Friday cleared the Ordinance on NEET which is aimed at partially overturning a Supreme Court order that said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET.

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"The ministry wanted to curb practice of charging exorbitant donation money by private colleges through NEET. Now, private colleges will to have to take students through NEET only. But to compensate losses of donation money, they have hinted they will increase the fees," said a senior health ministry official. However, medical academicians are heartened that they will not have to teach students who have practically purchased a seat to become a doctor. Through NEET, a private college won't be easily accessible for a student from an average financial background.

"As all the private colleges will have to admit students through NEET, it will be difficult for poor students to study in private colleges even if they secure a seat. Basically, NEET won't benefit poor students," said Dr AK Chandna, member, Dental Council of India (DCI). "Certainly, after NEET, the complaints we get regarding incompetent students studying in private dental colleges will be reduced," Dr Chandna said.

NEET Ordinance

The Medical Council of India (MCI) currently lists 398 medical colleges. Of these, 215 are private medical colleges. Similarly, there are 300-odd dental colleges in India. The Ordinance on NEET is under consideration with President Pranab Mukherjee. Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday met the President and briefed him on the Ordinance on NEET that seeks to keep state boards out of its ambit. The President asked for more clarifications on ordinance from the Health Ministry.

Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1. The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24.

--- ENDS ---
By Reuters: Telecom network equipment maker Nokia is likely to cut 10,000 to 15,000 jobs globally as part of a cost-cutting program following its acquisition of Franco-American rival Alcatel-Lucent, a Finnish union representative said.

Nokia kicked off the program in April with a target to slash 900 million euros ($1 billion) of operating costs by 2018, but it has yet to give a figure for how many jobs will be reduced in total.



Also Read: Nokia announces return to phone business with Android phones, tablets

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"We haven't heard any official numbers, but based on the information from our union contacts, I would estimate the global impact of this round would likely be around 10,000 to 15,000 jobs," said Risto Lehtilahti, a trade union shop steward at Nokia's Oulu site.

A Nokia spokeswoman declined comment on the 10,000-15,000 figure.

Nokia employs around 104,000 people worldwide. Last week the company specified its plan for its home country, saying it was cutting around 1,000 Finnish jobs, compared to an initial target of 1,300 jobs.

Nokia has said it is looking to reduce 1,400 positions in Germany. In France, it would cut around 400 jobs but also create 500 research and development posts - in line with a pledge to the French government during the Alcatel negotiations.

The Nokia spokeswoman said the company didn't have any updates for France or Germany, and declined to give details on other countries. Nokia is holding talks with employee representatives in about 30 countries.

The savings plan is partly due to tackle the weak network gear market. Nokia forecast earlier this month that its network sales would fall this year.

"Some work will be completely terminated, some cuts come from Alcatel overlaps, and some work will be transferred to countries with lower costs," said Tuula Aaltola, another Finnish shop steward.

According to Communication Workers of America (CWA), the company already started to reduce US jobs a year ago in preparation for their 15.6 billion euro merger.

"We don't know what Nokia's plan is for the US-based workforce. They have cut 500, cut our (unionised) workforce in half, and we hope that's all that is going to be taken away," CWA representative Lisa Bolton said.

Lehtilahti said he feared that Nokia would kick off another round of cuts at a later stage.



Also Read: Nokia profitable after selling mobile phone business to Microsoft

In Finland, Nokia has slashed thousands of jobs over the past decade as its once-dominant phone business was eclipsed by the rise of smartphone rivals. The phone business was eventually sold to Microsoft, which has continued cutting jobs in the country.

--- ENDS ---
Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters in New York last week, said he is willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, proposing a major shift in US policy toward the isolated nation.

By Reuters: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in the election race, a senior North Korean official said on Monday.

Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters in New York last week, said he is willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, proposing a major shift in US policy toward the isolated nation.

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"It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his (Trump's) idea or talk is nonsense," So Se Pyong, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told Reuters on return from Pyongyang after attending the first ruling party congress in 36 years.

"It's for utilisation of the presidential election, that's all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement," he added. "This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election."

North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February, triggering tougher international sanctions.

So, who is also North Korea's ambassador to the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament, reiterated that his country was prepared to return to stalled six-party talks on its nuclear programme. China and Russia backed the idea, but the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan reject it, he said.

"As a responsible nuclear state ... we never use them first," So said. "If the United States use their nuclear weapons first, then we have to use also that one."

But he added: "As a responsible nuclear state, we keep and observe the obligations of non-proliferation of nuclear technology."

--- ENDS ---
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying sounded firm about China's stance that all new members that join the NSG must sign Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

By Press Trust of India: China on Monday rebutted India's assertion that France was included in the Nuclear Suppliers Group without signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty, saying France was a founder member of the elite group and so the issue of accepting its membership does not arise.

Ahead of President Pranab Mukherjee's visit, China also called for in-depth talks to build consensus over India's admission into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), days after Pakistan staked claim to join the 48-member grouping with purported backing from Beijing.



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CHINA FIRM ON ITS STAND

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying sounded firm about China's stance that all new members that join the NSG must sign Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Hua rebutted India's assertion that France was included in the elite group without signing the NPT.

"When France joined the NSG it was not a party to the NPT: France was the founder member of the NSG so the issue of acceptance to the NSG does not exist", Hua said responding to Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup's comment last week.

"The NSG is an ad hoc export control regime and France, which was not an NPT member for some time, was a member of the NSG since it respected NSG's objectives," Swarup had said on May 20, rejecting China's oft-repeated assertion that India should sign the NPT to join the NSG.

"The NSG is an important component of the non- proliferation regime is founded on the NPT. This is a long term consensus of the international community which was reaffirmed last year by the NPT review convention," Hua said.

That is why the NSG has been taking NPT signatory status must status for new members, Hua said.



PRESIDENT PRANAB MUKHERJEE'S MAIDEN CHINA VISIT

The issue was expected to figure in the talks during President Mukherjee's visit to China.

Mukherjee would arrive in Chinese city of Guangzhou and later arrive here on May 25 during which he is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese leaders including his counterpart Xi Jinping.

Acknowledging differences among the NSG members in the backdrop of US supporting India's bid to join the grouping based on its non-proliferation record, contrary to Pakistan's history of clandestine export of nuclear technology, Hua said the NSG members needed "in-depth" talks on the issue.

"Pakistan is not a party to the NPT. For whether the non- NPT countries can join the NSG there are discussions with in the group and there are major differences that is why China along with other countries have been maintaining that there should he through discussions whether non-NPT countries can join the NSG and decision shall be made upon consensus", Hua said.

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"This applies to all non-NPT countries including Pakistan", she said.

Pakistan is an all weather strategic partner of China for coordination and a close neighbour.

"Our position is not targeted against Pakistan and applies to all non-NPT countries", the spokesperson said.

"We support the NSG members having in-depth discussions on this so as to reach a consensus at an early date and we continue to take constructive part in the relevant discussions", she said.

Also read:

NSG row: Exception shouldn't be made for India, says China



--- ENDS ---
Officials say the notorious syndicates have gone hi-tech and are now hooking their prey with online advertisements of lucrative opportunities, such as sale of scrap material.

By Ankur Sharma: City police are gearing up to launch a campaign to warn people about criminal gangs from Haryana's Mewat region that kidnap businessmen after luring them with phony deals and then sodomise them to ensure they don't approach the authorities.

Officials say the notorious syndicates have gone hi-tech and are now hooking their prey with online advertisements of lucrative opportunities, such as sale of scrap material. Prospective buyers are called to busy areas like the airport or a railway station and then abducted, followed by ransom demands to families.

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Awareness drive

According to Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner (crime) in Delhi Police, more such cases are reported in Haryana than in the Capital. "This is a new modus operandi. They normally target businessmen from Gujarat and Maharashtra," he said.

The issue was discussed and a decision made to initiate an awareness drive at a meeting chaired by Delhi Police commissioner Alok Verma and attended by top cops from Gurugram and Uttar Pradesh.

Analysts say many people of from the nondescript town of Mewat in the foothills of the Aravalis indulge in crimes because of a lack of jobs as their traditional occupations like slaughtering cows and mining have been banned.

Modus operandi

The crime branch cracked the first such case by rescuing a Gujarat-based businessman who was abducted by a Mewati gang last year.

"After reaching Old Delhi railway station, the victim and an employee boarded a Tata Safari vehicle that had been brought by the purported dealer. Subsequently, they were taken to a village at gunpoint where they were kept as hostages and confined. The businessman told them that he was not the owner of the trading firm and they were only employees," Delhi Police said.

Another such incident was reported at the city's Jamia Nagar police station. "A businessman was lured by a woman who asked him to meet her. Later, the businessman was kidnapped by a Mewati gang and they started demanding ransom from his family. Finally, south-east police rescued him," area DCP MS Randhawa told MAIL TODAY.

The gangs were earlier known to only operate at night and were involved in petty offences like cattle-lifting and bike theft. They often hit back at cops when cornered.

Joint police action

At the meeting, Delhi's police chief Verma also said that joint action against interstate criminals and sharing of information of their activities would help in keeping an eye on such crews involved in heinous crimes as well as repeat offenders.

He also stressed on the need for exchange of information at senior levels to make the operations successful. Verma instructed that a small "action group" be constituted to exchange information and to initiate action against organised criminals operating through the Internet.

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"CP Delhi discussed about the crime trends such as status of hardened criminals from Mewat area. He advised to issue advisories for public awareness about new trends such as online advertisement about sale of scrap/equipment to lure prospective buyers and call them to airport/railway station, and demand ransom after taking them hostages," an official communication of Delhi Police said.

Fear

Cops are also facing problems in detecting such cases as many victims are not coming forward to register FIRs.

"While investigating one such case, we also found that a businessman who paid heavy ransom didn't file a report. He was threatened by the Mewati gangs of making public a video of the victim being sodomised," a senior police official said.

--- ENDS ---
On Wednesday and Thursday, the president will meet with the top Chinese leadership in Beijing including President Xi Jinping, Vice President Li Yuanchao who will host a banquet on Wednesday evening, and Premier Li Keqiang.

President Pranab Mukherjee is received by Chinas Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Liu Zhenmin upon his arrival at Guangzhou in China on Tuesday. (PTI Photo)

By Ananth Krishnan: President Pranab Mukherjee began his first state visit to China on Tuesday in the southern port city of Guangzhou by outlining the need for both countries to expand areas of cooperation and reduce differences.

"If the 2.5 billion people of India and China come together and walk together, it will be a great event," he told a community reception addressing Indian residents of Guangzhou, a major manufacturing hub.

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That there were 45,000 Indians in China up from "a small number of pioneers in the 1990s" was "testimony to the enhanced mutual esteem and cooperation between our two great nations," the president said.

Key issues to be raised



On Wednesday and Thursday, the president will meet with the top Chinese leadership in Beijing including President Xi Jinping, Vice President Li Yuanchao who will host a banquet on Wednesday evening, and Premier Li Keqiang. Thorny issues such as India's membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as China's blocking of the listing of Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar at the UN Security Council are likely to be brought up, although officials say that these issues are usually not resolved at the presidential level.

In his speech, Mukherjee reminded China that "India argued in the WTO that it is wrong to keep China with its vast population out of the WTO" and that "India as a founding member of WTO supported membership of China from the day one."

President Pranab Mukherjee is welcomed upon his arrival at Guangzhou in China on Tuesday. (PTI Photo) President Pranab Mukherjee is welcomed upon his arrival at Guangzhou in China on Tuesday. (PTI Photo)

ALSO READ: NSG row: Exception shouldn't be made for India, says China



"India and China are closely cooperating with each other in most multilateral fora," he added, although he did not specifically mention the recent differences that have tested ties.

To addres business meet in Guangzhou



Before departing for Beijing on Wednesday, the president will address a business meeting in Guangzhou and visit the Hua Lin temple in the city that commemorates the monk Bodhidharma.

The business meet is aimed at boosting investments and economic ties. Chinese State media reported on Tuesday that investments from China had risen by a record six-fold in 2015 to $870 million, with the number expected to rise further following recent major investment deals such as an industrial park in Haryana from real estate giant Wanda group, with a projected net investment value of $ 10 billion, as well as a $ 1 billion investment commitment from construction giant Sany. The paper attributed some of the rise to the Narendra Modi government's "Make in India" campaign as well as "favourable tax policies" besides China's own changing economic situation.

ALSO READ: India, Pakistan should have direct talks on Masood Azhar: China



Mukherjee told State broadcaster CCTV in an interview before his arrival that India "requires investment from China in areas like infrastructure, modernisation and development of railways, communication, manufacturing etc." and promised "no risk".

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He said in his speech on Tuesday that there was "immense potential for growth, trade, investment and mutual economic cooperation" with two-way trade increasing from $2.9 billion in 2000 to $71 billion last year, although 2015 also saw a record trade imbalance.

ALSO READ: Despite China and Pakistan's objections, US declares India ready for NSG membership

--- ENDS ---
The Medical Council of India (MCI) currently lists 398 medical colleges. Of these, 215 are private medical colleges. Similarly, there are 300-odd dental colleges in India.

Private medical and dental colleges have hinted the government that they are considering to hike fees for the MBBS and BDS courses.

By India Today Web Desk: In a major relief to medical students and parents, President Pranab Mukherjee today has signed the ordinance to delay NEET, the common entrance test for medical courses, by a year. The ordinance was sent to the President on Saturday.

"Through this ordinance NEET has been given a statutory support," Health Minister JP Nadda said. Nadda added, "In some sections of media, it was coming that NEET has been deferred. I want to clear that in fact it has been."



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The Medical Council of India (MCI) currently lists 398 medical colleges. Of these, 215 are private medical colleges. Similarly, there are 300-odd dental colleges in India.

Latest developments: President signed the ordinance after a Cabinet nod. He had sought information and clarification on few points from the Health Ministry over the decision to bring an Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination NEET that seeks to keep state boards out of its purview. The meeting lasted for more than half-an-hour and the minister is learnt to have briefed the President on three set of issues -- different exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages. The President had earlier asked Nadda's ministry to explain the reason for taking the Ordinance route to keep state boards out of the ambit of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Clarifying that the exemption is only for the state government seats, government sources had said the state seats which are earmarked in the private medical colleges have also been exempted. Different states earmark seats in various private medical colleges for state quota so that students from one state can get seats in another state. The next phase of the exam was scheduled for July 24.

Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1. Health Ministry sources said that seven states will take medical exams as per NEET while in six other states, around 4 lakh students have already taken the examinations.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, May 23 (PTI) As more and more Indians are becoming experimental while choosing their holiday destinations, they are mostly looking for off-the-beaten-path places like Bhutan, Russia and Middle East to satisfy this adventurous need in them, according to a survey.

"In 2015, Indian travellers are the most experimental in Asia Pacific when it comes to choosing holiday destinations. Keen to uphold this reputation in 2016, Indian travellers are seeking adventures off the beaten track to scratch that travel itch," global travel search site Skyscanner revealed.

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The survey is based on actual searches on Skyscanner from April 2015 - April 2016 for a travel period from May 2016 to December 2016.

The survey revealed the unconventional travel destination rising most in popularity is neighbouring Bhutan with a 75 per cent increase in search from 2015.

"The Thunder Dragon Kingdom is drawing Indian travellers in their droves this year too," it added.

"Considering the adventurous nature of Indian travellers coupled with increasing disposable incomes and continuously improving travel options, its no wonder these destinations are appearing on more and more their bucket lists. The surge in pop culture references in movies and literature may also be influencing tourists to look out for unfrequented destinations," Skyscanner India Manager, Growth Strategy, Ravish Doctor said.

Bhutan was followed by Russia, where searches jumped 47 per cent year-on-year and is becoming a tourist hot spot for Indians.

In addition to the famed Faberge Eggs, the vodka and the ballet, tourists are discovering Russia through the Byzantine architecture and new holiday destinations such as Sochi, the Black Sea resort and home of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Affordable and varied flight routes along with the weakening Ruble are also bringing in more tourists to the snow clad country.

Away from the glitz and glamour of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, alternative Middle Eastern destinations like Iran and Jordan have seen a rise of 21 per cent and 15 per cent Y-o-Y, respectively.

With the ease of visa rules and change in policies, it is becoming an attractive unconventional destination, it added. PTI SM NP MR RDS

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif's chemistry in the 2012 film Ek Tha Tiger became the talking point for the tinsel town. And since then, Salman and Katrina's fans have been hoping to see them back on the silver screen. According to recent reports, they are teaming up for Rajkumar Santoshi's upcoming film.

ALSO READ: Katrina Kaif to star opposite ex-boyfriend Salman Khan in Kabir Khan's Tubelight?

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ALSO READ: Katrina Kaif has this to say on Salman Khan's Goodwill Ambassador controversy

A source told DNA, "Talks are on to sign Katrina as the romantic lead opposite Salman. The leading lady's role is not very big though. They are a much-loved pair and their magic on screen is evident from Partner to ETT. Santoshi's film is being produced by Salman's sister Alvira, who is also one of Kat's closest friends. She had done a song for her last film, Bodyguard."

There were reports that Salman, who has just wrapped up Sultan's shoot, has already signed Kabir Khan's next project. The Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor will soon be busy with the promotions of Sultan after which he will start shooting for Kabir Khan's next film. And hence, he will not be left with any time for Rajkumar's upcoming film which is scheduled to go on floors this year.

But, if the recent reports are true, then Salman will be reuninting with Rajkumar after a gap of 22 years. They last worked together in the 1994 film Andaaz Apna Apna.

--- ENDS ---
The new Sarbananda Sonowal-led government will take oath in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

By India Today Web Desk: After the BJP won the Assam assembly election, Sarbananda Sonowal will be sworn-in as Assam Chief Minister today.



BJP and its alliance partners had won 86 seats in the 126-member Assembly. The elections were held in two phases on April 4 and 11 and results declared on May 19.

The new Sarbananda Sonowal-led government will take oath in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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All you need to know: 11 ministers will be sworn-in along with Assam's new Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, say sources. Sources say that while five members from the BJP will be sworn-in with Sonowal, there will be two each from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF). BJP sources said that while the AGP has demanded the BJP to accommodate five of its legislators in the cabinet, the BPF had also requested for accommodation of four legislators. The BJP had won 60 assembly seats on its own, the AGP and BPF had won 14 and 12 seats respectively, taking the alliance's strength to 86 in the 126-member house. Oath taking ceremony will be attended by over 100 VVIPs including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states and northeastern states, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar amongst several other union ministers.

Also read:

Sarbananda Sonowal: 10 things you didn't know about the would-be chief minister of Assam

Assam BJP's Sarbananda Sonowal wants to stop infiltration, will seal border with Bangladesh in 2 years



--- ENDS ---
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleagues like Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari.

By India Today Web Desk: Sarbananda Sonowal took oath as Assam chief minister along with his 10 Cabinet ministers today. Sonowal, who took oath in Assamese, will be leading BJP's first government in the northeast.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, who changed his loyalty from Congress to BJP months before the Assembly elections, was also sworn-in as minister.



The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleagues like Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari. Veteran BJP leader LK Advani, party president Amit Shah, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and Punjab's deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal also attended the ceremony in Guwahati. Outgoing Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, who ruled the state for 15 years, was also present.

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BJP and its alliance partners had won 86 seats in the 126-member Assembly. The elections were held in two phases on April 4 and 11 and results declared on May 19.

Here are the highlights:

India's development has to be all-round and inclusive. Eastern part of the country cannot remain away from the development journey: PM Modi

I am sure Sarbananda Sonowal will leave no stones unturned for Assam's progress: PM Modi

The government in Delhi believes in cooperative federalism: PM Modi

My government wants to give the states maximum strength and enable them to progress: PM Modi

Sarbananda Sonowal is known for his simplicity: PM Modi

I bow to the people of Assam who picked Sarbananda Sonowal as their leader: PM Modi

We respect the mandate that people of Assam have given to the BJP. This government will transform Assam in the next 5 years: Shah

I thank the people of Assam for showing faith in Sarbananda Sonowal: Amit Shah

Over a lakh people present for the swearing-in ceremony

Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as minister. Guwahati: Himanta Biswa Sarma greets PM Modi and CM Sarbananda Sonowal after taking oath as minister in Assam Govt pic.twitter.com/IsU8kB32se ANI (@ANI_news) May 24, 2016

takes oath as minister. Sarbananda Sonowal takes oath as Assam chief minister. Sonowal takes oath in Assamese.

LIST OF MINISTERS WHO TOOK OATH:

Himanta Biswa Sarma - BJP

Atul Bora - AGP

Pramila Rani Brahma - BPF

Parimal Shukla Baidya - BJP

Chandramohan Patwari - BJP

Keshab Mohanta - AGP

Ranjit Dutta - BJP

Rehan Doimari - BPF

Naba Kumar Doley - BJP

Pallab Lochan Das - BJP



Also Read:

Sarbananda Sonowal: 10 things you didn't know about the new Assam CM

Assam Assembly election: 5 reasons why BJP won and Congress lost its bastion



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) The Supreme Court today declined to direct the Maharashtra government to completely cut the water supply to the distilleries and breweries in the state and divert drinking water to drought-hit regions.

A vacation bench of Justices P C Pant and D Y Chandrachud also pulled up the petitioner, who had sought 100 per cent cut in the water supply to the state liquor industry, for having approached the apex court "just for the sake of publicity".

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"The Bombay High Court has already passed an interim order in this regard. Why are you coming against an interim order of the high court? The high court has already allowed a 60 per cent cut, now what do you want? These are all policy decisions. There has to be a balance," the bench said.

The counsel, appearing for petitioner Sanjay Bhaskarrao Kale, said the entire region is severely drought-hit and there is a policy in this regard for diverting water supply.

To this, the bench said, "These are all policy decisions and the courts interference will be like taking over governance."

It said, "Even the 60 per cent cut has no basis. There can be no justification. These are all policy decisions and the courts cannot interfere in all these matters."

The apex court finally asked the counsel for the petitioner to withdraw the plea and termed it as dismissed as withdrawn.

The court, however, granted Kale the liberty to approach the high court.

The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court had recently asked the state government to curtail water supply to the liquor industry by 60 per cent from May 10, an order which will be operational till June 27.

The plea filed in the apex court had sought that instead of a curtailed water supply, there should be no supply at all as the entire region is facing acute water shortage.

It had said that people were dying in the region due to the shortage of water and there is a limited water stock available.

People were being deprived of drinking water as it is being given to the liquor industry, it had said.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had also asked the Maharashtra government to cut water supply to other industrial units in Marathwada by 25 per cent after May 10. PTI MNL SJK RKS SC

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) Scoot, the long-haul budget arm of Singapore Airlines, today launched its operations in India with flight services to Chennai and Amritsar from Singapore.

The airline will operate a daily direct service to the Tamil Nadu Capital from Singapore with a 335-seater Boeing 787-800 aircraft while Amritsar would have three-times-a-week operations service with a 375-seater B787-900 plane. Besides, it has already announced to launch services from Jaipur from October this year.

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On the Chennai-Singapore route, Scoot will take place of SIAs another subsidiary airline Tigerair which has been operating 12 flights a week with narrow-body aircraft.

"India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. Guests from India can now fly to amazing destinations in our Asia-Pacific network through the Singapore hub, as well as onward with Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Tigerair in the SIA Group portfolio," Chief Commercial Officer for Scoot and Tigerair, Leslie Thng said.

Scoot also plans to scale up frequency from Amritsar to four times a week, starting July 2. PTI IAS UZM RG UZM TRK

--- ENDS ---
The Senate Armed Services Committee passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2017 last week, to implement the blockage much like last year.

By Press Trust of India: A senate panel has approved a legislation blocking $300 million US military aid to Pakistan, unless the defense secretary certifies to the Congress that Islamabad is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani terror network.

The Senate Armed Services Committee passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2017 last week, to implement the blockage much like last year. The panel has however argued in favour of continuing security assistance to Pakistan.

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"The Defence Secretary has not taken a decision yet," Navy Captain Jeff Devis, the Pentagon spokesman, told reporters on Monday when asked if Ashton Carter has issued the Congress-mandated certification.

All about the development The senate panel passed NDAA 2017 before the weekend's US air strike on Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in the Af-Pak border region. In a report accompanying NDAA-2017, the Committee notes Pakistan has been a long-standing strategic partner of the US and believes that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to be strong and enduring. The Committee also says that since September 11 terror attacks, Pakistan had been a vital partner in US efforts to combat terrorism in South Asia. NDAA 2017 is scheduled to come up for voting in the Senate, during which several senators are expected to introduce amendments to the bill. Senate version of the NDAA differs with that of the House on many issues, including Pakistan. The House version of the bill calls for blocking $450 million of the $900 million US aid to Pakistan in coalition support fund. It was passed last week. The Senate version reduces both figures to $300 million and $800 million, respectively. NDAA 2016 ends on September 30 this year. The bill makes it mandatory for the Defense Secretary to certify that Islamabad is taking action against the Haqqani network for the release of the last $300 million of the coalition support fund to Pakistan.

EXCERPTS FROM THE REPORT

"The committee believes that stability in the region cannot be achieved without stability in Pakistan itself and that fostering a strong, stable, and secure Pakistan is consistent with the national security goals of the United States," reads the senate panel report. It also acknowledged criticisms on providing security assistance to Pakistan in recent years.

"However, the committee believes that security and stability within the borders of Pakistan is vital to the stability of the region and to trans-regional efforts to combat terrorism more broadly," it said.



--- ENDS ---
While most of the diversions and delays mostly occurred between 3-7 pm, around eight flights were diverted between 05:15-09:30 pm.

After days of oppressive heat, spells of rain brought respite to the city yesterday. Photo: PTI

By India Today Web Desk: More than 20 flights were diverted and several delayed after a dust storm accompanied by light rains swept the national capital on Monday evening.



An official at the Delhi airport said more than 20 flights to the airport were diverted, including at least two international ones, and many were delayed in the wake of adverse weather conditions. While most of the diversions and delays mostly occurred between 3-7 pm, around eight flights were diverted between 05:15-09:30 pm. Among others, a Saudi flight from Riyadh was diverted to Ahmedabad and an AirArabia flight from Sharjah was diverted to Jaipur. Six Delhi-bound flights from various cities got diverted to Lucknow, five flights to the national capital were diverted to Ahmedabad. According to reports the flights that got diverted to Amausi airport were those from Goa, Srinagar, Baghdogra, Raipur, Ranchi and Chandigarh. A GoAir flight (154) from Baghdogra to Delhi landed in Lucknow at around 4 pm. Likewise an Air India flight from Ranchi too landed at 4 pm. The Indigo (204) from Raipur landed in Lucknow at around 5.30 pm. So was the case with Vistara airline flight from Chandigarh that landed at 5 pm. Indigo flights from Goa and Srinagar were also diverted to Lucknow. As many as five flights from Delhi were diverted to Ahmedabad on Monday evening due to bad weather in national capital. The diverted flights included one each of Saudi Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysian Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Jet Airways. Ahmedabad airport is alternate airport for both Delhi and Mumbai airports.

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After days of oppressive heat, spells of rain brought respite to the city yesterday. But traffic moved at snail's place as a dust storm brought the entire city to a halt, blocking traffic and interrupting regular movement.



--- ENDS ---
Shahid Kapoor has a great gift in store for him, come his 36th birthday.

By India Today Web Desk: Shahid Kapoor has been quite ubiquitous as far as Vishal Bhardwaj's upcoming period drama Rangoon is concerned. And the director is making sure he leaves no stone unturned in making Rangoon an unforgettable experience for Shahid. So much so, that the filmmaker has locked Februray 24, 2017 as the release date for the film. Shahid's 36th birthday is just the day after the release: February 25, 2017.

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ALSO SEE: Shahid Kapoor wraps up Rangoon shoot

ALSO SEE: Saif Ali Khan's Rangoon look revealed, see photos

Rangoon, which stars Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan in the lead roles, is set in the 1940s amidst the turmoil of India's independence struggle and will feature some epic historic references.

Speaking about Rangoon, Kangana had earlier said in an interview, "It is a film which is set in the 1940s during the World War II. It is about three characters and one of them is a superstar and her mentor, who she is romantically involved with. Another one is a soldier. It is about INA (the Indian National Army), independence and so many other things. It is a very passionate love story."

The final shoot schedule of Rangoon was wrapped a couple of weeks ago and the entire team, including Bhardwaj, producer Sajid Nadiadwala and Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, are delighted with the results.

"I am very happy with what we have achieved during the shooting of Rangoon. This film is closest to my heart and I want to make sure this is seen as my best work," Bhardwaj said in a statement.

"Given that it's Shahid's birthday on 25th February, there is no better way to celebrate," Bhardwaj, who previously directed Haider with Shahid in the lead, added.

The Maqbool director says for him and Saif, Rangoon is "even more" special given it has been ten years since Omkara.

"Seeing the confidence and excitement in the team of Rangoon, looks like we have much to expect in early 2017," Bhardwaj added.

For Shahid, Rangoon has been the 'most demanding' of all his shoots. The actor took to Instagram earlier this year after finishing his part of the film to say:

Finally back after the most demanding and exhausting sched of my life. #rangoondiaries A photo posted by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Mar 22, 2016 at 12:12am PDT

The film was initially slated for a September 30, 2016 release.

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Earnings at Sony have been revived in recent quarters, as brisk sales of its image sensors for smartphones mask slowing sales in other consumer electronics such as television sets.

By Reuters: Japan's Sony Corp on Tuesday forecast operating profit to rise just 2 per cent this business year, after the electronics maker partially halted production of its cash-cow image sensors last month to assess quake damage at one of its plants.

Sony expects profit of 300 billion yen ($2.75 billion) for the year through March 2017, far below the 409.1 billion yen average of 27 analyst estimates compiled by Thomson Reuters.

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Earnings at Sony have been revived in recent quarters, as brisk sales of its image sensors for smartphones mask slowing sales in other consumer electronics such as television sets.

The company had pushed back its forecast announcement from late April after deadly earthquakes shook the southern city of Kumamoto, home to one of its five image sensor plants. The company partially resumed operations earlier this month.

Sony estimated the impact from the quake on its image sensor and digital camera operations would total 105 billion yen this business year. It said the impact on the company as a whole would be 115 billion yen.

Sony forecast its devices division, which includes image sensors, to book an operating loss of 40 billion yen, compared with the previous year's loss of 29.3 billion yen.

Sony holds about 40 per cent of the market for complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors, a type of integrated circuit that converts light into electrical signals.

Also Read: Sony logs biggest FY profit in 8 years on restructuring, games

Its sensors appear in Apple Inc's iPhones.

Analysts said the quakes had little impact on the supply of sensors for iPhones because Kumamoto is not the main production site.

But they also said there could be delays to shipments of dual-lens camera modules, which Apple is widely rumored to be adopting for the high-end model of its upcoming iPhone 7. Modules bundle sensors, lenses and integrated circuit chips.

Sony also said, without elaborating, that the expected loss at its devices segment factored in a 30 billion yen loss from cancelling development of some camera modules.



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Bajrang Dal's mock drill in Ayodhya comes across as a riot like situation where volunteers are being trained to use sticks, guns and even swords against any unforeseen terrorist attack to prevent the construction of Ram temple.

By Amir Haque : After the elections in five states got over recently, the focus of all political parties is turning towards the next phase of state elections early next year. And the most important out of these will be Uttar Pradesh. No wonder there is politics in just about everything that is happening in the state right now. The most recent example is a training exercise that Bajrang Dal members held in Ayodhya. Something that the ruling Samajwadi Party sees with distrust and alleges that this exercise was aimed at helping the BJP and designed to vitiate the communal atmosphere of the state ahead of the assembly elections.

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Self defense camp Vs firearms training



What comes across as a riot like situation is actually a training session of the Bajrang Dal in the temple town of Ayodhya. That too on the premises of the Karsewak Puram - the place where stones meant for the Ram Temple have been brought, stored and are being carved for use in construction whenever that happens. The exercise is meant to train the volunteers of Bajrang Dal to confront and fend off any terrorist attack if it happens around them. The volunteers are being trained to use sticks, guns and even swords against any unforeseen terrorist attack.

Political blame game on



But if you look at it closely you'll find that the group playing the role of terrorists has actually been made to sport beards and skull caps. Symbols clearly associated with the Muslim community in India. And this is what has created controversy over this seemingly uncontroversial self defence exercise. Also some political outfits are seeing this as a direct attempt of the BJP allied groups to polarise the electorate ahead of the next elections.

Congress spokesperson Amarnath Agarwal says the Bajrang Dal activists only want to fan communal feelings.

"They are creating hype about bearded terrorists from PoK but they themselves are in government with the bearded ones on this side of the border - Mehbooba Mufti. If they really want to take on terrorists then they should fight them on the border where our men in the forces are getting martyred every day. What are they training for? They only want to fan communal feelings. In fact we in Congress demand that PM Modi must come forward and tell the nation about why all this is happening," says Agarwal.

Dharm Sena role under scanner

Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, has organised such training sessions in other Uttar Pradesh cities like Noida, Sultanpur, Gorakhpur, Pilibhit and Fatehpur as well. What stands out is that many of the office bearers and trainers involved in training are the ones who are accused in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case. In fact, after a series of meetings between Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena members over the last three days, the two outfits have formed a "Dharm Sena" (Religious Army) to fight forces challenging the construction of a Ram Temple. Something that is widely perceived to cause friction between communities. Office bearers of the Bajrang Dal however refuse to admit that such training sessions may vitiate communal atmosphere. They believe that such training will enable associated youth gain confidence against anti-national forces and will empower them.

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Politicians react to Bajrang Dal training



However, speaking on the controversy, Manoj Verma, National Co-Coordinator, Bajrang Dal, says they want to empower the youth.

"We want our youth to be strong both physically and mentally. Swami Vivekanand had said that the youth of the nation should be empowered first if we want a powerful nation. For the purpose we have divided the state into 6 parts and these volunteers have been drawn from 24 districts of the Awadh region," says Verma.

The BJP on the other side readily disassociates itself from the Bajrang Dal event. At the same time, reminding the UP govt of a mock drill last year where policemen in Allahabad used persons holding saffron flags as riotists.

ALSO READ: Why Bajrang Dal is organising commando-style training camps in UP?

BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak says, "Why and how they did it is something that only Bajrang Dal people can explain. But one must also remember that in UP last year in a police mock drill the purported terrorists were made to hold saffron flags. Saffron obviously cannot be a symbol of terrorism. Moreover, I heard the police chief say that one of the groups in the drill denoted army and the other one terrorists from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. But we sincerely believe that no one's feelings and sentiments must be hurt in the process."

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The ruling party, however, leaves no chance of attacking the BJP in view of the coming assembly election. Associating the BJP with saffron outfits the SP clearly sees this as a larger strategy of the BJP to cash in on "Hindutva" and polarise votes in its favour.

SP leader Mohd. Shahid says, "The DGP has already instituted an enquiry into the matter. The authenticity of the video where Bajrang Dal members are seen training will need to be checked and verified by the police before any action can be taken. The other thing is that ever since the BJP has assumed power in Centre, there is an atmosphere of fear and distrust. We believe that BJP and its allied groups are only resorting to such antics to divert the attention of the public from their failures and unfulfilled promises."

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- With inputs from Faizabad

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Table-toppers Gujarat Lions seem to start as underdogs against the Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2016 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium tonight.

By Indo-Asian News Service: With the conclusion of the league phase, the stage is all set for the Indian Premier League (IPL) play-offs, as a rampaging Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) take on Gujarat Lions in the first qualifier at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday. (IPL Full Coverage|Points Table)

Having won four of their last league games on the trot, the Virat Kohli-led RCB finished on the second spot on the points table while Suresh Raina's Gujarat Lions have had a successful debut campaign to atop the standings. (Also read: David Warner backs Virat Kohli to break 1000-run barrier in IPL 9)



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THE CHINNASWAMY ADVANTAGE

In the first qualifier, RCB will not only have the advantage of playing the high pressure game on their home ground but also can take solace from their all-round effort in the six-wicket win against Delhi Daredevils on Sunday. (Also read: Suresh Raina snubbed for Zimbabwe tour)



The Bangalore franchise, runners-up in 2009 and 2011, will hope for a solid start from the in-form batting trio of skipper Kohli, West Indian Chris Gayle and South African veteran AB de Villiers. (Virat Kohli says boring and traditional routine paying off)

ANOTHER IPL RECORD FOR KOHLI?

With 919 runs so far in the tournament, Kohli, who has amassed four tons and five fifties, is a shy away from breaking another IPL record of becoming first to score 1,000 runs in an IPL edition.

Lokesh Rahul, Shane Watson and youngster Sachin Baby form a formidable middle order followed by the likes of all-rounder Stuart Binny.

RCB BANK ON CHAHAL-WATSON DUO

The bowling department which was a weak link for the side in the earlier part of the league phase, has also come to the party towards the business end with the pace-spin duo of Watson and Yuzvendra Chahal among the top five wicket-takers.

With 19 wickets so far, leg-spinner Chahal is the purple cap holder while Australian veteran all-rounder Watson, with 16 wickets is fifth.

IN-FORM SKIPPER

On the other hand, Raina has led debutants Gujarat from the front with back-to-back half centuries in the final two league matches to finish on top of the standings.

Apart from Raina, the batting will centre around West Indies star Dwayne Smith, former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, Australian Aaron Finch and stumper Dinesh Karthik.

Gujarat also boasts of quality all-rounders in Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja, who can add enough firepower in the lower order.

ALL-ROUNDER SMITH



The bowling department has variety in its ranks with chinaman Shivil Kaushik being one of the finds of the tournament while veteran medium pacer Praveen Kumar has also been impressive with his new ball partner Dhawal Kulkarni. Smith has also been impressive in the last two encounters.

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Smith, with his gentle medium pace has been an effective weapon for Raina to contain the rival batters while the left-arm spin of Jadeja and Shadab Jakati will be good test for the RCB batters, who will relish playing at the home turf.





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The suggestion was made by BJP leader Vijay Jolly, who was India's lone representative at Friday's inauguration of President Tsai.

By Ananth Krishnan: Taiwan, where Subhas Chandra Bose was believed to have died in a plane crash in August 1945, is likely to build a landmark in memory of the Indian freedom fighter.

PRESIDENT TSAI'S POSITIVE RESPONSE

The new Taiwan government which took office last week, following the landmark election victory of the first woman President Tsai Ing-wen, responded favourably to a suggestion to set up what would be the first Netaji memorial on the island.

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The suggestion was made by BJP leader Vijay Jolly, who was India's lone representative at last Friday's inauguration of President Tsai.

Speaking from Taipei, Jolly told India Today that he had made the proposal in talks with the new Vice President Chen Chien-jen.

"I conveyed that as Subhas Chandra Bose was last seen there, there was an urgent need to have a memorial, institute or think-tank to remember him," said Jolly.

"This was received positively by the Vice President, and we have agreed to take this forward very soon," he added.

Netaji was believed to have been killed when the Japanese aircraft he was on crashed shortly after taking off in Taiwan, where it had made a stop for refuelling.

ECONOMIC TIES

Jolly further said that the new government in Taipei under Tsai Ing-wen has indicated its desire to build closer economic relations with India, with Tsai mentioning India specifically in her inaugural address as a country with which Taiwan had "dynamic relations".

India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognises 'one China'. China and Taiwan have been administered separately since the end of the 1949 civil war, but Beijing regards the island as a breakaway province.

Two Indian MPs had been expected by Taiwan at Friday's inauguration but did not travel.

Also read: India red-faced as MPs skip Taiwan president inauguration function



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By PTI: New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) IT firm Tech Mahindra today said it will not pursue its plans to set up payments bank operations in the country, becoming the third player to pull out from the race.

"With reference to the earlier communication dated August 20, 2015, about the in-principle approval granted by RBI for setting up a payments bank, Board of Directors of the company have decided that the company will not pursue this opportunity," it said in a filing to the BSE.

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Sun Pharma founder Dilip Shanghvi who along with IDFC Bank and Telenor got in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank for payments bank, also pulled out of the race last week. A couple of months back, Cholamandalam group also dropped plans of setting up a payments bank.

"It was a conscious decision that we wanted to be in this business. We still strongly believe that it is a very large unserved market. Over a period of time, we realised amount of aggression that has come to the marketplace which only erodes the margin because it was anyway more about transactions and the volume of transactions with a razor thin margins," C P Gurnani, Managing Director and CEO of Tech Mahindra said when asked about the reason for backing out from the race.

"We realised that the business profitability will take a much longer period than what we were willing to invest into and that is the reason," he added.

Alibaba-backed Paytm, Reliance Industries and Airtel would have been Tech Mahindras major competitors.

Last August, RBI gave in-principle approval to 11 applicants including Department of Posts, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Airtel M Commerce Services, Fino PayTech, National Securities Depository, Reliance Industries, Tech Mahindra and Vodafone m-pesa for setting up payments banks.

Gurnani further said both Tech Mahindra and its partner Mahindra Finance had come to the conclusion that "the payback could be much longer".

RBI deputy governor S S Mundra had expressed displeasure over in-principle licensees cancelling their plan to set up payments bank.

"We would certainly feel little aggrieved because lot of efforts from the part of RBI go in processing these applications," Mundra has said.

RBIs in-principle approval is valid for a period of 18 months, during which time the applicants have to comply with the requirements under the guidelines and fulfill the other conditions as may be stipulated by the Reserve Bank.

The payments bank will not be allowed to undertake lending services and non-resident Indians will not be allowed to open accounts. PTI KIR SR SOM

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A man broke into the lions' enclosure at Santiago's Metropolitan Zoo in Chile to be killed by the lions but the lions were shot dead to save his life.

The lions attacking the man at Santiago's Metropolitan Zoo. Source: NOTICIERO ANIMAL via Twitter

By India Today Web Desk: Two lions were shot down at a zoo in Chile early on Saturday for trying to eat a man, a man who jumped into their den in an apparent attempted suicide.

The 20-year-old man broke into the lions' enclosure, took off his clothes and jumped right in the middle of the beasts at Santiago's Metropolitan Zoo.

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In order to save him, the zookeepers killed the two lions. The severely-mauled man was then taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and is said to be in grave condition.





#CHILE Asesinan a 2 leones por culpa de un imbcil que trato de suicidarse lanzandose a jaula en Zoolgico Nacional pic.twitter.com/jseIJimN6l NOTICIERO ANIMAL (@NoticieroAnimal) May 22, 2016





Director Alejandra Montalba of Santiago's Metropolitan Zoo told local media the park was crowded with visitors at the time of the incident.

"The zoo has an established protocol because people's lives are very important to us," said Montalba, adding that there were no fast-acting tranquilizers available to stop the lions from mauling the man.

Also read - It's dangerous, stupid: 10 times people got too close to ferocious animals in Indian zoos



She said she was "deeply affected" by the deaths of the two lions, a male and a female.

An apparent suicide note was found in the man's clothing, while witness reported that he made religious proclamations.

Hence, a failed attempt to end one's life resulted in the death of two innocent animals.



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By PTI: Karachi, May 24 (PTI) Two policemen were killed and seven other people, including three policemen, injured today after a roadside bomb targeted a police patrol in Quetta.

A police mobile passing through the citys Spini Road was targeted with an IED blast, killing a policeman on the spot and injuring eight other people, officials said.

One of the injured policemen died in the hospital.

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The others injured in the blast were civilians passing through the area when the blast took place.

Baluchistans Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti told the media that around three Kg of explosive material was used in the blast. PTI CORR PMS

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By PTI: From Aditi Khanna

London, May 24 (PTI) Britain has granted political refugee status to former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, who was handed down a 13-year jail term on controversial terrorism charges after a trial in the country that drew widespread international criticism.

Nasheeds lawyer Hasan Latheef said the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader had sought political asylum and was granted political refugee status.

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A prominent human rights campaigner and Maldives first democratically elected president, 49-year-old Nasheed had been allowed to go to Britain in January for a spinal cord surgery following a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and the UK.

"President (Abdulla) Yameen has jailed every opposition leader and cracked down on anyone who dares to oppose or criticise him," Nasheed said in a statement proclaiming his refugee status.

"In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile -- for now," he said yesterday.

The Maldives government said yesterday that it was disappointed that the UK had agreed to "be part of this charade", adding that British ministers were helping with efforts to circumvent the law.

Nasheed became Maldives first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was supposed to return to Maldives after the treatment but remained in London where his wife and daughters have been living since he was jailed.

Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on terrorism charges after being accused of illegally ordering the arrest of a judge in a trial that put a spotlight on instability in the Maldives.

The jail term was widely criticised by international bodies, including the United Nations, and foreign governments.

A popular figure on the world stage, Nasheeds case was championed with the help of a international legal team that included Amal Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of the American actor Georg Clooney.

He was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for his treatment.

Cameron described Nasheed as his "best friend" in 2011 and this year hosted the ex-president, his wife and Amal at Downing Street after he arrived in London.

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The Maldives stripped Nasheed of his pension entitlements and health insurance last month, after demanding he return from medical leave in Britain. PTI AK MRJ ASK AKJ ASK

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Google attorney Robert Van Nest played a video of a speech by Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison praising "our friends at Google" for building devices that use Java.

By Reuters: Oracle Corp filed a multibillion-dollar copyright lawsuit against Google because Oracle failed in its own attempts to enter the smartphone market, a Google attorney said in closing arguments on Monday.

However, an Oracle attorney accused Google of taking its intellectual property without permission and reaping huge profits as a result.

In a retrial at U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Oracle Corp has claimed Google's Android smartphone operating system violated its copyright on parts of Java, a development platform. Alphabet Inc's Google unit said it should be able to use Java without paying a fee under the fair-use provision of copyright law.

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A trial in 2012 ended in a deadlocked jury, and if the current jury rules against Google on fair use, then it would consider Oracle's request for about $9 billion in damages.

Also read: Google vs Oracle: Little risk for Android maker

The case has been closely watched by software developers, who fear an Oracle victory could spur more software copyright lawsuits.

However, investors see little risk for Google because the company could afford to pay a onetime fine, and the possibility of an injunction that would force Google to pay ongoing royalties to Oracle appears remote.

Also read: Oracle co-CEO says it did not buy Sun Micro to sue Google

In court on Monday, Google attorney Robert Van Nest played a video of a speech by Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison praising "our friends at Google" for building devices that use Java. Ellison then suggested Oracle should also build similar hardware.

But Oracle was never able to build a smartphone of its own, Van Nest said, so it decided to accuse Google of unfair copying instead.

"They now want all the credit and a whole lot of money," Van Nest said. "That's not fair."

But Oracle attorney Peter Bicks said it was Google that needed a quick way to build a viable smartphone, and purposefully decided to use Java without a license.

Bicks presented internal Google documents, in which company executives contemplated being "out of business in 10 years" if they did not quickly enter the mobile market.

"They knew they were breaking the rules, they knew they were taking short cuts, and they knew it was wrong," Bicks said.

Also read: Larry Page spars with Oracle attorney at Android trial

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Switching to Android, according to Sonakshi, has been better for her. In her own words, she is now an "Android convert".

By Saurabh Singh: Given a choice between a 'certain' Android phone and an iPhone, Bollywood's Dabangg girl Sonakshi Sinha would happily pick the former, any day, any time. Now that is not only because she is the brand ambassador for this particular phone. She, genuinely, truly, believes that an Android phone is better than an iPhone. Or at least that is what she told us.

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This Android phone -- Asus ZenFone Max -- that she has been using for quite some time now, has apparently left a "long-lasting" impression on her, so much so that she's now willing to dump her "lag-prone" iPhone 6S for it.

Sonakshi, who considers herself a good 7.5/10 as far as being tech-savvy is concerned, narrates her iPhone woes and more, in a tte--tte with India Today Online.

"I used to own an iPhone 6S. I used to have many problems with my phone hanging, responding really slowly, rebooting as and when it liked. All of that. Definitely iOS issues," says Sonakshi. Not just that, Shotgun Junior also has a word of advice for Cupertino-based Apple. "I feel if you're putting out such an expensive product in the market, these are the basic things which should be taken care of. If you're putting out a product at such a high cost, the least you can do is take care of these issues that everyone complains about," she says.

Switching to Android, according to Sonakshi, has been better for her. In her own words, she is now an "Android convert".

I used to own an iPhone 6S. I used to have many problems with my phone hanging, responding really slowly, rebooting as and when it liked. All of that. Definitely iOS issues.

"I thought making a switch to Android would be difficult, but this phone has made it so easy for me. I faced none of the issues with it and I can tell you that it is probably one of the most affordable smartphones in the market," she says.

Also Read: Asus ZenFone Max review: Big on battery, low on price

While stutter may be a one-off thing, iPhones in general are known for their dismal battery life. "I would have to charge my iPhone five times a day. My battery used to run out so very often," she goes on to say. But ever since she has started using ZenFone Max, things have changed for the better. "I don't have to charge my phone for like four days and it's still running," she quips.

Sonakshi Sinha is the new brand ambassador for Asus in India. The company launched a revamped version of its ZenFone Max on Monday. This phone has a massive 5,000mAh battery and a pretty neat hardware-set, sold at a price of Rs 10,000.

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The Bollywood diva -- unlike how most celebrity endorsements work -- is more than just a pretty face attached to the brand. She has a much bigger role, she says, one where she actually uses the product for good before the actual launch, so she can talk about it in a better way. She has been using the ZenFone Max lately, and she has been using it as her primary device.

"They (Asus) actually gave me the phone to use, to get a hang of it and experience its various features. I think I am very happy as a user of the phone. As a person who uses the product, I really liked it and I think that will make it much easier for me to go out there and represent the product. I am really happy that this association happened," she says. "I believe very strongly that if you're endorsing a product you should be able to back it. You should like what you're representing."

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Sonakshi will be a part of Asus' digital campaign, #LiveUnplugged and has already appeared in the digital-only video for the Zenfone Max. "I have a very strong online presence and since they are going the digital way, I think this will be a great association where we can help each other, push each other on a platform like the social media," she says.

Speaking of which, Sonakshi has had her fair share of online trolls vis--vis Twitter and Facebook. The actor is also known for her witty one-line responses to those who deserve it. "Most of the time I ignore it, but when I feel that I have to give it back I do that as well," she says.

Sonakshi has been surprisingly missing in action from the silver screen for a while now. But not for long. Her next venture Akira -- an action thriller directed by A.R. Murugadoss of Ghajini and Holiday fame -- is set to release on September 23. "This is the first time he (Murugadoss) is making a film with a female protagonist," she says. It is after all a great time for the ladies to shine. "I think the audiences are opening up. They are perceiving films very differently. They are more open to seeing female protagonists in the cinemas today," she adds.

Sonakshi has a "very, very exciting project up her sleeve that begins in July". "The announcement is going to be made on my birthday, so you'll have to wait for that," she says excitedly.

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Also Read: Asus to launch ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe & ZenFone 3 Max on May 30

Besides Force 2 which releases in November, Sonakshi also has a "very, very exciting project up her sleeve that begins in July". "The announcement is going to be made on my birthday, so you'll have to wait for that," she says excitedly.

All said and done, Hollywood has to wait for now, as Sonakshi is quite happy being right here "but if something really great came along her (my) way she (I) would think about it for sure."

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There are many men there, thousands of them. The men are crawling all over the ships. The ships have been pulled out of the water using big winches that are sunk into the sand on the beach. They pull the ships up onto shore, then the men are released to swarm them. They cut them to pieces with oxygen torches and acetylene torches. The pieces they cut fall off and are very large. Sometimes, the slices come from the front of the ship, like bread slices. Other times, the slices come from the sides, like turkey slices. Either way, they must be picked apart.

The fat man, the owner of lot 161, told us that five men die in Alang each year. Will sensed that he was lying, and I did, too. Will told me that one reason the number of deaths is higher than five is because there are no masks or filters in the shipbreaking yard. Whatever comes out of the ship, if it is not scrap metal or something usable (like a lifejacket), is set on fire.

Sometimes an oil tanker arrives. In these cases, the tanker is cut open on shore and the oil spills out. That is why the Alang coast is brown. I thought that anyway, but Will told me that the coast is always brown in India, not just in Alang. I walked down to the mud and smelled it. It smelled like shit. Will told me that is because the workers do not have any plumbing in their homes. The homes for the workers at Alang are made of plastic sheets and scraps of wood and tarps and so on. When they need to use the bathroom, they wander out into the ocean.

Will is a factory worker from Tulsa, Oklahoma. For this reason, he was more adjusted to the environment of the Alang ship-breaking yard. The smoke, combined with the chemicals, the exhaust of the machines, and the stinking ocean made it so I hated my own breathing. Will said that was normal.

I saw a worker there and I told Will that he couldnt be older than 15. Will said that was bad. But then he told me that he started work in a foundry when he was 17. It wasnt good, he said, but he really couldnt judge.

I asked Will if he thought human rights abuses were happening in the shipyard in Alang. I told him that I had read in many newspapers that these ship-breaking yards were the scene of human rights abuses. In fact, I believed that I had seen some with my own eyes. Will said he didnt really think so. He said the pay was better here than in many parts of India. Besides, he said, the conditions were not that much worse here than in the average factory. The reason the shipyards were big news was because Westerners felt guilty that their ships were being broken up here.

We sat with the owner of lot 161. His face was round and so pudgy that his eyes were really squinty and gangster-looking. I do not know if he was actually evil, though. The fat man was wearing a gold watch and had tea delivered to us. I did not take any. I told the fat mans assistant that I was sick to my stomach. The assistant became afraid of angering the fat man, who rarely hosted foreign dignitaries such as ourselves. Foreigners tended to leave and say nasty things about the operation there. Foreigners were obsessed with Alang, the fat man said, because they did not understand it.

Nowadays, the value of a big ship is only determined by its weight. The human labor and knowledge and design and so on are negligible to the price. That is how cheap human labor has become. This is something the fat man explained to me. Nowadays, things like ships are measured by the kilo.

The ships are bought as-is. The beds, the maps, the lockers, the exercise equipment, ropes, lifeboats, blenders, spoons, and so on are all still there. Outside Alang, there are open lots or rudimentary warehouses holding all of these things for sale. I saw a whole warehouse full of treadmills. Another was just couches. It was really amazing. All of these things were along one long road leading to the ships themselves and the brown beach. I measured the distance from one end of this road to the other, and the distance was six kilometers. On both sides of that road were continuous piles of ship stuff that reach higher than a house. I probably saw over one thousand blenders.

The ships ballasts, giant redwood trunks made of forged steel, are taken away to be turned on lathes for weeks, making them into molds for the pipes that run beneath our cities. Then the molds are brought to factories and filled with liquid steel. Then more cities are built. And ships are made to supply them with all the things they need.

Will is an engineer and he is pretty good at math and at figuring things out. I asked him after I returned from India: If you stacked up all humans on a scale, and then all machines, which one would be heavier?

There are about 6 billion humans at about 60 kilos average, Will wrote to me. Thats 0.36 gigatons.

He wrote: The total number of cars produced last year was 80 million. And the total number in existence is now more than a billion. The average car weighs more than 1.5t. This means that cars alone outweigh humans by four times: 1.5 gigatons of cars vs 0.36 gt of humans.

I used to have this nightmare where I found myself standing inside of a giant mouth. The mouth was as big as the universe and was lined with sharp teeth pointing downwards. I am holding onto a tooth and all around me, human bodies are falling down into the mouth. Millions of them, people from all over the world. I told Will that was kind of the feeling I got when I was in Alangthat we were all falling down into some kind of abyss, and that it was completely out of our control to stop it. That it wasnt progress that was moving us, but gravity. I told him I needed a bit of time off from looking at machines.

Will and the German intern said that it was not a humanitarian problem or an environmental problem. They said that like all problems, it was an engineering problem. The solution to all of these machines, they kept insisting, was more machines.

I told them that I thought they were maniacs.

Listen, Will said. Ill draw it out.

He proceeded to redesign Alang with locks for raising the ships and for holding in spilled oil. There were big cranes to hold up the ships and the ship pieces so they wouldnt fall and crush the workers. He put robotic torches on robotic cars on these same cranes to do the heavy cutting. He said that humans would only have to push the buttons. It could be a good operation, he said. Clean and efficient and humane. It would even be cheaper. More profitable.

I looked at his drawing and I had to admit that it seemed like a very good idea. Much better than now.

So why dont they do it? I asked.

Folks are just too busy whipping their workers to think about the numbers, Will said. Quite common.

Excerpted from The Weight of All Those Machines in Black Box: A Record of the Catastrophe, Volume One (PM Press, 2015).
* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati received the 2022 Adepi Award

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.
It is unclear why Soleimani was arrested while visiting a film exhibition. HRANA reports that plainclothes Intelligence Ministry officials arrested him without warrant on May 13 and have since held him in an undisclosed location, without public notice of his condition or of any charges against him. In cases of politically motivated arrest, Iranian authorities frequently interrogate arrestees for weeks at a time, in absence of charges, while they elicit forced confessions and build a case against the individual. This has been the case in the past with journalists and writers, and Soleimanis background indicates that he could have been targeted based on his membership in either group.

In January, two other Iranian poets brought attention to the regimes crackdown on artistic expression when they fled the country while facing long prison sentences and 99 lashes each on charges including spreading propaganda and insulting the sacred. These two individuals, Fatemeh Ekhtesari and Mehdi Mousavi, were accused of these political crimes on the basis of poetry that had previously been cleared for publication by Irans highly active censorship authorities. In this way, their cases were indicative of the tightened standards of behavior and public expression that have been imposed on the country in the wake of nuclear negotiations.

This same trend has also been suggested by the regimes attacks on the media and especially on journalists. In November, at least four such individuals were arrested in one day, and in April it was reported that they had received sentences ranging between five and 10 years in prison for their reporting. The Committee to Protect Journalists regularly ranks Iran as one of the worst jailers of journalists, and such mass arrests imply that the situation has only grown worse under current conditions. The website Journalism is Not a Crime estimates that at least 55 reporters are serving sentences in Iran today.

Naturally, the Iranian judiciary has also ramped up its pressure on political and social activists in recent months. And more than that, it has directed some of that pressure against the families of such activists. The family of recent arrestee Zakiya Neysi has suggested that she is an example of the latter trend. She was arrested on May 17 and released four days later, although a message appeared on her Facebook account shortly after her arrest erroneously reporting that she had already been released, thus suggesting that authorities either gained access to her account or forced her to make the post while she was detained.

Neysis family has accused Iranian authorities of targeting her not because of any activities of her own but because she has brothers living abroad who have done work either as part of or in cooperation with an Arab separatist movement that opposes Irans clerical regime. It is, however, also possible that she was detained on the basis of environmental activism including a campaign to reverse the drying of the Karoon River.

As a condition of her release, Neysis father was forced to sign a letter pledging not to allow her to participate in protests without a permit, according to an Iranian human rights group However, her family insists that Zakiya, the only daughter in her family, has never been involved in political activities, unlike her brothers.

Neysis case is reminiscent of a number of other cases in which family members have been targeted as a means of putting pressure on their family members of activists or journalists abroad. However, there are also various instances of the regime harassing or repressing the families of persons who are already fully subject to authorities, including those who are in prison. This trend was highlighted on Friday by HRANA in a report about the offensive behavior of Rajai-Shahr Prison guards specifically toward the families of political prisoners.

A number of these families have lodged protests with the Prosecutors Office, alleging that this situation gets worse every time they visit, and that it makes it increasingly difficult for political prisoners to receive visitors. The complaint provides details about such actions as excessive security screenings, including multiple body searches and touching of visitors sexual areas.

Reports regarding specific political prisoners indicate that the mistreatment of their families may also include threatening or otherwise inappropriate verbal remarks. Previously, the International Campaign explained that in the case of imprisoned Kurdish activist Afshin Sohrabzadeh, prison officials have told his family that he will die in prison if they cannot raise the bail money to have him transferred to a hospital. The family had previously raised the bail amount requested by the prosecutor in the case, only to have it doubled after the fact.

HRANA reported on Sunday that similar taunting remarks about Sohrabzadehs likely death were issued to the prisoner himself, who is suffering from advanced colon cancer and has been vomiting blood. HRANA also indicates that the already severe financial strain on the family has been increased by the fact that Iranian authorities confiscation of the prisoners identifying documents have left him without access to health insurance.

It is certainly easy to regard such stories as evidence that Iranian authorities are deliberately reinforcing conditions that could lead to political prisoners deaths. If this is the case, it adds an invisible, additional statistic to the already staggering number of executions formally carried out by the Iranian judiciary. Per capita, this rate of executions consistently leads the world, and it has grown worse since President Hassan Rouhanis election in 2013. His nearly three years in office have been described as a worse period of executions than any other in approximately 25 years.

Last week, the Iran Human Rights website reported that at least 13 Iranian prisoners had been executed in just two prisons on a single day, May 17. Subsequently, the site identified three others who had been hanged in another prison that same day, as well as five more who were put to death on May 18. The crimes for which they were condemned to death ranged from rape and armed robbery to non-violent drug offenses. One of the alleged armed robbers was hanged in a public square, in the presence of a crowd of onlookers which included children.
[May 23, 2016] Cheetah Mobile and Google share AdMob native ad success with video case study

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheetah Mobile Inc. (NYSE: CMCM) and Google today shared a video case study of their successful partnership using AdMob's mobile native ad offering. The video, which first debuted at the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco last week, highlights the 400% revenue uplift that Cheetah Mobile saw in its popular Battery Doctor app during the AdMob native ads beta. The joint study follows Google's full launch of AdMob native ads express last week. Cheetah Mobile plans to integrate AdMob native ads into its other chart-topping apps. The customer success video also described how Cheetah Mobile's partnership with Google has helped the company buld and monetize a global business. The two companies look forward to a deeper cooperation through the AdMob platform.



"Cheetah Mobile has seen impressive performance from AdMob's native ads," said Scarlett Xiao, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing and Business Development at Cheetah Mobile. "Native ads offer users a much better experience, so we're delighted that AdMob is making them available to even more publishers around the world." In just a few short years, Cheetah Mobile has risen to become one of the top app developers on Google Play with over 651 million mobile monthly active users and 2.76 billion installations, as of March 31, 2016. Since announcing the global launch of its Cheetah Ad Platform in June 2015, Cheetah Mobile has become a leading player in the adoption of native ads across the mobile industry.

About Cheetah Mobile Inc. Cheetah Mobile (NYSE: CMCM) is the world's leading mobile security and utility app developer. Its flagship products include Clean Master, the world's No. 1 cleaning app, and also CM Security, the world's top anti-virus and privacy protection app. Cheetah Mobile is also one of the top three mobile game developers in the world, with its mobile game Piano Tiles 2 having reached the No. 1 ranking in more than 150 countries globally on both iOS and Android. Its other mission-critical applications include Battery Doctor, CM Locker, Photo Grid, and more. In June 2015, Cheetah Mobile introduced the Cheetah Ad Platform to the global market. As of March 31, 2016, Cheetah Mobile had approximately 2.76 billion global installations and 651 million global mobile monthly active users. Five of Cheetah Mobile's products have entered the top 40 in Google Play's global top app charts. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cheetah-mobile-and-google-share-admob-native-ad-success-with-video-case-study-300273292.html SOURCE Cheetah Mobile

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[May 23, 2016] Fitch Rates Stanford University's (CA) Series U-7 Rev Bonds 'AAA'; Outlook Stable

Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'AAA' rating to approximately $175 million of series U-7 tax-exempt revenue bonds to be issued by California Educational Facilities Authority (CEFA) on behalf of Stanford University (Stanford). The fixed-rate bonds are expected to sell via negotiation as early as the week of June 6. Bond proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including without limitation, financing and refinancing capital projects. In addition, Fitch affirms the following outstanding long- and short-term ratings on Stanford's debt portfolio: --$1.09 billion Stanford University fixed-rate taxable bonds at 'AAA'; --$1.22 billion CEFA fixed-rate bonds at 'AAA'; --$201.4 million CEFA variable-rate bonds at 'AAA/F1+'; --$300 million CEFA tax-exempt commercial paper (CP) program at 'F1+'; --$500 million taxable CP program at 'F1+'. The Rating Outlook is Stable. SECURITY The bonds are an unsecured general obligation of Stanford University. KEY RATING DRIVERS STRONG FINANCIAL PROFILE: Stanford's 'AAA' rating primarily reflects its strong financial profile, demonstrated by a consistently positive operating performance fueled by a diverse and growing revenue base; vast balance sheet resources; and industry-leading fundraising activities. EXCEPTIONAL DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS: Stanford's world-renowned reputation for academic excellence and sponsored research activity drives the university's exceptional student demand characteristics at both the undergraduate and graduate level. MANAGEABLE FINANCIAL LEVERAGE: Consistent operating surpluses, diverse revenue streams, and substantial fundraising ability offset the growing burden created by Stanford's periodic issuance of debt to support its large capital plan. SUFFICIENT LIQUID RESOURCES: The 'F1+' rating is based on Stanford's ability to cover the maximum potential liquidity demands presented by its variable-rate debt programs by at least 1.25x from internal resources as required by Fitch. Such resources include cash and highly liquid, highly rated investments. RATING SENSITIVITIES SHIFT IN OVERALL PROFILE: Material deviation from Stanford University's strong credit characteristics, while not currently anticipated, could pressure the rating. Similar to other comprehensive graduate research universities, Stanford remains exposed to federal funding pressures. Federal research funding makes up about 28% of the university's unrestricted operating revenue. REDUCTION IN LIQUID RESOURCES: Material erosion in internal liquid resources and/or significant downward movement in Stanford University's long-term rating, while highly unlikely, will influence the short-term rating. CREDIT PROFILE Stanford is a highly selective, comprehensive private university located in Palo Alto (News - Alert), California. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment was 16,092 for fall 2015, up a modest 0.4% since fall 2014. Freshmen applications to the university increased 1.4% over this same period, reaching 42,497 for fall 2015. The university's undergraduate acceptance rate was a highly selective 5%, with a significant 80.4% of accepted students choosing to enroll. The acceptance rate is approximately 4.7% for this coming fall, based on 43,997 applications and 2,063 admitted students. Stanford's prestigious graduate programs maintain similarly selective admissions, with an overall acceptance rate of around 9.7%. Stanford's President (John Hennessy) has announced plans to step down after 16 years of leading the university. After a national search to find Stanford's 11th President (led by a 19-member search committee), the new President (Marc Tessier-Lavigne) was announced on Feb. 4, 2016 and will assume this new role on Sept. 1, 2016. Current President Hennessy will continue in his role until Aug. 31, 2016 and will subsequently lead Stanford's newly announced Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. Stanford operates the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is the sole member of Stanford Health Care (revenue bonds rated 'AA' by Fitch) and Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (revenue bonds rated 'AA'). REVENUE DIVERSITY DRIVES STRONG PERFORMANCE Stanford benefits from a growing and diverse revenue base, which reduces its vulnerability to unexpected declines in any one funding stream. The largest component is revenue derived from the university's significant sponsored research activities, which made up 28% of fiscal 2015 unrestricted operating revenues. The next three largest sources are investment income distributed for operations(25.7%, primarily endowment distributions), healthcare revenue generated by Stanford's faculty physicians (17%), and student-generated revenues (11.4%). This diverse revenue profile contributes to Stanford's consistent generation of operating surpluses. Its operating margin was a healthy 6.3% in fiscal 2015, above the 5.2% average over the prior four fiscal years (2011-2014). Fitch calculates the operating margin inclusive of Stanford's policy-driven endowment payout, which totaled $1.1 billion in fiscal 2015 or 4.9% of the beginning of the year endowment value. The board approved targeted spending rate remains 5.5%. Revenues derived from sponsored research activity remain substantial, growing $121 million or 9.5% to $1.39 billion in fiscal 2015, compared to $1.27 billion in fiscal 2014. Direct and indirectcost recovery revenue is up about 6.6% or $60 million (6.6% and 6.8%, respectively), after being fairly flat for the past few years. The National Institutes of Health, DOE (via SLAC), and National Science Foundation comprise the majority of Stanford's research funding, with a solid 58% indirect cost recovery rate in fiscal 2016. Management indicated unexpected growth in NIH medical research, though funding continues to be flat on the non-medical side.



Importantly, funding from non-federal sources (foundations, corporations, etc.) has been growing outpacing that of federal research in recent years (and this momentum is expected to continue). The impact of this shift is reduced cost recovery because many foundations and other non-federal support sponsors do not support the full federally negotiated indirect cost rate. Ongoing concerns regarding the federal budget continue to be mitigated by Stanford's industry-leading faculty, multidisciplinary research platforms and prudent management initiatives, which Fitch believes will enable the university to maintain a favorable position within the federal funding hierarchy.

SUBSTANTIAL CUSHION OFFSETS DEBT BURDEN AND CAPITAL NEEDS Substantial balance sheet resources protect the university's financial profile from unexpected declines in revenues or increases in expenditures. At fiscal year-end 2015, available funds (cash and investments not permanently restricted) totaled $23.3 billion, up from $22.5 billion the prior year. Available funds covered operating expenses ($4.65 billion) and pro forma debt (approximately $3.07 billion) by a strong 5.0x and 7.6x, respectively. Pro forma debt includes revenue bonds, outstanding commercial paper (CP) notes, and other notes payable. Alternative asset classes continue to comprise a significant portion of Stanford's investment holdings -- about 76.9% as of Aug. 31, 2015. While this is a high percentage, it is not uncommon for institutions with substantial endowments. Fitch continues to view positively the strong investment oversight provided by the Stanford Management Company. Adjusting for alternative investments, available funds coverage of operations and pro forma debt was still solid at 1.3x and 1.9x, respectively. Stanford maintains a high but manageable debt burden. Pro forma maximum annual debt service (MADS) of about $577.4 million (fiscal 2019) represents a high 11.7% of fiscal 2015 unrestricted operating revenues. MADS includes a $400 million amortization payment on Stanford's $1 billion of taxable series 2009 bonds that have a final maturity in 2019. Of the $1 billion taxable series 2009 bonds, the FY14 ($350 million) tranche was paid down on its maturity date in May 2014 and the FY16 ($250 million) tranche was redeemed early in July 2015. Stanford is currently setting aside reserves for the pay-down of the $400 million maturity due in 2019. Fitch views this favorably as it removes refunding/remarketing risk and demonstrates disciplined debt management practices. At this point, Stanford has no plans to pay down this tranche early. In 2019, it will either be paid down fully or refinanced once a plan is decided on for the underlying assets. Due to Stanford's use of non-level debt amortization (common for similarly rated institutions), Fitch also analyzed average annual debt service (AADS) as a better indicator of typical annual debt service costs. Estimated AADS totals about $125.5 million, or a much lower 2.5% burden. Moreover, Stanford's net income available for debt service regularly provides healthy coverage, including 1.3x MADS and over 5.9x AADS in fiscal 2015. Concern over Stanford's use of non-level debt maturities continues to be offset by its vast resources base, prudent debt management, and market access. Stanford maintains a rolling three-year capital plan. Capital plan debt needs (Fiscal 2016-2019) are sizeable at approximately $1.8 billion, with about $527 million to be funded with existing resources (including unused bond proceeds and internal bank funds) and $1.2 billion of potential debt-funding (including the current plan of finance) over the same period. The capital plan includes a host of academic, research, housing and infrastructure related projects. Stanford typically funds its capital plan with a mix of gifts, internal reserves and other funds, and debt. Fitch believes Stanford's substantial resource base, robust fundraising and sophisticated facilities planning mitigate the magnitude of its capital plan. INTERNAL LIQUIDITY SUPPORTS SHORT-TERM DEBT OBLIGATIONS As of March 31, 2016, Stanford's liquid investments, consisting primarily of money market funds and U.S. government and agencies securities, totaled approximately $2.17 billion (after discounts based on asset type and maturity per Fitch's short-term rating criteria). These liquid assets provide strong coverage of the university's $201.4 million of variable-rate demand bonds and full $800 million of authorized taxable and tax-exempt CP, exceeding the 1.25x coverage Fitch expects for an 'F1+' rating. To limit potential calls on its liquidity, Stanford restricts the amount of CP that may come due on any given day to $50 million. Fitch views favorably Stanford's detailed and regularly updated procedures for failed remarketing of CP and variable-rate demand notes. For additional information, see 'Fitch Rates Stanford University's (CA (News - Alert)) Series 2015 Rev Bonds 'AAA'; Outlook Stable' (April 17, 2015) and 'Fitch Affirms Stanford University's (CA) Short-Term Rating at 'F1+'' (Feb. 12, 2016). Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Applicable Criteria Rating U.S. Public Finance Short-Term Debt (pub. 17 Nov 2015) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=873508 Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 16 Jun 2014) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=750012 U.S. College and University Rating Criteria (pub. 12 May 2014) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=748013 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1004987 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1004987 Endorsement Policy https://www.fitchratings.com/jsp/creditdesk/PolicyRegulation.faces?context=2&detail=31 ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON (News - Alert) THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006444/en/

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[May 23, 2016] Renesas Electronics America to Showcase IoT Design Innovation at the Internet of Things Developers Conference 2016

Renesas Electronics America Inc., a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, will explore connected embedded design opportunities and challenges ranging from security to the business of Internet of Things (IoT) at the Internet of Things Developers Conference (IoT DevCon), May 25-26, taking place at The Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, Calif. Renesas Electronics America is sharing its embedded design expertise and perspectives on the state of IoT during the show. Join executives in the conference sessions to explore strategies on how to succeed in the IoT business, as well as technical discussions on designing for the IoT from the platform perspective. Visit Renesas at table #S4 on the exhibition floor to see its IoT solutions in action and learn more about Renesas' ongoing innovation to enable the next generation of IoT applications. Keynote Vin D'Agostino, Vice President of the General Purpose Unit, Renesas Electronics America will discuss why both decision makers and designers must consider new approaches to the development of an IoT end product and how it will benefit the customers and business in his keynote, "Whose Hat *is* This?: Right-Fitting Your Business Strategy for the IoT." When: Wednesday, May 25 at 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM

Where: Magnolia Technology Insights Brian Davis, Vice President of Marketing, Synergy (News - Alert) IoT Platform Business Division, Renesas Electronics America will examine and outline reasons why an IoT device must be designed with security in mind, such as technology that prevents corrupting or hacking devices while receiving remote firmware updates, in his session, "Platform Approach to Secure IoT Development." When: Thursday, May 26 at 9:30 AM - 9:55 AM

Where: Magnolia Semir Haddad, Director of Product Marketing, MCUs and MPUs, Renesas Electronics America will review the changes for embedded developers making their devices into IoT devices and how to address these new challenges in "Embedded Development Challenges for the IoT." When: Thursday, May 26 at 3:00 PM - 3:25 PM

Where: Bayshore East Technology Demonstrations Renesas Electronics America will also showcase several of its innovative IoT solutions throughout the show at table #S4, including: The IoT Enabler Kit for RL78: Designed for use with the Renesas RL78 Family of microcontrollers (MCUs), the cost-attractive, comprehensive development platform enables professional developers and hobbyists alike to quickly commercialize IoT products through quick and easy prototyping.



A variety of on-board sensors allow users to explore a vast number of sensors for steady innovation in the IoT industry.

The solution also comes pre-loaded with demo software that gathers data from the sensors, on-board peripherals and a cloud connectivity suite from Renesas partners Buglabs, Arrow Electronics, and NimbeLink. The RX111 Wi-Fi Connectivity Kit: This collaboration between Renesas, Qualcomm (News - Alert), Micrium, and Medium One delivers an easy-to-configure Wi-Fi cloud connectivity platform. The kit offers end-to-end capability from embedded to mobile devices through ultra-rapid IoT application development and integrated secure cloud services.

The demonstration will also feature a Smart Garage Door Demo that allows users to visualize real-time analytics data, such as sending "close door" commands to devices and emailing diagnostics from a Wireless board. The Renesas Synergy Device Lifecycle Management demo: This solution is the scheme for ensuring firmware integrity on MCUs during the lifetime of the system.

The solution enables OEMs to better protect their software intellectual property (IP) from theft and cloning during manufacture, inhibit counterfeit products, and ensure authenticity when deploying secure remote firmware updates to end products already in the field that use Synergy MCUs.

This demo presents the procedures for secure manufacturing and firmware update processes as well as how to create the encrypted firmware master file for mass production and remote firmware update with the board of the Renesas Synergy DK-S7G2 kit. For more information on Renesas, follow Renesas Electronics America at @RenesasAmerica on Twitter (News - Alert) and http://www.facebook.com/RenesasAmerica. About Renesas Electronics America Inc. Renesas Electronics America Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), the world's number one supplier of microcontrollers and a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions, and a broad range of analog and power devices. More information about the products offered by Renesas Electronics America can be found at http://am.renesas.com. (Remarks) Renesas Synergy is a trademark of Renesas Electronics Corporation. All other registered trademarks or trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006527/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Elitecore Announces NetVertex PCRF v6.6 Release for Rapid Service Innovation and Monetization

MUMBAI and DUBAI, UAE, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sterlite Technologies' Telecom Software Division Elitecore announces the version release of its NetVertex PCRF v6.6. The platform empowers CSPs with service agility, faster monetization and optimization, a key enabler for the operators to enhance customer experience. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160225/791663 ) Dhaval Vora, Elitecore's VP - Product Management, Sterlite Technologies, said, "The latest release enables CSPs with innovative use cases such as group plan support, quota sharing, global emergency plan, dynamic QoS, and VoLTE. With the highly scalable platform, our customers can now support 20% more sessions in the same hardware capacity, thereby reducing TCO." The new Policy Designer featured is a state-of-the-art tool to manage subscriber, subscription & package configuration at 50% reduced time from previous version, simplified configuration of policy form with convenient dropdown menus and responsive GUI for easy configuration by even non-technical staff, comprehensiely supporting the agile policy management promise.



The new release also includes an enhanced SPR with DDF functionality which enables the distribution of subscribers across multiple SPRs (Subscriber Profile Repository). The DDF functionality has been further improved to support upward scalability of the architecture and enables communication between PCRF and any SPR. Additional key features of NetVertex PCRF v6.6 include:

Multi-tenancy and Virtualization support

IMS and VoLTE services is now separate from Data Package Policy to easily support new IMS services in a 4G/LTE architecture

3GPP29.212r11 - Sd Interface Compliance About Sterlite Technologies: Sterlite Technologies Limited (STL) "Sterlite Tech" [BSE: 532374, NSE:STRTECH]) is the world's leading and India's only vertically integrated Optical Communication Products, Services & Software company. It aims to transform everyday living by delivering smarter networks. With expertise in designing, engineering, building and managing broadband data networks, the company has global footprint in 75 countries, including manufacturing units in India, China and Brazil. Projects undertaken by the company include intrusion-proof secure network for the Armed Forces, rural broadband, Smart Cities, and establishing high-speed Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks. For more details, visit http://www.sterlitetechnologies.com. About Elitecore Sterlite Technologies' Telecom Software Division - Elitecore is a global IT product and service provider. Elitecore has over 150 network deployments worldwide for 59 service providers in more than 40 countries. Elitecore's clients include 13 of the world's top 30 operators. For more details, visit http://www.elitecore.com. Media Contact

LK Pathak

VP - Marketing & Corporate Communications

M: +91 9925012059

E: [email protected]





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[May 24, 2016] Aviatrix Joins Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Alliance

Aviatrix Systems, a pioneer in cloud native networking, announced today that the company has joined the Microsoft (News - Alert) Enterprise Cloud Alliance. As more enterprises shift toward the hybrid cloud, this relationship signals the company's commitment to helping them seamlessly extend into Microsoft Azure. The Aviatrix solution, built from the ground up for Azure, enables enterprises to seamlessly extend their datacenters to Azure without any additional hardware and offers end-to-end visibility and control of the hybrid cloud. Aviatrix takes advantage of the user-defined routing capability in Azure to provide secure connectivity to Vets and applies logging and security policies to the user traffic.



Additionally, the company's solutions enable connectivity to cloud resources from anywhere and from any device. Aviatrix is one of the first scale out VNet peering solutions that allows direct access to Azure resources. Trusted by cloud operations, cloud production engineers, and enterprise IT, Aviatrix avoids business disruption as it does not require any new hardware or configuration changes to the edge router. "We are excited to be collaborating with Microsoft Azure," said Sherry Wei, CTO and co-founder of Aviatrix. "We make cloud networking extremely simple. Deploy in minutes and configure and manage your cloud network with an easy point and click."

Nicole Herskowitz, senior director of product marketing, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Corp. said, "We welcome Aviatrix in the Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Alliance family. Together, our solutions provide customers the ability to leverage the power of Azure cloud networking." About Aviatrix Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Aviatrix was founded in 2014. Aviatrix is a pioneer in cloud native networking, simplifying scaling in the cloud, enabling connectivity across a wide range of cloud architectures and delivering end-to-end network security. Our solution is built from the ground up for AWS, Azure, and Google (News - Alert) based on a software-defined architecture that enables enterprises to realize the benefits of agility, scale, and mobility when deploying applications in the public or hybrid cloud. To learn more about Aviatrix solutions, please visit the website, call +1.844.262.3100, follow us on Twitter, or connect with us on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005058/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Dell Extends Leadership in Thin Client Innovation with Broadest Set of New Desktop Virtualization Solutions

Dell cloud client-computing today at Citrix Synergy (News - Alert) unveiled its broadest portfolio of new and updated virtual workspace solutions including new thin client and software solutions to meet the demands of the modern workplace. Dell (News - Alert) is introducing two new thin clients: the Wyse 7040, specifically designed with the highest levels of security and performance to meet the needs of future-ready focused organizations, including specific capabilities aimed at the needs of the Federal market, and the Wyse 3030 LT, a highly secure and affordable solution based on ultra-secure Dell Wyse ThinOS or new Wyse ThinLinux technology. In addition, Dell is also announcing the latest version of its virus-resistant, thin client operating system, ThinOS 8.3, the debut of Wyse ThinLinux, and the latest version of its management software, Wyse Device Manager 5.7. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005525/en/ Dell Wyse 3030 LT Thin Client (Photo: Business Wire) This follows the announcement last week of Dell's new solutions for more effectively securing VDI and virtual workspace environments with the integration of advanced threat protection for Windows thin clients and virtual desktops with Dell Data Protection | Threat Defense for thin clients, and Dell Data Protection | Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise for VDI environments. These new solutions, as well as other current Dell cloud client-computing solutions, are showcased in booth #610 at Citrix Synergy 2016, and will be available through Dell or through Dell PartnerDirect partners in the coming months. Wyse 7040 Thin Client Designed to Meet the Performance Demands of Future-Ready Organizations The Dell Wyse 7040 is a highly secure thin client solution that delivers advanced, multimedia-class performance and broad connectivity based on the needs of our most demanding virtual workspace business customers, and the unique security and compliance requirements for the Federal and related markets. For government agencies where security is paramount, the solution is accredited with major Federal compliance and certification credentials including OPAL-compliant storage options, TAA, Energy-Star and EPEAT. The Dell Wyse 7040 will be configured with Windows Embedded Standard 7p at launch, and will be Windows 10 IoT ready. It also comes with enhanced security features including Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and BitLocker, and the thin clients can be further protected from advanced persistent threats and malware with Dell Data Protection | Threat Defense, the advanced threat prevention solution which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to proactively prevent malware including ransomware and zero day threats on all Windows thin clients. The Dell Wyse 7040 thin client also features: High performance and manageability : The thin client incorporates powerful quad-core 6 th generation Intel (News - Alert) i5 or i7 processors and enterprise-class management capabilities with Intel vPRO and support for Wyse Device Manager, System Center Configuration Manager and Dell Command Configure.

: The thin client incorporates powerful quad-core 6 generation Intel (News - Alert) i5 or i7 processors and enterprise-class management capabilities with Intel vPRO and support for Wyse Device Manager, System Center Configuration Manager and Dell Command Configure. Rich communications and connectivity: The Wyse 7040 allows organizations significant flexibility to configure their solution with various display requirements, including support for a UHD "4K" display (3840x2160), or three 2560x1600 displays via daisy chain. The thin client also features a rich level of USB configurability with six USB 3.0 ports, and the capability - either through the BIOS or the Dell Command Configure tool - to lock hem down to prevent data leakage, only supporting the use of a keyboard and mouse, and preventing the use of storage or communication devices.

The Wyse 7040 allows organizations significant flexibility to configure their solution with various display requirements, including support for a UHD "4K" display (3840x2160), or three 2560x1600 displays via daisy chain. The thin client also features a rich level of USB configurability with six USB 3.0 ports, and the capability - either through the BIOS or the Dell Command Configure tool - to lock hem down to prevent data leakage, only supporting the use of a keyboard and mouse, and preventing the use of storage or communication devices. SecureView functionality: The Dell Wyse 7040 is SecureView capable, the best-in-class, Federal-preferred client virtualization environment that can run multiple virtual desktops, even at different security levels, on just one device.



Wyse 3030 LT Thin Client: Future-Ready Security, Manageability and Performance with Low TCO Dell has always been a leader in innovation to drive down the cost and complexity of VDI solutions while providing better performance and more manageability that all organizations need today, and as their needs evolve in the future. The Dell Wyse 3030 LT thin client, designed for a 6-8 year lifecycle, offers organizations a highly secure, yet affordable solution with broad connectivity that can be easily scaled for deployments ranging from a few employees to tens of thousands. It can be configured with either Wyse ThinOS 8.3 or Wyse ThinLinux firmware technologies to deliver leading-edge security and an optimized user experience.

Additional features of the Wyse 3030 LT include: Highly Secure: The Wyse 3030 LT thin client includes support for single sign-on and VPN, and is based on the inherently secure, virus-resistant Wyse ThinOS or ThinLinux operating systems.

The Wyse 3030 LT thin client includes support for single sign-on and VPN, and is based on the inherently secure, virus-resistant Wyse ThinOS or ThinLinux operating systems. Easy Manageability: The solution offers an easy, out-of-the-box setup, with flexible configuration and management via Wyse Device Manager to deliver over-the-air configuration and policy management. With these management solutions, IT administrators can support Wyse thin clients and select mobile devices from a single console, enable user self-service provisioning and monitor user devices, track asset inventory or enforce policy compliance for thousands of devices.

The solution offers an easy, out-of-the-box setup, with flexible configuration and management via Wyse Device Manager to deliver over-the-air configuration and policy management. With these management solutions, IT administrators can support Wyse thin clients and select mobile devices from a single console, enable user self-service provisioning and monitor user devices, track asset inventory or enforce policy compliance for thousands of devices. Leading Performance and User Experience: The thin client features a dual-core Intel Bay Trail 1.6GHz processor and integrated graphics engine for a smooth, enjoyable user experience including support for two high-resolution displays up to 1920x1200, 60Hz. The solution also offers multiple connectivity options including wired networking or 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual band Wi-Fi, two Display Ports, and four USB ports, including one USB 3.0 port for high-speed peripherals.

The thin client features a dual-core Intel Bay Trail 1.6GHz processor and integrated graphics engine for a smooth, enjoyable user experience including support for two high-resolution displays up to 1920x1200, 60Hz. The solution also offers multiple connectivity options including wired networking or 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual band Wi-Fi, two Display Ports, and four USB ports, including one USB 3.0 port for high-speed peripherals. Superior energy efficiency: The Dell Wyse 3030 LT consumes less than 12 watts and is Energy Star certified, so organizations can enjoy lower energy consumption costs and reduce their carbon footprint. Providing Virus-Resistant Thin Client Solutions with Wyse ThinOS 8.3 Dell continues to provide organizations with the most virus-resistant, thin client operating system with Wyse ThinOS 8.3. Earlier this year, Dell integrated the Citrix HDX RealTime Optimization Pack for increased unified communications capability. With this release, ThinOS adds support for Skype (News - Alert) for Business in addition to Lync 2010 and Lync 2013. ThinOS 8.3 supports a set of updated protocol features from Citrix, VMware, Teradici, and RDP, as well as Windows 10 virtual machines. It also supports Amazon Web Services (News - Alert) connections over PCoIP, and is compatible with the latest Wyse management options, including Wyse Device Manager 5.7. For healthcare customers, it also supports Imprivata's biometric fingerprint authentication solution so clinicians can quickly and securely access patient data throughout a healthcare facility. New Wyse ThinLinux Software Optimized for Thin Clients Wyse ThinLinux is a new thin client-optimized software based on SUSE Linux that has been further hardened and optimized by Dell for thin client environments. ThinLinux features a simplified user experience and intuitive interface for easy adoption for new users. It provides a flexible thin client operating environment with broad peripheral support including a variety of monitors, including 4K displays, printers, smart cards, and fingerprint readers. It also features broad broker support including Citrix Receiver 13.1, VMware View and Amazon Workspace, and support for unified communication platforms including Skype for Business, Lync 2013 and Lync 2010. For additional security, ThinLinux also supports single sign-on and VPN. Thin Client Management Software Wyse Device Manager 5.7 Brings New, Intuitive Interface, Support for Public Cloud Deployment Dell Wyse Device Manager (WDM) is the premiere solution for centralized management of Dell Wyse thin and zero clients, allowing IT teams to easily issue software images, patches, updates and add-ons from a single console. WDM is a highly scalable thin client management software solution, giving customers the ability to reliably scale to more than 100,000 devices based on either Windows Embedded Standard, Linux, ThinLinux, Wyse ThinOS, or PCoIP. It is available in a free Workgroup Edition for deployments of up to 10,000 seats, or a paid Enterprise Edition for customers with larger VDI deployments. Version 5.7 includes major enhancements to improve user experience and management. New features include: Enhanced user interface: The solution features a new, intuitive web-based UI with a simplified user experience, improved workflows and enhanced search capabilities. The new UI can be used to perform actions and save changes using supported browsers including Internet Explorer 11, Chrome v40 and above, and Firefox v30 and above.

The solution features a new, intuitive web-based UI with a simplified user experience, improved workflows and enhanced search capabilities. The new UI can be used to perform actions and save changes using supported browsers including Internet Explorer 11, Chrome v40 and above, and Firefox v30 and above. Easy, secure management: WDM 5.7 enables customers to manage endpoints securely using fully encrypted, HTTPS-based transmissions, and features enhanced notification of critical alerts and events for fast troubleshooting. WDM integrates the latest thin and zero client solutions, including Windows Embedded thin clients via Wyse Configuration Manager (WCM).

WDM 5.7 enables customers to manage endpoints securely using fully encrypted, HTTPS-based transmissions, and features enhanced notification of critical alerts and events for fast troubleshooting. WDM integrates the latest thin and zero client solutions, including Windows Embedded thin clients via Wyse Configuration Manager (WCM). WDM can be hosted on-premises and now also in public clouds including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. Supporting Quotes: Steve Lalla, VP, Commercial Client Software and Solutions, Dell "Organizations of all sizes require solutions to harness the proliferation of data that is a result of today's mobile and collaborative workforce - and secure that data while helping employees be more productive. Dell is rising to that challenge with its broadest introduction of next generation virtual workspace solutions including advanced thin clients, highly secure, thin client-optimized operating system, modern thin client management, and industry-leading data security solutions that make it easier for our customers to make the most of their IT." Steve Blacklock, vice president, Global Strategic Alliance, Citrix "The combination of Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop with Dell thin clients continues to fuel innovative solutions providing secure application and data delivery to meet the needs of our joint customers. Whether it is a government agency with specific IT requirements for security and compliance, or businesses looking to deploy a VDI solution across multiple locations, we are empowering organizations to quickly deploy and manage secure desktop and application virtualization environments that make people more productive and businesses more secure." Availability The Wyse 7040 thin client, Wyse 3030 LT thin client, Wyse ThinOS 8.3, Wyse ThinLinux and Wyse Device Manager 5.7 will be available in the United States and select countries around the world starting in July 2016. About Dell Dell Inc. listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com. Dell, Wyse and ThinOS are trademarks of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005525/en/

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[May 24, 2016] Blue Prism Makes Digital Labor a Reality for Large Enterprises

Today at the Company's North American Partner World event in New York, Blue Prism continues to distinguish itself as the only enterprise-class Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software available for large, regulated industries, offering centralized management of a multi-skilled digital workforce that meets the needs of both business operations and the most discriminating of IT teams. Following a rigorous testing and roll-out process, the company has announced general availability of Version 5.0 of its enterprise RPA platform. As of Q1, more than 80 enterprises across the globe have successfully implemented Blue Prism's latest software robots in demanding enterprise back-office environments to eliminate the rules-based manual data entry and processing work that humans shouldn't be doing. This gives business functions a digital workforce that can be targeted to perform many different tasks that are best suited for machines, freeing up valuable human resources to focus on customer value driven work. "We are passionate about serving the unique and demanding requirements of large, complex and regulated enterprises. Providing a new pool of labor for these organizations is no small feat, as, if RPA is to be transformational, you must consider the needs of the business, as well as the stringent demands of enterprise IT," said Alastair Bathgate, CEO, Blue Prism. "We feel that IT requirements are generally passed over by other solutions in the market. In fact, most of these tactical products are implemented at a department level, which is the equivalent of shadow IT; shadow RPA." Blue Prism's universal, multi-skilled software robots completely automate complex processes and integrate with any application and any platform; other non-enterprise solutions, including SDKs and desktop recorded automation options are 'human assisted' automation for simple tasks. Blue Prism's enterprise RPA is controlled by the business and governed by IT, and supports a high volume of complex processes that have been relocated from the desktop into the data center. Here, RPA can be properly overseen and credentialed by IT pofessionals who have strict standards for security, control, data integrity, change management, scalability, robustness and scheduling.



"Typical desktop 'RPA' are simple scripts recorded on personal computers to help workers save time with monotonous tasks. They are usually installed ad hoc within departments without IT's knowledge, until something goes wrong and then it becomes an IT problem," said David Moss, chief technology officer, Blue Prism. "Any 'RPA' solution with a record button should be a red flag for any IT architect evaluating solutions. If it's on the desktop, it lacks security and scalability appropriate for enterprise deployment. It should be a non-starter." Making AI Actionable in the Enterprise

The latest version of Blue Prism's RPA platform is designed to provide organizations with an execution engine to provide, orchestrate and leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning capabilities as an intrinsic component of their process automation and execution strategy. Blue Prism's RPA is built as the transactional platform, with its software robots helping AI turn decisions into actions and providing a wealth of centralized process data for mining and analysis.

Some of the new features in Version 5.0 include: Enhanced insight and analysis of the performance, management and business value of the digital workforce through centralized dashboards leveraging the statistics repository

Updated user experience via a redesigned UI along with scalable multi-team access provisioning

Active queues that load balance the digital workforce and provide centralized management via a workflow-centric approach

Enterprise-scale and strength through internationalization (locales and character sets), dependency tracking and global application models

Encryption schemes that include support for multiple algorithms and portability when encrypting sensitive data for storage in the database Earlier this month, Blue Prism was recognized as the Best Enterprise Application of AI at the AIconics awards in London, organized by AI Business as the world's only independently judged awards celebrating the drive, innovation and hard work in the international AI community. About Blue Prism

Founded in 2001, Blue Prism (AIM:PRSM) is the leading provider of enterprise-class Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software. The company's multi-skilled software robots are implemented as digital labor in the most demanding enterprise back-office environments to eliminate the disproportionately low-return, high-risk, manual data entry and processing work that humans shouldn't be doing. The company's pioneering technology is used to automate back office tasks in sectors ranging from banking, telecoms, energy, BPO, government, financial services, retail and healthcare sectors. With offices in Manchester, London, Miami and Chicago, Blue Prism debuted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in March of 2016. Blue Prism has been recognized by Gartner (News - Alert) as a Cool Vendor and by AI Business as the Best Enterprise Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the AIconics awards. For more information, visit www.blueprism.com and follow the company on Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005996/en/

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A Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) employee, wearing a protective suit and a mask, walks in front of the No. 1 reactor building at TEPCO's tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan February 10, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

LOS ANGELES - Radiation contamination at Fukushima was unprecedented for the oceans, a US marine radiochemist has said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"While in total Chernobyl was a bigger source of human-made radioactivity, most of the Fukushima releases entered the ocean, more than 80 percent, so for the oceans this was a bigger source," said Ken Buesseler, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9.0 earthquake -- one of the largest ever recorded -- struck the eastern coast of Japan. The tsunamis caused by the quake badly damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, eventually causing four of the six reactors there to release radiation into the atmosphere and ocean.

Emergency crews used seawater to cool the damaged reactors at the power plant. Because of the plant's location along the coast, much of the water was washed into the Pacific, resulting in the largest accidental release of radiation to the ocean in history.

Within months of the accident, Buesseler assembled a research cruise and science party of 17 people from eight institutions to sample the waters surrounding the nuclear plant.

According to the scientist, every additional source of radioactivity carries some additional health risk, but these risks vary with many factors, including the dose and which isotopes people are exposed to, as well as individual sensitivities.

Buesseler said there is a higher concern for the most vulnerable groups of people, and he cited children as an example. "Fukushima will likely have the most significant long-term health impacts on those who had the highest exposures," he said.

Buesseler called for more efforts to make environmental and health assessments of the Fukushima accident.

He believed communication to the public has been poor in the aftermath of Fukushima. "This should be improved, so people know better the assessment of contamination levels and what this means for human health," he said.

Buesseler noted that independent and multiple groups need to be engaged in such assessments.

He said even when radiation levels become lower than any safety standards, people can still learn something about the fate and transport of radioactive compounds in this way.

Buesseler voiced his disappointment that US Federal agencies did not support ocean studies off Japan or the United States. "This should be an international and ongoing set of studies for the coming decades," said the scientist.

"For radioactive contaminants in the ocean in general, I think there should be regular monitoring programs and research studies so we help assess prior accidents and leaks, such as in Fukushima, Chernobyl, nuclear weapons testing, and educate the public about differences in sources and impacts and how that affects public health," he said.
[May 24, 2016] Kezzler and Toppan America Announce Strategic Partnership in North America

Kezzler AS, a global leader in making brands unique and interactive, and Toppan Printing Company America, Inc. (Toppan America), a subsidiary of Toppan Printing Co., Ltd and a global printing company, today announced a strategic partnership (www.toppan-kezzler.com) in North America to market a combined printing and cost-effective serialization technology to manage global brand protection, supply chain and consumer engagement. "Toppan carried out an extensive evaluation of the market and technologies for serialization and believe Kezzler provides the most cost-effective and scalable solution for our global customers. Our combined solution empowers the luxury, fragrance, beauty and health and wellness markets with new and near real time opportunities for consumer engagement, marketing, and consumer intelligence," said Masa Tatewaki, president of Toppan America. "Toppan's wide range of security technologies complemented by Kezzler's software solution will also provide many of the world's recognized brands with multiple layers of defense against counterfeit, tampering and diversion." The need for innovative and superior anti-counterfeit technologies is growing rapidly. Estimates on the cost of counterfeiting in the US range from $250 billion to $600 billion annually and estimates of global trade in counterfeit goods exceeds $1.7 trillion in 2015. The US alone has verifiable experience of 23,140 - counterfeit related seizures in 2014 and $1.22 billion as the total value of counterfeit seizures (MSRP) in 2014. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2016: Imports of counterfeit and pirated goods are worth nearly half a trillion dollars a year, or around 2.5% of global imports

The total value of imported fake goods worldwide was $461 billion in 2013 (total imports in world trade of $17.9 trillion)

Up to 5 percent of goods imported into the European Union are fakes



In many cases, the proceeds of counterfeit trade go towards organized crime.

Most fake goods originate in middle income or emerging countries, with China the top producer



Using encryption technology and a cloud-based solution, brand owners can create fully customized loyalty and information programs through a unique identifier (UID). Consumers only have to text, snap or app the code on the product. At that point, the brand owner will in near real time know who authenticated the product and where they are located. This interaction provides brand owners with unique information about the consumer and the consumers' unique information about the product.

"Kezzler is delighted to join forces with another global company with cutting edge IT information management and security technology. As part of our aggressive growth the next few years and the huge market opportunity in brand protection and consumer engagement, a key strategy is to partner with the biggest and best printing and packaging companies in the world. Toppan's global footprint and reputation is very well known and respected and the two companies are committed to create a new serialization standard for global companies," commented Thomas Kormendi, CEO of Kezzler. About Kezzler Kezzler AS is a global leader in serialization technologies and operated platform designed for industrial scale. Kezzler's mission is to standardize serialization and change global business practices by making product items digitally unique and interactive. Kezzler has offices in United States, India, Austria, the Netherlands and China. To learn more about Kezzler, visit www.kezzler.com. About Toppan TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD. Founded in 1900 Toppan has leveraged expertise in printing securities, including banknotes, Border control documents and accumulated information processing technologies supported by advanced security. Toppan operates globally and employs approx. 49,000 people. Fiscal year ended March 31, 2015 Toppan posted revenues of approx. US $14 billion. Information & Communication segment provides Secure Business such as printing of security related products, passbooks, integrated circuit (IC) cards, also provides Marketing and Content Business, Living & Industry segment provides Packaging, Interior Decor Materials, and Functional Product & Energy Related products. ; Electronics segment offers Display Related and Semiconductor Related products. For more information visit www.ta.toppan.com / www.toppan.co.jp/english/ www.toppan-kezzler.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006220/en/

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Cloud Raxak Recognized as One of 20 Most Promising Enterprise Security Companies in 2016 by CIOReview

Cloud Raxak, a leader in cloud security compliance, today announced that the company was recognized as one of the 20 Most Promising Enterprise Security Companies in 2016 by CIOReview. Cloud Raxak was selected for the top honor in light of the breadth and quality of technology and expertise the company provides to the IT industry.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006268/en/

"During the evaluation process, it was evident that Cloud Raxak clearly deserved to be recognized as a leader in technology solutions for the enterprise security industry and we are proud to honor Cloud Raxak this year," said Jeevan George, Managing Editor, CIOReview.

"We are happy that CIOReview has selected Cloud Raxak as one of the 20 Most Promising Security Companies," said Prasanna Mulgaonkar, CEO of Cloud Raxak. "With the increasing importance of compliance management, enterprises are starting to recognize that it is integral to move away from detection and blocking of known malicious activity, towards pro-active defenses that can better handle risk through proper configuration. The Raxak Protect platform simplifies and automates security compliance, enabling our clients to proactively reduce their security costs by 40% while reducing their security risk."

CIOReview evaluated leading enterprise security companies on a wide range of parameters including execution, technology and market reach capabilities to rate the maturity, experience and expertise. The annual list features the 20 Most Promising Enterprise Security Companies 2016. Cloud Raxak excels at simplifying and automating security compliance across private, public clouds, and traditional IT. Raxak Protect enables regulated industries in financial services, retail and healthcare, to deploy cloud apps securely, quickly, cost-effectively and without human error. Online retailers like Life and Home, can use Raxak Protect to maintain security compliance with retail industry regulations, while delivering an innovative online shopping experience.







When the underlying hardware supports it, Raxak Protect can deliver Hardware Assured Security Compliance. This unique capability uses a hardware root of trust and protects cloud workloads from boot-time through their complete lifecycle and across clouds. For example, on-premise solutions built on IBM (News - Alert) Cloud bare-metal cloud servers allow Raxak Protect to provide Hardware Assured Security Compliance spanning public and private clouds.

Visit our website to get a copy of the CIOReview analysis of Cloud Raxak.

Attend our session at Cloud Expo in New York on June 7-9.

About Cloud Raxak

Cloud Raxak simplifies and automates the delivery of cloud security compliance across traditional IT, private clouds and public clouds. Raxak Protect is an agent-less security platform that delivers full life-cycle security compliance for Windows and Linux workloads including OpenStack and Containers. Raxak Protect meets the requirements of all regulated industries including financial services, healthcare, and retail. Raxak Protect is available as a SaaS (News - Alert) platform and on-premise security appliance. Cloud Raxak partners and collaborators include IBM, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Intel. Cloud Raxak is based in Los Gatos, California. http://www.cloudraxak.com/

About CIOReview

Published from Fremont, California, CIOReview is a print magazine that explores and understands the plethora of ways adopted by firms to execute the smooth functioning of their businesses. A distinguished panel comprising of CEOs, CIOs, VCs, analysts including CIOReview editorial board finalized the "20 Most Promising Enterprise Security Companies 2016" in the U.S. and shortlisted the best vendors and consultants. For more info: http://www.cioreview.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006268/en/
[May 24, 2016] Innovations in Cloud Computing to Create Opportunities for the Global Cloud-based Virtual Learning Platform Market Through 2020, Reports Technavio

Technavio analysts forecast the global cloud-based virtual learning platform market to grow at a CAGR of over 25% during the forecast period, according to their latest report. The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global cloud-based virtual learning platform market for 2016-2020. The report also lists higher education institutions and K-12 schools as the two end-user segments for this market. Technavio education research analysts highlight the following four factors that are contributing to the growth of the global cloud-based virtual learning platform market: Innovation in cloud computing

Performance improvement of users

Emphasis on provision of continuous support

Reduction in operating cost Innovation in cloud computing According to Jhansi Mary, a lead analyst at Technavio for education technology research, "Technology innovations in cloud computing have strengthened the accessibility of content and functioning of software and tools." For instance, evolution in data centers in the last few years has enabled them to offer computing facilities to enhance data processing and storage. They offer high-performance servers, networking equipment, storage arrays, and supporting services such as powering and cooling solutions. Data center facilities effectively cater to the demands of excessive use of the cloud for surfing, video streaming, collaboration, and connected devices in the education sector. Moreover, adoption of virtualization techniques offers cost-effectiveness. Server and desktop virtualization helps schools and colleges improve scalability and reduce their total costs while expanding their services or offerings. It also protects from cyber-attacks, reduces the expenditure on hardware maintenance, and improves utilization of existing resources. Perormance improvement of users



Virtual learning platform applications help customers create, store, and manage content efficiently based on course requirements. Many educational institutions are using these tools to manage their online courses. This application helps to effectively deliver content online, manage student records, attendance sheets, classroom schedules, and scorecards. Virtual learning platforms on cloud are updated automatically, and they enable smooth functioning on client machines with few performance problems. Further, vendors frequently update their solutions by introducing useful features, which also attract more customers. New modules can be added to cater to the evolving demands of customers from the education industry. Vendors are developing virtual learning software, which offers advanced reporting, real-time integration, and customization, in sync with the needs of stakeholders in the education sector. Vendors work closely with universities and schools to provide them with customized solutions that best fit their needs.

Emphasis on provision of continuous support Deployment of cloud-based solutions, benefits educators with cost efficiency and offers learners the benefit of flexible access to learning programs. The use of digital tools is allowing institutions to allow continuous learning support to students. Teachers are able to create better content resources for students through content management; prepare online tests for students; assess tests, homework, and projects undertaken by students; and send feedback and communicate with students through online forums. In addition, cloud-based virtual platforms are also beneficial to students who cannot attend regular classroom sessions due to high costs structure or scheduling conflicts. "The cloud-based virtual learning portals enable students to stay connected to their teachers through a virtual medium," says Jhansi. Reduction in operating cost Cloud-based virtual systems significantly reduce the degree of infrastructure that needs to be maintained. In order to run these virtual learning applications users don't need to have high-end configured computers. Applications can be easily run from the cloud through mobile phones, PCs, and tablets with minimum configuration and Internet connectivity. As the data is centralized, created, and accessed in the cloud, the respective users do not need to spend money for alternative or external data storage, which reduces the costs involved in implementing this technology. For instance, universities such as Arizona State University offer additional storage facilities in the cloud to help their students run tools such as Hadoop and SAS (News - Alert), which require 8-16 GB of RAM for smooth functioning. Browse Related Reports: Education Hardware Market in India 2016-2020

Education IT Market in the US 2015-2019

M-education Market in the US 2016-2020 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact [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/20160524005073/en/

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Joshua Slocum

Joshua Slocum was the first man to sail single-handedly around the world. A naturalized American seaman, he was born in Nova Scotia on February 20, 1844.

In the little town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, he rebuilt a ship with the title of Spray. After assuring that the small ship was seaworthy, Slocum left on April 24, 1895, with the purpose of sailing around the world by himself.

Slocum's first stop was his boyhood home of Brier Island, as he wanted to visit old haunts on the coast of Nova Scotia. He then left North America near Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 3, 1895.

Without the assistance of a chronometer, Slocum relied on the traditional method of dead reckoning for longitude, which required only an inexpensive clock for approximate time, and noon-sun sights for latitude.

On one leg of his journey in the Pacific, he shot a lunar distance observation, decades after these observations had ceased to be commonly employed by ship navigators. This method allowed him to check the longitude independently. It should be noted that Slocum's primary method for finding longitude was still dead reckoning as he observed only one lunar event during his entire circumnavigation.

Slocum normally sailed his ship without touching the helm. Due to the length of the sail relative to the hull, and the long keel, the Spray was capable of self-steering. It balanced stably on any course relative to the wind by adjusting the sails and by lashing the helm fast. He sailed 2,000 miles west across the Pacific without once touching the helm.

The journey took three years to complete as he made landfall in Newport, Rhode Island, on June 27, 1898. Slocum's adventure was hardly noticed. The reason for lack of publicity was that the Spanish-American War had begun, and the news of this war dominated many American newspapers. Following the war many American newspapers published articles describing Slocum's amazing adventure.

In 1899, Slocum published his account of the epic voyage in "Sailing Alone Around the World." The article was first serialized in The Century Magazine and then in several book-length editions.

The summer months were spent with his wife on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, and the winter months in the Caribbean.

By 1909, Slocum's funds were running low, as book revenues had not been productive. Therefore, he sold his farm on Martha's Vineyard and started to make plans for a new adventure in South America.

On November 14, 1909, Slocum set sail for the West Indies on one of his usual winter voyages. In July 1910, his wife informed the newspapers that she believed her husband was lost at sea. By this time Joshua Slocum would have been 65 years old.
CHARLESTON -- Steve Lane of Charleston has been recognized as the Eastern Illinois University Foundations 2015 Annuitant Ambassador of the Year.

Many EIU annuitants (retirees) serve as volunteer ambassadors at the Neal Welcome Center, assisting visitors, guests and students who come in to complete scholarship paperwork. In recognition and appreciation of those who have shown exemplary service and dedication to the effort, the EIU Foundation Board recognizes one annuitant ambassador annually.

Lane, who retired in 2014 after 28 years as Easterns compensation manager in Human Resources, was overwhelmingly recommended by Neal Welcome Center staff members as the years recipient.

Steve represents the ideal volunteer. He has provided an outstanding level of service and logs hours on a weekly basis, staff members commented. He has been great at helping greet students and visitors, and has volunteered to help with issues that sometimes arise in the day-to-day operations of the Neal Welcome Center. He is dependable and is always agreeable to fill in as a last-minute substitute. Steve is an enthusiastic volunteer!

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Lane graduated from EIU with his bachelors degree in 1978. He and his wife, Raelyne, have lived in Charleston for the past 29 years. Since his retirement, Lane has maintained his EIU connections through his volunteer work as an ambassador. He also volunteers with the American Red Cross at EIU (including serving on the RSO-EIUARC committee), works extra help at the Textbook Rental Service and regularly frequents the EIU racquetball courts.

Further, he volunteers at the Mattoon Food Center, Mattoon P.A.D.S., Douglas-Hart Nature Center and as an Embarrass Volunteer Steward. When he is not volunteering, he enjoys sports, music, fishing, reading and travel.

In Human Resources, I worked exclusively with employees and administrators. Its fun to now do something with students, both at the Neal Welcome Center and Textbook Rental Service. Best of all, it has been a real pleasure getting to know the (Neal Welcome Center) staff, particularly my bosses -- Nancy Zytka and April Marchuk. They make my time there not work at all. Instead, I look forward to every week!

Past recipients of the Annuitant Ambassador of the Year Award are Dave Maurer, Eulalee Anderson, Shirley Moore, Carol Helwig, Mary Coutant, Dale Wolf, Barbara Funk, Dick Barta, Edward Mac Corley and Cheryl Hawker.
MATTOON (JG-TC) -- Two local residents have been arrested on charges of armed robbery involving a knife.

A Mattoon Police Department press release reported that Tiara R. Farris, 24, and Jared Sykes, 24, both of Mattoon, were arrested at 4:15 a.m. Monday on charges in connection with an alleged armed robbery that allegedly took place at 2109 Marshall Ave.

The charges alleged that Farris and Sykes lured a man to their residence with the intentions of robbing him of his narcotics. The charges also allege that a knife was used during the commission of the robbery.

No injuries were reported. Farris and Sykes were taken into custody without incident and later transported to the Coles County jail, pending the filing of formal charges by the Coles County State's Attorney's Office.
A Mattoon Police Department press release reported that Gabriel C. Carter, 31, of Harvey was arrested on this charge at 11:46 a.m. Friday and taken to the Coles County jail, pending the filing of formal charges by the Coles County State's Attorney's Office.

The charge alleges that Carter provided officers with a false name in order to avoid arrest on an outstanding warrant out of Harvey. This incident allegedly occurred while police officers were speaking to Carter about a gun that he allegedly was supposed to have had in his possession.
For decades, U.S. manufacturers fled the country for China to drive down labor costs. Now, some foreign manufacturers are turning that off-shoring trend on its head. In 2011, British-based Rolls-Royce began making jet engine parts in Virginia and shipping them to Europe and Asia. That same year, Siemens, a German company, started making power-plant turbines in Charlotte, N.C. and shipping them to Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

Toyota has 10 manufacturing plants in the U.S., which employ 350,000 people. Another 70,000, are employed at parts manufacturers, trucking companies and other support industries. Honda, Nissan, Subaru, and Mazda also build cars in the U.S. Mitsubishi has a plant in Bloomington, IL.

In 2011, Volkswagen opened a plant in Chattanooga Tennessee, costing $1 billion that assembles 150,000 cars a year with 85% of each cars content being manufactured in the United States.

From 2007, through 2012, foreign investment in U.S. manufacturing totaled $493 billion. Since 2010, more than 200 companies have brought back production they had sent out of the country, which has created 50,000 new U.S. factory jobs.

But the story is not all good. GE recently announced that they are closing their Waukesha engine plant in Wisconsin and building a new $265 million plant in Canada. 350 U.S. employees will lose their jobs. GE is doing this because: Canada has fewer regulations, lower taxes and better financing.

To keep the trend of foreign companies building factories in the U.S. and to encourage U.S. companies to build factories in the U.S., our government must lower corporate taxes, cut regulations and permit our companies to bring back the billions of dollars they have stored in foreign banks, without taxation.

Don Searles, Mattoon
SPRINGFIELD -- As the final nine days of the spring legislative session kicked off Monday, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner called on members of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to remain focused on passing a balanced budget for next year.

Rauner said that if Democrats want to use tax increases to balance the budget, they also need to approve portions of his pro-business, union-weakening turnaround agenda, a position that has contributed to the ongoing standoff that has left the state without a budget for nearly a year.

The governor wants agreements with Democrats on issues such as changing workers compensation laws to make them more business-friendly and letting local governments decide what issues they negotiate with their employees. Democrats have said those issues are unrelated to the budget and should be set aside.

They are 100 percent related to the budget -- 100 percent, Rauner said Monday, speaking at a news conference in his Statehouse office, where he was joined by Republican legislative leaders and members of the business community. We cant have balanced budgets if our government spending is growing faster than our economy is growing. Its not possible.

Rauner praised the efforts of bipartisan groups of lawmakers that have being meeting for the past several weeks to try to forge compromises, and he said hes cautiously optimistic that a deal can get done before the May 31 deadline. After that, it would take a three-fifths majority in each chamber to approve a budget.

Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said the situation is more than a battle of wills between Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.

We are really fighting for the very soul of this state, she said.

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said Republicans are willing to compromise on taxes if Democrats will agree to some of the governors proposals.

Durkin said the state is not going to accept another year without a budget. If that happens, its going to be on the Democrats hands, he said.

Greg Baise, president of the Illinois Manufacturers Association, said business leaders are willing to back a tax increase but likewise need to see commitments to changing workers compensation laws and holding the line on property taxes.

But Sean Stott, a government relations director with the Laborers International Union, said Rauner is pushing workers compensation changes that rank-and-file lawmakers took off the table months ago.

They are categorically anti-middle class, and theyre just a giveaway to big business, Stott said.

Republicans and business groups have been pushing for stricter requirements for workers to prove that their injuries are job-related.

Instead, Stott said, lawmakers should focus on forcing insurance companies to pass on to their customers savings from previous changes to workers compensation laws.

Meanwhile, the House and Senate convened Monday afternoon but gave no indication of how they plan to address the budget before the deadline.

The House approved a bill that would require the state to give social service providers 30 days notice before canceling contracts. The bills sponsor, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, said it was in response to the Rauner administration suspending grants without notice last year in an effort to balance the budget.

The Senate approved a host of Rauners appointments to state posts.
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is seeking proposals to demolish and redevelop a long-shuttered resort on Lake Shelbyville.

Eagle Creek Resort and Conference Center has been closed since 2009, when mold was found throughout the state-owned, privately managed facility at Eagle Creek State Recreation Area in Shelby County. Previous redevelopment efforts have failed to get off the ground.

The Department of Natural Resources estimates that the necessary improvements, including structural, mechanical, plumbing and safety upgrades, will cost $17.8 million. Included in that cost is work required to comply with current building codes and meet accessibility requirements for people with disabilities.

After reviewing the report and talking with local officials, the IDNR believes it best to plan on demolishing the current resort buildings and seek development proposals for a modern resort complex on that beautiful shoreline site at Lake Shelbyville, department Director Wayne Rosenthal said in a written statement. We will consider all ideas for the resort that will result in development of a great visitor destination, and the best deal for taxpayers.

The departments findings are based on an evaluation of the property conducted by Chicago-based Globetrotters Engineering Corp. The company conducted walk-through inspections of the 138-room hotel and conference center in May 2015 and earlier this year.

Among the problems inspectors noted were numerous areas within the hotel facility, namely the kitchen area, banquet rooms and hotel wings . . . with mold, excessive waste and general clean-up issues, as well as the deteriorating effects of water infiltration in many locations.

Spokesman Chris Young said the department will issue a request for information from developers this summer and will set a deadline for responses at that time.

The Department of Natural Resources oversees the Eagle Creek resort and creation area through an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Corps is committed to working with the IDNR and local officials in providing opportunities for access to the lake and all it has to offer, Jon Summers, the Corps Lake Shelbyville operations manager, said in a written statement.

State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, who represents the area, said there are several developers interested in the project.

While previous redevelopment efforts have stalled, its different this time around, Rose said.

The key here is (to) get someone that knows what theyre doing from the start, he said. Actual developers of experience, substance and know-how exist that are interested in this property.

The long-term plans for the resort will likely include building a hotel with fewer rooms that can be expanded later if theres demand, Rose said.

Lake Shelbyville business and government leaders are optimistic about the resorts future.

Im thrilled there has been progress, Shelby County tourism Director Freddie Fry said. Weve been waiting for someone to have the opportunity to bring back a valuable tourist resource on Lake Shelbyville.

In addition to the loss of hotel and motel tax dollars that fund the Shelby County Office of Tourism, Shelby and Moultrie counties lost sales tax revenues and jobs when the resort was shuttered in 2009. Government leaders from both counties are excited about possibilities for the propertys future.

Weve been meeting for the last several months in an attempt to help expedite the process of getting Eagle Creek back in a productive state, Moultrie County Board Chairman Dave McCabe said. We have identified several developers.

We have a lot of work to do, Shelby County Board Chairman David Cruitt said. Weve spoken with several experienced developers that have the ability to restore the property to its proper greatness.

An open and thriving Eagle Creek would be an absolutely wonderful asset to the area, said Vonda McConnell, Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce office manager. The number of people it would bring in would increase shopping in our stores, eating in our restaurants and visitors to our attractions. It would make a big difference to the entire community.

Fry said she hopes a new resort would be a year-round asset on Lake Shelbyville.

Having the kind of facility that is not only a lakeside resort, but a meeting area and conference facility would be a welcome year-round revenue generator for the area, she said. It would provide tax revenue, but also showcase Lake Shelbyville as the beautiful destination it is.
SPRNGFIELD -- Hundreds of Exelon employees and supporters filled the Capitol rotunda Tuesday to rally in support of legislation the company says is essential to the future of two financially struggling nuclear power plants.

Exelon has said it needs legislative action on its Next Generation Energy Plan in the next week to prevent the closure of its nuclear plants in Clinton and near the Quad Cities. In part, the bill would extend subsidies similar to those enjoyed by the wind and solar power industries to nuclear plants.

Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, is sponsoring the legislation, which also includes changes to rate structures for customers and measures the company says would increase energy efficiency and jump-start solar power in the state.

Trotter thanked those who attended the rally and encouraged them to press other lawmakers to support the bill.

Theres a saying down here in Springfield: If you dont get up and shout, you will be left out,  he said.

Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, represents the Clinton Power Station, which he said provides 1,900 great jobs in central Illinois.

This is not a partisan issue, Rose said. Clean, efficient, cheap power for the people of Illinois is an Illinois issue, and this bill keeps our power rates low.

The bill also has the backing of organized labor because the plants provide thousands of high-paying jobs for highly skilled workers and millions of dollars in tax revenue to local governments and schools, said Michael Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO.

We cannot afford to see a nuclear plant close, Carrigan said.

Despite the push for support, whether the bill will be called for a vote before the scheduled end of the spring legislative session May 31 remains an open question.

Democratic Sen. Mattie Hunter of Chicago, chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, said at a committee hearing last week that the bill needed more work before it would be ready for a vote.

Trotter said discussions among interested parties, including environmental and consumer groups and downstate power company Ameren Illinois, are ongoing. He said he and his staff are reviewing a proposed amendment suggested by Ameren.

Critics say Ameren customers would bear some of the cost of saving Exelons nuclear plants but wouldnt enjoy the benefits of new energy efficiency programs that will be available to customers of Commonwealth Edison, Exelons northern Illinois utility.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, also a Chicago Democrat, issued a statement Tuesday in strong opposition to the bill.

This proposal would force consumers to pay more only to boost the companies profits further, Madigan said in the prepared statement. The legislature has more important matters to address than padding ComEd and Exelons profits.
The Lincoln Airport is moving closer to instituting a passenger facility charge.

Airport staff hosted a public informational workshop Monday in the airport's board room about the charge, which would add $4.50 to each ticket for people flying out of Lincoln.

The only member of the public who attended was Coby Mach, president and CEO of the Lincoln Independent Business Association. The only other attendees were Airport Authority member Nick Cusick and a Journal Star reporter.

Mach asked whether the charge would be a potential revenue source for the Airport Authority that could help it continue its history of not having to use its property tax authority. Airport officials said that avoiding levying taxes is a huge priority and all sources of revenue help with that goal.

Monday also marked the beginning of a 30-day public comment period on the proposed charge. Those wishing to comment need to go to http://www.lincolnairport.com/business-information/passenger-facility-charge/ by June 22.

The airport already sought comment from the two commercial airlines using the airport, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, neither of which offered an opinion on the proposed fee.

The Airport Authority plans to vote June 23 on whether to send its application to the Federal Aviation Administration, which would have 30 days to approve it. The charge could then be instituted within 60 days, although it must start on the first day of a month, putting its likely start date at Nov. 1.

The airport plans to seek the fee to help reimburse it for 22 eligible capital projects it has completed over the past 10 years as well as one current project. It is seeking a little over $5.4 million and expects it to take roughly nine years to generate that amount.

Once that amount of money is raised, the application technically will sunset, but consultants from Leibowitz & Horton, who are helping the airport with its application, said airports rarely drop the charge and simply put in new applications to extend it.

The charge has been in effect for 25 years, and Lincoln is one of few airports in the country that don't utilize it. Monica Weddle, with Leibowitz & Horton, said more than 80 percent of U.S. commercial airports levy the charge, including airports in all four cities to which airlines fly from Lincoln -- Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Minneapolis.

In Nebraska, airports in Grand Island, Kearney and Scottsbluff levy the charge; Omaha does not.
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Dolores Ann (Devlin) Peed, 94, of Lincoln, formerly of Fort Dodge and Webster City, Iowa, passed away May 21, 2016. She was born in Fort Dodge on March 15, 1922, to Joe and Clara Devlin. On Oct. 14, 1944, she was united in marriage to John J. Peed of Fort Dodge. They had seven children: Dennis (Carolyn) of Temecula, Calif.; Joe (Sue) of Fort Dodge; Tom (Rhonda) of Lincoln; Mary Ann Miller of Lincoln; Kathy Gustafson of Lincoln; Richard (Edda) of Tucson, Ariz.; and Jerry (Julie) of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Dolores was a devout Catholic, loving wife, and caring mother. With seven children, 25 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren, she led a very busy life and wore out several sets of rosary beads.

She is survived by her sister, Jane Rasch (Kenneth) of Fort Dodge. She was preceded in death by her husband, John, in 2002, and her son, Dennis, in 2006.

Visitation and rosary will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 26, at Gunderson Funeral Home in Fort Dodge. Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 27 at Sacred Heart Church in Fort Dodge; the same church where she was baptized and married. Interment will be at Corpus Christi cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Msgr. Kollasch Tuition Fund at St. Edmond Catholic School, 2220 4th Ave. N., Fort Dodge, IA 50501
The four teenagers slip into the darkened classroom, their blue and gray guns drawn as they scan for the hiding suspects.

To their surprise, a training officer pretending to be a gunman fires off blanks.

The lead student recovers and begins ordering the gunman to raise his hands and come out slowly.

After they successfully clear the room and take two bad guys into custody, Lincoln police officers brief the students on the gun they forgot to seize and the importance of communicating with each other.

"Cops never know what the situation is," Officer Rusty Lashley tells them in a debriefing.

***

The students at Lincoln's public high schools may someday work as police officers.

That hope is what prompted the Lincoln Police Department to host its first Law Enforcement Summer Youth Academy at Southeast Community College this week.

"We need to catch them earlier," said Capt. Genelle Moore, who commands the department's education and personnel division that screens applicants and hopes that giving students interested in law enforcement a glimpse of the work will inspire them to follow through.

During the two-day camp, the roughly 30 students learned about interrogations, handcuffing and the role of police dogs. They also took the department's physical fitness test.

For some, their only notion of the role police play may come from TV SWAT scenes in which officers storm buildings with guns blazing, Moore said.

"I think it's important to show, OK, the police, we're not out to take people's lives," she said.

***

In a simulated building search on Tuesday, a SWAT team officer reminds a teenager to keep her eyes forward where her gun is pointing.

"Come out with your hands up, please," the girl calls out to the officer pretending to be a gunman.

Outside the police building at Southeast Community College, nine students pair off and practice handcuffing each other.

"If my wrists chafe, you're paying for them," one jokes to another.

***

The program is an offshoot of police academy clubs led by school resource officers, and many of the students participating in the camp belong to those clubs, Moore said.

Caitlin Stara-O'Brien doesn't, but now she wants to join, she said Tuesday.

She'll be a senior at Lincoln Southwest High School this fall and credits the camp with enhancing her interest about a future in law enforcement.

The "crimes in progress" activity, which allowed her to assess a loud party call or domestic disturbance as the police officer, was her favorite, she said.

Gathering information from the role players was the best part.

"You go in, see what was happening and determine who to arrest, if anybody," she said with a grin.
Lincoln Public Schools superintendent Steve Joel would get a base salary of $313,239 in 2016-17 under a proposed contract being considered Tuesday by the school board.

The proposed three-year contract includes a $4,800, or 1.56 percent, salary increase next year. His total package -- including health insurance, retirement, Medicare and Social Security -- would be $362,410.

Thats a smaller increase than last years 2.88 percent increase.

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans will receive a base salary of $281,139 for 2016-17, with a total package of $384,647, according to the Nebraska Department of Education website. His total package includes $12,000 for transportation.

Joels contract includes reimbursement for travel expenses, but the amount is not included in the $362,410 total package estimate.

The board on Tuesday also will consider contracts for the four members of Joels executive team. Their contracts include an overall salary increase of 2.85 percent, and an overall package increase of 2.91 percent for 2016-17.

The total package increase is less than last years 3.16 percent.

The increases for Joel and his executives are lower than for teachers.

Under the two-year contract approved earlier this year, teachers' benefits and salary packages will go up 3.18 percent for 2016-17, including an across-the-board salary increase of $1,600. They will get a 3.19 percent package increase the second year of the contract.

The proposed base salaries for the four members of the executive team include:

* Jane Stavem, associate superintendent for instruction, $218,274.

* Eric Weber, associate superintendent for human resources, and Liz Standish, associate superintendent for business affairs, $205,359.

* John Neal, assistant to the superintendent for general administration and government affairs, $179,525.

The board also will consider two-year contracts with salary increases of 2.88 percent in 2016-17 and 2.89 percent the following year for administrators, custodians, maintenance, other office professionals, technicians and transportation employee groups. Their overall package increases vary from 3.19 percent to 3.49 percent.

The board will vote on all the contracts at its June 15 meeting.
Lincoln Electric System is fast-tracking a $17.7 million transmission line and substation project that will help meet increasing electric demands and improve reliability for Lincolns fastest-growing area.

The public utility plans to start work on its Southeast Reliability Project in 2017 and wrap up in 2018. Previous plans called for construction to begin in 2018 and end in 2020.

LES held three open houses for the project last year and is now expediting it to stay ahead of continuing development in the area, LES transmission and civil design supervisor Nick Vanous said Friday during the utility boards monthly meeting.

Officials worried that if too much time passed between the open houses and the start of construction new people and businesses might move into the area, then feel ambushed by construction because they werent around for the initial public outreach.

"Landowners in the area are well-informed of the need to support Lincolns continued growth. As the area continues to be developed, new property owners may not be aware of the project and its importance," Vanous said in an email.

The project includes construction of three substations and a 7.5-mile-long, 115-kilovolt overhead transmission line, as well as the relocation of a 345-kilovolt line that will follow the same route.

LES continues to reach out to landowners in the path of the project, which is almost entirely outside the city's southeast edge. Power poles would be 80 to 140 feet tall, with the distance between them typically ranging from 600 to 800 feet.

Some area landowners have criticized LES for not following the path of the proposed South Lincoln Beltway, which is slated to be built 2020-23.

Roger Byrne -- who expects two steel poles will be built on his farm near 54th Street and Bennet Road -- said LES could save money and reduce disruption to landowners by sharing right-of-way with the proposed beltway. Acquisition of right-of-way costs for the Southeast Reliability Program is expected to be $2.66 million.

In an interview Monday, Byrne said he plans to talk with his neighbors about how they can pressure LES to change its route and did not rule out the possibility of a lawsuit.

LES previously has said the timing of the right-of-way acquisition for the South Beltway prevents it from considering routing segments of the transmission line along the planned roadway. Final design and acquisition of the South Beltway right-of-way is expected to happen between 2017 and 2020.

The Southeast Reliability Project must be built by 2020 to meet future load growth and maintain reliability, Vanous said.

"The longer LES waits to proceed with this project the higher the exposure becomes to large power outages in southeast Lincoln. We have determined that the exposure level would be too great if we waited for the Beltway project to reach a point where we can begin our project," Vanous said in an email.

The new 115-kilovolt line will connect to existing substations at 103rd and Rokeby Road as well as at 91st Street and Nebraska 2 and to the substations to be built at 76th Street and Rokeby Road, 68th Street and Bennet Road and at 40th Street and Bennet Road. Substation sites are between seven and 10 acres.
In releasing his list of potential Supreme Court nominees, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has begun to solidify his support among conservatives as perhaps no other announcement could do.

The record of any of the 11 judges currently serving on federal or state benches may calm the fears of those who are not committed "NeverTrump-ers."

A clear sign of how well these men and women would perform on the court is the reaction by Hillary Clinton, who calls them "extreme ideologues." Today, if one wishes to return to the boundaries set for government by the Constitution, the left considers that extreme. Violating constitutional boundaries is considered "progressive."

CNN.com writes, "John Malcolm, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation who compiled and published the foundation's list of eight potential Supreme Court nominees in March, called Trump's selections 'excellent' ... and (the list) should be reassuring to those conservatives who have had doubts about Trump's judicial appointments."

Malcolm responded to my request for an analysis of their philosophy and rulings:

-- Steven Colloton, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2003. He earned a law degree from Yale and clerked for the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, a conservative icon.

-- Allison Eid is an associate justice on the Colorado Supreme Court. Prior to her judicial service, Eid was Colorado's solicitor general and a law professor at the University of Colorado. She clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas, another conservative favorite.

-- Raymond Gruender was named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit by President Bush in 2004. Among his decisions that will delight conservatives was a written opinion that the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 did not give female employees the right to insurance coverage for contraceptives used solely to prevent pregnancy. Judge Gruender also dissented from a panel ruling that upheld an injunction striking down a South Dakota law requiring abortion providers to inform patients that an "abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being."

-- Joan Larsen is an associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court and before that a professor at the University of Michigan School of Law. She clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, which would make her nomination especially poignant. Of interest to conservatives is her statement after being named to the Michigan court. Promising to be a "strict constructionist," she explained, "I believe in enforcing the laws as written by the legislature and signed by the governor. I don't think judges are a policy-making branch of government."

-- Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania has been a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit since 2007. His ruling that a jail policy of strip-searching all arrestees does not violate the Fourth Amendment was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012. The following year, he dissented from his court's decision on a New Jersey law requiring applicants for licenses to carry handguns in public to show "justifiable need," citing the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The others on Trump's list also have stellar conservative credentials. The question is: will he follow through, or change his mind, as he has done on so many other issues?

A Washington Post editorial said that by publishing their names now, Trump "has practically guaranteed that none of the judges he offered will be seen as fair over the next several months, their every ruling scrutinized for evidence that they are applying for the job -- even if they try to conduct their duties evenhandedly." The Post also chastised Clinton and Sanders for applying litmus tests to judges they would nominate, but it's no secret that liberal presidents name liberal judges and conservatives presidents mostly, but not always, nominate conservatives.

The Heritage Foundation would be a good source for Trump, as it was for Ronald Reagan, who used its 1980 "Mandate for Leadership" as a guide for his first term on many domestic and foreign policy issues. Trump would improve his credibility and knowledge of important issues if he did the same.
I hesitate to bring up facts.

If recent years have proven nothing else, theyve proven that we have fully embarked upon a post-factual era wherein the idea that a thing can be knowable to an objective certainty  and that this should matter  has been diminished to the point of near irrelevancy.

Donald Trump is the avatar of the era. Not content to rest on his laurels, he recently provided superfluous proof of his supremacy in mendacity. Asked by The New York Times to name the most dangerous place in the world hes ever visited, Trump replied that there are places in America that are among the most dangerous in the world. You go to places like Oakland. Or Ferguson. The crime numbers are worse. Seriously.

You wonder whether its worth correcting him. After all, neither Trump nor his followers seem especially interested in truth. But for the record, according to the Citizens Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice in Mexico, which tracks murder statistics around the world, only four U.S. cities make the list of the 50 most dangerous places on Earth. None of them is Ferguson or Oakland.

Trumps use of those cities, both with high poverty rates and large African-American populations, is, of course, intended as a crude dog whistle to the angry white men hes courting  some old-fashioned victim blaming and shaming to rouse the rabble. But it got me thinking about this whole concept of the most dangerous place on Earth. If by that we mean the place with potential for the greatest amount of harm to the largest number of people, maybe we should broaden our definition of danger.

For example, climate change is sure dangerous, linked as it is to increased risk of fire, flood, famine, drought, freakish storms, high temperatures and resultant illnesses. The World Health Organization says this already contributes to 150,000 deaths a year and that between 2030 and 2050, the death toll could rise to a quarter million a year. A 2015 study in the journal Politics and Policy found the GOP is virtually the only major conservative party in any democracy on Earth still denying this reality  and opposing measures to deal with it.

So the most dangerous place on Earth could be Republican headquarters.

Lead poisoning causes behavioral problems and irreversible brain damage in children and memory loss, high blood pressure, decline in mental functioning, reduced sperm count and miscarriages in adults. The water crisis in Flint, Mich., we now find, was the tip of the proverbial iceberg, with reports that high lead levels have been found in 2,000 water systems serving 6 million people in 50 states.

So the most dangerous place on Earth might be your local water department.

The economic collapse of 2008 wiped out $7.4 trillion in stocks, $3.4 trillion in real estate and 5.5 million jobs, according to a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts. It cost the average American household $5,800 in lost income. The effects were felt worldwide amid fears of a global financial meltdown, a Second Great Depression, brought about by too-big-to-fail-banks playing the U.S. economy like a Vegas casino. Some experts say the threat of a relapse endures.

So the most dangerous place on Earth may be Wall Street.

But it isnt. No, the most dangerous place on Earth is none of the above.

Consider for a moment: To lead America through a world of complex and difficult challenges, the Republican Party offers us Donald Trump. He is pervy, thin-skinned, loud-mouthed and volatile, a preening bully and serial liar who shows little evidence of core values, nor even inner life. Yet, some large percentage of us thinks he should have access to the nuclear codes.

So if you really want to know the most dangerous place on Earth, its simple. Its every polling place in America, come November.
Nebraskans who want to keep the death penalty off the books in Nebraska took a proactive step last week to reassure Nebraskans that when a murderer is sentenced to life in prison, it means just that.

The anti-death penalty group included some Nebraskans who can speak with consummate authority.

Heres what retired District Court Judge Ronald Reagan had to say:

I want to make sure there is no legal confusion, Reagan said. Life imprisonment means life in prison, no chance of parole. Anything else is legal posturing and has no grounding in the legal realities.

Reagan ought to know. Hes the judge who sentenced John Joubert to death. John Joubert, a sadistic serial killer convicted of stabbing two boys to death, died in the electric chair in 1996. He was one of the last people to be executed in the state.

I have seen the worst of the worst cases in Nebraska and I have studied the laws very carefully, Reagan said. Let me be perfectly clear about what happens when someone is sentenced to life imprisonment in Nebraska  they die in prison.

Coincidentally, a few days after Reagan spoke to the news media, inmate Randy Reeves died at age 60 in the Nebraska State Penitentiary. Reeves was serving a life sentence for killing two women in Lincoln in 1980.

Reagans point was underscored by two Nebraska lawmakers  Sens. Colby Coash and Adam Morfeld -- who serve on the judiciary committee.

The public statements from experts with authoritative credentials were needed because some advocates in the pro-death penalty crowd have been spreading doubt about the meaning and efficacy of life imprisonment in Nebraska.

For example, pro-death penalty spokesman Bob Evnen at a panel discussion at Western Nebraska Community College claimed, according to the Scottsbluff Star Herald, There is no such thing as life without parole anyway. There is no such thing as life without release."

Evnen apparently was basing his claim on the fact that the Nebraska Pardons Board has the authority to commute life sentences.

The Pardons Board has commuted three life sentences in the past 25 years.

But what Evnen did not say is that the Pardons Board also has the power to commute death sentences. And Nebraska history shows it has also exercised that power.

Only the Pardons Board  currently made up of Gov. Pete Ricketts, Attorney General Doug Peterson and Secretary of State John Gale -- can commute a death sentence or a sentence of life imprisonment.

Dont be misled by the exaggerations and fear-mongering of death penalty supporters. Take the word of retired Judge Ronald Reagan, who actually has imposed sentences in first degree murder cases. Nebraskans can be assured that a life sentence in Nebraska means that the convict will die in prison.
The about face of the Republican establishment to embrace the nomination of Donald Trump is ironic and disheartening. Trump tapped the support of a minority of disillusioned Republicans to win over a crowded field of establishment candidates. His views were roundly criticized by establishment Republicans and rightly so, as Trump threatened to close our borders to all Muslim immigrants, deport Mexican immigrants and build a wall to keep them out and employ nuclear weapons to defeat ISIS. They cried foul when he denigrated women and opposing candidates. When Trump claimed he would use his business acumen to make America great again, despite lacking any relevant government experience or understanding of foreign policy, they rightfully questioned his qualifications to govern.

But never mind all that now. In the blink of an eye the establishments mantra morphed from Never Trump to Never Hillary, joined by Nebraskas contingent of Pete Ricketts, Deb Fischer and Dave Heineman ("State GOP convention tries to unify behind Trump," May 15). Really? Can what was so wrong now so quickly be so right? Does party loyalty so easily trump the national interest? How can these leaders in good conscience advocate such a dangerous demagogue for the presidency? Why are Nebraska Republicans supporting them instead of Senator Ben Sasse ("Sasse stands ground," May 18)? So far, he is our only leader with the courage to put America first by refusing to support Trump. For all of our sakes, I hope all Nebraskans will follow his lead.
In regards to the article "Sasse stands ground," from May 18 and the letter to the editor, "Sasse has honor," by James F. Daehnke on May 19, I say Republican voters have spoken and their choice is Donald Trump. This is for various reasons, including Islamophobia, protecting our borders, bringing jobs back to America, restoring personal liberties and more. This is all despite his rudeness. Since the people have spoken, I really resent those who speak for themselves only, such as Sen. Ben Sasse, Mitt Romney and others, including some Christians, who I will label as childish. Such behavior only give their lacking votes to the opposing party. It is a really a shame that millions of Christians dd not vote in the last general election and we suffer for that. Shame on you!
Randy Moody, a lifelong Republican with an extensive GOP pedigree, said Monday he'll be voting in November for likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton over Republican nominee Donald Trump because "country comes before party."

"A Donald Trump presidency would not only endanger reproductive freedoms in America, but America itself," Moody said. He's co-founder of Republicans for Planned Parenthood.

Moody, a Lincoln resident who lives in Arizona in the wintertime, invited other Republicans to join him in a column printed in the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.

"Don't stay at home on Nov. 8 if you are a Republican who believes in the traditional party values of individual rights, personal choice and economic responsibility," Moody wrote.

A vote for Hillary Clinton is "the right thing to do," he said.

"There is a solid, moderate base of support within the Republican Party from which to rebuild after a Trump debacle in November," Moody said.

"This is no time for moderates to leave the party. There will be a considerable struggle for its heart and soul."

Moody said vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court -- one now, with more likely to follow -- is reason enough to vote for Clinton because Trump has said he would appoint new justices likely to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion legal.

"Republicans who support individual liberty and reproductive rights should be voting for Hillary Clinton in the fall," Moody wrote.

And, he argued, "you need to stay Republicans to help clean up the mess after Nov. 8 when Donald Trump leads the party and its candidates to ruin."

Moody is a former Lancaster County Republican chairman who cast his first presidential vote for Barry Goldwater in 1964. He served on the staffs of Sen. Roman Hruska, Rep. John McCollister, Rep. Virginia Smith and Gov. Charles Thone, all Nebraska Republican officeholders, and was a candidate for lieutenant governor in 1986.

Prior to his retirement in 2010, Moody was chief lobbyist for the National Education Association in Washington.
June 7  Arturo Sandoval

Jazz in Junes 25th anniversary lineup of performers includes 10-time Grammy award-winner Arturo Sandoval.

A protege of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on Nov. 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at age 12, but he soon caught the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the worlds most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.

Sandoval is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions at the Oscars, Grammy Awards and Billboard Awards. He recently released a new book chronicling his relationship with Dizzy Gillespie titled The Man Who Changed My Life. He also was the 2013 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

For more about Sandoval, see www.arturosandoval.com.

June 14 Tizer Quartet featuring Eric Marienthal

Returning to the Jazz in June stage is keyboardist/composer Lao Tizer, a Boulder, Colorado native.

He has been busy traveling the world, and we just so happened to catch him on a small run with internationally known sax player Eric Marienthal, a Berklee standout, who recorded 14 solo CDs and has played on hundreds of records, films, television shows and commercial jingles, says Spencer Munson, Jazz in June event coordinator. For more details, see www.laotizer.com and www.ericmarienthal.com.

June 21  Jackie Allen

Another veteran returning to Jazz in June, Allens legacy as an international Nebraskan goes without saying. Her 2014 album titled My Favorite Color has received national praise. She has served multiple terms on the Board of Governors and Jazz Nominating Committee for the Recording Academy (Grammy Awards). On Feb. 13, the Lied Center for Performing Arts brought Allen to the intimate Rococo Theater setting for her performance of A Romantic Evening with Jackie Allen.

For more details on Allen, see http://jackieallen.com/.

June 28  Tim Doherty's 9plus1

Jazz in Junes final performer is a mainstay in the Kansas City scene. The brainchild of saxophonist Tim Doherty, 9plus1 was established in 2008 and features Kansas Citys top professional jazz musicians performing the best in little big band music. Their crisp ensemble work, advanced musical expression, unique arrangements and superb improvisation allows 9plus1 to cover a wide range of jazz styles with entertaining aplomb. 9plus1 features a diverse repertoire of music by some of the best jazz composers from the early Swing Era of the late 1920s, the Cool Jazz period of the 1940s and early 1950s, the Hard Bop jazz of the late 1950s and early 60s, and even contemporary compositions from todays most heralded jazz composers, including band-contributed arrangements and original compositions. Hear for yourself as 9plus1 delivers an exciting mix of jazz for every audience and treats every ear to a 10-piece meal. In addition to ongoing local club dates, recent performances include the Junction City Opera House, Topeka Jazz Workshop Concert Series and the JCCC Jazz Winterlude. See more about 9plus1 at facebook.com/nineplus1.
Meet Spencer Munson, downtown Lincoln event coordinator for the Downtown Lincoln Association, who will coordinate the 25th anniversary Jazz in June.

For my first year, I intend to produce an event with the same quality that everyone has expected in past years, Munson says. If asked back, I have a number of goals for talent, a larger marketing reach and fundraising development. I also would like to find more ways to connect with various campus organizations to further the community development with Lincoln and the university.

He adds that he has two great mentors in Martha Florence, the Jazz in June committees first chair, and Bill Stephan, executive director of the Lied Center for Performing Arts, who is chairman of the 25th anniversary Jazz in June advisory committee.

With their guidance, I am learning the university system and helping to bring all the arts together to continue to make Jazz in June the amazing event that it has been for 25 years, Munson says.

He adds that Jazz in June was the event that inspired him to pursue a career in marketing and promotion in 2001 when he enrolled in classes at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Munson co-organizes three other festivals, which include the Nebraska Folk and Roots Festival, Lincoln Calling and a new cultural celebration called Lincoln Unites. He also produces events for the Downtown Lincoln Association and helps with marketing at the Bourbon Theater.

And, of course, he is excited about this years lineup of Jazz in June performers.

Munson grew up in Western Nebraska on a small ranch, soaking up whatever music I could find while haying in the summers, he says. I was lucky enough to have parents with a diverse record collection, and I found myself dubbing vinyl onto tape including Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis and old ragtime compilations. After graduating from Nebraska Wesleyan, I immersed myself into the local music scene, running the local record store called Spindle, DJing at local bars and clubs, and learning how to market bands for local venues.
Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey will speak at the 2016 Rotary District 5650 Conference to be held Aug. 5-6 at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center in Lincoln.

Also scheduled to speak are Dr. Bill McDade, who will give a presentation on polio eradication, and Rotary International Vice President Jennifer Jones, who will share stories of work being accomplished by Rotary around the world.

Registration is $75 if paid before July 1 and $125 after July 1.

Register online at www.rotarydistrict5650.com
MOUNT PLEASANT  Staff at Case High School took precautionary measures Tuesday after a threat was called into the school, a situation that has affected several schools throughout the state and nation, police and school officials said.

On a recommendation from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Case staff did not allow students to leave the building during lunch Tuesday as a precautionary measure, according to an email to parents sent by Principal Jody Bloyer. Anyone entering or leaving the building had to use the main entrance and was subject to search, Bloyer said.

It is extremely important to myself and to this staff that we take every step in both practicing and ensuring the utmost safety of our entire school community, Bloyer said. I am proud of our staff and students for the collaborative efforts they are showing in this precautionary time.

According to a release from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, the Racine County Communications Center received the threatening call at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, and the caller threatened students and staff at Case. According to a press release, nothing credible substantiated the threat as of 1:30 Tuesday afternoon.

The caller made some reference to harming students at the school, Mount Pleasant Police Chief Tim Zarzecki said. Were taking this really seriously and working with the school to investigate the matter.

The school initiated lockdown procedures, according to the release. Zarzecki added that additional patrol officers were assigned to the area.

Similar incidents

In the note to parents, Bloyer said high schools around Wisconsin have received similar threats recently, and police have been calling it a scam. Zarzecki said his department is investigating whether this incident is related to those calls, which he said have occurred nationwide.

We heard that over the last few days, many schools across the nation have received automated calls with some sort of threat to the schools, he said.

The school didnt take any chances, according to Racine Unified School District spokeswoman Stacy Tapp.

Were not going to assume anything, Tapp said. Thats why were taking precautionary measures to keep the students safe.

Tapp praised the Police Department for their assistance in the tenuous situation.

We have great relationships with the police which we appreciate, especially during times like this, Tapp said.

Mount Pleasant Police continued to investigate the call Tuesday afternoon.

Its a necessary precaution around these things, Zarzecki said. Were just trying to do everything we can to ensure everybodys safety.
RACINE  A Racine man was behind bars on Monday, accused of stalking a girl who worked at a Mexican restaurant.

David Vega, 56, of the 1800 block of St. Clair Street, is accused of following a girl, who is younger than 18, three times in a week as she walked to and from work, according to his criminal complaint.

The complaint doesnt list the girls age or date of birth.

The girl told Racine police that she was walking at about 7:50 a.m. on May 14 from home to work at Mi Jacalito, 1318 Douglas Ave., when she noticed a white van pass her, do a U-turn, and then follow her, the complaint states. The driver, later identified as Vega, asked if the girl wanted a ride, she told police. She declined, but the van reportedly continued to follow her to the restaurant.

On May 15, the girl saw the van at about 7:55 a.m. parked across from her home as she left to walk to work, the complaint states. Vega again asked if the girl wanted a ride, she again declined, but the van continued to follow her to work, she told police.

The girl said she feared for her safety, so she told her stepfather about the incidents.

It was at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday that the girl reportedly saw Vega dining at Mi Jacalito while she was working. The girl asked another waitress to wait on Vega and she called her stepfather, asking him to walk her home from work.

The girls stepfather said he saw Vega walking about two blocks behind the girl after she left the restaurant at about 10 p.m., so he began following Vega and confronted him after Vega called out the girls name and approached her, according to the complaint.

Vega wouldnt answer, instead telling the stepfather he was going to sue him for harassment, the complaint states.

When police arrived, Vega allegedly wouldnt answer questions, holding his wrists together and telling officers they should take him to jail.

Prosecutors on Monday charged Vega with stalking. The charge is a Class I felony, punishable by a maximum of 1 years in prison plus two years on extended supervision if convicted.

Court Commissioner Robert Goepel set Vegas bond at $1,000 cash during his initial appearance in court on Monday. He also ordered Vega not to have any contact with the girl, her family or Mi Jacalito. Goepel ordered that if Vega posts bail, that he be placed on electronic monitoring on house arrest.

Vega couldnt be reached for comment Monday as he was in jail.

His preliminary hearing it set for June 1.
RACINE  The newest residents of the Racine County Courthouse were formally introduced and named Monday.

About 30 people gathered on the top floor of the courthouse, 730 Wisconsin Ave., to get an up-close look at three peregrine falcon chicks that hatched on the courthouse roof about three weeks ago.

Residents and county staff watched as Greg Septon of Peregrine Management and Research put bands around the legs of each of the birds  two females and one male. The bands will be used for tracking purposes.

We can find out what the causes of death are, we can find out longevity, Septon said afterward. We can find out for their entire lifetimes how many young they produce. If theres a problem, we can identify where (it) came from.

Basically, its an identifying marker for their entire life that allows us to better manage this urban nesting population.

Bands are put on the chicks between 18 and 22 days after hatching. Any earlier and their gender isnt clear, so its unknown which band should be put on; any later and the birds could get scared out of the nest box before they can fly and wind up dead, Septon said.

Its critical we band at the right time, Septon told the audience. And this is the right time.

Peregrines are annually hatched at the courthouse, a tradition Septon said began around 2001 and has resulted in an estimated 40 or so birds. The courthouse is an ideal location because of its height (10 stories), its presence next to water (Lake Michigan) and the nesting box on the roof.

A webcam typically follows their progress, though the feed went down earlier this year after the camera was hit by lightning.

The birds, which will grow to about crow size, will start flying in two and a half to three weeks, Septon said.

Named in tribute

Racine County staff picked out names for the birds: RoseAnne, Karen and Len.

The birds were named after RoseAnne Lee, the former clerk of circuit court who died last year; Karen Johnson Boyd, the Racine Art Museum benefactor who died in January; and Len Ziolkowski, the late Racine County executive who was also honored last week with the renaming of Harbor Park.

A fourth egg didnt hatch, which Septon said isnt surprising, given that happens to about 25 percent of such eggs.
MOUNT PLEASANT  After concerns raised about the necessity and number of times the Mount Pleasant Village Board has discussed issues behind closed doors, trustees on Monday opted against meeting in closed session.

Wisconsins open meetings law requires government meetings be held in public but carves out some exemptions, including matters with competitive or bargaining implications, that allow governing bodies to convene in closed session. Any votes must be made in public.

The board on Monday was scheduled to discuss in closed session a change order in the villages contract with Dorner Inc., which is involved in the Highway V water and sewer project.

The board also was to confer with legal counsel regarding an update on the Highway V project, according to the meeting agenda. Residents along the road have threatened litigation over the controversial project, which was approved earlier this year and includes charges to Highway V residents for water and sewer between Highways 20 and K.

The board on Monday voted 4-3 to remain in open session. Trustee Gary Feest noted there is no lawsuit pending on Highway V and argued it was unnecessary to discuss the change order behind closed doors.

Mount Pleasant resident Kelly Gallaher also criticized the boards use of closed session meetings during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Closed sessions are not allowed for the convenience of board members who dont want to discuss touchy or controversial subjects in front of the public or media, she said.

Elaine Ekes, a village attorney who advised the board to go into closed session, said the open session meant she was limited in the information and advice she could provide because it wont be in the villages best interest to put that out in open session.

The purpose of the closed session is to allow the board members to hear frank advice from their hired attorneys about matters pending and the implications related to that, Ekes said.

The update with legal counsel on Highway V was not held and Ekes said she withheld some background details on the change order.

Trustee Sony Havn called the opposition to closed sessions grandstanding.

These are legal issues that need to be done and to get everything out in the open, pretty difficult to do when youre dealing with negotiations and contractors, he said.

The change order, which pushed deadlines for the Highway V work to next year, was eventually approved 6-0. Trustee Jon Hansen, who lives on Highway V and will be assessed for the project, abstained. Ekes said whether he voted was up to him but that he could face repercussions, such as a misconduct in office violation or fines, for a potential conflict of interest.

Another would-be closed session item, authorizing Utility Manager Tony Beyer and the villages Sewer Commission to handle Highway V project change orders less than $50,000 in value, was also approved 6-0.
A series of changes to Wisconsin election laws including a voter ID requirement hasn't negatively affected voting in suburban communities near Milwaukee, city and county clerks testified in federal court Tuesday.

"From the start, we have had virtually no problems at all," said Waukesha County clerk Kathleen Novack.

Their testimony came as the state began its defense in a trial challenging voting policies signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker between 2011 and 2015 including restrictions on early voting hours and locations, the elimination of straight-ticket voting and the photo identification requirement.

The lawsuit contends those changes place a disproportionate burden on non-white voters. Tuesday marked the seventh day of the trial, which is expected to last almost two weeks.

Attorneys for the state argue the plaintiffs are using anecdotal, "one-in-a-million" cases as an argument to strike down the laws. They have noted the state's increased turnout in elections that have occurred since the voter ID law was passed in 2011 and emphasized that the state Department of Motor Vehicles provides free IDs to those who need them.

Cedarburg city clerk Constance McHugh testified that a policy limiting in-person absentee voting to one location allows her to have more control over the process, and said she believes more than one location would be confusing for Cedarburg voters.

McHugh said she hasn't seen long lines or other complications as a result of the photo ID requirement, and said voters in her community have been pleased to have it in place.

Port Washington city clerk Susan Westerbeke agreed that the provision barring municipalities from having more than one location for in-person absentee voting is a good policy.

Westerbeke also spoke favorably of a provision limiting early voting hours and eliminating weekend voting, arguing statewide consistency can limit voter confusion.

Voters in Port Washington generally receive their news from Milwaukee media, she said, and might be confused if Milwaukee offered weekend voting while Port Washington didn't.

Cedarburg and Port Washington are both cities of about 11,000 in Ozaukee County, not far from Milwaukee's population of 600,000. Cedarburg is 96 percent white, and Port Washington is 95 percent white, compared to 45 percent of Milwaukee.

Ozaukee County as a whole is about 95 percent white and neighboring Waukesha County is about 94 percent white. With Washington County  96 percent white  they make up the state's deep-red "WOW counties." The deeply conservative counties form an arc around Democratic Milwaukee County, which is 65 percent white.

Novack said she believes eliminating weekend voting "level(s) the playing field" between large urban areas and smaller suburban and rural communities that lack the resources to staff weekend hours.

"If theres an office open 30 days versus an office thats only open 10 work days, there are obviously voters that have a lot more access than someone else," Novack said. "There has to come a point where its just giving over-access  to particular parts of the state."

Asked whether she thought voters in Milwaukee and Madison  communities that previously used weekend voting  had too much access, Novack said, "too much access to the voters as far as opportunities."

If long lines start to form at a polling place, Novack said, it would make more sense to add more staff and open more lines within that location rather than opening a second one.

"For instance if youre in the grocery store and theres a long line, they open up another line," she said.

She also argued long lines could be evidence that access is not an issue in urban areas.

"Apparently access is an easy thing or they wouldnt have long lines," she said.

Plaintiffs in the case include One Wisconsin Institute, Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund and six individuals. The first week of the trial included testimony from elections experts, DMV employees, a former Republican legislative staffer and several witnesses who faced difficulties obtaining photo IDs.
10 Nepalis killed in Dehradun landslip

Ten Nepali workers were killed in Chetra Village in Dehradun, India, after they were buried under boulders after a landslide hit the region on Sunday afternoon.
Angelina Jolie to teach at LSE

Oscar-winning actress and activist Angelina Jolie is set to become a visiting professor at the London School of Economics.
Brad Pitt rescues young fan

Actor Brad Pitt has been hailed as a hero after saving a young girl from being crushed by a crowd of film lovers who had assembled to watch filming of his latest movie, "Allied".
Discontent mars first meet of Maoist Centre

The very first meeting of the CPN (Maoist Centre), a union of various Maoist forces who have come together, on Monday witnessed a dispute, following which Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided to keep the leadership centralised with a small team of office bearers.
DPM Thapa shares post-quake operations

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa co-chaired the High-Level Leaders Roundtable on Natural Disaster and Climate Change: Managing Risks and Crises Differently  one of the seven roundtables being organised as part of the World Humanitarian Summits being held in Istanbul, Turkey.
Eight caught on charge of murdering friend

Police have arrested eight persons from Khairang VDC on a murder charge.
Gathabandhan aims broader stir

Stating that its Kathmandu-centric protest has been effective, the Sanghiya Gathabandhan, an alliance of Madhesi and Janajati forces, has said that it will now bring other communities, besides Adibasis and Janajatis, into the fold to give more strength to its struggle
Govt proposes loan, subsidy on alternative energy

The government has come up with various loan and subsidy programmes in its Renewable Energy Subsidy Policy 2016 with the aim of providing clean, reliable and accessible energy using renewable and alternative energy technologies.
Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.
Govt to build 100 joint shelters in two months

The government has decided to construct at least 100 community shelters for the earthquake-displaced families in several districts before mid-July.
Himalaya Airlines to start Doha service on May 31

Himalaya Airlines has decided to launch Kathmandu-Doha flights instead after failing to obtain clearance to operate services to New Delhi as per its original plan.
India has agreed to supply additional 10,000 MT LPG to Nepal, say officials

India has agreed to export additional 10,000 metric tonnes of cooking gas to Nepal from its Paradip Port of Odisha.
Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.
More than half the victims were aloof from protests

A majority of the people killed during the protest in the Tarai have been found to be bystanders and those hiding from the aggression of the security forces.
Nepses record bull run continues

The turnover in Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) jumped to Rs1.44 billion on Monday, a record high in the countrys only stock market.
SAARC agrees to develop common goal to protect children

The Saarc member states have agreed to develop a specific strategy to help one another to end violence against children within next five years.
Sanghiya Gathabandhan snubs all-party meet

The agitating Sanghiya Gathabandhan, an alliance of Madhesi and Janjati forces, on Tuesday boycotted the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Saudi court hands death sentence to man convicted of 2004 attack on Swiss firm

A man has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for killing six Westerners and a Saudi soldier in an al Qaeda attack in the city of Yanbu in 2004, local media reported on Tuesday.
SC summons Dahal over contempt of court case

The Supreme Court has summoned CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to be present before the court within three days and furnish a reply regarding a contempt of court case charged against him.
Study to be done for re-regulating dam

The Budhi Gandaki Hydroelectric Project Development Committee (BGHPDC) has decided to conduct a study for a re-regulating dam planned to be built downstream of the project site.
Swiss criminal probe into BSI bank over 1MDB links

Swiss financial regulators have opened criminal proceedings against the country's BSI bank over links to corruption allegations against Malaysia's 1MDB fund.
TU plan to hold Free Student Union polls by May fails

Differences among the student unions over the age limit for candidates for Free Student Union election have pushed back the poll as the Tribhuvan University is unwilling to set the date without consensus among the unions.
Visiting the hinterland

Sometimes, I wonder how my life would be if I was born as a girl in the Madhesi community
Woe is us

Nepal is stuck in poverty while the rest of the world has taken a great leap forward
Buganda Kingdom has today marked the fifth anniversary of the attack of Lubiri, Kabaka Edward Mutesas palace.

The attack culminated into Ugandas political turmoil to make fresh demands for federal system of government.

Buganda Kingdom Attorney General David Mpangasays the attack on bthe palace was answering a political question militarily, which was wrong.

He says the annual celebrations are Kabaka Ronald Mutebes directive to always remind the public of the unfortunate incident that happened to Buganda.

Arch Bishop KizitoLwanga led brief prayers at the event attended by Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala.
South Korea said Tuesday that it has come to an agreement with Israel to begin negotiations next month on a free trade deal that could further boost bilateral trade.

The first round of negotiations is set for June 27 in Seoul. The decision was reached in a meeting between South Korea's vice trade minister Woo Tae-hee and a senior Israeli official in Jerusalem, according to South Korea.

South Korea and Israel began talks on a free trade deal in 2009, but progress has been slow amid Seoul's efforts to seal free trade pacts with other major trading partners such as China.

South Korea and Israel said the two countries have a high potential for cooperation in various fields including trade, investment and technology-based startups.

Israeli Ambassador to South Korea Uri Gutman said last year that a free trade agreement between South Korea and Israel would help foster innovation and entrepreneurship, as both countries boast advanced technologies.

Two-way trade reached some $2.2 billion in 2014, according to official data. Of the total, South Korean exports accounted for $1.23 billion.

South Korea has clinched a series of free trade agreements with major trading partners, including the U.S. and China, in recent years as part of its efforts to boost growth in the country's export-driven economy. (Yonhap)
Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming speaks at the "Cyber 2016" Conference in London, May 24, 2016. [Photo by Song Wei/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming urged joint efforts in building a community with a common future in cyberspace at the "Cyber 2016" Conference in central London on Tuesday.

In a speech delivered at Chatham House of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Liu said collaboration is "the optimal path" to tackle the challenges.

China stands ready to join hands with other countries to foster "a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyberspace", he told the audience.

The ambassador pointed out that an open Internet has the potential to bring great advantages for all of humanity, and he urged more platforms like the World Internet Conference in East China's Wuzhen last year to exchange views and experience between nations.

Liu said China attaches importance to international cooperation as the country advances Internet development at home.

China is now home to over 4.13 million websites, and embraces nearly a quarter of the world's Internet user base, which totals about 670 million.

However, Liu noted that the Internet, one of the greatest inventions of humanity in the 20th century, has not only provided positives, but also negative side effects.

Trans-national, anonymous and untraceable activities in cyberspace have become of increasing concern, along with cyber surveillance, attack and terrorism, which are now a global scourge.

"The world today is far from being a peaceful place," Liu said. "Building peace in cyberspace is highly significant for all countries of the world."

The ambassador therefore suggested that the "principle of sovereign equality"  enshrined in the UN Charter - be applied in cyberspace.

It means each nation should have the right to develop its own model of cyber regulation and their Internet related policies should be respected, explained Liu.

He also emphasized that the interpretation and application of international law in cyberspace must be aimed at enhancing common security rather than encouraging hegemony or power politics.

"Attempts by any nation to have Internet supremacy over others will leave hidden risks of potential turbulence and conflicts," Liu said.

In terms of cyberspace governance, Liu explained that it means in China, cyberspace must be based on rules, and it must be governed, operated and used in accordance with the law.

When answering a question from the audience concerning with the latest accusation that Apple Inc. is facing unfair treatment in China's Internet domain, Liu said China is very open when it comes to foreign businesses.

"I think we all admit that Apple's business is thriving in China, and there is still a huge market for Internet companies and high-tech companies."

Liu advised foreign companies who want to do business in China to understand how the Internet is governed by China, and to follow, and respect the rule of law.

Contact the reporter: songwei@chinadaily.com.cn
The proposed $45 million renovation and expansion to the La Crosse Center would be a boon to the entire region, La Crosse Center board chairman Brent Smith and director Art Fahey said Monday.

It just isnt the city of La Crosse, Smith said. This is really a regional impact that the La Crosse Center has.

The La Crosse Center Board is asking the city to contribute $35 million for the project, which would add a 40,000-square-foot raised ballroom enclosed in glass on the back of the building and renovate the lobby and hallways to make it more welcoming and visitor-friendly in a trio of resolutions to go before the La Crosse Common Council June 9.

While Fahey is still finalizing the numbers, he estimated Monday the economic impact of the renovation to be between $16 million to $48 million per year based om both day-attendees and people who stay overnight in the area to visit the La Crosse Center for events. The city-owned convention center hosts more than 200 events a year.

Its an amazing diversity of events and people who use the center, and I think the community has to realize how many things we do, Smith said.

Fahey added that while the city residents primarily see the conventions and concerts, the convention center plays host to graduations, weddings and community events.

Its not just about conventions, its not just about concerts, its about our community, Fahey said. Being a place where people can go, be proud of and use the facility.

The La Crosse Center is one of the few city-run convention centers in the area to make its home city money. Its ledger has been positive since its previous $14 million expansion in 2000.

However, Fahey is hearing from event-runners and other users about the state of the facility, which has been called dated, sterile and difficult to navigate.

We have to redo a lot of things within the building for upkeep. Our clients have told us that and we think its true, Smith said.

The traffic flow around the building will be improved, as well as the lobby, but the board hopes to bring a wow-factor to really compete in the national market for events.

Although the designs are not yet final, the proposal would take full advantage of what makes La Crosse unique: its river views.

People who have that view rave about it  Its something that brings people to our building, Smith said.

The board decided on an additional ballroom because of the success of the one built in 2000, which brings in a variety of events compared to the concrete floors and walls of other areas of the center.

It opens us up to a very different clientele, Fahey said.

Fahey believes the addition will make the best use of the venue they have, allowing the La Crosse Center to host more small events at the same time, with hallways leading to each area that would keep them separated.

The project calls for the city to bond for $35 million, which would be paid back using hotel room tax dollars, ticket surcharges and other city funds. The La Crosse Center board also plans to ask the Wisconsin Building Commission for $10 million in funding for the project. The commission recently contributed to a performing-arts project in Eau Claire.

Smith and Fahey said the timing was right for an expansion, in part due to the addition of 500 hotel rooms downtown through the four new hotel developments, but mostly because the convention center is losing its competitive edge against other facilities and cities that have made more recent improvements.

For us to be able to compete against the Green Bays, the Stevens Points, the Wisconsin Dells, we need to do this now, Smith said.

If approved, the project could be completed as soon as 2018.
DEAR AMY: I'm a middle-aged, white, gay man living in West Hollywood. I'd like your advice on the proper way to give a friendly acknowledgment to women as I pass them on the street.

I try to make eye contact and smile when I walk past people. However, I often find that women respond in a way that suggests they feel threatened by my attention. For example, they look down at the ground and walk faster.

I'm not physically imposing. In West Hollywood, in particular, I figured women would assume that I'm gay and just being polite, with no potentially dangerous sexual overtones.

Pretending not to see someone seems rude and disrespectful. If I were to ignore a black or Latino man on the street, I would expect them to think I was being racist. Aziz Ansari's show "Master of None" included an episode where several women felt slighted when a man didn't make eye contact and shake hands with them as he did with their male companions.

I realize that I come from a position of relative safety and privilege that a random woman walking down the street alone might not enjoy.

What's the proper way for me to politely acknowledge a woman that lets her know I'm just being friendly and have no malicious intent? I want polite human contact, but I'm tired of people treating me as though I'm a threat. Hollywood Hello

DEAR HOLLYWOOD: Based on my (limited) experience hanging out in West Hollywood, if a stranger were to greet me on the street, I'd immediately think, "Wow! You must be new in town." I don't think of LA as a "howdy stranger," kind of place.

You are overthinking this to an extreme degree. You assume that women don't meet your gaze because they are afraid of you. You also assume that all women have working gaydar, making all gay men immediately identifiable; and also that gay men are universally nonthreatening because  according to your assumptions  (white) gay men never commit crimes of violence.

If this is a universally persistent issue with you, get a friend to test your street vibe (by walking with you), and dial it down, if necessary.

Aziz Ansari could no doubt make a great episode for his series from this one question (Aziz, call me?), but you shouldn't create drama where there isn't any.

If some women don't return your friendly eye contact, it might be because they're shy, rude or headed to an audition.

The answer is for you to be yourself, and to let others be themselves.

DEAR AMY: I'm a 16-year-old guy and I go to a small private school. There is a girl that I feel really close to, but she is polyamory and cannot commit. This is affecting my life. I was already diagnosed with depression, but this is making it worse.

She sometimes acts like she loves me, but sometimes treats me like any other person. How can I tell if she wants to have a relationship with me or just use me as a "side guy" for when she is bored? I'm not sure. We have never hung out outside of school. I think we are both just too afraid to ask the other to hang out. I'm not sure how she feels about me. Confused

DEAR CONFUSED: At 16, it is not unusual to be "polyamory" (loving more than one person). The teenage years are supposed to be a time of learning, experimentation and growth.

Relationships can be confusing, but the best way to try to sort things out is to communicate. You can ask, "Do you want to hang out some time?" and see how that goes. As you get to know one another better, you will be able to judge more accurately how she sees you.

I hope you will be brave, but please  always love yourself first. Knowing and loving yourself will bring out the best in you. Make sure to check in with your therapist to manage your depression.

DEAR AMY: "Torn (Over) Letter" was worried about the contents of a letter his mother had given him with the instructions that he open it after her death. I agree with your advice to open it now in the presence of a therapist.

My mother had a very similar plan, which was interrupted by other circumstances, but I learned that she was intending to punish me from the grave. It was a very cruel and cowardly act, and it still hurts to this very day. Sad Daughter

DEAR SAD: I am very sorry.
Two Central High School graduates will be inducted into the Hall of Excellence: John Burnett and Dr. Mary Jo Hull.

A public reception will be 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the school. The induction ceremony will take place during Central High Schools commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday at the La Crosse Center.

Burnett graduated from Central High School in 1965 and then attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse earning a bachelor of science degree in history and political science. He became a social studies teacher at Onalaska High School before becoming vice principal at the high school and then principal at Onalaska Middle School.

In 1996, he began a 15-year career as superintendent of schools for the School District of Onalaska and is currently an adjunct instructor in the Educational Leadership Program at Viterbo University. He has served on many different boards including the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and the Onalaska Education Foundation.

Dr. Hull graduated from Central in 1983 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison earning a bachelors degree in bacteriology. Hull spent 25 years in the U.S. Army where she earned a doctorate of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.

She was an internal medicine physician, ICU director, respiratory therapy director, staff cardiologist, ECHO lab director, and was assigned to the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. Hull was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for critical services at the Combat Support Hospital and retired as a full bird colonel. Hull is a cardiologist for WellMed in San Antonio, Texas, where she lives with her husband and two children.
It was a simple college assignment: Research an issue and deliver a persuasive speech that drives other students to act.

Most select public policy or a cause, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse communications professor Joseph Van Oss said.

But ballistic vests for police canines? Never.

There was a need, first-year student Jenna Goulet argued. The canines protect their handlers and the community and they need protection, she said.

I didnt know anything about the canine units in La Crosse, Van Oss said. Quickly, I said, OK, you convinced me.

Two of the La Crosse Police Departments three narcotics detection dogs wore expired vests. A new canine that will join the agency later this year also will need one. Each vest is $1,200.

I always knew protective vests were important, Goulet said. These dogs sacrifice so much for us. Sometimes the dogs are sent in first and if they dont have protection, theyre a sitting duck. Its a good investment.

The agencys support empowered Goulet to set a $3,600 goal to outfit the canines with stab and bulletproof vests that shield their vital organs.

I thought, Lets shoot for it, but even if we get one vest, thats still pretty cool, she said.

Her professor was the first to contribute.

When you have a person come along who is this exceptional, you have to support that, Van Oss said.

Goulet, of Hartland, Wis., raised $3,490 in less than one month between a coin drive and a GoFundMe webpage. She told her professor that while the contributions exceeded her expectations, she was $110 shy of her goal.

He said, Jenna, check your figures again, she said.

Van Oss had donated another $111.

I thought, What the hell? Get her over the line, he said. She went way, way, way beyond the assignment.

The departments canine unit, which also includes an explosives detection dog, relies on donations. The handlers and the agency were humbled at Goulets contribution, La Crosse Police Chief Ron Tischer said.

It was incredible for a young person to take on that big of an endeavor, he said. I think it goes to show her dedication to the community and compassion for the dogs.
When President Obama declared in 2011 that he wanted U.S. foreign policy to pivot to Asia, some derided the move as a clumsy attempt to flee the messy conflicts of the Middle East.

But the pivot has actually worked pretty well  as will be evident when Obama travels to Asia this week. Almost every country in the region is clamoring for a closer relationship with the United States.

The most striking case is Vietnam, most of whose leaders are old enough to have fought in their countrys war with the United States. The communist regime has been openly courting a deeper military relationship, and has even invited the U.S. Navy to return to Cam Ranh Bay, its base during much of the war. During his visit, Obama is expected to announce an expansion of American military sales.

The impetus for this rapprochement is China, Asias increasingly assertive great power. Beijings pursuit of sovereignty over the islands of the South China Sea, most of which are also claimed by other countries, has flung Chinas neighbors into the arms of the United States.

Any time China tries to put its thumb on any of its neighbors, that makes them enthusiastic about getting close to us, noted Derek Chollet, a former Defense Department official.

Only a few hundred miles from Vietnams coast, Chinese construction teams have been dredging the seafloor and using landfill techniques to increase the size of Chinas territories, then building infrastructure to support military facilities.

The newly-built islands arent much use in a military conflict with the United States; U.S. Navy officers dismiss them as sitting ducks. But as military bases, they could still help Beijing intimidate weaker neighbors such as Vietnam and the Philippines.

Eventually, the islands could also enable China to assert economic rights to the estimated 11 billion barrels of oil beneath the seabed. Even fishing rights are at stake; Chinas fishing industry, the worlds largest, employs more than 14 million people.

On a visit to Washington last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised not to militarize the islands, but he never defined what the term meant. Some Chinese officials later said Xis policy merely banned major offensive weapons. That created alarm in the Pentagon and prompted the Obama administration to sharpen its denunciations of the construction projects.

This is an asymmetric struggle; there arent many practical steps the United States can take to stop Chinas dredging. The Pentagon sends ships near the islands to assert U.S. freedom of navigation, but that hasnt slowed the construction.

Its not clear what else we can do, a former official told me. Were not going to start a war, and were not going to occupy an island ourselves.

The United States does have one asymmetric advantage of its own: its ability to forge stronger alliances with Chinas worried neighbors  not only Vietnam, but the Philippines, Malaysia and others as well.

A stronger Vietnamese navy  one that holds joint maneuvers with the U.S. Navy  would deny China some of the military advantage it hoped to gain from building all those airstrips.

The idea, in short, is to raise the long-term cost to Beijing. Of course, that strategy works only if the United States is willing to invest in those stronger relationships  through not only a U.S. military presence, but expanded trade agreements, too.

So Obama faces what Chollet calls a reassurance challenge.

All these countries are looking for reassurance that the United States will be there, he said. They all want the United States to do more  and we cant possibly deliver everything they want.

Indeed, all three remaining candidates in the presidential campaign have been critical of the Trans Pacific Partnership, Obamas trade agreement with most of Asia except China. Donald Trump, in particular, has promised to scrap TPP if hes elected.

That would be a particularly acute problem for Vietnam, a low-income country which would be a major beneficiary of the agreement. Administration officials warn that if Congress refused to ratify TPP, Vietnam and other developing countries will have little choice but to tie their economies more closely with Chinas.

In other words, if Trump gets his way, the biggest beneficiary in Southeast Asia might well be China.
From the coverage of the 2016 campaign over the last six months, you would think that American workers battered by economic change have finally won their moment in the political sun.

After all, Donald Trump is said to be the paladin of white blue-collar men and Bernie Sanders speaks unabashedly about the working class, a term many have (wrongly) written off as an antique concept out of 1930s black-and-white movies.

But media interest in policy initiatives that would benefit those who are struggling is scarce. Its far more interesting, apparently, to cover the latest poll about an election thats still a long way off, or to wax eloquent about a kerfuffle at a Democratic state convention in Nevada.

We had an objective test of this last week when the Obama administration announced much-needed new rules on overtime pay.

One of the insidious trends costing workers a lot of income has been the fake reclassification of even relatively low-paid employees as managers, which deprived them of overtime pay.

This was facilitated by the Labor Departments failure to update the relevant rules, last altered in 2004. The change over time has been dramatic: Where more than 60 percent of salaried workers qualified for overtime in 1975, just 7 percent do now.

Under the 2004 rules, salaried workers could be denied overtime pay if they earned more than the rather non-managerial sum of $23,660 a year. The Obama administration raised this threshold to a more reasonable $47,476 a year, which the Labor Department estimates will make 4.2 million more workers eligible for overtime. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that the departments action may actually affect three times as many.

Whenever government acts to increase the bargaining power or pay of workers, free market fundamentalists insist that terrible things are bound to happen. On cue, House Speaker Paul Ryan declared the overtime rule was yet another Obama regulation that would be an absolute disaster for our economy and pledged to fight it.

I truly hope he tries. Lets get members of Congress on record about overtime. And perhaps a big debate would force more coverage of this issue  and also get the media to press Trump about where he stands.

Overtime and proposals to increase the minimum wage are just part of a larger conversation that should be at the center of a campaign that is supposedly about the disinherited and disaffected.

The future of trade is a real issue, but Trump is getting away with fantastical claims about the better deals he could strike. And he has little to say about the unraveling of the countrys social contract with workers. It was caused not only or even primarily by trade but also by technological change and the failure of government policies to keep up with the very new circumstances in which workers find themselves.

Last Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., offered a model for the conversation we need. Speaking at the New America Foundation, she laid out what amounted to a bill of rights for the growing number of Americans engaged in contract, part-time and temporary work in the gig economy.

Warren was careful to note how technological innovations have improved our lives in countless ways. Uber and Lyft, for example, have challenged local taxi monopolies and provided more rides, cheaper rides, and shorter wait times.

But she also pointed out how these companies have resisted rules designed to promote rider safety and driver accountability and that their business model is, in part, dependent on extremely low wages for drivers.

Acknowledging both the gains and the problems of the new economy is the first step toward wisdom about where we need to go.

To fully realize the potential of this new economy, Warren argued, laws must be adapted to make sure that the basic bargain for workers remains intact, and that workers have the chance to share in the growth they help produce.

One key: Workers without employers should have access to the same kind of benefits that some employees already have. This, by the way, is why repealing the Affordable Care Act would be so foolish. While Warren called for improvements in Obamacare, she noted that it represents a big step toward the universality and portability we should seek in other areas, notably retirement benefits.

Well hear lots in the coming months about the rise of populism. But unless this talk is harnessed to policies that provide real help for actual people, it will have all the depth of a splenetic, ill-considered tweet.
Wisconsin Department of Justice attorneys began their defense of a series of state voting laws  challenged in a two-week federal trial by multiple plaintiffs  with one word: "Astounding."

They were quoting University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Barry Burden, one of five expert witnesses to appear for the plaintiffs. Burden had used the word in April to describe the turnout in Wisconsin's presidential primary.

The turnout in that election  the state's highest in a presidential primary since 1972  is a central part of the state's case. Lawyers for the state have frequently noted the increased turnout in elections that have occurred since the state's voter ID law was passed in 2011 and emphasized that the DMV provides free IDs to those who need them.

Plaintiffs  One Wisconsin Institute, Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund and six individuals  are arguing that lawmakers intended to discriminate against non-white voters by passing not only the voter ID requirement, but several other changes to voting practices including restrictions on early voting and the elimination of straight-ticket voting.

Both sides have expert witnesses on their lists to help bolster their arguments  and attempt to discredit the expert witnesses whose reports conflict with their stance.

Here are the witnesses who have provided, or are slated to provide, expert testimony in the case being heard by U.S. District Judge James Peterson:

Barry Burden

Title: Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Director, UW Elections Research Center

Witness for: Plaintiffs

Previous expert witness experience includes:

Ohio State Conference of the NAACP et al. v. Jon Husted et al. (challenging changes to Ohio voting laws)

Conclusions:

"the changes to Wisconsin election law between 2011 and 2014 that are challenged by plaintiffs in this litigation will predictably have a disproportionate impact on voting participation by blacks, Latinos, young people, lower income individuals, and Democrats in Wisconsin. The challenged laws disproportionately increase the costs of voting for these individuals."

"Based on theory about the calculus of voting and scholarly research on voter habit, I conclude that voting was more costly for members of these groups before the challenged changes in election law were implemented. These voters generally had less established voting habits and had fewer resources to help overcome the costs of voting. The challenged changes exacerbate these disparities."

M.V. Hood III

Title: Professor of Political Science, University of Georgia

Witness for: Defendants

Previous expert witness experience:

NAACP v. Walker (challenged Wisconsin's voter ID law). In this case, Hood's testimony was found to be "clear and relevant," but "the reports and the testimony of Professor Mayer were substantially more credible and more helpful to the court than those of Professor Hood.

Frank v. Walker (challenged Wisconsin's voter ID law)

Veasey v. Perry (challenged Texas voter ID law)

The Ohio Democratic Party v. Husted (addressed the impact of changes to early in-person voting procedures in Ohio)

Conclusions:

"Wisconsins election code provides a reasonable and common sense approach to the manner in which elections are conducted in the state. Further, Wisconsin has acted to continue to make elections more manageable, fair, and efficient (i.e. standardization for inperson absentee voting days and hours). As well, the electoral climate in the state can be characterized as extremely positive as evidenced by the fact that in three of the last four federal election cycles Wisconsin recorded the second highest voter turnout rate in the country."

"The recent changes to in-person absentee voting in Wisconsin represent a means by which voter convenience can be balanced against the cost, both literal and administrative, for providing this service."

"the rate at which absentee ballots have been rejected has fallen, not risen, over the last two federal election cycles. My examination of Wisconsins registration process involving the end of corroboration determined that this change instituted a fair and consistent standard for all electors in the state. Finally, increasing the residency requirement to 28 days places Wisconsin firmly in line with other states that have similar requirements."

"there appears to be more than ample opportunity, time, and convenience for voters to accomplish this duty (of voting) in the State of Wisconsin."

"I can think of no reason that would lead me believe that the changes undertaken to Wisconsins election code under challenge in this case have, or will have, a detrimental impact on the ability of Wisconsin voters to cast a ballot, including minority voters."

Allan Lichtman

Title: Distinguished Professor of History, American University

Witness for: Plaintiffs

Previous expert witness experience includes:

More than 80 redistricting, voting rights and civil rights cases

Lichtman's opinions were generally disregarded in North Carolina's voter ID challenge "for several reasons," including questioning the role of his expert testimony and showing a "single-minded approach."

Conclusions:

"After Republicans achieved unified control of Wisconsin state government in 2011, the majority in the legislature enacted Act 23 and other measures relating to voting and registration with the intent and purpose of achieving partisan advantage through the limitation of African American and Hispanic voting and registration opportunities as compared to opportunities for whites in Wisconsin."

"The voter photo ID provision of Act 23 and numerous other measures in Act 23 and other legislation enacted through 2014 restricted access to voting and registration in Wisconsin, especially for minorities. Taken together these many laws, some with multiple provisions, comprised the largest set of restrictive electoral measures enacted anywhere in America in recent years."

"The plausible explanation for these many restrictive measures is the partisan gains that Republicans can achieve through provisions that disproportionately burden African American and Hispanic voters and potential voters."

Commentary from Judge Peterson: "I think that the work that historians do is of immense value but is so fundamentally different from the work that the courts do," Peterson said, noting that historians rely on hearsay evidence while the practice is "strongly disfavored" in court. Peterson said he found the testimony "very interesting" but will consider how much weight to give his conclusions.

Kenneth Mayer

Title: Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Witness for: Plaintiffs

Previous expert witness experience includes:

Whitford et al. v. Nichol et al (redistricting litigation)

Milwaukee NAACP et al. v. Scott Walker et. al (challenging Wisconsin's voter ID law). In this case, Mayer's testimony was found to be "clear, relevant, well-founded and helpful to the court."

Baldus et al. v. Brennan et al. (redistricting litigation)

McComish et al. v Brewer et al (campaign finance case)



Conclusions:

"the changes to voting and registration enacted since 2011 impose substantial burdens on voters when registering or casting a ballot, either in the form of additional documentation required, elimination of 'safety valve' procedures for eligible voters who do not possess the qualifying documents, or narrowing or eliminating opportunities to register or cast ballots."

"those burdens have the greatest effect on identifiable population subgroups, particularly racial minorities, young voters, students, and registrants without ID, depressing their turnout by making it significantly harder to register and vote."

"There is no doubt that the changes to voting enacted in Wisconsin since 2011 have significantly lowered the probability that a voter can cast a ballot in 2014, with the effects falling particularly hard on racial minorities, students, young voters, and those without ID."

Nolan McCarty

Title: Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs, Princeton University

Witness for: Defendants

Previous expert witness experience includes:

NAACP v. Husted (rebutted expert testimony concerning the impact of changes in early in-person voting procedures in Ohio)

Romo v. Detzner (rebutted expert testimony challenging the legality of Florida congressional districting maps)

Ohio Democratic Party et al v. Husted et al. (rebutted expert testimony concerning the impact of changes in early in-person voting procedures in Ohio)

Conclusions:

"Clearly, I believe that there are many reasons to doubt (Kenneth Mayer's) conclusions. First, rather than observing a 'significantly lowered  probability that a voter [could] cast a ballot in 2014,' I documented that turnout increased markedly from 2010 to 2014 for racial minorities as well as for whites. In proportional terms (measured by the odds ratio), the turnout increases among the registered and citizen voting age population were at least as large for African-Americans as they were for whites."

"The findings suggesting the absence or smaller effects on racial minorities, students, young voters, and those without ID may largely be attributable to a variety of attrition biases, measurement error, and misinterpreted findings."

"I find little evidence that the changes in Wisconsin electoral law had any significant partisan effect. The 2014 gubernatorial election was almost an exact replay of 2010 both in terms of vote shares and turnout at the municipal level. Nor did I find evidence that changes to absentee balloting reduced its usage by any racial or ethnic group."

Lorraine C. Minnite

Title: Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Camden

Witness for: Plaintiffs

Previous expert witness experience includes:

Conclusions:

"measures which risk reducing voter access to the ballot are not justified by claims that such requirements are needed to reduce or prevent voter impersonation forms of election fraud because as the empirical record makes clear, fraud committed by voters either in registering to vote or at the polls on Election Day is exceedingly rare."

"While proponents of electoral policies that reduce voter access to the ballot purportedly believe that such policies are justified as fraud prevention measures, in the absence of evidence of a problem with voter fraud, I conclude, given historical patterns and evidence and the context for party competition, that such policies actually serve as a form of voter suppression."


Brazils planning minister resigned from office on Monday after a recording of him was made public.

The recording appears to show Romero Juca plotting the impeachment of now-suspended President Dilma Rousseff. He reportedly was talking with a former oil company official about how to stop a corruption investigation.

Juca denies the allegations. He claimed that the words he said were taken out of context.

On Monday, the planning minister said he would temporarily resign from the acting government. He had been in office less than two weeks.

The Brazilian newspaper Folha published a partial transcript of the recording on Monday. The Reuters news agency reports that the paper said the recording was made secretly.

In it, Juca and the former oil company official, Sergio Machado, discuss a government investigation of the state-operated oil company Petrobras. Both men have been named in the investigation.

In the transcript, Juca said "We have to change the government so the bleeding is stopped."

Machado reportedly said that, "The easiest solution is to put Michel in." That appears to refer to Vice President Michel Temer, Brazils acting president during the suspension of Rousseff.

Juca is reported to have said he was working with the country's justices, who have the final word on impeachment.

The recording was apparently made in March before the Senate voted to impeach Rousseff.

Rousseff's supporters say the recording shows that she is the victim of an attempt to overthrow the government.

The Brazilian Senate voted to place Rousseff on trial earlier this month. She is charged with using record-keeping tricks to hide Brazils budget deficit when she campaigned for reelection in 2014.

She currently is suspended for up to 180 days while her trial takes place.

Im Jonathan Evans.

This story first appeared on VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted the report for Learning English. Additional information came from Reuters. George Grow was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

allegation  n. a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal

taken out of context  phrase leaving out words or phrases that are important for the meaning of a statement or quote

refer  v. to point to, to talk about

impeachment  n. charging a public official with a crime while in office

transcript  n. a written or printed copy of words that have been spoken


U.S. President Barack Obama had a mixed message Tuesday for Vietnams leaders.

During his first visit to Vietnam, Obama spoke about the Vietnamese and American people beginning on a 100-year journey together. But he said Vietnam needs to do more to improve human rights.

The president made the comments in a speech at Hanois National Convention Center.

Tuesday was the second day of Obamas three-day trip to Vietnam. Earlier on his visit, he gave the Vietnamese government what it wanted  an end to an almost 50-year-old ban on selling military equipment to Vietnam.

Just a generation ago, we were adversaries and now we are friends," he said.

In his speech, Obama said that Vietnam is now among the top 10 countries sending students to American colleges and universities. He said a record 19,000 Vietnamese are studying in the United States this year.

And last year, Vietnam welcomed nearly half a million American tourists to this country, and I will assure you that more are on their way, Obama said.

The president said the U.S. government would work with Vietnam for freedom of navigation on the South China Sea.

Human Rights Record Criticized

But he criticized Vietnams record on human rights. The country has more than 100 political prisoners, and more people were detained in the past week, according to activists.

Obama said that freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are part of Vietnams constitution. He also spoke about opening Vietnams political process to candidates from groups outside the Communist Party.

He said freedom of expression, including a free press, is critical to a nations progress.

"That's how a Facebook starts, Obama said. That's how some of our greatest companies began."

The president met with six activists on Tuesday. He noted that several others who were invited were prevented from coming for various reasons.

Ben Rhodes is the presidents deputy national security adviser. He said the U.S. government protested to Vietnamese officials about the activists stopped from meeting with Obama.

Rhodes said the United States will follow up to make sure activists who met with the president and those who could not are free and not punished.

'Milestone' moment for Vietnam-U.S. relations

Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang said his meeting with the president is an important milestone in relations between the two nations. The United States and then-North Vietnam fought against each other in the 1960s and 1970s.

In China, the government used the China Daily newspaper to express concerns about Obamas meeting with Vietnamese leaders. It said it would be a mistake if the United States and Vietnam worked to stop the rise of China.

The conflict is mostly over the South China Sea. The United States and Vietnam have criticized Chinas claims to the sea, one of the worlds most important waterways.

China says almost all of the South China Sea is part of its territory. In recent years, Chinese crews have developed artificial islands, complete with airstrips. But there are also claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

On Tuesday, the crowd at Hanois National Convention Center cheered when Obama said, Big nations should not bully smaller ones. He said the relationship between the United States and Vietnam should be on firmer footing for decades to come.

But the China Daily said the president and Vietnam risk turning the region into a tinderbox of conflicts.

Future of Relations could be changed by next president

Whether or not Vietnam and the United States have good relations could be decided by the next U.S. president. The presidential election is less than six months away. The leading candidates are businessman Donald Trump and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Simon Tay is head of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. After all, when she was secretary of state, Hillary Clinton did play a major role in helping the pivot to Asia. But if its a Trump presidency, all bets are off on a number of major issues, including trade, he said.

There has been mixed reaction to the presidents visit. Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch said Obama made a mistake ending the ban on weapon sales before Vietnam showed real progress on human rights.

But a banned Vietnamese pro-democracy party said the president offered a forward looking vision and forceful argument for a free Vietnam.

Im Bruce Alpert.

Steve Herman reported on this story for VOANews.com. Bruce Alpert adapted his story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

adversary  n. an enemy

navigation  n. the act of moving in a boat or ship over an area of water

assure  v. to make something certain

detain  v. to officially prevent someone from leaving a place

assembly  n. to meet together with other people

milestone  n. an important point in the progress or development of something

tinderbox  n. a situation that suddenly can turn violent

pivot  v. the action of turning around a point

vision  n. a clear idea about what should happen or be done in the future


From VOA Learning English, this is the Health and Lifestyle report.

Health experts say there is evidence that many white women in the United States are dying too soon. In other words, they are dying before the average age of death in society as a whole.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics studied death rates nationwide. The center found that life expectancy rates for every population group has either gone up or stayed unchanged. Every group, that is, except one -- white women. For them, life expectancy has gone down.

The decrease is not big. The mortality rate for white women in 2013 was 81.2 years. In 2014, the rate for that same group was 81.1 years. That is a decrease of one-tenth of a percentage point.

Yet health care researchers are concerned. Jarron Saint Onge is one of them. He is with the University of Kansas. He told VOA that he expected life expectancy rates to go up. He uses the term flatline, which means to stay the same.

"As things get better, in a sense, as our life gets easier, our jobs become less dangerous, we would expect that life expectancy continues to go up. When you see life expectancy all of a sudden flatline or not increasing -- especially as we continually see a decline in our smoking rates -- it is cause for alarm."



The other issue is that if life expectancy rates for white women continue to decrease, it could produce an even wider gap between them and other groups in society. Both Blacks and Hispanics are experiencing rising life expectancy rates. The rate for white men is unchanged.

Saint Onge says the increase in premature deaths among white women is largely an issue in rural areas and small communities in southern states. Those places, he says, are seeing an increase in mental health problems, alcohol abuse and drug dependency. The word he uses instead of increase is uptick.

"We need to back up a little more and say well, what are the reasons were seeing these upticks in substance abuse. Is it a response to lack of mental health services? Or is it a lack of economic opportunities or educational opportunities? "

Among white women in the U.S., there has been a very small increase in suicides. However, most premature deaths are connected to health problems like heart disease and liver failure.

John O'Neill is director of Addiction Services at the Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas. He thinks drug and alcohol abuse could be the problem.

"We know that people who struggle with substance use are going to have more medical problems. We know that there are more motor vehicle accidents. We know that there is more crime. There is more domestic violence, more sexual assaults."

Many small American cities and towns have medical centers or hospitals to treat physical problems or sick patients. However, they may lack mental health or drug abuse programs.

O'Neill says researchers should study how social and economic issues, what he calls psycho-social stressors, affect people. These stressors can include a weak economy, unemployment, the breakup of families and the effects of returning military veterans who may have mental or physical problems.

He adds that some people may turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with life.

"When we have a number of psycho-social stressors, whether its family members who are fighting for our country or loss of (a) job, loss of a relationship, financial problems. We do know, those are stressors that lead people to look for new ways to manage their emotions, new ways to cope."

He notes that alcohol is easily to get in most communities. Drugs are, too.

In March, President Barack Obama launched a program that would provide more than $90 million to community health centers for treatment of drug abuse. News media attention to the problem of opioid pain-killer addiction has also helped to warn Americans of the risks involved in taking such medications. It has also led to discussions in the medical community about other possible treatments for pain.

O'Neill says different forms of addiction treatment have proven successful. But, he adds, having support in the community is very important.

He suggests that at least some of the money currently used to fight the illegal drug trade might be better used helping people stop using drugs that often end up killing them.

Im Anna Matteo.



Greg Flakus reported this story for VOANews.com. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

mortality rate  n. the number of a particular group who die each year

life expectancy  n. the average number of years that a person or animal can expect to live

gap  n. a separation in space : an incomplete or deficient area <a gap in her knowledge>: lack of balance : a problem caused by some disparity <a communication gap> <credibility gap>

premature  adj. happening too soon or earlier than usual

rural  adj. of or relating to the country and the people who live there instead of the city

uptick  n. a small increase or rise

flatline  adj. to be in a state of no progress or advancement

stable medical : not getting worse or likely to get worse

psycho-social  adj. of or relating to the interrelation of social factors and individual thought and behavior.

stressors  n. something that makes you worried or anxious : a source of stress

cope  v. to deal with and try to find solutions for problems

opioid  adj. possessing some properties characteristic of opiate narcotics but not derived from opium
LEXINGTON, Neb.  Three special visitors from out-of-state got a good ol' Nebraska welcome: mingling with locals, bonding with veterans, a turkey hunt on Thursday and a banquet in their honor Friday.

Mark Hoke, along with three wounded veterans, were invited by Lexington area volunteer organization Operation Second Chance, a grassroots group that raises funds for wounded veterans locally.

Operation Second Chance organized a banquet fundraiser, held Friday evening at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles. The banquet kicked off a two-day series of events, with a day-long shooting range day held Saturday at 1000 Plus,LLC Robb Jeffrey Memorial Range.

About 50 people attended the event, which included a prime rib supper, a guest speaker and a live auction fundraiser.

Mark Hoke, Co-Founder of No Person Left Behind, was the guest speaker at the event. Hoke talked about his motivation for working with and supporting wounded military veterans.

Working with veterans from Walter Reed Hospital in 2004 showed Hoke the importance of getting wounded veterans out of the hospital and having activities to do with friends.

A lot of these kids were athletes in high school, now they lost an arm or a leg. I got guys out of Walter Reed, took them hunting or fishing, it changed their life, Hoke said.

The lack of support and resources for veterans had gotten to the point where 22 veterans a day took their lives by suicide, he said. Although the number of veteran suicides had declined lately, too many veterans needed to be reached, Hoke said.

Veterans are uniquely positioned to bond with other veterans, he said.

Hundreds of veterans are thinking about taking their lives, they just didnt do it that day.Battle buddies know more about you (the veteran) then your wife. When a veteran is at war, they are worried more about protecting the buddy next to them, he said.

The lack of brotherhood when veterans got home, coupled with a lot of financial and family pressure was tough on veterans, Hoke said.

According to No Person Left Behinds web site, in 2006, Operation NPLB, formerly known as No Person Left Behind, was founded as an independent charity that allows like-minded professional hunters, fisherman, and outdoor-minded people to ensure that disabled veterans always receive the best outdoor hunting and fishing opportunities. NPLB has always provided wounded warriors with services complimentary to those offered by OSC, and in March of 2011 NPLB became a permanent part of Operation Second Chance.

Without a strong supportive family or support group of close friends or veterans, once wounded veterans return home, some may dive into despair, Hoke said.

Part of the goal is to have an outreach group when veterans get home. Lots of Vietnam veterans didnt have a group when they came home so they drank. Some get more and more into drinking and drugs. We are trying to help them get past that, he said.

Not only are veterans with Operation Second Chance mentored by other veterans, they also are fully embraced like family, Hoke said.

We have a mentor program, we hunt with veterans, we have a cooked meal with events. Veterans who have gone through the program want to help the next veterans with the program, he said.

Robert Bartlett, a retired staff sergeant from the U.S. Army and wounded veteran, spoke about how Operation Second Chance has had a positive effect on him.

Do I have some demons, yes. I have to make sure I am a good man everyday. Getting blown up is not a curse, its a blessing. My life is different now, I get to go hunting and talk to my brothers in arms, he said.

Bartlett continued, I share about my faith and how god is working in my life.

Bonding and opening up with fellow veterans allows Bartlett and other veterans to decompress from stress and service tension in a positive way, he said.

With Operation Second Chance, we get veterans together and share about our experiences. This lets them let a little steam out so when they go home they can treat their wives how she needs to be treated,Bartlett said.

Seeing those in attendance at the banquet supporting veterans warmed his heart,Bartlett said.

You are here because you care. It makes getting blown up worth it, he said.
Several arguments were advanced on Monday morning by state Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln and state Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island in urging Nebraska voters to uphold the action of the Legislature in doing away with the death penalty.

Voters will be asked in November to retain or reject the Legislature's decision to abolish the death penalty.

Speaking at a press conference at Nathan Detroit's in Grand Island, both Coash and Gloor argued that the system for enforcing the death penalty in Nebraska is broken beyond repair.

"Going on next year, it will be 20 years since we've actually used it," Coash said of the death penalty. He noted that, when he was elected to the Legislature, he promised voters that, if he found government that wasn't working, he would do all he could to get rid of it.

"I think the death penalty certainly fit that bill as we debated it," said Coash, who served eight years on the Judiciary Committee. "We looked at this issue from all sides ... and our conclusion was this is a system we couldn't fix and we were better off without it."

Coash said one question that was raised repeatedly during the Legislature's debate last year was what would happen to people serving life in prison if Nebraska got rid of the death penalty. "Does that mean that people who have a life sentence would now be getting out?"

Coash said he asked the Nebraska attorney general for an opinion on that issue.

"His answer was, Life means life,' and a person sentenced to life is not going to get out of prison," Coash said.

"Nothing about what the Legislature did changes anything with the parole process, and a person sentenced to life is not going to be eligible for parole," Coash said. "The only way that a person sentenced to life can ever get out of prison is if the attorney general, the governor and the secretary of state decide to commute that person's sentence."

Coash said he wants to make sure that all Nebraska voters understand that fact before they vote in the November general election.

He said that system of two of the top three highest elected officials in Nebraska needing to cast votes to commute a life sentence could have happened five years ago when the death penalty was the law in Nebraska, it could happen today when there is no death penalty statute, or it could happen a year from now, no matter what voters decide in November.

Gloor noted that, for a long time, he supported having the death penalty in Nebraska.

"I don't have an ethical problem with the death penalty," Gloor said, which is evident from some of his previous votes. "I don't have any religious persuasions that influence me."

However, Gloor said he does have a record as a person who can make difficult decisions. He supported the death penalty through two rounds of debate last year before he changed his mind.

"Why did I change my mind? It became clear to me, for reasons that Sen. Coash just pointed out, we're not going to be able to implement the death penalty," he said. "There are a host of reasons behind that. I think we're all familiar with the lack of the ability to get the drugs necessary for injection."

However, legal wrangling and the appeals process also make it impossible to carry out the death penalty in Nebraska. Gloor said that made him look at the "cost associated with what is basically spinning our wheels and saying, this makes no sense for the state of Nebraska."

Gloor said he has listened to the surviving family members of murder victims who have politely told him that he is not the expert on the death penalty. He said those people are the ones who get pulled back into hearings as the state attempts to carry out the death penalty.

Gloor said they tell him their decades of experience make them believe Nebraska is incapable of carrying out the death penalty.

Some people running for re-election are deliberately stirring up anger and vitriol about the death penalty issue without researching how the system actually works, he said.

Gloor said he understands the emotional pull of pro-death-penalty arguments, because he was once influenced by them. But if state senators were faced with any other state system as broken as the death penalty, he said, they would be expected to fix it.

Gloor said he hopes people can look at his example and pull away from all the emotional arguments surrounding the death penalty and see that it is simply not working, which is why it should be abolished.

Regardless of the vote's outcome in November, the death penalty will not be carried out, Gloor said. People should learn about the real expenses involved in trying to carry out the death penalty. They should hold elected officials accountable when they favor the death penalty but are unable to carry it out.

If the death penalty is reinstated, Gloor said, voters must hold pro-death-penalty politicians accountable if they fail to carry out the law.

Conversely, Coash wondered if it will take 25 years or 30 years without an execution before Nebraska voters believe the system is broken. Citizens were told eight years ago that the "last hurdle" to carrying out the death penalty was changing the method to lethal injection, yet no execution has happened since then.

Coash said the death penalty's emotional pull is because death row inmates have committed horrific crimes and they deserve the death penalty.

"I don't think you have two senators up here who disagree with that," he said.

Coash said he has talked to surviving family members who favor the death penalty and surviving family members who oppose it. He said families on each side are being denied justice by a system in which two decades go by and the state remains unable to carry out an execution.
YORK  If 20 of the women incarcerated at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women are able to assemble 6,000 meals in just more than an hour at a cost for supplies and ingredients of $1,240 as they did in February, one wonders how many 300 ladies might produce in a single day if Nebraska Kids Against Hunger can find a way to lay in $18,600 worth of supplies and the four commodities that go into each bag?

The answer? Eighty-thousand, eight-hundred and seventy. Thats right; Nebraska Kids Against Hunger in partnership with the women at the prison west of York will see the job through until at least that many meals are created from scratch, packed up and made ready to ship anywhere in the world where people are starving.

The manpower  or womanpower in this case  is mobilized and ready to go as soon as money is adequate to purchase everything from enormous bags of soy protein, rice and other meal makings, to 80,870 individual meal bags, labels, cardboard shipping boxes and other needs.

An easy way to support the effort is to visit gofundme.com/mwyq9enw online.

Kids Against Hunger is a non-profit organization that provides highly nutritious meals to starving and malnourished children and their families all over the world.

This past late February just 20 inmates  selected from the many dozen who applied to participate  cranked out 6,000 meals in one hour. Thats half the time Kids Against Hunger officials typically experience with other volunteer groups.

Carla Walker, seeking something productive and positive for her and other inmates to do that would give back to their state and community, contacted prison ministries which, in turn, recommended Kids Against Hunger.

Inmates and staff worked side by side getting ready and in the actual packaging process. One of the bags was taken to the kitchen and prepared so the women were able to sample the recipe.

The meals are simple to make. Just add to boiling water. They can be prepared so theyre thick like a casserole or thin like soup, depending on how much water is added. The meals are made from four dry ingredients: white long-grained rice, vitamin-fortified crushed soy beans, a blend of six vegetables and a chicken flavored mixture containing 21 vitamins and minerals. The meals are completely nutritious and specially formulated so that even the most severely malnourished stomachs are able to keep it down.

Dee Dee Neil, chairman of the board for Lincoln Kids Against Hunger says, We can reverse malnourishment with this food. We can bring people back from the brink of death.

Starvation is a slow and painful death. Neil told her York workers that malnourishment can torture its victims for two months or more before they die.

Each meal, which feeds six people, costs between .23 and .25 cents. Therefore, the institution had to come up with $1,400. It didnt take long. The Lord of Love Lutheran Church in Omaha generously provided the entire donation.

The contingent from Kids Against Hunger that came to York to set up two assembly lines and train their most willing workers, discovered the pace of these women was nearly double that of other volunteers.

So impressed was Neil with the speed, work ethic and genuine enthusiasm of the women on this first-ever experiment with inmates, even before leaving that day she made it clear Kids for Hunger had a much larger project in mind. The highest hurdle, she said then, wouldnt be workers  nearly everyone at the NCCW had been champing at the bit to be involved  but rather raising enough money to keep so many willing hands busy for a day.

If Kids for Hunger working outside and their allies inside the wire can pull it off, a one-day Godsend of more than 80,000 meals is the certain result.
LINCOLN  A Council Bluffs father filed a complaint with Nebraskas Commission on Judicial Qualifications on Monday, hoping to remove the judge who set bail for the driver charged in his daughters death.

Scott Root delivered the complaint, along with a stack of petition signatures, to the State Capitol.

The documents target Douglas County Judge Jeffrey Marcuzzo, who set a $50,000 bail amount for Eswin Mejia, the driver accused of causing the Jan. 31 crash in Omaha that killed Sarah Root, 21.

Mejia, 19, was charged with felony motor vehicle homicide. Authorities said he was drunk and street racing when the pickup he was driving collided with the SUV driven by Sarah Root.

Mejia, a Honduran citizen who was in the United States illegally, disappeared after posting 10 percent of the bail amount, or $5,000, and being freed from jail.

Scott Root has said he hopes the Nebraska Supreme Court ultimately will remove or suspend Marcuzzo as a judge.

The Supreme Court decides discipline against judges based on recommendations of the Commission on Judicial Qualifications. The commission

reviews citizen complaints about the ethical conduct of Nebraska judges.

However, its authority is limited. It cannot address issues arising out of a judges rulings or decisions in a particular case, according to the commissions website.

The commission receives and investigates about 75 complaints each year. Of those, about 98 percent are dismissed, either because the complaint deals with a judges ruling or decision in a case or because a commission investigation does not find facts sufficient to warrant further proceedings.

The outcome of Scott Roots complaint might not become public.

Under state law, documents and proceedings of the commission are confidential unless it issues a public reprimand or sets a formal, open hearing on a complaint.

In 2009 the Nebraska Supreme Court suspended Marcuzzo for 120 days without pay after the commission concluded that he violated the code of judicial ethics in three instances.

In one incident, he pulled strings to help a nephew charged with violating a protection order. In another, he told a prosecutor that a defendant had been undercharged. He later left a profanity-laced message on a different prosecutors answering machine complaining about the scheduling of a hearing.

Marcuzzo is up for a retention vote this year that will determine whether he remains on the bench for another six years.

Most of the attention in Mejias case has focused on his immigration status and why he was able to leave custody.

Lawmakers from Nebraska and Iowa have demanded answers from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials about why the agency didnt move to detain Mejia.
Yona Krasilchik arrived in Sao Paulo in 1908 with a small group of landsmen from Bessarabia. By 1912, he had helped build Kehilat Israel, the citys first synagogue, and soon after, a Jewish hospital, cemetery, and school.

A century later, his great-grandson pays homage to his work with a stunning, technologically-advanced memorial in the original five-story synagogue. My great-grandfather came here looking for a new life, a better life, explains the President of the Board of Consultants, Breno Krasilchik. The Memorial of Jewish Immigration, he says, recognizes the goodness we have here in Brazil.

Brazil welcomed its earliest Jewish residents in the late 15th-century during the Spanish Inquisition. Recife, in the countrys north, is home to the New Worlds first synagogue: Kahal Zur Israel was built in 1636. As a group, Jews moved to Sao Paolo and farther south in the last 150 years. Many ended up in Bom Retiro, an immigrant neighborhood in the city, where Krasilchik and his contemporaries built their homes and community. Most were tailors and textile vendors, sewing and hawking their way to prosperity.

Though 60,000 Jews still live in the city, most of them  upwardly mobile  relocated to more residential neighborhoods. They left empty synagogues and storefronts in their wake. Not wanting to give up the historical treasure, the synagogues board of directors turned to someone they felt would not only preserve the structure, but enhance it.

Enter Rabbi David Weitman. Since 1979, when he moved from Belgium, the Chabad representative has been serving Sao Paolos Jewish community, earning a reputation as a uniter and a builder. He was the boards top pick.

Honoring the Immigrant Experience

All of us in Brazil are immigrants or children and grandchildren of immigrants, shared Rabbi Weitman, the museums creator. These immigrants were pioneers and heroes who left suffering behind in the countries they came from. It is our obligation to honor them with this memorial and to simultaneously thank the country that welcomed us.

It is also, adds his son, museum coordinator Rabbi Toive Weitman, a chance to fulfill the fifth commandment, to honor our fathers and mothers.

Benjamin Steinbruch, the memorials Honorary President, agrees. We had an obligation to create this museum in the country that received us so well and leaves us so free to do many things, says the CEO of Companhia Siderurgica Nacional, Brazils second largest steelmaker.  It may be small in size, but this memorial is huge in its history and in its memories of the heroes who founded the Jewish community here in Sao Paulo, in 1912. Steinbruch dedicated the memorial to his late parents, Mendel and Dorothea, to preserve our history, our values and our customs.

Work on the memorial, which opened in late February, began 10 years ago. Over the decade, Brazilians submitted valuable documents, rare books, memorabilia, and photographs. The memorials vision, to educate and inspire, is well under way as hundreds of local schoolchildren, tourists, and professors (both Jewish and not) have already visited. Extensive databases offer the opportunity to look up ancestors and relatives.

Ralph Appelbaum Associates, a prominent New York designer of museums designed each of the synagogues five floors to serve as a window into the immigrant experience. One floor offers a reminder of the countries (and curses) left behind, while another describes the immigrants lives in their new home. Many prominent Sephardi and Ashkenazi communities comprise Jewish life in Brazil, and all segments are represented, their traditions and treasures evident throughout.

Building A Future

For Krasilchik, the memorials heart is its first floor. It looks exactly as it did when he had his bar mitzvah there in 1973. Throughout the seventies, Marcos Arbaitmans father was the synagogues cantor, and Arbaitman, now a successful businessman and board member, also came of age in the hallowed room. Seeing the synagogue transformed into this beautiful memorial is very special for me, commented Arbaitman wistfully.

At the memorials dedication, attended by elected officials and prominent business people, visitors sat on the synagogues original benches and chairs. One such guest was Joseph Safra, chairman of the Safra Group, who supports the memorial as well as many Jewish causes. Situated in front of them was the original aron, the holy ark. Built by Yona Krasilchik himself, his initials, etched in Hebrew letters, are a testament to the founders vision and their descendants passion.

An entire wall, one floor up, has been transformed into a giant photo album, covered entirely with the pictures, names, and stories of the Jews who made Brazil home. Black-and-white photographs neighbor sepia prints and bright, colorful images. Its as much the story of the communitys past as it is its future. Everyone stops here, to look, to learn, many to cry.

The faces of immigration include each Jewish familys story, and that, says Krasilchik, is really the point. My family founded the synagogue, the memorial, but the whole Jewish community built it.
The reigning face during the Sarbjit promotions was that of Aishwarya Rai. For the naturally curious ones (like this writer), this was a signal of sorts.

Where was Randeep Hooda, apart from the one-off retweet about the film? And where was Richa Chadda, beyond her overshadowed Cannes appearance?

Chadda answers these questions in an interview with DNA.

Right off the bat, she mentions how her role was significantly chopped off from Sarbjit. She mentions how a lot of her scenes were taken off from the final edit of the film, and that left her remaining scenes with no context at all.

"It's not about the length of the role. It's just that one works so hard on a film. It's heartbreaking when some of your best scenes get sacrificed on the editing table," said Chadda to DNA.

She further mentioned that she doesn't feel singled out, as Randeep Hooda, Ankur Bhatia (who plays Aishwarya's husband) and Aishwarya herself would have felt the burns of crucial scenes being edited out.

In an earlier interview with IANS, Chadda mentioned that the reason she wasn't a part of the promotions of Sarbjit because she was busy shooting for David Womark's Indo-American production titled Love Sonia.

"I'm really happy with the response Sarbjit is getting. I wish I could be with the team, however my commitment to the film too was important and thus I tried my best to shuffle," Richa said in a statement.

However, in her interview with DNA, Chadha has vowed never to as a supporting actor again. Ouch.
Remember the time you stood in a long queue in banks, (Mondays and Saturdays being the worst) and spend almost half a day to get your passbook updated or funds transferred to your parents. Soon that became part of lore with the era of internet banking, which made it possible to transact online. With mobile banking using the mobile handset, transferring money at the click of a button anywhere made it even quicker.

Mobile wallets and major players in the genre are bywords for most people in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities who use them to transact everything from paying their water bills, buying clothes, ordering food, recharging your phone, amongst a host of other needs.

The latest to enter the mobile wallet space is the countrys largest bank State Bank of India with BSNL and launch Speedpay. However, BSNL had launched Speedpay card service linked mobile wallet in July 2015. It allows its customers to transfer money, pay for services as well as withdraw cash of up to Rs 1 lakh. SBI has on its part launched its mobile wallet service, Buddy in 13 languages in August 2015. The wallet was launched with Accenture as technology partner and MasterCard as service providers.

What is a mobile wallet?

A mobile wallet is a digital equivalent of a digital wallet. It carries primarily what a consumer would carry in his wallet such as credit and debit cards with an additional card, which is a ID card. For instance, if you want to send money to your relative or friend, you would earlier call up your friend and ask for his account and ISFC details. In mobile banking, you release the payment through your mobile to his/her mobile number. Your friend does not have to know your banking details.

When you go in to a store and buy a product, there is no need to whip out your wallet and use various plastic cards. Just punch the CVV (card verification value)  an anti fraud security feature behind your credit and debit card, and OTP details  a one-time password that is valid for only one login session.

How to use M-wallet?

A consumer has to first download a mobile wallet service provider on his phone through Google Play store or Apple App store. An active internet service is needed to use the app. You can use any of the options such as Facebook, mobile number, email id etc to sign up. After that, upload any amount you want to on the mobile wallet through net banking, debit card or IMPS (Immediate Payment Services) via MMID (Mobile Money Identifier is a 7 digit number issued by a bank against an account linked to a mobile number) . He can use the funds to buy things online or even offline. However, the merchant with whom he/she is dealing with has to have the same mobile wallet service provider.

Mobile wallet is not interoperable  both the sender and receiver must have the same service provider.

Indias mobile phone users crossed the one billion mark in 2015. The number of mobile phone users in India is expected to rise to 730.7 million in 2017 the number of mobile phone users in India is expected to rise to 730.7 million.

The current market size in India for mobile wallet (m-wallet) stands at about Rs 350 crore and is expected to rise to Rs 1,210 crore.

SBI-BSNL tie up

The SBI-BSNL partnership though is eliciting mixed reactions from analysts with some seeing the development as a positive step while others wondering aloud on the necessity for it. Some feel that since SBI and BSNL are government entities, they could bring in a degree of `comfort' and `security' for consumers.

Some experts opine that Speedpay is a smaller version of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) loaded on to BSNL. Why would the SBI do something similar when UPI will be launched in a year or 18 months time, asked an analyst. The UPI scores over Speedpay as it is bank agnostic unlike Speedpay which requires the consumer to be a SBI account holder to access it or a BSNL consumer.

The UPI is a secure, reliable, mobile-first, interoperable platform. Unlike m-wallet which does not allow for transactions over Rs 10,000, the UPI platform allows for money transfers up to Rs 1 lakh.

"The digital payment market size in India is less than 10 percent against total money movements. When large players like SBI and BSNL that have a huge reach enter the market, it will help expand the market," says Asutosh Upadhyay, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Udio, a social mobile wallet from Transerv, a digital payments company. With Udio, a consumer can split bills, send and request money and also make group payments.

Sanjay Khan Nagra, senior associate, Khaitan & Co, feels that this tie-up will open up rural and remote markets to the Speedpay service. He reasons that the local grocer in a remote place would now be able to go cashless by asking the consumer to load the money on to Speedpay. There are areas in India where traditional consumers have no reach to banking system. Just like most of us in the urban areas use a Paytm to pay while using a black and yellow cab, similarly the rural populace can access Speedpay and not worry about, Bhaiyya, paisa kab transfer karoge?

Customer loyalty is an unheard of currency in mobile wallet usage. If the service provider does not provide incentives, the mobile wallet may remain a mere app among a host of other apps that the consumer has downloaded.
Even as the broad market trend displays a steady positive movement, shares of Jubilant Foodworks Westlife Development and Britannia Industries faced frenzied selling from investors, tumbling 1-10%. The sharp fall was mainly due to a government study that revealed use of potassium bromate and potassium iodate by the bread industries which contains cancer-causing chemicals.

Among the major laggards, shares of Jubilant Foodworks tumbled 9 percent to trade at Rs 1,012.90, after falling to as much as Rs 975 in early trades, down over 12 percent.

Similarly, shares of Westlife Development cracked 9% to a low of Rs 200 before erasing most of its losses to trade a percent lower at Rs 217.90.

Britannia Industries also came under selling pressure and lost nearly 2 percent to Rs 2,630 after falling to a low of Rs 2,611.20 a short while ago.

A report by NGO Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that nearly 84 per cent of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads, including pav and buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate, banned in many countries as they are listed as "hazardous" for public health.

"A scientific panel had recommended removal of potassium bromate from the list of additives. So we have already decided to take it out from the list. Soon it will be notified," said Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal.

According to sources, in January FSSAI had decided to remove potassiun bromate from food additives list and had even issued a draft notification.

According to CSE, potassium bromate typically increases dough strength, leads to higher rising and uniform finish to baked products, while potassium iodate is a flour treatment agent.

However, companies engaged in manufacturing breads and breakfasts have denied using these chemcials.

A DNA report quoting Britannia in a statement said "it does not use Potassium Bromate or Iodate as an ingredient in any of its bread recipes. All Britannia Breads products are in 100 per cent compliance to the existing food safety regulations as stipulated by FSSAI."

It added "FSSAI stipulates usage of all Food Additives in Food Products within per permissible limits. For potassium Bromate/Iodate FSSAI stipulates the permissible limit as 50 ppm max (On flour mass basis)."

The statement made it a point to mention both things, that Britannia does not use the substance at all, and that 50 ppm was the permissible limit set by the Food, Safety and Standards Authority of India.

"We have not seen the report of CSE on presence of potassium bromate in different bread brands collected by them from Delhi market about a year back (May 2015). Only after going through the contents of the report in detail, we will be able to give our response and considered views regarding this issue," a Times of India report said quoting statement of Mago.

Reacting to the CSE report, Health Minister J P Nadda said, "We are seized of the matter. I have told my officials to report to me on an urgent basis. There is no need to panic.

Very soon we will come out with the (probe) report." In its report, CSE claimed that while one of the chemicals is a category 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans), the other could trigger thyroid disorders but India has not banned their use.

With PTI inputs
The government on Tuesday announced the names of 13 more cities that will be developed under the Centre's 'Smart City Mission' with Lucknow in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh topping the list, followed by Warangal in Telangana and Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh.

Twenty-three cities with the higher rankings from as many states and Union terrritories, which failed to get representation in the first round of a competition held in January, participated in the 'Fast Track Competition', the result of which was announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today.

Of these 23 cities, only 13 could qualify for the smart city projects through the fresh competition.

Other cities, which won this round, were Chandigarh, Raipur (Chhattisgarh), New Town Kolkata, Bhagalpur (Bihar), Panaji (Goa), Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Imphal (Manipur), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Faridabad (Haryana).

"The 13 cities selected in the Fast Track Competition have proposed a total investment of Rs 30,229 crore. With this, the

investment proposed by 33 cities (20 cities announced in January and 13 cities today) under the smart city plans is now

Rs 80, 789 crore," Naidu told a press conference.

Seven capital cities -- Patna (Bihar), Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), Naya Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Bengaluru (Karnataka) and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) -- which were not included in the 100 cities shortlisted for the competition will be able to participate in the next round with other cities, the minister said.

Also, one out of Meerut and Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and another out of Jammu and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir would also be selected for evaluation under the mission, he added.

According to a ANI report, Naidu said in order to become eligible, the participating cities bettered the quality of their smart city plans. For instance, Lucknow enhanced its smart city proposal by 19 percent.

As many as 23 cities with the highest ranking from as many states and union territories, which failed to get representation in the first round of competition held in January participated in the 'Fast Track Competition'.

Only 12 states and UTs were represented in the first list of 20 mission cities announced in 'Smart City Challenge Competition' on January 28.

The 23 cities which competed under Fast Track Competition include Warangal (Telangana); Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh); New Town Kolkata; Panaji (Goa); Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh); Dharmashala (Himachal Pradesh); Faridabad (Haryana); and Raipur (Chattisgarh); Bhagalpur (Bihar); Shillong (Meghalaya); Namchi (Sikkim); Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar Islands); Diu (Daman & Diu); Oulgaret (Puducherry); Silvassa (Dadra & Nagar Haveli); Imphal (Manipur); Ranchi (Jharkhand); Agartala (Tripura); Kohima (Nagaland); Aizawl (Mizoram) Kavaratti (Lakshadweep), Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and Chandigarh.

Those cities which miss out in the Fast Track Competition would be able to participate in the next round of competition with other cities.

Balancing act

Commenting on the second list of cities, Arindam Guha, Senior Director, Deloitte in India, said it complements the earlier list of 20 cities. "Now Bihar is included and so is West Bengal," he said.

Anuj Puri, Chairman & Country Head, JLL India, said with the latest addition of 13 more cities, the smart cities mission has made inroads into 25 states/ UTs in the country.

"If we were to look at the Smart city and AMRUT qualifying cities together, they account for close to 70% of the total urban population of India," he said adding the latest list is a good mix of prominent industrial and cosmopolitan cities along with, state capitals as well as Tier 3 and 4 cities and bodes well for a holistic approach to developing existing cities as Smart Cities.

"The geographic spread of the new list also shows encouraging signs of development being also focused towards the eastern and north-eastern part of the country where infrastructure development is vital, in line with Modis vision to develop the east," he said.

In the Fast Track Competition, four cities are from BJP- ruled states -- Harayana, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Jharkhand --while five cities in states, which are under Congress rule or its allies -- Manipur, Puducherry, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Bhagalpur city in Bihar, where JD(U), RJD and Congress are coalition partners, Warangal in Telangana ruled by Rashtra Samithi; and Lucknow in Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh, among others, are also contesting in this round.

In the first round announced in January, 13 cities out of the total 20 mission cities were from BJP and its allies ruled states of Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, whereas two cities from Congress-ruled state of Karnataka.

Kochi in Kerala, which went to CPI(M)-led LDF in the recent assembly election, and Guwahati in Assam, where BJP has dethroned Congress, were also selected in the first round of the competition.

Two cities--Chennai and Coimbatore--from Tamil Nadu, where AIADMK government was re-elected in recent assembly elections, and NDMC area of AAP-ruled Delhi were also selected in the first round of the mission.

The models

However, Guha said what is more important is the kind of models individual cities adopt for procurement and implementation.

"We are already seeing widely varying models with some cities going for 2 packages, one for the PAN city solution and the other for area development. Certain other cities are in the process of appointing a single project management unit which would then support them in procurement of specialised solution providers in areas like solid waste management, water supply, sanitation etc," Guha said.

Explaining the rationale, he said PAN city solution is for all citizens not confined in particular area in the city. An example is the bill payment solution which can be used by any citizen from anywhere. The second part is the area development plan, which is limited to a pilot area in the city. it doesnt cover the entire city.

"While the second method is engineering and construction heavy, the first one is more information technology heavy," he said.

What is required is finding out the right solutions for the local problems which are likely to be different for different cities.

What is a smart city?

Assured water and power supply, sanitation and solid waste management systems, efficient urban mobility and public transportation, IT connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation are some of the highlights of the smart city project.

Under the Smart City Mission, 100 cities across the country will be developed as smart cities by 2019-20 with the Union government providing financial support to the extent of Rs 48,000 crore over five years.

While 20 smart cities were selected during 2015-16 as per the Mission guidelines, another 40 would be selected during 2016-17 and the remaining 40 during the next financial year.

Each city selected in different rounds of competition will be given central assistance of Rs 200 crore in the first year and Rs 100 crore each during the subsequent three financial years.

State governments and respective urban local bodies will provide matching funds to the same amount.

With PTI
Shares of Monsanto India rallied sharply in early Tuesday trade, with the stock surging nearly 7 percent to touch a high of Rs 2,219.65, after the government a day before rolled back its decision to cap royalties paid by local firms to the company for purchasing the genetically modified seeds.

Despite shedding some initial gains, the Monsanto stock at 10 am still traded 4 percent higher at Rs 2,161.45 a share on BSE. Over 80,000 shares changed hands in early trades so far as against two-week average volume of 27,000 shares traded.

On Monday, India temporarily withdrew an order capping royalties on any new variety of genetically-modified (GM) cotton seeds, a government source said on Monday, bringing relief to U.S.-based Monsanto Co, the market's sole supplier.

"We are temporarily withdrawing the order," said the source, who is involved in the decision-making process but didn't wish to be named because he is not authorised to talk to the media.

In an order last week, the agriculture ministry said any company providing any new, advanced variety of GM cotton would not be allowed to charge royalties of more than 10 percent of the price of seeds, currently fixed at Rs 800, for five years from the date of marketing.

From the sixth year, the royalties, or trait value, will taper down by 10 percent every year.

Along with putting a lid on royalties, New Delhi also tightened rules that regulate the sale of GM cotton seeds.

The move was widely seen as another blow to Monsanto, the only company that sells GM cotton seeds in India, a leading producer and exporter of the fibre.

The government will now seek feedback from various stakeholders in the next 90 days before reaching a decision, said the source, who gave no reason for the decision to temporarily withdraw the order.

In March, India cut royalties paid by local firms for Monsanto's GM cotton seeds by nearly 70 percent and capped the price of its seed at Rs 800 for a packet of 450 grams after appeals by some state governments and farmers to lower the rate of the BT variety that commands 90 percent of the market.

The decision prompted Monsanto to warn it could consider pulling out of India. Shrugging off Monsanto's concerns, government ministers said India would keep regulating Bt cotton seed prices.

Separately, India's antitrust regulator has ordered an investigation into Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) (MMB), a joint venture with India's Mahyco, to probe whether the company had abused its dominant position as a supplier of GM cotton seeds.

Monsanto, the target of a $62 billion offer from Germany's Bayer, introduced a GM cotton variety in India in 2002 despite stiff opposition from critics who questioned its safety. GM cotton seeds catapulted the country to being the world's top producer and the second-largest exporter of the fibre.

Cotton is the only GM crop grown in India.

A Monsanto spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

With inputs from Reuters
Telecom network equipment maker Nokia is likely to cut 10,000 to 15,000 jobs globally - far more than it has announced so far - after its acquisition of Franco-American rival Alcatel-Lucent, a Finnish union representative said.

The company has announced plans for around 2,400 job cuts in Finland and Germany as part of a cost-cutting program but has not so far given a global figure.

Cuts on the scale estimated by the union would represent as much as 14 percent of Nokia's worldwide work force of 104,000.

Nokia kicked off the rationalisation program in April with a target to slash 900 million euros ($1 billion) of operating costs by 2018.

"We haven't heard any official numbers, but based on the information from our union contacts, I would estimate the global impact of this round would likely be around 10,000 to 15,000 jobs," said Risto Lehtilahti, a trade union shop steward at Nokia's Oulu site.

A Nokia spokeswoman declined comment on the figure.

Analysts and union representatives said that the company will likely follow up with a new round of cuts once the current one is finished.

"Nokia and Alcatel have lots of overlaps, so the numbers will go up and the range could be something like that (10,000-15,000)," said Hannu Rauhala, analyst at OP Equities.

"The integration takes place at a very hectic stage in the network industry. The market is falling, technology is changing and the environment is turbulent, so it is difficult to see that they would make it (the company) ready in one go," he said.

Nokia set out plans for its home country last week, saying it was cutting around 1,000 Finnish jobs, compared to an initial target of 1,300 jobs.

Nokia has said it is looking to reduce 1,400 positions in Germany. In France, it would cut around 400 jobs but also create 500 research and development posts.

To win French government support for the 15.6 billion euro deal, Nokia pledged during negotiations not to cut French jobs for two years, beyond what Alcatel had already planned.

The Nokia spokeswoman said the company didn't have any updates for France or Germany, and declined to give details on other countries. Nokia is holding talks with employee representatives in about 30 countries.

The savings plan is partly due to tackle the weak network gear market. Nokia forecast earlier this month that its network sales would fall this year.

"Some work will be completely terminated, some cuts come from Alcatel overlaps, and some work will be transferred to countries with lower costs," said Tuula Aaltola, another Finnish shop steward.

The market leader, Sweden's Ericsson, is also cutting costs as tough competition pressures network gear prices.

According to Communication Workers of America (CWA), Nokia started to reduce U.S. jobs a year ago in preparation for the merger.

"We don't know what Nokia's plan is for the U.S.-based workforce. They have cut 500, cut our (unionized) workforce in half, and we hope that's all that is going to be taken away," CWA representative Lisa Bolton said.

In Finland, Nokia has slashed thousands of jobs over the past decade as its once-dominant phone business was eclipsed by the rise of smartphone rivals. The phone business was eventually sold to Microsoft, which has continued cutting jobs in the country.
WASHINGTON A U.S. State Department official assured lawmakers on Tuesday that India has addressed concerns over liability that had for years kept U.S. corporations from signing nuclear power contracts in the country.

"We believe that the steps that India has taken have addressed by and large the key concerns that have been in place," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

She also said the United States supported India joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 48-member group of nuclear trading nations.

India wants to increase its nuclear energy capacity dramatically as part of a broader push to move away from fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid the dangerous effects of climate change.

India was shut out of the nuclear trade for decades because of its weapons program. A 2008 agreement with the United States gave it access to foreign suppliers without giving up arms primarily meant as a deterrent against nuclear-armed China.

But hopes that U.S. nuclear reactor manufacturers would get billions of dollars of new business evaporated after India adopted a law in 2010 giving the state-run Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) the right to seek damages from suppliers in the event of an accident.

Biswal declined to say that all U.S. companies would now be comfortable doing business in India. "Those are going to be individual determinations that companies are going to have to make," she said.

Some companies are moving into the market. The chief executive of Toshiba Corp's Westinghouse Electric said in March he expected to sign a deal in June to build six nuclear reactors in India.

Senator Edward Markey questioned Biswal on whether India had met the requirements to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which is dedicated to curbing nuclear arms proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that could foster nuclear weapons development.

Diplomats quietly launched a new push last year to induct India into the group, which would carry the risk of antagonizing Pakistan as well as its ally, China. Beijing could veto any application by India.

Biswal said the United States backs India.

"We believe that India has complied with, and is consistent with, the requirements of the NSG and therefore should be considered for membership," she said.

(Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Dan Grebler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New Delhi: CBI has registered a case against former Viswa Bharati University Vice Chancellor Sushanta Kumar Dattagupta and four others for allegedly flouting UGC rules in the appointment of a deputy registrar and carried out searches at nine locations on Tuesday.

CBI sources said besides Dattagupta, former registrar of the university D Gunasekaran (now Registrar IIT Bhubaneswar), Finance Officer A P Trivedi, and Deputy Registrar Shyamala Ray Nair have also been named by the agency in its FIR.

The FIR is based on the source information received by the agency that these officials allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy to appoint Nair as the deputy registrar of the university in violation of UGC guidelines, they said.

An email seeking reaction of Dattagupta remained unanswered.

The sources said Nair allegedly did not meet the laid down educational criteria and her age was seven years over the prescribed maximum limit.

The searches were conducted at the official and residential premises of all the accused including Dattagupta and were spread across five places in Santiniketan, two places in Kolkata and two places in Bhubaneswar, they said.

"We did not have any prior information. Today (Tuesday) morning a team from the CBI, led by a senior officer, met me at my office. As I have heard they have taken away some files and documents from different departments. Most of their queries were related to some appointments," Swapan Dutta, officiating vice-chancellor of the university, said.

CBI also questioned Trivedi and Nair in connection with the case. However, it was not a formal interrogation.

The prestigious central university known for its close-to-nature approach of teaching was founded by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and boasts of alumni such as Nobel-winning economist Amartya Sen, legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray and art historian R Siva Kumar among others.

Dattagupta was dismissed as the vice-chancellor on 15 February by President Pranab Mukherjee making it the first instance of sacking of the VC of a central university. The action was taken on the recommendation of the Ministry of Human Resources Development as Dattagupta was facing allegations of financial and administrative irregularities.

The President had taken the decision after consulting the Law Ministry and the Attorney General who approved the procedures followed by it in the matter.

Allegations against Dattagupta included drawing salary from Visva Bharati and pension from Jawaharlal Nehru University simultaneously in alleged violation of the law.

Under the law, he was required to have got his pension amount deducted from the pay he received from Visva Bharati.

Besides this, Duttagupta was accused of making irregular appointments, despite having no powers, and sanctioning key posts in violation of the Visva Bharati Act.

Dattagupta, who was appointed in 2011, had over six months of his tenure left when he was sacked.

Earlier he had challenged the legality of the ministry's fact-finding committee but his petition was dismissed by the Calcutta High Court.
An air ambulance flying from Patna to Delhi with seven people on board crashed at Najafgarh, on the outskirts of the National Capital, according to India Today. The plane landed at Najafgarhs Kair village due to engine failure.

According to ANI, the plane, a Beech King Air C-90 A, belongs to Alchemist Airlines.

Delhi Police told NDTV that two people on board were injured while five others were unharmed. Times Now reported that fire tenders were rushed to the spot to rescue the passengers and crew.

News18 reported that the plane was supposed to land at Indira Gandhi International Airport, six nautical miles from the crash site.

Aviation regulator DGCA has already started an inquiry into the incident.

A 61-year-old cardiac patient Virender Rai who was being flown to Delhi has been rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon immediately after the incident. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.

The 1989-make aircraft, carrying registration number VT EQO, was in touch with to Air Traffic Control as it was in the final approach to landing.

The six other onboard persons include Rupesh (doctor), Jung Bahadur (aircraft technician), Juhi and Bhagwan Rai (both relatives of the patient), Amit Kumar (pilot) and Rohit (co-pilot).

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said DGCA officials have been sent to the site of the incident to conduct a probe.

"We received an emergency call from the pilot. Both the engines of the aircraft had reportedly failed. They made the landing safe. The DGCA is looking into the incident," Sharma told reporters.

In December 2015, a small 20-year-old BSF plane ferrying the force's technical personnel to Ranchi crashed near Dwarka and burst into flames just outside IGI airport shortly after takeoff, killing all 10 people on board.

With inputs from PTI
Its heartening to note that the Delhi government stays focussed on education, specifically on schools run by the state. In the CBSE Class XII exams, the results of which were out a couple of days ago, government-run schools outperformed private schools.

For the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government that never had an easy equation with private schools, the good news comes at the right time.

It has made clear its intent to rejuvenate state-run schools with emphasis on quality and affordability; it gets a morale-booster now.

The seriousness of intent can be gauged from the fact that besides taking real steps such as making significant budgetary allocation for education, aimed at revamping the existing infrastructure, including quality of manpower, it has been communicating with the residents of Delhi on a regular basis on the matter.

In a full-page advertisement in newspapers on Tuesday, Delhis Education Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also the deputy chief minister, congratulates teachers of government schools on the CBSE performance and goes on to warn those who have been habitually callous in their job.

Without improving government schools, the dream of providing meaningful education to our young generation becomes a distant one..., the ad says, while exhorting 50,000 teachers in Delhi to continue their good work with dedication and a sense of commitment.

On the day of the result, Kejriwal himself took to Twitter to express his happiness:

Am so happy that delhi govt school students have done so well. https://t.co/1JBH2Q0rNR  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 21, 2016

Sisodia tweeted:

Delhi govt schools performed better than private schools. Well done! Team Education of Delhi. I'm proud of my team. #DelhiEducation  Education Minister (@Minister_Edu) May 21, 2016

On several occasions in the past, the Delhi government has issued advertisements warning private schools against unreasonable fee hikes that burden the parents, and in general, the extortionist ways of these schools. In how many states do you see such active interest in education? There are advertisements usually tom-toming the welfare schemes of incumbent governments. These are basically promotional in nature, aimed at voters, not at citizens at large.

Other states should take note.

If the article is already sounding too sweet on the AAP government, it cannot be helped. The CBSE results may or may not be due to its efforts and we are yet to know whether its initiatives are going to bring the big change that the education sector needs, but the fact that a government is showing interest in an area that wont fetch it votes and has kept at it, is interesting.

The appreciation comes from the personal conviction that two sectors  health and education  should not be left at the mercy of private players. The latter can have a role, but it should not be an overwhelming one. Both areas form an essential social infrastructure critical for the growth of the country. As the experience of countries like Singapore reveals, all effort put here is a good investment. An educated and healthy population is always better prepared to reap the benefits of growth and take the process forward than their uneducated counterparts. So any government effort to make these sectors better is welcome.

Private players moved in and flourished because the governments deliberately allowed quality of education to slip. It has gone on for so long that state-run schools, at least most of them, have lost the energy to revive themselves. Its high time governments moved in.

The Delhi government should be an example.
New Delhi: The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2016, signed by President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday states that irrespective of any court order, states will be free to hold medical entrance exams for this academic year.

The ordinance which was issued this evening in the form of a gazette notification states that "...notwithstanding any judgement or order of any court, the provision of this section shall not apply in relation to the uniform entrance examination at the undergraduate level...

"...for the academic year 2016-17 conducted in accordance with any regulations made under this Act in respect of state government seats (whether in govt medical colleges or in private medical colleges) where such state has not opted for such examinations."

The ordinance was clearly referring to a recent Supreme Court verdict which said that second phase of NEET will be held on 24 July and will be applicable to all government and private medical colleges.

At the same time, the ordinance makes it clear that there will be a "uniform entrance examination to all medical institutions at the undergraduate level and post-graduate level through such designated authority...

"...in Hindi, English and such other languages and in such manner as may be prescribed and the designated authority shall ensure the conduct of uniform entrance examination in the aforesaid manner," the notification said.

The Union Cabinet cleared the ordinance hours after both Houses of Parliament were prorogued by the President on 19 May.

As per law, at least one of the House of Parliament should not be in session to enable the government to come out with an ordinance.
Srinagar: Security forces have gunned down a top commander of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and another militant in a gunbattle in Maharaja Bazaar area of Srinagar, police said.

The slain JeM commander in the Kashmir Valley was identified as Saifullah, a police official said.

An operation was launched in Maharaja Bazaar on Monday following information about the presence of militants in the area and a gunfight ensued between security personnel and militants, the official said.

Two militants were killed in the operation on Monday, he said, adding the identity of the other militant was being established.
New Delhi: After raising queries, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday signed the ordinance to keep state boards out of the common entrance test (NEET) for MBBS and dental courses for this year.

The President promulgated the ordinance this morning after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him, official sources said.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early this morning along with top Health Ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by the President on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The Ordinance had been sent on Saturday to the President, who left for China today on a four-day state visit. After the ordinance on Uttrakhand was overturned by theSupreme Court earlier this month, the President's Secretariat was this time more cautious and raised pointed queries as it was virtually taking on the apex court's order which had directed the Government to hold medical exams under NEET

covering government and private colleges besides state boards.

The President was briefed by Union Health Minister J P Nadda yesterday mainly on three issues including different exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

This was followed by another briefing by officials after which the file was taken back by the Health Ministry last night only to return this morning with additional information and legal advice.

The ordinance on NEET, cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday last, is aimed at "partially" overturning Supreme Court order that had also taken into account the multiple medical entrance tests by states and private colleges as well as allegations of corruption.

The court had directed that a common entrance test-NEET-will be held across India for MBBS and dental courses.

But state governments had objected to its implementation from this very year, saying it will be too stressful for students as they had little time to prepare for the syllabus and also there were issue of language.

They said the students affiliated to state boards will find it tough to appear for the uniform test as early as July and such students will be at a loss compared to those who have followed the central board.

After the Supreme Court turned down the plea, the Centre had decided to take the ordinance route.

Different states earmark anything between 12-15 percent seats in various private medical colleges for state quota so that students from one state can get seat in another state.

More than 15 states were opposed to NEET and had raised issues like different syllabus and languages during the recent state health ministers' meeting.

The next phase of the exam is scheduled for 24 July. Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on 1 May.

With the ordinance being promulgated, students of state government boards will not have to sit for NEET on 24 July.

They, however, will have to become part of the uniform entrance exam from the next academic session.

The exam will be applicable for those applying for Central government and private medical colleges.

The Supreme Court earlier ruled that the students would have to appear for NEET starting this academic session for admissions into medical or dental colleges in the country.
Its the worlds biggest festival. Its so huge, that its even visible from space  a gathering of over a 100 million people becoming a single mass: the Kumbh Mela. Firstpost travels to the ancient city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and brings you the colours of Kumbh from the banks of Kshipra, where the fair is being celebrated this year.

We take you to the epicentre of the festival, show you how various events unfolded. We tell you the stories beneath the story of what meets the eye  sadhus youve never heard of, fantastic rituals and acts of worship of both, the creation and the creator. Some claim to have stood on a leg for decades, others live with an arm raised above their head as a form of tapasya. Stories of gods who need a booze-anointing and an incense stick which is half the size of the Qutb Minar.

The Kumbh Mela is not just about religion, mantras, sadhus, spiritual baths in sacred a river, which supposedly washes away sins to give you a fresh start. To a few it might almost seem like a holy water amusement park with loud music, street dances, endless array of colours, and mouth watering food. It in fact is a mela after all.

Join Firstpost on this spectacular journey where people from all walks of life come together forgetting their differences, breaking the barriers of caste and creed.
Srinagar: A top commander of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad was among two militants killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Maharaja Bazaar area of the city on Monday night, police said.

Security forces launched an operation in Maharaja Bazaar following information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

He said a gunfight broke out between security forces and militants.

"So far, one militant has been killed," he said adding the operation was still in progress.

One of the dead militants was identified as Saifullah, a top Jaish commander in the Kashmir Valley, while the identity of the other is yet to be ascertained.
Dear Mr Pinarayi Vijayan,

Kerala is Gods Own Country only for the tourists who throng the place but not for those who live in it. Despite the states admirably high Human Development Index, what the economists call disguised poverty has crippled vast sections of debt-ridden people.

Here is what you could do after you take over as the Chief Minister on Wednesday to turn Kerala into a truly Gods Own Country even for the states inhabitants.

You won the election. Now win peoples goodwill.

Now that the initial euphoria over the Left's victory in Kerala has died down, you must face the harsh electoral realities. The Left Democratic Front (LDF), headed by your CPM didnt really sweep the Kerala election and didnt have a landslide victory as television anchors made it out to be. The LDF polled only 4.6 percent more votes than the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). But it won 31.5 percent more seats in the assembly than the UDF.

It was a victory fast-tracked by the presence of BJP-led combination and the three-way vote-split, amply aided by the non-performance of Oommen Chandys UDF government. At one level, it was a vote against the UDF and for the BJP, more than a vote for the LDF. You must earn the goodwill of vast sections of people who didnt vote for LDF, and the surest way to do it is to deliver good governance. So do it.

Say no to violence.

As soon as the results were out, the CPM and RSS-BJP began to accuse each other of violence. Its true that the CPM lost 17 men compared with RSS-BJPs nine in violence between the two groups in the last five years. The LDFs return to power raises a sneaky suspicion that the CPM goons may go on the warpath and try to even up the score. The reputation of the RSS on this front is not lily-white, but the CPMs record in the last four decades is more worrisome. Its no secret that it was your party which started it all some 40 years ago when the RSS began to make inroads into your strongholds.

For the CPM, violence is part of Stalinist vanguardism that ensures control over party and decimation of enemies. Such ideas have no place in modern world. In West Bengal, it didnt do any good to gentlemen like Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb. It wont do any good to you in Kerala. So stop it.

Junk the communist jargon.

Your alliance with the Congress in West Bengal and a head-on fight against the same party in Kerala  Narendra Modi called at an campaign rally dosti in Bengal and gusthi in Kerala only means that the CPM has thrown political ideology out the window. But what you need to really junk is the fossilised economic ideology of the communist brand. And you must stop mouthing irrelevant jargon such as Neo-liberalism, Imperialism, Proletariat and Bourgeois. That sort of vocabulary is guaranteed to keep off investors and industryand jobs.

Throw away the Kerala development model. It has done its job.

The much-adored Kerala development model was fine. It placed Kerala on a high pedestal in areas such as literacy and healthcare and became responsible for the states excellent Human Development Index. But it hasnt taken  and it wont take  the state far in industrial and economic development. The states industry and economy can prosper only if you overcome your well-known phobia of market economics and Privatisation. Your love for the public sector is too old-fashioned. Liberalisation and a welfare-state do not contradict each other. Its time your party shed its ideological myopia.

Prohibition is a fools fantasy. Forget it.

Fortunately, your manifesto didnt promise prohibition. But unfortunately, your party leaders were making confusing statements about it. Prohibition is a dimwitted policy to discourage alcohol consumption. It has never worked anywhere in the world, and it never will. Stick to your personal opinion that prohibition only leads to consumption of spurious liquor and deaths. Be bold about it. Its true that the per capita alcohol intake in Kerala, according to the state governments Economic Review of 2012, is about 8 litres a year, the highest in India. But prohibition is no answer to it. Words like abstention, awareness and self-control come to mind. In China, the country that your party admires most, liquor is available even in departmental stores. But China is doing pretty well for itself.

25 lakh jobs in five years? Be realistic.

You promised to create 25 lakh jobs in the next five years in Kerala, most of them in IT sector, agriculture and tourism. Wonderful. But it sounds too much like election-time poppycock. Take the IT sector. India is expected to generate a little over 2,00,000 tech jobs a year in the next few years. According to current industry estimates, Kerala can probably get about 20,000 jobs a year even with its Smart City and Infopark at Kochi and the Technopark at Thiruvananthapuram. That adds up to a lakh IT jobs in five years in the state. So where will the other 24 lakh jobs come from? Tourism and agriculture? Instead of bandying about impossible numbers to fool the media and people, your government must work  and must be seen to be working  hard to create jobs to the optimum level.

Agriculture is in crisis. Do something fast.

Agriculture in Kerala is a unique mess, of a kind seen nowhere else in India. Remember Modis 9 May election speech at Thiruvananthapuram? He said that the infant mortality rate among Scheduled Tribes in Kerala was worse than Somalias, and needless fuss was made about it. Keep that aside. In the same speech, Modi also said that Kerala can meet only 13 percent of its requirement of agricultural products. One doesnt know where he got this figure, but there are studies which say that only about 10 percent of the total area under agriculture in Kerala has food crops like rice, pulses and tapioca. The rest of the land is used up by commercial crops like rubber, spices, areca and cashewnut. While the vagaries of the international prices of rubber and other cash crops keep farmers on tenterhooks, often pushing them into debt, the state imports most of its food items ranging from rice to vegetables. To correct this imbalance and to create jobs in agriculture sector, you need more than a five-year term, but you must make a beginning.

Bring the tourists back.

Tourism accounts for a tenth of Keralas GDP and a quarter of the jobs in the state. But the industry has taken a beating from the outgoing Oommen Chandy governments sham prohibition policy you may call it a tipsy-turvy policy  which allows only five-star hotels to serve all liquor but permits other parlours to serve just beer and wine. During the last one year, tourists were cancelling their Kerala bookings and opting for places like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Sri Lanka. The growth rate in the arrivals of both foreign and domestic tourists has dropped.

Your election manifesto promised to double the present 12 lakh foreign tourist arrivals in the next five years. And it promised to raise the domestic arrivals from 1.3 crore to 2 crore. This has flummoxed experts. Once again, fix realistic targets that you can deliver. Keralas USP is its backwaters and houseboats. Use this to the optimum. The tourism sector here thrives on small enterprises and homestays, many of which are run by unprofessional hands. Give them confidence and incentives. Give them training to make them professional. Get the tourists back.

Kerala is not a state, its one big city. Face this problem.

Most of Keralas problems can be traced to its rapid and lopsided urbanisation. According to the 2011 census figures, the state is urbanised up to 47.7 percent, up from 26 percent in 2001. The Kerala Development Report of the Planning Commission points out: Barring a few panchayats in the hilly tracts and a few other isolated pockets, the entire state presents the picture of an urban-rural continuum. So the whole state of Kerala is almost like one huge urban ocean with some rural islands here and there.

This has led to immense pressure on infrastructure. Though Kerala has the highest road density in India  375 km per 100 square kilometres against the national average of 75  the roads in the state, even highways, are narrow. And the state generates just about 40 percent of the electricity it needs. You have been a power minister before, and you know what to do. Reduce the over-dependence on Hydel power and go for non-Hydel sources. Make a good beginning. Focus on infrastructure. It brings industry, tourists, and jobs.

Clear the garbage, please.

Excessive urbanisation has meant that the state has few places where it can dump its garbage without a hue and cry from people living nearby. So its dumped on roads. Many waste treatment plants, set up in recent years, are not enough to cope with the 8,000 tonnes of garbage that the state generates a day. Hurry up with the plants in the pipeline, and set up more (no scams in the selection of companies, please). Waste disposal must get as much priority as file disposal in the secretariat.

Author tweets @sprasadindia
BEIJING -- Vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang met with Malaysian Navy chief Dato' Seri Panglima Ahmad Kamarulzaman bin Hj Ahmad Badaruddin on Tuesday, agreeing to enhance cooperation in defense and security.

Xu said China attaches great importance to military relations with Malaysia, especially ties between the two navies.

China is willing to work with Malaysia to deepen military exchanges to enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between the two sides, he said.

Xu criticized attempts by certain countries to hype up tensions and produce trouble in the South China Sea, expressing China's firm opposition against such actions.

China is ready to enhance defense and security cooperation with Malaysia in the region to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, as well as the overall situation of China-ASEAN friendship and cooperation, said Xu.

Kamarulzaman said Malaysia is willing to work with China to strengthen mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation to push forward bilateral ties, including military ties.
Sarbananda Sonowal on 24 May became the first BJP chief minister in Assam. The grand ceremony, where Sonowal and his cabinet ministers took oath, heralded the BJP's entry into the northeast.

The 54-year-old Sonowal, who started his political journey as the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) president, joined the Asom Gana Parishad in 2001 and left it to join BJP in 2011. In the run-up to the assembly elections in Assam, BJP projected Sonowal as the face of the party in the state and as the chief ministerial candidate. The party centered their campaign with infiltration of immigrants from Bangladesh as their major poll plank. In fact, Sonowal was quoted as saying that stopping infiltration would be a major challenge for him.

Sonowal has a difficult road ahead. The saffron alliance has made a slew of promises which can be really daunting to achieve. Most of it rides on the shoulder of Sonowal as not only he has to deliver on the major promises made during the election campaign, he has to keep the BJP's alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) happy.

Sealing Indo-Bangladesh border

Eleven years ago, Sonowal had filed a petition challenging the controversial Illegal Migrants' Determination by Tribunal (IMDT) Act, which was later scrapped by the Supreme Court. After winning the elections, Sonowal said Assam's borders will be sealed in two years to check infiltration from Bangladesh.

"Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had given a two-year time frame for permanent sealing of the border. We will work towards finishing within that time frame the border sealing work, including the riverine border," he had told PTI in an interview. He had added that after the updated draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is published, the government will identify the citizens and the infiltrators.

Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign, had announced that illegal immigrants will be sent back to Bangladesh. According to The Indian Express, the previous Congress-led government in Assam had delayed updating the NRC, which is a register containing names of citizens in Assam who are in the electoral rolls between 1951 and 1971. After Modi came to power, the process of updating the register began once again.

BJP's alliance partners

BJP's five-party alliance, including AGP and BPF, managed to oust the 15-year-old Congress-led government. According to reports, the new ministry is likely to have 10 MLAs from the BJP, three from the AGP, two from BPF and one from the Gana Shakti Party. Before the swearing-in ceremony, the BJP held meeting with its partners to iron out the the ministerial equations. But Sonowal and his party should be prepared if its allies clamour for more ministerial seats.

Sonowal versus Sarma

Himanta Biswas Sarma, who was once former chief minister Tarun Gogoi's blue eyed boy, was touted to be the chief minister of the northeastern state after he joined BJP in 2015. Sarma fostered hope of becoming the chief minister under Congress leadership. However, soon after Tarun Gogoi's son Gaurav Gogoi joined the Congress, Sarma along with his nine supporters joined the BJP.

While Sarma's chief ministerial ambitions were not hidden from the saffron party, the BJP made him the campaign committee convener in November. The saffron party after its Delhi debacle (remember Kiran Bedi) had refrained from declaring a CM candidate in Bihar. However, it was forced to declare its chief ministerial face in Assam after Sonowal reportedly threw a fit fearing that Sarma will spoil his chances.

In fact, while the elections were underway in Assam, reports said that the BJP in Assam was divided into two camps  Sarma and Sonowal. With Sonowal as the Assam Chief Minister it remains to be seen whether Sarma, who is known for his political acumen, will provide the necessary support to Sonowal. Sarma took oath as a cabinet minister as well on Tuesday.

Aides close to both the leaders told Firstpost that the 'rivalry' between the two dates back to their AASU days.

In fact, Sonowal was opposed to Sarma's entry into BJP. "I have known Sonowal since Standard V. There are no differences between us," Sarma had said just after joining the BJP in 2015.

However, the newly-elected leadership has to keep an eye on Sarma's growing popularity within the party. Only time will tell if Sarma is willing to play the second fiddle in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led government.

With inputs from agencies
Patna: Discounting any strain with JD(U), RJD boss Lalu Prasad on Monday said the 'mahagathbandhan' is "rock solid".

Prasad thus broke his silence over the utterances made by some of his party leaders in recent days and asked them to share their concerns, if any, instead of airing "unnecessary statements".

"The mahagathbandhan is rock solid and whoever will try to hammer on it (mahagathbandhan's unity) will prove to be a failure. I suggest my partymen to share their concerns, if any, and avoid making unnecessary statements," he said in a series of tweets.

"I can understand the restlessness of RSS, BJP, Paswan ji, and Manjhi ji... Everything is fit and fine (in alliance). They (these leaders) are unnecessary getting tensed," he said.

NDA people should not create any confusion among the people as they are not going to be benefitted at all from their tactics, Prasad said, adding that they (NDA) all are a "tired and defeated people".

Noting that NDA has been in 'coma' for past six months and they should rather think about themselves, the RJD satrap said RSS and BJP leaders including the Prime Minister carried a hugely negative campaign on the issue of 'jungle raj' besides trying to create polarisation on communal lines in Bihar but people of the state swept them (BJP and RSS) away from the state in the hustings.

"NDA leaders are vomiting as they are not able to digest the grand success Mahagathbandhan got" in the assembly polls due to the faith and trust reposed by poor, deprived, Dalits, backwards and minorities in the polls, Prasad said while predicting severe drubbings for NDA in the Lok Sabha elections.

The entire NDA opposition is completely a harassed and dejected lot due to the popularity of mahagathbandhan government, the RJD leader claimed.
The NDA dispensation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will complete two years in office, has identified 200 "nerve centres" across the country to highlight the achievements of the government.

According to an internal communication, BJP would observe a 21-day-long 'vikas parv' from May 26-June 15, during which 33 teams, each comprising of one Cabinet Minister, one Minister of State (MoS) along with a national and state-level party functionary will visit 6-7 identified "nerve centres" to highlight the achievements of the government.

"It is also important to emphasise the obstruction by Opposition in not passing important legislations and creating hurdles in the path of development so that general public take note of achievements of government within a short span of time despite the difficulties and shortcomings inherited from the previous regimes," states the internal note sent to all ministers and department heads.

The Modi government would complete two years in office on May 26.

The slew of measures planned in order to reach out to people and widen the media outreach further include holding sammelans with beneficiaries of various welfare schemes of Central government, holding non-political meetings with industry bodies, farmers and women's organisations, lawyers and doctors' associations. Besides, it includes holding press conferences along with exclusive interviews and organising official programmes.

The Lok Sabha MPs belonging to NDA have been told to spend atleast two days and one night in each assembly segment under their Parliamentary constituency and hold meetings with public for grievance redressal. During the meetings, model development tree will be displayed prominently for the better understanding of the public. The Prime Minister's appropriate message on a particular welfare scheme will be displayed in the background. Cut outs and banners explaining the achievements scheme-wise, in general and most important with particular reference to that town or area will be put up and each MP and members of team have been asked to use social media effectively to disseminate campaign highlights.

Rajya Sabha MPs belonging to NDA have also been asked to visit districts in the state they are elected from and devote 15-20 days during the campaign visiting all assembly constituencies and highlighting the achievements. Apart from that, eight Chief Ministers and one Deputy Chief Minister of BJP will spend at least two days within home town and two days outside the state to highlight significant projects, policies and welfare schemes of the government. Besides, party functionaries will be visiting every block to attract local media and disseminate through them the quantum of funds sanctioned and released and the number of beneficiaries of various welfare schemes. State party functionaries will visit each and every Mandal and should make night halts at major villages to develop personal rapport with villagers. The Modi government is also looking at an extensive use of Cable TV for highlighting its achievements.
New Delhi: The government is in favour of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) as it wants to put an end to "unhealthy" practices of private medical colleges, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday.

"The government is in favour of NEET," he said, adding, "the private colleges, which are practicing unhealthy trends, we have to put an end to those."

He said the issue was raised in Parliament and all political parties expressed the opinion that the students would find it difficult to prepare for the exams in such a short period of time.

That's why the Cabinet brought an ordinance on NEET keeping out of its ambit State Boards for one year, he said.

Noting that the Ordinance has given a "firm and statutory" support to the common medical entrance test, Naidu said the students in states will get an opportunity to appear this year (2016-17) for undergraduate exams.

The ordinance on NEET, cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday last, is aimed at "partially" overturning Supreme Court order that had also taken into account the multiple medical entrance tests by states and private colleges as well as allegations of corruption.

The court had directed that a common entrance test--NEET-- will be held across India for MBBS and dental courses.

But state governments had objected to its implementation from this year, saying it will be too stressful for students as they had little time to prepare for the syllabus and also there were issue of language.

They said the students affiliated to state boards will find it tough to appear for the uniform test as early as July and such students will be at a loss compared to those who have followed the central board.

After the Supreme Court turned down the plea, the Centre had decided to take the ordinance route.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse said on Tuesday that he has written to the Ministry of External Affairs, the union home minister and the Maharashtra chief minister, seeking a thorough probe into the allegations that he received phone calls from fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

He also demanded action under the Information Technology Act against 'ethical hacker' Manish Bhangale, who claims to have hacked the website of a Pakistani telecom company to get the call records.

The minister has already rubbished the allegation that calls were made to his number from Dawood's Karachi residence between September 2015 and April 2016, saying that the number was not in use for the past one year.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had last week demanded a probe into the matter.

"The allegations against me are serious and I think there should be a detailed inquiry. So I have written a letter to the MEA, union home minister and the (Maharashtra) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, asking for a thorough probe," Khadse told reporters here.

Mumbai police have already given a clean chit to Khadse, saying no international calls were made to his cell phone.

AAP spokesperson Preeti Menon last week showed purported call records of the same number, obtained by Ahmedabad-based hacker Manish Bhangale, and accused Khadse of hiding facts.

Khadse said on Tuesday that he had also sent a letter to the Mumbai police commissioner, seeking action against Bhangale.

"Bhangale has violated IT laws and there should be a probe and action against him. Also, action should be taken against Jayesh Dave, who according to Bhangale provided Rs 85 lakh to hack the site, and AAP leader Preeti Menon who used the hacked data without informing the police," he said.
The swearing-in ceremony of Sarbananda Sonowal as Assam Chief Minister couldn't have come at a more appropriate time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shahcoinciding with the celebrations of the Modi government's two years in office.

The fact that the Prime Minister landed there straight after finishing a trip to Iran is indicative of the value the BJP attaches to this occasion. 24 May, 2016 for the BJP perhaps is as significant as 26 May, 2014. It was thus not surprising that the entire BJP and NDA brass including LK Advani, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and all chief party and alliance partners were present on the dais to grace the occasion.

The party also made a departure from the usual protocol. Soon after the official swearing in ceremony was over and Governor left the venue, the top brass including the Prime Minister addressed the audience. But this was no exception, this has been done before at some places by the BJP in the past and by Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi in 2015.

Two years ago, Narendra Modi had assumed office with an absolute majority. On Tuesday, the BJP opened new frontiers in the east or in the north-east by making its first ever government in Assam with two thirds majority with its allies. This was also an occasion for the BJP to declare  though not in so many words that the humiliating losses in Delhi and Bihar were a thing of past for it  that they had learnt some lessons from there, did the corrections required and moved on. In the recent elections, the party had improved its performance, opened its account in Kerala and also won a few seats in West Bengal. The BJP so far was a 'national' party only in letter, now it can claim that it is a national party also in spirit.

The euphoria in the BJP after a resounding victory in Assam was similar to that of 2008 when it had for the first time triumphed across Vindhyas in Karnataka. But then the BJP was in opposition at the Centre and leadership structure at the Centre was mired with some confusion. Five years later owing to factional fights, alleged corruption charges against its leader BS Yeddyurappa, the BJP lost that advantage to the Congress. As of now, it is only big state which Congress rules today.

The three other landmark dates for the BJP during Vajpayee era would be in terms of reaching new frontiers when it formed governments at the centre, 1996 (13 days) 1998 (13 months) and in 1999, as also a successfully running a coalition government for full term.

LK Advani's Ram Rath Yatra in 1990 and BJP taking a quantum leap in its numbers in Parliament after being reduced to two in 1984 elections held in the immediate aftermath of India Gandhi's assassination was one highpoint, which party leaders always relish to talk. The BJP came to power in Hindi heartland states but lost them after a disputed Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992. Compared to the Congress and Left, the BJP in its current avatar is only three and half decades old. The BJP in its present avatar was founded in 1980 after it was forced to move out from Janata Party on questions of twin membership. For about three years the BJP's erstwhile avatar Jan Sangh had merged its identity Janata Party at the behest of Jaiprakash Narayan.

The swearing-in celebrations for a BJP government in Assam is perhaps particularly sweeter for Modi not because he is the unquestioned leader of the party and the Prime Minister, but because he breached the eastward jinx for the party just as he had breached another jinx for the party as Gujarat chief minister  a BJP leader winning elections for the second successive term.
Sarbananda Sonowal was on Tuesday sworn-in as the first Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister of Assam at a gala event in Guwahati attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his senior cabinet colleagues and tens of thousands of BJP supporters.

Sonowal, 53, took oath along with Himanta Biswa Sarma, the former Congress strongman who crossed over to the BJP last year and is largely credited for the BJP's massive electoral victory in the northeastern state.

The ceremony, also attended by BJP president Amit Shah, was held at the sprawling Khanapara rally ground in the city that was turned saffron with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flags fluttering all over.

The ground was prepared to accommodate at least one lakh people. Before the oath-taking ceremony, a cultural event of Assamese music and dance took place.

As the crowd shouted the by-now familiar chants of "Modi, Modi," the Prime Minster addressed the gathering, saying, "The people of Assam have voted for Assam and Sonowal is the perfect person to lead the state...Sonowal will leave no stone unturned to change the destiny of Assam."

In his first speech as chief minister, Sonowal said that it was a historic moment for the BJP, and said that he would work for the people of Assam.

The BJP made history in the recently-concluded assembly elections, as it clinched power in Assam for the first time. Assam was a Congress bastion with party veteran Tarun Gogoi ruling the state since 2001. The BJP in the state swept the polls by winning 60 seats in the Assembly.

With this massive electoral success, it was no surprise that the BJP made its leader Sarbananda Sonowal's swearing-in as a gala event. In the run-up to the elections, PM Modi had campaigned extensively in the northeastern state, saying that the Congress government was run by a "remote control." Party leaders had made illegal migration a major issue during campaigning. Given this background, the Assam elections were a prestige issue for the saffron party.

Sonowal, on Sunday, met Assam Governor PB Acharya and staked claim to forming the next government by his party and its allies in the state. The combined strength of the BJP, AGP and BPF is 86 in the 126-member house.

Earlier, newly-elected 60 BJP legislators held their first formal meeting at a city hotel and unanimously elected Sonowal as their leader. Sonowal said the BJP will take Assam to new heights of development in cooperation with its alliance partners.

He said he did not have any problem in working with senior AGP leader and former state chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

With inputs from IANS
Guwahati: The oath-taking ceremony of BJP's first government in the crucial northeastern state of Assam did not turn out to be a mega NDA show as two major alliance constituents  the Shiv Sena and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  didn't turn up for the event.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had invited all leaders of the National Democratic Alliance's parties to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Sarbananda Sonowal.

Among those present were Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal of the Akali Dal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who heads the Telugu Desam Party, and Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan, head of the Lok Janshakti Party and Upendra Kushwaha, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief.

However, only Badal and Naidu were allowed to speak on the occasion.

A Shiv Sena leader said that they were invited by party chief Uddhav Thackeray "was not in the city. So he could not reach there."

Anil Desai was deputed by the party to attend the oath-taking ceremony but he didn't turn up.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who heads the PDP, also gave a miss to the mega show.

"As the assembly is in session from tomorrow, Mehboobaji could not go. She has appointed her minister Naeem Akhtar to represent her but he couldn't reach Guwahati as he missed his flight from Delhi," said a minister in the coalition government.

He, however, added that Mufti's absence will not give a good signal to NDAs unity.

Among the BJP chief ministers, only Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was allowed to speak, while Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan), Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh), Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana), and Devender Fadnavis (Maharashtra) could not get an opportunity to speak.

BJP president Amit Shah while giving his speech also focussed on unity of NDA.

"NDA is ruling in 14 states and it's a matter of pride that Assam has got an NDA chief minister," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meanwhile said his government is strengthening cooperative federalism by strengthening states.
Washington: US lawmakers say they are encouraged by growing defense cooperation with India but remain concerned about religious intolerance and slavery in the South Asian nation ahead of a visit by its prime minister.

Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee examined ties between the world's two largest democracies Tuesday in advance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to Congress next month.

Committee chairman Sen. Bob Corker said it was essential that the US and India stand together to uphold democratic values and norms in the Indo-Pacific region as China seeks to gain greater influence.

But he voiced concern that about half of the estimated 27 million people in slavery in the world reside in India.

Other lawmakers complained about restrictions on market access to India.
A high-level panel hosted by India as part of the BRICS group of countries discussed the issues of trade deals that inhibit access to medicines and also limit policy space for governments to legislate in public interest.

The Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Shripad Naik called the proliferation of regional trade agreements a reality but added that these processes should move within the ambit of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

We believe that the regional processes must move in tandem with the rules, standards and multilateral trade liberalization, within the ambit of the WTO, to maximize overall gains, for all countries, Naik said at the event that was organized on the sidelines of the 69th World Health Assembly that kicked off in Geneva on 23 May.

This will also pave the way for an expanded access to affordable medicines across the globe, he added.

This is the first time that India hosted an event on health as the president of the BRICS bloc for this year. The panel that was co-sponsored by the BRICS countries saw a full house with attendance from the health ministers and deputy health ministers from across the BRICS bloc and also from Chile, apart from the presence of the Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO) Margaret Chan and UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibe.

The regional trade agreements should give priority to public health services, in particular remove barriers to all stakeholders that may endanger medicine accessibility and promote policy coordination, said Li Bin, Chair of the National Health and Family Planning Commission in China.

Li and the Russian deputy minister of health Sergei Kraevoi called out for a better coordination among the BRICS countries that have robust generics industries to both counter spiraling drug prices and ensure better access for its population.

Citing a report of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law published in 2012 by the UN, South African Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, said that the current laws are failing to promote access innovation that serve the medical needs of the poor.

Human well-being is the only reason we are ever given when any company innovates any new pharmaceutical (product). No other reason has ever been offered, at least not in public. We are not insensitive to the financial well-being of pharmaceutical companies, we are just but more sensitive to human well-being, Motsoaledi said.

Increasing patents for non-communicable diseases (NCDs)the incidence of which has steeply risen in India in the past few yearsand also for biologics, is a glaring reality that poses emerging challenges to governments. The flexibilities ensured under the WTOs Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement are less likely to solve the problem of affordability and accessibility for this. The developing states will have to find alternate methods to access these medicines so people in developing countries may live, the South African minister added.

Plurilateral trade deals

The issues around access to medicine, vaccines, and diagnostics are multi-dimensionalincluding possibilities of delinking the current patent-based funding system from research and development (R&D) costs of pharmaceutical products, incentivising companies to work on non-profitable diseases like tuberculosis (TB), ensuring that innovative products reach the general population and particularly, the poorer sections, and debates around how much leeway a government has to set its own national patent laws.

Ironically, however, access to the poor aside, drugs are getting too expensive even for developed countries. In the US, medicine prices have doubled in the last five years. However, governments particularly of the US, EU, Switzerland and Japanall major host countries for the big pharma-- demand stronger protection that will worsen the situation, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said.

The way we are going, many countries are going to go bankrupt. How many countries can treat their way out of cancer, diabetes (etc.)? These are very expensive diseases, Chan told the gathering.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has set up a High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines to whip-up solutions balancing the rights of inventors, international human rights law, trade rules and public health in the context of health technologies.

There has been a renewed emphasis in recent decades on regional trade deals that bypass multilateral rules agreed-upon by countries, particularly through private arbitration mechanisms that could potentially be used to sue governments legislating laws that work against company interests.

The so-called Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms have seen a runaway proliferation in recent times with many governments being sued for legislating in public interest. For instance, tobacco giant Philip Morris sued Australia and Uruguay for anti-smoking measures that the governments had adopted and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly sued Canada under the North America Free Trade Agreement after it was stripped of its patent rights to two new drugs.

An European report called 'Profiting from Injustice' says that there were 450 such known investor-state cases by the end of 2011.

Health ministers certainly have to be sensitive to making sure that ISDS provisions are controlled under new agreements, said Frederick M. Abbot, an American academic, calling such mechanisms a major threat.

The challenge is also that health ministers dont find space on the negotiating table when these trade deals are brokered.

If you are not around the table, I was told, you are on the menu, Dr. Chan said on a lighter vein though effectively putting her point across.

The ongoing trip of the US president Barack Obama to Asia to push, among other things, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)--12-nation Pacific Rim trade dealhas made human rights experts, policy makers and academics edgy.

Prof Abbot also pointed out the problematic aspects of compulsory licensing exemptions in the TPP and the lack of clarity on how the agreement would sit with commitments made under Doha Declaration.

The TPP is the worst-ever trade agreement with respect to access to medicines, Rohit Malpani of MSF said.

Pharmacy for the poor

India is known as the pharmacy of the developing countries for its robust generic industry that supplies drugs to parts of the world that would be unable to afford such treatments otherwisemore than 50 percent of its $10bn annual generic medicine production is exported.

For instance, in Africa, it currently costs $2 bn per year for putting 15 million people on HIV treatment that works out to $80 per person per year which otherwise would have spiked up to $150 bn per year. If we didnt have India, no way could we have accessed those 15 million people at those costs of $2 billion, said Michel Sidibe said.

Even after the innovation of HIV medicines, it took governments eight years to get them to the African people due to strict patent laws. We were just seeing people die in hospitals-- no access, no hope, till the Indian generics burst into African hospitals," he said.

Referring to the Indian Patent Act, Naik cited the example of the expensive anti-cancer drug, Sorafenib, for which India issued a compulsory licence because the patented invention was not available at a reasonable price.

The Indian Courts, including the highest court, upheld the decision of the Indian Patents Office, he added.

MSF urged India to reject the pressures exerted by through trade negotiations by US drugs companies that seek to undermine its role as the pharmacy to the developing world. The Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership agreement could also potentially negatively impact the accessibility of affordable medicines in all the 16 negotiating countries, including India and China, the humanitarian organisation said.

BRICS countries can resist trade agreements that block use of TRIPS flexibilities. They can do that, Sidibe said.

States have a core obligation to protect the fundamental human rights of their citizens and nothing that is negotiated under a free trade agreement can prevent a government from taking the necessary measures to invoke and defend that core obligation, Abbot said.
Near Fallujah, Iraq: Iraqi forces cleared areas around Fallujah on Tuesday, after launching an assault to retake the city, tightening their siege on Islamic State (IS) group fighters, but also raising fears for civilians trapped inside.

With the jihadists surrounded and outnumbered, the recapture of their iconic bastion looked ultimately inevitable, especially after the IS suffered a string of losses in recent months.

But illustrating that even a diminished IS is still dangerous, the group has struck back with a wave of bomb attacks, including a series of blasts that left more than 160 dead in Syrian regime coastal strongholds on Monday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the start of the operation to retake Fallujah on Monday and less than a day into the battle, Iraqi forces had secured the nearby town of Garma.

That cut off IS fighters in Fallujah from one of their last support areas and paved the way for more advances towards the city, which lies only 50 kilometres west of Baghdad.

"Federal forces advanced towards the east of Fallujah early Monday from three directions," police Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat told AFP.

The Hashed al-Shaabi umbrella paramilitary organisation, dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militias that are heavily involved in the operation, said ground was also gained south of Fallujah.

With forces converging on the city, concerns mounted that the tens of thousands of civilians believed to still be inside had nowhere to go.

The Norwegian Refugee Council estimated the number at 50,000 and urged efforts to get them out.

"Families who have been suffering food and medical shortages over the last months now risk being caught in the crossfire and it is absolutely vital that they are granted safe routes out of there so that we can assist them," NRC country director Nasr Muflahi said in a statement.

He told AFP that only 80 families appeared to have been able to flee the city in the hours before the fighting began, and none since.

"We were expecting more to come out overnight, this hasn't happened," Muflahi said, adding that plans by local authorities to open humanitarian corridors had not yet materialised.

Officials from Anbar, the vast western province in which Fallujah is located, reported that small numbers of civilians had managed to sneak out.

A Fallujah resident reached by telephone told AFP there was heavy shelling on the northern edge of the city today.

"Daesh (IS) is still imposing a curfew, preventing people from coming out on the street. Some of them are allowed to stand at their gates," said the man, who gave his name as Abu Mohammed al-Dulaimi.
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Tuesday requested a recount in the close Kentucky presidential primary against front-runner Hillary Clinton, state election officials said on Tuesday.

The recanvass will take place at all 120 county boards of election on Thursday, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Grimes.

Clinton won Kentucky by just 1,924 votes, according to the unofficial totals posted on the secretary of state's elections page. She won Jefferson County, which includes Louisville and is the largest by far of the state's 120 counties, by nearly 10 times that amount

In his filing on Tuesday, Sanders requested a full check and recount of every voting machine and absentee ballot from all precincts in the counties, according to Grimes' website.

"My office is notifying all county boards of elections that Sen. Sanders has requested a recanvass, and we are reminding them of the laws and procedures to be followed," Grimes said in a statement.

Clinton, a former U.S. senator and secretary of state, narrowly defeated Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, in the May 17 presidential nominating contest in Kentucky, a state she had not been expected to win.

A Sanders campaign representative said the recount request was important for the integrity of the Democratic presidential contest, in which Sanders is continuing to challenge Clinton despite her formidable lead in the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination.

"I think the point is just transparency, it's not just about Kentucky," Sanders aide Larry Cohen said on CNN. "It's about trying to create a context, now and at the (Democratic) convention, that these primaries and caucuses need transparency, they need to be authentic, they need to build confidence among voters, particularly younger voters, that this is not rigged."

Sanders has generally drawn more support from young voters than Clinton.

(Reporting by Steve Bittenbender and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Islamabad: Five navy officers were given the death sentence by a Navy court in Pakistan for planning to hijack a warship and attacking one of the US Navy's refuel ships in 2014.

Sub-Lieutenant Hammad Ahmed and four other officials were convicted of the naval dockyard attack that took place on 6 September, 2014, Dawn online quoted retired Major Saeed Ahmed, father of Ahmed, as saying.

They were charged with having links with the Islamic State group, mutiny, hatching a conspiracy and carrying weapons to the Karachi dockyard, Saeed said.

Saeed claimed that the naval authorities did not provide his son the right to a fair trial.

"I wrote a letter to the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the navy on 15 August, 2015, asking him to provide the opportunity of a defence counsel to my son," Saeed said.

"The Navy JAG on 21 September replied that the option of defence counsel would be available at the time of trial."

Saeed was waiting for the commencement of the trial but was recently informed that his son was shifted to the Karachi Central Prison.

He came to know about the capital punishment when he met his son and the other four officials -- Irfanullah, Muhammad Hammad, Arsalan Nazeer and Hashim Naseer -- in the prison.

There was no official word by the Pakistan Navy, he said.

"My son told me that a naval court had awarded death penalty to them after a secret trial," Saeed claimed.

He claimed that the five were made scapegoats as this was not the first time when such security lapses came to light.
Paris: French police and two dozen computer experts raided Google's Paris offices Tuesday in a fraud probe, with the US Internet giant already suspected of owing 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in back taxes.

The French authorities suspect Google of "aggravated tax fraud and conspiracy to conceal (it)," the national financial prosecution service (PNF) said in a statement.

Google is one of several multinational corporations that have come under fire in Europe for paying extremely low taxes by shifting revenue across borders in an often complex web of financial arrangements.

A Google spokeswoman told AFP: "We respect French legislation and are fully cooperating with the authorities to answer their questions."

The PNF said police, tax officials and 25 computer experts took part in the raid.

A source close to the matter said in February that French authorities believe the Californian group owes 1.6 billion euros in back taxes.

Its European operations are headquartered in Ireland, which has some of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe.

The PNF said the probe, launched in June 2015, aimed to "check" whether Google Ireland Limited, "by not declaring part of its activity carried out on French territory... has failed in its tax obligations, notably in terms of company tax and value-added tax".

Google France received a "notification" of the investigation back in March 2014, which did not give any precise figures.

Its offices have been raided by French authorities before, in June 2011, during an investigation into transfers to its Irish headquarters.

In January, Google agreed to pay 130 million (170 million euros, $190 million) in back taxes in Britain after a government inquiry sparked by a public outcry.

Italy has demanded more than 200 million euros from Google, which is accused of perpetrating tax fraud there for years.

Friendly 'tax rulings'

Authorities in the United States and several European countries have begun cracking down on so-called "tax optimisation" practices thought to rob their coffers of billions of euros in potential revenue every year.

The European Union has also been investigating "tax rulings" by some member states that benefit multinationals.

Brussels is probing online retailer Amazon's tax arrangements in Luxembourg, one of a series of such probes targeting major global firms, including Apple, Starbucks and Fiat.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai defended the Internet giant's tax practices during a visit to Paris in February.

"We're a global company. We have to abide by tax laws everywhere, we do abide by local tax laws in every single country," he said.

"We're advocating strongly for a simpler global tax system," he added.

France has previously refused to negotiate the amount of back taxes it would request.

However, a source inside France's tax authority said in February that bargaining may still be possible.

"This does not mean that Google will ultimately pay 1.6 billion," the source told AFP. "There will be appeals, and perhaps a negotiation in the end, in particular on penalties."
Kabul: The Afghan Taliban are struggling to find a successor to slain chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, militant sources said on Tuesday, with one saying the two main contenders had backed out of the leadership race.

Mullah Yakoub, the Taliban founder's son, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, an implacable foe of US forces, were seen as the two frontrunners for the job, after Mansour was killed on Saturday in a rare American drone strike, deep inside Pakistan.

"Yakoub has refused to accept the role, saying he is too young for it," a senior Taliban source in northwest Pakistan told AFP. "Mansour's deputy and operational head of the Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has also refused due to personal reasons."

That development will complicate the job of the Taliban's supreme council, which has been holding emergency meetings since Sunday, at an undisclosed location in Pakistan to find a unifying figure for the leadership post.

The insurgents have yet to officially confirm the death of Mansour, which has thrown the deeply-factionalised Taliban into disarray nine months after he was elevated to the Taliban leadership, following a bitter power struggle.

"The main challenge is to save the Taliban movement from being further divided," another Taliban source said, adding that the supreme council members were constantly changing the venue of their meetings to avoid potential air strikes.

"It will take time to reach a consensus for the leadership position."

Other candidates in the fray include Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the movement's former deputy who is said to be close to the Pakistani military establishment.

He was jailed by Pakistan in 2010 but freed in September 2013, as part of efforts to boost Afghanistan's peace process. He has since been reported to be under house arrest by Pakistani authorities.

Mullah Adbul Qayyum Zakir, considered one of the group's most violent and committed commanders, is another leading contender.

The complicated search for a new leader risks igniting a new succession battle within the Taliban, which saw its first formal split last year.

Many top commanders refused to pledge allegiance to Mansour, saying the process to select him was rushed and biased as they accused him of keeping founder Mullah Omar's death secret for two years.

"The Taliban movement is passing through a very crucial stage. We need a conciliator, not a warrior to take his place," one of the Taliban sources said, citing some of the commanders at the supreme council meetings.
Islamabad: Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday refused to confirm the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour but said a DNA test will be done to establish the identity of a man killed in a US drone strike last week.

"He is an Afghan national and the Pakistan government has no means to identify Afghan citizens," he told reporters.

"Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are still investigating the incident, but so far they have not been able to confirm the identity," the minister said.

He said that an individual approached the government on Tuesday to claim the body of the second deceased person, saying "he is a relative of Mullah Mansour".

"We will perform the DNA test of that person and if it matches with that of the deceased body, only then we will be in a position to confirm that it was Mullah Mansour who was killed in the incident," he said.

He confirmed the attack on Pakistani soil but said that drone did not enter its airspace.

"The attack was launched from other country," he said, but refused to identify exactly from where the strike was carried out.

He said that he was unable to understand how the passport of the passenger traveling in the vehicle as Wali Muhammad was not damaged when everything was destroyed in the attack.

Khan said investigation was going on about it.

He said Wali Muhmmad got Pakistan's identity card in 2001 and also got the passport in 2011. He said those officials who verified him as a Pakistani are being probed.

Khan said the US government informed Pakistan about the strike seven hours after the attack.

He condemned the drone attack as violation of Pakistan's territory and said it may lead to serious implication for relations between Pakistan and US.

Talking about the possibility of impact of the Taliban chief's killing on Afghan peace process, the minister said that he was not sure how will it help in the brining peace.

Khan said he cannot understand that Mansour was a hurdle in peace process as he was at helms of affairs when the first round of direct talks was held in Murree in July 2015.

He said that second round planned on 31 July, 2015 was sabotaged when it was revealed that Mullah Omar was dead.

Khan said progress was made in the first round and Taliban "had agreed to declare Kabul as conflict free zone."

Khan also revealed that a representative of the Haqqani network was present in Muree talks.
Chennai: Women domestic workers from Andhra Pradesh are languishing in jails in Gulf states after attempting to flee abusive employers or overstaying their visas, said an Indian state minister, urging the national government to help them.

In a letter to India's foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, Andhra Pradesh's minister for non-resident Indian welfare, Palle Raghunatha Reddy, called for action to bring back the women.

"Necessary steps should be initiated to bring them to their native areas safely by providing free travel and necessary visa documents at the earliest possible (opportunity)," he wrote. "Instructions should be issued to Indian embassy officials in Gulf countries to interfere in the matter and provide necessary help in terms of food, clothing and shelter."

Government figures show there are an estimated six million Indian migrants in the six Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman.

These include women who leave their villages to take up jobs overseas, paying up to three times more than in India, putting their fate in the hands of recruitment agents, who often dupe them.

There is no official data on the exact count of the migrants stranded in Gulf countries, but experts put the numbers in tens of thousands, many of them in jail.

Some of the migrants overstay on tourist visas and are unable to pay the fines required to return home. In some cases, they do not have exit visas. Many others have been jailed on petty offences waiting for their case to be heard, according to the Andhra Pradesh state government.

Women from Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring state of Telangana "are being sold like products in a retail shop," Reddy wrote in the letter sent last week.

"Women are being sold to the tune of Rs 4,00,000 ($6,000) in Saudi Arabia and between Rs 1,00,000 ($1,500) to Rs 2,00,000 rupees ($3,000) in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait," the minister wrote.

He added that at least 25 women jailed in Gulf states have sought the state government's help recently.

In response to a query in India's parliament in March, the foreign ministry said their diplomatic missions in all six Gulf states had registered complaints of physical abuse, maltreatment, non-payment of salary, and other grievances.

Requesting anonymity, a senior official in the Andhra Pradesh government said a group of ministers from the state would travel to the Gulf next month to investigate the plight of migrants from their region.

The state government is also in the process of appointing lawyers to provide legal advice to Indian prisoners in Gulf jails, the official said.
Brasilia: Acting Brazilian president Michel Temer's government has faced its first major crisis when a key minister stepped aside following a leaked recording in which he appears to discuss using the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff to derail a huge corruption probe in the Petrobras corruption scandal.

Planning Minister Romero Juca said in a hurried appearance before television cameras that he would step aside starting today. Although he did not resign, he was not expected to return, the Globo news site reported, quoting sources close to Temer.

The scandal threatened Temer just 11 days after taking power from Rousseff, who was suspended from the presidency on 12 May by the Senate for the start of an impeachment trial on charges of breaking government accounting rules.

Juca, who is Temer's right-hand man, had been due to help lead the team asking Congress to approve urgent and potentially controversial measures aimed at pulling Brazil out of recession.

The Folha newspaper released what it said were recordings of conversations in March between Juca and Sergio Machado, a former oil executive. The recordings were allegedly made secretly by Machado who, like Juca, is a target of a probe into massive embezzlement centered on state oil company Petrobras.

In the conversations, Juca is heard calling for a "national pact" that he appears to suggest would stop the probe, known as Operation Car Wash, in which dozens of top ranking politicians from a variety of parties, as well as business executives, have been charged or already convicted for involvement in the Petrobras scheme.

In comments immediately taken up by Rousseff supporters as evidence for her claim that the impeachment process is a coup in disguise, Juca says: "We need to change the government to stop this bleeding."

"I am talking to the generals, the military commanders. They are fine with this, they said they will guarantee it," he

says.

He also says that he has been clearing his plans with justices on the Supreme Court, which oversees impeachment proceedings.

Temer came under pressure from opponents and Brazilian media outlets to fire Juca. However, Temer made no comment after brief discussions on the matter with allies at the Senate building.

"I am considering all this story to see whether he will stay or not at the ministry, but I am waiting for explanations from the minister," Temer was quoted as saying by the Estadao news site earlier.

Temer took over from Rousseff automatically on 12 May because he was vice president, but he suffers rock bottom approval ratings and faces major challenges to his authority and legitimacy as his center-right government seeks to roll back her leftist policies.
Guangzhou: President Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Guangzhou on Tuesday on a four-day visit to China that will see

significant political and economic push to bilateral ties while irritants like Beijing's opposition to India's membership of NSG and the blocking of UN bid to blacklist JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist will also figure.

Mukherjee, who is making his first visit to China as President, has made a number of trips to this country in various capacities including as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Defence Minister.

In Guangzhou, the highly industrialised city in China, Mukherjee will address the India-China Business Forum in which some top Indian industrialists will also be present.

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province in southern coastal China that contributes 12 per cent of the country's GDP and is home to a wide-ranging set of multinational and Chinese corporations.

The President will arrive in Beijing on Thursday where he will meet with President Xi Jinping and other top Chinese leadership including Premier Li Keqiang and National People's Congress Chairman Zhang Dejiang.

In discussions with the Chinese leadership, the issues of Chinese reservations on India's membership in the Nuclear Supplier Group and the UN ban on Azhar are expected to figure prominently.

Bilateral ties have been on an upswing since Xi's landmark India visit in September, 2014 during which both countries had signed 12 agreements and China pledged an investment of USD 20 billion in India's infrastructure sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited China in May last year during which both sides had resolved to further deepen ties in a range of areas.

However, irritants in ties cropped recently after China blocked India's move to get a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar and opposed granting India membership of NSG, saying it must sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to get an entry into the 48-member group.

India had countered the Chinese contention of signing NPT before becoming a member of NSG as "confusion" as NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries.

Ahead of his state visit to China, Mukherjee had told the Chinese state-run television that India seeks a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question which will help in achieving full potential of Sino-India relationship.

"We seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question and, pending the boundary settlement, to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas. Both sides should strive to ensure that outstanding issues are addressed in a manner that demonstrates mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns, interests and aspirations," he had said last week.

He had also said China joining hands with India in the fight against terrorism will have "its own impact," indicating that the two countries must comer together to deal with the challenge.

The comments came against the backdrop of Beijing blocking India's bid to put Azhar on the UN list of proscribed terrorists.

Mukherjee is accompanied By Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar four Members of Parliament and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar.
Moscow: A US defence attache has been summoned by Russia's Defence Ministry after an incident over the Sea of Japan near Russia's eastern borders, where an American spy plane was detected flying too close to civilian aircraft.

Russia's air defence detected an RC-135 spy plane belonging to US Air Force on Sunday, the ministry said in its statement, according to RT online, the plane was on an air reconnaissance mission with all of its transponders having been shut off, it added.

The US crew had not provided any information regarding its flight to air traffic controllers in the region, despite it flying at the same altitude as scheduled civil aviation flights.

As the result of the unprofessional actions of the American plane crew, the hazard of a collision with civil aviation planes was created," Russia's Defence Ministry said, adding that it asked the US official to take measures to prevent such incidents from happening near Russia's borders in the future.

At least two passenger jets belonging to major European airlines were endangered by the then-unknown aircraft over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan on Sunday, Interfax reported.

The "unknown aircraft" was flying at the altitude of some 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) and did not respond to air traffic control, the agency said citing its source. Russian air controllers had to immediately change the flight path of a KLM Boeing-777, which was in the same region en route from Japan to Holland.

Pilots from another airplane, operated by Swiss airlines, heading to Switzerland from Japan, even reported "visual contact with a large four-engine aircraft, which was in direct proximity to their plane" and sent no recognition signals, the source said. The flying altitude for the Swiss jet also had to be changed by the air traffic control.
Subhash Paul from West Bengal died on Monday while trying to scale Mount Everest. This was not the first case when a climber died since Everest opened up this year for climbing. Three foreigners died before Paul in the last week.

Paul reached the 8,848 metre summit on Saturday but collapsed while descending the Hillary Step ice wall and died the following day, reported NDTV. He was part of a four-member Indian climbers team, of which one has been rescued and two are still missing.

Sunita Hazra, part of Pauls team, was rescued and brought to a hospital in Kathmandu, while Paresh Nath and Goutam Ghosh are still missing. The West Bengal government on Monday said that they will send a team of officials to Nepal for coordinating the rescue operations of the two missing climbers. It further added that the Pauls body will be brought to the state.

Maria Strydom, an Australian, suffered from altitude sickness after reaching camp IV, the final one before reaching the summit. She died because of a lack of oxygen in Nepal on Saturday afternoon. DailyMail reported that she challenged herself to climb the Everest to show that vegans can do anything.

Eric Arnold of the Netherlands died on Friday while coming back after scaling the Mount Everest. He had complained of weakness and possibly died in his sleep. This, however, was not his first attempt. He survived the avalanche the previous year and the year before that. In 2012, he was forced to return because of bad weather.

Phurba Sherpa fell to his death on 19 May while fixing a route about 150 metres near the summit, reported CNN-News18.

After a long break because of the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the avalanche in 2014, the ascent to Everest was resumed.

While there have been several tragedies at Mount Everest as well, there have been stories of inspiration as well. For instance, Dutch climber Niels van Buren scaled the peak on 20 May to become the first person suffering from multiple sclerosis to reach the top after two months, reported ABC News. He hoped to increase awareness for the disease and raise money for research into the disease.

Climbing the Everest is not a logical choice rather, it is a passion to refine yourself into a better version of you, CNN-News18 quoted veteran mountaineer Jim Davidson. This is one of the reasons which compel people to undertake this difficult journey despite the harsh conditions and threat to life.
United Nations: Argentina's Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra has shaken up the race for secretary general of the UN with her late entry that makes her the tenth candidate and the fifth woman in an election tipped to favor a female.

Malcorra, who put in her bid Monday about a month after the nine others had made their pitches to the General Assembly, is likely to have an inside track challenging European claims to the position.

She was Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Chef de Cabinet from 2012 to late last year and that position brought her in direct contact with most world leaders, foreign ministers and the highest levels of the international bureaucracy.

An electronic engineer by training, she is a former IBM executive and has strong administrative credentials in the private sector and across the UN. On an issue of importance to India, Malcorra has continued Argentina's opposition to expanding the permanent membership of the Security Council.

She has also served as the head of the UN Department of Field Operations, which provides logistic support to peacekeeping operations where India is heavily invested.

Under the tradition of geographic rotation, it is the turn of a European to take the top global diplomatic post and East Europeans had staked their claim, asserting that no one from their region had held the job. Some countries and civil society organisations have been pressing the case for a woman to be made the secretary general for the first time in the UN's 70-year history.

The eight East Europeans running for the office could now face a tough competition from Malcorra as geographic rotation is only a tradition and not a rule. Already two others outside Eastern Europe - Antonio Guterres, the former Portuguese Prime Minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Helen Clark, a former New Zealand Prime Minister who currently heads the UN Development Programme - are contesting.

New Zealand belongs to the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) in the UN, giving Clark some claim to the geographic rotation unlike Malcorra.

Irina Bokova, a Bulgarian who is the director general of UNESCO, was considered a strong candidate as she met the criteria of being East European and a woman, while holding a high-level international office.

Only one Latin American, Javier Perz de Cuellar of Peru, has been a secretary general, a position he held from 1982 to 1991.

Till now the secretary general was chosen in a secretive process of backroom bargaining by the Security Council - in reality by its five permanent members - and rubber stamped by the General Assembly.

Although the permanent members of the Security Council still have the final say, for the first time the veil of secrecy has been lifted a bit. The candidates have been publicly announced and have appeared before the General Assembly to state their positions and answer questions from member states as well as representatives of civil society organisations.

They have also been visiting national capitals, meeting privately with diplomats and appearing at other public forums.

Now Malcorra - and any other late entrants - will also have to face the General Assembly.

Malcorra has made several visits to the UN since taking over as foreign minister in December keeping up her international profile.

"The issue of making room for women is generally seen as a matter of justice, and it certainly is, since women account for more than half of the population," she recently said while launching the Campaign for Gender Parity in International Representation in Argentina.

In a vision statement - a virtual campaign manifesto - she made development the centrepiece. "Only by cultivating greater resilience through sustainable development can we collectively manage the challenges to come, effectively prevent some of, them, and mitigate their effects on people and the planet," she said.

The 61-year-old Malcorrra has also served as the CEO of Telecom Argentin and as Chief Operating Officer of the World Food Programme.
BOGOTA Two journalists have gone missing in Colombia's northeast conflict zone while covering the disappearance of a Spanish reporter feared kidnapped this weekend, the government said on Tuesday.

Television news channel Noticias RCN said in a statement there had been "a possible kidnapping" of a reporter and a cameraman in Norte de Santander province, near the border with Venezuela. The reporter is Diego D'Pablos and cameraman is Carlos Melo.

The journalists were in El Tarra municipality to cover the disappearance of fellow reporter Salud Hernandez, who writes for Spain's El Mundo and local newspapers, who was last seen in the area on Saturday.

The heads of the army and the police will go to the province to direct search operations for Hernandez and the other journalists, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Tuesday.

Military sources and local media have speculated Marxist rebels or crime gangs operating in the area may be responsible for the disappearances, but the government has not yet classified them as kidnappings.

Three other reporters in the region to cover Hernandez's disappearance were briefly held by armed men who identified themselves as members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group, before being released.

The country has been in peace talks with bigger rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) since the end of 2012 and recently agreed to start negotiations with the ELN.

Santos has said no talks will begin until all ELN hostages are freed. The 2,000-strong group has increased oil pipeline bombings in recent months and continued kidnappings in what many see as an attempt to pressure the government into beginning talks.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta, writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Helen Murphy, Bernard Orr)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
UNITED NATIONS The United Nations on Tuesday pleaded with combatants in Iraq's embattled Falluja to protect civilians escaping the fighting as Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State targets in an attempt to retake the militant stronghold just west of the capital.

Earlier the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said a number of women and children had died while trying to leave the city. Over 80 families had managed to escape since May 20, it said in a statement.

In New York, a spokesman for the world body issued a public plea on behalf of the nearly 50,000 civilians still in the city.

"We're calling on all parties to the conflict to take all measures to protect civilians caught in the middle," Farhan Haq told reporters. "That includes allowing civilians to freely move out of conflict zones and being provided with protection as they disperse."

He noted that the United Nations has long wanted the international community to join forces and stop the crimes of Islamic State (IS), also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh. But that must not be done at the expense of innocent civilians.

"We have been encouraging united international action in the face of the sort of atrocities that have been carried out by Daesh," Haq said. "At the same time ... we urge that all participants in such operations observe international human rights and humanitarian law."

Iraqi forces have surrounded Falluja since last year but focused most combat operations on IS-held territories further west and north. The authorities have pledged to retake Mosul, the north's biggest city, this year in keeping with a U.S. plan to oust Islamic State from their de facto capitals in Iraq and Syria.

Falluja is a bastion of Sunni Muslim jihadists 50 km (30 miles) from Baghdad that was the first city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014. About 300,000 people lived in the Euphrates River city before the current war.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Sandra Maler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
AMMAN A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian militias launched a new offensive against Islamic State fighters near their de facto capital of Raqqa city on Tuesday, a monitoring group and an official said.

The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance is the main Syrian partner for the U.S.-led alliance battling the Islamic State group that controls large areas of northern and eastern Syria. Its most powerful component is the Kurdish YPG militia.

Aided by U.S.-led air strikes, the YPG has driven Islamic State from wide areas of northern Syria over the last year or more, though its advances have recently slowed.

There has been no indication of when a full assault on Raqqa city might take place. A Kurdish official contacted by Reuters declined to say whether it was a target of the latest offensive.

Syrian Kurdish groups have previously said an attack on the predominantly Arab city of Raqqa should be led by Arab militias. Syria experts say the SDF's Arab groups are not yet ready for such an attack, however.

An unspecified number of SDF fighters were seen moving south from their stronghold of Tel Abyad near the Turkish border towards Ain Issa, a town about 60 km north west of Raqqa city, and clashes were reported nearby, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

An SDF spokesman, Talal Silo, confirmed a military operation began this morning but gave no details. He told Reuters via internet messaging it was focused at this stage on capturing large tracts of territory north of Raqqa, not the city itself.

"CAPABLE AND COMPETENT PARTNERS"

The ground operation was accompanied by a series of air strikes on militant hideouts in the area carried out by jets belonging to a U.S.-led coalition.

The attack follows a recent visit to northern Syria by U.S. Central Command Commander General Joseph L. Votel , the highest-ranking U.S. military official to visit Syria since the war erupted in 2011.

After meeting with commanders of the SDF, Votel said the local forces being trained by U.S. special forces were proving to be "capable and competent partners".

"They're exhibiting their initiative, their innovativeness, their skills [and] their expertise to really make a difference here," he was quoted as saying by the U.S. Defence Department.

His visit fuelled expectations of an imminent attack but neither Washington nor its allies have indicated they are about to embark on a campaign to retake Raqqa or Mosul city, the other main stronghold of the militants in Iraq.

Washington's strategy in Syria has shifted from trying to train thousands of fighters outside the country to supplying groups headed by U.S.-vetted commanders.

U.S. officials said delivery of weapons since the alliance was set up has helped the SDF fighters push further south into Islamic State-held territory.

"As weve done (before), we are providing air power and support," said Colonel Steve Warren, the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State.

Islamic State's territory in Iraq and Syria has shrunk significantly from its peak. The group is also being targeted in a separate campaign by the Syrian military and its allies, including Russia.

(Writing by Suleiman al-Khaldii, Additioanl reporting by Tom Perry and Lisa Barrington in Beirut and Ali Idrees in Washington; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
NEW YORK A New York City man was arrested on Tuesday and charged with providing material support to Islamic State by trying to help an undercover law enforcement employee travel to Syria to fight with the militant group.

Sajmir Alimehmeti, a 22-year-old from the Bronx borough, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, which said that he had also since mid-2015 made multiple purchases of knives and military-type equipment.

Alimehmeti was arrested at his Bronx residence on Tuesday morning, a spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said, and is expected to appear in court later in the day.

A lawyer for Alimehmeti could not be immediately identified. Prosecutors said he is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

He is among nearly 90 people who since 2014 have faced U.S. charges over crimes related to Islamic State, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq and has claimed responsibility for attacks in Paris in November that killed 130 people.

According to the complaint Alimehmeti had been on the radar of authorities since at least 2014, when he was twice denied entry to the United Kingdom.

During his second attempt, when he arrived at Heathrow Airport, authorities seized his laptop and cellphone and discovered he had numerous images of Islamic State flags and improvised explosive device attacks, the complaint said.

Once back in New York, undercover law enforcement employees with the FBI and New York Police Department posing as Islamic State supporters began meeting with Alimehmeti in 2015, the complaint said.

During a lunch at a Manhattan restaurant last Tuesday, Alimehmeti told two of the undercover agents, including one who claimed to be planning to travel to Syria, that he had saved $2,500 for his own trip but still needed a passport.

The complaint said Alimehmeti had applied in October 2015 for a new U.S. passport, falsely claiming that he lost his previous one, when in fact he believed using his one with the U.K. rejection stamps would raise suspicions.

At the lunch, Alimehmeti reported that his brother had also planned to go to Syria but was arrested in Albania in August 2015 on weapons and assault charges, the complaint said.

After the meal, Alimehmeti bought boots for two undercover agents and helped one of them secure supplies including a phone, compass, bag and flashlight for his purported trip to Syria, the complaint said.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond, Editing by W Simon)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
London: Britain has granted political refugee status to ousted former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, his lawyer has claimed.

A prominent human rights campaigner and Maldives' first democratically elected President, 49-year-old Nasheed had been allowed to go to Britain in January for a spinal cord surgery following a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and the UK.

His lawyer Hasan Latheef claimed on Monday that Nasheed had been granted political refugee status, but the British government is yet to comment.

"In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile - for now," Nasheed said in a statement confirming his exile.

The Madives government said on Monday that it was disappointed that the UK government had agreed to "be part of

this charade," adding that British ministers were helping with efforts to circumvent the law.

Nasheed became Maldives' first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was supposed to return to Maldives after the treatment, but remained in London where his wife and daughters have been living since he was jailed.

Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on terrorism charges after allegedly illegally ordering the arrest of a judge in a trial that put a spotlight on instability in the Maldives.

The jail term was widely criticised by international bodies, including the United Nations, and foreign governments.

A popular figure on the world stage, Nasheed's case was championed with the help of a international legal team that included Amal Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of the American actor Georg Clooney.

He was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for his treatment.

Cameron described Nasheed as his best friend in 2011 and this year hosted the ex-president, his wife and Amal at Downing Street after he arrived in London.

The Maldives stripped Nasheed of his pension entitlements and health insurance last month, after demanding he return from medical leave in Britain.
Hanoi: The United States and Vietnam on Tuesday signed an agreement allowing the US Peace Corps to work in the country for the first time.

The signing, which comes amid a historic three-day visit by President Barack Obama, follows more than a decade of negotiations between the two countries to establish a Peace Corps operation in Vietnam.

The program, which is expected to begin over the next two years, allows Peace Corps volunteers to teach English in schools in the country's two largest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, said Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet, who signed the agreement with Vietnam's ambassador to the United States, Pham Quang Vinh.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was present for the signing, said the agreement marked a further normalizing of relations between the United States and Vietnam.

"For 20 years now we have had what we call a normal relationship," said Kerry, who in 1968 served as a young US naval officer in the Vietnam War.

"This is normal, having the Peace Corps being able to move forward, having young Americans come here, not always young, to be able to teach English in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh is the next step forward to building the relationship between the United States and Vietnam," he added.

After the signing, Hessler-Radelet turned to Kerry saying: "You've waited for this for a long time."
The President of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), Karolin Troubetzkoy, joined by several members of CHTA's executive committee and prominent regional hoteliers, visited Cuba for meetings with Cuban and international officials during the UNWTO and FITCuba events held in Havana between May 2-6.

Troubetzkoy applauded Cuba's Minister of Tourism Manual Marrero Cruz, on his opening remarks for the FITCuba event, where he indicated that tourism is a key economic sector critical to Cuba's socioeconomic development.

Marrero cited the range of tourism-related investments that are planned and the need for companies operating in Cuba to consistently provide quality services and authentic experiences while diversifying the tourism product, redefining Cuba's marketing efforts, and reaching out to new markets.

Among the CHTA group's meetings was one with Cuba's Vice Minister of Tourism, Luis Miguel Diaz Sanchez, who expressed a strong desire to see the region cooperate in building a stronger Caribbean brand.

According to Diaz: "The Caribbean is one of the few remaining tourist regions where it is possible to develop tourism in a sustainable manner and to do this we must work together, in order to promote one Caribbean brand that is cheerful, festive and that will integrate us as part of the culture that we share, finding benefit in the arrival of tourists from around the world.

The best option is to do this together." The Vice Minister's assertion aligns with the longstanding position of the CHTA President who has been recognized throughout and beyond the Caribbean region for her strong focus on sustainable tourism development.

"Frankly, with all of the free and positive publicity that Cuba is receiving at the moment, we were pleased by their strong focus on both building a stronger Caribbean brand and ensuring that it is done in the most sustainable fashion."

Troubetzkoy noted that the Cuban representatives expressed a desire to establish a Cuban hotel and tourism association and requested models from around the region to assist in developing the best organization for Cuba.

"Even though our trip was full of many important meetings and pleasant experiences, those observations and that specific request indicate progressive-minded regional leadership from Cuba." The CHTA representatives and Cuban tourism leaders agreed that there is much to learn and gain by working together and will follow up on several priority items discussed during their meetings.

They also agreed that there are many investment, trade and collaboration opportunities for Caribbean hoteliers and investors in Cuba, and will look at ways to develop this. "The region has tremendous untapped potential to grow and develop tourism to the greater benefit of its people, Governments, and tourism stakeholders. To do this effectively will require an unprecedented level of commitment by the regions public and private sector leaders. In that regard, our delegation left Cuba encouraged by the destination's focus and leadership," stated Troubetzkoy.

Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) is a federation of 32 National Hotel Associations, with more

than 600 member hotels and over 300 allied members. CHTA is the largest representative of the private sector in the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry. We are the voice of the Caribbean hospitality industry for the development of the region in the highly competitive and sophisticated environment of international tourism. Today, tourism is widely recognized as a pivotal industry in the economy of the region - and CHTA functions as the common denominator for this industry in a region of diverse nationalities, languages and styles, identifying mutual problems and marshaling the resources of the active and allied members to devise solutions. CHTA represents all facets of the hospitality industry with more than 600 member hotels and over 300 allied members.CHTA, including the events staged by the association, is supported by Strategic Partners AskMe Inc., Clear Channel Airport Division, HVS, Interval International, JetBlue Getaways, MasterCard, OBM International, Tambourine and Travelzoo.
On Friday, less than four months after Tru by Hilton's public debut, Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) broke ground on the brand's second property, located in Oklahoma City. The celebratory event, in keeping with Tru's forward-thinking and innovative personality, swapped out hard hats and shovels for 3D artwork of the hotel's exterior design, which allowed attendees to feel as though they were part of the hotel. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin addressed the crowd and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and local Councilman Larry McAtee also attended Friday's event.

The 86-room Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport is located just five miles from the Will Rogers World Airport at 802 South Meridian Avenue, and is expected to open in spring of 2017. The new property is expected to add 75 construction jobs and 20 jobs in the long term once the hotel is open.

"Tru is a disruptive brand, built on the belief that a great stay and affordability can, in fact, go hand-in-hand," said Alexandra Jaritz, global head for Tru by Hilton. "We know the brand will have broad appeal to Oklahoma City travelers who span generations but share a similar youthful mindset. Bringing an original, back-to-basics experience with soul  grounded in value and anchored in the DNA of Hilton  Tru will provide Oklahoma City with a contemporary, consistent and fresh hotel experience, while at the same time being operationally efficient to our owners."

The value proposition continues to drive developer interest. Hilton Worldwide currently has 70 approvals and 172 more deals committed or in progress, up from 130 hotels in January when the brand launched at The Americas Lodging Investment Summit. Tru by Hilton is believed to be the fastest growing new-build hotel brand in U.S. history.

"We are proud to have partnered with Hilton from the very beginning as part of a group of owners who advised on the creation of the brand and to bring one of the first Tru by Hilton properties to market, right here in Oklahoma City," said Champ Patel, CEO of Champion Hotels, LLC. "Tru by Hilton is going to transform the midscale category by virtue of its innovative offering at a very desirable build cost, and will certainly bring fresh energy and options to Oklahoma City's guests."

When completed, the new Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City will provide guests with smart and efficiently designed guest rooms and reimagined public spaces, including an open lobby with four zones for lounging, working, eating or playing. Designed to appeal cross-generationally, complimentary amenities will include a unique toppings bar breakfast, coffee and tea; mobile check-in and Digital Key available through the Hilton HHonors mobile app; a multifunctional fitness center; and segment-leading Wi-Fi bandwidth.

"By breaking through the clutter of the midscale sector's undistinguished offerings, Tru by Hilton will provide guests with experiences, and not just a place to stay," said Matt Wehling, senior vice president of development  North America, Hilton Worldwide. "We thank our partners within Champion Hotels who have signed more than a dozen Tru by Hilton deals and are excited to bring to life the opportunity Tru creates in Oklahoma City."

Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City will participate in Hilton HHonors, the award-winning loyalty program serving more than 50 million members. Hilton HHonors offers members exclusive benefits and more ways to redeem points than any other guest loyalty program.

More information about Tru by Hilton can be found at www.trubyhilton.com. Media may access high- resolution renderings and more by visiting news.hiltonworldwide.com/trubyhilton. You can also follow Tru by Hilton on LinkedIn by visiting https://www.linkedin.com/company/tru-by-hilton.

About Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,800 properties and more than 1 million rooms, in 122 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2021 World's Best Workplaces list and been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for five consecutive years. In 2021, in addition to opening more than one hotel a day, Hilton introduced several industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the nearly 128 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
MIAMI  InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announces its arrival in Barranquilla, Colombia, with the opening of the newly built 18-floor, 154-room Holiday Inn Express Barranquilla Buenavista hotel. IHG's first Holiday Inn Express hotel in the city boasts an excellent location, in one of Barranquilla's most exclusive areas, Buenavista. This property is IHG's first in Barranquilla and will be joined later this year by the Crowne Plaza Barranquilla property.

Gerardo Murray, Regional Vice President of Brands & Marketing, Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG said: "This particular neighborhood in Barranquilla, Buenavista, where the Holiday Inn Express property is situated, is thriving and offers both leisure and business travelers a perfect combination of activities to fulfill their needs and wants. We are thrilled to continue to grow the IHG portfolio in Colombia and offer travelers to this beautiful city the comfortable accommodations and efficient service of the Holiday Inn Express brand along with the opportunity to earn IHG Rewards Club points when visiting the area."

Barranquilla is situated on the northern coast of Colombia. From the city's historical landmarks, skyscrapers overlooking the tropical lowlands, to the open-air shopping centers filled with upscale shops, the city is a booming metropolis. According to an analysis by BBVA Research completed in 2015, Barranquilla was one of the few Colombian cities to have an average economic growth rate of five percent, which motivated the nearly US$12 million investment by the hotel's ownership company.

Owned by Grupo Contempo S.A.S. and managed by OXO Hoteles, the Holiday Inn Express Barranquilla Buenavista hotel is franchised by an affiliate of IHG. The property marks IHG's fifth project with the ownership group.

The Holiday Inn Express Barranquilla Buenavista hotel offers guests a comfortable, yet affordable stay with innovative, preferred guest amenities to ensure a pleasant stay, including a fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool, complimentary high-speed Internet access, a business center, meeting spaces and complimentary parking. The complimentary Express Start breakfast bar features a full range of breakfast items, including regional and local dishes, a rotation of egg and meat selections, breads, yogurt, juices, fruit, pastries, cereals and coffee.

The Holiday Inn Express brand participates in IHG's hotel rewards program, IHG Rewards Club. The industry's first and largest hotel rewards program is free, and guests can enroll at www.IHGRewardsClub.com, by downloading the IHG App, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHG's more than 5,000 hotels worldwide. The hotel also participates in IHG Green EngageTM and offers unique programs to ensure sustainability. Guests can also book an environmentally-friendly hotel stay at any of our IHG Green Engage enrolled hotels.

About IHG

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Jordan Worrall

Holiday Inn Express Brand

770-604-5010

IHG
Changes to voting laws implemented by Wisconsin Republicans over the last five years place a disparate burden on non-white voters, according to a report by an American University political historian.

"Im not claiming anyones a racist here," Allan Lichtman testified Monday in federal court. "I'm saying (Republican lawmakers) acted like politicians achieving their political advantage, and the way they did that in the state of Wisconsin was to disparately burden the fundamental base of the Democratic Party opposition."

Lichtman was testifying for the plaintiffs on the sixth day of a federal trial challenging a series of voting changes implemented in Wisconsin since 2011.

Wisconsin Republicans had both the means and the motive to pass laws that would drive down turnout among African-American and Hispanic voters, Lichtman said, noting their partisan majority in state government and arguing they faced a decline in the traditional white, Republican voting base relative to the Democratic African-American and Hispanic base.

"In my view, they carried out those motives through the enactment of these many laws that place a disparate burden on African-Americans and Hispanics to register and vote," Lichtman said.

Lichtman said the "sheer magnitude" of changes to voting laws implemented from 2011 to 2015 exceeds anything he's seen in other states.

Attorneys challenging the laws are arguing that lawmakers intended to discriminate against non-white voters by passing them.

Nearly one-in-five applicants for a state-issued voter ID have been unable to obtain one, according to testimony from Department of Motor Vehicles administrator Kristina Boardman.

As of May 12, 1,389 petitions for a free, state-issued ID card had been filed, Boardman testified. Of those petitions, 1,132 applicants received a card.

But while the majority of petitions were granted, plaintiffs in the case are highlighting the ones that were rejected, arguing non-white voters are disproportionately represented in that group.

Plaintiffs' attorneys noted that of the 61 applicants whose requests were denied, 85 percent were African-American, Latino or Native American. Seventy percent of the people who went through the ID petition process (IDPP) were non-white.

Boardman was the first witness to testify on Monday, the sixth day of the trial before U.S. District Judge James Peterson.

She was followed by Jim Miller, bureau of field services director for the DMV, who signs off on approvals and denials for the IDPP, and Lichtman.

The lawsuit, filed about a year ago, argues the IDPP is ineffective and is failing minority groups in particular.

Lawyers for the state have noted the increased turnout in elections that have occurred since the state's voter ID law was passed in 2011 and emphasized that the DMV provides free IDs to those who need them.

According to the state, 420,000 free state ID cards have been issued since July 2011.

The lawsuit challenges not only the voter ID provision, but several other changes to voting practices including restrictions on early voting and the elimination of straight-ticket voting.

Plaintiffs include One Wisconsin Institute, Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund and six individuals. Arguments are expected to last nine days.
The oil industry has bred its fair share of outsized wealth  and egos  usually for the lucky few who manage to bring in wildcat drill well success. But for Michael Hession, an engineer, just building on the success of others is set to send his wealth soaring.

Born in Ireland and educated in Wales, he was most recently a senior executive with Woodside Petroleum before being tapped to run InterOil, an oil and gas outfit that has been on the hunt in Papua New Guinea for the past two decades.

Michael Hession of InterOil who may pocket as much as $39 million in termination payments.

And now a $US2.2 billion ($3 billion) plan to buy InterOil is set to line Hession's pockets to the tune of $US50 million in termination payments, largely thanks to shares he has received in the company since he signed up as the chief executive four years ago.

The worth of the shares portion of the payout was originally valued at $US33.98 million, although thanks to the surge in the InterOil share price on news of the deal, this has catapulted their prospective worth.
The St Ignatius College Riverview old boys were then working at boutique investment banks in the Sydney CBD.

Mr Curtis, the husband of Sydney public relations queen Roxy Jacenko, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of insider trading stemming from a deal he allegedly struck in 2007 with his former best friend John Hartman to exploit confidential information to cash in on shifts in share prices.

A $100,000 payment to a Las Vegas casino, $4000 on merchandise including plasma screen televisions and almost $85,000 in rent on a luxury Bondi apartment: the criminal trial of Oliver Curtis has offered a glimpse of the big-spending lifestyle of an alleged insider trader.

Documents tendered in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday show the healthy profits made by the duo, then aged in their early 20s, betting in shifts in the price of shares including Woolworths, JB Hi-Fi, Caltex, Lion Nathan and Harvey Norman.

The court has heard the men netted $1.43 million between mid-2007 and 2008.

The documents also show a series of payments made by Mr Curtis to Mr Hartman, along with an upfront rent and bond payment of $84,210 and $3999 on TVs and merchandise when the then-best friends moved into a $3000-a-week Bondi apartment in early 2008. This was half the cost of the rent and merchandise for their new apartment.

The court has heard Mr Curtis made a separate payment of $100,000 to the Wynn Las Vegas resort and casino ahead of a luxury holiday in 2008 but the transfer was not recorded in the documents tendered on Tuesday.

Mr Hartman, the prosecution's star witness, has given evidence he tipped off Mr Curtis about lucrative trades, using confidential information he acquired in his job as an equities dealer at boutique investment firm Orion Asset Management.
Greek authorities Tuesday began moving thousands of migrants away from the makeshift camp at Idomeni on the Macedonian border. They are being taken to more permanent camps built farther inside Greece. As Henry Ridgwell reports, many of the refugees are seeking illegal routes to continue their journey to Western Europe in search of a better life.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a call for better international cooperation in sharing the burden of addressing the world's largest humanitarian crises.

Erdogan spoke Monday in Istanbul at a two-day United Nations-backed summit that convened against the backdrop of a massive migration into Turkey of Syrian and Iraqi civilians fleeing years of war.

Analysts say the presence of 3 million migrants on Turkish soil makes the country the world's largest host of displaced people  part of what the U.N. calls the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.

Despite skeptics who question whether the summit can produce results, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on delegates and heads of state from more than 60 nations to "resolve ourselves here and now not only to keep people alive, but to give people a chance at life in dignity."

The global medical relief organization Doctors Without Borders withdrew from the event weeks ago, calling it "a fig leaf of good intentions" overshadowed by what it calls "shocking violations [by Turkey] of international humanitarian law and refugee rights."

Amnesty International on Monday cited what it described as the "complete collapse of humanitarian law" in Turkey, and accused the European Union of "looking the other way when it comes to rights violations in Turkey itself."

Earlier this month, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called on Turkey to implement an array of human rights reforms, and to allow independent investigators to probe "a succession of alarming reports" of alleged rights abuses near the Syrian and Iraqi borders.

For his part, Turkey's Erdogan has argued that the dual threats facing his country from Kurdish militants in the region, coupled with increasing incidents of Islamic State terrorism, call for strengthening anti-terror laws rather than curtailing them.
The United Nations and Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Iraq's government to open an inquiry into the use of deadly force against protesters who broke into the heavily fortified Green Zone of Baghdad last Friday.

"We urge the Iraqi Government to immediately conduct an independent, transparent and effective investigation into the use of force by security forces against protesters," said UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville in a Geneva briefing.

"Amnesty International is concerned that security forces used force recklessly," the group said in a statement. "Anyone suspected of arbitrary or abusive use of force should be prosecuted in a fair trial."

Friday's demonstrations included supporters of powerful Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr as well as people from other groups upset over the government's failure to approve anti-corruption reforms and maintain security in the city.

Sources from four hospitals and Baghdad's central morgue said four protesters were killed and 90 injured by gunshot wounds in the zone which houses parliament, government offices and embassies.

The Iraqi government reported two deaths and denied the use of live ammunition against the protesters.
While President Barack Obama promotes trade opportunities between the United States and Asia, U.S. senators of both political parties tell VOA there is virtually no chance Congress will approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the near future.

Speaking Monday in Vietnam, Obama said he was confident TPP would pass Congress, a prediction Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina described as somewhere between delusional and overly optimistic.

Theres been a sourness on trade [in Congress], Graham added.

It [TPP] is a tough lift, said Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, who is widely expected to lead his party in the chamber next year.

Another Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, said none of the remaining presidential contenders  Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders  supports TPP.

When you have the three leading presidential candidates of both parties opposing TPP, its an indication that political sentiment is not in favor of the agreement, Durbin said.

'Skepticism across America'

The pact would reduce trade barriers among 12 Pacific Rim nations that account for 40 percent of global economic output. While strongly backed by most American business groups, TPP is fiercely opposed by labor unions, environmental groups and some human rights organizations.

Theres a skepticism across America about trade agreements, Durbin added. Weve paid a heavy price in American manufacturing jobs going overseas. So that skepticism is well-placed.

There are winners and losers in every trade deal, conceded Mark Warner of Virginia, one of only a handful of Senate Democrats openly backing TPP. But the irony is, a lot of this [economic] dislocation, particularly vis-a-vis trade with China, has already taken place. And TPP doesnt even deal with China.

TPP supporters hope for congressional votes after the November elections, in what is known as the lame duck period. That possibility is not ruled out by Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who championed so-called fast track authority to streamline congressional consideration of trade deals.

But even Hatch has reservations about TPP.

I think Republicans do want to support it, but there need to be some changes, he said.

Issues deemed 'solvable'

Hatch objects to the length of time U.S. firms would enjoy exclusive rights to pharmaceutical and biologic products.

The most problematic area is the data exclusivity provision of only five years, the senator said. We need to solve some of these problems, but I think they are solvable.

Seven years of negotiations produced the accord that was signed in New Zealand in February. Trade experts say that while amending the pact is not impossible, participating nations will be loath to go back to the negotiating table.

Warner sees the pact in economic and geopolitical terms.

Id rather have this multilateral, American-led effort to set the rules for the worlds fastest-growing economies, rather than default to rules  or lack of rules  that would be driven by China, he said.

Graham says he regrets that attitudes on Capitol Hill and in many parts of the country have soured on deals like TPP.

Part of what you see in American politics today is making America the victim of everything. Well, I dont feel like a victim, he said. I want to shape the world, not be cowered by it. I want good trade agreements. I want them to be fair.  This cowering approach  fortress America  doesnt befit a great nation.
Most Idahoans are unhappy with the Legislature's inaction on Medicaid expansion but supported doing away with the requirement for a pistol permit within city limits, according to the latest polling released by Idaho Politics Weekly.

This year's legislative session ended without any action from lawmakers on addressing health coverage for the estimated 78,000 uninsured Idahoans in the "Medicaid gap," and the polling, done by the Salt Lake City firm Dan Jones and Associates, found 64 percent of respondents disagree with this action, while 30 percent agree and 7 percent didn't know.

A plurality of even Republicans wanted to see some of action  49 percent, while 41 percent agreed with doing nothing and 10 percent didn't know. Democrats and independents strongly support doing something, by 87 percent and 67 percent, respectively.

The 2016 session started with a $30 million state-funded proposal from the governor's office to extend primary care coverage to those in the gap, but this plan never got much traction. It ended with the Senate passing, but the House voting down, a proposal to authorize the Department of Health and Welfare to apply for a waiver to get federal funding for a state-designed Medicaid expansion plan. Legislative leaders said they would appoint a work group of lawmakers to study the issue before the 2017 session starts.

The poll found, though, that a majority agreed with the Legislature's action in repealing the need for a concealed carry permit within city limits. Since one wasn't needed outside of a city before, the repeal means that Idahoans who can legally carry a concealed weapon generally don't need a permit to carry anywhere in the state, with a couple of limited exceptions such as college campuses.

The poll found 57 percent of people agreed with the new law, which takes effect July 1, while 40 percent opposed it. Republicans favor the change 76-22, and independents back it 55-43, while Democrats oppose it with 19 percent in favor and 76 percent against.

The poll of 603 adults was done from April 8 to 19 and has a 4 percent margin of error.
Train Station Pizza Adds U-Haul to Menu

BUHL  U-Haul Company of Idaho has announced that Train Station Pizza has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Buhl community.

Train Station Pizza at 20079 Highway 30 will offer U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment, support rental items and in-store pick-up for boxes.

Hours of operation for U-Haul rentals are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. After-hours drop-off is available for customer convenience.

Reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location by calling 208-595-1061.

Local Kitchen Tune-Up Franchise for Sale as Ericksons Plan to Retire

TWIN FALLS  Noel and Donna Erickson of Twin Falls have been remodeling homes and businesses in this area for more than 19 years and plan to retire by the end of the year.

The Ericksons are hoping to sell their business to someone who will provide the same quality and customer service that they have.

The national Kitchen Tune-up corporation is an awardwinning franchise system offering a range of kitchen solutions including new cabinet hardware and full kitchen remodeling. The primary services are one-day cabinet and wood reconditioning, cabinet refacing, and new custom cabinets  as well as cabinet organizing accessories and granite countertop sanitizing and sealing.

The franchise also does commercial work  primarily reconditioning wood in businesses and refacing cabinets in rentals.

We have had a wonderful 19 years of helping people restore and remodel their kitchens and bathrooms, Donna Erickson said in a statement. However, we are in our 70s now  It is time to retire. We both love Twin Falls and plan to stay right here in our retirement.

We want to thank all the wonderful clients who have made our business such a pleasure, Noel Erickson said.

He asks anyone who needs touch-up work or additional projects to call 208-736-1036.

The Ericksons encourage anyone interested in taking over their franchise to visit kitchentuneup.com and contact Larry Hall, Exemplar Business Solutions, at 208-421-5300.
TWIN FALLS | Friends of Minidoka is pleased to welcome its first executive director, Mia Russell.

The hiring of an executive director will allow Friends of Minidoka, an all-volunteer organization, to expand its reach in the community and better fulfill its mission of honoring the legacy of the Japanese American incarceration experience through education, preservation and advocacy.

Russell is a shin-nisei quapa, born in Visalia, California and raised in Boise. She earned her bachelors degree in liberal arts with a concentration in humanities from Soka University of America in 2013.

Having never learned about Minidoka while attending public schools in Idaho, Russell has become passionate about preserving the Japanese American incarceration story and related sites.

Russell returned to Boise in 2013 and is earning her masters degree in Applied Historical Research from Boise State University. For her graduate thesis, she developed NPS Minidoka, the recently launched walking tour mobile app for Minidoka National Historic Site.

Russell has worked closely with Friends of Minidoka in the past, most notably as a member of the Civil Liberties Symposium planning committee for the 2014 and 2015 civil liberties symposia, as well as on the 2014 and 2015 pilgrimages as an NPS intern. Most recently, she has been working at the Minidoka National Historic Site since September 2015 as an education and interpretation intern through Americorps and the Student Conservation Association. She also served as an intern at the site from June to August 2014, while she completed research for the app.
TWIN FALLS  Spring semester is finished at the College of Southern Idaho, but it was the first day of classes for Bureau of Land Management firefighters.

Almost 30 firefighters gathered in CSI classrooms Monday to hone old skills and further their training as helicopter crew managers and engine operators before the coming fire season.

The firefighters are from the Boise, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls BLM Districts, in addition to some from the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah. All of the firefighters have about two or more years of experience.

About 30 new hires will join them later this week for BLM fire training exercises. The new hires will also attend a week-long camp in the Sawtooth National Forest in June. On Thursday, everyone will participate in a field day event where firefighters will demonstrate their knowledge in engine protection, progressive hose lay, tire maintenance, foam use, off-road driving, mobile attack and drafting.

The firefighters on CSIs campus are the first wave, with more expected to arrive throughout June for training.

Ryan Berlin, a BLM fire information officer, said he expects a total of 150 firefighters.

Engine captain Mitch Silvester said his students went through vehicle maintenance and commercial driver inspections Monday morning.

Tuesday students are set to focus on driving skills, policy and some laws of off-road driving.

Theres a little more to it (fire engine) than a normal pickup, Silvester said.

Students will also learn from past fire years  what went right or wrong.

Students will also learn about recalls on fire engines. In 2014, a recall was issued after Montana authorities concluded a faulty drivetrain on a 2002 International fire engine was responsible for a fatal crash that killed six people outside Helena. Tuesday, students will visit an area in Castleford where a truck rolled in 2006.

This fire season marks Josie Lymans third year with the BLM. The 21-year-old from Twin Falls became a firefighter to help pay her way through college.

She is a senior at Brigham Young UniversityIdaho in Rexburg and is studying biology.

I expected to stick with it while going to college, Lyman said. Its getting me through undergrad.

She sat in a class for engine operators Monday. She said her love for big trucks stems from her fathers passion for cars.

Lyman said she feels prepared for the upcoming fire season, even though it can be trying at times.

Last year, she worked a fire for so long she had a nosebleed and was throwing up. But she and other firefighters contain the fire line and keep it from spreading.

Its definitely a love/hate relationship, Lyman said. But at the end of the day you love it more than you hate it. The sense of accomplishment overrides everything.
TWIN FALLS | Two small children suffered minor injuries after a pickup truck rear-ended two other trucks on Blue Lakes Boulevard North Monday afternoon, police said.

The two trucks were stopped on Blue Lakes, facing south, near Lowes, around 2:15 p.m. when they were rear-ended by a third truck whose driver didnt realize the other two trucks were stopped, police said.

The two children were in the back seat of one of the trucks that was rear-ended. They were treated at St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center and released. The driver of the third truck was ticketed for inattentive driving.
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Q: How is Victory Home different from Valley House and Jubilee House?

A: Victory Home is a 24-hour, 7-day a week shelter program for addicts, gang members, homeless people and anyone who is lost and hurting.

We will accept people out of prison and off the streets, said Pastor Tony Lopez, executive director of Victory Home. They offer a shelter home and 90-day rehabilitation.

Right next door to us is a certified addiction program. This is really unique for us, he said. Many drug rehabilitation centers dont offer it but we have a program where women can go through with their child and receive the help that they need. Our place is also coed.

We charge nothing for our services, Lopez said. We help them budget and we have money management classes, and parenting classes. There is so much more. We also offer an education department and job search training, building job resumes and GED online courses. We have a work program. After you have been in the program for 30 days, we teach job skills where they are answering phones, filing paperwork, going out and learning carpentry, roofing, construction, mechanical and communication skills in the workforce.

The funds come from donations and from the work of the men and women in the home by fund raising.

The Jubilee House is a 12-month Christian residential recovery home for women whose lives have been torn apart by addictions, said Barbie Danson, community and donor engagement for Jubilee House. It consists of women who have chosen to walk through their recovery with Jesus Christ. Our mission is to help women by offering them the tools they will need to live a full life of recovery.

Jubilee House provides clients with room and board, transportation to meetings, courts, the doctor, church, shopping and their jobs. The women are supervised by staff and volunteers.

Our desire is to not only assist these women in getting sober but to help them set up a life of recovery, Danson said. A lot of healing has to happen and then we can work with them to deal with the devastation their addiction has caused to them and others. We work with each woman individually on rebuilding and continuing their life through family, education, employment, accountability and community support.

The Jubilee House doesnt use government funding and relies solely on grants and donations.

We also now have the Beyond Recovery Life Center with our goal of getting more education for the public that is affordable, she said.

They hope to provide classes in other areas like parenting, financial, healthy living, cooking, GED preparation and job searching but will need more funding and volunteers to do so.

Victory Home and Jubilee House are recovery centers, said Sharon Breshears, executive director for Valley House. Valley House is a homeless shelter. People that come here cant do drugs and alcohol. We assist them in finding permanent housing and employment, and gaining their life and self-sufficiency back. All the money that they earn once they start their job go toward their future. They dont pay rent here. Other places, they do. Valley House is funded through the generosity of community donations. We are not government funded. Valley House is a good program. We help families with children. We are really the only homeless shelter of our kind, and there really is no other place like us.
TWIN FALLS  Graduating on time with her classmates seemed impossible for McKenna Young.

Her parents decided to homeschool her during sophomore year of high school, but it didnt work out well. Young lost an entire year of credits and wasnt sure if shed catch up.

At the beginning of this year, I didnt think I was going to graduate, the 18-year-old said.

But Tuesday, shell make it to the finish line. Shes among 242 students who will graduate from Canyon Ridge High School.

Once she receives her high school diploma, Young plans to save money for college. Shell also work part time as a photography assistant at Cindy Lynn Photography, where she completed her senior project.

She really impressed me with her creative ideas and abilities with photography, owner Cindy Steel said.

Young wasnt afraid to jump in and help out during photo shoots, Steel said. She was just really great to watch interact with the client.

Young wants eventually study business management in college and launch her own photography career.

Shed also like to further pursue cello performance. She has been playing for seven years, and is a member of the Magic Valley Youth Orchestra and Canyon Ridge Highs orchestra. She plans to join the Magic Valley Symphony.

When Young returned to Canyon Ridge her junior year, she didnt get credit for her homeschooling work the previous year.

Graduating on time was a long shot, school counselor Julie Thompson said.

This fall, Young was overwhelmed with schoolwork for her regular classes and her part-time job. She also moved out of her parents house.

I still have a really good relationship with my parents, she said, but she wanted more freedom. Now, she shares the rent with several roommates.

Young didnt start pushing hard on making up 16 class credits until second semester.

On top of eight regular class periods each day, she took classes through PLATO, an online credit recovery program the Twin Falls School District offers for students.

Extra classes owned her life outside of school, Thompson said, but Young earned Cs and higher in all of her classes.

It was extremely stressful, Young said, but it wasnt as hard as she was expecting.

Thompson said it looked really impossible, but a couple of teachers and Youngs parents cheered her on.

While taking PLATO classes, Young worked at her own pace. She spent several class periods each day taking online classes, plus three to four hours every night at home.

The hardest classes were English and history, Young said, and they were way harder than being in the classroom because there wasnt a teacher available face-to-face to provide help.

She finished her last required online class May 16, just a week before graduation.

Thompson said she admires the graduating seniors values, work ethic and how grounded she is in every realm.
TWIN FALLS  Idaho was among eight U.S. states without a state-funded preschool program last school year, according to new report.

The State of Preschool is a yearly report from the nonpartisan National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University.

Other states that dont have a preschool program are Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

Nationwide, there was slight improvement in funding levels and the number of participating children, but many 3 and 4-year-olds still dont have access to preschool.

Here in Idaho, Pay for Success legislation passed in 2015 allows private funders to invest in social programs such as early education.

Head Start programs offer preschool for low-income families, the report notes, but theres not statewide funding dedicated to providing preschool education.
BOISE (AP) | A federal appellate court has upheld a contempt of court ruling made against private prison company Corrections Corporation of America for falsifying staffing reports at an Idaho prison.

Monday's ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means the Nashville, Tennessee-based CCA will have to pay higher-than-normal attorneys' fees to the ACLU for that organization's work representing Idaho Correctional Center inmates.

The ACLU sued CCA on behalf of the prisoners in 2011 contending that understaffing led to rampant violence and other problems. CCA agreed to increase staff as part of a settlement agreement, but an Associated Press investigation later revealed that the company was falsifying reports in order to hide continued understaffing from state officials.

The phony staffing logs prompted Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter to order the state to take over operations at the prison.
BURLEY  The Cassia County Commissioners approved a letter Monday denying Cassia County Schools request for a reduction or waiver in building permit fees.

Cassia County School District Superintendent Gaylen Smyer asked the board to consider reducing or waiving building fees for the districts $37 million bond projects.

The school districts bill for permit fees for the Raft River High School building is $21,650.29.

Because the county uses the 2012 building code but a valuation schedule from 2003 the school district is already getting a break in costs, the commission said in the letter.

Years ago, commissioners decided to hold fees down by using the older valuation schedule.

The commissioners asked building officials to work up a comparison of the 2003 schedule to what costs for the RRHS permit would be by a 2012 schedule.

By a 2012 schedule, the permit would cost $30,225.

We recognize that your budget for construction of these buildings is tight, Commissioner Paul Christensen read from the letter. We share very similar constraints in our county operations...

The countys revenues are based on the operations in the county departments, including the building department.

Dave Zanone, a county building inspector, told the commissioners in a previous meeting that he just wanted the school district to pay up.

Most projects have fees included in the bids, he said.

Zanone said the Malta project will require multiple inspections per week and will include substantial travel time.

School officials said the money for permits was left out of the original estimates, and were part of the $15 million bond shortage. Taxpayers turned down a second construction bond in March that would have included fees.

School District fiscal manager Chris James said in an email that it was a fee added on a tax.

as a taxpayer I find that a little reprehensible, he wrote.

James said the district wasnt trying to shortchange the countys operating costs but was just asking for some relief.

Meeting minutes from the May 16 Cassia County commissioners meeting said other reasons stated for the denial include fairness to all taxpayers and that there are levying mechanisms in place for the school district to cover expenses.
The following editorial appeared in the Washington Post:

Among the many unfortunate aspects of the 2016 presidential campaign has been the bashing of trade deals by candidates across the political spectrum, including those who should know better, like the Democratic front-runner, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. As matters now stand, the next president  whether its Clinton, her Democratic rival Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., or the Republican, Donald Trump  will be someone who opposes President Obamas proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement with 11 nations. The TPPs best chance at passage might be during the lame-duck session between the election and Inauguration Day, when Obama will still be in office and Congress will still be dominated by past supporters of the measure.

In case anyone campaigning for office in the meantime is interested in them, some fresh facts about the TPP have just emerged showing why the case against it  that it would steal jobs from hard-pressed American workers, as previous such agreements have purportedly done  is so badly overblown. A definitive 800-page estimate of the agreements impact on the American economy by the U.S. International Trade Commission shows that, by 2032, the TPP would raise U.S. annual real income by $57.3 billion above what it would have been otherwise, and it would create 128,000 full-time jobs. Given the enormous size of the U.S. economy, of course, these are modest improvements indeed: less than a percentage point in each case. Still, a net positive is a net positive.

The wins and losses would not be evenly distributed across all economic sectors. Agriculture and services would account for most of the income and job gains, reflecting the deals prying open of Japans previously closed markets. Output in manufacturing, natural resources and energy would fall by $10.8 billion (0.1 percent), reflective, in part, of greater imports of light manufactured goods such as footwear from Vietnam. U.S. automobile output and employment would grow slightly.

As was the case with previous agreements, the benefits of freer trade under the TPP would be diffuse and barely perceptible by the many, many people among whom they are distributed, but the costs would be concentrated and intensely felt. That economic reality creates a political one; indeed, its the political reality that accounts for some of the candidates posturing. Beyond economics, however, the agreement promises strategic benefits, including closer integration of the U.S. and East Asian markets and the establishment of U.S.-style market rules across a wide and wealthy region of the world where China is attempting to promote a neo-mercantilist playbook more to its advantage.

Those kinds of considerations used to matter to anyone serious about aspiring to the presidency of the United States and the global leadership that role entails. We can only hope that, whatever happens in November, they ultimately prevail.
Iran announced the beginning of what could be mass production for its Fajr-3, fajr-5, Falaq-1, Falaq-2 missiles and Fateh rockets as Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan inaugurated a production line of military fuses.

The country has developed several missiles and rockets over the years and the new production facility will include contact, proximity and electronics fuses used in penetration weaponry of the ordnance and mortar class.

The weaponry industry is a profitable sector but Tehrans military ambitions have raised concerns in the region especially in the Gulf States and in Tel Aviv. Iran, which is accused of trying to destabilize the region, has always argued that its military policies are for deterrence purposes.

On Tuesday, Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Irans Expediency Council, accused Riyadh of supporting two Iranians with links to the Islamic State group to carry out attacks in Tehran. He claimed that the Saudi consulate in Iraqs Kurdistan region is involved in the foiled attack as he claimed that it had a number of terrorist groups enter into Iran to carry out explosions; they all have been arrested. He said the trademark of ISIS is a characteristic of Wahhabism, referring to the way Islam is practiced in Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh has not reacted to the latest claims made by Iran.
The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG) has declared an indefinite strike over the failure of government to implement the consolidation of their salaries and allowances recommended by the Judicial Council.

The strike has hampered justice delivery in the west-African nation, as court complex and other courts have been locked.

Police prosecutors, litigants, and lawyers have been left disillusioned while the Supreme Court, the court complex, and magistrate courts looked deserted.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, the President of JUSSAG, Mr Alex Nartey, said all attempts by the association to get the government to pay the approved salaries had yielded no fruits.

After a long wait and painful silence, the association was forced to issue an ultimatum on 22nd May, 2016, demanding the implementation of the salaries. The government has still not addressed our concern, he stressed.

The National Labour Commission (NLC) condemned the strike calling it unlawful.

It said the Association failed to respect the Labour laws of the country and threatened to resort to the court to instil sanity into the Association.

However, the President of JUSSAG has said the Association is not meeting government over negotiations but on the implementation of the recommendation of the Judicial Council.
TASHKENT -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday the joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt should become the core of China-Uzbek cooperation.

It is agreed that China and Uzbekistan would further coordinate development strategies to make the Silk Road Economic Belt, first put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September of 2013, a project that could benefit people of the two countries and promote regional development.

Wang said tangible results have been made during the early stage of bilateral cooperation on infrastructure construction and industrial parks.

According to Wang, China-Uzbek relations have reached a new level since the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The leaders of China and Uzbekistan would make a timely decision on raising the level of bilateral ties and directing the future of cooperation, Wang said.

He added that the two countries would also enhance the cooperation under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The only African cases of the Zika virus strain linked to surging cases of neurological disorders and birth defects are under control on Cape Verde, the Atlantic island's health chief has said.

The World Health Organization on Friday announced that the Zika virus strain circulating in Cape Verde had been shown to be the same as the one behind an explosion of cases in the Americas.

Tiny Cape Verde is the only African nation affected by the so-called "Asian strain", detected through the sequencing of the 7,500 Zika cases confirmed there.

National director for health Tomas Valdez told AFP on Monday night there had been an abrupt drop in the number of cases since the first recorded in October 2015 thanks to a series of successful public health campaigns.

"The epidemic has been progressively curbed," Valdez said.

"In January suspected cases went down, in February and March even more, and in the last week we have counted just four cases, with zero cases some days," he added.

The internationally renowned Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal had helped set up a laboratory in Cape Verde's capital, Praia, to track all the pregnant women on the archipelago infected with the virus, he said, while extra travel precautions were in place.

"We are doing everything according to international health regulations to guard against the spread of the virus to neighbouring countries and beyond," he said.

Three cases of microcephaly have been recorded on Cape Verde but none of the rare but serious neurological disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome, also caused by the Zika strain.

In Brazil, the hardest-hit country, more than 1.5 million people have been infected with Zika, and nearly 1,400 cases of microcephaly have been registered since the outbreak began last year.

Researchers estimate that a woman infected with Zika during pregnancy has a one-percent chance of giving birth to a baby with the birth defect.

 2016 AFP
Air pollution monitors were deployed in more than 1,500 locations within the six different metro areas. In addition to air pollution data from state and local air agencies, these MESA Air monitors collected and measured variable levels of PM2.5, oxides of nitrogen, and black carbon, among other pollutants over two-week periods between 2005-2009. Credit: MESA-Air

Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, but the biological process has not been understood. A major, decade-long study of thousands of Americans found that people living in areas with more outdoor pollutioneven at lower levels common in the United Statesaccumulate deposits in the arteries that supply the heart faster than do people living in less polluted areas.

The study is published May 24 online in The Lancet.

Previous epidemiological studies have shown associations between particle pollution, referred to as particulate matter, and heart disease. It has been unclear, however, how exposure to particulate matter leads to diseases of the cardiovascular system. Earlier studies had been shorter and had depended for their analysis on existing datasets collected for other purposes.

Now, direct evidence from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air), a 10-year epidemiological study of more than 6,000 people from six U.S. states, shows that air pollutioneven at levels below regulatory standardsaccelerates the progression of atherosclerosis. The condition, also called hardening of the arteries, can cause heart attacks. Researchers repeatedly measured calcium deposits in the heart's arteries by using CT scans. They also assessed each person's exposure to pollution based on home address.

"The study provides important new information on how pollution affects the main biological process that leads to heart disease," said Dr. Joel Kaufman, who directs MESA Air and is the lead author of the published paper. He is a University of Washington professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, and also a UW professor of epidemiology, and of medicine.

"The evidence supports worldwide efforts to reduce exposures to ambient air pollutants," Kaufman said.

He added, "This was the most in-depth study of air pollution exposures ever applied to a large study group specifically designed to examine influences on cardiovascular health."

The researchers calculated each participant's exposure to ambient fine particulate matter that is less than 2.5 microns in diameter and too small to be seen by the naked eye. In addition to PM2.5, they also measured exposure to nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon or soot.

The research team collected thousands of air pollution measurements in the study participants' communities and at their homes. The research team developed and applied computational models that included local information on land use, roadway and traffic volumes, weather conditions, and local sources of air pollution. These models could generate accurate pollution concentrations at each person's home. Meanwhile, between the years 2000 and 2012, participants visited study clinics several times to undergo CT scanning to determine the amount of calcium deposits in their heart arteries.

Results were strongest for fine particulate matter and the traffic-related pollutant gases called oxides of nitrogen. The study found that for every 5 g/m3 higher concentration of PM2.5, or 35 parts per billion higher concentration of oxides of nitrogenabout the difference between more and less polluted areas of a U.S. metropolitan areaindividuals had a 4 Agatston units/year faster rate of progression of coronary artery calcium scores. This is about a 20 percent acceleration in the rate of these calcium deposits.

"The effects were seen even in the United States where efforts to reduce exposure have been notably successful compared with many other parts of the world," Kaufman said. Exposures were low when compared to U.S. ambient air quality standards, which permit an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 12 g/m3. The participants in this MESA-Air study experienced concentrations between 9.2 and 22.6 g/m3.

In an accompanying editorial in The Lancet, Dr. Bert Brunekreef, a professor at Utrecht University in The Netherlands, and Dr. Barbara Hoffmann, a professor of the University of Dusseldorf in Germany, described the study as "exemplary." Noting that the results are sobering, they called for decisive action in controlling pollution levels worldwide.

Explore further Even low levels of air pollution appear to affect a child's lungs
Canadian military personnel have higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, but they are also more likely to access mental health support than civilians, found new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)

Suicide prevention has been a focus in Canada in recent years, with initiatives such as the Mental Health Commission of Canada and major investments in military and veteran mental health aimed at reducing this cause of death. Despite these initiatives, suicide rates have remained mostly unchanged.

The media in Canada has criticized the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) about the lack of mental health services for military personnel. However, the CAF has engaged in greater investments in mental health services renewal over the past decade, relative to the Canadian public system. Over the same general period, more than 40,000 CAF personnel were deployed in support of the mission in Afghanistan. There is a lack of information on the relative trends in suicidality and use of mental health services in the two populations.

Researchers from Canada and the United States looked at data from four nationally representative surveys in 2002 and 2012/13 to compare rates of suicidal thoughts and help-seeking in military and civilian populations. They found that in 2012/13, personnel in the CAF had a 32% increased odds of thinking about suicide and 64% increased odds of planning suicide than the civilian group.

"Trends of an increasing lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts over the 10-year period and of a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation and plans among military personnel than among civilians in 2012/13 is a concerning and important observation with public-policy ramifications," writes Dr. Jitender Sareen, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, with coauthors.

The authors also found that suicidal ideation in women, but not men, who served in the military decreased over time.

"The prevalence of lifetime and past-year suicidal ideation among male military personnel did not change over time; however, female military personnel had a significant decrease in lifetime suicidal ideation," write the authors. They suggest it may be that women are more likely than men to seek help for mental health issues.

People in the military with suicidal thoughts were significantly more likely than civilians to seek help and accessed more types of professionals for help. Care-seeking for suicidality increased in both populations, but the increase was significantly greater in the CAF.

"This study supports the criticism that the Canadian public health care system is not universal but has significant inequities, inefficiencies and varying levels of service," states Dr. Sareen. "It also speaks to potential value of incremental investments in the public system, similar to those made in the CAF."
Model of psoriasis pathogenesis. Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder. IL-17A and other cytokines act on keratinocytes to activate further inflammatory mediator production, thereby creating an inflammatory loop. Credit: Ryuta MUROMOTO, Hokkaido University

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition that affects some 125 million people worldwide. It is characterized by itchy, scaly skin plaques. The exact cause of psoriasis is unclear. But mounting evidence implicates the immune system in the overproduction of cell-signalling molecules called cytokines, which stimulate skin cells called keratinocytes to express genes that maintain an inflammatory microenvironment. Now, scientists at Hokkaido University in Japan have found more evidence that a cytokine called IL-17A is especially critical in this process.

In a previous study published in 2012, researchers treated psoriasis patients with antibodies that attack IL-17A and with a substance, called an antagonist, that acts against tumour necrosis factor, another cytokine strongly implicated in psoriasis. They found that, after two weeks, a much larger set of psoriasis-related genes were suppressed and to a greater magnitude in the patients treated with anti-IL-17A. The researchers concluded that IL-17A is the dominant cytokine involved in the expression of psoriasis-related genes.

The Hokkaido University researchers aimed to reproduce these results in the laboratory. They cultured a single layer of normal keratinocytes with a mixture of six different cytokines known to be involved in psoriasis, and found that it induced the expression of psoriasis-related genes. They then compared the gene expression of these keratinocytes to others treated with various combinations of the same cytokines lacking one cytokine each. When the keratinocytes treated with all six cytokines expressed significantly more genes than one of the lacking combinations, it meant that the lacking cytokine was playing an influential role for the expression of those genes.

Importantly, the team identified a set of psoriasis-related genes in keratinocytes that are regulated by IL-17A. One of these genes in particular, called NFKBIZ, was found to have a significant role in the IL-17A pathway. This gene encodes a protein that plays a well-known role in regulating the body's immune response to infection.

The new study, published in the journal International Immunology, will be useful for furthering the understanding of the IL-17A signaling pathway and how this cytokine interacts with others in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

More information: Ryuta Muromoto et al, IL-17A plays a central role in the expression of psoriasis signature genes through the induction of IB- in keratinocytes, International Immunology (2016). DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxw011

Provided by Hokkaido University
Credit: TheNorlo/Wikipedia

The number of people in the UK who have tried e-cigarettes has almost doubled in just two years, according to a new study.

The research, from scientists at Imperial College London, examined e-cigarette use - and attitudes to the devices - across Europe between 2012 and 2014.

The paper, published in the journal Tobacco Control, found that the proportion of people in the UK who had tried an e-cigarette had increased from 8.9 per cent to 15.5 per cent - higher than the European average.

The research also showed the proportion of people across Europe who considered the devices dangerous had also nearly doubled, from 27 per cent to 51 per cent.

E-cigarettes work by delivering nicotine into the lungs in the form of a vapour. The devices contain nicotine in a solution of either propylene glycol or glycerine and water, and sometimes flavourings. When a person sucks on the device, a sensor detects the air flow and heats the liquid inside the cartridge, causing it to evaporate.

Experts fiercely debate whether the devices help people give up smoking, and if they are safe - with some studies raising concerns about the toxicity of some of the ingredients.

Dr Filippos Filippidis, lead author of the research from the School of Public Health at Imperial said: "This research shows e-cigarettes are becoming very popular across Europe - with more than one in ten people in Europe now having tried one of the devices. However there is debate about the risks and benefits associated with e-cigarettes. For instance we don't know whether we may start to see diseases emerge in 10-20 years' time associated with some of the ingredients. We urgently need more research into the devices so that we can answer these questions."

The research, which used data from over 53,000 people across Europe (at least 1000 people from each country), also revealed France had the highest use of e-cigarettes - with one in five people saying they had tried the devices.

The nation also saw the largest rise in the proportion of people who had tried an e-cigarette - nearly tripling from 7.3 per cent in 2012 to 21.3 per cent in 2014.

The average number of people across Europe who had tried an e-cigarette increased by 60 per cent between 2012 and 2014, from 7.2 to 11.6 per cent.

The nation with lowest number of people who had tried an e-cigarette was found to be Portugal, with 5.7 per cent. The reason for the variation between nations is unknown, says Dr Filippidis, though possible reasons include the differences in the number of cigarette smokers, the types of smoking bans that exist in different countries, and also the levels of advertising for the devices.

Most of the people who had tried e-cigarettes were former or current smokers, though the number of people who had never smoked cigarettes, yet had tried e-cigarettes, had also increased from 2012 to 2014.

Dr Filippidis added: "Although this data shows most of the people who use e-cigarettes are current or former smokers - which suggests the devices may be helping some of them quit smoking - it is worrying that some people who have never smoked are using them. This raises the question of whether they could be a 'gateway' to smoking conventional cigarettes."

The research also found that being in the age range 18-24, living in a town or city, and being more highly educated were linked to increased odds of ever having tried an e-cigarette.

The team analysed responses to two Special Eurobarometer for Tobacco surveys carried out in early 2012 and late 2014, on the perceptions and use of e-cigarettes, among a representative sample of adults (15+ years) from 27 EU member states, excluding Croatia.
Telemedicine, which allows doctors to communicate, diagnose and even treat their patients remotely is on the rise thanks to advances in information technology. It allows healthcare workers to securely monitor patients in inaccessible parts of the world as well as providing more timely responses for patients in many situations. New research published in the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics suggests that the well-known social networking site, Facebook, and smart phone use could make telemedicine even more common and useful in healthcare.

Agostino Giorgio of the Politecnico di Bari, Italy, points out that, for most patients, telemedicine means fewer hospital visits, but it also provides critical services that might otherwise be unavailable. Remote heart monitoring and other diagnostic tools are quite common. Now, Giorgio has developed smart phone software, an application or "app", that connects patient and doctor via the social networking site Facebook, although it could be adapted to work with another such networking system.

The Care-App allows private and secure communication between doctor and patient as well as offering a medication diary for the patient rescue call and clinic search and booking utility. Video connectivity makes the visit more personal but also allows a patient to show the doctor some symptoms or problems. There is also the option to use a "tele-stethoscope" device that connects to the smart phone headphone jack and would be provided to the patient or their carer. Giorgio and colleagues in the Cardiology department have already tested and validated a tele-stethoscope with this app. Other devices such as blood-oxygen saturation and pulse monitor, electrocardiogram (e.g. the AliveCor Heart Monitor), thermometer could also be used in conjunction with the smart phone input or in some cases simply through the video connection or a verbal/textual reporting of temperature, for instance.

"The patient also may use the Facebook share button or private message button, to send the doctor any other kind of information he may acquire and store with its own smart phone, concerning its own health status," says Giorgio. "Care-app manages all these steps, apps and operations, performed by the doctor and by the patient during the remote medical visit." Care-App is written in HTML5/Java, and so should work on any operating system with all smart devices - smart phones, tablets, notebook and desktop computers.

'The app offers patients frequent and easy check-up in the privacy of the home and by avoiding expensive hospitalization,' adds Giorgio. 'This could permit a significant saving of the healthcare expenses and an improvement of the quality of chronic patient's life.'

Explore further Remote patient monitoring sector increasing rapidly

More information: Giorgio, A. (2016) 'Social networks, apps and smartphones for telemedicine', Int. J. Medical Engineering and Informatics, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp.183195. Journal information: International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics Giorgio, A. (2016) 'Social networks, apps and smartphones for telemedicine',, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp.183195.
The News in Brief

Public Defender releases statement on International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia



May 17 is the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, the celebration of which is related to the removal of homosexuality from the list of diseases by the World Health Organization on May 17, 1990. The day is aimed at expressing solidarity with the LGBT community and condemning violence. Unfortunately, homosexuality often becomes grounds for violent acts and hate crimes against LGBT people and their supporters, reads the statement released by Public Defender of Georgia Ucha Nanuashvili.



According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Non-discrimination, protection from violence, freedom of expression, the right to assembly and manifestations are the basic values for the countries democratic development.



The events in Georgia showed us that no effective measures have been taken for raising public awareness or establishing a culture of tolerance in the country. A timely, efficient and accountable investigation of hate crimes is still a problem. Three years have passed, but nobody has been held responsible for the criminal acts committed on 17 May, 2013.



Despite the fact that various groups have planned a number of events in the central areas of the capital, it is a pity that the the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia cannot be celebrated in the open air. According to an independent group of LGBT activists, due to the government giving no guarantee of providing security, they are refraining from further public demonstrations. It is worrying that homophobic attitudes in society threaten the realization of a constitutional right.



Given all the above, I call on all public agencies to do their best to prevent hate-motivated violence, as well as to promote unconditional implementation of constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms for the LGBT community. (IPN)







GYLA: Guilty Verdict in Cable Case Unfair, Unjustified, Unlawful



A Tbilisi-based legal advocacy group, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA), which was representing one of the co-defendants in the cable case trial against five former MoD and general staff officials, said the guilty verdict delivered by the court on May 16 was unfair, unjustified and unlawful, further fuelling suspicions over political motives behind the conviction.



Tbilisi City Court found five defendants guilty of misspending budgetary funds and sentenced them to seven years in prison on May 16.



One former and four serving officials from MoD and general staff of the armed forces were arrested on October 28, 2014 and charged with misspending GEL 4.1 million in an alleged sham tender in 2013 on laying fiber-optic cable. The five men have denied charges.



The GYLA said that evidence available in the case failed to prove the defendants mercenary motives, which is an element of offence envisaged by article 182 of the Georgian criminal code, involving misspending, under which the defendants were charged.



It also said that the defendants have never any access to the funds which the prosecution claimed were misspent.



The prosecution has failed to prove that the MoD officials had any intent or capability of misspending budgetary funds for anyones personal gain, the GYLA said, and also pointed that the judge delivered the verdict only two working days after the 18-month trial was over.



It expressed hope that during the appellate process the higher court will have enough courage to only take legal factors into consideration and will deliver the only correct decision  the acquittal of innocent people.



This co called Cable Case led to the first major split within the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling coalition in 2014 and the firing of then Defence Minister Irakli Alasania, followed by the resignations of his two allies from cabinet posts.



It resulted in Alasanias Free Democrats leaving the GD coalition in November 2014. Alasania has been denouncing the charges against the MoD officials as politically motivated.



The Free Democrats opposition party said on Monday that it will hold a protest rally outside the Prosecutors Office on May 21.



The leader of the party, Irakli Alasania, said that he will fight to the end through all available legal means to achieve the release of the five innocent men.



By this verdict [ex-PM] Bidzina Ivanishvili congratulated us, the Free Democrats, on the launch of our election campaign, Irakli Alasania said on May 16. This [verdict] was a political order coming from [Ivanishvili], demonstrating a growing trend towards the authoritarian regime in the country.



When soldiers and their families are treated like this by the judiciary and Prosecutors Office controlled by [Ivanishvili], it means that we all should make a proper conclusion  the consequences will be grave if we leave Georgia in this injustice, Alasania said.



We will not turn away from the path of elections and in the October parliamentary elections, together with the Georgian people, we will replace authorities obedient to the informal ruler [Ivanishvili], he added.



Republican Party, which remains in governing coalition with the GDDG party, also said that there are political motives behind the guilty verdict.



We saw and still see political motives in this case and todays verdict proves that there are political motives, Khatuna Samnidze, chairperson of the Republican Party, told Tbilisi-based TV Pirveli on May 16. (Civil.ge)




@PatriciaMazzei

Annette Taddeo has picked up another labor-union endorsement as she battles former Rep. Joe Garcia in the Democratic primary for Florida's southernmost congressional district.

On Tuesday, Taddeo said she received the backing of the Communications Workers of America and CWA Local 3122, which whose members work in a variety of industries raging from airlines and IT to television and education. The union represents AT&T workers.

"Our members understand that this election is crucial to the future of union workers, not just for the people of South Florida, but across the country," CWA Local 3122 President Don Abicht said in a statement. "Annette has fought alongside unions for years, and we eagerly look forward to her fighting for us in Washington."

The cumulative effect of several union endorsements for Taddeo could bolster her efforts against the better-known Garcia, who is leading in polls commissioned by the two rival campaigns. Her biggest pickup has been from the Service Employees International Union, which was Garcia's top supporter when he won the seat in 2012. She's also gotten support from the Teamsters, longshoremen and two transportation unions.
@PatriciaMazzei

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has been asked a great deal of questions, but perhaps none quite like the one he got from a Miami television reporter Tuesday: What were his thoughts on a video from the group Anonymous calling for the Republican governor to be impeached or else for him to resign?

The video, posted on Anonymous' Facebook page earlier in the day ("Hello, citizens of the world," it begins), accused Scott of working to "destroy the great state of Florida's ocean wildlife" by allowing polluted waters from Lake Okeechobee to run off into the Atlantic Ocean. The masked figure with a disguised, robotic voice also charged the governor with "lining his pockets" with support from Big Sugar.

The video was first reported by Political Fix Florida.

Scott, speaking to reporters after a ceremonial bill signing at the Department of Children and Families office in Miami, ignored the part of the question about Anonymous and instead focused on Everglades restoration efforts.

"Here's what's exciting that's happened in the last five years," he said, rattling off a list of accomplishments from settling lawsuits with federal agencies to appropriating $880 million from the state budget to improve water quality.

"So we're clearly heading in the right direction, and this state can be proud of what we're doing."

It's the federal government, Scott countered, that "has not paid up their portion" of Everglades projects.

UPDATE: The governor's office said Wednesday the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was made aware of the Anonymous video. FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told the Miami Herald in an email that it has seen the video.

"FDLE always maintains operational awareness, but we have not seen evidence of a threat related to the video," she wrote.
@MichaelAuslen

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Ponte Vedra Beach, is among the members of Congress taking the lead in trying to impeach John Koskinen, commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.

DeSantis, a candidate for Florida's open U.S. Senate seat, on Tuesday urged the House Committee on the Judiciary to move forward with impeachment, saying Koskinen should lose his job because he "stonewalled and obstructed attempts by Congress to find out truth about the IRS."

At issue are questions that date back two years to the scandal over how the IRS screened conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. DeSantis and others say Koskinen, brought in by President Obama to clean up the agency, has instead tried to block Congress' investigations.

The issue is also about politics, however, as DeSantis gears up for a hotly contested Republican primary in the U.S. Senate race. And Koskinen may be a useful target: He's an appointee of a Democratic president and head of the least-popular federal agency.

Still, pressed by a fellow congressman, DeSantis wouldn't pin any problems in the agency on the White House, and said he has "never argued" for Obama's impeachment.

"It's really irrelevant," he said.
U.S. Senate candidate Todd Wilcox said the controversial interrogation practice of waterboarding isnt torture but an effective tool in the global war on terror.

It gets results, he said.

In an interview published in the Miami Herald on May 20, Wilcox blamed the White House for limiting the countrys ability to gain intelligence from alleged terrorists.

"I can tell you that the enhanced interrogation techniques that have since been banned by this administration  specifically waterboarding  work," said Wilcox, who is vying for the Republican nomination to replace Sen. Marco Rubio. "They work on the terrorists, and there's a proven history of that."

Wilcox didnt consider the practice to be torture, and also said while he didnt advocate overusing waterboarding, its an option that should be available for interrogators.

We wanted to know if waterboarding  strapping a prisoner to a board or table and then pouring water over a cloth covering their mouth and nose to simulate drowning  was a proven method of questioning someone.

Keep reading Joshua Gillin's fact-check from PolitiFact Florida.
Summer has arrived in western Montana! And with it, so have the opportunities to get outside for more physical activity, enjoy the healthy foods grown right in our own backyard, and spend time with family and friends.

It is also the time of year when people start talking about going to a tanning bed to get their base tan for an upcoming wedding or in anticipation of a weekend spent outside. Some may think it is a healthy way to get some vitamin D.

What might come as a surprise is that a base tan does not equate to a safe tan. The fact is that an indoor tan, as well as any other kind of tan, means your skin has been exposed to UV light, which is a risk factor for skin cancer including melanoma. According to the Food and Drug Administration, in 2009 a part of the World Health Organization known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that tanning devices are, in fact, carcinogenic to humans. Indoor tanning can also hasten skin aging and cause eye damage if protection is not properly used.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an alarming 27 percent of girls in the 12th grade have gone for indoor tanning. When indoor tanning happens at younger ages, an increased risk of melanoma is even higher. That is why many states and other countries have banned indoor tanning for minors.

What can you do to reduce the risk of skin cancer including melanoma? Here are some tips from the American Cancer Society:

Slip on a shirt.

Slop on sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher with broad spectrum protection).

Slap on a wide-brimmed hat.

Wrap on sunglasses.

Limit the amount of time spent in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the suns rays are most direct.

Also, if you know someone who tans in a tanning bed, have a conversation with them about the risks of indoor tanning. Perhaps even more importantly, talk to them about pressures they may be feeling to look a certain way. Hearing from a friend or a loved one that they are just right the way they are may go a long way.

Be sure to enjoy all the fabulous outdoor activities that our area has to offer, but before you go out the door take a few moments to protect yourself and those you care about so you can enjoy many more seasons to come!

***

Kristin Anderson, MD, MPH, Physician writes for Community Medical Center.
BILLINGS  A special group of Montana families with an uncommon connection enjoyed Sunday afternoon at ZooMontana. The parents, children and grandparents traveled across the state to share their experiences with a genetic deletion syndrome known as 22q.

The event, 22q at the Zoo, was part of an international movement to raise awareness on May 22. The syndrome is caused by a missing section of the 22nd chromosome and causes a wide range of symptoms.

Raedene Wipf is one of two parents who organized the event at ZooMontana. Wipfs son has 22q and is now 25. She said in the time since he was diagnosed understanding of the syndrome increased dramatically. She hopes to continue raising awareness and encourage early prevention.

The key is to get the genetic testing done, but sometimes people arent diagnosed until theyre adults, Wipf said.

In many cases a heart defect or cleft palate prompts genetic testing in early childhood and results in a diagnosis. It can also cause weakened immune systems, developmental delays and psychological problems, said Jaclyn Foster, a genetic counselor at Shodair Childrens Hospital.

Shodair sponsored Sundays event and Foster shared information with the families in attendance. She said 22q, also known as DiGeorge syndrome among other names, has been easier to diagnose for the last decade due to advances in genetic testing. Testing also provides a better idea of how many people the syndrome affects.

We think its about one in 4,000 but we think thats a low estimate because its often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, Foster said.

Alyssa Tholstroms 2-year-old son, Landon, was diagnosed just weeks after his birth. Tholstrom drove from Missoula with Landon and her parents to be at ZooMontana on Sunday.

She said Landon was born with a heart defect and was airlifted to Seattle just days after his birth. Doctors werent sure he would even survive the flight.

It took a couple weeks for test results to indicate Landon has 22q. A Missoula pediatrician left a voicemail with the news and said he wasnt familiar with the syndrome but would learn with the family. Landon had a new doctor before they returned to Montana, Tholstrom said.

Landon has undergone surgery twice and will need another heart operation in his teens. He sees a speech therapist twice a month and physical therapist makes home visits on a monthly basis.

Tholstrom said shes a single mom and the constant appointments are difficult to juggle while working fulltime as a prep cook in a restaurant. She receives solid support from her parents and was lucky to find a daycare whose owner has experience watching children with 22q.

Tholstrom is active in an online community of families affected by the syndrome. She met Raedene Wipf on a Montana 22q Facebook page but Sunday was the first time Tholstrom met other families dealing with a 22q diagnosis in person.

We kind of need somebody to compare notes with and who know what were going to go through, she said.
A family of three needs cheap or free vehicle for transportation. If you can help, please email details to trchristensen@mt.gov.

***

A single mother, actively looking for employment, is in need of assistance to help pay her rent or she may face homelessness. All donations are appreciated.

Contact Sarah Mercer at Partnership Health Center, 258-4476.

***

A young mom with a newborn baby is looking for a bassinette (ideally one with wheels that is small and easy to move around). They are currently homeless and without many resources right now.

If you can help, call Becky Margolis, Program Coordinator & Young Family Advocate, Womens Opportunity & Resource Development, Inc., 721-4584.

***

An adult homeless male is seeking a gas card for getting around town to medical appointments and Straight Talk or Trac-Phone minutes card. He also needs a gift card for new eye glasses as previous glasses were stolen. If you are able to help, please contact Lauren at Aware, 543-2202, ext 2109.

***

A student at Sentinel High School is in need of an air mattress to sleep on.

If you can help, call Michelle Manning, FIT Coordinator, Sentinel High School, 728-2400, ext. 7507.
ST. IGNATIUS  It was a toss-up Monday night as to whether anything got clearer in the murky waters that are the three irrigation districts on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

As the Flathead Joint Board of Control voted to hold a new special election for three of its seats, its chairman was served with a lawsuit that asks a judge to order the board to seat the three people who unseated incumbents in a May 3 FJBC election.

Lake County has certified the results, but the board disputes them.

Those incumbents, whose three-year terms have expired, took their usual seats Monday while the winners of the election in question remained in the audience.

The lawsuit, filed by five irrigators, also alleges that the board did not follow state law in forming a joint board of control two years ago, and wants a judge to declare that the FJBC is not a valid entity and to restrain it from operating until a hearing can be held.

The board, in a 10-2 vote Monday, directed its attorneys to contact Lake County, and potentially Missoula, Sanders and/or Flathead counties, about holding an election, possibly in September.

The board voted to cancel the May 3 mail-in election after it had started, but before ballots were due back or counted, over concerns that several hundred irrigators had been disenfranchised as the county implemented new rules regarding voter eligibility.

To tamper with the process is to tamper with the Constitution, said Jerry Laskody, one of the incumbents who lost. Without prior notice, the definition of an eligible voter was changed by Lake County.

Laskody said the county expected affected irrigators to use mental telepathy, or mind-reading, to request a specific form they did not know existed in order to comply with the new rules.

It smacks of tampering, or at least gross incompetence, he said. To accept what happened is to dishonor the sacrifice of veterans.

But Lake County maintains that by ignoring the election, the joint board is disenfranchising more than 2,500 irrigators who complied with requirements and received ballots. The countys only goal, according to County Attorney Steve Eschenbacher, was to make sure the election was conducted in accordance with Montana law and the FJBCs own bylaws.

***

Bruce Fredrickson of Rocky Mountain Law Partners, one of the boards attorneys, told the packed meeting that it would take someone in a black robe to sort it all out.

Where do you go from here is a question that almost transcends the law, Fredrickson said. In our opinion, the election was improper, it was improperly conducted.

Fredrickson said he would be surprised if the results changed in another election, but thats not the point. You can point fingers at the county, at the board, but it doesnt matter where you point. If everybody knows the rules, we can play by them.

The board voted more than a week before ballots were due back at the county election office to cancel the election and continue operating with its current membership.

The county disregarded the boards decision to cancel, Fredrickson said. Im not sure the county can do that, but the only way to decide is to get someone in a black robe involved.

There are conflicting Montana statutes governing irrigation elections, the attorney told the board. One requires it to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May  this year, May 3. Another allows the board to call special elections.

There is no case law regarding the two statutes, Fredrickson said, and it was his opinion the board could call the special election.

***

Irrigation district elections contained little drama until negotiations for a proposed Confederated Salish and Kootenai Water Compact took center stage in the past few years. Irrigators split into pro- and anti-compact sides, and FJBC Chairman Boone Cole acknowledged how tense it has gotten in an opening prayer Monday night.

Weve got a lot of dissension and conflict going on, Cole said. Neighbors, friends, and even family members are pitted against each other. You are a God who loves peace when peace is possible. You love truth and justice.  Remember we are neighbors, friends and family. We will go on living here long after this battle is over.

Before voting on a resolution to hold a special election, Cole ruled an amendment proposed by Dick Erb, a commissioner from the Flathead District, to be out of order.

Erbs amendment would have required the board to recognize the validity of the May 3 election until the special election could be held. Cole said that would conflict with the boards April 22 vote to cancel the May 3 election.

The joint board is made up of representatives from three irrigation districts  the Flathead, Mission, and Jocko Valley districts. When elections are held, irrigators receive one vote for each irrigable acre they own  someone with five acres has five votes, someone with 500 acres has 500 votes.

The county maintains it was following state law when it required all voters to be Montana residents, and state law and the joint boards own bylaws when it imposed rules requiring land with multiple owners to formally designate a single voter, and requiring out-of-state voters to designate a qualified proxy.

In the elections in dispute, David Lake beat incumbent Shane Orien 40,304 to 15,275, and Janette Rosman defeated incumbent Wayne Blevins 30,038 to 25,531. Both those seats are in the Flathead Irrigation District.

In the Mission District, Ray Swenson beat Laskody 5,098 to 2,932.

Theres a fourth seat on the 12-member joint board at play, too. Loretta Adams was appointed to replace a commissioner who resigned in the Jocko Valley District, and a majority of the board maintains her appointment is good for the remainder of the term she was appointed to.

Lake County said the appointment was good until the next possible election, which occurred on May 3. Only one person, Jennifer Kaplan, filed for the seat. Under normal circumstances, with no opposition, Kaplan would be declared the winner by acclimation.

But Adams, like Laskody, Orien and Blevins, were among the 10 who voted Monday to call a special election.
The City of Missoula is moving forward with a $218,000 upgrade to Kiwanis Park, located between the Clark Fork river and Front Street in the downtown area, one of the citys busiest picnic spots.

The overhaul will include the construction of a new restroom and the addition of new playground equipment, including two new artificial climbing boulders suitable for children and adults.

Construction probably wont start until late June and could be completed by mid-August, according to city parks services and systems manager David Selvage.

Because Kiwanis Park is the citys most popular picnic reservation site and often sees large crowds for volleyball, softball and other activities, it was overdue for an upgrade, Selvage explained.

When we went through the Park Asset Management Plan we identified a number of serious conditions requiring reinvestment in Kiwanis Park, he told the city councils parks and conservation committee recently.

Selvage said that the Bear Cub boulder, manufactured by a playground equipment company in Colorado, will be intended for kids 2 to 5 years old. The Erosion boulder will be for kids ages 5 to 12, but Selvage said it will be climbed on by people of all ages. There will be engineered wood fiber placed below them for safety. The installation of that project is set to start in August. The new playground will also get the standard swings and other equipment.

The Kiwanis restrooms and shelter are the oldest in the Park Asset Management Plan and the highest rated as far as being in need of replacement. The playground is tied with the Playfair playground as being the highest rated for replacement as well, and the failing infrastructure, including the irrigation system, does not meet city code. The new restroom and park design will be ADA compliant.

The project was paid for by a $160,000 Community Development Block Grant, $48,000 in Park Asset Management funding and a $10,000 donation from the local Kiwanis Club.

The existing shelter must be torn down because it is attached to the restroom. Enough funding isnt in place to immediately replace it with a new shelter, which will cost $30,000 to buy and $17,000 to install, Selvage said. So, they are soliciting donations to make that a reality.

I have some asks to make, he said.

A pad for a new shelter will be installed this summer, and the design of the new shelter will be markedly different than the current one.

We are looking at crime prevention due to environmental design, Selvage said. Because (the existing shelter) is walled off on one side, we constantly have transients and homeless populations utilizing the shelter after hours for sleeping underneath it without much visibility. The general condition of the building  its a 1950s design  the quality is pretty poor. Its one of the most popular picnic reservation sites. Weve seen some decline in usage, probably because of the condition.

Selvage said the improvements to the park meets the citys needs, adds capacity and supports a strategy of growing inward.

Specialty Excavating Inc. won the bid to conduct the installation work, and the project was designed by CTA Architects Engineers. The wood chips come from a producer in Clancy, and Playco Playgrounds is doing the playground installation.
Editor's note: The Missoulian sent identical questionnaires to both of the Democratic candidates for a six-year position on the Missoula County Board of Commissioners. Their responses have been published verbatim. The winner of the June 7 primary will face Republican Todd Geery of Milltown in November's election.

Stacy Rye

Occupation: Missoula County Commissioner (appointed to serve remainder of term after seat vacated by Bill Carey.)

Education: B.A. University of Montana. Graduate work for two years in public administration at UM.

Past public service: Missoula City Council, 2004-2012. Missoula Development Authority Board 2012-2015. Poverello Center Board of Directors 2010-2011. United Way of Missoula County's 85th Birthday Steering Committee, present. Rose Park Neighborhood Council 2001-2003. Literacy Volunteers of America 1998-1999.

Q: What do you think the role of a Missoula County commissioner is and should be?

A: From sidewalks, parks, sewer, and emergency protection, to more long-term policies such as economic development and planning, local government touches our lives every day. Part of being a County Commissioner is the executive function  we have the daily work of doing county business from contracts to meeting with department heads. Like any elected official, however, the job is what the individual makes of it. I believe a Commissioner should demonstrate good judgment, critical thinking skills, good political instincts and great leadership. Leadership requires calculated risks, thought and courage, all of which Im willing to express in the interest of doing what I believe is right for the people of Missoula County.

From the fairgrounds to the proposed new library, we make 100-year decisions at the local level about what our community should look like. This is where I can make a difference, what Im good at, and where I want to work for the people of Missoula County.

Q: What are your top priorities for Missoula County? How would you work with other elected officials and county staff to implement that vision?

A: I believe first and foremost that Missoula County needs to be more open and transparent  I want citizens to be able to meaningfully participate in their government in an inclusive fashion. Were moving that direction, but there is a lot of work yet to be done.

Missoula County needs to work at developing good partnerships  whether its working with the City of Missoula on our common housing issues (the lack of affordable housing in particular, or wet housing) or the private sector; we need to be working with partners to advance the common good of the community.

Implementing initiatives for working families  we just recently passed paid parental leave for County staff. As a leader in employment practices for our community, these initiatives can create a ripple effect that lifts everyone. I think County government can be leading the way on things like early childhood education, and housing.

We have highly talented staff who are capable of implementing Commissioners priorities. I depend on them to help move us forward, just like I did with paid parental leave.

Q: If you could change three things about Missoula County government, what would they be?

A: First, Missoula County needs a charter to gain self-governing authority. Second, we must have online agendas and minutes so that the public has easy access to readable records.

Finally, we need to have better communications with other agencies. Since no one person can be an expert at everything, I think it would be helpful to assign a Commissioner to each agency as a point person.

Q: How will you work to address the issue of loss of agricultural lands within the county?

I have the benefit (and the responsibility) of actual experience when it came to the agriculture regulations, and its important to note that distinction.

The regulatory proposal that recently came before the Commissioners was highly controversial. The conservation community was greatly divided, with respected groups opposing each other. The regulations passed the Planning Board on a slim 5-4 vote. By the time it came before us, there were dozens of large county landowners and ag producers who were against the proposal. These folks said that the proposal would make it difficult for them to continue to operate as ag producers. Ultimately, we unanimously turned down the Planning Boards proposal and instead directed staff to work with all the groups who had come forward to craft voluntary conservation guidelines.

I am considering proposals in the regulatory framework (like clustering housing) for the urban fringe, the area facing the most pressure from development. I have learned as a County Commissioner that a one-size-fits-all proposal for a county as diverse and large as Missoula County is problematic. We cannot adopt a solution designed to address only the needs of Missoula valley for the entirety of Missoula County.

Q: What should the county budget emphasize? Please name a specific item you would cut or add.

I would add funding for housing and infrastructure. We have a 10-Year Plan To End Homelessness, but to really accomplish those goals, we need to actually fund housing, not just coordinate a plan. We are going to have to seek those solutions like housing and infrastructure ourselves at the local level. I think Missoula County residents see the bang for their local tax dollars and trust that when we can spend revenue at the local level we do a good job, we do it efficiently and we get to craft those designs ourselves.

Q: What is the most important thing a commissioner should do for rural Missoula?

Since I have been in office, I have been humbled by the enormity of our county. I highly rely on Community Councils to help inform the Commissioners of issues being faced in smaller, rural areas. Ive attended as many council meetings as I could in the past six months to get a better view of those communities. I believe that rural communities must retain their own sense of community and identity, with all of their unique characteristics. Frenchtown is very different than Seeley Lake, but citizens in both are intimately involved in bettering their communities. I want to help foster that sense of community inasmuch as the county can and should be involved. We also need to be cognizant that policy for the urban fringe does not necessarily work for the rural parts of the county.

A: What is the top thing a commissioner should do for urban Missoula?

First and most crucial, we need to have good relationships with City officials. Take the fairgrounds as an example  we need to make sure the plan for the fairgrounds are reflective of its urban location while maintaining the fairs rural heritage and traditions. Or for another example, as the issuer of the Fort Missoula Regional Park bonds, the County can work carefully with the City of Missoula to ensure that the bonds are issued and spent successfully.

Q: How do you differ from your opponent?

A: I love local government; its why I ran for the vacancy created by Commissioner Careys retirement last summer. In selecting me for the position, Commissioners Curtiss and Rowley expressly said that I was the best person for the job. I have had a chance to do the work for seven months and I have loved being able to make a difference every day tocitizens. I have been a fierce advocate for the Smurfit-Stone clean-up, for continued economic development, and for new partnerships like with the City of Missoula to solve homelessness. I have been involved in my community for over 20 years; I have started community initiatives like Imagination Library.

I have served at the nonprofit level, at the City of Missoula, and now at the County. Im happy to have the support of Mayor John Engen, Carol Williams, most of my former colleagues at the City of Missoula, most of the legislative delegation, and countless community leaders. I am running because my vision and goals for our community are genuinely a part of who I am. This office is not just a stepping stone for me, but rather the end goal.
The day after Salish elder Louis Adams died, life began anew at a place steeped with his personal history.

Thats when Iris, the osprey whose nest Adams blessed while he was participating in ground-breaking ceremonies for the future Missoula College building two years ago, got a new mate. A streaming webcam has made Iris world-famous, and her audience of fans had been wondering what would happen after long-time mate Stanley failed to return with her this spring.

Iris came back all dressed up and ready to go, but no Stanley, said Erick Greene, a University of Montana ornithologist who set up the webcam. We suspect he died over the winter. Theyd been coming for 15 years. Louis Adams died in late April, and the next day, this new male osprey showed up.

Fish-hunting osprey typically mate for life, although they will take on new partners if one dies. While Iris has been one of the most successful breeders Greene has monitored, the new bird has faced a steep learning curve.

Shes laid five eggs so far, Greene said. A raven got the first one, and the second got chucked out before the new male got back. But now shes got three in the nest, and shes incubating away.

The male has taken a while to learn the proper size of stick to bring to the nest that wont fall out, and how to take his turn on the eggs so Iris can do some fishing of her own. But he also appears more comfortable perching on river-crossing power lines to target fish than Stanley was.

Residents of the Riverside Healthcare Center next to the nest have a dedicated monitor in the lobby to keep a close eye on the osprey. Center life enrichment director Tammy Beloc said the live feed was one of the most popular activities at the skilled nursing facility.

The word spreads all through the place as soon as the birds return, Beloc said. We have people from out of town stop by to see the birds, and they get Christmas cards from all over the world sent to us here.

Greene said he sought and got permission from Adams family before announcing the name for the new male on the nests Facebook page.

Louis was a revered elder and an amazing man, Greene said. When he blessed the osprey nest, he told us about when his grandmother was born in a tepee right across the river from where the nest is. There are about 200 countries around world watching that camera. I thought it would be neat to name this new male in honor of Louis Adams. The family was excited, and they gave their blessing to name the new male Louis.
Let's get this straight: Accepting millions of dollars made some of the Montana University System regents' hearts break and voices quiver, but it was not enough to stop their hands from taking a donation with plenty of zeroes.

There's that old saw about every person having his price -- I guess we know the regents' is at least $8 million.

That's what happened on Friday when every regent except Martha Sheehy voted to accept a donation to Montana State University in Bozeman by the Gianforte Family Foundation, led by Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte.

We'd suggest that if these regents' hearts were so pierced and their minds so conflicted, they should have at least waited to vote. You'd think emotion that, in the words of regent Casey Lozar, "made my heart hurt," would have led them to graciously thank the Gianforte family, but return the donation because of its record of supporting discriminatory groups and fighting against a non-discrimination ordinance to protect LGBTQ people in Bozeman.

It's right to question if accepting a donation from a group that has also supported clearly discriminatory groups is appropriate or even acceptable. This isn't a one-time gift to the university, rather a name by which it will be known.

It's also unacceptable that the regents and President Waded Cruzado would take the gift, given that it could be seen as endorsing views which should run against the kind of places our public universities claim to be -- tolerant, open, welcoming, and accessible by all, regardless of sexual orientation. To accept this gift means that the Montana University System and Montana State University are willing to bend, if not outright compromise values, for a large donation.

Regent Asa Hohman said that mistreatment of anyone would not be tolerated. He said, "And any actions to the contrary in my opinion are untenable."

Hohman's support of the gift puts his actions at odds with his words. If the university system is so concerned with the mistreatment of folks who are LGBTQ, he has voted to tolerate it by accepting $8 million. His vote, using his logic, is, in his own words, untenable.

But darn if MSU doesn't need the money.

There should be certain values and ideas that shouldn't be compromised, no matter what the donation. Some principles shouldn't be for sale.

Folks here in Missoula experienced a similar controversy last year when the regents accepted a $10 million gift from the Alexander Blewett III family in exchange for name the University of Montana Law School.

When that happened, Sheehy raised concerns about the lack of transparency of such a donation. Even then, the regents admitted the process needed improvement for the public's sake. And yet, in the intervening months, it seems little has been done to improve the process.

Shame on the regents and Commissioner Clayton Christian for letting this happen again. At a minimum, it seems like the Gianforte gift should have been slowed or even put on hold until a better, less rushed process was in place.

We also wonder about the timing of the gift: The Gianforte offer would have raised concerns because of the foundation's funding regardless. However, now that it's being done as Greg Gianforte makes a run for governor, you can't help but wonder if this is really just a high-priced publicity stunt.

In short, this is a mess -- and part of it should be placed at the feet of the university system level which has not created a process soon enough and lacked the backbone to slow it so that it could be fully vetted.

We have serious concerns about what is for sale at our university, and how much public scrutiny is allowed. Our public universities are investments that belong to everyone in the state, not just those who can write large checks or have their own foundations.

The regents also need to develop a rationale and a system that allows naming rights or large donations to be made to things that the taxpayers have already built. In other words, Montanans had already built the law school and the computer science in Missoula and Bozeman respectively. They made the investment with their tax dollars. Now, Blewett and Gianforte get the credit.

Moreover, if the naming rights, buildings or programs at our state universities are up for sale, how about letting the public know? And, let's make sure such things aren't just run through the university foundations as a way to avoid public scrutiny.

How about explaining to the public that buildings paid for by our taxes are now being sold to private individuals?

And, if we are really selling any program and every building, why not open the bidding up? How do we know all a computer science program is only worth $8 million? How do we know there weren't deeper pockets for the law school?

We acknowledge that a university education isn't getting cheaper and the Legislature, which funds the Montana University System, isn't getting any less stingy. Maybe it's time for more political pressure to fund the university system more completely instead of being forced into the position of taking money from wealthy donors, regardless of those donors' own motives or past history.

Really, it's not what a building or program is worth; what's the value of our name in Montana?
American workers fought long and hard for an 8-hour day. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 embodied that victory in law. Industry has been trying to roll back those gains for decades. Ronna Alexanders May 12 guest column (New federal employment rules will be big change for Montana employers) is a masterpiece of corporate deception and part of the ongoing assault on labor rights.

The FSLA categorized a small number of workers as exempt, that is management, and the rest as non-exempt, the rank and file. Employers are required to pay non-exempt workers time-and-a-half when they work more than 40 hours in a week, a fact that Ms. Alexander conveniently left out. She says that For many, achieving exempt status comes with a real sense of accomplishment. Seriously? Do you know anyone who feels that way? Anyone who would prefer pride and long unpaid hours over time-and-a-half?

Yes, this update to the FSLA will cost businesses more money. As it should. Why should workers be expected to subsidize employers with their free labor?

It wont mean fewer jobs. On the contrary, it will force companies to hire more workers because companies would prefer to pay more workers at straight-time rather than fewer at time-and-a-half.

American workers already work longer hours with fewer benefits than any others in the industrial world. American corporations would like that disparity to be even greater because its hugely profitable.

If you cant afford to pay your workers a living wage, if your company cant survive without free labor, then theres a serious problem with your business plan.

Robbie Liben,

Missoula
Of all the things the Professional Politicians have promised, both Republican and Democrat, what have they actually delivered? Have any of these promises actually and measurably improved your life or the life of anyone you know? Seriously, what exactly have they actually delivered?

Heres what I know. The current crop of Professional Politicians will leave office in January 2017 and every man, women, and child US citizen will have a $57,148 government tax obligation. That is the National debt (roughly 20 trillion dollars) divided by the population (roughly 350 million). That is if everyone could and would pay their fair share, remember that every man, women, and child owes $57,148, every man women and child citizen!

Are you prepared to write a $57,148 check for your share? Are you prepared to write a $57,148 check to cover your spouses share? Are you prepared to write a $57,148 check to cover each of your children who are under age? Ya, thats what I thought.

Then last but not least, are you prepared to write a check to cover another three citizens who are sucking off the government and the Professional Politician exempt from having to pay their fair share of anything? Ya, thats what I thought.

Will a Donald Trump fix whats broke in Washington? Who knows? We do know the Professional Politician have shown no inclination to actually fix things. We also know, too many Professional Politicians go into office of moderate means and leave office independently wealthy. That is a message we should be paying attention to. If we keep doing what we are doing, we will keep getting what we got.

Will Trump meet our expectations? I dont know. Based on thirty or forty years of a clear track record, the establishment politicians will simply continue to continue.

Steven J. Rossiter,

Missoula
A fifth grade, male student, age 11, has discovered a love for scouting. The student is in need of good hiking boots, a waterproof bag and sleeping bag. New or used would be great! If you would like to help, you can either donate gently used/clean items or make a donation of any amount up to $100. My Student In Need will purchase a gift card for the teacher to purchase the needed supplies. No. 1637.

An 11th-grade male student, age 16, needs a size 38 regular men's suit as he has been chosen for a Speech & Debate national conference which requires each student to wear a suit. New or used would be wonderful. If you would like to help with this need you can either donate a gently used/ stain free suit or you can make a donation of $150 to My Student in Need and we will purchase a gift card so the teacher may take the student shopping. Sentinel No. 1638.
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  Boulders shift, canyons erode, old trees fall, new ones grow and tourists crowd Yellowstone National Park, the length of their vacations barely any time at all in the stream of history.

A century and a-half is nothing in the eons of often violent geology that made Yellowstone. Even so, an exhausting project by a Jackson photographer shows how an ecosystem protected for that long can change in ways obvious and subtle.

Brad Boner visited dozens of sites in the park photographed by William Henry Jackson in 1871, the year before Congress made Yellowstone the world's first national park. Boner painstakingly replicated in color more than 100 of Jackson's black-and-white photographs.

This summer, 40 of Boner's images go on display next to Jackson's originals at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole. During the centennial year for the National Park Service, the exhibit testifies to the success of the world's first national park, Boner said.

"The whole point of creating Yellowstone was to give future generations an opportunity to experience these special places," he said. "When I look at these pictures, I take a great deal of comfort in knowing that my kids are going to be able to go to a lot of these places and see the same thing."

The images show what can change, too: Rock pinnacles at Tower Fall crumble and alter the flow of Tower Creek; the shoreline of Yellowstone Lake erodes dozens of feet in places; the edge of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, where Jackson once stood, collapses into the chasm.

Boner took several trips to Yellowstone over the summers of 2011-2014. He spent much time wandering with Jackson's photographs held up to the horizon.

"Things would just sort of click and fall into place. All of a sudden, you're looking at the landscape that is in the photograph that I was holding, that Jackson took," Boner said. "There were definitely times I got goosebumps."

Jackson traveled Yellowstone as part of a federally funded expedition to explore and document the area. He carried his photography gear on mules. Taking a photo back then involved exposing images on an 8-by-10-inch glass plate and developing the negative on the spot.

"Basically he had to set up his little darkroom every time he wanted to take a picture," Boner said.

Boner had modern digital camera gear, but a couple of his trips were plenty ambitious. With a friend, he paddled around the edge of Yellowstone Lake, about 60 miles, in a canoe. Another trip took him, his wife and a friend more than 30 miles over the rugged and remote Mirror Plateau.

"We saw bears where we didn't think we would see bears. We got snowed on in July," Boner said.

Other times his targets, especially grand vistas and thermal features, were heavily traveled.

"I'd be standing shoulder to shoulder with a whole bunch of tourists because Jackson had this knack for picking out the best spot," said Boner.

Boner, a staff photographer for the Jackson Hole News & Guide, plans to publish the images in a book later this year.
ON Monday afternoon, Austrian officials announced that voters had chosen Alexander Van der Bellen, a former leader of the Green Party, as president, narrowly defeating Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party in one of Europes most closely watched elections in years.

It was a close call for Austria; Mr. Hofer would have been Europes first far-right head of state since World War II. But for the Freedom Party, there is victory in defeat: Not only did Mr. Hofer make it to the second round of voting, easily outpolling candidates from the center right and center left, but the result was down to the wire  he was ahead on Sunday night, before absentee votes were counted. Just under half the country voted for the far right. As Mr. Hofer said in his concession statement on Facebook, posted Monday afternoon, The effort for this campaign is not lost, but an investment in the future.

In one sense, Mr. Hofers near success is just the latest episode in the rise of the xenophobic right across Europe. But its also no surprise that it should happen in Austria. After World War II, the country declared itself Hitlers first victim, a handy myth that allowed it to avoid grappling with its own, central role in the Nazi era. It muffled debate within a stifling grand coalition centrism, with the left and right ruling more or less in concert. The country did not begin to confront its Nazi past until the 1980s, when Kurt Waldheim was running for president. Despite reports that he had been a Nazi intelligence officer in Greece, he easily won, an event that set off a decade of soul-searching by the Austrian establishment.

The far right has long had an institutional home in Austrian politics. Mr. Hofers Freedom Party was founded in the 1950s in part as a home for former Nazis. The party appealed to a long-running, old-fashioned nationalist streak in Austrian culture: The nationalist Burschenschaften, or fraternities, promote an idealized memory of a purified Teutonic past, heavy with anti-Semitism and pro-Nazi sentiment. Mr. Hofer has courted them assiduously, arguing, for instance, that the German-speaking Italian region of South Tyrol should be allowed to join Austria (a key nationalist goal). At his inauguration as deputy speaker of the national Parliament he wore a cornflower, a Nazi symbol from the 1930s.
Citing maintenance and infrastructure needs far outpacing funding and staffing across Montanas state park system, the Montana State Parks Foundation recently released its list of the states four most endangered parks.

The report is the first for the foundation, which formed last year, but one it intends to produce annually. The 2016 report lists Bannack, Makoshika, Hell Creek and Sluice Boxes state parks as the most endangered due to both site specific and systematic challenges.

While the foundation rather than the agency developed the list, the agency agrees that the four parks are significant sites with serious issues, said Patrick Doyle, marketing and communications manager at Montana State Parks.

The four parks are great examples of some of the bigger issues were seeing, he said.

Bannack, located west of Dillon, is Montanas first territorial capital and now a historic ghost town. The park flooded in 2013 damaging 19 buildings. Plans for a series of flood mitigation holding ponds have yet to break ground and the parks fire mitigation system has also failed, according to the report.

Makoshika, located near Glendive, is the largest state park. The area is known for badland rock formations and paleontological artifacts. But the sandy soil means erosion, with a landside washing out the main gravel road in 2011, and a continual need for short-term fixes when road reconstruction is really necessary, the report says.

Hell Creek, located on Fort Peck Reservoir near Jordan, has seen attention recently as Montana State Parks officials consider not renewing their federal lease to manage the site past 2021. The parks visitation is intensely seasonal, and summer campers routinely overwhelm the space and facilities including an inadequate septic system, the report says.

Sluice Boxes, located near Belt, has developed a partylike atmosphere detracting from families enjoying the area. Graffiti has also been a more recent problem but the park sees very little management or law enforcement presence due to lack of funding, according to the report.

The agency has roughly 60 staff for the 55-park system, a workforce stretched thin during the busy season, Doyle said.

Montana State Parks has faced increasing demand, but has a smaller budget than the state parks in most other western states. The department has a $16 million maintenance backlog and a less than $8 million annual budget.

Parks released a new strategic plan last year, calling for funding higher ranking parks and possible re-designation or divestment of other sites.

Yet even with budget woes, Montana state parks saw a record of more than 2.48 million visitors last year  up 11 percent from the previous record in 2014 and 34 percent above the 10-year average. Parks officials cite strong visitation in shoulder seasons from February to April and October and November as major factors in the record.

Parks supporters launched the foundation to advocate and develop new programming for Montanas state parks. Although the agencys financial struggles have highlighted much of the conversation, the report is intended to raise awareness, said foundation Executive Director Marne Hayes.

Its not to raise a red flag and say, Our parks are in shambles, but to say, Lets talk about the parks, and what we need to do, she said. Yes, there are some things that are pretty grave and some need some work, but there are great things going on and parks are of great value.

We want to make sure as were getting the word out that were not always just talking about parks are broken, but were talking about the potential in parks.

Hayes says that getting the foundation rolling has been a bit of a learning process. Getting out into park-impacted communities to meet people, talking to legislators and seeing what other foundations may be interested in funding projects has been a major focus, she said.

Working alongside the foundation is a learning experience for the department as well, Doyle said.

At the heart with the foundation is advocating for our park system, he said. Weve never had a foundation solely devoted to state parks issues. Its exciting to see how it has grown, and were to see it grow in the coming years.
Butte police reports

HOW BOUT A REWARD?

In a case of assisting police without intent, a woman about to move her belongings into another storage unit because hers had been broken into found a man wanted on a $30,000 bench warrant.

The woman reported to Butte police early Monday afternoon that the lock on her unit at Sentry Storage on Paxson Avenue had been cut. She found her belongings strewn about but was not immediately sure whether anything had been stolen.

She was about to move her stuff into another unit about 30 minutes later, but when she opened it, she found a man inside who had been sleeping there. Police say it appears he was a co-renter of the unit.

Turns out the man  26-year-old Michael Wade Richotte of Butte  was wanted on a $30,000 bench warrant from Butte District Court. Police arrested Richotte for violating a release condition.

The report did not indicate his prior offense. The woman, meanwhile, is trying to inventory all her belongings to determine if anything was stolen from her original unit.

TEST DRIVE FROM BOZEMAN?

A man who was found sleeping in a Chevy Camaro parked at the Toyota Butte dealership on Harrison Avenue Monday morning told police he was test driving the car out of Bozeman and ran out of gas.

Police were not immediately able to determine ownership of the Camaro, but they arrested Jonathan Wayne Hankinson, 31, for an outstanding theft warrant out of Madison County. Hankinson is from Laurel, near Billings.

The car was impounded and Hankinson was booked around 9:30 a.m. Monday.

BAD MOVE

Police arrested a 13-year-old boy Monday morning for allegedly stealing a large amount of undisclosed cash from a neighbor.

The boy worked for the neighbor in the 2800 block of Silver Bow Boulevard and was let inside the home. The neighbor said the boy went into another room in the house and took a bag of cash. The money was later located on him.

The report did not indicate how much money it was, but the boy was arrested on a burglary complaint  a felony offense. Because of his age, he was released to his parents.

BAD BREAK UP

A Butte man was jailed early Monday night after his ex-girlfriend saw him slash a tire on the car belonging to another guy.

Police arrested Jason Quincy Wooley, 46, of Butte for slashing the tire while his former girlfriend was moving from a residence. The man who owned the car was helping her move and also identified Wooley as the culprit.

Wooley was booked on a misdemeanor complaint of criminal mischief.

BLOODY LIP

Matthew Scholler, 19, of Anaconda was arrested after a 19-year-old man reported his face was punched twice early Monday while he was parked and talking on a cellphone at Benny Goodman Park in Anaconda. The man suffered a bloody lip. Scholler was arrested for misdemeanor assault on the 200 block of East Fourth Street in Anaconda.

ALLEGED ASSAULT

Haven Maestas, 20, of Anaconda is facing a misdemeanor charge of partner or family member assault after his girlfriend told police they argued and he allegedly choked her, slapped her face and broke her cellphone Monday on the 200 block of North Cedar in Anaconda.

Maestas denied the allegation, although police say he told his sister that he grabbed his girlfriends throat. He was later arrested on the 300 block of Pine Street.
Monsignor Donald W. Shea, 80, died on May 17, 2016, at Brendan House in Kalispell.

He was born in Butte, Montana on April 15, 1936, to Ed and Agnes Shea. After studies at Carroll College and the St. Paul Seminary in Minnesota, he was ordained for the Diocese of Helena on June 2, 1962. He assisted at Little Flower Parish in Browning, and then served at the Cathedral of St. Helena for three years. In 1965, he became assistant pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Butte. One year later, he was released to serve as an Army Chaplain.

The Army Chaplaincy took Msgr. Shea to many places in the United States and to Vietnam, South Korea, Panama, and Europe. While serving with the Army Special Forces in Vietnam, he was known as the soldier who went into battle with no other weapon than a Mass Kit and a Bible. He received numerous decorations, medals, and badges, including a Purple Heart and four Bronze Stars (one of which is for Valor). Msgr. Shea was a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, and was appointed Army Chief of Chaplains in 1995. He served in that capacity at the Pentagon until he retired as a Major General in 1999.

He earned a masters degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma; a masters in education from Long Island University; and a masters in personnel management from Central Michigan University.

Following his military chaplaincy, he returned to the Diocese of Helena in 1999 and later assigned as pastor for Butte Catholic Community North. In 2003, he began service as pastor of St. Catherine Parish and Blessed John Paul II Parish in Bigfork. In terms of church distinctions, he was named a Prelate of Honor (monsignor) in 1992 and a Protonotary Apostolic (supernumerary) in 2002.

He is survived by his brother Ed and sister-in-law Kari, and a niece and nephews.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 27, at St. John Paul II Catholic Church in Bigfork. A reception will be held at the church immediately following the Mass. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Butte on Saturday, May 28.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Catholic Youth Rural Outreach (CYRO) at St John Paul II Catholic Church, P.O. Box 277, Bigfork, Montana 59911.

Express condolences at www.mtstandard.com.
Clean water in Montana survived an under-the-radar attack in the U.S. Senate last month. And its a good thing, too, for it jeopardized Montanas famed fish and wildlife populations, as well as our drinking water and irrigation supplies.

During debate before passage of the Senates Energy Appropriations bill, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., introduced an amendment to block implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection agencys so-called Clean Water Rule. The agency developed the rule several years ago at the request of industries that wanted clarification on which of the nations waters merit protection under the federal Clean Water Act. The rule, which was subject to a long public comment period and reviewed in numerous meetings and congressional hearings, simply affirmed that waters protected under the law when the act was passed 40 years ago  including headwater streams in Montana  still merit protection. Sen. Jon Tester continued his strong support for clean water by voting against this unsuccessful amendment. Perplexingly, however, Sen. Steve Daines voted for the amendment.

In a recent op-ed Sen. Daines touted his efforts to protect Montana's lands and waters, and the jobs they support, by voting for the Energy Bill, which included permanent authorization of the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund. For that, he deserves thanks. However, Sen. Daines also undermined his stated support for fish and wildlife by then voting to kill the Clean Water Rule. He thereby supported dropping protection for water quality and important habitat supplied by Montana's headwater streams and some wetlands. These contradictory positions are inexplicable.

The Senate energy bill will now have to be reconciled with a U.S. House version. This process will likely include more discussion of permanent authorization of the LWCF. It will also provide Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke an opportunity to demonstrate that he indeed, as he often states, identifies with Teddy Roosevelt, one of the nations most celebrated conservationists. He can do that by supporting full authorization of LWCF, and, by demonstrating he supports protecting Montanas headwater tributaries and streamside wetlands from pollution by reversing his position opposing the Clean Water Rule.

Rep. Zinke recently stated unequivocally in an op-ed published in several Montana dailies that the EPAs Superfund program in Montana has failed. He cited this as a reason for not using this program to advance the stalled cleanup of toxic materials at the Columbia Falls Aluminum site. He said he prefers working things out with the responsible party at the site, Glencore, a large Swiss-based corporation. Glencore, however, has demonstrated little interest in cooperating.

As with the Clean Water Rule, Rep. Zinke needs to take a second look at Superfund in Montana. Without this program and the funding and legal hammer it brings to the table, more than half a billion dollars of cleanup and health related aid to folks contaminated by asbestos in Libby would not have occurred. Certainly W.R. Grace wasnt going to help. Similarly, without Superfund, the heirs to the assets of the Anaconda Company, BPA-Arco, would not have been prodded into investing hundreds of millions into cleanup and restoration of the severely mine damaged upper Clark Fork basin from Butte and Anaconda to Milltown. The result so far has been a cleaner river, healthier communities, more trout and a restoration economy that has been a huge economic boon to the region. Certainly, Columbia Falls deserves as much.

To some in Congress it is fine sport to deploy slogans and parrot industry in bashing EPA and federal laws that protect our water, air and lands. But this is one sport Montanas congressional delegation need not be part of.

-- Chris Schustrom is chairman of Montana Trout Unlimited
Around Memorial Day, my thoughts turn to the service and safety of my son and his family. He is a West Point grad and U.S. Army combat engineer. His mother and I liked this assignment because we thought he would be safely building bridges somewhere. Instead we found out that if he is deployed, he'll be working with the infantry on the front lines clearing IEDs.

There are no words to describe how proud we are of him and his choice to serve, and we trust that the Army is providing him with the best training, protection, and support possible.

That is one reason why we applaud the vital efforts jointly undertaken by all branches of the military, Departments of State, Homeland Security, and others, to assess global risks accurately, communicate them to policy-makers, and plan for contingencies.

Consider the analysis of the Quadrennial Defense Review from 2014. As greenhouse gas emissions increase, sea levels are rising, average global temperatures are increasing, and severe weather patterns are accelerating ... The pressures caused by climate change will influence resource competition while placing additional burdens on economies, societies, and governance institutions around the world. These effects are threat multipliers that will aggravate stressors abroad such as poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions  conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence.

That same year, the Department of Defense issued the Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap. At home, a changing climate will have real impacts on our military and the way it executes its missions. The military could be called upon more often to support civil authorities, and provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the face of more frequent and more intense natural disasters.

Military infrastructure and supply chains will be at risk. While it may not have made headlines, the Department of Defense released another report last month evaluating current and potential climate change impacts on 1,774 U.S. military installations world-wide. Already coastal bases are subject to sea level rise, storm surge, and extreme flooding events.

Then there's a completely new theater of operations needing protection, the ice-free Arctic, which will draw stretched military resources.

Summing it all up, the Adaptation Roadmap concluded: Climate change will affect the Department of Defenses ability to defend the Nation and poses immediate risks to U.S. national security.

World and business leaders (even Exxon) advise we include these "social costs" of climate change in the price of fossil fuels in a policy called carbon pricing.

National groups like Citizens' Climate Lobby, with chapters in Billings, Bozeman, and now Missoula, are following the lead of economists like Greg Mankiw (adviser to Mitt Romney), and George Shultz (Reagan's Secretary of State), who advocate for the simplest form of carbon pricing: placing a predictably rising fee on the carbon content of fossil fuels.

Fourteen countries have or will soon implement this policy that encourages investors, industry and consumers to innovate and find alternatives. A study by Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) has found that U.S. emissions could be reduced by 33 percent below 1990 levels in 10 years!

Many are worried about the impacts of higher energy prices on low- and middle-income Americans. Researcher Kevin Ummel found that returning 100% of the revenue from this fee to households on a per capita basis, similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund, would result in 85 percent of the lowest income Montanans receiving as much or more in dividends as they spend in added costs.

There are co-benefits of the dividend and investment, too: nationally GDP would increase annually by $70-85 billion, and 2.1 million additional jobs would be created in a decade. (REMI)

Over the years, expert witnesses like Rear Admiral David Titley, now retired meteorologist for the Navy, have been called to testify before Congress, but only recently have there been bipartisan efforts to address climate change. (See citizensclimatelobby.org for information about the Climate Solutions Caucus.)

It's clear that Sens. Daines, Tester, and Rep. Zinke need to hear from us. Please ask them to heed these reports by our military planners and support reasonable legislation to lower emissions without harming the economy.

Our children and grandchildren, especially the 3,500 Montanans on active duty, deserve our best efforts today.

-- Scott Bovard, Missoula, Citizens' Climate Lobby Volunteer and Missoula Group Leader
Special Execution

Bank Of America, N.A.,

VS.

Raymond S. Wheeler And Erin Wheeler, ET AL.

As a result of the judgment rendered in the above referenced court case, an execution was issued by the court to the Sheriff of this county. The execution ordered the sale of defendant(s) Real Estate Described Below. To satisfy the judgment. The property to be sold is

Lot 1, Block 29, of Abrahamn Smalley's Addition to South Muscatine, being a part of the City of Muscatine, in Muscatine County, Iowa

Property Address: 1209 Kansas Street, Muscatine, IA 52761

The described property will be offered for sale at public auction for cash only as follows:

Sale Date: 7/12/2016

Sale Time: 9:30 am

Place of Sale: Muscatine County Jail Lobby, 400 Walnut Street, Muscatine

This sale not subject to redemption.

Property exemption: Certain money or property may be exempt. Contact your attorney promptly to review specific provisions of the law and file appropriate notice, if applicable.

Judgment Amount: $61,881.04

Costs: $15,835.52

Accruing Costs: Plus

Interest: $21,399.82

Sheriffs Fees: Pending

Date: 05/17/2016

Attorney:

Halley Ryherd

1401 50th St., Ste. 100

West Des Moines, IA 50266

(515)223-7325

C.J. Ryan

Muscatine County Sheriff

Melissa Hurlbut

Civil Deputy
The Muscatine County Board of Adjustment will conduct a public hearing on Friday, June 3, 2016, starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Office, Muscatine County Administration Building, 414 E. 3rd St., Muscatine, Iowa, to discuss the following:

Case #16-06-01. An application has been filed by Waterfront Properties, LLC, Record Owner by Jeff King. This property is located in Sweetland Township, 3372 Hwy. 22, Lots 1 & 2, Blk. 7 & East 40 Adams Street, Fairport, in the SE of Sec. 25-T77N-R1W, containing approximately 0.44 acres and is zoned I-1 Light Industrial District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue a Variance that would allow a proposed 72 x 48 storage building to be 32 feet from the rear setback, instead of the required 40 feet.

Case #16-06-02. An application has been filed by Timothy J. or Pamela A. Gray, Record Owners. This property is located in Montpelier Township, 3686 Dismore Road, in the SE of Sec. 21-T77N-R1E, containing approximately 0.45 acres, and is zoned A-1 Agricultural District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue a Variance that would allow the Grays to build a detached accessory structure 10 feet from the front lot line, instead of the required 50 feet.

Case #16-06-03. An application has been filed JED Partnership LLC, Record Owners. This property is located in Wapsi Township, 1249 Hwy. 70, East of Hwy. 70, in the NE of Sec. 13-T78N-R4W, containing approximately 2.21 acres, and is zoned C-2 Commercial District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue Approval of a Non-Conforming Use to either rebuild or replace the existing dwelling located at 1249 Hwy. 70, after it was destroyed by lightning.

Case #16-06-04. An application has been filed by Susan K. Vela, Record Owner. This property is located in Moscow Township, 1213 Marolf Drive, Tract #6, Plat of Survey, NW of Sec. 17-T78N-R2W, containing approximately 0.22 acres and is zoned A-1 Agricultural District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue a Special Use Permit in order for Ms. Vela to place a travel trailer on this lot for her to use as a Seasonal Recreational Cottage.

Case #16-06-05. An application has been filed by Deeda Rock, Seasonal Recreational Cottage (RV Camper) Owner and Marolf Drive Homeowners Association Inc., Property Owner. This property is located in Moscow Township, 1237 Marolf Drive, Buildings on Leased Land; Gov. Lot 6; Marolf, Lot 2, NW of Sec. 17-T78N-R2W, zoned A-1 Agricultural District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue a Special Use Permit in order for Ms. Rock to place a seasonal recreational cottage (12 x 39 2-bedroom RV) on lot.

Any interested party may correspond with us in time for the hearing, request additional information, or attend said hearing to express their views.

MUSCATINE COUNTY

BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT

Eric S. Furnas, Planning &

Zoning Administrator

Muscatine County Building ~

Zoning ~ Environmental Office

3610 Park Avenue West

Muscatine  IA  52761

Telephone 5632630482 FAX 5632884338
The Muscatine County Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Friday, June 3, 2016, starting at 10:15 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Office, Muscatine County Administration Building, 414 E. 3rd St., Muscatine, Iowa to discuss the following:

Zoning Agenda Item #01. W. Tyrone or Josephine M. Collins, Record Owners, request approval of the proposed three lot subdivision, Shady Acres Addition.

Lot 1 and 3 are zoned A-1 Agricultural District and contain approximately 26 acres, Lot 2 is zoned R-1 Residential District, containing approximately seven (7) acres. The property is located in Fulton Township, in the SE of Sec. 34-T78N-R1E, South of 153rd Street, containing a total of approximately 32 acres.

Zoning Agenda Item #02. Discussion and possibly to recommend to the Board of Supervisors adoption of the Wind Energy Conversion Systems Ordinance to the Muscatine County Code of Ordinances, and by adding the Wind Energy Conversion Systems as a Special Permitted Use in A-1 Agricultural District, I-1 Light Industrial District and I-2 Heavy Industrial District. This ordinance would affect all unincorporated parts of Muscatine County.

Any interested party may attend said hearing to express their views or correspond with us in time for the hearing.

MUSCATINE COUNTY

ZONING COMMISSION

By Eric S. Furnas, Planning &

Zoning Administrator

Muscatine County Building ~

Zoning ~ Environmental Office

3610 Park Avenue West

Muscatine  IA  52761

Telephone 5632630482 FAX 5632884338
MUSCATINE, Iowa  The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of two properties at Monday night's meeting.

The board plans to move the Iowa Department of Human Services offices, 3210 Harmony Lane, to the Community Services Building at 315 Iowa Ave., and the location will need a bigger parking lot. The board approved the purchase of 112 E. Fourth St. for $120,000. The county plans to demolish the building on that property and expand the parking lot behind the Community Services Building.

Because there will be 60 people in the building, we will need parking for local folks and this will allow us to move forward with vacating an old tired building that has no more use, said Jeff Sorensen, chair of the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors.

The use of the property as a parking lot will be contingent on the county obtaining various permits from the City of Muscatine.

The board also approved the purchase of Lot 33, Rueben and Sarah Baker Addition, Phase IV, Muscatine. That property is located next to the county-owned building at 3500 Harmony Court, which currently houses Optimae Life Services.

Before the sale of the Optimae property, the supervisors decided to establish access to the building from Duncan Drive and West Fulliam Avenue, and plan to create a driveway that will go through Lot 33. That necessitated the purchase of Lot 33.

When looking at selling Optimae, we want to make sure that theres access, so that whoever purchases the property...wont have to go through the County Park, Supervisor Kas Kelly said.

The purchase price will be $22,000, and subject to city approval to provide access to 3500 Harmony Court through the lot.

Supervisors also approved amendments to the fiscal year 2015/16 Muscatine County Budget after no public comments were made during a public hearing.

One major amendment was the addition of $1,675,703 that was paid to the Eastern Iowa Mental Health Region, of which Muscatine is a part.

In other business:

The Board approved the combined preliminary and final plat of Sherwoods First Addition, Lot 1, containing approximately 18.57 acres and located in Wilton Township.

Kelly said she wanted to remind everyone there will be children out playing in the summer, and asked that residents be careful and go slowly.

The board approved Resolution #05-23-16-06 suspending the collection of taxes.

The board approved Resolution #05-23-16-07 approving preliminary official statement and setting date for sale of general obligation county purpose and refunding bonds, Series 2016A, which Sorensen said would save the County at least $600,000 in bond payments.

The board approved a request to hire a corrections sergeant at the Muscatine County Jail.
WILTON, Iowa  Officials in Wilton have about a million reasons to celebrate.

Becky Allgood, Executive Director of the Wilton Development Corporation, announced to the city council Monday night Wilton has been awarded a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to help fund the renovation of 18 downtown storefronts as part of the Downtown Renovation Project. "That's what we asked for," said Allgood.

City Administrator Chris Ball added that with the $250,000 of tax increment financing funds pledged by the city and the share being paid by property owners, the total project will come to around $1 million.

"I've contacted all the building owners, and they're all excited," Allgood said. "Some of them want to do it yesterday."

Allgood also announced the Wilton Commercial Historic District, which is essentially the downtown area, will be considered for listing on the National Register of Historic Places by the State National Register Nominations Review Committee when it meets in Wilton's City Hall on June 10. Allgood said listing on the Historic Register can open the way to tax credits.

Wilton's nomination is one of 17 to be considered during the June 10 all-day meeting.

G.A.R. SIGNS

Wilton will join in a statewide effort to honor a significant number of veterans who can no longer speak for themselves. The City Council approved the purchase of two signs that designate old US Highway 6 as the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Highway in Iowa.

The G.A.R., a once large organization composed of Union veterans of the Civil War, passed out of existence with the passing of the last Union veteran in 1956. Dan Rittel, representing the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, told the council the Sons organization began in the 1930s the effort to designate Highway 6 as the G.A.R. Highway. The designation became official in 1947, and signs were posted along Highway 6 across Iowa. But over the years numerous signs have disappeared as the highway's location has changed and for other reasons, Rittel said. He asked the council to purchase a new sign and install it on Old Highway 6 (now County Road F58) on the east side of town. The cost would be $23 plus the time for city workers to install it.

"Last year, we started working with the DOT to get new signs put up," Rittel told the council. "We've also been working with the Highway 6 Tourist Association."

"Can we order two?" Council Member Ted Marolf asked. "You can order as many as you like," Rittel replied.

The Council approved Marolf's motion to purchase two signs.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

The council approved payment of bills totaling $529,677.

The council approved Pay Request No. 1 of $181,519 to Triple B Construction of Wilton for the Industrial Park and Wate Street Water Main Extension Project.

The council referred a request to replat the block bordered by Jackson, Locust, First and Cypress Streets to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

A ceremony to dedicate a new 50-foot flag pole and flag on the west end of Wilton in honor of all veterans. The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11.
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 []
Vodacom recently gave a demonstration of high-speed LTE-Advanced technology at its headquarters, achieving speeds of over 200Mbps.

The demo used the inter-carrier aggregation standards defined for LTE, combining two 10MHz carriers and a 15MHz carrier from different bands.

Nicholas Naidu, head of access network engineering at Vodacom, said the two 10MHz carriers were in their 900Mhz and 1,800MHz bands, while the 15MHz carrier was in the 2,100MHz band.

The test was conducted on Vodacoms live network inside Vodacom World. However, not everyone could access Vodacoms demo LTE-A network.

An obstacle was that even though inter-carrier aggregation across five bands is defined in the LTE standard, Naidu said the technology isnt widely supported.

Samsungs Galaxy S7  used in the demo  is currently the most advanced smartphone in this regard, as it allows inter-carrier aggregation across up to three bands.

The real issue: lack of spectrum

Vodacoms demo also highlighted the real issue operators in South Africa still face: a lack of spectrum.

Currently, Cell C, MTN, and Vodacom are rolling out LTE and LTE-Advanced technology by refarming spectrum. This means they shuffle their existing spectrum to free up 10MHz to 14MHz to use for LTE.

Telkom also has LTE-A services, but rolled it out in a chunk of its unused 2,300MHz spectrum.

One issue Telkom has is that the high-frequency spectrum it uses for LTE doesnt propagate as well as MTN and Vodacoms  which use refarmed 1,800MHz spectrum.

Cell C uses refarmed 2,100MHz spectrum.

Massive government failure

The fact that operators are scrounging around for spectrum is a testament to a massive failure on the part of the South African government.

Although the ANC government has got a number of things right since 1994, telecommunications is not one of them.

Governments failure to hand out spectrum dates back to 2006, when ICASA kicked off a spectrum-assignment process.

ICASA issued and withdrew two invitations to apply (ITA), stating it was waiting for a policy direction from then Minister of Communications Dina Pule.

The policy and ITA never came. Dina Pule was replaced by Yunus Carrim, and a few months later the Ministry of Communications was split in two  the second being the Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services.

In the two years since President Jacob Zuma appointed Siyabonga Cwele as Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, spectrum has only been talked about.

Most recently, ICASA published a memorandum for public comment in which it stated its intention to auction highly sought-after 4G spectrum. No date was set.

With access to more spectrum, network operators like Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, and Telkom could commit more bandwidth to LTE services.

This would translate into faster speeds. It would also mean capacity to provide services to more customers, which in time could translate to cheaper prices.

Sadly, the spectrum to do this lies nearly completely unused to this day, and no concrete plans to assign it have been forthcoming.

More on wireless broadband in South Africa

Blazingly-fast 200Mbps on Vodacom LTE-U

Vodacoms black investment plan to get spectrum

South Africa needs extra spectrum now for better mobile Internet speeds

Icasa plans to auction off spectrum
Nike.com and NikeiD will go live in South Africa on 25 May, with a 24-hour-a-day store offering Nike apparel, footwear, and Nike+ services.

Starting a new training regimen? The latest training tights, tees and tanks will help you reach your goals. Looking for the perfect street to gym look? Check out the latest from Nike Sportswear, said Nike.

Nike.com will offer Nike+ services including Nike+, NTC (Nike+ Training Club), NRC (Nike+ Run Club), and local insights into an active lifestyle from Nikes running trainers.

NikeiD will enable consumers to customize clothing, shoes, and accessories purchased through Nike.com.

More business news

This graph shows how South Africa has gone down the tubes

South African IT companies that pay the highest salaries
The Universal Services and Access Agency of South Africas (USAASA) board of directors has welcomed its new CEO Lumko Caesario Mtimde.

Mtimde took over the role of CEO at the agency on 23 May. USAASA said Cabinet appointed Mtimde in April.

Mtimde is a graduate of the University of the Western Cape and Unisa, and has a BSc in Physiology and Biochemistry and a Postgraduate Diploma in Telecommunications and Information Policy.

He has served in bodies such as ICASA, the Communication Regulatory Authorities in Southern Africa, and the National Students Financial Aid Scheme.

He was CEO of the Media Development and Diversity Agency, the Alfred Nzo Development Agency, and the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF).

Mtimde was also Chief Director of broadcasting policy under the late Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri.

More on USAASA

USAASA chairperson resigns

Usaasa senior staff member suspended

ANC did not interfere in R500-million contract: USAASA

Expensive mobile services are useless: USAASA

Theyre after our billions!  Usaasa
Winemaker Miljenko Mike Grgichs autobiography and memoir of his life, A Glass Full of Miracles, was released on his 93rd birthday, April 1.

Most people in Napa Valley are at least somewhat familiar with Mike Grgichs story, but this interesting book expands it greatly.

The book was written with Napa Valley Register features editor Sasha Paulsen, who turned Grgichs recollections into a readable story.

A Glass Full of Miracles chronicles the life of a boy in Croatia, then part of Communist Yugoslavia, whose search for freedom and the chance to fulfill his American dream led him through countless hardships and experiences to become a winemaking legend.

My life has been filled with miracles, Grgich said. How else do you explain that a little boy from a little village in Croatia now has his wine on display in the Smithsonian Institution, in the same place as Abraham Lincolns hat and Neil Armstrongs spacesuit!

Grgich was the youngest in a poor family of 11 in the tiny village of Desne in Croatia.

He studied enology and viticulture at Croatias University of Zagreb with the goal of making great wine. While he was a student, a professor whispered to him about California, a paradise where winemakers were free to make the best wine possible.

Just before graduating, he fled Croatia to escape communism. With $32 hidden in his shoe, Grgich finally arrived in California after four years of uncertainty and adversity in Germany and Canada.

The book takes readers along his journey to freedom as he becomes a California winemaker and earns his place as an icon in the wine business.

Along the way, he worked for Lee Stewart at Souverain Cellars, which was then in Napa Valley, with Brother Timothy at Christian Brothers, Andre Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu and Robert Mondavi.

An inductee to the Vintners Hall of Fame, Grgich crafts wines in the classic Old World tradition that have won local and international awards. Its a style that is back in vogue in Napa Valley and with wine lovers after years of excess.

May 24, 2016 was the 40th anniversary of the famous Judgment of Paris in which the 1973 chardonnay Grgich made for Chateau Montelena beat the best French white Burgundies. In the same tasting, Warren Winiarskis cabernet from Stags Leap Wine Cellars also beat the best French Bordeaux.

This tasting put Napa Valley on the global wine map.

The following year, Grgich joined Austin Hills of Hills Bros. Coffee company to open what became Grgich Hills Estate. Situated on Highway 29 in Rutherford, its become one of the top wineries for visitors.

Grgich has also built a winery in his native Croatia, where he supports the modernization of the local wine industry and removing land mines.

In Croatia, he helped grape geneticist Carole Meridith determine that zinfandel in California is the same grape as the Croatian crljenak kastelanski or tribidrag, to use its old name. That proved that zinfandel, often called Californias grape, comes from Croatia.

He also finally got his college degree from the University of Zagreb at the age of 74.

Grgich, who lives in Calistoga, spends winters in La Quinta, in Southern California, for his health, but stays actively involved in his winery, where his daughter Violet oversees operations and his nephew Ivo Jeramaz is winemaker.

A Glass Full of Miracles retails for $40 at ViolettaPress.com and Grgich.com. It contains many color and black-and-white photographs from Mikes life.

Its a great read and very inspiring.
Mike OConnor shouldnt be alive  and for days in the hospital, people kept reminding him of it. He had suffered what his doctors and nurses called a widow-maker heart attack.

People kept using that term over the next couple of weeks, he says, now half a year after his near-fatal heart attack. They were surprised I was alive. It was disconcerting.

OConnor was one of six medical success stories highlighted May 17 at the fifth annual Survivors Reunion, sponsored by the Napa County EMS Society. The event featured stories where teamwork  from quick-thinking bystanders to emergency responders to doctors and nurses in area hospitals  helped save a life.

One thing youll realize is how many people it takes to save a life, said Dr. Andrew Nothmann, an emergency physician at Queen of the Valley Medical Center and master of ceremonies for the event at Black Stallion Estate Winery in Napa, as he introduced the key players in each of the six stories.

OConnor awoke early one morning last fall in his Calistoga home feeling an unfamiliar discomfort. After taking aspirin and hoping the feeling would pass, it became obvious that something was wrong. His wife Vicki, a nurse at St. Helena Hospital, called 911 and OConnor was taken to St. Helena Hospital.

There, he suffered a massive heart attack, one that should have killed him. But thanks to quick work from his wife and first responders and hospital workers, he is not only alive to see his two children finish high school, he is back to work and even running lightly.

In the hospital people kept looking at me, kept poking me, he recalls. They thought I was dead.

For Napa resident Robert Porter Jr., the story was very different, but the outcome was equally happy. Last spring, two would-be robbers entered his workplace, Napa Valley Jewelers, and began beating the longtime employee. Owner Kent Gardella fought off the attackers with a metal tool, but not before his friend and employee had suffered a major heart attack.

Amid the chaos caused by the attack, Gardella administered CPR, under the direction of a dispatcher, while firefighters from the nearby Napa station, including Porters longtime friend Capt. Steve Stuart, raced to the scene.

I believe in God and he was in control of everything, said Porter, now recovered and returned to work. He put the people in the right place at the right time.

Porter says he remembers nothing of the attack and relatively little of the days afterward as he struggled to recover. But, he said, he is grateful for everyone involved in saving him.

I just say thank you very much  thank you for saving my life, Porter said. Theres not a whole lot you can say.

Stuart recalls hearing the call and knowing his friend was badly hurt.

I prayed and drove at the same time, he said.

Events like the annual survivors reunion are good for victims and rescuers alike, said Stuart, who recently retired from the department. Even for seasoned emergency workers, he said, it is humbling to see how much goes into saving a life.

You get to see the team youre on, he said. You know how Hollywood likes to make heroes? There are no heroes (in real cases). There are 30 people on the team that makes this possible.

Others featured at the event, sponsored in part by the Napa Valley Register, included 3-year-old Carlos Benji Manzo of Napa, who wandered out of his home and fell into a swimming pool while his grandfather was helping another child who had been injured in a bike wreck. His grandfather was able to pluck the toddler from the water and bring him to the emergency workers attending to the other child. Benji has made a full recovery.

John Jack Corrigan of Napa collapsed at his gym, where he was a regular sight, with a major heart attack. Bystanders performed CPR and medical workers saved his life. Today, he is back to his regular workouts.

Jeanette Mahoney of Napa awoke in the middle of the night feeling ill, then collapsed in her bed. Fiance Bill McClendon relied on his decades-old experience as a military medic, assisted by an emergency dispatcher, to keep her alive until help could arrive. After a year of recovery, she said she feels normal again.

Calistoga restaurant owner Mary Cardoza felt crabby while preparing for lunch service one day. She called boyfriend Mark Porter, who brought firefighters to her aid. She suffered a major heart attack as she was being treated in the hospital, but today she is mostly recovered. She said the experience has changed her outlook on life  she has cut back on her work hours and is considering selling her restaurant: I dont want to die in there, she said with a laugh.

One uniting theme of the stories, in addition to the broad range of rescue and medical skills needed to save a life, was the importance of quick action by civilians  bystanders and loved ones alike.

If you dont know CPR, please learn it because it happens so fast, McClendon told the crowd at the ceremony. Its easy, and you can really save a life.
If the idea of sharing fried oysters, oxtail tamals and a juicy, slow-roasted pork shoulder with friends and neighbors is your idea of dining out, then the new Basalt on downtown Napas Riverfront is the ticket.

Artfully redesigned to fit the space that once was Fish Story, the new restaurant is the very model of dining in these times of social networking.

Basalt is all about sharing  from the attractive plates presented by the culinary team to the pleasantries recited by you and the people enjoying the airy space on the bank of the Napa River.

A project of the Moana Restaurant Group, Basalt reflects a lifestyle notably present in the cultures of Mexico, Italy and Spain  that cooking and dining is a lot more fun when shared by family and friends. Designers from San Franciscos Rapt Studio let that philosophy guide them.

The result is evident in a communal table that seats up to 22, a player piano-themed lounge studded with high tops, an exceptionally long bar with 19 stools, plus a 70-seat riverside patio  none of which are on a reservationists docket. Drop in, grab a table and enjoy is the restaurant mantra, says General Manager Jonathan Wendorf, an affable young veteran of Bay Area hospitality.

Dont worry, the hosts at Basalt will certainly take your call to reserve a table because theres a large section of the dining room set aside for those who plan ahead. With more than 200 seats and the ability to turn tables at least twice a meal, theres plenty of room for both walk-ins and those who reserve.

When you do show up, the first thing youll notice  other than the attractive remodel  is the host welcoming you to bah-SALT. If youre a native or have lived here for some time, you might think these new restaurant folks are putting on airs. After all, one of areas best known businesses was BAY-salt and one could infer these young people at the door dont know much about Napa history.

But feel free to chat up Wendorf and his dining room staff. Theyll quickly inform you that while the new restaurants owners pay tribute to Napas heritage on the plate, the restaurant name references the extrusive igneous rock that was mined here, not the company that oversaw quarry operations.

The man in charge of Basalts kitchen, Esteban Escobar, learned the folks at Moana were in the market for a chef up to the challenge of developing a menu for a 215-seat restaurant in the Napa Valley. To Escobar, that means on a busy weekend night the kitchen might have to feed more than 500 diners.

I like this kind of pressure, the eager young chef said recently. And hes also eager to move his wife, Sarah, a manager at Oaklands Wood Tavern, and young daughter, Evelyn, out of the East Bay. At the moment, hes searching for a home to rent.

Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Escobar says his penchant for breaking bread with others can be traced to Sunday suppers with extended family. Asked just how many people would turn up to cook and eat every Sunday, the chef pointed out that his mother is one of 14 siblings. They would all come with their spouses and maybe two or three kids each  it was easily 40, probably more. Although, today, as they get older they do it less and less because it is a lot of work.

But growing up, Sunday was a huge deal  boy is my family loud. I was always in the kitchen  pestering. I liked to eat but didnt realize I was developing a passion for cooking. I dont know how many times I got spanked for sticking my fingers in the food. Now I wish Id had a notebook with me because this was a definite learning process.

Escobars father is an engineer, his brothers as well. He thought hed follow on their path.

I never thought Id wind up in the kitchen  until I got to college, he recounts. At first, I wanted to be a musician  that led to a lot of head-butting with my parents. So I enrolled in college, in mechanical engineering.

While in college, Escobar worked at a lot of greasy spoons as a busser and server. Then an opportunity for kitchen work presented itself. I found myself on the line one day and never looked back. So I moved to Dallas with my girlfriend  I loved the immediate challenge of decision-making.

He knew he needed some proper training to secure decent jobs, so Escobar enrolled at the California Culinary Academy.

Asked why he chose San Francisco, Escobar recalled visiting his brother in the city at the age of 14. I knew Id never forget that  I tried Filipino food, other things Id never eaten before. When I thought about cooking, what came to mind was those seemingly exotic things I remembered from San Francisco. So my (culinary) focus was on San Francisco.

Escobar informed his brother that hed decided to study at the California Culinary Academy. My brother told me how to take BART from the Oakland airport and to get off at the Civic Center station, Escobar said. I vividly recall coming up the stairs to U.N. Plaza  the wind on my face  the smells  the feel of the city  it was a life-changing moment.

Once hed earned his toque, Escobar worked as a line cook at a number of Bay Area eateries. Then, on the weekends I staged (volunteered to work for free) at others just to see what those chefs were doing, Escobar adds.

Next, he was hired by Steve and Mitchell Rosenthal to join the kitchen crew at well-known Postrio in San Francisco. He followed Mitchell to Town Hall where he would eventually take on the role of executive chef.

Linking past and present





The menu at Basalt acknowledges the flavor profiles associated with the valleys earlier settlers while hopefully appealing to todays palates. Chef Escobar said dishes were developed by someone with both feet firmly planted in California, (with the addition of) a Spanish or Mexican accent. The entire menu promotes the idea that people like to share  thats what people are doing these days.

For example, bar bites (all $7) include an addictive pumpkin seed spread to be slathered on grilled flatbread, fried garbanzos with pimenton, blistered snap peas with a chili garlic glaze, cocoa-spiced almonds and chicharrones with lime salt and honey.

The extensive appetizer offerings ($11-$16) range from lettuces tossed with grapefruit, avocado and honey or asparagus, strawberries and queso fresco to adobo-marinated chicken wings with cilantro cream. You could opt for roasted beets dusted with pepitas and crumbled cotija, napped with avocado crema, or Swiss chard pancakes with mint pea creme fraiche. Fried oysters get some spice from deviled aioli plus blistered pickled peppers, while toasted noodles serve as a bed for chorizo and clams. King trumpet mushrooms give added heft to the flavorful oxtail tamal.

Entrees to share include savory achiote-cocoa marinated black cod ($27), masa dumplings with artichokes and sunchokes ($23), Sonoma duck breast with morels and English peas ($35) as well as grilled hanger steak complemented by horseradish chimichurri and confit potatoes.

Larger main courses to share include a whole roasted Tai snapper drizzled with molasses vinaigrette ($58), slow-roasted pork shoulder on fava bean cakes with braised cabbage and tomatillo salsa ($50), plus a whole roasted Marys organic chicken with black bean pepper salad and lacinato kale ($48).

In addition to a selection of house-made ice creams ($7), desserts ($9) at Basalt include strawberry tart with basil custard and pistachio brittle, coffee pot de creme with dulce de leche and Marcona almonds, carmelia mousse with chocolate cake and caramelized rice, plus ricotta cake with yogurt sorbet and lime meringue.

The wine list at Basalt is extensive, with a wide range of Old and New World selections, including an eclectic mix of cellar offerings from area vintners. While there are only 10 wines offered by the glass, a half-dozen whites and roses are featured on tap.

Front of the house





Born and raised in Napa, general manager Jonathan Wendorf has assembled an energetic, well-versed service crew, including quite a few seasoned members of the local hospitality industry.

Wendorf admits he was attracted to the hospitality industry because hes a people person and enjoys the interaction of restaurant staff and patrons.

His first job was at the Green Valley Country Club where he began refreshing midday salad bars and wound up serving diners in the prestigious Oak Room. He joined the front-of-the-house staff at Domaine Chandon in 1998, where he remained for several years. He helped open Press in St. Helena and sheepishly admits to nearly catching the place on fire when he prepared a table-side baked Alaska.

He committed to a career in fine dining when he became a member of the dining room staff at Masas in San Francisco, and went on to manage a pair of chef Michael Tusks San Francisco restaurants, Quince and Cotogna. Locally, he worked with chef Michael Chiarello at Bottega and opened Torc in downtown Napa with chef/owner Sean OToole.

Wendorf met his wife, Fiona, while she was a host at Quince. The couple have an 18-month-old daughter, Blythe.

He finds it amazing that he can easily schmooze with both pillars of industry and celebrities in the dining room, noting that hes been given Harrison Fords private number and helped with personal requests from people like James Spader and Kanye West. This is something I enjoy.

Another veteran of Bay Area hospitality is anchoring the new bar. Acclaimed bar wizard Jason Buffalo LoGrasso presides over the happening bar scene, offering customers such tempting cocktails as London gin and celery soda, green tea vodka and limonata, mezcal and prickly pear soda, Japanese whiskey and Ramune soda, amaro and pistachio cream fizz along with rye whiskey and sarsaparilla. Served in an iced retro mug is the establishments mint julep, made with wine barrel-aged bourbon, mint and cane syrup. Fans of the negroni swear by the one prepared by Buffalo and friends.

At present, Basalt opens for dinner daily at 5 p.m., serving Sunday through Thursday until 10, until 11 on Fridays and Saturdays. Lunch and brunch service will begin by summer.

Basalt is located at Third and Main streets in downtown Napa. For reservations, call 707-927-5265.
More in The final three: Everything you need to know about Clinton, Sanders and Trump (10 of 11)
Voting is complicated. We have two election cycles: this year the primary election on June 7 and the general election on Nov. 8. Voters in the presidential race tell the political parties which candidates their delegates should vote for at each partys nominating convention. Votes in races for major federal and state offices narrow the field to two candidates who are nominated to go on to the general election. Local candidates who receive more than 50 percent of the vote are elected in the primary. Propositions and measures on the June 7 ballot are also decided then; others may be voted on in the general election.

Registered voters receive two informational ballot pamphlets for each election: one from the state of California and one from Napa County. Some of us are required to vote by mail (or drop our mail-in ballot at a polling place); others must vote in person at a designated polling place (or notify the elections office by May 31 if you want a mail-in ballot). If you dont get or cant find your mail-in ballot, you may request a replacement ballot. If you are not sure whether you are registered to vote, you may fill out a provisional ballot. Call the Napa County Elections Division, 253-4321, for the nearest assistance center.

In both the primary and general elections for U.S. president, you may receive one of seven separate ballots, based on your membership (or nonmembership) in a political party. If you have registered to vote with no party preference, three parties  Democratic, Libertarian and American Independent  allow you to vote in their race by requesting that partys ballot. To vote for a Republican, Green, or Peace and Freedom candidate, you must be registered in that party. The candidates for the three parties that allow crossover voters appear in the local sample ballot pamphlet.

You had until May 23 to change party membership for the primary election or to request participation in a partys presidential primary. However, you may reregister up to 15 days before the general election is held. If you do not want to join a party, beware that you dont accidentally sign up for the American Independent Party instead of checking the box No, I do not want to disclose a party preference. The preferred language for those formerly called independents has changed to no party preference to help avoid this confusion.

We tend to hear only about the top contenders for office  the field has narrowed to Democrats Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald Trump. In the primary election, though, 37 candidates are actually running for this office (seven Democratic, three Republican, seven American Independent, five Green, 12 Libertarian, and three Peace and Freedom). In the primary, you may also write in a candidates name.

Voting in a presidential primary is not so much an election as it is a nominating procedure that allocates delegates to attend each partys nominating convention. By various methods, delegates are sent to their conventions who are mostly committed to a party candidate. In each of Californias party races, you may vote for only one candidate on your partys ballot. If you vote for more than one, that contest will not be counted, although the rest of your choices will be counted.

In California, Republican Party delegates have almost-take-all delegate commitments. In each of the 53 congressional districts (Napa County is in Congressional District 5, along with Contra Costa, Lake, Solano and Sonoma counties), the biggest vote-getter in each district is assigned all of its three delegates. Districts have equal representation at the convention, regardless of population or size. An additional 10 seats are given to the states overall winner. Californias Republican chair and two National Committee directors comprise three uncommitted seats, for a total of 172 delegates from California. In effect, this is a mostly committed superdelegate system.

The California Democratic Party sends a total of 548 delegates to its national convention. A total of 317 delegates are selected from the 53 state congressional districts. District delegates have equal gender representation and contribute varying numbers of delegates based on population. Delegates pledge their votes based on candidates winning percentages. There are 53 more pledged delegates called PLEOs (Party Leaders and Elected Officials), plus 105 at-large delegates for a total of 475 pledged votes. The remaining 73 are superdelegates, who may commit their votes before the convention but may swing their votes at any time while there. This populous system is designed to include lots of ordinary citizens as well as seasoned politicos.

Joyce Kingery is president and Robyn Orsini is vice president of the League of Women Voters of Napa County (lwvnapa.org). This is the first of a two-part commentary.
VALLEJO  Vallejo police were looking for a man suspected of starting a house fire that killed a child Sunday morning.

Police identified the suspect as Darrylone Shuemake Sr., 53, who reportedly is the father of the 5-year-old boy who died in the blaze at 827 Stella St.

Police consider Shuemake armed and dangerous and are asking anyone who knows where he is to call Vallejo police or their local police agency.

The two-alarm fire was reported at 9:53 a.m. Sunday. Firefighters en route to the blaze received reports of heavy smoke and one person possibly trapped inside the home, fire officials said.

Firefighters learned neighbors tried to rescue the boy, who was found deceased inside. Police Monday afternoon said they would not release the boys identity.

A woman suffered second- and third-degree burns and a 13-year-old boy suffered minor burns in the fire, fire officials said. Both were taken to Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center.
Clean energy coming, but cheaper rates?

AMERICAN CANYON  PG&E customers in Napa Countys five cities will be getting notices in coming weeks from their new energy provider, Marin Clean Energy, about a planned switch, but it remains to be seen if the change to MCE will be cheaper for local ratepayers.

The cities of Napa, American Canyon, St. Helena and Calistoga, plus the town of Yountville, have had their applications to join MCE approved. Napa County was already an MCE member.

When local city councils voted in 2015 to apply for MCE membership, they were told by the clean energy provider that their rates were competitive with PG&Es, and at times were even cheaper.

But a decision in Sacramento at the beginning of this year made MCEs mission of offering competitive, renewable energy more challenging, Alex DiGiorgio, community development coordinator for MCE, told the American Canyon City Council last week.

The rise of community-choice aggregation organizations like MCE, CleanPowerSF, Sonoma Clean Power and others has cut into PG&Es market share, causing the utility to lose money.

To help PG&E recover some of its lost revenue, the California Public Utilities Commission approved PCIA (Power Charge Indifference Adjustment) rates that PG&E is allowed to charge to customers who switch to MCE and others like it.

Activists stir debate over weed killer

Since reaching the market more than 40 years ago, glyphosate has become the most common of all weed-killing chemicals in the worlds farms and fields. In recent months, an activist group has turned the spotlight toward the presence of glyphosate in one of Californias most visible exports  its wines.

Laboratory testing on 10 California wines cited by Moms Across America, a campaigner against farm chemicals and genetically engineered crops, showed trace amounts of the herbicide widely known by the Roundup brand name.

Whether the reported amounts of glyphosate are a health concern has become a point of debate between Moms Across America, which decries the weed killer as a contributor to higher cancer rates and other maladies, and skeptics who describe such warnings as overblown.

It has to stop now, said Zen Honeycutt, a Mission Viejo mother of three boys who helped found Moms Across America in 2013. It is poisoning America and destroying future of this great country.

In recent days, however, some wine industry groups have struck back against the groups claims, saying the report exaggerates the effect of trace amounts of glyphosate.

You would have to drink 2,500 glasses of wine a day for 70 years to reach the EPAs level of concern, said Gladys Horiuchi, spokeswoman for The Wine Institute of San Francisco, an advocacy group for about 1,000 winemakers and related businesses. We are talking about minuscule, trace amounts.
Monday, May 16

0821  An Edwards Street resident reported that jewelry was missing from her home. She suspected it had been stolen by a guest during a party on Friday night.

0835  Medical aid on Madrona Avenue for a woman with back pain.

0836  A cellphone was found on a picnic table. The owners parents were notified.

1144  Report of a suspicious man going through mail in a mailbox at Crane Avenue and Valley View Street. He was a black man wearing a beanie and driving a silver four-door sedan.

1144  A Calistoga resident reported being threatened by a winery co-worker two weeks ago. He said hed reported it to his employer, but nothing had been done. An officer gave him guidance on the restraining order process.

1210  Report of a reckless driver yelling and screaming. She hadnt stopped at the stop sign at Madrona and Oak avenues. She was last seen driving west on Madrona. Police checked the area.

1544  Following a traffic stop on Highway 29, police cited a driver for driving with a suspended license and having an outstanding warrant from Marin County.

1618  Report of a large RV parked near Kearney and Pine streets for five days.

Tuesday, May 17

0932  Report of a low-hanging cable on Madrona Avenue near Main Street. Police notified Comcast.

1128  Lots of cars were reportedly speeding today in the Crane/Grayson area, including FedEx trucks.

1250  Noninjury hit-and-run on Main Street at Charter Oak Avenue. The suspect was driving a white extended-cab utility truck.

1515  A bus driver reported that three cars were parked in the bus loading area on Oak Avenue near Adams Street and causing traffic and parking problems. Police cited them.

1610  A black wallet was reported lost.

1612  A Vallejo resident reported that a former employee/coworker has been passing bad checks at various locations (including in St. Helena and Santa Rosa) drawn on the closed account of an American Canyon landscaping business.

1724  Report of a noisy leaf blower on Oak Avenue.

Wednesday, May 18

0825  A Shinola watch with an orange leather band was reported lost.

0932  Report of an elderly man walking a dog on Main Street and beating it with a stick for no apparent reason as they walked. Police checked the area.

1254  A citizen in the lobby reported being defrauded by a local store owner. When the citizen went to the store to complain about the transactions, the owner became very irate. The citizen plans to take the case to small claims court.

1751  Report of kids swimming in a private pool on Granada Court. Someone took pictures of them and asked officers to contact their parents.

1916  An abandoned car was removed from public property on Main Street.

Thursday, May 19

0915  A black purse found near Brown Street was returned to its owner.

1451  A citizen flagged down an officer to report being harassed.

1530  A Spring Mountain Court resident needed help after falling.

1653  A citizen reported major losses from identity theft.

1722  Report of a possible drunken driver on Silverado Trail passing Pope Street. Police checked the area.

1853  A caller reported smelling drugs near the skate park.

Friday, May 20

0130  Report of people talking loudly in a backyard on Church Street.

0207  Following a traffic stop on Hudson Avenue, police arrested a 21-year-old Durango, Colorado, woman on suspicion of DUI.

0732  Medical aid on Spring Street for a woman with a hip problem.

1030  Medical aid on Pope Street for a woman with a breathing problem.

1031  Noninjury accident on Monday Way.

1121  Medical aid on Tainter Street for a woman with severe abdominal pain.

1154  Noninjury accident on Main Street.

1201  Report of a fraudulent purchase made at a local business in March. This is the second such incident involving the suspect.

1304  An officer checked on loud angry voices in Lyman Park.

1549  A woman tripped and fell on Main Street at Mitchell Drive.

1701  An intoxicated father reportedly picked up his two children in Calistoga and drove south toward St. Helena.

1840  Noninjury hit-and-run on Oak Avenue.

Saturday, May 21

1015  A wallet was reported lost in a store near Main Street and Mitchell Drive. The drivers license and one other card had been found near the cashiers station inside the store, but the wallet and the rest of its contents, including credit cards, were missing.

1055  Report of possible child abuse.

1206  A Del Monte Court resident reported her phone missing or possibly stolen.

1338  An earring was reported lost, possibly on Railroad Avenue. It has two hoops and a diamond.

1426  A Pine Street woman reported that two suspicious women with European accents were banging hard on her door. They left in a white Honda.

Sunday, May 22

0135  Report of a dog barking for the last hour on Crinella Drive.

0757  A blue wallet was lost somewhere between the 1300 block of Main Street and the 800 block of Hunt Avenue.

1141  A Main Street restaurant reported that an employee had been taking money from cash drawers and pocketing it. Suspicions grew a few weeks ago after drawers came up short. The owner said videotape footage confirms the crime. Police arrested the employee, an 18-year-old St. Helena woman, on suspicion of embezzlement, petty theft and second-degree burglary.

1511  Medical aid on Sulphur Springs Avenue.

1538  Police serving a warrant on Railroad Avenue arrested a 58-year-old St. Helena man for a misdemeanor warrant for various vehicle code violations.

1838  Report of a car parked for weeks on McCorkle Avenue, with cobwebs growing on the undercarriage.

1858  Two friendly black labs were found on Allison Avenue.

1929  Report of a man lying on his back, yelling obscenities, and making body motions behind the Meily Park bathrooms. Police arrested the 29-year-old man, with addresses in Angwin and Los Angeles, on suspicion of public intoxication and violation of his bail agreement.

1945  A gray Mongoose bicycle was found at Meily Park.

1946  Medical aid for a woman with possible seizures on Arrowhead Drive.

Monday, May 23

0657  Report of a worker using a very loud grass-cutting machine near Pope Street and College Avenue. An officer found someone using a weed-eater in a vineyard, which is allowed under the citys right to farm ordinance.

1221  A Hunt Avenue resident reported finding a suspicious white powder, possibly flour, in his mailbox over the weekend.

1607  Minor injury accident on Main Street.

2252  A man was sleeping in the post office. Police gave him a warning.
As part of a long-term succession plan implemented by the Phelps family to maintain family ownership and management, Joseph Phelps Vineyards has promoted Elizabeth Neuman to the post of director of business development and Will Phelps to director of marketing.

Members of the familys third generation, Neuman and Phelps were also appointed to the executive management team of Joseph Phelps Vineyards and will participate in all senior management business matters.

This appointment is a significant move in a long-term succession plan that began with the involvement of the familys second generation in 1998, the hiring of a family business adviser in 2012, and the appointment of two independent members to the board of directors in 2013.

Our family is committed to maintaining and nurturing Joseph Phelps Vineyards as a family-owned and -run winery, said Bill Phelps, president of Joseph Phelps Vineyards.

Granddaughter of Joe Phelps, Elizabeth Neuman was the first member of her generation to join the family wine business, beginning in 2011. She joined the winery as a sales representative and received a promotion in 2013 to regional sales manager, representing Joseph Phelps Vineyards in seven markets on the East Coast and Midwest.

Neuman graduated from Lehigh University, earning a degree in business administration. Prior to joining Joseph Phelps, Neuman was wine consultant at Southern Wine & Spirits fine wine division. She is studying for her executive MBA.

The grandson of Joe Phelps and son of Bill Phelps, Will Phelps was the second member of his generation to join the family wine business, beginning in 2012. He previously held a sales representative position within the company, supporting sales and distribution of Joseph Phelps wines in California.

Phelps attended the University of San Diego, earning a degree in business administration. He held a regional sales manager position with Trinitas Cellars that included responsibilities in Southern California and the Midwest prior to joining Joseph Phelps. In 2015, he received an executive wine MBA from Sonoma State University.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised Italys significant contributions to the Alliance during talks with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Rome on Tuesday (24 May 2016). For more than sixty years, Italy has been a driving force within NATO, the Secretary General said.

Mr. Stoltenberg thanked Italy for its contributions to NATOs Baltic Air Policing mission in the east and to Operation Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean. He also welcomed that Italy will soon play a leading role in NATOs new Spearhead Force, which will enable the Alliance to respond rapidly to threats from any direction. He added that Italy makes major contributions to Allied missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, and hosts a new cutting-edge capability in Sigonella: Alliance Ground Surveillance. This capability will increase NATOs capacity to monitor emerging challenges in the south.

During their talks, the Secretary General and Prime Minister Renzi discussed the next steps NATO will take at the Warsaw Summit to strengthen the Alliances collective defence and deterrence. The leaders underscored the importance of projecting stability beyond NATOs borders, helping local forces secure their own countries against violent extremism. Mr. Stoltenberg noted that NATO stands ready to support Libya with advice on defence and security institution building, if so requested and as part of UN-led efforts. He added that Libya will soon send a team of experts to NATO to identify how the Alliance could best assist.

The leaders also reviewed plans to deepen NATOs cooperation with the European Union. The Secretary General welcomed the Italian proposal for closer coordination with the EU in the Mediterranean. He noted that NATO is looking into how it can contribute to address common challenges and threats in the Mediterranean.
Azerbaijan prepares for peace with Armenia but dramatically increases military budget

North Korea completes preparations for nuclear test

Azerbaijan manipulates facts, creates information pretext to encroach on Lachin corridor

Azerbaijan military aggression against Armenia is discussed at Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly conference (PHOTOS)

Peskov says details of gas hub with Turkey were being worked out

Putin's spokesman says building wall on Russian-EU borders is nonsense

Turkey begins its part of work on gas hub agreement with Russia

Kremlin responds to Macron's appeal to Pope to negotiate with Putin

Millliyet: Turkish and Finnish delegations hold talks on NATO membership in Ankara

Zelenskiy: Ukraine receives not 'a single cent' on $17 billion rapid recovery plan

Rishi Sunak takes office as Prime Minister of Great Britain

Indonesian armed woman tries to break into presidential palace

Pashinyan's family newspaper writes that Konstantin Zatulin is forbidden to enter Armenia from now on

President Raisi accuses U.S. of information terrorism, organizing riots in Iran

AraratBank and 4090 Charity Foundation team up for the education of war participants

Ursula von der Leyen: EU to provide Kyiv with 1 billion for urgent restoration of energy supply

World Bank to provide Armenia with EUR 22.6 million of additional credit funds

Macron asks Pope to call Putin to solve Ukraine crisis

PM: Azerbaijan hinders search of Armenian soldiers' bodies in occupied territories

German president assures Ukraine of his full support

WSJ: Saudi Prince Bin Salman mocks Biden in private talks

OSCE needs assessment mission is briefed on situation in Armenias Jermuk after Azerbaijan military aggression (PHOTOS)

Armenias Pashinyan to Kazakhstans Tokayev: Mutually beneficial cooperation corresponds to our countries interests

Driver, 41, dies in hospital 2 days after Armenia car accident

US: Former student opens fire at school

Armenia premier: Italy is friendly country, important partner for us

Turkish Finance Minister says he would seek gas discount from Gazprom

US State Dept.: We are interested in seeing stable Caucasus where we work both with Armenia and Azerbaijan

US plans to allocate $25M to project to strengthen Armenia economy

Copper prices decline

Pashinyan to Xi: We will succeed in qualitatively raising Armenian-Chinese political dialogue to new level

World Bank allocates Ukraine additional $500 million

Zelenskyy: If Moscow says Ukraine is making dirty bomb, then Russia made it

Newspaper: Anti-CSTO consolidation initiative group of Armenia sends petition to parliament speaker

World oil prices going up

Newspaper: Armenia PM forbids political teammates to say anything about Karabakh

Azerbaijan opens fire at Armenia positions

Largest cruise liner in world 'Icon of the Seas' presented

U.S. police officers mistake pet cat for mountain lion

Joe Biden gets another Covid-19 booster shot

US imposes sanctions on Nicaragua's gold mining industry

Kremlin says Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents prepare to meet

Leading Party Sponsor: Conservative Party is not fit to run Britain

'From Old Memory': Drivers can't see road signs on section of North-South highway under construction in Yerevan

Russian MFA: We are sure that attempts of external forces to split Moscow and Yerevan will not succeed

Yair Lapid: Israel is deeply concerned over Russia and Iran's military ties

Another school shooting in U.S.: 3 dead, including shooter

Azerbaijani Armed Forces shell Armenian positions

Kenyan police shoot and kill prominent Pakistani journalist

OSCE representatives visit villages affected by Azerbaijani aggression in Syunik Province

US presidential adviser calls OPEC's decision to cut oil production political move

Lavrov: Russia and Iran gave comprehensive answers about alleged use of Iranian drones

Netanyahu's comeback dominates Israel's elections

Georgian president complains that she was not informed about Aliyev's visit

S&P Global Market Intelligence: Recession in Eurozone looks increasingly inevitable

Benny Gantz tells his Ukrainian colleague that Israel will not supply weapons to Kiev

Greek Armed Forces can effectively respond to any provocation by Turkey

Qatar urges to depoliticize oil and gas

General Staff of Armed Forces head discusses Ukraine with his British colleague

Zelenskyy: Russia wouldn't cooperate militarily with Iran if Israel had not denied air defense systems to Kyiv

Azerbaijan sends note in connection with 'anti-Azerbaijani statements' on Channel One

Goldman Sachs foretells European business worst year since global financial crisis

Artificial intelligence leads political party in Denmark

Aliyev says Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route should be increased

U.S. State Department official expresses support for Armenia's sovereignty

Iranian MFA: IRGC exercises on borders with Azerbaijan are not directed against any neighboring state

Pashinyan: Damage caused to country by corruption must be restored

Rishi Sunak to become UK PM

Armenia official: Defense sector expenses will increase the most, state budget allocations will increase by 160bln drams

Iranian president congratulates Xi Jinping: Tehran is determined to expand comprehensive relations with Beijing

Russian MOD: Work on Ukraine's 'dirty bomb' comes to end

Dollar drops, euro goes up in Armenia

Fly Arna planning to conduct 2 weekly flights between Yerevan and Beirut

Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan doubles gas and oil exports to Europe via Georgia

Two quakes hit near Tbilisi

Aliyev: Azerbaijan-Armenia agreement signing will be guarantee of peace in entire South Caucasus

Over 1.5 million light bulbs lit simultaneously in India: New Guinness World Record

Garibashvili: Georgia is ready to support peaceful neighborhood initiative in South Caucasus

Azerbaijan to export 157 GW of electric energy via Georgia

3, including one foreigner, arrested after illegal weapons, ammunition found in Armenia town house

Milliyet: Turkey has tightened control over the Bosphorus Strait due to mines in the Black Sea

Northern France hit by tornado

Armenia FM to head for Vatican on official visit

NYT: Israel gives Ukraine intelligence data to fight UAVs

Police detains opposition activists in Azerbaijan

Armenia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs to meet in Brussels in first week of November

Azerbaijani Defense Minister goes on working visit to Turkey

Artsakh ombudsman shows Azerbaijan destruction of Armenian cultural heritage

Naryshkin urges international community not to allow Ukraine's nuclear status

Azerbaijan president visits Georgia

Macron: Ukrainian conflict should not make us forget about Armenia, Syria, Iraq and other wars

Charles Michel: Ukraine itself must decide when to resume talks with Russia

Finance ministry: Armenia national debt will decrease in dram terms but we will borrow new debts

Man, 38, dies after being hit by car in Armenia

Partial solar eclipse set on October 25

Foreign cyclist, 38, dies in Armenia road accident

Marukyan: Why are you so nervous about expected international presence in Armenia if you aren't planning new aggression?

Driver dies in hospital 25 days after Armenia road accident

Gold weakly appreciates

Komsomolskaya Pravda: PM Pashinyan is handing over Karabakh in order to take Armenia to the West
The US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton from the Democrats and Donald Trump from the Republicans, in case of being nominated at the congresses of their parties in November, will compete for the 45th presidency of the White House. One of the factors playing an important role in the election will be ethnic lobbying. Candidates will seek to receive a support of large ethnic communities. In this front the competition will be over the Irish, Jewish, and Armenian Diasporas. These ethnic groups are of great interest in core states because of their compact residence and involvement in institutional organizations, writes Russian edition of Forbes.

American Armenians will support the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. This choice is determined by the historical memory and formation of the first Armenian communities in the United States. The heads of the American- Armenian organizations have close ties with high ranking democratic officials in the Congress and White House. Americans remember that their Democratic President Woodrow Wilson's administration passed " Near East Relief" law , which gave a possibility to many Armenians to start a new life. It was only in 2012, that the main pro Armenian organizations announced that they will not support the Democratic President Barack Obamas re-election, since he had violated the promise of his campaign to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Obama's policy after the elections led to the fact that the American Armenians have ceased to trust the Democrats.

Hillary Clinton continuously for 10 years has been supporting the efforts of the Armenian community directed at the adoption of the law on recognition of the Genocide. She has consistently acted as a supporter of pro-Armenian resolutions in Senate, participated in conferences and meetings of the Armenian Diaspora. However , becoming the US secretary of state during Obamas first term Clinton avoided to use the word genocide at the Congressional hearings. However, unlike Obama , she has not completely exhausted the trust of the community.

It is obvious that during elections expected to be held in November, Clinton will use the Genocide card in California, where the Armenian lobby has the most influential political and economic role. If the choice is between Trump and Clinton, Clinton is a pragmatic one. The American Armenians understand that she is the only candidate who has an experience to work with the community and , unlike her competitors , understands the nuances of the conflict .

At the same time the most influential American Armenian politicians the Governor of California George Dyukmejyan, the Congressmen Steve Derunyan, and Charles Pashayan, were members of the Republican Party. Moreover, the most significant achievements of the Armenian lobby are associated with the Republican leaders. Thus, Ronald Reagan was and remains the only US president who describing the events of 1915-1923 used the word genocide. It was during the governance of George Bush senior when the Armenian lobby managed to achieve a major gratuitous aid for Armenia and Karabakh. Obviously, the Republicans have made a great contribution to the formation and development of the Armenian lobby in the US. However, the current Republican candidate have not had any contacts with pro-Armenian groups , which leaves Hillary Clinton as a leading alternative.
YEREVAN.  It will be indispensable to identify the violator of the ceasefire, once the monitoring mechanisms are introduced at the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict zone.

Vice President of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Eduard Sharmazanov, stated the aforementioned at Tuesdays briefing, at the NA, with his German colleague, Edelgard Bulmahn.

At the talk, the Armenian side informed the German side about Azerbaijans aggression and crimes against the Artsakh soldiers and civilians, alike.

Sharmazanov noted that the Armenian side considers a peaceful settlement on the basis of three precepts, and within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, to be important. That is why the agreements, which were reached during the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents recent meeting in Vienna, need to be carried out. He added that the German side likewise accepts these proposals.

We consider the introduction of trust and investigation mechanisms to be important, since trust and monitoring will enable to not to place parity between the two [conflicting] parties, and to openly say who has violated the ceasefire and who the cause of tension is, Sharmazanov said.

The Armenian parliament deputy speaker added that everyone should come understand that the right of Nagorno-Karabakh people to self-determination has no alternative.
YEREVAN.  The German Bundestag (parliament) fully supports the efforts by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs, regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and which have brokered the ceasefire agreement.

Vice-president Edelgard Bulmahn of the Bundestag noted the aforementioned, at the National Assembly of Armenia, at the briefing Tuesday with her Armenian colleague, Eduard Sharmazanov.

We are convinced that this conflict cannot and should not be resolved by military means, Bulmahn stated. For that reason, we call on both sides [to the conflict] to maintain the cease-fire agreement.

As per deputy speaker of the German parliament, the introduction of monitoring mechanisms at the Line of Contact will be a very important step toward preventing new tensions. In addition, enlarging the mandate of the OSCE representatives in the region will become an additional component of this monitoring. She said they hope the meetings, which are slated for June, also will be productive in this regard.

We hope that the new agreements on ceasefire serve as basis for the future restoration of the talks, Edelgard Bulmahn stated. And the fundamental principles will remain at their basis.

She added that Germany is eager to see respective positive dynamics, and that German Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier will exert personal efforts toward peace in the region.
Talks Open Between Russian Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East

The Commission for Bilateral Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East was established during a meeting between His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill and His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV, of thrice-blessed memory, which took place in Moscow on 28 May 2014. On 28 September 2015, the Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East co-established this commission with the following appointed representatives of the Assyrian Church of the East to the Bilateral Dialogue: His Grace Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of the Diocese of California and Secretary of the Holy Synod as Co-chairman; Chor-bishop George Kanon Toma, clergyman of the Diocese of Eastern USA; Priest Ephraim Alkhas, clergyman of the diocese of California and secretary of CIRED; Deacon Roland Bidzhamov, clergyman of the Diocese of Nohadra and the Russian Federation. On 22 October 2015, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church co-established this commission with the following appointed representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Bilateral Dialogue: His Grace Bishop Kliment of Krasnoslobodsk and Temnikov as Co-chairman; Hegumen Stefan (Sado), chief librarian of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), secretary for inter-Christian relations of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (DECR); Mr. Sergey Alferov, DECR staff member. On 18 May 2016, the first session of the Bilateral Dialogue met in Moscow, Russian Federation, which concluded in the agreement and publication of this communiqu
Emory has certainly changed since Harry Rusche arrived as a newly minted English Ph.D. in 1962.

That was the year the University successfully sued to be able to racially integrate, though it would take another year to be reflected in the student body. At the time, Emory had been co-educational for just nine years  and was nearly two decades away from morphing into a nationally ranked research university.

Rusche, however, has remained much the same as the 26-year-old who first became an English professor during the Kennedy administration. He retires this year after 54 years of teaching, never wavering in finding new ways to link his love of language to his drive to inspire students.

"I never devoted myself to a book," Rusche says. "Our undergraduates are so very bright. My focus has always been to find ways to engage them. What I teach them is all news to them, but it must be exciting news, because they write such amazing pieces."

As he speaks, Rusche glances at a pink Post-It stuck to his Callaway office door. A recent graduate, on a long layover in Atlanta, had scrawled his surprise at finding Ruche's legendary open door closed but promised that he would be passing through again soon so they could connect for lunch.

"That just happens," Rusche says with a shrug. "I like the students, and they like me."

The rewards of great teaching

Great teaching has long been a hallmark of Emory College's liberal arts education.

Rusche has twice received official recognition for his commitment in the classroom. He earned the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award in 1987 and held the Arthur M. Blank Distinguished Teaching Professorship between 1992 and 1996. More recently, Rusche received the 2012 George P. Cuttino Award for Excellence in Mentoring.

He is proud of the awards, he says. But when he talks about those and other accomplishments, they always boil down to instilling a love for words and writing in students.

Consider that he will tell you he has always preferred the physical act of putting pen on paper to capture thoughts in writing. Yet in 1987, Rusche won an Apple grant for 20 MacIntosh computers, for use in an introduction to writing class.

Rusche saw that the computers offered instructors real-time supervision of student work. The boxy Mac II one of which still sits in Rusche's office  also let students work and learn together on projects.

His work was instrumental in what's now known as computer assisted instruction (CAI). And the room where that introductory class was held is now the Emory College Writing Center.

"The guy really lives and breathes for his students," says Dan Bobier, a 2013 English and political science graduate who counts Rusche as a mentor. "He really wanted to know who we are and who we wanted to be."

It was Rusche, Bobier says, who encouraged him to take a challenging class on "Paradise Lost" with English professor Jonathan Goldberg.

Students would spend the entire class arguing about the meaning of a single word in the text, Bobier recalls. Then Bobier would meet with Rusche to debate the nuance of each possibility.

The intellectual musings, sometimes over meals at Rusche's house where they compared life growing up in southwestern Ohio, did more than help Bobier with his honors thesis on Milton.

Now a third year law student at Stanford, Bobier excelled while watching some classmates struggle in a white collar crime class that focused  again  on understanding the meanings of a single word in statutes.

"It's actually a serious, cerebral area of law," Bobier says. "I'm planning to go into white collar work in recognition of the type of analysis that Harry helped me refine. The man is always mortified by any recognition, but my plan is really a credit to him."

"All for pedagogy"

Ask Rusche and he says simply that Emory has given him great students, open to his brand of teaching.

Rusche earned his bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Cincinnati in an era when students immersed themselves in the Western traditions of art. That's how a serious literature student happened to attend an art restoration and meet a similar minded thinker, Sue, who became his wife the year he came to Emory.

That early exposure to the arts created a lifelong interest in museums in general and, specifically, in the decorative appeal of postcards.

In the classroom, that means his tools extend beyond the expected dramas from Shakespeare, poetry from Edmund Spenser and verse by John Milton.

The postcards  thousands of them carefully cradled in stacks of binders  are far less obvious.

"It's kind of fun when you can take your hobby and your job and make them one," Rusche says.

Some depict life during World War I, a particularly prolific time for some of the poetry he teaches. At least 1,000 show legendary actors and scenes from 19th and early 20th century theatrical productions of Shakespeare's works.

Rusche scanned and researched the cards and turned them into three separate websites: Shakespeare and the Players, Shakespeare Illustrated and The Great War, 1914-1918.

The effort put Rusche in the vanguard of digital scholarship in the 1990s, at a time when few beyond him recognized the impact it would have.

He recalls one colleague dismissing the websites when talking about having published a scholarly book. At the time, Rusche's two Shakespeare sites were getting about 375,000 unique visitors a year.

"I said, 'Do you think your book is pulled down 375,000 times a year?'" Rusche says. "I saw what it could do online, and now it's a resource for a lot of people."

Even after he retires, that legacy will keep him out front on Shakespeare scholarship. Emory's Center for Digital Scholarship recently redesigned Shakespeare and the Players, and some of the pieces are being exhibited in Woodruff Library.

Rusche expects he will do a bit more updating before this fall's exhibit of the First Folio on campus.

"It's all for pedagogy," Rusche says. "I'm glad people find it useful, but for me it's fun. And it's a powerful tool for teaching."

No plans to stop

It takes more to develop a Rusche-level following than just researching postcards or lecturing about "The Faerie Queene."

As a student at Emory, Jake Kim noticed a poetry course taught by Rusche that was already filled to capacity, but tried to get in anyway.

Kim, then a junior returning to Emory after compulsory two-year military service in his native South Korea, emailed the professor asking to get in. No dice.

But an alumna who Kim knew urged him to try again. Kim says he emailed Rusche in desperation and wrote, "If not having enough seats is the issue, I am willing to stand the entire semester."

Not surprisingly, the professor relented. And Kim took advantage of the break by making sure he participated in every class. He rapidly formed a deep friendship with his professor.

Rusche, he says, would sometimes ask if he'd done a "good job" teaching that day. To Kim, it was a sign that his professor genuinely cared.

He became an English major and decided to take one course with Rusche every semester until he graduated in 2014. He also persuaded Rusche to supervise his independent study project on World War I, using some of his professor's postcards for research.

Kim was the first international student to win a significant English scholarship at Emory  the one named for Rusche and his wife, though his professor was not on the selection committee.

"My experience at Emory could not have been the same without Dr. Rusche," says Kim, who interned with Sue Rusche's nonprofit, National Families in Action, after graduation and now is an international recruitment specialist at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

"Dr. Rusche has shared with me repeatedly he thinks of me as his own son, and I, too, think of the Rusches as family," Kim adds. "What an honor."

Rusche praises so many of his former students, it can be hard to keep track when he rattles them off.

"Some of the brightest students I've ever taught are here now, or just left," he says.

There was the neuroscience major whose essay about researching biology's role in addiction still sticks with him. Several recent Buddhist and Muslim students, without prompting, brought new insights to the Biblical allusions in "Paradise Lost."

Or maybe it was the students who kept him abreast of social media trends  yes, he's familiar with Snapchat  and what CW show he should watch when he finishes his next foreign film based on Shakespeare.

"The first thing I'm going to do with myself in retirement is binge on all these Vampire Diaries shows. And I've got to catch up on Teen Wolf," he says. "Oh, and I have to catch up on the DC and the Marvel superhero movies."

No joke.

"I love watching new films based on Shakespeare, because they always do something you don't expect," Rusche says. "I love seeing that in superhero films or on TV. It's cultural literacy. You learn it, and then that's how you teach.

"I'm retiring but I'll be messing around, one way or another," Rusche says. "Learning, teaching, it is not something you just give up."
Summer camps at Emory In addition to hosting special events, Emory offers a wide variety of summer sports camps and learning programs for children and teens. For more information, visit the WorkLife Resource Center's In addition to hosting special events, Emory offers a wide variety of summer sports camps and learning programs for children and teens. For more information, visit the WorkLife Resource Center's Summer Programs webpage.

Just as the excitement of Emorys Commencement and Staff Fest begins to wane, the campus is once again gearing up for its summer schedule, when the University plays host to a lively lineup of camps, conferences, classes and events.

From a national gathering of world-class harpists to Mellon Foundation scholars learning how to polish their research skills and camps for middle and high school debaters, this summer is brimming with campus activities catering to a variety of ages and interests.

Coordinated through the Conference Services division of Campus Life, the busy schedule of summer events serves multiple purposes, according to Sherry Ebrahimi, director of University conference services and housing operations.

Not only does it put University facilities to good use, offering a venue for select conferences and events that complement the Universitys mission, the programs are also an opportunity for Emory to showcase the campus and its resources, catching the eye of prospective students, she says.

This summers campus events schedule is expected to attract some 10,000 visitors. The events provide a stream of revenue while helping create jobs, keeping people employed throughout the summer months, Ebrahimi notes.

Here are a few highlights from this summers events:

UNCF/Mellon Program Summer Institute, June 1-30: The Mellon Foundation will host 42 African American undergraduate students interested in pursuing PhD programs to become college professors in the humanities, physics, mathematics, sociology, anthropology and other disciplines. Students from as far away as Cape Town, South Africa, will join students from Emory and other institutions as they sharpen their research, writing and presentation skills, with a focus on interdisciplinary research.

Break Away: National Alternative Break Program, Alternative Break Citizenship School (ABCs), June 5-10: As a national alternative spring break umbrella organization for a network of over 200 member schools  including Emory  Break Away offers a resource to create meaningful volunteer and social advocacy opportunities for college students and recent graduates. Hosted in partnership with Emory, this program will focus on sexual violence prevention and response.

EPiC Summer Experience, June 5-July 9: Offered through the Emory School of Medicine, the Emory Pipeline Collaborative (EPiC) science enrichment program offers high schools students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds a hands-on opportunity to engage in lectures, labs and field experiences and explore career opportunities in health professions.

Emory National Debate Institute Summer Camps and Workshops, June 7-19: The Barkley Forum, Emorys award-winning center for intercollegiate competitive debate and debate education, hosts a series of summer debate camps and workshops for middle school and high school students. Hundreds of students will work with Emory faculty and students to hone their skills.

Youth About Business, June 12-17: A diverse group of 50-60 high school students from the Atlanta area and Southeast are invited to learn about the world of high-level corporate finance through merger and acquisition simulation camps. Students are advised by Goizueta Business School faculty and staff, alumni, Atlanta-area attorneys, accountants, and investment bankers and many other executives to understand these business transactions.

42nd American Harp Society National Conference, June 30-July 3: This biannual conference draws those who play, teach, study, research or simply enjoy the harp with world-class workshops, master classes, exhibits and concerts. The public may purchase tickets to attend concerts on Thursday, June 30, at 8 p.m. at the Schwartz Center of the Performing Arts; Friday, July 1, at 8 p.m. at the Glenn Memorial Chapel; and Saturday, July 2, at 8 p.m. at the Glenn Memorial Chapel.

The Southern Foodways Alliance Oral History Workshop, July 10-15: Based at the University of Mississippis Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the Southern Foodways Alliance will host undergraduate and graduate students and other professionals on the Emory campus as they learn the fundamentals of taking and compiling oral histories, particularly as they relate to culture and food.

LEAD Summer Global Institute Overview, July 10 29: For the second year, Goizueta Business School has partnered to develop and host the LEAD Global Business Institute for 25 high school students from across the U.S. and Finland. The LEAD Program is an international cross-sector collaborative of premier U.S. corporations, government agencies, higher education and non-profit partnerships that focus on developing high-potential youth of diverse backgrounds into high achievers and responsible leaders.
When President Jimmy Carter publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis in August 2016, he also brought up some unfinished business. "I'd like the last Guinea worm to die before I do," he said.

The former president was referring to a parasitic worm that grows inside the human body for up to a year until it finally emerges through a painful blister. Since the worm, contracted by drinking contaminated stagnant water, has for centuries afflicted only the poorest of the poor in the world's most remote locations, governments and health organizations largely ignored it.

That changed in 1986 when President Carter took a trip to a small village in Ghana. Among the many villagers afflicted with Guinea worm, he saw a lovely young woman holding a baby in her arms and went over to coo at the child. Upon closer look, he realized she was holding not a baby but her swollen, painful breast, from which a long, thin white worm was emerging. He decided then to make the eradication of Guinea worm disease a mission of The Carter Center.

This mission is nearly accomplished. When President Carter took up the fight, there were an estimated 3.5 million cases a year in 21 endemic countries. Last year, only 22 people in four countries suffered from the "fiery serpent." And as of April 1, there was only one known case of Guinea worm in the world.

More cases could certainly emerge in the coming year. Even so, it's only a matter of time before Guinea worm goes the way of smallpox. And when it does, it will be the first parasitic disease, and perhaps the second human disease in history, to be eradicated.

"Eradication will be an extraordinary accomplishment," says William Foege, who is credited with devising the strategy that led to smallpox eradication while he was director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He is currently senior fellow of health policy at The Carter Center and Presidential Distinguished Professor of Global Health, emeritus at the Rollins School of Public Health. "Africa provided every barrier that can be imagined, and lesser people would have accepted dramatic declines and called it a success. The Carter Center was striving for perfection so that no one would have to suffer from this disease again. Soon Guinea worm disease will pass from being a plague that returned to villages year after year for centuries to being a tale passed from generation to generation."

The feat will be all the more extraordinary because it will have been accomplished with no treatment, no vaccine, no acquired immunity, and no cure. The only toolconvincing deeply traditional people in remote regions of the world to change the way they have collected and consumed water for generations.

"Look at how hard it is to convince people in the United States to quit smoking or eating super-sized meals at McDonald's," says Kelly Callahan 09MPH, one of scores of Rollins alumni who have played key roles in The Carter Center's Guinea worm eradication program. "Behavior change is hard in the best of circumstances, and with Guinea worm, we're not dealing with the best of circumstances."



Kelly Callahan 09MPH trains volunteers in southern Sudan in 2000. Photo by the Carter Center.

A person contracts Guinea worm from drinking stagnant water contaminated with microscopic freshwater crustaceans called copepods that are infected with Guinea worm larvae. Once inside the stomach, the copepod breaks down and releases the larvae, which mature and roam inside the abdomen until they find a mate. The male dies and the female continues to growreaching lengths of two to three feet. Nine to 12 months later, the worm finally emerges though an excrutiating, burning blister. In fact, the disease is also known as dracunculiasis, or "affliction with little dragons," because the worm feels like tiny, hot daggers poking through skin. Immersing the wound in water soothes the burn and also causes the worm to release hundreds of thousands of larvae. The cycle begins anew.

The treatment is the same as it has been for thousands of years. The worm must be pulled gently from the wound, centimeter by centimeter, and wound around a twig or piece of gauze. The process is agonizingly slow, requiring anywhere from a few days to a month or more to tug the worm free. Breaking an emerging worm will cause it to pull back into the body, where it will die, calcify, and possibly cause deformities or crippling.

Compounding their toll, worms typically emerge during the agricultural season in sub-Saharan Africa. That means the fortunes of a struggling family can be decimated by a white worm the width of a spaghetti noodle.

"I have seen villages of 3,000 people in which all of the productive workers either had Guinea worm or were taking care of someone who did," says Callahan, who is now the director of The Carter Center's trachoma control program. "They could not plant their crops. Children couldn't go to school. It devastated the entire village."

Those days are gone, thanks to the low-tech, boots-on-the-ground efforts led by Carter Center professionals, many of them Rollins alumni. Jamine Peterson 07MPH worked in South Sudan from 2011 to 2014. Living in a large canvas tent on a spot of land donated by a local chief, Peterson recruited and oversaw a staff of more than 30 local field officers and at least 500 village volunteers.

From her rudimentary hub with a hand-dug latrine, Peterson would trek via truck, motorbike, and foot to ever more remote villages. At each stop, she and her field officer used stories, skits, and songs to educate the residents about Guinea worm disease, how it spreads, and how to prevent it by using simple cloth water filters. They searched out any locals who showed signs of an imminent worm or an emergent one, and then tried to convince them to go to a containment center or, at the very least, to stay out of the local water source. If they were too late to prevent contamination, they would treat the water source with a larvicide.

The first defense against contracting the disease is filtering the water. Callahan and other Carter Center colleagues fashioned and distributed filters to attach to the top of water barrels. Then the women who collected the water and carried it in containers balanced atop their heads could pour it directly into the barrels, filtering out the larvae-infected copepods.

In areas where household filters were not feasible because residents had either been displaced by civil conflict or were nomadic, The Carter Center borrowed the idea for a portable straw filter from nomads in West Africa. During her time in South Sudan, Callahan was part of an effort that employed more than 1,300 Sudanese refugees in Kenya to assemble more than 9 million personal pipe filters and distribute them all within a six-month period. "At the time, it was the largest public health intervention that had ever taken place," says Callahan.
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BENGALURU: India today successfully launched the first technology demonstrator of indigenously made Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), capable of launching satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter the atmosphere, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

"Mission accomplished successfully," an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spokesman told PTI soon after RLV-TD HEX-01 was flight tested with the take off at 7 am.

This is the first time ISRO has launched a winged flight vehicle, which glided back onto a virtual runway in the Bay of Bengal, some 500 kilometres from the coast.

Known as hypersonic flight experiment, it was about 10 minutes mission from liftoff to splashdown.

The RLV-TD is a scaled-down model of the reusable launch vehicle.

RLV, being dubbed as Indias own space shuttle, is the unanimous solution to achieve low cost, reliable and on-demand space access, according to ISRO scientists.

RLV-TD is a series of technology demonstration missions that have been considered as a first step towards realising a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully re-usable vehicle, ISRO said.

It has been configured to act as a flying testbed to evaluate various technologies, including hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion, it said.

The 6.5 metre long aeroplane-like structure weighing 1.75 tons was hoisted into the atmosphere on a special rocket booster.

The RLV-TD is described as "a very preliminary step" in the development of a reusable rocket, whose final version is expected to take in 10 to 15 years.

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Actress Kate Beckinsale is looking forward to reclaiming her old life when her daughter goes to university. The London-born star thinks she will have more spare time to "resume" the life she enjoyed before giving birth to her daughter Lily in 1999, with her now ex-husband Michael Sheen, reports femalefirst.co.uk. "Now my daughter is going to be at university, that will be completely possible again. I will be able to spend more time in England," Beckinsale told the Sunday Times newspaper. "As much as you're going, 'F**k, how am I going to bear it? My daughter is going to college,' there's another voice that kind of goes, 'I'll be excited to resume being the person I was before," she added. The "Pearl Harbor" actress also spoke about the "ideal phase" of her life. "My ideal phase (in my life) was when Michael (Sheen) and I were hopping back and forth, going, 'It's a bit grey and miserable in London. Should we go to Los Angeles for a couple of months?' Then going, 'Had enough of that. Let's go back and go to the theatre'," Beckinsale said. "That was ideal. It didn't last long but it was ideal," she added. --IANS ank/nn/ ( 213 Words) 2016-05-24-07:00:04 (IANS)
The incident took place around 10 pm when four men had come to the Sindhi Dhaba in Lajpat Nagar 3 in a car.

As per reports, they had their dinner and tried to leave without paying the bill following which Vasudeo alias Pappu, the owner of the eatery, tried to intervene.

An altercation broke out after which, one of the four men took out a gun and allegedly shot four rounds there.

The accused fled the scene by the time the police reached the spot. The victim was then rushed to a hospital. (ANI)
President Mukherjee had earlier sought more information from the Health Ministry over the decision to bring the ordinance on NEET.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda had yesterday met the President to apprise him of the ordinance.

Nadda - who had to cancel a visit to Geneva to attend a conference - is expected to meet the President again to resolve some fresh queries that have come up.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called on the President yesterday to not to sign the ordinance.

Kejriwal had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him not to bring any order against the Supreme Court ruling on NEET, saying the students had welcomed the decision as it discouraged well endowed parents from making 'donations' to get their children admitted into reputed private medical colleges.

The ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday, is aimed at partially overturning a Supreme Court verdict which said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET.

The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that the students will have to appear for NEET starting this academic session to seek admission to any medical or dental colleges in the country.

More than 15 states were opposed to NEET and had raised issues like different syllabus and languages during the recent state health ministers' meeting.

The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24. Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1.

Once the ordinance is issued, students of state government boards will not have to sit for NEET on July 24. (ANI)
Three unidentified men threw chilli powder in the eyes of a farmer, attacked him with knives and looted Rs three lakh from him at Lachhora village, police said. Peasant Satyanarayan Rajput withdrew Rs five lakh from a bank. He then provided Rs three lakh to Shailendra Rajput, who was accompanying him. While both were returning home, the accused attacked them and decamped with the bag containing Rs three lakh. Both were injured and admitted to hospital.UNI XC-PS SV ADG RK1200 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-748875.Xml
A traffic police official told UNI that the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was through for traffic despite rain since last night.

He said passenger vehicles have been allowed from both sides while heavy vehicles, including trucks, will ply from Jammu to Srinagar only. "No heavy vehicle will be allowed from the opposite direction," he added.

He said traffic was disrupted due to landslides at Ganiwan Kangan on Srinagar-Leh national highway. However, authorities later diverted traffic from another route.

Meanwhile, landslides and shooting stones, triggered by rain, also disrupted traffic on historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region. However, authorities immediately pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the landslides at Peer Ki Gali. The road was later put though for traffic.UNI BAS YSS ADG RK1145

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-748876.Xml
Thousands of devotees of Lord Hanuman today thronged temples on the occasion of first 'Bada Mangal', one of the biggest annual festivals celebrated in the city. The festival, which goes on for four consecutive Tuesdays, is celebrated in the Hindu month of Jeth, and coincides with the months of May or June in the Gregorian calendar. Uttar Pradesh government has also declared a local holiday on the first Bada Mangal. All the Hanuman temples in the city - Dakshinmukhi Hanuman temple in Hazratganj, Purana and Naya Mandir in Aliganj, Chachi Kuan temple in Lal Kuan and the Hanuman Setu temple on the university road - have been decked up with flowers and lights. Devotees started thronging temples since early morning, some walking several miles barefoot while others rolled over on roads to reach temples for a sighting of their favourite deity. Police have made elaborate arrangements, including diverting traffic at various places. With temperatures soaring, voluntary organisations have set up water and cold drink kiosks for devotees. As per the tradition of Bada Mangal in the city it is said that Janab-e-Aalia, the second wife of Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah got the old Aliganj Hanuman temple constructed. She is said to have dreamt of Lord Hanuman who ordered her to get a temple constructed. Based on her dreams, she ordered quarrying of the area she saw in her dream. The idol was found after which it was transported on the back of an elephant to the city. The elephant, however, did not step forward after a point (the place where the temple is situated). Therefore it was decided that the temple be constructed at this place. Since then, Bada Mangal is celebrated with festive gaiety in the city. Naming her son later known as Nawab Saadat Ali Khan as Mirza Mangloo after the deity, Begum Aalia started the tradition of a fair, which continues to be held every year. The tradition of distributing sharbat and eatables to the devotees which started in those days, still continues today. UNI MB ADG RK1215 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-748832.Xml
Following the furore over the ISIS video in which Indian recruits are seen threatening to wage a war in India, the Centre on Tuesday asserted that no amount of threats from terrorists could make any difference whatsoever as every citizen in the country, including Muslims, would stand united against such destructive forces. "India is a land of peace and prosperity and there is no place here for those who support terrorism. Patriotism is filled in every Muslim in this country. Be it videos or threats, it's not going to make much of difference," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ANI here. He further said that the nation will come together to fight against such forces threatening the peace and sovereignty. In a latest video released by the ISIS, Indian Jihadis, including Thane engineering student Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, has issued a warning and vowed to avenge the demolition of the Babri Mosque and the purported killing of Muslims across the country. Four youth from Mumbai's Kalyan - Aarif Majid, Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, Amaan Tandel and Saheem Tanki - had fled to Iraq in May 2014 to join ISIS. Out of these, Aarif Majid has been taken into custody by the NIA soon after his return from Syria. Shahim Tanki is supposed to have been killed in a bomb attack in Raqqa last year, as claimed by Sheikh in the video. "Our Muslim brothers should come forward to fight the ISIS. Just by criticizing them on paper won't do. If they (ISIS) speak of raising swords against us then the people of all faiths should take up swords and aptly respond," Raut added. The ISIS operatives in the video also urge the Muslims in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan region to join their movement to establish an Islamic caliphate. According to a leading national daily, Fahad Tanvir Sheikh is the only individual conclusively identified in the video. Reports state that several still-to-be-identified members in the video could be former members of the Indian Mujahideen. The video also claims that 'cow-worshipping' Hindus are responsible for violence against Muslims in many places, including Mumbai, Gujarat, Assam and Moradabad. One of the Jihadis, speaking in English, also gave a stern warning to India and said either accept Islam, pay Jiziya (a medieval tax for non-believers of Islam) or be prepared to be slaughtered. The Jihadis have also launched a tirade against the Indian Muslims for maintaining trade and social relations with the 'infidels'. They have has also criticised the Muslim politicians and clerics for compromising with a purported tyrannical system responsible for massacring Muslims. (ANI)
The second anniversary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government here on May 26 will be a historic one with record attendance when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally to launch the party election drive for 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. The Saharanpur rally would be followed by another PM's rally at the Sangam city of Allahabad on June 13 during the BJP's national executive meeting. Arrangements for making the rally successfully has been almost complete with the BJP leaders working over time to attract around 2 lakh people from the nearby districts and even from the adjoining Uttarakhand state, which will also go to polls along with UP next year. Interestingly, the place where the rally is being organised on the Delhi road in Saharanpur is the number one Behat assembly segement of the 403 assembly constitutencies of UP. Regional BJP vice-president Rampal Pundir told UNI here today that all arrangements were underway in a smooth manner for making this rally a historic one. "Mr Modi's rally is not only aimed at celebrating two years of BJP-government but will also send a strong political message in Uttar Pradesh where Assembly polls are due early next year," Mr Pundir said. He claimed that the rally would be historic in terms of numbers as well as impact, as the Prime Minister's popularity had increased after the victory in the Assam Assembly elections. BJP district units of Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnore, Meerut and Baghpat are mobilising cadre and resources to ensure maximum participation of people at the rally, he further added. The rally is being seen as blowing of bugle for BJP's campaign for UP assembly elections in 2017. A senior party leader said, the PM has addressed a rally at Mathura, Bareilly and Noida, this area had been left out barring one sudden stopover rally at Saharanpur a few days before Bihar election commenced. The rally at Saharanpur would mark deep focus on the state by the BJP think-tank as it would be followed by another rally by PM Modi at Allahabad on June 13. Meanwhile, in another good gesture, a Muslim farmer has offered his eight acres farming land for the rally. The farmer had removed the crops before ripening so that PM Modi's rally can be conducted easily on the land. A total of 265 acre land will be used to construct temporary pandal and stage for the grand rally. Raees Ahamad, who cultivates sugar-cane on his agricultural land, offered 8 acre land for Mr Modi's rally. Raees was offered compensation for the land, but he refused to accept and gave land free of cost to hold rally. According to BJP MLA Rajiv Gumber, no agricultural land will be destroyed for holding rally of PM Modi. He also said that people of all caste and religion are coming forward and supporting the BJP for organising the grand event to mark the two years of Modi government. BJP is leaving no stone unturned to make the event grand success. On the other hand Haridwar city legislator Madan Kaushik and divisional president Pradeep Kalra in the adjoining Uttarakhand state have asked the BJP workers to ensure their maximum participation in the Saharanpur rally.BJP district party unit had booked 20 buses from Haridwar district.This is the second time UP has been chosen by the PM for such an event. two years in power. To celebrate completion of NDA's first year in power, the prime minister had addressed a rally at Nagla Chandrabhan in Mathura.UNI MB ADG SB1305 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-748937.Xml
Officials of the air customsintelligence unit today seized two kg of gold froma passenger, who arrived at the Airport from Qatar. Airport sources said, as the passenger, Akhtar Saddam, a native of Kerala, was found moving in a suspicious circumstances, the officials intercepted him and found two kg of gold from his possession. The authorities seized the gold and have detained him for interrogation.UNI GV CS 1437 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-749195.Xml
Chicago soybean futures lost more ground on Tuesday, falling for four of five sessions as rapidly progressing planting across the U.S. Midwest prompted investors to liquidate some long positions.Corn eased, giving up some of last session's gains, while wheat edged lower although concerns over wet weather in the U.S.Plains kept a floor under the market.Chicago Board of Trade most-active soybean contract dropped 0.8 percent to $10.49-3/4 a bushel by 0831 GMT, having closed 1.5 percent lower on Monday.Corn fell 0.6 percent to $3.95-1/2 a bushel after gaining 0.8 percent in the previous session, and wheat slipped 0.4 percent to $4.60 a bushel."The soybean market is becoming nervous that investors, now holding the largest long position seen in almost two years, will be looking to take profits," said Tobin Gorey, director of agricultural strategy at Commonwealth Bank of Australia."Weather forecasters continue to expect more rain on U.S.hard red winter wheat crops this week. The market will have some concerns about quality and yields."The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the U.S. corn crop was 86 percent planted as of Sunday, ahead of the five-year average of 85 percent but behind an average of analyst expectations for 88 percent.Soybean planting progress was at 56 percent, ahead of the five-year average of 52 percent and an average of trade estimates of 55 percent, the agency said in its weekly crop progress report.Prices on China's Dalian exchange suffered deeper losses with soybean falling almost 4.2 percent and soymeal sliding 4.7 percent.The drop in Dalian prices was in line with the action in overseas market, said Monica Tu at consultancy Shanghai JC Intelligence.Soymeal futures have advanced in recent weeks on worries about the size and quality of Argentina's soybean harvest following April floods.Argentina is the world's top exporter of soymeal, a livestock feed ingredient produced along with soyoil when soybeans are crushed.Commodity funds were net sellers of CBOT soybean, soymeal and wheat futures contracts on Monday and net buyers of corn.Trader estimates of net fund selling in soybeans ranged from 9,000 to 15,000 contracts, in soymeal from 1,000 to 10,000 contracts and in wheat from 2,000 to 5,000 contracts. Estimates of net fund buying in corn ranged from 3,000 to 15,000 contracts.Russian wheat export prices fell last week ahead of the new crop, which is likely to arrive in July, and following a slide in global benchmarks.Black Sea prices for Russian wheat from the old crop with 12.5 percent protein content were $191.5 per tonne on a free-on-board basis at the end of last week, Russian agricultural consultancy IKAR said.REUTERS RSD AS1409 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-749141.Xml
A man has strangulated his father to death on the suspicion that he had illicit relationship with his daughter-in-law at Gohad in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district, police said. Ramdas Baghel's (60) son Hari Om used to work in Gujarat's Surat while his wife was staying with her in-laws here. Hari Om wanted to take his wife to Surat on a number of occasions but was unsuccessful. Hari Om came from Surat to here on Saturday. He had an argument with his father, who was alone at home, over his wife. As the matter escalated, he strangled his father, hid his body in another room and returned to Surat. Neighbours informed police about stench coming from the house yesterday following which the house's locks were broken and his body recovered. UNI XC-PS SV AS1423 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-749022.Xml
Lucknow, the only city in Uttar Pradesh, has been selected in the smart city race among the 13 cities of the country today. Lucknow,which came at the 29th spot in the January's competition and no other city of the state, were close to it, has however, topped the list of 13 in the fast-track competition,the results of which were announced by the Union Urban Development ministry at New Delhi. Along with Lucknow, the other cities selected in the fast track competition are New Town in Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Dharamsala,Chandigarh, Faridabad, Raipur, Ranchi, Warangal, Agartala, Imphal, Port Blair and Panaji. Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma attributed the selection of the city in the smart city list as a win of the people of Lucknow." Lucknow has the potential of becoming one of the beautiful cities of the world and now our dream would be acheived," he added. Lucknow, District Magistrate Rajshekhar congratulated the people of the city of Nawabs for the achievement and hoped that the Lucknowite's dream of a smart city would be fulfilled soon. "The people of the city had supported the government in a big way to achieve the goal and now it is up to them to assist the government in converting the city into a smart one ," he said here. According to the project,smart cities in the country will enjoy uninterrupted power and water supplies, internet connectivity, e-governance along with quality infrastructure.Each city will be given Rs 500 crore by the Centre over five years. The states will have to make a matching contribution. In January, when the first 20 smart cities were announced the urban development ministry had come under fire for leaving out cities of bigger states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Earlier all the 12 cities from Uttar Pradesh -- short-listed from the 98 potential smart cities -- lost out in the first round in January. Smart cities are picked though a two-stage process. In the first stage, a state shortlists potential cities and send the names to the Centre. In the second round, these nominated cities compete with each other. The selection is based on the scores cities get for carrying out urban reforms in areas including sanitation and governance. The 12 cities in UP who have been selected for the smar cities have lost the race are Moradabad, Aligarh, Saharanpur, Bareilly, Jhansi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Agra and Rampur. Besides the 12th place two cities Rae Bareli and Meerut have been jointly declared winners. In the January competition, while Lucknow was on the 29th place, Agra too was very close by at 31st rank, followed by Kanpur and Aligarh from UP in decreasing order of scores. Varanasi has been among worse performers in the ranking. UNI MB ADG SB1400 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-749037.Xml
With reports claiming that one of the Jihadis featuring in the latest ISIS video is in fact a suspected Indian Mujaheedin (IM) member who had escaped minutes before the raid on Batla House in 2008, the Congress Party on Tuesday said the authenticity of the footage must first be verified before drawing any conclusions. According to the reports, Mohammed Sajid alias Bada Sajid is one of the five persons who feature in the 22-minute video allegedly posted by the Islamic State recently. He has allegedly claimed in the video that he was at Batla House when the police had raided the premises but fled afterwards. "The video's authenticity should be verified. There are a lot of videos making rounds claiming to be from the IS. It should be probed who he was and how he escaped. It needs to be ascertained if he actually had any link with Batla house encounter," Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit told ANI. It is believed that Sajid, who belonged to the Azamgarh module of the IM, had escaped to Nepal en-route Dubai. "If he is found to be involved then it should be looked into. It is good that NIA is first verifying the authenticity of the video," Dikshit added. The ISIS operatives in the video also urge the Muslims in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan region to join their movement to establish an Islamic caliphate. According to a leading national daily, Fahad Tanvir Sheikh is the only individual conclusively identified in the video. Reports state that several still-to-be-identified members in the video could be former members of the Indian Mujahideen. The video also claims that 'cow-worshipping' Hindus are responsible for violence against Muslims in many places, including Mumbai, Gujarat, Assam and Moradabad. One of the Jihadis, speaking in English, also gave a stern warning to India and said either accept Islam, pay Jiziya (a medieval tax for non-believers of Islam) or be prepared to be slaughtered. The Jihadis have also launched a tirade against the Indian Muslims for maintaining trade and social relations with the 'infidels'. They have has also criticised the Muslim politicians and clerics for compromising with a purported tyrannical system responsible for massacring Muslims. (ANI)
Mr. Anil K. Choudhary, Development Commissioner, Sri City SEZ extended a warm welcome, and Mr. Sanjay Srivasthava, Head, Business Development briefed him on Sri City and its brisk pace of development.

The intent of the visit was to witness and gain first-hand knowledge about the industrial park and assess its business potential. During the briefing session, Mr. Kotov evinced keen interest and quizzed on different aspects of Sri City. Later, he went around the campus and witnessed the activity.

Impressed with the infrastructure and industry-friendly ambience of Sri City, Mr. Kotov said, "I hope, we can develop a number of joint ventures here." UNI VV MVR ADB 1507

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-749250.Xml
Rashtriya Pan Kishan Union has raised serious concern over the dilapidated condition of the betel growers in Bundelkhand region particularly in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh with most of them being forced to leave the place for alternative livelihood. Mahoba is witnessing a drought-like situation for the past couple of years, was known in the country for betel leaves but due to scanty or no rains, the farming of betel has severely affected. Union's, general secretary Chotelal Chaurasia in a statement here today alleged that due to apathetic attitude of the UP government as well as the Centre, the betel farmers are the most affected as they have not been provided a single as compensation for their agricultural loss so far due to calamity. He further claimed that out of the total around 5,000 betel farmers in Mahoba which existed a decade ago now there are only 1000 left and they too are on verge of leaving the district in search of alternative source of income. The Union has, however, sent a seven-point charter of demand to the state government to provide relief to the betel producing farmers in Mahoba and other regions of the state. Mr Chaurasia said most of the problems would end once the government declare betel farming as agriculture produce besides providing bank loan to the farmers and subsidy on their farm equipment.UNI MB SW SB AN1623 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-749127.Xml
As many as 11 people were killed and train and road services severely affected in thunderstorm and lightning that struck the western parts of Uttar Pradesh last evening. Properties worth crores of rupees were destroyed and standing crops damaged in the rains. The mango belt of Malihabad and other places also suffered losses. Train services on the Agra- New Delhi, Bareilly- Moradabad and Kanpur- Delhi routes were affected due to crashing of trees on the rail tracks. Besides, road traffic were also affected as several trees were uprooted blocking the roads. The only semi-high speed train of the country Gatiman Express escaped a major accident when its over head wire came down on the engine of the train in Mathura during the storm. Due to the incident, train services on the Agra- Delhi route was disrupted for two hours while the Gatiman express was delayed for over an hour. Train services on the other routes too were affected. Several flights going to Delhi were diverted to Lucknow and later allowed to land in the national capital after the weather improved. Official sources here today said that five people were electrocuted in the state. A 15-year-old child was electrocuted in Gola in Lakhimpur district while two women were killed after lightning struck them in Pallia area of the same district. A five-year-old child was killed in Asmauli area of Sambhal district when he fell from the stairs as storm struck the area. Two people were killed in Fatehganj area of Bareilly when a tree fell on them while in Hardoi, a father and son were killed when their motorcycle fell in a ditch during the thunder storm. In Meerut, a person was killed in a house collapse in the cantonment area while in Agra two people were killed when they were hit by lightning. Meanwhile, reports from different places of the state particularly from Bareilly, Shravasti, Ambedkarnagar, Balrampur, Gonda, Bahriach, Sitapur, Faizabad and Hardoi claimed that the storm has damaged properties and crops. In Shamli district, 2000 quintals of wheat were damaged in the rains as they were kept in the open of the mandi parishad campus last night.UNI MB SB NS1613 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-749184.Xml
Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra today met Union Water Minister Uma Bharti and presented a comprehensive plan on the river Yamuna. Mr Mishra, along with a delegation of officers from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) at Shramshakti Bhawan here, said this will be the first comprehensive plan with concrete costing for cleaning of the Yamuna river and at the same time it will restore the ecological value of the river.The key features of this plan include cleaning the river and all drains flowing into it, restoring the ecological value of the river by creating biodiversity parks, ecological landscapes and creating value for city via public spaces, recreational spaces, navigation and water oriented development (WOD).The Union water minister said, "I am impressed by the work done by the Delhi Jal Board in creating such a comprehensive plan to turnaround the condition of river Yamuna."She further said, "They have incorporated almost all the points suggested by the Union Water Ministry as well. The Central Government assures its support to this initiative and will implement this plan on a war-footing."Mr Mishra said, "I am grateful for the time and inputs that have been provided to us by Ms Bharti ji and various officials and bureaucrats of the Union Water Ministry. This comprehensive plan made by the Delhi Jal Board and city government under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will restore the status of river Yamuna to one that it deserves."We will work closely with the Union Water Ministry on DJB's plan for Yamuna and commit to the treatment of polluted water, ensure proper seepage management and develop public spaces along the river. And most importantly, while we will execute the cleaning of the river efficiently and cost-effectively, we will also create a mass people's campaign to bring people back to their river," he added. UNI SHS DJK SB 1938 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-750050.Xml
In a solemn wreath laying ceremony conducted in the true traditions of the Indian Armed Forces, homage was paid to the six martyrs of 29 Assam Rifles here today at Tulihal international airport. Wreaths were laid by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, deputy chief minister Gaikhangam, GOC 3 Corps Lt Gen Abhay Krishna, Manipur DGP L M Khaute, Maj Gen VS Sreenivas, IG AR (South) Maj Gen V S Sreenivas, and Maj Gen S S Mishra, GOC 57 Mountain Divison, to honour the supreme sacrifice made by these valiant soldiers in the line of duty while fighting insurgents in Manipur.Wreaths were also laid on behalf of COAS, GOC-in-C Eastern Command and DG Assam Rifles. The Manipur chief minister, while addressing the media strongly condemned the incident. He said, we stand united in the fight against insurgents and will continue to strive for furtherance of peace in the region and those involved in such crimes will be severely punished.The martyrs subedar Baldev Kumar Sharma from Himachal Pradesh, havildar Surjit Barla from Jharkhand, rifleman Pawan Kumar from J&K, rifleman Mahesh Gurung from Uttrakhand, rifleman Bhupinder Singh from Himachal Pradesh and rifleman Akhilesh Kumar Pandey from Bihar were all part of the team lead by commanding officer of 29 Assam Rifles which had an encounter with insurgents near Joupi under Tegnoupal PS in Chandel district on May 22. The team was returning back to the battalion headquarters location at Joupi after assessing a landslide in the area near Hollengjang. In the ensuing fire fight, these brave soldiers attained martyrdom. GOC 3 Corps expressed his deep condolences to the families of the brave martyrs. He said that the nation owes gratitude to the Assam Rifles personnel like them and we are committed to provide all necessary support to their families in this hour of grief. In counter insurgency scenario, it is a matter of initiative and opportunity and such acts of violence by insurgents only strengthen the resolve of Indian Armed Forces to carry out relentless operations against these anti-national elements for furtherance of peace in the region. The mortal remains of the martyrs were sent to their home towns in specially requisitioned Indian Air Force aircrafts accompanied by a team of Assam Rifles personnel. UNI NS AKM DJK SB PR2013 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-750060.Xml
US Embassy is holding a two days national level workshop here from tomorrow on the subject 'Combating Air Pollution in North India'.The workshop is sponsored by US Embassy and organized by Research Triangle International, USA, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. UP Pollution Control Board chairman Sanjiv Saran would be the chief guest in the inaugural session along with Jonathan Kessler, Senior Diplomat, US Embassy. According to the organisers US Embassy sponsored workshops to combat air pollution were being held in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Lucknow between May 17 and 26. They claim that these workshops support President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to develop cooperative efforts to study the effects of air pollution. US officials said here today that the objective of these workshops is to provide a forum to initiate and strengthen collaboration between US and Indian air quality experts, consider best practices to combat air pollution in North India, and build consensus and strategy for follow-on action. US policy-makers, international scientists, and industry-sector experts are expected to attend. UNI MB CJ RJ 2034 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-750248.Xml
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party today said that reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir is the only solution to resolve all the issues. ''Reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir by going back to the geographical status of Jammu and Kashmir as it existed in 1846 before the Treaty of Amritsar,'' Prof Bhim Singh, Chief Patron NPP here told reporters. He announced that two days conclave shall be held on June 25 and 26 at Jammu, which shall be participated by activists of JKNPP from block to state level to work out a scientific means for the implementation of the JKNPP declaration, the Reorganization of J&K in the interest of the people of Ladakh, Kashmir Valley and Jammu Pradesh. ''This shall also keep the interest and welfare of the residents of Jammu and Kashmir in Gilgit region and PoK who are citizens of India according to the Constitution of India living in occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir,'' said Prof Singh. The NPP Supremo said that the residents of PoK and Gilgit as well as those residing in the occupied parts of Ladakh by China shall be given choice to decide their status. ''They shall be given right of choosing India. No force shall be used against PoK or Gilgit or Chinese occupied region,'' he asserted. UNI VBH CJ 2102 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-750359.Xml
Emerging out the CBI headquarters here after questioning, Rawat told reporters, "I don't have to produce any proof for my innocence, have not done anything wrong."

Earlier, the Uttarakhand High Court had refused to quash the ongoing CBI probe into the sting operation, following which the agency had summoned the Chief Minister.

The TV sting operation was done in March, when rebel Congress lawmakers voted against the state budget, triggering a political crisis.

Later, Rawat government was sacked by the Centre and the state was placed under President's Rule.

However, Congress knocked the door of the Court and Rawat returned as Chief Minister after winning a trust vote ordered by the Supreme Court earlier this month. (ANI)
Change of nomenclature of Har Parbat as Koh-e-Maran sparked protests by various political outfits in this winter capital of the state. Taking umbrage at the obnoxious endeavour of J&K Tourism Department to name Hari Parbat as Koh-e-Maran (Persian version for "Mountain of Serpents") in their advertisements on Kashmir Fort Festival, Panther Party activists spearheaded by its chairman Harsh Dev Singh staged demonstration against the State government for making an attempt to establish ethnic homogeneity in Kashmir.'Hari Parbat is a hill overlooking Srinagar which has notable religious dimensions for the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs,'' Mr Singh said. He said that the historical hill besides a popular tourist destination reflected the secular culture of Kashmir as it hosted famous Sharika Temple, two shrines of Sufi saints and Chatti Patshahi Gurudwara. He said that naming of Hari Parbat as Koh-e-Maran by the State government as the venue for 'Kashmir Fort Festival 2016' in the official brochures, advertisements and hoardings all across Srinagar had stoked a controversy which appeared to be a dangerous design to alter the names of Hindu shrines and places in Kashmir. He also criticised state BJP for criminal silence over the sinister venture of the State government and lambasted them for allowing the secessionist agenda to push Kashmir towards radicalization. Meanwhile State Vishwa Hindu Parishad President Leela Karan Sharma also condemned changing the ancient, historical and Sanskritik name of Hari Parbat.''It is not understood how the Director Tourism, Srinagar without any Government order has taken this step to disturb the communal harmony between the two communities and with the intention to end the sign of Hindu culture from the Valley,'' Mr Sharma said. VHP smells this act as a step towards the Islamanization of Kashmir valley, he asserted. ''It is not understood that the Government on one hand is taking steps to rehabilitate the Kashmiri migrants back in the valley honourably and safely and on the other hand some bureaucrats in the administration are siding with the separatists and disturbing the harmony,'' he maintained.UNI VBH CJ 2211 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-750381.Xml
Downplaying the emergence of Aam Aadmi Party in Goa following a massive rally in the state capital, Congress today claimed that people were with it and wanted a change of the government.Addressing a press conference here, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) general secretary and party spokesperson advocate Yatish Naik said, ''Congress is emerging as a party, which people realise that this is the only party, which can bring secular and inclusive governance in the state.''Sentiment among the people is that if you have to defeat BJP,you have to strengthen the secular and inclusive ideology of the Congress. If the country has to go forward, the state has to have secular, inclusive agenda to govern the state and people know onlyCongress can give secular and inclusive government. On perception of the people on Congress,'' he said.When asked was there any division among the party on any level, he replied, ''All I can tell you that Congress is working very well from the grassroot to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) level to build the organisation and people are responding absolutely in the same spirit that Congress government should be back. Congress iscompletely in sync with the aspirations of the people.'' When asked is Congress writing off AAP, Mr Naik said, ''I amagain telling you people are completely in sync with Congress and are expressing at every level of the grassroot that they want the BJP government out.'' He refused to accept that there were differences among the party at any level and claimed that people at the grassroot were expressing their desire to have a Congress government in the state. To a question, he said, ''Electorates in the state are matureand intelligent. The Congress men are spread at the length and breadth of the state. Whether minority or majority, people have realised the during the last two years that economy of the state is in doldrums, taxes in the state are haunting, government has failedon delivery of promises and performance. People know all about 'U-turns' of the government. BJP has not fulfilled its commitment which it had mentioned in the election manifesto. ''The government has done nothing to cure problems of unemployment. People of the state have made up their mind to vote out the government. The present government has been harping onsocial welfare schemes but during Congress regime also there were schemes like Kanyadan and others. But the fact is the welfare schemes depend on revenue mobilsation. The debts of the state are mounting because government has failed in governance and people are not in mood to allow this government to continue further,'' he said Mr Naik said, ''People of Goa know that there are two poles in Goa -- one revolves around communal ideology and the other revolves around secular and inclusive ideology, which is Congress. Peopleknow if the ideology of communalism is to be defeated, then hands of Congress will have to strengthened.'' Yesterday, Congress secretary Durgadas Kamat had said people turn out in AAP rally was a matter of concern for Congress and he had already communicated his views to AICC general secretary and Goa Desk in-charge Digvijay Singh. On alliance, Mr Naik said Mr Singh and Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Luizinho Faleiro had already made its stand clear and the party would contest all 40 seats on its own.UNI AKM SS SM CJ RJ 2312 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-750012.Xml
With the arrest of a conman Ambad Police today busted a jobs racket, wherein teachers were promised jobs in a non-existent government-aided Rajshri Shahu Raje Shikshan Sanstha of Kolhapur. Two days before, the alleged conman along with three others had inserted advertisements in local newspapers for filling a large number of vacancies of teachers in open category in the said institute. The advertisements were published in Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon and Nandurbar newspapers.Hundreds of teachers replied to these advertisements in person from all over North Maharashtra. They had to buy and fill up a form and take interviews.The conmen had taken a shop on rent since some months in Pratap Chowk area of Old Cidco, police said.At the onset, the forms were sold for Rs 100 each. But seeing the rush of prospective teachers, the conmen increased the price to Rs 200 and later Rs 500. The conmen thus fleeced hundreds of teachers of lakhs of rupees by promising them jobs in Rajshri Shahu Raje Shikshan Sanstha of Kolhapur.When the interviews began, some teachers became suspicious about the interview. When the teachers questioned the conmen, they received unsatisfactory replies, giving rise to their suspicions.The conmen warned the teachers that they would be disqualified from the interviews, if they asked unnecessary questions and expressed doubts. The teachers then approached the police who asked them to file complaints. However, most of them were reluctant as they would have had to come again when the case would be in court.The police then asked the teachers to make a memorandum and sign on it. This complaint was accepted.Acting on the complaint, the four were picked up by the Ambad Police who arrested the alleged accused last evening while released three others.The Ambad Police refused to divulge the identity of the accused. Further investigation into the racket was underway, sources added.UNI RDS SS RJ VN2225 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-750391.Xml
Propaganda. All governments clearly engage in it to some extent. The question is to what degree? While Western democracies may invest in dedicated spin doctors and media experts, nothing compares with the sweeping propaganda that Communist regimes such as those in North Korea or China engage in. This fact should send alarm signals. If Communism is such a good thing, why is it necessary to so stringently control the media and to promote itself through blatant propaganda? Common messages such as "China seeks a peaceful rise", "China does not seek hegemony" and "China does not view the USA as a strategic adversary" have long been parlayed by Chinese officialdom. The truth is that these messages are being shown as hollow by recent rhetoric and actions in places such as the South China Sea. It was ironic that the PLA Daily, the newspaper of China's military, recently pointed out that the movie Zootopia was evidence of an invisible U.S. propaganda war against Beijing. The author, a professor at a PLA academy in Nanjing, warned in all seriousness, "Hollywood has always been an effective American propaganda tool.If we are at the mercy of Zootopia and other films, how can our cultural territory not become eroded?" Despite his criticisms, Zootopia was a hit in China, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in China's history. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is not immune to a bit of propaganda itself. Television series shown on state broadcaster CCTV regularly feature the military, which unfailingly triumphs over adversity and hostile forces. The number of patriotic war films surely peaked about the time of China's 1 September grand military parade last year. At one time, ANI counted around eight such patriotic wartime films playing simultaneously on different state-controlled channels. In an online interview, Professor Anne-Marie Brady of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, commented, "The concept of propaganda as the lifeblood of the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] and their rule is a long-standing one, but it has been really emphasized since the crisis of 1989 - the student protests and then the government crackdown." She continued, "The resurgence of party control in China after that, because the Chinese government has recognized that economic development is important to political stability in China, but so is information management and having a message that unites the population." The irony of the CCP's selective memory is shown in its strenuous criticism of Japan whitewashing its wartime past, while all the time expunging every reference to its own 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. In September 2013 the government introduced laws cracking down on online rumors, where posters could be jailed for defamation if posts containing "false information" were reposted more than 500 times. Beijing also cracked down on famous Big V posters, and one casualty was billionaire Charles Xue who was arrested for engaging a prostitute's services. The effect of the new law was instantaneous on social media such as Sina Weibo. The number of posts dropped immediately and many stopped offering social commentaries. One ex-employee stated that the government "now rules Weibo with ease". There are some 10,000 sensitive words that invite censorship from within the company itself to avoid falling foul of the law. The extent of China's propaganda efforts was recently exposed in a Harvard University report entitled "How the Chinese Government Fabricates Social Media Posts for Strategic Distraction, not Engaged Argument". Released on 19 May, it reached the startling conclusion: "We estimate that the government fabricates and posts about 488 million social media comments a year." In one sense, this estimate for 2013 is on average only one post per three people per year. With 100 million users posting on Sina Weibo on a daily basis, the proportion is not high. However, it should be noted that this is after the government has imposed subtle pressure so organizations will conduct self-censorship, as well as the threat of jail time for rumour mongering. On the other hand, it should be seen as an alarming level of interference to steer public opinion. This lists only the positive comments posted by lackeys, and there is no available estimate of how many sensitive comments are deleted annually. At the height of the Hong Kong protests in September 2014, for example, the authorities were deleting an average of 152 posts per 10,000 messages. Derogatorily known as the "50 Cent Party" (because they are rumoured to be paid 50c per post), it is suspected the government employs anywhere from 250,000 to two million people to surreptitiously write social media posts supporting the government line. The Harvard report's authors were able to identify more than 43,000 50 cent posts using leaked data from a county in Jiangxi Province, and it found 99.3 percent were posted by employees of more than 200 government agencies. Analysis found they "highly focused on cheerleading and distraction rather than argumentation and criticism". The report concluded, "In contrast to prior claims, we show that the Chinese regime's strategy is to avoid arguing with skeptics of the party and the government, and to not even discuss controversial issues. We infer that the goal of this massive secretive operation is instead to regularly distract the public and change the subject, as most of the these posts involve cheerleading for China, the revolutionary history of the Communist Party or other symbols of the regime." Another recent item of news to receive ridicule was a post on the social media account of the Nanchang Railway Bureau in Jiangxi Province. An article and photos showed a newly married couple on their wedding night copying the CCP's constitution by hand. They apparently did so to "create fond memories of their wedding night". It reflects the "Two Studies and One Becoming" campaign that President Xi Jinping launched in February. This involves studying the CCP constitution and, of course, Xi's speeches, in order to be a good party member. The campaign encourages members to transcribe the 15,000-word constitution in 100 days. The South China Morning Post quoted official media as saying "the campaign is partly aimed at members whose confidence in communism has been shaken and who advocate Western values". It also targets members who have not paid their "tithes", for every member is required to hand over a percentage of their income to the party. Although the newly-wed couple drew derision from many viewers, it is all part of Xi's efforts to reignite passion, loyalty and discipline in the party among its bloated 88 million membership. Soon after assuming the presidency, Xi held a meeting to discuss ways to "control the number of members while improving the quality". The problem is that times have changed. In the pre-internet days and during the Cultural Revolution, China was isolated and mostly uneducated. Now, its citizens are avid online users, its economy is locked into the global market, and many are travelling and studying abroad. People are clearly becoming cynical of the government. This is certainly one of the key problems China is having with its Hong Kong territory. With a well-educated population and free access to the internet and all forms of media, Hong Kong citizens do not take kindly to the type of proclamations and enforced beliefs that Beijing is trying to impose. Nor are Hong Kong citizens allowed to join the PLA in case their liberality rubs off on the more faithful warriors. Could intensified efforts to control the information fed to the populace cause a backlash in China? Certainly, efforts are redoubling to restrict access to the internet. In March, the Cyber Security Association of China was formed to "serve as a bridge" between the government and public to "organize and mobilize forces in all aspects of society to participate in building China's cyber security". It consists of internet giants like Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent and the telecom firms China Mobile and China Unicom, but it is ominous for its elected head, Fang Binxing. He is otherwise known as the father of the Great Firewall. These companies signing up to this association is just a symptom of their willingness to abide by whatever restrictions the government chooses to impose. The new association falls under the oversight of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). In July 2015 the country's top legislature published a draft cyber security law to give the government full control over the internet and associated data. The authorities have also been targeting virtual private networks (VPN), which many netizens use to get around the Great Firewall that blocks access to "unfit" websites. Religion is another arena the government wants to control. "We must resolutely resist overseas infiltration through religious means and guard against ideological infringement by extremists," the Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying. More than 1,200 crosses were forcibly removed from churches in Zhejiang Province in recent months, for example. Xi demanded that religious groups should "merge religious doctrines with Chinese culture, abide by Chinese laws and regulations, and devote themselves to China's reform and opening-up drive and socialist modernization to contribute to the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation". Beijing is also targeting foreign non-governmental organizations (NGO) to prevent the insidious infiltration of China's hearty society. On National Security Education Day, a comic-style poster warned young female government workers against dating handsome foreigners who might be harbouring secret agendas! While China is buttressing the internet at home, it is taking full advantage of vulnerabilities overseas. Last year alone it is estimated sensitive data of more than 100,000 Americans was compromised by Chinese hackers. Whilst targets of economic advantage have long predominated, evidence suggests China is now focusing much more on national security-related areas. Interestingly, Canada recently rejected the immigration applications of two Chinese employees of telecom giant Huawei. Amidst a swirl of allegations surrounding the company, Canada cited the risk of espionage as the reason for its decision. Huawei is banned in both the USA and Australia from bidding in broadband projects because of threats to national security. The fact is that China is not liberalizing, as many hoped the country would. Information is strictly controlled and the party message carefully crafted and repeated ad nauseam. The internet is merely a tool for the CCP's propaganda arm. Again, it must be asked, if communism creates such a utopia, why do people needed to be shielded from the outside world? According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, there were 712,157 Chinese students studying abroad in 2013.Of this figure, 225,464 were studying in the USA. Why does China have the largest number of students abroad, if the situation is so rosy in China? Perhaps one just cannot believe all the hype! (ANI)
A day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the drone strike by the United States in Balochistan was a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, the Barack Obama government responded saying that they do respect Islamabad's territorial integrity, but that will not stop them from carrying out strikes to remove terrorists targeting U.S. forces. Speaking at a press briefing, State Department Deputy Spokesman, Mark Toner said that the drone strike last week had had been about removing Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who was actively pursuing, planning, carrying out attacks against U.S. and Afghan forces in the region. "First of all, this was a strike directed against this individual, Mansour, in the Afghan-Pakistan border region. We certainly do respect Pakistan's territorial integrity, but as we've said before, we will carry out strikes to remove terrorists who are actively pursuing and planning and directing attacks against U.S. forces," Toner said. Asserting that the drone strike sent a clear message that those who target the U.S. and the Afghan people, are not going to be given a safe haven, and that there's only one option for the Taliban, which is to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict. "What I think it does send is a clear message, as I said, that if you're going to carry out attacks, if you're going to lead attacks against our forces and against Afghan's forces - Afghanistan's forces - then you're going to be targeted and you're not going to have safe haven," Toner said. "And I also think that it sends the message that the Taliban must decide what its future is going to be and whether it's going to be part of a peaceful political future for Afghanistan. And there is a path towards that. They can sit down with the Afghan Government and begin negotiations and talks. We've encouraged that; we support an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led process," he added. He further said that following the drone strike, the U.S. has been in touch with Pakistan and have continued to talk about how they can collaborate and cooperate on rooting out terrorist organizations that continue to Pakistan's territory to carry out attacks. Earlier, Prime Minister Sharif slammed the drone strike carried out by the United States in Balochistan saying that a strong protest had been lodged with the U.S. over the attack. Sharif said that it was not clear that Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was among the two people reportedly killed in the air strike, adding that details of the incident were still being collected. A statement by the Foreign Office in Islamabad said that while investigations were being carried out, "Pakistan wishes to once again state that the drone attack was a violation of its sovereignty, an issue which has been raised with the United States in the past as well". People close to the Taliban said the strike took place as senior 'commanders' were travelling to attend a wedding in a Pakistani village. The Taliban's chief justice official, Mullah Shaikh Abdul Hakim, could have been among those killed in the strike, they said. (ANI)
Andrews is expected to address the Victorian parliament in Melbourne on Tuesday, offering an official apology to the gay community, Xinhua reported.

Some citizens previously jailed for being gay will be in the chambers to witness the landmark event, which is believed to be a world first.

In a statement on Monday, the Premier described the old laws, which were repealed in 1981, as "unjust".

Prior to homosexuality's decriminalisation, the maximum sentence for the charge was 15 years in prison.

Since September last year, the Victorian government has been taking applications from gays and lesbians trying to have past court convictions, made on the basis of their sexuality, stricken from the public record.

Anna Brown from Human Rights Law Centre, the independent group representing a number of the convicted gay men, said the apology meant their clients could move on with their lives.

"These men can feel freed of the shackles of their past," Brown told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday.

"But also they carry a deep stigma and shame having a criminal conviction."

Brown said the conviction records -- held by Victoria's department of public prosecutions, the police and the courts -- were still in paper form, making them very difficult to locate.

"Finding the records is proving to be one of the most challenging parts of the scheme," she said.

It is not the first time an Australian government has felt compelled to apologise for its treatment of a marginalised group.

In 2008, then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd officially said sorry on behalf of the Federal government to indigenous Australians for the Stolen Generations -- when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were removed from their families between the 1890s and 1970s.

--IANS py/

( 318 Words)

2016-05-24-08:42:04 (IANS)
US President Barack Obama is set to lay out more of his plan for a stronger alliance with Vietnam on Tuesday, after scrapping an arms ban that was the last big hurdle between two countries drawn together by concern over China's military buildup.The removal of a vestige of the Vietnam War suggests U.S.worries about Beijing's building of man-made island in the South China Sea and deployment of advanced radars and missile batteries in the disputed region trumped concern about Vietnam's human rights record.Washington had for years said a lifting of the ban would require concrete steps by Vietnam in allowing freedom of speech, worship and assembly and releasing political prisoners.In a joint news conference on Monday with his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang, Obama said "modest" human rights improvements had been made and the decision to end the embargo was about the changing dynamic in ties and "not based on China".The Global Times tabloid, run by the Chinese Communist Party's official People's Daily, said that was a lie and made a point of the what it said was a U.S. willingness to relax standards on human rights for the sake of containing China.The White House "is taking advantage of Vietnam to stir up more troubles in the South China Sea", it said.Obama is to meet civil society representatives on Tuesday, among them dissidents, who may disagree with his arms ban decision. Some Vietnamese activists have expressed disappointment that Obama may have given away leverage with the communist leadership.A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was evidence engagement had worked in nudging Vietnam to make concessions, like its "unprecedented" commitment to set up independent labour unions under a U.S.-inspired Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP trade deal.In a statement late on Monday, Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong spoke of the importance of building relations of mutual respect while "not interfering in each other's internal affairs".TRADE PUSHObama will give a speech in Hanoi about the development of relations since normalisation in 1995 and will champion his signature TPP, which would remove tariffs within a 12-nation bloc worth a combined $28 trillion of gross domestic product.Vietnam's manufacturing and export-led economy is seen as the biggest TPP beneficiary. Annual U.S-Vietnam trade has swelled from $450 million when ties were normalised to $45 billion last year, and Washington is a big buyer of Vietnam's televisions, smartphones, clothing and seafood.The TPP is not a done deal, with opposition expected in Washington amid concern about competition and a loss of U.S.jobs. Obama said he was confident the trade pact would be approved by legislators and he had not seen a credible argument that the deal would dent American business.Obama will on Tuesday fly to Ho Chi Minh City, the country's commercial hub, which was called Saigon until North Vietnamese tanks rolled into the city in April 1975 to bring U.S.-backed South Vietnam under communist rule.He will meet young entrepreneurs at one of the co-working spaces that host Vietnam's budget tech startups, which have been receiving attention from angel investors and Silicon Valley funds.Obama spoke of a U.S. intention to work more closely in defence areas with Vietnam, which is keen to build a deterrent against China. Vietnam and the United States last year held coastguard and humanitarian training exercises.Washington has longstanding defence alliances in the region with the Philippines, which is also at odds with China, and Thailand, and organises annual war games with both.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attended a ceremony on Tuesday in which a deal was agreed with Vietnam to allow the U.S. Peace Corps to work there.Tuesday's English-language China Daily said Obama's visit "bodes ill for regional peace and stability", and would further complicate the situation in the South China Sea, and risk turning the region into a "tinderbox of conflicts".REUTERS PR RK0953 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0105-748758.Xml
The "Remain" camp holds a 13-point lead over "Leave" rivals in Britain's EU referendum campaign, after winning support for the first time from a majority of men, those aged over 65 and Conservative voters, according to a poll from ORB published in yesterday's edition of the Telegraph newspaper.The poll found that among those who definitely plan to vote, support for remaining in the union stood at 55 percent, while that for Brexit was at 42 percent. The three voter groups of men, older people and Tory supporters had all favoured leaving the European Union when they were surveyed in March, the newspaper said, but a majority of each now backed "Remain".Pensioners, previously considered to be the most reliable Brexit supporters, now narrowly favoured staying in the union the survey found, with 52 per cent of the over-65s intending to vote to "Remain" and 44 per cent backing "Leave".Britons will vote on June 23 on whether to remain in the 28-member bloc.ORB has been polling 800 voters by telephone for the Telegraph in a series of polls since March. It has said the data has been weighted to be demographically and politically representative of Britain. REUTERS AKC PS PM0412 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0139-748713.Xml
Terry McAuliffe, Virginia's Democratic governor and chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential run, is under federal investigation over contributions to his 2013 campaign, CNN said on Monday, citing unnamed US officials.The US Justice Department's year-long investigation has focused, at least in part, on whether contributions to McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign, including 120,000 dollars from a Chinese businessman, Wang Wenliang, violated the law, according to CNN.Investigators have "scrutinized" McAuliffe's time as a board member of the Clinton Global Initiative, part of the charitable foundation set up by former President Bill Clinton, CNN said, citing unidentified government officials briefed on the case.The foundation is not accused of any wrongdoing, CNN added.McAuliffe spent at least 15 years as an unpaid director for the foundation, now known as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, until 2013, according to the charity's annual disclosures filed with the Internal Revenue Service.An attorney for McAuliffe's campaign, Marc Elias, said he could not confirm the CNN report."Neither the governor nor his former campaign have knowledge of this matter, but as reported, contributions to the campaign from Mr. Wang were completely lawful," Elias said in a statement. "The governor will certainly cooperate with the government if he is contacted about it."The Justice Department declined to comment.Spokesmen for Clinton and the Clinton Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for Wang, who has given at least 2 million dollars to the Clinton Foundation through his company Rilin Enterprises, said he had not been contacted by investigators.McAuliffe is a close ally of Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. He was co-chairman of Bill Clinton's 1996 presidential re-election campaign and chaired Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid.On Sunday, McAuliffe hosted a fundraiser for Clinton's campaign. For a 2,700 dollars donation, a person attending the event could get a photo taken with him, according to Clinton's website.Republicans seized on the report to question Clinton's integrity. Her aides have been questioned by the FBI and Justice Department prosecutors in a probe into whether her using a private email server as secretary of state broke laws."Hillary Clinton's campaign was already tainted by her own FBI investigation, so the revelation that her top political ally Terry McAuliffe is also facing a criminal probe is especially damaging," Michael Short, a Republican National Committee spokesman, said in a statement.REUTERS AKC PS PM0403 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0139-748715.Xml
Use of electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices has stalled in the United States as more Americans question their safety, according to a new online Reuters/Ipsos poll.About 10 per cent of the 9,766 adults surveyed between April 19 and May 16 use the devices, the same percentage as in a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll in May, 2015. This year, however, a growing percentage of participants expressed negative attitudes toward e-cigarettes. Forty-seven percent of respondents said vaping was not healthier than smoking conventional cigarettes compared with 38 per cent who felt that way a year ago.Forty-three per cent said they did not believe vaping could help people quit smoking compared with 39 per cent who held that view in 2015. A majority of participants - 66 per cent - say that vaping can be addictive compared with 61 per cent in 2015.Additionally, 49 per cent said this year that it could have a similar effect to that of second-hand tobacco smoke compared with 42 per cent last year.The growing concerns about the devices could hit their already slowing sales, especially for smaller e-cigarette and vaping companies. Many of these brands have lost market share to big tobacco companies, such as Altria and Reynolds American Inc. Some do not expect to survive with new US rules to regulate the e-cigarette market."In some ways, a move away from e-cigarettes is actually positive for Altria and Reynolds," said Morningstar analyst Adam Fleck, pointing out it may help sustain sales of conventional cigarettes, whose margins are much higher.Sharra Morris, 42, a mental health counselor in Moore, Oklahoma, started using e-cigarettes in February despite some misgivings about their safety. She tried vaping to help her quit smoking regular cigarettes."The question now is: are they really safe" said Morris, who likes to vape using liquids flavored to taste like Fruit Loops cereal and Snickerdoodle cookies. "What will they tell us in 20 years"E-cigarettes are metal tubes that heat liquids typically laced with nicotine and deliver vapor when inhaled. The liquids come in thousands of flavors, from cotton candy to pizza.Use of the devices has grown quickly in the last decade, with US sales expected to reach 4.1 billion dollars in 2016, according to Wells Fargo Securities. Sales were down 6 percent in the first quarter of 2016, however.The healthcare community remains deeply divided over the devices. Some healthcare experts are concerned about how little is known about the potential health risks. They are especially worried about rising teen e-cigarette use, and fear that may get a new generation hooked on nicotine.Some support them as a safer alternative to tobacco smoke for smokers who have been unable to quit.Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, has advocated vaping as a way to wean smokers off conventional cigarettes. He blames negative publicity for the growing concerns about the devices, and believes most are unwarranted."There have been public health scares, and they are working," said Siegel. "They are dissuading a lot of people from trying these products."CHANGING ATTITUDESThe US Food and Drug Administration issued its first rules regulating e-cigarettes earlier this month, banning their sale and advertising to minors and requiring that manufacturers submit their products for approval.At least one lawsuit has been filed in response to the new rules and more are expected. Many smaller companies say the testing requirement is too burdensome because it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per product, and they often manufacture dozens. They say the rules favor the large players, such as Altria and Reynolds.Companies selling in the United States are banned from marketing the products as smoking cessation devices. About three-quarters of people who switch between e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes said in the Reuters/Ipsos survey they tried them to quit conventional cigarettes, but still smoke tobacco "on occasion."Many are like Michael Whittaker, a 47-year-old delivery driver from Halifax, Massachusetts, who took up vaping a few months ago. "I figured it might be better for me and I might smell better."Now he is trying to cut back on both, which is common for dual users.About 80 per cent of people who switch between e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes said they vape "in places where regular cigarettes are prohibited," such as public buildings, or "when I'm near people who don't like tobacco smoke."About half of those who currently vape or said they used e-cigarettes in the past said friends and family encouraged them to try the devices. The Reuters/Ipsos poll has a credibility interval, a measure of its accuracy, of plus or minus 1.1 percentage point for all respondents and 5.6 percentage points for questions asked of people who switch between conventional and e-cigarettes.A concern for healthcare professionals is that while 29 percent of those who stopped vaping said in the poll they "quit all nicotine products," almost half returned to conventional cigarettes.Of those who went back to traditional tobacco products, 57 pecent said they returned to conventional cigarettes because vaping was not satisfying, and 10 pecent said it was not convenient enough. US-approved smoking cessation products and strategies include medications, patches and counseling, many of which are now covered by insurance."We think there are certainly more and better ways to help smokers to quit," said Erika Sward of the American Lung Association. "When you're going to e-cigarettes, you're not quitting, you're switching," she said.REUTERS RSD PR RK1037 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-748803.Xml
Five naval officers in Pakistan have been sentenced to death by a Navy tribunal in a case related to terrorism, father of one of the convicts told daily Dawn.Retired Major Saeed Ahmed told Dawn yesterday that his son, Sub-Lieutenant Hammad Ahmed, and four other naval officers had been convicted of the Karachi naval dockyard attack that took place two years ago on the Defence Day on September 6, 2014.He said the five were charged with having links with the militant Islamic State group, mutiny, hatching a conspiracy and carrying weapons in the dockyard.However, according to media reports, the attackers were purportedly planning to hijack the warship PNS Zulfiqar to use it in an attack on one of the US navy's refuel ships. Two militants were killed and four others were apprehended by security personnel.Mr Saeed said the naval authorities did not provide his son the right to a fair trial."I wrote a letter to the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the navy on August 15, 2015, asking him to provide the opportunity of a defence counsel to my son. The navy JAG on September 21 replied that the option of defence counsel would be available at the time of trial" he said. Mr Saeed said he was waiting for the commencement of the trial when someone recently informed him that his son had been shifted to the Karachi central prison.The retired Army officer came to know about the conclusion of the trial and capital punishment when he went to Karachi and met his son and his four colleagues Irfanullah, Muhammad Hammad, Arsalan Nazeer and Hashim Naseer in prison."My son told me that a naval court had awarded death penalty to him and four other officers after a secret trial," he claimed. "The convicted officers informed me that the naval court concluded the trial on April 12 and promulgated the sentence on April 14,"he said.He said the naval authorities did not provide him copies of the proceedings of the trial when he approached them for the same.Mr Saeed said he would file an appeal against the judgement before the naval court of appeal.''My son and others have been made scapegoats, as this is not the first time when such security lapses have come to light,''Mr Saeed said.He said the five officers had been in the Navy for only four to five years and they were not capable of seizing a warship and using it for a banned outfit.In July 2015, the naval authorities informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that a 'missing' sub-lieutenant, Hafiz Ehsanullah Sajjad, was in their custody in connection with the naval dockyard attack case.Safia Ismail, the wife of the 'missing' officer, had filed a petition before the IHC stating that her husband was detained by the navy without any charge. She said that he was taken away from his residence in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Karachi, by "some people in plain clothes on the evening of Sept 6, 2014".She said that her father, who was also a retired Navy officer, had tried to ascertain his whereabouts but to no avail.Meanwhile, officials of the Pakistan Navy's directorate of public relations were not available when Dawn tried to contact them for official confirmation.UNI XC PR SS -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0105-749031.Xml
US President Barack Obama chided Vietnam on political freedoms today after critics of the communist-run government were prevented from meeting him in Hanoi, a discordant note on a trip otherwise steeped in words of amity between the former foes.Obama announced yesterday that Washington was scrapping its embargo on the sale of lethal arms to Vietnam, clearing the biggest hurdle remaining between two countries that have been drawn together by concern over China's military build-up.Critics said that by removing the ban, a vestige of the Vietnam War, Washington had put concerns about Beijing's assertiveness in the South China Sea first and given up a critical lever to push Hanoi for an improvement in human rights.One prominent intellectual, Nguyen Quang A, told Reuters that about 10 policemen had come to his house at 6:30 a.m. and put him in a car that was driven out of the capital until Obama was about to leave the capital.An outspoken lawyer said he was also stopped from joining a meeting that Obama held with six other civil society leaders.Speaking later, Obama noted that several activists had been blocked from attending and said this was an indication that, despite some "modest" legal reforms "there are still folks who find it very difficult to assemble and organise peacefully around issues that they care deeply about"."There are still areas of significant concern in terms of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, accountability with respect to government," he said, adding in a speech later that upholding human rights is not a threat to stability.Quang A, a former IT entrepreneur, was one of more than 100 Vietnamese who tried to run as independents for last weekend's election to the parliament, which is tightly controlled by the Communist Party. Almost all failed to get on the ballot.Before he was taken away, Quang A posted on Facebook a photograph of himself dressing for the meeting with Obama, with the message: "Before going. May be intercepted, arrested. Advising so people know."Vietnam's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment."BIG NATIONS SHOULD NOT BULLY SMALL ONES"Obama returned to human rights in a speech before leaving Hanoi, but he also dwelt on the importance of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, where China has been turning remote outcrops into islands with runways and harbours."Big nations should not bully small ones. Disputes should be resolved peacefully," he said, without naming China, which claims sovereignty over 80 per cent of the South China Sea.In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said countries outside the region should respect regional countries' efforts to safeguard regional peace and security. She said China believed a country's size should not be used as the only or main basis to determine if its position is justified."They key is whether the relevant party is sincere and determined in resolving disputes through joint efforts, negotiations, and consultations," she said.China's Global Times, run by the Communist Party's official People's Daily, sneered at the decision to lift the arms embargo on Vietnam and said it showed Washington's willingness to relax standards on human rights for the sake of containing China.The White House "is taking advantage of Vietnam to stir up more troubles in the South China Sea", it said.Obama flew on to Ho Chi Minh City, the country's commercial hub, which was called Saigon until North Vietnamese tanks rolled into the city in April 1975 to bring US-backed South Vietnam under communist rule.Tens of thousands lined the road from Ho Chi Minh City's airport, many waving and chanting "Obama, Obama" as his motorcade rolled towards the century-old Jade Emperor Pagoda in the city centre. Some held handwritten signs that said: "Obama, we love you".He is expected to emphasise the benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim countries, which would remove tariffs within a 12-nation bloc worth a combined 28 trillion dollars of gross domestic product.Vietnam's manufacturing and export-led economy is seen as the biggest TPP beneficiary. Annual US-Vietnam trade has swelled from 450 million dollars when ties were normalised to 45 billion dollars last year, and Washington is a big buyer of Vietnam's televisions, smartphones, clothing and seafood.The TPP is not a done deal, with opposition expected in Washington amid concern about competition and a loss of US jobs. Obama said he was confident the trade pact would be approved by legislators and he had not seen a credible argument that the deal would dent American business.He will meet young entrepreneurs at one of the co-working spaces that host Vietnam's budget tech startups, which have been receiving attention from angel investors and Silicon Valley funds.REUTERS RSD AS1526 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-749295.Xml
A 10-year-old Thai girl called out for her mother and father as a blaze swept through her school dormitory "until her voice was gone", her mother said today.The fire broke out late on Sunday as the girls, aged between five and 12, slept at a Christian school for children of hill-tribe families in the northern province of Chiang Rai.Investigators are looking at the possibility of faulty lighting on the ground floor below the dormitory.Malawian Saw-wa's daughter, May, died in hospital. Her elder daughter survived by jumping from a second-floor window, she said."My eldest daughter said she heard May calling for mum and dad to help until her voice was gone," Malawian said."Never in my lifetime will I let my daughter out of my sight. The school must be held responsible for this. My daughter was my heart and soul."Five of the victims have been identified and police were seeking to identify the others through DNA tests.Police questioned witnesses today, and said they had not yet reached a conclusion on the cause of the fire."We still need to gather evidence from the scene first on what caused this and whether this was due to negligence," said district police chief Prayad Singsin.A forensics officer told Reuters evidence pointed to a loose light bulb melting on the ground floor of the two-storey building, causing the fire that killed the girls in the dormitory above.Around 10 of the 19 girls that survived slept on the school grounds yesterday night as their parents had yet to arrive from far-flung areas to pick them up, said Tuenjai Tanachaikant a local who volunteered to help at the school after the fire.Some of the parents also slept at the school where they lit incense sticks and prayed.Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha sent his condolences to the families of the victims and the school."The prime minister wanted to sent a message to all the teachers and students that the fire may burn down the school buildings but don't let it burn away their hopes," government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told reporters.Prayuth said he had ordered government agencies to work to reduce the number of deadly accidents in Thailand. In Bangkok today, a blaze at a restaurant and bar killed two people, police said. REUTERS RSD AS1622 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-749468.Xml
Cyprus's president has cut short a visit to Turkey over a perceived protocol breach by Ankara, with which the island has been at loggerheads with since 1974.Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who has been in Turkey since yesterday, refused to attend an official dinner hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci was invited.Anastasiades and Akinci are engaged in reunification talks for Cyprus as leaders of their respective communities. Anastasiades is also president of the internationally-recognised Republic of Cyprus, and is sensitive to any perceived attempt to put the two on an equal footing at international events.Quoting Greek Cypriot sources, Cyprus's state news agency CNA reported that Anastasiades said "Have a nice dinner, I'm not coming" when a UN envoy telephoned him to say Akinci had been invited to the heads of state banquet on Monday evening.Anastasiades would leave Turkey today evening and make a brief stopover in Athens tomorrow, officials said.Anastasiades had also cancelled a meeting scheduled with UN special envoy for Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, for Thursday. It was unclear if he would meet Akinci as scheduled on Friday.Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. The conflict is a major obstacle to Turkey joining the European Union because of Ankara's refusal to recognise Cyprus.Turkey was this week hosting a United Nations summit on the migration crisis.REUTERS RSD NS1634 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-749494.Xml
Greek police today started moving some of the 8,000 migrants and refugees stranded in a makeshift camp on the sealed northern border with Macedonia to state-run facilities further south.Several busloads of people, most of them families with children, left the sprawling expanse of tents at Idomeni early today and about a dozen more buses were lined up ready to take more, Reuters witnesses said.At the latest tally, about 8,200 people were camped at Idomeni. At one point more than 12,000 lived there after several Balkan countries shut their borders in February, barring migrants and refugees from central and northern Europe.Greek authorities said they planned to move individuals gradually to state-supervised facilities further south which currently have capacity of about 5,000 people. The operation is expected to last several days."The evacuation is progressing without any problem," said Giorgos Kyritsis, a government spokesman for the migrant crisis. People would be relocated "ideally by the end of the week," he said. "We haven't put a strict deadline on it."A Reuters witness on the Macedonian side of the border said there was a heavy police presence in the area but no problems were reported as people with young children packed up huge bags with their belongings.Media on the Greek side of the border were kept at a distance. Inside the Idomeni camp, police in riot gear stood guard as people from the camp boarded the buses, footage by the state broadcaster ERT showed. Some 1,100 refugees and migrants had been relocated by noon, Greek police said.A police official said about 1,000 people were blocking the sole railway tracks linking Greece and Macedonia. Protesters demanding passage to northern Europe have for weeks blocked the route, forcing trains to divert through Bulgaria to the east. Some goods wagons have been stranded on the tracks for weeks.The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) urged Greece to refrain from using force during the transfer of the migrants and refugees."It's important that organised movements are voluntary, non-discriminatory and based on well-informed choices by the individuals," spokesman Adrian Edwards told a briefing in Geneva.International charity Save the Children said it was concerned about a lack of basic services such as bathrooms and shelters in the official camps."Many of the children, especially lone children, have been through enough trauma already," said Amy Frost, team leader in Greece."Now that the evacuation has started, it is paramount that authorities make it a priority to keep families together, and to ensure that children are being transferred to facilities where they can live in conditions that meet European and international standards for child welfare," she said.REUTERS RSD AS1640 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-749504.Xml
Tripathi had moved to the apex court stating that Dahal's recent public statements criticised the judiciary for issuing verdicts on the conflict-era cases which were tantamount to the contempt of court, reports The Himalayan Times.

The petitioner has demanded maximum punishment which includes one year jail term to the former prime minister who is the top leader of one of the ruling parties.

After a preliminary hearing today, a single bench of Acting Chief Justice Sushila Karki summoned the former prime minister to be present before the apex court and reply within three days, according to Tripathi.

The Section 7 of the Supreme Court Act deals with the contempt of court.(ANI)
More than 20 British Members of Parliament (BME) from Commonwealth backgrounds have written an open letter calling for United Kingdom to leave the European Union. They argue that Britain's membership of the EU is a barrier to ties being strengthened with the Commonwealth and the rest of the world saying that 'Vote to Leave' will allow them to adopt fairer trade and immigration policies with countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand. The cross-party group of signatories include Boris Johnson, Priti Patel, Gisela Stuart, RishiSunak and Iain Duncan Smith. Priti Patel , who was appointed UK India Diaspora Champion by the Prime Minister in2013, said that India is a growing market with the fastest growing working age population of any other major economy - but it is a market that we are forbidden from striking a trade dealwith because it is against EU rules. Priti Patel added that EU membership has also led to an immigration system with discrimination and prejudice at its core. At present, we discriminate against those outside the EU all due to the fact that EU freedom of movement rules mean we are unable to control migration from countries that are members of the bloc. Gisela Stuart, Chair of Vote Leave said that 'If we vote to remain, the UK will be unable to make trade deals with the rest of the world as the Eurozone economy stagnates. This means that the UK may well remain unable to trade on favourable terms with major emerging economies in the years ahead, while remaining tied to the failing Eurozone. The percentage of UK exports going to the EU has been in decline for a decade. If we vote to remain, we will tie ourselves to a shrinking market. It is beneficial to Vote Leave and take back control', added Stuart.(ANI)
A Burundi opposition group that includes politicians in exile said today it was ready to attend any new round of peace talks hosted by Tanzania, after a first round from which it was excluded.The mediator, former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, said the first round was more of a "monologue" by the government but that he would meet with those who did not attend and might have "positive contributions" to make.Burundi has been mired in a year-long crisis in which more than 450 people have been killed since President Pierre Nkurunziza pursued and won a third term. Opponents said his move violated the constitution and a deal that ended a civil war in 2005.A new round of peace talks was launched in the Tanzanian city of Arusha at the weekend, after previous discussions in Burundi and Uganda over the past year collapsed or stalled.But several opposition groups, including CNARED, an umbrella group that includes exiled politicians and former government officials, said the talks had little value as they and other leading opposition voices were left out."If President Mkapa decided to invite CNARED to the next round of talks, we will respond to his invitation," CNARED spokesman Pancrace Cimpaye told Reuters. Cimpaye had described the talks as a "monologue" when they opened on Saturday."Talks should be between Nkurunziza's side and all political parties and civil society grouping opposed to the third term."The government has said CNARED is not a registered party.In a closing statement on Tuesday, Mkapa said he would continue mediation efforts in the next two weeks, including speaking to those who had not attended the first round."I will continue and complete the consultations with those who did not come during this session, but whom I feel might have positive contributions to make to the process."Arusha was also the location for negotiations that led to the deal to end the ethnically charged 1993-2005 civil war.Renewed violence in Burundi has alarmed a region where memories of the Rwanda's 1994 genocide remain raw. Like Rwanda, Burundi has an ethnic Hutu majority and a Tutsi minority.The violence in Burundi has so far largely followed political rather than ethnic loyalties. But diplomats fear ethnic wounds could reopen the longer strife continues.REUTERS CJ PR1957 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-750180.Xml
US President Barack Obama approved the drone strike that killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour because the Taliban leader was overseeing plans for new attacks on American targets in Afghan capital Kabul, US officials said last night. While the Taliban are yet to confirm the death of their leader on Saturday in a remote area in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, senior members of the insurgency's leadership council met to begin choosing Mansour's successor. Two senior members of the movement also said Pakistani authorities had delivered Mansour's badly burned remains for burial in the western city of Quetta. Pakistani officials, however, denied handing over a body. US forces targeted Mansour because he was plotting attacks that posed "specific imminent threats" to US and coalition forces in Afghanistan, said Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, later specified that the Taliban were planning new attacks against "our interests and our people in Kabul." He did not elaborate. But the administration hopes Mansour's death will have a long-term impact by pushing the Taliban to end its refusal to engage in peace negotiations with Kabul and "choose the path to reconciliation," the official said. He expressed hope that the death of Mansour will convince Pakistan to live up to its "rhetoric" and deny safe haven to the Taliban. American intelligence and military officials have long said the Pakistani military supports elements of the insurgency. But the Taliban's direction is hard to predict and hinges largely on what happens in the leadership contest and in fighting over the summer season. Mansour's death cleared "an obstacle to reconciliation," said one US intelligence official, also speaking on condition of anonymity. "But it's not clear if it clears the path for reconciliation." Obama confirmed Mansour's death while on a three-day visit to Vietnam, calling it "an important milestone." "The Taliban should seize the opportunity to pursue the only real path for ending this long conflict - joining the Afghan government in a reconciliation process that leads to lasting peace and stability," Obama said. REUTERS SHK 2018 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0430-750261.Xml
Since Moscow started its air operation in Syria on September 30 last year, the Russian Air Force has eliminated over a third of Islamic State fighters in the country, the deputy head of Russias top security body revealed. We estimate that at the beginning of our operation Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State possessed about 80,000 fighters, of whom 28,000 (35 percent) have already been eliminated. This is [the result of] our actions together with the Syrian Army, Evgeny Lukyanov said at the VII international security summit being held in Grozny, the capital of Russias Chechen Republic, RT online reported. Well, the (US-led anti-terrorist) coalition eliminated an additional 5,000 in two years, Lukyanov added. There were people predicting that it [Russias anti-terrorist operation in Syria] would result in another Afghanistan or something like that. That would never be. There are only limited military plans, Lukyanov said, stressing that Syrians must solve their issues for themselves. The principle task of the Russian operation in Syria has been to force the sides to start a political dialogue, the Russian Security Councils top official stressed. Otherwise this [war] would have no end in sight. A deal is needed, and arrangements must be made through compromise, Lukyanov added. There are no victors in a civil war, everybody loses. The war in Syria has witnessed a turning point, Lukyanov also said. Only those politically motivated could deny that fact or interpret it differently. However, judging by the reaction of certain parties on the Syrian battlefield and the aggressive actions of intransigent opposition, they would like very much to wreck the settlement process. The forces that oppose the peace process would do anything to torpedo attempts to mend the tensions, Lukyanov noted. He noted that over 100 Syrian settlements have already recognized the armistice and are observing it. Another sign of relief in Syria is Russias withdrawal of most of its contingent and military aircraft, the Security Council official pointed out, stressing that the Russian military is busy conducting an assessment of the situation. While 59 armed groups have joined the reconciliation process in Syria, which began on February 27 with the introduction of a ceasefire, terrorist factions like Islamic State and particularly Al-Nusra Front continue their efforts to regain ground. The city of Aleppo, once a major stronghold of terrorists, remains a hot spot of Al-Nusra activities. The ceasefire does not apply to internationally-recognized terror groups such as IS and Al-Nusra Front, which means airstrikes can be delivered against their outposts. On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed via phone the possibility of joining forces to carry out attacks on militant groups breaking the ceasefire in Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. No conclusion on the potential joint effort was reached. --IANS ahm/ ( 479 Words) 2016-05-25-03:08:04 (IANS)
PYD Impose Kurdish Education Curricula on Assyrians, Arabs in Syria

Teacher Jacob Lahmo explains Assyrians fonts. The language of the Assyrian Christians is now taught again in Syria but its speakers fear being marginalized. ( Sebastian Backhaus/Welt) (AINA) -- The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is the Syrian branch of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) from Turkey, and some attached allied non-Kurdish groups, declared a so-called autonomous federation in the northern part of Syria in March 2016. The PYD was strengthened by support from the Syrian regime to safeguard the northern border corridors to Turkey and recent military support by the U.S. led coalition to fight the ISIS. It seized the opportunity to establish a Kurdish state in the shadow of the Syrian crisis, at the expense of the rights of the non-Kurdish majority in the region.

Prior to 2012, Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) living in the northern part of Syria constituted more than one third of the population, the Arabs approximately another third. Assyrians, as the indigenous population of the region and as a non-Kurdish ethnic group in the Hasaka governorate, have been seriously impacted by the PYD decision. While only a single Assyrian group, the Syriac Union Party, joined the Kurdish self-governance project, including the police and military structure created by the Kurds, the majority of the Assyrian civic organizations and half a dozen of their political parties in Qamishli and Hasaka oppose the Kurdish decision. In fact, the majority of the Arab population and many Kurdish organizations non-aligned with the PYD oppose autonomy.

The Syrian regime still maintains its presence in both cities in form of fiscal, administrative, banking, legal, security and military structures. The PYD has created partially a parallel structure of self-governance, including police and military. Tensions routinely arise between Syrian regime and Kurdish forces because of this, as the latest clashes show (see here and here). Besides tensions over quarters and strategic military positions, the parallel governing structures are causing serious practical problems for the population of the region, such as forced conscription to military service, additional taxes on businesses and Kurdish nationalistic education curricula imposed in private and public schools.

In November 2015, sixteen Assyrian and Armenian civic and religious organizations issued a statement protesting the enforcement of Kurdish self-administration in the Hasaka province (AINA 2015-11-02). The statement accused the PYD, among others, of expropriation of private property, illegal military conscription and interference in church school curricula. The statements opened with:

For over four years our country, Syria, is struggling with tragic events. War devastation and terrorism have caused all ethnic groups much suffering. But we, inhabitants of Al-Jazeera, have kept so precious nowadays ideals of peaceful coexistence between various communities of our province. Due to extraordinary situation and having safety in mind local Self-Administration was created, together with number of dependent institutions. Some of its regulations, however, are not properly prepared nor thoroughly measured. This causes valid concerns among various ethnic and national groups. While it is happening official authorities [of the Syrian regime] are still performing its fiscal, administrative, legal and military duties.

The criticism against the Kurdish approach was massively echoed by Assyrian federations from U.S., Australia and Europe (AINA 2015-11-10) while also addressing illegal seizure of property, forced conscription and threats, pressure and targeted killings.

In an article for Global Independent Analytics, Maram Susli, an independent geopolitical analyst and commentator from Australia, outlined the reasons why a Kurdish enclave in Syria is a bad idea, undemocratic and could lead to ethnic cleansing and genocide.

The Old Testament is Slightly Rewritten

Fast forward to May 2016, more details are surfacing as Kurdish curricula are put into practice. The Middle East correspondent of the German Newspaper (Die Welt), Alfred Hackensberger, published an article where he cites talks with Assyrians collaborating with Kurds in Qamishli in, what he calls, the "building of a new state."

Interviewing Nancy Eissa and her husband John, who lead the Assyrian Edessa Language Institute, Nancy Eissa says "In the new textbooks they [the Kurds] alter historical and geographical facts." For example, Assyrian place names are changed to Kurdish names, Kurdish students are taught that King Nebuchadnezzar from the Old Testament married a Kurdish woman.

In fact, this development is not surprising. Back in autumn 2015, Kurdish language school curricula started to generate controversy for being too ideological and "prioritizing a single view over all others."

Hackensberger writes in his article of Assyrian fears that Kurdish revisionism will eventually lead to conflict. Hackensberger states the Kurds systematically prepared their new curricula beginning in 2011, which is now being used as a blueprint for the Christians and Arabs in the region. The Kurds are trying to enforce this in the new joint bodies, for example in the so-called education committee.

However, "no independent decisions can be taken" in that education committee, says Malek Hanna, an Assyrian member of that committee who was interviewed by Hackensberger. According to Hanna, the chairman of the committee does not allow any vote without "certain people" being available, who actually do not have a legitimate voice there. These people are closely associated with the "party" -- which is how the PYD is identified in the region. Hackensberger states that the partisans of the PYD make all important decisions in the education committee, even though they are not members of the committee.

"That's against the rules of democracy," says Hanna. "These people are radical hardliners who want to impose their Kurdish nationalism on everyone."
BEIJING, May 24, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Liu Yunshan (2nd R front), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, talks with villagers of Wushiling Village in Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County, south China's Guangdong Province, May 22, 2016. Liu made an inspection tour in Guangdong from May 21 to 23. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

GUANGZHOU, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Liu Yunshan has urged local officials to study Party rules and use them to solve people's problems.

Liu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a visit to south China's Guangdong Province this week.

While praising the province's economic and social development, Liu visited several villages to review the work of local Party organizations and efforts to relieve poverty.

"Every Party member should remember that his or her first obligation is to serve the people, and they must set an example with concrete action," Liu said.

Liu urged local CPC organizations to follow the requirements for the comprehensive and strict management of the Party and guide leading teams to boost development and seek benefits for local people.

Liu told Party members to better study the Party constitution and rules as well as speeches by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, as part of an ongoing education campaign, urging them to apply what they learn to their efforts to solve locals' problems.

During the tour, Liu visited state-owned companies, universities and communities, calling on Party members and officials to play a greater role in reform, development and stability and contribute to the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
$20,000 stolen from St Charles RC church

According to a report, the office of the presbytery was secured Friday night and when officials returned on Saturday morning, the money was discovered missing.

A report was made to the Tunapuna police and fingerprints experts went to the scene along with detectives, who continue investigations
Butcher found dead in bed

Pulchan told Newsday that Ramnarine also had a wound to his hand. Ramnarine, a mason, was a heavy drinker who consumed alcohol every day and when drunk would curse villagers. He was single, had no children and lived alone. Pulchan said: Butcher was a drinker, he cursed people when he drunk but was real nice when he sober. He was not a violent person and that is why we want to know why would someone want to kill him. Relatives said they last saw him around 9 pm on Saturday when he passed home by his nephew and had dinner. .

He was drunk as usual and my mother gave him something to eat and told him to go home and rest, Pulchan added. Someone broke into his house and killed him. Police reported that on Sunday at 6.30 pm officers of the Fyzabad Police Station and Southern Homicide Bureau responded to a report of a discovery of a body at a house in Gowers Well Road, Fyzabad.

Meanwhile, also on Sunday, police were called to the scene of another murder, this time in La Brea and the victim was identified as Akile Francis, 31, of Reid Road, Point Fortin. A police report stated that Reid was gunned down while walking in La Brea by two men who exited a vehicle and opened fire on him. He was rushed to the Point Fortin Area Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Also shot and killed on Sunday was Anand Lucky Mohammed, of Caparo. He was found dead with a gun shot wound to the head lying near a car at Stone Road in Piparo.

Mohammeds death brought to three the number of persons killed in the south and south western divisions on Sunday. All three bodies were ordered removed to the Forensic Sciences Centre for autopsies which were expected to be performed yesterday. No one has been arrested in connection with the murders. Officers of the Southern Homicide Bureau are continuing their investigations
Jury told, common-law wife inherited millions

As the trial of Roger Greene, 38, continues in the San Fernando High Court, Enal who was Maharajs common-law wife for 17 years, was not in attendance. Her elderly mother Sumintra Enal, told the judge and jury that she was in India. Greene, 38, is on trial for the murder of Maharaj, who owned a mall, another building and two properties in Canada. He was beaten to death on January 11, 2006.

Senior State attorney Trevor Jones succeeded in legal arguments and convinced Justice Hayden St Douglas to admit Enals deposition which contained evidence she gave at the Preliminary Enquiry in the San Fernando Magistrates court. Enal is reported to have said in evidence at the magistrates court that jewelry, United States dollars and British pounds were missing.

The deposition quoted Sumatee as saying that she was forced to file a High Court injunction against some of Maharajs relatives, adding in cross-examination by the late Senior Counsel Rangee Dolsingh, that she inherited millions of dollars of her dead husbands wealth. Asked by Dolsingh if she knew the accused Greene, Sumatee had said she did not, and she also did not know one of the States witnesses who has been offered immunity from prosecution, Brian Worrel. She denied that both men ever worked for her. The trial continues today.
Ill juror delays Vindra murder trial

Trial judge Justice Malcolm Holdip was expected to resume his summation to the jury but was unable to do so after one of the jurors reported ill. Another has an obligation to attend to today so Holdip will now continue his directions to the jury tomorrow, going straight through to possibly Saturday, when the 12 jurors on the main panel will retire to deliberate on their verdict.

The trial against the ten men in the prisoners docks at the Second Criminal Court in the Port-of- Spain Assizes officially began in June 2013 when the jurors were empanelled. Originally, 12 men were accused of Naipaul-Coolmans murder and they were put in the jurys charge in October 2013.

The prosecution began leading evidence in the case in March 2014, with lead prosecutor Israel Khan SC opening the States case on March 24, in which he gave gruesome details of the businesswomans killing.

Following the death of accused Allan Scanny Martin, who was shot dead by police in July of last year, after he and two others staged a daring prison break from the Port-of-Spain State Prison on Frederick Street, 11 men stood accused of Naipaul-Coolmans murder.

This number was reduced by one when, in January, Holdip upheld the no-case submission of accused Joel Fraser, who was immediately acquitted of the charge against him.
Legal threat over transfer of killers

A pre-action protocol letter was delivered to Stewart by attorney Karina Singh, who along with attorneys Jagdeo Singh and Rhea Libert represent the two prisoners who are serving life sentences for the 1997 murder of pig farmer Thackoor Boodram, brother of executed killer Nankissoon Boodram, aka Dole Chadee.

The letter threatens legal action to be instituted in seven days if the commissioner fails to provide the reasons and the evidence to support the decision to relocate the two to the Arima facility. The attorneys letter quoted a Newsday article in which the Prisons Commissioner said the two prisoners were in breach of prison rules.

However, Singh noted that no reference was made by the commissioner to the actual alleged incidents or record of misbehaviour on the part of the two men.

We are cognisant of the discretion of the Commissioner of Prisons in the custody of prisoners under his remit. Nevertheless, we are also aware that our clients are being subjected to inhumane and degrading conditions, the lawyer wrote.

According to their pre-action protocol letter, the two men complained of mosquitoes, poor ventilation, lack of basic sanitation in cells, the sanitary condition of the ceiling fans in their cells and the lack of insulation in the cells at the Santa Rosa facility.

Consequently, the lack of sanitary arrangements and treatment has interferred with their dignity and adversely impacted on our clients as they are mentally distressed and unable to sleep, Singh wrote.

The lifers further complained that their cells were searched, religious items were destroyed and they received word that a senior officer in the Prison Service had conspired to endanger their lives.
Biafrans in TT mark West Africa genocide

Activists will assemble at 10.45 am at Independence Square, Port-of-Spain, opposite Marios Pizzeria.

Biafran efforts to secede from Nigeria ended in the Biafran War of 1967 to 1970 which saw the deaths of two million Biafrans mainly by starvation and disease.

As a people, we have resolved never to give up, said Anamene.

We will fight for our total liberation from the invaders. He listed these enemies as Boko Haram, other groups in Nigeria hostile to the Biafrans, plus foreign powers including the British (which supported Nigeria against Biafra during the Biafran War).

Biafrans have a duty to rise and speak up. We must voice out the human inhumanity being meted out against our people even in todays world.
FBI and the House Select Committee may not hold Clinton accountable for either of her pending scandals

We have a serial liar running to be the man in charge of the U.S. corporate state. Nothing new here, although this years version is particularly pernicious, and obvious:

Youve heard ad infinitum about the private email server Hillary Clinton used for official State Department business, but not so much lately about the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, including Libya Ambassador Christopher Stevens in September, 2012. Seems that three and one-half years would be plenty of time for the House Select Committee on Benghazi, headed by South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy, to do some serious investigating. But that may be wishful thinking, says Accuracy in Media (AIM), because when the evidence is released, the results may not pack a definitive punch:

Its not my job to tell you what happened, said [Congressman] Gowdy on the Don Smith radio show. Its my job to tell you what the witnesses say. I wasnt there.'

But what if there is evidence of malfeasance? Wouldnt the committee be responsible for making a conclusion of what happened, rather than simply parrot words without connections? And what type of witnesses have been called? Thats also a problem, according to AIM, who points out the lack of depth, expertise and diversity from those who were asked to give testimony:

So far, the committee does not appear to have interviewed outside expertsauthoritative figures who could shine some light on the testimony of bureaucrats with ulterior motives.

You gotta wonder if Congress folks read anything other than their own government propaganda. They could have easily accessed The Rat Line and the Red Line by Pulitzer Prize willing journalist Seymour Hersh. Published in April 2014, this report linked the Libya attack with weapons being procured and stored for operations in Syria:

The Obama administration has never publicly admitted to its role in creating what the CIA calls a rat line, a back channel highway into Syria. The rat line, authorised in early 2012, was used to funnel weapons and ammunition from Libya via southern Turkey and across the Syrian border to the opposition. Many of those in Syria who ultimately received the weapons were jihadists, some of them affiliated with al-Qaida. (The DNI [Director of National Intelligence] spokesperson said: The idea that the United States was providing weapons from Libya to anyone is false.)

Now what about the investigation of those classified emails? Thats an FBI led process. Surely they will gather all the facts, churn them diligently and, if the evidence is there, turn it over to the Justice Department with serious indictment recommendations, not so? Perhaps not, as suggested by Accuracy in Media (AIM):

With 150 agents working on one of the FBIs cases against Mrs. Clinton, it seems incumbent upon the Bureau to push the Justice Department to indict Hillary Clinton if it finds the corruption it is searching for. And, given recent evidence, it seems unlikely that the agency could do anything but charge her with mishandling classified information.

Mrs. Clintons main defense has been that the information from her emails now deemed classified wasnt marked as classified at the time. However, in 2011 Secretary of State Clinton instructed an aide, Jake Sullivan, to remove the classified markings before sending information to her private, unsecured email. Besides, it doesnt matter legally whether this information was marked classified or not. That is a smokescreen. It is her professional obligation to recognize classified material.

Yet President Obama has already put his finger on the scale of justice, asserting that Clintons email server is not a situation in which Americas national security was endangered.

FBI Director James Comey faces a politically untenable choiceto pursue a case against the Presidents wishes or to tarnish the impartiality of the law. Comey has a reputation as a straight-shooter to the extent that if he makes a criminal referral to the Department of Justice and they dont act on it, he might well go public, or resign. Time will tell.

It certainly will. And one fine day, the time for liars will run out.

(Photo credit: Legal Insurrection)

Sources:

Youtube.com

Aim.org

Lrb.co.uk

Science.NaturalNews.com

Submit a correction >>
Force 2 To Release on 18 November, 2016

Bollywood, Tue, 24 May 2016 NI Wire

Mumbai: A gripping storyline, high-octane action and a dash of drama - Force 2 promises to be one of the thrillers to look forward to in 2016.

Set in parts of China, India and Budapest - the second edition of the Force franchise will witness larger than life action sequences and intense performances. Featuring John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha and Tahir Bhasin - this action thriller is directed by Abhinay Deo.

Presented by Viacom18 Motion Pictures - Force 2 is Produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, John Abraham, Viacom18 Motion Pictures And Co-Produced by Sheel Kumar.

The film releases on 18 November, 2016.
Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.
A simple filtration process helped Rice University researchers create flexible, wafer-scale films of highly aligned and closely packed carbon nanotubes.

Scientists at Rice, with support from Los Alamos National Laboratory, have made inch-wide films of densely packed, chirality-enriched single-walled carbon nanotubes

In the right solution of nanotubes and under the right conditions, the tubes assemble themselves by the millions into long rows that are aligned better than once thought possible, the researchers reported.

The thin films offer possibilities for making flexible electronic and photonic (light-manipulating) devices, said Rice physicist Junichiro Kono, whose lab led the study. Think of a bendable computer chip, rather than a brittle silicon one, and the potential becomes clear, he said.

Once we have centimeter-sized crystals consisting of single-chirality nanotubes, thats it, Kono said. Thats the holy grail for this field. For the last 20 years, people have been looking for this.

The Rice lab is closing in, he said, but the films reported in the current paper are chirality-enriched rather than single-chirality. A carbon nanotube is a cylinder of graphene, with its atoms arranged in hexagons. How the hexagons are turned sets the tubes chirality, and that determines its electronic properties. Some are semiconducting like silicon, and others are metallic conductors.

A film of perfectly aligned, single-chirality nanotubes would have specific electronic properties. Controlling the chirality would allow for tunable films, Kono said, but nanotubes grow in batches of random types.

For now, the Rice researchers use a simple process developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to separate nanotubes by chirality. While not perfect, it was good enough to let the researchers make enriched films with nanotubes of different types and diameters and then make terahertz polarizers and electronic transistors.

Fabrication and characterization of wafer-scale monodomain films of aligned CNT

Nature Nanotechnology  Wafer-scale monodomain films of spontaneously aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes

The Rice lab discovered the filtration technique in late 2013 when graduate students and lead authors Xiaowei He and Weilu Gao inadvertently added a bit too much water to a nanotube-surfactant suspension before feeding it through a filter assisted by vacuum. (Surfactants keep nanotubes in a solution from clumping.)

The film that formed on the paper filter bore further investigation. Weilu checked the film with a scanning electron microscope and saw something strange, He said. Rather than drop randomly onto the paper like pickup sticks, the nanotubes  millions of them  had come together in tight, aligned rows.

That first picture gave us a clue we might have something totally different, He said. A year and more than 100 films later, the students and their colleagues had refined their technique to make nanotube wafers up to an inch wide (limited only by the size of their equipment) and of any thickness, from a few to hundreds of nanometers.

Further experiments revealed that each element mattered: the type of filter paper, the vacuum pressure and the concentration of nanotubes and surfactant. Nanotubes of any chirality and diameter worked, but each required adjustments to the other elements to optimize the alignment.

The films can be separated from the paper and washed and dried for use, the researchers said.

They suspect multiwalled carbon nanotubes and non-carbon nanotubes like boron nitride would work as well.

Co-author Wade Adams, a senior faculty fellow at Rice who specializes in polymer science, said the discovery is a step forward in a long quest for aligned structures.

They formed what is called a monodomain in liquid crystal technology, in which all the rigid molecules line up in the same direction, Adams said. Its astonishing. (The late Rice Nobel laureate) Rick Smalley and I worked very hard for years to make a single crystal of nanotubes, but these students have actually done it in a way neither of us ever imagined.

Why do the nanotubes line up? Kono said the team is still investigating the mechanics of nucleation  that is, how the first few nanotubes on the paper come together. We think the nanotubes fall randomly at first, but they can still slide around on the paper, he said. Van der Waals force brings them together, and they naturally seek their lowest-energy state, which is in alignment. Because the nanotubes vary in length, the researchers suspect the overhangs force other tubes to line up as they join the array.

The researchers found their completed films could be patterned with standard lithography techniques. Thats yet another plus for manufacturers, said Kono, who started hearing buzz about the discovery months before the papers release.

I gave an invited talk about our work at a carbon nanotube conference, and many people are already trying to reproduce our results, he said. I got so much enthusiastic response right after my talk. Everybody asked for the recipe.

Abstract

The one-dimensional character of electrons, phonons and excitons in individual single-walled carbon nanotubes leads to extremely anisotropic electronic, thermal and optical properties. However, despite significant efforts to develop ways to produce large-scale architectures of aligned nanotubes, macroscopic manifestations of such properties remain limited. Here, we show that large (over cm2) monodomain films of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes can be prepared using slow vacuum filtration. The produced films are globally aligned within 1.5 (a nematic order parameter of 1) and are highly packed, containing 1 million nanotubes in a cross-sectional area of 1 m2. The method works for nanotubes synthesized by various methods, and film thickness is controllable from a few nanometres to 100 nm. We use the approach to create ideal polarizers in the terahertz frequency range and, by combining the method with recently developed sorting techniques, highly aligned and chirality-enriched nanotube thin-film devices. Semiconductor-enriched devices exhibit polarized light emission and polarization-dependent photocurrent, as well as anisotropic conductivities and transistor action with high on / off ratios.

SOURCES- Rice University, Nature Nanotechnology, Youtube
Rachid Ghannouchi, who has been reelected Monday as the leader of Ennahda party with a comfortable 800 of the 1058 votes, said the party is taking a new turn, alluding to the end of political Islam.

From today, we are seriously moving towards becoming a national and civil political party with an Islamic core, which operates under the countrys constitution and inspires Muslim and modern values, he said before his partys congress.

He said his party, which has its roots in an Islamist political movement, was keeping pace with changes in Tunisian society.

He added that the change of policies was triggered by the 2014 Tunisian constitution, which calls for the freedom of religion and separation of civil society from politics, and also making the country a democracy with the imposition of limits on extreme secularism and extreme religion.

Banned under the dictatorship of strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the party was legalized after the 2011 uprising that kicked off the Arab Spring.

Ghannouchi, 74, who lived in exile for 20 years, returned to a triumphal welcome after the uprising and won post-revolution elections in October 2011.

But two years later, he had to step aside amid a deep political crisis.

In 2014, Ennahda came in second in the Parliamentary elections behind Nidaa Tounes, the ruling party of President Beji Caid Essebsi. However, Ennahda regained the majority in parliament after an internal crisis within Nidaa Tunis, led some MPs to quit the party.
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Activist Cornel West cheers for Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders in Iowa. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP

The liberal case against Hillary Clinton rests in large part upon her associations  people she surrounds herself with and whose judgment she relies upon. She has caught an enormous amount of flak, some of it fair, for her ties to figures in the finance industry or advisers with morally questionable worldviews. By the same token, what should we make of Bernie Sanderss decision to appoint Cornel West as one of his advisers to the Democratic Partys platform committee?

West, of course, has socialist views largely in line with Sanderss own. But West also has a particular critique of the sitting Democratic president that goes well beyond Sanderss expressions of disappointment. Wests position is not merely that Obama has not gone far enough, but that he has made life worse for African-Americans:

On the empirical or lived level of Black experience, Black people have suffered more in this age than in the recent past. Empirical indices of infant mortality rates, mass incarceration rates, mass unemployment and dramatic declines in household wealth reveal this sad reality. How do we account for this irony? It goes far beyond the individual figure of President Obama himself, though he is complicit; he is a symptom, not a primary cause. Although he is a symbol for some of either a postracial condition or incredible Black progress, his presidency conceals the escalating levels of social misery in poor and Black America.

Photo: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System

The African-American unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since 2008. The African-American uninsured rate has fallen by more than half, and the administration has undertaken a wide range of liberalizing reforms to the criminal-justice system. The notion that Obama has made life worse for African-Americans rests entirely on affixing the blame for the 2008 economic collapse on him, without giving him any credit for the wide-ranging measures to alleviate it, or the recovery that has ensued. This is, in other words, the Republican Partys method of measuring Obamas record, and its the sort of grossly unfair cherry-picking that no good faith critic would use.

West does not merely lament the alleged worsening of conditions for African-Americans that he claims Obama has caused. He has a theory for it:

I think my dear brother Barack Obama has a certain fear of free black men, West says. Its understandable. As a young brother who grows up in a white context, brilliant African father, hes always had to fear being a white man with black skin. All he has known culturally is white. He is just as human as I am, but that is his cultural formation. When he meets an independent black brother, it is frightening. And thats true for a white brother. When you get a white brother who meets a free, independent black man, they got to be mature to really embrace fully what the brother is saying to them. Its a tension, given the history. It can be overcome. Obama, coming out of Kansas influence, white, loving grandparents, coming out of Hawaii and Indonesia, when he meets these independent black folk who have a history of slavery, Jim Crow, Jane Crow and so on, he is very apprehensive. He has a certain rootlessness, a deracination. It is understandable. He feels most comfortable with upper middle-class white and Jewish men who consider themselves very smart, very savvy and very effective in getting what they want.

Wests theory is essentially the mirror image of the notion, peddled by Dinesh DSouza and Newt Gingrich, that Obama absorbed a racial ideology from one of his parents. For Obamas unhinged right-wing critics, that parent is his father. For West, it is his mother. The racial biases he inherited allegedly define his worldview and turn him into a tool of racial bias  for black people, in the right-wing version, and against them, in Wests. Then you have Wests dismay at Obamas excessive comfort with wealthy Jews, which he portrays as the result more than the cause of Obamas lack of interest in helping African-Americans.

The Sanders revolution means that, rather than a full-throated celebration of Obamas record akin to the treatment Ronald Reagan received at the 1988 Republican convention, the partys message will include the perspective of one of the presidents avowed haters. Of course, Sanders himself has not said these things, and perhaps he is rewarding West for his campaign service. But if you are celebrating the changes Sanders is bringing about to the Democratic Party, you are celebrating the replacement of one cohort of advisers and activists with another. Sanderss revolution means giving Wests views more legitimacy and influence in Democratic politics.
The candidate. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The morning after Anthony Weiner finished a dismal fifth place in the Democratic primary of the last mayoral race, he gathered the remains of his skeletal campaign staff and made some remarks. I cant believe I gave the press the finger, he said, shaking his head. He congratulated us on running a strong campaign under what he called White Houselevel scrutiny. I was the weakest link, he said and bit his lip.

Some of my colleagues got misty. Others rolled their eyes. I felt numb at the end of this whipsawing run that took us from underdog to front-runner and back again in 15 weeks. People will talk about what we did on this campaign for decades, Weiner continued, and I kind of want the story of how it was run to come out.

I asked a question: What do you want us to say when the press calls? As his policy director, I had grown used to fending off media inquiries from the likes of People, CNN, and TMZ. But Anthonys answer had changed. I want you to tell the story, he said.

The new documentary, Weiner, by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg purports to do just that. Winner of Sundances Grand Jury Prize, Weiner opened in theaters on Friday and is being hailed as one of the great campaign films. Kriegman, Weiners former chief of staff from his days in Congress, had nearly unfettered access to the candidate during the 2013 race, and the film beautifully humanizes Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin. The camera lingers when Anthony says incredulously, This is the worst  Im doing a documentary of my scandal. We witness their humiliation and desperation to get out of the trap their lives had become after his second sexting scandal. Because Anthony Weiner is a complex, funny, and compelling character, the film is, at times, all of those things too. Underneath the narrative of his rise and fall in the mayoral race are the million-dollar questions: Why did he do it and why did she stay? But while the film sheds light on the complexities of the couple at the center of the shitstorm, it does not reveal the answers to those mysteries.

The films view of the campaign itself is also selective and, to some necessary extent, superficial. Huge swaths of time are skipped, because they dont fit neatly into the arc. Pivotal figures in real-life  including the campaigns first manager, Danny Kedem  are entirely absent, presumably because they didnt sign releases. The film uses tabloid headlines and late-night punch lines to string together gaps in the narrative, but its not the campaign I experienced. After the immediate impact of that second sexting scandal, which broke in late July 2013, Weiner mostly jumps to days before the election in September, leaving out a crucial and fascinating month of desperation. As Anthonys first hire and one of the last out the door, I want to share here what Anthony emboldened us to do: tell the real story of the campaign.

I met with Anthony in January at a Cupcake Cafe. It was nine months before the election, and the seven-term congressman from the ninth congressional district needed a political outsider who would not leak his run for Comptroller (yes, it was Comptroller back then). A mutual friend gave him my name, and a day later we were discussing our toddlers nap schedules and how many cupcakes this cafe would have to sell to pay their Park Avenue rent. I told him I was a playwright out of Juilliard and strong with research, words, and storytelling, though I had no real political experience. I was also a fan of his politics, especially his rant on the House floor in support of the 9/11 first responders. Plus, I was a single mom up for some self-reinvention. I didnt ask about his sexting scandal two years earlier that forced him to resign from Congress, and he didnt ask me, well, anything. Thirty minutes later I had the gig.

Weiner (second from left) and Jessica Provenz (far right) and other campaign staff.

For the next three months, we were what Anthony called a two-person army of ideas. With a daily exchange of calls, emails, and texts, we drafted his Keys to the City: 64 ideas to keep New York the capital of the middle class. Anthonys a brilliant guy, passionate about any given subject. Plus, hes funny and candid, and when all of that attention is focused on you, its intoxicating. Thats why voters liked him. I liked him.

One day Anthony emailed me, btw, Im thinking about running for mayor. A few weeks later, a poll showed him at 15 percent in the mayoral race and he emailed again, Game on, bitches. It was a week after the flattering cover story on Anthony and Huma appeared in The New York Times Magazine, putting the sexting scandal in their rearview. He thought he had a strong chance of making the run-off, even if he put his odds of beating out front-runners Christine Quinn or Bill Thompson at about one-in-three (Bill de Blasio was polling around 10 percent then and not seen as a significant challenger.) Win or lose, the upshot of the run was it would turn the page on Anthonys scandal, and ideally, restore his reputation. Plus, he had millions in the bank from his past campaigns that was his to use or lose.

How big do you want to play, he texted. I said big, and he made me his policy director. Then he texted, Are you ready for all of the Who is Jessica Provenz stories? I thought it was funny, until I had to pass all the reporters and camera crews camped outside his apartment on May 22, the day he announced his candidacy. Inside he fielded dozens of press calls and casually conferred with Huma, Should we invite Josh over? Next thing, Kriegman was there, shooting his documentary. Its one of the few times I am in the movie; I disliked working with a camera in my face, and besides, our team of two had jumped to 100 overnight and the political careerists that Anthony had suddenly surrounded himself with had sharp elbows. After experiencing Anthonys dictatorial management style as soon as the campaign got under way and his shouts of You have to get in my brain, Jessica, I was only too relieved to be sidelined.

Anthony wanted to be the candidate with the best ideas, and our policy department churned out 125 positions, opting for ones that would get him the most copy. Anthony is incredibly sharp and had scary-good recall, making his positions seem well-considered, regardless of whether they actually were. After our analysis of a plan to expand ferry service showed that it was financially inadvisable, Anthony still wanted to be the ferry mayor so we scrapped our conclusions and handed over a poster proposing ferry lines across the city! It worked. Anthonys bold ideas and delivery made him the policy wonk of the field. Even when Eliot Spitzer announced his run for comptroller, throwing our office into a temporary tailspin with the obvious threat of being a disgraced politician by association, Anthony continued to play well with the voters. He exhibited a depth and knowledge of the issues and was a candidate to be taken seriously. Plus, people loved that he was fallible and human and sorry. And that name  everywhere Anthony went, a large Weiner! sign followed. By mid-July, he led in the polls.

Everything crashed to a halt with sexting scandal No. 2. It was a Tuesday morning, two months after Anthony entered the race. My team was interrupted by Amit Bagga, Anthonys former chief of staff who had skillfully inserted himself as senior policy director. He said that new sexual allegations about Anthony were coming out. But, he stated emphatically, they were false.

Anthony Weiner, with his wife Huma Abedin, addressing the sexting scandal. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

Anthony arrived, and soon, he and Huma were in lockdown in campaign manager Danny Kedems office across the hall from where I sat. Calling in was his damage-control adviser, Risa Heller, a woman whose expertise I questioned after her handling of his 2011 debacle. They were joined by Amit, soon-to-be-appointed campaign manager No. 2 Camille Joseph, Bagga, and communications director Barbara Morgan. Less than two weeks later, Morgan made headlines of her own when she used the words cunt and slutbag in what she told fellow staffers was an off-the-record statement on former intern Olivia Nuzzi, who had written about her experience in the campaign for the Daily News. (Reporter Hunter Walker, who conducted the interview, says that it was on record and notes that the conversation was recorded.)



As this dream team was hunkered down, I read Anthonys statement online and learned the allegations that he had sexted with Sydney Leathers were true. Leathers claimed it went on through November 2012, a year and a half after he resigned from Congress to seek treatment, months after the happy couple were featured in People, and only two months before he and I started prep work for this campaign. I stared at the man on the other side of the glass doors. Along with the rest of the world, I had now seen his penis. As Carlos Danger, he had written Leathers sexts like, I start to fuck you so hard your tits almost hit you in the face. And there he sat, arms clasped behind his head, feet up on the desk. Nobody in our office knew this was coming. Nobody.

Around 5 p.m., the doors opened and the Fifth Avenue headquarters buzzed with activity. Anthony looked focused and determined. He called his nanny and said, in broken Spanish, that they would be home later, somethings come up. Then he waited impatiently for Huma to emerge from the bathroom. I happened to be teasing an intern about making a repeat gaffe on prep work when Anthony passed. He heard something I said about making the same mistake twice and flashed me a look of abject rage, and then fear.

Then he and Huma left, an entourage trailing them. The remaining staff watched the press conference live on Anthonys flat-screen hoping for the best, but knowing it couldnt be worse. For the first time since Anthony announced, we all went home in time for dinner.

We dropped ten points in the polls in two days. Staffers and interns abandoned ship like it was the Titanic, and the field team staged a mutiny threatening to quit en masse. When I went into Anthonys office to discuss his new policy book, Even More Keys to the City, he was still a hard-ass shooting down proposals despite the fact that no one would ever listen to his policy ideas again. He never looked at me, he was transfixed by the coverage of his scandal playing on loop on his TV.

The next night, I got a call from a reporter at the New York Post. She wanted to talk woman to woman. She said a source told her Anthony and I were having an affair. My only thought was how absurd that sounded, given that I could barely stand the guy anymore. I hung up. Then I made a half-dozen calls for advice. The response was uniform: Call the reporter back and categorically deny everything. I did.

No, Anthony and I were not alone behind closed doors together giggling (did she think Anthony giggled?). No, there were no sexual relations or sexting relations  and that was not why I got the job without any political experience. No, he didnt pay me huge sums of money to keep quiet. No, he didnt break up my marriage. Everything tied to Anthony was untrue, but I was terrified I was about to fall down the rabbit hole of scandal after him.

Anthony Weiner waits to exit a downtown subway station after courting voters in Harlem a day after announcing he will enter the New York mayoral race. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

I got a call from Barbara Morgan, saying she would make the story go away, and another from Anthony sounding small and beleaguered. He said everyone in his life was under fire  especially his brother and his wife. The last thing he wanted was more civilian casualties. I had forgotten he was a human being in all this, just a man at the center of a circus. He apologized then pivoted to discussing policy. Nice try, but can we stay on the Post, I said. Sorry, my mind is always racing, he said, adding he would go on record denying the affair if he had to, but that that would be giving them exactly what they wanted.

Danny Kedem called the next morning to say he had quit. When he became the campaign manager he said he had asked Anthony the hard questions like, Did you sext any women after you resigned from Congress, and Anthony had lied. Danny said more stories were coming out, the consultants had quit, and he urged me to do the same. He told me the filmmaker was a cool guy, but not to sign the release (Danny didnt, but I did).

Later that night, Anthony held a team meeting. He said that in the Times Magazine story from April they were honest  that more sexting stories were likely come out  but where he had made a miscalculation was the timeline, not making it clear that things had happened after he resigned from Congress. He and Huma debated calling the reporter back to clarify this point, but they thought that would call too much attention to it. Anthony said the cycle of these stories is 72 hours, so everything would normalize soon. We had six weeks before Election Day, a lifetime in politics. After that we ate pizza and sangHappy Birthday to Huma.

Meanwhile, the Post story hadnt gone away. Huma had called Rupert Murdochs office and Anthony had gone on record denying it, but now the reporter was suggesting it was a love triangle between Anthony, me, and Barbara. I had had enough and spoke to Anthony privately. I insisted the campaign hire me an attorney, who sent a cease-and-desist letter. Even so, I lived in fear that I would become collateral damage. There were mornings I was sick with dread, terrified Id wake to a Post headline about me. Only then did I really understand what the guy had been through. He made a huge lapse in judgement, but something like half of Americans sext and send naughty photos. Ive done it, and Id be hard-pressed to find a person whos single today who hasnt. And so many Americans actually cheat on their spouses, something, to the best of my knowledge, Anthony never did. I realized how hypocritical we all were to make a mockery of his biggest mistake. Didnt many of us behave just as badly or worse?

Weiner campaigns after the scandal breaks. Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Over the next two weeks, Anthony received the highest unfavorable ratings in New York political history. The press staked out our office and followed our interns to lunch, and the Post reporter went to my ex-husbands house in New Jersey with a photographer. Anthony, when confronted with calls to drop out, told a City Island audience: You know something embarrassing about me, but Im not going to quit, Im not going to sit in the corner and cry, because I believe I have the best ideas for this city. He got a standing ovation.

The Post never did write that false story about me. Soon they and the rest of the media turned their attention elsewhere as de Blasio rocketed to a lead in polls, having attracted many of Anthonys fleeing voters. We amped up our policy hits to a new issue a day, desperate to change the conversation and allow Anthony some dignity. At one press conference, only three reporters showed. Finally, on an issue that we had been working on for months, not a single journalist showed. Anthony sat in his car, waiting, before eventually directing his driver to pull away. For a man who thrives on attention, I expect this was the ultimate low. This month-long period is more or less absent from Weiner.

On Election Day, of course, Leathers famously staked out our campaign headquarters. The frenzied staff, desperate to keep her from meeting Anthony, tracked her whereabouts. At one point, she fled the scene, forcing my colleague Afsaan Saleem to jump into a taxi behind her and say, Follow that cab! The climax of the evening was Leathers in a push-up bra outside the campaign party, forcing Huma to stay in her car lest she suffer further indignity. To get inside Connollys Pub where the party was being held, Anthony had to race through McDonalds with Leathers and a pack of reporters in hot pursuit. There he gave a teary concession speech before hustling out. When he was safe in his car, he flipped the media the bird.

It had been my job to get into Anthonys brain, but after nine months, I realized he didnt know a thing about me. I approached him at our post-campaign party and asked, Do you know Im a single mom? I wanted acknowledgment of what my family and I had sacrificed. He didnt know. You must feel good about yourself, accomplishing all of this, he said, missing my point. Then the conversation turned back to him: Im 50 years old, and I need to find a new career. I smiled, same old Anthony. I said good night, and I havent seen him since.
Have we mentioned the problems yet? Photo: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Among Republicans, every discussion of health policy in this presidential-election year has begun with the assumption that the Affordable Care Act is a disaster that must immediately repealed and replaced by some market-oriented system that turns back the clock to 2009 or perhaps to an even-much-earlier era when people paid for health care out-of-pocket.

Among Democrats, instead of a corresponding discussion of how to defend and improve Obamacare, theres been a back-to-the-basics argument about whether the ACA was an unfortunate detour on what should have been the high road to a single-payer system. This is, of course, Bernie Sanderss position, and hes suggested on occasion that an endorsement of single-payer in the party platform may be one of his demands at the convention in exchange for the gestures of party unity Hillary Clinton needs and wants.

To many Sanders supporters (and others) the substantive and political advantages of single-payer are almost so obvious as to be self-evident: Its what most other countries have (that is an over-generalization, but not entirely wrong); it puts government in a position to control costs (true in theory); it gets rid of a profit motive thats inappropriate for what should be a basic human right (also true in theory); and it builds on the tremendous popularity of an existing single-payer program currently available only to retirees, Medicare. This last claim is why single-payer is often marketed and almost always tested in polls as Medicare for all.

The flip-side of the strong self-confidence of single-payer health-care advocates in its feasibility, fairness, and political salience is the suspicion (or accusation) that progressive opponents of Medicare for all must be motivated by the corrupt influence of private insurers or drug companies, or by cowardice and timidity in fighting for their convictions. In the context of the Sanders-Clinton presidential nomination battle, its easy for some partisans of the former to believe the worst of the latters motives, just as they believe she has compromised herself on financial regulation and foreign policy by unsavory associations and centrist political thinking.

So far, Clintons counterattacks on single-payer have pointed to high estimates of its costs, and the risk of abandoning a solid accomplishment like Obamacare for something new and politically shaky. Proponents counter with high estimates of the private health-insurance premiums obviated by single-payer, and high poll numbers for Medicare for all. There hasnt been a great deal of dialogue beyond these dueling assertions, unfortunately.

That intra-progressive gridlock should end with an important piece at Vox by the University of Chicagos Harold Pollack, who raises ten questions about the implementation of a single-payer system while taking for granted its ultimate desirability. One whole set of questions involves the Medicare model: Will the existing Medicare financing model of payroll taxes and premiums and deductibles (supplemented by general revenues) be extended to people who arent working, or havent worked for long, or dont earn very much? If not, will some Medicare for all beneficiaries have a much sweeter deal than others, or will the whole system, including the current vast Medicare program, be financed by income or value-added taxes? The fiscal and political implications of that kind of step are enormous, and no one has really been polled on it. When it comes to people currently on Medicaid, will their benefits be federalized and standardized across state lines, or will the current significant state variations be baked into the single-payer cake?

Beyond these structural issues, Pollack has some sharp questions about the political pushback that would ensue if Medicares controversial and not-always-effective cost-containment measures were extended to the entire health-care sector:

[I]f government squeezes too hard or too indiscriminately, it could cause serious harm. It might also provoke a punishing political backlash from virtually the entire supply side of the medical economy. Rural hospitals on thin margins would be one obvious vulnerable constituency. Veterans, current Medicare recipients, and unionized workers with generous tax-subsidized health plans are three others.

Yes, and if a single-payer system is enacted you can add doctors and hospitals to the list of arguably overcompensated interests that will have the incentives and the means to interfere politically with cost containment.

Pollack mentions other problems, including the application of single-payer health care to undocumented immigrants, and the certainty that fights over reproductive services in public-sector programs will get larger and more bitter. The bottom line is that the arguments over single-payer need to become more practical:

[W]e need a realistic road map that does not merely describe a sound single-payer system but that also describes how we might get there from here. Its telling that no detailed single-payer legislative proposal has been advanced that provides a realistic transition plan.

One such transition plan might begin by adding a public option to the existing Obamacare program. Thats what most progressives wanted from the beginning, and Hillary Clinton has reiterated her support for the public option (along with a Medicare buy-in for near-seniors) as an Obamacare improvement now. If Sanders and other single-payer advocates met her on that ground without abandoning the goal of Medicare for all, some more fruitful discussions might well ensue.
Welcome to the general, weve got fun and rape accusations.

Donald Trump may live in a (very classy) glass house, but that wont stop him from throwing stones. On Monday, the grotesquely misogynistic Republican nominee released an Instagram ad titled, Is Hillary really protecting women? The 15-second spot layers clips of women tearfully accusing Bill Clinton of sexual assault over a menacing photograph of the former president smoking a cigar  until the voices of the victims are drowned out by Hillary Clintons maniacal laughter.

Among the clips featured in the ad is a 1999 Dateline interview with Juanita Broaddrick, a former nursing-home administrator who claims Clinton raped her in Arkansas 38 years ago. Broaddrick reiterated that charge via Twitter this past January.



I was 35 years old when Bill Clinton, Ark. Attorney General raped me and Hillary tried to silence me. I am now 73....it never goes away.  Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) January 6, 2016

Thoroughly disgusting--Hillary's comments on rape. Shame on you, Hillary, shame on you!!  Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) September 15, 2015

Over the past few weeks, as Trumps critics have drawn attention to his vast back catalogue of sexist commentary, the Donalds primary rebuttal has been, I know Bill Clinton is a misogynist, but what am I?

Nobody in this country and maybe in the history of this country politically was worse than Bill Clinton with women, Trump told a crowd in Oregon in early May. The Donald went on to accuse Hillary Clinton of being, in essence, her rapist husbands co-conspirator.

She would go after these women and destroy their lives, Trump said. She was an unbelievably nasty, mean enabler, and what she did to a lot of those women is disgraceful.

The attack is unlikely to significantly undermine the Democratic front-runners standing with female voters  this dirty laundry has been airing out for decades now. Still, Trumps affinity for describing Bills baggage in lurid (if unsubstantiated) detail makes attacking the mogul on the grounds of misogyny a costlier gambit for the Clinton camp. And it forces pro-Clinton feminists to confront the tension between Hillarys disregard for her husbands accusers and the contemporary norm of giving self-identified victims of sex crimes the benefit of the doubt.

Of course, Trump would not benefit from voters believing the accounts of every self-identified rape victim. Nor, for that matter, would he benefit from voters accepting a certain real-estate moguls analysis of Bill Clintons accusers.

The whole group, its truly an unattractive cast of characters  Linda Tripp, Lucianne Goldberg  I mean, this woman, I watch her on television, just vomiting. She is so bad. The whole group  Paula Jones, Lewinsky  its just a really unattractive group, Trump told Fox News in 1998. And Im not just talking about physical, but I am also talking about physical.

I dont necessarily agree with his victims, Trump added. His victims are terrible. He is really a victim himself.
Why, Kim? Photo: Spencer Platt/2016 Getty Images

The Kremlin isnt the only authoritarian leader Donald Trump admires  hes also a self-proclaimed fan of North Koreas Kim Jong-un. During a rally in Iowa back in January, Trump praised North Koreas Supreme Leader as incredible. He goes in, he takes over, hes the boss, Trump said. Its pretty amazing when you think of it. How does he do that?

In fact, Trump said in a recent interview with Reuters that hed like to meet Jong-un  I would have no problem speaking to him, he declared. Unfortunately for Trump a North Korean envoy has reportedly crushed his hopes, dismissing the meeting as nonsense and a kind of propaganda.

So Se Pyong, North Koreas ambassador to the United States in Geneva, told Reuters that, It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his idea or talk is nonsense.

He went on to pretty much sum up Trumps entire campaign strategy, saying: Its for utilization of the presidential election, thats all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement. This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election. There is no meaning, no sincerity.

So much for Trumps plan to talk some sense into the North Korean leader. Maybe hell have better luck if he sticks to his own authoritarian agenda.
Photo: AydAn Mutlu/Getty Images

While in the U.S. pro-choice advocates fight felony charges and fake abortion centers, three women from Derry, Northern Ireland, have turned themselves in for procuring pills to induce abortion and distributing them to young women. They hope to trigger a trial following two high-profile cases prosecuting young women who used this method of abortion.

It is illegal to have an abortion in Northern Ireland, but legal in the rest of the U.K. In order to procure an abortion, women can either travel to England or Wales, or take poison to induce a miscarriage. Diana King, Collette Devlin, and Kitty OKane procured the pills to distribute to women who were nervous about buying the pills themselves. They say they are reacting to the culture of fear the court cases have created.

King, Devlin, and OKane are three women of the 200 who signed an open letter last year saying they had procured the tablets for themselves or other women and were willing to be arrested. When nothing happened, they marched to the courthouse themselves to protest Northern Irelands 155-year-old law. Ah Northern Ireland, the Oklahoma (and Texas, Utah, Florida) of the U.K.
Bill Cosby. Photo: William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

Ahead of Bill Cosbys Tuesday morning court appearance  for a preliminary hearing in Andrea Constands sexual-assault case, one of his many lawsuits  newly revealed court papers released on Monday show the entertainer admitted to abusing women years ago.

Questioned by lawyers for Constands lawsuit in 2005 and 2006, Cosby acknowledged drugging and giving alcohol to women before having sex with them. At one point, an unnamed modeling agency would send him five or six young women weekly, the depositions show.

In the newly revealed interviews, as reported by the New York Post, Cosby admitted to giving pills to Constand, a former Temple University employee who claims he drugged and molested her at his Philadelphia mansion in 2004. He also describes giving Quaaludes to then-19-year-old model Therese Picking (now Therese Serignese):

She became, in those days, what was called high, Cosby said. Constands lawyer asked whether Serignese gave consent for sex. I dont know. How many years are we talking about? 197[6]? he said. I meet Ms. Picking in Las Vegas. She meets me backstage. I give her Quaaludes. We then have sex.  I dont hear her say anything . . . And so I continue and I go into the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection.

He describes another 18- or 19-year-old woman who visited his home in 2000 to discuss her acting career:

On a later occasion, you had her masturbate you with lotion, did that ever happen? Constrands lawyer asked. Yes, he said. [She] used the lotion to rub your penis and make you ejaculate? Cosby was asked. Bingo, he replied.

Constands case, which Cosby originally settled with an undisclosed sum in 2006, reopened last year after dozens of women voiced similar claims. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected Cosbys request to delay todays pretrial hearing.
Photo: Image Source/Getty Images

Some men remain confounded by menstruation  how many Clueless Men Learn About Periods videos do we have to endure?  but a group of particularly enlightened high-school boys could teach them a thing or two.

Male students at James Hillhouse high school in New Haven, Connecticut, are holding a one-of-a-kind drive for pads and tampons, which will be given to their female classmates for free whenever they need them.

The high-schoolers, who are part of an African-American student group thats part of the larger Kiyama Movement, were inspired to start their DIY fundraising efforts after reading about how 86 percent of women had been caught off guard by their cycle and left without period protection. Student leader Samithasen Hubbard told the New Haven Register, This is an opportunity for us as young men to help diminish the inequality gap between males and females. These guys are one step ahead of New York legislation to provide free menstrual products to public-school students, women in prison, and other women in need  not to mention women campaigning to end the tampon tax altogether.

Of course, in the future we might not have periods at all! So, thats fun.
A sexual assault evidence collection kit. Photo: The Christian Science Monitor/Getty Images

On Monday night, the Senate passed a bill outlining basic rights for survivors of sexual assault (the first time a federal law has done so, ever). Equally important: It places particular emphasis on solving the countrys backlog of untested rape kits.

Passed by a unanimous Senate vote, the Sexual Assault Survivors Rights Act would give survivors the right to have rape kits preserved for the entire relevant statute of limitations (the limited period of time in which a survivor can file charges after an assault). If a kit is going to be destroyed, survivors would be notified in writing 60 days prior to the date and could request extended preservation of the kit. They could also be informed of important results from forensic exams.

This all seems pretty  essential, right? The legislation is a federal model; if passed by the House and signed by President Obama, it would guide states in overhauling their own systems. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, co-authored the legislation with Amanda Nguyen, a 24-year-old sexual-assault survivor who is still required to return every six months to Massachusetts (where she was assaulted) so that her rape kit cant be destroyed.

Basically, I had to pen my own rights into existence, Nguyen recently told The Guardian. The system essentially makes me live my life by date of rape. Nguyen founded Rise, an nonprofit that protects the rights of sexual-assault survivors, and works as a State Department liaison to the White House. Shes also training to become an astronaut.

You do have rights, we do care about you, if you choose to come forward, we are going to be there for you, Senator Shaheen said on the Senate floor. And we are going to ensure a justice system that treats you with dignity and fairness.

Over 100,000 people have signed a change.org petition supporting the bill.
Henkell & Co snaps up remaining 40% of Copestick Murray

German firm Henkell & Co has purchased the remaining 40% of Copestick Murray shares, two-and-a-half years after buying the initial 60%.

Robin Copestick, who will continue as managing director at Copestick Murray, said he was now looking to the future with huge optimism and excitement.

Henkell & Co.-Gruppe is one of Europes largest wine and spirits producers and is the market leader for sparkling wine in Austria, Sweden, Hungary, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Canada.

It is also the leading Prosecco supplier to the US and the market leader for still wine in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Andreas Brokemper, chief executive at Henkell & Co, said: We are very pleased with the progress of Copestick Murray since we purchased 60% of the company in September 2013. As a result all the interested parties agreed that the time was right for Henkell & Co. to wholly own Copestick Murray.

This new arrangement will allow Copestick Murray to keep progressing and become one of the leading wine companies in the UK. It will also help the company to focus on making Mionetto one of the top Prosecco brands in the UK and to continue the fantastic global progress of I Heart wines.

Copestick added: We are all very happy with this news. When Paul [Murray] and I created the company in July 2005 we could not imagine that the company would become as successful as this. We are proud of the achievement, very grateful to the very many key staff who have contributed to this success and we feel very fortunate to have found such a great partner in Henkell & Co. I am looking to the future with huge optimism and excitement.

Copestick Murray announced record turnover and profit in 2015 and exports to 30 different international markets as well as supplying the UK with leading brands such as the I Heart range.

It recently bolstered its portfolio with wines from Chilean producer Aresti and believes it can help the firm become a major player in the UK market.
hell no, no one would've looked surprised at the usage of that term

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Please tell me she's saying this to Heather.

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looks like they brought her on just so Vicki could have a friend lol. Vicki getting a minion to look bad instead of her, so typical.

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Megan is back? I'm legit surprised. I really appreciated her dedication to bringing the receipts.



Edited at 2016-05-24 02:36 am (UTC)

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she earned her spot in a second season LBR, she was last season.

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she's like veronica mars but less charismatic and quick-witted and lacks back up.

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This truth. NY is so good right now, the other franchises better concoct some serious storylines.

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I forgot what happens when the guys they're with actually get substantial airtime.



Luaan's rando ex that couldn't let go making Dorinda's drug deal-dry cleaner/bf look reasonable for 5ish seconds? Amazing.



Or that Scott Baio lookalike coming back to attempt to jack Bethenny's brand? GOLD.



Edited at 2016-05-24 02:43 am (UTC)

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OC always delivers imo. Plus after 10 years it manages to be the #2 HW series?!?! Slay!

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ia. oc has never been boring to me.

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ia it's my favorite

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Wtf at that mess of a promo pic

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But yaaaaaas. Rise queen Shannon!

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shannon is perfect for the show <3

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I liked last season more than this past season of Beverly Hills.



I can't believe I typed that.

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YoYo only been on for 4 seasons and 2 of those she was friends with Lisa though.

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Last season sucked so much because there was noone to root for. Literally noone. Erika genuinely not giving a fuck about anything automatically disqualified her and I'm sorry, Eileen stirs as much shit as Lisa R does.



Edited at 2016-05-24 03:03 am (UTC)

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This past season of RHOBH was the most boring season of any HW season I think.

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bev hills is the worst one now.

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i couldn't even finish this past season of bh, it was painful to watch

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bev hills is so fucking boring.



they should be kissing Erika's feet she exists and came on the show.

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i'm beyond ready! where is jersey's release date??

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Seriously. I want me some NJ! But I bet it'll be put on toward the end of NY.

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I'm going to start watching Real Housewives as I study for the bar. Where should I start?? I haven't watched any of them.

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1st season of the oc of course, so you get a lay of the housewives land.

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they sent a little FAMILY VAAANNNN!!!

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First three seasons of NY are mandatory. You will never touch white wine again.

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I would say RHOBH/RHOA/RHONY just to get you started. RHOBH if you want to start HD since HWs were still old school at the beginning lol. You have to watch OC at one point but maybe only the first season then jump to S4 when it becomes RHOC (first 3 are The Real Housewives. It was a different series back then).



RHONJ S1 is also a must, along with RHOVancouver and RHOMelbourne. Really just start anywhere.

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Since you're studying for the bar, you need to start with season 3 of Atlanta, aka the introduction of Phaedra Parks, attorney to the stars (and Sheree). In fact, if you listen closely to Phaedra's many words of wisdom (tip: pay extra close attention anytime a statement begins with "Everybody knows...") you won't even need to study! You'll know everything you need to about the law, making workout dvds, and being a pet undertaker!

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definitely new york city! - any season of nyc really! That is where I started off.

I think it has the most classic moments and every season is hilarious in one way or another.



I think I started off with the scary island season, and then worked way down and then back up. I got hooked.



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just make sure you see nj where teresa flips the table and you have danielle, watch nyc for scary island in season three, and watch melbourne bc i ain't biased when i say aussies are the fucking best at drama and comebacks.

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yaaaaaas my og queens!!

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OC was beyond boring last season. If it wasn't for Megan I would've checked out.



And not a Heather/Terry troubled marriage story line. The only ship I have cannot sink!

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my god yas my queens

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I tried chesire tonight and not a fan. Going to try melbourne tomorrow.

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i hope you enjoy rhomelbourne!

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James Carroll, who starred in the iconic Canadian television show 'Wind at My Back' as teacher and aspiring writer Max Sutton, passed away on April 27, 2016 at the age of 60. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2015. A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $22,000 to help with medical costs, and the community hosted a local fundraiser with performances by Canadian improv artists that included his former WaMB costar Kathy Greenwood (who played Grace Bailey). Following the end of WaMB, he appeared in minor roles before retiring from acting in 2010. He relocated from Toronto to Huntsville, Ontario to be closer to his daughter. There, he joined Hunters Bay Radio (CKAR-FM) as the afternoon host of a local online radio show that operated out of a home basement. By 2016, he had helped expand the station so that it was broadcast with multiple programs over almost the entire Muskoka area, with the station now employing 60 people. Born in Pennsylvania, James Carroll moved to Toronto in the 1970's to pursue theatre work, and has appeared in minor roles in films such as Police Academy 4 and Death To Smoochy. He is survived by his daughter and 5 siblings.
Mexicantown! Best damn food ever.

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you definitely want to hit up mexicantown, the restaurants there are good but the taco trucks are the best



check out eastern market if you're in town on a Saturday or take a tour of the fisher building (it sounds kinda boring but i really enjoyed it and the architecture is beautiful)

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I really miss Detroit's food trucks tbh they're just not the same elsewhere

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the DIA.

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Check out Cass corridor! Lots of cute shops etc. John k king bookstore is the largest used book store in the country I believe, fun to get lost~ in.

And definitely get some coffee from Great Lakes Coffee... It tastes different (better) there than their other locations imo. Belle isle if you're into nature (all the other parks too ofc), the science center if you like touching stuff (or are five years old at heart like me), DIA for your art fix (and all the other museums lol).

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What kind of food are you into? There are about a billion restaurants worth going to downtown.



I like to just walk around down there. Some of the buildings downtown are insanely beautiful.



OH! Check out the waterfront around Joe Louis Arena and the GM building. It's beautiful, and the view is nice :) If you're into books check out John King books on west Lafayette, it's a giant used bookstore in a warehouse, and it's basically heaven.What kind of food are you into? There are about a billion restaurants worth going to downtown.I like to just walk around down there. Some of the buildings downtown are insanely beautiful.OH! Check out the waterfront around Joe Louis Arena and the GM building. It's beautiful, and the view is nice :)

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The above recommendations are great but my favourite tourist-y thing to visit is the Motown Museum. I loved learning about the impact on US history and just being in that studio.

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Belle Isle, it's lovely this time of year

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Food: Green Dot Stables for the delicious sliders and cheap drinks. Republic. Selden Standard. Sugar House for drinks. Slows BBQ (or Rub or Roast). So many options- I can probably think of some more :)

Edit: More food: Kuzzo's Chicken and Waffles. Not downtown but delicious and they have homemade Kool-Aid/Sweet Tea/Lemonade and fun boozy drinks. Like all of the places listed above you'll need to be ready to wait. Hot Taco is great for food outside of Mexicantown (if for some reason you don't head there).



DIA. Wright Museum of African American History. Motown Museum. The Henry Ford Museum.



Edited at 2016-05-24 05:25 pm (UTC)

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Ride the people mover, visit "Streets of Old Detroit" at the historical museum, see a movie at the historic Redford Theater if you're here on a Friday or Saturday (only $5!), Mercury Bar for burgers and buffalo tots, try one of the few Greek restaurants left in Greektown, Astoria Bakery in Greektown, Belle Isle, DIA & John King Books (as others have mentioned).

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repeating all the love for belle isle, john k king and the dia! i live in the city and those are three spots i could never get tired of no matter how many times i go

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Why has no one said Lafayette Coney Island yet?

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if you go out go to the raven lounge. it's kind of in a shitty neighborhood but it's an amazing blues bar. the service is superb

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We love you too Windsor! <3



I have dual citizenship and visit Windsor all the time because half of my family lives there, both cities are special to me!

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I went through Detroit for a wedding. It was dark both times but I remember the giant tire. I thought that was kind of cool.

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lmao aw I used to be so fascinated by it as a kid! It also used to be a functioning ferris wheel which is kind of cool.



Edited at 2016-05-25 01:08 pm (UTC)

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I didn't know that. That is kind of cool too!

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I just wanna say thank you to the mods for accepting this!



A great thing about this video is that it wasn't white washed! Looking at you Pure Michigan.



I'm also officially applying for my Big Sean stan card! Slay!

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The DIA is stunning. Hitsville isn't in the greatest neighborhood but still worth the visit.

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I still wonder if Detroit can ever really recover. It's been in a terrible state for decades and sometimes it seems like every time something good happens, something else comes along to tear it down.

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Downtown itself is thriving, they just need to find a way to move that success out to the rest of the city :-/

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Until it gets a HUGE population/tax base back, I don't think it will ever fully recover.



There are tons of amazing, cool things going on downtown, but the city itself was built for way more people.

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The population is expected to rise this year and the demolition of the blight is being funded by the federal government. : )

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I was born and raised in Detroit but moved to the suburbs when I was 15. Some of my greatest childhood memories were riding the people mover with my great grandmother. I appreciate what they're doing to build it back up, especially Downtown Detroit. The restaurants and clubs and shops are great but at the same time ... it's still Downtown Detroit, you know? You can't walk out of a restaurant without three people following you to your car asking for bus far. And you couldn't pay me to walk around at night down there. I guess I'm jaded but it sucks that you can't fully experience everything great about downtown. Not IMO anyway.

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i love detroit, especially in the summer when there's games going on and the festivals downtown. obviously there's still a lot to be done but the city has still made some really nice changes. i love it.

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idk.. listen to sufjan stevens and i hated 8 mile? that was a cute video tho, kind of looks like a tourism ad slash geo doc

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8 mile? you mean the movie?

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yes. i have no opinion abt michigan infrastructure and transportation association

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Missing my Detroit :( can't wait to come back

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http://greatlakesshirts.com This reminds me that I need to order a Great Lakes shirt. I grew up in Michigan and lived all over the region, but I'm on the West Coast now so I have to represent.

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You're always free to come back!



Spring right now is so beautiful.

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http://www.downwithdetroit.com/ is a great site too!

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http://downwithdetroit.spreadshirt.com/pasties-and-packzi-I12894384 This one is so damn Michigan I can hardly stand it.

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In a few days it will be a year since I moved from Michigan to Philly. I've only been back twice so far, but part of me wants to stay away longer so that I can really miss it. I do miss the lakes, however. I miss seeing water all the time.

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I don't think I could live somewhere without water. I lived out of state for a while as a kid but always in places with sizable lakes/rivers nearby lol.

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To be fair, Philly is between two rivers, so I get to be near water, I just don't have that much access to it.

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This iconic song, slay me.

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I'm moving there! In about a month, I'll be joining my boyfriend. I can't wait. This Cali girl is ready for something new :)

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As if the current oil markets werent tough enough for producers, companies are increasingly finding that regulators are making it harder to drill new sources of oil. For instance, BP was recently told by regulators that it will need to revise and resubmit its plan to explore for oil off of the Southern Australian coast. This request marks the second time that BP has been told to modify its proposal by Australian regulators.

The Southern Australian Bight area off the coast of the country has attracted half a dozen major oil firms who have spent more than a billion dollars hunting for oil. The area is the largest relatively unexplored area in the world with potentially giant reserves of oil. While those deep water reserves are at best marginally profitable at current prices, no one expects prices to stay this low forever. Since a major new development like this would take somewhere between five and ten years to bring online, it makes sense for producers to be exploring their options now. Related: The Wildest Predictions For Oil Prices In 2016

The value of the oil encased in the Bight is likely to be worth tens of billions of dollars, which is why BP is looking to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the hunt for oil. A successful program of development in the Bight would be a major boon for Australia in terms of tax receipts, royalties, and energy security. Thats especially true as the country deals with the wholesale collapse of the mining industry as Chinas demand for raw materials craters. The mining industry has been an important source of economic prosperity for Australia for more than a decade now, and the pain in that sector has been felt acutely across many parts of the country.

A major new offshore oil program offers a chance to diversify the economy and help relieve some of the pain felt in the mining sector, especially since some of the skills are transferable between the two industries and the schedule of intense work followed by longer periods of time off is similar.

Despite the potential raft of benefits from a successful oil development program, the efforts of BP and others are running into a wall of opposition from environmentalists. Offshore oil in general is reasonably safe for ecosystems the high profile incidents in the Gulf of Mexico notwithstanding. Related: Saudis Move Away from Crude with $1.4B In Deals With GE

Unfortunately, while environmentalists would like Australia to stop using oil and other fossil fuels and switch to alternatives like solar, that proposal is not realistic any time soon. It is true that solar power has massive potential in the sunny Australian outback in particular. Yet solar is still a very small fraction of overall power generated and even last years rapid growth in solar installations will only add up to about 1 percent of Australias total solar needs. The reality is that it will likely take decades before solar could come close to fully replacing the electrical grid, let alone power for autos. Further, the Australian Bight production would likely create a major new export for Australia, helping to fuel the overall economy rather than just providing power.

Nonetheless, it is clear that both solar and oil have a place in Australias future. BP is going to keep going with its production plans  environmental opposition to new sources of oil production is nothing new after all. The firm plans to start drilling for oil in the Australian summer of 2016-2017. Before it can do that though, it will have to figure out a way to appease Australian authorities, something it has so far failed to do successfully.

By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com

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Canadian energy regulators handed a win to Albertas oil sands producers last week, recommending approval for a major oil pipeline expansion to the Pacific Coast.

Canadas National Energy Board determined that the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline is in the public interest, handing the projects developer, Kinder Morgan, a key victory. Kinder Morgan already operates an existing pipeline that runs from Alberta to British Columbia, moving 300,000 barrels of oil per day to the coast. But the company is trying to expand the pipeline by running a twin line that would nearly triple capacity to 890,000 barrels per day. Kinder Morgans share price jumped by more than 3 percent on news of the NEB decision.

The pipeline is one of a handful of major projects that Albertas oil industry is desperate to push forward. The lack of pipeline capacity is holding back Canadian oil exports, and the dearth of pipeline space forces Canadian oil to sell at a discount to major oil benchmarks. Heavy Canadian oil from Alberta recently traded more than $14 per barrel lower than WTI. More pipeline capacity will allow oil sands producers to sell oil at a higher price.

There are several other proposed pipelines that have run into a wall of opposition: the Northern Gateway, a separate project that would run from Alberta to British Columbia; Energy East, a project that would span most of the continent from Alberta to the Atlantic Coast; and of course, the defunct Keystone XL project that would run south to the U.S.

The NEB is sending a clear message to Canada: building the infrastructure to get our resources to market is in the best interest of our country, Tim McMillan, the CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said in a statement, calling the decision a milestone.

The $6.8 billion Trans Mountain expansion is not a done deal yet. The NEB recommended approval, but the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau still needs to give a final up or down decision. The Trudeau government has stepped up environmental scrutiny of major energy projects, demanding that they meet stricter limits on greenhouse gas emissions. And as part of the NEBs recommendation for approval, the pipeline needs to meet 157 conditions related to the projects environmental impact and its effects on the lands of First Nations. Related: The Wildest Predictions For Oil Prices In 2016

Moreover, several major constituencies, including the city of Vancouver, still vociferously oppose the project. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said that the public benefits of the pipeline expansion cited by the NEB were laughable, and vowed to keep up opposition to the project. Theres nothing the company could do to make this acceptable to the West Coast, Mayor Robertson said, according to the Financial Post. And the mayor of Burnaby, where the pipeline will terminate along the coast, said the NEBs conditions are meaningless. Coastal communities are concerned about potential oil spills both on land and offshore, as well as the expected five-fold increase in tanker traffic along the coast.



Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has until the end of the year to decide on the fate of the project. His administration has a much greener hue than his predecessors, which makes approval uncertain. But the countrys economic struggles following the collapse of oil prices  as well as Albertas calamity from wildfires, which have cut off more than 1 million barrels per day of oil production for more than two weeks  is putting pressure on the Trudeau government to throw a bone to the oil industry.

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion offers the first big pipeline decision that the Trudeau government has to make. He has heartened greens with skeptical remarks towards the benefits of the industrys pipeline proposals, but if any project is to move forward, Trans Mountain probably tops the list because it will run parallel to an existing route. Related: Argentina Makes Good On Debts With These Energy Giants

But Trudeau has also emphasized the rights of indigenous communities with much greater enthusiasm than previous governments, and approving the project will shatter the good will that he has built up with First Nations. He has appointed a three-person panel to consult with indigenous communities along the pipeline route, and the results of the consolations will be reported to the government by November, shortly before Trudeau must make a final decision. If approved, construction could begin in 2017 with completion targeted for the end of 2019.

As a May 22 op-ed in The Toronto Star astutely points out, the Prime Minister will be forced to make a decision between the oil industry on the one hand, and the coastal and indigenous communities on the other. Ultimately, he will upset one side.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

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Mozambique is heading towards a major default on outstanding loans related to offshore natural gas infrastructure, symbolizing the deflating hopes for a major source of new natural gas production from East Africa.

The state-owned Mozambique Asset Management is set to default on $535 million in loans, which it took out to construct shipyards to service natural gas drilling off of its coast. Because of the grace period included in the loan terms, Mozambique is not yet technically in default, but it could default soon if it fails to convince creditors to make a deal. Mozambique had tried to renegotiate with creditors, led by Russias VTB Bank, but has been unable gain some leniency. Related: Is OPEC A U.S. National Security Threat?

Mozambiques debt problems have snowballed. The government made a surprise announcement in April that it had $1.35 billion in outstanding debt that it could not pay. Fitch Ratings quickly downgraded the countrys sovereign credit rating to CCC, a rating that denotes a very real risk of default. Its debt pile owed to foreign creditors, according to Reuters, now stands at $9.86 billion, or 80 percent of GDP. Much of the debt is related to a buildup in the countrys security services, including patrol vessels to protect its fishing fleet. But, by all accounts, financial mismanagement has put the country up against a wall. The IMF, taken aback by the secret debt, cut off assistance to the East African country in April, which will likely only make the problem worse. The World Bank also discontinued its assistance.

The ballooning debt is connected to the hype surrounding Mozambiques large natural gas reserves that sit just offshore. Estimates vary, but there could be 100 to 180 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which puts it just behind the continents two largest holders of natural gas reserves, Nigeria and Algeria. Those massive reserves attracted significant attention from some of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, including ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Eni, Statoil, Anadarko Petroleum and Russias Rosneft.

The idea was relatively simple. The companies would drill for gas and pipe it to the shore. Some of the gas could be used domestically, but much of it would be liquefied and exported abroad from yet-to-be constructed LNG export terminals. The IMF predicted that $100 billion in investment could pour into Mozambique over the ensuing years. In theory, Mozambique could become the third largest LNG exporter by the end of the decade, creating huge opportunity in one of the worlds poorest countries.

Anadarko Petroleum, for example, is weighing a final investment decision on a $15 billion LNG export terminal, but the U.S. company is slashing spending because of low oil prices. Mozambique has been concerned that there is a limited window of opportunity given the very large volumes of LNG export capacity coming online elsewhere around the world. "Unless we speed the process, we could lose the opportunity," Omar Mitha, chairman of state-owned oil company ENH, told Bloomberg in February. ENH is partnering with Anadarko.

Similarly, Eni is weighing an FID on its floating LNG export terminal, and could make a decision this year. Enis project is thought to be at the forefront of several on the drawing board. But Eni is also looking to sell off some of its holdings in the country to raise cash and reduce risk. The Italian oil giant is reportedly sitting on 85 Tcf of gas, which is equivalent to the entire U.S. residential demand for natural gas over two decades.

Mozambiques northern neighbor, Tanzania, is also hoping to develop large-scale natural gas production in order to export LNG, but it too has hit roadblocks. Related: Russian Natural Gas Dominance Under Threat From Croatian LNG Terminal

The problem is that development has taken longer than expected. And crucially, global LNG markets are no longer desperate for new sources of supply. Spot prices in East Asia, which is traditionally the most attractive market, are down by around 75 percent from a peak two years ago. That means that the oil majors that had been considering large-scale gas drilling off of Mozambiques coast are no longer scrambling to move forward. Plus, many of them are cutting costs and retrenching in the face of low prices and rising debt.

Broader financial mismanagement has put Mozambique in a bind, and the problems that have mushroomed since the original natural gas discoveries several years ago, some say, are signs of a resource curse. The hundreds of millions of dollars spent on ports in Mozambique may not see a return. Reuters says that other state-owned companies spent large sums on high-speed naval interceptors, radar stations, offshore patrol vessels and aircraft. Much of that equipment is sitting idle.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

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Following a deal to temporarily bandage a power-sharing dispute while Libya works towards installing a government of national accord, the reopening of the eastern Hariga port has allowed Libya to increase crude production to over 300,000 barrels per day.

Exports from the Hariga port resumed on 19 May. Production is now expected to increase to up to 360,000 bpd soon, according to the Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation (NOC), speaking to reporters on Monday.



Related: Key Pipeline Could Unleash Albertas Oil Sands

The additional increase in production will depend on progress at the Sarir oil field, as well as the availability of electricity, an NOC official said.

The eastern port of Hariga had been under a three-week blockade over rival government wrangling, sending exports down to 200,000 bpd. On 19 May, the first shipment of 650,000 barrels was being loaded for Glencore, en route to the United Kingdom, according to Bloomberg.

Production had been blocked from the eastern oilfields of Messla and Sarir.



Related: Is OPEC A U.S. National Security Threat?

Before the ouster of Gaddafi in 2011, Libya was producing 1.6 million bpd. Factions loyal to the eastern government in Tobruk, and the parallel National Oil Company in Benghazi, have been in control of the Hariga port, which has been under blockade since the Benghazi NOC unsuccessfully attempted to unilaterally export oil late last month.

Last week, after talks in Vienna, the rival NOCs reached an agreement in principle to resume shipments at talks held in Vienna. This deal has now apparently been implemented, allowing for the first shipment to be loaded; however, the details of the deal have not been made public, which also means that beyond this first shipment, it remains unclear whether the status of the port has been resolved.

By James Burgess of Oilprice.com

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The worlds #1 producing nations for platinum and copper are facing a common problem this week. And latest developments suggest this issue could be a potentially explosive one.

The challenge is labor negotiations in the mining sector. With both the worlds top platinum miner South Africa, and top copper producer Chile facing tough talks with strong local unions.

South Africas powerful platinum mining group Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) said last week it is beginning internal meetings as of last Thursday. To decide on pay demands the union will put to platinum mining companies during upcoming wage talks. Related: Key Pipeline Could Unleash Albertas Oil Sands

The AMCU demands will be critical for South Africas platinum sector. With the union being the largest in the industry  serving major miners including Anglo American Platinum, Lonmin, and Impala.

The union is meeting now because its current two-year pay agreement with those companies expires at the end of June. Which means the next several weeks are likely to see some intense negotiations  especially given that the last round of wage talks in 2014 ended in a 5-month strike that crippled South Africas platinum sector.

At the same time, Chiles copper sector is facing a similar issue. With the countrys national mining body Sociedad Nacional de Mineria (Sonami) noting that over half of the countrys largest miners are facing labor negotiations soon. Related: Is OPEC A U.S. National Security Threat?

Sonamis president Alberto Salas said at a recent industry event that over 50 percent of Chiles largest miners are due for wage talks over the next 12 months.

That includes the worlds largest copper miner, Codelco  which faces negotiations with 9 different unions across its various operations. Anglo American also has talks upcoming with 4 unions, while miners like Antofagasta, Kinross, BHP Billiton and Glencore all have separate labor negotiations scheduled.

Most of these companies have indicated that wage offers are likely to be restrained  given the current lower copper price. Watch for the reaction of the unions to these offers, and for any signs of brewing unrest that could impact production in both of these critical countries.

Heres to talking it out,

By Dave Forest

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The latest

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Love burgers? Adore beer? Want to enjoy both in support of a great cause? That's exactly what you can do during Merriment Social's "Merriment Madness" Burger Competition, which takes place March 17 through the end of April.
C-Span in April, 2013. The question was what he thought about President Obama. Thomas first gave a pithy put-down of Obama and then admitted that he had practically no interaction with him. But then he sternly said that he, Thomas, was a black man who did not say the "prescribed things" and that he'd be "picked apart" for it. http://www.nationalmemo.com/justice-clarence-thomas-takes-a-shot-at-president-obama/ He has been and he's done everything humanly and legally possible to get his revenge for being picked at. The latest in the long trail of Thomas paybacks was his sole dissenting vote against scrapping the death penalty verdict for Timothy Tyrone Foster, an African-American, in a rape and murder case in Georgia. Georgia prosecutors were outrageously blatant in dumping any African-American from the jury in the case. They went so far as to put racial designations--"B#1, B#2, and B#3"--beside the prospective black juror's names and then summarily booting them. This was too much stomach for Justice John Roberts, and the other two staunch conservatives on the bench. They quickly tossed the verdict, reminding Georgia and all that picking juries by race is a firmly established legal and constitutional no-no. But not Thomas, he didn't see or hear any evil in the patently illegal shenanigans of Georgia prosecutors. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/scotus-orders-new-trial-finds-racial-bias-jury-selection-n578721 So one can say what they want about Thomas but with his latest judicial insult, he's been a man of his word. Since that fateful day in 1991 when a deeply divided and even more deeply reluctant Senate confirmed him to the high court, Thomas vowed payback against those who ridiculed, reviled, and hounded him during the confirmation fight, and have relentlessly lambasted him since then. He's been on an unholy crusade to wreak revenge for that humiliation. When the issue is anything that even faintly smacks of race, be it voting rights, housing or job discrimination, and his favorite, crime and punishment, especially the death penalty, and the aggrieved is an African-American, Thomas never disappoints. He will vote to burn him.



Thomas's latest ridiculous dissenting vote, like his other just as ridiculous lone wolf votes on race based court cases, make absolutely no sense to most legal experts. But they're not about law. His decisions make sense because they have less to do with his warped interpretation of law and its practice than with his publicly expressed racial views, and his private vow to get revenge.

When asked some years ago how long he'd stay on the court, he reportedly said that he'd stay there for next 43 years of his life. He was 43 at the time. In a more revealing aside, he supposedly quipped to friends that it would take him that long to get even. Whether that is hyperbole or an apocryphal tale, it hasn't taken him 43 years to wreak his revenge.



The dissent in the Foster case is more than ample proof that Thomas has been a one man wrecking crew on race in law and public policy decisions. But this is not simply one man's personal bitterness over his alleged mistreatment by liberals and civil rights leaders. Nor is it a case of his digging in his heels to push his retrograde view on racial matters. He wants more judges to think and act like him on the bench. And all the better if those strict racial constructionist judges happen to be minorities.

In his 2007 autobiography, My Grandfather's Son, the bitter grudge that he holds against those who did so much to dump his confirmation were on naked and brutal display. He showed no sign of budging a step from the never-ending public and private war he's waged against civil rights leaders and liberal Democrats. He branded them the "liberal mob" and gripped that they had one goal, and only one goal, and that is to "keep the black man in his place." The black man of course is Thomas.



The other theme that courses through Thomas's clinical need for payback is his obsessive view of himself as the perennial martyr. In an American Enterprise Institute lecture in 2001, he wrapped himself in the martyr's garment and said that he expected to be treated badly for challenging liberal opinion. A decade later in a talk to the ultra-conservative Federalist Society, he vented that persecution complex again when he said that unnamed critics "seem bent on undermining" the Supreme Court. He meant one justice on the court, himself.



Thomas's mean-spirited and vindictive views and legal opinions on the death penalty, age and gender bias, first amendment, prisoner rights and affirmative action cases were well known by the time he hit the court in 1991. It could hardly be said even then that he latched on to judicial conservatism solely to curry favor with white conservatives to snatch a seat on the high court. He actually believes what he says and writes in his nutty on man dissents even when others ridicule him mercilessly and deservedly for them. And he could care less, it's just Thomas continuing his big payback. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His latest book is How "President" Trump will Govern (Amazon Kindle) He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report Saturdays 9:00 AM on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network.

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Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a nationally acclaimed author and political analyst. He has authored ten books; his articles are published in newspapers and magazines nationally in the United States. Three of his books have been published in other ( more...

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Tim Black (still from video below)

(Image by Tim Black) Details DMCA



I usually deeply appreciate Robert Reich's insights and thoughts. But his recent Facebook post made me wonder whether he's been drinking Little Debbie's Kool Aid.

Reich had endorsed Sanders on his Facebook page on Feb 26.

On May 19th Reich posted:

Many of you who support Bernie ask me what you should do at this point. My suggestion: 1. Continue to work like hell for Bernie, especially given upcoming primaries in California and New Jersey on June 7. Putting aside superdelegates, the difference between him and Hillary Clinton isn't huge. So far, Bernie has won nearly 10 million votes and has 1,499 pledged delegates. Hillary Clinton has won 13 million votes and has 1,771 pledged delegates. California could make a huge difference. 2. Don't demonize or denigrate Hillary Clinton. If she wins the Democratic nomination, I urge you to work like hell for her. She'll be the only person standing between Donald Trump and the presidency of the United States. Besides, as I've said before, she'll be an excellent president for the system we now have, even though Bernie would be the best president for the system we need. 3. Never, ever give up fighting against the increasing concentration of wealth and power at the top, which is undermining our democracy and distorting our economy. That means, if Hillary Clinton is elected, I urge you to turn Bernie's campaign into a movement -- even a third party -- to influence elections at the state level in 2018 and the presidency in 2020. No movement to change the allocation of power succeeds easily or quickly. We are in this for the long haul.

Reich seems to assume that Hillary would be much better for America than Trump, but I'm not so sure. I am definitely not a Trump supporter. I'm horrified at the thought that Trump has gotten this far. He and Hillary are both corrupt liars, but I believe Hillary has more connections and power that would enable her to do more enduring harm than Donald does. So we are talking about the relatively small difference between "really" bad, and "really, really" bad.

And, respectfully, Mr. Reich, we are not "demonizing" Hillary, she did that all on her own. We're just stating the facts.

Radio host, internet talk show host, social commentator, political speaker and activist, Tim Black makes a cogent reply to Reich in a video he posted on Sunday:

The DNC should have put forth a candidate that we would like, respect, appreciate and champion ... there is nothing about Hillary Clinton that I trust ... I'm urging everyone out there who ... feels the same way I do, do not let Mr Reich's opinion sway you to become a Hillary supporter against your conscience ... fear of Trump does not mean we should vote Hillary ... How else do we let the DNC know that we don't play games? If we just bail out (the DNC) like we bailed out the banks, what will they learn?



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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com.

Much of our future is reliably unpredictable, and what more so than the moments when mass movements suddenly break out and sweep across our world? Who expected, for example, that for perhaps the first time in history hundreds of thousands of people would hit the streets of U.S. cities and towns -- and millions the global streets from London and Barcelona to Sydney and Jakarta -- in early 2003 to protest the coming invasion of Iraq, a war, that is, that hadn't even begun? Or that such a movement would essentially vanish not long after that war was predictably launched?

Who imagined that, in September 2011, a small group of youthful protesters, settling into Zuccotti Park, an obscure square near Wall Street in downtown Manhattan, would "occupy" it and so the American imagination in such a way that "the 1%" and "the 99%" became part of our everyday language; Wall Street (as it hadn't been for decades) a reviled site; and "inequality" part of the national conversation rather than just the national reality? Who imagined in the moment before it happened that such a movement, such a moment, would then sweep the country and the world, that streets and squares in American cities and those around the world would be "occupied" and that global inequality would become, and remain, an issue of import?

Who imagined that a small number of environmentalists running an obscure organization called 350.org would help spark a climate-change movement that would spread globally in a startling fashion, mount a large demonstration in Washington and others across the planet, venture into the Arctic and by kayak into the waters of the American West, and actually stop the building of a pipeline slated to carry the carbon-dirtiest of energy sources from now-ravaged Alberta, Canada, to the American Gulf Coast, and -- with a growing divestment movement and other activities -- put the fear of god into the most profitable and influential corporations on the planet?

And who imagined that the shooting of a young black man in a place no one (outside of Missouri) had ever heard of and the death-by-choking of another black man on the streets of New York City, events that were, in the annals of American policing, hardly out of the ordinary, would propel a protest movement whose name couldn't sum up its goals better -- Black Lives Matter -- to national prominence or that this would, in turn, help spark a movement of millennials, discussed today by TomDispatchregular Avi Chomsky, that would sweep college campuses nationwide?

Is there anything stranger than what in the world, on occasion, gets into us human beings, what suddenly makes us so ornery that we sometimes stand up to overwhelming power in defense of convictions that, until moments before, we didn't even know would occupy us in such a way? And perhaps nothing is more useful than the unpredictability of such moments, such movements. Otherwise how would they ever catch power off guard? Tom

The Battle for the Soul of American Higher Education

Student Protest, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the Rise of the Corporate University

By Aviva Chomsky During the past academic year, an upsurge of student activism, a movement of millennials, has swept campuses across the country and attracted the attention of the media. From coast to coast, from the Ivy League to state universities to small liberal arts colleges, a wave of student activism has focused on stopping climate change, promoting a living wage, fighting mass incarceration practices, supporting immigrant rights, and of course campaigning for Bernie Sanders. Both the media and the schools that have been the targets of some of these protests have seized upon certain aspects of the upsurge for criticism or praise, while ignoring others. Commentators, pundits, and reporters have frequently trivialized and mocked the passion of the students and the ways in which it has been directed, even as universities have tried to appropriate it by promoting what some have called "neoliberal multiculturalism." Think of this as a way, in particular, of taming the power of the present demands for racial justice and absorbing them into an increasingly market-oriented system of higher education. In some of their most dramatic actions, students of color, inspired in part by the Black Lives Matter movement, have challenged the racial climate at their schools. In the process, they have launched a wave of campus activism, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, demonstrations, and petitions, as well as emotional, in-your-face demands of various sorts. One national coalition of student organizations, the Black Liberation Collective, has called for the percentage of black students and faculty on campus to approximate that of blacks in the society. It has also called for free tuition for black and Native American students, and demanded that schools divest from private prison corporations. Other student demands for racial justice have included promoting a living wage for college employees, reducing administrative salaries, lowering tuitions and fees, increasing financial aid, and reforming the practices of campus police. These are not, however, the issues that have generally attracted the attention either of media commentators or the colleges themselves. Instead, the spotlight has been on student demands for cultural changes at their institutions that focus on deep-seated assumptions about whiteness, sexuality, and ability. At some universities, students have personalized these demands, insisting on the removal of specific faculty members and administrators. Emphasizing a politics of what they call "recognition," they have also demanded that significant on-campus figures issue public apologies or acknowledge that "black lives matter." Some want universities to implement in-class "trigger warnings" when difficult material is being presented and to create "safe spaces" for marginalized students as a sanctuary from the daily struggle with the mainstream culture. By seizing upon and responding to these (and only these) student demands, university administrators around the country are attempting to domesticate and appropriate this new wave of activism. In the meantime, right-wing commentators have depicted students as coddled, entitled, and enemies of free speech. The libertarian right has launched a broad media critique of the current wave of student activism. Commentators have been quick to dismiss student protesters as over-sensitive and entitled purveyors of "academic victimology." They lament the "coddling of the American mind." The Atlantic's Conor Friedersdorf has termed students "misguided" in their protests against racist language, ideas, and assumptions, their targeting of "microaggression" (that is, unconscious offensive comments) and insensitivity, and their sometimes highly personal attacks against those they accuse. One of the most vocal critics of the new campus politics, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, argues that such rampant "liberalism" and "political correctness" violate academic freedom and freedom of speech. (In this, they are in accord with the liberal American Civil Liberties Union. Free speech advocates Daphne Patai and the ACLU's Harvey Silvergate, for example, bemoan a new diversity requirement at the University of Massachusetts for its "politicization of education.") In a response that, under the circumstances, might at first seem surprising, college administrators have been been remarkably open to some of these student demands -- often the very ones derided by the right. In this way, the commentators and the administrators have tended to shine a bright light on what is both personal and symbolic in the new politics of the student protesters, while ignoring or downplaying their more structural and economically challenging desires and demands. The Neoliberal University University administrators have been particularly amenable to student demands that fit with current trends in higher education. Today's neoliberal university is increasingly facing market pressures like loss of state funding, privatization, rising tuition, and student debt, while promoting a business model that emphasizes the managerial control of faculty through constant "assessment," emphasis on "accountability," and rewards for "efficiency." Meanwhile, in a society in which labor unions are constantly being weakened, the higher education labor force is similarly being -- in the term of the moment -- "flexibilized" through the weakening of tenure, that once ironclad guarantee of professorial lifetime employment, and the increased use of temporary adjunct faculty. In this context, universities are scrambling to accommodate student activism for racial justice by incorporating the more individualized and personal side of it into increasingly depoliticized cultural studies programs and business-friendly, market-oriented academic ways of thinking. Not surprisingly, how today's students frame their demands often reflects the environment in which they are being raised and educated. Postmodern theory, an approach which still reigns in so many liberal arts programs, encourages textual analysis that reveals hidden assumptions encoded in words; psychology has popularized the importance of individual trauma; and the neoliberal ideology that has come to permeate so many schools emphasizes individual behavior as the most important agent for social change. Add together these three strands of thought, now deeply embedded in a college education, and injustice becomes a matter of the wrongs individuals inflict on others at a deeply personal level. Deemphasized are the policies and structures that are built into how society (and the university) works.

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Oregon Senate Republicans

IP28s Regressive Tax Would Have Devastating Effect on Oregons Economy

Salem, Ore.  Yesterday, the Oregon Senate Interim Committee on Finance and Revenue heard a report on the potential effects of Initiative Petition 28, a ballot measure to implement a 2.5 percent gross receipts tax on sales of consumer items in Oregon.

The nonpartisan Legislative Revenue Office estimates that it will be a highly regressive $6.1 billion tax increase that will cost middle class families $500 to $868 per year and eliminate 20,400 jobs. This is the first in-depth report lawmakers have received on the likely outcome of the passage of IP 28 in November.

Supporters of the measure submitted what is expected to be a sufficient number of qualifying signatures last week.

The special interest groups driving IP 28 claim to care about education funding, said Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day), but this tax on sales could have a devastating effect on Oregons economy, resulting in 20,400 jobs lost and a steep increase in consumer prices that will cost middle class families as much as $868 per year. By taxing Oregon sales at every step, from the manufacturer to the wholesaler to the retailer, Oregon families could see prices on necessities like medicine, groceries and electricity rise by as much as 7.5 percent. Low-income and rural families and seniors living on fixed incomes will be hurt the most. This is not the solution to funding education in Oregon.

Our Oregon, the special interest group sponsoring the initiative, claims the estimated $6.1 billion in biannual revenue will fund K-12 education in Oregon, though the legislature will not be legally bound to allocate new revenue to education. Currently, Democrats in Salem are only allocating 10% of the total budget to education.

A January 2013 Oregonian article described Our Oregon as a Portland-based nonprofit formed in 2005 and overseen for several years by the [public employee unions] SEIU and the OEA
Mullah Mansoor used Pakistani airports to visits abroad

QUETTA: Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, believed to have been killed in a US air strike in Balochistan on Saturday, was a frequent traveller and over the past nine years used at least two Pakistani airports for his visits abroad.



Mansour was coming to Quetta from Taftan when his car came under the drone attack, killing him and his driver.



A passport and a computerised national identity card found near the burnt car bore the name of Muhammad Wali. Its suspected that Mansour carried fake travel papers.



According to a senior official of an investigation agency, Wali frequently travelled between Karachi and Dubai, and Iran via the Pakistani border town of Taftan. He had returned to Taftan from Iran on May 21 and was killed the same day at around 3pm by the US drone in the Kochki area of Nushki district.



Wali had a Pakistani passport and was travelling on it with a valid visa of Iran and Dubai, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity, adding that the passport was twice issued to him from the Quetta passport office  first in 2006 and then in October 2011, after the previous one had expired. The passport was valid up to October 2016.



The national identity card, too, was issued to Wali from Quetta in 2002 and after completion of its 10 years validity it was renewed from Karachi. The official claimed that Wali was a frequent flyer and 70 per cent of his travel originated from Karachi airport; once he flew from Quetta airport.



He started travelling abroad on Mach 12, 2006, and flew to Dubai from Karachi airport. His last travel on March 31, 2015 was also from Karachi to Dubai.



He visited Dubai 18 times using Karachi airport on valid visas and once from Quetta airport, said a senior government official. We have no idea what the purpose of his frequent visits to Dubai was. As regards his visits to Iran, he travelled to Iran twice through the Taftan border crossing.



He first went to Iran on Feb 19, 2016, and returned to Pakistan through the Taftan border town on March 10, 2016, the official said, adding that he again travelled to Iran on April 25 this year and returned to Pakistan through the same route on May 21. Wali reported at the FIA immigration checkpost at Taftan 9.7am on May 21, he said.



Sources said that he hired a car at Taftan to travel up to Quetta. He had lunch at Padak near the Dalbandin area of Chagai district before resuming the journey. However, before reaching Quetta his car came under the drone attack.



Meanwhile, Iran on Monday denied reports that Mullah Mansour had entered Pakistan from the Islamic republic before being killed in the drone strike, adds AFP.



Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari was quoted by the official Irna news agency on Monday as denying Mansour had been in the country before the attack.



The competent authorities of the Islamic republic deny that this person on this date crossed Irans border and into Pakistan, he said. Iran welcomes any positive action leading to peace and stability in Afghanistan, he added. Iran supports the Afghan government in its fight against the Taliban.



The `mystery shrouding the identity of the man killed along with his driver in the drone attack could not be resolved till Monday evening as no one approached the authorities concerned to claim the body which was brought to the Combined Military Hospital on Sunday.



The body is still at the CMH in Quetta and no relative has come so far, sources said, adding that the body could not be identified because it had been charred when the car caught fire after the missile hit it.



Though US President Barack Obama and the Afghan government have claimed that the man killed along with his driver on the RCD highway was Mullah Mansour, authorities in Quetta did not confirm that the body lying at CMH was that of the Taliban chiefs.



The government agencies and other officials are investigating the drone attack, a spokesman for the Balochistan government said in a statement. Immediately we cannot comment on the incident, he said, adding that a team of the district administration and Special Branch was in the area where the incident had occurred and had been looking at all aspects of the drone attack.
One of Australias greatest pastimes is scouring the international media for any scant mention of our humble island, so that we can experience the adrenaline rush of national pride that the Northern Hemisphere has noticed us, albeit fleetingly.

Unfortunately, most of the mentions we get these days tend to be about how much our detention centre scheme sucks and exists outside international law. So it blunts the pride, somewhat.

No one is more accustomed to hammering us on border security than the worlds very own paper of record, The New York Times. The NYT has given quite a bit of attention to our unique approach to detaining asylum seekers, and theyre back at it again. Todays tut-tut comes from Roger Cohen, a longtime foreign correspondent who is currently in Sydney:

The Australian treatment of refugees trying to reach this vast, thinly populated country by boat follows textbook rules for the administering of cruelty. It begins with the anodyne name for the procedures  offshore processing  as if these desperate human beings were just an accumulation of data.

Australias border regime is getting so much international attention not only because it flouts international law  its because hard right operators in Europe and beyond see us as a model for approaching the refugee crisis currently afflicting many parts of the world. So its more than just a brutal curiosity for international reporters.

But this is an unusually strong condemnation:

Australias offshore processing is falling apart and must end. The Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ruled in April that the Australian-funded detention center on Manus Island was illegal. In Australia, only retroactive parliamentary legislation enacted after a plaintiff filed suit granted legal support for a policy in effect pursued illegally since 2012.

Yikes. The final para invites us to scrap a policy that shames a nation with its pointless cruelty.

Look, if the basic, basic requirements of human dignity and empathy arent enough to motivate our paralysed bipartisan system into reform, then maybe being shamed by the Americans is enough. The Americans. Come on, guys.

Source: New York Times.

Photo: Getty Images.
Batfarm software will enable livestock farmers to assess the environmental impact of their farms. Credit: Neiker

The livestock sector now has a piece of software enabling farmers to make an accurate environmental assessment of their farms. Known as Batfarm, it has been developed jointly by the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development NEIKER-Tecnalia, INTIA, IRSTEA, TEAGASC, the Higher Institute of Agronomy of Portugal, and Glasgow Caledonian University. Batfarm has been led by Dr Pilar Merino, a NEIKER-Tecnalia researcher.

The software simulates a range of strategies designed to mitigate pollution on livestock farms raising pigs, chickens for eggs and meat, and dairy cows. The tool compares different scenarios on each farm and thus helps to select the most suitable environmental strategy in each case. The software covers all the phases in the production systemanimal housing, storage, treatment and field application of manures and slurries.

The most important strategies in livestock management are considered in the Batfarm software. They feature nutrition strategies (adjusting protein and phosphorus, feeding in phases), the design of housing (types of housing, flooring and deep ditch), and the management of manure and slurry storage (emptying system, type of cover, additives). Upgrading treatments (drying, separating of solids from liquids, aerobic treatment, methanization, composting), systems for field application (injection, incorporation) and other good practices specified by users.

The main calculations made by the computing tool are feed, water and energy consumption; animal production (live weight, eggs, meat, milk); ammonia, nitrous oxide and methane emissions; the production and composition of manures and slurries; and the nutrients applied to the soil (pastures or agricultural soils). These measurements offer the possibility of comparing different situations.

To make these calculations, Batfarm uses default and regionalised values relating to zootechnical and climate data and emission factors. The computing programme is geared towards standard and advanced users. The latter can modify the values used by the software.

The Batfarm application can be downloaded free of charge from http://www.intiasa.es/es/batfarm-software. All the manuals and tutorials are available with the download.
Indigenous society. Credit: Romain Duda

A new study of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) led by Dr Victoria Reyes-Garcia recommends implementing biocultural conservation policies which take into account indigenous societies, their cultures and the changes they are facing.

Despite their increasing involvement in the market economy, indigenous societies living in the tropical forest remain highly dependent on forest resources for their survival, especially hunting and edible wild plant collection, as well as on raw materials for housing construction and household goods.

However, tropical forest conservation policies which have been long put in place so as to hinder human use makes it difficult for contemporary indigenous peoples to access basic resources. This is what emerges from a study by scientists at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) led by Dr Victoria Reyes-Garcia, in the framework of a research project on current biodiversity conservation policies, their impact on contemporary indigenous societies, and the cultural and economic changes threatening their tight relation with the environment and which can endanger the success of diversity conservation.

The research was based on the analysis of three indigenous societies in Borneo, the Congo Basin and Amazonia.

The project, with one million Euros in funding through a Starting Grant awarded to Victoria Reyes-Garcia by the European Research Council (within the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union), was based on an in-depth study of these three indigenous societies over five years, in order to gain greater insights into their systems of knowledge, which are often forgotten.

"Tropical forest conservation policies not only hinder the use of forest resources with commercial goals such as logging, but also subsistence uses of local communities, including the uses by indigenous peoples who have managed these forest for millennia", explains Dr Victoria Reyes-Garcia, who says that local communities may indeed be the best guardians of biodiversity-rich areas, as they depend on them for subsistence.

Despite their high reliance on forest resources, the research states that indigenous peoples tend to use tropical forests in a diffuse way, with many areas seldom used. The low demographic pressure of local communities also contributes to a weak and low intensity impact on forest ecosystems.

In order to conduct the research, the members of the research group lived for a year and a half with the communities of the Punan Tubu (hunter-gatherers of Borneo, Indonesia), the Baka (semi-nomads from the River Congo basin) and the Tsimane' (forager-horticulturists from the Bolivian Amazonia). Using a GPS device, they monitored the communities in order to collect information related to their daily forest visits, the most frequented areas, and the time spent in each area. The researchers quantified the impacts of their activities.

The research shows that indigenous peoples face internal and external pressures which affect the way in which they use the forest. These cultural and economic changes threaten their tight relation with the environment. Researchers point out that shifts related to contact with other ways of life through access to school and modern healthcare, learning the national language and integration into the market economy result in changes in beliefs, perception and in biodiversity, probably through changes in forest uses.

Also, younger generations tend to underestimate how much change an ecosystem has undergone, due to an intergenerational lack of communication and knowledge transmission. "Younger generations do not perceive the changes in the ecosystem because as intergenerational communication decreases, the references on how ecosystems resembled in the past are lost", says Victoria Reyes- Garcia, who explains that the development of a regional and national market of forest products such as bushmeat has created new incentives for hunting and for the adoption of more efficient, but unsustainable, hunting practices.

In conclusion, researchers recommend the implementation of new biodiversity conservation policies that replace the current "strictly biological" focus by a "biocultural" approach that takes into account the indigenous societies and their livelihood needs. New tropical forest conservation policies should incorporate local culture and knowledge, and promote intergenerational transfer, while considering the dynamism of knowledge systems and the challenges they face.

Explore further Computer model shows how modern interventions affect tropical forests, indigenous peoples

More information: Report on the project in Spanish: Report on the project in Spanish: icta.uab.cat/Etnoecologia/Docs/[491]-pb2es.pdf Report on the project in English: icta.uab.cat/Etnoecologia/Docs/[489]-pb2en.pdf Report on the project in French: icta.uab.cat/Etnoecologia/Docs/[490]-pb2fr.pdf
California technology companies are poised to take the lead in developing new anti-drone and gun safety tools for the federal government - adding another layer of complexity to the West Coast industry's relationship with East Coast intelligence agencies.

The demand for a technological solution known as "geo-fencing" stems from concerns that arose in 2015, after drone hobbyists brazenly flew their hovercraft over wildfires during the fire season. Their zeal for filming the blaze interfered with the ability of firefighting aircraft to douse the deadly flames with water and fire retardant. That year Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who's the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence's ranking member, called on the Federal Aviation Administration to finalize rules for drone operators so that they are deterred from interfering with the duties of emergency response personnel.

Now he is suggesting that the technology industry should play a role in reducing the dangers posed by spectator drones.

"We still haven't solved the problem of keeping drones out of firefighting areas, and we still have a continuous problem of drones flying around the airspace of airports, causing near-collisions with aircraft," Schiff said in an interview.

"So I think there are some steps that have been taken, but a lot more work that needs to be done, and here's an area also where technology can pay a pivotal role," he said. "As the geo-fencing capabilities improve, that's a technology that would solve some of these problems."

Gun safety tools also are on the government's wish list of technological advancements. The newfound interest in a device that would allow only the owner of a gun to access the weapon stems from a presidential directive. President Barack Obama announced in April that he had directed the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Justice to prepare a report outlining a strategy for expediting "smart" firearms.

Maryland is the go-to state for Department of Defense officials tasked with testing the latest smart-gun technology at a military facility. Still, California companies will have a major role to play in ensuring that the federal government gets that technology, Silicon Valley billionaire Ron Conway told Newsweek. Those companies could help improve gun safety, Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, said in an email response to questions.

"Another technology avenue ... I think we should explore and promote is smart guns," she said. "Thanks to technological advancements, we can lock our smartphones with a touch of our finger, and yet the gun lobby insists the same technology can't be applied to deadly weapons."

Speier is also a member of the powerful House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

She and other California lawmakers have front-row seats for the public displays of investment and territorial spats between the industry and its government partners. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is the chairman of the Intelligence Committee and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has a say in intelligence oversight as well. Collectively, they monitor the technology-intelligence relationship as it encounters new opportunities, such as the creation of the Defense Department's Defense Innovation Unit Experimental venture in Silicon Valley, and setbacks, such as the encryption dispute between FBI officials and Apple.

California, the birthplace of modern warfare and encryption software, is a modern-day technology frontier. Its sprawling cities are full of hush-hush companies that create a variety of weapons with the backing of various intelligence agencies. That weaponry ranges from complex multimillion-dollar military drones with the ability to spy on ground activity from thousands of feet in the sky to data-mining tools that allow government agents to track terrorists.

"The government isn't just a consumer of these technologies for its own intelligence applications," California Technology Council founder Matt Gardner said. "It's now behaving a little bit like a venture capitalist in investing in new technologies, so this is a very different side of that relationship, and it really was pioneered by a venture capital firm called In-Q-tel."

In-Q-tel is the venture-capital arm of the CIA. In recent years, it has expressed a strong interest in companies that create data-mining software and other unique technologies. That venture has inspired other government agencies to follow suit, Gardner said in an interview.

"I think it's fair to say that (the Department of Homeland Security) and (the Department of Defense) saw not only did In-Q-tel work, it helped in their relationship with innovators," he said. "And I wouldn't say just 'big tech' here; it's just innovators in general, because it gave them a different way to relate to those who are developing cutting-edge technology as a partner."

Intelligence agencies have been investing in California companies for decades. Financial contributions to startup companies such as LensVector Inc. in Silicon Valley and Geosemble Technologies in the Los Angeles area have led to the development of liquid crystal lenses that improve the quality of miniature cameras and technology that can pinpoint the locations of people based on their social media activity. The inordinate amount of attention is a blessing and a curse for California companies because it creates both opportunities and problems.

"I think what's really positive about this development is that government is rethinking itself," Gardner said. "And so here's what's exciting about this: They're not getting too caught up in their own bureaucracy so much so that it prevents them from new thinking."

But that new thinking comes with its fair share of controversy.

The relationship between the technology industry and the intelligence agencies has been strong and, "until recently, a very fruitful area," Schiff said. Now, as tech companies face increasing pressure from intelligence agencies seeking access to technology and information, Schiff and other lawmakers are looking for ways to resolve the tension in the tech-intelligence relationship.

"While the technology sector wants to work with law enforcement and the intelligence community to keep the country safe, they also don't want to jeopardize their business overseas, and, you know, when things and conflicts emerge, like they have between Apple and the FBI, that poses a real challenge to the tech sector, as it does to law enforcement," he said. "You see that reflected in things like the decision of Twitter not to allow part of its open-source database to be accessed" by the intelligence community.

Lawmakers have a mitigation role to play, Schiff said, because the issue "is too large" and has "too many policy implications to be addressed by the courts alone."

"It is fundamentally a balancing of security privacy and a whole host of other considerations: the global impacts, the economic impacts," he said. "And those are considerations that are not easily balanced by a court, so I think that it really is something that Congress should address."

Former CIA director and former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said he disagreed with that approach. California's technology industry and the intelligence agencies need to resolve their own issues - without the interference of Congress, he said. Since his time at the CIA, Panetta said, he has watched the standard protocol of quiet communication about national security issues between tech companies and intelligence agents devolve into a front-page spat.

"We had meetings in Silicon Valley. They were always cordial, but they were always confidential," he said in an interview. "That's an important aspect if you're going to be able to find a solution to the current problem. You've got to be able to do it in a way that is confidential and not on the front page of The Washington Post."

As exciting technological opportunities arise, such as the need for geo-fencing and smart-gun tools, that relationship may stay in the spotlight. After all, the federal government will need to create new regulations for that technology and remain wary about what the average person could do with access to anti-drone tools, Gardner said.

"I think there should be a worry among - especially those same regulators - about John Smith in his backyard taking air defense into his own hands," he said. "That's an interesting risk."

Explore further Obama announces new steps to curb gun violence

2016 McClatchy Washington Bureau

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Huawei is well behind Samsung as a maker of mobile devices, but the Chinese firm has a large networking business and its research arm last year spent over $9 billion

Chinese technology titan Huawei said Tuesday it filed suit in the United States against Samsung, claiming its South Korean rival has infringed on patents on wireless connectivity for mobile devices.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in California alleges that "Samsung and its affiliates have earned billions of dollars by selling (mobile) products that use Huawei's technology."

Huawei said it was filing a similar lawsuit in China alleging infringement of patents which allow mobile devices to connect to high-speed networks.

The suit opens up a legal battle over wireless patents for 4G networks between two of the largest global technology firms.

"Our very strong preference is to resolve disputes on licensing through negotiations," William Plummer, Huawei's US-based vice president for external affairs, told AFP.

"It is unfortunate when we have to take this route but when you are the leader in the industry in making investments to develop these technologies, protecting your investments is very important."

Plummer said Huawei had reached agreements to license its patents to many other global tech firms including Apple, Qualcomm and Ericsson.

Huawei is well behind Samsung as a maker of mobile devices, but the Chinese firm has a large networking business and its research arm last year spent over $9 billion.

"As a major holder of standard essential patents relating to cellular networks, Huawei is committed to licensing these patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms, but it believes that it is entitled to reasonable compensation from firms that use its technology without such a license," said a statement released by the company.

Ding Jianxing, head of intellectual property rights for Huawei, said in the statement that "industry players should work together to push the industry forward through open, joint innovation."

"While respecting others' patents, we will also protect our own," he added.

Samsung did not immediately respond to an AFP query.

The California suit asks for unspecified damaged "to compensate Huawei for the patent infringement that has occurred, together with interest and costs," as well as royalties after the case is over, if it prevails.

Explore further Huawei 2015 profit jumps 32 percent on smartphone demand

 2016 AFP
Kathryn Zurek. Credit: Roy Kaltschmidt/Berkeley Lab

Kathryn Zurek realized a decade ago that we may be searching in the wrong places for clues to one of the universe's greatest unsolved mysteries: dark matter. Despite making up an estimated 85 percent of the total mass of the universe, we haven't yet figured out what it's made of.

Now, Zurek, a theoretical physicist at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), says thanks to extraordinary improvements in experimental sensitivity, "We increasingly know where not to look." In 2006, during grad school, Zurek began to explore the concept of a new "Hidden Valley" model for physics that could hold all of the answers to dark matter.

"I noticed that from a model-builder's point of view that dark matter was extraordinarily undeveloped," she said. It seemed as though scientists were figuratively hunting in the dark for answers. "People were focused on models of just two classes of dark matter candidates, rather than a much broader array of possibilities."

Physicist and author Alan Lightman has described dark matter as an "invisible elephant in the room"you know it's there because of the dent it's making in the floorboards but you can't see or touch it. Likewise, physicists can infer that dark matter exists in huge supply compared to normal matter because of its gravitational effects, which far exceed those expected from the matter we can see in space.

Since physicist Fritz Zwicky in 1933 measured this major discrepancy in the gravitational mass of a galaxy cluster, that he concluded was due to dark matter, the search for what dark matter is really made of has taken many forms: from deep-underground detectors to space- and ground-based observatories, balloon-borne missions and powerful particle accelerator experiments.

While there have been some candidate signals and hints, and numerous experiments have narrowed the range of energies and masses at which we are now looking for dark matter particles, the scientific community hasn't yet embraced a dark matter discovery.

In 2006, as a graduate student at the University of Washington, Zurek and collaborator Matthew J. Strassler, a faculty member, published a paper, "Echoes of a Hidden Valley at Hadron Colliders," that considered the possibility of new physics such as the existence of a new group of light (low-mass), long-lived particles that could possibly be revealed at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, the machine that would later enable the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012.

Some of the scientifically popular hypothetical particle candidates for dark matter are WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles) and axions (very-low-mass particles). But the possibility of a rich and overlooked mix of light particles was compelling for Zurek, who began to construct models to test out the theory.

"If you had a low-mass hidden sector, you could 'stuff' all kinds of things inside of it," she said. "That really set me up to start thinking about complex dark sectors, which I did as a postdoc."

Looking back to 2008, Zurek said she felt like someone carrying around a sandwich board proclaiming that dark matter could be a stranger, manifold thing than most had imagined. "I was like that little guy with the sign."

By coincidence, the so-called "PAMELA anomaly" was revealed that same year; data from the PAMELA space mission in 2008 had found an unexpected excess of positrons, the antimatter counterpart to electrons, at certain energies. This measurement excited physicists as a possible particle signature from the decay of dark matter, and the excess defied standard dark matter theories and opened the door to new ones.

Now that the concept of "hidden valleys" or "dark sectors" with myriad particles making up dark matter is gaining steam among scientistsZurek spoke in late April at a three-day "Workshop on Dark Sectors"she said she feels gratified to have worked on some of the early theoretical models.

"It's great in one sense because these ideas really got traction," Zurek said. "The fact that there were these experimental anomalies, that was sort of a coincidence. As a second- or third-year postdoc, this was like 'my program'this was the thing I was pushing. It suddenly got very popular."

On an afternoon in late April, Zurek and her student Katelin Schutz sat together waiting to press the button to submit a new paper on a proposal to tease out a signal for light dark matter particles using an exotic, supercooled liquid known as superfluid helium. In the paper, they explain how this form of helium can probe for signals of "super light dark matter," with an energy signature well below the reach of today's experiments.

They are also working with Dan McKinsey, a Berkeley Lab scientist and UC Berkeley physics professor who is a superfluid helium expert, on possible designs for an experiment.

Most popular theories of WIMPs suggest a mass around 100 times the mass of a proton, a particle found at an atom's core, for example, but a superfluid helium detector could be sensitive to masses many orders of magnitude smaller, she said.

Are we any closer to finding dark matter?

Zurek said she is surprised we haven't yet made a discovery, but she is encouraged by the increasing sensitivity of experiments, and she said Berkeley Lab has particular expertise in high-precision detectors that will hopefully ensure its role in future experiments.

"There is a cross-fertilization from different fields of physics that has really blossomed in the last several years," Zurek also said. She joined Berkeley Lab in 2014 after serving as an associate professor at University of Michigan, and has also spent time at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J.; and at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's Particle Astrophysics Center.

Besides dark matter research, Zurek works on problems related to possible new physics at play in the infant universe and in the evolution of the universe's structure, for example Her work often is at the intersection of particle physics experiments and astrophysics observations.

Hard problems like the dark matter mystery are what drew her to physics at an early age, when she enrolled in college at the age of 15.

"I wanted to understand how the universe worked. Plus, physics was hard and I liked that. I thought it was the hardest thing you could do, which I found very appealing. I decided at 15 that I wanted to make it a career, and I just never looked back," she said.

She knew, too, that she didn't want to work directly on big science experiments. "I had always been fascinated about ideas: Ideas in philosophy, and the interplay between music and philosophy and physics."

She is a classical pianist with the ability to improvise melodiesshe refers to this as a "tremendous intuition in how to make sounds"and she still turns to music when confronting a physics problem. "When you're really stuck on a problem you never stop thinking about it. Sometimes playing the piano helps."

When outdoors, Zurek enjoys sailing, hiking and alpine-style climbingcomplete with ice axe and cramponsatop peaks such as Mount Rainer and Mount Shasta.

As for the trail ahead in the dark matter hunt, Zurek said it's important to be nimble and to expect the unexpected.

"You don't want to put yourself at a dead-end where you're not exploring other possibilities," she said.

"The thing we don't want to forget is: We don't know what dark matter is. You have to have room for exploratory experiments, and you probably need a lot of them."

3 Knowns and 3 Unknowns about Dark Matter

What's known

1. We can observe its effects.

While we can't see dark matter, we can observe and measure its gravitational effects. Galaxies have been observed to spin much faster than expected based on their visible matter, and galaxies move faster in clusters than expected, too, so scientists can calculate the "missing mass" responsible for this motion.

2. It is abundant.

It makes up about 85 percent of the total mass of the universe, and about 27 percent of the universe's total mass and energy.

3. We know more about what dark matter is not.

Increasingly sensitive detectors are lowering the possible rate at which dark mark matter particles can interact with normal matter.

What's unknown

1. Is it made up of one particle or many particles?

2. Are there "dark forces" acting on dark matter?

Are there forces beyond gravity and other known forces that act on dark matter but not on ordinary matter, and can dark matter interact with itself?

3. Is there dark antimatter?

Could dark matter have an antimatter counterpart, as does normal matter, and is there a similar imbalance that favored dark matter over "dark antimatter" as with normal matter-antimatter?

Explore further Researchers present a new model for what dark matter might be

More information: Learn more about Kathryn Zurek's research: Learn more about Kathryn Zurek's research: www.kzurek.theory.lbl.gov/
Cercopithecus monkeys opportunistically preyed on bats not only in Gombe, but also in the Kakamega Forest in Kenya. Credit: Felix Angwella / Gombe Hybrid Monkey Project

Although Cercopithecus monkeys, a widely distributed genus in Africa, usually have a discerning palate for fruits and leaves, they are opportunistic omnivores that sometimes consume lizards, snakes, birds and mice. These forest-dwelling primates share habitat and food resources with bats, which are known reservoirs for zoonotic diseases such as Ebola, Marburg and Henipa viruses as well as bacteria and parasites that can be spread between animals and humans. This has led researchers to hypothesize that primate consumption of fruits contaminated with an infected bat's saliva or feces facilitates zoonotic disease transmission. Scientists estimate that more than six out of every 10 infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals.

Primates and bats also may interact directly, but their behavioral and predator-prey interactions are poorly documented, and detailed reports of their interactions have been rare, until now. Researchers in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University initiated a study of Cercopithecus predation on bats after observing monkeys preying on two different bat species in Gombe National Park in Tanzania. They are the first to document monkeys consuming bats with photos and video.

Observations from this study suggest an alternative pathway for bat-to-monkey disease transmission that has implications for zoonotic disease transmission to humans. The study titled, "Bat Predation by Cercopithecus Monkeys: Implications for Zoonotic Disease Transmission," is published in the current issue of the journal EcoHealth.

"Our study found that Cercopithecus monkeys opportunistically preyed on bats not only in Gombe, but also in the Kakamega Forest in Kenya," said Kate Detwiler, Ph.D., co-author of the study and an assistant professor in FAU's Department of Anthropology. "The behavior that we observed and the persistence of these monkeys to capture their prey indicate that bats are desirable items in their food repertoire."

During the course of the study, the researchers observed the Cercopithecus monkeys both handling and eating bats and sometimes had prolonged contact with the bat carcass. The monkeys spent between 10 minutes to just a little over an hour consuming a single bat, and in one case consuming the bones as well. Credit: Elizabeth Tapanes / Gombe Hybrid Monkey Project

During the course of the study, the researchers observed the Cercopithecus monkeys both handling and eating bats and sometimes had prolonged contact with the bat carcass. The monkeys spent between 10 minutes to just a little over an hour consuming a single bat, and in one case consuming the bones as well.

"In two of the events at the Kakamega Forest in Kenya, a monkey snatched a bat from its day-roosting tree before eating it," said Elizabeth Tapanes, first author of the study and a recent graduate of the master's in arts program in the Department of Anthropology at FAU. "Roosting bats were likely easy prey that could be reached while torpid or asleep."

All cases of monkeys hunting or feeding on bats occurred in or near human-modified or forest-edge habitats. Both the Gombe and the Kakamega ecosystems have experienced forest fragmentation and loss over recent decades. These habitat changes have led to more primates using forest edges and adjacent-modified habitats like the plantation forests where the predation events in the study occurred.

"While effects of habitat change on bats are unknown and merit further study, our observations suggest that Cercopithecus monkeys preying on bats may be habitat specific, and possibly affected by anthropogenic habitat changes," said Tapanes.

The behavior the researchers observed and the persistence of these monkeys to capture their prey indicate that bats are desirable items in their food repertoire. Credit: Felix Angwella / Gombe Hybrid Monkey Project

Explore further Feds won't designate critical habitat for threatened bat
Baron Stelling Named 2016 Star of the Bar Winner

(CHICAGO)The National Restaurant Association today announced Baron Stelling of Paragarys Midtown and The Shady Lady Saloon in San Francisco as the 2016 Star of the Bar, a national cocktail competition hosted by the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and BAR (Beverage Alcohol for Restaurants) at the NRA Show. For the first time, the competition was held live at BARs Main Stage in McCormick Places Lakeside Center, and was emceed by Spike TVs Bar Rescue Host and Executive Producer Jon Taffer.



Stelling won with the creative Stag Savior cocktail, blending Jagermeister with gin, lime juice, grenadine, apricot liquor, dashes of bitters and absinthe, topped with a lime wheel and mint sprig garnish. Stelling was one of six finalists from the Regional Star of the Bar Market Challenge, who created drinks using Jagermeister, exclusively imported and distributed in the U.S. by Star of the Bar sponsor Sidney Frank Importing Company.



Finalists from each market were flown to Chicago to face off in front of show attendees and a panel of judges, including Worlds Best Bartender winner Charles Joly, industry veteran Natalia Cardenas, and Eater Chicago Editor Daniel Gerzina. In addition to bragging rights as this years Star of the Bar, Stelling earned a $5,000 prize for his creation.



After six regional finals  held in Chicago, San Diego, Boston, Charleston, New York City, and San Francisco  Stelling then conquered the finals this past Sunday at BAR at the NRA Show, in front of the judges and amongst a crowd of BAR attendees, ultimately winning the title.



To download photos of the event, visit here.



The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest annual gathering of restaurant, foodservice, and lodging professionals in the world. NRA Show 2016 will be held May 21-24 at McCormick Place in Chicago, and the 2016 BAR at NRA Show Event, held in conjunction with NRA Show, will take place May 22-23. The events attract 66,000+ attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries, and showcase the latest products, services, innovative ideas, up-to-the-minute information about trends and issues, and growth opportunities. For more information, visit the NRA Show and BAR websites at Restaurant.org/Show and Restaurant.org/BAR and find the NRA Show on Twitter @NRAShow, Facebook, Instagram @NRAShow, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest and our year-round content hub Brainfeed.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS  A Guatemalan man wanted for murder in his home country was arrested in Saratoga Springs last month, tripped up by fingerprints he submitted to work at the harness track, authorities said today.

Federal agents this week formally thanked two state workers for helping them zero in on the suspect, the state Department of Criminal Justice Services said.

The case concerns Kenedy Agileo Pineda-Morales, a 41-year-old former National Civil Police officer in Guatemala, federal and state officials said.

Pineda-Morales fled Guatemala after the December 2012 shooting and robbery of a cattle farmer there, authorities said.

Authorities in Guatemala accuse Pineda-Morales of acting in his official capacity as an officer and confronting the farmer and the farmers wife.

He then shot and killed the man and robbed the couple of the equivalent of $650 U.S. dollars, authorities there allege, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Pineda-Morales believed the couple had just sold a head of cattle, they said.

A judge there soon issued a warrant for Pineda-Morales arrest, but he fled the country.

Pineda-Morales made it to the United States and then settled in Saratoga Springs, gaining work at Saratoga Raceway as a standardbred horse trainer, according to the state.

Under the assumed name of Carlos Perez, he had to provide fingerprints to the state Gaming Commission, state officials said.

After federal agents received a tip that Pineda-Morales might be in New York state, they submitted his fingerprints to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services to check against the nearly 10 million criminal and job-related prints on file.

The division posted an account of the work on its New York State Public Safety Facebook page Friday.

State identification specialists Ron Foster and Glenn Freisatz soon linked Pineda-Morales to his identity in Saratoga Springs with the help of the gaming fingerprints and federal agents soon had Pineda-Morales in custody.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement thanked Foster and Freisatz for their work Thursday, giving each certificates of appreciation, the state division said.

Pineda-Morales is now in federal detention in Batavia awaiting extradition to Guatemala, an ICE spokesman said Friday.

Officers and special agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security investigators and U.S. Marshals made the arrest.
Washington County Sheriffs deputies were called to the home of Frank P. Spaulding, 59, for a report of harassment. Senior Investigator Tony LeClaire said when police arrested Spaulding, they found a loaded handgun in Spauldings pocket. He did not have a permit for the weapon.
HEBRON | A Hebron man was arrested May 17 for allegedly possessing a gun without a permit.

Washington County service workers were at the Route 22 house of 76-year-old Nicholas C. Koutrakos Sr. to help him with another matter when they noticed he had a gun, according to Washington County Sheriffs Senior Investigator Tony LeClaire.

LeClaire said deputies followed up with Koutrakos, who admitted that he had the weapon.

Koutrakos was charged with felony criminal possession of a firearm.
GLENS FALLS | It's been 20 years since the Glens Falls Police Department had its own K-9 officers. Thanks to help from two other local police agencies, police dogs will return to Glens Falls later this year.

The Police Department is resurrecting its K-9 unit to help with investigations as well as public relations, as police dogs have shown to be good tools for police work as well as allowing law enforcement agencies to reach out to citizens.

The department will have two police dogs starting this summer, one donated by the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office and the other owned by a police officer who trained with it while he worked in Warren County Jail. That officer, Chris Perilli, had become a dog handler while working as a correction officer at Warren County Jail, but later moved to police work in Fort Edward and was allowed to take the dog with him. He later moved to Glens Falls Police Department.

"Sheriff (Bud) York didn't want to separate the handler and the dog, so Officer Perilli took the dog with him when he left," Acting Glens Falls Police Chief Tony Lydon said. "I asked the sheriff for his permission to put the dog back to work, and he said he'd rather see it working and have that training put to good use."

Perilli and the dog, Phlash, are finishing up refresher training and hope to be equipped and on the street by July 1.

The other dog, a German shepherd named Neeko, was trained and working with the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office when its handler was promoted. Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said the Sheriff's Office was looking for a new police home for it, and was happy that a local agency could take the dog.

"With the promotion, the handler couldn't use the dog anymore, so it was decided the best way to use the training was to donate it," Zurlo said.

Lydon said Police Officer Jarred Smith will handle the dog for Glens Falls Police.

In past years, Glens Falls Police have had to rely on the Warren County Sheriff's Office or State Police to provide dogs and handlers for searches, including drug searches, efforts to find suspects who fled and missing persons. Lydon said the two handlers and their dogs will work opposite shifts to increase coverage.

"There are a lot of advantages to having a dog," Lydon said. "They are a great police tool and also a good public relations tool."

Many police departments discontinued patrol dog programs in the 1990s amid lawsuits by handlers over compensation for caring for the dogs while off duty, but Lydon said compensation issues have been worked out.

Glens Falls Police are working to put together equipment for the patrol vehicles that will be used for the dogs, and working with a volunteer group that provides protective vests for police dogs, Protect and Vest New York K9s, run through 11th Hour Rescue of Saratoga County.
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein will hold a series of campaign events in the Glens Falls area on June 9, the Warren County Green Party announced Tuesday.

Stein will be keynote speaker at a rally at 3 p.m. on public property outside the recently closed General Electric Co. plant on Route 4 in Fort Edward.

Local Green Party candidates Matt Funiciello, in the 21st Congressional District; Steve Ruzbacki, in the 45th state Senate district; and Robin Barkenhagen, in the 114th state Assembly District, also will speak.

The rally is open to the public free of charge.

Stein, a physician from Massachusetts, is the leading candidate among five Green Party certified candidates seeking the partys presidential nomination.

She previously was the partys presidential nominee in 2012.

Also on June 9, Stein will speak at a vegan buffet dinner at 5:30 p.m. at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe on Exchange Street in Glens Falls.

Suggested admission donation is $75, which goes to Steins presidential campaign fund.

Stein will speak about the presidential election and Green Party platform at 7 p.m. at The Gold Shade banquet hall on Warren Street in Glens Falls.

Suggested admission donation is $20, which goes to Steins presidential campaign fund.

Tickets to the dinner and speech can be purchased at Rock Hill Bakehouse, 42 Degrees on Park Street in Glens Falls, or by calling 364-4418.
The regions job market experienced a particularly robust start to the summer tourism season, according to a report released Tuesday by the state Labor Department.

The Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which comprises Warren and Washington counties, saw a gain of 300 jobs in the trade, transportation & utilities and government employment sectors from April 2015 to last month, according to the state report.

The April performance marked a rare boost in government jobs since the end of the Great Recession, according to James Ross, regional labor market analyst with the Labor Department. And only one employment sector, manufacturing, saw a decrease from April to April (100 jobs, rounded up to the nearest 100).

Usually we get a few industries that are growing, and a lot of them are just kind of flat, Ross said. Small gains were also seen in the financial activities, professional and business services, educational and health services, leisure and hospitality and other services sectors.

I think the breadth of the increases is more positive than weve seen in a while, Ross said, adding the private sector job totals for the MSA were again at a record high for the month. That has been the case each month since September, Ross said.

The Glens Falls MSA is the most seasonally dependent in the state, with a bulk of its summertime employment coming in the leisure and hospitality sector. Most of that hiring is done by the end of May, but Ross said a summer of good or bad weather could result in a mid-season adjustment in those jobs.

The state jobs report counts only those who are employed or seeking employment, and it does not measure other aspects of employment, including compensation. It is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 private-sector employers.

New York states overall unemployment rate increased from 4.8 percent to 4.9 percent in April, although the private sector job count increased by 13,300, or 0.2 percent, over the same period, according to Tuesdays report. Both numbers can increase when more people seek employment, even as more people are hired.

New York States labor market continued to strengthen in April 2016, reaching a new record high in private sector jobs as the states growth outpaced national job growth for the month, said Bohdan M. Wynnyk, deputy director of the Labor Departments Division of Research and Statistics, in a prepared statement.
Esther Willison heard that her daughter was dead, but she didnt believe it.

She had been worried all weekend about 38-year-old Andrea, who had battled mental health issues for years. She called and called, but her oldest daughter wouldnt pick up the phone.

I just had a really strange feeling about it, Willison said.

It was a Sunday and she was at home in Niskayuna. When she saw a staff member from the supportive housing where Andrea lived ring the doorbell of her house, she told her partner not to open the door.

When told her daughter had committed suicide, Willison couldnt accept it.

I insisted on going to Albany Med, where they had taken her, she said. Of course, I saw her body, but she wasnt there.

I think so many people must have that reaction: Somebody made a mistake; its not really her, she said. It takes a long time to believe it.

Willison is among a dozen people who will share their stories Saturday in Shades of Blue, a stage reading of original essays at Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls.

The show, a fundraiser for Warren-Washington Association for Mental Health, is based on editor Amy Ferris book by the same title and will be directed by Logan Beth Fisher.

Fisher, a fourth-grade teacher at Big Cross, is a writer whose essay about her experiences with a loved one facing mental illness was presented two years ago in Listen to Your Mother in New York City.

Last May, Fisher was invited to direct a Boston performance of This is My Brave, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental illness by sharing personal stories.

There, Fisher met Ferris and got the idea to bring a similar program to Glens Falls.

I thought it would be a great opportunity to start a local dialogue, Fisher said.

She teamed with the Association for Mental Health and invited local people to write about their own experiences. Twenty-five people auditioned over two days; a handful were chosen to present their stories alongside seven of the essayists featured in Shades of Blue.

I love the idea that This is My Brave does, and Shades of Blue: put stories out there in the face of the world, so its less subdued, Fisher said. Its such a hush-hush topic and so many people shy away from it.

If you break your arm, people come running toward you to offer you a cast, but if you have mental illness, no one wants to talk about it, Fisher said.

Ferris conceived of Shades of Blue while grieving over the death of famed comedian Robin Williams, who committed suicide in August 2014.

Out of all the grief came the call for action, she said.

When Fisher asked her to bring Shades of Blue to the stage, she loved the idea.

We are lifting the veil, Ferris said. Its very important for people to understand what theyre going through is not shameful; its a part of life.

Some statistics say one in five people in the United States will battle mental health issues every year, Fuller said.

Its something most of us have experience with, she said.

Thats what makes Shades of Blue powerful, said Ferris, the editor.

What makes it really extraordinary is that the people who are reading their essays are reading their life essays, Ferris said. Its not just an actor. Theres something absolutely exquisite about someone shaking in their boots, being nervous, being scared, worrying, because theyre going on that stage to share a piece of their life that has darkness in it.

Ferris will talk about when she tried to kill herself  when I was 14 and 15 and had no sense of self and was miserable. Another woman, she said, will discuss when she was in college and people around her were committing suicide; a young man shares his struggle after being diagnosed with HIV.

And Willison will talk about losing Andrea, who was a poet, a student, an activist for gay rights, a political activist and an advocate for the rights of people who, like herself, were in the mental health system.

Andrea was creative, and as a child, would put on elaborate puppet shows with her friends, Willison said.

She had a particularly good sense of humor, she said. We have some videos ... and it helps me to watch those; it reminds me she really liked to laugh, in spite of her illness.

Willison wrote a book about Andrea. The beginning, she said, is pretty desperate.

I ended by saying she died in the fall, and when spring came, I really just wanted to trample on everything that was growing, she said. I didnt want to see a rebirth. Now Im very glad to see the spring. I keep an eye on the crocuses to see if theyll survive the frost. And they do.

We have our periods of grief when we think we arent going to live and we do, Willison said. Im still here, but its tough.
FORT EDWARD  Every cent sent to Washington County in forfeiture funds came from a criminal case, Sheriff Jeff Murphy said.

His office tracks every seizure of funds through an electronic database. He also signs each request for funds  a required part of the process  and thus is able to personally verify the source of each seizure, he said.

Since Ive taken office, we have not received any asset forfeiture money that is not connected to a criminal case, he said. So someones been arrested.

The long-standing forfeiture program was questioned recently by Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff, who worried the county could be profiting from a seizure policy in place in other jurisdictions. In some places, law enforcement takes large amounts of cash found during routine traffic stops, even if they cant find any evidence of a crime. The theory is that a large amount of cash is inherently suspicious.

In those cases, called civil forfeiture, the owner must go to court to prove he or she earned the money through legal means. That can be expensive and difficult to prove, and in most cases the federal government wins the case and disburses the money to the law enforcement agencies involved.

Haff is so upset about those cases that he calls forfeiture his least-favorite f-word.

Murphy said his deputies have sometimes pulled over drivers carrying large amounts of cash. But his policy is to never seize their money unless there is evidence of a crime.

Generally, the county Sheriffs Office receives funds from assets seized by the regional narcotics task force or the Capital District Drug Enforcement task force. Three deputies work on the narcotics task force and one on the Capital Region task force.

In each seizure, the task force determines what percentage of work each member contributed to the arrest and puts aside that percentage of the seized assets for that members agency. Then the task force sends seized asset request paperwork to each agency.

In Washington County, Murphy gets the paperwork, which can list that his deputy did as little as 1 percent of the investigation leading to the arrest, he said. The county cant get its share of the seized assets unless he signs that paperwork.

Im the one that signs them, he said. Thats why I can confidently say they are all criminal or related to a criminal case.

A spokeswoman for the DEA, which runs the Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force, said it also only seizes assets in criminal cases.

Theyre all part of ongoing drug investigations, said spokeswoman Erin Mulvey.

Haff said he was pleased with Murphys policy against seizing cash from those who arent charged with a crime, but he still isnt satisfied.

I am very happy to hear that our local law enforcement does not do civil forfeiture, he said in an email. But I will continue to ask each time if any of these disbursements contain civil assets because it is the Feds that run it.

He explained he is worried innocent people could have their assets seized, as they have in New York City and other parts of the county.

I am thinking of the poor guy that sold a restored muscle car for cash, he said, explaining that such a seller could appear not to have enough income to justify the $5,000 he would have with him after the sale.

Others could get caught in a routine traffic stop with too much money in their wallets for other innocent reasons, he said.

Not everyone trusts banks nor has savings or checking bank accounts, Haff said.

He is not opposed to seizing assets from people convicted of crimes, emphasizing that he would approve of cash seized from heroin runners.

But he questions the fairness of civil forfeiture, because the typical rules of guilt are reversed.

Did you know in civil forfeiture that it is the property, not the human, that is assumed guilty? he said. Property does not have the same legal rights as citizens. The property is considered guilty until proven innocent.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, introduced to expedite the process of getting federal assistance for families that care for veterans wounded during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We have a significant backlog, Stefanik said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. So in many cases, the caregiver is not getting a response from the VA, and the VA is not responding to the appeals process when they are denied.

The legislation  HR 3989  passed Monday evening by a voice vote, with no opposition.

Stefanik collaborated with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to introduce the legislation in November, and it gained 19 co-sponsors  16 Republicans and three Democrats.

Stefanik said she started researching the issue after a constituent who is a caregiver from Alexandria Bay, in Jefferson County, spoke with her.

My best ideas come from listening to constituents, she said.

The legislation directs the federal Department of Veterans Affairs to use independent contractors to handle a backlog of applications for the VA Family Caregiver program. The program assists families that care for veterans seriously wounded during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Program coordinators and peer support groups help family caregivers get in-home services such as personal care aides, visiting physicians and nurses, adult day care, hospice and relief caregivers.

Legislation in 2010 established the program, which began in 2011.

The VA initially estimated about 4,000 caregivers would be approved for benefits by this point, but more than three times that amount have been approved, with a backlog of about 14,800 pending applications, Stefanik said.

At the same time, the VA is starting to process appeals from applicants who were denied.

The legislation does not yet have a Senate companion bill.

We are working with a few Senate offices to share the language and encourage them to introduce a Senate companion bill. We hope that will happen before the end of this session, Stefanik said.

Stefanik is running for re-election in November against Democrat Mike Derrrick, a retired Army colonel from Peru, in Clinton County, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, a bread company owner and political activist from Hudson Falls.
The actor and comedian stands accused of sexual assaults, including accusations by Therese Serignese in 1976, and Andrea Constand, who was alleged abused by the actor in 2004.

He faces up to ten years imprisonment if found guilty.

The Associated Press reveals today the testimony of Bill Cosby, recorded in 2005 where the actor confesses and admits to having had sex with two teenage girls.

In the same statement, Bill Cosby also reveals that in the 2000s, an agency sent "five or six models" weekly when he was on the set of the series "" in the studios. That's how he would have met Andrea Constand, who was 17 at the time. The actor admitted having asked her to masturbate with lotion after having invited her in 2004, but denies allegations of having drugged her.

The first victim of Bill Cosby sued the actor in 2006 but the case was dismissed by the court.
The evidence gathered by the prosecutor justifies the establishment of such a trial, said the judge Elizabeth McHugh.

Following the judgment, the judged wished "good luck" to the actor, who simply said "Thank you".

Bill Cosby is thus heading towards a trial, unless he decides to plead guilty and to submit to judgment.

The 78 years old, Bill Cosby was arrested last December. He is accused of drugging and raping Andrea Constand in 2004, a former employee of Temple University, the alma mater of the actor.

If the court finds him guilty, the former star of The Cosby Show is liable to a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

In 2005, Bruce Castor, the former district attorney of Montgomery County, refused to bring charges of sexual assault against Bill Cosby. He considered his decision binding its successors and refused to open any new lawsuits against the actor and comedian.

The case was reopened last summer.
Yes, used to. Thats because almost all of them, according to a 2016 study, have been captured or their habitats have been destroyed.

Scientifically known as psittacus erithacus, they are Africas largest parrots and can be grouped under two subspecies; the Congo and the Timneh. The latter is in great danger of simply disappearing from its heartland of Ghana.

A flock of African greys is a kaleidoscope of grey, black, white and a string of red feathers at the tail. According to ornithologists (bird experts), they can be as smart as a five year old. They can mimic human language and put together sentences. One of these birds, called Einstein, has even featured in a Ted talk presentation.

These form part of the attraction of the bird which is believed to one of most traded wild birds in the world according to conservation agencies.

The study found that it has lost between 90 and 99 percent of its African Grey Parrot population. The African Grey is currently on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to Japheth Roberts, head of research at the Ghana Wildlife Society, the best places to sight these birds were in lowland forests; mainly within the Central and Western Regions of Ghana which are part of the Upper Guinean forest block. However, some can be found flying in Accra [and those] are mainly escaped pets.

The researchers, including Ghanaian doctoral student Nathaniel Annorbah, found that several roost sites especially in the Western Region which recorded about 1200 birds in the 1990s now record just a handful.

The decline of the bird in Ghana and other African countries can be attributed to international trade and the massive destruction of their habitats. Despite a ban in the trade, the population decline suggest that the illegal trade persist of this highly in-demand bird. Popular destinations include Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

According to Roberts, the bird thrives in rain forests, forest edges, gallery forests and along palm plantations; habitats which have been gravely affected by lumbering, deforestation, population increase and its related negative effects.

Capturing and keeping African greys as pets do not only make it difficult for them to reproduce; it also shortens their life expectancy. These birds can live up to between 60-80 years if left in the wild; while those in captivity on average could manage 30-40 years.

As such Roberts advises that individuals shouldnt buy grey parrots as pets, do not capture and sell grey parrots, report people involved in the illegal trade.

He also calls on government to improve enforcement of the ban on trade in grey parrots; by resourcing and training staff of the wildlife division of the Forestry Commission and the immigration service.
A heavy metal fell from the building killing a tomato seller who was a nursing mother as well.

The 30 year old according to eyewitnesses was seated on a fence at the construction site.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly boss Alfred Vanderpuye paid a visit to the site yesterday and ordered for the immediate suspension of the work at the construction site.

"It will give us time to review the safety measures around the construction and to ensure that we do not lose any lives"

The AMA boss said work will not resume until the assembly is satisfied that all safety measures have been put in place.

" Until we are satisfied that the contractor and all parties involved are ensuring safety for the public we will not resume work on the site"
The research was conducted in some 10 constituencies with high incidence of poverty, including the Akan Constituency in the Volta Region, Bosome Freho in the Ashanti Region and Odododiodio in the Greater Accra region.

The expectations, preferences, and behavior of Ghanaian voters towards their MPs during elections were assessed in the research.

Vote-buying during elections is a common phenomenon in Ghana, following the abject poverty being faced by several citizens.

The situation compels many of them to accept monies and other items from their MPs and presidential candidates in order to influence their voting patterns.
JUSSAG last week declared an indefinite strike over government failure to implement their approved consolidated salaries, which has been held for close to a year.

JUSSAG embarked on a similar strike but was called off after assurances by Haruna Iddrissu the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to ensure the implementation of the new salaries.

But two months afterwards the judicial service workers are accusing government of showing a lackadaisical attitude towards their demands and cannot hold on further for their demands.
This was contained in a press release by the Council after a meeting on 23rd May 2016.

JUSSAG has been on strike since Friday 20th May 2016 over what they say is government's failure to implement the new agreed consolidation of their salaries and allowances.

JUSSAG embarked on a similar strike but was called off after assurances by Haruna Iddrissu the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to ensure the implementation of the new salaries.

But two months afterwards the judicial service workers are accusing government of showing a lackadaisical attitude towards their demands and cannot hold on further for their demands.

Though the Judicial Council gave an assurance to do their best to get government to play its role, the Council also stated that the strike is affecting them badly.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations is expected to meet with the striking judicial staff Tuesday in a bid to get them back to work.

But Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Haruna Iddrisu said he is optimistic todays meeting will yield fruitful results to get the striking judicial workers at post.
In its 2015 annual report, PIAC cited the GNPC for failing to claim royalties payable to the state amongst other things.

The Committee found that a minimum of US$ 37,129 being 3% of revenues ought to have been paid by Saltpond Oil Production Company Limited (SOPCL) as royalties to the state.

By way of explanation, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation reported to the Ministry of Finance that SOPCL had not paid any royalties because the company was not profitable at the time.

However, Dr. Steven Manteau believes it is unlawful. According to him, mining companies are not exempted from paying royalties based on their profitability.

Companies are not supposed to be exempted from paying royalties based on their profitability. According to the countrys mining laws all companies are required to pay royalties once they are doing exploration, Dr. Manteau told Accra-based Citi Fm.
When you have a country like Ghana where everybody is free to discuss corruption, if you wake up and you are angry with your husband or wife, you take it out on the president, abuse him on the radio. When you have that kind of society, there are all kinds of issues that come up," he added.

President Mahama believed critics who create such lies about him should channel their creativity into lucrative things.

And then we have the addition of social media. Because of the anonymity, people just fix some blatant lies and put it on WhatsApp. And, sometimes, they are so creative, and I said these people the way they are creative, if they channel this creativity into lucrative things Ghana would not be where it is.

They would create something about you and if it is not because I am myself and I know that it is not true, anybody who sees it would believe it. We have all that floating in the system and all that, so, it heightens peoples perception about corruption. And, so, it is easy to say that there is more corruption in this regime than in that regime. Where would comparison of corruption take us? It wont take us anywhere, the President stressed.
Vice Chairman of the Parliaments Select Committee on Constitutional, Parliamentary and Legal Affairs, George Loh who made this call said the move will ensure peaceful dialogue between the parties involved for the best interest of the country.

He was speaking on The Ghana Report, a political programme on Accra-based Viasat One television in Accra.

The Supreme Court described the country's electoral register as reasonably inaccurate with just six months to the election.

The court made the statement in its ruling in a case brought before it by Abu Ramadan former National Youth Organizer of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), and one Evans Nimako, challenged the credibility of the voters register.

The two, filed the case in December 2015, to demand for a declaration that the 2012 voters register contained names of persons who have not established qualification to be registered which is inconsistent with Article 42 and 45 (a) as unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect.

But the Supreme Court asked the Electoral Commission to delete the names of persons who registered and voted in the 2012 elections with the National Health Insurance card as a proof of identity from the voters' register.
The NPP had insisted that the tour was successful considering the huge crowd it gathered around the Anlo constituency.

But speaking in an interview with Radio Ghana, the Volta Regional Communications Officer of NDC, Kafui Agbleze said the NPP is only tickling itself if it feels it might gain grounds in the Volta region considering the crowd at the Anlo market.

According to him, he and other members of the NDC mobilized the market women to go and have a view of the man who claimed the Voltarians were Togolese.

Is it not ironical that the NPP led by Dr. Bawumia claimed that over 750,000 people on the voter register were Togolese, or only 300,000 people are legitimate people from the Volta region, and now you are going to them that they should vote for you? he asked.

He explained that It was a market day in AnlogaDefinitely, the people of Anlo and other constituencies, five constituencies that they [NPP] brought to the Anlo market. That wasnt even enough for them, but we had encouraged the market women and all those people around to go and see the man who say that they are Togolese; to go and see the man who says all die be die. So if they are saying they have the ground, come November they are going to laugh at the wrong side of their mouth.

However, Pius Enam Hadzide, aide to Nana Akufo-Addo said the claims by the NDC are laughable.
In a statement, Nana Addo said public authorities must do more to reduce the high tariffs.

If you look at the rates we are charging, industry, as well as domestic users, for electricity in Ghana, compared, for instance, to Cote dIvoire, already, it puts our enterprises in a very uncompetitive comparison, Nana Addo said.

In Ghana, my understanding is that the tariff for commercial users is 32 US cents/kilowatt hour. The Ivorian equivalent is 13 US cents/kilowatt hour. Again, for domestic users, we are talking about 19.28 US cents/kilowatt hour, when Cote dIvoire equivalent is a tariff of 9 US cents/kilowatt hour. So, you put these things together, and, already, Ghanaian industry and economic activity are suffering unnecessarily, Nana Addo added.

Below is the full statement:

I have taken notice of todays statement made by the PURC that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) should suspend its billing system. I think the matter is more fundamental and should go further than that.

If you look at the rates we are charging, industry, as well as domestic users, for electricity in Ghana, compared, for instance, to Cote dIvoire, already, it puts our enterprises in a very uncompetitive comparison.

In Ghana, my understanding is that the tariff for commercial users is 32 US cents/kilowatt hour. The Ivorian equivalent is 13 US cents/kilowatt hour. Again, for domestic users, we are talking about 19.28 US cents/kilowatt hour, when Cote dIvoire equivalent is a tariff of 9 US cents/kilowatt hour. So, you put these things together, and, already, Ghanaian industry and economic activity are suffering unnecessarily.

A large part of it is due to the taxes, the insatiable appetite of the Mahama government for taxes  10% energy levy which is charged for both domestic and commercial uses; a service charge of GH7 flat rate for every consumer and a VAT of 17% for commercial users.

I believe all of these figures can be significantly reduced to be able to bring the electricity tariff system in our country to a much more competitive relationship with that of our neighbours and what is going on in the region. It is important for us to recognize in Ghana that, whatever we are doing, we are doing so in a globally competitive context, and if we dont recognize that, many of the decisions we make about the management of our economy are going to put us at a disadvantage from the get go.
It also said that the Nigerian economy has been shrinking faster than expected.

Read the report, published by Business Insider on May 22, 2016, below:

Nigeria's economic crisis is getting worse.

On Friday the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics revealed that the country's economy shrank by 0.4% year-over-year in the first quarter  way worse than expected.

Economists were expecting the country to grow by 1.8% year-over-year, according to the Bloomberg consensus.

And now analysts aren't feeling too good about the situation going forward.

We have long warned of a slow-burning crisis in Nigeria, Capital Economics' Africa economist John Ashbourne said. "It now seems that this view was too optimistic: the country is headed into a full-blown economic crisis.

Nigeria continues to suffer from numerous economic headaches, including lower oil prices and the government's controversial foreign-exchange and price-control policies (which analysts have more or less deemed a failure).

The biggest drop in growth was in Nigeria's manufacturing sector, which Ashbourne wrote was crushed by the country's FX policies.

This is very bad news for Nigeria's government, which has justified the current FX system as a method of promoting non-oil industries," Ashbourne said. "It is now clear that these policies have  as we'd long argued  made a bad situation worse.

Still, the scariest thing about this latest gross-domestic-product number is that it doesn't factor in any of the debilitating problems Nigeria has seen in the second quarter, including but not limited to the fuel-shortage crisis and some of the oil-production disruptions by the Niger Delta Avengers.

In short, Ashbourne concluded grimly, the worst is yet to come.

----------------------------------------------------
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The movie mogul and Hollywood actor made this revelation during a recent interview with E! News, disclosing that he is relocating from his Atlanta mansion to a farm on the outskirts of town.

Speaking during the interview, Perry said:

"I know this sounds ridiculous, but I wanted more land so I bought more land outside of the city. It's the same distance to the studio as my old house, but now I can have horses and pigs and organic vegetables."

Perry would be making the move with his girlfriend, Gelila Bekele, and their son, Aman, who they welcomed in 2014.

The reports also reveal that, just two months ago, Perry had sold his estate in Atlanta for a whooping sum of $17.5 million, which is reported to be the most ever paid for a private residence in the City.

ALSO READ: Actor denies feud with Oprah Winfrey

Talk about wise investments and living the dream!
Tagged 'Cocktails and Dresses', the event was a grand launch as well as a fashion exhibition and sale for the online fashion retailer's very first outing where Nigerian brands showcased their products at a classy exhibition.

The five months old brand is known to retail the very best of style pieces, sourcing for quality pieces from renown brands home and abroad.

Known already for first class, prompt service and delivery, the few months old online fashion retailer is fast becoming one to reckon with in Nigeria.

The event was put in place to get together vendors of classy pieces under a room for guests to have a great time shopping as well as meeting different brands and what they have to offer.

Guests in attendance include Sen. Ben Bruce, Kate Henshaw, Oyinkan Ogunsanwo who represented the Lagos State Governor, Ono Bello and more stylish faces.
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!
Sanusi who expressed shock and sadness at the incident, according to Inside Kano, took it upon himself to visit th boy and has promised to foot his medical bills and if need be, sponsor him for further medical attention outside the country.
ALSO READ: Soldier shoots student on the breast in Benue

Although the authorities are said to be working round the clock in a bid to understand what may have caused the marks, the young girl and her mother identified as Sandy Rougely, believe they know the truth behind what had happened.

The teen is a black girl who attends a mostly white private school in an upscale part of town, Rougley and her daughter believe that the marks had been as a result of racial attacks.

The girl and her mother reportedly believe that the young girl's white classmates intentionally placed a rope around her neck as they played during the camping trip.

Speaking during an interview withDallas Morning News, Rougely said:

It looked like somebody had ripped her neck apart and stitched it back together."

The school the young girl attends, Live Oak Classical School are reported to have said in a statement that her injuries had been caused accidentally while the students comprising of eight girls and 14 boys, were playing with a rope swing attached to a tree.

The girl who is one of two black students who had been on the trip, and her lawyer, Levi McCathern, are reportedly being accused by the school of using race to take advantage of an accident for financial gain.

One of the member of the board of directors, Jeremy Counseller, had according to reports, emailed a statement to The News, which read in part:

The student and some of her classmates were playing with a swing and an attached pull-rope on a field trip. The student received first aid treatment immediately after the accident by a parent chaperon who is also a physician, and she was able to enjoy the remainder of the field trip, which lasted through the next day. Live Oak takes the safety of its students seriously and is saddened that one of its family suffered an unfortunate accident and injury.
ALSO READ: Vegan woman dies during attempt to climb mount Everest

Officials have disclosed that the Lufthansa flight had been forced to divert from Munich to Hamburg where the man, who had been behaving increasingly erratically, had been forcefully removed.

Hamburg police confirms that a rescue crew which had included a doctor, had met the man upon arrival at the airport in Hamburg, diagnosing him with a mental disorder.

He was later taken to a local psychiatric facility while the reports also reveal that no active police investigation into the incident have been launched.

Another passenger on the flight identified as Dan Iosch, from Vancouver, told CBCnews:

"It was reported that there was a man in the back of the plane screaming and yelling and apparently tried to open the back door of the aircraft at 38,000 feet.

"Apparently at the beginning of the flight he was being a little difficult, but they decided to take off.

"I guess once we got in the air he got more and more agitated and he tried to light up a cigarette. He was yelling and screaming."
The incident which happened at the 2nd Rainbow Bus stop along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, according to witnesses, saw the prisoner stun the officers and made good his escaped in broad daylight on Monday, May 23.

Witnesses recount that a vehicle belonging to the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), was taking back the prisoners to the prison after a day in court when it had a flat tire at the bus stop.

The prison officials decided to get another vehicle to transfer the inmates so as to continue with its journey. They got a vehicle alright and began transferring the prisoners one after the other into it for onward movement to their abode.

But alas, when it came to the turn of the escapee, he pretended as if he was walking into the vehicle but suddenly, he broke into a frantic run and before the fully armed officers could react, he had reportedly run into the busy FESTAC Estate Extension behind the bus stop.

By the time the police and prison officers could gather realise what was happening and chased after the determined escapee, the man had run into a market in the estate.

The policemen were said to have fired several shots into the air which scared people and added confusion to the whole scene with people running helter-skelter, further aiding the escape of the prisoner.

A witness added:

"The police shot at the floor while chasing the escapee prisoner, but he refused to stop. The police shot in the air and many people in the open food joints took to their heels causing commotion as the police officers could no longer identify who the real prisoner was.
Arrested alongside Zainab is her co-wife, Hafsatu, who is alleged to have abetted her in the hideous crime against the boy who mother had separated from the father, leaving him in their care.

It was gathered that the father of the boy, identified as Murtala Musa of Gulu town in Rimin Gado Local Government Area of the state, had divorced the mother of the child said to be his third wife, and refused to allow her take the boy along with her.

Musa, however, handed the boy over to his senior wife, Zainab, to take care of, but unknown to him, the boy suffered severe torture from the two wives because he was not theirs and could not tell his father what he was going through because he could not talk.

Confirming the arrest of the two women, the State Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO), DSP Magaji Majiya, said the two women would be charged to court as soon as possible.

When the womens husband, Murtala Musa, came back home about 8pm, he met his two-year-boy laying in critical condition.

On seeing the condition of the boy, Musa rushed him to the hospital where it was confirmed that his legs were broken and that blood was oozing from his nose and ears, while doctors said he might have problems with his eyes.

Also Read: "Child Abuse: 70-yr-old woman brutalize 12-yr-old boy, robs pepper on manhood"
Punch reports that on Monday, May 23, 2016, a prosecution witness told the court how Badeh bought a land allegedly belonging to Ayodele Fayose for N650m.

The witness said Sometime around 2013, I got information that the Nigerian Air Force, through the Directorate of Works and Nigerian Air Force Property Limited was shopping for vendor who could partner them for construction of a conference centre.

While we were finding out the nature of the job, I got to understand that they are looking for technical assistance. Life Builder was a young company at that time so I decided to contact a friend of mine who was also a contractor.

Then, Air Marshal (Dikko Umar) was the Chief of Air Staff."

A year into the project, there was a change of command and Air Chief Marshal Badeh became the Chief of Air Staff. While on his official tour, carried out by the Nigerian Air Force, he visited our site, which was Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre. We took him round the project and we showed him all the facilities.

Soon after he left, some few weeks or months, the Director of Finance, Air Commodore Yishau (PW1) approached me and said his boss was very pleased with our job and said his boss wanted to give us a job. Then he scheduled a meeting.

Then he told me the nature of the job that it was the construction of a mall. Soon after that, Yishau called me again that they were ready to embark on the project that we should look for a commercial plot within the city centre," the witness added.

Yerima also said Before we could find one, Yishau called that they had found one along Aminu Kano Crescent. Then he engaged us to negotiate for the land. He gave us a copy of the C of O (Certificate of Occupancy).

I got to know that the land was in the name of one Fayose Ayodele. Soon after, we tried to contact the owner. Yishau called again that they had found the person who bought the land from Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

Then we contacted the person, one Mr. Tony (I cant remember the other name). He is the owner of Itex Furniture. We got to him and we realised that he sold to the third party by the name Kasagro Investments Limited. We got to Kasangro Investments Limited; he then named his price, N650m.

Then we went back to Air Commodore Yishau to tell him the price. Then, he called us and gave us N650m (dollar equivalent) because Kasagro insisted on cash payment. We then took the money to his office. He confirmed and gave us all the original documents for the land."

Adding that I then called Air Commodore Yishau to ask for which name the deed of assignment and (in which the) power of attorney should be executed and Yishau told me to execute the documents in the name of my company, that is  Life Builders Technologies,  which would later be transferred to another company after he had discussed with his boss, in the person of Air Chief Marshal Badeh.

We did exactly as he said because at that time, our interest was to construct the shopping complex. We then handed over the lands original documents to Air Commodore Yishau.
This was said to have been disclosed by President Mahamadou Issoufou on Tuesday, May 24, during a high-level leaders round table titled Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity at the ongoing World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

He said the Nigerien government would ensure the terrorists are tried by the ICC.

This is something that all countries should do, Issoufou said.

The best way to protect civilians, he added, is to ratify humanitarian conventions.

Political, military and administrative authorities must be aware of pledges made by Governments and of the sanctions provided for under those conventions, he said.

Issoufou added that all countries must take on commitments to respect international humanitarian law and human rights instruments, as well as guarantee that populations in need receive humanitarian aid.

He said that Niger faced multiple humanitarian issues, including population displacement due to terrorists attacks.
Buhari said We are aware of the difficulties Nigerians are going through but the future is certain, abundance and prosperity are assured. A lot of readjustment will be done.

Our country has gone through many pains but we are determined to make the correction. We are on the path of recovery.

To ameliorate the pains, N500 billion social investment is being earmarked in 2016 budget. This is to provide 500,000 direct employment for graduates and 370,000 for non-graduates through vocational training, while FG will give micro-credit facilities to market women using various associations across the country.

Vice-President Osinbajo represented President Buhari who could not make the invitation due to scheduling challenges.
Akpan, whos the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas, made the comment on Monday, May 23, 2016, while speaking to journalists in his office, Punch reports.

The time has come when we have to think outside the box and my own position is this, it is possible that the government can declare amnesty on stolen money. Let every Nigerian that has taken money out of this country be given amnesty to bring back the money and invest in the country, he said.

We have hundreds of billions of dollars stashed outside the country in the international banks which are being used to drive their economy. Other countries are enjoying this money while we are suffering in Nigeria.

When owners of the Nigerias stolen foreign currencies bring them back to the country as a result of the amnesty, a lot of foreign exchange can be generated to fund our local consumption and we can set target.

Why are we suffering in the midst of plenty? Amnesty was created for militancy, we should create amnesty for anybody that has taken money outside this country so that they can invest them in the country. We can generate a hundred billion dollar in the process in less than six months.

We need enough forex to fund our importation, rebuild our industries, establish capacity locally and import raw materials for industries before thinking of exporting finished products.

One thing is to fight corruption another thing is to let your battle as a fighter of corruption yield the appropriate results. That is why I believe very strongly that, since some countries had also done it in the past, Nigeria also needs to grant amnesty to those who are in possession of our money that we need to develop, he added.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has said that world needs to unite to bring an end to corruption.

--------------------------------------------------
The group, through its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, described the ban as timely.

We fully endorse this action which is in conformity with the resolution of the 2014 National Conference that cattle breeders must embrace ranching as against grazing reserves being canvassed in certain quarters, Afenifere said.

Punch reports that Odumakin also said Our attention has been drawn to the courageous move by the Ekiti state Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, to ban cattle grazing in the state. The action of the governor is a timely move to strengthen the civilisation that places higher premium on human lives above cows.

We have sacrificed enough blood in the unending cycle of bloodletting by Fulani herdsmen the latest being those killed in Ekiti two days ago. The responsible action of the governor should jolt the Federal Government that has appeared largely indifferent to the murderous activities of the Fulani herdsmen to act responsibly over this matter.

We fully endorse this action which is in conformity with the resolution of the 2014 National Conference that cattle breeders must embrace ranching as against grazing reserves being canvassed in certain quarters.
This is coming after the EFCC obtained an order from an Ikeja Magistrates' Court in Lagos on Monday, May 24, 2016, to remand the ex minister in its custody for three weeks.

Ndukwe in a statement released to newsmen, said Despite having been served court notices for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, the EFCC today sneaked Chief Femi Fani-Kayode into an Ikeja magistrate court where they obtained a highly contentious warrant to keep him in their custody for another three weeks even though EFCC requested for a thirty-day remand warrant.

Chief Fani-Kayodes lawyers had served the EFCC the court notices from a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, 20th of May, 2016, but to our consternation he was whisked to Lagos last Thursday and taken to an Ikeja Magistrate court this morning where they applied to keep him for another thirty days.

This is a gross abuse of court processes and a denial of his fundamental human rights. It is even most shocking that EFCC attempted to take him to the magistrate court without notifying his lawyers or family members. His lawyers had to go from court to court in Lagos searching for venue of the court proceedings before they eventually traced it to Ikeja.

This type of treatment to any citizen of our nation especially in a democratic era is, to say the least, inhuman.

One wonders why a case already before a High Court was entertained in a magistrate court, and judgement given immediately.

This smacks of nothing but vendetta. EFCC have no reasonable cause to continue to keep Chief Femi Fani-Kayode in their custody beyond the constitutional provision of 48 hours. He is not known to have either attempted to evade arrest nor resisted same. EFCC have since concluded their investigations by the virtue of details of the case they leaked out to the public through the press. So, they have no reason to keep having him in their custody without taking the noble option of charging him to court, after all, they have already kept him with them long enough.

As an organisation that prides itself as a constitutionally responsible one, it is expected that holding a citizen endlessly would not be part of EFCCs operations. If they have anything against Chief Fani-Kayode, one expects that they should charge him to court rather than obtaining contentious remand warrants from one court to the other.

Recall that EFCC had earlier obtained a similar remand warrant in Abuja to keep him for two weeks which has since elapsed.

This latest action by EFCC has confirmed rumours making the rounds that the federal government wants to give the former Minister of Aviation the Dasuki/Nnamdi Kanu treatment, a treatment alien to our laws but is fast becoming the norm under the current administration.

The question now is, with this naked abuse of our constitution, who is next, and for how long will this continue?

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also called for the release of its members in the custody of the EFCC.
The court order was said to have been filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

According to the judgment, reportedly delivered by Hon Justice Ibrahim Buba, at least N30 trillion has either been stolen or unaccounted for, or grossly mismanaged over the last few years under the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealas watch.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala vehemently denied the allegation via a statement released by her media aide, Paul Nwabuikwu.

It reads in part:

"Dr Okonjo-Iweala hastens to state that she was never served with any court processes in relation to the said matter. She has not read the judgment and would therefore defer any comments on the matter."

"It is curious that the first time Dr Okonjo-Iweala is being made aware of a matter filed against her in court is in news reports reporting the delivery of judgment. She has instructed her lawyers to take steps to set aside the judgment as it affects her."

This denial is just one of the many that the former minister has felt the need to issue since leaving office.

There were reports that Okonjo-Iweala was being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), she issued a statement denying it.

Okonjo-Iweala was reported to have presented a document containing Jonathans alleged corrupt deals to President Muhammadu Buhari. She denied that too.

Why is Okonjo-Iweala so defensive? She needs to relax and stop letting her hackles rise every time someone accuses her of wrongdoing. The former minister needs to know that its okay to ignore some comments made about her unless formal charges are filed.

Theres no need for Okonjo-Iweala to reply every single person who speaks against her because as Winston Churchill said You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.
ThisDay published a report that the former President ran to Cote dIvoire, after getting hints that he might be arrested if he returns to Nigeria.

Jonathan, on Monday, May 23, 2016, placed a phone call to ThisDay and said he was resting in Cote dIvoire.

GEJ said Yes I am in Cote dIvoire, I have been here for a week resting and this is my second trip to the country since I stepped down as president.

I have made sacrifices for Nigeria. I am praised all over Africa for averting bloodshed and for the peaceful transition from one government to another, but it seems Nigeria does not appreciate my efforts.

I have done my best for this country and if I have to die for it, I will do so. However, I am taking it easy here (Cote dIvoire) and when I am ready, I will come back.

Various people have called for the arrest of former President Goodluck Jonathan following revelations from those arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claiming he was aware of the disbursement of huge sums of money.

You will recall that the embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.

PDP chieftain, Olisa Metuh allegedly collected N400m from the former President.

Also, several close associates of former President Jonathan have been indicted, and some have refunded various sums of money.
Metuh sought an order from the court to mandate the EFCC to give him his passport so he can travel to the United Kingdom.

The PDP chieftains lawyer, Mr Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), told the court that his clients health is deteriorating, adding that he needed urgent treatment.

Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, however opposed the application, urging the court to throw it out.

Tahir argued that Metuh has not shown any document that will lead to the granting of his request.

He also claimed that the medical documents presented by Mutuhs legal team was allegedly not certified. Tahir however added that there are hospitals in Nigeria that could treat Metuhs ailment very well.

Olisa Metuh is standing trial for allegedly receiving N400m from former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The money is said to be part of the $15b meant for purchasing arms for the military.
This is following a startling revelation from a research carried out by the Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN) office of the agency.

According to Sahara reporters, the tomato pastes which are imported from China, fall below the required standard.

The minimum requirement specified by the Codex Alimentarius Standards and Nigerian Industrial Standards is that tomato pastes should have at least 28% tomato content.

The FSAN research revealed that out of 316 packs of tomato pastes purchased in Lagos and tested, 218 of them had less than the minimum requirement (28%) of tomato in them.

The research also accused tomato paste companies of working with Chinese companies to sell unwholesome tomato pastes to Nigerians.

FSAN has also called for the ban in the importation of tomato pastes from China.

NAFDAC recently shut 16 herbal medicine facilities and seized products in Onitsha, Anambra.
Buratai stated this in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, May 23, after the inauguration of soldiers accommodation and 500 KVA generator, donated by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) described the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, as criminals.

Whatever these criminals (Niger Delta Avengers) are doing is a criminal act. We will deal with them accordingly," he said.

We are looking at all the areas that we should address and we are doing that, including the criminals in the name of Niger Delta Avengers. They are not avenging anything. They are criminals.

Nobody has offended them. They have their own criminal intentions and we will deal with them accordingly.

They have been attacking our troops locations and killing our soldiers. We will not tolerate that. We will deal with them accordingly, according to the law.

We will look for them wherever they are. That is how we will treat them. They are not agitating for any enclave or any state.

They are just committing criminal acts. That is how we see it.
THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

Why Buhari cancelled Lagos tripAmidst speculations on why President Mohammadu Buhari cancelled his scheduled official visit to Lagos, the presidency yesterday insisted it had nothing to do with an illness. It maintained its official position that scheduling difficulties led to the postponement. READ MORE

NEITI alleges N2.23tr fraud in NNPCThe Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday revealed how the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its sub-units either lost or refused to remit a total of N2.23 trillion, consisting of $9.75 billion and N378.67 billion, to the federation account as earnings from various aspects of its operations in 2013. READ MORE

Nigeria requires N5.7tr investment to recoup losses from oil production slideUnless the Federal Government and investors in the nations oil and gas sector invest about $29 billion (about N5.7 trillion) between now and 2019, the countrys crude oil production may decline from its present state of two million to 300,000 barrels per day. READ MORE___________________________________

THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Fani-Kayode to spend three more weeks in custodyThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has transferred a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, to its Lagos office. READ MORE

IG warns PDP factions as Makarfi woos MantuIntelligence indicates that some aggrieved factional leaders of the PDP have perfected plans to engage thugs to join them in threatening public peace and security in Abuja  Police READ MORE

Reps panel okays FRSCs speed limitersThe House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Safety Commission has endorsed the move by the Federal Road Safety Corps to introduce speed limiting devices on vehicles in the country as part of measures to curb road crashes. READ MORE___________________________________

BUSINESS DAY NEWSPAPER

Discos, Gencos to boost Capex as new funding derisks sectorRenewed funding commitments for Nigerias struggling power utilities should help catalyse new capital investments as the sector gradually gets derisked. The 2013 privatisation of the power sector was constrained by lack of market reflective tariffs in the distribution sector, gas to power challenges exacerbated by vandalism of power assets, circular debt that caused illiquidity in READ MORE

Retail spending slumps as economy slowsRetail spending in Nigeria has slowed considerably especially in the luxury segment as an economic downturn leaves consumers with stretched pockets. A number of mall operators have also cut back on staff, while those who could not stand the heat have closed their shops permanently, BusinessDay investigations show. A survey by BusinessDay in some Lagos READ MORE

Forex: FG to work out palliative package for manufacturers, says OsinbajoThe Federal Government says it is working out a palliative package to assist the manufacturing subsector navigate through difficulty accessing foreign exchange for importation of critical components of their production. President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, stated this on Monday, in Lagos, at the handing over of vehicles and other security equipment READ MORE___________________________________

THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Wike to CDS: Southsouth governors ll fish out pipeline bombersRivers State Governor Nyesom Wike assured yesterday of the readiness of South-South governors to assist in fishing out pipeline bombers in the area. READ MORE

Jonathan: Im not on exileFormer President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed a report that he is on exile in Cote dIvoire. The report, published yesterday by a national newspaper, claimed that Dr. Jonathan had been given asylum in that Francophone country. His associates were alarmed at the report. READ MORE

Buhari seeks understandingPresident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday urged Nigerians to support his administration, despite the economic hardship they are going through. READ NOW___________________________________

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

NNPC, Shell, Total, Mobil, others fleeced Nigeria of $4.4bn  NEITIABUJA  The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), yesterday, accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and other oil and gas companies of shortchanging the country and failing to remit $4.4 billion and N358.3 billion to the Federation Account in 2013. READ NOW

Jonathan denies self exile bid to Cote dIvoireFORMER President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan insisted, yesterday, that he is not on self-exile in Cote dIvoire as alleged, even as friends and family asserted that he had no cause to permanently relocate from the country. READ MORE
In a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday, May 24, omisore said the EFCC's statement is "the height of mischief and a deliberate attempt to assassinate my character."

"It is now very clear that the EFCC is indeed playing out the script of persecuting and harassing perceived opposition groups in the country.

To be sure, there is no basis for the EFCC so-called statement. Only on Tuesday, May 24, we appeared in court with the EFCC asking for the permission of the court for an extension of time in the preliminary objection to a suit filed against me, he said.

The EFCC had earlier declared Omisore wanted for allegedly receiving and misappropriating over N700 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in 2014.

But the politician denied knowledge of any N700 million received from the ONSA.

He said: "I read the statement issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) purportedly declaring me wanted as an attempt by that organisation and its leadership to tarnish my image.

"The Managing Director of Firmex Gill which the EFCC joined in their case indemnified me from the companys contracts and any such obligations. In other words, there is nothing relating to me in the companys contract deal with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The company has even sued the ONSA for its inability to pay the balance of the contract so awarded to it.

"Therefore, I am not aware of any issue relating to a contract sum of N700 million. There is was no issue of N700 million anywhere. The relationship between the company and ONSA is civil and contractual, which has nothing to do with me. Besides, so long as their business transactions are legitimate and since I am not directly managing the company, how am I to know who and who they do business with?

"The EFCC should not be seen playing the role of political victimisation of innocent individuals, coercion and blackmail. Sadly that is simply what this organisation has been doing. Blackmail, I strongly believe, wont help EFCC. If the organisation and its leadership think they have any case against me, they should come to court with their facts. This act of blackmail and deliberate tarnishing the image of perceived political enemies wont help the image of the EFCC and it wont get it result.

"How can you declare someone you were in court with at 9.00a.m today wanted the same day, a few hours afterwards? I am appealing to all human rights and civil society organisations to caution EFCC from damaging my reputation further. If they have facts, I challenge them to bring them to court and not resort to blackmail, intimidation and victimisation."
He said this while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos state.

Osinbajo represented President Buhari, who could not make the invitation due to scheduling challenges.

The Vice-President said This country is going to be a great nation but there is a lot of readjustment to be done. My President has asked me to assure every Nigerian that we are on the path to progress.

The Vice president revealed that the government has put in place various palliative measures to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike.

Osinbajo also praised the Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode saying So much attention has been paid to security and safety.

The Lagos state governor surely deserves commendation for the good work he is doing, it is what other governors should also emulate to make life better for people.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is billed to depart Abuja on Monday, May 23, 2016 to Lusaka, Zambia.
The Governor had earlier threatened the workers saying We have drawn the line and we give them till Monday. Any one that doesnt show up should consider himself sacked. We shall send out a monitoring team. I will also go round myself.

The workers in the state are protesting the non-payment of salaries since January 2016.

The Bayelsa state chairman, John Ndiomu, has however refused to call off the strike, saying that the government must pay the salaries owed workers before they can return to work.

Ndomu said The strike is on it third day, and were still on it; it is true that the state government has started the payment for January alone but we will continue to stay at home until the union reaches a decision.

Our members should also remain calm. Series of meetings have been going on with the government and we shall also be meeting today (Monday), but I am still urging our members to remain at home.

Governor Seriake Dickson complained some time ago, that Bayelsa was finding it difficult to pay workers salaries due to its dwindling resources.
On Monday, May 23, while speaking with Sahara Reporters, students of the school reportedly gave the names and information of the deceased students.

One student gave the names of the deceased and department as: (1) Oke Oluwatosin, a 300 Level -Electrical Electronics Engineering Student; (2) Abolarinwa Emmanuel Olaniyi, 500 Level- Electrical Electronics Engineering Student; (3) Olaleye Israel Olumide, a 500 Level- Management Technology Science; (4) Owanuga Olufunke, 500 Level- MicroBiology.

The students tragically lost their lives in a road accident on the Akure-Ilesha expressway in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State on Saturday.

The Students Union Government (SUG) of the varsity has declared three days of mourning in honour of the late students.

In a statement signed by the SUG its President, Comrade Olusegun Oladele, the death was described as unfortunate and tragic

Oladele said, all staff of the Union (tenants) and in extension those selling things on campus are to stay off work during this period of mourning, warning that any individual that goes otherwise might not be able to tell the story.

According to him, the SUG flags within the institution have been lowered at half-mast as part of the activities lined up by the union to pay their respect for the departed students.
Krishna Chetty, acting MTN South Africa chief technology officer disclosed this in Johannesburg last week, according to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek report.

MTN Nigeria CEO, Ferdi Moolman, said that the company is positioned for growth and investing in different things, especially broadband services.

The telecom giant recently acquired Visafone, the last surviving CDMA operator in Nigeria.

We have started looking at 4G and Visafone had frequency which allows us to do this extension, so if we want to start rolling out 4G and we want to take better services to the public we had to acquire a platform that will enable us do this, said Moolman.

We see huge potential and growth in Nigeria and Mtn wants to be part of that growth. We would like to take this company from just a telco network to something that is a peoples company, he added.

In October 2015, the NCC issued MTN a fine of N1.04 trillion ($5.2 billion), which was later reduced to N674 billion. relating to the timing of disconnection of the 5.1 million active MTN subscribers with improperly registered SIM cards calculated at N200, 000 for each subscriber.
EgyptAir flight 804 from Paris to Cairo vanished off radar screens early on Thursday as it entered Egyptian airspace over the Mediterranean. The 10 crew and 56 passengers included 30 Egyptian and 15 French nationals, all believed to be dead.

Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadek asked his French counterpart to hand over documents, audio and visual records on the plane during its stay at Charles de Gaulle airport and until it left French airspace, his office said in a statement.

He also asked Greek authorities to hand over transcripts of calls between the pilot and Greek air traffic control officials, and for the officials to be questioned over whether the pilot sent a distress signal.

Egyptian officials say they received no mayday call from the pilots before the plane disappeared.

Greek officials say that controllers chatted with the pilot after the plane entered Greek airspace and that he sounded cheerful.

He thanked them in Greek, they said. When they tried to call him again to hand over to Egyptian air traffic control they got no response. The plane then disappeared from radar.

French investigators say the plane sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke had been detected on board as well as other possible computer faults shortly before it disappeared.

The signals did not indicate what may have caused smoke, and aviation experts have not ruled out either deliberate sabotage or a technical fault.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said all scenarios were possible and that none were being ruled out.

He promised a transparent investigation but said it could take a long time.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Friday that Greek radar had picked up sharp swings in the jet's trajectory as it plunged from a cruising altitude to 15,000 feet, then vanished from radar.

That description of the plane's last moments has not been confirmed officially by Egyptian officials. The head of Egyptian air navigation services said Egyptian officials did not spot the plane swerving.

"We did not record any form of swerving," head of National Air Navigation Services Company Ehab Mohieeldin told privately owned local television channel CBC on Monday night.

He added that Egyptian officials were able to spot the jet on radar for one minute before it disappeared but they were unable to communicate with it.

Ships and planes scouring the sea north of Alexandria found body parts, personal belongings and debris from the Airbus 320, but were still trying to locate two "black box" recorders that could shed light on the cause of Thursday's crash.

If recorders are found intact their contents will be studied in Egypt, air accident investigator Captain Hani Galal told CBC, but they will be sent abroad for analysis if found damaged.

The State Security Prosecution will handle the criminal side of the investigation and will examine all debris and remains, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Sunday.

An Egyptian team formed by the Civil Aviation Ministry is conducting the technical investigation and three officials from Frances BEA air accident investigation agency arrived in Cairo on Friday with an expert from Airbus.

Investigators are due to take DNA samples from the families of passengers and crew on Tuesday as the task begins of identifying what few remains have been recovered so far.

Air crash investigation experts say the search teams have around 30 days to listen for pings sent out once every second from beacons attached to the two black boxes.

While global aviation regulators agreed several years ago to extend the life of such devices to 90 days, their decision will not take effect until 2018.

The crash was the third blow since October to hit Egypt's travel industry, still reeling from political unrest following the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

A suspected Islamic State bombing brought down a Russian airliner after it took off from Sharm al-Sheikh airport in late October, killing all 224 people on board, and an EgyptAir plane was hijacked in March by a man wearing a fake suicide belt.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Sharm al-Sheikh bombing within hours but a purported statement from the group's spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, distributed on Saturday, made no mention of the crash.

The October crash devastated Egyptian tourism, a main source of foreign exchange for a country of 80 million people.
Some of the first direct engagement occurred in al-Hayakil area on the city's southern outskirts, a resident said. Troops also approached the northern suburb of Garma, the top municipal official there said, to clear out militants before turning attention towards the city centre.

Air strikes and mortars overnight targeted neighbourhoods inside the city proper where Islamic State is thought to maintain its headquarters. But the bombardment had eased by daylight.

Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, speaking on state television, described the forces' advance as "careful" and reliant on engineers to dismantle roadside bombs planted by the militants.

Falluja, a longtime bastion of Sunni Muslim jihadists, 50 km (30 miles) from Baghdad, was the first city to fall to Islamic State, in January 2014. Six months later, the group declared a caliphate spanning large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Iraqi forces have surrounded the city since last year but focused most combat operations on IS-held territories further west and north. The authorities have pledged to retake Mosul this year in keeping with a U.S. plan to dislodge Islamic State from their de facto capitals in Iraq and Syria.

But the Falluja operation, which is not considered a military prerequisite for advancing on Mosul, could push back that timeline. Two offensives by U.S. forces against al Qaeda insurgents in Falluja in 2004, which left the city badly damaged, each lasted about a month.

There are currently between 500 and 700 IS militants in Falluja, according to a recent U.S. military estimate.

Army helicopters were shelling IS positions in nearby Garma and targeting movement in and out of the area in order to weaken resistance enough for ground troops to enter, Mayor Ahmed Mukhlif told Reuters.

The defence minister and army chief of staff visited part of that northern axis on Monday, a ministry statement said.

POPULATED CITY

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who also faces political and economic crises in the major OPEC producer, visited a command centre set up nearby to oversee operations, exchanging his suit for the black uniform of an elite commando unit.

Announcing the offensive in a late-night speech, Abadi said it would be conducted by the army, police, counter-terrorism forces, local tribal fighters and a coalition of mostly Shi'ite Muslim militias.

Iraqi officials say the militias, including ones backed by Iran, may be restricted to operating outside the city limits, as they were largely in the battle for nearby Ramadi six months ago, to avoid aggravating sectarian tensions with Sunni residents.

State television showed footage of armoured vehicles sitting among palm groves on the city's outskirts, a green tracer glow emanating from shells and machine gun fire.

Video showed a family standing in the daylight outside a simple one-storey home, cheering and waving a white flag as a military convoy passed by.

The government has called on civilians to flee and said it would open safe corridors to areas south of Falluja. Residents living in the centre said they had moved to relative safety in outlying northern areas but roadside bombs were preventing them from leaving the city.
The next presidential and parliamentary polls in Kenya, East Africa's largest economy, are not due until August 2017 but politicians are already trying to galvanise supporters in a country long prone to political strife. Violence erupted after the 2007 vote and the opposition disputed the outcome in 2013.

On Monday police launched tear gas at a convoy of vehicles carrying opposition leaders and supporters accompanying them on foot in the capital Nairobi to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in the capital.

In the western city of Kisumu, the political bedrock of opposition leader Raila Odinga, one man died after sustaining an injury as he ran away from the clashes.

"The injury he has was in the mouth which is very much consistent with somebody who was running and then fell down," Willy Lugusa, the regional police commander, told Reuters. He said police did not use live ammunition.

Officials at Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu, where the man was rushed by ambulance, said the man had no gunshot wounds. "He fell down as he was running away from rioters," Sam Oula, a doctor at the hospital, told Reuters.

The opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) accused police of using live bullets to break up their rallies, adding they had collected two cartridges from one spot where protesters were dispersed in Nairobi.

CORD, led by Odinga who lost the 2013 vote and unsuccessfully challenged the result in court, has accused the electoral commission of bias and said its members should quit. IEBC officials have dismissed the charge and say they will stay.

Seven protesters were arrested in the port city of Mombasa, police said earlier. About 300 demonstrators there held up placards reading "IEBC must go home now".
The decision has no bearing on a ban on international trade in rhino horn. Potential domestic buyers could include those who see rhino horn as a store of wealth that could appreciate in value and those who want it as a decoration.

Thousands of South African rhinos have been slain in recent years to meet demand for the horn in Asian countries, where buyers consider it an aphrodisiac, a cure for cancer or treatment for hangovers.

"Legal finality has now been achieved," Pelham Jones, chairman of South Africa's Private Rhino Owners Association (PROA), told Reuters, saying trade could resume this year.

Around 5,000 rhinos, or about a quarter of South Africa's population, are in private hands. Rhino horn can be harvested as it grows back and it can be removed from a tranquilised animal.

The government has not revealed the size of its rhino horn stockpile but the PROA estimates its members have around 6 tonnes and reckons the state has close to 25 tonnes. The combined 31 tonnes could fetch $2 billion by some estimates.

A spokeswoman for South Africa's department of environmental affairs said it would comment later in the day on the ruling, which was made on Friday.

It was not immediately clear if the department would now appeal to the Constitutional Court, the top court in the land.

Supporters of rhino horn trade say the money earned could be used for conservation and to pay for security. Opponents counter that a legal trade could tempt poachers who kill rhinos to launder their "blood" horns with clean supplies.

The decision is a setback to government efforts to keep a lid on the domestic trade in rhino horn, which was imposed in 2009. It comes just months ahead of a major U.N. conference on wildlife trade that South Africa will host.

The domestic trade ban was challenged by rhino owners in court last year and the moratorium was overturned.

Both buyers and sellers of rhino horn in South Africa still need to apply for a permit, so that the government can keep tabs on the commodity.

John Hume, the world's biggest rhino rancher who owns around 1,300 of the animals, said he was hoping to sell some of his stock of five tonnes.
The elite Hawks police unit is investigating a tax surveillance unit within the South African Revenue Service (SARS) set up in 2007 when Gordhan was the commissioner of the revenue authority.

Gordhan, who headed SARS from 1999 to 2009, has said the spy unit set up at the tax agency was lawful.

The National Prosecuting Authority head Shaun Abrahams asked South Africans to "stop deriving political mileage of this matter," after media reports last week that the minister's arrest was imminent.

"There are no charges of espionage being investigated against minister Gordhan," Abrahams told a news conference.

"In the event that the minister is implicated, I will make the decision at the conclusion of the investigation as to whether or not any person or persons must be prosecuted, including the minister."

Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi had said earlier Gordhan was not a suspect and that police were not singling out the finance minister in its investigation of the surveillance unit.

The Sunday Independent reported at the weekend that Hawks chief Berning Ntlemeza had sent Gordhan's lawyers a letter to reassure him he would not be arrested.

Gordhan, who was reinstated as finance minister in December, said last week that a newspaper report of his imminent arrest was an attack on the Treasury.

The rand firmed briefly after the news Gordhan faced no arrest, touching 15.5230 per dollar in early trade from a close of 15.6355 on Friday. The currency was flat as of 0940 GMT.

The currency had weakened last Monday to a two-month low after the newspaper report on Gordhan's arrest. The report was denied by the presidency, police and prosecutors.

The report had raised concerns of a repeat of the run on the rand and bonds in December after President Jacob Zuma changed finance ministers twice in a week. It also comes as South Africa is trying to fend off a credit ratings downgrade.

Moody's earlier this month left its rating of South Africa's debt at Baa2, two levels above sub-investment grade, but assigned a negative outlook, saying risks to implementation of structural and fiscal reforms remained a factor.
The lake is shared in roughly equal parts by the two countries and has in recent years been the scene of sometimes deadly clashes, mostly over alleged illegal fishing in each other's waters.

The discovery of commercial oil deposits on the Ugandan side has heightened the tensions, with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sometimes accusing Uganda of conducting illegal exploration in its waters.

The frontier area's security is also undermined by the lawless nature of DRC's eastern region where militias roam and Kinshasa's grip is fragile.

In a statement, Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the four police personnel had been attacked on Saturday by soldiers of the FARDC, the Congolese army, while "on official patrol duty on Lake Albert within the territorial sphere of Uganda".

Uganda had sent a protest note to Kinshasa and demanded "that the officers of the FARDC who are responsible for the murder ... be brought to justice and appropriate compensation to the bereaved families be effected", the statement said.

Uganda hopes to start pumping crude from the Lake Albert region by 2018.

In 2007 Congolese troops opened fire on a barge belonging to Heritage Oil Corporation (HOC) and a British oil contractor, Carl Nefdt, was shot dead.

DRC accused the company of prospecting for oil in its waters and said its soldiers had acted in self-defence.

HOC then co-owned the fields with Britain's Tullow Oil but later sold out to its partner.

Uganda estimates it has 6.5 billion barrels of crude reserves in the Albertine rift basin fields.
East Moline Police are asking the public's help in finding an East Moline woman wanted on a child endangerment charge.

Amber L. DeGryse, 24, is believed to be in the Quad-City area and is thought to frequent local hotels, according to police.

Police suspect that DeGryse is not providing proper care to a 6-month-old boy, who is believed to still be with her.

Police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services continue to investigate the case.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of DeGryse is asked to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500.
Authorities arrested a Clinton Community School District teacher last Friday who police say had sexual contact with a 15-year-old student.

Christopher J. Nielsen, 40, is charged with one count of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony.

Nielsen, who was being held at the Whiteside County Jail, waived extradition Monday and was transferred to the Clinton County Jail, according to a news release issued by the Clinton Police Department. Fulton police assisted with the arrest.

Nielsen teaches special education at Clinton Middle School, according to the district's website.

The case remains under investigation by the Clinton Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 563-243-1458.
A Vietnam veteran awaiting sentencing in federal court for exaggerating his military record was found in contempt Tuesday for violating the terms of his pretrial release by keeping firearms and ammunition in his Davenport home.

U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Rose ordered Robert E. Brooks Jr., 70, to serve 30 days of home confinement, during which he will wear a GPS tracking ankle bracelet, and complete 20 hours of community service.

The home confinement will begin immediately, Rose ordered during a short hearing.

Brooks has been free on a personal recognizance bond since pleading guilty in March in U.S. District Court, Davenport, to one count of purchasing military awards and decorations without proper authorization, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in federal prison.

Sometime between 1971-74 and during his service in the Reserves, Brooks compiled a list of awards and decorations he thought he deserved but had not validly been awarded, according to court documents.

Brooks knowingly provided the list to another person and the information was falsely added to his official military file, according to court documents.

FBI agents who searched Brooks home on Oct. 15 seized around 20 awards and decorations, including a Silver Star with two oak leaf clusters and a Purple Heart with four oak leaf clusters, possessed by Brooks without proper support, approval and authorization, according to court documents.

Prosecutors have indicated that they will seek probation when Brooks is sentenced Aug. 19. Brooks was required to surrender all weapons as a condition of his pretrial supervision.

A federal probation officer filed a motion to revoke his pretrial release bond on April 22.

The document claims that a probation officer visited Brooks' home on April 11 and was assured all firearms had been removed from the property but said there could be a small amount of ammunition still in the home. The probation officer reiterated that all weapons and ammunition must be removed from the house.

When a probation officer conducted another home visit on April 20, the officer located thousands of rounds of ammunition and approximately 23 firearms, including smoke grenades, according to the motion.

The weapons and ammunition were removed from the property, according to the motion.

Additional ammunition was found in Brooks bedroom on May 17, Rose said during Tuesdays hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Westphal recommended that Brooks be ordered to serve two days in jail for the violation.

Westphal said Brooks engaged in a "30-year pattern" of providing false information regarding his military record and that the pattern continued in relation to the terms of his pretrial supervision.

Brooks' attorney, Terence McAtee, said his client did not deny that he had the guns and ammunition in his home or that a sanction should be imposed.

McAtee argued, however, that a more appropriate sanction should 30 days home confinement because Brooks suffers from a number of serious physical and mental health issues that requires numerous medications.

McAtee also argued that the guns and ammunition were not newly purchased after Brooks pleaded to the charge and that they had been in his possession for a long time.

Rose said she normally would agree with prosecutors that a jail sentence is appropriate but expressed concerns that a jail could not deal with Brooks' medications on a short-term basis.

She warned Brooks that any other violation would result in a jail sentence.
When Reise Simpson and Nathaneal Seaberg receive their diplomas on Saturday, they might think about how they grew up together in the Morgan Park neighborhood of Moline.

Reise and Nathaneal, or "Tater," as he is sometimes called, are lifelong friends who will go their separate ways in the fall. Reise is off to Greenville College in southern Illinois with plans to study law, and Nathaneal is enrolled at Drake University in Des Moines with plans to focus on medicine.

They are among 11 seniors who are graduating from Morning Star Academy, a faith-based school in Bettendorf. Their mothers, Ann Seaberg and Deena Simpson, raised their sons in homes just three blocks apart. Both boys started at Morning Star when it was located at the former Villa de Chantal in Rock Island.

The boys were introduced as toddlers.

"We don't remember that! But there are pictures of us," Reise said.

The Morning Star seniors are among 3,554 Quad-City area high schoolers who will graduate in ceremonies that begin today and stretch into early June. Nearly a dozen graduations will be at the iWireless Center in Moline, a venue that entices with air conditioning and ample seating and parking.

This year, Pleasant Valley and North Scott join other Quad-City districts at the iWireless, including Davenport North, Central and West; Rock Island and United Township.

The Quad-City graduates are in a pool of 3.3 million in the United States. That's 3 million from public schools and 300,000 from private schools, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, Washington, D.C.

They will enter a world where median earnings for full-time year-round working young adults with a bachelor's degree are $48,500, while those with a high-school diploma average $23,900. Students with a two-year associate degree average $37,500, the center reported in data from 2013.

As for Reise and Nathanael, they will move from the only homes they have known.

"I've been in the same house my entire life," Reise said.

They are looking forward.

"It is definitely a change," Reise said. "It will be sad to leave. I've been here my whole life, but it will be good to experience new things. At least I think it will."

Nathaneal plans to keep in touch with his lifelong friend as well as other "solid guys" from Morning Star.

"I'll stay in contact and circle back with them when I'm in town," he said. "We've been friends for so long ... my friends are a big part of my life."
A roundup of Capitol and state government news items for Tuesday:

FORT DODGE FINED: The city of Fort Dodge will pay a $20,000 fine and spend at least $200,000 on improvements under a settlement over alleged violations of federal regulations that occurred at the city's water treatment plant, the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced. Under the settlement, the city must pay the $20,000 fine to the federal government and spend at least $200,000 building a new road to provide emergency vehicles better access to the water treatment plant, the agency said. Previously, the city also agreed to a compliance agreement requiring it to develop a risk management plan for the facility, which stores high amounts of potentially harmful chlorine gas.

BIOFUEL TAX INCENTIVES: Back on the job Tuesday after a bout with a spring cold, Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law legislation to extend biofuel tax incentives in Iowa. Senate File 2309 extends several ethanol and biodiesel blended fuel tax credits that are funded through Iowa individual and corporate taxes. Effective in 2018, the production payment currently available for biodiesel manufacturers located in Iowa equal to two cents per gallon produced up to a total of 25 million annual gallons for each manufacturing facility is extended seven years to Jan. 1, 2025. S.F. 2309 also extends the tax credits for E-15 plus and E-85 blended gasoline, as well as biodiesel blended fuel by seven years to Jan. 1, 2025. Other provisions extend and expand the biodiesel promotion retail tax credit. The incentive will continue to provide petroleum retailers 4.5 cents a gallon on blends of at least 5 percent biodiesel (B5) through 2017. From 2018 to 2024, the B5 incentive will drop to 3.5 cents per gallon, but an additional incentive of 5.5 cents per gallon will take effect for gallons of B11 and higher. Branstad signed the new law at a ceremony held at Renewable Energy Group biodiesel plant in Newton.

ARTIST SOUGHT: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey is encouraging Iowa artists to submit proposals to paint a mural highlighting conservation and water quality efforts in Iowa during the Iowa State Fair this year. The mural will be part of an "Ag Park" space in Agricultural Building on the fairgrounds and serve as a visual representation of how conservation should be a focus in both urban and rural areas. Northey's agency along with several commodity groups are seeking Iowa artists to submit proposals by July 1 for a 6-panel, 8 foot by 24 foot wall that will be on display during the fair. The mural should reflect agriculture's commitment to conservation and water quality within the state as well as the beauty and an overall appreciation for Iowa agriculture. At least a portion of the mural must be painted during the Iowa State Fair in August. Live painting is required for at least two hours each day between the times of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Iowa artists that are 18 years of age or older are eligible to apply. The selected artist will be notified by July 11 and will receive up to $500 for reimbursement of supplies and a commission of $1,500 upon completion of the mural.

EXXON PETITION: Members of the groups Bold Iowa and Iowa 350 plan to deliver petitions signed by more than 1,000 Iowans to Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller today, encouraging him to look into allegations that Exxon lied about climate change. Activist and former state legislator Ed Fallon said a report by InsideClimate News indicates Exxon has worked to manufacture doubt about the reality of global warming and has lobbied to block federal and international action to control greenhouse gas emissions. "Like Big Tobacco, Exxon knew about the connection between their product and the public's health," said Fallon, director of Bold Iowa.

REBOUNDING EGG INDUSTRY: Egg producers say Iowa should be back to full production of 16 billion eggs a year by January. The nation's leading egg farmers saw the number of laying hens cut in half to about 30 million last year due to a bird flu epidemic, causing production to drop to about 8 billion eggs, industry officials said Tuesday. However, Jeff Hardie of Fremont Farms of Iowa near Grinnell said Iowa currently has about 53 million layers and likely will have all its flocks fully repopulated by the start of 2017. According to Iowa State University, Iowa's egg industry contributes more than $2 billion in total sales and supports 8,800 jobs with more than $502 million in labor income and nearly $23 million in general tax revenue. During a proclamation signing, Branstad said each egg contains about 70 calories and represents the lowest-cost per serving at 17 cents for high quality protein that equates to 35.3 grams of protein for every one dollar spent.

 Times Bureau
Most of Bettendorf Public Library's collection is in good condition despite a water pipe break on Friday.

The break in the second-floor bathroom caused extensive water damage to the first and second floor of the building, but the majority of the library's books, computers and other materials were undamaged, according to Lauran Haldeman, the city's public information officer.

"Water was mostly contained to the ceiling, flooring and walls," she said.

The library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, is expected to be closed for at least three months.

"It's just guessing at this point how long it will take," Haldeman said.

Crews continued cleanup over the weekend, using about 150 fans to dry the damaged surfaces.

Haldeman and other city officials received several messages and calls from Bettendorf residents offering to help clean the library.

"We appreciate the concern and support from everyone, but no extra help is needed at this time," Haldeman said. "It's very dangerous in there, with cables everywhere, and they've take down a lot of the ceiling."

Officials are working to figure out an alternate site for the library's collection, as well as other programming scheduled for the upcoming months.

The library's summer reading program, from May 31 to July 30, has been moved to Bettendorf High School and will go on as scheduled.

SHIIP sessions will not be available this summer, and reading assistance dogs will not be available in June.

Patrons can either hold on to checked-out items or return them to any Iowa RiverShare library, including locations in Davenport, LeClaire, Scott County, Muscatine, Clinton and the libraries at Eastern Iowa Community College. Any fines associated with the closing will be waived.
It takes a lot to agitate these two.

Consider their car troubles on Monday, for example. When David and Claudia Magills Ford Fusion began rattling, the couple hardly seemed bothered. And thats after they paid the $50 diagnosis fee at a Davenport dealership.

It doesnt usually happen, said Claudia, 72, who credits years of meditation for keeping their stress at bay. When you meditate, things go better for you in your life  you have better intuition.

The Fairfield, Iowa-based duo discovered Transcendental Meditation in the early 1970s, and for more than four decades, have taught others to reach a state of restful alertness by practicing 20 minutes before breakfast and 20 minutes before dinner.

While the Magills plan to move out of their Davenport office this week, they hope to continue teaching in the Quad-City area, where theyve had a presence since the fall of 2009.

Captivated by the systematic de-stressing technique, they quit their Ann Arbor, Michigan-based computer programmer jobs in 1972, and traveled to Spain and Switzerland to study under the Indian meditation teacher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Maharishi attracted global attention from young people, including the Beatles and actress Mia Farrow, during the peak of the cultural revolution in the 1960s, but the Magills say they never considered themselves hippies.

Today, they commute nearly two hours from Fairfield, home to Maharishi University of Management.

We thought wed be better contributors somewhere where it was not available to anyone, said Claudia, who along with her husband leads classes at Dubuque's Finley Hospital, a UnityPoint Health medical facility.

When done correctly and consistently, meditation, David said, helps people slow their thoughts, rest as deep as sleep and enhance their alertness the rest of the day.

"It's just as normal as sleeping, waking and dreaming," said David, 69, who refers to the physiological condition he reaches during meditation as the fourth state of consciousness. "You're investing 20 minutes, but you have an eight-hour payback there."

While assigning mantras may fall under their role as certified instructors, the college math majors, who provide individual instruction and conduct follow-up appointments, aim to separate themselves from the mystical stereotypes associated with meditation.

Were not prophets, said David, a Dartmouth College grad who also works for a telecommunications company that serves southeast Iowa. Its not religious, its not a philosophy and you dont have to sit in any pretzel-like positions.

Although the ancient technique calls for each meditator to have their own mantra, which they silently repeat while meditating, Claudia said there's not enough syllables from the Vendas, a collection of sacred Indian writings, to go around.

When addressing the skeptics, the Magills are quick to reference the hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies that back up the benefits of Transcendental Meditation and confirm the validity of their efforts.

The American Heart Association published a report last month that recommends Transcendental Meditation as an alternative approach to lowering blood pressure. By doing so, the medical organization became the first nationally-recognized group of its kind to endorse the practice.

Claudia, who convinced David to give meditation a shot back in the 1970s, said she's continued the practice in hopes of living a "long and happy life."

"It may be a nice theoretical thing if you're living in the Himalayas and you meditate, but does it work in our world?" she said. "That's what the science has proven."
Jon Alexander Editorial Page Editor Editorial Page Editor, Quad-City Times Follow Jon Alexander 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

Cops are people, too.

That's the message of a video last week uploaded to YouTube by Davenport police, with the hashtag #WeAreDPD. The video depicts a Davenport officer playing piano at a local church. Another video shows an officer fishing with -- I can only assume -- his family. They are members of local organizations. They are active members of the community. They are human beings, with families, passions and lives outside of social enforcer.

Yes, cops are people, too. If only society's hero-worship complex would allow it.

American policing is under fire and has been for a couple years now. A number of dead black men has, finally, made white America aware of disparate tactics employed against poor urban neighborhoods. Departments throughout the country are initiating PR campaigns like the one in Davenport. Humanizing officers is, after all, a necessary step to expose the faces behind the badges.

Culture loves its heroes. It's nothing new. Greek poets made a living recounting fantastical tales of daring-do by its warrior class. But, right now, Americans are so hip on deifying anyone in uniform that it's actually working against the men and women who serve as the foot-soldiers in maintaining order.

The death of a police dog, even from old age, is suddenly a newsworthy event. Local media drafts overwrought missives on the bond between the dog and its handler when a 14-year-old German Shepherd succumbs to old age. Tennessee's "Aron's Law" makes it a felony to kill a police dog, a bill driven by officers saddened by the loss of their "partner." Judges throughout the country are doling out harsh punishment for those who assault a police dog. It's as if the canines, too, are human. The fact that the canine, after all, was a programmed tool goes unmentioned.

The dog had no choice in the matter. Rewards came with reacting to its handler's cues with slavish resolve.

The increasing pressure to treat police canines as thinking, feeling members of law enforcement, instead of the pricey piece of equipment they really are, highlights the growing chasm between police and everyone else.

Look, I love my dog, too. His death will create a massive hole in my universe. But, again, he's a dog. I do not expect him to enjoy the same rights as a human being.

Yes, policing has inherent risks. Shootouts and high-speed chases tend to get the most ink. The dangers are in the day-to-day domestic violence response, cops regularly say. But, police work doesn't rank in the top 10 most dangerous American professions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Loggers, anglers and, yes, road-bound sales staff are at greater per-capita risk than the rank-and-file police officer. Focusing on the risks of police work, though, has benefits when it's time to collectively bargain with stingy elected officials.

Cops wield tremendous power. They're legally protected in unique ways. And juries are substantially more forgiving to an officer than a standard citizen.

Police officers are people, and not just the ones who make the stoners nervous at a house party. By and large, they're community-minded citizens who really care. Yet, policing is also one of the few professions where criticism of the few bad actors riles legions of their capable, professional peers. Few professions carry such a scrutiny-averse fraternal mentality, where closing ranks is more important than culling the unsuitable.

Davenport PD's video gets it right: The men and women who staff the department are more than just a badge and a gun.

Unfortunately, they're battling their profession's desire to elevate itself above the rest of society.
Dakota Access officials trying to span a pipeline across Iowa may have hit another snag.

The Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist has received a claim that a historically significant site falls along the proposed path of the Dakota Access pipeline.

Iowa State Archaeologist John Doershuk said the call indicated that the site is in Lyon County, the states northwestern-most county and one of 18 counties the Bakken pipeline is slated to pass through. Details on location or what the site entails are vague, he said.

If the claim is found to be valid, it could force pipeline officials to change course.

The trick with archaeological sites is its a game of feet and inches, particularly when its associated with a federal project, Doershuk said. Depending on the nature of an archaeological deposit, it can be just outside of a project right of way, and it will remain unaffected during construction. But that same site in the project right of way  where its going to be impacted by construction  that can change things. Exact position is very critical, and thats what were trying to get a handle on.

Doershuk said his office adds between 300 to 500 new historic sites to Iowas registry annually, which now has 29,000 listings.

However, reports of historic sites sitting in the path of the pipeline are a little less common, he said.

This is unusual, where there is this high-profile, politicized project going on, and this drops right into the middle of it, Doershuk said. We just want to be very careful and specific. I dont want this to blow up into something its not.

Doershuk said the next step is determining which federal agency holds jurisdiction over the site, which could be either the Army Corps of Engineers or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Doershuk said his office would hope to get involved after the jurisdiction is established.

Were waiting more information and hopefully will be a part of the verification process, he said.

The federal agency overseeing the site also will work with Dakota Access to see if the site falls within the pipelines route.

Dakota Access spokeswoman Vicki Anderson Granado said in a Monday email, As we have done since the project was first announced, we will continue to work with the regulatory agencies that have oversight of this project as we continue to move forward in preparation for the start of construction in Iowa.
CEDAR RAPIDS  In her first ad of the Democratic U.S. Senate primary campaign, former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge cites courage and cooperation as keys to recovering from the devastating 2008 floods.

Our recovery began by working together, she says in the 30-second online ad that features scenes of a flooded Cedar Rapids. Nobody had time for pointing fingers.

That came later, and her 30-second spot has re-ignited a seven-year-old political battle over the flood relief efforts that Judge says she coordinated in her role as the state Homeland Security adviser.

Missing from the story, however, is the complete ineptitude with which she managed her high-profile role, according to the Republican Party of Iowa. One of her first duties wasnt to help flood victims, but to replace the carpet with $19,000 in money intended for said victims.

The expenditure for new carpet in space where the Rebuild Iowa Office was headquartered in the Wallace Building provoked criticism from legislators, including then-Rep. Jeff Kaufmann of Wilton, now chairman of the state Republican Party.

The condition of the Wallace Building is better than some of my flood victims' homes before the flood, he said in 2009.

Judge's campaign manager, Sam Roecker, pointed out the office moved into vacant space in the Wallace Building instead of continuing to lease expensive office space in Urbandale.

That didnt satisfy Kaufmann. Judge has never apologized for letting down flood victims  and this latest ad is an insult to those she was supposed to help.

Thats not the spirit Judge talks about in the ad that her campaign said will begin running later in the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids media markets.

Im proud of the way Iowans responded to flooding in 2008 and the way our communities came together to recover, she said.

Then, she contrasts that partnership and problem-solving that defined the flood recovery efforts with what she sees in Washington where incumbent Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has been in office since 1975.

Unfortunately, this kind of cooperation isnt happening in Washington today, she said. Iowans are frustrated with the obstruction and inaction, and I think its time for a change.

Judge is in a four-way primary with former state legislators Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause and state Sen. Rob Hogg. The primary election in June 7.
CONCERTS

RAPID CITY

May 25: John Mark Nelson w/Scatter Their Own opening, The Garage

June 2: Marshall Star, Main Street Square

June 2: Brandon Jones & The Thirsty Fish, Summer Nights

June 3: Celtic Woman, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center

June 9: Abbey Road, Main Street Square

June 9: Pumpin' Ethyl, Summer Nights

June 15: Broncho/Mystery Pills/Winter, The Seed Theater

June 16: Vaughn Suponatime feat. The Dave Martinson Big Band, Main Street Square

June 16: Tripwire, Summer Nights

June 23: Boston, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center

June 23: #Mashtag, Main Street Square

June 23: 32 Below, Summer Nights

June 30: Kory and the Fireflies, Main Street Square

June 30: The Synthetics, Summer Nights

DEADWOOD

June 2: David Cook, Deadwood Mountain Grand

June 14: The Avett Brothers, Deadwood Mountain Grand

June 14: Mostly Water, Saloon No. 10

June 24: Clint Black, Deadwood Mountain Grand

June 25: Gordon Lightfoot, Deadwood Mountain Grand

CUSTER

June 3-4: Black Hills All Star Concert, Black Hills Playhouse

SPEARFISH

June 15: Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils, Crow Peak Brewing Co.

SIOUX FALLS

May 24: The Deftones, The District

May 25: Buckcherry, The District

May 26: Megadeth, Badlands Pawn Gold & Jewelry

June 1: David Cook, Mary W. Sommervold Hall at Washington Pavilion

June 2: Cracker and Big Head Todd/The Monsters, W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds

June 3: Bush/Fuel, W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds

June 4: Joe Nichols/Chris Lane, W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds

June 10: David G. Smith, Old Courthouse Museum

June 10: Wreckless Eric, Total Drag Records

OUTDOORS

May 28, 9 a.m.: Bridges of Hope 5K Run/Walk. Start and end at Old Storybook Island, 2911 Canyon Lake Drive. Proceeds will benefit the children of Hope Village School in Liberia, West Africa. Pre-registration is $25 adults and $15 ages 18 and under, while registration on the day of the race is $30 adults and $20 ages 18 and younger. Register at bridgesofhopewestafrica.com or at the Runner's Shop, 41 E. Omaha St.

June 18, 7 p.m.: Ethnobotany Moon Walk. Join the Forest for a walk in the northern Black Hills with a local professor of ethnobotany and learn some of the uses of native plant species. For directions directions visit fs.usda.gov/blackhills or call 605-343-1567.

GALLERY

May 24, 5:30 p.m.: Club for Boys Art Auction Fundraiser. 12 live auction pieces will be available by local artists as well as another 6 silent auction pieces. Half a dozen pieces of artwork by Club for Boys members will also be available during the silent auction. All proceeds will go towards the Club for Boys Nutrition Program, which provides much-needed food to hundreds of boys throughout the year. Tickets are $60 or $400 for a table. The raffle will begin at 6 p.m. Raffle tickets are $2 per ticket or an arm's length for $50. To purchase tickets, call 343-3500. Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn, 505 N. Fifth St.

May 27, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Vignette Sakowin Reception. Join a public reception for the artists of "The Great Race" exhibit's Vignette Sakowin (Seven): Iris Sully-Sorensen, Uncommon Knowledge, Keith BraveHeart and Ronya Hoblit. The artists will speak about their work beginning at 5:30 p.m. The audience will have a chance to tour the exhibit and mingle with the artists. Refreshments will be available in the museum lobby. For more information call 394-6923. The event is free. The Journey Museum, 222 New York St.

Until May 28: "Best of the West." The annual juried high school art show returns to the Dahl, with a public reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. 56 pieces have been selected from hundreds of works by local high school students, ranging from paintings to sculptures to ceramics and more. Admission is free. For more information call 394-4101. The Dahl, 713 Seventh St.

Until June 10: "But first...coffee." A new mini-exhibit will explore the history of coffee, including its discovery, the rise of coffeehouses and the "Coffee Wars" of the 19th and 21st centuries. There will be storyboards, photos and artifacts, including antique coffee pots and coffee grinders. Admission is free. For more information, call 723-1200. Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center, 414 Fifth Ave., Belle Fourche.

Until July 8: Melanie Ratzlaff. The Sioux Indian Museum will host an exhibit of the artwork of Melanie Ratzlaff. There will be an opening reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today. Ratzlaff is an emerging artist who works with recycled materials to create unique three-dimensional artwork. The reception is free and open to the public. The Journey Museum, 222 New York St.

CHEAP THRILLS

May 27, 5:30 p.m.: Emerging Artists. The Dahl Arts Center will host an Emerging Artists event from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. This week's event is a mentoring night with Mike Lemay and Wes Wooley. Refreshments will be available. Admission is free. 713 Seventh St. Visitors are asked to use the Kansas City Street entrance.

STAGE

June 5, 2 p.m.: Tatanka Teaser. Hear some amazing talent with a sneak peek revue of the 2016 company, featuring comedy, music and monologue excerpts that earned them a spot at the Black Hills Playhouse. Admission is free for holiday package and Buffalo Pass holders, with a $5 suggested donation for all others. For reservations or more information, call 605-255-4141 or email tickets@blackhillsplayhouse.com. Black Hills Playhouse, 24834 S. Playhouse Road, Custer State Park.

June 10-11, 14-18 7:30 p.m., June 12, 15, 19 2 p.m.: "Jeeves Intervenes." See 1920s high-society London thrown into chaos by hapless playboy Bertie Wooster and friend Eustace Bassington-Bassington, who hatch a plan to dupe their meddling relatives to save Bertie from an undesired marriage and Eustace from an unwanted job in India. Only faithful manservant Jeeves can rescue these bumbling fools from themselves. Admission is $34 adults, $30 senior/military with ID, $25 student with valid ID, $16 child 18 and under. For reservations or more information, call 605-255-4141 or email tickets@blackhillsplayhouse.com. Black Hills Playhouse, 24834 S. Playhouse Road, Custer State Park.
SIOUX FALLS | South Dakota's breast cancer rates are surging beyond national averages, and health officials still aren't sure what's causing the increase.

After two years of steady increases, the state had the highest incident rate in the nation in 2012, with 141.4 new cases reported per 100,000 women, the Argus Leader (http://argusne.ws/1NGJst0 ) reported. The national average was 122.2 new cases reported per 100,000 women.

Recently released numbers for 2013 show another increase in South Dakota.

In 2016, hundreds of women in South Dakota will be diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. The disease is expected to be the state's most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the state, with 680 new cases, outpacing lung, prostate and colon cancer diagnoses.

Health Department Cancer Programs Director Karen Cudmore said officials haven't been able to pinpoint the cause.

But the good news is that breast cancer's growing presence in South Dakota hasn't led to increased deaths and that the state's mortality rates remain slightly under the national average.

Ashley Miller, chronic disease epidemiologist for the state Department of Health, said the state's health care system is making a difference when it comes to the risks faced by women.

"Our mortality rate is fairly low," she said. "It does appear that we are doing a very good job of finding cancer."

Dr. Juliann Reiland, breast surgeon for Avera Medical Group Comprehensive Breast Care, agrees that the state's health care providers deserve credit for the difference between more breast cancer cases and fewer deaths.

"The women in South Dakota are very aware of breast cancer risks," Reiland said. "They are very intuitive and they want to get their mammogram, and they're very good about getting their follow-ups."

Low-income women have access to free screenings through the Department of Health.
Few things symbolize South Dakota and the West better than the American bison. The tough, stoic mammal has played an integral part in the history of North America.

While their numbers have dwindled from an estimated 60 million when Columbus landed in America to less than 500,000 today, they remain an important symbol of the American West, including South Dakota.

Thats why, in the middle of Senate votes, committee meetings and meetings with constituents, I was pleased to learn the president signed legislation recognizing the bison as the national mammal.

In South Dakota, we learn from a very young age about the role the American bison has played in our states history, especially for our Native American citizens. Bison  or Tatanka in the Lakota language  are sacred animals for many Native American tribes.

Tribes used nearly every part of the bison for food, shelter, clothing and tools, and expressed their gratitude for the animal through songs, artwork and in their oral storytelling tradition.

Additionally, the bison represents the spirit, and the way in which Native Americans lived their lives. So central to Native Americans lives were the Tatanka, tribes followed them as they roamed the Great Plains during their migration.

As we all know, the tens of millions of bison roamed freely before settlers came to the West, overhunting them to the brink of extinction in the 1800s. James Scotty Philip, a South Dakota settler and rancher, purchased five bison calves from Pete Dupree after one of the last big bison hunts, and is credited with saving them from extinction.

He received unclaimed land from the U.S. government along the Missouri River north of Fort Pierre to be used as a buffalo pasture. There Philip was able to grow the herd and help strengthen the diminishing bison population in the United States. Bison from his herd were distributed to State and National Park systems and other wildlife refuges all over the country.

The Bronx Zoo and Yellowstone National Park also cultivated bison herds in dedicated bison preserves in the early 1900s, and released them to the western plains area. They donated 14 bison to Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, and those bison helped populate more herds across the country.

Today, conservation efforts continue. The InterTribal Buffalo Council, founded in 1991 in the Black Hills, led an effort to repopulate the bison herds. Made up of 58 tribes in 19 states, the InterTribal Buffalo Council continues to work toward reestablishing buffalo herds on Indian lands.

Today, there are more bison in South Dakota than any other state. The 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture estimated more than 33,000 roaming throughout our state. Additionally, Custer State Park is home to one of the largest publicly-owned herds in the world at approximately 1,300 heads.

This is the herd that is vaccinated, branded and checked on each year at the famous Buffalo Roundup that takes place annually. People from all over the world flock to our state to get a glimpse of these majestic mammals.

The bison is an inspiring symbol of Americas strength and resilience, and is revered as sacred by many Native American tribes, whose rich culture and history plays such an important role in South Dakota.

It is fitting and appropriate that the bison be adopted as the national mammal of the United States. Im pleased to see the bison join the American Bald Eagle  which can often be seen nesting in South Dakota  as one of our national symbols.
Korean conflict veterans recall Korea past, lessons learned from their war experience.

HOT SPRINGS  Nearly 70 years have passed since the Korean conflict of June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, a fight often called the forgotten war, following, as it did, World War IIs (WWII) bigger actions and preceding the Vietnam conflict, with its long-lasting impacts on nearly every aspect of American society.

Like Vietnam, the fight began as essentially a border dispute between South and North Korea, but developed into a proxy war  technically a conflict  for the post-World War II superpowers: the U.S., China and the Soviet Union.

Yet for veterans of this fight, the war remains a powerful memory  one colored by deep insights into human nature, some laughter, as well as tears shed over comrades lost, futures changed forever.

Even today, the shadow of what happened in Korea 70 years past hang over world events: While the conflict ended in an armistice, there was never any peace accord between the two Koreas, and this hot spot on the world stage could explode into flames at any moment. Witness Kim Jong-un rattle North Koreas nuclear sabre and threaten to lob shells over the armistices 38th parallel demilitarized zone.

Recently, The Star  with help from Mayor Cindy Donnell and the State Veterans Home  interviewed people connected with Koreas past and present: four Korean War veterans from the 1950s, a Korean ambassador and a young woman, a Hot Springs native, currently serving her nation in a field artillery regiment 12 miles shy of the 38th parallel.

In the following two-part story, The Star will share their stories of Korea past; Korea present.

 Korea Past 

Dean Foucault - Foucault, a State Veterans home resident, was an airplane mechanic aboard the USS Philipa Sea CB 49, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Seven squadrons of 187 planes were on board the Philipa, and they rained 9 million tons of armaments  rockets and 250- and 500-pound bombs  on North Korea and its troops, Foucault said.

Foucault was 17 when he enlisted to serve a three-year hitch, instead of the four-year hitch 18-year-olds served. I wanted to go in, I enjoyed it, he said. Dad was a Navy WW II pilot in the Pacific.

Foucaults skills were in mechanics, and rather than fly airplanes  no jets on the Philipa  he kept those planes flying, fighting, a 24/7job, he said. When it was cold, snowy weather, and no one was flying, then the mechanics got a break, he recalled.

Foucault recalled planes coming in all shot up, with engine damage, and how he worked on the 3,500 horsepower, with 18 cylinders mechanics and the electrical systems. It took 10 hours to overhaul an engine, and some planes he worked on were on their second overhaul.

I loved helping the ordinance guys load up, he said.

Clarence Jerke - Clarence Jerke, also a State Veterans Home resident, was a headquarters battalion communications chief, responsible for radio and telephone communications for the U.S. Armys 2nd Infantry during Korea.

Jerke also volunteered for the draft. He came from a farming family and his father figured that when Korea got hot, the nation would draft all of his brothers, as they did during WW II (think Saving Private Ryan). However, if one son went, his brothers could continue working on the farm, so Clarence went.

I went in a Private and came out Sergeant 1st Class, he said, smiling, recalling how his commander Captain McBall, a WW II veteran, put him in charge of 50 other soldiers with the admonition that good leaders Lead from the front, not from behind, something Jerke took to heart. He was responsible for making sure the physical communications lines  wires, no cell phones in those days  and radios worked.

Being the communications headquarters, 2,000 people depended on us, he said, but it wasnt any fun, Jerke said, recalling being shot at and having to manage people  and himself -- under highly-stressful situations, like relaying orders to the field from command during fire fights. Also bad weather meant he would be out, restringing communications lines.

Jerke recalled getting a daily whiskey ration. Since some guys didnt drink, he happily imbibed in theirs. Even after a quadruple bypass, Jerkes cardiologist says he can enjoy some Jack Daniels with ice and water -- no soda  he said.

Jerke also recalled some darkly funny military moments: One time he and a kid from Tennessee were out stringing and repairing communications wires. Trained to find cover when they heard gunfire, they heard a few rounds pop, and scurried for cover.

Tennessee saw a hole in the ground, and leapt into it, Jerke recalled, without realizing it was a Korean honey well.

Koreans, he said, put human waste in these wells, which later fertilized rice in paddies, why he wont eat rice. Poor Tennesse went into the well up to his waist. From then on, Tennessee was known as a grittier version of crappy pants.

Basil Braveheart - Basil Braveheart, a Pine Ridge resident, was a Browning automatic rifle (BAR) gunner with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Infantry, a division of the 101st Airborne of the U.S. Army. He enlisted at age 17, too, took basic training in Kentucky, and joined Airborne troops under the command of General William Westmoreland on Ashiya Air Force Base in Japan.

Three hours beforehand, the 187th got a call to parachute into Korea.

Braveheart summarized the war this way: When the 1st Marines under MacArthur landed at Inchon and began taking ground, President Harry Truman stopped them. Then 1 million Chinese troops, waiting at the border, streamed into Korea and reversed the tide of war.

The Marines and the 7th Infantry Division went up through, but they were not ready. It was cake walk in the beginning, but then came 1 million Chinese and the Chosin Reservoir, Braveheart said.

At Chosin Reservoir, according to Wikipedia, the combined 30,000-man forces of the X Corps (the Marines, the 7th Infantry and others elements) were surprised and encircled by the 120,000-man 9th Chinese Army in a brutally cold 17-day slugfest. by Mao Zedong ordered the Chinese to destroy the UN forces. However, the UN fighters managed to make a fighting withdrawal and broke out, all the while inflicting crippling losses on the Chinese. Bottom line: Although the Chinese pushed the UN forces out of North Korea, the fight was a pyrrhic victory.

The Chinese, Braveheart said, were a different kind of fighters. They could go three days without eating and water. We were not that tough. Weather was a problem, the cold. It was wintertime, like in SD, with a wind chill of -40. The North Koreans were also mentally tougher than the Americans, he said.

Braveheart remembered his time in battle  being on alert 24/7; frequent night patrols; many casualties; going 90 days without changing clothing, even taking boots off; treacherous sniper fire, especially at night; and mines, especially bouncing bettys, that exploded and sprayed shrapnel at waist level to maim and injure more soliders.

Braveheart recalled intense search-and-destroy missions, and taking on armor, an especially tough chore. He described the horrors of napalm, jellied death. (Napalm is a flammable liquid that sticks to the skin and burns.)

He also witnessed the horrors of Geoje-do Prisoner of War (POW) Camp, a camp for Chinese prisoners, including one of their generals, on an island in the South.It was horrendous, he said, men went beserk in there.

His combat team, supported by tanks, took control of a compound in the camp after a series of prisoner uprisings across the camp that included the stoning of South Korean guards trying to rescue non-communist detainees by prisoners and one incident where the POW camps commander and a another officer were captured by prisoners. In taking control of the compound, 31 POWs were killed, and 131 were injured, with one U.S. soldier killed, 13 wounded.

Arthur Has No Horse - Arthur Has No Horse was a combat engineer in Korea. He served with the 10th Regiment, Company C, of the 5th U.S. Army. They supported the 8th Army, 26th infantry. A corporal, he often repaired bridges and other structures, frequently under heavy enemy fire from 105 mm and artillery round and 8 mm mortars, according to Braveheart, speaking for him.

 The take-away 

What did these veterans learn from their Korean experiences?

I learned how to get along with management, said Jerke, who said that as a result of his wartime experiences, Bell Telephone tried to hire him three times. But he wanted to ranch and farm. Jerke fathered eight children and ran the family ranch until both he and his wifes health got too bad to continue.

We didnt win, Foucault said, but we made a lot of people happy. Millions are glad we were there. We did the right thing.

Following the war, Foucault returned stateside  first to San Diegos Naval base, then to Oceana Naval Base at Virginia Beach, Va., then, following NATO maneuvers in the North Atlantic where he saw two Russian subs, to the Mediterranean. He was at sea eight months. He also served on two other carriers during his Navy hitch, the USS Ticonderoga and the USS Midway, which he was especially proud of because of its WW II history.

Im still working with engines today, he said. Foucault believes that had Gen. George Patton got his wish after the Nazis were defeated to finish the job and invade Communist Russia, Korea might have been avoided.

Braveheart said he learned two things in Korea, I was in the infantry, on the front line, so I saw both sides of man.

I learned about the horrors of war, he said. It is hard to comprehend what men can do to each other. I saw how man can become a killing machine, how good young men were destroyed.

But I also saw the other side of the human spirit, he said. I was 17 when I went into Army. We trained in Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. They were good soldiers that went into our unit. We bonded. You could trust the man on your right or left to have your back, no matter what color. There was no prejudice. It was a beautiful thing.

The other side of the human spirit was about compassion: J. Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the bomb, talked about a metaphysical breakthrough, an instinct to revive in humans, a spiritual instinct. I am more spiritual; church is not spiritual. We fought to take care of each other: Your buddies would take care of you. They walked the talk. The bonding was deeper than about war and killing. They were willing to lay down their lives for you. [Like jumping on a grenade]. It is a profound commandment to love your neighbor as yourself that way, and lay down your life for someone.

I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), so do many other vets. 22 vets die per day. Only 1 percent of us fought to defend the country. Hot Springs did a wonderful job of taking care of vets, but that job is not finished yet.

Background

To understand Korea, you need a little background, this from Wikipedia:

The Korea peninsula, incorporating both North and South Korea of today, was ruled by Japan from 1910 until the closing days of World War II.

Following the defeat of the Nazi Germany in Europe, in August of 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. (This was before the Japanese surrender following the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.)

The Soviets occupied Korea north of the 38th parallel; U.S. forces occupied the south. As a result, by1948, two separate governments (one communist, one democracy) were established; with both claiming to be the legitimate government of a unified Korea, and neither side willing to accept their dividing border as permanent.

This ideological clash escalated into a fight when North Korean forcessupported by the Soviet Union  invaded South Korea in late June of 1950.

The United Nations (UN) Security Council responded to this invasion, by calling for an immediate ceasefire, and hurrying to South Koreas aid with troops and support. More than 20 nations contributed, with the U.S. providing 88 percent of the military personnel to protect the South.

In the first two months of the conflict, a 140,000-man UN army was nearly defeated by 98,000 invading North Koreans, who took all of the peninsula but the Pusan Perimeter, a tiny southeastern enclave. However, a September 1950 amphibious counter-offensive at Inchon, led by General Douglas MacArthur, cut off the most of the invaders, forcing the rest back across the Korea - China border at the Yalu River. However, this also brought the Chinese into the fight.

In October 1950, a 1 million-man Chinese army crossed the Yalu, and pushed the UN forces way back, with Seoul changing hands four times. Meanwhile, an air war above the peninsula ignited, the first time jet fighters confronted one another in air-to-air combat  with Soviet pilots flying covert missions for the North -- and a massive bombing campaign against the North.

The war then stalemated into a war of attrition, close to the 38th parallel.

In 1953, the Koreas signed an armistice creating a de-militarized zone, where no fighting would take place, between them and returning prisoners. But no formal peace treaty has ever been signed to end the war. Technically, it continues today.
Average pump prices rose seven cents over the last seven days across South Dakota, climbing to their highest level of the year, according to FuelGaugeReport.AAA.com.

Gas prices are at their highest point for the year as we approach the Memorial Day holiday, and the national average has increased for 12 days in a row.

On Monday, the average of $2.28 per gallon was up six cents per gallon on the week and 15 cents per gallon on the month.

Despite this increase, drivers remain on target to pay the lowest prices for the Memorial Day holiday since 2005. AAA projects more than 38 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend, which is an increase of 700,000 compared to a year ago.

That is the second-highest Memorial Day travel volume on record and the most since 2005. Nearly 34 million (89 percent) holiday travelers will drive to their Memorial Day destinations, an increase of 2.1 percent over last year.
Ground was broken Thursday in the Sturgis Industrial Park on a new 10,000 square-foot building that will be home to Rasmussen Mechanical Services, a provider of industrial boiler, burner and heating, ventilation and air conditioning services.

Pat Kurtenbach, president of the Sturgis Economic Development Corp., welcomed the Rasmussen family to Sturgis saying: "We're happy to have you locating here."

Nearly 50 people turned out for the symbolic ground breaking which the Rasmussen representatives weren't sure was needed, according to Kurtenbach.

"I know you were reluctant when we first started talking about having a groundbreaking, but I just want you to know that this is a big deal for Sturgis," she said.

The move means Sturgis native Ryan Aldren, manager of the Rapid City office of Rasmussen Mechanical Services, is headed back to his hometown. Rasmussen plans to move its Rapid City office to the new building at the Sturgis Industrial Park later this year.

The company is headquartered in Council Bluffs, Iowa with other regional locations in Sioux City, Iowa Kearney and Lincoln, Neb., Commerce City, Colo., and Rapid City.

Brian Rasmussen, chief operating officer of Rasmussen Mechanical Services on hand for the groundbreaking Thursday, said the company began the process of searching for a new home about a year ago. He said the company had outgrown its current location at 1715 Samco Rd.

"We've had tremendous growth here in the Black Hills area," he said. "We weren't finding anything in the Rapid area that met our needs. We came across Pat and she was really the driving force behind getting us here."

Rasmussen said they liked the layout and location in the Sturgis Industrial Park. Kurtenbach also sold Rasmussen on Iverson Construction of Sturgis to build their new facility.

"Between Iverson and Pat, that's really what sold the deal for us," he said.

Economic development incentives from Meade County also were a factor in locating in Sturgis, Rasmussen said. Meade County's discretionary formula offers 5-year tax relief on new commercial construction. Since its inception, commercial construction starts throughout Meade County have surpassed $31 million.

Rasmussens western South Dakota location serves industrial, commercial and institutional customers in a wide-ranging territory stretching from the North Dakota border west to Las Vegas, as far east as Ainsworth, Neb. and south to Imperial, Neb.

"We do heavy commercial as well and some light commercial and that may be an opportunity for us here," he said. "Any opportunity that presents itself we will take a look at to see if it makes sense."

Rasmussen said they hope to be up and running in the new building, which will employ 12 full-time-equivalent and three part-time employees, by October of this year.

Rasmussen says those employees are diverse.

"It's not just, 'I'm an HVC tech or an industrial burner technician.' One day they may be welding, the next day they may work on a roof-top unit and another day they may be working on a burner. The skillset of the employees we have here is amazing and diverse."

Rasmussen touts itself as the single-source service provider.

"We're very service oriented. What we don't get into is new construction," he said. "We're into building long-term relationships with clients."
PINE RIDGE | Three men who went missing more than two weeks ago on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation have been found dead.

Oglala Sioux tribal officials said Tuesday that the men died in a single-car accident on the rural reservation. Details about the wreck haven't been released.

Tribal Police Capt. Anthony Long Soldier confirmed the accident involved one vehicle. He said the victims have been identified as 24-year-old Juan Lamont, 21-year-old Tevin Tyon and 23-year-old Tyrell Wilson.

The tribe's Office of Public Safety released the same information on its Facebook page.

The men were last seen May 7 in the town of Pine Ridge. The tribe declared a state of emergency four days later.

Searches for the men included all-terrain vehicles, horses, aircraft and SUVs, along with hundreds of volunteers.
They dont know who it will be and did not set the salary. But Rapid City school board members on Monday approved hiring a coordinator for GEAR UP programs at North Middle School and Rapid City Central and Rapid City high schools.

GEAR UP is a federal program helping low-income students get academically on track ahead of college. GEAR UP is recently controversial in South Dakota since an audit revealed employees allegedly stole up to $1 million in funds intended to help low-income Native American students. The scandal prompted Scott Westerhuis, the business manager of Mid-Central Education Cooperative  the Platte-based company that once administered GEAR UP in South Dakota  to murder his wife and their four children before burning down their home and committing suicide last September.

The full-time Rapid City coordinator will visit North, Central and Rapid City High at least once a week and ensure that daily GEAR UP services are being administered properly, said co-project director June Apaza with Black Hills State University.

Weve restructured the program to bring the services of the program more directly to students and schools, Apaza said.

The state moved administration of the GEAR UP program to Black Hills State University. In addition to a more complex hierarchy of top-down oversight, the state wants more money invested in area schools so they can hire GEAR UP program coordinators, similar to the post the Rapid City school board approved.

While she said she still believes strongly in the program, Apaza thinks the scandal surrounding GEAR UPs previous stewards has made it difficult to move forward.

Its just such a distraction, Apaza said. I dont want to try to defend it. What I want is for people to give us some grace. Give us a chance.

The five present school board members  Matt Stephens, Ed McLaughlin, Sheryl Kirkeby, Kate Thomas and Jeff Nelsen  voted unanimously in favor of the creation of the GEAR UP coordinator position.
RAPID CITY | South Dakota Developmental Center dentist Dave Peterson has been honored for his work by a dental association.

The state Department of Human Services says Peterson was named the "honored guest" at the South Dakota Dental Association's annual conference.

The recognition is awarded to someone who exemplifies exceptional service in dentistry.

South Dakota Developmental Center Interim Director Barb Abeln says Peterson has long advocated for excellence in dental services for people with disabilities. She says Peterson is a well-liked and respected professional.

Peterson has received multiple awards during his career.
CASPER, Wyo. | Wyoming authorities say the number of people killed in crashes on state roads has decreased by more than half this year compared to the same time in 2015.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports that there have been 18 fatal crashes on Wyoming highways since the beginning of the year. During the same time last year, 46 people had died in collisions.

Capt. Shawn Dickerson attributed the decrease to more troopers stationed along the roadways, fewer drivers following layoffs in the energy industry and increased efforts by the Wyoming Highway Patrol during winter storms.

Troopers are participating in a national effort to encourage more drivers to wear seat belts from Monday through June 5, and will issue citations to those found not wearing them.
Property of Russian ex-banker Motylev arrested in fraud criminal case - report

MOSCOW, May 24 (RAPSI)  The Basmanny District Court in Moscow has arrested the property of Russian businessman Anatoly Motylev who is involved in the large scale fraud criminal case, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The court has seized several apartments belonging to Motylev as well as several land parcels in the Moscow Region, Kommersant has reported.

Motylev, who currently lives abroad , is the former owner of several Russian banks including Russian credit, M-Bank, AMB Band Tulsky Industrialist. In the summer of 2015 the Central Bank of Russia withdrew the licenses of those banks. All four banks are declared bankrupt and are subjected to bankruptcy proceedings, Kommersant has reported.

According to the sources of Kommersant, the large-scale fraud criminal case is related to alleged embezzlement at the M-Bank. Allegedly over 1 billion rubles ($15.3 mln) were transferred from the bank to phony companies where they were cashed and stolen. The Investigative Committee did not confirm or deny this information.

Motylev has appealed the arrest of his property with the Moscow City Court, Kommersant has reported. The courts commission has lifted the seizure from a small part of the property.
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Moscow court extends detention of student charged with attempting to join ISIS

MOSCOW, May 24 (RAPSI)  The Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow on Tuesday extended the detention for Varvara Karaulova (Alexandra Ivanova), a student of the Moscow State University who stands charged with attempting to join the Islamic State militants in Syria, till July 27, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

The investigator, arguing for the extension of Ivanovas detention, said that the investigation needs materials from the Federal Security Service to make final charges against the student.

Ivanova said that she made a silly and naive mistake. Ive not committed a crime. I really wish to fix my mistake. All of this is causing great suffering to my family. I wont hide. I dont know if there is any need to keep me here, she told the court.

Earlier it was reported that Ivanova was found sane by the psychiatric evaluation.

As previously reported the second-year student of the Moscow State Universitys Faculty of Philosophy, allegedly decided to join the Islamic State and secretly started off for Istanbul on May 27.

On June 4, she was arrested near Turkey's border with Syria along with 13 other Russian citizens when attempting to cross into the territory occupied by Islamic State militants. On June 11, she returned to Russia under escort of Interpol employees.

In October, Karaulova, who had changed her name to Alexandra Ivanova, was again arrested in Moscow and put in jail.
Russian Supreme Court limits grounds for appealing against investigative authorities

MOSCOW, May 24 (RAPSI)  The Russian Supreme Court has limited the grounds valid for appealing against actions undertaken by investigative authorities through courts, a draft prepared by the Court reads.

Decisions and actions (inaction) of officials, whose powers are not related to prosecution of crimes in pretrial proceedings, should not be subject to appeals through courts, according to the document.

The Supreme Court explained that, for instance, actions of a prosecutor supervising investigative authorities, or prosecuting an action on behalf of the government, as well as actions of a head of a remand prison, cannot be appealed against under the provisions of the respective article of the Russias Criminal Code.

The Supreme Court also determined that actions or inaction of prosecutors office officials relating to review of complaints on the lawfulness of final court rulings should be excluded from the list of grounds valid for court hearings. In cases where complaining parties disagree with the respective orders on the part of prosecutors or heads of investigative units, not the fact of dismissal of such complaints by the said officials, but only their direct actions (inaction), which might result in infringement on the Constitutional rights and freedoms of participants in criminal proceedings, or impediment to citizens access to justice, should be examined in courts.

The document also clarifies that the decisions, the lawfulness and justification of which is vested exclusively with courts trying criminal cases on merits, should not be appealed through courts. According to the Supreme Court, such decisions include, for instance, refusals to carry out procedural actions with regard to collection and examination of evidence on the part of investigators, investigators indictment orders, commissioning of expert evidence and so on.
Rights of Russian national acquitted of killing Forbes Editor violated - ECHR

MOSCOW, May 24 (RAPSI)  The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Tuesday that the rights of Russian national Fail Sadretdinov, who was tried and acquitted of organizing the murder of Paul Khlebnikov, the founding editor of the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, have been violated in part.

Moscow resident Sadretdinov, born in 1969, has turned to the ECHR over alleged violation of his rights related to conditions of detention and medical treatment for epilepsy.

Sadretdinov was arrested in May 2005 and put in jail. His detention was repeatedly extended because of the gravity of charges against him and possibility of his absconding and obstructing justice. He was acquitted in May 2006 and immediately released. Shortly after, he was arrested again on charges of aggravated fraud, abuse of position and property laundering. He was convicted in January 2007 and sentenced to nine years imprisonment, subsequently reduced to eight years imprisonment. In 2011, he was released on parole.

In his application lodged with the ECHR Sadretdinov alleged that his rights were violated under Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the Convention). He complained about the appalling conditions of his detention between January and February 2006, notably on account of overcrowding and lack of hygiene, and the inadequate medical care.

Moreover, he insisted that Article 5.3 (right to liberty and security / entitlement to trial within a reasonable time or to release pending trial) and Article 5.4 (right to have lawfulness of detention decided speedily by a court) have been violated as well. According to Sadretdinov, the length of his pretrial detention was unjustifiably excessive and that his appeals against his jail were not considered by court.

As Russia had admitted violation of Articles 3 and 5.3 of the Convention concerning the inhuman and degrading conditions of Sadretdinovs detention in Moscow from 31 January to 7 February 2006; the lack of relevant and sufficient reasons for his detention between 11 May 2006 and 31 January 2007 and paid out EUR 4,400 in compensation, the ECHR decided to strike these counts out of its list of cases.

However, the ECHR held that Article 3 of the Convention in relation to the lack of adequate medical assistance in detention, Article 5.3 of the Convention on account of the applicants detention between 24 May 2005 and 6 May 2006 and Article 5.4 had been violated; and ordered Russia to pay Sadretdinov EUR 3,150.

Editor in chief of Forbes Russia magazine, Paul Klebnikov, 41, was shot dead on July 9, 2004. Two natives of Chechnya, Musa Vakhayev and Kazbek Dukuzov, were tried in this case along with Moscow notary Fail Sadretdinov. In May 2006, they were acquitted by jury and released. Russias Prosecutor Generals Office appealed the ruling. In November 2006, the Supreme Court of Russia overturned the acquitting judgment. Sadretdinov was finally acquitted in this case in April 2008.
Prosecutor seeks life sentence in Coca-Cola factory director murder case

MOSCOW, May 24 (RAPSI)  A prosecutor on Tuesday asked the St. Petersburg City Court to sentence Vyacheslav Finogenov, one of the defendants in a case on the murder of Dmitry Soshnev, the director of Coca-Cola plant near St. Petersburg, to life in prison, RIA Novosti reported.

In the meantime, the prosecutor demanded a 21-year prison term for another man charged with Soshnevs murder, Denis Chkhitauri.

Finogenov and Chkhitauri were found guilty of killing the director of Coca-Cola plant on April 28.

Soshnev went missing in November 2014. Investigators have established that Soshnev met with Chkhitauri and Finogenov, who had a murder record, on December 28, 2014. The suspects lured him to a garage area in the Frunzensky District, where Finogenov allegedly shot Soshnev with a shotgun.

The defendants took the victims money (about 160,000 rubles or $2,400) and his BMW registration documents, which they planned to sell for 1 million rubles ($14,900), according to the Investigative Committee.

Chkhitauri and Finogenov were charged with murder, assault with intent to rob, document theft and trafficking in drug and weapons.




 

         

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CAIRO, MAY 24: Human remains retrieved from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft in the east Mediterranean, a senior Egyptian forensics official said on Tuesday.



"The logical explanation is that an explosion brought it down," the official told The Associated Press.



The official, who is part of the Egyptian team investigating the crash that killed all 66 people on board the flight from Paris to Cairo early last Thursday, has personally examined the remains at a Cairo morgue. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.



All 80 pieces that have been brought to Cairo so far are small. "There isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head," said the official, adding that one piece was the left part of a head.



"But I cannot say what caused the blast," he said.



Egyptian authorities have said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek defense minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit. But so far no hard evidence has emerged.



An independent Cairo daily, al-Watan, quoted an unnamed forensics official in its Tuesday edition as saying the plane blew up in midair but that it has yet to be determined whether the blast was caused by the an explosive device or something else. The official further said the remains retrieved so far are "no larger than the size of a hand."



France's aviation accident investigation agency would not comment on anything involving the bodies or say whether any information has surfaced in the investigation to indicate an explosion.



In a search for clues, family members of the victims arrived Tuesday at the Cairo morgue forensics' department to give DNA samples to help identify the remains of their kin, a security official said. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.



Egypt has dispatched a submarine to search for the flight's black boxes and a French ship joined the international effort to locate the wreckage and search for the plane's data recorders.



Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are also taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes.


Leaders of various parties taking part in the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at Singha Darbar on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Photo: Twitter/PM_Nepal



Kathmadu, Nepal: The Nepali Congress, main opposition party in the legislative parliament has urged the government to create conducive environment for talks with the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF).



The Nepali Congress has made the urge during the tripartite meeting called by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at his office on Tuesday.



The Prime Minister had called the tripartite meeting among the top leaders of the government allies, main opposition Nepali Congress and the agitating UDMF to discuss about the ongoing agitation and the possible way out to settle the differences through the discussions.



However, the UDMF leaders did not take part in the meeting.



Though the leaders of the UDMF did not take part in the meeting due to internal differences among the allies of the agitating parties, Nepali Congress stressed on the need to opt flexibility from the government side to address the genuine demands raised by agitating parties.



Responding to the concerns of the Nepali Congress Prime Minister also reiterated that the government will adopt maximum to address the genuine concerns of the agitating parties.



'Efforts for talks will continue though Madhesi Front did not take part in the talks, Government is always ready for talks and conversation. Talks efforts will continue,' Prime Minister Oli has tweeted.


Human Rights Watch - 24 May 2016

Summary

When it comes to democracy, liberty of thought and expression is a cardinal value that is of paramount significance under our constitutional scheme.

aSupreme Court of India, Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, March 24, 2015.

Freedom of expression is protected under the Indian constitution and international treaties to which India is a party. Politicians, pundits, activists, and the general public engage in vigorous debate through newspapers, television, and the Internet, including social media. Successive governments have made commitments to protect freedom of expression.

aOur democracy will not sustain if we canat guarantee freedom of speech and expression,a Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in June 2014, after a month in office. Indeed, free speech is so ingrained that Amartya Senas 2005 book, The Argumentative Indian, remains as relevant today as ever.

Yet Indian governments at both the national and state level do not always share these values, passing laws and taking harsh actions to criminalize peaceful expression. The government uses draconian laws such as the sedition provisions of the penal code, the criminal defamation law, and laws dealing with hate speech to silence dissent. These laws are vaguely worded, overly broad, and prone to misuse, and have been repeatedly used for political purposes against critics at the national and state level.

While some prosecutions, in the end, have been dismissed or abandoned, many people who have engaged in nothing more than peaceful speech have been arrested, held in pre-trial detention, and subjected to expensive criminal trials. Fear of such actions, combined with uncertainty as to how the statutes will be applied, leads others to engage in self-censorship.

In many cases, successive Indian governments have failed to prevent local officials and private actors from abusing laws criminalizing expression to harass individuals expressing minority views, or to protect such speakers against violent attacks by extremist groups. Too often, it has instead given in to interest groups who, for politically motivated reasons, say they are offended by a certain book, film, or work of art. The authorities then justify restrictions on expression as necessary to protect public order, citing risks of violent protests and communal violence. While there are circumstances in which speech can cross the line into inciting violence and should result in legal action, too often the authorities, particularly at the state level, misuse or allow the misuse of criminal laws as a way to silence critical or minority voices.

This report details how the criminal law is used to limit peaceful expression in India. It documents examples of the ways in which vague or overbroad laws are used to stifle political dissent, harass journalists, restrict activities by nongovernmental organizations, arbitrarily block Internet sites or take down content, and target religious minorities and marginalized communities, such as Dalits.

The Indian authorities routinely use vaguely worded, overly broad laws as political tools to silence and harass critics.

The report identifies laws that should be repealed or amended to bring them into line with international law and Indiaas treaty commitments. These laws have been misused, in many cases in defiance of Supreme Court rulings or advisories clarifying their scope. For example, in 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that speech or action constitutes sedition only if it incites or tends to incite disorder or violence. Yet various state governments continue to charge people with sedition even when that standard is not met.

While Indiaas courts have generally protected freedom of expression, their record is uneven. Some lower courts continue to issue poorly reasoned, speech-limiting decisions, and the Supreme Court, while often a forceful defender of freedom of expression, has at times been inconsistent, leaving lower courts to choose which precedent to emphasize. This lack of consistency has contributed to an inconsistent terrain of free speech rights and left the door open to continued use of the law by local officials and interest groups to harass and intimidate unpopular and dissenting opinions.

The problem in India is not that the constitution does not guarantee free speech, but that it is easy to silence free speech because of a combination of overbroad laws, an inefficient criminal justice system, and the aforementioned lack of jurisprudential consistency. Indiaas legal system is infamous for being clogged and overwhelmed, leading to long and expensive delays that can discourage even the innocent from fighting for their right to free speech. [. . .]
Before we go any further, we should make it clear that a small number of people with really severe mental illnesses receive ECT. About 100,000 Americans undergo ECT each year, while nearly 14.8 million Americans report depression annually [sources: Reti, NIMH]. Although the therapy was once used for a variety of mental disorders, it's now employed almost solely for severe depression or some symptoms of mania [source: NAMI].

While the treatment was always controversial, its popularity waned quite a bit with the introduction (as well as the improvement and variety) of antidepressants and other drugs for mental illnesses on the market. For example, in England between 1985 and 2002, ECT's use more than halved [source: Royal College of Psychiatrists]. In fact, one of the main instances when clinicians turn to ECT is after many different medications have been proven ineffective in treating a patient's severe depression.

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Until recently, there's never been proof of how exactly the seizure works to improve mental health. Some theories have to do with the physiology of the brain. It's possible that the seizures can change how blood flows through the brain or the metabolism in certain areas [source: Royal College of Psychiatrists]. Because depression is often treated through chemical means, it's also possible that ECT causes a release (or improved functioning) of certain chemicals in the brain. More research also indicates that ECT can stimulate cell growth and nerve pathways, which might link to improved mood [source: Royal College of Psychiatrists].

A study published in 2012 suggested that an over-communicative brain might be an issue in depression. Shocking the brain might work like turning down a stereo, according to one of the study's authors, allowing a severely depressed patient to think a little more clearly [source: Rettner].

There have also been several studies done with placebo treatments, which point out the effectiveness of ECT. Essentially, the patients receive the exact same treatment -- anesthesia and muscle relaxant included -- and are told they had the shock, but don't. The patients with the actual ECT treatment did recover from their illness much faster. However, some patients with the fake treatment recovered as well, perhaps because of the extra clinical attention [source: Royal College of Psychiatrists]. In severe depression, the treatments do appear to be more effective than medication [source: Royal College of Psychiatrists].

As we talked about earlier, the side effects have also improved quite a bit with modern practice. Headaches are reported, as is muscle pain. There are still memory issues, as well: One-quarter to two-thirds of patients report memory problems after ECT [source: NAMI]. Some patients report having trouble forming memories after the treatment, while others say they have a hard time remembering some events before the therapy. Also, there can be initial confusion after the procedure, which isn't uncommon to coming out of sedation in general.

But that doesn't mean it still doesn't court its fair share of controversy. It's not hard to find groups that oppose the practice. Some are adamantly anti-psychiatry in general, while others claim that long-lasting damage is done to cognition and memory, as well as just being generally ineffective [source: Wilson].
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 Dynamic commentary on SCOTUS work in Foster and related Monday news | Main | Federal prosecutors (FINALLY!) decide to pursue death penalty for Charleston mass murderer Dylann Roof 

May 24, 2016

Reviewing the state and future of lethal injection as execution method

Lincoln Caplan has this New Yorker piece headlined "The End Of The Open Market For Lethal-Injection Drugs," which provides a useful primer on where matters stand regarding lethal injection as a means carrying out death sentences on condemned murderers. Here are excerpts from the start, middle and end of the lengty piece:

Last week, the global drug company Pfizer announced sweeping new restrictions on the distribution of seven of its products, preventing them from being used to carry out the death penalty. Pfizer came into possession of those products, which include sedatives, paralytics, a pain medication, and a drug used to prevent or treat low levels of potassium in the blood, when it acquired the pharmaceutical company Hospira, in September. Its decision is an enormously significant one for the death penalty in the United States, and ends a long and chaotic chapter in which governments, drug companies, and activists worldwide have gradually closed the open market for the federally approved drugs that have been used for lethal injections. Twenty of the thirty-one states with the death penalty on the books now have a formal or informal moratorium on executions, in almost all cases because they have been unable to obtain approved drugs to use in lethal injections. In 2015, there were twenty-eight executions in the U.S., the lowest number since 1994. This year, there have been fourteen executions so far  six in Texas, five in Georgia, and one each in Alabama, Florida, and Missouri. Prisons in those states cant buy drugs for lethal injections from American manufacturers. They cant import drugs from foreign manufacturers  which, in any case, will not supply them. In short, their options are severely restricted, which will almost certainly lead to more botched executions. Texas, Georgia, and Missouri are among the small number of states that have carried out executions using drugs made by compounding pharmacies, which combine, mix, or alter drugs, typically to meet the need of an individual patient  say, by removing an ingredient to which a patient is allergic. These pharmacies are not required to register with the F.D.A., and the F.D.A. does not approve their products. They must be licensed by the pharmacy board in the state where they operate, but state oversight has often been scandalously lax. In February, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said he wants the state to open its own compounding pharmacy, in order to guarantee a supply of the drugs that the state needs for lethal injections. (This despite the fact that no department of corrections could meet a basic requirement for obtaining a drug made by a compounding pharmacy: a medical prescription for an individual patient.) Oklahomas turn toward compounding pharmacies is part of the fallout from Glossip v. Gross, one of the most important death-penalty cases decided by the Supreme Court in the past generation.... The campaign to halt lethal injections as a mode of capital punishment by restricting access to the lethal drugs has not yet ended the death penalty. But it may very well have accelerated the end game that Breyer invoked in his Glossip dissent. In the five years between Hospiras decision to stop making sodium thiopental and Pfizers decision to stop supplying drugs for executions, the unsuccessful effort, by one state after another, to carry out lethal injections in a manner that meets standards of fairness and reliability has made it increasingly clear that states cannot constitutionally perform these types of executions. If they cant do that, how can the Supreme Court continue to permit capital punishment under the Constitution? The Court is unlikely to take on an issue this fundamental when it is at the mercy of a polarized Senate and self-important Republican leaders who refuse to confirm the Presidents nominee for the Courts ninth Justice. But the churn that the campaign has quickened will inevitably give rise to a legal controversy that will force the Justices to face just such a question.

Interestingly, I have since Glossip was decided that the case would prove to be "one of the most important death-penalty cases decided by the Supreme Court in the past generation" only if states viewed the ruling as presenting a unique and new opportunity to move away from lethal injection as an execution method in light of all the drug shortages. Significantly, the Supreme Court has never formally declared any particular execution method unconstitutional, and I thought the Glossip ruling might prompt a number of jurisdictions to see a chance to seriously move forward with a return to firing squads or experimentations with nitrogen gas. But absent any such developments (and absent Justice Breyer finding thre more Justices to join his effort to judicially abolish capital punishment in the US), I have a hard time seeing Glossip as nearly as big practical deal as other recent SCOTUS cases placing limits on capital sentences and procedures like Kennedy and Hurst.

May 24, 2016 at 11:58 AM | Permalink

Comments

Kennedy has in the past voiced a distaste for the death penalty, saying in an opinion that it should be a disfavored/last resort. I think he went along without comment in Glossip at least partially because he thought it was a veiled way to totally go after the death penalty. It's possible, especially after the post-opinion developments in the state alone, that he might be second guessing himself. At least in respect to that specific case.

And/or, when there are nine justices again, would join another limited opinion that strengthens the procedural safeguards in execution protocols. His support of free speech might also make him supportive of some challenge to the secrecy rules in place now, something that has received serious pushback in recent years.

Posted by: Joe | May 24, 2016 12:27:23 PM

I understand the appeal, to advocates of the condemned and to abolitionists, of using any angle available to promote their or their clients' interests. I have two problems wih the approach. First, the notion that a person experiences anything more than minor discomfort after the administration of an anesthetic such as propofol or thiopental or even midazolam or fentanyl is specious at best, preposterous at worst. The obvious solution to any such concerns, should we grant them merit, is to make the drugs widely available to states which have capital punishment on the books. Were I personally to face execution, I would beg them to seek out whatever supply of thiopental they could find, impurities notwithstanding, because it would surely be the most painless way for me to exit this world, as evidenced by people who wish to take their own lives in Washington and Oregon - barbiturates are used. This line of reasoning leads me to my second concern alluded by DAB above, namely that states will follow the lead of Tennessee and resurrect the barbaric specters of electric chairs and gas chambers and gallows. Then what tack will abolitionists take? Lobby AEP and rope industries to limit supply of their wares to prison officials? This path of going after the most humane means of killing a person on the basis of technicalities to circumvent the law rather than change the law has inherent and not small risks of backfiring with severe consequences. (Written without implying any position on the issue, as I learned from DAB himself.)

Posted by: Scott Aberegg | May 24, 2016 4:55:02 PM

"specious at best, preposterous at worst"

I'm not an expert but medical experts disagree on the lack of risk involved in usage of the drugs in question. They surely split on the issue but find such adjectives applicable to those who bluntly deem it unreasonable to be concerned. Some experts argue there is one.

I note in the past electrocution etc. were deemed the "most humane." The latest arguments are either use of inert gas (a new form of gas chamber) or perhaps broader usage of the firing squad (having a squick factor but even those experts wary of the death penalty in some cases suggest it might be the best way for the defendant).

Personally, standing alone, reliance on problems with drugs is probably not a convincing reason to end the death penalty. There are problems with the usage, including secrecy. The problems as spelled out in a recent Oklahoma grand jury report is not merely abolitionist/defense attorney cant. But, the basic point to me is that the death penalty is at best an imperfect means of punishment. It is a cost/benefit matter. And, this is but one more problem with it with some constitutional implications.

Posted by: Joe | May 24, 2016 6:55:12 PM

i am a critical care medical expert and i reiterate specious to preposterous. I routinely give sedatived and paralytics to patients and then do very painful things to them. The anesthetics do not cause pain. its an absurd line of reasoning.

Posted by: scott Aberegg | May 26, 2016 6:53:42 PM

The main argument is not that the "anesthetics cause pain" but that they are too weak in certain cases to stop the pain. And, medical experts -- who match your expertise apparently -- have argued there is enough risk in that respect to matter.

Posted by: Joe | Oct 12, 2017 7:49:13 PM

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 "An Experimental Study of the Effectiveness of Certificates of Recovery as Collateral Consequence Relief Mechanisms" | Main | Dynamic commentary on SCOTUS work in Foster and related Monday news 

May 24, 2016

Virginia Republicans go directly to state Supreme Court to try to undo Gov's clemency order restoring vote to former felons

As first reported in this post last month, Gov Terry McAuliffe of Virginia used his executive clemency powers to restore voting rights to more than 200,000 former felons who had been permanently disenfranchised under Virginia's state election laws. Now, as reported in this Washington Post piece, political opponents are going to court to try to undo this effort to allow more people to participate in democracy. Here are the details:

Leaders of Virginias House and Senate went to the states highest court Monday in a bid to reverse Gov. Terry McAuliffes sweeping order to restore voting rights to 206,000 felons. Skipping lower courts, they filed a complaint with the Supreme Court of Virginia, contending that McAuliffe (D) exceeded his authority in April when he restored voting rights to felons en masse instead of individually. The lawsuit  bankrolled by private donors  presents a complex constitutional question with the urgency of presidential election-year politics. Republicans are seeking an expedited review so that reinstated ex-cons who have registered to vote can be stripped from the rolls before November. Virginia governors have restored felons voting rights, but none with anything close to McAuliffes scale and speed. From Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson to Tim Kaine and Bob McDonnell, every Governor of Virginia has understood the clemency power to authorize the Governor to grant clemency on an individualized basis only, said the lawsuit, filed on behalf of House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford), Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. (R-James City) and four other Virginia voters.... The governor says that his move helps former convicts to fully reenter society. Republicans call it a favor to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, McAuliffes close friend and political ally, who could benefit from higher numbers of minority voters in the crucial swing state. McAuliffe blasted the lawsuit, suggesting that Republicans were trying to hold onto a remnant of the Jim Crow era, since African Americans have been disproportionately affected by felon disenfranchisement. One in four African Americans in Virginia had been banned from voting because of laws restricting the rights of those with convictions. Today Republicans filed a lawsuit to preserve a policy of disenfranchisement that has been used intentionally to suppress the voices of qualified voters, particularly African Americans, for more than a century, McAuliffe said in a written statement. These individuals have served their time and are now living, raising families and paying taxes in our communities  this suit is an effort to continue to treat them as second-class citizens.... The lawsuit, filed by Charles J. Cooper, who ran the Office of Legal Counsel under President Ronald Reagan, pushed back against the claim that felon disenfranchisement was rooted in racism. Governor McAuliffe has falsely suggested that Virginias felon disenfranchisement provision was first introduced into the Constitution after the Civil War for the purpose of disenfranchising African-Americans, the lawsuit says. But Virginia has prohibited felons from voting since at least 1830  decades before African-Americans could vote.... McAuliffes predecessor, Republican Robert F. McDonnell, simplified and sped up the application process for nonviolent offenders. When he was governor, Democrat Timothy M. Kaine, now a U.S. senator, considered a broader action but opted against it on the advice of his senior counsel, Mark Rubin. A blanket order restoring the voting rights of everyone would be a rewrite of the law rather than a contemplated use of the executive clemency powers, Rubin wrote in 2010. And, the notion that the Constitution of the Commonwealth could be rewritten via executive order is troubling. McAuliffes order also allows ex-felons to serve on juries, run for public office and apply for restoration of their gun rights. It applies to all ex-felons, including those guilty of violent offenses such as murder and rape  a point emphasized by Republicans. The lawsuit notes that attorneys for a man accused of killing a state police trooper in Dinwiddie County are seeking to have felons whose civil rights were restored added to the pool of eligible jurors for his trial. The McAuliffe administration notes that felons would still need a judges approval before winning back their gun rights and would still be vetted by the jury selection process before being added to such a panel. McAuliffe said that nearly 80 percent of those affected by his order were convicted of nonviolent offenses. Still, Republicans say, that means McAuliffe restored rights to 40,000 violent felons.

Prior related posts:

May 24, 2016 at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Comments

In what universe did Republicans and lawheads grow up. When you have done your time, you have paid your debt to society. In America, in any civilized country, you are supposed to be allowed to repent (in a penitentiary, doing your penitence) so that you can come out and try citizenship again. When did this Puritanical nightmare of a country come to believe that after committing a crime--even a violent one--you not only need to do years in prison, but then you need to have your life destroyed forever after?

Incredible. Tragic. A society is judged by the way it treats its criminals. And so we shall be.

Posted by: Stephen Douglas | May 24, 2016 12:32:07 PM

The "civil death" when you are convicted of a crime idea has ancient roots in this country. It goes beyond (some) Republicans and lawheads, unfortunately.

Posted by: Joe | May 24, 2016 12:56:33 PM

I support felons having voting rights but even I am skeptical that the governors strategy was kosher. If the Executive can do this via the clemency power what else can the Executive do? Why not pardon all murderers en masse? There has to be a limitation somewhere and I always understood it to be the individual analysis.

Posted by: Daniel | May 24, 2016 5:16:16 PM

@Joe: Yes, I know civil death, the Medeival concept took root in Puritan America early on. My point is: Should it prevail? And should those who continue to cry for its absolutely ridiculous, harmful to our society, precepts prevail? Is it the 21st century? Or is it the 11th century. When is it the time for all people to reject this anti-social atrocity? Europeans have rejected it. Are we that different? If so, how? By holding onto the false notion of civil death we relegate our country to the dustbin of history, left in the dust by the social evolution of the rest of enlightened humankind. Is that leadership? Is that the behavior, the policies of an exceptional people? Exceptional in exactly what? In punishment, torture, punitive measures that make all of us unsafe? Who support this? Those thaqt do lose all credibility. They care not for their society. They are the detritus of civilization, more intent on destroying it than in seeing its evolution and its prosperity.It becomes time to repudiate this at every point, at every word spoken by these numbskulls. Civil Death is not just nonsense, it is toxic poison.

Posted by: Stephen Douglas | May 24, 2016 7:25:08 PM

You said this: "When did this Puritanical nightmare of a country come to believe that after committing a crime--even a violent one--you not only need to do years in prison, but then you need to have your life destroyed forever after?"

But, your follow-up is noted.

Posted by: Joe | May 25, 2016 12:04:15 AM

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The resignation last week of (then) Police Chief Greg Suhr following an officer-involved shooting of a black woman in the Bayview was met with a wide array of responses. Supervisor Scott Wiener, for example, told the Chronicle that he did not agree with Mayor Ed Lee's decision to ask for Suhr's resignation. Meanwhile others, like four of Wiener's colleagues on the board and the Frisco Five, had previously called for Suhr to be replaced. We now learn, if unsourced reporting via the Chronicle's Matier and Ross is to be believed, that the police chief himself fell into the latter category.

"Suhrs exit Thursday was actually the second time the chief had volunteered to resign," writes the duo in yesterday's column. "He first offered to go a couple of weeks back after protesters stormed City Hall and took over the Board of Supervisors chambers. According to people who were in on the discussions, Mayor Ed Lee rejected the idea, telling Suhr, 'If you go, then I go.' "

Suhr apparently volunteered to step aside following the May 6 incident wherein protesters stormed City Hall  resulting in numerous arrests and a reported $20,000 in damage. That may have been the last straw for the police chief, who up until that point had steadfastly rejected calls for his resignation following years of department turmoil.

Suhr reportedly wanted Lee to ask for his resignation, but the mayor wouldn't do it  not wanting it to appear that the the mob mentality" had won  until Thursday's shooting left him little choice.

On May 11, which means days after Suhr reportedly first tried to quit, the Examiner picked up a statement issued by Lee reiterating his belief that the best way to reform the troubled SFPD was to support then-Chief Suhr, and to reject a recently issued call from Supervisor Jane Kim's office calling for Suhr's resignation.

The community has asked us to fast track change and not put politics before police reforms and, unfortunately, that is exactly what this does, wrote Lee in response to Kim's statement.

Suhr, apparently, didn't agree.

Related: Mayor Fires Police Chief Following Another Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting


You may have heard some rumblings about this in recent weeks, but Governor Jerry Brown has been pushing through a revision to the state's density bonus program that would potentially wipe out the ability of local governments to stall developments or conduct design reviews, in an effort to streamline the development process and make housing development easier. It's would amount to a statewide policy change that makes residential development more possible "as of right," meaning that developers have a right to build, within a smaller set of guidelines and so long as they produce a minimum amount of below-market-rate units.

The Chronicle's editorial board has come out strongly in favor of this bill, following a report last week from the state's Legislative Analyst's Office that calls the bill "an important first step toward addressing Californias housing shortage."

The idea is that developers of urban, multi-family housing would have to include 20 percent affordable units in any development across the state in order to qualify for fast-tracking, but that number goes down to 10 percent if the development is close to transit. For all the specific requirements, check out this explainer on real-estate site The Registry.

This type of sweeping policy change is the worst nightmare of many longtime San Franciscans who are fond of having the ability to appeal developers' plans, take part in time-consuming design reviews, join vocal neighborhood groups that have sway with Planning, request changes based on various concerns, and fight for moratoriums on market-rate development as many sought to do last November with Prop I.

Brown has long been a critic of government intervention when it comes to housing development, and in 2011 he famously killed off California's decades-old system of Redevelopment Agencies which were one of the only state-endorsed tools for funding affordable housing  using bonds funded by projected tax revenue from larger commercial and market-rate projects in "blighted" redevelopment areas. As the Business Times points out, this was all part of Brown's fiscal conservatism, and at the time was a move to trim what he saw as a huge and no longer necessary piece of the state budget.

Brown has also admitted before that the state's California Environmental Quality Act has been too often abused by foes of development, stretching the definition of what "environmental concerns" are to stall projects of all kinds at the local level.

In the same vein, this new new bill, AB2501, which was set for an Assembly vote as early as today, provides no new funding for affordable housing, and leaves that on the backs of private developers. Instead, it seeks to remove the regulatory burdens that developers always complain about, making development all around less risky and less expensive, while insisting on affordable requirements statewide that are less strict than what we already have in San Francisco but more stringent than in many other municipalities.

48 Hills is quick to sound the alarm of what this will mean for SF neighborhoods where the public's voice in big development projects is always loud. They cite a figure that "two-thirds of existing Bay Area residents cant afford market-rate units," though the data for that is unclear, and suggest that this "free pass" for developers only promises to create "miniscule amounts of affordable housing."

Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Jane Kim are already pushing to amend the bill to exempt places like San Francisco that already have larger affordability requirements and our own density bonuses. But that may be missing the point given that SF has one of the most intense and costly processes for seeking development approvals regardless. So far neither SF Assemblymen Phil Ting or David Chiu has offered to introduce such an amendment, as 48 Hills notes.

Ben Metcalf, director of the state's Department of Housing and Community Development, tells the Business Times that the issue is really that funding to satisfy the state's dire need for affordable housing just doesn't exist in any adequate amount, so the state's only choice is to promote more supply. And, he adds, "There are just too many examples of projects that suck up hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions" while going through multi-year approval processes, even when they do include large amounts of below-market-rate stock.

Meanwhile, once again today, New York-based Gawker gets all up in our grill telling us we need to just build more housing, talking to us as if we are idiots because for some reason this is Gawker's job, and they just figured out a weak spot with which to come for SF on a monthly basis. Once again, Gawker, kindly shut the fuck up.

Rest assured that this bill will spark plenty of debate in the state Senate and likely in the media in the coming weeks.

Related: CA Cities Scramble to Deal With Death Of Redevelopment

High Speed Rail: 'World Is Full Of NIMBYS And Fearful Men,' Says Gov. Brown
As noted Monday, the scheduled return of Rose Pak to San Francisco following an extended medical stay in China was expected to draw a crowd of at least 100 well-wishers and a bus convoy that would be whisking her back to a big luncheon and lion dance yesterday. Now we have video and photo coverage of her big welcome, and it's kind of crazy who showed up.

The longtime Chinatown power player, looking visibly a bit thinner in the face in the video above from ABC 7, stepped off her plane at SFO Monday to be greeted by longtime pal and former mayor Willie Brown, Lieutenant Governor and former mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisors Jane Kim, David Campos, Norman Yee, and Aaron Peskin, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Mayor Ed Lee, Acting Police Chief Toney Chaplin, and numerous other friends and supporters including Gordon Chin, head of the Chinatown Community Development Center, and Elisa Stephens, the embattled president of Academy of Art University.

As SF Magazine notes about the photo below, which was circulated by Pak's people and in which Pak is gesturing at Stephens, you can see the city attorney standing and smiling behind Stephens despite the fact he and the city are currently suing the Academy of Art over more than a decade of shady real estate dealings in which the Planning Department estimates that 75 percent of the for-profit university's building's are being illegally used. (Per the Examiner, that's because Pak may be gunning for Stephens' side in this, advocating for the university's housing at any cost, and Stephens even took out one of the vintage Rolls Royces in her car collection to ferry Brown and Pak back to the city.)

But see, Rose Pak brings everybody together!

The Examiner also has a bunch of pics of the welcome party, and a report on the initial welcome gala at an event room at SFO  before a scheduled luncheon back in Chinatown at the Far East Cafe. Showing her signature humor and hubris, Pak stood before the crowd saying that her doctors told her she could live another 50 or 60 years  though the exact nature of her illness, besides kidney trouble, remains unclear. She noted that 58 people from her hometown of San Francisco all came to see her during eight-month convalescence, most of them helping to boost her spirits.

But, per the Ex, she said, "There was a small amount of people who came to make sure I was going to die." And to those people, she said, I dedicate the next five years to taking care of each one of you!"

This of course was met with much hearty laughter.

As ABC 7 notes, while all kinds of people question how big a role Pak has played in SF governance and the propriety of it all, there's no question she has played a major behind-the-scenes role in at least the past three mayoral administrations, often advocating on behalf of her neighborhood though her influence clearly does not end there. Newsom was quoted saying, "You can't critique someone for stepping up and stepping in."

And the station got Mayor Lee to speak to the issue of his falling out with Pak  in which she went so far as to tell an SF Mag reporter last August, while on a hospital visit, that he is "the biggest disappointment of my life."

Lee now says, "We agree 99 percent and so when we have disagreement, we respect each other." Yeah whatever, "biggest disappointment." That's a whole lot of respect there.

Previously: Rose Pak Returns Following Extended Medical Stay In China
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CHICAGO -- The results of the first-ever nationally representative assessment of technology and engineering literacy are in, and they're generally positive: 43 percent of eighth-grade students are proficient at solving real-world problems. And of these students, female white and female black students outperformed their male peers overall.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is commonly known as the Nation's Report Card, these students demonstrated solid competency in thinking through problems systematically, and using computer-based tools to solve scenario-based questions.

Now on to some bad news: Only 25 percent of lower-income students (those eligible for the National School Lunch Program) scored at or above the proficient level, compared with 59 percent of higher-income students. For English-language learners, only 5 percent were proficient.

Additionally, compared with 56 percent of white and Asian students, only 30 percent of Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students, 28 percent of Hispanic students and 18 percent of black students scored proficient or above.

No huge surprise. Yet even though the assessments of "technology and society," "design and systems" and "information and communication technology" were administered via interactive software on computers, let's not fall into the trap of believing this is a digital divide issue.

I believe this is yet another illustration of how children of parents with higher educations and greater financial resources in better-funded schools simply know so much more than poorer kids.

Let's take one example of a scenario that involves a habitat for a classroom iguana named Iggy. The students were first given some information about iguanas and their basic needs, then were asked a variety of questions aimed at diagnosing potential solutions to several problems the iguana might face because of the design of its cage. For instance, determining what cage designs might alleviate the iguana from being too cold, dehydrated or too active at night.

If you had at least a middle-class upbringing and went to a moderately resourced school where the teacher had a fish aquarium in the classroom -- or an incubator in which baby chicks were hatched, or a tarantula, hamster, guinea pig, lizard, snake, you name it -- the aforementioned scenario has a palpable connection to real life.

Maybe you only had a lonely fish in a science classroom tank, but you could probably draw connections between the differences in room temperature in the day, with 30 kids' body heat in the room, and nighttime.

Or maybe you went to a zoo or an animal sanctuary as part of a school field trip sometime in grade school and had some personal connection to the idea of a wild animal in a human-maintained habitat.

Even with the aid of given facts, these are crucial bits of background knowledge that would benefit a child trying to understand the scenario of a classroom iguana and then draw conclusions about what kind of cage would keep it warm.

Low-income students rarely have deep, wide reserves of background knowledge.

Speaking from personal experience, until high school both my sons went to poorly resourced schools in a low-income community where more than half the students were on the free or reduced-cost lunch program.

Their classes were never taken on field trips to see live animals, and neither of my sons can remember having had live animals in their classrooms (unless you count tadpoles, I suppose). The schools were barely surviving and the teachers didn't have district support to maintain animals in the classroom, unlike in their current schools.

In surveys accompanying the Technology and Engineering Literacy test, nearly two-thirds of eighth-graders (63 percent) indicated that their family members most often taught them about building things, fixing things, or understanding how things work. Nineteen percent of students responded that they taught themselves, and 13 percent of students reported that they learned from their teachers.

This obviously leaves students with parents who have low education levels and little money for enrichment activities like visits to zoos, museums or science camp significantly less able to compete with better-resourced peers.

It is a great thing that this national assessment uses realistic situations for students to demonstrate their knowledge and problem-solving skills.

And it's very useful for us to understand how the students perform. But we have to recognize that the results may say less about how well students can solve problems than they do about the disparity of intellect-building resources in their lives.
Iowa Medicaid Enterprise Director Mikki Stier wrote a guest column on Iowas Medicaid modernization published in The Journal on April 24. I am writing in response to her column.

If IME wanted to make it more difficult for Medicaid beneficiaries to get much-needed items such as catheters, adult diapers, medication, and transportation to medical appointments, then Medicaid modernization is a huge success.

The time frame from announcement to implementation was unrealistic. Research shows most states that have switched to Medicaid managed care have moved only portions of their beneficiaries at a time and over a two- to five-year period.

It is unfortunate that state officials have been perpetrating a public relations campaign for more than a year to misinform Iowans on how their tax dollars will be spent and how services will be delivered to 560,000 Iowans.

Iowas program has brought about several unprecedented actions.

 CMS held five conference calls due to the public outcry.

 CMS delayed the start of Iowas program twice.

 Beneficiaries, family members and providers made two group trips to the State Capitol, testified in multiple legislative hearings and held a rally protesting the handling of Iowas Medicaid modernization. Jamila Michener, a professor at Cornell University in New York, who has studied Medicaid nationwide for more than three years and is writing a book on the topic, said she hasnt seen anything like what advocates are doing in Iowa.

Weve heard repeatedly from IME that the transition is going smoothly. This is not the case. New programs of this scope and complexity will have bumps. Advocates dont dispute that. We do dispute that the transition has gone smoothly and several other of Stiers assertions.

While IMEs Member Services call center does answer calls quickly now, getting actual answers is difficult.

Also, the state implies there are more providers than there really are. If one doctor sees patients in five locations, that does not make him five doctors. He is still one doctor but has signed five contracts, one for each location, according to Stiers testimony in Senate hearings. The state is trying to convince the public that this is five doctors. If a child did math this way in school theyd surely receive a failing grade.

Stier said 39 other states have Medicaid managed care. True, but according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, less than five have transferred as many Medicaid beneficiaries to managed care as Iowa and the states that have actually seen cost savings are those that had above-average reimbursement rates already. Iowa ranked in the low 40s of all states going into this program.

As an administrator for the Facebook group MCO Watchdog, I hear daily from Medicaid beneficiaries, family members and providers who do not consider the following partial list of items minor bumps:

 Being unable to get the medications or durable medical equipment you need now, as was available under the old Medicaid system, not weeks down the road.

 Guardians who have for years acted upon behalf of their loved ones not being able to make necessary medical decisions because they suddenly no longer appear in IME's and/or their MCOs computer system.

 Quadriplegics who cant find home health aides to help with daily basic living functions such as going to the bathroom, eating and showering because of low reimbursement rates.

 Mental health patients who cant access medication in a timely fashion without getting the media involved.

 Medicaid beneficiaries walking home from the emergency room in the middle of the night because the hospital has been told they are no longer eligible for transportation because they do not have an MCO.

 An added value of having 24/7 nurse lines through the MCOs instead operates as an on-call line with beneficiaries being told a nurse will call back within 75 minutes. Then they still dont call back within that time frame.

 Needing to travel more than 50 miles to see a new doctor because the MCOs havent been able to sign contracts with all the Medicaid providers.

Medicaid managed care may help Iowans achieve healthier outcomes. That remains to be seen. In other states that have switched to managed care, people on a large scale have been denied services, which then leads to the question: How is that healthier outcomes?

Iowans have heard repeatedly since last September by state officials that IA Health Link doesn't change the member benefits available through Medicaid. The reality is very different from their mantra.

This is not the picture of a smooth transition, by any means.

Rhonda Shouse, a former newspaper reporter, is a Medicaid beneficiary and advocate and a member of Iowa's Mental Health Planning Council. She also is an administrator for the Facebook group, MCO Watchdog. Shouse lives in Marion, Iowa.
SIOUX CITY | The City Council advanced plans Monday to allow Cornerstone World Outreach to purchase a city-owned parcel to build a memorial to a slain 1880s prohibitionist preacher.

Council members voted 4-0 to signal intent to sell a small parcel near Third Street and Wesley Parkway for $5,087 to the church, which plans to build a memorial to the Rev. George Haddock.

Councilman Dan Moore abstained because his law firm represents the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City, whose outdoor venue is next to the memorial.

A historic marker, which noted Haddock's death, was excavated prior to construction of the Hard Rock. The casino opened in August 2014. The Haddock marker is now housed at the Sioux City Public Museum.

During Monday's council meeting, the Rev. Cary Gordon, executive pastor of the church, said there are no plans to relocate the marker to the new monument.

Gordon added the memorial would cost about $50,000 and $25,000 has already been raised. It would include a monument, bench and landscaping.

The church hopes to have the structure completed by the anniversary of Haddock's death. Haddock, an opponent of Sioux City saloons and prohibition law violations, was shot and killed on Aug. 3, 1886, outside a bar at the corner of Fourth and Water streets.

"He represents a dying breed of clergy," Gordon said. "I would argue he's a great hero."

Before the church can purchase the property, Sioux City must first advertise the land at Third Street and Wesley Parkway for at least 30 days because the 20-by-20-foot parcel is in an urban renewal district. The item will then return to the council for a public hearing on June 27.

"It's the type of memorial that will last centuries," Gordon said.

Water rate hike



In other action Monday, the council voted 3-2 to give second-round approval to a 6.65 percent hike in water rates over the next three years. Mayor Bob Scott and Councilman Keith Radig again voted no.

Under the plan, the average residential water customer would pay an additional $2.27 per month in the first year and $2.39 and $2.57 per month in the second and third years. The average water customer uses 800 cubic feet of water for a total current monthly bill of $33.65.

The proposed increase would generate just over $3 million in additional water utility revenue over the three years.
UPDATED AT 11:13 A.M.

SIOUX CITY | Mark Buckley, president of Iowa-Nebraska State Bank, said no customers were compromised by an ATM card skimmer, which was found May 14 at the branch, 2401 Hamilton Blvd.

"There was a skimmer, and it was discovered quickly," Buckley said. "There were no comprises."

SIOUX CITY | Devices were used to steal credit and debit card information from a "significant" number of ATM customers at two Sioux City banks this month, police said Tuesday.

Sioux City police are cooperating with the FBI to locate anyone connected to the skimmers, which thieves install on the exterior of Automated Teller Machines. Devices were found May 14 at Iowa-Nebraska State Bank, 2401 Hamilton Blvd., and May 21 at Pinnacle Bank, 1901 Morningside Ave.

Customers discovered the skimmers between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. at each location, Police Det. Jeff Harstad said at a news conference Tuesday.

While he did not disclose how many cardholders were affected, Sgt. Chris Groves said the number was "significant."

Some of the stolen card numbers were used to make fraudulent charges, but most of the charges occurred outside of Siouxland, he added.

In a statement Tuesday, Dillon Retzlaff, president of the Pinnacle Bank branch in Morningside, said officials have taken actions to prevent financial harm to customers and urged anyone with questions to contact the branch.

"We were able to identify the exact time frame the skimmer was in place and were able to isolate what cards were compromised," Retzlaff said in a statement. "Those cards were immediately deactivated."

Officials at Iowa-Nebraska State Bank did not immediately return a call to the Journal Tuesday.

Groves said thieves can quickly install the devices on the exterior of the machine, in about the same amount of time as a typical bank transaction would take. "It wouldn't look suspicious at all," he said.

He said police are working with banks to check for the installation of the devices. Groves said no bank employees are suspects.

ATM skimmers differ from fuel pump skimmers, which are installed in the pump's interior, usually inside the panel that houses the card reader and receipt printer.

Groves said if something seems unusual, cardholders should immediately call 911.

"If it moves or you see any play in it, I'd be suspicious of that," Groves said. "When you do enter your PIN number, cover it up."
GRANVILLE, Iowa | A confirmed tornado briefly touched down in rural Sioux County Monday as an evening storm system brought heavy rain, high winds and hail to much of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

The long, wiry "landspout" formed between Granville and Hospers, Iowa, shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sioux County Emergency Management Director Nate Huizenga said it was over very quickly.

"It was not down very long, and we didnt receive any reports of damages or injuries," he said.

The tornado spawned from a chain of thunderstorms that dropped locally heavy rainfall in several cities. Huizenga said Orange City, Iowa, received about 2 inches of rain during the afternoon storms, on top of .8 inches from a system that had moved through Monday morning.

Philip Schumacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, said Le Mars, Sheldon and Ocheyedan, Iowa, also reported receiving upwards of 2 inches of rain. Sioux, O'Brien and Plymouth counties in Iowa were placed under a flash flood warning through 9:30 p.m.

As of 8 p.m., Sioux Gateway Airport had recorded .67 inches of rainfall from the evenings storms.

Schumacher said multiple cities also reported inch-diameter hail, with the largest falling near Marcus, Iowa, and measuring 1 1/2 inches. No other Siouxland cities reported tornado activity, he said.

High winds downed several tree branches in Kingsley, Iowa, where MidAmerican Energy dispatched a tree crew to remove fallen limbs from power lines. A spokesperson with MidAmerican said no outages were reported in the area.

Chances for severe weather continue Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday brings a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 p.m. Precipitation chances increase to 80 percent Tuesday night. Wednesday brings an 80 percent chance of rain.

"Right now it looks like severe weather would be fairly isolated if it occurred," Schumacher said. "It's not a high risk, but it's something we have to keep an eye on."

Highs for the rest of the week will be in the high 70s to mid 80s.
Big data and business intelligence (BI) used to be only for enterprise companies. Now, however, thanks to the software as a service (SaaS) revolution, even small businesses can afford to track and tap into a wealth of information.

However, becoming a data-driven small business isnt easy. Because youre dealing with complex troves of records that have multiple sources and are therefore highly unlikely to be structured uniformly, it can be difficult to process it all and interpret it into insights your business can actually use.

Whats more, many of the leading business intelligence solutions require unreasonably expensive and lengthy onboarding processes and they can only be used by teams of coders. Not exactly small business-friendly.

Heres how to make the most of the data at your fingertips.

Use a Central Location for Data

A central location for all of your data means you save time getting it all together. Theres no need to log in and out of multiple accounts to collect the data and join it all in a single place, as long as your holistic BI dashboard can feed all the data from multiple sources to a single cloud-based hub.

According to a recent study by Aberdeen, the average business intelligence user references 30 unique data sources on a regular basis. When all of your sources are set to automatically aggregate to a central hub, youll know exactly where to go to look for vital information about your key performance indicators (KPIs), so you can more easily make data-driven decisions about your business to grow profits.

Ensure Wide Accessibility

To be the most efficient, your BI platform needs to be accessible from multiple devices. This is where using a cloud-based platform comes in beneficial. Because it runs in the cloud, anyone with access can log in to the platform from anywhere there is an Internet connection, using the web or an app on a mobile device. Being able to get to the information you need, when and where you need it, ensures that youll be able to make the most of it.

Keep it Simple

The platform you use should be as simple as possible. Its easy to get swept away by immersive dropdown menus and data slicing parameters, but if you let the complexity go overboard, it will not only take more time to use  it will be harder to get the valuable information you need so you can take action.

The more data sources you have, the more complex your data matrix will become. Youll need a platform that can help you centralize, parse and visualize all the data and process it for your ongoing real-time analysis. This will help you address the challenges of big data, simplifying everything so you can focus on what matters, instead of wasting time.

Focus on Ease of Use

There are plenty of BI platforms out there today, but a lot of them require the users to be proficient in coding to gather and process the data into actionable insights. This isnt a problem if you happen to work as part of a team of developers. But for the average business, having the technical resources just isnt possible. Instead, focus on finding an easy-to-use system that doesnt require coded queries and find people proficient in coding to help program it.

When tools involve cumbersome learning curves and ongoing usability friction, youll have a hard time getting employees trained to use it, and when they are trained, they are less inclined to want to use it. Your data isnt going to do you any good if you spend so much time gathering and processing it that you cant focus on what to do with it.

Remember the Benefits of Fast Action

Todays consumers act fast, so to get or keep their business, its important for you to be able to act fast too  responding to your customers needs as they come. While some issues can be anticipated, others cant. Real-time data technologies can help you act fast  no matter what your customers demand.

Data shows many external factors can influence search behavior  from holiday sales, to sporting events, and even the weather. Use real-time insights to tailor your approach as necessary.

Use The Right Business Intelligence Solutions

Studies show the businesses which get the most value from business intelligence solutions and analytics, focus on collaboration and boosting team confidence, rather than technology alone. With the right platform, your business can glean insights from data to produce better products and services, improve the overall customer experience, and more.
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
Darlene Kaye "Tammy" Lutz, 69, of Lexington Park, MD entered eternal life on May 20, 2016 after multiple years of battling cancer. She was joined by her family and friends during her final days. Tammy was born December 31, 1946 in Pueblo, CO to the late Ralph and Vernell Thomas.



At the age of 18, she enlisted in the Navy and met her husband during her first duty. In 1969 they were married in Canon City, CO. Together they followed his Navy and post-Navy career living in California, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, England, finally returning to Lexington Park, MD. Tammy was not only a homemaker but was also actively involved in many church and school activities. Her hobbies included being the mom to all, watching over all the neighborhood kids, ceramics, cross-stitch, singing in the church choir, reading, sewing costumes for plays, and scouring yard sales and thrift stores for treasures.



In addition to her beloved husband, Larry Lutz she is also survived by her brother, Wesley Thomas of Pueblo, CO; her four daughters, Lori Lukinovich of Covington, LA, Merry Lutz of Falls Church, VA, Gaby Medina of San Diego, CA, and Rachael Nolden of Lexington Park, MD; and seven grown and growing grandchildren. In addition to her parents she is also preceded in death by daughter Niki Friscia who passed away in 2015.



In her own words, "Don't send flowers to my funeral, buy them for yourself so you can enjoy them."



Family will receive friends on Friday, May 27, 2016 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Lexington Park United Methodist Church, 21760 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park, MD 20653 with a Memorial Service at 7:00 p.m. Interment will be private. Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.




William Timothy Franklin, age 24, and Jasminder Sethi, age 26, both of Waldorf, Md. (Booking photos Charles County Sheriffs Office)

FAIRFAX, Va.

Sethi's criminal record is less impressive. He has 14 traffic cases listed dating back to 2013. His one criminal case is for possession of marijuana and possession of not-marijuana on Dec. 15, 2015. Both charges were put on the stet docket.



The state of Maryland appears to have some difficulty properly assessing Sethi's race. In some court records he is listed as "UNKNOWN, OTHER." In several other cases, he is identified as " WHITE, CAUCASIAN, ASIATIC INDIAN, ARAB." In at least one case he is identified as " BLACK, AFRICAN AMERICAN."

(May 23, 2016)Two Waldorf men have been arrested in connection with the armed robbery of Dubai Jewelers at 7041 Brookfield Plaza in Springfield, Va. on Saturday, May 21. Twenty-four-year-old William Timothy Franklin was arrested at his home on Monday, May 23 around 9 p.m. with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Violent Crimes Task Force, the Prince George's County Police Department and the Charles County Sheriff's Office.At about the same time, agents from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol along with officers and the Port Authority Police of New York & New Jersey, arrested 26-year-old, Jasminder Sethi at an airport in Newark, New Jersey.Felony warrants have been obtained charging Franklin with Robbery and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. A felony warrant has been obtained charging Sethi with Robbery. Both arrestees are awaiting extradition back to Fairfax County.The scene unfolded when officers responded to the report of an unknown situation at 7041 Brookfield Plaza at approximately 12:22 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. Once on scene, officers quickly determined that there was an armed robbery in progress. As the suspect exited the Dubai Jewelry store, an officer challenged the suspect and the suspect fired a handgun at the officer. From behind cover, the officer returned fire as the suspect fled on foot. A motorist, passing by in the background was struck by a bullet that appears to have been fired by the suspect. That victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.The injured citizen's condition has now changed to non-life-threatening. The officer involved in the shooting is a 7-year veteran assigned to the patrol bureau.Fairfax Co. police say the suspect then entered a vehicle and fled and then crashed at Spring Village Drive and Hampton Creek way. The suspect then carjacked a vehicle and fled again, this time, crashing in the 7600 block of Hooes Road where he bailed out of the vehicle and fled on foot. No motorists were injured during the carjacking.Franklin is no stranger to crime. He has 37 records in the Md. Judiciary database dating back to 2010. Charges range from traffic violations to crimes, which include assault, theft, burglary, possession of a handgun, resisting arrest, and possession of marijuana, among others. In many cases, the charges were either dropped or the case was put on the stet docket. He was sentenced to 3 years in one case for "Handgun: Wear/Carry & Transport In Vehicle/Public Roads." He is currently under an open criminal indictment filed on Feb. 12 for an incident on Jan. 16. There are 17 criminal charges on that indictment which include armed robbery and the use of a firearm in a felony crime.To add insult to injury, Franklin was just released on bail on May 2 in connection with 2 theft charges on March 17 in Montgomery Co. Court records list the bail bondsman as Ruth Ruskowski of Rockville, Md.
One openly gay reporter Mitch McCoy from Little Rock, Arkansas has received backlash from a homophobic viewer  and fired a response right back.

I have been holding back for months but I cant stand your gayness, the email read. You are on television every night and our children should not be watching people like you. You are a disgrace to Arkansas and I will be asking your boss to take you off.

The fan added: Do not be offended but society is not ready for gay men reading news.

When McCoy received the email, he took to Twitter to respond.

I get many emails but this tops it. Ive dreamt of being a reporter since I was 9 and I wont stop on your behalf.

But that wasnt all  shortly after McCoys tweet, the reporter offered some advice to his Twitter followers.

With that said, no matter who you are or what you believe in - dream loudly and don't let anyone get in your way. The minute you stop is the minute you stop being who you are. It's not worth it. #DreamOn #StepUpStopBullying.
(EDGE) Salt Lake City police believe the ex-husband of an LGBT rights activist and restauranteur, who died in a house fire Sunday, is responsible for setting the blaze, according to KLS.com.

John W. Williams, 72, died in the fire after firefighters were called to his home in Salt Lake City around 1:18 a.m. on Sunday, said police detective Cody Lougy. It took about 45 minutes for officials to put out the fire, which was reported by a neighbor.

"There was some evidence to indicate possible arson," Lougy told KSL.com. He said authorities are still determining how the fire started and how Williams died. A state medical examiner will perform an autopsy to find the cause and manner of his death.

After the fire, local police arrested Craig A. Crawford, 47, on suspicion of aggravated murder and aggravated arson, jail records obtained by KSL.com state. Court records show Williams filed for divorce from Crawford on May 4 and petitioned for a temporary restraining order against him. The order was denied on May 6, according to records, the website reports. Crawford also filed for a protective order against Williams but that was denied on May 13.

According to police, Crawford lived in the house and was home when the fire started, a jail booking sheet says. He was reportedly seen walking back toward the house when it was on fire. Crawford did not report the fire, according to jail records.

KSL.com reports the booking documents claim someone could be heard yelling for help from within the house when it was ablaze and when firefighters were on the scene.

Williams was president of Gastronomy, which runs three restaurants in Salt Lake City (Market Street Grill, Market Street Oyster Bar and the New Yorker restaurant). He was also a local LGBT pioneer, with Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, calling his death "devastating."

"The restaurants he and his partners opened raised the standards of dining for Utah, and the quiet bridges John built between the emerging LGBT community and the Utah business world made this a better place for all of us to live," Dabakis said.

When speaking to the website Good4Utah.com, Scot Beck, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake City, lauded Williams for his efforts.

"I don't think we would have the restaurant culture we have today if it wasn't for John Williams. His original vision to open up the New Yorker with his then friend Tom really started this entire thing that we have today," he said. "Just the people he's trained, the chefs that have come through Gastronomy, the restaurant managers he's trained. We would not have this incredible restaurant culture if it was not for John Williams and his vision."
(AP) About 450,000 condoms will be distributed during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, three times more than for the London Games four years ago, the International Olympic Committee says.

Part of the reason was because 100,000 female condoms will be available for the first time, along with 350,000 condoms for men. About 175,000 packets of lubricant are also being supplied.



The IOC says the condoms would encourage 10,500 athletes and staff to practice safe sex.



It's not clear if the increase is related to Brazil's outbreak of the Zika virus. The Associated Press asked the question of the IOC in an email on Friday but did not receive an immediate response.



The Zika virus is carried by mosquitoes, but can also be transmitted sexually. The virus is linked to microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with undersized brains and skulls.



The condoms will be distributed free from a clinic in the Athletes' Village, or from vending machines. The village opens on July 24 with the Olympics opening on Aug. 5.



Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo said between 100,000 to 150,000 condoms had been supplied at Olympics since 2000 in Sydney. The Sao Paulo paper, citing the IOC and local organizers, said the increase was not related to the Zika virus.
MeerKAT Radio Telescope First Image MeerKAT Radio Telescope

More than 100 researchers and students from South Africa and around the world are meeting this week to share plans to use the MeerKAT radio telescope.

The MeerKAT Science Workshop will be held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study facility on 25-27 May 2016.

As the conference takes place in Stellenbosch, construction of the telescope continues apace in the Karoo (Image 1), while commissioning scientists and engineers at the SKA South Africa office in Cape Town run tests with the first elements of the dish array. This week, an observation using just 4 of the eventual 64 dishes has produced a remarkable view of the sky, revealing never before seen radio galaxies in the distant universe (Images 2 and 3).

This wonderful result has enormous significance, said Prof. Justin Jonas, Associate Director for Science and Engineering, SKA South Africa. Just 10 years ago I would not have imagined that we would be hosting such a prestigious meeting in South Africa and building a world-leading radio telescope. This image and all that lies behind it adds to our confidence that this very complex project will be the success that we have been planning for over the past decade.

This image covers less than 0.01 percent of the entire celestial sphere, explains Dr. Fernando Camilo, SKA South Africa Chief Scientist. Given that we detect more than 50 galaxies in such a small patch of sky, observed with only 4 dishes, imagine the discoveries that are going to be made surveying the entire South African sky with the full 64-dish MeerKAT!

The scientific promise of MeerKAT is reflected in the worldwide interest in the MeerKAT Science Workshop. This promise is now within reach, according to Dr. Rob Adam, SKA South Africa Project Director. It is a testament to the dedicated work of hundreds of engineers, scientists, managers and other staff, as well as of the South African and international industrial partners, and the support of the government and people of South Africa for more than a decade.

MeerKAT, a project of Square Kilometre Array South Africa (SKA SA), which is overseen by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), will be made up of 64 dishes spread over a diameter of 8 kilometers in the Northern Cape, 90 kilometers northwest of Carnarvon. When completed by late next year, it will be one of the worlds most powerful scientific instruments. Eventually MeerKAT will be integrated into the even more powerful SKA telescope.

Image 1:

http://www.ska.ac.za/images/firstimage_01a.jpg

The core of the MeerKAT radio telescope array under construction, showing 19 of the 13.5-meter diameter dishes on 20 April 2016.

Image 2:

http://www.ska.ac.za/images/firstimage_02a.jpg

Image from test observation done with 4 MeerKAT dishes on 14 May 2016. More than 50 radio sources (white dots) are visible in this 1 square degree panorama (corresponding to 5 times the area of the Moon). Unlike an ordinary picture of the sky that mainly shows stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy, these dots arise from galaxies in the distant universe emitting radio waves at a frequency of 1400 MHz (15 times the frequency of FM radio stations).

Image 3:

http://www.ska.ac.za/images/firstimage_03a.jpg

Image 2 overlaid with yellow ellipses indicating radio sources detected in a similar observation done with KAT-7 (a 7-dish precursor to MeerKAT, also located in the Karoo); and green ellipses showing radio sources detected in the Australian SUMMS survey of the Southern sky. Some of the yellow ellipses are resolved into two green counterparts, showing that the 4-dish test observation produces sharper images than possible with KAT-7. Some of the white dots do not have a green or yellow counterpart, indicating that this commissioning image obtained with 4 MeerKAT dishes has already detected previously unknown radio galaxies.

More about SKA and MeerKAT:

SKA (Square Kilometre Array) will be the worlds most powerful radio telescope  one hundred times more sensitive than any current radio telescope; it will revolutionize our understanding of the universe. SKA will be built in two phases  SKA1 and SKA2  starting in 2018. SKA1 will include two components  SKA1 MID (to be built in South Africa) and SKA1 LOW (to be built in Australia); they will observe the universe at different radio frequencies.

The MeerKAT radio telescope, a project of SKA South Africa overseen by the Department of Science and Technology, is a precursor to the SKA telescope and will be integrated into the mid-frequency component of SKA Phase 1. When completed, MeerKAT will consist of 64 dishes. SKA1 MID will include an additional 133 dishes bringing the total number for SKA1 MID to 197 dishes.

Expected research to be conducted with MeerKAT:

The MeerKAT science program will consist of legacy-style, large survey projects, plus open time available for new proposals. Legacy-style science will include the LADUMA and Pulsar Timing programs. LADUMA (Looking at the Distant Universe with the MeerKAT Array) is an ultradeep survey of neutral hydrogen gas in the distant universe. One of the aims of the Pulsar Timing program is to help detect gravitational waves from a collection of coalescing supermassive black holes at the centers of distant galaxies. Many more ideas to exploit the scientific potential of MeerKAT will be discussed at the MeerKAT Science Workshop.

Issued by Square Kilometre Array South Africa (SKA SA).
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  South African President Jacob Zuma has appealed against a High Court ruling which held that the 2009 decision to dismiss corruption charges against him was irrational.

In late April, the High Court of South Africa ordered a review of the 2009 decision to dismiss corruption charges against President Zuma. Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba said that Zuma should face the charges, a decision backed by the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's opposition party.

"The court erred as a matter of law in matters including the interpretation and application of the case law relating to rationality as a ground for a legality challenge, and in holding that the National Director of Public Prosecutions is not entitled to terminate a prosecution on the basis of prosecutorial misconduct and the abuse of the prosecutorial process," the president's office said in a press statement on Monday, referring to the decision made by National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Mokotedi Mpshe.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik)  The Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) helps to relocate refugees from settlements in Niger threatened by Boko Haram attacks, the UNHCR said on Tuesday.

"Ten days ago, at the governments request, UNHCR started to relocate hundreds of refugees from two spontaneous sites along Route National 1 to a camp some 50 kilometers from the border More and more refugees and internally displaced tell us they want to move further away from the volatile border area, as they fear insurgents could attack their settlements in Niger, as they did in their villages in Nigeria and Diffa," UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said in briefing notes published on the agency's website.

The Boko Haram extremist group began large-scale attacks in northeast Nigeria in 2009. Last year, the group expanded attacks into Niger, Cameroon and Chad. The extremist group pledged allegiance to the Daesh, outlawed in Russia and many other countries, in March 2015.
"The Vietnamese have done an admirable job defending themselves for many decades: They kicked out the French when they decided to finally do that and then they kicked out the Americans too."

Fermer recalled that massive US arms sales had already generated hugely expensive and unnecessary arms build-ups in Central and Eastern Europe, in the Middle East and in Northeast Asia and the prospect of increased sales to Vietnam would boost pressures to boost arsenals in Southeast Asia too.

"America's policy of arming the world to its teeth doesn't need to apply here [in the Southeast Asia region]," Fermer observed.

Obamas willingness to sell weapons to authoritarian Vietnam also made a mockery of his professed championing of democratic and human rights values, Independent Institute Center on Peace and Liberty Director Ivan Eland told Sputnik.

"The Vietnamese regime remains autocratic, having undertaken only a few economic and almost no political reforms, while still possessing an abysmal human rights record," Eland noted.
A team of scientists have scrutinized over 6,000 noses on faces of people with varied ancestry across Latin America to identify the genes which control the shape of the nose and chin.

Researchers at University College London have found five genes which control the shape of specific features. DCHS2, RUNX2, GLI3 and PAX1 affect the width and pointiness of the nose and gene, EDAR, affects how much you chin sticks out.

"Few studies have looked at how normal facial features develop and those that have only looked at European populations, which show less diversity than the group we studied," Dr Kaustubh Adhikari, lead author of the report said.
"A correspondent from Rio de Janeiro called me and asked me for Bin Ladens phone number. I told her that were an enterprise, and that I could only give her a work email address I dont understand why she took it so badly and published such an article, but I forgive her," Martins remarked, referring to a recent attempt by a local newspaper Extra to secure an interview with the musician.

Also, Martins waived concerns over possible connotations of the musicians stage name regarding the 9/11 terrorist attacks, saying that MC Bin Ladens participation in the festival is unlikely to trigger a scandal or protests.

"Weve already received a lot of offers from New York. It is funny how everyone who contacts us is perfectly aware of why we chose such a stage name which fits the performers eccentric style, and in no way implies that hes a fan of that man (Osama bin Laden). The people familiar with him also know that hes a pious person and besides, we can no longer change the stage name because of the criticism. I do feel afraid, and some of us also feel a bit awkward, but considering the fact that we got invited to the festival I dont think that anyone is plotting against us. I believe that we were invited because we became successful," he said.

MC Bin Laden hit stardom in 2015 after the release of his funk carioca hit "Everything's calm, everything's cool" ("Ta tranquilo, ta favoravel"). The reclusive musician, who can only be contacted via his personal assistant, is currently preparing for his performance at the MoMA PS1 Warm Up 2016 music festival scheduled to take place in New York City on July 23.
Asked whether her Portuguese ancestry and Portugal's proud history as a nation of explorers, including Ferdinand Magellan, has anything to do with her thirst for travel and adventure, Tavares said there may be something to be said in that regard. "It is an amazing thing to think that some of my ancestors were great travelers. I hope that with this expedition, I too can leave a traveling legacy to future generations."

Asked about the cost of such a trip, the young woman explained that given the scope of the trip and many difficult-to-calculate variables, she estimates that it will cost anywhere from $30,000-$70,000. "I am now looking at corporate sponsorships to help fund my expedition. So far, Jet Setter (a Montreal travel store), and Eureka! (a camping company), are providing me all my gear for the trip. I hope that over the course of my expedition I gain more sponsors as well." Tavares also plans on setting up a crowdfunding webpage, saying many people have already encouraged her to do so.

Tavares told Sputnik that social media users would be able to follow her along all during her trip. "Right now, I have a Facebook page, Instagram and Snapchat set up for this expeditionOnce I have some footage I will also start a YouTube channel."

During her trip, the young woman noted that she hopes to raise some money for Tostan, a US charity encouraging sustainable development and community empowerment. "I wish to raise some awareness and money for this worthwhile cause," she said.

Asked about how she plans to travel through dangerous and war-torn countries such as Somalia, Syria and Iraq, Tavares noted that her plan "is to continuously stay aware of the local situation as well as having a quick entry and exit strategy."

"So far, I have spoken to some people who currently live in Syria, with regard to the current state of the country. They have informed me that there is one safe route at the moment, from Beirut, Lebanon to Damascus, Syria. Once I get closer to such countries, I will make sure that the routes I wish to take are still safe for me to use."

Ultimately, Tavares emphasized that she hopes the trip will see her "grow as a person, learn more about the world, and enjoy my time as a free human being. What I expect on a bigger scale is to inspire people not only to travel, but also to believe in themselves, and in their dreams, no matter how impossible they might seem."
The chain of events that led an ordinary Guatemalan dentist to become a successful candidate for a space flight is nothing short of remarkable.

"My life used to be pretty erratic, but after getting into a traffic accident I reexamined my priorities. I realized that theres one thing in the world that money cant buy  life. So I decided to live it to the fullest," Montoya told Sputnik.

This decision led Montoya to accomplish a number of feats, including climbing Mount Everest, scuba and sky diving, and working as a fireman. And eventually, a company that supported him in his endeavors suggested that he should enroll into an astronaut training course run by a private US enterprise as part of the suborbital flight program.
Kandahar, which borders Pakistan, is often a target of Taliban insurgent attacks and an area of frequent clashes between militants and government troops.

Afghanistan is undergoing political, social and security instability, as the Taliban movement and other terrorist organizations such as the Daesh, which is prohibited in many countries, including the United States, Russia and Pakistan, among others, have expanded their activities in the country.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  US President Barack Obama on Tuesday called on all parties to peacefully resolve the South China Sea territorial disputes during his speech in Vietnams Hanoi.

"In the South China Sea, the US is not a claimant in current disputes, but we will stand with our partners in upholding key principles like freedom of navigation," Obama said, as quoted by the CNN broadcaster.

Obamas speech come a day after the lifting of the decades-long US ban of lethal weapons sales to Vietnam. According to Obama, the Vietnam will now have greater access to the equipment you need to improve your security."
According to Indian media, the bill, which must now be approved by the US Senate before ending up on the president's desk for signature, also aims to increase joint military planning between the US and Indian militaries for 'missions of mutual interest' including anti-piracy, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance and joint maritime security.

At the same time, according to the Business Standard, New Delhi's formal commitment to non-alignment rules out a formal defense pact. In this light, the paper notes, India itself might "be hesitant to be designated a 'major non-NATO ally' (MNNA)  which does not automatically include a mutual defense pact, but which permits Washington to extend a range of defense and financial benefits."

And while most US and Indian media have been loath to mention it directly, some analysts, including Expert.ru columnist Sergei Manukov, say that there is no doubt that the budding military cooperation between Washington and New Delhi is part of an attempt to create an anti-Chinese defense bloc.

"The US is actively searching for allies in its confrontation with China," Manukov writes. "Now, the White House has moved to begin a relationship with India, which for many years has had territorial claims against China and has faced it directly in warfare. The Americans want to bind New Delhi in the status of a NATO ally."
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Kazakhstans economy has been struggling with falling commodity prices as well as general economic slowdown in the region, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in a press release on Tuesday.

"The country faces new challenges due to the decline in commodity prices and the slowdown of key regional economies," Lagarde stated.

The IMF chief made the statement upon concluding her visit to the country, where she attended the Astana Economic Forum that serves as an international and Central Asian platform for dialogue.
On Tuesday, during his visit to Hanoi, President Obama announced that the 50-year-old ban on weapons sales to Vietnam would be lifted.

Speaking to Radio Sputnik Vietnam, Colonel Le, a political analyst at the Military Strategy Institute, emphasized that there was nothing sensational about the announcement, nor should Vietnam consider it an American 'gift'.

"The lifting of the US embargo on the sale of weapons to Vietnam is a logical step by American authorities on the path to full normalization of relations," the analyst noted. "There is nothing unexpected or sensational about this. The two countries are expanding cooperation in many areas, and the military sphere will now be one of them."
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Pakistan will enhance security to protect the Taliban against further US drone strikes in the wake of an attack that killed the movements leader, the US-based intelligence analysis company Stratfor said on Tuesday.

On Monday, President Barack Obama confirmed Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike carried out in Pakistan on Saturday. Islamabad said Washingtons unauthorized attack violated the countrys sovereignty.

"Islamabad will also ramp up security in Balochistan, possibly providing cover to the remaining elements of the Taliban still present in the province, attempting to shield them from further US drone strikes," Stratfor stated in an analysis.
Furthermore, the Indian President will also pursue a reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question with China's leaders. The India  China boundary issue has soured relations between the two neighboring countries for decades.

President Pranab Mukherjee is visiting Chinas industrial province of Guangzhou first, where he will participate in an Indian community event. After that, Mukherjee will head to Beijing, where he will meet with China's leaders.

Indian president Pranab Mukherjee arrives in #Guangzhou, begins his four-day state visit to #China pic.twitter.com/Diwa9Ieqb8  People's Daily,China (@PDChina) May 24, 2016

The Indian President is accompanied by a large delegation, including the vice chancellors of the country's central universities and several directors from the Indian Institute of Technology.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) chief of decommissioning at Fukushima, Naohiro Masuda, told the Foreign Correspondent that the company hopes to find the radioactive waste by 2021. The reason the company expects the mission to take a decade is that the technology to find it has not yet been invented.

"Once we can find out the condition of the melted fuel and identify its location, I believe we can develop the necessary tools to retrieve it," Masuda said. "So it's important to find it as soon as possible."

The TEPCO official stated that the entire cleanup process will take three or four decades, and cost tens of billions of dollars.
The main point of this article is to raise awareness of that risk. I will call it deviation of democracy. It has been ongoing in Serbia since centre-right forces came to power in 2012. I would like to strictly avoid the term of 'dictatorship', or some similar term that has its origin in the concept of autocracy; even though such terms are frequently used by politicians and intellectuals of the opposition. Of course, such a conceptual distinction should be explained.

What draws attention, in the first place, is an issue of origin. As it is typical for autocracies to rise from revolutions or coups d'etat, it is very less common for them to simply follow from democratic legitimacy. However, as many will agree the said is not enough, in order to strengthen my distinction, I should make the second condition.

The autocracy may have democratic origins only if radical modifications of state laws are previously done for the sake of it. Even though there were more of such modifications in Serbian during 1990ies than now, neither the government of that time can be classified as truly autocratic as those modifications weren't radical enough to satisfy autocracy criteria, e.g. both governments have had significantly liberal laws, pluralist political systems, functioning separation of powers etc.

How is then such deviation practically occurring? As we may conclude from the above, it only appears as a democracy. This is a convincing appearance. It means that democratic processes and laws are generally functioning, but an incompatible practice takes place to great extents behind the law. It can be described as a tendency of manipulating law and even breaking it in extreme cases when the sustainability of the ruling pyramid is in danger.

Thus, we have examples of hidden deals, racketeering and judicature under pressure, to name a few of them. Such practices are necessary in order to preserve both government and those whose interests it rests upon, the deal I call the ruling pyramid. However, all of this could be said for some governments in Serbia before 2012, as well as for many governments in the neighborhood. What makes Serbian democracy of today special, along with probably only Montenegrin one, are some more interesting traits.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The Saudis have announced plans to invest in solar, wind and geothermal power as part of a larger effort to diversify their oil-dependent economy.

"While in Saudi Arabia, Special Envoy Hochstein will travel to Jeddah and Dhahran to meet with government and energy officials to discuss energy collaboration and diversification," the release said on Monday.

Hochstein will also deliver the keynote address at Lebanons Third Forum on Oil and Gas in Beirut, where he will discuss the significance of recent discoveries of oil and gas deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean, the release added.
"We have sort of the most diverse economic relationship with South Africa because they are not dependent on oil," she explained. "Our relationship with some of the other countries like Nigeria, Angola, Congo etc. are very driven by oil."

The Assistant US Trade Representative noted that South Africa is an exporter of luxury automobiles and agricultural products, among other things, to the United States.

"Again I would imagine that because of the nature of our very large and diverse trade relationship with South Africa that there are lots of US businesses that are in the process of expanding," Liser concluded.

The US Census Bureau's first-quarter data show the United States imported nearly $1.5 billion from South Africa while exporting just over $1 billion.

In 2015, South African exports to the United States neared $7.5 billion against imports of $5.4 billion.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia is placing $1.75 billion in 10-year Eurobonds offering a yield of 4.75 percent, a banking industry source said Tuesday.

Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said earlier on Tuesday that foreign investors had shown high interest in Russia's first sovereign debt offering since the Ukraine crisis broke out in 2014.

The placement, managed by Russia's VTB capital, was scheduled for Monday, but the bond sale was extended to Tuesday to attract more investors from Asia as demand had reportedly reached $6.3 billion worth of Russian Eurobonds.
"But we are not satisfied because we do believe there is immense potential for trade and investment between the two countries," Mukherjee said, as quoted by Hindustan Times outlet.

Mukherjee arrived in China on Tuesday with a four-day visit. He held a meeting with the local authorities and spoke with the members of the Indian diaspora in Guangzhou.
Other outlets specified the second disbursement would be paid in September, prompting speculation that Greeces lenders may be dissatisfied with new mandated reforms Greek lawmakers passed last week.

Greece signed a deal with its creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Central Bank (ECB) and some Eurozone nations, in July 2015 for a third bailout package worth 86 billion euros ($96 billion) in exchange for unpopular austerity reforms that include pension cuts and tax hikes.

Athens owes the IMF nearly 300 million euros this June and up to 450 million euros under the first bailout program in 2010.
The problem is the PBSR cabal simply cant afford to let him go  and let power slip away. The Dialogue of the Crooks leak conclusively proved that the Car Wash investigation was instrumentalized to criminalize the Workers Party and bring down Rousseff while the golpeachment scam advanced in parallel, making sure certain key political forces would not be caught in the Car Wash web.

The Dialogue of the Crooks took place over two months ago  and at least three weeks before the golpeachment farce reached its apex in a ghastly voting session in the lower house. Which lead us to a key question; why the attorney general and the provincial judge in charge of the Car Wash investigation did not previously reveal its contents, and why did they not take immediate action? If the Dialogue of the Crooks was revealed already in March, golpeachment could not possibly have taken place.

The fact that there was no leak two months ago raises all serious eyebrows. The senator featured in the Dialogue of the Crooks is a notorious node in a historical corruption link inside oil giant Petrobras since the Cardoso administrations in the 1990s. He happened to have been ensconced in the political leadership of all Brazilian administrations for the past 22 years. This means he was always the go-to Crook-in-Chief for his political party, the PMDB.

Yet nothing gets as serious as the admission that the hidden agenda of golpeachment has always been to ditch all corruption probes as part of a broader agreement involving selected Supreme Court judges. If this was not the Brazilian House of Cards, the whole golpeachment scam should have been declared null and void by now. Yet, as I have been stressing from the get-go, this is a sophisticated, Hybrid War-style, judicial-political-financial-media coup. And it will be very hard to unravel it.

The logic of perpetual scandal

So future historians already have their story line  furnished by the Dialogue of the Crooks; the 2016 golpeachment was a scam concocted by a bunch of political scoundrels willing to do anything to stay out of jail.

Temer the Brief, a lowly puppet, is now under siege. His two manipulators  the former leader of the lower house and his short-lived Minister of Planning  are now forced to be in the shade. Practically, that means approving deeply unpopular economic policies in Congress will be much harder.

Temer The Briefs is a certified illegitimate reign. Not even privileged actors  the Goddess of the Market, assorted businessmen, even some mainstream media sectors  are buying the farce. Meanwhile, the Brazilian street wont be quiet; thats Rousseffs and the Workers Partys strategy (although thats not enough).
It is believed that, about four billion years ago, when the first organisms evolved on Earth, the Sun was only about 70% as bright as it is today, resulting in Earth, at the time, being completely frozen. However, geological discoveries contradict that theory, instead suggesting that our planet was warm, and had liquid water.

Scientists call this problem the "Faint Young Sun Paradox." There are several theories that explain how the Earth could accumulate enough energy to spark the creation of life, in such harsh conditions. While some presume that Earth had much less cloud cover, which enabled more solar energy to reach the ground, others believe that it was atmospheric gases, especially nitrogen and hydrogen, that formed special dimer' molecules as they collided, and those dimers were highly absorptive.
Prior to the World Humanitarian Summit in violence-struck Istanbul, Shetty expressed disappointment in the way the EU, a self-described advocate of human rights, is addressing the refugee crisis.

"I always say this about Europe: they're constantly lecturing to the rest of the world about human rights, butthe first real test, they're faced with a million refugees and you've seen everything cracking, everything sort of breaking down." the human rights group secretary general told Newsweek.

Shetty added that the present difficulties in implementing an earlier refugee deal between the EU and Turkey were foreseeable, as the plan was "flawed in a practical sense," as well as being "flawed in legal terms."
"In that sense the AKP was a good thing at the time, but over the past five or six years Erdogan and his allies have managed to marginalize all these liberal forces within the AKP, Abdullah Gul, the former president, now even Davotoglu, and that of course makes the AKP a much more religiously inclined, conservative party, which at the same time pursues a liberal economic ideology and now tries to undermine democratic procedures."

Diez said that one method to carry this out is the lifting of the immunity of parliamentarians, which is being used to prosecute members of the opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which remains critical of the government, in order to force them to withdraw from politics.

President Erdogan is taking a "confrontational course" in relations with so-called allies in the EU and US, because he thinks Turkey doesn't need them, Diez explained.

"Erdogan is of the view that they don't need the EU, they don't need the US any more either to some extent."

"On the other hand of course, both sides are so dependent on each other. Turkey is, to a large extent, dependent on the European market for its goods, (and) there are lots of Turkish citizens, or former Turkish citizens, in EU member states."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Austria should focus on strengthening economic ties with other countries under its new president, a spokeswoman for the Austrian People's Party (OVP) told Sputnik.

Independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen won the Austrian presidential elections which took place Sunday.

"The president is Austria's public image and therefore needs to focus on strengthening Austria's  economic  relations with others," Tamara Hausl said.
Independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen won the Austrian presidential elections which took place on Sunday by a margin of less than 1 percent.

"All of us experienced an election campaign characterized by many issues that concern the Austrian president's duties only very little, or not at all. Now, the election has been held and we expect the new president to [pursue] the actual duties of his office. Hence, his biggest challenge will be to reunite the people in our country," Tamara Hausl said.

According to Hausl, the Austrian president's duties include performing representative functions abroad and keeping an eye on domestic politics.

"Due to the political system in Austria, it is not the president's duty to amend or make laws," she stressed.
While American ghettos have become progressively safer since the early 1990's and in some cases witnessed gentrification, many of Sweden 's blighted areas are not even safe to visit. As early as last year, Swedish police released a report identifying 55 areas that were particularly affected by organized crime. The majority of these "exclusion areas" lie on the outskirts of metropolitan areas. One of the particularly nefarious ones is Seved, situated only steps away from Malmo's bustling city center. Malmo is often touted as Sweden's most multicultural city: over half of the population has a foreign background, according to various estimates. In 2011, people from 174 countries were represented in Malmo, where 150 languages are spoken.

However, the city's district of Seved has recurrently made headlines and has become synonymous with gangland crime and violence. In 2014, the postal company PostNord stopped delivering large packages to five streets in Seved, because of threats and violence, newspaper Skanska Dagbladet reported. In 2015, the municipality failed to conduct property renovations in full as planned, as security companies received death threats from gangs running drugs in the area, according to Skanska Dagbladet.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans said that he was going to meet with Polish Prime Minister during his visit to Poland on Tuesday amid EU concerns over recent constitutional reforms in the country.

Last week, the European Commission gave Timmermans a mandate to deliver a formal diplomatic note, the so-called Opinion, to Warsaw in case Poland fails to make substantial progress in addressing Brussels concerns over democratic rights in the eastern European country.

Travelling to Poland this morning. Meeting with the Prime Minister this afternoon, Timmermans said on Twitter.
Terrorists were behind a total of 211 failed and committed attacks. The bloodiest 17 of the attacks were carried out by so-called jihadists, and 667 suspects were arrested on related charges, Paniagua was quoted as saying by Belga news agency during a meeting of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties.

Paniagua said that terrorist cells, ready to carry out attacks in the European Union, were homegrown but had connections to the Daesh terrorist group.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The leaders of the so-called Normandy Quartet (Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany) are in talks on arming the existing monitoring mission in East Ukraine's Donbas region, not creating a police mission, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

"This is a monitoring mission in Donbas, in our understanding this is not a police mission. Indeed, this issue is being discussed. It's not the first time it has been up for discussion. Theoretically, it [monitoring mission] can be armed, but this mission consists of people who are not soldiers, so there is a question regarding how they will use weapons," Peskov told reporters, adding that discussions on the matter would likely continue.

The spokesman underlined that in order for major decisions in the framework of East Ukraine settlement to be successfully implemented, they have to be coordinated with representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics.
"In my opinion our party remains to a great extent faithful to our principles. We have never betrayed our liberal-conservative basis, as perhaps other parties have done. Our party is still relatively small and the atmosphere in our ranks is no doubt more benevolent than other parties," Amann said.

"We position ourselves as a liberal-conservative party of the center-right. We are absolutely not right-wing populists."

"What distinguishes us from other parties on Germany's political spectrum is definitely Bavarian sovereignty. That means that the goal of our party is the state independence of Bavaria, so that Munich no longer receives directives from Berlin. The Alternative for Germany manifesto does not contain this provision, nor does the Christian Social Union (CSU). Regardless of that party's statements about its independence from the CDU, it is nevertheless a regional wing of that party."

Amann explained that Bavaria's recent obligation to impose directives from the government in Berlin during the migrant crisis have made it more imperative that Munich receives greater autonomy.

"On the one hand we of course recognize the right to asylum. That means that people who are being persecuted on political grounds have the right to asylum. At the same time, in our view, Bavaria should decide for itself who can eventually come and who can't."

"That's why, at the moment, we don't see any serious alternative to border control. That doesn't mean completely closed borders. But only Bavaria can decide who can come and who can't come to Bavaria. And in today's situation we, unfortunately, do not see an alternative to border control."
Since Sunday, Medvedev has been on a trip to Crimea on the eve of the ruling United Russia party primaries.

"The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expresses its protest against the stay of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on sovereign Ukrainian territory within its internationally recognized borders, which has not been agreed on with the Ukrainian side, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol," a statement by the ministry reads.
LONDON (Sputnik)  Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin is ready to speak to the UK parliament on the issue of the Crimean referendum, the region's reunification with Russia and the subsequent disagreements between Moscow and London, UK Member of Parliament Daniel Kawczynski said Tuesday.

Earlier in May, a delegation comprising five members of the UK parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee visited Russia where they met a number of parliamentary and Foreign Ministry officials. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the sides discussed settling the Ukrainian conflict and fulfilling the Minsk agreements.

"He [Karasin] said, if you want an explanation of why, what we did and what the essentials [of the Crimean referendum] were, I would be happy to speak to your parliament about it We have invited them, and we have invited [Head of the Russian Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Alexei] Pushkov after the elections to speak to the parliament," Kawczynski told RIA Novosti.
The politician noted that he was confident that NATO has come to understand that "integration [into the alliance] is another word for stability in the Western Balkans," adding that integration would allow the alliance to complete its "line of defense" in the northern Mediterranean. "It has also brought its value system deeper into our region," the prime minister admitted.

Shrugging off Russian concerns by suggesting that Moscow would simply have to accept Podgorica's strategic choice, Dukanovic assured Politico Europe that he is not very concerned about the prospect of losing Russian investment either, in spite of the fact that Russia has consistently been ranked among the top five foreign investors in the Montenegran economy, with official direct investments totaling $1.4 billion, much of that in real estate, and indirect investments via sister companies in third countries raising that figure even higher.

"I'd say Russia (as a state) does not have significant economic investments in Montenegro. There are many Russian citizens who own property on the coast where they spend their vacation, and that's about it," the politician insisted.

Commenting on the opposition of his fellow countrymen and women to joining the alliance, Dukanovic admitted, presumably referring to NATO's 1999 bombing campaign, that "like the rest of the Western Balkan nations, history is a burden for Montenegro." He added that nevertheless, he believes that accession will help the country "elevate the standard of living and catch up with Europe." Support for NATO, he emphasized, is support "for a new system of values, for market economy, democracy and the rule of law."
In his latest book, "Soviet Grandchildren", Russian expert Kalle Kniivila addresses the situation the Baltic Russians have found themselves in, in light of recent developments. Many Russians and speakers of Russian have been unfairly labeled as "occupants", despite being born in the Baltic countries or having lived most of their lives there. Following Crimea's reunification with Russia, which is presented as an "occupation" in the Baltic media, an increasing number of Balts have started to regard Russians as a threat to national security.

However, the risk of the emergence of a "fifth column" among the Russian-speaking minority is low, argues Kalle Kniivila, who traveled through the Baltic countries and recorded interviews with local Russian-speaking residents.

"Of course, there are certain risk groups, but they are quite little, I think. The best thing you can actually do is to keep them as little as possible  by no longer regarding speakers of Russian as a threat. They are the same people as we all are," Kniivila said as quoted by Finnish national broadcaster Yle.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Trying to drag Montenegro quickly into NATO is a signal that the alliance is not prepared to work together on the creation of a system of European security, Russian Envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Tuesday.

This shows that the rapid dragging of Montenegro into NATO against the procedures of the alliance itself was a geopolitical project in order to demonstrate that the open door policy is still alive and that its needed, Grushko said during a live video uplink out of Brussels.
Political Earthquake

President of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament Gianni Pittella said:

"This is a political earthquake that follows a trend felt in all of Europe: the conservative and social democratic powers are losing support to extreme movements which fan the flames of peoples fear. Without radical reforms based on solidarity, we will be soon forced to hand the keys to our future to the Hofers, Salvinis, Le Pens, and Farages of Europe."

"Rightly or not, in front of the enormous challenges we face  the migration crisis, economic stagnation, the terrorist threat or the challenges of globalization  the traditional parties are increasingly perceived as incapable or unwilling to innovate themselves and reform the system," Pitella said.

Evelyn Regner, head of the Austrian S&D Delegation, added: "It is an important signal that Austria did not get a far-right president. Yet the division within the country is very worrying. This division and the wide support for the far-right candidate received are based on fears, which are wide spread across the European Union, not only in Austria."

European United Left/Nordic Green Left President Gabi Zimmer said:

"This presidential election has shown us the roots of mistrust that voters across the continent have for the establishment and the established parties  not just in Austria but also in other EU member states."

For those who are like: "pffft, my vote doesn't make any difference", look at #Austria right now. pic.twitter.com/PbBzKAIHms  Ian McCafferty (@CommunalSpoon) 23 May 2016

"The EU should be a project of its people  not of the elite or the banks," she continued.

"It should be about solidarity and it is the responsibility of the main actors to bring about changes to the style of government and that is the only chance the European Union has in winning peoples trust again."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The deployment of four NATO battalions in Eastern Europe is a new step toward the deterioration of the regional security, Russia's envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Tuesday.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States were preparing to deploy four battalions of about 4,000 troops in the Baltics to counteract the perceived Russian threat.

"This is a new step for the deterioration of the security level in Europe and the deterioration of the regional security," Grushko said during a Moscow-Brussels video linkup when asked to comment on the potential deployment of the NATO battalions.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Police in the German state of Bavaria have launched a campaign to recruit migrants to improve the performance of local law enforcement agencies, Bavaria Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said.

The campaign was announced by the ministry on Monday, according to the Local news outlet.

Herrmann said he hoped that the move would help "improve [the agencies'] ability to investigate crimes and resolve conflicts," according to the outlet.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A French member of the investigative committee handling the crash of the EgyptAir passenger plane over the Mediterranean Sea last week has stifled media reports that a bomb exploded on board the MS804 flight from Paris to Cairo.

When asked by Sputnik if the cause of the crash could be a terrorist attack, the unnamed French investigator said that it could be possible, but nothing is certain.

Finding the [black] boxes will take time, the Frenchman said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  NATOs aggressive policy against Moscow will not bring any profit for the alliance and is bound to fail, Russia's envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Tuesday.

"The policy of confrontation against Russia is doomed to fail, it will not give any profits in the field of security, and sooner or later NATO will have to review its approaches in a fundamental way," Grushko said in a Moscow-Brussels video linkup organized by the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.

In 2014, NATO suspended practical civilian and military cooperation with Russia amid strained relations over the Ukrainian crisis, as the alliance accused Moscow of involvement in the conflict.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)According to the latest poll by the ORB market research company conducted for The Telegraph, 55 percent of definite voters support the United Kingdom's continued EU membership, while 42 percent back Brexit.

The poll, held on May 18-22, exposed an even bigger 20-percent gap among all voters, with 58 percent in favor of Britain remaining part of the European Union. Just two months ago, the Leave campaign was behind by just 2 percent.

The UK Treasury warnings about the potential danger of leaving the single EU market and the fact that voters still view Brexit as a gamble are said to have contributed to the Remain campaign's latest gains.
Norway objects that it already has its own border with Russia that it must pay more attention to and potentially reinforce further, while Denmark says it is somewhat considering a contribution, but that it will not be a framework nation.

NATO remains divided on the importance of reinforcing its eastern border, the newspaper says.

The allies most concerned about Russia are the ones in the east. Many western and southern allies are more focused on the threat of Islamic State.

Military expert Sergei Ermakov also noted that the Alliance is far from being monolithic on the issue.

I think that the Alliance is not a monolithic one and it is necessary to convince all the member states that there is a real threat to the block, Ermakov, the deputy director of the Taurida Information and Analytical Center at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies told Radio Sputnik.

NATO has some certain [financial] gaps and it needs all the member states to pool together some funds for the defense to be able to deploy the necessary infrastructure on Russias borders.

And from the point of view of NATO servants and bureaucrats, there is no limit to NATOs expansion eastwards, he notes.
In the grip of enthusiasm about the alliance's July summit in Warsaw, the city's local authorities have prepared two months of lectures about NATO for schoolchildren.

The classes, scheduled to last up to four hours a week, will cover a variety of topics, including Poland's participation in NATO war-games and the bloc's potential permanent base in the country (something Germany has opposed).

Professor Anna Razny of Krakow's Jagiellonian University told Sputnik Poland that the lessons are another demonstration of Poles' eagerness for "Americanization."


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Amnesty International, a rights watchdog, said Monday it had documented evidence that UK, US and Brazil-made cluster munitions had killed Yemeni civilians, including children.

"We regard the reports as serious. We are seeking to investigate through our discussions with the Saudis any further evidence to substantiate the allegations that have been made," Dunne said in parliament.

The munitions were reportedly manufactured by UK firm Hunting Engineering in the 1970s. They have since been internationally banned for being inherently indiscriminate. According to the watchdog's report, Saudi bombings have turned Yemens agricultural lands into minefields.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Eurogroup will make a formal decision regarding imposing sanctions against Spain and Portugal for missing their deficit targets next month, Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Tuesday, adding that restrictive measures were "absolutely a possibility."

Last week, the European Commission gave Spain and Portugal additional time to put their budgets in order, extending deadline to correct excessive deficits.

"We will come to a more formal decision only next month Sanctions are absolutely a possibility because they are in our rules and regulations, when you look at the current situation in Portugal and Spain there was a serious reason to look at sanctions," Dijsselbloem, who is also the Dutch finance minister, told reporters.
BRATISLAVA (Sputnik)  The European Union is likely to prolong rather than lift anti-Russia sanctions at the upcoming European Commission session in June, Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said Tuesday.

"I think they are less likely to lift the sanctions now than they are to keep them for some time," Ulyukayev said during a meeting with the businesspeople of Slovakia.

According to the Russian minister, the European business has never welcomed sanction policy against Moscow embraced by Brussels in 2014 over alleged Russian role in the Ukrainian conflict.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia is not neutral on the issue of the United Kingdom potentially leaving the European Union in the upcoming Brexit referendum as the United Kingdom used its position in the bloc to promote policies that hurt Russia, UK Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon said Tuesday.

"Russia is not neutral about Britain in Europe. It is Britain that has championed the open energy market that has reduced the dependence of the eastern states on Russian gas, it is Britain that has promoted association agreements through the European Union with former Soviet bloc countries, and we have taken the lead on sanctions," Fallon said in an address to a meeting of the UK Parliament Defence Committee dedicated to Russia's impact on UK defense and security.
Another notable aspect of the NATO agreement is the weight that is placed on the regulatory framework for the construction of NATO bases in Sweden. This is equal to a green light to NATO's military infrastructure, wherefrom military operations against Russia may be conducted.

"Future NATO forces stationed on Swedish territory would only increase the tensions and thus the risk of war in our region," Stig Henriksson wrote.

Meanwhile, the NGO No to NATO has been gathering signatures to stop the controversial agreement and organizing rallies advocating non-alignment. A demonstration in central Stockholm on Saturday gathered thousands of campaigners, including high-profile politicians such as former Defense Minister Thage Petterson, a notable opponent of NATO.

Texten till det tal som Thage G. Peterson holl pa Sergels Torg den 21 maj https://t.co/ydMMOojHrl  pic.twitter.com/tHKUydXBY7  Nej till NATO (@NejtillNATO) May 22, 2016

"The fall of the Berlin Wall kindled hopes that we would no longer worry about a new war in Europe. One lesson we drew from the Cold War was that Sweden strengthened peace in Europe by staying outside of NATO. Now, tensions in Europe have increased, which is not something we dreamt about. Instead, we dreamt of peace and detente," the former Social Democratic Defense Minister told the audience.

Petterson argued that Sweden's continuous involvement with NATO would only increase tension in Europe, whereas the much-debated Host Country Agreement could serve as a springboard to full membership.
Byrne is a keen advocate of medically supervised injection centers for users, where addicts can inject in a safe environment, so that needles and syringes do not litter the streets of Dublin.

Previous government minister, Aodhan O Riordain, had also called for the decriminalization of drugs as well as safe areas for users to inject. However for some, this is not enough.

Progressive governments come and go and the evidence still suggests that drug use in Ireland is not changing. According to the EU Drug Markets Report 2016, Ireland has the highest number of people on psychoactive substances than any other country in Europe.

What's the value of the European illicit drug market? 2016 EU Drug Markets Report: https://t.co/N9eSls4eqR #EDMR16 pic.twitter.com/OyPJQ0EDME  EC in UK (@EUlondonrep) April 7, 2016

Neil Woods founder of LEAP, an organization that spends time persuading policy makers and public alike that drug policy reform is not just a move towards a socially just society, but a move that will help solve problems caused by drugs, believes that this evidence of high drug usage in Ireland is no great surprise.

"This evidence from Ireland that they use more novel psychoactive substances than other countries is no great shock. They banned them in 2010 which handed a lucrative market to criminals," Neil Woods told Sputnik.

But as mentioned, Ireland's drug problem is a nationwide issue.

"If the evidence from Ireland had been considered properly we wouldn't have ended up with the same damaging legislation [in the UK]. It's not just the numbers of people using these drugs, criminal gangs have no concern for safety, an unregulated market means more dangerous products. In Poland, where they have a similar ban, the situation is even more dire, with the highest hospitalization and injuries from these drugs in Europe," Woods said.

Progressive governments have sought to decriminalize drugs on the streets of Ireland, following the same example Portugal have set, where anyone holding, a less than 10-day supply of drugs will not be arrested. But they have somewhat failed to address the urgent issue of providing treatment centers and medically supervised injection units, something which Portugal has invested in.

Decriminalisation of #drugs in #Ireland Treating drug use as a social/health issue not criminal one @FintanYTWalsh http://t.co/lmzsCjtaUr   Limerick City DEPS (@LimerickDEPS) July 17, 2015

"The decriminalization in Portugal is a logical first step in drug policy reform. Treating drugs as a health problem instead of a punitive one is both pragmatic and humane. It's far cheaper for society to invest in health than in incarceration.

"But think about it for a moment, if it was your friend, sister, or daughter who had a drug problem, would you rather they got help or were punished? You can either criminalize or care, there's no middle ground," Woods told Sputnik.

The war on drugs is becoming an ever increasing messy one, leading to gang violence in Ireland, the UK and elsewhere in Europe.

As I outline here, drugs should be treated as a health issue. Hope today brings that a little closer to reality http://t.co/zoXmZKESRA  Richard Branson (@richardbranson) October 19, 2015

"There is ever-escalating violence that comes with the war on drugs. There are gang deaths in Ireland and the UK all the time. I believe Manchester have had very regular murders for the last couple of years. The only way to stop this intense intimidation of communities and the ever-spiralling violence is to take the control of drugs away from competing criminal monopolies.

"In the USA, the murder rate literally halved after they ended alcohol prohibition."

So even with the appointment of a new government minister for drugs in Ireland, reform and change is not immediate. It seems the government will have a tough job ahead of them, but where some see a setback, others see a solution.

"[Drugs] are used by more people than ever and the power of international crime grows with every passing year. It's time to regulate to protect our children and our security," Woods said.
These would be granted only if Turkey met 72 conditions that made its laws and regulations consistent with EU principles  particularly on humanitarian issues and freedom of speech.

Erdogan is refusing calls from the EU to loosen anti-terror laws that he has used against journalists and media companies. Moreover, he has just passed a law lifting immunity for lawmakers in a move critics say will lead to the victimization of opposition politicians.

Medecins Sans Frontieres pulled out of the Istanbul summit before it even began, with Vickie Hawkins, General Director of MSF UK saying:

"The world is collectively failing the victims of crises. The humanitarian system that vowed to save lives, alleviate suffering and protect human dignity is not prepared to address its shortcomings and improve its response to the most acute needs in the most complex situations."

Oxfam GB's chief executive, Mark Goldring, said:

"Rich nations cannot wash their hands of the suffering for which they are partly responsible and [must] do more to take in their fair share of the worlds most vulnerable people."

"Recent moves such as the EU-Turkey deal and the plans to outsource EU border controls to African countries with dubious human rights records set a dangerous precedent, horse trading the rights of refugees in order to keep them from our doorstep and shirking responsibility for their welfare," Goldring said.
Manuel Navarrete Paniagua, counterterrorism chief for Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, told members the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties that "secondary checks at the member state level, especially in Greece and Italy," are essential.

"We have some information reported by the member states that terrorist groups are trying to establish large clandestine stockpiles of explosives in the European Union to be used eventually in large scale home attacks," Paniagua said during a recent debate.

The same people forced by terrorists to flee their country and become refugees are being exploited by terrorists who are now "using them to infiltrate the EU," according to Paniagua, who told MEPs he had heard unconfirmed reports that Daesh militants have established training camps in the Western Balkans and EU member states.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  British expats have lost a legal battle in the UK Supreme Court for the right to vote in the Brexit referendum in June, local media reported Tuesday.

The lawsuit was filed by 95-year-old war veteran Harry Shindler who has been living in Italy for 35 years and Jacquelyn MacLennan, 54, living in Belgium since 1987, after the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier verdict banning them from voting.

Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court Brenda Marjorie Hale said that she felt considerable sympathy for the complainants as she understands that the issue concerns them deeply, The Financial Times newspaper reported.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans will not use his mandate to issue a diplomatic note concerning the constitutional crisis in Poland, European Commission Chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said at a briefing Tuesday.

If now you would like a more precise definition whether the original empowerment that was linked to possibility of making progress by May 23, is invalid or not, of course, since the Vice-President decided in the light of the process, that is ongoing not to exercise this empowerment, it goes without saying that this empowerment is no longer valid and now it going to normal college proceedings, Schinas said.

Last week, the European Commission gave Poland until May 23 to take measures to tackle the ongoing constitutional crisis, granting Timmermans with a mandate to issue a formal diplomatic note, or Opinion, should Warsaw fail to act. Earlier on Tuesday, Timmermans said he was going to meet with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo.
Recently, Vice President of the Wallonian parliament Alan Onkelinx and his colleague visited a prison in the region where around 1,000 prisoners are being watched over by only 10 guards instead of 100.

"The waste's terrible. The odor. The smell. Terrible. Our visit  shocking. The situation is apocalyptic," Onkelinx told CNN.
@HenryJFoy Complete non-event. Basically they agreed to tone down the rhetoric and continue plodding away. Solution as far away as before  Pawel Swidlicki (@pswidlicki) May 24, 2016

The changes stated that there should be a six-month period before the tribunal can examine a case, rather than two weeks, which critics say allows the government to pass legislation that will go unchallenged for months.

However, Chief Justice Andrzej Rzeplinski ruled that many sections of the law passed in December 2015 were "non-compliant with the Polish Constitution. [The law] prevents the honest and proper functioning of the  Constitutional Court, by interfering in its independence and separation from other powers, thus violating the principles of the rule of law."

Under the Polish constitution a ruling does not become final until officially published. The government in Warsaw said it would ignore the ruling, refusing to publish it. The Council of Europe's Venice Committee said:

"A solution to the current conflict over the composition of the Constitutional Tribunal  must be found."

Media Clampdown

In January, the Polish parliament passed a new law that gives the government the power to directly appoint the heads of public broadcasters, which has been heavily criticized for being an effective clampdown on the independence of the media  a central tenet of membership of the union.

The European Commission in January also launched an investigation because it believes the constitutional changes could break its "rule of law mechanism" which seeks to rein in EU member governments, whose policies and legislation are seen to pose a "systematic threat" to EU values  particularly on justice, democracy and media freedom.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Belgian police have deployed tear gas and water cannons as thousands of anti-austerity protesters have taken to the streets of Brussels, local media reported.

According to the Belga news agency, the demonstration was peaceful at first but some protesters started throwing stones, bottles and flares. As many as 60,000 people are reportedly taking part in the protest.

Two police officers were injured, according to the RTBF television channel.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  French fiscal police raided Google's Paris headquarters amid suspicions that the company evades taxes, local media reported Tuesday.

"The operation was top secret. We did not engage notification service of the national financial prosecution to prevent escapes," a source said, as quoted by Le Parisien.

In February, French media reported that Google was suspected of evading paying taxes worth some 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion).
At the same time, not all Danes have been welcoming the proselytes open-heartedly. In April, Culture and Church Minister Bertel Haarder urged Danish priests not to baptize asylum-seekers and refugees before their asylum cases had been processed, amid concerns that they are doing so purely in order to strengthen their argument for staying in Denmark.

On the other hand, the fledgling flock of converts has been a PR godsend to the Church of Denmark's crumbling public image, which was hugely damaged by a recent campaign by the Danish Atheist Society. Danish atheists encouraged would-be apostates to abandon the church altogether, providing detailed instructions on how it could be done online. The campaign proved to be a success among non-believers, growing their number by several thousand.

"Pa mange mader er det den omvendte verden. Den svarer til at beskylde en mus for at mobbe en flok elefanter. https://t.co/vADVKEdXQb  Ateistisk Selskab (@ateistdk) April 16, 2016

In 2015, 21,000 people sought asylum in Denmark  up from 14,815 asylum applications in 2014 and 7,557 in 2013. The majority of the asylum seekers hail from Muslim countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Serbia will take at least 133 years and Croatia 64 years to close the gap on the EU's current level of economic development, if they can maintain an annual rate of GDP growth of two percent per head, Serbian newspaper Kurir reported on Tuesday.

According to calculations by Dr. Drago Pupavac at Croatia's University of Rijeka and Dr. Danica Drakulic at Serbia's University of Novi Sad, other countries in the region will take even longer to reach the average level of development of 27 EU countries, measured by GDP per head.

While Montenegro, with a two percent annual growth rate, will reach the standard in 110 years, Macedonia should take 135, Bosnia 157 years and Albania 148 years.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  More than 1,200 migrants were relocated from the makeshift camp in Greeces Idomeni near the Macedonian border to new accommodation centers by Tuesday afternoon, with more relocations to come in the following hours and days, the office of the spokesperson for the Coordinating Body for Refugee Crisis Management told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Early on Tuesday, the Greek authorities began clearing the overcrowded, unofficial Idomeni refugee camp with 400 police officers working on the ground in every 8-hour shift.

Until 13:20 local time, 1.205 persons were transported today to the open accommodation centers in 25 buses. The transports will continue today and on the following days, the office said in a statement, adding that "the operation is going on in absolute peace".
"We should work with regional authorities, so that land plots are allocated in areas with at least minimal infrastructure," Putin said at a recent meeting with Russia's Far East Development Minister Alexander Galushka.

These numbers show that the view of Russia is not a pessimistic one; in fact many people from Britain have a positive opinion of the country.

Alpine skiing has been gaining popularity in Primorsky Krai, a province in East #Russia https://t.co/T1Jn3xZcpr pic.twitter.com/StLCGI4znG  IOLTravel (@IOLTravel) April 18, 2016

For some British nationals Russia has so many great opportunities and places to explore. Andrea Osborne from Norfolk, is a keen traveller of the Far East and has already started to mimic the Russian way of life in her Norfolk dwellings.

"Yes, we've got a small holding of two acres and a wooden house which is very much like a Russian dacha [country house], which is probably why I bought it. We do grow most of our own vegetables and we keep ducks and chickens. We are looking into goats as well for goats' milk and pigs  they're the best thing for clearing the land," Andrea Osborne told Sputnik.

The prospect of moving to Russia is not a surprising one for Andrea and one she would welcome.

"I've lived in Russia, I've lived in Moscow and I've visited Siberia a couple of times and I absolutely love the Eastern side," Osborne told Sputnik.

"I haven't been as far east as past [Lake] Baikal but I'd love to. What I'm interested in is the Khabarovksy Krai and Primorsky Krai which are the two regions furthest south on the eastern seaboard,"
BRUSSELS (Sputnik)  Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan told journalists Tuesday he was expecting an agreement on new funds for Greece at the Tuesday meeting of finance ministers of the eurozone countries.

"I am expecting an agreement in principle on Greece, subject to some technical review in next couple of weeks. But I think that Greece has put a lot of new measures through their parliament and I think that will be sufficient to meet the requirements of the group here in principle," Noonan said before the meeting.

He also affirmed that he was expecting a green light for aid allocation for Greece during the meeting.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Georgia and Ukraine will not become NATO member states in the foreseeable future, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said Tuesday.

"NATO has always declared its 'open door' policy. Though, we are not currently speaking about the possibility that Georgia and Ukraine will join NATO in the foreseeable future. Of course, there was a summit in Bucharest, where it was stated that if these countries were ready [to join the alliance] all NATO member states agreed then it could happen. But today, NATO itself is not unanimous on this issue," Rinkevics told the Delfi news agency in an interview.

According to Rinkevics, the possibility of Georgia and Ukraine joining the alliance should not be ruled out, and Montenegro's process of accession to NATO proves that the principle of the "open door" policy works.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A Euronews journalist responsible for a mistake in a story on Crimean Tatars deportation in English received a severe warning for the error, Euronews Supervisory Board Vice Chairman Petr Fedorov said Tuesday.

"The author of the error has been strictly cautioned. Under the French law, a strict caution like this is followed by dismissal," Fedorov told RIA Novosti.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the number of deported people in the English version of the piece on Crimean Tatars exceeded the number stated in the Russian version of the story by 10 times. Later, Euronews corrected the error.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)According to the Conservative Party bill unveiled last Wednesday during Queen's Speech, anti-terrorism police officers are allowed to legislate against people defined as extremists but who do not take part in or advocate terrorism themselves. The bill envisages powers to outlaw organizations which are considered extremist and allow local councils to close premises which appear to be promoting hatred.

"Unless you can define what extremism is very clearly then its going to be really challenging to enforce. We dont want to be the thought police, we absolutely dont want to be the thought police," Simon Cole told The Guardian newspaper.

Cole said that the government's plans were putting police officers at risk by making them "judges of "what people can and can not say".
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached an agreement with the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on a reform program package worth 550 million euro, IMF head of mission Nadeem Ilahi said in a press release on Tuesday.

"IMF staff and the BiH authorities have reached agreement, subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, on an economic program to be supported by a 36-month SDR 443.04 million (about 550 million or 262 percent of quota) Extended Fund Facility," the release stated.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Foreign investors have purchased about 75 percent of Russia's Eurobond issue worth $1.3 billion, a source in the banking industry said Tuesday.

According to the source, there were European, Asian and US investors among the buyers.
The official warned Ukrainian authorities against 'engaging in populism' with regard to rising utility rates, but acknowledged that there are concerns over the ability of certain segments of the population to pay the increased tariffs. He emphasized that this was an issue which must be handled by Ukraine's social safety net, and by educating people about saving energy.

Last month, Ukraine's new government agreed to the demands of the International Monetary Fund to increase internal gas prices to market rates. Beginning May 1, the government abolished the subsidized rate provided during the winter season, with gas prices rising by 91%. Now households and businesses must pay a uniform rate for heating and hot water of 6,879 hyrvnia (about $270 US) per thousand cubic meters.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  France has enough fuel reserves to last four months, the French government said in a statement on Tuesday that sought to allay concerns over the continuing blockades of some oil refineries.

"The volume of reserves is enough for 115 days of consumption on average, that is at least four months," the announcement read.

The government admitted that the current daily demand was "well above" the normal levels as consumers tried to stock up on fuel for fear of an impending shortage.
On Sunday, the relatives of those killed by the convicted gathered before Parliament to prompt authorities to accelerate executions, the Times of Israel reported.

The victims families have the right to demand that the punishments be implemented, Khalil al-Haya said.

The Gaza Strip is not new to the death penalty, which under Palestinian law can be applied to collaborators, murderers and drug traffickers. All decisions on the matter must, however, be ratified by the enclaves president Mahmoud Abbas.

Since 2007, when Hamas forcibly took control of the Gaza Strip area from Abbas, the group stopped asking permission for executions.
Mansour was elected at a previous "Shura" near the western city of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan region, in mid-2015 after Taliban eventually acknowledged his predecessors death in 2013.

Quetta and the wider region are suspected of being the hub of the Taliban councils activities.
The US is thwarting any possible alliance between Russia, Turkey and Iran to fight the terrorist groups in Syria, Hassan Hanizadeh, former editor-in-chief of the Iranian news agency MehrNews told Sputnik.

Meanwhile, Washington is using the terrorist groups operating on the ground in Syria as a tool to divide the countries of the region. Thus, the political editor added, the US is interested in keeping relations between Turkey and Russia strained and in stirring tensions between Iran and Turkey.

Washington, he explained, is interested in extending its sphere of influence in the Middle East.
DUBAI (Sputnik)  The Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Tuesday accused the Syrian government of violating the period of silence in the Damascus suburbs of Darayya and Eastern Ghouta.

On Monday, the head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria urged the introduction of a period of silence in Ghouta and Darayya for three days starting on Tuesday. Russia also urged moderate opposition forces to withdraw from areas held by the Nusra Front terrorist group, which will continue to be targeted by Russian airstrikes.

"Within the first hour of the 'silent period', government troops violated it by trying to capture one area under opposition control, but were repelled with fire and retreated. After that, they opened machine gun fire and fired surface-to-surface missiles on the given stretch of the frontline," an FSA statement, obtained by RIA Novosti, said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Syrian President Bashar Assad on Tuesday issued a decree for the newly elected parliament to hold its first session on June 6, Assads administration said.

"President Assad issued decree 146 with an appeal to the People's Council of the second calling to convene for the first time on Monday, June 6," the presidents administration wrote on Twitter.

Syria held parliamentary elections on April 15 with over 3,500 candidates contesting the 250 seats in Syria's parliament. Ballot stations were set up in 12 of Syria's 14 provinces, as the northern province of Raqqa was still under the control of the Daesh terrorist group and the northwestern Idlib province was controlled by the Nusra Front. Both organizations are outlawed in Russia.
The question arises on the legitimacy of the government. When the work of the parliament is halted, the parliament no longer fulfills its responsibilities and there is no power that can control the work of the government. If the parliament is run out, it isnt fulfilling its duties and all of the other institutes in the country also become illegitimate, Sadiq said.

Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani's term ended in 2015 after extending first terms and he has no right to run for the position again, Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament Speaker said.

"Mr. Barzani has ended his two terms as the president of the region in 2013 and in 2013 there should have been elections for a new president of the region, but Mr. Barzani refused to step down from his position and to put pressure on the last parliament to extend his term two more years, and that two more years was extended and ended on 19 of August last year," Sadiq told RIA Novosti in an interview.

He said that an amendment to the law allowed Barzani to remain in power for another two years, after which the president should have relinquished his powers.

"The amendment [to the] law that allowed Mr. Barzani to be president of the region two more years specified that he cannot extend that position any longer and that ended on 19th of August, 2015. After that he was not willing to step down and now he's linking his position in declaring independent Kurdistan. He's stating that he's staying in his position until declaring the independence of Kurdistan and he is not willing to negotiate with other political parties in parliament to deal with the issue and he is also not willing to negotiate on that," Sadiq said.
SULAYMANIYAH (Iraq) (Sputnik)  The presence of any foreign military bases, especially Turkish or Iranian, in Iraqi Kurdistan will not help solve the crisis in the region and only make the situation worse, Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Yusuf Mohammed Sadiq said.

We in Kurdistan welcome any help in the fight against terror from any country, whether it be political help, military, or military-technical help. But the presence of military bases from whatever country, especially from Iran or Turkey, cannot help solve the crisis in the region, but just the opposite only worsen it, Sadiq told RIA Novosti in an interview.
SULAYMANIYAH (Iraq) (Sputnik)  The Turks are training Kurdish units of the Peshmerga militia but are not supplying them with direct military support, Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Yusuf Mohammed Sadiq said.

The Turks are training Peshmerga, but Turkey is not supplying direct military support and is in no direct conflict with the Daesh. Were not talking about direct help from Turkey to the Peshmerga in the fight against the Islamic State, Sadiq said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Sadiq added that Turkey is training its allies from a number of Arab peoples from Iraqs Mosul to capture and liberate the city.
GROZNY (Sputnik)  Joint Russian-Syrian military operations have helped destroy 28,000 out of the 80,000 terrorists from the Daesh and Nusra Front, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Evgeny Lukyanov said Tuesday.

According to our figures, since the beginning of our operations the Nusra Front and the Islamic State had around 80,000 militants [in their ranks] and 28,000 have been killedThis is from our operations with the Syrian Army, Lukyanov said on the sidelines of the VII International Meeting of High Representatives on security issues being held in Russias southern republic of Chechnya.

Well and the [US] coalition killed another 5,000 over the last two years, Lukyanov added.
SULAYMANIYAH (Iraq) (Sputnik)  The European Union must more actively influence Turkey in the issue of the Kurds, Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Yusuf Mohammed Sadiq said.

The European Union needs to apply more perseverance in the observance of the rights of Kurds, human rights, as well as the freedom of speech and mass media [in Turkey]. I call on the European Union to pay particular attention to this since this is one of the ways of getting out of this dead end situation in the region, Sadiq said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Turkey needs to learn its lessons from history and needs to understand that violence is not the way to solve the Kurdish issue, Sadiq added.


UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik)According to the UN office, four protesters were killed and up to 200 injured after security forces used tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition on demonstrators last week, while some 200 people were reportedly arrested in connection with the protest. The protestors were reportedly unarmed.

We urge the Iraqi Government to immediately conduct an independent, transparent and effective investigation into the use of force by security forces against protesters outside the Green Zone in Baghdad last Friday, OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville said in briefing notes published on the agency's website.

The Green Zone, where the clashes broke out, houses Prime Minister Haider Abadis headquarters and foreign embassies and is heavily protected by Iraqi enforcement units.
MOSCOW(Sputnik)  The Russian Defense Ministry categorically denied on Tuesday reports of alleged destruction of Russian helicopters operating in Syria and casualties among the personnel of the Russian airbase near Syria's Latakia.

Earlier in the day, US-based intelligence analysis company Stratfor said in a report that Daesh jihadists possibly destroyed four Russian Mi-24 attack helicopters in an artillery attack on an airbase in Syria. The firm cited satellite imagery it acquired.

"All Russian combat helicopters in Syria carry out planned tasks aimed at eliminating terrorists. There are no casualties among personnel of the Russian base," the ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.


ANKARA (Sputnik)As the presidential office is de jure a ceremonial title with limited executive powers, the Turkish opposition has accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of actively intervening in national governance.

"The president who was elected with 21 million votes is politically responsible to the people. He accepts the responsibility, it's not an intervention," Yildirim told legislators from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Erdogan seeks to hold a referendum to abandon the parliamentary system established in Turkey by the 1923 Constitution in favor of an executive presidency.
Taking this into consideration, Votel might have flown in to discuss the logistics of the operation,

And thirdly, she suggested that the visit might have been an attempt to try to win over the Kurds. America has repeatedly stated that after the liberation of Manbij the Kurds wont be able to run the city and strengthen their influence in the area.

The journalist added that Turkey has expressed great concern over the upcoming operation in Manbij, fearing that the Kurds will be able to considerably strengthen their positions in the region.
CAIRO (Sputnik)  Forensic experts are examining debris of the the crashed EgyptAir flight MS804 in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, the investigative committee said in a statement Tuesday.

On Thursday, the EgyptAir Airbus A320 disappeared from radar screens over the Mediterranean Sea, 10 miles into Egyptian airspace. The plane was heading to Cairo from Paris, carrying 66 people on board. The investigative committee to probe into the incident was formed on Friday.

According to the statement, the committee's primary goal is to find the flight recorders and to retrieve human remains. The search zone has been divided into sectors between the French, Greek and Egyptian rescue teams.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)London miscalculated the strength of Iraqs opposition forces during the United Kingdom's invasion of the Middle Eastern country to topple the regime, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday.

"For sure we underestimated profoundly the forces that were at work in the region and would take advantage of change once you topple the regime," Blair said, as quoted by The Guardian newspaper.

He added that it was a lesson for the country that "these forces of destabilization" would appear once a dictatorship is removed.
ANKARA (Sputnik)  Turkish law enforcement has detained 30 terrorists of the Islamic State (also known as Daesh, banned in Russia) jihadist group in Gaziantep Province since last week, according to the statement published Tuesday.

"Since May 15, a total of 30 militants accused of involvement in the terrorist attacks in Suruc on June 20, Ankara on October 10, Istanbul on March 19 were detained," the statement published on the southern province municipalitys website reads.


CAIRO (Sputnik)According to Hadithi, Baghdad needs regional and international support, including intelligence and arms deliveries.

"We strive for broad international involvement of large countries, inducing Russia, within the framework of efforts of the international community to fight terrorism in Iraq All work in this area, carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government, is welcomed," Hadithi told RIA Novosti.

Iraq, along with neighboring Syria, has been suffering from the advance of the Daesh terrorist group, which is outlawed in Russia and the Untied States and many other countries. NATO is not formally engaged in the military campaign against the Daesh, but individual members are contributing to military efforts against the terror group in both Syria and Iraq.
Asked whether Brussels could at least come up with a consolidated position on fighting Daesh, Gere lamented that again, "the EU can only follow the initiatives of its member states; they are the ones who hold sovereignty over the actions and the tools used in the military sphere."

At the same time, "because some EU states categorically refuse to engage in any dialogue with Syria, the EU cannot take initiatives in that direction. The EU can [only] provide funds for refugees, humanitarian organizations in Syria, Iraq and those neighboring countries hosting these displaced persons, [including] Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon."

Commenting on Brussels' seeming inability to formulate an effective common strategy for fighting Daesh, despite the obvious threat posed by the terrorist group, Gere noted that the EU as an institution is limited in what it can do to respond.

"The terror attacks in 2015-2016 in France, Belgium and Denmark demonstrated the seriousness of the threat[EU Counter-terrorism coordinator] Gilles de Kerchove regularly warns against multiple attacks, including cyber terror, which could take place in the future." Still, "the response is primarily national and sometimes multilateral, without being truly European."
Obama failed to rein in the MICC and now he is leaving his successor with a huge wave of modernization programs in either research and development or early production, Spinney observed.

"This will not only increase tensions with Russia and China, but will also spill over to arms sales to allies who are close geographically to Russia and China  and it is all lubricated by a non-competitive avaricious arms industry running on steroids."

Spinney predicted that the domestic political spending pressures in the United States that are now being increased by Obama will be driving US foreign policy for the foreseeable future  well into the next decade.

"My guess is that tensions between China and Vietnam would increase."
TBILISI (Sputnik)  The US-Georgian military exercises Noble Partner 2016 concluded at the Vaziani airport near the capital city of Tbilisi on Tuesday.

"Every military exercise like this one is a guarantee that the Georgian Armed Forces are becoming closer to NATO but the military proximity is not enough and we need a political consensus. The fact that there is an officially formed NATO battalion here proves fundamental steps forward in this direction," Georgian Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli told journalists.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The recent boost in Russia's military investments has increased the extent of the threat it poses to NATO and the United Kingdom, UK Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon said Tuesday.

"Clearly, Russia has invested in its armed forces and has modernized its armed forces, and to that extent the threat from Russia has increased. That is why we have to take account of that in looking at our own capabilities and our capacities," Fallon said.
"The only way to stop such incidents is to end all provocations, including pulling warplanes and warships to the Russian frontiers for clearly hostile reasons," Grushko said in Brussels.

He said Russia was ready to make agreements with countries that would put mechanisms in place to prevent dangerous air incidents, but added mutual interceptions would not be brought up at a possible NATO-Russia Council meeting.
Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the Ukraine-related accusations leveled at it, warning that increased NATO activities near the country's borders could undermine regional and global stability.

"NATO includes a number of states, which stake on military confrontation with Russia, namely the Baltic states, Romania, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States. We should perceive it as a signal that any rapprochement with NATO in the foreseeable future is out of question. At least until NATO refuses to implement its new strategy of forward basing and frightening Russia..," Pushkov said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  CBP data show that more than 80 percent of Predator B flight hours were in airspace encompassing border and coastal areas from fiscal years 2011 through 2015, the GAO noted.

"CBP operates nine Predator B aircraft in US airspace in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements," the report stated on Tuesday.

CBP's Air and Marine Operations operates the aircraft for patrol missions to support the US Border Patrol's efforts to detect and apprehend individuals illegally crossing into the United States between ports of entry, the GAO explained.
Crane mentioned Drakes revelations of witnessing General Counsel Henry C. Shelley Jr. and DOD IG official Lynne Halbrooks destroy records pertinent to the case along, with giving Drakes name to criminal investigators.

When raising the issue with colleagues, Crane was cautioned that he was "playing with fire."

Tom Devine, Cranes attorney and the legal director for the Government Accountability Project has called for language to be added to the National Defense Authorization Act that provides protection for whistleblowers, and have the Government Accountability Office act as watchdog over the Department of Defense.

Crane filed charges against Shelley and Hallbrooks for lying under oath to have Crane fired. Other charges considered are whether Cranes superiors derailed an investigation in 2010 concerning claims made by Col. Mark Fassl regarding patient neglect at the Dawood National Military Hospital in Afghanistan. Fassls claims included the starvation of patients, floors covered in feces and wounds so poorly treated that they were infested with maggots. Lieutenant General William Caldwell IV, who went before Congress about the claims, said he helped cover up "Auschwitz-like" conditions at Dawood.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The British business in Russia lags behind Chinese and Indian competitors because of anti-Russia sanctions, UK parliamentarian Daniel Kawczynski said Tuesday.

"I had a breakfast [in Moscow] with 18 representatives of British companies, I said to them  hands up those of you who think we owe to continue sanctions against Russia. Not a single person put the hand up[They] understand that this business has been taken up by Chinese and Indian competitors. The Russians are changing their domestic economy to become more self-reliant in certain areas, that is making exports in the future even more difficult," Kawczynski told RIA Novosti after his visit to Russia.

Kawczynski noted that, in his view, to continue the sanctions against Russia was a very bad idea and that he had been glad to receive support from the representatives of the British business in Russia.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will meet with his Saudi counterpart Adel Jubeir on Wednesday to discuss Syria and Yemen, the German Foreign Ministry said.

"The negotiations will focus on the current international issues, as well as on the situation in Syria and Yemen," the press release said.

Steinmeier will also have talks with Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to discuss humanitarian aid commitments made during this week's World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.
The US occupation of Vietnam resulted in the death of some 1.35 million Vietnamese, including nearly 700,000 civilians, as a result of intensive carpet bombing and widespread chemical weapon and defoliant use. The war also led to the death of some 58,000 US troops.

Are the Americans Attempting to Encircle Beijing?

In an editorial, China Daily observes that American attempts to curb Beijings influence "bode ill for regional peace and stability by further complicating the situation in the South China Sea, and potentially turning the region into a tinderbox of conflicts."

Those concerns find root in the ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea involving the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos, to which a half-dozen Asian countries claim territorial rights. The resource-rich islands are surrounded by prime fossil fuel deposits.
On Tuesday, Loud & Clears Brian Becker sat down with Dr. Alexander Vuving , security analyst and professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, to discuss President Obamas announcement that the US will end a five-decade arms embargo against Vietnam and whether the development may lead to conflict in Asia.

Vietnams relationship with China, a primary trade partner, continues to unravel in the wake of increasingly hostile disputes in the South China Sea, seen by some as a longterm echo of Vietnams ouster of the Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in 1978, which set off a brief border conflict between Hanoi and Beijing.

Will Vietnam become a primary US weapons client now that the arms embargo has been lifted?

"I think the lifting of the full US embargo on weapons is rather about building and creating trust with Vietnam rather than weapons commerce," said Dr. Vuving. "The Vietnamese are looking for US weapons, but that is for the long-term. In the short-term, the Vietnamese will be studying what types of weapons they need from the United States. They also have other providers of weapons other than the United States that tend to be less expensive than American weapons."

Will Vietnam seek US systems to upgrade their surveillance of China?

"Yes, I think Vietnam may be considering buying some early warning aircraft, radar systems, basically weapons that would enhance their ability to monitor and control the South China Sea," said the security analyst. "In the surveillance market they can still look to other sources as well, including Israel and Russia, so I doubt Vietnam will race quickly into the US weapons market."
It noted that the four leaders discussed issues of political settlement in southeastern Ukraine.

"They noted the importance of strictly observing the ceasefire, improving the efficiency of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission by giving it additional powers, as well as strengthening the joint center for control and coordination."

The Normandy partners were also given a package of proposals, agreed with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics, on local elections, special status, amnesty and decentralizations for the Trilateral Contact Groups consideration.

The sides additionally exchanged views on possible steps to address pressing socioeconomic and humanitarian problems in the region.
In May, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told Sputnik that Palestine welcomes the French plan to hold international ministerial Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations but has some concerns over the participating sides.

In April, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced that the ministers of 20 countries would take part in a meeting in Paris to relaunch the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian officials will be attending the event scheduled for June 3.

Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. Israel has been building settlements on the occupied territories despite objection from the United Nations.
However, Obama did not reveal any specifics about what US weapons systems Vietnam might want to purchase.

"At the moment it is not clear what Vietnam can and will buy from the United States. The estimate is that Hanoi has a shopping list worth about $ 13 billion. This includes attack helicopters, patrol aircraft, combat jets and more."

Shifting from heavy reliance on Russian made equipment to US hardware would not be fast or easy, Schirach acknowledged.

"Therefore, do not expect large orders any time soon. Besides, Vietnam is not that rich. There is only so much they can buy."

Obamas announcement marked a sharp deviation from previous US policies toward Vietnam, which for more than 20 years had focused on human rights issues rather than military cooperation, Schirach recalled.

"This policy change regarding the arms embargo is entirely about China. In the past, the United States had declared that lifting the old ban on military sales was contingent on Hanoi improving the Vietnamese government's poor human rights record. Now this concern is not so relevant anymore."

Some of the new Chinese installations on islands in the South China Sea were only about 300 miles from Vietnam's coast, Schirach observed.

"Obama's decision to allow arms sales to Vietnam is obviously aimed at sending a signal to Beijing."
A Pakistani passport and ID card recovered at the site of the US drone strike near the Afghan border bore the name Wali Muhammad and a valid visa showing him crossing into Pakistan from Iran on May 21, the day he was killed. Reports in the wake of Mansours death suggested frequent travels in and out of Pakistan and Dubai, where he was said to have a house and investments.

"Wali had a Pakistani passport and was travelling on it with a valid visa of Iran and Dubai," a senior investigative agency official told Pakistans Dawn daily.
TASHKENT (Sputnik)  Development of the Russia-China relations is Moscows key foreign policy priority, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Tuesday.

The two ministers met ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers session, set to be held later in the day in Tashkent.

"We believe that the development of our cooperation with China is a key foreign policy priority for our country," Lavrov said.
TASHKENT (Sputnik)  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to raise the question of Irans accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during the upcoming SCO foreign ministerial meeting, Russian Presidential Envoy for the SCO Bakhtier Khakimov said Tuesday.

There is a general understanding that Iran is an actual candidate in joining the SCO as an official full-fledged member and considering that sanctions are being lifted, we dont see any obstacles. I know that our [foreign] minister will voice this and this topic is being discussed. Our minister will propose this, Khakimov added, Khakimov said.

The SCO is a political, economic and military alliance founded in 2001 by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan hold observer status in the organization.
GROZNY (Sputnik)  Russia is ready to participate in the creation of a broad international anti-terrorist front in which the UN is playing a lead role, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said Tuesday; the 'front' seeks to uphold equal rights and the principle of non-interference.

We are convinced that the creation of a broad anti-terrorist front on the basis of the norms and principles of international law with the UN [providing a] central coordinating role would be in the interests of all the participants of our meeting, Patrushev said during the VII International Meeting of High Representatives on security issues held in Russias southern republic of Chechnya.

He said that Russia would be ready for joint work in which the group would maintain respect for equal rights, as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and not interfere in their domestic affairs.
On Monday, US President Barack Obama during his official visit to Hanoi announced an end to a Cold War-era US arms embargo on Vietnam. Later, the US Department of State said that the decision to allow arms sales to Vietnam is intended to deepen the two countries bilateral relations.

"The first thing to be supplied to Vietnam once the embargo is lifted will be the P-3 Orion patrol aircraft. Russia has stopped manufacturing basic patrol planes in the 1990s, we have nothing to offer Vietnam in this area. The second thing will be the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. We do not produce any planes in this category, we have the heavier Il-76," Kashin said.
What does Lehmann mean?

"The West no longer dominated the planet as it had; there were new actors, new scripts and new challenges," the professor explains.

"This was partly, but ultimately unsatisfactorily, reflected in the establishment of the G20 Summit, first held in Washington in November 2008 with the onset of the great financial crisis," he adds.

The academic recalls that in 1998 the West made an attempt to expand the G7 by inviting the Russian Federation in the bloc and thereby making it the G8.

But 16 years later, in 2014, Russia was expelled from the G8 after Crimea's re-unification with the country. Lehmann highlights that the move demonstrated "the bias and hypocrisy of the West": back in 2003 the UK and the US unleashed the illegal invasion of Iraq but none of the G7 nations called Washington and London's membership into question.

"The main cause for the imperative of abolishing the G7 as well as the reason for its bias is that it has far too strong a Western presence in its membership. It simply makes no sense at this juncture of the 21st century that the Western European nations of France, Germany, Italy and the UK should each hold such exalted positions in global governance," the academic emphasizes.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia and the United Kingdom have common interests in countering terrorism and the Daesh, UK Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon said Tuesday.

"We do have common interests with Russia. Russia does see Daesh as a growing threat, not simply in Syria, but in areas along it, and, possibly, within its own borders. So I think we have a common interest in combating Daesh terrorism," Fallon said in an address to a meeting of the UK Parliament Defence Committee dedicated to Russia's impact on UK defense and security.
"In March 2016, Beijing hosted high-level talks between representatives of the Chinese, Tajik and Pakistan military. China then continued the talks with the same agenda in Afghanistan . Since the most promising part of the ground route of the New Silk Road will run through these politically unstable states, Beijing is striving to establish its military presence in these regions to assure the safety of the trade flow. These circumstances suggest that in the near future these countries might have Chinese military bases," she writes.

Therefore the PLA is bolstering its technological and military capabilities to operate farther from home.

Likewise, China deployed its war ships  for the first time ever  to the Gulf of Aden back in 2008 to protect the country's trade ships from pirates. Then, in March-April 2015 Beijing sent its naval forces to evacuate more than 500 Chinese civilians from Yemen.

Pale underscores that the ambitious New Silk Road project is of ultimate importance for Beijing. In this context it is understandable that Beijing is seeking to protect its sea and land trade routes which will cross different countries including hotspots and unstable regions.

However, Beijing has no plans to snatch the global leadership from Washington, the scholar stresses.

"Beijing is trying hard to reduce its military expenditures, employing diplomacy to persuade the US to partially 'foot the bill,' hinting that the money will be spent on a good cause  the protection of trade, the main driving force of global progress," she emphasizes.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Slovakian government will nominate Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak as its candidate for the post of the UN Secretary-General on Wednesday, local media reported Tuesday.

"Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak will be an official candidate for the UN Secretary-General post. The government intends to approve his candidacy during tits Wednesday session," a source told Slovakian Sme newspaper.
ROME (Sputnik)  On Monday, the Exresso newspaper reported that Frederico Carvalhao Gil, an official of the Portuguese Security Information Service, was detained in Rome on request of Lisbon. Carvalhao Gil was reportedly caught selling state secrets to a member of the Russian intelligence, who was also detained.

"The embassy does not have any comments on this case at the moment," the embassy employee told RIA Novosti.

According to media reports, Carvalhao Gil was passing to the alleged Russian spy political and economic information regarding NATO and the European Union.
The new defense minister is Fikri Islik, who served as the science, industry and technology minister in the Davutoglu cabinet. The Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology is, as the name suggests, the body that oversees what, how, and where production occurs, and, more importantly, the logistics of the procurement process.

"Isik did not have a directly defense-related portfolio except the satellite programs, but he was a de facto insider to procurement matters. Now he has officially become the man in charge," said an unnamed ministry representative, referring to Isik's being responsible for Turkey's Turksat-4B satellite, taken into orbit by Russian rocket in 2015.
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MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, the European Court of Human Rights confirmed it had received a lawsuit against Russia from the families of the victims of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 that crashed in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

"There is no legal evidence of Russias responsibility for the events that occurred with the passenger airliner on the Ukrainian territory, Kiev bears all responsibility for safety of civil aviation in the Ukrainian airspace," Andrei Klishas told RIA Novosti.
As tensions continue to mount in the South China Sea, is the real reason for the change to counter the growth of China?

The Iraqi Army has announced the beginning of an offensive to retake Fallujah from the so-called Islamic State. Fallujah was the first city to fall to Daesh in 2014. But is this "liberation" or more suffering for a city that the US military levelled in 2004? Becker is joined by Iraqi-American political analyst Raed Jarrar of the American Friends Service Committee.

The second officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray, Edward Nero, has been found not guilty of all four misdemeanor charges. Will justice ever be served in the death of Gray that triggered last years uprising in Baltimore? Eugene Puryear, activist and author, joins Becker to discuss the next steps in the movement for justice for Freddie Gray.
Meyerson, who quips that there was a time decades ago when Sanders and he were the only "out-of-the-closet" Democratic Socialists in D.C., offers two historic parallels to the current divide seen in today's Democratic Party during its contentious nominating contest between Sanders and Clinton. One concerns the Democratic Party's fate after the 1968 convention and the other, perhaps more disturbing and enlightening, concerns Germany in 1932, as described in his recent Prospect column headlined "How the Bros Are Undermining Bernie".

"What's really crucial," Meyerson tells me on today's program, "is that the forces (Sanders) has put into action continue to operate  and continue to push the limits of the possible in the United States  once his campaign is over, whether that is in July or in November. I would hope that the Sanders campaign generates a lot of people who want a more democratic, equitable economy and society, and stick around after the Sanders campaign is over this year," he says. "But it takes staying power. You don't change a political party by coming in and then going out."

Meyerson is optimistic, however, that so-called "Bernie or Bust" folks will eventually come to see that they have far more to gain from Hillary in the White House than they do if Trump wins this November. "I think the number of Sanders supporters who ultimately will not vote for Hillary, if she's the nominee and it comes down to her vs. Trump, is a lot smaller than we're seeing now. Confronting the reality of a Trump presidency will concentrate the mind."


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Mongolias plans to build three large power plants on the river that feeds Russias Lake Baikal may result in a drop in water levels at the unique lake in southeastern Siberia, Russian media reported Tuesday, citing government sources.

Three Mongolian hydropower plants are due to be constructed on the Selenga River and its tributaries, which supply Lake Baikal with 80 percent of its water.

According to the Izvestia newspaper, Russian government officials are concerned about the potentially irreversible adverse effects the plants could have on the ecology of Lake Baikal.
GROZNY (Sputnik)  Russia is ready for international cooperation to combat terrorism, extremism, uncontrolled migration, illicit drugs trafficking as well as for collaboration on data security, President Vladimir Putin said in a greeting note to the participants of the seventh international security officials meeting in Chechnya on Tuesday.

The Russian president's greeting address was read by Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.

"You will be discussing topical issues, concerning, without exaggeration, the interests of every country in the world. They are, above all, issues related to combating terrorism and violent extremism, transnational crimes and illegal migration, combating illicit drug trafficking, and establishing information security," the address reads.
PARIS (Sputnik)  Russian Soyuz ST rocket carrying two satellites for the European Galileo navigation system was launched from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana on Tuesday, Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) said in a statement.

The missile was successfully launched at 08:48 GMT from the Guiana space center. Soyuz ST carried the 13th and 14th satellites of the European navigation system Galileo, similar to the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russian Glonass system.
ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik)  Russias second Aleksandrit-class minesweeper (Project 12700), Georgy Kurbatov, will be launched on July 29, the head of the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard said Tuesday.

"The second minesweeper Georgy Kurbatov will be launched on July 29. It will be commissioned next September, we shall test it next summer," Vladimir Seredokho told reporters.

According to Seredokho, the third vessel of the series will be laid down at the same time as the launch of Georgy Kurbatov. The fourth ship will be laid down in September.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Responding to criticism of anti-conservative bias in its Trending Topics feature, the company said in a Monday statement its internal investigation revealed no evidence of "systematic political bias in the selection or prominence of stories." The California-based public firm acknowledged, however, that it could not "fully exclude the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias."

"We will no longer rely on lists of external websites and news outlets to identify, validate or assess the importance of particular topics. This means we will eliminate the 'Media 1K' list, the list of RSS feeds used to supplement the algorithm that generates potential trending topics, and the top-10 list of news outlets," Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch said.
"The planes technical situation is very normal," pilot Mohammed Shakir indicated in the Aircraft Technical Log he signed at 20:30 GMT, which was published by Egypts Ahram daily.

Following two dispatches saying the engines were functional, the third message at 00:26 GMT indicated that temperature had risen on the co-pilots side of the window, it added.
There should be laws in the US that cover the private and the public sector, there should be special provisions for national security  not just exempting them, Lewis explained. Employers should be required to have procedures, they should be required to have a whistleblowing policy that encourages reporting of wrongdoing, and they should publicize successful cases of whistleblowing.

Lewis explained that by having these procedures in place, everyone would benefit. Employers would stop wrongdoing, a whistleblower could air the problem, and the public interest would be protected from wrongdoing by the organization.

Its not rocket science, and its something that is recognized in many many countries throughout the world  that having a whistleblowing procedure is good for everybody, Lewis stated. Theres no downside to having a whistleblowing procedure unless you are a corrupt organization and you rely on that corruption to maintain business.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The White House is set to transfer over two dozen Guantanamo Bay detainees to several foreign states by the end of July, media reported, citing an unnamed government official.

According to the Guardian, 22 or 23 detainees due to be transferred have been officially approved for the procedure through an internal review process or quasi-parole hearings.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The FBIs Joint Terrorist Task Force has arrested a man in the Bronx borough of New York City on charged of aiding a terrorist organization, local media reported on Tuesday.

The US District Court in Manhattan has received a criminal complaint on Sajmir Alimehneti, NBC New York reported.

Alimehneti is scheduled to appear before a judge later in the day, according to media reports.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Impeachment of US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen is part of a political agenda, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew stated in a press release on Tuesday.

"[T]he House of Representatives should keep its focus on the needs of the American people, not the kind of political agenda that an impeachment vote here would represent," Lew stated.


WASHINGTON (Sputnik)A majority of registered US voters want the Republican partys presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump, to release his tax returns, a new Morning Consult poll revealed on Tuesday.

"Sixty-Seven percent  and 60 percent of Republicans  think presidential candidates should have to disclose their returns," the poll found. "Just one in five voters (21 percent) said they dont think the financial documents should have to be released."

Trump has previously said he will not release his tax returns until the US tax agency, Internal Revenue Service, finishes conducting an audit.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security advanced a $48 billion in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday.

"The bill supports DHSs critical operations and program and reflects for important priorities for funding: aviation security, cybersecurity, border security and State and local grants," Subcommittee Chairman John Hoeven said.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US state of Kentucky will review vote totals from its May 17 primary election after receiving a request from Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Grimes announced via Twitter on Tuesday.

"County boards of elections will convene at 9 a.m. local time on Thurs[day], May 26 to conduct the recanvass," Grimes tweeted. "We have received a request from Bernie Sanders for recanvass of the vote totals in May 17 Dem presidential primary."

County boards of elections will convene at 9 a.m. local time on Thurs., May 26 to conduct the recanvass. #kyelect #GoVoteKY  Alison L. Grimes (@KySecofState) May 24, 2016

Grimes explained the purpose of the recanvass is to verify the accuracy of the vote totals that came from each of the voting machines, not to recount individual ballots.
Controversy over waiting times at VA hospitals reached fever pitch in 2014 when it was discovered that at least 40 veterans had died waiting for appointments in the Phoenix, Arizona, veterans healthcare system. The scandal also revealed that VA officials kept an off-the-record list of people seeking appointments so that waiting times appeared normal. The debacle resulted in the resignation of then VA Secretary Eric Shineski, McDonalds appointment.

An analysis conducted that same year by California Healthline found that "Overall, nearly 894,000 appointments at VA health care facilities between August 2014 and February 2015  about one in 36 appointments during that time period  did not meet VA's timeliness goal of patients being seen within 30 days, including almost 232,000 that involved wait times of longer than 60 days."

In addition, the analysis found that the number of veterans experiencing wait times of more than 90 days almost doubled."
Michael Briggs, a spokesman for the Sanders campaign, responded saying "In the past three weeks voters in Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon respectfully disagreed with Secretary Clinton," and that, "We expect voters in the remaining eight contests also will disagree."

He added, "With almost every national and state poll showing Sen. Sanders doing much, much better than Secretary Clinton against Donald Trump, it is clear that millions of Americans have growing doubts about the Clinton campaign."

This is the second debate refused by Clinton, after she declined to participate in a debate with Sanders on Fox News.

Bill Sammon, Fox News VP, said in response, "Naturally, Fox News is disappointed that Secretary Clinton has declined our debate invitation, especially given that the race is still contested and she had previously agreed to a final debate before the California primary."

Palmieri stated, "We have declined Fox News invitation to participate in a debate in California," Palmieri said. "As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses."
The statement comes ahead of the G7 meeting due to take place on May 26-27 in Japan's Ise-Shima. US President Barack Obama will visit Hiroshima, making him the first incumbent US president to do so. He is expected to honor the memory of those who died in World War II and reaffirm the goal of creating a nuclear free world. In April, the foreign ministers of the G7 adopted a declaration stressing the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons.

In 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on August 6 and 9 respectively. The bombing in Hiroshima killed about 150,000 residents of the city, and the raid on Nagasaki claimed the lives of some 70,000 people. The bombings prompted Japan's unconditional surrender on August 15, bringing World War II to an end.

Earlier this month, a Sputnik.Polls poll conducted in Japan revealed that 61 percent of the Japanese believed the United States should apologize for the atomic bomb attacks, while 74 percent of respondents said that the attacks could not be justified by the war because the civilian death toll they inflicted was disproportionate.

According to a separate 2015 survey conducted by Pew Research Center, only 56 percent of Americans believe the attacks were justified while a whopping 79 percent of Japanese believe the move was unjustified. A 1945 Gallup poll revealed that 85 percent of Americans supported Truman's use of atomic weaponry. This is reflected in opinions among older Americans: last year's Pew study revealed that 70 percent of Americans over age 65 believe the bombings were justified.
With regards to the countrys humanitarian mission in Iraq, the top diplomat explained that it is mostly about Kurdistan, where it has two or three of its own humanitarian missions in the provinces of Sulaymaniyah and Al Anbar, which are smaller than the missions the country delegates to third parties.

In the refugee camps in Kurdistan we restore the ties and communication which have been lost during the years of conflict, the top diplomat explained.

In Iran

With regards to Iran, Switzerland protects the Power mandate between Iran and the US. This diplomatic term refers to a relationship that is initiated when a country is not diplomatically represented in another state. So Switzerland serves as a third party state, protecting US interests in Iran.

The dialogue we are having with Iran is not limited only to finances, Yves Rossier explained, It also includes human rights, regional security and politics.

The top diplomat stressed that when the Iran nuclear agreement came into force, the majority of the nuclear-related anti-Iranian sanctions imposed by the UN and EU were lifted.

However, due to its absence on financial markets, Tehran lags behind in terms of finance and technology, especially with respect to the countrys internal infrastructure.


TASHKENT (Sputnik)The foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) member countries call for the adoption of a comprehensive United Nations convention on the fight against international terrorism, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said Tuesday.

"The council of ministers called for the adoption of a comprehensive UN convention to fight international terrorism and for the creation of an effective platform of extensive cooperation to counter challenges and threats to regional security," Kamilov told journalists after the SCO ministerial meeting.

The minister stressed that the peace process in Afghanistan was one of the most important factors for maintaining security in the region.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The United States' stance on terrorism and unwillingness to condemn the actions of the Islamic State (also known as Daesh, banned in Russia) raises questions in Moscow, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministrys Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control said Tuesday.

"Over the past two years, the IS terrorist group has used chemical weapons dozens of times in Syria and Iraq. But during these two years, the UN Security Council has never addressed this issue, though we repeatedly tried to initiate it. Our American partners have blocked all attempts to condemn IS actions. This looks very ambiguous and raises serious questions," Mikhail Ulyanov told RIA Novosti.


CAIRO (Sputnik)Last week, a source in the Syrian opposition told Sputnik said that the next round of Syrian proximity talks would take place on May 30 in the Swiss city of Montreux, instead of Geneva due to logistical reasons.

"The next round of talks may take place in mid-June in Geneva, moving the talks to some other location from Geneva has not been proposed," Firas Khalidi said.

Postponing the next round of talks is possible due to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which starts on June 6.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Americans should avoid traveling to Somalia because of the continued threat of the al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabaab and the risks of kidnapping throughout the country, the US Department of State said in a travel warning on Tuesday.

"Terrorist operatives and armed groups in Somalia continue to attack Somali authorities, the troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and other non-military targets," the advisory warned. "Kidnapping, bombings, murder, illegal roadblocks, banditry and other violent incidents are common throughout Somalia, including Somaliland and Puntland."

The advisory explained that al-Shabaab continues to attack locations popular with westerners, including restaurants and hotels, noting that there were at least eight large attacks against hotels in the capital Mogadishu last year.
It might not have housed Cam Fella, and he might not have paced around the track, but a historic barn and track in Southwestern Ontario with ties to The Pacing Machine could become a distant memory unless one man can convince town council to save the structure.

In Norwich, Ont., the municipality operates a barn and training track. With fewer tenants in the barn, and parking at a premium for the adjacent community centre, a motion was made to close the barn by the end of the year and essentially evict the tenants. The barn was donated to the town by Dr. William N. Meldrum, a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. In fact, the name of the park in Norwich is Dillon Park, named to honour his prized pacer Dillon Mc.

One trainer who was stabled at the Norwich fairgrounds in the past was Ed Arthur, the uncle and mentor of trainer Doug Arthur. Doug himself eventually trained at his farm outside Norwich and developed the likes of Cam Fella, Justin Passing, Mystery Skipper, Keystone Raider and Turola Hanover.

Former Standardbred industry participant Jim Casha, whose wife Roxanne used to work for Arthur, is hopeful that town council will reconsider demolishing a structure that, in his mind, isn't structurally unsound.

Sometimes what appears old and broken down needs someone to look at it... and make it useful and productive again, Casha told The Norwich Gazette. On Tuesday night, he'll pitch a proposal to council to turn the barn into an equine rehabilitation and sustainable agricultural learning centre. This would allow those individuals stabled there to remain on the premises and generate revenue for the township.

Many believe that Meldrum left the land where the arena, barn and track are presently situated to the township on the condition that the horse barn remain but any documentation to backup that agreement has yet to be discovered and officially presented.

It's too bad really, said Mayor Larry Martin. It's kind of nice to have the horses there.
Tim Jenison seeks to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. Jenison is present for a meet and greet cocktail reception.

Please join us on Tuesday, May 24th at the Jean Cocteau Cinema for a screening of Tims Vermeer with a special chance to meet Tim Jenison in person. Tim will be hosted by his cousin and lifelong friend, Dr. Steve Jenison, drug policy reform advocate and first Medical Director of the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program. Stay for a Q&A with Tim and Jason Silverman, CCA Cinematheque Director, after the screening. A cocktail reception with Tim will precede the screening.

Tim Jenison grew up in Belmond, Iowa (pop: 2,500), a farm town with a large grain elevator and a small movie theater. From an early age, Tim was fascinated by how light and images were transduced from the physical world to electronic media. After an intense university freshman year where he spent much of his time tinkering with electronics in his dorm room and running a pirate low-power FM radio station, Tim invented the Video Toaster, a computer hardware/software device for high-quality low-cost video editing that revolutionized local television station video production. The company he founded, NewTek, remains an industry leader.

Tims lifelong work with video imaging made him aware of the marked differences between the way light is reflected by objects and the way that the human brain perceives and understands that image. He became intrigued with the theory, prominently espoused by Philip Steadman and David Hockney, that the Dutch painter Vermeer may have used a camera obscura to accurately reproduce on canvas colors that the human brain would perceive (and reproduce) incorrectly. Without any painting experience, and using a camera obscura, Tim set out to reproduce Vermeers painting The Music Lesson.

A perpetual favorite and worth seeing a second - and even third time - Tims Vermeer is narrated by Tims friend Penn Jillette and directed by his performing partner Teller. Featuring conversations with David Hockney, Philip Steadman and Martin Mull, Tims Vermeer presents one mans quest to better understand the visible world through a deeply personal and meticulous examination.
Peter Arrigenna has been named the new track superintendent at Batavia Downs. Arrigenna is a longtime horseman who also serves as a trustee of the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund and a director of the Horse Harness Breeders of New York State.

Arrigenna will replace Ralph Horton, who has retired after working at Batavia for 14 years.

Besides running a successful stable that produced 2012 Yonkers Trot champion, Archangel (Credit Winner-Michelles Angel 1:50 $1,140,972), Arrigenna also runs his own construction company. And its the combined experience from both fields that has provided him the insight and knowledge to design, construct and maintain very fast race tracks.

Arrigenna has built many farm tracks from scratch, but he also resurfaced Buffalo Raceway in 2014 to the rave reviews of the horsemen and was hired this year as a consultant at Harrahs Philadelphia.

Although the meet doesnt begin for another two months, Arrigennas duties will start immediately as his first order of business will be to rebuild the track.

We will be leveling and filling the existing track to the grade indicated from a survey done in 2009. It will entail filling the ditches where it washed out, banking the turns better and putting it back to the original grade, said Arrigenna. Once that is complete, we will be putting a new surface on top of that which should make it much better for the horses competing there.

This will be the first time the track at Batavia has been resurfaced since 2010 and the $125,000 project will see the turns banked up to eight per cent and over 5,000 tons of new material (a mixture of washed screenings and washed crushed stone) added to the surface.

The project is scheduled to begin on Monday (June 6) and be completed by Friday (July 1), well in advance of opening night of live racing, which is Monday (July 25).

I look forward to starting at Batavia because its close to home and its a project I like to do, said Arrigenna.

Todd Haight is the director/general manager of live racing at Batavia and he has high praise for Arrigennas abilities.

Were thrilled to have Peter as our track superintendent, said Haight. He knows what it takes to make a race track fair, but also safe, because he is a horseman as well as a contractor. His knowledge and experience will serve him well in his new position.

I would also like to thank Ralph Horton for his many years of service to the track and wish him the best in his retirement, added Haight.

(Batavia Downs)
Racehorse breeder/owner Sharron Ruth Adams, 76, passed away on Friday, May 20 at her home in Bellville, Ohio, with her loving family by her side.

A native of Ontario, Adams was born on September 16, 1939.

Adams and her husband, Albert, moved to the United States in 1962 and later became proud American citizens. She was also very proud of her Mohawk Indian heritage. She was a strong, loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother, nana and friend.

Among her many interests were walking on the familys horse farm that she helped create, maintain and operate. She was also a wonderful planner and her organizational skills were second to none. She enjoyed holidays and birthdays and particularly having the family together and making each family member smile. She was a beacon of strength and even in her final days encouraged all family members to remain strong.

Neighbors and friends will also remember the famous coffee cakes prepared especially with love. While Adams was never boastful, she strived for perfection in everything she did. The world has an emptiness created in her absence, but all gained immeasurably by knowing her.

Adams is survived by her husband of 58 years, Albert; children, Lorrie (Dan Levac), Lisa (Bucky Baldwin), Mark (Felicia) and Jade (Josh Laymon); grandchildren, Haillee (Myles Witcher), Katherine (Jeremy Epneris and daughter, Lilli), Blake Baldwin, Tyler Baldwin, Jillian (and daughter, Bella), Darren, Emma Laymon, Sam Laymon, Jack Laymon and Joseph Laymon.

For information on the celebration of her life, please send an email to [email protected].

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Christian Harness Horsemens Association, 157 North Main St., Salem, NH. You can also donate online through their website at chha.net or New Vocations Race Horse Adoption Program ([email protected]  937-947-4020) or you can donate online through their website at newvocations.org.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Sharron Adams.

(USTA)
Thomas More Law Center Wins Huge Victory for Free Speech and Unborn Babies Against Planned Parenthood

Contact: Catherine McMillan, Thomas More Law Center , 734-930-7141ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 24, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- In a huge victory for free speech and unborn babies, United States District Judge Nancy Torresen, yesterday, issued a preliminary injunction barring the Maine Attorney General and City of Portland police officers from enforcing the Noise Provision of the Maine Civil Rights Act ("Act"). Under the Act, after being warned by a police officer, it is illegal to make noise that can be heard inside an abortion clinic with the intent to interfere with a medical procedure.In a 35page opinion and order, Judge Torresen, an Obama appointee, held that the Noise Provision of the Act is content-based because it restricts speech based on its purpose, and therefore, is facially unconstitutional. Read Judge Torresen's entire opinion here The Thomas More Law Center ("TMLC"), a national, nonprofit public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, filed a lawsuit in December 2015, on behalf of Pastor Andrew March after a Portland police officer officially warned Pastor March under the Act, and ordered him to quiet his pro-life speech on the public sidewalk outside the Portland Planned Parenthood facility or face prosecution. Despite this threat of prosecution, Pastor Andrew March courageously continued to plead for the lives of the unborn at the doors of the Planned Parenthood facility.Kate Oliveri (pictured), the Thomas More Law Center Trial Counsel handling the case, commented, "This is a victory regardless of whether you acknowledge that unborn children posses lives worth defending. Free speech rights are central to maintaining a free society and the court took a huge step toward protecting those rights for all citizens of Maine."The Planned Parenthood facility, located on a loud and busy thoroughfare in downtown Portland, has been the focus of pro-life counselors and prayer groups for the last several years. However, in October 2015, the Maine Attorney General resurrected the 15-year-old Noise Provision of the Act to sue Pastor Brian Ingalls in a state court for his opposition to abortion on those sidewalks. This occurred only two weeks after the City of Portland admitted that their a previous attempt to drown out free speech on the public sidewalka 39 foot buffer zonewas unconstitutional. The state case against Brian Ingalls is still pending. After the State sued Pastor Ingalls, Pastor March stepped in and began his preaching to save the lives of unborn babies.Because a judge must determine that a plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunction has a likelihood of success on the merits, by granting TMLC's Motion for Preliminary Injunction, Judge Torresen has indicated that Pastor March will ultimately prevail in his claim that the Act is an unconstitutional suppression of free speech when the case goes to summary judgment. In the mean time, the order assures that Pastor March and other individuals can continue to preach pro-life messages and pray without being silenced by the Noise Provision.Judge Torresen focused on the "intent to interfere with a medical procedure" portion of the statute. This portion restricts speech based on the purpose for which the speech is made and differentiates speech based on the message expressed. In order for a content-based restriction on speech to be constitutional, it must be the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling governmental interest. Judge Torresen concluded that the State had other content-neutral means of keeping peace at abortion clinics.The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America's Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values, including the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life. It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America. The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org
Republican Executive Committee Demands Charges Against Chief Justice be Dropped

Contact: Liberty Counsel, 800-671-1776, Media@LC.org



TRUSSVILLE, Ala., May 24, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee passed a resolution last Saturday calling on the unelected Alabama Court of the Judiciary to drop the charges by the unelected Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) against Chief Justice Roy Moore.

The JIC has charged Chief Justice Moore with six counts. The Chief Justice has been suspended with pay pending that trial, pursuant to an automatic removal provision that requires any judge charged with a complaint be removed pending the hearing. Chief Justice Moore has argued that the JIC has exceeded its jurisdiction in bringing these charges against him. The charges stem from the Chief Justice's January 2016 Administrative Order, which essentially said that the 2015 Orders of the Alabama Supreme Court remained in effect until such time as the Court said otherwise, and that the Alabama Supreme Court was reviewing the matter and would render an opinion.

"The six charges are based on the JIC's erroneous opinion that Chief Justice Moore should have told the probate judges to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Had he done so, he would have been in direct violation of the Alabama Supreme Court Orders which were under review at that time," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, which represents Chief Justice Moore. "The JIC is wrong on the law and has no jurisdiction to render legal opinions anyway. How many times does the JIC need to be reminded that it is not a court of law? The Alabama Supreme Court has repeatedly slapped the JIC for wading into legal interpretations. If the JIC can takes sides on a legal interpretation, then every Alabama judge should be in fear that unelected people, some of whom are not attorneys, will stand in judgment of their legal reasoning. This would threaten the judiciary and give the JIC unprecedented authority to remove judges they do not like, which appears to be the case here. The JIC could care less about the rules. It violated the rule of confidentiality by leaking the matter to the media and it exceeded its own jurisdiction. We will get these frivolous charges dismissed," said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
Bearing signs, planting flags and dressed in red or blue, about 1,000 people descended on the Cowlitz County Expo Center Tuesday to testify at the first public hearing on the draft environmental study of Longviews proposed coal export dock.

Testimony began at 1 p.m. and was to conclude at 9 p.m., following a one-hour dinner break.

Despite the impassioned opinions about the project here and across the region, no disturbances were reported. A visible police presence was notable across the Expo Center grounds. The hearing was packed, but the audience was polite, waving signs in shows of support and refraining from catcalls and other rudeness.

Many opponents of the Millennium Bulk Terminals proposal wore red, while those supporting the facility wore blue. At the start of the afternoon hearing, the red shirts only slightly outnumbered the blue, but reds eventually overwhelmed the room as the event wore on. The opponent/supporter ratio was less lopsided in the evening session.

Red signs blasting the project studded the lawn outside the expo center. Some read Fossil Free with a bright red X. Others said Keep it in the ground. Nearby, a line of blue flags read Washington Jobs, and pro Millennium signs were placed in between anti-coal posts.

Officials expected about 2,000 people to attend the hearing. There was no official count, but attendance seemed to fall far short of the forecast.

Eastern Montana ranch owner Brad Sauer, 56, was one of those to arrive early. Dressed in a red, button-down shirt and wide-brimmed hat, Sauer said the proposed export dock will encourage mining and degrade water quality in his region near Billings.

My big message is itll negatively affect our ground water, he told a reporter, emphasizing that bad water quality could lead to poor health and create problems at his ranch. Additional mining in our area is not good.

Sauer said he felt the DEIS was well done but failed to adequately assess the impacts to states outside Washington.

I really hope (Washington) agencies here consider impacts to me, he said. (The DEIS) stops at the Washington line, and Im not aware of any overarching document with all the states involved in this  nobody seems to have the whole picture.

The slogan Building it Right was printed on periwinkle blue t-shirts and dark blue signs surrounding Millenniums center at the Floral Building.

In a lawn nearby, 260 green Washington flags were staked into the ground, each representing 10 indirect and direct jobs the coal dock would create. A sign depicting a happy family with the words, Washington Jobs and Washington Families, marked the entrance of the rally spot. Inside, tables were set up facing a stage where a rally was to be held at 4 p.m.

The $680 million terminal would ship 44 million tons of Rocky Mountain coal to Asia annually from the old Reynolds Metals Co. plant west of Longview.

The project has taken on aspects of an environmental holy war, with opponents predicting the project will blanket Longview and communities along the rail lines with black dust, cause congestion at rail crossings and worsen global climate change when the coal is burned in Asia.

Supporters, pointing to the 3,000-page environmental study, say coal dust wont be a problem and that the region needs the terminals 135 direct jobs, $16 million annual payroll, millions of dollars in tax revenue and other economic benefits, including thousands of construction jobs.

Despite the obvious effort in both camps to get out as many supporters as possible, the EIS review process is not a popularity contest. From a strictly legal point of view, EIS hearings are meant to highlight flaws, omissions and strengths of the environmental study.

Clearly, though, both sides hoped to impress decision makers with strong shows of force. The meeting was run by Cowlitz County, the state Department of Ecology and ICF International, a consulting firm that helped write the environmental study.

Selected through a lottery system, most attendees would not get the opportunity to speak despite the seven-hours set aside for testimony. Each speaker had two minutes to deliver comments. Bill Chapman, Millennium CEO, and elected officials werent part of the lottery and were given their own times to speak.

Whats more heartbreaking (than) to see a family sitting at home watching T.V. because theres no work? Mentally, that hurts for a population, said Ken Botero, Longview City Council member. When it comes to jobs or coal and oil, the voice of the voters ... people would rather have jobs than environment.

The red shirts in the audience immediately reacted with audible gasps and protest, but any further noise was quickly squashed by the moderator.

Andy Harris of Multnomah County said the economic benefits are not worth the health risks he said the coal dock could pose.

What is the economic impact of emergency room visits ... and who will pay for these costs?

Instead of clapping or hollering, the sound of flapping signs could be heard from the audience showing their support for speakers. Blue signs went up when Millennium worker Dave Gillihan, 61, of Longview said the area needs the family wage jobs Millennium would create.

Your pot shops and hamburger joints do not provide great benefits, Gillihan said.

Mike Iyall, Cowlitz Tribe council member, spoke against the terminal and said the environmental study does not adequately address protection of the (salmon) restoration work that were doing on the river.

Another coal dock opponent, Calvin Quek, who is the finance director for Greenpeace East Asia, testified by Skype. He echoed opponents assertions that the international market for coal is weakening, even in Asia, despite official government estimates that coal use will remain high for decades to come.

I think over the long term, coal port terminals in the U.S. are not investments that are economically viable, and certainly in China, at least, youre going to see more and more efforts to diversify away from coal.

And Jakob Swan, 31, representing a Vancouver brewery, said he doubted that topping agents sprayed on rail cars adequately prevent coal dust from blowing off.

Rowan Digerlando of Longview, a 17-year-old student at Discovery High School, said in her daily walks to school she often thinks of children who will be exposed to coal dust and locomotive diesel fumes from the eight, 100-car trains that would haul coal into Longview daily.

A lot of these kids have asthma. What do yo think the coal dust and diesel fuel particles could do to their lungs? ... Children will die if we brought in coal trains. I dont want this to happen, Digerlando said.

State Sen. Ann Rivers, who represents north Clark County, chastised opponents over the coal dust issue, saying the EIS does not support their fears.

Theres been much fear mongering about the residual coal dust ... so I was pleased to see the science does not support that, she said.

During a hour-long dinner break at 4 p.m., both sides split into separate rallies. Millennium supporters crowded in a building on expo grounds to eat a buffet lunch and listen to speeches.

(Millennium) embraces this community like no other company has in a long time, said Jason Lundquist, president of International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union Local 21. Lundquist led the crowd in chanting solidarity to signify that they were working together for a common goal.

Outside the expo center, red shirts surrounded a stage of speakers. Some opponents held up signs reading Coal export=climate catastrophe and We (heart symbol) the Columbia.

The promise is jobs. Yet Millennium is only offering a total of 135 jobs by the year 2028, said Dana Minium, 57, of Kalama. And they want to do this on 416 acres of prime, deep port, waterfront property. What right-minded business person would accept such a sour deal?
Since Friday, Kelso police have received nearly 20 calls from concerned residents about an IRS scam.

The police department received nearly a dozen calls Friday and about six calls by mid-afternoon Monday.

The scam typically involves someone posing as an IRS employee who calls and tells the target that they owe back taxes and will be arrested unless they pay immediately through a wire transfer or prepaid debit card.

There was an uptick in the number of calls in February. Charlie Rosenzweig, chief criminal deputy for the Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office, at the time advised against sending money to anyone "based on some kind of threat conveyed over the phone."

The IRS advises taxpayers to be wary of scammers: Its website offers this advice: "Rest assured, we do not and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. If someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you dont pay immediately, that is a sign that it really isnt the IRS calling.

The agency says any IRS first contact with taxpayers is likely to occur by mail.
Baking pastries is in Martin Martinezs blood.

He was 8 years old when he began baking with his family in Mexico City. Now, 26 years later, he continues to use some of those childhood recipes at a new 3,500-square-foot bakery he opened a month ago at 1052 14th Ave. in Longview.

There are now two Martinez Bakeries, as the new store joins the one he opened four years ago on Vine Street in Kelso.

I always wanted to be a businessman, he said Monday. I always wanted to manage my dads bakery. ... You always dream one thing, and then something else comes.

The new bakery sells Mexican pastries and cakes and provides seating where customers can enjoy their purchases. It also has a small grocery with sodas, Mexican candies and other foods, such as pickled jalapeno peppers. Eventually Martinez said he hopes to open a Mexican restaurant in the Longview bakery.

We have the location. We have the space, he said.

He estimated about 60 percent of his customers are Latino and 40 percent are white. He said his customers are often tired of dry pastries.

He said one of his customers, who lives in Clatskanie but grew up in a Latino community, said she found something that reminds her of home. Theres a need, Martinez said, for traditional Mexican foods that Latinos wont be able to find anywhere else in the area.

Martinez said he doesnt use preservatives. His breads are made from scratch out of recipes passed down from generation to generation.

They like that we have different stuff, he said.

Popular items include the tres leches cakes, cakes with flan, cheesecakes, pina colada cakes and sweet breads. A piece of cake can cost $2.99 to $3.49. Whole cakes cost as low as $20 to full sheet cakes, which feed 100 people, at $120.

Martinez has four brothers and three sisters, and they have almost all stayed in the family business of baking. His father owns a bakery in Vancouver, and his brother owns three stores in Mexico City. And he cant wait to have his own children.

I think if I ever had a family, I would like to have a big family. At least six, he said.
tech2 News Staff

You know you want the OnePlus Loop VR headset, especially since you can get it for Re 1. The headset will go on sale in India at 12pm on June 3 and 12pm on June 7, but you'll need to register in advance if you hope to purchase the Loop VR headset as stocks are limited.

Here's how you get your hands on one:

Step 1

Head over to Amazon's dedicated OnePlus 3 and Loop VR headset page by clicking here.

Step 2

Login to Amazon and register for the headset

Step 3

Use the Amazon app to purchase the headset at 12pm on June 3 or at 12pm on June 7

Be warned, shipping charges will still apply.

That's it! If you're lucky and you get through the initial rush, you should be the proud owner of a brand new OnePlus Loop VR headset. If you're really keen on getting your hands on the OnePlus 3 the moment it's launched, you'll need the Loop VR headset to pre-order the first batch of phones.

Don't bother registering for the headset on OnePlus' official website. While they do state that the headset will be free for the first 30,000 customers, the sets ordered on that site will only ship to the United States.

Carl Pei, one of the founders of OnePlus published a post on the OnePlus forums yesterday where he spoke about the Loop VR headset and how it was made in collaboration with AntVR. He also promised a unique, online shopping experience with the headset, stating that the shopping will happen at their virtual headquarters called Loop, which is in space.

We're quite excited to see what OnePlus has in store for us, especially with regards to the "virtual shopping experience" and what the OnePlus 3 will really be like.

In the meantime, what are you waiting for? Go and register for your headset right now!
tech2 News Staff

Lenovo recently filed for US Trademark for Moto Z and by doing so has confirmed the the rumours of Moto X branding being changed to 'Moto Z'. The company is all set to launch the Moto Z line up of smartphones at an event scheduled for 9 June along with the possible return of Moto Razor that Motorola has recently begun teasing.

Lenovo Moto Z is a successor to the extremely well received Moto X. Fans were expecting a refresh for quite a while now and many were disappointed when they did not see any announcements related to Moto X. But the famous tipster for most of the mobile leaks, Evan Blass was the first one to break the news about the change in branding.

Moto Z renders that leaked included mysterious connectors on the back that hinted at some kind of modular functionality on the phone. It was brought to light that those modular parts were going to called as Moto Mods. HelloMotoHK has reported that some of the Mods could be launched with the Moto Z. The Mods are expected to include a Pro camera Mod, an Adventure Mod, Theater Mod, Stereo Mod, Power Mod, Style Mod. We will have to wait for the event to check if the rumours and leaks pan out, but in the meantime we will be on the lookout for more information and leaks.
hidden

Researchers have developed the first flexible wearable device that has the potential to monitor both biochemical and electric signals in the human body. The device, which includes a flexible suite of sensors and a small electronic board, is known as the "Chem-Phys" patch and records electrocardiogram (EKG) heart signals and tracks levels of lactate -- a biochemical that is a marker of physical effort -- in real time.

"One of the overarching goals of our research is to build a wearable tricorder-like device that can measure simultaneously a whole suite of chemical, physical and electrophysiological signals continuously throughout the day," said Patrick Mercier, professor at University of California-San Diego. The tiny device -- made by screen printing on to a thin, flexible polymer sheet -- can be applied directly to the skin and communicates wirelessly with a phone, smart watch or laptop

The device can also transmit the data from biochemical and electrical signals via Bluetooth. Combining information about heart rate and lactate -- a first in the field of wearable sensors -- could be especially useful for athletes wanting to improve their performance, the researchers noted. The teams' biggest challenge was making sure that signals from the two sensors didn't interfere with each other.

In the study, detailed in the journal Nature Communications, the "Chem-Phys" patch was tested on three male subjects who wore the device on their chest, near the base of their sternum, while doing 15 to 30 minutes of intense activity on a stationary bike. Two of the subjects also wore a commercial wristband heart rate monitor. The data collected by the EKG electrodes on the patch closely matched the data collected by the commercial wristband.

The device can also be helpful for physicians to monitor patients with heart disease. "The ability to concurrently assess EKG and lactate could also open up some interesting possibilities in preventing and/or managing individuals with heart diseases," explained Kevin Patrick, a physician.

IANS
Buet VC Khaleda Ekram passes away

Professor Dr Khaleda Ekram, Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), died at a hospital in Bangkok early Tuesday. She was 66. Former dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning and head of the Department of Architecture, Khaleda Ekram breathed her last at Bangkok General Hospital around 2:05am after fighting for her life for the last 10 days, said her protocol officer Rezaul Karim. She is survived by one son, two daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn her death. Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their deep shocks at the death of Khaleda Ekram. The Prime Minister said the the nation has lost an eminent educationist at her death. In separate condolence messages, the President and Prime Minister prayed for the eternal peace of her departed soul and conveyed their sympathies to the bereaved family members. Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had granted Tk 20 lakh from her special fund to support treatment of Dr Khaleda Ekram whose condition deteriorated fast over the past week in Bangkok. On May 11, she was admitted to Square Hospital in Dhaka after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She was flown to Bangkok by an emergency air ambulance in the early hours of May 14.--UNB, Dhaka.
Fridays HSC exam now on June 12

Fridays Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination has been rescheduled for June 12 following the 5th phase of Union Parishad (UP) election slated for Saturday.

Chairman of the Dhaka Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Prof Mahbubur Rahman told UNB that the examination has been rescheduled as the Election Commission requested them to change the date of the examination following the election.

The examinations under the general education board will begin at 10am in the first shift while that of the second shift at 2pm on June 12.

Earlier, May 22s HSC examination was shifted to May 27 following cyclone Roanu that hit the countrys coastal districts on May 21. UNB, Dhaka.
Corruption scandal throws Brazils interim govt into disarray

AFP, Brasilia :

Acting Brazilian president Michel Temer's government faced its first major crisis Monday when a key minister stepped aside following a leaked recording in which he appears to discuss using Dilma Rousseff's impeachment to derail a huge corruption probe.

Planning Minister Romero Juca said in a hurried appearance before television cameras that he would step aside from Tuesday. Although he did not resign, he was not expected to return, the Globo news site reported, quoting sources close to Temer.

The scandal threatened Temer just 11 days after taking power from Rousseff, whom the Senate suspended from the presidency on May 12 at the start of an impeachment trial on charges of breaking government accounting rules.

Juca, who is Temer's right-hand man, had been due to help lead the team asking Congress to approve urgent-and potentially controversial-measures aimed at pulling Brazil out of recession. He said he would return to his seat in the Senate instead.

The Folha newspaper released what it said were recordings of conversations in March between Juca and Sergio Machado, a former oil executive. The recordings were allegedly made secretly by Machado who, like Juca, is the target of a probe into massive embezzlement centered on state oil company Petrobras.

In the conversations, Juca is heard calling for a "national pact" that he appears to suggest would stop the probe, known as Operation Car Wash, in which dozens of top-ranking politicians from a variety of parties, as well as business executives, have been charged or already convicted for involvement in the Petrobras scheme.

In comments immediately taken up by Rousseff and her supporters as evidence for her claim that the impeachment process is a coup in disguise, Juca says: "We need to change the government to stop this bleeding."

"I am talking to the generals, the military commanders. They are fine with this, they said they will guarantee it," he says.

He also says that he has been clearing his plans with justices on the Supreme Court, which oversees impeachment proceedings.




JAMALPUR: A reception programme was held for meritorious students who obtained GPA 5 in SSC examination at Melandah Upazila recently.
Nazrul : Protagonist of universal humanism

M.Mizanur Rahman :

Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976) was one of the great exponents for the freedom of human spirit having the outstanding expressive quality of love for humanity in the realm of his poetical works. He is the National Poet of Bangladesh. His eminence for universal love for humanity in literary works has been far-reaching beyond the periphery of our boundary as one of the greatest poets of the world. He spread his humanitarian thoughts far and wide. He was violently rebellious against the ills of society in the then colonial unjust governance and illogical so-called religious traditions and its hegemonistic parochialism. Consequentially his love for humanity is based on social, political and economic equality free from all sorts of want and slavery. He is rebellious against the unjust and the tyrant. But his soft heart in the core is full of sweet and sublime notes of music and songs. Like William Shakespeare's (1564-1616) famous lines as follows where Nazrul could be singled out :

"Not marble, not the gilded monuments

Of princes, shall outlive his powerful rime;

But you shall shine more bright in these contents

Than un-swept stone besmeared with sluttish time"

Nazrul's genius beside Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) like a comet brought about a new era of revolution in Bengali literature swaying the most powerful British imperialistic colonial rule so vehemently that his predecessors could not but wonder. He fought the imperialists by his rebellious pen and won Independence for the distressed masses of people. His poem 'The Rebel' is unmatched and unparalleled along with other fiery poems of 'Agni-Vina' 'Bisher banshi' and songs 'Bhangar Gaan', etc. He was not only a great poet but also a great journalist of his age. He edited 'Dhumketu' (The Comet), through which he inspired the dormant people and awakened them. He could voice here the voice of freedom very highly in a mode of Declaration:

"We do not want autonomy. We want complete Independence. Not a single thing of India shall remain under the foreign domination. The responsibility of ruling India and safeguarding its freedom will be in the hands of the Indians alone."

Subsequently he edited the 'Langol' (The Plough) which became the mouthpiece of the Indian proletariat. He believed in Islamic socio-economic equity and equality discarding capitalistic exploitation of the poor.

Each fiery and revolutionary poem of Kazi Nazrul Islam inspired and imbibed the revolutionaries like Jugantor created havoc for the imperialistic colonial rule in India. 'British Raj' reacted and proscribed works of Nazrul one after another. Even the poet was languished in jail for his rebellious writing but he was firm to advocate voice of truth fearlessly and undauntedly.

Nazrul proclaimed freedom from human slavery and chains professing equal rights of all mankind and synchronizing human race into a single entity as enunciated in Islam. He opined in his poem 'Coolee' (The Laborer)

"Let men of all ages and times

From every race and country

Unite and set together

And hear the song of unity.

Today let us all be equal and free'

If anyone of us is hurt

Let us all feel the pain in equal degree.

Let the disgrace of one be considered a shame

to the whole of mankind." (Tr. Sajed Kamal)

Nazrul felt that human values must be appreciated equally without any distinction. All evil desires of the crooked elements among the human beings must be nipped into the bud. So he said,

"No dirty, greedy and voluptuous ones

should have any place on this sacred earth.

This garbage must have to be burnt into ashes

in the oven of the hell."

Basically Nazrul never put himself on rest on any political ideology except the ideology of social and economic equality for mankind as enunciated in Islam. So he is frank and candid about the aim in life :

"I do not understand any 'ism of any politics

What I know and believe is love of one Allah for all.

Those who preach distinctions between the humankind are but

the agents of devil Satan that must fall.

Now their days are numbered." Tr. By M.Mizanur Rahman

As a matter of fact Nazrul could track the philosophy of the religion of Islam which always prefers social and economic equality between human beings irrespective of their ritual creeds to diplomacy of politics. Here Nazrul is absolutely non-communal personality who sang of inalienable victory of humanity in his poetical works 'Samyabadi' (equality)'.

Now a phrase 'Poverty Alleviation' is on the run. It can never be achieved unless economic equality is restored fully in human society which is the basic principle of Islam. It is obviously reasonable that man cannot live by bread alone but his thoughts must be construed to benefits of mankind also. Otherwise the devils of lust, greed, and avarice will eat out the vitals of humanity.

That is what happening throughout the world where the true poet puts the standard of protest to awaken the distressed people in the truest sense of the terms. Man is fighting for existence. But death caused by man against man is barbarous and the worst. Human qualities are supposed to be beneficial to human kind.

Nazrul is confident of unequivocal coherent identity of mankind irrespective of religious differences and cultural diversities due to age-old customs and traditions. The oneness of human identity is already acknowledged by Islam earlier. Hence Nazrul's poem 'Man' is required to be adjudged to that extent without any distinction or discrimination.

"I sing of equality-

There's nothing greater and nobler than the human.

Beyond all differences between countries and its people

Beyond all sorts of nationalities, beyond all sects of faiths

In all countries, in all times, let there be perfect human relation."

*(Allah is, in each room, related to everyone without distinction.) (Equality of the human- Tr. M.M.Rahman)

According to Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)-

"The sea has fish for every man.

Every blade of grass has its share of dew.

The longest day must have its end.

Man's life? A candle in the wind, hour-frost on stone.

Nothing more certain than death

and nothing more uncertain than the hour."

Our life is sustainable to economic liberty but our moral aspects of life are absolutely desirable to us. So what Sandburg philosophised life before us with acute perceptions?

"Money is power: So said one.

Money is cushion : So said another.

Money is the root of all evil : So said still another.

Money means freedom : So runs an old saying.

And money is all of these- and more.

Money pays whatever you want - if you have the money.

Money buys food, clothes houses, land, guns, jewels,

men, women, time to be lazy

and listen to music.

Money buys everything except love,

personality, freedom, immortality,

silence and peace."

Nazrul understood all these phenomena of money in life and he himself became truly a love-lorn bohemian poet dedicated to universal humanism in lyrical romance of poetry of life. Accordingly he presented us a few thousand romantic love-songs, be they liberal or devotional or rebellious. Let me entertain a few of them to my readers rendered into English by me :

What do you look for the endless sky?

That far-away God is with you at your home.

At times, she pats you at her lap as a Mother

While as a Father He keeps you abreast

and becomes the dearest friend

always giving himself up.

O blind mind, what makes you travel abroad as a pilgrim

and for which shrine?

Open your eyes and throw light around you.

You see Him smiling. It appears illusive.

He is an image of every shadow.

In different forms, in the guise of friend or foe, He comes quietly,

quietly to you.

In various names He calls you

And He calls you in various names.

2.

Your mind reflects in the mirror of the sky.

What an illusion for you O wayfarer Baul?

With the song of the lightning

the boat of my mind fares

along with the tide of the river.

What does lightning speak to the bewildered air

on the North-Western end of the sky?

The madness of the water heaves abreast you

and takes away your every trifle.

Don't mind, keep everything away

and come with me on my way.

3.

After your name I become baul on the dusty way.

Lord Sham, in my one-string music your song is attuned.

Now I put out the lamp of my room for you are with me

and wherever I go my Brojodham is there

under the shady groves of the banyan tree.

You took my worries away, the begging-pot I bear.

Do you fill there your love I desire?

4.

Brother, I am a mad baul. My temple is my body.

My Allah does not stay away from me.

He remains in the core of my soul.

In weal and woe He is with me.

My love and adoration stand for Him.

I salute Him.

As a matter of fact, Nazrul is the poet of mankind. He believed in the solidarity of humanity irrespective of different faiths in vogue. He believed in the equality of human beings irrespective of color or creed. His ideals in poems and songs adhere to peaceful abodes with social and economic equality for each one living on earth.

*Allah is related to each human being without any distinction.



(M. Mizanur Rahman is a poet, essayist, translator, and columnist.)
Nazrul's rebellion

Nazrul left the army in 1920 and settled in Kolkata, which was then the Cultural capital of India (it had ceased to be the political capital in 1911). He joined the staff of the 'Bangiya Mussalman Sahitya Samiti' (Bengali Muslim Literary Society) and roomed at 32 College Street with colleagues. He published his first novel Bandhan-hara (Freedom from bondage) in 1920, which he kept working on over the next seven years. His first collection of poems included Bodhon, Shat-il-Arab, Kheya-parer Toroni and Badal Prater Shorab. Both works received critical acclaim, giving the young poet his first taste of fame.

Working at the literary society, Nazrul grew close to a rising generation of Muslim writers including Mohammad Mozammel Haq, Afzalul Haq, Kazi Abdul Wadud and Muhammad Shahidullah. He was regular at clubs for Calcutta's writers, poets and intellectuals like the Gajendar Adda and the Bharatiya Adda. In October 1921, Nazrul went to Santiniketan with Muhammad Shahidullah and met Rabindranath Tagore. Despite many differences, Nazrul looked to Tagore as a mentor and the two remained in close association.

Nazrul catapulted to fame with the publication of Bidrohi in 1922, which remains his most famous work. At the time of publication, no other poem since Tagore's 'Shonar tori' had met with such spontaneous acclaim and criticism for its radical approach. Set in a heroic meter, this long poem invokes images from Hindu, Muslim and Greek mythology. Nazrul won admiration of India's literary classes by his description of the rebel whose impact is fierce and ruthless even as its spirit is deep :

I am the unutterable grief,

I am the trembling first touch of the virgin,

I am the throbbing tenderness of her first stolen kiss.

I am the fleeting glace of the veiled beloved,

I am her constant surreptitious gaze.



I am the burning volcano in the bosom of the earth,

I am the wild fire of the woods,

I am Hell's mad terrific sea of wrath!

I ride on the wings of the lightning with joy and profound,

I scatter misery and fear all around,

I bring earth-quakes on this world!

I am the rebel eternal,

I raise my head beyond this world,

High, ever erect and alone! (English translation by Kabir Choudhary)

Published in the 'Bijli' magazine, the poem caused a popular sensation. Nazrul stormed into Tagore's residence, jokingly declaring "Gurudev, I have come to kill you off." The rebellious language and theme found resonance with public consciousness of the time, which correlated with the Non-cooperation Movement - the first, mass nationalist campaign of civil disobedience against British rule. Nazrul explores a synthesis of different forces in a rebel, destroyer and preserver, expressing rage as well as beauty and sensitivity. Nazrul followed up by writing Pralayollas (Destructive Euphoria), and his first anthology of poems, the Agniveena (Lyre of Fire) in 1922, which enjoyed astounding and far-reaching success. He also published his first volume of short stories, the Byethar Dan (Gift of Sorrow) and Yugbani, an anthology of essays.

Nazrul started a bi-weekly magazine, publishing the first Dhumketu on August 12, 1922. Earning the moniker of the rebel poet, Nazrul also aroused the suspicion of British authorities. A political poem published in Dhumketu in September 1922 led to a police raid on the magazine's office. Arrested, Nazrul entered a lengthy plea before the judge in the court:

"I have been accused of sedition. That is why I am now confined in the prison. On the one side is the crown, on the other the flames of the comet. One is the king, sceptre in hand; the other Truth worth the mace of justice. To plead for me, the King of all kings, the Judge of all Judges, the Eternal Truth the living God. His laws emerged out of the realisation of a universal truth about mankind. They are for and by a sovereign God. The king is supported by an infinitesimal creature; I by its Eternal and Indivisible Creator. I am a poet; I have been sent by God to express the unexpressed, to portray the unportrayed. It is God Who is heard through the voice of the poet. My voice is but a medium for Truth, the message of God. I am the instrument of that eternal self-evident truth, an instrument that voices forth the message of the ever-true. I am an instrument of God. The instrument is not unbreakable, but who is there to break God?"

On April 14, 1923 he was transferred from the jail in Alipore to Hooghly in Kolkata, he began a 40-day fast to protest mistreatment by the British jail superintendent. Nazrul broke his fast more than a month later and was eventually released from prison in December 1923. Nazrul composed a large number of poems and songs during the period of imprisonment and some of his works were banned in the 1920s by the British authorities.

Kazi Nazrul Islam became a critic of the Khilafat Movement, condemning it as hollow, religious fundamentalism even as thousands of Muslims agitated for it. While explicitly avowing his affinity to Islam, and calling for upholding Islam for its universalistic essence, values and spirit, he believed that some practices and religious conservatism were hurting Indian Muslims as well as the Muslim world, and keeping them backward, intensifying social and sectarian challenges. Nazrul also criticised the Indian National Congress for not embracing outright political independence from the British Empire.

Nevertheless, he became active in encouraging people to agitate against British rule, and joined the Bengal state unit of the Congress. Nazrul also helped organize the Sramik Praja Swaraj Dal, a political party committed to national independence and the service of the peasant masses.

On December 16, 1925 Nazrul started publishing the weekly Langal, with himself as Chief Editor. The Langal was the mouthpiece of the Sramik Praja Swaraj Dal.

Nazrul's married life with Nargis of Daulatpur, Comilla could not continue from the very beginning for unavoidable reasons. It was during his visit to Comilla in 1921, that Nazrul met a young Hindu woman, Pramila Devi. The two maintained regular correspondence. Falling in love, they married on April 25, 1924.

Pramila belonged to the Brahmo Samaj, which criticized her marriage to a Muslim. Nazrul in turn was condemned by Muslim religious leaders and continued to face criticism for his personal life and professional works. Nazrul's works condemned social and religious dogma and intolerance. His poems also spoke in philosophical terms of romantic love, and the complete equality of men and women, and criticising the social and religious traditions of the time that ruled otherwise. Nazrul came to identify the spirit of his thoughts and works as inherently rebellious :

Weary of struggles, I, the great rebel,

Shall rest in quiet only when I find

The sky and the air free of the piteous groans of the oppressed.

Only when the battle fields are cleared of jingling bloody sabres

Shall I, weary of struggles, rest in quiet,

I the great rebel.

(abridged)

-New World Encyclopedia -
SWIFT to unveil new security plan in the wake of BB heist

ZDNet :

The SWIFT secure messaging service that underpins international banking says it plans to launch a new security program as it fights to rebuild its reputation in the wake of the Bangladesh Bank heist.

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication's (SWIFT) chief executive, Gottfried Leibbrandt, is expected to tell a financial services conference in Brussels that SWIFT will launch a five-point plan later this week. SWIFT is a Belgium-based co-operative which is owned by its users, with banks around the world sending payment instructions to one another via SWIFT messages.

In February, the SWIFT system of the Bangladesh central bank was hacked into, with thieves sending messages to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that allowed them to steal $81 million. After learning how the organisation worked, the group of cyberattackers stole the Bangladeshi bank's SWIFT code and made a series of transaction requests for cash to be sent from the country's New York-based account to entities across Asia, mainly the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The group had installed malware in systems at the banks' Dharka headquarters, which allowed them to spend several weeks spying upon the bank's systems and processes.

The breach was uncovered by accident, with an alert only raised as a result of a small spelling error on one of the transactions which blocked other queries that had not yet been processed.

It emerged last week that those behind the heist actually targeted the computer of a Bangladeshi official to conduct the theft. The attack follows a similar but little noticed theft from Banco del Austro in Ecuador last year that netted thieves more than $12 million, as well as a previously undisclosed attack on Vietnam's Tien Phong Bank that was not successful. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that SWIFT was never told of the Ecuador attack. "We need to be informed by customers of such frauds if they relate to our products and services, so that we can inform and support the wider community," spokeswoman for Swift, Natasha de Teran said. "We have been in touch with the bank concerned to get more information and are reminding customers of their obligations to share such information with us." The crimes have dented the banking industry's faith in SWIFT, with Leibbrandt expected to say in his address that the Bangladesh Bank hack was a "watershed event for the banking industry". "There will be a before and an after Bangladesh. The Bangladesh fraud is not an isolated incident ... this is a big deal. And it gets to the heart of banking." SWIFT wants banks to "drastically" improve information sharing, to toughen up security procedures around SWIFT, and to increase their use of software that could spot fraudulent payments. "SWIFT will continue to notify you as soon as possible of any cases of malware known to us so that you can better target your preventative and detective efforts in your local environment," the society said in a statement Friday.



"We will also continue to share best practices to help all our users improve their security as we have been doing very proactively over recent months. We are currently working to further reinforce our support to customers in securing their access to the SWIFT network; we are receiving feedback from the relevant board committee and overseers in the coming days and will be sharing plans with the wider community." SWIFT is also expected to provide tighter guidelines that auditors and regulators can use to assess whether banks' SWIFT security procedures are good enough. Some finance industry executives say SWIFT has not been as active as it should be in improving security, with some saying SWIFT should also be more active in auditing clients and be ready to cut off members whose security is not up to scratch. Users frequently do not inform SWIFT of breaches of their SWIFT systems and even now, the co-operative has not proposed any sanctions for clients who fail to pass on information, which SWIFT itself says is key to stopping future attacks. But the messaging service says other authorities also have a role, with Leibbrandt expected to support the service, saying SWIFT is not all-powerful, that it is not a regulator, and that it is also not a policeman. To improve information sharing, as a first step, SWIFT said it will be centralising all new and existing security information through KB tip 5020928 in the restricted customer section on its SWIFT.com site. "Going forward, all new and relevant information related to cyber incidents at customers' institutions known to us will be posted on that KB tip, allowing your security team to have the most up to date information, which should enhance their ability to react and respond," SWIFT said.

Former SWIFT chief executive Leonard Schrank said it appeared that SWIFT's security efforts had not kept pace with the criminals' increased sophistication and the co-operative needed to work hard to restore its reputation. A small portion of the stolen funds have been recovered, but Bangladesh officials are still considering the prospect of taking the US financial system to court to recover the remainder.

According to local media, Bangladesh's Finance Minister AMA Muhith said previously that his government would launch a lawsuit against the US bank, which denied responsibility over the lost funds.

"We've heard that Federal Reserve Bank of New York has completely denied their responsibility. They don't have any right," Muhith told reporters in Dhaka. "Of course, we'll file a case against them. We have kept the money with them. They are responsible," he said, when asked what action his government would take against the bank.




Readers Forum

Where money dictates terms :

This is in reference to the above titled article, published in an English daily (Not The New Nation) on May 17, 2016. The report stated the horrific conditions prevailing in the Dhaka Central Jail. The jail staff and thugs there forcibly collect money for food, sleeping space, meetings with family members, toilets with water etc. It is also alarming and shameful that prison officials and the jailor are denying these allegations that are in plain sight.

Prisons are supposed to be correction centres for convicts. What can be worse that finding that jail authorities are involved in such criminal practices?



Md. Abdul Halim

Sirajganj
Corruption in Hajj management

IN the last hajj season, Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) - which is the apex body of the hajj agencies sending pilgrims to Mecca, borrowed fund from the government to deposit fees for an additional 5,000 pilgrims. But it has only partly repaid the fund and used fictitious statements to keep away from making the remaining payment.

Media report said the government is going to take legal action against HAAB for alleged gross irregularities and large-scale financial misappropriation. We feel very sad that people engaged in sending people to annual sacred hajj are resorting to various blackmails and swindling of government fund is not even spared. Such deceitful activities of HAAB are not acceptable and legal actions and punishment of perpetrators are totally justified. But what we want to add here is that the government officials handling the hajj management and associating with such financial frauds should also be charged without respite.

HAAB borrowed Tk 33.38 crore from the government to deposit additional fees for additional pilgrims but it reportedly refunded Tk 16.68 crore to the Ministry of Religious Affairs. But its expenditure statement showed Tk 27.33 crore being paid without mentioning the remaining Tk 6.05 crore. Moreover, HAAB reportedly sent 2,200 extra pilgrims instead of 5,000. It is alleged that during the pilgrims' registration process, HAAB officials have realized extra fees but the money in most cases was not deposited in the government fund; which was supposed to be adjusted against the loan. However surprisingly the files containing documents of the extra pilgrims and financial irregularities disappeared from the office of the Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in March this year showing the hush up.

It is an open secret that innocent pilgrims are routinely subjected to extortion and cheating; which they tolerate only because they want to perform the hajj. But it is quite unacceptable that dishonest people and their agents should held the hajj management hostage in their hands with support from a vested quarter of ruling party politicians as it also happened in the past. What is shocking is that concerned government officials have also joined hands in the mischief. Thus the sacred religious journey to many is now a lucrative business to others. It has now reached to the point where government fund is exploited and then robbed as the latest situation showed.

In our view this cartel must be nabbed and put on trial. It is important not only to recover the government fund but also to rescue the hajj management from the hands of the dishonest fortune seekers which has now assumed an endemic form.


Educationist passes away

City Desk :

Prof. A.B.M. Abul Quashem, former Joint Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh and Member of the Board of Trustees of Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT), died from old age complications in a city hospital on Tuesday. He was 68.

He left behind his wife, three sons, one daughter and a host of relatives and admirers.

Prof. Abul Quashem served as a government college teacher from 1976-1984. Then he joined Admin service of the Government of Bangladesh in 1985 and retired in 2006 as a Joint Secretary of the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance.

He was the Vice Principal of Dhaka Commerce College, former Senate Member of Dhaka University and also the Vice Principal of New Model Degree College, Dhaka before joining Govt college.

BUBT expressed deep condolence at his death and prayed for the salvation of the departed soul.

His Namaz-e-Janaza was held at Dhaka Commerce College premises after Zohr prayer on Tuesday. BUBT Trustee Board Chairman and its members, BUBT Vice-Chancellor Prof. Md. Abu Saleh, teachers, officers and employees were present at the Namaz-e-Janaza. He was buried at his family graveyard in Noakhali.
Mithila`s four plays in Eid

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :Viewers choice popular TV actress and model Mithila last worked in Eid play in 2015. She has already passed one year without acting in any play. Due to her professional engagement she even did not act in any special days plays. Now Mithila has been working as Education Programme Manager at BRAC International. Her all engagements are now with job and only daughter Ayra. Despite having busy times with job this year Mithila will work in four plays on the occasion of coming Eid-ul-Fitr. Shihab Shahin, Tanim Rahman Angshu, Mabrur Rashid Bannah and Mizanur Rahman Arian will make these plays. Apurbo, Tahsan and Jon will perform against her in these plays, Mithila said.Basically through Mabrur Rashid Bannahs play Mithila is returning to acting. Meanwhile, today is Mithilas birthday. She has no specific plan to celebrate her birthday because she has to be engaged with official duties today. While talking about to work in Eid plays Mithila told this correspondent, To keep requests from the directors and to honour the viewers wishes I will work in four plays in Eid-ul-Fitr. Stories of all these plays are nice. Today is my birthday. To celebrate the day, I have no plan. After office works I will pass time with my sonamoni. Everybody pray for me, my daughter and family.Mithila is now doing her second masters. Earlier she completed her first masters from Dhaka University in Political Science. Mithila informed that now she is also doing her second masters in Early Child Development from BRAC University. In the context of Bangladesh, it is a new subject. For this reason, she is showing keen interest to complete the degree in this subject. She has completed the courses except waiting to submit thesis paper.In last Eid, Mithila acted in Imraul Rafats play Abaro Devdas, Sitars Selfiebad and Mabrur Rashid Bannahs Cry Baby Cry.
SC upholds directives on arrest, quizzing

Lawyers welcome judgement: Govt to follow guidelines

Staff Reporter :The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a High Court directive that asked for reform of the provisions of arrest without warrant and interrogation on remand Under Sections 54 and 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).It rejected the appeal filed by the state against a HC order that had issued some directives on the sections 54 and 167 of the CrPC, which allows law enforcers to arrest people without any warrant and grill them in custody, respectively.The appeal court said that it would give a guideline on how to apply these two sections (54 and 167). A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the short order, saying the appeal is dismissed but there would be some modifications. The Appellate Division also upheld the 15 directives of the High Court. It also said sections 54 and 67 of the CrPC are contradictory with sections 31, 33, 35.Talking to journalists at the court premises, senior jurist Dr Kamal Hossain said the Appellate Division just upheld the 15-point directive issued earlier by the High Court on arrest Under the Section 54 and remand Under Section 167 of the CrPC. "It seems we are entering the 21st Century from the 19th Century. We would know about it in details once the full judgement is released," he said. Barrister Sara Hossain, a lawyer of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), said the court rejected the appeal of the state and will issue some guidelines in the full judgment."It (judgment) has given the (High Court) instruction a binding effect," she said.Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, another senior lawyer talking to journalists at the court premises said, the Appellate Division never stayed the 15-point directive of the High Court. "After the dismissal of the state appeal, now it becomes the duty of the law enforcement agencies to obey those directives. They have to do this for the sake of rule of law," he said. Eminent lawyer Swadhin Malik termed the verdict as 'welcome judgement' saying, this judgement affirms our development into a middle-income country."The difference between a least developed country and a middle-income country is that law enforcing agencies abide by law. This judgement direct law enforcing agencies to operate within law while arresting or interrogating on remand," in his instant reaction he told The New Nation yesterday afternoon. Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in his instant reaction on Tuesday said action will be taken upon abuse of Section 54 of the CrPC.He urged the law enforcement agencies to follow the HC order during arrest and interrogation under the Sections 54 and 167 of the CrPC."There is no chance to misuse the law. If anyone misuses the law, we will take departmental action against them. Every person has to follow the directives of the apex court," he told this to journalists at his secretariat office.He said after receiving the copy of the judgment, we will follow the guidelines. "The law enforcement agencies will have to follow the rules while they will arrest someone or put them on remand Under the Sections 54 and 167 of the CrPC," Asaduzzaman said. Responding to a question that the law enforcement agencies did not follow the guidelines, the Home Minister said this is not correct. He said order has been given to the plainclothes police to use ID cards while they will conduct drive for an arrest.Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said after obtaining full verdict the government will take the next step."In line with present social situation, the court will give its judgement," he told journalists. The 15 directives are: 1. Police must not arrest anyone Under the Section 54 to put him/her into detention; 2. Police shall show their identity cards while arresting the person; 3. Police shall write down the reason behind the arrest on a separate document; 4. If police finds injury marks on the body of an arrestee, they must write down the cause of that mark and take him to hospital for treatment and must bring doctors certificate; 5. Police have to inform the arrestee the reason for his/her arrest within three hours of his detention;6. They must inform relatives of a person arrested anywhere outside his/her house or workplace within an hour of the arrest through telephone or a messenger; 7. The detainee shall be allowed to meet and consult lawyers of his/her choice and relatives for legal assistance; 8. If law enforcers want to quiz the person in custody for the second time, they must need to take permission from a magistrate and the interrogation must take place in a glass-made room inside the prison; relatives and lawyers of the detainee can be present outside the room; 9. The detainee must be checked by a doctor before and after the interrogation; 10. If necessary information is not found during interrogation in jail, the investigation officer, with the permission from the magistrate, can interrogate the detainee maximum three days in police custody; 11. The detainee shall be examined by a physician before and after the interrogation; 12. If the detainee alleges physical torture during interrogation, the magistrate shall form a Medical Board to check his/her health condition. If the allegation is found to be true, the magistrate shall take action against the law enforcers responsible Under the Section 330 of the CrPC.13. If the arrestee dies in police custody or in jail, the matter shall be informed to a magistrate instantly; 14. Magistrate shall order investigation into the death in police or jail custody and an autopsy shall be conducted on the body; 15. If the probe finds that a person really died in police or jail custody, then the magistrate acting on the allegation lodged by the relatives of the dead, shall order investigation.On May 17, the Supreme Court observed that any arrest by law enforcers in plainclothes is alarming, saying the law enforcers will have to be in uniform while arresting anyone.On that day the apex court set Tuesday (May 24) to pass its order in the matters after concluding hearing from both the state and the petitioner. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and additional attorney general Murad Reza moved for the state appeal at the court.Earlier on March 22, the Supreme Court started hearing the petition filed by the state against the High Court order. On January 20, the Appellate Division asked the government what steps had been taken regarding the HC guideline. It also directed the government to submit a progress report in this regard. It may be mentioned that in 2004, the then four-party alliance government filed an appeal against the HC verdict. In 1998, Assistant Commissioner Akram Hossain of the Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Shamim Reza, a student of Independent University, under section 54 of the CrPC. The student died in police custody later.As BLAST filed a writ petition with the High Court in 2003, the court asked the government to take steps to amend the relevant sections of the CrPC. It also gave 15 directives for amending it.
More lives lost as polls day comes near

Sagar Biswas :

Use of lethal weapons and muscle power by the ruling party men have been increasing day by day also making the situation worse ahead of the fifth phase election in 733 Union Parishads scheduled on Saturday.

Especially, the alleged abuses of administrative power in favour of Awami League-backed candidates along with gross violation of electoral code in different unions have made the election procedures apparently farce and useless.

Although the candidates of more than 300 UPs have lodged their complaints about the electoral irregularities and other unlawful activities committed by the ruling party men, the Election Commission did not pay any heed to the burning issue.

At least 85 people have so far been killed and over 3,000 received injuries in clashes across the country in the previous phases of UP polls that started on March 22.

At the same time, the election was also marred by fake voting, massive vote rigging and ballot stuffing by ruling party cadres with the alleged cooperation of law enforcement agencies and relaxed mood of Election Commission.

In the wake of fresh violence, at least four persons were killed and fifty others injured in fierce clashes between the supporters of 'chairman' and 'member' rival candidates in Chittagong, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Munshiganj in a span of 36 hours ending on Tuesday afternoon, police and local sources said. The victims were identified as Mohammad Mohsin, 36, son of Ramzan Ali of Islampur union under Rangunia upazila in Chittagong, Mohammad Hanif, 26, son of Nuru Miah of Hosendi union in Munshiganj, Rakib Mia, 32, son of Masaddar Ali of Ekrai village under Osmani Nagar upazila in Sylhet and Emdadul Haq, 28, son of Kelo Munshi, hailed from Baduarchar of Sadar thana in Narsingdi. According to information received in Dhaka, the clash that erupted between the supporters of Awami League-backed contender and party's rebel candidate claimed life of Mohammad Mohsin in Chittagong early yesterday.

"Mohsin, a supporter of Awami League rebel candidate, was chopped to death by the miscreants near Khatib Nagar masque. Police recovered some posters and leaflets of rebel candidates from the body," Md Shamshul Haq, Sub Inspector of Ranihat Police outpost, said.

In a sensational incident, Mohammad Hanif, a local leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League, was allegedly killed by a local Awami League leader during a clash in Munshiganj on Monday night. The bullet-hit BCL leader was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at about 11:00pm. Ten other persons were also injuries during the gun battle.

Besides, Rakib Mia was killed as rival supporters of a 'member' candidate attacked him in an ambush when he was returning home after distributing leaflets in favour of another 'member' candidate at Osmani Nagar in Sylhet.

In another incident, the assailants slaughtered Emdadul Haq in the small hours of Tuesday when he was returning home after attending campaign of a 'chairman' candidate at Baduar Char village. "We're trying to nab the killers. The reason behind the murder might be a sequel over electoral campaign," Sub Inspector, Sadar model Police Station, said.


Govt creating ficticious story about BNP

DB Police arrested five youths, allegedly involved in killing of AGm Monir of Saiham Group in city\'s Khilgaon on Tuesday.

Staff Reporter :

The BNP on Tuesday alleged, the government has been creating ficticious stories about BNP's Israeli connection by arresting the party's one of the Joint Secretary General Aslam Chowdhury.

"They have brought the allegation of BNP's so-called Israel connection just to play political game by using the people's anti-Israel sentiments," said the BNP's Senior Joint- Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference in the party's Nayapaltan office. The party again denies the Israel connection and calls it ridiculous.

Rizvi said also that the ruling party was playing religious cards against the BNP and the people. "The government can be Islamic or secular or atheist, in order to fulfill its will," Rizvi said.

"These are they, who removed Allah's name from the Constitution. Now they are creating fiction about Aslam Chowdhury. People know they are staging drama to win their support," he added.

Rizvi also said, the people feel jokes about the ruling party leaders' call to start movement against BNP for the Israel connection.

The ruling party leaders claimed that Aslam was part of the BNP's plan to hatch a conspiracy with Israel and its spy agency Mossad to oust the Sheikh Hasina government.

The BNP leader also said, the government is preparing a draft of new law with the view to control NGOs and charitable organizations after bringing the media into pocket.

"The government is bringing a new bill in Parliament to control foreign aid basis voluntary works. Their aim is to stop all voice against them," Rizvi alleged.

"The government can continue their reckless corruptions, looting and autocracy by making such laws."

He also accused the ruling party of continuously engineering terrorist attacks against the opposition parties ahead of the last two phases of union parishad polls across the country.

BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, central leader Syed Emran Saleh Prince and Abdul Awal Khan Mintu, among others, were present in the briefing.


Youth shot dead in Munshiganj

UNB, Munshiganj :

A young man was shot to death by miscreants at Laskardi village in Gazaria upazila on Monday night.

The deceased was identified as Mohammad Hanif,30, son of late Naju of the village.

Hedayetul Islam, officer-in-charge of Gazaria Police

Station, said a gang of miscreants opened fire at an election camp of Awami League-backed candidate Manirul Islam Mintu in the area at about 9:00 pm and fled the scene, leaving Hanif injured. Later, he was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injures at about 10:30pm.
Poet Nazrul`s birth anniv today

UNB, Dhaka :The 117th birth anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam will be celebrated across the country today (Wednesday).Born on May 25, 1899 at village Churulia in Burdwan district of West Bengal in India, Nazrul through his fiery poems had inspired people to fight against injustice andrepression of the colonial rule. Different eminent personalities, politicians, academicians, cultural personalities, family members of the poet, poetry lovers and people in general will pay homage to the 'rebel poet' at his grave on the Dhaka University (DU) premises in the morning. Different organizations, including the DU and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, have taken various programmes like seminar, discussion and cultural events on the occasion.DU teachers, students, officials and employees, led by its Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, will gather at Aparajeya Bangla at 9:30am. Later, they will march towards the Mazar of Nazrul in a procession where the DU VC, on behalf of the university, will show respect to him by placing a wreath at his grave.A discussion meeting will be held at RC Majumdar Arts Auditorium on the campus at 11am.Nazrul Academy has arranged a four-day programme on the occasion beginning on Tuesday at its Moghbazar office. An evening of recitation and songs by Khilkhil Kazi and Salauddin Ahmed will be held at 6:30pm on Friday at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) in Dhaka. Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages highlighting the colourful life of the poet and his contributions to Bangla language and literature. In his message, the President said, "Nazrul's write-ups inspired us to join all democratic movements and battles, including the anti-British movement, the Language Movement, the mass upsurge in 1969, and the Liberation War." He expressed his belief that the new generation will enrich themselves through practising Nazrul ideals, and play a meaningful role in building a happy and prosperous 'Golden Bangla' with their patriotism, sincerity and honesty.
PM leaves for Japan tomorrow

UNB, Dhaka :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves here for Japan on Thursday morning to attend the 'G7 Outreach Programme' that begins at Ise-Shima, the holiest place in all of Japan's thousands of shrines, on the same day.

Bangladesh is giving 'high importance' to the visit as Prime Minister is

likely to have a number of meetings with G7 leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.

Members of the G7, established to facilitate economic cooperation among the world's largest industrial nations, are Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the United States. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will brief the media on Prime Minister's visit to Japan on Wednesday afternoon, said an official at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. The Prime Minister is scheduled to return home on May 30 after her four-day visit to Japan. Heads of state and government of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are also invited to the outreach meeting. Hasina also attended a similar event held in Italy in 2001.
Attacks on innocents are assaults against BD's freedom: UK

UNB, Dhaka :

British High Commissioner in Dhaka Alison Blake has said the attacks on innocent inhabitants of Bangladesh, including bloggers, foreigners, human rights activists and civil society figures, religious and other minorities, are assaults against its hard-won freedom.

"Today, we remember Nazrul's works and life and the value of tolerance, inclusion, justice, and diversity," the High Commissioner said in statement on Tuesday to mark the 117th birth anniversary of Bangladesh National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. This is the first-ever statement from any British diplomat in Dhaka ahead of Nazrul's birth anniversary.

Blake, however, said Bangladesh is rightly proud of its great traditions and its rich cultural heritage.

She quoted a few lines form the poem 'Manush' (Human Being) and said 'Gahi shammyer gaan, Manusher cheye boro kichu nai, Nohe kichu mohian' (I sing of equality, nothing is greater than human kind, there is nothing nobler than humanity).

The British High Commissioner said this week Bangladesh celebrates the birth of its National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, better known as 'Rebel Poet'.

She said, 117 years after his birth Nazrul's writings remain works of great literature with significance for all. "As the poet himself wrote, 'I don't belong to just this country, this society. I belong to the world."

Blake mentioned that Bangladesh was born as a result of a struggle against intolerance and exclusion.

"Nazrul's works have inspired generations to pursue freedom and equality. He was writing before the adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with its statement that 'all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," she said. The British diplomat mentioned that Nazrul gave powerful voice to a passionate belief that every person has the right to realise their full potentials, free of any form of discrimination.

"One of Nazrul's great works is the poem 'Nari' (Women), condemning discrimination against women just because they were women; and in his other poems, Nazrul is urging an end to all forms of discrimination against people on whatever grounds," she mentioned.

The British High Commissioner thinks that Nazrul's writing is part of Bangladesh's rich culture and long tradition of harmony, inclusion, diversity and tolerance across all divides. This year's Commonwealth theme is inclusion and the values promoted by Nazrul are at the heart of the Commonwealth, she said. "Bangladesh and Britain share a set of core Commonwealth values around tolerance, inclusivity and diversity. And we share a commitment to protect and uphold human rights," Blake added.
Buet VC Khaleda Ekram dies

UNB, Dhaka :Professor Dr Khaleda Ekram, the first female Vice Chancellor (VC) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), died at a hospital in Bangkok early Tuesday. She was 66.Former dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning and head of the Department of Architecture, Khaleda Ekram breathed her last at Bangkok General Hospital around 2:05am after fighting for her life for the last 10 days, said her protocolofficer Rezaul Karim. He said the Buet VC, who had been suffering from 'non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma' a kind of cancer, was flown to Bangkok from Dhaka in the early hours of May 14. She had been on life support from May 17 as her condition seriously deteriorated.Buet Public Relations officer Shah Alam said Khaleda Ekram's family members and the Buet authorities will decide when her mortal remains will be brought back home from Bangkok.Buet authorities suspended all academic activities on Tuesday following the VC's demise.Khaleda Ekram is survived by one son, two daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn her death. Born in August 6, 1950, Dr Khaleda Ekram joined as a teacher in Buet on completion of her studies at Architecture Department of the same university.She was made Buet Vice Chancellor replacing Prof Nazrul Islam on September 11, 2014. Khaleda Ekram was the fist female VC of Buet and second one in the history of country's public university.Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their deep shocks at the death of Khaleda Ekram. The Prime Minister said the nation has lost an eminent educationist at her death.In separate condolence messages, the President and Prime Minister prayed for the eternal peace of her departed soul and conveyed their sympathies to the bereaved family members.Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had granted Tk 20 lakh from her special fund to support treatment of Dr Khaleda Ekram whose condition deteriorated fast over the past week in Bangkok.On May 11, she was admitted to Square Hospital in Dhaka after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She was flown to Bangkok by an emergency air ambulance in the early hours of May 14.
Police source hacked to death in Tongi

Staff Reporter :

A police informer was hacked to death by assailants in Tongi of Gazipur district on Tuesday

The deceased is Kutub Uddin, 32, son of Habibur Rahman, hailing from Nawabganj area of the capital.

He stayed at a rented house in Amtali area in Tongi with his wife Nasima Begum.

Kutub's paternal uncle Abdul Gofur said, "Kutub went out of the house after receiving a call over the phone around 5:30am . The locals later informed us that a group of criminalshacked Kutub at T&T Bazar and left him there."

He said that Kutub was taken to Tongi Hospital. Later he was shifted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where the duty doctor declared him dead.

Tongi Officer-in-Charge (OC) Firoz Talukdar said, that Kutub worked as a source for Tongi police.

"We have visited the spot; the culprits will soon be arrested," the police official said,

Family members have accused Anwar Hossain and Jamal Uddin for the murder.
Photo by Robin May

Joey Durel, the former three-term mayor president of Lafayette Consolidated Government, has a new gig: IberiaBanks business development officer for Lafayette. The Hub City-headquartered bank announced the hire Monday afternoon.

We are thrilled to have Joey join our team and are confident that his background in owning and managing his own business along with his extensive experience in running our city will be an asset to our Company, says Jerry Vascocu, Acadiana market president, in the press release announcing the hire. His unique experience will also add to the diversity of our team, enhance our client relationships, and help leverage our investments in Acadiana.

A graduate in business management from UL Lafayette, Durel entered Lafayettes business community through his familys pet stores and later operated several other businesses including an Arbys restaurant.

He previously served as chairman of the chamber of commerce before being elected mayor in 2003. He currently serves on the board of Lafayette Central Park and was instrumental in helping the city acquire the 100-acre Horse Farm from UL.

I have been a great fan of IberiaBank for a long time, both as a customer, and as Lafayette Mayor-President, Durel says in the release. IberiaBank is a great corporate citizen, and we always knew we could count on them for help in our community. I am especially proud to have the largest bank in the state, maintain its headquarters in Acadiana, right here in Lafayette. This job will allow me to continue to play a role on developing Acadiana, while giving me the flexibility to pursue other interests.
Too little attention has been paid to the projects substantial role in protecting our industry base and building a foundation for diversified economic growth in other sectors.

In the community discussion around the I-49 Lafayette Connector, something that receives too little attention is the projects substantial role in protecting our industry base and building a foundation for diversified economic growth in other sectors. Especially amid the current economic downturn, the Connector should be viewed as a central component of our areas economic development strategy, supported by everyone who cares about a strong economic future for Lafayette and Acadiana.

Why is the Connector so important?

First, high-quality infrastructure is one of the most important factors for economic growth and competitiveness. Site selection consultants  the professionals who guide location decisions for many businesses looking to expand  consistently rank highway accessibility as a top site selection factor for business investment and job creation.

The completion of the Connector and the rest of I-49 South  our states primary intermodal freight corridor linking ports and airports  will help attract and retain jobs, including those in sectors that One Acadiana and our partners are actively cultivating such as advanced manufacturing, food and beverage processing, and marine and heavy industries. Furthermore, with our friends in the energy industry under pressure to increase operating efficiencies, this project will strengthen Americas Energy Corridor and help solidify the industrys long-term presence in South Louisiana. Depending on how long this downturn lasts, the roughly $1 billion spent constructing the Connector will generate many jobs that could help offset losses in the oilfield, or significantly bolster the industrys recovery.

Second, a well-designed Connector, informed by the needs and aspirations of the community, has the potential to transform the Evangeline Thruway Corridor and improve conditions in Lafayettes urban core and northside neighborhoods. Leveraging this $1 billion investment with new private investment offers unparalleled opportunities to reconnect the neighborhoods divided by the Evangeline Thruway; to resurrect blighted properties and develop community assets; to reduce traffic congestion while building safe and walkable urban neighborhoods; to address unresolved environmental issues; to create a stunning, new gateway worthy of our vibrant culture; and to expand access for residents and businesses alike to jobs, health care, education, and economic opportunities. A revitalized urban core will dramatically improve our areas prospects for economic diversification in sectors such as corporate and regional support offices, software development, informatics, and other high-value services.

The community-based planning and design process for the Connector  which is still ongoing with additional opportunities for community input and refinement  has produced multiple compelling options for dramatically improving our areas transportation infrastructure and inaugurating a new era of urban revitalization. And, despite some of the headlines, Lafayette gets it: More than 80 percent of frequent voters in Lafayette Parish believe completing I-49 South through Lafayette is important based on recent poll results. While there is a small but vocal group intent on derailing this project, its clear that an overwhelming majority of engaged community members understand its importance and potential.

Moreover, its clear that we can finish the job after decades of fits and starts. Lets seize this opportunity and secure the economic future we desire.

_

Jason El Koubi is president and CEO of One Acadiana, a nine-parish economic development organization._
Keith Stutes filed suit against Lafayette Consolidated Government on May 17 seeking to force LCG to fully fund his office operations.

Photo by Robin May

Judges of the 15th Judicial District  Acadia, Lafayette and Vermilion parishes  have recused themselves from presiding over District Attorney Keith Stutes lawsuit against Lafayette Consolidated Government. The mass recusal isnt hard to understand: Stutes prosecutes cases across the districts, and hearing his suit against LCG could be seen as a conflict of interest and, in the event he is successful, grounds for appealing any judgment against local government. In addition, LCG through the council controls hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for the parish court operations via the Criminal Court Fund. The local judges, in other words, are in a tough spot with this lawsuit.

Stutes tells The IND that a judge from New Orleans might be assigned the case: I havent gotten any formal notice, he says, and I havent gotten that confirmed.

Hearings in the matter have not been scheduled.

Stutes filed suit against LCG on May 17 seeking to force consolidated government to fully fund his office operations. The DAs predecessor, Mike Harson, had made a habit of reimbursing LCG for some of the cost of assistant prosecutors salaries, but soon after taking office in January of 2015 Stutes informed local government that he viewed that practice as illegal and would end the reimbursements.

Read more about it here.
Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes.

What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection?

Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were.

Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property  there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection:

You get to see exactly what will happen to your money

When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor.

Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on.

A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with.

You find out about potential major repairs

Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing.

If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately.

You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on

One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home.

Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly.

You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for

While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best.

This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit.

Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home.

You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price

If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home.

You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price.

You can sell your home faster and for more money

If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are.

In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price.

Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for.

Your home will hold its value longer

As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property.

When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home.

You can make smart decisions about property investments

Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property.

If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal.

There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about.

If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage

If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing.

They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit.

You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors

If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for.

For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money.

You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition

Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building.

You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure.

Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so.

As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process.
President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war?

You voted:
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
As Memorial Day approaches many Southern Illinois communities have special events scheduled, to include:

Carbondale

Carbondale's 150th Memorial Day Service will be at 10 a.m., Monday, May 30, at Woodlawn Cemetery, 405 E. Main St. Mayor John Mike Henry will serve as Master of Ceremonies and the keynote address will be delivered by United States Representative Mike Bost. The Red Bank ReUnion Band, who play patriotic Civil War music will participate in the ceremony, as will the Carbondale Community High School Advanced Choir and Concert Choir. Pastor Sandor Paull of The Vine Church will deliver the invocation and benediction.

Carterville

Military salute by the Lioness Club at Canon Park. Flags will be flown to represent the fallen, 365 flags will fly from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 28 through Monday, May 30.

Christopher

American Legion Post No. 528 will visit several local sites and cemeteries on Monday, May 30, performing a brief ceremony to include a prayer, military rites, taps and a gun volley. The schedule for the day is as follows: 8:45 a.m. at Catholic Cemetery, 9 a.m. at Christopher Veterans Memorial, 9:30 a.m. at Mulkeytown Cemetery, 9:45 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery, 10 a.m. at Ward Cemetery, 10:15 a.m. at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, 10:30 a.m. at Knight Cemetery, 10:45 a.m. at Smith Cemetery, and 11 a.m. at Harrison Cemetery.

Cobden

Memorial Day Service at 9:30 a.m., Monday, May 30, at Cobden Cemetery. Following the services, there will be an unveiling of a three-foot by four-foot gray, granite monument is being placed by the Union County Historical and Genealogy in the Cobden City Cemetery at the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) burial plot. The monument will have the names of the nine Civil War veterans interred at the site. The plot was established in 1889 by the Cobden Post of the G.A.R. The Cobden Womans Club is hosting a reception in the Chapel following the ceremony. The public is invited and all of the events are free.

Colp

The Colp Veterans Memorial Dedication will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at Colp Memorial Plaza. The event is dedicated to known area veterans from 1915-2015, and will include a call to order by Jim Gentile, posting of the colors by the Herrin American Legion VFW Honor Guard, an invocation by Rev. William Glore, a gun salute, singing of the national anthem by Mike Sherrill, a welcome by Mayor Eugene Spiller, area guest speakers, a moment of silence, reading of names of the wounded and killed in action, and laying of wreath with taps. There will also be the unveiling of a sign displaying nearly 300 soldiers.

Du Quoin

American Legion Roy Mitchell Post 647 will conduct Memorial Day graveside services Monday, May 30, at the following locations: 9 a.m. at McElvain, 9:10 a.m. at Cudgetown, 9:25 a.m. at Sacred Heart, 9:45 a.m. at Sunset Memorial, 10 a.m. at Primitive Baptist, 11 a.m. at Elkville, 11:10 a.m. at Hallidayboro, 11:30 a.m. at Old DuQuoin, 11:50 a.m. at I.O.O.F., and noon at Keyes City Park.

Ellis Grove

The annual Ellis Grove Memorial Day Dinner and Cemetery Service will be Sunday, May 29. Dinner will be at the Village hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Church and cemetery services will be at 1 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Harrisburg

Memorial Day service will be at 10 a.m. at Sunset Lawn Cemetery. Two memorial wreaths will be laid, one by the mayor and one by the Daughters of the American Revolution. A Dinner will follow at the legion.

Herrin

The Herrin Doughboy Memorial Day services will be at 9 a.m., Monday, May 30. This year's guest speaker will be Rep. John Bradley. Opening and closing prayers will be by Rev. Paul Escue of Lone Oak Baptist Church.

Johnston City

Veteran's Memorial Day program at 9 a.m., Monday, May 30, in Memorial Park. Keynote speaker will be Tom Cox, Illinois State Command Sergeant Major, Retired. Reception to follow for all veterans, veteran's families, and surviving spouses at Andresen's Cafe. Lawn chairs recommended.

Mound City

The Mound City National Cemetery will host its annual Memorial Day program at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 28. There will be a free shuttle bus service at the corner of Diamond and Walnut Streets beginning at 9 a.m. This year there will be special recognition of Desert Storm veterans and a Roll Call of Honor that will honor deceased veterans from all wars beginning with the Civil War. David Gillarm, Jr. will be the guest speaker. The public is invited to help place flags on all the graves at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 26.

Murphysboro

Services will be 11 a.m. in the American Legion pavilion. Also, The Red Bank Civil War ReUnion Band, in period costume, will present a Memorial Day concert of patriotic Civil War Music at 3 p.m. Monday, May 30, at the General John A. Logan Museum, 1613 Edith St., Murphysboro. The band's music is drawn from the Brass Band Journals of the 1850s, the Library of Congress, and Collections in Historical Societies and Museums.

Percy

The Percy American Legion will host an event at 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, at Percy City Hall, featuring the Trico Junior/Senior High School band, and speaker USMC Master Sgt. Mark Hank.

Sparta

Memorial Day Services at 10 a.m. Monday, May 30, in Memorial Plat-Caledonia Cemetery. Services will include a welcome by Councilman Bobby Klausing, a floral tribute to the Unknown Soldier, a speech by Judge Jo Beth Weber, a gun volley and taps. Potluck dinner will be served for all veterans and their families at noon at the American Legion Hall. In case of inclement weather, services will also be in the American Legion Hall.

Vienna

Memorial Day services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, on the lawn at Vienna Public Library, sponsored by Daniel Chapman Chapter, NSDAR.
DU QUOIN  A graduation party described as raucous has the Du Quoin City Council talking about creating an ordinance to control limits on noise in the daytime.

Police were called out twice to address noise at the house on Walnut Street near Reed Street, where the party was being held this past weekend, Mayor Guy Alongi said at Monday night's City Council meeting.

In the backyard of the house was a DJ and loudspeakers, over which were broadcasts of some vulgar language, he said. He said the house has neighbors on three sides.

Section 25-2-8 of the city's code addresses "excessive, unnecessary and unusually loud" noise, but no citations or tickets were written, the mayor said.

"What they were doing didnt actually violate the ordinance, per se, and I think were looking at putting something in the ordinance," Alongi said.

The mayor said he has asked the city's police chief, police commission and attorney to look at the ordinance.

"It was just too noisy for the area, even though it was during the day," he said. "Im not too sure that I like the idea of letting somebody have a band or DJ in their backyard -- especially in their backyard."
DU QUOIN  The Du Quoin City Council voted to keep working with the state to find an alternative to a 5 percent amusement tax.

City officials had proposed the tax to cover expenses Du Quoin routinely incurred from fairgrounds-related events. The council's vote was unanimous, 5 to 0.

Mayor Guy Alongi said residents' comments led him to decide to keep looking for an alternative, instead of tabling the issue and postponing it indefinitely. He said he plans to meet with state officials in Springfield or in Du Quoin in the next few days.

He said residents who ask where the city is in these discussions are told it's like baking a cake.

"It's in the oven, but it's not quite done," Alongi said he tells them. "So I need some more time."

Alongi said city residents can be assured that he is working on a deal from which the city will benefit.

"It's refreshing that at least you have people in government office who are willing to talk to you," Alongi said. "They're sensitive to our needs, and I think they have a better understanding of what our needs are."

If the measure had been enacted, it could have netted the city $25,000 to $30,000 by year's end, Alongi has said.

The mayor and city council proposed the proposed amusement tax, which would have created a 5 percent tax on gross amusement income at the Du Quoin State Fair. The mayor had said the city was not being reimbursed for police and fire protection services that it routinely supplied at the Du Quoin State Fair and at other events at the fairgrounds. The generated tax money would have been split between the city (75 percent) and the state (25 percent).

It was at a Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce meeting that a representative from the Du Quoin State Fair spoke, expressing the State Agriculture Department's non-support of the proposed tax. Alongi, who was at that dinner, said he was miffed that State Ag officials had not contacted him beforehand, and privately, to share their lack of support.

Since then, he said the dialogues and relationship have improved. He said he and that fair representative have since spoken and that the conversation "went well (but) not as well as I had expected."

The city council also heard from Melissa Jackson, who was seeking a permit to hold a walk Oct. 15 calling attention to human trafficking. The walk is sponsored by Vision Church  on behalf of the anti-human trafficking group A21, of which she is a member  pastored by her brother-in-law Nathan Jackson; she is also a member of that church.

She said she wanted to raise awareness about the issue, which includes human trafficking for sex and for forced-slavery, particularly as some of the city's 6,600 residents are preparing to travel for the summer. She noted that the city of Atlanta is considered a hub in this country for human trafficking.

"This may seem like an international issue, but it's really a domestic (problem)," she said. The walk would start and end at Keyes Park in the city's downtown. The city council told her it would likely approve the permit, but told her the matter would have to be voted on at its next meeting, as it was not on Monday's night agenda.

"It's to raise awareness and prevention," Jackson said. "Just prevention and awareness is key.We have so many people that go on vacations and (we want them ) to be aware of the places that they're vacationing."

The council also voted, 5 to 0, to authorize spending about $13,000 to $15,000 from the drug fund to buy a dog and train it and an officer for drug work. Police Chief Jamie Elllermeyer noted that the canine team would be ideal, especially as there is an increase in heroin-related activity.

The dog would cost about $8,000 and the training would be an additional $2,000; outfitting a police cruiser and acquiring other items would cost another $2,000 to $2,500, he said.
A former bookkeeper for the Pinckneyville Rural Fire Protection District was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to 33 months in prison for defrauding the taxpayer-funded municipal entity of more than $444,000, according to a news release from James L. Porter, acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.

Tammy L. Kellerman, 53, of Pinckneyville had previously pleaded guilty Feb. 2 to an information charging her with four counts of mail fraud.

Information introduced in support of the guilty pleas and sentence showed that between 2004 and 2013, Kellerman used her trusted position with PRFPD to steal funds from PRFPD by sending unauthorized checks drawn on PRFPDs bank account through the United States mail to pay her personal credit card bills and other expenses and, thereafter, made false entries in PRFPDs accounting software to conceal her theft from the board.

In addition to the prison term, Kellerman was ordered to pay the United States $400 in special assessments and to pay a total of $441,390.32 in restitution (consisting of $406,640.32 to PRFPD and $34,750 to its insurer).

 The Southern
The Perry County Sheriff's Office is warning the public to be aware of a scam in which someone calls from a number that appears to be a Perry County Clerk's phone and tries to get the victim to pay money for a warrant for insufficient funds.
PINCKNEYVILLE  Officials with the city of Pinckneyville extended contracts with its labor unions by one year, with no pay raise, and voted to continue paying into the unions' pension plans.

Council members approved these resolutions for the contracts Monday night at the Pinckneyville City Council meeting.

The one-year extension was with the Laborers' International Union of North America, the Southern and Central Illinois Laborers' District Council and Laborers' Local 773.

The council had also expected Mayor Roy Spencer to talk about a nuisance ordinance that would address condemned houses, tall grass, trash and other items. City Clerk Larry S. West said the ordinance was not finalized and would be presented again at a later date.

West said Spencer, who was not present, was hospitalized, but is doing well.

Council members also approved a resolution allowing the city to issue tax anticipation warrants, which would allow the city to borrow money, if it needed to.

At its last meeting, city council members voted to OK the city borrowing the money, if it needed to, to help with the shortfall created by unpaid bills from the Pinckneyville Correctional center.

West noted that the city had not yet borrowed any money.
A Carbondale man was arrested Friday and charged with forgery after he tried to use a counterfeit $20 bill, police said in a news release Tuesday.

Carbondale Police said an officer responded on Friday to a business in the 300 block of East Walnut Street for a forgery complaint. Officers learned that an individual attempted to purchase items with a counterfeit $20 bill.

Police said their investigation revealed that Kenneth W. Howder, 31, of Carbondale was in possession of counterfeit currency, counterfeit currency making materials, and a controlled substance. Howder was arrested without incident and charged with forgery and possession of a controlled substance, and was incarcerated at the Jackson County Jail.

The investigation into this incident is continuing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at 618-457-3200.

 The Southern
SPRNGFIELD  Hundreds of Exelon employees and supporters filled the Capitol rotunda Tuesday to rally in support of legislation the company says is essential to the future of two financially struggling nuclear power plants.

Exelon has said it needs legislative action on its Next Generation Energy Plan in the next week to prevent the closure of its nuclear plants in Clinton and near the Quad Cities. In part, the bill would extend subsidies similar to those enjoyed by the wind and solar power industries to nuclear plants.

Future of Exelon-backed energy bill remains unclear SPRINGFIELD -- It remains unclear whether the Illinois General Assembly will act before the 

Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, is sponsoring the legislation, which also includes changes to rate structures for customers and measures the company says would increase energy efficiency and jump-start solar power in the state.

Trotter thanked those who attended the rally and encouraged them to press other lawmakers to support the bill.

Theres a saying down here in Springfield: If you dont get up and shout, you will be left out,  he said.

Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, represents the Clinton Power Station, which he said provides 1,900 great jobs in central Illinois.

Exelon bill could black out solar industry, advocates say SPRINGFIELD  St. Louis-based StraightUp Solar opened a branch in Bloomington about a year a

This is not a partisan issue, Rose said. Clean, efficient, cheap power for the people of Illinois is an Illinois issue, and this bill keeps our power rates low.

The bill also has the backing of organized labor because the plants provide thousands of high-paying jobs for highly skilled workers and millions of dollars in tax revenue to local governments and schools, said Michael Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO.

We cannot afford to see a nuclear plant close, Carrigan said.

Despite the push for support, whether the bill will be called for a vote before the scheduled end of the spring legislative session May 31 remains an open question.

Democratic Sen. Mattie Hunter of Chicago, chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, said at a committee hearing last week that the bill needed more work before it would be ready for a vote.

Trotter said discussions among interested parties, including environmental and consumer groups and downstate power company Ameren Illinois, are ongoing. He said he and his staff are reviewing a proposed amendment suggested by Ameren.

Energy industries pushing for state help SPRINGFIELD  While much energy is being expended at the Capitol trying to forge agreements 

Critics say Ameren customers would bear some of the cost of saving Exelons nuclear plants but wouldnt enjoy the benefits of new energy efficiency programs that will be available to customers of Commonwealth Edison, Exelons northern Illinois utility.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, also a Chicago Democrat, issued a statement Tuesday in strong opposition to the bill.

This proposal would force consumers to pay more only to boost the companies profits further, Madigan said in the prepared statement. The legislature has more important matters to address than padding ComEd and Exelons profits.
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois Secretary of State's office says a plan to issue driver's licenses and state identification cards in Illinois that are more secure won't require additional state funding.

Spokesman Henry Haupt tells The (Springfield) State Journal-Register that the office will launch the program using the same amount of money saved from upgrades made to cut costs.

The effort to begin issuing Illinois driver's licenses and ID cards from one central facility was announced last week. State officials said it will mean more secure cards and bring the state closer to meeting federal security guidelines. Illinois has a Jan. 22, 2018, deadline to provide identification valid under the Real ID Act of 2005.

Haupt says funding has been flat for the last six years and about $1 million less since 2010.

___

This story has been corrected to show the deadline for Illinois to provide valid identification under the Real ID Act is Jan. 22, 2018, not Jan. 22, 2008.
JOHNSTON CITY  Some of the youngest students in the Johnston City Community Unit School District No. 1 received a small boost to help them start saving for college.

As part of a memorial scholarship fund for former Washington Middle School Principal Joe Castrale, each kindergarten student received $10 in a college fund account at Southern Illinois Bank in Johnston City, said Marleis Trover, scholarship fund committee member.

There are 63 kindergarten students at Jefferson Elementary School in Johnston City.

Trover said Castrale was a principal at Washington School for 40 years and he loved the children, especially the kindergartners. She said the college fund is a reflection of Castrales love for education and his dedication to the community, as well as teaching financial literacy for children.

Castrale died in June 2015 at age 89.

She said as a former educator, expecting to reach a goal is significant for actually reaching it. The college fund puts an expectation into the children of furthering their education, whether that is in college or a trade school.

We see this initial amount as putting in their mind an expectation of going (to college), Trover said. We are looking at it from a bigger standpoint. We want our kids to get through high school. We want to think about what is next  financial planning.

Each parent who attended a program for the kindergarten classes Monday received a packet explaining to them how to contribute to the account and some of the rules that apply with it.

The accounts must have activity at least once every 12 months to keep active.

Roberta Phipps, retired teacher within the district, said the money for the fund came from several different places  not just one company or individual.

Several people donated to this, she said. Our money is going to be in pieces, but we hope that it is the push to get the children moving forward.

Trover said the hope is the college fund will grow for these children, and that more people will donate to the fund so it can continue for many years.
Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health, the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has received $1,498,990 per year for five years to provide programming in Orangeburg, Aiken and Anderson counties.

Under this and other grants awarded in the state, more than 50,000 youth are projected to be impacted with evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs over the five-year grant period to extend from fiscal year 2015-2019.

A kickoff ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, May, at the Orangeburg-Calhoun-Allendale-Bamberg Community Action Agency Inc. at 1822 Joe S. Jeffords Highway in Orangeburg. Once launched, evidence-based programs will be implemented in middle schools, high schools and clinics in Orangeburg County as part of the Expanding the Reach project.

Over the course of five years, well invest somewhere between $600,000 and $700,000 in Orangeburg. The event on the 26th is going to basically announce the project to the community and tell them a little more about what its for, said Beth DeHart, SCCPTP program manager.

May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month.

The main point of the project is to take what we call evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs to scale in Orangeburg. We want to make those programs available in three different settings in Orangeburg and have as many young people as possible go through those programs over the course of the five years, DeHart said.

She said the project has the support of Orangeburg Consolidated School Districts Three, Four and Five, along with the Orangeburg County Health Department.

In addition to providing reproductive health services, the local health department is also going to be actually implementing a teen pregnancy prevention program. By the end of the project, we hope to have served somewhere around 8,900 young people with one of these programs, DeHart said.

She added, In 2016-2017, were hoping to serve around 1,500 of that 8,900. So that number will get bigger and bigger over the course of the five years until were at maximum capacities in each of the settings. Of course, we hope to sustain that well after the project is over.

Over the last 20 years, the teen birth rate in South Carolina has fallen by 61 percent  a remarkable decline and one that should be celebrated, DeHart said. Between 1991-2014, teen birth rates in South Carolina declined among all ages, all races, and in all 46 counties.

In Orangeburg County, the teen birth rate for 15- to 19-year-olds has declined by 65 percent since 1991. The county had a 2014 teen birth rate of 24.1.

The SCCPTP reports that for the first time since 2005, the countys teen birth rate was below the state rate of 28.5. The county is also below the national teen birth rate of 24.2 for the first time since 1993.

Compared to 2013, the countys teen birth rate dropped by 40 percent, from 40.3 in 2013 to 24.1 one year later.

OCAB is the local coordinating agency for the Expanding the Reach project. OCAB is home to a Peer Educators Program, which is the link to the South Carolina Youth Leadership Program. The peer educators are volunteer health advocates offering health education and risk-reduction behavior management strategies to help curb the spread of HIV and STDs among area youth.

Part of their role is to let their peers know about the programs that are available in the community. We have one piece of the project called Condom Access Points, or CAPS, which are places that we are setting up right now and that the teens are helping us with, DeHart said.

They are regular places throughout the community where young people can go and get condoms for free, like barbershops, beauty shops, tattoo shops and convenience stores that would be willing to make them available for free.

While abstinence is still being taught as an option in preventing teen pregnancy, DeHart said, We know that lack of access to condoms is a serious barrier for teens who are sexually active.

Alvin Caughman, chief communications officer at the SCCPTP, said, We would like to say that abstinence is always a first choice for preventing teen pregnancy, but for those who are not making that choice for whatever reason, we encourage them to take a look at the contraceptive options that protect both them and their partner from STIs, STDs and pregnancy.

DeHart said the peer educators will also have a serious social media presence to help tell the community about things that are going on, including the location of condom access points.

Karen Clinton, teen pregnancy prevention coordinator at OCAB, said, The teens will also be a big part of the campaign that were kicking off on the 26th. Well have them volunteering and we will also have a youth speaker there.

The results of a community-wide survey will be released at the May 26 kickoff event, DeHart noted.

We surveyed adults who are parents and we also did two youth focuses to sort of take the temperature of the community around this issue and to see what people really think, she said.

Caughman said, Were continuously seeking out other partners throughout the state with our outreach efforts. Were seeking out community leaders and other organizations who want to get involved in this.

For more information about the May 26 kickoff, call OCAB at 803-536-1027, ext. 114.
Farewells, tears and well wishes flowed abundantly Monday evening as community leaders and friends gathered to say goodbye to chamber President Dede Cook.

Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities Manager Tommy Miller echoed the sentiment of many, saying She has done a super job for the city of Orangeburg and Orangeburg County.

She had a never-ending desire to make Orangeburg a better place.

Cook is retiring from the chamber on May 26 after serving as the head of the organization for about 7-1/2 years.

She and her husband, Terry, are moving to St. Augustine, Florida. Terry will continue to operate his business, Media Security Systems. He plans to come to Orangeburg often.

Cook said she had so many mixed emotions as she bid farewell to the community she has called home for all her life.

I am certainly excited about the future for Terry and me, but I am so extremely sad to say goodbye. This chamber has been such a big part of my life, she said.

Cook thanked all the people she has met at the chamber and all those who have helped make the chamber what it is today.

We  not I  could never have done the great works of the chamber without each of you, she said. Thank you for your confidence in me and for supporting our efforts throughout my years at the chamber.

Cook said she will miss the people most.

I have made so many friends, Cook said. It is very rare that I greet someone that I have had the honor of working with or meeting with a handshake. Hugs all around for the amazing people of Orangeburg County.

In attempt to perhaps convince the Cooks to stay in Orangeburg just a little bit longer, architect West Summers noted that Florida does have some bad weather.

It gets muggy and hot, he noted. I hate to lose anybody. I wish they would stay in Orangeburg.

But resigned to the fact that Cook is leaving, Summers praised her contributions to the area.

She is a lively person who has done a wonderful job, he said. She has such a spontaneous personality.

Edisto Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Jamie Bozardt, who has known Cook for the past 15 years, said she will be missed.

It has been all my pleasure to work with her, Bozardt said. She has always been so dedicated and so supportive of our work at Habitat to help further our ministry.

Mayor Michael Butler praised Cook for her role in helping to promote job readiness for the county.

I will miss just being able to call her and being able to get projects done and how to go about getting projects done, Butler said. I will also miss her friendship because we are neighbors. I will miss all the things she has done for the community. She is a unifier.

An Orangeburg native, Cook says her heart will always be here.

This is my home, she said. There are so many great things happening right now. I havent seen such exciting movement in all my days at the chamber.

I will be keeping my ear out for the continued progress. I still plan to help any way that I can while I am in Florida or in Orangeburg.

Cook previously served as chamber president from May 1999 to December 2002.

She returned as interim president in September 2012 and became president again in January 2013.

Under Cooks leadership, the chamber and its partners have worked to ensure employees have the skills they need in the workplace, provided business retention tools for chamber members, focused on retail recruitment, initiated a customer service certification program and held its inaugural 2015 Education/Workforce Summit.

Beyond her role as chamber president, Cook has served on a number of boards and organizations over the years.

These include the Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5 1998 Strategic Planning Team, the Orangeburg Family YMCA Board of Directors, the Orangeburg County Heritage Corridor Committee, Claflin Universitys Business Advisory Council Board, Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech Prep Consortiums Board of Directors, the Orangeburg County Economic Development Partnership Board of Directors and the Orangeburg County Community of Character Steering Committee.

Cook says she has some priorities in place for her retirement.

Love on my family, she said is at the top of the list.

I have been so busy that I look forward to settling down and enjoying my role as Terrys wife, mom and Wanzas daughter, Tab and Ryans mother, and a grandmother to Haley, Carlie, Jaxson and Ansley, Cook said.

We are keeping a residence in Orangeburg, Cook said. Terry still has the business here and will be working in Orangeburg some every week. Our mothers are here and one of our children and three of our grandchildren are here. So absolutely, it will almost be like we never left.
A Denmark man has been arrested in connection with an ongoing drug investigation in Bamberg County.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents charged Kenneth Derwell Barr, 37, of Denmark, with two counts of possession, manufacture and trafficking of cocaine base and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance within proximity of a school.

The arrest resulted from an investigation involving SLED, the Bamberg County Sheriffs Department, the Bamberg Police Department and the Denmark Police Department. SLED announced the arrest of 14 other people In connection with the probe last week.

The cases will be prosecuted by the Second Circuit Solicitors Office.
CHARLESTON  A colony of Africanized honey bees  the first to be found in South Carolina in 15 years  has been destroyed in Charleston County, according to officials with the Department of Plant Industry, a unit of Clemson University that carries out state regulatory functions.

State Apiary Inspector Brad Cavin said laboratory analysis of bee samples from the hive, conducted by the USDA Agricultural Research Service Carl Hayden Bee Research Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, showed an almost 100 percent probability that the bees were a hybrid of Africanized and European honey bees.

This appears just to be a localized incident, but as a precaution we have depopulated the hive and are conducting a survey within a two-mile area to determine whether any Africanized honey bees remain, Cavin said. Depending on those results well decide whether any additional efforts will be required.

The Department of Plant Industry discovered the Africanized honey bee colony in a a routine survey, a part of the agencys charge to protect South Carolina citizens and beekeepers from possible disease or parasite outbreak in the beekeeping industry.

This is the first discovery in South Carolina of the hybrid bees since 2001, when a colony of Africanized bees was discovered in the wing of an airplane in Greenville. That colony, too, was destroyed and no Africanized bees have been detected in the state since.

Africanized honey bees defend their nests more vigorously than European bees and swarm more often. They were first introduced in Brazil more than a half-century ago and migrated to North America in 1985, where they are largely confined to the southwestern states and southern Florida.

The Charleston County case differs from the 2001 discovery in that these Africanized honey bees were not wild, but were found in a managed hive.

This is the first time to my knowledge that we have found them here in a managed colony, Cavin said.

The bees were discovered as Cavin was conducting research for the National Honey Bee Survey, a national examination of apiaries led by the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and begun in 2009 to address concerns about the diminishing health of honey bee colonies. The survey monitors hives for diseases and other pests that threaten honey bee health.

During the survey in Charleston County, a beekeeper sustained half a dozen stings in one hive, prompting Cavin to take samples to identify the species.

At this point in time, theres no threat to the Charleston area, he said. We are conducting thorough surveys of the area to determine whether any remaining Africanized honey bees exist.

Cavin said investigations also are under way to determine the origin of the colony, which may have begun with the importation of a
In most of the developed world, criminal "hate speech" laws are common and frequently applied. People are routinely arrested, prosecuted and even imprisoned for offensive speech that provokes racial or religious hatred, or offends members of an ethnic or religious group.

In Canada, Maclean's magazine was put on trial for publishing a series of articles arguing the rise of Islam threatened Western values. In France, the actress Brigitte Bardot was criminally charged with provoking racial hatred for criticizing the ritual slaughter of animals by Muslims. In Germany, France and Canada anyone questioning the Holocaust can be imprisoned.

In a 2008 New York Times column, Adam Liptak reported that the United State is practically the only developed country that prohibits criminal prosecutions based on hate speech. "Under the First Amendment, newspapers and magazines can say what they like about minorities and religions -- even false, provocative or hateful things -- without legal consequence," he explained.

The column also noted that America's tradition of protecting offensive speech is under assault by legal scholars who advocate for a more European approach to regulating free speech.

According to a 2015 poll conducted by the website YouGov.com, a plurality of Americans and a majority of Democrats agree with them. The poll revealed that 41 percent of Americans, including 51 percent of Democrats, support the adoption of a hate speech law that would "make it a crime for people to make public comments intended to stir up hatred against a group based on such things as their race, gender, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation." Only 26 percent of Democrats, 41 percent of independents and 47 percent of Republicans opposed passing such a law.

Eugene Volokh, writing in his Washington Post blog, correctly argues that "calls for a new First Amendment exception for 'hate speech' shouldn't just rely on the undefined term 'hate speech' -- they should explain just what viewpoints the government would be allowed to suppress, what viewpoints would remain protected, and how judges, juries and prosecutors are supposed to distinguish the two."

Free speech absolutists have argued for years that carving out exceptions to the First Amendment is a slippery slope that will lead to absurd results. Which is exactly what has happened in Europe. The arguably outrageous hate speech prosecutions of the past have been eclipsed by prosecutions that are patently absurd.

A case in point is the arrest last week in Scotland of a man who posted a video of a dog he trained to watch videos of Hitler's speeches and give a stiff-armed salute in response to the command "Sieg Heil!"

The dog in question is a peaceful pug named Buddha, owned by the man's girlfriend. The video depicts the training of Buddha to respond excitedly to the mere whisper of the question: "Do you want to gas the Jews?"

"The clip is deeply offensive and no reasonable person can possibly find the content acceptable in today's society," Detective Inspector David Cockburn told The Telegraph.

Every dog owner knows that if you speak in a high-pitched voice, your pet will react with as much excitement to the question "Do you want some bacon?" as "Do you want to tear my throat out?" Which begs the question whether a satirical video that compares Nazis to a dog's Pavlovian tendency for unthinking repetition can reasonably be regarded as offensive to anyone but Nazis.

The man clearly states in the video that he is not a racist and his only motivation was to "piss off" his girlfriend by turning her adorable little pug into a Nazi. But the thought police are rarely concerned with intent, since preventing offense is their raison d'etre. Giving offense has been the raison d'etre of satirists for centuries and their right to do so should be protected.

"Caricature and satire are (an) expression and barometer of an enlightened, liberal society," writes Gisela Vetter-Liebenow, director of Wilhelm Busch Museum of Caricature and Graphic Arts in Hanover, Germany. "(Y)ou don't have to approve of them, you have the right to be annoyed by them -- but the right to free speech must be defended at all cost."

-----

Nat Hentoff is a nationally renowned authority on the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. He is a member of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Cato Institute, where he is a senior fellow. Nick Hentoff is a criminal defense and civil liberties attorney in New York.
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/By Azernews/

By Rashid Shirinov



Azerbaijan can help Poland to distribute its goods to Iran and Central Asia, Jaroslaw Olowski, Vice President of the Polish Agricultural Market Agency, told Trend.

Olowski said that he is keen to strengthen the Azerbaijani-Polish cooperation that was established two years ago. In recent years, our relations weakened. One reason for that is a change of government in Poland, but the devaluation of the national currency of Azerbaijan became a more compelling reason.

He mentioned that after the devaluation Azerbaijan trended to import less from Poland. Polish manufacturers look for new markets after imposing an embargo on trade with Russia, their former main partner. Thus, Azerbaijan could be a reliable ally of Poland in the region. I can see that Azerbaijan almost completely provides itself with agricultural products, but it can become a hub in the region for the further sale of agricultural products of Poland and other goods to neighboring countries, Olowski said.

He spoke about his expectations of providing Polish goods to Azerbaijani markets and its neighboring countries  Iran and Central Asia states.

Olawski also spoke about possible export of Azerbaijani products into Poland: I know that citrus fruits, olives, nuts and so on are grown in Azerbaijan. I think that Poland will be interested in the import of these products.

The Vice President also offered veterinary and phytosanitary services for Azerbaijan and suggested to accumulate the two countries cooperation in these fields. Poland's veterinary and phytosanitary control services are recognized as one of the best in Europe and the country would like to introduce its technologies and apply its knowledge in the countries of the region, including Azerbaijan, he noted.
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hosted a reception for high-level guests attending the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva attended the reception, which was held at Dolmabahce Palace.




The Ministry of State Security of the Peoples Republic of China has today signed a memorandum of cooperation with the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a communique with the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan.





Prior to the signing ceremony, Chairman of Azerbaijan State Security Service Madat Guliyev informed the Chinese delegation led by Head of Central Public Security Comprehensive Management Commission, Secretary of Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party, member of the Politburo of the Communist Party Meng Jianzhu on national leader Heydar Aliyevs activities towards preserving and strengthening Azerbaijan`s independence as well as strengthening security in the country.





Chairman of Azerbaijan Foreign Intelligence Service Orkhan Sultanov spoke of cooperation among security services of the two countries.




/By Azernews/

By Fatma Babayeva

An industrial flow of natural gas was obtained at an exploration well on Giurgiu new promising field, located on the territory of Mary region, south-east of Turkmenistan.

Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reports that the well was drilled at the depth of approximately 4,600 meters by the Turkmen Geology State Corporation in the territory of Mary region near the rich gas field Galkynysh. The daily production of the well amounts to one million cubic meters.

Currently, gas dynamic studies continue at the Giurgiu field. The close location of the Giurgiu field to the well-known giant Galkynysh gas field testifies to the great prospects for the new field.

In the long term, exploratory work to identify the borders of the new field will be held in this area.

The field expands even more gas-bearing zone than Galkynysh field which confirms its possible extension that predicted earlier by the 3D seismic survey method.

The estimated total reserves of the Galkynysh field together with the adjacent Yashlar field amounts to 26.2 trillion cubic meters of gas, according to the results of the independent audit carried out by the British Gaffney, Cline & Associates. If the reserves in newly discovered Garakel field are also added to this figure, the block's reserves rise to 27.4 trillion cubic meters.

Moreover, 9 new wells are set to begin production at Galkynysh field by the end of 2016. Turkmenistan plans to add the extracted gas from this field to its exports China.

After Russia stopped buying Turkmen gas, the country directed this gas to other markets.

Furthermore, the country will be able to increase gas supply to China from Malai field in the near future with the construction of a gas booster station. This field is one of the main sources for the Central Asia- China gas pipeline, also known as Turkmenistan China gas pipeline, which was commissioned in 2009.

Earlier, Turkmengaz signed an agreement with Chinese national petroleum cooperation- CNPC on providing 65 billion cubic meters of gas annually to China by the end of 2021. Roughly, 35 percent of Chinas gas import accounts for the Turkmen gas.

In addition, Turkmenistan commenced the construction of its section of TAPI pipeline recently.

In the meantime, the country plans to enlarge its LNG exports as well. Currently, the country sells LNG to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Georgia, Iran and Tajikistan.

Turkmenistan enjoys the world's fourth largest natural gas reserves after Russia, Iran, and Qatar It produces about 70-80 billion cubic meters of gas annually.

According to the BP statistical review of 2015, Turkmenistan holds 9.3 percent of the worlds total proven natural gas reserves and produced 2 percent (70 billion cubic meters) of the worlds total gas output.




Dubai Group is in the process of selling its stake in Shuaa Capital and is also obliged to divest its holdings in EFG Hermes and Bank Muscat this year, the chief executive of Dubai Group's parent firm said on Tuesday.



Asked about Dubai Group's 48.4 per cent stake in Dubai investment bank Shuaa, Fadel Al Ali, chief executive of Dubai Holding, told reporters: "We are in the sales process as an owner." He declined to comment further about Shuaa.



Dubai Group completed a drawn-out restructuring of its $10 billion debt pile in January 2014, with banks extending repayment deadlines on loans so that the group could be given time to sell its assets to raise cash needed to fund the payments.



Asked about its stakes in Egyptian investment bank EFG Hermes and Bank Muscat, Oman's largest lender, Ali said these assets would be sold in 2016, as agreed as part of the restructuring. He declined to comment further.



Dubai Group holds 11.8 per cent of EFG Hermes and 12.8 per cent of Bank Muscat, according to Thomson Reuters data.-Reuters
GE will provide 220-megawatt (MW) LV5 Series solar inverters for Dubai Electricity and Water Authoritys (Dewa) solar project in Dubai, UAE, the largest of its kind in the Middle East region.



The move highlights the companys support to the UAE governments commitment to sustainable development, said a statement from Dewa.



The Dewa solar project is considered a breakthrough for the solar industry, as the Dewa power purchase contract with ACWA Power had been signed at one of the lowest prices globally of $5.84 cents/watt without subsidies, making solar power much more competitive compared to other energy sources, it added.



The delivery of the 220-MW Dewa project is expected to start in summer 2016, it said.



The project demonstrates GEs confidence to provide reliable and cost-effective solutions that will make solar power a viable energy source to meet future energy demands in the region, it stated.



The inverters are part of a frame agreement between GE and Spanish engineering, procurement and construction company TSK, further said the statement.



GE will supply outdoor solar Skids to TSK to be installed at the Dewa site, with GEs scope of work including LV5 Series inverters, transformers and switchgears, it said.



Developed for the specific requirements of the Middle East region, GEs solutions have been designed to meet local environmental conditions while also fulfilling stringent demands from Dewa. GEs liquid-cooled inverters are rated for outdoor use and have been conceived to deliver in the harshest of conditions imaginable, it added.



Dalya Al Muthanna, president and CEO, GE Gulf, said: We are extremely proud to partner with Dewa and TSK on this groundbreaking solar project. Their trust in our technology for their utility-scale project adds weight to the trust shown by various industry players in our companys solar offerings.



We are committed to supporting the UAEs sustainable energy strategy to provide clean power for generations to come, and this project marks an important proof point for that, she said.



Hani Majzoub, renewables sales leader for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey for GEs power conversion business, said: The Middle East is one of the most promising solar markets in the world, and our commitment to providing sustainable power for our region is highlighted through this project.



We will continue to support utilities in the region with innovative technology such as our LV5 Series 1,500V inverters, which provide up to 3 per cent cost savings in both Capex and Opex. In addition to technology innovation, GE can also provide financing, long-term service and digital solutions to help enable efficient solar farms, he added.



GEs involvement in some of the biggest solar projects with key market players strengthens its position as a key technology enabler within the industry. GE has a long history of utility-scale solar projects across the globe, including in countries like Germany, France, Japan, Chile, South Africa and the US, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Ranked among the top destination choices for Saudi Arabian travellers, Dubai can expect to see tourist arrivals from the kingdom hit 2.5 million a year by 2020, said a report quoting an Emirati official.



The UAE emirate recorded a total of 1.5 million Saudi visitors in 2015, Arab News quoted Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, as saying.



According to Kazim, visitors to Dubai from the GCC countries made up 25 percent of the total number of tourists from around the world in the first quarter of 2016, with 456,000 Saudis visiting between January and March, a 14 per cent increase as compared to the corresponding period last year.



Other tourist markets included the Indian subcontinent, which was the second leading source market for Dubai with 467,000 tourists, while Oman came in thrid with 322,000 tourists.



Visitors from the US were recorded at 166,000 for the first quarter of this year. Iran was the only country which saw a decline in the number of visitors to Dubai



Dubai tends to attract a huge number of tourists because of efforts to promote tourism potential based on the wide list of festivals and other attractive events, Kazim said. - TradeArabia News Service
Etisalat, a leading telecommunications operators in the Middle East, has opened a 24/7 kiosk in the Arrivals Hall at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH).



Passengers landing in the UAEs capital will be able to buy a local Etisalat SIM card from the kiosk, which will also offer a range of pre-paid and post-paid products, smart devices and e-Life (home) packages. Existing Etisalat customers can benefit from the installed smart payment machine to settle their bills, or to re-register their accounts.



A specially designed Visitor Line SIM card by Etisalat will be available at the kiosk for arriving passengers for as low as Dh100 ($27.2). The Visitor Line has a validity of just 60 days, and customers who purchase this option can subscribe to any of Etisalats Visitor Line Packs, which are valid for 14 days and can be used to talk, surf and text. The Visitor Line and Visitor Packs can also be recharged multiple times from any Etisalat outlet and authorised retailers across the UAE, through Etisalats self-care mobile application  Etisalat UAE or by dialing 101 or sending an SMS to 1012.



Abu Dhabi International Airport is the gateway to the UAE capital and it is our mandate to provide our guests with the highest quality services. The Etisalat outlet is another great facility for passengers arriving into the UAE and a welcome addition to the many premium services we offer here at AUH to enhance the passenger experience, said Daniel Cappell, Abu Dhabi Airports acting chief commercial officer.



Suhail Awadi, vice president retail sales consumer at Etisalat, said: We understand the importance of staying connected with family, friends and work for the millions of visitors who travel to the UAE every year. Etisalats presence at the Arrivals Hall in the UAE is a great facility not just for visitors arriving in the UAE, but also for returning residents, all of whom now have access to our products and services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making their stay or return to the country convenient, pleasant and hassle-free. - TradeArabia News Service
The University of South Wales has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), wholly-owned by the Government of Dubai, for the establishment of the regions first specialist campus facility offering advanced aerospace engineering education.



Central to the agreement that was signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and the Pro Chancellor Professor John Andrews of the University of South Wales, is the delivery of the build-to-suit campus facility by Dubai South to USW over a two-phase period.



Also present at the signing ceremony were Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, Ambassador to the UAE Philip Parham, and Consul General Paul Fox.



Speaking on the occasion, Al Zaffin said: We are witnessing the start of a critical chapter in Dubais journey to become the aviation capital of the world. A fundamental part of the aerospace super system that we building is the gathering of several leading, international institutions at Dubai South  organizations that can offer specialised vocational education. Thereby, we also are grooming and supplying talent to the regions fast expanding aerospace industry. Todays memorandum of understanding with University of South Wales  an established leader in the world of aerospace education  is a vital step towards achieving that essential dimension.



The presence of USW at Dubai South brings a world of exciting career options right to the doorstep of our regions youth. The timing of the memorandum of understanding is also opportune, as its implementation will meet the growing demand for talent as the Al Maktoum International Airport expands to welcome more airlines in the coming years.



He added: We gratefully acknowledge the strategic role the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) department based at the British Embassy in Dubai has played in the facilitating of this agreement. It represents as a solid testimonial to Dubai Souths gathering prominence as a global investment destination par excellence.



Scheduled to launch its first class in 2017, the academy will subsequently expand its facilities to include offices, classrooms, laboratories, workshops and aircraft hangar, as well as access to social and residential amenities at Dubai South.



The vice chancellor of the University of South Wales, Professor Julie Lydon OBE, said: This is an important step in developing the long term relationship between the University of South Wales, one of Britains major higher education institutions, and the growing economic force of Dubai. Drawing on our experience with some of the worlds leading aerospace engineering companies, we look forward to a future of successful cooperation and mutual value with the support of HM Government.



The under-graduate and post-graduate courses to be introduced by the USW Aviation Academy at Dubai South will feature European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified training programmes, including degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Aviation Management, as well as other unique and specialised aviation curriculum. - TradeArabia News Service


Wednesday support meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 10 a.m., 328 E. A St.; noon, 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200; 5:09 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 7 p.m.,500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200; 7 p.m., Glenrock, 615 W. Deer St. (downstairs); 7:30 p.m., 837 E. C St.; 8 p.m., Douglas, 628 S. Richards #5; 8 p.m., 328 1/2 E. A (upstairs), closed; 8:23 p.m., Evansville, 719 3rd, Evansville Christian Church. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: 307-351-1576.

Al-Anon: 7-8 p.m.,500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200, 12-24 Club, Alateen, for grades 6 and up. Info: 377-7260 or 258-1444; 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 302 E. 2nd. Use east entrance, meet downstairs in Room 12.

Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 8 p.m., 302 E. 2nd St., Methodist Church, enter east side. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org.

Nicotine Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club. Info: Pam M., 577-0518; Troy Y., 267-6326.

NAMI: 7:30 p.m., 133 W. Sixth St. Connections/All Diagnosis support group for persons with mood disorders. Info: 234-0440.

OIF/OEF Support Group: 6:30-8 p.m., Casper Vet Center, 1030 N. Poplar St., Ste. B. All OIF/OEF Veterans are invited to attend. No need to pre-register. Info: 261-5355.

Teen Addiction Anonymous: 7-8 p.m., 12-24 Club Teton Room. Info: 258-7439.

TOPS #35 Weight Loss: 6:45 a.m., First Presbyterian Church, 804 S. Wolcott. Weight Loss Support Group, Weigh-in is from 6:45 a.m.-7:10 a.m. Info: 258-2603 or 234-5644.

TOPS #0162: 8:30 a.m., United Methodist Church, 1880 Poplar. Anyone interested is invited to join. Info: 472-4926.

Midwest holds Day

of Encouragement

Community Action Partnership of Natrona County invites Midwest and Edgerton residents to A Day of Encouragement from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Salt Creek Community Rec Building, 8 Wilson St., in Midwest. There will be free dinner and drinks, face painting and drawings. Come enjoy the fun and talk to agencies of Natrona County that might be able to assist you. This is for young and old alike.

Learn about

Pinterest

The Natrona County Library will offer a Pinterest computer class at 5:30 p.m., in the Tech Center. Come learn about Pinterest, a simple, online way to organize images, projects, ideas, and favorites. Attendees will learn how to create an account, make boards, pin, find pins in particular categories, and follow other pinners. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Veteran Cigar Night

Every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m., all veterans are invited to Veteran Cigar Night at the Casper Cigar Company, 4717 W. Yellowstone Highway, sponsored by Casper Cigar Company. There is no cost to attend.

This is a time and place for our communitys combat veterans to relax and share their stories with other combat veterans while enjoying a good cigar. Veterans receive 20 percent off cigars. For more information, call Josh Cruse at 307-337-4400 or josh@caspercigar.com.

Taco bar at the Elks

Wednesday Night Special at the Casper Elks Lodge is taco bar with all the fixings. All you can eat for $7. Build your own tacos, nachos, taco salad or any combination you desire with green chili and refried beans. Children 5 to 12 are $3. Also enjoy a dessert for $1. Serving from 6 to 7 p.m. or until gone. Members, significant other and guest accompanied by a member. For more information, call 234-4839.

The Elks Lodge is closed Saturday through Monday for Memorial Day weekend. No Funday Monday on May 30, but back on June 6.

Free concert

Grand Avenue Brass of Laramie will present a free community concert at 7 p.m. at Centennial Junior High School. The public is invited. The group spent the day hosting clinics in four Casper schools.

Gold prospectors

to hold meeting

The Casper Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America will hold its May meeting at 7 p.m., at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Building, 2211 King Blvd. Enter through the east door. The business meeting will include discussion of past and future outings, along with general business. Everyone is invited. For more information about GPAA or the Casper chapter, or about prospecting in general, contact Rick Messina, 234-0244.

Summer semester registration

Through June 10, high school summer semester (for credit recovery only) and drivers education registration takes place at the Fairgrounds Center, 2000 Casper St. For more information, call 253-4307.
The city of Casper has a new long-term financial plan, and a key part is cutting employment.

About 440 city employees salaries come from the general fund and its dependent funds, according to city documents. By fiscal year 2019, city officials want 379 to do so, a drop of almost 60 people. The city hopes to reach that number through attrition and retirements.

The plan is one of the options being discussed in Casper this week as city leaders start reviewing the proposed fiscal year 2017 budget. Mondays work session was the first of four scheduled to be held this week.

I dont see any proposed layoffs in the city budget, councilman Wayne Heili said. And I think thats good. If we had to, we could always go to that, but thats one of the last things you really want to do.

City manager V.H. McDonald wrote in a memo to the Council that his goal with the upcoming fiscal years budget was to avoid jumping into the deep end first.

We have a lot of options and solutions available to us, McDonald said.

McDonalds presentation of the long-term plan reflected the staff cuts that would have to be made if Caspers economy essentially remains the same through fiscal year 2027. But the plan notes that continuing to cut staff, even to 379 employees, may not be able to meet the needs of the city.

You get to the point where you just have to adjust wage levels and benefits, McDonald said.

City services could also be cut or privatized if the economy doesnt improve, according to the plan. The outline also includes a $1 million transfer from the special reserves fund during fiscal year 2017, according to city documents. That money would pay for 13 city jobs. That transfer will help eliminate the requirement for abrupt service level changes, according to the citys presentation.

The city would spend $131.5 million in fiscal year 2017, according to the requested budget. The money represents a 40 percent decrease compared with last year. The states energy decline, the mounting unemployment rate and a roughly $9 million decrease in general fund revenues were cited as major contributors to the citys budget decline.

For the next fiscal year, 24 staff positions were not included in the budget. Among the positions cut was the assistant city managers job, whose duties are now split between two other employees, as well as a municipal court manager and a court clerk. The 24 vacancies are in line with the citys hiring freeze, in which only jobs viewed as critical are filled, according to city documents. Personnel expenses make up between 70 to 80 percent of the citys operating costs.

Most people dont ever expect a downturn to last 10 years, but you know, if that becomes the new normal, well have worked our way down to it, Heili said.

The budget also reflects an 11 percent decrease in revenues (to about $127.45 million) and reductions in travel and training, office supplies and overtime for employees. Cost of living increases were not included in the requested budget.

Another factor in the upcoming budget is the early retirement offer that went out to 53 city employees last month. McDonald said shortly after the package was announced that if enough employees passed on the offer, layoffs could be a possibility.

If 18 employees take the offer, the city would save $800,000 in the fiscal year 2017 budget, according to city documents.

City leaders will continue to discuss the budget during work sessions this week. The Council will hold its scheduled work session Tuesday afternoon, followed by another meeting Wednesday and the possibility of one more Thursday.
Before they perform at Colorados Red Rocks Amphitheatre this summer, Yonder Mountain String Band will take the stage in Casper.

The bluegrass band was announced as the headliner for day one of the two-day Beartrap Summer Festival on Casper Mountain.

Theyre a very popular, progressive bluegrass group out of Colorado, festival director Amy Crawford said. Really this year, we wanted to put Wyoming and Colorado bands from this region to work. Yonder Mountain String Band has really been making a splash lately, and were just excited to get to have them.

The group has performed at festivals all across the country, including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits and The Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Filling out the lineup at Beartrap will be many Wyoming bands, such as JShogren Shanghaid, The Libby Creek Original, Screen Door Porch and more. Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand will travel from Utah, while The Honeycutters hail from North Carolina.

Were kind of going back to our roots a little bit, Crawford said. Youll see more bluegrass, Americana, folk than you have in the past (at this years festival).

Beartrap Summer Festival is slated for Aug. 6-7. Early-bird two-day passes are $60, while early-bird single day passes are $30.

The second days headliner has yet to be announced.

For more information on Beartrap Summer Festival, check out the website.
A Natrona County man called authorities Sunday to report he had found an improvised explosive device on his property, according to an incident report.

The man, who lives on North Six Mile Road, said he picked up the device but upon realizing what it was, placed it back on the ground, according to a report by the sheriffs office.

An official used an X-ray to confirm it was an explosive device, then removed it from the property, the report states.

Another Natrona County resident reported Monday she needed to discard three military-grade surface trip flares, according to a sheriffs office report. She said the flares were from the Vietnam War era and had belonged to her grandfather. Deputies took control of the flares.
A Casper man accused of lighting his wifes mobile home on fire in 2013 denied the allegation Tuesday in court.

Mark Alan Garrison, 55, pleaded not guilty in Natrona County District Court to first-degree arson. Prosecutors said they pursued an enhanced sentence against Garrison because he has previously been convicted of two felonies: interference with a police officer and escape from a detention facility. Garrison faces between 10 and 50 years in prison if found guilty for the fire.

Garrison, who is being held in the detention center on a $100,000 bond, appeared in court in orange jail scrubs. Prosecutor Mike Schafer said Garrison is also currently serving a jail sentence for violating a protection order in by place by his wife.

Schafer said Garrison had to be extradited from Oregon to appear in court on the arson charge.

According to court documents, firefighters responded at about 9 p.m. Dec. 20, 2013, to a mobile home on Yucca Circle. The fire destroyed the homes interior along with all belongings, the documents state. When investigators interviewed the homeowner, she said her husband, Garrison, had threatened her numerous times by stating he would burn her house down with her in it.

A man who said he was with Garrison on the night of the fire told investigators he had seen Garrison take a gas can with him when he left, according to the documents. He also said Garrison had been drinking and had threatened to kill his wife.

When interviewed by investigators, Garrison said he was out of town at the time of the fire, though he could not offer details, the documents state. He said faulty wiring on an electric water heater at the mobile home may have caused the fire. Investigators looked at the heater and saw no indication of faulty wiring.

Video footage from a security camera at a neighbors house showed a man at the mobile home just before the fire broke out, according to the documents.
A Casper man returned to his car Monday at a local park and discovered an alleged burglar hiding in the back seat, according to a police report.

Authorities say Brandtly Patrick Bedsaul broke into several vehicles Monday at Washington Park and was burglarizing a car when the owner caught him in the act. Bedsaul, 18, was being held in the Natrona County Detention Center as of Tuesday afternoon. He is charged with burglary, aggravated burglary and interference with a police officer.

The victim said he and a friend had met at the park to walk around and when they returned his friend noticed her car had been ransacked, the police report states. The victim noticed one of his car windows had been broken and he glanced into his car to see a man, later identified as Bedsaul, laying down on the back seat attempting to hide. Bedsaul jumped out of the broken window and tried to flee, but the victim tackled him.

According to the report, the victim also said Bedsaul had a knife, but the victim was able to get it away from Bedsaul. Police later recovered the knife at the park.

When police arrested Bedsaul, they found a womans purse around his neck and two wallets in his pockets, as well as other items commonly stored in cars, the report states.
There is no question money was stolen from the town of Mills treasurers office over two years, a state auditor testified Tuesday in court.

Following the auditors testimony, Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Steven Brown determined enough evidence exists to warrant a trial for the woman who ran the office.

Lisa Whetstone was placed on administrative leave earlier this month after prosecutors accused her of pocketing $64,000 in town money she was supposed to deposit into the government bank account. Investigators also believe Whetstone used a town credit card for personal expenses.

State senior auditor Brittany Leasure testified the audit found small discrepancies between the checks and credit card payments made to the town and the money deposited into its account. Those discrepancies were not out of the ordinary, she said.

However, the discrepancy between cash paid to the town and the amount deposited into its account was more than $64,000, Leasure said.

Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agents began looking into the alleged thefts after the audit of town funds uncovered discrepancies. Leasure said cash receipts did not match the amount of money being deposited into the towns bank account. Instead, the deposit slip would have a decreased amount of cash or no cash at all.

DCI special agent Len Propps, who also testified at the hearing, said Whetstone was typically the employee who handled deposits of town funds. He said he interviewed a former town employee who proposed practices to bring more accountability to the treasurers office. The former employee said she was met with resistance by Whetstone, who seemed annoyed by the suggestions, Propps said.

The agent said after DCI began its investigation of the missing funds, the cash shortages stopped. Propps also said Whetstone paid a large balance on her town credit card. When he reviewed a statement for Whetstones card, he found several expenses that appeared to be personal, such as purchases at Petco, Hancock Fabrics, Regal Nails, Js Pub and more.

Propps testified that when he told Mayor Marrolyce Wilson that Whetstone might have embezzled, Wilson covered her ears with her hands. The agent also said Wilson and Whetstone discouraged town employees from cooperating with the investigation into Whetstones actions. One employee told Propps she was placed on probation after she allowed Propps into the building with a search warrant.

Other city employees had access to the money collected by the town of Mills, defense attorney Keith Nachbar said at the hearing. He argued there was no correlation between the money missing from the town and the money deposited into Whetstones bank account and that no direct evidence, such as video surveillance or witness statements, exists against Whetstone.

Futher, Nachbar argued the audit discovered poor accountability practices by the town and that mistakes by town employees could explain the missing money.

District Attorney Michael Blonigen said Whetstone had the means and opportunity to steal the funds. He also said her bank records indicate financial burden, which shows motive.

She had the oldest motive in the world, and thats greed, Blonigen said.

Whetstone, who is out of jail on bond, quietly watched the hearing while seated beside her attorney. She will enter pleas to the charges at a district court arraignment.
CHEYENNE  In light of Wyomings budget troubles, its more important than ever to have experienced lawmakers in the Wyoming Legislature, said state Rep. Dan Zwonitzer.

Thats the primary reason Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, is running for re-election in House District 43.

I feel I owe it to the state and to the district for one more term, Zwonitzer said. Decisions are going to be more difficult in the next two years.

He said experience working with budgets and state finances is a must going into the next few legislative sessions.

Still, Zwonitzer said the sky isnt falling, and the state has reserves to fund government operations for some time.

Weve seen it coming for 10 years, he said. Our Legislature has diligently planned for it. The issue is it happened much quicker than expected.

As budget cuts come about, Zwonitzer said he wants to make sure the state moves in the right direction, and said he thinks Laramie County lawmakers have a better sense of how budget cuts affect state employees.

Zwonitzer said the state needs to continue to diversify its economy and noted Laramie County has made ardent steps in that area.

The rest of the state is really hurting, he said. We have disparity between communities that really want to grow and communities that havent taken steps necessary for growth.

Zwonitzer said the state should continue to support mineral extraction industries and work with those companies as energy sources are diversified.

He also said the state should ensure that job retraining and short-term employment opportunities are available for laid-off workers.

Zwonitzer sees quality-of-life projects and improvements combined with Wyomings business-friendly climate as keys to future growth.

I want to make sure we dont have a loss of Wyomingites to other states, he said. This is the most important time to be innovative and think toward the future.

Zwonitzer supports expansion of Medicaid in Wyoming, though he would like to see a stipulation that the state can exit the expansion if federal funding does not meet what is promised.

I think the real fear is we dont want to get stuck with the bill, he said.

Education and in-frastructure should also be priorities, he said.

Even in bad economic times, we still have to invest in infrastructure, he said.

Zwonitzer would also like to continue a focus on water rights, particularly as the West grows and more strains are put on the regions water supply.

I think water is still the most important long-term issues  outside of energy  in Wyoming, he said.

Zwonitzer has already served six two-year terms in the Legislature.

His father, David Zwonitzer, is also in the state House of Representatives but is running for state Senate this fall.

House District 43 includes neighborhoods in southeast Cheyenne east of College Drive and south of Pershing Boulevard and a chunk of south-central Laramie County.

It includes the Sun Valley neighborhood, Laramie County Community College and rural areas south of LCCC to the Colorado border.

The filing period for candidates ends Friday.

This years primary will be held Aug. 16, and the general election will occur Nov. 8.

State representatives, who have a term of two years, are paid $150 per day of work during the session and interim committee meetings.

Lawmakers also are eligible for a $109 per diem for each day of work.
TOKYO (AP)  Two very different visions of the hell that is war are seared into the minds of World War II survivors on opposite sides of the Pacific.

Michiko Kodama saw a flash in the sky from her elementary school classroom on Aug. 6, 1945, before the ceiling fell and shards of glass from blown-out windows slashed her. Now 78, she has never forgotten the living hell she saw from the back of her father, who dug her out after a U.S. military plane dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan.

People were walking like zombies, with their flesh scraped and severely burned, asking for help, for water. A little girl looked up, straight into Michiko's eyes, and collapsed.

Lester Tenney saw Japanese soldiers killing fellow American captives on the infamous Bataan Death March in the Philippines in 1942. "If you didn't walk fast enough, you were killed. If you didn't say the right words you were killed, and if you were killed, you were either shot to death, bayonetted, or decapitated," the 95-year-old veteran said. He still has the bamboo stick Japanese soldiers used to beat him across the face.

Different experiences, different memories are handed down, spread by the media and taught in school. Collectively, they shape the differing reactions in the United States and Japan to Barack Obama's decision to become the first sitting American president to visit the memorial to atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima later this week.

The U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki three days after Hiroshima, and Japan surrendered six days later, bringing to an end a bloody conflict that the U.S. was drawn into after Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Japan identifies mostly as "a victim rather than a victimizer," Stephen Nagy, an international relations professor at the International Christian University in Tokyo, said. "I think that represents Japan's regional role and its regional identity, whereas the United States has a global identity, a global agenda and global presence. So when it views the bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, it's in the terms of a global narrative, a global conflict the United States was fighting for freedom or to liberate countries from fascism or imperialism. To make these ends meet is very difficult."

A poll last year by the Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of Americans believe the use of nuclear weapons was justified, while 34 percent do not. In Japan, 79 percent said the bombs were unjustified, and only 14 percent said they were.

Terumi Tanaka, an 84-year-old survivor of the Nagasaki bombing, said of Obama: "I hope he will give an apology to the atomic bomb survivors, not necessarily to the general public. There are many who are still suffering. I would like him to meet them and tell them that he is sorry about the past action, and that he will do the best for them."

The White House has clearly ruled out an apology, which would inflame many U.S. veterans and others, and said that Obama would not revisit the decision to drop the bombs.

"A lot of these people are telling us we shouldn't have dropped the bomb  hey, what they talking about?" said Arthur Ishimoto, a veteran of the Military Intelligence Service, a U.S. Army unit made up of mostly Japanese-Americans who interrogated prisoners, translated intercepted messages and went behind enemy lines to gather intelligence.

Now 93, he said it's good for Obama to visit Hiroshima to "bury the hatchet," but there's nothing to apologize for. Ishimoto, who was born in Honolulu and rose to be an Air Force major general and commander of the Hawaii National Guard, believes he would have been killed in an invasion of Japan if Japan had not surrendered.

"It would have been terrible," he said. "There is going to be controversy about apologizing. I don't think there should be any apology. ... We helped that country. We helped them out of the pits all the way back to one of the most economically advanced. There's no apology required."

Beyond the deaths  the atomic bombs killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 73,000 in Nagasaki by the end of 1945  the effects of radiation have lingered with survivors, both physically and mentally.

Kodama, the Hiroshima schoolgirl, faced discrimination in employment and marriage. After her first love failed because her boyfriend's family said they didn't want "radiated people's blood in their family," she married into a more understanding one.

The younger of her two daughters died of cancer in 2011. Some say she shouldn't have given birth, even though multi-generational radiation effects have not been proven.

Obama doesn't have to apologize, Kodama said, but he should take concrete actions to keep his promise to seek a nuclear-free world.

"For me, the war is not over until the day I see a world without nuclear weapons." she said. "Mr. Obama's Hiroshima visit is only a step in the process."

Nagasaki survivor Tanaka views the atomic bombings as a crime against humanity. A promise by Obama to survivors to do all he can for nuclear disarmament "would mean an apology to us," he said.

He added that his own government also should take some of the blame for the suffering of atomic bomb victims. "It was the Japanese government that started the war to begin with, and delayed the surrender," he said, adding that Japan has not fully faced up to its role in the war.

Japan did issue apologies in various forms in the 1980s and 1990s, but some conservative politicians in recent years have raised questions about them, said Sven Saaler, a historian at Sophia University in Tokyo.

"In particular right now when Japan has a government that is ... backpedaling in terms of apologizing for the war, if now the U.S. apologized, that also would be, I think, a weird signal in this current situation," Saaler said.

Tenney, one of only three remaining POWs from the Bataan Death March, wants Obama in Hiroshima to remember all those who suffered in the war, not just the atomic bomb victims.

"From my point of view, the fact that the war ended when it did and the way it did, it saved my life and it saved the life of those Americans and other allied POWs that were in Japan at the time," he said at his home in in Carlsbad, California. "I was in Japan, shoveling coal in a coal mine. No one ever apologized for that. ... I end up with black lung disease because they didn't take care of me in the coal mine, and yet there is no apology, no words of wisdom, no nothing."

Obama's visit is firmly supported by Earl Wineck, who scanned the skies over Alaska for Japanese warplanes during World War II.

"He's not going there like some of them might, and keep reminding them of all their transgressions," the 88-year-old veteran of the Alaska Territorial Guard said. "That should have ended after the war, and I think a lot of it did, but of course, there's always people who feel resentment."

Japan occupied two Alaskan islands during the war. The battle to retake one of them, Attu Island, cost about 3,000 lives on both sides.

"We hated them," Wineck said "But things change, people change, and I think people in the world should be closer together."

How so?

One Tokyo high school student has a suggestion. Mayu Uchida, who said she cried when she heard survivors recount their memories on a school trip to Hiroshima, wants Obama to bring home what he learns and tell any supporters of nuclear weapons how horrifying they are.

"He could also suggest, promoting opportunities for more Americans to visit Hiroshima, or to hear the story of Hiroshima," the 18-year-old said. "It will be even better if those opportunities are available for younger generations like us."

___

Watson reported from Carlsbad, Calif. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, and Ken Moritsugu in Tokyo also contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Ishimoto rose to be an Air Force major general, not Army.
brazil

Interim govt under fire over recording

RIO DE JANEIRO  Brazils interim government came under fire Monday as a secret recording emerged of the new planning minister discussing a purported pact to push for President Dilma Rousseffs impeachment to stall a huge corruption probe that has engulfed much of the nations political class.

Even some allies of acting President Michel Temer called for the firing or resignation of Planning Minister Romero Juca, also a senator who is under investigation in the multibillion-dollar kickback scheme at state oil company Petrobras.

Rousseff was suspended from office by the Senate earlier this month for allegedly using accounting tricks to hide yawning deficits in the federal budget to bolster support for her embattled government. She has repeatedly said she did nothing wrong.

austria

Pro-EU presidential candidate ekes out win

VIENNA  A pro-European Union candidate eked out a victory Monday over a right-wing, anti-migrant rival to become Austrias next president, in a tight contest viewed Europe-wide as a proxy fight pitting the continents political center against its growingly strong populist and anti-establishment movements.

European mainstream parties joined Austrian supporters of Alexander Van der Bellen in congratulating him on his victory over Norbert Hofer. But with less than a percentage point separating the two, Hofers Freedom Party celebrated what they cast as a major political surge by one of their own.

BRITAIN

Angelina Jolie to teach at London university

LONDON  Oscar-winning actress and activist Angelina Jolie has been appointed a visiting professor at one of Britains most prestigious universities.

The London School of Economics announced Monday that Jolie will be working with students studying for a masters degree in Women, Peace and Security.

egypt

Search for answers in plane crash continues

CAIRO  A French ship joined the international effort to hunt for the black boxes and other wreckage of EgyptAir Flight 804 Monday, searching for clues to what brought the plane down, as Greek and Egyptian authorities diverged on what happened to the plane during the crucial final minutes before it crashed into the Mediterranean, killing all 66 people on board.

Five days after the air disaster, questions remain over what happened to the doomed jet before it disappeared off the radar.

Egyptian authorities said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, and some experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek defense minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit. So far no hard evidence has emerged.

Wire reports
Sauce Pizza & Wine will open its fourth Tucson location in mid-June.

Construction should wrap up this week at the restaurant, 6450 E. Grant Road, said co-owner Scott Kilpatrick. Sauce will occupy 3,200 square feet of a new building next door to Zinburger that also will include the second location of Prep & Pastry.

Zinburger is owned by Fox Restaurant Concepts, which sold Sauce to Kilpatrick and partner Todd Belfer in January 2015. In the 16 months since they owned the chain, which includes locations in the Phoenix area, the pair opened a new Sauce in Phoenix and is eying possible locations in New Mexico and Texas, Kilpatrick said Monday.

Were very opportunistic, but yet were somewhat conservative, he said, explaining that the goal is responsible growth of the company, not growth for growths sake. We are looking for the right opportunities for us.

The new Tucson Sauce, which is the only one here without patio dining, could open June 13, Kilpatrick said.

Sauce has a dozen locations in Tucson and the Phoenix area, including one at Sky Harbor International Airport.
Who is Jim Falken?

The mystery surrounding that question took some mind-bending turns over the weekend, including an FBI report over a stolen pseudonym, and a threat by John R. Dalton Jr. to sue whoever is using his name to explain away the acts of Mr. Falken.

You may recall that on Friday, I reported on the appearance and disappearance of a news site calling itself the Arizona Daily Herald. The Herald first became widely known on Sunday, May 15, when a person calling himself Jim Falken sent emails to the Pima County supervisors and the candidates for supervisor, asking their opinion of the road-repair plan Supervisor Ally Miller had released the day before.

My reporting  and that of the Tucson Weekly and Tucson Sentinel  suggested that the Herald website may have been set up by a staff member in Millers office, Timothy DesJarlais. He had repeatedly used the pseudonym Jim Falken in an online role-playing game. He has also apparently set up online news sites before: The web sites Tucson Trumpet and NSNBC International list him as the contact or contributor.

On Friday, Miller had a choice of whether to cast her suspicions on DesJarlais, a 19-year-old staffer who works part-time for the office and is running for the Marana school board, or to defend him. In a decision that could determine her political future, she chose to back him, full force.

Miller and DesJarlais told KVOA-TV on Friday they were filing reports with the FBIs cyber-crimes unit. Their complaint was that someone else had assumed DesJarlais online alter-ego, Jim Falken, in an effort to besmirch Millers office.

That complaint has two problems. One is that its unclear whether it would be a crime to use an online pseudonym used by someone else. Another is that the Arizona Daily Herald seemed to be trying to bolster Miller by asking candidates about her road-repair plan, not harm her.

Another potential problem: Filling a false report with the FBI is itself a crime.

Then came Saturday afternoon. DesJarlais and Miller had been claiming that a man named John Dalton was the one who used the Jim Falken name to start the Arizona Daily Herald. That afternoon, their claim seemed to come true. An email from Jim Falken, using the email address editor@azdailyherald.com, went out to news outlets and politicians around Pima County. Here are excerpts:

My name is John Dalton and I am currently a resident of central Tucson. I have gotten into blogging and I wanted to start up my own news platform but to both protect my identity and make me seem objective, I utilized the pseudonym, Jim Falken, which I happened to run across while observing some nation roleplaying and blogs by a Timothy DesJarlais. Although I did use the same pseudonym as Mr DesJarlais, under no circumstances did I ever intend to assume his identity...

Upon further research, there is another John Dalton out there who has come from Michigan and ran for Arizona delegate during this years state convention. It has come to my attention that Mr. DesJarlais has gotten me confused with this John Dalton, although we are two different people with different phone numbers. It also seems others have been confused and alleged that Mr DeJarlais is the owner of the Arizona Daily Herald...

The final paragraph:

Id like to repeat that none of my emails or texts were ever intended to impersonate Mr Dalton or Mr DesJarlais and I would like to offer my sincere apology to both the media, Supervisor Miller, all the candidates, and both Mr. DesJarlais and Mr. Dalton. Because of the nature of confusion surrounding my site, I have already terminated it and I will soon be deactivating this email. I meant no ill will towards anybody and this is purely a news blogging attempt gone wrong. I hope all of you will understand and I wish all of you the best of luck moving forward into the summer.

The email is signed, John R. Dalton Jr.

This email seemed to solve the mystery, and I was preparing to write a mea culpa, explaining that DesJarlais and Miller were right and I had been wrong. Then two things happened  or didnt happen.

The first was that the email writer calling himself John R. Dalton Jr. didnt answer any phone calls I made to the number provided in the email or respond to any emails. I was prepared to believe him, but I wanted to meet him first to verify he was really John Dalton. He wouldnt make any contact at all.

The second was that the real John R. Dalton Jr. called. You see, there is a John R. Dalton Jr. living in Tucson. Hes a 25-year-old who moved from Michigan last year and is preparing to attend the University of Arizona this fall. Hes a Republican who was a delegate to the state convention from Legislative District 9.

And he was wondering what on Earth was going on with people throwing his name into this political mystery.

He said he had nothing to do with it, had only once met DesJarlais and Miller, and was a bit upset they were using his name. A story on the Arizona Daily Independent website quoted Miller accusing a John Dalton of being behind the Arizona Daily Herald.

There may be other John Daltons around, but Saturdays email writer, claiming to be from the person who started the Arizona Daily Herald, had signed off as John R. Dalton Jr.

The real Dalton, the one who was a delegate to the state convention, wrote this in an email to local Republicans on Sunday:

The e-mail sent to you using my name is fraudulent in its entirety. The person who wrote the e-mail obviously did so as an act of desperation and made some very big mistakes. The person says that he is not to be confused with the other John Dalton out there who has come from Michigan and ran for Arizona delegate... In this section of the e-mail, it is apparent the person is referring to me, yet at the end of the e-mail he signs off using the full legal name of the only John Dalton, in the entire city of Tucson, who is from Michigan and was a state delegate, John R. Dalton Jr.

He went on to say that, once a criminal investigation identifies who was using his name, he plans to file a civil suit.

Separately this weekend, John Winchester, who is running against Miller in the Republican primary, uncovered a message sent to him April 24 via his campaign web page, from Jim Falken of the Arizona Daily Herald asking to be put on Winchesters mailing list. It includes a phone number that, when called, says the voicemail is for Timothy DesJarlais. Its the same phone number listed on the Tucson Trumpet website.

After the weekends uproar, Sharon Bronson, a Democrat and chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, on Monday asked the county administration to investigate the matter. County spokesman Mark Evans said the county administrator, Miller nemesis Chuck Huckelberry, is planning to request that Sheriff Chris Nanos look into it.

In short, Miller has gone all-in defending a questionable story by her young aide.

The investigations by law-enforcement officials and journalists will reveal if that was a good choice.
A Maricopa Superior Court judge has sided with Pima County in a lawsuit over an effort by the state to shift more of an education tax burden onto county taxpayers.

Pima Countys lawsuit claims a state budget change last year illegally forces millions of dollars in education spending that had previously been handled by the state onto Pima County taxpayers.

Prior to Mondays ruling, Pima County was facing a $7.4 million bill to the Tucson Unified School District. Thats a result of a 2015 state law that changed the way Arizona handles situations in which homeowners are assessed property taxes that exceed 1 percent of their propertys full cash value.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry included a 10-cent primary property tax hike in the coming years proposed budget to help cover the additional cost.

In his ruling, Judge Christopher Whitten said the legislature unconstitutionally gave a state commission the power to determine which jurisdictions are required to compensate homeowners whose tax bills exceed the 1-percent threshold.

The power and responsibility to tax is vested in the Arizona Legislature and may not be delegated by it, he wrote.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said if the ruling sticks its unlikely the county will continue to pursue the tax rate increase.

A spokeswoman with the Arizona Attorney Generals Office and a staffer for Gov. Doug Ducey said the ruling was still being reviewed and no decision about an appeal had been made.
In 1994, Carol Bogg, Linda Girard, Janet Smith and Jane Perri joined with a handful of volunteers to form the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network. The groups purpose was to help people with HIV and AIDS to die with dignity.

Now, after almost a century of collective volunteerism for TIHAN, their focus is on life.

Weve seen changes in our 22 years of working with HIV. The focus has moved from death in those early days to helping people to live well with this chronic, long-term disease, said TIHAN Executive Director Scott Blades, who was recently honored for his decades of dedication with a prestigious Leadership Award from the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund. For 22 years, these women and TIHAN have provided a sustained response. It is an amazing long-term commitment to HIV awareness, advocacy and support from these volunteers.

Blades has nurtured the expansion of TIHAN, which boasts a membership of about 50 faith communities. The effort continues to provide education for clergy and laity along with outreach and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, known as CarePartners.

Over the years, the four women agree, TIHAN has become more than an organization: It has become a family.

Volunteering with TIHAN is sort of like being a mother: It is forever. The CarePartners in TIHAN and the volunteers you work with and the staff become your friends forever, and it is so encouraging to see the transitions over the years with medications and treatment, said Perri, 81, a Catholic who became involved because she wanted to support her gay son and the gay community.

Smith reached out for the same reason after her son, Eric, died of AIDS at age 29, two years prior to the inception of TIHAN.

She said she regrets that Eric wasnt able to take advantage of TIHANs services, but she is grateful for the comfort and support it offered during her mourning.

She is particularly thankful for the purpose that she found through the Poz Cafe, a volunteer-driven effort that offers monthly lunch and social programs for CarePartners. It also serves as a distribution point for CarePackages comprised of toiletries, cleaning and household supplies, clothing and other basic necessities essential to the many CarePartners who live on fixed incomes. The program is nearing another milestone: the distribution of its 10,000th CarePackage.

Poz Cafe is one of the nicest and most gratifying things I have ever done, and I think it has done a great deal to eliminate the stigma attached to this disease. All of these wonderful men and women come from different congregations and work together and then go back to their congregations and remind them that these are just people  fine people who just have a virus, Smith said.

The gratitude from CarePartners inspires many volunteers to return, according to Bogg, a strong advocate for equality and social justice who knew nothing about AIDS when she started at TIHAN.

It is so exciting to see how happy they are to have us there. There are hugs and kisses and laughter from all sides, she said.

Girard said the same spirit of optimism and inclusiveness abounds in TIHANs Living Well With HIV classes. The classes are led by instructors who educate CarePartners and guests on topics ranging from nutrition and budgeting to re-entering the workforce and optimizing well-being.

We have the materials in Spanish and English so we can accommodate the entire population. We want to make sure that no one is excluded and everyone feels comfortable. This is all about educating and empowering people, said Girard.

Ultimately, Blades said the importance of TIHANs sustained outreach is to bring people together. He said Treasures for TIHAN, the upcoming signature fundraiser, is an ideal opportunity to promote awareness and outreach while making new connections in the community.

We want people to be part of the solution in providing resources and support for those living with HIV while addressing HIV stigma. Some people say HIV is too depressing or scary or they are afraid of getting it and we try to educate them so we can figure out where they fit in and how they can help support those who want to live well. It is hard to argue with that, said Blades.

Through it all, Blades also reiterated the importance of overcoming the silence surrounding HIV and reminded the public of the importance of HIV testing.

We thought HIV would be cured now, but its not  yet. For people living with HIV, it is a chronic but manageable disease so it doesnt have to define or limit your life. For us as a society, its a long-term public-health issue, so we need more awareness, education, testing, support, advocacy and care, he said.
A small but vocal contingent of the New York City's political class characterizes those of us who are alarmed by increasing crime  and want more proactive policing, more effective prosecution and further refinement of state laws to ensure that lawbreakers face swift, sure consequences  as nothing but reactionaries. The city remains historically safe, they say, so the order of the day should be more criminal justice reform.
PHOENIX  An attorney for a major Arizona taxi firm is defending the $10 additional fee charged for those who want a van, saying that does not discriminate against those with disabilities.

In legal papers filed in federal court, Philip May acknowledged that Total Transit Inc., which operates cabs under the Discount Cab label, does charge a fee for those who specifically seek a van. That can include taxis that are accessible to those in motorized wheelchairs.

But May said that $10 on-demand van fee is not aimed at those in wheelchairs.

He said the charge is applied uniformly to all customers making an on-demand request for any van in the fleet. And May said the charge is entirely independent of the vans use or accessibility and the passengers mobility.

But May wants U.S. District Court Judge Diane Humetewa to do more than dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Arizona Center for Disability Law. He also wants her to say Total Transit is free to stop offering van service entirely without risking another suit if the company decides that service no longer makes sense.

The original suit was filed last year on behalf of three people, all users of power wheelchairs, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Attorney Jessica Ross said users require a taxi that has a ramp or lift to be able to get in. Ross said Discount Cab provides them, but only if the customer pay a $10 surcharge.

That, she said violates state and federal disability laws.

Our clients dont have the option of taking the standard taxi, Ross said, calling it discriminatory to require they pay the fee.

Ross acknowledged that a company that rents cars and vans could charge a higher rate for a suitable vehicle, such as one that had a ramp or could be operated with hand controls. But she said taxis, as providers of public accommodations and transportation services, are different.

May does not agree. But he is also setting the stage for what happens if Humetewa sides with challengers.

In a counterclaim filed with the court, May argued that forbidding Total Transit from charging the $10 fee to customers with disabilities would adversely affect the companys business. If so, the attorney argued, Total Transit may simply decide the best way to avoid being accused of charging a discriminatory fee might be to not provide on-demand services at all.

So he wants Humetewa to rule whether his client would run afoul of the law by dropping the service.

In filing the original lawsuit, Ross acknowledged that part of the reason she sued is the fact that Discount Cab does have such vehicles.

Theyre not required to have accessible vehicles in their fleet, she conceded at the time. But certain standards apply once they do get accessible vehicles.
Help India!

By TCN News,

A book written by Yashica Dutt, a journalist living in New York, who concealed her identity of being a dalit for a decade and came out openly after the dalit student Rohith Vemulas tragic suicide on January 18, 2016, is set to be released next year.

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This was announced recently by Aleph Book Company, an independent Indian publishing firm. It is presently entitled as Coming Out as Dalit.

Dutt is a New York-based journalist who writes on gender, identity and culture. She was previously a principal correspondent with Brunch and Hindustan Times and is the founder of

dalitdiscrimination.tumblr.com

Death of Vemula was the moment for Dutt to stop living a lie, and admit something that she had hidden from friends and colleagues for over a decadethat she was Dalit.

I was born in a Dalit family in Ajmer, Rajasthan. And I grew up learning to hide it, she wrote at dalitdiscrimination.tumblr.com soon after Vemulas death at Hyderabad Central University.

In Coming Out as Dalit, Dutt recounts the exhausting burden of living with the secret, terrified of being found out, and dealing with the crushing guilt of denying her history. In this personal memoir that is

at the same time a history of the Dalit people, she writes about the journey of coming to terms with her identity and chronicles the Dalit movement.

She writes about the consequences of the lack of access to education and culture; the paucity of Dalit voices in mainstream media; and attempts to answer crucial questions about caste and privilege. Woven from personal narratives from her life as well as that of other Dalits, this book forces us to confront the injustices of caste and also serves as a call to action.
Help India!

New Delhi : The CBI on Tuesday questioned Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat for about five hours in an alleged political horse-trading case, in the wake of a sting video showing him offering bribes to buy legislative support in the assembly. He is likely to be called again.

Rawat reached the Central Bureau of Investigation office here around 11.15 a.m. and was questioned around five hours, an official told IANS.

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Rawat could not furnish full and complete detail on many issues. He will be called again for questioning, the official said.

The sting operation video showed Rawat offering money to rebel Congress lawmakers to win their support ahead of a March 28 floor test in the 70-member Uttarakhand house. The floor test never happened as the state came under Presidents Rule a day earlier.

The video was shot by a Noida-based private TV channel, Samachar Plus, and was released on March 26 by nine Congress legislators who had rebelled against Rawats government.

Based on a reference from the state government, then under Presidents Rule, and further orders from the central government, the CBI on April 25 initiated a preliminary inquiry to determine the authenticity of the sting operation by Samachar Plus CEO and editor-in-chief Umesh Kumar.

The CBI issued a fresh summons to Rawat for Tuesday after he had sought more time to its earlier summons issued on May 5 to appear before it on May 9. He was reinstated as chief minister on May 11 after winning the vote of confidence in the assembly.
When in 2013 the renowned magazine Wine Spectator ranked Chateau Miraval Rose 2012, a wine produced by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at their 35-bedroom estate in Provence, France, as the 'Best Rose in the world' for that year, it was finally clear that rose had become the next big thing.

In the last decade, global sales and reputation of rose wine have both grown dramatically. The U.S. are the leading market: according to a 2015 Nielsen research, while U.S. table wine sales in 2015 increased at a rather modest 1.9% by volume and 5.3% in value, imported rose grew by 56.4% volume (60.4% in value).

Sales of rose in the U.S. have grown steadily for 12 years in a row (source: Wines of Provence).

If rose can be considered a relatively recent trend, nonetheless this particular type of wine is deemed to predate both red and white as the most ancient wine ever made; unsurprisingly, as it is the most straightforward wine to make with the skin contact method.

Rose is extremely popular in the UK, too. And while it was once considered just for girls, in recent years British male drinkers have massively shifted from pint beer glasses to pinkish wine cups. The wine expert Victoria Moore has been quoted for saying: "Rose is now a status symbol. The gender stereotyping that once ghettoised pink wine as a drink for girls and big girls blouses is long gone".

This is evident to anyone walking in a London pub, particularly in Belgravia or Fulham.

Even if France is the largest producer for volume and value, Italy has a noteworthy reputation for producing excellent rose wine, including Rosato, a variable of rose wine alongside Chiaretto (typical of Lombardy and Veneto), Ramato (Friuli Venezia Giulia) and Cerasuolo (Abruzzo) - but the term is often used to refer to all pink wines.

Rosato is usually linked to Apulia, but it is also produced in other Italian regions. For instance, a noteworthy wine is Rosato Rosa di Montacuto Marche IGT by Moroder, produced in the Marche region. Made with Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Alicante nero grapes, it holds a bold, shimmering pink tone. The perfect drink for a warm Spring evening: Rosa di Montacuto pairs well with tomato-sauced pastas or rice, white-meat recipes and pizza(why not?).

Is your terrace ready for parties and dinners with friends and a lot of Summerwater (as rose is often referred to in social media)? Libiamo!
Manuel Cabello Florensa Wins 888Live Costa Brava Main Event

May 24 2016 William Powell

Manuel Cabello Florensa took down the 888Live Costa Brava Main Event title just after 2 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, topping a field of 165 entries to bring to a close a four-day "Poker Fiesta" put on by 888poker from May 18-22 May in Costa Brava, Spain. What's more is that Florensa started the final table as the short stack, but ran it up to claim victory and 11,000 in first-place prize money.

A Festival of Poker

Qualifiers from around Europe had won packages that included accommodation at the 5-Star Guitart Monterrey Hotel, entry into the $50,000 guaranteed Main Event, beach activities and, on the final night, an exclusive Bounty Freeroll and VIP party at Disco Tropics nightclub.

888poker ambassador Kara Scott played host to the activities, welcoming guests at a champagne reception on the night of their arrival, taking to the sea on a jet ski for the beach activities, playing in all the tournaments, and finally commentating on the final table that was streamed on Twitch.tv for the first time.

UK poker pro Rupert Elder was a special guest, noted for his own Twitch streaming, and he joined in the festivities and joined Scott in the commentary booth.

Relaxing and Freerolling

Thursday was a day of relaxation and fun on the beach before the poker began with a freeroll event at the spacious poker room in the modern Gran Casino Costa Brava. There were 130 entries for the hotly contested tournament tickets into the big one the next day, and it was past 2 a.m. local time before the winners of nine tickets were decided.

Main Event Breaks Guarantee

The two-day 888Live Main Event attracted an impressive 165 entries, comfortably surpassing the guarantee. A generous 25,000-chip starting stack and 14 30-minute levels of play saw 58 players make it through to Day 2. Scott made it through with an average stack, but there would be some way to go before the bubble burst with 18 players making the money.

On the final day, Scott would fall short of the money when she went all in with the and was called by Chuc Khun holding the and Craig Newton with the . The board ran out and Newton claimed two victims to kick off a bloody few levels.

The bubble was soon burst by Andrei Kolotov when he moved all in with the and got called by a player holding the . The board ran out to make a flush at the end. Kolotov was presented with a pair of Sony wireless headphones as a consolation prize.

Just over four hours later the final table of nine was set with Newton and his stack of 929,000 comfortably in the lead. Heading into the final table, Florensa was dead last in chips with just 158,000.

Manuel Cabello Florensa Takes It Down

The tournament was eventually heads up between Florensa and David Nunez Arguello just before 2 a.m. Playing fairly even stacks of 20 big blinds each, all the chips went in the middle on a board of . Arguello tabled the for top pair, but Florensa had him beat with with . The turn and river sealed the deal and Florensa was the champion.

Florensa is from Catalonia and won his seat online at 888poker.es. Speaking after his victory, a delighted Florensa told PokerNews that this was by far his biggest live cash, but he is a big winner online in cash games and multi-table tournaments. He came to the final table as the short stack, but was happy with the way he worked his way up.

Asked what he was planning to do with the 11,000 first-place prize, Florensa answered, "Use it for my poker bankroll."

That's spoken like a true player.

Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Manuel Cabello Florensa 11,000 2 David Nunez Arguello 7,950 3 Craig Newton 6,400 4 Albert Ortiz Garcia 5,400 5 Albert Gorman 4,500 6 Pavel Fedosa 3,700 7 Martin White 3,000 8 Edijs Tevins 2,300 9 Jouanen Regis 1,800

Some Photos from the "Poker Fiesta"

*Images courtesy of FabPhotos.

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Sharelines Manuel Cabello Florensa outlasted a field of 165 to take down the 888Live Costa Brava Main Event for 11,000.
Premier urges automobile company to focus on core business Updated: 2016-05-23 18:53 (english.gov.cn)

Premier Li Keqiang visits a Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle heavy truck plant in Shiyan city, Central China's Hubei province, on May 23. [Photo/english.gov.cn]

Premier Li Keqiang urged a motor company and its employees to focus on core business and improve product quality to compete with counterparts in the world during his visit to a Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle heavy truck plant in Shiyan city, Central China's Hubei province, on May 23.

When invited to be a booster for the heavy trucks produced in the plant, the Premier said he not only boosts Dongfeng, but also all Made-in-China products. He warned the company not to cover so many production fields, but to focus on their core businesses, as he got on a Dongfeng heavy truck in the plant.

On seeing a group of workers discussing innovation in assembling components in the plant, the Premier said the quality revolution of "Made in China" depends on the craftsman's spirit and craft innovation, and the key is consumer-oriented. He added that companies should upgrade made in China products through gradually satisfying consumers' increasing needs.

"You are the founding fathers of the factory of Dongfeng Automobile Co Ltd. You are also pioneers of China's automobile industry," Premier Li told a group of older Dongfeng staff.

"You overcame all difficulties and constructed a modern motor city in a mountainous area, which is a great contribution to the development of China's equipment manufacturing industry," the Premier said.
Authorities respond to public's concerns Updated: 2016-05-24 08:23 By Wang Yanfei(China Daily)

Departments and ministries under the State Council, China's cabinet, have responded to a wide range of public concerns during the past week, in areas that include food safety inspection, violence against doctors, the lack of children's healthcare facilities and information leakage.

The price of pork, which recently surged to record highs in several parts of China, prompted some slaughterhouses and enterprises to sell low quality and even contaminated pork products to consumers, some of whom were later found to have food-borne illnesses.

In response, the China Food and Drug Administration, the nation's top food safety regulator, pledged to strengthen the supervision and inspection of pork products' quality and safety, and to enhance efforts to crack down on illegal business activities. The administration urged enterprises to operate in accordance with the law.

In response to another public concern, the National Health and Family Planning Commission on Thursday strongly condemned the fatal assault of a doctor in Shaoyang, Central China's Hunan province, that happened the day before. In the incident, Wang Jun, a doctor at Shaodong County People's Hospital, died after he was severely beaten, allegedly by a patient's family members. Two suspects were apprehended and another surrendered to police.

The commission and the Ministry of Public Security pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and urged the local government to ensure the safety of medical personnel.

Following worries about a lack of access to children's healthcare facilities, the State Council said a guideline released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission and other related ministries on Wednesday is expected to ease the shortage of children's medical care resources by the end of 2020. By then, the commission expects there to be 2.2 beds per 1,000 children and 0.69 physicians per 1,000 children, and at least one pediatrician at each county-level healthcare institution.

After claims were made about people's personal information being leaked when they completed online registration procedures for national professional and technical qualifications, the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security announced on Thursday on its website that it was carrying out an investigation, along with other departments.

The results of the probe will be announced in a timely manner. The move came after some candidates reported receiving text messages that included offers to help them to cheat or get a surrogate to take the State bar examination, according to media reports last week.

Taxation offices in Shanghai and Jiangsu province announced last week that no written documents are required in order to get a value-added tax invoice. Some media outlets had earlier reported that people in the two regions had been asked to submit copies of their business licenses and tax registration certificates.
US' Chapman University fetes Peking Opera actress Updated: 2016-05-24 16:56 By Wang Kaihao(chinadaily.com.cn)

Sun Ping, one of China's top performing artists of Peking Opera, receives an honorary doctorate from Chapman University, a prestigious private university in Orange County, California on May 21, 2016. The honor is for her achievements in Peking Opera and her contribution to the development and promotion of the ancient art. [Photo/Xinhua]

Sun Ping, a veteran Peking Opera actress and educator, was made a of Doctor of Arts honoris causa by Californias Chapman University on May 21.

She was recognized for her significant contributions to cultural and artistic exchanges through Peking Opera performances and lectures around the world (leaving an) indelible mark nationally and internationally (and) for better intercultural understanding, and peace and harmony among cultures and civilizations.

Chapman University, based in Orange, California, is among the US top higher educational institutions in performing arts.

This is the first time a Chinese Peking Opera artist is receiving the degree of doctor honoris causa from a renowned university on the West Coast of the United States since Peking Opera guru Mei Lanfang was given such a title by the University of Southern California in 1930.

Sun, the director of the Center for National Drama Studies at Renmin University and dean of the Institute for the Arts of Beijing Foreign Studies University, has been the countrys key promoter of Peking Opera in the US and Europe since the 1990s.

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Coping with Tsai's conjuring of 'de facto independence' Updated: 2016-05-24 08:24 (China Daily USA)

As expected, the inauguration speech by Tsai Ing-wen avoided any reference to the 1992 Consensus. This is consistent with her long-standing position of no commitment to the one-China principle.

Tsai's consistent message, albeit ostensibly ambiguous, is either "two Chinas" or "de facto independence", which is why she shuns the consensual atmosphere that her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou and the mainland established. She contends that Ma's endorsing of the Consensus and the goodwill extended by the mainland as a result, although benefiting Taiwan's economy, have reduced Taiwan to being like a beggar at the mercy of the mainland's benevolence. As a result, Taiwan is dependent on the mainland's continued goodwill, which she believes has strengthened the mainland's leverage over her government.

Strategically, Tsai's avoidance of any direct acknowledgement of the Consensus is meant to eventually break the mainland's leverage. Thus the status quo to which she has pledged to adhere has nothing to do with the consensual policy of one China that Ma embraced. Rather, it is purely a policy supported exclusively by her constituency in Taiwan, and has nothing at all to do with any agreement with the mainland.

The mainland cannot help but feel alienated from Tsai's unilateral approach to the status quo, since in actuality, she is substituting a "two China" policy for the previous consensual one-China principle.

For Tsai, it is up to the mainland to decide whether or not to resort to sanctions for her disregard of the Consensus. In Tsai's mind, as long as there is no room for the mainland to participate in her policymaking, Taiwan stays "independent". Even though she cannot officially declare "independence", she can still convince her supporters that at least she has secured "de facto independence". After all, she owns a "constitutional" process that could initiate reinterpretation or amendment of Taiwan's "one-China constitution".

The options left for the mainland are apparently limited. On the contrary, the drive for future development and the diplomatic "striving for achievement" continue to orient Beijing's attention toward a better world that the rise of China can benefit. Such an orientation sets the parameters for mainland's approach to the cross-Straits relationship and may therefore take Taiwan away from being among the priorities in its agenda.

However, target-exact pressure from the mainland will unavoidably mount on those discernable secessionist forces in Taiwan, especially economically. A general pressure will likewise spread all over Taiwan. The former pressure will have the official acknowledgement from the mainland so that the nature of the sanctions is clear. However, the mainland will probably deny its connection with the latter so that Tsai's government cannot mobilize popular opinion in Taiwan against the mainland. Together, the two pressures will test how firmly the population stands on de facto "independence".

By extolling Taiwan's own "constitutional" process and denying the existence of any contractual consensus, Tsai's speech may delay the mainland's feedback to her policy. She could succeed for the time being as her wording and intention stir rhetorical dust that will take time to settle down. It is not clear, though, how far people on the island will be willing to go along with her under the two aforementioned pressures.

The author is a political scientist affiliated with a Taiwan-based university.

(China Daily USA 05/24/2016 page12)
Tsai's only sensible option is to endorse Consensus Updated: 2016-05-23 08:02 By Li Zhenguang(China Daily)

Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, April 15, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, who will lead the island over the next four years, resorted to rhetorical ambiguity in Friday's inauguration speech.

Tsai is yet to give a forthright answer on the 1992 Consensus that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China, which has served as the political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. Instead, she said in her speech that she "respected" the fact that "several political agreements were reached by both sides in 1992", but stopped short of mentioning the 1992 Consensus.

However, she said she wants to prolong the peaceful exchanges that have been established, and promised that the island will be "a staunch peacekeeper" in regional security affairs, in which cross-Straits ties serve as a "key link". And Tsai did pledge to address cross-Straits affairs in line with the "Regulations on Relations between People in the Taiwan and Mainland Areas" and other relevant laws.

Yet, as a statement issued by the mainland after Tsai's inauguration speech said, "Taiwan independence" remains the biggest menace to peaceful ties, because Tsai failed to touch upon the nature of the cross-Straits relations, let alone the prospect of some DPP secessionists attacking the one-China principle.

The truth is, just like the Cairo Declaration signed by the heads of the governments of China, the United States and the United Kingdom in 1943, which justified the return of Taiwan to China and the postwar order in Asia-Pacific region, the 1992 Consensus is the fundamental agreement between the two sides of the Straits.

The worst-case scenario would be Tsai attempting to continue trying to muddle through without endorsing the Consensus completely or even denying it completely. Should that happen, the mainland will have to prepare for and deter the DPP's future moves to seek "independence".

It is also noteworthy that Taiwan has been invited to attend the Geneva-based World Health Assembly as an observer just three days after Tsai's inauguration, in accordance with the one-China principle reflected in the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1.

As a special arrangement since 2009, the island's participation in the WHA will reveal a lot about whether the DPP will acknowledge the reality there is only one China. The WHA's belated invitation, which stresses that the DPP will be taking part in the event based on the one-China principle, enshrines the principle in Taiwan's political participation in international affairs.

If the Taiwan health authorities seek to challenge this in Geneva, insisting that the WHA's reiteration of the one-China principle has something to do with the mainland's "interference", the special arrangement is unlikely to last.

Worse, it might add more political uncertainties to cross-Straits relations, which the Kuomintang painstakingly steered in the right direction over the past eight years. Tsai should relinquish her delusional thinking that the mainland will sit idle while her party tries to tear China apart, bit by bit. The only option left for her is facing up to the 1992 Consensus.

The author is a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of Beijing Union University.
The development and growth of the China-US relationship could be fulfilled through more close local cooperation between sister states and provinces. Grassroots leaders, it seems, tend to be practical and down to earth.

Last week, the most frequent phrase I heard when attending China-US trade and economic exchanges-themed events was "sub-national cooperation". From California's lieutenant governor to the visiting Qingdao mayor and his San Francisco counterpart, to China's top diplomat in San Francisco, they all sang the praises of local collaboration.

Addressing representatives of Chinese enterprises that operate in Northern California on May 18, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized the important role that regional cooperation has played in fostering strong trade and investment between the Golden State and China.

"Regions will rise and fall together," he said, adding that the influx of Chinese direct investment is "a big part of our economic recovery".

The history of sub-national mechanism can be traced to 2011, when China and the US launched an interagency government team to promote communication and exchanges between American and Chinese regional leaders. The then-US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi signed a memorandum of understanding supporting US-China sub-national cooperation on Jan 19, 2011.

In the same year, the US-China Governors Forum was established. American governors including California's Jerry Brown, Governor Jay Inslee of Washington, Governor Terry E. Branstad of Iowa, Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan and Governor Kate Brown of Oregon met their Chinese counterparts from Sichuan province, Beijing, Chongqing, and Zhejiang, Shandong and Shaanxi provinces.

The sub-national framework promotes US-China trade and investment, people-to-people exchanges and partnerships and facilitates provincial contacts and regional outreach.

On Sept 22, 2015, President Xi Jinping attended the third China-US Governors Forum themed "Clean Energy and Economic Development" in Seattle, the first stop during his US state visit. He fully affirmed its focus on a low-carbon economy, pointing out that it highly corresponds with the common challenges now facing China, the US and the international community.

Xi stressed that local cooperation plays an important role in developing state-to-state relations. The relationship between countries requires people's support in the end and will eventually serve the people, he said, adding that only local cooperation can best benefit people.

"In the past 30-odd years, China-US relations have benefited from the support of local regions and peoples in the two countries and will still rely on and benefit local regions in the future," Xi said.

"In recent years, China-US local cooperation and exchanges are displaying a new boom. Both sides have established 43 pairs of sister provinces/states and 200 pairs of sister cities," he said.

Investment and trade are the anchors of a practical US-China relationship and cooperation, the president said.

As the central government requires, there are local follow-up actions and policy deployment. Newsom said that the state "is committed to assisting companies and individuals and their business activities in California".

On May 17, Qingdao Mayor Zhang Xinqi led his business delegation executives of 20 world-renowned companies to visit San Francisco. His dual missions on the US trip included sponsoring the Sino-US Regional Economic & Trade Cooperation Forum and an opening ceremony of the Qingdao Center for Business & Commerce USA.

A city famed for its open economy, port and trade businesses, Qingdao is the economic powerhouse of Shandong province. It's also the hometown to international enterprises such as Haier, Hisense and Tsingtao Brewery.

For future development, Qingdao has outlined its "200-year" strategic objectives and is building itself into an international city with a global vision on top of its abundant cultural, marine, tourism and economic resources.

By March, Qingdao had invested in 194 projects in the US with a total value of $9.08 billion, said Zhang, adding that the city was listed as a model city for China-US trade and investment cooperation by the Ministry of Commerce in 2013.

"Our US trip is to materialize the essence of China-US sub-national cooperation and launch concrete cooperation in sectors of finance, trade, culture, technology, among others," he said.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, who attended the Qingdao event, hailed the healthy bilateral relationship. "We two cities share many similarities, the hill and the ocean. We could promote innovation in the world by working together," he said.

The Sino-US economic relationship is the bedrock for a broader relationship between the world's two largest economies, said Luo Linquan, consul general in San Francisco. "Local and regional exchanges between the US and Chinese provinces, states and cities will help deepen mutual understanding and ultimately strengthen the China-US relationship as a whole."

Contact the writer at junechang@chinadailyusa.com
EU should not waste opportunity to send right message Updated: 2016-05-24 08:00 By Fu Jing(China Daily)

Jack Ma, chairman of the China Entrepreneur Club and chairman of the Alibaba Group. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Jack Ma, founder of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba group, is to meet the Belgian king in Brussels on Monday. This is their third meeting since June last year when King Philippe paid a state visit to China. They also met at World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland in January.

Ma is expected to announce the setting up of a Belgian branch of Alibaba, which, as he promised the King last year, will facilitate easier online payments to support Chinese visitors to Belgium.

The move is representative of the opinions of those proactive Chinese investors who still hold confidence in 500 million consumers in the 28 member states of the European Union.

Despite that, some investors in China are starting to cast doubts on the EU market due to challenges it faces from terrorism, the influx of migrants, economic stagnation and the rising influence of those who want to tear the bloc apart. They are also concerned that although some members have rolled out the red carpet to Chinese investment, others are taking protectionist actions against China.

Ironically, Ma's decision of expanding business in the heart of the EU happened just a few days after a landslide resolution in that European Parliament that China is still not a market economy.

Yet Ma, who transformed himself from a English teacher to a founder of a business empire, is an ideal example of the millions of various-scale Chinese businesspeople who have emerged in China since it started implementing market reforms.

And due to their efforts, both EU consumers and businesses benefit from competitive and lower-priced Chinese products. In this sense, for years, China's products have helped increase the wellbeing of ordinary families and the competitiveness of companies in the EU.

Take China's steel exports to the EU, for example. China's competitive products have helped a lot of automakers in EU countries reduce their costs amid the financial and economic crisis. And many of these automakers export their cars or trucks to China as well.

However, the politicians in the headquarters of the EU and some member states are choosing to turn a blind eye to the positive side of China's exports to Europe, due to the dominant influence of lobbyists and concerns about job losses.

Instead, they place their trust in the biased figures and reports offered by pressure groups and make China the scapegoat for global challenges, preferring to accept the argument that China is somehow responsible for uncompetitive companies in the EU rather than setting their own houses in order.

Ma and his team, on a mission to materialize business opportunities in Brussels, will have been dismayed to encounter the rising protectionist atmosphere in Brussels, which is in sharp contrast to his trust in a country which has just been the victim of terrorist attacks.

Brussels should be aware that a businessman such as him is a fast messenger. His observations and opinions will influence the decisions of many Chinese enterprises considering doing business in or investing in the EU.

From this perspective, I hope the high-level officials from Belgium and the EU that Ma is meeting have constructive exchanges with him. They should carefully listen to the words of an influential Chinese investor and then quickly make decisions that renounce protectionism in favor of greater trade and investment. If so, Ma's visit will bring tremendous benefits to the EU, in addition to Alibaba's own expansion in Belgium. What's more, such an example will let a growing number of Chinese investors know that Belgium is a gateway to the EU market. This would be the common sense scenario people in China and the EU want to see.

Facing so many difficulties, the EU should not waste this opportunity to send the right message.

The author is deputy editor of China Daily European Edition. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
Philippines' partition a provocation under a legal cloak Updated: 2016-05-24 08:00 By Lu Yang(China Daily)

Li Feng/China Daily

The unilateral arbitration case forcibly pushed forward by the Philippines is a provocation against China under a legal cloak. Essentially, it is not aimed at resolving the country's territorial disputes with China, but a naked attempt to repudiate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

By partitioning China's Nansha Islands in their entirety into different ones in its arbitration case submitted to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, and asking the court to make a ruling on the maritime rights of the islands and reefs "occupied or controlled" by China, Manila is deliberately falsifying the nature of its disputes with Beijing on territorial sovereignty and maritime demarcation in the South China Sea.

This partition trick is a serious infringement of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China enjoys sovereignty over the Nansha Islands as a whole and such a legal fact has gained international recognition and acquiescence. In its arbitration case, the Philippines intentionally shies away from mentioning some islands and reefs, including those illegally occupied or claimed by itself, in an attempt to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and whitewash its illegal occupation of some of China's Nansha Islands.

The exclusion of Taiping Island, the largest of the Nansha Islands where Taiwan stations its troops, from the islands and reefs "occupied or controlled" by China, also constitutes a serious violation by Manila of the one-China principle. All these testify that the Philippines' arbitration appeal is an unconcealed challenge to China's territorial sovereignty over the Nansha Islands.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the basic fact of the integrity of China's Nansha Islands should be taken into full consideration in defining China's maritime rights. In a note to then secretary-general of the UN on April 14, 2011, China's permanent mission to the UN pointed out that the stipulations of the Convention and China's maritime law endow China's Nansha Islands with the right of territorial waters, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. However, in its arbitration case, the Philippines is attempting to fragment the Nansha Islands, proposing that the legal status of the listed islands should be determined one by one. Manila has also argued that these islands belong to atoll or low-tide heights that it says only enjoy a right of 12-nautical-mile waters under the UN Convention. Such arguments are a wanton challenge to China's maritime rights based on the nature of Nansha Islands as an entirety.

The intrigue to partition China's Nansha Islands also highlights the Philippines' attempt to evade territorial sovereignty and maritime demarcation disputes in its arbitration case. The settlement of territorial sovereignty disputes is beyond the scope of the UN Convention and thus inapplicable to international arbitration or other compulsory procedures. In 2006, China also excluded the settlement of maritime demarcation disputes by compulsory arbitration based on the Convention. In this sense, the court in The Hague has no power of jurisdiction over the Philippines' arbitration case and Manila's enforced arbitration requirement is essentially an abuse of the Convention's compulsory settlement procedures.

Aside from its lack of jurisdiction, the arbitration court's indiscriminate endorsement of the Philippines' partitioning of China's Nansha Islands is a serious departure from the fair and a prudent attitude a court should hold. According to Article 9 of Annex VII of UNCLOS, in the absence of one of the two conflicting parties, the arbitration court should verify whether it enjoys jurisdiction over the case and whether all the requirements are factual and have a legal basis before making a ruling. The court should dismiss the Philippines' unreasonable arbitration appeal and fully respect the fact that China's Nansha Islands have an integral geographic existence if it strictly bases its work on facts and laws. The non-identified endorsement of the Philippines' fragmenting of China's Nansha Islands demonstrates the court has already been reduced to being Manila's agent and lacks objectivity and fairness.

The illegal and invalid arbitration farce staged by the Philippines and the court does not alter the fact China's Nansha Islands are an entirety nor China's legal rights and interests.

The author is a Beijing-based observer of international issues.
Coping with Tsai's conjuring of 'de facto independence' Updated: 2016-05-24 08:00 By SHIH CHIH-YU(China Daily)

Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, April 15, 2015. [Photo/IC]

As expected, the inauguration speech by Tsai Ing-wen avoided any reference to the 1992 Consensus. This is consistent with her long-standing position of no commitment to the one-China principle.

Tsai's consistent message, albeit ostensibly ambiguous, is either "two Chinas" or "de facto independence", which is why she shuns the consensual atmosphere that her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou and the mainland established. She contends that Ma's endorsing of the Consensus and the goodwill extended by the mainland as a result, although benefiting Taiwan's economy, have reduced Taiwan to being like a beggar at the mercy of the mainland's benevolence. As a result, Taiwan is dependent on the mainland's continued goodwill, which she believes has strengthened the mainland's leverage over her government.

Strategically, Tsai's avoidance of any direct acknowledgement of the Consensus is meant to eventually break the mainland's leverage. Thus the status quo to which she has pledged to adhere has nothing to do with the consensual policy of one China that Ma embraced. Rather, it is purely a policy supported exclusively by her constituency in Taiwan, and has nothing at all to do with any agreement with the mainland.

The mainland cannot help but feel alienated from Tsai's unilateral approach to the status quo, since in actuality, she is substituting a "two China" policy for the previous consensual one-China principle.

For Tsai, it is up to the mainland to decide whether or not to resort to sanctions for her disregard of the Consensus. In Tsai's mind, as long as there is no room for the mainland to participate in her policymaking, Taiwan stays "independent". Even though she cannot officially declare "independence", she can still convince her supporters that at least she has secured "de facto independence". After all, she owns a "constitutional" process that could initiate reinterpretation or amendment of Taiwan's "one-China constitution".

The options left for the mainland are apparently limited. On the contrary, the drive for future development and the diplomatic "striving for achievement" continue to orient Beijing's attention toward a better world that the rise of China can benefit. Such an orientation sets the parameters for mainland's approach to the cross-Straits relationship and may therefore take Taiwan away from being among the priorities in its agenda.

However, target-exact pressure from the mainland will unavoidably mount on those discernable secessionist forces in Taiwan, especially economically. A general pressure will likewise spread all over Taiwan. The former pressure will have the official acknowledgement from the mainland so that the nature of the sanctions is clear. However, the mainland will probably deny its connection with the latter so that Tsai's government cannot mobilize popular opinion in Taiwan against the mainland. Together, the two pressures will test how firmly the population stands on de facto "independence".

By extolling Taiwan's own "constitutional" process and denying the existence of any contractual consensus, Tsai's speech may delay the mainland's feedback to her policy. She could succeed for the time being as her wording and intention stir rhetorical dust that will take time to settle down. It is not clear, though, how far people on the island will be willing to go along with her under the two aforementioned pressures.

The author is a political scientist affiliated with a Taiwan-based university.
Visit can help coordinate Chinese and Indian initiatives Updated: 2016-05-24 08:00 By SWARAN SINGH(China Daily)

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi, India, Sept 18, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

As the city with the biggest Indian settlement in China, Guangzhou is the most important destination in China for Indian business travelers, which is why Indian President Pranab Mukherjee is beginning his visit to China from this city on Tuesday.

The capital of South China's Guangdong province, and the Indian city of Ahmedabad signed a sister city agreement during President Xi Jinping's visit to Ahmedabad in September 2014 and many more business deals were signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China in May last year.

Guangdong is known for former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's famous "southern tour" in 1992, which laid the foundations for the unprecedented rise of China. So given that main purpose of Mukherjee's visit is to enhance business, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Guangzhou makes an apt starting point.

He will begin his visit by addressing the Indian business community in the city at the India-China Business Forum. The more complex political issues besetting relations between China and India will come up during his interactions in Beijing. Here, in view of the fact that relations between the two countries have returned to a low-ebb in recent months, Mukherjee seems to be India's best bet to take this crucial relationship forward.

Mukherjee, a seven times member of the Indian Parliament from 1969 to 2012, has headed various ministries since 1973 and is clearly the most experienced senior politician among India's political elite today. He is known as "Chanakya", after an ancient Indian sage who is often compared to China's Sun Tze. Given his several visits to China in his earlier stints as India's foreign minister and defense minister, he has long experience of interacting with Chinese leaders. So he could also be China's best bet for engaging with India.

Among the most immediate issues at hand, India needs China's support to obtain membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group which will come up for discussion next month. Besides, there are lingering issues such as China being concerned about the Indian Navy once again participating in US-Japan led Malabar naval exercises in the South China Sea.

But other than businessmen, politicians and officials, Mukherjee's delegation includes the heads of a large number of Indian universities and other educational institutions and the two sides will be holding their first ever roundtable on educational exchanges and cooperation. This and his address at Peking University will provide forums for India's president to share his wisdom on building long-term bridges with India's largest neighbor.

The tone for this vision was already set in Mukherjee's interview with Xinhua News Agency before leaving for China where he sought to put a positive and proactive spin on India's continued reluctance to engage with China's Belt and Road Initiative. In contrast to sentiments expressed at New Delhi's Raisina Dialogue in March, he underlined how a "better connected Asia requires that all the countries concerned consult together on determining the best way forward". He said increased connectivity is the key to providing benefits to the people of Asia and imparting fresh momentum to regional development.

This conciliatory tone for consultations on the Belt and Road Initiative, the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, reflects the growing consensus among India's strategic community, which now favors engaging China's initiative.

Even staunch supporters of the United States' rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific strategy and the US-Japan-India axis, believe that instead of seeking to counter or ignore it, it is in India's best interests to coordinate India's own Project Mausam or Spice Root initiatives with China's Belt and Road.

Hopefully, this presidential visit will help both sides to carry this spirit forward.

The author is a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Sherri Wu believes that the 2016 China-US Tourism Year is an opportunity for Chinese travelers to get to know America better.

For example, Wu, Alitrip's chief strategy officer, said that most Chinese people believe American food is just burgers and fries.

"The US has a lot more to offer," Wu said. "They should go down to New Orleans to try the Southern food and experience the jazz."

In October 2014, China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd established Alitrip, an online travel service platform that helps Chinese customers book domestic and international airline tickets, hotel rooms and group tours.

Earlier this year, Alitrip kicked off the China-US Tourism Year with five new partnerships signed in the US, including the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and four American travel agencies.

By forming partnerships with Alitrip, airlines, hotels and tour operators can open storefronts on alitrip.com, where millions of Chinese travelers book custom trips.

"The US is our No. 1 important outbound destination for 2016," said Wu, pointing out that the new 10-year US tourist visa gives online booking a bigger market share, whereas in the past tourists preferred to book through brick-and-mortar travel agencies due to the complicated visa application process.

America's magnificent national parks are an attraction for Chinese visitors, said Wu. Also, the size of the country and a variety of cultures from the East to the West "made the US ideal for expanded, long trips".

More than 2.6 million Chinese tourists visited the US in 2015, up by 16.8 percent from the previous year, according to the China National Tourist Office. "The number will keep rising," Wu said.

In the past, Alibaba and other Chinese travel services had always been focused on selling packaged tours.

Those tours aim to see the most famous places and cover the longest distance and as many countries or cities as possible, with trip names like "From Los Angeles to San Francisco, a comprehensive tour of California in 4 days" or "10 countries in 8 days" for a group tour to Europe.

That old-fashioned type of trip is not what Chinese millennials seem to want.

"A lot of our customers are between age 21 to 30, and 90 percent of them are college educated or have post-graduate degrees. They are what we call 'free, independent travelers,' " Wu said.

"Instead of taking a bus to Yellowstone, they want to drive themselves, hike for a few days, and find a cabin to stay in," she said. "They might only want to join a two-day group tour during a two-week trip. They like to explore by themselves. They look more into nature, museums and culture.

"We want to provide unique and customized products for these customers," she said. "Those products are very lacking in China today."

Alitrip is looking to become a platform on which customers can easily mix and match hotels, transportation and sightseeing tickets. Wu also hopes to cultivate a service on which Chinese travelers will be able to search for the best restaurants nearby with no language barrier and learn about what to order.

In January, Alitrip launched the "US Destination Page". Though it's still far from Wu's vision, the page features many day and road trips.

"All of the online travel agencies are expanding the US market," said Maxwell Sun, chief marketing officer of Tours For Fun, a California and Sichuan-based travel service.

"We are working on offering more personalized products and creating a better online booking system," Sun said.

Alitrip's advantage lies in what it knows about its customers, Wu said.

Connected with Alibaba's other platforms, Alitrip knows its customers' purchasing behavior and other demographics.

"We understand our customers very well. We are not just a travel site," she said.

hezijiang@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 05/24/2016 page2)
China, Uzbekistan vow to boost relations, cooperation Updated: 2016-05-24 04:55 (Xinhua)

TASHKENT -- China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to boost their strategic partnership and open up new prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday.

During a meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Wang said bilateral relations have made significant progress since the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), he said, adding that China will fully support Uzbekistan in hosting an upcoming SCO summit in its capital city of Tashkent and push forward security and economic cooperation for new achievements.

For his part, Karimov said he is looking forward to the Chinese president's attendance at the Tashkent summit.

Uzbekistan is ready to work with China to further promote the two countries' strategic partnership, strengthen all-round mutually beneficial cooperation, and advance the SCO's new development, he said.
Chinese, Tajik foreign ministers meet on ties Updated: 2016-05-24 05:52 (Xinhua)

TASHKENT -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks Monday with his Tajik counterpart, Sirojidin Aslov, on relations between their two countries and other major issues of common concern.

During their talks, Wang said since China and Tajikistan established a strategic partnership in 2013, the two countries have cooperated smoothly in various areas and maintained close contacts over international and regional affairs.

China is willing to work with Tajikistan under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contributions and shared benefits in continuously deepening cooperation in the joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt, promoting interconnectivity and production capacity cooperation, and discussing the establishment of a free trade area, he said.

Wang suggested the two sides strengthen security cooperation and join forces in combating the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism.

He also voiced support for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)'s Tashkent summit so as to instill new momentum into the development of the SCO.

For his part, Aslov expressed appreciation for China's long-term support for Tajikistan's efforts in defending its sovereignty and independence, and stressed that the Tajik side will firmly adhere to the one-China policy.

Tajikistan, Aslov said, is willing to actively participate in the construction of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and strive for mutual benefit and win-win results between the two countries, adding that the Tajik side is ready to work closely with the Chinese side within the SCO framework.

Aslov voiced Tajikistan's support for China's stance on the South China Sea issue, and for efforts to resolve the Nansha Islands dispute through dialogue and negotiation by relevant parties, adding that external interference will not hinder relevant issues from being properly resolved.
Austrian president-elect acknowledges need for unity, cooperation Updated: 2016-05-24 11:05 (Xinhua)

Alexander Van der Bellen addresses the media after winning Austrian presidential election in Vienna, Austria, May 23, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

VIENNA - Austria's president-elect Alexander Van der Bellen acknowledged Monday that the country needs unity more than ever at a time of increasing signs of social division.

Speaking to the media at the Palais Schoenburg in Vienna, Van der Bellen said he was grateful for the trust of voters and he will be a nonpartisan president for all Austrians.

The polarizing nature of the election, which pitched himself against far-right Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer, had made it clear there are differences of opinions in the Austrian society, Van der Bellen said.

Some of the differences have existed for a long time, but the Austrian society failed to pay enough attention, he added.

Van der Bellen also said he had "personal respect" for Hofer, and praised him for a very "engaged electoral campaign."

In the neck-and-neck race, Van der Bellen got 50.3 percent of the ballot, only 31,026 votes more than those of Hofer's.

Regarding the almost 50-50 split in the election, Van der Bellen noted that "each half is just as important as the other" and that "together we create this wonderful Austria."

The upcoming Austrian president also said he will suspend his membership of the Greens party as he prepares to take over the presidency on July 8.
Vice foreign minister meets with US media delegation over South China Sea issue Updated: 2016-05-24 18:46 (fmprc.gov.cn)

Vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin meets with the US media delegation in Beijing on May 19, 2016. [Photo/fmprc.gov.cn]

On May 19, 2016, vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin met with the US media delegation consisting of senior writer for Newsweek Jonathan Broder, Associate Managing Editor of Chicago Tribune Cristi Kempf, Deputy Editorial Page Editor of Los Angeles Times Jon Healey and others.

Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin introduced the historical course of the South China Sea issue, the background of the South China Sea arbitration case initiated by the Philippines as well as others, and answered questions related to the US-launched "Freedom of Navigation Program" in the South China Sea, how does China cope with the arbitral award, the influence of the South China Sea issue to China-US relations and other topics.

Vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin meets with the US media delegation in Beijing on May 19, 2016. [Photo/fmprc.gov.cn]

The Chinese visit of the US media delegation was arranged by China-US Exchange Foundation. Vice President of Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs Chen Naiqing attended the meeting.
Is US end of Vietnam arms embargo aimed at China? Updated: 2016-05-24 11:30 By By Wang Jian in Hanoi and Mo Jingxi in Beijing and Chen Weihua in Washington(China Daily USA)

Washington to target Hanoi's maritime disputes with Beijing, analysts say

President Barack Obama's trip to Vietnam and his announcement on Monday that the US would lift its arms embargo against the country is widely seen as a move aimed at China.

While some argue that Washington is attempting to draw Vietnam into its circle of influence in politics, security and economic affairs through Obama's first visit to the country, they also believe that Vietnam will remain cautious and reserved toward the US.

Obama, who started a three-day visit to Vietnam on Monday, announced the removal of the weapons embargo at a news conference. He said the decision is aimed at eliminating a "lingering vestige of the Cold War".

"At this stage, both sides have developed a level of trust and cooperation," Obama said, adding that he expects deepening cooperation between their militaries.

His visit comes 41 years after the end of the Vietnam War, and he is the third US president to visit the country since ties were restored in 1995. Obama has made a strategic "rebalancing" toward the Asia-Pacific region a centerpiece of his foreign policy.

At a state luncheon in Hanoi, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang toasted Obama's first visit to the country as the "arrival of a warm spring after a cold winter".

The two nations also reaffirmed efforts to ratify and implement the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation trade pact that has struggled to gain traction in the US Congress during an election year.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday that China hopes the developing ties between the US and Vietnam will be conducive to regional peace and stability.

US State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner repeated on Monday what Obama said in Vietnam, stating that the lifting of the arms embargo is not based on any kind of effort to apply pressure on China or send a message.

"It was simply based on our desire to normalize relations with Vietnam," he told the daily briefing in Washington.

Toner said the US supports close relations between China and Vietnam and all of its neighbors.

Fan Jishe, a researcher of US strategies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the situation demonstrates Washington's firmness in advancing its Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy.

"An important element of this strategy is developing diplomatic and economic relations with countries in the region," Fan said, adding that Vietnam is now the priority.

Su Hao, a professor of Asia-Pacific studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said it is obvious that the US aims to contain China by taking advantage of Hanoi's territorial disputes with Beijing.

"Vietnam is also seeking support from countries outside the region to exert pressure on China over the disputes," Su said.

But the analysts said Vietnam will not side with the US without reservations, given its interdependency with China in terms of trade and economic affairs.

US President Barack Obama attends a news conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang at the Presidential Palace Compound in Hanoi on Monday. Carlos Barria / Reuters

(China Daily USA 05/24/2016 page1)
China is serious in addressing climate change, experts say Updated: 2016-05-25 00:01 By Lucie Morangi(China Daily Africa)

Sunday Leonard, is a scientist at the Climate and Clean Air Coalition based in Paris. [Photo by Lucie Morangi]

Policies developed and implemented by China are indicative to its strong commitment towards achieving environmentally-friendly socio-economic development. Coming at a time when countries are strongly pushing for sustainable economic growth, these successes can be emulated and scaled up to reverse global warming.

"The Chinese government is surely moving towards achieving improved air quality in their cities. They have prioritized the issue," said Sunday Leonard, a scientist at the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a program hosted by the United Nations Environment Program.

He was among researchers who worked on The Climate and Environmental Benefits of Controlling SLCP's in PR China, a report that was released in September last year. Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs)are substances such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone and many hydro fluorocarbons, which have a significant impact on near-term climate change but have a relatively short lifespan in the atmosphere. It can last for a few days to about a decade.

"The report shows that China is consistently developing and implementing innovative policies. It will definitely achieve its goals in the near future," said Leonard, who is in Kenya attending the United Nations Environment Assembly, which represents the highest level of governance for international environmental affairs in the UN system.

According to the report, China's five-year plans (FYP) contain several important environmental-related targets and encourage significant investment in achieving these targets.

The report shows that among the targets are those that could contribute to improved local air quality. This includes the goal of decreasing energy consumption per GDP by 20 percent and reducing total sulfur dioxide emissions by 10 percent as contained in the 11th FYP. Another goal is increasing non-fossil fuel proportion in primary energy consumption to 11.4 percent, decreasing energy consumption per GDP by 16 percent, reducing carbon dioxide emissions of GDP by 17 percent, decreasing total nitrogen oxides emissions by 10 percent and total sulfur dioxide emissions by 8 percent as contained in the 12th FYP.

"National records show that the air quality-related targets in the 11th FYP were achieved and exceeded," the report stated, adding that success is also being achieved towards the 12th FYP, including the adoption of technologies that significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions per GDP.

"China leads in technology that captures dusts and sulfates emitted during coal mining. It has helped to reduce black carbon emissions from the power sector, reversing what could have otherwise been a major black carbon emission source in the country," said the scientist from Nigeria who is now based in France.
China's top security official calls for concerted anti-terror efforts Updated: 2016-05-25 04:09 (Xinhua)

GROZNY -- The fight against global terrorism calls for in-depth cooperation at all levels as the nontraditional threat has shown the feature of localization, fragmentation and internetization, China's top security official Meng Jianzhu said Tuesday.

Meng, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of CPC Central Committee, made remarks at the 7th International Security Conference of High Representatives.

The international community should put aside minor differences, and strengthen dialogue and consultation within the framework of the United Nations, in a bid to seek a common ground in the fight against terrorism, said Meng.

All countries should make pragmatic effort to establish an effective mechanism for the sharing of information and intelligence, while improving their anti-terrorism laws and relevant regulations, said Meng.
The ALEPH / Jewish Renewal Listening Tour began in May of 2015 with a weekend in New York, co-hosted by Romemu and by Yeshivat Maharat. (I wrote about that right after it happened -- Sidewalk havdalah.) As it turned out, our final Listening Tour trip took place one year later almost to the day.

Rabbi David, our executive director Shoshanna, and I arrived in Boulder late last Thursday night and went directly to the home of ALEPH Board member Judith Dack, who graciously hosted us for the weekend. On Friday morning, after Rabbi David and I indulged in some early mountainside davening, we went to the campus of Colorado University for a focus group. The Boulder focus group featured rabbis and laypeople and academics, as well as representatives from the CU Boulder Jewish Studies department, the Boulder JCC, and the Denver-based nonprofit organization Judaism Your Way, among others.

That afternoon we toured the new Boulder JCC campus. That wasn't originally on our agenda, but I'm so glad we managed to add it to the day. The campus is beautifully-designed, and every element of its construction seems thoughtful and well-chosen. While there, we had the opportunity to visit the Reb Zalman room -- a room in the JCC's library that is filled, floor-to-ceiling, with books that had been part of his own home library. It's only a tiny fraction of his rabbinic library, most of which is still in the house where he lived, but it offers a glimpse of who he was through the lens of some of the books he cherished.

After a dinner with the Nevei Kodesh board, we davened on Friday night at Nevei Kodesh with Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny and the house band (which, to my delight, featured not only piano and violin but also standing bass!) I was particularly moved by their choice to set Ahavat Olam, the evening prayer that speaks of God's enduring love for us, to the melody of the love song "Erev shel shoshanim"... and by the fact that before counting the Omer, we sang "Bati l'gani," Reb Zalman z"l's setting of verses from Song of Songs.

We davened on Shabbat morning at Pardes Levavot. The co-rabbis there, Rabbi Victor and Rabbi Nadya Gross, were out of town at a family simcha (joyous occasion), so we experienced a contemplative chant-based service led by a congregant. Here too there were sweet nods to the memory of Reb Zalman z"l -- including the use of his four-part chant "It is perfect / you are loved..." Services were followed by a potluck lunch where we held a Listening Circle, harvesting stories and frustrations and hopes from members of that community.

During the afternoon, Rabbi David and Shoshanna and I went to Reb Zalman's kever (gravesite.) I was moved to see -- and to add to -- the collection of pebbles and small precious items that people have left on and around the headstone. We davened mincha (the afternoon service) there on the grass beside his stone. Then we sat for a long time and talked about Reb Zalman and about our own hopes and dreams for what the future of ALEPH and Jewish Renewal might be.

Late in the day we met with the board of directors of the Yesod Foundation. It was a pleasure to be able to thank them for everything they did to uplift Reb Zalman and his work, including establishing the Reb Zalman Legacy Project, and to talk with them about what their future might hold. That was followed by a potluck dinner at Nevei Kodesh, which was in turn followed by a poetry reading. I shared poems from Toward Sinai and from Open My Lips -- poems for the Omer journey, and poems for the poignant liminal time when Shabbat begins to give way.

After the poetry reading we moved into a community open mike, harvesting yearnings and "ouches" and needs and hopes from the Nevei Kodesh community. That open mike began in a unique way: before we began moderating the conversation as we usually do, everyone in the room took a turn telling us something they hoped we would carry away with us from our time with their community. We wrapped up the night by meeting with Rav Bracha to talk about her community and the Listening Tour and ALEPH and what might come next.

On Sunday we met with Eve Ilsen, a teacher and writer and student of noted mystic Colette Aboulker-Muscat. (She's also the widow of Reb Zalman.) Reb Eve will be teaching with us at Shavuot at Isabella Freedman in a few weeks (sign up now!), and will be teaching at this summer's ALEPH Kallah, too. (You can sign up for that now too.) We spent the morning bringing the Listening Tour to her, receiving her hopes and dreams for the ALEPH that is to come. After a final lunch meeting with Rabbi Tirzah Firestone and David Friedman, we bade Boulder farewell and began the long journey home, grateful to all of our hosts -- and to all who participated in the weekend's conversations -- for opening their homes and their hearts.
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HA NOI - Vietjet finalised an order with Boeing for 100 737 MAX 200 airplanes on May 23, valued at approximately US$11.3 billion according to current list prices.

This is the largest single purchase of commercial airplanes in Viet Nams aviation industry.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Viet Nam President Tran ai Quang and US President Barack Obama.

Incorporating the latest design and technology features, the highly efficient 737 MAX will provide Vietjets growing network with market-leading economics and a superior passenger experience and will contribute significantly to its future success, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner said.

In her speech, Vietjet President and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said the airlines investment in a new fleet is part of its strategy to focus on developing its international route network, including long-haul flights, in the near future.

With the deal, Vietjet will contribute not only to increasing bilateral trade turnover between Viet Nam and the United States, but also to the integration and development of the domestic aviation industry, Thao said.

The airplanes purchased under this deal will be delivered to Vietjet from 2019 to 2023. The latest aircraft addition will increase Vietjets fleet to more than 200 aircraft by the end of 2023, the carrier said in its latest statement.

An agreement was also inked between Vietjet and Pratt & Whitney Co, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, on Monday. Following this deal which is worth $3.04 billion, the US firm will supply Vietjet with aircraft engines to power the airlines recent order of A320NEO and A321NEO aircraft and will also be responsible for the technical and maintenance services for this fleet.  VNS
Viet Nam News HA NOI  The classification of stocks on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM) will have positive impacts on the stock market, according to experts and analysts.

Under the new classification set by the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), UPCoM Premium will include the stocks of firms with good financial health and transparency, while the UPCoM Warning classification will hold the remaining stocks. Stocks classed as UPCoM Premium will be allowed to indulge in margin trading if they meet the conditions for such trading, as set by the State Securities Commission (SSC).

Bui Nguyen Khoa, BIDV Securities Corporations head of Macro Economics and Markets Division, said the HNX has created mechanisms to pave the way for a considerable boost in this market.

The margin trading allowed for enhanced liquidity in capital markets and improved the convenience of borrowing capital for the short term, as well as enabling traders and investors to make better use of trading opportunities, and increasing the size of trade and eventually increasing the turnover on the exchanges, he said.

Last year and in the first months of this year, UPCoM has seen more trades and liquidity in quality stock, but not margin trading, even while the demand for margin trading by investors is quite high, Khoa added.

Besides, the loosening of the fluctuation band price from 10 per cent to 15 per cent has helped investors feel more excited to enter the market, and thus liquidity has significantly improved.

The Premium shares will enjoy many advantages of money flow, price fluctuation and especially liquidity, while investors will be cautioned by the risks of stocks in the Warning classification, said Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy head of Bao Viet Securities Corporations Market Analysis.

Binh added that the UPCoM can divide stocks into two categories. The first group are fluctuating stocks, that includes stocks with sudden information changes, sharply fluctuating prices and newly listed shares for IPOs, which attract investors and speculative money. The second group are basic stable stocks, which have real money flow value from investors or investors with long-term investment strategies.

The UPCoM Premium set, that came into effect from April 26, will include businesses whose shares meet the criteria of financial situation and consciously adhere to disclosure provisions.

Additionally, the criteria for classification of stock as UPCoM Premium includes registered securities trading, which will allow margin trading if they meet the defined conditions in the regulations guide for margin trading of securities by the SSC.

Many market participants evaluate the classification on UPCoM, and this will help investors easily identify investment opportunities and focus on finding quality stocks through the UPCoM Premium set, Binh said.

In addition, the mechanism allows stocks in the UPCoM Premium set to allow for margin trading, which helps increase the money flow in UPCoM, as well as strengthening profit opportunities for investors.

So far, 300 companies have stock listed on the UPCoM. Many of them are large enterprises with charter capital worth over a trillion ong.  VNS
HA NOI  A concert titled Canada and Viet Nam in Harmony featuring artists from the two countries will take place on Thursday.

Violinist Veronique Mathieu, an avid contemporary music performer from Canada, and leading artists from the Viet Nam National Academy of Music, including pianist Pham Quynh Trang, violator Nguyen Thu Binh and the Aurora quartet of Nguyen Cong Thang, Nguyen My Huong, Nguyen Thu Binh and Nguyen Hong Anh will mark the first joint performance in Viet Nam.

Mathieu will first play solo A. Prevosts Improvisation and N. Milsteins Paganinian and then join Vietnamese artists in C. Hatziss Coming to and G. Wunschs Partita Giocoso.

Mathieu has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe, South Africa, South America and the United States. She has won awards at the 2012 Eckhardt-Gramatte Contemporary Music Competition and the 2010 Krakow International Contemporary Music Competition and is a three-time winner of the Canada Council Bank of Instruments Competition.

Entry tickets for the concert range from VN200,000 to VN500,000 (US$10-25). The concert will be held at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music, 77 Hao Nam Street, Ha Noi.  VNS
Ethnic residents cast their vote cards at polling station in inh Hoa District, Thai Nguyen Province. VNA/VNS Photo Thu Hang

Viet Nam News HA NOI The National Election Council (NEC)s Office claimed more than 65.5 million voters nationwide or 98.77 percent of the electorate went to the polls by 10pm Sunday to elect deputies to the 14th National Assembly (NA) and all-level Peoples Councils for 2016-2021.

According to Nguyen Hanh Phuc, NA General Secretary and Chief of the NECs Office, most localities saw turnout of more than 90 per cent.

The central province of Thua Thien  Hue and the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai topped the list with 99.99 percent. They were followed by Hoa Binh, 99.98 percent; Quang Nam and Ben Tre, 99.97 percent; Lai Chau, 99.96 percent and Hau Giang, 99.95 percent.

The election took place safely and ballot counting was supervised by voters and the press, a new part of the Law on Election of Deputies to the NA and all-level Peoples Councils, Phuc said.

Voting also ran smoothly at temporary detention centres, he said.

Initial reviews by local election committees showed that the election was held within the guidelines of competent agencies.

The new law allowed voting from 7am to 9pm, making it more convenient for voters to cast their ballots, he said.

Phuc hailed the initiative of localities like the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang which mapped polling stations and Ha Noi which sent biographies of all approved candidates to households before the election.

Voters can hope that those who are elected to the National Assembly and all-level Peoples Councils will do their utmost serving the country and people and will soundly perform their responsibilities as prescribed by the Constitution and law, said Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. VNS
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (right) meets with US President Barack Obama yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Tri Dung

Viet Nam News HA NOI  The US is fully lifting its fifty-year old arms embargo on Viet Nam, announced US President Barack Obama yesterday.

The historic announcement came in a joint press conference between Obama and his Vietnamese counterpart Tran ai Quang during the US Presidents three-day official trip to the Southeast Asian nation.

Obama said that ending the ban on military equipment sales to Viet Nam would boost defence ties with its one-time enemy.

Though the decision came in the context of China flexing its muscles in the East Sea, Obama denied removing with China in mind when asked by a White House correspondent whether the Asian powers increasingly aggressive behaviour in the disputed sea triggered the move. It was, instead, a step to normalising relations with Viet Nam.

It [also] underscores the commitment of the United States to a fully normalised relationship with Viet Nam, he said.

After the American War ended in 1975, diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and the US had frozen over two decades. It was not until then-US President Bill Clinton announced the formal normalisation of relations between the two countries in 1995 and visited Viet Nam in 2000 did bilateral ties bloom in trade and now in defence.

Viet Nam will now have access to military equipment and the means to protect themselves,  (but) sales still need strict requirements, included those related to human rights, the US President stressed.

Vietnamese President Tran ai Quang said that Viet Nam and the US still have a number of differences.

But what matters is the two countries should continue with more dialogue to reduce those differences in various fields including the human rights issue, Quang said.

Painful war legacy

Obama said that the US would carry on work to remove the dioxin/Agent Orange leftover since the American war .

The United States Agency for International Development has been working on a project to remove the lethal poison from the soil in a Nang Airport  one of the two sites, along with Bien Hoa airbase to the south, most contaminated with dioxin in Viet Nam.

The US would soon begin another dioxin removal project in Bien Hoa airport, as well as to continue its co-operation with the Vietnamese government to remove unexploded ordnance left from the American war, said Obama.

The United States will continue to do our part to address the painful legacy of war, he said.

The American War cost the US nearly 60,000 military personnel while Viet Nam lost millions of soldiers and citizens.

Comprehensive partnership

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also met with President Obama yesterday, in which the two leaders exchanged views on measures to intensify the Viet Nam-US comprehensive partnership.

Phuc asked the US to recognise Viet Nams market economy status soon, open its market wider to Vietnamese goods, and increase its investment to become the biggest investor in Viet Nam.

He asked for US assistance in responding to climate change, especially in the Mekong Delta, Viet Nams largest rice granary.

Regarding the East Sea (South China sea) dispute, the two leaders affirmed the need to respect the UN Charter and international law in handling regional issues.

They agreed that disputes in the East Sea should be solved by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea. They emphasised the need to work towards forming a Code of Conduct in the East Sea, ensuring maritime and aviation security and not using force.

The Vietnamese PM affirmed that the Government will soon submit the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to the National Assembly for ratification and asked President Obama to speed up the US Congresss ratification of the deal.

On the same day, the US leader was welcomed by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Trong welcomed the statements and actions of other countries, including the US, towards maintaining peace, security and stability in the region.

He affirmed Viet Nam considers the US one of its leading partners, stressing the need for both sides to further the comprehensive partnership in a practical and effective manner on the basis of respecting each others independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions, and not intervening in each others internal affairs, for their peoples interests and for peace, stability, co-operation, development and prosperity.

The Party chief appreciated the US co-operation with Viet Nam in activities to address the aftermath of the war and hoped for the countrys continued assistance in this field.

National Assembly Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien and US members of parliament have discussed issues of shared concern such as the TPP agreement and national defence.

Obama plans to deliver a speech at the National Convention Centre today and will later head to the HCM City.

After wrapping up the Viet Nam trip, the US President will fly to Japan to attend the G7 meeting.  VNS
The full text of the Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

At the invitation of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang, President of the United States of America Barack Obama paid an historic visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries and to advance their shared vision for the future. On the occasion of the visit and the May 23, 2016, meeting between the two leaders, the United States and Vietnam adopted this Joint Statement.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the rapid, substantive, and comprehensive growth of U.S.-Vietnam relations over the past year, guided by the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership of 2013 and the Joint Vision Statement issued during the historic visit to the United States by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen PhuTrong in July 2015.

The common interests of the United States and Vietnam continued to expand through intensifying the exchange of delegations at all levels and maintaining dialogue mechanisms; promoting economic growth thanks to enhanced trade and investment relations; deepening cooperation in education, science and technology, health, security and national defense, people-to-people ties, human rights, humanitarian, and war legacy issues. The increasingly enhanced U.S.-Vietnam relations have positively contributed to the joint efforts of the international community in maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and respect for international law in the region, and building a rules-based region. Together, we are addressing regional and global challenges, including climate change, sustainable development, global health, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peacekeeping, and wildlife trafficking.

Toward that end, the two countries reaffirmed their obligations to observe the UN Charter and commitments to respect international law, their respective political systems, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.The United States and Vietnam also committed to strengthening and developing the ASEAN Community, and working with the international community to respond to global challenges. Both sides committed to work together to advance the Comprehensive Partnership in the following areas:

Strengthening Political and Diplomatic Ties

Both sides pledged to continue to exchange delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations, and to strengthen dialogue between agencies of the two governments. The two sides also intend to expand annual high-level dialogues between their two foreign ministries to discuss measures to strengthen the Comprehensive Partnership and discuss other issues of mutual interest. The two sides concurred that strengthening mutual trust plays a crucial role in enabling a sustainable, healthy, and long-term friendship and cooperation.

Advancing Economic Ties

The two countries resolve to focus on fostering economic cooperation, including trade, investment, science and technology, human resource training, and climate change. The two sides stated that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is economically and strategically important, and would promote trade and investment between them, accelerate inclusive economic growth, and create jobs. The two sides reaffirmed their commitments to seek early ratification and full implementation of this high-standard agreement, including commitments on investment, business facilitation and development, intellectual property, textile, services, labor, and environment. The United States pledged to support Vietnam through robust technical assistance and capacity-building programs to effectively implement and meet the high standards of the TPP. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that economic growth is inclusiveand creates opportunity for all, which is furthered by fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic development. The two sides highlighted that development cooperation continues to be a driving force in the bilateral relationship. Both countries pledged topromote bilateral trade and investment, and would continue to work toward access for industrial, agricultural, and aquaculturalgoods. The United States and Vietnam committed to consult through the enhanced bilateral Working Group in a cooperative and comprehensive manner regarding Vietnams desire to be recognized as a market economy. Both countries welcomed the conclusion of major commercial deals on the occasion of the visit, suchas VietJets purchase of 100 Boeing aircraft and Pratt & Whitney engines, as well asa wind energy MOU between GE and the Vietnamese government.

Deepening People-to-People Ties.

Both sides affirmed their support for the enhancement of people-to-people ties to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation, and friendship between the two peoples. The United States welcomed the Vietnamese governments approval of the Peace Corps to teach the English language in Vietnam. The United States and Vietnam hailed the establishment of Fulbright University Vietnam, which will be a world-class Vietnamese university. Both sides welcomed the bilateral arrangement granting one-year, multiple-entry visas for short-term business and tourism travelers from both countries. Both sides highly valued and recognized the success of the Vietnamese-American community and their activecontributions to the promotion of bilateral ties.

Enhancing Security and Defense Cooperation

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation in 2011 and the United StatesVietnam Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations signed in 2015, giving priority to humanitarian cooperation, war legacy, maritime security, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Both sides reiterated they would continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, combatting transnational crime, and cyber security. Vietnam welcomed the U.S. government decision to fully lift the ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam. Vietnam welcomed U.S. maritime security assistance  including through the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI), the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, and Foreign Military Financing  and looked forward to working with the United States to enhance Vietnams maritime capabilities. The United States and Vietnam signed a letter of intent to establish a working group for the Cooperative Humanitarian and Medical Storage Initiative (CHAMSI), which will advance cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The United States reaffirmed its support for Vietnams peacekeeping efforts with an aim of assisting Vietnams first deployment of the UN peacekeeping forces by 2017.

Both countries expressed their satisfaction with their joint efforts to advance humanitarian and war legacy issues. In particular, the United States valued Vietnams active cooperation to support the humanitarian mission of providing the fullest possible accounting for U.S. personnel still missing from the war. Both sides agreed to continue their cooperation on unexploded ordnance removal. Vietnam welcomed cooperation leading to the successful conclusion of the first phase of dioxin remediation at Danang International Airport, with the final phase already underway. The United States committed to partnering with Vietnam to make a significant contribution to the clean-up of dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Air Base.

Promoting Human Rights and Legal Reform

Both countries pledged to continue supporting the promotion and protection of human rights in conformity with their own constitutions and respective international commitments. The two countries welcomed the results of positive, frank, and constructive dialogues on human rights, especially the 20th round of the U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue in April 2016, to narrow differences and continue to build trust. The United States welcomed Vietnams ongoing efforts in improving its legal system and undertaking legal reform in order to better guarantee the human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone in accordance with the 2013 Constitution. Vietnam informed the United States of its plan to revise, amend, and draft laws, including the Law on Religion and Belief, Law on Association, the Amended Law on Legal Aid, the Amended Law on Legal Record, and Law on the Promulgation of Administrative Decisions. Both sides recognized the contributions that social and religious organizations continue to make in the fields of education, healthcare, and social services in both countries. Both sides encouraged further cooperation to ensure that all people  regardless of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation, and including persons with disabilities  fully enjoy their human rights. The United States and Vietnam welcomed a letter of agreement on law enforcement and justice sector assistance.

Addressing Regional and Global Challenges

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their shared commitment to the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes, including full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force in accordance with the UN Charter and international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Both countries underscored the commitmentsof parties to the disputes to refrain from actions that aggravate or broaden the disputes and recognize the importance of strictly implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) and working to accelerate negotiation with substantive results toward the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC). In this regard, both countries expressed serious concerns over recent developments in the South China Sea that have caused tensions, eroded trust and threatened peace, security, and stability. Both countries recognized the imperative of upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea, called for non-militarization and self-restraint in addressing disputes, reaffirmed shared commitments under the Sunnylands Declaration, and committed to working closely with other ASEAN partners in implementing this Declaration.

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to actively coordinate with and support Vietnam in successfully organizing APEC 2017.

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to addressing climate change and implementing the Paris Agreement. They shared a desire to see the early entry into force of the Agreement, and are both committed to formally joining the Agreement in 2016. The United States and Vietnam pledged to take a number of practical actions to advance climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as enhance transparency and capacity building in the U.S.-Vietnam Climate Partnership, including in the Mekong River Delta. Future work will build on the results of collaboration between the United States and Vietnam in implementing programs under the Lower Mekong Initiative. The United States pledged its continued support for Vietnam in responding to the latters worst drought in over 90 years and salinization, and in advancing sustainable economic development in the lower Mekong basin. As a development partner of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the United States expressed its commitment to supporting cooperation among MRC members and between MRC members and other regional mechanisms in using, managing, and developing trans-boundary water resources in an effective and sustainable manner.

The two countries expressed support for an expanding civil nuclear partnership as we seek to reduce emissions from the global power sector, the signing of the Administrative Arrangement under the U.S.-Vietnam Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy ("123" Agreement), and the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation. Both countries welcomed the successful outcomes of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit and pledged to continue to work together to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture. The two sides intend to establish the U.S.-Vietnam Joint Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation to facilitate the implementation of the 123 Agreement.

The two countries committed to sustain their successful cooperation and joint leadership under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), particularly with respect to collaboration on the emergency operations centers and outbreak detection and response in humans and animals, as well as implementation of a national roadmap to achieve each of the GHSA targets. The United States pledged its support to improve Vietnams capacity in coastal medicine. The United States and Vietnam committed to work together regionally and globally to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic threats, and both countries affirmed to undertake a joint evaluation of these efforts in 2016.

Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and protecting biodiversity under the new U.S.-Vietnam Partnership to Combat Wildlife Trafficking.

Deepening a Long-Term Partnership

Both sides agreed to further enhance the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, making it deeper, more substantive, and more effective in order to better serve the interests of the two peoples for peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world.
HA NOI  "Big nations should not bully smaller ones. Disputes should be resolved peacefully," US President Barack Obama told a 2,000 strong audience of young students, intellectuals and businesspeople while discussing the tense situation in the South China Sea, in his speech here today.

The Presidents speech came one day after he announced that the United States was lifting a decades-long weapons embargo on Viet Nam.

Viet Nam will have greater access to the equipment it needs to improve its security," Obama said.

"Nations are sovereign, and no matter how large or small a nation may be, its territory should be respected."

As a peaceful resolution should be sought for the simmering South China Sea dispute involving Viet Nam and other countries, Obama also called for the continued strengthening of regional institutions like the ASEAN or the East Asia Summit.

Thats the partnership the United States is offering the region.

A senior student at the National Economics University, Phan Tram Anh, said she was very excited to finally get the chance to see and listen to President Obama.

He knows a lot about the problems faced by Viet Nam, Anh said.

He is so amazing. I just hope I can listen to him more and learn from him.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh had talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

They voiced delight at the successful outcome of the meetings between the Vietnamese leaders and US President Barack Obama  who is on an official visit to Viet Nam  along with the signing of highly-anticipated agreements, especially those on economy, trade, investment and cooperation in climate change prevention and war consequence settlement.

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Minh asked for both sides active coordination to realise the outcomes of the high-level meetings.

US Secretary of State Kerry joined the Vietnamese leader in reiterating the success of President Obamas visit to Viet Nam and considered this a testament to the great strides in bilateral co-operation over the last two decades since diplomatic ties were re-established.

He thanked the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, other ministries and localities for working closely with the US side before and during the US Presidents visit.

At the talks, Minh and Kerry discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, including promoting ASEANs centrality in regional issues and the role of the blocs partners to help ensure peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

Prior to the event, they witnessed the signing of a letter of intent on the Cooperative Humanitarian and Medical Storage Initiative to serve humanitarian cooperation in searching for US soldiers missing in action, search and rescue, and natural disaster response.

Viet Nam and the US also inked a letter of agreement on law enforcement and criminal justice sector assistance, and a framework agreement under which Viet Nam allows some US Peace Corps volunteers to teach English in Ha Noi and HCM City.  VNS
HA NOI  US President Barack Obama is convinced that Viet Nam and the US can show the world how human dignity can be advanced in cooperation, not in conflicts.

The visiting president spoke to a crowd of more than 2,300 mostly young Vietnamese people at the National Convention Centre in Ha Noi yesterday.

At a time when many conflicts seem intractable  never seem to end  we have shown that hearts can change and a different future is possible when we refuse to be prisoners of the past, Obama said.

Weve shown how peace can be better than war. Weve shown how human dignity can be advanced in cooperation, not in conflicts. Thats what Viet Nam and America can show the world.

With that in mind, he stressed that his visit did not focus on the past or on difficult history, but on the future, and on the prosperity, security and human dignity that both countries can advance together.

I also come here with deep respect for Viet Nam. On this visit, my heart has been touched by the kindness for which Vietnamese people are known. Even I feel the friendship between our people.

The American partnership with Viet Nam is based on the idea that Viet Nam is an independent Southeast nation, and no nation can decide your destiny.

The President said the US has an interest in Viet Nams success. But the comprehensive bilateral partnership is still in the early stages.

Lets work together to create real opportunity and prosperity for all of our people. Today Viet Nam and the US are partners. I believe our experience holds lessons for the world.

He also said the visit between Viet Nam and the US would put the bilateral relationship on a firm stand for decades to come. The two governments are working more closely together than ever before.

In a knowledge-based economy, jobs go to people who have freedom to think for themselves and to change their ideas to innovate. And real economic partnership is not just about one country extracting resources from another. Its about investing in great resources which are people, skills, and talents, whether you live in big city or rural village. And thats the kind of partnership the US offers."

Recalling that three million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians - and more than 58,300 American soldiers - lost their lives during the war, the President stressed that Viet Nam and the US can work together as they acknowledge the pain and sacrifice on both sides.

Recently, over the past two decades, Viet Nam has achieved enormous progress. And today the world can see the strides you have made, President Obama said. He noted the increase in high-rises, shopping malls, and urban centres in Ha Noi and HCM City, while tens of millions of people connect via Facebook and Instagram.

Viet Nam has achieved extraordinary progress in a very short time.

President Obama said real progress can been seen in peoples lives.

Viet Nam has dramatically reduced extreme poverty, boosted peoples incomes, and lifted millions into a fast-growing middle class. Hunger, disease, child mortality, the number of people with drinking water and electricity, the number of boys and girls in schools, all have improved.

Bully nations

Discussing the tense situation in the East Sea (South China Sea), Obama called out big nations who flex their muscles to bully smaller ones.

Nations are sovereign. And no matter how small or big a nation may be, its sovereignty should be respected and its territories should not be violated, he said.

The open speech came just one day after Obama announced the United States is fully lifting a decades-long arms embargo on Viet Nam, following a partial removal of the ban in 2014.

Viet Nam will now have greater access to the equipment it needs to improve its security," Obama said.

Obama also called for the continued strengthening of regional institutions, like ASEAN and the East Asia Summit, as a peaceful resolution should be sought for the simmering South China Sea dispute involving Viet Nam, its giant neighbour China, and other parties.

In the meantime, the US will stand with our partners in upholding key principles, like freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters, President Obama said.

The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and will support the right of all countries to do the same.

Human rights issue

Though differences still remained, Obama acknowledged progressive steps of the Vietnamese Government in recent years regarding human rights issues  one of the biggest barriers to closer ties between Viet Nam and the US in past decades.

Examples of this progress were cited by President Obama: Viet Nam committed to bring its law in line with the new constitution and international norms; it also agreed to economic and labour reforms, under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The US President said all countries would be more successful if universal values are upheld, including: the right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, the right to access information, and the right to assemble, associate and demonstrate  all of which are already written into Viet Nams Constitution.

Viet Nam will do things differently than the US does. But these are the basic principles that I think we all have to try to work on and improve, he said.

Nguyen Thuy Duong, a freshman at the Foreign Trade University, expressed her excitement and honour at attending the speech yesterday.

Im so impressed with President Obama. He cited a lot of Vietnamese names, poems and songs. By carefully looking into our culture and history, he has shown that he respects our country, Viet Nam, she said.

A senior student at the National Economics University, Phan Tram Anh, said she was thrilled to finally get the chance to see and listen to President Obama.

He knows a lot about the problems faced by Viet Nam, Anh said. He is so amazing. I just hope I can listen to him more and learn from him.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has proposed the government support up to 100 per cent of funding for scientific and technological research activities.

The proposal, part of a national programme on science and technology development towards 2020, has been submitted to the Prime Minister for approval.

This was announced by Tran Quoc Khanh, deputy minister of Science and Technology, at a conference on Thursday introducing people to national scientific and technological programmes organised by the ministry and providing instructions on how to get involved.

Under the proposal, the State budget will provide up to 50 per cent of funding for technology improvement activities, experimental production and technology projects, as well as projects on national products.

In addition, the MoST suggested the government give assistance of 30 per cent of expenses to buy materials and equipment for experimental production and support 100 per cent of the cost of short-term training and human resource development courses for organisations involved in the projects. The State will also assist in the commercialisation activities of products, market development, construction activities and infrastructure development.

There would be many programmes relating to science and technology development leading up to 2020 such as a national products development programme, a national programme on high technology development, and a national technology renovation programme, Khanh said

All programmes would take a business-centred approach and focus investment on developing Vietnamese products that are competitive with other countries in the region and all over the world, he said.

According to Hoang Minh Thuc, director general of the Department of Planning-General Affairs under MoST, all organisations and individuals working in the fields of science and technology who are capable of setting up scientific and technological enterprises can take part in the above-mentioned programmes.

To be eligible they should meet certain conditions such as the project leader having a bachelor or higher degree, the host institution must operate in the field of science or technology and have the financial capacity to implement the project, and they must have received orders from ministerial-level agencies or Peoples Committees, Thuc said.  VNS
HA NOI  Tertiary education has seemingly become a popular path chosen by the majority of Vietnamese high school graduates, because in a degree-treasuring society like Viet Nam, most people believe that entering university is the best way to secure success.

Yet amid the new batch of graduates every year, there is fierce competition among job candidates. Those with bachelor degrees, or even master degrees are struggling to find jobs in their speciality. Many have decided to take a backward step by rushing back to intermediate school to study a different major.

In Viet Nam, post high school education is divided into three levels based on admission requirements, which are intermediate school (two years training), junior college (three years) and university (four or five years).

Nguyen inh uc, 24, who holds a good bachelor degree from an economic university in Ha Noi, is now working as a xe om (motorbike-taxi driver) at My inh Stadium.

After graduation, uc was employed to work as an intern for a private company in Ha Noi. One year later, the company refused to sign a work contract with him citing a reduction in personnel. His later efforts to apply for jobs at other companies also failed. The jobs did not match what he had learned at university, not to mention the requirements of work experience.

He decided to quit the search for work and become a xe om, from which he can earn VN5 million (US$223) per month, enough to afford rent, food and tuition fees he said, if he tightens his spending. In the evenings, he takes a Japanese course at an intermediate school and nurtures the dream of becoming a Japanese teacher.

Holding a masters degree in business administration from a commercial university in Ha Noi, Luong Thu Hoai, 28, is teaching economics at an intermediate school in the city.

However, the number of students has declined recently, not even enough for a single class, because the students prefer college or university. Teachers at intermediate schools can hardly live on their humble monthly earnings.

Hoai decided to start a course at the Ha Noi Medical and Pharmaceutical Intermediate School and switched to studying pharmacy. This is a completely different field from what she studied at university for four years.

Why this happening?

The most recent labour statistics provided by the General Statistics Office of Viet Nam showed that in the first quarter of this year, 192,500 holders of bachelor or higher degrees are unemployed. On average, one among five jobless people in Viet Nam have a bachelor or master degree.

Some years ago, there was a boom in university education as many junior colleges were upgraded to university level. Meanwhile, a series of universities have also increased their recruitment figures, exceeding the real demands of the job market. A university education has become easier to achieve than ever before.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, Viet Nam currently has more than 400 universities and colleges, three times the number in 1987, and double the number of institutions in 2002.

The mushrooming of higher education led to an outflow of school students rushing to universities and colleges, leaving a more scattered number of students at intermediate and apprentice training schools.

Now, a completely upside down trend has emerged as a large number of graduates, who were trained to work as white-collar staff, now have to hide their degrees and switch to cooking, tourism, mechanics, pharmacy or even factory work.

Le Hong Khanh, deputy principal of Ha Noi Medical and Pharmaceutical Intermediate School, said that half of the students at his school have a bachelor degree in another field.

Most of them, some years ago, followed the trend to select hot majors such as economics, finance, banking or education. The economic recession led to staff reductions and stricter criteria for recruitment. Graduates lacking skills find it hard to meet the job market demands and are forced to turn to intermediate schools to change their majors.

Due to the high risk of unemployment, the number of bachelor holders turning to learn at intermediate schools is expected to increase, Khanh said, proposing that the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs should seek solutions to reduce the number of applicants for trendy fields each year.

ang Van Sang, principal of the HCM City-based Anh Sang Intermediate School, made a quick estimate of the total expense each bachelor has to bear during their four years at university. It amounted to roughly VN100 million (US$4,460).

After four years at university, it is another big waste if they continue their learning in another major without having gained a job, he said.

Professional orientation

Central Nghe An is one of the provinces struggling with a large number of unemployed graduates. According to the provincial Department of Education and Training, about 4,000 college graduates and over 3,000 holders of bachelor and masters degrees in the region are jobless.

Thai Huy Vinh, deputy director of the provincial Department of Education and Training said that training congestion (too many training institutes) has become a pressing issue for the whole society, like traffic jams during rush hour.

While job congestion has touched every family in Nghe An Province, since the second semester of this school year, the provincial Department of Education and Training has focused on professional-oriented training so that students make the right choices in accordance with their own abilities, he said.

The attitudes of parents towards career selection have changed positively, with many reducing the pressure on their children to study what their parents want, he said.

As a result, in this exam season, 40 per cent of the provinces students will sit for the exam in July to gain a high school graduation certification, not a university admission. It means these students will not choose higher education, but turn to apprentice training institutions after high school.

The professional orientation model of Nghe An Province might be a good example for other cities and provinces to follow to make major steps.

Vocational training has recently been promoted in large cities that have many people of working age.

According to Ha Nois Department of Education and Training, this year, more than 16,000 out of 76,000 examinees registered for high school graduation only, an increase of nearly 4,000 students compared to last year.

Ngo Van Chat, head of the departments Division of Testing and Education Quality Assurance, said that the increasing figure can be put down to various reasons, including the fact that students are now able to self evaluate their competence and find out whether they are eligible for university admission or not.  VNS
HCM CITY (VNS)  HCM Citys Criminal Investigation Police arrested eight people suspected to be involved in inter-provincial drug smuggling ring, a source has said.

Police have also seized 10kg of methamphetamine, some heroin, two luxury cars, VN2.5 billion (US$119,000) and $52,000 in cash, three guns and 15 bullets.

The arrests were the result of a joint investigation from the Ministry of Public Security, Lam ong Province and city police, a HCM City senior police officer said on Monday.

Among the arrested were the suspected ringleaders of the group, Nguyen Duy Hung, 46, who lived Thai Nguyen northern Province, and Nguyen Tien Khanh, 35, from Ba Ria-Vung Tau southern Province.

Hung, was imprisoned for seven years for drug possession and smuggling in 2003. In 2010, he became owner of an individual garage in Thai Nguyen Province that aimed to hide his drug smuggling.

Police began the investigation in early 2016 when they arrested two drug transporters in HCM City, seizing two kg of methamphetamine hidden in a lorry transporting fruit.

On May, 18, Nguyen Duy Hung was arrested in HCM Citys Binh Thanh District with 6kg of methamphetamine, a K59 pistol, 15 bullets, $50,000 and VN2.1billion in cash and a luxury car.

After questioning, Hung said he bought methamphetamine for VN200 million per kg from a Chinese man at Lang Son northern provinces Tan Thanh border gate. He transported the drugs in his car to HCM City and sold them to Nguyen Tien Khanh for VN350 million per kg.

One day later, police captured Khanh and two accomplices in the Central Highlands province of Lam ong, seizing 1kg of methamphetamine, one gun and a car.

After further investigations, police arrested three more people suspected of involvement in the ring in HCM City, seizing heroin, methamphetamine and cash.

Police are preparing documents to prosecute the suspects for illegal sale of narcotics and illegal firearms possession. VNS
27:08 IN FULL: Treasurer delivers Labors first budget Treasurer Jim Chalmers has handed down the Albanese Governments Budget 2022, saying it begins to build a better future that befits Australians....

07:52 Albonomics: Five things Australians need to know from horror budget In tonights episode of Paul Murray Live, Paul discusses the five things Australians need to know from the Albanese governments horror...

00:32 Government expects inflation to peak at 7.75 per cent later this year Treasurer Jim Chalmers says inflation is expected at 7.75 per cent later this year before moderating over time to 3.5 per cent through 2023-24....

04:06 Australias GDP to grow 3.25 per cent in 2022/23 Australias GDP is expected to grow 3.25 per cent in 2022/23 before slowing to 1.5 per cent growth in 2023/24, according to Treasurer Jim Chalmers...

01:36 Power of pain for families in Albanese governments budget Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says its a power of pain for families in the Albanese governments first budget.
WATERLOO  An autopsy has been completed in the death of a Waterloo man who was found dead inside a nightclub where he worked Monday night.

But authorities said they still dont know what killed William Micou III.

Micous father found him unresponsive inside Club 319, 225-229 W. Fourth St., shortly before 5 p.m. Monday.

Officials with the Iowa Medical Examiners Office conducted an autopsy Tuesday, but the results wont be finalized until toxicology tests are finished, said Lt. Greg Fangman with the Waterloo Police Department. The tests could take several weeks.

Fangman said no foul play is suspected at this point. Police released the scene at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Family said Micou had been cleaning the club in preparation for a party this weekend. A post on Micous Facebook page said he had planned a grand closing for the club. The City Council had voted to turn down a request to renew Club 319s liquor license in February, and a phone hearing with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division had been scheduled for May 16.
INDEPENDENCE -- Defendant Fayla Cannon's trial ventured into the paranormal Monday with testimony about Satan, hints at possession and an alleged "cleansing" performed on a 16-year-old student at Independence High School.

Jurors also heard from the boy's parents, Mary Beth and Brian Brinkema.

Cannon, 56, of Rowley, is charged with three counts of dissemination and exhibition of obscene materials to a minor and with three counts of malicious prosecution.

The charges are serious misdemeanors, in a legal sense relatively minor, but Cannon's arrest and now trial have attracted attention in the community because of many unusual revelations.

Cannon in 2014 was employed as a paraeducator and was assigned a boy with profound disabilities and extremely limited mental function, according to multiple witnesses. In October of that year she turned over "writings" allegedly conveying the boy's accusations of sexual and physical abuse.

The alleged perpetrators included the boy's former paraeducator, Nicole Weber; two former students; and the boy's parents.

Defense attorney Leon Spies started Monday's session by asking for a mistrial, later accusing Buchanan County Attorney Shawn Harden of "an effort to torpedo the defendant's case" and of "prosecutorial misconduct of the gravest nature."

Harden over the weekend requested an arrest warrant for Rhonda Zieser, a lead witness for the defense. As of Monday afternoon, the warrant had not yet been executed.

According to Harden, Zieser committed perjury during a deposition.

Zieser, according to Harden, claimed third-grade teacher Nancy Black allowed her husband, William Black, a minister, to hold a prayer service with and for the boy.

Zieser allegedly described the event as a "cleansing."

"Personally, I would call it an exorcism," Harden told Judge Fangman.

The "cleansing" allegedly happened during school hours and was performed without permission of the boys' parents, according to Harden.

The pastor was called in because of a statement allegedly made by the boy.

"I'm not (that boy,) I'm Satan," Zieser said the boy wrote in third grade. She said the boy in writing also occasionally called her and others a "bitch."

However, Harden said Zieser's deposition was "inaccurate at best" and the people involved denied performing the "cleansing." Harden said he requested the arrest warrant after confirming their denials.

A subsequent defense witness, Joshua Lyons of Solon, a former elementary principal in Independence, later testified a teacher showed him a paper with the boy's Satan comment. Lyons denied knowledge of a "cleansing" in the school.

"No, that would be absolutely inappropriate," Lyons said.

Spies told Judge Linda Fangman the warrant would have a "chilling effect" on his defense witnesses.

"It has shaken our faith in the integrity of these proceedings," Spies added.

Fangman denied Spies motion for a mistrial, and Zieser, after consulting with an attorney, testified Monday afternoon. She told jurors the boy in third grade could write complete sentences, spell words correctly and use appropriate punctuation.

Previous witnesses for the prosecution, including Mary Beth Brinkema, the boy's mother, testified such skills were beyond the boy's mental and physical abilities.

Zieser said years later, after hearing about the boy's recent writings, she pulled Cannon aside.

"'This young man knows more than anyone gives him credit for,'" Zieser testified she told Cannon.

Harden earlier introduced several hundred pages of documents written by Cannon allegedly "hand over hand" sharing the boy's thoughts, concerns, accusations and answers to her questions. Before being sealed by the court, the documents were briefly available for review in their entirety.

In one passage, Cannon apparently shared her beliefs with the boy.

"I believe that God will take care of you and also take the needed steps to take care of Nicci (Weber,)" Cannon wrote.

In another section, the boy appears to question God's abilities.

"I don't believe He can do anything," the boy allegedly wrote.

"Do you think that He might have brought us together? So that you would get away from her and you would feel safe enough to tell what happened?" Cannon wrote.

"Yes I think he's very powerful then ??!" the boy allegedly wrote.

On another page, Cannon asked how the boy might deal with stress.

"I can go to school and go to church to talk to God," the boy allegedly wrote.

"That's what I would do too," Cannon wrote.

Harden's final witnesses were the boy's parents.

Mary Beth Brinkema testified about her son's abilities, disabilities and lifelong medical issues. The basic problem, she told jurors, is in his brain, where "the gray matter is not formed right" because of a genetic disorder.

Brinkema denied her son could write complete sentences on his own.

"He has never done more than a yes or a no," she testified.

Brinkema also denied her son can comprehend any sort of advanced or abstract concepts. Those would include topics, including some broached in the boy's alleged writings, such as God, death, heaven, sex, dumb, foster care, suicide, yesterday, today and tomorrow, Brinkema testified.

"He doesn't know what time lunch is," she said, or perhaps even understand what hunger is.

"He wouldn't know how to spell a lot of those words that were in the writings. It's just unbelievable," Brinkema added.

Even so, she said her son is upbeat.

"(He's) always been happy. (He's) a happy boy," Mary Beth Brinkema said.

Mary Beth and Brian Brinkema "had just always thought Nicci was doing the best" for their son and knew what was appropriate for him, according to Mary Beth Brinkema.

And yet, when Cannon replaced Weber, within two weeks Cannon was complaining about Weber's performance, according to Brinkema. Cannon also alleged Weber had done something bad to the boy.

"'I don't know what she'd done to him, but when he's ready to tell us, he'll tell us,'" Brinkema testified.

"'I don't know what she did to him in that bathroom'" Cannon said on another occasion, according to Brinkema.

On cross examination, Spies asked Brinkema about Iowa Test of Basic Skills that showed her son performing at or above grade level in elementary.

Brinkema testified she asked school district officials why her son had to take the tests and questioned their value. She said the officials told her they wanted the results.

"'We're not going to take them out because we like the scores he's getting,'" Brinkema testified.

"That's a harsh criticism," Spies said.

"Well, I don't think it's his work," Brinkema added.
Jyshawn Robertson, 18, was shot in his left leg, and Passion Anthony, 18, was shot in her right leg. Both are considered to have injuries that are not life threatening.
WATERLOO  Prosecutors are asking to keep the court from considering information about a Waterloo mans drug use and prison time when it begins trial for the Denver man accused of killing him.

Steven William Fordyce II, 38, is charged with first-degree murder in the August shooting death of 43-year-old Donald Lee Harrington.

Fordyce has raised the issues of self defense and defense of another, and his trial is scheduled to begin in June.

On Monday, Assistant County Attorney Brad Walz said, while the defense is entitled to present evidence Harrington had a violent or quarrelsome reputation, evidence of drug use and his general criminal history should be off limits.

We dont believe an overall introduction of his criminal history is relevant, Walz said. He said any information about substance abuse should pertain only to the day of the slaying, and any prior drug use or drug charges arent relevant.

They are not an issue that would lead to any kind of character trait that would be relevant in this case, Walz said. He also is asking the court to keep out any references to any moral or legal wrongdoing between Fordyces family and Harringtons family.

Defense attorney Christopher Kragnes said the court should be able to consider Harringtons alleged use of methamphetamine when considering the case.

If that is his reputation within the community, if that is the belief that the defendant has, if that is a belief the defendant has as it goes to his erratic and violent behavior, evidence of long-term usage of methamphetamine is certainly relevant, Kragnes said.

Kragnes said the history between the families may be needed to place the groundwork why there was tension between the relatives.

Authorities said when Fordyce was visiting his sister in Waterloo an argument began, and Harrington began screaming and moved toward Fordyce, who drew a handgun and shot.

Fordyce has waived his right to a jury trial, allowing a judge to determine a verdict during a bench trial.
WATERLOO  An 8-year-old girl is recovering after a dog bit off part of her ear while she was playing at a friends house Monday afternoon.

Innocence Robertson was jumping on a trampoline at the friends home on Randall Street about 5:40 p.m. when the dog was let out to get a treat, she said.

Innocence said the dog came after her and her cousin.

Because my cousin was with me, he is 2 years old, and I had to stop so he could run, and as soon as I turned around, the dog was right behind me. He just jumped up and grabbed my head, and then I fell down. He started to bite my hair, and got my ear, said the Irving Elementary School student after returning home from the hospital.

Her mother, Dandrea Archer, said the dog tore off part of her left ear.

The whole back side of the ear is gone, the mother said. The ear wont be the same because they dont have the other piece. She said some of the girls hair was pulled out, and she also suffered scratches.

The friends parent pulled the dog off Innocence, and she and her cousin walked one block to her home, said Innocences aunt, Ariana Archer, who lives next door to the girl.

I didnt know what to do with it, so I just called the ambulance, Ariana Archer said.

Dandrea Archer was at work when she got the call about the attack.

It really bothered me that after he bit her, they didnt even bother to bring her home. He just let her walk home, ear bleeding. Thats the part that really pissed me off, Dandrea Archer said.

The mother said she was told the dog isnt up to date on its shots. Animal Control workers seized the dog, and the owner said he planned to put the dog down, according to Dandrea Archer.

Innocence said she had seen the dog before when she visited her friend, but the dog was kept in a cage during the earlier visits.

The girl will see a specialist today.
WATERLOO  Central Middle School could host two career and technical education programs next fall after the Board of Education on Monday approved remodeling a portion of the building.

Waterloo Community Schools officials will further flesh out a proposal and seek bids on the project. Although no estimate has been made public, it is expected to exceed $130,000.

If plans go forward, programs in nursing/nursing assistant and graphic communications would be offered at Central for students from the districts three high schools. The remodeled area would be separate from the middle school and have its own entrance.

The proposal follows a failed $47 million bond issue referendum in February. Among the projects the bonds would have paid for was a career center built next to Central. Officials proposed launching 15 of an eventual 30 career programs when it opened in fall 2018.

Since that time, we have done our due diligence on what that next step should be, said Superintendent Jane Lindaman. The programs could be joined by up to six others by fall 2018. In addition, 11 existing partial career programs at East and West high schools would continue to be enhanced.

Remodeling would be done with available physical plant and equipment levy and 1 percent sales tax funds. The Waterloo Schools Foundation also has raised $190,000 to help launch the nursing program.

Im really excited we are funding it with existing dollars and donations we can raise, said Lindaman.

In a public hearing, former Waterloo Schools industrial technology teacher Ralph Longus raised concerns about the graphic communications program. Graphic arts is only supposed to expand by less than 1 percent in the next 10 years, he said, based on state job growth projections. Id just ask you to stop and reconsider where those students are going to end up.

Lindaman said occupational outlook was one in a series of factors administrators used in deciding which programs should go forward. Some of the others included student interest, teacher readiness and space considerations. Graphic communications is a current program offered only at Expo Alternative Learning Center.

We do really have a large student interest  theyre interested in art but they want to use technology, said Crystal Buzza, the districts executive director of professional technical education.

Longus noted a couple construction-related fields show much more growth potential in the projections. Board member Lyle Schmitt said space considerations in some of those fields were part of the reason for a career center in the failed referendum.

Hopefully, well get there  just not as fast, he said, regarding the addition of those programs.
POSTVILLE (AP)  The Postville school superintendent says two sixth-graders have been suspended for shooting airsoft guns at five classmates.

Superintendent Abe Maske said Tuesday that none of the five suffered serious injuries from the plastic pellets fired Monday afternoon outside the kindergarten-through-sixth-grade building after lunch. Maske says the district is still investigating the incident so he couldn't yet say what final discipline the students will face. The last day of classes is Friday.

The airsoft guns are considered weapons under the district policy.

Maske also says that near as he knows the two boys haven't been criminally charged. The Postville police chief didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press.

Airsoft guns are used for recreation and have become training tools for law enforcement and military agencies.
CEDAR RAPIDS  In her first ad of the Democratic U.S. Senate primary campaign former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge cites courage and cooperation as keys to recovering from the devastating 2008 floods.

Our recovery began by working together, she says in the 30-second online ad that features scenes of a flooded Cedar Rapids. Nobody had time for pointing fingers.

That came later and her 30-second spot has re-ignited a seven-year-old political battle over the flood relief efforts Judge says she coordinated in her role as the state Homeland Security adviser.

Missing from the story, however, is the complete ineptitude with which she managed her high-profile role, according to the Republican Party of Iowa. One of her first duties wasnt to help flood victims, but to replace the carpet with $19,000 in money intended for said victims.

The expenditure for new carpet in space where the Rebuild Iowa Office was headquartered in the Wallace Building provoked criticism from legislators, including then Rep. Jeff Kaufmann of Wilton, now chairman of the RPI.

The condition of the Wallace Building is better than some of my flood victims' homes before the flood, he said back in 2009.

However, her campaign manager Sam Roecker pointed out the office moved into vacant space in the Wallace Building instead of continuing to lease expensive office space in Urbandale.

That didnt satisfy Kaufmann. Judge has never apologized for letting down flood victims  and this latest ad is an insult to those she was supposed to help.

Thats not the spirit Judge talks about in the ad that her campaign said will begin running later in the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids media markets.

Im proud of the way Iowans responded to flooding in 2008 and the way our communities came together to recover, she said.

Then she contrasts that partnership and problem-solving that defined the flood recovery efforts with what she sees in Washington where incumbent Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has been in office since 1975.

Unfortunately, this kind of cooperation isnt happening in Washington today, she said. Iowans are frustrated with the obstruction and inaction and I think its time for a change.

Judge is in a four-way primary with former state legislators Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause, and State Sen. Rob Hogg. The primary election in June 7.
WATERLOO  City Council members remain polarized over how to fill the empty chair at their table.

A contentious work session Monday reaffirmed councilmen Steve Schmitt, Bruce Jacobs and Tom Lind are intent on appointing someone to fill the seat vacated April 24 when Ward 1 Councilman David Jones resigned to take a job out of state.

But councilmen Pat Morrissey, Ron Welper and Jerome Amos Jr. instead want to hold a special election for Ward 1 voters to choose Jones replacement.

The councilmen will attempt to break the deadlock at their next meeting, June 6, by putting both options on the agenda. If no action is taken within 60 days of Jones departure a special election would be scheduled automatically for the end of July.

Members on both side of the coin argued their cases this week but failed to change each others minds.

The overwhelming number of people that have expressed to me that this should be decided by the voters tells me that they want the people of Ward 1 to make this decision, Morrissey said. They dont want us making it.

Amos and Welper voiced similar views.

I just really dont feel comfortable as an individual on this council, with all the things that have been going on, making that decision, Amos said. I firmly believe that the citizens out there put us all in these positions, and I think we should leave it up to them to make that decision for their ward.

Schmitt countered the last three council vacancies were filled by an appointment process, which could avoid the estimated $5,000 cost of a special election.

Id like to try this and see what happen, and Id like to do it as expeditiously as possible, he said. I dont see any reason to spend the money unless we need to.

Schmitt conceded its possible the council members could fail to agree on an appointee, which would then prompt a special election. Voters could also gather 183 signatures to call for a special election if they dont like the process or appointee.

Lind initially indicated he was in favor of a special election, which had prompted City Clerk Suzy Schares to be working to put that on the agenda. But he changed his mind last week.

Why dont we just try (appointing), Lind said. If it doesnt work, theres the election.

Iowa law requires the council to first publish notice of its plans if members choose the appointment process. If that is the route chosen June 6, council members indicated they likely would take applications and hold interviews to make a decision.

If a special election is held, hopefuls would need to gather 37 signatures from Ward 1 electors to get their name on the ballot. The earliest date for an election would be July 12.
WATERLOO  A longtime volunteer for veteran causes and a Womens Army Corps veteran of World War II will be the guest of honor at Waterloos Memorial Day Parade on May 30.

Marcia Courbat, 94, a longtime member of the Veterans Memorial Hall Commission, will be honored in the parade to begin at 10 a.m. from the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot.

It will proceed from the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot West Fifth and Commercial streets on Commercial to Park Avenue, Park Avenue across the Cedar River to Mulberry Street, Mulberry to East Fifth and on East Fifth back across the river to Veterans Memorial Hall.

It will be followed by a program at Memorial Hall, at West Fifth Street and the Cedar River. West High School ROTC instructor David Richards will be the featured speaker.

For years, Courbat, a native of Fredrika, has helped coordinate Waterloos Memorial Day observances, including organizing the Memorial Hall program and decorating veterans graves with flags at Waterloos various cemeteries. More than 9,500 flags will be placed on veterans graves at all Waterloo cemeteries Friday and Saturday. She also is part of a Memorial Hall campaign to replace worn street flags to be placed on downtown light poles.

Courbat also compiles a roll of veterans who have passed away since the previous Memorial Day, read each year as part of the program. Thats more than 250 names this year. Its a task she inherited from another longtime volunteer, the late W.D. Bill Sizer. She also had a long history of work with Becker-Chapman American Legion Post 138, along with her late husband, Dale.

Courbat served stateside during the war in hospitals in Texas, Denver, California and in Iowa at Schick General Hospital, an Army hospital in Clinton. Among her various duties she worked with emaciated American prisoners of war liberated from enemy camps, pilots and other personnel dealing with shell shock  now known as post-traumatic stress  and therapy with servicemen trying to recover the use of their limbs.

Courbat downplayed the recognition.

Its all right, she said. Sometimes I feel like I really should get honored for the things I do, but you know, a lot of people do the work.

Courbat is a member of what she believes to be one of the few if not the only Womens Army Corps veterans chapters in the state.

Concurrent with the parade and ceremony, The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum will host a free picnic-style lunch and family-friendly activities 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first 100 visitors will receive a free lunch with paid admission.

Cedar Falls

In Cedar Falls, Memorial Day weekend observances will begin with a sunset service at 7 p.m. Sunday at Veterans Park on Waterloo Road. Memorial Day activities will begin at Cedar Falls AMVETS Post 49, 20th and Irving streets, with music by the Cedar Falls Municipal Band at 10:30 a.m. and a program at 11 a.m. Guest speaker is Jennifer Hicks of Hicks Place.

A Memorial Day program also will be at 12:15 p.m. May 30 at the Mallard Point retirement community.

Bennington Township

Memorial Day services honoring military veterans buried at the German Burial Ground of Bennington Township will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday. The German Burial Ground, formally known as the Pioneer Cemetery, is located north of Waterloo on Gresham Road one and one-fourth miles east of U.S. Highway 63.

The Cedar Falls Chapters of the VFW and Rolling Thunder groups will conduct the service. The guest speaker will be U.S. Marine Corps and Iowa Army National Guard veteran David Grimm, a member of the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission

The public also is invited to the restored historic Bennington No. 4 School on the corner of Bennington and Sage roads for refreshments after the ceremony.

Brandon

Bear Creek Cemetery Memorial Day services are planned for 9 a.m. May 30.

The names of veterans buried in the cemetery will be read.

Coffee, rolls and juice will be available at the church, 5177 26th Ave., south of Brandon, from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.; everyone is welcome.

In addition, there will be an open house at the church from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday with refreshments served.

Clermont

A Memorial Day program will be at 10 a.m. May 30 at Lincoln Park in Clermont, preceded by military honors conducted by veterans at local cemeteries. Guest speaker for the program will be veteran Sara Lopez of Hawkeye.

Dike

The Dike Lions Club annual Memorial Day Breakfast will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. May 30 at the Dike High School Multipurpose Room.

The Lions will serve pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, juice, milk or coffee. Cost is $7 for adults and $3 for kids ages 10 and younger.

A patriotic Legion program will following the breakfast at 11 a.m.

Gilbertville

American Legion Post 714 will have its annual Memorial Day services May 30, with special remembrance of Gerald Fettkether, Michael Mullen and Robert Schares, all Don Bosco High School graduates who died during the Vietnam War.

After an 8 a.m. Mass at the cemetery there will be ceremonies in Gilbertville, Raymond, Poyner and Washburn cemeteries, followed by the Gilbertville bridge and Veterans Memorial Park.

There will be breakfast following at the Gilbertville Legion for members along with the families of the three comrades honored.

Waverly

Several Memorial Day events are planned in Waverly.

A parade starts at 10:30 a.m. at Kohlman Park, with assembly at 10 a.m.

A ceremony at the park will include a tribute to Navy veterans, the Navy Hymn, a prayer, wreath dedication with Kelly Sullivan and honor guard.

A ceremony at Harlington Cemetery will include patriotic music, the national anthem and readings of Gen. Logans Orders and the Gettysburg Address.

The American Legion building will be open after the ceremonies to all guests for lunch and fellowship. In case of rain, the program will be held at Waverly-Shell Rock High School.

Courier Community Editor Catherine Kittrell contributed to this report.
WATERLOO  Red Nose Day is returning for its second annual event Thursday.

The days events will culminate in a two-hour, live primetime TV special on NBC, featuring the biggest stars across comedy, music, TV and film. Funds raised go the Red Nose Day Fund, which distributes the money through programs to keep children and young people safe, healthy and educated.

Northeast Iowa Food Bank, in partnership with Feeding America, has been selected as a charity that will benefit from the Red Nose Day campaign. In 2015, Northeast Iowa Food Bank received $10,000 dollars that went to the Summer Feeding Program, which provides food during the summer to kids at various sites in Black Hawk County and Waverly.

Residents can buy a red nose at Walgreens stores and participate by giving through the TV program.
What is your tax rate? George Stephanopoulos asked Donald Trump on ABCs Good Morning America.

Its none of your business, Trump replied.

That answer is absolutely and completely unacceptable. When you choose to run for president, and have a real chance of actually winning, everything becomes the publics business.

This principle goes far beyond Trumps taxes. If voters are going to make a reasonable judgment about how he might act in the future, they have a right to know how hes acted in the past. Everything means everything. Transparency and accountability are not optional.

This principle applies to all candidates, including Hillary Clinton, but it is particularly important in Trumps case because he has never held public office. He has never been through an election, or even a congressional hearing  experiences that test and expose a persons background and ability to perform under pressure.

He has never served in a legislature, so he has never had to cast a single vote that forced him to go beyond speechifying and crystalize how he truly feels about an issue. He has never been an executive  meaning a mayor or a governor  where he had to make decisions that reveal his core values and priorities.

Clinton, by contrast, has run three major election campaigns  twice for the Senate, once for president, not including her current bid  and been confirmed as secretary of state by a vote of 94 to 2. Shes cast thousands of votes and made numerous appearances before congressional hearings, the latest in October, when she answered questions about Benghazi from hostile Republicans for almost 11 hours.

Republicans are demanding even more information: about her use of a private email server during her State Department tenure, about what she knew and said during the violence in Libya that cost three American lives in 2012, about the paid speeches she made after she left office.

So Trump and his allies set new standards for hypocrisy when they defend his refusal to reveal his taxes. One of the worst has been Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, who made this ridiculous statement on ABC: Donald Trump represents such a massive change to how things are done in Washington that people dont look at ... whether or not he releases his taxes.

Its precisely because Trump represents massive change the demand for disclosure is non-negotiable. And its totally irrelevant whether his core supporters care about the Dear Leaders taxes.

Devoted Trumpians will not decide the election. But for swing voters in swing states who have not yet chosen a candidate, that information is essential. So is a stream of stories that are just starting to fill in other blanks in Trumps past.

The New York Times documented the history of Trumps degrading and demeaning attitudes toward women. The Washington Post revealed he frequently called reporters and lied about his true identity. The Wall Street Journal calculated his tax proposals would dramatically raise the debt, not decrease it, much less produce a surplus.

Trumps tax statements represent a particularly critical piece of information. As the Journal put it, If Mr. Trump refuses to release his returns until after the election, that would make him the first major-party nominee since President Gerald Ford in 1976 to not release even one year of his actual returns.

Moreover, Trump is selling himself to voters as a highly successful businessman and deal-maker. His own boasts only boost the relevance of his financial records.

In defending his stonewalling, Trump told the Associated Press theres nothing to learn from his returns.

That is, to put it charitably, a total untruth.

The Fact Checker column in the Washington Post listed at least five important items the returns would reveal: Trumps annual income, the sources of that income, how much he gives to charity, how aggressively hes tried to avoid taxes and what rate he actually pays.

Trump falsely claims that voters would learn nothing from his tax returns, the Post concluded. To the contrary, voters would learn a lot of information that Trump has long tried to hide from the public. Tax returns would help lift a veil of secrecy about Trumps finances  and let voters know whether his claims about his wealth and charitable giving are true, or if hes just a bombastic man behind the curtain akin to the Wizard of Oz.

Trumps refusal to reveal his taxes shows utter contempt for the voters and the democratic process. The voters should show him contempt in return.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 23, 2016 | 10:11 AM | PADUCAH, KY





Fleming Furniture Owner Danny Kelley has been indicted by a McCracken County Grand Jury on 12 counts of "theft by failure to make required disposition of property", according to the McCracken County Circuit Clerk's Office.The Circuit Clerk's Office tells West Kentucky Star that Kelley will be arraigned on the charges on Thursday at 8:30 am in Circuit Court. Kelley pled not guilty to ten of the charges in preliminary proceedings earlier this year in McCracken County District Court. Now a McCracken County Grand Jury has indicted Kelley on those 10 charges, and 2 additional charges.The McCracken County Commonwealth Attorney's Office tells West Kentucky Star that the investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible.Back in February, Paducah Police arrested Kelley after a six-month investigation. At that time he was charged with seven counts of "theft by failure to make required disposition of property over $500", one count of "theft by failure to make required disposition of property over $10,000", one count of "theft of services over $500", and one count of "theft by deception over $500". He was also served two summonses for "theft by failure to make required disposition of property under $500".Kelley was booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail on a $21,000 bond.In February, McCracken County Attorney Sam Clymer told West Kentucky Star that the charges stemmed from customers allegedly not receiving furniture they paid for.
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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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The examinations, which started on May 2, 2016 with Food Science, have been going on hitch-free.

Candidates for the 2016 General Certificate of Education, GCE Advanced Level practicals are still busy in various examination centres in Buea and the rest of the South West Region. Last weekend, Cameroon Tribune observed that the examinations were going on hitch-free in the various centres visited. At the Bilingual Grammar School Molyko, Buea, where some 508 students were undergoing their practicals in Biology, Nathanie Okenyi, one of the supervisors, told reporters that all was going on well. He said the examination started at 8 am and ended at 11 am for the first session. He added that all the candidates were present and all the equipment ready. Nathanie Okenyi further explained that the students started the examination apparently without pressure and followed instructions strictly. At 8 am, Cameroon Tribune noticed that Paper 3 Biology 710 was going on. The supervisor explained that there has been an innovation this year. Form ABA25 that we usually write on has a different presentation. It does not have flap to cut. It is a full paper itself that students write on and it is well designed. The spaces are appropriate and clearer that drawing can be done on them because it is a clean white sheet, the supervisor explained. 237online.com Nathanie Okenyi noted that there were no hitches at the Molyko centre for now. At the end of the practicals, one candidate, Ananga Cordine Mbah, told Cameroon Tribune that the examination was within reach. I had little time to carry on with the required activities. However, the examination was within reach as I did my best. Another candidate, Che Tambong Sei Ntsu, said the practicals were challenging, but was optimistic about making it.

VEYU Diana Ngoran, GOREH Glory
May 23, 2016 | By Benedict

Doctor Michael Chae, a plastic surgery resident and PhD candidate at Monash University, has conducted research which shows that 4D printing, 3D printing a succession of haptic models which represent bodily movement as well as appearance, could be the future of surgical planning.

As part of a long-term research project, which involved carrying out 4D printing techniques with Melbourne-based surgeons, Dr Chae reported that 4D computed tomography (CT) scans of the bones of a patients hand could be used to create models which accurately replicate hand movement during thumb abduction, opposition, and key pinch, giving surgeons vital information about a patients specific physiology.

Over the past decade 3D printing has transformed the way surgeons conduct preoperative planning, Dr Chae said. Here we were able to explore the application of 4D printing in surgical planning. We demonstrated how 4D printing can accurately depict the translation of metacarpals during various thumb movements. With tactile feedback from the biomodels and their ability to accurately represent anatomical details, 4D printing delivers complex spatiotemporal details.

To obtain the 4D scans, Dr Chae and his team used a 320 multidetector row CT scanner (Aquilion One; Toshiba America Medical Systems) with a collimation of 0.5 mm. Osirix software was then used to convert this data into a printable format, while Dr Chae selected three images from key points in the hand movement. These three 3D models were then sliced and printed on a 3D Systems Cube 2 3D printer (below) using the now-obsolete Cubify software suite.

Earlier this month, Dr Chae presented his the findings of his study at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Annual Scientific Congress in Brisbane. Over a thousand surgeons from the RACS and numerous international surgeons from the Royal College of Surgeons of England attended the event, which consisted of lectures, workshops, masterclasses, discussions, and plenaries.

After seeing the potential of the technology with his own eyes, Dr Chae now believes that 4D printing technology could become widely adopted within the medical world, contributing to safer and more effective hand surgeries. With the the increasing availability of 4D CT scanners, 4D printing has the potential to become widely accessible for surgical planning and improve clinical outcomes for patients, he said.

While Dr Chaes research concerned 4D printed models used in the surgical planning stage, other medical professionals have demonstrated other important uses for 4D printing. One month ago, doctors in China reportedly used a 4D printed tracheal stent to save the life of a 46-year-old woman, whose damaged trachea was giving her severe breathing difficulties. With 4D meaning something different in cases like this, the printed implants are built to move and adapt with the body as it grows over time.

Dr Chaes study, titled Four-Dimensional (4D) Printing: A New Evolution in Computed Tomography-Guided Stereolithographic Modeling. Principles and Application, was conducted at Monash University, under the supervision of Prof Julian Smith, A/Prof David Hunter-Smith, Prof Paul McMenamin, and Mr Warren Rozen.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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May 24, 2016 | By Alec

Remember Rocket Lab? Two months ago, the New Zealand-based aerospace innovator joined the space race by successfully qualifying their Rutherford engine, for which all of the primary components of the combustion and propellant supply system have been 3D printed. Rocket Lab is now edging closer to their launch later this year after successfully testing the second stage of their rocket engine - the part that completes the launch by taking the payload into orbit.

For those of you who completely missed Rocket Lab, this small aerospace developer has been working on their very own rocket system for about a decade now. They currently operate two offices, one in Los Angeles and another in New Zealand, and have built a launch pad on the New Zealand peninsula of Mahia. Their flagship project is the Electron small launch vehicle, which has been designed to bring satellites into orbit. Numerous crucial parts of the Electrons engine have ben 3D printed, and it is edging towards its launch date.

As the company chief executive Peter Beck revealed, they have reached several crucial milestones towards their launch already, and the successful test of their second stage rocket engine was a very important step. The second stage test can be seen in the clip below. The Electron, Beck revealed, so far cost nearly $5 million USD to develop, and is scheduled for its first test flight later this year. The Rutherford engine, which weighs nearly 23,000 kg, is now almost complete.

Beck further argued that 3D printing played a crucial role in reaching those milestones. Our team has successfully pushed the boundaries of many new technologies, including carbon composite flight tanks, electric turbo-pumping and 3D printing. Rutherford also has a unique electric propulsion cycle, making use of high-performance brushless DC electric motors and lithium polymer batteries to drive its turbo-pumps, he said. Were looking forward to bring the whole launch vehicle together for testing soon.

He went on to argue that the Rutherford engine itself was also a major milestone for 3D printing in general, as its the first oxygen/hydrocarbon engine that primarily relies on 3D printed parts for its most important components: the combustor and propellant supply system.

Things are thus moving very quickly for Rocket Lab. The company recently also hired its 100th engineer to work on design, testing and construction for the Electron and the Mahia launch site. Rocket Labs engineers are international experts, many of whom have travelled to New Zealand to work on the project. Over a quarter of the programs engineers have PhDs. Several are graduates from the aerospace PhD program Rocket Lab supports at Canterbury University, Beck said. The size of the team has tripled in the last year, and Rocket Lab is currently advertising over more than 30 additional roles based in the research and development facility in Auckland.

The company is also looking at options for setting up long term manufacturing and maintenance facilities, and the Wairoa District already revealed that they submitted a proposal to the company in an effort to secure the facility. Rocket Lab, however, said that they are still looking into a number of sites and that no decision has been made yet.

But most importantly, the launch is coming closer and closer, and will definitely take place at the launch site on the Mahia Peninsula. An impression of the site can be found here. However, there are still some obstacles to overcome. There are many moving parts, both technical and regulatory, as well as the significant amount of supporting infrastructure the company is developing  all of these factors impact the launch timeline, Beck said. But he added that the company is a good position to carry out three tests throughout the second half of the year. Hopefully, the first commercial flight can take place in 2017.

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Ralph Jones in New Humanist:

Few atheists know the Bible as intimately as Dan Barker. Few, after all, can profess to have begun their careers as fundamentalist Christian preachers. Currently co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, an American non-profit organisation, Barker was a self-proclaimed extremist for 19 years, until he renounced the faith. Given how vehemently the 66-year-old now defends a life free of any supernatural authority, I ask him if he regrets the consequences that his Christian ministry may have had on people he would now describe as vulnerable. Yes, I do regret a lot of it, he says with candour. I would counsel people to pray for healing. Thats dangerous. Thats harmful. People die from that. And I acted irresponsibly with my health, because I knew that God was going to take care of me. This is a window that, once opened, is difficult to close. Barker reels off multiple instances in which he believes that he seriously damaged the lives of his parishioners.

In Arizona, a woman approached him, looking for faith healing to cure her of an illness. The two prayed together and when, inevitably, it did nothing, he said, Let it be unto you according to your faith (a reference to a line originally found in Matthew 8:13). In other words, Barker says, it was her fault. She walked out of that meeting not only not healed but feeling chastised. Its not a kind way to treat another human being. In his mid-twenties, he counselled a woman who was struggling with an abusive husband. Barker told her to persevere with him because, as the Bible says, he would eventually see the light. So I counselled a woman to stay in an abusive relationship, because the Bible says that you are married for life. What would he say if she approached him with the same problem now? I would tell her to run for the nearest shelter and get out of there. Barker may have left religion behind but he is still a preacher of sorts. His latest book, God: the Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction, draws on his knowledge of scripture to attack the Bibles claim to moral authority.

I am interested in Barkers views on Donald Trump, the man taking alarmingly large strides up the escalator of US politics. It seems to me that theres an awful lot of shallow support for people like Trump, he says. The Republican candidate has appealed to the supposed Christian character of the US as a way to mobilise prejudice against Muslims. His followers seem to believe that he is a Christian but Barker sees this more as identity politics than evangelism. He doesnt know that much about the Bible. He doesnt speak the Christian lingo.

More here.
Noem campaign accuses Smith campaign of campaign finance violation

Gov. Kristi Noem's campaign has accused Rep. Jamie Smith's campaign of violating campaign finance laws after the recent report released Monday.
COVID-19 is impacting on all Australians in all sectors and in all states. The states and the federal government have implemented multiple measures to attempt to manage and minimise the impacts of the virus on the health system, the economy and the social fabric of the country.


Private Placement Raises $1 Million

Perth, May 24, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Enterprise Uranium Limited ( ASX:ENU ) is pleased to advise that it has successfully raised a total of $1 million via a share placement of 16,949,152 fully paid ordinary shares at 5.9 cents per share ("the Placement") to a professional and sophisticated investor as defined under Section 708 of the Corporations Act (2001). The issue price of 5.9 cents per share represents a 22% discount to the 15 day traded VWAP.



The funds raised will be used to initiate gold exploration at the Company's Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia and for working capital.



The placement was undertaken using the Company's 15% and 10% placement capacity in accordance with ASX Listing Rules 7.1 and 7.1.A. The Placement shares will rank pari passu with the Company's existing fully paid ordinary shares.



Settlement is expected to occur on or around 30th May 2016, with issue and quotation of the Placement shares on the ASX anticipated within one (1) business day of settlement. Following issue of the Placement shares, Enterprise will have 94,305,804 ordinary shares on issue.



Commenting on the successful private capital raising, Enterprise's Chairperson Ms Anna Mao said: "This capital raising is a reflection of investor confidence in the Company and its new strategic direction, and an endorsement of the quality of the Sandstone Gold Project that the Company is the process of acquiring."





About Alto Metals Ltd





Alto Metals Limited (ASX:AME) is a Western Australian based company and is focused on gold and uranium exploration in Australia. The Company's primary objective is to create shareholder wealth through discovery and development of a plus 1 million ounce gold deposit and ISR style uranium deposits.


Significant Development in Glass Based Transparent Memory Device

Perth, May 24, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - An Australian University invented technology has enabled a glass based transparent memory device to remember the same piece of information 100,000 times.



It has been announced today that a glass based memory device prototype was successfully fabricated with transparent memory technology by ASX listed Strategic Elements ( ASX:SOR ) together with a materials research team from the University of New South Wales.



The team has created a transparent memory ink designed to be printed onto materials such as silicon, glass and plastics using traditional low cost printing methods outside of billion-dollar silicon chip fabrication plants.



Highly innovative new glass based materials are considered by many to be central to the Printed Electronics sector which is forecast to grow to USD 70.4 billion by 2024. Memory is at the heart of all electronics.



Endurance measurements for reliability of a Nanocube memory cell revealed:



- The glass based prototype was highly reliable and capable of storing and retrieving the same piece of information 100,000 times with no signs of degradation.



- Despite existing silicon chip based Flash memory being produced in billion-dollar fabrication plants, the endurance capability still ranges from only 10,000 cycles to 100,000.



- Equipment used by the Company could not measure endurance beyond 100,000 cycles and therefore, the final maximum limit is still to be determined. Exceptional reliability may be a strong feature of the Nanocube Memory technology.



Transparent conductive material was coated as the bottom electrode on the surface of the glass, then Nanocube Memory Ink was coated onto the transparent material. Subsequently, ultra small silver top electrodes were deposited to form the transparent memory device.



Optical measurements for transparency revealed:



- The glass based prototype device was highly transparent with 70%-80% transparency. This is much higher than the definition of transparency in electronics.



- Transparent electronic devices are the ultimate goal of many large global consumer electronic companies.



The Company is currently undergoing the development and IP work required to showcase the memory technology to potential partners. Additionally, it is also sourcing and using various materials from companies across the supply chain. Further developments will be reported in the near term.



Managing Director, Charles Murphy said, "We are starting to be able to communicate some of the benefits of the technology publically, however, we are still being guided as to timing and nature of disclosure by our patent team and with sensitivity to any potential partner.



We are extremely pleased with the strength of relationship with the materials research team at UNSW and will be seeking to expand our current relationship with them in the near future."



Presentation



Though Printed Electronics printing, paper, plastic, glass and chemical companies have the opportunity to become the new electronic giants of tomorrow. The Company recommends shareholders and investors to view its recent short presentation on the Printed Electronics sector on the homepage of its website at www.strategicelements.com.au.



Background Australian Advanced Materials Pty Ltd (AAM), 100% owned by Strategic Elements Ltd., has transitioned from having an exclusive global licence for the technology from UNSW, to now having full assignment and ownership of the technology. AAM has contracted the materials group at the UNSW School of Materials Science and Engineering to assist in developing the technology and creating new Intellectual Property.



- Nanocube memory technology is based on RRAM which potentially allows faster, less power hungry, more reliable, cheaper and more scalable memory.



- However, the Nanocube technology potentially has extra significant points of difference to be flexible, transparent and able to be fabricated into a liquid solution at room temperature outside expensive high-vacuum chambers.



- The obvious fit is Printed Electronics (PE) where chemical, printing and electronic industries have collaborated to create a multi-billion dollar market that will be the future of electronics.



- PE can create flexible, transparent electronics which current semiconductors cannot. PE can also be manufactured using cheap printing methods unlike current electronics made in expensive fabrication plants.



- This creates opportunities to (a) allow device manufacturers to produce flexible products and (b) put electronics in places and on products that have never been able to use electronics before.



- In December 2015 testing results were released clearly demonstrating the potential of the technology.



- In March 2016 an enhanced method of prototype fabrication commenced. ASX Listed Strategic Elements Ltd The Company has a special registration from the Federal Government as a Pooled Development Fund enabling eligible shareholders to pay no capital gains tax when they sell their shares in ASX listed Strategic Elements ( ASX:SOR ). In return the Company must back only Australian SME's.





About Strategic Elements Ltd





Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR) shares are listed on the Australian Stock Exchange under the code SOR. The Company is registered under the Pooled Development Program run by the Australian Federal Government to encourage investment into SMEs. To assist Pooled Development Funds to invest and raise capital, the Federal Government enables most shareholders in a Pooled Development Fund to make capital gains and receive dividends tax-free.
Michael Bernardi is having a beautiful experience on Broadway.

Six nights a week, the actor can be seen in the Tony-nominated musical Fiddler on the Roof, as Mordcha, the innkeeper.

He is also the understudy for Tevya, the iconic role his father, Herschel Bernardi, made famous nearly 50 years ago.

Forever bonded with his father through this experience  even owning his original costume and using it as inspiration  Bernardi is taking it all in.

Ive done many plays, some movies and a little TV, he says. Ive never had the experience of being on a large stage and telling a story that is so pertinent today in my entire life.

Fiddler on the Roof is based in 1905 and tells the story of Tevye, who has five daughters, and his journey to maintain his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as outside influences encroach on the familys lives.

The original Broadway production opened in 1964.

Bernardi was born in Los Angeles, and he has kept busy working over the years, all while finding time to work in New Mexico on and off  and could easily be a part-time resident.

I worked on The Longest Yard as a production assistant, he says. I spent the whole summer there, and it was beautiful.

Most recently, Bernardi filmed the independent movie The Merry Maids of Madness in Albuquerque. In the film, he plays Benedick.

The movie was the opening night film for the Albuquerque Film and Music Experience in April.

He says being part of film and attending the festival was one of the most positive experiences he had at a film festival.

I will give my stamp of approval for filming in New Mexico, he says. The projects that Ive been able to work on have been very enjoyable. I hope to return for other projects as they arise. Now Im just focusing on the task on Broadway. Its still sinking in, because this is something that Ive always wanted.

Being part of Fiddler on the Roof has helped Bernardi connect with his father.

With the elder Bernardi passing away when the younger was only 2 years old, he really didnt get an opportunity to learn firsthand from his father.

Yet his mother kept him the company of their friends, especially the extravagant soirees his mother hosted.

This is where the drive for performing came from, he says. I would stand in front of the people at the parties and tell jokes. The crowd was always a whos who of big Hollywood types.

By the time he was 9, he was performing in the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

He went on to attend SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Theatre Arts in upstate New York, where he got his bachelors degree.

He then moved back to Los Angeles, which turned out to be the key to getting on Broadway.

This musical is also special to me because my grandparents were part of the Yiddish theater years ago, he says. When they came to the U.S., they helped pioneer that movement. It seems like Ive stepped into the family business without really knowing.

Bernardi is astonished that Fiddler on the Roof garnered three Tony Award nominations. The awards will air on June 12.

He says being on Broadway is an honor.

Im enthralled on a daily basis, he says. I had to take a breath for the first three months. I was walking to work in pure astonishment and taking the stage in shock. Its definitely a dream come true.
BEIRUT  An estimated 148 people were killed Monday as multiple explosions struck civilian targets in two usually peaceful cities on Syrias government-held Mediterranean coast, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Supporters of the Islamic State group circulated a claim of responsibility for the attacks in Tartus and Jableh on social media, which dpa could not independently verify.

The attacks are the deadliest in decades in the coastal region, which is firmly under government control and hosts hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict in Syrias inland provinces.

Analyst Charles Lister of the U.S.-based Middle East Institute warned that the attacks appeared aimed at increasing sectarian tension, similar to deadly attacks claimed by the Islamic State movement in neighboring Iraq.

Many locals in the region belong to President Bashar Assads Alawite religious minority, while most of the displaced people are Sunni Muslims from areas where government forces have been clashing with mainly Sunni rebels and jihadists.

While the veracity of a purported (Islamic State) claim of responsibility cannot be substantiated, the perpetrators have one clear objective: to stoke a self-sustaining cycle of sectarian tit-for-tat violence that incapacitates moderates and empowers extremists, Lister said.

Shortly after Mondays bombings, locals and regime loyalists attacked a camp for displaced people in Tartus, the Observatory reported.

The Britain-based monitoring group said security forces arrested several refugees in the area from mainly Sunni inland provinces.

Some loyalists to the regime also burnt tents of refugees in the al-Karnak camp and insulted refugees living there, Observatory director Rami Abdel-Rahman said.

He voiced concern about the safety of the refugees.

Mondays attacks began when a car was detonated in a bus and taxi station in Jableh, followed shortly by a suicide attacker blowing himself up, according to the observatory.

Two more suicide attackers blew themselves up at an electricity company office and in the entrance to a hospital emergency department.

Syrian state television said that one of the bombers in Jableh was apparently helping the wounded when he blew himself up.

Minutes after the first bombings in Jableh, a car bomb went off in the bus and taxi station in Tartus, 31 miles farther south, the Observatory said. Two suicide bombers then blew themselves up amid groups of people in the city.

Deliberately targeting civilians is a war crime, and anyone involved in preparing, ordering or carrying out such a crime should be held accountable, said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

While it may be impossible to influence the criminal behavior of (the Islamic State organization), Syrias multiple warring sides and the international parties that support them can and should do more not only to condemn such (Islamic State) attacks but also to ensure that they stop targeting civilians.

Pictures aired by state television showed heavy damage in the areas where the blasts took place and blood-stained streets.

Other television footage showed minibuses, vans and taxis ablaze, while panicked people ran and shouted for help.

State news agency SANA put the death toll at 45 in Jableh and 33 in Tartus.

Islamic State supporters on social media circulated a claim of responsibility for the bomb attacks, in the name of the extremist groups Aamaq news agency.

The claim could not be independently verified by dpa, but it was consistent with previous statements by the militant group, which controls large areas of inland Syria and views the Alawites as heretics.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, an ally of Assad, sent the Syrian leader his condolences in a telegram condemning what he termed a bloody war against the Syrian people, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

The U.S. condemned the attacks but called on Russia to advance a political solution to focus attention on the fight against Islamic State forces. Secretary of State John Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to urge him to pressure the Syrian regime to stop airstrikes against the moderate opposition and civilians.

Tartus and Jableh are closely linked to the Russian involvement in the Syria conflict.

Hmeimim, just outside Jableh, is the headquarters of the Russian forces, which launched a mainly aerial intervention last year in support of Assads overstretched forces. Tartus hosts Russias only naval facility in the Mediterranean and has been key to resupplying Moscows expeditionary forces in Syria.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry accused Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, which back rebel groups, of being behind Mondays bombings.

The opposition Syrian National Coalition denounced both attacks but blamed the violence across the country on the Syrian regime.
The Democratic primary winner faces Republican incumbent Ted Barela.

NAME: Mike D. Anaya

POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat

OCCUPATION: Businessman/rancher

RESIDENCE: Galisteo

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: County Commissioner/Assistant Land Commissioner, Community Association

President, Volunteer Firefighter

EDUCATION: High School, Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: N/A

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.

I support a constitutional amendment to the voters to tap into the permanent fund to help with educational funding. A full review of all programs and departments is necessary, cuts to positions based on retirements if they are deemed non-essential.

2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?

I support an incremental increase in the urban areas, however would be concerned and cautious to not put small businesses in jeopardy of going out of business.

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.

I support utilizing the unions, specifically the American Federation of Teachers to help develop solutions alongside all stakeholders. Inclusion and communication will be key to building collective solutions that work.

4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?

Personally, I believe we still need to wait and see the positive and negative impacts in states like Colorado before we move to legalization. I would support a ballot question and allowing the voters to decide.

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?

I would defer to the experts, the teachers and other stakeholders to help the legislature develop comprehensive options and solutions. What other impacts result from holding third graders back? Do we have alternatives? Have we considered our policies and laws based on sound research and proven success in other states?

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?

I support Early Childhood Education investments and accountability based on proven methods successful in other parts of the country.

7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?

I support an independent state ethics commission that oversees all elected officials. I support hearings that are conducted based on state law and done so to protect the constitutional rights of all people involoved.

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?

I support the existing rights of unions and their ability to collectively bargain under the law.

9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?

I need to learn more about this proposal before I can comment further.

10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?

I support a law banning coyote or any killing contests of animals. I support banning steel traps and poisons that can be harmful to the environment.

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?

I support the current law but would listen and be open to changing it in cases of terminal illness based on the wishes of the individual patient.

12. Do you support or oppose a change that would earmark the states existing vehicle excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects?

I believe we do need to isolate funds specifically for specific road and infrastructure projects based on the dis-repair of many roads and structures throughout the state. We need to review and seek options that make sense with our citizens and local governments.

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?

I support law enforcement, other public safety officials and other essential employees to return to work if it means we keep qualified New Mexico citizens employed. If we continue to look outside our state because our pool of qualified workers has been reduced I do not think that is good. We must always maintain the solvency of the fund regardless of which approach we take.

14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?

I am a proud Democrat, however I am supportive of letting people voice their perspective and would support broader more open primaries.

15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders?

I support laws that provide protections of the people. I will be cautious to create new knee-jerk laws if the end result is more crowded jails and creation of more problems for an already strapped judicial system.

16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature?

I support a cooling off period when people leave office.

17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?

I support local governments in this and other laws. I believe strongly as a former County Commissioner in local control. Local people know what is best for their local area.

18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?

There should be no secrets when it comes to the business of the government, other then those necessary for national security and public safety.

19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?

I believe at some point New Mexico should have a full time legislature like the states around the country. However, that is not up to me to decide, that is up to the voters.

20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain.

Heck no, all people should have the capacity and the encouragement to serve in public office at every level. All to often only the wealthy can serve and this is wrong.

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?

No

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

No

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.

No to DWI or Felony, traffic violations yes

-

NAME: Ambrose Castellano

POLITICAL PARTY: Democratic

OCCUPATION: Associate at Paul Davis Restoration

RESIDENCE: Serafina, San Miguel County

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Former West Las Vegas School Board Vice Chair and Luna Community College Board Chairman

EDUCATION: West Las Vegas High School

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: CastellanoForSenate.com

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.

I think we need to not only look at ways we can cut spending but also consider reinstating the capital gains tax on the top 1 percent, which is costing our state nearly $100 million in revenue, and increasing investments in renewable energy.

2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?

I support increasing the states minimum wage to $8.50 and to start the discussion of a living wage for the state.

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.

Our current evaluation system has failed our children and teachers. Study after study has proved that a students test scores doesnt correlate with achievement. This coupled with the fact that a sizable percentage of teachers are at an unfair advantage since their students do not test.

4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?

With hundreds of millions in revenue created for states like Colorado, I am inclined to support legislation that would give voters the say in 2018.

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?

If we would not only fund Pre-K education for all as well as fully fund our public schools, students wouldnt be struggling with reading. I oppose any efforts to remove parents from classroom decisions, like mandatory third grade flunking does.

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?

With the states oil and gas revenue fading and the fund valued at $14.16 billion, we must consider all options. With that said, I believe we should utilize the millions the Auditor found sitting in our states accounts before potentially using the interest of the fund to pay for education.

7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?

Support.

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?

Oppose

9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?

With only a handful of extreme, life threatening cases a year, I believe this is a decision that should be made between a doctor and a woman.

10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?

Oppose banning trapping and coyote-killing contests but support banning 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?

Oppose

12. Do you support or oppose a change that would earmark the states existing vehicle excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects?

With so much of the revenue being diverted away from roads, I would support measures to increase the percentage and help ensure more money from the general fund can be used for capital improvements in District 39.

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?

If the program protects the solvency of the retirement fund, I would be in favor. With that said, no proposals have gone that far in the past.

14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?

Support

15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders?

Support

16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature?

Support

17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?

Oppose

18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?

Support

19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?

I think we must address the fact that a budget session every two years isnt working and if we wanted to move to a more full time legislature, we would need to pay legislators.

20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain.

No. We need professionals from every sector to pass comprehensive and viable legislation. To exclude public employees would be leaving out professionals from one of our largest employers, the state.

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?

As a small business owner, I know what it is like to struggle. A couple years back I received a lien, which has now been settled.

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

No.

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.

Yes. When I was younger, I was arrested for fighting in public.

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NAME: Hugh Ley

POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat

OCCUPATION: Small business owner

RESIDENCE: Terrero

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: I have 45 years of business experience (Tererro General Store & Riding Stables); was a San Miguel County Commissioner (two terms), a founding member, past chief, and currently a wild-land and structural firefighter with Pecos Canyon VFD, co-founder of the Pecos Business Association, and current vice-president of the Viles Foundation which grants college scholarships to orphans.

EDUCATION: BS in Agriculture from NMSU, minor in Business. I also completed a year of postgraduate studies.

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: www.hughley.org

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.

I would first look to streamline all state agencies. With the revenue decreases we have recently seen and the legislature using cash reserves to balance the budget, we need to limit/reduce outstanding account balances. Then if we still need to increase taxes, I would increase the gasoline and excise taxes.

2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?

I would not support raising the minimum wage under the current economic conditions. Small businesses in the state are having a difficult time holding on today.

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?

I oppose the current policy of tying student achievement as part of teacher evaluations. We need to track student progress year over year not only for one year at a time, and then you can till differences in teachers.

4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?

I would not legalize marijuana until there is a conclusive test for a driver who maybe under the influence of smoking marijuana.

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?

I oppose legislation that would automatically require third-graders to repeat the grade level. I believe we should provide additional resources to help the child move forward.

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?

I oppose taking more money out of the permanent fund if it draws down the principal. I am a member of the Viles Foundation Scholarship Board and we utilize the same concept to grant college scholarships to orphans. We do not touch the principal and only use the interest.

7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?

I would support the creation of a state ethics commission.

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?

I support fair share.

9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?

I oppose any instance in dealing with these very personal issues. The government is not the correct entity to make this decision. This is a very personal decision for an individual and their family to make.

10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?

I would oppose laws banning coyote-killing contests and trapping on public lands. I would support a law banning 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?

I would support 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?

I oppose earmarking 100 percent of the vehicle excise and gasoline tax to roads (currently about 30 percent of gasoline). I would support earmarking a portion of the gasoline and vehicle excise tax for road maintenance.

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?

I would support it. I believe we need to revisit the double dipping issue from several groups, teachers included.

14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?

Oppose, currently an individual can change party affiliation online, then change back if they are so inclined.

15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders? Oppose, the cost of incarceration is a tremendous expense for both the county and state.

16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature? I oppose, I believe all individuals should have access to their representatives.

17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?

I would support local governments decision to impose curfews.

18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?

I support archiving webcasts of legislative meetings.

19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?

I oppose establishing a salary for legislators.

20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain.

No, we are a citizens legislature, as such all individuals should be able to serve.

Personal information

1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens? No

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding? No

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. No 1.

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NAME: Elizabeth Liz Stefanics

POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat

OCCUPATION: Santa Fe County Commissioner

RESIDENCE: 38 Shawnodese Rd, Santa Fe (off of State Hwy 14 and Co Rd 42 near the town of Cerrillos)

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: NM State Senator; Deputy Secretary, NM Human Services Department; Risk Management Director, NM General Services Department; Executive Director, NM Health Policy Commission; Santa Fe County Commissioner; Executive Director, Open Hands and NM A.I.D.S. Services; Fellow, RWJF Health Policy Center at University of New Mexico; Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico.

EDUCATION: Ph.D.  University of Minnesota; M.S.- University of Wisconsin; B.S.  Eastern Kentucky University; RMPE  Insurance Institute of America; Professional Mediator

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: www.lizstefanics4newmexicosenate39.com

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.

A thorough examination should be made of all state tax credits, exemptions, and deductions which accounts for $1 billion. A gas tax could be imposed with the condition that when oil hits $50 a barrel that it be rescinded and legalized hemp growing and marijuana could bring in further taxes.

2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?

I co-sponsored increasing the minimum wage in Santa Fe County to $10.50 and it increases annually if the CPI increases. Separate allowances were made for wait staff, high school students , and seasonal interns. Small businesses could receive OJT grants to support them while training new staff if a hardship.

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.

There are many factors that affect a students success  family life, poverty, hunger, disability, language skills, housing, domestic violence, and other barriers. Teachers currently have so many requirements in their jobs and student achievement should only be a small part of a teachers evaluation  perhaps 15-20%.

4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?

Yes, support with conditions. Research indicates that a persons brain is not fully developed until they are 25 yrs old. There is a great deal to learn from other states that have implemented  federal laws that conflict, banking, public safety, dissemination of collected taxes, quality of product, local authority option.

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?

Some children and families benefit from repeating a grade but that decision should be left to the family with consultation from educational professionals. The state should support alternative measures to support reading proficiency  early Pre K, Pre K, summer programs, tutoring, library programs, joint parent and student learning opportunities.

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?

Yes, utilize a very small portion of the permanent fund for early Pre K and Pre K (less than half of 1 percent). The constitutional amendment needs to be specific and the funds would need to be phased in to programming since the infrastructure of services would need to be developed.

7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?

I support the creation of an Independent State Ethics Commission with transparency. Any material needed for criminal proceedings need to be protected for court 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?

I oppose a right to work state and am clear about my support for unions.

9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?

The government should not be involved in defining what reproductive justice is available to a woman. This decision is very personal and difficult and should be between a woman and her doctor.

10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?

I oppose coyote killing contests, inhumane trapping, or poison on public lands. Only in the case of relocation or public health emergencies (transmission of deadly illnesses) would trapping be appropriate.

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?

I support updating the law in NM on aid in dying. The government should not be interfering with an individuals health care decision making. It would be an appropriate discussion between a doctor and a competent individual.

12. Do you support or oppose a change that would earmark the states existing vehicle excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects?

I support the vehicle excise and the gasoline tax revenue for road projects  local, county, and state road projects. Many communities are not near a state road and are in need of road improvements.

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?

I oppose allowing retired law enforcement officers to return to work as double dippers. If we passed this measure, it needs to be for all retired government workers. This needs to be an equitable measure for all retired government workers.

14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?

I do not support open primaries but I would support an individual registering for a major political party at the time of voting.

15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders?

Violent offenders should be appropriately punished and incarcerated. There should be the opportunity to evaluate each case.

16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature?

I support the legislative body following the laws and regulations imposed upon the executive branch which includes a waiting period for lobbying interests related to their past positions.

17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?

I oppose a law for curfews except in the case of declared emergencies.

18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?

I support the suggested transparency measure.

19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?

I support establishing a modest salary for legislators.

20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain.

No, we have a citizen legislature. They should not receive their salary during the legislative session and the regular salary should be prorated.

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?

No

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

No

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.

No
WASHINGTON  From the coverage of the 2016 campaign over the last six months, you would think that American workers battered by economic change have finally won their moment in the political sun.

After all, Donald Trump is said to be the paladin of white blue-collar men and Bernie Sanders speaks unabashedly about the working class, a term many have (wrongly) written off as an antique concept out of 1930s black-and-white movies.

But media interest in policy initiatives that would benefit those who are struggling is scarce. Its far more interesting, apparently, to cover the latest poll about an election thats still a long way off, or to wax eloquent about a kerfuffle at a Democratic state convention in Nevada.

We had an objective test of this last week when the Obama administration announced much-needed new rules on overtime pay.

One of the insidious trends costing workers a lot of income has been the fake reclassification of even relatively low-paid employees as managers, which deprived them of overtime pay.

This was facilitated by the Labor Departments failure to update the relevant rules, last altered in 2004. The change over time has been dramatic: Where more than 60 percent of salaried workers qualified for overtime in 1975, just 7 percent do now.

Under the 2004 rules, salaried workers could be denied overtime pay if they earned more than the rather non-managerial sum of $23,660 a year. The Obama administration raised this threshold to a more reasonable $47,476 a year, which the Labor Department estimates will make 4.2 million more workers eligible for overtime.

The Economic Policy Institute estimates that the departments action may actually affect three times as many.

Whenever government acts to increase the bargaining power or pay of workers, free market fundamentalists insist that terrible things are bound to happen. On cue, House Speaker Paul Ryan declared the overtime rule was yet another Obama regulation that would be an absolute disaster for our economy and pledged to fight it.

I truly hope he tries. Lets get members of Congress on record about overtime. And perhaps a big debate would force more coverage of this issue, and also get the media to press Trump about where he stands.

Overtime and proposals to increase the minimum wage are just part of a larger conversation that should be at the center of a campaign that is supposedly about the disinherited and disaffected.

The future of trade is a real issue, but Trump is getting away with fantastical claims about the better deals he could strike. And he has little to say about the unraveling of the countrys social contract with workers. It was caused not only or even primarily by trade but also by technological change and the failure of government policies to keep up with the very new circumstances in which workers find themselves.

Last Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., offered a model for the conversation we need.

Speaking at the New America Foundation, she laid out what amounted to a bill of rights for the growing number of Americans engaged in contract, part-time and temporary work in the gig economy.

Warren was careful to note how technological innovations have improved our lives in countless ways. Uber and Lyft, for example, have challenged local taxi monopolies and provided more rides, cheaper rides, and shorter wait times.

But she also pointed out how these companies have resisted rules designed to promote rider safety and driver accountability and that their business model is, in part, dependent on extremely low wages for drivers.

Acknowledging both the gains and the problems of the new economy is the first step toward wisdom about where we need to go.

To fully realize the potential of this new economy, Warren argued, laws must be adapted to make sure that the basic bargain for workers remains intact, and that workers have the chance to share in the growth they help produce.

One key: Workers without employers should have access to the same kind of benefits that some employees already have.

This, by the way, is why repealing the Affordable Care Act would be so foolish. While Warren called for improvements in Obamacare, she noted that it represents a big step toward the universality and portability we should seek in other areas, notably retirement benefits.

Well hear lots in the coming months about the rise of populism. But unless this talk is harnessed to policies that provide real help for actual people, it will have all the depth of a splenetic, ill-considered tweet.

Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group; e-mail: ejdionne@washpost.com.
The recent decision by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and more than 20 other nations to allow arms sales to Libyas fledgling government to fend off the Islamic State and rival militant groups is not only a risky move in terms of world security, its another example of the perils of murky U.S. foreign policy.

Libyas internationally recognized but shaky Government of National Accord, beset by an increasingly emboldened Islamic State, was granted exemptions to a U.N. arms embargo, and can now buy military equipment. But the fractious nature of Libyas poorly trained military offers scant assurance that those arms will not wind up in the hands of ISIL or other jihadists. The situation facing Libya is not unlike that plaguing U.S. efforts to build a strong Sunni opposition in Syria and Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry readily admits the U.N. is striking a delicate balance as it works to shore up Libyas efforts to not only develop a capable military, but to regain control over state institutions like its central bank and national oil company.

But its important to remember this mess was caused by the Obama administrations decision to take down Moammar Gadhafi with no plan to follow, apparently not having learned a thing from George W. Bushs foray into Iraq.

Once again: great military followed by no plan.

Arming Libya, may in fact be the only real choice here, but it is yet another perilous venture necessitated by the Obama administrations inability to develop a cohesive foreign policy and to outline an end-game for its overseas interventions.

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.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  A man who brandished and fired a handgun while walking near the Northern Arizona University campus was killed by police Monday in a shootout after he tried to carjack a vehicle in a busy intersection, authorities said.

The shooting of Verl Bedonie, 26, of Tuba City, happened during the morning commute in a residential area a few blocks from downtown Flagstaff. No one other than Bedonie was hurt, said police Sgt. Margaret Bentzen.

She said Bedonie repeatedly ignored commands to drop his weapon. At one point, he held a motorist at gunpoint, demanding that he be driven to Phoenix, Bentzen said.

An undercover officer in an unmarked vehicle put a stop to the plan by ramming the car. Once out of the vehicle, Bedonie raised the gun toward officers and fired a single shot, Bentzen said. Flagstaff police Sgt. Collin Seay and NAU police Officer Dillon Jenkins returned fire, killing Bedonie.

The officers took the measures they needed to, Bentzen said.

Seay and Jenkins have been placed on standard, administrative leave and are receiving support from within their departments to cope with the shooting, Bentzen said. Police did not specify how many shots were fired from the officers weapons or where Bedonie was hit.

A bullet from one officers gun went through the wall of a home behind Bedonie, hitting a dog inside. Bentzen said the dog is expected to recovery after surgery.

Two other officers from the Flagstaff Police Department earlier fired a handful of shots at Bedonie while he was walking through the parking lot of a hotel on the NAU campus and pointed his gun at police, but none hit Bedonie.

The incident unfolded when officers responded to a report of an armed man inside a conference center on the NAU campus confronting a man nearby, police said in a statement.

Police say Bedonie ran through an alley before making his way to the carjacking site about two blocks from the conference center and an adjacent hotel and parking garage. He also pointed his gun at a taxi cab driver at a car wash, Bentzen said.

Witnesses said they saw several police officers crouching behind their cars with weapons drawn, shouting at the man to stop. Schools in the area were placed on lockdown.

Tammy Linares, 33, was taking her two children to school when traffic was slowed on Milton Road as police pursued the man. She said the man walked casually in front of her car with a blank expression on his face, an aluminum can in his left hand and something in his right hand. He then went up a small hill and disappeared behind a grocery store.

I stared at him, and he kind of looked over at me, and I thought, Oh my gosh, hes got a gun,  she said.

___

Associated Press writer Paul Davenport in Phoenix contributed to this story.
SALEM, Ore.  A massive $2.8 billion annual corporate tax hike is likely headed to Oregon voters in November, a move that could create the most aggressive tax climate for big business of any state in the nation.

The ballot proposal comes as raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations is at the forefront of a national debate  especially among Democratic progressives such as Bernie Sanders and much of Oregons electorate about how to close the gaping economic disparities between rich and poor in a post-Great Recession era.

The proposals labor-union backers are just one step from getting the measure on the ballot after submitting 130,000 signatures to state elections officials last week. They say it would tap a tiny portion of Oregon businesses while bringing a huge boost to cash-strapped public education, health care and senior services.

But a long-awaited state analysis, released Monday, found the proposed tax hike would come with major pitfalls for wages, jobs and consumers pocketbooks.

Oregon would have the worst corporate tax climate in the country, said Nicole Kaeding, an economist with the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that has closely watched the proposal. If you think about it on a national level, these would be similar to changes in federal revenue by 3 to 4 percent. Its gigantic.

Oregon is one of five states with no sales tax. But like many others, it taxes corporations based on income.

The ballot proposal would maintain the income tax, but for the biggest businesses, it would add an additional layer of whats called a gross receipts tax. Thats a sales tax on steroids, Kaeding said. It taxes sales at each level of production rather than only when, say, consumers buy milk at the grocery.

The measure targets Oregons biggest corporations  roughly 1,000 by the states estimates, or about 4 percent of businesses. Those with $25 million in Oregon sales would pay a minimum $30,000 tax, plus 2.5 percent on anything above that threshold.

That would bring in an extra $6 billion in estimated revenue  boosting the states corporate income-tax collections more than five-fold  during the 2017-19 budget cycle, which has a looming shortfall.

Kaeding said the states actively looking into the wealth gap issue are mostly targeting rich individuals, not businesses. Over the years, states have moved away from a gross-receipts structure, not toward it like Oregon, she said.

Five other states have a gross receipts tax, but Oregons 2.5 percent would be the highest (a slightly higher rate on just one industry in Washington state is the only exception).

The state analysis found that if the proposal passes, consumer prices will rise, population will decline, and about 38,000 private-sector jobs will be lost over five years  although 18,000 public sector jobs will be added. The state believes retailers and utilities would be among the hardest hit, which would have a harsh effect on lower income households.

Katherine Driessen, spokeswoman for the unions, took issue with some of the states methodologies, but highlighted its key finding that Initiative Petition 28 would help stabilize the budget. For far too long, Oregonians have shouldered the burden of funding the states critical services, she said.

Unions and business are lining up for whats been described as political World War III over the measure.

Lawmakers are mixed, and some Democrats, who control the Oregon Statehouse, are siding with the Republican opposition. On Monday, some legislators urged stakeholders to come to the negotiating table  something they tried, but failed, to do earlier this year.

If the initiative passes, working families across the state would see significant increases in the prices of everyday goods, such as food and medicine, Oregon House Republican Leader Mike McLane said.

Come November, Oregonians will see IP 28 exactly for what it is: an ill-conceived, disingenuous measure that would have dramatic consequences for family budgets and the economic future of our state, he said.
Journal Staff Report

Two Mexican nationals were ordered held pending preliminary hearings in federal court Monday after they were arrested late last week allegedly transporting more than 65 pounds of methamphetamine from California to Lubbock, Texas.

Mario Osorio-Espinoza, 33, and Victor Hugo Lagarica-Salazar, 53, both of whom are illegally in the United States according federal officials, were arrested after a traffic stop by New Mexico State Police.

According to court records, Osorio-Espinoza told police he and his uncle Lagarica-Salazar were musicians traveling from Los Angeles to Lubbock to play music at a party there and then return to California.

Lagarica-Salazar allegedly gave police a different story claiming Osorio-Ezpinoza was his daughters boyfriend, he didnt play any musical instrument and that he was there to relieve Osorio-Espinosa so he didnt fall asleep while driving.

State Police reported both men were extremely nervous and a strong chemical odor was coming from the 2011 Jeep the men were driving.

Officers got their permission to search the car and found 65.12 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a speaker box.

Both men were arrested and spoke to police. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations were called in to help investigate the case.

Langarcia-Salazar told police this was his second trip delivering drugs. The first time was to Arkansas and he was being paid $5,000 for this latest delivery.

Osorio-Espinoza told police it was his first time accompanying Langarcia-Salazar on a drug run.

The two men remain in custody pending preliminary hearings. Detention hearings will be held this week.

If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Osorio-Espinoza and Lagarica-Salazar each face a statutory mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison.
SANTA FE  The top budget official in Gov. Susana Martinezs administration, Finance and Administration Secretary Tom Clifford, will retire at the end of this week, the Governors Office said Monday.

Clifford, who was appointed to the Cabinet post by Martinez in August 2011, said in a statement that it was not an easy decision to retire but that the timing to do so was right for him and his family.

He touted tax cut packages passed by the New Mexico Legislature and signed into the law by the governor  in 2012, 2013 and 2015  as among the highlights of his tenure, describing the legislation as three of the most substantial tax reform packages in state history.

As Cabinet secretary of the states central budget agency, Clifford has been a member of the State Investment Council and the executive officer of the Board of Finance, among other bodies. He currently makes an annual salary of slightly more than $126,000, according to an online state database.

A veteran economist, Clifford had worked in several other state agencies before being named Cabinet secretary by Martinez in 2011 to replace Rick May. He also held high-ranking budgetary positions under former Gov. Gary Johnson.

However, Clifford had faced questions from some lawmakers for testifying on the House floor on the final day of the 2013 legislative session that the tax package passed that year would have an immediate positive fiscal impact on the state. He later acknowledged the information was based on an outdated version of the bill.

Martinez, the states two-term Republican governor, praised Clifford as a gifted leader in a Monday statement, adding that Clifford had been instrumental in the states recent budget-balancing efforts.

It is difficult to see him leave, but we are proud of all Secretary Clifford has done to help put our states fiscal house in order, the governor said.

Department of Finance and Administration Deputy Secretary Dorothy Duffy Rodriguez, a longtime state government employee, will be the agencys acting Cabinet secretary, Martinezs office also announced.
SANTA FE  A figure of longtime prominence in the arts of Santa Fe and New Mexico is coming back home to head the Center for Contemporary Arts here.

Stuart Ashman, who left New Mexico almost five years ago to become president and CEO of the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, Calif., will begin his new job as CCA executive director on Aug. 8. From 2003-10, Ashman served as secretary of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

Ashman said in a phone interview that he and his wife, Peggy, always intended to return at some point to their Tesuque home, which they hadnt sold or even rented out. My shoes are still in the closet, he said.

Im really excited to get back to Santa Fe, which has always been my home, he added.

In some ways, its also like coming home to the CCA, where he had his first job in the 1970s installing the Armory Show and where he had an exhibit of his own sculpture around 1986, he said.

His goals will be to increase the visibility and visitation at CCA and to present quality exhibitions that co-exist with SITE Santa Fe and the New Mexico Museum of Arts planned new wing dedicated to contemporary art. While SITE Santa Fe brings in works by recognized international and national artists on the contemporary scene, Ashman said he sees CCA as filling a niche in discovering new artists, particularly from New Mexico.

That move toward inclusion of local artists was expressed during his tenure at the California museum, Ashman said. When he got there, it had featured art from Latin American countries, but didnt include much from artists who lived in the United States with roots stretching back to those countries. The local community felt alienated, he said, adding that he broadened the museums mission to include artworks by members of the Latin American diaspora, which triggered an outpouring of support from the Chicano community in L.A.

CCA is in good financial shape, with reserves and no debt, and has invested in needed renovations, Ashman added. Paul Hultin, CCA board chairman, said he is very excited to have Ashman come to lead the organization, which is developing a plan to create new space for performances and other uses at the south end of the Munoz Waxman Gallery on the CCA campus. Hopefully, well be breaking ground on that in the fall, he said. CCA also features an art-house cinema.

Ashman also has headed the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, both located in Santa Fe. He is replacing Meg Linton, who was hired as executive director earlier this year but had a change in family circumstances that caused her to move to Arizona. She has been retained as a consultant to manage the CCA in the interim and probably will continue to provide some curatorial help to Ashman, Hultin said.
SANTA FE  Donald Trump will be met by fervent supporters and throngs of vocal protesters when he makes his first New Mexico campaign stop this evening in Albuquerque.

But Gov. Susana Martinez, the states two-term GOP governor, will not be in the audience to hear the outspoken New York businessman who has emerged as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Martinez, who has in the past criticized some of Trumps immigration-related remarks and has been noncommittal as to whether she will support him, told reporters after a Monday news conference that she will not attend the event at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Asked why, the two-term GOP governor who is chairwoman of the Republican Governors Association said she was really busy.

Im the governor of New Mexico, and Im really focused on whats going on here in New Mexico, Martinez said, referring specifically to her administrations education and economic development efforts.

In addition, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez and Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry will also not be in the crowd, their staffers said Monday, due to already-scheduled trips.

Trump has drawn large crowds of enthusiastic supporters  and large protests  at campaign rallies around the nation in recent months, and the Albuquerque event is expected to be no different.

While in New Mexico, Trump will also attend a high-dollar fundraiser hosted by Kevin Daniels, the owner of a local funeral services company, The Washington Post reported Monday.

Meanwhile, Albuquerque police say they are hoping planned protests targeting Trumps Albuquerque public campaign event dont turn into chaos.

Police spokesman Tanner Tixier said Monday that the department is working with state and federal authorities to make sure all demonstrations remain peaceful, according to the Associated Press.

Within an hour of Trumps announcement that he would be visiting Albuquerque, protesters started organizing and had 500 people RSVP via social media for a protest in Downtown Albuquerque.

The number of people saying they intend to gather to protest Trumps divisive hate speech and bigotry climbed to more than 1,200, according to the Trump in Albuquerque? Stop the Hate Facebook page.

Organizers from a coalition of groups say the counter-Trump protest will begin at 4 p.m. at Second and Tijeras near the convention center  three hours before Trumps speech is scheduled to begin. Organizers are saying the protest is family-friendly and will be peaceful, but other anti-Trump protests around the country have gotten rowdy.

Pat Davis, an Albuquerque city councilor who is the executive director of ProgressNow New Mexico, a progressive political advocacy group holding its own anti-Trump rally, said Trumps visit to New Mexico had elicited strong reactions, though he added, There arent plans for anybody to get arrested.

Its kind of like the circus is coming to town, Davis said.

Trump has surprised political pundits and frequently clashed with members of the GOP establishment in his march to the Republican presidential nomination.

Though his name was rarely mentioned at the state Republican convention at Sandia Resort and Casino last weekend, Rosie Tripp, the states Republican National Committeewoman and wife of House Speaker Don Tripp, R-Socorro, urged fellow Republicans to support the partys presumptive nominee.

Its essential for our chances in November that we coalesce around Donald Trump, Tripp said during Saturdays convention. Politics is a team sport and we cant win unless we rally around all of our candidates.

On the other side of the political spectrum, New Mexico Democratic Party leaders gathered Monday afternoon to outline their opposition for Trump, with party Chairwoman Debra Haaland saying Trumps policies and rhetoric are extremely harmful not only to our state but to our country.

She and other party leaders said the protest will be peaceful.

Trumps campaign stop in Albuquerque wont be the only high-profile political event taking place in New Mexico today. Former President Bill Clinton will be in Espanola this evening to stump for his wife, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Bill Clinton will then hold a Wednesday campaign event at a community center on Albuquerques West Side.

If you go

Details on todays public campaign rallies in New Mexico:

DONALD TRUMP

7 p.m. today at the Albuquerque Convention Center; doors open at 4 p.m. You can register for tickets on Trumps official campaign website. Paid parking will be available at the convention center, the Bank of America parking garage off Third Street near Lomas NW, the Bank of the West parking garage off Marquette NW, Gold Street garage, Acropolis garage off Third near Copper NW, Civic center underground and a city lot at Fourth and Marquette NW.

BILL CLINTON

6:30 p.m. today at the Plaza de Espanola; doors open at 5:30 p.m. Clinton will also be at the Alamosa Community Center in Albuquerque at 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

Journal staff writers Maggie Shepard, Dan McKay and Jessica Dyer contributed to this report.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

Thousands of University of New Mexico employees and students will soon get new email addresses as part of UNM President Bob Franks plan to more closely align all entities on campus.

But not everyone is happy with the change.

More than 50 UNM Health Sciences Center employees are asking the university to rethink its decision to strike the word health, or more accurately, the Spanish translation salud, from health care employees emails.

They contend the change will cause confusion and is another sign of UNM arbitrarily making changes that involve HSC without seeking feedback.

Currently, the main campus uses the email format name@unm.edu while HSC employees and students use the format name@salud.unm.edu. Other UNM programs, such as the UNM Law School, also have domains that differentiate them. Frank wants all to adopt the name@unm.edu format.

This is critical from a branding and marketing perspective and how we represent the university to the broader community, that we identify ourselves as one university with a single email domain, Kevin Stevenson, a strategic planner in the office of the president, told the Journal on Monday afternoon.

Leo Romero, former dean of the law school and an emeritus professor of law, said most of the law school employees wanted to retain their current email addresses, which follow the template name@law.unm.edu.

If it works now, why change it? Romero asked.

Among those who signed a May 20 letter to the UNM administration from HSC employees were high-ranking administrators and faculty such as Cheryl Willman, head of the UNM Cancer Center, and Lee Brown, the faculty senate health sciences center council chair. The letter argued that changing the email system would cause problems.

Our colleagues around the world know us by that email, our patients email us at the salud.unm.edu address and it is frequently the user name for many professional websites and accounts, the letter says. The email address has ALWAYS included unm.edu but the domain Salud flags us as a member of the Health Sciences Center and not one of the 40+ other programs at UNM.

Dr. Corey Ford, a senior associate dean for research with the school of medicine, forwarded the letter from the HSC employees to the Journal .

He said in an interview that he understands that the university wants to present a unified image, but he believes there are other ways to do it without changing the email system.

The feeling here from the people at the Health Sciences Center is that they dont want to do this, Ford said. They havent been communicated with. The reasons for it and the value in it are murky at best, mysterious at the least. I think people would be happy to leave this alone and find other ways to advance our institution.

Earlier this year, the UNM Board of Regents outraged many at the HSC and others in the community when it voted  with little notice  to overhaul the governing structure of the HSC, changing the makeup of its governing board to become a committee of the regents.

The letter also points out that many prestigious university-affiliated hospitals around the nation have specialized emails similar to UNMs current system, such as Harvard University or the University of Rochester.

Stevenson said the transfer doesnt call for changing the overall email system, but rather transforms salud.unm.edu addresses to unm.edu addresses.

After this transition, emails sent to the previous @salud address will forward automatically to the new @unm address, to ensure there is no risk of lost mail, Stevenson said.

Ford also wrote a letter to the Journal stressing the concern raised by his colleagues. In the letter, he said the change could cost up to $200,000, based on his estimate of how many full-time employee hours it would take to get it done.

Stevenson said the project would be taken care of in-house, and that the presidents office doesnt anticipate any cost aside from the time spent by existing staff members.

Ford said in an interview that he believes the email changes will cause confusion. For example, an email may come into a salud address but go out as a unm address, which could confuse both the sender and recipient.

Also among their concerns, HSC employees say they fear losing a part of their culture and possibly confidentiality.

We are being asked to lose part of our identity as the UNM Health Sciences Center for a goal that seems vague at best and not communicated well, the letter said.

The email flap comes less than two months after the regents disbanded the former, seven-member HSC governing board, which consisted of five regents and two community members, and replaced it with a committee made up of three regents.

The Board of Regents also approved numerous policy changes that bring the head of the HSC, chancellor Paul Roth, more clearly under the authority of Frank.

In the April memo announcing Franks plan to align the main campus and the HSC, he included email systems in the list of programs to consider consolidating. That list also includes the university counsel and the communications departments.

Frank said these changes could improve how the university operates.

There will be no one-size-fits-all solutions. We will find some opportunities where consolidation is the best approach and others where more integration or better coordination is most appropriate, Frank wrote in the letter.

Franks plan calls for the new email addresses to be mostly in place by the end of June.
CHICAGO  The way Terry Neilen sees it, lifting the ban on U.S. arms sales to Vietnam makes sense in the face of Chinas growing influence in the region.

Fellow Vietnam veteran Ned Foote said Americans long ago forgave Germany and Japan for World War II, so theres no reason not to do the same with Vietnam.

Were actually acting as a team in a sense, said Neilen, of Saratoga Springs, New York, who served in the Army infantry in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. Theyre joining together to give a show of strength.

Foote, who heads the New York State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America, noted that the Vietnamese have helped account for missing American service members.

President Barack Obamas decision to lift the half-century-old arms embargo was seen Monday by many veterans as a logical outgrowth of efforts to normalize relations between the U.S. and the southeast Asian nation that has become a major trading partner since the war ended in 1975.

Obama, looking to bolster a government regarded as a crucial ally in the region, vowed to leave behind the troubled history between the former enemies and embrace a new era. He steered clear of any condemnation of Vietnam for its treatment of dissidents.

The wars over, said Bernard Edelman, deputy director of government affairs for the Vietnam Veterans of America.

He said the organization has not taken an official position on the presidents action, but he compared it to U.S. efforts after World War II to normalize relations with Japan, Germany, Austria and Italy.

Weve tried to build bridges to the Vietnamese, Edelman said, while acknowledging that people whom I know and love and respect might be angry at what the presidents doing.

Robert Turner, 68, of North Andover, Massachusetts, said he is totally opposed to allowing arms sales to Vietnam.

We thought we were fighting communism, and now they want to give them arms, said Turner, who served in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. Im not over it yet.

Al Huber, 69, is president of the Illinois state council of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He said hes not worried about whether that country gets weapons, but he doesnt think Obamas decision to lift the embargo near the end of his presidency serves any purpose except his personal agenda.

Obama said the move would ensure Vietnam can defend itself but denied it was in response to territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. China has warned the U.S. not to take sides, and Obama said the nation supports a diplomatic resolution.

Still, human rights activists and some American lawmakers had urged Obama to press Vietnams communist leadership to offer greater freedoms before lifting the embargo. Vietnam holds about 100 political prisoners, and there have been more detentions this year. Some rank-and-file veterans echoed those concerns.

They have plenty of human rights violations to account for, and I dont feel its really appropriate to provide arms to them until we can see theyre more in line with our  way of human rights, said Air Force veteran Jesse Hawk of Marietta, Georgia, who served in Vietnam from 1971 to 1973.

He acknowledged Chinas growing influence but added, Until theres any kind of action, theres no need to go providing arms to a country that still has their own problems to deal with when you dont know if itll be used against their own people.

Cliff Stone, of North Andover, Massachusetts, said he served in the first cavalry in Vietnam and he fears that arming the country could create a conflict with China.

Were supposed to be making peace with China, yet we will supply Vietnam with weapons. What sense does that make? Stone said.

Obama did not say how soon arms sales might begin. He said each deal would be reviewed individually.

Neither the American Legion nor the Veterans of Foreign Wars has taken a position on the embargo, officials said.

But under a resolution adopted two years ago, the American Legion opposes the sale of long-range ballistic missiles, as well as nuclear or biological weapons, to communist nations, spokesman John Raughter said.

The group recognizes that the president must be the chief architect of U.S. foreign policy, said Raughter, adding that the organization would study the situation very carefully and discuss it at its national convention this summer.

We realize there are a lot of factors at play, including China  but we also remain concerned about the human rights situation in Vietnam.

Army veteran Willie Guzman, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971, said that, as commander in chief, Obama had the right to lift the embargo.

Theyre an ally of ours now, he said. I think they should be able to work together as a unit, you know, so we can help protect the freedom of that country as well.

___

Carola reported from Albany, New York. Associated Press writer Dan Elliott in Denver and AP video journalist Johnny Clark in Marietta, Georgia, also contributed to this report.
TWO-PARENT FAMILIES. Education. Employment. Ive come to believe that if we each try to do something to strengthen one or all of the above in New Mexico and stop incentivizing polarizing behaviors, well have a future.  D.K.

NEW MEXICO FINALLY shows up fairly high in a national ranking. Were doing pretty well in pre-school spending. But when these kids get to the third grade, many dont read up to level. We need some oversight on where and how the money is being spent.  S.S.

ITS NO SURPRISE graduation rates are down. There are no consequences  besides missing instruction  for ditching class in high school. We need an attendance policy that does not promote absenteeism.  N.M.

AS A PARENT working hard to put two children through UNM, I hope they do not increase tuition as a way to pay for all the wrongful death settlements that will come with serving alcohol at sporting events. Its already too expensive now.  T.M.

FOR THOSE ON the fence about the transgender/restroom issue, consider this. It is not little girls demanding to use mens restrooms. It is men demanding to use little girls restrooms. That is why there are separate facilities.  C.B.D.

REGARDING THE UNM seal, the regents should simply sell the design and naming rights. Just imagine, we could have The Official Wise Pies University of New Mexico Seal. Those two offensive figures now on the seal would, of course, be gone, replaced by non-racist pepperoni or mushrooms.  D.Z.

CROSS NORTH KOREAS border illegally you get 12 years hard labor; cross Venezuelas border illegally, youll be branded a spy; cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot; cross the U.S. border illegally, you get a job, drivers license, Social Security, welfare, etc. Somethings really wrong here!  A.B.

I AGREE WITH the mayor  street lights need to be upgraded. New street lights need to be installed, especially in the Northwest area. It is nice to see the night sky but it is important to see pedestrians, cyclists, children and pets in our streets. Dark can be dangerous.  J.B.J.

I READ WHERE Walmart is going to improve customer shopping experience by re-introducing greeters. Well isnt that special! I have a better idea. Why not add a couple more checkers at the register instead so I dont have to spend 15 minutes in line to check out?  R.D.I.

MAKE AMERICA Apache again!  M.G.

NEW MEXICO IS feeling more and more like Illinois. Politicians in Chicago routinely get convicted while in office, serve their time, then run again; and surprise  they get elected again. Any wonder Americans have an all-time low opinion of government.  J.D.S.

THE FEDS HAVE no right to trample on states rights. They should arrest any fed trying to release wolves.  R.M.

IF ALBUQUERQUE wants to further improve dental health, they should take the money that was being spent on fluoridation and direct it to providing professional dental care to those who cant afford it. That makes a difference. Fluoridation is a false promise. It does no good.  J.N.

THE STATE Game and Fish (Department) does not speak for the people of New Mexico nor do they represent the people of New Mexico correctly. I hope the wolves continue to get the support that they rightfully need and deserve.  K.K.

LETS SEE. $350,000 proposed for a memorial for prostitutes killed on the West Mesa or the salary of 10 new cops. City councilors, quit giving our hard-earned and badly needed money away!  M.R.

KUDOS TO Jason Enjady, North Star Elementarys custodian and artist-in-residence. Thanks for inspiring the kids and going above and beyond. We need more front page stories like this (May 9) that show the talented, generous and kind people in our New Mexico communities. Lets emphasize the positive more.  H.H.

OUR GOVERNMENT spends hundreds of billions of dollars on war machines every year, but yeah, lets blame immigrants and poor people.  J.M.G.
An example of Obamacare not working

MY HUSBAND signed up for an Obamacare marketplace insurance after Blue Cross/Blue Shield stopped providing private policies in New Mexico.

The monthly premium is equal to what he had been paying BCBS  which is the same as an average mortgage payment  and the deductible is $6,700 annually. OK, we understand all that because we are self-employed and that is our choice.

I pay my Medicare premium as well as a supplemental insurance. More importantly, we understand the concept that one needs to be insured to protect ones assets because we have a strong work ethic.

However, my husband found out that his specialist ophthalmologist who had been treating him for several years does not accept any marketplace Obamacare. However, with a referral from a primary care physician, that particular ophthalmologist practice will accept Medicaid.

Self-employed middle class small business owners have no financial incentive to continue to provide unique services or products in the U.S. with this type of medical insurance debacle. My husbands ability to choose medical providers is limited by who accepts Obamacare or he self-pays the provider while still paying a monthly premium to an insurance company many medical providers refuse. Or he can become irresponsible and blow all his assets and qualify for Medicaid and have more provider choices in New Mexico.

This is one example of why Obamacare is not working for many Americans, especially the middle class with a strong work ethic.

MARGARITA SILVA POTTS

Bayard

Some crime is particularly disturbing

I WAS DISHEARTENED to read in your May 11 issue about the local psychologist who had billed Medicare, Presbyterian and Blue Cross Blue Shield of NM for counseling services she didnt perform (RR psychologist gets probation in fraud case). Unfortunately, we learn about crime every day, but some criminal acts seem easier to understand than others.

As your May 13 article, Albuquerques Shrinking Middle Class, indicates, more of our population are struggling now to make ends meet. So its not surprising that the number of local burglaries has increased recently. Going after what others have could be motivated by the need to support ones family.

Better economic conditions might reduce motivation for some to steal. Other stealing is motivated by a drug habit. Unfortunately, its been documented that the availability of drug treatment programs is lacking. So society as a whole could do more to ameliorate issues that may lead some struggling community members to crime.

Thats why crime committed by persons who have the means to make a decent living without harming others is particularly disturbing. Fraud committed against health plans that serve our community contributes to increased premiums that hurt all of us.

How can our city, state or country be a safe, pleasant place to live when even those of us who are blessed with the most education and the most opportunities to live comfortably dont think about how our actions affect others? What could motivate each of us to try harder to treat others as we would like to be treated?

Until we grapple with these questions, I believe our country will never be great again.

MILDRED BUNCH LANGSTON

Albuquerque

Fund power infrastructure, create jobs

IT IS OBVIOUS by now that America will never regain its manufacturing jobs, at least with cheap labor elsewhere and corporations keeping their profits offshore instead of into salaries.

What New Mexico should do now is put wind/solar to use by hiring those from closing industries to build new power infrastructure. Thats where the jobs should be, not in coal/oil. We have abundant wind and sunshine just going to waste, and people who would love to have a manufacturing job.

This would expand the middle class. People need good wages in order to afford a home, school for their children, and a decent life. The more money people have to spend, the better the economy. Its simple. Put New Mexican money into infrastructure!

MICHELE BUCHANAN

Albuquerque

Clean-energy investment right for NM

I AGREE WITH the Journals editorial NMs resources a natural for new energy production (May 11).

Its exciting for our state that, with our abundant wind and sunshine, we are so well placed to be a leader in the new energy economy. With over 4,000 new jobs and billions invested in wind and solar projects, it only makes sense that New Mexico continue to actively develop these clean energy technologies.

To help in the transition to clean energy, I support carbon fee and dividend legislation. I believe that the transition should be market-driven and respond to the demands and needs of our citizens. Carbon fee and dividend will rely on market forces to shape the transition with the least government interference. The market will demonstrate that investment in clean energy is right for New Mexico and our citizens.

JOSEPHINE DARLING

Corrales

Behavioral health system decimated

IN DEBORAH BAKERS article on the shake-up of the behavioral health system (Inquiry sought into shake-up of behavioral health agencies, May 12), Michael Lonergan, spokesman for Gov. (Susana) Martinez, is quoted as saying that the attorney general has simply said he cant prove that the lost funding was the result of fraud. What the attorney general said was that there was no evidence of fraud. That is very different from saying that his office could not prove fraud.

And how many times has the Governors Office responded to any criticism of their actions by saying it is clearly a blatant political publicity stunt? This has been an ongoing theme with this administration and one that is clearly getting old.

The shake-up was more of a decimation of an already struggling system that had been through numerous changes over the years, requiring continual adaptations to new billing systems, reporting requirements, standards, etc., while the need for services continued to rise. This decimation left many casualties  the agencies, the employees and, worst of all, the clients.

I find it interesting  and very disturbing  that three of the five Arizona agencies that were brought in to take over 12 of the 15 accused agencies have now left the state. And at least one is revealing some very concerning information about how this takeover was planned and executed, information that I would hope the U.S. Department of Justice would find credible enough to warrant an investigation.

PHYLLIS DENTON

Albuquerque

LED street lights have drawbacks

BEFORE THE CITY Council accedes to Mayor Richard Berrys request for $75,000 for LED street lights (Mayor wants bright, creative street lighting in ABQ, May 3), it should consider the experience of the city of Ft. Davis, Calif. There, the city installed extremely bright, blue-rich lights that gave the city a prison-yard look. Fortunately for the taxpayers, the city responded to citizen complaints in a timely fashion. The cost to correct the mal-designed lighting was only $350,000.

In order to avoid repeating the mistakes of other municipalities, the city and its planners need to consider a number of issues:

1) LED lighting is inherently brighter than our current high-pressure sodium lighting. Slapping LED luminaires on to existing cobra-head fixtures will, because the heads of these fixtures are slanted, direct extremely bright light into places  such as bedroom windows  where it didnt previously shine. These brighter lights, shining in undesired directions, will also create glare, causing difficulties for drivers and pedestrians.

2) One of the most important objectives of street lighting on residential streets is to provide security for residents. Excessively bright lights only serve to disrupt night vision, rendering the mugger hiding in the shadows invisible.

3) White light LEDs are rich in blue light. This light, intended to mimic daylight, disrupts humans sleep cycle; this disruption has been linked to myriad negative health effects, including cancer. This effect is sufficiently important that smart phone and tablet manufacturers now include software that automatically adjusts the color temperature of the screens at night so that they are less disruptive of their owners sleep. The color temperature of street lighting should be no more than 2700 K, about the same as that of incandescent light bulbs. Such LEDs are readily available and should be used. Cute color schemes are of no importance compared to the ability to sleep at night.

I urge the City Council to consider the impact of lighting changes on citizens quality of life, rather than authorizing the creation an unlivable nightmare based on a simplistic economic model that will require expensive modifications later on.

ALAN VANCE LEY

Albuquerque

County voter rolls obviously outdated

I RECEIVED A mailing from the Bernalillo County Clerk today informing me of voting options. My son also received a mailing as a registered voter. The problem is he moved out of state in 2001  15 years ago. He hasnt voted in New Mexico since 2000. He is registered in another state. Yet, he is still on the Bernalillo County voter rolls.

I used to mark these mailings from the Clerk No longer at this address  moved out of state and drop them back in the mail; but after a few years I realized no one cared.

Clearly, the voter registration rolls havent been cleaned up in at least the last 15 years. I wonder how many tens of thousands of names are on these rolls of persons who no longer live in this state due to either having moved or died? Hopefully, votes are not being cast for the people who are no longer here; maybe that is one reason why the voter participation rate is always low. But it is obvious that the opportunity for voter fraud is huge with rolls that have not been purged. I really have very little confidence in a system that cant maintain the registration rolls.

DAVID ABRAMS

Albuquerque

Tobacco free thanks to vapes

I HAVENT TOUCHED a cigarette in over three years. I can breath deeply without coughing and no longer have to clear my throat every two minutes.

I am a vaper. Its clear to me after reading this editorial (Its past time for feds to research, regulate e-cigs, May 10) that the Journal is clueless about the vaping industry in general, and does not understand that the vaping community is anti-tobacco, and has no ties to Big Tobacco.

If we are going to have an honest conversation about the flavors being marketed to kids, lets start in the liquor section at Smiths. Spend more than 10 minutes examining the deeming regulations and youll understand that its a broad brush stroke and will only help the tobacco companies by decimating small businesses  over time harm public health  and as a result drive people back to smoking by not taking the time to do the research. Predictably, the Journal takes the party line and does no investigating of its own before print.

FREDERICK OLSEN

Albuquerque

Methane rules benefit climate, health

I WAS VERY happy to see the EPA finalized rules to capture methane being leaked and vented out of oil and gas operations and I was glad to see our senators and two of our representatives supporting them. These common-sense rules help the climate and our health and make oil and gas better neighbors. It also sounds like capturing methane makes money for both oil and gas and the state.

A recent study by the Conservation Economics Institute estimates that the state can expect an increase in royalty revenue of between $1 million to $6 million per year, depending on future prices. So why does industry continually say these rules will cost them money? It is like any good investment. There is an upfront cost that will bring in money over time. It is like buying new double pane windows to keep the house warm.

Oil and gas companies waste more than $330 million worth of gas nationwide each year  not including the lost royalties that could be used in our state budget. We have a budget shortfall this year and that income is essential.

Oil and gas companies say that controlling methane will cause job loss. Yet, Colorado where state rules were implemented, has gained jobs and their states economy has grown with this rule. In fact wouldnt now be the time to employ works to do retrofits necessary to control methane?

Sounds like these rules are a win-win proposal.

PATRICIA DUNCAN

Los Lunas
WICHITA FALLS, Texas  A judge has sentenced a North Texas woman to six years in prison for neglecting her disabled adult daughter and keeping her in a large crib in filthy conditions.

The Wichita Falls Times Record News (http://bit.ly/1syQJkO ) reports that a district court judge on Monday sentenced Robin Payne. The Wichita Falls woman was accused of leaving her daughter in a feces-smeared crib while cashing the young womans Social Security checks.

Payne, who pleaded guilty last month to exploitation of a person with a disability, had faced up to 10 years in prison.

Prosecutor John Gillespie has said Paynes daughter was 25 when deputies found her in 2013. He has said the daughter has been placed under the authority of Texas Adult Protective Services and now lives in a residential facility.

___

Information from: Wichita Falls Times Record News, http://www.timesrecordnews.com
ALAMOGORDO  A 53-year-old Alamogordo woman is accused of taking funds from the Otero County Crime Stoppers accounts, according to Magistrate Court records.

Judy A. Ratliff is charged with one count of third-degree felony embezzlement $2,500 but not more than $20,000.

Ratliff was jailed at the Otero County Detention Center in lieu of a $15,000 cash surety bond pending her appearance in court.

According to court records obtained by the Daily News, Otero County Crime Stoppers board members contacted New Mexico State Police investigators about missing funds from the OCCS First National Bank of Alamogordos account in August 2014.

Ratliff was a First National Bank of Alamogordo employee and OCCS treasurer at the time the money went missing.

According to records, Ratliff no longer works for FNBA nor is she the OCCS treasurer.

FNBA employees began an inquiry into missing funds after receiving complaints from business customers about missing funds from their checking account, according to records.

New Mexico State Police investigators learned from the inquiry that Ratliff allegedly forged signatures of past and present law enforcement officers from the OCCS account at FNBA, according to records.

According to records, NMSP investigators are looking into several local business accounts that Ratliff has or had signatory authority over.

In February 2015 Ratliff allegedly told investigators that OCCS paid her a salary in the form of an administrative fee for the yearly OCCS banquet but OCCS board members stated that no one in the non-profit organization receives a salary or administrative fees, according to records.

According to records, OCCS banquet sells 250 tickets at $100 each for a total of $25,000 that sells out every year but investigators learned through investigation that funds were unaccounted for from 2004 to 2014.

Investigators learned Ratliff allegedly tried to make it appear she was transferring money between two OCCS accounts even though Ratliff knew there was only one OCCS account, court records show.

Records indicate, investigators learned Ratliff claimed it was a mistake and after she was told by bank officials there were too many entries for them to be mistakes, Ratliff allegedly stated that some of them were mistakes and that she did not benefit from any of the entries.

According to records, due to time limitations investigators were only documenting the time periods between June 6, 2011 and June 2, 2014 during which times there were 24 checks allegedly payable to Ratcliff totaling $10,790 from OCCS account which caused investigators to believe embezzlement allegedly occurred.



2016 the Alamogordo Daily News (Alamogordo, N.M.)

Visit the Alamogordo Daily News (Alamogordo, N.M.) at www.alamogordonews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Albuquerque police have filed an arrest warrant for the man accused of stealing two purebred Boston terriers from their owners car as she was leaving town from a dog show last week.

Lawrence Chavez, 49, was staying at the Motel 6 near Tramway and Central and staked out Susan Krouse as she was loading up her car to leave Albuquerque for another dog show in Farmington on May 18, according to a criminal complaint filed against him.

He grabbed a dog crate with Sara and Mona, two purebred 9-year-old Boston terriers, inside.

They havent been seen since. One of them has an injured eye, and Krouse said the dog would likely lose her eye after 24 hours of no medication.

Albuquerque police spokesman Simon Drobik said Tuesday that the dogs still havent turned up. The Rio Grande Kennel Club is offering a $600 reward for their safe return.

Police are now searching high and low for Chavez, who was seen on surveillance footage nabbing the dogs.

According to the complaint, Chavez took the crate to his room and later a gray Dodge sedan pulled up. Another man in the motel room dropped the crate from the second story down to the car, and they then left.

As detectives were reviewing surveillance footage, a man who was in the motel room with Chavez walked into the office. Detectives detained him, and later discovered his father was Chavez, the suspected dognapper.

Once arrested, Chavez will be charged with larceny from a motor vehicle over $2,500 and auto burglary, according to the criminal complaint.
Albuquerque police fired tear gas at Donald Trump protesters who got unruly in Downtown Albuquerque Tuesday night. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) Anti-Trump protesters set fire to objects outside the Albuquerque Convention Center on May 24.. Some threw the lit objects at police. (Elise Kaplan/Albuquerque Journal) Albuquerque police fired smoke into a crowd outside the Albuquerque Convention Center Tuesday night. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Donald Trump speaks at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal) Angela Zeerah of Albuquerque yells at a Trump protester while waiting in line at the Trump rally Tuesday. Angela, 46, says this is the first time she'll vote. "Finally There is a candidate I believe in." Said Angela. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Crowd waits for Donald Trump at Albuquerque convention center Tuesday afternoon. (Greg Sorber / Journal) Lance Rogers, left and his son Tyler Rogers, of Ridgecrest, Ca., walk in downtown Albuquerque chanting political slogans and selling Trump merchandise. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Kraig Moss entertains the crowd waiting to enter the Trump rally in Albuquerque, NM . Moss who is from Owegony, NY says this is his 30th rally. Today he was singing songs about Trump, which he's recorded to a cd. Shante Sweat of Albuquerque waits for a buyer to purchase a trump flag she was selling for 20 dollars. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Trump rally attendees form a line around the block as they wait for doors to open. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Frenda Rounseville looks over some of the merchandise that vendors were selling for the Donald Trump rally being held at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal) Donna Brown, Judy Caruso and Abi Armstrong wait in line for the Donald Trump rally being held at the Albuquerque Convention Center Tuesday. They were in line since 9:00 a.m. this morning. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal) Josh Garcia, center, and Steve Padilla, background, both from Albuquerque arrive at the Trump Rally Tuesday. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Protesters arrive at the Trump rally and gather at 2nd and Tijeras in Albuquerque Tuesday. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Jeannie Depoyster, left, and daughter Kim Depoyster, both of Roswell wave their Trump signs as people file into the Albuquerque Convention Center for the Donald Trump rally on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal) Maia McFall of Angel Fire, left, and John Block of Santa Fe pass out Trump signs as people file into the Albuquerque Convention Center for the Donald Trump rally on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal) A Donald Trump supporter in a Flag outfit holds up a sign on the top of a bleacher in the Albuquerque Convention Center as he waits for the appearance of Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal) Spotlights cast shadows as people wait in the Albuquerque Convention Center for the appearance of Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal) A protester is escorted out of the the Albuquerque Convention Center during the Donald Trump rally on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal) Trump protester in Downtown Albuquerque Tuesday. (Elise Kaplan / Journal) Prev 1 of 20 Next

What started as a calm protest outside Donald Trumps rally Tuesday erupted into fiery violence as protesters jumped on police cars, smashed windows and fought with Trump supporters and police.

Police faced such an angry crowd that they called in reinforcements from around the state, seeking to double their numbers to counter the protesters, whose numbers swelled beyond 600. Police said on social media that at least one person was arrested in the riot and that multiple officers were injured after being hit by rocks.

Many protesters tried to keep the peace. At one point, a young woman waded into a crowd of protesters who had shoved a man to the ground and kicked him. She and police eventually broke up the fight.

Other protesters stood between an agitated crowd and police, some in riot gear, to help calm the protesters. But the crowd remained unruly.

As the Trump rally let out, protesters hurled burning T-shirts and bottles at Albuquerque police officers on horseback standing guard at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Police responded by launching smoke into the crowd, sending people running through the streets coughing and screaming.

Other protesters made their way to where the rally attendees exited the Convention Center near Civic Plaza.

Protesters and Trump supporters yelled racially tinged taunts at each other  Go back to Mexico, one young man yelled at protesters.

Wheres that white boy? a protester called out at another point.

Drivers in passing cars revved their engines, and passengers hanging out the windows waved large Mexican flags. Groups of protesters wove in between the vehicles, yelling, Viva Mexico!

Men punched and shoved each other periodically as the night continued, though it wasnt always clear what, if anything specific, started the fight.

Scared children clung to adults weaving through the chaos. Two young men helped an older woman navigate the danger as she plugged her ears while engines revved and horns honked.

The beginning

Protesters started gathering at about 4 p.m. and held a family-friendly tone for a while until Trump supporters started walking along a sidewalk adjacent to the protest area. It tuned into what one police officer called the gauntlet of hate as protesters threw water and water bottles and waved signs while yelling angrily and often yelling profanity and aggressive taunts.

A group of traditional native healers joined the protest and a passing Trump supporter yelled youre a wetback at them.

Socialism never, capitalism forever, one Trump supporter yelled at the protesters.

And some passing supporters told the protesters to go back to Mexico.

Others passing through the gauntlet felt scared and intimidated including kids whose mothers covered their ears as they walked by protesters.

Police eventually routed the Trump supporters away from the gauntlet. Shortly after, about 7 p.m., protesters broke through the barrier containing them in the protest area. And several minutes after that break, they toppled another barrier and rushed toward the Albuquerque Police Departments mounted horse unit.

The officers quickly responded on their horses, but one of the large animals slipped on the road and buckled to the ground. It wasnt clear if it was injured but it remained on the line for the remainder of the night.

Protesters then rushed the entrance of the Convention Center while vendors who had been in the area fled. Some protesters grabbed merchandise and promptly set it on fire. Small fires burned throughout the night.

They used their mounted horse patrol officers to move the crowd west and south away from the center.

While smaller, the crowd at this point was not calmer.

They threw large rocks and lit firecrackers at the police, at times striking and spooking the horses. They carried Mexican flags and yelled at the police in Spanish.

By the time the chaotic procession, which at one point knocked down part of a wooden apartment complex fence, reached Fourth Street and Silver, the crowd started to disperse.

By 11 p.m., police in riot gear continued to patrol the streets around the center, Civic Plaza and the final route of the protesters through Downtown.

Police did not return calls seeking information about arrests or injuries and a police spokesman said he did not have official information about the night.

By 11:30, about 120 Albuquerque and State Police officers and sheriffs deputies gathered in Civic Plaza to rest their feet, take off their riot gear and sit down to share stories over bottled water.

Journal staff writers Robert Browman and Elise Kaplan contributed to this story.
City Council President Dan Lewis might be the highest-ranking elected official at Donald Trumps rally tonight.

Lewis, a Republican from the northern West Side, said he supports Trumps presidential campaign but not everything he does and says.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry and Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, all Republicans, have said they wont attend the rally. Berry is out of town.

Police are already closing off streets Downtown, and department heads at City Hall can send their employees home at 3:45 p.m. to avoid the congestion.
HOUSTON  About 500 mourners filled a Houston church to capacity Tuesday for the funeral for an 11-year-old boy who was stabbed to death as he walked home from school.

Josue Flores slaying a week ago remains unsolved.

Its like a wound thats still left open and we pray that will close quickly for the family, the Rev. Anil Thomas of Holy Name Catholic Church said.

Some of Josues classmates from Marshall Middle School were among those attending services. A high school mariachi band provided music.

He was such a loving, smart boy, one classmate, Benisa Garcia, said.

Some classmates were crying as his casket was taken from a funeral home for a procession to the church. Following the funeral mass, Josue was buried in Houstons 120-year-old Historic Hollywood Cemetery.

The sixth-grader was walking home from a science club meeting after school May 17 when he was attacked on a sidewalk a couple of blocks from his home in a neighborhood just north of downtown Houston. Witnesses said they heard loud screaming and saw Josue struggling with a man. The boy collapsed on the grass near the sidewalk and the man ran off. A bystander flagged down police and alerted them to the wounded boy, who was taken to a hospital with multiple stab wounds and pronounced dead a short time later.

A 31-year-old man with a long criminal history was arrested last week for the slaying, but a murder charge against him was dropped Friday when detectives found evidence to support his alibi that he wasnt involved in the killing.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has urged anyone with information about the slaying to come forward. A $15,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

On Tuesday, police declined to say whether Turners plea had provided any new clues toward solving the case.

This is still an active investigation, police spokesman Victor Senties said. Obviously, were not going to discuss specific tips.
ESPANOLA  Former President Bill Clinton, campaigning for his wife in heavily Democratic and Hispanic northern New Mexico, told a crowd Tuesday that Hillary Clinton is the only candidate truly qualified to be president and would unify, rather than divide, the nation.

The answer is not walls, but bridges, Clinton told several hundred people at the Plaza de Espanola.

The answer is not putting one ethnic group, one racial group, one religious group against another, but giving us an economic policy that will lift everyones incomes, with more jobs, better education, more upward mobility and more help for places that have been left out and left behind, Clinton said.

The outdoor rally on a pleasant spring evening was genial and low-key, in stark contrast to the turbulence that marked presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trumps appearance in Albuquerque at almost the same time.

New Mexico is among the last states to hold its presidential primary  its June 7  and the candidates have just begun turning their attention here.

Tuesdays visits followed appearances last week by Hillary Clintons Democratic rival, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who drew thousands of supporters in Santa Fe, Albuquerque and southern New Mexico.

Clinton  who also is scheduled to appear in Albuquerque today  didnt mention Trump or Sanders by name in his nearly half-hour speech, which was heavy on policy as he touted his wifes proposals on a wide range of issues and his own accomplishments as president.

We are coming to the end of a long primary season and the beginning of a tough general election, in which were going to have to decide what kind of people we are  what kind of future we have, Clinton said.

Northern New Mexico is familiar territory for the Clintons, and an important place for get-out-the-vote activity.

Hillary Clinton hasnt campaigned in the state, although she held a private fundraiser here.

Teachers unions in New Mexico  affiliates of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers  are supporting Hillary Clinton, and the former president was introduced by Espanola elementary school teacher Holly Martinez.

We need a woman tough enough to take on Trump and pull together the country, Martinez said to cheers from the crowd.

She also said that Hillary Clinton supports unions and that she trusts her to stand up for teachers.

The teacher told the Journal before the rally that she is passionate about electing a female president.

I think we need to empower more women to be leaders across our country, she said.

Clinton is just 90 delegate votes away from clinching the nomination when the count includes superdelegates, the party officials and elected leaders who can support whomever they want, according to The Associated Press.

New Mexico has 43 delegate votes.

Former President Clinton said there is a huge, huge amount riding on this election.

Hillary Clinton is the only person whos truly qualified to be president and has a program that will allow us all to rise together, he told the crowd.

He talked about her proposals of reforming education, dealing with student debt, reviving the economy, updating infrastructure, improving workplaces, and encouraging modern manufacturing.

He commented only briefly on immigration reform, saying it has to stop being used as a political football.

Bill Clinton won New Mexico in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections and has campaigned over the years for other candidates here, including Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004 and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Lt. Gov. Diane Denish in 2010.

And the former president has a long history with two former New Mexico governors.

He was especially close to the states longest-serving governor, Democrat Bruce King, whose funeral he spoke at in November 2009.

Clinton also tapped Democrat Bill Richardson as his ambassador to the United Nations and then energy secretary, before Richardson was governor.

Richardson and the Clintons famously fell out over Richardsons endorsement of Barack Obama  rather than Hillary Clinton  in the 2008 presidential primary, shortly after Richardson and Bill Clinton watched the Super Bowl together. But they patched things up, and Richardson last year endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton edged out Obama in New Mexicos messy and protracted 2008 Democratic caucus but lost the presidential nomination to him.

In a poll done for the Journal this year at the end of February, Clinton was favored by Democrats likely to vote in the primary. She bested Sanders with 47 percent of respondents to his 33 percent.

She was particularly strong with middle-aged women and Hispanics, while Sanders drew support from men and young people.

Wednesday in Albuquerque

Former President Bill Clinton will speak at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Alamosa Community Center, 6900 Gonzales SW.
LAS CRUCES, N.M.  A New Mexico man accused of fatally shooting his uncle has surrendered to Texas authorities and awaits extradition.

Dona Ana County Sheriffs officials say 35-year-old Jacob Soliz was involved in an ongoing dispute with 49-year-old Alberto Soliz. Both men shared a residence in La Mesa.

According to a witness, Alberto Soliz returned home to find his nephew waiting for him. A confrontation ensued and Jacob Soliz allegedly shot his uncle with a handgun.

Sheriffs detectives say the victims body was found on the property and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A warrant was issued Saturday night for Jacob Soliz.

He turned himself in to authorities in Anthony, Texas on Tuesday and was booked into the El Paso County Detention Center on suspicion of an open count of murder.
Woodard Consulting founder and CEO Joe Woodard called upon the Greek gods to officially open the 2016 Scaling New Heights conference, offering attendees mythological lessons apropos to the QuickBooks ProAdvisor events location at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.

Woodard emphasized the importance of endurance, resilience and focus, alluding to gods Atlas, Prometheus and Atalanta in urging attendees to make their practices epicanother theme of this years conference.

Accounting firms and practitioners need to focus on intellectual capital, Woodard advised, enabling them to be more holistic advisors. They should also have the systems and processes in place to make this knowledge an asset.

Do you have standard onboarding and off-boarding processes? Woodard asked during the keynote. Do you have consistent enough processes so measurements are scientific? Or are you moving from brushfire to brushfire with what seems like a squirt gun?

The difference between an epic practice and a shopkeep is the shopkeep has a bell that rings at the front of the door, and only responds when a customer rings the bell. Im challenging you not to be a reactionary shopkeep, to not only respond to clients when you hear the bell ring, but to have the processes to react against them in proactive ways. Meet clients where they are and ring their bell.

Woodard also emphasized the importance of a trusted team, so accountants and bookkeepers wouldnt, like Atlas, shoulder the weight of the world alone. Part of that equation is mentors, he continued, explaining he has five in his own life.

There are two people you need to have in your lifethose you are investing in and those investing in you, Woodard explained. Mentors and mentees.

Woodard transitioned into the story of Prometheus, creator of mankind after he stole and bestowed fire, as an example of resilience.

The secret to resilience is you live in the present, Woodard said. Worry is the interest paid on borrowed trouble. You cant change circumstances but you can change your perspective to those circumstances.

ProAdvisors should also look to Greek god Atalanta, and her legendary focus on golden apples, as inspiration for refining their own businesses, Woodard continued.

Accountants should focus on their competencies, on the services that increase their clients health and well-being, and on having the right clients, he advised, quoting thought leader and value pricing evangelist Ron Baker in explaining our product is our clients.

The question is: How good is your product? Woodard continued. You have to have the right clients. If one client is not a fit for your culture, it can harm the whole culture of your firm.
In arecent op-edpublished in Massachusetts-centeredCommonWealth Magazine, Amy Pitter, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, urged that accounting become as considered as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) occupations for students in the state, and "as Massachusetts grows, so does its accounting sector."

Pitter says that as Massachusetts sees many math-centric grads come and go through the Commonwealth to find jobs in the "innovation economy," so too should accounting be considered with STEM occupations, as the profession "holds the potential to be a bridge to have [students] play a role in the innovation thats driving Massachusetts growth."

"Despite the strong demand, and its clear math orientation, accounting has not yet found a place in the roster of STEM occupations considered by students," Pitter writes. "Thats an avoidable loss for many young students who struggle imagining themselves in a research lab or calculating the algorithms in a computer science class, but love numbers all the same."

"We are going to need many new accountants over the next 10 years, an occupation that not only pays well, but also often leads to additional opportunities and greater earning potential," she added. "As Massachusetts business and government leaders look to connect students with the many possibilities in STEM careers, accounting should be part of the mix."

In addition to helping the Massachusetts economy grow, Pitter also hopes that increased attention towards the profession in schools would provide a "great opportunity to open more doors for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds," which in turn would help bring more diversity to math-centered fields. More focus on accounting in schools would also look to narrow income disparity, as "[Mass.] 4th and 8th grade student test scores, including math, are the highest in the nation, the income gap in Massachusetts is the widest in the country," she notes.

For Pitter's full op-ed, head to CommonWealth Magazine'ssite here.
IMGCAP(1)][IMGCAP(2)]Breakthrough innovations in such areas as artificial intelligence, workflow automation and data analytics are enabling auditors to deliver powerful insights that simply werent possible before.

The good news for private companies? Audit innovation is scalable, making it possible for private companies to experience the benefits of innovative audits that are being conducted for larger, public companies.

The tools and intelligence available to auditors today can improve audit quality by delivering a broad range of insights that reveal new ways for companies and their owners to consider as they seek to address risk and enhance business performance. For example, until recently, a typical audit has not fully capitalized on the ability to analyze large data sets. That is changing with the emergence of cutting-edge tools and advanced analytics.

Artificial intelligence is driving higher audit quality by applying computer systems to tasks that once required manual and time-consuming auditor interaction. Case in point: Argus is Deloittes tool that leverages natural language processing and artificial intelligence to automate document review by sifting through entire populations of electronic documents in search of learned key concepts, identifying key differences across like documents instantaneously, while providing analytics in real time.

Technology is also streamlining existing business and audit processes alike. For example, asset verification has been a critical, labor-intensive audit step. Today, Deloitte auditors are using a proprietary application called Icount on their tablets and smartphones to scan and consolidate inventory count results automatically for real-time consolidation and analysis in an online portal. While conducting the count, the auditor can use a voice-to-text capability to create documentation, take pictures of the observed inventory, and generate the audit working papers automatically. Another benefit of innovation for private companies involves performing competitor analysis and identification of leading practices. Deloitte auditors can leverage a proprietary disclosure research application that taps into a massive database of public financial statement filings to identify emerging disclosures and industry trends in real time.

In many ways, these innovations can provide dramatic benefits to private companies, which may lack infrastructure and resources to generate business insights on a broad scale. Historically, private companies have needed to dedicate more and more time to complete the audit process, often viewed as a hurdle to overcome rather than a springboard to better decision-making. New audit technologies can reduce the amount of time companies spend on heads down data collection and compilation while freeing up auditors to make heads up sense of the data and deliver audit quality with real insights for companies to consider.

This enables the auditor and the client to spend more time in more productive activities. For example, Deloittes online collaboration site facilitates a two-way dialogue between the audit team and client. With insightful dashboards and smart alerts, this application enables Deloitte to streamline audit information requests and provide greater visibility and transparency for the client about audit progress  providing a seamless, easier to understand experience for private companies.

Clients want and deserve insights from their audits and their auditors. They know their audit provider engages with companies like theirs every day  public and private  and expect the breadth and depth of that experience to help inform them as they seek to make better business decisions. With audit innovation, an insightful, high-quality audit is the type of value private companies and their investors can come to expect from their auditor.

Roger Nanney is a vice chairman of Deloitte LLP and the national leader of the Deloitte Growth Enterprise Services practice. Jon Raphael is a partner and audit chief innovation officer of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
IMGCAP(1)]Recently my clients, Tony Frabotta and Rick David of UHY Advisors, forwarded to me the Summer 1988 issue of The PDI Report. Tongue in cheek, they said to me they were surprised to see that there was another Allan Koltin who also did consulting to the accounting profession. (Needless to say, they were poking fun at me based on my 1988 photo, versus how I appear today!)

This issue of The PDI Report was not just any issue; it was an issue in which we gathered together the countrys leading consultants and aired their views on the accounting profession and industry trends through what was then called the First Annual Consultants Roundtable.

The special report makes fascinating reading. It should be noted that some of the issues discussed almost three decades ago are still what we talk about today. Those items include industry specialization, quality service, the importance of great leadership and management, value billing, and the significance of having a firm vision, mission and core values. (Click here to see the actual report.)

Its also interesting to know that back then a midsized firm was defined as a firm with $1 to $10 million in revenues, whereas today a midsized firm probably would start at $10 million and potentially go up to $36 million (the cutoff point for being a Top 100 Firm).

That being said, the following are items that have completely changed since that time or werent even on the table for discussion:

1. Womens initiatives. There was virtually no discussion of womens initiatives, leadership or increasing the number of women as partners within the profession.

2. War for talent. If the war for talent existed, it sure wasnt talked about. As someone who was a staff accountant in the 1980s, the biggest perk I recall was bagels on Saturday (only during tax season) and the privilege of keeping your job! I dont think anyone could have predicted that firms today would have professional leadership in charge of recruiting, retaining and growing their own talent. In those days it was all about servicing the client (at all costs). In todays world I think most firms have adopted the famous phrase from Southwest Airlines, which is, Happy employees produce happy clients.

It should be noted that words or phrases such as flex time, flex scheduling, unlimited vacation time (no need to track it  we trust you), Millennial space, part-time partners, income-versus-equity partners and hoteling are all terms that we never could have imagined or visualized being used within our profession. The most ground-breaking thing back then was firms going to daily time reporting; in todays world, most firms couldnt even fathom a time-based business that wouldnt report time daily.

3. Succession planning crisis. Back then there was no mention at all of a succession planning crisis. My guess is the reason was that many, many first generation firms started in the 1970s and 1980s, and it is those same founders today who are now seeking retirement en masse. That is not to say there arent new accounting firm start-ups going on presently, I just dont sense there are as many as used to take place. Im not sure if this has something to do with the cost of entry and/or technology, but would welcome anyone elses thoughts on this issue.

4. Technology. Speaking of technology, the only mention of it was in terms of recapturing basic technology and operating costs, and billing those back to the client. No one could have seen the advent of the microchip and how it would completely transform our profession, as well as the services we provide to clients.

5. Merger mania. The term merger mania is mentioned in the report, but we never could have predicted the frenzy that is truly taking place in our profession today. Back then, merger mania was defined as a merger between Peat Marwick and Main Hurdman. Today, locals are becoming regionals, regionals are becoming mega-regionals, mega-

regionals are becoming national firms and national firms are becoming global firms at a record pace. Of particular note is that in the year 2000, the 100th largest firm was approximately $6 million. That same Top 100 Firm today trades at $36 million in revenues.

6. Leadership development. Back then, training to become a better managing partner, department head or service line leader was referred to as the school of hard knocks. Todays firms, as well as the profession, provide leading-edge training on how to become a more effective leader. Heck, the Harvard Business School even offers a specialized program for leaders of CPA firms. Today, upward evaluations, peer and 360-evaluations, and the like are a normal part of how partners and managers develop their leadership skills. In 1988, I dare say I didnt know of one firm that would engage in these types of measurements.

7. Valuing leadership. In terms of leadership, I think that today firms actually value great leadership and management equal to or greater than anything that any partner can do. Simply stated, firm leadership is now viewed as more important than production, book of business, and most other areas. Back then, leadership not only wasnt valued, it was viewed as a necessary evil. At best, leaders were allowed to manage everything except for the partners!

8. Product development. Back then, product development meant going from unaudited and audited financial statements to compilations, reviews and audits. Todays world involves CPA firms investing millions of dollars in value-added services that they can provide directly or indirectly to clients. While it hasnt been said yet, I do believe we are quickly migrating to what the razor blade industry has known for a long time  that the razor is the giveaway and the razor blades are the annuity. Firms are finding that compliance services (whether they be audit or tax) may simply be the things we need to offer so that we can provide many other things that the client, in fact, wants us to offer.

9. Consolidation. The wave of consolidation came and essentially left all in the same decade. It started with American Express, then H&R Block, then CBIZ, then Centerprise (today known as UHY Advisors). As we witnessed within a 10-year period, American Express and H&R Block were completely out of the business. The lone survivors, CBIZ and UHY, were able to figure out how to run a successful CPA firm with outside ownership. It will be interesting to see if over the coming decade, the next wave of outside investors are private equity groups and/or some other form of financial services company.

10. Commissions and contingent fees. As the special report makes clear, there was quite a bit of controversy over commissions and contingent fees and whether accepting fees in this manner would compromise the accountants independence and integrity. If anything, the past couple of decades have proven that firms have thrived with alternative billing and fee arrangements and, at the end of the day, clients simply cared about whether you delivered value for them. In terms of trust, integrity, and being the clients trusted advisor, I think many firms that have been involved in these alternative fee arrangements will tell you that they have actually developed a more intimate relationship with their clients than they had before.

11. Mandatory retirement. We probably could have reasonably predicted this trend if wed asked the question about retirement three decades into the future. We would have known for sure that the average age a partner in a CPA firm lives to would continue to increase (it is actually 86 years old today). What we couldnt have predicted, though, was the succession planning crisis and the mandatory retirement issue both hitting at the same time. Firms today are extending the work life of the average age of a partner, partially because partners are living longer and want to continue working, but also partially due to the succession crisis and not having the abundance of younger talent that the profession had back then.

12. Diversity. If the word diversity existed back in 1988, Im not quite sure it had found its way to the accounting profession. Today, diversity is as important a topic within the human capital equation as anything else we could talk about. It also should be noted that its no longer all about just being a CPA, and that over 20 percent of recruits coming out of universities today dont have accounting backgrounds. It should also be noted that the CGMA designation could potentially replace the CPA license over the next decade as the license of choice.

As long as we are speaking about how CPAs look, it should be noted that in those days, consultants and partners in CPA firms always wore suits and ties to business meetings. Today if you wear one to a business meeting there is an assumption that youre either coming from a funeral or were at the bank trying to get a loan for your client!

13. Values of CPA firms. I dont know if back in 1988 CPA firms were really thought of as businesses, and even if they were, there was very little discussion about monetizing the value of your equity or ownership interest. Today we operate in an industry in which retiring partners, on average, typically see two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half times their average compensation as a retirement benefit, which is significantly more value than a retiring partner would have received then.

14. Partner compensation. It was interesting to note in the special report that the profession was already making positive strides in terms of figuring out performance-based compensation. That being said, billable hours and production were still king, and Im not sure that new business origination, firm leadership and client management had the same value as billable hours. Fortunately today, firms have evolved to not only realize that there isnt a one-size-fits-all model when it comes to partner compensation, but rather, they are looking at each partner individually, assessing their strengths and weaknesses and then developing an individual goals program for them that helps them and the firm be that much more successful. I seem to recall (although it wasnt captured in the special report) that a consultant at that meeting stated that it should be mandatory that all partners in a CPA firm should be required to have 1,400 charge hours per year. My guess is if that same consultant said that to a group of firms today, theyd probably be laughed out of the room!

15. Practice growth. In those days, you could count on one hand the number of marketing directors and sales people that existed within the profession. Today there are hundreds (if not thousands) of professional marketing, sales, technology, human resources, financial and administrative professionals within firms. While I wouldnt say we went from being a profession to a business, I would like to believe we are still a profession, but we also have become a business.

In closing, I would like to give special recognition here to an individual who potentially was one of the greatest visionaries and leaders of our time, Irwin Friedman, who was then the managing partner of FERS. He not only mentored myself, Marc Rosenberg and August Aquila to become successful consultants to the accounting profession, but also envisioned and created an accounting firm back then that would resemble many of the successful accounting firms that exist today.

So there you have it  1988 to 2016. I cant wait to see what things will be like 10 or 20 years from today, but I do know one thing for sure, and thats that we, as a profession, continue to get stronger and better when measured by both the value of service we deliver to our clients, as well as the type of talent we continue to recruit and grow.

Allan Koltin is the CEO of Koltin Consulting Group Inc., in Chicago, and one of the leading consultants to the profession. Reach him at akoltin@koltin.com or (312) 662-6003.
(Bloomberg) French police and prosecutors swooped on Googles Paris offices on Tuesday, intensifying a tax-fraud probe amid accusations across Europe that the Internet giant fails to pay its fair share.

The raids are part of a preliminary criminal investigation opened in June 2015 after French tax authorities lodged a complaint, according to a statement from the nations financial prosecutor. The probe is seeking to verify whether Googles Irish unit has permanent establishment in France and whether the firm failed to declare part of its revenues in France.

Prosecutors will probably go after Googles management in Ireland, according to Alain Frenkel, a tax lawyer in Paris. That doesnt mean Google wont also face a recovery order from Frances tax authorities, he said in a phone interview.

The raids come as Google, which is part of parent company Alphabet Inc., faces outrage in Europe over the small amount of tax it pays in the region. France has called on the company to pay back taxes of about 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion).

While no one has been charged of any wrongdoing, French penalties for aggravated tax fraud have recently been ramped up. Convicted managers can potentially face as long as 7 years in jail and a 2 million-euro fine.

Google said in a statement that it complies with French law and is cooperating fully with the authorities to answer their questions. While French investigators delved into Googles tax affairs, Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt was speaking a just a few hundred miles up the road at a conference in Amsterdam.

Unmarked Cars

Two unmarked cars with police signs on the windshield were still parked outside Googles Paris office at 8 rue de Londres on Tuesday afternoon. The raids started at about 5 a.m. local time, Le Parisien newspaper reported earlier, citing an unidentified source.

French tax officials first raided Googles Paris offices in 2011. The countrys government has criticized Google for booking most of its sales to French customers through its Irish subsidiary. Irish corporation tax is just 12.5 percent compared to Frances 33.3 percent rate. Last year, Googles French subsidiary reportedly paid just 5 million euros in French tax, despite sales to French customers that analysts have estimated were greater than 1 billion euros.

Googles European subsidiaries also pay hefty royalty payments to another Irish subsidiary that is physically located in Bermuda and which holds Googles international intellectual property licensing rights. This reduces the profitability of Googles European subsidiaries, which means they pay less tax.

U.K. Deal

Earlier this year Google reached a controversial 130 million pound ($190 million) settlement with the U.K. government over an audit covering 10 years of accounts. Critics called the amount "derisory" and urged the European Union to examine the agreement.

The scrutiny of Googles tax affairs coincides with a separate EU clampdown into how some nations may be offering special deals to lure big companies.

EU regulators showed their resolve last year, ordering Belgium in January to recover about 700 million euros in illegal tax breaks to companies, including Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and BP Plc. Tech giants Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. are still under investigation after the EU criticized their tax arrangements in Ireland and Luxembourg.

With assistance from Jeremy Kahn and Gregory Viscusi.
(Bloomberg) Morris Zukerman spent 16 years at Morgan Stanley, at various points overseeing its energy and merchant banking practices, before starting his own investment firm in the late 1980s. His firms partners have included ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Kinder Morgan. He endowed a Harvard sociology professorship. He collected dozens of expensive paintings, including works he loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Along the way, he evaded more than $45 million in taxes, the U.S. now alleges.

Zukerman avoided income and sales taxes by hiding his gains in phony commercial and charitable transactions, according to an indictment made public on Monday by a federal court in Manhattan.

The indictment arrives as tax evasion draws renewed attention from law enforcement agencies and policy makers, prompted by leaked Panama law firm documents showing how networks of international shell companies are used by the ultra-rich to shield assets. But the Zukerman allegations are a reminder of the continued prevalence of methods that are far more old school.

Zukerman failed to report profits from the sale of an oil company, lied to his accountants, created phony and backdated documents and shipped paintings to addresses in Delaware and New Jersey to avoid New York state sales tax on artwork that hangs in his Park Avenue duplex, according to the indictment. He also took charitable tax deductions for donations he didnt make, it says.

Zukerman, with a full head of white hair and wearing tortoiseshell glasses, pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan courtroom Monday. The judge approved his $2.5 million bond, secured by works in his art collection. The government had already taken $1 million in art from Zukerman during a search, according to Stanley J. Okula, the prosecutor at the hearing. Zukermans attorney, James Bruton of Williams & Connolly LLP, said that he was in talks with the government to resolve the case.

Morris Zukerman cheated on virtually all of his various tax obligations, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. To top it off, when the IRS auditors examined his returns, Zukerman allegedly schemed to defraud and obstruct the IRS auditors who were examining his false tax returns.

If convicted of all three counts against him, Zukerman could face up to 28 years in prison. A message left with his office in Manhattan was not returned.

Energy Investor

Zukerman, 71, is the chairman of M.E. Zukerman & Co. Inc., which invests in stable assets used to produce, gather, process, transport, store, refine or distribute crude oil, natural gas and related products, according to the companys website.

He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, where he was a prestigious Baker Scholar, and studied economics at Cambridge University, according to a biography on his firms site. He worked in the Nixon White House, under George P. Shultz in the Office of Management and Budget, according to published biographies. He worked at Morgan Stanley from 1972 to 1988. Since then he has served as a member of the Board of Overseers at Harvard University and as a trustee of Phillips Academy, among other positions.

Along with Kinder Morgan and ExxonMobil, Zukermans firm, through a subsidiary, owns a significant stake in the Cortez Pipeline Company, which operates a 500-mile carbon dioxide pipeline running from Texas to Colorado.

None of those companies is accused of any wrongdoing in connection with tax charges against Zukerman. Zukerman is not accused of any wrongdoing during his time at Morgan Stanley.

Court filings show that the indictment was first filed under seal on May 11.

Unreported Gains

Securities filings show that in 2008, Zukermans company sold for $267 million a firm it owned with ConocoPhillips called Penreco, a maker of specialty solvents and refined petroleum products.

Although the indictment doesnt name Penreco, it alleges that that same year, Zukermans firm sold a company at about that price and failed to report a gain that would have generated about $31 million in income taxes. The indictment alleges Zukerman told his accountants that he had previously transferred the investment to a family trust and that his firms parent company was not liable for capital gains taxes.

To bolster this claim, he created backdated and phony documents, which he showed to his tax accountants, who were not handling the taxes for the family trust. The indictment alleges the trust failed to file tax returns for the year when the sale took place.

Zukerman was audited by the Internal Revenue Service in 2012 in connection with the transaction but provided false information to his accountants and lawyers in connection with the audit, the indictment says. Zukerman divided his accounting and tax preparation work for his various personal and business interests so that no one had a full picture of his dealings, it says.\

Soon after that windfallwhich netted Zukermans entities $110 millionthe indictment alleges he transferred the funds to another company, which spent $52 million to purchase 73 paintings. Although prosecutors dont describe the specific works, Zukerman and his wife own a variety of Dutch paintings, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Arts website, including works by Van Vliet. On the NY Social Diary website, the museums late curator of European paintings described him as a friend of my department with a capital F.

Sales Taxes

Prosecutors allege that Zukerman engaged in a complex scheme to avoid paying New York State sales and use taxes on the purchase of those paintings.

For example, local galleriessometimes just a few blocks from his apartmentwould permit him to test drive paintings on the walls of his Park Avenue duplex. After deciding to purchase the paintings, hed direct them to be shipped to the addresses of companies he controlled in Delaware and New Jersey. Within hours or minutes after arriving at those addresses, the indictment alleges, the paintings were sent right back to his apartment.

He allegedly used a similar method to avoid New York state sales tax on a $645,000 pair of diamond earrings from a merchant he met at an art fair in Maastricht, the Netherlands, directing the merchant to mail them to a Zukerman entity in New Jersey.

Although he lives on Park Avenuea similar apartment in his building is on the market for $16.5 million, a listing showsdocuments filed by his U.K. company list him as a resident of Monaco, the tiny tax haven on the French Riviera. The indictment doesnt allege any improper behavior related to his status there.

The indictment also alleges that Zukerman spent $1 million in 2010 to purchase 250 acres of land on Black Island, off the coast of Maine. Although he had discussed making a donation to a local conservation group so that it could acquire the land, he instead bought the land himself. Nevertheless, he claimed a charitable deduction for that amount on his tax return.

Felony Counts

After IRS auditors questioned the deductions, Zukerman provided misleading documentation to his advisers to respond to the audit, the indictment says.

Zukerman is charged with three felony counts including tax evasion and corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws, along with wire fraud in connection with his New York State tax liability.

The indictment says he made interest payments to an entity he controlled, only to send those payments back into bank accounts controlled by him and his family members. Those transactions generated improper deductions on the tax returns filed by those family members.

With assistance from Bob Van Voris and Rebecca Spalding.
MasterChef Australia, a show thats captivated Indian audiences for seven seasons, is currently airing its 8th season on Star World and Star World HD every Monday to Friday at 9 pm. For the first time ever, the channel is airing the show right after its international telecast. To celebrate the launch of the new season, Star World and Star World HD hosted an exclusive gourmet gala in the city last evening.



Over the years, Star World through MasterChef Australia has brought about a food revolution exposing Indians to gourmet food and terminologies that have now become a part of everyones daily parlance. Based on this insight, the channels 360 degree marketing campaign for this year, Everyones speaking gourmet with MasterChef Australia, was also infused into the event. To deliver this unique experience, Star World partnered with Food Talk India, an exclusive online community of people with a passion for food, and Olive Bar and Kitchen, one of the most premium restaurant chains in the country.



Drawing inspiration from 5 techniques seen on MasterChef Australia like sous vide, consomme, confit, smoking and aerate, Chef Rishim Sachdeva created 5 amazing amuse bouche dishes to bring the gourmet experience alive through these techniques. The evening was a resounding success with the guests enjoying the food and speaking gourmet all through the night.



"In a gourmet evening co-hosted by Olive Bar & Kitchen and Star World for MasterChef Australia, Rishim Sachdeva, Executive Chef, Olive Bar and Kitchen brought alive a gourmet experience using a range of stellar cooking techniques. At Olive Bar & Kitchen, we constantly push the boundaries of cuisine keeping in mind the affinity our guests have towards gourmet food and new culinary trends that has grown extensively in India. Our chefs constantly discover new techniques and present them to the discerning diner and this event is an extension of the same." says AD Singh.



Says Anjali Batra, Founder of Food Talk India, A true culinary journey  over the years MasterChef Australia has changed the way we not only eat but also the way we think and speak about food. Our palette has evolved as we got exposed to all these wonderful ingredients, gourmet cooking techniques and some of the most amazing Chefs. Today, we #SpeakGourmet. Inspired by some of these techniques today we took our guests on an exciting MasterChef inspired journey with an amuse bouche to 5 techniques as seen on the show, bringing gourmet to their plate.



MasterChef Australia season 8 is powered by Usha Coldpress Juicers and Indiagate Basmati Rice, partnered by Cornitos with associate sponsors Kohler, Ola MICRO, Gillette Venus, Honda BR-V and Nivea Protect & Care. The restaurant partner was Olive Bar & Kitchen with digital partner Food Talk India.


(This feature is part of the " Through Airmen's Eyes " series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)A 5-year-old boy stood in front of his kneeling father in a hotel room, the boy weighed down with 50 pounds of tactical body armor. The gear weighed more than the boy.Tech. Sgt. Kelly Badger, a 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal craftsman, placed his hand on his encumbered sons shoulder and looked him in the eyes. It was a powerful moment between father and son.Just a week prior, the family attended the funeral of Badgers supervisor, Tech. Sgt. Daniel Douville, an EOD flight team leader. Douville and Badger previously deployed together in 2010.Douville died when an improvised explosive device he was operating on in a village of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, detonated and mortally wounded him June 26, 2011. Douvilles team was part of a joint coalition under the United Kingdoms Operation Brimstone.I remember my oldest son, Tristan, crying and telling me he doesnt want the bad guys to get me after we had left my supervisors funeral, Badger recalled. That moment broke my heart, but I have to be strong for them.Badger kneeled before Tristan that night in their hotel room, both of them knowing he would leave for Afghanistan again the next day. Badger watched as his son struggled beneath the weight of his improved outer tactical vest and Kevlar helmet. The boy also struggled to hold back his tears.In that vulnerable moment, with his son in the wake of the loss of a fellow EOD wingman, Badger knew he had to reassure his family of his training and determination.I assured him that Im a fighter, and I wont let the bad guys get their dad, Badger said. My gear would keep me safe.For Badger, joining the EOD flight was his calling. His focus and drive was to fight for his country, especially after the events of 9/11.I wanted to fight for our country. I chose EOD because I wanted to keep our brothers and sisters in the service from getting killed by IEDs, Badger said. I chose to save lives even if it meant putting my own at risk.The drive to serve runs deep in Badgers family. His brother, retired Staff Sgt. Mark Badger, also served as an EOD technician, eliminating more than 60 IEDs in 2010 during a deployment to Afghanistan before being injured in an explosion while providing counter-IED support to an Army cavalry unit.EOD Airmen are trained to detect, disarm, detonate and dispose of explosive threats all over the world. They are assigned to some of the most dangerous missions where they tactically perform harrowing and demanding tasks in diverse environments.The EOD flight at Al Udeid Air Base supports the base by being trained and ready to respond to any emergency dealing with unexploded ordnance, aircraft crashes, IED threats or suspicious packages. EOD also works alongside and supports the Joint Special Operations Task Force mission by partnering with host nation EOD units, to include the Qatari Internal Security Forces. The EOD flight also trains with joint service EOD units that are deployed to other locations throughout the U.S. Central Commands area of responsibility.Although the deployed EOD mission is different compared to its stateside mission, Airmen still deal with training. However, Badger points out that training here is more realistic due to equipment availability and natural environmental situations, such as the hot desert weather.If we arent dealing with real-life incidents, we are training, Badger said. We get as much training with as many different situations as we can to gear up for future incidents, even if it means flying out to different locations throughout the region.The need for constant, diverse training is critical. Badger reflected on a previous IED response, citing that his team was called in the middle of the night to spend more than six hours in an underground tunnel system in Afghanistan after wading through waist-deep snow runoff to clear out an IED that would have been powerful enough to destroy a vehicle and swallow it down a 30-foot-deep hole.With the right amount of training we have done, my wingman and I successfully cleared the IED and saved some brothers-in-arms from being killed, even while putting our lives at risk and being on the verge of hypothermia, he recalled.According to Badger, his family is what motivates and inspires him to get back home safe and sound.Because Im gone most of the time, I have missed special moments such as childbirths, birthdays and anniversaries, he said. But I am grateful, and I salute my wife for being strong and for taking care of business while Im gone. She is a great military spouse.For Badger, he continues to do what he does not only for his immediate family, but also for his military family.I do my job for my family back home and the Airmen whom I serve with side by side every day of my life, he added. The more I can help, train and share what I have learned throughout the years, the better and safer they will be, especially when they get called upon to go to combat.
Eglin shows child what its like to be an F-35 pilot

After spending the past few weeks watching Top Gun and videos of the F-35 Lightning II, Christian Loafman was ready for his May 18 visit to Eglin Air Force Base as its first F-35A Pilot for a Day.



I feel the need, the need for speed, the 9 year old said.



The program, which started 26 years ago, allows units to get involved with the community and for children to experience a day in the life of an Air Force pilot. At age 2, Christian was diagnosed with progressive infantile scoliosis and autism. Since then, he has had multiple surgeries, wears a brace and attends weekly therapies to overcome his limitations.



Christians mother, Kerri Loafman, described her son as very outgoing and larger than life, with a love of all things Lego. She shared that her son has been over the moon since he was chosen as the 33rd Fighter Wings first F-35A Pilot for a Day almost two weeks ago.



Weve counted down every single day, every minute, Kerri said. Every day he would wake up and ask, Is today the day?



Driving up to the wing, Christian was surprised to see a sign welcoming him to the 33rd FW. Upon arrival they were greeted by Christians wingman, Maj. Mike Krestyn, the 33rd Operation Support Squadron chief of scheduling, who helped him transform into an F-35A pilot.



The duos journey began at the 58th Fighter Squadron where the new pilot met the squadron commander, Lt. Col. Brad Bashore, and was given his flight suit complete with squadron patches and a nametag.



While touring the squadron, the young pilot received a mission brief from 2nd Lt. Colin Backet, the 33rd OSS unit intelligence chief, where he learned the kinds of information pilots receive before flying.



Being able to give Christian one of these briefs was truly amazing, Backet said. At the end of the day that's why I joined the military; to try to make a difference anyway I could. I hope he will remember this experience for a long time to come.



After the briefing, Christian was escorted to an F-35A static display where he received an up-close view of a jet that displayed his name on the side. Crew chiefs from the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Tech. Sgts. John Accurso and Michael Arwood, spoke with him and presented the young pilot with a squadron T-shirt.



I have been in this unit for 3 1/2 years and spoke to many (distinguished visitors) -- by far Christian was the most important DV I have had the honor to meet, Accurso said. Seeing his face when he saw his name on the jet was priceless and one of the highlights of my time here at Eglin.



While on the flightline, the young pilot was visited by the 33rd Maintenance Squadron wizard, the squadron mascot, and surprised by agents from the Marvel comic book series S.H.I.E.L.D. The agents brought superheroes Captain America and the Winter Soldier along to escort Christian to the 33rd MXS for a look at where the heroes weapons were made and where Airmen and Sailors create tools to maintain the F-35A.



The Winter Soldier, played by Capt. Josh Gradaille, the 33rd AMXS fabrication flight commander, believed being a superhero for Christian's visit was one of the most rewarding experiences as an officer.



"His response and expressions alone were extremely rewarding, Gradaille said. The folks who were fortunate enough to meet Christian all agree that we need more (programs) like Pilot for a Day; it reinvigorates our desire to serve."



At the 33rd MXS, metals technicians demonstrated a water jet cutters capability, and afterward, Christian received an F-35 silhouette memento.



Nondestructive inspection and low observable Airmen showed Christian how to repair panels similar to the Helicarrier seen in the Marvel movies and presented him with a miniature F-35A tail complete with stickers to decorate it. The Avengers superheroes also gifted him action figures in their likeness as souvenirs from their meeting.



Christian then traveled to the 33rd OSS pilot fit facility to fly the F-35 flight simulator under the guidance of Tech. Sgt. Omar Robinson, a 96th Aerospace Medicine Squadron aerospace and operational physiology technician. He also tried on an F-35 helmet and participated in an aircraft flight safety equipment demonstration.



As soon as (Christian) walked into the room, he jumped into the (flight simulator) with no hesitation and was ready to go, Robinson said. After giving him a tutorial, he started flying and caught on extremely quick. He was a natural. He had a huge smile that lit up the entire room.
Hurricane season starts June 1 and to promote preparedness an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrew with their WC-130J Super Hercules and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane experts visited five Gulf Coast cities as part of this years Hurricane Awareness Tour May 16-20.

The Hurricane Awareness Tour, or HAT, which stopped in San Antonio and Galveston, Texas, New Orleans, Mobile, Alabama, and Naples, Florida, is a joint effort between NOAA's National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center and the 403rd Wing's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron to promote awareness about the destructive forces of hurricanes and how people can prepare.

While the tour has been conducted for more than 30 years, this is the second year the 53rd WRS has participated in all five stops of the awareness and preparedness event. The tour was in conjunction with the National Hurricane Preparedness Week.

At each stop of the tour, officials encouraged people to prepare now.

The least we can all do is get our friends, our family, our businesses, ourselves, ready for the next hurricane, said Richard Knabb, NHC director at a news conference at San Antonio.

NOAA partnered with FLASH, the Federal Alliance for Safe Housing, with the #HurricaneStrong campaign to encourage people who live in hurricane prone areas to know what storm-surge zone they reside in, insure they have adequate insurance, stock their emergency supplies, strengthen their home, know where to get information, and have a written plan.

The public and media also got the chance to tour the WC-130J aircraft, one of ten specially configured aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and NOAAs G-IV both used to gather critical weather data for hurricane forecast models. While the NOAA G-IV, flies at high altitude around and ahead of a tropical cyclone, the WC-130J flies through the hurricane at 10,000 feet.

During a tropical storm or hurricane, 53rd WRS crews can fly through the eye of a storm four to six times. During each pass through the eye, crews release a dropsonde, which collects temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity and surface pressure data. The crew also collects surface wind speed data and flight level data. This information is transmitted to the NHC to assist them with their storm warnings and hurricane forecast models in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. During a typical year, the squadron will fly 60 to 100 missions for the NHC.

Its really important that the public can connect the dots between the data collected by these brave men and women that go into a hurricane and their own personal and family safety, said Knabb.

This is an important outreach mission to educate the public, especially the children who will take the preparedness message back to their families, said Col. Frank L. Amodeo, 403rd Wing commander, who attended the event with the crew. It also highlights the mission of the 53rd WRS and how we work with the NHC to improve the forecast, which protects our homeland by saving lives and property.

The tour ended in Naples, Florida, May 20. Meanwhile, the Hurricane Hunters completed their annual Roll Out mission in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, the forward operating location at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. The team at Colorado State University, one of the top forecasting teams in the country, predicted a just above average season. Whether it meets or exceeds the predictions, the 53rd WRS will be ready.

It only takes one storm to make it a bad hurricane season, so prepare now, said Amodeo.

Keesler Air Force Base and 403rd Wing members can get preparedness information at http://www.keesler.af.mil/AboutUs/HurricaneSeason2016.aspx

and
SOCOM unveils 'Ghost'

Gen. Raymond A. Thomas, III, left, U.S. Special Operations Command commander, and Maj. Gen. Richard S. "Beef" Haddad, Air Force Reserve Command vice commander, unveil a painting honoring Citizen Airmen manning the 40mm Bofors gun aboard an AC-130 gunship during a mission over the "Highway of Death" in Kuwait during Desert Storm. The painting by Maj. Warren Neary (far right), was accepted by Thomas, U.S. Special Operations Command commander, during a special ceremony at USSOCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, May 23, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Desert Storm. Haddad was an AC-130 gunship pilot with the Air Force Reserve's 919th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, Florida, during Desert Storm. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Chad Gibson)
Yellow Ribbon 'flicked on the light' for Reserve couple

An Air Force Reserve couple said attending their first Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event flicked on the light switch for them in understanding how to better prepare for the separation caused by military deployment.



In general, its knowing that these things are available to you, said Tech Sgt. Jesse Mateo, a reservist assigned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, who deployed in 2015. Youre not in a dark room.



Knowing the resources gave his family peace of mind during his absence, he said Saturday while attending his second post-deployment Yellow Ribbon event.



While he was in Southwest Asia, three typhoons were projected to hit Guam but his wife, Michelle, wasn't worried because she knew about help available to them. Though the typhoons never hit the island, it was the available resources that lessened her stress, she said.



The one that got me the most was when I heard about assistance of care if I needed it, she said of something she learned at her first Yellow Ribbon event. Since we live on an island there were days where we would have a storm coming in and [we knew] we could call someone from the base and they could come and secure our home.



Yellow Ribbon promotes the well-being of reservists and their loved ones by connecting them with resources before and after deployments through a series of training events around the nation. It began in 2008 following a congressional mandate for the Department of Defense to assist reservists and National Guard members in maintaining resiliency as they transition between their military and civilian roles.



Deployers generally qualify to attend one training weekend with loved ones before they leave and two in a year upon their return. The Mateos participated in all three and said each was beneficial.



At last weekends event they attended the Couples Enrichment Program, a new Yellow Ribbon workshop, and said it helped them realize that they are still learning things about each other after 22 years of marriage and raising two children together. The sergeant said it was an excellent class and recommends that newlyweds attend it.



Before his deployment, Mateo and his family worked on their finances by visiting Military OneSource, a resource highlighted at these events.



That helped set the guidance for what we needed to do as far as our finances go, Mateo said. Whatever I made in my civilian job wasnt going to be there anymore [during deployment]. So, we were now relying on the military side.



A session at an event they attended upon his return affirmed the financial plan they had put in place.



It (was) validated when we took the finance section of one of the breakout sessions, Mateo said.



The presenter used examples of actual people who were in similar financial situations, and ended up using that kind of resource to resolve the situations they were in  whether in deep debt or not, Mateo said. That particular session was very helpful, he said.



Each year, Yellow Ribbon trains 7,000 Air Force reservists and those closest to them in education benefits, health care, retirement information and more.


Chief becomes first AF E-9 to graduate Ranger School

For more than two months, Ranger students train to exhaustion. They push the limits of their bodies, minds and souls, and on average, one in three candidates makes it through the grueling course.



The average U.S. Army Ranger School student is in the rank of E-4 through E-6 on the enlisted side and O-1 through O-3 for the officers. Most are between 19 and 27 years old, and only about 21 Airmen graduate each year.



Then there are candidates like 39-year-old Chief Master Sgt. William Speck, who in April, became the first Air Force chief master sergeant to graduate from Ranger School.



I always had aspirations of attending Ranger School, back when I was a much younger security forces member in the mid-90s, Speck said. However, the opportunity never presented itself, that is, until about six months ago when I got the go-ahead to attend. At the age of 39, the desire was still strong, but at this stage of my career it wasnt just for the thrill-seeking part that comes with the training, it was more to gain a better understanding of the Ranger mission set.



The Dayton, Texas, native is currently serving as the U.S. Special Operations Commands J6 operations superintendent where he supports the Rangers on a daily basis with their communications requirements.



I had the privilege prior to Ranger School to fill in as the deployed regimental J6 sergeant major, where I learned and experienced a great deal, to include picking up on some of the communication challenges the Rangers are faced with on the tactical edge, Speck said. Although the deployment was a success, I felt it was important in my position to gain a better understanding of the dynamics and experience firsthand what its like to be a Ranger, so I jumped on the opportunity to go to Ranger School and make my lifelong dream a reality.



Speck started Ranger School weighing 194 pounds; by graduation, he weighed 155. Out of 360 students, he was one of only 90 who graduated. The weight loss resulted from the daunting physical aspects of the course, but the real challenge was mental, caused by sleep deprivation and constant hunger.



I thought the physical piece would be the toughest, but it was more of a mental hurdle for me. The long walks, especially at nighttime, were really challenging, Speck said. We only slept 15 to 30 minutes a night and we were starving because we were burning way more calories than we were consuming, and then having to walk 7 or 12 kilometers a night in the steep mountains of Dahlonega, Georgia, and the swamps of Florida, carrying 60 to 90 pound ruck strapped to our backs was really mentally challenging. Being tired and hungry, there were times where I really had to go to my happy place. I had to think there was an end to everything, and the only thing the RIs (Ranger instructors) couldnt stop was time.



According to Speck, the Ranger School gives participants a complete sensory overload and can really overpower them.



If you let it, the whole course can overwhelm you. I had to approach the course one event at a time. Whether it was the Darby Obstacle Course to the land navigation course, 5-mile run or the 12-mile ruck, (my mindset was) survive today and make tomorrow, the chief said. I had doubts everyday whether I would make it through. I had a saying, Ill quit tomorrow. Everybody who goes through that course second-guesses themselves. Im an older guy and I was praying every day that my body would hold up.



The Ranger School is designed as a team concept where no one individual can make it through the course alone.



They have a saying, You dont earn your Ranger tab; your buddies earn your Ranger tab. That is a 100 percent truth. Its a team event. Everybody has a role, and if one person fails in their role, then the team fails, Speck said.



Speck said the most valuable lesson he learned from Ranger School was to re-examine the leader and follower roles.



As an E-9 with 21 years of service, the leadership piece came naturally for me, but my biggest takeaway was how to be a better follower, Speck said. As we all know, it's just as important to be a good follower as it is to be a good leader, and sometimes as senior enlisted leaders, we forget that.



Being a chief, and now wearing the Ranger tab, Speck said he wants others to learn from his experience.



I dont want to just wear the Ranger tab, I want to give back, Speck said. Since my return, Ive had numerous Airmen, including joint service members, reach out to me to gain more insight on my experiences in the hopes of one day earning their own Ranger tab. It is my goal for those who really want it, to make their dream a reality, just like my leadership did for me.
(This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)Some people attach a social stigma to video games and the people who play them -- when they picture a gamer, they dont think of a well-lit room, socialization and a strong sense of community.Airman 1st Class Anthony Webb isnt the stereotypical gamer. His dorm room is set up as a small studio, complete with a green screen, a professional microphone and three high-definition monitors.Webb takes his hobby a little further by broadcasting his gameplay and his personality to his online followers around the world. By using an online streaming service, he transmits his face in the bottom corner of the screen so his viewers can watch and listen to his reactions as he traverses virtual landscapes.I would consider myself an entertainer, said Webb, a command and control systems technician with the 612th Air Communications Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The entire platform is made to entertain. Some people go on there to learn from it, which I guess can be looked at from that perspective, but I like to be more of an entertainer than a teacher.Webb can see the reactions from his viewers coming in through a chat room shown on a monitor that he continually checks.I used to be completely antisocial and introverted, Webb said. I wouldnt talk to anybody -- whether it be online or in person. When I began streaming, I started actually having to talk to people and become a little more open.Webb said he had thought about joining the military ever since he was 6 years old. When his uncle, an Airman, returned home for the first time and told him about the opportunities available in the Air Force, he said, that sealed the deal.I realized I needed to open up, especially because I was going to join, Webb said. I knew I was going to have to get out of my own bubble.Interaction with others became easier, he said, as he continued streaming. He is building a community by streaming five days a week, four to six hours each day, and he even holds sessions on Sundays specifically to interact with his followers and get feedback.Now there are a lot of people who actually wait and anticipate watching the stream, Webb said. It makes me feel good just knowing I could make someone laugh, smile or even just chuckle a little.
The Air Force has deferred the effective date for promotion and re-enlistment eligibility associated with the Air Force policy to complete enlisted professional military education distance learning courses within 12 months of enrollment until Jan. 1.The six-month deferment allows additional time to validate notification and acknowledgment procedures, as well as ensure test centers have the time and capacity to meet testing requirements.These adjustments alleviate potential impacts to a significant number of Airmen who may fail to complete Course 14 and 15 for reasons beyond their control.EPME is a critical component of our professional enlisted force and our expectations have not changed, said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody. Airmen are still required to complete EPME Distance Learning in a timely manner, yet we certainly understand we need to adjust to ensure all Airmen are able to complete the course on time. The policy deferment is necessary for us to assist Airmen through the transition to a blended learning program that delivers higher quality education to our Airmen earlier in their careers.Airmen who may go beyond 12 months in completing EPME DL must request a course extension through Air University, in accordance with enrollment instructions. Airmen will not be marked ineligible to reenlist and compete for promotion until the new policy effective date.The blended learning and time-in-service model announced in December 2014 was implemented so Airmen would receive PME earlier and more frequent in their career. Throughout the three-year transition of EPME to a blended learning model, approximately 50,000 Airmen have enrolled in the distance learning portion.The temporary deferment of policy dictating repercussions to promotion and re-enlistment upon failure to enroll, complete and pass military education within one year of enrollment will expire Jan. 1, 2017. Airmen who enrolled in EPME on or after Jan. 1, 2016, are not affected by this deferment.Airmen enrolled in EPME DL will be contacted directly by the Air Force Personnel Center with more information about the changes. Formal guidance will also be communicated from the headquarters manpower, personnel and services directorate to major commands, for further dissemination.For more information about Air Force personnel programs go to the myPers website . Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following the instructions on the Air Force Retirees Services website
An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrew with their WC-130J Super Hercules joined National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane experts May 16-20 to promote preparedness at five Gulf Coast cities.Before the hurricane season starts on June 1, the Hurricane Awareness Tour made stops in San Antonio and Galveston, Texas; New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Naples, Florida. The tour was a joint effort between NOAA's National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center and the 403rd Wing's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron.While its been around for more than 30 years, this is the second year the 53rd WRS has participated in all five stops of the awareness and preparedness event. The tour was in conjunction with the National Hurricane Preparedness Week.At each stop of the tour, officials encouraged people to prepare now.The least we can all do is get our friends, our family, our businesses, ourselves, ready for the next hurricane, Richard Knabb, NHC director, said at a news conference in San Antonio.The public and media also got the chance to tour the WC-130J, one of 10 specially configured aircraft operated by the Air Force Reserve, and NOAAs G-IV aircraft. Both are used to gather critical weather data for hurricane forecast models. While the G-IV flies at high altitude around and ahead of a tropical cyclone, the WC-130J flies through the hurricane at 10,000 feet.During a tropical storm or hurricane, 53rd WRS crews can fly through the eye of a storm four to six times. During each pass through the eye, crews release a dropsonde, which collects temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, and surface pressure data. The crew also collects surface wind speed data and flight level data. This information is transmitted to the NHC to assist them with their storm warnings and hurricane forecast models in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. During a typical year, the squadron will fly 60 to 100 missions for the NHC.This is an important outreach mission to educate the public, especially the children who will take the preparedness message back to their families, said Col. Frank L. Amodeo, the 403rd WG commander, who attended the event with the crew. It only takes one storm to make it a bad hurricane season, so prepare now.For hurricane preparedness tips, click here
Will Devendra Fadnavis show that he has the courage to act against his own Minister asks Preeti Sharma Menon.

Even though Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse had rubbished all the allegations made by AAP against him for having received calls from the underworld as baseless but the party remained adamant on its stand and demanded his resignation. AAP leader Preeti Sharma Menon asked why did the Mumbai Police act in a haste to give clean chit to Khadse. She also questioned whether the Police carried out a thorough investigation for ascertaining the truth and was there any political pressure on them to shield Khadse? Preeti asked whether Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will take action against Khadse?

Preeti said that hackers claims are serious and should be investigated stands vindicated today. She said, The ethical hacker Manish Bhangale has proved that calls were indeed made from Dawood Ibrahims wifes phone to the phone of Eknath Khadse.

The hacker once again hacked into Mehjabeen Shaikhs mails, and through it got access to her Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) account. He raised a query for calls made to Eknath Khadses number 0091 9423073667. He got a response that from January 2015 to April 2015 seven calls were made, she added.

Khadses mobile numbers last seen date was mentioned as 11th October, 2015.

DATE  TIME NUMBER DURATION CHARGES 18  01  1517:01:32 0091 9423073667 1:12 15.47 23  03 -15 13:06:15 0091 9423073667 5:43 46.41 23  03 -15 13:29:09 0091 9423073667 1:32 15.47 27  03 -15 19:45:11 0091 9423073667 0:42 7.73 28  03 -15 19:15:42 0091 9423073667 4:35 38.67 28  03 -15 22:10:01 0091 9423073667 1:47 15:47 28  03 -15 22:15:32 0091 9423073667 5:22 46.41

AAP questioned the manner in which Mumbai Police acted in haste to give clean chit to Khadse without conducting proper investigation. The party also wanted to know whether the Chief Minister has ordered for a probe into this matter or shielding Khadse?

If there is any possibility that a citizen remains in touch with Indias most wanted terrorist, then he should be arrested and interrogated. Why does the same rule not applicable for Ekanth Khadse? It is condemnable that the BJP which pretends to be a nationalist party actually harbours, and makes leaders, out of people who are in touch with terrorists and who brazenly lie in public, said Menon.

Manish Bhangale, the Ethical Hackers who released the call log said, I did Google search for Ms. Shaikhs numbers and address. Once I had the data, I used social engineering methods to procure the call logs and past bills for the phone numbers.

One of the four numbers (registered in Ms. Shaikhs name) had a bill of Rs 5,500, which made me probe further. I asked them to provide me a list of the frequently called numbers from this phone, he said.

I searched on social networks and mobile applications like TrueCaller to find out about the Indian number being called frequently, which gave us the name Eknath Khadse, though we are not sure about its authenticity as it can also be fake name registered, I am waiting for the authorities to verify the same, added Bhangale.

According to earlier report claim that the underworld don was in touch with some Indian politicians. Analysis of the numbers reveal that the dons family was calling India frequently. The numbers reportedly belong to the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and bills have been generated for these numbers till March 2016.

When Afternoon Voice spoke to activist and senior lawyer, Abha Singh, for her take on recent media reports that Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse was in touch with underworld fugitive Dawood Ibrahim via phone she said, Since there is not enough substantial evidence to prove that there indeed was any contact from Khadse to Dawood (and vice-versa) the Mumbai Police have tackled the case well and have not bowed down to media pressure. Until there is no tangible or solid proof available that such a call indeed did happen the authorities must handle the case effectively and a wrong step on their part may put some cops in hot water, said Abha.

She adds, Of course though there are some influential people who are in touch with the underworld still the Mumbai Police must do a thorough investigation before jumping on to conclusions. Also the High Court should deploy a SIT (Special investigation Team) to investigate the claims of ethical hacker Mahesh Bhangale.

Also the onus lies on Mr. Atul Kulkarni (Joint Commissioner, Crime, Mumbai) to ensure that nothing goes wrong in this ongoing case else some policeman may stand the huge risk of losing their jobs, Abha concludes.
The human remains so far retrieved from the wreckage of the crashed EgyptAir plane suggest that there was an explosion aboard, an Egyptian forensics official and investigation sources said on Tuesday.

The official based his assessment on the small size of body parts so far recovered from the site in the Mediterranean sea. Investigators had not so far found any traces of explosives that would suggest it was caused by a bomb, the sources said. The size of the remains points towards an explosion, the biggest part was the size of a palm. Some of the remains started arriving on Sunday in about 23 bags, the forensics official said.

However, another forensics official said only a tiny number of remains had arrived so far and it was too early to specify whether there had been an explosion aboard.

Air accident investigator Hani Galal told Egyptian private broadcaster CBC on Monday, the contents of the black box from the EgyptAir jet that crashed will be analysed in Egypt if it is found intact.

The recorder will be sent abroad for analysis if it is found in a damaged state, he said. Egyptian officials were able to track the plane for one minute before it crashed but were unable to communicate with the crew, the head of Egypts National Navigation Services Company told the same channel.

On March 21, Egyptian military had found human remains, wreckage and the personal belongings of passengers floating in the Mediterranean, which was the first confirmation that flight MS804 had plunged into the sea.
Amid a rising trend of cases related to cyber crimes, the government has asked the CBI and the National Police Academy to train members of the lower judiciary in tackling such issues.

The Department of Justice in the Law Ministry has written to CBI and the National Police Academy to conduct training programmes for judicial officers for sensitisation in cyber crimes and related issues.

Official sources in the ministry said here that such training programmes will strengthen the capability of judges in handling such crimes which are technical in nature.

The CBI and the Police Academy may now plan conferences and orientation programmes for judges to familiarise them with cyber and Information Technology related cases.

Bhopal-based National Judicial Academy is already holding orientation programmes for judges and judicial officers on cyber crimes.

The move comes against the backdrop of the cyber world being used by various groups and individuals to post anti-India and jihadi content.

With pornography being another issue, the Law Ministry thought it appropriate to train judicial officers in understanding the intricacies involved in dealing with such cases.

The use of IT to commit crimes as well as the use of cyber tools to detect crimes and track down criminals is also on the rise.

Seeking to keep pace with the developments, the laws related to cyber crimes have also witnessed some changes and a need was felt to update the judges on the emerging trends and amendments made to the law, an officer explained.
The 20-year-old model-and-reality star was spotted out and about with movers and shakers from the film world at the Cannes Film Festival last week in part of her bid to follow in the footsteps of her friend Cara Delevingne and make a transition to acting.

A source told Britains Grazia magazine: Kendall has wanted to follow in Caras footsteps for some time and her momager Kris Jenner was keen to ensure she made the most of her trip to Cannes.

And the trip is said to have been successful for the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star  who is taking classes from Hollywood acting teacher Howard Fine  as she met with director Jim Jarmusch and casting director Kerry Barden, and also secured a reading for upcoming movie Wonderstruck alongside Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams.

However, Kendall  who made her acting debut four years ago in popular cop show Hawaii Five-O  wont be turning her back on modelling if she does find big screen success.

The source added to Britains Grazia magazine: Kendall doesnt want to give up modeling but shes desperate to branch out and try something new.

Shes hoping that she can be as successful as Cara and show the world that shes not just a pretty face. She is desperate to prove to everyone that she is a genuine talent.

Kendall recently admitted she feels forgotten by her famous sisters because she is always working.

After returning home to Los Angeles after a shoot, she told her siblings: It really annoys me when you come to the city and dont hang out with me. You forget about me I dont want to be forgotten about because I have to work a lot.
The residents of Mulwandwadi village in Sindhudurg district of coastal Konkan today bid a tearful adieu to martyr Naik Pandurang Mahadev Gawade of 41 Rashtriya Riffles, who was killed while fighting a group of highly-trained militants in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Gawade was cremated with full military honours at his native village. The villagers had put up posters lauding his supreme sacrifice for the country.

Guardian Minister of Sindhudurg, Deepak Kesarkar said the government will render all possible financial assistance to the martyrs family.

Gawade, who is survived by wife and two children, was critically injured in the fierce gunbattle that resulted in the elimination of five heavily-armed militants at Chak Drugmulla in Kupwara.

The Army yesterday paid tributes to Gawade, lauding his valour and sacrifice, at a solemn ceremony held at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.

Gawade was part of the column which located and engaged the terrorists hiding in a cluster of houses. The injured soldier was admitted to the Military Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday signed the ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet on May 20, to partially overturn a Supreme Court verdict, which said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test).

Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday said that the presidential nod to the Centres Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination (NEET) that keeps state boards out of its purview has given it a much-needed statutory support.

Addressing a press briefing on the issue, Health Minister JP Nadda said, Through this ordinance, NEET has been given a statutory support.

Maintaining that NEET or the common medical entrance examination has been implemented from May 1, the Health Minister said, In some sections of media, it was coming that NEET has been deferred. I want to make it clear that in fact it has been implemented.

The Health Minister said while states will be able to hold the undergraduate exams, the postgraduate exams to be held in December will be under NEET.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda had on Monday briefed the President on three sets of issues  different exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

The President had asked Naddas ministry to explain the reason for taking the Ordinance route to keep state boards out of the ambit of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

Clarifying that the exemption is only for the state government seats, PTI reported that the state seats which are earmarked in the private medical colleges have also been exempted.

The states had flagged various issues in the health ministers conference recently, including problems related to language and syllabus for students.

The exam will be applicable for those applying for Central government and private medical colleges.

Once the ordinance is issued, students of state government boards will not have to sit for NEET on July 24 this year. They, however, will have to become part of the uniform entrance exam from the next academic session.
Sarbananda Sonowal took oath on Tuesday evening as the Chief Minister of Assam. He has become the first BJP leader to hold the post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Ministers of five other states, Union ministers and senior BJP leaders were present at the ceremony.

The whole Guwhati city was literally turned into a security fortress for the oath taking ceremony at the Veterinary College, which was attended by over 100 VVIPs including PM Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, party veteran LK Advani, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Suresh Prabhu, VK Singh, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states and northeastern states.

Addressing the huge gathering, PM Modi heaped praise on Sonowal saying, A leader belonging to the tribal community, a leader dedicated to serving society will now be the CM of Assam.

I am sure Sonawal ji will serve Assam and work very hard to transform the state and his team will do the same, PM asserted.

Sonowals swearing-in ceremony was nothing short of a grand event. Starting from all BJP bigwigs, including veteran L K Advani, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and party chief Amit Shah, all the chief ministers from NDA-ruled states were present at the event. According to reports even diplomats from Saarc countries are attending the ceremony. Interestingly, the BJP marked its massive sweep in Maharashtra with a similar star-studded event for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis swearing-in ceremony.
A Senate panel has approved a legislation which blocks $300 million US military aid to Pakistan unless the defence secretary certifies to the Congress that Islamabad is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani terror network.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, which renewed blockage of $300 million coalition support fund to Pakistan subject to action against the Haqqani network like previous year when it passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)-2017 last week, has however argued in favour of continuing security assistance to Pakistan.

NDAA-2017 is scheduled to come up before the Senate for voting, during which several Senators are expected to bring in amendments to this bill.

Senate version of the NDAA differed with that of the House on many issues, including Pakistan.

The House version of the bill, which was passed last week, calls for blocking $450 million of the $900 million US aid to Pakistan in coalition support fund.

The Senate version has reduced both the figures to $300 million and $800 million, respectively.

However, for release of this fund, both seek certification from the defence secretary that Pakistan is taking demonstrable action against the Haqqani network.

NDAA 2016, which ends on September 30 this year, makes it mandatory for the defence secretary to certify that Islamabad is taking action against the Haqqani network for the release of last $300 million of the coalition support fund to Pakistan.

The defence secretary has not taken a decision yet, Navy Captain Jeff Devis, the Pentagon spokesman, told reporters on Monday when asked if Ashton Carter has issued the Congress-mandated certification.

In its report accompanying NDAA-2017 sent to the Senate, the Senate Armed Services Committee noted that Pakistan has been a long-standing strategic partner of the US and believes that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to be strong and enduring.

The committee, which passed NDAA-2017 before the weekends US air strike on Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in the Af-Pak border region, in its report noted that since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Pakistan has been a vital partner in US efforts to combat terrorism in South Asia.

The committee believes that stability in the region cannot be achieved without stability in Pakistan itself and that fostering a strong, stable, and secure Pakistan is consistent with the national security goals of the United States, the report said, adding it recognises that some have criticised security assistance for Pakistan in recent years.

However, the committee believes that security and stability within the borders of Pakistan is vital to the stability of the region and to transregional efforts to combat terrorism more broadly, the report said.

The committee noted that Pakistan has been a long-standing strategic partner of the US and believes that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to be strong and enduring.
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2016 - Monsantos board of directors has unanimously rejected a $62 billion buyout bid from Bayer AG, calling it incomplete and financially inadequate.

But the St. Louis-based seed and crop protection company also left the door open for continued and constructive conversations to assess whether a transaction in the best interest of Monsanto shareowners can be achieved.

We believe in the substantial benefits an integrated strategy could provide to growers and broader society, and we have long respected Bayers business, said Hugh Grant, Monsanto chairman and CEO. However, the current proposal significantly undervalues our company and also does not adequately address or provide reassurance for some of the potential financing and regulatory execution risks related to the acquisition.

The board of directors has not set a timeline for further discussions and Monsanto does not intend to make further comment at this time, the company said in its brief statement.

Bayer responded quickly with its own statement: "Bayer announced today that it looks forward to engaging in constructive discussions with Monsanto regarding the proposed transaction. Bayer reiterated that its $122 per-share all-cash proposal provides full and certain value for Monsanto shareholders.

We are pleased that Monsantos Board shares our belief in the substantial benefits an integrated strategy could provide to growers and broader society, said Werner Baumann, CEO of Bayer AG. We are confident that we can address any potential financing or regulatory matters related to the transaction. Bayer remains committed to working together to complete this mutually compelling transaction.

Monsantos statement can be interpreted in a couple of ways, said Jonas Oxgaard, a senior analyst who covers the U.S. chemicals industry for Bernstein Research in New York City.

It could be the companys way of driving up the price of the offer, which he said was obviously too low at $122 per share. Or, he said, Monsanto would rather stick to its strategic vision, which has resulted in its share price going from the teens to comfortably above $100 in the past 15 years.

Did you know Agri-Pulse subscribers get our Daily Harvest email and Daybreak audio Monday through Friday mornings, a 16-page newsletter on Wednesdays, and access to premium content on our ag and rural policy website? Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.





I honestly dont think Monsanto wants to be sold, Oxgaard said. I think they are proud of what theyve achieved.

They stuck to their vision  that genetically modified seeds were going to revolutionize farming and earn outsized returns, he said, adding that to abandon that at the first downturn  would rankle the management team.

Monsanto management talk about 2025 the way other companies talk about 2017, he said. The next wave for the company includes extensive use of biologicals and precision agriculture, he said.

All that being said, Oxgaard said, as with anything else in life, theres a price.

For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com

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AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) will today introduce a new weekly US-Europe-Middle East-Russia service aimed to cater for the oil and gas industries.

The service will set off from Houston on Monday evenings before heading to Chicago, Luxembourg and then onto Abu Dhabi before returning via Moscows Sheremetyevo airport.

ABC vice president North and South America Hendrik Falk said: The Introduction of a Houston flight is something that has been on our agenda for quite some time as we have been expanding our presence in the US.

We can now provide a direct connection from the Houston area to key markets in Russia and the Middle East.

We expect that the oil and gas industry, in particular, will benefit from this new service and naturally our sales force will be developing this destination for other commodities too.

The airline said that from Luxembourg, the service would connect with its trucking services across the continent, while from Abu Dhabi trucking services will offer connections to Dubai DXB and DWC.

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May 23, 2016

Could refugees become the leading export of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by 2050? Several studies by research facilities including the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, and the Cyprus Institute in Nicosia suggest that possibility.

The Max Planck study argues that parts of MENA may become uninhabitable due to climate change [and] the number of climate refugees could increase dramatically in the future. Worse still, The goal of limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius [3.6 degrees Fahrenheit], agreed at the recent UN climate summit in Paris, will not be sufficient to prevent this scenario.

The reports numbers are chilling. If governments around the world ignore the promises they made at the Paris climate change summit in December 2015 and global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, Max Planck and Cyprus researchers expect winter temperatures in MENA countries to rise by an average of 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5-5 degrees Fahrenheit). Average summer temperatures will increase by 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit).

By 2050, the region could experience 80 extremely hot days instead of the current 16. During the warmest periods, temperatures will not fall below 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and could rise to 46 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day. By 2100, daytime temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) are quite possible.

Whereas different parts of the world experience the worst effects of global warming in the winter  low precipitation, above-normal temperatures  the situation is and will be dreadful for the MENA region: fatally high temperatures in the summer, when the weather is already extremely hot and humid.

All MENA countries will be affected by these terrible trends, but some will be less lucky than others. Access to fresh water will be a significant problem. Jos Lelieveld, director of atmospheric chemistry at the Max Planck Institute and professor at the Cyprus Institute, wrote to Al-Monitor in an email, Apart from countries with rivers (Tigris-Euphrates, Nile), many countries already need to supply fresh water through desalination of seawater. This will increase, and water management will become even more important.

Lelieveld said, Per capita availability of fresh water will decrease not only because of climate change, but also due to population growth. A study by the Washington-based nonprofit Population Reference Bureau estimates that by 2025, per capita renewable fresh water in the MENA region will fall to 30% of the 1970 average.

So which countries will get the worst of climate change and experience emigration? Lelieveld said, The countries that will be affected most are those where it is already hottest and where it is also humid, around the Persian Gulf. While hot and humid is bad for human health  countries where people are poor (with low-quality housing, limited access to fresh water, no air conditioning) are most likely to have people leaving.

Ethemcan Turhan, an environmental social scientist and visiting fellow at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, takes issue with the term climate change refugees. In an email interview with Al-Monitor, Turhan said it would be better to call climate change a threat multiplier rather than a direct cause of forced migration because there is no linear relationship between the two," and "which countries will export climate change refugees is a largely speculative undertaking.

Turhan warns, Instead of focusing on climate refugees, we must be more concerned with the social, economic and political reasons that lead people to migrate, and what sorts of compelling environmental conditions (together with increasing fragilities) these people face.

In that respect, Lelievelds slightly optimistic note on how to mitigate some of the worst effects of global warming is informative. Since the problem will be worst in cities (urban heat island effect), where most people live in the MENA region, improved urban planning (ventilation), with quality housing and parks, will help. Of course, this will depend on the social-political situation in the coming decades, he adds.

It all comes back to good governance, social stability, sustainable economic growth and regional peace.

The Syrian civil war has seen the internal displacement of some 6.5 million Syrians, while another 4.5 million have fled to neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. In 2015, between 1.3 to 1.8 million migrants and refugees, nearly half of them from Syria and a majority of them from MENA countries, arrived in Europe. The failure of political, economic and social institutions in the MENA region has tested European countries sincerity about their values.

To be sure, MENA countries themselves have to do better in sharing their resources more equitably in the face of climate change.

But if todays MENA population of 500 million people exceeds 700 million by 2050 and the regions social, economic and political order remains fragile, global environmental degradation will force upon European and North American nations even worse products and byproducts of that problem than what they have witnessed so far.

The Industrial Age  spearheaded by Europe and North America  gifted the world with immense scientific and technological advances, but at the tragic cost of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. It would be wise of the have-lots to help the have-nots of the MENA region now instead of facing an unpleasant payback in the form of much worse refugee crises for the next 30 years.
May 23, 2016

CAIRO  Egyptians have high expectations for their countrys progress now that it has returned to the Pan-African Parliament after a three-year absence. Officials hope the parliament will help resolve Egypts issues with other African countries, the most notable being the Nile waters crisis, the Renaissance Dam dispute, the Halayeb and Shalateen land issue and economic matters.

The Pan-African Parliament, based in Midrand, South Africa, is the advisory body of the African Union (AU), seated in Addis Ababa, and its 54 member states. The AU suspended Egypts membership in 2013 following the June 30 Revolution and the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi after protests in Cairo, considering his ouster a violation of the constitutional order.

The AU lifted Egypts suspension in August 2014, after Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn into office in June that same year after winning presidential elections with 96.9% of the votes.

On May 3, five members of the Egyptian parliament were sworn in as members of the Pan-African Parliament. Mai Mahmoud, one of the newly sworn-in members and secretary of the African Affairs Committee of the Egyptian parliament, told Al-Monitor, We are counting on Egypts return to the Pan-African Parliament to be part of a solution to the many crises, most notably the Renaissance Dam crisis with Ethiopia and the Halayeb and Shalateen issue with Sudan. Yet, our eyes are focused on the restoration of ties.

Mahmoud said that the Egyptian delegation has signed more than 30 joint agreements to establish parliamentary friendship associations, including the Nile Basin countries of Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Uganda and Kenya.

In a visit to Cairo Feb. 24, Pan-African Parliament Speaker Roger Nkodo Dang of Cameroon, representing Central Africa, said in a statement that the parliament can intercede to help resolve the Renaissance Dam issue between Cairo and Addis Ababa if the unions member states vote to give the parliament full legislative powers. For [the Pan-African Parliament] to intercede to resolve this issue, it must first have a legislative function, he said.

Twenty-two member states must be in agreement to grant parliament full powers. Five are on board so far, according to Egyptian parliamentarian Mustafa El-Gundy, who was recently appointed diplomatic and foreign affairs adviser at Dangs Pan-African Parliament office. Gundy told Al-Monitor, however, that 75% of the parliament's resources come from foreign funding, rather than member states, so the African countries fear that the donor countries will end up making decisions if the parliament is given broad powers.

The vision driving the AU at its inception was that African issues should be resolved within Africa, without third-party intervention. To that end, for example, an African court would resolve such disputes as that over the Renaissance Dam, Gundy said.

He stressed that dialogue between neutral parties representing Egypt and the Nile Basin countries before the Pan-African Parliament will have a significant impact on the convergence of views. Gundy said the Pan-African Parliament will hold a session in which the Egyptian and Ethiopian sides can formally express their views on the Renaissance Dam. Egypt will insist on a historical right to its share of the Nile's water, while Ethiopia will rely on its rights under the agreements signed in the colonial era.

Based on that, members of parliament will be divided between both sides, said Gundy. He stressed that in case the issue is raised based on the right to water, the consensus view will be that both parties get what is rightfully theirs. Egypt receives less than 630 cubic meters (166,428 gallons) of water per year, which is below the hydraulic poverty line, while Ethiopia, where rain water is abundant, is not suffering from a lack of water or power generation.

Hani Raslan, the head of the Nile Basin Studies Unit at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor that the Pan-African Parliament is a tool to allow African peoples to communicate with each other, but it cant be relied on to resolve intensely contested issues like the Renaissance Dam and Halayeb and Shalateen.

Raslan believes that although Egypts return to the Pan-African Parliament is good, and will provide the country with a forum in which to raise issues and explain its positions, Egyptians shouldnt get their hopes up. He explained that former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had at one time put forward a plan granting the Pan-African Parliament broad powers, but the majority of African leaders rejected the idea.

As part of an attempt to regain a pivotal African role, Egypt will host the October session of the Pan-African Parliament, in Sharm el-Sheikh.
May 24, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Over the last three years, murders in cases of theft, robbery and physical attack in the Gaza Strip have become common. Money changer Ameen Sharab from Khan Yunis was stabbed to death in a robbery attack on May 30, 2013. Mohammed Mahdi and his nephew Anas Tammous from Deir al-Balah refugee camp were killed against the backdrop of a family dispute on June 24, 2013. Aliyan al-Talbani from Deir al-Balah city was killed in an armed robbery on July 31, 2013. Money changer Fadel al-Astal from Khan Yunis was killed in a fight over bank checks in May 2014. Hammad Dughmosh from Gaza City was killed against the backdrop of a dispute with Abed Rabbo Abu Madin on April 25, 2016; and most recently, on May 13, Thouraya al-Badri from Gaza City was killed in an armed robbery.

There has been a significant increase in the crime rate in Gaza over the past few years. According to statistics of the public prosecutor's office, approximately 40 people were murdered in 2013, 168 in 2014 and 28 in 2015. Most murders were committed for purely criminal reasons or due to disputes resulting from bad economic conditions and the spread of poverty and unemployment.

Following search and investigation operations carried out by the investigations unit of the police in Gaza, in general criminals were caught just a few hours after the crime. The perpetrators of these crimes have been given the death penalty, and they are awaiting execution, pending a decision from President Mahmoud Abbas.

The president of the Supreme Judicial Council in Gaza, Counsellor Abdel Raouf al-Halabi, told Al-Monitor, The death penalty in Palestine was stipulated by law and is only issued against those who deserve it. It is linked to aggravating factors of willful, deliberate and premeditated murder. The courts issued death penalties in 13 cases that met the relevant legal conditions and are awaiting implementation by the public prosecutor.

In a press conference at the Ministry of Information in Gaza City on May 22, attended by Al-Monitor, Gaza public prosecutor Ismail Jaber said, The public prosecutor communicates with the [Palestinian] Legislative Council [PLC] to decide on the implementation of death penalties in the Gaza Strip aimed to reduce and deter crime.

He said, We sent a letter to Salim al-Sakka, the former justice minister in the unity government, to ask President Mahmoud Abbas to endorse the death penalty decisions in accordance with Article 109 of the Palestinian Basic Law and Article 409 of the Code of Criminal Procedure No. 3 of 2001. But we have not received a response in this regard despite the prior agreement on the endorsement of death penalties in Gaza.

Jaber said that the public prosecution is currently examining the death penalties to be carried out within the coming days, even if they are not endorsed by the president, although this violates the Palestinian Basic Law.

On May 16, village officials and dignitaries of families in Gaza submitted to Ismail Haniyeh, the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, a petition urging him to rule with an iron fist by punishing the criminals who violate the law and kill people, and to implement death penalties.

Bassam al-Badri, whose mother Thouraya was murdered on May 13, told Al-Monitor, The only punishment that would satisfy me is to see the killer of my mother hanged publicly in the presence of his parents, so that this deters anyone who dares to think about killing people and offending the sanctity of private homes.

Muhammad al-Talbani from Gaza, the father of Aliyan, called for accelerating the implementation of death penalties against the killers of his son, so as to prevent the recurrence of such crimes and prevent people from taking the law into their own hands.

Article 415 of the 2001 Palestinian Code of Criminal Procedure stipulates that executions of civilians must be done by hanging and of soldiers by shooting to death.

The head of the legal committee at the PLC, Muhammad Faraj al-Ghoul, told Al-Monitor, The PLC will seek to accelerate the implementation of the death penalties against murderers in Gaza and will not allow them to go unpunished.

He added, The implementation of the death penalties is stipulated in the Palestinian Basic Law, and the fact that these judgments are not endorsed by the president is a conspiracy aimed to bring chaos to the Gaza Strip.

It seems that Abbas is refusing to approve execution sentences issued in Gaza because he considers them illegal and issued by courts that are not affiliated with the Palestinian Judicial Council in Ramallah.

Al-Monitor attended the sit-in staged by the families of the victims, citizens, human rights organizations, clerics, reform committees and tribesmen in front of Rashad Shawa Cultural Center in Gaza City on May 22. Head of the reform committees Maher al-Halabi spoke on their organizations behalf, demanding to pressure Hamas to promptly implement the death penalties against the murderers so as to prevent the aggrieved citizens from taking the law into their own hands.

Journalist Ismail al-Thawabta, director of Al-Ray media agency in Gaza, wrote on his Facebook page, Do you support the death sentence for those convicted of murder, drug trafficking and other crimes? Currently, 143 Facebook users say they do.

For his part, Bahjat al-Helo, awareness and training coordinator at the Independent Commission for Human Rights, told Al-Monitor, Human rights organizations reject the execution of the death penalties. Palestine is a party to the charters on human rights, mainly the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which call for the abolition of the death penalty.

Helo indicated that safeguards must be strictly abided by when implementing the death penalty  which is stipulated in the Palestinian law  in accordance with the provisions of the law. He said, According to the law, the death penalty is final and irreversible and gives the accused the right to defend himself or appoint a defense lawyer and to appeal in court; and therefore the most important safeguard is that the execution of these penalties must be endorsed by the Palestinian president, which is not the case in the death penalties issued in Gaza due to the separation between the government and the judiciary.

The official spokesman for the Palestinian government in Ramallah, Bassem Youssef Mahmoud, told Al-Monitor that the execution of the death penalties requires a judicial review of the judgment, which is automatically appealed without the need for any appeal to be lodged by the defendants so that it becomes final and cannot be appealed as per Article 408 of the Criminal Procedures, and the presidents endorsement.

He said, It is impossible to meet the legal conditions and safeguards for the issuance and execution of the death penalty judgments in the Gaza Strip for reasons related to the ongoing internal division. The courts in Gaza are not subordinated to the Palestinian Supreme Judicial Council, the general prosecutor's office in Gaza is not subordinated to the Palestinian public prosecution and police stations, and the correctional facilities in Gaza are not subordinated to the official police. This is because of the division and because Hamas formed a new judicial council and public prosecution that the Ramallah government does not recognize.
May 23, 2016

Foreign authors objecting to their books being translated and published in Iran without their consent is nothing new. Even before Atiq Rahimi, authors such as John Barth, J. M. Coetzee, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and even Sir Alex Ferguson had raised similar objections.

Common to these objections is an expressed hope for Iran to join the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. The convention was established in 1886 to guarantee copyright protection for artists and writers. Today, Iran is one of only 25 countries that have yet to sign on.

At present, more than 12,000 licensed publishers are active in Iran. Given that the Islamic Republic does not adhere to international copyright law, these publishers are free to republish any foreign book without paying any attention to copyright.

"In one of my first trips to book fairs abroad, after coming to contact with foreign publishers, I realized that buying books from them and then translating and publishing them without their permission is a very strange thing to do. Ethical considerations prevented me from doing this," Reza Hasheminejad, manager of the Iran-based Ofoq Publishing, told Al-Monitor. His company, which publishes children's and young adult literature, was first licensed to operate in Iran in 1990 and bought its first reprint rights to a foreign work in 1997, even though it is not legally required to do so under Iranian law.

Indeed, Ofoq has been taking the issue of copyright seriously in past years. It has released quite a few works in the Iranian market that clearly indicate that the right to reprint the work has been purchased, including books authored by prominent American author Paul Auster. This indication of respect for copyright is not customary in Iran.

There are other Iranian publishers that obtain the rights for a work before publishing and also, of course, translators who ask authors for permission to translate their works. Khashayar Deyhimi, who has edited and translated more than 100 books, is one of them. He told Al-Monitor, "I consider it my moral duty to ask permission and this is also why I have ended up becoming good friends with some of these writers." Nonetheless, Deyhimi said that considering the current situation in Iran, he is against joining the Berne Convention. He believes that if that were to happen, publishers would gain control over the translation process "and the quality of translations will thus decline." He told Al-Monitor, "For most publishers, quality is not important and non-Iranian writers have no way of knowing whether the Persian translation is correct. I am in contact with foreign publishers and writers and I know that most of them have no idea about the book translation process in Iran."

Iranian author Hossein Sanapour disagrees with Deyhimi. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Sanapour addressed the problems caused by "multiple translations" and said that he believes joining the Berne Convention will end this "chaotic" atmosphere and help improve the quality of translations. He told Al-Monitor, "It will help to increase the circulation of books published in Iran, which will result in better pay for translators. When there is copyright, translators will spend more time on their translations, and naturally the end result will be better."

Sanapour believes that the financial benefits of joining the Berne Convention outweigh the advantages of staying out. "It will help produce knowledge, and especially literature, in Iran. The process of translation from Persian to other languages will also gradually change in [Iran and Iranian authors'] favor, although [Iranian authors] might never dominate it. More importantly, in my opinion, it will encourage publishers to publish original works authored in Persian. Of course, second-rate and unprofessional publishers and translators will not benefit from Iran joining the Berne Convention."

Although Hasheminejad told Al-Monitor that he believes Iran joining the copyright convention in the near future is inevitable, he underscored that he is not happy about it: "I predict corruption. In the words of Bertolt Brecht, he who laughs last has not yet heard the bad news." But what would be the bad news? Hasheminejad told Al-Monitor, "I think the Iranian book market will more than before be affected by nepotism and rent-seeking. The publishers with more influence and connections will benefit more."

Deyhimi also believes that given the present circumstances, joining the Berne Convention will worsen the cultural, ethical and financial problems that already plague Iran's publishing sector. He told Al-Monitor, "I believe in copyright. However, the problem is that for Iran, joining the Berne Convention only looks good on the surface. In reality, many people will be negatively affected by it. The current chaotic situation caused by irresponsibility and immorality  and the inefficiency of the judicial system  will make copyright laws irrelevant."

The issue of copyright was first addressed in the Iranian legal system back in 1925, in the Trademarks Registration Law. However, protection of the rights of authors and artists was not fully addressed until legal amendments in 1969. The 1969 amendments hold as the legal basis for copyright in Iran to this day. In Deyhimi's telling, however, the existence of this law does not guarantee its enforcement. "I have verdicts against a publisher that has reprinted 23 of my books up to 10 times, issued by both the Publishers' Union and the Board of Dispute [Settlement]. However, the judiciary does not recognize the verdict, and thus the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance says that it cannot execute it."

Hasheminejad told Al-Monitor that the groundwork needs to be laid before Iran can join the Berne Convention, as Iranian publishers rarely observe even Iran's own copyright laws. He argued that Iran needs to gradually join the Berne Convention, saying, "For Iranian publishers, the problem is not necessarily financial. Rather, it has more to do with organization and awareness. The majority of them are not familiar with copyright laws, do not receive any consultations regarding international relations and legal matters and some are not even fluent in English."

With the removal of nuclear-related sanctions, it appears that Iran can proceed with joining the World Trade Organization. However, one prerequisite for membership is accession to the Berne Convention. Sanapour told Al-Monitor, "Nearly two decades of research and studies have been conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in this regard. Recently, a seminar was conducted regarding the issue. If we pay attention to the comments, we can see that the ministry is interested in Iran joining the international copyright convention. More importantly, the ministry has prepared a bill regarding this issue and has sent it to the parliament. The [outgoing] parliament did not consider the issue, but we are hoping that the [incoming] parliament will take it into consideration and confirm it. I am therefore hopeful that we will join the international copyright convention in the near future."
May 24, 2016

Fifteen years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Congress finally addressed the Wahhabi elephant in the room.

At a fiery House Foreign Affairs panel hearing May 24, members of both parties took turns accusing one of America's closest Mideast allies of being a front of extremism. Lawmakers acknowledged that Saudi Arabia has made great strides in cracking down on terrorism finance since 2001, but argued that its support for the propagation of radical Islam has fueled religious violence around the world.

"While the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has adopted strict laws prohibiting terrorism finance, there continues to be press reports about Saudi charities and individual donors funding [the Islamic State (IS)], al-Qaeda and foreign fighters," said terrorism subcommittee Chairman Ted Poe, R-Texas. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia still spends billions of dollars every year exporting the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam through its networks of building mosques and schools throughout the world, including in the United States."

Others piled on.

It is time for Saudi Arabia to come clean," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif. "They cant say they dont support terrorism [when] all they do is fund hundreds of millions of dollars a year for those who plant the seeds of terrorism around the world.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., said the hearing was "long overdue" and accused the US government of "intentionally ignoring who's financing [terrorist] acts."

"The Saudis, and the Saudi royal family, have been right up to their eyeballs in  supporting the terrorist activity of radical Islamist forces in the Middle East," Rohrabacher said. "It's up to us to say the truth."

Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., questioned whether US and Saudi interests are aligned in Yemen, notably with regard to the fight against that country's virulent al-Qaeda franchise. Riyadh has heard those concerns loud and clear, and its coalition boasted last month that it had killed 800 al-Qaeda militants even as it concentrates its fire on the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

While the subcommittee hearing was relatively low profile and sparsely attended, it nevertheless represented a sea change in Capitol Hill's public attitude toward the kingdom. Congress still supports the Saudi campaign in Yemen, but calls on Riyadh to reduce tensions with the Houthis as well as with Iran have been growing.

The change in tone is directly linked to the confluence of two issues this month: the pending declassification of longtime allegations that Saudi officials were involved in the 9/11 attacks, and the Senate's passage of legislation to allow 9/11 victims' families to sue the Saudi government. Riyadh has launched an all-out lobbying blitz to kill that bill, which is now before the House Judiciary Committee.

"What concerns me," Sherman said, "is the Saudi government comes to us and says, Youre our friend and you should protect us from this statute, while defending every day the Wahhabi mullahs who not only preach orthodox practices of Islam, but preach violence and murder against those whom they disagree with."

Witnesses testified that IS is using Saudi textbooks at its schools in its Syrian capital at Raqqa. A recent New York Times investigation that found that Saudi money and influence has transformed Kosovo from a once-tolerant Muslim society into a font of jihadi radicalism was also mentioned during the hearing.

Congress remains receptive to Riyadh's concerns, however. The hearing was initially titled "Terrorism and the Saudi Royal Family," but it was discreetly relabeled to the more innocuous "The U.S.-Saudi Arabia Counterterrorism Relationship."

Not all members were hostile.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., highlighted America's "critical relationship" with the Saudis over 70 years and highlighted the kingdom's "substantial progress" in counterterrorism cooperation.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., warned that passing the litigation bill would open the floodgates to plaintiffs around the world "poking around" into US intelligence records to see if there's any sign of support for terrorist groups.

The change of tone reaches all the way to the top of the White House, where President Barack Obama recently told The Atlantic that the Saudis were acting like "freeloaders" in the battle against IS. Riyadh has expressed dismay at the floundering relationship and has blanketed congressional offices with reports of their efforts to battle terrorism.

Witnesses at the May 24 hearing, including a panelist on the 2004 commission that investigated the attacks, largely agreed that an open re-evaluation of the bilateral relationship was long overdue.

"The 9/11 Commission recommended over 10 years ago [that] the problems in the US-Saudi relationship must be confronted openly [and] should include a shared interest in greater tolerance and cultural respect, translating into a commitment to fight the violent extremists who foment hatred," said Tim Roemer. "Today, we still struggle to talk directly about our relationship with the Kingdom. In light of this fact, I would like to thank this committee for holding a hearing on this subject and bringing greater transparency and clarity to American diplomacy."
May 24, 2016

The Support Egypt coalition is a political bloc known for its total and unwavering support for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as well as unflinching defense of his policies. It entered the last parliamentary elections and won a landslide victory, capturing all 120 seats allotted to party lists. The coalition now holds 315 out of parliaments 596 seats.

At the same time, numerous charges have been leveled against the coalition. Foremost among these is the charge that it is attempting to seize control of parliament and pass any law desired by the government, and that its internal organs of administration are codifying a dictatorship. Saad al-Gamal, the head of the coalition and chairman of the Arab Affairs Committee in parliament, categorically denied these charges in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, his first since becoming head of the coalition on May 9.

In his remarks to Al-Monitor, Gamal expressed his view that all the charges being leveled at the coalition are completely baseless, and that their goal is to influence him and undermine the popular support that brought him to this station. He also said that the coalition has presented a number of proposed laws to parliament, and that these will be discussed in parliaments second session  after, that is, it tackles the laws governing church construction, the National Election Coalition and the current administration. All the coalitions proposed laws, he stressed, are in Egypts national interest and the interest of her citizens.

Gamal did not dismiss the possibility that terrorist elements were involved in the downing of the lost Egyptian airliner, but stressed the importance of waiting for the results of the French investigation and not rushing to judgment. In this way, he said, we will be able to learn the facts regarding this painful episode, track down the perpetrators and hold them to account, whomever they are.

On the subject of parliaments slowness to take up discussion of the issue of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir and formally decide whether they will belong to Egypt or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Gamal said that the Arab Affairs Committee is now in a preparatory stage, gathering all the relevant documents. He stressed that parliament will reject the agreement if Egyptian ownership of the islands is conclusively established.

Concerning the Arab Leagues performance in supporting Arab causes, defending Arab national security, Gamal said, It is very unfortunate that the Arab Leagues role has suffered a steep decline. It does not play the effective role that we would have hoped for.

The text of the interview follows.

Al-Monitor: When you took over as head of the Support Egypt coalition, it was the largest and most influential bloc in parliament. What are the most prominent challenges you face in the coming period?

Gamal: The coalition is carrying many challenges on its shoulders. After it was officially inaugurated as the first parliamentary coalition in the Egyptian House of Representatives, the most important [challenge] is bringing together the country and cooperating with all political and partisan forces in order to achieve the national interest. Additionally, there are many proposed laws that the coalition is officially presenting for discussion in the coming, second parliamentary session. We hope to bring them into effect, since all of these proposed laws will advance the interests of ordinary citizens and [help them to] achieve their aspirations.

Al-Monitor: What flaws has the coalition suffered from since it was established, particularly pertaining to its internal administration? Do you hope to put an end to them?

Gamal: Its very likely that the Support Egypt coalition, like other coalitions and blocs, will make mistakes. At the end of the day, this coalition speaks on behalf of a number of members who believe they are doing whats in the countrys best interest. [Seeking out] the national interest  that alone is what brought them together. Of course there have been mistakes in administering the coalition, since it is very new, but with the passage of time, the coalition will transcend any flaw. Democracy is the slogan of the party in every decision that it makes. And the credit for this is due to the late Maj. Gen. Sameh Seif El Yazal, its former president, who founded this lofty national edifice, supported it and enabled it to see the light of day.

Al-Monitor: How many members are there in Support Egypt?

Gamal: The coalitions numbers have reached 315, after a number of [new] representatives joined recently.

Al-Monitor: There are clear charges being directed at the coalition of attempting to take over parliament. Whats your response?

Gamal: Thats a biased statement and totally untrue. It has been repeated a great deal by forces that want the parliament to be weak.

Al-Monitor: The coalition has been accused of adopting the same policy as the now disbanded National Democratic Party (NDP)  which was the ruling party under [former President Hosni] Mubarak  in defending the president and the government, no matter what their mistakes are. How do you respond?

Gamal: Such statements are unjust and unfair to the coalitions role. The coalition does not hold a monopoly on authority, and it does not aspire to take control of parliament. It has never once tried to pass legislation aimed at serving its own interests. If we are blessed with a majority within parliament, it does not mean that we are following the same practices as the NDP.

Al-Monitor: Some have criticized the existence of a coalition that controls a majority, saying that the majority should belong to one party rather than a coalition, as happens in other countries around the world. Whats your take on this?

Gamal: This coalition contains a large number of parties as well as a number of independents, and not solely independents as some claim. Moreover, when the parties come together to form a coalition, that is ultimately in the interest of the state. Its a perfectly natural thing, and nothing to be ashamed of.

Al-Monitor: Is there any truth to rumors of cracks inside the coalition between members concerning its working mechanism?

Gamal: There are no cracks. There is complete consensus among the members. The resignation of some, which happened previously, was a purely individual affair.

Al-Monitor: What are the mechanisms by which a parliamentarian can be punished if he or she fails to toe the coalition line?

Gamal: There are a number of procedures that can be followed in accordance with the internal coalition guidelines that result in expelling [the disobedient member]. But the coalition administration is resolved to apply democracy and discussion in order to arrive at sound visions. The manner in which the parties and the coalition were governed before [the January 25 Revolution] is no longer present within the coalition.

Naturally, there are some disagreements in perspective, but what brings us together is whats in the countrys best interest. We adopt that as our guideline within the coalition.

Al-Monitor: There have been accusations that security agencies intervened in the elections of specific committees. Whats your comment?

Gamal: That absolutely did not happen. These are just rumors being circulated by some people, unsupported by a single piece of evidence.

Al-Monitor: As the chairman of the Arab Affairs Committee in parliament, could you say why parliament has been slow to take up discussion of the issue of Tiran and Sanafir up until now?

Gamal: The truth is that parliament really has been slow to discuss this agreement, but what some dont realize is that this sort of discussion takes time so that a decision can be reached. Right now were gathering all the relevant historical documents that delineate Egypts position on the two islands.

We will also hold meetings in the coming days with members of the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and National Security committees in order to hear their views and study the issue in all its respects. And soon the parliament's decision on this issue will be announced.

Al-Monitor: Is it possible that parliament will reject the annexation of Tiran and Sanafir by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?

Gamal: Of course it is parliaments right to reject [it], if Egypts rights to the islands are conclusively established. But if Saudi Arabias rights to impose its sovereignty are established, then we will have to say as much, since we are just as keen on the rights of our brother nations [as on our own].

Al-Monitor: What are the main challenges and crises confronting the Arab world today?

Gamal: The most dangerous threat to the Arab world is the brutal terrorism that has come to menace many Arab nations, whether in Syria, Libya, Iraq or elsewhere. It is an international plot whose goal is to turn members of the same [Arab] homeland against one another and to undermine their unity.

But what the West doesnt understand is that this terrorism has become a threat to it as well. Now we see terrorism in France and America. And [if] the Western world does not come together with us, it will burn in the fires of terror.

Al-Monitor: You recently called for the convening of an international counterterrorism summit. What are its goals?

Gamal: As I said, we on the Arab Affairs Committee seek cooperation with the entire world in confronting terrorism. For eliminating it is not the responsibility of Arab nations alone, but that of the entire world. The goal of the international summit is to call for an international agreement, under the auspices of the United Nations, whose responsibility will be combating terrorism and drying up its wellsprings. Any state that refuses to sign it will have revealed itself before the world as an incubator of terrorism.

Al-Monitor: Do you believe that there is a pressing need for enacting new anti-terror legislation?

Gamal: On the domestic level, we do not need any new laws. We have the Anti-Terrorism Law. Equipped with this law, we are capable of confronting and prosecuting terrorism with full force.

At the international level, however, Egypt has sought to amend the Arab Anti-Terrorism agreement in order to specify the obligations of every state and cooperate with them in the areas of tracking down and extraditing wanted terrorists.

Al-Monitor: Is there coordination between the committee and the Arab League to resolve issues that threaten the Arab world?

Gamal: No, but we are now preparing a research paper in which we will put forward proposals to develop working mechanisms within the Arab League with the goal of strengthening its role in such a way as to enable it to participate in resolving issues that threaten the Arab world. For we are in dire need of Arab unity and Arab cohesion to confront the dangers that threaten the Arab world as a whole.

Al-Monitor: Do you believe that the Arab League is doing its part to support and defend Arab causes?

Gamal: It is very unfortunate that the Arab Leagues role has suffered a steep decline. It does not play the effective role that we would have hoped for. The Arab League gathers together many political desires, and political desires in one country differ from those in another. Thats to say nothing of the fact about differences between states when it comes to dealing with those issues that confront the Arab world. Moreover these differences are reflected in the content [of Arab League decisions]. We find that the Arab League plays an inactive role, contrary to what we would have hoped, and this ultimately is in the interest of Israel, which as ever seeks to fragment the Arabs in order to serve its own interests.

Al-Monitor: How do you evaluate the crisis that has broken out between the Journalists Syndicate and the Ministry of the Interior?

Gamal: It is extremely unfortunate that the crisis between the syndicate and the Interior Ministry has grown out of proportion. The dispute between them is basically about how to apply the law. Now the case is in the hands of the General Prosecutor, and in the Egyptian judiciary there is no authority above that of the law. We must respect its verdicts, whatever they are.

Al-Monitor: Do you expect that terrorist elements are involved in the downing of the Egyptian plane that was arriving from Paris?

Gamal: I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of the victims, on both the French and the Egyptian sides. I dont rule out the possibility that terrorist elements are involved in this events, as all scenarios are still on the table. But we must wait for the results of the investigation, in cooperation with the French side, so that we can learn the real reasons behind this painful event. We should not get ahead of events.
May 24, 2016

Many decent people in Israel and around the world are concerned that the decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu into the government  rather than the center-left Zionist Camp  and to appoint Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman minister of defense will undermine prospects for a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. They believe the accusation Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog hurled at radical leftists in his party for allegedly sabotaging a historic opportunity to promote regional peace. They claim that Netanyahu was a stones throw from the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, but as the Americans say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and no one is likely to be tasting any of that pudding. On the other hand, Netanyahu has flunked all his previous exams in Regional Peace 101. The grades of deposed Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon weren't any better.

The current political turmoil will not sabotage prospects for peace. The composition of the new government, like that of its predecessor and the one that never materialized with the Zionist Camp, does not change the fact that zero plus zero equals zero. Even the dovish mien that Netanyahu put on for a brief moment will probably not open the publics eyes to the realization that the king remains a hawk leading them to perdition. For now it would be best to let the United States along with the other members of the Middle East Quartet  the European Union, United Nations and Russia  try their hand at shaking the Israeli public out of its lethargy. All forces of Israeli society, from the enlightened right to the purist left, must be mobilized now to defend democracy.

The first step is to accept that Netanyahu is not going to change. His designated defense minister is not the only one to have honored him with such epithets as liar and crook. The course of history would have been no different had Netanyahu accepted Herzogs demand to personally sign off on the agreements they reached in their talks for a diplomatic initiative. What was Netanyahus signature worth on the 1998 Wye River Memorandum alongside those of Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat and President Bill Clinton? Instead of handing over to the Palestinians parts of Area C in the West Bank, as stipulated by that agreement, Netanyahu transferred (and continues to transfer) the land for the construction of settler homes.

What was the point of Netanyahus commitment, while a member of the security cabinet of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to uproot unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank, as laid out in the 2003 road map? Does anyone remember UN Security Council Resolution 1515, unanimously approved at the request of President George W. Bush, to adopt the road map?

A year ago, Netanyahu addressed the lost opportunity to promote a regional peace before a large audience. At a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany, the prime minister explained that interests shared by Israel and the Arab states vis-a-vis Iran were creating opportunities to promote alliances and possibly move peace forward. So he said, and so what?

Even if Ya'alon not been booted out as defense minister, he would not have salvaged that regional peace approach, in general, nor the two-state solution, in particular. Just a brief reminder: In June 2015 at the Herzliya Conference, Ya'alon had said that he saw no chance of a stable arrangement in the region in his lifetime. Before that, in January 2014, he had said, The only thing that can save us is for [Secretary of State] John Kerry to win a Nobel Prize and leave us in peace.

I dont know a single political analyst who believes that in Netanyahus political lifetime, with Herzog and Ya'alon or without them, Israel will move closer to an agreement with the Palestinians. What politician eyeing the countrys leadership will offer to give up the occupied territories, knowing that 70% of Jewish Israelis refuse to acknowldege the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem? Beggars cant be choosers, goes the proverb. I cant believe Im writing this, but for Israelis to keep their state, the slogan two states for two people must be archived and replaced by a union of forces to salvage democracy in the State of Israel. The various peace plans must be replaced by a common denominator around which a broad public and alternative leadership can unite  the State of Israels Declaration of Independence.

Ya'alon, Herzog, left-wing Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On, former Likud Minister Benny Begin, former Likud Minister Gideon Saar, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, centrist Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, former Likud minister Dan Meridor, Zionist Camp co-leader Tzipi Livni and former Yisrael Beitenu Knesset member Orly Levy-Abekasis must form a joint political entity and ask the public for a mandate to implement what the fathers of the state envisaged in Israeli's founding document:

The State of Israel will  promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew Prophets; will uphold full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture.  We yet call upon the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to  play their part in the development of the state, with full and equal citizenship and due representation in its bodies and institutions  provisional or permanent.

These principles also guided Theodor Herzl, the visionary of the Jewish state. My associates and I make no distinctions between one man and another. We do not ask to what race or religion a man belongs. If he is a man, that is enough for us, wrote the father of Zionism in Altneuland. His moral legacy was establish your state in such a way that the non-Jew will feel himself well among you.

In On State and Social Problems, Zeev Jabotinsky, the founder of Revisionist Zionism, wrote that of three evils  minority rule, anarchy and majority rule  the third is the least evil and thus the preferred choice. The man after whom the headquarters of the Likud movement  the so-called Jabotinsky Fortress  is named wrote that the role of democracy is to ensure minorities a say in running the affairs of state, given that a minority is but composed of individuals, created in the image and likeness of God.

There is no certainty that such ruminations would gain Herzl and Jabotinsky entry to the current Knesset. It is fairly certain, however, that if a joint front to salvage democracy in Israel is not soon formed, the legacy of Herzl and Jabotinsky will clear the way for the legacy of the right-wing nationalist Rehavam Zeevi  that is, racism and hatred of the other.
It's time to vote for the Best of Birmingham 2016.

As the metro area grows, the annual Birmingham magazine tradition of finding and honoring the Best of Birmingham gets better every year as more and more exciting things are happening here.

Our categories this year include Wine & Dine, See & Do, People & Places, Shop & Splurge, and Best Workplaces--providing more opportunity than ever to recognize excellence in our city.

And we need you to help us find this year's Best of Birmingham winners by voting for your favorites throughout each category in the form below. Simply browse through the categories and fill in the blanks with your favorites.

The winners will be announced later this year in the magazine's September issue--the annual Best of Birmingham issue. So, please help us celebrate the Best of Birmingham 2016 by being a part of this exciting process.

Voting ends June 13 at 12 p.m.
Cummings Research Park will look very different under guidelines listed in a new master plan presented today by the Chamber of Commerce in Huntsville.

Nearly nine months after hiring architecture and design firm Perkins+Will (P+W) to lead the master planning process, the Chamber unveiled a new blueprint for CRP, the second-largest research park in the U.S. and fourth-largest in the world.

P+W provides an image of a proposed mixed-use node in CRP. (Courtesy photo)

Erin Koshut, who was hired last summer as the director of CRP, said companies are looking for more than a suburban office park. To continue thriving in the future, she said CRP must become a vibrant urban center of gravity for high-tech research and development in the north Alabama region.

The new master plan, the first for CRP in four decades, seeks to do just that.

"It really does transform the park and it's based on market needs," Koshut said. "It's based on what companies are looking for and to create vibrancy within our park. We've done some really phenomenal things in this park, and we've got a really great heritage and strong companies and fantastic people, and now what we do is look at the next 50 years and evolve and change the park in a way that supports that."

P+W Senior Project Designer Jeff Williams said the park must support the entire life cycle of growth for companies in Huntsville, from the idea and incubation phases to commercialization and stability. One idea includes a new startup village where entrepreneurs can gather to discuss ideas and grow their businesses in a space that is both affordable and nimble enough to meet their needs.

The master plan said the old Chrysler building near Calhoun Community College's new campus could be transformed into a "catalytic Maker-Hacker Village with facilities, equipment and programs to incubate creativity around cyber-physical endeavors, fabrication and prototyping."

"In these places, there's actually a tremendous amount of opportunity and for us that opportunity is around creating a place for startup businesses," Williams said.

Changes could also include two mixed-use nodes at the corner of Bradford and Wynn drives and at the far northwest corner of Technology Drive adjacent to Madison Square Mall, which was bought by The Grove Huntsville in 2014 for $5 million. Developer RCP Companies plans to redevelop the struggling shopping center in the future.

The proposed nodes would operate in the Scale-Up District and feature business and lifestyle services, cafes and restaurants, and some housing to support the primary science and technology business focus within CRP. Williams said they would also support the lifestyles of the workers Huntsville is trying to attract.

P+W also calls for growth on undeveloped parcels at the western edge of CRP.

"Multi-tenancy of buildings is allowable but restricted within the (Commercial) District and a network of parks, trails activate the landscape and a small mixed-use node is proposed near Bridge Street Town Centre," the plan said.

To read the full master plan and see the park's new branding and website, visit hsvchamber.org/crp.html.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the city may pay for the master plan by adopting a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) overlay, allowing increases in property taxes to fund improvements inside the park. A business association or district where members pitch in on the cost of improvements is also an option.

"A lot of those things are being looked at right now as ways that we can continue to fund all of the improvements that we see in the park," Battle said.

Koshut said they will meet with CRP stakeholders this summer to get their feedback on the plan and allow them to ask questions. In late August or early September, CRP will make any necessary changes to the plan before it is presented for final approval to the CRP board, Huntsville Planning Commission and Huntsville City Council.

Koshut said they didn't allow budgetary restrictions to drive the formation of the master plan, which will require some new zoning guidelines inside the park.

"We wanted to let the market and what was needed drive the new recommended master plan, and then we would determine the funding necessary to support that," she said.

CRP has more than 300 companies and 29,000 employees. Officials hope an updated master plan will bring CRP into the future, produce jobs, attract and retain businesses and lure young professionals to the area.
Mention 'Eggbeater Jesus' and most any Huntsvillian will know what you're talking about. The glass tile mosaic that graces the front of the First Baptist Church on Governors Drive - officially, its name is 'Cosmic Christ' - has been a local icon for more than 40 years.

The church doesn't embrace or reject the mosaic's unofficial (and somewhat irreverent) nickname, said Jud Reasons, First Baptist's executive pastor. At this point, it's inescapable.

Eggbeater Jesus has its own Wikipedia page. There are memes. It's the only inanimate object listed in the book "Legendary Locals of Huntsville."

"It's on Google maps as 'Eggbeater Jesus,'" said Reasons. "I can't change it."

The mosaic, which depicts Jesus Christ surrounded by the cosmos, is 47 feet high and 154 feet long.

It weighs 6 tons, but "it's getting lighter every day," said Todd Westbrook, chair of First Baptist's committee of trustees.

"One of our members joked that if you walk under the tile, carry an umbrella," said Travis Collins, FBC's senior pastor. "It's been falling for decades."

Apollo's heyday

Tile began falling off the mosaic not long after it was dedicated in January 1974.

"This thing has been studied more than anything except the Bible around here," quipped Collins.

The mosaic - originally composed of 1.4 million square glass tiles - was designed and fabricated by Gordon William Smith, a stained glass artist from Fort Worth, Texas. Smith also designed and installed the stained-glass sanctuary windows.

In 1963, First Baptist relocated from downtown Huntsville to its current site on Governors Drive, in what was then a turnip pasture on the outskirts of town.

The mosaic was commissioned during the heyday of the Apollo program. Huntsville was a city growing by leaps and bounds, and its residents were proud to be connected to the program sending Americans to the moon.

The mosaic's design reflected that optimism and passion for progress.

"They were trying to meld the idea of a community that was both scientific and faith-based," said Westbrook. "They saw it as a way to pay homage to the created and the creator at the same time."

A church newsletter from 1971 described the mosaic's theme this way: "Members of the church and their pastor, Dr. Alvin H. Hopson, feel that the work reflects the forward-looking atmosphere of Huntsville and its Marshall Space Flight Center where the Saturn moon rocket is built.

"According to the artist, the design of the mosaic is based on the first chapter of the book of Revelation in which Christ is described as galactic and universal - the Christ of earth, of space, of eternity.'"

But the brightly-colored "Cosmic Christ" has not aged well. Hundreds - probably thousands - of tiles are missing, leaving white or gray empty patches scattered across the cosmos. Broken tiles can often be found on the sidewalk beneath.

The church has tried various methods of repair over the years, with little success.

Since 2003, said Westbook, the church commissioned two different studies to determine the best way to fix it.

"The conclusion of both," he said, "was that it's unrepairable."

The studies found multiple points of failure, including in the tiles themselves, which are machine-made pressed glass, about the size of a thumbnail. They don't have enough surface area for proper bonding to the surface of the building. The tiles were bonded to some sort of netting with an epoxy that didn't work well with the smooth substrate wall - another point of failure, as the wall was too smooth to bond well with the cement.

"The church has been almost unanimous in the fact that we have to do something," said Westbrook.

High-def update

Earlier this month, the church voted overwhelmingly in favor of replacing the mosaic entirely - and making the new mosaic as close to the original work as possible.

"We wanted to respect those who created it," said Westbrook.

"There was a lot of discussion" around whether to faithfully recreate the current mosaic or design something different, said Westbrook.

"Some view the mosaic one way and some another. But we think the common foundation for everyone here is what we started with."

It will be the same, and yet not the same. The trustees have spent the better part of a year meeting with experts and potential contractors before coming up with a plan.

The new Cosmic Christ will be constructed from 4.3 million blown glass tiles, hand-cut in Italy by the Barsanti Marble Bronze Mosaic company. The original mosaic had just 1.4 million tiles.

"The fabricators said it's like going from analog to HD," said Westbrook. "We have about 60 colors in the mosaic now; we'll get close to 1,000 colors when it's replaced."

The new tiles will be reflective, giving the design a more brilliant appearance than the current tiles, which are matte.

The mosaic will be replaced over the next five years, one section - there are seven bays in all - at a time. Italian artists from Barsanti will arrive to lay the tiles in each bay as they are completed.

But first, a Florida company will use drones to photograph the existing mosaic in order to measure it for reproduction. That company, J. Piercey Studios, will also remove the mosaic, one bay at a time, as the new tiles arrive.

The church is still considering what to do with the old tiles. Leaders hope the process of removing and recreating the Cosmic Christ can provide educational opportunities for the community.

"We hope the arts community will embrace this as a celebration and a way to learn," said Collins. "We'd love to host classes and gatherings."

Worship and a gift

The project will cost approximately $1.4 million to complete. The church has already allocated some building money for the project, and has received a commitment of up to $500,000 in matching gifts from donors.

"Because of the generosity of a few individuals, and the entire church, we're not going to divert any of our missions money to this," said Collins. "We will still be able to invest in the community financially as we always have. That was important to us."

Westbrook said the timing was ideal, particularly after individual donors came forward, willing to give funding for a large portion of the project. Since the project was approved by church vote, he said, there's been a sense of excitement about it.

Reasons put it this way: "Can you imagine not doing it?"

Collins, only half-joking, compared it with Michaelangelo's ceiling at the Sistine Chapel.

"When the trustees of the Sistine Chapel decided to ask Michaelangelo to paint the ceiling, there were probably questions about the wisdom of such a project," he said.

"But my sense is they did it as an act of worship and as a gift to the world. Those are lofty goals. I don't intend to compare us to the Sistine Chapel, except that this too is an act of worship and a gift to the community."
A historic home with recent renovations, a new build with tons of space and a house on Lake Martin, all for around the same price. Here's what you get for between $725,000 and $754,900 in Homewood, Tuscaloosa and Alexander City.

HOMEWOOD



What: A historic home in Homewood that has been recently renovated.



Price: $739,000



Size: 2,124 square feet



Setting: This stylish, Tudor home, built in 1925, is located in the Hollywood neighborhood of Homewood close to coffee shops, restaurants and more.



Inside: This three bedroom, two bathroom house has recently been updated so that is offers modern living while keeping its original charm. Features include custom cabinets, marble countertops, a La Cornue Range, a master bathroom with two closets, tons of natural sunlight and more.



Outside: In addition to plenty of indoor living space, the house also has a large deck and a large, fenced-in backyard for outdoor entertaining. There is also a detached, two-car garage with upstairs storage available.



Contact: Stacy Flippen, Arc Realty, (205) 969-8910

TUSCALOOSA



What: A two-story home that was recently built in Tuscaloosa.



Price: $754,900



Size: 4,200 square feet



Setting: Located in the Townes of North River neighborhood, this house, built in 2015, is close to parks, coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, shopping and more.



Inside: This Charleston-inspired home includes five bedrooms and four bathrooms. In addition to plenty of charm and a spacious layout, this house also offers custom trim work, marble countertops, eat-in bar, Viking appliances, breakfast nook, a gas fireplace, soaking tub, walk-in shower, master suite with large closets, wood accents and more.



Outside: Thanks to its two-story, wraparound porch, the house has 1,800 square feet of outdoor living space for entertaining or relaxing. There is also a covered patio.



Contact: Wes York, Hamner Real Estate, (205) 799-8080

ALEXANDER CITY



What: A single-family home seated on Lake Martin in Alexander City.



Price: $725,000



Size: 2,968 square feet



Setting: This private, lakefront home, which was built in 2004, is located on a large, wooded lot in the Windover Subdivision within minutes from Russell Crossroads.



Inside: This six bedroom, three bathroom house offers lots of comfort and style through its modern, open floor plan. Features include lots of natural light, tile flooring, a wood-burning fireplace, vaulted, wooden ceilings and more.



Outside: In addition to water access to Lake Martin, this lake home includes a deck and porch for outdoor living in addition to large pier with two floating docks. There is also a two-car garage.



Contact: Amy Duncan, Lake Martin Realty, (256) 212-1498
The 16th Doha Forum has wrapped up with speakers from around the world touching on issues ranging from global and regional security to conflict resolution and climate change.

The conference, organised by Qatars foreign ministry, was attended by heads of state from South Africa, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mauritius, and Niger, along with Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatars foreign minister, delivered the countrys statement as Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, sat in attendance.

He stressed the need to support human rights and bolster security for the people of the Middle East region  and around the world.

Repression, tyranny, double standards and violating human rights and basic freedoms constitute the underlying threats to elements of human security, he said.

According to Sheikh Mohammed, achieving peace in the volatile Middle East is directly linked to ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.



People and Power  Boycott Israel

His remarks, meanwhile, read as a clear policy statement that sets the parameters of Qatars foreign policy when it comes to its approach and dealings with the regions combustible environment.

He also made it clear the main foreign policy instrument of his country is the soft diplomacy of mediation efforts, while at the same time discouraging the use of force to resolve disputes.

It is worth mentioning that Qatars foreign policy has witnessed a paradigm shift that started with the ascension of Sheikh Tamim to power in 2013.

That shift came to address, in part, some of the past regional criticism of its more assertive foreign policy.

This is particularly important because the region is now more unstable than ever before with active wars in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya.

Qatars falling back on its primary foreign policy doctrine of mediation is perhaps designed to help regional actors reach a point where keeping their countries intact and stabilised becomes a priority and in their own interests. It also helps to enhance Qatars regional standing as an indispensable partner in a chaotic and burning region.

Sheikh Mohammed also criticised the international community for failing the Syrian people and its inability to the end the humanitarian catastrophe there.

Ramona Manescu, European Parliament member from Romania, criticised Russia in one of the sessions for its intervention in Syria on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad, saying it has prolonged the suffering of the Syrian people.

Manescu accused Russia of using Syria as a card to leverage it with the West against sanctions imposed over Russias war in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

READ MORE: Israel  The rise of the new messianic elite

Many Arab leaders and governments have come to view Israels occupation of Palestine and its behaviour towards the Palestinians as strictly an Israeli-Palestinian problem, not an Arab one.

Thats a departure from a bygone era when the struggle against the occupation was a central theme that brought Arab states together.

Therefore, Qatars official foreign policy towards the occupation and the plight of Palestinians sets it apart from the majority of the Arab world.

Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian Liberation Organisations chief negotiator with Israel, spoke about his peoples need for international backing to force Israel to end its decades-old takeover of Palestinian lands.

Erekat compared what he called the right-wing extremism of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, with that of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

What is the difference between one who calls himself the leader of the Jewish state, and another who calls himself as the leader of the Islamic State, he said in one his many sharp rebukes of Netanyahu.

The two-state solution is the only possible solution that would put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, he said.
Senior cleric from Esfahan to head 88-member council responsible for selecting successor of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Irans Assembly of Experts has elected a well-known hardliner in its rank to head the council of clerics responsible for selecting the successor of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

A majority of the 88-member council voted on Tuesday in favour of Ahmad Jannati, keeping the council in the hands of ultra-conservatives, while countering the gains by reformists and moderates during the elections in February.

The 89-year-old cleric, from the southern city of Esfahan, also heads the Guardian Council, which is responsible for overseeing the legislation passed by the countrys parliament, and approving candidates for various elections.





He is the father of Ali Jannati, President Hassan Rouhanis culture minister.

Council members, who are elected every eight years, oversee the work of Irans supreme leader and will eventually pick the successor of Khamenei.

Before the voting, Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, sent a message urging the clerics to work to protect the countrys Islamic and revolutionary character.

Ghanbar Naderi, a journalist with the Tehran-based Kayhan International, however, said that despite the election of Jannati, the council has no choice but to pave the way for improved relations with the West.

The current assembly would be flogging a dead horse if they are still under the illusion that they can elect a very hardline and conservative leadership that is going to stop Irans interaction with the international community, Naderi told Al Jazeera.

He said the election in February points to an overwhelming support for moderation in the country.

Before his election, Jannati also ran but lost the Assembly of Experts chairmanship to former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in 2007.

Reports on Tuesday said that Rafsanjani had failed to muster enough votes to mount a serious challenge and instead fielded Ebrahim Amini, a 92-year-old moderate figure. The other candidate was former Chief Justice Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.

Ariane Tabatabai, an Iran expert and professor at Georgetown University, said that because of the internal nomination process, the position of Assembly of Expert speaker goes to more conservative figures.

Despite Jannatis victory, she said, the moderates are still doing pretty well in general in Iranian politics.

How this will evolve if Iran doesnt get what it bargained for with the deal is a different story, she told Al Jazeera, referring to the nuclear agreement the Rouhani administration signed with world powers last July.

That actually is a bigger concern for the moderates than this development.
The UN bodys Lakshmi Puri on sex abuse allegations against UN peacekeepers and getting men to give up their privilege.

Bogota, Colombia  Since it was formed in 2010, UN Women has carried the mandate of promoting gender equality and womens empowerment across the globe. Success has been mostly patchy for an agency that must navigate social and cultural barriers and the sensitivities of member states.

Critics say that its focus on running high-level campaigns and building partnerships is insufficient and misguided when, for half of the worlds population, economic and social equality remains an elusive dream.

Almost 40,000 girls are child brides today. Rape, harassment and sexual violence, by state and non-state actors, remains a weapon of choice in conflicts worldwide  one even United Nations peacekeepers stand accused of wielding.

Al Jazeera asked Lakshmi Puri, the deputy executive director of UN Women, what her organisation is doing to improve the plight of the worlds women.

Al Jazeera: Name five challenges facing women today.

Lakshmi Puri: I would say the discrimination, inequality and violence that women face on a persistent basis. For women around the world, without any exception, [this] is the No 1 challenge.

The other challenge is social and cultural norms that really hold back gender equality, womens empowerment and the full realisation of womens human rights.

Changing this is really critical, [so is] the project of changing social norms, gender stereotypes and gendered roles.

We need men and boys on our side and to be partners, getting men and boys to give up their position of privilege. Cutting across this is the role of the state.

RELATED: Mother Justice  waging a war on rape

Another challenge is addressing issues such as formal workforce participation. Most women, particularly in developing countries, work in the informal sector and are in vulnerable employment and face  even those who are qualified, educated  what is called the glass pyramid and the wage gap.

The other area is parity  gender parity in voice, participation [and] leadership .Thats something that we really need to address in country after country, including the countries of the democratic West, who are leaders in gender equality; they have not reached parity in parliament [nor] parity in their executive leadership

Al Jazeera: How do you get men to give up their privilege?

Puri: Its already happening. Men have to take leadership and inspire other men to understand that mutually respectful relationships [where] you share the burden of child-rearing and parenting  [are] something that is equally joyful for a man.

It is also about the idea of masculinity: unpacking the negative ideas of machismo and masculinity, bringing down those gendered divisions of labour and gender-driven roles and unpacking those roles.

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I think that is something that is already happening and thats the movement we are driving through the He for She campaign [and] through our partnerships with the Men Engage movement, [and] the Promundomovement. These movements are really trying to change the social norms which also then help men regard their participation in the gender equality movement as a privilege.

Al Jazeera: Are you able to confront member states over their policies or if, for example, their leader uses sexist language?

Puri: Well, we do indeed have this very important role of being a global advocate for womens rights, and we will continue to play that role in every way.

But of course we are also an intergovernmental organisation. So, what we have to do is to be the voice, but also be the platform from where voices can be amplified, and voices of women from all constituencies and all causes can be amplified.

And of course our assertion on human rights is across the board.

Al Jazeera: Does UN Women represent member states or women?

Puri: We are an intergovernmental organisation created by the General Assembly. We are the only 21st century UN entity that has been created as a reform model  an innovative, young, dynamic reform model.

The secretary-general recently said how we had made our mark but having said that, of course, our mission and what we represent is about every woman, every girl. It is their realities that we advocate for, it is the change that we see is to empower them, to give them equal rights, and also it is about partnering with all those other actors who either represent them directly or indirectly.

RELATED: Turning the page for feminism

I talked about civil society  about young womens organisations. We have a whole rainbow and a whole spectrum of womens organisations representing different themes, representing different intersectionalities, like indigenous women, rural women, all of these. So all of these we claim not to represent but to serve.

Al Jazeera: Are your hands tied when it comes to approaching governments?

Puri: Our hands are not tied in supporting governments, urging governments to do the right [thing], at the same time mobilising all the actors to support them in implementing and to also support them [in] holding themselves to account. The Sustainable Development Goals provide a frame and there is a commitment and the UN system has asked to do it, so its not only that we are asking.

Al Jazeera: What is the position of UN Women on violence against women in conflict zones?

Puri: We have a stance of zero tolerance and we have been highlighting through our advocacy that this is unacceptable. We also bring out how, in conflicts, it has been said that, more than soldiers, women are most at risk of violence of various kinds, including sexual violence in conflicts and in post-conflict situations.

RELATED: Waging a lyrical war against FGM

Sexual violence is often used as a weapon of war by the parties concerned and we have been, therefore, advocating for a pact by all concerned to make sure that this is prevented. The prevention policy is very important. We worked with many of these parties on the ground  there are at least 22 conflict countries where we work on the ground to train forces, engage with all parties and combatants  on the ground.

Al Jazeera: Is it working?

Puri: It is a very difficult issue but we have to act and we are acting and this is now something that governments have to take responsibility [for] and that is also something that we are pushing [for].

Al Jazeera: What about when governments and their soldiers commit sexual offences?

Puri: That is zero tolerance  it should not happen. This is an issue of dignity and it is an issue of human rights and it should not happen and we are working very much with the rest of the UN system and with all our partners, civil society included, on the ground to make sure that this is prevented, that women are protected, that when this happens, that they get justice. Its very important that perpetrators are prosecuted and convicted.

Al Jazeera: But none of this seems to be taking place.

Puri: In all of these areas there is action being taken but its not enough and theres so much more that needs to be done.

Al Jazeera: Has UN Women ever issued a statement on the alleged involvement of UN peacekeepers in sexual violence?

Puri: Absolutely. We are in sync with whatever [the] secretary-general has also said on this and he is very committed and he has also said that the actions of a few should not overshadow the commitment and the good work that the rest of the UN is doing. So, in fact, he has taken a very principled stance and we are all committed to supporting that. And UN Women has been a very vocal and  very proactive actor on the ground in terms of preventing these incidents.

Al Jazeera: There seems to be a lack of transparency when it comes to the crimes committed against women by UN peacekeepers.

Puri: We have to [look] at the architecture of peacekeeping and peace-making and political missions and all of that; how [all] that is done. And I think the secretary-general has recognised that.
As Chinese women face stigma for remaining unmarried past their late 20s, the boyfriends for rent business is booming.

Beijing, China  Celia stood in the corner of the room, removing her shoes and putting on her slippers.

We were about to meet her parents. She was anxious. So was I.

I had been starting to regret coming to the city of Harbin, in northeastern China. Fooling Celias parents into thinking I was her boyfriend suddenly didnt seem like such a good idea.

You see, for about a week in February, I was her fake boyfriend.

Celia is in her late 20s, has a career and is unmarried. That sounds completely normal, doesnt it?

But many Chinese do not see it that way. In their eyes, women should be wed by their late 20s.

Those who arent, like Celia, are branded sheng nu or leftover women.

And it isnt only the older generation that thinks that way.

But what does this have to do with me?

Well, let me start by explaining that being a fake boyfriend isnt my day job. Im actually an events producer.

I knew Celia through a mutual friend. It was the two of them who came up with the idea of her renting a boyfriend in order to alleviate some of the pressure her parents were placing on her to marry.

For many Chinese, the New Year is the only opportunity they get to see their families. Bringing home a boyfriend or girlfriend at this time is pretty much like announcing your engagement.

READ MORE: Chinas leftover women

In recent years, Ive heard more about people renting boyfriends or girlfriends to please their parents and ease the pressure on them to marry. There used to be a section on Taobao, Chinas largest e-commerce site, dedicated to renting boyfriends and girlfriends for the day, but it has since been closed. These days, everything goes through QQ, Chinas equivalent of MSN Messenger or AOL, where the going rate is about 1,000 RMB (roughly $150) per day.

It is still a rather niche market. I suspect most people think bringing home a fake partner to meet their parents sounds like the plot of a bad rom-com movie.

When Celia got cold feet about renting a stranger, I was asked to step in  she wanted someone she knew and who she felt could act the part.

I had nothing in particular planned for Chinese New Year, so I agreed. And before long, we were on a train, heading towards Harbin, which is famed for its Russian aesthetics and ice sculptures.

En route, Celia and I fleshed out the backstory of how we met, what her favourite colour is  black, I think  and my distaste for lobster  essential stuff. The plan was to deceive Celias parents into believing that she was doing well  in her career and her love life.

I was pretty calm until about 15 minutes before we were due to meet them. Celia, on the other hand, was anxious from the beginning. The initial excitement had worn off and she was starting to feel guilty about trying to deceive her family and her friends. Still, she was determined to go through with it.

We first met her friends, but they saw through our ruse within a minute or two.

Then there was her parents  lovely people who took less than five minutes to work out that something was amiss.

He is too tall and too handsome for you, her mother said. You need a shorter and more plain man. It seemed a bit harsh.

READ MORE: Chinas red princess turned investigative journalist

I think, perhaps, deep down, Celia wanted her parents to find out.

And even though our plan failed, nobody seemed very bothered by it.

So, why would somebody go through the trouble of finding a fake boyfriend to deceive their parents?

I think Celia wanted her parents to stop worrying about her; she wanted to make them happy and to give them some peace of mind.

The notion that women should marry young seems to be engrained in Chinese culture. Im not sure how to tackle the stigma of sheng nu, but I think bringing attention to the issues these women face is a good start.

And it isnt only women who are affected.

Chinese men also want to bring home a girlfriend. They might not face as much pressure to marry as women do, but every Chinese parent wants their child to settle down and have children.

READ MORE: Chinas Great Famine  A mission to expose the truth

A male friend in his mid-20s told me his mother insists that he begin saving to start a family, even though he has no interest in settling down now.

I jokingly called him a leftover man. He wasnt too fond of the term, which is used almost exclusively for women.

The expectation is that marriage comes first for women and careers second, while for men, a successful career is a priority so that they can provide for their families.

But Celia just wants freedom: freedom from the expectations imposed on her by society, freedom from family pressure to marry and freedom to follow whichever path she chooses.
The assassination of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor will not bring peace to Afghanistan.

The balance of power in Afghanistan shifted, perhaps permanently, with the reported assassination of the Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in a United States drone strike on Saturday.

Since the Afghan government announced the death of the Taliban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar last July, on the eve of what would have been historical peace talks, the Islamist movement he created has slowly but gradually been falling apart.

The revelation of Omars death was as significant for the Taliban as that of Osama bin Ladens was to al-Qaeda militants based in Afghanistan and Pakistan. With Omar gone, the Taliban no longer had an undisputed spiritual leader whose every edict was law.





Many in the Taliban were furious that Mansoor, his deputy, had kept the demise of Omar a secret for more than two years.

Begrudgingly, most accepted his leadership for the sake of the unity of the group, but he was never embraced and lived in fear of being assassinated by rivals. Indeed, after being wounded last December at a reconciliation meeting near Quetta, the capital of western Balochistan province, he went into hiding.

A tactical alliance

Apparently, he travelled to Iran in late March where, according to Pakistani analyst Hamid Mir, he met with representatives of the government to discuss a tactical alliance against the regional franchise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

ALSO READ: Everything you dont need to know about Mullah Omar

He may well have spent much of his time there in the eastern Iranian city of Zabol, located close to the border with Afghanistan, where a notable Taliban community has lived since the US invasion in 2001, according to my sources in the Taliban.

His refusal to participate in peace talks echoed his need to offset allegations that he was overly sympathetic to Pakistan's position. by

In the first instance, that seems a strange arrangement, considering the otherwise conflicting agendas of Iran and the Taliban, but it is hardly unusual in the context of Afghanistan, where loyalties shift like dunes.

For example, Hezb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar last week signed a peace agreement with the Afghan government, after having allied himself with ISIL last year, but was a guest of Iran for several years after the US invasion.

During the Soviet occupation, Hekmatyar was allied with Pakistans Jamaat-e-Islami, a Wahhabi Islamist political party. After the Red Army left, he was supported by Islamabad in the 1991 conquest of Jalalabad, the capital of his native Nangarhar province, which straddles the border with northwest Pakistans Khyber tribal area.

During the pre-Taliban period, Hekmatyar repeatedly tried to seize Kabul and is remembered by older Afghans as the only compatriot to have shelled the capital, in 1992.

That campaign brought Hekmatyar into conflict with forces commanded by Ahmad Shah Massoud, the defence minister and leader of the ethnic Tajik militia that resisted Soviet attempts to conquer the strategic Panjshir (five lions) Valley.

His most senior commanders included Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistans incumbent chief executive, who was instrumental in negotiating last weeks deal with Hekmatyar.

That puts into perspective the assassination of Mullah Mansoor, as well as the role of the Taliban in Afghanistans messy political dispensation.

Until he refused outright to participate in the peace talks proposed in January by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group  comprising Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US  Mansoor was classified as a potential partner in peace, by both the Afghan and US governments.

His death can only add to the instability in Afghanistan. His refusal to participate in peace talks echoed his need to offset allegations that he was overly sympathetic to Pakistans position.

ALSO READ: Afghanistan and the Taliban need Pakistan for peace

The Talibans brief seizure of the northern city of Kunduz last September and territorial gains in nearly all contested areas of Afghanistan was undertaken both to punish Kabul for undermining Mansoors credibility and to consolidate the Talibans factions, to prevent them from drifting into the ISIL camp.

Leadership credibility

Mansoors successor will face the same challenge, with the marked difference that he will be incessantly pursued by US special forces and the CIA, which have more or less reassumed the lead military role in Afghanistan this year, following the abysmal performance of the Afghan National Army last year after taking over command from US-led NATO forces.

He, too, will have to establish leadership credibility by leading a successful year of fighting, but will struggle even more than Mansoor to prevent the inevitable fragmentation of the Taliban.

Senior US commanders pushing US President Barack Obama to approve an extended troop presence, up to 2020, largely in the form of military advisers who plan and supervise the execution of operations by Afghan troops, and are supported by special forces-CIA teams and their drones, which have delivered more air strikes this year than warplanes have.

The enhanced and extended US military role in Afghanistan is a mirror image of its strategy in Iraq, which seeks to strengthen weak central governments until they are strong enough to deal with their weakened jihadist nemeses and domestic political rivals.

However, even a cursory reading of Afghanistans history shows that the country has been at war for several millennia and no externally imposed political dispensation has ever survived.

It remains a battlefield for competing vested interests, predominantly warlords with varying external sponsors.

As such, they always win, with taxpayers in sponsor nations footing the bill, while the Afghan civilian population pays an ever higher price.

Tom Hussain is a journalist and Pakistan affairs analyst based in Islamabad.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
France is suffering from major fuel shortages, with oil refineries blockaded by striking oil workers who are unhappy with planned changes to Frances labour regulations.

Six out of the eight refineries in the country have either stopped operating or have reduced output.

Riot police fired tear gas and water canon to break up a picket line blocking access to Exxon Mobil Corps refinery outside the southern port city of Marseilles, as scores of petrol stations nationwide ran out of fuel on Tuesday.

Enough is enough, said Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

Frances labour reforms: Pro-business or pro-worker?

The pre-dawn swoop drew a sharp riposte from the Confederation Generale du Travail (CGT) union, which wants to force President Francois Hollandes government to rethink the labour reforms designed to make it easier for companies to hire and fire employees.

The CGT described the police operation as an act of unprecedented violence as it and other unions served notice of a June 3-5 strike by air traffic controllers that will dovetail with walkouts by state rail employees, port workers and staff on the Paris metro and suburban rail networks.

Hollande, on the other hand, says labour reform is crucial to creating new jobs and blames the fuel blockade on a small minority of people.

In parts of France, motorists swamped petrol stations, some using real-time mobile phone applications to learn where they could refill without queuing for hours or being turned away.

There is no petrol anywhere, one motorist in Paris told Al Jazeera.

Im upset because we seem to have been taken hostage by this strike. I understand why they must go on strike and why we must respect it, but for people who work, this is not practical, she said.

The government say that they have enough petrol stocks to cover this crisis, Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler reported from Paris.

They say the situation is actually under control. But of course many motorists are feeling a sense of panic  which is why we are seeing a rush to the petrol station.

The panic-buying amid fuel rationing in parts of France will compound the troubles of Hollande and his government as they strive to convince voters that things are getting better.

Emergency stocks could keep fuel stations open for up to two months if tapped, according to experts. But Valls said the actions of pickets aimed at halting distribution would not be tolerated.

Hollande, Frances most unpopular leader in recent memory, has said he will only run for re-election if he hauls the jobless rate down.

The International Monetary Fund said this week that Frances economy was not recovering quickly enough to cut unemployment and debt significantly, and would not do so without further reforms.
Residents complain of noise and odour after more than 100,000 bats overrun the Australian coastal town.

Batemans Bay, a coastal town south of Sydney, has been invaded by more than 100,000 bats.

The New South Wales state government said it would commit about $1.8m to help the local council to disperse the animals, according to local media.

The animals, known as grey-headed flying foxes, are considered a vulnerable species, meaning that they must be dispersed using non-lethal means, like smoke, or noise.

Animal rights groups have called for residents to remain patient and wait for the bats to move on of their own accord.

Residents cannot open windows and complain of the noise and odour from the animals.

Weve had many residents complain, they feel theyre prisoners in their own homes, they cant go out, they have to have air conditioning on the whole time, windows closed, New South Wales Environment Minister Mark Speakman said.

[The circumstances] really amount almost to a state of emergency.

Mayor Lindsay Brown said a range of options were being considered.

The current method that seems to be the one thats working the most  is extremely loud industrial noise combined with smoke and combined with bright lights in an effort to make the area where the flying foxes roost to be as uncomfortable as possible, broadcaster ABC quoted him as saying.
President Anastasiades calls off meeting with breakaway Turkish Cypriot leader over dinner invitation at UN summit.

Talks aimed at reunifying ethnically divided Cyprus stumbled when the Greek Cypriot president called off a meeting with the breakaway Turkish Cypriot leader and cut short a visit to Turkey over a perceived protocol breach at a UN summit.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who has been in Turkey for the World Humanitarian Summit since Monday, refused to attend an official dinner hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after learning that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci was also invited.

Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides later said in a brief statement that Anastasiades regretfully called off a meeting with Akinci scheduled for later this week in light of Mondays unacceptable actions.

He said the invitation to Akinci to the official dinner aimed to diplomatically upgrade the breakaway north of the island, which only Turkey recognises as an independent state. Ankara maintains more than 35,000 troops there.

READ MORE: Cyprus leaders resume talks on decades-old dispute

Implicitly blaming the United Nations for the controversy, Christodoulides said there was no fertile ground for Fridays planned meeting with Akinci in Nicosia.

Anastasiades, who attended the summit, was invited to the dinner but refused to go after he was told Akinci would also be there.

Cypruss state news agency CNA reported that Anastasiades said, Have a nice dinner, Im not coming when a UN envoy telephoned him to say Akinci had also been invited to the heads of state banquet.

Akinci, on the other hand, said he was finding the Greek Cypriot presidents reaction to his presence at Erdogans state dinner unreasonable.

They are being unreasonable by finding our presence [at the state dinner] hard to digest. Instead of acting on their emotions, they need to move forward using their reason and logic, Akinci told reporters.





I attended a dinner hosted by the Turkish president. I was there as a guest like everyone else, he said.

After dinner, I went in to an available room and talked to the UN secretary general. Why should this be interpreted as trying to sabotage the peace process?

The Turkish Cypriot leader also told reporters he is still planning to go to the meeting with Anastasiades on Friday.

There is no reason for the meeting to be cancelled, he said. We are going to get ready for that meeting as planned.

According to the statement by the government spokesman, Anastasiades said he remains committed to the year-long peace talks as long as rules of mutual respect are obeyed and both sides stick to the jointly expressed will to reach a mutually acceptable solution without unilateral actions aiming at the norths diplomatic upgrade.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup that Turkey feared was aimed at union with Greece.

The internationally recognised government of Cyprus in the islands Greek Cypriot southern half is strongly opposed to putting the breakaway north on an equal diplomatic footing because it considers the Turkish Cypriot government the product of an act of war which violated international law.

Neither Turkey nor the Turkish Cypriots recognise the Cypriot government.
Riot police launch gradual effort to remove more than 8,000 people from informal refugee camp on border with Macedonia.

Greek authorities have begun an operation to clear the countrys largest informal refugee camp in Idomeni on the Macedonian border, blocking access to the area and sending in more than 700 riot police.

The governments spokesman for the refugee crisis, Giorgos Kyritsis, said on Tuesday that police would not use force and that the operation was expected to last about a week to 10 days.

By late afternoon, 32 buses carrying a total of 1,529 people had left Idomeni, police said, while earth-moving machinery was used to clear abandoned tents.

Police and government authorities say the residents will be moved to newly completed official camps, including in the second-largest city, Thessaloniki.

But many refugees fear the alternatives will be worse and have resisted moves to transfer them from Idomeni.

Vicky Markolefa, a representative of the Doctors Without Borders charity, said the relocation operation was proceeding very smoothly on Tuesday but voiced concern over the facilities where the refugees were taken.

We are quite concerned whether these settlements are ready to host this amount of people in a dignified way, she said.

The Idomeni camp, which sprung up at an informal pedestrian border crossing for refugees heading north to Europe, is home to at least 8,400 people  including hundreds of children  mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

At its peak, when Macedonia shut its border in March, it housed more than 14,000, but the numbers have declined as people realised the border was shut and began accepting authorities offers of alternative places to stay.

In Geneva, UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said the evacuation appeared to be taking place calmly and the UN refugee agency was sending more staffers to Idomeni.

As long as the movement of people from Idomeni is  voluntary in nature [and] that were not seeing use of force, then we dont have particular concerns about that, he said.

It often does help to move people into more organised sites, when theyre willing to move to those places.

In Idomeni, most have been living in small camping tents pitched in fields and along rail tracks, while aid agencies have set up large marquee-style tents to help house people.

Greek authorities have been sending in cleaning crews regularly and have provided portable toilets, but conditions have been precarious at best, with heavy rain creating muddy ponds.

Greek authorities are also eager to re-open a railway line  the countrys main freight train line to the Balkans  that runs through the camp and has been blocked by protesting camp residents since March 20.

In recent weeks, the camp had begun taking on an image of semi-permanence, with refugees setting up small makeshift shops selling everything from cooking utensils to falafel and bread.

More than 54,000 refugees and migrants have been trapped in financially struggling Greece since Balkan and European countries shut their land borders to a massive flow of people escaping war and poverty at home.

Nearly a million people have passed through Greece, the vast majority arriving on islands from the nearby Turkish coast.

In March, the European Union reached an agreement with Turkey meant to stem the flow and reduce the number of people undertaking the short but perilous sea crossing to Greece, where many have died after their overcrowded, unseaworthy boats sank.

PHOTOS: The refugee crisis through the eyes of refugees

Under the deal, anyone arriving illegally on Greek islands from the Turkish coast after March 18 faces deportation back to Turkey, unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece.

But few want to request asylum in the country, which has been struggling with a six-year-long financial crisis that has left unemployment hovering at around 24 percent.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been criticised following a state comptroller report that concluded his financial records raise suspicions of criminal conduct.

Published on Tuesday, the State Comptroller Joseph Shapiras report noted that many of Netanyahus trips  including several with his family  were funded by foreign governments, public bodies and businessmen.





Netanyahu did not report any of the trips to government committees which determine whether the funding can be considered illegal gifts and thus a breach of Israeli law.

The report focuses on Netanyahus travels between 2002 and 2005, when he was the countrys finance minister.

The trips by Netanyahu and his family that were funded by external sources when he was finance minister deviated from the rules, and could give the impression of receiving a gift or of a conflict of interest, the report said.

Netanyahu, through his lawyers, has denied any wrongdoing, and it was not immediately clear whether Israels attorney general, who is also examining the issue, would launch any criminal investigation.

Netanyahus attorneys said the travel involved appearances at fundraising events for Israel in which  as the comptrollers report noted  host organisations abroad would pay for their guests expenses.

READ MORE: Should the US be neutral on Israel-Palestine?

Netanyahu, like other ministers at the time, Shapira found, had not provided full details of funding for their trips to a government committee, which the report said gave rubber stamp approval of their travel on official business.

On many of his trips, Netanyahu  who is now in his fourth term as prime minister  was accompanied by his wife Sara, and the couple, at times, also took along their two sons.

In 2014, then Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein closed an initial probe of Netanyahus foreign travel, saying available evidence provided no grounds for a criminal investigation.

But in his report, Shapira said new material has since been presented to Weinsteins successor, Avichai Mandelblit, at the new attorney generals request.

Suspicions of criminal activity have focused on whether there were instances when organisations were double-billed for Netanyahus travel and expenses.

David Shimron, a lawyer for the Netanyahu family, said there was no double-billing, and that the Israeli leader had raised tens of millions of dollars for Israel Bonds, which underwrite securities issued by the State of Israel.

During the relevant period, he behaved like everyone else  the report says  when it came to getting permission and approvals, Shimron told Israels Army Radio. So if hes not OK, no one is OK.
Israel, and not Jordan, is to blame for the travel restrictions on Palestinians, say officials.

Ramallah, Occupied West Bank  Last month, Mohamad Aref Hiles, 24, was supposed to travel from his home in the West Bank to Sweden to get married. Due to Israels travel restrictions for Palestinians, however, Hiles, like most Palestinians who travel abroad via another countrys airport, travelled through Jordan. There, he was shocked to discover that the Jordanian authorities had barred him from reaching his final destination. And he missed his wedding.

Amani al-Halaq is a similar case. Last January, she was travelling to Qatar to receive an award for a mobile translation application she had created but she could not get out of Gaza due to travel restrictions.

Both Palestinians had visas issued by the countries they were trying to reach, a feat in itself. Yet, they were prohibited from travelling because of what Human Rights Watch describes as a quiet policy implemented by Jordan since last year that bars Palestinians from moving through the Hashemite Kingdom on to final destinations.

The problem is extremely widespread, Sari Bashi, the Palestine director for Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera. To be fair, Jordan didnt create this. Israel is the one that has blocked all of the ports and exits out of Gaza, and up until recently Jordan played a very important role in facilitating through-travel for Palestinians seeking trips abroad.

HRW began investigating the permit refusals after receiving 58 complaints filed between August 2015 and January 2016. In many cases, HRW said that the Jordanian authorities failed to notify Palestinians that they were being denied a travel permit. This is just the tip of the iceberg, Bashi said. In some instances, Palestinians were sent refusals by text-message.

READ MORE: Israeli law tears Palestinian families apart

Most Palestinians living in the West Bank do not need special documents from Jordan for entry. Those who lived in the territory when it was under Jordanian control, between 1948 to 1967, and their heirs, many of whom were given Jordanian passports, can pass freely.

Even on a good day it's a travesty for a Palestinian to travel, but this is a result of the siege and the occupation. by Jamal Dajani, Palestinian Authority spokesman

However, the 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza, and the Palestinians in the West Bank, who relocated by the thousands with the return of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation in the 1990s, must obtain a no objection letter from the Jordanian consulate in Palestine before embarking on international travel, in order to be granted passage through Jordan.

In the West Bank, this effects between 50,000 to 100,000, Bashi said. She noted that HRW had tried to find the exact number of West Bank Palestinians with this status, but the Israeli, Palestinian, or Jordanian governments were unable to provide the data.

The rights group told the Jordanian prime ministers office that they had found a wide-scale refusal or non-responsiveness to requests for the no-objection letters.

Israel doesnt allow Palestinians to operate an airport or a seaport, so to travel abroad Palestinians have to use another countrys airport, Bashi said, explaining why Palestinians from Gaza will take lengthy trips through two Israeli-controlled crossings in order to fly out of Ammans airport.

Last March, Israel announced an easing of travel regulations and said it would increase permits for a first time in two decades for Palestinians wanting to leave Gaza via the northern Erez checkpoint. The change in policy included a limitation where Gazans could not return home for at least a year.

However, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, a Palestinian rights group, disputed the Israeli claims that it has eased the closure of the Gaza Strip. Palestinians originating from Gaza need two travel permits to reach the Allenby border with Jordan: One from Israel to leave and one from Jordan to enter.

Some Palestinian travellers from Gaza found themselves with a valid Israeli exit permit, yet no entrance visa from Jordan. People who in the past had travelled and got transit letters, no longer can, Bashi said.

Jordans Minister of Media Affairs, Mohammad al-Momani, denied the HRW claims saying that travel services for Palestinians continue as normal. What Jordan offers to our Palestinian brothers is not offered by any other country in the world and we continue to help them on all levels, including the humanitarian effort of freedom of movement, said al-Momani in a statement to Al Jazeera.

In 2015, Jordan facilitated the travel of more than 10,000 Palestinians, a Jordanian official said this week.

A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, Jamal Dajani, confirmed to Al Jazeera that there was no dispute between Amman and Ramallah, and that both parties had discussed the issue of the Palestinians travel ban in a recent conversation.We appreciate that Jordan always sides with the Palestinians on those issues, Dajani said, adding that the core difficulties for Palestinians wanting to leave Gaza is the responsibility of Israel as the occupying power.

Even on a good day, its a travesty for a Palestinian to travel, but this is a result of the [Israeli] siege and the occupation, Dajani told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE  Palestinian without ID: Its like I dont exist

Yet individual Palestinians, with transit permits rejected by Jordan during the last year, say Jordan is compounding their limitations to movement. Personally, the ban put me down at first. But I still believe we can make it, said Halaq of Jordans refusal to allow her to reach Qatar where she would have been given a scientific innovation award.





For Palestinians from Gaza wanting to go to a foreign country, travel was limited before the Jordanian policy. A general tightening was implemented after Hamas won the 2006 elections and Israel subsequently began its now decade-long blockade. From that point on the main thoroughfare to the outside world for Palestinians in Gaza was the southern Rafah crossing into Egypt.

With the dramatic halt of movement through Gazas crossing into Sinai, Palestinians began looking to Jordan as their only reasonable means of exiting the Strip. There has been a shift in policy from an easing of restrictions to a sudden halt in all permissions, says Deema el-Ghoul, an HRW researcher. She added that among Palestinian travellers, Jordans frequent permit denial is common knowledge now.

Meanwhile, and despite the fact that Halaq could not attend the event that could have been a career game changer, she remains hopeful.

We didnt make it this time but hopefully we can next time, she said. You can find the app on Google. Its called Araby. We are still developing the app for the [Apple] app store.
At least 13 killed and many still buried after second mining incident in a month in Kachin State.

At least 13 people have been killed by a landslide in Myanmars northern jade-mining region that left dozens missing, an official has said.

Two piles of mining debris collapsed late on Monday after two days of rain, Myo Thet Aung, deputy head of Hpakant township administration office in Kachin State, said on Tuesday.

We recovered 11 bodies last night and two more this morning, he said, adding that the death toll was expected to rise.





Witnesses said there were about 100 workers when the accident occurred, he told DPA news agency. Many are still buried.

Myanmar Times reported that the search had been temporary called off due to heavy rain.

At least 10 injured miners were being treated at a hospital in Hpakant, the report said.

Earlier this month, at least 13 people were killed in a similar landslide in the same region, known for supplying some of the highest-quality jade in the world.

In November 2015 in the same area, at least 113 people were killed in a large landslide.

The jade industry in Myanmar is dominated by companies linked to leaders of the previous military government, ethnic rebels and businessmen with close connections to the former junta.

A civilian administration took power this year for the first time in decades.

Jade production in Myanmar was worth around $31bn in 2014, according to environmental advocacy group Global Witness.
US not trying to impose its form of government and disputes with China must be resolved peacefully, US president says.

The US is not trying to impose its form of government on Vietnam and territorial disputes in the South China Sea have to be resolved peacefully, President Barack Obama has said during a three-day visit to the country.

In a speech at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on Tuesday, Obama also called for better human rights that would boost the countrys economy, stability and regional power, for opening a new chapter in their relations and for helping both countries to move on from a history of war four decades ago.





Big nations should not bully smaller ones, disputes should be resolved peacefully, he said, referring to the disputed maritime region.

The US and Vietnam have drawn closer together through their mutual concern at Chinas increasing assertiveness in the sea.

China claims almost all the South China Sea and has upset neighbours with a series of reclamation and construction projects  including airstrips  on reefs and islets.

Vietnam and four other countries also have claims to parts of the sea.

Freedom of navigation

The US takes no position on the competing territorial claims but asserts freedom of navigation and flights in the sea and has sent warships near Chinese-held islets.

As we go forward the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and we will support the right of all countries to do the same, Obama said.

Al Jazeeras Adrian Brown, reporting from Beijing, quoted the Chinese media as accusing Obama of engaging in a strategy to try to contain China.

Yesterday the spokeswoman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during her daily press briefing, said that China welcomes the fact that the Vietnam and US were now enjoying better relations, but I think, in a roundabout diplomatic way, China was basically saying if the US is going to lift the arms embargo against Vietnam, then why not lift the arms embargo against China, he said.

Obama also talked about focusing on future and part of that future is what is happening now in the South China Sea.

The US believes that allowing Vietnam now to buy weapons will perhaps embolden Vietnam in pressing its claims. That is certainly what China fears.

Arms embargo lifted

On Monday, Obama announced that he was removing a Cold War-era ban on weapons sales to Vietnam, seen as a major boost for Hanoi as it tries to bolster its defences against its giant northern neighbour.

Vietnam will have greater access to the military equipment you need to ensure your security, he told delegates.

He said the US would continue to train Vietnams coastguard to enhance maritime capabilities.

Obama spoke to 10 activists on Tuesday, including advocates for the disabled, sexual minorities, a pastor and advocates for freedom of speech, press and the internet, but he said that several others were prevented from coming.

Interactive: Islands row around China

Vietnam has made remarkable strides in many ways, Obama said, but there are still areas of significant concern.

During a Monday news conference with Vietnams president, Obama traced the arc of the US-Vietnamese relationship through cooperation, conflict, painful separation and a long reconciliation.

If you consider where we have been and where we are now, the transformation in the relations between our two countries is remarkable, Obama said.
Temporary truce may last for 72 hours in suburbs of Damascus as country reels from ISIL bombings that killed 150 people.

Russia has called for a temporary truce to begin in two towns in the Damascus countryside after multiple attacks in northwestern Syria killed at least 150 people.

The Russian defence ministry wants the truce in the towns of Daraya and Eastern Ghouta to begin on Tuesday and last for 72 hours.

Mondays announcement came as the US continued to urge Russia to pressure President Bashar al-Assads government to stop bombing opposition forces and civilians in Damascus and Aleppo.

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, by phone and urged him to press the Syrian government to halt its attacks on Aleppo in the north and Daraya near Damascus.

READ MORE: Syrias civil war explained

At least 150 people were killed on Monday in seven near-simultaneous explosions targeting bus stations, hospitals and other civilian sites in the seaside cities of Jableh and Tartus, which are Assad strongholds.

The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

Hospital damaged

The deadliest attack occurred in Jableh, where 43 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the Jableh National Hospital.

Most of those killed were patients and visiting family members, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, adding that three doctors and nurses were also among the dead.

Jableh National Hospital, which was taking in victims from at least three other blasts in the city earlier on Monday (including one at a crowded bus station), was badly damaged and is no longer operational, WHO said.





The early morning attacks began at a bus station in Tartus, where Russia has long maintained a naval facility.

The bombings drew condemnation from around the world, with Human Rights Watch saying that targeting civilians would appear to constitute war crimes.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, denounced the terrorist attacks while France called the bombing heinous.

The Kremlin said the attacks demonstrate yet again how fragile the situation is in Syria and the need to take energetic measures to relaunch peace talks.

The surge in violence comes as ISIL faces mounting pressure in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, where a major government offensive to retake the city of Fallujah from the group is under way.

Tactical advantage

In Washington DC, Mark Toner, state department spokesman, accused the Assad government of using air strikes and attacks on civilians to gain tactical advantage and said Russia has a special responsibility to rein in Syrian government forces.

He said that the US is looking to Russia to provide the pressure needed to get the government to reconsider the fact that if this keeps up, we may be looking at a complete breakdown of the cessation, referring to a faltering truce approved in February.

World powers have struggled to rekindle UN-brokered peace negotiations which collapsed in April when Syrias opposition walked away in frustration at halting progress on the countrys dire humanitarian situation.

Syrias conflict has evolved from a popular uprising to a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

ISIL has claimed deadly attacks in the West and throughout the Middle East.
US-backed coalition of armed groups aims to oust ISIL from its de facto capital of Raqqa.

Kurdish-led forces have massed thousands of fighters as part of a military offensive to take over Raqqa, the northern Syrian city controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group for more than two and a half years.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed coalition of armed groups led by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), said it has mobilised thousands of fighters in the countryside north of Raqqa.

Fighting was reportedly ongoing on Tuesday near Ain Issa, situated 55km from the ISIL-controlled city.

SDF released a statement declaring its goal of liberating Raqqa from ISIL, which has ruled the town with an iron fist, committing atrocities against the civilian population.

The US-led coalition against ISIL was supporting the offensive, spokesman Steve Warren said.

We have always been focused on evicting ISIS from Raqqa and we will continue to support the SDF as they conduct ground operations to further isolate the city, the colonel said.

The US-led coalition will continue to provide air support for SDF operations against ISIS.

READ MORE: In Raqqa, support ISIL or die

The coalition, as well as Syrian government forces and their ally, Russia, have launched air strikes on Raqqa since it was captured by ISIL during its advance through Syria and Iraq in 2014.

Joshua Walker of the German Marshall Fund said the timing of the Kurdish-led ground offensive was very important.

It seems clear to me that this is a case in which the US is trying to communicate very symbolically and very clearly that ISIS is on its back foot, he told Al Jazeera..

Raqqa could be the beginning of the end for the groupFrom a symbolic point of view I think this is the most important offensive we have seen since Kobane last year.





The offensive comes as Iraqi forces are trying to oust ISIL from Fallujah, west of Baghdad.

However, Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaziantep in Turkey, said the SDFs mission to take Raqqa will be difficult considering ISILs fighting force.

She explained that the presence of Arab fighters in the SDFs ranks is crucial to the success of the offensive because the areas they will attempt to take over have large Arab populations.

It is crucial to have enough Arab fighters in this force when [they] take these areas where a lot of Arab, non-Kurds live, she said.

Because there is a lot of suspicion of the Kurds, its incredibly difficult; which is why its taken so long to start this.

Writing on Twitter, Syria analyst Charles Lister said ISIL may launch retaliatory attacks in Kurdish-held areas

#pts  The challenge #ISIS *will* pose is launching diversionary attacks  if it can reach #Tartus, it could [theoretically] reach #Afrin.  Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) May 24, 2016

Russia on Tuesday reiterated that it was ready to coordinate with US and Kurdish forces in the battle for Raqqa.

Raqqa is one of the aims of the anti-terrorist coalition, just like Iraqs Mosul, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. We are confident that these cities could have been liberated more effectively and faster if our military officials would have started coordinating their actions much earlier.

On Monday, ISIL suicide bombers struck in several areas of Tartus and Jableh, government-held cities on Syrias coastline, killing at least 150 civilians.

Syrias conflict started with mostly unarmed demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011. It has since evolved into a full-on civil war that has killed at least 270,000 people, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations special envoy to Syria, estimated last month that the actual death toll could be as high as 400,000 people.
Several months of internal debates have come to full fruition for the reformists within the party.

Tunis  Is Tunisias Ennahda party renouncing Islamism, its doctrinaire sine qua non and the basis of its foundational identity?

Over a three-day congress, the partys first since 2012, members discussed the question through heated but pluralist debates. Ennahda, a movement that emerged in the late 1970s as a national political party with an Islamic frame of reference, is now committing to separate the religious (al-daawi ) from the political (al-siyasi).

A vision that was upheld for more than three decades has ceded to a new brand of civic Islamism. That is, by analogy, a neo-Ennahda has not only edged closer to the notion of a civil state, but also to Turkeys ruling AK Party and further from Egypts standard Muslim Brotherhood or Ikhwani model: The former operates politics with minimum ideology, the latter has historically harboured ambitions of Islamising polity.

This is why in one of his interventions during the congress, the partys president, Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi, was adopting a new discourse angled at stressing the primacy of the market, economic growth, renouncing the politics of identity, very much part of the fundamentals of his thought for more than 30 years.

READ MORE  Tunisia: A revolution besieged by ISIL

But why is Ennahda renouncing political Islam?

The shift is intended also to pre-empt criticisms from liberals and secularists that it does respect Tunisias political identity. Ennahda can now claim it is transcending politics of identity.

First, one of the reasons is the normalisation of Ennahda party with the deep state, a term coined to refer to the politico-security establishment that has preserved the imprints of late Tunisian President Habib Bourguibas political modelling of it a la Francophile: secular in nature.

Tunisias society is similarly shaped, manifesting a deeply hybrid personality that reveres Islam but with a bent for civic engagement of all aspects of the horizontal side of life, including politics.

Ennahda is finally being deftly adaptive, seeking a brand of Tunisification of its identity as a major political force with a fixed 35 to 40 percent political following.

A second motive for Ennahda is professionalisation. So by defending a new identity that separates the religious from the political, Ennahda has turned an important corner on the way to a fully-fledged civic political party.

The amendments that have all been passed with an absolute majority  800-plus votes by the conferences  all prove that several months of internal debates have come to full fruition for the reformists within the party.

This includes further empowerment of the partys Shura Council, of which 100 representatives are directly elected by the conferences, and another 50 by the Councils elected 100 representatives. Ennahdas partnering in the troika government, that delivered the countrys democratic constitution in early 2014, provided the party with an invaluable reality check, which it used to reflect, revise and adjust.

READ MORE  Q&A: Tunisias social time bomb

Third, democratisation via factionalisation: This is a salient feature of maturing political parties anywhere.





One of the most fascinating debates and the first ever in the history of the Ennahda party took place on the morning of May 22. Three leaders, representative of first and second generations of the movement, took to the floor to openly contest and defend their respective views of how the party should be internally organised, led, and administered .

This was unthinkable before the 2011 revolution in Tunisia. Ennahdas practice of internal democracy has produced a kind of factionalisation, but this in itself is not a bad thing. Perhaps there are ideological factors.

Distinguishing between the fixed (al-thabit) and the mutable (al-mutaghiyr) is one factor that may explain the shift. Politics belongs to the sphere of the changing. There is a question of public utility or maqasidi framework at play as well.

Exigencies and necessities of the Tunisian context have influenced this move. Religiously inspired actors in the Muslim world are trying to define themselves in opposition to the likes of ISIL. Ennahda is no exception, with a narrative pitting moderates versus radicals.

In the Tunisian national milieu, Ennahda is probably responding to the misgivings of its detractors that it is hiding a secret theocratic agenda: That once in power it will impose dictatorship.

The shift is intended also to pre-empt criticisms from liberals and secularists that it does respect Tunisias political identity. Ennahda can now claim it is transcending politics of identity.
Blast kills two people, a day after twin attacks claimed the lives of at least 45 army recruits in southern Aden city.

At least two people have been killed in an explosion near Sanaa University in Yemen, Al Jazeera has learned.

An improvised explosive device went off on Tuesday in Yemens largest city, also injuring at least two people, the sources said.

A security official said the blast happened during an event commemorating the countrys 1990 unification, adding that the death toll was expected to rise.

The event was reportedly organised by the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa since September 2014 despite a 14-month-old Arab military intervention in support of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The unification of the country on May 22, 1990, came after centuries of separation between the north and the south, where British colonial rule was followed by a Soviet-backed communist government.

There was no immediate claim for Tuesdays bombing but both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group have carried out past bombings against the Houthis, whose faith they regard as heretical.

Suicide bombings claimed by ISIL in March last year killed 120 worshippers at mosques frequented by the Houthis.

Tuesdays blast followed a day of heavy bloodshed in the Arabian Peninsula country: a double bomb attack on would-be army recruits killed at least 45 people in the southern city of Aden.

Mondays attacks were claimed by the local affiliate of ISIL.
Courtesy to The Alligator Captain and co-founder of Gatorloop Taylor Waber, left, and another member of the engineering club start to make the mold for the pod that will be put on a track this summer for SpaceXs Hyperloop competition.

Members of Gatorloop share more than just a team name.

The 55-member group is mostly comprised of engineering undergraduates with fond memories of tearing things apart and seeing how they tick.

For many, Lego served as an early building block in their pursuit to become engineers. Now, the team will compete against 28 other teams in Hawthorne, California, this summer.

Neither the competition date nor the prize have been announced.

If a toy broke or something when I was growing up, I didnt cry and get it replaced, said Taylor Waber, a 23-year-old UF aerospace engineering graduate student and the teams captain. I would unscrew it and figure out what was broken and fix it myself.

Elon Musk, the co-founder of PayPal and Tesla Motors, will host the competition with his company SpaceX.

SpaceX unveiled the conceptual Hyperloop, a high-speed ground transport system, in 2013, according to its website.

The Hyperloop uses pods in an airless tube to transport both people and goods from one place to another in a fraction of the time that it currently takes.

Following Elon Musks announcement of the competition, Waber posted on Facebook engineering groups in hopes of forming a Hyperloop team. UF students Ben Duncan, 21, and Sebastian Quesada, 25, had already started their own groups; the trio merged in Summer 2015.

Matison Whillans, a 21-year-old UF mechanical engineering senior, is the teams system integration lead.

The team, she said, believes in the concepts importance.

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I think it would really revolutionize how we do business, how things are shipped, how basically the entire economy works, Whillans said.

A large, torpedo-like object sits in the middle of UFs Energy Research and Education Park, located less than a mile from Oxford Manor Apartments.

The team will one day launch its pod at 250 miles-per-hour down a 1-mile track at the competition.

As of press time, Gatorloops GoFundMe has raised about $5,000, which will fund the project and its recent breakthroughs.

Grace Everitt, Gatorloops marketing, public relations and sponsorship lead, said the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering also awarded the team with a $35,000 grant.

Jaime Caicedo, a 27-year-old UF electrical engineering doctoral student and the teams electrical systems lead, said winning would not be the only prize.

We put so much work into this, he said. Whatever happens, if that thing runs and doesnt burn or crash, its going to be great.
David Swanson, a 2015 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, spoke about his newest book, War is a Lie, to an audience of roughly 70 on Saturday.

Rather than focus on individual wars, Swanson analyzed noble ideals used to justify wars in the public sphere.

War is one of the top worst things we do, Swanson said, explaining why he chose to write about violent conflicts. I think having a good life and being an ethical, moral person is trying to stop the worst things that are happening.

During his speech at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, located at 4225 NW 34th St., Swanson discussed presidential candidates, media coverage of wars, the publics aversion to uncomfortable news, military spending and global perceptions of America.

Gainesvilles Veterans for Peace, a national organization that advocates for nonviolent social change, invited Swanson to speak.

Its true what he said, said Sheila Payne, an associate member of the organization. We all look away from headlines we dont want to see.

Saturday was Swansons final day in Florida. Last week, Swanson spoke to audiences in Sarasota and Jacksonville.

Diane Carlin, a resident of The Villages, Florida, asked Swanson how she can trust his version of history.

I footnote and hyperlink, he said. You have to look at multiple original sources and undisputable sources. Unpleasant does not equal untrue.

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It was last summer when I was first confronted with the infamous controversial beast that is the unisex restroom. I was interning at an environmental research firm in the heart of Jerusalem, the holiest city on earth. The Jerusalem Municipality is the formal institution that governs the city, and, because Jerusalem houses both the people and holy sites of the three major Abrahamic religions, holy men and women serve in the local government in a variety of ways.

During our downtime we would have informal talks about a variety of topics. After hours of discussion with some of the holiest Jews, Muslims and Christians, let me say this: If you oppose unisex bathrooms because of biblical and/or religious reasons, youre really just an asshole using God as an excuse to extend your own personal, bigoted agenda.

Not that I dont have an agenda either: Im a columnist in a left-leaning student newspaper. In my ideal world, public restrooms would exist in two varieties: one for Zachary Lee, and one for everybody else. I treat my body like a human vacuum-tornado, violently consuming all sorts of food and non-food items in my hangry, destructive path. The motivation for my two-bathroom distinction is not rooted in religious ideology.

Oklahoma state lawmakers not only introduced a resolution asking Oklahomas congressional representatives to impeach President Barack Obama, the U.S. attorney general, the U.S. secretary of education and others over a recommendation that schools allow students to use the stalls of their choosing, but also did so on the grounds that the recommendation is biblically wrong." These lawmakers are misguided.

In the 1960s, it wasnt uncommon for segregationists to cite the Bible to justify their racist policies. Now, were living in the second evolution of this oppressive ideology. With rates of religiosity decreasing in the U.S. and abroad, its comforting to know that this line of logic will soon no longer be relevant to our political landscape.

In my research, I have yet to find a single instance of a restroom assault by a transgender individual. However, there seems to be plenty of examples of cisgendered men and women attacking transgender individuals who try to seclude themselves in the privacy of a stall. Moreover, there are too many accounts of cisgendered men and women attacking children in their correct restroom placements.

Even if such an attack was propagated by a transgender individual, surely this is a sign of the propagators own problems. We dont blame heterosexuality and/or the normal gender alignment when a cisgendered individual assaults a person  or worse, a child  in a restroom: We blame the creepy pervert. For some reason, this logic falls to the wayside when transgender individuals are involved.

Whether youre justifying your logic in a book written thousands of years ago or justifying it in illogical arguments about the safety of children, know that this fear is nothing more than transphobia. These people are just trying to do what anyone else does at a public restroom: Go in, do what needs to be done and get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

Zachary Lee is a UF philosophy senior. His column appears on Tuesdays.

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           2005     ..        
South Sudanese government soldiers have carried out a wide range of often-deadly attacks on civilians in and around the western town of Wau, Human Rights Watch said today. Soldiers have killed, tortured, raped, and detained civilians and looted and burned down homes. The abuses in the Western Bahr el Ghazal region took place during government []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
A former Citibank payments specialist has been appointed to the board of Meta Financial Group in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The $3 billion-asset holding company for MetaBank said in a press release Monday that Kendall Stork, Citibank's retired regional director of credit card operations, will join the boards of the company and bank unit June 27.

Stork retired earlier this year from Citibank, where he was also site president of its Sioux Falls location, leading all core operations servicing for the bank's branded and retail credit card portfolios across several domestic and international locations. Previously, he was president and chief executive of Citibank South Dakota N.A. for 11 years.

"Ken brings tremendous credit card, payments, operations, banking and leadership expertise and experience to Meta's board," J. Tyler Haahr, Meta Financial's chairman and chief executive, said in the release.

Meta operates ten bank branches and a payments system that offers prepaid cards and other payments products and services.


Citizens Community Bancorp in Eau Claire, Wis., is searching for a new leader after its president and chief executive announced plans to resign this summer.

The $581 million-asset holding company for Citizens Community Federal NA said in a press release Monday that Edward Schaefer will step down from his leadership positions at the company and the bank, as well as resign from the bank's board, on July 29.

Schaefer, who became president and CEO in 2009, is moving forward "with other opportunities," the release said.

Schaefer will assist in creating a special committee to manage the transition and search for a new CEO. Jon Bruss, the CEO and managing principal of Fortress Partners Capital Management in Heartland, Wis., was hired to help find an interim CEO and candidates for the permanent position.


A proxy advisory firm has sided with Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y., in its battle with an activist investor.

Financial Institutions said in a press release Monday that Institutional Shareholders Services has recommended that shareholders back the $3.4 billion-asset company's board nominees. Financial Institutions is facing a proxy challenge from Clover Partners in Dallas, which owns about 5.5% of the company's stock.

ISS said in its report that the board's strategy is driving profitable growth and that shareholder return appears to have "handily outperformed" peers. Clover "had not made a compelling case that additional change in the board level is warranted," the report added.

Clover, which has expressed frustration with Financial Institutions' recent nonbank acquisitions and has pressed the company to sell itself, presented its case to ISS on May 12, according to a regulatory filing from the investment firm.

The proxy battle has revealed rifts among members of the Humphrey family, which has long maintained a large ownership stake in the company. Peter Humphrey, a former Financial Institutions' president, said in January that he wanted to see the company find a buyer. Richard Humphrey, one of Peter Humphrey's cousins, recently sent a letter to the company's board that openly supported its strategy.

Financial Institutions will hold its annual shareholders meeting June 3.


The much-maligned energy sector is getting company on the most-wanted list.

Nonperforming commercial-and-industrial loans rose 150% to $23.6 billion in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to figures compiled by BankRegData.com. As a percentage of all C&I loans, nonperformers rose from 0.78% in the fourth quarter to 1.24% in the first quarter.

Because banks do not have to report a breakdown of nonperformers by borrower sector, it is easy to assume the blame lies with troubled industries like oil and gas that are grabbing headlines. But interviews with bankers and other experts suggest credit-quality problems extend to other kinds of clients, including construction subcontractors, farmers and taxi operators.

The existence of multiple problem areas is almost certain to lead to higher chargeoff rates in coming quarters.

"Plumbers, electricians  their profit margins are eroding," said David DePillo, president of First Foundation Bank in Irvine, Calif. "We appreciate the construction space and it's the lifeblood of the West Coast, but there are still a few laggards in the space that haven't recovered from the recession."

C&I loans are secured by inventories and accounts receivable, and those assets "tend to liquidate at pennies on the dollar," DePillo said. That will cause chargeoff levels to be higher than normal.

At the $2.7 billion-asset First Foundation, nonperforming C&I loans rose from $700,000 in the first quarter of 2015 to $4.95 million in this year's first quarter, representing about 3.1% of the bank's C&I loan book. The latest dollar figure was actually an improvement from the fourth quarter, when First Foundation's nonperforming C&I loans were $5.9 million.

First Foundation has no exposure to oil-and-gas companies, DePillo said. Its loans to construction subcontractors are classified as C&I loans, instead of construction loans, because the bank is providing accounts-receivable financing or working capital, and the loans are not tied to the underlying real estate, he said.

C&I weakness has surfaced in most geographic regions and at most big banks, said Bill Moreland, a partner at BankRegData.

To be sure, energy loans have been a prime mover of nonperforming C&I loans at some banks, and regulators have pressed lenders to downgrade energy loans and have changed how they review shared national credits.

At the $9 billion-asset Cadence Bank in Birmingham, Ala., nonperforming loans rose nearly fourfold to $207.6 million in the first quarter, compared with a year earlier. About 4.3% of Cadence's C&I loans were nonperforming in the quarter. The majority of nonperforming loans at Cadence are tied to energy loans, a bank spokeswoman said Monday.

Yet many of the banks that have demonstrated issues with C&I loans are not energy lenders, Moreland said.

Agriculture loans that are categorized as C&I loans have contributed to the uptick. The $11.8 billion-asset Old National Bancorp in Evansville, Ind., has downgraded asset-quality ratings for grain farmers, and the bank expects it will need to "restructure current lending arrangements to add real estate or government guarantees as credit enhancements," Daryl Moore, chief credit officer, said in a May 2 conference call.

Grain farmers "have had a couple of tough years and commodity prices are down, input prices have not dropped and weather has been an issue," Jim Sandgren, Old National's chief banking officer, said in an interview.

One problem is that regulators tend to pay attention to banks' real estate loan concentrations, to the neglect of other loan categories, DePillo said.

"The [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency] and other regulators have tended to focus myopically on real estate over the past several years," DePillo said. "Banks are under less scrutiny for their C&I loans, and that's allowed them to grow their portfolios without much oversight."

Bill Grassano, an OCC spokesman, declined to comment. In the OCC's semiannual risk perspective report for fall 2015, the regulator noted that underwriting standards have eased in C&I lending, although less so compared with indirect auto and leveraged lending.

One problem is that many banks have gotten deep into C&I loans that had little experience with making commercial loans, said Stephen Scouten, an analyst at Sandler O'Neill.

"You've got guys who were dirt lenders for 20 years and now they're doing C&I," Scouten said. "Everyone got pushed away from commercial real estate in the last crisis, but they just got pushed into a different asset class."

When commercial loans go bad, the potential losses are greater for banks because of what secures the loans, Scouten said.

"The severity of the losses on a default on a C&I loan could be theoretically higher, depending on the level of personal guarantees on the loans," he said. "If what you've got is inventory and machinery for an obsolete company, I don't know what that's worth."

Ultimately, the soaring rate of nonperforming commercial loans is due to the massive growth in the field, Moreland said.

"Banks have increased C&I loans by $750 billion in six years," Moreland said. "How is that not going to have credit problems?"


The hypocrisy of those who travel everywhere with heavily armed security and the perpetual protection of Secret Service agents, such as Chelsea and Hillary Clinton, yet see no need for the great unwashed to protect themselves, is not surprising. Of course, these elites deem themselves higher-value targets than the rest of us. All Americans are equal but some are more equal than others. That housewife in Dubuque whose home a rapist just broke into, well, she can just call 911, thank you

It would be no surprise if that housewife in Dubuque might put a higher value on the right to keep and bear arms as enshrined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and perhaps even shed a tear at the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scala, a staunch defender of the Constitution and its original intent. To Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, Scalias death was a cause for celebration, a chance for de facto repeal of the Second Amendment via legislating from the bench by Scalias replacement, appointed by another President Clinton. As the Washington Free Beacon reported:

Chelsea Clinton said at an event in Maryland that there is now an opportunity for gun control legislation to pass the Supreme Court since Justice Antonin Scalia passed away.

It matters to me that my mom also recognizes the role the Supreme Court has when it comes to gun control. With Justice Scalia on the bench, one of the few areas where the Court actually had an inconsistent record relates to gun control, Clinton said. Sometimes the Court upheld local and state gun control measures as being compliant with the Second Amendment and sometimes the Court struck them down. Clinton then touted her mothers record on gun control issues and knowledge that the Supreme Court has an effect on whether many gun control laws stand. So if you listen to Moms Demand Action and the Brady Campaign and the major efforts pushing for smart, sensible and enforceable gun control across our country, disclosure, have endorsed my mom, they say they believe the next time the Court rules on gun control, it will make a definitive ruling, Clinton said. So it matters to me that my mom is the only person running for president who not only constantly makes that connection but also has a strong record on gun control and standing up to the NRA.

Coming from Park Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, the gun control capitol of America -- and also its murder capitol -- one would think that Hillary Clinton would know that gun control only disarms potential victims and not criminals, particularly gang bangers who are unlikely to submit to background checks, ammo restrictions, and other liberal crime control fantasies.

Following the endorsement of Donald Trump by the National Rifle Association last week, Hillary Clinton spoke before spoke at an event in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to benefit the Trayvon Martins Foundations Circle of Mothers. As the New York Times reported:

Hillary Clinton invoked her roles as mother and grandmother on Saturday to deliver an impassioned rebuttal to Donald J. Trumps contention that her push for stricter gun control would make families less safe, saying the presumptive Republican nominee would put more children at risk of violence and bigotry". Mrs. Clinton delivered her remarks to a group named after Mr. Martin, an unarmed black 17-year-old who was fatally shot in 2012 by a neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman. Before she spoke, Mrs. Clinton sat for dinner alongside Mr. Martins mother, Sybrina Fulton. We will carry the memories of your sons and daughters in our hearts every day, as you do, Mrs. Clinton told the group as she affirmed her plans to strengthen background checks and take other measures to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

One wonders if Hillary Clinton knows the names of any of the black children slaughtered daily in Chicago by black gang members unimpeded by a racially intimidated police department and emboldened by the knowledge that by law no one in Chicago is allowed to defend themselves. Chicagos murder rate has soared 72% in the first three months of 2016. Gun control is a leading cause of death in America.

In response to this liberal talking point that ignores the fact that Democratic bastions like Chicago have the strictest gun control laws in the nation, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke went on Fox Business Networks Lou Dobbs to say that Chicago mayor and former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, like Hillary Clinton, was shooting blanks in suggesting the problem was guns and not the criminals who use them:

Sheriff Clarke describes Emanuel as dead wrong, observing that he must have gone to the same school that president Barack Obama did on how to run a law enforcement agency. This is what happens when you have community organizers and academic elites and others who dont know a thing about policing in the American ghetto start to dabble in police science. He says the cities experiencing these heightened levels of violence might as well get used to it because this is what youre going to have as long as youre going to try to turn cops into social workers and youre going to try to get them to emphasize de-escalation and more dialogue instead of going on the offensive to go after some very dangerous individuals.

Indeed, as Investors Business Daily noted in 2013, the problem in Chicago has historically not been gun violence, but gang violence:

The fact is that up to 80% of Chicago's murders and shootings are gang-related, according to police. By one estimate, the city has 68,000 gang members, four times the number of cops. A police audit last spring identified 59 gangs and 625 factions -- mostly on the south and west sides - none of which is going to submit to things like universal background checks.

The problem is not too many guns but the fact that too many bad guys have them and too many good guys are unable to shoot back and defend themselves and their families. Hillary wants stronger background checks? Well, if access to firearms were as easy as President Obama insisted in the aftermath of the South Carolina church massacre, Carol Bowne would be alive today. The 39-year-old New Jersey woman with a restraining order against an ex-boyfriend was murdered by that boyfriend while she waited for her application for a gun permit to wind its way through a process that takes at least two months to complete. But it wasnt completed soon enough:

The Berlin Township woman got a restraining order against a former boyfriend, installed security cameras and an alarm system to her home and began the months-long process of obtaining a handgun, friends said. But it wasn't enough. Bowne, 39, was stabbed to death in the driveway of her Patton Avenue home on Wednesday night.

Bowne was a victim of domestic violence -- she didnt have a gun in her home. Gun control zealots tells us a gun in the home is dangerous, but then so too is an ex-boyfriend, one Michael Eitel, with a knife. That is why gun rights advocate say that women should own guns because a restraining order is just a piece of paper. So she sought permission from the government to exercise her Second Amendment rights:

According to news reports, Eitel had previously went to the salon in Somerdale where she worked and broke the windows on Bowne's vehicle Bowne then went to Berlin Township police in mid-April to apply for a gun license. According to reports, she went to check on the process -- which takes about two months to complete -- as recently as this week.

One supposes in Hillarys world, womens rights do not include a right to self defense against rapists, gang-bangers, or vengeful ex-boyfriends. If Carol Bowne had gotten her gun, she would be alive today. Keeping people like Carol Bowne disarmed, does not make us safer, Hillary and Chelsea.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazne and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
In the wake of reports that Facebook censors conservative voices, media figure Glenn Beck met with company chairman Mark Zuckerberg and emerged from the meeting, as he put it, convinced that Facebook is behaving appropriately and trying to do the right thing. Nothing to see here, move along. Unfortunately, this is nonsense.

Beck admits in his article on this subject, I am not an expert on data or AI or algorithms. Neither am I. But the Facebook censorship in the news isnt about artificial intelligence but human intelligence  and its biases. In fact, the focus on technology could be (Im not implying this is the case with Beck) an effort at Machiavellian misdirection: Watch what the machine is doing, watch the machine, so you dont see the man behind the curtain.

Ill get right to the point. Fraudbook employs a group of young journalists, known as news curators, who are empowered to manage the algorithmic results and refine what qualifies for the sites Trending Topics section. As company vice president of search Tom Stocky put it, the curators audit topics surfaced algorithmically: reviewers are required to accept topics that reflect real world events, and are instructed to disregard junk or duplicate topics, hoaxes, or subjects with insufficient sources.

So already evident is a Fraudbook deception: the Trending Topics section is supposed to reflect popularity, not politically correctness. Who decides what constitute real world events? What is a junk topic and who defines such? Should duplicate topics be disregarded if that duplication reflects trends and popularity? Why should insufficient sources disqualify a story, given that great breakthroughs  in science and news  often begin with one persons endeavors? (When the story becomes well known, or popular, other journalists investigate the matter and separate fact from fiction; this cant happen if its suppressed in the first place.) And while no one wants hoaxes promoted, we could even wonder how often incredible but true stories are labeled hoaxes by credulous or biased curators.

And who are these people empowered to decide who is an unreal-world, junky, topic-duplicating, insufficiently-sourced, possible hoaxer? Gizmodo.com, which broke the recent Fraudbook story, tells us, they are a small group of young journalists, primarily educated at Ivy League or private East Coast universities, who curate the trending module on the upper-right-hand corner of the site. LOL, cmon, Glenn, are you gonna let these people spit down your back and tell you its rainin? While tech workers are notoriously liberal, as the statistics here show, journalism majors from Ivy League or private East Coast universities make them look like William F. Buckley2. Fact: giving people the power to refine news is synonymous with human bias entering the equation.

And you cannot give young, hardcore liberal journalists from elite schools that power without a strong liberal bias entering the equation.

Of course, the nature of biases is that people generally arent aware, at least not fully, of their biases. Just consider a Guardian defense of Fraudbook. The news organ interviewed an ex-Fraudbook curator who challenged Gizmodos report and related, writes the paper, that newsworthiness was determined by how often a story appeared on a list of trusted news outlets including this publication [the Guardian], the New York Times and the BBC. Are you getting this, Glenn?

That the ex-employee and Guardian consider this exculpatory of Fraudbook tells the tale: theyre so oblivious to their own biases they consider left wing, mainstream-media news sources unbiased arbiters of newsworthiness. Obviously, if you use leftist entities to refine your algorithmic results, youll get Al Gore-rhythmic results.

So as Gizmodo put it, In other words, Facebooks news section operates like a traditional newsroom, reflecting the biases of its workers and the institutional imperatives of the corporation. Without a doubt. Liberal journalists censoring the news? Check. Institutional guidelines elevating supposed real-world events and disqualifying supposed junk? Check. Reliance upon other left-wing sources to determine real-world quality, junkiness and newsworthiness, creating a liberal echo chamber? Check. Fraudbooks trending team couldnt be more like a traditional newsroom if it tried.

So while a selling point of big social media is that its a democratic arena in which the people determine whats seen and heard, its instead more like professional wrestling circa 1980: certainly fake but still claiming authenticity. Of course, Fraudbook has a right (at least under our system, as opposed to the statist one Zuckerberg is working to visit upon us) to adopt whatever policies it wishes. But how about some truth in advertising? Dont claim to be presenting just whats popular.

Beck should also note that Fraudbook has been caught censoring news time and again. As the Gatestone Institute wrote in February, It was only a few weeks ago that Facebook was forced to back down when caught permitting anti-Israel postings, but censoring equivalent anti-Palestinian postings. Even more damning, at a UN development summit in New York in September, Zuckerberg met with German chancellor Angela Merkel. As they sat down, continued Gatestone, Chancellor Merkel's microphone, still on, recorded Merkel asking Zuckerberg what could be done to stop anti-immigration postings being written on Facebook. She asked if it was something he was working on, and he assured her it was.

And Im sure Merkel would describe Zuckerberg as someone who was humble, open, and listened intently, which, by the way, are the precise words Beck used to describe the Fraudbook figures (including Zuck) he met with. Zuck told Merkel what she wanted to hear, which happened to be the truth; and Zuck told Beck what he wanted to hear, which happened to not be. Zuck is concerned about making money and Fraudbooks stock price, you see.

Having said this, I doubt Zuck is fully aware of the news curators shenanigans. Again, people, liberals especially, are often blithely unaware of emotionally satisfying biases woven into organizations. Stories of Fraudbook censorship of conservatives are legion, however. And while it involves not censorship but an effort at undermining, I have one myself.

Aside from my pieces in American Thinker and elsewhere, I write exclusive news/commentary articles for The New American (TNA), which has both a website and hard-copy magazine. And as many sites do, TNA has Fraudbooks Like button at the top of every article; it indicates how many Fraudbook users read, liked the piece and chose to click the button. Well, for more than a year and ending only about a year ago, I and members of TNAs staff noticed a strange and consistent phenomenon: likes would accumulate on a piece and then poof! theyd disappear with the counter having been dialed back to zero. This happened consistently across all TNA articles; in one case, one of my pieces had 30,000 likes before they were sent to the gulag.

One might consider this a glitch, but I never observed the phenomenon at any liberal/mainstream-media site. And why does it matter? Because likes are a good metric for not just popularity but also level of readership, and people are influenced by whats popular. Make an articles content appear unread and unpopular and people are more likely to dismiss it as a fringe view.

I always assumed, and this accords with Gizmodos findings, that the like-button manipulation was the work of one or two rogue employees  who were operating in a liberal organization that would turn a blind eye to such shenanigans. Yet Becks thoughts are different. In a further glowing endorsement of Fraudbook, he was quoted in a Thursday Time piece as saying about his meeting with the companys representatives, I thought it was great. I thought they were sincere. And as I was leaving, I thought: What company has done that with conservatives? Especially a media company. Thats what he thought, all right. And heres what I think: that Facebook has two faces, and one of them is seen only by big names that Zuck et al. can use for photo-ops and public-relations purposes.

And thats likely what happened with you, Mr. Beck. You found Zuck and Company cordial  they just find you useful.

Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter or log on to SelwynDuke.com
Last week a bunch of conservatives got to air their gripes to programming prodigy and liberal Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg. A lot of good it will do them, because culturally, Zuckerberg knows what is good for him, and that is making the proper offerings to the liberal gods. And the proper contributions to the liberal collection plate.

Anyway, why would he doubt his liberal Jewish upbringing? Knowledge begins with a problem, according to F.S.C. Northrop, and I doubt if Mark has run into a problem yet that would prompt him to doubt his liberalism.

But we conservatives do see a problem with liberalism, and that problem has had real world injustices about which liberals are in denial. So it comes to us to educate our liberal friends like Mark Zuckerberg about the growing list of problems that have now metastasized into liberal crimes against humanity.

The Crime against the Working Class. In 1848, when the poor stopped starving on the land and started to thrive, barely, in the city, people were outraged. And so they set out to help the working class with social insurance and pro-union legislation and wage-and-hour laws. For a while it all worked great.

But after the 1960s, the music stopped for the U.S. working class as unionized corporations started to go broke, and liberals in America decided that the workers were racist, sexist bigots. Today the white working class is dying of despair.

You might think, maybe, the working class would have done better working out its own salvation without elite liberals and intellectuals telling them what to think and do. Thats what Samuel Gompers thought, anyway.

Liberal class politics is a crime against humanity.

The Crime Against African Americans. It is the great glory of liberals that in the 1950s and 1960s they pushed civil rights for African Americans and ended the shameful century of Jim Crow. But then they decided that formal rights werent enough. What good is the right to vote and to work if you cant eat and you cant find work?

So we got 50 years of quotas and Affirmative Action and diversity that successfully divided African Americans from the rest of America. So African Americans didnt move out of their racial ghetto into the mainstream of American life.

But liberals have reaped a huge electoral harvest with their race politics, getting 90 percent of the black vote in the D column.

Liberal race politics is a crime against humanity.

The Crime Against the Family. Fifty years of liberal feminism has given us women less happy than women in the 50s, and todays young college women are demanding safe spaces. Meanwhile, according to Charles Murray, in the lower 30 percent of White America the men dont work and the women dont marry. That doesnt work out so well for the kids, who, I presume, are the point of it all.

Meanwhile our upper 20 percent is amusing itself with sexual creativity, LGBT-wise, and demanding that the lower orders approve.

Liberal gender politics is a crime against humanity.

The Crime Against Education. Governments have always been interested in education. The French wanted to make secularist rationalists out of the kids; the Germans wanted to educate kids that could beat up the French, and the Bostonians wanted government schools to cure the Irish of their Catholicism. And by 1900, governments wanted schools to turn children into conformable Kates that would work submissively under factory discipline.

Today our liberal elite uses the schools to turn out cannon fodder for their activism culture, which sets black against white, rich against poor, and conservative against liberal in an endless peaceful protest of all against all.

Liberal education policy is a crime against humanity.

The Crime Against the Economy. Back in 1848 the jury was still out on what capitalism, that Deirdre McCloskey in the Wall Street Journal calls economic betterment, tested in trade, would mean to the human race. So there was an excuse for expert government intervention that would eliminate the boom and bust of unregulated capitalism. But now we know government experts know bupkis, that capitalism means letting some kid like Mark Zuckerberg have a go with his crazy idea for Facebook or it means nothing, and that government always runs out of other peoples money.

The science is settled. Well, it would be if liberals werent in denial. Government should stop interfering in the economy, because it always ends up helping established interests, at best, and causing financial crashes (1873, 1929, 2008) that hurts the poor, at worst.

Im sure that todays Mark Zuckerberg thinks that the ideas above are all racist, sexist, homophobic right-wing extremism. And he should, given that another smart Jewish kid, Curtis Yarvin aka Mencius Moldbug, just got into trouble for actually reading a book unsupervised and writing about it without permission.

Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also see his American Manifesto and get his Road to the Middle Class.
The character of the city of Rutland, Vermont is facing major change. Nestled in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont, it is an unsuspecting city targeted for refugee resettlement. After being kept in the dark since their mayors unilateral decision to accept 100 Syrian and Iraqi refugees in October, Rutland citizens should investigate the threatening impact that refugee resettlement has on their own public security, economic stability and community health before its too late.

Photo courtesy Green Mountain Power

The city of Rutland was chosen as the site to place refugees by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), one of the nine major federally-funded refugee resettlement contractors or voluntary agencies (volags), and its local affiliated field office or subcontractor, the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program (VRRP). According to Ann Corcoran of Refugee Resettlement Watch, once a site is chosen for resettlement, the agency submits an annual resettlement plan to the State Department in order to receive federal funding of nearly $2,000 per refugee sponsored in addition to federal grants of up to $2,200 per refugee sponsored. Refugee resettlement has become a billion dollar industry, according to investigative journalist James Simpson, a former economist and budget examiner for the White House Office of Management and Budget.

The VRRP has not openly disclosed its proposed resettlement abstract to Rutland. Such abstracts list the targeted towns available facilities and amenities, such as subsidized housing, mental health facilities, and public schooling, for the refugees. Exposing the contents of the abstract prior to resettling or seeding refugees (a term coined by a resettlement agency) is a cause of great concern for the agency, as it would shake some sense into the citizens of Rutland and most likely prevent refugee resettlement. Concerned citizens should ask for full disclosure of the abstract now.

They should also ask who pays for refugee resettlement and for how long. One month after arrival, refugees are provided with taxpayer-funded services such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance, public housing assistance, child care, food stamps, and much more, costing billions of dollars a year. However, after a couple of months, government funding runs out, and it becomes incumbent upon the community to take over and provide.

Showing compassion to Syrian refugees who have suffered persecution at the hands of their government by taking them in seems like the morally correct thing to do -- but not at the expense of American financial stability (national debt of nearly $20 trillion), health security (rise in infectious diseases, especially tuberculosis, brought in by refugees) and national security (global jihad on the rise).

Given the rising number of Rutlands low-income citizens in desperate need of assistance, city officials should be leading efforts to develop ways to take care of their own first, including war veterans, seniors, drug addicts, and the homeless. Many refugees in the U.S. today are supported by lifetime cash assistance programs, while Americans are being pushed off time-limited welfare programs. According to Corcoran, refugees are treated as U.S. citizens in that they qualify for all federal, state, and local welfare programs after one month. This raises the refugee resettlement costs to billions of dollars a year.

More questions need answering. Where will the refugees work? Will employment specialists help refugees ahead of unemployed Americans? Is there enough public housing for refugees given the number of homeless in any given American town? Can the school system handle multiple foreign languages and illiterate children? Who will pay for English Language Learner (ELL) services for refugees in public schools, or for mandated interpreters? Will social disruption occur? And if it does, will Rutlands police force be ready? What happens when the town cant afford refugee resettlement anymore?

How will Rutlands health department manage, given that numerous diseases, especially tuberculosis, are permitted entry into the U.S. via the refugee population? Breitbart reported Sunday that in 2015, Indiana took in almost 400 migrants with latent (non-infectious) tuberculosis, and four refugees from the federal refugee resettlement program with active tuberculosis. Unbeknownst to many is that 10% of latent tuberculosis develops into infectious tuberculosis. Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, criticizes the Centers for Disease Control for allowing refugees to enter the U.S. without screening and treatment for latent tuberculosis. Furthermore, many refugees who were treated for active tuberculosis in their indigenous countries (paid for by U.S. taxpayer dollars so that they could move to the U.S.) ended up with a recurrence within two years.

Equally important in considering refugee entry into the U.S. is insisting on the implementation of a broader definition of Syrian refugee status by the U.S. administration. This new all-encompassing definition should include people who are persecuted not only by the ruling regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (according to the UN definition of refugee) but by Sunni militias, such as the Islamic State and Al Qaeda, that oppose the ruling regime. That way, federal refugee resettlement agencies would be forced to admit not only Syrian Muslims into the U.S., but also Syrian Christians and Yazidis who are being massacred, forced into sexual slavery, and facing genocide in the Middle East at the hands of the Islamic State.

Another point to carefully consider is that almost all refugees coming to the U.S. are chosen by the United Nations (UN), which is, in turn, highly influenced by the powerful Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the worlds largest Islamic organization consisting of 57 Islamic member states. The OIC is also the worlds second largest intergovernmental organization (next to the UN). It helps shape the course of international relations and security policies in accordance with its goal of establishing a global Islamic caliphate that subjugates the entire world to Islamic law or sharia. This is accomplished with the help of sharia-complaint speech codes deriving from OIC- and Hillary-backed UN Resolution 16/18. Those speech codes are pervading Europe and criminalizing those who criticize Islam, even when that criticism is true -- an offense that is punishable by death in most Islamic countries -- and are slowly creeping into America to facilitate the Islamization of the West.

Because no database for personal background checks exist in countries like Syria, how can any screening process for weeding out jihadists from the influx of Syrian (mainly Muslim) refugees granted asylum into the U.S. be considered reliable or trustworthy? Two of the Paris bombers were smuggled into Europe with fake Syrian passports purchased in Turkey. Based on EU figures, it has been reported that four out of five migrants in Europe are not from Syria, but from Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Albania and sub-Saharan African countries such as Nigeria.

Even if a database existed to provide solid background information on jihadist activity, how does one screen for refugees supportive of a global Islamic caliphate run by Islamic law or sharia, which runs contrary to Western values and threatens the Western way of life as jihadists do? Meanwhile, the Islamic State boasts that thousands of jihadists have been smuggled into Europe, while Lebanese Education minister, Elias Bou Saab, warns that one in 50 Syrian refugees in Europe could be an Islamic State jihadist. As the U.S resettles more and more allegedly Syrian (mainly Muslim) refugees, there is mounting concern over jihadists having the capability to successfully make their way over to the U.S. to wreak havoc and destruction.

As Europe is handed over on a silver platter to a wave of sharia-adherent refugees threatening European democracy and culture, isnt it time Americans wake up and take a lesson from their fellow Westerners? With so much at stake, Rutland should be safeguarding its own financial, national and medical security interests above those of others. It must take care of its own first, or eventually face an existential crisis.
Danger signals are being displayed in Europe warning that their countries are politically polarized and may be sliding to politically far-right authoritarian political systems. The torchlight in May 2016 was on Austria, the birthplace of Adolf Hitler in 1889, a country divided down the middle that almost gave birth to a victory for a populist, far-right party, the Freedom Party (FPO), that was founded by a Nazi and still is considered to have pro-Nazi overtones. The FPO victory would have been a political earthquake in a country that has been dominated since 1945 by two mainstream political parties that now cannot deal effectively with the migrant crisis among other issues.

On May 21, 2016 Norbert Hofer, the 45-year-old aeronautical engineer and candidate of the FPO, lost in a very close contest in the runoff, second round of elections for president of Austria. In the first electoral round a month earlier, Hofer had gained 35.1 % of the vote while his rival the 72-year-old ecologist Green Party candidate Alexander Van der Bellen, son of refugees who fled the Soviet controlled Estonia, had got 21 percent.

The two mainstream parties, the center left Social Democratic party (SPO) and the center-right Austrian Peoples Party (OVP) only received a combined 23 per cent in this first round election. The two parties are declining in popularity. In 2002 they received almost 80% of the poll: in the 2013 parliamentary election they got only 50%.

Hofer exalted in the fact that his was the highest number of votes previously achieved by a right-wing party. Hofer remarked We had a rendezvous with history. However, he narrowly lost the second round, obtaining 49.7% while his opponent Van der Bellen won with 50.3 %.

Populist politics in Europe are gaining strength. In all countries the appeal is similar: opposition to the status quo, to the so-called Establishment, and to the mainstream parties that have been in power since the end of World War II: economic discontent; growing unemployment; and above all demands for control over immigration and limitation of entrance of Muslims.

The European populist parties are anti-liberal, are opposed to conventional politics, critical of the European Union, conscious of political corruption, fear terrorist attacks, and anxious about job insecurity. Most are opposed to TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), the agreement between the EU and the U.S.

The vital question for Europe and for the democratic world is whether Hofers strong performance will embolden further anti-immigration rhetoric in other countries and be the harbinger of more activity by the nationalist anti-establishment movement in Europe. Future elections will decide if the far right parties will be central in political life, or will remain simply extreme fringe parties.

Hofer would have been the first far-right politician to be elected president in the history of the EU, and his virtual tie in the election is likely to reinforce the ambitions of other far right parties that are similarly opposed to mass immigration and to what they see as the unacceptable effects of forced multiculturalism and globalization.

Using political results in some European countries, the numbers show the trend.

In Austria itself, the FPO got 30 % in local elections in 2015 and has 45 seats in the European Parliament. In France, Marine Le Pens party, the National Front (FN) got 14% of the vote and has 2 seats in the national assembly. Le Pen is expected to make a strong run for the French presidency.

In Hungary, the extreme party Jobbik got 21 %. In Finland, The Finns got 18%, and the party leader is foreign minister. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany, (AfD) launched as recently as 2013, under the leadership of Frauke Petry, got 4.7%. In Denmark, the Danish Peoples Party got 21%. In Switzerland, the Swiss Peoples Party got 29% and gained 65 of the 200 seats in the lower house of parliament. In Greece, the Golden Dawn got 7%, and is the third largest political group. In Sweden, the Sweden Democrats got 13%. And in the Netherlands, the Freedom Party led by the energetic Geert Wilders got 10%.

In all these countries the far right focuses on the same main foes: highest among them is immigration in general and increase in number of Muslims in particular. For these parties Islam has no place in Europe, nor should there be any welcome culture for Muslims.

Certainly, the migration and Muslim issues are central for Hofer and his party. Immigrants constitute one-fifth of the 8.6 million population of Austria, and another 90,000 immigrants came into the country last year. In Vienna, more than half of the first-year students in schools are from immigrant backgrounds.

Hofer is a telegenic personality, a partially disabled man who walks with a cane following a gliding accident and who always carries a Glock 9mm pistol for protection. Hofer has been absolutely clear: To those in Austria who go to war for the Islamic state or rape women, I say this is not your home.

The Freedom Party tried to change its spots and erase the memory that it was founded in 1956 by a former Nazi minister of agriculture who was an SS officer. Hofer in drafting the Freedom Party manifesto in 2011 focused on identity, code for native Austrians, not immigrants. He wrote of the commitment to a German people and cultural community, using the word Volksgemeinschaft, (peoples community), a term used by Nazi Germany to indicate a racially unified body in which the interests of the nation are superior to those of individuals.

In recent years the Austrian FPO, for electoral reasons or otherwise, has tried to overcome the memory of its former leader Jorg Haider, fairly regarded as pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic. At that time Israel withdrew its ambassador in Austria in 2000 when Haider joined the government coalition. The present leaders of the party suggest that they have tried to overcome allegations of anti-Semitism by their party.

Hofer and party leader Heinz-Christian Strache claim to support Israel and both have visited Israel. Ironically, Strache, who posted an anti-Semitic cartoon on Facebook, paid a private visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Hofer has said that a visit to Israel would be a high priority if he became president.

Hofer is the golden boy of the far right, the well-dressed personality who speaks in moderate tones, the engineer with a friendly face and polite manners, but there are ominous signs. He has sometimes used symbols, such as wearing the blue cornflower, a nationalist symbol used by Nazis to recognize each other when the Nazi Party was banned during the 1930s, and used language familiar in the Nazi movement.

Hofer is not a historian but he and his party may have a particular memory. In September 1683 a Christian Coalition, including the Austro-Hungarian Empire, scored a decisive victory in Vienna by defeating the Ottoman forces that had been besieging the city for two months. Many commentators have seen this as a turning point in history when the Ottoman Muslims ceased to be menace to the world. Hofers defeat showed that history is not yet repeating itself in Vienna.
On an open house day at a private school in the area I once heard a teacher describe the course she taught as "Math With Numbers". Huh? It would have been a couple of minutes of real fun getting her to explain how you could do math without numbers but I didnt have the energy for it. Progressives, especially Progressive educators (which most are) are blatherskites. They specialize in terms like "ability status" (unwarranted pride in getting a good mark) or confusing labels like "Sociolinguistics" (hint: another term for the same thing is "communicative competence".) They bang on and on about a fourth graders portfolio and write a 75,000-word thesis for their doctorate on the spacing of monkey bars.

Theres nothing, Ive often reflected, that youre going to learn from the way these people think in any language youre going to understand and so, I dont chat them up.

But Ive always allowed that there was hope in their preoccupation with "critical thinking". Because while developing a childs critical thinking skills always seemed to be the excuse for some absurdity in education I had always taken the term to mean an intellectual proficiency which helps one sift through available evidence until arriving at the truth of some matter.

But then I read an article in the Guardian online by Bobby Scott a black U.S. Congressman titled: America's Schools Are Still Segregated by Race and Class.That Has To End.

Scotts argument is the really old and really weird one many Conservatives are familiar with, i.e.; that the government should do something about the fact that in some mostly black districts and/or neighborhoods there werent enough white students to go around. Implying of course, that black students cannot excel in school work without enough Whites faces in the classroom.

Silly.

But instead of laughing and moving on I found myself reading and rereading the following paragraph:

Thanks in large part to federal intervention in the decades following Brown, students experienced indisputable academic and social benefits inherent to racially and socioeconomically diverse learning environments. A recent report by the Century Foundation affirms that learning in diverse environments improves critical thinking and problem solving. But as time marched on, deliberate government action and meaningful federal oversight fell by the wayside in many communities.

Because the second sentence contained the term I had never heard a politician use before -- critical thinking. More than just that he was using the term as a substitute for what he should have been saying if he had any argument at all, i.e. that math scores improved, reading comprehension took a tick up, or that students had a better grasp of history or a foreign language with whites in the classroom. Some concrete measure of improvement.

Which got me thinking -- critically. Just what was "critical thinking"?

So I decided to do some research and found I had been flummoxed as Hercule Poirot would say, by the simple cunning of vacant minds. Critical thinking has nothing whatsoever to do with intellectual proficiency. Instead its the lefts means by which they shut out and shout down a procedure which should be both taught and encouraged in the young: the scientific method.

To recap: the scientific method is the process by which knowledge advances. One develops a hypothesis and then endeavors to prove it by carefully constructing an experiment which may be replicated by others, carries it out and tests the result. (Im simplifying here.) For example, I posit that a pot of water when put over a flame will warm up. And so I put water in a pot, put it over the flame, and measure the change, if any, in temperature. Temperature goes up and voila -- if others get the same result my hypothesis is proved (again Im simplifying).

But critical thinking asks something different of you. It asks if you want the temperature of the water in the pot to go up.

Think Im kidding? Google it.

No explanation I could find focused on finding the truth and all agree the purpose of critical thinking is rather, for you to decide what to believe or do. One explanation, maybe the clearest, suggests that critical thinking is composed of five elements:

1. Suspending judgment to check the validity of a proposition or action

2. Taking into consideration multiple perspectives

3. Examining implications and consequences of a belief or action

4. Using reason and evidence to resolve disagreements

5. Re-evaluating a point of view in light of new information

Nothing about experiments or objective tests, just conflict resolution, taking others opinions into account and of course examining [the] implications and consequences of a belief or action.

Lets try a real world example. Since Lyndon B. Johnsons War On Poverty began in the 1960s we have roughly spent an amount equal the national debt (20 trillion) on eliminating poverty and have not done so, indeed by some measures its gotten worse.

The scientific method would shut the thing down because the experiment has failed.

On the other hand, the application of critical thinking would provoke this reaction to the problem:

Dont do anything rash. (suspend judgement) Other people have other opinions about whether or not it has failed. (Take into consideration multiple perspectives) Think about what happens to the people now getting checks and shouldnt they have a voice in whether or not to shut the system down? (Examining implications and consequences of a belief or action) Isnt it reasonable to assume that if you give people money that they must not be poor any longer. (Using reason and evidence to resolve disagreements) Maybe theres some different way in which we can give this money away? (Re-evaluating a point of view in light of new information)

And so youll never shut down the system, as the scientific method tells you you should. Because no human being will ever clearly and conclusively resolve issues like these.

So there you have the answer to both the question of what critical thinking really is and why its so dear to the left-wing liberal heart. Because if that is the way people are taught to think theyll never develop any understanding that left-wing policies are both moral and economic disasters.

Final point. The scientific method is the engine of Western progress these last three hundred years or so. If Western thought had been organized around the lines defined by the critical thinking now being taught our children, wed still have horses pulling plows and would have to go to sleep when the sun went down, wed still be dying of diseases long since conquered, and we certainly never would have landed on the moon.

And your children, my friends, belong on the moon.

Richard F. Miniter is the author of The Things I Want Most, Random House, BDD See it Here. He lives and writes in the colonial era hamlet of Stone Ridge, New York, blogs here and can also be reached at miniterhome@gmail.com
Canadians constitute about 0.5% of the world's total population, with an estimated total population of 36,048,521 (Q1 2016). Despite the fact that Canada's population density is considered low, many parts in the south, such as Southern Ontario, have densities higher than several European countries.

Fort McMurray, a city of about 100,000 before the recent fire, was under a mandatory evacuation order, resulting in the evacuation of 80,000-plus residents. According to reports from Canadian sources, the fire destroyed some 2,000 residences in the city's outermost districts and ravaged 10,000 hectares, or about 24,710 acres.

Though their population is just short of a tenth of the population of the U.S., the 36 million-plus citizens of Canada's ten provinces and three territories pay 42% annual income tax, considerably above the average current rate of her neighbor to the south. Even the 1% on average pay less than the average Canadian.

But what kind of government does the northern neighbor get for his buck?

Something over 80,000 people were evacuated in the teeth of a flash forest fire that has turned out to be Canada's largest. Lest one make the mistake of thinking this was the only forest fire, we hasten to add that fires of both expected and suspicious origin flare up often in dry and windy conditions.

My colleague in the north, who lives in British Columbia and travels annually across Canada, east from Vancouver to the opposite coast, informs me that there are "many fires every year, some due to seasonal dry weather conditions" or diminished rainfall, some with causes unknown.

Shaggy-haired Justin Pierre James Trudeau, the some-say hunky 23rd prime minister of Canada, 43-year-old son of former P.M. Pierre, and the leader of the Liberal Party, rescued and fed, housed, and managed the care of these endless myriads of evacuated citizens.

Marshaling all available resources for the emergency, nine air tankers, a dozen helicopters, and 250 firefighters battled the flames. The military was put on alert.

Contrast this with the gushing BP oil leak at the start of the Obama administration, where the company fought ineffectually to cap the oil gusher, and the administration rejected  rejected  the offers of help from the Scandinavian countries most familiar with such problems. Marine biota was poisoned, shorelines were despoiled, and mammals lost generations to the spill.

Whatever the source of this still blazing Wallpurgisnacht in Alberta, B.C., the government has come quickly to the aid of its citizens. Supplies, food, shelter, and temporary housing are being provided. Homes have opened to shelter and care for the traumatized victims, many of whom had time to just escape with their lives and little else.

To date, the fire has burned forest over 500,000 hectares (1,235,527 acres) of land across northern Alberta. The still burning fire stretches 370 miles long.

Homes in the denuded areas where the fire has been finally quelled are already undergoing attempts to be rebuilt.

The point of this exercise in empathy with our ally and neighbor to the north is to compare the U.S. reaction to a parallel circumstance.

Could the U.S. find shelter for 80K of her citizens? (Probably, kaff kaff, but only if they were transgender. Or, now, aliens trespassing our borders and reaping the handsome dividends of illegality under the administration more partial to outsiders than our own citizens.)

Could the U.S. government provide soap, toiletries, and basic household products for an equal number of her citizens in need? Katrina was a prime example of the answer. No. Mobile homes were sent for and parked where presumed refugees from the floodplains of St. Louis had forced thousands out of their homes. These mobile homes were almost instantly found to be exhaling toxic fumes, and thousands are still left, moldering and unused, at a cost of millions of taxpayer dollars per R.V. and abandoned and unused mobile home.

This raises the question: even a nation as great as the United States seems to have no contingency plan for such ghastly circumstances, worrying, instead, about the nonexistent inanity and unproven wraith of "climate change."

While it's true that the Canadian population, at over 36 million, is a ninth of the U.S.'s at 330 million, they reap serious benefits for their buck, no matter the political stripe of the reigning Canadian prime ministerial administration.

Did Pres. Obama do that with oil leaks, raging Hurricane Sandy, or other natural disasters impacting our population? (Bear-hugging Chris Christie does not count as aid.)

Because the fire caused major oil companies Suncor, Syncrude, and Shell to voluntarily cease operations while the control effort is under way, the mass evacuation caused huge traffic jams, especially around gas stations, where drivers sometimes waited hours to fill up. With some pumps in the 360 miles between Edmonton and Fort McMurray to the north now empty, the Alberta government sent a tanker under guard to help rescue stranded motorists. The oil companies also offered their camps to evacuees, bungalow community camps usually occupied by Canadian workers and foreign oilers during boomier times.

Would President Obama think to do similarly?

Can we be sure, given the evidence to the contrary over a series of mishaps and weather catastrophes, that the U.S. could do for her citizenry what the Canadian government  even a liberal hothead determined to scathe the longtime Conservative tenure of Stephen Harper  is doing with efficiency and dispatch for its own people?

Sadly, Canada has its own seething Benedict Arnolds (or mirror-image Hussein Obamas): Trudeau committed just $30 million to the 88,000 victims of Fort McMurray's epic blaze  but lavished $1.2 billion to just 25,000 invasive rape-fugees, as they are now labeled among many of the punditoria of the EU, from ISIS- and Alawite-torn Syria.
The stunning news that the FBI has been investigating Virginia Governor (and key Clinton Machine operative) Terry McAuliffe for a year is widely seen as an ominous sign for Hillary Clintons campaign. But a lot of tealeaf reading is necessary to figure out what is really going on.

CNN obtained the scoop:

Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the FBI and prosecutors from the Justice Department's public integrity unit, U.S. officials briefed on the probe say.

The investigation dates to at least last year and has focused, at least in part, on whether donations to his gubernatorial campaign violated the law, the officials said. (snip)

As part of the probe, the officials said, investigators have scrutinized McAuliffe's time as a board member of the Clinton Global Initiative, a vehicle of the charitable foundation set up by former President Bill Clinton.

Now who might those US officials briefed on the probe be? People with political motives to leak this news. Four basic alternatives suggest themselves:

Someone who wants to damage the Hillary Clinton campaign and is anxious to open a new front in the public controversies over her political machine, including the Clinton Foundation. Someone anxious to demonstrate that the ongoing FBI probe is serious, and that the Justice Department will not take a dive on pursuing the issues beyond the negligent handling of classified material. Someone who wants to crate pressure on the Justice Department to act on whatever FBI referrals may be coming. Someone wants to warn McAuliffe and his associates that they are under scrutiny.

None of these alternatives is good news for the Clinton Machine.

A former chair of the Democratic National Committee, McAuliffe raised a then-unprecedented $275 million for the Clintons in the 20th century, and set a record for a single night fundraiser with $26 million. He also personally guaranteed the mortgage on the Chappaqua mansion purchased by the Clintons for their post-presidency residence, when they were, according to Hillary, dead broke.

The term bagman has been applied to him for years, particularly since he has made no secret of his pattern of mixing politics and his personal business interests. He told the New York Times in 1999,

"I've met all of my business contacts through politics. It's all interrelated." When he meets a new business contact, he continued, "then I raise money from them."

In short, McAuliffe could write a book titled The Art of the Political Payoff Deal and set the standard for trading on favors. All of which raises vey interesting questions about the complex mix of very large payments from foreign sources to the Clintons and their foundation, and decisions made by the State Department affecting the interests of the money paid or donated. In that light, consider what CNN is reporting about the current investigation:

Among the McAuliffe donations that drew the interest of the investigators was $120,000 from a Chinese businessman, Wang Wenliang, through his U.S. businesses. Wang was previously delegate to China's National People's Congress, the country's ceremonial legislature. (snip)

Wang also has been a donor to the Clinton foundation, pledging $2 million. He also has been a prolific donor to other causes, including to New York University, Harvard and environmental issues in Florida.

U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to federal, state or local elections. Penalties for violations include fines and/or imprisonment.

But Wang holds U.S. permanent resident status, according to a spokeswoman, which would make him a U.S. person under election law and eligible to donate to McAuliffe's campaign.

Neither Wang nor his company used to make the donations have been contacted by U.S. investigators, according to the spokeswoman.

It would not require a year to determine whether or not Wang had US permanent residency, which would make his campaign contribution either legal or illegal. There must be something else that requires investigation.

Typically, notification of a target of an investigation and interviews come at a late stage in a probe. This would seem to indicate that evidence gathering is still underway, some of it perhaps related to the 30,000+ deleted-but-recovered emails from Hillarys private server, or to emails hacked by Guccifer and traded for a plea deal.

Now that news of the probe is out in public, any steps taken by related parties to destroy evidence would amount to obstruction of justice, even if the underlying crimes could not be proved.

Somebody is stirring the waters. Well have to wait to find out who and why, and to see where this all leads.
The Democrat felon voting express train in Virginia hit a sharp curve on Monday when Republican lawmakers went to the state's highest court to derail it.

Constitutional attorney Charles J. Cooper's law firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of Republican leaders in the Virginia legislature asking the state Supreme Court to block 206,000 felons from voting in November.

The lawsuit Howell v. McAuliffe states that Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe abused the separation of powers in an April 22 executive order that gives a blanket restoration to convicts who've completed their sentences.

McAuliffe is countermanding longtime policy, in which Virginia's governors have restored voting rights by individual cases, the suit states. The felons who received the blanket amnesty include inmates convicted of rape, murder, and other major offenses.

It's worth noting that McAuliffe, who served as a fundraiser for Bill and Hillary Clinton, ignored the fact that his two predecessors, Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Bob McDonnell, both attempted blanket amnesty for some felons but abided by opinions from state attorneys general ruling this out as unconstitutional.

The current hyper-partisan attorney general, Democrat Mark Herring, who refused to defend the state's constitutional marriage amendment, has no such qualms, which is why the GOP leaders resorted to the lawsuit.

"In his blanket restoration, the Governor didn't consider the violence of the offense, the number of offenses, or whether the offender has paid his victim's medical bills," said a press release from Virginia 58th District delegate Rob Bell. "The executive order covers felons who are still on unsupervised probation. It makes 40,000 violent felons eligible to sit on juries, and is already being used by a defendant accused of murdering a state trooper to demand that these felons be included in his jury pool."

"Gov. McAuliffe's executive order defines the plain text of the Constitution, flouts the separation of powers, and has no precedent in the annals of Virginia history," the suit says. "The governor simply may not, with the stroke of the pen, unilaterally suspend and amend the Constitution." The state is required to ensure that mental competence has been established, which cannot be done except on an individual basis, the suit notes.

Plaintiffs in the suit, filed Monday by Cooper & Kirk PLLC, are House speaker William Howell and Senate majority leader Thomas Norment, along with four other Virginia voters.

The suit asks the justices to direct the state elections board to prohibit registration of felons and to cancel any such registrations since April 22. As of last week, election officials said nearly 4,000 felons had signed up to vote, various media reported.

"By seizing a lawmaking power that the People have denied to him," the suit states, "Governor McAuliffe has  violated the separation of powers, a 'principle essentially and indispensably necessary to [our government's] existence as a free government.'"

Robert Knight is a senior fellow for the American Civil Rights Union. Charles J. Cooper is on the ACRU's Policy Board.
The Romanian hacker known as Guccifer has agreed to plead guilty to cybercrime, likely as part of deal with federal prosecutors.

Guccifer, whose real name is Marcel Lazar, revealed in early 2014 to a reporter for The Smoking Gun that he had stored large numbers of documents on Google Drive. The TSG reporter subsequently reviewed these files, which contained email messages, photos, videos and other documents which he had stolen from several high profile people. Lazar also hacked into Hillary confidante Sidney Blumenthals email account and revealed the existence of Hillarys private email server.

Lazar also claimed to have hacked into Hillarys email server, but thus far has not offered any proof of doing so. It may be that Lazar has additional files on Google Drive or other web servers where he stored Hillarys emails that he can now share with the FBI as part of the plea deal.

When speaking to a reporter, he said he had more material in the cloud which he would share with security officials when the time is right. These emails, if they exist, may contain information not only about State Department correspondence, but may also include emails about the Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative Bills speaking fees.

Since Lazar did not fight his extradition to the US, he may be holding some cards to play with the FBI and federal prosecutors. He almost seems willing to talk to them. The TSG story has some additional insights into Lazar and the possibility of his being arrested:

i dont know what near future hold for me, the hacker stated, adding that the thousands of documents were being provided to a reporter in case I disappear. Aware that a platoon of federal agents is hunting for him (or her or them), Guccifer facetiously claimed to be having dreams in which a woman is steping [sic] up to me saying that she is from Federal Bureau and I am busted. He added, meanwhile me trying desperately to erase my files on my computer at my desk or on my smartphone which btw I dont have because I cant afford one.

The media have focused on the legal risk to Hillary due to having classified material on her email server which may have been hacked. But if Lazar can retrieve emails from an online account that connect the dots between Hillarys official capacity as Secretary of State to payments to the foundation or honoraria to Bill, the damage done will be far worse. Stay tuned.
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen has refused to appear before the Judiciary Committee when they take up the case for his impeachment. Koskinen claims he didn't have sufficient time to prepare.

The commissioner is charged with a failure to preserve documents related to the targeting scandal, as well as not telling the truth about deleted emails and crashed hard drives from various IRS employees.

Politico:

Some Republicans even suspect the IRS intentionally destroyed documents as part of a cover-up. And Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who took over the investigation of the IRS treatment of conservative nonprofits upon taking the gavel last year, will make the impeachment case against Koskinen on Tuesday morning. Koskinen wont be there, the IRS says in a statement, because he was not given enough notice of the hearing, which was scheduled a little over a week ago. Koskinen just returned from a trip to China during which he met with tax leaders around the world, and hes slated to testify before a second House panel this week. When the committee announced this hearing, he was returning from China after meeting with tax administrators of 43 nations, the statement reads. The committees quick timetable left him without the time to fully prepare for Tuesdays hearing. In addition, he also has been preparing for a previous commitment to appear before a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday. IRS spokesman Matt Leas said Koskinen has advised the committee that he is willing to appear in the future if they desire. A staffer on the tax-writing committee noted that Koskinen wasnt required to attend its hearing this week but chose to. The Ways and Means subcommittee initially requested that Richard Weber, the IRS criminal investigation chief, testify, said the Republican aide. Commissioner Koskinen insisted he attend alongside Mr. Weber. Although Koskinen wont appear Tuesday, he told House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) in a letter obtained by POLITICO that the allegations against me lack merit and are unwarranted.

In his appearances before Congressional Committees, Koskinen has been dismissive of critics, arrogant, and sarcastic. He's another in a long line of IRS leaders who apparently hate conservatives and Republicans. That someone like this could be made the commissioner of a federal agency with such enormous power speaks to the vindictiveness of the Obama administration and the war they are waging against their political opponents.

Some Republicans are skeptical that a case can be made against Koskinen. Indeed, there's no smoking gun that points to clear cut malfeasance. But the case must be made, if only to warn future bureaucrats that it's their responsibility to cooperate with Congress while being as evenhanded as possible in the administration of the law.




In her 60 Minutes interview, Valerie Jarrett partially reveals the sway and power she possesses in the Obama White House. The full disclosure of her power must wait for another time, perhaps in a tell all book, post Obama administration. It is clear she is very proud of her effect on the Obama presidency, its decisions, its attitudes, and its resultant force upon Constitutional boundaries and the racial injustices she perceives in America.

In a surprisingly blunt 60 Minutes interview, CBSs This Morning co-host Norah ODonnell took Ms. Jarrett to task on several issues. Much was revealed, much unspoken yet suggested.

Ms. ODonnell opens,

Rarely does one person in the White House have the influence that Valerie Jarrett has had. She holds the job title of senior advisor, but she is more than that.

Now there is an understatement. Ms ODonnell continues;

Jarrett has said she is involved in nearly every decision that is made including who should be Chief of Staff or who should sit on the Supreme Court.

It is reasonable to add other considerations such as Attorney General appointments, Iran Nuclear deals, and transgender issues.

Ms. ODonnell notes that Valerie Jarrett has at least three formal job titles, including senior advisor and best friend. Jarrett has clashed with Robert Gibbs, Rahm Emanuel, Bill Daley, in all five chiefs of staff but only one Valerie Jarrett remains.

She has also made a commitment to push the issues she cares about. She helped write executive actions on gun control and immigration that went around Congress She is at the center of the administrations efforts to raise the minimum wage around the country and to expand paid parental leave. She has also pushed criminal justice reform.

Jarrett offers this snippet, a peek inside the two person think tank that is Valerie and Barack. They share, a world view shaped by childhoods spent abroad. Obamas four years in Indonesia and the fact that she was born in Iran and spent five years there.

She says in the interview, That bond we had from having lived in cultures very different than our own, and how that shaped our view of the world, was a bond we had that day.

One may conclude that Valerie Jarrett enjoys a unique and intrinsic input into the Obama administrations policies and actions. She promotes the issues she cares about, actually authors executive action language that pushes constitutional boundaries, and her views of America are shaded and shaped by her time abroad as are the Presidents. But who is who here, exactly?
The latest polls confirm that Mr. Trump is in a big hole with Hispanic voters: 77% unfavorable.

I saw some of this a few weeks ago at a social gathering. We went to a birthday party and everyone there had voted for Romney but one. In other words, Romney beat Obama 9-1 at that table. My friends were Hispanic professionals and most were naturalized citizens like me. Trump will not win 9-1 with those Hispanics. They are furious with Trump and my friends do not support amnesty.

Maybe it's time for the Trump people to look at two winning electoral strategies: Bush 2004 and Abbott 2014 in Texas.

In 2004, President Bush was reelected with 51% of the popular vote and 286 electoral votes.

Bush did well with men, religious people, and married women. He won the white vote 58-41%.

Believe it or not, Romney did about the same in 2012: Romney got 59% of the white vote!

So why did Bush get 51% and Romney 48% of the popular vote? The answer is Hispanics: 44% of the Hispanic vote for Bush vs high 20s for Romney.

Down in Texas, Abbott won a landslide for governor in 2014:

Some exit polls also showed GOP governor-elect Greg Abbott winning 44 percent of the Latino vote, a higher percentage than the 38 percent Republican Gov. Rick Perry won in 2010.

I should add that Governor Perry was never seen as anti-Hispanic. Also, Ms. Davis turned off a lot of Hispanic women over abortion.

Mr. Abbott adopted the attitude that the GOP would ask Hispanics for their vote. He spoke about crime on the border but did not single out Mexicans or used the words rapists or criminals. He addressed the violence as a national security issue and was more critical of the Obama administration than people coming over.

Finally, President Bush or Governor Abbott did not call for open borders or amnesty.

The Trump people keep telling me that demographics do not matter. It's "old school", as a Trump supporter told me.

But demographics matter and it's up to the Trump team to see the Hispanic challenge that he faces today.

In 2012, President Obama got 5 million votes more than Governor Romney. Do the Trump people really think that they are going to convert Democrats or bring in new voters and have it add up to 5 million?

The good news is that Mr. Trump has time. He will find an audience among Hispanics who care a lot more about the economy than immigration. But, Mr. Trump has to get started and I don't mean naming a Latina as VP. He should speak to Hispanics about jobs and the lousy public schools that their kids go to.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
In 2000, on the two-hundredth anniversary of the White House, President Bill Clinton invited some of his many friends to a reception and reading. John Adams biographer David McCullough was asked to offer a portion of his forthcoming book for the edification of the glittering assembly.

President John Adams, McCullough said, had been defeated for re-election. He sat in the half-finished White House and reflected on his life. He wrote a letter to his dear wife, Abigail. She had already left for their home in Braintree, Massachusetts. The correspondence between John and Abigail, McCullough informs us, extends on microfiche five miles long. It is itself a national treasure.

John included in his revealing letter to his beloved friend this prayer:

"I pray to heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."

Franklin Roosevelt was so taken with the prayer and lived so long in the White House -- twelve years -- that he had it inscribed in the mantel of the East Room fireplace.

At that Year 2000 White House Bicentennial, Washington Post columnist Mary McGrory was among the guests. She recorded for history the reaction of Bill Clintons closest associates -- donors, political allies, staff members.

When McCullough repeated John Adams prayer -- with its blessing and its hope that none but honest and wise men would ever rule -- McGrory recorded that everyone in the room looked at his shoes. Everyone, every man and woman, was too embarrassed by Honest John Adams prayer to face his neighbor.

Who today can contemplate the prospect before us this November and think we are to choose between candidates who are honest and wise? A Trump-Hillary choice is no choice. Are we forced to choose between only these two?

Theres a great scene in the movie, Master and Commander. Jack Aubrey is a captain in the Royal Navy. His landsman friend, Ships Surgeon Stephen Maturin, is invited to dinner in the wardroom of the man-of-war HMS Surprise.

After dinner, the ships young officers entertain themselves by staging a race between two of the bugs they found in ships biscuits. As the critters race for the edge of the plate, these ensigns and lieutenants invited Stephen to place his wager. He demurs.

Only then does a smiling Captain Aubrey upbraid his friend: Stephen, you should know in the naval service, we must always choose the lesser of two weevils

We are Americans, however. And we do not have to choose the lesser of these two weevils. We can find or make an honorable alternative. Clearly, the two-party nominating system is broken. It has produced nothing but these withered figs.

The nominating system does not deserve our respect. It is a Rube Goldberg contraption.

It is the product of Nixons schemes and McGoverns dreams. And it has worn as well as bell-bottoms and mood rings. In the case of the Republican Party, we will be confronted by a dishonorable nominee chosen by barely five percent of the American Electorate.

This is not the system our Founding Fathers created for us. Far from it. The Electoral College was created for just such an emergency as this. We should explore every reasonable option to avoid being forced to choose the lesser of two weevils.

If ever there was a time for Wise and Honest, it is now. Lets pull back from the abyss before it is too late.
What's the point in appropriating money for specific budget items if the Obama administration is going to take money earmarked for one program to fund another?

Senator James Lankford writes in The Daily Signal that the administration has taken $500 million that could have been spent combating the Zika virus and turned it over to the UN fund that pays for climate change.

The money came from an economic aid program that Congress also allowed the administration to spend on virus epidemics. Instead, the money went to the U.N.s Green Climate Fund.

In a floor speech last week, I also shed light on the fact that Congress last December provided the Obama administration with authority to pull money from bilateral economic assistance to foreign countries. They can use those funds to combat infectious diseases, if the administration believed there is an infectious disease emergency. In the middle of the Zika epidemic, the administration did use their authority to pull money from foreign aid and spend it, but they didnt use it for Zika. You might askso what did the administration spend the infectious disease money on earlier this year? You guessed it climate change. In March, President Obama gave the United Nations $500 million out of an account under bilateral economic assistance to fund the U.N.s Green Climate Fund. Congress refused to allocate funding for the U.N. Climate Change Fund last year, so the president used this account designated for international infectious diseases to pay for his priority. While I understand that intelligent people can disagree on the human effects on the global climate, it is hard to imagine a reason why the administration would prioritize the U.N. Green Climate Fund over protecting the American people, especially pregnant women, from the Zika virus. Unfortunately, it gets worse. The U.N. Green Climate Fund is connected to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an affiliated organization of the United Nations. The UNFCCC recently accepted the State of Palestine as a signatory, which should trigger a U.S. funding prohibition. U.S. law forbids any taxpayer dollars to fund international organizations that recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. So, the administration found a way to offend our ally Israel, delay the Zika response and, if Congress allows him, add another billion dollars to our national debt. That is a busy month. The White House should not throw money at the U.N. while a vaccine for a virus known to cause severe, debilitating neurological birth defects is put on the back burner. Zika is an important international crisis, but every crisis does not demand new emergency funding that is all debt. If there is a way to avoid more debt, we should take that option, it is what every family and every business does every day.

Lankford points out that the "Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State, and International Assistance Programs currently have about $80 billion in unobligated funds." This money could be used to completely fund Zika programs. Instead, the administration demanded a billion dollars from Congress to address the crisis.

This is not the first time that the administration has played a shell game with taxpayer money. Obama funded the Obamacare rollout using HHS funds not dedicated for that purpose. The problem is that while the Constitution grants the power of the purse to Congress alone, there is wide leeway given the executive in how that money is spent.

A fig leaf of legality to be sure. But this is what happens when we have a president that follows the Constitution with a wink and a nod rather than "faithfully execute" the responsibilities of his office.
Western civilization has seriously gone off the rails. A mania has gripped those who educate young people, convincing them that any stress whatsoever is capable of triggering some unspecified disaster that is too horrible to specify. Moving beyond the obvious threats, such as a pop tart chewed into a shape vaguely resembling a gun, educators are now concerned that blowing a whistle to signal the end of recess will have awful consequences.

I dont think this British site, OneMK is satirical, but I would,actually be relieved if it turned out we are being had:

A Milton Keynes primary school has banned whistles from being used to signal the end of playtime because they are 'too aggressive' and might scare children. Staff at St Monica's Catholic Primary School in Neath Hill will instead raise their hand at the end of breaks, and hope the children spot them. The ban on whistles was revealed by teaching assistant Pamela Cunningham in a letter to Country Life magazine, according to The Sunday Times, and she attacked the ban saying she still keeps her whistle in her pocket 'just in case'.

There are other civilizations that see children as far stronger, even to the point of training them to be suicide bombers. Do you think that our snowflakes will be able to defend Western Civilization?

Update from Selwyn Duke:

For whatever it's worth, here's what the elementary school recently posted at its website:

There is no ban on whistles at St Monicas Catholic Primary School. The view that loud noises can be aggressive has never been a point of discussion in our school (let alone a policy).



We use a variety of methods to gain the attention of pupils in different settings, such as whistles, voices, bells and klaxons. The raised hand is often employed in the classroom as an effective method, in line with many other primary schools, and we have also found it to be effective in our smaller playground with younger children.



Our children and staff communicate effectively using a variety of appropriate methods throughout the school day, particularly when undertaking the various competitive and noisy activities that our children enjoy, from inter-school leagues through to running around the playground being excited, happy and enthused children!

I think they should have addressed the matter of how the story originated, however. Anyway, I thought you'd want to know.

Hat tip: iOTW Report
Android Pay has been getting a lot of attention recently. Last week during Googles annual I/O developer conference, Google announced a number of changes and improvements coming to Android Pay which included the capability to use the service at Bank of America ATMs around the U.S. in addition to an announcement from Ziosk that will see Android Pay integrated as a method of payment at all Chilis Grill & Bar locations nationwide before the end of the year. Today Google is putting Android Pay in the spotlight once more with an update to the app that includes more support for tons of different banks and credit unions.

Todays growing list of supported banking institutions also follows on the heels of the official launch of Android Pay in the UK which was a long time coming, and is a rather quick adoption of new bank support from the last time Google updated the list of compatible banks and credit unions which was less than a week ago. As for the supported banks that were just added, of which there are 48 newly added to the list, Android Pay now supports Capital One, Avida Credit Union, Amegy Bank, California Bank & Trust, First Atlantic CU, KeyBank, MAX Credit Union, Zions Bank, and more.

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When Android Pay initially launched things got off to a slow start with a small list of supported banks in the beginning, and Google was slowly rolling out more support for new banks and credit unions as time went on. More recently Google has been picking up the pace and rolling out support for new banking institutions every two or three weeks. Most of the support that continues to roll out is for smaller and more regional banks and credit unions, as most of the major banks in the U.S. gained support first. If youre new to Android Pay, the app is available in the Play Store and setting things up is quite easy, and alongside adding in a credit or debit card from your supported bank, the app also now supports loyalty and rewards cards for plenty of major retailers so you can keep everything you might use for shopping in one place.
Google TTS or Text-To-Speech, has seen a new update this week. Bringing the app to version 3.9.6 (there is also a version 3.9.11 floating around out there). Theres a few pretty important features in this update. Of course, the most important one is the ability to select text system-wide. What we are talking about here is that floating text selection toolbar that appeared in Android 6.0 Marshmallow when that was released last year. That was only available in a few apps, in fact developers had to put it into their app themselves. That was until this version of Google TTS started to roll out. This toolbar is now available anywhere in the system. Allowing you to select text and then be able to translate it, search, and do much more with it. Making things much easier, all around.

The update also brings Swedish and Vietnamese to the list of languages supported by text-to-speech. So if you do use either of those languages, then this is good news for you. You can head into the TTS app and select these yourself, or just let the system do it. Especially if you already have one of them set as the default on Android.

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Not a whole lot that is new here in this version of Text-to-Speech, but there are some pretty cool features here. Of course, the system-wide text selection is a nice feature to have. As we mentioned before, this is version 3.9.6, however we did also mention that there is a 3.9.11 version floating around out there. So whats the difference? Well the 3.9.6 version has the system-wide text selection toolbar, while the 3.9.11 version does not. It simply adds support for Swedish and Vietnamese languages to the supported list.

We do have the APK available for Google TTS. Which you can download using the link below. Remember, to install this APK you will need to go into the settings of your device and into security to enable Unknown Sources. Once youve done that, youll be free to install the new APK. Its also worth noting that this isnt the version on Google Play, but rather its the version from Android N Developer Preview 3. It does work fairly well on Marshmallow as well. So there shouldnt be any issues, but if you are waiting for it to roll out from Google Play, youll be waiting a good little while.
Since Project Ara became part of Google  by way of Motorola Mobility  in 2013, everyone has been excited about what Project Ara could mean for the future of smartphones. Think about it. This is a modular smartphone, allowing you to replace things like the speaker, cameras, battery and just about everything else. Google has already ran a few pilots  one being in Puerto Rico  and it now looks like we will be getting our hands on the device in 2017 (developers can get it this fall).

The big question about Project Ara has been the modules. How are customers going to get these modules? Who is going to create them? Similar questions to what rose after the LG G5 was announced a few months ago. According to a report out of The Verge, Google is looking to control the ecosystem. And control it a bit more than they have Android. Stating that Project Ara modules will need to be approved by Google, and also have some of Googles code. This way they will be able to talk to the rest of the phone. They are also going to be taking a small cut of each module sold for Project Ara. Not too surprising, given that Google does take a cut of just about everything it sells  including ads. Google is planning to build the base for the phone in-house. They also noted that Google will not make the display, processor or RAM swappable, unfortunately. Something that many hard-core users were definitely excited about.

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Google will be working with manufacturers to create these third-party modules. Google is also looking into innovative form factors and noted that these modules could be used for other electronic devices. Hinting that Project Ara could extend past just smartphones. Meaning that it wouldnt be too surprising to see things like tablets and smartwatches get the Project Ara treatment. Which would definitely make for an interesting market in a few years.

Project Ara has been an exciting project since Phonebloks first posted their YouTube video of their vision in 2013. The idea of being able to swap out modules in a smartphone, without even needing to reboot it, has been very exciting. And were getting closer and closer to that vision becoming a reality.
Big tech companies the world over have never been too far away from the spotlight where taxation is concerned. Thanks to all sorts of different loopholes and nations such as Ireland with lower tax rates, international corporations have long had ways to get around paying the right amount of tax. Of course, few laws are broken in the approach taken by Google, putting all of their European Revenues through Google Ireland, which pays less tax than anywhere else in Europe, but whether or not its ethically right is often the question. Following scrutiny and subsequently a deal in the UK to pay a little more tax, it looks like the French are taking things around Googles amount of paid tax a lot more seriously as well.

Earlier today, it was reported that French officials had raided Googles Offices in Paris on grounds of a tax investigation. Around 100 tax officials apparently raided offices in Paris belonging to Google in relation to the amount of tax paid in France by the Internet giant. While Googles head offices in Europe are based in Ireland, and much  if not all  of their European revenue declared there firms that make over 750 Million in sales across Europe are now subject to a new country-by-country rule. Introduced back in April, these new rules will see each individual European state having to investigate multi-national corporations to find out whether or not they were abiding by their specific tax laws. Its believed that Google could own the French as much as 1.6 Billion, or $1.8 Billion, in unpaid taxes, and its no surprise that the French have moved in to take some of this money.

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Following the huge scandal of the Panama leaks earlier this year, its unsurprising to see nations coming down on big tech firms much harder than they have done in the past. Apple and Google are some of the biggest names to declare all of their revenues in Europe in Ireland, thus securing a much lower rate of tax. Facebook had previously done the same however, intentions of theirs to declare revenue as Facebook UK across the pond surfaced not too long ago, but whether or not that that just applies to the UK is unclear at this point.
Despite the fact that the Nokia we used to know and love is no longer around, the Finnish firm is still very much alive and kicking. Since the sale of their handset business to Microsoft  which was itself recently sold to a subsidiary of Chinas Foxconn  the Finnish brand has been focusing on their network technologies. Its easy to forget that Nokia was not only the company we used to know and love because of their great devices, but also because of their approach to network technologies and the work that they put into create new technologies and infrastructure. Despite being an industry leader in this field, things arent all rosy for Nokia, and theres a chance that the firm may need to cut many more jobs than they first wanted to.

As part of plans to reduce their overall spending by $1 Billion by 2018, job cuts were announced as being unavoidable, and while the figures that were banded around earlier in the year were much lower, its now thought that Nokia could cut around 15% of its global workforce. Risto Lehtilahti, a Union representative has told Reuters that the global impact of this round would likely be around 10,000 to 15,000 jobs which would make the larger figure 14% of Nokias global workforce of 104,000 employees. These higher figures are more than likely the result of the integration between Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent, which the former purchased last year. With a larger workforce comes bigger expenses, and if Nokia wants to cut down their spending, they will now also need to turn their attention to the Alcatel-Lucent workforce as well.

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These job cuts, if these figures turn out to be accurate of course, could put Nokia in the firing line of French regulators as the Finnish firm had vowed not to cut French jobs for at least two years after they had bought the Franco-American Alcatel-Lucent. Different divisions of Nokias all over the world have experienced different signs that Nokia is looking to swing the axe, with Lisa Bolton from the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union saying that They have cut 500, cut our (unionized) workforce in half, and we hope thats all that is going to be taken away. The CWA had noted that Nokia has been reducing the amount of US jobs in preparation for such a thing. With rumors of the Nokia smartphone name coming back, things could either start to go right for the Finnish firm or continue to go backwards.
Huawei, pronounced wah-way, enjoyed a very successful 2015. The company released a number of successful smartphones, a beautiful Android Wear smartwatch and has gained valuable insight into the Google Nexus project through offering the high-end Nexus 6P device. Huaweis semiconductor business, HiSilicon, was among the first to release a chipset based around ARMs new generation Cortex-A72 processor core in the shape of the Kirin 950. Although these are relatively high-profile releases, Huawei generates most of its money through telecommunications infrastructure: it designs and builds the cellular networks that carriers are deploying all over the world. The company has said that it reinvests 15% of its annual revenue  approximately $9.2 billion for 2015  into the research and development of technologies, typically wireless communications standards and products. Huawei have used their new products in 2015 to tackle the North American market, where the business can still struggle: for example the smallest national carrier, Sprint, refuses to use Huawei infrastructure on privacy concerns. For the smartphone side of the business, Huawei is now one of the largest smartphone sellers in the world and at the end of 2015, stated that it had been granted over 50,000 patents across the world.

This confidence in the business is perhaps one reason why Huawei has announced it has filed lawsuits in both China and the United States against Samsung Electronics, asking for compensation for what it is claiming is unlicensed use of 4G cellular technology, operating systems and the user interface in Samsungs phones. This is the first time a Chinese manufacturer has filed a lawsuit against Samsung, the worlds largest smartphone manufacturer. For their part, Samsung are no stranger to patent infringement having battled Apple for a number of years in high-profile cases. Ding Jianxing, Huawei Intellectual Property Rights Departments president, explained in a statement: We hope Samsung will  stop infringing our patents and get the necessary license from Huawei, and work together with Huawei to jointly drive the industry forward.

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Unfortunately, at this time there are very few details such as the specifics of the claim, although these are sure to be revealed in the coming days and weeks. It is an unusual turn for a Chinese manufacturer to be filing a claim against a competitor manufacturer: usually, the established businesses are filing complaints leveled at the Chinese business not licensing technologies. However, Huawei have been one of the more progressive and innovative manufacturers, keen to establish their global footprint, and have been working hard to build their patent portfolio. Perhaps Huawei is now big enough to be considered part of the establishment?
When Android Wear launched at Google I/O 2014, Google had three smartwatches that were announced. The LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live  both of which were given out to attendees  and the Moto 360 (which came a bit later on in the year). The Samsung Gear Live looked a whole lot like a smartwatch that was thrown together with parts from the Gear Fit and Gear 2 Neo. Two of Samsungs smartwatches they had announced earlier that year with the Galaxy S5 (the Gear 2 was the third smartwatch announced in early 2014). Since then, LG and Motorola have launched more Android Wear smartwatches. But Samsung has been pretty quiet on that front, only launching two smartwatches the Gear S and Gear S2. But they dont run Android Wear, instead they are running on Tizen OS.

Talking with Fast Company, Samsung has now confirmed that they are done with Android Wear. Citing that they are not developing or have any plans for any future Android Wear devices. In this report, the rep from Samsung states that Tizen OS is far more battery-efficient than Android Wear. But its also not surprising to see Samsung favor Tizen OS over Android. Given that Samsung has been attempting to get Tizen to take off for a few years now. Samsung also mentioned that Tizen is becoming the operating system of choice for Samsung on other products like Televisions and Refrigerators.

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A bit of sad news for Samsung fans who were hoping to get another Android Wear device out of Samsung. The Gear S2 isnt a bad smartwatch at all, and now that it is compatible with any Android smartphone (rumored to get iOS support soon too), it makes it easier to buy a Gear S2 over Android Wear. This doesnt mean its the end of Android Wear, though. As Google announced a huge update for Android Wear which will be hitting the platform later this summer. Although this could be a major blow for Android Wear, given that Samsung is the largest Android manufacturer, and not to mention the marketing power that Samsung has. Only time will tell whether this is a good move for both Google and Samsung in the long run.
Samsungs upcoming Galaxy C5 and Galaxy C7 mid-rangers have been leaked often in recent times, and with just a couple of days to go for their unveiling in China, alleged press renders of the Galaxy C5 have now shown up online, revealing the upcoming device in all its glory. The device had earlier been listed on the website of Chinas electronics certification agency, TENAA, while multiple other leaks over the past few weeks have also revealed a whole lot about the upcoming device, including key hardware specs and software features. The device is expected to be a metal-clad mid-range smartphone from Samsung, and as can be seen from the plethora of images now available online, Champagne Gold will very likely be offered as one of the color options for buyers.

While Samsung is yet to reveal anything officially, the upcoming Galaxy C5 is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 SoC, which comes with an integrated octa-core CPU and Adreno 405 GPU. The device will feature a 5.2-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display panel, and come with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage out of the box. There will also be a microSD card slot in the phone for capacity expansion. The upcoming device is also expected to run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, support LTE connectivity, and carry a 2,600 mAh battery. As for imaging options, the Galaxy C5 will reportedly sport a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with dual-LED flash and an 8-megapixel front-facing unit for selfies and video chats.

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Apart from the Galaxy C5, Samsung is also said to be working on a Galaxy C7, which is believed to be a comparatively higher-end model with a larger, 5.5-inch display panel and a Snapdragon 625 under the hood. The device is also expected to come with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage as per the listing on the GFXBench database. Samsung is expected to unveil the C-series devices in China this week, but theres no word if and when the devices will be available for purchase in other markets around the world. As for Samsung, the company will be hoping that its China-specific lineup will be able to bring back some of its lost market share in the worlds largest smartphone market.
The last eighteen months have been really interesting for mobile users when it comes to security. We have seen a number of high profile issues and problems in and around the mobile sphere such as an Apple iCloud leak, where passwords were stolen or hacked, plus SnapChat issues too. We also witnessed the Stagefright security vulnerability, which was discovered early last year and explained to the public once Google had resolved the issue. Google rolled out security patches for the Android platform and also announced it would be rolling out regular, monthly updates to the platform, which manufacturers could (should) implement into their devices.

To date, not all manufacturers have implemented these security patches. Some manufacturers  such as BlackBerry  have applied them as quickly as Google has for its Nexus device family. Other manufacturers such as LG and Samsung have stated that they will support the patches for a selection of devices, typically high end models. Unfortunately a number of manufacturers have made no comment and as far as we can tell no effort to keep their devices up to date, or worse have claimed that the practice of issuing regular monthly updates is unrealistic to follow. There is another argument here: Google is encouraging manufacturers not to skin Android so heavily. One of the side effects of relatively deep changes to the Android platform is that it will require more work in order to keep the operating system up to date. Its one of the reasons why Motorola was able to relatively quickly keep the Moto G and Moto X models up to date with new versions of Android, as these devices used a near-stock interface. However, with many customers still buying devices from their carriers, this adds another layer of testing and approval before software is released to customers.

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Weve word today that T-Mobile USA has released the May security patch for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which brings both models up to the latest version of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. The update is approximately 43 MB in size and should take ten minutes to run. Devices should have at least 50% battery before performing the update, which can either be done over the air or via the Samsung Smart Switch application on your desktop or laptop computer. The update brings the software version to G930TUVS3APD8 for the Galaxy S7 and G935TUVU3APD8 for the Galaxy S7 Edge.
Oracles CEO Safra Catz, co-chairing with Larry Ellison, took the stand on Monday to help make a case for why Oracle deserves $9.3 billion from Google. With the trial already a complete circus, the fact that something noteworthy and controversial happened during her time on the stand should shock absolutely nobody. Catz, long thought of as one of the biggest female rockstar CEOs in the tech world, explained why Oracle bought up Sun. Her explanation was, essentially, because they were scared somebody else would buy up Sun and demand payment for Java, which their products were heavily based upon. Naturally, thats exactly what Oracle did. While nobody asked her outright if the entire reason that Oracle bought up Sun was to sue Google over Android and Java, the writing on the wall was there.

While its plenty suspicious already that one of the first things that Oracle did with their newly owned programming language was sue Google for a figure of billions that would have just about covered what they paid to acquire it, there were rumors floating around at the time of the acquisition that their plan was to sue Google all along. IBM was bidding on Sun, but Oracle made sure to outbid them at every turn. Its no secret that they wound up overpaying vastly, paying much more than they would have had to in order to simply license the Java bits of their product. This gave them Suns assets and the ability to produce physical goods, such as specialized computers made for running their database software, but the most profitable part of buying up Sun, by a huge margin, would be licenses and possibly lawsuits stemming from Java.

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When Oracles original suit figure against Google, about $6 billion, was rejected as being incredulously high, Oracle pressed on. While they did originally pay $7.4 billion to net Sun, this figure was offset by Suns cash on hand to about $5.4 billion. This means that Oracles original suit against Google, had they won, would have basically meant that they scored exclusive control over the worlds most popular programming language for free by going after the maker of one of the worlds most popular pieces of software based on that language. With a capital expenditure of that magnitude nullified, Oracle would have been free to resume normal operations under a normal budget and simply begin raking in the cash from Java licensing deals. The insinuation here is that when Google refused to play into their plan, Oracle didnt take kindly to it and has chased them from courtroom to courtroom since then. A 2012 ruling that APIs couldnt be copywritten and sued over didnt stop them, they simply took it to appeals court. Meanwhile, the amount of the projected damages continued to grow. Oracles bottom line was supposedly heavily affected by Google during this time, with Catz saying that deals with Samsung and Amazon, for example, lost a huge chunk of profitability due to them shifting over to Android from Java, costing Oracle billions and making their flavor of Java much less popular compared to the free and open-source Android.

Essentially, the case at this point boils down to a question of fair use on Googles part in regards to the Java APIs featured in Android. Thus, while talk of whether Oracles plan was to buy up Java and get a slice of Google pie is compelling, its ultimately somewhat irrelevant; intent notwithstanding, the entire case hinges on whether Google should have had to pay licensing fees for the bits of Java that they used in Android, which ended up netting them over $31 billion in profit thus far since 2008. The figure that Oracle is asking for, being $9.3 billion, covers three different areas; punitive damages, lost profits from would-be Java customers going to Android and, of course, Java licensing fees and a cut of Googles profits from Android based on how much of it was using Java. Its no big stretch to say that fair use as a concept is being explored in depth and will likely be given more strict and concrete rules, meaning that the outcome of this trial could affect the entire software world. If Google loses, they face a huge sum of money going missing and likely future challenges to any fair use they may be practicing. If Oracle loses, their buyup of Sun will have essentially been sunk, netting them almost no returns compared to the huge initial investment, even if it did save them from being at IBMs mercy.
ZTEs new Axon7 flagship will be announced really soon. The company has already released a number of teasers thus far, teasing mostly Axon7s audio capabilities, and the phones design. This device has already been certified by TENAA (Chinas equivalent to the FCC), and the company has announced that the device will be announced on May 26th. ZTE has also confirmed that they will live stream the phones launch event on Facebook, so keep that in mind if youre interested.

That being said, the companys CEO, Adam Zheng, has shared a rather interesting sketch on Weibo (Chinese social network) recently. Now, according to our sources at the company, ZTE is actually partnered up with Designworks in order to provide the best design for the Axon7. Designworks is actually a daughter company of the BMW Group, and is responsible for designing a number of cars, yachts and even trains. Now, another thing worth noting is the fact that ZTE has an established European design center in Germany, which is the home of companys chief design officer, Hagan Fendler. ZTEs CEO has actually mentioned this design center quite recently, which is yet another hint that the device has been designed there. Previous Axon devices have been designed in Germany, and so were the ZTE V880 and GrandsS devices.

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According to TENAA, the Axon7 will sport a 5.5-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) OLED display, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable internal storage. The phone will be fueled by the Snapdragon 820 64-bit quad-core processor, and a 3,140mAh battery will also be included here. The 20-megapixel camera will be available on the back of this device, and an 8-megapixel snapper will be placed up front. The phone will be available in Gold color variant only, at least according to TENAA, and will weight 175 grams. The device will measure 154 x 77 x 9.8mm, and based on its design and the companys teasers, we can expect it to sport two front-facing speakers. The fingerprint scanner will be placed on the back of this phone, and if youd like to take a closer look at images which surfaced on TENAA a while back, take a look at the gallery down below.
A Portrait of a Student as a Young Scholar: ASU masters degree candidate Alex Barchet (right), introduced to the work of author James Joyce by Dr. Mark Hama of the English faculty, has been accepted to a doctoral program at the University of Tulsa. Summer A. Almaguer, photographer

Influenced by his grandmother, his ASU mentor, and renowned author James Joyce, graduate student Alex Barchet has embarked on a journey that will soon take him to a new and exciting destination.

His journey began in an unlikely place, between the pages of Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

That book spoke to me on a variety of levels, critical, historical, personal and psychological, Barchet said. Ever since that point, my studies have been increasingly focused on James Joyces prose, specifically on his observations about language and the nature of communication.

A San Angelo native, Barchet will graduate with his masters degree in English this summer and has been accepted as a doctoral student at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. The institution, which has published the prestigious James Joyce Quarterly for more than 44 years, is waiving Barchets $25,000 annual tuition and has offered him a graduate assistant position to help cover his expenses.

In my research, Ill be focusing on Transatlantic Modernism with a focus on, you guessed it, James Joyce, he said.

Besides his fascination with Joyce, Barchets pursuit of an advanced degree was also influenced by a force much closer to home.

My grandmother is one of the most knowledgeable and intelligent people I know, he said. She had a full ride to the University of Chicago, but her family would not allow her to take it. Instead, she was pushed to become a secretary. She still talks to me about regretting that. It motivated me to apply for a doctoral program because I didnt want to be 75 years old and talking about regretting it.

As an ASU undergraduate, Barchet earned a bachelors degree with a double major in English and history. He then took a year off, but his love of literature brought him back to ASU for his masters degree.

I read Joyces Dubliners as an undergrad, he said. It always makes me think of San Angelo, like the song My Little Town by Simon and Garfunkel.

He first read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man during an ASU graduate course taught by English professor Dr. Mark Hama.

He got it, Hama said. You could just tell that he got it. I started giving him more background on Joyce. Its an entire universe, James Joyce scholars. Hes been bitten by the bug.

Barchet further scratched that itch by reading Joyces masterpiece, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.

It was probably rushing it to decide after only a year what I was going to study for the rest of my life, he said. Dr. Hama and I have been doing an independent study of Portrait for the past two semesters. James Joyce is hysterical. Hes so satirical, and I love it. But hes not easy or fun to read. Its more about the challenge. Its something you enjoy after you finish. It takes effort to read Joyce.

While he expects it will take him five years to earn his Ph.D., Barchets goal is to become a professor, like his mentor.

Barchet's prized James Joyce bookmark, a gift from a friend, leans against a stack of the author's literature.

I have taken eight classes with Dr. Hama, he said. Hes the reason I became an English major and one of the reasons I came back to ASU for a masters. I appreciate that at ASU I had the opportunity to work with him that often.

James Joyce Highlights

Author James Joyce in 1915

James Joyce, (18821941)

Irish modernist, author and poet

Major publications:

Chamber Music, poetry collection (1907)

Dubliners, short story collection (1914)

The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916)

Exiles, a play (1918)

Ulysses (1922)

Finnegans Wake (1939)

Learn more at The James Joyce Centre
I start with the now proven premise that no CARICOM nation is able to prosper on its own. No protestations to the contrary erase the evidence that, without aid from external sources, these countries could not deliver the goods and services that their people expect.

The countries of CARICOM started the process to their separate independence 54 years ago when Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago became nominally sovereign states in 1962. Yet, while rightly they have shed colonial rule and assumed control of their affairs, after half a century of sovereignty in not one of these countries  or the others that followed them  is the picture rosy. The opposite is true  each is being severely challenged, and the economic prospects for all appear gloomy.

A Commonwealth report on small states, just published, says that on its current development path, the Caribbean in 2050 will face unmanageable debt, poor growth, and greater socio-economic problems. The report  Achieving a Resilient Future for Small States: Caribbean 2050  considers current policies and trends in seven Caribbean countries 

Bahamas,

Barbados,

Jamaica,

St Lucia,

Grenada,

Trinidad and Tobago and

Guyana

and makes a 34-year projection across different sectors.

The research shows five out of the six countries under study would have a debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) above 100 per cent while two of them could exceed 200 per cent. These projections suggest that expenditure of debt interest will probably become a major drain on public finances in the future, reducing the funds available for development and giving rise to greater socio-economic problems. It is a serious regional issue, particularly as it affects sovereign credit rating and has led to higher sovereign risk premiums in international capital markets which mean borrowing costs for Caribbean countries are very expensive.

It was precisely to meet these circumstances more effectively that in 1973 CARICOM was created and before it CARIFTA. The leaders, at the time, recognised that while rightful separation from Britain gave them domestic political independence, none of them  not even Guyana with its vast natural resources or Trinidad and Tobago with its oil and gas  could prosper on their own. But, sadly, CARICOM wandered from its purposes. The unity that was envisaged as the locomotive for delivering benefits was derailed by proclamations of nationalism and the sanctity of sovereignty.

By the 1990s, it was clear that the Caribbean was in danger of becoming a back water. The 1992 West Indian Commission Report, Time for Action, was a recognition of the dangers confronting the region, and the centrality of putting back on track the locomotive of integration. The Commission recommended: deepening economic integration through the creation of a Single Market and Economy so as to draw, for the common good, on the resources of the entire region  human, capital and know how; and strengthening the institutions of governance and operations of CARICOM by the establishment of a Caribbean Commission to implement decisions of Heads of Government and Ministers.

In the ensuing years, the CARICOM ship slipped from its moorings and is now in danger of fragmenting into separate small boats adrift in a perilous sea. Today the Single Market has been on pause for five years, and the Single Economy has been all but abandoned. Governments are each trying to go it alone, striking other alliances where they secure immediate benefits, and often, by doing so, weakening the cohesion of CARICOM.

The point is that, on all sides CARICOM member states are buffeted by economic forces with which they cannot contend alone, and against which they lack a strong and empowered single regional capacity to fight together.

Clearly, there is an urgency for CARICOM countries as a whole to address their fragile condition, and to recognize that while national initiatives are imperative for economic growth and development and must be pursued diligently, deeper regional collaboration, including economic integration, hold beneficial and sustainable solutions.

With specific regard to tourism. Despite all those who often dismiss tourism as too fragile to be a real player in the economic development of the Caribbean, the industry has emerged as a strong and resilient economic activity that has been a fundamental contributor to global economic recovery by generating billions of dollars in exports and creating millions of jobs. It has played the same role in many CARICOM countries.

The UN World Tourism Barometer has reported that tourism receipts increased by US$48 billion in 2014 to reach a record US$1.2 trillion globally. An additional US$221 billion was generated from international passenger transport, bringing the total export earnings from international tourism to US$1.5 trillion. Remarkably, the Americas was the highest growth area for tourism in the world. And while the lions share of receipts  US$210 billion  went to North America, the second highest share was earned by the Caribbean, though only US$27 billion. But, the biggest beneficiaries in the Caribbean area were the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba which accounted for almost half of the money earned.

Nine years ago, I wrote a commentary entitled, The Big Three and Little CARICOM which posited the view that the three Caribbean Spanish-speaking islands would forge an alliance, creating a market of 23 million people that would marginalise the market of 6 million people in the English-speaking Caribbean. I warned that CARICOM countries would delude themselves if they believe that with their individual small markets, high investment costs, high costs of doing business and vulnerabilities both to natural disasters and external economic shocks, they could each operate successfully in the global market place in competition with the big three. And I urged that CARICOM governments would do well to bolster their economies and their capacity for dealing with their Caribbean neighbours and the international community by urgently completing the arrangements for implementing their own Single Market.

That deeper economic relationship between the Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries is now coming to pass, threatening to leave CARICOM behind. Two weeks ago, my friend and analyst of Caribbean affairs for many years, David Jessop, pointed out that work is progressing on studies on the creation of a new Caribbean economic block that might bring together Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba with objective of uniting the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and capitalising on new trade opportunities. He quoted Carlos Rivera Velez, the President of the Puerto Rico Association of Industries as saying: We hope that in the not too distant future, we can see the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba working together as a productive economic block for each of our countries and to strengthen the region.

Jessop observed that these developments are taking place as CARICOM has become less coherent where dysfunction and strife now militates against the spirit of the Caribbean integration movement. And he concluded, in terms similar to my own statement nine years ago, that: It is time for the English speaking Caribbean as a whole to develop new thinking about how best to incorporate a future open trade relationship with Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, in ways that that deepen in the longer term trade with neighbours in Central and South America. It is time to read the writing on the wall.

Clearly there is a need for a response from CARICOM countries collectively to the economic co-operation process that is being launched with vigour in their own front yard, or they will fulfil the fears that led to the creation of the West Indian Commission in 1990. That fear was that: against that background of historic change and historic appraisal, CARICOM countries could be in danger of becoming a backwater, separated from the main current of human advance into the 21st Century.

Of all the CARICOM countries, Jamaica has recognised the potential benefits of a tourism alliance with Cuba and the DR with which it plans to forge a Multi-Destination Arrangement. These arrangements make perfect sense for Jamaica located, as it is, in close proximity to the Spanish-speaking islands. But, one has to wonder whether the deficiencies in the CARICOM integration process and its failure to deliver its objectives after 43 years of existence, has not contributed to encouraging Jamaica to seek alternatives which are not limited to tourism.

No one can blame Jamaica for taking a sensible initiative, but it would have benefitted CARICOM to enter these arrangements together. It took the Cuban Vice Minister of Tourism, Luis Miguel Diaz Sanchez, earlier this month to express to the Caribbean Hotels and Tourist Association a strong desire to see the region cooperate in building a stronger Caribbean brand. Encouragingly, the CHTA said they will be pursuing a number of priority issues discussed during their meetings with the Cubans. No time should be lost in pursuing these priorities; time is not on CARICOMs side even if, at this point, there is goodwill from the Cubans. Such goodwill will not last forever, and Cubas national interest will respond to change and the lure of other sirens.

It is time that the countries of CARICOM- acknowledge that there is a loss of momentum with regard to the regional integration agenda. Lack of confidence in CARICOM is causing member states to establish alliances elsewhere.

These issues need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The next CARICOM Heads of Government Conference is 6 weeks away. It would be appropriate, desirable, and important for the Conference to address how best they might establish mechanisms to halt the decline in CARICOM and return to making it an instrument of development and progress for each of its countries and all of them.

Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com
TURIN - A record number of visitors has been registered at the exhibit ''The Nile of Pompeii'' at the Egyptian Museum in Turin with an average of over 1,000 people a day and a peak registered on April 25.

Overall, 78,271 visited in just over two months. ''The Nile in Pompeii'' was created thanks to the cooperation between the Egyptian Museum, the Superintendency of Pompeii and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, to look into to close relations between Egyptian and Greek-Roman culture.

Meanwhile, in the new room for exhibits, already showcasing 330 works, another two are arriving today - the statue of Anubes and a fresco in III Pompeian style with a couple of sphynx. The two masterpieces are coming from Turin where they were showcased as part of the ''Cleopatra'' exhibit which closed on May 8. The first is a sculpture from the Julio-Claudian age that was found in the ancient city of Cuma, north of the gulf of Naples; the second finding is instead an Augustan fresco found in Pompeii.
TUNIS - SITIC Africa 2016 is a 3-day event to be held from May 31 to June 2 at the Parc des Expositions du Kram in the Tunisian capital.



The event will showcase the hi-tech and ICT fields, as well as new technological opportunities offered by Tunisian enterprises to SMEs around the world as part of cooperation between Tunisia, Europe and Africa. At least 3,000 ICT decision-makers are registered to take part, according to Tunisie Afrique Export (TAE), which organized the event in collaboration with the Societe des Foires Internationales de Tunis (SFIT) and the Federation Nationale des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (FNTIC) and the employers union UTICA. The fair aims to stimulate the technology sector in Tunisia - which accounts for about 7% of national GDP, provides jobs for about 80,000 people through 1,800 enterprises in the country - in order to push it towards the African market, which has seen a 50% growth rate in recent years. TAE CEO Farid Tounsi said that the aim is to make Tunisia into a hub towards Africa for both Tunisian and European enterprises as well as to improve Tunisia's positioning at the international level in the sector. The event includes a 4,000 square-meter exhibition space for exhibitors, B2B meetings and an expected over 10,000 visitors.



It was sponsored by the Tunisian communications and digital economy ministry.


ROME - A reported 33,452 migrants landed in Italy in 2016 and 241 vessels were rescued. The data presented Tuesday by Coast Guards also concerned the resumption of the ''constant and continuous'' inflow that has resumed from Egypt, although the most significant is from Libya.



Yesterday, a fishing boat that had left from Egypt with 500 people on board was rescued.



A reported 71% of foreigners rescued this year include men, 12% are women and 17% minors. From 1991 until today, 638,000 migrants were rescued in operations coordinated by Coast Guards and over the past two years 51% of rescues have been carried out over the 25 years considered (324,000 people).
ROME - Greece began clearing its Idomeni refugee camp on the Macedonian border Tuesday, sealing the area and deploying more than 14,000 riot police to relocate thousands of refugees. Officials said they would refrain from using force in the operation.

Giorgos Kyritsis, a spokesman for the Greek government's refugee crisis committee, told the Athens News Agency that all the refugees would be moved to "industrial premises" around Greece. "We believe that it will take up to 10 days to transfer the refugees from Idomeni and in the meantime more places will have been found," Kyritsis said. He added that current facilities can accommodate between 6,500 and 7,000 refugees.

Authorities said many would be transferred to industrial buildings acquired by the government near Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city.

The makeshift camp, which housed as many as 14,000 people earlier this year, is now home to 8,200 refugees. It turned into a site offering squalid living conditions after Macedonia formally sealed its border with Greece in early March.
Syria: Kurdish sources, offensive towards Raqqa underway Towards the 'capital' of ISIS with US air coalition support

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MAY 24 - Militants of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Arab fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) supported by the US on Tuesday started an offensive in northern Syria towards Raqqa, the country's ISIS stronghold, according to Kurdish sources cited by the Kurdish-Iraqi site Rudaw. Pan-Arab television news channel Al Jazeera said fighting is taking place for now in a region about 60 kilometres north of Raqqa.



The offensive was launched from three directions, according to an SDF source.



"In the beginning our forces will advance on the villages of Fatse Small, Fatse Big, and Tishi, to clear them of the presence of ISIS jihadis," the source said.



The source added that the advance will take place with air coverage from the US-led international coalition.



"Our objective is to free Raqqa, as the city's people have asked various times".



Raqqa, located on the shores of the Euphrates River 160 kilometres east of Aleppo, has been the ISIS "capital" in Syria since summer 2014. Since September of that year the US-led coalition has been bombing ISIS locations in the region.(ANSAmed).




ISTANBUL - William Lacy Swing, the director general of the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Tuesday hailed Italian Premier Matteo Renzi's proposed migration compact to change the way the European Union handles asylum seekers. "We fully support Premier Renzi's initiative," Lacy Swing told ANSA at the fringes of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. "We consider it to be a first step in the right direction, not the only one, but a good start. "We have sent a letter to all the 28 countries of the EU to support Renzi's appeal for a long-term strategy". The migration compact proposes offering greater development aid and resettlement programs to African countries in exchange for cooperation in controlling migration flows and the screening of economic migrants and refugees.



"We have spoken to the European Union about the urgent need to consider a comprehensive, long-term migration policy for many years," Lacy Swing added. "A policy that does not just focus on resolving the emergency, but also looks at Europe's long-term prospects because the European population is decreasing, while the populations of developing countries are increasing rapidly".


Islam: 'Dialogue of Civilisations' in Paris, against fear Organised by Community of Sant'Egidio, with al-Azhar imam

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, MAY 24 - The dialogue between the East and West is a crucial component for building a world free of fundamentalism and terrorism. This is the message launched by the second "Dialogues of Civilisations" conference, organised in Paris with the support of the Community of Sant'Egidio. The conference was attended by Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad el-Tayyeb, the grand imam of Cairos' al-Azhar mosque and the highest authority in Sunni Islam, following his historic meeting on Monday with Pope Francis.



"Fear has reprehensible consequences on relationships with others, making them at the same time both aggressive and defensive. Fear refuses dialogue and meeting and is reassured when wars of civilisations break out," said former Italian government minister and Sant'Egidio founder, Andrea Riccardi.



Riccardi warned of "geopolitics of the emotions" that "generate populism, nationalism, xenophobia", and said the only alternative is solidarity based on a dialogue between civilisations, "plural cultural universes from a religious point of view" in which it is possible to "abandon arrogance and suspicion".



These dialogues favor "positive integration" as an antidote to processes of societal "disintegration" the tragic product of which is jihadist violence, Riccardi said.



The importance of integration was also a key theme in comments made by Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad el-Tayyeb, who made a point however of repeating his condemnation of terrorism, and in particular the "wretched" perpetrators of the Paris and Brussels attacks, who "trampled all human and divine laws".



He said on this front political decision-makers and religious leaders must "take responsibility" and "commit themselves to opposing terrorism, putting an end to the bloodbath" above all against "the most vulnerable, women and children". He said this means first of all "solving the Palestinian question in a just and global way".



European Muslims, he said, "are full citizens, and this isn't opposed to an integration that respects religious identity".



This type of integration isn't helped by the "often negative role of the media, which deforms the Muslim religion" and often tends to "make confusion between eastern Islamic societies and groups active in conflict zones".(ANSAmed).




Islam: imam al-Azhar, stop bloodshed terrorism Comunita di Sant'Egidio, Riccardi, fear refuses dialogue

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, MAY 24 - Policy makers worldwide, together with religious leaders, must ''take responsibility'' and ''engage in the fight against terrorism to end the bloodshed'', especially towards the weakest, women and children'', said the grand imam of al-Azhar, Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyev, addressing a conference in Paris on inter-religious dialogue organized in cooperation with the Comunita di Sant'Egidio.



The imam, who met Pope Francis yesterday in Rome, condemned once again the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels, and the ''miserable perpetrators'' who ''trample on all human and divine laws''.



''Fear has disreputable consequences on relationships with others, it makes at the same time aggressive and defensive. Fear refuses dialogue and meeting, it reassures with wars of civilizations'', said Andrea Riccardi, a former minister and founder of the community of Sant'Egidio who opened the conference. This fear, he continued, that stems from ''lost men and women'' in a globalized world, generates a ''geopolitical emotions'' leading to extremism and closure. (ANSAmed).




Istanbul Summit: diplomatic crisis over dinner invitation Cypriot president irked at Akinci participation

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, MAY 24 - At the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, the fuse of a diplomatic crisis in Cyprus has been lit. On Monday evening, Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades did not attend a dinner from his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after Anastasiades learned that Mustafa Akinci, the Turkish-Cypriot president of Northern Cyprus, would also be present at the dinner.



Reunification talks resumed one year ago, and the Cypriot delegation called the invitation a "breach of protocol" that risks derailing the peace talks.



Anastasiades decided to cut his trip to Turkey short and cancelled a meeting that was planned for Friday with Akinci.



(ANSAmed).




Migrants: Erdogan, EU aid never arrived in Turkey Turkish president lashes out after meeting with Merkel

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, MAY 24 - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said that "aid promised by the EU for the migrant accord hasn't ever arrived in Turkey", speaking at the closing press conference of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. On Monday Erdogan faced the question in a face-to-face meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.



"Up to now the promises made haven't been kept. Turkey isn't asking for favours but for honesty. If there isn't progress on the liberalisation of visas, Turkey won't continue in carrying out the migrant accord," the Turkish leader threatened.



"On visas the EU is asking us to make more efforts, but the exemption has been given to other countries" more easily, he said.



"Yesterday I asked Chancellor Merkel: why, instead, are you all asking for everything from Turkey?" said Erdogan, referring to Brussels's request that Ankara modify anti-terrorist laws.



(ANSAmed).




Turkey: premier Yildirim announces ministers of new cabinet Spokesman Erdogan party becomes chief negotiator with EU

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, MAY 24 - Turkey's incoming premier Binali Yildirim has announced the list of ministers in his government, approved this morning by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ankara's new executive, which in the next few days will go to Parliament to get a vote of confidence, is replacing the one led after the electoral victory in November by Ahmet Davutoglu, who stepped down after clashing with Erdogan over a change towards the presidential system.



The new names include the former spokesman of government party AKP, Omer Celik, who will become minister for European affairs.



The replacement of Volkan Bozkir, a chief negotiator with the EU and long-running diplomat, could lead to a change of strategy in relations with Brussels. As for the rest, many have been confirmed at key posts. Mevlut Cavusoglu remains foreign minister, while Erdogan's son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, will stay on as energy minister. Efkan Ala was confirmed as interior minister. Mehmet Simsek, ex strategist for Merril Lynch and considered a figure ensuring Ankara's financial policy, will stay on as deputy premier.



Nihat Zeybekci will be economy minister, after serving in that capacity between 2013 and 2015. (ANSAmed).




The meeting was held in the presence of the Egyptian Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashed who was keen to offer his sincerest condolences to relatives and family members. Minister Rashed was welcomed by Cpt. Ahmed Adel, EgyptAirVice Chairman and Capt. Hisham el-Nahas, Chairman of EgyptAir Airlines, Cpt. Hisham el-Deeb, Vice Chairman of EgyptAir Airlines.

Insurance company representatives and Crisis Management expert Robert A. Jensen also joined the meeting so as to brief the relatives of the regulations and legal actions taken in such situations and to reply to their enquiries.

EgyptAir in cooperation with Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and entities concerned had taken all necessary measures so as to issue official documents needed to facilitate the management of the belongings of the passengers through their family members. Meanwhile, the airkine has offered free tickets to the family members of foreign nationalities to ease their traveling procedures from and to Egypt to help them follow up with any further developments.
The forensic officials have collected DNA samples from 39 family members the crashed plane victims who were keen to come to help identify the body parts of the loved ones recovered so far from the Mediterranean Sea.

Meanwhile, Investigation and rescue teams in cooperation with Egyptian Armed Forces and Navy forces are still to combing the search area for the recovery for remains of the Egyptian aircraft, body fragments, passengers belonging and luggage. EgyptAir IOCC is still following up with the situation for any further updates.
In September 2015, EAG became the first aviation company from the Middle East to be awarded an AOC by San Marino, where the company now has a dedicated office supporting two registered aircraft  Dassault Falcon 7X and a Bombardier Challenger 300.

The San Marino AOC enables Empire Aviations registered aircraft to perform worldwide commercial air operations, regardless of the aircraft base. EAG also holds a United Arab Emirates AOC and the company currently manages a fleet of 25 business jets with bases in the UAE, Oman, Nigeria, India and Hong Kong.

Commenting on the San Marino operations, Paras Dhamecha, Executive Director of Empire Aviation Group, said: We were very pleased o be granted an AOC by the San Marino CAA and our local operation is working very effectively in attracting and supporting managed aircraft owners. The AOC provides Empire Aviation the flexibility to offer our owners various operating solutions and bases for their aircraft and also includes the option of placing their aircraft on commercial charters. Our fleet is growing, with strong interest from owners to bring additional business jets under the AOC. San Marino is proving to be a very attractive jurisdiction for owners to register their business jets, with a well managed and regulated aircraft registry and the reassurance of compliance with all the appropriate international standards.

The Republic of San Marino is a member State of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, created to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. San Marino is also member state of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC).

Marco Conti, Director General of San Marino CAA, added: The CAA is working to support Empire Aviation in building its San Marino Aircraft Registry and we are pleased to support the companys international development. EAG is expanding strongly and is currently adding business jets to the registry at the rate of one per month, which is an outstanding performance.
The committee discussed ways of raising awareness of the UAE space sector on a local and an international level, before discussing the educational aspects of the Agencys initiatives and programmes.

The committee members, which comprises an elite group of space experts and officials from around the globe, provided their opinions on these initiatives, and the means and standards to choose the best international universities and institutions that the Space Agency should work with, including the provision of internships and scholarships.

Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, chairman of UAE Space Agency, said: The second meeting of the UAE Space Agency advisory committee was a perfect platform to learn and take advantage of the wide knowledge and experience the committee members possesses, as their insights play an important role in developing the Agencys programmes on a legislative, organisational and educational level, as well as the space programmes and missions, and the Hope Probe Mars project.

Sir Martin Sweeting, director general of the Surrey Space Centre, who is part of the committee, said: I was very impressed by the rigorous and careful analysis of all the issues and the process by which the Space Agency is developing its programme. I felt that there was a proper breakdown of options, strategies, and objectives. The key is learning how to prioritize actions, a long-term road map is very important but then you have to prioritize what you can do with the resources available. The discussions were really quite wide ranging and it was good to hear different viewpoints from experts coming from a range of different backgrounds, countries, and experiences. The real advantage here in the UAE is that they are starting with a blank sheet of paper, so they get to choose the best practices and the best actions from what everybody else has done, hopefully making improvements along the way.

Jean-Jacques Dordain, former director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), added: The meeting was very useful because each side has learned something, which is good because a one-way conversation is not helpful. We hope that our UAE colleagues have benefited from our discussions, we have definitely learned from them. Beyond the technical exchange, the friendship is alive in this meeting and that is very important because I think the human aspect is always the most important.
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By the South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk



Heavily trade-dependent, Thailand exports over EUR 93.5 billion worth of goods and services annually, over EUR 17 billion of which go to EU countries. For those considering the south east asian nation as a source of production, understanding trade mark protections afforded can be a significant asset in the safegaurding of designs and maintenance of profits.

Currently, Thailand is a signatory to both the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and has acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Trade Related Aspects of International Property Rights (TRIPs). In addition, Thailand is currently overhauling its major IP laws, with particular focus on the Trademark Act and the Copyright Act.

In March 2013, Thailand launched the National IPR Centre of Enforcement (NICE) as a coordinating enforcement body and has had a dedicated Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court (CIPITC) since 1997. Despite disturbances caused by 2014s military coup, national legislation continues to comply with Thailands various international obligations and provides a comprehensive framework for registration of all major IPRs which EU SMEs should take advantage of when seeking to do business in the country.

What are trade marks?

Used in trade to distinguish the goods and services of one trader from those of another, trade marks can take the form of pictures, names, words, letters, figures, a composition of colors, or a combination of these elements. Whilst the primary function of a trade mark is as a badge of origin, they can also, as a result of consistently good products or services gain status as an indicator of quality, or through advertising become a status symbol symbolizing a certain quality of life or style.

Registration of a trade mark provides the rights holder with an exclusive right to exploit that mark within the geographic territory in which it has been registered, whether this be for direct commercial use, or licensing activities etc.

Registering a trade mark in Thailand

Thailand is a party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, and as such applicants who have filed for trade marks in other party states may claim a right of priority if applying in Thailand within six months of this original application. Where the applicant cannot claim priority, it is important to apply before market entry as Thailand operates a strict first-to-file system and there are still widespread issues of bad faith registrations and trade mark squatting.

The registration process for trade marks in Thailand typically takes between 12 and 18 months. Once registered, trade mark protection lasts for 10 years from the filing date, or the priority date where this has been claimed. Trade marks can be extended indefinitely for consecutive 10 year periods, subject to the timely application for renewals.

Any individual or corporation can file a trade mark registration in Thailand, either through a local qualified trade mark agency or by themselves where their domicile/head office is in Thailand, or they have real business operations/dealings in Thailand. All application forms and required documents must be submitted in Thai, or accompanied by a Thai translation.

At present, official fees are calculated per product/service designated, and not by class (i.e. the product categories or industry sectors in which applicants choose to register). Currently these fees amount to approximately EUR 12 per product/service at time of filing, with a further EUR 7 payable at time of registration. The fee structure is under review however so SMEs are advised to visit the Department of Intellectual Propertys (DIP) website for more information on fees.

Applications can be submitted either to the DIP at the Ministry of Commerce, or through the online registration system found on the DIP website. The documents and information required are as follows:

1 electronic sample of the mark in black and white, or in color (max five cm by five cm)

Full name, address, country, and occupation of the applicant

Description of the services and goods to be designated

Notarized power of attorney, where the application is made through an agent

Country, date, and number of the priority trade mark application, where claiming right of priority

Certified copy of the priority application and translation into Thai, where claiming right of priority

Date of first use of trade mark (if any at time of application)

Once the application is submitted, the registrar will send a letter to notify the applicant of the result of the examination within 12-18 months. Once the mark has been accepted by the registrar, it will be published for a 90-day period for third party opposition. If no opposition is submitted in this time, the mark proceeds to registration and the certificate of registration is issued.

Enforcement

There are three main avenues for IP enforcement available in China, as well as a system of customs control which we will discuss in more detail in a future Helpdesk article. In many cases however, private mediation via legal professionals can be an effective first line of defense and should be considered as a viable option. In the event of infringement SMEs are encouraged to seek advice and support from legal professionals as to the current domestic administrative/judicial policy and the chances of success of different actions. SMEs are of course also welcome to contact the Helpdesk for free advice on how best to react to infringements and find the right lawyer to deal with your case.

Administrative actions

Due to a lack of resources and proper training in administrative enforcement agencies, coupled with weak punishments imposed on confirmed infringing parties, administrative measures are generally seen to be ineffective in Thailand. The system also suffers from leaks and corruption which undermines raid actions and investigative procedures.

This being said, the Thai government has committed to improve its administrative enforcement agencies with a focus on large-scale infringing parties and dangerous goods, primarily in priority areas, such as MBK and Panthip Plaza in Bangkok, Patong, Kata, and Karon beaches in Phuket, Walking Street in Pattaya, etc. As yet it is unclear where exactly improvements will be made and how this will affect the system as a whole however.

Civil litigation

Civil litigation is rarely used for IP cases in Thailand due to difficulties in proving actual damages, the lack of a formal discovery process, and the delays common in prosecuting cases. In addition, the Thai judiciary is still inexperienced in dealing with IP issues and case outcomes can be unpredictable.

Civil courts can in theory grant injunctions and awards of damages, however, difficulties in proving emergency make injunctions rare and damages are still very low by international standards, often not covering the costs of bringing the action to court in the first place.

Criminal prosecution

Criminal prosecution is generally considered to be the most cost-effective enforcement mechanism available to IP rights holders in Thailand. However, search warrants are difficult to obtain and, as with administrative actions, leaks and corruption in the police force can render them fruitless.

The Thai judiciary has also been reluctant to impose harsh penalties on those infringing marks, and as such there is little deterrent provided by even high profile criminal actions. Penalties for trade mark infringement for example can include a maximum fine of approximately EUR 10,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to four years. Fines rarely reach the maximum threshold however, and most sentences are reduced or suspended, especially for first-time offenders.



About Us The South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk, co-funded by the European Commissions Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, supports European Union (EU) small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to both protect and enforce their Intellectual Property (IP) rights in or relating to South-East Asia, through the provision of free information and services. These take the form of jargon-free, first-line, confidential advice on intellectual property and related issues, plus training, materials and online resources. 

Annual Audit and Compliance in ASEAN

For the first issue of our ASEAN Briefing Magazine, we look at the different audit and compliance regulations of five of the main economies in ASEAN. We firstly focus on the accounting standards, filing processes, and requirements for Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. We then provide similar information on Singapore, and offer a closer examination of the city-states generous audit exemptions for small-and-medium sized enterprises.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and its Impact on Asian Markets

The United States backed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) includes six Asian economies  Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, while Indonesia has expressed a keen willingness to join. However, the agreements potential impact will affect many others, not least of all China. In this issue of Asia Briefing magazine, we examine where the TPP agreement stands right now, look at the potential impact of the participating nations, as well as examine how it will affect Asian economies that have not been included.

An Introduction to Tax Treaties Throughout Asia

In this issue of Asia Briefing Magazine, we take a look at the various types of trade and tax treaties that exist between Asian nations. These include bilateral investment treaties, double tax treaties and free trade agreements  all of which directly affect businesses operating in Asia.
by Victoria Ma

Pilgrims came from other dioceses like Ningbo and Taiyuan. Some groups organised web prayers. Under house arrest since 2012, Mgr Thaddeus Ma Daqin was not present. The Diocese of Shanghai organised a solemn pilgrimage.

Shanghai (AsiaNews)  Thousands of Catholics have come on pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan, on the feast day of Mary Help of Christians. But according to the Diocese of Shanghai, the lists of pilgrims include at least 20,000 people who made the journey during the month of May. Others are praying throughout China in their own communities.

Since Benedict XVI launched the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China in his Letter to Chinese Catholics (2007), 24 May has been an important date.

In his letter, the Pope emeritus called on Chinese Catholics to join him in prayer to boost their unity, love and pray for their persecutors, receive from the Churches of the whole world "fraternal solidarity and solicitude" as well as persevere in bearing witness.

Over the years, Chinese police have closely monitored the shrine out of fear that too many people might come together. The authorities in fact allow only the Diocese of Shanghai to organise pilgrimages for its own members, and only for one day, 24 May.

Nevertheless, the diocese noted that some 20,000 pilgrims have registered groups from other dioceses, like Ningbo and Taiyuan, between 30 April and 29 May, ranging from a few dozens to 2,000. Aerial pictures of Sheshan basilica have circulated among online chat groups.

This year, many Catholics also organised web groups to pray to the Blessed Mother for protection of the Church in China and healing for the sick.

One Catholic said, Our lives are like a pilgrimage and will encounter difficulties. When I am downcast, I pray to Our Lady and offer my suffering to her and ask her for help. He was alone in turning to the Virgin.

One Catholic by the name of Fang said that he was praying that the Church in China be united to Christ. Another said he was praying for the Church in China to live in communion with the universal Church. Still another said that he was praying for health and peace between the pope and all the priests of the Church. And a student said that she was praying for vocations in the Church and to get into a famous university next year.

The diocese of Shanghai led a solemn pilgrimage on May 11 with the participation of the faithful, nuns, priests, and seminarians. No bishop was present though.

After the death of the official bishop, Mgr Aloysius Jin Luxian, and the underground bishop, Mgr Joseph Fan Zhongliang, the only bishop in the diocese is Mgr Thaddeus Ma Daqin, who has been under house arrest since 2012.

The pilgrimage itself entails a procession with stops at three chapels dedicated to the Sacred Heart, the Virgin Mary and St Joseph before reaching the shrine, which is perched on top of a hill.

Fr Lu Qinglin, head of the Punan Deanery, led the first prayer, encouraging the faithful to seek the help of the Blessed Mother, and pray St Joseph to protect the Church in China, especially the diocese of Shanghai. He was followed by Fr Song Jianli, head of the Pudong Deanery.

The Mass at the Basilica of Sheshan at the hilltop was officiated by Fr Wu Jianlin, head of the Shanghai Deanery. About 50 local and foreign priests concelebrated, and entrusted the protection of Shanghai diocese and the Church in China, and the unity and communion with the universal Church to Our Lady.

Fr Wang Zhengping, head of the Chongming deanery, said in his homily that the offering to God means offering ourselves totally to the Church, becoming tools of world peace and Church unity.

Fr Wu led the faithful in reading the Prayer to Sheshan, written by Pope Benedict XVI, asking the Blessed Mother to protect the Shanghai diocese, Church in China and the Church in Asia.

On Sunday, during the Angelus, Pope Francis also reminded the faithful of the upcoming World Day of Prayer and urged them to ask Mary "to give to his children in China the ability to discern at all times the signs of the loving presence of God, that always welcomes and forgives.

He also expressed his hope that Chinese Catholics, "together with those who follow other noble religious traditions, [may] become concrete signs of charity and reconciliation. This way, they will promote an authentic culture of encounter and the harmony of all society.
Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Syrian government is accusing Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabias governments of being the masterminds of yesterdays bombing of the coastal cities of Tartous and Jableh, in Latakia province, a Bashar al-Assad stronghold. According to Sana news agency reports, the attacks represent a "serious escalation" and aim to derail peace efforts.



Syrian State media claim the explosions (at least seven), claimed by militants of the Islamic State (IS) killed 78 people; local groups instead speak of more than 145 victims.



So far the coastal area, a stronghold of the Syrian president, had been spared by the violence of the war in Syria which over the course of five years has caused more than 280 thousand people dead and millions displaced.



The main target of the attack was a Russian naval base (Tartous) and air field (Jableh), where fighters engaged in the air raids against the IS and the Front of al-Nusra Front jihadist positions in the country are stationed.



AsiaNews sources also argue that, more than Assad, the attacks are a "message" to Moscow launched by militants, that they are able to strike anywhere. The Kremlin has expressed concern about the attacks and stresses that they make the need for a resumption of negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations even more urgent.



In connection with the attacks, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent some letters of reaching the UN pointing out that the bomb attacks "constitute a serious escalation" caused by "extremists" and "evil regimes in Riyadh, Ankara and Doha." "They are trying to derail the talks [peace] in Geneva - adds the ministerial note - the cessation of hostilities and neogitations for the ceasefire".



The United Nations and the United States firmly condemned the bombings. In a statement the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon expressed "great concern" about the military escalation not only in Damascus but in different areas of Syria including Daraya, Aleppo, Idlib and Homs. The government in Washington promised greater commitment to the fight against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq.
India grants a US$ 500 million line of credit to build and maintain the facility. Indian goods will be able to reach Central Asia and Europe, halving time and costs. The port will be directly linked to Afghanistan. The goal is to boost cooperation and take advantage of the end of sanctions in Iran.

Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Iran, India and Afghanistan have agreed to develop a trade corridor between the three countries.

Delhi will open a $ 500 million line of credit to build and maintain the port of Chabahar, on the southeastern coast of Iran, which will become a trade hub for Afghanistan.

The aim is to allow Indian goods to reach Central Asia and Europe. This would bypass Pakistan and take advantage of the end of economic sanctions after the Iranian nuclear deal.

The historic agreement was signed yesterday in Tehran in the presence of the leaders of three countries (pictured).

For the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit Iran in 15 years, the trilateral corridor is the "opening of a new chapter in our strategic partnership" and a new page in history. In fact, India is not the only country to see opportunities with the end of the embargo against Iran.

Before India, other government leaders (from Italy, Germany, France, South Korea) have rushed to Iran, a country with a young population in need of new infrastructure and eager to overcome 35 years of sanctions.

The volume of trade between Iran and India in the past 11 months has reached US$ 9 billion, this according to Iran's official IRNA news agency. Chabahar would boost this, allowing the two countries to go around Pakistan to develop trade with the Central Asian countries.

The scope of the agreement is also clear to Iran's leaders. "From Tehran, New Delhi and Kabul, this is a crucial message ... that the path to progress for regional countries goes through joint cooperation and utilising regional opportunities, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

The alternative route will halve costs and time, and place the Iranian port in direct competition with the one built by China in Gwadar, Pakistan, which gives Beijing a commercial edge in the region.

Separately, Iran and India also signed agreements to share intelligence to fight terrorism, increase cultural and technology contacts, as well as pursue joint projects in energy and connectivity.

"We have agreed to consult closely and regularly on combating threats of terrorism, radicalism, drug trafficking and cyber crime, Modi said.

"The two countries discussed political issues [. . .] and how they can contribute to peace and stability in the whole region," Rouhani added.
Living side by side has been replaced by a desire to be a community, said Fr Samir Youssef, a priest in Iraqi Kurdistan. This is the result of the merciful welcoming of Christian, Muslim, and Yazidi refugees. Recently, 62 people from the diocese of Amadiya took part in a spiritual retreat to discuss pastoral outreach, mercy and catechesis. Iraq need more nuns and priests.

Erbil (AsiaNews)  Fr Samir Youssef, pastor in the diocese of Amadiya (Kurdistan), has been taking care of 3,500 Christian, Muslim, and Yazidi refugee families since 2014. Over this time, the Islamic State (IS) group, Iraqs decade-long violence, political divisions and partisan interests have created a new sense of brotherhood among them.

In the past, people lived side by side, but today, refugees have a new desire of community, which is expressed in what they do but also what they say, not only among children and youths, but also among adults who have overcome their initial distrust.

Words but also deeds are important for the clergyman. "When Muslim and Yazidi children call me Abouna, father in Arabic, and come to visit me in church, this is Gods victory. When we talk about the Gospel or recite the Rosary, children and young people look at with attention and respect. For the clergyman, this bears true witness to possible future coexistence.

This is the result of patient and merciful work welcoming and helping over the past three years here in Kurdistan, not only for Christians, but also anyone in need.

Fr Samir Youssef, a 42-year-old graduate from Romes Gregorian University, is a Chaldean priest from Mosul. Ordained in 1999, he became pastor in the diocese of Amadiya-Dohuc, which serves five villages, in 2009.

He can be seen in AsiaNews Adopt a Christian from Mosul video for refugees persecuted by IS. With other Chaldean priests, he will attend the Churchs general meeting scheduled for June in Erbil.

The work with refugees "began slowly. We showed each family our love and desire to help them." Eventually, a "spirituality of brotherhood" emerged that we saw during the Feast of Mercy, the Sunday after Easter.

Scores of Muslims and Yazidis, men women and children, joined Catholics to welcome Card Dolan of New York for the Mass of Mercy, he explained. Of course, IS wants to do evil in Iraq, but as St Joseph said, God turns evil into good."

Through the refugees, "it is possible to see the way forward to rebuild Iraq, a united country of Christians, Muslims, Yazidis and other minorities", where people "are united against IS terrorism and other Jihadi groups," where "religion is free, personal, and separate from the state.

This is possible not only in Kurdistan but across Iraq. Already at present, in Baghdad, thousands of people take to the streets every day to demand coexistence and peace, accusing not only IS but also political leaders of sowing divisions out of self-interest.

Fr Samir just completed a brief spiritual retreat with 62 people from the diocese of Amadiya in a mountain location, meditating on the Gospel and issues like pastoral outreach, catechesis, and reflections related to the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

About 27 participants were young people, including seven refugees, who will travel to Poland for the upcoming World Youth Day

"We spoke about mercy, the Beatitudes, coexistence, including those who are not close to our message, he explained. We also talked about how to bring the Gospel into everyday life, the catechism, and a future meeting for kids from across Kurdistan.

Young people focused on IS, violence, refugees, evil and suffering, the economic and social crisis, joblessness and prospects.

Our answer is prayer, trust in providence, and bearing witness to the Christian message. Even though we experience violence, we respond by doing good. True forgiveness means responding with love.

Ahead of the Chaldean Church meeting, Fr Samir said that he hopes that it can be a venue for meditation and conversion, a time for prayer and open hearts. He also plans to talk about the shortage of priests for so many faithful.

Chaldean priests abroad, among diaspora communities, are not needed because there is need here, in this land. Families need the presence of their own pastors to bear witness. They also need sisters, who have communities in the cities, but no permanent presence in the villages. Their presence is fundamental too. (DS)
by Shafique Khokhar

The 1869 law is restored. In 1981, under General Zias rule, an amendment was introduced that allowed Christian couples to divorce only in case of adultery. This chained women to violent and polygamous marriages, and forced Christians who wanted to end a marriage to convert to Islam.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  The Lahore High Court has decided to restore the old divorce law of 1869, which regulated Christian marriages before changes made under General Zia-ul-Haq in 1981.

The amendment introduced under Pakistans old military regime authorised divorce only in cases of adultery and has long been criticised by Christian organisations, who complained of discrimination compared to Muslims and demanded greater marriage protection for the Christian minority.

"The possibility of divorce for those who do not commit adultery will help decrease the number of forced conversions to Islam, Cecil Shane Chaudhary told AsiaNews.

For the executive director of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Pakistani Catholic Church, some people used this ploy to get out of their first marriage. Now when there are conversions, they will be authentic and genuine.

In his decision yesterday, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah reintroduced Section 7 of the Christian Divorce Act of 1869. Based on British traditions, it regulates divorces and separations of Christian couples.

In 1981, General Zia amended the law by adding Section 10 through a federal ordinance, which allowed couples to divorce only in cases of adultery.

For several years, the NCJP slammed the 1981 Acts discriminatory provisions, which "chained" women to their husbands even in case of violence or polygamy after men converted to Islam and married other wives.

Catholic activists do not question the sacredness of the act of marriage, which for the Christian movement is a rock-solid principle, but rather the uncertainty of marriage rules and the delays in court decisions.

For Peter Jacob, activist and director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), the High Ciurt's decision shows "the archaic nature of the laws on marriage and divorce for Christians. The ruling removes an ambiguity and seeks to harmonise existing divorce laws with a 2015 law on domestic violence and protection of women".

Still, the Christian Marriage Act and Divorce Act does not yet provide for equality between the sexes, which can only be achieved through new legislation, he added.

Ata-ur Rehman Saman, a Christian teacher and NCJP coordinator, welcomes the ruling. This is "a good gesture towards the Christian community. It will reduce the number of conversions to Islam among those who want to dissolve their Christian marriage. "

The NCJP, he noted, released a paper in the past in which it called for changes to minority family laws to eliminate suffering in the Christian community".
by Nina Achmatova

Moscow (AsiaNews)  The time has come for the Pope to visit Belarus together with Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, for a meeting dedicated to peace in Eastern Ukraine, where the Minsk-2 agreements have yet to be fully implemented. This was stated by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on his return from his visit last May 21 at the Vatican (see photo).



Quoted by BelITA, the head of state said: "I suggested that it was time that the Pope come to Belarus and meet our citizens together with our Patriarch. I am sure that more than one million people would like to see their handshake not far away in Cuba, in an airport, but in the center of Europe spared the cataclysm that happened in the former Soviet republics and in Eastern European countries, a result that even the Pope has recognized".



According to Lukashenko, during the meeting the Pope asked him of the situation in the region especially in light of the Ukrainian conflict. "I told him the current situation in the East of Ukraine requires new initiatives, even spiritual," he explained. He believes a meeting between Francis and Kirill could help the peace process and it would be appropriate to also invite representatives of other Churches, Ukrainian and European.



Lukashenko had already proposed to host the first and historic meeting between a Pope and a Russian Patriarch, which took place in Cuba last February.



Belarus has hosted negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany and the OSCE which led to so-called Minsk agreements of February 12, 2015, a kind of road map to peace in eastern Ukraine, the conflict between government forces and pro-Russian separatists remains deadlocked. On May 23 the leaders of the so-called 'Normandy format' (France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine) spoke over the telephone. According to the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin called for the end of the bombing on towns in Donbas (eastern regions) and stressed the need for direct dialogue between Kiev and representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk and the full implementation of the peace agreements.

While the ceasefire is generally holding (starting point of the road map), with periodic outbreaks, politically the situation is one of stalemate: Ukraine insists on the immediate restoration of full control over the state border with Russia, which instead is not expected before the adoption of a law on self-government, an amnesty, constitutional review and a new electoral law that will lead to a vote in the separatist provinces.
On the journey we need courage, hope, grace, conversion. "Nothing great, mortification: no, it's simple. The path to holiness is simple. Do not go back, but always move forward, right? And with fortitude ".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Holiness "is a journey to Gods presence", and on the journey we need courage, hope, grace, conversion said Pope Francis, at Mass this morning at Casa Santa Marta,

Taking the liturgical excerpt from the First Letter of St. Peter, which he called a "small treatise on holiness," Pope Francis said holiness means to walk in the presence of God without reproach: "Holiness is a journey; holiness cannot be bought. It cant be sold. It cannot be given away. Holiness is a journey to God's presence that I must make: no one else can do it in my name. I can pray for someone to be holy, but hes the one who has to work towards [holiness], not me. Walk in God's presence, in an impeccable way.

Everyday holiness, the Pope continued, can also be anonymous. And the first element needed to achieve it is courage: The path to holiness takes courage." "Jesus Kingdom of Heaven," the Pope stressed, is for "those who have the courage to go forward" and courage, he observed, is generated by "hope," the second element of the journey that leads to holiness. The kind of courage that hopes "in an encounter with Jesus."

The third element of this journey towards holiness, the Pope observed, appears in Peters words: "Put all your hope in that grace: "We cannot achieve holiness on our own, affirmed Pope Francis. No, it is a grace. Being good, being saintly, going every day a little 'a step forward in the Christian life is a grace of God and we have to ask for it. Courage, a journey. A journey one must take with courage, with hope and with the willingness to receive this grace. And hope: the hope of the journey.

Here, the Pope urged the faithful to read the beautiful chapter XI of the Letter to the Hebrews, which recounts the journey of our forefathers, the first to be called by God. Of our father Abraham, it said: 'But, he went out without knowing where he was going.' But with hope."

In Peters letter, the Pope continued, we also see the importance of a fourth element: conversion as a continuous effort towards cleansing the heart. "Conversion, every day, recalled Pope Francis, does not mean one must beat oneself as penance for committing a wrong: No, no, no: small conversions... if you're able to not speak ill of another, you're on the right path to becoming saintly. It 'so easy! I know that you never speak ill of others, no? Little things ... 'I want to criticize a neighbor, a workmate': bite your tongue a bit. The tongue will swell a bit, but your spirit will be holier on this journey. Nothing grand, mortification: no, it's simple. The path to holiness is simple. Do not go back, but always moving forward, right? And with fortitude."
Tony Tan Keng Yam arrived in Rome on Sunday. He will visit the Holy See next Saturday, a first for a Singapore president. This is a significant event for the Catholic Church in the city-state. We are fortunate to be held in high regard and receive great support from the government.

Singapore (AsiaNews)  President Tony Tan Keng Yam is in Italy on a state visit to Italy and the Vatican, where he will meet Pope Francis.

In a note sent to AsiaNews, the Singapore Catholic Church said that President Tans visit is a significant event, the first by a Singapore head of state. We are fortunate to be held in high regard and receive great support from the government.

Tony Tan, accompanied by his wife and several ministers, landed in Rome on Sunday for an eight-day visit. During his stay, he will meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

The visit is designed to boost relations between Italy and Singapore in trade, investment, defence, culture, education and research.

Italy was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with a newly independent Singapore in 1965, "when few countries gave us much chance of survival as a sovereign state", President Tan said in a Facebook post before leaving Singapore.

President Tan and Pope Francis are scheduled to meet next Saturday.

"Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who received a Catholic education, said that the Church has always played an important role in Singapore society, running schools, hospitals, homes and charities that serve citizens of every race and religion, said a note from the Communications Office of the Archdiocese.

Singapore is blessed with a responsible and helpful government, said Mgr William Goh, archbishop of Singapore. Not only does it have a vision, but it is determined and open to collaboration.

For the prelate, Singapores government is secular, but not secularised since it acknowledges the important role played by religion in the moral development of people.

Singapore and the Holy See established diplomatic relations in June 1981. John Paul IIs visit in 1986 was the most significant event in that period.

In 2006, relations were strengthened by Card Renato Raffaele Martino, special envoy of Pope Benedict XVI, who gave a speech in which he denounced terrorism and stressed the role religions play in promoting peace and solidarity.

Last August, the Vatican Secretary of State Card Pietro Parolin visited Singapore during his visit to Southeast Asia and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the countrys independence.
The national member for the Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall is calling for the elimination of the fly-in, fly-out model for judges, urging for judges to live in regions where they work.



The Judges for the Bush proposal calls for new judges to be permanently installed at Coffs Harbour, Orange, Port Macquarie, Taree, Wagga Wagga and either Armidale or Tamworth. Currently, there are only two judges based outside of Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle, at Lismore and Dubbo.



Judges living here in the regions would deliver more cost-effective and efficient justice, Marshall said.



They will live in the region which has to deal with the implications of their decisions on the bench, and their rulings will be better informed by community expectations.



According to a report by the Daily Examiner, Marshall said ending the fly-in, fly-out arrangements would reduce delays, the backlog of which reached 2000 cases at the end of last year.



The Baird Government responded for a $20m funding package in December, to increase the number of regional court sitting days and increase the number of temporary acting judges, among other measures.



But Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton said she wasnt convinced of the Judges for the Bush plan.



The decisions about where and when District Court judges sit are made by the Chief Judge of the District Court, she said.



The NSW Government recently appointed two District Court judges as part of a $20 million investment to help ease the backlog of criminal case trials in NSW.



This investment will mean more than 250 extra District Court sitting weeks to keep our justice system working.



Locating permanent presiding judges at locations that don't sit continuously throughout the year may not be the most efficient use of judicial resources.



A NSW Law Reform Commission report found that in 2014, Lismores average wait had reached 401 days, almost double the 206-day delay the previous year.
The man killed in a major car accident in NZ a former judges son Survey finds mid-tiers took a hit in 2015 and skyrocketing rent in HKs CBD is sending law firms farther a-field.





Fairfax has reported this morning that the man, who died in an accident when the car he was in plunged into the Waipoua River in NZ on the weekend, was the son of Justice Ron Young, a former High Court judge.



The Holden Commodore hit a concrete barrier and hurtled into the Waipoua River around 4am on Saturday, police pulling Benjamin Young, 35, from the wreckage.



At this stage the evidence strongly points to the driver being Mr Young. However, inquiries are continuing in relation to this crash, a police spokeswoman said, adding that the crash is still under investigation.



The funeral will be held this week and Youngs family have asked that people donate to the Life Flight Trust, whose rescue helicopter saved three passengers who had climbed onto the cars roof.



Justice Ron Young retired last year after 26 years a judge.





Mid-tier law firms took a major hit in 2015 according to the American Lawyer rankings released yesterday.



For the largest 101-200 US firms, revenue dropped by 3.2% on average, profits remaining flat.



AmLaw 200 clients tend to be smaller, so I think budgets in that in-house world for outside counsel is shrinking, said American Lawyer editor in chief Kim Kleman.



The firms at the top of the 200 did considerably better than those at the bottom.



Top-tiers did substantially better, the largest 1-100 firms increasing revenue year on year by 2.7%, the survey found.





Concerns over high rent in Hong Kongs CBD are causing law firms to look for alternative office spaces in the eastern half of the island.



The South China Morning Post reported that the average office rents in the CBD stood at HK$105.60 per square foot in April, vacancy of Grade A offices at just 1.4%. Berwin Leighton Paisner is the first international firm to open an office in Quarry Bay after signing a six-year lease and Ince & Co looks set to follow.



Cleary Gottieb Steen & Hamilton was the first Wall Street firm to move out of Hong Kongs CBD, in 2013 relocating to Causeway Bay.


By Jozua van Otterloo, Assistant Lecturer in Volcanology, Monash University

ian woolcock from www.shutterstock.com

Australia is an old and stable continent with not many geological risks such as major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. At least that is what most people think.

But throughout its geological history Australia has known volcanic activity right up to the time that humans lived here. The most recent eruptions on the Australian mainland occurred at Mt Gambier and Mt Schank in South Australia about 5,000 years ago.

These volcanoes are part of a larger volcanic area or province in south-eastern Australia, where we can still expect another eruption. What will such an eruption look like and where will it happen?









Jozua van Otterloo





Looking into Australias recent volcanoes

Researchers from Monash University have looked at a few of the more recent volcanoes in the Newer Volcanics Province to work out what happened and what we can expect in the future.

This volcanic province stretches more than 400km from the Melbourne CBD in the east to Mount Gambier in the west. More than 400 volcanoes have been identified in this area.

The majority of these produced extensive lava flows, especially in the Western Plains district of Victoria. But many volcanoes were also explosive, ranging from beautiful fire fountains like those seen in Hawaii to very explosive ash-cloud-forming eruptions.









Jozua van Otterloo





Many of the younger volcanoes in Victoria and South Australia are maar volcanoes. Maar volcanoes are craters with low rims around them and are formed by intensely explosive interaction between magma (mixture of molten rock, crystals and gases) and groundwater.

Victoria hosts two of the worlds largest maar volcanoes: Tower Hill near Warrnambool and Lake Purrumbete near Camperdown.

These large maars are more than 3km wide, whereas normally maars are only up to 500m in diameter. The size of these maars is actually the result of eruption from multiple vents that merged into a larger maar crater.

Know your volcanic eruption style

Volcanic eruptions can be in various forms or styles. Mildly explosive styles are the Hawaiian-style fire fountains and the Strombolian-style spraying, as it happens on the Mediterranean island of Stromboli.

When eruptions become more explosive they turn to Plinian, named after Pliny the Younger who described the 79AD eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii.

Plinian eruptions develop tall eruption columns with umbrella clouds that last for many days to weeks.

But if the intense explosions occur more like bursts, then they are Vulcanian, with a smaller eruption column that can disappear with the wind within a few hours.

When the cloud of a Plinian or Vulcanian eruption is no longer upheld by upwards forces from the explosions, this cloud can collapse. A collapsing eruption column results in fast-travelling clouds of hot gases and volcanic material down the slopes of the volcano called pyroclastic flows.

If water from the sea, a lake or under the ground starts interacting with the magma, very explosive reactions can occur. These magma-water explosions, or phreatomagmatic explosions, produce large craters and release lots of fine material less than 2mm in diameter called ash.

A large part of this ash is transported along the ground surface by fast-travelling clouds of water vapour called base surges.

Volcanic eruptions in south-eastern Australia

Many of the younger Australian volcanoes erupted with a mixture of different styles.

Tower Hill not only erupted very explosively because of the interaction between magma and water, but it also produced fire fountains, resulting in the cones in the centre of the crater.

Mt Gambier and Mt Schank contain piles from Hawaiian-style fire fountains, explosive cones from milder Plinian eruptions (Micro-Plinian) with eruption columns between 5km and 10km high, and maar craters from explosive magma-water interaction.

The eruption of Mt Gambier 5,000 years ago is probably the best studied of all of these volcanoes. This volcano has at least 14 different vents from which the eruption occurred.

The most prominent are the Valley Lake and the Blue Lake craters, which were formed as maar craters, but not in the normal style. These craters were capped under a lava flow from earlier phases in the eruption, so with increased magma-water interaction later on, pressure built up.

This pressure built up until it broke through the capping lava flow, producing a big Vulcanian-style blast with actual pyroclastic flows!









Jozua Van Otterloo and Cas, RAF. in the Journal of the Geological Society





Size matters

Volcanic eruptions are ranked on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). The smallest explosive eruptions such as fire fountains have a ranking of 1 and supervolcanoes rank 8.

The 2010 Eyafjallajokull eruption (or just the 2010 Iceland eruption) that caused a lot of disruption in Europe ranked 4.

The studied volcanic cones and maars formed by more intense explosive activity in the Newer Volcanics Province ranged in VEI from 2 to 4. Eruptions at Mt Leura in Camperdown, Ecklin Maar and Red Rock near Colac were of VEI category 2, forming small plumes of 1-5km.

Most volcanoes in the area would have erupted with similar magnitudes. But Australias youngest volcano, Mt Gambier, has also been the most explosive (that we know of) with a VEI of 4.

It produced eruption plumes of about 10km in height and a large volume of magma erupted over a very short time. This eruption would have been very similar to the 2010 Iceland eruption.

The next eruption?

So what can we expect the next volcanic eruption to be like? It depends where it happens.

If the next eruption occurs in the northern areas of the Newer Volcanics Provinces (around Bendigo, Ballarat or Hamilton), we can expect lots of lava flows and fire fountains.

But if it occurs in the southern part (Colac, Camperdown, Warrnambool or Mt Gambier), the presence of groundwater could make it much more explosive.

We could be up for an eruption just like the 2010 Iceland eruption where a big plume of ash was sent high in the atmosphere. In this case disruption will occur in Eastern Australia and New Zealand.

Will it happen any time soon? Well, the Newer Volcanics Province has been active for more than 4.5 million years, with eruptions occurring at least once every 10,000 years.

It could happen in our lifetime, but more likely it will happen after that.

Oh, another outcome of the research was that the first warning signs with Mt Gambier would have been noticed only by the most sensitive equipment up to two days in advance.

Such equipment is not present in the area at the moment.









Jozua van Otterloo





Jozua van Otterloo 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.
By Alan Duffy, Research Fellow, Swinburne University of Technology

NASA

The latest results from NASAs Kepler satellite may have finally solved the mystery of how the conditions for life were created on our younger Earth - and surprisingly it seems titanic eruptions from the Sun were the cause.

Far from damaging us, solar storms may have warmed the young Earth enough to house life as well as provided the chemical building blocks to create it.









Known as the faint young Sun paradox, the problem for astronomers was this: stars like our Sun brighten as they age, meaning when life started on Earth 3.5 billion years ago we would have only have received three quarters of the heat we get today. Far from being a place where life could arise, our young Earth would have been frozen solid.

One solution to this paradox was that the Earth had a thicker atmosphere to trap more heat through a greenhouse effect. However recent results based on ancient rocks in Australia show that the air was actually only half as thick as today, making the problem even greater.

Young star temper tantrum

By surveying hundreds of thousands of stars, Kepler has been able to create a snapshot of Sun-like stars at different ages. The team found that while younger stars are indeed dimmer they are also prone to erupting in violent explosions more often. These super solar flares can send billions of tonnes of energetic particles into space as a coronal mass ejection. If Earth is in the way they slam into our protective magnetic field, often visible to us as the aurora. Every century or so a particularly huge event will be unleashed that can cause serious damage to our electricity grid. A younger Sun could have been unleashing ten of these a day.

These more violent storms would have collided with a weaker magnetic field on the younger Earth meaning the Northern Lights would have been seen down to Southern states of the USA as well as all of Europe and China, while the Southern Lights would have reached South Africa and the bottom of Australia. More importantly for life on Earth, the energy of the solar storms would have reached the atmosphere and powered chemical reactions turning otherwise inert nitrogen molecules into nitrous oxide and hydrogen cyanide.

Nitrous oxide, otherwise known as laughing gas, is an incredibly powerful greenhouse gas. Today we hear of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in our air, but if the young Earth had only a hundredth of the nitrous oxide that we have today of CO2 then enough heat would be trapped to keep water from freezing. The fact that the same reactions can also create hydrogen cyanide, a key chemical building block for life as we know it, is especially exciting.

While life on Earth seems to have these powerful solar storms to thank for making conditions just right, the same cant be said for our neighbour Mars. The magnetic field on the red planet wasnt strong enough to prevent the atmosphere from being stripped away leaving it a frozen arid desert we know today.

This all means we can be even more picky when we start to search for life on recently discovered planets around other stars as they have to have the right combination of magnetic field strength and age of star to recreate the conditions on our younger Earth.

Surprisingly thanks to this result, we know that a violent star might be a good thing for kickstarting life.

Disclosure

Alan Duffy receives funding from Swinburne University of Technology.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Foreign citizens in Australia to look after youngsters under the age of 18 are being reminded that they must tell officials of any change of status.People with a Guardian visa (subclass 580) have certain conditions attached to their visa to ensure the nominated student has appropriate welfare arrangements in place at all times as they are under the age of 18.They can enter and leave Australia during the term of the visa, but cannot leave Australia without the nominating student unless alternative welfare arrangements are made.According to the guidance from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) if a guardian visa holder needs to leave Australia without the nominating student they must provide evidence.This can include the fact that there are compassionate or compelling reasons for doing so, that suitable alternative arrangements for the accommodation, general welfare and support of the student is available until the holder's return."All alternative welfare arrangements must be approved by us and the student's education provider. You should discuss your circumstances with the education provider as soon as you become aware you may need to travel," said a DIBP spokesman.He explained that there are two ways people can make alternative welfare arrangements. They can nominate an alternative student guardian who must be, except in limited circumstances, a parent or relative aged 21 years or over.Or the student's education provider can take responsibility for their welfare by issuing a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter which will state the start and end dates for approval of welfare arrangements."We will advise you if the alternative welfare arrangements have been approved. If welfare arrangements are not considered suitable by us, you cannot leave Australia without your nominating student," the spokesman explained."If you don't abide by the conditions of your Guardian visa (subclass 580), your visa may be cancelled and we may also cancel the nominating student's visa," he added.People who are likely to get a guardian visa include a parent or person who has legal custody of the student, or a relative who is nominated by a parent or custodian of the student. The applicant must be at least 21 years of age and be able to provide accommodation, general welfare and other support to the student.The visa does not allow the holder to work in Australia in any occupation that is paid. Volunteer work is only possible if it is incidental to the care of the student, it would not otherwise be undertaken by an Australian resident and the work is genuinely voluntary for a non-profit organisation and that no remuneration is received in return for the activities.
The state government has banned over 10-year-old vehicles and has stopped registration of vehicles with engine capacity of 2,000cc and above.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) circuit bench in Kochi has banned over 10-year-old light and heavy diesel vehicles in six major cities of Kerala  state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, commercial capital Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur.

The bench has also directed the state government not to register any diesel-engined vehicle with cubic capacity of 2000cc and above, except for public transport and local authority vehicles. It is understood that owners of vehicles violating the order will have to pay Rs 5,000 as environmental compensation, which will be collected by the traffic police or the pollution control board and that the funds will be used to improve the environment in these six cities.

The NGT circuit benchs order follows a petition filed by the Lawyers Environmental Awareness Forum seeking action against highly polluting diesel-engined vehicles such as trucks and buses.
The achievement means that Honda s aircraft complies with European safety regulations and can operate in the European Union. The HondaJet already has equivalent certifications in the United States of America and Mexico. Other countries will follow, as customers gather to buy the $4.85 Million private airplane.The HondaJet is certified for single pilot operation, and can seat up to six passengers. Hondas first commercial aircraft claims to be the fastest, highest-flying, most fuel-efficient, and quietest in its class.These are bold statements, but Honda says it achieves them all thanks to its unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount. The latter refers to a configuration designed to improve performance by reducing drag.The same configuration chosen for the HondaJet is claimed to provide the largest baggage capacity in its class, as well as the roomiest cabin. From the pilots point of view, the new aircraft from Honda comes with a sophisticated glass flight deck, including a Honda-customized Garmin G3000 unit. The latter is a touch-screen operated flight deck, specifically designed for light turbine aircraft.Naturally, the HondaJet is destined for business customers, and already has been commissioned by several operators in Europe and North America. The aircraft can reach a maximum cruise speed of 422 knots, the ground speed equivalent of 486 mph (782 km/h). Meanwhile, its maximum altitude is 43,000 feet (13,1 kilometers), and has an NBAA IFR range of 1,223 nautical miles. The latter converts to 1,408 miles (2,265 km).The first flight of the production HondaJet took place on June 27, 2014. While other automakers are involved in aviation or other branches of the transportation industry, Honda Aircraft Company is an entirely owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Company. Hondas Aircraft company was founded only a decade ago, and is headquartered in North Carolina.
We are talking about a project most of you are already aware. General Motors and Peugeot-Citroen signed a deal a few years ago that involves building some cars together. Among these are the replacements of the Peugeot 2008, Citroen C3 Picasso , and the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva The new models are expected on the market as 2017 vehicles, and their development is at an advanced stage, despite of the thick layer of camouflage. Some think the new triplets will be shown at this years 2016 Paris Motor Show, but dont quote us on that.While our spy photographers have provided us with images of the Citroen C3 Picasso prototype before, as well as the replacement of the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva , the set of photos attached to this story is the first to show the 2017 Peugeot 2008.The second-generation Peugeot 2008 will feature an evolved architecture, called the PF1. The platform was developed by the French corporation for the ongoing Peugeot 208, and has signed an agreement with its German partners to ensure it is shared without any hassle. Concerning powertrains, Peugeots latest PureTech and BlueHDi units are expected under the hood.Reports that refer to these three models claim that Opel and PSA Peugeot-Citroen will employ different engines for the triplets. While the French company is expected to stick to its own, Opel might introduce ongoing power plants under the hood of the Meriva replacement instead of engines from its partners. The reasoning behind different engine options might be linked to an attempt at separating the three models through this aspect.Another differentiating factor will be design. While some body panels are shared, the three brands had plenty of freedom on the design of the new models. The front end of the prototypes spotted by our spy photographers is different on each of the three, while the rear also comes with individual design features.
Fast forward to 2010 and, on the opposite side of the Earth, a Chinese engineer by the name of Song Youzhou came up with a similar design that, he declared, would help alleviate (if not solve altogether) the growing issue of heavy traffic that the larger Chinese cities were beginning to face.His design differed from the original, but the idea was the same: a vehicle traveling on stilts that would allow other, smaller vehicles to pass underneath is as it makes its way forward. If the US concept proposed inter-city commuting, the Chinese version is thought to function as an urban transport solution that can take the place of buses, trams, and even subway.The advantages are pretty clear: the "straddling bus" has an almost zero ground footprint, so it doesn't put any burden on traffic. It can carry up to 1,400 passengers, which is the equivalent of around 40 buses. That means less pollution (it would cut fuel consumption by 800 tons a year and CO2 emissions by almost 2,500 tons, Song told Chinese news agency, Xinhua), but also fewer vehicles on the streets. And just like the subway, it would be impervious to congestion as it would glide above it, but at a much lower cost than the underground trains.Even if everybody keeps calling it a "bus," it is actually a train that runs on two tracks on each side of the street while getting its power from the nearby posts. In fact, even if building its tracks would be considerably cheaper than excavating for a subway, it would still require some adjustments for the surface infrastructure.Let's not hide behind words: it is basically a moving bridge that follows the tracks, has a closed top, and lots of seats. It is about 60 meters long (197 feet), it's made up of four interconnected segments, has a clearance of 2.1 meters (almost 7 feet), and an overall height of 4.5 meters (14.7 feet). A scale model of the bus was presented by the Beijing -based company Transit Explore Bus at the 19th International High-Tech Expo where it spun around an equally scaled model city complete with moving cars.It would appear that, after the first failed attempt in 2010, the project is going to receive a new chance. Transit Explore Bus is building a full-size model which it plans to test this August in the city of Changzhou. If it proves to be successful, a more widespread implementation could follow. And while this might help curb the traffic situation, it won't do that much to help with the air pollution , at least not as long as China continues to rely so heavily on coal for obtaining electricity. However, things have to start from somewhere, and the straddling bus seems like a very good place to do that.
Last Sunday brought disappointment for both Yamaha and the fans of Valentino Rossi who gathered in record numbers at the circuit of Mugello to see him battle of the track. Eight laps into the race, Rossi missed a turn after having visible problems with his bike.Rossi then tried to continue the race but seconds after the first trail of smoke was seen, his engine failed completely, with the blowout spewing a thick white smoke.The nine-time world champion managed to get off the track and rode slowly his bike to an exit, before leaving it with the track marshals and hopping in the back seat of a scooter that brought him to the Yamaha garage.Despite still wearing the helmet and having the visor closed almost all the way down, it was not that hard to see the utter disappointment of the Italian rider. Yamaha started out an internal investigation to find out what caused the engine to fail to such a degree, but Iwata's technicians still haven't found the culprit(s).One of the first go-to people in Rossi's side of the Yamaha garage is Silvano Galbusera, his crew chief. But "Galbu" doesn't know any concluding detail about the mauled engine. He remembers that Rossi told him that the last engine that blew was at Misano in 2007. Galbusera also adds that engines that fail to such a degree are not a Yamaha tradition.Lorenzo's engine met a similar fate during the morning session, but Silvano Galbusera says that it had significantly more kilometers than Rossi's. Even more, swapping Vale's engine before the race and sending the Italian to the grid with a brand new lump would have been even riskier.He adds that no different settings were used in the engine for the Mugello race, and this makes everything all the more intriguing. Galbu suspects that some of the parts were not as qualitative as they should have been. "We are not are able to understand what happened yet. The engine will be fully analyzed," Rossi's crew chief adds.
Photo courtesy of GM. General Motors carsharing Maven has announced three new locations to its network. Maven recently launched in Chicago with its Maven City carsharing program and Maven+ residential on-demand carsharing program.

Both programs plan to launch in Washington, D.C. and Boston this summer. Maven is also available in New York City and Ann Arbor, Mich. Collectively, its members have driven more than one million miles.

Whether its driving to land the perfect job, meeting friends for a fun weekend or exploring the city, Maven enables our members to access transportation how they want it, when they want it, said Julia Steyn, GM vice president of urban mobility and Maven. As we continue to expand into key cities, more customers will see how Maven can provide next-gen freedom by seamlessly connecting them with people and places that matter.
The Virgin Islands Consortium reported U.S. Virgin Islands Senator Jean Forde has proposed a bill to raise taxes on car rentals by adding a community surcharge of $3.75.

Currently, there is already a daily surcharge of $3.75 along with other taxes like a $25 driving permit tax and $3.60 airport concession fee. Several rental car companies in the Virgin Islands are claiming the new tax would cause lasting damage to their businesses, according to the article.

Read the full article by clicking the URL: http://viconsortium.com/business/jean-forde-proposes-bill-adding-3-75-tax-to-car-rentals-raising-daily-surcharge-to-7-50/
24 May 2016 11:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

Yerevan once again tries to distort the essence of the peace talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys Spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev made the remark while talking to local media, further elaborating that after the Vienna meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, Armenias leadership and foreign minister are playing a word game without the elementary diplomatic ethics.

Hajiyev reminded that in the Vienna meeting, Azerbaijan responded positively to the ceasefire proposal with the aim of laying the foundations for serious and constructive negotiations.

"The international community, including the OSCE Minsk Group, believe that the status quo should be changed, Armenian troops should be withdrawn from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, he said adding that there is an impression that the Armenian Foreign Minister either did not understand the essence of the Vienna talks, or pretends.

It is not coincidence that the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry after the Vienna meeting, speaking with unsubstantial statements aimed at internal demands, made no mention of a comprehensive peace process, which was the main purpose of the meeting in Vienna, Hajiyev stressed.

The meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was held in Vienna on May 16. The Vienna meeting became the first since the renewed hostilities on the contact line of troops in early April.

The presidents reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict, and agreed to finalize the OSCE investigative mechanism in the shortest possible time.

The official is sure that Yerevan carries out destructive policy to stop the beginning of an inclusive political process to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in June.

The Armenian leadership rather than to prepare people to the peace, reinforces the rhetoric of hatred and chauvinism, he added.

Hajiyev quoted Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov saying: "The talks in Vienna on a phased approach to the settlement of the conflict create the opportunity to start substantive negotiations. These negotiations should begin as soon as possible, the results expected by the people of the region and the international community should be achieved. "

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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24 May 2016 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Tito Boeri

Austrias presidential election has thrown into sharp relief one of Europes fundamental challenges. In the first round, held on April 24, Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) won the largest share of the popular vote, having campaigned on the claim that unchecked immigration risked burdening Austrias welfare state to the point of collapse. He faces off against Alexander Van der Bellen, a member of the Greens, on May 22.

Claims like Hofers may be the subject of fierce disagreement among labor economists, but they have struck a chord with the European electorate. All across the continent, right-wing populist parties are gaining ground by exploiting voters concerns about migration and access to the welfare state. And, in the United Kingdom, worries about benefit tourism are fueling efforts to pull the country out of the European Union.

If the EU is to survive as an area of free mobility, it will need stronger enforcement of its external borders, combined with stricter implementation of social insurance principles across its internal borders. Creating a closer link between benefits and past contributions for workers who have moved from one country to another will be essential to the long-term integrity of the common labor market.

The European policy debate has given some consideration to strengthening external borders, but there has been no talk of coordinating welfare benefits across EU borders. It is time for the EU to introduce a single social-security identifier that allows governments to track workers as they move from one country to another and ensures that welfare benefits are portable across national jurisdictions.

Such a measure would not only help reaffirm a European identity regarding work and the welfare state; it would also facilitate a more informed debate on migration and the ongoing refugee crisis, by making it possible to assess the net fiscal contribution newcomers make to social-security programs.

The results are likely to be eye opening. Economic migrants are typically younger than natives, and thus they are less likely than the general population to be receiving benefits. To be sure, as a generation of immigrants gets older, its contributions to social security decline. But not all migrants ultimately draw the pensions to which their contributions entitle them.

In Italy, for example, migrants pay about 5 billion ($5.7 billion) a year (roughly 0.3% of GDP) more in contributions than they receive in benefits. And the Italian Social Security Institute (INPS) has estimated that some 15 billion in contributions to the Italian pension system paid by migrants during the last 20 years have been left unclaimed.

For refugees, however, the situation is different. To begin with, refugees are not allowed to work until their asylum application has been approved. Refugee migration also comes in larger waves than economic migration. As a result, refugees enter the labor market later than economic migrants and earn less, drawing resources for welfare benefits away from natives.

Workers who move repeatedly across borders can also sometimes be a liability, if they take unfair advantage of the various social-security systems into which they pay. There are documented cases of workers claiming unemployment benefits in one EU country while working in another. Moreover, contributions paid in a workers country of origin are rarely verified, and there is a serious risk that some contractual restrictions, such as limits on working hours, will not be enforced when a worker is posted elsewhere.

The only way to monitor these risks and reduce abuses is to develop a harmonized social-security archive that covers all workers within the EUs borders. National governments should adopt a European social-security identifier (similar to the US Social Security number or the National Insurance number in the United Kingdom) and regularly exchange information. This European Social Security Identification Number (ESSIN) would draw on existing country-specific identifiers and contain an identifier (perhaps, the first three digits) noting the first country in which a worker was employed. It would also be linked to national fiscal identifiers.

Facilitating the free mobility of workers is fundamental to restoring growth in Europe. The great divergence in unemployment rates following the 2008 financial crisis and the eurozone debt crisis has only added to the urgency. A monetary union that cannot rely on exchange-rate adjustment or fiscal transfers to reduce labor-market imbalances requires mobility across national borders. But if labor mobility is to be politically sustainable, it must be properly governed. Given a refugee crisis, for example, mobility can easily come to be perceived as a threat rather than an opportunity to insure against local labor-market risks.

The ESSIN would accentuate the advantages of EU membership, while repressing the illegal flows of workers that perpetuate suspicion toward free mobility. It would be granted only to workers who have been paying regular social-security contributions. It could also be used as the basis for access to EU-run programs, such as a European unemployment benefit system.

Europe needs a system capable of monitoring worker mobility across national jurisdictions and tracking their contributions as they relocate from one member state to another. Addressing this gap would change the discourse in European politics and policies, not only regarding the sustainability and equitability of the welfare state, but also concerning some of the most divisive issues facing the EU  such as how to handle economic immigration and refugee flows. Inaction benefits only Hofer and his fellow populists.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: Saving European Social Security from the Populists

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24 May 2016 11:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Azerbaijan is planning to introduce vaccination programs against chicken pox, meningitis and rotaviral infection in the future.

Nasib Guliyev the head pediatrician of the Health Ministry said that the ministry continuously works on the introduction of new types of vaccines.Main objective of vaccination is interruption of indigenous transmission of the diseases in the country.

Purchase of vaccines in the country is provided at high level, every area and region in the country has its own vaccination stations. Vaccination in the country is run within the national immunization schedule. The Health Ministry uses electronic services to provide citizens with the information about the schedule of immunization. Vaccines are imported into Azerbaijan through UNICEF since 2014.

Children can be vaccinated in private clinics upon the will of their parents while obligatory vaccines in Azerbaijan are free of charge and administered in state clinics.

Guliyev also underlined that the exact date of introducing new vaccines is yet to be defined because some vaccines are not perfect. Therefore we are waiting for the creation of improved vaccines which do not cause any complications, he said.

Children in Azerbaijan are currently vaccinated against 11 infectious diseases. These include Hepatitis B (jaundice), tuberculosis and poliomyelitis pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, and Hepatitis B, poliomyelitis. The vaccine will be the twelfth in the succession in the list of vaccines used in the country.

Guliyev also mentioned that the ministry is currently working over upgrade of the vaccine against rotaviral infection. The use of vaccine is practiced neither in Azerbaijan nor in other countries due to certain complications it causes.

Vaccination is considered to be one of the greatest contributions of medicine to reduce global child mortality. The government takes steps in order to ensure public health protection and well-being of the people.

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24 May 2016 10:05 (UTC+04:00)

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hosted a reception for high-level guests attending the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Azertac reports.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva attended the reception, which was held at Dolmabahce Palace.

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24 May 2016 10:25 (UTC+04:00)

The Ministry of State Security of the Peoples Republic of China signed a memorandum of cooperation with the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a communique with the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azertac reports.

Prior to the signing ceremony, Chairman of Azerbaijan State Security Service Madat Guliyev informed the Chinese delegation led by Head of Central Public Security Comprehensive Management Commission, Secretary of Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party, member of the Politburo of the Communist Party Meng Jianzhu on national leader Heydar Aliyevs activities towards preserving and strengthening Azerbaijan`s independence as well as strengthening security in the country.

Chairman of Azerbaijan Foreign Intelligence Service Orkhan Sultanov spoke of cooperation among security services of the two countries.

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24 May 2016 15:13 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov



The second edition of the Red Book of Azerbaijan has been released, Huseyngulu Bagirov, Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources said in an interview to the website of New Azerbaijan Party. The book is scheduled for release every ten years.

Overall, the first edition of the Red Book of Azerbaijan was published in 1989 and included 140 plant species. The newer edition consists of 300 species, including 14 species of mushrooms, 20 simple and 266 higher plants. The number of fauna species in the first edition of the book made up to 108 representatives.

Bagirov mentioned that the work on the protection of wildlife is being implemented constantly. In the framework of the project, realized with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, about 150 gazelles were resettled in their historical habitats. Moreover, on the basis of information about rare and endangered species of plants and animals in the country, collected by scientists and specialists, the second edition of the Red Book of Azerbaijan was published in two volumes, he said.

The new edition was prepared with funds of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, received from the applied fines, as well as at the expense of some international organizations.

The second volume includes about 223 representatives of the Azerbaijani fauna, including one species of round worms, crustaceans and molluscs, 74 species of insects, 6 amphibians, 14 species of reptiles, 9 fish, 72 species of birds and 42 mammals. Overall, Azerbaijani fauna includes 10-12 thousand species; 90% of them are insects.

The first category of the Red Book includes the species which population and habitat declined significantly or reached a critical level under the influence of negative factors. The representatives of flora and fauna which population just has a decreasing trend, were attributed to the second category.

The Red Book is an annotated list of rare and threatened of extinction animals, plants and mushrooms.

The first edition of the IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red Book was published in 1963. It was a pilot publication with a small circulation. The two-volume book included information on 211 species and subspecies of mammals and 312 species and subspecies of birds.

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24 May 2016 13:01 (UTC+04:00)

By Gulgiz Dadashova

Azerbaijan does its best to overcome the consequences of humanitarian catastrophe caused by Armenia, said President Ilham Aliyev warning the world about the Armenian aggression against its neighbor.

President Aliyev drew the attention of the international community to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict while addressing the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

Global leaders met in Istanbul on May 23 to tackle a "broken" humanitarian system that has left 130 million people in need of aid. Co-organized by Turkey and the UN, the first ever Summit brought together a total of more than 5,000 delegates including up to 60 UN member states' heads of state and government, officials of the crisis-affected countries, representatives of international organizations, NGOs and the private sector.

In his speech to the plenary session of the Summit, President Aliyev stated that Azerbaijanis know very well what it is like to be refugees and internally displaced persons.

As a result of Armenian aggression, 20 percent of our internationally recognized territories is under occupation, more than one million of Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons, he said.

Armenia also committed ethnic cleansing and genocide against Azerbaijanis, the president told the gathering of 150 countries, including 57 heads of government.

Khojaly genocide committed by Armenia in 1992 is recognized by more than 10 countries. As a result of Khojaly genocide 613 civilians were brutally killed, among them 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly. More than one thousand people are missing, he added.

President Aliyev pointed out that Armenia continues its policy of aggression against Azerbaijan. The head of state cited as an example the recent hostilities on the contact line of troops, which were considered as the most serious since two decades of ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 1994.

In April 2016, Armenia launched new attack on peaceful Azerbaijani citizens. As a result of this attack our soldiers and officers, as well as six civilians were killed. More than 30 civilians were wounded. As a result of the shelling of our citizens and villages more than 500 houses were damaged, more than 100 houses were completely destroyed and burned, the president said, adding that Armenian army used prohibited chemical weapons against civilians, particularly white phosphorus bomb.

Noting that all the war crimes committed by Armenia are documented and presented to international monitors, the resident reminded that Armenia is ignoring four United Nations Security Council resolutions demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the territory of Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other districts of Azerbaijan are occupied. In some cases United Nations Security Council resolutions are implemented within days if not hours. But in our case they remained on paper for more than twenty years. This is a policy of double standards towards Azerbaijan. Armenia must implement these resolutions or be sanctioned. Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored, he stated.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, 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.

President Aliyev voiced that another serious threat to the whole region is an outdated Armenian nuclear power plant in Metsamor. There is information that Armenia is illegally using the radioactive waste. Former prime minister, member of parliament and other officials of Armenia declared this April that Armenia has a nuclear weapon, so-called dirty bomb, he said, urging relevant international organizations to thoroughly examine this statement.

President Aliyev emphasized that Armenian nuclear threat and blackmail must be stopped.

The head of state further informed about the works done to improve living conditions of our refugees and IDPs, noting that more than $6 billion were spent for this.

The level of poverty among refugees and IDPs dropped from 75 to 12 percent. In general, poverty level in Azerbaijan dropped from almost 50 to 5 percent in the last 12 years, he added.

The president stated that Azerbaijan provides and will continue to provide assistance to countries suffering from similar problems.

We provided financial assistance to support United Nations Ebola response and recovery actions. We are also committed to promoting cooperation among relevant institutions and stakeholders for ensuring access of population to early warning system and disaster-risk information, he noted.

The president voiced belief that the results of the summit will contribute to the improvement of the living standards of the people who suffer from humanitarian crisis.

Addressing the summit aiming to develop a better response to what has called the worst humanitarian crisis since World War Two, mobilize more funds and agree to better care for displaced civilians, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on governments, businesses and aid groups to commit to halving the number of displaced civilians by 2030.

"We need to improve more direct funding to local communities and fix the persistent humanitarian funding gap," he said in a speech. "We are here to shape a different future.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, which is saddled with around 3 million refugees from neighboring Syria's civil war, stated that international community should make efforts to resolve armed conflicts.

Turkey is one of the countries actively helping Syrian refugees, added Erdogan.

"Turkey has spent $10 billion to upkeep the Syrian refugees, and there are three million Syrian refugees in the country," he said, noting that while the international community has allocated only $455 million for the Syrian refugees.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in turn, said there needed to be improvements in how humanitarian aid is delivered.

She further said that Germany will make more funds available humanitarian assistance and aid. "We need crisis, emergency and response facilities that are well funded," Merkel said.
24 May 2016 15:11 (UTC+04:00)

Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan's occupied territories must be returned to the country.

Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader made the remarks during the meeting with Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Mubariz Gurbanli, the committee's press service reported.

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.

Emphasizing that there is discrimination towards Muslims in the whole world, he noted the need for Islamic solidarity.

Shabestari is sure that the right work with young people can prevent their involvement in radical groups.

Shabestari also praised the restoration of mosques, maintenance of religious values in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Iran have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and diplomatic relations between the two countries were reestablished in 1992.

Currently, the two countries are focused on expanding economic ties in various fields, including industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy, and transportation.

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24 May 2016 15:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

A documentary evidence of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia was presented at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as the Assembly`s Monitoring Committee heard a report from Stefan Schennach, PACE co-rapporteur for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, who paid a three-day fact-finding visit to the country.

Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE Samad Seyidov circulated brochures and documents at the meeting, providing evidence of the Armenian armed units` shelling Azerbaijani residential areas and killing civilians on the line of contact.

In his report, Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur Schennach expressed strong concern at the recent escalation of the situation along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh and the occupied territories and the reports of civilian casualties and deaths.

The two South Caucasus countries -- Azerbaijan and Armenia remain in a state of war since early 1990s when the latter staged a war against its neighbor.

Peace talks over the long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that emerged over Armenias territorial claims against Azerbaijan are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles. However, as Armenia continues to follow non-constructive position, the negotiations have been largely fruitless so far despite the efforts of the co-chair countries over 20 years.

Seyidov, while talking to Azertac, said that European MPs, who usually were critical of Azerbaijan, this time welcomed positive processes taking place in Azerbaijan. They hailed the results of President Ilham Aliyev`s policy.

He informed the Monitoring Committee members of a bill declaring amnesty on the occasion of May 28th Republic Day, which was passed by the Parliament of Azerbaijan.

Submitted by President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Mehriban Aliyeva, the Amnesty Act will affect 10,000 people, with 3,500 convicts being released from detention facilities. The European MPs welcomed the bill, he said.

Seyidov further noted that the Committee also agreed to send co-rapporteurs to Azerbaijan for another mission in June.

The co-rapporteurs will monitor the elections at constituency No. 90, where the results of parliamentary elections were annulled. They will also hold meetings with state officials. One of the co-rapporteurs will be chair of the Monitoring Committee, he said.

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24 May 2016 18:09 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov



An Azerbaijani delegation led by Parliamentary Speaker Ogtay Asadov visited Podgorica on May 20-22 to join the celebrations over Montenegro's Independence Day.

During the visit, Asadov met with Montenegrin leader Filip Vujanovic, who praised the bilateral ties.

Asadov, on behalf of President Ilham Aliyev and Azerbaijani nation, congratulated Montenegrins on the countrys Independence Day.

The official further noted that mutual visits of Azerbaijani and Montenegrin officials are essential for developing the cooperation of the states.

Asadov noted that the countries should increase holding business forums and improving business ties in order to get the further advance of economic sphere indicators.

In this regard we welcome the establishment of the Intergovernmental Economic Commission. Today Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of Europe in energy sector. Important steps are being taken towards the realization of the Southern Gas Corridor, he said.

He also hailed the role of the parliaments in developing the bilateral relations, saying we highly appreciate the existence of interparliamentary friendship groups in the two countries' legislative bodies.

Speaking about the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, Asadov said that Armenia ignores international organizations' conflict-related resolutions.

Armenia continues to pursue its aggressive policy against Azerbaijan. We believe that the conflict will soon find its just resolution within the territorial integrity of countries with support of the international community.

In turn, Filip Vujanovic thanked the Azerbaijani delegation for its congratulation and noted that Montenegro is interested in improvement of its relations with Azerbaijan in the future.

The sides exchanged views on the prospects of development of inter-parliamentary relations, regional and other issues.

During the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation joined the events dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Montenegros independence.

Asadov put flowers at the bust of the great Azerbaijani poet, Huseyn Javid, in the central park of Podgorica. The park was renovated on the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev in 2013.

Relations between the two countries are dynamically developing in all directions.

Montenegro is interested in attracting investments from Azerbaijan. It has created a very flexible environment with a low percentage of taxation for businessmen.

The countries develop their relations in the fields of education, tourism and exchange of students. Starting from July 16 and lasting to September, direct flights from Azerbaijan to Montenegro will be launched.

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24 May 2016 16:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov



Azerbaijan can help Poland to distribute its goods to Iran and Central Asia, Jaroslaw Olowski, Vice President of the Polish Agricultural Market Agency, told Trend.

Olowski said that he is keen to strengthen the Azerbaijani-Polish cooperation that was established two years ago. In recent years, our relations weakened. One reason for that is a change of government in Poland, but the devaluation of the national currency of Azerbaijan became a more compelling reason.

He mentioned that after the devaluation Azerbaijan trended to import less from Poland. Polish manufacturers look for new markets after imposing an embargo on trade with Russia, their former main partner. Thus, Azerbaijan could be a reliable ally of Poland in the region. I can see that Azerbaijan almost completely provides itself with agricultural products, but it can become a hub in the region for the further sale of agricultural products of Poland and other goods to neighboring countries, Olowski said.

He spoke about his expectations of providing Polish goods to Azerbaijani markets and its neighboring countries  Iran and Central Asia states.

Olawski also spoke about possible export of Azerbaijani products into Poland: I know that citrus fruits, olives, nuts and so on are grown in Azerbaijan. I think that Poland will be interested in the import of these products.

The Vice President also offered veterinary and phytosanitary services for Azerbaijan and suggested to accumulate the two countries cooperation in these fields. Poland's veterinary and phytosanitary control services are recognized as one of the best in Europe and the country would like to introduce its technologies and apply its knowledge in the countries of the region, including Azerbaijan, he noted.

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24 May 2016 14:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

Azerbaijan is currently engaged in creating its first-ever free trade zone. Special economic area is located in the Alat settlement of Bakus Garadagh district and includes the territory of Azerbaijans Baku Sea Trade Port.

Creating a free trade zone is considered to be a milestone of Azerbaijan's policy to strengthen the country's position as a regional logistics and transportation hub.

Taleh Ziyadov, director general of the port, said that the registration of the residents of the free trade zone will begin in January 2017. Currently, preparation of legal documents required for the activities of the free trade zone is underway.

He noted the port has already attracted large companies from all over the world.

The free trade zone is expected to encourage transport-logistical industry, pharmaceutical cluster, and bases for the supply of oil plants as well as the spheres of manufacturing, packing and labeling.

Being located at a crossroads of Europe and Asia nearby important markets such as China, Turkey, Iran and Russia the new port has huge opportunities to become one of the leading trade and logistics hubs of Eurasia.

Ziyadov underlined that the free trade zone will make a huge contribution not only to the economy of Azerbaijan but a whole region. We have set a goal to become the transport and trade hub in Eurasia. From this point of view it is essential to strengthen cooperation with large world ports and adopt their experience, he said

The free trade zone will boost countrys economy, bring huge revenues to the state budget, and attract foreign investors.

Ziyadov underlined that the use of uniform tariffs will increase competitiveness of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route which is considered to provide transport links between China and Europe.

Addressing a seminar on operations and management in sea ports Malena Mard, head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, mentioned that Azerbaijan due to its advantageous geographical location has a great potential to turn into transportation and logistics centre connecting the North with South and the East with West. She underlined that the expansion of cooperation between the Baku Sea Trade Port and European ports, the use of advanced world technologies there is an important step to reach this goal.

The free trade zone is expected to bring up to $1 billion just in the first few years. Special tax and customs policy, which will be pursued in the territory of the free trade zone will also stipulate further development and simplification of a number of procedures. The privileges can cover the income tax, VAT, tax of profit and property tax. Growth of rivalry and absence of duties will give an impetus for the reduction in price of certain products and force local producers to improve the quality of products and expand the range of goods in the country.

Main objective of creating free trade zone in the territory of the port is to provide sustainable development of national economy, to raise its competitiveness, to strengthen the position of the country as a logistics and transport centre as well as to create diversified transport infrastructure.

Baku International Sea Trade Port located in the Alat settlement, 40 miles south of Baku. The construction of the Baku International Sea Trade Port started in November 2010.

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24 May 2016 17:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

Azerbaijan can become export gateway for the Indonesian products to the European market, a representative from Indonesian Ministry of Trade Saleh Husin told Indonesian Republica newspaper on May 24.

Husin noted that featured products of Indonesia such as palm oil can be shipped to the Eastern European market via Azerbaijan.

Until now, Azerbaijan imported Indonesian products from third countries such as United Arab Emirates, said Tamerlan Karayev, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Indonesia, emphasizing that direct imports will reduce the cost of the Indonesian products in Azerbaijan and boost trade between these countries.

According to the ambassador, Azerbaijan and Indonesia could implement a project together in the form of a joint venture.

Indonesia can export semi-finished products to Azerbaijan, and then process them into the finished products. Thus, the products can be exported to other countries, such as Russia, Georgia, and Iran, said Karayev.

He further noted that a joint venture is possible as Indonesia has advanced technology in various fields, such as textiles and furniture.

Indonesian Trade Minister affirmed that Azerbaijan and Indonesia will enhance bilateral cooperation, especially in the trade sector.

Azerbaijani government will bolster the cooperation between two countries in order to boost economic growth, said Karayev.

Indonesia is interested in developing ties with Azerbaijan. It should be a start point for both sides, said Husnan bey Fananie, Indonesian newly-appointed ambassador to the country recently

The ambassador highlighted the importance of arranging the reciprocal visits of representatives of small and medium business circles in terms of developing business relations between the two countries.

Azerbaijan is the third largest trade partner of Indonesia. The country is interested in making mutual investments with Azerbaijan in the oil and gas sphere.

Previously, the Indonesian government has encouraged the countrys state oil and gas company Pertamina to invest in Azerbaijans oil and gas projects. Indonesia has been importing crude oil directly from Azerbaijan since 2015, which opens up great opportunity for Pertamina to acquire stakes in oil and gas blocks of Azerbaijan.

In addition, Indonesia intends to increase the tourist flow with Azerbaijan.

The total volume of trade turnover between the two countries amounts to $497.7 million, about 96 percent of which accounts for the export operations, according to the data provided by Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.

The trade balance is heavily in favor to Azerbaijan, as the trade volume mainly dominated by Indonesian imports of Azerbaijan's oil.

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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

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24 May 2016 16:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijani tea culture enjoys a time-honored history and since ancient times, tea is an integral part of peoples daily life in the country.

The recent research of the British company Euromonitor International confirmed this theory, revealing that absolute majority of Azerbaijanis prefer to drink tea.

Azerbaijan with 99.1 percent of users went second after drinking leader Kenya where 99.2 percent of the population prefer tea. Then follows Pakistan with 99 percent, China with 98.9 percent and Egypt with 98.5 percent of tea drinking population.

Tea is the most popular drink in Azerbaijan, thats why its not surprising that the country is regularly ranked among the leading countries in terms of the tea consumption.



Nariman Agayev, Chairman of the Sustainable Development Research Centre emphasizes that tea takes the first place among drinks in Azerbaijan.

An Azerbaijani family of four people consume about 500gr of tea monthly and about 6-8kg in a year. Annually the country uses 8 million tons of tea," the expert told local media.

In Central Asia, for example, people prefer to drink green tea, while in Azerbaijan black tea enjoys wide popularity.

Agayev believes that this is a matter of habit, which Azerbaijanis have defined over 100 years. The temperature also play plays a big role, according to the expert.



In Asia, for example, people like to drink sweet or sour tea, because of the hot weather. Azerbaijanis, however, like to drink strong black tea, he explained.

Tea growing in Azerbaijan was founded in the early 1930s in the Southern cities of Astara and Lankaran.

The main producer of tea in Azerbaijan is Azersun Holding, which collects tea leaves from the Lankaran and Astara locations, as well as its tea plantations in Sri Lanka.

Chairman of the Free Consumers Union Eyyub Huseynov said to local media that more than 80 percent of national consumers prefer Azerbaijani tea, and the reason of this, according to the experts, is in a good quality of the product, which is not inferior to imported.

Tea in the East is not just a national drink, it is a subject that accompanies people throughout their life, directly involving in all activities. Whether it's an engagement, wedding, birth, funerals, festivals and a quiet peaceful holiday -- tea is always an essential and welcome participant of these events.

In Azerbaijan, people drink tea in special glass which is called "Armudu", which really resembles a pear shape: Its top and bottom are wide and "waist" is narrow.

Traditionally, in order not to spoil the taste of freshly made tea, Azerbaijanis don't put sugar in their tea. Instead they dunk a piece of sugar in the tea, then bite a piece and sip their tea.

People are gathered together in hot days just to drink tea. Mainly they gather in teahouses or how it is called in the West "Chaykhana". Unlike Central Asia's Chaykhana where people could dine tightly, Azerbaijan's Chaykhana serves only tea.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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24 May 2016 14:38 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

State owned energy company SOCARs Polymer investment project, which is first of its nature and scale implemented for the last 40 years in Azerbaijans downstream oil and gas industry, will make $10-11 billion of revenues during the plants lifetime.

Some 30 percent of this sum will be the net profit of the company. In the meantime, cooperate taxes and property taxes worth $800 million and value added tax worth $700 million will be paid to the government, reports the companys official website.

Polypropylene and High Density Polyethylene plants of SOCAR Polymer are being built within the Sumgayit chemical industrial parks territory which was established by the decree of the President Ilham Aliyev and provides a number of significant privileges for its residents.

Upon completion of the project, 180,000 tons of polypropylene and 120,000 tons of high density polyethylene will be produced annually.

At the moment, Azerbaijan exports low-density polyethylene and imports high -density one. The main aim of the project is import substitution and increase of the countrys export potential.

As much as 30 percent of the production output will be directed to the domestic market while the remaining 70 percent will be exported to Turkey and other European countries.

The products of the SOCAR Polymer will be used for the production of high pressure gas, sewage and water pipes, packaging, textiles, stationery, automotive components, electronic and electrical appliances, medical industry, etc.

The overall investment cost of SOCAR Polymer project (2014-2018) will amount to $750 million.

At this project SOCAR is partnering with the countrys leading industrial group- Pasha, Azersun and Gilan Holdings.

On 16 July, 2013 a separate company- SOCAR Polymer was established to expedite the development of the countrys chemical industry. The company is opening new frontiers in the petrochemical industry of Azerbaijan.

Polymer investment project will contribute to expanding the national economy of the country.

SOCAR is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in domestic and international markets, as well as, supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan.

Three production divisions, one oil refinery and one gas processing plant, a deep water platform fabrication yard, two trusts, one institution, and 23 subdivisions are operating as corporate entities under SOCAR.

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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

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24 May 2016 16:38 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

Azerbaijan produced 8 million tons of oil in the first quarter of 2016, reads the report of BP Azerbaijan for the first quarter of 2016.

BP Azerbaijan is an operator of Azerbaijan's Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of oil and gas fields, where the Azeri Light oil is being produced.

The daily oil output amounted to 651,000 barrels in Azerbaijan during the reporting period.

Azerbaijan produced 31.3 million tons of Azeri Light oil in 2015 compared to 31.5 million tons in 2014. In the meantime, operating expenses within the project totaled $137 million in January-March 2016, while the capital expenditures were $396 million.

The contract for the development of the ACG block of fields (so called contract of the century) was signed in 1994. The proven oil reserve of the block nears one billion tons.

The shareholders of the project are BP (35.78 percent), Chevron (11.27) percent, Inpex (10.96 percent), AzACG (11.65 percent), Statoil (8.55 percent), Exxon (8 percent), TPAO (6.75 percent), Itochu (4.3 percent) and ONGC (2.72 percent).

BPs office was opened in Baku in 1992. Since then, the company participated in a series of the upstream project in Azerbaijan.

With a 25.5% share, BP is also the operator of the Shah Deniz gas field, which production was commissioned in 2006. Stage 2 development of this gas condensate field is a giant project expected to open up Azerbaijan as a major gas supplier to the European market through a Southern Gas Corridor pipeline network.

In the meantime, BP operates the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline which pass through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to transport Caspian oil to the Mediterranean coast.

The company also signed a PSA agreement with SOCAR to explore and develop Shafag-Asiman structure in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea.

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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

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24 May 2016 11:20 (UTC+04:00)

A meeting of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) will be opened May 24 in Ashgabat,.

The event will be attended by the heads of environmental agencies, experts and authorized persons of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The newspaper also reported that the participants will discuss the issues of improving the legal basis for regional cooperation and sustainable development in the field of environmental protection and climate change.

The ICSD's activities are currently being implemented under the chairmanship of Turkmenistan, which took the chairmanship in 2015.

The IFAS was established in 1993 to support scientific and practical research and organize financing social and economic and environmental programs in the region aimed at improving the environmental situation of Aral Sea region.

The ICSD was created for providing a balanced solution of social and economic problems, the issues of environmental safety and preservation of the region's natural resource potential.

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24 May 2016 11:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Rufiz Hafizoglu

Three million refugees of other nationality, having different customs and traditions, could have a demographic impact on any country for the last five years.

More than 4.5 million people became refugees as a result of the military conflict in Syria, which was earlier one of the most intellectually advanced countries of the Arab East.

At present, there are three million refugees only in Turkey. This has been the most severe humanitarian crisis since the World War II.

Along with Turkey, refugees from Syria took refuge in such neighboring countries as Jordan and Lebanon.

According to the Saudi authorities' statements, there are two million Syrian refugees on the territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

It should be stressed that Turkey has created the most favorable conditions for the refugees from Syria, mainly dominated by ethnic Arabs, Kurds and Circassians, compared to neighboring countries.

There are also cultural centers for refugees in the container cities in Turkey.

Aside from that the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) of Turkey has issued special AFADARD payment cards for Syrian refugees.

However, the Turkish government and the refugees themselves well understand that no matter which living conditions are created in Turkey, still it can't replace the life in the homeland.

The First World Humanitarian Summit kicked off in Turkey's Istanbul on May 23.

This forum is ambiguously assessed both in Turkey and beyond.

There is an opinion that by holding this summit, Turkey allegedly advertises itself and its help to Syrian refugees.

But the country, which has allocated $10 billion from the state budget to upkeep Syrian refugees, doesn't really need advertising.

Addressing the opening of the World Humanitarian Summit, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the international community has allocated $455 million to upkeep Syrian refugees.

That's a minuscule amount compared to the funds Turkey has spent to upkeep the Syrian refugees.

The Turkish president expressed hope that the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul will give an important impetus for the settlement of the humanitarian crisis.

However, the Turkish president's hopes will hardly be justified.

Despite the fact that the EU promised to allocate $3 billion for Turkey to upkeep the Syrian refugees, Turkey still hasn't received the promised funds.

Although it is clear that the issue of the Syrian refugees is not only Turkey's problem, the country may not receive the promised funds from the EU in the end.

Given all this, one can say that at this moment Turkey is a leading country in rendering humanitarian aid to the Syrian refugees.

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24 May 2016 13:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

After sanctions imposed on Iran by the West because of its nuclear program were lifted in January 2016, the Islamic Republic was able to increase its oil output and exports by one million barrels per day.

Iranian official announced earlier that the country is going to bring its oil exports to the pre-sanctions level which is around 2.2 million barrels per day by the end of this summer in the longest.

Now, it is time to wait for Irans gas surprise to the world after oil, reported Shana news agency on May 23.

After the commencement of the new phases in giant South Pars gas field with Qatar, Iran was able to increase its actual sweet gas production to more than 178 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2015, while its raw gas production capacity reached 260 billion cubic meters for the same timeframe.

Five more phases of the South Pars field are expected to become operational during the current year. Once, all phases of this field become operational by 2019, Iran will increase raw gas production capacity from current 260 billion cubic meters to 390 billion cubic meters per year.

Moreover, Iran has introduced 21 gas fields to foreign investors based on a new designed contract type  Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC).

The IPC is designed to increase attractiveness of Iranian oil and gas projects. It offers contractors the various stages of exploration, development and production as a complex package.

When all these fields become operational, about 380 million cubic meters of gas per day will be added to the production level, while the associated gas from the oil fields can add additional 200 million cubic meters per day to the output level as well.

By March 2025, Iran plans to invest $231 billion including foreign fund in the upstream oil and gas sector.

Earlier, Hassan Torbati Montazeri, planning director of the national Iranian gas company noted that Iran will build network of pipelines with a total length of 5,000 kilometers in its territory during the next five years. The Islamic Republic needs $15 billion in investment for the construction of new network of gas pipelines.

Furthermore, $55.8 billion investment is required to implement gas transit pipeline projects by 2025, and $27 billion investment is needed for the construction of gas distribution networks in Iran.

The amount of the foreign investment is yet to be determined.

Iran strives to sell its natural gas in the European markets soon. However, the country lacks necessary export infrastructure to realize gas sales. There is no transit gas pipeline connecting Iran with the EU. The Islamic state may either construct new pipeline via Turkey or build a connector to the Trans-Anatolian pipeline - TANAP (Turkish leg of the Southern Gas Corridor).

Iran also considers exporting its gas in LNG form. The NIOC said earlier that, Iran is aiming to build LNG facilities within two years, but this time frame seems unlikely.

Iran may construct a gas pipeline to Oman as well where it can use already existing LNG facilities. Moreover, the country sees Kuwait and UAE as potential buyers of its natural gas supplies.

The country has developed a 10.5 million metric ton/year-LNG plant by 50 percent which is aimed to export liquefied gas to foreign markets including the EU by 2019.

Some sanctions still remaining in place such as ban on Irans purchase of U.S. technologies and trading in U.S. dollars with Iran creates obstacles for foreign investors to do business with the Islamic state.

A special notice should be given to the fact that despite holding the worlds second largest natural gas reserves, has been a net importer for most of the past decade. Mainly, it exports gas to Turkey (9.7 billion cubic meters), and sends gas to Azerbaijans isolated enclave Nakhchivan on the basis of swap deal. In return, Azerbaijan provides equal amount of gas to Iran across the border.

Iran has gas export deals with Iraq, Pakistan and Oman around 100 million cubic meters per day.

In order to supply the north east part of the country with the natural gas, Iran buys gas from Turkmenistan as it is cheaper to import gas rather than build a pipeline infrastructure to ship natural gas from south to north of the country through Alborz mountains.

In regards to Irans primary energy consumption, natural gas shares above 68 percent.

The gasification of further 2 million households, tripling gas re-injection to the oilfields, as well as, boosting gas deliveries to power plants and reducing liquid fuels burning in this sector is also on agenda.

In addition, Irans Fuel Conservation Organization plans to spend over $16bn on improving energy efficiency projects.

At the present, Irans estimated gas reserves amount to 33 trillion cubic meters.

It looks unlikely that Iran will be able to repeat the success it achieved in increasing its oil exports. In order to expand the gas exports, the country needs to find necessary investment and build new infrastructures.

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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

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24 May 2016 16:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The meeting of Foreign Ministers Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) wrapped up in Uzbek capital Tashkent on May 24.

The meeting discussed the preparation process for the meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO member states (June 23-24), the draft agenda of this meeting, as well as draft documents proposed to be signed on the meeting's results.

The summit's main outcome document was the Tashkent Declaration, which was dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the SCO. The document assessed the organization's activities during this period, approaches of the states to the prospects of its development, as well as the SCO's position on the current international and regional situation, solving topical security issues.

Foreign ministers of the SCO member states, the SCO Secretary General Rashid Alimov and the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO (RATS SCO) Eugene Sysoev, Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov took part in the meeting.

The foreign ministers of SCO states also signed a wide range of documents, including the procedure for admission of India and Pakistan in the organization.

The ministers also adopted the documents such as a draft agenda of the session of SCO Council of Heads of States, on the Procedure of Accession of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the SCO, draft action plan for 2016-2020 on the implementation of development strategies until 2025 of SCO, as well as draft Tashkent declaration on the 15th anniversary of the SCO.

During the meeting, the states called for the adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

The Council of Ministers called for the adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on combating international terrorism and the establishment of an effective platform of broad cooperation in countering challenges and threats to regional security, Kamilov said during the press conference after the meeting.

Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister noted that early restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan is an important factor in maintaining and strengthening security in the region.

"The meeting participants reaffirmed their support for the settlement of the Afghan conflict through promoting the national reconciliation process, and noted that these efforts must be undertaken exclusively by the Afghan people. At the same time the UN should play a central coordinating role in international cooperation on Afghanistan, he said.

SCO FMs also discussed the organization's development strategy by 2025.

Rashid Alimov said that the SCO FMs meeting is the last stage on the way to the anniversary summit.



The ministers discussed and approved the documents which will be proposed by them for inclusion in the agenda of the historic meeting of heads of states. Particular attention was paid to the implementation of the action plan on the development of SCO strategy by 2025, the SCO Secretary General said.

Alimov said that the document is a road map towards achieving a common goal to ensure the effective functioning of the SCO, the expansion of cooperation measures in the fight against the three evils and modern as well as challenges and threats and the development of concrete steps to further promotion of regional economic cooperation and cooperation in cultural and humanitarian sphere.

The SCO members are China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia and Belarus are the SCO observer-countries, while Turkey, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are dialogue partners.

Azerbaijan approved the status of a dialogue partner this March. The path of the relations between Azerbaijan and SCO started back in 2012, when President Ilham Aliyev sent an official letter to the SCO with the idea of Azerbaijan to gain an observer status of the organization.

A decision on providing Azerbaijan with the status of SCO dialogue partner was taken at the Ufa summit in July 2015.

Experts say that a dialogue partner status will allow Azerbaijan to actively involve in the multi-faceted and diverse activities of the organization through participation in existing mechanisms of interaction.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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24 May 2016 15:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti, who was on official visit to Ashgabat, have discussed the possibility of EBRD's participation in Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

Chakrabarti praised the measures taken in Turkmenistan for strengthening the national financial and banking system, noting that those measures enabled the country to ensure domestic economic stability and maintain high-rates of socio-economic growth, the Turkmen government reported.

The EBRD head pointed out that he supports Turkmenistan's strategy for economic diversification and improving the activities of financial and banking structures.

The sides discussed the prospects for further developing the cooperation as well. They held detailed discussions on the proposals for implementation of new projects in the oil and gas sector and other key areas of economy.

The main document for the TAPI, so called the Ashgabat Interstate Agreement, was signed in 2010. The groundbreaking ceremony for TAPI's Turkmen section was held in mid-December of 2015.

The estimated cost of the project exceeds $10 billion. The annual capacity of the gas pipeline will reach 33 billion cubic meters. It is planned that the total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,814 kilometers. Some 214 kilometers will pass through the territory of Turkmenistan, 774 kilometers through Afghanistan and 826 kilometers through Pakistan.

TAPI project is expected to be completed in late 2019.

The Islamic Development Bank will participate in financing of the project as well.

The implementation of the project will significantly increase Turkmenistan's gas supplies to world markets.

Experts believe that the implementation of the TAPI pipeline project would represent an enormous breakthrough for Turkmenistan's capabilities as an international energy player.

TAPI is also seen as an opportunity to pave the way for stability in Afghanistan and could contribute to the rehabilitation of the war-torn country.

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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

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24 May 2016 21:56 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

Energy rich Kazakhstan plans to construct an oil terminal in its Kuryk port in the future, the Kazakh National Transport and Logistics Center told Trend on May 23.

Nevertheless, the center did not provide the timeframe for the construction of the terminal.

Transshipment of oil from the port of Kuryk will be realized by a ferry complex which is currently under construction.

The main destinations of oil transportation through the Kuryk port's ferry terminal are Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Estonia and Latvia, noted the Center.

At the moment, the cargo transportation by ferries from Kazakhstan to the ports of the Caspian littoral states is possible only through the Aktau port.

Kazakhstan plans to increase transit transportation from the current 18 million tons of cargo to 33 million tons in 2020 and 50 million tons in 2030.

Kazakhstan expects to enter the top 10 oil exporters by 2020 through producing 130 million tons of oil per year, Askar Kenzhekhanov, the Deputy Director General of the Information Oil and Gas Center of Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said recently.

The forecast for oil production of the country in 2016 amounts to 77 million tons of oil.

In 2015, there was a slowdown in oil production of Kazakhstan amid falling global oil prices. It exported 60.9 million tons of oil in the given year.

Export by sea totaled 3.1 million tons, while 0.8 million tons of oil was exported by rail. A significant reduction in export by rail was due to the rising cost of oil transportation.

The Kazakh government plans to compensate the projected decline in oil production in 2016 by resuming the Kashagan field in the future.

The production at the Kashagan field was suspended in October 2013 after a gas leak in one of the main pipelines.

Kazakhstan is working on oil supply chain diversification as well. The country plans to increase production on other major oil fields Tengiz and Karachaganak.

Kazakhstan is the second largest oil producer in Eurasia after Russia, and the twelfth largest in the world.

It holds 1.8 percent of the worlds total proven oil reserves, and produces 1.9 percent of the worlds total oil output, according to the BP statistical review of world energy 2015.

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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

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Things got a little heated in Pasco County School District's first instructional review meeting regarding the book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a coming-of-age story.

Substitute teacher assigned 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'

Book pulled from class due to sexual content, drugs, alcohol

Pasco Schools decided to ban book countywide

"It was my daughter that read this material, and it was pornographic," parent Matt Ramer said.

Earlier this month, a substitute teacher at Pasco Middle School assigned the book to her seventh-grade class before pre-reading it. The district says teachers are expected to read materials before using them in class.

The next day, after complaints from parents that the book referenced sexual content, drugs and alcohol, it was pulled from class.

"It's very adult in nature. I don't feel this type of book needs to be in my school," Principal Jeff Wolff said.

But it wasnt just at Pasco Middle, it was at four high schools. Mondays meeting decided the books fate for all of them with the committee moving forward with banning it countywide.

However, even though the majority of the committee voted to ban it, some thought it was a slippery slope.

It could very easily lead to 'let's ban all kinds of books that have any kind of mention whatsoever of any sexual content,' " committee member Terri OBrien said.
A senior Egyptian forensics official says human remains retrieved from the crash site of EgyptAir flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft.

Official: Human remains suggest explosion aboard EgyptAir Flight 804

Flight was en route from Paris to Cairo on Thursday when it went down

The official is part of the Egyptian investigative team and has personally examined the remains at a Cairo morgue. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he isn't authorized to release the information.

He says all 80 pieces brought to Cairo so far are small and that "there isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head." The official adds that "the logical explanation is that it was an explosion."

All 66 people on board were killed when the Airbus 320 crashed in the Mediterranean early Thursday while en route from Paris to Cairo.
A Southeast Texas mother and teacher is one of four parents suing the Texas Education Agency for allegedly ignoring a new law requiring the state's standardized test to be shortened, which could result in hundreds of students being held back a grade based on their scores.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Travis County, seeks to invalidate test scores for students grades 3-8 in the latest fallout over this year's controversial standardized exam.

The parents argue the education agency knowingly disregarded legislative directives requiring the STAAR test - the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness - to be redesigned so most students in grades 3-8 could finish the tests in two to three hours, depending on their grade level.

The plaintiffs argue the state never changed the tests after the governor signed the new rules into law in 2015 and gave students illegal exams this year that will be used to decide whether they advance to the next grade or attend summer school.

If the parents win, the students would advance to the next grade without having to attend summer school or receive any other form of remedial instruction, according to the lawsuit.

Jennifer Rumsey, a teacher at Orangefield High School, said her fifth-grade daughter took two four-hour STAAR tests this spring, despite the 120-minute limit designated in House Bill 743.

In a statement from Stop STAAR 2016, a committee of more than 250 parents and teachers who claim they raised $20,000 in six weeks to fund the lawsuit, Rumsey accused TEA Commissioner Mike Morath of dodging accountability.

TEA spokesperson DeEtta Culbertson said agency officials had not been served with the lawsuit and declined to comment.

Parents througout the state are pushing back against what they call "high stakes" standardized testing that puts students under severe stress and pressures teachers, principals, schools and districts.

Rumsey said the lawsuit is about more than just throwing out this year's STAAR exams, more than 14,000 of which were compromised by computer problems in March.

Advocates for standardized testing reform want to do away with accountability systems that can prevent otherwise successful students from grade promotions.

"Their entire future could hang on whether they pass a single test," Rumsey said in a phone interview. "I think it's an arrogance. I think the TEA just doesn't feel they have to follow the law, although they want to hold my 10-year-old accountable for tests that are illegal. I'm just one of many upset mothers around the state."

The four parents named as plaintiffs in the Travis County lawsuit have children in Houston Independent School District, Wimberley ISD near Austin, Lake Dallas ISD and Orangefield ISD.

Claudia de Leon, a plaintiff and parent of two Houston elementary school students, said students were taken away from subjects like science and art to spend extra time studying for STAAR exams in reading and math.

"Recess was often replaced with STAAR practice worksheets," de Leon said. "Many wonderful teachers who loved children and teaching left the school, and it seemed we had lost the joy in the building."

In April, 48 superintendents around Southeast Texas wrote a letter to Morath complaining of issues with shipping materials for STAAR testing, coding issues with documents and confusion over whether one question on an English exam was valid.

The group of superintendents expressed concerns over negative effects the testing irregularities could have on individual students, as well as the campus and district ratings.

"Without improved logistics and system improvements, test scores and accountability ratings will not be reliable and credible," the April 12 letter stated.

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A 3-year-old boy who was shot in the head at his grandmother's South End home last week has been moved to a rehabilitation facility, a state official said on Tuesday.

The toddler's health is "improving every day," according to Child Protective Services spokeswoman Shari Pulliam.
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The Port Neches church that bought a small plot of public land that includes a 10-foot tall stone cross from city council does not plan to erect fencing or signs to distinguish it from the 27 acres of Riverfront Park surrounding it, the church's pastor said Monday.

The city, meanwhile, is reviewing its options regarding marking the small parcel of land as privately owned.

Not doing so could mean the cross still violates constitutional law separating religion from government, according to the Wisconsin-based nonprofit Freedom From Religion Foundation. The foundation sparked the cross controversy late last year when it sent a letter to city leaders demanding its removal from public land.

Port Neches leaders sought to squash the issue Thursday when council agreed to sell 400 square feet of parkland surrounding the cross for $100 to First United Methodist Church.

Pastor Wesley Welborn said the church has no plans to change the site in any way.

"We're not going to put a fence up, for certain," said Welborn, the church's pastor for four years. "There's no plans up right now to put any signs up. Our plans are to leave it as-is."

City manager Andre Wimer, who initially referred signage questions to the church, said Monday evening the city "will review what options it may have relative to the issue of delineating the property."

Rebecca Markert, senior staff attorney for Freedom From Religion, said it is the city's responsibility to inform park visitors that the cross is not on public property.

She said federal case law has found a "reasonable person" should be able to determine the property is privately owned and that a fence and signs would best make the distinction.

"I think the best practice for (the city) would be to take these steps and not put it on the private entity," Markert said. "If something were to happen, the city would get sued, not the church, so they should take that action."

The foundation, whose co-president last week said the sale seemed like a "sweetheart deal to keep the cross in place," is also looking into whether the land transfer was handled properly, Markert said.

The foundation cited constitutional law establishing religious freedom through the separation of church and state when it appealed to the city to remove the cross from public property last year.

Southeast Texans responded by rallying at the cross and then fashioning small, white, wooden crosses from recycled pallets to distribute for free to residents throughout the region. The little white crosses hang from apartment balconies and are staked in front yards throughout the area.

Welborn said the city approached the church a "couple of weeks ago," offered the land and named the $100 cash price.

"I would say it's a win-win situation for everybody involved," Welborn said. "Folks were concerned about having the church on public property. It's no longer on public property. At the same time the church is not dismantling it."

Roy Ramke Jr., a 71-year-old lifelong Port Neches native, said he doesn't see a need for fencing.

Upon moving to Port Neches from Abbeville, Louisiana, in the early 1900s, Ramke's Catholic grandparents joined the Methodist church because it was one of, if not the only, church in town, he said.

Because of the church's lengthy history, "I think everyone is well pleased the Methodist church got" the cross, Ramke said.

FUMC is also tightly linked to the cross' origin.

"We developed a bond to it," Welborn said.The cross was donated and installed in the early 1970s through a private-public partnership aimed at making the site of an annual nondenominational religious service more appealing, according to Welborn and the family that installed it.

Margaret Miller, who was on the city's beautification committee, reached out to Robert Bailey, owner of Bailey's Masonry to design and build the cross, according to Bailey's daughter, Verlene Buchanan.

Both were FUMC members.

Bailey talked to the owner of a stone shop, who donated the stones, and Bailey's company provided labor and the remaining materials at no cost, Buchanan said.

Ramke, who did not attend the cross's unveiling, remembers the town was abuzz with excitement.

Now it sits, on a concrete slab, near four horseshoe pits overgrown with grass and six picnic tables under oak shade. The cross is located near one parking lot in the northeastern end of Riverfront Park, in plain view of the tugboat captains headed south on the Neches toward Sabine Lake.

"We may find opportunities to have special events for the church at the cross," Welborn said. "Basically, it's there as a reminder of our history."

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The Obama administration's proposal to change the way providers are reimbursed for Medicare part B payments is drawing criticism from many leading physician organizations as well as legislators, according to The New York Times.

Here are six things to know:

1. Currently, every Senate Finance Committee member as well as more than 300 House members have voiced concern over the proposal, which they claim will limit patient access to medications.

2. American Cancer Society stated the proposal will strip cancer patients of their access to "lifesaving drugs needed to treat their diseases" in a letter to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the secretary of health and human services.

3. In defense of their proposal, the Obama administration says the current Medicare payment formula reimburses physicians for prescribing costly drugs. Therefore, Ms. Burwell proposed the five-year nationwide test to incentivize physicians to prescribe less expensive therapies.

4. Some of the proposals include:

 Lowering the add-on payments from 6 percent to 2.5 percent with an additional $16.80 flat payment

 Decreasing or eliminating patient cost-sharing

 Analyzing physicians' prescribing patterns to create decision-support tools to help provide patients with the safest and most appropriate drug choices

 Setting standard prices for similar classes of drugs

 Implementing risk-sharing with drug companies

5. Nearly two dozen House Democrats argue the proposal may disrupt their constituents' care. Additionally, physicians in small groups and rural healthcare providers say they will have less purchasing power.

6. American Medical Association CEO James L. Madara, MD, argued officials should focus on manufacturers who price the drugs, rather than narrowing in on providers.

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New Lenox, Ill.-based Silver Cross Health System plans to build an ambulatory surgery center on its hospital campus in New Lenox, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Here are five key notes:

1. Silver Cross estimates the center will cost nearly $11.1 million.

2. The center will offer procedures including colonoscopies, cataract surgeries and upper gastrointestinal endoscopies.

3. Last week, Silver Cross sent its plans to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Silver Cross needs to obtain state approval prior to opening the center.

4. The health system plans to build an outpatient center equipped with three operating rooms rather than expanding its hospital because the additional hospital operating rooms would have cost nearly $30 million.

5. If approved, Silver Cross plans to sell up to 49 percent of the surgery center's ownership to physicians.

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William Prentice, CEO of Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, wrote a short rejoinder to The New York Times in response to their coverage of the settlementt between Joan Rivers' family and Yorkville Endoscopy.

Here are five notes:

1. In May, The New York Times announced Joan River's family reached a settlement with Yorkville Endoscopy in New York City, the site of the botched procedure that led to the comedian's death in 2014.

2. In the article, the Times stated "the case highlighted the lax oversight at outpatient surgical centers, and that they would be working to advance legislation in Albany to ensure that these clinics operate under the same minimum safety standards as hospitals do."

3. Mr. Prentice wrote a letter to the editor in which he noted ASCs are in fact subject to the same federal and state oversight as hospitals and the "the doctors and nurses who work in these centers have the same education, training and credentials as those who perform surgery in hospitals."

4. Additionally, he notes while Ms. Rivers' death was a tragic incident, it did not occur because surgeons performed the procedure at an ASC, but was a result of human error.

5. The physicians named in the lawsuit in 2015 accepted responsibility for Ms. Rivers' death.

"Bill Prentice is a straight shooter and an incredibly gifted leader. He does a tremendous job for ASCA. He is right to defend ASCs here as, in total, they deliver exceptional care at low costs," says Scott Becker, JD, partner at McGuireWoods and publisher of Becker's Healthcare.
Former physician Keith Dunleavy founded Inovalon, a cloud-based healthcare data analytics firm, and became a billionaire, according to a Forbes report.

Last week his wealth crossed 10 figures as the company he owns 64 percent of rose nearly 7 percent. The company is valued at $1 billion. The company reported a 10 percent increase in first quarter revenue to $102.7 million and used its cash flow for a $100 million stock repurchase program, according to the report. The share price boosted Dr. Dunleavys net worth by more than $60 million.

He founded his first company during undergraduate school while training as a software programmer and eventually earned his doctorate at Harvard Medical School. He completed residency at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore before founding Inovalon.

Dr. Dunleavy developed the predecessor to Inovalon during his residency, hoping to drive change in healthcare. The system at first gathered and validated healthcare provider data; Dr. Dunleavy brought in outside investors to fund additional growth.

Current Inovalon services include analyzing exam information, lab results and disease histories. Physicians can order patient-specific data analyses before consulting the patient. The platform currently includes data from 800,000 physicians and 130 million patients.
The Lehigh Valley Business named Jay Talsania, MD, Physician of the Year.

Here are five key notes:

1. Dr. Talsania is an orthopedic surgeon with a special interest in hand and upper extremity procedures at Surgery Center of Allentown (Pa.). The surgery center is affiliated with AmSurg.

2. The Lehigh Valley Business names Health Care Heroes Awards recognizing organizations and individuals that make an impact on the quality of life for the community.

3. Dr. Talsania joined OAA Orthopaedic Specialists in 1997 and added three partners since then. The hand center at the practice recorded 21,000 patient interactions in 2015.

4. In addition to his Pennsylvania practice, Dr. Talsania has made nine trips to Guatemala since 2007 to participate in medical mission trips. Guatemala Healing Hands Foundation sponsored the mission. Last year, Dr. Talsania and his daughter distributed more than 600 pairs of shoes in a small village in Guatemala.

5. Dr. Talsania earned his medical degree at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he also completed his residency. His additional training includes a fellowship in hand surgery at Thomas Jefferson University and The Philadelphia Hand Center.
Here are the five most popular Becker's ASC Review gastroenterology and endoscopy stories for the week of May 16 to May 20, 2016.

1. Physicians accept blame for Joan Rivers' death: 8 key notes on the Yorkville Endoscopy settlement

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2. 28 starting salaries for specialty physicians  GI comes in 5th

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3. Exact Sciences completes 40k Cologuard tests, but net loss totals $47.5M: 6 key notes on Q1 2016

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4. Gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Chan found stabbed to death; son arrested: 5 things to know

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5. MACRA proposed rule release: 4 ways it will affect gastroenterologists

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The Department of Labor last week updated the federal overtime pay rule, impacting millions of workers, including healthcare workers and medical researchers.

The new rule doubled the salary threshold after which workers are entitled to overtime pay from $23,660 to $47,476. This means any worker who earns a salary of less than $47,476 is eligible to earn time and a half pay when they work more than 40 hours per week. The rule will impact 4.2 million workers across the country, according to the Department of Labor.

The rule goes into effect December 1, 2016, and nonprofits like hospitals are not exempt from it. In the healthcare industry, it will likely affect lower salaried jobs such as nurses or medical assistants. However, the new rule is making the biggest waves in the healthcare industry at research institutions, where many are concerned with how the law will impact postdoctoral researchers.

Some individuals worry the new rule  which could limit the number of postdoctoral research positions available as well as make research more expensive  could limit the country's ability to conduct research efficiently.

However, Francis Collins, MD, PhD, director of the NIH, and Thomas Perez, U.S. Secretary of Labor, wrote in The Huffington Post that they are supportive of increased salary thresholds for researchers because it will "encourage more of our brightest young minds to consider choosing careers in science." In their blog, Dr. Collins and Mr. Perez write that biomedical science is difficult to quantify in hours and shifts, and they believe the best option is to increase postdoctoral research salaries above the threshold.

The NIH will increase awards to postdoctoral research award recipients, and research institutions will also need to adjust salaries. "While supporting the increased salaries will no doubt present financial challenges to NIH and the rest of the U.S. biomedical research enterprise, we plan to work closely with leaders in the postdoc and research communities to find creative solutions to ensure a smooth transition," Dr. Collins and Mr. Perez wrote.

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EHR implementations are getting larger, more comprehensive and, in turn, more expensive. Hospitals are increasingly adopting enterprisewide systems and implementing solution suites all at once instead of introducing modules individually.

Alongside expanded EHR implementations are growing costs, with hospitals reporting investment numbers topping hundreds of millions of dollars. Two major health systems reported their EHR implementation projects were projected to exceed the $1 billion mark.

Aside from software licensing fees, EHR implementation project costs include training, purchasing additional hardware, consulting fees and other operational costs. Taken together, the numbers add up, and can often lead to financial underperformance, even if only temporary.

Here are eight hospitals and health systems whose EHR implementations negatively affected their finances in recent quarters.

1. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston reported a 56.6 percent decrease in adjusted income in the seven-month period ended March 31, a $160.5 million decrease the health system attributes to its Epic EHR implementation project. According to a schedule of events for the board of regents meeting in May, the drop in income is related to an increase in expenses and a decrease in patient revenue during the implementation. Additionally, MD Anderson spent more on salaries, wages and consulting expenses related to the implementation.

However, the system said it anticipated the change to revenue and expenses related to the project and is focused on strategy to return finances to pre-implementation levels. "The post-implementation strategy will focus on clinical productivity and operational efficiencies to return to normalized operations by year end," according to the health system.

2. For the quarter that ended Dec. 31, Boston-based Partners HealthCare reported an operating income of $12.8 million, down from $74.1 million for that quarter the year prior, partially due to its Epic implementation. Peter Markell, CFO of Partners, told the Boston Globe the system expects a $200 million hit to net surplus over three years from EHR-related expenses. "[It's] training costs, the costs of elbow-to-elbow support to get people to really learn and use the system," he said.

Partners did report gains in operating income for the second quarter of 2016, with an operating income of $21 million. Boston Business Journal reports the gains were achieved even as the health system faced $18 million in expenses for IT upgrades that were absorbed by its hospital division.

3. Brigham and Women's Hospital reported its first budget shortfall in more than 15 years in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, partly due to unexpected costs associated with its EHR transition. Brigham and Women's Epic implementation, which is part of parent company Partners' transition, cost the hospital $27 million more than its $47 million estimation. The hospital brought in $3.3 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2015, and ended the fiscal year $53 million shy of the $121 million surplus it had budgeted for. Betsy Nabel, MD, president of Brigham and Women's, told STAT the Epic-related losses are temporary.

4. Jeff Sprague, CFO of Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health, said one-time EHR implementation costs contributed to the health system's 31.5 percent decrease in operating income, along with salary and benefit increases. Sutter is rolling out Epic's EHR across its enterprise. For the year ended Dec. 31, Sutter reported an operating income of $287 million, compared to $419 million the year prior. The system's expenses increased 10.3 percent year-over-year, from $9.7 billion in fiscal year 2014 to $10.7 billion in fiscal year 2015.

5. In the first quarter of 2016, Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network reported an operating loss of $17.8 million, compared to a $9.7 million loss the same period the year prior. The health system had projected a $9.4 million net loss for the first quarter, and ended up recording a $20.6 million net loss. In addition to decreasing patient volumes, a health system spokesperson said much of the decrease can be attributed to one-time costs associated with launching an EHR at Allegheny General Hospital, part of a systemwide implementation of Epic's EHR.

6. Increased operating expenses due to implementing Epic's EHR contributed to an operating loss of $5.6 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016 for Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass. Operating expenses for the hospital rose 5 percent year-over-year to $290 million in the first quarter of the fiscal year, which the hospital largely attributes to its $160 million EHR implementation. The hospital indicated Epic-related training costs increased overhead costs by 28.6 percent, totaling $36.8 million, but it expects those costs to decline as training winds down, reports Boston Business Journal. Lahey did report a 4.3 percent rise in operating revenue for the quarter.

7. Southcoast Health launched the Epic EHR at three hospitals, two urgent care centers and more than 400 physician offices in 2015, and implementation costs are still dragging down the New Bedford, Mass.-based system's finances. Southcoast reported a $9.9 million operating loss in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, and the system faces similar financial troubles in the second quarter. In a letter to employees sent in March, Southcoast President and CEO Keith Hovan said the financial challenges are due to higher-than-expected operating expenses, largely a result of the system's $100 million Epic implementation. Due to its deteriorating finances, Southcoast laid off 105 employees between October 2014 and January 2015. In March, the system said it will lay off 95 more.

8. WakeMed Health & Hospitals reported an operating loss for fiscal year 2015, which is only the second time in the Raleigh, N.C.-based system's history that it has done so. The system's revenue has remained flat in recent years at about $1 billion, but one-time expenses caused financial challenges in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. WakeMed CFO Michael Browning attributed the system's $49.9 million operating loss to three main expenses, including a costly systemwide Epic software installation. WakeMed went live on Epic's EHR platform in early 2015, and the implementation cost about $100 million. Mr. Browning told The News&Observer that the one-time cost is an "investment in the future," and the system is expected to return to profitability in 2016.

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CMS has identified deficiencies at Indian Health Service Sioux San Hospital in Rapid City, S.D., which constitute an "immediate and serious threat" to the health and safety of patients.

During a survey of Sioux San Hospital May 9-12, CMS discovered the hospital was not in compliance with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Based on medical record review and interviews with patients, patient representatives and hospital staff, CMS determined the hospital failed to provide timely medical screening examinations that were sufficient to determine whether emergency medical conditions existed for nine of 32 patients who came to the ED for care.

In a May 23 letter, CMS warned Sioux San Hospital that its Medicare contract will be terminated June 15. To have the "immediate jeopardy" status removed, the hospital must submit a plan for correction by May 28, and CMS must revisit the facility prior to the proposedtermination date. "Termination can only be averted by corrections of these violations by June 15, 2016," said CMS in its letter to the hospital.

The Indian Health Service said it will establish a corrective action plan by May 28 to allow CMS to determine compliance.

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Jeanette Ives Erickson, DNP, RN, is the CNO and senior vice president of patient care services at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital  one of the founding hospitals of Partner's HealthCare. Mass General has been on the front lines of many of the contemporary challenges facing healthcare today. The hospital recently went live on its Epic EHR and is currently dealing with a serious influx of patients overdosing on opioids. In the midst of these challenges, Mass General and its nursing staff continue to excel.

Dr. Ives Erickson has been the recipient of numerous awards including an American Organization of Nurse Executives prism award and the Boston Business Journal Champion in Healthcare award. In 2007, she was appointed to serve on the U.S. National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice. At MGH, Dr. Ives Erickson oversees a nursing program regularly recognized for excellence.

She recently spoke with Becker's about excellence in nursing, industry challenges, MGH's response to the opioid abuse crisis, MGH's Epic go-live and more.

Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Question: Massachusetts General Hospital has been recognized repeatedly for excellence in nursing  what makes nursing at Mass General different?

Jeanette Ives Erickson: I work with the finest nurses on the planet. We work with nurses who practice with the well-being of patients at the center of everything they do. Nurses here have a breadth of knowledge. At MGH, we adhere to a collaborative process. We are very well known for our intraprofessional teamwork between nurses and physicians. Nurses here have a fire in their belly. Excellence is an expectation.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you're dealing with currently as a CNO?

JIE: Because of the excellence, this hospital is extremely busy in both inpatient and ambulatory settings. We experience maximum capacity and emergency department overcrowding every day. Our hospital's president has brought teams of people together to really look at the patient journey to how to be more effective and how to care for patients in lower acuity settings. This is a challenge for the whole hospital.

Q: Massachusetts, like much of the country, has seen a spike in opioid overdoses. How has the opioid epidemic impacted nursing at MGH?

JIE: One of the things I'm extremely proud of is the hospital's response to this problem. Nurses, MDs and social workers have all come together to develop best practices regarding care of patients in emergency centers and outpatient settings. Partners just brought together an opioid abuse committee collaborating to identify best practices. There is a significant amount of work going into this. We are making strides in this work in assuring that care delivery is equitable and delivered in a caring way to this vulnerable patient population. Efforts across MGH are being made to address prescriptions, making sure patients understand what [the medication] is supposed to do and educating patients about what is actually in their medicine.

Q: How has the new Massachusetts nurse staffing law impacted nursing in the ICU at Mass General?

JIE: It really hasn't impacted us. We've had a robust patient acuity-based system for 30 years. We address the patient's need for nursing care and nurses in this hospital are empowered to staff according to needs because several of our patients need more than one nurse. We meet and exceed the staffing ratio. It's really just been a bit of busy work.

Q: How does Mass General address burnout and work life balance among the nursing staff?

JIE: There are a lot of wonderful programs for nurses and everyone at MGH. We offer complimentary therapies to patients and staff, we have a hospital gym and our cafeteria serves nutritious foods. We don't serve soda or desert at my meetings. We have a reception room for staff to go to. During our Epic go-live and during Nurse's Week we offered chair massages to our nurses. That was a big hit.

Q: How has the transition been to the Epic EHR system, and how did you help prepare the nursing staff for the shift?

JIE: This was a massive undertaking. All employees went through training including myself. Extra staff was present for months before and after our go-live. In July 2015, we began hiring new graduate nurses to put them through a six month residency program. We hired over 300 graduate nurses, so all staff could have the time to go through Epic training. Hiring resident nurses meant we didn't have to hire external nurses from other agencies for the go-live. All of our nurses were already MGH and Epic trained. For nursing this has been a wonderful success. This is a tribute to the excellence that is in this hospital. This was a major undertaking, but the dedicated clinicians and support staff in this hospital are making this work. It of course takes time to become accustomed to such a major change. I'm in awe of the wonderful work this community has done and the level of achievements being attained.

Q: What's one goal you're working to achieve this year as CNO?

JIE: It's always about the patient each and every day every second of the day. My goal is to make certain the environment of care is safe and there are sufficient resources to care for patients. I focus on the six aims of the IOM [Institute of Medicine] to ensure that patients receive safe, effective, efficient, timely, patient-centered and equitable care.

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The following healthcare mergers, acquisitions and general partnerships took place or were announced in the past week.

1. Sale of shuttered Texas hospital finalized

Bowie (Texas) Memorial Hospital, which closed last November, has a new owner.

2. Lurie Children's strikes pediatric partnership with new Centegra hospital

Crystal Lake, Ill.-based Centegra Health System is teaming up with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital to staff pediatric hospitalists around the clock at its new hospital in Huntley, Ill.

3. Methodist Health completes takeover of bankrupt Texas hospital

A judge signed off on Dallas-based Methodist Health's purchase of bankrupt Forest Park Medical Center's campus in Southlake, Texas.

4. Lenoir Memorial Hospital decides to partner with UNC Health Care

Kinston, N.C.-based Lenoir Memorial Hospital agreed to create a management services agreement with Chapel Hill-based UNC Health Care.

5. Memorial Hermann Health System reaches deal to purchase Northeast Hospital: 3 things to know

Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System reached a deal to purchase Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital in Humble, Texas, from the Northeast Hospital Authority Board of Trustees.

6. MD Anderson, UTHSC exploring ways to expand cancer care in Texas

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston are exploring ways to expand cancer care in San Antonio.

7. Jennie Stuart Medical Center, Vanderbilt ink affiliation

Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville, Ky., is now an affiliated partner of Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Networks and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

8. Navicent Health to manage Monroe County Hospital

The Hospital Authority of Monroe County, doing business as Monroe County Hospital in Forsyth, Ga., has formed a partnership with Macon, Ga.-based Navicent Health that will allow Navicent to assume management control over MCH.

9. Beacon Health first in Indiana to join Mayo network

South Bend, Ind.-based Beacon Health System is officially the first hospital system in the state to team up with the Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Care Network.

10. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to open affiliate clinic in Oklahoma

The Children's Hospital at St. Francis in Tulsa, Okla., will house the nation's eighth affiliate clinic of Memphis, Tenn.-based St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

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A suspended physician pleaded guilty to two counts of healthcare fraud in federal court Friday, in a scheme that involved billing Medicare for services provided to deceased patients, according to the Department of Justice.

In the written plea agreement, Charles S. DeHaan, MD, of Belvidere, Ill., admitted he billed Medicare at the highest reimbursement levels for routine, noncomplex visits with patients even though he knew the services didn't qualify for the top reimbursement rate. Dr. DeHaan, who primarily billed Medicare for in-home patient visits, billed Medicare at the highest reimbursement levels for patients who were deceased on the date of the alleged visits, according to the DOJ.

State officials suspended Dr. DeHaan's medical license in January 2014, citing several complaints of inappropriate sexual contact with patients. Dr. DeHaan is facing 26 counts of sexual abuse that stem from accusations from three of his former female patients, according to a WIFR news report.

Dr. DeHaan faces up to 10 years in prison for each healthcare fraud count. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 21.

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Health insurers have been making it big in the news as of late. From premium hikes to departures from state Affordable Care Act exchanges, announcements from payers have been plentiful.

Here are five things to know about the goings-on in the world of health insurance and the 2017 ACA exchanges.

1. Some health insurers are losing big on the ACA exchanges. Aetna reported first quarter net income of $726.6 million, down from $777.5 million during the same period last year. Anthem said net income fell 18.7 percent in the first quarter to $703 million, down from $865.2 million in the same period last year, and Cigna's net income fell 2.6 percent between the first quarter of 2015 and the first period of 2016. Humana's first quarter net income was down 46 percent, which the insurer attributed to higher costs on individual plans. In the same vein, Humana credited its losses to new ACA members using more medical services than its 2015 members who renewed their plans for 2016.

2. ACA losses are prompting health insurers to amp up premium rates. In addition to losses on the ACA exchanges, insurers have been raising their premium rates for a variety of reasons, one of which is higher-than-predicted healthcare costs. Others are hiking up rates because they're anticipating taking the former enrollees of insurers who've dropped the ACA exchanges.

Regardless of why, premiums are no doubt on the incline. From 2015 to 2016, ACA premium prices rose an average of 8 percent, and they're only expected to rise more in 2017. Though rates still have to be approved by regulators, some insurers are setting hefty increases. For instance, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield plans to raise premium rates in Iowa by between 38 and 43 percent next year, and Humana is asking regulators for a premium increase of 50 percent in one of its Michigan markets.

3. Certain insurers, including UnitedHealth, plan to leave the ACA exchanges. UnitedHealth Group sells ACA plans in 34 states, but it recently said it will exit New Jersey's ACA marketplace in 2017, which Bloomberg claims marks the 27th state it's dropped. Other states in which it won't offer coverage next year include Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland and Indiana. The departures follow UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley's April announcement that the insurer will only remain in a "handful" of states in 2017.

4. Humana is also planning to exit certain ACA markets. In early May, Humana  which currently sells plans in 15 states  said it was mulling over raising premiums and pulling out of the exchanges in certain states. Less than a week later, it announced plans to exit the exchanges in Alabama and Virginia in 2017 due to financial losses. Shortly thereafter, Humana said it's going to stop offering individual plans in Kansas and Wisconsin as well.

5. Other insurers  like Aetna  have no intention of leaving the marketplace any time soon. Despite reporting a 6.5 percent decrease in first quarter net income, during a first quarter earnings call, CEO Mark Bertolini said Aetna considered the ACA exchanges a "good investment."

What's more, Aetna will keep offering ACA plans in 15 states in 2017  and potentially add even more markets to the mix. Company spokesman T.J. Crawford said Aetna has "no plans at this point to withdraw from [any of the states in which it has submitted proposed rates]." He added that the insurer has "preserved [its] options to enter certain new geographies pending careful evaluation of marketplace conditions," though it has "not made any final decisions on where [it] might enter new [ACA] states."
Iowa insurance commissioner Nick Gerhart has filed suit against HHS and CMS, alleging federal health officials are withholding $20 million owed to a failed Iowa health insurance co-op, reports Insurance Journal.

Des Moines, Iowa-based CoOportunity was a federally funded nonprofit established to provide healthcare to residents in Iowa and Nebraska. Mr. Gerhart took over the co-op in January to liquidate it after officials found the nonprofit's medical claims would exceed its available cash.

The disagreement centers on the federal government's position it has priority ahead of all CoOportunity's other investors as Mr. Gerhart liquidates company assets. The federal government loaned $147 million to the insurer in 2014. The lawsuit claims HHS and CMS agreed to make their loans subordinate to policyholders' claims.

In a statement released by the insurance commissioner's office, Mr. Gerhart said, "The federal government has tried to jump ahead of the creditor line, but it is not following Iowa or federal law in withholding more than $20 million due to CoOportunity."

CoOportunity is one of 12 co-ops to close on Affordable Care Act exchanges.
The number of people who have been shot in Chicago so far this year is 50 percent higher than this time last year, according to the Chicago Tribune. These numbers present a cause for alarm as the city prepares for summer, which has historically been its most violent period.

Since Jan. 1, at least 1,382 people have been shot in Chicago and at least 244 of these gunshot victims died. At this time of year in 2015, 904 people had been shot and 157 of them died from their wounds, according to the report.

As of May 24, more people have been shot and killed in May this year than in all of May 2015. The toll from the past weekend was 40 wounded and five killed in shootings. Over Mother's Day weekend, 42 people were wounded and eight were killed in Chicago's most violent weekend since the end of September, according to a Chicago Tribune analysis.

"As we look toward the summer months ... violence will not be tolerated," Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a statement over the weekend. Mr. Johnson didn't include details on how the police department plans to combat gunshot violence in the city, but the department issued a request May 20 asking for volunteers to work overtime during the Memorial Day weekend.

Over Memorial Day weekend last year, 12 people were killed and 44 were wounded, according to the report.
Medical device maker Entellus Medical has appointed Brent Moen corporate secretary and CFO, effective immediately.

Mr. Moen, a certified public accountant, has more than 25 years of financial experience. He previously served as executive vice president and CFO of ABRA Auto Body & Glass.

Entellus President and CEO Robert White spoke highly of Mr. Moen. "His proven public company experience and track record in high growth organizations will be invaluable to Entellus as we continue to advance our strategic objectives," said Mr. White.

Mr. Moen took over the CFO role from Thomas Griffin, who will assume the newly created position of vice president of finance.

More articles on executive moves:



VCU Health System names CFO

St. Charles Parish Hospital CFO moving to a new job: 3 things to know

athenahealth CFO Kristi Mathus to step down
B. Braun Medical, a German device maker with U.S. headquarters in Bethlehem, Pa., is set to pay up to $7.8 million to resolve its criminal liability for selling contaminated pre-filled saline flush syringes in 2007, which allegedly led to infections and at least five deaths, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Of the $7.8 million total, $4.8 million is in penalties and forfeiture and the additional $3 million would be for restitution.

"Patients were infected by adulterated syringes distributed by B. Braun," said Acting U.S. Attorney John Stuart Bruce, of the eastern district of North Carolina. "This agreement helps to provide justice for the victims and to deter such future conduct by distributors of medical devices."

B. Braun did not manufacture the syringes in question  AM2PAT in North Carolina did  but the syringes did bear a B. Braun label. In addition to the payments, the company must implement new practices to improve its oversight of product suppliers to prevent future sale of contaminated products, according to the DOJ.

"We are fully committed to ensuring patient safety. In that regard, we have agreed to undertake additional compliance measures related to the qualification and monitoring of third-party manufacturers of finished products distributed by B. Braun with the B. Braun name on the label or logo," Constance Walker, B. Braun's director of marketing and communications, said, according to The Morning Call.

Two AM2PAT employees were sentenced to 54 months in prison in 2009 in connection to the dirty syringes. However, one fled the country and is on the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations' "Most Wanted" list.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers and the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United have officially ended their three-year affiliation, according to a Bloomberg BNA report.

The decision comes amid various disagreements over relationships with other labor organizations and allegations of raiding another union's members, according to the report.

Nearly all NUHW members  some 93 percent  voted in support of a disaffiliation agreement reached between the two unions in February, according to an email obtained by Bloomberg BNA that NUHW President Sal Rosselli sent to union members in March.

In the email, NUHW said "the staff leadership of CNA wanted to end the affiliation" but that the disaffiliation agreement, reached through mediation, called for the forgiving of some $7.2 million in loans from the CNA to the NUHW, according to Bloomberg BNA.

A spokesman for the CNA, Chuck Idelson, declined to comment to Bloomberg BNA about the disaffiliation. A spokeswoman for the California Hospital Association also would not comment.

According to the report, which cites court documents, CNA officials were not happy when the NUHW expressed dismay at an anti-raiding agreement reached between the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union two years ago. At one point, according to an affidavit filed last year, NUHW approached CNA about possibly remaining affiliated with CNA but ending its affiliation with the AFL-CIO. That request was declined by the CNA.

The court filing came after the NUHW in March 2015 filed a petition for a representation election with the National Labor Relations Board, seeking to replace the SEIU as employees' bargaining representative at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, Calif.

Although the petition was later withdrawn, it prompted SEIU President Mary Kay Henry to file a complaint against the CNA under the no-raid agreement. It also led the CNA to advise the NUHW that it wished to disaffiliate.

As the union moves forward, Mr. Rosselli told NUHW members that the union is "stronger than ever and getting stronger," largely due to recent contract successes and the forgiveness of the CNA's loan, according to the report.

The two unions initially affiliated with each other in January 2013. At the time, officials with both unions said they were collaborating to fight common employers, such as Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health and Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, according to the report.
Johnson & Johnson's medical device segment plans to launch more than 20 new products in both the clinical and consumer product segments by 2018, according to a Med Device Online report.

Here are seven key notes:

1. Over the last several months, the company has been restructuring its medical device business. In January, Johnson & Johnson announced plans to cut about 3,000 jobs in its medical-devices division, as part of an effort to remove $1 billion in annual costs in the sterilization equipment and surgical tools business.

2. According to a recent earnings call, the strategy is working and the medical device business is gaining momentum. J&J saw sales of $17.5 billion for the first quarter of 2016, an increase of 0.6 percent from the first quarter of 2015. U.S. medical devices sales for the company totaled $3.02 billion, an increase of 2.2 percent from the same period last year.

3. The proposed product launches are estimated to have a total sales potential of $8 billion. This is predicted to drive overall growth between 4 percent and 6 percent per year by 2020.

4. Gary Pruden, J&J Worldwide chairman of medical devices, plans to prioritize and accelerate innovation in areas such as robotics, Endocutters and businesses that address "priority disease states," including structural cardiovascular disease and obesity.

5. Additionally, J&J will also be investing resources in digital technology and the development of connected health products.

6. Just last week, J&J announced a collaboration with HP on three-dimensional printing technologies for healthcare.

7. The J&J-HP collaboration will initially focus on personalization of instrumentation and software for patient-specific healthcare devices.
What makes a city or state a great place to practice?

There are several factors physicians consider as they start to build their practice, and today those factors go beyond malpractice, tort reform and physician density. Here are five key trends from Medscape about the make-up of a great place to practice:

1. Regional compensation differences arent as big as they used to be, and in some regions hospitals are acquiring private practice. Some physicians may find employment attractive with loan forgiveness and signing bonuses

2. Urban and metropolitan physician recruitment and placements are outpacing those in midsized and rural communities, according to Medicus. This is the first year that has been the case, which could indicate intensified competition for physicians.

3. The economic trends including decreasing oil prices and the information economy affect employment, housing prices and market desirability, according to the report. Physicians may forgo slight compensation increases in rural areas for the luxury of more urban conveniences.

4. Physicians with working spouses and children want to practice where there are job opportunities and good schools. Stable cities with diversified economies are more attractive to these physicians.

5. Young physicians are considering quality-of-life when choosing a practice location. They are less likely to have concerns about too much competition and more worried about taking on less call coverage. These physicians are also less likely to stay in the states where they trained.
A new study published in Clinical Spine Surgery examines short term outcomes for cervical laminoplasty patients compared with posterior decompression and fusion for multilevel cervical pathology.

The researchers examined 779 patients  437 who underwent cervical decompression and fusion and 342 who underwent cervical laminoplasty. The researchers used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to gather information for surgeries from 2010 to 2012. The researchers found:

1. Decompression and fusion patients were more comorbid at baseline than laminoplasty patients; these patients had increased American Society of Anesthesiologist scores and Charleston Comorbidity Index scores.

2. Decompression and fusion patients had a 1.2 day longer length of stay on average than the laminoplasty patients.

3. There was greater risk of adverse events among the decompression and fusion patients.

4. The decompression and fusion patients had a higher rate of adverse events than the laminoplasty patients.

5. The laminoplasty patients were less likely to undergo hospital readmissions than the decompression and fusion patients.

The information provided here can be used to inform patients and surgeons about the likely perioperative experience after they have made the decision to pursue one of these two procedures, concluded the study authors.
Only 33 percent of U.S. physicians are independent, and they are hanging on in a hospital-dominated industry, determined to keep their autonomy.

"Nothing beats being your own boss," says spine surgeon Kern Singh, MD, of Chicago-based Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush. "Being able to determine your work hours, your practice management and your staff is why we became physicians."

Although employed by Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System, spine surgeon Stephen Bartol, MD, MBA, director of Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative, agrees with the sentiment: "A lot of us went into medicine because of the independence, and with hospital employment there is a loss of freedom to practice the way you want."

But in the current tumultuous healthcare landscape, hospital employment may present the only option for survival. The Affordable Care Act has shifted the economics of healthcare, resulting in health systems and payers consolidating to gain better market positions.

"Those two groups [healthcare systems and payers] are growing in size and strength, and physicians are left as individuals up against very large and powerful organizations," says Dr. Bartol. "Employment relationships [allow] you to align yourself with more powerful players in the new economic landscape."

Dr. Bartol emphasizes physicians considering hospital employment should closely analyze the contracted relationships with potential employers. Ensure you will play a significant role and are able to build a power base within that organization.

"You need to be in a situation where you can influence the decisions being made in the hospital," says Dr. Bartol. "You need to move decision-making in a direction that is beneficial to your specialty."

Dr. Singh recommends physicians fully understand hospital employment expectations and how you will receive reimbursements. "Also, carefully look at your non-compete clause in case you change your mind. A good contract lawyer is essential!"

Dr. Singh recognizes the obstacles of independent practice, seen in areas like electronic records implementation and insurance claims denials. But, he suggests aligning with other like-minded physicians.

"Independence may not be as important as maintaining private practice," says Dr. Singh. "If your partners are similar to the way you think and practice then growth becomes harmonious and natural."

Will employment or independence win out?

The pendulum will swing the other way, in Dr. Singh's eyes, as hospital reimbursements decrease and consequently cut employed physician salaries.

"Ultimately, a balance will be struck, especially as hospitals and doctors continue to align toward common goals, with the upcoming payment of care model being rapidly implemented," says Dr. Singh.

Dr. Bartol, however, estimates between 35 percent and 40 percent of spine surgeons will be in employed relationships in five years. With the continued push toward value-based care, he says individuals will not possess the necessary resources to produce maximum benefits required under the new systems.

Payers will seek fixed costs, and physicians will need to reduce the risks associated with fixing costs at lower levels. To do this, physicians must produce a great amount of volume, and hospitals provide the key to achieving significant volume.

Physicians need not relinquish all independence, however, says Dr. Bartol. Ample opportunity exists to move spine into the outpatient arena. Spine surgeons will be able to develop their own products and bundled payments within the ASC landscape.

"I think what we'll see is more surgeons will have a blend  performing major work in the hospitals and whatever additional work will be done independently in the ambulatory surgery centers," says Dr. Bartol.

Pictured: Dr. Kern Singh and Dr. Stephen Bartol
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Co Londonderry housebuilder Taggart has said it's recruiting 300 new staff as one of the biggest comebacks in the province's business world takes hold.

A year on from the Taggart brothers' return, the company said it has over 1,200 new homes on at least three developments in the pipeline - leading to their current recruitment drive for staff in the north-west.

Taggart Homes already employs over 100 people, many of whom were employees for the old company.

The previous company, Taggart Holdings, went bust in 2008 with debts of 300m. Brothers Michael and John then brought legal proceedings against Ulster Bank alleging improper conduct, but ultimately lost the case and were found liable for a 5m personal guarantee. The new company said the salaries for the latest roles would contribute between 7.5m to 9m to the economy in Co Londonderry.

But Michael Taggart would not say what - if any - bank was backing its activity.

The housebuilder, whose son Nicholas is now in the family firm, told the Belfast Telegraph it had made around 13m of sales in Limavady over the last year. "These type of sales in a town this size are unrivalled, even in the Celtic Tiger years of 2006 and 2007.

"The company, where possible, is committed to bulk purchasing of material in advance of its new developments, which in turn allows the purchaser to benefit from the savings which goes towards a superior finish in the new homes."

In a statement, Taggart Homes said it had been "building exceptional homes across Ireland and England for 27 years".

After working through the worst economic recession of the century there have been valuable lessons learned and tough experiences had, but with strong financial support they are back strong and with gratitude.

Their latest recruitment follows approval of a development of 260 homes on the Culmore Road in Derry where work is due to begin within the next two months.

Two other major developments together totalling more than 500 homes are at various stages of the planning process, the company said. Its also working on an 82-home development Plantation View in Limavady, Co Londonderry.

Taggart had been one of the most recognisable names in Northern Irelands construction sector. But it became one of the most notorious building firms after its collapse. The brothers featured in the Sunday Times Rich List in Ireland two years running in 2007 and 2008.

Michael Taggart became a well known figure in the Northern Ireland business community, famed for travelling by helicopter from Derry to Belfast for meetings. However, administrators were called in at the request of Ulster Bank and Bank of Ireland in 2008 after property prices had begun to fall. At the time the companys directors blamed its problems on the sharp slowdown in the property market.

In December last year the brothers lost their legal battle against Ulster Bank when a High Court judge found Michael and John Taggart liable for a 5m personal guarantee.

The company said it requires around 100 bricklayers, 50 plasterers, 40 painters, 40 carpenters, 29 electricians, 29 plumbers and five sales staff with an immediate start for its impending projects.

There was an increase of 30% in new home starts in Northern Ireland during 2015 to 3,223, the National House Building Council (NHBC) has said.

PwC chief economist Esmond Birnie said the pick-up in housebuilding did present an opportunity but added: Its worth noting just how far current construction output is below both the summer of 2007 peak and even the probably more realistic levels of output in the earlier 2000s.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles leaves the centre after his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles leaves the centre after his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles chats to staff at the end of visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles chats to staff at the end of visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles unveils a plaque at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles unveils a plaque at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles signs a visitors book at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles signs a visitors book at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles chats to staff at the end of visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles signs a visitors book at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles chats to staff at the end of visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles is greeted by the First Minster Arlene Foster as he begins his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles is greeted by the Gavin Robinson MP for east Belfast as he begins his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles is greeted by the Deputy Lord Mayor for Belfast Guy Spence as he begins his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles is greeted by the First Minster Arlene Foster as he begins his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

The Prince of Wales shakes hands with Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster as he arrives at the Northern Ireland Science Park at Queen's University Belfast, where he officially launched the University's first Global Research Institute. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (left) speaks with President and Vice Chancellor of Queens University Belfast Professor Patrick Johnson (centre) and Professor John McCanny as he arrives at the Northern Ireland Science Park at Queen's University Belfast, where he officially launched the University's first Global Research Institute. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales arrives at the Northern Ireland Science Park at Queen's University Belfast, where he officially launched the University's first Global Research Institute.Niall Carson/PA Wire

Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster curtseys for The Prince of Wales as he arrives at the Northern Ireland Science Park at Queen's University Belfast, where he officially launched the University's first Global Research Institute.Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (front, second right) attends a service of thanksgiving and dedication during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales attends a service of thanksgiving and dedication during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (front, second left) attends a service of thanksgiving and dedication during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (left) is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (left) is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public what to see Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public what to see Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Two protesters, one with a "Brits Out" banner, await the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

School children await the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

People await the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

People await the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall leaving Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Gardai provide security as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive in Donegal Town during a visit to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (partially obscured) leaving Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Ellie Nichoilan, 9, speaks with the Prince of Wales at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Ellie Nichoilan, 9, speaks with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by Irish TV presenter Noel Cunningham (left) as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Two women protest during the visit of Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

A women protests during the visit of Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Two women protest during the visit of Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (bottom left) are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by Irish TV presenter Noel Cunningham (left) as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (right) is greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by Irish TV presenter Noel Cunningham (left) as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meets Philomena Barry, 90, who was the housekeeper of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten, as Charles visits Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meets Philomena Barry, 90, who was the housekeeper of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten, as Charles visits Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visit Donegal Castle on May 25, 2016 in Letterkenny, Ireland. The royal couple are on a one day visit to Ireland having spent two days across the border in Northern Ireland. It is their first trip to Donegal. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Glenveagh Castle in Glenveagh National Park, Co Donegal, as they visit the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PA

The Duchess of Cornwall meets students during a visit to the Ballyraine National School in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. PA

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall ontop of the boat house at Glenveagh Castle in Glenveagh National Park, Co Donegal, as they visit the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PA

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall ontop of the boat house at Glenveagh Castle in Glenveagh National Park, Co Donegal, as his visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PA

A top academic told Prince Charles that thousands of new jobs could be created here as Northern Ireland builds on its reputation as a world leader in the fields of cyber security and information technology.

On day two of his visit to Northern Ireland, Prince Charles will visit Portaferry Presbyterian Church before various other scheduled appointments. Follow his visit here:

On the first part of a three-day visit to the province and the Republic, the prince was told the figure for the new jobs could run into tens of thousands.

The prediction came as the first in line to the throne launched a Global Research Institute for Queen's University at its facility at the Northern Ireland Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.

Professor John McCanny, director of Queen's Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT), said he hoped thousands of jobs would be created.

"The creation of the institute will increase our numbers immediately to 200 with plans to grow to 300 by 2020," he said.

"However, we don't see that as the endgame. We want to build on the success achieved to see if this can be enhanced and replicated further to create thousands and even tens of thousands of new jobs in this region."

Queen's vice-chancellor, Professor Patrick Johnston, said the university was opening up new avenues of research into the big questions and big challenges presented by our increasingly digital world.

He also told how the ECIT had been critical in the establishment of more than 1,000 cyber security-related jobs in Northern Ireland, with Queen's contributing more than 1bn to the Northern Ireland economy.

He said: "It is no surprise the ECIT has been a catalyst for Northern Ireland to become not just a major player in cyber security but also the number one destination for foreign direct investment in the UK, outside of London.

"(It is also why) this place has been recognised as the number one city in the world for research and development in the world of financial technology and also for software technology in Europe.

"As the anchor tenant in the Northern Ireland Science Park, the university is very proud to be laying the secure foundations for the UK's future in digital technologies."
The volume of big foreign investment in Northern Ireland is declining faster than anywhere else in the UK, fresh figures have shown.

Northern Ireland had only 15 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in 2015, fewer half of the 39 it secured a year earlier, according to EY.

Scotland saw a 50% increase to 119 projects, while Wales had 41 FDI projects.

The latest figures come despite claims from Invest NI that outside London, Northern Ireland is the leading UK region for attracting inward investment.

But like the rest of the UK it has had to deal with EU changes to regional aid. From July 2014, new rules began to apply to companies with more than 250 staff already based in Northern Ireland.

That means they may not get public money towards expansion projects if it involves the same activities at the same premises.

This success has been across a range of knowledge intensive sectors. In particular Belfast is the worlds top destination city for financial services technologies investments.

Northern Ireland boasts world-class clusters in a variety of sectors. There has been recent growth in areas such as software development, financial services and legal outsourcing.

The South East of England recorded a fall of 22%, but Northern Ireland saw an even bigger decline, with project numbers falling by 62% and just 15 projects secured in 2015.

That contrasts with a surge in overall activity right across the UK.
Shareholders in Royal Dutch Shell have voted overwhelmingly in favour of chief executive Ben van Beurden's 4.3 million pay packet at the oil giant's annual general meeting.

The company's remuneration report was approved by more than 86% of proxy shareholders, despite a wave of investor unrest hitting several high profile AGMs over the past months.

Investors had been urged to vote against the remuneration report in protest at Mr van Beurden's pay in 2015, even though it marked a significant reduction from the 24.2 million euros (18.6 million) he was paid in 2014 in the wake of plunging profits and the falling oil price.

Shareholder advisory firm Pirc had argued he still earned 37 times the average employee's pay, which it described as "unacceptable".

But it was not enough to deter shareholders from voting the pay packet through.

Shareholders in oil giant BP recently voted to reject its remuneration report, which included a pay deal of 19.6 million dollars (13.8 million) for chief executive Bob Dudley. Mining giant Anglo American has also faced investor protests after 42% of shareholders voted against chief executive Mark Cutifani's 3.4 million pay package for 2015.

Shell also faced a barrage of questions regarding climate change after shareholder groups tabled a special resolution calling for the group to invest profits from oil and gas into renewable energy and "stop the exploration and acquisition of more oil and gas".

Mr van Beurden said that adopting a renewable-only policy is not something Shell would support.

He said: "Tying the company down to a renewables-only policy would be strategically unwise. The next decades will see energy transition and Shell will adapt to a world that requires less CO2."

Shell also defended its dividend policy in response to calls to link it to the oil price, which has plummeted since 2014, claiming that most shareholders instead favour "stable and significant returns".

Last year the dividend stood at US dollars 12 billion and, after the completion of its acquisition of rival BG, it will rise to US dollars 15 billion.

The beginning of the meeting was marred by protests from campaigners angry over the oil giant's operation in Groningen province in the northern Netherlands.

The AGM was held up for several minutes as protesters chanted and shouted about Shell's handling of safety at its joint venture drilling project at one of Europe's richest gas fields, where extraction is causing earthquakes in the region.
Severn Trent said customer complaints had fallen by more than a quarter

Utility giant Severn Trent said customer complaints had fallen by more than a quarter despite a recent chlorine contamination scare that left thousands of households without water.

The group said it was "learning" from the supply woes, when the chlorine contamination scare saw 3,700 homes and businesses across Derbyshire told not to use water for more than 24 hours in March, while customers in the region were also hit by burst water mains and discolouration over the past few months.

Severn Trent agreed to pay compensation of 50 to affected homeowners and 100 to businesses after high levels of chlorine were found in the supply.

Customers were warned not to use the water in their taps - or even flush their toilets - as the water had been contaminated with at least eight times the normal level of chlorine.

But Severn Trent 's annual results showed customer complaints fell by 28% in the year to March 31 as it claimed to offer the UK's lowest combined average bills, at 329 in 2016/2017, which was flat on the previous year.

The group said: "On the downside there were some high profile events which left customers unable to access their water. We are learning from these to continually improve our processes and systems."

Underlying annual pre-tax profits fell 3.2% to 522.8 million, although on a statutory basis, profits more than doubled - up 118% to 322.3 million.

The group's turnover fell 0.8% to 1.8 billion due to a regulated price decrease.

Severn Trent also cut its shareholder dividend payout to 80.66p per share, down from 84.90p per share in 2015, although this was in line with its dividend policy.

Liv Garfield, chief executive of Severn Trent, said the group had made a "promising start" to the new regulatory period.

The group is also joining forces with rival United Utilities to compete to supply water to businesses.

They will combine their existing non-domestic supply arms into a new offering, to be called Water Plus, which will target business customers when competition in the market opens up in England for the first time next year. Water Plus will be based in Stoke-on-Trent.
One of the juice shots range from Warrenpoint-based Squeeze Wheatgrass

A sisterly fudge company is among the small producers from across Northern Ireland which are getting the chance to show off their wares in Tesco.

The supermarket giant said the 'pop-up shops' were a way of helping out fledgling businesses which might not otherwise get their products in front of consumers or on to shelves.

As part of the programme, Tesco will give the producers the opportunity to engage with members of the public, showcase and sell their products in-store - even if they do not actually have Tesco listings.

Another of those taking part is Warrenpoint-based business Squeeze Wheatgrass.

The company produces juice shots in four flavours: original wheatgrass; wheatgrass, orange and lemon; wheatgrass with beetroot and wheatgrass with apple and pear.

Owner Jacquelyn Stewart said she had already found a keen market among lovers of a healthy lifestyle.

But she said she hopes the tastings will give her the opportunity to bring her wares to the mass market and assess her product's appeal in a large retail environment.

Sean Largey, commercial manager for Tesco Northern Ireland, said it had identified a fondness for local produce in the region.

"Local truly has a huge emotional tag for the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

"To be able to give a helping hand to the next generation of local food and drink businesses is something that lies at the heart of Tesco Northern Ireland's ongoing commitment to the region's food and drink industry."

Blackthorn Foods, creator of Melting Pot Fudge, will also showcase its products in store in an attempt to grow its business.

The three-sister operation, which was established in 2004, currently supplies farm shops and delis but has also started exporting to America.

The award-winning fudge and toffee company was set up by sisters Jenny Lowry, Dorothy Bittles and Cathy Johnston.

The fudges, which are gluten-free, dairy-free and soya-free, come in four flavours and are marketed under the company's Melting Pot brand.

The sisters' new "free-from" fudges come in a range of four different flavours: Madagascan Vanilla, Chocolate, Stem Ginger and Chocolate and Chocolate and Orange.

Dorothy Bittles, who is a director of Blackthorn Foods, said: "We saw a developing opportunity for a range of products that are made without dairy, gluten and soya, and decided to invest in creating products to meet this demand.

"We are a family-run company producing award-winning fudge made in small batches, so the opportunity to be involved in the Tesco Artisan Programme has given us the platform to reach an audience that would be difficult to reach on our own.

"Response to the new range has been immensely encouraging and we are particularly excited about giving customers the opportunity to trial our new non-dairy fudge, as this latest product innovation was inspired by a family member who became lactose intolerant - we believe everyone should have the opportunity to have a little indulgence in their life."

Sauce company PEPPUP, which was founded by Luca Montorio - a native of Turin now living in Newtownards - is also taking part in the promotion.
Chris Evans (left) and Matt LeBlanc filming the new series of Top Gear on the promenade in Blackpool. LeBlanc has denied suggestions he and Evans don't get on

Matt LeBlanc has dismissed claims he and Chris Evans are "at war" as a "big load of bullshit".

The Top Gear presenting duo have been the subject of reports alleging they do not get on.

The newly-launched show will return to television screens this weekend, featuring the all-new line-up of Evans, LeBlanc and four other hosts, plus The Stig.

Former Friends actor LeBlanc told the Radio Times: "All this stuff that Chris and I are at war with each other is a big load of bullshit. We've never had a rift!

"I'm a true car fan, Chris is a true car fan. We're hanging out, having a laugh, doing our best. He is an extremely smart guy. I'd beat him in a race, though - and you can tell him I said that."

The show's popular Star In A Reasonably Priced Car segment will be replaced with Star In A Rallycross Car, which will feature a new car and a new track.

The actor, who rose to fame playing loveable Joey Tribbiani, admitted he had not expected the negativity the show has received, prior to it even airing.

"I didn't anticipate the ruthlessness of the British press. I know it's a big show but hey, we're not cowboys, it's all meticulously planned, permission granted, in writing," he said.

"I didn't fire those guys [Clarkson, Hammond and May]. I've met them. They're nice guys. I'll watch their new show. I wasn't there when any of it went down. It's not my fault they're gone. I didn't put a gun in anyone's mouth."

The former presenting trio will launch their own rival motoring show on Amazon Prime called The Grand Tour this summer.

Evans commented on teaser footage seen during the first trailer, which appeared to show him being sick after being driven around the track by motor racing driver Sabine Schmitz.

He said: "I don't know if you've ever been driven around at really high speeds but when you are, it's difficult. I was sick. The next week a Top Gun pilot was sick as well, so I'm in good company."

:: Read the full interview in this week's Radio Times.
Wedded bliss: from left, Roy and Elizabeth Boreland with Ross and Judith along with Judiths brother Ross Boreland

All smiles: Judith had so much more to give to the world

Judith Gillanders was the centre of her family's world, and it was an unbelievable and devastating blow when she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer when she was just 36.

In a few short months, the young Hillsborough mum rapidly faded from a beautiful, healthy woman as the cancer took hold and she died leaving her husband Ross and children George (7) and Ciara (5).

No less crushed were her loving parents Elizabeth and Roy Boreland and her brother, also called Ross.

To celebrate her life and mark her memory, the family is holding a one and a half mile sponsored Stroll in the Park at Hillsborough Forest Park on Saturday to raise funds for Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, for local cancer research.

The family held a similar event last year, raising an amazing 10,000 for the charity, which supports cancer patients and their families across Northern Ireland as well as funding research. Two years after Judith's death, the sadness still visibly wells in Elizabeth's eyes when she talks about her only daughter and how she was snatched from them at such a young age.

"We can't put into words how much we love and miss her. She was a beautiful, kind, intelligent, funny person who had so much more life to live and so much more to give the world. She was a wonderful woman all round and an excellent mother. A piece of my heart left with her," she says. "Judith spent time in the US and England after she married Ross in 2006. But wherever she lived, one of her great loves was to get involved with and support local charities."

While living in Long Island in the US, Judith cut her hair and donated it to Love Locks, an organisation that makes wigs for cancer patients who lose their hair during chemotherapy.

Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, she also volunteered as a translator for a charity that provided free healthcare for Latino migrant workers and supported disadvantaged youngsters.

"Ross' job took the family to America and England and then back to Ireland in 2014. Judith and the children were staying with us while they prepared to move to Dublin and it was lovely having her home," Elizabeth says.

"She had been feeling unwell for some time, but put it down to tiredness, moving house and being a busy mum - Ciara was three and George was five at the time. She always looked after her health, ate properly and went on parkruns, so we didn't think it could be anything serious."

Before Christmas, Judith had abdominal pain, but a gall bladder scan showed nothing amiss. In mid-February 2014, she found a lump on her abdomen and saw a doctor.

She was referred for further investigations, but within a few days the pain had become so bad that she went straight to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. A scan revealed a large tumour - a rare abdominal cancer called mesenteric liposarcoma.

"It was a massive shock. We weren't expecting anything like that," Elizabeth admits.

Within a few days, Judith had surgery to remove the tumour. She was allowed home at the end of February and for a while improved well.

"She started to organise the family's move to Dublin and found new schools for the children, and I was there to help her," says her mum.

Though Judith's post-surgical tests results were clear, her oncologist said that the tumour had been a bad one, grade four, and they hadn't been able to clear a good margin of tissue around the area.

"Chemo doesn't work very well on this type of tumour, so it was decided to leave it and wait and see. We knew this was an aggressive cancer, but you hope for the best," Elizabeth adds.

"We'd had hope before that. Judith saw various doctors and they agreed that surgery was the best way to tackle the tumours, but they couldn't remove all of them because they had spread so far.

"To take them all away would have left so little of her digestive system, she would never have been able to eat again. It really was a death sentence. The consultant said there wasn't much they could do."

Elizabeth continues: "There was talk of chemotherapy, but that never happened - she'd had two major surgeries inside two months and never got her strength back enough to have the treatment.

"She was very brave. She was the sort of person who was always well organised. She found an apartment in Dublin for the family and even had the children's names down for a secondary school.

"Nearer the time of her death, she posted on her Facebook that she was terminally ill, but asked her friends not to contact the family as we were all in shock - she said we would contact them when the time was right."

The tumours continued on their relentless path and as Judith wasn't well enough to come home, she was transferred to a hospice where the family could easily visit her.

She'd had her second surgery on April 29 and died on May 28. Easing the way for her family as much as she could, Judith left instructions for her funeral - one of the songs she chose was Lord of the Dance. Her final resting place is at Hillsborough Parish Church, where she was married eight years earlier.

"We talked about having a fundraiser in her memory and she wanted any money raised to go to research," Elizabeth reveals.

"Sadly, my sister also lost her daughter to leukaemia when she was just 19, so researching cancer has a double significance for us.

"We chose Cancer Focus NI because they fund research that unravels how cancer works and will hopefully help find better treatments for patients. It's important to us to support this work, so that other families won't have to go through the same trauma in the future.

"When a loved one is ill, you can feel so helpless at the time, but it helps now to feel you are doing something that will potentially save the lives of others."

For more information about the Stroll in the Park fundraiser, contact Lianne Wilson on tel: 9068 0741 or email fundraising@cancerfocusni.org. If you would like to make an online donation, go to www.everydayhero.com and search for Judith-memorial-fundraiser. For more information about Cancer Focus NI, visit www.cancerfocusni.org
A 13-year-old schoolboy beaten up in a sectarian attack says he is fearful of returning to Ardoyne after the assault.

Bailey Anderson and his 14-year-old friend were punched in the face by two older boys as they walked up Ardoyne Road in north Belfast at around 3pm on Saturday.

The teenager said he was targeted for being Protestant, and that he and his friend were attacked while walking to a band parade in Ballysillan.

He said the pair decided to walk up Ardoyne Road as buses had been cancelled and it was the shortest route.

"As we were going up two wee lads jumped off one of the buses and they came right behind us and started saying: 'Lads, where are you from?'" he said.

"We didn't answer them and then they walked over beside my mate and they just started punching us.

"They punched me in the face and then they punched my mate on the nose and bust his nose open.

"They just said: 'They're dirty wee Prods', and then they said: 'Hit him harder'."

The schoolboy said the attackers fled the scene when they were challenged by a man who had come across the assault.

He added: "If I do ever go up past that area again, I'll be scared.

"It makes me feel annoyed that I can't go somewhere without being attacked because of my religion."

Sinn Fein councillor Gerry McCabe has hit out at those behind the assault.

"This attack on two young boys on the Ardoyne Road on Saturday was wrong and I condemn it," he said.

"I would encourage anyone with information on this attack to come forward and bring it to the PSNI."

DUP councillor Brian Kingston described the incident as an "utterly disgraceful and blatantly sectarian attack on two innocent boys".

Meanwhile, police are appealing for witnesses to the assault, which they are treating as a sectarian hate crime.
Abuse survivor Margaret McGuckin on the steps of Stormont at the launch of the A Compensation Framework for Historic Abuses in Residential Institutions document

Victims of historical child abuse plan to hold a picket at Stormont if the new Executive doesn't move imminently to pay them compensation.

They are making an emotional appeal directly to First Minister Arlene Foster "as a woman and a mother" to take action to end their trauma.

The DUP is refusing to address the compensation issue until the inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) sends its report to the Executive next year.

The victims have bought baby and young children's clothes and plan to stand outside Parliament Buildings holding up the items.

Margaret McGuckin of Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse (SAVIA) said they were "sick of hearing empty, well-meaning words" from politicians and wanted compensation for what they had suffered.

"We have bought items of clothing - little shoes, bonnets, dresses and trousers - to symbolise how young and defenceless we were when we were placed in care," she said.

"Our innocence was taken from us in those homes. We were robbed of our childhood. We suffered sexual and physical abuse and cruelty beyond belief.

"There are now plenty of female MLAs at Stormont. Many of these women, including Arlene Foster, are mothers. We are asking them to look at their own children and imagine what it would be like if their kids were put through the horrors that we were."

Ms McGuckin said that compensation for victims must be included in the Programme for Government which the new Executive, elected tomorrow, will draw up. She said that Sinn Fein had already agreed but the DUP had not.

DUP voter Cyril Glass, who was abused in Rathgael Training School, last month wrote to Mrs Foster begging for action on compensation, but he described the party's response as "extremely disappointing".

He told the Belfast Telegraph: "I haven't even had the courtesy of a reply. The DUP is the only one of the main parties not supporting interim payments for victims."

A party spokesman said: "The DUP was central in establishing the inquiry into historical institutional abuse. We have supported it at every turn and continue to support victims. At the time the inquiry was established we said we would consider the report in full when the work was completed and would then decide on a way forward. We recognise the deeply sensitive nature of this issue, but believe this is the correct way to proceed."

Ms McGuckin is requesting an urgent meeting with the First and Deputy First Ministers. Appealing to Mrs Foster to change her party's position, she said: "In a Belfast Telegraph article recently, Arlene spoke movingly of the parable of the Good Samaritan and the need to help the less fortunate.

"As someone who shares the DUP leader's deep Christian faith, I'm asking her to be a Good Samaritan to us, to reach out and help those whose lives have been broken." Victims have presented the model scheme which they want the Executive to adopt. It comprises of a common experience payment for all former residents of homes where abuse was endemic.

This would include a base payment of 10,000 plus an additional 3,000 for each year they were in the institution. There would also be individually tested payments where a claimant's particular abuse would be assessed.

The HIA inquiry is due to report to the Executive next January but its chairman, Sir Anthony Hart, has already said he will be recommending compensation.

Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International urged the new Executive to start arranging the common experience payment immediately.

"There is no need to wait another seven months for Sir Anthony Hart to send his report to Stormont. The time to plan and budget for the scheme is now, when the Programme for Government is being agreed."

Ms McGuckin said that victims were sick of having to fight for everything.

"We have to tell our stories in public, to constantly expose ourselves, in order to be heard. That isn't right," she said.

"Millions and millions of pounds has been spent on the Hart inquiry but we are kept waiting for a minimal payment. Money won't make up for the damage done to us but it would be an acknowledgement of our trauma. Time isn't something that many victims have. We are talking about people who are often struggling to just get through the day, who are mentally ill - or are in the grips of addiction - because of what they endured.

"I have many good friends who haven't survived. Cyril Glass's twin brother, who was also abused, is one of those who hasn't lived to see justice. We can't wait any longer."
The father of student Enda Dolan, who died after being knocked down by a drunk driver, has welcomed an appeal to increase the sentence of his son's killer.

David Lee Stewart was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and three-and-a-half years on licence for knocking down and killing the 18-year-old on the Malone Road in Belfast in October 2014.

Stewart (31) from Grays Park Avenue in Belfast, had been drinking and taking drugs before the fatal collision. Many were horrified to learn that he had driven his van for 800 metres with the teenager on his roof before stopping.

His passenger, William Ross Casement (21), had been drinking with Stewart and got out of the vehicle following the accident before returning to the passenger seat and continuing on.

Yesterday Northern Ireland's chief prosecutor Barra McGrory sought leave to appeal the sentence to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that it was "unduly lenient".

Peter Dolan said it was a positive step, calling it "a start in the process".

"I suppose at this stage we welcome that. It's something we've been asking about and asked the PPS to take a look at the case and see if they could do that so we're pretty much in favour of that," he said.

Mr Dolan has also appealed to MLAs at Stormont to increase the minimum sentence for drunk drivers who kill someone.

"The current maximum sentence is 14 years for a case like ours," he said.

"I believe that needs to be looked at and increased because I don't think it reflects the crime and certainly is no deterrent for anybody out there. I think at least 20 years would be better."

Mr Dolan said he expects the current appeal to move forward within six to eight weeks.

When Stewart was sentenced in April, Mr Dolan slammed Northern Ireland's legal system "a disgrace". He said: "We have been left with a life sentence and so many parents have stood in our shoes and many more will in the future unless something is done to deter individuals from driving under the influence of drink and drugs."

West Tyrone DUP MLA Tom Buchanan said: "The decision to appeal the sentence handed down is obviously one for the PPS and this should obviously be an independent decision, free from political influence."

"However, it is vital that we all as a society take a stand against those who believe they can drink alcohol and then get behind the wheel of a car. As a legislator I believe that we should look towards increasing the sentence available for such crimes.

A spokesman for the Ulster Unionist Party said: "The family of Enda Dolan have our deepest sympathy following the tragic loss of their son.

"In our Assembly election manifesto we stated that we would 'be tireless in demanding Northern Ireland is served by a criminal justice system that is fair, which delivers sentences that act both as punishment and deterrent' and we also said that we would 'encourage the courts to hand out tougher sentences and to ensure that the punishment fits the crime'."
A person has been treated for shock following a fire at a weapons making factory in east Belfast.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene just after 7am to the report of a fire at the Alanbrooke Road area of Castlereagh.

Two fire crews were deployed to the scene and firefighters using breathing apparatus, thermal imaging cameras and a hosereel jet dealt with a fire in a chemical treatment room.

The building was evacuated and minor damage was caused to ventilation.

The water sprinkler system activated inside the premises which the NIFRS said suppressed the fire as crews dealt with the incident.

A spokeswoman for Thales said: "We have had a very small fire and it was all contained to the one area.

"The incident is being handled by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and we are waiting on them to allow us to return.

"The alarm was raised and all employees evacuated as a precaution, there was no danger to any employees."

A NIFRS spokesman said:One person was treated for shock at the scene

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service finished at the scene at 09:55am and the fire is being treated as accidental.
A Kilkenny man was remanded in custody today accused of trying to import 500,000 worth of suspected cocaine from South America into Northern Ireland.

Shane Delaney was detained by Home Office Border Force officials at George Best Belfast City Airport on Sunday.

The 30-year-old, of Delouthry in Kilkenny, is understood to have flown in from London following a trip to Peru.

National Crime Agency officers charged him with the illegal importation of Class A drugs.

According to the Home Office more than 10 kilos of suspected cocaine with a potential street value in excess of 500,000 were recovered.

As Delaney appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court today no further details were disclosed.

The accused spoke only to confirm he understood the charge against him.

An NCA officer told the court he could connect Delaney to the alleged offence.

Defence counsel Richard McConkey said he was not in a position to seek bail at this stage.

Instead, District Judge Fiona Bagnall remanded the accused in custody to appear again by video-link in a week's time.
The long-awaited inquest into the Kingsmills massacre is due to begin in Belfast. The inquest will examine the deaths of 10 Protestant workmen who were shot dead when an IRA gang ambushed their minibus near the County Armagh village in 1976. Alan black who survived the Kingsmills massacre. Photographer - Matt Mackey / Press Eye

The long-awaited inquest into the Kingsmills massacre is due to begin in Belfast. The inquest will examine the deaths of 10 Protestant workmen who were shot dead when an IRA gang ambushed their minibus near the County Armagh village in 1976. Alan black who survived the Kingsmills massacre. Photographer - Matt Mackey / Press Eye

The long-awaited inquest into the Kingsmills massacre is due to begin in Belfast. The inquest will examine the deaths of 10 Protestant workmen who were shot dead when an IRA gang ambushed their minibus near the County Armagh village in 1976. Danny Kennedy along with Karen Armstrong and Alan Black. Photographer - Matt Mackey / Press Eye

The long-awaited inquest into the Kingsmills massacre is due to begin in Belfast. The inquest will examine the deaths of 10 Protestant workmen who were shot dead when an IRA gang ambushed their minibus near the County Armagh village in 1976. Danny Kennedy. Photographer - Matt Mackey / Press Eye

The long-awaited inquest into the Kingsmills massacre is due to begin in Belfast. The inquest will examine the deaths of 10 Protestant workmen who were shot dead when an IRA gang ambushed their minibus near the County Armagh village in 1976. Willie Frazer, Beatrice Wortin and Colin Wortin. Photographer - Matt Mackey / Press Eye

The long-awaited inquest into the Kingsmills massacre is due to begin in Belfast. The inquest will examine the deaths of 10 Protestant workmen who were shot dead when an IRA gang ambushed their minibus near the County Armagh village in 1976. Alan black who survived the Kingsmills massacre along with Kevin Winters. Photographer - Matt Mackey / Press Eye

The long-awaited inquest into the Kingsmills massacre is due to begin in Belfast. The inquest will examine the deaths of 10 Protestant workmen who were shot dead when an IRA gang ambushed their minibus near the County Armagh village in 1976. Karen Armstrong. Photographer - Matt Mackey / Press Eye

The bullet-ridden van in which the men were travelling when the 1976 Kingsmills massacre occurred

Families of those killed in the Kingsmills massacre attend the long-awaited inquest

The grief of the families who lost their sons, brothers, fathers and husbands in one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles has been exacerbated by the IRA's refusal to admit responsibility, the Coroner's Court has been told.

The first day of the inquest into the Kingsmills massacre heard chilling excerpts from a statement by sole survivor Alan Black.

Ten Protestant workmen were shot dead when their minibus was ambushed by the IRA in January 1976.

Richard Hughes, the sole Catholic in the minibus of 12, was identified by his grey hair, pulled away from his colleagues and ordered to "run up the road" before the gunmen opened fire.

Mr Black said the shooting lasted for around 10 seconds and was "deafening".

He was hit in the side and fell into the ditch.

His statement recalls vividly how his dying colleagues fell on top of him and he could hear their groans of pain before he heard a man with an English accent issue the sinister order: "Finish them off."

All 11 were left for dead. Mr Black survived despite being hit by 18 bullets.

He is scheduled to give evidence tomorrow.

Mr Black listened to proceedings from the public gallery and remained composed even as the inquest heard details of how the mass shooting was carried out, but took several deep breaths at a few points.

Mr Hughes died in 2006, but the statement he made to police in 1976 will be read into evidence.

The first inquest was held shortly after the massacre and was a very "limited exercise".

Attorney General John Larkin QC ordered the new inquest after the HET found members of the IRA were involved despite a claim of responsibility from another group.

A fresh inquest into the atrocity opened at Laganside courts yesterday morning before Senior Coroner Brian Sherrard.

Counsel for the Coroner's Office Sean Doran QC opened by expressing the condolences on behalf of the office to the families of the Kingsmills victims who were present in the public gallery.

He read out each of their names and their ages when they were killed - John McConville (20); John Bryans (46); James McWhirter (58); Robert Freeburn (50); Robert Chambers (19); Robert Walker (46); Kenneth Worton (24); Joseph Lemmon (46); Reginald Chapman (25), and Walter Chapman (23).

An RUC report from the time described the atrocity as "the most savage and senseless outrage of the campaign so far that, thankfully, has not been paralleled".

The massacre was claimed at the time by a group calling itself the South Armagh Action Force.

However, the weapons identified as being used by the gunmen were the property of the Provisional IRA.

A HET report in 2010 laid the blame at the feet of the Provos, but then-Sinn Fein MLA Mitchel McLaughlin insisted the IRA was not behind it.

Barrister Neil Rafferty, who represents several families of the victims, said this continued denial causes deep hurt.

"It hurts the families I represent that the IRA still does not accept responsibility for Kingsmills," he told the inquest.

"That deep hurt could be allayed and eased in these new and enlightened times if even at this late stage there was some acknowledgement by the IRA or those that speak on their behalf."

Mr Doran revealed what he termed a "road map" of evidence in his opening statement.

He disclosed that two of the Kingsmills suspects received comfort letters, and a palm print still exists from the getaway van but has never been matched due to lack of DNA.

Mr Doran said the Coroner's Office also wanted to address rumours that Captain Robert Nairac may have been the man with the English accent mentioned by witnesses.

He said Capt Nairac was not in Northern Ireland on January 5, 1976 - the night of the massacre.

He also pointed out that one of the suspects was known to have spoken with an English accent.

The inquest has been scheduled to last for six weeks and will hear from a number of witnesses including Professor Henry Patterson, Prof Jack Crane, the Ministry of Defence and a senior PSNI witness.

Speaking outside court, Mr Black said he wanted the "unvarnished truth".

"We are relieved and apprehensive. We have fought long and hard for this review. Obstacles were put in our way; thanks to these people here we have gotten over each one," said Mr Black.

"This is a red letter day for us to finally get our day in court."

Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kennedy was also in court to support the families.

He described it as a "very important day" after "40 long years".
The sole survivor of a sectarian massacre by the IRA in Northern Ireland lay beneath his dying colleagues as they moaned and battled for life, an inquest has been told.

Alan Black said the noise was deafening as a blast of gunfire killed 10 Protestant workmen at Kingsmill in 1976. Another man - a Catholic - cowered in a nearby field after he was ordered to flee.

As the victims lay there the commander of the republican unit said: "Finish them off."

More than five weeks have been set aside for the coroner's inquiry into the Kingsmill shooting, which police described as the most senseless and savage killing of the early Troubles.

Karen Armstrong, a sister of John Armstrong who died in a hail of bullets, said: "John believed in truth and justice throughout his life and I hope during this process that we hear the truth.

"It is all we want and I think it is what we deserve."

The textile factory workers were ambushed as they travelled along the Whitecross to Bessbrook road in rural south Armagh on January 5 1976 - one of the darkest years of the Troubles - allegedly in reprisal for earlier loyalist killings.

Father-of-three Mr Black was shot several times.

Outside court he said he wanted the "unvarnished truth".

"This is a red letter day for us to finally get our day in court."

The men's minibus was stopped and those on board asked their religion by the gunmen.

The gunmen, who were hidden in the hedges, ordered them to line up outside the van then opened fire.

The 10 who died were John Bryans, Robert Chambers, Reginald Chapman, Walter Chapman, Robert Freeburn, Joseph Lemmon, John McConville, James McWhirter, Robert Samuel Walker and Kenneth Worton.

Mr Black's statement was read out by barrister Sean Doran during the inquest. He said the noise of the shooting was "deafening" as he fell on his face with another man collapsing across his legs.

He could hear the moaning and groaning of his workmates.

A police report at the time read to the coroner said: "What happened then is perhaps the most savage and senseless single outrage in the present campaign. Fortunately it has not yet been paralleled.

"It resulted in 10 completely innocent workmen losing their lives and an 11th badly injured.

"One man escaped only because of his religion."

Richard Hughes, the man who was ordered to flee, recalled the armed men asking which one was the Roman Catholic.

"The person on my right squeezed my hand.

"I glanced out of the side of my eye. I did not move."

The Kingsmill attack was claimed by a little-known republican paramilitary group considered to be a front for the supposedly-on-ceasefire IRA.

However, in 2011, the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) of independent detectives found the IRA had been responsible and had targeted the workmen because of their religion.

The inquest was ordered by Northern Ireland's attorney general John Larkin QC.

Mr Doran told the hearing that two suspects linked to the killings were given On The Run "letters of comfort" from Tony Blair's government as part of a deal with Sinn Fein during the peace process, to allow IRA members on the run, or wanted fugitives, back into Northern Ireland.
A man dramatically pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the murder of Kyle Neil over a year ago during a "frenzied'' knife attack in Co Down.

Wesley Harry Vance (27), formerly of Church Gate Studios in Comber, was due to stand trial of murdering Mr Neil following a party at his flat.

A jury of six men and six women were sworn in on Monday but had not been formally put in charge of the defendant.

But this afternoon at Downpatrick Crown Court, his defence QC John McCrudden asked trial judge Mr Justice Colton for "Mr vance to be re-arraigned on the first count''.

Addressing the defendant standing in the dock of the court, the clerk said: "On application of your counsel and with permission of his Lordship I have to re-arraign you on the first count on the bill of indictment of murder contrary to Common Law, that you, on April 12, 2015, murdered Kyle Neil. How say you plead. Guilty or nor guilty?''

Vance replied: "Guilty.''

There were gasps from the public gallery and members of Mr Neil's family openly wept at his change of plea to guilty after previously denying the murder charge claiming he had acted in self defence.

Mr Justice Colton told Vance: "Now that you have pleaded guilty to murder, the mandatory sentence that I must impose is one of a life sentence.''

As he was being led to away in handcuffs to the cells below, his friends in the public gallery shouted: 'Keep your head up son. Keep your head up. See you soon.''

Friends of Mr Neil called out "murderer'' and "scumbag'' as he was being returned to the court cells.

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Mr Justice Colton immediately intervened, warning that if there was any further outbursts he would "clear the court''.

He added that if people wanted to remain in the public gallery "then please be quiet''.

The trial judge ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report ahead of sentencing.

McCrudden QC said that a number of reports and documents would be prepared "well in advance of sentencing''.

Mr Justice Colton said that a tariff hearing on how long Vance will spend in prison without parole will take place on Tuesday, June 27 at Belfast Crown Court.

Prosecuting counsel Liam McCollum Qc said the trial of Vance's co-accused Stephane Boyd would still proceed.

The 26-year-old of Russell Court in south Belfast denies two charges of assisting offenders by allegedly driving the Fiesta car with Mr Neil's body in the boot from Mill Street, Comber to Windsor Road in Belfast on April 12, 2015 and driving the car at the time with excess alcohol.

It is alleged Mr Neil (23), who was living in Bangor, Co Down at the time but was originally from the Ballysillan area of north Belfast, sustained multiple knife wounds in the attack which was described by police at the time as "frenzied''.

His remains were allegedly then placed in the boot of a Ford Fiesta car which was found abandoned in Windsor Road, south Belfast in the early hours of April 12, 2015.

Mr McCollum QC said today that following Vance's guilty plea to murder, the trial of Todd would now be "substantially shorter''.

The jury, who were not present during this afternoon's re-arraignment proceedings, will return tomorrow morning (Wednesday) when they will be formally put in charge of Stephanie Todd on her trial.
Leadhill Primary School, in Castlereagh, was among a number of Northern Ireland schools evacuated due to 'malicious communications'

The PSNI is investigating a series of "malicious communications" made to schools across Northern Ireland and the UK.

Police have said there is no information to suggest the incidents are "terrorist-related".

While parents have said their children's schools were evacuated due to a "bomb threat".

One primary school principal hailed his pupils for their conduct during his school's alert.

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Up to seven schools were evacuated on Tuesday morning. Police have not released a list of schools, below is a list of those schools we know of so far.

At least 21 schools across UK are said to have received anonymous phone calls warning of a bomb.

PSNI Chief Superintendent Garry Eaton said: "Between 9am and 10am the schools, all of which were primary schools, received calls claiming explosive devices had been placed at each location.

"Local police responded immediately, working with the individual school authorities to establish what the circumstances of the calls were and to put appropriate procedures in place to ensure the safety of both pupils and staff.

"Some schools opted to evacuate pupils, in line with their own protocols. This was obviously a very serious and worrying situation, particularly for the parents of pupils at the schools however after thorough police searches of all of the schools, no devices were found.

At this time PSNI is exploring a possible link to similar calls received by schools in Britain on Monday.

Chief Superintendent Eaton added: "A link is obviously a strong line of enquiry and we will be working closely with our colleagues in the other police services concerned to establish if there is any definite connection between their calls and ours, and we will continue to liaise with them as appropriate as we take our investigation forward."

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Evacuated schools:

Bloomfield Primary School in Bangor

Linn Primary School Larne

Leadhill Primary School Castlereagh

Ballysally Primary School Coleraine

Have you been impacted by this today? Call us on 02890554828 or email here

It is understood parents of children at schools affected were contacted to inform them to collect their children.

Temporary Chief Superintendent Simon Walls said: PSNI are investigating a series of malicious communications to schools across Northern Ireland today.

"At this stage there is no information to suggest the incidents are terrorist-related, however enquiries continue to establish the facts.

"We will liaise with other UK Police services who have received similar calls, to investigate who is responsible and whether these incidents are linked.

"Anyone with information should contact police on the non-emergency number 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Principal: 'Children a credit' during evacuation

Principal of Ballysally Primary School in Coleraine Geoff Dunne said his pupils were a "credit" to themselves and their families in how they acted during, what he described as a "calm evacuation".

He told the Belfast Telegraph: "It was a very disruptive morning. We received a telephone call and the first thoughts were for the safety and welfare of the pupils - which we managed to do.

"Police made a thorough sweep of the area and assured it was safe to go back into school.

"The children were absolutely terrific. They were so well behaved and orderly and mannerly, really a credit to themselves, their families and the staff were terrific in dealing with any wee questions they had. It was very calm and orderly.

"It's very frustrating when we are trying to meet the needs of children and this comes in.

"The fact the procedure work so well and the children were a credit."

Father-of-three saw whole school walk past window

Shaun Sharkey couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his three children age five, seven and nine among hundreds walking past his window on Tuesday morning.

The 27-year-old praised the school for how upbeat they were with the children during the suspected threat.

"I saw the whole school with their teachers walking past the house. I saw my children among them and asked what was going on. I thought it was a day trip out. Then I saw the police cars at the school and the whole school was being evacuated.

"The teachers were trying to keep everybody calm."

"I don't know why or what the reasons are."

He added that his children thought it was a fire alarm.

"I was very pleased at how the school handled it. And for the fact that they got the children out safely and then rung the parents after I would like to thank the school for that, it was a good job," he added.

"The teachers were so upbeat walking past the house, so friendly and keeping all the children in high spirits and they thought it was a day trip out in the sun."

A spokesman for the Education Authority said they are working closely with the PSNI.

He said in a statement: The Education Authority has been made aware of malicious communications to a number of schools today.

"Schools have in place policies and procedures for dealing with such incidents. They have been working closely with their local PSNI officers and taking the relevant precautionary measures to ensure the safety of all children.

Bloomfield primary school took 'immediate action to safeguard pupils'

The principal of Bloomfield Primary School has said they took immediate action following the threat.

Principal Rebecca Dowie said: "As soon as the information was received by the school, Senior Management and all the staff acted promptly, following agreed procedures. The police were immediately informed and the school and its nursery unit were evcauated.

"All parents were also made aware of the evacuation taking place and where to collect their children from."

"I want to strongly emphasise that Bloomfield Primary School took immediate action to safeguard our pupils - their welfare is of paramount importance to the school."

'Utterly reprehensible'

SDLP Justice Spokesperson Alex Attwood MLA condemned those behind a series of malicious phone calls to schools.

He said: Today has seen children across Northern Ireland and Britain evacuated from their classrooms. It is a development that will shock many and must be condemned by everyone.

I commend the actions of staff who acted quickly and professionally as the situation unfolded. As details continue to emerge we must remember this disturbance comes at a time when pupils across these islands prepare for their exams. To threaten children and staff in this way is utterly reprehensible.

Any and all threats must be taken seriously and the PSNI will work with their colleagues in the South and in Britain as they pursue those responsible.

Limerick school evacuation

Meanwhile in Limerick hundreds of school children have been evacuated following a bomb threat on Tuesday morning.

Gardai has cordoned off the area.

Similar threats to schools in Scotland 'not credible'

It follows similar threats in England and Scotland on Monday. They said the threats made to schools across Scotland "do not appear to be credible" but are being taken seriously.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is pictured at Parliament Buildings, Stormont with his new Ministerial team Chris Hazzard, Meagan Fearon, Michelle O'Neill and Mairtin O'Muilleoir. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness pictured at Parliament Buildings, Stormont with his new Ministerial team Chris Hazzard, Meagan Fearon, Michelle O'Neill and Mairtin O Muilleoir. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

Martin McGuinness has announced his four Sinn Fein colleagues who will be appointed as ministers at Stormont.

They are Mairtin O'Muilleoir, Michelle O'Neill, Chris Hazzard and Megan Fearon.

Making the announcement the Deputy First Minister said: "Sinn Fein is an Irish Republican party, we stood in the Assembly election to deliver a prosperous economy and jobs, to protect and enhance public services, support those most in need and to progress Irish Unity.

"We are grateful for the mandate we received and will set delivering as Ministers at the Executive.

"The task ahead of us will be extremely challenging as the Tory party continue with their austerity agenda and as we continue to resolve the issues of the past and build unity, reconciliation, and equality.

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"Sinn Fein will be entitled to three full Ministerial position and a junior Ministerial position in The Executive Office.

"We have today agreed our Ministerial nominees to be Michelle ONeill, Mairtin O Muilleoir, Chris Hazzard and Megan Fearon. We will also be appointing Caral Ni Chuilin as group leader and Assembly party whip.

"While others have walked away from their responsibilities, the Sinn Fein team will work with the other ministers in partnership to deliver for all the people."

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Whatsapp Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is pictured at Parliament Buildings, Stormont with his new Ministerial team Chris Hazzard, Meagan Fearon, Michelle O'Neill and Mairtin O'Muilleoir. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

It's expected that the DUP will name its ministers on Wednesday.

The justice minister position is also expected to be announced. Speaking at Tuesday's announcement Mr McGuinness refused to be drawn on the issue but said it would be resolved to his satisfaction.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has accepted an invitation to visit the Battle of the Somme site.

The Sinn Fein MLA said he is taking up an invitation from the Flemish government to visit Flanders Field next week and that he will also visit the Somme.

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A series of major ceremonies are planned across the UK and France on July 1 to mark the centenary of the battle.

Sinn Fein has said there has been no decision taken on whether a party representative will attend one of those events.

The Somme was one of the bloodiest battles of World War One with more than one million casualties over 141 days.

Mr McGuinness will be accompanied on his visit by senior party colleagues including Sinn Fein Vice President Mary Lou McDonald TD.

Martin McGuinness said: World War One is an important part of Irelands multi-layered history during which tens of thousands Irish people lost their lives.

If we are to build understanding and reconciliation on this island, we all need to recognise and accept the complexity of the historical events and differing political narratives that make us who we are as a community and as a people.

It is in this spirit of reconciliation I will be visiting Flanders Fields next week to learn more about the Battle of Messines which took place in June 1917.

I will also visit the Somme to mark the terrible loss of life on all sides in that battle 100 years ago.

I am doing so in a sincere effort to recognise the human suffering and also the importance these events hold for the unionist section of our people.

Sinn Fein Vice president Mary Lou McDonald TD added: "Republicans opposed the imperialist First World War War and the subsequent slaughter which claimed the lives of millions.

However, the loss of tens of thousands of Irish and Ulster Volunteers left a huge mark on our society.

In this decade of anniversaries it is right to remember those who died in Flanders and at the Somme in a respectful and inclusive fashion.
The couple pictured recently with friends after completing the climb from the more treacherous North Face

Noel and Lynne during their climb to fulfil their dream of scattering the ashes of Babu on the summit of the mountain

A Northern Ireland couple have become the first husband and wife team to climb to the top of Everest from both sides of the mountain.

A tired but jubilant Noel and Lynne Hanna stood on top of the world at 7am on Saturday - the same date as they reached the summit in 2009 - after a gruelling six-week climb.

As well as entering the record books, the couple fulfilled their dream of scattering the ashes of their beloved pet dog Babu on the top of Everest.

Safely back at Base Camp on Sunday, Lynne and Noel were congratulated by hundreds of well-wishers who have been following their a scent online.

Lynne also made history by becoming the first female from the UK and Ireland to summit Everest from both sides.

The couple battled a blizzard to make their final push.

Noel told the Belfast Telegraph last night: "We were pleased to be back down safe at Base Camp yesterday after being on the summit at 7am on Saturday.

"We had two objectives coming to Everest this time - to summit together and scatter Babu's ashes - and we did both.

"Lynne is the first female from the UK and Ireland to summit Everest from both sides, and as far as we can find out we are the first couple ever to summit from both sides together.

"We would like to thank everyone back home for their best wishes and support."

Lynne added: "We had very high winds heading for the summit, but it was very emotional on top. We are both delighted to be safely back in Base Camp."

Seasoned climbers Lynne (54) and Noel (49) first attempted the north side of the mountain in 2005 but were forced to give up when Noel experienced retinal haemorrhaging at 7,000 metres.

On their return home to Northern Ireland, they got Babu, a German Shepherd pup, to keep Noel company as he recovered. The pet's name means child or son in Tibetan, and the dog became as close to them as a child.

Babu ran and trained in the mountains with Lynne and Noel but died aged 10 in December last year.

As the couple made their second attempt to climb the mountain from the north side this month, they carried Babu's ashes with them. On Saturday, they said an emotional farewell to their beloved pet on the top of Everest.

Before leaving for the mountain, Noel told the Belfast Telegraph: "As we have no kids, we treated Babu like a child. We always said that when he died we would get him cremated and take some of his ashes to the highest mountain in Northern Ireland, which we did on St Patrick's Day.

"Babu had been to the summit of Slieve Donard with us about 50 times. We also want to take some of his ashes to the summit of Everest.

"As far as I know, we will be the first husband and wife to have climbed both sides of Everest, but for me it means more that we sprinkle Babu's ashes there. That has made us more determined to be on the summit together."
Ryan Farquhar with Malachi Mitchell-Thomas and Ian Forsythe at the Tandragee 100 launch night this season. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON

Ryan Farquhar with Nico Mawhinney and Paul Gartland at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON

Road racing star Ryan Farquhar remains seriously ill after being readmitted to intensive care following his 100mph crash at the North West 200.

The Dungannon racer was returned to the ICU in the Royal Victoria Hospital on Friday.

A spokesman for the Belfast Health Trust described him as being "seriously ill".

Having suffered serious chest and pelvic injuries, many believed the rider was on the mend after being transferred to a general ward on Wednesday.

A close friend of the racing star said recently that Mr Farquhar's deterioration came "out of the blue" after he appeared to be in "good form" in hospital just days ago.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles leaves the centre after his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles leaves the centre after his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles chats to staff at the end of visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles chats to staff at the end of visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles unveils a plaque at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles unveils a plaque at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles signs a visitors book at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles signs a visitors book at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles chats to staff at the end of visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles signs a visitors book at the end of his visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles chats to staff at the end of visit to the centre. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles is greeted by the First Minster Arlene Foster as he begins his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles is greeted by the Gavin Robinson MP for east Belfast as he begins his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles is greeted by the Deputy Lord Mayor for Belfast Guy Spence as he begins his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 23rd May 2016 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales starts a two day visit to Northern Ireland by launching Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at ECIT(Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology)beside the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Area of Belfast. Prince Charles is greeted by the First Minster Arlene Foster as he begins his visit. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

The Prince of Wales shakes hands with Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster as he arrives at the Northern Ireland Science Park at Queen's University Belfast, where he officially launched the University's first Global Research Institute. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (left) speaks with President and Vice Chancellor of Queens University Belfast Professor Patrick Johnson (centre) and Professor John McCanny as he arrives at the Northern Ireland Science Park at Queen's University Belfast, where he officially launched the University's first Global Research Institute. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales arrives at the Northern Ireland Science Park at Queen's University Belfast, where he officially launched the University's first Global Research Institute.Niall Carson/PA Wire

Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster curtseys for The Prince of Wales as he arrives at the Northern Ireland Science Park at Queen's University Belfast, where he officially launched the University's first Global Research Institute.Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (front, second right) attends a service of thanksgiving and dedication during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales attends a service of thanksgiving and dedication during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (front, second left) attends a service of thanksgiving and dedication during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (left) is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (left) is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry, Northern Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 24, 2016. The Grade A listed building, formerly Portaferry Presbyterian Church, has undergone a 1.5m restoration to create an arts and heritage centre used by all sections of the community. See PA story ULSTER Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public what to see Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Pacemaker Press Belfast 24-05-2016: Members of the public what to see Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Members of the public pictured with Prince Charles. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the Portico Presbyterian Church in Portaferry CoDown Northern Ireland. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Two protesters, one with a "Brits Out" banner, await the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

School children await the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

People await the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

People await the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall leaving Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Gardai provide security as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive in Donegal Town during a visit to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (partially obscured) leaving Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Ellie Nichoilan, 9, speaks with the Prince of Wales at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Ellie Nichoilan, 9, speaks with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Donegal Castle in Donegal Town, as Charles visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by Irish TV presenter Noel Cunningham (left) as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Two women protest during the visit of Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

A women protests during the visit of Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Two women protest during the visit of Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Donegal Town, as Charles is visiting the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (bottom left) are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by Irish TV presenter Noel Cunningham (left) as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales (right) is greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by Irish TV presenter Noel Cunningham (left) as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meets Philomena Barry, 90, who was the housekeeper of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten, as Charles visits Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales meets Philomena Barry, 90, who was the housekeeper of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten, as Charles visits Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales is greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 25, 2016. See PA story IRISH Charles. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are greeted by well wishers as they visit Donegal Town in the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visit Donegal Castle on May 25, 2016 in Letterkenny, Ireland. The royal couple are on a one day visit to Ireland having spent two days across the border in Northern Ireland. It is their first trip to Donegal. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Glenveagh Castle in Glenveagh National Park, Co Donegal, as they visit the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PA

The Duchess of Cornwall meets students during a visit to the Ballyraine National School in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. PA

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall ontop of the boat house at Glenveagh Castle in Glenveagh National Park, Co Donegal, as they visit the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PA

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall ontop of the boat house at Glenveagh Castle in Glenveagh National Park, Co Donegal, as his visits the Republic of Ireland in the latest royal bid to solidify transformed Anglo-Irish relations. PA

Against a backdrop of Belfast's rich shipbuilding past, Prince Charles started a three-day visit north and south of the border yesterday by hailing the city's pioneering role in the future of the digital age.

The prince's arrival in Titanic Quarter, which has been totally transformed since the peace process, came on the 18th anniversary of the announcement of the Yes vote in the Good Friday Agreement referendum.

The heir to the throne, who will be joined today by the Duchess of Cornwall, spent several hours touring a fast-expanding cyber security unit at the Northern Ireland Science Park.

He met students and researchers from all over the world at Queen's University's Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT).

He also formally launched the facility as the first of four Global Research Institutes to be unveiled at the university.

Amid warnings that the threat from dissident republicans was high, the PSNI set up a number of checkpoints on roads leading into the Titanic Quarter before the visit and snipers took positions on rooftops in the area as five motorcycle outriders escorted the royal cortege.

First Minister Arlene Foster, East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson and the city's deputy Lord Mayor Guy Spence were among the welcoming party for Charles outside the Science Park.

The prince had expressed a personal interest in visiting the ECIT after presenting officials with a Queen's anniversary prize for their work on cyber security.

Inside, Charles was given a rundown on the groundbreaking advances in the field, including a system of stopping hackers accessing crucial electricity supplies.

Other advances have been made to anti-counterfeit devices, weather satellites and wireless medical monitors.

The explanations about the technology from Dr Maire O'Neill, the research director of the ECIT security digital system cluster, were detailed and complicated, but the prince seemed to understand the jargon and repeatedly asked questions about what he was told and what he was seeing in the models in front of him.

At one point he met more than a dozen students and full-time researchers who are based at ECIT but come from countries including Pakistan, China and Greece. They had all been told to expect a VIP visitor, but none of them knew who it would be.

The prince told Chinese student Jing Sua (25) that his English was much better than his Mandarin.

"He was very nice and had a little joke with me and shook my hand," Jing said.

Pakistani Umar Minhas, who works full-time on research at ECIT and is also studying part-time for a PhD, said the prince had shown a keen interest in his work and was knowledgeable about what was done at the institution.

"It was great to meet the prince," he added.

"I have only ever seen him on the television, so it was quite an experience to talk to him."

Full-time research assistant Fahad Siddiqui, who is also from Pakistan, said he had been excited to meet Charles.

"I wasn't expecting to meet him, but it was lovely to meet him and talk to him about what I do," Fahad added.

The director of the ECIT, Professor John McCanny, told the prince that the work carried out in Belfast was vital in a world that has become increasingly digitised.

He said: "It affects how we communicate, manage our finances, access healthcare and even interact with household devices.

"With more of our information held digitally and connected across multiple devices, significant new challenges are emerging."

He added that the issues included questions about how the information created by citizens, businesses and governments could be secured, processed and transmitted while detecting and preventing information theft, fraud and attacks.

He went on: "Through our Global Research Institute, we are committed to tackling these major challenges of our time."

Mr Robinson said the setting up of the Global Research Institute at Queen's University was a welcome recognition for the facility.

"Belfast is a growing player in the worldwide technological sector and that is going to be extremely important in the future of our economy," the MP added.
The Prince of Wales meets local people during a visit to the Yellow Door Deli at Portadown in Northern Ireland.

The Prince of Wales looks at a carpet during a visit to Ulster Carpets in Craigavon.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (both right) view a carpet destined for the Ball Supper Room at Buckingham Palace, London, during a visit to Ulster Carpets in Craigavon.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during a visit to Ulster Carpets in Craigavon.

The Prince of Wales holds a hurley presented to him by members of the local GAA club during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry.

The Prince of Wales unveils a plaque to officially open the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry.

The Prince of Wales (centre) is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry.

The Prince of Wales (front, second right) attends a service of thanksgiving and dedication during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry.

The Prince of Wales with Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle, County Down.

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down.

The Prince of Wales has toured an Orange Order museum during a visit to the island of Ireland aimed at promoting understanding of its differing traditions.

Charles was met by the thunderous beat of lambeg drums as he arrived at the sun-drenched heritage centre in Loughgall, Co Armagh that commemorates the birthplace of the Protestant loyal order.

The visit came on the second day of his trip to Northern Ireland and ahead of travelling across the Irish border to Co Donegal for a series of engagements on Wednesday.

Earlier, the prince held separate meetings with Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle. The region's leaders updated the heir to the throne on the current political and economic situation.

Mrs Foster again met Charles as he toured the Museum of Orange Heritage.

"It's a great day, it's a marvellous day and the weather has played its part as well," said the Democratic Unionist leader.

"It's great to see so many people here to welcome His Royal Highness to Loughgall."

Republic of Ireland government minister Heather Humphreys was also among invited guests who were introduced to the royal visitor.

"I was delighted to be here because it is important that all of the heritage that belongs to the island of Ireland is understood," she said.

Young and old waved Union flags as they lined the streets of the Co Armagh village to catch a glimpse of the VIP visitor.

Among them was 95-year-old Una Vincent, who chatted with the prince during his walkabout.

"I very much enjoyed it," she said. "It's a wonderful day."

During a private part of the visit, Charles met with a number of relatives of Orangemen killed during the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Edward Stevenson, said it was a special day for the institution.

"We are absolutely thrilled to receive a Royal visitor as we play our part in Northern Ireland society moving forward to an accepted and shared future for all," he said.

"This was a special and momentous day which will live long in our memory and be cherished for many generations to come."

During his tour, Charles was shown a pair of gloves worn by King William of Orange in the 17th century. He also entered the parlour where the first documents were signed to herald the formation of the Orange Order in 1795.

The Duchess of Cornwall joined the prince for the second day of his Northern Ireland visit, with the couple fulfilling a number of joint and separate engagements.

As Charles visited the Orange Order museum, Camilla toured a nearby cider producer.

Earlier, both royals sampled some cider in the Yellow Door deli in Portadown town centre as they met a range of local food and drink producers.

The couple also toured the Ulster Carpets factory in Portadown.

Among the carpets being manufactured in the long established business is one destined for Buckingham Palace.

On his first public engagement of the day, Charles visited one of Ireland's oldest Presbyterian churches in Portaferry, on the tip of the Ards Peninsula in Co Down.

It marked Portaferry Presbyterian's reopening as the Portico arts centre after eight years and almost 1 million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund plus dozens of other benefactors.

On Tuesday evening, the royal couple were hosting a musical evening at Hillsborough Castle.

On Wednesday, Charles and Camilla will travel across the Irish border to Co Donegal.

The visit to the Republic of Ireland is at the request of the UK Government and follows Charles and Camilla's trip to the country this time last year when the prince toured the place where his great uncle, Lord Mountbatten, was murdered by the IRA in 1979.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "The visits will recognise the warm friendship that exists between both countries, promoting understanding of their respective heritage and celebrating the best that each has to offer."

Charles arrived in Northern Ireland on Monday, when he was given a glimpse into the high-tech world of internet security during a visit to Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at the Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.
Three women have turned themselves into police in protest against the current abortion laws.

Diana King (71), Colette Devlin (68) and Kitty OKane (69) went to Strand Road police station in Londonderry to say they have taken delivery of abortion pills for women too afraid to have them delivered to their house.

Former social worker and foster mother Ms King said they wanted to challenge the 1861 law which they said persecutes women who are unable to afford the cost of travelling to England to have a legal abortion.

They told UTV: Were feeling very angry that it is illegal, that women are placed in this situation.

Women who can afford to travel to England can have a legal abortion. Women that cant afford to travel to England to have a legal abortion can only access nine-week abortion pills for 60.

Were very angry about that; were very angry that women are being criminalised.

Ms OKane added: Were very well prepared for the consequences that might come. Many of our women are being forced by a law that comes from the 19th century that doesnt give them the freedom to make their own choice.

Accompanied by their solicitor, the trio of women entered the police station with a prepared statement.

Supporters of the women protested outside the police station, holding placards. The current law makes abortion illegal here except in very specific circumstances. It is permitted if a womans life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious risk to her mental or physical health.

Earlier this year a Belfast woman was given a suspended sentence for buying drugs online to terminate her pregnancy.

Another case is currently going through the courts where a mother has been charged with giving her daughter pills to bring on a miscarriage.

Campaigners have criticised the Executive for failing to act and say they have washed their hands of the issue.

In 2014/15, there were 16 terminations in Northern Ireland compared to 185,000 abortions carried out in the UK, according to statistics from the Department of Health.
A Muslim convert from Northern Ireland who wanted to bring up her children under the Islamic State in Syria has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Trainee maths teacher Lorna Moore (34), from Co Tyrone, was planning to take her three children, including an 11-month-old baby, to the warzone.

Moore, who lived in Walsall in the West Midlands but is originally from Omagh, failed to tell authorities her husband Sajid Aslam (34), was leaving for Syria.

Ayman Shaukat (28) was also convicted of preparing terrorist acts by helping Aslam and convert Alex Nash (22) on their way.

Also linked to the group was Kerry Thomason (24), who was pregnant when she was prevented from travelling to Syria with her children to join her husband.

During sentencing at the Old Bailey, Judge Charles Wide described Moore as a "very strong character" and said she "knew perfectly well of your husband's dedication to terrorism".

"One of the troubling things about you is your facility for telling lies," he added.

She was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

Shaukat was jailed for 10 years with a five-year extended licence, while Nash was jailed for five years with a one-year licence.

The judge called Thomason "naive" and said her husband made "ugly threats" when trying to persuade her to join him.

She was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years, with a supervision order and six-month tagged curfew between 6pm and 6am.

At the time of Aslam's departure in August 2014, Moore had taken the rest of the family on a Butlin's holiday in Skegness.

As Aslam crossed into Syria, he sent a triumphant coded message back to Shaukat in the form of a video link to a song called I Made It by Cash Money Heroes.

Within months, Moore had booked flights to Majorca, but her final destination was given away in a text from Nash's pregnant wife saying "see you there".

Moore insisted she would never put her children's lives in danger, adding: "They mean the world to me."

After meeting Aslam in university, she converted to Islam and they married three years later, going on to have three children, now 10, nine and three.

She insisted she had been planning to take them back to her family's farm in Co Tyrone after finishing her teacher training in 2015. But during a visit in 2014, the defendant brought forward the move.

Her mother, Katherine Moore, told the court her daughter had become depressed and in the end abandoned the plan.

Mrs Moore described her daughter as "very dutiful, patient and a "very good mother". She told how she would bring her three children to Northern Ireland for Christmas, but without Aslam, who found it "boring".

She said her son-in-law could be "impatient" and "unkind" towards her daughter, and added he missed the birth of his second child because he had shrugged it off as "another false alarm".

Lorna Moore claimed her relationship with Aslam ended after he became abusive and they only lived together for the sake of the children. She told jurors that when she turned to a Muslim cleric for a divorce, he told her a "white Muslim is not a special Muslim" and she must take her husband back.

Shaukat, of Pargeter Street, Walsall, denied helping his friends join IS by dropping Aslam and Nash off at airports.

The convicted burglar and law degree graduate was nicknamed Karma Chameleon because he presented different versions of himself to jurors.

He described IS as "evil" and said he told MI5 he would "assist in any way I could" after agents contacted him.

Other members of the West Midlands group allegedly set off for Syria between July and December 2014.

The first to join IS was Muslim convert Jake Petty (25), also known as Abu Yaqoob Britany.

His Christian minister mother, Sue Boyce, wept as she told jurors how she begged him not to go and later had to identify his body from video footage after he was killed in December 2014.

Petty was followed by former schoolmate Isaiah Siadatan, (24), whose pregnant wife, Thomason, was prevented from joining him.

He sent her an email in December 2014 insisting she should bring their children to him in IS.

Siadatan is believed to have been killed in the summer of 2015, but his death is unconfirmed.

Thomason previously pleaded guilty to assisting her husband in preparation of terrorist acts.

Nash and his pregnant wife Yousma Jan (20) were arrested by Turkish authorities and sent back to the UK.

He took sole responsibility for the plan and admitted preparing acts of terrorism. A charge against Jan was discontinued.
Members of the University and College Union are staging a 48-hour strike across the UK

Lecturers are "solidly" supporting a 48-hour strike over pay as picket lines were mounted outside universities across the UK.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are also refusing to work overtime, set additional work, or undertake any voluntary duties like covering timetabled classes for absent colleagues.

General secretary Sally Hunt said: "We are getting reports of really solid support from picket lines across the UK.

"It is a disgrace that the employers' intransigence over pay and conditions for university staff has forced us out on strike. The time has come to reverse the holding down of salaries that has seen staff pay fall by 14.5% in real terms since 2009. We hope universities will now come back to us with a decent offer and we can avoid further disruption. "

If the dispute is not resolved in the coming weeks, members have agreed to further strike action which could affect open days, graduation ceremonies and the clearing process.

The union is also beginning preparations for a boycott of the setting and marking of students' work to begin in the autumn.

The union has rejected a 1.1% pay offer from employers, arguing that universities could afford to pay more after the pay and benefits of university leaders went up by 5.1% last year.

Protests are being held around the UK with rallies in Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.

A university employers' spokesman said: "Our HE institutions tell us that they anticipate minor impact and minimal student disruption from UCU's planned strike days this week. They know that the vast majority of their staff understand the current funding environment and can see that the final offer, with substantial extra for the lower paid, endeavours to be fair without putting additional jobs at risk.

"Higher education institutions overwhelmingly tell us they are anticipating no to low impacts on both days. Even for examinations, which are still taking place at some institutions, more than nine out of 10 report that a no to low impact is anticipated.

"This industrial action is naturally disappointing given the very good pay offer, plus the joint work on gender pay and casual employment that is on the table. We would like to see UCU consulting its members on the final offer rather than seeking to take action that could damage institutions and harm their students.

"However, it is important to note than less than 5% of academic staff have voted to support this planned strike action. The student experience is a primary concern for all institutions and so staff will be doing their very best to protect students."

Unite, which has around 12,000 members in the higher education sector, said it was consulting on the possibility of joining the action. A ballot closes on June 6.

National officer Mike McCartney said: "We are calling on Unite members to reject the offer on the table. They have seen their pay slashed over recent years, while many university bosses are raking in more than the Prime Minister.

"Clearly there is unfairness in the pay system and that hurts our members who are mainly technicians, porters and cleaning staff without whom universities would not function. These are the workers who are the key to providing a good student experience."
Capybaras are native to South and Central America

Capybaras are native to South and Central America

The four capybara babies with mum

Four web-footed babies have arrived at Belfast Zoo as capybaras Charlie and Lola welcomed a new litter.

The capybara pups were born on May 10 and are thriving, keepers say.

Capybaras are the largest rodent species in the world and are semi-aquatic animals with webbed feet.

The animals are from South America and are capable of swimming underwater for up to five minutes, allowing them to stay concealed from predators.

Their scientific name, Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris, means 'water hog'.

Zoo curator Alyn Cairns said: "Our capybaras live with some other South American 'amigos', including giant anteaters and Darwin's rhea. We have said 'Hola' to quite a few new arrivals in this enclosure recently including a baby giant anteater, Darwin's rhea chicks and now four capybara babies. We couldn't be more delighted.

"While the capybara is not currently classified as an endangered species, it is hunted and poached for its meat and skin.

"It is important that zoos, such as Belfast Zoo, help to raise awareness of this species and the increasing dangers which they face in their natural habitat.

"We have no doubt that our South American babies will soon be a firm favourite with visitors."

Capybaras live in family groups of 10 to 40 and are vocal animals, communicating through barks, whistles, huffs and purrs. Belfast Zoo's capybaras are located at the lake area, beside the play park.

They inhabit southern Central America and northern South America in savannah and rainforests near ponds, rivers or lakes.

A constant source of water is important as capybaras retreat to escape from predators such as jaguars and anacondas.

You can support Belfast Zoo's Capybaras by taking part in the adoption scheme.

Find out more at www.belfastzoo.co.uk/adoption or email adoption@belfastzoo.co.uk
The DUP has named Brian Kingston as the party's preferred candidate for Belfast Lord Mayor.

It comes after the Belfast Telegraph revealed the party group on the council was struggling to chose a potential candidate.

Deputy Group Leader Councillor Adam Newton said: "We are pleased to confirm that Brian Kingston has been selected by our group as our candidate for the position of Lord Mayor. I know that this means a great deal to Brian and that he will apply himself assiduously to serving our city over the coming year.

"He proceeds with our support and our best wishes for the year ahead.

Alderman Kingston, who is the current DUP Group Leader on Belfast City Council, added: "It is a great honour for me to be selected for the position of Lord Mayor of my home city. I am very proud to come from Belfast and, as a Councillor, I have taken huge pleasure in seeing the great strides forward that our city is making year on year.

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"I will do my utmost during my term of office to promote the inclusive growth of our capital citys economy, to advance our international connections, attract international events and to support all those who make Belfast a compassionate and caring city.

"I will dedicate myself to the role of representing all the people of our city in an important year which includes the solemn occasion of the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.

"Both I and my wife Eileen, in her role as Lady Mayoress, look forward immensely to the opportunities that this year will present.

The selection for Belfast Lord Mayor will take place on Wednesday, June 1.
Gerry The Monk Hutch at the funeral of his brother Eddie in Dublin

Police at the scene of the shooting.

A man in his 30s has been shot dead in Dublin's north inner city.

The incident happened at Avondale House Flats, North Cumberland St off Mountjoy Square at approximately 10am on Tuesday.

It is understood that the man was shot as he sat in a car. Witnesses described two gunmen leaving the scene, and that "three to six shots" were fired.

It is understood that the victim is well-known to gardai, and has a number of previous convictions.

He is an associate of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

It is thought to be the seventh murder of the Kinahan-Hutch feud which has spiralled out of control since the start of the year.

The latest victim had been living at Avondale House, off North Cumberland Street.

This address was previously searched by gardai as part of the investigation into the Regency Hotel shooting last February 5.

The victim was recently issued with a Garda Information Message warning him that his life was under threat.

Gardai are investigating if a second man, also a relative of the Hutch family, was also injured in the attack.

The gunmen are reported to have fled the scene on foot after their getaway vehicle failed to start. They got into another vehicle nearby.

Emergency services remain at the scene.

Associates of the latest gangland murder victim had been linked to the murder of Davy Byrne.

Five people have now been killed since Byrne was shot dead at the Regency Hotel last February 5.

Patrick Hutch has been charged with that killing.
Irish holidaymakers have been warned not to book flights unless their passports are up to date as the authorities in the Republic say they are behind in processing 9,218 applications

The much-vaunted pre-clearance facility at Dublin Airport is understood to be at risk.

It is believed there are issues with the service offered to passengers by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Passengers travelling from Dublin to the US can currently save two hours of queuing at immigration there by pre-clearing in Ireland.

Dublin is the only European country offering the facility, which lets passengers avoid long waits and collect their bags once they land.

However, Irish officials have warned Transport Minister Shane Ross that while pre-clearance "operates very well", there have been difficulties with "CBP manpower resources".

The Irish Transport Department said that while all airlines that wanted to use the service were pre-cleared in 2015, the facility was now under threat.

"With increasing passenger numbers there is a risk that all flights will not pre-clear in 2016 unless permanent additional resources are provided by US CBP," a spokesman added.

A spokeswoman for the US CBP acknowledged queries last night but did not respond before our print deadline.

Business and travel organisations here have warned a reduction in the pre-clearance service would have major consequences for Ireland.
Schools in the Republic of Ireland were evacuated following similar alerts in Northern Ireland

A primary school in the Republic of Ireland was evacuated on Tuesday morning after it received a bomb threat.

Independent.ie can reveal that a person called Scoil Colmcille in Donaghmede this morning to say there was a device in the building.

Students, including a number of children with autism, were immediately ordered to evacuate and gardai were contacted.

Officers carried out a search of the premises and were unable to find any device.

The Defence Forces' Explosive Ordnance Defence (EOD) unit was not contacted to deal with the situation as it was declared a hoax.

A garda investigation will now be launched to establish the identity of the person who made the call to the school on Newbrook Rd in Donaghmede, Dublin 13.

A source said: "This was a very scary situation for the children involved.

"Thankfully nobody was hurt but this is a very serious issue and will not be taken lightly."

A spokesman for the Garda press office said: "Gardai in Coolock attended the scene of an incident at a school on Newbrook Rd, Coolock at 10.45am today.

"It proved to be a false report. Gardai in Coolock will now carry out an investigation into the incident."

Meanwhile, hundreds of school children were evacuated from a national school in Limerick this morning after a separate hoax bomb alert.

Gardai were called to act after a message was sent to Milford National School claiming there was a device in the building.

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The PSNI have said that there is no indication that the hoax bomb threats are "terrorist-related".

It is understood that up to seven schools were evacuated this morning - and parents were called to collect their children.

It follows similar 'not credible' threats to schools across England and Scotland yesterday. Again, many schools were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Irish Independent
David Cameron is hoping for further international backing for Britain to stay in the European Union as he sets off for what will be his final summit of world leaders before the June 23 referendum.

The UK's referendum is not on the official agenda for the two-day G7 in Japan, which kicks off on Thursday, but it is certain to feature heavily in conversations in the margins of the event and the Prime Minister will be hoping for a united show of support for a Remain vote from host Shinzo Abe and his fellow leaders.

On a visit to London earlier this month, the Japanese PM warned that Brexit would make the UK "less attractive" to investors from his country. And he said Japan would prefer to seal a free trade deal with the whole EU, rather than individual states.

Negotiations on the EU-Japan deal are high on the agenda for the summit in the Ise-Shima coastal resort, with G7 leaders expected to back early completion of talks which began in 2013. Both Mr Abe and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have said they hope the deal - which Downing Street believes could be worth 5 billion a year to the UK - can be sealed by the end of 2016.

Mr Cameron is set to be at loggerheads with his host on broader economic policy, setting his face against Mr Abe's drive for a co-ordinated fiscal stimulus by G7 states to inject vigour into the lethargic global economy.

British officials said that Mr Cameron's priority will be to encourage the G7 to back "flexibility", with an approach permitting member states - the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan - to pursue economic policies appropriate to their particular circumstances.

The PM will push for action from the G7 on steel-dumping, to counter market distortions caused by over-production in China, which is threatening the viability of the industry in the UK and other countries around the world.

He will push for G7 condemnation of missile-testing in North Korea, and will seek support for the extension of sanctions against Russia when they come up for renewal in the summer. He will voice Britain's support for the extension into Libyan territorial waters of the EU's Operation Sophia mission against people-trafficking.

The final communique of the two-day summit is thought unlikely to give explicit G7 backing to the Remain side in the Brexit debate, but leaders including Mr Abe, US President Barack Obama and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau have already made clear their concerns about the negative consequences they expect from EU withdrawal.

A meeting of G7 finance ministers last week concluded that a potential UK exit would "complicate the global economic environment", while Germany's Wolfgang Schauble told reporters: "We were all of the opinion that it would be the wrong decision for the UK."

Mr Cameron was departing for Japan late on Tuesday to arrive in Ise-Shima on Wednesday evening, ahead of the welcome ceremony the following morning.
Leaving the EU could put 230 on the cost of a family holiday and 4 on the price of a phone call home, David Cameron has claimed, as he set out what he termed the "retail" case for continued membership.

But the PM's latest salvo in the increasingly-bitter referendum battle is likely to intensify allegations of scaremongering from the Leave camp, which strongly disputes the Whitehall calculations over the economic cost of Brexit as negative propaganda.

Speaking at the Luton HQ of low-cost airline easyJet, Mr Cameron drew on analysis by the Treasury suggesting a 12% slump in the value of the pound against the euro if the UK votes to quit the EU in the June 23 referendum.

According to Government calculations, by 2018 the weaker pound will mean four people on a nine-night break to Spain could pay 225 more, with eight nights in France up 210, a fortnight in the US 620 and 10 nights in Portugal 325,

Mr Cameron told airline workers: "If we were to leave, and the pound were to fall - which is what most people expect and what the Treasury forecast - that would put up the cost of a typical holiday for a family of four to a European destination by 230.

"It could put up the cost of air travel, because if you are outside the single market - which is what those who want us to leave think - then you would face all sorts of bureaucracy and restrictions that you don't face today.

"Another very retail thing that is happening in Europe is, we are abolishing roaming charges in the European Union. It's one of the most annoying things - you're on holiday, you use your mobile phone, you get an enormous bill. Getting rid of roaming charges could mean on a 10-minute call back to the UK, you're saving almost 4.

"I think there are some very strong retail arguments about the cost of a holiday, the cost of food, the cost of using your phone, for staying in the European Union."

Despite stressing the consumer benefits of EU membership, Mr Cameron insisted he was not offering a "head against heart" trade-off, in which the economic case for Remain is pitched against the patriotic appeal of Leave.

Staying in the EU was the "big, bold, patriotic" thing to do, because Britain's strength and standing in the world were enhanced by its membership of international bodies, he said.

"I think the big, bold, patriotic case is to stay in a reformed European Union to fight for the sort of world that we want, rather than to stand back and be on the outside," said Mr Cameron.

Mr Cameron's former policy guru Steve Hilton - who backs Brexit - said the holiday price warning was another example of the sort of "pathetic, patronising EU scares" being deployed by both sides.

"You've got to be kidding. It's almost like a parody," he told the Press Association.

"I just wish we could have a serious debate about the long-term future of how we want to be governed rather than this kind of nonsense. It just does not do anyone any favours. It just puts people off the whole political class."

Mr Cameron's latest offensive came amid a furious response from Eurosceptic Tories to Monday's Treasury analysis which warned that Brexit would plunge the UK into a year-long recession and cost up to 820,000 jobs.

Reports that Tory MPs - one of whom, Marcus Fysh, called the Treasury dossier "specious bollocks" - were planning a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister following the referendum vote.

With less than a month to go until polling day however, the Remain campaign was boosted by a poll showing older voters, men and Conservative backers all moving their support away from Brexit.

The Daily Telegraph said its latest survey of 800 people by ORB International gave the pro-EU side a 13-point lead - by 55% to 42% - among those certain to vote, thanks in part to dramatic shifts among the three key groups.

Over-65s and male voters - seen as the most keen on quitting the EU - backed Remain by 52% to 44% and 55% to 42%, the newspaper said, with Conservatives, who favoured Brexit by 60% to 34% in March, now 57% to 40% for Remain.

Carolyn McCall, chief executive of easyJet, backed the PM over rising prices and the threat to cheap flights, telling the BBC Radio 4 Today programme it was "highly likely" that fares would rise if the UK left the EU.

"No-one quite knows what shape this would take if this indeed happened. It would depend what was able to be negotiated afterwards," said Ms McCall.

"What we can say with certainty is that it would be more complicated.

"I think we can say that it is highly likely that fares would go up because it would be more complicated for airlines to fly freely across Europe."

On roaming charges - which have been cut and are set to be abolished from June 2017 - Number 10 was backed by BT Group chief executive Gavin Patterson and Vittorio Colao, chief executive of the Vodafone Group.

Mr Patterson said: "Voters need to think very carefully before turning their backs on an institution that helps to ensure benefits like that are delivered."

Both said remaining in the EU would be better for their businesses and for UK jobs.

Mr Colao added: "Britain will benefit from being part of a borderless European Single Digital Market as it will create new opportunities for economic growth.

"Consequently, we believe it is better to be a shaper and leader from within, rather than being just a commercial neighbour."

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: " It's remarkable to see the Prime Minister talking down our country and our economy day after day.

"Yesterday Nicola Sturgeon pleaded with the Government to stop the negative campaigning, and urged them to stop making exaggerated claims that insult the public's intelligence. Clearly they're not listening.

"These threats lack credibility - the pound has actually been stable in recent months as the possibility of Brexit has increased. The truth is that leaving the EU will liberate the UK and allow us to do trade deals with countries like India and China - helping our economy to grow."

Lloyd Dorfman, founder and president of currency exchange business Travelex, said: " I am concerned about a sharp fall in the pound if we leave the EU. It would have a negative impact and increase the cost of holidays overseas.

"People in Britain made 65 million visits overseas last year, and 76% of these were to other EU countries. Tourism and travel are part of the umbilical cord between the UK and continental Europe. Leaving would be the biggest own goal in our post-war history."
Transatlantic relations must remain strong even if the UK votes to leave the EU, Chris Grayling urged Americans as he took the Brexit campaign to America.

The Commons leader said "the view from Washington" wasn't the way to judge what was in Britain's best interests as he renewed criticism of Barack Obama for publicly backing a Remain vote and urged Americans to stay out of the debate.

"Neither of us should ever be at the back of the line when it comes to working together," he said in a swipe at the US President's warnings over the poor prospects of negotiating a swift bi-lateral trade deal.

And he noted that neither Mr Obama nor any other presidential hopeful would ever have stood a chance of being elected had they proposed a similar arrangement for the Americas.

In a speech on Capitol Hill, Mr Grayling said it was the equivalent of asking American voters to accept being ruled by a parliament in Panama, a supreme court in Venezuela, merging their military into an "army of the Americas" and allowing "every Mexican ... the freedom to move to New York City if they choose".

"Suggesting that the United States should be part of such an organisation does not seem to me to be a political platform likely to command widespread support here," he said.

"But that is exactly where the United Kingdom finds itself today."

He said the introduction of the European single currency "created the economic equivalent of the San Andreas fault" - the geological feature that causes major earthquakes in parts of the US.

And there was no way for the UK to avoid the consequences of the economic and political earthquakes it was causing, he suggested.

"We will have little ability to defend our national interest. We will be outvoted all the time. But more and more of our law-making will be sucked into Brussels," he said.

"We will be of marginal importance while footing a large slice of the bill. The US would never accept that. Why should it expect its closest allies to do so?

"in European terms that really does mean finishing our equivalent of that fictitious American Union - not just with a Parliament in Panama City, but with a single Government of the Americas there as well.

"Europe has no choice but to make its version of that fiction a reality."

David Cameron's renegotiation deal cemented existing opt-outs but "gave us a little extra protection against being sucked into a European superstate", he said.

He concluded: "When Barack Obama visited London in April, he made it very clear that he believes Britain should stay in the EU.

"A number of other US politicians have made a similar arguments. Often they have done so with honest intent and with what they believe to be the best interests of the United Kingdom at heart.

"But the view from Washington isn't really the best way of judging what is right and wrong for the United Kingdom, and I think President Obama was wrong to insert himself into the debate in this way.

"In the same way that the United Kingdom should respect the big decisions taken in the US, so the verdict on the future of the United Kingdom must be one for the people of the UK alone.

"Inside or outside the EU, Britain's relationship with the United States will and must remain strong. Neither of us should ever be at the back of the line when it comes to working together.

"If Britain chooses to leave, our partnerships in defence, in intelligence, in counter-terrorism, in trade and in culture should remain strong and unchanged. Neither of us would benefit from growing apart, and neither of us should want that to happen, regardless of how Britain chooses to shape its future.

"We have a unique and special relationship that has survived changes of Government and changes of circumstance. That relationship will and must stay strong regardless of how the British vote in June. As David Cameron himself has said, I believe our best days together lie ahead.

"And our friends here in Washington and across the United States should understand the challenge we face, and should stand aside as we reach our own best view about how we secure our future."
Nicola Sturgeon was encouraged after holding a meeting with new London Mayor Sadiq Khan

Nicola Sturgeon has hailed the strengthening of links between Scotland and London after meeting the capital's new mayor Sadiq Khan.

Scotland's First Minister and Mr Khan discussed improving connections between the two economies at a meeting at City Hall.

Also on the agenda was the upcoming referendum on European Union (EU) membership, with both strongly in favour of staying in.

Speaking after the meeting, Ms Sturgeon said: "I was pleased to meet Sadiq Khan early in his tenure as the new London Mayor.

"He has a wealth of experience behind him and it is clear to me that he will bring fresh ideas for developing a stronger working relationship between London and Scotland.

"Scotland is already the most prosperous part of the country outside of London. We've got the people, the natural resources, the research base and the international reputation to achieve greater success in the future.

"I want to see our links with London strengthened and we will be opening a new hub for the Scottish Government and our agencies to build better business links in London later this year."

The First Minister said Scotland and London could also "share experiences" in areas including educational attainment and transport policy.

On the EU referendum, she added: "One area where we have shared interest is the importance of remaining in the European Union for both or our economies.

"Membership of the EU has been good for the prosperity and well-being of everyone across our country, and plays a crucial role in the success of our financial services and international export industries.

"I look forward to developing our stronger ties."
An armed policeman on the beach in Sousse, Tunisia, following the terrorist attack

The Foreign Office is being urged to relax its travel advice on Tunisia after the country has seen a 90% drop in British visitors since the beginning of the year.

Britons are currently warned against all but essential travel to the north African country, guidance that has been in place since 31 British holidaymakers were killed in two terror attacks in 2015.

But the Tunisian ambassador to the UK, Nabil Ammar, told the BBC the Government should take into account security improvements that have been made over the last 12 months.

The Foreign Office said the safety of Britons is its main concern.

Mr Ammar, from Sousse, told the BBC there was now a gap between the "perception of the level of security, and the real security on the ground".

He said: "Every week terrorist cells are dismantled. Terrorists are arrested or neutralised. This should give a positive image, not a negative one.

"If you take statistics, you have much less chance to die in Tunisia or to have any harm in Tunisia than so many countries close to us."

He added that he respected the UK Foreign Office, but that it should not allow "the impression that this is not a safe country, and take into account all the progress made" in security.

Mr Ammar also argued that part of the solution against terrorism is to have a good economy, and that he wanted the tragedy of the attacks to bring the two countries closer together.

According to the Tunisian Tourist Board, there was a fall of more than 90% in UK visitors for the first four months of this year compared with the same period a year ago.

Between January and April 2015, Tunisia saw 84,225 visitors from the UK, but just 5,980 in the first four months of this year.

Thirty Britons were among 38 people massacred in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse in June last year - the worst incident of terrorism involving British people since the July 7 attacks in London in 2005.

Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui targeted holidaymakers on the beach and in a hotel before being shot dead by security forces. Terror group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility.

Three months earlier, IS terrorists opened fire on tourists at the Bardo National Museum in the capital, Tunis. British tourist Sally Adey, 57, from Shropshire, was among 22 people killed.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We know our travel advice can have a knock-on effect on local economy and political considerations, but we don't let this influence the advice we give. The safety of British nationals is our main concern.

"We are working closely with the Tunisians to understand the terrorist threat better and to help them to strengthen measures to protect tourists further. Our travel advice is under constant review and we will change it as soon as the security situation permits."
Bill Cosby waved as he arrived at the courthouse (AP)

Bill Cosby has been ordered to stand trial on sexual assault charges relating to allegations which date back to 2004.

The confirmation came at a hearing that hinged on a decade-old police report in which a woman said the comedian gave her three blue pills that put her in a stupor, unable to stop his advances.

District Judge Elizabeth McHugh ruled prosecutors had sufficient evidence to bring Cosby to trial.

The judge set an arraignment for July 20, at which time he could enter a plea. But Cosby waived his right to appear at that proceeding. That sets the case on a trajectory for trial on a date yet to be set.

Cosby, 78, could get 10 years in prison if convicted.

"Mr Cosby, good luck to you, sir," the judge said. "Thank you," he replied.

Andrea Constand, the former Temple University employee who said Cosby violated her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004, was not in the courtroom and the judge ruled that she would not have to testify.

Instead, prosecutors had portions of her statement to police read into the record.

She told police in 2005 that the comedian penetrated her with his fingers after giving her pills that made her dizzy, blurry-eyed and sick to her stomach, her legs "like jelly".

"I told him, 'I can't even talk, Mr Cosby.' I started to panic," she told police.

In his own statement to police, also read in court, Cosby portrayed it as consensual sexual activity, saying Ms Constand never said "no" as he put his hand down her trousers.

Cosby's lawyers argued unsuccessfully that reading Ms Constand's statement instead of putting her on the stand would be hearsay and would deprive him of his right to confront his accuser.

Such testimony from law enforcement officers is common practice at preliminary hearings in Pennsylvania, which have a far lower burden of proof than trials.

In her statement, she said Cosby told her the pills were herbal medication.

She said he also urged her to sip wine even though she said had not eaten and did not want to drink.

Ms Constand told detectives Cosby positioned himself behind her after telling her to lie down on the couch. She said she awoke with her bra askew and did not remember undoing it.

In excerpts read in court from his own statement to police in 2005, Cosby said he and Ms Constand had had other "petting" sessions before.

Cosby also told police the pills were over-the-counter Benadryl that he takes to help him sleep. He said he gave Ms Constand one and a half pills and she did not ask what they were.

During Tuesday's hearing, Cosby lawyer Brian McMonagle questioned why Ms Constand continued to see the comedian and even returned to the house to meet with him after the alleged assault.

Detective Katherine Hart testified that Ms Constand told detectives in 2005 she went back to Cosby's home to confront him about what had happened.

Ms Constand also told detectives she contacted Cosby after moving to Canada because she wanted tickets to one of his comedy shows. Mr McMonagle said Ms Constand brought a present for Cosby.

Prosecutors reopened the case last year after dozens of women levelled similar allegations and after Cosby's sealed deposition in Ms Constand's lawsuit was made public.

He settled her lawsuit for an undisclosed sum in 2006 after testifying about his extramarital affairs, his use of quaaludes to seduce women and his efforts to hide payments to former lovers from his wife.

Cosby has not entered a plea since his December 30 arrest. He is free on one million dollars (683,786) bail.

He is also fighting defamation lawsuits across the country for allegedly branding his accusers liars and is trying to get his homeowner insurance to pay his legal bills.
A US Navy aircraft from Sigonella, Sicily, searching the area in the Mediterranean Sea where Egyptair flight 804 went missing (AP)

Human remains from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 have burn marks and are small in size, suggesting there may have been an explosion on board, a senior Egyptian forensics official has said.

"The logical explanation is that an explosion brought it down," the official said.

The official, who is part of the Egyptian team investigating the crash that killed all 66 people on board the flight from Paris to Cairo early last Thursday, has personally examined the remains at a Cairo morgue.

However, the head of the government's forensic agency later dismissed as speculation all media reports about human remains from the crash indicating an explosion.

"Whatever has been published is baseless and mere assumptions," Hisham Abdel-Hamid told Egypt's state Mena news agency.

A statement from the government's investigative committee also warned media outlets to be cautious about what is published "to avoid chaos and spreading false rumours and damaging the state's high interests and national security".

The Egyptian expert said that all 80 pieces that have been brought to Cairo so far are very small. "There isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head," said the official, adding that one piece was the left part of a head.

He said the body parts are "so tiny" and that at least one piece of a human arm has signs of burns - an indication it might have "belonged to a passenger sitting next to the explosion".

"But I cannot say what caused the blast," he said. He did not say whether traces of explosives were found on the human remains retrieved so far.

The expert's comments mark a new twist surrounding last week's crash, which still remains a mystery. The plane's black boxes have yet to be found and photographs of retrieved debris published by the Egyptian military over the weekend were not charred and appear to show no signs of fire.

Egyptian officials have said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, or some other catastrophic event, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek defence minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit.

But so far no hard evidence has emerged on the cause of the disaster.

Also on Tuesday, the investigative team led by Ayman al-Moqadem issued its second report on the case, saying that so far pieces of the plane wreckage have been taken to Cairo in 18 batches. It added that the priority is to locate the black boxes and to retrieve more bodies.

France's aviation accident investigation agency would not comment on anything involving the bodies or say whether any information has surfaced in the investigation to indicate an explosion.

A French patrol boat took one doctor on board to help with searches when and if the body parts are found. But the French Navy said that if it finds debris and body parts, this would be first reported to Egyptian authorities and French justice officials.

In a search for clues, family members of the victims have been arriving at the Cairo morgue forensics' department to give DNA samples to help identify the remains of their relatives, a security official said.

Also, a technical team from Egypt's forensic medicine department went to a hotel near the Cairo International Airport where relatives of the victims are gathered to take DNA samples to use in identifying the bodies.

The EgyptAir crash shocked a nation struggling to revive its ailing economy and contain a resilient insurgency by Islamic militants.

Safety on board Egyptian aircraft and at the country's airports have been under close international scrutiny since a Russian airliner crashed in the Sinai Peninsula last October, killing all 224 people on board, shortly after taking off from an Egyptian resort.

The crash - claimed by the Islamic State affiliate in Sinai and blamed by Moscow on an explosive device planted on board - decimated Egypt's lucrative tourism industry, which had already been battered by years of turmoil in the country.

If mechanical or structural failure is found to be behind the crash of Flight 804, that would deal another severe blow to both tourism and the national carrier. If downed by an act of terror, the Egyptians can point to security at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, from which the plane took off.

Egypt has dispatched a submarine to search for the flight's black boxes and a French ship joined the international effort to locate the wreckage and search for the plane's data recorders.

Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are also taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes.
A French soldier aboard an aircraft scouring the Mediterranean Sea for debris from the crashed EgyptAir flight

The pilot of the doomed EgyptAir flight spoke to air traffic control in Egypt for several minutes just before the plane crashed, a French television station has claimed.

Broadcaster M6 said that the pilot told Cairo control about the smoke which had engulfed parts of the aircraft and decided to make an emergency descent to try to clear the fumes.

This account directly contradicts the official claim that there was no distress call from the plane. M6's story, quoting unnamed French aviation officials, was not confirmed by the French air accident investigation agency, the BEA.

No such information had been passed by the Egyptian authorities to three BEA investigators who had flown to Cairo to take part in the official inquiry, the agency said.

M6 said that the pilot of the Egyptair A320 had "a conversation several minutes long" with Cairo air traffic control after the plane ran into difficulties in the early hours of Thursday morning.

As a result of the conversation, the pilot decided to make an "emergency descent", depressurising the cabin, in an attempt to clear smoke fumes which had invaded the front of the aircraft.

Just after the Paris-Cairo flight vanished on Thursday, there were contradictory claims about distress calls or signals.

An airline spokesman initially said that there had been a distress call from the Airbus. This statement was denied by the Egyptian military and withdrawn by EgyptAir.

The claims follow reports of leaked flight data showing trouble in the cockpit and smoke in a plane lavatory just before the plane crashed.

Officials have cautioned it's still too early to say what happened to the aircraft, but mounting evidence points to a sudden catastrophe that led to its crash into the Mediterranean.

The Egyptian military on Saturday released the first images of aircraft debris plucked from the sea, including personal items and damaged seats. Egypt is leading a multi-nation effort to search for the plane's black boxes - the flight data and cockpit voice recorders - and other clues that could help explain its sudden plunge into the sea.

"If they lost the aircraft within three minutes that's very, very quick," said aviation security expert Philip Baum. "They were dealing with an extremely serious incident." Authorities say the plane lurched left, then right, spun all the way round and fell 38,000 feet into the sea - never issuing a distress call.

The Facebook page of the chief spokesman for Egypt's military showed the first photographs of debris from the plane, shredded remains of plane seats, life jackets - one seemingly undamaged - and a scrap of cloth that might be part of a baby's purple-and-pink blanket. The spokesman, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Samir, later posted a video showing what appeared to be a piece of blue carpet, seat belts, a shoe and a white handbag. The clip opened with aerial footage of an unidentified navy ship followed by a speedboat heading toward floating debris.

Flight 804 left from Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport on Wednesday en route to Cairo with 66 people aboard.
Under a Supreme Court ruling, police, shown here presenting a group of suspects to the media, must show their badges and be in uniform when making arrests, May 24, 2016.

In a move aimed at bolstering civil liberties and preventing police abuse of power, Bangladeshs Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that law enforcement agencies could no longer arrest suspects without a warrant, among other things.

Human rights advocates hailed the ruling stipulating that officers must also inform suspects of the reason for their arrests within three hours as well as notify their relatives. In addition, the court order requires officers to identify themselves by showing their badges, saying they can no longer carry out arrests in plainclothes but in uniforms, rights advocates said.

The lack of such practices and arrests made under Sections 54 and 167 of the countrys penal code have led to the disappearance of hundreds of innocent people over the years, after they were arrested by law enforcement officials, according to advocates.

This is victory for us, for the people in general. The section 54 and the section 167 have been being misused for decades. Todays Supreme Court judgment is historic, Nur Khan, acting executive director of rights body Ain-O-Salish Kendra, told BenarNews on Tuesday.

Some police officers arrest innocent people as suspects and remand them to extract confessions through torture, he alleged.

This sort of practice cannot go on. We hope the police will abide by the apex court order, Khan said.

The case before the apex court dates to 2003 and stems from a writ petition filed after a university student, Shamim Reza Rubel who was arrested under Section 54. According to a medical report, he died of torture while in police custody.

The court has rejected the state appeal and upheld the 2003 High Court orders on amending the sections 54 and 167. Now the government must abide by the 15-point guidelines of the High Court, Kamal Hossain, a lawyer who pleaded against the state, told reporters, according to local media.

They must show identity cards before [making arrests] and inform the accused of the reason within the next three hours, Bangladeshi news outlets quoted Barrister Amir-ul-Islam as saying.

Section 54: Necessary deterrent?

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam defended the record of law enforcement agencies, telling local media that all officers abide by the practice of showing suspects their badges.

For his part, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters at his office that police were careful in enforcing sections 54 and 167.

We must abide by the directives of the Supreme Court in this regard. In case any police official is found guilty of misusing the two sections, he will face departmental actions, the minister said.

But Law Minister Anisul Huq voiced disagreement over the courts decision, saying that Section 54 in particular was an emergency provision that was essential in fighting crime.

This is not right that the law enforcers should only be active after a crime takes place. The police [should] have the authority to arrest a criminal suspect [as a deterrent measure], Huq said.
A man from the south Indian state of Karnataka has confessed to killing his teenaged daughter because she turned down his request to end her relationship with a lower-caste boy, police said Tuesday.

Sundays incident in Kolar, a district about 70 km (43.4 miles) from the state capital Bengaluru, was a clear case of honor killing, in which couples are attacked because their families disapprove of their relationships on grounds of caste or religion, the area's Circle Inspector of Police H.N. Chandrappa told BenarNews.

Byra Reddy, 45, a welder, was arrested for killing his 17-year-old daughter, Priya, Chandrappa said. Reddys wife, Padmamma, 43, and his teenaged son, whose name was withheld because he is a minor, had also been taken into custody for abetting the crime, Chandrappa said.

According to police, Reddy strangled Priya, a high school student, after she refused to end her relationship with 20-year-old Harish, who belongs to a lower caste.

While the Reddy family belongs to the upper Vokkaliga community, Harish belongs to the Thigala community, which figures at the lower end of Hinduisms hierarchical caste system, police said.

Priyas parents had warned her on several occasions to end her love affair with Harish as he belonged to a caste lower than theirs. But she didnt listen, Chandrappa said. On Sunday night, Byra Reddy and his son took Priya to a farm in their village and strangled her with a rope, he added.

Chandrappa said that Reddy had confessed to the crime during interrogation.

Hearing Priyas screams, several local villagers rushed to the spot and found the girl lying motionless, he said, adding that police had enough evidence to prove that Priyas family was involved in her killing.

At the lowest rung

The latest case of an honor killing comes two months after a 19-year-old girl belonging to the Vokkaliga community was allegedly killed by her father in Karnatakas Mandya district for attempting to elope with a Dalit boy.

Traditionally regarded as untouchables, the historically marginalized Dalit community forms the lowest rung in the Hindu caste system and continues to be subjected to violent attacks in India.

In March, a 22-year-old Dalit student was hacked to death in south Indias Tamil Nadu state by three machete-wielding men while he was out shopping with his wife, who belongs to an upper caste. She was critically injured in the assault, which was caught on closed-circuit cameras as dozens of onlookers stood by.

The girls father and four other relatives were arrested for the crime.

In Karnataka alone, at least 10 suspected cases of honor killings have come to light since 2011.

However, rights activist suggest that the figure could be higher because many other such incidents are registered under different categories, such as violence against women, and even suicides.

S.Y. Irannavar of the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission said there were no figures to determine the exact number of incidents of honor killings in the state. The actual number, he said, could be higher than those reported in the media.

Although India-specific figures are unavailable, U.N. statistics show that 1,000 of 5,000 such killings annually occur in India, a majority of them in the countrys rural pockets.

The only way [to stop caste-related violence] is by creating awareness. Awareness measures need to initiated, especially at the grassroots level, where a majority of such crimes take place, Irannavar told BenarNews.
Swiss financial regulators approved the takeover of BSI Bank over its links to a corruption scandal engulfing Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The office of Switzerlands attorney general said Tuesday it had opened criminal proceedings into potential money laundering by BSI AG, a Swiss bank linked to Malaysian state fund 1MDB, and Swiss financial regulators announced a takeover of the bank.

And while Swiss regulators said they had confiscated CHF 95 million (U.S. $95.7 million) worth of profits from BSI, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it planned to shut down BSIs Singaporean branch.

1Malaysia Development Berhad has been at the center of a corruption scandal shadowing Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who chaired 1MDBs advisory board until its dissolution earlier this month.

Through business relationships and transactions linked to the corruption scandals surrounding the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund1MDB, BSI AG committed serious breaches of money laundering regulations and fit and proper requirements, the Swiss Financial Market Supervising Authority (FINMA) said in a statement Tuesday.

[I]n the case of 1MDB, the bank executed numerous large transactions with unclear purpose over a period of several years and, despite clearly suspicious indications, did not clarify the background to these transactions, FINMA added.

In Singapore, the MAS issued a statement saying it intended to strip BSIs local branch of its license as a merchant bank in the city-state because of serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight of the banks operations, and gross misconduct by some of the banks staff.

BSI Bank is the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector. It is a stark reminder to all financial institutions to take their anti-money laundering responsibilities seriously, MAS Managing Director Ravi Menon said.

Along with saying that it planned to close the local BSI branch, MAS referred six bank officials, including a former chief executive officer and former deputy CEO to the Singapore prosecutors office to determine if they should face criminal charges.

The statement from the Singaporean authority, however, did not mention 1MDB.

1MDB: Committed to fully cooperating

The statement from the Swiss AGs office said it had suspected that deficiencies in BSIs internal organization were linked to allegations of the misappropriation of billions of dollars from 1MDB, which it has been investigating.

According to FINMA, the Lugano-based bank executed many large suspicious transactions over several years.

In the context of 1MDB, BSI failed to monitor a client group that maintained about 100 accounts in the bank, FINMA said. In one case, bank officials accepted a clients explanation that funds for a deposit of U.S. $20 million were from a gift.

In another case, U.S. $20 million was routed through a variety of accounts within the bank on the same day before eventually being transferred to another bank. Transactions of this kind are often a clear indication of money laundering.

FINMA described the confiscated CHF $95 million as profits that were generated illegally, saying the money would revert to the Swiss government.

In Kuala Lumpur, 1MDB posted a three-paragraph statement on its website responding to the actions by the Singaporean and Swiss authorities.

1MDB states that it has not been contacted by any foreign lawful authority on matters relating to the company. 1MDB remains committed to fully cooperating with any foreign lawful authority, subject to advice from the relevant domestic lawful authorities, and in accordance with international protocols governing such matters, 1MDB said.

It went on to say that its investments were not affected by Tuesdays announcements in Switzerland and Singapore.

Ongoing investigations

The announcements abroad further widen international criminal investigations linked with the deeply indebted Malaysian state fund.

In February, Swiss authorities said a criminal investigation into 1MDB had revealed that about $4 billion appeared to have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies. That same month, Singapores central bank announced that it had seized many bank accounts over possible money-laundering and other offenses linked to 1MDB.

1MDB also faces investigations in the United States, United Arab Emirates, Luxembourg, Great Britain and Hong Kong, as well as other investigations in Switzerland and Singapore.

In April, the Malaysian Parliamentary Accounts Committee issued a 106-page report that recommended criminal investigations into 1MDB senior management, but without mentioning Prime Minister Najib Razak by name.

The committee called for probes into unapproved payments by the fund totaling close to U.S. $3 billion, among other discrepancies, which is being investigated by a special task-force headed by Police Inspector- General Khalid Abu Bakar.

1MDB and Najib have been the targets of investigations after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported in July 2015 that nearly $700 million ended up in his private accounts. Since then, the newspaper reported that millions of dollars of money linked to 1MDB had been spent by Najib to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Malaysias attorney general has cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.

More recently, Najib and the rest of the advisory board said they would resign in light of the ongoing investigations. Najib told members of parliament that the advisory board has no administrative function and makes no transactions, according to media reports on Tuesday.
Police look on as demonstrators gather at Democracy Monument in Bangkok to mark the second anniversary of the coup that brought Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha to power, May 22, 2016.

As Thailand enters a third year under junta rule, critics say it has silenced their voices while supporters say that life under the generals is more orderly.

After Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha led a coup that toppled the government of Yingluck Shinawatra on May 22, 2014, he vowed to restore order and unity amid political turmoil and rid the nation of anti-royalist elements.

Since then, the National Council for Peace and Order  the juntas official name  has yet to steer Thailand back onto the path of democracy. Prayuths government has rounded up government critics and journalists for so-called attitude adjustment sessions, and escalated arrests made under Lese-Majeste  Thailands strict royal defamation law.

At least 39 people have been charged with sedition and 67 have been charged with violating Lese-Majeste, according to iLaw, a Thai human rights advocacy group.

All this has happened against a backdrop of uncertainty over the countrys future, as King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a symbol of unity and Thai identity for decades, is 88 and in frail health.

Yinglucks term ended on May 7, 2014, when an anti-corruption body found her guilty of corruption linked to a rice subsidy scheme and a court ordered that she be removed from office.

Amid protests that turned violent and claimed dozens of lives, Prayuth, who was then army commander-in-chief, seized power. The general held meetings with all parties involved, including Yinglucks party and the opposition Democrat Party, but they failed to find a solution.

Sorry, but I need to seize the power, Prayuth said on May 22, 2014.

A day later, Prayuth invoked martial law to summon Yingluck and 22 other leaders of her Pheu Thai party for attitude adjustment, but released them later.

On July 22, 2014, the junta formalized its power through an interim charter. Since then, it has maintained its grip, ordering attitude adjustments for some 922 people at military camps or through home visits, iLaw claims.

Two years later

Yingluck marked Sundays anniversary with a posting on Facebook.

It was the day that the peoples rights and freedom were taken away. They justified this action by claiming that my government could no longer govern the country and it must be them in charge in order to proceed with the reconciliation process, she said.

On Sunday, security officers looked on as 300 people gathered at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok to criticize the junta for its grip on freedom of expression.

During these two years, all voices of Thais have been ignored. Two years do not seem long when compared to our life span, but it is long enough to tell how villainous the government is, said Rangsiman Rome, a member of the New Democracy Movement.

The junta is creating more division and turmoil, said Payao Akhad, the mother of a nurse killed during 2010 demonstrations by the so-called Red Shirts  supporters of Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, another former prime minister.

It has been two years that the citizens have been deprived of their rights. Instead of reforming the country for the better, there are even more conflicts, she told BenarNews by telephone on Monday.

Government supporters protest

Supporters of the government also raised their voices. A group of royalist women, Sri Siam Ladies, rallied in front of the U.S. Embassy on Monday to protest what they described as American meddling in Thai internal affairs.

This is the Kingdom of Thailand, not USAs colony, one poster said. Since his arrival in Thailand last year, U.S. Ambassador Glyn T. Davies has called on Thailand to return to a democratic government.

Since it took over the power, the nation became calmer and corruption has been reduced, Bangkok resident Kitti Tantiweshyanond told BenarNews.

The government allows citizens to speak out, but it does not allow gatherings that incite unrest or arouse violent emotion, he said.

Sri Siam Ladies rally in front of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, May 23, 2016. [BenarNews]

Road map

Prayuth has laid out what he calls a roadmap to democracy and has readied a new draft charter to be voted on in an Aug. 7 referendum.

Kasit Piromya, a member of Democrat Party who served as Thai foreign minister in the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, said the draft charter is not acceptable.

It will provide difficulty for the Thai people into the future, he told a gathering of the media and expats at the foreign correspondents club of Thailand on May 10.

I could not accept the rationale that we should have stability and ignore participatory politics, he said.

Pongthep Thepkarnchana said he had read the draft charter and had questions. He is a former deputy of the Thai Rak Thai Party led by Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a military coup in 2006.

I concluded that we lack a good checks-and-balances system. We have an imbalance of power, Pongthep said.

The referendum would mark the first time that Thais go to the polls since the junta seized power.

Elections are to follow later at an unspecified date. In September, Prayuth announced that elections would take place in July 2017 at the earliest.

The proposed charter allows the junta to hand pick all 250 senators, including six officers from the militarys top brass.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said Prayuths government had kept its promise by following a path to democracy.

There is a way. You cannot say the road is rough. The car is moving along, following the road map, he said, responding to Yinglucks Facebook post.
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For Immediate Release, May 24, 2016 Contacts: Seth Gladstone, Food & Water Watch, (347) 778-2866, sgladstone@fwwatch.org

Jean Su, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 770-3187, jsu@biologicaldiversity.org 370 Groups Oppose Federal Energy Bill That Would Increase Fracking, Harm Climate WASHINGTON As the U.S. House this week takes up an amended version of the Senates Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016 (S. 2012), more than 370 organizations urged the Senate to reject provisions in the bill that would encourage oil and gas fracking. The groups delivered a letter today to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski and ranking member Maria Cantwell demanding an energy bill that transitions the country to a truly clean, safe, renewable energy future. The groups letter criticizes provisions expediting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions approval of liquefied natural gas export terminals. Requiring the commission to undertake expedited reviews of these terminals undermines the very transparency and prudence that federal actions should be premised on to protect our communities and environment, the letter states. The groups also opposed the bill because it would require all state and other federal agencies conducting authorizations for these facilities to give deference to FERC. For years, pollution-affected communities across the country have struggled against FERC's rubber-stamping of fracked gas infrastructure projects like pipelines and compressor stations that pose serious health, safety and climate threats to surrounding areas. The Senates pending energy bill would further increase FERCs autonomy. As communities across the country seek to prevent the numerous threats to their health, safety and wellbeing that fossil fuel infrastructure projects bring, one oppressive roadblock keeps their voices silenced: FERC, said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. This bad energy bill would expand and entrench FERCs power over local and state democracy. We wont stand for it. The Senate energy bill makes it easier for companies to dig more dirty fossil fuels from the ground and ship them overseas, said Jean Su, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. For Californians, who live in the third largest oil-drilling state in this country, this federal bill is a bright green light for fracking companies to pollute our air and water and threaten farms and food safety in a state that grows much of the nations fruits and vegetables. This bill takes our country in exactly the wrong direction at a time when we urgently need to transition to a low-carbon future. New York rightly banned fracking years ago in order to protect residents from the inherent dangers it would have brought. But New Yorkers are still at risk from fracking infrastructure projects throughout the state, rubber-stamped by FERC, said Julia Walsh, campaign director at Frack Action. A new energy bill should be curtailing FERCs power, not expanding it. FERC is facing mounting protests and lawsuits for turning a blind eye to the climate and community harm of new pipelines and gas export terminals, from the mountains of Virginia to the shores of Cove Point, Maryland, said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. Congress should be reining in this rogue agency and pushing it to embrace clean energy, not giving FERC a broader license to act in lockstep with the gas industry. 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.


For Immediate Release, May 23, 2016 Contact: Katie Davis, Center for Biological Diversity, (801) 560-2414, kdavis@biologicaldiversity.org

Alicyn Gitlin, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, (520) 491-9528, alicyn.gitlin@sierraclub.org

Kelly Burke, Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, (928) 606-7870, kelly@wildlandsnetwork.org Feds' Decision to Increase Motorized Use on 20,000 Acres of Kaibab National Forest

Raises Risks of Fire, Fragments Wildlife Habitat FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. The U.S. Forest Service plans to open about 20,000 acres of the Kaibab National Forest to motorized vehicles, which will raise the risk of human-caused fires and fragment habitat for wildlife. Although the agency  responding to objections from environmental groups  has agreed to also exclude motorized vehicles from some sensitive areas, the overall plan raises troubling concerns about the long-term management and health of the forest. The Forest Service, in its official response to the objection filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, decided to move forward with a plan that would expand areas for car and RV camping along hundreds of miles of roads and open user-created and formerly closed forest roads in the so-called South Zone area. A final decision explaining the new rules is expected this summer. Based on our objection, the Forest Service decided that opening areas to motorized use near Grand Canyon National Park and designated roadless areas was not sound management, and were glad to see those changes in the final plan, said Katie Davis, public lands campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity. But we have trouble understanding why the Forest Service continues to reward current illegal activities and encourage more traffic in hard-to-patrol areas given concerns about fire and resource damage. While the final decision will result in the closure of some unnecessary roads in the forest, the overall result is a rollback of previous measures designed to prevent damage to wildlife habitat and natural resources. Information the groups obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed only a small number of requests from members of the public to reopen a few closed areas, while many of the places that will now be open for use were never mentioned in the public comments that were used to justify the final decision. The extent of the changes that will occur based on this decision is strikingly excessive compared to the actual needs of the public for camping and travel in the forest, said Alicyn Gitlin, conservation coordinator with Sierra Clubs Grand Canyon Chapter. We know that motorized, off-road use comes with serious risks to forest resources, but the Forest Service has decided to look the other way. In response to concerns about negative impacts to wildlife habitat and grasslands raised in the groups objection, the Forest Service relied on assurances that monitoring and adaptive management will address and prevent potential harm. However, no additional funding or personnel have been allocated to enforce the new plan and provide that monitoring. Just as we are starting to see success in efforts to prevent human-caused fires and re-establish populations of species like Gunnisons prairie dog, the Forest Service issues a decision that will encourage more off-road use without adequate protections, said Kelly Burke, executive director of Grand Canyon Wildlands Council. This decision could have been designed to successfully balance conservation and recreation, but instead its likely to open the door to unsustainable and unmanageable use. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1 million members and supporters dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. www.biologicaldiversity.org Sierra Club is one of the countrys oldest grassroots environmental organization with more than 35,000 members and supporters in Arizona as part of the Grand Canyon Chapter. Protecting forests and grasslands that provide essential wildlife habitat is a key Sierra Club priority locally, nationally and internationally. Learn more at www.sierraclub.org/arizona and www.facebook.com/Sierra-Club-Grand-Canyon-Arizona-Chapter-182816565101809/. Grand Canyon Wildlands Council works to provide creative, collaborative, science-based solutions for conserving the full diversity of native species and natural ecosystems across the Grand Canyon region, protecting and restoring a network of wildlands and waters. www.grandcanyonwildlands.org


For Immediate Release, May 24, 2016 Contact: Debbie Bulger, California Native Plant Society (831) 457-1036

Gary Patton, Attorney at Law, (831) 332-8546

Jonathan Evans, Center for Biological Diversity (510) 844-7118 Deal Protects Santa Cruz Coastal Habitat, Accommodates Solar-powered Home SANTA CRUZ, Calif. A legal agreement between conservation groups and solar power entrepreneurs will protect more than 41 acres of coastal wildlife habitat in Santa Cruz as part of a deal to accommodate a new solar-powered home. The agreement passed a final hurdle last week at the California Coastal Commission. San Francisco popcorn flower photo by Dylan Neubauer. Photos are available for media use. The settlement agreement protects rare coastal prairies and imperiled wildlife while clearing the path for a new coastal home. The groups reached the deal after review under the California Environmental Quality Act revealed that the 50-acre property next to a greenbelt preserve is habitat for several threatened and endangered species These sweeping coastal terraces are home to a rich array of biological treasures that will now be protected for the next generation, said Debbie Bulger, conservation chair of the California Native Plant Society, Santa Cruz chapter. The agreement permanently conserves roughly 85 percent of the property as wildlife habitat  protecting wetlands, streams, woodlands, and coastal prairie. Importantly, the deal also creates a habitat management plan funded by the landowners to help restore imperiled coastal prairie, which is home to the endangered San Francisco popcorn flower and Ohlone tiger beetle. Popcorn flower and tiger beetle populations have struggled because of threats from nonnative grasses and development in coastal bluffs throughout California. The California Environmental Quality Act brought together everyone involved to make sure that environmental protection was a basic part of the proposed project, said Gary Patton, attorney at law representing the California Native Plant Society in the deal. This agreement will provide important protections for some of Californias most imperiled coastal species because the California Environmental Quality Act helped shine light on ways to improve the project to avoid threats to our environment, said Jonathan Evans, environmental health legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. The new residence will be set upon coastal terraces adjacent to the Moore Creek Preserve and will not affect coastal views. The house will include a three-bedroom singlefamily residence, a guest house, workshop, swimming pool and pool house. The development will be solar powered and totally off the grid. Being in the renewable energy sector and having dedicated our lives to a better and cleaner planet, restoring the grasslands and protecting habitat matches our vision for an environmentally sound future, said Sara Kissing, vice president at the renewable energy start up Powerstation 247, who will be building the home along with Uwe Corbach, a solar power entrepreneur and investor. Our entire development will be off the grid, day and night, to help protect what makes California so specialthe amazing open spaces, grasslands, wildlife, ocean and greener way of living. The property is dominated by coastal prairie, an endangered grassland type, threatened by development along Californias coast. Two branches of Moore Creek flow through the site and are home to the southwestern pond turtle and threatened California red-legged frog. The habitat is also home to various other wildlife species including white-tailed kites, northern harriers, burrowing owls, horned larks, warblers, pallid bats, and badgers. The private habitat preserve is adjacent to the 246-acre Moore Creek Preserve. The agreement became final on May 19, 2016 when no appeals were filed at the California Coastal Commission of the projects earlier approval by the Planning Commission of the city of Santa Cruz. 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. The California Native Plant Society is non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of California native flora.
Prince Edward High School pupils in Harare have written a piece of history for the institution after becoming the first secondary school in the world to design a car, set to be manufactured in two years' time.

The 20 students, all in Upper Sixth, with the assistance of science and technical department lecturers, have since formed a company that is being registered.

The project, headed by Princess Mushonga, is bankrolled by Book of African Records in collaboration with a local insurance firm, Sanctuary Insurance Company.

Kits for the vehicle, to be called Macintosh Curlybyte, will be imported.

Lecturers from the science and technical departments are assisting the pupils while technical support and insight is offered by experts from the motor industry and commerce.

Officially launching the project and the company, to be called Prince Edward Automobile, district education officer in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Anatoria Ncube said the ministry was fully behind the project.

"We are fully behind them because it is the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education's thrust to equip our learners with relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to create employment for themselves in a sustainable manner," said Ncube.

Speaking at the same occasion, Prince Edward School head, Agrippa Sora, said the car initiative was a quest to relate school life to real life.

"Socio-economic and political advancement is critically intertwined with the levels of education and skills of people. As Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) beacons, the car initiative is a quest to relate school life with real life. It has become apparent that more lucrative opportunities the world over are STEM-related," said Sora.

Keith Ncube is the CEO, while Tanyaradzwa Makurumidze is the business development manager.
MTN Mobile Money has become the fastest growing method of receiving WorldRemit international money transfers in Ghana. The number of transfers received on mobile accounts is growing by 13% per month on average, as Ghanaians abroad discover the convenience of sending instantly via mobile money transfer systems.

Image by 123RF

Countries sending the most money to Ghana include the United Kingdom, USA and Australia. WorldRemit is the global leader in international transfers to Mobile Money, with connections to 32 services in 24 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia.

The increased use of Mobile Money in remittances is also driving a new phenomenon - 'micro remittances', where people send smaller amounts, more often.

Mobile Money is most commonly used for transfers of less than 300 Cedi, with the average WordRemit sender transferring around three times per month.

"Ghanaians are taking advantage of low-fee, instant mobile transfers to send money for specific purposes, right when it is needed. In the past, people often sent a single lump sum, once a month. Today, with MTN Mobile Money, they can help with unexpected bills or family expenses whenever they arise," said Alix Murphy, senior mobile analyst at WorldRemit.

"Instant messaging also has a role to play in driving these type of micro-remittances. Ghanaians are constantly talking to their family and friends abroad and many of those discussions are about their personal finances," added Murphy.

Speaking about the partnership, Eli Hini, general manager, mobile financial service at MTN said: The ability to instantly receive international remittances from around the world is another reason why Ghanaians are increasingly using MTN Mobile Money to address their day-to-day financial needs.

WorldRemits service extends the usefulness of mobile money beyond our borders to reach the entire global Ghanaian community. With more than 40,000 of our agent points and more than 600 Partner bank ATMs across Ghana, the service can be enjoyed by all MTN Mobile Money customers. It is instant, totally secured and very convenient."

WorldRemit was established in 2010 and sends more than 400,000 transfers worldwide every month. A third of WorldRemit money transfers are received via mobile money.

The company began offering transfers to MTN Mobile Money in Ghana in January 2013.

Mobile money technology is seen as a major factor in extending financial services to people who have not previously had access. In Ghana, about 70% of adults are either unbanked or underbanked, whereas 91% have access to a mobile phone(2).

Ghanaians living overseas send more than US$2 billon home every year, according to the World Bank.

Currently, more than 50% of all transfers to Africa are currently received as mobile money; nearly 100 million individual mobile money accounts can be reached as part of WorldRemits network of partnerships with leading Mobile Money providers; and 32 mobile money services in 24 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia are connected to WorldRemit  from Armenia to Zimbabwe.
Using an old mobile phone, health worker Floride Uwinkesha logs the latest local pregnancy, part of efforts in Rwanda to boost maternal health through a monitoring programme in isolated rural areas. The scheme has already helped slash infant and maternal mortality rates.

Image by 123RF

Marceline Mwubahamana, three months pregnant at 31, doesn't even have to leave home to have her details logged into a national database at the health ministry. Uwinkesha, the community officer in charge of maternal health in the rural Nyarukombe district of eastern Rwanda, sends through simple codes on a basic mobile phone.

The database known as RapidSMS, was set up in 2009 with the backing of Unicef and underpins a medical monitoring program for pregnancies and babies aged up to two years.

Uwinkesha is one of 45,000 community volunteers helping track health across the remotest parts of the rolling hills of Rwanda. They are elected by the people of their village and given basic training by the government.

"PRE," she taps, giving a code that means that the pregnancy was confirmed by a health centre. "NP," she adds, meaning "no problem". Once Mwubahamana's details are recorded in the database, the software automatically generates a date for her next prenatal visit.

"I also send basic information, such as their identity number, if this is her first pregnancy or not and if there are any problems," Uwinkesha said.

She will receive a reminder text message ahead of the next appointment. This pregnancy is going well, but should there be health concerns or an emergency, the health worker can notify the nearest medical facility via a "red alert" text message.

Once logged into the system, alerts help to flag up women who may be in danger.

"We can easily find the names of women who have high-risk pregnancies, like those who have had repeated miscarriages or have had gynaecological surgery," said Francois Hakizimana, who runs the Murambi medical centre, a short drive outside the capital Kigali.

Typing on his computer, Hakizimana demonstrates how the system works, scrolling down the screen to show dozens of names of pregnant women living in villages.

"We can tell them to go to the nearest health facility as soon as we see that there is any problem," Hakizimana said.

Those involved in the text message programme say it has helped save many lives since its launch, but no exact figures are available since measuring the precise impact is tough.

In any event, Rwanda has registered huge progress in maternal health, according to World Bank data.

The infant mortality ratio for babies aged under one year was 31 deaths per thousand births in 2015, just below the world average of 31.7 - a significant advance from 2009, when the rate stood at 47 per thousand.

Over the same period, the maternal mortality rate was cut by almost a third, from 411 to 290 deaths per 100,000 births. Uwinkesha will keep checking on Mwubahamana and her baby for up to 28 days after birth. After that, a health worker specialised in infant care will take over.

Two carers are trained per village, often one man and a woman, who will perform at least three home visits in two years to verify the health of the child and record data such as its weight and normal breathing rate.

"The main risks at birth are infections, malnutrition, diarrhoea and respiratory diseases," said Joseph Nkinzingabo, who coordinates 1,422 health workers spread over an area comprising 14 health centres.

Nkinzingabo just received a "red alert": a woman who is about to give birth at home. Calling the mobile phone of her health worker, he checks that all is well.

The mother was able to reach a health centre and delivered safely. "No need to send an ambulance," he said.

Source: AFP
Who doesn't love a cup of deliciously brewed coffee to kick start their day? Or a block of dark chocolate for a midday-pick-me-upper? But do we ever stop to think about where these products come from or how they were produced?

The challenge: poverty cannot be resolved until inequality is addressed

The effects of climate change are resulting in the loss of 12 million hectares of productive land each year. Women work to produce 60-80% of the worlds food, yet the number of women living below the poverty line has increased by 50% since the 1970s. About 168 million boys and girls around the world are engaged in child labour, mostly in agriculture.

The good news is that Africa has an immense potential to be more egalitarian and sustainable through fairer trade and positive consumption choices.

Fairtrade farmers and workers have a voice

The Fairtrade system is 50% owned by farmers and workers themselves to ensure they are part of the most important decisions, shaping global strategy and running operations across three continents.

Today, more than 1.5 million people  farmers and workers  across more than 74 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system  with more than 800,000 of them located in East Africa. The region now represents 64 percent of all farmers and workers in Fairtrade. These African farms supply various international markets where Fairtrade is a recognised food trend and a vibrant movement with a wide variety of Fairtrade products like coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, cotton, and fresh fruit.

The Fairtrade Development Premium, an additional sum of money paid to Fairtrade producers to invest in social and economic projects, earned by producers in Africa and the Middle East totalled an estimated 23.5 million in 201314 and accounted for 22 percent of global Fairtrade Premium. But Fairtrade remains far from achieving its ambitious goal of a world where trade can be a true tool of opportunity and inclusion for all.

Fairtrade label as a consumer tool

The independent consumer label appears on products to show that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal from trade.

Fairtrade in South Africa has experienced significant growth over the past few years: from year-on-year sales of Fairtrade products to becoming the largest producing country of Fairtrade wine globally. Working with leading brands like Pick n Pay, Woolworths, Cadbury, Mugg & Bean and Protea Hotel has been key in establishing the market for Fairtrade in South Africa. The growth of the South African market yields substantial benefits for farming communities of Africa and other developing regions. This is however only the beginning, there is still so much more to achieve.

Consumers can empower farmers and workers by simply enjoying their guilty pleasures

Consumers can fight climate change by sipping on their coffee and give a farm workers kid a better education with each sip of your chardonnay. By choosing products that are Fairtrade certified, consumers can contribute to a better world all the while enjoying their guilty pleasures.
Over the past several years, augmented reality (AR) has been steadily making its way from a niche technology reserved for gamers and geeks to a mainstream marketing tool.

Jason Ried, MD, Fuzzy Logic

In simple terms, AR enables a live view of a real world environment that is enhanced by overlaying computer-generated layers of information. These layers can include sound, graphics, video and/or animations.

AR's coming of age

From nimble startups to established tech juggernauts such as Google and Microsoft, massive resources are being funneled into developing AR solutions and fine-tuning its infinite use cases. According to data published earlier this year by Manatt Digital Media, and originally sourced from Digi-Capital, $120bn is projected to come from sales of augmented reality  with the bulk comprised of hardware, commerce, data, voice services, and film and TV projects.

In Silicon Valley, that hallowed ground of tech innovation, a combined incubator and investment fund called Super Ventures was recently launched with the sole purpose of developing AR.

Such a move is testament to the fact that not only is AR coming of age as a full-blown market, but that it has the potential to fundamentally change how we live and work. Indeed, far more than just a nice-to-have marketing tool, AR will soon pervade the very fabric of our daily interactions. While Super Ventures founder and GM, Ori Inbar commented that AR will "become the foundation for the next wave of computing", it will arguably go further  and become the foundation for the next shift in human interaction and engagement.

Take Microsofts HoloLens, for example, which was first revealed last year, although is still only available for developers. The headset (which was sent to astronauts aboard the International Space Station) displays 3D holograms of fictional characters, objects, models, charts, and even games. These lifelike digital forms appear right in front of you, on your actual desk or table, while you're wearing the HoloLens headset. So if youre on a Skype call, for example, with a colleague in another country, you may soon be able to see him or her sitting right in front of you  which will naturally change the nature of the interaction.

Finding the why

Despite the transformative potential of AR, the business world has yet to fully embrace this fast emerging technology. Yet some pioneering brands have identified opportunities to use AR as a savvy marketing tool, complementing their wider campaigns.

Take Dulux, for example, which harnessed an opportunity to use AR in a way that served its customers in a simple but effective way. The paint company introduced an AR-powered app that enables consumers to re-colour walls themselves. The Dulux Visualizer app essentially lets users repaint the walls of their rooms as they move around with their mobile devices. They can select, store and view different colour schemes - creating a hugely powerful visualisation tool.

As marketers and brand managers become more familiar with the various functionalities and effects offered by AR, we will surely see more apps and brand campaigns of this nature.

For businesses, one possible reason for the slower adoption of AR solutions is that they are still struggling to identify the why. As with any technology tool or platform, there undoubtedly has to be a very compelling reason for introducing an AR solution. As many cases have already shown, introducing AR solutions for the mere novelty of it  and not because there is any clearly defined business problem  inevitably leads to wasted resources.

Another potential factor is that many companies hesitate to approach AR because there is no big idea or creative inspiration driving them. The key, however, does not necessarily lie in the creative seed or initial idea for the AR experience or solution - it is when companies have a crystal clear view of the pain point hampering their customers - or colleagues. The magic happens when the company partners with a developer who can use that strong insight to conceptualise and bring to life a solution to the problem.

By way of example, an architectural firm was struggling to find a way to allow its clients and partners  who were based in another region  to have full view of a building project as it commenced. So we created an app which enables architects to share augmented reality versions of the property, which appear on the clients desk or floor. The app allows them to move around, zoom in and out, explore the inside and properly inspect a 3D version of the property - before it's even built.

The data opportunity

In South Korea, U.K. food retailer Tesco saw how using AR could address a very real consumer challenge. Reports have found that South Koreans have amongst the longest working hours in the world, with young executives often too busy to go shopping. So Tesco introduced 'virtual stores', using AR, which are essentially a display of products on walls of metro stations and bus stops. Commuters could then scan the QR codes of the products on display with their smartphones, and place their orders even as they waited for their trains or buses.

Not only did Tesco solve a problem, but they also found a way to obtain important data on a growing market - allowing them to hone their offering and grow in the segment. Indeed, data and analytics are one of the key benefits that savvy businesses can reap from employing AR solutions.

Complement, not clutter

As augmented reality continues its march into mainstream consciousness, businesses and brands should incorporate their learnings from previous technology trends. In our view, one of the defining aspects of successful technology adoption is the art of enabling tech to complement  and not clutter  your core offering. Take apps, for example, the best apps  such as Uber  have a simple and clearly defined purpose. They do not try to address more than one or two central pain points. With AR, the same principles will apply  and by working closely with the right technology partners, it can prove to be as transformative as the last wave of mobile innovation.
The marketing gurus tell us that, as consumers drown in a tsunami of commercial messaging, they are going to want to connect (and therefore possibly do business with) those brands which genuinely try to make a difference to a community, a city or a country.

A lot of companies do spend fortunes on corporate social investment  some of it more successful than others, both in terms of doing good and in promoting the brand.

A company which has been putting its money where its marketing mouth is has been Investec, a major financial brand. It has been helping run a programme called Promaths, which helps take youngsters who are talented with numbers to the next level.

One of the initiatives success stories is Sowetan-born Lindiwe Zondo, who achieved a perfect score on her matric certificate for mathematics and physical science  and has gone on to qualify as an engineer.

Investecs new TV commercial about Zondo was conceived by Y&R South Africa and executed in black-and-white in true cinematic style by master director Keith Rose of Velocity Films. And, frankly, it is beautiful.

It is a tribute to the many, many people like Zondo, who have overcome tremendous odds faced by the disadvantaged growing up in poor townships. Dedication, commitment and discipline allowed her natural talent for the sciences to shine through, with a little help from Investec.

This is the sort of story we need to hear in this country today  a story of triumph and hope. Investec gets a double Orchid  for giving back to the country and for using it in a subtle and modest way to help burnish its brand.

It is no coincidence that a financial institution should also have talent with numbers  as well as discipline and commitment  if it is to get business.

Y&Rs concept and Roses brilliant bringing to life of the brief (yet again!) also richly deserve Orchids. View the ad embedded below:



Public relations, at its core, is the art of human relationships. If you have the sort of bubbly personality journalists cannot resist, youre always going to get your foot in the door. Such a person was Suzanne Weil, who died from cancer earlier this month.

Trained in the hot marketing crucible which was Sol Kerzners marketing vision at Sun International, Suzy cut her teeth at Sun City and the Lost City, organising some of the best beauty pageants and other events this country has seen. She could sense a story almost as well as a journalist  and when she couldnt see an angle would often pick up the phone.

And when I heard that voice  Brannewyn, doll!  I knew I was about to be made an offer I couldnt refuse.

The acid test of a PR person  getting your clients media exposure  was one Suzy passed repeatedly, with flying colours. She also knew her own limitations  listen, doll! I absolutely cannot write!  and hired the experts when she needed them. I dont recall getting a grammatically garbled press release from her. She was larger-than-life, could be loud and pushy, but was good at what she did.

You will be missed, Suzy. If anyone in the PR business deserves an Orchid for a job well done, you do.

*Note that Bizcommunity staff and management do not necessarily share the views of its contributors - the opinions and statements expressed herein are solely those of the author.*
Ornico's campaign analysis of the inaugural The CEO SleepOut in 2015 has been shortlisted in two categories for the prestigious AMEC Awards, the world's premium awards recognising excellence in communications measurement and evaluation. It is the first time that an entry from Africa has been shortlisted.

AMEC (The International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication) is the worlds largest professional body for communications research, media intelligence and insights and boasts membership from more than 48 countries. It is arguably most well-known for pioneering the Barcelona Principles of public relations and communications measurement.

Now in their 14th year, the AMEC Awards aim to recognise and celebrate exceptional global work and accomplishments in putting research, measurement and analytics on the agenda, especially since the updated Barcelona Principles 2.0 framework was launched in September, 2015.

Ornico joined The CEO SleepOut as a friend in 2015, volunteering its media research and analysis services to assist the organisation in its fundraising initiative. By using the Barcelona Principles best measurement principles Ornico could clearly demonstrate that key media and public relations objectives were being met. The CEO SleepOut 2015 eventually surpassed its targets and raised more than R26,000,000 for Girls and Boys Town, the most ever for a single South African fund raising initiative.

Ornico CEO Oresti Patricios says being short-listed for the awards is a particular highlight for the organisation as it shows that Africa can compete on the global stage  even when it comes to communications measurement.

The AMEC Awards takes place on Thursday, 16 June 2016 in London, as part of AMECs 2016 International Summit.

Ornicos head of operations Francois van Dyk will be a panellist at the Summit, joining other speakers such as Tim OBrien (Microsoft), Diane Scott (Visa Europe) and other experts from NATO, UNICEF and global brands.




The digitally connected world has flipped the global automotive industry's customer-dealership paradigm on its head. As a result, a number of transformations are taking place, many of which directly affect the traditional dealership model. The 2016 Automotive Future Now Report by Innovation Group South Africa, explores the challenges and trends affecting the future of South African dealerships.

Customers no longer spend days or weekends in automotive dealerships browsing around for and talking to automotive sales personnel for the best suited vehicle. The majority of research about the vehicle is done online and by the time the customer reaches the showroom floor they already know what model they want, in what colour and what they are willing to pay for it, says Ricardo Coetzee, managing executive for automotive at Innovation Group South Africa.

Coetzee expands: The cost pressures facing dealerships in this competitive environment are immense, and many question the sustainability of massive, luxury showrooms as well as the ability to carry a huge range. South Africa has one of the highest derivatives available in one market anywhere in the world  at last count there were about 57 different brands and more than 1,500 models and derivatives.

Its prudent that we see transformations not as hard issues but as a call for adaption and evolution  albeit extensive and far-reaching, concludes Coetzee.

Sales people in many dealerships are not relating to customers. When the banks came in with their FICA and FAIS requirements, they also took away more of the trading relationship between dealers and customers. We need to change this in SA so that we are not merely order taking, comments Arnold du Plessis, CEO of BB Auto Group.

Online vs brick and mortar

In Europe, where there is a real move towards internet purchases, they measure the number of deals concluded against digital enquiries. A year ago, those figures demonstrated 3.2 deals concluded against one internet enquiry. Today those figures are 1.1 to one  for every 11 internet enquiries they conclude 10 deals. In South Africa, according to the NADA, those figures are about seven enquiries to one deal.

In South Africa buying a vehicle is still a tangible and emotive purchase, requiring a large investment  one which not every customer is likely to make online, even if well convinced. Its for this reason that online facilities are unlikely to completely eliminate the need for brick and mortar dealerships in the foreseeable future.

Online wont remove the need for people to visit dealers  it will change consumer behaviour. Dealerships need to be a destination. If you can create that then the investment in bricks and mortar will pay itself off very quickly, comments Rory Beattie, customer services director of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa.

What is anticipated is that the future dealership model would need to evolve to fulfil a new role, as warehouses that stock a variety of vehicles perhaps. This would mean that customers would have access to all relevant information online and can conclude the transaction online with delivery from the dealership once the deal has been concluded.

Refining the supply chain

Dealerships are not the only entities impacted by changes within the automotive industry, which is why many predict the abandonment of the current automotive supply chain model in South Africa. The silo approach doesnt suit the connected customer. Systems and processes are slowly adapting from the previously product-centric approach to customer-centric touchpoints. The ultimate goals is to towards customer-centricity and enabling the customer to 'live the brand' at every touchpoint  and within new channels of engagement.

The expectation is that there will be a rise in state-of-the-art automotive retail concepts such as brand experience centres or 'pop-up' stores that create a buzz with multimedia visualisation tools.

Integration with OEMs

In a declining economic environment, it is anticipated that new vehicle sales may decline and that a renewed focus on customer retention needs to be applied from both an OEM and dealership perspective. Many South African OEMs dont believe this will happen, but the majority expect to see a closer integration between dealerships and OEMs as they become more involved in retailing. In Europe, many of the larger OEMs are already operating in a similar manner.

The advantage of an integrated relationship is the enhanced sales opportunities and customer loyalty when the focus is on the individual customer journey all the way from brand introduction through to after sales and repeat purchase.

Dealer CRM

The majority of dealerships realise that the cost of losing a customer and finding a replacement is far greater than the cost of retaining one. This indicates that going forward there will be a greater focus on customer relationship management (CRM). Dealers are expected to move from order takers to relationship builders in order to progress to a true customer centric era.

Remaining in contact with customers over time and tracking them through their lifestyle requires good, relevant, actionable data. Currently, data accuracy remains an issue due to legacy systems and a lack of standardised data. It is expected, though, that this will change over time creating real reasons for interaction and sustained customer relationship management at dealer level.

Valerie Webley, an automotive CRM strategist comments: Weve got to stop talking customer centrism and actually do more about it. We say we are customer centric, but we are actually more product centric.

Copies of the report may be requested from moc.puorg-noitavonni.az@mgrebnednav.
SAN FRANCISCO: Google showed off a modular Android-powered smartphone it said is on track to hit the market next year. Word that Project Ara was moving ahead, and not shelved as some had speculated during the past year, came on the final day of Google's annual developers conference in the Silicon Valley city of Mountain View.

Developers interested in creating applications for the devices will get access to early versions of Ara, which provides a frame in which modules such as cameras, speakers, and sensors can be re-arranged by users like game pieces so as to customize handsets. Google said that a consumer version of Ara should be available next year.

When the first Ara prototype was unveiled early last year at World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Google expressed hope the approach would provide easier access to smartphones for people in developing countries.

The principle is simple: basic structures are designed to hold screen modules, batteries, cameras, sensors, 3G, Wi-Fi or other components snapped into place with the help of magnets. If a mobile phone breaks or an updated model is released, instead of buying a new handset a user could simply swap out components.

Pricing of Ara had yet to be revealed, but Google last year referred to an entry-level model with a production cost of $50. Plans to launch Ara in Puerto Rico last year were scrubbed.

Source: AFP
Gareth Mellon, Frost & Sullivan ICT programme manager, will be a key speaker at the complimentary event, Customer Experience Best Practice, hosted by customer service specialists, INOVO and Presence Technology in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Gareth Mellon

Customer experience is the current buzzword and these two industry leaders in the contact centre space, along with global growth partnership and advisory firm, Frost & Sullivan, will be providing fresh insight on this topic.

Due to the complexity of reconciling the customer experience across traditional and emerging customer contact channels, creating a seamless and positive customer journey is one of the greatest challenges facing businesses today.

With this in mind, the event will address:

The current view of the SA contact centre market, along with developments and trends



Examples of customer experience best practice



How to provide a seamless customer journey



Understanding the role of the contact centre in the customer journey



Practical ways to drive customer experience improvements

Companies that wish to improve their customer experience, update existing solutions, or implement new solutions, will be attending the event to explore what options would most suit their requirements and benefit their customers.

Araceli Aranda, Presence Technology CEO, says, We are looking forward to sharing our collective knowledge at our events in Cape Town on 7 June and in Johannesburg on 9 June 2016. Frost & Sullivans market intelligence OR analyses, in addition to some of the practical insights offered by our partner, INOVO, will prove to be invaluable to any business that wants to improve its customer experience.

Wynand Smit, CEO at INOVO adds, Great customer experiences cannot be built without the appropriate technology, operational knowledge and relevant research insights. We aim to bring these together in one session to offer businesses a holistic view of how their collective interactions impact on brand and company perception.

Click here to register.
Controversial fracking in a vast area of the Eastern Cape could become a very real possibility if politicians get their way. A R16m study that shows shale gas could be found all the way from Bhisho to Cradock is being used to push for fracking.

But anti-fracking groups say the optimism is based on hypothetical riches and ignores the high cost and potential environmental and health devastation.

With scientists estimating there are underground shale gas deposits in a large expanse of land, fracking would be a dream come true for the Eastern Cape, premier Phumulo Masualle's spokesman, Sizwe Kupelo, said after the provincial government received the first report based on research in the study.

The research, commissioned by the Eastern Cape government, was done by scientists from NMMU and Africa Earth Observatory Network.

The aim was to understand fracking and what the province could do to prepare for it.

But Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG) chief executive Jonathan Deal said any permission granted for exploration or drilling would be met with swift legal action.

"I don't care if I have to lay a criminal charge every day, I will do it," Deal said.

"The regulations for fracking in South Africa are being challenged in court and this court case will take at least another two years to finalise."

Senior scientist Dr Stefan Cramer said the dream of shale gas in the Karoo region was based on rising energy prices, and the question was not how much gas was in the ground, but how much could be produced at reasonable cost.

"That is an entirely different question," Cramer said.

He is scientific adviser to the South African Faith Communities' Environmental Institute.

"Shale gas development in the Karoo would only make sense at vastly increased energy prices," Cramer said.

"Do we want that? Does the Eastern Cape government want that?"

Cramer said to mine for gas in the Karoo would cost between $80 (R1250) and $100 (R1560) a unit (the equivalent of a barrel of oil), and at current energy prices, with Brent crude trading at around $47 (R752) a barrel, would be non-profitable.

At those levels, most other industrial activities would cease to be feasible in South Africa, he said.

Kupelo said while the province was proceeding with caution, it was upbeat about the estimates of shale gas and believed this could be the economic boost and employment turnaround the Eastern Cape needed.

"We did not want an oil company doing the study. This is part of our efforts to restore trust in shale gas mining," he said.

Kupelo said the provincial government was investing heavily in road (R5bn) and water (R3bn) infrastructure in anticipation of fracking.

The researchers warned in the study that international experience had highlighted a critical need to ensure all necessary legislative and regulatory structures were in place before a shale gas industry was launched - especially as they foresaw major socio-economic and health effects on the population of the Karoo.

The study said research would be extended to the eastern part of the province, around Bhisho, where the potential for shale gas was expected to be high.

Kupelo said the provincial government was satisfied that the study had not found any major risks so far. But it was sensitive to the massive "deficit of trust" that existed around fracking and was trying to address it.

The report included suggestions that the province start addressing a serious shortage of technical skills, as well as infrastructure. Kupelo said the study was just the first step.

Deal, who won the Goldman Award for his work in opposing fracking in the Karoo, said scientific estimates of shale gas deposits, especially in the US had so far proven to be out by as much as 96%. He said the same was happening in South Africa. Although initial estimates were that there were 485 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of shale gas in the country, that was downgraded to 390TCF in 2011 and to 20 to 30 TCF in 2013.

Last week, a study published by the Karoo Research Initiative suggested the potential for shale gas was limited.

Deal said companies could buy gas offshore much more cheaply than they would pay for it from the Karoo. Now, Deal said, TKAG and AfriForum were challenging the government's fracking regulations in the high court as they were not suitable for South Africa. "They are designed for American conditions," he said.

Studies from other South African scientists into potential gas reserves in the Karoo were expected later this year, he said.

"Fracking is past its sell-by date. The Eastern Cape government can dream all they like," Deal said.

AfriForum local government affairs head Marcus Pawson said a recent Australian study had found fracking to be unsustainable in terms of job creation.

Cramer warned that the Eastern Cape government's optimism was based on hypothetical hope balanced out by proven dangers. "The environmental damage from fracking operations is well established by research.

"Excessive water consumption and the release - accidental or otherwise - of toxic waste water would have devastating impacts on aquatic and terrestrial life in the Karoo," Cramer said.

"There will be damage to the landscape, especially from access infrastructure like roads, pipelines and transmission lines.

"The damage to soil in the Karoo would be almost permanent, as recovery takes hundreds of years."

Also, toxic groundwater would be a huge public health problem.

Cramer said that to create dreams of a gas boom was unacceptable and expectations had to be managed.

Source: Herald
The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is looking for another R200m from private or public sector investors to move forward with an aggregate quarry near Queenstown.

L-R: Divan Swanepoel, quarry manager, Buhle Dlulane,ECDC chief executive, Loyiso Jiya,ECDC deputy chairman, Nomveliso Nyukwana, mayor of,Emalahleni, Marius Prinsloo from Tau Pele, Mcebisi Limba and Moss Magwebu, both directors of Blue Crane Resources and Minerals.

ECDC is very pleased with this mining investment and considering it has a lifespan of 30 years, it is ripe for investment opportunities as well as additional off-take agreements. For its part, the ECDC committed R736,000 in the preparation stages toward conducting geo-tech surveys, drilling and laboratory testing, environmental impact assessments and authorisation, mining works programme development, site layout plan, business planning and financial modelling as well as market off-take negotiations," says ECDC deputy chairman, Loyiso Jiya.

But the developers needs another R200m to fully equip it. Currently, the mine which sits on some 1,000 hectares (ha) of land, has hired a plant worth about R150m to commence operations which includes machinery, earth-moving vehicles to commence operations.

Two off-take agreements

ECDC chief executive officer, Buhle Dlulane, says the mine has secured two off-take agreements and it is already negotiating a supply contract with a local municipality for 1,500 RDP houses and several companies in road construction.

Subsequent off-take agreements and contracts will be financed through ECDC. The plan is to gradually expand operations and supply capacity beyond the 200ha the mine currently occupies and to use the available land for additional production capacity."

ECDC is also pleased with the initial approach by Blue Crane Resources and Minerals directors, Sydney Stina and Mcebisi Limba, who found the Indwe site and identified it as carrying aggregate. Although located on a private farm, the Blue Crane Resources and Minerals with the help of ECDC has successfully negotiated a partnership agreement with the farm owner, Dlulane says.

Limba says Blue Crane Mines primary focus is on supplying standard concrete stone products, crusher sand, specialised road stone and base course products, non-standard rock and crush products. In addition, the company is investigating other products such as sand (building, river and plaster sand), ready-mix concrete,sabhunga, as well as bricks and blocks.

In-principle agreements for houses and roads

Blue Crane Mine has already secured an in-principle agreement with the company that has been appointed by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) to build the road between Elliot and Barkly East and another road from Indwe to Ugie and Maclear to supply aggregates running into tens of millions of rands.

In addition, the enterprise is also soliciting opportunities from the new 17km road construction from Indwe to Elitheni Coal Mine in Guba Village which require aggregates estimated at more than R30m, as well as an approved low-cost housing development for 1,500 units for Guba Village with potential aggregates amounting to above R27m, Limba adds.

The company currently employs 40 people sourced from the local community and intends to increase the number once the off-take agreements that are under negotiations have been signed.
The 2016 Fellows for the Rockefeller Foundation Global Fellowship Program on Social Innovation were recently announced. The 21 fellows include innovators across various sectors, including leaders from NGOs, development agencies, social enterprises, philanthropies and the private sector.

Over the course of a year, fellows will convene for intensive collaborative workshops in Colombia, South Africa, and Indonesia. At the workshops and throughout the year they will share lessons from their work and gain tools to begin transforming the systems at the root of some of the worlds most pressing challenges.

The fellowship embodies two themes that are fundamental to the way the Rockefeller Foundation approaches innovation:

Bring people and ideas together: Innovation requires combining ideas, approaches and partners who can look at problems in new ways. The 2016 fellows are an exciting and diverse group of innovators with backgrounds in international development, law, education, human and civil rights, politics, medicine, public health, venture capital, agriculture, and ecology.

Thinking in systems: The fellowship pushes the boundaries of social innovation by building the capacity of fellows to pursue systems entrepreneurship. Systems entrepreneurs not only develop solutions to pressing problems, they help transform the systems  political, educational, legal, environmental and others  that are the root causes of those problems.

The Rockefeller Foundation believes that bringing people together to catalyse change at the systems level  across organisations, issues and sectors  is one of the keys to developing breakthrough innovations that can scale and create lasting change, said Saadia Madsbjerg, managing director at The Rockefeller Foundation. We congratulate this years remarkable group of fellows, who have demonstrated a commitment to transforming systems in order to build greater resilience and more inclusive economies.

The Rockefeller Foundation Global Fellowship Program on Social Innovation is conducted in partnership with the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Cape Towns Graduate School of Business. The program was originally designed by Dr. Frances Westley, chair in Social Innovation at the University of Waterloo. The fellowship also works in close partnership with the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria, the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, and the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience at the University of Waterloo.

"We are delighted to have this chance to partner with some incredible institutions in putting the program together, says Dr Francois Bonnici, director of the Bertha Centre. The Rockefeller Global Fellowship Program represents a fascinating new way of thinking about social innovation  one that locates the Global South in co-presence and mindful exchange with international movements towards systems change. The Global Fellows themselves are a truly inspiring group of people. We continue to learn a great deal from their insight, commitment and diversity.

The 2016 Rockefeller Foundation Global Fellows on Social Innovation are:
A recipient of a St Mary's Foundation bursary in Grade 10, Phumzile Hlongwane matriculated from the institution in 2015. She's now a student at Wits, passionate about philosophy and politics, and set on becoming the next public protector.

Hlongwane chats about the effects the bursary had on her life, its capacity to nurture exceptional individuals, and her plans to change her country for the better.

How did you end up at St Marys?

Hlongwane: I went to primary school in Soweto and our school received regular visits from a reading programme. I loved reading and, through the programme, met Sheila Boardman who was a foundation donor. We spent some time together during the reading sessions and I told her I was desperate to be a pilot one day. She made a promise to me that shed do her best to place me in a good high school.

Sure enough, years later just before I started high school, I was called to the headmistresss office, who told me there was a lady on the phone wanting to speak to the little girl who had wanted to be a pilot. Susan and I connected again, and she invited me to have an interview at the school.

What was the interview process like?

Hlongwane: The interviews were very intimidating. I could hardly speak English, and completely flunked my entrance exams because I was so nervous. At my school in Soweto Id never been able to receive one-on-one attention from teachers, so my maths skills were way below average. Luckily, St Marys saw potential, and accepted my application anyway.

How did things change when you were awarded the bursary?

Hlongwane: My whole life changed overnight. My mom passed away when I was 12, so Id been living with my aunt in Soweto, but somehow felt I didnt really have a home of my own  and then suddenly I did. I was set up in the boarding house, and the other boarders accepted me like a sister. I had a home and a family, and I formed the most incredible friendships. Although the other girls in the boarding house were interested in where I came from, I was never made to feel like an outsider  I was just another St Marys girl.

In terms of academics, I was suddenly given the attention Id been craving. The teachers took the time to work with me and improve my English and Maths  they were completely dedicated. Soon enough, my Ds and Es were turning into As and Bs.

Looking back, what did winning the bursary mean to you?

Hlongwane: With no disrespect to the amazingly strong women in this country, I think the trajectory of my life wouldve been completely different. I might have matriculated  although theres a chance I wouldve failed  and then Id have started looking for a job. Id probably have a baby (or two) by now, and would have had no hope of ever following my dreams and becoming the woman I want to be. Being awarded the bursary pushed me to think further and hope for more.

Through St Marys, I was given the opportunity to apply to several universities, as well as have guidance counselling to pin down exactly what I wanted to do. Im now studying a BA at Wits, and Im passionate about politics and philosophy.

What are your hopes for the future?

Hlongwane: I want to be the next public protector and tackle corruption head-on. I know what poverty feels like, and I also know that corruption has the most profound effect on the most vulnerable sector of our population. We need new leadership in this country, and I hope, in some small way, I can help facilitate that process.

If possible, Id also like to become a donor to the St Marys Foundation one day, to give back what was given to me. Through the foundation, I was given an opportunity few girls from my background will have  and I never take that for granted. I want to become a truly meaningful member of society and be a part of the change that drives education in this country.
Most businesses don't survive past the start-up phase despite great ideas. The downfall normally comes in turning ideas into viable businesses. So Niveus Investments has launched Niveus Ventures to fund emerging entrepreneurs in Africa's technology space.

Jesse Hemson-Struthers, CEO: Niveus Ventures

Immense challenge

Building an enduring business remains an immense challenge, says Jesse Hemson-Struthers, head of the investment team at Niveus Ventures, who has successfully launched, invested in, grown and sold several businesses.

These include SAcamera, which Naspers acquired in 2012; BetTech Gaming, providing software to three of the top five listed gaming companies in Africa; LifeQ, wearable healthcare technology with clients such as TomTom; and SaveMoney, a fast growing fintech startup.

Systems and structures

The company has the systems and structures in place as a venture capital operating partner to provide support in those crucial, early stages of business and to reduce the risks of failure. In this way, entrepreneurs are able to focus on the innovation required to differentiate their businesses from their competitors.

Investment criteria comes down to the right person and the right team. We look for talented individuals who may have started a business once or twice before, or individuals who have achieved corporate success but havent been able to realise their entrepreneurial potential, says Hemson-Struthers.

Filling the gap

The venture capitalist will provide entrepreneurs with financing that fills the gap between angel funding of less than R1m, and capital from listed firms or private equity groups that range between R100m to R200m, which is typically difficult for a younger business to secure.

In addition to funding and strategic support, the company specialises in executive placements, bringing in the right talent to help build strong management teams and fill key positions.

Looking for tech start ups

The team is specifically looking to build businesses in Africas rapidly growing technology space, including those with a global agenda, and plans to invest in emerging technologies and disruptive ideas that will change the way people live, transact and communicate.

Theres an increasing number of successful tech entrepreneurs and exits coming out of South Africa and making a name for themselves internationally, such as:

Mobile financial service provider, Fundamo, which was acquired by US-based financial services giant, Visa, for $110m.

WooThemes and WooCommerce, co-founded in 2008 by Adriaan Pienaar, Magnus Jepson, and Mark Forrester, were acquired by US-based WordPress.com holding company, Automattic, for US$ 30m.

Mimecast, founded by South Africans Peter Bauer and Neil Murray, was listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York late last year. It now commands a hefty market capitalisation of US$466m (around R7,3bn).

As strategic investors the team will take a hands-on approach and provide in-depth knowledge of the market, ensuring that potential entrepreneurs start their businesses on a solid foundation.

Hemson-Struthers believes the enterprise will fill an important gap to support entrepreneurial innovation in Africa. Our team has an established track record of building successful businesses and delivering shareholder value, while powering Africas growth.
The Department of Trade and Industry is finalising a raft of measures to protect the primary and secondary steel industries, says deputy director- general for industrial development Garth Strachan.

Strachan was commenting on concerns expressed by DA MPs that the steel price increases imposed by ArcelorMittalSA this year were having a devastating effect on downstream manufacturers, resulting in plant closures and job losses.

The MPs have argued that the increases violated a commitment by the steel producer not to raise prices if tariff duties on cheap steel imports were raised. Ten tariff applications have been approved by the International Trade Administration Commission.

The issue is expected to be raised again when departmental officials brief Parliament's trade and industry committee on Tuesday on the latest iteration of the industrial policy action plan.

Strachan said the government was "acutely aware of and concerned about" the problem of higher steel prices.

Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel would establish a steel committee within the International Trade Administration Commission to monitor and evaluate the performance of ArcelorMittalSA against a set of commitments regarding pricing, investments, employment, technology upgrading and production.

"An executive decision on the committee and its composition is awaited and an announcement will hopefully be made shortly," Strachan said.

A technical team was working on another concern which involved the role of steel merchants who added to the price of steel for end users without adding significant value, he said.

"As part of a package of measures, government will be lifting the 'deeming' of steel in all the steel-intensive designations that have hitherto been promulgated. This refers to the fact that at the time that the import parity pricing principle was followed, government 'deemed' all steel as local."

Strachan said this process would be completed shortly and would provide relief to domestic steel producers since it would raise aggregate domestic demand for steel - volumes being very important for steel production.

He highlighted the complexity of the problem which required SA to preserve its steel producing while protecting downstream users. He emphasised that there was no easy or quick fix.

Source: Business Day
The top 26 young entrepreneurs in the City of Cape Town's #YouthStartCT Entrepreneurship Challenge have been selected from an original group of 100 that underwent skills and business development training facilitated by the SEED Academy. The Academy and sponsor, Altech, partnered with the City in the initiative.

#YouthStartCT is one of the Social Development and Early Childhood Development Departments initiatives, under the banner of its Youth Development Programme. It is designed to help young would-be entrepreneurs launch their businesses and careers and make a contribution to job creation. Applicants were encouraged to pitch any business idea, but the key criterion was that the business plan should also stimulate job creation.

Finalists

Adjudication to trim down the list of finalists entailed a five-minute pitch, where the entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to share their idea with a team of experts. The businesses were evaluated on various criteria, with the ability of the idea to contribute to job creation in Cape Town being a major factor. Initially there were going to be 25 top spots but there are 26, after two contestants tied in their scores.

The business ideas cover a wide range of areas including the fields of education, sport, art, food, goods and services and connecting job seekers with employment opportunities.

Iamstein

Hoodlab Venture

Rea Nubia

Just Earn

GD Industries

Straightkasi

Bafundi Foods

The Bug

Vouch Scout

Hoorus

Be Safe Security Solutions

Job4me

FBK

Sporting Code

Zimele

Grassroots South Africa

Ntombentle Beauty House

Be a Star

Berenjens

Nceskido Cleaning Solutions

First Aid Solutions

Jobs4Us

The pursuit of Professions

3D4Youth

Coppermein

Arts Alternative



Next step

While the entire group of 100 entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to complete the remaining training sessions, the top 26 will have to prepare to pitch for a place in the top 10, followed by adjudication for a top-three spot.

This process has been nothing short of inspirational and has certainly reminded me of the potential that exists in our communities and in our young people. I hope that they serve to encourage others around them, acting as an example of what can be achieved if you have a dream and the willingness to work hard, says Citys Mayoral Committee Member for Social Development and Early Childhood Development, Councillor Suzette Little.

It has also proved to me that we are on the right track with our initiatives such as the YouthStartCT Challenge and the series of career expos that we recently concluded. There are young people out there who want to be more and do more and it is incumbent on us to do as much as possible to give them opportunities to thrive.
The Rutgers-Camden University, in New Jersey US, has conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Business on Pick n Pay founder Raymond Ackerman, hailing him as a global leader. Pick n Pay transformation director, Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, was also present at the Rutgers School of Business to deliver the commencement address to an audience of more than 2,000 people, including 351 students receiving their undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Rutgers-Camden Chancellor, Phoebe Haddon recounted Ackermans distinguished career growing four small supermarkets into the highly respected retail giant, Pick n Pay, which now employees more than 80,000 people in more than 1,100 stores across eight countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The visionary businessman sought to not only grow his business; he empowered the communities where the group operated. Ackerman and his wife Wendy established the Ackerman Family Educational Trust in the 1970s, at the height of apartheid, by donating 2% of their personal shares to the foundation.

Ackerman became known and respected for his four legs of the table business vision, which articulates the core guiding principles of strong administrative operations, high-quality merchandise, commitment to social responsibility and sustainability and the inherent value and dignity of all people.

The success of your corporate ventures is rooted in sound business practice and, perhaps more importantly, in your unyielding commitment to innovation, diversity, inclusion and civic service - all values that we at Rutgers share and embrace, said Haddon. These are not simply words for inclusion in a corporate annual report. You have lived those values at risk to yourself.

As a business leader during South Africas apartheid period, Ackerman defied the South African government to protect the most impoverished and vulnerable of his fellow citizens. Despite crippling government fines, he subsidised bread prices to make certain that basic food items would remain accessible to the majority of South Africans.

Ackermans commitment to mentoring and developing entrepreneurs in South Africa opened doors to employment and meaningful economic opportunity in the nation, and greatly heightened the dignity and respect for his fellow citizens. Education has always been close to this humanitarians heart and other initiatives include the Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development at the University of Cape Town.

Your lifes work has grown economic opportunity and also expanded opportunities for equality in your home nation of South Africa. Your business philosophy inspires entrepreneurs worldwide to strive toward a future where doing well and doing good are twin prerequisites for economic and social success.

Suzanne Ackerman-Berman was hailed as a passionate proponent for equality, job creation and skills development. Ackerman-Berman founded the Pick n Pay Small Business Incubator in 2007 to create opportunities for entrepreneurs to access the formal market. Pick n Pays inaugural Boost your Biz competition will announce the top 25 small businesses that have won an opportunity to become part of the retailers national supply network in June.

Ackerman-Berman said during her address that it was honour to be invited to speak at her own fathers graduation ceremony. My father, who has been my greatest role model, is a builder of bridges. He is a leader who has strived to develop connections and links between people of different backgrounds and create bonds that look past colour, language, ethnicity or religion. So my focus is on appealing to the graduates going out into the world to also be builders of bridges, rather than builders of walls; to reach out and help transform societies and communities where they come from by sharing their skills and expertise with others who have not had similar opportunities.

Mentorship and support is important, as a corporation we have always believed that we should never take out more than we put in. The model that my parents lived by  that doing good is good business  is now more relevant than ever before. Assisting those previously disadvantaged with access to the formal economy is the key to unlocking economic freedom, not only in SA but for many developing nations.

This is the entrepreneur and philanthropists seventh honorary degree and one of numerous international awards. He has also received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Rhodes University, an Honorary Doctorate of Economic Sciences from UCT, an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from UPE (now Nelson Mandela University) and UKZN, an Honorary Doctorate of Education from UNISA and an Honorary Doctorate from Bar-Ilan University in Israel.
More than 1,500 professional decision makers are expected to arrive at Cape Town's CTICC on 8 and 9 June, 2016, for Source Africa, which will feature more than 180 exhibitors interested in expanding their exports. Countries represented include: South Africa, Mauritius, Lesotho, Kenya, Egypt, Madagascar, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

Source Africa will bring together manufacturers, buyers, suppliers and services providers in one major integrated event, enabling international and African buyers to view and explore an extensive array of products and services from Africa. The event will promote African manufacturers to both regional and international buyers, with the aim of increasing market share for the continent as well as developing regional trade between African countries.

Enterprise Mauritius (EM) will lead a major delegation of 39 enterprises to the Source Africa Trade Show this year. The main objectives behind their participation are to maintain their visibility as the Preferred Next Door Partner and to boost exports to South Africa. Companies will be showcasing a wide range of products ranging from knitwear, T-shirts, polo shirts, jeans, high-end suits and accessories. In addition to participation in the trade show, Enterprise Mauritius will be organising a fashion show on 8 June to showcase the Savoir Faire of Mauritian manufacturers.

Exports to SA up by 500%

Arvind Radhakrishna, CEO of Enterprise Mauritius, said: In 2015, South Africa was the third export market for Mauritian textile and apparel products. Exports to South Africa have increased by 500% over the last decade and last year it reached R6bn, registering a 21% increase compared to 2014. With decades of experience and renewed investments in high-end design skills and manufacturing technology, Mauritian textile and fashion producers now supply leading fashion brands, primarily in the Euro zone and US, namely: Calvin Klein, Adidas, Woolworths, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, Harrods, River Island and Levi.

The South African business community is progressively recognising the benefits of partnering Mauritian manufacturers for their sourcing options due to the preferential trade agreement and short lead time.

It is exciting times for Africa as we prepare to take full advantage of the opportunities that will open up from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) renewal. AGOA, a US government trade preference programme, offers certain African producers the opportunity to export a myriad products including apparel, textiles and footwear, to the US with up to 35% reduction in duties. As a result, several recognised US brands and retailers are already sourcing from the region and taking great advantage of savings on both labour and duty rates. Source Africa will align itself to this important initiative as well as the other regional duty free trade preference agreements.

A series of business seminars, including key topics such as AGOA  the Africa Advantage, will be presented by top industry speakers.

Africa will play an increasingly important role in the textile, apparel and footwear industry over the next decade. International buyers are showing stronger interest, fuelled in part by AGOA, and the African industry is showing an increased ability to meet that demand with world class capabilities that are getting better every day.

For more information on Source Africa, contact the organisers on +27 (0)21 790 5849, email: az.oc.acirfaecruos@erdied website: www.sourceafrica.co.za
BERLIN: German regulators suspect that Italian-American auto maker Fiat Chrysler, like Volkswagen, used illegal software to cheat on emissions tests, a newspaper report said on Sunday.

Rui Santos via 123RF

The German Federal Motor Vehicle Office (KBA) had sent a report voicing the suspicion to the European Commission and to Italian authorities, according to Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper. The news report came after Germany on Thursday blasted Fiat for its "uncooperative attitude" for refusing to meet its officials to address questions on whether their vehicles complied with emissions regulations.

German authorities launched a sweeping emissions probe after Volkswagen admitted last year to rigging its engines with so-called defeat devices to cheat pollution tests. Not only VW vehicles, but other major car brands, including Fiat, showed up irregularities.

Bild am Sonntag reported that testing by the KBA of a Fiat model had shown that the emission control system shut down after 22 minutes - two minutes after the end of a standard test. This caused the dangerous pollutant nitrogen oxide (NOx) to be released into the atmosphere "at more than 10 times the permitted level", the report said according to the newspaper.

The KBA had concluded that there was "sufficient evidence of an impermissible defeat device", said the newspaper, adding that the automaker had declined to comment on the claims.

Fiat officials had been due to hold a meeting with German authorities on Wednesday but cancelled the talks abruptedly through a lawyer's letter, the transport ministry said in a statement. The carmaker had declined to meet as it deemed Italian officials to be the only authority responsible on the question of whether their vehicles complied with existing emissions regulations, the ministry said.

"This uncooperative attitude of Fiat is completely incomprehensible," said Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

Source: AFP
What better way to learn from the country's top creatives than through a series of exclusive MasterClasses? Here's what you'll get out of the inaugural Loeries MasterClass series.

Loeries Creative Week Durban has further upped its industry relevance by including a series of free MasterClasses led by the likes of Loeries Creative Voice Donovan Goliath on Turning ideas into currency, Accenture, Google on using YouTube as a creative tool; as well as a R750 talk on Creativity vs strategy with Mike Schalit, in partnership with the Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS).

The sessions will take place on Thursday, 18 August at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel and youll receive a Loeries MasterClass certificate of completion as proof. Additional industry workshops will be hosted by the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) and the Mobile Marketing Association South Africa (MMA SA) during Loeries Creative Week Durban, as well as the annual DStv Seminar of Creativity on Friday, 19 August for the best of international thought leadership.

Visit the official Loeries website for more.
Not your typical South African travel journalist story of local girl transplanted somewhere fancy, New Yorker Sarah Khan fell so in love with our landscape that she made the permanent transition a few years ago. She shares her love story with our land below and the key to her peripatetic work/life balance.

Khan snapped on safari at Royal Malewane.

To many, its the ideal job title  travel journalist. And with Africas natural beauty, its a firm favourite as ideal location. Thats exactly what happened with travel journalist Sarah Khan. A journalist for about a dozen years now, she completed her master's degree in journalism at Syracuse University in upstate New York and went on to work as a magazine editor in New York City for about seven years, the last four of which were spent at Travel + Leisure, a top travel magazine in the US. Shed secretly always wanted to be a freelance writer though  a lifelong ambition for many with the gift of the pen  so when she moved to South Africa in 2013 following her first visit to Cape Town in April 2012, which she dubs a revelation as, It was the first place I'd been to in a long time that truly blew me away, not only as a tourist destination, but also as what I perceived to be an extremely liveable city. So when she married a South African, it gave her a chance to test out whether that hunch was true as well as the opportunity to try her hand as a freelancer.

Try she did, to great success as she now contributes regularly to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Conde Nast Traveler, and numerous other publications dotted across the US, UK, and India. Its hardly a surprise then that she confesses: I haven't missed having a desk job since!

African business perspective: Media responsibility

As a freelancer focusing on foreign media, she doesnt interact with local businesses much, but does find business here to be very, "relaxed," if you will, especially coming from a city like New York. Deadlines seem to be more of a suggestion here, and judging by how early rush hour starts in Cape Town, it seems like working past 3pm is a cardinal sin here.

Looking further afield to the rest of the continent, Khan stresses that improving the global opinion of Africa as a business destination is more about the accessibility of getting to and from the continent, and the dissemination of information about what's going on here than anything else, as we definitely have the talent. It seems like people aren't nearly clued-in enough to the wealth of ideas, talent, and financial opportunity on the continent as they should be, and some of that responsibility lies with the media to be sharing stories on a wider platform, she says.

Shifting focus to the profession of journalism, she says these days its equal parts scary and exciting. Scary, because so much of what has been the norm for years is being rendered obsolete; exciting, because of the opportunities and innovations that can move the industry forward. However, at this precise moment it feels like we're in the midst of some major growing pains as we make that transition.

Freelance work/life balance

She explains that the sudden surge in content means not all of it is being vetted for accuracy or edited for clarity in time before publishing, which can lead to a lot of mistakes. Linked to this is the fact that competing with social media means sometimes media outlets are more concerned with being "first" rather than "right." Added to this is the fact that the increase in amount of outlets and the need to constantly be generating new content leaves the cash-strapped media industry less inclined to compensate journalists fairly.

It's very erratic and inconsistent as some days shes booking back to back meetings, some days shes in sweats all day plugging away at a deadline, and many days don't involve any writing at all. Instead, theyre a never-ending abyss of research, pitching, and admin. While no two days are alike, she says: It's definitely nice being able to set your own schedule and work on your own terms.

Those terms include finding the time to blog and keep her social media accounts active as part of that ever-elusive work-life balance, especially as just trying to figure out the perfect balance between traditional media and social media is challenging enough.

Social media can be both a fun stress release outlet and a way to stay on top of news and trends that are important in the industry, but most of us could stand to spend less time on it. Blogging, on the other hand, is something shes likely to focus more on, especially as she originally wanted to chronicle some of her personal experiences in transitioning to South Africa there, but has always just been so busy with actual work that finding time to write for fun has fallen by the wayside. It's definitely something she'd like to refocus on in the coming months though, and something that would inspire others looking to follow in her footsteps.

Find out more about Khan by following her blog, her official portfolio of work and of course her Instagram and Twitter feeds.
WASHINGTON: Los Angeles Times owner Tribune Publishing on Monday rejected a sweetened takeover offer from newspaper rival Gannett but left the door open to discussions on a potential tie-up.

123RF

The rejection marked the latest volley in a contentious battle for Tribune Publishing, which also owns the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and other large dailies. Gannett, which owns USA Today and over 100 other newspapers, boosted its bid last week to $864m in an effort to create a national newspaper powerhouse.

Tribune Publishing chief executive Justin Dearborn said the group wants to pursue its own "transformation strategy" for the digital age, but had signed a non-disclosure agreement that allows both sides to examine the finances of the other.

"We continue to have serious doubts about Gannett's ability to enter into a transaction," Dearborn said in a statement, noting Tribune's large pension and benefits liabilities.

"However, we stand ready to work with Gannett to assess whether there is a path forward that will create more value for both sets of shareholders. We have no preconceived ideas about where these discussions might lead, but the board is committed to engaging further in an effort to identify potential additional value for the company's shareholders."

At the same time, Tribune Publishing announced it had received a $70.5m "growth capital investment" from Nant Capital, giving the group controlled by South African-born entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong a stake of 12.9 percent.

The investment at $15 a share -- the same as the Gannett bid -- "demonstrates strong support for our plan and provides additional capital to accelerate our growth strategies for the benefit of our shareholders and all other Tribune stakeholders," Dearborn said in a statement.

Some Tribune Publishing shareholders have been pressuring the company to accept a deal with Gannett, arguing that a tie-up is the only way to survive in a declining newspaper industry. But the Chicago-based group rejected the first offer from Gannett as too low and last week said it would "not succumb to hostile tactics designed to steal the company from our shareholders."

Tribune Publishing group was spun off from the larger Tribune Co. in 2014, and has been examining options such as the sale of the coveted Los Angeles daily. But following the Gannett offer the group said it would seek to remain independent as it refines its digital strategy.

Gannett last year became the latest media conglomerate to break itself apart, splitting off its television operations into a new firm called Tegna.

Source: AFP
Local biometrics firm Ideco will showcase its new all-in-one mobile biometrics unit at Securex from 24-26 May 2016. The solution was recently launched at the connectID 2016 conference and expo in Washington, US.

Image by 123RF

The Biometric Identity Management System (BIMS), enables biometric identification across a range of modalities  from fingerprint through to iris scanning  as well as being highly mobile and readily configurable. It can be rolled out rapidly in any environment requiring agile identification and processing of crowds.

Encapsulated in a device the size of a ruggedised laptop, BIMS is capable of six biometric modalities and delivers a full range of connectivity options including Bluetooth, WiFi, GSM, GPS, LAN and Cloud.

Ideco CEO Marius Coetzee says there was a need for an eminently configurable, mobile advanced biometrics identification unit.

BIMS is unlike any other solution currently on the market for biometric user identification and access control. It enables agile, rapid roll-out of advanced biometrics-based solutions; and has relevance for both the public and private sector across any number of verticals.

The need for secure and authentic identity management has reached crisis proportions globally, with demand for advanced biometrics surging. Thebiometrics systems market is predicted to be worth anything from $15 billion to $24 billion by 2020, he explains.

Multi-functional and uniquely configurable, the unit has been designed to stringent hardware and software security standards, and harnesses intelligent power management for prolonged battery life of up to 12 hours.

The Biometric Identity Management System (BIMS) and its supporting system were designed and built in South Africa at a cost of over R20 million in R&D and two and a half years of man hours by a team of skilled software and firmware developers and engineers.

Coetzee says most biometric systems on the market today offer single factor authentication. Before the advent of BIMS, none could deliver six modalities in a single portable device, which can be used in any configuration for multiple levels of identification, as well as integrating into existing enterprise systems quickly and easily.

BIMS mobile and uniquely configurable abilities facilitate both identity enrolment and identity validation efficiently, securely and authentically at any place, any time. With the intelligent use of APIs, the solution can be integrated with any backend system.

This is a world first multi-modal, multi-functional, uniquely configurable mobile identity management solution. Due to the huge potential for mass adoption of BIMS solutions around the world, Ideco is currently in talks with international technology companies on distribution partnerships, concludes Coetzee.


Meeting between representatives of the

NMSP and state government

(Photo: War War Zin Oo Facebook) Meeting between representatives of theNMSP and state government(Photo: War War Zin Oo Facebook)

This is the first time the NMSP have been able to meet with the state government after the National League for Democracy (NLD) led government took the office in Mon State.

The meeting was focused on introducing the new delegates, among other topics. One issue, brought up by the NMSP at the meeting was in regards to the 21 Century Panglong Conference.

It was just for us to meet them and introduce ourselves since we had never met the new government. One thing that we asked them about was concerning the 21 Century Panglong Conference that the NLD planned. We asked them how the conference would be held and what the objectives for the conference were. However, the chief minister could not give us any answers as he said he hadnt met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi yet, said NMSP Vice-chairman Nai Hongsar.

Nai Hongsar added that the NMSP are in agreement if the 21 Panglong Conference is held with the objective of establishing federal union in the country. Regarding the matters of the ethnic groups, equality and the right for ethnic groups to create their own fate are at the center. It is important that the ethnic groups language, literature and culture is able to be developed.

At the meeting, 7 representatives from NMSP including NMSPs vice-chairman Nai Hongsar and Commander in Chief. Brig. Gen. Layih Gakao of NMSPs armed wing, the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) were present. The representatives present from the state government side were the chief minister U Min Min Oo, Security and Border Affair Minister Colonel Win Naing Oo, Natural resource and environment reservation minister Dr. Min Kyi Win, state government secretary U Zaw Linn Tun and Bamar, Karen and Pa O ethnic ministers.

It was mainly for the chance to introduce each other. One question they asked was concerning their ease of travel. Some matters are not concerned with us. Those matters need to be discussed with the union government. Although I am state chief minister, I am only a part of the states responsibility, said Chief Minister U Min Min Oo.

Recently, the state counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi stated that 21 Century Panglong Conference would be held within the next two months and the NLD-led government would work towards having the ethnic armed groups, including those yet to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), involved in the conference.

Although the NMSP signed a state level and union level ceasefire agreement with the Thein Sein Government, it is yet to sign the NCA.
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Habitation Hatt Hotel offers accommodation in Delmas. The hotel has an outdoor pool, year-round outdoor pool and children's playground, and guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant or a drink at the...

Located within a 5-minute drive of the citys international airport, this luxurious hotel in Port-au-Prince features free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and an outdoor swimming pool.

Le Plaza Hotel in the capital city of Port Au Prince features an outdoor pool, free Wi-Fi and complimentary parking. It is only 700 metres from the National Palace.

Set in Tabarre, less than 1 km from Tapage and a 11-minute walk from Dumornay, Standard Private apartment offers accommodation with free WiFi, air conditioning, a bar and a garden.

Located 2.7 km from Sarthe and 3.1 km from Mais Gate in Delmas, Quiet apartment at Delmas offers accommodation with a kitchen. Private parking is available on site.

Situated in Port-au-Prince, within 1.4 km of Mais Gate and 2.4 km of Sarthe, Sams Hotel features accommodation with a restaurant and free WiFi throughout the property as well as free private parking...

Offering an outdoor pool and a restaurant, Marriott Port-au-Prince Hotel is located 5 minutes drive from the National Palace in central Port-au-Prince.

Offering an outdoor pool, a bar-restaurant and meeting facilities, Ideal Villa Hotel is located in the Petionville district of Port-au-Prince. Rooms have free Wi-Fi access and cable TV.

NH Haiti El Rancho has a privileged location in the heart of Petion-Ville, a residential suburb in Port-au-Prince. This town holds most of the citys points of interest.

2 bedroom penthouse suite has a balcony and is situated in Peguy Ville, within just 1.2 km of Peguy Ville and 1.5 km of Petionville. This property offers a private pool and free private parking.

Beautiful one bedroom penthouse suite has a balcony and is situated in Peguy Ville, within just 1.2 km of Peguy Ville and 1.5 km of Petionville.

Allamanda Hotel is located 5 minutes walk from Saint Pierre main square and 8 km from Port-au-Prince Capital City. It features a terrace, free breakfast and free WiFi.

Offering an outdoor pool and a lush garden, Hotel Villa Therese is located in Petionville. Free WiFi is available in all areas.

Located in the heart of Petion-Ville, Royal Oasis by Occidental offers modern decor, a garden and an outdoor terrace with views of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

No properties left in Petionville on our site! Tip: try these nearby properties

Offering a restaurant and a fitness centre, La Pepiniere Hotel is located in Petionville. It serves a free daily breakfast and features free Wi-Fi and on-site parking.

Hotel Montana offers accommodation in Petionville. The hotel has an outdoor pool and year-round outdoor pool, and guests can enjoy a drink at the bar.

Commission paid and other benefits may affect an accommodation's ranking. Find out more.

This is a Preferred Partner property. It is committed to providing guests with a positive experience thanks to its commendable service and good value. This property may pay Booking.com a bit more to be in this Programme.




HYDERABAD (PTI): Describing Monday's successful launch of an indigenously winged Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) as a small step in achieving the objective of reducing the cost of space transportation, top space scientist G Madhavan Nair said it may take ten years for the country to put in place such an operational rocket.



India on Monday successfully launched the first technology demonstrator of indigenously made RLV, capable of launching satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter the atmosphere, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.



Highlighting that India has been in the field of rocket launchers and satellite launches and has gained a good technical base in rocket technology, Nair, the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), however, said since these rockets are expended after each launch, the cost of access to space remains high.



"If you want to reduce the cost of access to space, the hardware has to be reused. So, the recoverable and reusable launch vehicle demonstrator is a small step towards achieving the final goal like that. And that is very much needed," he told PTI.



"When you want to have future space programme, either you want to have an orbiting platform or to go to Moon or Mars etc, we have to significantly bring down the cost of launchers. To achieve low cost access to space, recoverable and reusable launch vehicle is a must," Nair said.



"A host of technologies related to hypersonic flight, and the thermal management and re-entry, and all these things are big question mark before us. This demonstrator is a small beginning towards that wherein rocket technology and aircraft technology has been integrated together and ISRO team has done an excellent job in making this demonstration today," he said.



Asked how long he believe it would take for the country to operationalise the system, Nair said, "My feeling is that such a programme if it's initiated today it will take about ten years before you can have first operational system.



So, that's a long way to go."



So, ISRO certainly has to come out with its long-term plan, he said.



"At the moment, there is nothing visible. They have to worry about what they will be doing in the next ten years, and integrating all such technologies and ambitious goals of planetary explorations and the spacecraft of new generation have to be chalked out into the next ten year plan," he said.




BRAHMOS Weapon System. A Brahmand photo.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will next month travel to Singapore for the key Shangri-La Dialogue focussing on inter-governmental security and also undertake a two-day bilateral visit to Vietnam to deepen military ties.



Vietnam has expressed interest to acquire Indian-made BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile.



Parrikar is expected to leave for Singapore on June 3 to attend the inter-governmental security forum on June 4, defence ministry sources said here on Monday.



Last year, Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh had represented India at the Shangri-La Dialogue which focusses on security in the Asia-Pacific region.



The Shangri-La Dialogue is an inter-governmental security forum held annually by an independent think-tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and is attended by defence ministers and military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific countries.



Last year, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had attended the dialogue.



Among the issues that are likely to be discussed are freedom of navigation and security issues concerning the Asia-Pacific region.



Parrikar will then travel to Vietnam, which is involved in a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.



Last year, India and Vietnam had decided to enhance their bilateral defence cooperation and signed a joint vision statement for five years.



Vietnam, which is building a naval deterrent to China with Russian-made Kilo-class submarines, is keen on India training its submarine personnel. It also has expressed interest to acquire Indian-made BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile, a deal for which India is open to.



Vietnam may become the first country to be supplied the 290 km-range BRAHMOS weapon system, a joint venture of India and Russia.


A third of top companies in the UK are being accused of withholding information from annual reports, giving an "incomplete" picture of business performance.

Many organisations are failing to include details of health and safety incidents, data breaches, skills challenges and employee turnover, it was claimed.

Three business groups urged firms to disclose the contribution of staff after finding that some were not being transparent about workplace issues in corporate reports.

The study of FTSE 100 companies was carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Charles Tilley, Chief Executive of CIMA said: "This report shows just how big a shift is needed. We have to recognise people as the key to creating and preserving value.

"Failing to do so opens up major risks - and means that huge opportunities will be missed - because business leaders, investors and other stakeholders won't have the data they need to make the right decisions."

Peter Cheese, Chief Executive of the CIPD, said: "With many more questions being raised about corporate cultures, diversity, engagement and wellbeing, as well as the changing nature of the workforce and how these impact productivity and risk, we need greater transparency and consistency of human capital reporting."

Ann Francke, chief executive of the CMI, added: "If managers don't have sight of good people measures, they have a huge blind spot about performance and can't make the best decisions about their business."
A new action group is opposing development plans for the Irish Glass Bottle site in Dublin.

The government last week announced plans for 3,000 new homes on the Nama-controlled site.

But the Irish Glass Bottle Site Housing Action Group believes the land should be used for Local Authority housing.

The group has drawn up its own plan for the 10-hectare plot.

Annette Mooney says local people must be accommodated.

"Many, many families in Ringsend have their children sleeping on sofas, they're taking in their grandchildren, they're in very overcrowded situations," she said.

"So we're basically saying to the Government: 'No - we own this Nama site, and we want this site for Council houses".
Update 4.28pm: It is understood Independent TD John Halligan has agreed to support a Government counter-motion on the subject of water charges.

Earlier: An independent junior minister has said that he is likely to vote against the Government in the Dail this week.

Waterford TD John Halligan said that he will probably support a cross-party motion signed by 39 TDs, calling for the immediate abolition of domestic water charges.

The motion is set to go to a vote in the Dail on Wednesday night - just seven days after Halligan was appointed to a junior ministry at the Department of Jobs.

He said that although he has not yet seen the cross-party motion, he supports its views.

"I think I will be voting in favour of it, because I don't think it's fir for purpose, Irish Water," he said.

"I'll have to have a look at the motion, I haven't seen it yet to be quite frank with you, and see exactly what the wording of it is,

"Remember that there are free votes in the Dail now the whip has been removed and  we have to have a vote of conscience and in conscience I don't agree with Irish Water and it should be scrapped."

The motion states: That Dail Eireann notes that a majority of Deputies elected to the 32nd Dail made clear pre-election pledges to end water charges; and calls on the Government to:

 immediately abolish domestic water charges;

 establish a public water and sanitation board to deliver water on the basis of need; and

 set a date for a referendum to enshrine the public ownership of water services in the Constitution of Ireland.
The doomed EgyptAir Flight 804 did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared off radar, the head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services has said.

The comments by Ehab Azmy, head of the National Air Navigation Services Company, challenged an earlier account by Greece's defence minister.

Yesterday, a French ship joined the international effort to hunt for the black boxes and other wreckage of the flight, which crashed into the Mediterranean, killing all 66 people on board.

Five days after the air disaster, questions remain over what happened to the jet before it disappeared off radar at around 2.45am local time on Thursday.

Egyptian authorities said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek defence minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit.

But so far no hard evidence has emerged.

A 2013 report by the Egyptian ministry of civil aviation records that the same Airbus 320 made an emergency landing in Cairo that year, shortly after taking off on its way to Istanbul, when one of the engines "overheated".

Aviation experts have said that overheating is highly unlikely to cause a crash.

Mr Azmy told The Associated Press that in the minutes before the plane disappeared it was flying at its normal altitude of 37,000 feet, according to the radar reading.

"That fact degrades what the Greeks are saying about the aircraft suddenly losing altitude before it vanished from radar," he said.

"There was no turning to the right or left, and it was fine when it entered Egypt's FIR (flight information region), which took nearly a minute or two before it disappeared."

According to Greece's defence minister Panos Kammenos the plane swerved wildly and dropped to 10,000 feet before it fell off radar.

Greek civil aviation authorities said all appeared fine with the flight until air traffic controllers were to hand it over to their Egyptian counterparts.

The pilot did not respond to their calls, and then the plane vanished from radars.

Egypt, which is sending a submarine to search for the flight recorders, has also refuted earlier reports alleging that search crews had found the plane's black boxes - which could offer vital clues to what happened in the final minutes of the flight.

Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes.

Some wreckage, including human remains, has already been recovered.

The French vessel that joined the effort is equipped with sonar that can pick up the underwater "pings" emitted by the recorders.

The search area is roughly halfway between Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria and the Greek island of Crete, where the water is 8,000 to 10,000 feet deep.
French police used water cannons to disperse projectile-throwing protesters blocking a key fuel depot on the Mediterranean.

Strikes spread to all eight of France's refineries, with one in five petrol stations across the country now dry or running low.

A two-month protest movement against a bill weakening France's famed worker protections reached a new level this week as fuel industry workers joined in. It is posing the biggest challenge yet to President Francois Hollande and his government.

Other forms of transport are unlikely to provide much relief with unions planning strikes on the SNCF rail system and Paris subways and buses later this week.

The CGT union, whose hard-left flank is driving the movement, reacted angrily to the overnight police advance on the depot at Fos-sur-Mer.

Police pushed out picketing workers gathered around burning tires. After the blockade was cleared, fuel trucks that had been stuck for days outside the depot resumed traffic, but faced long delays loading up.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls told Europe-1 radio: "Other sites will be liberated. I'm very determined."

The striking workers are equally determined, pledging to keep fighting until the government withdraws its disputed labour reforms.

The government is trying to change rules governing the working week, overtime pay and other labour protections, something opponents say will weaken protections without promoting job creation.

The junior minister for transport, Alain Vidalies, said on television that 20% of petrol stations around the country are facing shortages as of Tuesday morning and unions are threatening to stop production at all of France's eight refineries.

Consumers, meanwhile, are flocking to the pumps in anticipation of further problems. Images were shown on television of French drivers even crossing the border to fill up in Belgium.
Human remains retrieved from the crash site of the EgyptAir Flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft, a senior Egyptian forensic official has said.

The official is part of the Egyptian investigative team and has personally examined the remains in Cairo.

He said all 80 pieces brought to Cairo so far are small and that "there isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head".

The official added that "the logical explanation is that it was an explosion".

All 66 people on board were killed when the Airbus 320 crashed in the Mediterranean early on Thursday while en route from Paris to Cairo.

The official said: "The logical explanation is that an explosion brought it down. But I cannot say what caused the blast."

Egyptian authorities have said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek defence minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit.

But so far no hard evidence has emerged.

An independent Cairo newspaper, al-Watan, quoted an unnamed forensics official as saying the plane blew up in mid-air but that it has yet to be determined whether the blast was caused by an explosive device or something else.

The official said the remains retrieved so far are "no larger than the size of a hand".

France's aviation accident investigation agency would not comment on anything involving the bodies or say whether any information has surfaced in the investigation to indicate an explosion.

In a search for clues, family members of the victims arrived today at the Cairo morgue forensics' department to give DNA samples to help identify the remains of their kin, a security official said.

Egypt has dispatched a submarine to search for the flight's black boxes and a French ship joined the international effort to locate the wreckage and search for the plane's data recorders.

Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are also taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes.
Turkey has warned it will not move forward on implementing a refugee readmission agreement with the European Union (EU) unless visa requirements are lifted for Turkish citizens without further conditions.

The EU has offered Turkey a visa waiver as an incentive - along with up to 6bn for Syrian refugees and fast-tracked EU membership talks - to get it to stop migrants leaving for Europe and taking back those who reach Europe illegally from Turkey.

As part of the agreement, the EU planned to accelerate the introduction of visa-free entry for Turks with a target date of June 30.

But for Turkey to enjoy visa-free travel for its citizens, it must meet five conditions, out of an initial 72, including narrowing the definition of terrorism. The bloc is concerned that the existing legislation is being used to silence dissent.

"If you're still imposing criteria on Turkey which provides important support to the European Union by preventing those living in camps and pre-fabricated homes who are waiting to go to Europe (from getting there), then I'm sorry," Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Mr Erdogan added that if further bilateral talks on the visa issue did not yield results, "the readmission agreement" on refugees would not be approved by Turkey.

The Turkish president has been pushing for a broader definition of terrorism at a time when security forces are engaged in renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels in the south-east.

Mr Erdogan's remarks come a day after holding bilateral talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who insisted Ankara must fulfil all the conditions.

He also said the funds promised as part of the EU-Turkey deal on migrants had not been forthcoming.

"When we look at what has been done so far, unfortunately, we see that this (financial) support is not progressing as promised," Mr Erdogan said.
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A Canberra couple are recovering and reflecting on a difficult and emotionally testing summit of Mount Everest, just days after an Australian academic died from altitude sickness.

Ben Darlington, a two-time cancer survivor who has climbed the mountain twice, stopped his descent down the mountain to help a climber whose health was rapidly declining.

It was Laura Darlington's first trip to Mount Everest after months of intense preparation, and one she is unlikely to forget given the difficulties the climbers faced.
A man who slashed a woman's throat with a machete in a violent rampage in Canberra's north spent four years at an immigration detention centre and had been in the midst of a family dispute, a court heard.

Imran Hakimi, 33, yelled and made threats as he randomly hacked at cars with a machete and a paring knife as they drove through Belconnen about 11.20pm on November 13 last year.

A machete was used in a series of armed robberies on Thursday morning in Narre Warren and Mount Waverley.

Court documents said Hakimi used the machete to hit the window and door frame of one woman's car, before he opened the car door and held the knife against her throat.

The blade caused a cut to her throat, drawing blood, but had not been deep enough to cause serious injury.
Win Eden-Monaro, conventional political wisdom has it, and federal government is yours. That's certainly been the case over the past 44 years, and while it's more likely this is a statistical aberration rather than an indication the voters of this sprawling rural seat outside the ACT possess unique political prescience, both major parties lavish considerable attention on them.

High-profile Coalition visitors to Eden-Monaro over the past two weeks have included ministers Kelly O'Dwyer, Michael Keenan, Greg Hunt, Sussan Ley and Julie Bishop. On Monday, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, accompanied by NSW Premier Mike Baird, toured the marginal seat to help drum up support for sitting MP Peter Hendy.

There were promises, naturally, but modest ones: infrastructure upgrades at the Port of Eden and the Merimbula airport costed at a mere $11.2 million. It was a pledge in keeping with the Coalition's portrayal of itself as the party of fiscal prudence  and its portrayal of Labor as reckless spendthrifts.

The Opposition has yet to properly train it sights on the seat, but with former MP Mike Kelly favoured by many, including betting agencies, to regain Eden-Monaro, a similar cavalcade of Labor heavy-hitters can be expected over the next four weeks, doubtless with pork barrel in tow.
Even by the standards of politicians willing to say anything in election season, Peter Dutton's comments were inane. If Australia were to increase its refugee intake, the Immigration Minister declared the newcomers "won't be numerate or literate in their own language, let alone English" and " would languish in unemployment queues".

Malcolm Turnbull didn't just stand by his man, but gave him his full support. Many refugees "come to Australia from shattered parts of the world", he said, showing an admirable command of the principles of what causes men, women and children to flee to safety. Many, he declared, "were illiterate in their own language". If you can read and write (and count), then Australia might be for you; if not, then perhaps life in a camp is the best you can hope for. Talk about paying the price for not studying hard enough.

I'm not sure where this would have left Charlemagne, one of the greatest rulers in history, a leader who not only galvanised Europe, but united it. He would not have stood a chance against Dutton's immigration controls, as we learn from Einhard, one of the courtiers of the mighty Emperor. Writing was not Charlemagne's strong point  and he knew it. Wax tables and notebooks were kept "under the pillows on his bed, so that if he had any spare time, he could try to get his hand used to forming letters". Charlemagne might have cracked Europe; but he never cracked handwriting: "his efforts", noted Einhard sadly, "came too late in life and bore little fruit". Talented general, skilled politician, great patron of the arts and successful empire builder he might have been; but he would not have been welcome Down Under.
This was on my mind as Gloria Steinem spoke to a full house as part of the Sydney Writers' Festival. Steinem is one of the most prominent leaders of second wave feminism, the movement that gave us the slogan the "personal is political", and naturally people are curious about Steinem the woman. And she politely answered Jennifer Byrne's questions about her personal life  what influence did your father have on you? Tell us about the time you were sitting between Saul Bellow and Gay Talese and Talese dismissed you as a pretty girl. But while Steinem good-naturedly offered up each anecdote, she also valiantly kept trying to bring the conversation back to everyone else in the room: a movement, or the world, is not about individuals, but relationships and connections between people who are "linked, not ranked", she reminded us.

Facing a possible $1m fine, disgraced blogger has again failed to turn up to court for her own case.

Steinem told the audience she was more interested in listening to other people's stories than in answering questions about herself, and she asked the audience to make a new friend before leaving. She invited activists to come up to the mike to make announcements.The difference between Steinem's feminism and the kind of feminism now played out in the media and cultural industries is that where once telling a tragic personal story was just a starting point to building a movement, now it has become the whole point and the way to build a personal brand.

What's most interesting about Hewson's "rape representation" video is not that it's a "militant feminist" piece challenging "patriarchy". It's that it is an artwork that speaks of a culture where performing terrible stories has practically become the default speaking mode for young women in the public eye. Turning the cameras onto yourself and your suffering may momentarily subvert the male gaze, perhaps putting it through some kind of feminist correction filter. But sometimes, turning the cameras on yourself simply just creates a house of mirrors. One that looks like nothing much more than a canny marketing strategy.
Peter's name was printed on the front page of The Truth newspaper. "I was at a Catholic boys' school and suddenly I was utterly humiliated in front of everyone." His mother was harassed and abused by the neighbours. Peter fled overseas and only returned when, as he put it, "I found a way to accept myself with pride." John and Peter share with many others a deep and abiding sense of hurt, humiliation and abuse. Noel Tovey, like Peter, was 17 when he was arrested for buggery in 1951. Like Peter,

his story appeared in the daily papers. Noel spent time in Pentridge Prison and, on release, found himself cut off from family and friends. "People were afraid to associate with me  I was a known criminal and they could have been charged with consorting." These laws had a profound impact on the everyday lives of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. They were the legal cornerstone of a society that treated people who were attracted to those of the same sex as sick, immoral or criminal. Individuals were forced to deny a fundamental part of who they were, to pass as heterosexual for fear of persecution and social isolation. Older gay men and lesbians carry the weight of this history with them, not as a cultural relic or curiosity but as integral part of who they are today.

Decriminalisation in 1981 was a step forward but didn't go far enough. Then attorney-general Hadden Storey expressly said: "The government realise that there are consensual sexual acts which are regarded by many as immoral, and which are not made criminal by this Bill. The Government does not condone such acts, much less regard them as acceptable." Victoria only properly began to deal with the legacy of discriminatory criminal laws in 2014. Along with other community groups, we advocated for a scheme modelled on the UK to enable individuals to have their convictions "expunged" from their criminal records together with a formal apology for past wrongs. The Napthine Government introduced legislation in October 2014 that enacted such a scheme. The reforms were championed by former member for Prahran Clem Newton-Brown and were passed with unanimous support from the parliament. Today, Daniel Andrews will formally apologise to the victims of these unjust laws, and put this dark chapter of Victoria's history to rest. The State will acknowledge and take responsibility for the harm caused.

You can't undo the actions of the past, but for those convicted, the apology can help to heal old wounds. By acknowledging the impact of these homophobic laws, the premier pays respect to the victims of these laws but also to Victoria's sexual and gender diverse communities. As members of Victoria's LGBTI community, we welcome this moment. Today, we can draw a line in the sand and look forward to a future built on trust, accountability and mutual respect. The apology today is not only about coming to terms with the injustice of the past. It affirms our dignity as human beings. It will help to reduce the stigma and shame felt by a new generation of same-sex attracted people struggling to find their place in a world that remains hostile, in many respects, to their existence. This isn't just about saying what people get up to in the bedroom is their own business. It is
VISUAL ARTS

STREETS OF PAPUNYA

RMIT Gallery, 344 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Until June 11

KEEPERS OF PLACE: NEW WORKS FROM PAPUNYA TJUPI

Fortyfivedownstairs

45 Flinders Lane

Until June 4



There is a touch of irony in the title Streets of Papunya. It is a beautiful exhibition at RMIT Gallery, with spellbinding works, mostly by women artists. But with one exception, the paintings do not depict streets.

Martha McDonald Napaltjarri's Warlukuritji, 2016, from Keepers of Place: new works from Papunya Tjupi. Presented by McCulloch & McCulloch at Fortyfivedownstairs.

Thanks to the evocative title, your mind picks over remembered images of streets in an outback town, where shops, houses and offices stand in uncomfortable isolation. What is it among the dogs and dusty cars that might be essential to sublime painting of the Dreaming?

The exhibition begins with late work by Albert Namatjira, through a bitter association, as the artist was imprisoned  albeit in the open circumstances rather than jail  in Papunya.
Overseas crime thrillers from James Patterson, Patricia Cornwall, John Grisham and four from Lee Child's Jack Reacher series also dominated the top 20 list of best borrowed books.

With the film version starring Emily Blunt soon to be released, British writer Paula Hawkins' novel of a vanished wife, The Girl on the Train, has topped the list of most borrowed library books in Australia and New Zealand for the past 12 months.

Hollywood is driving library borrowing habits like never before  and Australian authors without film-book tie-ins are struggling to find a mass readership.

The Rosie Effect and The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion and Di Morrissey's The Road Back were the lone Australian entrants. On the young adult fiction list,not a single local writer featured in the top 10.

The poor visibility of Australian youth fiction was disappointing, said Sue McKerracher, chief executive officer of Australian Library Information Association.

"We've got some truly fantastic writers," she said. "This year's list was absolutely dominated by the big US series Divergent, The Hunger Games and Maze Runner, and that's because of the film-book tie in the whole fantasy book sector."

The committee for #LoveOzYA movement, formed last year to raise the profile of Australian youth literature, said the rising influence of Hollywood adaptions on reading habits was unsurprising, and it would take effort and patience to "get the message out that America did not have the market cornered on teen tales".

"Such movements take time to seep into the community consciousness, and for the word to be spread to a vast network of readers," the committee said.
On June 30 regional Queensland TV viewers will watch the Sydney Roosters play the Canterbury Bulldogs on Win.

The next night they will watch the Brisbane Broncos play Melbourne Storm on the station they had previously known as Southern Cross but will now know as Nine.

Regional Origin fans will need to get used to watching the game on a different channel. Credit:Getty Images

If they watched The Bachelor on Southern Cross last year, when it returns they will need to remember to flick their televisions over to WIN from July 1.

The great television switcheroo has come about due to a major change in content deals between two of Australia's largest broadcasters with their regional counterparts.
After a year of driving global temperatures to unprecedented warmth, the giant El Nino weather event in the Pacific is officially over, raising hopes that drought-hit regions may be in for some relief in Australia and elsewhere.

The Bureau of Meteorology, which was the first to declare the event had begun a year ago, on Tuesday said sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific had dropped to neutral conditions. Other indicators, such as the resumption of the typically westward-blowing tradewinds, also supported proof of the event's demise.

"Outlooks suggest little chance of returning to El Nino levels, in which case mid-May will mark the end of the 2015-16 El Nino," the bureau said in its fortnightly update.
The Australian Koala Foundation has made a bold entry in to the federal election campaign, pledging to lobby voters in east coast marginal seats to pressure for new laws protecting koalas from development.

A political television advertisement is being prepared in a bid to halt the Australian koala's slide towards extinction.

The Australian Koala Foundation will run advertisements aimed at voters in marginal seats.

The Australia Koala Foundation  which over 30 years has become Australia's largest koala conservation group  will lobby voters in Australia's marginal seats along the east coast from next month.

The foundation wants a specific federal Koala Protection Act, that would demand developments prove they would have a "benign" impact on koalas if approved.
The Australian Defence Force has ordered another federal election candidate to remove imagery from campaign material depicting them in military uniform.

West Australian Liberal Canning MP Andrew Hastie, a former SAS soldier, has been asked to remove election material depicting him in his army uniform.

Andrew Hastie, who won a byelection in Canning last year, has been asked to remove any military images from federal election campaign material after Brisbane Labor candidate Pat O'Neill received a similar request. Credit:Facebook

It came after Brisbane Labor candidate Pat O'Neill, a former army major, received a similar request from the ADF.
They might have all joined the Victoria Secret ranks at the same time last year, but that doesn't mean Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner will get an invite to Bridget Malcolm's wedding in two months.

The Perth-born model, 23, opened up about her upcoming, low-key nuptials to Walking Shapes musician, Nathaniel Hoho, her "sexy", slinky wedding gown, and her guest list when speaking to Fairfax Media ahead of the Oscar de la Renta Fashion Week show at Sydney's Carriageworks on Friday night.

Bridget Malcolm opened up about her upcoming nuptials to Walking Shapes musician, Nathaniel Hoho, her "sexy" wedding gown, and her guest list when speaking to Fairfax Media ahead of the Oscar de la Renta Fashion Week show at Sydney's Carriageworks on Friday night. Credit:Getty

When asked whether there would be any celebrities in attendance at the July 23 nuptials in what she described as "Amish country" Pennsylvania, in particular Jenner and Hadid, the bubbly beauty said: "No, it's not going to be anything like that.
In just under a month, UK citizens will decide the fate of the European Union and, by extension, the entire western world.

Not that most Australians would know, or care much.

Respected Financial Times economics columnist Martin Wolf was in Sydney last week and spoke at the Lowy Institute. He said it was a mark of Australia's maturity that it was able to largely ignore "the idiocies of an ageing and rattled parent".

It has been a long time since Australia looked to Britain for our economic future. But the 28 member states of the EU  of which Britain is one  remain our largest source of foreign direct investment and our second largest trading partner, after China. The European Union is as large an economy as the US.
Disgraced blogger Belle Gibson will be pursued by Victoria's consumer watchdog over her claims that she beat terminal cancer through healthy food and natural therapies.

Consumer Affairs Victoria was on Tuesday given the green light to take Federal Court action against Ms Gibson and her company - which is in liquidation - for false and misleading conduct.

Ms Gibson could face substantial financial penalties, with $220,000 the upper limit for individuals, and companies liable for fines of up to $1.1 million.

Ms Gibson has been accused of failing to donate $300,000 from the sales of her wellness app, The Whole Pantry, to charity. Penguin Australia Pty Ltd had earlier withdrawn Ms Gibson's book from sale after admitting it had not substantiated her claims about curing her alleged cancer without medication. Ms Gibson's app was also withdrawn by Apple.
"It's just what we've been fighting for. It's a chance to argue it fairly. Unless you argue the three cases [together] you don't get the full picture." Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin, who has worked on the case for almost 20 years, told Fairfax Media the news came as a surprise to the police and the families. "It's been a battle for the families to get the matter to this point, it's been a quarter of a century that they've been trying to get justice for their families and they see this as a step in the right direction," he said. "The families contacted me straight after the Attorney-General had notified them, and they were overcome with emotion - understandably given the battle they've had to get justice for these children." Detective Inspector Jubelin has previously said the Aboriginal families suffered racism and disrespect at the hands of authorities.

A white man, known to the Indigenous community in Bowraville, was tried and acquitted of the murders of two of the children and was also a suspect in Colleen Walker-Craig's death. Her body has never been found. The families of the children have long called for the suspect to be tried for all three crimes together because of evidence they say links the cases to each other and the alleged killer. But the double jeopardy principle  a legal rule preventing a person facing criminal trial more than once for the same crime  has been regarded as a stumbling block to a retrial. The state's double jeopardy laws were changed with the Bowraville cases in mind in 2006 to allow a person to be tried again for the same crime if "fresh and compelling evidence" came to light. However, there is a fraught legal question about whether evidence said to link the cases to each other and the alleged killer meets the legal definition of "fresh" and has not previously been "adduced" in court.

The evidence was available during one of the trials but could not be used because of restrictive rules of evidence, which have since been changed. NSW upper house Greens MP David Shoebridge led the push in May for the laws to be changed again to ensure the Bowraville cases could be retried but the move was not supported by the government or the Labor Opposition. However, he believes the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal could choose to interpret existing double jeopardy provisions in the same way as courts in England, which would allow the cases to be retried. "Ultimately it will be a matter for the Court of Appeal to carefully weigh all the evidence before them," Mr Shoebridge said. "But there is a powerful body of factual material and very strong legal arguments that make this a case of real merit.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has flatly rejected a call by its Inspector, David Levine, for its hearings to be in private, warning such a move would "seriously weaken" the commission's effectiveness.

The watchdog has also rejected Mr Levine's call for an "exoneration protocol", whereby people found corrupt but not later criminally convicted could apply to the Supreme Court to have the finding set aside and ICAC records expunged.

The ICAC says this recommendation "ignores the fact that commission investigations are separate from criminal proceedings".

The comments are contained in the ICAC's formal response to Mr Levine's report to Premier Mike Baird on the watchdog's powers.
Ron Medich's murder trial will go ahead in July after the Supreme Court rejected his claim that he did not have the funds to pay his barrister.

The one-time property tycoon will stand trial for the murder of his former business partner Michael McGurk.

Ron Medich leaves the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Credit:Daniel Munoz

The Scottish-born developer was shot dead outside his Cremorne home in 2009. Mr Medich, 68, is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

Last week Supreme Court Justice Geoff Bellew was told that despite selling his Point Piper waterfront mansion for $37 million in 2014, he has run out of money and has been forced to borrow from others.
A woman believed to be in her 60s is fighting for her life in hospital with severe burns to most of her body after a fire in Brisbane's south.

Emergency services were called to the home on Olivine Place in Acacia Ridge just before 2.15am to reports of a burning house.

The woman was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

When firefighters arrived, the fire was out with the building undamaged.

But Paramedics had to treat a woman they said was in her 60s for full thickness burns - through both layers of skin - to 80 per cent of her body.
An Aurukun elder says she was attacked for speaking out against violence in the troubled Cape York community.

Phyllis Yunkaporta, who has been critical of entrenched violence in Aurukun, says she was punched in the face by several adults, leaving her with a swollen face and lips.

An Aurukun elder says a recent assault won't stop her from speaking her mind. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"I was shaken by what has happened on Friday to me. I hadn't expected anything like that to happen to me," she told The Cairns Post.

Earlier this month, Ms Yunkaporta criticised police for allowing "fair fights" after footage of two women punching each other surfaced on social media.
A woman who allegedly abandoned a baby at a Brisbane house was arrested after driving erratically near the city's international airport with a two-year-old child, federal police have confirmed.

University student Long Nguyen called police after finding a three-month-old infant in a baby capsule on the front verandah of his home in the inner suburb of Herston just after noon on Sunday.

The baby wasn't injured and is undergoing hospital checks along with a woman, 41, who was found near the international airport later that day.

"The AFP can confirm its members witnessed a vehicle being driven erratically within the Brisbane International Airport precinct on Sunday afternoon," a federal police spokeswoman said.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

A $1000 reward has been offered to anyone who can help police find a cat killer roaming Mount Cotton, a suburb about 27km south-east of the Brisbane CBD.

The charred remains of a cat dumped on the roadside at Mount Cotton. Credit:Tony Morrison

The charred remains of a cat were left on the side of Schoeck Road, off West Mount Cotton Road, on Friday.

Redland snake catcher Tony Morrison found the blackened remains and reported it to police, who were investigating the incident along with the RSPCA.
A Brisbane City Council plan to revitalise Fortitude Valley's daytime economy with five retail pods in Brunswick Street Mall has fallen three short.

The council's then-finance chairman Julian Simmonds announced in 2014 that the five retail pods would be built in the Brunswick Street Mall as part of a $4 million project to boost the precinct's retail credentials.

Five retail pods were promised for the Valley mall in a $4 million facelift but only two have been built. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

Since then, however, only two pods had been constructed, of which just one  a burrito bar  had a tenant.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the market had simply failed to show enough interest in the project, but the remaining three pods could yet be delivered.
Queensland's M1 has been identified as a car crash hot spot in the state's south east.

Motoring body RACQ has released details of Logan and Ipswich's five most dangerous crash zones based on insurance claims over the past three years.

The M1 has been identified as a crash hotspot. Credit:Steven Siewert

There were 163 collisions on the M1 at Springwood, while 67 were recorded on the same stretch of the Pacific Motorway at Beenleigh and another 61 at Slacks Creek.

This compared to just 40 crashes on Brisbane St in Ipswich, which took out top spot for the region's biggest black spot.
A pedestrian struck by a car at Oxley has died.

The man, aged in his 70s, was hit by a vehicle on the corner of Boundary Road and Kimberley Street, Oxley shortly before 6am on Wednesday.

He was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition but later died of his injuries.

He was the third pedestrian struck by a car in a space of less than 24 hours in Brisbane.
A man has been found guilty of the execution-style killing of a Brisbane rugby league referee.

A Supreme Court jury delivered its verdict in the trial of Tyson John Taylor on Tuesday afternoon, finding him guilty of shooting dead Tony McGrath in the garage of his Woolloongabba home in May 2013.

Tony McGrath died from a single gunshot to the head. Credit:Courtesy Brisbane Rugby

The jury also found Taylor, 41, guilty of attempting to murder Mr McGrath in a fire at the referee's house in October 2012.

The jury had heard during an 11-day trial that Taylor was obsessed with a prostitute, Susan Stewart, to whom Mr McGrath was supposedly engaged.
Hand-written notes from deputy premier Jackie Trad at the bottom of a letter to federal minister Michael Keenan on Tuesday over delays to Queensland's disaster funding shows how angry Queensland is at $1.2 billion in disaster funding being delayed in the federal budget by up to two years.

The 2014-15 Queensland claim includes flood and cyclone recovery works from Bundaberg from category five Cyclone Oswald and repairs to Brisbane's river ferry terminals.

The Riverwalk floats down the Brisbane River during the floods. Credit:Michelle Smith

"Michael. This politicisation of disaster recovery funding is unprecedented and disgraceful," Queensland's deputy premier Jackie Trad personally wrote at the bottom of a formal letter to Mr Keenan.

"You didn't even have the professional courtesy or respect for Queensland to advise us directly, we found out about it through your budget."
A Queensland pedophile with an "entrenched history of sexual offending" against young girls has been released from prison.

However, Supreme Court judge Martin Burns has ordered Brett Joseph Falls, 49, be subject to a strict supervision order for the next decade to protect the community.

Queensland pedophile has been granted release.

Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath had applied to keep Falls in custody but her counsel conceded that evidence supported his release on a supervision order.

Falls, who also goes by the surname Duncanson, was jailed in September 2014 for grooming a 13-year-old girl on Facebook and procuring to engage her in a sexual act.
After decades of inaction, the Palaszczuk Labor Government will introduce legislation to standardise the age of consent, bringing an end to one of the state's most discriminatory laws.

Under current legislation, the age of consent for vaginal sex is 16, but anal sex, which is still referred to as sodomy under the Criminal Code, remains illegal until a person is 18.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's government will bring in legislation to standardise the age of consent. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

It has meant that teenagers, particularly young gay men, have had issues accessing safe sexual practice information, with practitioners forced to inform those seeking information on anal sex, about the illegality of the act.

Queensland is the only jurisdiction where the ages of consent are different and Health Minister Cameron Dick said following advice from an expert panel, it was the only course of action the government could take.
Queenslanders with decades-old convictions for homosexual activity won't receive an apology from their government in the wake of Victorian moves to say sorry.

Instead, the Queensland government will consider further ways to address the "wrongs in the past" after new laws are brought into place, potentially later this year.

Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath. Credit:Chris Hyde

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will on Tuesday apologise to Victorians who fell victim to the laws before they were scrapped from the books in 1981.

The apology comes after the introduction in September last year of the ability for LGBTIQ community members to have their convictions expunged.
A man has been sentenced to life behind bars for the "cold-blooded" execution-style killing of a Brisbane rugby league referee.

Tony McGrath was shot dead in the garage of his Woolloongabba home in May 2013.

Tony McGrath died from a single gunshot to the head. Credit:Courtesy Brisbane Rugby

His relatives and friends cried and embraced one another as Tyson John Taylor was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for the 57-year-old's murder on Tuesday afternoon.

The Brisbane Supreme Court jury also found Taylor, 41, guilty of attempting to murder Mr McGrath in a fire at his house in October 2012.
Deep below the waves, coral species are less likely to be affected by bleaching.

This fact has given scientists a glimmer of hope that deeper waters could act as refuges for reef systems undergoing mass bleaching.

Bleached coral at the Great Barrier Reef in 2011. James Cook University researchers expect to shortly announce coral mortality estimates from the latest bleaching events. Credit:Len Zell

A United Nations report released on Tuesday night is urging further research into mid-depth reef structures as part of a holistic approach to reef management around the world.
Daniel Andrews has been accused of hypocritical and bullying behaviour after appearing to joke about an MP's weight.

Andrew Katos, the Liberal MP who represents the electorate of South Barwon, has also accused the premier of mocking Opposition Leader Matthew Guy over his height.

MP Andrew Katos has copped criticism for his weight. Credit:Penny Stephens

A day after Labor front bencher Wade Noonan returned to work after battling a mental health issue, Mr Katos said he had struggled with weight issues his whole life, and Mr Andrews' comment had made him feel "awful".

"I know I'm a big guy, and I've had problems with my weight," Mr Katos told Fairfax Media. "I've had that all my life. It is something that has always played on my mind and at times has got me down in the dumps."
Peter McEwan was just 17 when the police caught him caressing another man behind some bushes on Brighton beach in 1967.

It was enough for him to receive a criminal conviction while he was still finishing year 12.

He said police had written a confession for him and he agreed to sign it.
Brazen thieves have stolen thousands of dollars' worth of designer handbags from luxury fashion stores Gucci and Prada in Melbourne's CBD.

The four offenders used sledgehammers and jemmy bars to smash their way into the Collins Street shops, which are roughly 100 metres apart, about 2.15am on Tuesday.

Sledgehammers were used to break into the Gucci store on Collins Street. Credit:Eddie Jim

A Victoria Police spokesman said it was too early to estimate the exact value of the stolen goods but a single luxury handbag can have a price tag in excess of $5000, with most selling for more than $2000.

A security guard from a nearby building caught the thieves at the Collins Street Gucci store, initially scaring them off, radio station 3AW radio reported.
A manhunt is under way for the driver of a silver SUV after a man was shot in the head while parked outside his house west of Melbourne.

Paramedics were called to Labilliere Street in Maddingley, near Bacchus Marsh, at 8.20am on Tuesday, where they found a man with a gunshot wound slumped in the driver's side front of a white van.

A man has been found shot dead in a van near Bacchus Marsh. Credit:Penny Stephens

The shooting happened near Bacchus Marsh College at a time when children would have been on their way to school.

Homicide Squad detectives are investigating and have cordoned off the area around the van.
Melbourne Express: Wednesday, May 25, 2016

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When international student Nair* was groped between the legs at a Monash University party, she thought the perpetrator was taking advantage of Australia's "freer culture".

The man, who groped her crotch at a Halloween-themed party on Chapel Street, was another international student. He also tried to take her top off in the middle of the dance floor at the party, run by the university's arts society in 2014.

Nair*, president of the Monash University International Student Service, is calling for better sex ed for international students. Credit:Justin McManus

"I felt ashamed ... I felt like it was my fault ... I think because of the way that sex is perceived here, he felt that it was OK to do what he wants, as it's freer culture," said Nair.

Nair, who is the president of the Monash University International Student Service, wants to encourage international students to speak about their abuse.
A 47-year-old Mandurah man who pleaded guilty to a string of online child sex offences was sentenced on Friday to two years and three months in prison in Perth District Court.

Mark Wesley Liggins, from Coodanup, admitted to nine counts of using chat software to either procure a child to engage in sexual activity or with intent to expose a child to indecent matter.

Mark Wesley Liggins pleaded guilty to a string of online child sex offences. Credit:Richard Polden

Four of the charges related to a child he believed to be under 13 years old.

Despite denying he was sexually attracted to children, Liggins admitted to engaging minors in explicit sexual conversations and encouraging them to send naked, sexualised images of themselves.
The Perth Freight Link will go ahead despite opposition leader Bill Shorten saying he'll cut commonwealth cash committed to the project if he wins the election, WA Premier Colin Barnett says.

The federal government has pledged to pay $1.2 billion of the $1.9 billion toll road, which aims to provide a direct truck route to Fremantle Port.

Trains instead of a Freight Link for WA is Bill Shorten's election promise. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Shorten believes the controversial project should be shelved in favour of building a new harbour at Kwinana, given Fremantle port will reach capacity in coming years.

"If Bill Shorten becomes prime minister, he can withdraw the federal funding but he can't change the project," Mr Barnett said on Tuesday.
A Perth co-working space with an upstairs creche that allows mothers to bring their babies to work has plans to expand into the CBD to help big businesses better support working parents of young children.

The expansion plans come in the wake of a recent report by the Australian National University that found working mothers accessing traditional childcare lost up to two-thirds of their gross earnings in tax and fees.

Bubdesk co-director Meg Burrage and her business partner, Asha Stabback, came up with the idea to provide a more flexible work environment for parents in February after struggling to find flexible child care arrangements in their own lives.

The business currently has one office space in Northbridge which is used mostly by mothers with babies and toddlers who own their own businesses.
The body of a Melbourne woman who died climbing Mount Everest has reportedly been brought down from the mountain to be transferred to Kathmandu within days.

Seven Summit Treks says Maria Strydom's remains have been recovered, the ABC has reported.

Dr Strydom, a lecturer at Monash University who also goes by the name Marisa, died along with Dutch climber Eric Arnold on the peak at the weekend after suffering altitude sickness.
Maine: The last time Bernard "Bunny" Ross Jr's parents saw him was a Thursday morning in May 1977, when, they said, he left home in anguish.

It was suspected that the teen had swiped his aunt's pickup truck - which was later found empty and intact on a dirt road in Maine, according to news reports from that time.

A missing person's poster, with an age-progression image of Bernard Ross. Credit:National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children

But Ross, then 18, was never seen again.

Now, nearly 40 years later, his parents have received an anonymous letter claiming some level of knowledge of Ross' disappearance, police told the Portland Press Herald.
Geneva: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in his election race, a senior North Korean official said.

Trump last week said he was willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, proposing a major shift in US policy toward the isolated nation.

Donald Trump campaigning in Spokane, Washington, earlier this month. Credit:AP

"It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his (Trump's) idea or talk is nonsense," So Se Pyong, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said on Monday, following his return from Pyongyang after attending the first ruling party congress in 36 years.
Jakarta: It's an excruciating way to die. First comes nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headaches (often mistaken for normal drunkenness), followed by loss of vision, brain damage and organ failure.

It's not uncommon for Indonesians to meet this gruesome fate after drinking bootleg liquor, known as miras oplosan, which sells for as little as 15,000 rupiah (about $1.50) a litre.

The Yogyakarta deputy police chief holding a bottle containing deadly bootleg alcohol at a press conference in Yogyakarta earlier this month. Credit:Amilia Rosa

Methanol in miras oplosan is poisonous to the central nervous system and can cause blindness, coma and death.
Denver: Students were evacuated from a number of schools across the US after threats were made in what could be the latest example of so-called "swatting" against schools.

In recent months, hoaxers playing online games have allegedly used proxy servers and other high-tech identity-disguising tools to anonymously threaten schools online or in phone messages with electronic voices to trigger a huge police response, including SWAT teams.

Schools in Australia and New Zealand have also been hit by these hoax calls, with 27 schools affected in NZ on one day alone on February 25.

The latest threats in the US led to the evacuation of schools in Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin on Monday. Media outlets in the UK also reported evacuations.
Sir Malcolm Evans, Professor in Law at the School and Chair of the The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), has led a delegation visit to Ukraine this week to assess the treatment of people deprived of their liberty, and the safeguards there are for their protection against torture and ill-treatment.

From Ukraine, Sir Malcolm commented;

Over the week we have been assessing how recommendations from our first visit in 2011, such as the need for legal reform, increased institutional oversight to reduce risk factors for torture, and comprehensive medical examinations of people in detention, have been implemented. The SPTs work is conducted on the basis of confidentiality, but we encourage all States parties to agree to our reports being made public as an important tool in torture prevention. So we particularly welcome the recent agreement by the Ukrainian authorities to allow publication of our 2011 report.

The SPT has a mandate to visit all States that have ratified the Optional Protocol (OPCAT), which Ukraine did in 2006.

The four-member SPT delegation met with government officials, members of parliament and civil society, and visited places where people may be deprived of liberty, including prisons, police stations, psychiatric institutions and residential care facilities.

The delegation also held talks with an independent national body mandated to monitor places of detention, officially known as a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). After the SPTs first visit in November 2012, Ukraine entrusted the NPM role to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

Sir Malcolm concluded:

We have made good progress. Our talks have focused on ways of strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees in the country. We have provided guidance to ensure the effective functioning of the national preventive mechanism established under OPCAT.

Joining Sir Malcolm Evans on the trip were Ms. Mari Amos (Estonia), Ms. June Caridad Pagaduan Lopez (Philippines), and Mr. Victor Zaharia (Moldova).
Consumers are being let down by brokers post-settlement, a new survey has revealed, with more than half of consumers affected by last years rate rises not contacted by their broker.According to MPAs 2016 Consumers on Brokers survey, 57% of consumers were not contacted at all about 2015s rate rises, whilst 60% of those consumers who have never been contacted since settlement would like more communication from their broker.Further, only 3% of those of those contacted monthly, and 7% if those contacted quarterly, would like less communication.MPA editor Sam Richardson said this woeful service could result in a huge loss in potential business for brokers.Regularly contacting clients after settlement could generate not just refinancing enquiries, but a number of other revenue streams for brokers, our results suggest.We asked borrowers whether theyd be open to getting services other than a mortgage from a mortgage broker, and only 17% said they would not be interested in this.Poor post-settlement service was actually a consumers biggest issue with mortgage brokers, not commission. This is despite the increased regulatory and media scrutiny on how financial services providers are remunerated.According to MPAs survey, 70% of consumers said being paid commission didnt affect the service they received from their broker, a statistic relevant to ASICs review into mortgage broker remuneration this year.Almost half (47%) of consumers would also be willing to pay for their broker, albeit with an expectation of additional service, such as financial advice being included.Read the full Consumers on Brokers report in MPA 16.06.
Macquarie Bank has revealed it will restrict lending to high rise and high density apartment dwellings in more than 100 postcodes nationwide amid apartment oversupply fears.A confidential memo sent to mortgage brokers says that from Monday 23 May, the bank will decrease its maximum LVR to 70% for these types of dwellings in up to 120 postcodes across the country. This is down from the previous maximum LVR of 80%.Postcodes in Sydney include Dawes Point, The Rocks, Alexandria, Ultimo, Zetland, Concord West and Rhodes.Postcodes in Melbourne include the World Trade Centre precinct, South Wharf, Southbank, South Wharf, Docklands and St Kilda Road Central.The list includes more than 40 Queensland postcodes mainly in the central business district, inner suburban and Gold Coast areas. City and inner-suburban postcodes for Adelaide, Perth and North Hobart are also listed.According to figures from CoreLogic RP Data, there are 92,102 new units set for completion over the next 12 months with that figure rising to 231,129 over the next 24 months, concentrated mainly in Sydney and Melbourne.CoreLogic RP Data research analyst Cameron Kusher said settlement risk is something that CoreLogic will be keeping a very close eye on.The large volume of new stock, coupled with an ever-growing supply of existing stock which resells, means that historic high levels of unit settlements are due to occur over the next two years in most cities, he said.Australian Broker contacted Macquarie Bank, who declined to comment further on the lending restrictions.
Sydney-based mortgage and leasing group, Paramount Mortgage and Leasing, has negotiated the first approved Uber car loan, which it hopes to roll out to brokers soon.Ubers rapid increase in market share has resulted in a continuous increase in the number of Uber drivers trying to obtain finance for new and second hand car purchases.However, with the banks not willing to lend on such business ventures and start-ups for new drivers, Paramount Mortgage and Leasings Director, Sean White, said drivers have not traditionally been able to finance their start-ups  until now.It is an absolute breakthrough for the industry, that we have been able to source and secure alternative lending to support the growth in this sector, White said.We have been able to negotiate a product that is specific to Uber driver needs and we will be rolling this new product out through our aggregators and brokers shortly.According to Paramount Mortgage and Leasing, the product requires a 10% deposit and offers rates from 8-9.5% over a 48 month term. In addition, no financials or bank statements are required with a clean credit history.
In the season 2 finale of Gotham, Wrath of the Villains: Transference, Bruce learns that there is a secret council running Wayne Enterprises and the entire city, Fish uses her new talents to influence Ms. Peabody, and Professor Strange loses control of Indian Hill.

When we last saw our heroes, things werent looking too good. Bruce and Mr. Fox are locked in an empty lab inside Indian Hill, being interrogated by Ed Nygma. And if they dont spill all they know about Professor Strange and his experiments, the room will be flooded with poisonous gas.

Gotham Recap: Who Does Hugo Strange Work For? >>>

Clayface

Elsewhere, Gordon meets Basil Karlo (aka Clayface), who possesses the talent of shapeshifting into anything he  or Strange  wants. And right now, he looks like Jim Gordon. Bullock has sent in the cavalry, but can they get there before Professor Strange blows Indian Hill to smithereens?

The GCPD arrives at Arkham and are just about to storm the place when Jim Gordon appears. We know it isnt the real Jim Gordon, but the cops dont. It wont take Bullock long to figure out that somethings amiss, but time is of the essence here because what would a lab that performs horrifying experiments be without a huge bomb tucked away in case of emergencies? Clayface gives the all clear and lures the team back to headquarters.

When he encounters Bullock, the acting Captain is curious to know how Gordon came up with nothing on Strange. Gordon says Strange is connected to people they cant cross. When Bullock questions who, all Gordon will say is that Bullock doesnt want to know.

A Secret Council

Professor Strange injects Gordon with some sort of truth serum, and its effects are immediate. Hugo takes this opportunity to dig into Gordons mind. Jim had daddy issues, he feels guilty about Lee losing the baby (are we sure she did?) and, yes, he still loves Lee and wants to be with her. Hugo questions why Gordon isnt with Lee, and the former detective states that hes put her through too much already.

Strange instructs Gordon to close his eyes and imagine that Strange is God, and he absolves Gordon of all of his guilt. He lightly taps Gordons shoulder and says its all gone. Suddenly, Jim feels  better.

Strange finally gets around to asking Gordon what he knows about his little lab, Indian Hill, and Gordon responds that Strange is building monsters for military use. Strange states that hes doing much more than that and pushes to see if Gordon has any clue who is really running the show. Who really controls Wayne Enterprises? Who controls everything in Gotham behind the scenes? Gordon is clueless, and when Strange mentions a secret council, Gordon confirms that he knows nothing about it.

Gordon has one last question for Strange, asking if the Professor believes Jim should have gone after Lee. Strange says without a doubt. Guilt has compelled Gordon to sacrifice his heart to his conscience, but guilt is useless. Love is our guide. Strange then informs Gordon that he has only a few hours to live.

Although Bruce and Fox cant see Nygma, Fox recognizes his voice. He tries to reason with Nygma, explaining that the police will come looking for them, but all Nygma wants are answers. He asks them who runs the laboratory, Indian Hill? Fox thinks its Strange, but Bruce says Wayne Enterprises, which is the truth. The next question isnt so easy, and its one neither Bruce nor Fox can answer: who runs Wayne Enterprises? I think we know that after seeing the shadowy woman with an owls mask, its the Council of Owls. Bruce hasnt become acquainted with the super-secret society.

Lucius is convinced that its the board of directors running the company, but Bruce guesses that thats not correct. Fox argues that hes worked for the company for 10 years and has no reason to believe otherwise and gives Nygma his answer. Unfortunately, that is incorrect. A gleeful Ed releases gas from the ceiling. Bruce and Fox quickly collapse.

But Nygma is a trickster, and when Lucius and Bruce come to, Gordon is locked in with them. Gordon remembers being drugged, and hes still under the influence because he apologizes to Bruce for promising to find out who killed his parents. He says he was arrogant and naive. Gordon tried to do the right thing, but hes been arrogant and naive. Fox wonders what kind of drugs Gordon is on.

The Monster Mash

Ms. Peabody is in charge of getting all of the test subjects ready for their transfer upstate, and this includes Fish Mooney. This isnt Fishs first time at the mad scientist rodeo, and scientific miracle or not, she wants out. Fish tries to lure Peabody close enough to touch so she can use her new powers of persuasion but comes up just short. Fish warns Peabody that shes messing with the wrong woman. Dont we know it!

Strange extends his gratitude for Ed for his help, saying that if Nygma wasnt a madman, he could be an excellent addition to the staff. Then two orderlies shove Ed into a cell.

Strange reports to the mystery woman that Wayne, Fox and Gordon know nothing. He claims that their secret is safe. She takes a few seconds to consult with others, whose voices are an indiscernible murmur, and orders Strange to kill them anyway and continue with the evacuation. Releasing Galavan was a grave error on Stranges part, and she orders that no more of Stranges test subjects are to see the light of day under any circumstances.

FOXs Fall 2016 Schedule >>>

Will the Real Jim Gordon Please Stand Up?

At the precinct, Bullock surmises that the people Strange is connected with must be pretty heavy to make Gordon back off. Bullock suspects something is up. Its not a huge leap, given that Clayface keeps smiling this huge, bizarre smile and is generally acting extremely un-Gordon-like.

A frantic Alfred arrives and wants to know where Lucius and Bruce are. Gordon swears theyre on their way back to Wayne Manor, but Alfred says hes just come from the mansion and theres no trace of them. Gordon suggests that maybe the twosome stopped off for a snack. Alfred demands to know whats going on, but all Clayface can come up with is that its complicated police business.

The Inmates Take Control of the Asylum

As Fireflys new sidekick, Selina is able to gain access to Bruce and warns him that the whole place is about to be blown sky-high and the whole circus is moving upstate. Bruce asks if she can escape, and Selina assures him she can. He urges her to do so immediately and then call the police, but Selina has other ideas. Bruce may think he got Selina into this mess, but she alleviates his guilt by letting him know that shes the one whos got him wrapped around her little finger, not the other way around.

Peabody returns to retrieve Fish, and shes holding a very large syringe. She assures Fish theres nothing to worry about; theyre just going on a little trip. This provides Fish with the opportunity she was hoping for. Fish is able to take Peabodys hand and tells her that if she lets her out, Fish will be her friend.

As Professor Strange packs up his office, a red light begins flashing in his office. He heads into the hallway and encounters Fish and Miss Peabody. Peabody tells him shes doing what Fish says, even though she doesnt know why. Strange realizes that Fish has some powers he may have overlooked and surmises that shes got some sort of psychotropic chemical agent on her skin.

Fish has a bus to catch and her destination is not upstate. Strange warns Fish that if she and the other test subjects were to appear in public, they would cause a revolution, an apocalypse of sorts. Strange may love Fish like a daughter, but hell kill her before letting her go. Before Fish can lay a hand on him, Strange takes off running and Fish orders Peabody to stop him.

Strange makes a beeline for the bomb and sets everything to destroy the facility immediately. Peabody tries to stop him, but Peabody is an ineffectual henchman, and Professor Strange packs quite a punch. The entire building goes into lockdown, and Fish finds herself trapped.

Barbara Kean Returns

Alfred still isnt able to reach Bruce or Mr. Fox, and Clayface continues to play a very unconvincing Gordon. Bullock suggests sending the Strike Force back to Arkham, and the former inmate insists thats not a good idea. Alfred doesnt know who or what has gotten into Gordon but says hes acting  weird.

Barbara is back, and she arrives at the station eager to have a word with her ex. Shes keeping company with Penguin now, and he wants to know what the hell is going on at Arkham. News has spread that theres something going down at the local loony bin.

Clayface is taken with the homicidal beauty, and after he dismisses Lee Thompkins as a ho, she realizes that shes not talking to Jim Gordon. She punches him in the face, and Clayfaces more malleable visage is revealed.

Barbara calls Penguin and gives Penguin an update. Strange is a very, very bad man, and the police are on their way to catch the Professor before he makes his getaway.

Hugo Strange orders Firefly and Freeze to kill all of the captives. Selina wants to know whats going on, and Strange instructs Freeze to kill her as well. Firefly intervenes, stating that Selina is her friend. This erupts in a showdown between fire and ice. As they battle it out, Selina retrieves Fox, Bruce and Gordon.

Strange, realizing that the inmates are now in control of the Asylum, tries to make a run for it and gets caught in the crossfire. Strange gets slightly singed but is really no worse for the wear. Gordon demands that Strange take him on a tour of the lab. Strange says that in 10 minutes, everything will be dust. Fox points out that theres radioactive material in the building, and Strange reveals he didnt have time to remove it. But he calculated that the chance of a radioactive cloud was low. If Strange is wrong, thousands of people could die. Strange argues that thats a better alternative than releasing whatever is left down there.

What Can Be Worse Than a Nuclear Bomb?

Gordon is determined to get into the lab and defuse the bomb, but Strange would rather die than show him the way. Selina remembers that Ed cant take them. Gordon orders Selina and Bruce to leave, and he, Fox and Nygma break into the lab. When the doors open, Fish finds her way out and takes off in the bus.

After securing Nygma in a cell, Lucius and Gordon have two minutes and zero ideas on how to stop the bomb. Lucky for them, Peabody regains consciousness and informs them that all they need is a glass of water. Gordon dumps it on the device and the countdown stops with one second to spare. It also turns out that Peabody was asking for water to drink, not helping to save the day. Ha!

The GCPD arrives and arrests Strange. Bullock reunites with the real Gordon, who informs him that whoever or whatever was in Indian Hill isnt there anymore. Bullock sends every available unit in pursuit of that bus, being maneuvered through the streets quite handily by Fish. She attempts to barrel through a police blockade, but Butch, Penguin and a few friends, all heavily armed, unleash all their gun power and the bus crashes.

Penguin mistakenly believes that Strange is on the bus, and hes eager to make the Professor pay. He gets far more than he bargained for when Penguin finds himself face to face with Fish. Penguin promptly faints. Fish gives Butch a little wink, and he turns tail and runs with his thugs in tow.

Fish also takes off, leaving all the monsters trapped in the bus. She managed to crush all of the cars and the cops inside, so when a bag lady wanders by and hears the muffled yells from inside, she opens the door. What emerges are a lot of growling, odd-shaped shadows. Its also very likely that Mad Hatter was on that bus, but we only get a glimpse of his eyes. Another monster of note is a Bruce Wayne doppelganger.

Gordon decides to leave Gotham to find Lee. Harvey pleads with his friend to stay, especially with all the monsters on the loose. But Gordon is determined to win back his lady love.

Alfred is hoping for some peace and quiet, but Bruce tells him about the secret council. Ah, bloody hell.

(Image courtesy of FOX)
COVID testing as we know it wouldn't have happened without this NJ lab

For Quest Diagnostics, the pandemic could not have arrived at a more challenging time. A major new lab was being built in Clifton, New Jersey.
BEING HINDU: OLD FAITH, NEW WORLD AND YOU

Hindol Sengupta

Penguin,

256 pages, Rs 399

Hindol Sengupta's Being Hindu: Old Faith, New World and You is a breezy and ambitious book. Mr Senguptas three guiding questions are: What is Hinduism? What are the ramifications of a Hindu ethos? What is Hinduisms personal significance to him? Sengupta seeks to "...aggressively proclaim that to be Hindu is to shun bigotry, to accept diversity, embrace differences, respect gender rights and actively adopt new technologies and sciences." Whats not to like?

But ambition is one thing, achievement is another.

Mr Sengupta is at his best in the Prologue where he touchingly recounts his early education at a zealously Protestant school in Calcutta.The concept of sin puzzles him, triggering a long process of reflection on his Hindu faith. Yet even in the Prologue a troubling pattern emerges: imprecise prose and foggy thinking  one the mirror of the other  coupled with a tendency to be uncritically impressed by similarities that are only superficial.

For example, consider Mr Sengupta's discussion of Nathuram Godse, Gandhi's assassin. After seemingly blaming Gandhi for his own assassination ("...a complete disregard to [sic] his own personal safety finally felled him to an assassin's bullett [sic]") Mr Sengupta marvels at Godse's avowal of plurality and Hindu-Muslim co-existence. Mr Sengupta reads Godse and Gandhis similar avowals of pluralism as a measure of "the inherent, genetic plurality of Hinduism". But does Mr Sengupta really think that Hinduism's pluralism is genetic, such that Gandhi and Godse carry it in equal measure? Only Godses pluralism licensed assassinations. As Godse and Gandhis differing lives attest, any similarity in their avowals of pluralism is entirely superficial.

In later chapters Mr Sengupta endorses Fritjof Capra's tome of middlebrow waffle, The Tao of Physics, which trades on superficial similarities between physics and elements of Indian philosophy. Mr Sengupta even divines connections where there are none, reading a passage from Vivekananda on the existence of souls in both humans and animals as evidence that Vivekananda embraced the theory of evolution; the existence of souls entails nothing about natural selection.

In "How to Write about Hindus?" Mr Sengupta denies that Hindu myths lack historical validity. He thinks that the point of turning to mythology is to see how it "cross-polinates [with history] to give us a sense of our national moorings"  by which he presumably means Hindu, not national, moorings  and to determine "which parts of our myths and legends are intrinsically tied to history and which are not". However, mythology is one thing, historical truth is another. Positioning mythology as a map for historical research muddles their differing functions. Whether or not the Ramayana has a shred of historical truth is independent of how the epic shapes the practices and values of Hindus. Should Ram be any less significant to a Hindu if no such person had ever lived? No, because to think otherwise would mistake the yardstick of historical truth as the appropriate measure of his significance over that of the lived reality of the epic for Hindus. Using myths as maps for historical research mistakenly elevates what should be at best one among other sources of evidence to the status of a script for research, distorting what counts as valuable questions that the state, amongst others, will pay to answer. Even if mythology and history are amalgamated in modern Hindu identity, that's no reason to let mythology guide history.

Mr Sengupta thinks that Western scholarship unjustly dominates the production of knowledge about Hinduism, arguing that "What ought to be a debate leapfrogged into a monologue. ...Sanskrit and ancient systems of knowledge had gathered a thick film of colonial sneer". Whatever a thick film of colonial sneer may be, Mr Senguptas response is an artless screed on how to write about Hindus modelled on Binyavanga Wainaina's artful satire "How to Write about Africa". In it Mr Sengupta writes: "The pictures you use along with the writing can never have kind, well-adjusted, pleasantly God-fearing folk. They should have great matted hair...They can't wear too many clothes"; the cover of the book features the naked blue torso of a Sadhu with matted hair.

In the next chapter he argues for a conception of Hinduism indigenous to the people living in the lands demarcated in Hinduisms sacred geography. Mr Sengupta recapitulates Diana Ecks claim that the sacred geography of Hinduism delineates the frontiers of Bharat; he argues that the idea of Bharat as a unified, plural, composite cultural homeland is at least 3,000 years old and that its geography constitutes the nation. But what bridges the disparate concepts of a sacred geography, a cultural homeland, and a nation? Mr Sengupta endorses Vivekanandas claim that There must be the recognition of one religion throughout the length and breadth of this land, and it is that religion, rather than political ideals, that links the disparate concepts.

Which religion would Vivekananda have us recognise? The point is crucial because if there is no such religion, then the idea of Bharat cannot simultaneously be that of a sacred geography, a cultural homeland and a nation. Vivekananda didnt think it was any particular creed but rather the common ground between them all. However, the faith that there is such a substantive common ground withers on inspecting the relations of priority and exclusivity claimed by various philosophical schools, relations that are too interesting and rich to be reductively read down to any comforting piety about a common essence. For example, proponents of Vaidika orthodoxy like Medhatithi, Kumarila, Manu and Aparaditya rejected other non-Vaidika orthodox Hindu schools in the harshest possible terms. There simply isnt a common creed shared by all orthodox Hindu philosophical schools, let alone all the other major world religions existing in India. Rather than grappling with difference and contestation within (even) the orthodox tradition, Mr Sengupta offers long-winded vapid falsehoods like Hindu philosophy is bewilderingly diverse because what an ancient seers [sic] did was paint out the myriad experiences without force fitting a uniformity as they realised what made the philosophical unity  the final truth as it were  more magical was the countless diverse processes and paths one could take to reach it.

The weakest part of the book is its core: Mr Senguptas delineation of Hinduism. Hinduism is not Vedanta alone. There is little to show for Mr Senguptas often repeated claims of having thought about these issues for decades and done extensive background reading. Instead of presenting the reader with a flavour of the variety, depth, and intellectual novelty of the tradition, the reader is fobbed off with The Hindu mind sees the inherent seamless unity in all things and, therefore, does not seek to separate the strands and distance one from the other, but instead revel in the oneness. There is no singular Hindu mind  a fact that should prompt celebration, not embarrassment. Mr Senguptas grip on his material is often tenuous  as, for example, when he mistakenly asserts that the materialist Carvaka school is an orthodox Hindu school.

If all this werent enough Mr Senguptas prose style (mobile phones are more rampant than toilets and [The Kamasutra] was perhaps written at that unique time when Hindu society was lush with sexual advice notes.) does him no favours. Mr. Senguptas incurious book belongs in the genre of that are no more than notes for better versions of themselves.

The reviewer is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Ashoka University and Research Associate, Harvard University
As the number of in India asking for background checks of their prospective employees keeps increasing, background verification firms say that data protection laws are being flouted, as these checks happen without the consent of the candidate, reported Live Mint.

A number of background verification firms such as HireRight, IDfy AuthBridge, First Advantage India and KPMG India have revealed that there number of firms indulging in background checks, many of whom belong to the lot of newer industries.

Ajay Trehan, founder of AuthBridge in the report said, More and more want to conduct background checks, but they are not aware of the best practices and are not sensitive to privacy of the candidates.

In the begining, background checks in India were relevant mostly to multinational companies, mainly because they followed the practices inculcated by their parent headquaters in other countries.

In the West, background verification is a regulated process, with laws that govern it. in the US are required to follow Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCA) regulations, which means that candidates need to give employers a written consent to access details about them. The rgulation also requires companies to inform candidates on how they plan on using the information gathered. In India however, that does not seem to be the case, said the report.

The report further reveals that while both blue-collar and white-collar employees can be subject to background checks, the senior-level employees are the ones who are most vulnerable to un-consented verifications.

Organisations reportedly also conduct probity checks on their prospective employees sans their consent, from time to time, revealed Purushotam Savlani, managing director, First Advantage.

While action for infringement against the right to privacy can be taken only against a state and not against a private company, candidates and employees can still sue for damage if required, said the report.

One however needs to be aware as to what segment of information comes under data protection laws. Court records and criminal records are public information, which do not request prior consent to be accessed. Sensitive and personal information like financial information, medical records etc are protected by the laws.
Drug maker Ciplas net profit fell 68.9 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to Rs 81 crore in the quarter ended March 2016, on account of one-off expenses related to inventory reduction and closure of business in some small-sized foreign markets.

The profit was substantially lower than the Bloomberg consensus estimate of about Rs 250 crore.

Though revenue grew 5.6 per cent y-o-y to Rs 3,267 crore and came marginally lower than Bloomberg consensus estimate of Rs 3,356 crore, the operating performance was hit by one-offs. The companys earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) declined 56.9 per cent to Rs 219 crore, as its expenses rose due to higher employee costs, inventory reduction and write-offs, restructuring and regulatory expenses. The research and development (R&D) costs also surged 2.2 per cent. Adjusting for one-offs and incremental R&D costs, the company said Ebitda margins were at 15.8 per cent, compared to the reported 6.7 per cent and year ago quarters 16.4 per cent.

Domestic business grew 15.9 per cent to Rs 1,258 crore, while exports rose 2.8 per cent to Rs 1,948 crore. Domestic business contributes about 40 per cent of the companys overall revenue. The drug pricing issue in the domestic market also impacted the companys margins.

For the past few years, Cipla has been looking to grow its US business and it completed the acquisition of US generic drug maker Invagen earlier in the year. We are re-positioning our US business and look forward to file 20-25 products in FY17, said company's chief operating officer Umang Vohra in a post-results conference call with analysts.

The Cipla management said it continues to grow business in key foreign markets including Sri Lanka, Uganda and Iran but is rationalising its business in certain smaller markets where it has insignificant presence. The company has said it had taken the decision to simplify the business and reduce complexities.

The company expects a revenue growth of 10-15 per cent and base business Ebitda growth of 15-20 per cent.

The companys stock closed 0.5 per cent down on Tuesday to close at nearly Rs 495 on the BSE. The results were declared after market hours.
Partners, founded by Jim Armstrong, Sumant Mandal, Gregory Milken and Jamie Montgomery, announced today the final close of its first fund, totaling $240 million. The new Southern California fund has a global focus with significant focus in India.

invests in both early and late-stage across multiple technology sectors, focusing in large part on the infrastructure behind todays consumer and mobile services.

The firm has already invested more than $100 million in over 15 globally, and will continue to partner with top entrepreneurs worldwide to build successful technology in a variety of enterprise and emerging verticals. In India, it has invested in Billdesk and Cartrade.com.

The fund, founded by Sumant Mandal and Jim Armstrong of Clearstone Venture Partners, along with investment bankers Jamie Montgomery and Gregory Milken.

Milken brings 15 years of entrepreneurial and operational experience to the firm as founder and former COO of AltEgo, and as a senior executive at Knowledge Universe. Colleagues for more than a decade, Mandal and Armstrong began investing together at idealab Capital Partners and then Clearstone Venture Partners, where they focused on early-stage investments. The four partners plan to leverage their longtime expertise as investors and entrepreneurs in Southern California.

The partners of work closely with entrepreneurs around the world to support and accelerate the development of their most innovative ideas and reach success faster, said Gregory Milken, co-founder and managing director, March Capital. Our portfolio reflects the desire to lead the Southern California market, as well as our global ambitions.



The firm has built a strong technology-centric portfolio of 10 series A investments and four series C investments in Northern California, Southern California, Europe and India, with an emphasis on enterprise on-demand services, technologies to enable hyperscale infrastructure and business opportunities from global mobile expansion.
Mumbai-based real estate fund manager Milestone Capital has exited its investment in affordable housing project in Ambivali in Mumbai Metropolitan Region with 2.3 times returns.

Milestone exited with Rs 280 crore in Neptune groups Swarajya project, in which it had invested Rs 120 crore in May 2011 through Milestone Domestic Fund II & Milestone Fund LLC. The project was exited at 20 per cent gross internal rate of return (IRR). Financial services company Edelweiss has refinanced the Neptune to the tune of Rs 185 crore.

Rubi Arya, executive vice-chairman of Milestone Capital Advisors, said: "While we spotted the investment opportunity, the affordable housing segment has gained momentum in the past few years and this is just a starting stage in India. We expect a huge demand from the growing middle-income group for such projects and we stay committed to investing in these projects for the betterment of all our stakeholders and society at large.



Recently, Milestone made an exit from a commercial property in Bengaluru's Electronic City phase I at Rs 150 crore, fetching 16 per cent gross internal rate of return.

"Out of the total Rs 3,000 crore returned till date, we have returned approximately Rs 2,000 crore back to our investors in the past 20 months itself," she said.

Milestone is looking to raise a Rs 1,000-crore domestic fund to invest in pre-leased office assets and a managed account of $200 million from offshore investors.

Arya also said the fund manager has lined up three investments in Mumbai and Bengaluru totalling up to Rs 200 crore from its new fund Milestone Opportunities Fund 10.
Hyderabad-based infrastructure company has reported a 49 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 26.40 crore for the quarter ended March, 2016 as compared with Rs 51.99 crore in the corresponding quarter previous year.

The company's net profit was impacted primarily by the fall in other income during the quarter under review as compared with that of the corresponding previous quarter.

Total income for the quarter grew 11.74 per cent to Rs 2,780.26 crore from Rs 2,488.26 crore in the year ago period while the total expenditure increased by 12.33 per cent from Rs 2,295.72 crore to Rs 2,578.76 crore.

However, for the full year ended March, 2016 the company's net profit jumped 105 per cent to Rs 110.55 crore from Rs 53.87 crore in the previous year.The total income stood at Rs 9,583.98 crore, a marginal increase over Rs 9,512.89 crore in the previous year, while the total expenditure also remained flat at Rs 8,825.23 crore as compared with Rs 8,789.78 crore in the previous year.

In a noticeable achievement, the company was able to reduce the finance costs by 9.11 per cent for the full year. The finance costs for the year ended March, 2016 stood at Rs 669.84 crore as compared with Rs 737.12 crore in the previous year.
Tech Mahindra has become the third entity to announce it was surrendering its payments bank licence.

Pressure on profitability is supposed to be one of the key reasons for surrendering the licence. Tech Mahindra Ltd has informed the BSE that the board of directors of the company at its meeting held on May 24, 2016, has decided that the company will not pursue this opportunity, said the company in a notice to the exchanges.

The company has partnered with Mahindra Finance for this venture and had said they would be ready by October-November this year.

Earlier, Cholamandalam and the Dilip Shanghvi-IDFC Bank-Telenor Financial Services combine had announced that they were pulling out of the payments bank venture.

C P Gurnani, managing director and CEO of Tech Mahindra, said: Unfortunately, due to competitive pressures, margins started getting squeezed so much that we realised the payback period has become very, very long. The question that Mahindra Finance and us sat together and asked is, is this our priority? Is this something where the capital allocation is appropriate? Or should we let this opportunity pass and hope that there will be other areas where we can collaborate and work together, like block-chain technology or creating other digital solutions instead of becoming a payments bank?



The company had started preparing a strategy for entering the market and was preparing the technology. However, he added, they decided against proceeding further but still believe that there was huge scope for tapping the market.

Last year, the Reserve Bank of India had given an in-principle licence to 11 players. After the exit of three, those still in play are a Reliance Industries-State Bank of India combine; Aditya Birla Nuvo (Idea Cellular), Airtel, Vodafone, Department of Posts, FINO PayTech, National Securities Depository Ltd and Paytm (Vijay Shekhar Sharma).

Vaibhav Agrawal, vice-president research, Angel Broking, said: There are too many payments banks but telecom companies  having deep pockets and large, sticky customer base  have an upper hand. This business is a high-margin business and payments banks are allowed high leverage. While they will have to pay high rates on savings deposits initially, asset side is positive. Also higher government bonds is a positive. This business has high ROEs (return on equities) and companies able to acquire a large customer base will do well. Others will face the challenge of high customer acquisition costs.



These payments banks are being set up to further the cause of financial inclusion. These banks can accept deposits but are not allowed to lend or issue credit cards.

The central bank had expressed its displeasure over players surrendering their licences. Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor S S Mundra had said a lot of work had gone in for selecting the candidates from the regulators end and it was disappointing if their plans dont materialise.
With intense speculation on which of the seven bidders will make the cut to acquire Tata Steel's loss-making assets in Britain, UK business secretary Sajid Javid met Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry Mumbai on Tuesday. The meeting, which is the second in as many months, was held at the conglomerate's global headquarters Bombay House here. The meeting assumes importance as it comes on the eve of Tata Steel's board meeting tomorrow, wherein an announcement is expected, sources told PTI. "Met Tata in Mumbai today to discuss #steel sales process. Several credible bidders in play. Determined to keep momentum & find right buyer," Javid tweeted.

Javid had first visited Mumbai on April 6 and met the Tata brass to find a solution to save jobs at British operations of the Tatas and had hinted that the government was open to equity participation. The main plant at Port Talbot employs over 4,000 directly and many more indirectly. Monday was the deadline for interested parties to put in their bids and of the seven who had expressed an interest, between one and three are expected to go forward to the next stage.

Over the weekend, it emerged that two of the front-runners to acquire Tata Steel's British steelworks - Indian-origin businessman Sanjeev Gupta owned Liberty House and a management buyout group Excalibur Steel - are willing to work together.

Only bidders that are willing to buy the whole of Tata's British operations, including the loss-making Port Talbot steelworks, have reached the current point in the sale process.

According to British media reports, Tatas are aiming for a end-June completion of the sale process. But, the company's 15 billion pound pension scheme is likely to prove a stumbling block as potential buyers are hesitant to take on the liability.

The 'Daily Telegraph' reported that to get over the hurdle, sources close to the sale say the British department for business, innovation and skills is supporting a proposal backed by the fund's trustees which would see the pension fund "spun off" as a separate entity and effectively become a new scheme.

Under this plan, members would be given a choice of entering the pension protection fund or joining the new, spun off scheme, with less generous benefits.

To get this idea of the ground, the Tatas could contribute a lump sum and the government would help to underwrite it for several years. But, it is understood that the British department for work and pensions is resisting the idea amid serious questions about the plausibility of a move seen as high risk and flouting the current pensions framework, the paper said.

A Tata spokesperson said the company was "in talks with the government and pension scheme trustees to find a solution for the scheme".

Javid, who is likely to attend board meeting on Wednesday, had announced earlier that the British government is willing to take an equity stake of up to 25 per cent alongside a new owner and offer "hundreds of millions" in financial support in an effort to save the British steel industry, which is struggling under the pressure of cheap Chinese exports and high energy costs.

The Tatas had acquired as Corus Steel in April 2007 at the peak of commodity price hike cycle for over $12 billion, but has since then never been able to turn it around.

UK employs around 15,000 people and the British government is keen to save these jobs in an already bad economic environment.

Europe had announced its plans to sell its UK steel business last week after a "strategic review" by its board, throwing the industry into chaos. The company since the acquisition has sunk over 3 billion pounds into the company that has been hit by Chinese dumping and a massive 30 per cent fall in demand since the 2008 global financial crisis.

The British government in a statement said "the meeting with the Tatas in Mumbai follows constructive meetings in London with trade unions, the EEF and UK Steel this week." Earlier, British prime minister David Cameron had become personally involved in trying to work out a solution to the crisis triggered as a result of a combination of cheap imports from China, falling global demand, high energy prices and a tougher tax regime than many rival nations. But, his government is not ready to impose higher tariffs on Chinese steel.
Former Ranbaxy promoters on Tuesday assured the Delhi High Court they would keep assets secure to be in a position to make the Rs 3,500-crore payment to Japanese conglomerate Daiichi Sankyo, which had in 2008 bought a majority stake in the Indian pharma major.

A Singapore arbitration court recently imposed this fine after it found the Singh brothers guilty of concealing information while striking the deal with the Japanese company.

Daiichi filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court asking for an interim order to secure the Singh brothers' assets equivalent to the extent of the award amount, Rs 2,562 crore, decided by the Singapore arbitration court. In addition, Rs 1,000 crore has to be paid as interest and lawyers' fees.

In its petition, the Japanese company expressed apprehension that the brothers would dispose their assets and take them out of India by the time the court arrived at a final decision on this award.

"We have an imminent fear that there may be various alienations (asset sell-off) by RHC Holdings in case there are no protective measures provided by the court. We request you to ask the respondents (Singh brothers) to issue a statement of safeguard and security," said Gopal Subramanium, appearing on behalf of Daiichi Sankyo.

The Singh brothers have a majority shareholding in RHC Holdings, a private limited company with assets of around Rs 10,000 crore. Fortis Healthcare and Religare, which are listed companies, are controlled through RHC Holdings.

Justice V Kameswar Rao, who presided over the proceedings in Delhi High Court, said he needed to be sure that the award was secure. He did not issue a formal order after Kapil Sibal, who was arguing for the Singh brothers, told the judge any such court order to issue a formal statement of assurance would adversely affect the listed . He said since these two were listed, there was no need for apprehensions of a quick asset sale. "They (Daiichi Sankyo) have shown no evidence whatsoever which can be considered as basis for their apprehension," he said.

In response to queries from Business Standard, the RHC Holdings spokesperson said it could not offer any comment because the matter was sub judice. The stocks of Fortis Healthcare and Religare did not show much movement on Tuesday, increasing by 0.12 per cent and decreasing by 0.04 per cent, respectively.

In 2013, Daiichi had launched the arbitration proceedings in Singapore, alleging that the Singh brothers had concealed and misrepresented critical information concerning US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Justice (DoJ) investigations into Ranbaxy in 2008, when the Japanese major acquired a controlling stake in the company.

Consequently, the arbitration court awarded Daiichi Rs 2,562 crore through a 2-1 majority order. Justice AM Ahmadi, former Chief Justice of India, gave the dissenting opinion dismissing all claims of the Japanese company.
Ahmedabad-based pharma major Cadila Healthcare, which covered a long journey from being a Rs 250-crore company in 1995 to the Rs 9,800-crore behemoth it is today, feels the road ahead lies in biosimilars. The company's chairman and managing director Pankaj R Patel tells Sohini Das how he expects the turnover from biosimilars to grow to 20 per cent of its revenues in the long term. Edited excerpts:



Youre planning to raise up to Rs 18,500 crore through issuance of shares and other securities. Are you eyeing any acquisitions in the near term?



We have no plan at this moment to raise the money, but it is an enabling provision. If you are acquiring anything, you might need to raise some money. Once you zero in on any target, it is too late to raise the funds then. Deals can happen in one month and some deals can take years. You never know how soon or how fast can the deal materialise.

You already have made a couple of acquisitions this year. What kind of segments are you eyeing now?



We did an acquisition of the animal health business of Zoetis, making a strong position in the animal health business in India for Zydus. With this acquisition, we became one of the top in the sector in India. Its more strategic from the size perspective, and we did not have a manufacturing asset in the animal health business. We now also have the manufacturing capability and that would help us increase our exports going forward. That's the whole rationale behind this acquisition, and we believe business can grow 10-15 per cent going forward.

We acquired some brands from Albert David. That's a brand acquisition strengthening our position in the gastro segment, filling the gaps in the therapeutic categories. That is our focus in India - acquiring brands which can fill in the gaps in our basket. Other than that, we are actively looking at opportunities in the US market. We are looking at both with presence in the US generics market as well as with presence in the US speciality market. Theres nothing in pipeline at the moment, but we are looking at India and the US. For India, we would look at smaller acquisitions, maybe some brand acquisitions. For the US, we would look at larger acquisitions.

The US contributes around 40 per cent of your revenues. Given the regulatory hurdles and uncertainties, will you look at de-risking your overall business by bringing down the US share?



We believe the US is an important market for every pharmaceutical company. We dont see our share should come down; rather, we would want to increase our share going forward. Clearly, we are not looking at the US market share to come down; it will always remain a major market for us apart from India. From the de-risking point of view, we have a strategy in place which basically involves multiple geography plans. We have a facility now in the US and in India we have multiple facilities from where we can supply to the US. We have more than one facility to manufacture and supply to the US market, and that is how we look at it now.

Biosimilars are the sunshine segment in pharma now. You also have a huge pipeline ready. How do you see the share of biosimilars rising in your turnover?



We have 20 different programmes in biologics. We have seven products in the market and more are in the pipeline. Over the next three years, we want to bring another five to six products to the market. We also have started getting registrations outside India for biosimilars. Our export activities for biosimilars for emerging markets have started. We are also looking at the developed markets, and have initiated dialogues with the regulators about the process we need to follow to get product approvals in those markets. Biosimilars will become a significant part of our turnover in the coming years, as our exports grow. In the short term, it can go up to five or seven per cent of our turnover; in the long term, it can reach up to 20 per cent of our turnover.

The past few months have seen some uncertainties on the Indian regulatory environment, be it for fixed dose combinations or otherwise. What is your comment?



Well continue to focus on India and we plan to play our role in the Indian healthcare system. These challenges are there, and the real challenge is that of predictability. The challenge is not of a new NLEM (National List of Essential Medicines) or a new drug pricing order, but it is of predictability. If you know what is coming tomorrow, you can plan; but if you get surprises, then it is difficult for any business to plan. For any business to grow and become profitable, predictability in the environment plays a big role.
Despite setbacks in the recently concluded Assembly elections to four states, the Congress has decided to go all out against the Modi governments two years in office. It has labelled its media campaign, Do saal Desh ka bura haal ( Two years [of Bharatiya Janata Party], the country is in bad shape) and will hold press conferences across the country to highlight the failures of the BJP-led government.

The Congress has decided to field its big guns, including former finance minister P Chidambaram, to expose the alleged hollow claims of the government on economic growth.

Congress Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and senior spokesperson Kapil Sibal will kick off the programme from the capital on May 26. On the same day, senior Congress leaders will address press conferences in state capitals, including Jairam Ramesh in Bengaluru, Manish Tewari in Ahmedabad, Shakeel Ahmed in Lucknow, Gaurav Gogoi in Kolkata and Sachin Pilot in Mumbai.

The Congress will also release a booklet enumerating the shortcomings of the Democratic Alliance (NDA)s two years in office on May 28. The media offensive is intended to counter the governments blitzkrieg, with 33 ministers fanning across 200 cities to publicise the achievements of the .

The party is aware that one of its major failings has been its inability to counter the propaganda machine of the BJP and, therefore, it has decided to not lose the opportunity to puncture the government's claims. The Congress is also smarting from the BJP's claim that within two years it has managed a Congress-mukt Bharat.

Incidentally, both experienced leaders and young faces of the Congress have been chosen to take the fight to the BJP. Congress President Sonia Gandhi had last week attempted to bolster morale by stating that failure is never permanent.
A crowd forced a French artist and an Indian associate earlier this month to deface their own paintings on the wall of Delhi Jal Board pumping station in northeast Delhi, reported The Telegraph. The artists were painting an Urdu couplet praising Delhi. The crowd, instead, forced them to write 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' in Hindi.

The artists are a part of a cultural project called #MyDilliStory commissioned by the Delhi government's art, culture and language department, as part of which the artists will paint 40 couplets on the walls in four languages across the city. The group of astists is known as Delhi I Love You (DILY).

Ahmad, one of the painters, told that as they painted the first line on the wall, a crowd started gathering around them. From the crowd, a man approached them, asking them not to write in Urdu. He claimed to be a member of RSS. When Ahmad told him that the couplet was prasing Delhi, the man said that Urdu was not acceptable. Soon, about 150 people gathered around Ahamd and his French colleague, Swen Simon.

"He had a few supporters who yelled abuses about our mothers and sisters and started shouting 'Jai Shri Ram'. I said my name is Shabbu and they assumed I was Shambhu, a Hindu. So they turned their ire towards my French colleague, Swen Simon, asking him to pay me my wages and go back to Lahore. Swen doesn't know Hindi. I pleaded with them to leave him alone, saying he's French not Pakistani," Ahmad told The Telegraph.

People from the crowd too matter into their own hands and started painting over the Urdu characters. "They yelled at me, saying paint in 'yellow, orange, blue'. They held my hands and tried to force me to paint. I agreed to paint whatever they wanted to save ourselves. They said paint 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' (the Clean India campaign promoted by the Narendra Modi government) and 'Narendra Modi' in Hindi, which I started doing. By the time I painted the first line, police arrived," said Ahmad.

The artist tried to photograph the mob but the self-proclaimed RSS man took their phones and deleted the photographs. Hearing the police sirens, the RSS man disappeared into the crowd. "The police were quite rude and took away my phone. They kept questioning our motives after I told them I live in Batla House (where two alleged terrorists and a police officer were killed in 2008). Thankfully, (Delhi) culture minister Kapil Mishra called the police up when we were in the van, after which the cops were apologetic and offered us soft drinks and food," Ahmad said.

Mishra said such intimidation would not be tolerated. "These RSS men neither understand culture nor religion, especially Hinduism. Otherwise, they wouldn't have done this to our foreign guest who is doing a service to the city. The option of taking legal action is open to us but we first want to create social awareness and expose their plans to create communal tension," the minister said.

However, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast Delhi) A K Singla said that he had no information of any such incident and will look into the matter.

Kush Sethi of DILY said the group will no longer work on the site. "We didn't expect this as it has never happened before," he said.
Prime Minister departed for New Delhi on Monday evening after concluding his two-day visit to Iran.

Expressing his gratitude towards the government and people of Iran before leaving for India, the prime minister tweeted: "I thank the wonderful people of Iran for the warmth. My Iran visit was fruitful & the outcomes will positively impact our nations."

"During this visit I held productive discussions with the top leadership of Iran. We are committed to seeing our ties grow even further," said Prime Minister Modi in another tweet.

The prime minister, who paid a state visit to Iran at the invitation of Iranian President Dr. Hassan Rouhani, called on the Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei on Monday and held talks with President Rouhani following his official welcome in an impressive ceremony.

President Rouhani also hosted a lunch in honour of Prime Minister Modi.

Prime Minister Modi and President Rouhani witnessed the signing of 12 agreements between the two nations and jointly addressed the media.
Association of Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), the outfit which hardsold brand Modi during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and was led then by Prashant Kishor, has been issued summons by tax authorities, reported the Economic Times on Tuesday.

According to the financial daily, tax authorities have asked CAG to declare details of its income and sources of income for the last four years. The report adds that the summons have been issued by the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence in Nashik.

Sushil Kumar Kale, deputy director of the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence, refused to comment on the case when contacted by Economic Times.

Kishor, who Economic Times says is not mentioned in company reports as either its chairman or director, was also unavailable for comments.

Kishor had brought together a group of graduates from India's premier institutes and multinational companies to work on Narendra Modi's 2014 election campaign under CAG's banner. Kishor, leading an outfit called I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee), went on to work with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in last year's Assembly polls in the state. Business Standard could not independently verify whether Kishor, who is currently consulting for the Congress, is still associated with CAG or not.

According to the report, the summons were issued by MD Pekhale, superintendent, Central Excise Intelligence, on April 26 and sent to the company's address in Ahmedabad. Under the summons, CAG's officials had been asked to appear before the central excise authorities on May 4. According to revenue officials contacted by the paper, the case is still going on.

The newspaper quotes authorities saying that an enquiry into the service tax obligations of CAG is being conducted under Finance Act 1994. Additionally, the authorities have told the Economic Times that Nirav Rameshchandra Vora, listed as a director for the organisation, has been summoned in person to "present evidence along with documents and details".

According to the report, the issued notice asks Vora to present annual reports, bills, invoices, expenditure ledgers, bank statement with payment receipts among other evidence.

The report cites ministry of corporate affairs data saying that the Association of Citizens for Accountable Governance is a company registered in India, with its registered office in Mumbai.

The company was registered as a private company limited by shares with the Registrar of Companies, Mumbai, on July 12, 2013. Himanshu Anirudhsinh Chudasama and Vora have been listed as the directors, the report adds.

According to the Economic Times, the Central Excise Intelligence Directorate has also asked the company to furnish its income ledgers so that details of annual incomes can be reviewed. The report adds that according to the notice, failure to comply with the order would attract action under section 174 and section 175 of the Indian penal code.

The report says that ministry data shows that the company's current status is "active" and that it has an authorised share capital Rs 100,000 and paid capital of Rs 1,000.

According to the article, CAG's last annual general meeting was held on September 30, 2014, and its balance sheet was last filed on March 31, 2014.
President on Tuesday embarked on a four day visit to China, where he is expected to exchange views on all aspects of India's ties with Chinese leadership.

The President was accorded with a ceremonial departure, as Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were present to send him off in an event, organised ahead of his departure.

In the first leg of his state visit, President Mukherjee will go to Guangzhou, which is one of the most important Industrial Provinces of China.

He is also expected to participate in an Indian community event this evening.

In his second and last leg of his visit, the President will reach Beijing on Wednesday, where he will have talks with the top leaders of China including with his counterpart Xi Jinping on bilateral, regional and international issues.

The President is accompanied by a delegation of top Indian academicians including vice-chancellors of Central Universities and directors of IITs, where they will sign a MoU with top Chinese research and educational Institution.

Earlier, the President had said that India seeks a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary issues with China and pending the boundary settlement to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

"We seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question and, pending the boundary settlement, to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. Both sides should strive to ensure that the outstanding issues are addressed in a manner that demonstrates mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns, interests and aspiration," he said.

President Mukherjee said both India and China should enhance the mutual trust and understanding through stepped-up dialogue on political, security and strategic issues.
Private forecasting agency Skymet on Tuesday raised India's forecast to 109% of the long period average from 105% on the back of a waning El Nino. The revised forecast has an error margin of +/- 4%.

India's June rainfall is seen at 87% of average, while for July it is seen at 108%. August rain is seen at 113%, and for September it is at 123%, Skymet said.



Rainfall within 96-104% of the LPA is considered normal and anything above as 'above normal'. LPA is 889 mm, the average rain the country got in the 50 years from 1951.



The agency also said that conditions are favourable for timely monsoon in Kerala.

The El Nino is tapering off and it will collapse after the onset of Monsoon. It is not likely to have an adverse impact on the Monsoon performance," said Jatin Singh, CEO, Skymet. There are more chances of getting into La-Nina in the later part of this year, Skymet added in a statement.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) earlier this month said the onset of southwest monsoon over the Kerala coast this year could be delayed by six days and that the rains would arrive around June 7. The forecast is with a model error of plus-minus four days. The normal onset date of the south-west monsoon is June 1, which marks the start of its four-month journey over the Indian sub-continent.

India is currently in the throes of a debilitating drought, the second in as many years, that has wreaked havoc on the rural economy. Agriculture, which remains the mainstay of more than half of India's population, has been particularly badly hit, given its outsize dependence on the monsoon because of a lack of proper irrigation facilities.

The drought has gripped about 10 states and impacted roughly 330 million people.

According to Skymet, the total area under kharif food grains is expected to increase in 2016 by 15-20% over last year, with kharif production expected to be around 129-130 million tonnes.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met individually with chief ministers of states that are facing the brunt of the drought to discuss with them ways that the Centre could help in alleviating some of the stress.
Against the backdrop of the domestic market growing exponentially with more and more people shopping online through smartphones, the perils of counterfeits have also multiplied in the same proportion.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the fastest growing markets in North India and is estimated at Rs 10,000 crore annually. It is projected to touch Rs 40,000 crore by 2020.

However, consumers have no way to verify the genuineness of products bought through sites. The lack of awareness is making gullible people, unknowingly buying fakes at the cost of original products, Authentication Solution Providers Association (ASPA) president UK Gupta told the media here this evening.

He further said buying fake medicines or baby food could result in serious health issues or even loss of life.

ASPA has urged the UP government for mandating use of authentication marks, such as holograms in products, before they hit the shelves or are sold online, to counter the menace of counterfeits and fakes.

The Association has also launched its industry and consumer centric Make Sure India campaign to educate brand owners over the benefits of authentication solutions to curb counterfeiting. This would ensure sale of genuine products and preserve the reputation of brands.

ASPA claims its member companies protected over 10,000 brands globally.

According to industry body Ficci-Cascade, the central government had incurred a loss of Rs 26,190 crore during 2011-12 due to counterfeiting. This loss increased to Rs 39,239 crore in 2013-14, a rise of almost 50% in two years.

Meanwhile, the Association has planned to hold brand awareness seminars in major industrial hubs of UP, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, etc.

ASPA vice-president Nakul Pasricha said global trade in counterfeits was estimated at $461 billion in 2013, according to a report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

ASPA works closely with global authorities such as International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA), Counterfeit Intelligence Bureau (CIB) and Interpol.
The Narendra Modi government will on Thursday launch its first auction of oil and gas acreages, where around 80 chief executives of global firms are likely to participate in bidding for 67 blocks with 85 milion tonne reserves worth Rs 77,000 crore.

Under the Discovered Small Field Policy, the government is offering 67 fields in 46 contract areas spread over nine sedimentary basins in onland, shallow water and deep water areas which have known hydrocarbon discoveries, the petroleum ministry said.

The companies will have time till October 31, 2016 to submit bids for the blocks online through portal www.mstcecommerce.com and the bids will be opened the same day, the ministry said in a newspaper advertisement. A company may bid for one or more blocks alone or with other companies through a venture.

Successful bidders would be required to enter into a Revenue Sharing Contract (RSC) based on the model RSC worked out by the government. Bids will be evaluated based on the biddable work programme and biddable revenue share offered to the government, which will carry 20 points and 80 points, respectively, for evaluation.

The process will involve international competitive bidding with no mandatory domestic participation. There will be no mandatory prior technical experience required for the bidder, no mandatory work programme commitment and no cess. However, production from the blocks would attract minimal royalty in line with the existing New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP).

Goods and services imported for petroleum operations will be exempted from customs duty. Investors will not only get an opportunity to enter the Indian upstream market but will also experience freedom for pricing and marketing of crude and gas on arms length basis, the ministry said. It added that the provision for contract extension applicable for the small discovered fields will be generous and there will be no restriction on exploration during the contract period.

The government is planning to conduct roadshows to woo global investors in places like Singapore, Houston, London, Dubai, Calgary and Perth for Indias first oil and gas auction since 2012.

Apart from CEOs of big companies, embassiy personnel are also likely to attend the launch of the bidding by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons. Global accounting and consultancy firm KPMG has been chosen to advise on the bidding round and manage the roadshows.
Vishwa Mandavi trekked miles barefoot to reach the block headquarters of Lohandiguda in Chhattisgarhs Bastar district, excited to get loan from a private bank to solemnise his daughters marriage with a bang coming winter.

The 60-year-old tribal was shattered when the banker refused the proposal on the ground that he did not possess the required land. The Rin Pustika (loan book for the villager) mentioned only three acres while he was the owner of over four acres in Belar village, about five kilometers from Lohandiguda in Bastar district.

The local team of the revenue department allegedly manipulated with the records and curtailed the area in the new account prepared last year. Mandavi is not the only person facing the problem. A large proportion of tribal population had been complaining on the line.

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Bastar Collector Amit Kataria took the initiative to digitalise the entire land records in the district  infamous across the globe for Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The project started in January and was completed in record time. Last week, Chief Minister Raman Singh launched the online land record service in Bastar.

The move is a big leap forward for land reform in Bastar, Kataria told Business Standard. When the concept of digitalising the records clicked, the biggest hurdle was selecting a good software team to scan and make software, he said, adding that Raipur-based software company Computer Plus was assigned the project that was successfully completed.

The Chief Minister had asked the officials to follow the Bastar model in other districts. Land records of 598 villages, of which many are in the so-called liberated zone of Naxalites, has been compiled. At the click of the mouse provided internet facility, a villager could access the land record details from 1952. The software would be updated later to feed the records from 1930-32.

Since the tribals were not aware of the exact details of their land, they were being exploited. They were deprived of the land rights. The Naxalites used the opportunity when they first stepped-in in Bastar in the late seventies. On the issue of tribe land reform, the rebels expanded its network in Bastar that had emerged as the countrys biggest internal security threat. The villagers, however, could not get any benefit even from rebels movement.

Mandavi had collected the record availing the service. The record from 1952 underlined that he had over four acres. He would be soon moving to the court of law to challenge the new account and get it updated.
The Maharashtra government plans to provide relief in for new investments in under-developed Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra.

This comes close on the heels of Power Minister Piyush Goyals announcing the Centre was working on a model of cheap power at a fixed long-term rates for industry. Several industry bodies had cited higher as a major roadblock.

The Maharashtra government wants tariff to be fixed at Rs 4.25-4.50, from Rs 6-6.50 a unit now, to compete with Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana, among others. The concession proposed in transmission charges are 19 paise a unit for industrial units in Vidarbha, 14 paise in Marathwada and 9 paise in North Maharashtra.

POWER PUNCH The state government wants tariff fixed at Rs 4.25-4.50, from Rs 6-6.50 a unit now, to compete with Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana



The concession proposed in transmission charges are 19 paise a unit for industrial units in Vidarbha, 14 paise in Marathwada and 9 paise in North Maharashtra

Fuel adjustment cost, 90 paise now, would be brought down to 30 paise in Marathwada, 40 paise in Vidarbha and 20 paise in North Maharashtra.

Industrial units would be entitled to a tax relief of 9.04 paise a unit on sale of electricity. Industry tariff from 10 pm to 6 am would be lowered by Rs 1 in these regions.

A senior officer told Business Standard, The government has estimated that it will have to bear an additional annual burden of Rs 1,100 crore towards subsidy to be given to the state distribution utility, MahaVitaran. The subsidy will be provided through non-Plan allocation. The projected outgo for subsidy has been projected at Rs 3,300 crore. The state Cabinet will soon give its approval.



The government would increase electricity duty on sale of power from captive plants to ease the burden. It has already revised electricity duty to Rs 1.20 a unit from 30 paise, he added.

The government also plans to impost electricity duty on power purchases, especially by industrial units through open access transactions.

The government hopes to mobilise Rs 800 crore annually through this route.
Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, a state that goes to polls next year, has topped the list of 13 winners in a fast-track competition for smart cities.

These 13 cities were selected in a competition among a total of 23. With this, 33 cities have become eligible for central funding for the project. In January, the first lot of 20 cities were announced. Besides Lucknow, the latest list of 13 includes Warangal (Telangana), Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), Chandigarh, Raipur (Chhattisgarh), New Town-Kolkata (West Bengal), Bhagalpur (Bihar), Panaji (Goa), Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar), Imphal (Manipur), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Faridabad (Haryana).

Five cities from the list were from states scheduled to see Assembly elections in two years. While Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Manipur will have elections in 2017, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura will go to polls in 2018. Chandigarh, a Union territory, is the capital of Punjab (and also Haryana), which will see elections in 2017.

Each of these cities will get Rs 500 crore in phases from the Centre under the plan. The remaining funds have to come from the states, municipal bodies and the private sector. The Cabinet had last year allocated Rs 50,000 crore of central funding for the project.

A government statement said: These 13 cities were selected based on the marks scored by them in the fast-track competition and the benchmarks set by the top performers in the first round of the Challenge, in which the first 20 cities were selected from among 98 mission cities.



In addition, the tie between Meerut and Rai Bareilly, the two cities in UP, will be decided soon for smart city funding. So will the clash between Jammu and Srinagar be settled, according to Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar  three states that had not found any presence in the January list  have been included now. Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modis constituency, continues to be missing from the smart city list.

In January, Bhubaneshwar had emerged the top city on the list of 20. Others were Pune, Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Vishakapatnam, Solapur, Davangere, Indore, Coimbatore, Kakinada, Belgaum, Udaipur, Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana, Bhopal and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Anshuman Magazine, chairman and MD of CBRE South Asia Pvt Ltd, said: It is encouraging to note the participation of more Tier-II and -III cities, which means that the benefits of urban development and infrastructure creation will be evenly spread across the country.



However, what is more important is what kind of models individual cities would adopt for procurement and implementation, said Arindam Guha, senior director, Deloitte in India. We are already seeing widely varying models.



Some cities are going for two packages, others are opting for a pan-city solution and the rest for area development.

At a conference to announce the list, Naidu said the cities that participated in the competition improved the quality of smart city plans by more than 25 per cent to become eligible. Earlier, Lucknow had missed the list of first 20 smart cities but has now improved the quality of its plan by 19 per cent. Those showing maximum improvement at 27 per cent are Shimla, Imphal, and Ranchi.

The minister said a renaissance of the urban sector has been set in to motion, while referring to smart city and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) schemes.

According to Jaijit Bhattacharya, partner-infrastructure and government services, KPMG India, the release of the list has given a boost to the credibility of the government in pushing forth with the Smart Cities plan in a time-bound manner. The initiative will significantly benefit the economy and the people and help build demand for industry.



The latest list of 13 includes



Warangal (Telangana), Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), Chandigarh and Faridabad (Haryana), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), New Town Kolkata (West Bengal), Bhagalpur (Bihar), Panaji (Goa), Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar islands), Imphal (Manipur), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura)
Reserve Bank deputy governor S S Mundra has raised concerns over one-third of being non-functional and warned the banks of penal action if the compliance levels are not met.

Mundra quoted a survey of 4,000 conducted by a Reserve Bank team recently wherein it has found that almost one-third of these machines are not in working conditions. The surveyed were situated in various parts of the country and were of various banks, he said.

"The survey results are not comforting in any way. Almost one-third of the ATMs were found to be not working at that point," Mundra said here at a banking event yesterday.

The RBI survey has also found many violations of various regulatory instructions such as on display material, facilities for differently abled, etc, he added.

"We will be taking necessary supervisory action in this regard," the deputy governor said.

The government and the RBI have taken financial inclusion as one of the top agendas and ATMs are one of the ways to attain that objectives, he said, adding despite that banks are being found not adhering to the compliance levels prescribed by the regulators.

Led by state-run banks, 56 commercial banks together had 1,00,671 on-site cash vending machines and 96,656 offsite machines as of February this year as per the RBI data.

After the big push to install ATMs in remote places, where there is no physical presence of a bank, by the past UPA government, banks, especially private sector ones, have been going slow in putting up new cash vending machines of late.

While private sector lenders are pushing online and other tech-driven tools to widen their reach to cut cost, the state-run ones are going slow as there is no government push.

Though there has been an curtailment on free ATM transactions since November 2014, there has not been any increase in inter-bank ATM usages.

Most banks complain that without adequate user fees, ATMs are a loss-making business for them.
SBI Capital Markets, the investment bank appointed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), has put an estimated value of about Rs 4,000 crore for 87 'unencumbered' properties of Group, that it is mandated to sell. The Supreme Court asked the capital market regulator to sell the properties, for which it has the title deeds.

Subsequently, Sebi appointed SBI Capital Markets and HDFC Realty to help in the sell-off. The sale is to generate the bail money for the release of Group chief Subrata Roy, who has been in jail since March 4, 2014. He was, however, granted parole for four weeks on May 6 to attend rituals following the death of his mother. The parole has been extended till July 11 to enable him to deposit Rs 200 crore with Sebi.

For the interim bail of 67-year-old Roy, the court had put conditions like depositing Rs 5,000 crore in cash and a bank guarantee of equal amount and tough terms including payment of the entire Rs 36,000 crore, which includes interest. The money is to be paid back to the investors of group's two companies - Sahara India Real Estate Corporation and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation - that sold optionally fully convertible debentures.

"It is a massive sell-off," said a top executive at the India office of a global real estate consultant, who has been briefed about the plan. "It is expected to be completed in three-to-four months." The 87 properties include land parcels spread across 30 towns in the country.

The sell-off does not include Sahara's three overseas hotels, the famous Aamby Valley resort town and the Sahara Star hotel in Mumbai. "The bank has planned an e-auction for the sale of the land parcels, for which advertisements are expected to come in newspapers this week," said a banker familiar with the development.

The apex court has also asked Sebi not to sell any property owned by Sahara for a price less than 90 per cent of the circle rates for the area in question without the permission of the court.

THE SAHARA SAGA
On the last leg of the month-long Simhastha-Kumbh celebration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for reinventing these melas. He was speaking at the first-of-its-kind Vichar Kumbh in Ninaura, a small village near Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

Modi came out with a mantra for Indian companies, "Interpret Kumbh in the language of the new world," he said. "We do not know how to market ourselves which is why [the] world calls us unorganised." He hinted at the hidden opportunity and said, "Look at those diverse millions who arrive from various geographies uninvited but partake of whatever is available." He even called upon leading universities to do a case study on such large gatherings and opportunities therein and termed it a marvel of management.

Among the audience, mainly saints and sadhus representing thirteen prominent akharas (seminaries), there were barely any representatives of corporate houses. Yet big brands from the telecom sector, FMCG (fast- moving consumer goods) companies, and bankers extended support to the government in managing the mela to promote their brands. And it did the trick.

They turned the religious event into a big branding and marketing exercise, with a little deviation from conventional marketing gimmicks.

Airtel spruced up various ghats on either sides of the river Shipra with spiritual paintings. "It was an endeavour to support [the] government's move for a Clean Simhastha," says Vir Inder Nath, chief executive officer of Airtel (Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh). The company also provided barricades to the police to help manage traffic during peak hours. Airtel also placed sign boards along the Indore-Ujjain road displaying emergency contact numbers.

Besides, the company set up its additional mobile towers, COWs (Coverage on wheels), ensured availability of its universal SIM cards that can sync with all its 23 telecom circles.

For marketers and brand managers who wanted to develop a bonding with consumers from the heartland of the country, the Ujjain Simhastha-Kumbh Mela was once-in-a-twelve-year opportunity and an important place to interact with consumers.

"We have received positive sentiments from all quarters. This was also because of our tie up with the government bodies such as 'Paryavaran Sanrakshan Up-Samiti' for the successful distribution of cloth bags as a CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative," says Nitin Kulkarni, president, sales & marketing, of Pune-based Finolex Industries.

The company provided reusable bags made of cloths and religious posters to pilgrims so that they would carry the brand to far flung areas where it might have been difficult for the company to reach. Brand builders found innovative ways to reach the masses.

"We focussed on various rituals to create brand image during the mela. For example, we participated in various Aartis and named it 'Good Knight Fast Card Aarti' by placing sufficient mosquito repellents," says Ajay Dang, Head marketing & media, Godrej Consumer Products.

Besides, the company did fumigation exercises with specially designed fogging machines to keep mosquitoes away from the area.

Brand promotion experts say the mela was a cost effective way of branding as compared to traditional way of connecting with consumers who remain out of reach of traditional and digital media.

Kolkata-based consumer goods company Emami focused on rural consumers at mela area and ghats where footfall was higher. The company set up changing rooms under its brand name "Kesh King."
Private sector lender on Tuesday said it has raised $500 million from global investors by selling its maiden green bonds.

The final pricing for the issue came in at 1.60 per cent over the US treasury, which was 0.15 per cent lower than what was targeted by the bank, making it the lowest spread for a US dollar benchmark bond issue by a domestic bank since the Lehman crisis, the bank said in a statement here.

The encouraging response to our successful green bond issuance, attractively priced, is reflective of the realisation and recognition of the global need to encourage and support eco-friendly sustainable development, the banks Deputy Managing Director V Srinivasan said.

The bonds got oversubscribed by 2.2 times, which prompted the bank to revise down the price, it said.

The bank is fourth domestic lender to have used this avenue of resource mobilisation. The first such sale was by its peer Yes Bank, which had raised Rs 1,000 crore through a rupee-denominated green bond issue in last February.

IDBI Bank and Exim Bank also hit the market with such an issue. The money raised from such instruments has to be committed for financing green projects.

From a geographic perspective, Asia accounted for 48 per cent of the investors, while 25 per cent came from Europe, followed by Americans at 16 per cent and West Asia investors constituted 11 per cent, it said.

The notes are issued by Axis Banks Dubai International Centre branch and are rated Baa3 by Moodys, BBB- by S&P and BBB- by Fitch.

Notes will be denominated in US dollars and will bear fixed interest of 2.875 per cent per annum, with interest payable semi-annually in arrears. The notes will mature in June 2021.

This is the first 'labelled climate bond initiative' certified bond issued by a bank from Asia and also the first Indian green bond to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.

" is a long standing and distinguished equity issuer on London Stock Exchange and has been an instrumental partner in the IFC's masala bond programme devoted to developing infrastructure in India," LSE Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi said.

The bank's Singapore branch, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Citi, Credit Agricole, HSBC, JP Morgan and Standard Chartered acted as joint book-runners and lead managers to the issue.
The registrations to apply online for SBI PO recruitment is closing on May 24, 2016.As state bank of India is the largest public sector bank in India, there is last minute rush to pay fees & submit applications for their 2200 PO vacancies.So we tell you on how to register for SBI PO recruitment without any issues & what to do incase of any problems.

SBI PO 2016: Last date to apply is May 24

It is a known fact that many were eagerly waiting for this recruitment of SBI PO to be released & most candidates would have applied already.

For those who havent, this is your last chance as the online registrations are set to close on May 24, 2016.

Follow the below two steps to immediately submit your registrations.

Fill the online application form with your details correctly.

Make the fee payment through online mode using Netbanking/ ATM/ credit card.

Remember to keep all the necessary documents & certificates in hand while entering your marks.Any mistakes will lead to disqualification.

The SBI PO online application is available at this link here

Registration & Fee problems reported

The biggest disadvantage of applying on last date is you will have to face numerous problems as the traffic to SBI website doubles.

Candidates had started complaining about two issues from last week, which we thought of highlighting:

1) Slow website/ frequent disconnections: SBI had warned applicants in advance that they are expecting heavy load on their website as the last date approaches.

Here are ways to avoid these issues:

Access the webpage from high speed internet centres or computers.

Do not use your mobile phones or tablets.

Complete the registration before 9 AM.

As time passes, more number of people would start visiting the website making it even harder.

If you cannot submit during day time, attempt to register after 10 PM.The links will get deactivated after 12 midnight.

2) Payment failure: Right after authorizing the transaction, a blank screen comes up or some error message is displayed.

In such a situation, here is what you should do.

Login to the application form & check the status of your previous payment.

If you see anything else apart from success" in the fee status, you need to make payment again.

SBI says, The amount debited for failed transaction will be refunded back to your account within 3 7 working days."

Important rules of SBI recruitment

Here are some of the important conditions of SBI PO recruitment for all those hurrying to register at the last hour,

1) Candidates who are within 21 30 years as on April 1, 2016 (age relaxation applies for OBC,SC & ST) are only eligible to apply for PO jobs.

2) You must be a degree holder in any discipline, as on June 30, 2016. Pass in graduation is enough.There is no minimum percentage required.

3) Final semester/ year students are also eligible to apply provided they should have passed the degree exam on or before 31.08.2016.Proof of marksheet must be submitted for verification.

4) Loan/ credit card due defaulters are not eligible to apply

5) The application fee is Rs.600 (for general/ obc) & Rs.100 (SC/ST) which should also be paid online before May 24th.

More information relevant to the exams can be seen below:

* SBI PO descriptive test pattern & cutoffs

* SBI PO prelims exam cutoffs

* SBI PO main exams cutoffs

Source: BankExamsIndia.com
Sittings of both the Houses and legislative work increased during the last two years-Minister .

Government today expressed the hope that Parliament would continue to function effectively with growing demand from the people for the same as evident in recent social media campaigns. Speaking to media persons on the occasion of two years of the Government in office here today, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu said After some avoidable disruptions of Parliament and particularly, during the Monsoon and Winter sessions last year, both the Houses have evolved to a new equilibrium i.e balance. Opposition is raising some issues with all the might they can muster but legislative work is going on. I hope this balance will continue to stay in the days ahead". .

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Shri Naidu stated that during the last two years, number of sittings of both the Houses, Bills introduced and Bills passed by the Lok Sabha have increased in comparison to that of previous ten years. .

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Referring to 44 Bills pending in Rajya Sabha, the Minister said that he would like to take up this matter with Chairman of Rajya Sabha and leaders of other parties so that there could be more synchrony in the transaction of legislative business by both the Houses. .

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Elaborating on improvements over the last two years, Shri Naidu said that 101 Bills were introduced in both the Houses of Parliament i.e 96 in Lok Sabha and 5 in Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha passed 96 Bills @ 48 per year marking an improvement of 3 Bills per year over the previous ten years. Rajya Sabah cleared 83 Bills @ over 41 per year marking a decline of 4 Bills per year. .

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Lok Sabha held a total of 149 sittings @ 75 per year while the Upper House held 143 sittings @ 71 marking an increase of 4 sittings per year in both cases over the previous ten years. .

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From now on, any disruptions and delaying tactics will invite a price. I am sure all political parties will read the writing on the wall and enable effective functioning of both the Houses of Parliament" said the Minister. .

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Replying to a question on the feasibility of change of composition of Rajya Sabha and passage of GST Bill, Shri Venkaiah Naidu said Finance Minister has over the last one year clarified the governments position on the Bill and the Government has the numbers". .

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AAR .

May 24,2016
The Loan and Project Agreements for World Bank (IBRD) assistance of US$ 100 million for the Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernization project were signed between Government of India/Government of Karnataka and the World Bank here today. .

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The Loan Agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Michael Haney, Acting Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank. The Project Agreement was signed by Shri V. Ponnuraj, Managing Director, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) on behalf of the Government of Karnataka. Mr. Michael Haney signed the Project Agreement on behalf of the World Bank. .

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The objective of the project is to provide city-wide access to a continuous piped water supply in the eligible cities in the State of Karnataka and to strengthen the service delivery arrangements at the city level. KUIDFC is the implementing agency for the project.The project would have four broad components: (i) Capital Investment Program; (ii) Institution Building; (iii) Technical Assistance for Sector Development; and (iv) Project Management. .

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The project will be implemented over a period of six years, initially in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad, with provision for other eligible cities to join the project at a later date. Under the project, the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation has hired a professional water supply operating company for improving the water supply system, as also to manage the refurbished system through a 12-year contract in accordance with strict performance criteria. The municipality will retain ownership of the water supply assets and control of the service delivery set up. The project will help the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation set up a city-level water utility that will take over water supply operations from the professional operating company at the end of its contract period. The project will benefit about one million residents of the Hubballi- Dharwad, including estimated 160,000 slum dwellers. .

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Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda stated here today that The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and The Dentists (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 are being promulgated to amend the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 and Dentists Act, 1948 respectively to provide for a uniform entrance examination for Undergraduate and Post Graduate admissions with a proviso that for UG admission for the year 2016-17 only, the State Govt. seats (both in Govt. and Private Medical Colleges) shall be exempt from the purview of NEET regulations if the State Government so opts. .

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Elaborating further, the Health Minister stated that NEET is being implemented from the current year itself for all UG admissions in all private institution in respect of their seats. The first phase has been conducted on 1st May 2016, and the second phase shall be held on 24th July, 2016, the Minister said. Only State Government seats in Government Medical Colleges and State Government seats in private institutions will have exemption (if the state Government concerned so opts) for the current year. He added that as the States of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry do not conduct an examination for entrance in its Medical and Dental Colleges, and instead admit students on the basis of marks obtained at Class XII examinations for their State Govt. seats, admissions in these States for the current year only, shall be as per present procedure being adopted by these two States. .

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Shri Nadda categorically clarified that the management quota seats shall be filled by the respective private colleges/associations of colleges and/or private universities/deemed universities through the NEET UG-2016 examination only, in all the States even for this year. He also said that from next year starting with PG examination in December 2016, NEET will fully apply without any exemption. .

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The purpose of the Ordinances is to provide a firm statutory status to the concept of Uniform Entrance Examination for all undergraduate and post graduate admissions in Medical/Dental Colleges while providing a relaxation to the State Governments in relation to only UG admissions for this year [2016-17] in view of their difficulties", stated Shri Nadda. He stated that the necessity of promulgating the Ordinances arose since the Hon. Supreme Court is in vacation presently and both Houses of the Parliament had adjourned sine-die by 13th May 2016. He further added that six States and one UT are already participating in the NEET this year, and the Ordinances will allow them as well as any other State which so opts to fill up their State Govt. seats from NEET for 2016-17 UG admissions. .

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The Union Health Minister said that the exemption to the State Governments from NEET is only for a year. This was strongly requested by the States at the meeting of the State Health Ministers held on 16th May 2016 where they cited the following reasons: .

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(i) State level examinations for admissions have already been conducted and students will have to appear for a second examination. .

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(ii) State examinations are also conducted in regional languages. It would be unfair to make all students take the examination in English/ Hindi, particularly when only two months are left for NEET phase II. .

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(iii) The syllabi for the State level examinations are different from the All India PMT, which is going to be the basis for NEET phase II examination. .

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The Health Minister added that the same was endorsed in the all-party meeting earlier this month where almost all parties reiterated that while they were all in principle in favour of holding NEET, it would be prudent and in the larger interest of lakhs of students to allow the State Governments to continue with their existing procedures for filling up of UG seats for 2016-17 in respect to State Government seats. .

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The Ordinances address these concerns expressed by States and representatives of Political Parties, Shri Nadda pointed out. He added that it was the Government of India that had approached the Hon. Supreme Court in the matter with the Review Petition and strongly reiterated that the Government stands committed to NEET. .

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Britain has granted political refugee status to former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, his lawyer has claimed.

A prominent human rights campaigner and Maldives' first democratically elected president, 49-year-old Nasheed had been allowed to go to Britain in January for a spinal cord surgery following a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and the UK.

His lawyer Hasan Latheef claimed on Monday that Nasheed had been granted political refugee status, but the British government was yet to comment.

"In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile - for now," Nasheed said in a statement confirming his exile.

The Maldives government said on Monday that it was disappointed that the UK government had agreed to "be part of this charade", adding that British ministers were helping with efforts to circumvent the law.

Nasheed became Maldives' first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was supposed to return to Maldives after the treatment but remained in London where his wife and daughters have been living since he was jailed.

Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on terrorism charges after being accused of illegally ordering the arrest of a judge in a trial that put a spotlight on instability in the Maldives.

The jail term was widely criticised by bodies, including the United Nations, and foreign governments.

A popular figure on the world stage, Nasheed's case was championed with the help of a legal team that included Amal Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of the American actor Georg Clooney.

He was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for his treatment.

Cameron described Nasheed as his "best friend" in 2011 and this year hosted the ex-president, his wife and Amal at Downing Street after he arrived in London.

The Maldives stripped Nasheed of his pension entitlements and health insurance last month, after demanding he return from medical leave in Britain.
French police and prosecutors swooped on Google's Paris offices on Tuesday, intensifying a tax-fraud probe amid accusations across Europe that the Internet giant fails to pay its fair share. The raids are part of preliminary criminal investigation opened in June 2015 after French tax authorities lodged a complaint, according to a statement from the nation's financial prosecutor. The probe is seeking to verify whether Google's Irish unit has permanent establishment in France and whether the firm failed to declare part of its revenues in France. Prosecutors will probably go ...
Three days after Afghan Taliban leader was killed in a US drone strike in Balochistan province of Pakistan, a state of confusion has been created in the militant group due to leadership vacuum, said Afghan political experts.

Mansour was killed in the Pakistani town of Ahmad Wal in a US drone strike on Saturday, confirmed the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) and US President Barack Obama, Xinhua news agency reported.

The news of Mansour's death has been widely hailed by Afghans as a "major blow" to the militant group, which according to political observers will help further facilitate the government's "carrot and stick" policy and push for peace and war simultaneously.

According to Afghan political and military experts, the elimination of Mansour, amid the ongoing Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, would knock the wind out of the Taliban and eventually weaken its war machine and its capability on the battleground.

"The sudden death of Mansour at this critical stage in Afghanistan where his fighters are fighting tooth and nail to gain power could put the Taliban in a state of confusion and create a leadership vacuum," said General Atiqullah Amarkhil, an analyst close to the situation.

Taliban militants would further be divided into several more groups in the wake of Mansour's death, the analyst predicted.

The death of Taliban founder Mullah Omar had divided the armed outfit into two factions led by Mansour and his rival Mullah Mohammad Rasoul respectively, the analyst argued.

Mansour's death will lead to the further fragmentation within the already divided group, he explained.

"Not having a leader would eventually demoralise Taliban fighters," Amarkhil maintained, adding that government forces would now be presented with the opportunity to mount more pressure on the insurgents to shrink Taliban-held territory.

"It is a good chance for the government to exploit the situation in Afghanistan arising out of the leader's death, while keeping up military pressure on the Taliban fighters, also encourage them to sit at the negotiating table," Amarkhil said.

The government should also warn the Taliban that anyone rejecting talks would face the same fate as Mansour, he said.

When asked why Mansour was targeted, Amarkhil explained: "Since Mansour had close links with Al-Qaeda, he was an irreconcilable element of the peace process and had always organised attacks on Afghan and foreign forces, and therefore the US decided to eliminate him."

"The group will be further fragmented now. The leaders including Mullah Omar's son, Mawlawi Yaqub, Mullah Manan, Mullah Zakir and Sarajudin Haqqani -- the leader of the Haqqani network -- would have to bargain over the militant group's new leadership," Jawed Kohistani, an expert on the situation, said.

Mansour's death, according to the observer, does not mean achieving peace in months, but will certainly weaken the Taliban's military capability.

It might take months not weeks for the Taliban leadership council to find a successor of Mullah Mansour, according to the analyst.

Neither Taliban militants, nor the Pakistan government has formally confirmed the leader's death on Pakistani soil.

However, sources close to the outfit in contact with the media have revealed that the Taliban senior leaders and commanders were discussing choosing Mansour's successor.

Beside Afghan government and intelligence agency, Obama has also confirmed Mansour's death, saying the leader was killed in Pakistan on Saturday.

"Mansour was the supreme leader of the Taliban and his death will deal a serious blow to the group," Afghan analyst Edris Rahmani told the media.

According to Rahmani, his death took place amid ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and Gulbudin Hekmatyar, the leader of his own factional Islamic party the Hizb-e-Islami, believing the talks, if successful, would encourage many other Taliban members to follow suit.

The peace talks with the Hekmatyar-led party, according to Afghan government-backed peace body the High Peace Council, are nearing conclusion and Hekmatyar will return to Kabul with "dignity" in weeks if not days, sources familiar with the matter have said.

"Targeting Mansour and taking him out sends a strong message to the Taliban to opt for peace and will also aid the government in stepping up its own push for peace through mounting increased military pressure on the group," a former provincial governor and military analyst, Musa Khan Akbarzada, said.

Afghan political analyst Sekander Fraidoon believes the death of Mansour would be a good opportunity for the Afghan government to bring the Taliban back to the negotiating table, as the militant group is now in fear of US military power once again.

He believes that Taliban, in the short-run, might intensify their attacks across Afghanistan to keep up the group's morale.

In the long-run, however, they will finally return to talks with the government as their capacity has been seriously weakened.

Afghans from all walks of life have branded Mansour as a murderer of thousands of innocent people and have welcomed his death.

"I am hopeful that Mansour's death would lead to the death of the Taliban and eventually lead to a return to lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan," Sayed Abdullah, 33, a resident in Kabul, said.
The ongoing sowing season has forced the government to keep in abeyance for three months the notification capping licence fees for all new genetically modified (GM) seed technologies. On March 18, the government had issued a notification capping royalties of GM seed technology companies at 10 per cent for the first five years.

Had the notification been implemented, there were fears legal challenges could have affected BT seed supplies at the time of sowing. Over 95 per cent of cotton sown in the country is BT cotton. The ministry of agriculture has withdrawn the notification on GM crops and is seeking wider consultation. The ministry likely to issue it after 90 days. This will provide seed licensees and licensors time to renegotiate contracts.

Shivendra Bajaj, executive director at the Association of Biotechnology-Led Enterprises-Agriculture Focus Group, however, said instead of capping royalties, more players should be allowed to develop and licesnse GM technologies, which would increase competition and keep royalties in check.

Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) (MMB) has nearly 95 per cent share in BT cotton. Industry players said the market leader had developed a superior BG-3 hybrid that was awaiting approval. Two other global companies have also sought approval for BT cotton technology.

Monsanto is in a legal battle with a few licensees over royalty. The governments move to withhold the notification is likely to allow the litigants to renegotiate agreements.

Janhavi Prabhu, senior analyst, India Ratings, said, If (the notification) is implemented, it is likely to dissuade investments in biotechnology. This will though create a level playing field among all seed companies under a reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing mechanism, Prabhu added.

India Ratings has placed Mahyco on a ratings watch for uncertainty over future dividend income from Mahyco Monsanto Biotech because of the government notification in March.

Unconfirmed reports said some representatives of multinational seed companies had met senior officials from the agriculture ministry and tried to stress the need for wider consultation on the notification as it has wide ranging ramifications on their business in India. The ministry, some officials said, felt there was a need for such consultation. In the case of a notification issued on BT cotton in December, six rounds of discussions were held with all stakeholders before reaching a conclusion.
The area under cultivation is projected to register a significant fall in north India, where sowing has begun, in view of the huge losses suffered by farmers last year due to the whitefly pest attack as well as the leaf curl virus.

Even as sowing is underway in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, it has been observed that farmers are switching over to other crops, especially pulses (arhar and moong dal). area in Punjab might come down from 540,000 hectares last year to 320,00 hectares in the current season, indicating a 40 per cent fall.

On the other hand, Haryana might witness a 20 per cent fall in cotton area from last years 583,000 hectares, officials in the state agriculture department said.

Besides the whitefly attack, farmers in Punjab, in some cases, also lost their entire crop due to spurious pesticides allegedly distributed by the state agriculture department.

Last year, the Cotton Corporation of India could procure only 840,000 bales (1 bale is 170 kg) compared with 8.67 million bales in previous years due to lower production owing to pest attack and draught in some areas, said B K Mishra, chairman and managing director of Cotton Corporation of India. The Corporation, as on date, has a stock of 376,000 bales, which it would try to liquidate by the end of September.

Paddy and guar are two important kharif crops for farmers, but paddy is not suitable for water-deficit areas and the volatility in guar prices has dissuaded farmers from growing this crop in Haryana.

Depending on the availability of seeds, the area under pulses might increase in these states, said an official.

A committee constituted by Punjab and Haryana has recommended breaking of monoculture; it suggested that farmers grow native varieties of cotton. But, the limited availability of certified seeds of native cotton has restricted the scope of any major shift towards native cotton and Bt, or gentically modified, cotton is grown in most parts.

Rajasthan might also see a dent in the area under cotton cultivation as canal water is at a low level. Farmers who have alternative sources of irrigation can retain area under cotton, but others might have to divert, said Aditya Chittalangia, president of Rajasthan Ginning Millers Association.

While it would be premature to comment on the overall cotton acreage, Dhiren Seth, president of Cotton Association of India, said there had been reports that the state governments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were discouraging farmers from sowing cotton.

Sowing in Gujarat, Maharashtra, central and south India would commence with the arrival of monsoon.

Area under cotton cultivation was 11.9 million hectares in 2015-16 and arrivals of 34.1 million bales were recorded according to the meeting of the Cotton Advisory Board, held on February 2.
Vijay Sankeshwar, 66, chairman and managing director and promoter of VRL Logistics, has always bet against odds: He is planning to enter aviation again after his plans for the sector failed to take off a decade ago - in 2006.

Every time he started a new venture, the stocky business owner has always defied naysayers.

The truck business Sankeshwar started four decades ago against the wishes of his family has now spawned into a logistics empire of over 4,000 vehicles delivering parcels and ferrying passengers on luxury buses across India. He started the Kannada newspaper - Vijay Karnataka - in the early 2000s as the largest-selling daily in the state before he sold it to the Times group for a profit. In 2012, after a five years, he launched another Kannada paper - Vijaya Vani - naming himself as the editor. In his teens, Sankeshwar had revived his father's printing business before venturing out on his own.

Sankeshwar is a believer in dreaming big but also likes to do things differently. When he built the transport business or launched his luxury bus service, he steered away from hiring people from the transport sector. "They come with a set mindset," Sankeshwar, who prefers to chat in Kannada or Hindi, said a few years ago. Hiring professionals from outside, he focused on building an integrated business, which means, owning the buses, the garages, and even the parking lots, to optimise costs. For vehicle makers such as Ashok Leyland and Volvo, VRL is among their largest customers.
Tax consultants and experts are seeing various irritants in the draft rules on calculation of fair market value (FMV) for indirect share transfers. Although the draft adds some certainty to taxation of Vodafone-like transactions, these flaws could lead to anomalies, they say. One of the issues is the definition of the term book value of liabilities.

The draft prescribes the manner in which FMV of the foreign target company (FTC) shares and the underlying India company (IC) shares can be determined for the purpose of indirect transfer taxation. Any transaction where the value of Indian assets exceeds 50 per cent of the FTC would attract taxes in India.

Explanation 6(b) requires such FMV to be determined without reduction of the companys book value of liabilities. The term book value of the liabilities has been defined to mean the value of liabilities as shown in the balance-sheet, excluding the paid-up capital in respect of equity shares/members interest. Since the exclusion has been given only to equity share capital, the same could dilute the effectiveness of FMV determination and could have adverse impact both from the perspective of the tax department and the taxpayer, consultants said.

The manner of FMV determination under the draft rules has the risk of either gobbling those transactions, which effectively should have remained outside the fold of indirect transfer taxation or vindicating those transactions, which otherwise should have been taxed in India, said Ravi Mehta, senior partner at Grant Thornton LLP.

For example, foreign investors and Indian promoters often use instruments such as convertible preference shares for investments in Indian firms. Since these investments would be added to the liabilities, the FMV would be inflated to that extent. Depending on whom these instruments are issued to, the tax treatment would be affected.

There has always been a differing school of thought as to whether it was appropriate on the part of the legislators while introducing Explanation 6 (b) to S 9(1)(i) to not allow reduction of liabilities while determining the FMV of the relevant assets. The rules now proposing addition of every liability, except Equity, for the purpose of determining FMV would further aggravate the effectiveness of FMV determination, Mehta of Grant Thornton added.

While the valuation report of a reputed valuer would be largely based on business factors, it is quite likely that a transaction price in an unrelated party transaction many a times get staked up because of non-business factors such as competitive conditions, control premium, regulatory factors and labour issues.

In such a situation, a non-resident seller having Indian and non-Indian assets may fall in a situation wherein it would need to cough out Indian tax under indirect transfer provision determined based on valuation report, even if its actual transaction price should not have triggered such taxation. The draft rules propose that if transfer or failing to provide necessary information for application of prescribed formulae, whole income from transfer of shares shall be deemed to be attributable to assets located in India.

Jiger Saiya, partner (direct tax) at BDO India, said, Again a debatable question  can the rules define or alter the taxability of income arising from indirect transfer of shares (in the absence of back-up documentation)? Documentation could also be a big headache as requirements are exhaustive and rigorous.

The critical areas of documentation include information relating to decision or implementation process of overall arrangement of transfer; information relating to business operation, personnel, finance and properties, internal and external audit or valuation report forming basis of consideration in respect of share/interest of foreign entity being transferred and its subsidiaries that directly or indirectly hold assets in India.

Maintenance and production of such minute details is going to be painstaking for Indian arm of the MNC, more so in the case of multi-layered structures of holding/subsidiary companies, said Saiya of BDO India.

KEY IRRITANTS IN DRAFT RULES

Definition of liabilities excludes capital brought through convertible instruments



Hypothetical valuation parameters may exclude on-ground non-business factors



Onerous documentation requirements

Formula for determining FMV

Market capitalisation using the prescribed observable price + book value of the liabilities
Shares of and Westlife Development have dipped up to 12% on the bourses in intra-day trade after the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that major multinational fast food outlets are selling pizzas and burgers made of breads laced with toxins such as potassium bromate and potassium iodate. CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY



Jubilant FoodWorks, which runs the Domino's chain of restaurants in India, dipped 12% to Rs 975, its lowest level since March 1, 2016 on the BSE, on back of heavy volumes.



The trading volumes on the counter jumped an over eight-fold with a combined 3.22 million equity shares representing 4% of total equity of changed hands till 10:27 am. On an average sub one million shares that were traded daily in past two weeks on the BSE and NSE.



Westlife Development, the owner of the master franchise of McDonalds restaurants in India, has fallen 10% to Rs 200 on the BSE in intra-day. The stock recovered from early morning losses and was quoting at Rs 212, down 4% at 11:06 am.

CSE said it approached the 12 companies whose samples were positive for bromate and/or iodate (according to the Pollution Monitoring Laboratory - PML tests) for their position on the use of these chemicals.



Britannia was the only sliced bread manufacturer to respond to CSEs queries. All our products are 100% in compliance with the existing food safety regulations, wrote A Savitri, head for scientific and regulatory affairs at Britannia, in an email. We do not use potassium bromate, potassium iodate in any of our bread variants.



The other five companies that categorically denied the use of these additives were Slice of Italy, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC and Subway, all of which are fast food brands. Le Marche said it was not aware if potassium bromate was being used in the improver mix they sourced for bread-making. Harvest Gold Industries, LR Foods Pvt Ltd (makers of Perfect Bread), Mrs Bectors Food Specialties Ltd (makers of English Oven Bread), Nirulas Corner House Private Limited and Dominos Ltd have not responded to CSEs requests for reactions yet, according to release. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL RELEASE.



Commenting on this, company spokesperson, Jubilant FoodWorks, said At Jubilant FoodWorks, we believe in, and adhere to, the highest quality standards and Indian food laws. We follow all processes to maintain the highest level of food safety across all our restaurants.



We only use adhesives/ingredients duly approved under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Act (FSSAI) in all our preparations (across all our restaurants). The flour used by us is not treated with Potassium Bromate/Potassium Iodate. We do undertake certificate of analysis/undertaking from all our flour suppliers on no usage of Potassium Bromate/Potassium Iodate in our flour supplies. We also carry out regular assessments of the flour to ensure compliance in this regard, the company issued a statement pertaining to speculation regarding its food safety standards.
A dearth of quality produce and a fall in overall arrivals pushed up prices to Rs 36,000-36,500 a candy (356 kg= 1 candy). Improvement in demand from textile mills also supported the price uptrend.

According to industry sources, prices have gone up by almost Rs 500-600 a candy in the last one week, as arrivals declined to 40,000 bales (a bale of 170 kg), from 50,000 bales across India.

The quality of the crop has not been good this year, as the crop was damaged due to pink bollworm pest in Gujarat and other cotton-producing belt in India, which has created shortage of quality cotton, leading to a rise in prices, said Arvind Raichura, director of Balkrishna Ginning and Pressing.

Bharat Vala, president of the Saurashtra Ginners Association, said, Lower production has decreased the arrival of . As supply is tight nowadays, many ginners have shut down their units. In Gujarat, almost 50 per cent ginning units are closed. The situation is similar in north and south India. According to Vala, prices may hover around Rs 35,500-36,500 a candy till next season. In addition, kapas or raw prices have increased from Rs 950 to Rs 1,025 per 20 kg last month. Traders believe kapas prices may continue to increase, as farmers are expecting supply to remain constrained.

The Cotton Association of India (CAI) has estimated 34.1 million bales of cotton production for 2015-16, against 38.27 million bales in 2014-15.
Ricoh India, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational imaging and electronics major Ricoh Co, is under the scanner of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for the alleged inconsistencies in financial transactions recorded in the company's book of accounts. Sebi is looking into the delay in the financial result announcement and might conduct forensic audit of the company.

In addition, the BSE is likely to suspend trading in the company's shares with effect from May 26, on account of non-compliance under Sebi listing norms.

The move came after PwC, appointed by the companys Audit committee for forensic view of accounts, indicated wrong doing and an unsupported transaction in the book of account of the company. Besides, the firm has also failed to submit its limited review reports to the regulator for two consecutive quarters - September and December 2015. It reported its September 2015 quarter results on May 19 after much delay.

The same mechanism can be used to ascertain any instances of inconsistencies in product pricing and to check the back-dated transaction in the books of accounts, if any," he added.

In an email response, spokesperson said: We have not been contacted by any government body so far regarding the issue. The company has been making regular disclosures to the BSE regarding the present situation and will continue to maintain this transparency in the future as well. Based on the independent agency review and auditors limited review report, the company is conducting internal investigation presently and will be able to share further details post completion of the investigation.



On the suspension of trading, said, Securing the interest of shareholders is a priority for us and we are considering every possible recourse available to us to avoid suspension of trading. Despite ongoing investigations and challenges posed by the current situation, we have been successful in submitting the financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2015. We are working on priority towards preparation of pending financial statements for December 2015 to table them to the Board and have requested the BSE to give us an extension to submit the same.



A query to Sebi did not elicit any response.

On March 18, the BSE in its notice said along with other four listed firms would be shifted to the 'Z' group with effect from March 28 due to non-compliance with listing norms for two consecutive quarters. This led the stocks plunge from Rs 569 on March 18 to Rs 256 as on date - a fall of 55 per cent.

Soon after the BSE notice amid an ongoing audit by a committee including an independent law firm and accountants, the company asked its top executives including managing director Manoj Kumar, chief financial officer Arvind Singhal, and Anil Saini, its chief operating officer, to go on leave.

The market regulator should supersede the current board of Ricoh India and appoint at least two new directors on board, said Anil Singhvi, founder director IIAS and chairman of Ican Investments Advisors.

The total borrowing in March 2014 stood at Rs 367 crore. Now it is Rs 1,300 crore. Ricoh, which is a trading company, does not manufacture a single rupee worth of goods. How, then, did its loan amount reach Rs 1,300 crore? It simply means that the revenues and receivables are padded up," added Singhvi.

The frequent replacement of auditors has also raised a lot of doubt. The companys board appointed BSR & Co as its new statutory auditors for five years in place of retiring auditors Sahni Natarajan and Bahl in July 2015. Later on, the Amarchand Mangaldas & Co and PwC had been appointed for auditing.

Meanwhile, S S Kothari Mehta & Co also conducted an enquiry, but its findings were not agreed upon with BSR.

Subsequently, the company board promoted A D Rajan as the new managing director and chief executive.
Indian farmers are set to reduce the area given over to soybeans by up to 10 per cent this year in response to falling prices, pushing up likely imports of edible oils such as palm oil and soyoil.is the main summer-sown oilseed crop for the world's biggest importer of edible oil, but prices have dropped 10 per cent in the past two years, while the prices of pulses such as red gram have nearly tripled over the same period.Lower output will force the country to increase imports of edible oils, supporting their prices. It could also limit India's soymeal exports, given prices for its Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)-free produce are already above international prices.The further price rise due to lower supply could even make imports of soymeal viable for local consumers.In the last two-three years soybeans have given lower returns than competing crops like pulses, said K N Rahiman, chief research officer at Ruchi Soya, the country's biggest edible oil refiner.This year, since pulses prices are ruling near record high levels, farmers will be inclined to shift towards pulses.

We could see five to 10 percent reduction in area. Farmers planted 11.7 million hectares with soybean in 2015-16. A 10 per cent reduction would cut acreage to around 10.5 million hectares in the 2016-17 marketing year starting July. Most Indian farmers begin cultivating soybean and pulses, which are rain-fed crops, in June after the arrival of the monsoon, and they are sown mainly in the states of Madhya Pradesh in central India, Maharashtra in the west, Rajasthan in the north-west, and Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the south. Dinesh Garg, a farmer from Morena in Madhya Pradesh, plants soybean during summer, but this year he has decided instead to cultivate red gram, better known locally as tuar. "Soybean is not remunerative due to lower prices. This year I am more interested in growing tuar," said Garg, who cultivated soybean on 5 hectares of land last year. Soybean production plunged 20 per cent in 2015-16 to its lowest in more than a decade after drought and pests hit output. India exports soymeal mainly to Asian buyers, but the drop in production has forced it to import soymeal and soybean in small quantities for the first time in many years. Since the country imports most of its edible oil, limited soybean supply means imports will go up in 2016-17, said Faiyaz Hudani, associate vice-president, research, at Kotak Commodity Services Ltd. Even though oilseed production is stagnant, edible oil consumption has been rising steadily due to growth in population and rising prosperity, Hudani said.

India imports mainly palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, while it brings in soyoil from Argentina and Brazil.
Indian stocks climbed for the first time in five sessions in volatile trading as a rally in European equities spurred some investors to close their bearish bets before the expiry of monthly derivatives contracts on Thursday. NTPC Ltd, the nation's largest power generator, climbed the most in two weeks. Tata Motors Ltd, owner of Jaguar Land Rover, advanced to a one-week high. ICICI Bank Ltd gained for a second day. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd slid for a third day, dragging software makers lower. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd decreased for a fifth day, capping the longest run of ...
Is getting a Toyota Camry hybrid a good option? Should you consider over German sedans?The moment we think of sedans in excess of INR 30 lakhs, it it majorly the German luxury options. There are some other players too, like the Japanese but they arent been considered as they wont offer a diesel option. But after the NCR ban, things have changed. Car buyers are now looking at buying either petrol or something that has lesser affect to the nature. This is to either continue using the same on both odd and even days, or maybe if the diesel ban occurs in their town, they will have to look at another option.[caption id="attachment_18173" align="aligncenter" width="650"]Petrol+Hybrid = stellar efficiency[/caption]That is the only way government can look at imposing heavy fines or inconvenience for vehicles that could affect the environment. Let us be honest, none of us will opt to buy a car that is helpful to the environment and pay an extra cost for it, unless you are a Bollywood actor or a politician who wants to send out a message that he/she cares for the mother care. However, when the cost of both are similar that is when we pick an hybrid over a diesel. Some of the state governments are already offering good amount of subsidy for hybrid and electric vehicles and this is increasing the sale of hybrid cars in India.Now, if we look at hybrid, the only option that exists is the Toyota Camry. This is a proper hybrid car that has electric batteries and motor. We have driven the Camry hybrid when it was first launched in India, but we never used it in our day to day life. To understand how it performs when you drive it to work and what is it like for the weekend shopping or outings. That is what we have exactly we done with the Camry hybrid for this week.Used it to drive it to work in the week and weekends was we took it for a drive around. First thing, the Camry hybrid is extremely refined and the technology that the screen shows, of the power going to the battery and tyres from the engine. This will make any nincompoop go bonkers. So, the high tech is good and informative. It translates into something very simple for anyone to understand.To begin with, the refinement is top notch. And if you are seated at the back, then then there an option to even recline your seat, put on the blinders at the back and side and even control the music system. This all is great. If you are driving, then you will be hunting for the engine noise which exists in the other luxury diesel sedans. The Camry hybrid is quiet and as on most occasions it starts with the electric motor, in the initial days you might be wondering if it has started. The Camry hybrid feels very premium, something in the range of the E-Class. Either you sit ahead or at the back. The feel of the materials is premium and we loved the leather bolstered seats. One downside is the fact that the music system screen doesnt seem to work that well in bright sunlight.

And the touchscreen infotainment system is a bit complicated to use. The Bluetooth streaming works, but one needs to go back to his phone to skip a track. That was the last thing expected from a car that can tell the completely astrology of the car and seems to know all the technology in the world but seems to not be your smartphones best friend. In terms of space, this is adequate. At the front or the rear, we enjoyed seating in both the rows. The front seats even gets ventilated pores to cool down your body if you have been out in the sun. This is a great feature to have for Indian summers. The three main reasons why people buy German sedans are comfort, insulation from the world and power. Comfort on the Camry is one of the best you could ever experience in a German sedan at this price. The insulation feels much better on the Camry, as there is not even the engine noise on the inside. This gives it an advantage over the Germans. Now, with regards to power: the Camry hybrid has decent power with regards to the petrol engine. When the electric motor kicks in, what you get is a constant peak of torque. This gives you an adrenaline rush. This is brilliant for those quick overtaking moves in the city. The torque of electric motor states constant and this is what makes it just brilliant. Driving it on a weekend to a restaurant, and many German sedan owners asked me in detail about it. When I spoke to many, the only reason they didnt buy a Japanese sedan was that they wanted a more premium badge. Some of them didnt even consider looking at this option. After stepping into the Camry hybrid, their minds changed. The Camry is a lot more spacious at the back than the German luxury sedans at that price and this means their next upgrade will be the Camry Hybrid. Or at least it will be considered. Now, there are two things that we dont appreciate in the Camry Hybrid. One is the super low ground clearance, and the other is the drive not being very sporty. Apparently, you cannot open the boot of the Camry when the car is running and stopped and the engine is still running. Either switch off the engine or have the key in your pocket. But these are small things that hardly matter. What is important is how the Camry makes you feel, and this is when it gets full points over the German rivals.

Source : MotorOctane
Seventy Pakistanis headed home on Monday, even as Indians await Islamabad's clearance to visit their families across the border.

The Poonch-Rawalakot bus service was launched in 2005 to facilitate visits by Indian and Pakistani citizens who have relatives in both sides of Kashmir.

A Poonch Municipal Council official, Irshad Hussain, said Indians were not able to meet their kin, as Islamabad was not giving them clearance.

"This time as well, 70 Pakistani nationals are going back to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and there is no Indian going with them. It is our request to the Pakistan government to give clearance as no Indian is going there because their government is not providing us with the No Objection Certificate," said Hussain.

Pakistan nationals bade teary-eyed farewell to their kin before leaving.

They also urged their government to issue permits to Indians wishing to visit their family members in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"It is our appeal to our government that they smoothen out the clearance procedure. They should also be given the permission to go there like we are allowed to come here. They should be allowed to come and go and meet their relatives," said a Pakistani national, Zaheer Abbas.

The cross-border bus service was started as a friendly gesture between the two countries.

However, the bus service has often been suspended due to cross- border fire and tensions between the two countries.

In January last year, the bus service was suspended indefinitely, following New Delhi's tough stand on the killing of an Indian soldier, leaving passengers stranded on both sides.

However, it was resumed in about two weeks.

Earlier, another bus service was launched between Pakistan?s city of Lahore and India?s capital New Delhi on March 16, 1999. Then Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, went to Lahore in the inaugural run of the bus and was received by his counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since becoming independent countries in 1947, two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both claim in full but rule in part.
With pollution in Yamuna river affecting water supply in the capital, the Delhi Government on Tuesday presented the 'Yamuna Turnaround Plan' to Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti to ensure that untreated water does not enter the river.

The 'comprehensive' plan will be executed over the next two-and-a-half years.

"We have come out with 'Yamuna Turnaround Plan' and showed it to Uma Bharti. She is very impressed and has accepted the plan. It is the first time that a comprehensive plan has been prepared to clean the Yamuna river," Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra told reporters.

"We have presented them full details of the plan, including the budget and the time limit. I am pretty confident that both Centre and the Delhi Government will be making a historic move to clean the river," he added.

Mishra asserted that every single sewage and pollution source of the city have been mapped into the plan.

"We have included all the best available solutions in the world. We have a time frame of two-and-a-half years for this plan. We are hoping that by the implementation of this plan, Yamuna will become a role model for every developing country in the world," he said.

The plan will include cleaning the river, developing the river bank as a biodiversity zone, treating drain water and using spaces on the banks of drains as public space.

This plan from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government comes at a time when the Green Tribunal (NGT) has been increasing pressure to clean the river.
Stocks of Britannia, Jubilant FoodWorks (Domino's Pizza) and WestLife Development, which owns a franchisee of McDonald's Restaurants, slipped three to twelve percent intraday on Tuesday owing health concern issues as the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimed bread contains cancer-causing chemicals.

A CSE report stated that nearly 84 percent of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads, including pav and buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate, banned in many countries as they were listed as hazardous for public health.

In an interview to a media channel, Jubilant Foodworks said the company uses ingredients that are approved by FSSAI, adding the flour used is not treated with potassium bromate or potassium iodate.

On the other hand, Britannia has also denied using potassium bromate or iodate in bread. A company statement said, "All bread products are in compliance with food safety norms."

CSEs Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML) tested 38 commonly available branded varieties of pre-packaged breads, pav and buns, ready-to-eat burger bread and ready-to-eat pizza breads of popular fast food outlets from Delhi.

Shares of Britannia Industries was quoting at Rs. 2,628.00, down Rs. 52.95 or 1.98 percent, whereas Jubilant Foodworks was quoting at Rs. 1,013.60, down Rs. 98.85 or 8.89 percent on the BSE.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday signed the central government's ordinance exempting states from holding the Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for undergraduate medical and dental admissions (NEET-UG) this year.

President Mukherjee had earlier sought more information from the Health Ministry over the decision to bring the ordinance on .

Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Monday met the President to apprise him of the ordinance.

Nadda  who had to cancel a visit to Geneva to attend a conference  is expected to meet the President again to resolve some fresh queries that have come up.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also called on the President on Monday to not to sign the ordinance.

Kejriwal had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him not to bring any order against the Supreme Court ruling on NEET, saying the students had welcomed the decision as it discouraged well endowed parents from making 'donations' to get their children admitted into reputed private medical colleges.

The ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday, is aimed at partially overturning a Supreme Court verdict which said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under .

The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that the students will have to appear for starting this academic session to seek admission to any medical or dental colleges in the country.

More than 15 states opposed NEET and raised issues like different syllabus and languages during the recent state health ministers' meeting.

The next phase of the exam is scheduled for 24 July. Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on 1 May.

Once the ordinance is issued, students of state government boards will not have to sit for NEET on 24 July.
The Party on Tuesday condemned the recently organised annual self-defence camp by the Bajrang Dal in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya city. The party said that it was an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to polarize the situation in the state, where assembly polls are scheduled to be held next year.

"There is no use of making this kind of environment in the nation. The BJP people will now do these kinds of activities everyday to polarise the situation as elections are round the corner in Uttar Pradesh," leader Meem Afzal told ANI.

"Instead of trying to polarize the situation, they should instead work for the betterment of the country," he added.

Another leader Shobha Oza said that the Samajwadi Party Government in the state should immediately put a ban on such institutions and the organizers of such camps must be arrested.

"I think such institution should be banned by the Uttar Pradesh Government. They must be arrested and stringent action should be taken against them," Oza told ANI.

She also accused the ruling NDA regime of promoting such events and said that this was an attempt by the BJP to increase its vote bank.

In the annual self-defence camp, the Bajrang Dal cadres are trained to use rifles, swords and sticks so that they can 'protect the Hindus'.

Similar camps would be held till June 5 in Sultanpur, Gorakhpur, Pilibhit, Noida and Fatehpur cities in the state.

The cadres can be seen killing men dressed as Muslims during the mock drill.

Manoj Verma, the organizer, said the cadres are given a lot of boost during the camps.

"We prepare them to boost their self-esteem. This training is of self-defence. They are taught to tackle different situations. This is about self-confidence," Verma said.

"This whole annual program is about boosting the self-confidence and morale of the cadres," he added.

Bajrang Dal, which is the youth wing of Vishva Hindu Parishad, has faced allegations of rioting and violence against religious minorities in the past.

The poll for the 403-member Assembly in Uttar Pradesh is likely to be held early 2017.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India's most wanted fugitive will be nabbed soon and brought to India.

The Union Minister, however, has not mentioned any specific time duration for this.

"Dawood will be nabbed soon. He will be brought back to India at any situation. He is an International terrorist. However, there is need to take the help of international agencies to nab him," said Singh in an exclusive interview to ETV News.

"All the relevant documents against Dawood have been given to Pakistan," he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier reiterated that it will continue to pursue Pakistan to handover Dawood after a television channel claimed that it has tracked his location.

Days after the latest ISIS video showed Indian Jihadis in its ranks warning to avenge purported atrocities on Muslims in India, the Union Minister also assured that there is no threat to India from the terror outfit.

"There is no threat from ISIS. Along with the alertness of the security, the Muslims of the country are also against the ISIS. In India, the Muslim community won't allow them to do so.

In a latest video released by the ISIS, Indian Jihadis, including Thane engineering student Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, has issued a warning and vowed to avenge the demolition of the Babri Mosque and the purported killing of Muslims across the country.

Four youth from Mumbai's Kalyan - Aarif Majid, Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, Amaan Tandel and Saheem Tanki - had fled to Iraq in May 2014 to join ISIS. Out of these, Aarif Majid is in the NIA custody as he returned from Syria. Shahim Tanki is supposed to have been killed in a bomb attack in Raqqa last year, as claimed by Sheikh in the video.
After a video showing a lady beating her 85-year-old mother went viral, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Tuesday took cognisance of the case and assured strict action against the guilty.

DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal met the victim and dubbed the entire episode as inhuman.

"We got to know about this viral video and through that we got to know that this 85 year old lady has been beaten very brutally by her own daughter. We sent a team, we investigated and today the entire team including our members have come here," Maliwal said.

"What I have witnessed here is completely shocking. This lady actually has brutal marks all over her body, she has been brutally beaten by her daughter. All the neighbours are telling us, every day this lady comes and beats her. She closes the door and she beats her in a very brutal manner," she added.

Maliwal further said she has recorded the statements of the people which have substantiated the wrongdoing and added that no tolerance will be shown towards the wilful defaulter.

"There are 10,11-year old kids who are living here telling us this entire story. Even the victim confided that a month back she was very brutally beaten by her daughter, she was thrown against the wall after which her entire arm literally broke," she said.

"The Delhi Commission of women has taken cognisance, we are recording statements and whatever maximum we can do, we will do that because this will not be tolerated. Any one treating their parent in such a manner this is completely inhuman and DCW will take a very strong action against it," she added.

A video clip showing an 85-year-old woman being brutally beaten by her daughter at their residence in Kalkaji in south Delhi was circulated widely on social media yesterday.

According to reports, the whole event was recorded by a neighbour, who called the police control room (PCR) and narrated the incident.

The police then asked her to file a complaint against her daughter. However, she refused to lodge the complaint, saying it was a family issue and she did not want any action against her daughter.
Members of the exiled Tibetan community staged a protest on the occasion of the 66th anniversary of the signing of a historic document between China and the Dalai Lama in 1951.

It maybe recalled that a Tibetan delegation led by the 14th Dalai Lama reached an agreement with the Central People's Government of China on affirming Chinese sovereignty over Tibet. It was called the "17-point agreement".

Tibetans, both young and old, took out a protest rally in northern hill town of Shimla and shouted slogans against China. They claimed that the Tibetan delegation signed the pact under pressure from the Chinese authorities.

After the signing of the agreement on May 23, the Dalai Lama fled to India with over 80, 000 Tibetans.

"The prime purpose of this rally is we are not accepting this 17-point agreement which was happened 51 years back and that was (?not clear) signed under the pressure made by the Chinese. So, we are completely against this 17-point agreement," said a protestor, Tenzin Namsal.

The protestors sought the intervention of the United Nations to get freedom from China.

"We are demanding that UNO and all countries should help us to get freedom from China," said another protestor, Tenzin Dhonyo.

China describes the incorporation of Tibet into its territory in 1951 as a "peaceful liberation", and says it has brought development to what was a backward region.

Exiles and rights groups accuse China of failing to respect Tibet's unique religion and culture and of suppressing its people. China says Tibet already has genuine autonomy, and that exile groups seek to split the country.
The mystery revolving around the tragic crash of the EgyptAir Flight 804 into the Mediterranean Sea seems to be becoming more complex with two Turkish Airlines pilots claiming that an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) with green lights passed over their plane shortly before the downing of the Egyptian aircraft.

Quoting The Sun, news.com.au reports that the pilots, who were flying from Bodrum to Istanbul, reportedly saw the unidentified object last Thursday night close to Istanbul's Silivri District when the plane was at 17,000-ft at 11.30pm.

According to The Hurriyet Daily News, the Air Traffic Control at Istanbul was told by the Turkish Airlines pilots that an unidentified object with green lights passed two to 3,000 feet above them.

The pilots further said that the object, which they are guessing it to be an UFO then disappeared all of a sudden.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said a submarine has been deployed to the Mediterranean Sea to search the black boxes of the Egyptian aircraft that went missing en route from Paris to Cairo.

While searchers have recovered parts of the plane wreckage, including passengers' personal belongings, life vests, aircraft chairs and even body parts, scouring the Mediterranean is still on to find the fuselage and flight data and cockpit voice recorders that would likely reveal what went wrong on the flight.

So far, no survivors have been found, and authorities are still examining what have caused the plane with 66 people aboard to crash into the sea early Thursday.

Fathi has said that 30 passengers were Egyptian, 15 French, including an infant, and passengers from Iraq, Britain, Belgium, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Chad, Portugal, Canada and Algeria.
India is following a policy of keeping its fundamentals right, and at the same time, promoting a reform to transform approach, said Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy,at the India-Singapore Energy Technology and Investors' Meet here last evening.

Minister Goyal while addressing the participants at the Meet presented the achievements of last two years, many of which have a strong reflection and implications for the energy sector. He said "the approach of the government has been to set the fundamentals right and a reform-to-transform approach". Mr. Goyal said India stands out as a beacon of hope.

Reflecting upon the last year, Goyal remarked that it has been the year of many highs with:

 historically highest ever urea production, ethanol and milk production

 highest ever gas connections to rural poor

 turnaround of ports

 record number of new highway projects awarded

 increase in railway capital expenditure

 software exports

 forex reserves

 improvements in the ease of doing index

He further added how this is a government of many firsts and has resolved several long pending issues. He also said the government has based its actions on principles of good governance. "India will be the world's largest market for new technology and innovation. We want to reach the benefits of technology to the last village" shared Goyal.

Harshavardhan Neotia, President, FICCI who is leading the high-powered delegation to Singapore applauded Minister Goyal's personal commitment and leadership to provide affordable, accessible and abundant sources of energy to the 1.3 billion people of India. Mr. Neotia also appreciated Minister's focus on engaging with other nations and building mutual synergies towards enhancing trade and ensuring energy security.

The meet, which was attended by leading investors, energy companies and energy technology companies, was organised by FICCI and the High Commission of India, Singapore in partnership with the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) and Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) as an opportunity to interact with the captains of the Singaporean Industry and Institutional Investors with an eye on the burgeoning Indian economy.

The occasion was also graced by the presence and welcome address by H.E. Mrs Vijay Thakur Singh, High Commissioner of India to Singapore. Mr Simon Li, Vice President, SMF while making his remarks said that India's power market is fundamentally attractive for investments given the country's growing demand for electricity. Also present was Ambassador Gopinath Pillai, Chairman, ISAS. Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Immediate Past President, FICCI and CMD, Bharat Hotels presented the Vote of thanks.

President, FICCI led a high-powered delegation comprising CEOs/MDs of leading energy companies from India coinciding with Minister Goyal's visit to Singapore. The companies included Edelweiss, IL&FS Energy, IREDA, REC Ltd., Adani Global, Sembcorp, Sindicatum Sustainable Resources, Kiran Energy, Amplus Solar, Hindustan Powerprojects, PTC India, Solairedirect Energy, Indo Solar, OMC Power.
Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. have proved themselves to be real-life super heroes as they brought some moments of happiness for a patient battling with cancer.

The two recently surprised a deserving fan battling cancer in San Diego and Gwyneth Paltrow took to her Instagram to share some moments from the day, reports E! Online.

"Today @ryanwilcox0303 got a little surprise. Thank you to the incredible #chrisevans and my better work half @robertdowneyjr for being the men you both are. And thank you to the Wilcox family for your hospitality! #ryanstrong," she wrote alongside.

The 43-year-old actress originally posted online earlier in the month , "He absolutely LOVES Captain America and the Avengers and what we want for Ryan if possible is to meet the actors and actresses of the Avengers, especially Chris Evans who plays Captain America."

"He isn't 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!" she added.

Hence, for this special meet with Ryan Wilcox, Paltrow offered to drive her famous friends down south to meet him.

Reportedly, Evans originally sent 18-year-old boy a video message that was played during a Grossmont High School student assembly. Two weeks later, the Captain America star flew to El Cajon to meet the cancer patient in person.
Union HRD (Human Resource Development) Minister will visit Amethi, the parliamentary constituency of Congress party vice president Rahul Gandhi, on May 26.

Irani will visit all five constituencies of Amethi District.

She will inaugurate a health fair and distribute aid to the physically challenged in Amethi.

In Tikermafi, she will address particpants at function organised in the IIIT complex and in Jagdeeshpur, she will pay a visit to the home of former minister Ram Lakhan Passi to meet his family and offer her condolences.

Amethi district is the 72nd district of the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. This district is part of the Faizabad division. It covers an area of 3,070 square kilometers. Gauriganj is the administrative headquarters of the district.
A suspected leader of the Pakistani militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad and another suspected militant have been killed in a shootout with security forces in Kashmir.

The incident took place on Monday night in Srinagar after rebels shot dead three policemen in separate attacks in the city.

Deadly attacks on security forces are relatively common in the disputed Indian-controlled Himalayan region but Srinagar has been largely free from such incidents in recent years.

Two militants, including a JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammad) commander were killed after a brief encounter, Srinagar police chief Amit Kuma said reports Dawn.

Another senior officer, Ghulam Hassan Bhat, identified one of the dead as Saifullah, a Pakistani national and senior leader of JeM, one of the groups India blames for a 2001 attack on its Parliament.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in its entirety.

An insurgency to end Indian rule in the mainly Muslim region broke out in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians.
Sales decline 12.95% to Rs 97.06 crore

Net profit of Bharat Gears declined 66.35% to Rs 1.07 crore in the quarter ended March 2016 as against Rs 3.18 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2015. Sales declined 12.95% to Rs 97.06 crore in the quarter ended March 2016 as against Rs 111.50 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2015.

For the full year,net profit reported to Rs 0.24 crore in the year ended March 2016 as against net loss of Rs 4.21 crore during the previous year ended March 2015. Sales declined 5.14% to Rs 386.85 crore in the year ended March 2016 as against Rs 407.79 crore during the previous year ended March 2015. ParticularsQuarter EndedYear EndedMar. 2016Mar. 2015% Var.Mar. 2016Mar. 2015% Var.Sales97.06111.50 -13 386.85407.79 -5 OPM %9.446.49 -7.925.34 - PBDT5.863.11 88 17.027.52 126 PBT1.781.02 75 0.52-6.43 LP NP1.073.18 -66 0.24-4.21 LP

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India has acquired largest cold storages capacity in the world which is 32 million tones during last two years- Shri Singh

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that Government is working expeditiously for the storage of perishable agricultural products so that the farmers may get better return of their produce by adopting better market practices. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister stated this in a meeting of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs in-charge State Ministers and related Union Ministers.

Shri Singh said that India has acquired largest cold storages capacity in the world which is 32 million tones during last two years. Nearly 250 projects comprising of more than one million capacities have been developed. Now, horticulture sector has become the largest source of income within the precincts of agriculture sector. He further said that we have to ensure that the farmers expand their marketing approach for their perishable crops. For this purpose focus will be concentrated on cold storages and other related infrastructures.

The Minister added that Hon'ble Prime Minister has launched National Agriculture Market Portal formally on 14th April, 2016 for 21 mandis of 8 states. As a whole, 25 agricultural commodities for which commercial parameters have been framed out, are being given permission for online trade under the scheme.

Shri Singh informed that Department is implementing sub scheme of Agriculture Marketing Infrastructure Integrated Scheme for agricultural marketing across the country so as to construct a number of storages of adequate capacity in rural areas and to provide scientific facilities in these storages. 37795 storage projects with 619.49 lakh metric tonnes capacity have been approved. As on 31.03.2016 a provision of 2199.07 crore rupees subsidy has been made.

The Minister informed that during 2016-17, 14 districts of Kerala and 2 districts of Goa have been included additionally under NFSM Pulse Seeds scheme. With this, 638 districts of 29 states have now come under cumulative coverage. In this respect, production of hybrid pulse seeds, seed production subsidy, establishment of seed centres in KVK and SAU, distribution of seed mini kits of pulse seeds, industrial demonstration, INM, IPM promotion, utilization of rice fallow area and irrigation promotion of pulse seeds like new schemes under PMKSY have been proposed to be implemented during 2016-17. A group has been constituted for the enhancement of pulse production for which a 5 year action plan has been formulated to get a production of 24 million tonnes by 2020-21.

Shri Singh informed that target has been chalked out to enhance vegetable oil production up to 2.45 million tonnes by the end of 12th plan. To achieve this target national oilseeds and oil palm mission is being implemented in the country.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said that he has always focused his attention on maximizing production of food grains. He further said that we should not allow wastage of food grains to happen and should create awareness on this subject. This way, we will be able to reduce burden on ecological infrastructure by saving adequate food. He further added that Ministry of Food is specially driving a campaign entitled Stop Food Wastage in urban areas and big programs/groups.

Shri Singh requested the states on this eve that they should work together for the effective implementation of agriculture schemes so that food production is enhanced. Minister also said that the implementation of National Agricultural Market is also necessary to ensure best price of farmers products.

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The Loan and Project Agreements for World Bank (IBRD) assistance of US$ 100 million for the Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernization project were signed between Government of India/Government of Karnataka and the World Bank here today.

The Loan Agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Michael Haney, Acting Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank. The Project Agreement was signed by Shri V. Ponnuraj, Managing Director, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) on behalf of the Government of Karnataka. Mr. Michael Haney signed the Project Agreement on behalf of the World Bank. The objective of the project is to provide city-wide access to a continuous piped water supply in the eligible cities in the State of Karnataka and to strengthen the service delivery arrangements at the city level.

KUIDFC is the implementing agency for the project. The project would have four broad components: (i) Capital Investment Program; (ii) Institution Building; (iii) Technical Assistance for Sector Development; and (iv) Project Management. The project will be implemented over a period of six years, initially in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad, with provision for other eligible cities to join the project at a later date. Under the project, the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation has hired a professional water supply operating company for improving the water supply system, as also to manage the refurbished system through a 12-year contract in accordance with strict performance criteria. The municipality will retain ownership of the water supply assets and control of the service delivery set up. The project will help the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation set up a city-level water utility that will take over water supply operations from the professional operating company at the end of its contract period. The project will benefit about one million residents of the Hubballi- Dharwad, including estimated 160,000 slum dwellers.

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Total investment potential under new schmes-Rs.18 lakh cr; approved so far-Rs.1,48,093 cr

Central Government today announced 13 more smart cities from as many States. Lucknow topped the list of winners of the Fast Track competition conducted for 23 cities from as many States and Union Territories. Announcing the winners at a media conference on the occasion of two years of the Government in office, Minister of Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu said that the cities that participated in the competition improved the quality of smart city plans by up to over 25% to become eligible for selection. With the selection of these 13 cities, 25 States/UTs are now covered under Smart City Mission

On the occasion, Shri Naidu released a publication 'Urban Renaissance : May,2014-May,2016' giving a detailed account of paradigm shift in attitudes and approaches to urban planning and governance and the major drivers of urban revival and transformation set in motion during the last two years.

Shri Naidu informed that Lucknow that missed the list of first 20 smart cities improved the quality of its smart city plan by 19% to make it to the select list. Other winners of Fast Track competition were ; Warangal, Telanagana (13%), Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (27%), Chandigarh (9%), Raipur, Chattisgarh (25%), New Town Kolkata (11%), Bhagalpur, Bihar (25%), Panaji, Goa (9%), Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (26%), Imphal, Manipur (27%), Ranchi, Jharkhand (27%), Agartala, Tripura (25%) and Faridabad, Haryana(12%).

These 13 cities were selected based on the marks scored by them in the Fast Track competition and the bench marks set by the top performers in the first round of Smart City Challenge competition in which the first 20 cities were selected from among 98 mission cities.

Shri Naidu stated that the 13 cities have substantially improved their smart city plans by addressing the deficiencies identified in the first round of competition by ensuring better profiling of respective cities in terms of infrastructure gaps and baseline service levels, ensuring consistency between citizens' aspirations and action plans, more feasible resource mobilization plans and coordinated and integrated picture of how individual projects will contribute to area level changes.

Other cities that participated in Fast Track Competition were : Namchi, Sikkim and ranked 14, Aizawl, Mizoram(15), Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh(16), Dehradun, Uttarakhand(17), Kohima, Nagaland(18), Oulgaret, Puducherry(19), Silvassa, Dadra, Nagar & Haveli(20), Kavaratti, Lakshdweep(21), Diu, Daman & Diu(22) and Shillong, Meghalaya(23). These cities can submit their revised smart city plans for evaluation in the second round of regular competition underway by the end of June.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu informed that the tie between Meerut and Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Srinagar in J&K will be resolved by allowing them to participate in the smart city competition and one city from each of these two States will be selected based on the quality of smart city plans. Seven capital cities left out of Smart City Mission will also be allowed to participate in the competition. These cities are : Patna, Shimla, Naya Raipur, Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).

The Minister said that as a part of efforts for country's transformation towards higher levels of social and economic development, renaissance of urban sector has been set in motion through a paradigm shift in policies and programmes. The new approaches introduced, the new churning at the level of urban local bodies and States/UTs, the new spirit of competition among cities and Stated to do better than others, the new enthusiasm and vigor being demonstrated, the new clarity of thought about outcomes and actions to be taken and the new beginning towards urban transformation in a more purposeful and holistic manner marked the process of urban renaissance he said.

Extensive stakeholder consultations and citizen participation, selection of cities based on competition and other objective criteria, full autonomy to cities and States/UTs to formulate, appraise and approve projects, replacing project based sanctions of the past to area and outcome based planning, convergence based implementation of schemes and substantial enhancement in Central assistance are the major drivers of urban revival, said Shri Naidu.

Giving an account of the gains of new initiatives and approaches, Shri Naidu said that for the first time in the country, 98 smart cities and 497 Atal Mission cities accounting for over 70% of urban population now have long term five year action plans based on comprehensive analysis of infrastructure gaps. Other positives the Minister stated include : Atal Mission cities acquiring technology platforms for transparent and accountable governance and citizen engagement, about 100 cities initiating action for obtaining Credit Ratings necessary for resource mobilization, approvals for plans for providing water taps to the unconnected 25 million urban households besides ensuring water supply at the norm of 135 litres per head per day to all urban households by 2019, smart city development benefitting 130 million urban people, streamlining approvals for building permits in urban areas, efforts for sanitation benefitting all 80 million urban households, well considered initiatives to ensure affordable housing for all the urban poor etc.

Shri Naidu further informed that Central assistance for improving basic infrastructure in urban areas has been increased to Rs.1,13,143 cr under new urban missions as against only Rs.33,902 cr during 2004-14. For affordable housing for urban poor, Central assistance of Rs.10,050 cr has already been approved as against only Rs.17,889 cr during the previous ten years.

6.84 lakh houses have already been sanctioned for Economically Weaker Sections under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) accounting for more than half of 13.70 lakh houses sanctioned during 2004-14 out of which only 8.04 lakh houses could be built. Availability of land is being ensured before agreeing to fund housing schemes besides giving four options to the beneficiaries to choose from based on their needs and incomes to enable targeted construction of affordable houses, the Minister observed.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu informed that the new urban sector initiatives of PMAY(Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Start City Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission and Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) have a total investment potential of Rs.18 lakh crore. Of this, an investment of Rs.1,48,093 cr has already been approved. This include ; Affordable housing-Rs.43,922 cr, Atal Mission-Rs.20,882 cr, Smart City Mission-Rs.80,789 cr, Swachh Bharat Mission-Rs.2,000 cr and HRIDAY- Rs.500 cr.

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MOIL lost 4.8% to Rs 219 at 15:19 IST on BSE after net profit declined 79.14% to Rs 21.37 crore on 29.9% growth in net total income from operations to Rs 209.62 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015.

The result was announced during market hours today, 24 May 2016.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 81.34 points or 0.32% at 25,311.70.

On BSE, so far 59,000 shares were traded in the counter as against average daily volume of 20,431 shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 234 and a low of Rs 214.30 so far during the day. The stock had hit a record low of Rs 180.10 on 12 February 2016. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 257.40 on 22 May 2015. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 23 May 2016, sliding 3.12% compared with Sensex's 2.35% fall. The scrip had, however, outperformed the market in past one quarter, surging 25.4% as against Sensex's 7.78% rise.

The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 168 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

MOIL operates 10 mines, six located in the Nagpur and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra and four in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. The Government of India (GoI) held 71.57% stake in the company (as per the shareholding pattern as on 31 March 2016).

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Updates on merger of Elitecore Technologies into Sterlite Technologies

Sterlite Technologies announced the demerger effective from the appointed date of 01 April 2015 of its Power Business into Sterlite Power Transmission. The Demerger Scheme was earlier approved by the High Court of Mumbai on 22 April 2016 post approval by all relevant stakeholders of Sterlite Tech on 15 December 2015.

The Company also announced completion of Elitecore Technologies' merger, which is a global provider of Operation Support Service (OSS) & Business Support Service (BSS) solution. Its pre-integrated platform has the capability to monetise all IP networks including 3G/LTE, Wi-Fi, Cable, ADSL, FTTH. Sterlite Tech had acquired Elitecore Technologies in 2015. The merger of Elitecore into Sterlite Tech will allow for seamless integration of two companies leading to stronger customer offerings as one -telecom entity.

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Tata Power Company's (Tata Power) consolidated net profit rose 126% to Rs 360 crore on 17% growth in revenue to Rs 9626 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 23 May 2016.

Tata Power said that the company aims to increase the share of non-fossil fuel based power generation output to 30-40% by 2025, up from its earlier target of 20%.

Cipla and Tech Mahindra are scheduled to announce their Q4 March 2016 results today, 24 May 2016.

TCS announced the release of a new module for its Digital Software & Solutions (DS&S) Group's Customer Insights & Intelligence (CI&I) Solution for retail banks. The new software release features an operational analytics module that enables retail banks to understand in real-time how the product fulfillment process for consumer banking operations impacts multiple departmental touch points, and provides recommendations on operational processes to better serve their customers, TCS said in a statement. The company's CI&I Solution for retail banks features a unified set of data models and out-of-the-box KPIs that address key business issues relevant to the banking industry, TCS said in a statement. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 23 May 2016.

Novartis India said that the company's board of directors will also consider a proposal for buyback of the company's equity shares, constitution of buyback committee, and appointment of intermediaries in accordance with all applicable provisions of laws along with the Q4 March 2016 result on 26 May 2016. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 23 May 2016.

Chennai Petroleum Corporation's net profit dropped 27.14% to Rs 265.59 crore on 33.48% growth in total income from operations (net) to Rs 5869.65 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 23 May 2016.

National Fertilizers reported net profit of Rs 31.44 crore in Q4 March 2016 compared with net loss of Rs 100.57 crore in Q4 March 2015. The company's total income from operations rose 5.48% to Rs 1641.68 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 23 May 2016.

Kewal Kiran Clothing's net profit rose 1.77% to Rs 21.79 crore on 20.91% growth in total income from operations to Rs 126.65 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 23 May 2016.

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The Afghan security forces killed 53 militants during separate military operations since early Monday, the Afghan defence ministry said on Tuesday.

"A total of 81 armed militants were wounded and three suspected militants detained during the operations conducted by Afghan army, police and intelligence agency personnel in 18 of the Afghanistan's 34 provinces since Monday," Xinhua news agency quoted the ministry statement as saying.

The joint forces also seized weapons and defused several roadside bombs and landmines, according to the statement.

The statement also confirmed loss of nine army personnel in the clashes and separate attacks over the same period.

--IANS

lok/vt
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and veteran British actor Ian McKellen discussed the work and legacy of literary legend William Shakespeare at the launch of the Mumbai Academy of Moving Images' (MAMI) Film Club here.

Marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, MAMI Film Club brought together McKellen and Aamir to share a dialogue exploring the many adaptations and interpretations of Shakespeare's work that filmmakers across borders have showcased for the big screen.

This mega-event was presented as a part of 'Shakespeare Lives' -- a global programme launched by the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign on Monday evening.

Having appeared in numerous Shakespearean plays staged across the globe, McKellen said: "There is nothing old fashioned about Shakespeare. You cannot understand Shakespeare in a classroom or by reading".

"The right medium to discover his true genius is through theatre with the right actors, the right director (the way it is meant to be), as theatre, film and cinema are the best media to experience him. His thinking is about modernism and issues that are relevant even today, hence his work travels across the globe," he added.

Aamir said that he first read Shakespeare's work in 10th grade.

"The first time I experienced Shakespeare was in the 10th grade when I studied 'Julius Caesar'. It opened my world to a newness I had never known (before). In fact, my first movie was also inspired by 'Romeo and Juliet', a true Shakespearean classic," Aamir reminisced.

"...I feel discussions like these influence the artists in all of us and inspire us to become better at our crafts," he added.

Joined by the who's who of the Indian film and business fraternity, the star-studded launch event also saw actors like Kangana Ranaut, Sonam Kapoor, Imran Khan, Kiran Rao, Kabir Khan, Mini Mathur, Rajkummar Rao among others.

Through year-round activities such as screenings, master classes, in-depth conversations and workshops, the MAMI Film Club aims to serve as a platform for filmmakers and film lovers, to explore their deep-rooted passion for cinema and to inspire and fuel creativity across genres.

Kiran Rao, chairperson, MAMI said: "It is time for the world to stand-up and take notice of Indian cinema and its contribution to filmmaking globally. Shakespearean adaptions in Indian movies are a testament to the fact that we are on the brink of an amazing journey ahead. MAMI via its Film Club and other year long initiatives aims to satiate the exact same hunger for great storytelling one movie at a time".

Anupama Chopra, director, MAMI said that 2016 is a "year of transformation for MAMI and this conversation piece was a strategic move in the right direction towards its bright future".

The film festival will be held from May 25 to 29 at three venues here: Liberty cinema, Alliance de Francaise and Max Mueller Bhavan. Over 182 films from 53 countries will be screened.

McKellen will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony on May 25 at Liberty cinema.

--IANS

uma/ank/vm
After a Bihar court on Tuesday refused to hear the bail plea of suspended Janata Dal-United legislator Manorama Devi, another court also rejected the plea of her husband Bindi Yadav.

Manorama Devi and Bindi Yadav, a politician with criminal links, were arrested in connection with the killing of a teenager Aditya Sachdeva by their son Rocky Yadav in Gaya town.

Rocky is the main accused in the killing of the Class 12 student.

"Gaya district and session judge has refused to hear her regular bail plea and deferred it to May 27," a district police official said.

The court asked the police to produce the case diary and its report.

"She is prisoner number 10,460 in the same Gaya central jail where her husband Bindi Yadav and son Rocky Yadav have been lodged," a jail official said.

Manorama Devi had surrendered last week and the court remanded her to 14 days' judicial custody.

An arrest warrant was issued against Manorama for keeping liquor in her home in Gaya town in violation of the prohibition law of the state and for harbouring her fugitive son who has since been arrested.

The chief judicial masgistrate of the court has rejected the bail plea of Bindi Yadav who was also arrested in connection with the killing.

Rocky Yadav, 30, allegedly killed teenager Aditya Sachdeva on May 7 on Bodh Gaya-Gaya road for overtaking his car.

Rocky absconded after the incident, allegedly with the help of his parents.

Manorama and her husband's arms licences have also been cancelled.

Following the public outcry over Aditya Sachdeva's murder, the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) suspended Manorama's membership.

The teenager's family has demanded a CBI probe into the case and a speedy trial of the accused.

--IANS

ik/py/dg
The Afghan media on Tuesday lauded the Chabahar port agreement inked in Tehran as a stride towards boosting trade and economic cooperation in the region and improving regional peace and stability.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signed the trilateral agreement in Iran's capital of Tehran on Monday to develop Chabahar port and connect India to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Caucasus states, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Inking Chabahar agreement is important for development of trade and economic cooperation and improving peace and security in the region," the Daily Afghanistan newspaper said in its editorial.

The development of Chabahar port will also revive Afghanistan's historic and natural role as a "cross road" connecting Central Asia to South Asia, the daily said.

"Chabahar port will also reduce the dependence of Afghan traders on the Karachi port of Pakistan," the paper explained.

Another paper, the Daily Mandegar, also described the Chabahar port agreement as a milestone for landlocked Afghanistan to reduce its dependence on the Karachi port.

In an article, the paper said Iran has allocated 50 hectares of land to Afghanistan in Chabahar free trade zone and 130 Afghan companies have already registered there.

--IANS

py/vt
An air ambulance coming from Patna with seven people, including a brain haemorrhage patient, on board, had to make a forced landing in a field on Delhi's outskirts, after both of its engines failed. The aviation regulator has ordered a probe into the incident.

The air ambulance - a six-seater Beechcraft's King Air C-90A aircraft (VT-EQO) was only around nine kilometres away from Delhi airport, when the engine malfunction led it to instead landing near Najafgarh village in west Delhi at around 2.40 p.m.

An airport official said that pilots were in constant touch with the ATC (air traffic control) and had requested permission for an emergency landing.

"However, moments afterwards, the turboprop aircraft had to make a forced landing when it was only nine kilometres away from the runway number 10 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport," the official said.

One of the seven occupants, identified as Bhagwan Rai, 60, received injuries and was rushed to Rao Tula Ram Memorial hospital, where his condition is stated to be stable.

"Bhagwan had received minor abrasion on his head and some injuries on his thighs. He is stable and is being treated. He will be referred to Medanta hospital soon," Rao Tula Ram Memorial Hospital's chief medical officer Neha Martolia told IANS.

Martolia said that other people travelling in the aircraft are safe and have been taken to Medanta hospital in Gurgaon.

Apart from Bhagwan, Virender Rai (patient), pilot Amit, co-pilot Rohit, Rupesh (doctor), woman attendant Juhi and Jain Bahadur (technician) were travelling in the aircraft which was being operated by Alchemist Airways Pvt. Ltd.

Asked about the reason of technical fault in the aircraft, Patna Airport Director Rajinder Singh told reporters that a Director General Of Civil Aviation (DGCA) inquiry will reveal the reasons of engine failure.

According to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma, the aviation regulator had ordered a probe into the incident and a team from DGCA was sent to the spot to investigate.

The investigation into the incident has been taken over by the specialised arm of the ministry -- the Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

"Now that the probe has been ordered, a team led by DGCA officials will carry out full investigations into the matter -- on how the incident actually occurred, what were the responses of the crew during the crisis," Kanu Gohain, former director general of the DGCA, told IANS.

"After the investigation process, the team will submit its finding and recommendations to the DGCA and only then any follow action will be initiated."

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, in a post on micro-blogging website Twitter, said: "I pray for the early recovery of the injured. The causes of the accident shall be looked into."

An air ambulance had crashed in a residential colony of Faridabad, adjoining Delhi, in May 2011 which claimed the lives of 10 people-- seven on board and three on ground. The accident had taken place due to inclement weather.

--IANS

rak-rv/vd
Oscar-winning actress and activist Angelina Jolie is set to become a visiting professor at the London School of Economics.

Jolie is among four high-profile contributors to a year-long masters programme on Women, Peace and Security.

She will deliver guest lectures and take part in expert workshops and other events, as well as continue research, reports mirror.co.uk.

Jolie, who is a special envoy for the UN's refugee agency, said: "I am very encouraged by the creation of this master's programme".

"I hope other academic institutions will follow this example, as it is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance women's rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict," she added.

She is looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students as "well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations".

The course will start this autumn and will also cover courses including 'Gender and Militarisation' and 'Gender and Human Rights'.

The other visiting professors are William Hague, Madeleine Rees and Jane Connors.

--IANS

ank/nv/vm
The bodies of the six troopers of 29 Assam Rifles who were killed in an ambush in Manipur's Chandel district on Sunday, were flown to their homes on Tuesday for the last rites.

Earlier, the Manipur government paid tribute with full state honours to the six troopers at the Tulihal international airport.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi on behalf of the government laid wreaths on the coffins of the soldiers and said: "The attack was a cowardly one. Manipur joins the nation in condemning the attack. The perpetrators shall not be spared."

Lt. Gen. A. Krishna, Commander of the Spear Corps, said: "Some sections may feel that the Sunday attack is a serious setback. It is not so for the army. It has not diluted the resilience of the army which is trained to overcome it. We will hit back and there will be befitting revenge."

Meanwhile, the attack evoked widespread condemnation. The Kuki Chiefs Association, the Thadou Students' Association and the Kuki Students' Organisation condemned the ambush.

The joint statement said, "The ambush has caused panic among the villagers in general and women in particular. Daily wage earners who have to venture out everyday are obstructed."

Six troopers were killed when an Assam Rifles convoy was ambushed on Sunday in Manipur's Chandel district by insurgents of the Corcom, the apex body of six proscribed underground organisations.

--IANS

il/lok/bg
Actor Brad Pitt has been hailed as a hero after saving a young girl from being crushed by a crowd of film lovers who had assembled to watch filming of his latest movie, "Allied".

Pitt rushed to her rescue as a huge crowd gathered to watch him shoot in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands, reports mirror.co.uk.

The drama unfolded when hundreds of fans rushed forward to take photographs and selfies of Pitt, who plays intelligence officer Max Vatan embarking on a risky mission behind enemy lines in "Allied".

Spanish newspaper Canarias7.es reported the girl was in danger of being crushed against a security barrier but no one noticed, except Pitt, who leaped into action and helped her.

He grabbed hold of the girl and with the help of his bodyguards, lifted her to safety and on to the road before making sure she was safe and well with her mother.

Shooting of the film, set in World War II, started in London but the entire crew has travelled out to the Canaries for scenes in both Gran Canaria and neighbouring Fuerteventura.

--IANS

ank/nn/
The CBI on Tuesday questioned Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat for about five hours in an alleged political horse-trading case, in the wake of a "sting" video showing him offering bribes to buy legislative support in the assembly. He is likely to be called again.

Rawat reached the Central Bureau of Investigation office here around 11.15 a.m. and was questioned around five hours, an official told IANS.

"Rawat could not furnish full and complete detail on many issues. He will be called again for questioning," the official said.

The "sting operation" video showed Rawat offering money to rebel Congress lawmakers to win their support ahead of a March 28 floor test in the 70-member Uttarakhand house. The floor test never happened as the state came under President's Rule a day earlier.

The video was shot by a Noida-based private TV channel, Samachar Plus, and was released on March 26 by nine Congress legislators who had rebelled against Rawat's government.

Based on a reference from the state government, then under President's Rule, and further orders from the central government, the CBI on April 25 initiated a preliminary inquiry to determine the authenticity of the "sting operation" by Samachar Plus CEO and editor-in-chief Umesh Kumar.

The CBI issued a fresh summons to Rawat for Tuesday after he had sought more time to its earlier summons issued on May 5 to appear before it on May 9. He was reinstated as chief minister on May 11 after winning the vote of confidence in the assembly.

--IANS

rak/vd
With India and Iran taking a major step in boosting connectivity with the Chabahar port agreement, industry chamber Ficci said on Tuesday that this will reduce the transportation cost significantly and help Indian companies boost their engagement in Central Asia.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outreach to Tehran has infused vigour into the momentum to develop connectivity, infrastructure and in India's energy security goals," the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry said in a statement here.

"The signing of commercial contract for the Chabahar Phase 1 will open a route to land-locked Afghanistan and cut transport costs/time by third.

"It will help Indian companies enhance engagement in Iran and gain access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. In the long run Chahabar will also serve as the point of origin for the proposed Iran-Oman-India pipeline," it added.

India, Iran and Afghanistan on Monday inked an agreement on the Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman that will make it a transport and transit hub to boost trade.

The agreement was signed following a trilateral summit between Prime Minister Modi, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

"A multiplier effect rests on the possibility that other international investors may also see the rationale of this important investment, thus paving the way for creation of a strategic bulwark that facilitates greater flow of people and goods among the three countries, as well as in the region and contributes to economic growth of Afghanistan," Ficci said.

The agreement to develop Phase I of Chabahar port is seen as India's counter to the development of the deep-sea port of Gwadar, in Pakistan's Balochistan, located just 72 km away.

The development of Chabahar port will allow India to circumvent Pakistan and open up an alternative land-sea route for its trade with Afghanistan and beyond to Central Asia.

India has already spent $100 million in building the 220-km Zaranj-Delaram highway in Afghanistan, also known as Route 606, which connects to Chabahar.

"The bilateral agreement to develop the Chabahar port and related infrastructure underlines the extraordinary strategic opportunities that present themselves for India in the region," Ficci added.

--IANS

bc/vd
Human intelligence might have evolved in response to the demands of caring for infants who are born far more immature than the offspring of other species, suggests new research.

This theory is based on a novel evolutionary model in which the development of high levels of intelligence may be driven by the demands of raising offspring.

"Human infants are born far more immature than the infants of other species. For example, giraffe calves are able to stand up, walk around, and even flee from predators within hours of their births. By comparison, human infants cannot even support their own heads," said one of the researchers Celeste Kidd, assistant professor at University of Rochester in New York.

"Our theory is that there is a kind of self-reinforcing cycle where big brains lead to very premature offspring and premature offspring lead to parents having to have big brains," noted Steven Piantadosi, who is also from University of Rochester.

"What our formal modeling work shows is that those dynamics can result in runaway pressure for extremely intelligent parents and extremely premature offspring," Piantadosi said.

In other words, because humans have relatively big brains, their infants must be born early in development while their heads are still small enough to ensure a safe delivery.

Early birth, though, means that human infants are helpless for much longer than other primates, and such vulnerable infants require intelligent parents.

As a result, selective pressures for large brains and early birth can become self-reinforcing -- potentially creating species like humans with qualitatively different cognitive abilities than other animals.

Their study appeared online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' Early Edition.

The researchers tested a novel prediction of the model that the immaturity of newborns should be strongly related to general intelligence.

"What we found is that weaning time -- which acts as a measure of the prematurity of the infants -- was a much better predictor of primate's intelligence than any of other measures we looked at, including brain size, which is commonly correlated with intelligence," Piantadosi said.

--IANS

gb/vt
Many people believe that violent acts such as mass shootings may be byproduct of mental illness. However, researchers have found that it can also be due to intense emotional commitment to certain beliefs.

The researchers have suggested a new forensic term to classify such non-psychotic behaviours. They call it 'extreme overvalued belief'.

They define the term as a belief that is shared by others and often relished, amplified and defended by the accused.

The individual has an intense emotional commitment to the belief and may act violently as a result of that belief.

Although the individual may suffer from other forms of mental illness, the belief and the actions associated with it are not the result of insanity, the researchers noted.

The study, published in The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, was conducted on Anders Breivik, a Norwegian terrorist, who killed 77 people on July 22, 2011, in a car bombing in Oslo and a mass shooting at a youth camp on the island of Utoya in Norway.

Claiming to be a "Knights Templar" and a "savior of Christianity", Breivik stated that the purpose of the attacks was to save Europe from multiculturalism.

"When these types of tragedies occur, we question the reason behind them," said lead study author Tahir Rahman from University of Missouri-Columbia in the US.

"Our study of the Breivik case was meant to explain how extreme beliefs can be mistaken for psychosis and to suggest a new legal term that clearly defines this behaviour," Rahman added.

Two teams of court-appointed forensic psychiatrists later examined Breivik. The first psychiatric team diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia.

However, after widespread criticism, a second team concluded that Breivik was not psychotic and diagnosed him with narcissistic personality disorder. Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

"Breivik believed that killing innocent people was justifiable, which seems irrational and psychotic," Rahman said.

"However, some people without psychotic mental illness feel so strongly about their beliefs that they take extreme actions. Our suggested term for criminally violent behaviour when psychosis can be ruled out is 'extreme overvalued belief'," Rahman noted.

"We already warn our youth about the dangers of alcohol, drugs, teen pregnancy and smoking. We need to add the risk of developing extreme overvalued beliefs to that list as we work toward reducing the violence often associated with them," Rahmen said.

--IANS

ish/gb/dg
Reiterating that an internal investigation revealed no evidence of systematic political bias in the selection or prominence of stories in its "Trending Topics" feature, Facebook is set to revamp the controversial feature in response to a Senate inquiry into allegations of an editorial bias against conservative news organisations.

In a blog post on Tuesday, Colin Stretch, Facebook General Counsel said the social networking giant has sent John Thune, Chairman of the US Senate Commerce Committee, a follow-up letter setting out its findings and conclusions.

While "our data analysis indicated that conservative and liberal topics are approved as trending topics at virtually identical rates, at the same time, our investigation could not fully exclude the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias in the implementation of our guidelines or policies," Stretch posted.

"As part of our commitment to continually improve our products and to minimise risks where human judgment is involved, we are making a number of improvements to Trending Topics," he added.

The revamping includes an updated terminology in its guidelines to make them more clear and a refresher training for all reviewers that emphasises that content decisions may not be made on the basis of politics or ideology.

We will also have additional controls and oversight around the review team, including robust escalation procedures," the post read.

A report in technology website Gizmodo recently accused Facebook of an editorial bias against conservative news organisations, sparking sharp reactions from across the spectrum.

"We will no longer rely on lists of external websites and news outlets to identify, validate or assess the importance of particular topics. This means we will eliminate the "Media 1K" list, the list of RSS feeds used to supplement the algorithm that generates potential trending topics, and the top-10 list of news outlets," Stretch announced.

"We are also removing the ability to assign an "importance levela to a topic through assessment of the topic's prominence on the top-10 list of news outlets and will expand our help centre content on Trending Topics to provide more information about this feature and how it works," Facebook added.

"Trending Topics" was launched in 2014 to surface major conversations happening on Facebook.

It appears on right-hand side on desktop as well as when you tap on the search box in the mobile app and primarily for people using Facebook in English (there are limited tests being run in Spanish and Portuguese).

"Suppressing political content or preventing people from seeing what matters most to them is directly contrary to our mission. We are proud of the platform and community we have created, and it is important to us that Facebook continues to be a platform for all ideas," Stretch pointed out.

Facebook will continue to work to improve the feature, as well as to seek feedback from people who use the service to make sure Facebook remains a platform for all ideas, he said.

--IANS

na/py/
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is considering the New York City's Mayor's Office and Trump Tower to be the most likely venues for the world chess title match between Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and Russia's Sergey Karyakin, its president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has said.

"At present, we are looking for a venue. We have a list of possible places, including the NYC Mayor's Office. We have sent a letter to billionaire Donald Trump with a request to allow holding the match in Trump Tower," Ilyumzhinov said on Monday, reports Tass.

Ilyumzhinov said it would not be a problem for him to visit the United States.

A match for the world chess crown is to take place in New York on September 9-30 this year.

--IANS

sam/vm
Fxkart.com, an online aggregator of authorised foreign exchange dealers, on Tuesday said expects to touch a total transaction volume of $2.5 million for the current month.

"Our total transaction volume is expected to touch $2.5 million for the current month only," said company's business development head (North and East) Dhruba Khatua.

The foreign exchange portal, with 200 dealers listed at present having over 1,300 service locations pan India, receives 1,500-2,000 transactions a month with an average transaction size of $1,000, he said at the launch of its service in the city.

The fin-tech (financial technology) company is expected to raise $5 million in Series A funding by end of the current quarter, he said.

The company had received $2 million seed funding from founder Mushtaq Shah and strategic advisor Faraz Naqvi in March last year.

The Dubai based start-up operating only in India allows consumers to compare what forex dealers are offering across the city.

"In our portal or in our app, users can enter their city and the locality from where they want to collect the foreign exchange. They would then get the list of RBI licensed money changers in and around their locality along with the rates," said Khatua, adding that customers can then select the best offer..

The aggregator earns a share from the dealers' margin for providing businesses to them.

--IANS

bdc/vd
Dharamsala, the hill station in Himachal Pradesh that has lured hundreds of thousands of Westerners since Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama settled here, was on Tuesday again included in the central government's list of Smart Cities.

Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu announced in New Delhi the 13 winners of the Fast Track Smart Cities competition.

They are Lucknow, Warangal, Dharamsala, Chandigarh, Raipur, New Town Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Panaji, Port Blair, Imphal, Ranchi, Agartala and Faridabad.

The state high court on December 17 last year set aside the central government notification to accord Smart City status on Dharamsala under the Smart City Mission.

At that time, the court gave two weeks to the government to review the cities to be included on the basis of required criteria before making fresh recommendations.

The high court judgment came on the petition of Shimla Municipal Corporation Mayor Sanjay Chauhan, who challenged the Centre's decision, saying it approved the claim of Dharamsala Municipal Council without adopting proper legal procedure.

State Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma had met Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi this month and raised the demand for including Shimla under the Smart City Mission.

He sought inclusion of Dharamsala, his home constituency, under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), which has already been extended to Shimla.

Sharma said the state capital needed to be included under the Smart City Mission keeping in view its pre-eminent position as the largest city of the state and also its historical and heritage status.

--IANS

vg/kb/dg
Experts working under an Indo-Norwegian collaborative programme said on Tuesday that they will approach India's University Grants Commission to take a "serious look" into launching interdisciplinary sustainable energy in the country.

Experts from Jadavpur University and the University of Stavanger, Norway, under the Indo-Norwegian Cooperation Program (INCP), on Tuesday participated in a discussion on 'Sustainable Energy: General Basics and Advanced Interdisciplinary Learning' to distill out the requirements of a comprehensive and collaborative energy initiative.

"Our objective is to submit a document of the discussion to the UGC highlighting the requirement of comprehensive in sustainable energy," Sudipta De, professor, department of mechanical engineering and core committee member of Global Change Programme (GCP), Jadavpur University, told IANS.

The discussion was organised by the GCP and Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mohsen Assadi, faculty of Science and Technology University of Stavanger, said the current educational collaboration is about the decarbonisation roadmap of India, and the programme is sponsored by UGC and the Research Council of Norway (RCN).

"... and we are looking at a multidisciplinary approach including people from fields of political science, social sciences and all engineering and scientific backgrounds, in the future. We are looking forward to student exchanges, lectures by Norwegian researchers in India and lectures by Indian experts in Norway," Assadi told IANS.

He said there would be a meeting in New Delhi between Indian and Norwegian researchers in June to evaluate the projects and the programme.

"We have been asked to join via Skype and present the planned activities such as a proposed interdisciplinary energy education initiative between Jadavpur University and our varsity," said Assadi, also the managing director of Center for Sustainable Energy Solutions (cenSE), Norway .

--IANS

sgh/vd--

Sirshendu PanthBureau Chief, IANS, Kolkata.

Indo-Asian News Service
The assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), held in Zambia, has suggested lowering the voting age to enhance youth participation in and also sought to ensure political empowerment through school curriculum.

"Ensure that political empowerment is promoted in school curriculum through civic education and practical initiatives, such as mock parliaments, mock voting and political debating," the assembly suggested in its outcome document.

"Invest in youth parliaments and councils for young people below the voting age and enhance youth participation in by lowering the voting age," it added.

An Indian parliamentary delegation led by Lol Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan attended the assembly held in Lusaka.

Addressing the Assembly, Mahajan said that present-day youth in India have become more expressive in their opinion on issues ranging from day to day developments to parliamentary activities.

"They believe in their rights and their meaningful participation in the democratic process. Now, increasing numbers of youth from various socio-economic background are taking part in the political processes and electoral of the country," she said.

Mahajan also said India is a young nation with about 27.5 percent of its population being in the age group of 15-29 years.

"In the next twenty years, these figures are going to increase and therefore it is necessary to make them an active part of the system," she said.

--IANS

bns/vd
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the BJP-led central government would extend all support to new Assam Chief Minister Sarabananda Sonowal for the development of the north-eastern state.

Modi was speaking at a huge public meeting here organised for the oath taking ceremony of Sonowal, the BJP's posterboy, who now heads its first government in the border state.

"The central government would give full support to the state government in developing Assam," Modi said.

"I am sure that Sarbananda ji will leave no stone unturned for the development of Assam."

Modi thanked the "people of Assam for giving Sarbananda and his ministers an opportunity to serve" the state.

The prime minister said his government "believes in competitive cooperative federalism and wants to contribute as much to develop states which need help".

"Eastern part of India cannot remain away from the development journey," he added.

--IANS

ruwa/sar/vm
A 25-year old constable of Nagaland Armed Police, posted in the capital, was found dead at his post, having allegedly committed suicide, on Tuesday morning, police said.

"Constable Anatho committed suicide at the premises of Lal Bahadur Shahstri memorial by shooting himself with his service gun around 10.30 a.m.," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal told IANS.

The memorial is situated in posh Chankyapuri area.

"No suicide note has been recovered yet," he added.

Antho, who was a resident of Dimapur in Nagaland, was transferred to Delhi three months ago, a police official said.

"His brother and sister -- who are also with the Nagaland Police -- arrived here after they were informed about the incident," he official said.

The body was sent for autopsy and a case was registered at the Chanakyapuri police station.

--IANS

aks/vd
(ATTN EDITORS: This is the first in a series of articles on the Narendra Modi government completing two years in office. Editor, IANS)

By Sarwar Kashani and Ruwa Shah

Srinagar, May 24 (IANS) Months after taking over as the prime minister two years ago, Narendra Modi, sporting a woollen cape-like Kashmiri garment called a pheran, addressed a huge rally in Srinagar promising "to give justice" to the people caught in one of the longest standing conflicts in the world for decades now.

Nearly 18 months since the December 2014 rally and after the two years of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Delhi, challenges remain abound in despite the issue finding a special mention in Modi's agenda of governance.

The rally ahead of the 2015 state assembly elections came months after the Indian Army, for the first time in nearly three decades of fighting the separatist conflict, had convicted at least six soldiers for their alleged involvement in a staged 2010 gunfight in which three civilians were killed and passed off as foreign militants.

The conviction was "proof of my intentions.I have come to give you justice," Modi said at the public meeting that was followed by frequent visits, more rallies, and, ultimately, the formation of a coalition government in the state along with the regional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The prime minister visited Srinagar again in November 2015 with a financial package of Rs.80,000 crore ($12 billion) and vowed to continue former BJP prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's principle of "jamhooriyat", "insaniyat" and "Kashmiriyat".

However, little has changed on the ground -- both politically and developmentally -- in Jammu and that lies at the tipping point of the nuclear rivalry between India and Pakistan.

Vajpayee, famously hailed for his peaceful initiatives with Pakistan to solve the dispute, had approached the problem from multiple dimensions. While engaging with Pakistan's then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, he also held negotiations with Kashmiri separatists.

Modi's tactic has been in contrast to his predecessor. When it came to Kashmir he made it clear that he needed "no advice or analysis from anywhere in the world".

The prime minister not only chose to keep Kashmiri separatists at bay but also disengaged Pakistan as an external dimension to what he says is an internal problem to be solved with jobs and inclusive development.

"This is an inward-looking exercise. Vajpayee understood the issue. Modi gives jingoistic postures. He ignores the basic reality. It is a dispute (between India and Pakistan) that not only previous central governments have accepted but is also recognized by the Indian constitution," Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a professor at Central University, Kashmir, told IANS.

Hussian said jobs and development could not be substitute for resolving larger Kashmir problem and bringing lasting peace in the region.

Recent spells of unrest - like violent stir in a Srinagar college, and deadly protests in Handwara that left five people dead in firing by security forces in March - have proved that peace in Kashmir has always been too fragile that gets disturbed even by a whiff of a scandal or a true or false report of human rights violations by security forces.

On the development front, Jammu and Kashmir has not seen many changes. Officials in the state finance ministry told IANS that only a portion of Rs.80,000-crore financial package has been released and most of it has been spent on the partial rehabilitation of the survivors of the 2014 floods.

Joblessness remains a primary concern for policymakers. The state, according to official figures, has an upward of a million jobless men and women and the problem can't find a solution in mere financial packages unless backed by concrete initiatives that guarantee employment.

"Nothing has happened (on job front) so far," said a state finance ministry official, requesting anonymity.

He said the problem is not of joblessness only but the larger issue is of skill shortage. "The government has recently constituted a skill development mission. It is a starter. But if you ask how many new jobs were created I will say none," the official told IANS.

(Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at sarwar.k@ians.in <mailto:sarwar.k@ians.in> and Ruwa Shah at ruwa.s@ians.in <mailto:ruwa.s@ians.in>)

--IANS

sar-ruwa/ky/tb
Home Minister on Monday said there is no threat to India from Islamic State (IS) as people of the Muslim community are against the IS.

"Along with the alertness of the security, the Muslims in India are against the IS. They cannot grow in India as Muslims won't allow them," Singh said in an interview to ETV.

Speaking about underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Singh said: "He would be nabbed and brought back to India."

"Dawood is an international terrorist and there is need to take the help of international agencies to nab him. All the relevant documents against Dawood have been given to Pakistan," the Home minister said.

Singh claimed that in last two years, the internal security of the nation has been strengthened and Terrorism, Naxalism and Maoism was controlled to a large extent. He said both official and non-official reports justify this.

On Pathankot attack, the minister said the security agencies have given right reply to the 2 January attack.

Singh also said Congress was gradually "losing people's faith".

"In coming days Congress will lose its political clout," the minister said.

When asked about the "surgery" needed in Congress, Singh said "It is their internal matter", adding that there was a need for Congress to introspect.
The government would auction seven of its mines by August this year, said Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick on Tuesday.

The seven mines include iron ore, manganese and a bauxite mine in Koraput district.

"We are in the process of auctioning seven more mines by July-August this year. Among the mines, a bauxite mine would be auctioned in Koraput district," said the minister.

Vedanta is likely to participate in the bidding process, when the bauxite mine goes under the hammer to feed its one-million-tonne refinery plant located at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district.

Notably, Vedanta's refinery and smelter plants are running at 50 per cent capacity due to lack of raw material, said sources.

Essar Steel bagged the first iron ore block offered for e-auction in March this year, upstaging strong contenders like Tata Steel, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) and JSW Steel.

Mallick also said that he would participate in the mining ministers' meeting to be held at Jaipur, Rajasthan on May 27.

He said the state government would raise several issues, including the process for granting environment and forest clearances to mines in the state.

The mines ministers will discuss the auction process, setting up of District Mineral Foundation (DMF), minor mineral rules and curbing illegal mining and enhanced penal provisions, said sources.

Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and have put up six major mineral blocks on e-auction.

The identification of major mineral blocks and their auction preparedness will be discussed in the meeting, said the agenda.

The status of collection of the money accrued in the DMF funds by the state government and its utilisation would also be discussed, it added.
One worker was killed and 14 others were injured in an ammonium tank explosion in Srikar Pharmaceutical Company at JN Pharma City in Parawada near Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, police said.

The tanker burst around 11 a.m. when about 20 workers were cleaning ice near the ammonium tank. The liquefied ammonium fell on the workers. A wall also collapsed under the impact, police said.

One worker, identified as Ramakrishna, died while being shifted to the hospital. The condition of other two is stated to be critical.

The joint chief inspector of factories visited the factory and started a probe. The district administration shifted all the injured to the district headquarters hospital and local corporate hospitals for better treatment.

--IANS

pavan/lok/vt
The people who say they have no are rapidly escalating and significantly outnumber the Christian population in England and Wales, according to a new analysis.

The proportion of the people who identify as having no -- referred to as "nones" -- reached 48.5 percent in 2014, almost double the figure of 25 percent in the 2011 Census.

Those who define themselves as Christian -- Anglicans, Catholics and other denominations -- made up 43.8 percent of the population, the Guardian reported.

"The striking thing is the clear sense of the growth of 'no religion' as a proportion of the population," said Stephen Bullivant, senior lecturer in theology and ethics at St Mary's Catholic University in Twickenham, who analysed data collected through British Social Attitudes surveys over three decades.

"The main driver is people who were brought up with some now saying they have no religion. What we're seeing is an acceleration in the numbers of people not only not practising their faith on a regular basis, but not even ticking the box. The reason for that is the big question in the sociology of religion."

The report did not examine data from Scotland or Northern Ireland. Last month a Scottish Social Attitudes survey found that 52 percent of the population said they were not religious, compared with 40 percent in 1999.

In Northern Ireland, which has long been the most religious part of Britain, seven percent said in the 2011 Census that they belonged to a non-Christian religion or no religion.

The new analysis will fuel concern among Christian leaders about growing indifference to organised religion. This year the Church of England said it expected attendance to continue to fall for 30 more years as its congregations age and the millennial generation spurns the institutions of faith.

According to Bullivant's report, Contemporary Catholicism in England and Wales -- which will be launched at the House of Commons on Tuesday -- both the Anglican and Catholic churches are struggling to retain people brought up as Christians.

Four out of 10 adults who were raised as Anglicans define themselves as having no religion, and almost as many "cradle Catholics" have abandoned their family faith to become "nones".

Neither church is bringing in fresh blood through conversions. Anglicans lose 12 followers for every person they recruit, and Catholics 10.

The vast majority of converts come from other Christian denominations, rather than non-Christians or people with no religion.

"There's a kind of denominational musical chairs," said Bullivant. "No one is making serious inroads into the non-Christian population."

The analysis throws up striking regional variations. London has the smallest proportion of people identifying as "nones", at an average of 40 percent, accounted for by the capital's large minority ethnic population. In contrast, 59.5 percent of people in Wales say they have no religion.

Half of all Christians in England and Wales are over the age of 55, although Catholics have a younger age profile. Of those describing themselves as Christian, 58.6 percent are women.

More than nine in 10 Christians are white, which is slightly higher than in the general population. Far more Catholics (27.5 percent) than Anglicans (8.9 percent) attend church once a week or more.

While over a third of the population* were brought up Anglican, only a fifth now identify as such.

The report is intended to fill a gap in reliable up-to-date statistics about the state of Christianity, and particularly Catholicism. It drew on data from British Social Attitudes surveys between 1983 and 2014.

"Churches need to take this kind of data very seriously," said Bullivant. "When analysing data you see patterns that you might not necessarily notice otherwise. This can flag up areas for further research or groups that need particular pastoral attention."

A spokesperson for the Church of England said: "The increase in those identifying as 'no faith' reflects a growing plurality in society rather than any increase in secularism or humanism. We do not have an increasingly secular society as much as a more agnostic one.

"In a global context, adherence to religion is growing rather than decreasing. Christianity remains the world's largest religion with over two billion adherents. In Britain the latest census found the overwhelming majority of people to have a faith."

The Catholic church did not respond to a request for comment.

--IANS

py/vt
Thousands of people on Tuesday bade a tearful farewell to Pandurang Mahadev Gawade, a soldier martyred in a gun battle in Kashmir, as his last rites were performed with full military honours at his Amboli village in this district, officials said.

Gawade's widow and two young children were joined at the funeral by thousands of villagers and mourners from surrounding areas, who chanted "Pandurang Gawade amar rahe" (Long live Pandurang Gawade).

The young soldier of the Indian Army was wounded last Saturday in a gun battle with five heavily armed terrorists in Durgmulla in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. He died on Sunday in a military hospital.

The successful anti-terror operation resulted in all the five terrorists being eliminated by the security forces.

The Indian Army on Monday paid a befitting tribute to Gawade, lauding his valour and sacrifice at a solemn ceremony in Badami Bag Cantonment in Srinagar.

Chinar Corps' commander Lt. Gen. Satish Dua and other officers laid wreaths beside Gawade's mortal remains and saluted the brave soldier.

Gawade's body was taken to Goa on Monday and held at the Panaji Military Hospital till Tuesday morning.

After a wreath laying ceremony by Brig. S.K. Agarwala, Commandant of 2 Signal Training Centre in Goa, the mortal remains were taken by road to Amboli village in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra and the last rites were performed.

--IANS

qn/kb/vt
Sarabananda Sonowal was on Tuesday sworn-in as the first BJP chief minister of Assam at a gala event here attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his senior cabinet colleagues and tens of thousands of BJP supporters.

Sonowal, 53, took oath along with Himanta Biswa Sarma, the former Congress strongman who crossed over to the BJP last year and is largely credited for the BJP's massive electoral victory in the northeastern state.

The ceremony, also attended by BJP president Amit Shah, was held at the sprawling Khanapara rally ground in the city that was turned saffron with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flags fluttering all over.

Also present at the event were the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states and leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who ruled the state for 15 years before Sonowal dethroned him, also attended the ceremony.

--IANS

sar/vt
Expressing her happiness at DMK treasurer M.K.Stalin attending her swearing-in ceremony and thanking him, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa said the seating was per protocol and there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his party.

In a statement issued here, Jayalalithaa said: "I am informed that the Public department had followed the protocol manual in allocating seats in the hall for the event.

"If this seating plan caused him any discomfiture, I would like to assure him that there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his party."

She said had the officers brought to her notice that Stalin would be attending the event, then instructions would have been given to the officers to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms.

"I convey my good wishes to him and look forward to working with his party for the betterment of the state," she added.

On Monday soon after Jayalalithaa and her council of ministers were sworn-in, DMK president M.Karunanidhi complained that the ruling AIADMK had insulted his party by relegating Stalin to the back rows.

Karunanidhi said that the DMK, by winning 89 seats in the elections will be the principal opposition party in the assembly and Stalin would be on the front rows in the house, but at the ceremony, R.Sarathkumar, of AIADMK ally All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi but had lost in the elections, was seated in the front row, and Stalin and other DMK leaders alloted seat in the tenth row.

Governor K.Rosaiah administred oath of office and secretary to Jayalalithaa and her 28 ministers at a funtion held at the Madras University's Centenary Hall.

--IANS

vj/vd
Rome, May 25 (IANS/AKI) The chief imam of Cairo's prestigious Al-Azhar mosque, Ahmad al-Tayyeb, has urged nations to join forces to end the scourge of terrorism and "rivers of blood".

"This is my appeal to the world and to the free men of the world: to come to an agreement immediately and to intervene to put an end to these rivers of blood," Tayyeb said.

He made the remarks in an interview with Vatican Radio and Vatican newspaper l'Osservatore Romano after his historic meeting at the Vatican on Monday with Pope Francis, who he called a "man of peace".

The prestigious Al-Azhar mosque and university is working to fight extremist ideology and help young people guard against radicalisation by those who are advocating violence and sowing discord between faiths, Tayyeb said.

"Yes, terrorism exists, but Islam has nothing to do with this terrorism, and this applies to Ulama (Muslim clerics) and to Christians and Muslims in the East," he said.

"And those who kill Muslims, and who also kill Christians, have misunderstood the texts of Islam either intentionally or by negligence."

"In every there exists a deviant faction that raises the flag of to kill in its name," Tayyeb stated.

Considered to be one of Egypt's most moderate Sunni clerics, Tayyeb was recently ranked among the world's top ten most influential Muslims.

On Monday he became the first chief imam of the Al-Azhar to visit the Vatican, when he held a 30-minute meeting with Pope Francis and also met the head of the Vatican's interfaith dialogue body, Jean-Louis Tauran.

"Our meeting is the message," said Francis as the two religious leaders embraced.

Francis and Tayyeb agreed at their meeting to oppose violence and terrorism and to strive to protect minority Christians in the Middle East, the Vatican said in a statement.

--IANS/AKI

vd
Actor Arvind Swami has briefly lent his voice for forthcoming Tamil action-thriller "Uriyadi", which releases in cinemas on Friday.

"In the beginning of the film, Arvind sir has given voice-over. It's approximately for about 30 seconds but his lines are very crucial from the perspective of the story. When we approached him with the request, he was more than willing to support us," film's director Vijay Kumar told IANS.

Tipped to be a realistic action entertainer, the film features mostly newcomers apart from actors such as Mime Gopi and Sivakumar.

The film is co-produced by Sameer Bharat Ram and Nalan Kumarasamy.

--IANS

hp/nv/vm
Poet Varavara Rao, academic Haragopal and writer Vanamala were among the scores arrested on Tuesday while on their way to a public meeting of Adivasis in Warangal district of Telangana.

After their arrest, Varavar, Haragopal and Vanamala were shifted to Ghatkesar police station in Rangareddy district.

Reports said several hundreds of tribals on their way to Warangal in trucks and jeeps were also detained at different entry points.

The police denied permission for the meeting, suspecting that Maoists would attend the meeting in the guise of tribals.

Telangana Democratic Forum (TDF), the organisers, later claimed that Hyderabad High Court had granted them permission to hold the meeting from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On Monday, the police in Mattewada in Warangal district made announcements asking people not to attend the TDF public meeting as it had no police permission.

The police clamped restrictions under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the town.

--IANS

pavan/kb/dg
In the mid-1960s I and a group of friends from Oxford rented a house from Robert Graves, the poet and resident icon in the village of Deya in Majorca. During one of his frequent evening soirees, he had us riveted describing his search for a hallucinogenic mushroom that he thought was the source of the drug soma used by the ancient Brahmins. He believed that these mushrooms were to be found in the dung of the Bos Indicus, which explained why Indian cows were sacred!



Unconvinced by this, many years later I was to provide my own economic explanation for the sacred cow in The Hindu Equilibrium. The first task was to show, on the basis of contemporary Indian livestock surveys, that contemporary Hindu attitudes to cows were not uneconomic by examining whether the stock and sex distribution of livestock could be shown to be determined by simple economic models.
Quitting Supercell would aid SoftBank's reboot. Chinese tech giants are reportedly circling the Japanese group's subsidiary responsible for Clash of Clans and other mobile-gaming smashes. A sale could generate a good return. It would also suggest that, under President Nikesh Arora, SoftBank is becoming more disciplined about selling as well as buying assets.

The Wall Street Journal says Tencent, China's biggest gaming company, is in early-stage talks about buying Supercell. Rival Giant Interactive, working with Alibaba - the e-commerce group and SoftBank affiliate - has shown interest too, the paper says. Analysts at Northern Trust suggest NetEase, another Chinese gaming specialist, is a third potential suitor.

Any of these would be a more natural owner than SoftBank. They could push Supercell games harder in China, and share costs and knowhow with existing games operations. Meanwhile SoftBank could quit a notoriously fickle, hit-driven industry on a high note.

There would be a good payoff, too. SoftBank invested $1.2 billion in late 2013, and then bought out one of its partners, GungHo, the following year for about $340 million. Last year it increased its stake from 51 per cent to 73 per cent, in a deal the WSJ says valued all of Supercell at about $5.25 billion. That implies a further outlay of nearly $1.2 billion.

Suppose a suitor now pays $6 billion. That would be roughly 6.4 times Supercell's 2015 EBITDA of $930 million, in line with what Activision paid for King Digital, the maker of Candy Crush, last year. A deal closing in, say, three months would generate a decent 25 per cent internal rate of return for SoftBank, Breakingviews calculations suggest. SoftBank could of course keep a residual stake, and share in some of the future upside.

A sale would also be handy given SoftBank's prodigious borrowings and could help to fund a planned 500 billion yen ($4.6 billion) stock buyback.

SoftBank has historically been quicker to accumulate assets than to sell. A full or partial exit here would show that Arora, the former Google executive who arrived last year as second-in-command to founder Masayoshi Son, is ready to reprogramme the internet conglomerate.
In the article, "This minister hasn't been up to the job", T NC Rajagopalan says the commerce and industry minister presided over the 17 months of decline in export growth. It's common knowledge that the decline has global roots and impacted almost all countries big and small, India being no exception. The good news is India's export decline for non-petroleum products is only 2.5 per cent in rupee terms.

The author says the minister has not come up with impactful packages for exporters. Any exporter will tell you that a combination of MEIS and drawback is offering exporters a better package than what they were getting a few years earlier. In the new foreign trade policy, we have simplified the export incentive structure, merging five similar schemes into a single MEIS scheme based on ITCHS codes.

The claim that the minister has not fully assessed the impact of withdrawal of the Duty Entitlement Passbook (DEPB) scheme or the Incremental Exports Incentivisation Scheme (IEIS) is not true. When the DEPB was withdrawn in September 2011, its items were incorporated into the Duty Drawback Schedule. The IEIS was excluded as it was prone to misuse.

While the article says there has been no movement on bilateral or multilateral trade agreements, we are seeing some movement in the form of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is in full swing. Regular dialogue continues on free trade agreements. We have worked on creating paperless interfaces and now, applications for all schemes of Directorate General of Foreign Trade can be made online. We have taken immediate measures for punishing wrongdoers. Our system is transparent and even the minister is just a tweet away.

Ajay Srivastava, Joint DGFT, Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi

Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201  E-mail: letters@bsmail.in All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
Apropos the article, "This minister hasn't been up to the job" (May 23) by T N C Rajagopalan, vital facts have probably escaped his attention. While it is known that exports are declining for the last 17 months, the reasons are primarily global: growth of world trade has moderated 2012 onwards and declined by over 13 per cent in 2015. Such a decline has been witnessed even by countries following export-led growth. China, the world leader in exports, also met the same fate.

The government is constructively engaged with stakeholders. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Seetharaman convened two meetings with the Export Promotion Council and other bodies, besides meeting them separately. She called a meeting of the Board of Trade, the highest advisory body, to deliberate on the global situation and devise a strategy to counter it. She presided over the Council for Trade Development and Promotion attended by commerce and industry ministers of various states and Confederation of Indian Industry, Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO), Ficci and Assocham.

The commerce secretary visited Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur and Karnataka to interact with exporters of the states in less than a year's time. Close to 100 workshops were held under the Niryat Bandhu Scheme to reach out to exporters, particularly start-ups.

The government has taken measures that have helped arrest the fall in exports to about five per cent in March and April 2016 and growth has been witnessed by several sectors in these months. Initiatives such as the interest equalisation scheme, an increase in the MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India Scheme) benefit and dispensing with landing certificate, among others, have been taken by the department to resolve exporters' grievances.

While a writer can be critical, a report detailing what has been done by the commerce minister and what else needs to be done would have been much appreciated.

S C Ralhan, President, FIEO

Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201  E-mail: letters@bsmail.in All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
Skipper, the power transmission and distribution (T&D) structure manufacturer, is well placed to benefit from the increasing need for T&D infrastructure in the country. Its capacity expansions in PVC pipes is likely to fuel growth further. The company has seen its order book more than double in past two years led by its agreement with Latin Americas biggest transmission service operator (TSO) and increased order flow from Power Grid Corporation. With receipt of new orders for engineering products in excess of Rs 1,200 crore in Q4'FY16, the company's order book at the end of March16 stood at Rs 2,429 crore, well diversified between domestic and international orders.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) allegation that jungle raj (reign of lawlessness) was prevailing in Bihar under the Grand Alliance government was an attempt to divert potential investment to BJP-ruled states, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav said in a Facebook post. The controversial term has often been associated with the state since 1997, when a division bench of the Patna High Court observed that there was no government worth the name in Bihar and that jungle raj prevailed. At that time, Yadav's mother Rabri Devi was the state's chief minister. In the same Facebook post, Yadav said: "Just one incident of Vyapam in Madhya Pradesh is equal to a thousand murders, but the BJP does not call it 'jungle raj'. Witnesses related to the case have been eliminated one after the other and even the chief minister was under the scanner, but they would never call that 'jungle raj', since it is a BJP-ruled state."
The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Iran has been carefully scrutinised, and for good reason. It comes at a time when the Islamic Republic, freshly empowered by an agreement on its nuclear programme that allows it to emerge from a years-long debilitating regime of international sanctions, is poised to connect with the world again. In that period of isolation, in spite of some adverse votes in international forums, India maintained a comparative independence from the West-led sanctions regime. How much credit that buys with the Tehran establishment remains to be seen, as also whether India can take advantage of it before foreign companies from the developed world and East Asia. Thus, connectivity and economic relations topped Mr Modis agenda; the highlight of the visit was a trilateral agreement signed on transit through Irans Chabahar port  in the presence of not just Mr Modi and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, but also the president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani. One major purpose of Chabahar has always been to cut Pakistan out of the route between India and Afghanistan; Mr Ghani referred to this explicitly, saying no countries are prisoners of geography, we can change it through our will. Several memoranda of understanding were signed on the occasion, including for railway services and aluminium manufacturing. Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, who accompanied the prime minister, said that potential investments in the area around the port might total over Rs 1 lakh crore, including those for petrochemicals and natural gas-based industries in the Chabahar area.
The ice seems to be melting between the arch rivals in the Tamil Nadu . The newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and General Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), J Jayalalithaa, has sent a note thanking her arch rival, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader M K Stalin, for attending her swearing-in ceremony.

While it is not sure whether the sportive spirit would remain intact over the next five years, the move comes across as an effort to break the ice between the two parties after almost three decades.

In a rare gesture in Tamil Nadu politics, answering to a complaint by DMK that Stalin was made to sit in a back row while leaders who failed in the election occupied the front row, she said that he was seated according to protocol. However, she added that had she been informed about it, she would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements, to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms in the Protocol Manual. Stalin was former Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and is currently a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and new opposition leader in the State.

Jayalalithaa in a statement today said, "I am happy to note that Thiru M K Stalin, MLA, attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Council of Ministers on 23 May, 2016. I thank him for attending the event".

She said that Stalin was seated in the block of seats intended for Members of the Legislative Assembly and she was told that it was as per the Protocol Manual followed by the Public Department in allocating seats in the hall for the event.

"If this seating plan caused him any discomfiture, I would like to assure him that there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his Party.

Had the officers brought to my notice that Thiru M K Stalin would be attending the event, I would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements, to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms in the Protocol Manual," said Jayalalithaa. The AIADNK Supremo also wished Stalin well and said she is looking forward to work with his party for the betterment of the state.

While the DMK leader's presence in the ceremony itself has raised several eyebrows, since the acrimony between the two political parties, the note from Jayalalithaa, who is known for being tough with her arch rival, comes as a surprise to many. Stalin was made to sit in the 10th row, sparking a political debate.

Unlike in neighbouring states in other parts of the country, the political equation between the AIADMK and DMK leaders has always been ugly. DMK President M Karunanidhi, who has not attended Assembly during the past five years that AIADMK has been ruling, made a statement that Jayalalithaa's party had insulted his own at the swearing in ceremony of the new government by making his son and political successor sit among the masses.

The DMK, by virtue of winning 89 seats in the elections, will head the opposition in the Assembly, and Stalin will be in the front row in the assembly, he said.

On the other hand Karunanidhi pointed out R Sarathkumar, the leader of All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, was alloted a seat in the front row. Sarathkumar, incidentally, lost in the election.
Workers on a Libyan oil tanker helped to rescue 135 people from boats in the Mediterranean on today, hours after coastguards detained 550 would-be migrants headed for Europe.

Coastguards were alerted to people aboard makeshift vessels around 17 nautical miles (30 kilometres) from the western city of Sabratha, the journalist said.

The migrants were transported to a safe zone nearer to the capital Tripoli.

Libyan coastguards earlier today that they had detained 550 people trying to reach Europe illegally by boat.

It was the second time in three days they have intercepted migrants in the same area.

"Coastguards in the west who were patrolling off the Zawiya refinery on Tuesday intercepted four large inflatables carrying around 550 illegal migrants," navy spokesman Colonel Ayoub Qassem said.

Those detained were from "several African countries" and included three children and 30 women, eight of whom are pregnant, he told AFP.

"The migrants have been handed over to the relevant authorities to be taken to detention centres," Qassem said.

On Sunday, Qassem said coastguards had intercepted seven vessels carrying around 850 migrants, again off Zawiya which is some 45 kilometres (30 miles) west of the capital Tripoli.

The chaos in the North African country since Moamer Kadhafi's overthrow in 2011 has been exploited by people traffickers, with thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe from Libya just 300 kilometres (190 miles) from Italy.

The onset of better weather conditions has raised fears of huge numbers of people attempting the still perilous sea crossing.

On Monday, Italy's coastguard said two Italian naval vessels and two operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) rescued around 2,000 migrants from unseaworthy boats in 15 separate operations.

An Irish navy ship rescued hundreds more, as did a passing cargo ship, the Italian coastguard said.

So far this year more that 34,000 people have been brought to the Italian coast after being rescued off Libya, according to the UN refugee agency.

A May 13 British parliamentary report said the EU's naval mission to combat people trafficking off Libya was "failing" and succeeded only in forcing people smugglers to change tactics.
Several dozen students have broken into Chile's presidential palace to protest what they say are failed education reforms.

Authorities say the students went through the main entrance of the La Moneda palace today, pretending to be tourists. They then ran to a patio that is off-limits to tourists and pulled out a sign that said: "Notice: Today begins the offensive."



Palace guards arrested 19. The rest escaped.

President Michelle Bachelet ran for her second term promising free university education, but many pieces of her ambitious educational reform have stalled.

Beginning this year, about 150,000 students from low-income families will be able to study for free. But many students are angry that the university benefit hasn't extended further.
Greek police transferred some two thousand migrants out of the overcrowded camp of Idomeni, launching a major operation to clear up the squalid tent city where thousands fleeing war and poverty have lived for months.

The operation began at dawn, and by evening officials said they had put 2,031 people on buses to newly opened camps near Greece's second city Thessaloniki, about 80 kilometres to the south.

"The operation will continue today," Greece's migrant crisis coordination office said in a statement.

The group transferred yesterday included 662 Syrians, 1,273 Kurds and 96 Yazidis.

A hundred of them refused to enter the new centre and headed off by foot to downtown Thessaloniki, a police source said.

The camp on the Macedonian border has become a potent symbol of human suffering and chaos as Europe struggles with its worst migrant crisis since World War II.

The border is one of several in the Balkans closed since mid-February as countries on the migrant route have sought to halt the influx.

Around 700 police officers, assisted by a helicopter, took part in yesterday's operation but most media were kept at a distance.

ERT state television and state agency ANA later showed migrants patiently queueing up to board buses and being driven away, some waving at the camera.

Many carried their belongings in huge bin bags, while others piled possessions into pushchairs.

It will take a week to complete the operation to clear all 8,400 people living there, the government said.

"It is all going well, perhaps better than we expected. The migrants are tired and no longer expect the borders to be reopened," a police source said.

The transfer comes after a brutal winter of freezing rain and mud which saw many people trying to force their way across the border, sometimes resulting in violent encounters with Macedonian police.

At midday, bulldozers moved in to clear out tents, according to tweets from activists at the camp.
Three Indian-origin MPs have joined 20 others from Commonwealth backgrounds to issue an open letter today calling for the UK to leave the European Union (EU) in the June 23 referendum, claiming that Brexit would allow better India-UK trade deals.

UK employment minister and British Prime Minister David Cameron's Indian Diaspora Champion Priti Patel, Rishi Sunak, the UK-based son-in-law of Infosys chief Narayana Murthy and Suella Fernandes have all signed the letter.

They claimed that Brexit would allow better India-UK trade deals.

"Britain's trade policy is controlled by the EU. That means we are unable to sign bilateral free trade agreements with countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand or for that matter any other non-EU state. Commonwealth countries like India have been in talks with the EU about doing a trade deal since 2007 - to no avail," the letter reads.

It adds: "As well as damaging our economy, membership of the EU has left Britain vulnerable to the pressures of mass uncontrolled levels of immigration from Europe. The pressures this causes means that we have to turn away qualified doctors, teachers, and entrepreneurs from non-EU countries who would make a positive contribution to this country.

"The ancestors of many people we represent fought alongside the British in two world wars, but are now forced to stand aside in favour of people with no connection to the United Kingdom. This is unfair."



The opposing camp, favouring Britain's membership of the EU, has dismissed claims of better India-UK ties in the event of Brexit.

UK foreign office minister in charge of India, Hugo Swire, reiterated in his statement today that Britain would be "stronger, safer, and better-off staying in a reformed EU, benefiting everyone in the UK, including India and other Commonwealth citizens living here".

"We help secure huge amounts of EU development funding for both these countries and many others like South Africa, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. And we continue to push the EU for free trade deal with many Commonwealth countries like Australia and India," he said.

Making a direct appeal to Indian-origin voters, he added: "Many of you have spent years living, working and contributing to the UK. And most of you still have deep ties with India; whether through family, property, or returning to live there again one day.

"So the outcome of this referendum will affect not only your life, but your loved ones back in India for decades to come.

"Whatever side you come down on, the most important thing is that you have your say. Don't miss the opportunity to vote in this historic moment."



British government officials will be entering a four-week so-called "purdah" period from Friday, which prevents any official activity that could be perceived as an attempt to sway the outcome of the June 23 vote.

It means civil servants will no longer be able to publish reportsin the run-up to referendum day under Electoral Commission rules.
Thirtyone persons, including three women, employed as bonded labourers in a hallow brick manufacturing unit near here have been rescued by officials.

The workers, hailing from Chattisgarh, were made to work for meagre wages and forced to stay in damaged sheds for the past one-and-half years in the factory at Chinniyampalayam, district officials said.

They were rescued yesterday by a team of Revenue and Labour Welfare Department officials led by Tahsildar Surendrakumar who raided the brick unit on a directive from District Collector S Prabhakar.

Officials said another labourer had recently managed to escape from the unit and lodged a complaint with the concerned district authorities in Chhattisgarh, who in turn alerted the Erode District Collector.

The rescued labourers were now accommodated here and would be sent to their homes in a day or two, they added.

A case had been registered against the factory owner and further investigations is on.
The last unnamed member of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) 'Beatles' gang was today identified as a 27-year-old from west London.

The gang named in reference to the English accents of the terrorist suspects was led by Mohammed Emwazi, dubbed Jihadi John andkilled last year in a US drone strike in Syria.

Sudanese-born El Shafee Elsheikh has emerged as the fourth member of the cell, which has been filmed killing and torturing western hostages in ISIS held territory.

"We tried to handle this in a mild, considerate way, but before we could do anything he [his son] just left," said his father Rashid Sidahmed ElSheikh, a translator based in London.

According to western hostages who were later released, the so-called Beatles were allegedly responsible for beatings, waterboarding, mock executions and killings of a number of mainly western hostages.

El Sheikh was identified through a joint 'Washington Post' and 'BuzzFeed News' investigation.

His name was confirmed by a former US countert-errorism official and other people familiar with British nationals in Syria.

His family said he is still alive and living in Syria and remains in touch with some friends and family.

All four Britons who made up the ISIS Beatles grew up in the same part of west London, but it is unclear whether they knew each other before they left for Syria.

All of them apparently joined Al Qaeda's branch in Syria before defecting to the ISIS.

Besides Jihadi John, the others identified previously include 31-year-old Aine Davis, who is in custody in Turkey for suspected terrorism, and 32-year-old Alexe Kotey, a Londoner ofGhanaian and Greek-Cypriot backgroundwhose whereabouts are unknown.

Davis' wife, 27-year-old Amal el-Wahabi, became the first woman to be jailed for terrorism offences connected to Syria in 2014 after she was caught paying a smuggler to take 20,000 euros in cash to Turkey for her husband.
Around 70 Indian nationals, all hailing from Bihar, have been detained in Nepal over crossing the border to enjoy liquor in local pubs here since last month when their state banned sale and consumption of alcohol, according to police.

The Rautahat District Police Office (DPO) said it intensified crackdown on public houses in the southern Nepal district and have detained some 70 Indian nationals from pubs of neighbouring Nepali villages over the last one-and-a-half months.

The Indians began to enter Nepal to enjoy drinks as soon as their state government banned alcohol, according to police.

On Saturday, police nabbed nine Indian nationals who had arrived at a village outside the Rautahat district headquarters, Gaur, from Sitamarhi in Bihar.

The DPO said all 70 Indians were later released after they signed an undertaking that they would not enter Nepal again for consuming alcohol.

Each of them was also fined Rs 1,000, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Nabil Krishna Bhandari.

Besides, two pub operators from Gaur were detained over charges that their business promoted untoward activities.

On April 5, Bihar was declared a dry state as the state government imposed a total ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol including India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) with immediate effect.

According to the decision, no alcohol can be legally consumed in all of Bihar, including bars and restaurants.
Raising the issue of murder of NDMC lawyer M M Khan with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, the AAP today demanded arrest of NDMC vice-chairman Karan Singh Tanwar and a "fair and impartial probe" into the issue.

"Unless the Delhi Police interrogates Tanwar, the reality of this case will never come to light since late Mr Khan had turned down the bribe offer made to him.

"This is bringing further disgrace to his position of NDMC vice-chairman. It has now come to light that Mr Tanwar tried to undermine the Delhi Cantonment Board and illegally interfered in its functioning," the delegation led by AAP's Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey said in the memorandum to Jung.

Tanwar has termed the allegations as baseless.

Khan was shot dead on May 16, a day before he was scheduled to pass the final order on the lease terms of hotel 'The Connaught' which was functioning on a property leased by the civic body. Police last week arrested the owner of hotel, Ramesh Kakkar, and five others in connection with the murder.

The AAP also alleged that the Delhi Cantonment Board has accused Tanwar of "provoking religious sentiments and disturbing peace."



The party also sought to drag East Delhi BJP MP Maheish Girri into the controversy and alleged that he had also written a letter against the Khan.

"I would also like to bring to your notice that Lok Sabha MP from east Delhi, Mr Maheish Girri had also written a letter against the late Mr Khan. It is suspicious as to why these BJP leaders were taking so much interest in this particular hotel?



"I demand that your goodself direct the Delhi Police to arrest and question both Mr Tanwar and Girri to bring out the reality of this case," the memorandum said.

Girri denied writing any letter in this regard and asked AAP to produce the letter.

The party had earlier alleged that Tanwar had threatened Khan with dire consequences, a few days before his murder and demanded the Delhi Police arrest him and probe his "complicity" with the murderers. It also said that Tanwar had written a letter to LG seeking action against Khan.

Addressing a conference, Pandey said the Cantonment Board in its meeting on May 13 had made very "stinging remarks" against Tanwar.
AAP spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon today met Mumbai Police Commissioner in connection with her allegation that calls were made to Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse from fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim's Karachi house.

Khadse has rubbished the allegation saying that the said mobile number was not in operation any longer.

"After my meeting with the CP Datta Padsalgikar, they (police) called the ethical hacker (Manish Bhangale) and interrogated him. He showed them how he accessed the data and gave them all the data. Now there will progress in the investigation," she said after the meeting.

Bhangale, Ahmedabad-based 'ethical hacker', has claimed to have hacked the website of a Pakistani telecom company to obtain the call data record, which AAP has cited while seeking probe against Khadse.
An air ambulance coming from Patna with seven persons on board crash landed in Najafgarh area of South West Delhi after both its engines apparently shut down but no one sustained any major injury.

The six-seater Beech King Air C-90A aircraft crash landed at around 2:40 PM on a field in Kair village in Najafgarh about 10 km from the Indira Gandhi international Airport, police officials said.

The 27-year old plane belonging to Chandigarh-based private operator Alchemist Airways had to force land after both its engines failed, airport officials said.

Aviation regulator DGCA has already started an inquiry into the incident.

A 61-year-old cardiac patient Virender Rai who was being flown to Delhi has been rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon immediately after the incident. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.

The 1989-make aircraft, carrying registration number VT EQO, was in touch with to Air Traffic Control as it was in the final approach to landing.

The six other onboard persons include Rupesh (doctor), Jung Bahadur (aircraft technician), Juhi and Bhagwan Rai (both relatives of the patient), Amit Kumar (pilot) and Rohit (co-pilot).

"I pray for the early recovery of the injured. The causes of the accident shall be looked into," tweeted Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said DGCA officials have been sent to the site of the incident to conduct a probe.

"We received an emergency call from the pilot. Both the engines of the aircraft had reportedly failed. They made the landing safe. The DGCA is looking into the incident," Sharma told reporters.

As many as 14 fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately after the aircraft crashlanded.
An air ambulance coming from Patna with a patient, who had suffered a brain stroke, and six others on board crash landed in Najafgarh area of South West Delhi after both its engines shut down one after the other but all passengers escaped unhurt.

The six-seater Beech King Air C-90A aircraft crash landed at around 2:40 PM on a field in Kair village in Najafgarh, about 10 km from the Indira Gandhi international Airport, police said.

The 27-year old plane belonging to Chandigarh-based private operator Alchemist Airways had to force land after both its engines failed, airport officials said. Aviation regulator DGCA has started an inquiry into the incident.

61-year-old patient Virender Rai, who was being flown to Delhi, was rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon immediately after the mishap. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.

The aircraft was in touch with Air Traffic Control (ATC) while making the final approach to landing.

ATC sources said the first engine of the plane stopped working at 2:22 PM, prompting the commander to seek emergency landing. A little later at 2:35 PM, the pilot-in command reported that the second engine had also failed.

Two minutes later, the aircraft lost radar and VHF contact as well, the sources said, adding the ATC received a phone call at 2:40 PM that the aircraft had crash landed.

The six other onboard included Rupesh (doctor), Jung Bahadur (aircraft technician), Juhi and Bhagwan Rai (both relatives of the patient), Amit Kumar (pilot) and Rohit (co-pilot).

A small 20-year-old BSF plane had crashed near Dwarka in December last year in which all 10 on board had been killled.

A DGCA official said the final investigation will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The Army today vowed to hit back hard on the militants who carried out an ambush which killed six Assam Rifles personnel in Manipur's Chandel district on Sunday.

"In counter-insurgency operation it is a matter of initiative and opportunity. They have been able to get this opportunity but it is not long before we hit back and we will hit back very hard," Lt Gen Abhay Krishna, General Officer Commanding of 3 Corps, told reporters here.

The Army and Assam Rifles have been continuously running an intensive combing operation to trace the militants in the deep jungles near Indo-Myanmar border, where the incident happened on Sunday afternoon.

Refusing to divulge details of the operations before the media, Krishna said the search was on in the jungles.

"I can assure you no setback can ever dilute the resilience of the Indian Army. We are trained to be resilient. This type of casualties is a setback for everybody but it is also an opportunity to bounce back and bounce back with a bigger success," he said, adding strong action cannot be taken at the press of a button.

On the security situation in Manipur where 18 army personnel were killed in the same district last year in an ambush by NSCN(K) militants, the officer said, "After one year they have been able to get this opportunity but we will wrest this opportunity and initiative very soon".

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh condemned the incident.

We stand united in the fight against insurgents and will continue to strive for furtherance of peace in the region, he said, adding those involved in such crimes will be severely punished.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had directed security forces to take "strongest possible action" against the militants involved in the ambush.

(Reopens CAL1)



Meanwhile, the mortal remains of the martyrs were sent to their hometowns in two specially requisitioned Indian Air Force aircraft accompanied by a team of Assam Rifles personnel.

In a solemn wreath laying ceremony conducted in true traditions of the Indian Armed Forces, homage was paid to the six martyrs of 29 Assam Rifles.

Wreaths were laid by the Chief Minister, his deputy Gaikhangam and high ranking officers of Army and Assam Rifles based in Manipur.

CorCom, a conglomerate of proscribed outfits, in a statement issued to the media, had claimed that the ambush was carried out by them.

The deceased include a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and five jawans of the Assam Rifles.
A 46-year-old Army Subedar allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his revolver inside his room on the premises of Air Force Station at Lohegaon today.

The Junior Commissioned Officer, identified as Beant Singh, has left behind a suicide note in which he has named four warrant officers (WOs) responsible for his death, police said.

He was posted at Army field post office which is located at the Air Force Station.

"Army Junior Commissioned Officer Subedar Beant Singh posted to the Field Post Office located at Air Force Station Pune was found dead in his room today.

"He was staying alone. His body was found with two bullet holes and a civil revolver lying by his side. A suicide note was found near his dead body. Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide," stated a press release from Air Force Station.

The civil and Military Police are investigating the case, it stated.

According to a senior police officer, Singh was spotted lying in a pool of blood by some officials at around 11 AM with two bullet wounds on his chest and a revolver lying next to him.

"We have recovered a suicide note from spot and in the note, Singh has named four warrant officers (WOs) responsible for his death and we are investigating the case," said Airport police station senior inspector, Sanjay Kurundkar.
At a time when Marathi cinema is garnering eyeballs, director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari plans to make a thriller and a woman centric film in Marathi.

Ashwiny, who is basking in the glory of her directorial debut "Nil Battey Sannata" plans to turn producer and has set up a company with Sanjay Shetty called Earth Sky Pictures.

"I am a great fan of Marathi cinema. I wanted to make "Nil Battey Sannata" in Marathi. There is a growing number of audience ready to watch Marathi films apart from the Marathi speaking public," Ashwiny told PTI.

"We have two scripts in place, one is a thriller and another is a woman oriented story," she said.

The makers are working on getting the right actors and directors on board for both the projects.

"For the woman oriented story we have approached Radhika Apte. We will soon take a decision on casting," Ashwiny said.

Both the films are likely to go on floors this year.

Besides these two Marathi films, Ashwiny will be directing Ayushmann Khurrana-Bhoomi Pednekar starrer "Manmarziyan".

Some portions of "Manmarziyan" were shot by director Sameer Sharma. But apparently due to creative differences with the producer, Sharma is no more directing the film.

"Manmarziyan" is an upcoming romantic film produced by Anand L Rai.
People in England and Wales who identify themselves as having no religion now outnumber Christians in the country, according to new analysis released today.

The proportion of the population who identify as having no religion - referred to as 'nones' - hit 48.5 per cent in 2014, almost double the figure of 25 per cent in the 2011 census.

In comparison, those who define themselves as Christian - Anglicans, Catholics and other denominations - made up 43.8 per cent of the population.

"The striking thing is the clear sense of the growth of 'no religion' as a proportion of the population," Stephen Bullivant, senior lecturer in theology and ethics at St Mary's Catholic University in London, told the 'Guardian'.

He analysed data collected through British Social Attitudes surveys over three decades and found that "people who were brought up with some religion now say they have no religion".

"What we're seeing is an acceleration in the numbers of people not only not practising their faith on a regular basis, but not even ticking the box. The reason for that is the big question in the sociology of religion," he said.

The report, 'Contemporary Catholicism in England and Wales' will be formally launched at the House of Commons this week.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow brought Captain America, Chris Evans and Ironman Robert Downey Jr, together to meet Avengers fan battling cancer.

The group traveled to San Diego, California, to pay special visit to Ryan Wilcox, an 18-year-old, who has been diagnosed with leukemia for the second time, reported People magazine.

Platrow, 43, noticed Wilcox post about his story and desire to meet the stars on social media using the hashtag "#ryanstrong," and brought the stars together.

"Let's do this," the actress captioned a photo of Evans, 34, and Downey Jr, 51, at an airport tarmac on their way to San Diego.

Paltrow also shared picture of Wilcox with his favourite superheros.

"Today @ryanwilcox0303 got a little surprise. Thank you to the incredible #chrisevans and my better work half @robertdowneyjr for being the men you both are. And thank you to the Wilcox family for your hospitality!" she wrote in the caption.

The trio spent the afternoon hanging out with Wilcox and his family and signed a few autographs - including one on his bedroom wall.
Private sector lender Axis Bank today said it has incorporated a subsidiary A.Treds Ltd to operate Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), which will help in improving flow of funds to SMEs.

In November last year, the RBI had given in-principle approval to three entities to set up TReDs. The other two entities are -- Mynd Solutions (Gurgaon) and NSE Strategic Investment Corporation and Small Industries Development Bank of India (Mumbai).

Axis Bank in a regulatory filing said that A.Treds is registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Registrar of Companies.

"The Company is incorporated as a Subsidiary Company of the Bank. A.Treds Limited will inter-alia be engaged to undertake the business of setting up and operating a Trade Receivables Discounting System, as per the in-principal approval received from the Reserve Bank of India," the filing said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his Budget 2015-16 Speech, had highlighted the need for TReDS for improving flow of funds to MSME sector by reducing the receivables realisation cycles.

TReDS will allow SMEs to post their receivables on the system and get them financed. This will not only give them greater access to finance but will also put greater discipline on corporates to pay their dues on time.

The RBI's in-principle approval for TReDS is valid for a period of six months



As the TReDS will be a payment system authorised under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007, RBI said an elaborate four-tiered structure of application processing was adopted for this purpose.
Scientists have discovered a new catalyst material which may lead to cellphone and car batteries that last five times longer than current ones.

Kyeongjae Cho from University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) in the US has found the catalyst materials for lithium-air batteries that jumpstart efforts at expanding battery capacity.

"There is huge promise in lithium-air batteries. However, despite the aggressive research being done by groups all over the world, those promises are not being delivered in real life," said Cho.

"So this is very exciting progress. Hopefully, this discovery will revitalise research in this area and create momentum for further development," he said.

Lithium-air (or lithium-oxygen) batteries "breathe" oxygen from the air to power the chemical reactions that release electricity, rather than storing an oxidiser internally like lithium-ion batteries do.

Due to this, lithium-air batteries boast an energy density comparable to gasoline - with theoretical energy densities as much as 10 times that of current lithium-ion batteries, giving them tremendous potential for storage of renewable energy, particularly in applications such as mobile devices and electric cars.

For example, at one-fifth the cost and weight of those presently on the market, a lithium-air battery would allow an electric car to drive 640 kilometres on a single charge and a mobile phone to last a week without recharging, researchers said.

Practical attempts to increase lithium-air battery capacity so far have not yielded great results, despite efforts from major corporations and universities.

Until now, these attempts have resulted in low efficiency and poor rate performance, instability and unwanted chemical reactions, researchers said.

Cho and Yongping Zheng from UT Dallas have introduced new research that focuses on the electrolyte catalysts inside the battery, which, when combined with oxygen, create chemical reactions that create battery capacity.

According to them, soluble-type catalysts possess significant advantages over conventional solid catalysts, generally exhibiting much higher efficiency. In particular, they found that only certain organic materials can be utilised as a soluble catalyst.

Cho and Zheng collaborated with researchers at Seoul National University in Korea to create a new catalyst for the lithium-air battery called dimethylphenazine, which possesses higher stability and increased voltage efficiency.

"The catalyst should enable the lithium-air battery to become a more practical energy storage solution," said Zheng.

According to Cho, his catalyst research will open the door to additional advances in technology.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Energy.
Popular Hindi writer, playwright and actor Bhisham Sahni's stories have lived beyond his time and continue to resonate with the present times, according to veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah.

The 66-year-old actor was part of a theatre production titled "Bhishmotsav" featuring five of Sahni's plays staged here recently.

"I haven't read too many of Bhisham sahab's stories but these five are very relevant. I think the test of great writing is that it lives beyond its time. I have to admit that my knowledge of Indian literature is limited, but what he is talking about in these stories is very relevant," he said.

The production by Mumbai-based Kopal theatre directed by veteran theatre and film artist Seema Bhargava Pahwa, also features seasoned actors like Ratna Pathak Shah, Manoj Pahwa, Heeba Shah, Rakesh Chaturvedi, Vinay Sharma, Mayank Pahwa and Manukriti Pahwa.

The five enacted stories include "Oob", "Sir Ka Sadka", "Dholak", "Yaadein" and "Samadhi Bhai Ramsingh."



"The most important thing is that the stories are all of different moods. There are not many writers who have such varied styles with every narrative. If you see all these five stories, it is difficult to believe that a single person has written all of them," Ratna Pathak Shah said.

The selected stories comment on different aspects of society while driving home key messages, as they take on issues like superstition, education system, traditional rituals etc.

While one of the stories is a "nostalgic vignette" of two old women who are meeting after a long time, another is a satire on superstition; one is a character study of a typical Delhi Punjabi wedding, and another deals with relationships with an adulterous tyrannical person in a small town.

Among one of the fascinating tales is a story that will perhap stop being relevant, as Naseeruddin said, "only when children stop having examinations...When they can send their answers on mobile phones.

It is a stream of consciousness description of what is



going through an invigilator's mind while an examination is in progress.

"We have tried to bring in all the elements where we can make you laugh, cry and provoke you to think as well," Seema said.

The design team has chosen a contemporary approach where the performances include narrating the stories in the words of Sahni, a phenomenon that Naseeruddin said, "was new".

While three of them are majorly monologues, the other two include more than one characters.

"These stories have been presented in the form of stories and not plays. The narrative bits, which are the soul of the story, are depicted in the words of the writer instead of being translated into actions. We try to stimulate your imagination through the story," Nasseeruddin said.

According to Ratna, "What your imagination can do, can never be executed by us. You will travel places through your imagination. That is the special feature of these stories. That is why listening to a story is such fun and that is why all of us have been focussing on story telling so strongly."



The play which has been co-produced by Ishan Soni and Pranav Sachdeva, was first staged in Mumbai, in August 2015, to celebrate Sahni's 100th birth anniversary.
Several workers of the BJP as well as the Congress today held protests outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here demanding immediate improvement in the power and water supply in the national capital.

Police used water canons to disperse the BJP protestors who had assembled in large numbers.

Attacking Kejriwal, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said while Delhi was facing severe water and power crisis, the chief minister was busy fulfilling his political ambitions in Goa and Punjab.

"The government has turned a blind eye to the issues of power outages and water crisis in the city. The Chief minister is on a Goa trip and the minister in-charge of water is touring Punjab.

"There are areas which are reeling under severe shortage of water and there are power cuts for over three hours a day affecting water supply. This government lacks vision and administrative control. While Delhiites are craving for water, the Chief Minister is busy in his political expansion in Goa and Punjab," Upadhyay said.

The BJP protest was followed by a demonstration by the members of the women's wing of Delhi Congress.

Holding pots in their hands, the women workers raised slogans against Kejriwal.

"Water and power is unavailable even for two days at a stretch. The Delhi chief minister should be ashamed of this. He (Kejriwal) should think of the national capital rather than thinking of Goa and Punjab. He has spent only on his advertisements," Delhi Mahila Congress president Barkha Shukla Singh said.

Several parts of the city have been facing long and frequent power outages for the last couple of weeks.
Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, a 2009



batch IPS officer, from Maharashtra has taken charge as the Superintendent of Police of Dakshina Kannada district, an official release here said.

Borase who was earlier serving as SP in CID, Bengaluru succeeds S D Saranappa who had been transferred to Bengaluru as the Deputy Commissioner of Police, south division. Borase said that he would provide a mobile number to which people could provide information and file complaints through Whatsapp.

The mobile number of the Police Control Room would also be enabled to receive photographs, messages and complaints, he said.
Industry body Assocham today came out strongly in support of bread makers, saying the use of potassium bromate is with "full knowledge" of FSSAI and termed the research findings about presence of 'hazardous' elements in bread as "scare-mongering" by NGOs.

"The NGOs are free to be watchdogs, but they must realise that their reports and findings should not be targeted only at the industry... While the government is trying to move towards ease of doing business by relaxing the inspector raj, the NGO policing may harm many times," it said.

Drawing a parallel to the Maggi controversy, the chamber suggested that India should not be left to "scare-mongering by NGOs".

"An impression has been created as if the entire lot of bread manufacturers is deliberately causing risk... A similar thing had happened in the case of Maggi noodles which finally returned to the market... But not without several hundreds of crores of rupees of loss to the manufacturers," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

According to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), nearly 84 per cent of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads, including pav and buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate, banned in many countries as they are listed as "hazardous" for public health.

FSSAI yesterday said it has decided to remove potassium bromate from the list of permitted additives while it is examining evidence against potassium iodate before restricting its use.

"If at all there is a problem, it does not lie at the door of the industry, which only would be put to immense loss of consumer confidence and crores of rupees worth of loss. Already, reports suggest a sharp fall in the sale of morning breads and a sense of panic among the homemakers," Rawat added.

The use of potassium bromate, purported to be harmful to health, was done with the permission and full knowledge of the food regulator, the lobby group said.

The study prompted the Union Health Ministry to order a probe as bread samples of virtually all top brands in Delhi reportedly contained cancer-causing toxins.

Rawat felt that the Health Ministry and regulator FSSAI should immediately come out with a clarification on the bread controversy. "If needed, the manufacturers should also engage with the regulator and consumers, giving them confidence," he added.

"As it is, the stock prices of the food companies have come under pressure out of panic."



In its report, CSE claimed that while one of the chemicals is a category 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans), the other could trigger thyroid disorders, but India has not banned the use.
A 34-year-old British Muslim mother has been jailed for two and a half years by a UK court for lying to authorities and trying to take her children, including an 11-month-old baby, to be raised in Islamic State-held territory in Syria.

Muslim convert Lorna Moore was found guilty of failing to tell authorities her husband Sajid Aslam, 34, was about to leave for Syria to join Islamic State (ISIS), Old Bailey court in London ruled yesterday.

She was also found guilty of plans to take her three young children to the war zone, including an 11-month-old baby.

"One of the troubling things about you is your facility for telling lies,"Judge Charles Wide said in his ruling, adding that she had told "lie after lie".

Moore was convicted alongside 28-year-old Ayman Shaukat, who was found guilty of preparing terrorist acts by helping Aslam and Muslim convert 22-year-old Alex Nash on their way to ISIS territory.

Nash's wife, 24-year-old Kerry Thomason, was pregnant when she was stopped from flying out with her two children to join her husband in Syria.

The judge described her as "naive" and sentenced her to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years with a supervision order and six-month tagged curfew between 6pm and 6am.

Shaukat was jailed for a total of 10 years with a five-year extended licence, while Nash was jailed for five years with a one-year additional licence.

The additional licence would mean they would be under surveillance even after they are released.

Moore had claimed her relationship with Aslam had ended after he became abusive and they only lived together for the sake of the children, who are now aged three, nine and 10.

She had told the jury she would never put her children's lives in danger because "they mean the world to me".

"She thought too much of her youngsters to take them over there. How would you be feeling if it happened to your daughter. It's a very difficult time, what else could it be," her father, Noel Moore, said after the ruling.

"It was a miscarriage of justice, it couldn't be anything else, my daughter didn't know where the man was going," he added.

British police say 12 people from the same West Midlands area of England went to Syria or tried to do so at the same time as this group in 2014.

Two of the men who made it to Syria have since died, while the whereabouts of others remains unclear.
Belgian police fired water-cannon during clashes with protesters at a huge demonstration in Brussels today against the centre-right government's austerity measures.

A group of around 100 masked protesters broke away from the peaceful main rally of around 60,000 people in the Belgian capital and started hurling objects and firecrackers at riot police, AFP journalists said.

Officers then drove them back with jets of water from three cannon.

The protest is supposed to kick off months of planned demonstrations and national strikes led by trade unions against the policies of Prime Minister Charles Michel's government.

Security had been tight amid fears of a repeat of the violence that marred a mass rally against reforms announced by Michel just after he came to power in 2014.

Brussels also remains under security alert following the March 22 suicide bombings at the airport and metro system, claimed by the Islamic State group.

Three main unions oppose proposed reforms from Employment Minister Kris Peeters allowing employers to impose a more flexible work week of up to 45 hours if needed, followed by shorter weeks to retain the principle of the 38-hour work week.

"I am here to protest against all the measures that this right-wing government is taking. They are attacking workers, pensioners and the unemployed," Michel Beis, a trade union member taking part in the peaceful rally told AFP before the violence broke out.

"We are going backwards," added Jacques Warnier, a protester from the town of Liege.

Former socialist prime minister Elio di Rupo was among the crowd of protesters, who wore red, green and blue tops in the colours of the main unions from both Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia.
Red FM today told the Delhi High Court that the Centre has signed the Grant of Permission Agreement (GOPA) permitting it to start phase III operations in three radio channels it won in an auction held last year.

The submission was made before Justice J R Midha by Digital Radio Broadcasting Ltd, which runs radio channel Red FM, while withdrawing its plea seeking directions to the Centre to sign GOPA for the three channels at Mumbai, Srinagar and Jodhpur.

As per the petition of Red FM, the GOPA was to be signed by May this year. However, since the agreement had not been signed, the radio channel had decided to approach the high court.

Today, however, Red FM's counsel told the court that GOPA was signed yesterday.

The Union Home Ministry had on July 15 last year refused security clearance to Red FM which was associated with Sun TV Group run by Kalanithi Maran. Kalanithi and his brother Dayanidhi Maran are being prosecuted in cases of alleged money laundering.

Thereafter, another bench of the high court had on July 26 last year set aside the Home Ministry's decision and allowed Red FM to participate in the phase III auction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Centre would extend all assistance to Assam and other north eastern states to ensure their speedy development as part of the Act East Policy.

"Assam will be the centre point to bring about effective all-round development of the entire North East and this region will emerge as powerfully developed part of the country as a part of our Act East Policy," Modi said addressing a mammoth gathering after the swearing-in of first BJP government in Assam under Sarbananda Sonowal.

"We have a vision of all-round and balanced development in all parts of the country. We cannot rest if only the western part of the country progresses and the eastern part lag behinds. We are committed to ensure development of Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and the entire North East."



The Centre, he said, believes in competitive and cooperative federalism. "We give maximum power to the states who want to progress while we hold hands of states who are not strong enough and ensure that they too are brought to the path of progress and development."



NE region was earlier called the 'Seven Sisters'. "But for us it is 'asthalakshmi' (including Sikkim) and we are committed to the region's all-round balanced development."



The prime minister said all governments since Independence have done something good for the nation. "We must take this forward while striving to remove the prevailing deficiencies."



Modi assured that the Centre will not allow Assam to feel deprived in any way and will try to provide assistance in the same speed that the state government wants to bring about change and development.

Assam's deep rooted culture, ethics and values must be brought to the fore to inspire the rest of the country so that it can achieve moral strength and reach new heights, he said.

Modi said Assam and the North Eastern region has special



importance in strengthening ties with Eastern nations.

The prime minister said if the people and government move together you will get unprecedented results.

"I assure you our government at Centre believes in cooperative federalism and we believe in giving more power to states. Assam will not let down on any issue by the Centre," Modi said.

The prime minister expressed confidence that the new government in Assam under Sonowal would strive to fulfil the aspirations and dreams of the people who reposed immense faith in BJP during the recent assembly polls.

He said Sonowal will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling the dreams of Assam.

Sonowal's becoming the chief minister was a moment of triumph and pride not only for the adivasis (tribals) but also for the entire nation, he said.

"Sonowal was my colleague in the Union ministry and I observed his simplicity, good nature, the smiling happy persona, humility. The ease with which he won over people is indeed appreciable.

"I have come here to thank the people of Assam who have dreamt of development and elected Sonowal and the others to ensure that their dreams are realised ... I assure them that the new government will work with dedication and sincerity for the welfare of Assam," Modi added.
Chabahar Port agreement with Iran is a landmark development that will help Indian companies boost their engagement in Central Asia and also significantly reduce the transportation cost, industry chamber Ficci said today.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outreach to Tehran has infused vigour into the momentum to develop connectivity, infrastructure and in India's energy security goals," the industry body said.

India and Iran yesterday signed a bilateral pact to develop the Chabahar port for which India will invest USD 500 million, during Modi's visit to the Persian Gulf nation.

The key agreement signed was a contract for development of Phase I of the Chabahar port on the southern coast of Iran by an Indian joint venture.

"The signing of commercial contract for the Chabahar Phase 1 will open a route to land-locked Afghanistan and cut transport costs/time by third," Ficci said.

Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Balochistan Province on the energy-rich Persian Gulf nation's southern coast, lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India's western coast, bypassing Pakistan.

The development of the port "will help Indian companies enhance engagement in Iran and gain access to Afghanistan & Central Asia. In the long run Chahabar will also serve as the point of origin for the proposed Iran-Oman-India pipeline," the chamber pointed out.

"A multiplier effect rests on the possibility that other international investors may also see the rationale of this important investment, thus paving the way for creation of a strategic bulwark that facilitates greater flow of people and goods among the three countries, as well as in the region and contributes to economic growth of Afghanistan," Ficci said.

India and Iran had in 2003 agreed to develop Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz, near Iran's border with Pakistan.

"The bilateral agreement to develop the Chabahar port and related infrastructure signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, underlines the extraordinary strategic opportunities that present themselves for India in the region," Ficci noted.

The chamber said it "sees PM Modi's timely visit to Iran setting the stage for boosting trade in a big way. The 12 MoUs signed between the two countries cutting across culture, science & technology, exchange of info & knowledge and many another aspects of economic engagement, as a significant effort to build enduring partnership".
Having already expanded its influence in Nepal with road and rail network through Tibet, is now looking to stretch its railway link to Bihar to improve connectivity with India and South Asia, state-run Chinese media reported today.

A cross-border railroad link to the Rasuwagadhi area in Nepal has already been discussed between the two countries.

China's railroad is expected to reach Nepal border by 2020, an article in the state-run Global Times said.

This rail line makes it possible to connect to India as from Rasuwagadhi to Birgunj, which borders Bihar is only 240 kilometre, the article said.

For Bihar, trade with through the rail link will be easier along this route than through Kolkata, saving time, cost and distance, it said.

"The railroad connection to China not only is important for Nepal and Nepalese people's future development, but also has the capacity to build connectivity with the whole of South Asia. The government of Nepal has the chance to make history," the article said.

It also criticised attempts to block major projects in Nepal.

"Challenge is both internal and external stakeholders' sensitivity about mega infrastructure projects. Unfortunately due to oversensitivity, some major projects were aborted before even a brick was laid. So the Nepali government must play a key role in bringing all the stakeholders into a sufficient consensus," it said.

While rail and road links with Nepal were regarded strategic for China to blunt India's influence in the country, analysts said the development of most expansive infrastructure through the rugged Himalayan mountains is viable only if get connected to India.

India, China bilateral trade currently hovers around $70 billion, with over $48 billion trade deficit in favour of Beijing.

Early this month, in a strategic move to cut landlocked Nepal's dependence on India, China opened a combined road and rail service to Kathmandu through the rugged mountain ranges in Tibet to step up transportation of supplies to the Himalayan country.

An freight train from Lanzhou, the capital city of northwestern China's Gansu province, has been operationalised.

The train will carry the cargo to Xigaze, the nearest Tibetan town close to Nepal, from where the goods will be transported to the Nepal by road. The whole journey will take 10 days.

It includes 2,431 kilometres of rail transport 564 kilometres of road transport to Geelong Port in Nepal.

From there it will take another 160 kilometres of road transport to reach Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

Altogether, the combined transport takes 35 days fewer than traditional ocean transport, the report said.

The combined rail and road service has been started as a follow up to Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's visit here in March during which the two countries signed the landmark transit treaty for Nepal to access supplies from China through the arduous route of Tibet.

Chinese officials said Beijing has also agreed to extend the rail link in Xigaze to the Nepal border, which will enable Kathmandu to access growing rail and road infrastructure in Tibet.

Nepalese officials say that the new routes with China will cut down dependence on India, which till now is the sole supplier of goods.

The Oli government was keen on opening up new routes with China, including access to its port Guangzhou, to reduce dependence on India in the aftermath of the blockade along the Indian border imposed by Madhesis in Nepal to express their resentment against the new constitution, analysts say.
Chinese meteorologists today warned that heavy rain will continue to sweep across regions in south and east China over the next three days, asking authorities to closely watch the weather and brace for any situations.

Regions in the lower and middle reaches of the mighty Yangtze river and some parts of the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou will experience heavy rain and storms during the period, the National Meteorological Center said.

It also forecast rainstorms for some areas in Guangxi, Hainan and Taiwan over the coming 24 hours.

The observatory advised authorities to closely monitor the weather front and prepare for any disasters, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Torrential rain has plagued several provinces in China, disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and causing heavy economic losses in the last few days.

In the city of Maoming in southern province of Guangdong, days of heavy rain across 23 counties in which eight people were killed and resulted in direct economic losses of more than one billion yuan (USD 153.8 million) according to the provincial government.
Chinese state media today slammed the lifting of decades-old US arms embargo against Vietnam, saying the move was aimed at Beijing and calling Barack Obama's assurances to the contrary "a very poor lie".

Obama announced the end of the 41-year-old ban on weapons sales to the United States' former foe in Hanoi yesterday, as Washington and Beijing jockey for influence in Asia and tensions mount in the strategically important South China Sea.

Beijing is taking an increasingly assertive stance in the area, building up artificial islands with facilities capable of military use, while Washington has responded with "freedom of navigation" sail-bys and fly-pasts.

Beijing claims almost the whole of the sea, while several of its neighbours have conflicting claims, including Vietnam.

The arms sales decision "was not based on China", Obama said, but part of normalising ties with the ex-enemy.

China's Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist party, reported today that the comment was "a very poor lie" and exacerbated "the strategic antagonism between Washington and Beijing".

Washington's "ultimate goal" was to cement US dominance in the area, it said, and it was "taking advantage of Vietnam to stir up more troubles in the South China Sea".

Similarly the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which includes Vietnam but not China, was one of "three nets that the US is knitting around China-ideology, security, economy and trade", it said.

The lifting of the embargo will have come as a surprise to the paper, which yesterday confidently declared that such a move "obviously cannot be achieved".

The stance was echoed on the front page of the China Daily, which is published by the government and whose front-page headline said the US was charting a "clear course aimed at containing China".

In an editorial, the paper said that the move risked "turning the region into a tinderbox of conflicts".

"The former bitter foes have turned into friends and are seeking to boost their commercial, military and political relations," it said, adding the move showed "there are no eternal allies or perpetual enemies, only eternal and perpetual interests".
Cigarettes worth nearly Rs 4 crore were allegedly looted by a gang of robbers from a container truck on the Saharanpur-Ghaziabad road, at a place falling under Bhojpur police station.

The incident took place last morning. This afternoon, police detained the driver of the container, Raj Singh Gujar, a resident of Mamuri in Meerut district, on the basis of suspicion.

According to the driver, the consignment of cigarettes was loaded in the container at Saharanpur. It was to be delivered at Ghaziabad. The robbers came in a Tata Safari car and waylaid the container near Chaumuha falling under the Jait reporting chauki.

They overpowered the driver and tied him with a rope. One of the robbers then drove the container away, while the others forced the driver into their vehicle and followed the container.

The police found the driver and the empty container near Chaumuha during a vehicle check this afternoon.

"This is a very doubtful account," IG, Meerut Zone Ashutosh Pandey said, referring to the version of the driver.

"The involvement of the driver cannot be ruled out since the GPS system of the container was found broken," SP, City Mukul Dwivedi said.

Since the matter concerns the jurisdiction of Ghaziabad police as well, the driver would not be interrogated here. "A team of Ghaziabad police is expected in Mathura. We shall handover the driver to them," the SP added.
Iraqi forces cleared areas around Fallujah today after launching an assault to retake the city, tightening their siege on Islamic State group fighters but also raising fears for civilians trapped inside.

With the jihadists surrounded and outnumbered, the recapture of their iconic bastion looked ultimately inevitable, especially after IS suffered a string of losses in recent months.

But illustrating that even a diminished IS is still dangerous, the group has struck back with a wave of bomb attacks, including a series of blasts that left more than 160 dead in Syrian regime coastal strongholds on Monday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the start of the operation to retake Fallujah yesterday and less than a day into the battle, Iraqi forces had secured the nearby town of Garma.

That cut off IS fighters in Fallujah from one of their last support areas and paved the way for more advances towards the city, which lies only 50 kilometres west of Baghdad.

"Federal forces advanced towards the east of Fallujah early today from three directions," police Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat told AFP.

The Hashed al-Shaabi umbrella paramilitary organisation, dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militias that are heavily involved in the operation, said ground was also gained south of Fallujah.

With forces converging on the city, concerns mounted that the tens of thousands of civilians believed to still be inside had nowhere to go.

The Norwegian Refugee Council estimated the number at 50,000 and urged efforts to get them out.

"Families who have been suffering food and medical shortages over the last months now risk being caught in the crossfire and it is absolutely vital that they are granted safe routes out of there so that we can assist them," NRC country director Nasr Muflahi said in a statement.

He told AFP that only 80 families appeared to have been able to flee the city in the hours before the fighting began, and none since.

"We were expecting more to come out overnight, this hasn't happened," Muflahi said, adding that plans by local authorities to open humanitarian corridors had not yet materialised.

Officials from Anbar, the vast western province in which Fallujah is located, reported that small numbers of civilians had managed to sneak out.

A Fallujah resident reached by telephone told AFP there was heavy shelling on the northern edge of the city today.

"Daesh (IS) is still imposing a curfew, preventing people from coming out on the street. Some of them are allowed to stand at their gates," said the man, who gave his name as Abu Mohammed al-Dulaimi.
CLSA Global Markets Pte today offloaded over 4.40 crore shares of IDFC Bank for an estimated Rs 208 crore through an open market transaction.

IDFC Bank is one of the latest entrant into the private sector lending space of the country.

According to bulk deal data available with the stock exchanges, CLSA sold a total of 44,037,474 shares, amounting to 1.3 per cent stake, of IDFC Bank.

The shares were offloaded on an average price of Rs 47.16 apiece, valuing the transaction at Rs 207.68 crore.

As on April 16, CLSA held 1.81 per cent stake in the banking entity.

Meanwhile, Platinum Investment Management Ltd picked up 28,913,02 shares of IDFC Bank for Rs 136.35 crore.

Last week, Sun Pharma founder Dilip Shanghvi along with IDFC Bank and Telenor Financial Services dropped plans to set up payments bank in the country, nearly nine months after getting in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank.

Shares of IDFC Bank today closed 0.32 per cent lower at Rs 47 apiece on BSE.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today invited investments for the hill state, assuring the investors of a healthy business environment.

Addressing apublic meeting at Parwanoo in Solan district, Singh said, "The state has opened more avenues for entrepreneurs. A day will come when we will see Himachali products capturing international markets with the 'Made in Himachal' tag."



The CM said that the Himachal Bureau of Investment was being established for speedy clearance of projects proposed by investors to enable them to invest in key sectors such as horticulture, industries and agriculture.

"The state government is endeavouring to strengthen the education sector. In the last three years, 36 government colleges and 1,289 schools have been opened by the government, raising the number of government colleges to 110," Singh said, adding that more vocational courses have been introduced in many schools.

In order to provide state-of-the-art infrastructural andteaching facilities, the Mukhya Mantri Adarsh Vidyalaya Yojna has been launched with an outlay of Rs 30 crore. Under it, two senior secondary schools in each constituency are being selected, the CM said, adding that the state has made rapid strides in education and was next only to Kerala in terms of literacy rate.

As regards the court case against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Singh, a Congress politician, said that even if false cases were being made out against him by the opposition, the Prime Minister was not aware of it.

He said that three investigating agencieswere probing the same case against him simultaneously, which has never happened in the history of the country.

"In the end, truth shall prevail," the CM said.
Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar today alleged that the state government has refused to make the findings of the Prakash Singh Committee public as it might expose the nexus between the ruling party and the officers behind the violence during the Jat quota agitation.

Tanwar expressed his surprise that the committee, headed by retired IPS officer Prakash Singh, was appointed by the state government itself to enquire into allegations of omissions and commissions on part of officers during the agitation but now it is refusing to make its findings public.

He said the public had every right to know what the committee had stated in its report.

Tanwar also urged Prakash Singh to clarify over his statement that certain BJP leaders had put pressure on him to influence the course of the probe.

The HPCC chief added that many BJP leaders, including MPs and MLAs, had pointed fingers at a few ministers of the saffron party for their alleged role during the agitation. At least 30 people were killed and property worth several crores of rupees destroyed during the stir.

He demanded that the names of those who wanted to influence the probe be made public.

Tanwar alleged that the state government appointing the Prakash Singh Committee was "an eyewash" as it wanted to "hide" the crimes committed during the agitation.

Referring to various enquiries initiated against former Congress Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Tanwar said that the government had every right to conduct an inquiry, but it should not be politically motivated.
Congress MLA and former union minister Preneet Kaur today met Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadarianwale and assured him that her party is closely following the case of murderous assault on him and will ensure the culprits are punished.

Kaur said she had come to meet Dhadrianwale and offer her condolences over the death of one of his companions in the attack in Ludhiana last week.

Terming the attack as a highly condemnable act, she hoped the government will identify and punish the culprits with out playing any "partisan role".

Kaur said the attack reflected the fragile state of law and order in Punjab, where the criminals are having a field day and had no fear of law.

My party does not want to play politics on such a sensitive issue, but at the same time it could not overlook the seriousness and sensitivity of the matter, she said.

Dhadrianwale survived a murderous assault allegedly by men from radical Sikh group Damdami Taksal last week in which his associate was killed.
The Congress, which emerged as the number two party in West Bengal in the just-concluded Assembly election, today said it would boycott the swearing-in of the new Mamata Banerjee-led government on May 27 and questioned the rationale for the proposed "lavish" event.

"We will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mamata Banerjee on Friday," PCC president Adhir Chowdhury told PTI.

On why the party has taken such a decision, Chowdhury said, "There is no meaning in attending the programme when our partymen are attacked by Trinamool Congress workers in post-poll violence."



He said the the party was also planning a demonstration at Esplanade in central Kolkata on Friday when Banerjee would take oath as the chief minister.

He also questioned the need to spend crores of rupees for the swearing-in ceremony of the new government and said it was in sharp contrast to the severe financial crisis faced by the state.

"West Bengal is the highest debt-ridden state in the country... And when the state is heading towards financial bankruptcy, does it look proper to organise such celebration blocking the entire Red Road?" Chowdhury told reporters at the party office here.

On who could be the Leader of Opposition from Congress, which won on 44 of 294 assembly seats, Chowdhury said that the party's central leadership would take a decision on this matter. "We have sent a few names to the central leadership," he said.

Asked if the Congress would be present at the Left Front's two-day sit-in on May 25 and 26 at Esplanade in protest against post-poll attacks on its supporters, Chowdhury said, "Obviously we will be there... After all we are in an alliance.
Actor Vincent D'Onofrio has denied rumours that he will be reprising the role of Kingpin in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."



The movie is set to be the first Spider-Man from Marvel and with Tom Holland in the titular role. There were rumours doing the rounds that D'Onofrio, who plays the role of Kingpin in hit television series "Daredevil", is set to join the movie.

The 56-year-old actor took to Twitter to deny the rumours.

"If @MatthewModine had not told me about this film and Stanley Kubrick had not cast me. I doubt I'd have a career," he wrote.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" is set to hit the big screen next summer and will see Jon Watts in the director's chair for his first Marvel film.
Defence Ministry is now looking for an alternative for the chopper scam tainted Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica's heavy weight torpedos for the Scorpene submarines.

Defence sources said the proposal to acquire 98 Black Shark torpedoes for the six under construction French Scorpene submarines for a price of Rs 1,200 crore has been nixed.

"There is an alternate that is being worked on," the sources said adding that the SeaHake torpedos from Germany's Atlas Elektronik could be an option.

Black Shark torpedoes, made by Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS), a subsidiary of Finmeccanica, had emerged the lowest bidder to arm the Scorpene submarines, the first of which will be handed over to the Navy by September this year.

However, the proposal to acquire it had been stuck because of the VVIP chopper scam.

The Navy had been pushing for it citing "operational necessity". However, sources said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has now decided to go for an alternative.

Atlas Elektronik had come second during the bidding and sources said the reason for it to lose was due to certain differences between the Germany company and the French firm which is making the submarine in collaboration with MDL in Mumbai.

"However, it seems that the differences have been resolved now," sources said adding that either a fresh tender could be placed or the government may go in for direct purchase.

If the issue is not resolved fast, the Navy would be inducting the first Scorpene submarine without its main anti-ship attack system.

Sources said the Scorpene class submarines' have already been customised to integrate its fire control system with the Black Sharks.

Integrating another type of torpedo, will not only cost extra but also more time, the sources said.

Six submarines are being built at the Mazagon Dock Ltd with technology from French firm DCNS under an over Rs 25,000 crore project called P-75.
The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on the application moved by AAP government seeking a stay on the proceedings on the petitions arising out of its standoff with the LG over powers to appoint bureaucrats in the national capital and other issues.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath reserved the order on the application in which AAP government has sought a stay on proceedings on the ground that the issues involve a dispute of "federal nature" between the Centre and Delhi government and the Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction to deal with the matter.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Delhi government, told the bench that the high court does not have the jurisdiction to deal with such dispute.

"The Supreme Court is the forum for adjudication of disputes of federal nature," she said.

"If framers of the Constitution had wanted that disputes of federal nature would be dealt with by the various high courts, then there would have been no exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 131 in such issues," she said.

During earlier arguments on the application, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain had told the bench that Article 131 does not come in the way of jurisdiction of high courts under Article 226 of the Constitution.

He had said that power of high courts cannot be ousted as Article 226 is a part of the doctrine of basic structure of the Constitution.

A total of 11 cases arising out of the confrontation between the LG and Delhi government are being heard together by the high court.

Delhi government had on May 28 last year approached the high court challenging the Centre's notification of May 21 giving the LG absolute powers to appoint bureaucrats in the city.

It had also challenged the July 23, 2014 notification limiting the jurisdiction of the Anti Corruption Branch to Delhi government officials only.
After being delayed by nearly two months, the second computerised draw for admissions under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category was today conducted by Delhi Government in which over 4,700 seats for entry level classes in private schools were alloted.

The nursery admission process began from January 1 and was to conclude by March 31. However, failure on schools' part to complete the process under the first list of draw of lots held on February 15 and compile the data of vacant seats with several deadlines lapsing, contributed to an excessive delay in the process.

While the classes began in April itself, now the schools are closed for summer vacation and the students allotted seats in the second draw will be able to join school only after the summer break.

The Directorate of Education (DoE) had received over 73,059 applications for nursery, UKG and Class 1 against the total numbers of 28,193 seats.

Out of 28,193 seats, 26,604 were alloted in February through computerised draw, an experiment that was introduced by the Delhi government for the first time.

Earlier this month, two adjustment rounds were conducted in which 1134 successful candidates of the first round were adjusted in other schools due to various justified reasons.

"In the second round of draw of lots today, a total of 4799 candidates were allotted schools out of 7687 vacancies considered during this round," an official statement said.

"Out of the students who were allotted seats in the first round, 16977 have been admitted. While 266 have been provisionally admitted and 531 have been rejected. A total of 7263 candidates did not report," it added.

Identifying over 300 schools as "defaulters" for not sharing the status of admissions under the EWS and Disadvantaged Group (DG) category, DoE had last month formed teams to conduct random inspections in private schools.

Twenty-four teams comprising three members each visited the schools to verify if the admissions have been granted as per the admission list submitted by the school.
The Delhi government today presented to the Centre a comprehensive plan to clean the Yamuna river and restore its ecological value and was assured of support for the initiative.

A Delhi Jal Board (DJB) delegation led by Water Minister Kapil Mishra presented the plan to Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti at Shram Shakti Bhawan here.

The plan includes cleaning of all drains flowing into the river and stopping the sludge coming from Haryana.

Apart from this, the government will also restore the ecological value of the river by building biodiversity parks and ecological landscapes like treatment wetlands, catchment wetlands, mosaic of grasslands, floodplain forests, terrestrial forest communities and new habitats.

After seeing the presentation, Bharti said, "I am impressed by the work done by the DJB in creating such comprehensive plan to turnaround the condition of the Yamuna river. They have incorporated almost all points suggested by the Union Water Ministry as well."



"The Union government assures its support to this initiative of cleaning the river and will implement this Yamuna turnaround plan on a war-footing," she was quoted as saying in a release by the Delhi government.

Later, Mishra said, "We will work closely with the Union Water Ministry on DJB's plan for Yamuna and commit to the treatment of polluted water, ensure proper seepage management and develop public spaces along the Yamuna river."



"We will also create a mass campaign to bring people back to the river," he added.
AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh today asked the central government to order a judicial probe into the "fake" 2008 encounter at Batla House in Delhi in which two suspected terrorists and a police officer were killed.

"Batla House encounter was fake. I dare the BJP to go for a judicial probe. I still stand by my remarks on the encounter. I don't know who is Bada Sajid or Chhota Sajid," Singh told reporters here.

According to the reports, Mohammed Sajid alias Bada Sajid is one of the six persons who feature in the 22-minute video allegedly posted by the Islamic State recently, though NIA is still identifying them.

The issue of the encounter, which had taken place when the Congress-led UPA government was in power, cropped up again recently amid a claim by an alleged ISIS operative that he had fled Batla House right before the police raided it.

When asked if he should apologise as the claim of the ISIS operative insinuates that the shootout was genuine, Singh shot back saying, "Why should I apologise?".

When Singh had claimed first time that the encounter was fake it caused a sharp political divide with BJP, which was then in opposition, accused the Congress of playing vote bank politics.

Interestingly, then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had insisted that the gunfight between security forces and terrorists was "genuine".

Latching on the ISIS video, BJP had yesterday alluded to Singh as a "pseudo secularist" and stated the saffron party's stand that the gunbattle was "genuine" has been vindicated.

When asked about the ISIS video, Singh said he would not like to say anything, "but I stick to my stand (that the encounter was fake)".

On mega star Amitabh Bachchan hosting the second anniversary event of the Modi government at India Gate on May 28, Singh said, "BJP is known for displaying such pomp and show-off (sic)".

Singh said he would visit the Prime Minister's Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi on May 26 and "expose" Modi's development claims of last two years.

On reports that Sharad Pawar-led NCP is in favour of continuation of Sonia Gandhi as the president of Congress, Singh said, "If they (NCP) are so worried about Congress, then they should better merge their party with us".

In 2009, the Delhi High Court had declined to institute a judicial probe into the gunbattle.

A Delhi court in 2013 had sentenced to life the lone convict and suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Shahzad Ahmad in the case for killing decorated police officer M C Sharma and injuring two other policemen.
The fate of hundreds of flat buyers of Supertech in Greater Noida hangs in balance as the builder and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) have locked horns over the issue of completion certificate for the project.

YEIDA has cancelled the building map of Supertech's first phase of the 100-acre township project 'Upcountry', saying it was submitted as per the building bye laws of 2010, which provided for 40 per cent of ground coverage.

According to YEIDA, the map should have been according the 2009 building bye laws which allow only 25 per cent of ground coverage.

Apparently, the building plan was initially approved in 2011 on the basis of a recommendatory letter purportedly from a senior Uttar Pradesh government official, whose authenticity has come into question and the matter is being probed.

The builder, on the other hand, argues that since the project was sanctioned in 2011, it could not apply as per the bye laws of 2009.

"The building map for part completion of the project has been cancelled," YEIDA CEO Arun Vir Singh told PTI.

"The building map submitted by Supertech in October 2015 was not as per the Uttar Pradesh government's building bye laws of 2009," he said.

The CEO said the Authority had received a letter in 2011, purportedly signed by Alok Kumar, Secretary, Industrial Development in the Uttar Pradesh government, recommending that the benefit of building bye laws of 2010 be given to Supertech as construction work had not started in the project.

"We have been informed that this letter was not issued under the reference number mentioned on it. Therefore, we have ordered an internal inquiry to find out the truth. The state Industrial Development Department is also looking into this matter," Singh said.

"We have not scrapped the project. Investors are safe," he said, adding if the company applies as per 2009 bye laws, the completion certificate would be issued immediately.

Supertech Chairman R K Arora said the plot was allotted in



June 2010 and was registered in August 2010.

"We applied for building plan approval and it was sanctioned in October 2011 as per the 2010 building bye laws regulation.

"When we applied for completion certificate last year, at that time the authority said the approval had been given wrongly. We were told to revise the building plan as per 2009 bye laws," Arora said.

With regard to the letter, he said the company has nothing to do with it and it was between authority and the UP government



"We are in no way connected with this letter. This is between the two departments," Arora said.

He said the company has approached the government to resolve the matter.

Last month, Supertech was asked to seal over 1,000 units at a housing project in Greater Noida by local authority GNIDA for allegedly constructing them without approval.

In April 2014, the Allahabad High Court had ordered demolition of the company's two 40-storey towers in a Noida housing project. Supertech has challenged the order in the apex court.
Top seed Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a first French Open title with a routine victory as Andy Murray battled through to round two on Tuesday, while Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber crashed out.

Djokovic, a three-time Roland Garros finalist, faced little resistance from Taiwan's world number 95 Lu Yen-Hsun as he eased to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory.

The Serb, bidding to become just the eighth man to secure a career Grand Slam, needed just 90 minutes on Court Phillipe Chatrier to book a second-round encounter with Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis.

However, Murray was forced to recover from a two-set deficit to overcome 37-year-old Radek Stepanek 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 in a match lasting three hours 41 minutes in total.

The second seed had been trailing by two sets to one but up a break in the fourth when play was suspended on Monday due to darkness.

The Scot duly returned to complete the job after making the crucial breakthrough at 5-all in the decider to set up a second-round encounter with 164th-ranked French wildcard Mathias Bourgue.

"He's always been extremely difficult to play," said Murray after a ninth career comeback from two sets down.

"He was playing drop shots, hitting the ball very flat, it was very difficult to get into a rhythm. That's credit to him and the way he played."



While Murray toiled, there were no such problems for nine-time champion Rafael Nadal who extended his record at Roland Garros to 71 wins against just two losses.

The fourth-seeded Spaniard made quick work of 100th-ranked Sam Groth, taming the Australian's powerful serve with eight breaks in a resounding 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win.

"It's obvious that was a good start for me," said Nadal.

"I managed to break him very quickly. It was important because against such an opponent it's not easy to take his serve."



However, Kerber became the tournament's first major casualty as Dutchwoman Bertens consigned the German third seed to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 defeat.

"The first rounds are always tough in the tournament, especially for me, but, yeah, what can I say? It happens," lamented Kerber, who was hampered by an ongoing shoulder problem.

"She's a tough opponent. I was ready. But, yeah, at the end she made the important points."



Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych, a former French Open semi-finalist, cruised to a straight-set win over Canada's Vasek Pospisil.
Delhi University teachers today boycotted the evaluation process for undergraduate examinations in protest against the new UGC gazette notification that has altered workload requirements for faculty members.

"All twelve evaluation centres were closed today and the teachers stayed away from evaluation of scripts of undergraduate examinations, in protest against the recent draconian UGC Gazette notification that will lead to loss of jobs for about 5000 ad-hocs, temporary and guest teachers of DU," a statement issued by the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) said.

The gazette notification has increased the workload for assistant professors from 16 hours of "direct teaching" per week (including tutorials) to 18 hours, plus another six of tutorials, bringing the total up to 24 hours. Similarly the work hours of associate professors have been increased from 14 to 22, it said.

Teachers argued that the changes are likely to impact quality of teaching, global rankings, lead to massive retrenchment and give a skewed student-teacher ratio and over 50 per cent increase in workload for existing permanent teachers will mean "a proportionate amount of retrenchment of ad hocs and temporary staff."



"The said amendment was secretly notified under the guise of addressing teachers' grievances against the infamous API system that had led to large scale denial of promotions, besides devaluing research and teaching," the statement said.

If the government doesn't roll back the amendment to UGC 2010 Regulations, teachers may even boycott the admission process.

"We demand that the the government withdraws the gazette notification immediately and initiates a dialogue with teachers associations on the issue.

"After a four-day evaluation boycott, during which staff associations will convene meetings and pass resolutions on this issue, a general body meeting of the DUTA will be held on May 28, to review the situation and decide action programme for further intensification," it added.
Dubai is all set to woo tourists with the world's first Bollywood-themed amusement park where visitors will be able to enjoy immersive 3-D and 4-D rides and stunts from movies such as 'Krrish' and 'RA.One' and savour a "Mughal-e-Azam" style banquet.

Dubai Parks and Resorts complex, a Dh 10.5 billion (about USD 2.75 billion) venture, will have 16 cinematic rides, six themed restaurants and 30 live shows inspired by contemporary Hindi-language blockbusters such as superstar Salman Khan's 'Dabangg', Shah Rukh Khan's 'Don', Aamir Khan's 'Lagaan' and Hrithik Roshan's 'Krrish' as well as classics like 'Sholay' and 'Mughal-E-Azam' among others.

General Manager Bollywood Parks Dubai Thomas Jellum said he is sure that apart from Indians, people from other countries will also come to Dubai to experience the vibrant celebration of India's film industry at this attraction, spread over 1.7 million square feet.

The theme park will also include Broadway-style live shows with fine-dining. Tourists will have to shell out extra at Rajmahal, a 850-seat theatre that will house a separately ticketed Broadway-style Bollywood musical.

The theme park will have a glittering opening ceremony in October attended by some of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Jellum said.

Unveiling an exclusive preview and tour of the upcoming park at a press conference here, Chief Destination Management Officer of Dubai Parks and Resorts Vinit Shah said he and his team members have tried to take all the ingredients that go into a Bollywood movie to create an experience that stays with people visiting the park.

"We went directly to the production houses to talk about the films for the concept development and for insights for the story development for our rides," Shah said.

Director, Branding and communication, Muna Harib Al Muhairi and Director Marketing, Neelabja Chowdhury said they have started selling annual passes for its parks, which will grant pass holders unlimited year-long access to as many as 100 rides and attractions across its three theme parks and one water park, among other benefits.

"Dubai Parks and Resorts is encouraging sales of the passes by throwing in exclusive preview access to the parks with early purchase," they added.

They said that the immersive 3-D and 4-D rides and stunts will offer visitors a first-hand look at behind-the-scenes action from movies such as 'Krrish' and 'RA.One'.

The Bollywood Boulevard zone will be home to Rock On, a



restaurant with a live rock band recreating a scene from the 2008 film of the same name, starring Farhan Akhtar.

In Mumbai Chowk, Don-the Chase will bring to life the classic car-chase sequence from the film, while the Rustic Raven zone will shine the spotlight on movies with a rural focus.

The Lagaan corner will be set up as a carnival, with a Ferris wheel, carousel and games. The ride Sholay The Hunt for Gabbar will have visitors fighting the 'bad guys'.

The Bollywood Film Studios' Hall of Heroes area will provide a sneak peek into the making of movies, including the coming-of-age drama 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'.

Retail outlets such as Chalte Chalte', the Bollywood Studio store, Desi Emporium and Mumbai Bazaar, will sell movie memorabilia and themed merchandise.

The park, which is located half an hour away from downtown Dubai, will also have 30 live shows, across six stages -- Rock On, Crossroads, Mumbai Express, Rangmanch, Stars on Steps and Cinema Circle.
Dutch MPs voted today to strip dual nationals of their Dutch citizenship if they join terror groups such as the so-called Islamic State group to fight as jihadists, officials said.

The lower house of parliament approved the controversial bill to revoke the Dutch citizenship of people with dual nationality, if they are deemed to have joined foreign terror groups like IS or Al-Qaeda -- even if they have not been convicted of any crime.

The move comes in the wake of attacks in Paris last year and in Brussels in March, carried out by European extremists thought to have returned home after joining radical organisations in Syria or Iraq as foreign fighters.

"These jihadists can pose a threat to national security when they return to the Netherlands," the justice ministry said in a statement.

"Therefore, even without a conviction on a terror charge, the justice minister can decide to strip a person of their nationality, if that person is deemed to have joined a terror organisation," ministry spokesman Wiebe Alkema told AFP.

However, the ruling would not apply to people who only have Dutch nationality, Alkema added. Under international conventions, countries are not allowed to intentionally make people stateless.

Justice Minister Ard Van der Steur first proposed the changes to the law late last year, saying they were necessary to stop jihadists returning to the Netherlands.

"The scrapping of Dutch nationality becomes possible as soon as somebody in a foreign country joins a group on a list of terror organisations" such as IS or Al-Qaeda, the justice ministry statement said.

"Once approved, the person will be declared an undesirable foreigner. It will prevent them from returning to the Netherlands or the Schengen zone," it added.

But the bill has caused discord in parliament, with some leftist parties arguing it could lead to even greater radicalisation.

According to past estimates by the Dutch secret services, 200 people from the Netherlands including 50 women have joined IS in Syria and Iraq.
To curb road mishaps and deaths, an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), constituted by the Centre, has recommended heavy penalty for minor drivers and making more stringent the provisions for violation of traffic rules.

GoM head and Rajasthan Transport Minister Yunus Khan told reporters here that the group in its second meeting in Bangalore on Friday recommended various measures to check traffic violations.

The measures include setting up of a dedicated force for traffic management on national highways,10 per cent share from Central Road Fund (CRF) for road safety, provisions in the statute and traffic rules for pedestrians and non- mechanised vehicles, he said yesterday.

Heavy penalty for minor drivers and cancellation of driving licence for two years forviolation of rules or crimes of serious nature after three times have also been recommended, he said.

Khan said the third meeting of the group is likely to take place in Himachal Pradesh in next month.

He also said a detailed assessment of the progress of road projects in Rajasthan has been made and the government is focusing on improving road safety and curbing accidents and deaths.
An Egyptian court has overturned five-year jail sentences of 47 people accused of participating in protests against a government decision to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

The court, however, upheld a fine of over USD 11,200 for each defendant yesterday, according to judicial sources.

The defendants were referred to court last month for "illegally protesting, attempting to overthrow the government, rioting, inciting against state institutions, disturbing public peace".

Several activists rallied on April 25 to protest against the government's decision to transfer the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. The islands were under Egyptian control for over 60 years.

The protesters accused the government of selling the islands in return for Saudi investments.

Police had arrested a number of protesters and used tear gas to break up the protest believed to be the largest to take place in Egypt since President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi was elected as president in 2014.

According to a controversial protest law issued in 2013, street protests are banned in Egypt without prior permission from police.
Ten persons have been injured when police burst teargas shells and made a lathicharge to disperse members of a backward community who allegedly went on the rampage and threw stones at police personnel near here, police today said.

Eight police personnel, including a DSP and SI, were injured in the stone-pelting.

Police said members of the Perumbidugu Mutharayar Community had thronged the Madhakupatti police station in this district demanding release of five members of their community around midnight yesterday.

Police resorted to lathicharge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and arrested 98 persons, they said.

Cases against 400 persons was registered today.

Police had arrested five members of the community for organising a function 'Perumbidugu Mutharayar Sathaya Vizha" (Anniversary) without permission.

As about the arrest spread, hundreds of people from nearby villages gathered in front of the police station and sought their release.

Police said DSP Balamurugan urged the people to disperse but they turned violent and started throwing stones and also ransacked the police station, police said.

The DSP said they also damaged a government transport bus.

DIG Ananthkumar Somani and District Collector Malarvizhi visited the spot today to assess the situation.

Police reinforcements have been sent from Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts,and the situation in the area is under control now, police said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today warned the European Union that the Turkish parliament would block laws related to the landmark deal to stem the flow of migrants to Europe if Ankara was not granted its key demand of visa-free travel.

The stark and unexpected warning from Erdogan came amid spiralling tensions between the Turkish strongman and the bloc over a string of issues ranging from existing accords and human rights as he seeks to further consolidate his powers.

"If that (the visa exemption) is not what will happen... no decision and no law in the framework of the readmission agreement will come out of the parliament of the Turkish Republic," Erdogan said at the close of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.

"Our foreign ministry, our EU affairs ministry will have discussions with the Europeans. If there is a result then great. If not, then I'm sorry."



There have been growing indications Turks will not be given the visa-free travel by the target of the end of June and Chancellor Angela Merkel warned after talks with Erdogan yesterday that the target was unlikely to be met.

The agreement -- which is already being implemented -- saw Turkey pledge to work to stop migrants cross the Aegean to Europe and also readmit migrants who crossed illegally.

EU officials have hailed the success of the deal, but Ankara has grown increasingly uneasy about the bloc's wariness to grant it the visa-free travel to the passport free Schengen area it was offered in return.

Erdogan also complained about the EU's wariness in handing over to Turkey a promise of 3 billion euros followed by another 3 billion to help Syrian refugees.

"Turkey is not asking for favours what we want is honesty," Erdogan said, speaking alongside UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the closing conference.

"Turkey is supposed to fulfil criteria? What criteria are these I ask you?" he asked in an angry tirade that overshadowed the end of the summit.

Erdogan had emphasised during the summit how Turkey's hosting of some 3 million refugees from Syria and Iraq was an example to the world and said he hoped the event would lead to a "rekindling" of the world's collective conscience.

But he added: "If it goes into history books as one of the countless meetings where nothing comes out.. I will be very upset.
Europe's Galileo sat-nav system, a rival to America's GPS, took a step closer to becoming operational today with the launch of a fresh pair of satellites to join a dozen already in space.

Orbiters 13 and 14 blasted off on a Russian Soyuz rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 0848 GMT as planned, according to space agencies.

After a journey of nearly four hours, the 700-kilogramme (1,540-pound) satellites entered Earth orbit at an altitude of 23,522 kilometres (14,615 miles).

"Named for the astronomer who pinpointed the Earth's true position in the Solar System, the Galileo satellite navigation system that will help Europe find its way in the 21st century now has 14 satellites in orbit," the European Space Agency (ESA) said.

Seventeenth century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was tried for heresy and jailed by the Catholic Church for insisting the Earth orbited the Sun.

Ultimately, the multi-billion-euro constellation named after the "father of modern science" is meant to comprise 30-odd satellites -- the final number is yet to be determined -- providing navigation and search-and-rescue services.

"This morning's launch... Marks a further step towards European independence in satellite navigation," said Stephane Israel, chairman of launch firm Arianespace.

Another launch, this time of four orbiters on a single rocket, is expected to boost the constellation to 18 by year-end, allowing for Galileo to start providing usable signals.

Israel told AFP the target launch date was November 17.

More modern than the US Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo's high-tech instruments should allow it to provide a more precise signal, its developers say.

But the project has been plagued by delays, technical glitches and budgetary difficulties.

The launch of the seventh and eighth orbiters in March last year was about three months late to allow engineers time to probe an August 2014 mishap which sent satellites five and six into a lopsided orbit.

That incident was blamed on frozen fuel pipes on the Soyuz rocket's fourth stage, called Fregat -- a problem the ESA says has since been fixed.

The first four, so-called In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites, were hoisted in 2011 and 2012.

In March 2013, the quartet managed to pinpoint their first-ever ground location with an accuracy of between 10-15 metres (32 to 49 feet).
"Sometimes even an ant can trouble an elephant," Uttarakhand Chief Minister said today, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, hours after appearing before the CBI in the sting CD case involving him.

"We are not here to fight against Modiji or (BJP chief) Amit Shah. But if they keep pinching us, then they should not forget that sometimes even an ant can trouble an elephant," Rawat said addressing his supporters.

Though insisting that he did not want a confrontation with the Centre as he was "more concerned about the development of my state", Rawat, who was reinstated as Chief Minister following a court-ordered floor test in the legislative assembly, however, said the Modi government was trying to achieve "what it could not" by getting a CBI probe instituted against him.

"We chose to respect the CBI probe. We could have taken a stand (against the probe) for the government which had transferred the matter to CBI wasn't an elected government, it was a decision taken during President's rule. And what is President's rule? Centre's rule. And Centre only has asked its agency to probe the matter," Rawat told the gathering at his 9, Trimurti Lane residence.

Rawat said after its Uttarakhand debacle, the Centre will think twice before imposing President's rule in any state.

He said his government wants an "atmosphere of cooperation" to prevail with the Centre and that he does not intend to "challenge the authority of the Prime Minister".

Rawat said he will appear before the CBI again on June 7 and "present my side of the story before the agency".

The Congress leader said it was "unfortunate" that he had to appear before the CBI when he was supposed to be back in the state monitoring the situation after yesterday's landslide which claimed 12 lives.

CBI had registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) on April 29 to probe the sting operation in which Rawat was purportedly shown negotiating a deal to buy the support of rebel Congress MLAs ahead of the floor test.

Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul had recommended a CBI probe when the state government was under President's rule. However, days after Rawat's reinstatement, the state Cabinet met under Indira Hridayesh and decided to withdraw the notification recommending CBI inquiry. The premier investigative agency, however, decided to proceed with the investigation, claiming legal opinion obtained by it was in its favour.
People who commit violent acts such as mass shootings may do so because of their extreme beliefs and not due to the fact that they are mentally ill, scientists say.

Researchers from University of Missouri (MU) studied the 2011 case of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, and suggested a new forensic term to classify non-psychotic behaviour that leads to criminal acts of violence.

"When these types of tragedies occur, we question the reason behind them," said Tahrir Rahman from MU.

"Sometimes people think that violent actions must be the byproduct of psychotic mental illness, but this is not always the case," said Rahman.

"Our study of the Breivik case was meant to explain how extreme beliefs can be mistaken for psychosis, and to suggest a new legal term that clearly defines this behaviour," he said.

Breivik, a Norwegian terrorist, killed 77 people on July 22 in 2011, in a car bombing in Oslo and a mass shooting at a youth camp on the island of Utoya in Norway.

Claiming to be a "Knights Templar" and a "saviour of Christianity," Breivik stated that the purpose of the attacks was to save Europe from multiculturalism.

Two teams of court-appointed forensic psychiatrists later examined Breivik. The first psychiatric team diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia.

However, after widespread criticism, a second team concluded that Breivik was not psychotic and diagnosed him with narcissistic personality disorder. Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison, researchers said.

"Breivik believed that killing innocent people was justifiable, which seems irrational and psychotic. However, some people without psychotic mental illness feel so strongly about their beliefs that they take extreme actions," said Rahman.

"Our suggested term for criminally violent behaviour when psychosis can be ruled out is 'extreme overvalued belief,'" he said.

Rahman defines "extreme overvalued belief" as a belief that is shared by others and often relished, amplified and defended by the accused.

The individual has an intense emotional commitment to the belief and may act violently as a result of that belief, researchers said.

Although the individual may suffer from other forms of mental illness, the belief and the actions associated with it are not the result of insanity, they said.

"Certain psychological factors may make people more vulnerable to developing dominating and amplified beliefs," said Rahman.

"However, amplification of beliefs about issues such as immigration, religion, abortion or politics also may occur through the internet, group dynamics or obedience to charismatic authority figures," he said.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.
Five men were arrested from Dadri check post on Delhi-Dehradun road for stabbing a taxi driver and stealing the vehicle at gunpoint, police said today.

Murad Nagar Police along with the help of Daurala police apprehended the accused last night, Murad Nagar SHO Subodh Saxena said.

The men have been identified as Jackie, Ramesh Raj, Dushyant, Rohit and Devendra, all in their late twenties and residents of Delhi.

They had hired a taxi yesterday from Shakarpur area in New Delhi on the pretext of going for a trip, he said.

As soon as the car crossed Ghaziabad, the youths stabbed the driver and threw him from the vehicle and fled with the taxi, Saxena said.

The driver informed the police about the incident after which Murad Nagar police chased the car and intercepted them near Dadri.

Finding themselves trapped, the robbers opened fired but were arrested, he said.
Five Pakistan navy officers linked to the Islamic State have been sentenced to death in a secret military trail for allegedly planning to hijack a Pakistani warship to attack one of the US navy's refuel ships, a media report said today.

Sub-Lieutenant Hammad Ahmed and four other naval officers have been sentenced after being convicted by a Navy tribunal for their involvement in the September 6, 2014 attack on Karachi Naval Dockyard.

"The five were charged with having links with the militant Islamic State group, mutiny, hatching a conspiracy and carrying weapons in the dockyard," Hammad's father Retired Major Saeed Ahmed told the Dawn newspaper.

According to the report, the attackers were planning to hijack the warship PNS Zulfiqar to use it in an attack on one of the US navy's refuel ships.

Two militants had been killed and four others were apprehended by security personnel during the attack.

Saeed said that the naval authorities did not provide his son the right to a fair trial.

"I wrote a letter to the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the navy on August 15, 2015, asking him to provide the opportunity of a defence counsel to my son," he said.

"The navy JAG on September 21 replied that the option of defence counsel would be available at the time of trial."



Saeed said that he was waiting for the commencement of the trial when someone recently informed him that his son had been shifted to the Karachi central prison.

The retired army officer came to know about the conclusion of the trial and capital punishment when he went to Karachi and met his son and his four colleagues - Irfanullah, Muhammad Hammad, Arsalan Nazeer and Hashim Naseer - in prison.

"My son told me that a naval court had awarded death penalty to him and four other officers after a secret trial," he claimed.

"The convicted officers informed me that the naval court concluded the trial on April 12 and promulgated the sentence on April 14."



He said that naval authorities did not provide him copies of the proceedings of the trial when he approached them for the same.

The convict's father said that he would file an appeal against the judgement before the naval court of appeal.

He claimed that his son and others had been made scapegoats, as this was not the first time when such security lapses came to light.

He said the five officers had been in the navy for only four to five years and they were not capable of seizing a warship and using it for a banned outfit.

So far Pakistan Navy has not commented on the death sentences.
Government is set to ban use of potassium bromate as food additive in next 15 days, following a CSE study that claimed presence of cancer-causing chemicals in bread.

"Potassium bromate is one of 11,000 food additives that are allowed in food business. After careful consideration, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to remove potassium bromate from the list of permissible additives," CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said.

The regulator has recommended removal of potassium bromate from the list of permissible food additives to the Health Ministry.

Yesterday, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that nearly 84% of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads, including pav and buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate, banned in many countries as they are listed as "hazardous" for public health.

Meanwhile, Health Minister J P Nadda told reporters here that his ministry had asked to take the matter seriously and submit a report. "They are coming out with a report. The Ministry will take appropriate action accordingly. We will take action as soon as the report comes," he said.

On the notification, Agarwal said, "As far as issue of notification is concerned the has already sent the recommendation to Ministry of Health and it would be issued by the Ministry and there it may take a week or two."



After the removal of potassium bromate from the list its use as food additive would be banned, he said.

On use of potassium iodate, FSSAI is examining the evidence and soon a decision will be taken over the same.

According to CSE, potassium bromate typically increases dough strength, leads to higher rising and uniform finish to baked products, while potassium iodate is a flour treatment agent.

CSE has also urged FSSAI to ban the use of potassium bromate and potassium iodate with immediate effect and prevent their routine exposure to Indian population.
Japan is on high-alert ahead of a Group of Seven summit with thousands of police on the streets of Tokyo and fanning out across the country as authorities boost security to unprecedented levels.

The annual event, which takes place on Thursday and Friday, draws leaders from some of the world's richest nations, including US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Host Japan said it is taking no chances in the wake of the Paris and Brussels terror attacks, and Fukushima's operator said Tuesday that work at the crippled nuclear plant would be suspended during the talks.

Up to 70,000 police are being deployed before the two-day meeting of the club of rich nations, with about one-third of the officers headed to Ise-Shima, an area between Tokyo and Osaka that is hosting the event.

Thousands of other police will be on hand in Hiroshima when US President Barack Obama makes an historic visit to the atomic-bombed city on Friday, the National Police Agency said.

Dustbins have also been removed or sealed and use of coin-operated lockers blocked at train and subway stations in the capital and areas around the venue site.

Electronic message boards in train stations are warning passengers of the elevated risks and advising them to keep watch for suspicious activity.

Authorities said they will be keeping a close eye on so-called "soft targets" such as theatres and stadiums.

There have been few public protests so far in Japan unlike some previous G7 gatherings.

Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power told AFP it will also suspend most work at the site - which was destroyed during the 2011 quake-tsunami disaster - on Thursday and Friday. As many as 8,000 employees are working on decommissioning and other tasks at the plant.

The company said the measure was not taken over fears of an attack at the plant itself, which is hundreds of kilometres away from both Tokyo and the G7 venue, but rather to "minimise the risk of incidents" that could divert authorities' attention.

"The summit is happening when there is a very serious threat of terrorism internationally," National Police Agency chief Masahito Kanetaka said yesterday.

"Protecting Japanese people from the risk of terrorist attacks on soft targets, not only at the summit venue but also in big cities such as Tokyo, is a key issue. We will be ready for any incident."



The March Brussels airport and metro attacks which killed 32 people are believed to be the work of jihadists closely linked to the cell which carried out the November Paris massacres in which 130 people died.

Japan is unused to incidents of international terrorism and is seen as a low-risk target "in normal times", said security expert Shiro Kawamoto.
The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2016, signed by President Pranab Mukherjee today states that irrespective of any court order, states will be free to hold medical entrance exams for this academic year.

The Ordinance which was issued this evening in the form of a gazette notification states that "...Notwithstanding any judgement or order of any court, the provision of this section shall not apply in relation to the uniform entrance examination at the undergraduate level...

"...For the academic year 2016-17 conducted in accordance with any regulations made under this Act in respect of state government seats (whether in govt medical colleges or in private medical colleges) where such state has not opted for such examinations."



The Ordinance was clearly referring to a recent recent Supreme Court verdict which said that second phase of NEET will be held on July 24 and will be applicable to all government and private medical colleges.

At the same time, the Ordinance makes it clear that there will be a "uniform entrance examination to all medical institutions at the undergraduate level and post-graduate level through such designated authority...

"...In Hindi, English and such other languages and in such manner as may be prescribed and the designated authority shall ensure the conduct of uniform entrance examination in the aforesaid manner," the notification said.

The Union Cabinet cleared the Ordinance hours after both Houses of Parliament were prorogued by the President on May 19.

As per law, at least one of the House of Parliament should not be in session to enable the government to come out with an Ordinance.
The government will soon take a call on the proposal of iPhone and iPad maker Apple for setting up single brand retail stores in the country.

We will soon decide about Apples proposal for setting up of single brand retail, a senior government official said.

The proposal is being considered by the finance ministry as to whether the company can be provided exemption from the 30 per cent local sourcing norms for undertaking single brand retailing of products having state-of-the-art and cutting edge technology, the official added.

Single brand retailers are also allowed to take e-commerce route for such trading.

At present, 100 per cent FDI is permitted in the sector.

But beyond 49 per cent, the Foreign Investment Promotion Boards (FIPB) permission is required.

The company sells its products through Apple-owned retail stores in countries like China, Germany, the US, the UK and France, among others.

It has no wholly-owned store in India and sells its products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro.

In January, Apple had filed proposal seeking permission for single-brand retailing and sell products online but due to certain gaps in the application, DIPP had sought more information from the US-based technology giant.

As a result, the company again resubmitted its application in March.
The government has withdrawn the tender for purchase of 98 torpedos for Scorpene submarines which a subsidiary of chopper scam tainted Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica had won during the UPA regime.

The government action by default means that Finmeccanica will not be considered for the over Rs 1,200 crore deal for which it is likely to float a fresh tender. The subsidiary of the Italian company will not be eligible for the fresh process of selection under new rules.

The government might also go in for a direct purchase of torpedos given the "critical necessity" as the first submarine is slated to be handed over to the Navy by September end.

"The tender for the heavy weight torpedos have been withdrawn," defence sources said adding that an alternate is being worked on.

Sources said that the SeaHake torpedos from Germany's Atlas Elektronik and France's F21 torpedos are being considered which could eventually become a 'Make in India' programme as such torpedos would be needed for other submarine projects which are in the offing.

Black Shark torpedoes, made by Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS), a subsidiary of Finmeccanica, had emerged the lowest bidder to arm the Scorpene submarines, the first of which will be handed over to the Navy by September this year.

However, the proposal to acquire it had been stuck for long. Various controversies had surrounded the deal which former Defence Minister A K Antony had not signed on.

The deal eventually got embroiled in the VVIP chopper scandal and it got dragged on, sources said.

The Navy had been pushing for it citing "operational necessity". However, sources said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has now decided to go for an alternative.

If the issue is not resolved fast, the Navy would be inducting the first Scorpene submarine without its main anti-ship attack system.

Sources said the Scorpene class submarines' have already been customised to integrate its fire control system with the Black Sharks.

Integrating another type of torpedo, will not only cost extra but also more time, the sources said.

Six submarines are being built at the Mazagon Dock Ltd with technology from French firm DCNS under an over Rs 25,000 crore project called P-75.
: Suchitwa Mission, the nodal agency for sanitation in Kerala, will be joining hands with the city Corporation to implement green protocol in tomorrow's swearing-in ceremony of the new LDF government in the state.

The green protocol team would mark history by creating a zero-waste event, as this will be the first time ever a government swearing-in ceremony will be priortising on minimising the waste and there by the carbon foot print by observing green protocol, a press release said today.

The new government would take office after the swearing-in ceremony at the Central Stadium, which can accommodate about 30,000 people.

A team has been deployed to ensure green protocol during the event. Suchitwa Mission will arrange for 100 green volunteers who will be responsible for maintaining a disposable free 'green event', which will be its mission.

Mayor V K Prashanth said the green protocol is a humble attempt to reduce and manage waste in a systematic manner. There will be water kiosks at 40 different locations spread at the venue, green volunteers will be more than happy to serve people with drinking water".

Suchitwa Mission's Executive Director Dr K Vasuki, said "It is first time in the history that a State government swearing-in ceremony will be observing green protocol.

The Mission is the state nodal agency for sanitation. It is constituted under local self government with the VISION of creating - A waste free Kerala with unpolluted environment public hygiene and cleanliness.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today expressed grief over the death of two soldiers from the state in a militant attack in Manipur on Sunday.

"Theywere real heroes who sacrificed their life for the country and I salute the bravery of soldiers who were safeguarding the frontiers of the nation despite all odds," the Governor said.

Subedar Baldev Sharma of Maruda village near Shahtalai in Bilaspur district and Rifleman Bhupender Kumar, who hailed from Gohar area in Mandi district, were killed when an Assam Rifles convoy was attacked by militants in Joupi Hengshi area of Chandel in Manipur on Sunday.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee has said that he would have no problem asking the Congress for a declaration of war against terrorism.

"It would not bother me at all doing that, we probably should have done that in the first place. This is a war against people that are vicious, violent that we have no idea who they are or where they come from," Trump, 69, told Fox News yesterday when asked if he would support asking Congress for a declaration of war to fight terrorism.

"We are allowing tens of thousands of them into our country now, so on top of wars on foreign land, wait until you see what happens in the future. It is probably not going to be pretty," Trump said.

Meanwhile, Trump met Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in New York, fuelling speculation that this was part of his vice presidential search. Corker, however, refuted such reports.

"We talked more about China, Russia. You know, I will tell you what is interesting. I met my counterpart last week from China. The fact that he is challenging some of the status quo, it is causing these countries to think a little bit differently about the US and I say that in a positive way," Corker told reporters after meeting Trump.

A new poll by Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Trump is leading his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, 68, by 4% in a hypothetical November match up.

In the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Clinton is leading Trump 46-43. But both the polls are within the sampling error.

Trump, who so far has self-funded his campaign, would hold his first fund raiser today in New Mexico. About 25 people are expected to attend this fund raiser of $10,000 per person.

Last week, Trump had signed agreement with the Republican National Committee in this regard. He has set a target of $1 billion for fund raisers.
The Bombay High Court today asked Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) to constantly monitor water level in all the dams of the state to ensure enough water is available for drinking in the drought-hit state.

The order was passed on a bunch of petitions urging adequate supply of water in drought-hit areas due to scarcity prevailing in various parts of the state.

The court was informed that the terms of many members of MWRRA had expired and hence the body was not functioning.

Hearing this, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi ordered the Maharashtra government to appoint a new water regulatory authority within a week so that it can monitor the water level of the dams periodically.

If, for any reason, the state government was not in a position to constitute a new water regulatory body, then it should extend the term of old members which had expired, to enable MWRRA to function immediately, said the bench.

The court also asked the water regulatory authority to ensure that it accords priority to supply of drinking water to the people.

When the petitioners told the court that certain private entities were holding water, the bench observed that, "Natural resources such as water are the property of the nation as a whole and do not belong to any individual...These resources must not be diverted for other purpose."



The court directed the Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to ensure that water supplied to slaughter houses is rationalised so that enough water is available for drinking.

The bench further directed the Collectors in all the districts of Maharashtra to ensure that water reserved for drinking is not directed for other activities in view of the severe drought situation in the state.

The court also asked the government to ensure that a special ward is created in all the district hospitals for treatment of people hit by heat strokes.

The judges further directed the district Collectors and



the state government to ensure that water is not supplied for construction activities in drought-hit areas, and that priority is given to supply of drinking water to the people.

The court also held that if any hospital needs water for performing surgeries, then it should apply to the district Collectors in their respective areas and asked the latter to consider their plea seriously and on a war-footing.

Maharashtra's Acting Advocate General Rohit Deo today said in the HC that the government is currently supplying potable water to people in drought-hit areas through tankers.

The government has also organised cattle camps in various drought-hit areas so that animals get water. Under the 'Jalyukta Shivar' scheme of the government, ponds are dug up to store water, he said.

The state government had earlier informed the high court in an affidavit that it would declare drought in over 29,000 villages in the state and all relief prescribed in the Drought Manual-2009 would be provided.

The affidavit also said that the government was strictly implementing various schemes and taking various measures to mitigate the water scarcity in drought-hit areas and more particularly in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.

Subsequently, the government had declared drought in over 29,000 villages of the state.

Also, the high court had earlier ordered shifting IPL matches out of Maharashtra due to severe drought, while hearing some PILs.
An Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) will review the progress of the ArcelorMittal and state-run SAIL's estimated Rs 5,000-crore joint venture (JV) this month.

In May last year, NRI billionaire Lakshmi Mittal-led ArcelorMittal and domestic steel giant SAIL inked a memorandum of understanding to look at the possibility of setting up an automotive steel plant in the country through a JV.

"The IMG meeting, which is scheduled for later this month, will review the progress of the automotive steel plant JV," a senior government official said.

The ministerial group wants Steel Ministry to oversee the "expeditious formation of the JV" as well as help in the fast implementation of this project, he added.

Earlier this year Steel Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had told PTI: "We have signed an MoU with ArcelorMottal for a steel plant. We want to finalise the project this year. Work on it is progressing."



The proposed JV will construct a cold rolling mill and other downstream finishing facilities in India, touted as one of the fastest-growing automotive markets in the world with production expected to double between 2014 and 2020, from 3.6 million units to 7.3 million units.

In an investor presentation in June 2015, ArcelorMittal had said that the proposed steel plant will come up at a major auto cluster in India.

India has four major auto clusters -- Pune-Chakan belt in Maharashtra, in the outskirts of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Sanad in Gujarat and the Gurgaon-Neemrana belt spread across Haryana and Rajasthan.

The world's largest steel maker expects India to grow as a hub for automobile export manufacturing facilities to cater to the international market and establishing an automotive focused production presence in the country is a natural progression in executing its global automotive strategy.

The move is considered to be a big one for ArcelorMittal, which is trying to enter India after failing for a decade to set up plants at Odisha and Jharkhand. Its work on the USD 6.5 billion Karnataka plant is yet to take off.

Besides the JV, the IMG will also review the progress of ArcelorMittal's integrated steel plant at Bellary, Karnataka, where the issue of allocation of captive iron ore mines is pending with the state government, another official said.

It will also take up the steel's giant's integrated steel plant proposal in Jharkhand, which is languishing due to Prospecting Licence application pending since 2011 for Karampada area, issue of land acquisition as well as forest and environment clearance, he added.
Seeking to internationalise the issue of India's proposed maps bill, Pakistan has said depiction of the "disputed territory" of Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India in the bill is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is "factually incorrect and morally unacceptable."



Pakistan had last week sought UN intervention on the draft bill in the Indian Parliament over the map of Kashmir, with its ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi writing to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Security Council President for the month, Abdellatif Aboulatta of Egypt.

In the letter, released to the media by the UN today, Lodhi referred to India's draft Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016 and said Pakistan has "serious concerns" over the bill.

"However, in violation of UNSC resolutions and international law, the official map of India has been depicting the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India which is factually incorrect, legally untenable and morally unacceptable. Sadly, the international community and the United Nations have failed to take notice of this Indian action," Lodhi said in the letter.

Lodhi said in the letter that the international community should "honour" its responsibility to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"More than 65 years later, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are still waiting for the international community and the United Nations to fulfil their commitments by holding an independent and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.

"Failure on the part of the UN to ensure the sanctity of UN resolutions has resulted in blatant violations of international law as well as human rights abuses of the Kashmiri people. The Indian government has been using force as state policy, which has been exacerbating the situation. In view of this, the UN should intervene to uphold UNSC resolutions and urge India to stop such acts which are in violation of international law," she said.

India had reacted strongly to Pakistan seeking UN intervention on the Indian draft bill on map, saying it was an "entirely internal legislative matter" and Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi on it.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said that India "firmly rejects" repeated and increasing attempts by Pakistan to impose on the international community matters that it has always been open to address bilaterally with it.

"The Government firmly rejects Pakistan's repeated and increasing attempts to impose on the international community matters that India has always been open to address bilaterally with Pakistan," Swarup had said in response to a question on Pakistan Foreign Office press release on India's Geospatial Bill.

Lodhi cited UNSC resolutions, saying the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir would be made in accordance with the "will of the people, expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite, conducted under the auspices of the United Nations."



She said the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is a "UN declared and internationally accepted disputed territory".
A coalition of more than 130 Asian- American organisations, including two Indian-American groups, have sought an investigation into admission practices of the prestigious Yale University and two other Ivy League institutions, alleging that they discriminate against students from the community on racial grounds.

Indian-American groups - the American Society of Engineers of National Capital Chapter and the Global Organisation of Los Angeles Chapter - have joined over 130 Asian-American groups and got the complaint filed yesterday by Asian-American Coalition for Education (AACE) group against Yale, Brown University and Dartmouth College with the US Departments of Education and Justice.

The complaint alleges that the three institutions are "engaged in unlawful discrimination against Asian-American applicants to their colleges" and participate in a "covert and insidious scheme to enforce race-based quotas in college admissions" in violation of the US Constitution.

"Although discrimination by elite colleges against Asian- American students is widespread, AACE and the joining organisations are bringing this complaint against the three named Ivy League Colleges because Brown University and Dartmouth College have maintained the lowest admission rates for Asian-American students, while Yale University not only maintains a relatively low admission rate for Asian-American applicants, but also engages in destroying admissions records at its law school," the complaint said.

In May last year, a similar complaint was filed against Harvard University on behalf of Asian-American students by a coalition of 64 groups alleging that the Ivy League institution discriminated against Asian-American applicants in its admissions process and "unfairly" rejected well-qualified students because of their race.

Four Indian-American groups were part of the coalition which had complained to the Office for Civil Rights in the US Department of Education and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

The AACE compliant cited a 2012 complaint filed by an Indian-American student against Harvard and Princeton and said there have been prior attempts to hold Ivy League colleges and other elite institutions accountable for their "illegal discrimination" against Asian-American applicants.

The complaint further alleged the Asian-American college- age population in the US has grown from 2.5 per cent in 1995 to 5.1 per cent in 2011.

In the same period, the percentage of Asian-Americans at Yale and most other Ivy League colleges has declined because of "negative stereotyping coupled with racial quotas and caps, maintained by racially differentiated standards for admission that severely burden Asian-American applicants".

(Reopens FGN 3)



The coalition, in its largest-ever joint action against Ivy League universities' alleged discrimination, called on the Departments of Education to recognise the discrimination complaint as a "systemic problem" and to immediately launch an "objective" investigation into the matter.

The complaint asked the federal departments to ensure Yale, Brown and Dartmouth College stop using stereotypes, racial quotas, racially-differentiated admission standards, racial biases and other discriminatory means in evaluating Asian-American applicants during the admission process and to take all necessary measures to ensure that the institutions do not again discriminate against applicants of any race.

"Today, we want to tell Ivy League schools and other colleges: Asian-American communities are going to continue our fight, until you totally stop your unlawful discrimination against our children!," said YuKong Zhao, President of AACE.

"Shockingly, many universities - including Ivy League universities even today are violating the civil rights of Asian-American applicants on a continuous and systematic basis," AACE alleged in a statement.

Since 2006, Asian-American students and organisations have filed administrative complaints and lawsuits against Ivy League universities. However, the US government has done nothing to stop this patently unconstitutional discrimination, it said.

There is widespread disappointment in Asian-American communities by mishandling of Asian-American complaints by the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education, Zhao said.

"To rebuild the trust, AACE strongly urges the Department of Education and Department of Justice to set up oversight committees including delegates from AACE representing the Asian-American community to demonstrate to all the objectivity and rigour of their investigations into the complaint of discrimination by Yale, Brown and Dartmouth," he said.

Expressing frustration over a lack of support by the US government for Asian-American equal education rights, AACE requested the US Supreme Court to issue a total ban on racial discrimination in college admissions in its upcoming ruling of Fisher versus University of Texas case.

Congressman Ed Royce, student representative Jian Li and co-complainant representative Dr Ajay Kothari also delivered supportive speeches in the conference.

Receiving "Courage Award", Li was also recognised by AACE for his courageous act of filing the first Complaint against Ivy League schools in 2006.
A 53-year-old Indian-American physician has been indicted by prosecutors on charges of healthcare fraud in the US state of Pennsylvania.

Samirkumar Shah, resident of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, could be jailed for maximum 10 years and fined USD 250,000 if found guilty.

A federal grand jury indicted the physician on Tuesday on two counts of healthcare fraud. The indictment was returned against him in the Pittsburgh court, according to documents.

Shah knowingly and wilfully executed a scheme to defraud healthcare benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in connection with the delivery of and payment for healthcare benefits, items and services, US Attorney David Hickton said.
An Indian-origin investment banker who was arrested for killing his wife at their home in southest England had apparently tried to commit suicide by slashing his throat, it emerged today.

Sanjay Nijhawan, 46, is in a "stable but serious" condition in hospital after an apparent suicide attempt, having allegedly murdered wife Sonita at their Surrey mansion over the weekend.

He was reportedly found by his father-in-law, slashing his throat and arms with a knife at his newly-built home on the posh St George's Hill estate in Weybridge on Saturday.

"He was suffering from depression and was on anti-depressants," Ajit Prasad, Sonita Nijhawan's business partner, told 'The Times'.

"He also felt a bit undervalued at work... He was getting around 14,000 pounds a month but colleagues on permanent positions received around 20,000 pounds," he said.

Nijhawan, who had worked in London for Barclays and ABN Amro, was made redundant in 2013. Since then, he was reportedly working on low-paying temporary contracts.

Another friend told the newspaper on condition of anonymity: "While he had no problems with money, he might have been anxious about where he was going to get a permanent position."



Nijhawan was arrested over the stabbing and strangling of his wife while their four-year-old son was in the house.

Police are believed to have seized medication from the house. A post-mortem on Sonita has given a preliminary cause of death as head and neck injuries.

According to reports, the couple had spent three years building the two-million-pound home and had moved in only a fortnight ago.

Their neighbours described them as a seemingly happy couple and Sonita as a "loving and caring mother", who was a co-director of three care homes along with her fatherChander Parkashand brother Amit.

The Surrey and Sussex major crime team officers said their investigation continues.
International operations from Tirupati Airport will begin by June end, with initial flights to the US and the middle-east (via New Delhi), a senior Andhra Pradesh government official said today.

Customs and other procedural formalities are being completed at the newly-developed airport for the launch of international operations, Principal Secretary for Energy, Infrastructure and Investment, Ajay Jain said.

"To begin with, we will have flights to the US and the middle-east (via New Delhi) and subsequently to other international destinations," Jain told a press conference here.

Vijayawada airport too would have international flights once the interim terminal building gets ready, he said.

While the interim terminal building was originally scheduled to be completed by October but Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asked the contractor to finish it by August in time for the Krishna Pushkarams.

The existing airport at Rajamahendravaram was being expanded to enable operation of larger aircraft like the Airbus A-319 and A-320, Jain added.

"We have acquired 857 acres of land at a cost of Rs 350 crore for expansion of the runway. The Airports Authority of India will spend Rs 120 crore on the expansion work," he added.

About the problems in acquiring land for the proposed greenfield International Airport at Bhogapuram near Visakhapatnam, the Principal Secretary said farmers in the region were now coming forward to part with their lands under the land pooling scheme proposed by the state government.

"About 97 per cent of farmers are ready to give their land as we are offering them a best compensation package. So far, we have got consent from farmers for giving 350 acres of land.

"The Bhogapuram Airport Ltd, the special purpose vehicle constituted to develop the airport, is securing Rs 1,500 crore from the Hudco (Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd) and the bidding process will start in June," Jain said.

He said air passenger traffic has registered a 60 per



cent growth in AP in the last one year.

While 17.8 lakh passengers flew in and out of the four main airports in the state in 2014-15, the number shot up to 28.40 lakh in 2015-16.

It is expected that the number would touch 40 lakh in the current financial year.

He attributed the growth to expansion of airports and operation of more flights, including to foreign destinations.

"We are going to develop two smaller airports at Digadarthi in SPS Nellore district and Orvakallu in Kurnool district. Orvakallu will be a smaller airport and will be developed totally by the state government at a cost of Rs 70 crore. Since industrial and solar power parks are coming up in the region, it will have good demand," Jain said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wrapped up his two-day visit to Iran, saying the tour was "fruitful" and the outcomes will "positively impact" the ties between the two strategic partners.

"I thank the wonderful people of Iran for the warmth. My Iran visit was fruitful & the outcomes will positively impact our nations," Modi tweeted.

During the visit, the two countries signed 12 agreements including a "milestone" pact on developing the strategic Chabahar port and pledged to combat terrorism and radicalism.

"Khuda Hafez Tehran! A busy day of diplomacy ends as PM @narendramodi emplanes for Delhi," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Modi who held extensive talks with President Hassan Rouhani also called on Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei before heading home.

Besides the bilateral pact to develop the Chabahar port for which India will invest USD 500 million, a trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Prime Minister Modi said could "alter the course of the history of the region".

The bilateral agreements signed by India and Iran after detailed discussions between Modi and President Rouhani included one on setting up of an aluminium plant and another on laying a railway line to give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The agreements, aimed at further deepening India-Iran ties in diverse fields, covered areas of economy, trade, transportation, port development, culture, science and academic cooperation.

Modi's visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 15 years, came months after the lifting of international sanctions on Iran following Tehran's historic nuclear deal with the Western powers over its contentious atomic programme. Earlier, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the country in April 2001.
Iraq has executed 22 people over the past month who were convicted of terrorism and other crimes, the justice minister has announced.

The ministry "carried out death sentences against 22 convicts condemned for crimes and terrorist acts," Justice Minister Haidar al-Zamili said in a statement.

It also quoted Zamili as saying that, with the start of the Iraqi operation to retake the city of Fallujah from the Islamic State group, "we confirm... That the ministry is continuing to carry out just punishment against terrorists."



Rights group Amnesty International said that Baghdad executed at least 26 people in 2015.

Iraq has faced widespread criticism from diplomats, analysts and human rights groups who say that due to a flawed justice system, those being executed are not necessarily guilty of the crimes for which they were sentenced to die.

But the country has repeatedly defied such criticism and continues carrying out executions.
More than 148 people were killed today in bombings claimed by the Islamic State group in northwestern Syria, the deadliest attacks yet in the regime's coastal heartland.

Seven near-simultaneous explosions targeted bus stations, hospitals and other civilian sites in the seaside cities of Jableh and Tartus, which until now had been relatively insulated from Syria's five-year civil war.

The unprecedented attacks on strongholds of President Bashar al-Assad's regime came as IS faces mounting pressure in both Syria and Iraq, where Baghdad's forces on Monday launched a major offensive to retake the jihadist-held city of Fallujah.

A hundred people were killed in Jableh and another 48 in Tartus to the south, at least eight of them children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said they were "without a doubt the deadliest attacks" on the two cities since the start of the war.

IS claimed the blasts via its Amaq agency, saying its fighters had attacked "Alawite gatherings" in Jableh and Tartus, referring to the minority sect from which Assad hails.

IS is not known to have a presence in Syria's coastal provinces, where its jihadist rival and Al-Qaeda's local branch Al-Nusra Front is much more prominent.

But IS is notorious for using deadly sleeper cells to attack its enemies.

"I'm shocked, this is the first time I hear sounds like this," said Mohsen Zayyoud, a 22-year-old university student in Jableh.

"I thought the war was over and that I could walk safely. But I was surprised to see that we're still in the heart of the battle," he said.

In Tartus a 42-year-old bank employee was just as stunned.

"It's the first time we hear explosions in Tartus, and the first time we see dead people or body parts here," Shady Osman said.

Jableh lies in Latakia province, while Tartus is the capital of the adjacent governorate of the same name.

Both cities have remained relatively secure even as the war has raged in Latakia province's rural northeast and throughout the country.

State media earlier said 78 people -- 45 in Jableh and 33 in Tartus -- were killed in the bombings.
Kashmiri migrants will continue to get 5% quota in admissions to undergraduate courses in Delhi University (DU) in the upcoming academic session, according to University's admission panel.

A top official of the 24-member committee, which is working on an admission policy for the ensuing session, on tuesday said that no changes are likely in the reservation for Kashmiri Migrants.

The panel will submit its final recommendations to the Vice Chancellor who will then take a call on the admission policy, which will be notified by the end of this month.

"However, these will be supernumerary seats and not affect the general and other category students," R N Dubey, a committee member said.

"A concession of maximum 10 per cent in the last cut-off list for the general category candidates is also extended to the candidates opting for admissions to various courses (Reservation not applicable for courses requiring entrance test). Candidates are required to fulfill the minimum eligible criteria prescribed by the university," he added.

In a letter to the university, the HRD ministry had asked to ensure concession for the wards of Kashmiri migrants for admission during academic session 2016-17.

"The reservation to Kashmiri migrants has been part of DU's admission policy for years. Candidates are required to submit the certificate of registration as a Kashmiri migrant, proof of property in Kashmir and proof of current residence in Delhi along with their applications, apart from other regular documents," the official said.

Admission through this quota does not take place with the general admissions process, since this quota is over and above other reserved categories of the university.
Kerala Tourism has showcased the best of 'God's Own Country' at the Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) 2016, one of the world's most prestigious travel and trade fairs held on May 20-22.

It was for the second time Kerala was featured at the annual forum, which brings together major players in the hugely lucrative Chinese outbound tourism market, widely considered the world's largest by volume, Kerala Tourism said in a statement here today.

Led by Kerala Tourism Director U V Jose, the team saw judicious representation from the state's leading hoteliers, Ayurvedic resorts and tour operators.

According to Jose, the state "aspires to augment the strong destination pull it already enjoys. The modern traveller in general, and the Chinese visitor in particular, is always expanding his/her horizons, seeking out ever newer experiences," he said.

"The objective of such tourism facilitation initiatives and participation in such high-profile industry events is to highlight the wondrous possibilities on offer in Kerala," the official added.

To this end, the expansive Kerala pavilion sought to renew the focus on the state's rich legacy of martial arts, holistic medical traditions, the beauty of its backwaters and its snakeboat races.

As was the case last year, the display was an instant hit with the hosts and the Kerala stand saw an impressive number of footfalls as also inquiries - particularly about Ayurveda.

"It speaks to the successful branding and marketing of Kerala that most of the visitors to the state pavilion knew about our Ayurveda, Kalaripayattu and our backwaters," Jose said.

Bandaru Wilsonbabu, First Secretary of the Indian Embassy in Beijing, visited the Kerala pavilion and offered the mission's full support in help promote the state in China.

Tourists from China are considered the highest-spending in the world. In 2014, Chinese tourists to India numbered nearly two lakh. The same period saw an increase of Chinese tourist inflow to Kerala.

Following a visit to Kochi last year by the Chinese Ambassador to India, the city became the first in the country to gain membership to the Beijing-headquartered World Tourism Cities Federation Council, a 135-member league of leading tourism cities from across the globe.

Foreign tourist arrivals to Kerala in 2015 have been provisionally tallied at nearly 9.8 lakh over the previous year's figure of roughly 9.2 lakh.

Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan urged tour



operators and hotel and restaurants association to promote already developed centres like the tribal interpretation centre and maritime museums in the state.

Padhi also directed the tourism department to complete identification of land for tourism land bank in three months.

The Chief Secretary further advised that eco-tourism spots should be advertised and popularised through domestic tour operators so as to attract more tourists.

The tourism department was asked to make road shows and participation in international tourism promotion events, more focused and outcome-oriented.

As per earlier decisions, development and management of eco-tourism spots have been transferred to Forest and Environment department.

"Steps are being taken to augment the available infrastructure and facilities in popular eco-tourist spots," Forest and Environment Secretary S C Mohapatra said.

Around 20 eco-tourism sites have been taken up with estimated investment of Rs 100 crore over a period of 5 years.

There has been constant increase in tourist footfall in eco-tourist spots over last 3 years, the Tourism Secretary said.

In 2012-13, total footfall in eco-tourist spots was 2,76,206 which increased to 3,12,980 in 2013-14 and further to 3,47,965 in 2014-15. "This year there is a rising trend in footfall. It is expected to cross the last year's mark," Dhal said.

Dangmala, Gupti, Daringibadi, Kanjiapani, Chilika and Talasari sea beach offer more exciting sites of wildlife and scenic beauty. It was decided to popularise these spots through various national and global tour agencies.

As the home department has relaxed the restrictions regarding tourist trips to tribal areas, notification to this effect has already been issued. Tourism has been identified as a priority sector in IPR, 2015.
A US-backed alliance of Kurdish-Arab fighters has started to clear Islamic State fighters from the area north of Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital, a US official confirmed today.

"The SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have begun operations to clear the northern countryside, so this is putting pressure on Raqa," Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.

The US military will conduct air strikes in support of the "several thousand" SDF forces, some of whom have been trained and equipped by the United States.

Warren said the operation began earlier today, and SDF forces had met little IS resistance across the sparsely populated area.

Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 IS fighters are in Raqa, Warren said, noting it was not clear when an assault on the key city itself might eventually come.

A separate US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said SDF troops were taking territory on their way to Raqa, but "they are not attacking Raqa" itself.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, coalition warplanes on Tuesday carried out dozens of strikes north of Raqa city.

If Raqa falls, "it's the beginning of the end of their caliphate," Warren predicted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said Moscow was ready to coordinate with both the United States and the SDF in the offensive for Raqa.

The SDF has a total of about 25,000 Kurdish fighters and about 5,000 Arab fighters.
Two top American immigration-related advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against the federal government seeking transparency into the lottery process of H-1B work visas, the most sought after for IT professionals, particularly those from India.

The lawsuit has been filed by American Immigration Council and American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) against Department of Homeland Security and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seeking information about the government's administration of the H-1B lottery.

The two advocacy group alleged that USCIS has never been forthcoming in describing the selection process, a statement said.

"When petitions are submitted to USCIS in April, it's as if they disappear into a 'black box'," said Melissa Crow, Legal Director of the American Immigration Council.

"This suit is intended to pry open that box and let the American public and those most directly affected see how the lottery system works from start to finish, and to learn whether the system is operating fairly and all the numbers are being used as the law provides," Crow said.

"Despite the Obama Administration's public commitment to the values of transparency and accountability, frankly, our attempts to see into this process have been resisted," said AILA executive director Benjamin Johnson.

"Instead of responding to our requests for information about how the lottery is conducted, how cap-subject petitions are processed and how the numbers are estimated and tracked, USCIS has kept the process entirely opaque," he alleged.

"This litigation is intended to shine a necessary light on an important process in America's business immigration system," Johnson said.

Every year, US employers seeking highly skilled foreign professionals submit petitions to USCIS on the first business days of April for the limited pool of H-1B non-immigrant visa numbers that are available for the coming fiscal year.

With an annual limit of 65,000 visas for new hires and 20,000 additional visas for professionals with a master's or doctoral degree from a US university, employer demand for H-1B visas has exceeded the statutory cap for more than ten years.

If USCIS determines at any time during the first five business days of the filing period that it has received more than enough petitions to meet the numerical limits, the agency uses a computer-generated random selection process (or "lottery") to select a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to satisfy the limits, taking into account a percentage of the petitions selected which will be denied, withdrawn, or otherwise rejected.

Petitions that are not selected, are returned to the petitioning employers. US employers, foreign nationals seeking H-1Bs, and immigration lawyers are keenly interested in how USCIS administers the lottery process.
Libyan coastguards said they detained 550 people trying to reach Europe illegally by boat today, the second time in three days they have intercepted migrants in the same area.

"Coastguards in the west who were patrolling off the Zawiya refinery today intercepted four large inflatables carrying around 550 illegal migrants," navy spokesman Colonel Ayoub Qassem said.

Those detained were from "several African countries" and included three children and 30 women, eight of whom are pregnant, he told AFP.

"The migrants have been handed over to the relevant authorities to be taken to detention centres," Qassem said.

On Sunday, Qassem said that coastguards had intercepted seven vessels carrying around 850 migrants, again off Zawiya which is some 45 kilometres west of the capital Tripoli.

The chaos in the North African country since Moamer Kadhafi's overthrow in 2011 has been exploited by people traffickers, with thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe from Libya just 300 kilometres from Italy.

The onset of better weather conditions has raised fears of huge numbers of people attempting the still perilous sea crossing.

Yesterday, Italy's coastguard said two Italian naval vessels and two operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) rescued around 2,000 migrants from unseaworthy boats in 15 separate operations.

An Irish navy ship rescued hundreds more, as did a passing cargo ship, the Italian coastguard said.

So far this year more that 34,000 people have been brought to the Italian coast after being rescued off Libya, according to the UN refugee agency.

A May 13 British parliamentary report said the EU's naval mission to combat people trafficking off Libya was "failing" and succeeded only in forcing people smugglers to change tactics.

It said Operation Sophia "does not in any meaningful way deter the flow of migrants, disrupt the smugglers' networks or impede the business of people smuggling on the central Mediterranean route".

Yesterday, EU foreign ministers gave the green light to expand Operation Sophia's mandate to include training for the Libyan coastguard service.
The process for biennial election to 11 Rajya Sabha and 13 Legislative Council seats began today in Uttar Pradesh leading to intense lobbying among political circles for extra votes, with smaller parties likely to play a key role.

"The process has started, but no nomination was filed today," Principal Secretary Vidhan Sabha Pradeep Dubey told PTI.

If required, polling for the Legislative Council would be held on June 10 and that for Rajya Sabha on June 11.

The ruling Samajwadi Party was the first to announce names of seven candidates for the Rajya Sabha and eight for the Legislative Council.

The main opposition party BSP too had announced names of two candidates for Rajya Sabha and three for the state Council. The BJP and the Congress are yet to announce their candidates.

The support of 37 MLAs is required for a candidate's entry into the Rajya Sabha and 32 for Legislative Council.

As per the present party-wise strength in the 403-member UP Assembly, SP can win six Rajya Sabha and seven Council seats with 229 members in its kitty. To ensure its victory in the seventh seat in Rajya Sabha and eighth in the Legislative Council, the party would have to garner additional votes for which hectic lobbying is already on.

The prominent contenders from Samajwadi Party are Beni Prasad Verma and Amar Singh. While Prasad is a veteran Kurmi leader who recently quit Congress to join Mulayam Singh Yadav's party, Singh is a former MP, who was earlier expelled from the party for six years.

Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), with 80 MLAs could easily win two seats each in Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Council, with additional votes to spare.

According to sources, SP hopes Congress to support its candidate for the additional seat in return for its support to Congress leaders Pramod Tewari and PL Punia, who were elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 and 2015.

If Congress fields its candidate for the Rajya Sabha then it will need six additional votes and two additional votes for the Council seat.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which has eight MLAs, has not yet opened its cards.

State RLD president Munna Singh Chauhan denied reports of backing BSP candidates S C Mishra and Dalit leader Ashok Siddharth.

"We will decide on the basis of which party we will ally in the 2017 UP elections," he said.

Smaller parties like Peace Party (one), Qaumi Ekta Dal (two), NCP (one), Apna Dal (one), Ittehad Millat Council (one), Trinamool Cong (one) and Independents (six) are likely to play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the candidates on extra seats.

The Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council seats will fall vacant on July 4 and July 6 respectively. At present, BSP has six of these Rajya Sabha seats and SP three.
An alliance of agitating Madhesi and other minority groups seeking more rights and representation in Nepal's new Constitution today snubbed Prime Minister K P Oli by boycotting an all-party meeting called by him to resolve the current political crisis.

Chairman of Samajbadi Forum and Chairman of the Sanghiya Gatbandhan, Upendra Yadav said he was not aware about the meeting.

"I came to know about the meeting convened by PM only after reading today's Kantipur daily. It wouldn't be appropriate to attend the meeting summoned through report," Yadav said.

"The PM has to make it clear why the meeting was called. He has to send formal invitation. PM Oli's manner of summoning the meeting doesn't seem right," Kathmandu Post quoted him as saying.

Though some of the leaders of alliance received SMS invitation for talks on their mobile phones, Yadav said he did not receive any message and that he wouldn't go to attend the meeting based on SMS invitation.

Writing a special letter to Gathabandhan leaders last night, Prime Minister Oli had summoned an all-party meeting for this morning to discuss ways to resolve the Madhes crisis.

All the political parties represented in Legislature- Parliament were invited at the meeting.

Sanghiya Gathabandhan has been organising protests in Kathmandu against the new Constitution.

The Madhesi forces had earlier also snubbed an all-party meeting called by PM Oli.

The chairman of Sadbhawana Party, Rajendra Mahato, today said the recent call for talks by the Prime Minister was a positive development but pointed out that it was not sufficient.

Speaking to reporters some hours after the all-party meeting, Mahato said the UDMF was ready to sit for talks if the government responded to their demands.

The major demands of Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, include re-demarcation of the seven province model of federal structure, inclusiveness and proportionate representation of marginalised groups and ethnic minorities including the Madhesis, indigenous groups and dalits in all the state bodies.

Madhesis earlier had launched six-month-long agitation from September to February in which more than 50 people were killed. The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country's economy as supplies from India were blocked.

Nepal had accused India of imposing an "economic blockade", which India strongly denied.

The alliance has this time changed its strategy and focused their protest in the capital city in an attempt to draw attention of the government and other stakeholders to their demands.

(REOPENS FGN 30)



Mahato said the UDMF would formally make a decision to make appropriate response to the Prime Minister's call for talks.

He said he was for amending the Constitution, not rewriting the constitution or forming a new Constituent Assembly.

The ruling parties and the main Opposition Nepali Congress have agreed to address the demands of agitating parties through dialogue and discussion.

During a meeting held today at Singha Darbar secretariat, the ruling parties, including CPN-UML and CPN Maoist Centre, and the main opposition Nepali Congress discussed how to adopt flexibility in addressing the demands of disgruntled parties.

During the meeting, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Agni Kharel, said the demands of agitating parties would be addressed through discussion and dialogue.

Responding to a query, Minister Kharel said the government had sent a letter in the name of United Democratic Madhesi Front calling for the talks.

Leader of the Maoist Centre, Ram Bahadur Thapa, said although parties associated with Federal Alliance did not attend the meeting, the ruling parties and main opposition party held discussions on the issue of resolving the existing problems.

Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic), Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, said the Prime Minister had sent the letter to agitating parties for talks expressing determination that the government wished to resolve problems through talks.
The Maharashtra cabinet today approved an ordinance for conducting Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections afresh, if two-thirds of the total candidates are not elected.

This ordinance is for amendments in section 9(2) and section 57(3) of the Maharashtra Zilha Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Act-1961, an official said after the cabinet meeting.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired the meeting, held at the state government's Sahyadri guest house in south Mumbai.

The state cabinet also decided to upgrade post of Chief Engineer, (Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal) and Deputy Secretary (Water resources) to Secretary rank.

The government has also decided to set up district level committees to be chaired by Collectors for ensuring maximum benefits to citizens under MUDRA Bank Yojna.

This committee would bring efficient implementation besides public awareness of Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Scheme (MUDRA).

The cabinet also decided to increase remuneration of guards, security persons in aided Ashramshalas (tribal schools) from Rs 3,200 to Rs 5,000 per month.
Mahindras today became the third entity to drop out of the payments bank race, saying business profitability would take longer time due to "aggressive posturing" by many deep-pocketed players.

Tech Mahindra is the third applicant to abandon the plan to set up payments bank after Cholamandalam which quit last month and Dilip Shanghvi-IDFC Bank-Telenor combine last Friday.

"Over a period of time, we have realised that the amount of aggression that has come into the marketplace only erodes the margins," Tech Mahindra managing director and chief executive C P Gurnani told reporters, after its board decided not to pursue the opportunity.

After the Reserve Bank had given in-principle approval for payments banks to TechM and 10 others last August, it had said group company Mahindra Finance would be an equal partner in it.

Gurnani said profit margins were always supposed to be "razor thin" in the payments bank business, but the aggressive posturing by competition which has the who's who of the telecom world, including the Ambanis, the Birlas, Airtel and Vodafone, among others, only made it realise that "business profitability will take a much longer period".

TechM becomes the third entity, after the Chennai-based Cholamandalam Group and Dilip Shanghvi (of Sun Pharma)- Telenor-IDFC Bank combine last week announced to withdraw its name from the race. These withdrawals come at a time when the RBI is in the process of giving out the final licences.

When asked if RBI conditions are onerous, its chief strategy officer Jagdish Mitra said the regulator cannot be blamed for pursuing the broader goal of financial inclusion.

But he was quick to add that "it has to make business sense because at the end of the day if it doesn't make business sense then the objective of financial inclusion is not met."



Mitra said they did a field surveys to gauge the sense of the market, after which it took decision. He said though there were no major investments from the group in the venture, it had spotted the top tier executives to drive the business.

The announcement comes a day after RBI deputy governor S S Mundra had expressed displeasure over licencees abandoning their plans to set up payments banks. "We would certainly feel little aggrieved because lot of efforts from the part of RBI go in processing these applications," Mundra has said.

The 11 in-principle licensees were selected after sifting through the proposals of nearly two dozen applicants.

The in-principle approval is valid for 18 months, during which time the applicants must comply with requirements under the guidelines and fulfil the other conditions as may be stipulated by the apex bank.

The payments bank will not be allowed to undertake lending services and non-resident Indians will not be allowed to open accounts.
A 46-year-old man belonging to the Bru tribe has died in Mizoram-Tripura-Bangladesh border Mamit district allegedly due to starvation, prompting a protest by Opposition Mizo National Front who demanded resignation of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister.

Saitirai of Thaidawr hamlet died while digging wild yam in the jungle after the earth caved in killing him on the spot on Sunday, a statement by MNF said.

Though the state government announced that there was sufficient supply of food in all the godowns, there were many villagers starving and resorted to digging wild yam, especially in remote villages, the statement claimed.

Accusing the government of unable to provide sufficient food to the people, the party demanded resignation of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister John Rotluangliana.

Meanwhile, leading NGO Young Mizo Association's local unit vice-president C Lalrambuatsaiha told PTI over phone that Saitirai was buried today.

Lalrambuatsaiha said that there were more and more people digging and collecting wild yam from the jungles in Thaidawr and other villages including Bunghmun West as people find that the rice received from PDS was insufficient for the family members.

"People were forced to collect, dig and eat wild yam to supplement the rice supply," he said, adding there are many families who cannot purchase rice due to poverty and depend on wild food.
The External Affairs Ministry is trying to bring back an Indian boy from Jessore in Bangladesh, after he was said to have gone missing from Delhi in 2010.

A senior official in the Indian High Commission in Dhaka is travelling to Jessore in southwestern Bangladesh to meet 12-year-old Sonu on the directive of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"Our Joint Secretary Bangladesh Sripriya Ranganathan has met Mehboob and Mumtaz who claim that #Sonu presently in Bangladesh is their son. Our High Commission officials in Dhaka will visit Jessore where Sonu is lodged in a Children's Shelter Home in Pulerhat (Jessore)," Swaraj tweeted.

"We will match Sonu's DNA with couple claiming to be his parents. In case DNA test is positive, we will bring Sonu to India without delay," she said in a series of tweets.

Earlier, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup had tweeted: "A First Secretary from @ihcdhaka is going to Jessore today to meet with Sonu."



Yesterday, Swaraj had said the MEA will resolve the issue soon.

"Thanks for bringing this to my notice. We have initiated action already. We will resolve this soon," she had tweeted after her attention was drawn to Sonu's plight.

Sonu had reportedly gone missing from Delhi in 2010 and a man from Jessore recently contacted his family here and gave details about the whereabouts of the boy, who is reportedly in a child care home in Jessore.

The details of how the boy had gone missing are not yet known.
A special court today sent an MHA official to jail till June 6 for allegedly issuing FCRA notices arbitrarily to several NGOs for financial gains after CBI submitted that his further custodial interrogation was not required in the case.

Special CBI Judge Vinod Kumar sent accused Anand Joshi, under secretary in the Home Ministry, to 14-day judicial remand after he was produced before the court on expiry of his CBI custody.

In its application before the court, the CBI submitted that the accused be sent to jail as he was no more required for further questioning in the case.

The court also allowed the counsel for the accused to get a copy of the FIR in the case.

According to sources, the CBI had summoned several government officials and other persons in connection with the probe.

Earlier, the special court had extended the CBI custody of Joshi after the agency mentioned that seven new files have been recovered during the probe.

Joshi, who was arrested from west Delhi on May 15, was under CBI custody which ended today.

CBI had earlier claimed that the files relating to several NGOs had gone missing from Home Ministry and they were recovered from his house although he was not supposed to take them away.

It had alleged that Joshi had been issuing notices dishonestly to a large number of NGOs/societies registered under the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) 2010, which have been receiving significant amount of foreign contributions, in an arbitrary manner.

It has said some of these organisations are Care India, Snehalya Charitable Trust, Indian HIV/AIDS Alliance and All India Primary Teachers Federation and alleged that the representatives of some of these organisations were called and Joshi demanded and obtained illegal gratification.

Joshi was arrested on May 15 after he allegedly gave



unconvincing answers to the questions posed by a team of Special Crime division of the CBI, including those related to disappearance of files on Sabrang Trust of activist Teesta Setalvad.

Joshi, who had disappeared from his home in Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, was picked up from Tilak Nagar area of West Delhi and taken to the CBI headquarters for questioning.

Subsequently, he was arrested by the agency.

Joshi has rejected the charge and instead accused his seniors of pressuring him to give a clean chit to NGOs. In a note which he had left before leaving home, Joshi claimed he had been subjected to "mental harassment" in recent months.

CBI had alleged that Joshi laundered ill-gotten earnings in various immovable assets as well as certain private firms which were floated by him and that his wife was one of the directors in them.

It alleged even after his transfer from FCRA division, he continued to indulge in corrupt activities on the basis of documents which were in his possession unauthorisedly.

The agency claimed that during the search conducted at Joshi's house, one file pertaining to FCRA about private NGO Care India Solutions for Sustainable Development has been seized and his interrogation was needed to know as to how the official files made way in his house and what was his intention in bringing them.

The matter came to light after files pertaining to alleged FCRA violations by two NGOs run by Setalvad went missing from the Home Ministry. The files were traced and restored to the FCRA division but CBI was asked to investigate the matter.

It was noticed that the files had gone missing when the Home Ministry took a decision to cancel FCRA registration of one of Setalvad's NGOs, Sabrang Trust, sources had said.
Often accused by the opposition of creating a sense of insecurity among the minorities, BJP today claimed communal riots have gone down by 82 per cent and the share of minorities in central government jobs has risen substantially under the Modi government.

As the NDA government completes two years in office on Thursday, BJP fielded two of its Muslim ministers who asserted that the faith of the minorities in Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been "strengthend".

Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla and her junior Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also cited the party's win in assembly polls in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir to suggest that Muslims, who are in large numbers in both states, have supported it due to its developmental agenda.

"The mantra of the government for minorities has been education, prosperity and security. That is why their share, especially that of Muslims, in the central government jobs has gone up to 8.7 per cent from 6.91 per cent in 2013-14 under the UPA," Naqvi told a press conference at the party office.

While there were 823 and 144 communal riots in 2013 and 2014 respectively in which 113 and 94 persons died, the numbers went down to 64 in 2015 and one in 2016. Naqvi, citing Home Ministry figures, claimed while three persons died in communal riots in 2015, one has been killed so far this year.

"The incidents of communal riots have gone down by 82 per cent," he claimed.

"The faith of minorities in Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strengthened," he said while playing down controversial comments of some BJP leaders, maintaining what Modi, party president Amit Shah and spokespersons say should alone be taken as the party's stand.

"The problem with opposition parties is that they have no real issue and that is why they manufacture issues but the myth of Muslims not supporting BJP has been broken by the community," Naqvi claimed.

He said the number of successful Muslim civil services aspirants has also gone up.

"The government has been able to instil a mood of development and trust," he said.

Under the Prime Minister's 15 point programme, a scheme that envisages various ministries spending 15 per cent of their budget in areas with strong presence of minorities, he said 7667 schools were constructed under 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan' besides 829 anganwadi centres.

Rs 4365 crore was spent in 138 areas where there was concentration of minorities in 2015-16, he said.

Asked how the government can take credit for the rise in



minorities' share in jobs, Naqvi said it does show that it had been able to create a suitable environment.

In another briefing, Heptulla said, "The fear among minorities has definitely gone down and confidence has been developed. Confidence building takes some time.

"The focus of the Narendra Modi government is mainly on sab ka sath, sab ka vikas (inclusive growth). And the Assam Assembly poll result suggests that confidence is building among people," Heptulla said.

She said the NDA government made available 18.4 per cent more funds under the multi-sectoral development programme (MSDP) for minorities as compared to UPA.

In 2012-13 and 2013-14, the UPA government had released Rs 641.26 crore and Rs 953.21 crore, respectively, for MSDP. The NDA government gave Rs 767.86 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 1120.34 crore for 2015-16, she said.
A woman sub-inspector of Uttarakhand police, receiving training at a college in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh, returned two days after she went missing, prompting the department to order a probe against her.

22-year-old Bhawna Bisht, a resident of Almora, came back last night after she went out from the Police Training College at Moradabad on Sunday, May 22 but did not return at the designated time in the evening, Media Cell incharge of Uttarakhand Police Headquarters Pradeep Godbole said here today.

The college authorities informed the Uttarakhand Police about the incident. The officials went looking out for Bisht but could not find her anywhere, he said.

Godbole said the woman sub-inspector returned to the college last night and a departmental probe will be conducted against her, however her training will continue.

Bhawna Bisht is among the batch of 339 sub-inspectors of Uttarakhand Police, receiving training at the college located in Moradabad since July last year.
Mizoram government is mulling handing over the December 14 dacoity case, allegedly involving the then Commandant of an Assam Rifles battalion, to the CBI, state Home Minister R Lalzirliana said here today.

The government is contemplating handing over the case to CBI as the accused Col Jasjit Singh, suspended Commandant of 39th Battalion, was yet to divulge details about the concealed gold bars, worth Rs 14.5 crore, allegedly snatched by the arrested eight Assam Rifles personnel from a vehicle on the night of December 14 last on the outskirts of Aizawl, Lalzirliana told PTI.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the state police did a commendable job by arresting 13 people including Col Singh, eight personnel and four civilians in connection with the case, he said.

"Reports of highly-placed people involved in the case and also Col Singh's refusal to give details may force us to hand over the case to the CBI," the Home Minister said.

The arrested jawans allegedly waylaid a vehicle on the southern outskirts of Aizawl near 'Zampuimanga Memorial' with sophisticated weapons and allegedly decamped with 52 gold bars concealed inside the gear box of the vehicle, the investigators had said earlier.

The jawans allegedly told the interrogators that the gold bars recovered during the dacoity was kept by Naib Subedar K C Roy, Commander of the group, on the night of December 14 and it was handed over to Col Singh next morning at the latter's official residence in Tuikhuahtlang locality here.

The gold bars, believed to be smuggled from Myanmar via Champhai district, were worth around Rs 14.5 crore in the local market.
In the wake of an alleged engineering course answer sheets scam in Mumbai University, the police today seized five more compromised answer papers, taking their total to 97 so far.

Police had last week unearthed the racket of alleged tampering of engineering course answer sheets to increase the scores of students in the varsity and seized 92 answer sheets and eight persons were arrested in this regard.

The scam was effected allegedly by some officials of the MU in connivance with gullible students through agents.

A Bhandup police station official today said the police have identified two more officials of the varsity who are on the run.

However, he did not disclose from where and whom the answer sheets were seized today.

The arrested persons included the kingpin Prabhakar Vaze (50), a havaldar (guard) in the university who keeps vigil of the storeroom where the exam papers are stored on its Kalina campus, besides three clerks and four peons.

According to police, the accused allegedly used to sneak the answer sheets out of the storeroom and hand them over to the students through agents.

The answer sheets were put back in the storeroom within 48 hours after answers were written on papers by the students at home, before they are scanned for evaluation.

The lid on the racket was blown after Bhandup police received a tip-off and subsequently traced a 22-year-old student, Manoj Shendge who was acting as an agent for his friend.

Shendge's questioning led police to Vaze and others.

Police had seized 92 answer sheets of the applied mathematics of the examination that was conducted on May 11 apart from Rs 1.18 lakh from the arrested persons, including Rs 45,000 from Vaze alone.

Most of the seized papers were from exam centres of Kamothe, Khargar, Airoli and Karjat, police said.

The accused were booked under relevant sections of IPC and section 8 (abetment of copying) of the Maharashtra Protection of Malpractices at University and other specified Board examination Act, 1982.

Taking a serious cognisance of the matter, Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Sunday demanded a detailed report from MU Vice Chancellor Dr Sanjay Deshmukh.
President Pranab Mukherjee arrived here today on a four-day visit to China that will see significant political and economic push to bilateral ties while irritants like Beijing's opposition to India's membership of NSG and the blocking of UN bid to blacklist JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist will also figure.

Mukherjee, who is making his first visit to China as President, has made a number of trips to this country in various capacities including as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Defence Minister.

In Guangzhou, the highly industrialised city in China, Mukherjee will address the India-China Business Forum in which some top Indian industrialists will also be present.

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province in southern coastal China that contributes 12 per cent of the country's GDP and is home to a wide-ranging set of multinational and Chinese corporations.

The President will arrive in Beijing on Thursday where he will meet with President Xi Jinping and other top Chinese leadership including Premier Li Keqiang and National People's Congress Chairman Zhang Dejiang.

In discussions with the Chinese leadership, the issues of Chinese reservations on India's membership in the Nuclear Supplier Group and the UN ban on Azhar are expected to figure prominently.

Bilateral ties have been on an upswing since Xi's landmark India visit in September, 2014 during which both countries had signed 12 agreements and China pledged an investment of USD 20 billion in India's infrastructure sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited China in May last year during which both sides had resolved to further deepen ties in a range of areas.

However, irritants in ties cropped recently after China blocked India's move to get a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar and opposed granting India membership of NSG, saying it must sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to get an entry into the 48-member group.

India had countered the Chinese contention of signing NPT before becoming a member of NSG as "confusion" as NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries.

Ahead of his state visit to China, Mukherjee had told the Chinese state-run television that India seeks a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question which will help in achieving full potential of Sino-India relationship.

"We seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable



settlement of the boundary question and, pending the boundary settlement, to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas. Both sides should strive to ensure that outstanding issues are addressed in a manner that demonstrates mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns, interests and aspirations," he had said last week.

He had also said China joining hands with India in the fight against terrorism will have "its own impact", indicating that the two countries must comer together to deal with the challenge.

The comments came against the backdrop of Beijing blocking India's bid to put Azhar on the UN list of proscribed terrorists.

Mukherjee is accompanied By Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar four Members of Parliament and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said his government will work towards making the state free from illegal foreigners and corruption.

"It is our commitment to make Assam foreigners free and corruption free in coming days. We are determined that we will succeed," he said addressing the people after taking oath at a public meeting attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a host of Union ministers, chief ministers and top BJP leaders Amit Shah and L K Advani.

Sonowal said he would not disappoint the people of Assam and would work with every community of the state.

"Assamese, Punjabi, Marwari, Bengali and all other people living in Assam will work together and establish it as a strong and developed state in India. We will work to strengthen the economic prospects of the state," he said.

Thanking Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, who was present at the programme, for their guidance and support during the assembly polls, he said his government will work with all tribes of the state and strengthen the ties of brotherhood between them.

Referring to Narendra Modi's two years in office at the Centre, Sonowal who was himself a Union minister, said India has progressed at many fronts in this period.

Sonowal also wished speedy recovery of ailing Assam PCC President Anjan Dutta.

Chief Ministers of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh -- Parkash Singh Badal, Chandrababu Naidu and Shivraj Singh Chouhan respectively -- also spoke on the occasion.
North Korea has challenged United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon to clarify the legal basis for UN sanctions against it, Pyongyang's state media said today.

The North's permanent representative to the UN wrote to Secretary-General Ban yesterday, saying that UN sanctions imposed over its nuclear tests and "peaceful satellite launches" had no legal foundation, KCNA agency reported.

It did not identify the permanent representative by his name, Ja Song-Nam.

The UN Security Council in March imposed its toughest sanctions on North Korea to date following its fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch the following month.

The North had already been subject to a range of sanctions because of earlier nuclear tests -- in 2006, 2009 and 2013 -- and a series of long-range missile tests presented as satellite launches.

The Security Council resolutions condemned the nuclear tests and rocket launches as a threat to international peace and security.

But the North Korean envoy asserted that no international laws or agreements -- such as the UN charter and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty -- stipulate that nuclear tests are a threat to international peace and security.

The second question, he said in the letter, was why the Security Council had never sanctioned the United States or other countries for their nuclear tests or ballistic missile launches.

If no "convincing legal clarification" was given on such questions, the Security Council would be seen as enforcing double standards, the envoy said.

The North insists it needs atomic weapons to defend itself from what it calls a US nuclear threat.

A rare ruling party congress this month depicted the North as a fully-fledged nuclear weapons state and endorsed a push to improve and expand the arsenal.
A 25-year-old constable of Nagaland Armed Police, posted at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial museum here, today allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle.

The constable, identified as Anatho, shot himself dead around 10.30 AM in the barracks inside the museum premises in New Delhi's Janpath. No suicide note was recovered from the spot, a senior police official said.

Anatho was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared him dead. His family has been informed about the incident. However, the reason behind his taking the extreme step is yet to be ascertained.

An inquest has been initiated into the matter, DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal said.
Sueprmodel Naomi Campbell was treated to a surprise party by her friends on her 46th birthday, where they shelled out no less than USD 15,000 on roses for the event.

The supermodel was joined by friends for a private dinner at PHD Rooftop Lounge in New York on May 22, with the venue dressed in 1,000 roses imported from Holland, reported TMZ.

These "Red Naomi" roses, which were named after the star for their beautiful long stems, their smooth, velvety shade and the best petal count.

Friends in attendance at the birthday bash included Usher, Zac Posen and Anna Sui whilst Naomi wowed in a white gown designed by Brandon Maxwell.

Naomi's friends had one more surprise in store, a birthday cake made to look like her new coffee table book.

At the event, close friend Sean "Puffy" Combs, also known as P Diddy, told guests that "Naomi Campbell is one of God's gifts to us.
Nepal's Supreme Court today summoned Maoist chief Prachanda to appear before it within three days and furnish a reply on a contempt of court case against him.

A single bench of acting Chief Justice Sushila Karki issued the order on a petition filed on May 16 by Advocate Dinesh Tripathi against Pracanda for criticising the judiciary in connection with the cases during the decade-long civil war.

In his complaint, Tripathi demanded a court order sentencing the former prime minister to one year's jail and a fine of Rs 10,000 for his remarks against the judiciary, saying Prachanda's remarks has gravely defamed the apex court.

Prachanda, 61, reportedly had accused the judiciary of hatching a conspiracy to derail the peace process as it was issuing verdicts on the conflict-era cases though they fell under the jurisdictionof recently formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The Maoist chief had refused to abide by the SC ruling demanding that the judiciary accept the transformation process.

"The judiciary is being prepared to hear the war-era cases in order to sabotage the peace process," the complaint quoted Prachanda as saying during the programme in Kathmandu.

The Nepali Civil War was an armed conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels which lasted from 1996 until 2006. The war was launched by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) on February 13, 1996 after being denied participation in a national election.
City's St Xavier's College and NGO 'Pehchan' here conducted a training for nearly 100 homeless people on Right to Information Act and filing RTI applications.

The training held yesterday at the St Xavier's College in south Mumbai was conducted by RTI activist Anil Galgali.

Galgali gave demonstration on how to fill an RTI application form and what are important things to be kept in mind while filling it.

He also discussed the details of RTI Act with the participants and how an individual can make the effective use of it and fight for their rights.

"I shared many facts with regards to the Act since its inception in the country and tried to made participants aware that RTI is a boon through which any government department, official can be held accountable," he said.

"If the information sought is not furnished under an RTI query, one can appeal for the same," Galgali said.

He also explained the procedure of filing an RTI application and what all information from a varied subjects can be sought under an RTI query.

Brijesh Arya, the founder president of 'Pehchan' said that the marginalised community needs RTI more than any other common man.
A 46-year-old Nigerian national has been awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment for possessing one kilogram of heroin in a 2010 case here.

Special Judge Deepak Garg awarded the punishment to Dinebari Debari along with a 29-year-old Punjab resident Sanjeev Kumar in the case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and also imposed a penalty of Rs one lakh on each.

"The prosecution has been able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt," the court said.

According to the prosecution, in November 2010, Kumar was apprehanded on a tip off and over four kilograms heroin was recovered from his possession.

Later on, Debari was also apprehanded and over one kg heroin was recovered from his possession.

The police later filed a charge sheet against the accused persons before the court.

During the trial, however, the accused persons had pleaded not guilty and claimed that nothing was recovered from them and they have been falsely implicated in this case.
Top US Senators today expressed concern over the pace of economic reforms, human rights situation and religious freedom in India, with one of them accusing the Obama administration of not being "brutally honest" in its conversation with the country.

"We are not brutally honest in our discussions with India," Congressman Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, bluntly said during a hearing convened by him on India-US ties ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit here next month.

Senator Corker, who is being speculated as one of the potential short-listed vice presidential candidate for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, also expressed deep concern over the pace of economic reforms being carried out by the Modi government.

"Rhetoric has far outpaced economic reforms," he said.

Referring to the feedback he receives from the American business community, the top Republican Senator referred to the continuation of high tariffs and "unparalled" bureaucratic red tape and expressed concerns over the intellectual property regime in India.

Corker, who has put a hold in the Senate on the sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan with US tax payers money unless it takes actions against the Haqqani network, said that there is a "widening expectations gap" between the US and India.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal took exception to Corker's characterisation of not being "brutally honest" arguing that the Obama Administration has a "very robust and transparent discourse" with the Indian Government and that its concerns have been communicated to New Delhi in very effective manner.

But Corker was joined by several other Senators on pace of India's economic reforms, IP regime, human rights situation and religious freedom.

While Senate Corker and Ben Cardin, the ranking member, pressed Biswal on existence of slavery in India even in this age, Senator Tim Kaine Virginia appeared to be upset with the Indian government decision not to give visas to members of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom and desecration of Sikh holy book in Punjab.

Senator Robert Menendez from New Jersey joined Corker in expressing concerns on the pace of economic reforms in India.

Some of the Senators, including Senator Christopher Coons, raised concerns on the recent visit of the Prime Minister Modi to Iran and the increasing India-Iran ties.

Responding to questions, Biswal said the US has expressed its view on Iran to India.

At the same time she noted that India's relationship with Iran is driven by its energy needs and effort to reach out to the Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.

(Reopens FGN 43)



Senator Cory Gardner from Colorado raised the issue of income tax notices to American non-governmental organisations (NGO) and alleged questioning by their workers by Indian official from law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

In her opening remarks, Biswal referred to the speech of President Barack Obama when he travelled to India last year.

"In his speech last year at Siri Fort, New Delhi President Obama said that 'our nations are strongest when we uphold the equality of all our people'. To build that strength, we have a range of dialogues, engagements and private conversations about human rights with India's government," Biswal said.

"We are always looking for new ways to partner with India to advance human rights, strengthen democratic institutions, and support societies that are more inclusive, secular, and tolerant," Biswal said.

She said the strategic partnership between the US and India is anchored on the premise that our two democratic, pluralistic, and secular societies share not only many of the same attributes but also many of the same aspirations.

"It is that premise which has led President Obama to characterise the relationship as a defining partnership of the 21st century," she said.

Over the past eight years, Biswal said there has been a tremendous amount of progress across every major dimension of relationship, including strategic, economic, defense and security, and energy and environment ties.

"When President Obama welcomes Prime Minister Modi to Washington next month, we will be able to say with confidence that relations between our two great democracies have never been stronger, even as both sides recognise there is much more to be done," Biswal said.
Odisha government is in the process of putting at least seven mines for auction by August, state Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick said today.

The seven mines include iron ore, manganese and a bauxite mine in Koraput district.

"We are in the process of auctioning seven more mines by July-August this year. Among the mines, a bauxite mine would be auctioned in Koraput district," the minister said.

Mallick's announcement of putting one bauxite mine in the auction has enhanced the hopes of Vedanta, which has been struggling to arrange raw material for its 1 mtpa refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district. The London-based aluminium major is likely to participate in the bidding process.

Vedanta's refinery and smelter plants are running at less than 50 per cent capacity due to lack of bauxite though the refinery plant is located close to several mines.

Mallick said he would participate in the all India mining ministers' meeting to be held at Jaipur on May 27.

"We would raise several issues, including the process for granting environment and forest clearances to mines in the state at the meeting," he said.

The mines ministers will discuss the auction process, setting up of District Mineral Foundation (DMF), minor mineral rules and curbing illegal mining and enhanced penal provisions, he said.

Mallick said the ministers will also discuss on the status of collection of funds in the DMF and its utilisation.
An Afghan official says at least five civilians were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in southern Kandahar province.

Samim Khpolwak, the governor's spokesman, says the explosion, which took place in Shah Wali Kot district early yesterday, also wounded four people.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Kandahar is regarded by the Taliban as their heartland. It had been largely peaceful for some years until a recent resurgence in insurgent violence.

In neighbouring Helmand province, police chief Noor Agha Kemtoz says the Taliban shadow governor, Abdul Manan, was killed by Afghan security forces in Marjah district late yesterday.

However, Taliban spokesman Qari Yusouf Ahmadi denied reports of Manan's death. The Taliban have set up many provincial "shadow" administrations mirroring the government.
One worker was killed and 15 others were injured today when a chemical tanker exploded at a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant here, police said.

The incident took place around 11 AM in Paravada mandal in the city outskirts when nearly 35 workers were on duty and a tanker containing ammonia exploded, Circle inspector of Parawada Police station, B Ramanamurty said.

The deceased worker has not been identified yet.

The injured have been admitted to a local hospital in Gajuwaka, police added.
Refuting allegations of post-poll violence against cadres of opposition parties in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress today accused opposition of "spreading canards to remain in the limelight" after their 'humiliating' defeat in the Assembly elections.

"Those who are talking about democracy should know we have lost nine of our workers during the elections. They should also know that the people of Bengal have given a resounding verdict in favour of TMC. They should stop leveling baseless allegations against the party," Trinamool Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front and Congress leaders had met the Governor yesterday and submitted a memorandum on post-poll violence across the state.

Trinamool Congress also accused a section of officials appointed by the Election Commission of not working in an impartial manner during the polls.

"Since the elections are over and we have got 211 seats, we would like to say that some officials assigned by the EC did not work impartially during the elections," alleged TMC vice president Mukul Roy.

"An official of the CRPF who was in-charge of the central armed police force during the polls, was a blue-eyed boy of Left leaders during the Left Front regime. It is due to the excesses of CRPF, we got two to three per cent less votes," he claimed.

The Left Front-Congress alliance managed to bag only 76 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections, whereas TMC won an overwhelming 211 seats in the 294-member House.
China is grappling with big increase in fake and phony universities, colleges and schools whose numbers have gone up to over 400 as they use names of real institutions by slightly altering them to confuse and dupe prospective students, state media reported today.

A list of fake universities, colleges and schools was last week released on sdaxue.Com website that helps students choose higher educational institutions.

It exposed 73 Chinese universities or colleges as unaccredited diploma mills. The website has been publishing its annual list of fake schools since 2013.

The list pushes the total number of phony colleges exposed to over 400, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

On the list are 23 schools in Beijing where many of the country's top universities are located. Shandong was second, with eight fake colleges, while Shanghai has seven.

Names of institutions are usually slightly altered versions of the names of real universities and colleges to confuse prospective students. Accreditation is usually fabricated or out of date.

According to the website, 66 of the 73 bogus colleges were not on the college list published by the Ministry of Education (MOE), while six used old names of legal colleges.

One used an alternative name of a Party school in Beijing. These colleges usually woo and swindle high school graduates through slick recruitment sites, it said.

Xinhua reporters contacted a dozen of them, all supposedly located in Beijing, but none of their phone numbers were available. Most of the addresses are in the suburbs, making them tough to find.

Some, such as the address of 'Beijing Normal University of Science and Technology' simply do not exist, the report said.

One college claimed of having more than 16,500 graduates and excellent teaching facilities. Reporters could not locate the college although a vocational school was found.

One of the school staff confirmed that no other college is located there, and that the vocational school was the only education institution in the vicinity.

The college's name has been hijacked from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Newsletters and campus pictures were likewise copied from the website.

Beijing Tongji University of Medical Science, which claims to have been established in 1983 in Chaoyang District, was also non-existent.

An employee of a nearby hotel said he has never heard of



the college in 40 years. Many of these fictitious colleges have their own websites where their fake certification can be found and verified, the report said.

Chen Jiangping, formerly a content supervisor of daxue.Com website, said many scammers use names of students they have "recruited" which are very similar to names on approved MOE documentation for verification.

"Over the years, we have received many reports from students who were cheated by fake websites," Chen said.

One student claimed to have spent more than 10,000 yuan (USD 1,500) on online courses from a college in Shanghai, but could not find his diploma on the official MOE site.

Chen said even though fake colleges are exposed each year, it is very difficult to eradicate them because a fake college website is cheap and simple to make. Many have foreign IP addresses, so it is hard to supervise them.

Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow with the National Institute of Educational Sciences, said that fake colleges which claim to be in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai prey on students from smaller, distant cities, making on-site verification difficult.

The government identify fake colleges and stop the spread of their recruitment materials, with high schools doing more to advise graduates properly. Students with low gaokao scores are easy targets, Chu said.

Wang Jinhai of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics believes that only when police, education authorities and industry work together will the problem be solved.

"China should also work with other countries to close down fake websites," he said.

Education authorities in Beijing are coordinating with police to investigate and close the fake colleges.
The Nawaz Sharif government has been issued a notice by a Pakistani court here on a petition challenging the prime minister on his more than 70 foreign tours which has cost the exchequer over 600 million rupees.

The Lahore High Court yesterday issued the notice on a plea by barrister Javed Iqbal Jafrey, who pleaded that Sharif extravagantly spent public money on his foreign tours, and on his and family's projection in the media.

Jafrey alleged that the prime minister was spending public money to get medical treatment in London at a time when there are no medicines at hospitals and the country was mired in foreign debts.

"It is unfortunate that the prime minister fails to establish state-of-art hospitals in the country where he could go for his own medical treatment," he said, adding that taxpayers' money was been used by the premier and his family for their "lavish" foreign tours.

Sharif is currently in London, along with family members, for medical check-up. But speculation is rife that he has gone there to meet former president Asif Ali Zardari for "advice" on the "PanamaPapers" documents leak in which the names of his two children has figured for having off-shore companies.

Petitioner Jafrey also told the court that millions was being spent on media advertisements to promote the prime minister and his political party (PML-N).

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah sought a reply from the government tomorrow, overruling LHC registrar's objection to the petition.

In February, the National Assembly was told that 638 million rupees had been spent on Sharif's foreign trips. He has lived at least every fifth day of his tenure out of the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had informed the National Assembly that Sharif has spent a total of 185 days abroad in 65 foreign tours with accompanying staff of 631 officers between June 2013 and February 2016.

After he came to power in June 2013, Sharif has often visited abroad, despite criticism by Opposition and media.

According to the data provided in the Assembly, Sharif visited Britain 17 times, spending about two months in the UK, of which 32 days were listed as official stay while 24 were listed as transits.

During each transit, Sharif has stopped for at least a couple of days which cost the exchequer 137.8 million rupees.

After the UK, Sharif spent most of his time in the US, visiting the country for 18 days. He has visited Saudi Arabia five times, followed by China, which he visited four times.

Turkey was Sharif's another favoured destination which he visited at least once every year.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan today refused to confirm the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour but said a DNA test will be done to establish the identity of a man killed in a US drone strike last week.

"He is an Afghan national and the Pakistan government has no means to identify Afghan citizens," he told reporters.

"Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are still investigating the incident, but so far they have not been able to confirm the identity," the minister said.

He said that an individual approached the government today to claim the body of the second deceased person, saying "he is a relative of Mullah Mansour".

"We will perform the DNA test of that person and if it matches with that of the deceased body, only then we will be in a position to confirm that it was Mullah Mansour who was killed in the incident," he said.

He confirmed the attack on Pakistani soil but said that drone did not enter its airspace.

"The attack was launched from other country," he said, but refused to identify exactly from where the strike was carried out.

He said that he was unable to understand how the passport of the passenger traveling in the vehicle as Wali Muhammad was not damaged when everything was destroyed in the attack.

Khan said investigation was going on about it.

He said Wali Muhmmad got Pakistan's identity card in 2001 and also got the passport in 2011. He said those officials who verified him as a Pakistani are being probed.

Khan said the US government informed Pakistan about the strike seven hours after the attack.

He condemned the drone attack as violation of Pakistan's territory and said it may lead to serious implication for relations between Pakistan and US.

Talking about the possibility of impact of the Taliban chief's killing on Afghan peace process, the minister said that he was not sure how will it help in the brining peace.

Khan said he cannot understand that Mansour was a hurdle in peace process as he was at helms of affairs when the first round of direct talks was held in Murree in July last year.

He said that second round planned on July 31 last year was sabotaged when it was revealed that Mullah Omar was dead.

Khan said progress was made in the first round and Taliban "had agreed to declare Kabul as conflict free zone."



Khan also revealed that a representative of the Haqqani network was present in Muree talks.
Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah today dismissed an Israeli proposal for direct negotiations instead of a French multilateral peace initiative, calling it an attempt to "buy time".

Hamdallah made the comments as he met French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who has held talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories this week to push Paris's peace initiative.

"Time is short," Hamdallah said. "(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is trying to buy time... But this time he will not escape the international community."



Netanyahu has rejected the plan and called for direct negotiations.

Valls told Netanyahu when he met him yesterday that he would discuss his proposal with French President Francois Hollande, but he has insisted that Paris plans to stick with its approach.

The French initiative involves holding a meeting of foreign ministers from a range of countries on June 3, but without the Israelis and Palestinians present.

An international conference would then be held in the autumn, with the Israelis and Palestinians in attendance. The goal is to eventually relaunch negotiations that would lead to a Palestinian state.

Negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has welcomed the French plan, but Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed his opposition while saying he is willing to meet Abbas at any time.

Yesterday, he told Valls that France should host a summit between the two men in Paris.

Palestinian leaders say years of negotiations with Israel have not ended its occupation, and they have pursued a strategy of diplomacy at international bodies.

Valls has sought to address Israeli concerns over the French initiative, saying it would not try to impose a solution and that negotiations between the two sides would ultimately resolve the conflict.

He has called himself a "friend of Israel" during his trip, and said Israeli security must be guaranteed.

But he has also criticised Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank, considered to be a major stumbling block to peace.

Jewish settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law and are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.
Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers posted here today went on a strike demanding FIR against four police officials who allegedly manhandled one of the officers during an IPL match at Green Park stadium here.

"32 PCS officers have stopped work in protest against the alleged incident of manhandling of SDM Sukhbir Singh by police personnel," ADM (Finance) Shatrughan Singh said.

Senior police officers have assured us that an FIR will be lodged against the accused policemen. If they take necessary measures, we will resume our work, he said.

SSP Sulabh Mathur said no FIR has been lodged in the matter but the accused policemen have been suspended.

During an IPL match between Gujarat lions and Mumbai Indians on May 21, some police officials had allegedly manhandled SDM Singh, who was on duty during the match.

Singh alleged that some police officials were trying to get their family members entry into the stadium without tickets. But when he objected a scuffle ensued between them. He accused the policemen of slapping him also.
The pilots of six-seater Beech King aircraft not only succeeded in saving the lives of those on-board but also managed to avoid any casualty on ground as the plane stopped in a field just a few hundred meters short of a cluster of houses in Kair village.

"We heard a loud bang and saw the plane hurtling down towards us in the fields after which I just ran away fearing that it would hit us," Rajpal, a construction worker, said.

A local, Deepak, said, "The pilots showed presence of mind, otherwise the damage would have been greater."



The of the crash landing spread like wildfire in Kair as people trouped in hundreds from neighbouring villages.

The air ambulance coming from Patna with seven persons on board crash landed around 2.40 PM after both its engines apparently shut down but no one sustained any major injury.

Another local, Ravinder, who claimed to be an eyewitness, said, "It touched down and then bumped off while moving in the fields when its landing gear came off and it kept on dragging making a loud noise."



The locals who rushed to the plane after it came to halt also helped those on-board and attended to them by offering water and making PCR call for help.

Soon policemen from various police stations, including Najafgarh and Dwarka, reached the spot and attended to those onboard and cordoned the aircraft.

A 61-year-old patient Virender Rai who was being flown to Delhi was rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon by the police. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.

Fire tenders from Delhi Fire Service and ambulances were also rushed to the spot.

A large number of men women and children thronged the field forcing the policemen to form a ring around the aircraft besides putting a tape around it.

Attracted by the throng of curious onlookers who stayed there for hours, hawkers selling ice cream, drinking water and eatables did brisk business on the spot.
Polaris India, which sells the luxury American bike brand Indian Motorcycle, today unveiled its all new 'Indian Scout Sixty' superbike, priced at Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The bike, which comes with a 999cc engine, will be available for sale in India from July onwards.

"I am quite sure that the introduction of the all-new 2016 Indian Scout Sixty in the Indian market will help us grow in terms of volumes in the fast-growing luxury commuter category," Managing Director of Polaris India Pankaj Dubey said in a statement.

The bike comes with a black seat, matching black frame and wheels, and is compatible with more than 200 accessories already available for the Indian Scout.

Polaris India has brought the entire Indian Motorcycle Chief range -- Indian Chief Classic, Indian Chief Vintage, Indian Chieftain and Indian Chief Dark Horse -- to the country.

Besides, the Indian Scout and Indian Roadmaster are also available in the country. The entire range is accessible across showrooms in India including Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

The company is in the process of opening outlets at Chandigarh and Cochin.
President Tuesday embarked on a four-day visit to China with an aim to bolster economic ties between the two countries and seek cooperation for combating designs of terror groups.

During his first state visit to China, the President will be meeting his counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Le Keqiang and other top leaders.

He is likely to raise the issue of China blocking India's bid to get a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and its insistence on India signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to get membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

India had countered the Chinese contention of signing NPT before becoming a member of NSG as "confusion" as NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries.

Ahead of his state visit to China, Mukherjee had told the Chinese state-run television that India seeks a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question which will help in achieving full potential of Sino-India relationship.

"We seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question and, pending the boundary settlement, to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas. Both sides should strive to ensure that outstanding issues are addressed in a manner that demonstrates mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns, interests and aspirations," he had said last week.
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse today said he has written to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Union Home Minister and the Maharashtra Chief Minister, seeking a thorough probe into the allegations that he received phone calls from fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

He also demanded action under the Information Technology Act against 'ethical hacker' Manish Bhangale, who claims to have hacked the website of a Pakistani telecom company to get the call records.

The minister has already rubbished the allegation that calls were made to his number from Dawood's Karachi residence between September 2015 and April 2016, saying that the number was not in use for the past one year.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had last week demanded a probe into the matter.

"The allegations against me are serious and I think there should be a detailed inquiry. So I have written a letter to the MEA, Union Home Minister and the (Maharashtra) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, asking for a thorough probe," Khadse told reporters here.

Mumbai police have already given a clean chit to Khadse, saying no international calls were made to his cell phone.

AAP spokesperson Preeti Menon last week showed purported call records of the same number, obtained by Ahmedabad-based hacker Manish Bhangale, and accused Khadse of hiding facts.

Khadse today said he had also sent a letter to the Mumbai police commissioner, seeking action against Bhangale.

"Bhangale has violated IT laws and there should be a probe and action against him. Also, action should be taken against Jayesh Dave, who according to Bhangale provided Rs 85 lakh to hack the site, and AAP leader Preeti Menon who used the hacked data without informing the police," he said.

(REOPENS BOM15)



Meanwhile, when asked if his detractors within the state cabinet could be behind these allegations, Khadse said nobody would try and put him in trouble as he was the senior-most minister.

He also dismissed the speculation that Chief Minister Fadnavis himself could be behind the creation of this controversy, saying that he had excellent rapport with him.

"It has never happened that I made some suggestion on the basis of my knowledge and experience and he (Fadnavis) rejected it," Khadse said.

"I have spent 40 years in politics and I always speak with evidence in hand. Party leaders have faith in me and it is not easy to level (baseless) charges against me and get away with it," Khadse said.
All private medical colleges will come under the ambit of common medical exams, NEET, Health Minister J P Nadda today said after an Ordinance to keep the state boards out of it for a year was signed by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Noting that the Ordinance has given a "firm and statutory" support to the common medical entrance test, he said the students in states will get an opportunity to appear this year (2016-17) for undergraduate exams.

"All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill UG seats. However, for PG courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year.

"The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams. 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET 1," Nadda told reporters here.

"There are states which have deferred their exam like UP while Bihar has opted for NEET. They have an option. But these seats will be filled either by NEET or state governments," he said.

After having raised queries, the President today signed the Ordinance which has a provision for states to keep out of NEET for a year.

Mukherjee signed the Ordinance this morning after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early this morning along with the top ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by Mukherjee on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

Nadda said that in the Ordinance, a provision has been made where an exemption has been given to state governments.

He said, "The President today morning signed the Ordinance which was sent to him by the Union Cabinet. Following this, the legal procedure has been initiated. It will be notified today.

Nadda said this year, the NEET examination will be



conducted on July 24.

He said Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chandigarh have conducted exams under NEET.

Bihar too has opted for NEET from this year though Delhi is yet to take a decision, he said.

Nadda said the states that have deferred the exams are West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh.

"All state seats will be filled up either by NEET or by their state examination board and in private medical colleges, the quota that they have for states will also be filled up by the state list or NEET list. PG examination in December 2016 will be a complete NEET," he said.

He said the states had not effectively put forth their views in the right perspective before the Supreme Court.

"In order to provide them relief, we brought this Ordinance," he said.

"The government was very clear from the beginning that it was in favour of NEET," the Health Minister said.

He said that after the apex court order, many state governments had approached the Centre and apprised it of various issues, including ongoing tests of states, partity of syllabus and regional languages.

Nadda said that after due consultations, including an all- party meeting and state health ministers' meet, a consensus was reached that NEET "in principle" is to be implemted which is why the Ordinance was brought.

Rejecting Congress' charge that the government was going against NEET, he said the Centre always favoured it.

"It is very wrong. In the all-party meeting, where Jairam Ramesh was also present, I had said NEET should be implemented and for this year, exemption should be granted for undergraduate courses," he said.

The President was briefed by Nadda yesterday mainly on three issues -- different exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

This was followed by another briefing by Health Ministry officials after which the file was taken back by them last night only to return this morning with additional information and legal advice.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will hit the streets of the national capital on May 28 against the AAP dispensation in Delhi and BJP government at the Centre over power cuts and water shortage in the city, Delhi Congress said today.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken said Rahul will lead a rally from Raj Ghat to the Delhi Secretariat, the administrative headquarters of the city government, around 6.30 PM.

"Rahul ji will lead the Mashal Juloos (torch light procession) against Power/Water woes- And the apathy of Governments in Delhi on 28th May from Rajghat at 6:30 PM," Maken tweeted.

Maken said the power and water woes were due to the "constant clashes" between AAP and BJP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's "habit" of locking horns with the Centre on each and every issue.

The state unit of the Congress will also hold district-level meetings for four days from May 24 to 27 and prepare 'position papers' on the power and water scenario.

(REOPENS DEL20)



Gandhi said the colour of a banknote is decided by whether it is in the hands of the honest or the dishonest.

"A note has no colour. There is an honest person on one side and a dishonest one on the other. If the note goes into the hands of the dishonest person like Mallya, it turns black as if under a spell of magic," he said, referring to now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines promoter Vijay Mallya.

Gandhi said the Prime Minister has given Rs 3 'laddoo' to the poor people, but has given away a Rs 1,200 crore 'laddoo' to Vijay Mallya, who is accused of "running" away from the country after defaulting on his loans worth thousands of crores of rupees.

The Congress Vice President wondered why Modi chose to target the 99 per cent honest people and not the one per cent who possess all the black money, as also on six per cent black money which is in cash and not the 94 per cent in gold, real estate and foreign banks including Swiss banks.

"All black money is not in cash and all cash is not black. The one per cent people who own black money keep their thousands of crores in real estate, big buildings, gold and Swiss bank accounts.

"There is only six per cent black money in cash in India. The rest of 94 per cent black money is in real estate, gold and in foreign banks. Those who stash huge sum of black money, don't do it only in cash but in real estates, jewellery and other forms," he said.

Gandhi said this is the reason why Modi did not target the one per cent rich and he chose to target the 99 per cent people.

"Modiji knows where the black money is stashed... It is with those who travel with Modiji to America. These are the same people who get all the defence contracts. These are the same people who have thousands of crores worth of land and those whose houses are worth Rs 3-4-5-6 thousand crore," he said.

Gandhi also accused Modi of snatching away land of tribal people in Himachal Pradesh the same way BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh had done.
The cardinal principle of India's relationship with China is expanding areas of agreement and reducing divergence, President Pranab Mukherjee said today.

"We have never indulged in expanding divergence but reducing divergence and expanding areas of agreement.

"This is the cardinal principle of Indian diplomacy," he said here, starting his four-day visit to China from this southern Chinese industrial hub.

The President was addressing the Indian community at a reception hosted by India's Ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale.

Mukherjee cited examples of growing cooperation between



India and China in various multilateral fora like the UN, World Bank, IMF and BRICS and said the two countries have worked in close cooperation with each other in these institutions.

He recalled that as Commerce Minister a couple of decades ago he had wondered how the WTO could function without China.

"You can't have WTO without China...The presence of China must be there. We work in close cooperation with each other," he said.

Mukherjee said Prime Minister Narendra Nodi and Chinese President Xi Jinping Would be meeting soon on the margins of G-20 summit scheduled to be held in China later this year.

Referring to the global economic meltdown in the wake of the US financial crisis in 2008, he said India and China greatly contributed to stabilising global economic with their economies.

Mukherjee said the Indian economy has been growing steadily in the last decade and was growing at 7.6 per cent now.

"We have the potential if 2.5 billion plus people of the two countries can work together and cooperate and diversify their activities," he said.

The President said the sharing of best practices and developmental experiences have great opportunities for stabilising prosperity and pushing the forward march.

Touching on the phenomenal expansion of relationship between India and China, Mukherjee said the bilateral trade which was just USD 2.9 billion in 2OOO has gone upto USD 71 billion now.

"We believe there is immense potentiality if trade and investment and mutual expansion of cooperation takes place between the two countries," he said.
Robbers struck Delhi-bound Prayagraj Express looting at gunpoint cash and jewellery from 12 passengers, GRP officials said.

The robbers boarded the train coming from Allahabad at Aligarh station and carried out the loot in between Aligarh and Khurja yesterday, they said.

When the train reached Ghaziabad, the passengers raised a hue and cry and filed a complaint with Government Railway Police (GRP), saying that seven armed robbers had looted them of cash and jewellery.

A case has been registered in this regard and a prone is on, GRP Inspector Pankaj Lawania said, adding since it comes under the purview of Aligarh GRP, the case has been transferred to them.
Looking for investment opportunities in Haryana, Russia today showed keen interest in areas like aerospace as the state government mentioned about plans to set up an aviation hub in Hisar, about 150 kms from Delhi's International Airport.

The interest was shown by visiting Minister of Government of Moscow Sergey Cheremin when he met Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu here to discuss various investment opportunities in the state.

The Russian delegation showed keen interest in mutual cooperation with Haryana in areas of aerospace and semi-conductor chip manufacturing, Cheremin said.

Haryana assured all support and cooperation for further strengthening business ties with Russia.

While welcoming the Russian delegation, Abhimanyu said defence and aerospace sectors have been prominently highlighted in the state's new Industrial Policy, offering special incentives in case production takes place in Haryana.

He said the state government has a plans to set up an aviation hub over an area of 3,000 acres in Hisar. This would be taken up by the government as an alternative airport.

Abhimanyu said that engineering skills of Russia are well recognised in India and hoped that there would be more joint ventures.

Hardselling Haryana as an investment opportunity, he said the state has a locational advantage as it surrounds national capital Delhi from three sides. Apart from this, 57 per cent of the state's area falls in National Capital Region (NCR).

He said the major initiatives under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) include Global City at Gurgaon, with a world class Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre, a Logistic Hub and a Mass Rapid Rail based Transport System, to be implemented jointly with the Government of India.

Abhimanyu said India always had strong relations with the USSR in the past and Russian Federation now and the Haryana government believes that there is ample potential for mutual cooperation in different fields between the two countries.
Russia has shown keen interest in mutual cooperation with Haryana in areas of aerospace and semi-conductor chip manufacturing.

Haryana has also assured all support and cooperation for further strengthening business ties with Russia.

Minister of Government of Moscow Sergey Cheremin who called on Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Finance and Industries Minister Captain Abhimanyu here today to discuss various investment opportunities in Haryana said that Russia is keen to promote business relationship with India.

The Russian delegation showed keen interest in mutual cooperation with Haryana in areas of aero space and semi-conductor chip manufacturing, Cheremin said.

While welcoming the Russian delegation, Abhimanyu said that defence and aerospace sectors have been prominently highlighted in the State's new Industrial Policy besides offering special incentives in case production takes place in Haryana.

He said that the State Government has a plan to set up an aviation hub over an area of 3,000 acres in Hisar, about 150 km from International Airport at New Delhi.

This would be taken up by the Government as an alternative airport.

He said that recently, Haryana Government organised its first-ever 'Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit-2016' at Gurgaon which proved as a highly successful meet in the country.

About 359 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed during the Investors Summit with investment proposals to the tune of Rs 5.84 lakh crores.

Some of the MoUs are already starting to move. The Wanda Group of China, Asia's Richest Group, has proposed to set up an Industrial Park in NCR area in Haryana over an area of about 3,000 acres and the State Government is going to finalise the deal in coming months, he said.

Apart from this, the State Government has received a large number of proposals from various top companies to set up their units in Haryana.

Abhimanyu said India always had strong relations with the USSR in the past and Russian Federation now and Haryana Government believed that there was ample potential for mutual cooperation in different fields between the two countries.

The Central Government has offered all regulatory frameworks for providing ease of doing business and as a result of this India is being seen as a great market for investment at global level, he said.

Abhimanyu said that engineering skills of Russia are well recognised in India and hoped that there would be more joint ventures between India and Russia.

"We intend to come up in top five countries as far as trade partnership is concerned," he added.

Abhimanyu said that Haryana has a locational advantage as it surrounds National Capital Delhi from three sides.

Apart from this, 57 per cent of the State's area falls in National Capital Region.

He said that covering about 1.3 per cent of the total geographical area of the country, Haryana contributes about 3.5 per cent of the National Economy.

He said that the major initiatives under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) include Global City at Gurgaon, with a world class Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre, a Logistic Hub and a Mass Rapid Rail based Transport System, to be implemented jointly with the Government of India.
South African state prosecutors said they would appeal against a court ruling that President Jacob Zuma should face almost 800 corruption charges, triggering accusations that he was being protected from justice.

Zuma has endured months of criticism and growing calls for him to step down after a series of corruption scandals as the country battles falling economic growth and record unemployment.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) director Shaun Abrahams announced the decision to challenge a High Court order to reinstate 783 charges against Zuma, but denied there had been any political pressure.

The charges, relating to a multi-billion dollar arms deal, were dropped in 2009, clearing the way for Zuma to be elected president just weeks later.

At the time, state prosecutors justified dropping the case by saying that tapped phone calls between officials in then-president Thabo Mbeki's administration showed undue interference.

But the Pretoria High Court last month dismissed the decision to discontinue the charges as "irrational" and said it should be reviewed by the NPA.

"The judgement affects... The discretionary powers of the prosecutor," Abrahams told a press conference yesterday. "It is so important that I believe it needs a decision of an appeal court."



Abrahams railed against suggestions that the NPA was reluctant to prosecute Zuma.

"I will always do what is correct, irrespective of whether the individual concerned is an ordinary citizen, a cabinet minister or a sitting president," he said.

"Any suggestion that I may have succumbed to any pressure to make my decision -- I can assure the public today that it is absolutely ridiculous and completely unfounded."



Zuma later announced that he too was appealing the ruling that he should face the charges.

"The president believes that the decision of the court affects him directly and is of a strong view that the court erred in several respects in its decision," the presidency said in a statement.
The ruling SAD today hit out at Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh for leveling "baseless and malicious allegations" against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the aftermath of the recent attack on Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale.

The state Congress chief has accused Badal of pitting Sikh religious leaders against each other as part of his agenda of "controlled destabilisation" in the state.

"Amarinder has no right to question the integrity and sincerity of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who has devoted his entire life to serve Punjab and made great sacrifices for the state suffering the hardships of imprisonment," SAD spokesperson and education minister Daljit Singh Cheema said.

In the case of attack on Dhadrianwale, the state government is proceeding as per the provisions of law and is committed to maintaining law and order, he said.

Unidentified assailants had on May 17 opened fire at the cavalcade of Dhadrianwale in which he had a narrow escape but his aide Bhupinder Singh Khalsa of Khasi Kalan died.

"Instead of politicising the issue, Amarinder and his party's 'B' team Aam Aadmi Party should come forward and cooperate in maintaining peaceful atmosphere in Punjab," he said.

"The state Congress chief would do very well to remember his own betrayals to Punjab instead of casting aspersions on the integrity of Badal," the SAD leader said.
Scoot, the long-haul budget arm of Singapore Airlines, today launched its operations in India with flight services to Chennai and Amritsar from Singapore.

The airline will operate a daily direct service to the Tamil Nadu Capital from Singapore with a 335-seater Boeing 787-800 aircraft while Amritsar would have three-times-a-week operations service with a 375-seater B787-900 plane. Besides, it has already announced to launch services from Jaipur from October this year.

On the Chennai-Singapore route, Scoot will take place of SIA's another subsidiary airline Tigerair which has been operating 12 flights a week with narrow-body aircraft.

"India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. Guests from India can now fly to amazing destinations in our Asia-Pacific network through the Singapore hub, as well as onward with Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Tigerair in the SIA Group portfolio," Chief Commercial Officer for Scoot and Tigerair, Leslie Thng said.

Scoot also plans to scale up frequency from Amritsar to four times a week, starting July 2.
Sebi today barred Ruchi Soya Industries and National Steel and Agro Industries from the securities market for alleged fraudulent and manipulative in trading in castor seeds at the NCDEX.

The latest crack down for irregularities in the commodities derivatives market comes less than three months after it banned 16 brokers and traders from the securities market for manipulation in castor seeds trading at the bourse.

The two companies have been barred from "buying, selling or dealing in the securities market, either directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever, till further directions", Sebi said.

"... I, prima facie, find that the acts and omissions of Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd and National Steel and Agro Industries Ltd has, not only disturbed market equilibrium, but also indicate manipulative and fraudulent design to form a cartel and corner the castor seed market," Sebi Whole Time Member Rajeev Kumar Agarwal said in the order.

He noted that prima facie Ruchi Soya Industries and National Steel and Agro Industries being part of 'Ruchi group entities' have violated the position limits prescribed by erstwhile Forward Markets Commission (FMC) in October and December 2014.

Noting that detailed investigation of entire scheme, plan, device and artifice employed by concerned entities is necessary, Sebi said the role of four other entities funded by Ruchi Soya Industries -- Stride Multitrade Pvt Ltd, Bharat Foods Co-operative Ltd, Anuj Jain and Sisne Polymers Pvt Ltd.

These four entities were among the 16 against whom action was taken by Sebi through its order on March 2.

"The connected entities, acting in concert under a premeditated plan, have acquired dominant market share in castor seed contracts traded at NCDEX.

"Their acts, conduct, behaviour and dealings connote a deceptive conduct designed to deceive or defraud market participants and by camouflaging/ masking their actual position in castor seed, they have interfered with free market forces of supply and demand," Sebi said in the latest order.

Allowing the entities that are prima facie found to be involved in such fraudulent, unfair and manipulative transactions to continue to operate in the market would shake the confidence of the investors in the commodities market, it added.

On March 2, Sebi had barred 16 brokers and traders from the securities market for manipulation in castorseeds trading at NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange).

These entities had either traded or facilitated trade of castorseed contract at the leading commodity bourse.

NCDEX had suspended trading in castor seed contracts on January 27, 2016, pursuant to which Sebi had also launched its probe in respect of trading in these contracts at NCDEX for the period beginning January 1.
A Senate panel has approved a legislation which blocks $300 million US military aid to Pakistan unless the Defence Secretary certifies to the Congress that Islamabad is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani terror network.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, which renewed blockage of $300 million coalition support fund to Pakistan subject to action against the Haqqani network like previous year when it passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)-2017 last week, has however argued in favour of continuing security assistance to Pakistan.

NDAA-2017 is scheduled to come up before the Senate for voting, during which several Senators are expected to bring in amendments to this bill.

Senate version of the NDAA differed with that of the House on many issues, including Pakistan.

The House version of the bill, which was passed last week, calls for blocking $450 million of the $900 million US aid to Pakistan in coalition support fund.

The Senate version has reduced both the figures to $300 million and $800 million, respectively.

However, for release of this fund, both seek certification from the Defence Secretary that Pakistan is taking demonstrable action against the Haqqani network.

NDAA 2016, which ends on September 30 this year, makes it mandatory for the Defence Secretary to certify that Islamabad is taking action against the Haqqani network for the release of last $300 million of the coalition support fund to Pakistan.

"The Defence Secretary has not taken a decision yet," Navy Captain Jeff Devis, the Pentagon spokesman, told reporters yesterday when asked if Ashton Carter has issued the Congress-mandated certification.

In its report accompanying NDAA-2017 sent to the Senate, the Senate Armed Services Committee noted that Pakistan has been a long-standing strategic partner of the US and believes that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to be strong and enduring.

The Committee, which passed NDAA-2017 before the weekend's US air strike on Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in the Af-Pak border region, in its report noted that since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Pakistan has been a vital partner in US efforts to combat terrorism in South Asia.

"The committee believes that stability in the region cannot be achieved without stability in Pakistan itself and that fostering a strong, stable, and secure Pakistan is consistent with the national security goals of the United States," the report said, adding it recognises that some have criticised security assistance for Pakistan in recent years.

"However, the committee believes that security and stability within the borders of Pakistan is vital to the stability of the region and to transregional efforts to combat terrorism more broadly," the report said.
A Senate panel has approved a legislation which blocks USD 300 million US military aid to Pakistan unless the Defence Secretary certifies to the Congress that Islamabad is taking "demonstrable" steps against the Haqqani terror network.

The Senate Armed Services Committee - which renewed blockage of USD 300 million coalition support fund to Pakistan subject to action against the Haqqani network like previous year when it passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)-2017 last week - has, however, argued in favour of continuing security assistance to Pakistan.

"In recognition of the critical importance of the bilateral US-Pakistan relationship and the need for enhanced security and stability in Pakistan, the committee recommends a provision that would provide the Secretary of Defence the authority to reimburse Pakistan up to USD 800.0 million in fiscal year 2017 for certain activities that enhance the security situation in the northwest regions of Pakistan and along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border," it said in a report.

"The provision would also make USD 300.0 million of this amount contingent upon a certification from the Secretary of Defence that Pakistan is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani Network in Pakistan," the report said.

NDAA-2017 is scheduled to come up before the Senate for voting, during which several Senators are expected to bring in amendments to this bill.

Senate version of the NDAA differed with that of the House on many issues, including Pakistan.

While the House version of the bill, which was passed last week, calls for blocking USD 450 million of the USD 900 million US aid to Pakistan in coalition support fund, the Senate version has reduced both the figures to USD 300 million and USD 800 million, respectively.

NDAA 2016, which ends on September 30 this year, makes it mandatory for the Defence Secretary to certify that Islamabad is taking action against the Haqqani network for the release of last USD 300 million of the coalition support fund to Pakistan.

"The Defence Secretary has not taken a decision yet," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Devis told reporters yesterday when asked if Ashton Carter has issued the Congress- mandated certification.

The Committee, which passed NDAA-2017 before the weekend's US air strike on Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in the Af-Pak border region, in its report noted that since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Pakistan has been a vital partner in US efforts to combat terrorism in South Asia.

"The committee believes that stability in the region cannot be achieved without stability in Pakistan itself and that fostering a strong, stable, and secure Pakistan is consistent with the national security goals of the United States," the report said.
The death of the leader of the Afghan Taliban in a US drone strike last week could make the insurgent movement stronger by bringing back dissident commanders and unifying the movement's ranks, a senior Afghan Taliban figure said today.

Mullah Mohammad Ghous, a foreign minister during the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule of Afghanistan, told The Associated Press that Mullah Akhtar Mansour's death cleared the way for those who left after he became leader to return to the insurgency.

Mansour was killed on Saturday in the strike in southwestern Pakistan, just over the border from Afghanistan.

His death has been confirmed by some senior Taliban members, as well as Washington and Kabul. The Taliban has yet to formally announce his death.

Mansour had led the Taliban since last summer, when the death of founder Mullah Mohammad Omar became public. Mansour ran the movement in Mullah Omar's name for more than two years. The revelation of Mullah Omar's death and Mansour's deception led to widespread mistrust, with some senior leaders leaving to set up their own factions.

Some of these rivals fought Mansour's men for land, mostly in the opium poppy-growing southern Taliban heartland. Ghous said a faction loyal to the leader of a major breakaway faction, Mullah Mohammad Rasool who is believed to be detained in Pakistan could rejoin the main branch "bringing greater strength."



"Once the death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour is confirmed, Mullah Rasool's group will have no excuse," he said.

Mansour is widely said to have been a major player in Afghanistan's multi-billion-dollar drug production and smuggling business, which along with other contraband helps fund the insurgency.

Western diplomats in Kabul have said that Mansour had been in contact with Iran and Russia in recent months, in a bid to diversify his support base away from Pakistan.

Pakistan's ISI secret service has long been suspected of supporting the Taliban leadership in cities over the border from Afghanistan, notably Quetta and Peshawar.

Russia and Iran are believed to have reached out to Taliban groups in recent months as a counterweight to the Islamic State group's presence in Afghanistan. Mansour is believed to have been returning from Iran when he was targeted by the US drone.

"The Taliban needs financial and strategic support, so as leader of the movement Mullah Akhtar Mansour had to look for it in difference places and that meant he had to travel to different countries," Ghous said, adding that Mansour regularly visited Dubai, Qatar and other countries including Iran, which borders western Afghanistan.

Ghous said that it was widely accepted within the upper ranks of the Taliban that Iran also facilitated contact with Russia for Mansour. "We all know Iran and Russia are linked nowadays, so if Mullah Akhtar Mansour is meeting with Iran it must be with the knowledge of Russia.
Seven Ukrainian soldiers have died in the country's war-torn east over the past 24 hours, the biggest casualty toll in a single day this year, Kiev said today.

The latest violence came as the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine called for the implementation of a peace deal in the separatist east during late-night talks on Monday.

Ukraine also called for an OSCE "police mission" while the Kremlin said it backed an expanded monitoring mission in the east of Ukraine.

"As a result of shelling, seven Ukrainian soldiers have died and nine received injuries over the past 24 hours," Oleksandr Turchynov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said in a statement.

Turchynov blamed Russia's leadership for the attacks, accusing it of doing everything to "torpedo a peaceful way to solve the conflict and the liberation of the occupied territories".

He claimed Russia was massing heavy weapons along a demarcation line in the east, adding that over the past month Ukraine had detected an increased number of Russian reconnaissance and other unmanned aerial vehicles.

Military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said the deaths represented "extremely heavy losses" for the Ukrainian forces.

Yesterday, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine spoke by phone and called for the 2015 peace accords signed in Minsk to be implemented "as quickly as possible," according to the office of French President Francois Hollande.

The accords call for a ceasefire along with a range of political, economic and social measures to end the conflict which erupted in April 2014 and has now claimed more than 9,300 lives.

The Kremlin said that Germany, France and Ukraine had received proposals concerning local elections in the rebel east, the regions' special status and decentralisation, noting they had been agreed with pro-Russian insurgents.

Persistent violence is preventing the warring sides from reaching a firm political reconciliation deal despite a series of truce agreements that have helped reduce the fighting over the past months.

Poroshenko's office said that the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia expressed support for the deployment of an OSCE police mission to eastern Ukraine and the start of consultations on the subject.

OSCE declined immediate comment, while the Kremlin indicated that it did not see eye to eye with Ukraine on the subject.

"In our understanding, this is not a police mission," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today of the OSCE monitors in east Ukraine.

But he said that "indeed this subject is being discussed," noting that the mission's arms policy was under question.
Sikh-Americans have condemned the recent attack on Sikh preacher Baba Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale in Punjab, saying nobody should be allowed to spread fear among those trying to preach the religion.

"The assassination attempt on the most famous and credible preacher of Sikhism is a highly condemnable and the way this attack was carried out under the pretext of organising a Chabeel is a heinous crime," Washington-based Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education Dr Rajwant Singh said.

Unidentified assailants had opened fire at the cavalcade of Dhadrianwale on May 17 in which he had a narrow escape, but his aide Bhupinder Singh Khalsa was shot dead. So far, eight persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the case.

Gurdev Singh Kang, President of the Sikh Cultural Society, a New York-based largest Sikh Gurdwara, said this incident has brought shame to Sikhs all over the world and nobody should be allowed to cause fear amongst the preachers of Sikhism or those who are trying to spread the message of our Gurus.
Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia today warned government school teachers of strict action if inefficiency on their part impeded the development of the education sector.

"My government is willing to do anything to support a sincere teacher. However, we will not hesitate to take strongest action against those who impede the mission to achieve excellence in education," he said in an open letter to teachers.

Sisodia expressed disappointment over a recent agitation by a few teachers and boycotting of a workshop over the action taken by the Delhi government against teaching and non-teaching staff of certain schools who were found violating rules.

"Recently I visited remedial classes organised by schools during summer holidays. The children in a school told me three of their teachers use abusive language, subject them to corporal punishment and send them on menial errands like fetching tea.

"In order to ascertain the veracity of these complaints, I talked to senior students and immediately decided to take strict action against the three teachers. Similarly, I have show-caused three other teachers who had been perpetually coming late to school over months," he said.

Sisodia, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, said that he was extremely disappointed when a group of teachers created a ruckus against the government's action.

"I am surprised their sympathies lie with the teachers who misbehave with young children. At a time when government schools have started to excel in terms of board results, surpassing their private counterparts, why should we allow a minuscule number of such teachers to tarnish this movement," he added.
Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani will visit Amethi on May 26, as part of BJP's publicity blitzkrieg on completion of second year in office by Narendra Modi government.

Gearing up for 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the BJP has lined up its top brass, including 45 union ministers, to attend events across the state's 32 cities.

Irani will first visit Partosh village in the district to attend a function at Gyan Bharti centre, for handicapped persons, BJP's Amethi unit chief Uma Shankar Pandey told PTI over phone.

She will then visit the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Information Technology at Tikarmafi here. The institute is proposed to be shifted to its Allahabad campus.

Irani will later proceed to Kalikan in Sangrampur to inaugurate a rest house and will also distribute e-rickshaws to beneficiaries in Amethi, Pandey said.
An unspecified number of North Koreans working at a Pyongyang-run restaurant overseas have escaped their workplace and will come to South Korea, South Korean officials said today.

The announcement by Seoul's Unification Ministry came after South Korean media reported that two or three female employees at a North Korean-run restaurant in China fled and went to an unidentified Southeast Asian country earlier this month.

It's the second known group escapes by North Korean restaurant workers dispatched abroad in recent weeks. In April, a group of 13 North Koreans who had worked at a North Korean-run restaurant in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo defected to South Korea.

The latest escapes will likely enrage Pyongyang, which typically accuses Seoul of trying to abduct or entice North Korean citizens to defect. South Korea has denied the accusation.

After the 13 workers a male manager and 12 waitresses arrived in Seoul in April, Pyongyang claimed they were kidnapped by South Korean spies and repeatedly demanded their return. South Korea said the workers chose to resettle in the South on their own. It was the largest group defection by North Koreans to the South since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took power in 2011.

A brief Unification Ministry statement today confirmed that some more North Korean restaurant workers abroad fled, but didn't elaborate. Officials at the unification and foreign ministries refused to provide further details about the North Koreans and their escapes, citing concerns about their safety and potential diplomatic problems with concerned countries. It's unclear when they will arrive in Seoul.

South Korea's Yonhap agency reported that the North Koreans had worked at a restaurant in the central Chinese city of Xian and that they may have traveled to Thailand. New Focus, a Seoul-based online outlet run by a defector, which was among the first to break the yesterday, cited an unidentified source in China as saying the group comprised three women who had worked at a North Korean-run restaurant in Shanghai.

South Korea's spy service said earlier this year that North Korea was running about 130 restaurants overseas, mostly in China. Overall, North Korea has about 50,000 to 60,000 workers abroad, mostly in Russia and China, with a mission to bring in foreign currency, according to the National Intelligence Service.

South Korean officials believe overseas North Korean restaurants have been suffering economically since stronger international sanctions were applied against North Korea over its nuclear test and long-range rocket launch earlier this year.
Unlike the declining populations of many fish species, the number of cephalopods - octopus, cuttlefish and squid - has increased in the world's oceans over the past 60 years, a new study has found.

The international team, led by researchers from University of Adelaide in Australia, compiled a global database of cephalopod catch rates to investigate long-term trends in abundance.

"Our analyses showed that cephalopod abundance has increased since the 1950s, a result that was remarkably consistent across three distinct groups," said Zoe Doubleday, Research Fellow in the Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences.

"Cephalopods are often called 'weeds of the sea' as they have a unique set of biological traits, including rapid growth, short lifespans and flexible development," said Doubleday.

"These allow them to adapt to changing environmental conditions (such as temperature) more quickly than many other marine species, which suggests that they may be benefiting from a changing ocean environment," Doubleday said.

Doubleday said the research stemmed from an investigation of declining numbers of the iconic Giant Australian cuttlefish.

"Surprisingly, analyses revealed that cephalopods, as a whole, are in fact increasing; and since this study, cuttlefish numbers from this iconic population near Whyalla are luckily bouncing back," Doubleday said.

Project leader Bronwyn Gillanders said large-scale changes to the marine environment, brought about by human activities, may be driving the global increase in cephalopods.

"Cephalopods are an ecologically and commercially important group of invertebrates that are highly sensitive to changes in the environment," Gillanders said.

"We're currently investigating what may be causing them to proliferate - global warming and overfishing of fish species are two theories. It is a difficult, but important question to answer, as it may tell us an even bigger story about how human activities are changing the ocean," said Gillanders.

Cephalopods are found in all marine habitats and, as well as being voracious predators, they are also an important source of food for many marine species, as well as humans.

"As such, the increase in abundance has significant and complex implications for both the marine food web and us," Doubleday added.

The study was published in the journal Current Biology.
on Tuesday, was elected as DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) Legislature party leader, paving the way for his elevation as opposition leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

DMK is the single largest opposition party in the 234-member House with its 89 MLAs including party Chief M Karunanidhi and Stalin.

In the previous assembly, DMK could manage only 23 MLAs, while DMDK (Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam), which won 29 seats as AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) ally, was the main opposition party and its founder, Vijayakant, the opposition leader.

Stalin was elected as leader at a meeting of DMK MLAs which was also attended by Karunanidhi, who represents his native Thiruvarur constituency.

Often tipped as Karunanidhi's political heir apparent, Stalin has in the past held the post of Chennai Mayor between 1996-2002 and started off as a minister in the Karunanidhi cabinet in 2006 when he was allotted Rural Development and Local Administration.

He was later elevated as Deputy Chief Minister and has been holding party posts of Chief of Youth Wing and DMK Treasurer.

He was first elected to the state assembly in 1989 and this is his sixth term as legislator. He was party's floor leader in the previous assembly also.

Stalin was elected from Kolathur in the May 2016 polls for a successive term.

On Tuesday, senior leader Durai Murugan was elected Deputy Leader of DMK Legislature wing while R Sakkarapani is the party's whip in the assembly.
Sterlite Technology today said it has completed demerger of its power business and will now focus on its telecom business.

"Today we have successfully completed demerger of power business from Sterlite Technology. Now, we will focus completely on telecom business. Over last 5 years our telecom business has grown about 28 per cent annually," Sterlite Technologies CEO Anand Agarwal told PTI.

The demerger scheme was earlier approved by the High Court of Mumbai on April 22, 2016 post approval by all relevant stakeholders of Sterlite Tech on December 15, 2015.

The power entity has been named as Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd and will he headed by Pratik Agarwal.

Sterlite Power has parted with debt of Rs 5,500 crore out of total debt of Rs 6,500 crore that was in the books of Sterlite Technologies.

"Sterlite Technologies has retained 1500-1600 people while about 700 employees are with Sterlite Power," Anand Agarwal said.

Both, Sterlite Technologies and Sterlite Power, will be controlled by business tycoon Anil Agarwal's Volcan Investments. Volcan Investments is also the parent company of Vedanta Group.

Sterlite Power has assets in Silvasa, Haridwar and Jharsuguda. Sterlite Technology has retained optical fibre cable manufacturing plant in Silvasa and Brazil and optical fibre plant in Aurangabad and China.

Sterlite Technology also completed merger of telecom services billing technology provider Elitecore Technologies



Shares of Sterlite Technologies closed at Rs 85 apiece, down by 4.33 per cent compared to previous close, at BSE today.
Swiss financial regulators approved today the dissolution of Lugano-based BSI Bank over its links to a corruption scandal engulfing Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Swiss supervisor FINMA accused BSI, a merchant bank, of "serious breaches" of money-laundering regulations in its dealings with the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, which is at the heart of the corruption allegations.

In the toughest punitive action yet announced in the affair, FINMA said in a statement it was approving the takeover of the merchant bank by Zurich-based private banking group EFG International on the condition that BSI is integrated "and thereafter dissolved" within 12 months.

It ordered the seizure of 95 million Swiss francs (86 million euros/USD 96 million) of BSI's "illegally generated" profits.

FINMA said it was investigating two former top managers, who were not identified, to determine what they knew about the illegal activities, warning that it may launch further probes.

"In the case of 1MDB, the bank executed numerous large transactions with unclear purpose over a period of several years and, despite clearly suspicious indications, did not clarify the background to these transactions," the Swiss regulator said.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland said earlier in the day that it had opened criminal proceedings against BSI "based on information revealed by the criminal proceedings in the 1MDB case".

Malaysia's prime minister, who founded 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in 2009, has battled allegations that billions were looted from the investment vehicle in a vast campaign of fraud and embezzlement stretching from the Middle East to the Caymans.

The fund, which ran up more than USD 11 billion in debt in a series of much-questioned investments, has steadfastly denied money was stolen or that it was in financial trouble.

Najib also faced questions after the Wall Street Journal revealed USD 681 million in transfers to his personal bank accounts.

But since the scandal erupted last year, Najib has weathered the allegations by curbing scrutiny by authorities, purging officials demanding accountability, and stifling media reporting.

He insists the USD 681 million was a gift from the Saudi royal family, most of which he returned. A Saudi official in April said that was true, but only after weeks of silence that cast doubt on the claim.

In a more recent report, the newspaper said Malaysian investigation documents indicated more than USD 1 billion in 1MDB-linked money had been funnelled to Najib.

Najib and 1MDB vehemently deny that claim.

Najib has faced calls to resign but has tightened his grip on the ruling party and thwarted domestic investigations. His position is not seen as being under imminent threat.
A Swiss private bank accused of turning a blind eye to shady money transfers and willful defiance of regulators will face criminal proceedings and be liquidated for its alleged role in the suspected embezzlement of USD 4 billion from a Malaysian state fund.

In a two-pronged crackdown, authorities in Singapore on today ordered the closure of the local branch of BSI, which is based in Lugano, Switzerland, citing serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight and gross misconduct by some staff.

And the Swiss attorney-general's office said it had begun criminal proceedings against the bank, pointing to signs that money laundering and bribery of foreign officials in the case of the 1MDB investment fund "could have been prevented had BSI SA been adequately organized."



The Swiss financial markets supervisor, FINMA, detailed how the bank shunted tens of millions of dollars' through its system for years with little or no explanation or proper oversight.

BSI, "despite clearly suspicious indications, did not clarify the background to these transactions," it said.

The revelations, culminating a probe by FINMA begun three years ago, come three months after BSI's owner, Brazil's BTG Pactual, announced plans to sell the bank to Switzerland's EFG International for 1.5 billion-1.6 billion Swiss francs (USD 1.5 billion-USD 1.6 billion).

The two sides were aware then that regulators were looking into the case, people familiar with the case told The Associated Press.

The Swiss regulator said today it would approve the deal on condition that BSI be integrated into EFG and dissolved within a year.

The move comes after Switzerland's attorney general opened an investigation last year of two former 1MDB officials and persons unknown on suspicion of bribery and money laundering, among other offenses.

Investigations so far into 1MDB have indicated that USD 4 billion earmarked for development projects in Malaysia may have been misappropriated from state-owned companies.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was behind the creation of 1MDB in 2009 and has been fighting allegations that cash from the fund flowed into his personal accounts. No public officials in Malaysia have yet been charged with wrongdoing, and the Malaysian government had no comment about the case today.
Satellite imagery appears to show extensive damage to an air base in Syria used by Russian forces following an attack by fighters from the Islamic State group, US intelligence company Stratfor said today.

The claim was immediately denied by Russia's defence ministry which said that the damage had been there for months and was due to fighting between Syrian government forces and "militants from terror groups".

Stratfor released satellite images dated from May 14 and May 17, implying that the damage to the T-4 base, also known as Tiyas, was caused in that time.

The images suggest four helicopters and 20 lorries were destroyed by fire inside the base, which strategically located in central Syria between war-ravaged Palmyra and Homs.

"The T4 air base was severely damaged by an Islamic State artillery attack. In particular, four Russian Mi-24 attack helicopters appear to have been destroyed," Stratfor said on their website.

The cause of the apparent damage could not be determined from the images obtained by Stratfor.

But the BBC quoted Stratfor analyst Sim Tack as saying that "this was not an accidental explosion".

It "would really be a marginal, almost non-existent chance for this to be accidental," he added.

Tack said there was evidence of "several different sources of explosions across the airport, and it shows that the Russians took a quite a bad hit".

The Stratfor report said that "ordnance impact points are visible" in the images and that a Syrian MiG-25 fighter jet also appeared to have been damaged.

But Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: "The burnt air and auto equipment along with many craters from shell detonations have been there for several months.

"This is a result of heavy combat for this aerodrome between Syrian government forces and militants of terrorist groups."



Russian agency RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed Syrian source confirming a "fire" at the base, though he did not specify when it had occurred.
The Centre has given its green light to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) for installing a 2X800 mw coal-based thermal power plant in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, entailing an investment of Rs 12,664 crore.

As per the proposal, TANGEDCO will install the coal-based power plant with super critical technology at Uppur, Valamavoor and Thiruppalaikudi villages in the Ramanathanpuram district. The proposed project requires 6.64 million tonnes per annum of coal to be imported and supplied by state-owned MMTC either from Indonesia or other country.

"The Environment Ministry has given environmental clearance (EC) to the proposed power project of TANGEDCO and also the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for foreshore facilities (cooling water intake and outfall structures) subject to compliance of specific and general conditions," a senior government official said.

The EC for the power plant will be valid for 7 years while the CRZ clearance for foreshore facilities will be valid for 5 years.

The total project area is estimated to be 1,013 acres, which includes ash pond and green belt. On obtaining EC, land acquisition process will be initiated. The project cost is estimated to be RS 12,664.76 crore, the official said.

Among conditions specified, the company has been asked to ensure sulphur and ash contents of coal do not exceed 0.8 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

TANGEDCO has been asked to identify marginalised sections of society, particularly traditional fishermen communities based on 2011 population census data and conduct a socio-economic study to assess the impact of the project on their livelihood.

Based on the study, the company has been asked to implement a sustainable welfare scheme and report to the government within six months.

That apart, it has been asked to monitor flow of fresh water into the creek to study the impact on water availability for the mangroves and explore commercial utilisation of brine instead of discharging into sea.

The company has been informed that the employment figures presented for the project seem extremely low and hence, it should relook at it.

Among others, the company has been asked to set up a state-of-the art environmental lab at the project site for long-term monitoring of sea water quality and sediment in the impacted zone.

TANGEDCO has informed the government that the proposed project aims to reduce the gap in the supply and demand of power in the 13th Five-Year plan (2018-23) and pave the way for industrial and commercial development in Tamil Nadu.
Fifth largest software exporter Tech Mahindra today reported a 90 per cent jump in post-tax profit for the three months to March at Rs 897 crore on wider margins from an expanded revenue base, forex gains and lower tax payout.

While its total revenues grew to Rs 6,883 crore from Rs 6,116 crore a year ago, its pre-tax profit margin expanded to 17 per cent from 15.4 per cent, lifting the bottom-line for the reporting period.

For the full year ending March, the company's net income rose 18.7 per cent to Rs 3,118 crore, while revenue was up 17.1 per cent to Rs 26,494 crore.

Chief financial officer Milind Kulkarni explained that the profit margins were pulled down by two acquisitions done in 2014-15, and the turnaround in the acquired companies has helped it post good numbers in the reporting period.

Citing Comviva, which it had acquired in 2012 for Rs 260 crore and performed exceptionally good in the reporting period, chief executive and managing director CP Gurnani said Tech Mahindra has repeatedly shown its capacity to turn around businesses acquired at lower valuations.

The company is currently working to lift the performance of its US-based Lighthouse Communications acquired in 2014 for USD 240 million and shed 20 per cent of the business which was not profitable enough, Gurnani said.

Gurunani said it will take another four quarters for the company to turnaround, while Kulkarni said TechM's ultimate target is to take the profit margin from low-single digit to double-digits for this company.

This US company underwent an organisational restructuring exercise wherein Manish Vyas has been appointed as the chief executive of the business.

For the March quarter, TechM reported a forex gain of USD 9 million as against a loss of USD 1.5 million in the year ago period which helped lift up the bottom-line, Kulkarni said.

The provision for taxes also came down to Rs 157.1 crore from Rs 184.5 crore as the effective tax rate declined to 21 per cent, he said, adding it will go up to 23 per cent going forward.

Vice-chairman Vineet Nayyar said while the company holds



an optimistic outlook despite various uncertainties, if Britain exits the Euro zone, it can lead to a fall in the English currency which in turn can impact the company's business.

Similarly, there are worries about election-bound US as well, depending on who occupies the White House, he said.

Compared to the preceding quarter, the banking, financial services and insurance vertical grew by a healthy 8.7 per cent, while communications stood flat despite Comviva's good show. The enterprise segment grew 1.9 per cent.

Gurnani said after a difficult patch, things seem to stabilising in the communications sector which accounts for a sizeable chunk of revenue.

Total number of employees moved up to 1.05 lakh and the utilisation including trainees stood at 77 per cent and Kulkarni said the target is to increase the utilisation level by 1 percentage point in the next two quarters.

Admitting to the automation story, Kulkarni said the company shed nearly 2,000 employees through normal attrition process in 2015-16 and added that going ahead, it will hire fewer number of experienced hands to focus on hiring low-cost freshers.

The company, which was among the 11 entities chosen by RBI to start a payments bank, will not be pursuing the initiative any more as it has concerns surrounding profitability, Gurnani said.

The company announced an additional dividend of Rs 6 per share to celebrate a decade since it listed on the bourses, taking the total dividend payout to Rs 12 per share.

TechM counter today closed 0.55 per cent higher at Rs 479.25 on the BSE as against a 0.30 per cent surge in the benchmark.
Kurdish-Arab forces launched a major assault against the Islamic State group in Syria's Raqa province today and Iraqi forces advanced on it in Fallujah, piling pressure on the jihadists in two strongholds.

The twin offensives marked some of the most serious ground efforts against IS since the group declared its self-styled "caliphate" straddling the Syrian-Iraqi border in 2014.

Territory under IS control has been steadily shrinking for months but it has carried out a wave of attacks including bombings in the Syrian regime's coastal heartland Monday that killed 177 people.

It was the "deadliest bomb attack" on any regime-held area in Syria's five-year war, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

The Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday announced its largest offensive to date against IS territory north of the IS stronghold of Raqa city.

The offensive was aimed at pushing IS from the province's north and securing other areas, the alliance said in statement on Twitter.

Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren confirmed the assault, saying it was "putting pressure on Raqa".

US air strikes would support thousands of SDF fighters, some of whom had been trained and equipped by American forces, he said.

If Raqa falls, "it's the beginning of the end of their caliphate," Warren said.

SDF spokesman Talal Sello said an assault on Raqa city "is not in our plan now".

A source within the Kurdish People's Protection Units said US ground forces would take part in the attack, but Sello denied this.

Just before the SDF announcement, Russia said it would be ready to coordinate with both Washington and the SDF in an offensive for Raqa.

The US rejected a Russian proposal last week for joint air operations against jihadist groups in Syria.

The anti-IS coalition headed by Washington has set its sights on Raqa in Syria, as well as Fallujah -- and eventually IS's main bastion of Mosul -- in Iraq.

"It's clear that if the US wants to eliminate IS, it has to attack it on multiple fronts at the same time," said Washington-based Syria analyst Fabrice Balanche.
Britain has granted political refugee status to former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, who was handed down a 13-year jail term on controversial terrorism charges after a trial in the country that drew widespread international criticism.

Nasheed's lawyer Hasan Latheef said the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader had sought political asylum and was granted political refugee status.

A prominent human rights campaigner and Maldives' first democratically elected president, 49-year-old Nasheed had been allowed to go to Britain in January for a spinal cord surgery following a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and the UK.

"President (Abdulla) Yameen has jailed every opposition leader and cracked down on anyone who dares to oppose or criticise him," Nasheed said in a statement proclaiming his refugee status.

"In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile -- for now," he said yesterday.

The Maldives government said yesterday that it was disappointed that the UK had agreed to "be part of this charade", adding that British ministers were helping with efforts to circumvent the law.

Nasheed became Maldives' first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was supposed to return to Maldives after the treatment but remained in London where his wife and daughters have been living since he was jailed.

Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on terrorism charges after being accused of illegally ordering the arrest of a judge in a trial that put a spotlight on instability in the Maldives.

The jail term was widely criticised by international bodies, including the United Nations, and foreign governments.

A popular figure on the world stage, Nasheed's case was championed with the help of a international legal team that included Amal Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of the American actor Georg Clooney.

He was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for his treatment.

Cameron described Nasheed as his "best friend" in 2011 and this year hosted the ex-president, his wife and Amal at Downing Street after he arrived in London.

The Maldives stripped Nasheed of his pension entitlements and health insurance last month, after demanding he return from medical leave in Britain.
The US has told Pakistan that while it respects its territorial integrity, it will continue to conduct strikes to eliminate terrorists who target American soldiers, a day after Islamabad summoned the US ambassador to express concern over the drone strike in Pakistan that killed Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

Mansour was engaged in "specific actions, specific things ...In real time" that posed "specific, imminent threats" to US and coalition forces in Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said.

"This was a defensive strike against an individual who was actively engaged in planning and conducting operation that were targeting US and Coalition personnel," Davis said during a press conference yesterday.

While the US has been conducting similar defensive strike inside Afghanistan, this is probably for the first time that the US did a "defensive strike" inside Pakistan after the killing of Osama bin Laden.

The strike targetting the Afghan Taliban supremo deep inside Pakistan was carried out on May 21 by multiple unmanned drones operated by US Special Operations forces while Mansour was travelling in a vehicle in a remote area in the restive Balochistan close to the Afghan border while apparently returning from Iran.

Mansour, believed to be in his 50s, had emerged as the successor to Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, whose 2013 death was only revealed last summer.

Davis, however, asserted that the drone strike has not strained ties with Pakistan, despite Islamabad summoning US ambassador David Hale to express concern over the drone strike, which it described as a "violation of its sovereignty".

Responding to questions on Pakistan hitting out at the US for the drone strike, State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said: "We certainly do respect Pakistan's territorial integrity. But as we've said before, we will carry out strikes to remove terrorist who are activity pursuing, and planning and directing attacks against US forces."



Davis said the location of the strike "required higher level of approval".

"Ultimately this was an individual who was specifically targeting US and coalition personnel and had specifically engaged in operations in the past that resulted in US and coalition personnel being killed," he said.

In a subtle warning to the Taliban, Toner said the strike "sends a clear message that those who target Americans and Afghan people are not going to be given a safe haven. And then also, that it know that there's only one option for the Taliban and that is to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict".

He said the death of Mansour does not mean defeat of the Taliban but it does send a "clear message".

(Reopens FGN20)



"What I think it does send is a clear message. If you're going to carry out attacks, if you're going to lead attacks against our forces and against Afghanistan's forces, then you are going to be targeted and you're not going to have safe haven," Toner told reporters at his daily conference.

Meanwhile, the New York Times also said that Mansour's killing sent a "powerful message" to Pakistan, which has for years denied harboring Taliban leaders and must now be asked how the terror group's leader was able to travel freely in its territory.

"The fact that the top official of Afghanistan's Taliban was able to travel freely through Pakistan, and even into Iran, contradicted years of denials by Pakistani officials that they were harboring Taliban leaders," the report said.

It quoted Barnett Rubin, a former senior State Department official, as saying that Mansour's death was unlikely to have a significant impact on the Taliban, which can easily replace him, but its effect could be far greater on Pakistan's government, which now must deal with the embarrassing circumstance.

"We killed the leader of the Taliban driving across Baluchistan in a taxi. I think we have some questions to ask of Pakistan," Rubin said.

Experts also pointed out that Barack Obama's decision to target the Taliban leader suggested the US President had little patience for Pakistani sensitivities.

"The administration is no longer worried about blowing up anything," said Vali Nasr, a former State Department official who worked on Pakistan. "This is literally carrying out an operation, not against an Arab terrorist leader, but against a Pashtun ally of Pakistan, inside Pakistani territory."



The report said that Pakistan's military and intelligence establishment was said to favour Mansour as the group's new leader but the White House concluded he was a stubborn obstacle to reconciliation talks, which have been paralysed for months.

The US had told Pakistani authorities several weeks ago that Mansour was a target, it quoted officials as saying, and while the Pakistanis provided general information on his location and activities, they did not provide specific details on his movements.

The report quoted a senior American defence official as saying that another factor in Pakistan's decision to provide some limited help in tracking down Mansour may have been that one of his deputies, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has deep and longstanding ties to Pakistan's main spy service ISI.

While the strike does not reflect a shift in American strategy toward Afghanistan, it may have implications for how the US deals with Pakistan, the report added.

"Does this amount to starting a two-track approach - working through Pakistan while using force to eliminate Taliban leaders who obstruct peace talks?" said Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's former ambassador to the US.

"Either way, it shows a diminishing of the Obama administration's already diminished trust in Pakistan.
A day after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa ordered closure of 500 state-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor outlets, MDMK leader Vaiko appealed to the government to close 1,826 shops.

As a first step, government should order closure of 1,826 shops instead of 500 shops, out of the total 6,826 shops, he said in a statement.

Besides, working hours of the shops should also be reduced.

He welcomed waiver of cooperative bank loans of farmers and urged government to reduce debt burden of farmers who had taken loans from nationalised banks, by government itself paying the loans.

He wanted electricity bill payment schedule to be made monthly, instead of bi-monthly as is being done now, as, according to him, it would help the middle class.
The Police with the help of local residents today foiled miscreants' bid to loot Rs eight lakh from the staff of a bank near Beladola Bazar under Ramnagar police station of Bihar's Bagaha, a police district.

Bagaha Superintendent of Police Anand Kumar said the incident occurred when three staff of the bank were on their way to the branch on foot after withdrawing money from another bank, but three armed miscreants accosted the bank staff near Beladola Bazar and fired in the air before snatching the bag containing the cash.

After hearing the gun shots, villagers gathered at the incident site and gave a chase to the three miscreants who threw the bag.

The villagers caught hold of one of the three criminals, Kumar said.

The person, who was caught, has been identified as Mohammad Samir, SP said.

Police have been conducting raids to nab the two miscreants who were at large after sealing the borders of Ramnagar, Kumar said.
Bringing stakeholders from the publishing industry together under one roof, Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will hold a five-day national book fair here commencing from May 27.

VMC commissioner H S Patel said the mega event, to be held at Navlakhi compound area, will also have an exhibition where national and international publishers, players from stationery, paper and office supplies industry, books and digital media, periodicals and magazines, publishing technocrats, foreign consulates would participate.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, Governor O P Kohli are also likely to visit the fair, he said.

"We will also use this platform to seek suggestions from people for making Vadodara, a Smart City for which we would be getting forms filed up. We hope to get suggestions from over 2.5 lakhs visitors," Patel told PTI.

City mayor Bharat Dangar has appealed to literature enthusiasts in the city to attend the fair in large numbers.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today asked state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu to increase tax on tobacco products to secure a significant decrease in the consumption of such products in the state.

The Governor, in a letter to the Finance Minister, asked him to increase tax on tobacco products from the present 40 per cent to at least 65 per cent, an official spokesman said.

The Governor said that Rajasthan and Punjab have increased taxes on tobacco products to 65 per cent and 55 per cent respectively and, in J-K, consequent to the increase in the tax from 13.5 per cent to 40 per cent on tobacco products, the level of tobacco consumption is reported to have significantly gone down, especially among the youth.

The increase in the tax has also generated a three-fold increase in the revenue earned, the spokesman said.
Work on the country's first Ultra Super Critical (USC) thermal power plant to produce 1,000 MW in first phase will soon start at Pudimadaka in Visakhapatnam as NTPC is in the process of finalising bids for boiler and turbine-generator packages.

The USC plant, being set up by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), will have 4x1000 MW units in all and is expected to become fully operational by 2020, according to Principal Secretary (Energy) Ajay Jain.

"This is the first time in the country we are taking up a USC unit of 1,000 MW. We now have only 800 MW super critical power plants in Gujarat and Krishnapatnam (AP)," Jain said here today.

Power Generation Corporation of AP has also prepared a detailed project report for another 4x1000 MW USC power plant in Srikakulam district, he said.

"We are also going in a big way in production of clean energy with plans to generate 4,000 MW of solar power by 2018. We have already commissioned a 200 MW solar power unit in Anantapuramu district and another 50 MW unit will be commissioned in October. In March next, another 350 MW will come into production," the Principal Secretary said.

Similarly, waste-to-energy plants to generate 63 MW of electricity were also being built and would be ready in the next 10 to 12 months in different municipalities.

The Fibre Grid project launched by the AP government has become a role model in the country with the Centre asking other states to replicate it.

"We have so far completed laying 15,000 kms of optical fibre cable out of the total 22,361 kms planned. The balance will be completed by July, but the problem we are facing is in getting adequate number of set-top boxes," Jain said.

The state government was negotiating with companies in China and Portugal for supply of the triple-play set-top boxes that would enable telephone, cable television and Internet connectivity to each household.

"Everything should be in place hopefully by August or September. Each household will then get 10-50 Mbps of bandwidth," he said.

The Fibres Grid project would also enable installation of smart electricity meters in each house for realtime monitoring of power usage and billing.
Voicing concern over "inability" of investigators to nab the assailants of rationalist M M Kalburgi even nine months after his murder, several eminent thinkers and scholars in Karnataka today said the slow pace of probe raises "suspicion".

In a letter to the President, the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister,Karnataka Governor and the Chief Minister, they said the state government should show its resolve in favour of democratic principles by nabbing those behind the killing and taking action against them as per law.

The signatories include literary figures, scholars and rationalists like Chandrashekar Patil, Narendra Nayak, Panditaradhya, Hema Pattanashetty, Vasanta Shetty and Sushi Kadanakuppe.

Demanding that the facts behind the killing of Kalburgi be made public, they said the case not reaching any conclusion even after nine months would send a "wrong" message to the society.

Kalburgi, 77-year-old rationalistfell to the bullets of two unidentified men at his residenceat Dharwad in north Karnataka, considered the state's culturalcapital, in August last year.

Alleging that CID, investigating the case, had not placed any facts in front of the public, they said "after the sketch of the suspects were released, we are not aware as to where the investigations have reached."



Inability to come to any conclusion so far creates suspicion about the responsible investigation, they added.

The state CID is probing the killing, which had led to national outrage with several writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards over "rising intolerance", citing the murder ofKalburgi as one of the reasons for their action.

Citing slow phase of the investigation, the letter expressed apprehensions that Kalburgi case will facesimilar consequences to that of Dabholkar and Pansare ofMaharashtra.

Anti-superstition crusader Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, while Pansare, a prominent anti-toll activist and rationalist, was shot-at in Kolhapur on February 16 last year. He died in Mumbai four days later.

Investigators are also looking for links between the murders of Kalburgi, Dabholkar and Pansare.

Stating that finding out those behind the killing will be a tribute that the government can pay to Kalburgi, the signatories said not doing so will be an indirect support to religious fundamentalists.

They said it would also indirectly indicate curtailing freedom of thinking and free sharing ideology and also silence voice against fundamentalism.
A nine-member team of Wildlife Fund visited the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) to study reserve's tiger Re-introduction Programme, which has earned it a reputation of being an expert in tiger translocation procedure across the globe.

The team, which was on a three-day visit to PTR from May 19-21, had come with an intention to translocate tigers of Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand where the big cats have either extinct or are on the verge of extinction, an official of Public Relation Department said today.

"Panna Tiger Reserve has attained status of world Guru in tiger translocation. A nine-member delegation of World Wildlife Fund was at the reserve last week on a three-day visit to study and understand the big cat Re-introduction Programme," the official said.

The reserve spread across Panna and Chhatarpur districts districts in north Madhya Pradesh, has emerged as 'world guru' after its successful translocation of tigers from other reserves to the PTR where number of big cats had plummeted a couple of years ago.

The delegation also gathered information on activities for tiger translocation, difficulties faced at the ground-level and techniques involved.

The delegation comprised Stuart Chapman, Head of WWF Greater Mekong Programme, Van Ngoc Thinh, Country Director- WWF Vietnam, Sam Ath Chhith, Country Director- WWF Cambodia, Teak Seng, Conservation Director WWF, Yowakak Thiaradhow, Country Director- WWF Thailand.

Dr Sejal Worah, Programme Director- WWF-India, Jimmy Borah, Sr Coordinator of WWF-India's Tiger Conservation Programme, and Joseph Vattakaven, Sr Advisor to WWF- International Tigers Alive Initiative, the official said.

A power point presentation was also shown to delegates for the better understanding of the translocation programme.
In a good humanitarian act, Yavatmal Police has donated Rs 7.5 lakh to help children of farmers in the district who committed suicide and towards Maharashtra government's 'Baliraja Chetana Abhiyan'.

"Out of the total, Rs 2.5 lakh will be contributed towards education of 25 children of farmers in Yavatmal district who ended their lives in distress. Five of the deceased farmers belonged to tehsil Umarkhed, three to Pusad, four were from Darwha, five from Pandharkawda, four from Wani and four from Yavatmal, respectively," a press release issued by District Information Office here today said.

The remaining Rs 5 lakh amount will be donated towards state-run Baliraja Chetana Abhiyan, which works to prevent farmers' suicide and their welfare and rehabilitation.

A sum of Rs 2.5 lakh each was raised from salary of the constabulary, another Rs 2.5 lakh from the Police Welfare Fund, while remaining Rs 2.5 lakh was raised through annual musical event 'Saj aur Aawaz' which toured across the district from May 15-21, the release said.

The money raised by event each year is used for police welfare but this year the department took the decision to donate the money for families of farmers who ended their lives amid severe drought conditions.

The sum was handed over to district Collector Sachindra Pratap Singh on Monday by district Superintendent of Police, Akhilesh Kumar Singh.
A youth was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl on pretext of giving her a job, police said today.

The girl was taken to Delhi on May 7 by Israil (22), who promised her a job, but he held her captive and raped her, Circle officer, Rajveer Singh said.

Family members of the victim had registered an FIR against the accused following which he was arrested from Delhi and the girl was rescued yesterday, he added.
A "milestone" pact on the strategic Chabahar Port in southern Iran which will give India access to Afghanistan and Europe bypassing Pakistan was among the agreements signed here on Monday by India and Iran which also agreed to cooperate on combating radicalism and terror.

Besides the bilateral pact to develop the Chabahar port for which India will invest $500 million, a trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi said could "alter the course of the history of the region".

The bilateral agreements signed by India and Iran after detailed discussions between Modi and President Hassan Rouhani included one on setting up of an aluminium plant and another on laying a railway line to give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The agreements, aimed at further deepening India-Iran ties in diverse fields, covered areas of economy, trade, transportation, port development, culture, science and academic cooperation.

The two countries noted with deep concern that terrorism and ideologies of violent extremism "continue to infest and ingress" the region and agreed to enhance regular consultations between National Security Councils and others concerned on terrorism, security and related issues such as organised crime, money-laundering, narcotics trade and cyber crime, said a India-Iran Joint Statement issued later.

Modi's visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 15 years, comes months after the lifting of international sanctions on Iran following Tehran's historic nuclear deal with the Western powers over its contentious atomic programme.

Earlier, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the country in April 2001.

The key agreement signed was a contract for development of Phase I of the Chabahar port on the southern coast of Iran by an Indian joint venture.

Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Balochistan Province on the energy-rich Persian Gulf nation's southern coast, lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India's western coast, bypassing Pakistan.

"The bilateral agreement to develop the Chabahar port and related infrastructure and availability of about USD 500 million from India for this purpose is an important milestone," Modi said in joint media interaction with Rouhani.

"This major effort would boost economic growth in the region. We are committed to take steps for early implementation of the agreements signed today," he said.

The trilateral pact on Transport and Transit Corridor, linked to the Chabahar port development, was signed later by India, Iran and Afghanistan in the presence of Modi, Rouhani and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Rouhani said each of the three countries will name a minister for follow-up action.

"They (leaders) look forward to early delineation of all necessary rules and procedures leading to operationalisation of the transport and transit routes within the timelines stipulated in the Agreement," the Joint Statement said.
The International Monetary Fund is calling on European creditor nations to commit to "upfront unconditional" debt relief for Greece as part of an international rescue program for the debt-laden nation.

The IMF is involved in talks on making Greece's debt sustainable to approve the country's latest reforms and make new loans available.

In an analysis released today, the Washington-based lender says that debt relief is "critical" to show markets that Greece's creditors are committed to helping it navigate the crisis.

The statement comes a day ahead of a meeting among Europe's top officials in Brussels to discuss the issue.

Eurozone countries have previously balked at discussing debt reduction until a review is completed into how Greece has implemented austerity measures needed to receive an 86-billion euro ($98 billion) rescue package.
As more and more Indians are becoming experimental while choosing their holiday destinations, they are mostly looking for off-the-beaten-path places like Bhutan, Russia and Middle East to satisfy this adventurous need in them, according to a survey.





"In 2015, Indian travellers are the most experimental in Asia Pacific when it comes to choosing holiday destinations. Keen to uphold this reputation in 2016, Indian travellers are seeking adventures off the beaten track to scratch that travel itch," global travel search site Skyscanner revealed.





The survey is based on actual searches on Skyscanner from April 2015 - April 2016 for a travel period from May 2016 to December 2016.





The survey revealed the unconventional travel destination rising most in popularity is neighbouring Bhutan with a 75 per cent increase in search from 2015.





"The Thunder Dragon Kingdom is drawing Indian travellers in their droves this year too," it added.





"Considering the adventurous nature of Indian travellers coupled with increasing disposable incomes and continuously improving travel options, it's no wonder these destinations are appearing on more and more their bucket lists. The surge in pop culture references in movies and literature may also be influencing tourists to look out for unfrequented destinations," Skyscanner India Manager, Growth Strategy, Ravish Doctor said.





Bhutan was followed by Russia, where searches jumped 47 per cent year-on-year and is becoming a tourist hot spot for Indians.





In addition to the famed Faberge Eggs, the vodka and the ballet, tourists are discovering Russia through the Byzantine architecture and new holiday destinations such as Sochi, the Black Sea resort and home of the 2014 Winter Olympics.





Affordable and varied flight routes along with the weakening Ruble are also bringing in more tourists to the snow clad country.





Away from the glitz and glamour of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, alternative Middle Eastern destinations like Iran and Jordan have seen a rise of 21 per cent and 15 per cent Y-o-Y, respectively.





With the ease of visa rules and change in policies, it is becoming an attractive unconventional destination, it added.
Swati Agarwal, 38, is a typical working woman. A director with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) India, she reaches office at 9 am every morning, does her bit for the company - where she looks after corporate strategy - and then heads home to family. There's a small twist, though - she works part-time, having availed the company's "reduced hours" policy. After six hours at work, she is back home around 3 pm to receive her children - a son aged 10 and a daughter aged six - from school. Her salary and leaves are proportionate to the hours she spends at work, but she is content. "The good thing is that it (part-time work) does not affect your ratings or the kind of roles you are playing," says Agarwal. "In the past three years I've played three meaty roles, and this policy has not been a dampening factor." What PwC India has effectively done is retain Agarwal - a 10-year veteran - by helping her strike the right balance between office and home.

In fact, retaining the experienced woman employee has evolved to be at the heart of gender diversity efforts of companies across industries. The reasons are not hard to find. One, companies realise that replacing a highly skilled, dedicated and experienced woman executive with a less able man who will put in full hours does not make much sense. Two, women are excellent multi-taskers who excel in a number of areas. And three, put simply, is cost - of replacing an experienced hand, and also because employability of fresh graduates from universities is an issue. "Cost is not only in terms of money but in terms of time for a new employee to ramp up to the job," says Sandeep Kohli, National Director-HR, Ernst & Young (EY) India. Adds Jagjit Singh, Chief People Officer of PwC India: "Not more than 10-15 per cent (of fresh graduates) is actually employable. So the question is: why don't I spend that much on my own people so that I can retain them?"

Gender diversity policies have evolved over the years, even as Indian companies have spread their wings to foreign shores, and younger and younger generations of people - with divergent views and approaches to work - have joined the workforce. Today, therefore, no company needs a specific trigger to conceptualise a new policy - they are being designed constantly, on the run. Most companies agree that the need to have a diverse workforce stems from the fact that their customer base itself is diverse. Sumit Mitra, Head, Group HR and Corporate Services, Godrej Industries Limited and Associate Companies, says: "We are in the business of serving consumers, who are a diverse set of people with almost equal representation of all genders. So, to understand those genders better, we must have a diverse workforce." Diversity, Mitra explains, is not only about male and female, but also about the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community.

Diversity also engenders greater innovation, points out Rohit Thakur, Head of HR at Microsoft India: "Creating an inclusive environment helps attract and retain talented employees, which results in more innovative products and solutions for our customers." No wonder the Tata Group, with 600,000 employees worldwide, of which more than 145,000 are women, wants to have 230,000 women employees by 2020. "Diversity is an economic imperative, not just a social cause," says N.S. Rajan, Member-Group Executive Council and Group CHRO of Tata Sons, the Groups holding company.

Fallout of this realisation: companies have been innovating in terms of their HR policies to help them retain women employees. For example, most companies look to go much beyond the statutory maternity leave of 12 weeks (about three months) as per the Maternity Benefit Act, 1962. Godrej Industries offers six months of maternity leave with another six months of flexi time; PwC India also offers six months of maternity leave; Tata Sons offers seven months of paid maternity leave and 15 days of paid paternity leave; Bangalore-based engineering services major Cyient, too, offers six months of full-pay maternity leave and an additional six months off for child care, during which they get half pay, according to B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Founder and Executive Chairman of the company. IBM India offers three months maternity leave, plus one month extra paid leave if needed, subsidised by its global work/life fund. "Obviously it does not affect the business P&L because this is over and above that," says D.P. Singh, Vice President-HR (India/South Asia), IBM.

Diversity initiatives have moved beyond hygiene stuff like maternity leave, extended leaves, crches, day care facilities, etc. Companies are now going beyond in their quest to retain - and even bring back - experienced talent. EY India allows women employees who leave for childbirth to return within five years, no questions asked. "Basically you have a lien on the job for five years - same position, and salary will be the current salary at that time," says Kohli. That also means the returning employee - and even the part-timer - loses out on seniority and growth. "They are not very worried if growth is a bit slower, because they understand if they are working flexible times, they will not," says PwC's Jagjit Singh. "They just want meaningful work."

IT bellwether TCS, which has 353,000-plus employees including more than 100,000 women, ensures women who are away from work for an extended period are kept updated on company developments, taught new technologies, and are assigned senior advisors three months before they return to make their transition smooth. "The expectation that women have today is more leadership opportunities, growth opportunities, developmental opportunities," says Ritu Anand, Deputy Head-HR of TCS. "It is a global phenomenon."

The question is: are Indian companies' interventions working? Going by the fact that these companies have a fair share of women in their workforce, the answer appears to be yes - TCS has 35 per cent; Tata Group, 24 per cent; Godrej, 30 per cent; EY, 41 per cent; PwC, 33 per cent; IBM, 30 per cent. And the numbers are rising. Anand informs that TCS's share of women has gone up from 30 per cent to 35 per cent in about five years.

But things are not so straightforward. An ex-employee of one of these companies that BT spoke to said she was denied the one-month teleworking facility the company gives to its employees after returning from maternity leave. She said: "My boss just said I couldn't take it, and that was it." She added that hers was a one-off case and she did see other colleagues availing it. "I didn't raise it to HR but it certainly was a trigger for me to leave the company." This might be an exceptional case, but it seems to be a microcosm of the problems companies face. A company can have right policies, but managers play an important role to ensure they are followed in spirit too.

Nirmala Menon of diversity and inclusiveness solutions company Interweave Consulting says implementation is always an issue. Even now a lot of managers see their women team members going on leave as an aberration, a favour and a privilege. This shouldn't be the case. Moreover, maternity leave is not something that is immediate but is known well in advance for companies to be able to plan, she says.

She suggests that education plays a very important role here, which can be done through workshops. Also, to ensure accountability, companies can do regular inclusion audits of women who availed the maternity leave to check how they are placed in the company, she adds.

The Indian government announced last year that it would increase paid maternity leave in private firms from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, though it is yet to do so. The UK offers 39 weeks of paid leave. In the US, women can avail 12 weeks of maternity leave, but the employers are not obliged to pay anything.

Indisputably, there is a long way to go yet. A study by McKinsey points to the fact that women's share of the workforce in India falls dramatically as one goes up the corporate ladder. Restricting that fall can have immense benefits. A Korn Ferry-National University of Singapore study says companies with more women on boards show better return on equity and return on assets (see charts). Another study by McKinsey says that if India bridges its gender gap in the workplace, its annual GDP could increase by $2.9 trillion in 2025. Says Anu Madgavkar, a co-author of the last report and Partner, McKinsey Global Institute: "There has to be commitment from top leadership - the CEO has to be personally committed to driving this agenda. Leadership really matters in this, and we've seen this globally."

India Inc. has its work cut out.



Additional reporting by Sonal Khetarpal
Shares of VRL Logistics hit lower circuit to pluge 20 per cent after the transport and logistics firm said it plans to launch a regional airline.

The stock hit an intraday low of Rs 315.10, down 20 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The chairman of the firm Vijay Sankeshwar alongwith Managing Director Anand Sankeshwar expressed their intent to enter the new business activity in a letter to the Board of Directors.

"We are currently proposing to enter the civil aviation industry by incorporating a separate company to undertake the business of a regional airline. We have taken this in principle decision after a lot of study and inputs from industry experts," both the promoters said in a letter to the Board of Directors of the company.

They said they intended to promote the new airline and induct a professional management to manage the day to day operations and grow this business.

VRL Logistics is into passenger and goods transportation business besides is a parcel delivery service provider and has also interests in wind power generation and air charter operations.

Its goods transportation fleet includes 3,872 owned vehicles as of March 2016 while passenger transportation fleet includes 381 owned vehicles.

The company on a standalone basis registered a decline in its net profit to Rs 13.21 crore for the March quarter of the last fiscal as against Rs 19.36 crore in the year-ago period.
India has sought a discovered oilfield from Iran for raising crude oil imports from the Persian Gulf nation as part of efforts to widen economic and energy ties post lifting of sanctions.

Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nation's largest oil firm, has proposed to Iran that it be given rights to operate and produce crude oil from the discovered field to help move away from buyer-seller relationship to a strategic partnership, sources privy to the development said.

The oil produced from the field can then be shipped home, the IOC has said.

IOC had last fiscal imported 1.2 million tons of crude oil from Iran. In the fiscal year that began from April 1, it is looking to raise it by at least three-fold.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Iran was aimed at boosting trade and commerce between the two countries. His trip came just months after lifting of international sanctions on Iran following Tehran's historic nuclear deal with the Western powers over its contentious atomic programme.

Besides IOC, ONGC Videsh Ltd has also sought two discovered fields from the 16 fields that Iran is likely to put on auction shortly.

The fields sought by OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), is besides the Farzad-B offshore field for which it is in advanced talks to secure developmental rights.

OVL had in 2008 discovered the Farzad-B field in the Persian Gulf. The field holds 12.5 Trillion cubic feet of recoverable reserves.

Sources said Iran has so far not responded to the requests by the Indian firms.

It has, however, shown willingness to give Farzad-A, which holds 283 billion cubic meters of reserves.

The field besides holding smaller reserves is more challenging, OVL feels.

Sources said India may import as much as 20 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in 2016-17 fiscal, up from about 11 million tonnes in the previous year.

This follows lifting of sanctions against Iran in January.

Till 2010-11, Iran was the second biggest supplier of crude oil to India after Saudi Arabia. Fresh US sanctions in 2010 led to imports, which were 18.5 million tonnes in 2010-11, to fall to 11 million tonnes. Iraq is now the second biggest supplier of oil to India.

Sources said India has also expressed interest in investing in chemicals, petrochemicals and fertilizer plants if Iran provided natural gas at low prices. It also is looking at setting up an ammonia/urea plant in Chabahar Free Trade Zone with long-term off-take of urea to India.

While Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and Essar Oil Ltd -- the biggest Indian buyers of Iranian oil -- are likely to maintain buying at around 5 million tonnes each, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) may begin importing oil from the Persian Gulf nation.

HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) has indicated it will buy a small quantity with an option to raise volumes.

In addition, private refiner Reliance Industries is seeking to buy 5-6 million tons of Iranian oil, mainly heavy grades.

India imports about 189 million tonnes of crude oil to meet about 80 per cent of its oil needs. Saudi Arabia sold about 38 million tonnes of oil to India in 2015-16, while Iraq supplied 33 million tonnes.
Telecom network equipment maker Nokia is likely to cut 10,000 to 15,000 jobs globally - far more than it has announced so far - after its acquisition of Franco-American rival Alcatel-Lucent, a Finnish union representative said.

The company has announced plans for around 2,400 job cuts in Finland and Germany as part of a cost-cutting program but has not so far given a global figure.

Cuts on the scale estimated by the union would represent as much as 14 percent of Nokia's worldwide work force of 104,000.

Nokia kicked off the rationalisation program in April with a target to slash 900 million euros ($1 billion) of operating costs by 2018.

"We haven't heard any official numbers, but based on the information from our union contacts, I would estimate the global impact of this round would likely be around 10,000 to 15,000 jobs," said Risto Lehtilahti, a trade union shop steward at Nokia's Oulu site.

A Nokia spokeswoman declined comment on the figure.

Analysts and union representatives said that the company will likely follow up with a new round of cuts once the current one is finished.

"Nokia and Alcatel have lots of overlaps, so the numbers will go up and the range could be something like that (10,000-15,000)," said Hannu Rauhala, analyst at OP Equities.

"The integration takes place at a very hectic stage in the network industry. The market is falling, technology is changing and the environment is turbulent, so it is difficult to see that they would make it (the company) ready in one go," he said.

Nokia set out plans for its home country last week, saying it was cutting around 1,000 Finnish jobs, compared to an initial target of 1,300 jobs.

Nokia has said it is looking to reduce 1,400 positions in Germany. In France, it would cut around 400 jobs but also create 500 research and development posts.

To win French government support for the 15.6 billion euro deal, Nokia pledged during negotiations not to cut French jobs for two years, beyond what Alcatel had already planned.

The Nokia spokeswoman said the company didn't have any updates for France or Germany, and declined to give details on other countries. Nokia is holding talks with employee representatives in about 30 countries.

The savings plan is partly due to tackle the weak network gear market. Nokia forecast earlier this month that its network sales would fall this year.

"Some work will be completely terminated, some cuts come from Alcatel overlaps, and some work will be transferred to countries with lower costs," said Tuula Aaltola, another Finnish shop steward.

The market leader, Sweden's Ericsson, is also cutting costs as tough competition pressures network gear prices.

According to Communication Workers of America (CWA), Nokia started to reduce U.S. jobs a year ago in preparation for the merger.

"We don't know what Nokia's plan is for the U.S.-based workforce. They have cut 500, cut our (unionized) workforce in half, and we hope that's all that is going to be taken away," CWA representative Lisa Bolton said.

In Finland, Nokia has slashed thousands of jobs over the past decade as its once-dominant phone business was eclipsed by the rise of smartphone rivals. The phone business was eventually sold to Microsoft, which has continued cutting jobs in the country. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
In a brief note to investors this morning the AA plc confirmed that it is exploring options for the sale of its Irish business.

"The AA notes the recent press speculation regarding the potential disposal of its Irish business. The AA confirms it is exploring options in regards to its Irish business and a further announcement will be made if and when appropriate."

AA Ireland employs over 400 people with a head office in Dublin, a Rescue Centre based in the city centre and central patrol garage located at Naas Road, Dublin.

Similarly to its business offerings in the UK, AA Ireland offer Roadside Assistance and Insurance Services. The AA is currently the only branded provider of roadside assistance in Ireland.

Roadside assistance, for vehicles, represents the largest source of income in Ireland. According to company statistics AA Ireland have 119,000 Personal Members and 165,000 indirect Business Customers whose cover is provided as a complementary service by business partners.

AA Ireland constituted just 4% of AA plcs total trading revenue in the year ended 31 January 2015.



Source: www.businessworld.ie
Bank of Ireland will sponsor NDRCs June and December investor days and NDRCs Female Founders programme.

NDRC is an early stage investor in startups and was recently ranked the no2 university business accelerator in the world at the prestigious UBI Awards.

NDRCs Investor Day consists of 12 of NDRCs venture companies pitching to a team of investors.

Bank of Ireland will take part in the judging to select the overall winner who will receive 30,000 in follow-on-investment.

Bank of Ireland will also take part in the nomination of Ten female founded members to join NDRCs existing mentor team to help and advise the ventures during their time at NDRC as they begin the journey from early stage start-ups to successful business. Ten female founded ventures nominees will join NDRC for a 6 month programme in June.

In the last 5 years, NDRCs portfolio of startup ventures had secured a cumulative 88m in follow-on investment with a combined market capitalisation of approx. 220m. Each year NDRC work with in the region of 1,000 individuals and invest in to 20 and 30 early stage technology ventures.

CEO of NDRC, Ben Hurley said: For the economy, a volume of new startups is important because it is a key engine of growth. And to get this growth we need early stage investment in new young ventures. We are thrilled to have Bank of Ireland on board and are looking forward to the first event which is the 1 June Investor Day.

Director of Customer, Digital and Innovation, Bank of Ireland Garvan Callan said: We are delighted with the opportunity to partner with NDRC, established leaders in early stage investment and with a strong track record of helping startup businesses to develop and attract capital. Combined with sponsorship, we believe our team can bring their significant expertise to bear for startup entrepreneurs and were delighted with the opportunity to partner with NDRC to help make a success of these talented startups.

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Maxol today announced plans to create 50 jobs in the West of Ireland following more than 2 Million investment at revamped sites in Mayo.

Maxol Newport Road is already a Maxol / Mace store but is being extended to include a food court with seating for 60 people, offering the companys Moreish food range and leading Irish brands including Bewleys Barista Bar.

The redevelopment of Maxol Newport Road is leading to the creation of 30 jobs, the redevelopment will open in June.

Maxol's other new development will be located at Independent car dealer Duffys in Castlebar. Duffy's is currently undergoing a conversion of its adjoining former car showroom. The official opening of the new forecourt store and delicatessen is scheduled for 27th May.

The investment at Duffys has led to the creation of an additional 20 jobs in the areas of retail supervisors, shop sales assistants and deli sales positions.

Maxols Group General Manager and incoming CEO, Brian Donaldson, speaking about the double investment said, Were delighted to be investing in the West of Ireland at these great locations in Mayo, both of which represent a significant development for Maxol and opportunity for our licensees Tom Meehan in Castlebar and Padraic Delaney of Newport Road. The creation of 50 new permanent jobs will be of huge benefit to the areas and local economy.

Todays news is on the back of yesterdays announcement that Maxol have been cleared by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) for the acquisition of three service stations.

The service stations are located on the Naas Road, Co.Kildare; Greenhills Road, Dublin 12 and the junction of the Naas Road and the Long Mile Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 12, all of which were formerly owned by Esso.

The latest additions to the Maxol network will see the company grow to 230 service stations across the country, with 7 new sites in Leinster alone this year, as part of a significant expansion plan.



Source: www.businessworld.ie
Delivering the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPA Ireland)

Annual Business Lecture today, Dr Elaine Byrne said that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States consider whistleblowers to be one of the most powerful weapons in the law enforcement arsenal.

In return for information leading to economic fines, whistleblowers get a bounty payment which is a percentage of the overall settlement made, as a consequence of their information.

Dr Elaine Byrne said The impact of whistleblower reward laws in the United States can be seen in the fact that whistleblower information now accounts for about 80 per cent of all US civil fraud prosecutions, according to the Republican Senator, Chuck Grassley.

Significant protection to the whistleblower is also provided - their anonymity is guaranteed and their identity is never revealed, unless they self-identify. The scheme has proved to be particularly successful in the pharmaceutical and financial sectors, she said.

The establishment of an Office of the Whistleblower, similar to the impact of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) 20 years ago, could be a game changer not only for Ireland but for other jurisdictions across Europe, she suggested.

CPA Ireland is one of the main Irish accountancy bodies with 5,000 members and students.

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Banks are ditching customers such as financial technology firms and foreign nationals to cut the cost of complying with tougher capital and anti-money laundering rules, an independent study for Britain's markets watchdog said on Tuesday.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which commissioned the 73-page study of how banks were lowering their risk, warned lenders on Tuesday they could fall foul of competition law if they refuse new business or close accounts without good reason.

Banks have faced a welter of new regulation since the financial crisis, burdening them with new costs and making them more cautious. Lenders have also been fined hefty sums for breaching anti money-laundering rules.

The study from John Howell & Co found it costs 1-2 pounds ($1.45-$2.90) to check new customers, rising to 100 pounds if closer scrutiny is required, while external intelligence reports run into thousands of pounds.

"As a result, many banks have undertaken a strategic review of their business and functions, often choosing to focus on their 'core' business," the study said.

Two large, unnamed British banks are together closing around 1,000 personal and 600 business accounts a month to curb risks, the study said.

Foreign diplomats, students and businesses are all finding it harder to retain UK-based accounts, or to carry out a full range of banking across currencies and jurisdictions, it added.

Banks have little appetite to pass on some of the higher compliance costs to customers in what the study calls a "market failure".

Some banks are closing accounts for money transmission services, pawnbrokers, fintech companies, and charities operating in countries or regions seen as presenting greater money laundering and terrorist financing risks, it added.

Britain accounts for half of European fintech start-ups, which use technology from cloud data storage to smartphones to provide loans, insurance and payment services.

But banks and investors have grown more cautious about the sector because of poorly understood business models and still-evolving regulation systems, the study said.

This is likely to worry the British government which is encouraging growth in the sector to avoid losing ground to rival centres like the United States and Australia.

Some banks spoke of "challenges" in trade-related finance, vital for greasing the wheels of the global economy.

Smaller companies working in the defence sector were also finding it hard to obtain banking services, but the British Bankers' Association was helping to improve access.

The FCA said it will work with banks to better identify money laundering risks, boost innovation to cut compliance costs, and encourage better communication between banks and customers. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie


Facebook Inc said on Monday that it had changed some of the procedures for its "Trending Topics" section after a news report alleging it suppressed conservative news prompted a U.S. Congressional demand for more transparency.

The company said an internal probe showed no evidence of political bias in the selection of news stories for Trending Topics, a feature that is separate from the main "news feed" where most Facebook users get their news.

But the world's largest social network said in a blogpost that it was introducing several changes, including elimination of a top-ten list of approved websites, more training and clearer guidelines to help human editors avoid ideological or political bias, and more robust review procedures.

Earlier this month, a former Facebook contractor had accused the company's editors of deliberately suppressing conservative news. The allegations were reported by technology news website Gizmodo, which did not identify the ex-contractor.

The report led Republican Sen. John Thune to write a letter demanding that the company explain how it selects news articles for its Trending Topics list.

Two days after Thune's letter, Facebook published a lengthy blogpost detailing how Trending Topics works even though it rarely discloses such practices. Previously, it had never discussed the inner workings of the feature, which displays topics and news articles in the top right hand corner of the desktop homepage for its more than 1.6 billion users.

Facebook said its investigation showed that conservative and liberal topics were approved as trending topics at nearly identical rates. It said it was unable to substantiate any allegations of politically motivated suppression of particular subjects or sources.

But it did not rule out human error in selecting topics.

"Our investigation could not fully exclude the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias in the implementation of our guidelines or policies," Colin Stretch, Facebook's General Counsel, wrote in a company blogpost.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg met last week with more than a dozen conservative politicians and media personalities to discuss issues of trust in the social network.

In his letter, Thune had called on Facebook to respond to the criticism and sought answers by May 24 to several questions about its internal practices.

"Any attempt by a neutral and inclusive social media platform to censor or manipulate political discussion is an abuse of trust and inconsistent with the values of an open internet," Thune said. (Reuters)



Source: www.businessworld.ie
The SWIFT secure messaging service that underpins international banking said it plans to launch a new security program as it fights to rebuild its reputation in the wake of the Bangladesh Bank heist.

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT)'s chief executive, Gottfried Leibbrandt will tell a financial services conference in Brussels that SWIFT will launch a five-point plan later this week.

Banks send payment instructions to one another via SWIFT messages. In February thieves hacked into the SWIFT system of the Bangladesh central bank, sending messages to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York allowing them to steal $81 million.

The attack follows a similar but little noticed theft from Banco del Austro in Ecuador last year that netted thieves over $12 million and a previously undisclosed attack on Vietnam's Tien Phong Bank that was not successful.

The crimes have dented the banking industry's faith in SWIFT, a Belgium-based co-operative owned by its users.

The Bangladesh Bank hack was a "watershed event for the banking industry," Leibbrandt will say.

"There will be a before and an after Bangladesh. The Bangladesh fraud is not an isolated incident ... this is a big deal. And it gets to the heart of banking."

SWIFT wants banks to "drastically" improve information sharing, to toughen up security procedures around SWIFT and to increase their use of software that could spot fraudulent payments.

SWIFT will also provide tighter guidelines that auditors and regulators can use to assess whether banks' SWIFT security procedures are good enough.

Leibbrandt will again defend SWIFT's role, saying the hacks happened primarily because of failures at users. However, some finance industry executives say SWIFT has not been as active as it should be in improving security.

Users frequently do not inform SWIFT of breaches of their SWIFT systems and even now, the co-operative has not proposed any sanctions for clients who fail to pass on information, which SWIFT itself says is key to stopping future attacks.

Some critics say SWIFT should also be more active in auditing clients and be ready to cut off members whose security is not up to scratch.

But the messaging service says other authorities also have a role.

"SWIFT is not all-powerful, we are not a regulator and we are not a policeman," Leibbrandt will say.

Former SWIFT Chief Executive Leonard Schrank said it appeared that SWIFT's security efforts had not kept pace with the criminals increased sophistication and that the co-operative needed to work hard to restore its reputation.

"They really have to earn that credibility back," he told Reuters. (Reuters)



Source: www.businessworld.ie
Water is important to the economy and our way of life in Cache Valley. The Utah State University Water Quality Extension team has put together an entire program of learning and volunteer training opportunities along with special events all meant to raise awareness of water quality and conservation.

On a recent KVNU For the People program, Water Quality Program Coordinator Eli Robinson said his crew has been busy already educating people about this much needed commodity.

Weve been busy starting early this spring. Weve traveled around to a lot of water fairs for 4th graders throughout the state. Just last week we were doing a water fair in Cache Countywe were teaching kids about the watershed and how what they do on land affects the water shed, according to Robinson.

Earlier throughout the state Utah Water Week was observed, with the theme of We All Live in a Watershed. Robinson explained what that means for those of us in Cache Valley.

So a watershed is just an area in which all the water drains down to. So in the Cache Valley were part of the Great Salt Lake watershed, but were also part of the Bear River Watershed. The idea focusing on the watershed is focusing on how the activities we do on land impact the watershed.

Robinson continued, So, for example, if you have a lawn and you like to fertilize it, sometimes some of that extra fertilizer might run off into a drainage ditch and that water is going to flush all the way down into maybe the Logan River, maybe down into the Bear River.

Those interested in learning more about events and training about water issues can go to the extension website at <a href=http://extension.usu.edu/utahwaterwatch target=_blank>extension.usu.edu/utahwaterwatch</a>.
LOGAN  A 22-year-old Petersboro man, Riley Robins, was sentenced to prison for raping a girl during a 4th of July celebration in 2014.

Robins was ordered to serve one term of three-years-to-life on one count of attempted rape, a first-degree felony. He pleaded guilty to the amended charge after accepting a plea deal in March.

According to deputy reports, the victim had consumed a large amount of alcohol during the party and needed assistance walking. Two men at the party helped her to a room inside a home, so she could sleep it off.

Later, Robins reportedly entered the room where she was, and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious.

She was taken to the hospital the next day and told staff there she had been raped.

Robins was later arrested and originally charged with rape and forcible sodomy, both first-degree felonies.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
Jason Relopez appears in 1st District Court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday. Relopez was bound over to stand trial for rape and aggravated sexual assault.

LOGAN  The sentencing for Jason Relopez has been rescheduled for next Tuesday, as attorneys for both sides have agreed upon amended terms that could spare the 27-year-old from serving any prison time.

Relopez has been awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to assaulting and raping two women. The former Sigma Chi fraternity member was arrested in July after one victim claimed he raped her multiple times while she was attending parties at the fraternity house, near Utah State University. A second victim later said she also was sexually assaulted while the two were doing homework in her residence.

In March, 1st District Court Judge Brian Cannell postponed sentencing saying he had concerns, after a psychosexual evaluation for Relopez came back with invalid results. The test was part of the previously agreed upon plea bargain that was supposed to determine if he was at risk of reoffending.

During Tuesdays status conference, prosecutor Barbara Lachmar said she and public defender Shannon Demler had decided upon an amended agreement, after meeting in chambers with Judge Cannell.

Later, Demler said the new terms are that Relopez will undergo another psychosexual evaluation in the next week. If the test shows he is low risk he will be released from jail and transferred into a treatment program at the Northern Utah Community Correctional Center. If the results are moderate or high risk he will serve another year in jail, losing credit for the time he has already served, before being transferred to the treatment center.

Demler said he still isnt happy that prosecutors reneged on their earlier agreement but at least the amendment will keep Relopez out of prison

Relopez remains in jail on a $500,000 bail. He has already been suspended from the fraternity and USU.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
SHARE Contributed photo Kathy Najimy

By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times

Kathy Najimy, who is best known for her roles in "Hocus Pocus" and "Sister Act," will be this year's Women's Shelter of South Texas Great Expectations luncheon speaker, officials said.

The award winning actress and activist was selected by the organization because she stands for nonviolence, equality, justice for all people and respect, Women's Shelter of South Texas president and CEO Frances Wilson said Tuesday during a news conference.

"She is very supportive of women, girls and the LGBT community and social justice. She is a perfect speaker for our event," Wilson said. "The funds are huge for us but it's also very important for us that community realizes that we need to work together to do out job. This is what we want to accomplish with this event."

Najimy will speak June 22 at the American Bank Center.

Wilson said the organization expects about 650 people to attend the fundraising luncheon, which has featured speakers such as Henry Winkler, of "Happy Days" fame, Bill Rancic, season one winner of "The Apprentice," and actress Nia Vardalos who starred in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and John Walsh of "America's Most Wanted."

In 2015, the organization provided services to 2,830 victims of domestic and sexual violence, half of those victims were children, Wilson said.

Funds raised at the luncheon will go toward services including shelter, counseling, case management, safety planning, legal advocacy, youth-focused services, rural outreach services and violence prevention education, Chief Community Relations officer Kellie Addison said.

Najimy is internationally known for her role of "Sister Mary Patrick" in "Sister Act" and "Sister Act 2," which won her an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress and the Hollywood Women's Press Club-Female Discovery of the Year.

Najimy is recurring on HBO's "Veep," and debuted in the last season of "The Big C" as Laura Linney's character's therapist. Najimy reoccurs on "Younger" and just wrapped filming "The Descendants" for The Disney Channel and "A Change of Heart".

"We wanted someone who shares a passion to stop violence and can use their status to take action," Addison said. "Kathy Najimy has been successful in her career and also been able to take a stand. Her message is to get involved and being active in the community."

Twitter: @CallerNatalia

If you go

What: 2016 Great Expectations Speaker Series with Kathy Najimy

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 22

Where: American Bank Center

Cost: Tickets: $75

Information: www.thewomensshelter.org or 361-884-2900
Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial

By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

Patient traffic at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial has gotten much lighter as its eventual demolition draws near.

Surgeons, anesthesiologists and other physicians at Memorial have told the county judge their workload at the hospital has greatly diminished the past six months. So, too, has the volume of the patients they've seen there.

Earlier this month, Kelly Elkins, president of Christus Spohn hospitals at Shoreline and Memorial, sent a memo to leaders of the Coastal Bend Regional Advisory Council. It said Memorial, a Level II trauma center, would no longer admit "medicine or medical intensive care patients."

Only trauma patients would be seen there. Surgical and behavioral health services, Memorial's emergency department and its ancillary service departments also would continue to operate there.

Patients who show up to Memorial's ER by ambulance or by walking in and need non-emergency medical services will be transferred to Christus Spohn Hospital Shoreline or Christus Spohn Hospital South, where they can be admitted.

The move, Elkins said, was necessary as Spohn prepared the medicine expansion at Christus Spohn Shoreline. The strategy is similar to a practice Spohn has used the past several years for women's services or cardiac services.

Steven Alford, a spokesman for the health system, said Christus Spohn continues to see patients at Memorial and that EMS companies can take patients to Memorial.

Spohn officials have said renovations at Shoreline remain on track to be completed by fall 2018. Memorial will be demolished by the end of that year.

Part of the health system's $325 million expansion plans is the construction of the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Family Health Center. It broke ground in November.

The health system is responsible for the demolition, estimated to cost between $4 million and $6 million.

Nueces County Judge Loyd Neal said he was aware the health system was gradually moving some of its resources to other campuses, but hadn't heard specifically that patients were being diverted.

He said he wasn't concerned that development would mean fewer options for patients.

"There's some consolidation taking place," Neal said.

Neal spoke with Memorial surgeons and other medical staff, who reported their patient numbers and overall workload has decreased in a lot of areas the past six months.

"What the county is concerned about is making sure we have trauma and related services for the indigent," Neal said. "As far as I know, that's all still in place."

Nueces Co. Hospital District - Board of Managers Resolution / September 16, 2014 by callertimes

Nueces County Hospital District Christus Spohn by callertimes

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
Corpus Christi drivers could save money at the gas pump this Memorial Day compared to other places around the country.

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By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

Hitting the road this Memorial Day weekend? You'll have lots of company, according to AAA.

The upside? Chances are getting to your destination will cost less than it has in recent years.

The fuel-tracking website Gasbuddy.com ranked Corpus Christi third among cities in the nation for the cheapest gasoline. Gas in Corpus Christi sold on average for $1.99 a gallon, though there were places where it cost as much as 10 cents less.

Corpus Christi's proximity to several refineries, many of which are stocked with product that hasn't been able to move because of global crude glut, is likely contributing.

"The inventory situation is very healthy in the area," said Will Speer, spokesman for the website. "That's keeping prices in check."

Three other Texas cities  Lubbock, San Antonio and Wichita Falls  also appeared in its top 10.

AAA expects more than 38 million Americans will travel between Thursday and Monday, making this potentially the second-highest Memorial Day travel volume on record and the most since 2005.

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam

Cheapest cities for gas

Rank City Price

1 Tucson, Arizona $1.978

2 Lubbock $1.980

3 Corpus Christi $1.990

4 Springfield, Missouri $1.995

5 San Antonio $2.000

6 Joplin, Missouri $2.002

7 McDonald County, Missouri $2.002

8 Wichita Falls $2.006

9 Albuquerque, New Mexico $2.007

10 Rock Hill, South Carolina $2.009

Where in

Corpus Christi

to find cheap gas

Cornerstore, 9401 Up River Road, $1.89

Citgo, 2661 SH-361 near Main Street, $1.89

Bayside Grocery, 1455 Waldron Road, $1.89

Times Market, 10221 Leopard St., $1.89

Citgo, 2607 SH-35 N Business & FM-1069, $1.90

Source: Gasbuddy.com
Natalia Contreras/Caller-Times FILE Abundant Life Fellowship Church is having a 210 foot tall cross constructed at Interstate 37 and Carbon Plant Road, across the highway from the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery.

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By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times

An atheist activist who sued a Corpus Christi pastor agreed to dismiss the suit and admitted it was meritless, according to an order signed Tuesday.

Patrick Greene, of San Antonio, initially filed a lawsuit against Rick Milby, pastor of Abundant Life Fellowship, and several city officials who attended a ground breaking for a 210 foot tall cross at Interstate 37 and Carbon Plant Road. The site is across the highway from the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery.

In March, Greene said he would dismiss the suit because his wife was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and osteoporosis.

But lawyers from First Liberty Institute, who represented Milby pro bono, filed a motion seeking sanctions against Greene and attorney fees.

A hearing on the matter was scheduled for Tuesday morning. Lawyers told 347th District Judge Missy Medary they reached an agreement with Greene late Monday night. Greene participated in the hearing by phone.

"We're glad that we're able to protect Pastor Milby's right to be able to go on with this mission but more importantly that we've been able to send a very good message now that you can't use the legal system to bully individuals with things that you just simply disagree with," said Jeremy Dys, a lawyer with First Liberty Institute.

The agreement includes a pledge from Greene that he would not file baseless lawsuits against Milby or others.

"Greene hereby acknowledges that Greene understands he can freely advocate his own beliefs  but that he must undertake caution when filing litigation that will burden both the individuals that he raises claims against as well as the justice system itself," according to the agreement.

Twitter: @CallerKMT
Contributed photo Officials announced Tuesday the filming of the movie "The Sand Dune" in Rockport, Fulton, Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi. The announcement was made during a news conference at the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce.

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By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times

During the next six weeks, Rockport, Fulton, Aransas Pass, Port Aransas and Corpus Christi will be the backdrop for the romance film "The Sand Dune."

Cast and crew of the film were announced during a Tuesday news conference at the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, officials said.

"The Sand Dune" is the story of a quaint seaside restaurant on the Texas coast. It's a place where the unexpected happens. It is at the restaurant that fate intervenes in the lives of Aylin and Jake.

The couple gets forced apart and years later reunite, but this time they are grown and different people, officials sad.

The writer of the film , Valerie Smith is from Kansas City and owns a home in Aransas Pass, officials said.

The movie is a culmination of 56 years of the life of her family, Smith stated in a news release.

The director of the film is digital entrepreneur Brandon Bender and director of photography is Dawn Suhyun Shim, best known for his work in "Mush," "Get Right" and "The Dotcoms".

The cast and more of the crew can be found with photos at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) website by searching for "The Sand Dune," officials said.

Twitter: @CallerNatalia
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We've said it before, though it might as well be a secret: Tuesday is Election Day. It's the party primary runoff, which unfortunately is guaranteed to have a low turnout because the primary had a low turnout and it at least had the presidential race as an enticement.

There's much less to vote on in the runoff. The marquee position is one opening on the Railroad Commission, not a powerful turnout magnet. The Democratic and Republican nominations for that office remain up for grabs. Considering how many registered voters would fail the name-your-congressman/state senator/state representative test, it's unlikely that they care enough to vote for a party nominee to a position they probably aren't aware has nothing to do with railroads.

Republicans also will have two Texas Court of Criminal Appeals runoffs, for Places 2 and 5. In Nueces County, probably the strongest draw for voters will be the opportunity to choose a county commissioner  if they reside in Precinct 3. Otherwise, Democrats have only the Railroad Commission nominee to decide.ss

Just to clear up confusion: Registered voters who skipped the primary didn't disqualify themselves from voting in the runoff. They can vote in either party's runoff, but not in both. Those who voted in the primary can't switch parties for the runoff. They are confined to voting in the party they chose in the March primary.

The strongest enticement we can point out to voters is that because turnout will be low, their vote will represent a larger percentage of the outcome. Each vote will be a vote in favor of being statistically significant. We commend, in advance, those who vote.

Here are our recommendations:

Railroad Commission: Republican Gary Gates and Democrat Cody Garrett.

A vote for Gates is a vote against a career politician with no background that suggests he's prepared for the job. Former state Rep. Wayne Christian trumpets his irrelevant pro-gun, anti-abortion credentials for a mineral energy policy-setting position. During a question-and-answer session with the Texas Tribune, Christian betrayed a lack of basic understanding of the job description. Gates passed. Voting against Christian is more important than voting for Gates.

The same can be said of the Democrats. Garrett's answers to the Tribune showed that he knew the commission regulates gas rates. His opponent Grady Yarbrough's answers showed Yarbrough didn't. No more needs to be said, other than don't fall for the familiar-to-Texas-politics surname Yarbrough. He's no relation to the late U.S. Sen. Ralph Yarborough  note also the different spelling.

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2: The clear choice is Mary Lou Keel, a longtime Houston district judge with extensive experience, including capital cases, and certification in criminal law. The winner will face Democrat Larry Meyers, the longtime incumbent, who switched parties after the last election and fully expects it to hurt if not kill his hope for re-election.

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5: No endorsement. Neither candidate is worth one.

Nueces County Commissioner Precinct 3: Joe A. Gonzalez, the president of the county deputies' association, is our pick over Corpus Christi ISD Trustee and former city councilman John Marez. This runoff will be decisive because there is no Republican opponent in November.

Gonzalez knows the precinct, its people and its issues  including the back roads most in need of repair. Marez also is well-informed and undeniably well-spoken. He speaks with the polish of a seasoned local politician. County commissioner, with its salary and car allowance adding up to the mid-$80,000s range, is the step that can turn political office into a livelihood. Gonzalez has the enthusiastic endorsement of his Republican employer, Sheriff Jim Kaelin. Gonzalez is not to be confused with the Precinct 2 commissioner of the same name down to the middle initial.

Agree or disagree with our recommendations but please join the exclusive club that either voted early or will vote Tuesday.
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Johnny French

Water down the drain

On May 21, Matt Woolbright's headline article, "Boil water notice may end Tuesday," included this announcement: "Residents are being encouraged to use  but not consume  city water to help the chlorine treatment move throughout the system as quickly as possible, city spokesperson Kim Womack said."

The problems with this are that (1) those residents who do as encouraged can't pour the water on their already saturated lawns and shrubbery, so it must instead go down their household drains and add to the load at the already overstressed sewage treatment plants, and (2) the extra cost of this wasted water will show up on the resident's utility bills.

The city water department failed to treat the drinking water properly, not its residents, so to be fair to the residents they should not be called upon to pay for water they can't use to fix a problem they didn't create.
CONSULTANT

Leela Nair

Managing director, Southeast Asia

Ebiquity

Increasingly, global advertisers require less local creative input as they centrally manage creative master assets. These assets often require additional localisation to ensure the message is locally relevant. The assets may also need to be produced in different formats that selected media owners require.

The creative agency plays less of a role for some global clients. With a need for speed to market, advertisers want to simplify the overall delivery process. If media agencies can provide one point of contact to manage local asset production and media, this can provide significant efficiency. In countries where the marcomms teams are lean, this solution is very attractive.

The lines between media and creative agencies continue to blur as media agencies offer social media community management, production services and marketing activation. Is it unrealistic to expect that media agencies will manage production as a next step? If creative agencies allow commoditisation of their service, clients are more likely to go down this path in a drive to save money.

MARKETER

Ranji David

Marketing director

World Federation of Advertisers

It all comes down to the ease of having a single agency take a full-service approach. Considering the investment ratio between creative and media, it makes sense to start from a strong base across media touchpoints and then build the creative piece, particularly with performance clients.

Media houses have adapted to changes with more agility than creative agencies who have struggled to evolve since social media posed challenges to traditional models. Digital puts a different spin to the media-versus-creative debate. Some advertisers think higher-frequency ads are required in the face of new targeting capabilities. While theres much to debate about the quantity-over-quality approach, this encourages the appointment of media in a lead role, particularly where creative agencies might not be interested in picking up the lower-margin digital work.

In discussions around context versus content, the emphasis on context means media agencies with a better understanding of digital will move further upstream. But the rise of media at the expense of content has led to problems such as ad blocking and ad fraud.

Instead of focusing on the agency type, most WFA members understand that they need to focus on people. If we continue to lose sight of potential customers, a debate around the sort of agency brands work with will be increasingly meaningless.

CONSULTANT

Richard Bleasedale

Managing partner APAC

Roth Observatory

The short answer is yes. Many media agencies offer content development as part of their service offering. This can be compelling to a marketer for several reasons. Media agencies tend to charge less than creative shops. This saving can be reinvested into increasing the media spend. This approach can deliver a more integrated solution, as creative and media agencies tend to work separately. A single source of creative/media execution will improve the speed to market.

All these reasons are magnified when working with a media owner/publisher, who package up creative services as part of media buying deals.

We also see creative shops being asked by brands to propose media strategy. Coca-Cola with Ogilvy in the US is a recent famous example. Coca-Cola was quoted as saying Ogilvy offered an alternative perspective on communications strategy. This search for alternative perspectives is one we are seeing more of.

This is driven by many factors such as marketing budgets, a growing requirement to demonstrate efficiency, speed to market, marketing transformation, business model disruption and talent drain within the sectors.
The first time someone introduced Aden Hepburn, managing director and ECD at VML Australia, to a big advertising agency, he didnt really know what that was.

I was always an internet kind of guy, says Hepburn, who completed his first piece of client work in high school when he was around 15 years old (Year 10). He created a website for a local business in Sydney.

However, web design was something he just did for fun. His dream was to become a chef. Choosing hospitality and food-tech as electives at school, Hepburn gave up his weekends helping chefs as a kitchen hand.

For a while, I thought I was absolutely going to go out and be a chef, says Hepburn. That was until about the end of high school when Id already spent a few years working nights when all my friends were out partying.

At the same time, the internet was booming. ICQ and MSN Messenger were in vogue and live chat was connecting everyone. With that, Hepburn had a change of heart in his career direction. When he couldnt find a suitable course at university to further his technology skills, he opted for a diploma at a technical college instead. Even now, Hepburn is passionate about learning in a practical setting.

For me, creativity isnt something that can be taught: Youre only as good as you are passionate, he says. Hepburn believes formal education doesnt set people up for what they will experience in the industry, which he sees as a big issue. Its felt with the lack of new talent coming through the ranks, he adds.

After he finished his diploma, Hepburn got a job at a local web design company, where he says he was most certainly underpaid.

Only two people from my entire class got a job designing websites after graduating, he says. We were just coming out of the dotcom boom and bust. After two years, when paychecks started bouncing and excuses ran hot about cash flow, he left the company and joined a local web agency that paid real money. His first client was Australian telco Optus.

Suddenly things were moving fast and the agency merged with a big advertising agency called IdeaWorks. Hepburn was 22 years old and remembers his first day at IdeaWorks for three reasons:

He didnt really know what a big ad agency actually was

The agency had designer furniture and fancy department names

His desk had interactive on ithe was the only digital person.

From there, he wasnt just doing websites anymore. He was working with the likes of Volkswagen, Woolworths, Westfield and Red Bull. It was also during this time that he says he learnt the toughest lesson of his career: acceptance.

I grew up as the only digital creative guy in agencies filled with brilliant but traditional storytellers. That was tough, says Hepburn. It took the agency 18 months to realise they had a digital guy.

When the agency eventually wised up, though, he was suddenly involved in everything. IdeaWorks became part of Y&R Group and Hepburn was introduced to the global CEO of VML, where he was given the chance to launch VML Australia. Hepburn seized the opportunity and continues to lead the digital agency today.

What inspires him about the future is product and service design where a mix of pure ideation, problem solving, experience design and invention comes together. The other thing is mentoring.

Mentoring is such an important thing in our industry, says Hepburn. It just upsets me there isnt enough of it. Part of me feels like thats a generational thing, perhaps some of the big industry legends are moving on. But its also time versus ego versus availability to find mentors willing to dedicate the time. Shame on us, really.

Hepburn in Sydney

BIG IDEAS

Q&A WITH ADEN HEPBURN

Whats your view on creativity and formal education?

I think formal education the way it is today can train you on the tools youll need to get a job; the Adobe suite, design and creative process, maybe writing or even some code. But it will never teach you how to be creative. Being creative is something that I think people evolve into. Humans are creative from birth. The question is who can harness it, or wants to evolve it to the point where you can be creative in a commercially productive wayand that all comes back to how passionate you are.

Thats why places like Hyper Island and Award School breed very talented creative people, as they harness students passion, energy and raw creativity, with a sustained focus on ideation process combined with the latest tools, to help shape (not create) brilliant thinkers, where only the most passionate make it through. Unfortunately, those educational places are very limited in numbers and are vastly different to typical formal education.

Whats the hardest lesson you had to learn as a creative and what did it teach you?

There are so many lessons along the way. "Youre not always right is probably one I learnt early on that helped me be a better creative faster. Often there are many correct answers to a brief, so you might not be wrong (the positive way of spinning it), theres just a better and more compelling answer out there. I think learning how to understand when you didnt crack it, and pivot quickly to re-imagine where you can take something is a really tough but critical skill to learn. And until you do, it can play on your mind, pull you backwards and stop you from reaching your potential. People around you will notice if you cant pivot. Dont get attached!

Whats your advice to young creatives in the industry?

Aspire to understand the business side of the agency, try to become a commercial creative. Anyone can dream up a big idea, or be the first to do something on the cheap, but only very few are commercially minded enough to really understand (or perhaps care) how the whole agency runs. The value that comes with being creative and commercial is the way to the top. And probably the way to getting your award ideas made too.

Dont let yourself get an ego. There is no time or space for that in agencies these days.

Make sure you truly understand how technology can connect, enhance and amplify ideas. And I dont mean just understanding how Facebook works, research what its APIs can do, how the latest features on YouTube work, whats possible with HTML5, what new sensors and gadgets are hitting the market. These are the tools to taking your idea to the next level.

Dont ever let a great idea die. You might not sell the award-winning idea that falls out of that brief first go, but if you truly believe in it, give it time, find your next opportunity, and get the right people around the table to keep it alive. Youll be rewarded eventually.

Remember, the only thing your agency sells is creative. No matter how good the strategy, technology team, relationships are, at the end of the day, if your creative isnt exciting, youve not nothing to sell. And I dont mean that as extra pressure on the creative guys, its a whole of agency effort. So never be afraid to remind people that making great creative work is everyones job, from every department.

Strategists and suits are your secret weapons for selling in those big ideas that might scare clients. Use them wisely.

Never underestimate the power of collaboration between teams, agencies and just as importantly, with the big platforms and vendors. This will often open a door for your ideas.
Icon Asia is the latest adaptation of the global digital lifestyle network, which is creatively led by Phan, best known as a YouTube personality, whose beauty channel boasts 8 million subscribers and 1.1 billion lifetime views.

Launched in April 2015, Icon already boasts a presence in the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The network is touted as the first of its kind in the region, with a mission to bring the best and latest in local fashion, travel, lifestyle and beauty trends, combined with a commitment to high production value.

The Icon channel is produced by Endemol Shine Beyond and launched out of the companys Asia hub in Singapore. The digital production and distribution studio has locations in nine markets and specialises in premium online content and channels.

Christopher Smith, head of Endemol Shine Beyond Asia, said the network speaks to a millennial audience that is both digitally native and hungry for information.

Speaking to Campaign Asia-Pacific, Smith said he sees the networks position in the market as an opportunity for brands to leverage actionable perspectives, explore the latest trends and engage with the influencer community.



Christopher Smith

Asked about what brands can expect in working with the Icon network to achieve marketing goals, Smith said a mix of branded content and product placement is proving more effective than traditional advertising formats.

Millennials can sniff out forced endorsements," he said. "Unlike traditional TV models, we tend to feature products or brands very authentically. Creators we work with will not use product they are not comfortable with or have not tested. There isnt an opportunity to just drop a product on a creators lap, and we have a large vetting process for matching the right influencer with the right brand.

Smith said that brands onboard at launch include NYX Cosmetics and Zalora. The company is also in final discussion with the parent groups of other major brands in beauty and cosmetics.

As we move forward, we hope to work with a large cross-section of popular brands that are established in Asia, such as SK-II and Sephora, he added.

Another avenue the network is exploring is with smaller beauty brands, especially those from the UK and US that are looking to break into Asia and find their footing.

There are a variety of brands we are talking to that are looking for their market in Asia, and see Icon as an appropriate place to introduce their products to local communities, said Smith. A lot of the content we see is coming out of the US and talking about products that are very difficult to get in Asia. There are exciting opportunities for us to bridge this gap.

Icon Asia will premiere on YouTube, with support from various social outlets including Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

In terms of how the company will promote the new network in the coming months and what the expected audience will be, Smith said that some effort will be put into finding our audience and fans.

It will be based on the influencers were working with in addition to co-opting our mutual successes to launch across the region, he said. Were tightly integrating, with the communications plans in place with the brands were working with.

Personalities on board include Thai-Hong Kong beauty content creator Sichenmakeupholic, Michelle Dy from the Philippines and DMT Stylist, a makeup artist and fashion stylist from Melbourne.

The company will not be executing a traditional marketing campaign to promote the new network.

One of the big things weve committed to is integrating ourselves with the creator community in Southeast Asia, and we will be doing a lot of our marketing on the ground and aimed at creators, said Smith.

Emphasis will be placed on participating in creator workshops, providing training and education opportunities with aspiring young creators around raising the quality of their craft.

Thats where were going to make stronger investments this year and into 2017, he added. Thats more important than a traditional marketing programme thats about banners and ads to buy eyeballsfor us to be successful, we also have to authentic and participatory, partnering with YouTube, MDA and other platforms to support our mission.

Smith said that unlike the other markets where Icon is already live, Asia will have a different emphasis when it comes to the metrics of success and growth.

In Asia, theres not a lot of effort to drive people toward the subscribe button, so the numbers that will be important are interactions, how engaged viewers are and shares, he said. Expectations are high, due to talent were working with, and our amazing history of success with other market launches in creating a go-to market playbook to work with.

The network will feature original new series and content from up-and-coming digital influencers and lifestyle experts from across the region including Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Speaking Local languages

The channel will initially be produced in English, with plans to diversify into the native languages of the featured talent to reach greater audiences.

Smith shared that while content for the next couple of quarters will be English-focused, South Korea and Indonesia are priority markets for the company. Development is already underway on a project in Indonesia involving a 60-person community of beauty creators.

It will be a content series around beauty through the eyes of Indonesian women, and most of that will be in Indonesian, he said.

In addition, the company is close to closing a deal for Icon Korea, with a tentative launch for the second quarter or 2017, which will feature Korean-language content and creators.

These are the first two beginning points for multilingual opportunities for Icon in the region, Smith said.

Icon's launch comes amidst emerging discourse around the effectiveness and role of influencer marketing in the industry. With the appearance of more formalised guidelines around social-media promotions by personalities and questions around the value garnered from such interactions.

Smith said Icon sets itself apart from the very beginning by not going down the path of a traditional traditional multi-channel networks (MCN).

We probably have the least number of signed influencers out of any network in the world, he claimed. We made the decision to only work with real influencers. Its not a popularity contest. We did not rush out to sign the most popular person.

Smith said the companys process for evaluating potential talent begins with learning about the creator and their work, followed then by their influence, not so much their popularity.

He believes that the backlash is around the state of the media game and the value of popularity.

I think the industry is waking up to the realisation that popularity does not equal influence," he said. "And so, is it right for a brand to be spending a lot of dollars in a popularity contest? I dont think so. Brand managers, media agencies and companies like ours do need to take a critical look at what weve created as an industry and check ourselves and ask Are we talking to right people about the right things?
| BY Ricki Green |

Full-page adverts published in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian today by the Campaign for Australian Aid, call on the Coalition Government to match the pledge made by the Australian Labor Party on Saturday to start to restore the aid budget.

In an appearance on ABCs 7:30 program last night, the minister for foreign affairs and deputy leader, Julie Bishop, criticised Labors policy announcement, stating that it was a modest increase and labelling it a non-event.

Says Tony Milne, campaign director, Campaign for Australian Aid: If this is a modest increase as Julie Bishop claims, then it should be easy for the Coalition to match or better Labors pledge.

Labors commitment of $800 million in extra funding over the forward estimates, starting with the reversal of the most recent $224 million cut, is an important first step towards repairing the Australian aid budget to a fairer level.

Bishops comments follow the largest ever cuts being made to Australias aid budget, taking Australia to the lowest levels of aid ever as a share of national income. The cuts include:

-Last years largest ever single year cut of $1 billion

-This years fourth largest single year cut of $224 million (in current dollars it is the second biggest cut)

-Aid funding slashed from $5.1 billion per year to $3.8 billion per year

Says Milne: These were real cuts to childrens healthcare, education, immunisation and more. The Coalitions aid budget in future years does incorporate CPI increases, but that will mean that as a percentage of GNI, aid will still continue to fall, and that is now off a rock bottom base level.
| BY Ricki Green |

Filmgraphics has announced the signing of Melbourne-based directors Steve Callen and Christopher Frey, and director/DOP Gerard Lambkin. The news coincides with Filmgraphics revealing its fresh new branding, that includes the development of a new company website.

Callen arrives at Filmgraphics with over 20 years experience working in advertising and is a well-established writer, director and content creator. He has directed numerous award winning TVCs and short films that have won at Cannes and One Show.

With a background in visual effects and design employed across advertising, film and music videos, Frey combines a refined, minimal aesthetic with technical expertise. His work moves from cinematic realism to stylised audio-visual pieces. In 2014, Frey was a finalist for the Cannes Young Director Award and also won an Aria Award for Best Music Video.

Not only a highly awarded director, Lambkin is also an accredited cinematographer and member of the ACS. In 2014, he was awarded Best in Show and Best Narrative at One Shows One Screen Festival in New York for his shot film Great Adventures. A versatile filmmaker, his unique skill set combines a powerful visual style and natural talent for storytelling.

The foray of new director announcements comes off the back of Filmgraphics appointing well known producer Edwina Gilbert (Speakman), who joins the production house to concentrate on business development opportunities in Melbourne.

Says Anna Fawcett, executive producer, Filmgraphics: As a production company synonymous with nurturing the talents of both emerging and established directors, we are proud to announce the arrival of new blood and will continue to welcome the best of Australias directors as they rise through the ranks to develop as unique storytellers.

Please click here to view Steve Callens reel, here to view Christopher Freys reel, and here for Gerard Lambkins reel. For more information, contact Edwina Gilbert on +61 412 567 838 or via edwina@filmgraphics.com OR Anna Fawcett on: +61 404 866 065 or via fawcett@filmgraphics.com.

To check out Filmgraphics new website click here.
| BY Ricki Green |

Media and advertising foundation UnLtd has appointed former IAB chief Paul Fisher as its CEO, to lead its continued efforts in undoing youth disadvantage on behalf of the industry.

Fisher was CEO of the IAB for five years from 2008, leaving the industry body in 2012 for an APAC regional role leading Nielsens Media business. He is currently consulting to the IAB and serves as a non-executive director with UNICEF Australia.

Says Kerry McCabe, chair, UnLtd: UnLtds vision is that everybody in our industry  from our most influential leaders to those starting their careers  has a reason and an opportunity to impact this huge social issue using the platform UnLtd has created.

Pauls passion for what we stand for, coupled with his commercial nous and network will be invaluable. It takes a rare mix of skills and experience to successfully lead an entity like UnLtd. Our board and staff are ecstatic to have secured a leader as capable, respected and culturally suited.

We have a big second half planned for 16 with the goal of increasing industry engagement, launching new revenue initiatives and piloting UnLtd One, our technology-enabled social impact platform that leverages the best of crowd sourcing, crowd funding and social media to match industry talent and resources with very specific charity partner needs.

Says Fisher on the new role: UnLtd already reaches and supports thousands of young people in need, thanks to its partnership with organisations and individuals in our industry who are driven to make a difference. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to lead the UnLtd team in unlocking the full potential of our industry to impact valuable young lives.

Steve Taitoko, contracted in 2015 to lead the organization will move into a pro-bono strategy role with UnLtd at the end of the financial year whilst focusing on his commercial ventures.

Says Taitoko: I believe in the unlimited potential of this industry to own this cause and change young lives every day. I will remain closely connected to this incredible organisation, its remarkable charity partners, and the game-changing strategy we have developed over the past six months.

Says McCabe: Steves fresh perspective on the industry and UnLtds opportunity has allowed us to refocus our efforts on improving contribution-to-impact while embracing the role technology will play in building scale and sustainability.

Fisher will commence with UnLtd on 4 July.
| BY Ricki Green |

Emad Tahtouh, director of applied technology at Finch, will be jury president of The NEW at London International Awards (LIA) 2016.

Says Tahtouh on The NEW and the characteristics of its entries: The NEW category at LIA is such a wonderfully challenging and exciting experience. By very definition, the work must be considered unique or special in some way. However these are not easily identifiable or agreeable by consensus.

Regarding the opportunity to chair the Jury, he adds: Whilst a lot of other categories have clear metrics and years of previous work by which to measure and compare, The NEW does not have that luxury. For me, thats the most exciting aspect to the medium. For the jury, watching, experiencing, discussing and awarding work which we consider to be groundbreaking or revolutionary, will result in the most thought-provoking and exhilarating conversations we will have all year.

As Finchs director of applied technology, Tahtouh develops and curates technology solutions in both practical and creative capacities. The Most Powerful Arm, a project Tahtouh personally oversaw, was the first piece of Innovation to win a coveted D&AD Blank Pencil, amongst other prestigious awards. Tahtouh has judged at LIA, Cannes and AWARD, and has also been a presenter at Cannes, Spikes, SXSW, LIA, Semi Permanent and SAWA.

LIA 2016 The NEW Jury:

Lars Bastholm, Global Chief Creative Officer, The Zoo (Google), Los Angeles

Emiliano Gonzalez De Pietri, Associate CCO, Circus Grey, Lima

Laura Jordan-Bambach, Creative Partner, Mr. President, London

Andrew McKechnie, Global Group Creative Director, Apple, Cupertino

Taras Wayner, EVP / ECD, US, R/GA, New York

Faris Yakob, Founder, Genius Steals, Nashville

Work submitted must be broadcast, published or released in a commercial environment with client approval between 1st July 2015 and 31st July 2016.
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The availability payment averages $64 million a year for 20 years, starting at $47 million in the first 12 months of operations, and reaching about $75 million in 2038. (The numbers were adjusted at financial close on Monday so will be slightly different.) But Mr Edghill said the availability payments were in actual dollars for each of those years, not in today's dollars, so simply adding them up (to $1.3 billion) gives a distorted result.
Since then, her remit had included everything from toasters to T-shirts. She was responsible for what brands of apparel, footwear, accessories, home and food merchandise were sold instore and online for the now Woolworths-owned retailer. She was also tasked with transitioning a number of high-street Woolworths brands onto the shop floor including Studio W and RE: Denim last year, a departure for Australia's oldest luxury department store.
The Department said last year its 80 senior executives would be given allocated car parks with the rest of the spaces allocated through a ballot of the rank-and-file.But there is no mention of a ballot in the tender documents on official Commonwealth tendering site AusTender, just of "cost recovery" and of spaces being allocated on first-come, first served basis.
Mr Abad's defence lawyer Ashley Halphen told the jury the key question they must settle was the state of mind the accused was in when he had sex with the girl; that is, whether he believed she was 17 or not.
In this article I am going to explain twelve things you should know about the extreme-right hate group called Britain First. ...
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 []
Prime Minister Peter ONeills refusal to go for questioning over allegations against him has now brought a new twist. Police Commissioner Garry Baki over the last few weeks has suppressed our independent State institutions primarily established to uphold democracy and the rule of law.

It is sad for democracy to witness how individuals try to influence the State institutions to corrupt and manipulate the system.

We have a constitution that applies to every single citizen in this country. But unfortunately it is now divided: one interpretation for the no-profile populace and another for the high-profile.

THERE is an urgent need to re-order our value system in upholding the democracy and the rule of law in Papua New Guinea.

The Police Force has now been manipulated to lose the values and integrity it once had.

Peter ONeill plays bigmanism with Garry Baki and their associates using their status and money power to choke the survival and independence of State institutions.

Police, Ombudsman Commission and other government authorities must wake up to their sworn duties to their citizens. But it seems they cannot.

The big man syndrome has become government. Supposedly, the State institutions were established to be independent and uphold democratic values and apply the rule of law. But ONeill bigmanism sees no value in State institutions and the rule of law.

The big man triumphs because he can afford mansions, an affront in a country like ours where countless people are homeless, sick and naked and where there is no form of social security to cater for unemployment, old age or ill health.

A caring prime minister could do so much by creating an enabling environment and, in doing so, begin to melt away the gap between the uncaring rich and the fettered poor.

Instead ONeill has done the opposite  bringing the country to a point where it faces constitutional and economic downfall.

The rule of law is a powerful antidote to the extremes of the conscienceless rich. If we can strengthen the legal and judicial system and solve the problem of judicial corruption, we will do a lot of good for PNG's development.

We need to show that one's wealth or poverty means nothing to the law. Why should fraud police have a superior vetting committee looking over their shoulders for high-profile cases and no such thing for no-profile people?

In PNG today the rich display confidence that, somehow, the law will be silenced in their favour. But most people have real doubt about whether mother justice is not faking blindness. There is a demand for justice reform. If this is sustained and the commitment to it is sustained, it will be good remedy to the evils of bigmanism.

In most societies, everyone is a big man in his own house. Once you respect the law, you are a big man. Here in PNG, the reverse is painfully the case.

We should promote the western model of bigmanism. If you are a big man, let us know by your commitment, your sacrifices, your contribution, your work ethic and by your integrity; selflessness and demonstrated love of country.

In absence of these values, your bigmanism means you are nothing but a fool.

Bigmanism and political power are in a hot romance. But curiously, the big man does not believe in the institution of government. Neither does he believe in the force of law. For him, the wealthy individual is a government unto himself. He builds empires around himself and compels the poor to owe loyalty to him as they would to the government.

The PNG bigman is a living example of human rights abuse, constitutional crisis and corruption at the highest level.

The bigman culture promotes crime, especially violent crime. Because of the wall erected between the rich and the poor, many poor people want to propel themselves across the divide to become rich and attempt to do so through violent crime.

The rich, in order to maintain their status, engage in unthinkable white-collar crime.

The rich and liberated who, more often than not, find themselves in positions of trust which they can abuse, have made a feast of the commonwealth in order to maintain their status. Politics for them is a do-or-die affair. This is the main reason for violence and election malpractice.

The ballot box, which should be used to elect people to occupy positions of trust, has been hijacked by the rich. The votes of the fettered poor no longer matter. That is, if they are allowed to vote at all. The bigman has come up with new ballot system that prevents voting; yet results emerge. This distorted bigman's notion of electoral democracy was sufficiently demonstrated at the last election where "the devil came to the polls".

Another evil effect of this culture is that it confuses the greatness in all of us. We devalue people, just because they look poor or because they are not rich. By doing this we deplete the development energy in our country and raise serious question about our understanding of citizenship.

This uncalled-for divide between the liberated rich and the fettered poor has made some people believe that we do not have equal stake in the country  not even elections. This is a dangerous.

"All human beings are born equal and instilled by the creator with unchallengeable rights." Our Constitution reaffirms this equality. We should be seen to be acting this out.

The writer is a former newspaper columnist and investigative journalist. Email: howarigc@gmail.com
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.
Indigenous Supercomputer - A feather in the cap of India's tech field

India has been gifting many talented software and hardware engineers to the world. They have placed India on the summit of technological achievement helping it secure a place among the giants of technological advancement like the US, Japan, China and EU; these countries are the proud owners of world's most advanced supercomputers. Now, India is all set to be a part of the pantheon as its indigenous supercomputer will be ready to run by mid 2017. This is an integral part of Rs. 4500 crore programme initiated by the Government of India.

Who is developing the Supercomputer?

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing is actively involved in developing this supercomputer. The aforementioned centre has already fetched numerous accolades for developing Param, the first supercomputer of India.

The government had approved this plan of developing an indigenous supercomputer in March. The ambitious plan was proposed by the National Supercomputing Mission. Further, there are 80 more supercomputers in the pipeline and will take shape in the next seven years.

Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology, told Zee News that some of these supercomputers would be imported and rest of them would be built in India. He also said that the work is going on as to how to control heat. The cost of power to run these supercomputers alone will be close to Rs. 1,000 crore.

What is a Supercomputer?

A computer, which has the capacity to perform high-level computation. A supercomputer is much advanced and faster when compared to a normal computer. Million instructions per second or MIPS is used for measuring the performance of a normal computer; whereas the performance of a super computer is measured using floating-point operations per second or FLOPS. As of now, supercomputers that can give performance of quadrillions of FLOPS are available.

Seymore Roger Cray developed the first successful supercomputer in the year 1976 and it was called as Cray 1.

With the production of a supercomputer in 2017 and a series of such computers in the next seven years, India makes it clear to the world that it has been rigorously working to pave way for itself to the top of the technological summit.
Applications are invited by Institute of Bioinformatics & Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bangalore for admission to Master of Science (M.Sc) programme.

Admission to post graduate course is offered in Bioinformatics & Applied Biotechnology for the academic session 2016.

Eligibility Criteria:

Candidate must have completed bachelor's degree (B.Tech, B.E, B.Sc, MBBS, BDS, B.Pharm,) in any of the following subjects: Life sciences, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, any branch of Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Agriculture, Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Sciences to apply for the course.

How to Apply?

Candidates should visit the official website to apply online

Candidates can also download application form

Application fee of Rs. 500/- has to be paid by the candidates. The prescribed fee can be remitted through NEFT or Demand Draft (DD)

Demand Draft should be drawn in favour of 'Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology' payable at Bengaluru

For further details on application procedure, visit the official website

Selection Procedure:

Registrants are expected to attend the online entrance test. The test will be held for a duration of 100 minutes. There will be no Negative marks for wrong answers

Candidates who qualify the entrance test will be shortlisted for the interview

Important Dates:
Union Health Minister's Meeting With The Pesident Regarding NEET

In its recent verdict, the Supreme Court had clearly mentioned that all government, deemed and private institutions should adhere to National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) throughout the country. However, the States were not satisfied with the verdict and they sought interference of the Centre to exclude them from NEET. They also requested the Central Government to let the government colleges, deemed varsities and private institutions hold their own entrance tests based on the syllabus prescribed under respective State Boards.

After the Supreme Court verdict on NEET, the unrest continued among those who did not want NEET to be brought into practice and a small community of students breathed a sigh of relief as they would not have to write various entrance exams in order to attain their much aspired MBBS and BDS courses. However, the issuance of an ordinance by the Centre not only overruled the decision of the Apex Court but also turned many calculations upside down. The ordinance excludes all the States from NEET and let them continue with their syllabuses and individual entrance exams.

Nevertheless, it has not been a cakewalk for the ordinance as its very purpose has been questioned by the President of India. The President sought explanation for issuance of the ordinance from the Union Health Minister. Consequently, the Health Minister met the President to clarify all the doubts related to exempting the States from following NEET.

The Wait Is Over: NEET To Be Postponed After President Signs the Ordinance

The President signs the Centre's ordinance to defer National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. By giving his nod to the ordinance, the President has released all the people related to the common entrance test from the clutches of doubt. This has been a very significant step from the President before he travels abroad today. Now, all the apprehensions are put to rest and the States are relieved as seven states will conduct their medical exams as per rules and regulations of NEET, whereas students of six other states have already written the exam on May 1.





NEET - The Burning Question
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is giving the state Legislature a menu of options to close a controversial loophole in the campaign finance law.

Cuomo unveiled eight proposed bills Tuesday to end the LLC loophole, which allows companies to set up limited liability corporations and make large donations to party committees and political candidates.

All eight proposals would close the LLC loophole for gubernatorial hopefuls. After that, each measure would impact different groups of candidates.

One bill close the loophole for all candidates  statewide and state Legislature  running in New York. Another would impact gubernatorial and state Legislature candidates. Separate proposals would apply to the governor and state Assembly or the governor and state Senate.

The remaining four bills would end the LLC loophole for at least one statewide office, including one that would affect candidates for governor, attorney general and comptroller.

Each measure would require LLCs to abide by contribution limits set for corporations. Under current law, corporations may donate up to $5,000 a year to candidates and political parties.

"The people of New York are demanding change and it's time we took action to restore the public trust by closing the LLC loophole and bringing fairness to our campaign finance system," Cuomo said.

"For years, I have proposed closing the LLC loophole  one of the most egregious flaws in our campaign finance system  and every year the bill has stalled. This year, I am introducing eight different bills to close the LLC loophole  one for each elected office in the state. Pass all of them, or as many as you'd like, but at a minimum, pass the one impacting anyone running for the office of the governor. I will go first  pass it and I will sign it into law today."

The LLC loophole was created in 1996 following a state Board of Elections ruling that allowed such entities to have different campaign contribution limits than businesses and corporations.

With the loophole in place, LLCs can contribute up to $60,800 to candidates for statewide offices and a maximum of $150,000.

Last year, the state Board of Elections attempted to close the loophole, but commissioners were split on the proposal. The 2-2 vote prevented action on the LLC loophole.

There have been several attempts in the state Legislature to close the LLC loophole, but Senate Republicans have been reluctant to approve such legislation.

Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan called plans to close the LLC loophole a "red herring."

"If we are going to achieve real campaign finance reform and target corruption, you can't close one loophole and declare the job done," Flanagan, R-East Northport, said in a statement.

In a swipe at Democrats, Flanagan mentioned legislation recently approved by the state Senate that would increase penalties to prevent entities from directing how contributions to county party committees should be spent.

The legislation was passed after reports of an investigation into New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's fundraising practices during the 2014 elections. The mayor supported Democratic state Senate candidates throughout the state.

State Sen. Daniel Squadron, a Democrat who has pushed legislation to close the LLC loophole, praised Cuomo for introducing the bills. But he added that the loophole should be closed for state Legislature races, not just statewide seats.

"Anything else would be a cop-out by the Senate Republican majority," he said.
The company will enter the famous endurance race with three cars, including a development prototype of the upcoming hot i30 2,0 Turbo N hatchback.



This is part of Hyundais official development process of their high-performance N sub-brand which will eventually spawn models to rival the likes of Renault RS and VW GTI and R variants.

This Nurburgring 24h race provides the ideal test bed for our motorsport-inspired N sub-brand development and a key part of our born in Namyang, honed at Nurburgring performance-car ethos, said Albert Biermann, Head of Vehicle Test and High Performance Development. The technological inspiration and experience gained from this extreme testing will accelerate our development of high-performance, fun-to-drive N models.

Hyundai claims that around 40% of the i30 2.0 Turbo is new, including the new engine, the enhanced transmission, suspension and damping. The steering, wheels and wider fenders are also included to these upgrades. As for the specs, we only know that the new engine produces north of the 260PS mark, as shown in the video linked below.

The idea behind the new N sub brand is to bring models that have been developed heavily on the German track. The company has its own testing center at the Nurburgring that allows them to perform a series of demanding accelerated endurance tests. These include 480 laps of the Nordschleife (10,000km) completed over the course of a few weeks which the company reckons that simulates more than 150,000km of driving in real traffic conditions.

The development car will be driven by Bruno Beulen, Michael Bohrer, Alexander Koppen and Rory Pentinnen. Hyundais other two entries will be an i30 1.6 Turbo and a Veloster, with the former focusing on defending its 2015 class win.

PHOTO

VIDEO
Porsche has been testing the new Panamera for some time now in Colorado, with one of our readers able to catch a black prototype during some testing.



With most of the camo gone, we can clearly see that Porsche has worked on a cleaner and much more well-proportioned shape for the new Panamera, without trying to reinvent it.

The prototype does look very promising, with the vinyl stickers over the lights all around trying to hide the lighting pattern up front and the slimmer, 911-like 3D taillights. The rear also hosts a retractable wing, which pops up at speed or depending on the selected driving mode.

Inside the new Porsche Panamera is expected to feature a center console with capacitive buttons instead of physical ones, just like in the new Cayenne and a big 12-inch touchscreen display for the infotainment system.

Porsche will introduce a series of new turbo V6 and V8 engines across the range, with a plug-in hybrid powertrain also in the cards. The new MSB platform is expected to bring weight savings of up to 100kg or 220 pounds.

The second generation of the Panamera will also gain for the first time an estate version which is going to be available in the US market as well.

Porsche is looking into offering the new Panamera with seats for five instead of the previous strict four-seat configuration that is believed to have averted potential customers, especially in the US market.

Thanks to Brett Borgard for the scoop!

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: Michael Waring/The Cool Factor

Leigh Shoemaker may not have written the book on fashion, but shes certainly featured in it.

Shoemaker, a model and stylist who splits her time between Kelowna and New York City, is recognized in The Cool Factor  a book by well-known fashion personality Andrea Linett.

The book, which has been featured in the New York Times, captures different womens ecclectic styles.

All the women who are featured are really cool, said Shoemaker in an interview from New York. Im honoured to be associated with them.

In the book, Shoemaker is pictured in different outfits, including a navy T-shirt and black pencil skirt, a dramatic cape and black skirt, and a denim jacket.

I wear denim on denim on denim  a lot, she laughed. I always call it the Canadian tuxedo.

Shoemaker said being stylish is not about dressing up, but having a personal relationship with your attire.

Linett said she chose to feature Shoemaker because she was a no-brainer for this.

She's great looking with a style all her own. Leigh also rarely follows trends but wears what she loves and what works for her  the very definition of cool in my book, said Linett.

She said when she was choosing women to feature, she looked for people with inherent and unique styles whom she wanted to emulate in some way.

I think most of the women were flattered to have been asked, and all of them were super generous when sharing their secrets, she said.
FAIR HAVEN  Bobby and Amy Malo's love story starts on the West Coast. They both worked at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego, California, bonding over their shared interest in World War II air crafts. They dated for a while before moving to Seattle, Washington, where Amy got the idea to start making cider using Trader Joe's juice and yeast in a bottle under the apartment's kitchen sink.

"The first couple of batches we ended up using to cook," Amy said, laughing. "And then we got better and better, and then we started to get other ideas from the other cideries."

After visiting Bobby's family, who lived in Fair Haven, the couple fell in love with the village, the orchards and the small-town feel. They moved cross-country, bought a double-unit house on Richmond Avenue in the center of the village, and on the Fourth of July weekend in 2015, opened up Sterling Cidery.

"We had a baptism-by-fire weekend," Amy said.

By then they were experienced cider makers, using fresh juice from Ontario Orchards. Bobby is the head cider maker, something he never saw himself doing before, and he can tell you almost anything about it.

He comes home from his day job at the local bank around 3 p.m. to work on the production side. Amy, who is a social studies teacher for Hannibal School District, helps out when she can, too. Bobby makes the cider well into the year, but now that he has one year of business-scale production under his belt, he hopes it will be a little less "round-the-clock" this year.

Last year the Malos produced 300 gallons of cider, and this year they hope to produce about 500.

"We have five varieties," Bobby said. "We have a standard hard cider. We have a dry-hopped hard cider. We have a hard cider that's aged with American oak. We have a black currant hard cider, hence the different color."

The black currant cider, called Cassis, is one of Sterling Cidery's best sellers.

Despite their ever-growing knowledge, the Malos are always learning and experimenting, and have found the craft beverage industry in Cayuga County to be open and welcoming. A few local wineries have given them pointers and suggested new equipment and ways to grow their business.

"It's been overwhelming how people open their doors," Amy said. "It's like, 'Let me show you, let me show you how you do it.' There's no guarded secrets."

The Malos are also amazed by the "apple knowledge" from neighbors that stop by. Amy said she and her husband feel like they are getting a Cornell University education on apple growing and cider making. That combination of help from the orchards and local wineries is helping Sterling Cidery flourish, they said.

"I think the rules of cider making are being written as we speak, because really, before now, there really wasn't much of a precedent," Amy said. "There's Woodchuck, and like the big cider producers, but beyond that, we really just had British cider making to refer to. But now, this little area of New York is becoming a hotspot for cider because of the abundance of amazing apples."

For now, Sterling Cidery is only open weekends. Each year, the Malos plan to tackle a new venture for their business, like distributing their product to bars, booking area bands, increasing their hours and adding snacks to their menu. This year they're increasing production, and will stay open later  until Dec. 31.

They'd also like to explore making new kinds of cider  specifically single varietals, something they said is more attuned with the East Coast. Amy said that right now, they have more of a West Coast style of blending apples and infusing their cider with things like oak chips and black currant.

"We kind of want to do both because I think that symbolizes us," she said. "We're East Coast and West Coast."

"Right," Bobby said. "We're fusion."
Photo: Google Maps

An SUV ended up on its roof in Kamloops Monday afternoon after colliding with a car that had run a red light.

Just after 4 p.m., police responded to Seymour Street and 6th Avenue.

The SUV was travelling east along Seymour Street when it was hit by the car heading southbound on 6th Avenue.

The SUV was flipped by the impact, but both drivers did not suffer any serious injuries.

Reports from those at the scene said the car had difficulty stopping for the red light, and hit the SUV at a significant speed.

Police continue to investigate the crash.
Photo: Jon Manchester - File photo

A late-night sucker punch outside of a Kelowna nightclub that put a man in a coma has netted the puncher five years behind bars.

Steven Edward Kollie sat in a holding room in custody, sporting a prison-issued red sweatsuit, streaming on video into the Kelowna courtroom last Friday.

He had previously pled guilty for aggravated assault stemming from a Sept. 6, 2014, incident outside Sapphire Nightclub.

Victim Michael Martin sat in the courtroom at the sentencing hearing.

Martin had been involved in a fight with an associate of Kollie earlier in the evening in or around the Liquid Zoo.

Martin reportedly lost the fight, then the two went their separate ways. Later, the two met each other at the same location, this time with two of Martins friends involved and Kollies associate ended up losing the second round.

Martin and his two friends left the Liquid Zoo and made their way to Sapphire Nightclub.

Their entrance and Kollie and his friends arrival later at the bar were both caught on film.

The two men are seen talking to a bouncer at the door of Sapphire. The bouncer enters the building and is next seen bringing Martin out of the bar in what the judge described as a chokehold.

Mr. Martin, a much smaller individual, was literally carried off his feet from the nightclub, the judge said.

After his removal from the bar, Martin remained outside, talking on a cellphone.

He certainly does not appear to me to be agitated, angry or aggressive, the judge said.

In the video, Kollies friend begins talking to Martin outside the bar, while Kollie comes from behind Martin and sucker punches him in the face, according to the judge.

Mr. Martin is literally unconscious on his feet, falls back and hits his head on the street, said the judge. He is rushed to the hospital suffering a number of serious injuries, including a skull fracture, internal brain bleed and significant brain injury.

Martin fell into a coma for a period of time, and has been going through rehabilitation since. He has not been able to return to his old job due to the brain damage he suffered and has found more menial work.

The attack on Mr. Martin, while only a single punch, was savage, unprovoked and clearly pre-meditated, the judge said. Mr. Martin was totally defenceless. He never had a chance.

Kollie was arrested for the attack on Feb. 24, 2015, and has been in custody ever since.

The judge said Kollie has expressed regret and remorse for his actions. Kollie had said he had been concerned Martin and his friends would beat him up, prompting the unprovoked blow.

The judge did not accept this rationale.

Its fair to say the accused appear to be men, and the victims, Mr. Martin, and his friends, boys, he said. There is absolutely nothing before me to suggest that there is any basis for Mr. Kollies stated fear of Mr. Martin or his friends.

Kollie, a father of four from Edmonton, is no stranger to the law, with 31 prior convictions.

He most recently was given a four-year sentence for a robbery in the Edmonton area in 2011, and he was just a few months off probation when the Kelowna assault took place.

A review of his record would indicate that he has been almost continually in custody since 2006, the judge said.

Kollie will serve another three years and three months in prison, after receiving credit for 644 days of time served.

A civil suit is also ongoing between Martin and Kollie.
Photo: Contributed

A founder of Campion Marine and long-time Kamloops resident, Ross Campion Jardine, will be remembered today.

After 82 years of an incredibly full, honourable and beautiful life, Ross Campion Jardine left this world on May 18, 2016, reads his obituary.

Jardine's family says he will be remembered as a very humble, generous and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend to all who knew him.

He was born on Jan. 17, 1934, in Coronation, Alta., spending his early years in nearby Compeer, where his parents owned the General Store.

In 1944, his family moved to Kamloops and in 1958 he married his high school sweetheart, Arline.

Jardine was considered a visionary man of multiple talents succeeding in businesses in Kamloops, throughout B.C. and even selling his boats worldwide.

Early on his career, Jardine partnered with his older brother Glen, opening Kamloops Sport Shop on Victoria Street.

His love of boating and the Shuswap then led him to develop Kamsport Marine.

In the 1970s, Jardine became a partner in manufacturing boats and in 1983 he co-founded Kelowna's Campion Marine.

He helped build the company that grew to employ 200 in Kelowna and distribute boats to 30 countries around the world.

In 2012, he was inducted into the National Marine Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame.

None of these successes would have been possible but for Ross's work ethic, keen mind that never seemed to stop, honest and fair business ethics, strength of character and pure determination, reads his obituary.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Arline, two brothers, five children, 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A funeral service is being held today at the Calvary Temple in Kamloops at 1205 Rogers Way.

Following the service, an internment will be held at the Hillside Cemetery and a reception after that at the Coast Hotel at 1250 Rogers Way.

Donations to the Heart and Stroke Fund or Canuck Place in Jardine's memory are appreciated.
Photo: Facebook - Jayne Heideck

Montreal Police are asking the public to call an anonymous tip line with any information about a Kelowna woman wanted in connection with an arson in Quebec.

The municipal police force has a warrant out for Jayne Heidecks arrest in Montreal, after an arson fire at Canadas only gender confirmation clinic.

The Centre Metropolitain de Chirurgie caught fire at 8:45 p.m. on May 2. Police originally investigated the possibility of a hate crime, but have since ruled that motive out.

In Montreal, we have a warrant against her, but we dont know yet if we have the authorization to put it Canada-wide, said a media relations officer with the Montreal Police.

The Montreal Police anonymous tip line can be reached at 514-393-1133.

Kelowna RCMP are not yet aware of the Montreal-based warrant for Heideck, but are looking to get in touch with Montreal authorities to confirm.

Several Castanet readers have reported seeing Heideck around Kelowna in recent days.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 12:30 p.m.

A SWAT team with guns drawn screened a jet as a precaution Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport after a non-credible threat was received about the flight from Houston, officials said.

Four crew members and 76 passengers were escorted from an American Airlines twin-engine regional jet more than an hour after it landed without incident. Seven SWAT officers and a police dog drove up in an armoured vehicle and went through the plane, which was kept on a remote stretch of runway during the search.

The threat against American Airlines Flight 5931, operated by Compass Airlines, was not legitimate, American Airlines spokeswoman Polly Tracey said.

The Transportation Security Administration received the threat, LAX police Officer Rob Pedregon said. Officials did not release details about it, and the TSA referred inquiries to local law enforcement.

The FBI would try to determine "the person or group responsible for making the threat," spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

The response was normal for LAX but would have been unusual for most other U.S. airports, said Jeff Price, an aviation safety expert who has written a textbook on the subject and trains airport workers nationwide. That's because LAX is historically one of the most targeted airports in the country and has a SWAT team based there.

"A lot of other airports wouldn't have responded at that level unless they had additional information about the credibility of the threat," Price said. "In this case, you've got them, you might as well use them. If it turns out to be nothing, great. If something bad happens, the question is going to be: 'Why didn't you do it?'"

Jerry Bridges, a construction worker building hangars at LAX, said he has noticed more drills at the airport since EgyptAir Flight 804 crashed overseas last week. Investigators are trying to determine what brought down the jet during a trip from Paris to Cairo.

"LAX has heightened our security posture and enhanced our counter-terrorism security measures" in light of the EgyptAir 804 crash, airport officials said in a statement May 19.

Bridges said he thought the large law enforcement response was part of a drill at first. He took pictures and video of the SWAT team boarding the plane after he heard there might be a bomb threat.

"If that thing did have a bomb, we're not even an eighth of a mile away," he said. "It's pretty scary."

The plane took off from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. When it landed in LA, airport police, city police and fire crews responded. The SWAT team searched the outside of the plane before walking up a staircase and into the aircraft to screen it.

Eventually, passengers and crew exited down a portable staircase and got on buses to be taken to a terminal.

"We hope to have our passengers on their way soon," Tracey said.

ORIGINAL: 11 a.m.

SWAT officers and a police dog are investigating a possible threat aboard a jetliner that landed at Los Angeles International Airport after a trip from Houston.

Airport police Officer Rob Pedregon says the Transportation Security Administration received a phone call Tuesday about a possible threat to Compass Air Flight 5931.

The plane arrived at 8:43 a.m. from Houston and was kept on the runway with all passengers on board. Seven SWAT officers and a dog have walked up a staircase and into the plane.

Pedregon did not have details about the threat.

A message seeking further information from the FBI was not immediately returned.
Photo: Tim Stansfield

Saturdays manhunt on Westside Road came to an end Sunday evening, when an officer found the suspect passed out drunk in downtown Kelowna.

RCMP combed over Westside Road Saturday afternoon near Bear Creek Provincial Park, looking for a man and a woman.

The hunt began after police responded to a business on the 2600 block of Ross Road in Kelowna for reports of a disturbance.

The man and woman fled in a 1990s GMC Jimmy truck, which was later found at the Bear Creek campground.

The woman was found soon after, but the man was believed to have escaped on a stolen boat.

The next night, an RCMP officer responded to a report of a passed out man on the 1700 block of Abbott Street.

Upon arrival, the officer recognized the man as the suspect in the previous days manhunt and arrested him without incident.

The 33-year-old Kamloops man remains in custody, and faces potential charges of flight from a police officer, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, forcible confinement, driving while prohibited and several firearms related offences.

The woman involved has been released without charges.
Photo: Nicholas Johansen - File photo

Four people were arrested Friday in connection with several transit assaults, while two suspects are still wanted.

A 19-year-old man was arrested at the Queensway bus loop in downtown Kelowna at 11 p.m., after he allegedly punched a transit driver several times for not allowing him to bring his bike on board.

Police say the man faces a potential assault charge.

An hour later at Orchard Park Mall, RCMP responded to a distress signal sent by a transit driver.

The driver had been pepper sprayed by three individuals, and was transported to the hospital for treatment.

With the help of witnesses at the scene, police were able to locate the three suspects at Springfield Road and Barlee Road.

The 23-year-old man, 24-year-old woman and 22-year-old woman all face potential charges of assault with a weapon, but have since been released from custody.

Earlier in the day, police responded to a bus at Harvey Avenue and Richter Street, where a passenger had reportedly threatened violence against a driver. After the threat, the suspect threw a drink cup at the drivers face while leaving.

Police continue to look for the man, described as a 35-year-old Caucasian male wearing a tan shirt and a backpack.

The transit trouble continued into the late hours of the evening. Just after midnight, RCMP were back at the Queensway bus loop for a report of an unruly passenger who forced his way onto a bus and was reportedly harassing the driver and other passengers.

The suspect  described by police as a 25-year-old First Nations man with long braided hair, wearing a black shirt, jeans and a backpack  left the bus after another passenger confronted him.

Police continue to look for both suspects, and have asked anyone with information on their whereabouts to call 250-762-3300.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Bill Cosby was ordered Tuesday to stand trial on sexual assault charges after a hearing that hinged on a decade-old police report in which a woman said the comedian gave her three blue pills that put her in a stupor, unable to stop his advances.

District Judge Elizabeth McHugh ruled that prosecutors had sufficient evidence to bring Cosby to trial, and she set his arraignment for July 20, at which time the TV star will enter a plea and a trial date will be set.

Cosby, 78, could get 10 years in prison if convicted.

"Mr. Cosby, good luck to you, sir," the judge said.

"Thank you," he replied.

The hearing was not the face-to-face confrontation between accuser and accused that some had anticipated: Andrea Constand, the former Temple University employee who said Cosby violated her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004, was not in the courtroom, and the judge ruled that she would not have to testify.

Instead, prosecutors had portions of her statement to police read into the record.

She told police in 2005 that the comedian penetrated her with his fingers after giving her pills that made her dizzy, blurry-eyed and sick to her stomach, her legs "like jelly."

"I told him, 'I can't even talk, Mr. Cosby.' I started to panic," she told police.

In his own statement to police, also read in court, Cosby portrayed it as consensual sexual activity, saying Constand never said "no" as he put his hand down her pants.

Cosby's lawyers argued unsuccessfully that reading Constand's statement instead of putting her on the stand would be hearsay and would deprive him of his right to confront his accuser. Such testimony from law enforcement officers is common practice at preliminary hearings in Pennsylvania, which have a far lower burden of proof than trials.

In her statement, she said Cosby told her the pills were herbal medication. She said he also urged her to sip wine even though she said had not eaten and didn't want to drink. Constand said her legs felt "rubbery" and "like jelly." ''Everything was blurry and dizzy. I felt nauseous," she said.

Constand told detectives that Cosby positioned himself behind her after telling her to lie down on the couch. She said she awoke with her bra askew and did not remember undoing it.

In excerpts read in court from his own statement to police in 2005, a seemingly relaxed Cosby said he and Constand had had other "petting" sessions before.

Cosby also told police the pills were over-the-counter Benadryl that he takes to help him sleep. He said he gave Constand one and a half pills and she did not ask what they were.

During Tuesday's hearing, Cosby attorney Brian McMonagle questioned why Constand continued to see the comedian and even returned to the house to meet with him after the alleged assault.

Detective Katherine Hart testified that Constand told detectives in 2005 that she went back to Cosby's home to confront him about what had happened.

Constand also told detectives she contacted Cosby after moving to Canada because she wanted tickets to one of his comedy shows. McMonagle said Constand brought a present for Cosby.

Earlier Tuesday, the comedian walked into the courthouse on the arm of an aide, waving to people waiting outside. He looked healthier than he did when he was charged in December, and was not carrying a cane this time.

Prosecutors reopened the case last year after dozens of women levelled similar allegations and after Cosby's sealed deposition in Constand's lawsuit was made public.

He settled her lawsuit for an undisclosed sum in 2006 after testifying about his extramarital affairs, his use of quaaludes to seduce women and his efforts to hide payments to former lovers from his wife.

The testimony and the barrage of allegations have all but destroyed Cosby's nice-guy image from TV's "Cosby Show."

Cosby's lawyers are trying to get the case thrown out, arguing that a previous prosecutor a decade ago made a binding promise that the comic would never be charged. On Monday, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court rejected a request to delay the preliminary hearing while Cosby pursues a dismissal.

Cosby has not entered a plea since his Dec. 30 arrest. He is free on $1 million bail.

He is also fighting defamation lawsuits across the country for allegedly branding his accusers liars and is trying to get his homeowner insurance to pay his legal bills.

Constand is now a massage therapist in Toronto.
I just wanted to let everyone know about the amazing school my kids attend.

My daughter was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in the summer of 2014. This year Crohns and Colitis Canada asked her if she would be the Honorary Chair of their major fundraising event, Gutsy Walk Kelowna held on June 5 in City Park.

We had a simple idea to fundraise at the school, wear a hat at school all day for a toonie or a loonie, as well as drop off your returnable bottles. This was met with enthusiasm!

All staff were on board, letters were sent home, and the Social Justice Club went around and promoted the event to every classroom.

It was a huge success as we raised $345.00! The kindness and generosity shown to my family truly proves that this is the school to be at!

I want to thank all the staff for their efforts to makes this happen. As well as all the families at Glenrosa Elementary for stepping up and giving what they could to help find a cure for my daughter! We are a small community, but it proves that those small communities truly are the best places to be!

Thank you again for generosity.

Christine Swift and family
I am all for a larger fine, but I still dont think that will fix the problem.

A $500 fine will likely stop the person for a couple months after they have to pay the fine, if they pay it, or they may just wait until their insurance renews and forget about it.

I drive the highway to Vernon and back almost every day and let me tell you how many times Ive seen people texting and driving, drifting across the lanes, drifting far out of the lane into the shoulder where they almost go in the ditch. Do they stop texting? No. They keep texting the whole way.

I was irate yesterday. I drove home from Vernon and from about the landfill in Vernon to the airport, I followed a White F350 truck with a construction light on the roof and watched him swerve the entire way. I pulled up beside him 3 times, honked and waved my hands. He did not even take his eyes off his cell phone. I am not exaggerating even in the slightest. Literally, he texted and swerved the entire way!

I phoned non-emergency, gave his license plate number and took a picture of him. I think we should all start doing this.

Had there been someone in the bicycle shoulder lane I guarantee they would not be talking today. The chances of him hitting someone were so high it was unbelievable. Not to mention he was going about 70 km/h the whole way, with tons of people coming up to his bumper and passing him who seemed quite angry.

Enough is enough. The police have to do something. I have yet to see a single road check for people on their cellphones. It is very common in Vancouver. Cops dress up as civilians and catch tons of people.

If no one enforces texting and driving then what are the chances people will stop?

Marshall Pederson
A decade ago, I wrote an article about Auburn having multiple "ley lines" intersecting at the top of the hill at Fort Hill Cemetery.

As stated in that article, ley lines are corridors of ancient and sacred sites, like standing stones and circles, churches, abbeys, cathedrals and burial grounds. The most famous monuments built upon the energies of these lines include: the circle of stones at Stonehenge, Macchu Pichu in Mexico, the Parthenon and the Acropolis in Greece, as well as the pyramids of Egypt. There are so many others!

For decades, there was a considerable amount of interest by British archeologists and anthropologists. The earliest were the "mound builders," indigenous peoples of North America's Great Lakes area who constructed various styles of earthen mounds for religious, ceremonial, burial and elite residential purposes, between about 3500 B.C. and the 16th century.

Ley lines are said to be the veins of the Earth, and crisscross the entire planet. They are created through cracks in the tectonic plate, through which the natural energy is released.

Thomas Jefferson's European-style excavation of a mound near his home brought the mound builders to the forefront in the late 18th century. Jefferson described his effort in his 1783 book, "Notes on the State of Virginia."

Samuel Haven published "Archeology of the United States" in 1856. He brought into question most of the common beliefs about the mound builders. He, as well as other archaeologists, began to understand America's first great civilization; however, with the start of the Civil War, the golden age of mound builders ended.

It was archaeologist Alfred Watkins of England who named these energy paths ley lines, and created the first basic guide in describing them. He wrote a book called "Old Straight Track" (1925), which first brought ley lines to the attention of a wider audience. (A book worth reading!)

At about the same time, scholars began associating mound builders with other tribes, including Catawba, Tupelo, Cherokee, Creek (Muskeegan), Huron and Iroquois.

The earlier Native Americans were referred to as Alleghans (after the Allegheny Mountains), and they inhabited the middle of North America hundreds of years before the arrival of Columbus  and then they mysteriously vanished.

Archaeologically, round mounds are one of many thousand such constructions that dot the North American landscape. Most mounds are located in the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri valleys. There are more than 5,000 mounds in Ohio and Michigan, and in Wisconsin there exist in excess of 10,000.

However, the mound at Fort Hill Cemetery is considered one of only a handful of the more complex mounds, having layers/steps  and also having eight ley lines intersecting at the apex. It is from this site that all of Auburn and Owasco Lake can be seen even today.

The Cayugas used the Fort Hill mound as the principal residence of their 10 sachems (or senators) who represented themselves as the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy. One of the sachems was Shikellimus, the father of Chief Logan, for whom the 56-foot stone obelisk at the center of the mound is dedicated. (There is a misconception about Chief Logan being buried there. He is buried in Ohio.)

There are other mounds that are considerably smaller in nearly every county in western New York. In our own county, there is one in the middle of the village of Elbridge and one just outside of Moravia. (As a dowser, I was able to identify four distinct ley lines that intersect at the top of the mound of Moravia's Indian Mound Cemetery. One of the compass coordinates connects to one that comes from Fort Hill Cemetery.)

Native Americans believe that when the energy lines run north/south or vice versa, there will be peace. At the present time, the energy lines are running east/west, and this means turmoil.

No one is entirely sure how ancient sites were also used to communicate with the spirits of dead ancestors, but the idea is widely accepted by archaeologists, and what little archaeological evidence remains does point toward elaborate rituals held at sacred sites, presumably to aid the process. Native Americans were known to also practice "healing" ceremonies where two lines intersect.

When Christians came along, they built their churches on top of these sacred spots and Christianized the site. All cathedrals in Europe are built on ley lines and their altars are directly over the spot where ley lines cross.

The sight of fairies, spirits, ghosts or even extraterrestrials along ley-lines have been claimed time and time again by people of such prominence as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame. (His book The Fairies indicates as much.)

The importance of the mounds was the reason that the Historic Sites Act of 1935 was passed. The act decreed presidential authority to establish national monuments and required permits to be approved before archeological investigations could be undertaken on federal land.

The act also provided for the preservation of historic American sites, buildings, objects and antiquities of national significance.

Due to the work done at the University of Massachusetts, the existence of ley lines has found further acceptance. Findings confirm that migratory birds and sea turtles have the ability to sense the Earth's magnetic field. (Of course, this is crucial to navigating the long-distance voyages these animals undertake during migration.) The report can be found in the publication Nature Communications (June 2011).

Geologists have also found that before a natural disaster such as an earthquake, ley lines become three to five times wider, which seems to warn animals that a natural catastrophe is impending. Their widths vary  from inches to yards wide!
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A Florida man was remanded to the Cayuga County Jail Tuesday, accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in the town of Sempronius.

Dylan Osterhoudt, of 2836 Blackwater Oak Drive, Mulberry, Fla., was charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of endangering the welfare of a child in 2014.

According to Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann, the 23-year-old had a sexual relationship with the teen between August and December 2014, and the victim had a child as a result. Since then, defense attorney Kenneth Moynihan said Osterhoudt moved back to Florida upon his recommendation in order to stay away from the complainant in the case.

Osterhoudt pleaded not guilty to all charges Tuesday in Cayuga County criminal court with Judge Mark Fandrich who remanded the defendant into custody on $5,000 cash, $10,000 bond.

If convicted, Osterhoudt could receive a maximum sentence of seven years in prison on each count followed by 10 years of post-release supervision. He is due back in court Aug. 2.

Also in court:

 An Auburn woman with more than a dozen prior convictions was sentenced Tuesday for a second felony.

Vanessa Plater, 53, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance last month in exchange for a promised sentence of probation.

According to the district attorney, Plater had one prior felony and 15 prior misdemeanor convictions dating back to 1989. Budelmann said the defendant, of 145 Cottage St., sold 40 hydrocodone pills for profit in December 2014.

Fandrich sentenced Plater to five years probation, but acknowledged that she has violated her probation in the past.

"To say that you have a poor record is an understatement," Fandrich said. "If you violate the terms and conditions of your probation, I will put you in prison."

 A Tioga County man will spend the next one to three years in prison for violating his probation in Cayuga County.

Sean Dickson, of 55 Willseyville Road, Willseyville, pleaded guilty last year to fourth-degree welfare fraud and first-degree falsifying business records. The 28-year-old admitted to selling $1,800 in food stamps and pawning items he stole from his mother to purchase marijuana in 2014.

Dickson was among 23 others arrested during a welfare fraud sweep in April 2015.

According to Fandrich, Dickson failed to complete a substance abuse treatment program as part of his terms and conditions of probation.

"You basically went AWOL," Fandrich said. "You missed several appointments for treatment and did not contact your probation officer for months."

Dickson was picked up on a bench warrant May 9. Fandrich terminated his probationary sentence Tuesday and sentenced Dickson to one to three years in prison.
HIT: To the graduates who received their degrees last weekend from Wells College and Cayuga Community College.

Both local institutions held their spring commencement ceremonies on the same weekend, and both the Wells event Saturday and CCC program Sunday were filled with plenty of smiles and plenty of joyful tears.

We congratulate the graduates, and all of their family and friends who helped them get to this point in life.

As they look forward to the next step, we encourage them to think about staying in or around Cayuga County to pursue their careers or continue their studies. This region has much to offer, and hopefully many of these young men and women have discovered that firsthand.

Regardless of where they go, we wish them good luck and offer our congratulations.

MISS: To the news that a Cayuga Correctional Facility civilian employee is facing criminal charges after being accused of having a sexual relationship with an inmate and bringing that inmate drugs.

State police have charged the staffer, an office assistant, with third-degree rape, official misconduct, second-degree promoting prison contraband and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Conditions inside state prisons are already challenging for the workforce and the inmates who follow the rules, so it's extremely troubling to hear about people who had been given some level of trust and responsibility taking actions to make things worse.

HIT: To the official grand opening of the Lakeside Dog Park in Cayuga County's Emerson Park.

Though the park has been open to the public for several months, an event Saturday celebrated all the hard work and cooperation that went into making it a reality.

The park offers great space for dogs and their owners in a beautiful setting, and we're sure it will bring many new visitors to the northern shores of Owasco Lake.
This is the 15th annual Flagstaff Bike to Work & School Week and today is Bike to School Day.

There will be events and activities throughout the remainder of the week. Those who register (go to flagstaffbiking.org) and log rides each day can win prizes.

New this year is the 5 Days of Biking Challenge where riders can win prizes for every day they commute or ride. Ride all five days to be eligible for prizes including a trolley rental from The Alpine Pedaler, a Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course five-pack of passes and more.

The annual Worksite Challenge encourages co-workers to commute by bike. Prizes will be awarded for registered businesses with the best participation.

The week's remaining schedule includes:

Tuesday, May 24

Bike to School Day: 6:30-9 a.m. This year, individual classrooms, rather than entire schools, are encouraged to participate. Prizes for the top 3 classrooms. Classes need to be pre-registered by Friday, May 20. Individual students can log in every day to win prizes.

Kidical Mass Bike Ride: 4 p.m. Ride leaves at 4:15 p.m., starting at the parking lot of Sechrist Elementary School, 2230 N. Fort Valley Road. All kids under 18 must wear a helmet. All riders are welcome.

Ice Cream Social: 5-7 p.m. In the parking lot of Sechrist Elementary School, 2230 N. Fort Valley Road. Enjoy ice cream, toppings and a variety of sweet treats. Participate in assorted bike games. Challenge your bike skills. There will be an iron-on transfer station and crafts. The Gringo Dillas Food Truck will be on-site to provide dinner options.

Savvy Cyclist Bike Safety Class: 5-6 p.m. East Flagstaff Community Library, 3000 N. Fourth St. Adult-focused. Taught by League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor Martin Ince.

Wednesday, May 25

Bike to Breakfast Day: 6:30-9 a.m. Bike-friendly businesses around Flagstaff are once again sponsoring Bicycle Breakfast stops this year. Check to see which stop is along your route, hit one or hit them all. Coffee, juice, muffins, bagels, donuts and other breakfast treats will fuel your commute. For a map, visit flagstaffbiking.org.

Lowell Observatory Mars Hill Challenge Ride: Any time between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. We challenge local cyclists to bike up Mars Hill to the Lowell Observatory Steele Visitor Center and experience first-hand what Lowell BTWW riders contend with all week long. The reward? A free 2-for-1 guest pass to Lowell Observatory, and a refreshing bottle of water. Just show your bike helmet to the front desk greeter in the Visitor Center when you reach the top. For directions and questions, contact Kelsey Banister, kbanister@lowell.edu, 233-3260.

Thursday, May 26

Jack & Martins Excellent Adventure Cruiser Ride: 5 p.m. Meet at the Flagstaff Visitor Center, 1 E. Route 66, for a leisurely loop on the Flagstaff Urban Trail System. A 9.4-mile route to McMillan Mesa and Buffalo Park, with a optional 7-mile route.

New Belgium Beer Night: 5-7 p.m. Historic Brewing & Bottle Shop, 110 S. San Francisco St. Stop by after the Cruiser Ride for New Belgium beer specials.

Friday, May 27

Bike to Beer: 5-7 p.m. Tinderbox Annex. A free beer and raffle ticket to all new and current FBO members. The 25th Anniversary Bike from New Belgium Brewing will be raffled off at 6:30 p.m.
PHOENIX -- A conviction and sentence for child prostitution doesn't necessarily require that an actual child be involved, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The justices rejected the arguments by Francis F. Kraps that he could not sentenced to both enhanced and consecutive prison terms because the "child'' he had arranged to meet at a Prescott-area motel actually turned out to be an undercover police officer.

Justice Ann Scott Timmer, writing for the unanimous court, said Arizona law makes it a crime to engage in prostitution with a minor if the person knows -- or believes -- that the youth was 17 or younger. That, she said, makes it legally irrelevant that Kraps was actually conversing online with someone who was older.

Kraps was one of several people arrested in 2014 in a "sting'' operation conducted by various Yavapai County law enforcement agencies.

Officers posed online as 16-year-old runaways willing to engage in sexual conduct for money. When they showed up at the hotel room and met the "child'' they were arrested.

By law, those convicted of such offenses must be sentenced to at least seven years in prison and can be incarcerated for up to 21 years. There also is no possibility of probation.

But in a pretrial ruling, Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Campbell concluded the lack of an actual juvenile meant the mandatory sentence does not apply. Prosecutors appealed.

In Thursday's ruling, Timmer pointed out that the law specifically says a defendant cannot claim to be innocent of child prostitution simply because the child turns out to be an undercover police officer. She said the same logic, then, has to apply to the sentencing phase.

Still, Timmer conceded that perhaps the statute is not as clear as it should be.

She said the public policy of Arizona is to "give fair warning'' of what will land someone behind bars.

"Given the importance of providing clear notice of the consequences for criminal conduct, we urge the legislature to be as explicit as possible for specifying criminal penalties,'' Timmer wrote.

The ruling sends the case back to Yavapai County for trial.
A Flagstaff anesthesiologist has been found guilty on nine counts in his federal tax evasion case.

Dr. Gary Christensen was indicted in 2014 for concealing more than $2 million in income from the Internal Revenue Service and failing to pay more than $500,000 in federal income taxes. On Friday, a U.S. District Court jury in Phoenix convicted him on seven counts of willful evasion of tax assessment for 2004 through 2010, as well as two counts of willful failure to file a tax return for 2009 and 2010.

A grand jury indicted Christensen in 2014 on seven counts of evasion of assessment, five counts of filing a false return and two counts of willful failure to file a return as a result of an IRS investigation.

Christensen helped found Forest Country Anesthesia in Flagstaff in 1988. According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court, Christensen used his positions as director and treasurer at Forest Country Anesthesia to make sure his income from the practice was not reported to the IRS. He is accused of arranging to have his paychecks either given to him in cash or directed to a phony entity called GSCOO Club  an account that listed Christensen as the only authorized signor.

He did continue to file individual and corporate tax returns, reporting income from investments and other business ventures, but falsely reporting that he had made no income from his job at Forest Country Anesthesia.

In all, Christensen stands accused of using GSCOO Club to conceal approximately $2,100,163 in income, and to evade the assessment and payment of approximately $562,083 in federal income taxes.

Forest Country Anesthesia cut all ties with Christensen soon after his indictment. In an October 2014 letter to the Daily Sun, Dr. Mark Chapman of Forest Country said the medical practice was cooperating with investigators.

Although FCA became aware approximately three years ago that the IRS had initiated an investigation of Dr. Christensen, we were unaware of its scope and magnitude until the indictment was released, Chapman said. We have fully cooperated with the IRS in their investigation, and have been assured by the IRS that FCA is not a target of the investigation.

Christensen also served on the board of directors for Northern Arizona Healthcare and Flagstaff Medical Center prior to his indictment. Both boards approved his requests for a leave of absence in 2014.

Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 29 at 3 p.m.
Officers from the Flagstaff and Northern Arizona University police departments fatally shot a Tuba City man in the Plaza Vieja neighborhood Monday morning.

According to Flagstaff Police Department, Verl Bedonie, 25, was shot and killed at approximately 8:10 a.m. after he attempted to carjack a man at gunpoint near the intersection of South Park Street and West Phoenix Avenue. Before the deadly shooting, Bedonie led officers on a 20-minute foot chase from the north edge of NAU campus that tied up morning traffic.

Northern Arizona University Police Department officers requested assistance for a suspicious person carrying a weapon inside the High Country Conference Center, located near the southeast corner of West Butler Avenue and South Milton Road, at about 7:50 a.m. At about 8 a.m., an officer in the area reported a report of a fight involving a gun. The suspect was described as a Native male, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 160 pounds wearing a blue San Diego Chargers jersey.

The suspect left the hotel walking toward South Milton Road but did not comply with officers' instructions to drop the weapon, which turned out to be a 9 millimeter handgun.

According to an FPD press release, the suspect pointed the gun at one of the officers as they pursued him through the Drury Inn parking lot. FPD's Cpl. Ben Sandoval and Officer Eric Tomperi responded by firing a total of five shots. All of them missed the suspect.

"The officers from Flagstaff Police Department recognized a deadly threat and discharged their weapons towards the suspect," according to a press release.

FPD and NAUPD officers followed the suspect from approximately 20 to 30 yards away as he crossed South Milton Road and entered the Plaza Vieja neighborhood. According to police, he pointed his gun at a taxi driver who was parked at a car wash on West Clay Avenue at one point.

Haven Montessori School, located on West Clay Avenue and South Malpais Lane, had about 24 students on campus in their before school program, school officials said. A school employee at Haven Montessori heard gunshots in the area and called police, who told them to lock down the school. The lockdown interrupted regular drop off procedures at the school.

The chase also forced Flagstaff Unified School District schools to go on lockdown in the morning, district spokeswoman Karin Eberhard said.

Police followed the suspect westbound on West Clay Avenue, where he started running. He ran northbound on South Florence Street toward the railroad tracks.

Theres a second series of shots fired at that point, Bentzen said.

Police now believe he fired one round in an alley between South Florence Street and South Park Street.

An undercover officer in an unmarked vehicle then saw the suspect get into the passenger side of a vehicle near the intersection of South Park Street and West Phoenix Avenue. The driver later told police the suspect pointed the gun at him and demanded to be taken to Phoenix.

The undercover FPD officer rammed the vehicle to prevent the suspect from fleeing in the car while the driver was being held hostage inside. The suspect then exited the vehicle and walked to the north side of the street.

"The suspect got out of the vehicle and refused to comply with officers commands to drop the weapon and gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was mortally wounded," according to a press release.

Multiple officers told the suspect to put down his gun. Instead, according to FPD, the suspect raised his gun toward the officers and fired off one round. FPD Sgt. Collin Seay and NAUPD Officer Dillon Jenkins also fired an undisclosed number of shots, fatally striking the suspect. He was declared dead at the scene.

Investigators are still assessing how many shots were fired and where they all went, but it does not appear that any officers or bystanders were shot.

The only one that sustained injuries was the suspect, Bentzen said.

The one known exception was a family pet. One of the officers' bullets pierced through the wall of a home behind the suspect in the 300 block of West Phoenix Avenue, striking a dog. An animal ambulance transported the wounded animal to a veterinarian. FPD officials said the dog was expected to recover after surgery.

This is the second fatal officer-involved shooting in the Flagstaff area in less than a week. Coconino County Sheriffs deputies shot and killed a man in Doney Park in the early morning Saturday after a standoff with an armed suicidal man outside a home on Lumberjack Boulevard in Doney Park. Sheriffs officials said deputies shot 31-year-old Mark Nelson when he pointed his gun at them.

A multi-agency law enforcement team is investigating both shootings.
Flagstaff police have identified the armed man shot and killed by officers in the Plaza Vieja neighborhood Monday morning as a Tuba City resident.

According to Flagstaff Police Department, Verl Bedonie, 25, was fatally shot after he attempted to carjack a man at gunpoint near the intersection of South Park Street and West Phoenix Avenue shortly after 8 a.m.

Northern Arizona University Police Department officers requested assistance for a suspicious person carrying a weapon inside the High Country Conference Center, located near the southeast corner of West Butler Avenue and South Milton Road, at about 7:50 a.m. The suspect left the hotel but did not comply with officers' instructions to drop the weapon, which turned out to be a 9 millimeter handgun.

According to an FPD press release, the suspect pointed the gun at one of the officers as they pursued him through the Drury Inn parking lot. FPD's Cpl. Ben Sandoval and Officer Eric Tomperi responded by firing a total of five shots. All of them missed the suspect.

Officers followed the suspect from approximately 20 to 30 yards away as he crossed South Milton Road and entered the Plaza Vieja neighborhood. According to police, he pointed his gun at a taxi driver parked at a car wash on West Clay Avenue at one point. Police also believe he fired one round in an alley between South Florence Street and South Park Street.

An undercover officer in an unmarked vehicle saw the suspect get into the passenger side of a vehicle near the intersection of South Park Street and West Phoenix Avenue. According to FPD, the driver later told police the suspect pointed the gun at him and demanded to be taken to Phoenix.

The undercover FPD officer rammed the vehicle to prevent the suspect from fleeing in the car while the driver was being held hostage inside. The suspect then exited the vehicle and walked to the north side of the street.

Multiple officers told the suspect to put down his gun. Instead, according to FPD, the suspect raised his gun toward the officers and fired off one round. FPD Sgt. Collin Seay and NAUPD Officer Dillon Jenkins also fired an undisclosed number of shots, fatally striking the suspect. He was declared dead at the scene.

One of the officers' bullets pierced through the wall of a home behind the suspect in the 300 block of West Phoenix Avenue, striking a dog. An animal ambulance transported the wounded pet to a veterinarian. FPD officials said the dog was expected to recover after surgery.

_____

1 p.m.: Flagstaff police say an armed man attempted to carjack an occupied vehicle before officers fatally shot him in the Plaza Vieja neighborhood.

According to an FPD press release, Northern Arizona University police officers requested assistance in dealing with a suspicious person carrying a weapon inside the High Country Conference Center near the southeast corner of West Butler Avenue and South Milton Road at about 7:50 a.m. The suspect left the hotel but did not comply with multiple officers' instructions to drop the weapon, which turned out to be a 9 millimeter handgun.

"The officers from Flagstaff Police Department recognized a deadly threat and discharged their weapons towards the suspect," according to the press release.

FPD has not provided specifics regarding the "deadly threat," nor have they said whether the suspect also fired or pointed his gun at anyone.

He then started walking toward South Milton Road. The suspect fired his gun in an as yet unspecified direction after armed police chased the suspect into the Plaza Vieja neighborhood.

He attempted to carjack a vehicle near the intersection of South Park Street and West Phoenix Avenue. An undercover FPD officer rammed the vehicle to prevent the suspect from fleeing in the car while the driver was being held hostage inside.

"The suspect got out of the vehicle and refused to comply with officers commands to drop the weapon and gun fire was exchanged and the suspect was mortally wounded," according to the press release.

The suspect, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.

_____

12:15 p.m.: An unidentified man was shot and killed by police during a confrontation in Flagstaffs Plaza Vieja neighborhood Monday morning.

According to Flagstaff Police Department records, Northern Arizona University police officers requested assistance in dealing with a suspicious person carrying a weapon inside the Drury Inn at the southeast corner of West Butler Avenue and South Milton Road at about 7:50 a.m. The suspect was walking toward South Milton Road.

At about 8 a.m., an officer in the area reported a report of a fight involving a gun. The suspect was described as a Native male, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 160 pounds wearing a blue San Diego Chargers jersey. He was carrying an automatic pistol in his right hand. At 8:03, there was a report of shots fired.

FPD Sgt. Margaret Bentzen said it appears the suspect fired multiple bursts starting in the Southside area and then in Plaza Vieja while he was being pursued by police.

Tammy Linares was driving her children to school on South Milton Road when she heard the first burst of gunfire.

When I heard the shots, I honestly thought maybe it was construction because it was loud, she said.

After the third or fourth shot, she said, the suspect walked out onto South Milton Road right in front of her. He had a can in one hand and a gun in the other. Linares saw officers chasing the man with their guns drawn, shouting for him to stop. The suspect just stood in front of her car waiting for southbound traffic to clear.

There was no expression on his face. Nothing, Linares said. All I could think was, please just dont shoot. If you want this car, just take the car, just dont hurt my kids.

To Linares relief, the suspect crossed Milton Road and disappeared behind the Natural Grocers building. Linares pulled over.

I didnt know if he was going to turn around and start shooting so I just sat there, she said. I think Im just shaken up and overwhelmed. I was born here. Ive never had to deal with anything like that.

All the schools in the area went on lockdown when the suspect passed into the Plaza Vieja neighborhood.

Police followed the suspect westbound on West Clay Avenue until he started running. He ran northbound on South Florence Street toward the railroad tracks.

Theres a second series of shots fired at that point, Bentzen said.

Armed officers chased the suspect through the neighborhood to South Park Street and West Phoenix Avenue. At 8:08 a.m., officers reported the suspect was down. Bentzen confirmed at least one officer shot the suspect.

He was dead at the scene. The deceased has not been identified.

Investigators are still assessing how many shots were fired and where they all went, but it does not appear that any officers or bystanders were shot.

The only one that sustained injuries was the suspect, Bentzen said.

The chase forced Flagstaff Unified School District schools to go on lockdown in the morning, district spokeswoman Karin Eberhard said.

Haven Montessori School, located on Clay Avenue and Malpais Lane, had about 24 students on campus in their before school program, school officials said.

A school employee at Haven Montessori heard gunshots in the area and called police, who told them to lock down the school. The lockdown interrupted regular drop off procedures at the school.

This is the second fatal officer-involved shooting in the Flagstaff area in less than a week. Coconino County Sheriffs deputies shot and killed a man in Doney Park in the early morning Saturday after a standoff with an armed suicidal man outside a home on Lumberjack Boulevard. Sheriffs officials said deputies shot 31-year-old Mark Nelson when he pointed his gun at them.

A multi-agency team is investigating both shootings.

_____

9:30 a.m.: An unidentified man was shot and presumed killed in a confrontation with police in Flagstaff this morning. It is unclear at this point whether the fatal shot came from officers or his own hand.

According to Flagstaff Police Department records, Northern Arizona University police officers requested assistance in dealing with a suspicious person carrying a weapon at the southeast corner of Butler Avenue and Milton Road at about 7:50 a.m.

At about 8, officers received a report of a fight involving a gun. At 8:03, there was a report of shots fired. Sgt. Margaret Bentzen said it appears the suspect fired multiple bursts starting in the Southside area and then in Plaza Vieja while he was being pursued by police.

He died from a gunshot wound at Park and Phoenix Avenue. No other injuries were reported. The deceased has not been identified.

The investigation is ongoing.

9 a.m. Breaking News: Shooting reported at Milton and Butler

Flagstaff commuters report a heavy police presence at the intersection of Milton and Butler including officers running with weapons drawn. A witness from the scene reported hearing shots, seeing a man with a handgun and police arriving in the empty lot in front of Natural Grocers. Another witness reported seeing police run by with weapons drawn and then hearing at least three shots fired.

No other information is available at this time.

Drivers are advised to avoid the intersection.

Stay tuned for updates.
Fire managers with the Coconino National Forest are allowing three lightning-caused fires to burn, allowing the fire to fulfill its natural role in a healthy ecosystem.

In addition to the Mormon and Cowboy fires, a third lightning-caused fire, Pivot Rock fire, in the Mogollon Ranger District is being used as a multiple objective fire. All three are currently small in size, Pivot Rock is the largest at approximately 360 acres and the other two are smoldering in areas that are visible to the public, which will become even more noticeable as conditions dry out.

The most noticeable fire to the public is the Cowboy fire, it is next to I-17, near the northbound Kelly Canyon exit. Fire operations will cause this area to increase the smoke thickness today and the rest of the week. Motorist are reminded to use caution and leave plenty of time to travel in these smoky areas. Arizona Department of Transportation, the Forest Service and other area public works have placed signs and in a cooperative effort are reminding motorist to slow down and drive safely.

The forest thrives on fires such as these that are low severity and creep across the forest floor, reducing fuels, the risk of severe wildfire, creating safer conditions for residents and visitors, and restoring wildlife habitat by promoting future healthy vegetation.

Even though the smoke increases this week, motorist and travelers should see relief Friday as the Forest Service will monitor and hold the fires to the greatest extent possible over the Memorial Day weekend.

The fires will increase in size as time goes on, and firefighters will be conducting burnout operations to manage where and how the fires move through the landscape. Smoke will become more noticeable, but still be much lighter than that of a severe wildfire. Fire managers will closely monitor smoke impacts to communities.

The smoke near I-17 may settle in the Interstate corridor over nights, so motorist will need to obey ADOT instructions and personnel monitoring road conditions.

The Pivot Rock, Mormon and Cowboy fires are not prescribed burns. Though the resource benefits will be similar, these are wildfires that will be managed and used as nature intended. This means they do not have planned end dates, but fire managers have carefully determined the perimeters within which the fires may run their natural course. Ultimately, fire will eventually treat portions, or all of, the land inside the perimeters.

Information and details about the fires, including their objectives, will be updated on Inciweb at inciweb.nwcg.gov/. Quick updates will also be provided via the Coconino NF Twitter site at www.twitter.com/coconinonf (@CoconinoNF), so please follow us if you would like to be updated as information is received. The public can report smoke impacts online at http://tinyurl.com/cof-smokerpt or get more information about the Forest at www.coconinonationalforest.us.

PVIOT ROCK FIRE OVERVIEW

Start Date: May 19, 2016.

Location: Approximately 3.25 miles northeast of the junction of SR 87 and SR 260; 8 miles northeast of the towns of Pine and Strawberry.

Current Size: 360 acres

Fire Behavior: Fire is moving and active along all sides of the area. Fuels are being reduced with low to moderate severity impacts to forest floor and soil.

Smoke Impacts: None currently.

Closures: None currently.

Current Management Actions:

MORMON FIRE OVERVIEW

Start Date: May 14, 2016.

Location: Approximately six miles east of Munds Park near Mormon Mountain.

Current Size: Six acres

Fire Behavior: Smoldering and creeping, producing light smoke.

Smoke Impacts: Smoke will increase this week with back burning operations.

Closures: None currently.

Current Management Actions: In monitoring status until conditions become drier.

COWBOY FIRE OVERVIEW

Start Date: May 17, 2016.

Location: About eight miles south of Flagstaff, on the immediate east side of Interstate 17.

Current Size: Five acres.

Fire Behavior: Smoldering, with visible small flame lengths and creeping across the forest.

Smoke Impacts: Smoke is readily visible from I-17 since the fire is right next to the interstate. Smoke will increase this week and could impact the community of Mountainaire and Kachina since they are north of the fires location. Motorists should be cautious while traveling along I-17 near the fire (approximately milepost 331), as smoke could reduce visibility, and fire personnel will be working on and near the roads as management of the fire increases.

Closures: None currently.

Current Management Actions: In monitoring status until conditions become drier.
The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sunday, May 15:

A lowly Army captain is pressing an issue that members of Congress should have forced long ago. Without the specific authorization of Congress, President Barack Obama is committing battlefield troops and weaponry to fight wars on two fronts in Iraq and Syria.

Troops are dying, albeit in very small numbers compared with casualties of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars of the past decade. The difference now is that these wars are undeclared, the current enemys name  the Islamic State  appears in no previous war resolution, and there is no clear path to victory.

Capt. Nathan Michael Smith, an intelligence officer serving in Kuwait, demands clarity on behalf of those who might be called to fight. All Americans should demand nothing less. Smith says in his lawsuit that the War Powers Resolution, passed by Congress in 1973, requires the president to obtain the consent of Congress before committing U.S. armed forces in an armed conflict lasting more than 60 days.

The resolution resulted from the commitment made by successive U.S. administrations to a Vietnam War that Congress never formally acceded to. More than 500,000 American troops were deployed at its height. More than 58,000 U.S. service members were killed and 300,000 wounded.

The wars in Syria and Iraq are highly unlikely to reach that level of U.S. involvement, but the principle is worth pressing. Islamic State is an enemy well worth fighting, given the atrocities committed by its murderous zealots against Americans, Europeans, Asians and, of course, thousands of Iraqis and Syrians.

But just like the 2003-2011 Iraq war, theres no clear definition of victory or path outlined for vanquishing this foe. The risk is high that another Black Hawk Down scenario could develop in which a risky mission goes awry, large numbers of U.S. troops are killed, trapped or captured, and the only way to resolve the situation is to commit more and more troops. This is exactly the fight that Islamic State commanders are trying to provoke.

The Obama administration argues that Congress has implicitly authorized this fight, first by approving the military funding, and second by authorizing the president in 2001 to go to war against al-Qaida. The Islamic State was formed by a rogue al-Qaida member, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was deemed so radical that not even Osama bin Laden would tolerate him. But the Obama administration says the Islamic State is rooted in al-Qaida, therefore the 2001 authorization stands. Thats a reach.

Capt. Smith is absolutely correct to force this issue, and the White House should back him. Far too many members of Congress have used these wars as a platform to criticize the administration without ever having to take a stand on how they believe it should be fought. Congress needs to take a stand.

The cost of regulations runs into trillions

The following editorial appeared in The Orange County Register on Monday, May 16:

There is no denying that the plethora of government regulations spewing out of Washington, D.C., state capitols and local governments impose tremendous costs on economic growth. But a new working paper for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University finds that these regulations are even more costly than the sum of their parts.

Using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau and a custom-made database that quantifies regulatory restrictions by industry, the authors examined regulations in 22 industries between 1980 and 2012 and found that regulation reduced average annual economic growth by 0.8 percent. By 2012, the added regulatory millstone had cost the economy about $4 trillion a year in foregone growth  nearly $13,000 per person.

Interestingly, the cumulative effect of regulations is greater than the total of each individual regulations cost. The buildup of regulations over time leads to duplicative, obsolete, conflicting and even contradictory rules, and the multiplicity of regulatory constraints complicates and distorts the decision-making processes of firms operating in the economy, the authors note separately in a research summary. The accumulation of regulation over time leads to greater and greater distortion of investment choices. Moreover, the investment choices of previous years affect growth in future years because knowledge that is not created cannot be implemented next year and the years after to be more productive.

By altering investment decisions and disrupting the innovation that comes from investment in knowledge creation, regulations have a cumulative and detrimental effect on economic growth  and, over time, have a real impact on American families and workers, they concluded.

The Mercatus study underscores that when considering the costs of additional regulation on innovation and economic growth, we must be mindful not only of the administrative costs, regulatory costs and opportunity costs, but also the extra costs of regulatory accretion. The corollary is that reducing regulations and eliminating duplicative and conflicting regulations would free up more resources to stoke innovation and productivity and grow the economy in the long run. Let the cutting of the red tape begin!

Vive la peace process in Middle East

The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday, May 18:

The French are pushing ahead with yet another attempt to resolve the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, seeking a two-state resolution of the 68-year-old problem of the division of land between them.

Unlike previous efforts, the U.S. would not be in the middle of this one, at least at the beginning. The most recent push ended in 2014 when America gave up on negotiations. That round crashed and burned when the Palestinians refused to proceed while the Israelis continued to increase West Bank settlement.

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry see a renewal of serious negotiations on the Israeli-Palestinian problem as unfinished business in Obamas eight years in office. It is not so much a question of legacy, but more one of a major problem that they have not been able to dent. In the meantime, relations between Israelis and Palestinians have deteriorated, most recently into a series of personal attacks with knives and other weapons. The casualties have accumulated to the degree that some observers consider it part of a third intifada.

The French have for some time expressed a willingness to take on the project of relaunching negotiations, called by some the Middle East peace process. They are now organizing a conference of foreign ministers of some 30 countries, including China, India and Russia. The gathering, once set for late May, has been pushed into the early summer in an effort to accommodate Kerrys schedule. The actual conference relaunching the negotiations would be held before the end of the year.

As of now, neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians would be at the preliminary conference. The French may feel that the state of relations between American and Israeli leadership is such that a key role for the U.S. would not be helpful. Last years nuclear deal with Iran and the U.N. Security Council permanent members, guided by the United States, left U.S.-Israel relations raw, as Israel strongly opposed the pact that lifted economic sanctions for a temporary termination of Irans nuclear weapons program.

France is to be commended for trying to bring resolution to this problem, basic to long-term peace in the Mideast. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes talks; divisions among Palestinians weaken prospects for success. But, given the stakes, it is very much worthy of another try.

Hillary Clintons modestly radical idea for Medicare

The following editorial was written by Bloomberg View editors:

Hillary Clinton wants Americans to have access to Medicare starting at age 50. Its an idea well worth considering, not least because so many Americans aged 50 to 64 who dont have job-based health insurance struggle to afford the relatively high premiums theyre charged for private plans. And Medicare is a popular, battle-tested and relatively inexpensive insurance system, costing less per person than private insurance.

Such an expansion would have to be carefully designed, however, to make sure Medicare premiums for this age group accurately and transparently reflect the cost of coverage. Underpricing would undercut private insurers competing for the same customers, and also saddle taxpayers with the extra cost.

The most straightforward approach would be to offer people younger than 65 a price equal to the full cost of their coverage. That would probably be at least $7,600 for people in their early 60s  an estimate the Congressional Budget Office came up with in 2008. Today, the figure would be even higher, and its not clear how many people would want to pay it.

In contrast, the average second-most-generous Obamacare plan this year costs $10,911 for a 60-year-old. But the government subsidizes those premiums through a tax credit to people whose incomes are less than 400 percent of the poverty line. It would make sense to offer the same subsidies to people who would buy into Medicare.

If the price were well calculated, a Medicare option could offer needed competition in places where few companies sell insurance on state exchanges. Thats increasingly important: The number of counties where just one plan is available is projected to triple to more than 650 next year. And covering preventive care for people during the decade before they reach 65 could potentially lower Medicare spending on chronic diseases.

Selling Medicare policies on the exchanges would be an ambitious, yet not radical, way to expand insurance coverage. In other words, just the kind of incremental reform the health care system needs.
Smoke from three managed fires on the Coconino National Forest could affect visibility for motorists along Interstate 17 and State Route 87. The Arizona Department of Transportation is warning drivers along those roads that they could see heavy smoke and firefighters along both roadways. They are advised to use caution as visibility could be low.

Along I-17, motorists should expect smoke between the Newman Park Road and Kelly Canyon Road interchanges with flames visible from the highway.

The three lightning caused fires being managed for the benefit of the forest are the Mormon, Cowboy and Pivot Rock fires. Cowboy is the largest at approximately 1,000 acres, Pivot Rock is 575 acres and Mormon is 350 acres. All three are growing in size, and the Forest Service has closed the forest around the Pivot Rock fire to the public.

Cowboy Fire, located east of I-17 near the northbound Kelly Canyon Road exit is the most visible fire. Smoke thickness is expected to increase from Tuesday until Thursday, especially at night. Relief should come Friday as the Forest Service monitors and holds the fires in place to the greatest extent possible over the Memorial Day weekend.

The Pivot Rock fire is located 8 miles northeast of the towns of Pine and Strawberry about three miles northeast of the junction of State Route 87 and State Route 260. Coconino National Forest officials have closed the forest to hikers and vehicles in the burn area north of that junction to Clover Creek until further notice.

The Mormon Fire is about six miles east of Munds Park near Mormon Mountain. Smoke from that fire will increase this week with back burning operations
Curtis Jordan moved away from his family for high school to pursue a better education.

Jordan, who has lived in the Kinlani Dormitory near Flagstaff High School for the past four years, is one of two recipients in the Flagstaff Unified School District of the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship, which is for minority students and pays for any outstanding financial need after other scholarships and grants, through graduate studies.

Living in the dormitory has helped me become an independent person and an independent thinker, Jordan said. I think its a building process for young students.

Jordan said he knew moving to FHS would provide him with better educational opportunities than he might be able to receive at home.

I had the choice between going to a reservation school or a city school, he said. I wanted to obtain a better education, and at FHS, I have found the motivation to achieve higher.

Jordan plans to attend the University of Arizona in the fall to study mechanical engineering, which he hopes will give him the knowledge to go back to the Navajo Nation after graduation and help improve infrastructure there.

50 percent of people on the Navajo Nation are in poverty or unemployed, he said. I want to contribute to growth for my family and for other families.

Jordan said he chose to attend the UA because he will still be able to visit his family when he wants to, and is looking forward to participating in their engineering program.

Jordan said he likes the Marvel hero Leo Fitz, a fictional engineer.

Hes a really ingenious person who helps save people with engineering, he said. Ive dreamt of doing that for the Navajo people.

Jordan will be the first person in his immediate family to attend college, and he hopes to set a precedent for other family members and friends, especially those on the Navajo Nation.

Im breaking the ice, he said. They all look up to me.

He said the scholarship will provide him with the means to continue his education, and said his mother has been telling everyone about how proud she is for him to have received it.

Shes been bragging about me to everyone, Jordan joked.

He said the news of earning the scholarship had not quite hit him yet.

I still cant believe it, Im still trying to process it, he said.

Jordan said he likes to go skateboarding in his free time. He does volunteer work for the annual powwow at FHS and is the dormitory student council president this year. He said he was working to plan the end of the school year dance at the dorm, as well as community service projects through the student council.

Jordan said he would tell other students that they should never stop pursuing education.

Education is not just a ladder, he said. Its infinite, never stop climbing.
Fourteen-time Grammy award winning artist Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder will join the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra for the City of Collegedales Independence Day celebration, presented by McKee Foods Corporation on beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 3.



Maestro Richard Hickam will lead the ETSO in a joint performance that will be a blend of pops and bluegrass, two genres seldom heard together. The title of the concert will be American Folk Songs. The orchestra will also feature patriotic music and give special recognition to the armed forces.



Were so excited for an opportunity to collaborate with such fine musicians to produce a show that will celebrate the birth of the United States of America, says Jack McClarty, ETSO president. This concert will be so much fun, both to play and to attend.



The evening will also feature performances from Lou Wamp and his band the VonWamps, the blues band Teaspoon Sun, and The Orange Grove Center Chorus.



The concert, powered by EPB, will take place at the Veterans Memorial Park located at 9300 Apison Pike, near Collegedale City Hall. Attendees are invited to bring a blanket or lawn chair. Food vendors will be on site offering a variety of dining options. The event is free and will conclude with fireworks at dusk. For a full schedule visit www.etsomusic.org.



This will mark the 11th consecutive year that the ETSO has headlined Collegedales Independence Day Celebration. Last fall the all volunteer orchestra performed with Harry Connick Jr. at the Chattanooga Unite benefit.
Commissioner Candice McQueen and senior department leaders are launching a statewide listening tour to gather input from educators, key advocates, parents, students, and the public to determine how to implement specific components of the nations new federal education law: the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The feedback will inform a Tennessee-specific ESSA plan that will guide the departments work over the coming years and help the state capitalize on the new laws empowerment of local leadership. These conversations will also build off feedback the commissioner has received on her Classroom Chronicles tour, during which she has met with more than 10,000 Tennessee teachers to learn how policies impact the classroom.

We need to continue to elevate educators' ideas to strengthen our education system, and the new federal law provides an opportunity to do that, said Education Commissioner Candice McQueen. We look forward to hearing from a variety of educators  from classroom teachers to directors of schools  as well as advocates, parents, and students as we craft a plan for Tennessee to transition to ESSA.

ESSA replaces the former federal education law, commonly referenced as No Child Left Behind, and reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Most of Tennessees existing policies and statutes are in line with the new law, which will go into effect in August 2016 and will be fully implemented in the 2017-18 school year, but there are opportunities for Tennessee to revisit existing systems and structures regarding assessment, accountability, school improvement, and education for English learners.

With those areas in mind, the department will join or host discussions with a range of education leaders, advocates, parents and community leaders over the coming months. Conversations begin today with the Tennessee School Boards Association and will continue over the coming months with groups such as the states Assessment Task Force; teacher advisory and leadership groups, including the Tennessee Educators Association and Professional Educators of Tennessee; charter school groups; the business community; and the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents, which is working with the department to co-host regional meetings with school district leaders. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) will also co-host a number of the discussions with key stakeholders and advocates.

In addition, given new emphasis in federal law, the department along with SCORE will engage with key advocates and non-profits that support English learners, including the members of the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition, led by Conexion Americas, to get their feedback on how the department can best ensure English learners have access to an equitable and high-quality education. The department will also reach out to groups in this coalition that work to ensure equity for all students, such as the Tennessee chapters of the Urban League and the Tennessee NAACP, to ensure that Tennessees ESSA plan reflects the federal laws origins in civil rights. The department will continue to talk with groups of principals, teachers, and parents over the summer as it builds out the plan for moving forward.

In an effort to gather as much feedback as possible, the department has published a series of questions  which are the same as the ones that will guide the discussion in other forums  for the public to provide input on the departments ESSA website.

Our education system needs to keep student success and our childrens entire development at the center of its focus, McQueen said. We look forward to building off what works now and making adjustments as needed to ensure that Tennessee remains the fastest improving state in the nation in student achievement.

Over the summer and fall, department leadership will draft a plan for transitioning to ESSA based on stakeholder and public feedback. Stakeholders and the general public will have another opportunity to provide input on the draft plan later this fall. In spring 2017, the department will work with stakeholder groups, the State Board of Education, and the Tennessee General Assembly as needed to recommend changes to state law and policy, as well as develop further guidance for school districts.

In addition to the various feedback loops and meetings across the state, the department will also be guided by its strategic plan, Tennessee Succeeds, which was developed with input from thousands of stakeholders over the course of several months to establish a clear vision for the future of Tennessees schools. It also has established a solid foundation in preparing to transition to ESSA.

More information, including a complete timeline and an outline of the current education laws and policies in Tennessee, is available on the departments ESSA webpage.

For more information, contact Ashley Ball at (615) 532-6260 or Ashley.M.Ball@tn.gov.
Scientists from ITMO University and Trinity College have designed an optically active nanosized supercrystal whose novel architecture can help separate organic molecules, thus considerably facilitating the technology of drug synthesis.

The structure of the new supercrystal is similar to a helix staircase. The supercrystal is composed of numerous rod-shaped quantum dots -- tiny semiconductor pieces of about several nanometers in size. Importantly, unlike individual quantum dots, the assembly possesses the property of chirality. Thanks to this distinctive feature, such supercrystals can find wide application in pharmacology to identify chiral biomolecules.

An object is chiral if it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image. The most common example of chirality is human hands. As for the supercrystal model, its chirality can be visualized as two spiral staircases with quantum dots as steps: one turns right, while the other turns left. Therefore, the supercrystal is able to absorb left-polarized light and skip right-polarized light or other way round depending on the architecture.

Head of the Modeling and Design of Nanostructures laboratory Ivan Rukhlenko notes: "As with any chiral nanostructure, the range of applications of our supercrystals is huge. For example, we can use them in pharmacology to identify chiral drug molecules. Gathering in spirals around them, quantum dots can exhibit collective properties that enhance molecule absorptivity by hundreds of times. Thus, the molecules can be detected within solution with much more accuracy".

Chirality is inherent in almost all organic molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids and other substances in the human body. For this reason, two mirror forms (enantiomers) of one drug have different biological activity: while one form may produce a therapeutic effect upon interacting with chiral molecules in the organism, the other form may not have any effect at all or even be toxic. This is why careful separation of enantiomers during drug synthesis is vitally important.

In addition to pharmacology, optical activity of supercrystals can be used in several technical applications where light polarization is required. The rod shape of each quantum dot causes them to interact with light along the longitudinal axis, which is why mutual position of quantum dots has key importance for optical properties of the whole structure. Similarly, optical effects of supercrystals are most strongly manifested when the light is distributed along the central axis. Therefore, by orienting the supercrystals in solution scientists can switch optical activity of the system, similarly to the way it is done with liquid crystals.

Supported by Trinity College, scientists have examined the optical response of the model. In order to study the supercrystal, researchers varied a number of morphological parameters of its structure, in particular, stretched it like a spring, changed the distance between quantum dots and their orientation relatively to each other.

"For the first time, we could theoretically identify the parameters of chiral supercrystal that let us achieve maximum optical effect. Thanks to this approach, we avoided the fabrication of many unnecessary copies with unpredictable properties," says Anvar Baimuratov, lead author of the study, research associate at the Centre of Information Optical Technologies (IOT) at ITMO University. "Knowing the output parameters of optical properties, we can model a supercrystal to solve a specific problem. Conversely, having data on the supercrystal structure, we can accurately predict its optical activity".

Based on the results obtained by the Russian scientists, their colleagues from Dresden University of Technology plan to bring the model to life and synthesize the supercrystal by means of DNA origami. This method allows assembling a helical structure from quantum dots through mediation of DNA molecules. "Experimental study of our supercrystals should confirm their theoretically predicted properties and identify new ones. But the main advantage of new semiconductor structure is already evident: varying its morphology in the synthesis process, we can change optical response of the supercrystal in a wide frequency range," adds Ivan Rukhlenko.

A number of current technologies are based on the use of single quantum dots. Now the researchers proposed to gather them in supercrystals. "Assembling quantum dots in blocks, we get more degrees of freedom to change optical activity of supercrystal solutions. The more complex the structure is, the stronger its properties depend on how we have put the elements together. Adding complexity to the structure will lead to the appearance of a number of new optical materials", concludes Anvar Baimuratov.
Clean energy power player Michael Polsky  is donating $35 million to the University of Chicago, a gift that will expand the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation into a free-standing entity independent of the business school.

Polsky said he hopes the move will ingrain the center's ethos into the entire university's culture.

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"That is where the world is going," Polsky said. "The university has recognized that and capitalized on that. It's not just Booth anymore."

Starting in July, all of the university's innovation programs, including the Chicago Innovation Exchange and the tech licensing group UChicagoTech, will become part of the Polsky Center. The CIE will be renamed the Polsky Innovation Exchange.

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John Flavin , currently executive director of the CIE, will lead the expanded Polsky Center.

The new donation brings Polsky's contributions to the university to $50 million.

Polsky, founder and CEO of Chicago-based clean energy company Invenergy and a university trustee, graduated from U. of C.'s Booth School of Business in 1987.

He made his first major contribution to the university in 2002, establishing the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Booth. An additional gift in 2012 expanded the Polsky Center.

The latest batch of money will extend it outside Booth, allowing the center to oversee other programs across the university.

The Polsky Center's expansion is designed to make it easier for entrepreneurs to get their ideas to market and connect with the necessary resources along the way, Flavin said.

"To go from early idea to initial commercialization, you need a clear path and you need transparency," he said. "Barriers need to be removed. By coming together in one unified structure, all parts will be working together."

Polsky's gift could also result in new jobs. Flavin said U. of C. needs more staffers to foster relationships with corporations, which snatch up tech talent and ideas coming out of the university.

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"We also expect that as we scale, more of those companies will want to have a physical presence near these scientists, near these students," he said. "Having invested in a team with that type of expertise will be important."

U. of C. also plans to add programming, such as training for early startup leadership, especially in science-based companies, Flavin said.

The university's physical infrastructure could see some changes as well, he said, though he could not give details.

The money will also help facilitate partnerships with Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass.

Alex Niemczewski, CEO and co-founder of online voter guide for state and local elections BallotReady, works out of the CIE. She said she wished all of the university's innovation resources would have been united months ago.

"We do have a lot of mentors from all over the university," she said. "Having structure around it would be a lot more appealing."

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Polsky is the latest Chicagoan to make a multimillion-dollar gift to a university in the Midwest.

amarotti@tribpub.com

Twitter @allymarotti
Former CEO Daniel Hamburger at DeVry headquarters in Downers Grove, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Hamburger has left the company, DeVry announced May 24, 2016. (Alex Garcia / Chicago Tribune)

DeVry Education Group's CEO is out, two months after DeVry University was suspended from the Department of Veterans Affairs' Principles of Excellence program and four months after the Federal Trade Commission filed suit against DeVry, accusing the for-profit college of misleading students about job placement success.

Daniel Hamburger  who was paid $5.3 million last year to lead the Downers Grove-based company  has been replaced by Lisa Wardell, a longtime DeVry board member with a background in private equity.

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Hamburger left "to pursue other opportunities," according to a news release from DeVry, which did not make Wardell available for an interview. School spokesman Ernie Gibble said in an email Tuesday that "Daniel's departure has nothing to do with the FTC."

Lisa Wardell has been named CEO at DeVry Education Group. Wardell replaces Daniel Hamburger, who left "to pursue other opportunities," DeVry said. The stock of the Downers Grove-based company has lost 56 percent of its value since the start of 2015. (Ryan Stevenson / Business Wire)

DeVry's stock has lost 56 percent of its value since the start of 2015, as it and other for-profit colleges have come under increased federal scrutiny.

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A lawsuit filed by the FTC in January alleged DeVry made deceptive claims when it boasted in television and Internet ads that 90 percent of students actively seeking employment landed jobs in their field within six months of graduation. DeVry included in that number a business degree graduate working as a server at a Cheesecake Factory restaurant and a technical management graduate who took a job as a rural mail carrier, the FTC alleged. DeVry also falsely claimed that its graduates made 15 percent more than "all other bachelor's degree candidates," the FTC alleged.

Then, in March, the VA suspended DeVry from a list of 6,000 schools that voluntarily agreed to standards including the end of "fraudulent and aggressive recruiting techniques and misrepresentations."

DeVry is contesting the suit, which it said in March is "without merit."

The FTC says 30,000 to 50,000 students were misled by DeVry's claims. A 2012 U.S. Senate committee report found that the school, which gets 80 percent of its funding from the federal government and aggressively recruits students from the military, spends more on marketing and student recruitment than it does on instruction.

Over half the students who enrolled in the 2008-2009 school year dropped out by the middle of 2010, the report found. The high prices the school charges mean many students leave with no degree but with a heavy debt burden, the report said.

Wardell, who was most recently executive vice president and chief operating officer of diversified holding company RLJ Cos., will lead DeVry's attempts to diversify globally. DeVry Education Group already runs a medical school in the Caribbean and a university in Brazil.

kjanssen@tribpub.com

Twitter @kimjnews
Paribus is one of a crop of apps that help consumers know if they can get a better price for an item they recently purchased. (Paribus / Handout)

Nothing takes a big-ticket buy from exciting to maddening faster than finding out the item went on sale shortly after a purchase. A handful of apps have popped up recently promising to track shoppers' purchases and score refunds from retailers who offer to match post-purchase price changes.

But at least one retail analyst isn't sold on the idea, and there are privacy concerns associated with the apps that consumers should be aware of.

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Price guarantees make even less sense when customers can outsource the work of finding the deal, said David Marcotte, senior vice president at Kantar Retail.

"From the retailer perspective, this gets stupid on so many levels it's embarrassing," Marcotte said.

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According to the CEOs of two of the refund-hunting apps, Amazon appears to have made it harder for customers to get cash back when the e-commerce giant lowers prices soon after customers' purchases.

In an interview with the Tribune, Earny CEO Oded Vakrat said Amazon used to grant refunds if a customer noticed the retailer reduced a product's price within a week of their purchase, but now only offers them on TVs and pre-ordered items. Eric Glyman, CEO and co-founder of a similar app called Paribus, said the service had helped customers get cash back from Amazon on a wider range of products in the past.

TechCrunch posted an image of an email in which Amazon customer service referred to a "7 days price match from the time of delivery." Users of social networking website Reddit also said they'd received refunds on items sold and shipped by Amazon when Amazon's price dropped within a week a delivery.

In a statement, Amazon denied ever offering post-purchase price adjustments on other products, saying the company works to keep prices low enough that a price-matching policy isn't necessary.

Although handy for consumers, retailers likely didn't envision the apps when they created the price guarantees, retail analysts said, and users need to give up some personal info to get the deals.

Paribus and Earny connect to a user's email account, scan messages for e-receipts, compile a list of items purchased, automatically monitor prices on those items at retailers that meet the store's price match policy, and file refund claims on the user's behalf. They also ask for the email and password to access users' Amazon accounts since Amazon email receipts don't provide all the information needed to request refunds.

In its statement, Amazon also said it takes customer security seriously and asked customers not to share account information.

Both services take a 25 percent cut of any refunds they find.

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Paribus has been out for a little more than a year, and the average user saves $60 to $100 per year, Glyman said. Earny launched publicly earlier this month and said it had raised $1.2 million from investors including Sweet Capital and Science.

Shopping app Slice also pulls its purchase data from receipts in users' email inboxes and requests Amazon credentials. The app has been around since 2010 and also can track packages, provide product recall notifications and analyze users' spending.

Price-drop monitoring is now one of the most popular features, said Slice CEO Harpinder Singh. The average refund is about $13 to $15, and the average user gets six to eight each year, he said.

Slice doesn't take a share of the refunds it finds. The company's market research arm, Slice Intelligence, uses anonymous purchase data from about 4.2 million people using the shopping app and Unroll.Me, an email subscription management service that helps users get rid of spam, to compile data on what people buy online. Clients can subscribe to monthly syndicated data covering their own products and competitors' brands, and Slice Intelligence also does in-house analysis.

Pricerazzi, a Canadian app that arrived in the U.S. in April, offers a similar service but has users scan receipts for items they want Pricerazzi to monitor. If Pricerazzi finds a price entitling a user to money back, it will hand over the info customers need to submit a claim in exchange for 15 percent of the value. If the retailer rejects the request, Pricerazzi refunds the fee.

Wal-Mart offers a similar service through its Savings Catcher program, but limits the number of receipts users can submit and reimburses the difference on cards redeemable at its stores or website. Some credit cards also refund price drops but most aren't automatic and the card company, not the retailer, foots the bill.

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Retailers began offering to match prices at certain competitors or if prices dropped post-purchase because they worried widespread adoption of smartphones would encourage customers to investigate every purchase and abandon traditional stores for online deals, said Brian Kilcourse, managing partner at Retail Systems Research.

Matching prices was a way to reassure customers that they could shop without losing out on a better price, he said.

Both Kilcourse and Marcotte said retailers should be wary of putting so much emphasis on prices.

Touting rock-bottom prices draws customers loyal to low prices, not a particular store, and matching prices limits a retailer's ability to control its profit margin, Marcotte said.

But Marcotte said he doesn't expect retailers to cut back on price matching, even with third-party services that could make it easier for customers to ask for more cash back.

"I don't think it's become painful enough to react yet," he said.

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Glyman and Vakrat said their apps can benefit retailers since customers are more likely to come back to shops where they feel they can get the best price.

Still, the apps don't go out of their way to advertise customers didn't find a better price on their own.

Both Paribus and Earny request refunds by sending emails from users' accounts, sometimes signed with the user's name. Glyman said Paribus is acting on the customer's behalf and has found the emails "maximize our usefulness to the customer." Slice automatically generates a draft email for each refund claim but asks the user to hit send.

The access to customers' email accounts and purchases has prompted questions about who gets to see that data, and representatives of all four apps said they take users' privacy and data security seriously. Two privacy experts who reviewed the apps' privacy policies said some take a relatively narrow view of what information is personal and what their policies allow them to share.

Pricerazzi founder and CEO Declan McDonald said privacy concerns are part of the reason Pricerazzi asks for photos of receipts instead of pulling them from emails. Slice, Paribus and Earny said they don't analyze or store nonreceipt emails.

Glyman said Paribus does not sell users' data, though its privacy policy would allow it to do so. McDonald also said Pricerazzi does not sell user data, though he could see doing it down the line "if it benefits customers."

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Even when apps have the best intentions on privacy and data security, the more companies that users share sensitive data with, the greater the risk of getting caught up in a security breach, said Gautam Hans, policy counsel and director at the Center for Democracy and Technology in San Francisco. Claire Gartland, consumer protection counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center, found requests for access to shopping accounts like Amazon particularly concerning since they typically include full credit card or bank account data not found on a receipt.

The risk of a breach doesn't mean never sharing personal info  just weighing the perks against potential costs, Hans said.

"If someone comes up with a good product, even if they ask for a lot of info, it might be so appealing to me that I want to do it," he said.

Kilcourse thought many shoppers would find requests for access to their emails "creepy," but Marcotte didn't think that would stop people from using the services.

"Americans, at end of the day, talk about valuing privacy, but they don't generally behave that way," he said.

lzumbach@tribpub.com

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Vaughn first listed the 11,600-square-foot triplex unit for $24.7 million back in 2011  or more than double the $12 million he paid for it in 2006. After bringing its listing price down over the past five years by more than $10 million, Vaughn still found no takers. So last week he decided to try marketing the unit in two parts, offering the 3,725-square-foot full-floor unit on the 35th floor for $4.2 million, and then separately listing the 7,880 square feet on the building's top two floors for $8.5 million.
Hit up a pig roast (OK, two pig roasts), drink bottomless mimosas at Second City or sample everything in sight at the Gelato World Tour. We've found more than a dozen ways to eat and drink your way through Memorial Day weekend:

Beatrix Both locations of the casual modern American restaurant extend weekend brunch through Monday, May 30. The menu includes lemon pancakes, green chili enchiladas and more. Reservations accepted. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 28, to Monday, May 30, at 519 N. Clark St., 312-284-1377; 671 N. St. Clair, 312-642-0001, www.beatrixchicago.com

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Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Pick up a bottle of the chain's Sensuous Slathering BBQ Sauce, on sale for $6, to support SoldierStrong, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing advanced medical technologies to veterans. All proceeds from weekend sauce sales will be donated. 923 W. Weed St., 312-462-1053, www.dinosaurbarbque.com

Durkin's Tavern The annual Luau Party invites guests to dress in costume and play limbo in the sand  the bar brings in 1,000 pounds for the event. A $20 package (optional) includes select drafts, well drinks and pulled pork sandwiches. 8 p.m. Sunday, May 29, at 810 W. Diversey Parkway, 773-525-2515, www.durkinstavern.com

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Lemon pancakes are part of Memorial Day brunch at Beatrix. (Anjali M. PInto )

Fremont The party lasts for four days at this River North bar and restaurant. Drink and dance under the retractable roof during the Freezemont Summer Kick-Off, featuring a lineup of live DJ sets, frozen drinks, alcoholic popsicles and more. It's all part of a '70s pool-party theme (without, you know, an actual pool). Thursday, May 26, through Sunday, May 29, at 15 W. Illinois St., 312-375-8568, www.fremontchicago.com

G&O A pig roast at this chill West Town bar features beer from 4 Hands Brewing Co., all-you-can-eat smoked pig and sides. $18 at door. 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, at 459 N. Ogden Ave., 312-888-3367, www.grandandogden.com

Gelato World Tour The Gelato World Tour visits its 10th city, Chicago, to host 16 gelato-makers competing to create a new crowd-favorite flavor. Drop by for free, but to taste and vote, it'll cost you $10 (purchase tasting tickets here). Friday, May 27, to Sunday, May 29, at Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., www.gelatoworldtour.com

Lottie's Pub The sixth annual Memorial Day Pig Roast at this Bucktown bar includes all-you-can-eat smoked pig, fried chicken, baked beans and more. $12 at door. 2 p.m. Sunday, May 29, at 1925 W. Cortland St., 773-489-0738, www.lottiespub.com

Parsons Chicken & Fish To celebrate its third anniversary, Parson's is moving beyond its giant patio to take over the whole block outside the restaurant. Food from chef Hunter Moore includes sausages and nachos, and of course the negroni slushies will be flowing. Bring a school supply to donate upon entry; Parson's will give everything collected to Humboldt Park nonprofit Association House. Sunday, May 29, at 2952 W. Armitage Ave., 773-384-3333, www.parsonschickenandfish.com UPDATE: This event has been postponed due to forecast rain. A new date has not been scheduled, but check the Parson's Facebook page for updates.

Red, White & Bar-B-Q Festival & Competition Westmont Lions Club's annual Red, White & Bar-B-Q Festival is back. The three-day event includes live music, barbecue vendors, carnival games and more. More than $16,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded during the professional and amateur barbecue competitions. Friday, May 27, through Sunday, May 29, at Ty Warner Park 700 Blackhawk Drive, Westmont, www.westmontbbq.com

Second City's Sunday Bloody Mary Sunday The 45-minute show at Second City's Up Comedy Club comes with two options for food and drink: a $29 package includes refilled mimosas, Bloody Marys and coffee with a selection of pastries, while a $49 brunch package adds on dishes such as sweet potato veggie hash and PB&J French toast. Doors open at 11:15 a.m., show at noon Sunday, May 29, at 230 W. North Ave., 312-662-4562, www.secondcity.com

4 Star Restaurant Group All nine restaurants owned by 4 Star will be open for brunch on Memorial Day. The full list: Remington's, The Windsor, The Smoke Daddy, Crosby's Kitchen, Dunlay's on Clark, Dunlay's on the Square, Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar, and D.O.C. Wine Bar in Lombard and Lincoln Park. Hours match regular weekend brunch hours at each location, www.4starrestaurantgroup.com






But when furmint, which is native to Tokaj, is not being used to produce the sought-after dessert nectar, it is used to make another style of wine, a dry white that is quite comfortable at the dining table in the courses that lead up to dessert. Don't write off dry furmint as turkey bacon. It is not trying to be anything other than what it naturally is  a zippy, dry white wine, which, at its best could offer varying amounts of clean citrus, green apple, pear, nuts, minerality and smoke, plus high acidity, making it a great partner for food.
"Hear Dat New Orleans: A Guide to the Rich Musical Heritage & Lively Current Scene"

Countryman Press, $18.95

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To say that music is everywhere in New Orleans is to state the obvious, but it still bears repeating. Indeed, author Michael Murphy reports there are more than 100 live-music venues in the Crescent City. He also notes that you can hear live music at a jazz brunch, in hotel lobbies, on dinner cruises and even in bowling alleys. Of course, music is heard in the city's many clubs, bars, dance halls and juke joints.

RELATED: TRENDING LIFE & STYLE NEWS THIS HOUR

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Murphy devotes chapters to jazz; blues; R&B and funk; Cajun, zydeco and swamp pop; street music; rock 'n' roll and punk; and hip-hop, rap and bounce. He offers brief portraits of musicians, both living and dead, such as Buddy Bolden and Jelly Roll Morton, Trombone Shorty and Kermit Ruffins, the Marsalis Clan and the Neville Brothers, Professor Longhair and the Meters, and Fats Domino. Murphy also profiles individual clubs. He calls legendary Preservation Hall, for example, "hallowed ground." He shines a spotlight on the clubs found along Frenchmen Street in the Marigny neighborhood, which he says has replaced Bourbon Street as the live music center of New Orleans. "It's our version of Beale Street in Memphis or 6th Street in Austin (only much, much better)," he writes.

"Hear Dat New Orleans: A Guide to the Rich Musical Heritage & Lively Current Scene" (Countryman Press / HANDOUT)

In a touching grace note, the book is dedicated to the quintessential New Orleans musician, Allen Toussaint, who passed away late last year while on tour (Toussaint is interviewed in the book). It concludes with appendices of festival and free concert listings, where to buy stuff (from new and used vinyl records to stereo equipment), best-of lists (Top 20 New Orleans venues, Top 20 New Orleans historic musicians and Top 20 New Orleans musicians to see and hear tonight), as well as a list of 50 essential New Orleans songs. No. 1 on the list is Louis Armstrong's "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?"

A loving musical tribute to a unique American city.

"50 Bars to Blow Your Mind"

Lonely Planet, $11.99

What makes a great bar? Authors Ben Handicott and Kayla Ryan contend that the best bars are "much more than the sum of their parts." A great bar combines great service, smart design and perfect cocktails that converge to create a "joyous drinking experience." A stunning view helps too. And so Handicott and Ryan have gone around the world to discover all kinds of bars  cocktail bars, craft beer bars, historical bars, music and party bars, bars in paradise, quirky bars  that, in their estimation, create a mind-blowing experience.

The Sky Bar in Bangkok is on the roof of the Lebua at State Tower and offers a 360-degree view of the city below. The Cave Bar in Petra, Jordan, occupies a 2,000-year-old rock tomb and is, according to the authors, the world's oldest bar. The sumptuous Opera Club in Warsaw, Poland, is in the basement of the national opera house. There are many ice bars around the world, but Handicott and Ryan recommend the original Ice Bar in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, where everything  stools, tables, chairs, lamps and glasses  is made of ice. But the weirdest and creepiest bar must be the H.R. Giger Museum Bar in Gruyeres, Switzerland. The authors say it's the brainchild of Swiss artist H.R. Giger, who as every sci-fi geek knows designed the alien in the popular "Alien" movies. This is the place to be if you want to savor a cocktail under "gigantic vertebrae" that stretch across the ceiling, "creating the impression of having been swallowed by a gigantic reptilian creature."

Also in the series are "50 Museums to Blow Your Mind" and "50 Beaches to Blow Your Mind."

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June Sawyers is a freelance writer.

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One person was injured during an early Saturday home invasion in Antioch.

Antioch Police Chief Steve Huffman said between two and five people entered a home in the 1000 block of Main Street about 12:50 a.m. A resident called 911, but the intruders were gone by the time officers arrived, Huffman said.

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One resident suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene, he said.

Investigators have established a motive, according to Huffman, who would not elaborate on an on-going investigation.

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The Lake Villa Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff's Office also responded and provided K-9 units to search for evidence.

mejones@tribpub.com

Twitter: @MeganAsh_Jones
Earl Roberts, 52, soon after he was arrested in 2011 in the killing of his wife, Angela Bonds, 48. (Cook County sheriff's office)

A West Side man faces up to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of killing his estranged wife in the parking lot of the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, prosecutors said.

Earl Roberts, 52, was found guilty Friday in Cook County Criminal Court after a five-day trial in the killing of his estranged wife, Angela Bonds, 48, said Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the Cook County state's attorney's office. Bonds had been separated for seven years from Roberts, who at the time lived in the 5000 block of West Adams Street, and she was divorcing him, family said at the time she was killed.

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Bonds worked at UIC Medical Center, and Roberts, a housekeeper at the hospital, ran up behind Bonds, her boyfriend and another man as they were walking into a parking area. A hood Roberts was wearing fell down as he ran up, and the three saw him take out a .357-caliber revolver, prosecutors said at the time Roberts was charged.

The three began running for a door leading to a parking lot, but Roberts shot Bonds once in the back and a second time in the head at 1801 W. Taylor St. before she had a chance to enter the building, according to prosecutors.

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After shooting Bonds, Roberts began chasing the other men into the parking area, confronting the friend and chasing the boyfriend up a parking ramp, but did not shoot, prosecutors said.

The boyfriend hid in bushes, and Roberts fled as the hospital complex was put under lockdown.

About six hours later, a UIC police officer saw Roberts get into the passenger side of a van. Police followed the van and stopped it near the 1400 block of South Damen Avenue, but Roberts fled on foot, tossing a gun over a fence. A UIC police officer and an FBI agent who was on his way to work caught him near 13th Street and Hoyne Avenue, about a half-mile from the shooting. Authorities found a gun that was later tied to the shooting.

Roberts' attorney said at the time he was charged that he had worked for 22 years for the hospital in housekeeping, has three children and regularly attended church.

The attack and some of the pursuit when Roberts was arrested were captured on video surveillance.

Roberts has a sentencing hearing June 17 in front of Cook County Judge Angela Munari Petrone, who presided over Roberts' jury trial, although his actual sentencing may take place at a later date. Roberts faces 45 years to life in prison, Simonton said.
Gov. Bruce Rauner speaks to reporters at the Capitol on May 23, 2016, about the last week of spring session. (Seth Perlman / AP)

Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield.

Topspin

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has spent the past couple of weeks trying to put pressure on Democrats to approve his so-called turnaround agenda items by suggesting that many in the opposition party privately support his ideas.



He did it again Monday at a news conference in his Capitol office. "The exciting thing is, Democrats in the General Assembly, in private, many of them  not all  many of them agree with the reforms," Rauner said.



Asked to name one or two such Democrats, Rauner said most "are unwilling to say much publicly because they don't want to get retribution." But the governor did name Northbrook Democrat Elaine Nekritz, who he contends publicly declared support for his ideas months ago.



We asked the governor's office what Rauner was referring to, and they sent along a January posting from the Illinois News Network, an outlet that "is an independent project of the Illinois Policy Institute," according to its website. The Illinois Policy Institute is a conservative think tank Rauner has donated more than $500,000 to over the years.



The conservative think tank-affiliated website quoted Nekritz as saying that solving the state's financial problems will require a mix of reforms, cuts and revenues. "Those are the levers that have to (be) pulled in order to get out of this, and it's just not that hard if reasonable people will come together," Nekritz said.



At the time, the Illinois Republican Party immediately seized on the quote and bashed Nekritz for being "nonspecific" about which of Rauner's agenda items she would support.



"In Northbrook, Rep. Nekritz pretends to be independent from Mike Madigan, but in Springfield she's one of his top lieutenants," Illinois GOP executive director Nick Klitzing said. "She can't have it both ways, claiming she supports nonspecific reforms while blaming the abstract 'Democratic leaders' for digging in their heels."

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But now, Rauner is using the quote as evidence that Democrats are moving his way. Nekritz said that's a leap.

"I've been saying this exact same thing since 2009, since the Great Recession, that the only way we're going to get out of the depth of the problems is revenue, cuts and reforms," Nekritz said. "My message has not changed in seven years. It's not because I woke up and decided I needed to be in the governor's camp."



Nekritz said she does support making changes to existing laws in order to make the state more competitive.



"Are there places where there may be room for agreement? I think there are," Nekritz said. "But I don't support right-to-work zones or the elimination of collective bargaining. I've been very clear about that." (Kim Geiger)

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What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel's public schedule was not available.

*Gov. Bruce Rauner has no public events.

*The Illinois House and Senate are in.

What we're writing

*Emanuel floats latest pension fix trial balloon, this time covering laborers' fund.

*House Democrats approve measure requiring Rauner to give social service agencies 30 days' notice on contract cancellations.

*State lawmaker, U. of I. spar over animal research on dogs, cats.

*Chicago cop to testify about fatal shooting despite federal probe.

*Obama Foundation announces some staffers for South Side library.

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*Supreme Court rejects Blagojevich's request to reconsider earlier rejection of corruption conviction appeals.

What we're reading

*Will County state's attorney testifies as Drew Peterson murder-for-hire trial begins.

*Cabrini-Green documentary traces echo of broken dreams.

*Pro Publica: Police crime prediction software biased against blacks.

From the notebook

*CTU wants aldies to raise taxes: The Chicago Teachers Union wants residents to press aldermen into approving a bevy of tax hikes to salvage the finances of the city's public school system.

An online petition wielding the CTU's "Broke On Purpose" catchphrase about Chicago Public Schools' money woes reiterates proposals the union voiced last month after it backed off threats to strike prior to the end of the school year.

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CTU's described "revenue recovery plan" includes a call for higher fuel taxes; a shift of the $1.2 billion in borrowing proposed for the troubled Lucas Museum plan; a tax on ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft; and an increase in the city's hotel tax.

On Monday, the union took to its blog to throw shade at Mayor Emanuel, CPS CEO Forrest Claypool and Gov. Rauner -- all while promoting its case for broader local taxes to fund schools. CPS has dangled the threat of immense cuts to school budgets in the fall if legislators don't come to the rescue.

"Rahm and Claypool are pursuing a Broke on Purpose plan to pin the budget cuts on Springfield's gridlock. City Hall can act today!" the union crowed. "Let the mayor, your alderman, and your school's alderman know that you support both real revenue from Springfield and the CTU Revenue Recovery Plan."

Emanuel has adopted a dim view of the union's ideas for broader local taxes, asking CTU to work over state lawmakers instead.

"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 said last month.

A union spokeswoman said the CTU posted the petition in recent weeks but never promoted it.

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For what it's worth, CTU and CPS have both endorsed a proposed overhaul of the school funding formula that would send millions to the school system. That legislation passed the Senate, but a counterproposal has yet to emerge from the House. (Juan Perez Jr.)

*Gutierrez on DNC platform panel: Chicago U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez was named to be a member of the panel that will draft the Democratic Party's platform at its national convention in Philadelphia in July.

The 15-member drafting panel represents "some of the best progressive thinking from across the nation," said DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. "I am confident that the members of this committee will engage Americans in a substantive dialogue of ideas and solutions that will inform our party platform."

Gutierrez is a superdelegate for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, one of six members backing her, while five other members are backing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Wasserman named the other four. The division represents the strong challenge Sanders has given Clinton in primary and caucus states.

In a statement, Sanders said he believed the platform committee "reflects the views of millions of our supporters who want the party to address the needs of working families in this country and not just Wall Street, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry and other powerful special interests." (Rick Pearson)

Follow the money

*Gov. Rauner put $200,000 more of his own money into Citizens for Rauner. The contribution came a couple of weeks after Rauner transferred $5 million from his own fund to the Illinois Republican Party fund.

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*Track campaign contribution reports in real time with this Tribune Twitter account: https://twitter.com/ILCampaignCash

Beyond Chicago

*Presidential race, Republican side: White suburban women skeptical of Trump, AP reports.

*Presidential race, Democratic side: Sanders loses his halo.

*Officer acquitted in Freddie Gray arrest case.

*Obama lifts arms embargo to Vietnam.
Yahia Kalash, the head of a journalists' union, holds a candle during a candlelight vigil for the victims of EgyptAir flight 804 in front of the Journalists' Syndicate in Cairo, Egypt, on May 24, 2016. (Amr Nabil, AP)

CAIRO  Body parts recovered from the crash of EgyptAir Flight 804 showed signs of burns and were so small that they suggested the jet was brought down by an explosion, a member of the team examining the remains said Tuesday. But the idea of a blast was promptly dismissed by the head of Egypt's forensic agency as "baseless" speculation.

The cause of Thursday's crash of the EgyptAir jet flying from Paris to Cairo that killed all 66 people aboard still has not been determined. Ships and planes from Egypt, Greece, France, the United States and other nations are searching the Mediterranean Sea north of the Egyptian port of Alexandria for the jet's voice and flight data recorders, as well as more bodies and parts of the aircraft.

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Egypt's civil aviation minister has said he believes terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure or some other catastrophic event. But no hard evidence has emerged on the cause, and no militant group has claimed to have downed the jet. Leaked flight data indicated a sensor detected smoke in a lavatory and a fault in two of the plane's cockpit windows in the final moments of the flight.

An Egyptian forensic team was examining the remains of the victims for any traces of explosives, according to a team member and a second official, both speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

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The team member said the fact that all 80 body parts recovered so far were very small and that some showed signs of burns suggested an explosion.

"There isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head," said the forensic official, who examined the remains.

He said at least one part of an arm has signs of burns  an indication it might have "belonged to a passenger sitting next to the explosion."

"The logical explanation is that an explosion brought it down," he said, adding that if there was a blast, the cause was not known.

But Hisham Abdel-Hamid, head of the Egyptian government's forensic agency, dismissed the suggestion, telling the state-run MENA news agency: "Whatever has been published is baseless and mere assumptions."

France's aviation accident investigation agency would not comment on anything involving the bodies or say whether any information has surfaced to indicate an explosion.

Other experts were divided on whether the state of the remains necessarily suggested an explosion.

An EgyptAir plane approaches Cairo International Airport. (Amr Nabil / Associated Press)

Philip Butterworth-Hayes, an aviation systems expert, said such damage was unlikely if the plane was intact when it hit the water.

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"Normally an impact is not going to do that to a human body in a seat belt," he said, adding that in some aircraft hit the water, bodies are found relatively intact.

"Normally the human frame can withstand quite severe deceleration, which is what happens when a plane hits the water," Butterworth-Hayes said.

But David Learmount, a consulting editor at the aviation news website Flightglobal, said a water impact could have such a devastating effect on those in the plane.

"Hitting water after a fall from that height is like hitting a cliff face," he said.

There also have been contradictory reports over the last moments of Flight 804.

Greece's defense minister said radar showed the aircraft turned 90 degrees left, then a full 360 degrees to the right, plummeting from 38,000 feet (11,582 meters) to 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) before disappearing at about 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).

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But the head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services denied that, saying the plane did not swerve or lose altitude and disappeared from radar while at its normal altitude of 37,000 feet.

A Greek military official insisted that all radar data available to Greek authorities showed the plane swerving and losing altitude. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Egypt's investigative team said 18 batches of wreckage have been brought to Cairo's criminal investigation units for examination.

It added that priority was to locate the flight data and cockpit voice recorders  the so-called "black boxes"  and to retrieve more bodies.

A French patrol boat is carrying a doctor to help with the search for remains. Anything it finds would first be reported to Egyptian authorities and French justice officials, the French Navy said.

Relatives of the victims were giving DNA samples to the forensic team in Cairo to help identify the remains, a security official said. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

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Associated Press
A Kansas City, Kan., police officer takes photos a car believed to be connected to the shooting of a police detective near the Kansas Speedway on May 9, 2016. (Tammy Ljungblad / The Kansas City Star via AP)

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A suspect in the fatal shooting of a police detective in Kansas City, Kansas, and a subsequent string of carjackings remained in the hospital Tuesday after he was shot and wounded by police during his arrest in neighboring Missouri.

The detective, 39-year-old Brad Lancaster, was shot at least twice around 12:30 p.m. Monday near the Kansas Speedway. He died three hours later after undergoing surgery, his department said in a statement.

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Police said the gunman shot the detective and fled in the officer's unmarked car. He later hijacked a vehicle with two children inside before abandoning that in nearby Basehor, Kansas, leaving those kids unharmed.

He then crashed another vehicle while being pursued by officers in Kansas City, Missouri, and was shot by police as he attempted to hijack yet another vehicle. That female motorist, who police say was shot by the would-be carjacker, was in stable condition Tuesday at an unspecified hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, police spokesman Amber Thomas-Hickerson said.

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Police identified the suspect as Curtis Ayers, a 28-year-old man from Tonganoxie, Kansas. He was taken into custody in Kansas City, Missouri, and also was hospitalized Tuesday in stable condition, Thomas-Hickerson said.

"This individual was very dangerous. We are so happy that this individual is in custody," Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesman Patrick McCallop told reporters. "We are so glad this situation has come to an end."

There was no immediate word Tuesday about charges against Ayers.

In comments posted on the department's website Tuesday, Police Chief Terry Zeigler expressed thanks for the prayers, messages and support for Lancaster's family and the department. He said Monday that the detective had "fought a good fight, but unfortunately he died from his injuries."

Lancaster's mother, Carolynn Lancaster, told The Kansas City Star that her son "was the rock of the family." She couldn't immediately be reached by The Associated Press for comment, and the department said in an email Monday that Lancaster's family has requested privacy.

Brad Lancaster was a U.S. Air Force veteran who had served two tours of duty overseas, including one in Kuwait, the newspaper reported. Lancaster said her son had a wife and two daughters.

Ayers served prison time in Kansas in recent years for convictions involving child abandonment, fleeing or trying to elude law enforcers, and interference with a law enforcement officer, online Kansas Department of Corrections records show. Court records say he was also charged in North Carolina with offenses ranging from misdemeanor theft to possession of stolen goods and burglarizing vehicles.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt extended his prayers to Lancaster's family and the police.

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"Kansas mourns the senseless death of yet another dedicated law enforcement officer in the line of duty," he said in a statement Tuesday.

Associated Press
Ruth Ann Aron Green, a former U.S. Senate candidate who was once sentenced to prison for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill her husband, attempts to sell a memoir she has written about the experience at the Kensington Book Festival in Maryland. (Matt Roth / For The Washington Post)

Feeling exiled and frustrated in her Florida condominium, Ruthann Aron decided she needed a makeover. Not of the cosmetic variety but of the cosmic - a public image redo, which would not be particularly easy nearly 20 years after the trial that put her in a Maryland prison for hiring a hit man to murder her rich urologist husband.

One step involved returning to Montgomery County, where all her troubles began and where she served on the county planning board and ran for the U.S. Senate. Another step involved hiring Victor.

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Victor Wainstein, 41, is Ruthann's attorney. She hired him because, in addition to the usual qualities that one looks for - intelligence, creativity - he agreed to temporarily set aside other clients and work for her, arriving every morning at her rented townhouse and working on nothing but the rebranding of Ruthann, recasting her role in one of the most infamous cases in Montgomery County history.

First, there is the court petition, a long-shot attempt to have her case re-examined.

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"I can't talk to you about that," says Ruth Ann, 73. (That is how she spells her name now: Ruth Ann Aron Green, the Green being a shortening of her maiden name.) "Well, I can talk to you about the one," she continues. "I, or Victor, can talk about the one we filed. But anything else we are thinking about filing, I can't help at all."

"Maybe I can help a little," says Victor, a large man with earnest features. "If you Google her name now, all you find is a lot of artless stories that tell the story of 1997 in the way it was told."

The news stories imply that Ruth Ann pleaded guilty, when in fact she did not plead guilty. She pleaded no contest, which is different from guilty, even if it was her voice on those tapes spelling out her husband's name to a supposed hit man - "B like boy, A-R-R-Y" - and instructing him to look for a taupe Acura. (Her husband survived, by the way; the assassin was actually an undercover policeman.)

Now Ruth Ann has asked Victor to file a motion asking a Montgomery County court to overturn her plea, saying that she was bullied into making it and should receive another trial.

A hearing is scheduled for August.

Second, there is the book.

"It's really four books for the price of one," Ruth Ann likes to say, because the book, a self-published paperback memoir of her trial and life, is 764 pages and weighs 3.2 pounds on a bathroom scale. "The cover artist wanted to do this naked woman," she sighs one day.

"Lady Justice," Victor supplies patiently.

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"Nude," says Ruth Ann, who is small and slight and stylishly dressed. "I was knocked off my chair, it was like she was posing for Playboy. Finally, on the third draft, I said, 'Listen, I don't want a naked lady.' "

The new cover of "Corrupted Justice" has a bloody gavel on the front. For a time it also had a complete chapter missing that the publisher had accidentally omitted; Ruth Ann thinks that has been fixed.

She hopes to sell the book at festivals and bookstores.

Third, there is the general business of redefining what it means to be Ruth Ann these days, which sometimes spirals back to what it meant to be Ruth Ann 20 years ago, before all of this happened.

"You look at the popularity of someone like Donald Trump," Victor offers, explaining Ruth Ann's life. "What do people supposedly like about him? He's an outsider. He's not taking lobbyist money. I look at Ruth, and I say, 'Guess what? In 1994 she ran for U.S. Senate as an outsider, a businesswoman, raised many of the same issues ... she was the Trump of 1994, minus the bravado and the language and all of that.' "

In the coming weeks, Ruth Ann would like to get back to this version of Ruth Ann. The businesswoman. The politician. The fighter, but also the victim.

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"Everyone else's lives have moved on," says Ruth Ann. "Mine is still stuck in 1997." Since then, she says, she has been very misunderstood.

Ruth Ann Aron leaves the Montgomery County Courthouse in 1997 with then-attorneys Barry Helfand and Erik Bolog, after being judged competent to stand trial for solicitation of murder and released on bond. (Dayna Smith / The Washington Post)

A well-known woman

Ruth Ann and Victor, in the townhouse, on the subject of Ruth Ann's 1997 treatment in the media: "There were so many gender issues," Victor says. "It was somehow viewed as if she was an aggressive ... "

"Bitch," Ruth Ann supplies.

Ruth Ann and Victor, in the townhouse, on the subject of her first attorney, whom she says forced her into the plea: "He presented, in the words of the 'Godfather,' a deal she couldn't refuse," Victor says.

"No, he threatened me," Ruth Ann says. (The attorney in question, Barry Helfand, says the accusation is false and "shocking").

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Ruth Ann and Victor, in the townhouse, on the subject of the townhouse:

"How did this house happen?" Ruth Ann throws up her arms and looks around at the dingy gray carpet and poorly insulated walls. "I'm going to throw a rock at Victor while I tell you how this house happened."

The house happened, she explains, because although her comeback involved returning to Maryland, at the time she was still in Florida. A real estate agent identified a few houses; Victor, who lives in Montgomery County, looked at them, and she relied on his opinion.

"I have no comment," Victor says. "I'm not going to speak against my client's interest. That's all I'll say."

"What, are you kidding around or are you serious?" Ruth Ann asks. "Are you saying it's my fault that you rented me this house?"

"What I'm saying is that I was tasked one day to look at two townhouses. There was one that was not good. And there was this one. Between the two of them, I said this one was better than the other one," he says.

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"I think this house is a dump," Ruth Ann says.

Dump is a relative term. The house is, however, a dump compared with the custom, two-acre Potomac home she lived in the last time she was in Montgomery County.

Before 1997, which is the way that she refers to everything that happened - "1997" or "the events of 1997" or "the troubled waters of 1997" - Ruth Ann Aron was a well-known name in the Washington area. A Cornell-educated New Yorker, she came to Maryland in the 1970s with her doctor husband and two young children, acquired a law degree at Catholic University and became a real estate developer. She completed several big deals.

In 1994, after winning a seat on the county planning board, she decided to run for Senate. Her campaign manager said she had been drafted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee: A self-made female millionaire was exactly the type of person who appealed to them. She was petite, with queenly features and impeccable style; a spitfire who attended target practice with the Montgomery County park police.

But the primaries got ugly. She was defeated by a fellow Republican, then sued him for what she said had been defamatory campaign ads. She lost, but her appeal dragged on for more than a year. It was June 1997 before word came down that Ruth Ann could have a new trial on the defamation case because of a judicial error. By then, acquaintances speculated that she was planning a political comeback; police said she was planning something else as well.

On June 9, Ruth Ann walked into the lobby of a local Marriott hotel carrying a manila envelope containing $500. She handed it to an attendant, the attendant later recalled, and the next day the headlines read, "Former Senate candidate arrested in murder for hire plot."

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Ruth Ann Aron Green works with her lawyer, Victor Wainstein, at a rental home in Gaithersburg, Maryland. (Amanda Voisard / For the Washington Post)

'Like a kaleidoscope'

When Ruth Ann's solicitation-for-murder trial came around, the emerging details only made the story stranger: Before the defamation case could go back to trial, Ruth Ann met with an acquaintance who owned a local landfill. She implied, he later said in court, that she wanted a certain witness from the case eliminated. The landfill owner went tolaw enforcement. Investigators outfitted him with a wire for his next meeting with Ruth Ann and gave him the phone number of an undercover detective who would pretend to be a hit man.

By the time Ruth Ann spoke with the supposed hit man, she had an addendum to her original wish. "There are two jobs," she was recorded saying. The first job was the defamation witness. The second job was Barry Aron, her husband of 32 years.

"You want a car accident?" the detective asked in one conversation.

"Yeah," she said.

"What about a suicide?"

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"If it would pass muster," she agreed.

The case walked the line between absurd and tragic. In the Marriott, Ruth Ann - a woman accustomed to dressing properly for many occasions - wore a trench coat, a floppy hat and glasses, as if she had purchased a criminal-mastermind costume from a Halloween shop.

When arrested, she told a police officer "maybe I just lost it," the officer said. On a jail intake form she indicated that she had been a victim of domestic abuse, although this largely wasn't made a part of her defense. At her trial, Barry Aron testified that he had recently asked for a divorce, and he later told reporters that the couple had slept in separate bedrooms for years. (Barry Aron, through an attorney, declined to comment for this story).

Ruth Ann didn't take the stand on her own behalf. She says that she was overmedicated, on a cocktail of prescription drugs that had been given to her by her husband, and which caused her to have a psychotic break. She was barely aware of what she was doing when she made those calls, she says. Her attorneys ended up using an insanity defense, introducing psychiatrists as expert witnesses and arguing that Ruth Ann had been entrapped, encouraged to go further than she otherwise would have with the hit-man plot.

"You ever look through a kaleidoscope?" she now says. "That was my mind. My mind looked exactly like a kaleidoscope."

The judge declared a mistrial after a lone juror could not be persuaded that Ruth Ann was in her right mind and legally responsible for her actions. During her second trial, Ruth Ann pleaded no contest. In a no-contest plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges they will be sentenced for a crime. That plea, which she now says she did not fully understand, put her in prison for three years.

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At the Montgomery County Detention Center and a pre-release facility where she served her time, staff members submitted updates on her progress. There seemed to be a chasm between how Ruth Ann understood her situation and how others did: "Ms. Aron struggled with adhering to the program's rules and generally manipulated the staff for personal gain," one staffer wrote. "She often portrayed herself as a victim ... and attempted to use past history and mental illness as excuses for her criminal behavior."

As her release date approached, Ruth Ann petitioned to get out early to attend her son's wedding in New York. "I have been a model inmate," she wrote. "Toiling long hours in the jail library helping others with their legal research needs."

After her release in 2000, she moved to New York and later to Florida, where she learned that serving her time and being embraced back into society were separate tasks.

"I always tried to live my life being very good to the people around me, and when I needed that very same quality it was nowhere in sight," Ruth Ann says.

She tried to join the Florida Citizen Police Academy in Palm Beach but was informed she could not. Her insurance carrier dropped her because, she was told in a letter, "solicitation of murder is demonstrative of behavior and judgment characteristics that present an increased and unacceptable risk of loss insured under our policies."

Twenty years of these frustrations led her to move back to Montgomery County last year, to this crummy townhouse, with piles of legal papers and boxes and boxes of the self-published books.

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"This kitchen is a testament to my resiliency," she tells Victor, dragging a stepladder over to a cupboard to search for a cooking spice. "A testament to my willingness, even at this point in my life, to stand on ladders ... In no other kitchen would I have to go through this."

A difficult life

On a Friday evening, Ruth Ann and Victor leave the townhouse. They go to Victor's house to celebrate Passover. Ruth Ann brings the chicken soup.

"The secret is that it needs a little bit of seltzer," she had confided while making the soup the afternoon before. "It makes the matzoh buoyant."

In any event, life goes on.

One potential outcome of her attorney's motion is that her case would go to trial again. And if it went to trial, Ruth Ann, a woman who had been free for more than a decade, who has the financial resources to live independently in Florida, to rent an additional townhouse in Maryland, to hire an attorney to fight her case, and hire a publicist to promote the book whose publishing she funded - one possibility is that Ruth Ann could be found guilty and go to prison again.

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Why gamble?

"It's a question that only a person who has gone through what she has gone through can answer," Victor says one afternoon by telephone. "It's easy to say, 'Why don't you just move on, why don't you put this past you?' Maybe that's what another person feels like he would do. It speaks to how seriously and passionately she feels about what's happened to her."

There is no doubt that Ruth Ann is a complicated person, Victor says, or that she has lived a complicated life.

He acknowledges her past.

Ruth Ann's father was brutally murdered in a 1994 robbery gone awry while Ruth Ann was fighting for the Senate seat. They were not close. He had called her "cruel" and written her out of his will; in her trial, Ruth Ann's attorney claimed that her father had molested her.

Victor acknowledges her only son.

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Her son, Joshua, was killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in his office on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center. She never got his body back, and her townhouse is filled with image after image of the handsome young man.

She is estranged from her daughter, Dana. In her memoir, in some of the sections that blame others for bad relationships, Ruth Ann is the one who inadvertently comes across as difficult. She doesn't have many friends.

But all of this, all of her, has become a footnote in a life that has been reduced to one day in June 1997. The events of 1997 have uncomplicated her life. They have made her life simple, because they have made her guilty, and her guilt overshadows everything else good and bad about eight decades of existence.

"There were all of these parts of her. She was a lawyer, a mother, a wife, a community activist," Victor says. "And then in 1997, those parts of her died."

There are so many other things in her life that cannot be undone, but - even if only by a legal, technical standard - maybe 1997 can.

---

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"Is the table in here?" Ruth Ann asks Victor a few days later, on an early Sunday morning outside of the townhouse. They are going to an outdoor book festival in Kensington, Maryland.

"The table is where it was," he says, nodding toward a card table waiting to be loaded into his SUV.

"Can you get it?" she asks. "Where is my pocketbook?" She disappears into the house and returns a few minutes later - not with her pocketbook, but with a crate containing a jar of candy that she hopes will draw people to her table at the book festival, and two red, white and blue pinwheels.

"Here are two pinwheels,' she says. "I thought they would blow if we had a breeze, and if not, we could just blow on them."

They get in the car and drive toward Kensington.

They hope this event goes better than the one the day before in Annapolis. The audience consisted of one former business acquaintance and one reporter from a local newspaper who had been sent to cover the reading but did not seem to know exactly who Ruth Ann was. Eventually Ruth Ann stood up in the middle of the room and started reading the first chapter as a coffee grinder whirred in the background and a clerk wove past her, reshelving books. She did not introduce herself as a person who went to jail for hiring a hit man. She did not explain that she was infamous.

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When asked by the reporter for more detail about her past, she said: "I'd rather not get into the whole story, but basically my mind imploded and my husband ended up putting me in jail. I never meant anything, I never pled anything, but I went to jail."

At the Kensington festival, she unloads the table and the pinwheels and the books, which a few days earlier her publisher confirmed now contained the missing chapters. Other authors have tents and tablecloths and big, polished displays.

"Would you like some candy?" she asks a passing child, gesturing to the plastic candy bin. To her mother, she asked, "Can she have some candy?"

The little girl chooses a mini Butterfinger but does not say thank you. "You're welcome," Ruth Ann says.

A couple of hours pass. No books have been sold. Ruth Ann sends Victor off in search of a coconut ice.

Eventually a woman walks by the table. She stops. She looks. She takes a few steps backward and then comes over.

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"Well, what do you know?" the woman says. "You're Ruthann Aron."

"Yes," Ruth Ann says.

"Weren't you accused of killing your husband or something?"

"No," Ruth Ann says. "No, he's very much alive."

The woman shakes her head. "I can't even remember the whole story. But I would have thought I'd hear something about you getting out of jail."

"That's because you don't know the whole story. The real story," Ruth Ann says.

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She picks up a copy of the book and offers it to the woman, who doesn't take it and moves on to the next table. Ruth Ann holds the book for a few more minutes before putting it down again.
Theories of the rise of Donald Trump too often rely on the anger, bigotry and general backwardness of his supporters. This grounding isn't much questioned, even by commentators who think they're questioning it. The inferiority of those people (formerly known as we the people) is widely taken for granted.

This points to the real driver of Trump's success: the armor-plated complacency of the politicians, commentators and other political professionals he's running against.

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To many liberals and more than a few conservatives, support for Trump proves your unfitness for civilized society. Articles that purport to offer a somewhat deeper analysis  promising, for instance, to blame the country's elites for Trump's success  often wind their way back to the same premise. Blame the elites for failing to respond sympathetically to the understandable rage of desperate losers; or for manipulating their bigotry to gain political advantage; or for failing to do what elites in democracies are supposed to do, which is shield a correctly constituted government of laws from the rabble.

I don't doubt there are plenty of angry stupid bigots in the U.S., much as you'd find anywhere else. And as a loudmouth insurgent, Trump presumably gets more than his fair share of support from that part of the electorate. Still. Polls currently give Trump 40 percent or more of the vote in much of the country. It's far from impossible that he might win in November. Are the vicious brainless masses really as numerous as that?

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It seems unlikely. If all those declared supporters (together with the people who don't like him but tell you confidentially, "Well, he does have a point") are as worthless and benighted as the political establishment appears to believe, then the case for democracy would seem to need rethinking, Trump or no Trump. Alternatively, one could ask a better question: why so many decent, reasoning, responsible people  citizens deserving of respect, if democratic self-government means anything  are saying they'll vote for this outrageous man.

The Trump supporters I know aren't bigots or fools. They're protesting, in part, against the condescension of the country's self-appointed upper orders. Economic stress is certainly a factor, though I wonder if too much is made of this; the Trump supporters I know are getting by, and the last thing they are is sorry for themselves.

The view that you can safely vote for Trump because things really couldn't be any worse is just wrong. He's the man to prove they could be.

What seems most important is that they think they've little to lose in smacking down politics as usual. They're tired of being ignored and want that understood. Washington is broken, incapable of action and apparently content to stay that way, so why not declare, in unmistakable terms, that enough is enough?

I only wish it were harder to quarrel with their assessment. National politics in the U.S. has all but collapsed to a gusher of money, a source of rotating employment and a platform for ideological self-affirmation  a forum for graft and posturing and endless impotent argument but seldom for solving problems. Even before things got this bad, would-be presidents often promised to shake up Washington. Trump is different, as his critics point out: He might actually do it.

As Trump kept on winning, the stunned incomprehension of Republican leaders and thinkers was especially eloquent. Evidently they lacked the faintest notion of what many of their own supporters actually think. In one way, you can sympathize: In no sense is Trump a conservative, and he might just as well be a Democrat as a Republican. Many of his policy ideas, such as they are, put him to the left of Hillary Clinton. So what were those Republican voters thinking? Consider what's spent on polling, focus groups and market research  had nobody thought to ask? Apparently, the party's leaders neither knew nor cared.

It isn't just presidential politics. Congress too is widely viewed with disdain. Asked whether they approve or disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job, fewer than 20 percent say approve. The number keeps on sinking, and rarely any longer arouses comment. It's as though the public's verdict is of no concern. Congress to voters: "We hear you and we don't care."

Enter Trump. Disenchantment with politics as usual might have bred mere disengagement  why bother to vote?  but the risk of more serious consequences was always there. Many voters like the idea of an anti-politician, which is what Trump claims to be. In fact, that's almost the whole of his pitch. Things have got to the point where it may be enough.

Today the U.S. is riven by two kinds of political divide. In addition to the familiar left-right kind, with Bernie Sanders at one end and Ted Cruz at the other, there's a divide between people who live for politics and people who are sick of politics. Civic as opposed to ideological polarization, call it. On both axes, the moderate middle has been hollowed out.

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Liberals and conservatives who make a living from politics, or love it as an end in itself, pronounce tirelessly on liberty and social justice and the deep constitutional principles at stake in federal bathroom policy. The rest of the country doesn't care about this permanent war of ideas, and worries more about holes in the road, what's going on in the schools, depleted retirement savings, and the latest hike in health-insurance deductibles.

The two divides are linked. Ideological polarization has shut Washington down, separating it from the concerns of many if not most citizens and rendering it useless in their eyes. That's driven new extremes of civic polarization, with the politically engaged talking exclusively to and past each other, leaving the disenchanted to seethe in silence about their smaller concerns. The result is Trump.

I could never vote for the man. He isn't a would-be dictator and even if he were the Constitution would stop him. But he has some unusually bad ideas, and in foreign policy he'd have more freedom of action. He seems totally uninformed, intellectually unanchored and completely unpredictable. Who knows what he might do, or try to? It's a frightening prospect. The view that you can safely vote for Trump because things really couldn't be any worse is just wrong. He's the man to prove they could be.

Believing otherwise, however, doesn't make his supporters idiots or racists. As to whether politics as usual has failed the country and something needs to change, I'd definitely start paying attention to those people. On that important point, they're absolutely right.

Bloomberg View

Clive Crook, a Bloomberg View columnist, is a member of the Bloomberg View editorial board.
Special Olympian Jake McManus points to Barrington police officers John McGowan (left) and Brian Hansen who are on top of a Dunkin' Donuts in Barrington for the Cop on a Rooftop fundraiser. (Kevin Croke / HANDOUT)

On the bustling Northwest Highway in Barrington, motorists honked and walkers waved  and stared  as Brian Hansen, a uniformed Barrington police officer perched on top of a roof at a Dunkin' Donuts, waved back.

Officers throughout the Chicago area stood atop numerous Dunkin' Donuts stores on May 20 for the 14th annual Cop on a Rooftop fundraiser that benefits Special Olympics of Illinois, but this year marked the first time officers from Barrington participated in the fundraiser.

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Police Det. Lori Allsteadt ultimately relieved Hansen's post.

"Our goal is $10,000," she hollered from the roof.

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Detective Sgt. Kevin Croke said eight fellow officers and three police department staffers volunteered time to have the department participate in Cop on a Rooftop for the first time. Allsteadt and Croke were co-chairs who helped organize the department's fundraising efforts.

Croke said he and others decided to raise funds for Special Olympics when Lake Barrington resident and Special Olympic athelete Jake McManus took part in a relay race torch procession, which came through Chicago in June 2015.

That event led up to the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles in July, when McManus won two silver medals and a bronze in equestrian competition, his mother Stacie McManus said.

"We were very proud of his success," she said. "We were thrilled that Barrington Police Department decided to support Special Olympics Illinois, and the good work they do for athletes and families."

Suresh Patel, a Lake Zurich resident who owns Dunkin' Donuts stores in Barrington, Cook and Lake counties, said all his locations participated in the Cop on a Rooftop fundraiser.

"We like to give to the communities, and we appreciate the guests who come into our stores," Patel said.

Barrington resident Deanna Nelson said she has donated money in years past to Special Olympics.

"It's absolutely a good cause. You need to support your town and the Special Olympics," she said.

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The Cop on a Rooftop fundraiser throughout Illinois brought in more than $600,000 to the organization, said Alexandra McMillin, communications manager for Special Olympics of Illinois.

tshields@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @tshields19
More than 350 Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School students recently helped raise more than $39,000 to grant wishes to six seriously ill children in Illinois.

The students participated in the school's 12th annual Make-A-Wish Walk-A-Thon to help Make-A-Wish Illinois Foundation, which grants wishes to children battling life threatening illnesses and diseases.

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One child being helped by the school's effort, includes a 6-year-old Hometown girl who wants to go to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., to eat in a castle with the Disney Princesses. A date has not been scheduled yet for her trip, according to school officials.

"Make-A-Wish has become a very meaningful part of our entire school community," said Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School Principal, Kristin Simpkins. "Every experience our students have with Make-A-Wish helps them connect not just with each other, but with the concept of empathy and the importance of helping others."

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Over the last decade, the school has helped grant 79 wishes to children after raising more than $440,000.

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The school first decided to host a walk-a-thon to honor Brad Pipala, a 2003 graduate of McGugan Elementary School in Oak Lawn, who passed away in July of 2004 after losing his battle with cancer.

"His strength of character and positive attitude made a lasting impression on those who knew him as did the actions of the Make-A-Wish Foundation on his behalf," said Sofia Georgelos, Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School eighth grade social studies teacher. "The organization granted Brad's wish for a fishing boat from which he derived great joy. Experiencing first-hand the difference these wishes can make in a person's life solidified the choice of this organization to receive the funds raised by our student's philanthropic endeavors."

During the walk-a-thon earlier this month, students marched around the school at 5345 W 99th St., Oak Lawn.

"I love that we help kids in our community and that we are able to give them something special during a hard time in their life," said participant Kevin Pankam, 13, of Oak Lawn.

A $30 minimum donation was required to participate in the walk. Students collected money for the walk-a-thon through donations from family, friends and community members.

Students collecting more than $200 in sponsorships were recognized on the school's Make-A-Wish Wall of Fame  a wall within the school displaying the children's photos and collected pledges. This year, 44 students were added to wall after collecting $12,381.

Kelly White is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
From left to right are Christ the King Elementary School students who participated in the fifth annual murder mystery staged by teachers Vicki Rocus and Donna Gentile-Ruth. The murder mystery is part of an elaborate lesson plan that hones various academic skills. Students Tommy Gorman, Kennedy Tandy, Colby Griffin, Samantha Washington, Brian Sullivan. The student standing behind the students is Rachel Whealan, the "murderer (Christ the King)

Eighth grade students at Christ the King Elementary School in Chicago pretended to murder the school's pastor, the Rev. Lawrence Sullivan for the fifth year in a row, all to enhance science and English skills..

The students, led by teachers Vicki Rocus and Donna Gentile-Ruth, participate in a murder mystery each year, so that they can experience a multi-faceted lesson plan designed by both teachers. On the day of the "murder," students dressed up according to a storyline written by Rocus. Once the victim was killed, students performed a variety of tests to narrow down and identify the murderer.

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The tests gave students the chance to practice their skills in science, language arts, and reading, to name a few lessons. Rocus is quick to point out that the students work on having fun, too, because she believes good learning occurs when children are actively engaged and sincerely interested in what they are doing.

Even before the day of the murder, students work on various concepts. To shore up reading skills, for example, students work on solving mysteries.

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"In reading, the students have "Mystery Friday," Rocus, who is in her 10th year of teaching at the school, wrote in an email. "Every Friday they do some close reading of mystery stories and develop graphic organizers for collecting their clues to solve."

The main murder mystery this year involved Hollywood stars from a bygone era. Frank Capra, Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn and a host of other Hollywood legends were part of a storyline that included blackmail, a suicide, and not a small amount of intrigue.

Murdered this year was famous director Sidney Landfield, portrayed by the school's pastor.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"The back story we probably started before Christmas and by February we had a list of characters for the roles that would be assigned to the students," Rocus wrote. "I decided to focus my storyline on the 1939 black and white classic The Hound of the Baskervilles for many reasons. Besides being a literary treasure, I liked the irony of having a 'mystery within a mystery.'

"I also added the whole Harlem Renaissance angle to include discussion and research about the impact of African American actors and actresses on Hollywood history, and the racial prejudice they encountered, which coincided with Black History Month."

Rocus said this year's "murderer" was Hepburn, who was angry with director Sidney Lanfield, after he threatened to expose her brother's suicide.

"I was the one, the only Katharine Hepburn," student Rachel Whealan wrote in an email. "Everyone had a motive and opportunity to kill (Lanfield). I was the murderer. I poisoned him with cyanide when nobody was looking.

"When we were doing the labs to find the killer, my name kept popping up in the fingerprint, blood type, and lipstick, hair, and nail polish samples. I was shocked to find out that I was the murderer."

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Students had a new way of looking at fingerprints this year, courtesy of a lab experience that Gentile-Ruth, the school's science teacher, introduced. By the time students reach eighth grade, Gentile-Ruth has taught them for three years, so they were prepared for the cyanoacrylate fuming method, or the "super glue" method.

"The basic concept behind all the chemical techniques is to apply something that will chemically react with one of the chemicals of latent fingerprints to the area suspected of containing such a fingerprint," Gentile-Ruth, who is in her 14th year at the school, wrote in an email.
How can Republicans get away with blaming President Barack Obama for things they've done? They cut U.S. Department of State funding, which was why the late U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens didn't have enough security in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. They cut U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs funding under former President George W. Bush, which is why the VA is screwed up. Republicans cut everything except money for defense. They also started the wars in the Middle East and handed them to Obama. That's where our deficit came from. Republican voters say, "Obama's doing it." Obama ain't doing it. How can Republican voters keep voting for these guys that run our country into the sewer and deny it's Republicans that did it?

Ed, Homer Glen

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More about students choosing community college: It gives kids an advantage over those who go to the four-year college with Ivy League or ivory tower instructors who never worked in their fields. All they've done is try to get tenure. Once they get tenure, they never go out and work in their fields. Everything they do is theoretical. Life's actual. It's based on facts. Kids in community college learn more about what's going on in the real world than they will in a four-year college. Congratulations to all those going to community college. First, you support the local community. Secondly, you're getting a better education. This is from a guy with an electrical engineering degree from Illinois Institute of Technology.

Tom, Oak Lawn

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You the press are no help. It seems to me that the Daily Southtown, the Chicago Tribune and all these different articles that are run are Democratic. They're all against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump regardless. Now let's be fair about things and report the news and not try to make it and glorify it. We do question you the people there at the press. God bless America. God love America. God help America.

I was watching the news. Where are the censors? How do they get away with showing some things? My kids could see this. It's on TV. You can't control if they walk by. It's right there, and you wonder why there's people walking around hurting people? They shouldn't see this stuff. Do you think it's natural? It's not. Please respect them another way. It'd be easier to teach them good things. Actually, it's easier teaching good things than bad. That's ridiculous. Get your censors together please. Would you let your daughter do most of these things? Would you show your friend these pictures? Are you proud of them? I don't think so. If you are, something's wrong with you too.

Someone from Orland Park asked what good father wouldn't want transgendered children to be relegated to Porta Potties only. What a disgusting and mocking solution. What sort of father uses kids as a tool to publicly express their own bigotry? Does their bigotry stop at transgender kids? Are autistic kids, or those with food allergies, soon to be targets of this bigotry? Good fathers want all children to be accepted for who they are and reach their full potential.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Mike, Tinley Park

Hi moms and dads getting your kids ready for college. As an ex-employee of Moraine Valley Community College, here's the scam nobody wants to talk about. A student can get financial aid, get a check delivered to their house for the amount of the classes, cash it, then drop the class before the withdrawal date, then do it again the next semester. The college will say it's for the underprivileged and alien friends but, in fact, it's another scam to rip off our children, who deserve this entitlement.

Mike, Orland Park

There's pros and cons with both presidential candidates. Of course, that's Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. But it's so easy to make a decision on who to vote for because when you look at Trump, you know what he is; and when you look at Clinton, you know that she will follow the rules of President Barack Obama. He has been one of the worst presidents the United States has ever had, and done the worst things that ever happened to the United States, which we'll never recover from. Clinton will follow these ways, so it's easy to make a decision to vote for Trump in this category.

Bill, Chicago Heights

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Aurora resident Betty Vargas went on a rescue mission to Missouri with a transport coordinator from Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin. (Anderson Animal Shelter / HANDOUT)

The "Rescue Hero" package that Aurora resident Betty Vargas bid on during Anderson Animal Shelter's "A Night to Paws" annual dinner and auction last fall took her on a rescue mission to Missouri with a transport coordinator from the shelter in South Elgin.

Vargas works as an executive assistant at Clarke, a global environmental products and services company based in St. Charles. She attended "A Night to Paws" with some of her fellow workers.

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"I'm a big lover of animals, and this auction item sounded interesting," said Vargas. "It was a cause that's close to my heart."

Vargas adopted her dog, Scrappy, from Anderson. She also has two other dogs, Sergeant Tootsie and Hollywood.

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For her animal rescue mission, Vargas accompanied Maria Schau, Anderson's offsite adoption and transport coordinator, on a single-day transport in April. They drove just past St. Louis, Missouri, to meet a volunteer driver from a partner shelter in Arkansas. It was a halfway point for both shelters.

"It is wonderful to have people like Betty who have a desire to get involved," said Schau. "It is very difficult for us to explain what the circumstances are like for dogs and cats outside of our immediate area. We hope that by giving Betty and others like her the opportunity to experience a rescue mission firsthand, they will be further inspired to become a powerful voice in animal welfare."

They unloaded and reloaded the kennels holding 18 dogs and puppies from Arkansas into Anderson's transport van. Vargas comforted the dogs during the transition and journey back to Anderson.

Vargas is planning to take an overnight rescue mission trip to Oklahoma later this year.

"I'd love for people to understand that there are some places that don't have respect for animals or don't have the laws and regulations that protect animals like we do in Illinois," Vargas said.

Vargas recently became a foster caregiver for Anderson. Her first foster was Hope, a 9-month-old terrier mix. Hope was rescued from Oklahoma where she had been mistreated by being tied up in a parking lot and left to be attacked by other dogs. She survived and recovered. When she arrived in Illinois, Hope spent about two weeks with Vargas before she was adopted by a family.

"We're so glad that Betty was able to participate in a transport," said Beth Drake, executive director of Anderson. "She joins many of the Anderson staff who have witnessed animal welfare in other states firsthand."

Vargas recently participated in Anderson's Jail 'N Bail fundraiser, when she was "arrested" and placed in an Anderson dog kennel for a few hours until she raised enough "bail money" from family, friends and colleagues. She raised over $600 for the shelter.

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Anderson, 1000 South La Fox Road in South Elgin, is a 501c3 charitable organization. For information, contact www.andersonanimalshelter.org or call 847-697-2880.
The owner of Bandito Barney's Beach Club and Bordello has purchased the sought-after property at 110 River St. in East Dundee and plans to use it for a parking lot.

Village officials have confirmed that Roger Shelton bought the site that once held the pink house longtime East Dundee resident Brad Giertz had been working on for nearly two decades.

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Last year, developer Joe Billitteri of Lake in the Hills-based Premier Commercial Realty and business partner and general contractor John Curtis purchased the property with the intent to build a four-story mixed-use development. But during a contentious Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in early December, the height variance they needed to allow for the development was voted down.

In March, the East Dundee Village Board approved spending $175,000 in tax dollars to purchase the site to create a temporary parking lot and keep it open for future development options.

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But last month a motion before the Village Board to add $26,000 to the $175,000 purchase price failed.

"The Village Board said, 'We have an offer. If he has a better offer, go ahead,'" Village Administrator Bob Skurla said. The village was going to use tax dollars collected through a tax increment financing district established to promote development.

Village President Lael Miller said he "fully supports" Shelton's purchase.

"I think that we obviously need more parking on the south end and since Bandito's uses a lot of that parking anyway I think it's appropriate they put parking down there," he said.

Skurla said because the lot is not immediately adjacent to the Bandito Barney's building, it's not automatically an allowed use.

"He'll have to go for special use approval for a satellite parking lot. That will require him to submit plans and proposals to Planning and Zoning and ultimately be approved by the Village Board," he said.

Erin Sauder is a freelance reporter.
A bond reduction request was denied Tuesday for a Round Lake man accused of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 16-year-old Allendale youth home resident.

James Davis, 37, has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and obstruction of justice in connection with the March 30 death of Shaquan Allen of Chicago.

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Defense attorney Eric Rinehart told Judge Daniel Shanes that Davis, who is being held on $500,000 bond, is a Navy veteran with a solid work record and no prior criminal convictions.

Rinehart criticized a risk assessment report that he claims wrongly stated Davis was convicted of driving on a suspended license. The report penalized Davis for recently moving from Zion, where he had lived for nine years.

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Rinehart said he was surprised the report concluded there was a 40 percent chance Davis would violate terms of his bond because the charge for doing so would be more serious than the charges Davis is currently facing, which can result in probation upon conviction.

Assistant State's Attorney Lauren Kalcheim Rothenberg said the report stated Davis has lived in his current home for less than a year and was stopped by both Lake Villa police and Lake County Sheriff's deputies for driving on a suspended license.

Rinehart noted Davis has not been convicted of either charge.

Shanes refused to lower bond and Davis remains in Lake County Jail.

A second defendant, Justin Serak, 27, of Grafton, Wis., has pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing justice for allegedly providing false information to police.

Prosecutors said Allen was misbehaving when Davis and Serak each took an arm and tried to escort him back to his bedroom. Allen became combative, prompting Davis to put him in a chokehold, authorities said.

When Allen became unresponsive, the two employees agreed to a story that Allen had knocked over a cup of water and fell, authorities said.

Attorneys for Allendale have been attending hearings because both defense attorneys have attempted to subpoena information from the facility.

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Also observing Tuesday's hearings was Chicago attorney Amir Akbar, who said he is representing Allen's family, which has filed a civil suit in Cook County Circuit Court seeking unspecified damages from Allendale, Davis and Serak.

Defense attorney Robert Ritacca, who is representing Serak, said he attended a grievance hearing last week on Serak's dismissal from Allendale. Ritacca said Allendale fired Serak for using his cellphone at work the day Allen died.

Ritacca said cellphone use is prohibited for Allendale employees while on duty unless they are contacting other employees. Ritacca said Serak used the phone to text a supervisor about Allen.

The grievance cannot proceed to the arbitration stage until the criminal case is resolved, Ritacca said.

Davis and Serak will be back in court June 3.

A July trial date is currently scheduled for both men, although Shanes and defense attorneys have indicated that date will almost certainly be delayed.

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jrnewton@tribpub.com

Twitter @jimnewton5
In a rare move, officials at Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 are poised to contest a commercial property tax appeal that could potentially result in an almost $200,000 tax refund.

Vicky Cullinan, the district's assistant superintendent of business and operations, said that because of the potential loss of funds to the district, as well as the nature of the case, staff members recommended challenging the appeal to district board members at a recent committee meeting. It would be the first time in its known history that the Lake Zurich school district is filing as an intervenor on its own regarding a commercial property tax appeal, Cullinan said.

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"We believe there is merit to challenging their assessment," she said. "Frankly, when they pay less, all of you as taxpayers pay more."

The issue revolves around more than an $1 million difference in appraised value for a former Motorola site, now owned by White Oak Project Co. and occupied primarily by Continental Automotive Systems. The commercial building, called The Reserve at Deer Park, sits on roughly 41 acres located near Lake Cook and Rand roads.

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In a commercial appeal filed March 18, White Oak requested a hearing with the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board regarding a property valuation at the commercial building, 21440 W. Lake Cook Road. Real Estate Analysis Corp last October conducted an appraisal and valued the property at $23.5 million, or an assessed value of about $7.83 million as of Jan. 1, 2015, according to a March 17 letter sent to the Illinois tax appeal board.

Cullinan said the property was valued at about $35 million, adding such a difference in value is uncommon.

Michael Andre, who works for Chicago-based firm Eugene L. Griffin & Associates and is representing White Oak in the appeal, did not return numerous requests for comments. The firm specializes in state and local tax law, according to its website.

Cullinan said the district is working with the Lake County Assessor's office to determine whether to obtain its own appraisal.

A preliminary appraisal, if needed, could cost the district between $3,500 and $4,000, plus another potential $1,500 to have it finalized, she said. If there is a hearing, it can be another $15,000 to $20,000 in potential legal feels on top of fees for expert testimonies.

If White Oaks' appeal prevails at 100 percent of its request, the district would have to refund about $192,024, an amount based on the current tax rate to be allotted in a future tax distribution since the case could take years, Cullinan said.

"This level of tax refund warrants the expense of filing as an intervenor," Cullinan told the board. "We're the biggest portion of the taxing body, so we're the most impacted."

While the district has been involved in various shared interventions, including an ongoing one involving a retail center on Route 12, Cullinan said this would mark the first time the district files one on its own.

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The district board is expected to decide whether to file the intervention during a meeting on May 26.

"I think it's a no-brainer we need to participate in this," Board President Doug Goldberg said at a recent committee meeting.

Martin Paulson, the Lake County chief assessment officer, said a lease connected with any property would make the appraisal more complicated, which is the case involving White Oak and its Deer Park building.

Motorola built the seven-story building in 2001, and Germany-based automotive supplier Continental bought Motorola's automotive electronics business and the building in 2006. Continental sold the property for $40.5 million in 2014 to White Oak and leased back about 59 percent of the building space.

"That (purchase price) may or may not be a value we can utilize," Paulson said, adding it may not represent the true real estate value.

Christine Won is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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Chief School Business Official Jay Strang gives the school board a preliminary overview Monday of conditions that could impact the upcoming 2016-17 budget for Indian Praire School District 204. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)

Indian Prairie School District 204 is circling the wagons to protect its schools against the possible loss of nearly $10 million in state funding from the latest plan gaining steam in Springfield.

Indian Prairie school leaders are appealing to parents and all district residents to contact their legislators in opposition of a proposal from state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, known as the Better Funding for Better Schools Act, or Senate Bill 231.

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Superintendent Karen Sullivan said under the legislation passed by the Senate this month, District 204 would come out even, "not a win, not a loss."

The dilemma, as District 204 officials see it, is that legislators must approve multiple appropriations bills to fund the educational funding package.

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"Given the state's current fiscal health as we know it, we think it's not unreasonable to question whether or not the appropriation would be made," Sullivan said.

"We oppose Senate Bill 231 because it requires passing a separate $241 million adequacy grant in order for our district to not lose funding. If the adequacy grant is not made, District 204 would suffer the second largest loss -- $9.8 million - of any school district in Illinois. Considering the state's budget crisis, it is too risky for our legislators to support a school funding bill that has strings attached," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the district is pushing for the state to fund education similar to what was done for the 2016-17 school year so legislators can spend the upcoming year working with schools to develop an evidence-based model that funds schools where every district is a winner.

Sullivan said some districts, like Chicago Public Schools, are planning to rally in Springfield on Thursday and legislators need to know there are other voices.

"We need to get our position out there as well," she said.

Chief School Business Official Jay Strang said if the budget stalemate continues into the next school year, Indian Prairie would be able to open schools in the fall.

Strang said the property taxes collected this month and in August should be able to carry the district through March 2017. He said that would be when the district would have to issue tax anticipation warrants to cover payroll until residents and businesses pay their May property tax bill.

Strang said he doesn't anticipate the situation getting that dire for Indian Prairie because other districts are in far worse shape. He said a number of districts in the state won't be able to open their doors in the fall without state funding.

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Indian Prairie is the fourth largest school district in the state, serving more than 28,000 students from portions of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.

subaker@tribpub.com

Twitter @SBakerSun1
Heads are bowed in the Naperville city council chambers during the National Day of Prayer service earlier this month. (Genevieve Bookwalter / Naperville Sun)

Naperville could update its approach to allowing use of the municipal building after a conservative Christian group hosted a National Day of Prayer ceremony in the city council chambers earlier this month.

"What groups are allowed to use council chambers with no fees?" asked Councilwoman Becky Anderson at a recent city council meeting. "I think we need to look at separation of church and state a little bit."

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Meanwhile, Mayor Steve Chirico asked staff to examine all potential aspects of religion connected to the municipal building, down to the annual Christmas tree in December.

"Just to make sure we're not breaking any rules," he said.

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The discussion followed a 90-minute service over lunch for 150 Christian faithful on May 5. Conservative Christian leaders from the Naperville area took turns to ask for God's grace and guidance during the event hosted by the Naperville Chapter of Concerned Women for America, which advocates for the inclusion of Biblical principles in all levels of government.

The national group's website calls for the defunding of women's health organization Planned Parenthood and the boycott of Target for allowing transgender shoppers to use the bathroom of their choice.

In the council meeting, Anderson suggested a new policy laying out who can use the council chambers and for what purpose. The city's website states that only government groups can use the room.

City Manager Doug Krieger said he would report back with policy suggestions as well as a list of who has used the chambers in the past.

Gbookwalter@tribpub.com

Twitter @GenevieveBook
Josh Dinkel, left, and Charlie Szymczak hang out before the 3rd annual Walk for Water in Naperville. (Mike Mantucca / Naperville Sun)

The water crisis in Flint, Mich., boosted Naperville students' push to raise money and awareness about clean water issues around the world.

Student organizers from Jefferson Junior High School in Naperville said the Michigan community struggling with lead in its water supply was an illustration of the problems and how collecting bottled water as they did with the 3rd annual Walk for Water Friday was part of the solution.

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Seventh-grader Kaitlin Kaitlin said while people knew about Flint, they often were unaware of deplorable conditions around the world. Proceeds will provide proper latrines for a Uganda primary school with 240 pupils, 59 of which have disabilities. The Ugandan school's four pit toilets are far from wheelchair accessible, forcing some children to crawl to reach the latrine openings while blind children must feel their way.

The kids also plan to donate to secondary schools in Nigeria so a deeper well can be dug and students can have adequate latrines.

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Images of those conditions called students like seventh-grader Megan Cablk to action.

"It made all of us grateful for what we have and more passionate about helping," she said.

Although organized by Jefferson, students enlisted the assistance of other Naperville School District 203 junior high students from Kennedy, Lincoln and Washington schools with a goal of raising $10,000 for H2O for Life, the nonprofit that will build the latrines and dig the well.

The annual walk simulates what people in Third World countries often experience daily: walking three miles carrying two to five gallons of water. A big difference is the liquid the Naperville kids carry is much cleaner and free of life-threatening, water-borne diseases.

"Clean water is not a luxury to us, but it is for many people in the world," said seventh-grader Kaylee Henderson.

Walk organizers said students can make a difference by pooling their resources.

"The water crisis definitely is solvable," Kaitlin said, adding that if more students and schools get involved, water issues could be eradicated in her lifetime.

Another global issue Megan and classmate Emily Piekarz said they would like to tackle is ensuring every child in the world has access to an education. They see clean water as a means to achieve that goal, since girls often are assigned water duties while the boys attend school. With a community well, girls could attend school instead of fetching water.

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Seventh-grader Grace Bava also said when people have access to clean water, they have more time to focus on finding food or getting an education, which can pull them out of poverty.

Walk for Water organizers all said they hope they can inspire other students to consider a H2O for Life project.

"We are making a difference. We want people to know you can make a difference around the world," said Claire Brown.

subaker@tribpub.com

Twitter @SBakerSun1
Police have been called to Go Bananas, an indoor amusement center in Norridge, nearly 30 times in the past year, police records show. (Natalie Hayes / Pioneer Press)

Police have been called to Go Bananas, an indoor amusement center in Norridge, nearly 30 times in the past year, police records show.

Since April 2015, police have been called to the business in the mostly vacant strip mall off the 4500 block of Harlem Avenue for calls of battery, theft, counterfeit currency and fighting.

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Most of the fights that reportedly have broken out, either inside the 25,000-square-foot arcade area or in the parking lot during the past year, involve parents who usually blamed the dispute on an incident involving their kids, including a disturbance in April when a 23-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman accused each other of punching one another in the face in parking lot after the woman accused the man of stealing her child's coat.

Police were called again the next evening at about 6 p.m. when the parent of a 13-year-old boy started a verbal altercation with a 24-year-old she accused of yelling at her son. In August 2015, another fight broke out between a man and a woman who started yelling at each other for unknown reasons

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No arrests were made in either of those incidents, according to police.

Another fight that broke out on Feb. 26 spilled out of the building and into the parking lot, where someone called police to report between 10 and 20 people had started arguing. Police broke up the fight, and no one was arrested, according to police records.

Go Bananas owner Jerrold Marks did not return calls seeking comment this week, but Marks told the Pioneer Press in April that his employees undergo extensive safety training, including learning how to protect customers when fights break out. He also pointed out that no one has been injured during any fighting incidents recorded by the police.

Five years ago, Go Bananas made national headlines when a 3-year-old child slipped out of a ride and was killed.

Responding to the ongoing police activity, Norridge Mayor James Chmura said the village has few options for closing Go Bananas because Marks has a multi-year lease on the property that won't expire for at least a decade.

"It's not the kind of business we want to see in this community," Chmura said. "We have our situations over there, but we're confident the police are monitoring it."

In August of last year, someone called police after seeing two men smoking marijuana in a gold Pontiac minivan, police said. The men, who the caller said were waiting for their kids, were gone by the time police arrived.

A number of the police-involved incidents have taken place in the parking lot. Its location on the west side of the Jo-Ann Fabrics store puts the Go Bananas parking lot at a relatively far distance from Harlem Avenue, where motorists would otherwise have a clear line of sight to the parking area.

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A woman leaving Go Bananas after a family birthday party in July 2015 started blaring her car horn after her stepson approached her vehicle in the parking lot and began screaming at her and pounding on the window, police said. He followed her out of the parking lot and jumped out of his vehicle about two blocks later as she was stopped in traffic and began pounding on her window again, police said.

She told police she was scared for her safety because she had never seen someone with such rage, according to the police report.

Other police records show an intoxicated man causing a scene in the parking lot in July of last year, and a briefcase containing three bottles of prescription narcotics being reported stolen from a car belonging to a Go Bananas customer who had parked nearby on the 7100 block of West Agatite Avenue while he went inside.

Kids were sometimes involved, including one incident last July when someone called police after seeing a man yelling at his grandson in the parking lot because he struck another child inside Go Bananas. In another incident last September, a parent accidentally locked a 9-month-old in a vehicle in the parking lot and called police.

In 2014, Norridge police charged 27-year-old Reed Klevester of Chicago with battery after he allegedly pushed ahead of a group of children waiting in line for an amusement ride. He allegedly hit a woman in the arm after she confronted him about cutting in line in front of the kids, according to police.

Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Pending a State Board of Education vote next week, Gary's Thea Bowman Leadership Academy will be able to keep its doors open next year.

On Monday, officials on the Education One board at Angola-based Trine University unanimously agreed to sponsor the charter of the Drexel Foundation, which operates Thea Bowman, one of the city's oldest charters.

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"We are excited to give the families, students and educators at Bowman the peace of mind of knowing their school will continue operating, as well as the opportunity to continue the school's success," said Lindsay Omlor, director of Charter Schools at Trine.

Under a new state law, the State Board of Education has to approve the change of sponsor. The board meets June 1 in New Albany.

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Monday's action came as time was running out on the school, which faced losing its charter on June 30.

"I can't tell you how much stress this has been," said attorney Tony Walker, a new member of the Drexel Foundation school board.

The Drexel school board is meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday to revise service agreements with Phalen Leadership Academies and the Leona Group, Walker said.

In January, charter sponsor Ball State University announced it would not renew Bowman's charter, citing governance issues with the Drexel board.

Soon after, Drexel reconstituted its school board and asked the Indiana State Charter School Board to sponsor the school. It also lined up the Phalen Leadership Academies, based in Indianapolis, to operate Bowman, which maintains a grades 7-12 school at 3401 W. 5th Ave. and an elementary at 975 W. 6th Ave. Its enrollment is about 1,300 students.

Bowman's school board now has five new members. Michael Suggs, a Northern Indiana Public Service Co. official, is interim chairman. Besides Walker, other board members include Eve Gomez, Cliff Gooden and Richard Leverett.

Walker said State Rep. Robert Behning, R-Indianapolis, supported Thea Bowman in its quest for charter authorization from Trine. Behning is chairman of the House Education Committee and author of a so-called charter shopping law that changed regulations for charters trying to change sponsors. The move sought to prevent failing schools from escaping sanctions by finding a new a new sponsor. It's the reason Bowman will need approval from the State Board of Education next week.

"We got some critical help from Rep. Bob Behning," said Walker. I think he believed in the school and the new leadership team of Phalen Leadership Academy."

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Walker said state Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, who's a member of the Trine board of directors, also supported the school's charter.

Walker said Omlor and another Trine official visited both Bowman schools last week.

School leaders met with teachers and staff members to tell them the good news and parents received robo calls, Walker said.

ccarlson@post-trib.com

Twitter: @ccwriterPT
An Illinois man's recent arrest for identity theft may be common, but it's a sign of a much larger problem, a Portage police official said Tuesday.

ID theft has exploded in recent years, especially Portage, which has a collection of large department stores, said Capt. Joe Reynolds, a 23-year veteran of the police force.

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National chains Menards, Sears Hardware, Wal-Mart and Meijer also have stores within short distances of one another, and all are just minutes from Interstate 80/94, providing easy access to any would-be criminals, he said.

"I think it's an epidemic," Reynolds said. "In the last 10 years, it's unbelievable how may credit cards are stolen or how many are being made to obtain merchandise fraudulently at big box stores. That's really where they're using them."

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Girma Ako Akil, 43, was arrested May 20 and charged with felony identity theft and felony fraud. According to police reports, Akil tried to use stolen credit cards to buy more than $600 of merchandise from the Menards store, 6220 U.S. 6.

Akil fled the store when employees could not ring up the purchase using the credit cards he provided, a police report said.

Akil also may have tried to use the credit cards at neighboring Wal-Mart and Meijer stores, according to police. He also used what appeared to be a fake Illinois state identification card.

A Portage police officer trailed Akil as he left Menards and eventually arrested him. During questioning by detectives, Akil named other Chicago-area residents who may have been helping him or who may have employed him to use the fraudulent credit cards to get merchandise, the report said.

Akil claimed he was dropped off at the stores by a woman whose full name he did not know. Police are continuing their investigation to determine if someone else was involved, and to determine if the cards Akil attempted to use arestolen and to determine if the victims are aware of the theft, Reynolds said.

The challenge comes in tracking Akil's story and trying to work with other jurisdictions, including Chicago police, to determine how much of his story is true, Reynolds said. The nature of ID theft makes such cases harder to investigate, but if Akil's statements prove untrue, there could be more charges, Reynolds added.

Akil was transported to the Porter County Jail, but since has been released.

Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
The City Council chambers were packed with standing room only as the Council considered and passed a human rights ordinance on Monday. (James D. Wolf Jr. / Post-Tribune)

Audience members cheered Monday when the Valparaiso City Council passed a controversial human rights ordinance on a split vote.

Mayor Jon Costas told the packed council chambers that the ordinance would protect people from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on race, gender, age, disability or sexual identity. It will also protect religious rights and has no criminal penalties, Costas said.

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He addressed sexual orientation and gender identity, which had drawn most of the public input since the ordinance, stating that the LGBT community are family, friends and neighbors.

"Sometime communities must have conversations that are uncomfortable but necessary," he said.

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The vote, however, was not unanimous. Council members voted 5-2 in passing the ordinance with Mark Murphy, R-3rd, and Trista Hudson, R-at large, voting against.

It was the first time the Council members spoke publicly about the ordinance, having turned all two hours and 30 minutes of a special Thursday meeting to public input. Hundreds of people attended public hearings and meetings this spring sponsored by the city's Human Relations Council as it gauged public perception of the proposal.

Munster joined about 20 other Indiana communities in passing its own human rights ordinance last month.

Murphy said he supported the original proposed ordinance and called for a vote to restore the exemption for businesses with less than 10 people to be exempt on religious beliefs, but only he and Hudson voted for that.

They both voted against the ordinance, Murphy citing the removal of the exemption.

Hudson said she didn't like that the Investigation and Reconciliation Committee could fine people and that arbitration through that committee would be public, possibly stifling complaints from those not publicly open about sexuality or gender.

Robert Cotton, D-2nd, recalled the discrimination he's felt since moving to Valparaiso in 1969 as an 11-year-old, part of the city's first African-American family.

"It's kind of interesting and a poetic justice that I sit here," he said. "We have this opportunity to write the next chapter in Valparaiso's history."

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Valparaiso resident Allison Schuette hugs Heath Carter (in plaid), president of the Valparaiso Human Relations Council, in the City Hall vestibule after the City Council passed the human rights ordinance. (James D. Wolf Jr. / Post-Tribune)

Prior to the vote, Lenore Hoffman, R-4th, said that she heard about fears from both sides, and perhaps the Council could revisit the ordinance in the future to correct any imperfections.

Resident Allison Schuette said outside the chambers that she was elated that all civil rights were recognized but had concerns about those opposed .

Having followed the process as the Human Relations Council developed the ordinance using public input, "I've seen how convicted people are (on both sides)," she said. "Some people in the community are going to be hurt, but as a community, we have to hold that (hurt)."

James D. Wolf is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
When LinkedIn was hacked four years ago, the estimated 6.5 million passwords that were hijacked turned out to be 117 million, the professional social network company now says, warning that black market hackers may now have access to our email and bank accounts. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

When is the last time you changed your passwords for various accounts, including email, banking and social media?

Yeah, that's what I thought. For most of us, it's been too long since we've changed them to keep our accounts safe. Then we read about another online security breach and we promise ourselves to change all our passwords. Sometimes we do, too often we don't.

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Last week, LinkedIn officials revealed that the professional social media company's hacked data breach in 2012 has dangerous ripples into 2016. Why? Because many of us reuse our social media passwords for other online accounts, such as banking, credit cards and retail shopping websites.

"At the time, our immediate response included a mandatory password reset for all accounts we believed were compromised as a result of the unauthorized disclosure," the company announced in a press release.

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"Yesterday, we became aware of an additional set of data that had just been released that claims to be email and hashed password combinations of more than 100 million LinkedIn members from that same theft in 2012," the release stated.

The Drink Detective is a new product to detect if a drink has been spiked, testing instantly for all amine-based substances, the most common drink spiking drugs, according to the company's website. (alengo / Getty Images)

More than 100 million members, including me, I later found out. Or at least I think so because I've been sent three different emails alerting me to change my LinkedIn password. Trouble is, two of those email alerts are fraudulent, I later found out.

Here is one of them (with typos intact) from "SunTrust Online." Does it look legitimate to you?

"Hi, we noticed a possible slight change in your LinkedIn profile information. Kindly follow the link below to confirm the following details. ClICK HERE"

"This link expires in 24 hours, so be sure to use it right away. Failure to verify your details will make you vulnerable and exposed to hacking threats and loosing your account. Thanks for using LinkedIn! The LinkedIn Team"

Did I "click here"? No way.

I'm pretty sure that my previous user name and password were hacked and possibly sold on the black market, along with millions of other users.

"We are taking immediate steps to invalidate the passwords of the accounts impacted, and we will contact those members to reset their passwords," the LinkedIn release states. "We have no indication that this is as a result of a new security breach."

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Their advice? Change your password and add something called a two-factor authentication, requiring a text message every time users sign in from a new computer or device. It's smart advice. It's the right thing to do. I hate doing it.

Trouble is, I really like my current passwords. They're finally easy to remember. They're difficult to crack. They're, well, MY passwords. And I've got plenty of them, each one for a different account, which took me months to memorize.

The hacked LinkedIn passwords included some of these doozies: 123456, password and qwerty. Anyone who uses "123456" or "qwerty" as a password deserves to be hacked. Even if it's for a grocery store's rewards program.

Years ago, I waited for what seemed like hours as a frantic woman entered and re-entered her password at the ATM inside a grocery store.

She anxiously entered one pass code after another, yet none were successful, and she was visibly embarrassed.

"I don't know which one it is!" she exclaimed.

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I asked, "How many pass codes do you have?"

"Obviously too many," she relied.

I've been there, entering the wrong pass code or user name for my collection of bank accounts, email accounts and other password-mandated online accounts. I've been locked out, "protected" by my own smartness, forgetfulness or stupidity.

Every few months, we're forced to create new passwords. And, of course, these new passwords usually contain alpha and numeric characters, and a couple of those crazy characters (such as @ or &) to remember. Ugh.

Two of my favorite and most effective passwords came from IT personnel at my newspaper job. Those IT employees are long gone but their password suggestions live on through different variations.

After this latest hacking of passwords, I'm again changing all my user names and passwords. Email accounts, banking sites, credit cards, social media, stores, Paypal, you name it. Probably tonight. Maybe tomorrow. This weekend for sure. As soon as I find all my cheat sheet reminders.

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Maybe my new password should be "lazy-guy-1234."

Drink Detective's bitter aftertaste

The press release grabbed my attention. Not for its witty marketing approach or dazzling visuals. But for its product.

It's called the Drink Detective, a drink-spiking detection kit to prevent (mostly) women from being "roofied," or made "incapacitated by the surreptitious and non-consensual drugging of one's drink," the release states.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

The kit is pocket-sized with three cotton swabs and amine-based detection strips that change color when they come into contact with drug-tainted alcohol. If you leave your drink unattended for any reason  restroom break, dancing, conversation  you simply dab your drink with a swab and rub it on the various detection strips.

If it changes color that is familiar to a key of different colors testing for "positive," your drink may have been tampered with. Ditch your drink and ditch the guy who drugged it. Simple to use, easy to understand, relatively cheap ($10 per kit), fits nicely in any purse.

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I wondered, though, how many women would seriously consider using this. And then, while toying around with the demo kit I got in the mail, I received a news alert reminding me of its potential use.

On Tuesday, Bill Cosby was ordered to stand trial on sexual assault charges stemming from a decade-old police report allegation that he first drugged the woman's drink. There's no way she should have suspected Cosby to do such a dastardly thing. Right?

Sadly, the same can't be said for other men with less wholesome images. It's a sobering realization for a product that leaves us all with a bitter aftertaste.

jdavich@post-trib.com

Twitter @jdavich
A Chicago man who robbed a woman at knifepoint in Skokie last year has been sentenced to five years in prison, authorities said.

Authorities said a female acquaintance of Don Sacluti had agreed to give him a ride but, as the two rode down Knox Avenue in Skokie, he pulled out a knife and demanded money. When the victim jumped out of the car, Sacluti took her purse and fled. He was arrested a short time later and charged with armed robbery and aggravated kidnapping.

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On May 20, Sacluti, 36, pleaded guilty to armed robbery in the case, authorities said. In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay fees and fines of $800.

Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter.
By Adam Livermore

Partner, Dezan Shira & Associates

A sound network security system is an important component within the operations of any foreign company in China, as it is in any other country. Especially for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), who often lack the IT resources of larger companies, to protect a business from todays sophisticated internet threats can be a challenging task. As a network security system usually consists of many parts, investors need to make sure that all components work together in order to minimize maintenance and improve the overall security level.

Physical Security

When it comes to network securities, people usually pay more attention to the IT side of the equation such as firewalls, encryption and computer virus protection. The importance of physical security on the network, however, is often underestimated. Physical security, simply speaking, is to ensure that only authorized people have physical access to the companys equipment and computer systems. Different from cyberterrorism, breaches of physical security can be carried out by normal employees with no technical knowledge. Please note that the ability to gain physical access to servers and network equipment not only allows a hacker to download all the companys information stored on those servers, but can also create an opening that may continue to be used for years.

RELATED: IT-based Solutions from Dezan Shira & Associates

Wi-Fi Access

While every business needs fast WiFi connectivity, the routers used by a company can be extremely unsafe if the password or the username havent been reset. Investors are suggested to set up a guest WiFi network and change the companys WiFi password regularly to make sure that ex-employees wont be able to connect to the companys internet as they used to.

Network Security

The IT security system covers all types of software and technology that a company may use to guard its customers data, such as firewalls, anti-virus and anti-spyware, intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and virtual private networks (VPNs). Serving as the electronic gatekeeper, an internet firewall protects the computer system from unexpected viruses and hackers and keeps confidential business information secure at the same time. Investors also need to be aware of the importance of getting a static IP address, which enables other computers/routers to locate the company easily.

IT Department and Internal IT Policy

Lastly, a good IT department with administrative support, as well as cooperation between a companys high-level managers and its IT team, will undoubtedly help improve network security. IT professionals should be in full control of the companys network system and be able to recognize all the computers and devices that are connected to the network. Employers must make sure that there is a written IT security policy in place, which will help facilitate IT security procedures and make IT staff more aware of potential security threats, as well as associated business risks.



This article is an excerpt from the China Briefing Magazine, titled Internet Challenges & Solutions When Doing Business in China . In this special edition of China Briefing magazine, we highlight how and why foreign companies will be negatively affected by Chinas internet, and provide methods to help solve these problems. We discuss ISP selection, internet connection types, CDNs and VPNs, and internal control systems. Finally, we examine the importance of network security in China and how it can help augment a companys internet connection.

How IT is Changing Payroll Processing and HR Admin in China

In this edition of China Briefing magazine, we examine how foreign multinationals can take better advantage of IT in the gathering, storing, and analyzing of HR information in China. We look at how IT can help foreign companies navigate Chinas nuanced payroll processing regulations, explain how software platforms are becoming essential for HR, and finally answer questions on the efficacy of outsourcing payroll and HR in China.



China Investment Roadmap: the e-Commerce Industry

In this edition of China Briefing magazine, we present a roadmap for investing in Chinas e-commerce industry. We provide a consumer analysis of the Chinese market, take a look at the main industry players, and examine the various investment models that are available to foreign companies. Finally, we discuss one of the most crucial due diligence issues that underpins e-commerce in China: ensuring brand protection.



Selling, Sourcing and E-Commerce in China 2016 (First Edition)

This guide, produced in collaboration with the experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, provides a comprehensive analysis of all these aspects of commerce in China. It discusses how foreign companies can best go about sourcing products from China; how foreign retailers can set up operations on the ground to sell directly to the countrys massive consumer class; and finally details how foreign enterprises can access Chinas lucrative yet ostensibly complex e-commerce market.
A factory worker is making steel. [Photo/Xinhua]

Premier Li Keqiang urged State-owned enterprises to remove excess production capacity and increase quality during a visit to Hubei province on Monday.

Li appointed the Wuhan Iron & Steel Group Co as a pilot SOE to reduce excess capacity and transfer redundant workers to other posts with financial and policy support from the central and local governments.

The company has four subsidiaries with an annual production capacity of nearly 40 million metric tons of iron and steel, ranking fourth around the world.

"Reform is the fundamental way for SOEs to grow and prosper. But when cutting excess capacity, superfluous workers must be transferred to other jobs instead of being laid off," Li told the company.

SOEs administered by the central government in the coal, iron and steel sectors are due to cut 10 percent of production capacity this year, according to an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Li on May 18.

Wuhan Iron & Steel had 51,000 employees by the end of last month, 72.8 percent of the total in July last year. The company subsidizes these workers each month.

Last year, the company spent 10 billion yuan ($1.53 billion) to cover expenses for employees, incurring a loss of more than 10 billion yuan, according to the company's report. Wuhan Iron & Steel will further cut the number of employees to about 30,000, which is estimated to cost it 5 billion yuan.

Li said the central government will support the SOE's restructuring, which will receive preferential policies and financial support as a pilot project.

A total of 100 billion yuan has been allocated to remove excess capacity and transfer workers who are not needed in such enterprises.

Zhang Chunxiao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said China's industrial chains can now accommodate workers who are transferred from industries that are plagued by excess capacity amid economic restructuring.

Li also encouraged manufacturers to further improve efficiency and increase quality with a "craftsman's spirit" when he visited the Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co in Shiyan, Hubei province, which produces 80,000 heavy trucks annually.

Zhang said the "craftsman's spirit" integrates labor and technologies, which will boost products made in China from a low-end industrial structure to a high-end one.

Li also saw innovations by high-tech companies at the Optics Valley Exhibition Center in the Donghu Lake High-technology Zone.
China's State-owned commercial lenders have made strong progress in promoting renminbi internationalization, with the currency falling 5.6 percent against the US dollar in the past year.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd has issued its first renminbi-denominated certificate of deposit, allowing institutions to issue and clear financial products denominated in the Chinese currency in the US.

The CD, valued at 500 million yuan ($76.3 million), has a 31-day maturity and allows US borrowers to issue renminbi-denominated securities for trading and settlement purposes.

"The launch presents a significant milestone in meeting the growing demands of investors in the US and around the world to have access to the renminbi," said Jiang Jianqing, ICBC's chairman, in a statement.

"The renminbi is an increasingly important part of the global payments system, as payments in this currency are growing faster than overall global payments in all currencies."

Between February and March, renminbi payments increased 18.5 percent in value compared with a 10.7 percent increase in payments of other currencies, according to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which said the renminbi is now the fifth-most active currency used for global payments.

ICBC and BNY Mellon Corporate Trust, the issuer and paying agent of the new CD, are members of the Working Group on US Renminbi Trading and Clearing, which promotes trading, clearing and settlement of the Chinese currency in the US.

The group is chaired by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who said at the launch ceremony that it is important that US firms can easily use Chinese currency.

"Being able to clear renminbi here will lower costs for firms that want to do business, make our financial centers more competitive globally, and strengthen US-China relationships.

"All of that will help growth on both sides of the Pacific," Bloomberg said.

Large Chinese commercial lenders have been accelerating the internationalization of the renminbi, in tandem with ongoing business expansion abroad by Chinese companies and banks.

ICBC registered 4.34 trillion yuan in cross-border renminbi business volume in 2015, up 18.61 percent from the previous year.

Bank of China Ltd, another leading player in renminbi internationalization, recorded 5.39 trillion yuan in cross-border renminbi settlement last year.

Its cross-border renminbi clearing business volume rose 37 percent year-on-year to 330.96 trillion yuan.
The sluice gates of the Three Gorges Dam. [Photo/Xinhua]

China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd, an offshoot of the world's largest hydropower operator China Three Gorges Corp, is to offer up to 19 percent of its equity to outside investors, according to a senior executive.

"We're diversifying our shareholding because CTG is dedicated to expanding internationally, and to transforming itself into a market-oriented business," said Wang Shaofeng, vice-president of China Three Gorges International Corporation.

CTG owns 70 percent of CSAIL, with the remainder split (15/15) between the Silk Road Fund, and IFC (International Finance Corporation), a member of the World Bank Group.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Second China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Media Forum, Wang said the company is ready to offer stakes in CSAIL, and eventually expects to hold no more than 51 percent of the operation.

Established in March 2012, CSAIL focuses on hydro, wind and solar energy projects mainly in Pakistan, but also in other markets along with the Belt and Road Initiative.

It has been involved so far in eight Pakistan projects: one completed wind farm, and three hydropower projects already under construction with four others in the pipeline, including the $2.4-billion Kohala hydropower project.

"We have started nearly $7 billion worth of projects in Pakistan, and that figure is projected to exceed $50 billion by 2039," Wang said.

"We will also be investing in other mega hydropower dams along the Indus River, which we hope will help tackle Pakistan's power shortage."

CTG officials expect that by 2020, about 15 percent of CTG's revenue will be generated from overseas.

Zhang Yuan, a researcher with public policy think tank Anbound Consulting Co, said Pakistan is such a huge market for CTG because of the two sides' complementary skills, and the favorable policies on offer by the Pakistani government.

But he also cautioned that Chinese companies still need to be careful when it comes to due diligence on deals.

"Companies should get to know Pakistan on everything from economic policy to agrarian conditions, local customs and cultures, well before entering any agreement."

Mushabid Hussain, chairman of the parliamentary committee on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, welcomed the equity offering by CTG.

"We are glad that it is set to attract more international investment, and we are always supportive of China investors," he said at the forum.

"Pakistan welcomes global industry investors, and is ready to offer strong safeguard measures and preferential policies," said Hussain.
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China will boost growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) sector in the next three years, said a statement issued by the National Development and Reform Commission on Monday.

By 2018, China shall build platforms for fundamental AI resources and innovation and make breakthroughs on basic core technology, said the three-year implementation program for "Internet Plus" AI.

The country shall be in line with global AI technology and industries by 2018, it said.

The program will involve key projects such as intelligent home appliances, smart automobiles, intelligent wearable devices and robots.

Government departments shall map out supportive fiscal policies for the sector and boost international cooperation, it said.

China has been promoting the robotics industry as it strives to upgrade its manufacturing sector and address labor shortage.

Last year, China announced the "Internet Plus" initiative to enable more businesses to take advantage of the internet.

Also last year, China unveiled the "Made in China 2025" blueprint, which aims to improve manufacturing and shift the country away from low-end manufacturing to more value-added production.
The manufacturing sector in China will receive more support as policymakers try to stabilize and restructure the economy.

Last week, three more plans were released to help the embattled sector, including encouraging technological innovation, such as intelligent machines, and funding for 10 major manufacturing projects, which will enhance competitiveness.

The country aims to achieve over 7-percent annual growth in the manufacturing sector during the 2016-2018 period, and hopes to attract 15 percent more corporate investment, which will support upgrades, during the period, according to the plans.

It also announced supportive policies for certain manufacturing industries, including ship-building, advanced equipment and general aviation.

Wu Qi, a researcher with China Minsheng Bank, said the support had been designed to shore up the traditional manufacturing sector while fostering new industries, providing better goods and services through supply-side structural reform.

These policies came after data showed that growth in China's industrial output had slowed to six percent in April, while exports and imports fell more than expected, underlining weak demand both at home and abroad.

More plans -- which will focus on software and information technology, big data, new materials, and energy-efficient and environmental-friendly industries -- are expected within the year, Xinhua-run newspaper Economic Information Daily reported Monday.

Improving the manufacturing sector is a pressing task for China, as its status as "the world's factory" has been undermined by developing nations, and it is looking to identify new engines of growth amid a slowing economy.

Moreover, rising labor costs, shrinking export demands and tighter resource and environmental constraints are weighing heavily on the manufacturing sector. It is facing pressure on two fronts: competition from mushrooming manufacturers in lower-cost developing countries and a renewed push by developed nations seeking an advantage in industrial manufacturing.

According to statistics from Oxford Economics, China's manufacturing labor cost was less than half of the United States in 2003, is now only slightly lower than the U.S. level. However, China's manufacturing productivity, measured by output per employee, is less than one sixth of the U.S. level.

To catch up, China last year announced the "Made in China 2025" campaign, a 10-year plan to upgrade its manufacturing capacity.

Lu Bingheng with the Chinese Academy of Sciences said compared with the United States and European nations, China still has a competitive edge because of the country's comprehensive industrial system, a huge market and a massive labor pool.

Upgrading of the manufacturing sector through industrial modernization will revitalize the sector and help sustain growth in the economy, Lu said.
Photo taken on Feb. 21 shows the Huawei press conference held on the eve of the official start of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Lino De Vallier/Xinhua]

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei here on Monday presented its ongoing project the Huawei ICT Road Show 2016.

The road show is a demonstration center under the title "Open ROADS to a Better Connected World", which will travel through nine European countries over the coming three months, allowing Huawei to show off its latest technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Software Defined Networks (SDN), data centers, and 4K video.

The road show opens in Spain to mark the 15th anniversary of Huawei starting operations in the country. In a speech at the inauguration of the event, Tony Jin Yong, the CEO of Huawei Espana commented that the company was "once again showing its firm promise to promote the development of the digital economy."

"We should not wait for the future to arrive, we have to work together to create it and we have to work together to increase connectivity, build new business models and work in the areas of user experience, which we, at Huawei, have identified as the motor of the digital transformation of the industry," he said.

The coming week will see Huawei demonstrate five initiatives which it believes will create new opportunities in the telecommunications sector, while speeding up its digital transformation. These are omnipresent video, the impulse of IT technology, agile practices, elastic architecture and ubiquitous cable.

In order to do this, Huawei has designed two "demo trucks", the first of which shows off the companies services, such as data services, cloud and digital services, while the second showcases solutions such as elastic architecture and ubiquitous cable.

The ICT road show will remain in Madrid for a week before moving to Barcelona on May 30.
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Sheng Guangzu, CRC general manager, heads up the Chinese railway delegation to Malaysia. [File photo]

A delegation of major Chinese railway companies began a visit to Malaysia on Monday in a bid to win a multi-billion-dollar high speed railway project.

The Kuala LumpurSingapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project has attracted great attention from Chinese companies.

The delegation visiting Malaysia is composed of representatives from China Railway Corporation (CRC), China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), China Railway Signal & Communication Corporation (CRSC) and several financial institutions.

Their competitors are from Japan, South Korea and Europe.

The bidding result remains unknown, but Chinese companies have been competitive, said an anonymous person from CRC. The Chinese companies have shown a strong ability to control costs while building Chinas gigantic railway network and have proposed an appealing funding plan for the HSR project.

Due to a deficiency of money, funding capability has become a major factor in the bidding.

Connecting Kuala Lumpur with Singapore, the HSR rail is designed to extend 356.1 kilometers and will cost about 74.5 billion yuan (US$11.37 billion). According to the latest announcement from the Malaysian authorities, the project will start in 2017 and be completed by 2020.
China's revised Environmental Protection Law has contained law violations one year after coming into effect, although more efforts are needed, an evaluation report suggested.

The report, compiled by environmental law academics and issued on Monday, revealed that China in 2015 handled 4,191 cases in which polluting companies were closed or polluters seized, and 3,106 cases in which production was halted or restricted.

Last year, a total of 3,764 cases were recorded in which polluters were detained or transferred to authorities on charges of committing environmental crimes, according to the report.

The report says that a conflict between protection and economic growth still exists in many places, and that more must be done to address the issue.

The revised Environmental Protection Law came into effect on Jan. 1, 2015.
A retrial is expected to start later this week in Tangshan, Hebei province, for 34-year-old Liao Haijun, who was convicted of attempted murder in 2003 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

An undated photo shows Liao Haijun (right) and his father standing in front of their house. [Photo: thepaper]

Media reports, quoting Liao's lawyer, said on Sunday the retrial of the case is expected to start on Thursday morning.

The lawyer said a postponement of the case may be demanded as he just took over the case and needs time to review the files.

Liao was accused of killing two girls in 1999 and was sentenced to life in prison at the first trial in 2003.

The murders took place in Qianxi County, where the bodies of two 9-year-old girls were found in a dry well. One week later, local police announced the case was solved and Liao was under strong suspicion for committing the crime.

His parents were also sentenced to five years in prison for covering for their son.

Liao's father died in 2010. His mother has been appealing against the sentence since her release from prison as she insists the evidence in Liao's case is weak and insufficient and the physical evidence has likely been tampered with either intentionally or unintentionally.

The retrial was ordered six years ago by the Supreme Court but the local court has been slow to implement the decision.

Liao has been out on bail for the last six years, and has even got back his national ID.

Under Chinese law, criminals serving time in jail are barred from obtaining a national ID.
Ten Pere David's deer from a park in Beijing have been sent to a national nature reserve in north China's Hebei Province to enrich the gene pool of the population there, sources with the reserve said Monday.

The group of Pere David's deer were bred in Beijing Nanhaizi Pere David's Deer Park and arrived at Luanhe Upper River National Nature Reserve, the northernmost habitat for the deer in China, on Sunday.

The reserve had prepared a 6-hectare temporary enclosure for the deer while they adapt to local conditions. They were released to the zone around 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. When they are accustomed to the local environment, they will be released to the reserve.

The ten deer join five already living in the reserve. If the attempt to integrate the two populations is successful, more deer will be brought to the reserve, said Yan Xun, an official with the State Forestry Administration.

The Luanhe Upper River National Nature Reserve had 22 Pere David's deer in 2014, but 15 of them died in a Clostridium welchii epidemic in 2015. The disease is a kind of food poisoning common to herbivores causing intestinal bleeding, according to Wang Guizhong, a local forestry official.

Pere David's deer were named after a Basque missionary to China who introduced them to Europe in the late 19th century.

The species which is under state protection in China had died out there by 1900 due to natural disasters and hunting. In 1985, 22 specimens were brought to China from the world's only remaining herd in the United Kingdom. China is now home to more than 5,000 Pere David's deer, with over 800 living in the wild.

The species bears the odd nickname of "sibuxiang," or "none of the four are alike" for its unique appearance -- a horse's face, a donkey's tail, cow-like hooves and a stag's antlers.
Half a month before millions of high schoolers take China's national college entrance exam, a new batch of fake colleges has been exposed.

A list released last week on sdaxue.com, a site that helps students choose higher educational institutions, exposed 73 Chinese universities or colleges as unaccredited diploma mills. The website has published its annual list of fake schools since 2013. This list pushes the total number of phony colleges exposed to over 400.

On the list are 23 schools in Beijing where many of the country's top universities are located. Shandong was second, with eight fake colleges, while Shanghai has seven.

Names of institutions are usually slightly altered versions of the names of real universities and colleges to confuse prospective students. Accreditation is usually fabricated or out of date. According to the website, 66 of the 73 bogus colleges were not on the college list published by the Ministry of Education (MOE), while 6 used old names of legal colleges. One used an alternative name of a Party school in Beijing.

WHERE'S MY SCHOOL?

These colleges usually woo and swindle high school graduates through slick recruitment sites.

Xinhua reporters contacted a dozen of them, all supposedly located in Beijing, but none of their phone numbers were available. Most of their addresses are in the suburbs, making them hard to find. Some, such as the address of "Beijing Normal University of Science and Technology," simply do not exist.

"Approved by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, our college trains talent for education and global labor services," reads the website of Beijing Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture, reportedly located in Beijing's Chaoyang District. The college claims more than 16,500 graduates and excellent teaching facilities. Xinhua reporters could not locate the college at its address, although a vocational school was found. One of the school staff confirmed that no other college is located there, and that the vocational school was the only education institution in the vicinity.

The college's name has been hijacked from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Newsletters and campus pictures were likewise copied from the university's site.

Beijing Tongji University of Medical Science, which claims to have been established in 1983 in Chaoyang District, was also non-existent. An employee of a nearby hotel said he has never heard of the college in 40 years.

LESSONS LEARNED

Many of these fictitious colleges have their own websites where their fake certification can be found and verified.

Chen Jiangping, formerly a content supervisor of sdaxue.com, said many scammers use names of students they have "recruited" which are very similar to names on approved MOE documentation for verification.

"Over the years we have received many reports from students who were cheated by fake websites," Chen said. One student claimed to have spent more than 10,000 yuan (1,500 U.S. dollars) on online courses from a college in Shanghai, but later could not find his diploma on the official MOE site.

Chen said that even though fake colleges are exposed each year, it is very difficult to eradicate them because a fake college website is cheap and simple to make.

"Many have foreign IP addresses, so it is hard to supervise them," he said.

Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow with the National Institute of Educational Sciences, said that fake colleges which claim to be in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai prey on students from smaller, distant cities, making on-site verification difficult.

He suggested the government identify fake colleges and stop the spread of their recruitment materials, with high schools doing more to advise graduates properly. Students with low gaokao scores are easy targets, he added.

Wang Jinhai of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics believes that only when police, education authorities and industry work together will the problem be solved.

"China should also work with other countries to close down fake websites," he said.

Education authorities in Beijing are coordinating with police to investigate and close the fake colleges.
Excessive ozone gas has become the prime pollution problem in Beijing in recent days, replacing the notorious PM2.5, and it's likely to linger for a couple of days, the capital's environmental monitoring authority said on Monday.

Because of the sunshine, many residents may not have noticed that ozone reached an alarming 242 micrograms per cubic meter at 2 pm on Sunday, according to the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center.

During warm weather, ground-level ozone increases. It is known to harm lung function and irritate the respiratory system. Exposure to ozone is linked to premature death, asthma, bronchitis, heart attack and other cardiopulmonary problems.

On Monday, when clouds blocked the sun, PM2.5 particles returned as the dominant type of pollution in Beijing, the center said. But ozone is expected to return to No 1 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Different from the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere, excessive ozone concentration at ground level is tied directly to health. Therefore, experts strongly suggest that people stay indoors around noon to avoid the gas, which, unlike particulate matter, cannot be blocked by protective masks.

Ozone at ground level is generated mainly through complicated photochemical reactions. It is closely related to other air pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. Levels of ozone typically rise at midday due to strong sunshine and higher temperatures, said Chen Nianliang, a researcher at the monitoring center.

Every summer, ozone concentration typically soars from May to August in Beijing, overtaking PM2.5 as the prime pollutant.

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter 2.5 microns or less in diameter that harms health.

Last year, the capital saw fewer than 60 percent of days with air quality meeting national standards in the four-month period, and only 35 percent of days in July had good air quality, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The prime pollutant was usually ozone.

Summer ozone pollution is not a problem only in Beijing; it has grown into a thorny issue nationwide, the ministry said.

In 2015, the average ozone concentration in China's 74 major cities increased by 3.4 percent year-on-year, an increase of 7.9 percent over 2013, especially in the Yangtze River Delta region in the south, said Luo Yi, head of the environmental monitoring department at the ministry, in February.

The complexity of air pollution is increasing and the problem requires more comprehensive efforts, the ministry said.

In Beijing, the environmental watchdog has taken strict control on the emission of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, the key ingredients in ozone's toxic stew.

In addition, the ministry has pushed measures to reduce ground-level ozone and promoted the success against ozone made by Shenzhen, Guangdong province.
Most of this year's new graduates from Chinese colleges and universities are optimistic about the job market despite a lackluster economy, and an average monthly salary lower than 5,000 yuan (US$764) is acceptable to them.

This year, 7.56 million students will graduate from Chinese colleges and universities, setting a new record high.

A report provided by recruitment website Zhaopin.com showed that more than half of college graduates regarded this year's employment situation as "acceptable." The report attributed their optimism to the fact that graduates had yet to experience competition in the job market, as well as the fact that they had lived relatively comfortable lifestyles, having predominantly been born in the 1990s, when China became economically better-off on the whole.

Sun Tiantian (pseudonym), who will graduate from Northwest Normal University this year, told CNS the most important thing was to do what one loved to do. "I believe love and effort will definitely help me live the kind of life I want."

Sun expected a monthly salary of around 5,000 yuan. However, a report by Zhaopin.com showed the expected monthly salary of college graduates averaged 4,985 yuan, and a survey by 58.com, China's equivalent of Craigslist, indicated that more than 60 percent of this year's graduates expected a monthly salary lower than 4,000 yuan. Classifieds website Ganji.com also said that more than half of new college graduates expected a monthly salary under 3,000 yuan.

The figures showed that college graduates may have underestimated their market value, said Liu Kan, an executive of recruitment information at 58.com. On the other hand, it was also possible that some graduates prioritized simply becoming employed before worrying about further career planning.

Tong Chao, a senior recruitment consultant at Zhaopin.com, said many college graduates complained about a gap between their expected salaries and the actual amount enterprises were willing to pay. "It also indicates that college graduates' capabilities are yet to be recognized by employers."

At a teleconference on employment and entrepreneurship among graduates, which was held in Beijing on May 20, it was vowed that various parties would make efforts to expand employment channels, to ensure that this year's employment levels would not fall short of last year's amid downward pressure on the economy.
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Yang Zhenchao, vice governor of east China's Anhui Province, has been investigated for suspected "serious discipline violation," said the Party anti-graft agency on Tuesday.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China announced the decision on its website.
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China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying answers questions during a press conference in Beijing on Monday, May 23, 2016. [Photo: China's Foreign Ministry]

China on Monday said it will work with India to speed up negotiations on the boundary question prior to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's upcoming state visit.

Mukherjee begins his visit on Tuesday at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

In an interview with Chinese media, Mukherjee expressed willingness to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution to the question.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday that both China and India are committed to solving the disputes via negotiation.

Both countries have joined negotiations, managed their disputes and preserved peace in the area under dispute for three decades, said Hua at a daily press briefing.

The two countries have a number of boundary-related mechanisms including special representatives on the question.

The 19th Special Representatives' Meeting on China-India Boundary Question was held in Beijing on April 20. Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, special representative on the Chinese side and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval of India, special representative on the Indian side exchanged their views.

"China is willing to continue working with India to accelerate the negotiation and solve the issue at an early date," said Hua.
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EU foreign affairs ministers met on Monday to discuss the EU regional strategy for Syria and Iraq, the threat of Daesh (the Islamic State), and migration.

Ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said: "It is important to defeat Daesh to guarantee European security and, more importantly, to improve the life of Syrian people, to guarantee that political talks in Geneva restart and will have full success," referring to the UN-moderated attempt to broker peace talks between the Syrian government and its opposition.

"It is also important to keep Iraq in the picture as we see every single day that our work is not limited to Syria, but also on Iraq," she said.

The EU regional strategy for Syria and Iraq, which was scheduled to be discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, was adopted last March. The strategy outlined actions to be undertaken by the EU and its member states to help restore peace and security in Syria and Iraq.

During the meeting, Mogherini was scheduled to brief ministers on the EU Global Strategy that she was going to present in the coming weeks, intended to guide the EU's global actions in the coming years.

Michael Roth, minister of state at Germany's Federal Foreign Office, said upon his arrival the main topic of the meeting would be migration, and that officials would discuss how to better fight the causes of this crisis together.

"No refugee flees on their own will and we need to develop new strategies for the future," said Roth, adding that another important issue would be the EU's naval anti-human-smuggling mission.

Roth also expressed the willingness of support for the new Libyan government "in the path to more stability and statehood."

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in April reported 173,761 refugees and migrants had reached European soil by sea since the start of the year.
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The first world humanitarian summit opened Monday with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging governments, aid groups, the private sector and other stakeholders to act to improve the global humanitarian system.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (C) attends a photo session with other participants during the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 23, 2016. [Xinhua/He Canling]

In his opening remarks to the two-day summit, Ban called on the participants to make concrete commitments in five areas -- conflict prevention and resolution, strengthening the protection of civilians, leaving no one behind, ending humanitarian need and ensuring funding for humanitarian actions.

He put a particular emphasis on the issue of displaced populations, calling on the world to significantly reduce the number of the displaced in the years to come.

"I urge you to commit to halving the number of internally displaced people by 2030, and to find better long-term solutions for refugees and displaced people based on more equal sharing of responsibilities," he said. "We are here to shape a different future."

Also addressing the opening ceremony, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cited the heavy burden on Turkey in tackling the Syrian refugee crisis and stressed the need to revamp the global humanitarian system.

"The current system fails to meet the demands in the face of emergency problems and fails to develop solutions. Only certain countries take the responsibility," he said. "From now on everyone should share the burden."

"We have to adopt a new system that would put the human beings at the center," he said.

Turkey's aid to refugees has already exceeded 10 billion U.S. dollars, while the international community's support stopped at 455 million dollars, Erdogan said, adding that he hoped "the summit will be a turning point."

Also on Monday, dozens of people protested outside the venue of the summit and 12 of them were detained by police, according to local media reports.

The summit consists of plenary sessions, roundtable discussions, side events, and an exhibition featuring the humanitarian theme.

At the end of the gathering, a chair's summary will be issued to reflect its outcomes, and some time later a report containing commitments to action will be submitted to the UN General Assembly for follow-up.

Attending the summit are some 5,200 participants, including 65 heads of state and government and representatives from crises-affected communities, NGOs, the private sector and UN agencies, according to figures released by the United Nations.

Of the 192 UN member states, 177 are represented at the summit.

The event, which was proposed by Ban Ki-moon in January 2012, is a culmination of a four-year-long preparatory process, including an extensive global consultation with 23,000 stakeholders in 153 countries to identify the key humanitarian challenges facing the world.

The main topic for the summit is the Agenda for Humanity formulated by Ban, which focuses on five core commitments -- preventing and ending conflicts, respecting the rules of war, reaching out to the vulnerable, complementing humanitarian actions with development efforts, and ensuring sufficient funding for humanitarian responses.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday in Istanbul, Stephen O'Brien, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, described the summit as "a once in a generation opportunity to set in motion an ambitious and far-reaching agenda to change the way that we alleviate, and most importantly prevent, the suffering of the world's most vulnerable people."

The United Nations estimates that more than 130 million people are currently in need of assistance and protection across the world. Due to an increase of conflicts in the past two decades and various natural disasters taking place in the period, the need for humanitarian funding is unprecedented, with UN-led appeals having grown six-fold from 3.4 billion dollars in 2003 to nearly 21 billion dollars at present.
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Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been successful in narrowing gap with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton among voters nationwide while heading towards the general election in November, according to a new poll issued Monday.

Clinton leads the New York billionaire, 46 persent to 43 percent, in a test matchup, representing a much tighter margin than her 11-percentage-point lead in April and marking the first time in Wall Street Journal/NBC News polling this year that her support dropped below 50 percent in a contest with Trump, said a WSJ report.

Republicans have rallied behind Trump in the weeks since he effectively clinched his party' s presidential nomination, helping him narrow Clinton' s once double-digit lead to just 3 percentage points, said the report.

In the matchup against Clinton, Republican support for Trump jumped to 86 percent from 72 percent in mid-April. Democrats' support for the former State of Secretary remains largely unchanged, according to the poll.

"Republican voters are consolidating behind Trump. And a more united Republican Party, combined with an electorate looking for major change, has made this a too-close-to-call campaign," said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster who conducts the Journal/NBC News survey with Democrat Fred Yang.

However, the two likely nominees still suffer from the worst public images in the modern history of U.S. presidential politics, with 58 percent viewing Trump negatively and 54 percent expressing similar sentiments about Clinton, the poll shows.

A remarkable one out of 10 voters say they wouldn' t vote for either Clinton or Trump, a reflection of both candidates' unusually bad public images, said the report, adding that half of voters in the current poll say they wouldn' t consider an independent or third-party candidate.

The poll, conducted among 1,000 registered voters between May 15-19, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
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Eight people have been killed and others injured when armed men attacked an area near El Geneina, the capital of Sudan's West Darfur State, Sudan Tribune reported on Monday.

"Armed men belonging to a militia group launched a revenge attack against a mosque in Azarni area near El Geneina town, the capital of West Darfur State, which resulted in the killing of 8 people and injuring of others," the report said.

It said the attack took place on Sunday against the mosque of Azarni, some 10 km east of El Geneina.

Following the attack, West Darfur state government deployed wide military reinforcements on the streets of the state's capital in anticipation of protests that may lead to chaos, according to the report.

Some relatives of the victims were quoted as saying that angry armed men attack the mosque in revenge to the killing of one of their members in a quarrel with one of the area's citizens earlier.

No comment on the incident has been released from the Sudanese government authorities yet.

Tribal conflicts have become a nagging concern for local population and the authorities of the troubled region, where all popular and official efforts have failed to end the phenomenon which negatively affected the social fabric of the Darfur population groups.

There are many reasons behind the increasing violence in Darfur, including the security disorder and the armed movements which facilitate for the tribes to easily obtain weapons, besides the absence of authority in many parts of the region.

Darfur region lies on the far west region of Sudan with a total area estimated at around 500,000 square km. It is considered Sudan's western gate, where the region shares joint borders with Libya, Chad and Central Africa Republic.
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The Nigerian government was targeting 2019 to end fuel importation in the country, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said Monday.

Kachikwu disclosed this when he was speaking at an interactive session on removal of fuel subsidy organized by Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub.

"I can authoritatively say to you that given the constraints that we face, the plan is that by December 2018 we should have reduced our importation of petroleum product by 60 percent," he added.

"I am going around looking for investors to come in a joint venture basis to put in money into the refineries and make them work," the minister told his audience.

"This is because we would have brought enough money to get our refineries working to the tune of about 90 percent," he said.

According to him, for the first time in 10 years, the three refineries are working but at less than 40 percent capacity.

He said by the time the refineries were working at optimal capacity and the commencement of production by Dangote Refinery in 2019, Nigeria would be able to refine 1.4 million barrels per day.

Kachikwu said his desire was to increase the current production capacity from 2.2 million barrels per day to 2.6 million barrels within the next few years.

The minister said the subsidy regime was no longer sustainable because of the various fraudulent practices by oil marketers and other players in the sector.

Kachikwu said the liberalization of the sector would encourage competition and bring the price of fuel down within the next few months.
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The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has linked drought and flooding to the growing incidences of toxic ingredients in food substances such as cyanide in food, which is responsible for the death of millions of people worldwide.

Jacqueline McGlade, UNEP Chief Scientist said on Monday the effects of climate change were to blame for the increasing incidences of cyanide in food substances, mostly as a result of poisonous aflotoxins.

"There are toxic issues for human health caused by the aflotoxins affecting human food. The maize is responding to drought and flooding sometimes as a result of moisture content in the storage. This causes aflotixins. The question is what we do to deal with this aspect of climate change," McGlade said.

UNEP said in a new report released in Nairobi at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) that at least 12.6 million people died in 2012 as a result of unhealthy environment.

UNEP warned the environmental risks have their greatest toll on young children and older people.

At the UNEA meeting in Nairobi, where 130 ministers of environment are part of the 2,500 delegates in attendance to discuss a set of regulations to combat environmental risks, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said there was an urgent need to deal effectively with climate change.

"Our emphasis on growing our economies in the name of development is starting to kill many people. If you know something is killing somebody else and you continue to do it, then it is deliberate," Steiner said.

The UNEA meeting, emphasizing on the need to deal effectively with climate change, has expressed concern at the risk of diseases spreading globally at a much faster pace.

Braulio Diaz, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) said the effects of climate change were posing a risk to the spread of vector-bourne diseases worldwide.

"Agriculture would be affected worldwide. We are also loosing the genetic basis of our food production which will make it impossible for us to respond to food insecurity. This is worsened by ecosystem degradation and the health ecosystem which is important to us," Diaz regretted.

The UNEA meeting is discussing responses to climate change and the factors leading to premature deaths amid new reports that attribute 8.2 million deaths worldwide to non-communicable diseases.
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File photo shows Chinese tourists has been increasing significantly in UK in recent years. [Photo: Xinhua]

Latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed China has moved into Britain's top 10 most valuable inbound markets, British tourism authorities said Monday.

VisitBritain said on Monday that records have been set last year for inbound visits with strong growth from Britain's major inbound markets including the United States and Europe and double digit growth from newer markets China and the United Arab Emirates.

Statistics showed stellar growth from China in 2015 with visits up 35 percent on 2014 to 528,661, and spend up 16.53 percent to 939.53 million pounds (1.3 billion U.S. dollars). The number of visits from the Chinese mainland reached 270,000, with an increase of 46 percent, and the total expenditure was 586 million, up about 18 percent.

Visits from the United States, the most valuable tourism source market of Britain, grew 10 percent to 3.3 million in 2015, with their spending increased to a record 3 billion pounds.

A record was also set for visits from the high-spending UAE, up 34 percent in 2015 to 347,000 with spend up 12 percent to 487 million pounds, it added.

"Britain boasts some of the best attractions in the world and drawing more visitors in from key markets like China and the United States is fantastic news for the whole country and shows our tourism strategy is working," said David Evennett, British Tourism Minister.

"Tourism is a fiercely competitive global industry so it is fantastic to see Britain competing strongly in our most valuable source markets. Our innovative digital marketing campaign continues to drive tourism across our nations and regions, spreading its economic benefits across the UK," said Patricia Yates, VisitBritain director.
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Members from the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations voiced their support for China's stance on the sovereignty issue of the South China Sea at a press conference held yesterday in Toronto, Canada. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Members from the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations consisting of more than 80 Chinese Canadian organizations voiced their support for China's stance on the sovereignty issue of the South China Sea at a press conference held yesterday in Toronto, Canada.

During the press conference, the delegates bashed the deal reached between the United States and the Philippines which, in their view, troubled the region with instability. They also called for the Canadian administration not to intervene into the issues concerning the sovereignty of the South China Sea at the upcoming G7 Summit held in Japan.

Wei Chengyi, president of the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations, said, despite the fact that the South China Sea has been within the scope of China's sovereignty for several centuries, China continues to adhere to a peaceful road by pledging to resolve the disputes through direct dialogues.

The 80 societies affiliated to the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations have unanimously supported China's proposal and called for more overseas Chinese to encourage the stance of their original home country in order to sustain the peace and stability of the region, said the chairman.

Lin Li, honorary president of the Confederation, said, since the United States carried out the strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific, it has enhanced the military deployments around the sea and flamboyantly sent fleets and fighters time and again. It is the United State that escalates the tension of the South China Sea.

Chen Bingding, a lawyer and honorary president of the Confederation, spoke against the legitimacy of the arbitration proposed recently by the Philippines. As arbitration proceedings should be jointly initiated by both parties in a dispute, the application of the Philippines to arbitrate the dispute without the agreement of China does not comply with the common practice, he said.

The South China Sea has been inarguably under the sovereignty of China with sufficient historical evidence. With the growing competence of China's naval forces, the country is able to protect its legal interests which had been neglected due to its less mature navy. However, the legal defense has been accused by a number of countries alleging that China is the country causing the sovereignty disputes, Chen said.

"It seems like a robber is living next door to me. In the past, when he robbed my home, I was powerless to resist; however, now I have grown strong and warned him not to break into my house. Meanwhile, I stand accused as the one who provoked the dispute," Chen said.

The news conference was held on the day when the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Japan. The Confederation asked the Federal Administration to avoid any involvement in the political agenda set by a number of developed countries over the disputes of the South China Sea as the Summit is supposed to focus on economic issues.
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The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and allied militant groups unleashed a military campaign against the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) in al-Raqqa province in northern Syria on Tuesday, just days after the U.S. and the SDF put forward a plan for capturing al-Raqqa, a monitor group reported.

Citing what it described as "trusted sources," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the SDF, which is a newly formed Kurdish-led group supported by the U.S., along with fighters from Arab tribes unleashed an offensive on Tuesday morning against IS positions in the northern countryside of al-Raqqa province, which fell to the IS in late 2013 and later declared by the group as their capital in Syria.

The fighters started moving toward northern al-Raqqa from the southern countryside of the border city of Tal Abyyad and the countryside of Ein Issa in the northwestern rim of al-Raqqa.

The SDF are engaged in heavy battles against the IS under heavy airstrikes from the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition, said the UK-based watchdog group.

The Observatory, which says it depends on a wide network of activists on ground, said the offensive aims at its initial stage to strip the IS from a triangle connecting Tal Abyad, with the Division 17 and Ain Issa.

It added that the offensive in its initial stage does not include pushing deeper into al-Raqqa.

General Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Centcom, secretly visited northern Syria on Friday for 11 hours, during which he met with commanders of the SDF and other U.S.-backed rebel groups, including the Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa.

The visit was said to aim to coordinate the U.S.-led coalition and rebel plans in taking back Syria's northern province of Raqqa.

Pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said in a special report Sunday that a plan for unleashing an attack on al-Raqqa was put forward during the meeting.

According to sources familiar with the situation, the TV said the attack is expected to be launched with the participation of 12,000 fighters.

The conferees also discussed the requirements of the military offensive and the needs of the fighting groups, said the report, adding that agreement has been reached to focus on the Arab fighters who will attack to alleviate the fears of Turkey from any expansion of Kurdish fighters near the Turkish borders.

It said the meeting between Votel and the rebels came just days after a meeting between the Brett H. McGurk, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter IS, and Saleh Muslim, the head of the Kurdish Democratic Union in the countryside of Ayn al-Arab.

The report said the meeting discussed the same issue.

The 500 U.S. soldiers, who have recently crossed into Kurdish areas in northern Syria, will directly take part in al-Raqqa battle, said the report.

Even though the timing of the battle wasn't declared, the IS seemed to have anticipated the move, asking civilians in key areas in Raqqa to move toward IS-controlled towns in the countryside of that province.

Reports said the terror group also went on arrest raids for young men to oblige them to fight among its ranks.
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Visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the ongoing visit of the U.S. President Barack Obama to Vietnam is seen as "long step" in the U.S.-Vietnam relations in more than 20 years since normalization of ties, reported Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA.

Kerry made the remark on Tuesday while holding talks with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in capital Hanoi on the occasion of Obama's three-day visit to Vietnam.

At the talks, two officials welcomed outcomes of talks, meetings and exchanges between Vietnamese leaders and the U.S. President, as well as signing of significant agreements, especially those in economics, trade, investment, cooperation in combating climate change, and dealing with war legacy.

Minh and Kerry also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interests, including promoting ASEAN's centrality as well as boosting role of partners, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation, reported VNA.

Prior to the talks, Minh and Kerry witnessed signing ceremony of agreements on medical supplies and humanitarian cooperation, search and rescue, response to natural disasters, law enforcement and criminal justice, as well as in voluntarily teaching English in Vietnam within the Peace Corps.

Vietnam and the U.S. normalized ties in 1995, two decades after the end of their bloodstained 19-year war.
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The death toll of the nine bombings that rocked two coastal Syrian cities on Monday rose to 154, a monitor group reported on Tuesday.

In the city of Jableh, five bombings rocked a hospital and a bus station, killing at least 106 people.

Most of the bombings in Jableh were carried out at the main bus station, and when the injured were transferred to the city's National Hospital, a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt infiltrated the emergency room during the melee and blew himself up, killing at least 12 people of the medical team and tens of civilians.

In the city of Tartus, at least 48 people were killed when three bombings, two by car bombs and one by a suicide bomber, rocked near a bus station in the city.

The blasts are considered the first to hit Tartus and Jableh, which have remained largely calm during the country's five-year-old conflict.

It was a big blow to the Syrian government, as both cities considered bastions of the Syrian administration.

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility of being behind the bombings.
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Brazil's interim government has suffered damage on Monday as one of the ministers was caught on tape discussing that impeaching President Dilma Rousseff was to halt a corruption investigation involving state-owned energy giant Petrobras.

Planning and Budget Minister Romero Juca later announced his decision to take a leave from office to reduce the repercussion.

The recorded conversations indicate that the senator-turned-minister was eager to impeach Rousseff not because of the alleged motive for her impeachment, namely fiscal irregularities, but because the corruption investigations were about to implicate a number of high-profile politicians.

In conversations with Sergio Machado, the former head of Petrobras' oil and gas transportation company Transpetro, Juca said he was worried that more executives of construction companies involved in fraudulent contracts with Petrobras will turn in evidence, implicating more politicians in the corruption scandal.

The records were made in March, before the first impeachment vote against Rousseff. In one of the conversations, Juca said that the government must halt the investigations, and that putting Vice President Temer in office would lead to a "big deal" which would result in the investigations being scrapped.

He also implied that the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) will fall if the investigations continue, and that he talked with Supreme Court judges who said that investigations could only be halted without Rousseff in office.

Rousseff has been impeached over alledged fiscal irregularities.

The three-year-long investigation into a major corruption scheme involving the country's most important state-controlled company has so far resulted in the arrest of several politicians, former Petrobras executives and executives of some of Brazil's leading construction companies.

Interim President Michel Temer's administration has been facing several protests against the interim government since taking office, including a gathering of 40,000 Rousseff supporters in Belo Horizonte on Friday.

Analysts said though Temer's administration retains the support of several political parties, it remains unclear whether it will be strong enough to face the challenges to come in the next few months.

There is still a possibility that Rousseff's Workers' Party will win enough Senate votes to put her back in power, they said.
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South African President Jacob Zuma has applied for leave to appeal against a High Court ruling that corruption charges against him should be reinstated, his office said on Tuesday.

President Zuma believes the court ruling "affects him directly and is of a strong view", the Presidency said.

The president believes "the appeal has reasonable prospects of success", it added.

Ruling on a case brought by the opposition last month, the Pretoria High Court ordered the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to reconsider the more than 700 corruption charges against Zuma.

The NPA on Monday said it would appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision.

In early 1999, Zuma was charged with fraud and corruption in an arms procurement deal with European countries, worth about 30 billion rand (about 1.9 billion U.S. dollars at current rate).

The NPA withdrew the charges, citing conspiracy against Zuma, weeks before the 2009 election in which Zuma won the presidency.

The Presidency said the High Court erred in terming the NPA decision to drop the charges "irrational" in a legal case and saying the National Director of Public Prosecutions was not entitled to terminate a prosecution on the basis of misconduct and abuse of process.

It also said the court failed to properly evaluate evidence given by the president and the National Director of Public Prosecutions.
, CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER BY STOYAN ZAIMOV CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER

image: http://images.christianpost.com/full/86422/christians-in-china.jpg image: http://images.christianpost.com/full/86422/christians-in-china.jpg (PHOTO: REUTERS/KIM KYUNG-HOON) Believers take part in a weekend mass at an underground Catholic church in Tianjin November 10, 2013.

The Communist Party in China is enforcing a new policy requiring Roman Catholic officials to carry ID cards stating their religious affiliation or risk losing the right to preach. Christian groups say this is another attempt by the regime to thwart the growth of the Christian faith in the country.

Catholic News Site UCA News reported that Buddhist monks are already being required to carry such ID cards, and by the end of the year the same will be expected of Catholic and Taoist priests.

Protestantism and Islam  the other two of Chinas five officially recognized religions  will surely face orders to follow suit in the near future, the report suggested.

Persecution watchdog groups, such as International Christian Concern, have called the ID card requirements Nazi-like.

ICC is distressed to hear of the Nazi-like identification credentials for Christian leaders in China. Our concern is that this new requirement will force many churches and their leaders underground, said ICC Advocacy Manager Nate Lance.

It is becoming ever clearer that the communist government and ardent Maoist President Xi Jinping is concerned over the growth of the Christian faith in China. We strongly request that the government rescind these requirements for all faiths, allowing the Chinese people to worship as they please, Lance added.

Religious leaders found without their ID cards will reportedly be banned from engaging in religious activities, said the State Administration for Religious Affairs, which governs religious activity across the worlds most populous nation.

There has been an increasingly growing crackdown of churches in China, with a government campaign forcefully removing rooftop crosses from churches in several different provinces, which has led to the arrest of hundreds of activists and church goers.

Earlier in February, the Chinese government also arrested and formally charged Pastor Gu Yuese of Hangzhous Chongyi Church, the largest government sanctioned church in China. Though Communist Party officials say that Gu is being investigated for embezzling funds, groups such as China Aid have said he is being punished for standing up to the crackdown on churches.

News of the new ID card requirement follows a Human Rights Watch report which highlights the growing problems of religious persecution in China. The report noted that the governments campaign has led to the demolishing of entire churches in Zhejiang Province, considered the heartland of Chinese Christianity.

The Communist Party continues to deny that it is infringing upon the religious freedom rights of its citizens, with party member Li Yunlong writing in China Daily that human rights criticism is a product of subjective bias and prejudice with no foundation in reality.

In China, all citizens can freely choose their own religious beliefs, express their beliefs and take part in religious activities. The social environment is constantly improving for the prosperity of religion in China, and society has become more and more objective and reasonable toward religions, Li argued.

China Aid President Bob Fu told The Christian Post in an interview earlier this month, however, that the government is very concerned about the growth of Christianity, since Christians now outnumber the members of the Communist Party.

The top leadership is very increasingly worried about the rapid growth of Christian faith and their public presence, and their social influence, Fu told CP.
Xiang Lihua

China Aid

By Rachel Ritchie





(Wenzhou, ZhejiangMay, 17, 2016) A detained Christian was released on Friday in Chinas coastal Zhejiang region; however, her husband, a pastor, and the couples oldest son are still in detention.

Xiang Lihua was criminally detained on April 25 for gathering a crowd to disturb social order, along with her husband, Wang Xiaowu. The couple has been providing legal counsel for churches affected by the cross demolition campaign in Zhejiang.

The couples oldest son was detained for obstructing public service when he attempted to prevent his parents apprehension.

China Aid reports on cases, such as the Wang familys, in order to expose the abuses perpetrated by the Chinese government. China Aid will continue to monitor this case and report new information as it becomes available.

China Aid Contacts

Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.chinaaid.org
US President Barack Obama arrives at Noibai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam May 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Analysts have urged Washington not to intensify regional tensions by provocative words or actions ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to Hanoi on Monday.

Obama's tour should not harm the interests of countries in the region, as some are currently involved in maritime disputes, they said.

It will be Obama's 10th trip to Asia as United States president. According to Vietnamese media, Hanoi is paying great attention to this visit and has prepared a high-level reception for Obama.

White House officials say Washington is considering lifting restrictions on arms sales during Obama's first visit to Vietnam. He will also visit Japan.

"It's a kind of farewell tour for Obama, who expects to enhance his diplomatic legacy during the visit," said Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China.

However, this should not be done by harming the interests of countries in the region, Jin said.

Fu Mengzi, vice-president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the US is "making new friends", in addition to its existing allies, to carry forward its Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is expected to rule soon on a unilateral arbitration case submitted by the Philippines on its territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

Fu said that in view of this arbitration, the US should not "hype up" the situation or cause provocation in words or actions.

Observers said Vietnam is not likely to side with the US, as the Asian country is trying to strike a diplomatic balance among nations including China, the US and Japan.

During Obama's visit to Japan, he will attend the G7 summit on Thursday and Friday and will end his trip with a visit to Hiroshima. He will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, which marks the atomic bombing of the city on Aug 6, 1945, that helped end World War II.

Jin said that with the Asia-Pacific region becoming increasingly important in global strategy, one purpose of Obama's visit to Japan is to bolster relations with its ally in the region.

Regarding the trip to Hiroshima, the White House has said it is not willing to give an apology.

"However, an apology for the past could be played up by Japanese media," Jin said, adding that this will not be accepted by China.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Thursday, "We hope that by inviting leaders or political figures of other countries to visit Hiroshima, Japan is telling the world that it will never tread on the path of militarism again, as it once brought unspeakable suffering to its people and the people of Asia."

US Trade Representative Michael Froman, who will accompany Obama on the trip, said the Trans-Pacific Partnership will open the Vietnamese market and benefit US businesses, citing the high tariffs there for vehicles and beef.

The partnership is a trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries signed in February in Auckland, New Zealand, after seven years of negotiations. It has not entered into force

Froman also acknowledged challenges in Vietnam concerning child labor, intellectual property rights and the environment.

He said the Obama administration is consulting with US Congressional leaders to discuss holding a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The US, Vietnam and Japan are part of the proposed pact, but both Japan and the US are facing an uphill battle to ratify it.

Chen Weihua in New York contributed to this story.
A vessel built by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Co Ltd is delivered to Greek shipowners, Nov 28, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Though Chinese shipbuilding has yet to come in from the cold, recent restructuring, cuts in overcapacity and upgrades have given the troubled industry more hope, a report showed.

The industry received in 2013 new orders with dead weight tons (DWT) of 70 million, up 242 percent year on year, according to a report posted by the Information and Technology Ministry.

Altogether, 80 percent of these new orders went to the 20 industry leaders, the report said, up 5.5 percent on last year.

The industry had attracted orders for sophisticated ships, the report said, citing 6 liquefied natural gas carriers and 4 Very Large Gas Carriers.

Despite the progress, insiders believe that hard times for the industry are far from over, as it grapples with a recession caused by waning demand and higher costs, following the financial crisis of 2008. Chinese authorities have introduced a slew of measures to encourage upgrading and mergers.

Zhang Guangqin, president of the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry, said it will take at least another five years for the influence of overcapacity be eased.
The sluice gates of the Three Gorges Dam. [Photo/Xinhua]

China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd, an offshoot of the world's largest hydropower operator China Three Gorges Corp, is to offer up to 19 percent of its equity to outside investors, according to a senior executive.

"We're diversifying our shareholding because CTG is dedicated to expanding internationally, and to transforming itself into a market-oriented business," said Wang Shaofeng, vice-president of China Three Gorges International Corporation.

CTG owns 70 percent of CSAIL, with the remainder split (15/15) between the Silk Road Fund, and IFC (International Finance Corporation), a member of the World Bank Group.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Second China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Media Forum, Wang said the company is ready to offer stakes in CSAIL, and eventually expects to hold no more than 51 percent of the operation.

Wang Shaofeng, vice-president of China Three Gorges International Corporation CHINA DAILY

Established in March 2012, CSAIL focuses on hydro, wind and solar energy projects mainly in Pakistan, but also in other markets along with the Belt and Road Initiative.

It has been involved so far in eight Pakistan projects: one completed wind farm, and three hydropower projects already under construction with four others in the pipeline, including the $2.5-billion Kohala hydropower project.

"We have started nearly $7 billion worth of projects in Pakistan, and that figure is projected to exceed $50 billion by 2039," Wang said.

"We will also be investing in other mega hydropower dams along the Indus River, which we hope will help tackle Pakistan's power shortage."

CTG officials expect that by 2020, about 15 percent of CTG's revenue will be generated from overseas.

Zhang Yuan, a researcher with public policy think tank Anbound Consulting Co, said Pakistan is such a huge market for CTG because of the two sides' complementary skills, and the favorable policies on offer by the Pakistani government.

But he also cautioned that Chinese companies still need to be careful when it comes to due diligence on deals.

"Companies should get to know Pakistan on everything from economic policy to agrarian conditions, local customs and cultures, well before entering any agreement."

Mushabid Hussain, chairman of the parliamentary committee on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, welcomed the equity offering by CTG.

"We are glad that it is set to attract more international investment, and we are always supportive of China investors," he said at the forum.

"Pakistan welcomes global industry investors, and is ready to offer strong safeguard measures and preferential policies," said Hussain.

Contact the writers at lvchang@chinadaily.com.cn
Zhongguancun sees an overall revenue of 503.56 billion yuan ($ 77.7 billion) in January and February of 2016. [Photo/zgc.gov.cn]

Zhongguancun Science Park is a multibillion dollar affair that is spearheading Beijing's technological innovation and contributing to Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei's coordinated development.

Established in 1988, it is the first national innovation demonstration zone. The park hosts more than 9,300 national-level high-tech enterprises, whose total revenue last year reached 4.08 trillion yuan ($623 billion), a 13.2 percent increase year-on-year, about 2.6 times than the figure in 2010.

Its contribution rate to the capital's economic growth has increased from 17.9 percent in 2010 to 36.8 percent in 2015.

"Over the next five years, Zhongguancun will support Beijing's evolution into a national technological innovation center and make contributions to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development," said Liu Hang, a member of the Administrative Committee of Zhongguancun Science Park.

The park boasts the world's second-largest number of most valuable tech startups. The number of so-called unicorn companiestech startups valued at more than $1 billion eachhas reached more than 40, second only to Silicon Valley in the United States.

Moreover, companies in the park applied for 60,603 patents last year, up 38.4 percent year-on-year. Its international influence has been further enhanced by global interest in it.

"Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp and Siemens AG have established subsidiaries, R&D center or incubators here. More than 200 companies among the Fortune Global 500 firms have set up branches," according to Liu.

The state-of-art enterprises there are speeding up their overseas expansion, establishing R&D centers overseas and carrying out overseas mergers and acquisitions, Liu added.

Enterprises at Zhongguancun Science Park are actively participating in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, and the park's successful experience in technological advancement and policy innovation could be promoted to the whole country, Liu said.

Zhongguancun is making efforts to build up a community of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated and innovative development, focusing on forefront information, biological health, energy efficiency and environmental protection, manufacturing innovation and new materials.
A worker adjusts the logo at the stand of Huawei at the CeBIT trade fair in Hanover, March 15, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

MADRID - Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei here on Monday presented its ongoing project the Huawei ICT Road Show 2016.

The road show is a demonstration center under the title "Open ROADS to a Better Connected World", which will travel through nine European countries over the coming three months, allowing Huawei to show off its latest technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Software Defined Networks (SDN), data centers, and 4K video.

The road show opens in Spain to mark the 15th anniversary of Huawei starting operations in the country. In a speech at the inauguration of the event, Tony Jin Yong, the CEO of Huawei Espana commented that the company was "once again showing its firm promise to promote the development of the digital economy."

"We should not wait for the future to arrive, we have to work together to create it and we have to work together to increase connectivity, build new business models and work in the areas of user experience, which we, at Huawei, have identified as the motor of the digital transformation of the industry," he said.

The coming week will see Huawei demonstrate five initiatives which it believes will create new opportunities in the telecommunications sector, while speeding up its digital transformation. These are omnipresent video, the impulse of IT technology, agile practices, elastic architecture and ubiquitous cable.

In order to do this, Huawei has designed two "demo trucks", the first of which shows off the companies services, such as data services, cloud and digital services, while the second showcases solutions such as elastic architecture and ubiquitous cable.

The ICT road show will remain in Madrid for a week before moving to Barcelona on May 30.
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (Center) speaks at a national poverty reduction teleconference in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2016. Wang Yang said Monday that China aims to lift more than 30 million rural residents out of poverty from 2016 to 2020 through industrial development. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

BEIJING - Vice Premier Wang Yang said Monday that China aims to lift more than 30 million rural residents out of poverty from 2016 to 2020 through industrial development.

In a national poverty reduction teleconference, Wang asked officials to develop industries according to local conditions and engage the poor people in these industries so that they can share the benefits.

Local governments should spend more on poverty relief-related industrial development, improve financial support, and create an enabling market environment for these industries.

At the end of 2014, China had 70 million people living below the nation's poverty line of 2,300 yuan (about $354 ) in annual income, almost all of whom live in the countryside.

China aims to eliminate poverty by 2020 when its 13th Five-Year Plan is completed.
Workers on a motor vehicle production line at a factory in Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo provided to China Daily]

BEIJING - The manufacturing sector in China will receive more support as policymakers try to stabilize and restructure the economy.

Last week, three more plans were released to help the embattled sector, including encouraging technological innovation, such as intelligent machines, and funding for 10 major manufacturing projects, which will enhance competitiveness.

The country aims to achieve over seven-percent annual growth in the manufacturing sector during the 2016-2018 period, and hopes to attract 15 percent more corporate investment, which will support upgrades, during the period, according to the plans.

It also announced supportive policies for certain manufacturing industries, including ship-building, advanced equipment and general aviation.

Wu Qi, a researcher with China Minsheng Bank, said the support had been designed to shore up the traditional manufacturing sector while fostering new industries, providing better goods and services through supply-side structural reform.

These policies came after data showed that growth in China's industrial output had slowed to six percent in April, while exports and imports fell more than expected, underlining weak demand both at home and abroad.

More plans -- which will focus on software and information technology, big data, new materials, and energy-efficient and environmental-friendly industries -- are expected within the year, Xinhua-run newspaper Economic Information Daily reported Monday.

Improving the manufacturing sector is a pressing task for China, as its status as "the world's factory" has been undermined by developing nations, and it is looking to identify new engines of growth amid a slowing economy.

Moreover, rising labor costs, shrinking export demands and tighter resource and environmental constraints are weighing heavily on the manufacturing sector. It is facing pressure on two fronts: competition from mushrooming manufacturers in lower-cost developing countries and a renewed push by developed nations seeking an advantage in industrial manufacturing.

According to statistics from Oxford Economics, China's manufacturing labor cost was less than half of the United States in 2003, is now only slightly lower than the US level. However, China's manufacturing productivity, measured by output per employee, is less than one sixth of the US level.

To catch up, China last year announced the "Made in China 2025" campaign, a 10-year plan to upgrade its manufacturing capacity.

Lu Bingheng with the Chinese Academy of Sciences said compared with the United States and European nations, China still has a competitive edge because of the country's comprehensive industrial system, a huge market and a massive labor pool.

Upgrading of the manufacturing sector through industrial modernization will revitalize the sector and help sustain growth in the economy, Lu said.
China Molybdenum Co Ltd, the country's largest manufacturer of the soft metal widely used in industry, has revealed plans to raise as much as 18 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) via a share placement.

CMOC shares rose 5.3 percent to close at HK$1.59 (20 cents) on Monday, following the share placement announcement, as the benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 0.22 percent.

Trading in its Shanghai shares was suspended pending an announcement.

The Chinese mining-and-processing company, which earlier this month agreed to buy an African copper operation from Arizona-based mining company Freeport-McMoRan Inc for $2.65 billion, plans to issue 5.68 billion new shares to investors at 3.17 yuan each, with proceeds to be used for what it called asset purchase projects.

The company has newly announced two overseas acquisitions worth a combined $4.15 billion by its wholly owned offshoot CMOC Limited.

It had previously said the purchases were to be funded with cash and undrawn credit facilities, based on CMOC's existing resources.

But that prompted Shanghai Stock Exchange to ask for details on the amount of debt involved, and what borrowing arrangements had been put in place with which banks.

The regulator also asked CMOC to conduct an analysis of the impact new debt might have, its asset-to-liability ratio, and the measures that CMOC would take to deal with any resulting financial issues.

Demand for molybdenum has been declining both home and abroad, and as a result Chinese manufacturers are under considerable pressure, resulting in falling profit and dropping investment.

CMOC floated in Hong Kong in 2007, and then listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2012.

It halted trading on April 28 at a price of 3.37 yuan per share in Shanghai, while continuing to trade in Hong Kong.

CMOC revealed on May 9 it had bought an operation which owns 56 percent interest in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine.

Then on April 28, it announced CMOC had entered a share purchase agreement with Anglo American Plc, to acquire the latter's niobium and phosphate business in Brazil for $1.5 billion.

CMOC previously bought a controlling 80 percent stake in copper deposit Northparkes Mines from Rio Tinto for $820 million.

Tenke Fungurume produced 204,000 tons of copper and 16,000 tons of cobalt in 2015, with total sales revenue of $1.38 billion.

World demand for cobalt, particularly, is currently being driven by its use in mobile phones and, increasingly, electric car batteries.

CMOC Chairman Li Chaochun said he now expects the latter acquisition to be completed by the end of the year.

He said the purchase is consistent with the company's strategic objective to expand and diversify its international portfolio with high-quality assets located in prolific mining regions that will promise significant long-term growth.

Also due to be completed within the second half of the year, the Anglo American deal, meanwhile, will help enhance the company's pole position in alloy manufacturing in China, said Kalidas Madhavpeddi, CEO of CMOC International.
Chen Zhen and his wife pose in front of their TCM factory in Budapest, capital city of Hungary, May 19, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chen Zhen and Wang Fan are a Chinese couple who opened a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) company in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

Chen has a PhD in medical sciences. He arrived in Central Europe as a clinical physician at the end of the 1980s. He noticed while working in Hungary that patients were prescribed very strong synthetic medicines even in the case of mild illnesses. These not only have very strong side effects, but they also cost a lot of money. In order to relieve patients' pain, Chen decided to use TCM to treat them.

In 1993, Chen and his wife founded their TCM company named Oriental Herbs. After more than 20 years' development, the company is the only TCM factory that adheres to the standards of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) in Europe, and has successfully registered more than 90 patents in 17 European countries.

Now, the company's medicines are sold in 5,000 pharmacies in the EU, and more and more European customers are willing to accept the herbal products.
Li tells entrepreneurs big data and cloud computing are pointing the way forward

Premier Li Keqiang called on Tuesday for enterprises to upgrade traditional manufacturing by using big data and cloud computing.

Every aspect of human production and daily lives has been penetrated by big data and cloud computing, Li said.

He made the remarks to entrepreneurs attending the China Big Data Industry Summit, which starts on Wednesday in Guiyang, the provincial capital of Guizhou.

Li said, "China is now integrating information technologies with production to increase the quality and quantity of goods and cultivate new momentum for a new economy.

"To achieve that, there must be professionals who know about new and traditional economies. If we can incorporate new technologies, such as big data, into the craftsman's spirit, the products we make will better meet the demands of consumers."

The craftsman's spirit is a term that has been used to describe the integration of labor and technologies.

Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Inc, the global computer manufacturer, said, "The information and communication sector is the key enabler of economic growth in the US.

"Two-thirds of US productivity growth between 1995 and 2005 came from this sector, and since then it has contributed one-third of the growth."

Dell said the same phenomenon has just occurred in China, and includes all sectors using information and communication technologies.

"Big data and innovation play an important role in economic transformation," he added.

Terry Gou, chairman of Foxconn Technology Group, which is based in Taiwan, said Oxford University has predicted that 47 percent of jobs will be replaced by robots in 20 years.

His company aims to use information, finance and technologies to shift from labor-intensive manufacturing to manufacturing driven by advanced technologies.

Ma Huateng, chairman and CEO of Chinese internet company Tencent Holdings, said the company saw a 40 percent year-on-year increase in revenue last year from a "sharing economy", which included a car-hailing service.
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Three quarters of Chinese consumers believe smart home technology will make an impact on their lives in the near future  on par with mobile payments and well ahead of wearable technology, according to market research company GfK.

In China, 96 percent of consumers say they are aware of the concept of smart home technology and 82 percent claim some level of knowledge about it. This makes China one of the best informed markets on smart home technology, giving retailers and suppliers a strong start, said GfK.

Let us take a look at the top five smart home applications that hold the most appeal for Chinese consumers.

No 5 Energy and Lighting, selected by 60 percent of respondents
A 1-meter-tall stone stands on Yongxing Island, marking the return of the island to Chinese sovereignty. ZHANG YUNBI/CHINA DAILY

Reporter's log

They still stand. Weathered and baked by the sun, certainly, but they stand as icons of defiance.

When people visit China's Yongxing Island in the South China Sea for the first time, residents proudly point out these symbols of China's sovereignty: a three-story gun tower and a 1-meter-tall stone with red lettering that marks the return of the island to Chinese sovereignty after the war against occupying Japanese forces.

The gun tower, now empty of weapons and refurbished was built by Japanese imperial forces after their occupation began in 1939. Its square openings allowed gun crews to train their fire on the South China Sea.

Both are located on the western part of one of China's Xisha Islands.

The two reminders of history are just a few meters from each other, and easily attract the attention of inquisitive passers-by. The leaves of coconut trees, swaying in the breeze, cast fleeting shadows on them in an almost idyllic scene.

The Xisha and Nansha islands were returned to Chinese sovereignty under the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Chinese government retook the islands in 1946.

The history of the islands, and their recovery, remind me of Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remarks when he was asked about the South China Sea in June last year at the World Peace Forum in Beijing.

"At that time, China and the US were allies, and Chinese personnel recovered the Nansha Islands from on board US warships. The American friends should be clear about this," Wang said.

Zhang Haiwen, a leading Chinese expert on international maritime law with the State Oceanic Administration, said that one of the most valid measures to confirm China's jurisdiction, in terms of international law, was publicly recovering the Xisha and Nansha islands by dispatching troops and prominent figures there.

To demonstrate China's sovereignty, officials and officers organized celebratory cannon fire and raised flags marking the return of the islands.

"Those measures effectively proved that China regained its sovereignty over the South China Sea islands. Also, the international community did not voice objections to such measures," Zhang said.

In addition to the United States, Japan has increased its profile concerning the South China Sea in the past two years. Tokyo is also seeking to pass a strong declaration on the South China Sea during the upcoming G7 summit in Japan.

There has been a widely accepted definition and agreement about Tokyo's wartime role. This may be ignored or glossed over by some in Japan, but wounds that were then inflicted are still sensitive.

As Japan frequently campaigns for reinforcing military cooperation with countries such as the Philippines, and boosts its military presence in the South China Sea, peace-loving people like to ask: What is Japan's ultimate purpose? Is it benefiting from stirring up the situation here? Are Japanese right-wingers trying to return to their past "glory"? These are questions that should not need to be asked, as the coconut tree leaves cast their shadows over reminders of history.
Three children died in a fire on Saturday at a building used by a private tutoring company as a childcare facility in the Changxing Island Economic Zone in Dalian, Liaoning province.

The blaze broke out as 24 sixth-grade primary school students were attending an English class.

One male student and two female students died at the scene and another student was slightly injured, the fire department responsible for the economic zone said on Sunday.

The zone's public security sub-bureau said on Monday four people had been detained in connection with the fire, including two owners of the tutoring company.

A teacher who was giving a lecture at the time helped to organize the students' evacuation. Firefighters found the three dead students in a bathroom on the second floor.

The fire department said it took 25 minutes to put out the flames, which engulfed 80 square meters of the two-floor residential building.

According to a preliminary investigation conducted by the police, the father of a man who rented the two floors had been frying chicken wings with an electric frying pan at his stationery store on the ground floor and had forgotten to switch off the pan when he left to look after his son's business.

After the man returned and found the pan had caught fire, he allegedly threw it to the ground and set the wooden floor on fire and the blaze spread to the second floor where the classroom was located.

The father and the two owners of the private tutoring company are being held on suspicion of being responsible for the three deaths, the police said.

The city's education bureau has set up a work group to probe the matter and the bureau head has visited the zone to assist with the investigation.

A woman surnamed Jia, who is the sister of a 12-year-old female victim, said the tutoring company collected students from schools each weekday at 4 pm and took them to the classroom to supervise them in finishing their homework until 6 pm. The center also provides tutoring classes on Saturday between 8 am and 4 pm, she said.

Jia said the cost of the service ran to 400 yuan ($61) per month.

Investigators believe the private tutoring company may have broken regulations prohibiting the setting up of a classroom in a residential building.

Childcare facilities and tutoring services are supposed to be registered and must meet certain standards but many consider the costs too high and unregulated providers of such services have become increasingly common.
An overloaded truck overturns on the Middle Ring Road in Shanghai's Baoshan district on early Monday morning. PHOTO BY YINLIQIN/FOR CHINA DAILY

Repairs to a broken section of elevated highway in Shanghai will take about two weeks, the Shanghai Road Administration Bureau said on Monday.

The section of the city's Middle Ring Road, a major arterial, was damaged at midnight by an overloaded truck, the bureau said.

Steel pipes and lifting jacks will be used to prop up the damaged section to that a safety assessment can be made. Repairs to the supporting piers and the road surface will follow the assessment, officials said at a media briefing.

"We will strive to complete the repairs in two weeks and will restore traffic as soon as possible," said Huang Rong, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government.

At around 12:30 am, one of four overloaded trucks from Shanghai Jianjing Logistics Co, each 10 meters long and carrying heavy concrete pipes, overturned on the Middle Ring Road near Hutai Road in Baoshan district. Trucks are banned from the road and most elevated highways in Shanghai.

A section of the highway was dislodged and at least one of the pieces moved, resulting in a height difference of 40 centimeters.

The truck's cargo fell onto the surface and some concrete pipes even struck the ground below the elevated highway. Four passing cars were damaged, but there were no reports of injuries.

The truck's driver and a trucking company boss were held by police. A preliminary investigation ruled out suspicions of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Nearly 5 kilometers of the highway - from Gulang Road to Gonghexin Road - will be closed to traffic during repairs. At least 12 bus routes will be required to make detours.

Traffic within 1.5 kilometers of the accident site was crippled during the morning and evening rush hour on Monday. The police suggested that people take subways to avoid the congestion.
Inspectors check a construction site that had been asked to halt operations on a smoggy day in Beijing's Tongzhou district in November. LIU CHANG/FOR CHINA DAILY

The revised Environmental Protection Law has performed well in reducing pollution since taking effect on Jan 1, 2015, by providing new enforcement tools, including higher fines and other legal sanctions, according to an assessment released on Monday.

The revised law, regarded as the strongest version ever in China, allows environmental authorities to levy fines on polluters on a daily basis with no cap, which has brought swift corrective action, the assessment said.

At least 85 percent of the companies surveyed after being fined said they had stopped their excessive emissions. In some regions, 95 percent said they had.

In 2015, environmental authorities fined 715 companies a total of 569 million yuan ($86.9 million), the Ministry of Environmental Protection said.

The assessment was co-conducted by researchers from the Institute of Environmental and Resource Law at China University of Political Science and Law, environmental groups and experts at other law schools.

More than 2,600 complaints of excessive discharges were made in 2014 against the 100 companies surveyed. That number dropped dramatically to 205 complaints in 2015 after the revised law took effect, the assessment said.

Experts conducted a series of surveys looking at 100 major companies that were being closely monitored by State or provincial environmental watchdogs from December to March, said Wang Canfa, the team leader and a professor at the institute.

"The survey found that the majority of respondents, especially the State-owned companies, have increased their awareness of pollution reduction, and have installed special equipment," said Tong Guangfa, a participant and professor of law at Beijing University of Agriculture.

In addition to the daily fines, the revised law also give stronger tools to the authorities - for example, tougher legal sanctions under which polluting companies' managers can be detained or transferred to legal organs quickly, and the forced suspension of production. These "were the big achievements in the implementation", the assessment said.

"However, the revised Environmental Protection Law still faces difficulties, especially at the grassroots level, because of limited funds and other resources," said Zhang Shijun, a professor at Shandong University Law School, who was in charge of drafting the chapter on problems in the implementation.

Minister of Environmental Protection Chen Jining said he, too, has seen weak implementation at the grassroots level because of such things as a lack of vehicles in some areas. The ministry will take measures to resolve such issues and continue to push forward the implementation, he said.
A girl was taught how to use the cutlery. [Photo/IC]

Many of the super rich in China are going the extra mile to help their children learn etiquette and manners.

To meet the growing demand of wealthy parents, James Seatton, a British etiquette expert, holds a training program in Shanghai for children aged 7-12 years where he teaches them how to behave like royalty.

At the high-end training courses, the children are taught British manners: From how to sip afternoon tea to royal lunch.

But the price tag is royal, too: A three-hour class (from 11 am to 2 pm) costs 2,800 yuan ($427).
BEIJING - The Chinese government has allocated 134.5 billion yuan ($20.5 billion) to subsidize compulsory education this year, the Ministry of Finance said Tuesday.



The funds, taken from the central coffer, increased by 3 percent from spending in 2015, the ministry said in a statement.



China requires children to receive nine years of compulsory education,normally from the ages of 6 to 15.



The subsidy should be used to balance education resources between urban and rural areas, according to the statement.



More funds should go to boarding schools, small schools or those with inadequate resources, and those with a large number of students from rural migrant families, the ministry said.



Part of the subsidy will also be spent on improving rural students' nutrition and the livelihood of rural teachers in poverty-stricken areas.
Court upholds sentences for deadly fireworks blast (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-05-24 17:22

ZHENGZHOU - A Chinese court on Tuesday rejected the appeals of four people who received sentences ranging from three and half years in prison to a suspended death penalty over the deadly explosion of a truck carrying illegally-produced fireworks in 2013.



Eight people had been sentenced for involvement in the incident on Feb. 1, 2013, when a truck loaded with over 12 tonnes of fireworks exploded on a viaduct of the Lianhuo Expressway in Henan Province, killing 14 and injuring eight others.



Four of them filed an appeal to the Henan Provincial Higher People's Court.



In rulings handed down on Nov. 11, 2015, the Intermediate People's Court of Sanmenxia City in Henan sentenced Zhang Genlin to a death sentence suspended for two years and fined him 200,000 yuan (30,520 U.S. dollars), while Xue Yunfang received life imprisonment and was fined 200,000 yuan. Zhai Gongchang was given a 14-year jail term and fined 100,000 yuan. The three were convicted of illegally manufacturing explosives and counterfeiting registered trademarks.



Guo Zhuanling received a jail term of three and a half years for causing an accident with dangerous substances.



The other four, who were convicted of causing an accident with dangerous substances or counterfeiting registered trademarks, did not appeal against their sentences of up to three years in prison.



Investigations found that the fireworks were illegally produced by a firm jointly operated by Zhang and Xue and transported by three other defendants including Guo using an unlicensed truck. The vehicle was overloaded by 108 percent when the blast occurred.
Chen Jingyu (left), deputy director of the People's Hospital of Wuxi, gives a banner to Zhang Zifang, Party chief of China Southern Airlines, to express gratitude for the airline company's efforts in ensuring a fast and safe transfer of donated human organs. The airline company held a press conference on Tuesday in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, to release the operating mechanism of its "green passage" service for transfer of donated human organs. [Photo provided to China Daily]

China Southern Airlines, the country's first civil aviation company to open a "green passage" for transfer of donated human organs, released the fast channel's operating mechanism on Tuesday in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Passengers carrying donated human organs can call 95539 or apply for the "green passage" service at the check-in counter. Then the airline company will contact the airport and the air traffic control department to help the passenger go through security check and take off as quickly as possible.

To facilitate message transmission, China Southern Airlines also has arranged specialists to stay in touch with some hospitals.

Organ donation awareness has been rapidly spreading across China. Last year 2,766 people donated major organs after death, almost double the number in 2014.

But only 2.6 organs per donor on average were successfully used in transplantation, while the number is between 3.5 and 4 in foreign countries, according to Chen Jingyu, deputy director of the People's Hospital of Wuxi in Jiangsu province.

"An important reason behind the low rate of usage is the delay during the long-distance transfer of donated organs. A "green passage" for such transfers may increase the rate by 30 percent," Chen said.

Given the state of less developed general aviation in China, civil aviation is still the main way for long-distance transfer of donated human organs in the country.

Chen, an expert in lung transplantation, has been calling for the opening of fast channels for donated organs in civil aviation. As a deputy to the National People's Congress, he made a suggestion during the two sessions held in Beijing in March last year about the opening of the "green passage".

His appeal was answered a year later. On May 6, China's health, police and transportation authorities jointly released a circular establishing a "green passage" to ensure fast and safe transfer of donated human organs.

According to the circular, police will help ensure ambulance right of way when health authorities deliver donated human organs. Airlines should provide priority boarding services and civil aviation authorities should allow planes carrying donated organs to depart first.

China Southern Airlines became the country's first civil aviation company to open such a "green passage", helping transfer a donated heart from the airport in Hangzhou to the airport in Wuhan in only two hours and 15 minutes on May 8, three days after the circular was released.

The airline company's staff helped doctors through check-in and safety check in only five minutes, saving nearly 30 minutes than usual and the flight landed in Wuhan 26 minutes ahead of schedule.

Tan Wangeng, general manager of China Southern Airlines, vowed that the company will ensure long-term input of resources on the transfer of human organs.

"The transportation of human organs is like a race between time and life. China Southern Airlines will help gear up the speed with a well-developed network of air routes and the 'green passage' service," Tan said.
WUHAN -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has highlighted reform and innovation to upgrade growth during his visit to Shiyan and Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Monday and Tuesday.

Reforms of state-owned enterprises should be carried out consistently and the market should be invigorated so that enterprises can be real market entities, he said when visiting a heavy truck manufacturer in Shiyan.

Independent innovation should be highlighted to sharpen competitive edges, he added.

Digestion of excessive production capacity is a key task in supply-side structural reform and inefficient production capacity must be cut firmly, he said when visiting Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp.

He also urged governments at various levels to protect the interests of laid-off workers.

Li visited Wuhan Donghu New Technological Development Zone, a base for China's photoelectron industry and a National Independent Innovative Demonstration Zone.

About 60 percent of Wuhan's economy is underpinned by new dynamics such as high-technology and modern services.

Cultivating new development dynamics and transforming traditional ones can create more jobs and help digestion of steel and coal production overcapacity, he noted.
Deputies, advisers strive to make a difference By Zhang Zhouxiang (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-17 08:20:44

Although I was assigned to cover this year's two sessions, I was not interested in the grand meeting at first.

Deputies discuss the annual national budget involving trillions of yuan, and I am only a humble wage earner. What has that to do with me?

My first trip was to the hotels where delegations from Henan province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region were staying. I arrived early along with the delegations to get familiar with them.

That trip changed my mind about the two sessions.

As I stood in the hall of a hotel, I happened to recognize a deputy, Li Guangyu, head of the Affiliated High School of Peking University, Henan branch. We talked a little while and the topic turned to what advice or motion he would offer this year.

"Educational equality," he said. "Only 7.5 percent of Henan high school graduates enroll at key universities. The percentage is 24 for Beijing and Tianjin and 22 for Shanghai. I'm always proposing giving Henan students more opportunities, and this year I will continue."

Born and raised in Henan myself, I could not agree more. Thirteen years after graduating from high school, I still often have nightmares about the days before taking the gaokao, the national college entrance exam. The number of college applicants from Henan was highest in the nation, yet the chance of admission ranked much lower.

Had I made a habit of sleeping earlier over the years, I might not have been part of China Daily today.

That afternoon, I also interviewed college presidents, a judge from a local court and a doctor who has been practicing medicine in a village for 49 years. Their motions and proposals varied, but they had one thing in common: they were practical. One college president called for fair education; the judge hoped to strengthen labor protection; the village doctor proposed to provide better medical conditions for rural regions to protect people's health.
China, South Korea high-level dialogue explores news outlets' role in cementing bilateral ties

Through integration, traditional and new media can grow with new impetus in China and South Korea, Liu Qibao, head of publicity for the CPC Central Committee, said in Seoul on Monday.

He said Beijing and Seoul should boost media cooperation based on deep cultural connections, to enhance understanding and relations on an individual level.
China's Ministry of Commerce and UK Trade & Investment jointly held a China-United Kingdom local investment and trade cooperation forum in Birmingham on Feb 26.

Sajid Javid, secretary of state for Business, Innovation and Skills and president of the Board of Trade, and Gao Hucheng, China's commerce minister, gave keynote speeches at the forum. Led by Liu Mingjun, vice-mayor of Qingdao, delegates of more than 10 enterprises from Qingdao, including Haier Group, Hisense Group and Tsingtao Beer Group, attended the forum.

Qingdao actively cooperates with partners from the UK in trade, environmental protection, energy saving, cultural industry and finance. That is why the Commerce Ministry made it one of the first batch of partner cities in Sino-UK local cooperation in trade and investment.

Liu Mingjun said that Qingdao has attracted 228 projects from the UK. Last year, the trade volume between the two amounted to about $1.6 billion. The UK is Europe's largest investor in Qingdao.

According to Liu, Qingdao looks forward to deepening its cooperation with the UK in high-end business affairs, environmental protection, cultural industry, marine technology, consultation, exhibitions, tourism, education and public health.

Liu said: "Qingdao is China's important industrial and port city. It has the world's seventh-largest port, and 144 air routes to major cities at home and abroad. It is an important city in the new Eurasian land bridge, China's Belt and Road Initiative and China's marine cooperation strategy."

As a national-level wealth management financial pilot zone, Qingdao will invite financial agencies, wealth management organizations, and training organizations from the UK to set up their branches in the city.

The Qingdao government sent a delegation to the UK in early April to transform a series of bilateral cooperation agreements inked by state leaders into concrete projects. In June, Qingdao will organize its enterprises to take part in the 2016 International Fair for Business in Liverpool.

(China Daily 05/24/2016 page10)
The photo shows that Lang Lang responds to a standing ovation after playing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Chicago Symphony Center on May 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Starting with a solo of Stravinsky's Fireworks Op. 4, world-famed Chinese pianist Lang Lang gave a passionate performance in the packed Chicago Symphony Center.

On Saturday night, Lang Lang performed in a special concert with the renowned Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The evening's program also included a solo of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No 3 and Stravinsky's The Firebird.

"It's very important to share music worldwide," Lang Lang told Xinhua. "Basically, I think a piano professional should be called a cultural ambassador or a bridge builder between cultures."

In an interview with Xinhua after the concert, Lang Lang did not talk much about his mesmerizing performance. Instead, he talked about his charitable causes, saying he felt good to see the children he has nurtured make progress.

He has set up the Lang Lang International Music Foundation with the goal of cultivating tomorrow's top pianists, and Lang Lang Music World, a multi-functional arts complex in the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Chongqing, where children can receive piano education.

The photo shows that Lang Lang responds to a standing ovation after playing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Chicago Symphony Center on May 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

"I know how to inspire children to do music, to teach them how to play music in creative ways," he said.

Lang Lang said he has also cooperated with other institutions and corporations to provide funding so that music can be included in schools' regular curriculum.

Besides, the musician has developed The Lang Lang Piano Method, a series of five books, to help children aged 5-10 learn music. The books have been released in the West, and the Chinese edition will be available in September.

Lang Lang also works with the United Nations to hold concerts and provide donations for schools with disabled children in China.

Coming from Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, Lang Lang said he is very proud of his roots and has partnered with the Liaoning Provincial Television to create a program called Lang Lang Sky. "We invited 200 sanitary workers to a recent concert," Lang Lang said, adding that he would like to do more in the future for those who work very hard.

"I want everyone to enjoy what music gives us," he said. "This hope, this love, this wonderful moment. I want everyone to feel that."

Related:

Chinese pianist Lang Lang performs at Old Opera House in Frankfurt, Germany
Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao are on stage to promote Chan's new film Skiptrace in Beijing on May 22. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Kung fu star Jackie Chan revealed on Sunday in Beijing that his life was at stake at one point during the filming of his new movie Skiptrace.

"I tried my best this time, and I almost died during filming," Chan said, remembering an incident in Guangxi province when he was shooting the new film. "I met a torrent, fell out of a raft and was sent rolling in the water. I'm not a good swimmer, so I was really screaming for help. But the staff could not get close enough to rescue me. Later, the raft was turned back by the torrent and I got my life back. Life is so vulnerable. It is horrifying."

The film has always been associated with a tragedy. On Dec 17, 2014, cinematographer Chan Kwok-Hung drowned while on a shoot for the film.

Chan was joined by another veteran martial arts movie actor Yuen Biao on stage at the press conference. The two have collaborated on and off since 1976. Chan shared a few memories with him and said, "Whenever we meet in life, we actually have one less meeting for the rest of our lives. Life and friends are all so precious."

Skiptrace is an upcoming action comedy film directed by Renny Harlin, produced by, starring and based on a story by Jackie Chan. The story tells of a retired detective from Hong Kong who teams up with an American gambler to battle against a notorious criminal boss. The film also co-stars Chinese mainland actress Fan Bingbing, Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang and American actor Johnny Knoxville.

"I had this script in my mind for 25 years," Chan said, "I have always dreamt of a runaway and chase story, to show both the Chinese landscape and culture along the roadside to the world.

Chan added that he still shows real kung fu in the film, instead of seeking help from CGI special effects. "Everybody works with a green screen now, but the hardest thing to do is to create real action," Chan said, "I'm not a fan of high-tech effects, I just like raw and simple things."

Skiptrace will hit Chinese theaters on July 22.

Related:

Icons discuss how to tell 'China's story'
Dhamek Stupa at Sarnath. [Photo/CRI/travel.india.com]

Chinese and Indian archaeologists are currently discussing a cultural cooperation project in the birthplace of Buddhism.

The Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences will collaborate with Indian archaeologists at key sites in Sarnath, India. The project is expected to include excavations, cultural relics protection, and safety monitoring and control, Wang Wei, director of the institute, told Xinhua Monday.

Sarnath, in Northeast India, is where Buddha gave his first sermon and is considered one of the most important holy sites by Buddhists.

"We are very excited because our archaeologists will be finally able to look for, and may later touch and protect Indian relics that they have only seen in books," said Wang.

Sanjay Kumar Manjul, director of the Institute of Archaeology under the Archaeological Survey of India, voiced strong support for the project, which is expected to begin in November and last until 2020.

Another project, focusing on relics at Rakhigarhi, west of New Delhi, the site of one of the largest Indus Valley Civilization settlements, will also be launched.

"We are two neighbors with a long history of cultural, spiritual and economic ties, and I believe this project will strengthen our connection," he said.

The director explained that during the first millennium, many Chinese scholars and monks traveled to India, including Xuan Zang and Yi Jing, who attended Nalanda University in Bihar, north India.

"The detailed accounts of their journeys are an important resource for historians, archaeologists, Buddhologists and those interested in studying cross-cultural interactions in the pre-modern world. On the basis of these records, archaeologists have explored several Buddhist sites in India," he said.

Indian archaeologists have been excavating at Sarnath since the late 19th century, and a considerable number of temple relics and statues have been discovered. However, they have yet to be dated.

Another mystery Wang is interested in is the connection between Buddha statues from the Gupta Dynasty, discovered in Sarnath, and similar items made in China during the Beiqi Dynasty (550-577).

"The relationship between these relics may tell us something new about the spread of Buddhism in China," said Wang.

The project will feature some of the world's leading archeological technology, including three-dimensional remote sensing and three-dimensional imaging systems, as well as advanced indoor testing and analysis techniques, said Wang.

Related:

Saga Dawa Festival celebrated in Tibet
Sun Ping, one of China's top performing artists of Peking Opera, receives an honorary doctorate from Chapman University, a prestigious private university in Orange County, California on May 21, 2016. The honor is for her achievements in Peking Opera and her contribution to the development and promotion of the ancient art. [Photo/Xinhua]

Sun Ping, a veteran Peking Opera actress and educator, was made a of Doctor of Arts honoris causa by Californias Chapman University on May 21.

She was recognized for her significant contributions to cultural and artistic exchanges through Peking Opera performances and lectures around the world (leaving an) indelible mark nationally and internationally (and) for better intercultural understanding, and peace and harmony among cultures and civilizations.

Chapman University, based in Orange, California, is among the US top higher educational institutions in performing arts.

This is the first time a Chinese Peking Opera artist is receiving the degree of doctor honoris causa from a renowned university on the West Coast of the United States since Peking Opera guru Mei Lanfang was given such a title by the University of Southern California in 1930.

Sun, the director of the Center for National Drama Studies at Renmin University and dean of the Institute for the Arts of Beijing Foreign Studies University, has been the countrys key promoter of Peking Opera in the US and Europe since the 1990s.

Related:

Shy star returns
Xia Pengcheng is holding a solo show of calligraphy and ink paintings in Beijing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Titled Time Speed, Xia Pengcheng's solo exhibition currently at Songzhuang village, an art district in Beijing's eastern suburbs, examines how people can achieve inner peace when living in a fast-paced environment.

The show at the Fine Art Equivalence gallery displays dozens of calligraphic scrolls and abstract oil paintings he has executed over the past year. It continues through May 30.

Xia is viewed by critics as one of the most promising Chinese artists, as he extends one hand to modernize Chinese ink traditions and another to localize Western brushwork.

Practicing calligraphy since he was 6, Xia is noted for handling the highly expressive kuang cao (wild cursive) style.

Like many of his generation who were interested in Western art, Xia studied oil painting at Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts in the late 1990s.

After graduation, he returned to calligraphy, which he wanted to explore further. He dropped oil painting at that time, because he didn't want the distraction when practicing calligraphy.

"Chinese calligraphy is such an abstract and pure form. One has to keep practicing until one can find the right rhythm of writing and further achieve a breakthrough," he says. "It may take a lifetime."

The Beijing-based artist in his 40s has been a student of eminent calligrapher Shen Peng since 2009.

"Calligraphy is something one needs to complete within a fixed period of time. Whether the written characters look good or bad, one has to accept it and start over on a different piece of paper," he says.

"What looks simple normally turns out to be something quite time-consuming."

His desire to paint was reignited early this year when he drove by a stack of bicycle tires on the way to pick up his daughter. The round shape of the tires fascinated him, bringing him a similar sense of rhythm and freedom as that of writing characters in varied styles. He thus started to create circles on the canvases.
A painting by Yang Ermin. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Yang Ermin's solo exhibition to be opened at Linyi's city museum, in Shandong province, will have some 60 ink paintings through which one can get a picture of how the artist gives a modern touch to classical ink art.

Having lived in Japan and Europe, Yang blends in his strokes the decorative features of the Japanese ukiyo-e genre of art, the rich palette of impressionism and charisma of expressionism.

In his creations, Yang also pays tribute to the pioneers of Chinese modern art, such as Xu Beihong and Lin Fengmian, whose efforts to bridge Chinese and Western art still inspire today's artists.

The exhibition will be opened on May 28 and tour several Shandong's cities, including Rizhao, Qingdao and Zibo, through January.
Students give their teachers handmade certificates of merits to express their gratitude on Thursday, Teachers' Day, at a primary school in Handan, Hebei province. HAO QUNYING /CHINA DAILY

Not paying teachers reflects lack of respect

MORE THAN 170 TEACHERS in Zhouzhi county, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, have not been paid for over seven months. Recently the local government promised to advance them 8,000 yuan ($1,223) each. Beijing Times commented on Monday:

Thanks to the recent reports of their failure to be paid, the more than 170 new teachers received their salaries after waiting seven months. But as to why they were not paid for over half a year, the county government blamed the red tape for the delay in approving the newly recruited teachers' payments, which is hardly convincing.

In fact, it was the local authorities' disregard for the legal interests of the teachers and the importance of school education, not the so-called complicated paperwork, that led to their seven months' work without pay. The young teachers who start their careers in underdeveloped areas such as Zhouzhi county to support local education should be respected and properly treated.

Of course, the number of underpaid or unpaid teachers has significantly decreased in the past two decades, as the country keeps doubling its spending on education, which reached 2 trillion yuan in 2012, for the first time accounting for about 4 percent of that year's total GDP.

And the implementation of the Teacher's Law and the Compulsory Education Law has improved teachers' livelihoods and offered them the needed legal protection. But many teachers, who are supposed to be paid more than local public servants as the Compulsory Education Law stipulates, are yet to receive their legitimate earnings.

Such a violation of teachers' legal rights, to some extent, indicates that some local officials are only paying lip service to the law when they promise to solve the problem.

In Zhouzhi's case, paying the newly recruited teachers was hardly a financial burden, because their monthly salary was just over 2,000 yuan. In comparison, the average income of employees in the public sector in Shaanxi province was about 4,580 yuan per month. It is necessary that the former are fairly and timely paid in accordance with their teaching performance.
This satellite image shows the Yongshu Jiao of China's Nansha Islands. [Photo/Xinhua]

United States flag-bearing warships and military aircraft have repeatedly engaged in China reconnaissance in the guise of "freedom of navigation and overflight", fueling concerns that it may be the tipping point in China-US ties.

On Tuesday, a US EP-3 aircraft undertook close reconnaissance near Hainan Island forcing two Chinese fighter jets, which maintained a safe distance from the aircraft, to track and monitor its activities. Earlier, the guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence sailed within 12 nautical miles of Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands without Chinese permission: A clear violation of China's sovereignty according to international law.

What would be the consequences should Chinese and US aircraft collide over the South China Sea, or a collision occur between warships of the two countries?

China and the US can agree on one thing: Neither wants that.

The two countries differ in the way they regardand handlethe South China Sea issue, however, their common interests far outweigh their differences.

With bilateral exchanges in military and other fields increasing, and the two countries cooperating in global issues such as climate change and nuclear security, the South China Sea issue should not be allowed to be the tipping point in their relations.

With over 100 exchange and dialogue mechanisms established between the two countries, differences can be controlled within limits, as long as both sides are sincere.

As the US has not yet shaken off its Cold War mentality when dealing with China, it seems intent on preventing a rising China from challenging its hegemony. This outlook is the root of its policies related to the region.

If the US stops violating China's sovereignty and viewing it through an old-fashioned geopolitical lens, it will find it has converging interests with China.
Jack Ma, chairman of the China Entrepreneur Club and chairman of the Alibaba Group. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Jack Ma, founder of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba group, is to meet the Belgian king in Brussels on Monday. This is their third meeting since June last year when King Philippe paid a state visit to China. They also met at World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland in January.

Ma is expected to announce the setting up of a Belgian branch of Alibaba, which, as he promised the King last year, will facilitate easier online payments to support Chinese visitors to Belgium.

The move is representative of the opinions of those proactive Chinese investors who still hold confidence in 500 million consumers in the 28 member states of the European Union.

Despite that, some investors in China are starting to cast doubts on the EU market due to challenges it faces from terrorism, the influx of migrants, economic stagnation and the rising influence of those who want to tear the bloc apart. They are also concerned that although some members have rolled out the red carpet to Chinese investment, others are taking protectionist actions against China.

Ironically, Ma's decision of expanding business in the heart of the EU happened just a few days after a landslide resolution in that European Parliament that China is still not a market economy.

Yet Ma, who transformed himself from a English teacher to a founder of a business empire, is an ideal example of the millions of various-scale Chinese businesspeople who have emerged in China since it started implementing market reforms.

And due to their efforts, both EU consumers and businesses benefit from competitive and lower-priced Chinese products. In this sense, for years, China's products have helped increase the wellbeing of ordinary families and the competitiveness of companies in the EU.

Take China's steel exports to the EU, for example. China's competitive products have helped a lot of automakers in EU countries reduce their costs amid the financial and economic crisis. And many of these automakers export their cars or trucks to China as well.

However, the politicians in the headquarters of the EU and some member states are choosing to turn a blind eye to the positive side of China's exports to Europe, due to the dominant influence of lobbyists and concerns about job losses.

Instead, they place their trust in the biased figures and reports offered by pressure groups and make China the scapegoat for global challenges, preferring to accept the argument that China is somehow responsible for uncompetitive companies in the EU rather than setting their own houses in order.

Ma and his team, on a mission to materialize business opportunities in Brussels, will have been dismayed to encounter the rising protectionist atmosphere in Brussels, which is in sharp contrast to his trust in a country which has just been the victim of terrorist attacks.

Brussels should be aware that a businessman such as him is a fast messenger. His observations and opinions will influence the decisions of many Chinese enterprises considering doing business in or investing in the EU.

From this perspective, I hope the high-level officials from Belgium and the EU that Ma is meeting have constructive exchanges with him. They should carefully listen to the words of an influential Chinese investor and then quickly make decisions that renounce protectionism in favor of greater trade and investment. If so, Ma's visit will bring tremendous benefits to the EU, in addition to Alibaba's own expansion in Belgium. What's more, such an example will let a growing number of Chinese investors know that Belgium is a gateway to the EU market. This would be the common sense scenario people in China and the EU want to see.

Facing so many difficulties, the EU should not waste this opportunity to send the right message.

The author is deputy editor of China Daily European Edition. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi, India, Sept 18, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

As the city with the biggest Indian settlement in China, Guangzhou is the most important destination in China for Indian business travelers, which is why Indian President Pranab Mukherjee is beginning his visit to China from this city on Tuesday.

The capital of South China's Guangdong province, and the Indian city of Ahmedabad signed a sister city agreement during President Xi Jinping's visit to Ahmedabad in September 2014 and many more business deals were signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China in May last year.

Guangdong is known for former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's famous "southern tour" in 1992, which laid the foundations for the unprecedented rise of China. So given that main purpose of Mukherjee's visit is to enhance business, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Guangzhou makes an apt starting point.

He will begin his visit by addressing the Indian business community in the city at the India-China Business Forum. The more complex political issues besetting relations between China and India will come up during his interactions in Beijing. Here, in view of the fact that relations between the two countries have returned to a low-ebb in recent months, Mukherjee seems to be India's best bet to take this crucial relationship forward.

Mukherjee, a seven times member of the Indian Parliament from 1969 to 2012, has headed various ministries since 1973 and is clearly the most experienced senior politician among India's political elite today. He is known as "Chanakya", after an ancient Indian sage who is often compared to China's Sun Tze. Given his several visits to China in his earlier stints as India's foreign minister and defense minister, he has long experience of interacting with Chinese leaders. So he could also be China's best bet for engaging with India.

Among the most immediate issues at hand, India needs China's support to obtain membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group which will come up for discussion next month. Besides, there are lingering issues such as China being concerned about the Indian Navy once again participating in US-Japan led Malabar naval exercises in the South China Sea.

But other than businessmen, politicians and officials, Mukherjee's delegation includes the heads of a large number of Indian universities and other educational institutions and the two sides will be holding their first ever roundtable on educational exchanges and cooperation. This and his address at Peking University will provide forums for India's president to share his wisdom on building long-term bridges with India's largest neighbor.

The tone for this vision was already set in Mukherjee's interview with Xinhua News Agency before leaving for China where he sought to put a positive and proactive spin on India's continued reluctance to engage with China's Belt and Road Initiative. In contrast to sentiments expressed at New Delhi's Raisina Dialogue in March, he underlined how a "better connected Asia requires that all the countries concerned consult together on determining the best way forward". He said increased connectivity is the key to providing benefits to the people of Asia and imparting fresh momentum to regional development.

This conciliatory tone for consultations on the Belt and Road Initiative, the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, reflects the growing consensus among India's strategic community, which now favors engaging China's initiative.

Even staunch supporters of the United States' rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific strategy and the US-Japan-India axis, believe that instead of seeking to counter or ignore it, it is in India's best interests to coordinate India's own Project Mausam or Spice Root initiatives with China's Belt and Road.

Hopefully, this presidential visit will help both sides to carry this spirit forward.

The author is a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Li Feng/China Daily

The unilateral arbitration case forcibly pushed forward by the Philippines is a provocation against China under a legal cloak. Essentially, it is not aimed at resolving the country's territorial disputes with China, but a naked attempt to repudiate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

By partitioning China's Nansha Islands in their entirety into different ones in its arbitration case submitted to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, and asking the court to make a ruling on the maritime rights of the islands and reefs "occupied or controlled" by China, Manila is deliberately falsifying the nature of its disputes with Beijing on territorial sovereignty and maritime demarcation in the South China Sea.

This partition trick is a serious infringement of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China enjoys sovereignty over the Nansha Islands as a whole and such a legal fact has gained international recognition and acquiescence. In its arbitration case, the Philippines intentionally shies away from mentioning some islands and reefs, including those illegally occupied or claimed by itself, in an attempt to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and whitewash its illegal occupation of some of China's Nansha Islands.

The exclusion of Taiping Island, the largest of the Nansha Islands where Taiwan stations its troops, from the islands and reefs "occupied or controlled" by China, also constitutes a serious violation by Manila of the one-China principle. All these testify that the Philippines' arbitration appeal is an unconcealed challenge to China's territorial sovereignty over the Nansha Islands.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the basic fact of the integrity of China's Nansha Islands should be taken into full consideration in defining China's maritime rights. In a note to then secretary-general of the UN on April 14, 2011, China's permanent mission to the UN pointed out that the stipulations of the Convention and China's maritime law endow China's Nansha Islands with the right of territorial waters, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. However, in its arbitration case, the Philippines is attempting to fragment the Nansha Islands, proposing that the legal status of the listed islands should be determined one by one. Manila has also argued that these islands belong to atoll or low-tide heights that it says only enjoy a right of 12-nautical-mile waters under the UN Convention. Such arguments are a wanton challenge to China's maritime rights based on the nature of Nansha Islands as an entirety.

The intrigue to partition China's Nansha Islands also highlights the Philippines' attempt to evade territorial sovereignty and maritime demarcation disputes in its arbitration case. The settlement of territorial sovereignty disputes is beyond the scope of the UN Convention and thus inapplicable to international arbitration or other compulsory procedures. In 2006, China also excluded the settlement of maritime demarcation disputes by compulsory arbitration based on the Convention. In this sense, the court in The Hague has no power of jurisdiction over the Philippines' arbitration case and Manila's enforced arbitration requirement is essentially an abuse of the Convention's compulsory settlement procedures.

Aside from its lack of jurisdiction, the arbitration court's indiscriminate endorsement of the Philippines' partitioning of China's Nansha Islands is a serious departure from the fair and a prudent attitude a court should hold. According to Article 9 of Annex VII of UNCLOS, in the absence of one of the two conflicting parties, the arbitration court should verify whether it enjoys jurisdiction over the case and whether all the requirements are factual and have a legal basis before making a ruling. The court should dismiss the Philippines' unreasonable arbitration appeal and fully respect the fact that China's Nansha Islands have an integral geographic existence if it strictly bases its work on facts and laws. The non-identified endorsement of the Philippines' fragmenting of China's Nansha Islands demonstrates the court has already been reduced to being Manila's agent and lacks objectivity and fairness.

The illegal and invalid arbitration farce staged by the Philippines and the court does not alter the fact China's Nansha Islands are an entirety nor China's legal rights and interests.

The author is a Beijing-based observer of international issues.
"After more than three decades of protection and subsidies, the United States has distorted competition in its domestic steel market, deprived local companies of motivation to increase investment or improve technology and subsequently blunted their competitive edge."

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in a statement on Saturday, blamed protectionism for the woes of the US steel industry.
The Beijing municipal government has recently proposed that the authority should hold press conferences within 24 hours after significant emergencies take place, and the chief of an administrative department or agency should be the first spokesperson. This move is regarded as a good example for other local authorities.

At the beginning of this year, Premier Li Keqiang required the top leaders of various departments of the State Council, China's Cabinet, to become their departments' spokesperson. During the annual two sessions of the top legislature and political advisory body in March this year, 34 ministers held news conferences to answer questions, which was one of the highlights of this year's meetings.

It is not only an important move to make government affairs more transparent to the public, but also a necessity to respond to public concerns. Making government affairs public can be a good supervision mechanism and win public recognition.

China's government news conference system was established in 2003. But the system still leaves a lot of room for improvement, such as not providing enough timely information when emergencies occur. Making top leaders the first spokespersons could guarantee the timeliness and accuracy of the information released at news conferences and so better meet people's right to know, which is of great significance to administrative reform.
Last week, I shared with you the story of the state tourism agency that has wasted and abused your taxpayer dollars. They are an independent agency that does not report to the Governors Office. This week, I am highlighting a state agency in the governors cabinet which has been working to run their operations more like a business and deliver services to taxpayers in a cost effective and timely manner.

That agency is the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ), the states top environmental regulatory agency. They are providing a higher level of service and trimming costs all while stepping up their commitment to help protect Nebraskas clean air and clean water.

Last fall, I shared with you the news that NDEQ had begun to offer some of their environmental quality permits online in an effort to streamline their permitting process and cut red tape. Nebraska is one of only four states in the nation that offer permits online. In November, NDEQ launched the online application for general air construction permits to streamline processing of similar types of projects so the regulatory process does not prohibit companies from helping grow our state. This has also allowed the agency to reinvest cost savings and resources into larger, more complex permitting for projects.

Making state government more customer-friendly has been one of my administrations top priorities to help grow our state. Thanks to the online application process, NDEQ has reduced the time it takes to process air quality and storm water permits from weeks and months to an average of one day.

NDEQ Director Jim Macy has said the success Nebraska has experienced with its online application process has generated interest from other state environmental regulatory agencies that are considering online applications.

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join Yahoo, the tech company that runs one of the largest search engines worldwide, to discuss how the culture change at NDEQ has dramatically accelerated its delivery of permits. This change in culture helps businesses like Yahoo expand and bring the jobs we need to keep Nebraska the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.

Last month, Yahoo was the first customer to receive service through NDEQs new online application for their emergency engine general construction permit. The permit was a part of a $20 million expansion to increase capacity to power Yahoo products and services at their data center in La Vista, Nebraska.

At a news conference, Yahoos Senior Director of Data Center Operations Mike Coleman credited the new business-friendly culture at NDEQ with helping businesses like theirs expand operations. In his comments, he said Nebraska stands out nationally:

A permitting process that can take months in other states can now be completed in a matter of days, right here, in Nebraska. Its because of this and the talented people in this great state that we are at home here and continue to grow our business in Nebraska.

In addition to its data center operations, Yahoo also mentioned Nebraskas business-friendly culture has allowed it to insource additional jobs, such as accounting and customer service jobs, to Nebraska.

In the coming months, NDEQ will continue to look for new ways to deliver services in a customer-friendly manner while fulfilling its core duty of protecting our clean air and water. The department already has plans to launch another online application, this time for incinerator general construction permit applications.

This is just one of the great success stories from our state agencies that are focused on running government more like a business and making services more customer friendly for you. With Yahoo, state governments customer-friendly culture helped ensure the timely expansion of its data center. Not only has our business-friendly environment helped the data center, but it has also helped attract additional jobs to our state. All of this is pivotal to growing Nebraska.

If you have any feedback on your experience with state government, I hope that 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!
I live in Bengaluru, which is known as Silicon Valley of India. But not all the areas are IT hub. I live in outskirts of the city, which is home to local population,still unaffected from this IT boom. An old area, where you can hardly find any skyscrapers unlike other parts of the city. I have moved 2 years earlier to finish my self-designed learning path. China Daily has been part of my reading daily. Over the years, I have developed a depth of knowledge in many different Chinese matters though such readings. Just with a laptop and internet, I have exchanged information with my Chinese friends. We exchanged Hindi-Chinese learning lessons.

But unlike virtual world, it is rare to find anyone from China in this part of the city. But life is all about surprises, isn't it?

One day, I was traveling through BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) for some work to other parts of the cityI found myself sitting next to the person, who seemed not to belong from this place. Thanks to the advantage of wide screen, I could sneak very easily into his smartphone. Can you imagine, what I found out? He was reading China Daily. After reading this newspaper for more than 3 years, it is not difficult for me to identify logo in a single glance. Subsequent glancing showcased few Chinese characters. I may not know Chinese characters that well, but at least I can tell which one belongs to this language. I did not wait a second to ask, if he is from China. He said yes.

Then I asked, 'from which place?' He said, you would probably do not know the place other then Beijing or HongKong. Then, I told him that I read the same newspaper as him and reading it from past 3 years, so I know a lot abut China. He smiled and said, 'Nanjking'. I said,'Wow! You are from the ancient capital city of China'. He was very surprised on listening the word, 'ancient capital city of China'. Probably, no Indian has ever described his hometown so historically correct to him.

We started talking further and I told him more about 'Zhu Ge Liang', 'Rice Dumpling', 'Confucianism', and importance of Red Color in Chinese traditions. He was very surprised with my knowledge about China. He was more surprised to find that I even know about by 'Romance of 3 Kingdom' novel. During all these conversations, everyone sitting around in the Bus was looking with equal surprise. But this conversation could not last longer, as I had to get down from the bus to make a transit. This 20 minute quick conversation ended with his firm handshake and his introduction, 'I am John from Nanking. Please to meet you'.

I did not get chance to either get his contact details or his where about as I had to get down quickly. I simply said, 'Enjoy your stay in India'. This entire conversation had not happened, if there was no China Daily. After this incident, I will study China Daily in more depth and may be meet 'John from Nanking' again in the bus.

Unlike others, I have started reading China Daily just 3 years ago, but it has become my best friend to know anything about China. May this friendship continue forever and I hope to meet many from 'John from China' in near future.
Justin Yifu Lin's giving speech during the launch ceremony of the report. [Photo by Wuzheyu / chinadaily.com.cn]

The Center for New Structural Economics of Peking University recently reported on a trial six-month investigation and survey in Hejian, a county-level city in north Chinas Hebei province. This is the centers first case study on enterprises transformation and upgrading through cooperation with local governments applying new structural economic theory.

The centers motivation and effort behind this detailed and comprehensive empirical research may be sourced to their original mission, as described by Justin Yifu Lin, the centers director in a speech at a symposium on new structural economics: apply new structural economic theory in practice, help developing counties and local authorities to formulate concrete policies, and keep exploring the key factors that determine the evolution of economic structure. And determine the roles of government, enterprises and the market against this background. If the academic theories prove inapplicable to the real world, they can function as no more than logic games. The Center for New Structural Economics is building a practice platform to bridge the gap between theories and real life.

The whole report is based on empirical research describing and analyzing local enterprises operating situations in several main industries of Hejian, for the sake of helping local authority formulate better policy design. The industries include automotive components manufacturing and re-manufacturing, information technology, and craft glass manufacturing.

The analytical framework used to process the data focuses on four aspects of sample companies: entrepreneurship and operations, resource endowment (material resources including funds, land and plants, and also human capital), value chain (procurement, production and quality monitoring), transformation and upgrading (pressure and desire to change, metrics and prospects).

Several preliminary conclusions were made after information from the studied companies was gathered both quantitatively and qualitatively. The study group predicts that Hejian city could achieve 8.5% annualized GDP growth rate until 2020, and fulfill their goal of industrial upgrading in modern service, agriculture and manufacturing with a potential economic growth rate of 17%; quite an impressive result considering the current global economic downturn. Given the fact that only a few local enterprises use financial tools like trading on equity or capital increase and share expansion, the local government is advised to strengthen education, offer preferential loans, and help enterprises to get bank loans or refinancing. All the efforts are aimed at improving local private investment and then attracting more business to local markets.

An interesting phenomenon which seems quite rare comparing to other areas normal situation is that almost all the enterprises participating in the survey have strong confidence in their prospects. Their confidence rests on the regions perceived economic development potential. Individual entrepreneurs self-confidence tends to exceed their expectations of their industry in general.

Doctor Fu Caihui, the reporter of this survey, warned that local enterprises over-confidence in their own manufacturing technique which is easy to be copied but hard to imitate from others, maybe a problem in their further development, according to their research and investigation.

The analysis shows challenges and opportunities of enterprises in Hejian city, which might be a microcosmic reflection of Chinas economy. This case study may add light to further research on general county territory economies.

Justin Yifu Lin, in commenting on the report during the launching ceremony, pointed out that only joint efforts of efficient markets and effective government can accomplish an optimal distribution of resources. Technological innovation, industry upgrading and competitive mechanisms are effective and required to facilitate the local market and narrow the gap between developed regions, or attract international talent and capital.

New structural economics is an outstanding theory that systematically summarizes successful and failed practical experience of developing countries without copying theories from developed countries, said Justin Yifu Lin. He recalled his participation in a recent symposium on philosophy and social sciences, where President Xi encouraged participants to integrate socialist theory with Chinese characteristics into their research. Lin emphasized that new structural economics is a theory well-equipped to advance Chinas performance.




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Visitors watch Sanfengqiaos chef cook sauced spare ribs. [Photo from chinadaily.com.cn]

The time-honored flavors of Wuxi's Sanfengqiao captured a group of expats when they visited its kitchen on May 21.

Sanfengqiao, set up in 1927, is a China time-honored brand, approved by the Ministry of Commerce. Its specialty is sauced spare ribs, which might well rank first among the many things Wuxi can boast about.

Wuxi spareribs are tender and juicy, rich but not greasy. [Photo from chinadaily.com.cn]

Only top-quality spareribs, with sternum bones, cartilage and surrounding meat removed, are used for the dish. Tender and juicy, rich but not greasy, these ribs coated with an irresistible sauce have diners licking their fingers and yearning for more.

Rich ingredients and a precise recipe contribute to Sanfengqiao's unique savor, a chef explained.

The ingredients of its sauced spare ribs include fennel, cinnamon, clove, myrcia, cardamun, amomum, red yeast rice, rock candy, soy sauce, yellow rice wine, chive and ginger.

Red yeast rice, for example, is rice on which yeast has been nurtured, a method invented more than a thousand years ago in China. In Chinese cuisine, it's used as a natural coloring to give dishes such as Peking duck a bright red color.

The ingredients of Sanfengqiaos sauced spare ribs include fennel, cinnamon, clove, myrcia, cardamun, amomum, red yeast rice, rock candy, soy sauce, yellow rice wine, chive and ginger. [Photo from chinadaily.com.cn]

"We emphasize our food's quality," said Zhang Ximing, deputy director of the Planning Department, adding that Sanfengqiao cooperates with well-known meat processing factories such as Shuanghui to ensure food safety.

"We tasted Wuxi's history from the sauced spare ribs as the sauce has been going since 1927," said American Beth Overby and Zimbabwean Bridget Mutasa, two teachers from Taihu International School.

The visit was one of a series of activities called "Love in Wuxi," which is sponsored by the Wuxi government to help expatriates explore more of the city.

A Wuxi Rib Cook-off, where you can taste ribs cooked from 12 international teams and help decide which team wins, is scheduled for this Sunday.
Korean Air has launched direct flights between Seoul and Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province to meet the increasing travel demand of tourists, tourism authorities in Guizhou said Tuesday.

The first flight took off at 9:35 pm (local time) on Monday from Incheon International Airport in Seoul, capital of the Republic of Korea, and landed at Longdongbao airport in Guiyang four hours later, said an official with the Guizhou Provincial Tourism Development Commission.

The route will be operated three times per week, with flights from Seoul to Guiyang on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the returned trip the following day, said the official.

It was the company's second direct air route to Guiyang, after it launched one between the city and Jeju Island last year.

According to the commission, around 50,000 tourists from Guizhou travel to Republic of Korea every year, and the province receives 5,000 Korean tourists annually.
ISTANBUL - A bomb threat Monday forced Turkish Airlines to cancel a domestic flight, according to press reports.

Crew members found a threatening note posted on the restroom door claiming a bomb was aboard the plane before it took off from Istanbul's Ataturk airport towards Turkey's Anatolian province of Kayseri, private Dogan news agency reported.

It said security forces promptly evacuated the plane and conducted a search but found nothing suspicious on the plane.

However, Istanbul and other Turkish cities, still recovering from a series of bomb attacks in recent months, are bracing themselves for more to come.
According to the Deputy Director of the State Oceanic Administration's ecological environmental protection department, Wang Xiaoqiang, the marine biodiversity and the living environment in the South China Sea have been damaged in various degrees, with some ecosystem degenerating to a sub-health status.

"The coral coverage has declined by an estimated 80 percent, and mangrove coverage 73 percent, compared to the figures in 1970s, which implies that the ecosystem in South China Sea is in a severe situation," said Wang in a marine biodiversity protecting event held by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) on May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity.

In addition to unavoidable natural causes of environment damages, the mass discharge of nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metal, and oils from the mainland, as well as the overfishing, farming, and other human activities by the sea, has caused the increasing red tides and declining marine biodiversity, according to a research co-conducted by CBCGDF earlier this year.

The report says that around several islands in Crescent Group, the coral coverage is now less than 10 percent, where broken limbs of corals can be seen all around and residents are still selling coral accessories and other souvenirs.

"The South China Sea is China's territory, so we are more concerned than any other country, institution, or individual around the world regarding the ecological environmental preservation of the atolls and sea areas," said Hong Lei, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, in a TV interview with China Central Television.

CBCGDF started building a database for marine species in the South China Sea, conducting more researches and taking more steps towards protecting the marine biodiversity in the sea area, including building a coral protective base in the next several years.

"It's also important that people get more knowledge about ocean protection, so that the problem can be solved from the root," said Xie Boyang, director of CBCGDF.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov speaks during a news briefing on the sidelines of the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi, Russia, May 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW - The Kremlin on Monday slammed recent remarks by the NATO leadership, saying they are similar to those in the time of the Cold War.

"Judging from the rhetoric, it is rapidly returning to the very time that we thought is already well behind," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news briefing.

NATO was an alliance created for confrontation, said Peskov, therefore its capacity to contribute to ensuring stability and security in Europe was disputable.

He added that Russia would have to take "a series of predictable, systematic and consecutive steps" in response to NATO's expansion around its borders.

On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance has decided to increase its forward presence in its Eastern part by placing troops in different countries.

"Our approach to Russia combines strong defense and deterrence with dialogue," Stoltenberg said.

The Kremlin said Friday that it was concerned about the signing by NATO foreign ministers and Montenegro of an accession protocol, which allows the Balkan country to participate as an observer in NATO meetings.

The protocol signed Thursday has to be ratified by the parliaments of all NATO member states before Montenegro becomes the 29th member of the military bloc.
It has been far too many years since the Woke theology interlaced its canons within the fabric of the Indoctrination Realm, so it is nigh time to ask: Does this Representative Republic continue, as a functioning society of a self-governed people, by contending with the unusual, self absorbed dictates of the Woke, and their vast array of Victimhood scenarios?

Yes, the Religion of Woke must continue; there are so many groups of underprivileged, underserved, a direct result of unrelenting Inequity; they deserve everything.

No; the Woke fools must be toppled from their self-anointed pedestal; a functioning society of a good Constitutional people cannot withstand this level of "existential" favoritism as it exists now.
TOKYO -- Ahead of a planned visit by US President Barack Obama to the City of Hiroshima, Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were "extremely regrettable."

Kishida, whose lower house constituency is in Hiroshima, also said that the action of the US against the two A-bombed cities ran contrary to the basic understanding of humanitarianism as regards international law.

While Obama is expected to pay a courtesy visit to Hiroshima this Friday as the President will be in Japan from a day earlier for the two-day Group of Seven leaders' summit to be held in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, marking the first such visit to one of the A-bombed cities by a sitting US President, Obama is not expected to deliver an official apology.

"Due to the atomic bombings, many lives have been lost and an extremely regrettable humanitarian situation was brought about," Kishida said Tuesday, adding, "The stance of the Japanese government has always been that the atomic bombings do not conform to humanitarianism, which constitutes a philosophical basis of international law."

Calls from survivors, known here locally as "hibakusha" and their relatives, as well as from relatives of the hundreds of thousands who died in the wake of the atomic bombings, for Obama to issue and official apology have been rampant.

If the president truly believes and hopes that his calls made in Prague in 2009 for a nuclear weapon free world will continue to be deemed credible, then, along with his ongoing nonproliferation efforts, an earnest apology for the attacks at this historic occasion, could underscore his and the US's true sentiment and stance on the issue on the perfect global stage, according to some petitioners.

Many are still reeling from diseases associated with radiation from the atomic attacks, which themselves eviscerated the lives of at least 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 in Nagasaki.

Local media in Japan reported Thursday that activists and scholars in the US have also been urging Obama to meet with the "hibakusha" and apologize to them in person on Friday.

Japan's public broadcaster NHK said that as many as seventy-four people had petitioned the White House on Monday, saying that the president should do more towards nonproliferation efforts around the globe.

They also called for Obama to discuss the historical situation surrounding the deadly nuclear attacks, NHK reported quoting local sources.

Conversely, it seems to be popular belief that the bombs were dropped to force Japan to end the war, and that the drastic move actually saved many lives that would have been lost in a full-scale land assault, or an intensified bombing campaigns in 1945.

Further complicating the issue is the fact that Japanese scientists were also, according to some legitimate historical military accounts, not far from developing their own nuclear weapons, which, if had come to fruition, could have seen an even more disastrous outcome of WWII.

The matter of an apology has become further knotty owing to the fact that Japan currently has stockpiles of weapons grade nuclear materials, with this situation putting Japan under a hypocritical spotlight, exacerbated by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump strongly suggesting that the US stop trying to prevent its allies, specifically Japan and South Korea, from obtaining nuclear weapons, so as to lessen their reliance on the US nuclear umbrella.

The remarks were quickly blasted by many corners, including those in Japan and South Korea, as well as from Obama himself, but the sentiment expressed by Trump has irked and added to rising tensions in this region, as the election race in the US is far from over, while the outgoing president is winding down his foreign policy initiatives.
Holidaymakers take pictures with the ASEAN-Russia Summit logo near the Sochi Congress Center. PAVEL LISITSYN/SPUTNIK

President Putin is hosting a large-scale foreign policy event in the Russian city of Sochi.

The heads of ten Southeast Asian states, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN are gathering for a two-day Summit to discuss further partnerships and to seek ways to boost their cooperation to a "fundamentally new strategic level."

It is the third high-level meeting between Russia and ASEAN and the first to be held on its territory. The first one was held in December 2005 in Kuala Lumpur and the second in October 2010 in Hanoi.

2016 marks 20 years since the launch of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership and the Sochi Summit will review the progress that has so far been achieved.

Dialogue ASEAN-Russia was launched in July 1991 when Russian representatives were invited by the Malaysian Government to attend an ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.

Russia was subsequently elevated to a full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in July 1996 at the 29th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia.

"ASEAN and Asia-Pacific Region are of a particular interest to Russia due to its rapid economic growth, deepening integration and modernization," Victor Sumsky, Director of the ASEAN Centre in Russia's MGIMO University, told Radio Sputnik.

"However another one of the most important characteristics is the political stability of each of its member states and of the region as a whole," he added.

Sumsky though noted that despite of it being a relatively stable zone compared to the Middle East, Eastern Europe or North Africa, the region also faces quite a number of threats and challenges.

Among those is international terrorism, which has its effect on the region, proliferation of armaments, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, some unsettled territorial disputes.

However the regional countries are interested in taking steps to make the positive achievements overweigh the negative.
Vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin meets with the US media delegation in Beijing on May 19, 2016. [Photo/fmprc.gov.cn]

On May 19, 2016, vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin met with the US media delegation consisting of senior writer for Newsweek Jonathan Broder, Associate Managing Editor of Chicago Tribune Cristi Kempf, Deputy Editorial Page Editor of Los Angeles Times Jon Healey and others.

Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin introduced the historical course of the South China Sea issue, the background of the South China Sea arbitration case initiated by the Philippines as well as others, and answered questions related to the US-launched "Freedom of Navigation Program" in the South China Sea, how does China cope with the arbitral award, the influence of the South China Sea issue to China-US relations and other topics.

Vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin meets with the US media delegation in Beijing on May 19, 2016. [Photo/fmprc.gov.cn]

The Chinese visit of the US media delegation was arranged by China-US Exchange Foundation. Vice President of Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs Chen Naiqing attended the meeting.
China said on Tuesday that sincerity, rather than a nation's size, should be used to gauge how it justifies its actions.

The comment came after remarks by US President Barack Obama that "big nations should not bully smaller ones".

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that of the 12 neighbors China has completed demarcation agreements with, five countries are smaller than the Philippines in size and 10 are smaller in population.

"This shows that a country's size does not matter regarding the issue. The key point is whether countries involved have the determination and sincerity to resolve disputes via talks and consultations," Hua said at a media briefing.

The Philippines has unilaterally initiated an arbitration case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague over their disputes in the South China Sea.

Obama told an audience in Hanoi on Tuesday, "Big nations should not bully smaller ones and disputes should be resolved peacefully".

Hua called for countries outside the region to respect the efforts of those in the region to maintain peace and stability.

Tao Wenzhao, an American studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the US sees China as its biggest threat, both at present and in the long term.

"The US aims to multilateralize, globalize and militarize the disputes in the South China Sea, making the situation an important measure to contain China," Tao said.

Obama said during his speech that the US "will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows".
Liu Qibao (left), head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Lee Joon-sik attend the China-South Korea Media High-Level Dialogue in Seoul on Monday. Wu Xu / China News Service

China, South Korea high-level dialogue explores news outlets' role in cementing bilateral ties

Through integration, traditional and new media can grow with new impetus in China and South Korea, Liu Qibao, head of publicity for the CPC Central Committee, said in Seoul on Monday.

He said Beijing and Seoul should boost media cooperation based on deep cultural connections, to enhance understanding and relations on an individual level.

He made the remarks at the China-South Korea Media High-Level Dialogue, an annual forum for journalists from the two countries that was first held in 2009.

This year, representatives from nearly 30 media outlets, including China's People's Daily, Xinhua and China Daily, and South Korea's Chosun Ilbo, Yonhap and KBS, attended the forum and signed six agreements on media cooperation.

Liu and South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Lee Joon-sik gave speeches at the opening ceremony.

"It has been proved through practice that new life was injected into traditional media, and their communication capacity and influence were significantly improved, once integrated with technological and communication advantages of new media," Liu said.

He emphasized that despite a surge in the number of new media groups and internet-based news outlets, traditional media still have the advantage of being essential providers and communicators of authoritative information.

"The foundation of friendly relations between China and South Korea will be more solid if people of the two countries get to know each other more often and more deeply," Liu said.

He also called for mutual trust between media and pragmatic cooperation on the use and management of new media, noting that the huge number of smartphone users in China and South Korea had made mobile devices an essential platform for dissemination of news and information.

Zhou Zongmin, deputy editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, said the media had played an important role in the development of bilateral relations, adding that it is the historical mission of the two countries' media to consolidate that relationship.

Lee Sun-geun, president of Infomax, a financial news subsidiary of Yonhap, said the media of South Korea and China should work to minimize any misunderstandings and friction between their peoples.

Wang Junsheng, a researcher of the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the exchanges in the media sector between China and South Korea contributed greatly to the rapid development of their bilateral relations in recent years.

wangxu@chinadaily.com.cn
When I landed in Seoul in 1994 to cover the first-ever visit by a Chinese premier to the Republic of Korea, the two countries had established diplomatic ties just two years previously. I knew little about this country except for the 1988 Olympics and, of course, kimchi.

But I did not feel like a stranger. After wandering into a lane off the bustling Euljiro Avenue, I saw stacks of cabbage, the main ingredient for kimchi, being organized by women on the pavement. Different country, but a familiar scene. In China, people also organized stacks of cabbage at the same time of the year.

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and the warmth of kimchi, or spiced cabbage, has always warmed my soul as well as my body.

Now, 22 years on, I have returned to Seoul. Different country, different season, no stacks of cabbage, but the passing of time means that we also share more things in common. This was apparent almost immediately after we left the airport, and I noticed there are more Chinese elements in the capital city.

The annual Sino-ROK media dialogue held on Monday in Seoul helped me quickly review what has been happening to the two countries, especially in cultural exchanges. The forum, themed on media cooperation to boost bilateral partnership, also confirmed the growing links.

As a forum moderator, I was often called upon to remind speakers of their time limit. There was much to discuss, and many speakers, executives of various media outlets, either started with, or cited, hot soap operas to support their points of view.

In his speech, Sun Yusheng, vice-president of China Central Television, mentioned the huge phenomenon that was Descendants of the Sun. The 16-episode soap opera, jointly invested in by both countries and debuting at the same time in China and the Republic of Korea, has achieved audience ratings that are unprecedented.

Chinese TV series have also picked up a huge following in the Republic of Korea, especially those that reflect traditional culture. Nirvana in Fire was a big hit in both countries.

Sun was upbeat when he addressed the huge potential of visual products jointly made by CCTV and its partners in the ROK. High audience ratings proved that "television is still a powerful form of media. International cooperation will make us even stronger," he said.

Monday's meeting was the eighth round of the annual dialogue, hosted by one of the countries every second year. China, through such dialogue, has been engaged more and more with international media. Due to my background, working with an English-language newspaper, I have often been requested to act as panel moderator. This time, my job has been made much easier thanks to cultural proximity and common interests among the speakers.

But amid all the progress and change, one thing, thankfully, has remained constant. Kimchi has been on the menu for every meal.

The writer is deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily.

Contact the writer at wanghao@chinadaily.com.cn
MOSCOW - China's Internet companies may invest up to $200 million in the development of Russia's Internet segment, the Institute of Internet Development (IID) said on Monday.

"The expected volume of Chinese Internet companies' investments in the Russian Internet in 2016-2017 amounts to $100-$200 million," the IID statement reads.

Earlier in the day, Russia's Presidential Adviser German Klimenko announced the establishment of the Internet plus China working group. New working group comprises representatives of such Chinese companies as LeEco, AliExpress, JD.com, Huawei, Baidu, China Big Data Exchange, Yidao, LeSports as well as Russian firms Signal-Media, Aviastar-Tu and the Russian Export Center.

Working group's main objective is to attract Chinese investment to Russia and stimulate exports of Russian goods and services to China, according to the IID.

The Institute of Internet Development is Russia's non-profit organization aimed at development of the Russian section of the Internet and related economic sectors.
(Photo : Getty Images) China has once again denied India's bid to be made a member of the NSG.

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China on Monday dismissed India's stand that its inclusion in the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) must not be subjected to the signing of the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) since France was included into the group without being a signatory of the treaty.



"When France joined the NSG it was not a party to the NPT: France was the founder member of the NSG so the issue of acceptance to the NSG does not exist," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.



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Hua's statement on Monday was in response to India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup's remark last week. The Indian minister had stressed the example of inclusion of France in the NSG despite being a non-signatory to the NSG, saying that similar exception must also be implemented in India's case.



China's rebuttal to India's latest NSG stance comes just ahead of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's three-day visit to China. According to Indian media, Mukherjee is expected to raise the contentious issues of Masood Azhar and India's NSG membership during his visit.



The Chinese response on Monday also comes just a day after Pakistan staked its claim for NSG membership. Pakistan's claim is apparently supported by Beijing.



India and Pakistan, both nuclear power countries, have been demanding NSG membership for almost a decade now. NSG membership would allow India and Pakistan to import nuclear energy and nuclear-enabled technology from NSG members.



India got a NSG waiver in 2008, allowing New Delhi to import nuclear energy and nuclear enabled technology from NSG countries without signing the NPT.



China has categorically stated that it will continue to oppose India's NSG membership unless it becomes a signatory to the NPT. China's decision to oppose India's NSG membership is believed to be at the behest of Pakistan, which is staunchly opposed to India's membership due to their unresolved border disputes.



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Tagschina, China and India, Nuclear Supplier Group, NSG, Pakistan
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) Tencent has bought a $8.6 billion stake in 'Clash of the Clans' maker Supercell.

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WeChat owner Tencent Holdings Inc. is reportedly negotiating to acquire a majority stake in Clash of Clans hitmaker Supercell Oy from Japan's SoftBank Group Corp., sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.



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Although the talks are still at its early stage, sources could not confirm if SoftBank is also in discussion with other possible interested parties.



In 2013, SoftBank bought a 51 percent stake from Supercell for $1.53 billion. Then, it raised its share to 73 percent the following year without disclosing the cost. However, a source revealed that the Hay Day creator is roughly worth $5.25 billion in 2015.



In a joint venture, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and China's Giant Interactive Group were reportedly in discussions with SoftBank and Supercell for an acquisition last year. However, price has allegedly been a sticking point, according to The Wall Street Journal.



Alibaba, Giant Interactive, SoftBank, Supercell and Tencent all refused to comment about the issue.



Supercell is the creator of top-grossing games including Hay Day, Clash of Clans, Boom Beach and Clash Royale across the United States and Europe. Its games could be downloaded for free, but it could earn revenue from selling virtual goods to its players.



Its latest game Clash Royale, which was unveiled just this March, was named the top-grossing game for the month with a revenue reaching $80 million, Newzoo reported. It was also the only foreign title to make it to China's top-grossing mobile games.



Although Tencent is already a major global player in PC games after it owned League of Legends maker Riot Games, it is still trying to make a name across the worldwide mobile gaming industry. The company acquired a minority stake of US-based Glu Mobile Inc. and Pocket Gems Inc. in 2015. It also has a stake in Activision Blizzard and Europe's Miniclip.



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TagsTencent, CLASH OF CLANS, SoftBank, supercell, Alibaba, Giant Alternative, Hay Day, League of Legends, Clash Royale, Boom Beach
(Photo : Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images) An explosion rocks Syrian city of Kobani during a reported suicide car bomb attack by the militants of Islamic State (ISIS) group on a People's Protection Unit (YPG) position in the city center of Kobani, as seen from the outskirts of Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border, October 20, 2014 in Sanliurfa province, Turkey.

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More than 140 people have died in two bombings in Syria on Monday. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which were carried out almost simultaneously in Jableh and Tartus.



The first attack was in the city of Jableh, and one hundred people were killed. The other attack took place in Tartus and 48 people died. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group has confirmed the reports. Jableh and Tartus are two of the strongholds of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. There was a total of seven bombings in the two attacks, and most of them were suicide attacks.



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The head of the Observatory Rami Abdel Rahman said in a statement that the bombings were two of the deadliest attacks since IS militants started waging war on the country in March of 2011. Around 270,000 people have been killed in Syria since the war erupted.



IS claimed responsibility for the attacks via news agency called Amaq. In a story, the militants said that their jihadists attacked "Alawite gatherings" in the two areas. It appears the blasts were meant to send a message to locals and to the al-Assad regime that no city is safe. Jableh and Tartus have been the cities where thousands of internally displaced residents have fled from the violence in the other parts of the country.



The attacks centered on busy areas of the city such as schools and gas stations. Many students could have been killed as they reportedly just finished taking their examinations when the bomb attacks were carried out. It was also a busy time, and more than 100 cars were on the streets in the areas where the bombings took place.



Russian President Vladimir Putin talked about the bombings saying that it demonstrates how fragile the situation is in Syria. Putin gave his condolences to the Syrian president for the civilian deaths. The Russian President also said that his country is ready to continue its support for the Syrian government.



IS militants also claimed responsibility for bombings in Aden, Yemen. The twin bombings killed 41 people. The first attacks killed 34, which was done at a recruitment center near the Badr base. Another killed seven soldiers inside the base.



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TagsIslamic State, Syria bombings, Tartus, Jableh, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, 148 deaths
(Photo : Getty Images) A general atmosphere view during Versace & Vogue celebrate the launch of Versace Vancouver Boutique on December 3, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada.

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Famous Italian luxury brand Versace has hired the former head of Alexander McQueen Jonathan Akeroyd as its new chief executive, replacing Gian Giacomo Ferraris.



"We are delighted to welcome Jonathan Ackeroyd as our new CEO," Donatella Versace, the brand's vice president, and artistic director, told British Vogue.



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Akeroyd will assume its position in the middle of next month.



The family-owned business Versace believes that Akeryod's expertise in the industry "will be key to advancing the next phase of Versace's development." Moreover, the former Alexander McQueen head has a proven record of establishing global namesake, boosting growth, and creating strategic development.



Akeroyd served as Alexander McQueen's CEO for over a decade. Earlier this month, the company announced that Emmanuel Gintzburger, former worldwide retail and wholesale director at Yves Saint Laurent, will be replacing Akeroyd at the British fashion house.



Meanwhile, Akeroyd has expressed appreciation, saying "It is an honor to be joining such a dynamic and innovative organisation."



Describing Versace as an "iconic lifestyle brand," Akeroyd aims to create a long-term business strategy that is in line with Versace's vision.



Akeroyd will take over from Gian Giacomo Ferraris, who played a significant role in reviving the company from bankruptcy in 2004. Details of Ferraris' departure have not been disclosed.



Donatella Versace thanked Ferraris for doing a "superb job of securing Versace's status as one of the world's leading luxury brands."



"We thank him for his efforts and wish him all the best for the future," she said.



In 2015, Versace showed "resilience in the face of a tough environment" for premium luxurious brands. The company posted positive sales results with revenues climbing to 17.5 percent to $709.5 million.



However, in an interview with Reuters last month, Ferraris said that 2016 will be a challenging year for luxury brands as it will potentially see slow sales growth because of security issues affecting Europe's tourism industry.



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TagsVersace, Alexander McQueen, Jonathan Akeroyd, Donatella Versace, Emmanuel Gintzburger, Fashion
(Photo : Getty Images) The World Health Organization is convening an emergency meeting to discuss the outbreak yellow fever in parts of Africa.

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Medical professionals are convening this week to decide whether to declare the yellow fever outbreak in southwest Africa as an international health emergency. The World Health Organization (WHO) will conduct an emergency meeting on Thursday in Geneva to tackle the alarming spread of yellow fever that has hit hardest in Angola.



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"In my view calling an emergency committee for yellow fever is clearly the right thing to do," Lawrence Gostin, faculty director of Georgetown University's O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, told LA Times in an email.



As of May 12, there were already 2,267 suspected yellow fever cases in Angola. Up to 293 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak started in December in Luanda.



In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 44 suspected cases have been recorded. Some of the infected patients had reportedly been to Angola.



In China, 11 people who traveled from Angola tested positive for yellow fever, emphasizing "the risk of international spread through non-immunised travelers," the WHO said.



Even though vaccines are effective and relatively affordable, only a few percentage of the African population have been immunized.



WHO has already sent 11.7 million doses of vaccinations against yellow fever to Angola and plans to immunize 2.2 million people in DR Congo.



Yellow fever is contracted from a bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carry the Zika virus. Patients affected with yellow fever show symptoms of high temperatures, bleeding that eventually results in shock, and multiple organs failure. According to WHO officials, between 20 and 50 percent of those who manifest jaundice, or the "yellow" phase, die from the virus.



On the other hand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is worried that people who travel to Africa and South America could come back with the yellow fever virus infection. The health agency has advised people traveling to yellow fever-infected countries to review vaccine recommendations and requirements first and inquire about their need for immunizations.



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TagsWHO, outbreak, yellow fever, Angola, china, Congo, south america, Africa
(Photo : Getty Images) China's commander-in-chief President Xi Jinping has ordered his troops to step up their combat readiness as Beijing's economic clout in the world rises to greater heights

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To address the serious security risks brought about by China's rising economic clout in the world, Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping has ordered the army to step up its war capabilities and work on overcoming its weaknesses.



In an article that appeared in the communist-backed PLA Daily on Monday, Xi laid down his vision for the People's Liberation Army. He warned that if the military does not shape up, it would not be able to handle the growing national security risks that come with China's rising economic development.



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Defense experts have noted that the article comes amid the move to streamline China's military forces and growing tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.



War capabilities



Military analysts say Xi wants to focus on the army's actual war capabilities instead of relying solely on the acquisition of high-tech weaponry and conducting cyber warfare.



"There is still a big gap between the modernisation of our army and the demands of national security. The gap between our army and other advanced militaries in the world is still very large," Xi told the PLA Daily.



Xi emphasized that there would be serious political repercussions if the PLA loses a war against its enemies.



Combat readiness



Xi, who recently assumed his new position as the overall commander-in-chief of PLA, had ordered the army to integrate its units to improve its combat capabilities and readiness and strengthen the communist leadership.



"Obedience to the party's command is the first priority for building the army, and the lifeline of the army," Xi said.



Military experts claim that the published article seems to target the ongoing China-US rift over the South China Sea issue.



A military observer said the article was mainly a reiteration of Xi's policy of upgrading the military's combat readiness despite the dismissal of high-ranking military officers.



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TagsPeople's Liberation Army, Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping, China-US rift, PLA war capabilities
(Photo : Getty Images.) Indian President Pranab Mukherjee will begin his three-day visit to China on Tuesday, May 24.

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Indian President Pranab Mukherjee will raise some contentious issues when he meets Chinese leaders during his three-day visit to the China. Mukherjee is likely to question President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang about Masood Azhar and the Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG) membership dispute between both nations.



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Mukherjee's three-day visit to China will begin from Tuesday. He is the first important leader to visit China after Beijing blocked India's NSG membership and also stifled India's move in the United Nations (UN) to blacklist Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar.



Ahead of the Indian President's visit, China on Monday rebutted India's latest stance that it must exempted from signing Nuclear Proliferation Treaty. China reiterated that signing NPT is the main prerequisite for joining NSG and India cannot be exempted from this obligation.



Apart from the NSG and NPT issues, Mukherjee is also expected to take up border issues with Chinese leaders. India and China have border disputes over Kashmir, Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh regions. India and China fought a full-fledged war in 1962 to settle the border disputes.



The main focus of Mukherjee's three-day visit, however, will be on 'educational issues' and not politics. The Indian President will be accompanied by delegation of esteemed academicians including directors of the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Management.



A number of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and agreements will be signed between academic institutions of both nations during Mukherjee's historic visit. The Indian leader will address students at Peking University.



In the past, many Indian Presidents including K R Narayanan and A P J Abdul Kalam have delivered lectures at Peking University.



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Tagschina, Pranab Mukherjee, India and China, Masood Azhar., NSG
The hybrid polar/grizzly bear shot in Canada

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What's the word for a bear that's half polar bear and half grizzly? No one's come up with a definitive name yet (grizzlar?) but a hybrid animal of this type was shot and killed recently by an Inuit hunter in northern Canada.



The killing of mutant, however, is raising suspicions among scientists that climate change might be forcing polar bears and grizzlies into smaller areas, raising the frequency of hybrid offspring.



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That this dead animal was a grizzly-polar bear hybrid, otherwise known as a half-breed, was confirmed by bear experts. In this case, the half-breed probably had a polar bear for a mother and a grizzly bear for a father, said Dr. Ian Stirling, a researcher for the Canadian Wildlife Service based on genetic tests.



Locals call this type of bear either a "grolar" or a "prizzly." Grolar if the father is a grizzly and prizzly if dad is a polar bear. But there isn't one word for both types of mutants.



This mutant is so rare only a half-dozen or so kills have been confirmed over the last decade. This particular bear was shot by an Inuit hunter named Didji Ishalook. CWS said Ishalook's mutant was shot in accordance with laws that allow the Inuit to practice subsistence hunting.



Ishalook has skinned the bear and the fur is sitting in his freezer. He said me might send the fur to a taxidermist.



He said he first thought he had shot a small polar bear near Arviat on Hudson Bay. He described his kill as looking like a polar bear "but it's got brown paws and big claws like a grizzly. And the shape of a grizzly head."



Scientists describe hybrids as usually lighter in color and often have darker fur rings around their eyes. The hybrid's paws are often dark, especially around the toes. Their claws are typically longer than polar bears' since grizzlies have much longer claws. The hybrid's fur is generally somewhat darker than a polar bear's.



Some scientists believe climate change is playing a role in the increased contact between the two different species.



They said recent sightings of hybrid bears have coincided with the faster warming of the Arctic. It seems grizzlies in Alaska and Canada are heading north as their original homes become warmer, bringing them into more frequent contact with polar bears living along the coastline. Polar bears are now spending more time on land as the Arctic ice decreases.



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Tagshalf polar bear, half grizzly, grolar, prizzly, Canada, Inuit
(Photo : Getty Images) China has signed an important deal to construct a nuclear power plant in Sudan.

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China on Monday signed a framework agreement with the Sudanese government to construct a nuclear reactor plant in the African country, Chinese state media Xinhua reported. The agreement will pave a way for the first nuclear reactor plant in Sudan.



The agreement is the outcome of the China-Sudan Joint Energy Cooperation Commission held in Sudanese capital city of Khartoum. China's state-owned nuclear company China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) would be constructing the nuclear plant.



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It is unclear what kind of reactor the CNNC would be building in Sudan. There are speculations that it might be a Hualong 1 reactor that is currently being promoted by China in oversees market.



The agreement will prove immensely beneficial for Sudan as it will allow the African nation to meet its growing energy demand. As per the presentation given to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Sudanese government wants to build its first nuclear plant in 2021 and initiate commercial operations by 2027.



The accord is also a step forward for China to increase its nuclear technology footprint across the world. China is nurturing an ambitious aim to become a globally dominant player in the international nuclear market. To fulfill this aim, the CNNC is planning to build reactors in several countries including Argentina, Pakistan, and Kenya.



Some Chinese analysts claim that this nuclear agreement will equally help China in achieving its 'One Belt, One Road' ambition to export high-end technology including nuclear power technology to several African and European countries.



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Tagschina, China and Sudan, China National Nuclear Corporation, CNNC
(Photo : NASA) First star on the left: Alpha Centauri.

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It seems space travel makes for strange bedfellows. In this case, Russian internet billionaire Yuri Milner and John Culberson, a space geek and a Republican congressman from Texas, are both badgering NASA to build a spacecraft capable reaching Alpha Centauri, the nearest galaxy to ours that's 40 trillion years away.



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Culberson wants NASA to achieve this feat by 2069, the centenary of humankind's first landing on the Moon on July 21, 1969 by Apollo 11.



The catch is the spacecraft they need to do this exist only in science fiction. Culberson, however, made a series of recommendations on how NASA might do this in a bill from the House appropriations panel about NASA's budget for fiscal year 2017.



Culberson's panel "encourages NASA to study and develop propulsion concepts that could enable an interstellar scientific probe with the capability of achieving a cruise velocity of 0.1c (10% of the speed of light)."



Culberson also wants NASA to look into the "Bussard ramjet" that uses electromagnetic fields to capture hydrogen (the most plentiful element in the universe) from space. This ramjet compresses the hydrogen until nuclear fusion occurs. Theoretically, this engine won't ever run out of "gas," in this case, hydrogen.



Another incredible technology Culberson wants explored is "antimatter-catalyzed fusion" that powers a spacecraft with a string of thermonuclear explosions. The survival of the crew and the spacecraft in the face of successive massive nuclear explosions is iffy at best.



The fastest current propulsion technology now available will allow a spacecraft to reach Alpha Centauri in 18,000 years. A spacecraft with a propulsion system envisaged by Culberson might make the same trip in only 44 years.



The "if" is the immense amount of energy required for such a fantastically long voyage in almost impossible to produce on a spacecraft. This is where Milner comes in. The Russian billionaire has launched the $100 million Breakthrough Starshot project that proposes sending a "spacecraft-on-a-chip" called a "Starchip" weighing less than one gram to a star.



Despite its puny size, Starchip will have cameras, photon thrusters, a power supply, navigation and communication equipment.



This minuscule starship will be equipped with large but very light solar light-sails capable of propelling this midget to 20% of light-speed using the energy delivered by a vast array of high-powered lasers firing at the sails from the Earth.



Technology of this kind is what NASA is already funding under its Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. NIAC is studying "directed energy propulsion for wafer-sized spacecraft that in principle could achieve velocities exceeding 0.1c."



The study, Directed Energy Propulsion for Interstellar Exploration (DEEP IN), was inspired by Breakthrough Starshot.



In Milner's concept, Earth-based lasers would propel the nanocraft in Earth orbit to 60,000 g for a few minutes to reach 20% of the speed of light. That's fast enough to reach Alpha Centauri in just 20 years.



"It's the first time in human history that we can do more than just stare at the stars," Milner said.



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TagsNASA, Alpha Centauri, Yuri Milner, John Culberson, "Bussard ramjet
(Photo : Getty Images.) On second day of his historic Vietnam tour, US President Obama called for a peaceful resolution of the South China Sea dispute.

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US President Barack Obama has called for a "peaceful resolution" of the South China Sea dispute on the second day of his historic Vietnam tour. The US leader landed in Vietnam on Monday to start an unprecedented three-day tour to the former enemy country.



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In a speech delivered at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on Tuesday, Obama reiterated that the US may not be a claimant in South China Sea dispute, but will continue to support all its partners.



"In the South China Sea, the US is not a claimant in current disputes, but we will stand with our partners in upholding key principles like freedom of navigation," Obama said.



Obama made indirect reference to China in his speech, stressing that bigger nation must not resort to bullying tactics to settle the maritime dispute.



"Nations are sovereign, and no matter how large or small a nation may be, its territory should be respected. Big nations should not bully smaller ones," he said without naming China.



China immediately responded to Obama's stand on freedom of navigation on Tuesday. Beijing questioned the very purpose of the US's freedom of navigation operation, which was started last year in response to China's construction activities in the Spratly Islands and other artificial reefs.



"The freedom of navigation they are talking about, is it true freedom of navigation enjoyed by every nation under international law, or it is a privileged freedom of navigation for American naval vessels and military aircraft?" the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. "If the former, of course, we welcome it with open arms, we protect it and resolutely support it," she added. "But if it is the latter, I think the international community would not agree."



Obama's remark on the South China Sea comes only a day after the US lifted its 42-year-old arms ban on Vietnam. The historic move is largely aimed at empowering Vietnam's military defense against the highly assertive China.



Vietnam has been seeking a complete removal of the embargo as the ban was only partially lifted in 2014. The US has not sold any arms to Vietnam since the ban was partially removed.



Monday's announcement of the complete removal of the ban was welcomed by the Vietnamese government. However, the US' decision comes with a sticking condition that Vietnam would strive to improve its track record on human right issues. US officials had urged Obama to extract a commitment from Vietnam over human right issues before revoking ban on arms sales.



Vietnam's government continuously faces international ire for the detention of scores of political activists every year. To keep up the pressure on the issue, Obama met several Vietnamese dissident leaders and political activists on Tuesday.



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Tagschina, South China Sea, Barack Obama, Vietnam, China and Vietnam
(Photo : www.rideaustin.com) RideAustin is looking to dominate in Texas.

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Earlier this month, ride-hailing services Lyft and Uber announced that they will cease their operation in the Texas capital Austin. More recently, a new non-profit ride-sharing service is picking up the pieces and aims to deliver the same service, and this time it will play by the rules imposed by the local government.



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RideAustin was started by Joe Liemandt, who is also the chief executive officer of Trilogy, a consumer electronics software, and automotive company. Uber and Lyft decided to forego their services in Austin following a referendum that requires all the drivers of the two companies to be fingerprinted, according to Tech Crunch.



While the new Austin referendum might dissuade many ride-sharing services, RideAustin is adamant that it should be able to fill the void left by Uber and Lyft.



Unlike Lyft and Uber, RideAustin declares itself as a non-profit organization. This means that, in theory, the company's fees will be significantly lower compared to other services since there is no major intention to maintain a high-profit margin. Although this arrangement sounds helpful to consumers, it is important to note that a poorly managed non-profit organization can sometimes deliver subpar service.



RideAustin will allow riders to round up their fares to the next dollar, and the remainder of it will be donated to a chosen charity. However, some tech analysts have noted that giving tips to drivers is not allowed in the app.



RideAustin director of communications Joe Deshotel told Digital Trends, "Here in Austin, we have an opportunity to do something unique with a platform that was built by Austinites for Austinites."



Deshotel added that since RideAustin is a non-profit organization, its operation will be completely transparent. This means that all the profits, employee and board member information will be accessible to the public.



Austin Mayor Steve Adler said that he supports RideAustin's initiative. RideAustin is currently available on the iOS platform, while the Android version of the app will be released next month.



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Jesus was the 1st transgender man, blasphemous Huffington Post column claims Guest Reviewer | 24 May, 2016 by Michael Foust

CHICAGO (Christian Examiner)  A Huffington Post columnist has sparked a new controversy by calling Jesus the first "transgender man," a claim that critics have called "blasphemous" and "a perversion."

Author and writer Suzanne DeWitt Hall began her column by criticizing Christians who oppose open bathroom policies for transgendered persons. She then argued that if Christians applied their own literal interpretation of the Bible, "they would quickly see that Jesus must be, by their own exegetical rules, the first transgender male."

She began by asserting that Eve was the first transgender woman.

"God reached into Adam, pulled out a bit of rib bone, and grew Eve from that XY DNA into Adam's companion," Hall wrote. "She was created genetically male, and yet trans-formed into woman."

Hall, who believes Eve was the first instance of cloning, said the cloning/transgender pattern was repeated with Jesus.

"The teaching of the church from ancient days through today is that Jesus received his fleshly self from Mary. The church also teaches that Jesus is the new Adam, born of the new Eve," Hall wrote. "... The Holy Spirit comes upon the second Eve, and the child takes flesh from her and is born. Born of her flesh. Born with XX chromosome pairing. Born genetically female, and yet trans-formed into man."

Her sensational column received 14,000 Facebook likes and 2,700 shares across social media.

"If Jesus and Eve were walking around today, perhaps shopping at the mall for a Father's Day gift, they'd have to swap restrooms," Hall wrote.

Many people on social media, though, weren't convinced.

"This is nothing more than a perversion of theology and of the Scripture that people read every day," one person, identified as Michael Angelo, wrote in the comments section. "There is zero evidence presented and no facts available to back up any statement or claim made. The 'article' really should be removed for that alone. The writer may want to reconsider a career change as a science fiction writer. I believe that would suit him or her better."

Hall, in the comments, claimed that she wrote the column at the "prompting of the Holy Spirit," but she received a lot of pushback for that claim, too.

"Now you are just adding insult to injury by blasphemous the Holy Spirit," a person calling himself Godsent Gideon wrote. "The Holy Spirit would NOT contradict the Word of God. There [are] just too many Scriptures that forecast the coming of Jesus and refer to Him as a man, male."

Another person, Sabrina Ferriera, wrote, "Asinine example and total twisting of Scripture! Eve was formed and created as FEMALE. She was NEVER completed as a male and then changed to female. Jesus was BORN MALE. Period."

Ferriera made a parallel to alligators: "All alligators start as females in the eggs. The temperature determines their sex. The eggs that hatch at a temp of 93 F or higher become male. Those that hatch at 86 F or lower become female. So does this mean all alligators are transgender? Because someone should let them know so they stop forcing themselves to breed and procreate. Tragic really."
Pope meets top Sunni Muslim cleric, days after saying Christians guilty of 'conquest' 24 May, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

ROME (Christian Examiner)  Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Muhammad Al-Tayyib met on Monday in what the Vatican is calling a "breakthrough" in Catholic-Muslim relations, the Vatican News Service has reported.

In a meeting that lasted only 30 minutes, Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican's press office, said that pope and the imam called attention to "the great significance of this new meeting in the framework of the dialogue between the Catholic Church and Islam."

According to Lombardi, the leaders of the two faiths "discussed the common commitment of the [religious] authorities and the faithful of the great religions for peace in the world, the rejection of violence and terrorism, the situation of Christians in the context of conflicts and tensions in the Middle East and their protection."

Pope Francis also presented the imam with a copy of his most recent encyclical, Laudato si, as well as a medallion featuring "the olive tree of peace."

Just how close the relationship between the two faith leaders will become remains to be seen, but Francis appears to have softened the church's stance significantly on Islam  including drawing a comparison between the legacy of Islamic conquest and, of all things, the Great Commission.

Catholic Herald, a UK publication, notes that in during a recent interview with La Croix (a French Catholic) publication, Francis was conciliatory.

"I sometimes dread the tone," Francis said, when people discuss Europe's "Christian roots."

"It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam," Francis said, adding that Christianity could also be "triumphalist."

"It is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest," the pontiff said.

He also claimed the church should look into how the democracy had been foisted upon the world.

"In the face of Islamic terrorism, it would therefore be better to question ourselves about the way an overly Western model of democracy has been exported to countries such as Iraq, where a strong government previously existed. Or in Libya, where a tribal structure exists. We cannot advance without taking these cultures into account. As a Libyan said recently, 'We used to have one Gaddafi, now we have fifty,'" Francis told La Croix.

The Vatican described Pope Francis's meeting with the top Sunni cleric in the world as "very cordial."

The pontiff, the Catholic News Agency reported, was overheard speculating how the meeting would be perceived.

"Our meeting is the message," the pontiff said.

Some clarification may be in order, though. Several commentators have blasted Pope Francis for the meeting. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones even featured a sensationalist headline on his Infowars website that said, "Pope Francis Converts to Islam!"
Hillary Clinton is leading Donald Trump in favorability ratings among the voters by three points, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Trump has almost won Republican party presidential nomination, and closed in on Clinton (46-43) who was leading him by 11 points in the same poll conducted last month.

Trump's racing ahead could be attributed to his improving image among the Republicans since April, when GOP voters were split 42 percent to 42 percent in approving and disapproving him. This month, 58 percent of Republicans voted positively for him while 25 percent who rated him negatively.

Clinton got 34 percent positive and 54 percent negative reviews, which in aggregate is -20 negative rating.

Trump fared worse than that with 29 percent positive and 58 percent negative votes, amounting to an overall -29 negative score.

Over 40 percent of voters said they were concerned about his lack of experience in military or elected public service. Only 15 percent were comfortable with his background as a business leader, and 5 percent were actually enthusiastic about it.

About 88 percent of African Americans and 68 percent of Latinos favor Clinton over Trump.

55 percent of youngsters aged between 18 and 34 gave Clinton a higher ranking than Trump who received only 32 percent positive votes from them.

However, more people were confident in Trump's banking skills and handling of economy. Some 48 percent said that Trump might be able to deal better with Wall Street, compared to 27 percent who expressed this same faith in Clinton.

About 10 percent of voters said they will neither vote for Clinton nor Trump, and 47 percent would contemplate voting for an independent or third-party candidate.

The chances of Democratic party coming to power is 66 percent while that for Republican party are 34 percent, according to PredictWise.

About 53 percent of voters favored a candidate who could "bring major changes to the way government operates," and only 43 percent wanted someone who had a "steady approach...even it means fewer changes," which implied a Trump edge over Clinton.

"Polls this far out mean nothing," Clinton said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "They certainly mean nothing to me. And I think that if people go back and look, they really mean nothing in terms of analyzing what's going to happen in the fall."
On Saturday, May 21, the Asian American Initiative at Fuller Theological Seminary hosted a conference exploring the intersections between gospel, pop culture, and Asian American identity where graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang shared his own experiences of exploring his Asian-American identity in light of the gospel.

Asian American issues of identity sit at the heart of my work, Yang said. His book, American Born Chinese, follows different characters as they grapple with issues of identity, race, and eventually, self-acceptance. In January 2016, Yang was appointed by the Library of Congress as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.

A lot of what we struggle with as Asian Americans is that we are foreigners, that were not American, Yang said.

There is a certain way comics have portrayed Asians historically, Yang explained. The yellow peril villain played upon the American peoples fears of the perceived threat that Asian people posed to the Western world. It was a staple in American pop culture, Yang said.

There is also the message that embracing Western faith is turning ones back on Eastern culture, Yang continued, referring to the history of Christianity often being used to colonize other countries.

This tension between Western faith and Eastern culture was particularly prominent during his college years as he tried to answer the question, What is my calling?

For me, it became Western faith versus Eastern culture, Yang described. One side told me, Follow your passions. Fulfill your dreams, while the other said, Secure your financial future. Fulfill your responsibilities.

However, as he meditated on Psalm 139 and the idea of divine intention, he said asked himself a different question.

There is a universality in the Christian story: in every culture, there is always the value of self-donating love, Yang said. Now, instead of asking myself, What is my calling?, Im asking, How can I live out self-donating love?

Authentic Christ is found in the tension," Yang added. "Living in the tension forces you to see both sides in human terms and this points to the need for self-donating love. If you feel tension between two sides of yourself, try to live in that tension.
The Asian American Initiative at Fuller Theological Seminary hosted its first all-day conference on Saturday exploring Asian American identity, and how it relates to an individual's understanding of the gospel. In particular, the conference aimed to examine that intersection through the lens of pop culture, as guest speakers included comic book writer and artist Gene Luen Yang, blogger Phil "Angry Asian Man" Yu, musician Tim Ouyang of Tim Be Told, and comedian and writer Jenny Yang.

"Pop culture is huge right now," said Ken Fong, the executive director of the Asian American Initiative at Fuller. "We wanted to see the convergence of all that -- culture, Asian American identity, and the gospel. And we wanted to highlight these individuals who keep their faith in the midst of what they do -- in Gene's case, he's kept faith at the center of his work."

"It's changing for the better, but we've still got a long way to go," Fong added, referring to the progress of Asian American dialogue and representation.

"We want to reach a deeper understanding of the gospel, but in order for us to get there, all of this matters, including our Asian American identity. You can't get there without an understanding of the culture," said Daniel Lee, program director of the Asian American Initiative.

An afternoon portion of the conference included a panel with Gene Yang, Phil Yu, and Tim Ouyang, along with Asian Americans involved in ministry, including Jerome Mammen, the area director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in Orange County, and Margaret Yu, the national executive director of Epic Movement, the Asian Ameican ministry of Cru.

Several panelists shared experiences of pain and discrimination. Jerome Mammen, who is Indian American and often grows out his beard, shared that he was once misunderstood as a terrorist.

"Someone took my license plate number down and reported me," Mammen said. The FBI showed up at his home, and requested to investigate.

"That's when I realized again, how I see myself is different from how others see me," he explained.

For Phil Yu, a turning point that sparked his activism for the Asian American community was watching a documentary about Vincent Chin, who was killed in 1982.

"I remember I was shaking in my chair," Yu said of the experience. "And I was just thinking, 'How come I'm only learning about this now? That could've been me.'"

But when trying to promote Asian American identity in the journey of deepening their faith, panelists said they often found themselves faced with opposition or dismissal from within and outside of the church.

"People would say, 'You're Christian before being Asian,' but some people say that because they don't have anything to lose," said Daniel Lee. "But for us, it's such a huge chunk of who we are."

Gene Yang shared that some would criticize him for integrating his faith into his work.

"Someone once said that my work feels like a 'colonized version of the Asian American experience,'" Yang said. "As though White culture is dominating again and has a foothold in my art."

"I still don't know a good resolution to that," Yang said. "I just live in the tension."

To that, Daniel Lee argued, "Christianity actually started from the East."

"But it seems that White normativity is so pervasive that it makes people think that Christianity is 'White' or 'Western,'" he added.

Dismissing the physical and only emphasizing the spiritual identity as a Christian is counteractive to deepening one's faith, said Margaret Yu.

"When we separate the spiritual and the physical, that's gnosticism," said Yu. "And when we separate those two parts, we're missing out on Jesus. He wants to redeem all of us, including our culture."

"I don't think you can divorce culture from Christianity. The way you see God is fundamentally shaped by culture," said Tim Ouyang. "I have faith he's sovereign over all of these things. Every single culture has a gift. He's poured out a bit of who He is in each culture."

An individual's culture and heritage also allows for greater ministry opportunities, added Jerome Mammen, referring to the Apostle Paul as an example.

"Paul says that all of the earthly things are loss compared to the gospel, but when he goes to places to preach, he uses all those things -- his Roman citizenship, speaks in Hebrew -- to do his ministry," he explained.

The panelists didn't seem to offer a blanket resolution to counteract the challenges of intersecting faith with culture within and outside of the church. But each did seem to have advice to share on an individual level in terms of how to reconcile or navigate through them.

"Pursue the most authentic version of yourself," said Phil Yu. "Just be unashamed for being Asian."

"In the margins of the tension, you'll find Jesus. Bring your questions to him: 'What do you say about me being Asian?'" advised Margaret Yu.

"I've become content knowing I'm not going to fit in anywhere. But being an alien in a foreign land is normal, and that's good news," shared Jerome Mammen.

"You can't wait for all of your questions or internal conflicts to be resolved. You just have to be able to live in that tension," said Gene Yang.

"As long as you are solidified in the fact that you are loved, you are significant -- you'll be free to do what you want," shared Tim Ouyang. "You don't have to be bound by what others say about you."
Last summer, even before the Supreme Court decision legitimizing same-sex marriage, conservative Christians were already anxious about the consequences for religious freedom. It is not an irrational fear. Eugene Volokh, a law professor at the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles, was quoted in The New York Times as saying:

If I were a conservative Christian (which I most certainly am not), I would be very reasonably fearful, not just as to tax exemptions but as to a wide range of other programsfearful that within a generation or so, my religious beliefs would be treated the same way as racist religious beliefs are.

Matthew J. Tuininga, assistant professor of moral theology at Calvin Theological Seminary, voiced the concerns of many about Obergefells potentially far-reaching implications:

We are not just talking about photographers, florists, or cake decorators being forced to serve at gay weddings, though those concerns are legitimate. We are talking about adoption agencies being required to assign children to gay couples, colleges and universities being required to offer same-sex couples access to married housing, and any number of similar scenarios revolving around perceived discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Since Obergefell, the anxiety has only risen. One reason is the religious nature of the disagreement. Both religious conservatives and LGBT activists ground their respective claims in metaphysics. To simplify: The first group believes that sexual mores are rooted in God-given teaching and the natural order. The second group believes every individual has the right to determine how to live sexually, and we each are duty bound to be true to ourselves, however we conceive ...

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Most Protestant pastors have been to jail to see someone. And most want to help prisoners and their families.

But their churches often lack the training or finances to run an effective prison ministry. So instead, the work is primarily done informally by individuals in the congregation.

Those are among the findings of a new phone survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors from LifeWay Research.

Researchers found widespread support among pastors for the idea of prison ministry. Four out of five pastors (83%) have visited a correctional facility. And almost all believe churches should help the families of those incarcerated (97%) and provide care for those getting out of jail (95%).

However, many pastors have little contact with those who have been incarcerated. Half of pastors say no one from their congregation has been jailed in the past three years. A third have seen one or two people from their church go to jail. One in six say three or more attendees have been jailed in that time (17%).

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British group jailed for terror offences, plans to take children to live under ISIS

A British trio who planned to travel to Syria and join ISIS have been jailed for terrorism-related offences.

Lorna Moore, Ayman Shaukat and Alex Nash were all convicted on Monday at the Old Bailey in London.

Moore, aged 34 and a mother of three, was jailed for two and a half years for failing to tell police her husband, Sajid Aslam, was about to join ISIS. Aslam was among a group of 12 from the Midlands town of Walsall who tried to go to Syria in 2014, according to police.

Shaukat, 28, was jailed for 10 years with a five-year extended licence for helping Aslam and one other, a Muslim convert named Alex Nash, to travel to Syria.

Nash, 22, was stopped in Turkey and was jailed for five years. He had plead guilty at an earlier hearing to preparing for acts of terrorism.

It is believed Shaukat organised the operation and the judge ordered he must be monitored for 15 years because he was considered such a threat.

British-born Moore had converted to Islam and planned to take her three young children to Syria to raise them under ISIS, the Judge Charles Wide QC ruled. He said she "knew perfectly well of [her] husband's dedication to terrorism".

He added: "One of the troubling things about you is your facility for telling lies."

Another woman, Kerry Thomason, 24, was described by Wide as "naive" after she admitted planning to join her husband, Isaiah Siadatan, in Syria.

However her two-year prison sentence was suspended after it emerged Siadatan had threatened to send fighters to murder her parents.

Assistant chief constable Marcus Beale from the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit thanked local communities for their assistance in what is considered one of the force's most complex investigations.

He added: "In recent months we have seen the dangers of trained terrorists returning to Europe to commit acts of terrorism which emphasises how important it is for officers to prevent travel.

"If anyone is concerned that a friend or family member is thinking of travelling to Syria it is very important that they tell us as soon as possible. Police and other agencies can offer support to help safeguard those who are vulnerable to radicalisers."
Christians have a duty to convert all Muslims, including ISIS militants  Vatican official

Christians have a duty to convert all Muslims, including extremists, but not Jews, according to a Vatican official.

Cardinal Kurt Koch leads ecumenical relations for the Vatican and is one of Pope Francis' senior aides. He spoke at an interfaith meeting at Cambridge University's Woolf Institute.

"We have a mission to convert all non-Christian religions' people [except] Judaism," he told the gathering of Catholic and Jewish leaders.

The cardinal went on to say this mission included jihadis who slaughtered Christians in the Middle East, according to the Catholic Herald.

However, Judaism should be viewed as a "mother" by Christians, the cardinal said, arguing that Christianity and Judaism share a special relationship.

"It is very clear that we can speak about three Abrahamic religions but we cannot deny that the view of Abraham in Jewish and the Christian tradition and the Islamic tradition is not the same," he said.

"In this sense we have only with Jewish people this unique relationship that we do not have with Islam." Jews should be exempt from Christian evangelism because they are a "chosen" people, he said.

The Swiss clergyman was Bishop of Basel before he moved to Rome and serves as the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

His comments follow a document released by the Vatican in December that told Catholics not to try and convert Jews.

The Gifts and Calling of God are Irrevocable marked a significant shift in tone from the Catholic Church which used to refer to Jews as "perfidious" and blind.
Church of Scotland reaffirms support of EU

The Church of Scotland has reaffirmed its stance that the UK should remain in the EU.

Reuters

In a vote at the annual general assembly, the Church's ruling body overwhelmingly backed the motion despite an objection at the Church appearing to tell people how to vote.

The vote comes less than a month before the UK will decide whether or not to remain in a referendum on June 23.

The Church of Scotland has a long standing support of remaining in the EU. Since the question was first posed to the general assembly in 1996, the Church has restated its commitment to the EU five times with the former moderator, Dr Angus Morrison, saying the EU symbolised "real progress and hope" for the future.

In a short debate in Edinburgh on Tuesday several Church ministers spoke of the EU's positive influence on peace and security.

However Rev Karen Fenwick objected. "We are not a political party or a trade union," she said. "I think the Scottish public are quite capable of knowing we support the EU without us telling them what to do."

Her motion failed to gain support and was removed.

Church and Society Convener, Rev Sally Foster Fulton, welcomed the decision and insisted the Church was not telling people how to vote.

"We are saying as a Church that much has been gained by being a part of the European Union, and we believe there is a great deal we can do in the future as an integral part of Europe," she said.

"We recognise it is not perfect, but the EU is a work in progress and not the finished product. The only way we can continue to be part of the transformation is to remain within it."

Tim Farron, the leader of the Liberal Democrats and an evangelical Christian, welcomed the decision and urged Church members to follow suit.

"Christians are called to share, to cooperate with our neighbours and promote peace. This referendum is not just about what is good for Britain but what is good for the world, particularly poorer nations and the importance of our global climate. This makes a strong case for Britain staying in the EU."

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He added: "I would encourage other institutions to also engage in this issue that fundamentally affects our nation's future and our place in the world."

The Church of England, which has a formal link to the Church of Scotland, has remained neutral on this issue although individual clergy have taken both sides. Together both Churches have set up a blog called "Re-imagining Europe" to facilitate discussion but it remains editorially neutral.

Giles Fraser, a priest in south London and Guardian columnist, is one clergyman to back the case for Brexit. He previously told Christian Today the debate was "between people on the margins and people in the centre".
Desmond Tutu's daughter gives up Church ministry after same-sex marriage

Archbishop Desmond Tutu's daughter has given up her licence to serve as an Anglican priest after marrying a woman.

Rev Canon Mpho Tutu-Van Furth faced disciplinary measures from her bishop, who is personally sympathetic but constrained by Church law.

Tutu-Van Furth said: "Because the South African Anglican Church does not recognise our marriage, I can no longer exercise my priestly ministry in South Africa. The bishop of the diocese was instructed to revoke my licence. I decided that I would give it to him rather than have him take it."

Bishop Raphael Hess told the Telegraph he was "vexed" by the situation but hoped it would be short-lived. "The time has come for us to exercise pastoral care, for us to demonstrate a shift that is reflected in the law," he said. "We would be able to have Rev Canon Tutu be able to minister. At the moment she cannot and she has accepted that but we are hoping that there might be a window for us to change it."

South Africa legalised same-sex marriage in 2006, but the Church has yet to follow suit. However, unlike Anglican Churches in other African countries it generally takes a liberal position on the question that has threatened to split the Communion.

Canon Tutu married atheist academic Marceline Van Furth in the Netherlands in December. Both are divorced.

Archbishop Tutu attended a second ceremony at a vineyard owned by Sir Richard Branson in South Africa at which he was permitted to give a "father's blessing" to their union. The former Archbishop of Cape Town has spoken in favour of same-sex marriage, saying he would refuse to go to a "homophobic heaven".
Far right narrowly defeated in Austrian presidential election

Austria came close to becoming the first European Union country to elect a far-right head of state as postal ballots on Monday decided a knife-edge presidential vote in favour of the anti-immigration candidate's environmentalist opponent.

The results were awaited nervously by governments across Europe, where populist anti-immigration parties have surged over the past year on concerns over a refugee influx, continued weak economic growth and high unemployment.

After the election was too close to call on Sunday, a count of absentee votes on Monday thrust 72-year-old Alexander van der Bellen past anti-immigration Freedom Party rival Norbert Hofer and into the largely ceremonial post of president.

The Freedom Party and its European allies expressed disappointment at the defeat but delight at the record support from Austrian voters, while traditional parties of government breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fifty per cent confidence in Norbert Hofer is a gigantic showing," his campaign manager Herbert Kickl told public broadcaster ORF, toning down comments before the election that suggested the Freedom Party (FPO) might contest the count.

"One thing is clear: there are many Norbert Hofers in the Freedom Party and we are very, very well placed for parliamentary elections  whenever they come," he added.

The Interior Ministry count gave van der Bellen, a former Greens party leader, 50.3 per cent of the vote, compared to 49.7 per cent for Hofer. The margin of victory was just over 31,000 out of nearly 4.5 million valid votes cast.

One factor behind the strong FPO showing was dissatisfaction with the two centrist parties that have dominated politics in Austria, often by governing in coalition, as they do now, and carving up top institutions between them over the decades.

Opinion polls in the Alpine republic of 8.5 million people regularly suggest the FPO would win parliamentary elections if held now. The current government's term runs until 2018.

"This is just the beginning," FPO boss Heinz-Christian Strache said on his Facebook page.

Van der Bellen said he planned to unite Austria after its almost dead-even split in the vote.

"We are the same," he said in his first speech as president-elect. "There are two halves that make up Austria. The one half is just as important as the other."

Embarrassment

Hofer conceded defeat in a post on his Facebook page, thanking his supporters and telling them not to be despondent.

The outcome averted a major potential embarrassment for Europe's political establishment though it exposed how vulnerable it has become to a popular backlash against immigration.

"It's a relief to see the Austrians reject populism and extremism," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said in a Twitter post. "Everyone in Europe must draw lessons from this."

Prosperous Austria has been swept up in Europe's migrant influx, fanning concerns about rising unemployment and the erosion of the country's high living standards.

Pollster SORA had said mail-in ballots were likely to favour van der Bellen because they are traditionally used by more educated voters, 81 per cent of whom backed van der Bellen on Sunday, according to SORA polling.

The vote in Austria had unsettled leaders elsewhere in Europe, particularly in neighbouring Germany, where the new anti-immigration Alternative for Germany is on the rise.

Two halves

In France, the National Front of Marine Le Pen is leading in polls ahead of a presidential election next year. Across the Channel, the UK Independence Party is campaigning for Britain to leave the 28-nation EU in a referendum on June 23.

"Despite the disappointment, a historic score for our ally from the FPO," National Front Secretary General Nicolas Bay said on Twitter. "The future belongs to patriots!"

Greece's leftist Syriza party said Hofer's strong showing "means it is time that alarm bells start ringing for Europe".

Hofer, 45, has described himself as a centre-right politician and told voters not to believe suggestions from opponents that he would be a dangerous president.

His party, however, traces its roots to the Nazi past that Austria has not confronted as openly as Germany. The FPO was founded by a decorated member of the Nazi SS who served as agriculture minister after Hitler annexed Austria in 1938.

More recently, it has focused much of its critical campaigning on Muslim immigrants and its leaders have courted Jewish voters with moves like a recent visit by Strache to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

"Unfortunately, the dissatisfaction with the moderate mainstream parties is providing oxygen to those like Hofer and the Freedom Party, and we are seeing signs of these trends across Europe," European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor said of the Austrian election result.
Germany: Anti-immigrant AfD walks out of talks with Muslim council

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader has walked out of talks with the country's Central Council of Muslims.

The meeting on Monday was intended to ease tensions after the anti-immigrant party declared Islam incompatible with the German constitution.

AfD leader Frauke Perry said she walked out of the meeting after a prominent German Muslim refused to retract a comment comparing the AfD with Adolf Hitler's Third Reich.

"We had to let ourselves  and this really gets to us  be accused of being like a party out of the Third Reich," Petry told reporters. "Comparisons made time and again that the AfD is becoming more like the Third Reich were not withdrawn."

The meeting was coordinated by Aiman Mazyek, the leader of the Central Council of Muslims. Last month he likened the AfD's stance towards Muslims to that of the Nazis towards Jews in the 1930s, after the AfD called for a ban on minarets and burqas.

After the meeting Mazyek said the AfD had not wanted to discuss its anti-Islam policy and wanted to dictate how the Muslim council should slaughter animals and build mosques. He said the party would continue to "follow the path of populism, defamation and prejudice".

There has been a sharp rise in right-wing sentiment in Germany since Chancellor Angela Merkel adopted an open-door policy towards migration, allowing more than one million refugees and migrants into the country. The policy has hardened German attitudes towards migration and Merkel has since adopted a tougher approach.

Figures released yesterday showed there has been an increase in crimes related to extremist right-wing activity in Germany. In 2015 there were 23,000 attacks, according to the BBC, a 35 per cent increase on the year before.
Government to investigate use of British cluster bombs in Yemen

Claims that illegal British-made cluster bombs are being used by Saudi Arabia in the Yemen civil war is being investigated by the UK government.

The human rights charity Amnesty International said it had discovered evidence the Saudi-led coalition had used the banned bombs. Foreign secretary Philip Hammond told MPs the ministry of defence was "urgently investigating" the allegations.

He went on to say Britain had received assurances from the Saudis that the illegal bombs had not been used.

In reply to an urgent question in parliament on Tuesday, the defence minister Philip Dunne added the UK last delivered cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia in 1989 and no longer supplied, manufactured or supported them.

The retort comes after Amnesty wrote to the Prime Minister on Monday to call for a full investigation.

In 2008 the UK signed an international convention that banned the use of cluster bombs. Although neither Saudi Arabia or UAE, the other major state supporting the Saudi-led coalition, have signed the coalition, the bombs are designed to be dropped by a Tornado jet, dozens of which have been sold to Saudi Arabia from Britain in recent decades. The planes are still services by British mechanics, leading to the call for an investigation by Amnesty.

The bomb is designed to spread small pieces over a large area so its target is indiscriminate and a particular danger to civilians.

Amnesty International UK arms control director Oliver Sprague said: "Cluster bombs are one of the nastiest weapons in the history of warfare, rightly banned by more than 100 countries, so it's truly shocking that a British cluster munition has been dropped on a civilian area in Yemen.

"The UK should have been tracking down all the now-banned cluster bombs it's sold to Saudi Arabia over the years and pressing for them to be safely disposed of. Instead, shamefully, it's now come to light that a UK cluster bomb has been used in Yemen, spraying its deadly bomblets all over a village and jeopardising the lives of men, women and children.

"There needs to be a full investigation into both this incident and all aspects of the UK's arming of Saudi Arabia and other countries involved in the carnage in Yemen."
'Let the cries of grief at last fall silent!': Syrian Christian children to pray for peace

Orthodox and Catholic Christian children will take part in a day of prayer for peace in Syria on June 1.

Hundreds of children across war-torn Syria, which has suffered immeasurable damage over the past five years, will hold prayer meetings and process to mark International Children's Day, according to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

"The children in our home country of Syria are the little brothers and sisters of the suffering Child Jesus," Syrian Catholic and Orthodox Patriarchs said in a joint statement.

"For more than five years now they have been dragged through a cruel war, wounded, traumatised or even killed. Many have lost their parents and everything that was dear to them. Innumerable children were born during the war and have never experienced peace.

"Their tears and their sufferings cry out to Heaven."

They added: "We implore Him, who alone can bring peace: 'Protect and save the children of this land! Hear our prayers, now! Delay no longer in granting peace to our land!'

"'Look upon the tears of the children; dry the tears of the mothers; let the cries of grief at last fall silent!'"

Maronite Bishop Antoine Chbeir of Lattakia told ACN that he hopes the initiative will encourage people around the world to pray for Syria, which in March entered its sixth year of civil conflict.

"We are hoping that this campaign will continue, so that the light of peace can shine forth brightly," he said.

Since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, an estimated 11 million Syrians, half its total population, have fled their homes. Around 4.8 million have taken refuge in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan or even further afield. The rest have been displaced internally.

At least 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance within Syria itself, and 320,000 people have been killed since the conflict began, including nearly 12,000 children.
Pope calms speculation surrounding Ireland visit as Vatican confirms 2018 World Meeting of Families in Dublin

Pope Francis has dampened hopes he may visit Ireland for the 2018 World Meeting of Families.

The Vatican has announced the next conference will be in Dublin in August 2018 but has refused to be drawn on whether the Pontiff will attend.

A statement from the Catholic Irish bishops' conference said "it is too early" to say whether the Pope would attend and added a decision is not expected until a few months before the event.

It comes after the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, claimed the Pope had told him: "I will come and if I don't come, my successor will come." However the statement on Tuesday from the Irish Bishops' Conference appeared to quieten excitement around a possible visit.

It said Pope Francis has expressed his desire to attend but the final decision "will depend on many factors". If he were to attend the bishops warned it would be a "more restricted programme" than the previous papal visit to Ireland from Pope Saint John Paul II in 1979.

The choice of Dublin for a venue comes after Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by a referendum vote last year. Despite calls from the Church against the move, 62 per cent of the Irish electorate voted in favour of gay marriage.

The Church has maintained its traditional view on marriage and as Archbishop Martin announced the date and theme of the upcoming families meeting, he said Ireland is a "very open country and is open to all the pressures of Western secular culture regarding marriage and the family."

He said the meeting would be "an event of the entire Church" and would aim to "stress the role of the family within society and the contribution of families to the overall health and stability of society".

The World Meeting of Families has taken place once every three years since its first meeting in 1994. However Archbishop Martin said this meeting would be particularly significant as it followed Francis' choice to hold his first synod of bishops on the theme of the family. It is not an "isolated event", he added.

"It belongs within a programme of renewal of the Church's pastoral concern and pastoral care for the family and for families."

The theme of the conference will be "The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World", inspired by the Pope's apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia on The Joy of Love after the synod on the family.

The Pope's 261-page document affirmed the Church's view of marriage as between one man and one woman but added: "Every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, while 'every sign of unjust discrimination' is to be carefully avoided, particularly any form of aggression and violence."
Richard Dawkins: Atheists should be more like Anglicans

Atheist campaigner and scientist Richard Dawkins has denied being an aggressive atheist and urged "rationalists" to "take on some of the gentle decency of the Church of England".

"Rationality ought to be polite and humorous. Aggressive atheism is sometimes attributed to me, but I think wrongly," he told the The Times.

In a wide-ranging interview, Dawkins praised efforts by the government to crack down on hate preachers and criticised what he said was a reluctance to confront Islam.

"Incitement to violence is the one case where freedom of speech should be curtailed," he said. "I think there's a tendency to turn a blind eye specifically to Islam."

He said: "People are terrified of being thought racist. There's an awful confusion in many people's minds. They think Islam is a race, which of course it isn't. If you're seen to criticise Islam you are often accused of racism, which is absurd. I'm all for offending people's religion. I think it should be offended at every opportunity."

He condemned what he said was a failure to prosecute some so-called "honour killings", describing it as "deeply wrong". He also criticised segregated seating at political meetings or university events for Islamic religious reasons, saying: "There's a tendency among liberals in the West to bend over backwards because they're terrified of being called racist. Islam gets a free pass."

On faith schools, Dawkins said: "I would like to see them abolished or at least the faith element removed. It's important to teach children about religion, but I'm against schools that indoctrinate children in a particular religion."

He also called for the immigration system to be biased in favour of atheists, saying: "In the case of immigrants from Syria and Iraq I would like to see special preference given to apostates, people who have given up Islam. They are in particular danger."
Tony Blair: Only 'proper ground war' can defeat ISIS

A "proper ground war" against ISIS is needed according to former Prime Minster Tony Blair.

The Labour politician and devout Catholic said it was not possible to defeat the militant group by air strikes alone. He spoke at an event sponsored by Prospect magazine in Westminster on Tuesday and admitted he underestimated Iraq's destabilising forces when he declared war against Saddam Hussein in 2003.

However he refused to be criticised for the invasion and said the lessons to be learnt from that war were simple.

"For sure we underestimated profoundly the forces that were at work in the region and would take advantage of change once you topple the regime. That is the lesson. The lesson is not complicated. The lesson is simple. It is that when you remove a dictatorship out come these forces of destabilisation, whether it is al-Qaeda on the Sunni side or Iran on the Shia side."

After he left office, Blair established the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to promote inter-faith dialogues in tackling extremism. He admitted that his knowledge of the Middle East "is a lot deeper today than it was when I was prime minister".

He said that when the Arab Spring began "I was one of these that said 'Let us be careful'. What did we learn from Iraq? We learned that once you get rid of the dictatorship, that is the beginning of a new chapter where all these poisonous forces and influences come out and start to disrupt the situation."

The Chilcot report is due to be published next month and Blair is likely to be heavily criticised. In his comments on Tuesday he refused to answer questions ahead of publication but insisted ISIS "have got to be tackled on the ground".

He said: "There is no way of defeating these people without defeating them on the ground."

Asked whether the legacy of the Iraq war made it more difficult to send British troops into a conflict zone, Blair said: "You can describe it as a legacy or describe it as a fact that arises from the nature of the conflict."

He went on: "We are not being honest with our public if we are saying it is possible to defeat these people without making the commitment to defeat them and to do what it takes to defeat them.

"In my view, defeating them is absolutely fundamental because if we don't defeat them they are going to come and attack us here. This is not someone else's fight, it is our fight as well."
Trump's new 'liaison for Christian policy' claims he stopped a tsunami through prayer

Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump has appointed a new "liaison for Christian policy".

Citing Mario Bramnick, an official with the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Right Wing Watch says the Trump campaign has taken on Frank Amedia of Touch Heaven Ministries in Ohio to arrange meetings with conservative leaders.

Until recently Amedia's church's website said he was "an Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist, Teacher, and Minister in sound biblical doctrine with gifts of knowledge, healing, and discernment... For over two decades, his clarity of vision, prophetic insight, and revelations of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God in the scriptures have been an enormous blessing to a worldwide audience."

On Miami pastor Guillermo Maldonado's TBN programme in 2012, Amedia claimed to have stopped waves from the 2011 tsunami in Japan from hitting a Hawaiian island where his daughter was at the time. He said: "I stood at the edge of my bed and I said, 'In the name of Jesus, I declare that tsunami to stop now.' And I specifically said, 'I declare those waters to recede,' and I said, 'Father, that is my child, I am your child, I'm coming to you now and asking you to preserve her.'

"Apostle, it was seen by 400 people on a cliff. It was on YouTube, it was actually on the news that that tsunami stopped 200 feet off of shore. Even after having sucked the waters in, it churned and it went on and did devastation in the next island."

Amedia was granted immunity in 2001 to testify he had helped try to bribe a prosecutor to drop a case against a car-dealer friend. He was never charged, but admitted he helped arrange a payment of $250,000 through a prominent local businessman. He later said his family members were subjected to death threats by mobsters over the incident.

Donald Trump has polarised evangelical opinion, with some high-profile supporters like Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, coming out in his favour while others like Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, have been fiercely critical.
Donald Trump's presidential campaign got off to a rocky start last June when  after playing Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" after the rally announcing his presidential bid  the rocker immediately asked the mogul to stop using the Freedom track on the campaign trail. The issue sparked a public argument between Young and Trump, as Young stated that Trump was "not authorized" to use the track, while a spokesperson for the GOP candidate insisted they had acquired the necessary publishing rights.

However, in a new interview with Reuters, Young said he doesn't harbor any resentment towards Trump for using the Freedom track; in fact, he might have okayed the mogul's usage if Trump had just asked permission first.

"The fact that I said I was for Bernie Sanders and then [Trump] didn't ask me to use 'Rockin' in the Free World' doesn't mean that he can't use it," Young said. "He actually got a license to use it. I mean, he said he did and I believe him. So I got nothing against him. You know, once the music goes out, everybody can use it for anything. But if the artist who made it is saying you never spoke to them, if that means something to you, you probably will stop playing it. And it meant something to Donald and he stopped."

Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told Rolling Stone in June 2015 after Young protested the song's usage on the campaign trail, "We won't be using it again. There are plenty of other songs to choose from, despite the fact that Mr. Trump is a big fan and likes Neil very much. We will respect his wish and not use it because it's the right thing to do."

After the "Rockin' in the Free World" incident, Young's rep issued a statement saying, "Donald Trump was not authorized to use 'Rockin' in the Free World' in his presidential candidacy announcement. Neil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America." Eleven months later, Young is still supporting the Vermont senator.

"He's the only one talking about the issues, about issues that matter to me, the issues on my mind," Young told Reuters. "Problems of corporate control of democracy and everything slipping away and not being able to have six major companies owning all the media in the United States."

Although Young supports Sanders, come November, he won't be able to vote for the Vermont senator, or any other candidate for that matter: The rocker maintains his Canadian citizenship, making him ineligible to vote in the presidential election. When asked if he'd consider U.S. citizenship, Young quipped, "Oh, that would be a big ruse. I'm a Canadian. There's nothing I can do about that."

"I vote in my own way, by making a lot of noise. If you don't want to listen to me, fine. If you don't want to vote like I would, don't," Young said. "But I still have a voice."

This article originally appeared on Rollingstone.com: Neil Young: I'm OK With Donald Trump Using 'Rockin' in the Free World'
A pregnant teenager was sent to the hospital after the stolen pickup she was a passenger in crashed into a ditch during a police chase in northeast Houston.

The chase began about 2 a.m. Tuesday when officers tried to stop a man driving a stolen Chevrolet Silverado pickup in the 1700 block of Kelley, according to the Houston Police Department.
Two threats were received Tuesday morning about passenger flights departing from George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Police sent bomb-sniffing dogs to the airport after a person called authorities about 7 a.m. and made a threat against a specific departing flight, said Bill Begley, spokesman for the Houston Airport System.

In Los Angeles, authorities said a noncredible threat was received at 10:40 a.m. CDT about American Eagle flight 5931 that had departed from Houston's Bush Airport several hours earlier.

Meanwhile, at Bush Airport, Delta officials said passengers aboard Delta flight 227 bound for Atlanta were asked to disembark from the MD-88 plane and were rescreened at security checkpoints. Their luggage, Begley said, was taken from the plane and rescreened.

Bomb-sniffing dogs searched the Delta plane after the threat was made, according to the Houston Police Department.

When the Delta plane, passengers and luggage were deemed to be safe, the passengers reboarded and the flight was expected to continue to its destination.

The American Eagle flight, operated by Compass Airlines, landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport and taxied to a remote pad. Passengers were still onboard as police surrounded the plane.

Los Angeles police sent bomb-sniffing dogs to the scene. No other information about the incident was released. The nature of the threat was not immediately clear.

Chronicle reporter Cindy George and the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Just when you'd thought you left middle school behind, a study released this spring reports that people who are perceived as attractive make more money than those who aren't.

The study, "Gender and the Returns to Attractiveness," reports that "more attractive individuals will have higher incomes than their average counterparts, and less attractive individuals will have lower incomes than their average counterparts."

But wait. There's more!

While the researchers found that people who are rated as attractive earn roughly 20 percent more than people of average attractiveness, it's less about born-this-way looks than it is about "beauty work." Or, in layman's terms: People who spend time on their hair and makeup in the morning are more likely to earn a higher paycheck.

"For both men and women, grooming matters more than attractiveness: being attractive is not enough; it is doing attractiveness appropriately that proves one's deserving-ness and is what gets rewarded in the labor market," the study notes.

It's no surprise that pretty people get perks. The authors of the study, which was published in the April edition of Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, note that "attractive individuals have greater power in every day interactions, and attractive students are considered more intelligent by their teachers, are more popular among their classmates, and do better on exams."

But what's troubling here is that employees -- especially female employees -- need to spend extra time (and money) to strive for a certain kind of look. And even after all that work, women are still likely to earn far less than their male counterparts in all parts of the country. Take look through the gallery above to see just how wide America's paygap is, according to AAUW.
The state's two largest university systems want to run the national laboratory in New Mexico that helped develop the first nuclear weapons.

Texas A&M University and the University of Texas systems have entered a joint bid with the University of New Mexico and private companies Boeing and Battelle to take over management of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, one of three U.S. Department of Energy laboratories responsible for the nation's nuclear arsenal, the universities said Tuesday.

The universities would conduct research, provide workforce training and independent peer review of the work done at Sandia  rooted primarily in the realm of national security and nuclear science.

"In the Texas A&M and University of Texas systems, you have two of the largest, most prestigious university systems in the country with the expertise and resources necessary at Sandia, as you do with the University of New Mexico and its deep ties to Sandia, and I believe we bring an academic prowess that no one in this country can match," A&M Chancellor John Sharp said during the announcement in New Mexico. "Together, with Battelle and Boeing, our nation's defense will be in good hands."

Officials declined to offer many details on how they would run the labs, should their bid be selected. A&M leaders said its faculty and students would have chances to collaborate with the researchers working at Sandia.

"These are very unique, state-of-the-art facilities," A&M Engineering Dean Kathy Banks said. "Our students would have opportunities with this type of partnership that they wouldn't have otherwise."

Those opportunities could include working in the labs where the first nuclear weapons were developed and where America's nuclear arsenal remains. Sandia began in 1945 as Z Division, the design, testing and assembly arm of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which built the atomic bomb. It became Sandia Laboratory in 1949.

The effort to run the labs is as much about service to the country as it is research for the military-oriented A&M, Sharp said.

"Yes, joining the Together Sandia team will provide tremendous opportunities to create new partnerships and expand existing ones. Yes, it will increase our research and educational opportunities. Yes, we want to be at the forefront of preparing the scientific and engineering workforce of the future," Sharp said. "But most of all, it is about service to our country  to ensuring that our nation's defense is second to none."

The laboratory is managed by the Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company that has run the lab for decades. The lab has an operating budget of $3 billion with 10,000 employees. Competition to run it likely will be stiff. The energy department issued a request for proposals to run the lab this month and is expected to pick the new manager by the end of the year.

Leaders from Battelle, which helps run six national laboratories already, and Boeing said they were confident in the team they've joined for the bid. A&M and UT, working in the bid as the Texas Research and Education Partnership, would sit on the board of directors for the lab should they win.

Running the lab would be an "unparalleled research opportunity" for the Texas universities, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement.

"Together, Texas and New Mexico can bring unprecedented research opportunities to our great state universities and would be honored to be entrusted with the management of one of our nation's premier national laboratories," Abbott said.
GALVESTON  A company based in Finland had donated a $500,000 ship engine to the Maritime Academy at Texas A&M University Galveston, the university said this week.

The 27-ton engine, the size of a school bus, will be used to teach students engine repair and about emissions and fuel economy as they work to obtain maritime licenses that will allow them to operate ships in oceans around the world.
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A science lab is under construction in northwest Houston.

Lone Star College-University Park broke ground recently on a $15.4 million science center.

The 50,000-square-foot, three-story building will house 12 labs, including biology, chemistry and anatomy, all stocked with technologically advanced equipment.

"The Center for Science & Innovation will reflect our innovative culture at LSC-University Park," campus president Shah Ardalan said. "Our students will benefit from the state-of-the art instructional science laboratories and spaces we have designed for collaboration."

More Information More details What: Center for Science and Innovation Where: LSC-University Park Timeline: Construction started in April. Expected to open in the fall of 2017 Cost: $15.4 million See More Collapse

In addition to a new space for science courses, the center will have many learning opportunities for the entire community, Ardalan said.

The center will feature an indoor, 3-D geology teaching wall. The wall, which will rise three stories around the elevator, will show the earth's rock layers.

The college will encourage area schools to take field trips to the new center as a learning opportunity for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, said Veronique Tran, dean of the division of math and sciences at LSC-University Park.

"The (center) will be ideal for hosting summer science institutes for teachers and K-12 outreach events to excite students about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers and other community education events," Tran said.

The new science center, expected to be complete for the start of fall 2017 classes, will help the University Park campus meet demands of a growing enrollment, now at 11,685, Ardalan said. The campus has an enrollment capacity of 15,000 students.

The number of students grew by 20 percent in the fall compared with a year ago and is expected to grow by additional 15 percent to 20 percent in fall 2016, Ardalan said. And he expects the number to continue to rise in 2017.

Class space is tight at University Park as the campus has worked to keep up with student demand and area growth.

The facility is funded through a $485 million bond for the Lone Star College System passed by voters in 2014.

The center is being built with a focus on the importance of collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking.

The first floor will include a learning commons area, open 40 hours a week, where students can get extra help from faculty members and collaborate with peers.

The campus calls this area the "science hot spot." It is a spinoff of a pilot math program started on the campus in spring 2015.

Faculty members spend office hours in that area and are available for any student who needs extra help.

The space has collaboration pods where six students can gather around tables and hook up laptops.

The building will also include a third-floor observation deck for the lab portion of the new astronomy courses offered at the campus.

Students in stellar and planetary astronomy take telescopes to the fourth-floor of a parking garage now to view the night sky for the observation portion of courses. Once the science building is complete, the third-floor deck will be their laboratory instead.

The third-floor deck will also be used for community events.

The campus is hoping to raise funds to build an observation dome on top of the deck that would feature high-powered telescopes that could be used by students and the community.

"With private donor and corporate support, we hope to raise additional funds for special features of the building," Ardalan said. "Those who invest will be investing with us in the future of our community."
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As a resource teacher, Jane Walls is tasked with coordinating the education of fourth- and fifth-grade students with a variety of disabilities. Some are intellectually disabled. Other kids may be classified as having emotional disturbances.

But Walls often finds herself handling more kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder than any other disability at Cooper Elementary in Spring ISD, something her family also struggled with when raising her younger brother.

"With my brother, he had to go to public school," Walls said. "We got very lucky because he has a very high IQ  but what about all those kids that aren't lucky, aren't smart or don't have an understanding general education teacher?"

During a lunch break, Walls, who has taught special education for 11 years, confided in a couple of colleagues who work with children with disabilities that she wanted to start a school dedicated to autistic kids.

More Information Want to know more? ASD Hope Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that hopes to open a school in The Woodlands for the 2017-18 school year. The nonprofit was founded by three Spring ISD educators. A school is not operational; the nonprofit is raising funds to open one. More information about the nonprofit can be found online at www.asdhope.com. See More Collapse

So, Walls, fellow resource teacher Shelinta Perez and Response To Intervention coordinator Cary Mollinedo banded together and founded ASD Hope Inc. in The Woodlands.

ASD Hope - the acronym is for autism spectrum disorder - is still in its infancy. The trio are looking for a location that would be flexible to each child's individual needs while also fulfilling security requirements. Former daycare centers or modular, portable spaces are possibilities.

More importantly, they need funding. They have a fundraising goal of at least $1 million to start the school.

"We have the know-how; it's just about getting the funding," said Walls, the president of ASD Hope.

Autism on the rise

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses has shot up since the turn of the century. In 2000, one in 150 children were reported. Today, one in 68 children fall under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Though Mollinedo has been an educator for about 15 years, she's serving her first year as an RTI coordinator at Cooper Elementary, where she tracks about 50 students who are struggling and may need more support due to disabilities like autism.

"I'm seeing a lot of it, and it's my first year overseeing RTI. It was eye-opening," Mollinedo, the vice president of ASD Hope, said of the prevalence of autism in schools.

Just like the name indicates, the autism spectrum is broad with many variations and permutations. Some common early signs of autism include delayed language development and failure to make or maintain eye contact. As children grow older, they may not pick up on social cues, seem unresponsive, engage in repetitive behaviors or have sensory challenges.

Other children may be on the "high-functioning" end of the autism spectrum. Though there isn't consensus as to what that exactly means, the description may fit a child with mild symptoms and has age-appropriate language or learning skills.

Public education does provide some support for autistic children; Walls and her colleagues are evidence of that. But many educators and parents feel there is room for improvement.

"The good news is that compared to before the '70s, autistic kids are (now) promised an education. Most public schools are trying to do that, but it's difficult because programs have to be individualized," said Carol Sloan, treasurer and founding member of Families for Effective Autism Treatment-Houston, who also raised an autistic son. "It's difficult in a classroom with a lot of kids to tailor the programs."

In the classroom, autistic kids may not be motivated to please the teacher or authority figure in the class and may need constant behavioral reinforcement to shape their behavior, especially if it disrupts the learning process. Not all teachers know how to handle and teach children with special needs, who may need much more one-on-one attention.

"A typical kid wants the teacher to like them. A child with autism doesn't have that," Sloan said.

Even with resource teachers like Walls and Perez who pull students from their regular classrooms for small group or individual teaching to reinforce academic and skill goals, public education may not have all the tools for every autistic child.

To top that off, autistic kids who suffer with communication and other developmental disorders may need speech and occupational therapy. That can take away from time in school, making it more difficult to get ahead academically.

That's where ASD Hope intends to fill a gap.

Offering hope

ASD Hope would be the first of its kind in The Woodlands. The education nonprofit hopes to be both a full-time school and day clinic for autistic kids based on a research-driven intervention called applied behavioral analysis, or ABA for short.

"We want to be able to provide them everything they need," Mollinedo said.

There isn't a single program that defines ABA. There are different programs or "interventions" that fall under ABA, but at its core, it's about tapping into what motivates each child and reinforcing desired behaviors to shape learning and skill development.

"No matter how fabulous a teacher may be, they don't have the research, scientific-based training that is proven to work for most children with autism. They don't have this training. So, they're kind of flying by the seat of their pants, trying to figure out," Mollinedo said.

ASD Hope would create an academic environment catered to ABA learning while also bringing in therapists to support children who may need occupational and speech therapy. The school hopes to open in The Woodlands in time for the 2017-18 school year, starting with pre-kindergarten through second grade and then expanding as funding and demand permits.

ASD Hope isn't the only alternative school for autism in the greater Houston area, but they are few and far between. Most programs for autistic children are day clinics, solely focusing on academic preparedness as well as language, social and developmental skills. Some of these centers in The Woodlands, for example, include The Learning Lane, The Shape of Behavior, and Therapy and Beyond.

Serving the academic side is a little more challenging. There are few state-certified academic programs that serve as an alternative to a public school education. A handful are accessible to residents in the greater Houston area, with only 21 programs in the state, according to the TEA's list of contracted 2015-16 nonpublic schools for students with disabilities.

The two closest TEA-approved programs for The Woodlands residents are either in Humble, Including Kids Inc., and Huntsville, which is the Bayes Achievement Center. Both programs serve kids until the age of 21.

Along with academic and clinical support, creating a tight-knit community of families with autistic children is just as important for ASD Hope's founders. Raising a child with autism can be isolating for parents and even for siblings. The school can provide a safe place for families to be themselves and the resources to make the best decisions.

"We want parents to come together and not feel secluded," Perez said.
After voter approval to nearly double the number of elected officials in Richmond, the city's commission and mayor are slated to consider next month whether to call a fall election to fill the new seats.

A proposition approved May 7 increases the number of city commission seats, now two, to four.

Richmond's elected leadership will be more in line with similarly sized cities, which typically have between four and six city council members, said Bennett Sandlin, executive director of the Texas Municipal League.

Previously, Richmond was likely the only city in Texas with its own charter that had only three elected officials, Sandlin said.

More Information Commission meeting The Richmond City Commission will meet at 4:30 p.m. June 20 at 600 Morton St., in Richmond. See More Collapse

The proposition gained support from 82 percent of Richmond voters.

At a May 13 meeting, City Manager Terri Vela and City Attorney Gary Smith laid out preliminary plans for electing the two additional commissioners.

At the commission's next monthly meeting June 20, Mayor Evalyn Moore and commissioners Jesse Torres and Barry Beard are scheduled to vote on proposed ordinances to set a Sept. 10 election for the two new seats, assign numbers to each commission position and contract with Fort Bend County to run the election.

In accordance with the city's charter, the additional commissioners would be elected to three-year at-large terms and require at least half of votes cast in their races to win, Smith said.

Early voting would begin Aug. 24. There will not be any voting on Labor Day.

The last day to file for a place on the ballot would be July 11, Vela said.

According to a proposed ordinance, the positions held by Torres would be No. 1, and Beard's would be No. 2.

The new positions would be Nos. 3 and 4.

The ordinance would have one new commissioner position up for election in May 2018 and another a year later.

The commissioner elected to one of the new seats would serve for 1 years and be up for election in May 2018, the same time as Torres.

The person elected to the other new seat would serve for 2 years and be up for election in May 2019, the same time as Beard.

Beard, 67, a banker at Moody National Bank, was elected May 7 with nearly 60 percent of the vote.

In accordance with Richmond's charter, no commissioner seat will be up for election the same year as the mayor's position.

Moore's term will be up in 2017.

The May 7 ballot item to boost the number of commission seats stemmed from a petition by Richmond resident Tres Davis to increase representation of low-income and minority communities in the city's government.

Davis has run unsuccessfully for commissioner twice in the past, including against Beard in May. Davis garnered about 20 percent of the votes in a three-candidate race.

Voters narrowly rejected another proposition from Davis' same petition that would have had commissioners elected from single-member districts. In that proposition, 53 percent of voters opposed the proposition and 47 percent supported it.
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When the Texas Supreme Court upheld Texas' public school finance system as constitutional May 13, Fort Bend ISD's Chief Financial Officer Steven Bassett knew he had his work cut out for him.

The decision ended a five-year lawsuit in which Fort Bend ISD was the title plaintiff seeking to change how Texas funds public schools. The district was hoping for a decision that provided monetary relief as the district endures financial strain from the oil downturn, Bassett said.

Instead, as Bassett looks ahead to 2018 and beyond, he'll have to review district expenditures with greater scrutiny than before.

That could mean slowing expansion of a program intended to help the district's most vulnerable students through multifaceted services including meals, tutoring and afterschool child care and activities and by providing their teachers with additional training.

More Information FBISD budget Fort Bend ISD trustees will conduct a hearing on the 2016-17 budget at 5:30 p.m. June 6 in the board room of the administration building, 16431 Lexington Blvd., in Sugar Land. The budget is scheduled to be adopted June 20. See More Collapse

Oil downturn's impact

Before the Supreme Court's ruling, Bassett had already planned the 2016-17 and the 2017-18 budgets without depending on any additional money that might result from a favorable ruling in the lawsuit.

In the 2015-16 school year, Fort Bend ISD will have an estimated $7.2 million surplus. Its operating expenditures are estimated to be $578 million this year.

But because of the oil downturn, the property value growth rate dropped for the first time since 2009, from 15 percent in 2015 to an expected 11 percent for 2016.

As such, the district's average revenue per student dropped by 1.3 percent as well; so Bassett will dip into savings from this year to cover an anticipated $2.3 million budget deficit for the 2016-17 school year.

That isn't much in the context of the spending plan, given that the proposed 2016-17 budget is more than $590 million, Bassett said. And the district has funds set aside to make up for budget deficits in later school years.

But use of reserve funds will need to be coupled with more conservative spending, Bassett added.

So, some programs might not get as much funding as anticipated, including the Educators Dedicated to Growing Excellence effort to increase student achievement at campuses in which many students are from low-income families.

In the fall, Fort Bend ISD will launch EDGE at two pilot elementary schools, Briargate and Ridgemont.

The program at each campus will cost $2 million, half of which the district expects to cover through grants and half of which will come out of its general fund.

Briargate and Ridgemont are the only district elementary schools not to make state standards during the 2014-15 school year.

The schools are two of 10 campuses district officials have said could benefit from the program.

Assuming EDGE is successful at Briargate and Ridgemont, the plan would be to expand to other campuses, Superintendent Charles Dupre told trustees in February.

EDGE will continue despite the Texas Supreme Court's ruling. But unless something changes, expanding programs with costs like EDGE's to more campuses might not be realistic, Bassett said.

"If we want to expand EDGE, we may have to potentially cut other programs," Bassett said. "Or, we may not be able to expand EDGE as quickly as we would like."

And while the proposed budget keeps healthcare premiums for district employees the same as previous years to keep Fort Bend ISD competitive with surrounding districts and the private sector, holding the line on that policy might be difficult past 2018 if something doesn't change, Bassett said.

Shock at decision

Like other Texas public school districts, Fort Bend ISD still hasn't recovered from cuts the Texas Legislature made in 2011, Bassett said.

"We're providing good services to our stakeholders, but the funding level is still less than before," Bassett said.

The cuts, plus the state's rising academic standards, prompted Fort Bend ISD and 83 other districts to sue the state. They alleged the system for funding public education wasn't equitable or adequate, that formulas that determine how much money from the state each district gets were antiquated and that the state was overly dependent on local property taxes for school funding.

The Texas Supreme Court ruled May 13 that the state's funding system, though deeply flawed, was constitutional. In addition to finding the funding formula equitable and adequate, the court determined that the state formula's dependence on local property tax did not in effect result in a statewide property tax.

"That's what I'm most surprised about - that they still found the formula constitutional in that regard," Bassett said. "Because it really is a statewide property tax."

The funding formula would have been unconstitutional if the court had seen it as resulting in a statewide tax, which would require voter approval.

Now, the only hope for school funding to change is through the Legislature, which will reconvene in January, said David Thompson, an attorney that represented Fort Bend ISD's group of 84 districts suing the state.

"I think every district in the state ought to be thinking about the conversations it's going to have with our senators and representatives immediately," said Thompson, a partner at Thompson & Horton LLP law firm. "If we really do have high expectations for all students, then we need a funding system designed to support high expectations."

In a letter to parents published on the district's website, Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Charles Dupre said he didn't think school finance would change soon.

"We anticipated that lower projected revenues for the state will mean that other needs will be prioritized ahead of school finance improvements," Dupre said in the letter.

Bassett has been working with other CFOs of public school districts to come up with a simplified school formula to present to legislators. Fort Bend ISD officials plan to contact local legislators to encourage them to improve the funding formula, district spokesperson Amanda Bubela said.

District trustee Jim Rice plans to speak out on the issue as a member of an education committee advising state Rep Rick Miller, R-Sugar Land.

"We have to continue to advocate on behalf of our kids," Rice said.

Fort Bend ISD's 2016-17 budget is scheduled for approval during a regular board meeting on June 20. A budget hearing will be at 5:30 p.m. June 6 at the Fort Bend ISD Administration Building, 16431 Lexington Blvd. in Sugar Land.
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Austin High School has high hopes for the chances of its production of "In the Heights" in the second annual Jerry Baber Awards after the show snared nominations in all 13 categories for Fort Bend ISD musicals performed this spring.

Winners for the event will be announced in a Tony Award-style ceremony May 28 in Rodgers Auditorium at Dulles High School, along with honors for fall plays, in which Austin's "Noises Off" and Bush High School's "You Can't Take it With You" tied with 11 nominations each, Dulles theater director Blake Minor said.

The 7 p.m. event will kick off with a red-carpet entrance at 6:30 p.m.

General admission tickets will be pre-sold for $20 each.

More Information Want to go? What: The second annual Jerry Baber Awards Where: Rodgers Auditorium Dulles High School, 550 Dulles Ave., Sugar Land When: 6:30 p.m. arrival, 7 p.m. ceremony Saturday, May 28 Cost: $20 pre-sale only (FBISD employees will be admitted without charge.) Details: 281-634-5172; vikingtheatrecompany.com; @baberawards See More Collapse

"We will not be selling tickets at the door," Minor said. For ticket information, visit vikingtheatrecompany.com.

Throughout the night, each Fort Bend ISD high school will present one piece of its choosing from either its fall play or spring musical.

"The night is meant to showcase the amazing talent that Fort Bend ISD has to offer," Minor said.

Jerry Baber was a beloved high school theater teacher in Sugar Land when he died at age 46 in a car accident in 2002.

In the musical categories, "In the Heights" was nominated for best show, ensemble, chorus, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, sound, properties, lighting, scenery, costumes and publicity.

Other musicals nominated for best show include "Ghost" (Clements), "Grease" (Ridge Point High), "Little Shop of Horrors" (Kempner High) and "Shrek" (Bush High).

In the fall show categories, "Noises Off" and "You Can't Take it With You" face off in the following categories: best show, ensemble, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, scenery, props, sound and publicity. In addition, "Noises Off" scored a nod for best lighting, and "You Can't Take it With You" is a finalist for best costumes.

Other fall productions nominated for best show include "Macbeth" (Dulles), "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Ridge Point) and "The Crucible" (Travis High).

Bigger and better was the goal of this year's competition, following its premiere event in 2014-15, Clements High theater director Paul W. Shaffer said.

Two goals of the programs are to reward students for commitment and talent in plays and musicals and to "create a community" among thespians in the district, Shaffer said.

Voting on the nominations was tallied from ballots submitted by students who judged the productions, Minor said.

"This is an amazing way for students to attend more theater and to see shows at schools that they might otherwise not attend," Minor said.

Theater directors at each school chose judges through an application process at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. Each judge was scheduled to see one or more of the qualifying shows, then give scores in designated categories.

"This could be like the Tommy Tune Awards," said Baber's surviving sister, Jan Slavin of Westbury, referring to a nationally recognized program that honors excellence in high school musical theater in the Houston region.

Slavin was disappointed that only 500 to 600 attended the first awards ceremony last year.

"We need to get more butts in the seats," she said.

At the first event, Slavin and her brother, Jay Baber of Sharpstown, presented awards for "Almost, Maine," a Dulles production, and "The Addams Family," a musical at Kempner.

"What I thought was so neat was that all of the kids seemed to know each other and cheered each other on," Slavin said.
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A longtime Katy ISD board member conceded defeat Tuesday to a district critic in a closely watched race after a recount did not show him erasing a narrow victory margin.

Trustee Joe Adams' concession means that conservative blogger George Scott will be joining the board of the fast-growing suburban district west of Houston.

Adams has served on the board for 27 years.

Two four-member counting committees began recounting votes at 9 a.m. Tuesday. After mail-in ballots were recounted and votes did not swing Adams' way, the incumbent conceded the race, not waiting for electronic votes to be recounted.

Before the recount, the district said unofficial results showed Scott had defeated Adams by three votes out of nearly 3,000 votes cast. The recount showed Scott received 1479 votes to Adams' 1473.

Scott, who previously was a Katy Times publisher and senior researcher and president for a nonprofit public policy firm, has for years criticized the board's transparency, fiscal decisions and deference to Superintendent Alton Frailey, who is retiring.

Scott blamed Adams for a lack of leadership on the board, though he softened his tone on Tuesday.

"Joe conducted himself with class and dignity in every way he interacted with me. He had a right to a recount," Scott said Tuesday. "Obviously, I'm very excited. The issues that I campaigned on have not changed ... but today is not about the issues. Today is about this incredible process."

Last year, Scott attempted to form a "shadow board" to critique and analyze the Katy ISD board, but it never got off the ground due to a lack of funding.

During the campaign, Adams, a business owner in Katy, dismissed Scott as an inexperienced candidate who did not understand how a school board operates.

"It's just a 'that's the way it is,'" Adams said Tuesday. "I'm happy with the things I've done and the leadership I've provided. I think the board and the school district will continue to perform at a high level, and I will continue to be involved in the school district one way or another."

With the loss, Adams will have to give up his chairmanship of the board of directors for the Texas Association of School Boards.

The outspoken Scott will be joining a school board that is known for careful deliberation and that questions from the media and public through board president Charles Griffin or the district's communications team.

"There's a burden on me to also prove that I can work constructively with the board," Scott said. "That's my goal. When you're a critic and have been a critic for a long time and now have been given an opportunity to have some actual input, then I feel a burden very strongly to work with others without compromising my views."

It is unknown when Scott will be sworn into his position.
Every year, high schools in The Woodlands host students from around the world as part of an international exchange program.

The program, called PAX Academic Exchange, works with the U.S. Department of State and other international exchange agencies to place teenagers in high schools across the country for one academic year. During 2015-16, The Woodlands and The Woodlands College Park high schools hosted six students from Spain, Germany, Brazil and Switzerland of about 1,100 total students placed nationwide.

The exchange program is attractive to students looking to improve their English language skills, learn more about other cultures and even attend university in the United States. Only 3 percent of the tens of thousands of applicants are accepted into the program each year.

"It's harder than getting into Harvard," said Sondra McPoland, PAX regional development manager for South Texas, of the Future Leaders Exchange program, which is sponsored by the United States. The FLEX program is one of a few exchange programs PAX administers.

Dina Ohlemeier is a College Park High School mom. Last year, her family took the leap and became a host family after meeting an exchange student at a friend's home. The Ohlemeiers went through student profiles and found Juliane, a German high school student. Her last name, city of origin and high school weren't released due to privacy concerns.

Juliane played in her school band and was the same age as Dina's daughter. In June of 2015, she touched down at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport.

"It's been a great experience. To me, I feel like we've bonded as a family," Ohlemeier said. "I feel like we've made a bond that's not going to be 'She was an exchange student in our house for 11 months.' I feel like we're going to be family from here on out. ... I hope it's going to be a long-term relationship between our families."

At first, Ohlemeier was anxious about hosting an exchange student. She had questions about costs, possible emergency medical expenses and generally living with a stranger. PAX host families and exchange students undergo training prior to housing a student, which covers the rules and expectations for students and host families. Students have their own health insurance, and some are given a small monthly stipend to cover come costs. Others have family who help pay their way. Host families are expected to cover room and board expenses.

All of Ohlemeier's anxiety dissolved when she finally welcomed Juliane into her new American family. Over the last 10 months, Juliane has been to Disney World, on weekend road trips across the state and as far away as Lubbock to get the full Texas experience. They've shared every major holiday with Juliane. She's like a third child, Ohlemeier said about her exchange student.

"I think we were just apprehensive a little bit about would it be awkward about having someone in our house all the time. You have a guest over, but you're having a guest over for almost a year. After the first couple days or a week, it didn't feel like we had a guest in our home anymore. It really was because she was so awesome," Ohlemeier said.

Just as the Ohlemeiers have shared their home, Juliane has shared her German roots. She especially enjoys cooking and baking German treats, even serving up homemade pretzels, "which were awesome," Ohlemeier said.

Juliane is enrolled at College Park in Honors third-year English, pre-AP Chemistry, Spanish, second-year Algebra and entrepreneurship. Although she's earning high marks in all of her classes, her credits won't count toward her German high school diploma, but Juliane knew that coming into the PAX program. She wanted to travel, strengthen her English skills and, frankly, to see if American high schools were anything like they were in the movies.

"I was really excited about high school here. I guess it was because of all the movies that make it look so great ... As a kid you watch "High School Musical." I mean, I know it won't be like that, it's just, you see a lot about American high schools," Juliane said, though it didn't come as much of a surprise when German and American high school structures weren't very different. In the United States, she has a little more flexibility to choose her classes.

Juliane is one of the dozens of students McPoland has placed with host families across the state since 2013. McPoland equates the international exchange program with "peace sharing."

Though families and students come into the program with an open mind, McPoland tries to ensure that families and students are a good fit. Both parties submit detailed interests and preferences - pet-friendly, student gender, possible curfews, vegetarian or food preferences, lifestyle, etc. - and she helps connect the two.

"For the most part, (the students) know they're going to get what they're going to get. We try to place by interests. So if I have a family who is interested in a particular country, then you start with that," McPoland said. "Every family is different."

Most international exchange students are surprised by what they see in Texas. For Juliane, who thought she'd see cowboys, The Woodlands wasn't all that different from Germany, except for its lack of public transportation. What surprised her the most was how vast and lush everything is in Texas.

"I thought what everyone thinks of Texas, for example, many cowboys. I don't know, that's the first thing you think about," Juliane said.

Although PAX is a way for top international students to learn about American culture, the exchange program is at its core an educational program. Exchange students visit NASA, take part in extracurricular activities at school and are expected to maintain at least a 'C' average since they're learning in a second language; most kids do academically well though.

"We're not a travel program. We're an academic program, so the kids who come here are for academics. It's not so that they can tour America. It's truly to help them improve their English, become a part of an American family, live as an American high school student and study as an American high school student. Those are all important values for us," McPoland said.

Though six students made it to The Woodlands for this school year, 2016-17 is shaping up to be a more difficult year for international exchange students in the area. Only one host family has been confirmed, meaning only one student can come to the community. Sandra from Germany is expected to fly into Houston in June and stay with Melissa Aguayo, a working mother of two at The Woodlands High School. The Aguayos will be a first-time host family, too, this year. She's already using Skype and Snapchat to connect with Sandra and make her feel at home before she makes the 10-hour flight to Texas.

"Just living in other cultures and experiencing it makes you a better person, and the family you live with become better people," Aguayo said. "It opens up the world in ways you haven't seen before."

McPoland is open to placing more international exchange students with willing and eligible host families. She has worked with Magnolia, Pearland and Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs among other school districts in the greater Houston area.
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Charles Newnam, a 10-year Navy veteran and medal recipient, transitioned from the military to a successful career in strategy consulting seamlessly. But there was a time when the struggles of active duty life made it difficult for him to find healthy balance in his life.

He stayed late at work to avoid troubles at home and turned to alcohol abuse. Newnam's experience is not unusual for veterans.

But there came a day, Newnam said, when he realized he wasn't the person he wanted to be, and he decided he needed to make a change.

"It came to the point I said, 'This has got to stop,'" Newnam said.

More Information More details Armor of God Military Ministry: Based out of WoodsEdge Community Church, 25333 Gosling Road, the group is a faith-based organization focused on providing love and support to local veterans and their families. For more information, email Jeff and Sandra Presnal at jeff@weaog.net. Mighty Oaks Warrior Foundation: Offers faith-based programs focused on healing combat trauma and providing support to veterans and their families. Visit mightyoaksprograms.org. See More Collapse

Newnam, now living in Spring, sat in front of a gathering of veterans and members of the local business community last week, sharing his story as part of a panel question-and-answer session sponsored by the Warriors Refuge, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans in their post-military transition and helping them achieve their greatest potential.

On the panel with Newnam was Jeff Presnal, a 25-year Army veteran and a commercial real estate businessman in The Woodlands area. In addition to his own experiences in the military, Presnal saw the toll on his son, Ryan, who had three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He even missed the birth of his own son while he was deployed. Ryan survived a number of close calls and saw violence on a daily basis while on deployment. To make things harder, a couple of his Army buddies committed suicide after returning home.

"We got the full gamut of experiences," Presnal said.

When Ryan turned to his parents to find help dealing with the challenges of post-combat life, Presnal and his wife, Sandra, had the idea to start a ministry to reach out to veterans and their families.

The Presnals started Armor of God Military Ministry, meeting at WoodsEdge Community Church, in 2010 as way to give veterans a place where they could come for support.

"One of the biggest things that we find is that (veterans) struggle to figure out who they are," Presnal said. "That leads to a lot of other stuff that is unhealthy - coping things, Band-Aids. They have an identity in the military that gave them pride and camaraderie and security. It's a whole culture of its own  We help them walk through that  figure out what life looks like."

Presnal also partners with Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs, a faith-based, nonprofit that organizes retreats focused on helping veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and adjust to life after combat. Presnal uses the curriculum from the retreats to work with local veterans who may not be able to take a week off to go to one of the Mighty Oaks retreat lodges.

In addition to the programs offered through Armor of God Military Ministry, the Warriors Refuge has hosted a series of group leadership programs, as well as larger events focused on entrepreneurship. Terry Weaver, one of the leaders of the all-volunteer organization, said that the positive response to the programs has grown dramatically since the Warriors Refuge first kicked off in 2013. More than 400 people have participated in the organization's events in the last year.

"It's been phenomenal," Weaver said. "People have had real breakthroughs."

Weaver, who is a veteran himself, works as a pastor at the Ark Church in Conroe and helps run the Warriors Refuge programs as a volunteer.

In June, Warriors Refuge will start its next eight-week leadership program, which is space-limited and application-based.

For people like Newnam, Presnal and Weaver, being involved in military outreach is more than just a volunteer opportunity. It's about reaching out to reflections of themselves - to their brothers in uniform. And they have the same message for all veterans and those who know veterans.

"If you're struggling, ask for help," Presnal said. "If you know (a struggling veteran), be the one who helps them get help. Have a heart that's willing to help them seek it out  ultimately that will make a difference in everyone's life."
In 2014, Americans 18 to 34 years old were a little bit likelier to be living in their parents' home than with a spouse or partner in their own household, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, released on Tuesday. It's the first time that has happened in the modern era.

Young men have long been more likely than their female counterparts to be roommates with mom and/or dad. The share of young men living in their parents' homes most recently surpassed the share living with partners in their own households in 2009, but as of 2014, the crossover still hadn't occurred for young women.

Still, the proportions of both male and female 18- to 34-year-olds living at home are high35 percent for the men, 29 percent for the womenand have grown in recent years, while the shares of those living with partners have plummeted.

A similar story emerges when the data are broken down by education. Young adults without bachelor's degrees are more likely to live in their parents' homes, which in 2008 became more common than residing with partners did.

By ethnicity, living with parents overtook living with a spouse or unmarried partner in 1980 for young blacks, in 2007 for young American Indians/Alaska natives, and in 2011 for young Hispanics. Young whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders were still more likely to live with partners in 2014.

"Trends in living arrangements for specific groups of young adults indicate that the crossover is being driven by the experiences of more economically disadvantaged young adults, specifically, less-educated young adults and some racial and ethnic minorities," the report says.

Indeed, while the overall proportion of 18- to 34-year-olds living with their parents didn't peak in 2014that occurred around 1940the shares of young blacks and Hispanics (as well as young people without high school degrees) living with parents were at their highest in recorded history.

What accounts for this meeting of trend linesthe recent rise in the percentage of young adults living with parents and the decline in those living with spouses or unmarried partners?

The increase in the median age at first marriage for both men and women plays a big part. Another likely (and related) factor is the decline over the last several decades in both the share of employed young men and the level of their wages. The picture isn't quite as clear for young women, who have seen their labor-market prospects improve, but those struggling young men may not be the most appealing partners.

The report also notes that "initially in the wake of the recession, college enrollments expanded, boosting the ranks of young adults living at home. And given the weak job opportunities facing young adults, living at home was part of the private safety net helping young adults to weather the economic storm."

But "both the upswing in living with mom and dad and the decline in young adults partnering in their own household" have been "decades in the making," said Richard Fry, the report's author.

Jed Kolko, a senior fellow at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California-Berkeley (who consults for Bloomberg Beta), has also looked at data on young Americans living with their parents over the last couple of decades. Though the data in the recent report go only through 2014, both Kolko and Fry observed that the share of young adults living with parents hasn't declined more recently. Kolko did note that "the increase in rents since the recession has made it harder for some young people to move out of their parents' homes."

So while it's fun to deal in superlativesthe first time in the modern era!these seem to be long-term shifts, not hordes of recession-wary millennials suddenly dashing from the altar to their parents' basements. In fact, if you go back far enough, one shift doesn't even look that shifty. The share of young adults living in their parents' home was almost exactly the same in 1900 as it was in 2014.

"If we look back over the last century, we can see that the rush out of the parental home was a post-World War II phenomenon," wrote Richard Settersten of Oregon State University in a 2014 Washington Post article.

Millennials and their parents may also simply be more comfortable with living together. Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, a research professor of psychology at Clark University who studies "emerging adulthood," said that during 20 years of researching this, he has seen "an increasing acceptance that it takes longer to grow up than it used to," adding that there's now less stigma attached to remaining at home with one's parents.

"There's a lot of good will between parents and children in this generation," Arnett said, adding that "boomers have succeeded in having these relationships with their children, that by the time they're in their twenties, it is almost like a friendship. It will never be quite like a friendship, but it's a lot closer to that than it was in previous generations."

Arnett admires "that they have this kind of support from their parents" and their parents "can have this kind of close relationship before the emerging adults go off for the last time."

 2016 Bloomberg L.P
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On August 1, 1966, former Marine sniper Charles Whitman appeared at the top of the University of Texas tower with an arsenal of weapons and a food supply.

From the observation deck, the 25-year-old architectural engineering opened fire. He killed 17 people and wounded 31 more in one of the United States first mass shootings.

RELATED: Rifle reportedly used by Charles Whitman goes on sale

The 96-minute shooting spree came to an end when two police officers reached the top of the tower and fatally shot Whitman. As the 50th anniversary of the massacre approaches, a debate carries on: Did the right person receive credit for stopping Whitman?



The Los Angeles Times investigated the five decade standoff between the two police officers. Ramiro Martinez, a 29-year-old sergeant at the time of the shooting, has been celebrated as the hero of the day. Houston McCoy, a then-26-year-old patrolman, was also there and his daughter says McCoy put a halt to the killing.

Martinez however has received all the glory, including a building named after him. In 2006, Austin declared Ramiro Martinez Day every Aug. 1

In his telling, he unloaded his six-shot revolver  hitting Whitman before McCoy got him with his shotgun  then grabbed the shotgun and fired a final shot as the sniper was still moving, The Times Molly Hennessy-Fiske writes.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER: Daughter of cop who shot UT tower sniper to join Austin police

Monika McCoy, now an Austin police officer and daughter of Houston McCoy, helped her father tell his side of the story after the city designated Ramiro Martinez Day. Houston said he fired the instantly fatal shot. From the Times:

According to the account, Martinez quickly emptied his revolver before McCoy aimed his shotgun at Whitmans white headband and pulled the trigger.



At that point, he said, Martinez jerked the shotgun from my hands, and while yelling, ran to the motionless body and fired point blank.

Houston McCoy died a month after telling his own side of the story at 72. Monika, 45, continues to try to set the story straight. She said shes less concerned about who fired the fatal shot and more bothered that the take-down of Whitman wasnt presented as a team effort.

READ THIS: Whitman victim testifies against campus carry bill

Like McCoy, Martinez insists he doesnt care who killed Whitman. But he wont back down from his side of the story either. The event haunts him 50 years later.

Time doesnt go by that I dont wake up at night and its still going, he said.

See historic photos and letters from UT Tower shooting in the gallery above.
AUSTIN -- A group hired by the Republic of Turkey to probe operations of Texas' largest charter school network is urging the state to investigate its claims of employment discrimination, self-dealing and misuse of public funds at Harmony Public Schools.

Among the allegations in the 32-page complaint filed Tuesday morning are accusations the 30,000-student Houston-based network employs an illegal visa scheme to place unqualified Turkish teachers into key positions at the schools and make deals with preferred vendors instead of opening the bidding to competition as part of a larger plan to overthrow the Turkish government.

The complaint was penned by Amsterdam & Partners LLP, a firm with offices in London and Washington, D.C., hired by the Republic of Turkey to the tune of $50,000 a month to investigate Harmony Public Schools.

The law firm is urging the Texas Education Agency to investigate Harmony's practices in light of previous investigations into the network and a coming expansion that includes adding 15 new campuses over the next two years.

A spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency had no immediate comment on the complaint.

Harmony operates 46 charter schools across Texas, using public funds to manage a school system without the strings attached to traditional public schools.

Critics long have needled the school district, alleging the school network has ties to a controversial Turkish scholar, Fethullah Gulen.

That criticism has come full circle as lawyers hired by the Republic of Turkey link Harmony to dozens of other U.S.-based charter schools run by Turkish immigrants, claiming those schools are linked to Gulen. They contend that the schools are part of a large visa-fraud and money-laundering scheme that aims to overthrow the Turkish government.

"Gulen uses the schools in the United States to get out of Turkey his followers," attorney Bob Amsterdam said Monday. "It's a massive scheme to basically launder money back to the Gulen organization. It's very sophisticated. It's completely non-transparent."

He pointed to a few discrimination lawsuits filed by Harmony employees over the last decade that claimed that Turkish men were paid more and given preference over American teachers. He also noted that Turkish contractors have profited from Harmony. He suggested that the charter school system makes political donations to stave off scrutiny.

Amsterdam called for the Texas Education Agency to scrutinize what he characterized as a "mass level of deception."

"The money that they're skimming off American taxpayers finds its way back to Turkey," Amsterdam said. "They've been trying to overthrow the government of Turkey."

Soner Tarim, chief executive officer and co-founder of Harmony Public Schools, called the claims "bogus" and "ridiculous."

"I'd rather be spending my time with principals and teachers. Instead I have to deal with this nonsense allegations," he said.

The complaint is "nothing more than a politically-motivated re-hash of old claims and complaints that have been heard and investigated previously and found to be without merit," read a statement from the charter school network.

State Board of Education member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, called the attacks against Harmony "blatantly personal and political."

"We have audited Harmony like every other charter school," he said. "The only thing they are guilty of is having been part of a great American immigration story."

Chronicle reporter Jennifer Radcliffe contributed to this story.
Harris County officials on Tuesday are expected to announce a new screening process to help judges determine which suspects awaiting trial can be released from jail without bail.

The diagnostic test, developed by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, is a neutral based data tool that will assist judges in gauging the risk a defendant poses to the community.

Screening suspects to figure out, statistically, who can be released on a personal recognizance bond, sometimes called "free bail," is expected to lower jail populations.

Defendants who are too poor to afford bail but have a high likelihood of returning to court on their own would be able to keep their jobs and maintain stable family relationships by staying out of jail.

The screening process does not affect defendants who are serving time in jail after being convicted. It only is for suspects who are presumed innocent and waiting to go to trial.

Proponents of personal recognizance bonds have been stymied in the past by a reluctance on the part of Harris County judges to let suspects out of jail without bail. The conventional wisdom has been that suspects who do not have a financial stake in returning to court will abscond.

National reforms have shown that some suspects can be trusted to resolve their cases without posting bail. Sorting out who can be trusted will be the job of the new screening process, which will consider work history, community ties, past criminal history and the severity of the crime along with other factors.

Harris County's massive jail complex, which takes up several buildings in downtown Houston, can house almost 10,000 inmates, although that number currently floats around 8,000. In general, about three-quarters of the prisoners are awaiting trial and each one costs taxpayers about $45 a day.

A county committee working toward reform, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, is expected to announce the implementation of the new tool at a press conference Tuesday.
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Prepare your "awwws" because this might be the cutest thing you'll see all week.

On May 14 The Dallas Zoo welcomed a 175 pound, 3-foot-tall male elephant to the world.

The mother, Mlilo, was rescued from Swaziland along with 17 other elephants that, according to a Dallas Zoo press release, were making the land uninhabitable for the endangered rhinos also living in the managed parks.

A NEW LEAF: Houston Zoo's white alligator Blanco retiring from zoo life

The unnamed calf is the first African elephant to be born in the U.S. in nearly two years.

"This birth validates the critical importance of our rescue efforts and why we worked so hard to get these animals to safety as quickly as possible," said Gregg Hudson, president and CEO of the Dallas Zoo in the press release.

The zoo staff don't known when the public will be able to meet the baby but as of now is active and happily exploring the barn without straying too far from mom.

The Dallas Zoo may have a new, adorable baby elephant, but Houston has had some cute animal births as well.

Take a look through the gallery above to see baby animals from the Houston Zoo through the years.
Authorities are searching for two armed robbers who tried to intercept a night deposit leaving a Spring-area Walmart on Monday night, according to reports.

The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. at the store on Louetta near Interstate 45, KPRC reported.
Mourners packed the Holy Name Catholic Church on Tuesday afternoon to say goodbye to Josue Flores, the 11-year-old who was fatally stabbed last week while walking home from Marshall Middle School.

More than 500 people filled the Houston sanctuary where a funeral mass was said for the child. The church is in the same Near Northside neighborhood where Josue lived, went to school and was killed.
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A Corpus Christi congregation's proposal to build a towering cross near Interstate 37 can proceed, after a man who had brought legal action to stop the project agreed Tuesday to drop the suit.

Earlier this year, Pastor Rick Milby of Abundant Life Fellowship Church in Corpus Christi announced that the church was seeking final funding to construct a 230-foot cross just outside the house of worship on the city's northwest side.

Organizers have been working on the Corpus Christi Cross Project for three years. In January, ground was finally broken.

Milby said the idea for Corpus' cross came to him after seeing the sizable cross near Houston's own Sagemont Church near I-45 and the south side of the Beltway.

RELATED: San Antonio atheist sues pastor behind giant cross in Corpus Christi: 'It's tacky as hell'

Soon after plans were announced, San Antonio atheist activist Patrick Greene filed a lawsuit against Milby in Nueces County Court. He alleged that Milby violated the state Constitution's language about giving preference to a specific religion. Greene also wanted the court to admonish Corpus Christi Mayor Nelda Martinez and council members Lucy Rubio and Carolyn Vaughn for attending the January groundbreaking.

Tuesday during a court hearing presided over by Judge Missy Medary at the 347th District Court of Nueces County, Greene reached a court-approved settlement agreement with Milby.

He agreed to drop all claims against the pastor. Greene also admitted that his lawsuit was baseless, vexatious and without merit.

According to the settlement, Greene also entered into a covenant not to sue, agreeing to cease filing meritless lawsuits over the free exercise of religion.

RELATED: America's largest cross begins construction in Corpus Christi, Texas

Milbys lawyer, Jeremy Dys, the senior counsel for legal advocacy group First Liberty, said in a statement that the group is glad the lawsuit has been settled.

We are grateful that Mr. Greene has admitted that his lawsuit  filed against a pastor for building a cross on church property  is baseless and without merit, he wrote. Todays outcome should send a clear message to anti-religious-freedom activists everywhere: if you abuse the legal system by suing people simply because you dont like how they exercise their religion, there will be legal consequences.

Meanwhile, Milby said the church is getting back to work on building the cross, which has just received approval by the Federal Aviation Administration.

With additional reporting by Joshua Fechter
The last time Emma Coronel saw her husband, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, it was for a 45-minute talk May 13, closely watched by four guards with cameras attached to their helmets, according to reports,

>> Click the gallery above to learn more about El Chapo's past

The couple didn't discuss the Mexican drug lord's looming extradition, but instead, talked about family. He asked about his children and encouraged Coronel to stay strong.

"I'm in love with him," Coronel told Blog del Narco. "He is the father of my daughters. I think I've already shown that I will continue to follow him anywhere."

RELATED: People are buying up El Chapo's gaudy shirts

Mexico's Foreign Relations Department's ruling Friday gave the green light to Guzman's extradition to the United States. Friday's ruling covered an extradition request from a Texas federal court related to charges of conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine and marijuana, money laundering, arms possession and murder, and a separate extradition request from a federal court in California.

Coronel has defended the 58-year-old alleged drug trafficker saying he has never been violent toward women and that he's never done drugs in front of her. She believes the Mexican government is trying to "get even" with him for embarrassing high-up officials.

RELATED: Story of war between ISIS, 'El Chap' debunked

The couple, who are 32 years apart in age, met after Guzman saw the teenage Coronel win a beauty pageant at the Coffee and Guava Fair in the city of Canelas. They married the day she turned 18, on July 2, 2007. She is Guzman's third wife and, in 2011, she gave birth to twin girls in Los Angeles. Coronel was born in San Francisco and has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico.

Guzman was arrested in January after almost six months on the run following his escape from a maximum-security prison through a mile-long tunnel that opened to the floor of his shower.

He had already escaped once before in 2001 and spent more than a decade as one of the world's most wanted fugitives until he was recaptured in 2014.

RELATED: 24 members of El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel arrested, says ICE

Earlier this month, Guzman was suddenly transferred to a prison near Ciudad Juaraez after he was initially placed in the same Altiplano prison from which he escaped through the tunnel. Officials said the reason for the move was because of improvements being made at Altiplano.

"They want to make him pay for his escape," Coronel, 26, said in February. "They say that they are not punishing him. Of course they are. They are there with him, watching him in his cell. They don't let him sleep. He has no privacy, not even to go to the restroom."

Reporter Matt Levin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
While much of the country's focus has shifted to the expected November contest between Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, for many Texas offices the parties still need to select a nominee.

Polls opened Tuesday morning for a small array of Harris County runoffs, including races to nominate a Democratic sheriff candidate and tap a Republican county party chairman.
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.
As investigations of New York City mayor Bill de Blasios administration deepen, his denials and obfuscations are becoming increasingly disconnected from reality. The first-term Democrat is now retailing straight balderdash and trying to bluster his way through a thickening bramble of ethical questions.

The besieged mayor continues to defend his use of the Campaign for One New York, a nonprofit that took millions of dollars from his progressive allies, many of whom sought (and received) favors from the city. De Blasio says he needed to establish the organization because his office lacked the resources to wage an advertising and media war of ideas against well-heeled opponents: So, we come along and say heres our core agenda, it revolves around fighting income inequality, things like creating full-day, pre-K for all, and a very ambitious affordable housing program for half-a-million people. Were going to put together the resources to achieve those goalsthose are going to be fights. They were fightsyou got to see it with your own eyes. . . . We were trying to break a status quo that was very well entrenched.

Yet neither of these de Blasio policy efforts was actually opposed by entrenched interests. The mayors call for universal pre-K was broadly hailed. What generated opposition was de Blasios insistence that the program be funded by a special tax on high incomes, a proposal that state leaders rejected as politically unfeasible. In the end, Democratic New York governor Andrew Cuomo found funding for the program in the state budget, and business leaders and progressives alike celebrated its launch.

As for affordable housing, de Blasios radical plan to reshape New York City through rezoning did receive pushbackbut not from the real estate industry. In fact, Real Estate Board of New York president John Banks wrote in support of mandatory inclusionary housing, calling it crucial and a sensible tool in the belt of the mayor to promote the construction of new affordable housing. The opposition came, ironically, from community groups and affordable-housing advocates, who argued that the mayor was destroying neighborhoods, promoting gentrification, and not pushing wealthy developers hard enough to build affordable units.

The mayor announced earlier this year that the Campaign for One New York was closing down, because, he said, its work is done. In the service of promoting pre-K for all and affordable housing, the nonprofit took in more than $4 million. Among its largest donors were the teachers union; 1199 SEIU, which represents health-care workers in the citys 11 public hospitals; wealthy horse-carriage opponents Stephen Nislick and Wendy Neu; and real estate developers who sought variances and approvals on construction projects.

De Blasio has turned aside inquiries into how donations to the Campaign for One New York may have influenced policy decisions. Last week, the mayor introduced a new wrinkle to the old debate about executive privilege. Asked why the mayors office was refusing to release e-mails between de Blasio and powerful political consultant Jonathan Rosen, de Blasios counsel Maya Wiley explained that as an agent of the city, Rosen is exempt from requests made under New Yorks freedom-of-information law. This dodge appears to set a new precedent: it gives the mayor the power to declare lobbyists and consultants beyond the reach of normal disclosure requirements. Typically, the freedom-of-information law exempts intra-governmental communications. De Blasios unilateral expansion of the law now allows it to cover those who benefitted directly from the Campaign for One New Yorks lavish expenditures.

Perhaps Mayor de Blasios closest adviser, Rosen represents several major donors to the Campaign for One New York. His firm took in at least half a million dollars from the nonprofit. In addition to Rosen, the mayors office claims that three other political consultants should be exempt from disclosure because of their closeness to de Blasio, as should Patrick Gaspard, the current U.S. ambassador to South Africa and formerly political director of 1199. The federal Hatch Act enjoins Gaspard from partisan political activity, but he retains close connections with the union and with the New York City labor-political complex. His brother Michael Gaspard serves as a senior advisor to the Advance Group, which ran the Nislick-funded campaign widely credited with destroying city council speaker Christine Quinns 2013 mayoral chances.

Two of the exempt agents, Bill Hyers (de Blasios 2013 campaign manager) and Nicholas Baldick, work for Hilltop Public Solutions, a political consultancy that received more than a quarter-million dollars from the Campaign for One New York. Baldick previously founded the Alliance for a New Americaformer North Carolina senator John Edwardss independent campaign-finance vehicle for his 2008 presidential campaign. The Alliance was later implicated in campaign-finance fraud scandals. John de Cecato, the third exempt political consultant, is a founding partner of consulting powerhouse AKPD Message and Media. De Cecato had at least 60 meetings with de Blasio in the first 18 months of the mayors administration. AKPD billed the Campaign for One New York more than $1.1 million for its communications work.

De Blasio has repeatedly stressed that his office has been scrupulous in adhering to the letter of the law when it comes to conflicts of interest, but how praiseworthy is it for an elected official to announce that he only appears to have broken the law? The mayor also insists that a stunning number of donors and supporters not only did not get things they hoped they would get, they got rejection of things they hoped they would get because we ran a government that was clean and appropriate. Like a child pointing at all the lamps he didnt break, de Blasio apparently thinks either that people love him so much that they wont mind his missteps or that theyre too stupid to notice.

Photo: NYC Mayors Office
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
WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning filed her long-awaited appeal to a 35-year jail sentence last week, and her case brings up an important question for journalists: When will courts finally rule the Espionage Act unconstitutional for leakers and whistleblowers?

Manning, who admitted to leaking thousands of classified Pentagon documents and State Department cables to WikiLeaks in 2010, was convicted for something that happens on a smaller scale every day in Washington: handing journalists classified information. Yet as the ACLU pointed out in its excellent legal brief bolstering her defense: Before Manning, no person in the history of this nation had been sentenced to decades in prison for the crime of disclosing truthful information to the public and press.

Thanks to Manning, the wealth of information the public now has on how its government operates is almost incalculable. Hundreds of newspaper stories have been written using the documents Manning leakedyears later, the cables are still regularly cited in stories about breaking news around the world. For example, just this week, the Intercept used some of the State Department cables in its widely read feature on Hillary Clintons role in advocating for fracking during her time as Secretary of State.

Despite the harsh jail sentence, no one can point to any significant damage caused by the leaks. Even government officials admitted in court that they dont know of a single person to have died as a result, despite claiming at the time of publication that WikiLeaks had blood on its hands.

And that gets to the crux of the problem: During the trial, Manning wasnt allowed to tell the court of the benefits her leaks produced, nor was she allowed to challenge the charge that they did damage to national security. She wasnt even allowed to explain her motivations for informing the American publicrather than, say, selling secrets to foreign governments for profit. In a pre-trial ruling, the judge in her case said this evidence was inadmissible because of the absurdly broad language of the Espionage Act.

Unfortunately, lower courts in other leak cases have largely come to the same conclusion. The Espionage Act is written so broadly that prosecutors merely have to prove a government official transmitted national defense information to a person unauthorized to see it. The motives, good or ill, and the circumstances, even if the information shows abuse or illegality, do not matter. And because appeals for such cases are incredibly expensive for defendants, an appeals court hasnt ruled on the issue in decades, let alone the Supreme Court.

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This breathtakingly sweeping and draconian law, coupled with a lack of public interest defense, are antithetical to the Constitution, and it violates the First Amendment. Its possible, though, that the Manning case will finally bring this injustice to the publics attention.

If theres one thing everyone should read on the matter, its the ACLUs brief that forcefully and convincingly describes how leaks are not only extraordinarily pervasive in our democracy, but vital to its health. Yet because the government is allowed to pick and choose who to prosecutethe law effectively turns into a weapon to control speech.

You can go down the list of past journalism prize winners and find it littered with now-famous stories based on classified leaksfrom the secret and illegal bombing of Cambodia and Laos and CIA crimes from the 1970s all the way up to secret CIA prisons, NSA warrantless wiretapping, and drone strikes of modern times. Would the public really be better off if they never found out about these crimes and violations of the Constitution?

But those investigations are not an aberration: Stories based on classified leaks fill the news all the time. Just this Sunday, both The New York Times and The Washington Post ran prominent stories that likely contained Top Secret information about a Taliban leader allegedly killed by a drone strike (Top Secret is a higher classification than anything Chelsea Manning leaked). Its right there in black and white: Pakistan was not informed of the strike beforehand, said a senior American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential operational details, the Times reported Sunday. You can find similar information in The Washington Post: [O]ne U.S. official said Mansour and a second male combatant accompanying him in a vehicle were probably killed, the Post reported. President Barack Obama authorized the attack, which occurred on the Pakistani side of the border, and was briefed before and after it was carried out, a White House aide said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity and were not authorized to discuss the operation publicly.

While this particular drone strike was conducted by the military and not the CIA, drone strikes have, for years, been de facto classified by the US government at the highest levels, despite the fact that they regularly show up on the front pages of newspapers. (It should be noted, though, that the president confirmed yesterday the Taliban leader was killed while managing to never say the word drone). The CIA, meanwhile, continues to fight in court so that it wont have to turn over the most basic details about its drone programs existence.

No investigation will be made into who leaked this information to the Post and the Times ahead of time, because its information that furthers the governments favored narrative. Only, if we were to read the letter of the law as the government interprets it, these officials broke the Espionage Act, just as Chelsea Manning did.

As former Washington bureau chief of The New York Times, Max Frankel, once wrote in the Pentagon Papers case: Without the use of secretsthere could be no adequate diplomatic, military and political reporting of the kind our people take for granted, either abroad or in Washington, and there could be no mature system of communication between the Government and the people. Over the past 45 years, Frankels wise words have only grown in their significance.

We can only hope courts will one day recognize what newspapers long have: Leaks are vital to democracy, and whistleblowers should not be going to jail for decades for telling the truth to the American public.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Trevor Timm is the executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports and defends journalism dedicated to transparency and accountability. He is also a twice-weekly columnist for the Guardian, where he writes about privacy, national security, and the media.
When a settlement is reached in a personal injury lawsuit, a written settlement agreement is prepared, and, if medical expenses for the injured party have been paid by Medicare, a Medicare Set-Aside Account (MSA) may be created to reimburse Medicare for past, and potentially future, medical payments.

The purpose of a MSA is to ensure that Medicare will not pay bills for plaintiffs injuries where there is other insurance available. The rationale is that since plaintiff received settlement money from an insurance company to cover future medical expenses, Medicare wants to ensure that a portion of the settlement money is spent on injury-related care before the taxpayers start paying through Medicare.

Attorneys and claim representatives need guidance to advise clients and comply with Medicares demands. This article discusses the ramifications of a recent federal decision, Aranki v. Burwell, as well as other federal and state cases on personal injury settlements when dealing with the issue of the potential need for MSAs for future medical expenses.

History

Until 1980, Medicare was the primary payer for all services covered by Medicare except those covered by workers compensation. In 1980, in an effort to shift costs from the Medicare program to private payers, Congress enacted the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSPA), 42 U.S.C.  1395y(b), which made Medicare a secondary payer to certain plans, including liability insurance. Regulations implementing the nuts and bolts of the MSPA have been codified at 42 C.F.R. Part 411. As the secondary payer, Medicare provides coverage for any amount not covered by a primary payer or primary plan. Under the MSPA, a primary payer includes a tortfeasor and the tortfeasors private insurer.

The importance of MSAs in todays litigation realm

There is no federal rule or statute that requires the creation of MSAs for future medical expenses in third-party personal injury actions. Attorneys and claim representatives need guidance to advise clients and comply with Medicares demands. Some commentators believe that MSAs for future medical expenses are required in personal injury actions where the injured party is either a Medicare recipient or is Medicare eligible. Others believe no such requirement exists, reasoning that the federal government has no right to claim an interest in future medical expenses as part of a settlement given the absence of any enforceable regulations. So what is the answer?

Case law and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services policy memoranda

A recent case out of the U.S. District Court in Arizona, Aranki v. Burwell, makes it very clear that MSAs are not required for future medical expenses in personal injury cases, unlike such requirements in workers compensation cases. The following is an excerpt from the Aranki case:

To comply with the provisions outlined in the MSP statute, in workers

compensation cases CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)

mandates the creation of a Medicare Set Aside (MSA) account.

(42 C.F.R. 411.) The purpose of a MSA is to allocate a portion of a workers compensation award to pay potential future medical expenses resulting from

the work-related injury so that Medicare does not have to pay. However, no

federal law or CMS regulation requires the creation of a MSA in personal injury settlements to cover potential future medical expenses.

The Aranki case involved the issue of whether a MSA is necessary in a medical malpractice case. The court held the case was not ripe for review because no federal law mandates CMS to decide whether plaintiff is required to create a MSA. As such, the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear this case. As the court noted, there may be a day that the CMS requires the creation of MSAs for future medical expenses in personal injury cases, but that day has not yet arrived.

Those having to deal with MSAs and future medical expenses in liability settlement cases can also look to other recent court decisions for some guidance. For example:

Berry v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (2015) The parties asked the court to determine whether there was a need for a MSA in connection with a settlement. Specifically, the parties sought a determination that CMSs interests had been adequately taken into account by the settlement to which the parties had agreed. The Berry court found there was no need for a MSA as part of the settlement of this case. Based on the evidence of plaintiffs treating medical providers and correspondence from CMS, Medicare had been reimbursed for all conditional payments that it made for plaintiffs accident-related treatment. Since it was not reasonably anticipated that plaintiff would receive any future accident-related treatment, the court found that Medicare would not be called upon to pay for such are in the future.

Tye v. Upper Valley Med. Ctr. (2014) The Ohio Supreme Court decided that the parties were not required to set aside any portion of the settlement proceeds for future benefits which may be paid or payable to Medicare. In its decision, the Court noted several reasons for its holding, including: (1) the plaintiffs injuries were paid by a private health insurance carrier, (2) the private health insurance carrier would continue to pay plaintiffs medical expenses in the foreseeable future, and (3) Medicare did not have an established policy or procedure in effect for reviewing or providing an opinion regarding the adequacy of the future medical aspect of a liability settlement.

Warren Frank v. Gateway Ins. Co.(2012) The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana held Medicare does not currently require or approve MSAs when personal injury lawsuits are settled.

Sipler v. Trans Am Trucking, Inc. (2012) The court determined that no federal law requires set-aside arrangements in personal injury settlements for future medical expenses.

Big R Towing, Inc. v. David Wayne Benoit, et al.(2011) The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana found that a set-aside for future medical expenses in a liability case was appropriate.

Along with the above case law, CMS policy statements offer additional guidance in terms of when to set up a MSA account for future medical expenses. Although these statements do not have the force of law, they do reflect a body of expertise and informed judgment to which courts may properly resort for guidance. (See Anderson v. Burwell, (2016) F.Supp.3d (U.S. Dist. MI))

CMS policy memoranda

CMS has issued several policy memoranda on how Medicares interests must be protected in liability cases. In 2011, CMS issued a 3-page handout with internal guidance addressing liability settlements and MSAs where no future injury-related care was required. Although not legal authority, the handout provides some guidance when dealing with parties respective responsibilities with respect to future medical expenses. With respect to the obligations of plaintiffs counsel, the handout advises that when a plaintiff attorney determines decides that a settlement is intended to pay for future medicals, he or she should see to it that those funds are used to pay for otherwise Medicare-covered services related to what is claimed and/or released in the settlement.

According to Medicare Regional Coordinator Sally Stalcup:

There is no formal CMS review process in the liability area as there is for

Workers Compensation, however Regional Offices do review a number of

submitted set-aside proposals.If there was/is funding for otherwise

covered and reimbursable future medical services related to what was

claimed/released, the Medicare Trust Funds must be protected. If there

was/is no such funding, there is no expectation of 3rd party funds with

which to protect the Trust Funds. Each attorney is going to have to decide,

based on the specific facts of each of their cases, whether or not there is

funding for future medicals and if so, a need to protect the Trust Funds.

They must decide whether or not there is funding for future medicals.

If the answer for defense counsel or the insurer is yes, they should make sure

their records contain documentation of their notification to plaintiffs counsel

and the Medicare beneficiary that the settlement does fund future medicals

which obligates them to protect the Medicare Trust Funds. It will also be part

of their report to Medicare in compliance with Section 111, Mandatory Insurer Reporting requirements.

On September 30, 2011, CMS Acting Director Charlotte Benson issued a policy memorandum outlining the possible requirement of MSA funds in liability cases. This memo provided first-time guidance for MSA amounts related to liability insurance settlements, judgments, awards, or other payments. In discussing settlements of injuries related to liability insurance, the memo states:

Where the beneficiarys treating physician certifies in writing that treatment

for the alleged injury related to the liability insurance settlement has been completed as of the date of the settlement, and that future medical items

and/or services for that injury will not be required, Medicare considers its

interest, with respect to future medicals for that particular settlement,

satisfied. If the beneficiary receives additional settlements related to the underlying injury or illness, he/she must obtain a separate physician

certification for those additional settlements.

In late 2014, the United States Department of Health & Human Services (the federal agency CMS reports to and takes direction from) issued the following:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has no current plans

for a formal process for reviewing and approving Liability Medicare Set-Aside

Arrangements. However, even though no formal process exists, there is an obligation

to inform CMS when future medicals were a consideration in reaching the Liability

Settlement, judgment, or award as well as any instances where a liability judgment

or award specifically provides for medicals in general or future medicals.

Similar to the 2011 CMS handout discussed above, this letter is not legally binding, but is useful for attorneys handling the issue of future medical expenses and settlements.

To what extent are attorneys responsible for establishing MSAs for future medical expenses?

As of the date of this article, there is no statutory requirement that attorneys establish MSAs in liability settlements if the plaintiff is not a Medicare beneficiary. Personal injury settlements are clearly distinct from workers compensation settlements. As one court noted, in contrast to the workers compensation scheme that generally determines recovery on the basis of a rigid formula, often with a statutory maximum, tort cases involve noneconomic damages not available in workers compensation cases, and a victims damages are not determined by an established formula. (Sipler v. Trans Am Trucking, Inc. at p. 638) However, that does not mean attorneys can ignore this issue and then plead ignorance. Medicares interests must still be protected, which may involve setting up a MSA. Otherwise, the attorney may face severe penalties of up to $1000 per day, per claim.

When MSAs are required

For a MSA to be appropriate, (1) the plaintiff must be a Medicare beneficiary and (2) it must be determined that plaintiff will incur future care related to the underlying lawsuit or injury which would otherwise be covered by Medicare. If these two requirements above are met, then the parties should determine what amount of the settlement should be allocated to future medical care.

According to the Garretson Resolution Group (GSG), we now have some clarity about what the federal government considers material when it comes to future medical expenses under the MSPA. GSG, a neutral private provider of services to parties settling personal injury claims involving MSA and MSA custodial account services, has recently published a guide on how to handle future medicals in 2016 and under the MSP Statute. The 20-page guide lays out what GSG considers to be the best practices on the future medicals issue today. GSG explains the best practice is to (1) identify whether the amount of compensation from the primary plan exists within the settlement award, (2) identify the exact amount of compensation for future medical expenses, and (3) ensure Medicare is not billed until that amount is exhausted.

Arguments for and against establishing these accounts for future medical expenses

For MSAs

At present, there is a heated debate among practitioners over whether MSAs are even required. Federal law explicitly states that if dealing with a recovery in a personal injury case, the interest of Medicare must be considered. (42 U.S.C. 1395y(b)(2)) By setting up MSAs, parties will avoid costly penalties if Medicare determines the parties improperly billed Medicare, including double damages in a claim by the U.S. for recovery of conditional payments, as well as a debt collection action by the Department of Treasury. MSs are cost effective, are easily accessible, and bring finality to the liability claim. They are not required by law, but it is a reasonable approach that parties can adopt to protect themselves from MSP liability. As noted, if MSA accounts are not set up but should have been, the attorney may face fines of $1000 per day, per claim. The $1000 per day, per claim fine is associated with the reporting requirements of Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act (MMSEA) and has no direct correlation with MSAs. (See When to Use a Liability Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement (LMSA) by Roy A. Franco)

Against MSAs

As noted above, there is no federal regulation nor does the United States Code specifically require that MSA fund be created. The federal regulations dealing with Medicare as a secondary payer to post-settlement medical expenses apply only to workers compensation cases. Medicare does not currently have an established policy or procedure in effect for reviewing or providing an opinion regarding the adequacy of the future medical aspect of a liability settlement or recovery of future medical expenses incurred in liability cases.

Based on CMSs policy memoranda and recent case law, there seems to be a distinction being drawn between cases that require a MSA and those that do not. MSAs are not required where (1) the claimant is being compensated only for past medical expenses, and future medical expenses are not at issue; and (2) the claimant is not receiving Medicare, nor is expected to do so in the near future. Those against MSAs argue that a requirement to have personal injury settlements specifically apportion future medical expenses would prove burdensome to the settlement process and, in turn, discourage personal injury settlements. Medicare may refuse to pay future medical expenses related to the claim for which a responsible reporting entity has already assumed liability. Some believe that MSAs increase cost of the claim; however, MSA supporters remind those who oppose MSAs that the Medicare Set Aside comprises a portion of the settlement amount, and therefore there are no increased costs.

While no regulation or statute currently requires the creation of a MSA for future medical expenses in a third-party injury settlement, given the current trends as discussed in this article, it would seem prudent to create a MSA in any case that involves a reasonable likelihood of future injury-related medical care arising out of the underlying events covered by the settlement. The wise practitioner or claim professional should make this part of his or her settlement checklist in personal injury cases.

Richard M. Williams, partner with Gray Duffy, LLP, has more than 35 years of complex litigation experience. His practice covers a breadth of litigation matters including product and premises liability, catastrophic and other personal injury, public entity defense, professional negligence, real estate, intellectual property, employment and unfair business practices. He successfully represents a wide range of clients including insurance companies, business service firms, collection services, higher education organizations, major grocery stores, school districts, contractors, steel manufacturers and property management firms.
Thousands of Texas homeowners victimized by severe weather may also be victims of a wide-ranging conspiracy involving door-to-door solicitors, public insurance adjusters and attorneys, according to a class-action lawsuit filed in Dallas.

The lawsuit claims that individuals, companies and law firms purportedly representing residents with property damage insurance claims are actually operating a pyramid scheme to collect unlawful and fraudulent fees that can make completing the repairs almost impossible.

According to court documents, the scheme typically begins when a door-to-door solicitor working on behalf of a roofing contractor claims that his company can get the homeowners insurance company to pay for property damage, such as a new roof. After the initial insurance payment arrives, the solicitor keeps the funds and brings in a so-called public adjuster to inspect the home and seek additional payment from the insurance company, charging a fee of 10 percent of the total claim plus other expenses.

The solicitor also tells the homeowner that a lawyer must be hired to get still more payments from the insurance company, adding a 25 percent to 40 percent fee for any recovery. Having never met or even spoken with the homeowner, the attorney then files a lawsuit against the insurer without the homeowners knowledge, agrees to a mediation, and settles the matter without the approval of or consultation with the homeowner. When a settlement check finally arrives, the payment often is not enough to pay for roof repairs because of deductions to cover the fees and expenses of the attorney, public adjuster and solicitor.

This is a very real and deceitful scheme that is carried out in this state every day by those who are supposed to be helping homeowners, not ripping them off, said attorney Mark Ticer, who represents Dallas resident Juan Guerra in the lawsuit.

Guerra was approached in 2014 by a representative of Arlington-based roofing contractor Lambcorp, who said the company could handle his insurance claim for a new roof. Guerra turned over the payment from his insurer to Lambcorp, which demanded that he hire Arlington-based National Claims Negotiators LLC, a public adjusting firm, and the San Antonio law firm of Speights & Worrich to obtain additional payments from his insurer.

Guerra still has not received the new roof he was initially promised by the solicitor, nor have the insurance proceeds taken by Lambcorp been returned to him.

This lawsuit is bringing to light an elaborate web of conspirators and con artists who are lining their pockets at the expense of innocent and unsuspecting homeowners, with a goal of bringing accountability, honesty and integrity back into the system, said attorney Van Shaw of the Law Offices of Van Shaw in Dallas, co-counsel for Guerra and the proposed class.

Dallas attorney Steven Badger of Zelle LLP has been vocal on behalf of the insurance industry in responding to the dramatic increase in hail damage lawsuits. In addition to his work defending insurance companies, Badger represents a group of homeowners in a class action lawsuit against North Texas roofing contractor Lambcorp alleging the unauthorized practice of public adjusting and other improper conduct. The Guerra class action was filed as an intervention into Badgers lawsuit, as it also named Lambcorp as a defendant.

Ticer and Shaw say the lawsuit also exposes a troubling increase in Texas of an illegal practice called barratry, which includes the improper solicitation of potential cases by individuals not associated with the lawyer handling the matter.

Such conduct is unfortunately becoming increasingly common, but Texas law provides victims of barratry a private right of action against the violating lawyers, said Ticer.

The allegations of solicitation and barratry set forth in Guerras lawsuit are typical of what those of us involved in defending these lawsuits believe is going on all across Texas, Badger said.

Badger expects to see additional barratry lawsuits filed in the months ahead. Each and every week I am contacted with concerns about Texas attorneys and their door-to-door canvassers following the same model described in the Guerra lawsuit.

Badger said he is encouraged to see well-known plaintiffs attorneys like Mark Ticer and Van Shaw taking steps to address apparent illegal conduct by other attorneys. Mark and Van should be commended for their willingness to take on this important issue.

The case is Guerra v. Jorge Garcia, Vivian Armas, et al., No. DC-15-03338, in the 134th District Court in Dallas.
The Postal Service announced that 6,549 employees were attacked by dogs last year as it released its annual top dog attack city rankings. It also shared information on new safety initiatives it is putting in place to help protect its employees.

Dogs are protective in nature and may view our letter carriers handing mail to their owner as a threat, said USPS Safety Director Linda DeCarlo at a news conference in Houston, where postal employees suffered 77 attacks, more than any other city. Fifty-one cities make up the top 30 rankings (see chart below).

DeCarlo also announced two new safety measures to alert USPS Carriers of dogs on their delivery routes. The first goes into effect May 13 on usps.coms Package Pickup application. Customers will be asked to indicate if there is a dog at their address when they schedule a package pickup. The second goes into effect later this spring.

The Mobile Delivery Devices that letter carriers use to scan packages to confirm delivery will include a feature that allows carriers to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual address. This is especially helpful to substitutes who fill-in for letter carriers on their days off.

DeCarlo was in Houston to kick-off National Dog Bite Prevention Week which runs this week. The Postal Service, joined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Humane Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, Insurance Information Institute and State Farm Insurance are driving home the message that dog bites are a nationwide issue and that education can help prevent dog attacks to people of all ages.

Of the 4.5 million Americans bitten by dogs annually, half of all victims are children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many attacks to children are by the family pet or a dog familiar to the child, so its important to keep children and dogs separate, especially if a dog is known to act aggressively.

2015 Dog Attack Rankings by City

Note: A total of 6,549 postal employees were attacked by dogs in calendar 2015. Fifty-one cities comprise the top 30 rankings as some cities reported the same number of attacks.

Ranking City, State 2015 Dog Attacks 2014 Dog Attacks Change Percent Change 1 Houston, TX 77 63 14 22 2 San Diego, CA

Cleveland, OH 58 47

37 11

21 23

57 3 Chicago, IL

Dallas, TX 57 46

43 11

14 24

33 4 Los Angeles, CA 56 75 -19 -25 5 Louisville, KY 51 40 11 28 6 Kansas City, MO 46 32 14 44 7 Philadelphia, PA 44 33 11 33 8 Columbus, OH 43 22 21 95 9 Portland, OR 41 31 10 32 10 Fort Worth, TX

San Antonio, TX 39 26

24 13

15 50

63 11 Denver, CO 38 40 -2 -5 12 Phoenix, AZ 36 35 1 3 13 St. Louis, MO 35 39 -4 -10 14 Seattle, WA 34 29 5 17 15 Detroit, MI

Long Beach, CA 32 28

27 4

5 14

19 16 Indianapolis, IN

Sacramento, CA 31 35

29 -4

2 -11

7 17 Minneapolis, MN

Baltimore, MD 30 33

27 -3

3 -9

11 18 Miami, FL

Cincinnati, OH 28 26

24 2

4 8

17 19 Brooklyn, NY 26 15 11 73 20 San Francisco, CA 25 23 2 9 21 San Jose, CA

Albuquerque, NM

St. Paul, MN 24 20

16

6 4

8

18 20

50

300 22 Oakland, CA

Milwaukee, WI 23 22

11 1

12 5

109 23 Charlotte, NC

Dayton, OH 22 23

18 -1

4 -4

22 24 Las Vegas, NV 21 19 2 11 25 Pittsburgh, PA

Jacksonville, FL 20 22

10 -2

10 -9

100 26 Rochester, NY

Fresno, CA

Stockton, CA 19 18

17

9 1

2

10 6

12

111 27 Wichita, KS

Flushing, NY

Baton Rouge, LA 18 25

14

9 -7

4

9 -28

29

100 28 Memphis, TN 17 13 4 31 29 Richmond, VA

Salt Lake City, UT 16 17

9 -1

7 -6

78 30 New Orleans, LA

Omaha, NE

Des Moines, IA

Toledo, OH 15 19

14

11

10 -4

1

4

5 -21

7

36

50

Source: USPS
The U.S. Transportation Department said Wednesday it is permanently banning passengers and crew members from carrying e-cigarettes in checked baggage or charging the devices onboard aircraft.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx cited a number of recent incidents that show the devices can catch fire during transport. Passengers may continue to carry e-cigarettes for personal use in carry-on baggage or on their person, but may not use them on flights, Foxx said.

Fire hazards in flight are particularly dangerous, Foxx said in a statement. Banning e-cigarettes from checked bags is a prudent and important safety measure.

The rule covers battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices including e-cigarettes, e-cigars and e-pipes, but does not prohibit passengers from transporting other devices containing batteries for personal use like laptop computers or cell phones.

The rule makes a temporary ban instituted in November become permanent.

In August 2014, an e-cigarette in a passengers checked bag in the cargo hold of an aircraft caused a fire forcing an evacuation of the plane at Bostons Logan Airport.

In January 2015, a checked bag that arrived late and missed its connecting flight was found to be on fire in a baggage area at Los Angeles International Airport. The incident was blamed on an overheated e-cigarette inside the bag.

The government said the danger has been worsened by the growing trend of users modifying and rebuilding their reusable e-cigarette devices and swapping components, which may include the use of batteries, heating elements, and electronic components.

In March, the U.S. Transportation Department separately banned the use of electronic cigarettes on commercial flights.

The Transportation Department said it took the action to eliminate any confusion over whether its existing ban on smoking on flights includes electronic cigarettes.

Congress banned all smoking on airline flights in 2000, and no U.S. airline allowed electronic cigarette use. But the Transportation Department said some charter flights may have allowed the practice.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alistair Bell)
Since the start of 2014, more than 1,600 people have died in commercial aviation disasters. That rate is up from the preceding three years and results in part from some shocking incidents, including a pilot suicide and the downing of a passenger jet over Ukraine by an anti-aircraft missile.

Yet a strong case can be made that airline safety  at least in terms of mechanical failures and human error  is better than ever, even as investigators try to learn why an EgyptAir jetliner crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday with 66 people aboard.

Assuming all 66 are dead, the toll from four commercial airline crashes this year is 163. By contrast, more than 1,000 people a year died in plane crashes between 1991 and 1998.

In regard to disasters, 2014 and 2015 were among the most dramatic in recent aviation history.

In March 2015, 150 people aboard Germanwings Flight 9525 were killed when one of the pilots deliberately flew the plane into a mountainside. In October, a Metrojet airline exploded over the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board, in what was determined to be a terrorist bombing.

The International Air Transport Association tallied only four other commercial airline disasters in 2015  all crashes involving turboprops rather than jetliners. The death toll from those four crashes was 136; including the Germanwings and Metrojet incidents, the toll for the year was 510.

In 2014, according to IATA, there were 12 fatal airline accidents, with 641 fatalities, including the still-unsolved case of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared from radar over the Gulf of Thailand with 239 people on board.

An additional 298 people were killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July 2014. Including that incident, which IATA does not classify as an accident, the overall air disaster death toll for 2014 was 939.

To the flying public, an air disaster is an air disaster, said Perry Flint, an IATA spokesman. But the industry needs to make a distinction between something that was unintended, and something that was done deliberately, in order to be able to take appropriate action to reduce the likelihood of something similar occurring in the future.

IATA, which represents about 260 airlines accounting for 83 percent of air traffic, says there was only one serious jet accident per every 3.1 million flights in 2015.

Aviation is the safest form of long distance transportation ever invented. And it is getting safer, Flint said. All the data point in that direction.

The flying public appears to accept those assurances, as air traffic records are being broken in virtually every region of the world.

Airlines for America, the lobbying group for most U.S. carriers, predicts that 231.1 million passengers will fly in June, July and August  a 3.8-percent increase over last summers record numbers.

Indeed, the high demand for flying has contributed to long lines at many security checkpoints. Airlines are urging fliers to get to the airport earlier than usual.

(AP Business Writer Scott Mayerowitz contributed to this report.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Pedestrian fatalities increased six percent in the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, according to preliminary figures provided by Dr. Richard Retting, a national practice leader for safety and research at Sam Schwartz Consulting.

Retting, a recognized expert in traffic safety, spoke during a televised pedestrian safety forum held by the National Transportation Safety Board last week.

While there has been a 15 percent increase since 2009, over the long term fatalities have dropped 30 percent since 1975, said Dr. Jessica Cicchino, vice president of research for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute.

The highest pedestrian fatality rates are among those 70 and older. The most noticeable decline in pedestrian deaths is among children, with rates declining 92 percent since 1975.

The forum focused on efforts to reduce pedestrian fatalities. Panelists suggestions included looking for ways to increase separation between pedestrians and autos, increasing pedestrian visibility, reducing traffic speeds and making vehicle design changes. Though public education was also suggested, experts noted there was little evidence supporting its effectiveness.

Increased focus on the issue is expected, since the Federal Highway Administration is planning to include pedestrian accident data within their federal database.

Significant time was spent discussing ways to improve street safety for pedestrians.

Linda Bailey, executive director of the National Association of City Transportation

Officials, suggested that islands placed in the middle of intersections and reduced speeds could improve safety for both pedestrians and cyclists.

According to Carl Sundstrom, a senior researcher at the University of North Carolina, Highway Safety Research Center, intersections are among the most dangerous places for pedestrians. Some ways to reduce auto pedestrian accidents include adding a protective left turn signal or by providing lead time to give pedestrians a head start on crossing the street. The two options can be added at virtually no cost, he said.

Another panelist said that offering the option of turning right on red, along with a large turning radius, has increased hazards for pedestrians crossing a road. Highway on and off ramps and construction work zones, where sidewalks are closed for an extended period of time, were deemed particularly hazardous.

Traffic light positioning and wording on traffic signs can make a big impact on safety, one expert said. Changing a sign to read no left turn on red that previously read left turn on green arrow only raised compliance immediately in one example.

According to Luisia Paiewonsky, the director of VOLPE Center for Infrastructure Systems and Technology, the focus on safety in the past was on inside out  concentrating on the vehicle, the road and infrastructure whereas now the focus is on the outside in, especially where it concerns pedestrians and cyclists.

New York Citys Vision Zero plan was also discussed. Based on a Swedish model, it centers on the idea that crashes arent accidents, rather they are the result of systematic failure.

Panelists also discussed improving pedestrian safety through vehicle technology. In the future, Smart intersections, infra-based technology will allow digital recognition of pedestrians for use by smart vehicles, said Bob Kreeb, Intelligent Technologies Research for the NHTSA.

MobileEye is conducting a trial in New York City that shows promise in predicting accident hotspots by locating where warnings occur more frequently, said David Zuby, executive vice president and chief research officer with the Vehicle Research Center for the IIHS/HLDI.

In terms of vehicle to vehicle communication, older vehicles could be retrofitted, said Kreeb. It does lend itself to retrofit, he said, noting that they have conducted a 3000 vehicle test in Michigan with primarily older vehicles.

Retrofitting isnt always a solution, said Sven Zimmerman, engineering manager for Bosch Chassis Systems Control  Driver Assistance and Automated Driving, because aftermarket equipment has proved ineffective in avoiding pedestrian accidents.

Another issue involves how many warnings is too many for drivers. Under what conditions should the driver be warned of an impending crash, one expert asked. Issuing too many nuisance warnings could result in a driver turning off the warning system. Zimmerman tests cars passively to see how frequently near misses happen and to determine the number of warnings that are appropriate.

The forum wrapped up its discussion on pedestrian safety noting that a combination of policies, design changes and vehicle technologies could reduce injuries and deaths.

NTSB is working on its first special investigative report on pedestrian safety, according to T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, vice chairman of the NTSB, which should be released later this year.
Geologists have long known that New Orleans is slowly sinking  but now, scientists using radar technology say groundwater sucked up by industrial facilities such as a power plant, oil refineries and chemical complexes may be contributing to the problem and could even be undermining levees.

This new study is the latest attempt to explain a perplexing problem threatening the survival of a low-lying region at risk of being swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico: gradual sinking, or subsidence.

The study, published this week in the Journal of Geophysical Research, mapped subsidence across the New Orleans region using radar images for three years between June 2009 and July 2012.

Something popped out: Two spots with industrial complexes saw very high subsidence rates, where sinking was measured between about an inch and 2 inches a year. By comparison, sinking in other places in the metropolitan area ranged from about 1/10th of an inch to 1/4 of an inch a year, the study found.

Both of the hot spots for subsidence are next to critical flood-protection infrastructure.

The study concluded groundwater withdrawal is the primary subsidence driver in areas with major industry around the New Orleans (area).

Its a correlation, quite a strong correlation, said Cathleen Jones, the lead researcher on the study from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The researchers found severe subsidence around a 1960s-era Entergy New Orleans electric power plant in Michoud, a swampy area about 9 miles east of the French Quarter. Sinking has been a problem for years there and poses problems for levee builders because its a frontline in defenses against hurricanes.

Radar imagery revealed sections of levees, rebuilt higher after Hurricane Katrina, were subsiding by as much as 2 inches a year. Nearby lies a massive $1.1 billion barrier built after Katrina. Its nearly 2 miles long and designed to stop hurricane surges. The study did not say whether that structure had subsided.

Some subsidence is expected on newly built levees. Rene Poche, an Army Corps of Engineers spokesman, said the agency was not familiar with the study. But he said the agency has accounted for projected subsidence in its post-Katrina work.

Since the 1960s, the power plant has been sucking up groundwater for cooling purposes.

Charlotte Cavell, an Entergy spokeswoman, said the old plant is scheduled to be deactivated June 1 although the company is looking at building a smaller power plant on the site in the near future. Entergy has not decided whether to use groundwater in the new facility, she said.

She said the company was not aware of any link between the Michoud plants use of groundwater and subsidence in New Orleans.

On the western side of New Orleans, researchers found high rates of subsidence in a cluster of chemical and oil refinery plants in an area called Norco, Louisiana.

The facilities are near the Bonnet Carre Spillway, a 1930s-era structure that protects New Orleans from Mississippi River flooding. The study called the spillway the last line of protection from river flooding and said an investigation of possible subsidence impacting the spillway directly is needed.

However, scientists not affiliated with the study said its also far from clear if a link between industrys water use and subsidence can be made.

For example, USGS data shows industrial use of groundwater around the Bonnet Carre Spillway facilities is not huge, which would seem to undercut the idea groundwater use is causing sinking there.

Theres so much subsidence going on in New Orleans and the coastal area its hard to pin it on anything, said John Lovelace, a USGS scientist in Baton Rouge.
The former lawyer for a car crash victim accused an auto insurance company of hiding a $1 million policy that could have paid for his clients medical bills during testimony in court Thursday.

Attorney Jeff Cole testified in federal court in Sioux Falls in the case against Charter Oak Fire Insurance, the Argus Leader reported. But during his testimony, the defense team for the insurer accused Cole of waiting more than two years to ask whether his client qualified for coverage under the policy.

You just chose not to do it  isnt that right? asked Mike Cashman, the attorney for Travelers Insurance Co., which owns Charter Oak.

Thats not how I would put it, Cole responded. He represented the victim, Laura Dziadek, after she suffered serious injuries when she was a passenger in the car involved in the September 2008 crash. He represented Dziadek until Travelers Insurance subpoenaed him. He was a witness Thursday.

The car involved in the crash had been loaned to a friend of Dziadek, and its insurance policy covered uninsured and under-insured motorists. But Dziadek is arguing that Travelers Insurance intentionally tried to hide the policy and is offering a letter that an insurance adjuster sent to Cole as proof.

A resolution in favor of Dziadek could have consequences beyond her case. If her attorneys prove that one of the largest insurance companies in the nation intentionally hid benefits, lawsuits from others could follow.

In February 2009, Cole received the letter indicating that the policy would not cover Dziadek. The insurance company, however, maintains the letter only referred to liability insurance and not the underinsured policy.

The newspaper reported Cole spent two years looking for other legal options for Dziadek, and as the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit neared, he decided to take another look at the policy. An attorney asked for the complete policy from the insurer, which then ended up paying the victim more than $900,000.

The attorneys for Travelers Insurance on Thursday also raised the possibility that the adjuster who sent the letter made a mistake. But Cole didnt buy that argument.

I think it was a 0 percent chance that it was a mistake, Cole said.

Secrecy has surrounded parts of the case after U.S. District Judge Roberto Lange agreed to some of the insurers requests. In 2012, Lange allowed Travelers Insurance to file documents under seal, and when some of the information thats off-limits to the public has been disclosed during the proceedings, Lange has closed his courtroom to anyone not affiliated with the case.

At the request of Travelers Insurance, Lange on Tuesday closed his Sioux Falls courtroom just Dziadeks lawyers were readying to show video of depositions on how the insurer evaluates and compensates employees.
Victims loss in a civil trial over whether a Colorado movie theater should have done more to prevent a mass shooting leaves them with dwindling options as they seek damages for their suffering.

Experts say the loss Thursday to Cinemark may also have hurt the chances of other survivors in the few remaining lawsuits stemming from the 2012 rampage.

It will be hard to find jurors for an upcoming federal case who havent heard about the outcome of the Cinemark verdict, said attorney Brett Godfrey, who was not involved in the lawsuit.

In a case where you have multiple claims arising out of a single event, the first one that goes to trial has the potential of casting a long shadow on the other cases, Godfrey said. Its a real issue for the remaining plaintiffs who have yet to have their day in court.

Shooter James Holmes is serving a life prison sentence for the attack that killed 12 people and injured more than 70 others.

Jurors on Thursday quickly sided with the nations third-largest movie theater chain, finding there was no way the company could have safeguarded against the attack and is not responsible for victims life-altering injuries that require psychiatric care, medical equipment, prosthetic limbs, occupational and speech therapy, and other treatment.

Attorney Marc Bern, who represents the 27 plaintiffs  survivors and families of people killed  vowed to appeal the verdict, saying a judge had kept jurors from seeing key evidence that would have changed their minds.

Melisa Botdorf, whose ex-husband Gordon Cowden was killed in the attack, said the lack of accountability from the theater chain is dangerous.

Until it hits them financially then change does not occur. she said, lamenting the Cinemark verdict.

But It could be years before a court decides whether to rehear the case. If an appeal is granted and victims settle, they could see a much smaller payout than they would have if they did so before the first case went to court, said Godfrey, whose specialties include liability cases.

At least 40 victims have signed onto a federal lawsuit against Cinemark, slated to open in July.

A judge could decide Thursdays verdict in favor of Cinemark makes trying the second case unnecessary. If not, Godfrey said, it will be much harder to find jurors who havent heard about the first verdict in the theater companys favor.

Theres a certainty there will be some impact, he said.

Christina Habas, an attorney on the upcoming case against Cinemark, declined to comment except to say the case will go on as planned.

Other victims have filed a lawsuit alleging Holmes psychiatrist at the University of Colorado should have done more to stop the attack, such as detaining Holmes after he disclosed his homicidal thoughts.

But such cases are exceedingly hard to prove, as mass violence is difficult to predict, even for mental health professionals, said John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center. His research found that 60 percent of the 25 mass public shootings since 2009 involved gunmen who were under mental health care.

I know of no successful suit thats been done on this, Lott said. Theyre going to have a very difficult time proving the psychiatrist didnt meet proper stand of care.

Other suits have proved fruitless and risky. Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, whose daughter Jessica Ghawi was killed, had their lawsuit against the companies that sold ammunition used in the shooting tossed out by a judge  who then ordered them to pay more than $200,000 in legal fees to the companies.

Without the lawsuits, victims have few other options to gain money for their recovery, said Jeff Dion, director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association.

Private donations and money from the states crime victim compensation fund probably wont be enough to cover all of their needs, Dion said. And, he added, they wont likely see any of the $955,000 in restitution Holmes was ordered to pay after he was sentenced last year to life in prison.

If hes in prison and making 26 cents an hour, thats not going to go a long way toward compensating all the people whose lives hes destroyed, Dion said. These people have such catastrophic and ongoing needs, there arent really resources in the civil justice system or crime victim compensation to pay for that.
A pipeline company responsible for spilling more than 120,000 gallons of oil on the California coast failed to prevent corrosion in its pipes, detect the rupture or respond swiftly as crude streamed toward the ocean, federal regulators said Thursday.

Plains All American Pipeline operators working remotely in Texas had turned off an alarm that would have signaled a leak and, unaware of the ongoing spill, restarted the hemorrhaging line along the Santa Barbara County coast, compounding the problem and delaying the shutdown, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in its final investigation report.

A number of preventable errors led to this incident and the companys failures in judgment, including inadequate assessment of this line, and faulty planning made matters worse, said agency Administrator Marie Therese Dominguez said. What happened is completely unacceptable and we will hold the company accountable.

The report was issued on the one-year anniversary of the spill and just two days after Plains was indicted in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on 46 criminal counts, including four felonies of polluting state waters and three dozen misdemeanors of harming wildlife.

Beaches and campgrounds along the scenic coast nearby were closed two weeks shy of Memorial Day weekend as an oil plume spread nine miles into the Pacific Ocean. They remained closed for weeks in the aftermath as tar balls washed ashore more than 100 miles away in Los Angeles County and more than 220 birds, such as pelicans, and nearly 140 marine mammals, mostly sea lions, died.

The agency previously said severe corrosion led to a 6-inch gash in the pipe. The final report said the company failed to follow up after an inspection in 2012 indicated the pipe had deteriorated to less than half its thickness.

Robert Bea, an engineering professor at University of California, Berkeley, who has read the report, said regulators had allowed Plains to ignore federal guidelines for at least nine years as the company underestimated the risks of a breach from corrosion and exceeded the maximum allowable pressure given the weaknesses in the pipe.

The report said the spill occurred just before 11 a.m. on May 19, 2015, when operators in the Midland, Texas, control room restarted a pump and oil surged at high pressure through the 2-foot-wide pipe known as Line 901.

Pressure ultimately was the final nail in the coffin when the pipeline just said, I give up, Bea said. It was clearly run to failure.

Within three minutes of restarting, pressure plunged to 199 psi, triggering a low-pressure alarm that quickly reset when pressure climbed just above 200 psi, the report said. The alarm was set to be tripped at such a low pressure that it never sounded again as oil flowed out the pipe at just above 200 psi.

A leak detection system that also would have sounded alarms had been disabled by an operator who was dealing with another problem. Failing to detect the leak, the controller even restarted the line after the spill occurred.

Houston-based Plains has apologized for the spill, but said it wouldnt comment on the report because of ongoing investigations and pending lawsuits. It previously said the spill was an accident not a crime.

In addition to the state criminal charges, federal prosecutors are investigating the incident and the company could face fines for violating federal pipeline safety regulations.

Dominguez declined to discuss possible penalties Plains could face, but said her agency is focused on enforcement actions and would soon issue an industry advisory on lessons learned from the disaster.

The spill was the largest on the U.S. coast since the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon explosion. While the Plains spill was just a fraction of the size of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, which killed 11 workers and spilled millions of gallons, it happened on hallowed ground for environmentalists.

A blowout on an offshore rig in the Santa Barbara channel in 1969 blackened the shores and gave rise to the environmental movement.

As we know, no community is immune, said Rep. Lois Capps, D-California, who is working with lawmakers to pass a bill to improve pipeline safety. And 46 years later, I found myself once again witnessing the devastation of an oil spill on the Central Coast.

The leak was discovered after firefighters responding to reports of a petroleum stench found oil spilling from a ravine onto Refugio State Beach, a pristine and popular park for swimming and camping.

Multiple class-action lawsuits from landowners, fishermen and business owners who say the spill crippled a thriving tourism industry are still pending. Some investors have filed suit alleging they were misled about the integrity of company pipelines.

The report said the costs from the spill through the end of last year were estimated at $143 million, though the company reported in its annual report that it expects that figure to rise to $269 million.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Six students and one adult were hospitalized Tuesday afternoon after Avon High School was evacuated due to a "strange odor" that was making people ill, officials said.

(File photo)

AVON, Ohio - Avon High School was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after several students were sickened by something in the air, officials said.

Police and fire officials were called to the high school shortly before 3 p.m. for a report of a 'toxic smell' that was making students ill, Avon Assistant Fire Mike Emling said.

The initial call said that students were passing out due to the strange odor.

Fire crews determined that no students were knocked unconscious, but some complained of dizziness and difficulty breathing, Emling said. Six students and one adult were taken to a hospital for evaluation.

The smell came on "acutely," Emling said, and the high school remains completely evacuated while officials try to determine the source of the odor.

This post will be updated when more information becomes available.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
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Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School was one of the schools that recently won an All A Award from the Ohio school board.

(Bob Sandrick, special to cleveland.com)

BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - The Ohio Board of Education has given its first-ever All A Awards to two school districts and 46 schools - including 13 in Cuyahoga County - for earning straight A's on their 2014-2015 state report cards.

Schools in Cuyahoga County receiving the awards were Beachwood High and Bryden Elementary schools in Beachwood; Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga Heights and Independence high schools; Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Maple Heights; Orange and Rocky River high schools; and Arthur Road Elementary, Orchard Middle, Parkside Elementary and Solon High schools in Solon.

In addition, the Ohio school board distributed Momentum Awards to 53 districts and 165 schools for exceeding expectations when it comes to student growth.

Click here to see the entire list of award-winning schools and districts.

"This (All A) award is affirmation of our commitment to providing the educational support needed to help every student perform to his or her capability," Joseph Mueller, principal of Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, said in an email to cleveland.com.

Ohio school board President Tom Gunlock, in a press release, said the board is proud to recognize the schools "for their hard work and dedication to excellence."

"Earning straight A's is no easy task, and these schools deserve our praise," Gunlock said in the press release.

This year, the state school board distributed All A Awards to districts and schools that received A's on all report card measures, such as growth and progress of students who are struggling. Next year, the awards will go to each district and school that earns an A on its overall score.

Meanwhile, receiving Momentum Awards in Cuyahoga County were Apex Academy in Cleveland; Chagrin Falls Middle School; and Fairfax Elementary, Monticello Middle and Roxboro Middle schools in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights district.

In Cleveland, Momentum Awards went to Charles Dickens, Entrepreneurship Preparatory in Woodland Hills, Harvey Rice Elementary, Miles Park and Northeast Ohio Preparatory schools.

Also receiving Momentum Awards were Mayfair and Superior elementary schools in East Cleveland; Ohio Connections Academy; Hillside Middle, Shiloh Middle and Pleasant Valley Elementary schools in Parma; Ballard Brady Middle School in Orange; Pinnacle Academy; and Richmond Heights Secondary School.

Finally, Orchard and Solon middle schools in Solon; Greenview Upper Elementary and Memorial Junior High schools in the South Euclid-Lyndhurst district; Center Middle School in Strongsville; Eastwood Elementary and Warrensville Heights Middle schools in the Warrensville Heights district; and Dover and Hilliard elementary schools in Westlake won Momentum Awards.
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Organizers behind a proposed four-city joint dispatch center received some good news earlier this month from Cuyahoga County Council.

County Councilman Anthony Hairston confirmed that the 911 Consolidation and Shared Services Fund Review Committee had recommended approval of a $1 million grant to assist with equipment and "build-out" of the center.

While nothing is official yet, the recently-formed Council of Governments comprised of Shaker, University and Cleveland Heights, along with South Euclid have been told to expect the money to be deposited around Aug. 1.

In the meantime, Cleveland Heights Mayor Cheryl Stephens has asked the COG to consider a proposal from MetroHealth Systems to house the dispatch center in its new 24-hour Emergency Department on Severance Circle.

Up to now, officials have been planning on using the University Hospitals Suburban Health Center on Green Road in South Euclid as the site.

That proposal was described by Cleveland Heights City Manager Tanisha Briley as "a pretty sweet deal being worked out."

But no contract had been signed as of council's May 16 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting, when Stephens brought it up.

Councilman Kahlil Seren asked if there was language in the $1 million grant application to the county specifying the location in South Euclid and was told that a site change should not jeopardize the funding.

Stephens said she had already run the idea past South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo.

"If the deal is good, she will not stand in the way," Stephens told council.

Cleveland Heights Fire Chief Dave Freeman said today (May 23) that the MetroHealth facility is still being investigated as a potential site.

Both locations offer the desired 4,000-to-5,000 square feet to set up joint dispatch operations, with five dispatchers generally on duty at a time, Freeman said.

Freeman added that the Heights-Hillcrest COG did not receive a $389,000 Capital Safety Grant applied for through the State of Ohio, which would have funded mobile bay station radios not eligible under the county grant.

"There were 887 applications and 42 awards," Freeman said of the competitive grant program, which works out to less than 5 percent of the requests.

Aside from sharing costs, Freeman added that another important component of the regional collaboration is the fact that some calls will have a response known as "automatic aid" over and above the standard "mutual aid."

"It will mean an initial call to surrounding departments, as opposed to a follow-up request," Freeman said.
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A Maple Heights man is charged with murder after this 2000 GMC Jimmy was seen fleeing the scene of a fatal shooting that left a man dead in an apartment complex parking lot.

(Maple Heights police)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 23-year-old from Maple Heights was arrested and is charged in an April 18 shooting that left a man dead in the parking lot at Sunnyslope Apartments.

A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted Leterrayfrere Smart, 23, in the shooting on four counts of aggravated murder in the death of Ernest Smith.

Smith was gunned down in the parking lot at the Maple Heights apartment complex just before 10:30 a.m.

Surveillance footage captured from a nearby building shows a gunman get out of a Maroon GMC Jimmy SUV and open fire on Smith who collapsed. He later died in the hospital.

Garfield Heights police matched the license plate on the SUV to a registration that included Smart's name and address, according to court records. Police also heard from an informant who identified Smart as the shooter.

The SUV was found parked in the driveway of Smart's home in the 15000 block of Ramage Avenue, according to police. Smart was arrested April 25.

Smart remains jailed and will be arraigned in Cuyahoga County Court of Common pleas Thursday morning.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Bay Village entrepreneur faces federal fraud and identity theft charges in what the FBI describes as a scheme to buy concert and event tickets using other people's credit cards and reselling them for profit.

Daniel Mercede, 28, illegally bought thousands of dollars' worth of tickets on the website ScoreBig for events in several states during an eight-day period in 2014, according to a criminal complaint. He then re-sold the tickets on StubHub and kept the money.

The federal charges come more than a month after Mercede was charged in state court with a scheme that involved more than $175,000 and the theft of at least 24 people's identities. Cuyahoga County prosecutors dropped that case once the U.S. Attorney's Office filed the federal charges.

Mercede is the registered agent for several businesses, including Cryptocoin Capital Management, an exchange company that works with customers who use Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

It is unclear whether any of the charges relate to his companies. His attorney, Justin Withrow, said during a hearing Tuesday that Mercede is "effectively unemployed."

Mercede faces charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Withrow said that he expects to discuss resolving the case with prosecutors before it is presented to a federal grand jury.

He posted bond in the state case but was arrested again May 17 by federal authorities.

Magistrate Judge Nancy Vecchiarelli said Tuesday that she would free Mercede from jail and put him on 24-hour home detention and electronic monitoring. In exchange, Mercede will live with his his parents in Chagrin Falls. He was also forced to turn over his passport and works visas he had for Canada and Switzerland.

His parents also agreed to liquidate their retirement accounts and pay a $250,000 bond should Mercede violate the terms of his release.

"If you violate, don't think that money won't be taken, do you understand?" Vecchiarelli asked Mercede. He indicated that he understood.

Vecchiarelli also said that Mercede cannot have any contact with his fiancee, whom Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Kall said is involved in the case.

The complaint says Mercede had the ill-gotten tickets delivered to himself at his parent's home and at an apartment he lived in at the time. He used several ScoreBig accounts to make the purchases.

Chagrin Falls police searched his apartment in January 2015.

Officers found credit reports and evidence that Mercede was trying to forge somebody's signature, the complaint says.

Mercede settled with ScoreBig for $31,984 in March 2015 for the fraudulent conduct, the complaint says.

An email sent to ScoreBig seeking comment was not immediately returned.

The now-dropped state case against him was more broad. Westlake police said Mercede would launder money he illegally obtained and had it delivered to an unoccupied house in the form of a check.

Investigators conducted surveillance on the house on April 15 and watched Mercede try to pick up a package and mail from the house, court records say. He tried to flee police but was caught.

Withrow said Mercede owned two cars worth a combined $115,000, but that he would likely be selling them for costs incurred in the federal case.

Reporter Jane Morice contributed to this story.

If you would like to comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments section.
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While Westlake teachers seek a pay raise, state Superintendent, Paolo DeMaria, seeks to have his pay cut.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- While the state's sixth highest paid teachers in Westlake seek a raise, the state's new Superintendent is seeking to have his pay cut.

New Superintendent, Paolo DeMaria has requested the state school board pay him less than they had planned. The board originally intended to pay DeMaria more than his predecessor, with a salary ranging from $210,000 to $259,000. But DeMaria has asked to be paid $180,000 with a $20,000 performance bonus.

DeMaria wants his pay to be more in line with other state department heads and with the job being a public service. "I'm part of a team, at the end of the day - a state government team." DeMaria also said he believes "in having some element of compensation tied to performance and results. If I want to advocate that as a valuable approach, I ought to put my foot forward and make that part of the package as well."

Monday, the Westlake Board of Education met to discuss the Westlake Teachers Association's rejection of the board's final contract offer, and took no action. Because of the board's and union's scheduling, voting rules and protocols, that would have any potential strike occurring after the school year ends.

Westlake teachers are seeking a pay increase despite the district having the sixth highest average salary in the state at $74,000. The median household income in Westlake is $74,008 without also having the entire summer off on top of week-long Christmas and spring breaks.

The city has lost $15 million in state funding. Since 2013, voters have also rejected three school levies, sending a clear message the teachers union has turned a tin ear to.

The union's argument that the district risks losing teachers to higher paying districts is as weak as the "dog ate my homework" excuse. Again, Westlake already has the sixth highest average pay in the state. If anything, the majority of the state's other districts have to worry about losing their teachers to Westlake.

Westlake teachers are also quick to point out they've taken pay cuts in the past and now pay more for health care. Yet despite those pay cuts, they still have the sixth highest pay average in the state. Plenty of private sector workers have had to absorb pay cuts and increases in health care payments. And these private sector workers don't have the summer off, and many are earning far less than $74,000 a year.

There are districts in Ohio and around the nation where teachers are underpaid. Westlake school district is not among them. Westlake teachers don't need a pay raise, they need a reality check.
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Lakewood City Council's Finance Committee and administration members meet Monday to discuss a Meridian condominium erosion project.

(Bruce Geiselman, special to cleveland.com)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- City Council's Finance Committee Monday night recommended council approve a plan for the city to help owners of the Meridian condominiums finance a $700,000 erosion control project.

Council is considering two ordinances. The first would allow the city to use bonds to finance the revetment project with condominium owners repaying those bonds over 20 years through property tax assessments. The second ordinance would allow the city to award the construction project to a private contractor and oversee it. The condo is at 12550 Lake Ave.

Before voting, committee members heard from nearly two dozen condominium owners, most of whom supported the plan. However, about four members of the audience spoke against it, citing the cost and environmental concerns.

Several residents who spoke in favor of the project said that for years they had watched the land behind their condominium building erode into Lake Erie.

"I do feel it is a need and something that should be addressed now," said one female resident who has lived there for six years.

Another resident said the revetment would help her sleep better at night. Some residents said they feared their condominium eventually could be threatened by the erosion.

However, another resident who said she has lived there 20 years said she felt the owners should get additional opinions before investing in the stone revetment.

Jeffrey Schaefer, a Meridian owner and former board member, said the board has taken steps at the top of the cliff, including installing a new drainage system and putting in plants to discourage erosion, but now is the time to invest in a shoreline erosion control system.

"It's time for us to do some remediation at the bottom of the cliff," Schaefer said.

John Matricardi, director of coastal engineering for KS Associates, represented the condominium association board and urged the project move forward. He said efforts to prevent erosion from the top of the cliff are insufficient, and other condominiums along Lakewood's Gold Coast installed coastal erosion systems long ago.

Meridian resident Gabriela Kaplan was the most outspoken critic of the project. Kaplan, a medical doctor, is concerned that erosion protection systems stimulate algae blooms and increased bacterial counts.

She asked council to recall comments from a meeting last week when she brought in her own erosion control speaker, Robert S. Young, a professor of geology at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. Young also is director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, a joint Duke University/Western Carolina University venture.

Young said he didn't feel there was a need for immediate action to build a shoreline protection system. However, he agreed protection might be needed in the future. He said he was concerned about the potential for erosion protection systems to adversely affect water quality.

Before council voted, committee Chairman Tom Bullock said council had received petitions from more than 60 percent of the condominium property ownership asking for council's assistance in financing the erosion control effort. In addition, Bullock said the city had an interest in protecting waterfront property from erosion and had done so for condominium owners in the past.

City Council as a whole will vote on the issue June 6.

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Medina County Auditor Mike Kovack and members of Wadsworth VFW Post 1089 recently recognized the winners of this year's Memorial Day Essay Contest. First-place winners, from left, are Mollie Stracensky, Maggie Petersen and Matthew Stracensky. They are shown with, from left, Tim Ryan, Tom Fatcheric and Kovack.

(Photo Courtesy of Medina County Auditor's Office)

MEDINA, Ohio - Medina County Auditor Mike Kovack has honored nine local sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in his annual Memorial Day Essay Contest.

Each year, Kovack and his staff select the best essays submitted in the writing contest co-sponsored by Wadsworth VFW Post 1089.

Students had a choice of five different topics, ranging from explaining why a particular quote relates to Memorial Day to writing a narrative after interviewing someone who lived through one of this nation's wars.

"We'd like to recognize all the teachers who encouraged their students to stretch their writing skills," Kovack said.

"Memorial Day is a tremendously special day to many, many veterans and their families, and we're delighted that these students helped us celebrate it," he said.

The three first-place winners were Matthew Stracensky, an eighth-grader at St. Ambrose School; Maggie Petersen, a seventh-grader at Highland Middle School; and Mollie Stacensky, a sixth-grader at St. Ambrose School.

The Stracensky siblings are the children of Vicki and John Stracensky. Maggie is the daughter of Ann and Eric Petersen.

Second-place awards went to Kei Kojima, an eighth-grader at Broadway Creek Homeschool Academy; Laura Recean, a seventh-grader at Highland Middle School; and Christina Schoolcraft, a sixth-grader at Cloverleaf Middle School.

Kei's parents are Jun and Naoko Kojima, Laura's parents are Simona and Daniel Recean and Christina is the daughter of Sylvia and Gary Snook.

Coming in third place were Ana Simarro, an eighth-grader at Wadsworth Middle School; Josiah Porter, a seventh-grader at Wadsworth Middle School; and Owen Keener, a sixth-grader at Wadsworth Central Intermediate School.

Ana is the daughter of Amy and Carlos Simarro. Josiah's parents are Jason and Amanda Porter, and Owen is the son of Kevin and Julie Keener.

In addition to certificates and prizes from Amazone, the first-place winners each received $75, the second-place winners $50 and the third-place winners $25.
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Eric Warfel (center) during his trial Monday in Medina County Common Pleas Court. The Medina man is accused of leaving his daughter's dead body in a crib for more than a month before a cable company worker found her July 29, 2015.

(Evan MacDonald, cleveland.com)

The autopsy revealed traces of cocaine in Ember's hair. Investigators are still working to determine how the cocaine got into the girl's system, according to court records.

Warfel had been awaiting trial at an undisclosed mental health facility. His family was paying for his stay there, according to court records.

Ember was found in her crib in Warfel's apartment in the Forest Meadows Apartment Homes on July 29, 2015.

He was arrested later that day while he and his 7-year-old daughter were at Crocker Park in Westlake. Warfel and the 7-year-old girl were living at a Motel 6 in Middleburg Heights prior to his arrest. Investigators found cocaine in his motel room, police said.

Investigators reopened the 2013 death of Warfel's daughter Erin, who was 5 months old when she died of what the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner deemed a "sudden unexplained infant death." Holman said the investigation was handled by Cuyahoga County and that Erin's death is not relevant to Warfel's trial.

Warfel was granted full custody of Ember when he and his wife divorced in 2014. A judge said the girl's mother, Malinali Galdamez, had a history of substance abuse that made her unfit to care for Ember.

If you would like to comment on this story, visit today's crime and courts comments section.
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Case Western Reserve University will open a new center for researchers to create cartilage.

(Case Western Reserve University)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Case Western Reserve University will open a new research center for researchers to create cartilage that could be implanted in knees and other joints.

Biology professor Arnold Caplan and colleagues have received a 5-year, $6.7 million grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering to open and direct the Center for Multimodal Evaluation of Engineered Cartilage.

The center will include researchers from around the United States and the world, many who attended a conference at the university on Monday.

Their first target is knee cartilage.

Engineered cartilage can be made with a patient's own adult stem cells, cartilage cells taken from a patient's knee or, as researchers in Switzerland recently showed, by growing and manipulating cells removed from the nasal septum and implanted in cartilage defects in the knee, CWRU said.

"But no one has been successful yet in providing a hunk of cartilage that can be implanted in someone's knee or hip, integrate into the joint and function," Caplan said in a statement. "Our objective is to non-destructively interrogate cartilage that's forming and being put together outside the body to determine when it's of sufficient quality to put inside the body."

The long-term goal is to make engineered cartilage a viable option for patients who suffer cartilage damage or loss in the knee, shoulder and other joints, and apply what's learned to engineer other tissues, CWRU said.

Experts from fields including molecular and cell biology; biomedical, chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering; advanced imaging and computer modeling are involved in the new center.

The work will be shared with a similar center housed at Tufts University. Tufts' director, David Kaplan, chairs the advisory committee of the center based at CWRU.

Other collaborators include researchers from University of California, Davis; Baylor College of Medicine; Johns Hopkins University; Washington University; Columbia University; Rice University; University of Southern California; Georgia Tech and Emory universities and the University of Pittsburgh. Others are at hospitals and universities in the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Taiwan.
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Cleveland police are investigating two shootings on the East Side.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A gunman fired shots at two vehicles on Monday, including a van with four kids under the age of 13.

The first shooting happened about 6 p.m. Monday in the 3200 block of East 142nd Street. A witness told police a white van pulled up next to a 19-year-old man and fired shots.

The man was shot in the stomach and was taken to University Hospitals for treatment, according to police.

Police said the shooting was related to a second shooting that happened soon after about five blocks away on East 135th Street and Abell Avenue.

A white van slowed down as it approached a car parked near the intersection. Someone in the van fired shots into the car.

A 40-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman and four kids between the ages of 3 and 12, police said. No one was injured in that t shooting.

No arrests have been made.

If you would like to comment on this story, visit today's crime and courts comments section.
MEDINA, Ohio -- Safety and property rights and jobs are among issues readers raised about the Nexus natural gas pipeline, which would deliver gas from eastern Ohio across about 250 miles to Ontario, Canada.

The pipeline has been a source of controversy since plans were announced in 2014. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could decide on the pipeline as early as this summer after having heard testimony from the Nexus Gas Transmission Company and residents.

Here's what emailers to The Plain Dealer and commenters on cleveland.com had to say following a recent story about the pipeline.

Joe and Sue Petrak said as residents of Guilford Township, they stand with many other residents who are opposed to the pipeline.

"We are very much against the Nexus Pipeline going through our county," the Petrak wrote in an e-mail. "The compressor station will be within 5 miles of our 4 acre property. We have concerns about emissions and about how this will effect our property values."

@MrNegative @Wolfman So did you buy your home knowing the 30" line was there? If yes, that's a choice you were able to make. We on the other hand have been living on our land in some cases for more than 50 years, with plans and expectations for how to use it. Then to have a private company for their own gain, have the ability to take it from you is a completely different issue. Safety is one issue, and then property rights is another. Both in this case are egregious violations which should not be legal or allowed.

janetaxpayer wondered if landowners whose property contained as easement for the pipeline were obligated to disclose such information when selling it. She asks, "Since this is a large, high pressure line, would a real estate disclosure be required when selling the property?"

Real estate agents said the seller must disclose such information to potential buyers.

MrNegative noted there is an existing pipeline that runs from Cleveland to Akron. "It goes thru several high end neighborhoods. We are not dead yet."

Wolfman also brought up safety concerns about the proposed pipeline.

"Landowners are afraid of no standards for safety setbacks," he wrote. "These huge high pressure natural gas pipelines come with huge risks. The NEXUS pipeline first pipeline to be installed is 36 inches and has a well known blast zone of 1,500 feet. This mean anything within this zone will be killed."

Wolfman also noted the gasline explosion in Pennsylvania of a line owned by the same company that wants to build the Nexus pipeline.

"Recently, in Salem PA, a 30 inch Spectra Nat gas pipeline exploded burning down a home 500 feet from the pipeline. Homes a half a mile away had the siding melted off their homes. One man was burned over 75% of his body. The pipeline was found to have corrosion defects at its welds. What would of happened if this explosion was in a city?"

Big M questioned how many of the people opposed to the Nexus pipeline were also opposed to the much larger Keystone pipeline.

"It's nearly the same concept except that Nexus is close enough to evoke the universal NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) rule," he wrote.

James E. Melle of Columbus emailed that he did not trust the information coming from Nexus and said everything they said should be independently evaluated. He also wondered about the number of jobs the pipeline will provide.

"How many of the 5000+ jobs will be in Ohio?" he asked. "The pipeline goes through many states and into Canada. I will wager the number of Ohio jobs is less than 200 and even less than that in Medina County."

A Nexus spokesman estimated 5,325 jobs will be created, accounting for more than $565 million in wages and $687 million in total economic activity in Ohio.

Michael Bertolone, spokesman for Operating Engineers Local 18, said the union supports the Nexus project because of the jobs it will provide, but wants them to be Ohio union jobs.

"If the proposed NEXUS project is approved by the FERC then that will in turn provide hundreds of jobs for our operators," Bertolone wrote in an email. "The project itself has been awarded to three different contractors and, unfortunately for the trade unions, 1 of the 3 contractors who has been selected is a non-signatory, out of state, contractor with 100% out of state work force."

He noted that the other two contractors are also out of state contractors but they utilize the local hiring halls for their work force, "which in turn provides jobs for local people. We are not opposed to out of state contractors coming to Ohio, as long as they use our local workforce to be out on the project."
Nevaeh Wylie found on Lyric Ave.

A 6-year-old girl Cleveland girl who was abducted from her West Side home Saturday and found later that night was released from the hospital Monday night.

(Jane Morice, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 6-year-old girl who police say was abducted from her West Side home Saturday morning has been released from the hospital.

The girl was released Monday night from University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, according to hospital spokesman Mike Ferrari.

Cleveland police and FBI investigators plan to release more information about her abduction at a noon news conference.

Cleveland.com will attend the conference.

An unknown man abducted her sometime after 4 a.m. Saturday from inside her West 104th Street home, Cleveland police and the FBI said in a joint statement Monday afternoon.

The girl's grandmother told police that she saw the girl about 4 a.m. sleeping on the couch by the front door, according to a police report.

Her mother left for work about 6:45 a.m. and did not see her on the couch. The mother said that she thought the girl spent the night at a friend's house, the report says.

Police launched a large-scale and hours-long search about 2:30 p.m., when the girl's grandmother first reported her missing.

Her abductor dropped her off about 9 p.m. on Lyric Avenue, the statement said. She rang the doorbell of a home and told the woman who answered that a man in a ski mask had taken her, according to police records.

Police have not released a detailed description of the man. They asked for the public's help identifying the man, as detectives continued to interview witnesses and search for surveillance footage that might help their investigation.

The Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services is helping investigators with interviews, a spokeswoman said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 216-622-6842.

If you would like to comment on this story, visit today's crime and courts comments section.

Editor's note: The victim's name and photo have been removed from the story since she is no longer missing.
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Winners of the Modern Snare Drum Competition take home a range of prizes including cash, drums, drumsticks, and other gifts. The annual event is being held in Cleveland this year for the first time.

(Courtesy of Thomas Sherwood)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Piano isn't the only instrument in the competitive spotlight this year. Heck, It isn't even the only member of the percussion family.

No, the snare drum, too, is about to make some noise in Cleveland this week, via the 2016 Modern Snare Drum Competition.

"It's a good way to give kids an opportunity to focus on that instrument," said Cleveland Orchestra percussionist Thomas Sherwood, the contest's founder and director.

"It compels you to try harder, to strive for excellence We don't sugar-coat any of it. They just come out and play. To me, it's kind of a purifying experience."

PREVIEW

What: 2016 Modern Snare Drum Competition

When: Friday and Saturday, May 27 and 28. Visit website for details.

Where: Cleveland Institute of Music (11021 East Blvd.) and Cleveland Museum of Art (11150 East Blvd.).

Tickets: Free. Go to modernsnaredrum.weebly.com.

This year marks both the ninth edition of the competition and its debut in Northeast Ohio. For the last eight years, the contest was staged in Georgia, where Sherwood served from 1999 to 2015 as principal percussionist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

A fan of the snare drum who rose in high school through the ranks of marching-band competitions, Sherwood said he launched and continues holding his contest to give young snare drum players that same chance to be evaluated by professionals, here including three members of the Cleveland Orchestra.

"The more times you can put yourself in that hot seat, the better," Sherwood said. "I'd like to think the process helps them and gives them confidence."

Like many musical contests, Sherwood's is divided by age. Division One is for ages 20 to 26. Division Two is for ages 19 and under. Sherwood said he expects about 40 contestants in all, his largest crowd yet. (Opening rounds take place at the Cleveland Institute of Music; finals, at the Cleveland Museum of Art. All are free and open to the public.)

Both groups have their own specific set list, chosen by Sherwood. Older artists play seven pieces, including a world premiere; younger players, five. But the stakes are high for everyone. Winners in both categories take home cash prizes ranging from $200 to $1,000, along with drums, equipment and other materials.

In judging, Sherwood said he's on the lookout for feeling and personality, for those who make full use of the instrument. That's in addition to technical proficiency, the foundation of every good percussionist.

Rhythm, Sherwood said, is "the first thing that comes knocking at the door. That's the price of admission." Still, he added, "It's rarely a clear-cut thing. Everybody makes it sound different."

That last observation may seem perplexing. Different sounds, on a snare drum? Really?

Yes. In fact, the snare drum is incredibly versatile. It may not have the pitch range of the marimba, but it has a place in all sorts of repertoire. When selecting music for the competition, Sherwood said he has his choice of classical, jazz, contemporary and traditional music.

Beyond that, he said, every player has his or her own sense of touch. Combine that with the huge variety of sticks on the market, and you have the potential for almost infinite variety.

Sherwood, in short, isn't just stunned that his contest has endured. "I'm always surprised how many styles of playing there are," he said. "The instrument falls into so many camps."
Nile Crocs in the Everglades

This 2012 photo provided by Joe Wasilewski shows a Nile crocodile that he found in Homestead, Fla. University of Florida researchers recently published a paper showing that four captured reptiles since 2009 are Nile crocs.

(Joe Wasilewski via Associated Press)

MIAMI, Florida -- Researchers believe four crocodiles found in the state are Nile crocodiles, an invasive species that can grow up to 21 feet long and weigh up to 1 1/2 tons.

The four suspected Nile crocodiles were discovered in South Miami-Dade county since 2009, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

Some researchers believe more of the crocodiles could be living in Florida, and they pose a threat to larger animals. CSM reports the Nile crocodile is known for its aggressive behavior, with 480 attacks on humans in Africa between 2010 and 2014; 123 of the attacks were fatal.

"These guys want to eat the biggest thing they can because they're the biggest and the baddest animal on the planet," Zack Murphy, an alligator handler in Florida, tells nbc-2.com.

How did they get to Florida? The New York Times reports they were probably brought from South Africa as pets or for zoo displays. CSM reports the animals escaped from a facility called Predator World.

According to the Times, one of the crocodiles was a hatchling found on the porch of a residence. Another was found in a private zoo, and a third was found in a public park.

The fourth, a 3-foot-long female, was trapped in a canal and was tagged and released in 2012. It was found again two years later and grown to over 5 1/2 feet long.

A researcher tells the Times there's no evidence the crocodiles are reproducing, but he added it is "not a good thing" that it's been introduced into the Florida wilderness.

"My hope as a biologist is that the introduction of Nile crocodiles in Florida opens everyone's eyes to the problem of invasive species that we have here in our state," Kenneth Krysko of the Florida Museum of Natural History said in a statement, according to CSM. "Now here's another one, but this time it isn't just a tiny house gecko from Africa."

Officials with the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission tell the Washington Post they believe all of the crocodiles are accounted for and they don't believe it will become a problem.
Robert McDonald

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald is being criticized after he compared wait times to receive VA health care to the hours people wait for rides at Disney theme parks.

(Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald is taking heavy criticism after he attempted Monday to downplay the wait times for health care, comparing it to waiting in line for rides at Disneyland.

"When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what's important?" McDonald said during a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. "What's important is, what's your satisfaction with the experience?"

The comments brought swift reaction from Republicans, including presidential candidate Donald Trump, and from veterans groups.

"This is not make-believe, Mr. Secretary. Veterans have died waiting in those lines," House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Twitter. "The happiest place on earth? Secretary McDonald compares #VA lines to #Disneyland. Seriously."

Obamas VA Secretary just said we shouldn't measure

wait times. Hillary says VA problems are not widespread. I will take care of

our vets!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 23, 2016

Dale Barnett, American Legion National commander, was angered by McDonald's comments, CNN reports.

"The American Legion agrees that the VA secretary's analogy between Disneyland and VA wait times was an unfortunate comparison because people don't die while waiting to go on Space Mountain," Barnett said. "We also disagree with the substance of his comment because wait times are very important to not just the satisfaction quotient, but in some cases the veterans health."

The VA department released a statement late Monday in response to the outrage, the Washington Post reports.

"We know that veterans are still waiting too long for care," the statement said. "In our effort to determine how we can better meet veterans' needs, knowing that their satisfaction is our most important measure, we have heard them tell us that wait times alone are not the only indication of their experience with VA."

ABC News reports VA patients wait an average of seven days for primary care, 10 days for specialty care and four days for mental health treatment.
00cJAILn.jpg

Cuyahoga County spends millions of taxpayer dollars every year jailing defendants accused of low-level felonies simply because they can't afford to pay even nominal bail while their cases are resolved in court. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court's Administrative Judge John J. Russo insists the system isn't broken. (Lynn Ischay/The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court's Administrative Judge John J. Russo needs to quit making excuses for not seriously exploring reforms to our bail system.

Taxpayers deserve such consideration.

So do defendants.

So does Lady Justice.

Our county spends millions of taxpayer dollars every year jailing defendants accused of low-level felonies simply because they can't afford to pay even nominal bail while their cases are resolved in court.

Such a system wastes money and unfairly penalizes the poor.

Cleveland.com's Sara Dorn recently highlighted the no-bail system in Washington D.C., where judges balance the scales while saving taxpayers millions. You can read the "Justice for All" series here for more details about the system.

In short, D.C. has built a system that quickly and with reliable accuracy assesses the risk criminal defendants might pose if released before trial. The risk assessment is based on, among other things, a background check, an interview with the defendant and a drug test. Judges get the assessment before the defendant's first appearance in court. Today, 85 percent of defendants are released without bail and most within 24 hours of their arrests, 90 percent of them show up for their court dates, and 91 percent of them stay out of trouble while free. The district saves more than $1 million a day by releasing defendants into supervision programs.

Russo is skeptical that a no-bail program would work here and has been upset by the comparisons we have made to Cuyahoga County's expensive, inefficient and unjust system.

Here are a few of Russo's initial responses. They are in no particular order other than perhaps ranked by their level of absurdity.

Russo said the system wouldn't work here because Cuyahoga County defendants are more likely to skip court and commit another crime compared to defendants elsewhere in Ohio. That's an extraordinary charge. It's also not supported by research, at least not by the University of Cincinnati study Russo's office cited as the basis for his opinion.

Russo's office provided a summary of research done by University of Cincinnati School of Criminal Justice Director Edward Latessa, but the summary did not address Russo's assertion that defendants in Cleveland are more likely to skip court, if released, and to commit crimes.

More troubling, Latessa later told cleveland.com that the research he conducted for Cuyahoga County was not part of a formal study. He also said that the risk involved in releasing defendants in Cleveland would likely be similar to the risk level in any other big city.

Though not cheap, a pre-trial system for monitoring defendants waiting for trial is still far more cost effective than housing them in jail. Russo said he would be reluctant to commit to such a system because the cost savings wouldn't necessarily be returned to court to support the extensive supervision programs needed to monitor some defendants released without bail.

Russo said the county government, not his office, would determine what to do with any money saved by jailing fewer defendants.

This is a smoke screen. County Executive Armond Budish's administration supports reforming the bail system, so why would it sabotage reform efforts by diverting savings elsewhere? Surely, the administration, the court officials and County Council could map out a plan. That's their job, after all.

Russo goes on to argue that the Ohio Constitution limits what the judges can do. Specifically, he said, the constitution gives most defendants a right to bail. (Exceptions include defendants who might face the death penalty and defendants deemed likely to flee and to be a danger to the public.) But Russo is not acknowledging that the Ohio Constitution does not prevent county judges from releasing more people without bail.

Jonathan Witmer-Rich, a criminal law professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, told Dorn that simply releasing more people who do not pose a risk to the community would not require a change in the constitution.

Russo also is resisting change by attacking an analysis of the court done by others. Russo, for instance, questioned the validity of a 2015 report by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty's office that showed that 36 percent of defendants in Cuyahoga County are detained during the pretrial period for inability to pay.

So, what's the actual number? Isn't that worth studying, judge? What do your numbers show?

We are not suggesting that Russo or the county necessarily mimic D.C.'s system. We are advocating that he and the county officials begin down the path of real reform.

Surely, there's room for improvement.

Despite his public statements to the contrary, Russo knows there are problems. Why else would he have implemented a first-appearance docket in which all defendants accused of the two lowest-level felonies and non-violent third-degree felonies are seen by a common pleas court judge within three to four days after their cases are bound over from the municipal court. That's down from an average of 30 days, according to court data.

Russo recently met with Cleveland NAACP President Mike Nelson, a critic of the county's bail system. The two also agreed to meet again and invite the county executive, public defender's office and Cuyahoga County Defense Lawyers Association to discuss possible reforms.

I hope Russo hasn't agreed to do so in a misguided attempt to placate his critics. It feels like he has. After the meeting with Nelson, Russo's spokesman told cleveland.com in an email that the judge has not changed his views on the need to reform the bail system as a result of the meeting.

That's too bad, because he is doing himself and his colleagues on the bench a grave disservice by uttering such silly responses to such a serious issue.
Drunken driving, Ohio Turnpike: On May 13, a caller reported a driver was being held at the entrance to the Ohio Turnpike on Interstate 480 west because the driver was impaired. A Cleveland woman was arrested and charged with drunken driving. A male passenger, who was highly intoxicated, refused to surrender the keys so the vehicle could be towed. He was removed from the vehicle and charged with obstructing official business and disorderly conduct.

Drug possession, Bender Road: On May 16, officers were dispatched for a possible overdose and found a 20-year-old man unconscious on the bedroom floor. The suspect was resuscitated and transported to Elyria. He will be charged based on lab results of the materials confiscated at the scene.

Disorderly conduct, Pleasant Avenue: On May 13 officers were dispatched for two men fighting in the street. Two men and a woman were cited for disorderly conduct, and one man was transported to the hospital.

Theft, Shaw Drive: A woman reported prescription narcotics stolen from her home on May 11.

Drunken driving, Ohio 83: An officer observed an unoccupied vehicle that was involved in a crash on the side of the road. The driver, an Avon man, was located and arrested on charges of driving under suspension, drunken driving and reasonable control on May 15.

Criminal damaging, Albert Avenue: Officers arrested a man for criminal damaging and causing a disturbance on May 12.

If you wish to discuss or comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section.
Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump

Coffee mugs for sale with the images of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sit side by side on a shelf of a souvenir stand at the corner of Constitution Avenue NW and 17th Street NW in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016.

(Carolyn Kaster, The Associated Press)

The working-class region that stretches through eastern and southern Ohio looms large in a Clinton vs. Trump race. Harry Reid worries about a Clinton-Brown ticket. And Planned Parenthood gets at least a temporary break. Read more in Ohio Politics Roundup.

Ohio's blue-collar jump ball: "From Youngstown to Marietta and Ashtabula to Steubenville, eastern and southern Ohio could be an intense, and possibly deciding, battleground in this fall's presidential election," cleveland.com's Rich Exner reports. "It's where strength meets strength in the likely matchup between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. ... How striking is the collision course for Clinton and Trump? There were 28 counties statewide won by both Clinton and Trump in the spring primaries. This region includes 26 of those counties."

Tough Reid on the veepstakes: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid threw cold water on suggestions that Clinton should pick Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio or Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts as her vice presidential running mate. The Republican governor in those states - John Kasich in Ohio or Charlie Baker in Massachusetts - would choose a replacement.

"If we have a Republican governor in any of those states, the answer is not only no, but hell no," the Nevada Democrat told MSNBC's Joy Reid on Monday. "I would do whatever I can, and I think most of my Democratic colleagues here would say the same thing."

Democratic establishment makes nice: "Bernie Sanders will have more say over the drafting of the Democratic Party platform than initially thought, even if he does - as is expected - lose his primary fight to Hillary Clinton," ABC News' Shushannah Walshe reports.

"The Democratic National Committee confirms that Sanders and Clinton have agreed with Democratic Party officials to a new allocation of members for the committee that writes the party's platform. Sanders will name five members and Clinton will name six to the 15-member committee that writes the platform. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will name the remaining four. The platform will be revealed at the party convention in Philadelphia in July."

Meanwhile, in the GOP establishment ... House Speaker Paul Ryan, in line to co-chair the Republican National Convention this summer in Cleveland, remains cool to Trump.

Ryan "demurred" when Politico's Glenn Thrush asked if the Wisconsin lawmaker would bet his own money on a Trump victory this fall: "I'm not a betting man. I think if we get our party unified, and if we do the work we need to do to get ourselves at full strength, and if we offer the country a clear and compelling agenda that is inspiring, that is inclusive, that fixes problems, that is solutions-based and based on good principles, then, yes, I think we can win."

They're talking. Kind of. "Trump and the Ohio Republican Party ... have yet to work out details for how they will coordinate campaign efforts in the state," the Dayton Daily News' Laura A. Bischoff reports. "Ohio GOP spokesman Brittany Warner said Trump's political team reached out to state Chairman Matt Borges last week. 'They agreed they would sit down soon to begin discussing plans moving forward so Republicans carry Ohio in November,' Warner said."

Big Brother is watching: Cuyahoga County is buying four mobile cameras that can be placed on buildings or on sidewalks and monitored 24/7. The first use of the cameras will be at the Republican National Convention," cleveland.com's Karen Farkas writes.

And so is CSU: "Officials helping plan the upcoming Republican National Convention have said they expect the event will bring more than $200 million into the Greater Cleveland economy," cleveland.com's Andrew J. Tobias reports. "Beginning in June, Cleveland State University will begin a project to pin down that number more exactly.

The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee, the local nonpartisan group helping organize the GOP convention, has hired CSU's Center for Economic Development in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs to study the event's economic impact."

Cashing that check: Sen. Rob Portman's re-election campaign is out this morning with a new web ad attempting to make hay of an inelegant remark Democratic challenger Ted Strickland recently made to Politico. The 30-second spot - you can watch it here - features old footage of the former governor talking frankly about how much money he made at a Washington think tank, followed by these words from the Politico interview: "I probably need the paycheck more."

The ad implies that the paycheck is what motivates Strickland's run against Portman. But it also leaves out the surrounding context in which Strickland contrasts himself with Portman. "As you know, he's pretty wealthy," he added in the interview. "He is the insider's insider."

A reprieve for Planned Parenthood: A federal judge has thrown a roadblock at the state's effort to defund Planned Parenthood, cleveland.com's Robert Higgs writes.

"Judge Michael R. Barrett of U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on Monday issued a temporary restraining order preventing the state from enforcing the law, which was passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. John Kasich in February."

Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis panned the decision and said that Planned Parenthood "likely shopped for a sympathetic judge who would give the organization what they wanted," the Cincinnati Enquirer's Jessie Balmert reports. "Barrett was appointed in 2006 by former President George W. Bush, a Republican who opposed abortion."

And a reprieve for a Murray Energy: "Even though Federal Elections Commission staff found strong indications that Murray Energy coerced campaign donations from its workers, the enforcement agency won't pursue charges against the Pepper Pike coal mining company after its oversight board deadlocked on whether to do so," cleveland.com's Sabrina Eaton reports.

The commission's three Democratic members "were outraged over a 3-3 vote on April 12 that was made public on Friday. They released a statement expressing fear the precedent would let corporations 'feel they may ride roughshod over the rights of their employees.'"

Yost roasts: Ohio Auditor Dave Yost, in revealing results of a charter school attendance probe Monday, called the Department of Education "among the worst, if not the worst-run state agency in state government, the Columbus Dispatch's Catherine Candisky notes.

The Plain Dealer's Patrick O'Donnell writes that a "series of unannounced visits to charter and traditional district schools in November by Yost's staff found that on average, only one of every three students in dropout prevention charter schools attended school that day."

Get Battleground Briefing, our FREE politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox: Sign up here. Tips or links? Send here. Follow along on Twitter: @HenryJGomez.
pa finally kasich

Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks to reporters Tuesday during an interview in the Lincoln Room at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.

(Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - It's been three weeks since Gov. John Kasich ended his presidential bid as the last man standing against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

But hearing him talk Tuesday, there was a sense of unfinished business.

Kasich seemed more eager than ever to draw contrasts with Trump, whom he acknowledged he may never endorse. He repeatedly described the New York businessman as a candidate who encourages voters to see themselves as victims but offers no tangible solutions.

"It's easier to consider yourself a victim than it is to stand against the wind, particularly when you have people telling you it's not your fault," Kasich replied when asked why his optimistic approach failed. "And it wasn't their fault.

"But when you create a scapegoat situation - 'Well, the reason why you don't have something is because someone else does' - that is a message at this point in time that is more effective than, 'Hey, we can work our way through this.'"

Kasich sat for a half-hour Statehouse interview - his first with Ohio media since suspending his campaign May 4 - with reporters from cleveland.com and the Columbus Dispatch. Among the revelations: The governor is working on his fourth book, which will reflect on his second unsuccessful White House run but also clarify his views on where he sees the country going.

"It's my message, and I don't really think so much about how it fits into the Republican Party," Kasich said when asked how his optimism meshes with a GOP led by Trump. "I think people intuitively know that message is correct.

"But there's a tug-of-war going on, I believe, in the country right now between people who are legitimately upset for a variety of reasons. Their concerns, fears, insecurities have to be acknowledged. The question is: Do you stand against the wind and make the best out of what you have in life? Or do you go and become a victim?"

A few other victimless takeaways from the Kasich interview:

He has no regrets, but he's a little bitter.

"I started from zero. Zero, Kasich said. "We didn't get a bump out of New Hampshire," where he finished a respectable second to Trump. "Normally you get a bump. We never got a bump, did we? Never happened. And then after we won Ohio ... did we get a bump? We got nothing. Nothing. I don't want to whine about it. It was just not meant to be, I guess. ...

"Here's one other observation I'll make. When you're the governor of a Midwestern state that's doing a good job, no one cares. No one wants to write about it, no one wants to talk about it."

He didn't want to drop out when he did.

When Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ended his campaign after losing to Trump in the Indiana primary, Kasich finally had the one-on-one match he coveted. But Trump had all the momentum, and all Kasich could promise supporters was that he might be able to hang around for another week.

"I wanted to say, 'Look, we're going to stay in this, and we're going to see if we can get the support we need to really move the needle,'" Kasich said. "Unanimously, my team said, 'That's like announcing a death watch. They're going to just count you out.'"

He might never endorse Trump.

Kasich has said he would need to see a significant change in Trump's tone to offer an endorsement or any sort of public support. Nothing had changed as of Tuesday.

"Think of it as a merger of two companies," said Kasich, speaking in terms that Trump, a wealthy developer who prides himself on making deals, could understand. "If the values are not somewhat similar, if the culture is not somewhat similar, it's pretty hard to do a merger."

Pressed further by reporters, Kasich added: "It may not be possible to have a merger. It may not if this is the modus operandi, I'm not interested because I think it drives people into the ditch."

The governor ruled out voting for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

He won't tell his campaign aides not to work for Trump, but ...

"I don't know anybody going over there," Kasich said.

His campaign's chief strategist, John Weaver, recently told the Wall Street Journal that no senior or midlevel staffers would join the Trump team and joked that any who did "would be shot."

Kasich downplayed the notion that an aide would need his blessing to work for Trump.

"One guy came and asked me - not anybody in the high level of my campaign," Kasich said. "I said, 'Look, I'm for you. Just realize you have to make a hard decision here and it's up to you.' I don't tell people what to do. I've not had anybody come [and ask about working for Trump] except for one person."

He is dropping few hints about his final 31 months as governor.

It's not that Kasich is one to telegraph his agenda far in advance. But his buzzword-happy response to a question about his remaining 2 1/2 years as governor carried some irony, given how he has ridiculed Trump for speaking in grand but unspecific terms.

"We want to dramatically innovate and lay down a path for the future," Kasich replied. "Some of it will get done, probably most of it will not, because there's going to be a lot of stuff. We don't have it all - we're just working right now. But it's going to be a very aggressive, bold agenda designed to put Ohio on a path where we can become world-class in about everything."

So what's the centerpiece of that agenda?

"The centerpiece is innovation. ... Uberizing the government of Ohio," he said, dropping the name of Uber, the high-tech rideshare company that has become a darling of the new economy. "That's our goal. Does that mean we create a chief technology officer? I don't want to get ahead of myself here. ... My goal is to Uberize the government of Ohio as best as I can.

"It will scare people, because it's going to require a lot of change and risk."
voting-stickers.jpg

A federal court judge on Tuesday struck down an Ohio law ending "Golden Week," a period of several days when people could both register to vote and cast a ballot.

(File photo)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A federal judge on Tuesday struck down a state law that eliminated "Golden Week," several days when Ohio voters could both register to vote and cast a ballot.

The 2014 law violates both the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson wrote in his opinion siding with Democrats who challenged the law.

The state will appeal the ruling, a state attorney general spokesman said. If the ruling stands, Ohio voters will have 35 days to cast a ballot this November instead of 28 and will be able to register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time.

In 2014, the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the law on behalf of the Ohio chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and League of Women Voters and several African-American churches. A federal district court judge struck down the law, but the state was granted a stay.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted and Statehouse Republicans argued that Ohio provides 28 days of absentee voting by mail and in-person, making it one of the most expansive voting systems in the country.

The court agreed with the ACLU's argument that eliminating Golden Week resulted in less opportunity for African Americans to participate in the political process than other voters. Census surveys and anecdotal evidence showed African American voters were more likely than white voters to cast ballots early and in-person.

Watson, a George W. Bush appointee, cited that case in his opinion. The Ohio Democratic Party and Montgomery and Cuyahoga county parties took over the lawsuit, initially filed last year by the Ohio Organizing Collaborative.

The lawsuit challenged several election laws passed by the GOP-controlled General Assembly. Watson upheld all other laws, which Husted praised in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.

"While I am pleased the court has upheld existing law on nearly every issue, it is disappointing that a federal judge would again change the election rules after the current laws were upheld in the same federal district court by a settlement agreement we reached with the NAACP and the ACLU," Husted said.

Eliminating Golden Week had the support of the bipartisan Ohio Association of Election Officials, but was opposed by Democrats. Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper called the ruling an enormous win for Ohio voters. About 60,000 voters cast ballots during Golden Week in 2008 and 80,000 voters cast ballots during that time in 2012.

"This has not just important legal impacts but a real world impact on the ground when it comes to voting," Pepper said in a phone call with reporters.
However, a recording of his conversation with a suspect in the investigation threatened to stain the new, center-right administration, already unsettled by a series of policy reversals during its first week in office.

Interim President Michel Temer was counting on Juca, a close confidant and experienced senator, to steer a budget bill through Congress to avoid a government shutdown next month.

Brazil's interim government was rocked on Monday by the loss of one of its key figures, Planning Minister Romero Juca, who stepped aside amid accusations he had conspired to obstruct the country's biggest-ever corruption investigation.

The scandal weakened Brazil's currency on fears of further instability less than two weeks after President Dilma Rousseff was suspended to stand trial in the Senate for allegedly breaking fiscal laws, leaving former Vice President Temer to lead the country.

"Starting from tomorrow, I will step aside," Juca, appointed by Temer after Rousseff's suspension, told reporters in Brasilia. He denied any wrongdoing and insisted that his recorded comments had been distorted and taken out of context.

In the recording, made before Rousseff was put on trial and published by newspaper Folha de S. Paulo on Monday, Juca told a friend he agreed on the need for a "national pact" to limit the graft probe rattling the political establishment.

Asked for help by his ally, ex-senator Sergio Machado under investigation in the probe, Juca replied: "The government has to be changed in order to stop this bleeding," Folha reported, adding that the conversations were taped "secretly."

Juca said the conversation happened either at his home or at his office but it was not clear how the hour-long recording was made. Local media reported it may be connected with Machado who has been negotiating a plea bargain deal with prosecutors. Machado was not immediately available for comment.

Juca and other ministers in Temer's new government are under investigation for their alleged roles in the massive bribery scheme stemming from state-run oil company Petrobras.

At a press conference earlier on Monday, Juca insisted that he would never interfere in the investigation and his comments were not incriminating in any way. He said the "bleeding" he was referring to was Brazil's free-falling economy and the Rousseff government's recent paralysis.

By the end of the day, however, the scandal had reached a fever pitch in the capital Brasilia, and Juca announced his plans to take a leave of absence from the ministry until public prosecutors make public statements exonerating him.

Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index was knocked lower by the news, falling 0.8 percent on Monday. The local currency lost 1.8 percent against the U.S. dollar.

Temer said in a statement that Juca would support the government from the Senate to ensure that the budget and other reforms were passed.

A trained economist with over 20 years in the Senate, Juca was a key member of Temer's new economic team that is racing to approve a series of economic measures in Congress aimed at rescuing investor confidence in the slumping Brazilian economy.

New Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles will announce on Tuesday some of those measures to include limits to public spending to close a widening fiscal gap that cost Brazil its coveted investment-grade rating.
While biotech and pharmaceutical stocks have been struggling for the year, Jim Cramer discovered a less-sexy part of the health care group that is on fire. Portfolio managers have flocked to medical device companies in an effort to mirror the sector breakdown of the .

"Money managers are pouring cash into the medical device segment precisely because pharma and biotech have, at least temporarily, gone out of style on the Wall Street fashion show," the "Mad Money" host said.

The group came under fire since last September when Hillary Clinton focused her efforts on price gouging, around the same time that Turing Pharmaceuticals jacked up prices on its generic drugs, and turmoil at Valeant was in the public eye.

Often money managers try to mirror the sector composition of the S&P 500. Currently, the S&P is comprised of 15 percent health care, which means the money managers are desperate to have health-care exposure.

"They need to invest in health care, but they want to put that money in safer health care stocks that aren't in the crosshairs of the federal government. That is one big reason they have been buying the medical device stocks hand over fist," Cramer said.
watch now

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday the availability of about $500 million to invest in the development of the strategic southern Iranian port of Chabahar. The objective: Develop a sea-land access route to central Asia while bypassing neighbor Pakistan, with which India's historically had thorny relations. The announcement was part of a number of agreements to boost economic ties with Iran that Modi signed with President Hassan Rouhani, during an official state visit. Based on the agreements, India would build and operate two terminals and five berths with cargo handling in the Chabahar port.

Later Monday, India also signed a trilateral agreement with Iran and Afghanistan to develop a transport and transit corridor between the three countries through Chabahar, which Modi said would allow for the unhindered flow of commerce, capital and technology through the region.

President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and President of Iran Hassan Rouhani shake hands after they signed Chabahar transit agreement in Tehran, Iran on May 23, 2016. Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

"Today, the watch-words of international ties are trust not suspicion; cooperation not dominance; inclusivity not exclusion," he said, describing the Chabahar agreement as a "corridor of peace and prosperity for our peoples." The development of the corridor through Chabahar will open two-way access between allies India and land-locked Afghanistan. From Chabahar, India could access Afghanistan, and vice versa, through existing Iranian road networks and the Zaranj-Delaram highway that India previously helped Afghanistan to build. It would also bypass relatively unstable corridors in neighboring Pakistan. "Afghanistan will get an assured, effective and a more friendly route to trade with the rest of the world," said Modi.

Tanvi Madan, a fellow at Brookings Institution told CNBC's "The Rundown" that while India's primary motivations to sign the Chabahar agreement were economic and strategic, there was "an eye on China as well, what China is doing not just in Pakistan ... but also with countries in the Middle East."

China invested heavily in the development of the Pakistani port of Gwadar in the Balochistan province, which is only some distance away from Chabahar. In April, Pakistani newspaper Dawn cited a Chinese official who said the port would be operational by end of 2016 and would see approximately 1 million ton of cargo going through it by 2017.

Earlier this year, Chinese president Xi Jinping also visited Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to boost the country's presence in the region as part of its efforts to revive a new Silk Road trade route.
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Oil and copper markets breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday, but supply-and-demand concerns may hold these commodities back longer term, an expert told CNBC's "Power Lunch" Tuesday. U.S. oil settled at new 2016 highs Tuesday, while copper futures popped 0.46 percent. But instead, Jeffrey Currie, global head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said he's eyeing natural gas for the year to come, which traded more than 3 percent lower on the day.

1. Currie's call: Natural gas will boom

Despite large stockpiles of natural gas right now, supply is coming off and natural gas may actually be a short market if there is demand this winter, Currie said. "Right now we have a problem," Currie said. "We actually have too much gas inventory and we've seen no weather. It's actually one of the rainiest seasons in Washington since 1885  there's no summer love. So you put that together and it creates a lot of weakness in the near term. But in the backdrop, supply is coming off because of the decline in drilling." Read More Wells Fargo warns energy loan losses will grow



2. Currie's call: Oil will stay flat

Currie thinks drillers will focus on shale where there is natural gas, not oil, as a stronger dollar weighs on oil prices. Setbacks in several oil-exporting nations may fail to make a dent in crude inventories around the world, Currie said, as others swoop in to supplement drawn-down stock.

"What barrel of oil is going to replace that decline in inventory at the margin?" Currie said. "I think there's a big risk that [it's] some of these low-cost players, such as Iran, such as Iraq, who have surprised to the upside. That's one of the key reasons that we have prices going back down to 45 [dollars a barrel] in the first quarter of next year." Read More Sam Zell: I'm a seller in this market, but I'm buying distressed energy



3. Currie's call: Metals will fare worse than oil
Airbnb has asked for cooperation from European regulators, following a wide range of issues for the home sharing start-up which includes taxes and renting laws in the region. The latest issue for Airbnb came when authorities in the German capital of Berlin passed a law that banned people from putting entire houses up for rent on home sharing sites. Instead, they could only rent a room in the house. Regulators fear that home sharing sites could cause people to buy second homes, causing a housing shortage and driving up rents. Speaking at the Start-up Fest conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday, Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk said he expects this issue to be resolved over time.

A computer screen in the Airbnb offices in Paris. Martin Bureau | AFP | Getty Images

"Berlin is an interesting case because basically this policy ... was established over two years ago," Blecharczyk said. The law was introduced in 2014 but came into effect earlier this year and Becharczyk said it has been a "ticking issue" but would be "addressed over time." The Airbnb co-founder used his keynote to go on a charm offensive, outlining all the positive aspects about Airbnb in Europe. Blecharczyk said on any given night, there are a million guests staying in someone else's home globally and "half of that" was in Europe. He added that in 2015, hosts in Europe collectively made nearly $3 billion. Berlin is not the only city where Airbnb has had problems. The start-up clashed with French authorities over taxes last year. Hotels were unhappy that Airbnb hosts were not charging "city taxes". Eventually, Airbnb agreed to charge these taxes. The company has also struck a partnership with Amsterdam City Council to collect taxes on its behalf. The scheme, which came into force at the end of 2014, so far has seen 5.5 million euros ($6.1 million) worth of taxes collected from hosts.
France's oil refineries are on strike Tuesday, union officials said, with all eight of the country's refineries out of action.

A CGT (General Confederation of Labor) union official confirmed the closures to various media. The union had not responded to CNBC's request for comment at the time of publication.



Five of the refineries are controlled by Total and two by Esso.



The Total CEO was reported as saying that the oil and gas company will "seriously reconsider" investments in France due to the strikes that have forced it to shut down its refineries, according to Reuters which cited iTele television. Patrick Pouyanne was speaking on Tuesday at the sidelines of Total's shareholders meeting in Paris, the agency said.

The strikes will put France's "full 1.4 mbd (million barrels per day) of capacity potentially at risk," said Jeffries' equity analyst Jason Gammel to CNBC.

"Price reaction has been muted thus far and will be dependent on how long the actions last," he added.



The strike has resulted in over 2,000 gas stations running dry across France, with drivers lining up for hours to fill their cars.



Union workers are protesting against labor reform laws passed this month by President Francois Hollande's government aimed at reforming the country's notoriously inflexible workers' rights  including making changes to the 35-hour work week and making it easier for small businesses to hire and fire employees.


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The near-victory of the far-right in Sunday's Austrian elections is a symptom of the rise of populism in Europe, experts said on Tuesday, warning that the move towards the right held risks for investors and the broader euro zone economy. Austria narrowly avoided electing a far-right president after the Green Party candidate barely beat the Freedom Party of Austria candidate.

The Green Party's Alexander Van der Bellen won 50.3 percent of the vote, compared to the Freedom Party of Austria's Norbert Hofer, who received 49.7 percent of votes, said the Austrian Interior Ministry.

Norbert Hofer Robert Jaeger| AFP | Getty Images

The results stresses that "almost half of the Austrian voters in fact did vote for right-wing populist Hofer and seem to sympathize with a very strict stance on Austria's refugee policy and a very distant relationship with the EU, " said ING analysts in a note. ING said that the Austrian vote was another example, "that populist parties do not only flourish during recessions or in economically difficult times. Populist parties can also be successful in core euro zone countries, which enjoy healthy economies with low unemployment rates." Tim Adams, president and CEO of the Institute of International Finance, told CNBC on Tuesday from Madrid that the outcome was worrying.

"We obviously need to be concerned  they dodged a bullet in Austria, but it's the symptom of a larger problem across Europe but also in the U.S. which is a rise of populism, a lack of confidence in the establishment and a lack of confidence in the post-war agenda of globalization, internationalization, immigration and trade, and that's very frightening actually," he said.

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The Freedom Party of Austria is viewed as right-wing to far-right, with a populist slant to its policies. It takes a hard stance on immigration, which is particularly contentious in Austria in the wake of Europe's refugee crisis.

Capital Economics warned on Tuesday that a Freedom Party-led government was still on the horizon, with Austria's immigration policy likely to remain loose enough to worry some citizens. "The FPO (Freedom Party) remains ahead in polling for the general election, which must be held by 2018," Andrew Wishart, assistant economist at the research firm, said in a report on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, UBS Bank chairman Axel Weber told CNBC the political events in Austria represented the general sentiment in Europe overall. "The established parties who tend to be center left/center right have really lost a lot of traction with voters so you're seeing more non-centrist parties, be it on the right or on the left, take traction," he said on Tuesday.

"You're seeing the not-so-much established big parties get big players. We know little about these parties, we don't know where they are heading medium to long-term  they're very often grass-root movements that have become very powerful and I think the risk is we're losing established policy making and reliability in politics and we see big U-turns and big differences in direction within a country's politics," said Weber.

Anti-Hofer protesters in Vienna, Austria, on May 19, 2016. Omar Marques | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
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Just when you thought the dearth of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Europe was here to stay, Germany's Bayer sweeps in with a $62 billion bid for U.S. agrichemicals giant Monsanto .

Not only would the tie-up create the world's largest agricultural supplier, more significantly for the region, it would reportedly be the biggest outbound takeover by a German corporate on record. It could also mark the start of a flurry of deal-making across the continent.

With just one week to go before the European Central Bank's new easing measures kick in, strategists have been waiting on tenterhooks for the M&A spigots to turn on. Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Barnaby Martin told CNBC last week that a surge in corporate re-leveraging will see more M&A as the most obvious outcome.

In fact, he's so bullish on the appetite for acquisitions that he's predicting an age in which the ECB lays the groundwork for "European firms to take over the world."

However, not everyone is cheering renewed interest for overseas targets. One Bayer shareholder is slamming its new approach, calling it "arrogant empire building," according to Reuters.

Elsewhere, the bid has been met with caution by some investors. This is evidenced by a near 10 percent dip in its share price (before Monday's open) since preliminary talks with Monsanto were confirmed.

Nonetheless, the CEO of Bayer is rushing to put these doubters to rest, telling CNBC on Monday that he sees no obvious financing or regulatory risks with the all-cash transaction. The German company plans to fund the offer with a combination of debt and equity that will include a capital hike. But the jury is still out on whether the credit agencies will lend those terms a stamp of approval.

If the Monsanto tie-up is approved, Monsanto will be saddled with a net debt ratio of around four-times earnings. That might raise a few eyebrows when it comes to the company's future firepower for strategic bolt-ons in other areas of the business.

Schoning | ullstein bild | Getty Images

But it could also be seen as a positive correction in corporate willingness to re-leverage. On balance, European firms remain extremely cautious relative to U.S. peers with debt-to-earnings ratios standing around 3 times, according to strategists at UBS Wealth Management. Julien Jarmoszko, senior research manager at S&P Global Market Intelligence, told CNBC he is confident in Bayer's ability to bring that ratio down to 2 times EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) in three to four years.

On that basis, "opportunistic" appears a more apt characterization than "arrogant" when it comes to Bayer's ambitions in a favorable credit environment.
High blood pressure has long been regarded as a health concern. Now swings in blood pressure are getting attention from health researchers, too.

A new study published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension points out that older people whose blood pressure fluctuated over time were at greater risk of suffering from loss of brain function.



The study was observational, so it could not establish an exact cause-effect relationship between the two phenomena. But the connection between the two is plausible, according to comments the study's lead author, Bo Qin, made in a press release.

"Blood pressure variability might signal blood flow instability, which could lead to the damage of the finer vessels of the body with changes in brain structure and function," said Qin, a researcher at Rutgers Cancer Institute in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
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Security start-up vArmour announced Tuesday that it raised $41 million for global expansion and to accelerate distribution. Well, that's what the press release said. CEO Tim Eades said there was another reason: Donald Trump. VArmour is based in Silicon Valley and generates 60 percent of its revenue overseas, working with government agencies, large banks and telecom companies. In his travels, Eades said every conversation with every investor and prospective client, whether in Australia, the U.K., Japan or Dubai, has included a lengthy discussion about the uncertainty of what a Trump presidency would mean for international business.

"It really does matter what people think of the U.S. as we lead up to the election," said Eades, a native of the U.K. who moved to the U.S. 18 years ago. With Trump, "the conversation he's had around Mexico, trading abroad, his position on immigration  everybody outside America looks in and says, `What's going to happen?'" Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has focused his campaign on the promise to build a wall at the Mexico border, rewrite existing trade laws, temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants. Hillary Clinton, who leads the Democratic race, has raised $8.1 million from the communications and electronics industry, more than twice the amount raised by top challenger Bernie Sanders, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Trump, who declared that his primary campaign is self-funded, has brought in $41,000 from the sector. With Trump having closed the gap on Clinton in the polls less than six months before the election, Eades said it's definitely time for start-ups to be padding their cash positions. He isn't comforted by the fact that Trump is a businessman himself.
Many entrepreneurs consider Aziz Hashim the evangelist for the $1.5 trillion U.S. franchising industry. A successful multi-unit franchise owner who's worked in the industry from the age of 14, Hashim is now chairman of the International Franchise Association. He spends most of his time helping ordinary folks launch and grow franchises in the United States and Canada through his management company and his $50 million private equity fund, NRD Partners. His goal: to pay it forward.



"Franchising is a great way to attain the American dream," Hashim said.

He learned this firsthand. A Pakistani immigrant, Hashim worked his way through the University of California-Irvine and earned an electrical engineering degree while working part-time at his uncle's Burger King in Los Angeles. But after landing a job at Rockwell International, he quickly realized he didn't like the corporate world and being an entrepreneur was what he really wanted to do.

So in 1996 his parents mortgaged their house and gave him their life savings so he could buy a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. As he recalls, "I made a cold call to KFC, and at first they said no, but then they changed their minds. When they called me back and offered me a one-store license for downtown Atlanta, I had no idea how I'd do it, but I jumped on it."



"I love the pace of the quick-service food business but realized if I opened 'Aziz Fried Chicken' that would have been a very risky proposition. Having the backing of a big-name brand makes a big difference for a start-up."

From that humble beginning, Hashim built an 80-unit franchise empire composed of 14 brands  including KFC, Domino's Pizza, Taco Bell, Moe's Southwest Grill, Pizza Hut and Popeye's, as well as PetValu in Canada. Two years ago he decided to pivot, reduce his holdings and launch NRD Partners to invest in franchise companies.



Forty other multi-unit franchise owners are limited partners in the fund that invests in emerging franchise brands and public companies. As Hashim explained, "The investors don't just provide capital. Many want to be developers and buy franchise stores, build and expand their operations."

To date, the fund has purchased Frisch's Restaurants for $175 million, a family restaurant chain famous for its signature Big Boy burgers. It has also invested an undisclosed sum for a 70 percent stake in Fuzzy's Taco Shop, a fast-casual Mexican chain based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Aziz Hashim, general partner of NRD Capital Management and chairman of the IFA Source: NRD Capital
Investors should sell shares of General Mills because of weakening sales, declining profit margins and elevated valuation, according to Goldman Sachs. "The top line is under pressure and U.S. Retail, which drives nearly three-quarters of the company's operating profit, is witnessing weakness and share losses across categories," Goldman Sachs' Jason English wrote in a note to clients late Monday. He added, "We expect the fundamental gap between those with material productivity savings and those without to widen and expect GIS to emerge as a laggard." English downgraded the maker of Cheerios and Wheaties to a sell and lowered his 12-month price target to $58, representing 7.5 percent downside from Monday's close. Even though the company pursued cost savings and productivity increases, the analyst believes the "primary source of gross margin gains for the firm may be attributable to input cost relief." And if commodity costs go higher, General Mills will suffer, according to English. Read More Goldman: 5 stocks for the Trump-Clinton election The analyst lowered his fiscal year 2018 earnings estimates for the company by 4 percent, which is now 5.4 percent below the Wall Street consensus. "We expect evidence of the sales risk to mount in tracked data as SKU rationalization headwinds grow and increased trade spend[ing] drives negative returns. We expect estimates to fall either in light of disappointing data or a shortfall in reported results," stated the note. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this story.

Customers shop near a display of General Mills Cheerios cereal at a Costco Wholesale store in Louisville, Kentucky. Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images
To be a successful player in southeast Asia's burgeoning internet economy, companies need to have an international outlook in dealing with people, employees and entrepreneurs from outside their home countries, according to Joseph Tsai, executive vice chairman at Alibaba Group.



His company's runaway success in capturing one of the largest e-commerce markets in the world was generally considered a model for other entrepreneurs to follow. But Tsai said Alibaba's experience in China was different from what companies faced in southeast Asia.

"From an internet standpoint, China is a unified market of 1.3 billion people," Tsai told investors, venture capitalists, e-tailers and start-ups at the e-conomy SEA 2016 conference in Singapore. The southeast Asian market, while lucrative, was divided by language, culture and geography  which placed additional challenges on logistics.



Southeast Asia's potential was highlighted by a joint study released Tuesday by Google and the Singapore government's investment arm, Temasek Holdings. The study said that southeast Asia's internet economy was expected to grow to $200 billion by 2025, primarily driven by growth in e-commerce.

According to Tsai, many countries in the region, such as Indonesia, were about to reach a level of growth where discretionary consumer spending would take off.

He added that in China, Alibaba's growth picked up pace after discretionary spending in the economy rose. "Between 2009 to 2010, the Taobao marketplace added about $50 billion in gross merchandise value," Tsai said.

While the potential for e-commerce was evident in southeast Asia, Nick Nash, group president at Singapore-based internet company Garena, said most online transactions in the region were currently informal, taking place in "the electronic version of wet markets" such as online blog shops and with sellers on Instagram.



Added to that was the fact that 97 percent of potential buyers weren't even online yet.
Most college seniors spend their final semesters on campus partying and celebrating their remaining days of freedom before the real world hits them. But Mark Ramadan and Scott Norton were a bit different. The Brown University grads used their last semester of college in 2008 to experiment with ketchup. That's right, ketchup. The two friends, who both studied economics, bonded over their love of food and were both perplexed by and inspired by the lack of choice in the condiment aisle. "When you walk down any aisle in the grocery store, you're totally overwhelmed by choice in everything," Ramadan said. "There are a million different cereals and yogurts and salsas. But there's one area of the storeketchupthat hasn't changed in 50 years."

So they did something about it and launched natural condiment brand Sir Kensington's, which has raised $8.5 million in funding to date from individual investors and Verlinvest, a private equity group headquartered in Brussels. Today the company's condiments are sold in 5,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada and online.

Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan are the co-founders of Sir Kensington's, an artisanal condiment company. Their products are sold at more than 5,000 retailers in North America including Whole Foods, Safeway and Fresh Market. Sophie Bearman | CNBC

About half of its business comes from the roughly 500 hotels and restaurants that have its product on their menus. Since 2012 sales have grown roughly 1,500 percent, and the company has expanded to 14 distinct condiments from Special Sauce to Fabanaise, a vegan mayonnaise made with aquafaba, an egg alternative derived from chickpeas.

So how did the pair turn frustration at the grocery story into a condiment empire? During their final semester, the duo started experimenting with different homemade ketchup recipes in their off-campus apartment, even inviting friends over to taste test with score cards. "We had people dress up in suits and ties and dresses so we kind of made it a special occasion," Ramadan said. The tests yielded two hits and quite a few flops. After graduation, Norton headed to Tokyo to work in banking, while Ramadan took a job in New York in consulting. But they remained dedicated to producing a healthy alternative to traditional ketchup, featuring less sugar and non-GMO ingredients, with a richer and more flavorful taste. During nights and weekends, they Skyped and worked on their business plan and in 2010, the pair decided they would give starting a company a go after ordering a pallet of ketchup and having it arrive at Ramadan's apartment. "Someone needed to sell it," he said.
The German pharmaceutical and chemicals firm Bayer has outlined a mammoth bid for a U.S. firm beset by reputational issues.



Bayer has bid $122 per share for agri-giant Monsanto in an all cash deal that values the target company at $62 billion.

Simon Wadsworth, the Managing Director of reputation management firm Igniyte, told CNBC that Bayer is spending a lot to inherit a bad reputation.

"Monsanto has poor reputation online and Bayer will feel the impact of this by association when it becomes the parent company. There will be a knock-on effect of potential damage to sales and employee concerns."

Igniyte's Wadsworth told CNBC that absorbing a damaged brand will take a great deal of effort to fix.

"[It]will be costly and a lengthy process given the scale of the opposition, but would reap rewards in the long term."

Neither Monsanto nor Bayer had not responded to CNBC's request for comment by the time of publication.

In Harris Poll's 2016 study of America's most loved and hated companies, Monsanto garnered a "poor" rating and ranked fifth-lowest.

The firm has been attacked for creating "frankenfood" after years of developing genetically modified crops.

The Organic Consumers Association in the United States claimed that Bayer's proposed mega deal will create a big public relations challenge for the German company at home.

On its website, the organization said Germans 'detest' both genetically modified seeds and the weed-killer that Monsanto produces.
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U.S. oil rose on Tuesday as investors anticipated a weekly drawdown in U.S. crude inventories that they hoped would boost prices. "We're gearing up on expectations that the wildfires in Canada may finally be showing up in U.S. crude inventory numbers," said Phil Flynn, analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago. "If they show up decisively, it may be what the market needs to test $50." Commercial crude stocks in the United States likely fell by around 2.5 million barrels to 538.8 million in the week ended May 20, a Reuters poll showed. The American Petroleum Institute (API), a trade group, will issue its own data on U.S. crude stockpiles at 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT), ahead of official numbers from the U.S. government on Wednesday morning.

Oil also got a lift as U.S. stocks rose to their highest in the last seven sessions, helped by gains in technology and financial stocks. Crude buyers seemed unfazed by a stronger dollar, which typically makes greenback-denominated oil costlier in other currencies.

Brent futures were up 29 cents to $48.64 a barrel. U.S. crude futures settled 54 cents higher, at $48.62 a barrel, posting their best settle of 2016 and its highest closing price since October. Oil was also supported by an Iraqi official's remarks that maintenance issues and power outages have caused the OPEC member's output to fall to 4.5 million barrels per day from January's record high of 4.78 million bpd. Consultant IHS added to the bullish theme, saying just 2.8 billion barrels of oil were discovered outside North America in 2015, the lowest since 1952, following a sharp fall in exploration and appraisal drilling. "As spare capacity dwindles, the threat of a price spike increases," said Matt Smith, who tracks crude cargoes for New York-based Clipperdata. "Non-OPEC production should continue to fall through the duration of the year, gradually erasing the supply overhang and further tightening up crude fundamentals." A meeting of the OPEC exporter group, including Iran, is scheduled for June 2. Plans for a deal between OPEC and non-OPEC producers to shore up crude prices by freezing output fell apart in April when Saudi Arabia demanded that Iran, its main rival for influence in the region, participate.
Russia's debt dealings have left analysts scratching their heads, with the country set to close the book on its first Eurobond issue since sanctions were imposed on Moscow.



The U.S. dollar-denominated issue is the first Eurobond placement in the two years since Moscow was slapped with sanctions over its intervention in Ukraine and has been organized without the help of any Western banks. A Eurobond is a bond sold outside the country in whose currency it is denominated.

According to Russian news agency, RIA, investor demand for the 10-year paper had amounted to $6.3 billion by Tuesday morning.

Nomura's Timothy Ash said Tuesday that the bond looked 'half-baked' and the Russian Ministry of Finance risked looking stupid.

"It seems to just show weakness, not strength, so why bother? Are the Russian authorities so desperate for the cash?," Ash said in an email.
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Singapore's regulators have shut down a private bank implicated in investigations of Malaysia's troubled development fund 1MDB, with prosecutors in the city-state and Switzerland weighing criminal charges. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said Switzerland-based BSI Bank would lose its status as a merchant bank in Singapore due to "serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight of the bank's operations, and gross misconduct by some of the bank's staff."

"BSI Bank is the worst case of control lapses and gross misconduct that we have seen in the Singapore financial sector. It is a stark reminder to all financial institutions to take their anti-money laundering responsibilities seriously," Ravi Menon, managing director of MAS, said in the statement.

This is the first time since 1984 that MAS has withdrawn a merchant bank's approval.



Hanspeter Brunner, former head of Asia for BSI Bank Munshi Ahmed | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The central bank's criticism of BSI was harsh and wide-ranging. In its statement, MAS said the bank had an "unacceptable risk culture, with blatant disregard for compliance and control requirements as well as MAS regulations." MAS accused several bank staff of making material misrepresentations to auditors and abetting improper valuations of assets. The central bank said it had referred six members of BSI's senior management to the public prosecutor in order to evaluate whether they had committed criminal offences.

"MAS found considerable evidence of gross dereliction of duty and failure to discharge oversight responsibilities on the part of BSI Bank's senior management. Their ineffective governance led to a poor risk culture, which prioritized questionable customer demands ahead of compliance with anti-money laundering regulations and the bank's own internal controls," MAS said.

At the same time, Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General said it had opened criminal proceedings against BSI SA Bank, based on information uncovered by a Swiss criminal investigation into 1 Malaysia Development Berhad, adding that the bank's governance deficiencies had made rendered BSI unable to prevent the offenses under investigation related to the debt-ridden Malaysian development fund.




"There is homework that needs to be done," he said. "Unfortunately, under [President] Dilma Rousseff , that homework was not being done."

" Brazil has to be better engaged with the global economy, it has to expand the percentage of imports and exports in its GDP ... enact those reforms that allow it to compete more broadly in global markets," Troyjo told CNBC's " Squawk Box ."

Brazil can still turn things around despite its recent political and economic downturn, but it won't be easy, Marcos Troyjo, associate professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, said Tuesday.

This year has not been kind to Brazil. Earlier this month, Rousseff was suspended to stand trial on charges of breaking budgetary laws, while the country's economy continued to suffer from lagging oil prices.

Over the past year, U.S. crude has fallen about 20 percent.

"I think Brazil, up until 2010, when the economy grew by 7.5 percent, a China-like growth  it was driven forward by the performance of state-led corporations like Petrobras." Troyjo noted that Brazil benefited from China's appetite for certain commodities, which helped fuel "Brazilmania."

"But many of the reasons why this miracle was being operated simply vanished from the radar screen. There was a lot of fiscal irresponsibility, a lot of overspending. Of course, Brazil did not enact those urgent labor, fiscal and social security reforms that would help it harmonize its conditions to compete internationally. Now, when you add a picture of corruption and incompetence,  this of course has driven a lot of interest away from Brazil."


Apparent threats against planes disrupted travel at two major American airports Tuesday.

A bomb squad investigated a possible threat against a Delta Air Lines plane at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Tuesday morning. No device was found on the plane and it later left the airport.

An airport spokesman did not provide a flight number to Reuters.

Later in the day, a flight from Houston to Los Angeles International Airport landed safely but was moved to a remote gate after an unknown threat, airport spokesman Charles Pannunzio said. Police, dogs and the Los Angeles Fire Department were sent to the scene.

The flight was Compass Airlines Flight 5931, the FBI said in a statement. Passengers left the plane by about 9:56 a.m. local time.
Uber has launched a start-up competition in Europe that will allow entrepreneurs to ride in a taxi while pitching to experienced venture capitalists.

Called UberPITCH, the initiative will allow founders to give a short elevator pitch and then receive seven minutes of feedback during an Uber ride.

Adam Berry | Getty Images

It kicks off on May 25 in Vienna, before moving to another 36 cities. The best idea in each country will get "support and mentorship" from investors from EQT Ventures, and Atomico, the venture capital firm run by the founder of Skype, Niklas Zennstrom. The strongest start-up out of this shortlist will be flown out to meet Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick in Berlin to "discuss their business strategies".

Kalanick announced UberPITCH during a keynote speech at the Start-up Fest conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

"Over the next month we are going to have famous seed investors, VCs (venture capitalists), members of the start-up ecosystem in cars across 30 cities across the continent in Europe ... you push a button and you can pitch (to) a VC," Kalanick said. "I've seen a lot more failure than I have seen success, I know that you probably won't believe that. But trust me, I spent many years running out of money ... but i never could push a button and pitch to somebody so I accidentally had to run into them in the hotel."

Uber CEO, Travis Kalanick speaking at the Start-up Fest conference in Amsterdam Photo Credit: Arjun Kharpal
Before and during the primary contests, Trump stood out with loud and politically incorrect comments about illegal immigrants and Muslim visitors to the U.S. But now, that brashness is morphing into something a bit different. That was on full display last week when Trump basically blamed the EgyptAir crash on terrorism before most of the key facts came in. That's an entirely different kind of risky talk than bashing border security.

It was a gamble that seems to be paying off as all the proper experts now also say that terrorism is the most likely cause of the disaster. Trump getting well ahead of that part of the story would have made him look bad had the facts come out differently, but he saw it as a good bet to seem much more realistic and even forceful in a crisis. By contrast, Clinton and co. seem slow, and too politically correct to tell Americans the truth.

Trump has been similarly brash, but not so offensively brash, in his recent attacks on slow TSA security lines at airports. And the granddaddy of all perhaps premature, but still relatively safe, brash moves has been his decision to release his 11 top choices for Supreme Court justice. All of these moves present the voters with a specific idea of what a President Trump would sound like and even do. And while they are all a bit or a lot presumptuous in nature, they are much more plausible and popular than his earlier brashness on immigration and trade.


VESTAL, N.Y.  Binghamton University has unveiled what its calling a smart electronics manufacturing laboratory as part of its Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC).

Seoul, South Koreabased Koh Young Technology Inc. provided the key piece of equipment for the lab, the school said in a news release.

Binghamton University introduced the new lab and its partner company during an event held Thursday at its Center of Excellence Building.

Koh Young Technology specializes in three-dimensional (3-D) measurement and inspection equipment. Its equipment donation means the Binghamton researchers in the new smart electronics manufacturing laboratory can work side by side with other IEEC industry partners, the school said.

The ultimate outcome is that the research conducted here in our new lab, in partnership with industry, will lead to the development of new electronics-manufacturing schemes with the highest levels of efficiency and reliability, Seungbae Park, director of the IEEC, said in the release.

Binghamton University researchers contend the new partnership with Koh Young Technology will allow the school to take a major step forward into the world of Industry 4.0, or smart factory.

Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 describes the smart, interconnected machine tools that improve the assembly process for the electronic devices that we use every day, Bahgat Sammakia, Binghamton Universitys VP for research and S3IP director, said in the release.

Bottom line, this new equipment will enable us to make sure electronic products are made faster and more efficiently. The efficiency is the result of the fact that defects detected by the testing equipment will one day be repaired by smart communication between the tools used to make the product and the machines used to inspect the product, said Sammakia.

S3IP is short for small scale systems integration and packaging, a state-designated center of excellence at Binghamton University that includes the IEEC, according to the school.

The end result is that we can save costs in manufacturing by reducing the number of iterations, and no human intervention will be needed to fix the problem, Harvey Stenger, president of Binghamton University, said. This smart manufacturing concept is leading-edge, and we are thankful to Koh Young Technology Inc. for its membership in our IEEC and its significant donation of this new inspection equipment.

Koh Young hopes its collaboration with Binghamton University brings its electronics-manufacturing system and process technology to the next level by incorporating advanced artificial-intelligence knowledge, Kwang Koh, company president, added in the release.

About the IEEC

The IEEC, part of Binghamtons S3IP, pursues research in electronics packaging in partnership with private industry.

Binghamtons research, conducted with both large and small partner companies, has led to significant technological advances in devices that are smaller, faster and greener than their predecessors, the school contends.

Current projects focus on topics such as cybersecurity, 3-D packaging, flexible electronics, power electronics and batteries.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
Synthetic hair problems lead MU grad to create banana-based product

Ciara Imani May wasn't expecting to develop a protective hairstyle product when she studied business at MU. But that's exactly what she's done.
May 24, 2016 - Workers leave the IKEA Memphis location as signage for the furniture store goes up on Tuesday. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE May 24, 2016 - PirosSigns Incorporated employees add a letter to the IKEA sign at the Memphis location on Tuesday. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal)

By Thomas Bailey Jr. of The Commercial Appeal

Swedish home furnishings retailer Ikea has posted the first 16 Memphis store jobs.

The management positions range from the commercial sales bedrooms team leader to interior design specialist to food service team leader for the 300-seat restaurant

The postings on ikea.com com are the first of the 225 Ikea jobs expected to be filled before the $64 million store opens late this year near the southwest corner of Interstate 40 and Germantown Parkway.

The initial help-wanted postings come as the retailer of modern furniture prepared Tuesday afternoon to erect the first Ikea sign on the massive blue walls of the 271,000-square-foot store.

The retailer made a show of it, inviting news organizations to come take photos and videos.

Even a TV helicopter circled overhead to capture images of the sign installation. Such coverage of mundane work reflects the interest in Ikea Memphis, which will be the retailers first store in Tennessee.

Exclusivity helps explain the attraction. When Ikea opened a store in Las Vegas last week, it was only the companys 42nd store in the U.S. Memphis will be No. 43. The retailers popular furnishings have gained a following worldwide for their contemporary design and relatively low prices.

Memphis leadership was motivated enough to accommodate an Ikea that the city and county granted $11 million in property tax breaks to the company. At that time it was unusual for retailers to obtain tax incentives. Local government also changed the name of the street leading to the store off Germantown Parkway to Ikea Way.

Ikea will first fill 30 to 35 store management positions, then hire the rest of the employees starting later this summer, spokesman Joseph Roth said Tuesday.

The management team will be hired by mid-summer. Those managers will hire the rest of the work force.

Applicants can learn more on the ikea.com website, and also can apply through the Workforce Investment Network at 480 Beale. The first step for anyone interested is to attend a WIN orientation held each Monday and Wednesday at 8:30 and 1 p.m., said WINs public relations coordinator Cynthia Daniels.

Applicants who go through WIN will receive an email each time an Ikea job is posted.

The jobs also will be posted within the existing Ikea, workforce, though Roth said the company will want new blood to mix it up.

Ikea, founded in 1943 in Almhult, Sweden, is considered the worlds largest furniture retailer.
SHARE Antony Sheehan

By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal

The former president of the Church Health Center, Antony Sheehan, will join the leadership of Memphis-based Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, officials announced today.

Sheehan, who joined the Church Health Center in 2013, stepped down as president for the faith-based provider of health care for low-income Memphis and Shelby County residents in recent weeks and will be a senior advisor for Methodist.

"The addition of Antony to the leadership team at MLH will better position our system to craft innovative solutions to the changing healthcare landscape in Memphis and the Mid-South," said Michael Ugwueke, Methodist president.

"Antony has a long history of fostering successful partnerships across organizations, which will help him work with MLH and Mid-South community leaders, such as the Church Health Center, to coordinate the development of a primary care safety net program for the underserved in our community," said Ugwueke, who has been selected to become the system's next chief executive.

Sheehan served as a fellow and faculty member of at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before joining the Church Health Center. A native of England, his health care career has included top roles in the United Kingdom's health care system such as overseeing elder care, mental health, disability and social care policy.

Sheehan plans to start his new role in early June.
SHARE Lewis "Bo" Allen Jr. will become president of First Tennessee's Memphis region on June 30. (Submitted photo) Bruce Hopkins, president of First Tennessee Bank's Memphis region since 2011, will become chairman of the region on June 30. (Submitted photo)

By Ted Evanoff of The Commercial Appeal

First Tennessee Bank executive vice president Louis Allen Jr. will succeed Bruce Hopkins as head of the Memphis banks West Tennessee banking business.

First Tennessee announced the change Tuesday, saying Hopkins will step up to chairman of the West Tennessee region when Allen becomes president on June 30.

Hopkins, among the most visible First Tennessee executives in the city, oversees about 300 employees in the center of the banks Memphis business. Those employees work in the commercial banking, business banking, private client, trust department and branch networks.

Hopkins and Allen will continue to report to First Tennessee president David Popwell, who is responsible for the Memphis-based banks operations. First Tennessee employs about 4,200 nationwide and ranks first in market share among Memphis banks.

Allen entered National Bank of Commerces executive management program in 1990 and eventually managed the Memphis banks private banking business. First Tennessee hired Allen in 2009, five years after Florida-based SunTrust Banks acquired NBC.

As a lifelong Memphian, to have an opportunity to work for First Tennessee and serve in this role is a great honor, Allen said.

Allen and Popwell are both relatively new to First Tennessee. Popwell, 55, went to First Tennessee in 2011 from SunTrust, where he was chairman of the banks Memphis region. He had earlier been hired by NBC and was previously an attorney at the Memphis law firm Baker Donelson.

Allen currently manages First Tennessees commercial banking business and recently added business banking in Northern Mississippi. Business banking refers to firms with revenue up to $15 million per year while commercial banking clients have annual sales of $15 million to $200 million.

We need to continue to work hard to attract more employers, but there are a lot of good things to report about the region, Allen said. If you look out at Memphis right now  the number of projects just being finished or announced or underway , its staggering. I think thats evidence business is robust in our city.

Allen, who goes by the nickname Bo, described the business units hell become responsible for as stable.

Bruce and I will be partners and work together. Im glad, Allen said. Bruce has down a tremendous job.

Hopkins, 66, joined First Tennessee 30 years ago. He managed private client, trust and wealth management units before being named West Tennessee president in April 2011.

Hopkins has served on the boards of St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, ALSAC, ArtsMemphis, Trezevant Manor, the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, the 100 Club of Memphis and the New Memphis Institute. He was general campaign chair of United Way of the Mid-South in 2013 and was recognized for outstanding community service by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in 2014.

Allen, 48, serves on the boards of ArtsMemphis, Christian Brothers University and the Orpheum Theatre.
May 24, 2016 - Abington Apartments on Prince Rupert and Northumberland off Raleigh Lagrange. (The Commercial Appeal)

By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal

A man convicted earlier this month of entering a woman's apartment and raping her had a common scheme in his attacks on women, a prosecutor said in court documents.

Deandrey Peterson is a defendant in six pending cases that include charges of rape, attempted rape, burglary and robbery, records show. He is charged with attacking women, two of whom were neighbors, at The Abington apartments near Raleigh Lagrange and Covington Pike between Feb. 9, 2014 and March 27, 2014.

"The similarities between the execution of these crimes by unlawful entry into the victims' apartments, forcing into the bedroom, blindfolding or covering the face of the victims, and threatening with the handgun, each indicate the intent for a unique and signature scheme to rape and/or rob these victims," wrote Assistant District Attorney Abby Wallace.

Peterson, 27, lived in the 1200 block of Springdale south of Chelsea. He also stayed in the 4400 block of Stonegate, about a half mile north of The Abington.

He was convicted May 13 of entering a 30-year-old woman's apartment during the early morning of March 27, 2014, armed with a silver handgun. He had his face covered and forced her into her bedroom while her child was present. He told her to cover herself and the child with a blanket while he looked through her belongings.

He then forced the woman into the living room, had her cover her face with her pajama pants and raped her.

Peterson told her not to call the police or he "would know," according to court documents. He showed the victim a police radio application on his phone.

He took her Chanel scarf, which was later found in an apartment where he had been staying. The woman identified him in a photo line-up as her attacker.

At a nearby apartment on Feb. 9, 2014, a woman said Peterson entered her apartment and pointed a black and silver gun at her. He demanded money, took out a condom and felt her body without her consent, Wallace wrote.

"At one point, the defendant looked through her photos on her phone and her Facebook account repeatedly telling her in a soft voice that she was beautiful," Wallace wrote.

She fled when he became distracted going through her roommate's belongings, and later identified Peterson in a photo line-up.

He pawned jewelry taken from her and used her cell phone to contact other victims, Wallace wrote.

"This cell phone was located in the defendant's girlfriend's vehicle which was parked at their apartment ... less than one mile from (the victim's)."

Another woman said Peterson was the man who woke her up Feb. 18, 2014, in her apartment, covered her eyes and raped her.

"He repeatedly told her that she was pretty and sexy and that he 'hated that this is the way that we met,'" Wallace wrote.

His DNA was located on the victim, Wallace wrote.

Peterson is charged with raping another woman on Feb. 12, 2014, and a woman between March 8 and March 11, 2014.

"We have not had any issues since that man was captured," said David Shores, partner at Multi-South Management Services, which manages The Abington. "What he did was awful."

"I'm glad she got closure," he said of the victim in the case in which Peterson has been convicted. "I hope the others do too. "

Peterson's previous adult criminal history includes one misdemeanor and one felony conviction. He was sentenced to three years probation in 2008 for aggravated burglary. His juvenile record consists of seven charges, according to a Shelby County Pretrial Services/County Probation investigation report. The juvenile charges included runaway, two counts of theft of property, two counts of theft of vehicle, aggravated burglary and escape.

Peterson attended Hillcrest High School until 2006. He completed 10th grade and left when he was expelled.

Sentencing for his rape conviction is set for June 9 before Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan.
By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal

Booker T. Washington Principal Alisha Coleman-Kiner spoke out Tuesday in defense of the high school senior who was shot Downtown Sunday morning.

Coleman-Kiner posted a response on her Facebook page to an email she received questioning the school's decision to allow Myneishia Johnson's infant son to walk across the stage and accept her diploma during Saturday's graduation.

Johnson, 18, was walking with friends on Second Street across from the Flying Saucer around 12:30 a.m. Sunday when a man in a car drove by and fired at them, police said.

The bullets struck Johnson and her two friends. She died at the scene while a 19-year-old and 23-year-old were taken to Regional Medical Center. Police dont believe she was the target.

Kwasi Corbin, 19, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Sunday's shooting.

To honor Johnsonm, her 1-year-old son Kylan Johnson will cross the graduation stage with his grandmother and accept her diploma.

The email to the principal, purportedly from someone named Kelly Griffin, said The death of any young person is tragic. But to allow someone else to walk across the stage to accept her diploma is one thing but then give it to her young infant is another...youre acknowledging and celebrating this young child whose mother was tragically killed when in all fairness probably should have been home taking care of that young infant who now has no mother and quite frankly dont know who the father is.

Coleman-Kiner responded, criticizing the emails grammar and assumptions about Johnsons personal life.... who told you that no one knew who the father is? Where were you when he couldnt stand under the grief on Sunday at the candlelight vigil? she wrote.

Her response was multiple paragraphs long, rebutting several points made in the email.

Natoria Brooks, who was a friend of Myneishias younger sister, Jasmine Johnson, supported the principals action.She did her job as the principal, Brooks said. Thats what she was supposed to do, stand up for Myneishia.

Requests for comment from the sender of the email were not returned. Coleman-Kiner also didnt respond to attempts to speak with her. Terri Johnson, Myneishias mother, was distraught and couldnt talk.

See the response from Coleman-Kiner to the email questioning Johnson's character:
SHARE Anthony Jordan

By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal

A Memphis man was arrested Monday evening for allegedly trying to shoot a man and woman outside one of the victim's homes.

Anthony Jordan, 37, was charged with two counts of criminal attempt first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.

According to an affidavit, on May 2 at 3 a.m. Jordan approached the male victim outside his parents' home in the 1400 block of Cameron Street.

The suspect pointed an assault rifle at the victim and threatened to kill him because of an existing conflict, the affidavit said. The victim and his female friend left, but when they returned to the home at 11:30 a.m., Jordan and another man began to shoot at them, police said.

The victims ran away, but the male victim slipped. The suspect pointed a gun at his forehead and pulled the trigger, but it misfired. Both assailants fled on foot, the affidavit said.

The other suspect, Marcus Jordan, was detained by police and told investigators his brother Anthony Jordan was the other person involved.

The female victim was able to pick out both men from a lineup.

Anthony Jordan is currently in jail on a $1 million bond and due in court Wednesday for video arraignment.

Marcus Jordan was arrested earlier this month for the same charges; he has a preliminary hearing in court Wednesday.
By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal

A Memphis man has been arrested in the death of Ontario Manning, a 22-year-old found shot to death in a shallow ditch last month.

Kevin Horsley, 24, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Manning was found in a ditch around 8:30 a.m. April 27 by a resident out on a morning walk along Levi Road off Neely behind Will Carruthers ballpark, where he was pronounced dead on the scene.

According to Horsley's arrest affidavit, investigators with the Memphis Police Department said Manning was robbed of money and narcotics prior to his murder.

During the investigation, witnesses identified Horsley as a suspect. Crump Station officers found him on Monday and took him in for questioning, where he waived his Miranda rights and gave a statement denying any involvement in Manning's death, the affidavit said.

Horsley is due in jail Wednesday for video arraignment.
SHARE Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis, speaks during debate on de-annexation bill during a session of the Tennessee Senate, Monday, March 21, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. The Senate voted to send the bill back to committee for review, delaying a Senate floor vote at least until Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

By Erik Schelzig, Associated Press

NASHVILLE  Tennessee state senators have been reimbursed for out-of-state travel for meetings from Florida to Alaska, and on topics ranging from school vouchers to the dangers of radical Islam. But GOP leaders say a Democrat's trip to the White House doesn't qualify.

After failing to get reimbursed for a White House meeting on curbing gun violence on Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris of Memphis is calling for changes to the state Legislature's travel policies.

"Those on the other side of the aisle are frequently going to conferences on the state tab to talk about ways to expand access to guns," Harris said. "This is part of being able to confront that, to engage in that debate and to be informed."

Tuesday's meeting was hosted by Vice President Joe Biden and includes governors, attorneys general, state lawmakers and local and tribal officials.

"I'm going to represent Tennessee to talk about issues that plague some of our communities," said Harris, who is attending the meeting at his own cost. "Seems like official business and pretty legitimate to me."

Harris said he also wasn't approved on another request last year to attend a Washington conference of the Joint Center for Economic and Policy Studies on issues affecting communities of color.

Tennessee law says eligible travel includes "conferences, symposiums, workshops, assemblages, gatherings and other official meetings and endeavors concerning state business." But reimbursement is at the discretion of Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey's office.

Senate Clerk Russell Humphrey said the policy is to approve "meetings of well-known, well-established legislative organizations that focus on the policy work of the General Assembly."

Humphrey said Harris' requests did not include enough details about the events "to determine whether these were substantive policy conferences or political gatherings."

Harris had forwarded the White House invitation that called the event an opportunity "to engage with senior administration officials and to exchange information about the steps they are taking to address gun violence in their communities."

Humphrey said he'd be willing to "take another look" at reimbursing the senator if he submits agendas and other information upon his return.

Harris said the Senate's policies don't make clear which events are considered political. For example, several members have traveled to conferences of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, which is mostly made up Republicans and private businesses.

Harris had riled some state Republicans toward the end of this year's legislative session by trying to strike a $100,000 grant from the upcoming state budget to subsidize an ALEC meeting in Tennessee. That effort was rejected by the GOP-controlled chamber.

Other previously approved travel has included:

Speaker Ramsey attending Republican Lieutenant Governors Association conferences in Washington and Asheville, North Carolina.

Senate Education Chairwoman Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, attending a Phoenix meeting of the Friedman Foundation, which advocates for school voucher programs.

Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, going to an Arlington, Virginia, meeting of Act for America, a group that warns of Islamic terrorism and the dangers of electromagnetic pulse attacks.

It's not only Republicans who have been cleared for out-of-state meetings. Democratic Sen. Reginald Tate of Memphis has been one of the most frequent travelers since 2014, attending at least 17 meetings in locations including Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, Boston and Anchorage, Alaska.

Harris said the Senate rules should be clearer about what's considered appropriate for travel reimbursements.

"We need to have uniform policy, because otherwise administrators can't tell what the line is between governing and politics," he said.
State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, speaks during debate during the 2016 session in Nashville. In a letter to Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday, Norris took strong exception to the governor's remarks on Friday about Senate Joint Resolution 467, legislation ordering legal action against the federal government over its refugee resettlement program in Tennessee. Haslam declined to sign it, which has no practical effect other than signifying the governor's position. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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By Richard Locker of The Commercial Appeal

NASHVILLE  State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris told Gov. Bill Haslam he's "troubled" and "uncomfortable with your mischaracterization" of legislation ordering legal action against the federal government over its refugee resettlement program in Tennessee.

In a letter to Haslam on Monday, Norris, R-Collierville, took strong exception to the governor's remarks Friday about Senate Joint Resolution 467. Haslam declined to sign it, which has no practical effect other than signifying the governor's position.

The governor's press secretary, Jennifer Donnals, said later Tuesday, "I'm sure the governor and Leader Norris will have a chance to talk about this at some point but the governor stands by his statement issued Friday."

In a brief message outlining why he didn't sign it, the governor noted SJR467 directs the attorney general to initiate legal action regarding refugee placements in the state and authorizes the House and Senate speakers to hire outside counsel if the attorney general declines. "I trust the attorney general to determine whether the state has a claim in this case or in any other, and I have constitutional concerns about one branch of government telling another what to do," Haslam wrote.

The governor's message also said he's asking state Attorney General Herbert Slatery to "clarify whether the legislative branch actually has the authority to hire outside counsel to represent the state.

"I also question whether seeking to dismantle the (federal) Refugee Act of 1980 is the proper course for our state," the governor's message continued. "Rather, I believe the best way to protect Tennesseans from terrorism is to take the steps outlined in my administration's Public Safety Action Plan, which enhances our ability to analyze information for links to terrorist activity, creates a Cyber Security Advisory Council, restructures our office of homeland security, establishes school safety teams, and provides training for active shooter incidents and explosive device attacks."

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey was the resolution's sponsor, but Norris shepherded it through the Senate, where it carried on 29-4 vote. The House concurred 69-25.

Norris said Tuesday he's "not upset with Bill Haslam personally. We need to get on with the business of keeping Tennessee safe."

In his letter, the senator wrote he was trouble by the governor's statement "and I am uncomfortable with your mischaracterization of this important resolution. First, as we have discussed, the resolution should not have been necessary in the first place. The attorney general should have acted on his own long before now."

Despite a legislative clamor during last year's Syrian refugee crisis, Slatery did not try to block resettlement of refugees in the state. He issued an advisory opinion Nov. 30 that Tennessee cannot refuse to accept refugees whom the federal government has processed and admitted to the United States because "such a refusal would impinge on and conflict with the federal government's authority to regulate the admission of aliens to the U.S. and thus would violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution."

Norris said one goal of the governor's Public Safety Action Plan, released in January, is to enhance the state's ability to analyze information for links to terrorist activity. However, federal officials are not providing the information needed for such analysis even though the state has rights to such information under the Refugee Act.

"It is ironic that your administration appears reluctant to enforce those rights," wrote Norris. "We also need to know who is resettled, where they are resettled, whether they have been properly screened for contagious diseases like tuberculosis and measles, and whether they have been properly vaccinated. Recent outbreaks of measles in Memphis heighten concerns."

Norris also said the vetting period for refugees has shortened from 18-24 months to 90 days and asked "What has changed to give us any assurance that this is safe?"

The senator concluded his letter by saying the costs of providing federally mandated services to refugees in Tennessee "continue to mount," including, he said, a $33 million increase in funding to help teach English as a second language.

In a brief interview Tuesday, Norris said he wanted to set the record straight about the governor's "dismantling the Refugee Resettlement Act" remark. "It's so far-fetched to say that I decided to take exception to it."
Why Kevin Durant called Morant 'the face of our league going forward'
Collierville schools superintendent John S. Aitken presents the school budget to the town's Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Monday, May 23, 2016.

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By Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal

The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously Monday night to send a term limits plan to the state Legislature for approval.

The board also voted for the second of three readings to keep property taxes level in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Collierville elected officials currently have no term limits. Under the term limits plan approved Monday, officials would face a limit of three four-year terms as alderman, then three four-year terms as mayor: a maximum of 24 years of government in a lifetime. If someone were appointed to fill an unexpired partial term, that wouldn't count toward the 24-year limit.

The term limit proposal was sponsored by Alderman Billy Patton, who said it would force incumbents to leave office from time to time, making it easier for newcomers to join the government. He said he structured the proposal to have minimal impact on existing board members because otherwise it would have been too difficult to pass.

"It would not affect anyone standing for election this fall," town administrator James Lewellen said. He said none of the terms that current members have already served would count toward their 24-year limit.

The town officials plan to work out certain details of the plan and clean up outdated language in the charter before sending the item to the state Legislature for approval of a charter amendment. After that, the item would go back to the board, where four of the six members would have to approve it. If it wins final approval, the measure would go into effect in 2018.

Later in the meeting, the board took up the annual budget. The board had voted last year to boost the property tax rate from $1.53 per $100 of assessed value to $1.78 to help pay off bonds to pay for the town's new high school. Under the proposal passed on second reading Monday, the rate would remain level at $1.78.

Board members also heard presentations on the town budget.

The general fund budget covers a proposed $55.7 million in spending, with the biggest chunks going to the police, fire and parks departments. One big change from last year: Debt service costs rose to $9.3 million, more than double the amount from the current year, as the school works to pay off money it borrowed to build a massive new high school.

The board also heard a presentation on the school system's budget of more than $71 million that the school board had approved earlier this month. The board members won't vote on the town or the schools budget until next month.

The board didn't reach a final conclusion on potential pay raises for police, fire and other town personnel. Lewellen said he'll schedule a special meeting on that between now and the next board meeting on June 13, when the budget and tax rate face final approval.

Also Monday, the board unanimously rejected plans to place a Murphy Oil gas station on the Walmart property on Poplar Avenue in Collierville. Members expressed concern that it would cause traffic problems on the busy road.
Photo by Sean Davis: Elfo's Restaurant in Germantown

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By Jane Roberts of The Commercial Appeal

In months, Germantown is expected to have two new restaurants, both well-known in Memphis.

Tom Powers, representing Germantown Holdings Inc., intends to open Southern Social Restaurant at the site of the former Elfo's in Old Germantown.

Powers, an owner of Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar on South Main, was one of two owners listed on the request before the Design Review Commission Tuesday to upgrade the landscaping at the Germantown site and add a wooden deck in what is now a parking lot in the back.

The restaurant, named for its proximity to the former Southern Railway track and Southern Avenue, is expected to open this summer at 2285 S. Germantown Road, Power said.

"We look forward to providing a first-class restaurant experience on par with the top restaurants of the South."

It's not clear if wine flights will be part of the experience, he said.

The review panel also unanimously approved Samir Shtaya's request that the former John Green realty offices at 7609 Poplar Pike be changed from office/retail to restaurant. Shtaya, who owns two Casablanca restaurants in Memphis, plans to open a tea and sweet shop that would appeal to students from neighboring Germantown High in the afternoon and to families for dining in the evening.

Shtaya eventually will seek approval to add a kitchen to the former antiques building, plus a patio and parking.

"We hope to start the construction in late June or early July," he said.

"My dream all my life has been to offer cooking classes," he said. "We would like to have the classes in the morning before we open the restaurant."

If approved, the restaurant will have walls that will open in warm weather, creating the kind of restaurant common in Greece and Turkey, Shtaya said.

Because the site is close to the school, state law prohibits the sale of alcohol. Shtaya said he had no intention of selling alcohol, noting that neither of his Memphis businesses do.

Those items were decided quickly compared to the more than an hour the review panel spent hearing issues regarding the parking lot that Germantown Municipal School District plans behind Riverdale Elementary.

Two neighbors had issues with placement of the landscaping meant to shield the lot on the south side. The compromise the district presented included eliminating 11 spaces and adding two rows of trees across the back of the lot.

Neighbors Ron Sklar and Brown Dudley Tuesday asked that the buffer be moved closer to the parking lot to prevent a "green wall" from limiting their view and access to light.

In the end, both sides agreed, but the change still must be heard by the planning commission in early June.
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By Doyle McManus

When President Obama declared in 2011 that he wanted U.S. foreign policy to pivot to Asia, some derided the move as a clumsy attempt to flee the messy conflicts of the Middle East.

But the pivot has actually worked pretty well  as will be evident as Obama visits Asia this week. Almost every country in the region is clamoring for a closer relationship with the United States.

The most striking case is Vietnam, most of whose leaders are old enough to have fought in their country's war with the United States. The communist regime has been openly courting a deeper military relationship, and has even invited the U.S. Navy to return to Cam Ranh Bay, its base during much of the war. Monday, Obama and his Vietnamese counterpart announced sweeping new cooperation to bolster both countries' military might.

A half-century after the U.S. banned the sale of arms to its enemy in the Vietnam War, Obama surprised President Tran Dai Quang with news that he would lift the entire embargo. Vietnam gave a promise of more sweeping access to its strategically valuable ports for the U.S. Navy.

The impetus for this rapprochement is China, Asia's increasingly assertive great power. Beijing's pursuit of sovereignty over the islands of the South China Sea, most of which are also claimed by other countries, has flung China's neighbors into the arms of the United States.

"Any time China tries to put its thumb on any of its neighbors, that makes them enthusiastic about getting close to us," noted Derek Chollet, a former Defense Department official.

Only a few hundred miles from Vietnam's coast, Chinese construction teams have been dredging the seafloor and using landfill techniques to increase the size of China's territories, then building infrastructure to support military facilities.

The newly built islands aren't much use in a military conflict with the United States; U.S. Navy officers dismiss them as sitting ducks. But as military bases, they could still help Beijing intimidate weaker neighbors such as Vietnam and the Philippines.

Eventually, the islands could also enable China to assert economic rights to the estimated 11 billion barrels of oil beneath the seabed. Even fishing rights are at stake; China's fishing industry, the world's largest, employs more than 14 million people.

On a visit to Washington last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised not to "militarize" the islands, but he never defined what the term meant. Some Chinese officials later said Xi's policy merely banned "major offensive weapons." That created alarm in the Pentagon and prompted the Obama administration to sharpen its denunciations of the construction projects.

This is an asymmetric struggle; there aren't many practical steps the United States can take to stop China's dredging. The Pentagon sends ships near the islands to assert U.S. freedom of navigation, but that hasn't slowed the construction.

"It's not clear what else we can do," a former official told me. "We're not going to start a war, and we're not going to occupy an island ourselves."

The United States does have one asymmetric advantage of its own: its ability to forge stronger alliances with China's worried neighbors  not only Vietnam, but the Philippines, Malaysia and others as well.

A stronger Vietnamese navy  one that holds joint maneuvers with the U.S. Navy  would deny China some of the military advantage it hoped to gain from building all those airstrips.

The idea, in short, is to raise the long-term cost to Beijing. Of course, that strategy works only if the United States is willing to invest in those stronger relationships  through not only a U.S. military presence, but expanded trade agreements, too.

So Obama faces what Chollet calls a "reassurance challenge."

"All these countries are looking for reassurance that the United States will be there," he said. "They all want the United States to do more  and we can't possibly deliver everything they want."

Indeed, all three remaining candidates in the presidential campaign have been critical of the Trans Pacific Partnership, Obama's trade agreement with most of Asia except China. Donald Trump, in particular, has promised to scrap TPP if he's elected.

That would be a particularly acute problem for Vietnam, a low-income country that would be a major beneficiary of the agreement. Administration officials warn that if Congress refused to ratify TPP, Vietnam and other developing countries will have little choice but to tie their economies more closely with China's.

In other words, if Trump gets his way, the biggest beneficiary in Southeast Asia might well be China.

Doyle McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Contact him at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.
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By Fred Hiatt

Surveying the wreckage of the Middle East and the fraying of Europe, President Obama understandably would like us to believe that no other policy could have worked better.

The United States has tried them all, his administration argues: massive invasion, in Iraq; surgical intervention, in Libya; studied aloofness, in Syria. Three approaches, same result: chaos and destruction.

So why bother? Why get sucked into "a transformation that will play out for a generation," as Obama described it in his State of the Union address this year, "rooted in conflicts that date back millennia"?

Even setting aside the offensiveness of such a sweeping dismissal of Arab potential, the formulation is wrong on two counts, one prescriptive and one analytical.

It offers no plausible path for Obama's successor  who, as Obama's own fitful, reluctant re-escalation shows, will not be able to ignore the region. Instead, it invites the kind of demagogic promises we have heard during the campaign, to "carpet bomb" Islamic militants until we find out whether "sand can glow in the dark," as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, threatened, or, in Donald Trump's words, to "quickly, quickly""knock the hell out of" the Islamic State and then "come back here and rebuild our country."

More fundamentally, the administration's fatalism ignores a fourth policy option that Obama, from the beginning, was determined not to try: patient, open-ended engagement using all U.S. tools diplomatic as well as military  with a positive outcome, not a fixed deadline, as the goal.

That is an approach that has worked before. In Korea, the United States forged an intimate alliance more than a half-century ago, and today U.S. soldiers and diplomats are still present. U.S. support deterred an external foe while  and people forget this, given South Korea's stability today  helping steady a society torn by civil war as its people gradually built a democracy.

Obama came into office determined to avoid this approach. In Afghanistan, he set a timetable for troop withdrawal, untethered to conditions. In Libya, he bombed the Gadhafi regime out of power, but did not stay to help a new government get on its feet. In Iraq, he overrode his civilian and military advisers and declined to keep in the country the 15,000 or 20,000 troops that might have helped preserve the stability the U.S. surge had helped achieve.

The president did not defend that withdrawal because millennia-old hatreds made Iraq a hopeless case. Just the reverse, in fact: Success had made a U.S. presence unnecessary. "This is a historic moment.A war is ending. A new day is upon us," he said in 2011. "People throughout the region will see a new Iraq that's determining its own destiny  a country in which people from different religious sects and ethnicities can resolve their differences peacefully through the democratic process."

It does not require hindsight to appreciate the recklessness of his decision. True, few foretold just how completely the nation would fall apart, with a vicious caliphate occupying much of the country and a return of frequent bombings in Baghdad. But The Post's editorial page was not alone in warning at the time that "a complete withdrawal sharply increases the risk that painfully won security gains in Iraq will come undone."

I understand why Obama and so many other Americans reject persistent engagement, often derisively called "nation-building." It is difficult, and the United States often does it badly and sometimes doesn't succeed; Americans can't impose democracy; we often end up doing work that we wish the locals or their neighbors would do. Obama is right, too, that other regions, such as the Pacific, are more important to the global economy and more central to U.S. strategy.

But against all that wisdom stands one stubborn fact, again proved by Obama's re-escalation: The United States does not have a choice. The unraveling doesn't stay put, but spreads to Syria and Paris and Brussels and the skies over the Mediterranean and, eventually, the United States. Under conditions far more difficult than they might have been, the president finds himself unleashing bombers over Syria and dispatching soldiers into Iraq.

He cannot acknowledge, maybe even to himself, that disengagement was a mistake. That is why, even as Americans are, once again, being killed in Iraq, Obama insists no service members are in combat.

But it would be healthy for the country, and the next president, to move beyond make-believe. There is no "quickly, quickly" defeating Islamist terrorism  and there is no safe way to retreat from the challenge of combating it for the long term.

Fred Hiatt is editorial page editor for the Washington Post.
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By Mark Davis

In a hazardous year for political predictions, I'll offer one confidently: If the Republicans currently freaking out over Donald Trump can redirect that energy toward beating Hillary Clinton, she's toast.

But that is a giant "if." Many conservatives need to examine what keeps them mired in their objections to Trump now that the Republican primary race is over.

During that race, it was proper to weigh his pluses and minuses versus the competition. Maybe his inconsistent conservatism made some people prefer Ted Cruz. Maybe his sharp edges made some lean toward Marco Rubio. Those are the battles of the months gone by.

But Cruz and the rest of the field are gone. The choice of Republican voters is Donald Trump, which yields two types of conservatives: those who can handle that, and those who cannot.

I can, and I will. Not because Trump is perfect; I expect him to annoy me with ideological and behavioral curveballs all the way to November, and perhaps beyond. But on balance, the issues where he resonates conservatively  stronger borders, lower taxes, rebuilding the military, ditching noxious political correctness and, most important, constitutionalist Supreme Court justices  make him the obvious choice for anyone claiming to favor conservative principles.

Yet it is "principles" that are flaunted by the malcontent faction of conservatives as they proudly crow how they could never vote for Trump, the only human being who can stop Hillary, who most of them have spent decades opposing.

What is it about him that melts their otherwise sharp minds? Any claim that the Clinton and Trump presidencies would be indistinguishable is evidence of a severe perceptual disorder. Yes, the prospect of his candidacy is filled with some very valid questions. But her questions are all answered, and from a conservative perspective, the answers are all horrible. The notion that he is no better on borders, job creation, gun rights and the Supreme Court is certifiably crazy.

Voters supporting other candidates are simply licking fresh wounds. Many followers of Cruz, Rubio, John Kasich, Jeb Bush and a dozen others still cannot believe they were dismantled by the F-5 tornado of Trump. Those voters, and the candidates themselves, will come to their senses if they have the slightest desire to prevent a Hillary presidency that will do violence to all, not just some, of their conservative beliefs.

And among establishment ivory tower types and the writers and talkers who have spent years espousing conservatism but who will now facilitate a Hillary presidency by failing to show preference for Trump? It's all about the comfort zone.

A second Clinton era would be a disaster, but it would be filled with predictable moments that would make conservatives look smart as they tick off several I-told-you-so moments on the way to the end of the America they once fought to protect.

A President Trump? They have no idea what he'll do, and it drives them insane. The so-called conservative intelligentsia has been bloodied by months of being wrong about virtually everything about his rise. They have zero interest in additional years of embarrassment as a Trump presidency churns out possibly surprising successes they did not allow themselves to see coming.

After the tantrums and third-party fantasies fade, conservatives with any remaining shred of coherence will settle onto the fact that the Trump candidacy, with all of its flaws they have dutifully listed, is infinitely preferable to the return of the Clintons.

Mark Davis hosts a radio show in Texas and is a special contributor to the Dallas Morning News. Contact him at markdavisshow@gmail.com.
You simply cannot do incident response and all the functions of a security operations center anymore without vendor operational support. That is a paraphrased version of what a colleague told me recently. At first, I raised my eyebrows; Im a huge believer in self-reliance. After more consideration, though, I saw more than a little truth in the statement.

A typical modern SOC covers numerous functions, including incident response, intrusion detection system (IDS) monitoring, threat hunting and threat intelligence. And thats pretty much the bare minimum. Of course, in smaller environments, some of those functions may well be handled by the same person, but the functions nonetheless need to be there. This is 2016, after all.

Almost all of the things found in a SOC  IDSs, security information and event management (SIEM), correlation and search tools, and a host of deeply technical tools such as disassemblers, decompilers, malware unpackers, etc.  require significant and fairly specialized tools. Clearly, youre going to have several vendors in that mix, though they may not be lending operational support.

Some of the tools require specialized training as well. Becoming proficient at things such as IDS and malware analysis is not something you can do by reading a vendors sales brochures. But again, tool training is a support element, albeit a vital one. What about operations?

In the past 15 to 20 years, a cadre of security operations companies has appeared, companies that provide everything from staff augmentation during major incidents to deeply specialized services such as malware reverse engineering. Even threat intelligence companies have popped up. These companies provide expert support from their teams of engineers who specialize in threat monitoring and analysis. They can be highly effective at providing actionable technical information that can save a SOC staff a great deal of effort.

So, yeah, I fully recognize there are companies out there that can offer enormously helpful services during times of crisis. But are they essential? Well, from firsthand observations of SOCs over the past five years, I cant think of a single one that doesnt have a dozen or so vendors on speed dial for operational support issues. Some of these arent used often, but when theyre needed, theyre really needed.

Put differently, you probably could build a top-notch SOC without operational support, but youd need expert-level-trained staff that span several highly technical functions, some of which youll only have occasional use for, in all likelihood. Even if you can afford to train and drill staff to that level of proficiency, youre likely to have an unacceptable staff turnover rate if your tech A team is sitting around twiddling their thumbs much of the time.

So my colleagues assertion seems pretty spot on. But it surely wasnt always the case that operational support in a SOC was as essential as it is today. That brings me to a bigger question. What has changed? Have the threats become so technically capable that theyre beating us, or have our support vendors evolved their services to the point that wed be fools to not make use of them?

We hear a lot about advanced persistent threats these days. Although Im not a fan of that term, its doubtless that the attacks, techniques and tools used by our adversaries today have kept pretty close pace with Moores Law. Compare the earliest rootkits we saw in the 1990s with todays malware, and its clear that things have advanced in a huge way. For example, analyzing the attackers tools requires a skill set that very few can muster.

To try to meet that level of threat, innovative and enterprising vendors have built services that can be huge time-savers. These include appliances that largely automate much of the labor needed to reverse engineer all but the most stubborn of malware. This allows SOCs to answer some of the most pressing questions accurately and rapidly  questions such as whether a piece of malware is targeted at them or if its just a general piece of malware. These are the things that can make a tremendous difference in deciding on the most appropriate course of action to take during a crisis.

So, what has changed? Id say that, collectively, both the malware-writing and -analyzing communities have advanced in a seemingly never-ending arms race of sorts. I see those two as more or less in parallel with one another.

And from those advances, a new generation of product and service vendors has been standing up to fill in voids and meet customer demands.

Lastly, you have to credit some of these capabilities to general advances in our computing and networking systems. A modern SIEM can consume and analyze oceans of data thanks to faster processing, cheap and fast storage, and so forth. The good guys and the bad guys alike benefit from that.

If you run a SOC today, youd be well advised to seek an array of vendors that can help you when you need it most. Waiting until an emergency could well be too late to be helpful.

With more than 20 years in the information security field, Kenneth van Wyk has worked at Carnegie Mellon University's CERT/CC, the U.S. Deptartment of Defense, Para-Protect and others. He has published two books on information security and is working on a third. He is the president and principal consultant at KRvW Associates LLC in Alexandria, Va.

This story, "Do we need vendor allies in the malware arms race?" was originally published by Computerworld .
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Orbital ATK, American aerospace developer is all set to assist NASA in exploring moon further. An Orbital ATK outpost will reportedly be orbiting the moon in next five years or so.

The outpost will be in place orbiting the moon in a mission to assist NASA when the spacecraft Orion arrives in 2021. The spacecraft which will be operated by a crew of four astronauts is said to be designed in such way that it could be reused on returning to earth.

The shape of the Orion spacecraft is reportedly the best for re-entry and though it is identical to its forebears it is quite larger than the one constructed before. With cathedral-like ceiling and a tight environment despite extra space the spacecraft will be able to accommodate around six space travellers, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

The Orbital ATK outpost made to assist the spacecraft was founded by the combined effort of Orbital Sciences Corporation and branches of Alliant Techsystems in 2015. With directions from NASA the lunar outpost was designed to orbit moon which could later be upgraded into full-fledged space research station.

"A lunar-orbit habitat will extend America's leadership in space to the cislunar domain. A robust program to build, launch and operate this initial outpost would be built on NASA's and our international partners' experience gained in long-duration human space flight on the International Space Station," said Frank Culbertson, president of Space Systems Group, reported Tech Times.

The collaboration between NASA and Orbital ATK has taken place in accordance with Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program. Establishing a space station could be another simple step towards NASA's huge mission of landing humans in Mars in 2030s.

"Astronauts on the orbiting laboratory are helping us prove many of the technologies and communications systems needed for human missions to deep space, including Mars. The space station also advances our understanding of how the body changes in space and how to protect astronaut health. Our next step is deep space, where NASA will send a robotic mission to capture and redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon," NASA officials report on their website.

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Climate change is in focus again, something tied up to the increase in sea ice over in Antarctica. Such was singled out by NASA using combined sea data on sea temperature, land form and ocean depth, providing a better explanation on the difference.

NASA eventually singled out the geology of the region and ties up the Southern Ocean as a reason as to why Antarctica as seen an increase in sea ice cover. The two geological factors that they singled out include topography of the regions as well as the ocean surrounding it which is influenced by winds and currents.

"Our study provides strong evidence that the behaviour of Antarctic sea ice is entirely consistent with the geophysical characteristics found in the southern polar region, which differ sharply from those present in the Arctic," said NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Son Nghiem.

It should be noted that sea ice floats on the ocean and extends and contracts annually. They usually reach their peak in September. While they eventually come to the point of reaching their max point at that time, decline should have occurred as early as February (by at least 17%).

To date, that has been somewhat altered though scientists have come up with theories tying it all up with Climate Change.

Scientists point out the hole in the ozone layer as one probability affecting the South Pole, covering winds and that are tied up with the atmosphere. Second is the water running off Antarctica which may contribute to the less salty waters surrounding it.

As far as the ice build-up in the Antarctic, winds are seen as the key factor to it and the one behind the enhanced thickness. The ice factories normally build up somewhere between 62 to 620 miles and usually protect thinner ice.

On the other hand, a better explanation as well was given on the melting ice over in the Arctic. The current conditions have apparently made it hard to create a shield and the thinner ice created is something that can be easily smashed by waves.

Add to that the fact that the Arctic Wind System (The Polar Express), pushes sea ice to warm currents that eventually ends up melting.

Given these developments, such is why climate change needs to be tackled. The Antractic and Antartic regions are just some of the occurrences that need attention but it will need the effort of everyone to make a difference.

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Nick Menza, the former drummer of Megadeth, died over the weekend after collapsing on stage alongside his new band, OHM. The group was performing at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California.

OHM was on its third song before Menza collapsed. Per TMZ, paramedics tried to revive him for 45 minutes before eventually transporting him to the hospital. He was declared dead on arrival.

"The group's bassist texted me last night after it happened," said OHM band manager Steve Bauer told CNN in an interview following word of Menzas demise. "We are all still in shock."

As to the cause of death, BBC reports that Menza suffered from a massive heart attack on stage. He is survived by his parents Don and Rose and two young sons.

He was scheduled to fly to my home in Cape Cod tomorrow so that we could finish the comic-book version of the book we wrote on his life, MenzaLife, both of which were slated for release late next month. This morning we are all too numb to think about anything but Nicks family, per the Megadeth website.

The unfortunate loss sees the passing of an iconic member who hit it big in the 90s. Megadeth was one of the Big Four bands at the time with the others being Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax.

Menza played with Megadeth for nine years and was part of the top albums like "Rust in Peace," "Youthanasia," and "Countdown to Extinction" which was the most commercially successful album that went as high as the number two spot in the US and number 5 in the UK.

Menza left Megadeth in 1998 after finding a tumor on his knee. He joined OHM just last year when the band lost David Eagle due to heart complications. With OHM, he also reunites with another former Megadeth member in guitaris Chris Poland.

Former Megadeth bandmate, guitarist Marty Friedman, also shared his sentiments on Menzas passing via Facebook.

"We all know the great and unique drummer that Nick Menza was, but he was also a trustworthy friend, a hilarious bandmate, as well as a very loving dad.

Friedman and Menza jammed on three of the formers albums in the 90s- Scenes, Introduction and True Obsessions. Menza also released a solo in 2002 with After Deth.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Call It A 'Coup': Leaked Transcripts Detail How Elite Orchestrated Overthrow In Brazil

By Lauren McCauley

24 May, 2016

CommonDreams.org

Confirming suspicions that the ouster of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff is, in fact, a coup designed to eradicate a wide corruption probe, Brazil's largest newspaper on Monday published damning evidence of a "national pact" between a top government official and oil executive.

It is unclear how Folha de Sao Paulo obtained the transcripts of the 75-minute phone conversation between the newly-installed Planning Minister Romero Juca, a senator at the time, and former oil executive Sergio Machado. But the discussion reportedly took place in March, just weeks before Brazil's lower House voted to impeach the democratically-elected Rousseff.

Both Juca and Machado were targets of an ongoing internal investigation known as Operation Car Wash, which sought to expose money laundering and corruption at the state-controlled oil company Petrobras, which allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for contracts.

The transcripts, according to Intercept reporting, reveals "explicit plotting" between the two, who "agree that removing Dilma is the only means for ending the corruption investigation," as well as reported collusion with some of Brazil's "most powerful national institutions," including officials in the military and Supreme Court.

Summarizing the report, Intercept journalists Glenn Greenwald, Andrew Fishman, and David Miranda write:

The crux of this plot is what Juca calls a national pact  involving all of Brazils most powerful institutions  to leave Michel Temer in place as President (notwithstanding his multiple corruption scandals) and to kill the corruption investigation once Dilma is removed. In the words of Folha, Juca made clear that impeachment will end the pressure from the media and other sectors to continue the Car Wash investigation.

Miranda, among others, had suspected that such a motive was behind the ouster. But on Monday he and his colleagues declared the transcripts were "proof that this had nothing to do with preserving Brazilian democracy and everything to do with destroying it."

And while the political crisis in Brazil has been widely reported in mainstream press as an "impeachment," Greenwald, Fishman, and Miranda argue that the new reporting gives ample credence for news outlets to refer to it as a "coup." Pointing to some of the most damning aspects of the transcripts, they write:

The transcripts contain two extraordinary revelations that should lead all media outlets to seriously consider whether they should call what took place in Brazil a coup: a term Dilma and her supporters have used for months. When discussing the plot to remove Dilma as a means of ending the Car Wash investigation, Juca said the Brazilian military is supporting the plot: I am talking to the generals, the military commanders. They are fine with this, they said they will guarantee it. He also said the military is monitoring the Landless Workers Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST)), the social movement of rural workers who support PTs efforts of land reform and inequality reduction and have led the protests against impeachment. The second blockbuster revelation  perhaps even more significant  is Jucas statement that he spoke with and secured the involvement of numerous justices on Brazils Supreme Court, the institution that impeachment defenders have repeatedly pointed to as vesting the process with legitimacy and to deny that Dilmas removal is a coup.

Juca on Monday confirmed the authenticity of the transcripts but said his comments were taken out of context.

Meanwhile, demonstrators camped outside the home of Interim President Temer after a protest on Sunday organized by Frente Povo Sem Medo, a coalition of Brazil's leftist movements.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License








Americans, A Conquered People: The New Serfs

By Paul Craig Roberts

24 May, 2016

Paulcraigroberts.org

As readers know, I have seen some optimism in voters support for Trump and Sanders as neither are members of the corrupt Republican and Democratic political establishments. Members of both political establishments enrich themselves by betraying the American people and serving only the interest of the One Percent. The American people are being driven into the ground purely for the sake of more mega-billions for a handful of super-rich people.

Neither political party is capable of doing anything whatsoever about it, and neither will.

The optimism that I see is that the publics support of outsiders is an indication that the insouciant public is waking up. But Americans will have to do more than wake up, as they cannot rescue themselves via the voting booth. In my opinion, the American people will remain serfs until they wake up to Revolution.

Today Americans exist as a conquered people. They have lost the Bill of Rights, the amendments to the Constitution that protect their liberty. Anyone, other than the One Percent and their political and legal servants, can be picked up without charges and detained indefinitely as during the Dark Ages, when government was unaccountable and no one had any rights. Only those with power were safe. In America today anyone not politically protected can be declared associated with terrorism and taken out by a Hellfire missile from a drone on the basis of a list of human targets drawn up by the presidents advisers. Due process, guaranteed by the US Constitution, no longer exists in the United States of America. Neither does the constitutional prohibition against the government spying on citizens without just cause and a court warrant. The First Amendment itself, whose importance was emphasized by our Founding Fathers by making it the First Amendment, is no longer protected by the corrupt Supreme Court. The Nine who comprise the Supreme Court, like the rest of the bought-and-paid-for-government, serve only the One Percent. Truth-tellers have become an enemy of the state. Whistleblowers are imprisoned despite their legal protection in US law.

The United States government has unaccountable power. Its power is not accountable to US statutory law, to international law, to the Congress, to the judiciary, to the American people, or to moral conscience. In the 21st century the war criminal US government has murdered, maimed, and dislocated millions of people based on lies and propaganda. Washington has destroyed seven countries in whole or part in order to enrich the American elite and comply with the neoconservative drive for US world hegemony.

Americans live in a propaganda-fabricated world in which a brutal police state is cloaked in nice words like freedom and democracy. Freedom and democracy is what Washingtons war machine brings with sanctions, bombs, no-fly zones, troops, and drones to countries that dare to cling to their independence from Washingtons hegemony.

Only two countries armed with strong military capability and nuclear weaponsRussia and Chinastand between Washington and Washingtons goal of hegemony over the entire world.

If Russia or China falter, the evil ensconced in Washington will rule the world. America will be the Anti-Christ. The predictions of the Christian Evangelicals preaching end times will take on new meaning.

Russia is vulnerable to becoming a vassal state of Washington. Despite a legion of betrayals by Washington, the Russian government has just proposed a joint US/Russia cooperation against terrorists.

One wonders if the Russian government will ever learn from experience. Has Washington cooperated with the agreement concerning Ukraine? Of course not. Has Washington cooperated in the investigation of MH-17? Of course not. Has Washington ceased its propaganda about a Russian invasion of Crimera and Ukraine? Of course not. Has Washington kept any agreement previous US governments made with Russia? Of course not.

So why does the Russian government think Washington would keep any agreement about a joint effort against terrorism?

The Russian government and the Russian people are so unaware of the danger that they face from Washington that they let foreigners control 20 percent of their media! Is Russia unaware that Washington has Russia slated for vassalage or destruction?

China is even more absurd. According to the Chinese government itself, China has 7,000

foreign-financed NGOs operating in China! Foreign financed NGOs are what Washington used to destabilize Ukraine and overthrow the elected government.

What does the Chinese government think these NGOs are doing other than destabilizing China?

Both Russia and China are infected with Western worship that creates a vulnerability that Washington can exploit. Delusions can result in inadequate response to threat.

All of Europe, both western, eastern and southern, the British Pacific such as Australia and New Zealand, Japan and other parts of Asia are vassal states of Washingtons Empire. None of these allegedly sovereign countries have an independent voice or an independent foreign or economic policy. All of Latin America is subject to Washingtons control. No reformist government in Latin America has ever survived Washingtons disapproval of putting the interests of the domestic populations ahead of American corporate and financial profits. Already this year

Washington has overthrown the female presidents of Argentina and Brazil. Washington is currently in the process of overthrowing the government in Venezuela, with Ecuador and Bolivia waiting in the wings. In 2009 Killary Clinton and Obama overthrew the government of Honduras, an old Washington habit.

As Washington pays the UNs bills, the UN is compliant. No hand is ever raised against Washington. So why does anyone on the face of the earth think that an American election can change anything or mean anything?

We know that Killary is a liar, a crook, an agent for the One Percent, and a warmonger. Lets now look at Trump.

Are there grounds for optimism about Trump? In the West news reporting is propaganda, so it is difficult to know. Moreover, we do know that, at least initially, the response of the Republican Establishment to Trump is to demonize him, so we do not know the veracity of the news reports about Trump.

Without belaboring the issue, two news reports struck me. One is the Washington Post report that the Zionist multi-billionaire US casino owner Sheldon Adelson has endorsed Donald Trump for President. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sheldon-adelson-i-endorse-donald-trump-for-president/2016/05/12/ea89d7f0-17a0-11e6-aa55-670cabef46e0_story.html

Other reports say that Adelson has mentioned as much as $100 million as his political campaign contribution to Trump.

Anyone who gives a political campaign $100 million dollars expect something in exchange, and the recipient is obligated to provide whatever is desired. So are we witnessing the purchase of Donald Trump? The initial Republican response to Trump, encouraged by the crazed neoconservatives, was to abandon the Republican candidate and to vote for Killary.

Is Adelsons endorsement a signal that Trump can be bought and brought into the establishment?

Additional evidence that Trump has sold out his naive supporters is his latest statement that Wall Street should be deregulated: https://ourfuture.org/20160519/populist-trump-wants-to-deregulate-wall-street

It is extraordinary that Trumps advisers have not told him that Wall Street was deregulated back in the 20th century during the Clinton regime. The repeal of Glass-Steagall deregulated Wall Street. One source of the 2008 financial crisis is the deregulated derivative market. When Brooksley Born attempted to fulfill the responsibility of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and regulate over-the-counter derivatives, she was blocked by the Federal Reserve, the US Treasury, the SEC, and the US Congress.

Nothing has been done to correct the massive mistake of financial deregulation. The Dodd-Frank legislation did not correct the massive financial concentration that produced banks too big to fail, and the legislation did not stop Wall Streets reckless casino gambling with the US economy. Yet Trump says he will dismantle even the weak Dodd-Frank restrictions.

The American print and TV media are so corrupt that these reports could be false stories, the purpose of which is to demoralize Trumps supporters. On the other hand, should we be surprised if a billionaire aligns with the One Percent?

Elections are an unlikely means of restoring government that is accountable to the people rather than to the One Percent. Even if Trump is legitimate, he does not have the experience in foreign and economic affairs to know who to appoint to his government in order to implement change. Moreover, even if he knew, unless Trump candidates also replace the Senate, Trump could not get his choices confirmed by a Senate accountable only to the One Percent.

Americans are a conquered people. We see this in the appeal from RootsAction to the rest of the world to come to the aid of the American people. Unable to stop the lawlessness of their own democratic government, Americans plea for help from abroad: http://act.rootsaction.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12247

The plea from RootsAction indicates that committed activists now acknowledge that change in America cannot be produced by elections or be achieved internally through peaceful means.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West, How America Was Lost, and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order.












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By Staff Report

Nine accused gang members were arrested during a "warrant roundup" initiated by a slew of area law enforcement agencies on Monday.

The Evansville Police Department Gang Unit, SWAT, the Joint Narcotics Task Force, Crime Prevention Unit, in conjunction with the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office, issued perjury warrants for nine people. The arrests arose from a grand jury investigation into alleged gang activity, according to a Evansville police news release.

Arrested on felony charges were: Kalib Scott Powell, 22; Darnell Odell Holmes, 29; Darian Steven Duncan, 20; and Stanley Morgan Jr. DOB, 39.

Five others were arrested on misdemeanor charges. They are: Marcus Larone Green, 26; Tyson Lamont Hooks, 40; Darionte Deshawn Logan, 20; Donald Xavier Freels, 22; and Prince Charles Jones, 19.

Officers and detectives are still searching for several others who have outstanding warrants, according to the news release.

The grand jury hearings, which the Courier & Press covered in March, were aimed at curbing violent gang activity. The grand jury indicted six people in March, and prosecutor Nicholas Hermann said then that he believes authorities have a tool that can be used to "get into the heart of these gangs." He said he'd like to use grand jury hearings again.

The number of gangs in Evansville is fluid. Most are loosely organized groups only active at the local level, police have previously told the Courier & Press. But those groups, often made up of teens and people in their early 20s, are responsible for a disproportionate number of the city's crimes and much of the local violence involving guns.

On Friday, two-time political candidate Henrietta Jenkins organized an event in which alleged gang members  all of whom present disputed the term "gang"  urged an end to gun violence in the city.

A previously publicized 30-day truce is between members of the Savage Life and the 300 Wagg Block, two of the city's most notorious groups that have been active in recent years.
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By Madeline Buckley, USA TODAY NETWORK Indianapolis Star

Susan Jordan has posthumously received one of Indiana's highest civilian honors after she was struck and killed in January by a school bus while she pushed students to safety.

But Gov. Mike Pence said in a statement that he bestowed the longtime educator with the Sagamore of the Wabash for her lifelong dedication to education that preceded her last act.

Pence presented the award to Jordan's daughters, Lisa Jankowski and Amy Dinwiddie, and brother Bob Kelley, in a private ceremony Monday attended by family and friends.

Jordan, the 69-year-old principal of Amy Beverland Elementary in Lawrence Township, died on Jan. 26 when a school bus jumped a curb at the elementary school during dismissal. The bus driver, who prosecutors decided not to charge, told police Jordan pushed students out of the way as the bus struck her. Two students were injured in the crash.

The death stunned students, parents, faculty and staff, who said Jordan was a dedicated educator who had a knack for remembering the names of all the students in her school.

Susan Jordan, whose maiden name is Kelley, is an Evansville native. Her brother, Bob Kelley, said his sister attended Plaza Park, and after the family briefly relocated to Pennsylvania, they returned to Evansville, where Susan was part of the second graduating class at Harrison High School  the Class of 1964.

Kelley said she went on to graduate from the University of Evansville.

Her career started as a physical education teacher at Baker School, Kelley said, which was located near Baker Avenue and Main Street in Evansville. It was demolished around 1976. In the early 1970s, she moved to Indianapolis, where she continued teaching physical education before serving as a guidance counselor and then settling into a principal position.

Bob Kelley said his sister loved her job.

"She was a very kind person," Kelley he told the Courier & Press in January. "She was very considerate of others. She was very precise. She always wanted all of the i's dotted and t's crossed."

Pence said that dedication to her students, as well as her heroism, led to her award.

"This honor was not earned only by her heroic actions that January day, but for a lifetime dedicated to education and to students," Pence said in the statement. "Principal Susan Jordan loved her job, her school and her students. On that fateful day, circumstances were set into motion, and a hero was beckoned. Principal Susan Jordan answered the call, and she saved the lives of those students charged to her responsibility. There is no greater love than that."

The Sagamore of the Wabash was established in the 1940s by Gov. Ralph Gates. Since then, each governor has given the award in different ways.

Most recently, Pence in April presented the award to Mickey Deputy, a Franklin teenager with Down syndrome who is pursuing her dream to be named Miss America.

Other notable recipients include Ryan White, David Letterman and NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon.
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The Indiana Department of Education announced the 2014-15 Four Star Schools on Tuesday. To achieve this designation, a school must be in the top 25 percent of schools in two ISTEP-based categories. Additionally, a qualifying school must have earned the highest designation in the state's accountability system and be accredited by the Indiana Department of Education.

A total of 287 schools received the award throughout the state.

Locally, the Four Star Schools are:

Flaget Elementary School, Vincennes

Good Shepherd School, Evansville

Mater Dei High School, Evansville

Precious Blood School, Jasper

Memorial High School, Evansville

Resurrection School, Evansville

Saint Wendel School, Wadesville

St Philip School, Mount Vernon

Evansville Christian School, Evansville

Evansville Day School, Evansville

Oak Hill Elementary, Evansville

Scott Elementary School, Evansville

Ireland Elementary School, Ireland

Jasper High School, Jasper

North Posey High School, Poseyville

South Terrace Elementary School, Wadesville

Lincoln Trail Elementary School, Lamar

Nancy Hanks Elementary School, Ferdinand

Signature School, Evansville

Gibson Southern High School, Fort Branch

South Knox Elementary School, Vincennes

Cedar Crest Intermediate School, Huntingburg

Ferdinand Elementary School, Ferdinand

Forest Park Jr.-Sr. High School, Ferdinand

Pine Ridge Elementary School, Birdseye

Holland Elementary School, Holland

Castle North Middle School, Newburgh

Castle South Middle School, Newburgh

John H Castle Elementary School, Newburgh

Sharon Elementary School, Newburgh
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By Zach Osowski, zach.osowski@courierpress.com

INDIANAPOLIS  Six months. That's how much time members of the ISTEP replacement committee have to come up with a new statewide assessment program. It's a time frame education experts think might be tight for creating a totally new test.

The Indiana Legislature wants the official recommendation from the committee, which held its first meeting Tuesday, on Dec. 1. That recommendation would then need to be vetted, approved, funded and put through field tests before being rolled out for the 2017-18 school year.

Marianne Perie, director of the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation at the University of Kansas, was invited to speak to the panel about creating an assessment. Perie said the process to make a good test takes two years.

That means the committee might have to look at an "off-the-shelf" test  one that already has been created and is ready to use. Another option would be extending the life of ISTEP by another year if time becomes a factor. Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, a committee member and chairman of the House Education Committee, said extending the phase-out period for ISTEP is a possibility.

Tuesday's meeting for the 23-member panel laid the groundwork for going forward by going over how to create a balanced assessment, how the current ISTEP testing program works and how the new federal guidelines from the Every Student Succeeds Act are going to play a role.

The longest presentation came from Perie, who has helped several states create new assessments. She said the committee needed to decide early what the purpose of the assessment is going to be. She said the purpose can be a number of things from using the assessment to sort schools to providing instructional feedback to students. Perie stressed that the panel pick one purpose and stick with it when making the test.

"An assessment purporting to serve multiple purposes serves no purpose well," Perie said.

She also talked about the balance between length of test and the reliability of a test. She said the more questions there are on a test, the more accurate at gauging students, teachers and schools it will be. But long tests are generally more expensive and disrupt classroom time, two things Indiana students, parents and teachers dislike about the current ISTEP.

Perie said it is possible to have a single assessment that could accurately grade students, teachers and schools but said it would be a "very, very, very long test."

Michele Walker, director of the Indiana Department of Education's office of student assessment, said the ISTEP currently takes six to eight hours to complete, depending on grade level. The test is spread out over a few days.

"That's something we'd like to cut down as we move forward," Walker said.

No date has been set for the panel's next meeting.
By John Martin of the Courier and Press

Hafer  an architecture and design firm in Evansville  will continue to shepherd plans to reshape the terminal at Evansville Regional Airport.

The airport's board on Monday approved a continuing service agreement with Hafer to help orchestrate various projects at the terminal, including the planned relocation of its passenger security area.

EVV currently has two security check lines, but the Transportation Security Administration has asked for those be consolidated, said Jeff Justice, president of Hafer. The plans could involve remaking the airport's restaurant in a way that would allow entrances from both the secure and nonsecure areas.

Along with those major projects, Hafer also will explore "aesthetic improvements and upgrades to a terminal that hasn't had a whole lot done to it," Justice said.

The terminal upgrade is expected to cost about $10 million. The funds will come from a variety of sources, including $5 million from the Regional Cities grant awarded to Southwestern Indiana.

Also Monday, the airport board was reminded that Allegiant's flights from EVV to Orlando Sanford International Airport in Central Florida will begin June 2.

"Bookings are meeting Allegiant's expectations," said Leslie Fella, EVV director of marketing and air service development. "While we have not been exposed to the actual numbers, we are staying in close communications with Allegiant regarding the booking trends and status."

The airport board welcomed a new member, Gretchen Muchnick, vice president of F.C. Tucker Emge Realtors, where she has worked since 2006. Muchnick oversees the company's marketing and branding efforts, marketing tools for real estate agents and the company's information technology department.

The Purdue University graduate worked for Proctor & Gamble Company in Cincinnati before joining Tucker.
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By Cole Claybourn of the Courier and Press

The Toyota manufacturing plant in Princeton is turning 20.

To celebrate, company executives will join state and local officials for a ceremony at the factory's visitors center at 1:30 p.m. CDT Wednesday.

Norm Bafunno, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana president, credited employees for the plant's longevity.

"Attention to product quality, reliability and safety, those are the details that our team members focus on each and every day," Bafunno said. "When people think that way, and have that ownership, it leads to a tremendous foundation of success."

Construction on the plant began in May 1996 and Toyota spent about $1.2 billion on the facility by the time it started production of full-size Tundra pickup trucks in late 1998, according to the Associated Press.

The plant now employs 5,000 people, and the company says it has produced 4.3 million vehicles, including Highlanders, Siennas, Sequoias and Tundras. Toyota has expanded the plant several times, most recently with a $100 million project announced in 2014 to boost Highlander production.

Karen Johnston, assistant manager for external affairs, said the Princeton plant has contributed $1.7 billion in payroll over the last 20 years.

Wednesday's celebration will include a short presentation and a vehicle giveaway to two local nonprofit organizations  one from Vanderburgh County and one from Gibson County.

Johnston said Wednesday's celebration is made possible by both Toyota's team members and customers.

"For the past 20 years, our team members have been the back bone of our plant," she said. "Without their commitment to quality and safety, we wouldn't be where we are today.

"We have to thank our customers as well. Without either, we wouldn't grow and we wouldn't have a great future."

Since groundbreaking, the plant has garnered 29 top vehicle picks by Consumer Reports, 11 J.D. Power Initial Quality Awards and 16 Vehicle Dependability Awards. Toyota says it's donated $23 million to area groups and its team members have donated 265,000 volunteer hours.
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By Jill Disis, USA TODAY NETWORK The Indianapolis Star

The fate of a Northern Indiana woman sentenced to serve 20 years in prison in connection with her own miscarriage is now in the hands of the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Attorneys for Purvi Patel sought Monday to overturn her 2015 convictions of feticide and neglect of a dependent. While the state's interpretation of its feticide law has drawn national interest in the case, Monday's hearing heavily focused on the evidence used to secure Patel's convictions, including whether the prosecution sufficiently proved that the Granger woman knew her child had been born alive.

According to court documents, Patel sought medical help at St. Joseph Hospital in July 2013 after delivering a child at home. When pressed by doctors about her condition, Patel told them she had delivered a stillborn child and discarded the body in a Dumpster.

Prosecutors, however, alleged at trial that Patel had ordered abortifacients online, and that her child was born alive.

On Monday, Patel's attorney, Lawrence Marshall, outlined his case for appeal.

"The evidence in this case was not there whatsoever," Marshall said. "Not a single expert ever said  in any sort of declarative way  that yes, this infant would have survived had Ms. Patel done differently."

Critics of Patel's convictions argue that the feticide charge was never intended to be used against a pregnant woman, but was instead meant to punish illegal abortion providers. Patel was the first Indiana woman to be convicted of feticide in connection with her own miscarriage.

Patel's attorney, Marshall, lambasted the state's use of the feticide statute in court. He said the law has no role in criminalizing unlawful abortion and never should have been applied in Patel's case.

Marshall also took issue with the prosecution's case for neglect, which he said they failed to make at trial. The state, he said, never asked its experts if his client's child would have made any noise or shown any visible signs of life that would signal to Patel that the baby was not stillborn. Nor did prosecutors ever present any evidence that the baby, born several weeks prematurely, would have survived if taken to a hospital, he added.

But the three-judge panel questioned Marshall about the importance of the child's survival as a factor in the case.

"What we're looking at is like a murder," Judge Nancy Vaidik said. "Someone is about ready to die of cancer, and someone shoots them. That person is guilty of murder. I mean, we don't say, 'Oh, they only had another five hours to live.' And that's what I'm struggling with."

The state, meanwhile, said the evidence presented at Patel's 2015 criminal trial was enough to support her convictions. Patel's actions fell within the scope of Indiana's feticide law, argued Deputy Attorney General Ellen Meilaender.

"It's the defendant's failure to seek medical treatment, to provide that care for the baby, that led to all of the things that resulted in the baby's death," Meilaender said, citing trial testimony from doctors that the child's heart was beating and that it had taken a breath. "The jury could reasonably infer that somebody who was holding a live baby in her hands would be aware that it was alive."

But the judges pressed Meilaender repeatedly about what evidence proved Patel's awareness of the child's condition  an issue they said was a crucial component of the appeal.

Said Vaidik: "This is what the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt: that she knew that this baby was breathing and alive."

Though Patel's attorneys previously argued in court documents that many of the most contentious issues raised by the case did not need to factor into her appeal, the judges on Monday seemed unafraid to wade into discussion about Indiana's decades-old feticide law, and whether its use in Patel's case could leave other pregnant women at risk for prosecution.

They questioned whether a pregnant woman's use of seemingly harmful substances could leave her open to a similar scenario should something go wrong.

"One pack of cigarettes a day, or a fifth of whiskey a day?" Judge L. Mark Bailey asked. "I mean, what is it that we're going to start prosecuting here?"

It's unclear when the panel will deliver its ruling or what that decision may look like. But legal experts and national women's advocacy groups say they're keeping a close watch on Patel's case.

"It's hard to tell which way the case is going to go," said Lisa Sangoi, an attorney with the National Advocates for Pregnant Women who was one of dozens of people to attend the hearing in Downtown Indianapolis. "But what we do know is that the people of Indiana, and the Indiana state legislature, has not permitted the punishment ... of women for having attempted abortions under the feticide law. So we are certainly hopeful this court will take the lower court to task."

Marshall declined to comment after the hearing. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller released a written statement that reiterated the state's arguments for upholding Patel's convictions.

"This case involved an emotional subject for many," Zoeller said. "The state's position remains that the St. Joseph County prosecutor and the trial court acted within their discretion under this tragic set of circumstances."
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Just a reminder that the cargo is very likely explosive.

We can't, because that seriously does make it sound like small cities full of action movie plot devices are being operated by angry zombies. We're also starting to think that all those run-over animals might not have been accidents. Rick continues, "Because of this job, I've missed out on every first with my daughter as she's grown up. I get to tuck her into bed and read her a story one night a week. I make good money, but I don't have a good family life."

The bottom line is that Rick often feels overworked, tired, and (justifiably) pissed off while transporting WMDs. So, out of curiosity: Where is the geographically farthest point from any major freight train lines?

alexkuehni/iStock/Getty Images

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This'll do. Until they get working WMDs.

We kid, but it is true that it doesn't take that much to derail a train. "In February 2014, there was this kid (they never found him) who put a broken knuckle from a coupler on the tracks." That is, some stranger placed a piece of scrap metal on the train tracks because they were, and presumably still are, a piece of shit. Normally, the cow catcher on the front (which, given everything we now know about freight trains, is a huge misnomer) would push debris off the rail, or at the very least the wheel would push it off. But for some reason, this big hunk of steel went under the catcher and the wheels.
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When the Europa 2 sets sail to the South Sea islands in November and December this year, Olympic champion Maria Hofl-Riesch will be onboard to train one-to-one with guests, according to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. She has developed the BE.YOU. fitness concept exclusively for the cruise line. Top chef Michael Hoffmann is also onboard this South Sea adventure.

The Europa 2 begins its journey through the Panama Canal, which is approximately 80 km (49 mi.) long, before turning towards French Polynesia.

The holistic BE.YOU. fitness concept starts with an analysis of personal physical performance and is adapted individually to the results.

The South Sea winter 2016 cruise is one of the chosen routes when Hofl-Riesch will guide training sessions personally.

Alongside sporting challenges with the famous trainer, the cruise guests will be treated to culinary delights. Chef Hoffmann will also be joining guests o board.

Best known as the former CEO and proprietor of the restaurant Margaux in Berlin (2003  2014), Hoffmann uses his vegetarian cuisine to set new standards in terms of the sustainability and ethics of cooking. On the route from Colon to Tahiti, Hoffmann will host a culinary school to offer guests an exclusive insight into his concepts, whilst presenting them with the opportunity to prepare dishes with him. Michael Hoffmann is already familiar with the EUROPA 2  together with his team of chefs, he developed a vegetarian menu for the luxury ship.








Vladivostok, Russia, welcomed the Costa Victoria for the first time on May 18. It was the maiden call for the ship to the Russian port, with the ship part of a unique itinerary calling in Japan and South Korea as well.

Vladivostok Sea Terminal, the port operator, organized a welcome ceremony featuring national dances, songs and bands pierside.



Onboard, port officials exchanged traditional gifts with the ships officers.
The Apollo Group has been contracted for the TUI Discovery to provide the entire hotel product aboard, from administration to food preparation and serving, housekeeping, provisioning and crewing, Philippe Faucher, vice president of European operations and global development fro Apollo, told Cruise Industry News.

Speaking from the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, Faucher said Apollo was assisting in the refit of the Discovery, formerly the Splendour of the Seas.

This is a really exciting project, he said. We are contributing to the product overhaul, from changing uniforms to a more modern and contemporary look, more trendy food and more modern and international service.

He said that Apollo can draw on a network of loyal and dedicated crewing agents across the globe to provide top notch talent. The company also has a training program that immerses new recruits into the clients environment and has expanded its top tier management to maintain a structured and processed approach to growth.

In addition to managing the Discovery for Thomson Cruises, Apollo is managing the Celebration and the Dream for the UK brand. The company is also servicing six vessels for Oceania Cruises and four for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, with about 6,000 crew members, thus operating across different market segment and passenger demographics.

We have the ability to move rapidly as we are a small nucleus of decision makers and can adapt and enhance according to clients requests, Faucher said.

We always look out for the interest of our clients; their success is our success. We are very good listeners and have a pool of experienced professionals dedicated to our clients and delivering a continuously evolving product.
Metro Ports announced the appointment of Geir-Eilif Kalhagen to the newly created position of director of Northern California and Pacific Northwest, which combines operational and business development responsibilities.

Kalhagen joined Metro Ports on May 23 and will focus efforts on business development, acquisitions and growth in the region. His experience in the region will allow Metro to grow markets and services through terminal expansion and stevedoring. Additionally, Kalhagen will have operational responsibility with a particular emphasis on ensuring that new operations are designed to meet the goals of the expanded opportunities. He reports to Mike Ferguson, Metro Ports president, and is domiciled in Stockton, Calif.

Kalhagen brings more than 30 years of experience in maritime commerce, supply chain management and executive leadership to the position. Previous positions include serving as the chief executive officer at the Port of Longview, Wash., general manager of Tidal Transport and Trading, Star Shipping manager of operations SE Asia/USWC and Stevedoring Services of America operations management. Kalhagens breadth of operational experience includes Europe, Asia and North America.

Kalhagen holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Oregon and a bachelors degree in philosophy and political science from the University of South Alabama. He has served as the first vice president for the International Association of Ports and Harbors, is a member of the Freight Task Force for the American Association of Port Authorities and has served as the vice chair for the Washington State Ports Transportation Committee.
The long answer is more complex, but security vendor Trustwave offered some insights in its 2016 Trustwave Global Security Report, which was released last month.

"Criminals are getting a lot savvier," says Karl Sigler, Trustwave's threat intelligence manager. "We're seeing their tactics changing a little bit."

New bad news

In the study, Trustwave found that compromises affecting corporate and internal networks hit 40 percent in 2015, up from 18 percent from the year before.

"Criminals are discovering that if they can get themselves embedded into a corporate network, there's a wealth of monetizable data in those networks," says Sigler. This could also be a result of what he calls a "drastic decline" in the rate of point-of-sale breaches, which dropped by 18 percentage points from 2014 to 2015, according to the study. "Criminals don't go away. They just shift targets," he says.

The study also found a major jump in the use of malvertising. For example, 90 percent of traffic to the RIG exploit kit, which was the third most popular kit in 2015, came from malicious advertisements.

"Criminals have really embedded themselves in the advertising network," Sigler says. "It's an economical way to push their exploits to a much larger audience than they would through a compromised website or by sending social engineering emails out to a lot of people."

[Related: Quarter of firms can't tell how hackers get in]

Two other reasons for the spread of malware in advertising include the complexity of ad networks and a lack of accountability, says Jonathan Voris, an assistant professor of computer science at the New York Institute of Technology. When a user visits an ad-sponsored site, "at least a dozen different websites are contacted in order to serve up that advertising content," he says. That creates a lot of points of entry for hackers, who also exploit the fact that no one is sure who should take responsibility for malware being put on a user's computer: Is it the website owner? The ad network? The computer owner? "The person who is running the website has to make an awfully large effort to vet all those content providers who are going to generate those ads," he says. "Some websites might say it's not their responsibility."

Spam trends

On the spam front, the volume of unwanted email touting pharmaceutical products is down, though its still the most prevalent type of spam. In 2014, ads pushing pills accounted for almost three-quarters of all spam messages, according to last year's Trustwave report. In 2015, that figure dropped to 39 percent. Thats a significant drop, but Trustwaves data indicates that spam related to online dating sites and adult products is filling the void. Email dealing with those topics accounted for 30 percent of all spam in 2015, up from 6 percent in 2014.

Voris says the changes in spam subject matter could be due to improvements in the ability of spam filters to root out pharmaceutical spam. Also, trends change. "Buying drugs online was a new field maybe 10 to 15 years ago," he says. "Now online dating is a huge industry, and it's something a lot of people are involved in. . . . It makes sense [that hackers] have moved on to current trends."

Some things never change

The geographic distribution of attacks doesnt seem to have shifted much from 2014 to 2015. Most of the activity is still in this part of the world: 35 percent of the data breach investigations Trustwave conducted last year were in North America, with 21 percent in the Asia-Pacific region, 12 percent in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and 10 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean.

[Related: 5 security experts share their best tips for fringe devices]

The attacks and targets stay in North America, particularly the U.S., because the country has "a lot of businesses and organizations that are very juicy targets for individuals, Sigler says. Moreover, connectivity and available bandwidth still make us a very very important target for criminals." he adds.

Attacks in Latin America are on the rise  though just by "a little bit," says Sigler  "as those countries become more connected and business are becoming more profitable."

The good news

Trustwaves report does contain some good news: Self-detection of compromises rose from 19 percent to 41 percent. "That large jump shows you that organizations are starting to do things correctly. They're not just earmarking security as [a secondary concern delegated to] their IT departments. They're actually paying attention, and paying attention in a really important fashion," says Sigler. Still, 41 percent is not a majority, and Sigler says he hopes to see a majority of organizations detecting breaches on their own in the future, because the sooner a company detects a compromise, the sooner it can "contain the damage."

Ultimately, sticking to the security basics will go a long way toward keeping your systems safe, Sigler says. Even though attackers are savvy and getting savvier, if you set up firewalls and make sure youre properly logging and monitoring your systems, your organization will rise above the "low-hanging fruits and easy targets criminals tend to target," he says. "It's not sexy, but a lot of organizations aren't even doing that much."

This story, "What are hackers up to these days?" was originally published by CIO .
BRIDGEPORT - A 15-year-old girl, who fled state of Massachusetts custody after police there rescued her from a sex trafficking ring, has been recovered here.

Police said the girl was found riding with two teenagers from Danielson in a car reported stolen in Rhode Island.
Ecuador thanks Cuba for aid after quake

Submitted by: Juana

Central America

Politics and Government

05 / 24 / 2016



The Republic of Ecuador thanked the Henry Reeve Contingent and the Cuban Medical Brigade for the immediate help they gave after the earthquake that hit that South American nation last April 16.

According to Wilmer Rodriguez, correspondent of Cuban Television, Ambassador Rafael Daussa Cespedes read the document to the member of the Henry Reeve brigade, which specializes in disasters and serious epidemics that were sent to the Pacific area, the most battered by the quake that killed over 650 people.

The brigade arrived 45 days ago. Till today, they have treated over 6 thousand people, performed over 400 surgeries, and rehabilitated some 200.
Pa. is about to vote. Here's what to know about voting and ballot access in 2022
Takeaways from the DeSantis-Crist debate

Democrat Charlie Crist came out swinging against Republican incumbent Ron DeSantis in the only televised debate in the Florida gubernatorial race.
The power suit has moved out of the office and onto the street in a variety of colours with the celebrity support of Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett.

by Damien Woolnough
Many years ago, back when schools still took religious education seriously, I had to learn the ten plagues of Egypt for a test.

Remember them? Frogs, boils, locusts, darkness covering the earth, and all the rest of it?

All because Pharaoh  an unelected bureaucrat if ever there was one  refused to let the Jews go back to Israel and run their own affairs. Jexit, you might call it.

I used to think the ten plagues were bad enough. But they seem positively trifling compared with the apocalyptic warnings from our nations politicians in the past few days.

A good example came yesterday in, of all places, a branch of B&Q, where David Cameron and George Osborne were in extraordinarily bloodcurdling form.

David Cameron, left, and George Osborne, right, have been accused of making 'bloodcurdling' apocalyptic predictions about the UK's future outside of the EU

The Chancellor claimed that his team had produced two scenarios for the British economy after Brexit.

One was the shock scenario, with Britain plunged into a year-long recession and economic growth slashed by 3 per cent.

But if that sounds bad, the other was even worse: severe shock, with growth falling by a staggering 6 per cent and almost one million jobs disappearing overnight.

Mr Osborne did not mention frogs and boils. Presumably, he is keeping them up his sleeve for some future occasion.

But Mr Cameron struck a suitably Old Testament note, warning that Britain would self-destruct unless voters followed his advice to stay in the EU.

Ludicrously apocalyptic warnings of this kind have become ten a penny since the referendum campaign began in earnest.

On Sunday, the former bosses of Tesco, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer and B&Q claimed a vote to leave the EU would mean higher prices, fewer jobs and a plunging pound.

On the same day, the former Labour Chancellor, Alistair Darling, weighed in, too, claiming Brexit would cost the ordinary voter nearly 150,000 over a lifetime  a figure he appeared to have plucked entirely out of the air.

Anything else? Oh, yes. House prices would fall by the oddly specific figure of 18 per cent, added Mr Osborne in another intervention.

Even the head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, popped up with the cheery news that Brexit would be terrible for the health service, risking the lives of some 30,000 cancer patients and jeopardising mental health care.

How can they all know? How, given how rapidly the international situation is changing, can they be so sure?

The answer, of course, is that they are making it up.

Now, as it happens, I actually think we should stay in the EU. I know it has its flaws, but I think well probably be stronger and more prosperous if we stay and fight for Britains interests, rather than going it alone.

Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, pictured, said Brexit would be 'terrible' and jeopardise health care

But if there is one thing that tempts to me to vote to leave, it is the cynical scaremongering of the Remain campaign.

I realise, of course, politicians always pick and choose facts to win elections. Theres nothing wrong with that.

Even so, I think that the current referendum campaign has marked a new low in our national political discourse, with one exaggerated warning piled on to another in what Boris Johnson  himself no stranger to dishonesty, I might add  would probably call an inverted pyramid of piffle.

Mr Camerons reincarnation as an Old Testament prophet is particularly disingenuous.

Only a few months ago, he was insisting that, unless Brussels gave him the deal he wanted, he would be campaigning for Britain to leave the EU.

Yet now, he tells us that Remain has not only the best case, but the only moral case.

In his more lurid moments, the Prime Minister has even claimed that Brexit would not merely send Britain into recession, it would plunge Europe into war and could spark genocide.

If that is, indeed, the case  which surely no sane person believes  then why on earth did Mr Cameron call the referendum in the first place?

And if the choice is so clear-cut, why did he bother with the farce of his non-existent deal with his fellow EU leaders?

The truth, surely, is that Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne were never interested in having a genuinely open debate.

That explains why, as soon as the campaign began, they were so quick to bombard voters with exaggerated warnings from their City friends.

Indeed, it emerged last week that even before Mr Cameron had secured his much-touted deal, he had enlisted one Rupert Soames, chief executive of the services company Serco, which has signed gigantic government contracts, to line up support in the City.

Mr Soames  the grandson of Winston Churchill, no less  has been encouraging City firms to mention Brexit as a serious economic risk in their annual reports, hoping that this will help to frighten floating voters into voting Remain.

Call me naive if you like, but I find the sheer cynicism of all this simply breath-taking.

But then, the Leave campaign has been no better.

To take a small but telling example, the Leave campaign consistently claims that Britain pays the EU a whopping 350 million a week. But as their spokesmen must surely know, this is simply not true.

In fact, when Britains rebate and other deductions are taken into account, our weekly EU bill is closer to 161 million, and even that includes a lot of development aid.

So why on earth dont they just tell the truth? After all, 161 million a week is still a lot of money.

It says something about the tone of this referendum that one of the Leave campaigns most respected supporters, the independent-minded Tory MP Dr Sarah Wollaston, is refusing to hand out her own sides leaflet about the possible effects on the NHS because it is simply dishonest.

According to the leaflet, Brexit would allow Britain to spend an extra 350 million every week (that figure again!) on the Health Service.

But as Dr Wollaston, a former GP, wrote yesterday, this is just not true. Her own campaign, she added wearily, should stop treating the public like fools.

Then, of course, there was Boris himself, sparking a huge row last week by throwing Hitlers name into the mix, saying the EU wants a superstate, just as the Fuhrer did.

The absurdly shrill and sanctimonious response of his opponents only served to make the whole debate even more febrile.

Havent politicians always been like this, you may ask?

Well, Ive been writing about them for years  and as a historian, Ive researched centuries of political discourse.

And I dont ever remember a time when the rhetoric was so hyperbolic and irresponsible.

Dominic Sandbrook asks whether our politicians are any better than Donald Trump, pictured, and his 'cavalier' approach to the truth during his election campaign

You might think the two warring sides went overboard in this way in 1975, when Britain held a referendum on the Common Market.

But the tone was very different then. Ive been studying some of the literature from that campaign, and the contrast with today could hardly have been more glaring.

Back in 1975, competing spokesmen such as Edward Heath, Barbara Castle, Roy Jenkins and Tony Benn treated the public like adults.

In their speeches and articles, they seriously discussed the political and economic ramifications of European membership.

Apocalyptic predictions were almost non-existent. There were no lice and locusts, no boils and frogs.

Unbelievable as it may sound today, the 1975 campaign was measured and moderate.

Instead of terrifying voters, politicians tried to persuade them, with the result that the British people were better informed by the end than they had been at the beginning.

Alas, nobody will ever say that of the 2016 campaign. After all the years of waiting, it has been a genuinely wretched advertisement for British democracy.

My fear is that the way scare tactics have flourished in recent weeks will set a new low for our politics  and that, as a result, this kind of behaviour will become the norm at Westminster.

We can laugh all we like at American demagogues such as Donald Trump, with their blatant disregard for the truth and cavalier contempt for their audiences. But are our own politicians really any better?

Regardless of who wins the referendum, the real losers will be the voters forced to make a decision amid a blizzard of dishonest claims.
Danielle Daniel, 31, recently shared an incredible video of herself delivering her baby boy during her C-section with the world.

The excited mother, from Traralgon in Victoria, was seen reaching over the sheet in the operating room and pulling her baby, Kaleb, from her womb.

But Mrs Daniel's reason for doing so goes far beyond scoring viral hits, with the mother-of-two and her husband Justin hoping to shine a light on a rare yet very effective surgery that can help with preventing miscarriages and early labour.

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Precious bundle: Danielle Daniel reached over the sheet in the operating room and pulled her baby, Kaleb, from her womb

Happy family: Danielle, Justin, new born Kaleb and Faith, 3 after Danielle delivered Kaleb during her own caesarean

Not long after getting married in 2010, the pair tragically lost their baby boy who was born premature at just 24 weeks.

Mrs Daniel was later able to successfully give birth to a little girl, Faith, now three, but not without experiencing a stressful pregnancy and later, several miscarriages.

The pair sought the help of Dr Sherif Girgis with their latest pregnancy, who had been trained in a new surgery called a laparoscopic cervical cerclage.

Into the world: The family sought the help of Dr Sherif Girgis for Mrs Daniel's latest pregnancy

The rare and little known surgery, which involved inserting a stitch into the top of Ms Daniel's cervix before pregnancy, is known to help prevent miscarriage and early labour due to keeping the cervix closed.

'We went through that devastating experience early on and knew nothing about premature labour, and after having Faith, our doctor, Doctor Sherif Girgis, told us about this procedure,' Mr Daniel told Daily Mail Australia.

'A lot of people don't know about it and it really helps with stopping early labour and getting past that dangerous zone in the middle of the pregnancy.

Specialty: Dr Girgis is one of the only doctors in the country trained in a new surgery called a laparoscopic cervical cerclage that Mrs Daniel needed

'I was nervous about the idea': Mrs Daniel said she was nervous about the idea of delivering her own baby at first

'A lot of the midwives hadn't heard of it as there is another stitch that is quite common but this one is completely different. And after the successful birth of our baby boy we thought it would be a great opportunity to get the message out about this surgical option.'

Mrs Daniel said the surgery was done via a keyhole a month before she became pregnant and that it took less than a week to recover.

'I really recommend it because it was a quick recovery and I fell pregnant just one month afterwards,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Early arrival: Kaleb Grant Daniel was born on the 11/5 at 5.10 pm a few weeks early

Unique experience: But during and afterwards the mum said she was glad she did it, saying that it helped with bonding with her new son

Doctor Sherif Girgis, one of just two doctors trained in the procedure, said it can certainly help with preventing miscarriages that occur due to a weak cervix.

'The success rate is very high from this procedure and when it is done beforehand it can't interfere with pregnancy or periods,' Dr Girgis told Daily Mail Australia.

Due to the procedure preventing Mrs Daniel from giving birth naturally, she was offered the opportunity to deliver her baby during her caesarean.

Success story: Mr Daniel hopes to raise awareness about the laparoscopic cervical cerclage and credits the procedure to their successful pregnancy

'I was nervous about the idea when they mentioned it and we were hesitant at first because we just wanted to leave it to the experts,' Mrs Daniel said.

'But during the procedure I decided to go ahead with it and I'm so glad I did it. I was the first person to be able to hold him and I found it really helped with the bonding too, rather than someone else taking him away.'

Dr Girgis said that it was a completely safe thing to do, as long as it was in a controlled environment.

'It gives the woman a sense of achievement... some women feel as though they are powerless during a caesarean because the baby is taken from them by someone else and feel as though they have nothing to do with the baby,' he said.

'A lot of people are interested': Mr Daniel said that he wants to raise awareness of the procedure and his son's birth

'This way they have that bonding... but it is important it is carried out in a controlled and sterile environment to avoid the risk of infection.'

Mrs Daniel hopes to raise awareness about the laparoscopic cervical cerclage and credits the procedure to their successful pregnancy.

'I know a lot of people are interested in the birth itself but this surgery was so safe and effective and we really want to help other women who have struggled to carry and share with them this progressive option,' he said.
Seduce has teamed up with Disney to create a new collection inspired by Alice Through The Looking Glass.

The Australian fashion label unveiled the whimsical campaign starring model Megan Blake Irwin and photographed, styled and directed by fashion blogger Margaret Zhang.

In the photo shoot, rising star Megan, 23, wears a blue floral playsuit as she sits on a table amidst a feast of tea and cakes.

Mad Hatter: Australian model Megan Blake Irwin stars in a new campaign for Disney's collaboration with label Seduce inspired by Alice Through The Looking Glass

In a nod to the film, the David Jones model wears a Mad Hatter-style top hat atop a mess of blonde curls.

'I love adventures so Alice is definitely one of my favourite Disney characters,' Megan told the Daily Telegraph.

'Her adventures in the fantasy world of Wonderland are so magical and fun with the white rabbit and the Cheshire cat at the mad tea-party.'

Sneak peek: The model, 23, wore a design from the collection during Fashion Week

Rising star: Adelaide-born Megan was recently linked to Scott Disick

In another shot, Megan reclines on layers of tulle on a high-back chair next to a pile of books.

The capsule collection of 16 pieces will go on sale on Thursday. It is the first time that Disney has collaborated in the Australian market with a high street fashion label.

The campaign is the latest in a string of high-profile modelling gigs for rising star Megan, who recently shot with Mario Testino for Vogue Australia, and also landed a starring role in David Jones' Autumn/Winter 2016 season launch in February.

But it's not just her work in front of the camera that is making headlines. Last month the Adelaide-born beauty was pictured partying in New York with Kourtney Kardashian's ex Scott Disick, leading to rumours the pair were dating.

Blake Irwin returned to Australia last week to sit front row at the Oscar de la Renta finale show at Fashion Week in Sydney.




Each weekend, friends Elisha Garrick and Sophia Hansen head down to the beach.

With their kids in tow - they both have a four and seven-year-old - the Gold Coast mums set themselves up on the sand to do some yoga.

But rather than simply saluting the sun, Elisha and Sophia show their incredible strength with a series of gravity defying poses that more often than not, attract quite a crowd.

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Fit mums: Elisha Garrick and Sophia Hansen from the Gold Coast take part in acro yoga

Show of strength: The duo, who each have two children, go down to the beach each weekend to practise

Fun in the sun: Elisha is a personal trainer single mum with two children: Ella, seven, and Liam, four

The incredible duo perform acro - or acrobatic - yoga, that sees Elisha, 36, lift Sophia, 28, off the ground and in to the air.

They then share the photos on Instagram.

Ive never done a yoga class in my entire life, Elisha told Daily Mail Australia.

Acro yoga is just something we stumbled on and we do it on the weekend with our kids.

Training togther: Elisha, 36, and Sophia, 28 started off by doing handstands on the beach before discovering acro yoga

Self taught: Elisha admitted despite performing weight training regularly, she has never taken a yoga class

Healthy life: Recently Elisha's daughter Ella (pictured at the top) has started taking part in acro yoga

Soph and I are very active mums and to be able to do all this stuff with our kids I think is priceless for them.

We see it as instilling healthy habits in to our children.

Elishas seven-year-old daughter Ella has recently started to take part and will often balance atop the yoga tower.

Never too late: Elisha, who is a single mother of two, said she only started to exercise about two years ago

Staying fit: She does strength training about three to four times a week, as well as training her clients

Upside down: While the pair have had a few stacks, the soft sand works to break their fall

Elisha, who is a single mother of two, said she only started to get in to exercise a few years ago.

Today she is a personal trainer with her own business, Lioness Personal Training, and credited fitness for helping her through a tough time in her life.

I started training when my youngest was about six months old, she said.

Not just exercise: Elisha credited getting fit for helping with her depression

Career change: She decided to become a PT to share her newfound knowledge with other women and inspire them to make a change

Body and mind: 'Fitness not only makes you look good it helps with depression and energy levels,' Elisha said

At the time Elisha was depressed and her marriage was on the rocks. She enlisted the help of a PT and began to train three times a week.

While she lost weight and enjoyed an increase in energy levels, she also found it helped with her depression and bone density.

'Had I not been going to the gym three to four times a week, I wouldn't have been pulled out of the darkest two years of my life,' she said.

'Now I'm mentally and physically ten times stronger than I ever was.

I decided I wanted to become a PT to share with others what I experienced.'

Drawing a crowd: We often get people cheering us on, weve had some pretty good stacks as well, but luckily weve never been hurt, thats why we do it at the beach, Elisha said

Coming together: The womens' friends often come down and join in on the fun

Get active: Elisha encouraged women to take up exercise and said it was never too late

Elisha and Sophias gravity-defying acro moves require strength and practise.

We often get people cheering us on, weve had some pretty good stacks as well, but luckily weve never been hurt, thats why we do it at the beach, Elisha said.

The weekend activity has also become popular with their friends, who come down to join in the fun.
Facebook has been forced to apologise after rejecting an ad that featured a photograph of plus-size model Tess Holliday.

Australian group Cherchez la Femme attempted to place an ad on the social media network last week to promote their latest body positive event, called Feminism and Fat, and were denied by Facebook.

The event, which is one of the group's monthly 'feminist talkshows' had a picture of Tess Holliday in a bikini as the main image for the event.

After a social media outcry and media coverage, Facebook has apologised and said the rejection of the ad was an 'error'.

Request denied: Facebook has been forced to apologise are it rejected a request for an advertisement using a picture of Tess Holliday (above) because the image was against their 'health and fitness policy'

Fatbook: The advertisement was to promote a feminist event discussing body positivity called 'Feminism and Fat'

Huh? Facebook said that the picture of Holliday promoted 'an idealised physical image' and violated their guidlelines

The company also contacted Cherchez la Femme, saying they were sorry for the 'incorrect review'. However the group isn't completely satisfied with the response from the social media network.

'Facebook still haven't addressed why they tagged a fat woman's body as undesirable in the first place,' the group's Twitter account wrote.

Facebook had previously told Cherchez la Femme that they wouldn't allow the group to promote their event because the picture of Holliday 'violates Facebook's Ad Guideline's by promoting an idealised physical image'.

When one of the producers of the event, Jessamy Gleeson, first contacted Facebook about the rejection, she was told that the image didn't comply with the company's health and fitness policy.

'The image depicts a body or body parts in a undesirable manner. Ads may not depict a state of health or body weight as being perfect or extremely undesirable,' Facebook responded to her.

Appeal: When one of the producers of the event contacted Facebook, they reaffirmed their denial of the ad, saying that it didn't comply with the site's 'health and fitness policy'

'The image depicts a body or body parts in a undesirable manner': The site said that images that showed tight clothing, 'muffin tops' or eating disorders in a negative light were not allowed

'To my surprise, Facebook rejected my boosted ad request': One of the producers of the event, Jessamy Gleeson, posted to Facebook about the ad's rejection (above)

Facebook went on to say that images that fell under this included photos showing 'muffin tops', people wearing clothes that are too tight and images that show conditions like eating disorders in a negative light.

The site suggested that the group use 'an image of a relevant activity, such as running or riding a bike'.

Ms Gleeson took to the group's Facebook page to let their followers know what had happened, and how angry the producers of Cherchez la Femme were about it.

'Facebook has ignored the fact that our event is going to be discussing body positivity (which comes in all shapes and sizes, but in the particular case of our event, fat bodies), and has instead come to the conclusion that we've set out to make women feel bad about themselves by posting an image of a wonderful plus sized woman,' she wrote.

'We're raging pretty hard over here - both because Facebook seemingly has no idea that plus sized, self describing fat women can feel great about themselves, and also because we haven't been able to boost the original damn post.'

'We're raging pretty hard over here': Ms Gleeson said that the women who run Cherchez la Femme were angry at Facebook's decision and reasoning

Horrified: Commenters on the Facebook post were also upset about the situation, calling it 'absurd' and 'bulls***t'

Feminism and fat: The event (above) is being held in Melbourne on June 7 and will discuss body positivity and fat bodies

Ms Gleeson also spoke to Daily Mail Australia, saying Facebook has a 'double standard' when it comes to their community guidelines.

Cherchez la Femme's followers were equally outraged, posting that they were 'horrified' and calling the policy 'bulls***t'.

'Oh wow. This is absurd. Facebook fails to deal with trolls who tell fat women to kill themselves and they have this policy? Ugh,' Elizabeth Sutherland wrote.

Others criticized the social media network for assuming that someone can't be bigger and healthy, or that they allow overly photoshopped bodies but not 'real' ones.
She is believed to be paid as much as $1 million AUD for this sartorial help

The Australian super stylist currently dresses and styles Kim Kardashian

The street style icon is set to take up the post of Fashion Editor at Large

A source told Daily Mail Australia that she is set to move to New York soon

Christine Centenera is the Fashion Director of Vogue Australia

Just last week, Daily Mail Australia reported that Vogue Australia Fashion Director, Christine Centenera, is reported to be paid as much as AUD$1 million dollars to style the reality TV megastar Kim Kardashian.

And it seems the style icon's star is on the rise.

A source told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that the super stylist and Vogue editrix will soon move to New York permanently, where she will pursue a career as Vogue Australia's Fashion Director at Large.

Super stylish: Christine Centenera is known for her impeccable style around the world

Big life news: Just last week, Daily Mail Australia reported that Ms Centenera is rumoured to be paid as much as $1 million to style friend Kim Kardashian - the new news is that she will permanently re-locate to New York

New job: Once she is in New York, Ms Centenera is rumoured to be taking up the post of Fashion Director at Large

Ms Centenera, who is a street style star and Fashion Week regular, has worked her way up the fashion ladder at home in Sydney.

She worked at Harper's Bazaar Australia, before moving to Vogue Australia, where she has been working in and overseeing the fashion department ever since.

This news comes just days after a report published by the Sunday Telegraph, which suggested that Ms Centenera is paid an eye-watering $1 million retainer fee to dress Kim Kardashian West.

From bodycon dress to jaw-dropping red carpet gown and neutral camisole, it is Ms Centenera who has been credited for the social media mogul's edgy high-fashion makeover.



FROW fabulous: Ms Centenera, who is a street style star and fashion week regular, has worked her way up the fashion ladder at home in Sydney - she worked at Harper's Bazaar before joining Vogue Australia

BFFs: This news is interesting in light of the report published by the Sunday Telegraph, which suggested that Ms Centenera is paid as much as a $1 million retainer fee to dress Kim Kardashian West (pictured)

Revealing ensemble: Kim Kardashian appeared at the Vogue 100 Dinner in London just this week

The move will certainly enable her to be a little closer geographically to her fashion BFF.

While right now news of Ms Centenera's move is being kept very quiet, a source told Daily Mail Australia that a farewell gathering is being planned amidst fashion's elite.

And just last weekend, Christine Centenera was the guest of honour at a secret Sydney fashion dinner, Secret Dining Society, in Darlinghurst, surrounded by the who's who of Australian fashion.

Total revamp: It is Christine Centenera who has been credited for Kim's edgy high-fashion makeover

Fashionable party: While right now news of Ms Centenera's move is being kept very quiet, a source told Daily Mail Australia that a farewell gathering is being planned amidst fashion's elite

Christine Centenera's most recent Vogue cover is of Kim Kardashian, who she styled for the June 2016 issue.

The pair have been friends since 2011, when Ms Centenera started working with Kim's husband, Kanye West, as his styling consultant.

Daily Mail Australia approached Vogue Australia for comment, and are yet for the publication to return their calls.
When a young man's beloved grandfather was stuck in the hospital when he was due to attend prom, he decided to get the older man involved in the sweetest way.

Felipe Leon, a student at Clear Creek high school in League City, Texas, has been lucky enough to have his grandfather present at some of the most important moments of his life.

But this year, the family learned that, due to the grandad's diabetes, he would have to undergo surgery to have his toe amputated.

Surprise! Felipe Leon, a student at Clear Creek high school in League City, Texas, surprises his grandfather in the hospital by visiting him before he heads to prom in a new video

All emotion: As Felipe enters the room with his date in the clip, he heads straight for the bed, reducing everyone in the room to tears, including his date

The grandpas diabetes meant that healing would be slower and he would need to be supervised to avoid infection.

But Felipe, out of love for his grandfather, wouldn't let surgery or hospitals get in the way of including the man in his big life moments.

So, with the cameras rolling, Felipe brought his date to the Kindred Hospital Clear Lake in Webster, both of them dressed to the nines, and walked into his grandad's hospital room.

In a video taken of the moment, the door swings open and several of the other family members in a room gasp with emotion at the sight of Felipe in his suit and bow tie.

All around: Both Felipe and his date embrace the grandfather, who is recovering from having a toe amputated

Family love: Felipe planted a series of loving smooches on his beloved grandfather's head

The young man then heads straight for the bed to wrap his arms around his grandfather and give him a loving kiss on the head.

Everyone in the room is overcome with emotion, including Felipe's date, who frantically tries to dry her tearing eyes by fanning herself, hoping to keep her make-up intact.

There are hugs all around and Felipe's grandfather wipes away his tears as other family members film the sweet moment on their phones.

Along with one of the clips posted online, Felipe's mother Nicole Leon explains that the video shows 'my dad and my son'.

Totally moved: The overwhelmed grandfather wipes away his tears as he holds Felipe's hand

She adds: 'We knew that he would still be in the hospital during my son's prom and he would miss that special moment. All week my dad kept telling my mom that he knew he couldn't be there but he did not want her to miss it.'

The older man even implored his wife and daughter to make sure they took lots of pictures for him.
Charles went to the Museum of Orange Heritage and met political leaders

Camilla visited an artisan cider producer and toured the orchard

The royals enjoyed a day in Northern Ireland on day two of their tour

The Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed a tipple during an official visit today as she indulged in some cider during a tour of a family-run orchard in Northern Ireland.

Camilla, 68, visited the artisan Armagh Cider Company, the first cider producer in Armagh - a district with a bumper crop of 35 million apples each year.

Showcasing a stylish, long cornflower-blue jacket, the duchess sampled cloudy apple juice and Maddens Mellow cider, which also features in Tesco's Taste Northern Ireland range.

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The Duchess of Cornwall, donning a stylish, long cornflower-blue jacket, today sampled cloudy apple juice and Maddens Mellow cider during a tour of a family-run Northern Irish orchard

Camilla, 68, visited the artisan Armagh Cider Company, the first cider producer in Armagh - a district with a bumper crop of 35 million apples each year

Green fingers: The royal pair dug inspected some soil during their visit to the Yellow Door Delicatessen

The Duchess, who paired her three-quarter-length jacket with a pair of brown leather kitten heels, was shown around the orchard by Helen and Philip Troughton, who run the Armagh Cider Company.

Mrs Troughton said: 'Camilla said that Northern Ireland has the right climate and we have everything going for us, so therefore there is no reason why we should not be able to produce the goods.

'It is such a privilege to be recognised in that manner. We have always led the way in cider. We were the first people to make cider in Armagh.

'We now try to run tours and I suppose you could say this has probably been the most influential tour we have had.'

The duchess was shown around the orchard by Helen and Philip Troughton, who run the Armagh Cider Company, and their children. Mrs Troughton said that it was a 'privilege' for Camilla to have visited

Camilla, who paired her cornflower-blue jacket with a pair of brown leather kitten heels, was greeted by a number of smartly-dressed and smiling boys and girls, brandishing Union Jack flags

Horsing around: Camilla stroked the nose of a white horse prior to her tour of the cider orchard

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall also paid a visit to the award-winning Yellow Door Delicatessen in Portadown.

Owned by Simon Dougan, Yellow Door first opened as a restaurant in 1992 before becoming a successful delicatessen business.

The royal couple also visited Ulster Carpets, a family-owned business currently working on an order for Buckingham Palace.

Camilla and Charles also paid a visit to the award-winning Yellow Door Delicatessen, a family-run food empire

The Prince of Wales greets members of staff during a visit to Ulster Carpets in Craigavon, a family-owned business currently working on an order for Buckingham Palace

A member of staff at Ulster Carpets shows off her technical skills to the royal couple

Later in the day, Charles, pictured looking at a pair of gloves that belonged to William of Orange, took a tour of the Museum of Orange Heritage

Later in the day, Charles took a tour of the Museum of Orange Heritage.

He was met by the thunderous beat of lambeg drums as he arrived at the sun-drenched heritage centre in Loughgall, Co Armagh, that commemorates the birthplace of the Protestant loyal order.

Inside, he had a brief tour of the museum and met the curator, Dr Jonathan Mattison, before joining a reception.

On his way to tour the Museum of Orange Heritage, the prince was met by the thunderous beat of lambeg drums

Earlier today, the prince held separate meetings with Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle.

The region's leaders updated the heir to the throne on the current political and economic situation.

Mrs Foster met Charles again as he toured the Museum of Orange Heritage.

'It's a great day, it's a marvellous day and the weather has played its part as well,' said the Democratic Unionist leader.

Inside, he had a brief tour the museum and met the curator, Dr Jonathan Mattison, before joining a reception

'It's great to see so many people here to welcome His Royal Highness to Loughgall.'

Republic of Ireland government minister Heather Humphreys was also among invited guests who were introduced to the royal visitor.

'I was delighted to be here because it is important that all of the heritage that belongs to the island of Ireland is understood,' she said.

Young and old spectators waved Union flags as they lined the streets of the Co Armagh village to catch a glimpse of the VIP visitor.

Earlier, the prince held separate meetings with Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster (pictured) and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle

Republic of Ireland government minister Heather Humphreys was also among invited guests who were introduced to the royal visitor

Today marked the second day of Charles and Camilla's trip to Northern Ireland.

The visit to the Republic of Ireland is at the request of the UK Government and follows Charles and Camilla's trip to the country this time last year when the prince toured the place where his great uncle, Lord Mountbatten, was murdered by the IRA in 1979.

The visits will recognise the warm friendship that exists between both countries

A Clarence House spokesman said: 'The visits will recognise the warm friendship that exists between both countries, promoting understanding of their respective heritage and celebrating the best that each has to offer.'

Charles arrived in Northern Ireland on Monday, when he was given a glimpse into the high-tech world of internet security during a visit to Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at the Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.

Tomorrow, the pair are travelling across the border to Co Donegal for a series of engagements.
Do you have a minute? Ive got kind of a long story.

Leah and I have been trying to get pregnant for over 3 years. Im not sure when, exactly, we stopped the birth control. Like all our plans, we didnt start with a plan, but instead decided that if we got pregnant, that would be great.

And then we didnt get pregnant.

I mean, look, when youre in your twenties, it feels like you cant look at someone else without getting pregnant. Weve all heard about someone who got pregnant through 2 condoms, spermicidal lubricant, and an IUD. Right? But we didnt get pregnant. No big deal.

Were in our 30s. Things are probably a little bit dusty, and a little bit rusty. So, three years ago, we started using apps and calendars to track this and that. Ovulation test sticks. Old wives tales of positions and timing. We got some late periods. And some periods that never came!

But we didnt get pregnant.

So, off to the doctor we went. His and hers appointments for collections of blood and semen and measuring parts and such. Medical science being what it is, we got the answer to all our problems: Youre fine, and there shouldnt be a problem.

Do doctors ever tell anybody, This is what is wrong, and this is how to fix it, and then give them pills, and theyre fine? This is not my experience. My experience is: \_()_/

We didnt get pregnant.

So then came the hormones for Leah. Along with those hormones came the realization that little-to-none of this would be covered by insurance, and that the coverage rate would go down as we went deeper into the process. See, insurance companies look at getting pregnant a lot like getting sick. Why, they cant imagine, would you try to get sick? Well, f**k you, insurance companies. Thats why.

But we didnt get pregnant.

So maybe were bad at timing, or something, or god knows. Usually thats fine, but we are in our late 30s, and clocks are ticking. The doctor told us that certain hormone levels were low, lower than they should have been, and that meant our egg supply was dwindling.

Let me tell you something. There is nothing you can tell a woman that will make her feel more young, beautiful and vibrant than, You have a dwindling egg supply, and it is time to pick up the pace. You should try it. Maybe at a bar.

And that was when we began IUI, intrauterine insemination. IUI is  colloquially  the turkey baster method. When they told us about it, I tried to really hear what the doctor was saying, but all I could hear echoing around the room, off of the oyster-y pearlescent floors and the alien-vagina wallpaper, was dwindling.

For Leah, we eventually figured out, this meant a regimen of hormone boosters to facilitate egg production. Are you aware of what happens to people when their hormones go out of the norm? They are not happy. Unless they are happy, in which case, they are very happy. There is no mild. There is no average day. Her job was to feel like her brain and soul were on fire.

My job was to try and not say anything dumb, because she also needed to be calm. I tried to avoid triggering phrases like Hey, or Good morning, or I love you, but I kept f*****g up, and opening my mouth, or allowing Leah to see TV programs, or commercials, to read books, and interact with the world in any way.

The best was when someone would ask her when we were going to have kids. That was just the best.

Then, after one or two ultrasounds to make sure eggs were there, and in their right places on their little follicles, I would give my needle-phobic wife a shot in her thigh to set ovulation in process. She says shes not so much afraid of needles as she is afraid of being stuck by me with a needle, but same difference, right?

Over time, I developed a method where she would look away, close her eyes and cry, while crushing all the bones in my left hand, and I would count to three, and inject her with my right. I wouldnt inject her on three. I tried to pick a random time. She usually didnt even feel it.

After all that romance, you would think that abstaining from sex for a few days would be hard, but you would be wrong. You might also think we should be having massive amounts of sex, but it turns out that you have to let your seminal stash build up for a few days before collection.

Over the last couple years, I became pretty professional about my sperm deposits. My first one was a few paragraphs up, for testing. Man, is it ever weird. You can do it at home if you want, but then you are under a clock to get your sample to the lab on time. I dont need that kind of stress.

I dont talk about it much, but I like to think Im pretty good at taking care of business in the art of sperm production, but I had never entered a room designed specifically for masturbation, while people waited outside, hoping my masturbation went okay. Perhaps that is what Eddie Murphys life was like in Coming to America, but I was less familiar with it.

The room was like a combination of a hotel room and an office. It had a big picture of The Ohio State University football stadium, filled with fans, on the wall over a small vinyl sofa. There was a neatly folded sheet, fresh and crisp, hanging on the far armrest. A clock radio on the side table, tuned to local political talk radio, sputtering away beneath a low-lit lamp, was paired with a little wooden cube that had one tiny drawer, specifically made for storing your collection cup.

Under the table were four or five magazines that I didnt really want to touch. Usually two Playboys, a Penthouse, and a Swimsuit Issue. Across from the couch was a TV/DVD combo with a DVD preloaded. I didnt want to touch the remote either, really. It sat on a wicker chest.

Wicker struck me as the worst possible material for a room designed for male masturbation. Everybodys aiming for the cup, I know, but I also know there have been enough accidents in that office that it required a laminated sign about what to do in case of an accident.

The first step, in case of an accident, is to not try to hide it by scraping your mess into the cup. Big no-no. This makes your sample corrupt, which may mean that your partner could end up being impregnated by carpet fibers if I understand correctly, but it is also unsanitary.

The second step is to tell the front desk staff that you had an accident, which seems horrific. The people who work at the lab are people who, by my calculations, deal with upwards of 80 men per day who have just masturbated, or are about to, and their sperm. Sure. They are professional.

But, still, everyone is a little bit tittery, a little bit anxious. We all know that this is all very silly, and that I just touched my penis, and you are someones grandmother, and that even though you have a pin in the shape of a little sperm fella to help break the tension, we all  if we really had the choice  would probably prefer to burst into flames than discuss any part of this, let alone the fact that someone missed. Whoops!

The DVD would change over time, but still be of the same variety. Usually some kind of early 90s Eurotrash boat fantasies, or oily faux-lesbian scissorhands scenes, starring fingernails that made me very nervous. I would check every time I went in, and it was always awful. Everybodys got their thing, I guess. My thing is that I am thankful for the Internet.

Oh. And you are supposed to go in dry if you can help it. Lubrication, as it turns out, can mess with the quality of the semen, which seems like a pretty big jerk move on the part of lubrication.

But, yeah, Ive got my routine down.

When your sample has been washed and spun, or whatever it is they do with it, they put it in a paper bag that you carry over to the doctors office for the procedure. We long-timers can always tell the new couples. Their discomfort and optimism is cute. They smile and look around on their walk, hoping no one notices the bag they have pinched in their fingertips.

Me, I carry my paper bag like a sack lunch. The same turkey sandwich Ive had every day for years. With hope, yes, but the skepticism of routine.

The IUI itself is pretty quick, and from what I understand, painless, if not the normal amount of demeaning of going to an OB/GYN. You get one more ultrasound to make sure everything is in place, and then they pour the gravy all over the giblets.

Sorry. I know. Im hung up on turkey metaphors.

And then we wait.

Youre warned against taking pregnancy tests because they measure hormone levels, and after taking all sorts of weird shit all month, you can trigger a false positive. So you wait. And there will be spotting. Is it spotting, or is her period starting? You dont know. So you wait. And you wait.

And you wait.

And sometimes her period comes, and you start over. Step one.

And sometimes it doesnt come. But the second line doesnt appear, or the plus, or the whatever these tests do.

So you wait. And its negative, but you hope, and you see your friends getting pregnant, and you get a little sad. But you get mad at yourself because you want to feel happy for other people, and thats not fair to them. And then the 17-year-old across the street gets pregnant, and you get a little sadder. And your cousins get pregnant, and you get a little sadder.

And you see people scream at their kids, and beat them in Kroger, and you just want to die because you would give anything to have a child throwing a tantrum in the cereal aisle.

You dont want to hate people. You dont. I think babies are beautiful. I think kids are awesome, but you cant help the jealousy. The envy. The resentment. It really creeps up on you. And you search for positive things. And you talk on end about your capital-O Options.

And then you see people on the internet post screeds about how dare anyone assume that they would want to have kids because not having kids is the best  which is fine, have at it or dont have at it, I really dont care  but we want to be procreating, and we want what you could have, but are choosing not to use.

And we want to tell you, but people dont talk about it. Because you dont want to talk about it.

Because you spend all day thinking about it, managing it. Trying not to cry. Trying to not turn into HI and Ed from Raising Arizona, stealing babies in the night.

And the doctors start talking about Next Steps, and the Next Steps are very expensive, so you try it one more time.

And then, while youre in Kansas on a road trip with a friend, your wife does the IUI with a frozen deposit you left behind.

And you get pregnant.

You go in for a blood test, two weeks later, and they tell you that youre pregnant. And you cry. Big fat tears of relief.

And then you freak out because, to be honest, you talked yourself out of real hope months and months ago, but now you have to get ready for a baby.

Some weeks later, you go in for an ultrasound, and there it is. I mean, yeah, its a tadpole with a giant head. Theres its brain, and theres its heart fluttering away, and its so real.

And you relax.

Were in our late thirties, which means that the chances are higher than average that a pregnancy wont be viable, or there will be a chromosomal abnormality, or something along those lines. We spent a lot of time tiptoeing around that idea, but we talked about it. And about not getting too excited. You know, the higher you let your hopes up, the further they have to fall.

But they told us to relax. Everything looked great and we were on track, so when we went in for one final scan before being released to our obstetrician a couple weeks later, we were all smiles and jokes.

Im so sorry. I cant find the heartbeat.



And then youre not pregnant.

Ive felt time stop before. Car accidents, falling off a fence, a mountain bike jump gone wrong. I have not felt the vertigo of infinity like when we were told our baby was dead.

Im logical. I understand science and biology. I know it was a fetus, not a baby. But it was my baby. In my head, in my heart, I could already imagine being old as it grew into an adult and had its own children, and  woosh  it was all gone.

As I write this, the due date is a little over a week away, like a car accident on the road ahead that youre trying not to look at, that you have to drive by.

The world isnt going to stop. We all get up and go to work. Because it happens. People lose babies all the time.

Miscarriage.

But no one talks about it. No one gets on Facebook and tells their friends. Its specifically why you wait to tell anyone.

But then you have no one to tell. When a family member dies, you can share your grief. With a miscarriage, you would have to tell people that someone who will never be born, who they had never heard of and will never meet, but who meant the world to you, is gone. And you dont have the strength to get into it. You tell your parents, maybe a close friend, maybe your boss.

I was so stunned when it happened that I texted my boss that I wouldnt be back that day, but that Id be back the next, which really cracks me up now. I didnt even get how I was about to be affected.

Leah was scheduled for a D&C, dilation and curettage, under general anesthesia at Christ Hospital right away, so she wouldnt have to go through the trauma of slowly passing the fetal tissue over the course of a week. It wasnt until they took her back that I let myself break down. Alone with my worst thoughts and the sour coffee of the waiting room for several hours. God, I have no idea how long. One more forever.

The people at the hospital were excellent. We got a lot of information about support groups that we never went to, but we should have. We just wanted to hide.

Im thankful for our families and our friends, who came to sit with us. Who brought Lea the things she needed, and let me get out of the house to walk around the neighborhood. I must have looked like a zombie.

Its very difficult to think about, even now. I dont think Im doing a good job of describing it. I dont want to dwell on it. I dont want to think about it. I dont think it was until around the New Year that I went a day without crying about it.

But, you know, you pass the car accident and its in the rear view, getting further away, and sometimes you dont even see it anymore. Maybe youve told yourself enough times that at least we know we can get pregnant and this just means that something was wrong and its a good thing. Maybe you even believe it.

Just to let you know how strong Leah is, she still made the Deans List that semester, and she was carrying 18 credit hours. I dropped out of college for the dumbest reasons in my time - once because I got mugged - but she persevered. Like Britney, bitch.

We started back at the fertility process too soon, in a dumb burst of optimism and courage, and the desire to move forward. The hormone treatments were too much for Leah. And the lack of success was too much for the both of us. So we stopped. Our doctor told me, privately, that we need to take care of ourselves, but that, if we want to have a baby, we either need to move forward now, or start discussing Next Steps.

Remember: Dwindling.

We tried a couple more times, one of which felt good  we thought we had it  and were told that if this one doesnt take, that we would need to increase hormone treatments substantially and begin planning for options outside of IUI. In Vitro, surrogacy, or something else.

The doctor also told us, during one IUI, that while Donald Trump scares him, his wife loves Trump because of the Mexican wall thing. They are both immigrants. His problem with the wall was that it would be impossible to pay for it. I dont know. Doctors tell you some crazy shit while theyre inseminating your wife.

Through this process, and through both of our lives, neither of us have ever had a home pregnancy test come out positive. Even when we were pregnant before, it was the doctor who did a test. This last one, Leah couldnt bear to look at it herself, so I looked at it while she was in the shower, and told her no, that it was negative.

While she stood there, crying, I googled pregnancy test faint line. As it turns out, even the faintest f*****g line in the whole f*****g world means youre pregnant. So were pregnant.

Were pregnant.

Not that we believed it at first, but we are. Three scans later, Ive even heard the heartbeat, like a hummingbird, and its beautiful.

As I write this, tomorrow is our first obstetrician appointment, and were so nervous. So, so nervous. I wouldnt dare to post this until were in the clear enough, and ready to tell people. Almost no one knows right now. Were worried to jinx it, us, we, who dont believe in jinxes. Mostly, were afraid of going back through the pain. To have to retract it, publicly, is too much to think about.

I know plenty of people have gone through more than us. We are comparatively very lucky. Some people have never gotten pregnant. Some people could not go as far as us. Some people have taken many Next Steps beyond where we were. Some have been successful, but many havent. I hesitate to share this because I dont want anyone to read this and feel what we felt, watching others dreams come true.

Some people have found out, or have guessed, and have been very kind to share their own stories with us, and it has helped tremendously to not feel alone. Many thanks to all of them. I hope that maybe this helps someone else feel less alone.

And I hope that everything goes well, and I can inundate you with pictures, starting in November.



Everything went well. Arms and legs and moving around. Were very excited, but Ill be holding my breath for 26ish weeks.

And its a girl. Not that gender matters! But were going to have a little girl! And I am stoked. We are stoked.
The nonprofit also educates women and girls about their bodies and health in order to empower them

regions and provides them with sanitary products and OBGYN care

It can be pretty easy for people to avert their eyes and walk swiftly when a guy with a clipboard tries to solicit donations for a cause  but it's nearly impossible to ignore a giant walking vagina sauntering down the street.

That seems to have been the idea behind one Brooklyn couple's campaign, Conceived in Brooklyn. Kelly Kinsella and her boyfriend both donned bright pink vagina costumes, then took to New York City's streets to pose for photos and otherwise draw attention to themselves.

But it's not just about making a scene for humor's sake. The couple is actually contributing to a good cause, raising funds for a nonprofit that promotes women's reproductive health in underprivileged regions.

Nice outfit! A Brooklyn couple has been wearing vagina costumes around New York City

Kelly Kinsella aren't just dressing up for fun: It's part of their campaign, called Conceived in Brooklyn, for women's reproductive health

They said that they love making costumes and making people smile, so this was a fun way to give back

'In 2015, we decided we wanted to give back. We love costumes and making people smile. So we decided to marry our favorites things in order to give back,' they wrote on Facebook.

'Well agree, a vagina costume can provoke an uncomfortable response. Our intent is to draw attention to a topic that many people arent aware of,' they went on.

To do that, they're not just wearing the costumes  they're hand-making them for anyone who wants to buy one for him or herself. And after charging $149 each for the made-to-order outfits, $10 from each sale will be donated to the nonprofit '50 Cents. Period.'

They're selling the hand-made costumes for $149 each and donating $10 from each sale to '50 Cents. Period.'

Good cause: '50 Cents. Period.' promotes women's reproductive health in underprivileged areas

The charity '50 Cents. Period.' aims to 'empower women and girls in marginalized and vulnerable communities'.

It does that in a lot of ways, including distributing sanitary products to women and girls without access. It also provides information, teaching girls and women about their bodies and reproductive systems in places where those subjects can be stigmatized.

In addition, the organization teaches locals about STDs, AIDS, and reproductive choices. It helps women and girls access OBGYN care for things like preventative screenings, trauma counseling, and family planning. And it works to improve basic hygiene, health care, vocational training, and rights-based programming in womens prisons.

All of these initiatives  which have been set up in programs in Atlanta, Nepal, Uganda, Liberia, India, and Nicaragua  not only give women more choices and promote healthier lives, but also encourage more girls to attend school, since so many are unable to do so when they menstruate.

Empowering! The costumes will help provide sanitary products, OBGYN access, and information to educate women and girls about their health and bodies

Order soon: Because each of the costumes is made by hand, orders won't ship for several months. Shoppers who want theirs in time for Halloween will need to buy by July 1

Wanting to make more people aware of these important issues, the couple behind Conceived in Brooklyn got to work on the most head-turning campaign they could think of.

They wore the costumes all around Brooklyn, with Kelly sipping a glass of wine, skateboarding, and doing yoga in the park, while her boyfriend bought a hotdog and enjoyed the stunning skyline while overlooking the East River.

And while most people might not be brave enough to wear the lycra, polyester, and velour costumes on a regular day, they would certainly cause quite a stir on Halloween  if they're ordered far enough in advance.

Because they're each made by hand, shoppers looking to get their costumes on September 1 are advised to order by July 1. Orders placed by June 1 will ship in time for Burning Man.
A gym-addicted anorexic whose skeletal body left nurses mistaking her for a cancer patient has battled to overcome her condition.

Kat Manzullo, 27, developed anorexia ten years ago after years of childhood bullying left her with a low self-esteem and thinking she was overweight.

From the age of 18 she reduced her portion sizes before cutting out solid foods altogether and exercised at the gym five days a week.

At her lowest point she weighed little over six stone, which for her 5ft 5ins frame put her at a dangerously low Body Mass Index of 15 - a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25.

While trying to access the help she desperately needed in hospital, nurses confused her for a cancer patient due to her emaciated features and protruding bones.

Kat Manzullo, 27, saw her weight plummet to just over six stone (left). She battled to overcome the eating disorder after nurses mistook her for a cancer patient and now weighs 7st 7lbs

Nurses thought Mrs Manzullo, from Fort Walton Beach in Florida, was a cancer patient after her weight dropped to just over six stone

This gave Mrs Manzullo, from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was determined not to let the condition ruin her life.

Spurred on by husband Kevin, 31, she finally managed to hit a healthy weight two weeks ago.

Mrs Manzullo, a medical student, said: 'I was hopeless and helpless, anorexia had gotten me.

'It was absolutely horrible I was so exhausted all the time, I could barely function and was just wasting away on the couch.

'After being hospitalised one nurse thought I had cancer or aids because my cheeks were so sunken and hollow, all of my ribs stuck out, my limbs were like sticks.

'I was horribly skeletal and was wasting away, I looked like a cancer patient, and at that point I could barely stand up without blacking out.

When a nurse believed I was a cancer patient it was really shocking, that was one of the triggers that made me realise I had to battle to get my life on track Kat Manzullo, 27

'I'd also suffer with chronic neck and back pain from muscle wastage where my body was consuming anything it could to keep me alive.

'Over the years I've had to battle so hard, but couldn't get the treatment I needed due to my insurance each time I relapsed it was worse than the last.

'When a nurse believed I was a cancer patient it was really shocking, that was one of the triggers that made me realise I had to battle to get my life on track.

'Eating disorders are really difficult to deal with mentally, I've really struggled dealing with weight gain but my husband has been there for me every step of the way.

'He's been very supportive and I can't imagine how hard it's been for him to watching the woman he loves wasting away before his eyes.

Mrs Manzullo believes her anorexia started in childhood (left) and developed in her teenage years (right)

Kat and husband Kevin Manzullo, pictured at healthy weight before one of her worst relapses, has battled back to a healthy weight and wants to help others with eating disorders

She was admitted to hospital seven times with her protruding bones making nursing staff mistake her for being a cancer patient

'I wanted to get better for my husband, when you're in that bad a state you're just existing and now I want to start living my life again.'

Mrs Manzullo believes her eating disorder began at the age of seven, when her school friends called her 'annoying' and would hide from her at lunchtimes.

She blamed their bullying on her weight and from there her low self-esteem led her to develop an eating disorder.

She added: 'The first time I thought I was fat was when I was seven, it started because of the bullying at school and from then I started being really picky with fatty foods.

The urge to lose weight will always be with me, it's always going to be a tough battle but I want to lead a happy life so it's worth fighting

'They used to tell me I was put on earth to annoy people, they would shun me whenever they could and even ran away from me on lunchtimes - they would deliberately pretend I wasn't there.'

At the age of 18, Mrs Manzullo restricted her food intake to 1,000 calories a day and would regularly force herself to be sick if she had eaten more.

After her first hospitalisation for anorexia in 2009, she claims she was denied access to specialist rehabilitation treatment because of her medical insurance.

She said: 'My insurance cut my treatment short and I was only getting help for limited periods of time - they classified anorexia as a 'lifestyle choice' rather than an illness.

'The first couple of times after getting some help I hoped I'd beaten anorexia and wouldn't be hospitalised any more, but the treatment never dealt with the mental health battle I had against anorexia.'

Since then she was hospitalised seven times. In May last year, she was forced to drop out of nursing school after her weight fell to a skeletal 6 stone 4lbs.

After further treatment and support from her family, she was determined to overcome her condition - and this month she reached a healthy weight of 7 stone 7lbs.

'The urge to lose weight will always be with me, it's always going to be a tough battle but I want to lead a happy life so it's worth fighting,' she said.

'I'm hoping to return to school soon so I can help other people with eating disorders and for that I need to be well.'
Locum doctors are still being paid vastly over the odds for the majority of hospital shifts, a new report has revealed.

Despite the Government introducing a cap late last year on how much medics can earn per shift, consultants are routinely being paid almost a third more than they should be.

And some junior doctors are being paid double the hourly rate hospitals agreed to stick to.

While officials say the cap has saved 300 million since October, hospitals are still overspending almost 3 million a week on agency staff, the figures show.

Locum doctors are still being paid vastly over the odds for the majority of hospital shifts, a report has revealed. This is despite the Government introducing a cap to limit agency staff's pay (file photo)

In total, hospitals overspent a total of 26.6m on temporary staff in just nine weeks from 1 February to 31 March this year.

One theory is that a staffing crisis in the NHS - both permanent staff and locums - has meant hospitals have had to keep their rates competitive.

Before the cap was introduced locum doctors typically earned 1,760 a shift.

This was the equivalent to 240,000 a year  more than three times the 75,000 average salary for consultants.

The figures were released by Liaison, a company that manages hospital finances.

Agency costs have been blamed for fuelling the highest deficit in the history of the NHS, with 3.6 bn spent on such workers in 2014/15.

Just last week, statistics revealed the NHS is in it's worst financial state in history - now 2.54bn in debt.

New rules were drawn up to cap the amount which could be spent on any shift, with limits due to be steadily reduced between November last year and April this year.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt introduced a cap on how much locums can be paid per shift in November, after the NHS spent 3.3bn on agency staff last year

As of last month, NHS trusts are not allowed to pay agency staff more than 55 per cent extra than it costs to pay a member of staff for a shift.

But the Liaison figures reveal 85 per cent of daytime shifts and 56 per cent of out-of-hours shifts were paid above the caps that were in place in February and March.

Almost all shifts for junior doctors were paid more than the limit.

In April, consultants working daytime shifts were due to be paid 76 an hour.

But they were paid an average of 104  27 per cent higher than the cap.

And junior doctors - due to be earn between 25 and 36 an hour depending on their seniority -were paid between 50 and 63 an hour  an amount which is 42-50 per cent above the limit.

While locum at junior doctors level have seen their hourly rate fall from between 1 per cent and 7 per cent since the cap was introduced in November, consultants have seen their pay rise.

They are no paid an average of 101.46 an hour  2 per cent higher than their rate last year.

Ian Wilson, of the British Medical Association, told The Times the caps are hurting hospitals that are already struggling to recruit doctors.

He said: 'Doctors have serious concerns about the impact these caps will have, particularly the risk that they will penalise regions and specialties where recruitment and retention is already a problem.

'It would be much better to look at why organisations cannot fund or recruit the numbers they need.'
Despite BSP chief Mayawatis declaration that she will no longer install statues in UP if voted back to power, her supporters will be banking heavily on this approach for campaigning in the 2017 polls.

A local sculptor has been roped in to carve out some 150 statues of behenji, to be installed at election offices and other places by BSP candidates in the coming elections for campaigning purposes.

A sculptor has been roped in to carve some 150 statues of 'behenji', despite Mayawati's pledge not to install more statues in UP

I&B secretary meets Nepal journalists

I&B Secretary Ajay Mittal met a delegation of senior Nepalese journalists who are visiting India on a familiarisation programme.

Mittal gave an overview of the key policies and initiatives of the ministry and highlighted those taken recently with regard to the broadcasting and film sector.

Mittal also apprised them of the role and relevance of government communication, and the function of the public broadcaster.

RaGa to hit the road on May 28

Congress VP Rahul Gandhi will hit the streets of the Capital on May 28 against the AAP government in Delhi, and BJP government at the Centre over power cuts and water shortages in the city.

The Congresss Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken wrote on Twitter: Rahul ji will lead the Mashal Juloos (torch light procession) against Power/Water woes- And the apathy of Governments in Delhi on 28th May from Rajghat at 6:30 PM.

BJP decides to play it safe in UP

The BJP will go all-out to win Uttar Pradesh after tasting success in Assam, but a section of the party feels that the militant image of the saffron camp, as seen in reports of Bajrang Dal cadres undergoing arms training, might prove counter-productive.

A BJP functionary said that the party should distance itself from such tendencies as it would not work in Uttar Pradesh.

Naidu confident of Bills passage

Confident after its win in Assam in the recent Assembly polls, the government expressed hope that Parliament would continue to function effectively.

There is growing demand for this, as evidences by recent social media campaigns.
Authorities hailed two young pilots as "heroes" on Tuesday after they crash-landed an air ambulance from Patna on a swampy field in southwest Delhi.

The plane plummeted after the engines shut down while it was approaching the nearby airports runway, and the seven people on board had a miraculous escape.

Officials said pilot Amit Kumar and co-pilot Rohit Singh had detected problems in the Beechcraft King Air C90 plane about 10 minutes before landing.

Security personnel and locals surround the air ambulance that crash-landed in Delhis Najafgarh area

They notified the ground-based controllers, or ATC, about the situation and acted swiftly to land the aircraft on a piece of land with no plants and trees.

We landed safely and immediately informed the concerned department, Amit Kumar told Mail Today over the phone.

The plane belongs to Chandigarh-based private operator Alchemist Airways, and was ferrying five passengers, including a heart patient from Patna. No one suffered any major injuries.

According to an ATC official, the pilots landed the 1989-make airplane with such dexterity that it was remarkably intact.

Pilot Amit Kumar realised the plane was in peril about 10 minutes before it was due to land

Sources say the permit of the aircraft operator will expire in November.

In May 2011, an air ambulance had crashed in a colony in Harayanas Faridabad city, killing all 10 people onboard. The aircraft was also on its way from Patna to Delhi.

Experts also pointed out that landing a plane on bumpy ground requires great skill. Otherwise it can prove fatal.

We had got a message from the pilot of VT EQO (planes registration number) that one engine of the aircraft may have failed and the other engine was carrying the load. But before we could have reacted, the pilot again said that the engines had stopped and they had to make an emergency landing, an airport official said.

After some time, we got information that aircraft VT EQO had landed on a muddy tract in Najafgarh area, almost 10 kilometers from Delhi airport.

The young pilots took the final call to land the aircraft as their distance from the ground was reducing every second, the official said.

Amit Kumar lives in Mumbai with his wife and four-year-old daughter. Rohit Singh, who only became a pilot recently, was assisting Kumar.

Delhi Police officials who responded promptly and reached the spot along with fire department personnel also applauded the pilots for their presence of mind.

When cops reached, they found that everyone was fine and locals were praising the pilots, DCP southwest Surender Kumar said.

The pilots saved lives, which should be appreciated.

The six-seater plane crash-landed at around 2.40pm at Kair village in Najafgarh. Aviation regulator DGCA has already started an inquiry.

The aircraft was carrying a 61-year-old cardiac patient, Virender Rai, who was being flown to Delhi. He was taken to Medanta hospital in Gurugram immediately after the incident. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination, a senior police official said.

According to the DGCA, the aircraft was registered with it on October 21, 2001. It weighs 4581kg and can accommodate six passengers.

We received an emergency call from the pilot. Both the engines of the aircraft had reportedly failed. They made a safe landing. The DGCA is looking into the incident, civil aviation minister Mahesh Sharma told reporters.

A six-seater aircraft of the same make and model, belonging to the Punjab government, had crashed near Ludhiana eight years ago, killing the pilot and co-pilot.

Last year, an 11-seater plane carrying 10 BSF officers, including seven technicians, crashed near Dwarka in Delhi. All 10 people on board were killed.

The plane had developed a technical snag soon after taking off from Delhi airport and was returning to the runway when it hit a tree and crashed.
Passengers at the IGI Airport on Monday night had a nightmare experience due to the bad weather.

They witnessed every possible airport irritation, including hours of delay, nowhere to sit, long queues for water, and no food at the counters.

Passengers also waited inside the aircraft for hours as they waited to take off, and were not allowed to leave.

A large number of stranded passengers pictured at Delhi's IGI airport on Monday night

According to airport officials, passengers gathered in such a large number that food which was allotted for two days was finished in one hour.

Winds also damaged a few aircraft and other equipment at the airport.

Domestic passengers had to wait from Monday night to Tuesday morning as flights got queued for take-off.

We had to sit inside the flight number 6E-621 for three hours, said Akshay Gupta, one of the passengers.

Responding to criticisms, Indigo has blamed passengers who asked the cabin crew to deboard them from the aircraft.

An Indigo spokesperson said in a statement: 6E-621 en-route Delhi to Nagpur was delayed by one hour (after door closure) due to the ATC congestion. As the aircraft was number 8 in the sequence for departure clearance  a few passengers on board expressed their keenness to the crew to deboard the aircraft.

"The crew advised these passengers that while this request can be accommodated, however, the deboarding process will cause further delay of this flight as anti-sabotage checks will have to be conducted.

"By this time, the captain informed all passengers/crew on board (via announcement) that 6E-621 is number 3 in departure clearance. With this inflight announcement - passengers who requested to deboard decided to continue. All 134 passengers settled on board and the flight departed.

Passengers who were stranded at the airport said that there was no space to sit and most of the passengers had to stand or sit on the floor.

They claimed that airline staff abandoned the counter for a few hours, claiming they were helpless to do anything.

It was a never before like situation at IGI airport. We had to deploy adequate staff for security at the gates. Few Passengers didnt even get food, a CISF official said.

DIAL said that wind speed was so high that it diverted 38 flights to other airports.
Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammed Shahabuddin, once known as the "terror of Siwan", is at the centre of a controversy over the death of a journalist in Bihar.

The Opposition has dared Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take action against the jailed 'bahubali', who is accused of being the 'mastermind' behind the crime.

The murder of Rajdeo Ranjan, who worked for a Siwan daily, has posed a major challenge for Nitish as he looks towards 2019.

Former Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammed Shahabuddin (centre) is serving life-imprisonment in Siwan Jail

The alleged Shahabuddin angle in the killing has put him in a spot, but he needs to convert his challenge into an opportunity by dealing with the issue with an iron hand.

Shahabuddin has been languishing behind bars in the Siwan Jail for almost a decade now.

He has already been sentenced to life-imprisonment in two separate murder cases. But he appears to have retained his clout, especially in his party.

After Shahabuddin was convicted in the murder cases and subsequently barred from contesting any elections, RJD president Lalu Prasad sought to compensate him by fielding his wife Hena Shahab in the last two general elections from Siwan, the seat held by her husband four times in a row before his disqualification.

Earlier this year, he was even made a member of the partys national executive committee.

Maintaining influence: Bihar Minority Welfare minister Abdul Ghafoor (right) with former RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin (centre) at the Siwan jail.

In his hometown, Shahabuddin has held sway like no other local politician, with or without 'muscle' and influence.

Even after his incarceration, he has often been accused of holding durbars to meet local visitors inside the jail. The courtesy visits by lawmakers of different hues have also been a regular affair over the years.

With the return of the RJD to power after the thumping victory of the Grand Alliance coalition in the Bihar assembly polls last year, his political clout has increased.

But it also threw up a question of whether Nitish would let him rule Siwan again to keep his alliance partner in good humour.

Everybody was waiting for the CM's response when Shahabuddins name cropped up in the journalist murder case earlier this month.

Journalist Rajdev Ranjan (left) was reportedly seventh on 'Don' Shahabuddin (right)'s deadly hit-list

Since his governments fate hinged on the support of the RJD (which has more MLAs than the JD-U in the Bihar assembly), he was not expected by many to take strong action vis-a-vis Shahabuddin.

Nitish, however, took no time to accept the demand of the slain scribes family, recommending a CBI inquiry and even shifting Shahabuddin from Siwan to Bhagalpur Central Jail soon after.

Some of his close associates were also quickly transferred to other jails by the state government to underline Nitishs oft-stated message that nobody is above law in Bihar.

The CBI probe will insulate the Nitish government from the charges of favouritism in the murder case, but his move is definitely fraught with grave political dangers.

It is not yet clear whether he had kept Lalu in the loop before recommending the CBI probe, but it is beyond reasonable doubt that the decision has not gone down well with certain RJD leaders.

The Opposition has dared Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take action against the jailed 'bahubali' leader, who is accused of being behind multiple murders

Party MP Mohammed Taslimuddin has already demanded Nitishs resignation over the deteriorating law-and-order situation, while another senior party leader, Prabhunath Singh, has held the administration responsible for the state of affairs at Siwan Jail.

But then, Nitish is known to take calculated risks. He would apparently like to dispel the impression that he works under the compulsion of coalition politics and allows his allies to get away with anything in lieu of their support.

Whatever the outcome of his decision, the Chief Minister cannot afford to fritter away his well-cultivated image as a good administrator over the Shahabuddin issue, despite facing a risk to his government at this juncture.

At a time when he is fast emerging as a potential challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, such risks are worth taking.

Bihar celebrates drop in exam results as proof the 'cheats' are failing

Bad results are no reason for celebrations, but the Bihar government appears to have exulted over the sharp decline in the number of successful candidates in the recently-concluded Class XI examinations.

In the Intermediate Science examination this year, only 67.06 per cent passed the examination, which was 22.26 per cent less than the pass percentage of 2015.

Under the best of circumstances, such a decline in the students performance would have caused worries for the mandarins of the education department, but they believe that strict invigilation (against cheats) during the examinations had led to the poor results.

Last year, the department faced embarrassment after a photo of a school in Vaishali district went viral during the matriculation examinations.

In the photo, the students' guardians were seen climbing the walls of a school with impunity to pass on chits to their wards inside the examination halls.

They were also taken to task by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for allowing the use of dishonest methods on a large scale.

The incident prompted officials to pull up their socks and implement all possible measures, including hefty fines, to pre-empt cheating in the examinations this year.

Hardly surprising, then, that this years results brought the smiles back to their faces - though many students were left ruing their bad luck.

The third gender in Bihar

The Nitish Kumar government has a good track record on working towards a better quality of life for those of the third gender.

The Art, Culture and Youth department recently organised Kinnar Mahotsav in collaboration with the Patna district administration, which saw the participation of hijras from across India.

The first cultural festival of its kind provided them with an opportunity to showcase their talent in different fields at Premchand Rangashala, and participants sang, danced, and presented a moving play about their lives.

Eunuch rights activist Gauri Sawant said that the initiative from the Bihar government would help the community disseminate its message in society.

Bihars minister for social welfare, Manju Verma, called on the community to educate its members and become part of the mainstream.
The Union health ministry has ordered a probe after a study revealed that bread samples in Delhi contained cancer-causing chemicals.

A report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said nearly 84 per cent of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged bread, including pav and buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate.

These chemicals, banned in many countries, are listed as hazardous for public health.

A study reveals that several common brands of bread, buns and pizza contain cancer-causing substances (file picture.)

CSEs Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML) tested 38 commonly-available branded varieties of pre-packaged bread, pav and buns, ready-to-eat burger bread, and ready-to-eat pizza bread from popular fast food outlets from Delhi.

We found 84 per cent samples positive with potassium bromate or iodate. We reconfirmed the presence of potassium bromate or iodate in a few samples through an external third-party laboratory, said Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director General, CSE.

I have told my officials to report to me on an urgent basis. There is no need to panic. Very soon we will come out with the probe report, said Union Health Minister J P Nadda.

Additionally, the Food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to remove potassium bromate from the list of permitted additives, and is examining evidence against potassium iodate before restricting its use.
India has confirmed it will invest $500 million to develop the Chabahar port in Iran.

The strategically-located port allows New Delhi to easily access Afghanistan and Europe by circumventing Pakistan.

India and Iran signed a landmark agreement on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the oil-rich country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. India has confirmed it will invest $500 million to develop the Chabahar port in Iran.

The development of the port in southern Iran is a tactical decision as it will counter Chinas growing involvement in the region.

A trilateral agreement on transport and transit corridors was signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the deal could alter the course of history in the region.

Chabahar port lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from Indias western coast, without entering Pakistan.

It is just 72 km from Pakistan's Gwadar port, which is part of Chinas $46 billion plan to develop the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and is aimed at opening new trade and transport routes across Asia.

This major effort will boost economic growth in the region. We are committed to take steps for early implementation of the agreements signed today, Modi said.

ON THE MAP: Where is the Chabahar port?

The bilateral agreements signed by India and Iran after detailed discussions between Modi and President Hassan Rouhani included setting up an aluminium plant, and laying a railway line to give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The agreements come months after the lifting of international sanctions on Iran, following Tehrans historic nuclear deal with the Western powers over its contentious atomic programme.

The trilateral agreement was signed later by India, Iran and Afghanistan in the presence of Modi, Rouhani, and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Inviting President Rouhani to visit India, Modi said he would look forward to strengthening the engagement between the two countries, quoting a Ghalibs poetry.

Once we make up our mind, the distance between Kaashi and Kaashan is only half a step, he said.

Modi had earlier said the lifting of sanctions had opened up immense opportunities and India was looking to expand cooperation with the Persian Gulf nation in sectors such as trade, investment, infrastructure and energy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right), Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (left), and President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani (centre) are set to attend a trilateral meeting at Tehran's Saadabad Palace

Modi also called on Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, signifying the strength of the unique relationship between the two countries.

Invoking the age-old cultural bonds between India and Iran, Modi said it was time for the two countries to march together by regaining the past glory of historical ties which had witnessed its share of ups and downs.

Addressing a conference on the traditional ties between India and Iran before winding up his two-day visit here, Modi spoke about how the cultures of the two countries have been woven over the centuries.

He said the conference, aimed at highlighting sufism and other cultural linkages, was a perfect response to those who preach radical thoughts in our societies. He added that the ancient civilizations of the two countries have been inclusive and welcoming to foreign cultures.

India promises to spend big in Iran's free trade zone

India will invest billions of dollars in setting up industries - ranging from aluminum smelter to urea plants - in Iran's Chabahar free trade zone after it signed a pact to operate a strategic port on the Persian Gulf nations southern coast.

"The inking of commercial contract to build and run the strategic port of Chabahar will help India gain a foothold in Iran and win access to Afghanistan, Russia and Europe, thus circumventing Pakistan," Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari told the PTI.

"The distance between Kandla and the Chabahar port is less than the distance between New Delhi and Mumbai, and so what this agreement does is to enable us quick movement of goods first to Iran and then to Afghanistan and Russia through a new rail and road link," he explained.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari (left) and representatives of the Afghan and Iranian governments after the trilateral agreement

"Over Rs 1 lakh crore investment can happen in Chabahar free trade zone," he said.

Iran, Gadkari said, has cheap natural gas and power that Indian firms are keen to tap to build a 0.5-million tonne aluminium smelter plant as well as urea manufacturing units.

"We spend Rs 45,000 crore annually on urea subsidy, and if we can manufacture it in the Chabahar free trade zone and move it through the port to Kandla and onward to hinterland, we can save that amount," he claimed.

Gadkari added that Nalco will set up the aluminium smelter while private and co-operative fertiliser firms are keen to build urea plants, provided they get gas at the right price.

Railway PSU IRCON will build a rail line at Chabahar to move goods right up to Afghanistan, he said.

Gadkari said India Ports Global Pvt, a joint venture of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and the Kandla Port Trust, will invest $85 million in developing two container berths with a length of 640 metres and three multi-cargo berths.

The Indian consortium has signed the port pact with Aria Banader Iranian.

"The contract is for 10 years and can be extended. We will take 18 months to complete phase one of the construction," he said.

He added that the first two years of the contract are a grace period where India doesn't have to guarantee any cargo.

Iran and India to combat terror together

India and Iran have decided to jointly combat terror, radicalism and cyber crime as the two strategic partners agreed on the signing of 12 new agreements.

We have agreed to consult closely and regularly on combating threats of terrorism, radicalism, drug trafficking and cyber crime, Modi said, addressing a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

The two nations also signed agreements in fields such as trade credit, culture, science and technology and railways.

Stronger together: India and Iran have decided to help one another combat terror, radicalism and cyber crime

In 2003, India and Iran agreed to develop Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz, near Iran's border with Pakistan.

India and Iran have also agreed to enhance interaction between their defence and security institutions on regional and maritime security, said Modi, who is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the important energy-rich Persian Gulf nation after a gap of 15 years.

Terming the 'dosti' (friendship) between India and Iran as old as history, he said that through the centuries, the two societies have stayed connected through art and architecture, ideas and traditions, and culture and commerce.

Modi claimed that Iran was among the first countries to come forward in support when an earthquake struck Gujarat in 2001, while Modi was chief minister of the state.
President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to discuss India's stand on the NSG during his China visit

A day before President Pranab Mukherjees arrival in China, Beijing firmly reiterated its stand against an exception being granted to India in joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Sources told India Today the NSG issue is expected to figure prominently in talks this week.

The President will arrive in the southern manufacturing heartland of Guangzhou on Tuesday, and will attend a high-profile business summit, before travelling to Beijing on Wednesday for talks with the Chinese leadership.

Beijing has argued that the applications of countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should be treated as a whole, suggesting countries like Pakistan and Israel should also be considered along with India.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) last week rejected that argument, pointing out that France was a member of the NSG - a group that governs nuclear trade, at a time when it was also a non-NPT country.

On Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry made it clear that it saw Indias case as different.

You mentioned that when France joined the NSG, it was not party to the NPT. France was a founder of the NSG, so the issue of its acceptance to the NSG did not exist, spokesperson Hua Chunying told the reporters.

The NSG is an important component of the non-proliferation regime and this regime is founded on the NPT. This is a long-term consensus of the international community which was reaffirmed last year by the NPT review convention. This is why NSG has been taking the NPT signatory status as a must have standard for acceptance of new members.

Hua said it was Chinas view that next months NSG plenary, which will discuss Indias membership, should not take a country-by-country view.
Running costs matter to most motorists, and traditionally over the years one of the top metrics we have used to pick a car is its fuel economy.

But faith in these figures has taken a hammering in the wake of the VW emissions scandal and recent reports of Mitsubishi and Suzuki tailoring fuel efficiency figures in Japan. You just can't rely on the figures that manufacturers are claiming.

Fortunately, all the cars in this list have scored at least four out of five stars in real-world tests carried out by What Car? magazine  as well as achieving real-world fuel economy results which suggest an average of 60mpg should be well within your reach.

10: Hyundai i20 1.4 CRDi

Real-world MPG: 59.4

Particularly spacious by supermini standards, though trim materials are only average. Its good value to buy, though  and not much can match Hyundais warranty.

9: Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 e-HDi 115

Real-world MPG: 59.4

Eye-catching to look at and very pleasing to ride in, so long as multimedia isnt your be-all and end-all. Citroens highly rated people carrier is good at carrying luggage, too  not many cars can shift so much on so little fuel.

8: Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi 95 Ecoflex

Real-world MPG: 60.0

Roomy and well equipped; the official figures say itll do almost 88mpg, which is optimistic, but 60mpg on the nose is hardly bad.

7: Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 90 Eco

Real-world MPG: 60.1

Renault is good at speccing cars with strong infotainment options, as the Dynamique Media Nav model shows here. And the 1.5-litre diesel is particularly quiet as well as being impressively good on fuel.

6: Seat Leon ST 1.6 TDI 110 Ecomotive

Real-world MPG: 61.5

Want an economical wagon? In this form, the Leon Estate barely uses any more diesel than its hatchback sibling.

5: Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI Greenline

Real-world MPG: 61.9

The Octavias all-round abilities make it supremely usable, and its excellent to drive  as well as delivering unbeatable economy for the price.

4: Audi A3 Sportback 1.6 TDI Ultra

Real-world MPG: 62.3

A wining pick if you want a hatch with a premium interior  and very hard to beat if you want to make the most of every gallon.

3: Mini Cooper D 3dr

Real-world MPG: 62.6

Its not great at carrying stuff, and theres a bit of buffeting to upset the calm at speed, but if you want a stylish motor thats cheap to run the Mini can hardly help but be on your list.

2: Suzuki Celerio 1.0 Dualjet

Real-world MPG: 62.9

Given the kit you get, not to mention the interior space, at one of the lowest screen prices on the market, the Celerio is money-saving motoring personified. And thats before you even look at its heroic fuel economy.

1: Seat Leon 1.6 TDI Ecomotive 5dr

Real-world MPG: 63.2

Another Leon, and this time it gets even more miles out of every gallon. Thus far, nothing else with a four or five-star What Car? test result has beaten it on the real-world economy circuit.
'The bonk manager': Tesco boss Benny Higgins

Tesco Banks recherche, opera-loving boss Benny Higgins has some explaining to do after racking up an 18,000 taxi bill.

The loquacious Glaswegian, 56, who peppers his speeches with show-off references to TS Eliot and F Scott Fitzgerald, is well-versed in crisis management.

Previous tin hat moments include receiving a 2million golden goodbye from HBOS in 2007 after just two years work.

Four times married, his rackety private life has also provoked headlines north of the border. Caledonian hacks labelled him the bonk manager.

Remember Jerome Kerviel, the arrogant rogue trader who racked up losses of 3.2billion almost bringing French bank Societe Generale to its knees?

Monsieur Kerviel, 39, was jailed for three years in 2010 but released after five months. Hes suing his ex-employer for unfair dismissal, demanding 4billion in compensation.

Brazen little so-and-so, nest ce pas?

City fat cats who have forked out 15,000 for a premier table at next months Tory summer ball moan theyre still to be told which Minister theyve been assigned to schmooze with.

Why the hold-up? Because the bash at Londons Hurlingham Club takes a place just days after the referendum, when theres likely to be a merciless, Game of Thrones-style cabinet reshuffle, Aka a bloodbath.

Forthright Sir Philip Green associate Lord Grabiner remained cordial during his exchanges with the Works and Pensions Select Committee yesterday over the BHS collapse.

A far cry from last year when he was grilled over his investigation for the Bank of England into the forex market, for which he was paid 401,000.

Quizzed about the size of the fee, he said barristers such as himself do not get into the grubby world of negotiating fees, adding: I am sure we did a cheap deal.

Asked how many hours had he spent on the investigation, he replied loftily he hadnt the faintest idea. Grab-it-all, 71, appears to have learned his lesson.

From convivial city spinner Peter Bingle comes muffled wailing: Knocked myself out in the bike shed and ended up in A&E.

Nothing serious but I have a large bump and a very sore head.
There was a time when emerging markets were heralded as the shiny new future for investors put off by low growth and staid developed markets.

But more recently, the region has been on the receiving end of negative headlines. The switch to a consumer-led society has led to a collapse in commodity demand, coupled with a necessary but painful transition to slower rates of growth.

And figures reveal that even during the supposed glory days of emerging markets in the early 2000s, investors in active funds would have been disappointed.

Land of promise: But have emerging markets lived up to expectations?

Countries including China, India and Vietnam were seen as engines of world growth, with their gross domestic product growing by more than 10 per cent per year.

On top of that, a burgeoning middle class in emerging markets had opened up markets for Western franchises, healthcare products and consumer goods.

Yet the Investment Association's Global Emerging Markets sector has underperformed its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Market index, over 22 consecutive rolling 10-year time periods from the start of 2001 to the end of March this year.

What's more, nine out of the 14 emerging markets funds still standing from 2001 have underperformed in every single rolling 10-year time period, according to the data from FE Trustnet.

The worst 10-year period of underperformance was between 1 October 2002 and 30 September 2012, when the sector was 30.7 percentage points behind the index, but on average it lagged by 15.8 per cent.

The worst performer of all has been the $148m (102.8million) HSBC GIF Global Emerging Markets Equity fund, which lagged the index by an average of 108 per cent on a rolling 10-year view.

Three other household names have also been particularly poor offenders. Scottish Widows Emerging Markets fund, managed by Aberdeen Asset Management, has underperformed the MSCI index by a country mile - trailing by an average of 89.5 per cent on a 10-year rolling basis.

Meanwhile, the Legg Mason IF Martin Currie Emerging Markets fund lagged by a considerable 74.8 per cent, closely followed by the F&C Emerging Markets fund which underperformed by 74.1 per cent.

Falling behind: Nine of the 14 funds still around from 2011 underperformed in every rolling 10-year time period

Trustnet director Mika-John Soutworth said: 'While a large number of global emerging markets funds have underperformed the market over the long term, it's important to remember that about one-third of those we looked at have managed to outperform in each of the decade-long periods - including the popular offerings from Aberdeen and Stewart Investors.

'You're still more likely to find an emerging markets fund with a history of long-term outperformance than one that focuses on global developed markets. However, it's clear that active emerging market funds have struggled to beat the market.'

He adds that - ironically - the rise in popularity of global emerging markets funds could have actually contributed to their poor relative performance, as better coverage of the asset class has left fewer opportunities for active managers to take advantage of.

'Recent decades also have seen a surge in interest in emerging markets - most investors will now have an allocation in the asset class - which could mean the market is no longer as inefficient as it once was. This could result in a lack of easy opportunities for active managers to exploit, especially if they're focused on the more familiar large-cap names in the space.'

And judged on a shorter time period, the picture is not much better. Of the 25 emerging market funds still standing from a decade ago, they have on average underperformed the index in seven out of the past 10 years.

The Aberdeen Emerging Markets Equity fund beat the index in eight out of the 10 years, although it did lose money in real terms in four years out of 10.
Death is unavoidable  but the way we are laid to rest is still largely in our control.

In this special report, we examine how to finance your funeral and the crucial paperwork you need to fill out. Here, we look at the key decisions you need to make.

Ride of your life: Reverend Paul Sinclair will transport coffins in his sidecar hearse

CONSIDER AN INDEPENDENT FUNERAL DIRECTOR

There are more than 3,700 funeral directors in Britain. Of these, about 1,000 are independent.

Independently run businesses have often been in the same family for generations and will be focused on offering a personalised funeral  rather than a standard tick-box service.

The cost of a traditional funeral is about 3,600. This includes 700 for council cremation charges  the option taken by more than three quarters of us. A burial plot can cost 1,750 or more and there are gravedigger charges of up to 500.

In London you may only be offered a plot for a limited period of time. Other fees include those for body handling, a coffin, a funeral director and a service.

The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors lists details of local providers. A funeral director should be able to organise a personalised send-off  while also saving you money.

Of the funeral chains the largest is Dignity, while Co-operative Funeralcare has about 800 outlets.

OPT FOR A GREEN FUNERAL

Rosie Inman-Cook, manager of the Natural Death Centre in Twyford, Hampshire, says: The vast majority of funerals end up as part of a conveyor belt process at the local crematorium  with grieving friends and family having to make way for the next funeral just behind. But if you opt for a green burial your family can spend all day at the graveside and reflect on their loss in unspoilt countryside.

Natural burial sites are aimed at those who prefer a simple funeral in woodland. They cut out much of the ceremony and the burial plot can cost as little as 500.

The Natural Death Centre provides details of more than 270 green burial sites countrywide.

Funeral directors: There are more than 3,700 funeral directors in Britain. Of these, about 1,000 are independent

SELECT A CASKET

A green send-off is not the only colour you can add to a funeral  an alternative celebration of your life can also include an unusual coffin.

Nottingham-based Vic Fearn & Company offers a bespoke service called Crazy Coffins, with shapes and designs from electric guitars to refuse skips.

Ursula Williams, who works at the undertaker, says: We offer coffins made from solid wood for under 500 but you can pay as much as 5,000 for something special  such as a luxury 1917 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost casket.

Whatever the budget, a tailor-made coffin can add a personalised element to a funeral, turning an often sombre affair into a celebration of a life.

You might also opt for an eco-friendly wicker coffin or flat-pack cardboard design costing from 100 to 600.

Details of reputable dealers can be found at The Natural Death Centre.

CHOOSE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT

Reverend Paul Sinclair, from Measham in Leicestershire, offers a motorbike sidecar-hearse service through his firm Motorcycle Funerals.

He charges 750 to 1,000 for the UK-wide service, boasting that one of the five bikes, a Suzuki Hayabusa, was recorded as the worlds fastest motorcycle hearse by Guinness World Records.

Go out in style: A Victorian-style hearse drawn by a couple of horses might cost 1,000

A traditional hearse can cost 200 to hire but there is no reason you cannot organise transport yourself  anything from a tractor, lorry or an estate car.

Funeral budgeting is important, but cheapest is not always best, Sinclair warns. I have seen motorbikes towing coffins in a trailer that looked like they were going to a skip rather than a funeral. I have also seen bodies fall through the bottom of wicker caskets bought over the internet.

A Victorian-style hearse drawn by a couple of horses might cost 1,000.

HIT THE RIGHT NOTE

Even if you opt for a traditional funeral service you can personalise it with music. Among the most popular songs are Monty Pythons Always Look On The Bright Side of Life and Robbie Williams Angels.

Popular hymns include The Lords My Shepherd and Abide With Me. The most requested classical music piece is Nimrod from Edward Elgars Enigma Variations.You may have a family member who can play an instrument or sing.

Transport: Reverend Paul Sinclair charges 750 to 1,000 for his UK-wide service, boasting that one of the five bikes, a Suzuki Hayabusa, was recorded as the worlds fastest motorcycle hearse by Guinness World Records

The eulogy is a key part of the ceremony. Although a minister may say a few words, it is often more poignant if a family member or a friend provides the eulogy or reads a favourite poem.

AVOID PAYING UNNECESSARY CHARGES

You can cut funeral costs with a basic service, where your ashes are handed over at a price of about 1,000. A wake can then be held with family and friends.

Most funeral directors will not advertise this so you have to ask for it.

Do not be put off by the disparaging terms used by undertakers to describe this option, such as disposal-only or express.

Inman-Cook says: The industry makes people feel guilty by suggesting they are skimping  yet provides a production line funeral service with lots of unnecessary costs you do not need.

For those looking to cut costs further  as well as making a difference after they are gone  donating your body to science helps researchers and young doctors.

To do this complete a consent form from your local medical school.
PROFITS BLOOM Mitie Group has seen revenues fall 1.8 per cent to 2.2billion  but profits continue to rise as it improves its margins on contracts.

Profits before tax at the outsourcing firm were up 133 per cent at 96.8million in the year to the end of March. Mities facilities management division performed well and it made strong margins of 6.3 per cent.

The company, which provides catering for the Chelsea Flower Show, announced a dividend of 12.1p per share, up 3.4 per cent on a year ago. Shares rose 6 per cent or 16.4p to 290p.

Shares up: Mitie Group has seen revenues fall 1.8 per cent to 2.2bn  but profits continue to rise as it improves its margins on contracts

VODA EXIT Vodafones top strategist is leaving to take up a job in Italy. Paolo Bertoluzzo will step down as chief commercial operations and strategy officer in July to take over as boss of payment services firm ICBPI.

Vodafones group chief executive Vittorio Colao said Bertoluzzo had made an immense contribution during his time at the firm. Vodafone has yet to announce his successor.

Shares fell 1.4 per cent or 3.25p to 225.85p.

SHARES FADE PhotonStar LED Group saw shares fall yesterday as it reported widening losses.

The firm, which designs energy-saving lighting, made a loss of 3million in the year to December 31, compared to losses of 1.6million a year earlier. Revenues fell by 4 per cent to 6.9million and its debt levels doubled over the period.

It blamed competitive pricing from rivals. Shares have halved since last summer, and yesterday dropped 4.4 per cent or 0.12p to 2.75p.

TOP CARAT Faberge jewellery owner and gemstone miner Gemfields has achieved a record price per carat for its lower quality emeralds at an auction in India.

The AIM-listed miners auction set a price of 3.50 a carat for rough emeralds, with total sales reaching nearly 10million.

The stones came from Gemfields Kagem mine in Zambia, which it owns in a joint venture with the Zambian government.

The government requires that some of the stones mined in the country are auctioned in the capital, Lusaka. Gemfields shares rose 1.4 per cent or 0.62p to 44p.

DIVISION DITCHED Bank note printer De La Rue has sold a business which checks for faulty and fake bank notes.

Cash Processing Solutions was sold to Privet Capital in a deal worth a maximum of 10.1million,.

De La Rue reports its full-year results today. Shares rose nearly 5 per cent or 24p to 510p.

FLICK TECH Google has teamed up with tech firm Harman International Industries to develop gesture technology letting people control their electronics with a flick of the wrist.
Hitting the bottle: David Maloney, 60, managed to keep his seat as the chair of Stock Spirits

The chairman of vodka maker Stock Spirits fought off a coup by a millionaire investor  but lost the battle to stop cronies being placed on the board.

In a high-tension annual meeting, David Maloney, 60, managed to keep his seat as the chair of Stock Spirits by bagging 78 per cent of the vote.

But activist investor Luis Amaral did get his way by successfully forcing two directors he had recommended onto the board.

After months of wrangling, the two men went head to head at the shareholder meeting in a tense face-off.

Millionaire Amaral accused Maloney and the board of running out of ideas and said financial performance has been poor.

He said the management of the company is clearly not working.

Maloney took the flak and did not react to Amarals comments.

But afterwards he attacked Amaral, comparing him to the Republican US presidential candidate.

He said: It has been like fighting against Donald Trump. There has been lots of populist rhetoric but no policies.

The two men have been engaged in a boardroom war after Amaral claimed the scalp of former chief executive Chris Heath when he resigned in April.

His objections stem from complaints that Stock Spirits, based in Buckinghamshire, needs to cut costs, move its office overseas and appoint a chief executive for its Polish operations.

But his aggressive moves have been met with fierce criticism from the existing board, which alleges Amaral has a conflict of interest as his Eurocash cash-and-carry chain in Poland is also one of Stock Spirits biggest customers.

It has been claimed Amaral just wants to get his own team in place to force Stock Spirits to cut prices for customers such as Eurocash.

Amaral, 54, said: I am more aligned to the firm doing well than anyone else. As a customer and shareholder I benefit if it prospers. I dont see a conflict of interest.

Stock Spirits (up 1.9 per cent or 3p to 161p) had opposed the election of two non-executive directors proposed by Amaral.
Royal Mail delivered the biggest rise on the FTSE yesterday as investors were heartened by broker buy ratings on the stock.

The firms shares had taken a tumble last week over concerns around its parcel business. But investors thought the launch of a new personalised postcard service was first class.

It sent shares up 4.3 per cent, or 21.1p, to 513p, but wasnt enough to keep the FTSE 100 in the black as the market fell 0.3 per cent, or 19.89 points, to 6136.43  energy and materials firms were the biggest drag on the day.

Special delivery: Royal Mail's shares had taken a tumble last week over concerns around its parcel business. But investors thought the launch of a new personalised postcard service was first class

Inmarsat was the biggest faller. The satellite communications services provider announced Pip McCrostie would take up the mantle of non-executive director from September. But a cut to neutral from Morgan Stanley put shares 4 per cent or 30.5p lower at 724.5p.

Sports Direct also stumbled after Goldman Sachs cut its rating on the retailer to neutral. Shares slipped 4 per cent, or 14.9p, to 354.1p.

Mitie Group soared after it announced a final dividend of 6.7p a share, bringing the full-year pay out to 12.1p.

The facilities management business said operating profit had doubled to 112.5million, although net debt climbed slightly to 178.3million.

The group is to start a share buyback programme to return surplus cash to investors  up to 20million of shares will be bought and cancelled by the firm by March 2017. Shares rose 6 per cent, or 16.4p, to 290p on the news.

4D Pharma gave investors an update on its Irritable Bowel Syndrome treatment. After being trialled on 56 volunteers the group said its product, named Blautix, was safe and well-tolerated.

The firm hopes to use the data it collects to further develop diagnosis of the condition. It said the trial was a step towards market approval for the drug. Shares rose 4.8 per cent, or 39.5p, to 870p.

Distil investors were getting in the spirit after the firm had its RedLeg Spiced Rum approved for sale in the USA.

The group, which also makes Blackwoods Gin and Diva vodka, said its rum had been approved by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

The 5million firm also sells spirits in the UK, Germany, Spain, Australia and Russia. Investors raised a glass to the news and the shares tipped up 4.9 per cent, or 0.05p, to 1.08p.

Online bingo and gaming firm Stride Gaming was on a winning streak after it revealed earnings were up 42 per cent to 5million.

The firm, whose brands include Kitty Bingo, Lucky Pants Bingo, and King Jackpot, is set to pay its maiden interim dividend of 1.1p a share next month.

The group has nearly doubled its number of funded players (those using their own money) to 60,561 with an average yield per player of 114. Shares made great strides, gaining 6.1 per cent, or 15.5p, to 270.5p.

DDD Group saw its share price nosedive after it proposed cancelling its share listing. The firm repurposes content  for example, its SmartCams convert 2D content to 3D  and delivers it to TVs, computers and mobile devices.

It is shifting its focus to video conferencing and launching a new app which makes selfies (pictures you take of yourself, usually on a mobile phone) interactive.

In its final results the LA-based business said 184,000 of its SmartCams were shipped in the second half of 2015 and it had extended a 3D TV license agreement with Samsung Electronics until the end of this year.

But revenue had slipped from 1.8million to just 487,500 in the year, and despite a capital raising the firm made a loss of around 2.2million.

Chief executive Chris Yewdall said he was encouraged by the positive response from users to its products.

But he added that the AIM listing had become excessive for the size of the business and that it was in the companys best interests to cancel trading on the stock market, which will cut expense and increase the possibility of potential dividends in the future.

Shares in DDD plunged 70 per cent, or 1.08p, to 0.45p.

MINDS + Machines sells website addresses and domain names. If you want a website you have to pay a firm to provide the address and keep it online.

The domain refers to the end of a website address, such as .com or .co.uk. M&M acquired the .vip domain for around 2.15million in September 2014.

Yesterday it said some 203,720 addresses had been registered under .vip, with orders worth a total of 2.2million.
Windfall: Argus Media has sold a controlling stake in its business to General Atlantic for 1bn

Enenrgy news company Argus Media has sold a controlling stake in its business to a US investment group for 1billion, in a deal set to bring in multi-million-pound windfalls for its shareholder staff.

General Atlantic bought a 52 per cent stake in the firm from its founders, the Nasmyth family, which is equivalent to 18mililon shares.

Argus was started by former Daily Telegraph journalist Jan Nasmyth. He died in 2008.

More than a fifth of its 750 staff hold shares in the company. They will have the opportunity of selling some or all of their shares, or staying invested in the firm.

The value of the 1billion deal comes to more than 20 times Arguss expected operating profit of 45million for this year.

Argus attracted over 60 prospective buyers and investors in the sale process, including US buyout fund Hellman & Friedman, Singapores government-owned investor Temasek, the Rothschild Group, and competitors including IHS.
Profile: M&S has a deal with model Alexa Chung

New M&S boss Steve Rowe looks set to stamp his authority on the business by axing high street fashion gurus credited with turning round rival Next, sources claim.

An M&S contract with siblings Mark and Neal Lindsey  nicknamed the rag trade brothers  who are experts at ensuring fashion chains are supplied with the clothes they want at the right price and at the right time.

They were hired by former boss Marc Bolland in March 2014 after they had transformed the way Next did business and made the flagging retailer into a high street powerhouse.

Under Bolland M&S has struck a number of high profile deals to revive its womens fashion business, including most recently with model Alexa Chung.

Despite M&S struggling with their clothing sales, the Lindsey brothers are credited with helping M&S slash their costs and carve out contacts with new designers.

Many analysts believe that without their expertise the M&S clothing lines would be in even more disarray than many people believe they currently are.

The Lindseys are said to have learned their trade working Saturdays and school holidays in their uncles menswear store in Golders Green, London, in the 1960s. They went on to work for Rael Brook, a shirt maker.

The brothers receive a fixed proportion of the savings generated by the increase in M&Ss margin, in addition to basic salaries of 400,000 each.

They will be in line for multi-million pound paydays which could make them the companys best-paid employees over a three-year period.

Rowe, 48, who took over last month, will set out his strategy to shareholders tomorrow at its full-year results.

It is not expected that Rowe will give an update on the contract with the Lindsey brothers this week as it is still being considered.
With rents rising Britons across the country could rake in unexpected amounts renting out their spare room.

London is known as the priciest region in the UK, but elsewhere in the country room rents are increasing much quicker than they are in the capital, SpareRoom.co.uk revealed to This is Money.

Excluding London, room rents across the UK have risen by 5.01 per cent in a year, compared to 1.63 per cent in the capital.

Monthly room rents and annual change: Excluding London, room rents have increased by 5.01 per cent in a year, SpareRoom.co.uk exclusively revealed to This is Money

The regions seeing the biggest average increase in room rental prices in the last 12 months are the South East and the South West, the findings suggest.

In the South East, average monthly room rents have risen to around 485 a month, a 6.59 per cent increase on a year earlier.

Across the South West, average monthly room rents have grown to around 431, a 6.62 per cent increase on a year ago.

People looking to rent out a spare room in Northern Ireland could take in around 280 a month from tenants.

While this is low compared to the rest of the UK, room rents in Northern Ireland have increased quickly over the past year, rising 5.26 per cent in a year, SpareRoom said.

In London, people looking to rent out a room can expect to rake in around 747 a month from their tenants.

While the amount of money that can be earned from renting out a room in the capital is hefty, if not bordering on the extortionate, the pace of growth in room rates in the capital in the last year has been relatively modest just 1.63 per cent, SpareRoom said.

The only region in the UK that has seen room rents increase at a slower pace than London in the last 12 months is the West Midlands, where average room rents have only increased by 1.52 per cent to around 400 a month.

Spare space: The regions seeing the biggest average increase in room rental prices in the last 12 months are the South East and the South West, SpareRoom.co.uk told This is Money

Regional variations: Average monthly room rents by region between 2014 to 2016

Outside of central London's boroughs, Twickenham is the town where would-be landlords can earn the most from renting out a spare room, with monthly room rents around 647, amounting to over 7,500 a year.

Leafy Esher, in Surrey, is the second most expensive town for renting out a room, with landlords currently raking in around 629 a month.

At the other end of the spectrum, people renting out a room in places like Belfast, Rochdale and Bradford won't see their spare square-footage stretch quite as far.

In Belfast, average monthly room rents are around 278, while in Rochdale and Bradford they are 279 and 307 respectively, the findings suggest.

Across London's room rental market, in certain areas there are signs of a cool-down in prices. But, in Barnes room rents soared 41 per cent in a year to around 816 a month.

Meanwhile, room rents in West London have fallen by 2.5 per cent over the past year, SpareRoom said.

Surprise fall: oom rents in West London have fallen by 2.5 per cent over the past year

Room rates: Top 10 most and least expensive places to rent a room in the UK

Matt Hutchinson, of SpareRoom, told This is Money: 'The first quarter of 2016 saw some respite for renters, thanks to an upturn in supply as buy to let investors rushed to complete ahead of the stamp duty increase.

'But this may only provide temporary relief - the UKs residential rental market is still groaning under the weight of demand, particularly in Londons satellite towns.

'Even cities like Manchester and Birmingham, which offer some of the highest levels of supply for renters in the UK, are massively oversubscribed with six tenants competing for every room.

'With UK rents rising 5% in a year, its hardly surprising 65% of SpareRoom users said they were in favour of rent controls. Its come to something when lower than average rent increases are seen as good news.'
For investors, the potential merger of Bayer and Monsanto provides a lucrative chance to own shares in an unassailable giant of the agriculture industry.

But this tie-up between two of the worlds most successful companies is not without controversy, not least because of the infamous past of both firms.

Some experts fear it will create a monster whose global tendrils stretch into everything from health care to farming.

Threat: With both Monsanto and Bayer heavily focused on genetically modified crops, the new company could become a top target for activists challenging the spread of so-called Frankenstein foods

And with both firms heavily focused on genetically modified crops, the new company could become a top target for activists challenging the spread of so-called Frankenstein foods.

Bayers 43billion offer for American rival Monsanto would form the largest agricultural giant the world has ever seen. It is the biggest takeover bid by a German business in history.

Bosses at Bayer have described the move as an extraordinary opportunity  but there are reports of unrest even among its own shareholders, with one branding the move arrogant empire-building.

Monsanto  which is halfway through axing 3,600 jobs after a failed takeover attempt of its own last year  is expected to give a positive answer, according to Bayer boss Werner Baumann.

BAYER VS MONSANTO Bayer was founded in Barmen, Germany in 1863 by two friends who made dyes from coal.

In 1897 it developed Aspirin, the worlds first mass-selling drug  20bn tablets a year are now sold in the USA alone.

Two weeks later, it invented heroin as a cough remedy. It was on sale until 1913 as non-addictive medication.

A sister firm IG Farben produced Zyklon B, the gas used by Nazis to murder an estimated 1m Holocaust victims.

Monsanto was founded in St Louis, Missouri in 1901 and initially made food additives such as saccharin.

In the 1960s it became the first company to mass produce light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

It was a key producer of toxic Agent Orange. 11.4m gallons were sprayed on forests during the Vietnam War.

In 1983 it introduced genes into plant cells and became one of the first firms to genetically modify food.

But regardless of what the deal means for investors, it will combine two companies with rocky histories.

Founded more than 150 years ago in Barmen, an industrial town in western Germany, Bayer made its name with Aspirin.

Its scientists developed the painkiller from chemicals in willow bark after realising ancient folk remedies involving the tree had a ring of truth to them.

The company lost its trademark in Britain due to post-First World War confiscations. But Aspirin is nonetheless one of the most important and widespread drugs ever produced, with 40,000 tonnes manufactured every year.

Unfortunately, Bayers other early triumph was just as popular. In 1897, two weeks after he synthesised Aspirin, Bayer scientist Felix Hoffmann produced a powerful version of the ancient poppy-based drug opium.

He called it heroin and the product was sold across the world as a cure for coughs.

The company finally stopped making it in 1913  but by then the genie was out of the bottle and thousands were already addicted to what is now a Class A drug.

Bayer was then absorbed into chemicals conglomerate IG Farben, a giant German firm made infamous by its use of slave labour in the Nazi era.

And IG Farben was involved in producing the gas Zyklon B which was used to murder an estimated one million Jews in concentration camps.

Bayer was once part of German firm IG Farben, made infamous by its use of slave labour in the Nazi era and involved in producing Zyklon B gas which was used to murder an estimated 1m Jews in concentration camps

Bayer was split back out from the conglomerate after the war  although German chemist Fritz ter Meer, who helped plan a concentration camp used for human experiments, served as its chairman for several years in the 1950s. The companys bosses have apologised for its role in the Holocaust.

But there was one more controversy to come when in the 1980s Bayer was producing a treatment for haemophilia.

It was implicated in a major scandal after thousands of patients contracted Aids from contaminated blood, and reached a settlement with victims in 1997.

This dark past would overshadow anything in most other companies histories.

But 115-year-old Monsanto also has a string of controversies to its name. It was a key government partner in the Manhattan Project to build the first atom bombs, running a laboratory used to extract polonium, which set off their chain reactions.

Monsanto went on to produce industrial chemicals known as PCBs, which were banned across the world after being revealed as a possible cause of cancer.

The company ran a PCB plant in South Wales with waste dumped in the disused Brofiscin Quarry. It agreed to help pay for cleaning the site in 2015, but did not accept responsibility for the pollution.

Poison: MonsaNto played a key role in the production of the toxic Agent Orange fertilisers used by the US armed forces in the Vietnam War

It was also a mass producer of DDT, an insecticide used to kill malarial mosquitos. This was banned in the US in 1972 when it was credited with seriously damaging the natural environment.

The company  after playing a key role in the production of the toxic Agent Orange fertilisers used by the US armed forces in the Vietnam War  is now focused on seed production.

It is at the centre of a worldwide campaign for genetically-modified foods, despite widespread fears about the unknown effect these supposed super-crops could have on our environment.

Given this less-than perfect past, it is no surprise that Monsantos name could face the axe.
Metro Bank has written to hundreds of thousands of its current account customers to tell them fees for using their credit and debit cards outside of Europe will increase to be more in line with those of big banks.

From 25 July 2016, it will charge 2.5 per cent on card purchases  and 1.50 on cash withdrawals from ATMs, the challenger bank says.

At present, it charges 1.9 per cent on card purchases and an extra 1 for taking out cash after moving the goalposts in March 2014.

Fee hike: Metro Bank customers using their credit and debit cards outside of Europe will see a higher price to do so

Before then, all card usage  from Argentina to Zambia - was free abroad. Thousands of customers were tempted in by this lure when opening their accounts from when the bank started in 2010.

According to Metro Bank, it had nearly 300,000 current account customers before it made these changes in 2014.

Transactions, it says, will remain free in 32 European countries. It adds that last year, approximately nine in every 10 international card transactions by its customers took place in Europe.

The new charges will hit Metro customers who frequently visit family abroad, or who perhaps have a holiday home outside Europe, the hardest.

The fee hike will bring Metro more in line with big high street banks internationally. They typically charge between 2.75 to 2.99 per cent for a card purchase outside of Europe, with an additional 1.5 to 2 per cent on top for withdrawals.

These banks charge similar amounts for use in Europe, meaning Metro will still be one of the best cards to hold in your wallet in Europe.

Transaction fees: Metro Bank has sent this table to customers to show how its new transaction fees compared to the high street giants

A spokesman said: 'From time to time we review our products and services and today's announcement is part of that ongoing review.

'We will continue to maintain our fee free European transactions for all our debit and credit card customers, as well as ensure that our rates remain competitive.'

It added that this move is to ensure European transactions remain free and that it has no plans to ever axe the perk.

It's the latest in a long line of attractive current account deals which hook customers in only for the terms to become worse later down the line.
Jury selection began Monday for his murder trial - expected to last a week

The Shield star was arrested and held on $2 million bail for two years

Jace is accused of shooting dead his wife April at their LA home

The murder trial has begun for Shield actor Michael Jace who is accused of shooting dead his wife two years ago.

Prosecutors say the 53-year-old killed his wife April at the couple's Los Angeles home - in front of their young children - in May 2014.

The actor then called a police dispatcher to confess he had shot his wife, authorities say. A recording of the call has not been released.

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Michael Jace, pictured in a Los Angeles court on Monday for the first day of his murder trial, is accused of murdering his wife in 2014

The murder trial has begun for Shield actor Michael Jace who is accused of shooting dead his wife April two years ago (pictured together during 'The Shield' Season 6 Premiere and Season 5 DVD Launch Party, Hollywood)

Prosecutors say the 53-year-old (pictured in court on Monday, right, and previously, left) killed his wife April at the couple's Los Angeles home - in front of their young children - in May 2014

Jace, who has been held in jail since his arrest two years ago, has pleaded not guilty to murder. His attorneys have said his state of mind on the day of the killing will be a key element of his defense.

Jury selection began Monday, with a judge telling 70 prospective jurors about Jace's work as an actor and noting the case has received some publicity.

Jace, who starred in the FX cop show, appeared in court on Monday wearing a blue shirt and looked wearier and more grey than then last time he was in public.

The trial is expected to last a week.

April Jace, a financial aid counselor at Biola University, was killed at her south Los Angeles home in May 2014.

Police found the 40-year-old, who had three sons, including the two with Michael Jace, dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the upper torso.

Her family called her death a senseless act of domestic violence.

Actor Michael Jace, pictured in handcuffs outside his Los Angeles home, during his arrest in May 2014 after he allegedly shot dead his wife in front of their young children A distraught Michael Jace pictured outside his LA home is now facing a murder trial which began this week His booking sheet shows that he was booked at 3.37am on May 20, 2014

Her husband made the call to 911 at around 8.30pm and then phoned his father-in-law to pick up the children, according to another 911 call released by fire officials.

The couple's two sons, who were both under 10, reportedly witnessed the shooting and were taken in a distraught state to the police station and were put in care.

Few other details have been released about the alleged murder.

Detectives believe the victim had argued with her husband about their relationship via text message shortly before she was gunned down.

The couple had been fighting over money and had been through a bankruptcy, court papers seen by the LA Times state.

Earlier this month, LAPD investigators reportedly managed to hack into April Jace's iPhone. The hacking occurred during the same period earlier this year when the FBI managed to crack the iPhone of San Bernardino.

According to the Times, LAPD Detective Connie Zynch wrote in the a search warrant that the department found a 'forensic cellphone expert who could override the locked iPhone function'.

The warrant did not say exactly how the LAPD managed to open the locked phone or reveal the identity of the cellphone expert. There was also no detail on the operating system on the device.

Jace starring as Detective Julian Lowe in the Shield. He also featured in films Boogie Nights, Forrest Gump and Planet of the Apes

On Monday this week, potential jurors were summoned to a downtown Los Angeles courtroom for the trial.

The judge has said the jury might be told that April Jace was having an affair before her death, although a prosecutor said she would not say that to the jury.

Meanwhile Jace, who played Detective Julian Lowe in the police drama, was described by neighbors as a doting father and said they never saw or heard signs of trouble from the family home in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

A prosecutor has said there was no evidence of previous domestic violence by Michael Jace.

However, it court papers from his divorce to first wife Jennifer Bitterman revealed claims that he had an 'explosive temper' and that he had hit her on 'multiple' occasions.

Divorce papers seen by MailOnline claim that Jace had an alleged fearsome temper. Close friend Maria De La Vega testified on behalf of Bitterman. She said: 'Jordan was six months old. I was in the house and witnessed the first episode of physical abuse.

'Respondent was raging and choked and hit petitioner and slammed her against the wall while Jordan screamed in the crib next to her'.

She claimed that 'there were multiple physical assaults' on Bitterman.

Bitterman petitioned for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences in 1995. The couple separated for good in 1997, but did not have the divorce finalized until 2002.

In the papers, De La Vega claimed she saw the extent of anger and added that the things she saw were 'terrifying'. She added that it was clear that Jace's 'ambition was the most important thing to him and not his son and wife'.

In 2005, as Bitterman and Jace continued to fight over custody, the actor's ex-wife said in a declaration: 'The Respondent threatens corporal punishment and has spanked (his son) for crying and being afraid. The Respondent's intimidation style of discipline has been a source of great anxiety to (his son)'.

Then in a 2006 declaration, Bitterman claimed Jace screamed at Bitterman in front of (his son), harassed her in phone calls and also sent the 'I will f***ing kill you!' email.

Bitterman was awarded primary custody.

According to TMZ, April astonishingly testified on Jace's behalf. She said he provided a stable home for the boy.

Jace is best known for his role as LAPD Officer Julien Lowe in The Shield. He also appeared on the show Southland and had small roles in the movies Planet of the Apes, Boogie Nights and Forrest Gump.

Despite his success, Michael Jace filed for bankruptcy protection in 2011 due to mounting debts estimated between $500,000 and $1million.

He had fallen behind on bill payments just months before the shooting.

Jace has been held in custody since 2014 on $2million bail, which his attorney indicated the jailed actor cannot pay.
The 20-year-old said she has bumped into her

A female student says she was raped at a university orientation camp after waking up while her attacker was sexually assaulting her.

Emma Hunt, 20, says the attack occurred in 2014 during an orientation week camp for Melbourne's Monash University.

'One minute I was dancing. The next minute I woke up and someone was raping me,' she told The Age.

Emma Hunt (pictured), 20, says she was raped at a university orientation camp after waking up while her attacker was sexually assaulting her

Monash's orientation week is held ahead of the start of semester for new students to mingle and are encouraged to develop new relationships.

On the night Ms Hunt claims the attack occurred, a fellow student found her in a bed with an unnamed in a wooden cabin and became concerned as Ms Hunt was not in a state to give consent.



A group of students grabbed the man and pulled him off Ms Hunt who had woken up while the attack was occurring.

Following the attack, Ms Hunt said she suffered from trauma and she now receives counselling to help her cope with the trauma of the assault.

Six months later she spoke with a friend who urged her to speak to the university's Safer Community Unit. They reportedly recommended she report the matter to police.

But she has been reluctant said she did not have 'faith in a positive outcome' in going through a trial.

She says she is fearful the attack could happen again and has been reminded of the incident when she has seen her alleged perpetrator at the university's Clayton campus, according to the report.

Ms Hunt says she is fearful the attack could happen again and has been reminded of the incident when she has seen her alleged perpetrator at Monash University's Clayton campus

There have been four reports of sexual assault on Monash University campus since 2014 and 20 reports of off-campus assaults according to a Monash University spokesman

There have been four reports of sexual assault on Monash University campus since 2014 and 20 reports of off-campus assaults according to a Monash University spokesman.

'Victims of sexual assault or harassment are encouraged and supported to report to the police, but if they choose not to do so that choice is respected,' the spokesman said in the news report.

'Meanwhile, Monash continues to seek ways to provide them with personal support, and to limit potential for contact with the alleged perpetrator.'

The allegation comes as students from University of Sydney's prestigious Wesley College (pictured) have deemed the institution a haven for rampant sexism and an 'en masse' drinking culture

Producers of the Wesley College journal has been slammed by students at Sydney University after including a section named 'The Rackweb' - an intricate map that reveals details about the sex life of women on campus

The allegation comes as students from University of Sydney's prestigious Wesley College have deemed the institution a haven for rampant sexism and an 'en masse' drinking culture, when speaking out after a 'slut-shaming' journal was revealed.

Producers of the Wesley College journal has been slammed by students at Sydney University after including a section named 'The Rackweb' - an intricate map that reveals details about the sex life of women on campus.

The publication, which is funded by students of the college, includes awards for 'Best A**', 'Best Cleavage', 'Biggest Pornstar' and 'Kinkiest Collegian', while the woman deemed to have slept with the most men is awarded the title of 'Mrs RackWeb'.

The publication, which is funded by students of the college, includes awards for 'Best A**', 'Best Cleavage', 'Biggest Pornstar' and 'Kinkiest Collegian'

More than half of students who report sexual abuse are targeted on campus or university events but only five per cent of victims report incidents to the police, according to the National Union of Students.
The Taj Mahal's stunning white marble walls and decorative interior attracts millions of tourists to India every year but now the site is facing a disgusting new threat - from green insect excrement.

Authorities have ordered an investigation after green-tinged patches began appearing on the back wall of the monument to love, which stands on the banks of the heavily polluted Yamuna river.

The world famous tourist attraction has previously been damaged by India's air population, caused by decades of heavy industry in nearby cities.

Environmentalists believe the pollutants in the river have caused a rise in levels of algae, which has in turn led to a surge in the numbers of the insects which feed on it.

The Taj -- India's top tourist attraction -- was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631

India's National Green Tribunal, which hears cases related to environmental protection, raised the issue last week. Now the state government of Uttar Pradesh, home to the world's most famous tomb, has ordered an inquiry.

'The state government is extremely concerned about this issue. People can rest assured that we will let no harm come to the Taj Mahal,' said the chief minister's spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary.

He said the chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, had ordered officials to find urgent solutions.

The alert was sounded by environmental activist DK Joshi.

'Three types of insects breeding in the stagnant and polluted waters of the Yamuna flowing behind the Taj Mahal are causing the problem,' he told AFP.

Environmentalists believe the pollutants in the river have caused a rise in levels of algae, which has in turn led to a surge in the numbers of the insects which feed on it

Labourers work on the exterior of the Taj Mahal in the northern Indian city of Agra. Indian archaeologists have previously applied a mud pack to the marble exteriors to reinforce the country's most famous monument

Authorities have taken steps in recent years to try to protect the 17th-century monument from pollution from the nearby busy city of Agra, including banning local coal-powered industries

'They're attracted to the white sheen of the marble and the swarms are leaving behind greenish-black faeces, which is discolouring the ancient monument.'

Authorities have taken steps in recent years to try to protect the 17th-century monument from pollution from the nearby busy city of Agra, including banning local coal-powered industries.

The Taj - India's top tourist attraction - was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631.

It has drawn a string of world leaders and royalty including former US President Bill Clinton, while Diana, the late British princess, was famously photographed alone on a marble seat there in 1992.
Federal inspectors found sick and dead animals, inadequate sanitation, untrained employees performing euthanasia and other deficiencies at a Pennsylvania small-animal dealer that supplied major pet retailers like Petco and PetSmart.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report on its January inspection of Holmes Chinchilla Ranch that said inspectors found dozens of animals in need of veterinary treatment for symptoms ranging from hair loss to eye abnormalities to lethargy.

USDA spent several days at Holmes after an animal-rights group shot video purporting to show substandard conditions at the dealer's facility in Barto, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where it keeps thousands of hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and other species.

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USDA spent several days at Holmes Chincilla Ranch after PETA shot video purporting to show substandard conditions at the dealer's facility in Barto, Pennsylvania. Dead animals were tossed into garbage bags and not even checked for signs of life, says PETA

The PETA video showed rabbits and other animals living in filthy cages and dying from lack of medical care

A cute little guinea pig named Elvis is seen in this PETA image

Animals were allegedly stuffed into smelly, overcrowded wire cages where they were forced to fight for food and water because there wasn't enough

USDA's investigation remains open. After wrapping up the probe, the department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service could issue a warning or fine, or take action to suspend or revoke Holmes' license

The video, which People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals shared with The Associated Press, included scenes of bins with dead guinea pigs; dishes filled with what appeared to be fouled water; loose cats that PETA said preyed on hamsters, mice and rats; live rats stuffed in a plastic bag and placed in a freezer; and a 'waste-filled cooler' where dozens of small animals of varying species were dumped and gassed, 'sometimes ineffectively,' PETA said.

Holmes employees told USDA they learned how to euthanize animals on the Internet, according to the USDA inspection report, which said employees must be appropriately trained in the procedure.

Holmes employees told USDA they learned how to euthanize animals on the Internet, according to the USDA inspection report. An image from PETA is seen here

Two rabbits are seen (left and right) in these images from PETA

Rabbits were kept in overcrowded, feces-encrusted, dirty cages, PETA alleges

A company official didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment Monday. Holmes released a statement in January that said it would work with USDA to 'resolve any concerns.'

USDA's investigation remains open. After wrapping up the probe, the department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service could issue a warning or fine, or take action to suspend or revoke Holmes' license.

The company has already lost business as a result of the publicity surrounding its facility, with Petco announcing in January it dropped Holmes as a supplier. PetSmart, however, refuses to say whether it is still getting animals from Holmes.

Baby rats were shown sealed into plastic bags while still alive and moving and then frozen to death in a freezer, PETA claims

PETA alleges a big pile of baby rats was put into a freezer while still alive and frozen to death

PetSmart refuses to say whether it is still getting animals from Holmes (stock image)

'As a standard practice, we do not comment on the status of relationships with our vendors,' Michelle Friedman, PetSmart's vice president of corporate communications, said in a statement. 'Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of pets, and we take any allegation of mistreatment very seriously. We immediately review and thoroughly investigate, taking appropriate steps and corrective actions as needed to ensure our high standards of pet care continue to be met.'

Dan Paden, PETA's associate director of evidence analysis, said his group was told by two people, including someone who works for Holmes, that PetSmart is still procuring animals from Holmes.

'The secrecy says it all,' Paden said Monday. 'PetSmart is standing by a company that has just been cited for at least 117 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.'

Animals died in dirty feces-filled cages from lack of medical care and neglect, alleges PETA
In a battle between two of Britains most well-known women barristers, Amal Clooney has taken victory over Cherie Blair by securing UK refugee status for a former Maldives president.

Mohamed Nasheed, the opposition leader, was controversially jailed for 13 years under anti-terror laws last year after a trial that drew international criticism.

But his case has now been successfully championed with the help of an international legal team that included Mrs Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of the American actor George.

Battle: Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney (left) has taken victory over Cherie Blair (right), the wife of former prime minister Tony Blair, by securing UK refugee status for a former Maldives president

The legal firm of former prime minister Tony Blairs wife meanwhile provided advice for several months to the Maldives government of President Abdulla Yameen after it imprisoned Mr Nasheed.

A former human rights campaigner, Mr Nasheed became the nations first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

But he was forced from office in 2012 and detained after being accused of ordering the arrest of a judge. He resigned months later amid an army mutiny and public protests over the judges fate.

Mr Nasheed was then jailed last year on controversial terrorism charges following a hasty trial with no defence witnesses.

Working together: The case of Mohamed Nasheed (left) has now been successfully championed with the help of an international legal team that included Mrs Clooney (right), the wife of the American actor George

British educated Mr Nasheed had been allowed to travel to the UK to receive medical treatment on his spine in January. Now it has been revealed he has been granted political asylum.

Myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work in exile - for now Mohamed Nasheed

Nasheed has been granted political refugee status in the UK, Hasan Latheef, Mr Nasheeds lawyer, said from the capital of Male.

And Mr Nasheed's office in a statement quoted him as saying that President Yameen has jailed every opposition leader and cracked down on anyone who dares to oppose or criticise him.

In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost.

'Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work in exile - for now.

Involved: The legal firm of former prime minister Tony Blairs (right) wife Cherie (left) provided advice for several months to the Maldives government of President Abdulla Yameen after it imprisoned Mr Nasheed

Since his release, Mr Nasheed has called for sanctions against Mr Yameen and his allies for detaining political prisoners, mainly opposition leaders, and for alleged human rights abuses in the Maldives.

Mr Nasheed was ousted in disputed circumstances in 2012 after ordering the arrest of a judge

Mr Nasheed was ousted in disputed circumstances in 2012 after ordering the arrest of the judge.

The United Nations, the US and human rights groups have said Mr Yameens government failed to follow due process and that the case was politically motivated.

Britain's Home Office said in a statement that it does not comment on individual asylum cases.

Mr Yameen, whose half-brother lost power to Mr Nasheed in 2008, has rejected accusations that Mr Nasheeds trial was politically motivated and said the legal process was fair.

In 2009, Mr Nasheed led the worlds first underwater cabinet meeting to grab attention over rising sea levels that threaten his country.

Mr Nasheed previously had been forced into exile for many years when Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was in power and he was jailed repeatedly for his pro-democracy activism.

Before political parties were recognized in his country, Mr Nasheed helped form the Maldivian Democratic Party while living in exile in Sri Lanka.

The Maldives foreign ministry said in a statement that it is concerned about reports of Mr Nasheed being granted political asylum even though it has yet to be officially confirmed.

Power couple: Mrs Clooney, who is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, is married to US actor George

The ministry's statement said Mr Nasheed was given a medical leave on an exceptional basis and the latest development demonstrates that his motive in seeking the leave was to avoid serving his prison term.

The Government of the Maldives is disappointed, if confirmed, that the UK Government is allowing itself to be part of this charade Maldives foreign ministry

Further, the Government of the Maldives is disappointed, if confirmed, that the UK Government is allowing itself to be part of this charade, and further, is enabling an individual to circumvent his obligations under the law, the foreign ministry said.

A British High Commission official in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo said it did not comment on individual asylum cases.
A new immigration detention center set to open in Texas will have a special unit for transgender people.

The facility, due to be completed in November, will include 36 beds for transgender detainees, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement.

The privately-run center, located in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, will be the second facility of its kind in the federal system.

The only other one, in Santa Ana, California, held 28 transgender people last week, according to the agency.

A new immigration detention center in Alvarado, Texas, will have a special unit for transgender people. Pictured, immigrants wait after turning themselves in to border patrol agents near Rio Grande City, Texas

Federal guidelines instruct detention staff to ask incoming detainees about their chosen gender identity and make accommodations based on their preference.

The guidelines include instructions on conducting searches, providing clothing based on a detainee's stated gender identity, and maintaining safety.

But advocates say transgender immigrants often face certain challenges, such as a higher risk of sexual assault, the impossibility to get hormone replacement treatments, and guards unfamiliar with gender identity issues.

More than half of 28 women were held in men's facilities at some point during their detention, a Human Rights Watch report found in March.

Half were held in solitary confinement.

One Honduran woman identified in the report, who was held at a detention center in Arizona, reported being raped by three men

She said a guard then told her: 'You are the ones that cause these problems and always call the men's attention.'

ICE said Monday it would work with advocate groups in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, just northwest of where the facility is located, to assist transgender people in custody.

But some experts say the best step federal officials could take is to do away with transgender detention altogether.

Independent oversight is needed for detention facilities, particularly those run privately, according to Carmina Ocampo, a staff attorney at the advocacy group Lambda Legal.

'Without any mechanisms to enforce that, it just seems unlikely that transgender people will be kept safe and not subjected to abuse and mistreatment,' she said.
The parents of a New Jersey boy who was 4 when he fatally shot a 6-year-old neighbor in Toms River have been ordered to pay nearly $600,000 to the slain youth's family.

Anthony and Melissa Senatore will also have to pay punitive damages to Brandon Holt's parents under the ruling issued Monday. That amount hasn't been determined.

Anthony Senatore has admitted keeping a loaded .22-caliber rifle unlocked in his bedroom, where his son found it in April 2013. The boy took it outside and shot Brandon Holt once in the head.

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Anthony Senatore has admitted keeping a loaded .22-caliber rifle unlocked in his bedroom, where his son found it in April 2013. The boy took it outside and shot Brandon Holt (seen left and right) once in the head

Senatore was filmed by CBS New York saying in court on Monday: 'When the gun went off I turned around, realized what gun it had been so I immediately removed it from his hands.

'My daughter had came around the side of my house and said, Dad, Brandon was shot."'

Brandon's mother Christine Holt was filmed by the TV station testifying: 'He was laying on the bench like the seat laying down... he was bleeding.

'I was just rubbing his legs telling him I was there, telling him to breathe 'cause he was trying to breathe... I just kept telling him I loved him.'

In his ruling, Judge Robert Brenner determined Anthony Senatore to be 90 per cent responsible and his spouse 10 per cent, saying she ought to have known the rifle was under the bed, NJ.com reported.

Anthony Senatore (pictured) said Monday: 'When the gun went off I turned around, realized what gun it had been so I immediately removed it from his hands'

Brandon's mother Christine Holt (pictured) said in court: 'I was just rubbing his legs telling him I was there, telling him to breathe 'cause he was trying to breathe... I just kept telling him I loved him'

Anthony Senatore received a three-year prison term last year after he pleaded guilty to child endangerment.

He apologized to Brandon's family last year.

Senatore told the judge at the time: 'We could not have imagined that such a horrific event would occur.

'The torment of these thoughts will occupy me throughout my existence on this earth.'

The father was released on parole, having served nine months, NJ.com reported.

The two families moved out of Toms River, and the Holts now have a one-year-old toddler, it said.

The rulings came in a wrongful death suit brought by Holt's family. The Senatores were ordered to pay $572,588.

Senatore (pictured in 2015) received a three-year prison term last year after he pleaded guilty to child endangerment. The father was released on parole, having served nine months
If he is convicted in the murder-for-hire plot, Drew Peterson will have another 60 years added onto his sentence

A prison inmate Drew Peterson is accused of enlisting to arrange the killing of a state's attorney says the imprisoned former suburban Chicago police officer also admitted to killing his missing fourth wife.

Antonio Smith testified Monday that the ex-Bolingbrook sergeant convicted in 2012 of killing his third wife referred to Stacy Peterson as a 'dead woman' and said he killed her, the Chicago Tribune reported. Peterson also asked for help hiring a hit man to kill Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, who put Peterson behind bars, Smith testified.

Peterson, 62, has never been charged in Stacy Peterson's disappearance and has maintained his innocence.

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Opening statements began Monday in Chester, Illinois, in the murder-for-hire trial of Drew Peterson, the former suburban Chicago police officer accused of plotting to kill the state's attorney who prosecuted Peterson in his third wife's death. Peterson pictured on the left arriving in Joliet, Illinois court in May 2009. On the right is Antonio Smith, the former inmate who testified against Peterson on Monday

He's serving a 38-year sentence in the 2004 death of his ex-wife Kathleen Savio in a case that was reopened after Stacy Peterson went missing in 2007.

Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker told jurors on the first day of Peterson's murder-for-hire trial that the defendant was motivated by 'anger, hatred (and) revenge' against Glasgow, as well as the belief that the prosecutor's death would lead to a successful appeal of his first-degree murder conviction, which is under review by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Smith - whose prison nickname is 'Beast' - testified that Peterson said he was owed $10,000 that would be his payment to 'the person that was supposed to do the killing,' according to the Tribune.

Smith reported the offer to authorities and agreed to help secretly record Peterson, according to prosecutors. Those wiretapped conversations are expected to be played in court during the weeklong trial.

Stacy Peterson (pictured) was just 19 and 26 years younger than her husband when they married. She mysteriously vanished in 2007. Her body has never been found

Peterson is charged with solicitation of murder for hire and solicitation for murder after allegedly trying to hire someone to kill Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, above in 2013, while Peterson was in prison

A transport van carrying Drew Peterson arrives to the Randolph County Courthouse in Chester, Illinois under guard by officers from the Illinois Department of Corrections on Monday May 23, 2016

Peterson, who is imprisoned at the Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to charges of solicitation of murder for hire and solicitation of murder related to Glasgow. He faces an additional 60 years in prison if convicted of those charges.

Peterson is currently in jail on a 38-year prison sentence for the murder of his third wife Kathleen Savio (pictured). If he is convicted on the murder-for-hire charges, he will get another 60 years added onto his sentence

'They're going to sensationalize the heck out of this thing,' defense attorney Lucas Liefer told the jurors during his opening statement. 'Do not give in to this approach.'

Peterson's animus toward Glasgow - whom Walker said Peterson wanted killed on the elected prosecutor's way to or from his Joliet office - extended beyond Glasgow's role in helping put him behind bars, according to testimony and evidence presented.

On the recordings, Peterson blames Glasgow for efforts to revoke Peterson's $79,000 annual police pension, prosecutors say. He also says Glasgow is the reason that Peterson's son, Stephen, lost his job at the Oak Brook Police Department over what authorities said were the younger Peterson's efforts to obstruct the investigation into Savio's death.

After Peterson's conviction, Glasgow called him a 'coward' and a 'thug' who would 'threaten people because he had a gun and a badge.'

Glasgow testified that he listened to about 15 minutes of the Peterson wiretap.

'The word "kill" wasn't used, but the implication of kill was there,' Glasgow testified. 'Based on 36 years of experience in law enforcement, from my listening of the tape, it was clear to me there was going to be my demise.'
The event was to remember Brogan Dulle, 21, who was found hanged

He said he hopes his own story will help young people with depression realize they can get through it, said he sought professional help

Ono said he tried to kill himself at 14 with beer and pills, again in his 20s

President Santa Ono spoke on Saturday at a fundraising event in memory of University of Cincinnati student who committed suicide in 2014

A university president left hundreds of students in stunned silence as he admitted he tried to commit suicide twice.

Santa Ono, president of the University of Cincinnati, revealed his dark past on Saturday at a fundraiser to commemorate a student who killed himself in 2014.

Brogan Dulle, a 21-year-old education major, was found hanged in the basement of a commercial building next to his residence in the Ohio capital after being missing for a week.

On Saturday, President Ono, 53, implored his students to remember that mental illness should not be stigmatized, and depression can be treated.

He revealed he first tried to commit suicide at the age of 14 by overdosing on beer and pills after locking himself in his family's basement. His second attempt came in his mid-20s.

Speaking out: Santa Ono, president of the University of Cincinnati, revealed his dark past on Saturday at a fundraiser to commemorate a student who killed himself in 2014. Pictured: Ono at a college game in 2015

'For the last 25 years, I've been symptom-free,' he said.

'A big part of the balance in my life is that I have a loving family, and they're there for me even though I have a stressful life.

'Now I'm speaking from a much stronger station in life, and it's important for me and others to speak about this to encourage legislators to support more programs.'

Ono, the son of a celebrated Japanese mathematician who was a professor at John Hopkins University, has been president of the university since 2012 after a career as a cellist.

He is also a professor at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

And he was key to overhauling the university's treatment of mental health in the wake of Hulle's death.

He made it a priority to offer all students five free sessions with a mental health specialist if they wanted it.

But until now, he has not publicly disclosed his personal connection to the cause, only discussing it with staff at a meeting in 2014 as he proposed changing the mental health treatment system.

Tragic: Brogan Dulle (pictured), a 21-year-old education major, was found hanged in the basement of a commercial building next to his residence in the Ohio capital after being missing for a week in May 2014

'There's light at the end of the tunnel. If you have the proper counseling and support, it's really possible for you to move past that and move back into functioning life,' he said in an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Later on Saturday he tweeted this message to his 70,000 followers: 'There should be no stigma for those with mental illness. I tried to take my own life 2X. We need to support each other.'

Since revealing his personal connection with the cause, Ono is encouraging people to join and support 1N5, a charity dedicated to helping students with mental health issues.

The charity's name is a reference to the fact that one in five 13- to 18-year-olds have issues with mental health.

More than 100,000 students in America tried to take their own lives in 2012.
A father who disappeared from his family home on Mother's Day after recently returning to Australia from a business trip to Thailand was 'most likely' murdered in a drug-related killing.

Michael Modesti has not been seen since May 8, after returning to his home in Beverley, Adelaide, from Bangkok where he had been attending a tiling expo.

The 33-year-old's abandoned car was discovered near his home on May 11 but there has been no other trace of his whereabouts.

On Monday, two weeks after he was first reported missing, South Australia Police said the father-of-one had 'most likely' been murdered in a drug-related attack.

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Michael Modesti (above with partner Crystal Catacchio) was 'most likely' been murdered in a drug-related killing after returning to Adelaide from a business trip to Bangkok at the start of the month

'Police believe unfortunately that Michael was most likely murdered,' said South Australia Police Detective Superintendent Des Bray on Monday.

'From the outset police had great concerns because of the circumstances of this case.

'We investigated in hope that we would find Michael alive and well and that he had disappeared for harmless reasons.

'Unfortunately as time has gone on the likelihood of that has diminished to the point where we now think that the possibility of Michael being alive is non-existent,' he continued.

Mr Modesti travelled to Bangkok on April 26 to attend an expo where he was 'exploring the possibility' of buying silicone at a discounted rate to bring back to Australia for his tiling business.

It is not clear whether he ever made it to the event but police know he also travelled to the party town of Pattaya during the trip.

Police fear the 33-year-old may have been involved in drug trafficking. He had recently returned from Bangkok when he disappeared where he was 'exploring' the possibility of importing silicone back to Australia

His Mitsubishi Magna was abandoned nearby in Chenoweth Avenue, West Croydon, on May 11 (above)

TIMELINE OF MICHAEL MODESTI'S DISAPPEARANCE April 26: Michael Modesti travels to Thailand to attend a tiling expo May 6: The 33-year-old returns to Adelaide May 8: He spends the day with his partner and son before going to bed at 10.45pm May 9, 3.15am: CCTV footage shows his car is not on Chenoweth Avenue, where it is later found 5.30am: A walker sees the car while out and about 1.35pm: It is captured again on the dash-cam camera of a passing taxi Mr Modesti's concerned partner tells his family she has not heard from him May 10: His now worried family reports him as missing to South Australia Police May 11: Mr Modesti's abandoned car is found on Chenoweth Avenue. Police search his home where they find his wallet and phone May 23: Mr Modesti's disappearance is upgraded to become a Major Crime by South Australia Police

He returned safely to Australia on May 6 and spent the weekend with his partner, Crystal Catacchio, and his four-year-old son.

On May 8 he spoke with his girlfriend on the phone at 10.45pm before going to bed, his last known contact with anyone.

He was reported missing to police by concerned family two days later on May 10.

His abandoned Mazda was discovered near his home at Chenoweth Avenue the following day.

Police later found his mobile phone and wallet still inside his home where there had been no signs of a break in.

While investigators are keeping an 'open mind' as to what may have happened, Det Supt Bray said they were looking in to whether his disappearance is the result of a drug related murder.

'We haven't been able to find anything to exclude that possibility,' he said, adding they had reason to believe he was involved in drug trafficking.

He would not disclose what information gave police that impression on Monday.

Mr Modesti was known to police for offences between 2002 and 2006. His only drug related crime was in 2014 when police discovered he had nine 'seedlings' growing on his property.

Det Supt Bray said the seedlings showed no sign of 'sophisticated' drug use or trafficking. He has since only been involved with authorities over traffic related offences.

Mr Modesti had 'legitimate reason' to travel to Bangkok for the purposes of buying discounted supplies, he said.

The father-of-one's family has pleaded for his safe return, describing him as a 'good boy' in a statement issued by police. Above, he is seen with his partner Ms Catacchio

South Australia Police Detective Superintendent Des Bray said he was 'most likely' murdered on Monday

'There is no doubt he went there to attend an expo relating to importing silicone which is used in the tiling industry and he was a tiler.

'He could have completely legitimate reason for buying product like that overseas and importing it into Australia.'

The man's family pleaded for his return in a brief statement, describing him as a 'good boy'. His partner has made several appeals on social media for information surrounding his whereabouts.

'Two weeks ago was the last time I got to hear your voice, "I love you" the last words I heard.

'Come home Michael, we all love you, we miss you' she wrote.
The hunt is on for low-life thieves who smashed their way into a pair of high-fashion stores and made off with thousands of dollars worth of 'man bags'.

The style conscious criminals allegedly broke into a Gucci and Prada store on Collins Street in Melbourne shortly after 2am on Tuesday.

Victoria Police said they believe the thieves used a crowbar to move a security roller door at the Prada store, while they were able to get into Gucci by breaking store windows with a sledgehammer.

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Police are searching for thieves who smashed their way into a Gucci store in Melbourne by using a sledgehammer

The alleged criminals stole thousands of dollars worth of handbags after smashing the window at the front of the high-fashion store

After the smash-and-grab, the alleged robbers made off with a number of leather bags.

Police believe four people fled the scene in a small dark coloured hatchback, and were last seen heading north out of the city centre.

The two stores are located about 100 metres apart within Melbourne's designer shopping precinct, which is home to a number of other high-end stores.

There are a number of other designer shops in the area, including Rolex and Dolce & Gabbana.

Victoria Police said the criminals hit the two stores - one Gucci and one Prada - shortly after 2am on Tuesday
A man acquitted of murdering two of three Aboriginal children who went missing 26 years ago could face court again, with the NSW Police Commissioner making an application for a retrial.

Jay Hart was found not guilty during trials related to the disappearances and deaths of Colleen Walker-Craig, 16, Clinton Speedy-Duroux, 16, and Evelyn Greenup, four, in Bowraville, NSW in the 1990s.

A police spokeswoman has confirmed Commissioner Andrew Scipione has sent a submission calling for Mr Hart's retrial to the attorney-general.

Jay Hart (pictured), the man suspected of killing two teenagers and a young child more than 20 years ago says he hopes the case will return to court, to prove it 'wasn't him'Colleen Walker-Craig, 16, also went missing and her body has still not been found Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3597059/Jay-Hart-suspected-1990-Bowraville-murders-says-welcome-retrial-prove-wasn-t-him.html#ixzz49WXXpko1 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

This comes after The Australian revealed Mr Hart confessed to the crimes in jail to a fellow inmate as he awaited trial.

Transcripts from a 2004 hearing into the deaths include testimony from another person, identified as 'Witness X', who claimed Mr Hart explained how he killed Mr Speedy-Duroux and dumped his body.

Mr Hart said if a retrial were to go ahead, he was more concerned about the 'stress, worry and financial burden,' than being found guilty.

The transcripts say Mr Hart allegedly explained how he wrapped his victim's body in a blanket and dumped him in a 'marijuana patch'.

Colleen Walker-Craig, 16, also went missing and her body has still not been found

'Clinton had pulled a knife on him and he took the knife off him and, yes, he dealt with it  gave it to him about the head,' the transcript reads, according to the newspaper.

Mr Speedy-Duroux's body was found near a field where marijuana was grown just outside Bowraville.

Witnesses claim he was last seen in Mr Hart's caravan and it has been alleged his body was found with a pillowcase from the vehicle stuffed down his pants.

According to The Australian, 'Witness X' also told the hearing Mr Hart spoke about a young girl who died from having her head 'smashed against a wall', and a '15, 16-year-old white girl  (a) young girl. Woolgoolga. Maclean, something or other.'

Clinton Speedy-Duroux (pictured), 16, and Evelyn Greenup (pictured) went missing outside Bowraville in NSW more than 20 year ago

Evelyn died from head injuries she suffered, while Ms Walker-Craig had planned to travel to Woolgoolga the night she disappeared.

The three people disappeared over several months between 1990 and 1991.

Evelyn's body was found along with Mr Speedy-Duroux's, however Ms Walker-Craig's body is still missing.

Mr Hart claims witness statements made in relation to Colleen and Evelyn are incorrect.
Would you stand on the edge of a bubbling active volcano?

The answer for this daredevil is yes, after he was filmed casually using his mobile above a red hot lava lake apparently as part of an advert for an Australasian internet service provider.

Brave Chis Horseley, 24, from the UK, can be seen chatting away nonchalantly as he stands next to a stand and small table branded with Telecom Vanuatu Limited (TVL).

Dialing: Chis Horseley, 24, was filmed standing on a rock ledge inside a volcano on Ambrym Island in the South Pacific. He appears to be advertising Australasian internet service provider TVL

What lava? The red lava bubbles and boils furiously beneath the young man - from expedition company Ultimate Volcano Adventures - but he seems entirely unfazed

The red lava bubbles and boils furiously beneath the young man - from expedition company Ultimate Volcano Adventures - but he seems entirely unfazed.

The video, captured by New Zealand film maker Geoff Mackley, was taken on Ambrym Island in the South Pacific Ocean.

On the company's website Horseley reveals he joined the Air Force cadets before turning his interest to photography and travel.

'Traveling to remote areas of the world and becoming lost in them led me into experiences that you cant put a price on,' he writes in his biography.

'It was on my tribal quest along with fate that I found myself on the island of Ambrym, Vanuatu where in a matter of days living with a tribe turned into living on top of a volcano (Marum) for two months, Christmas and a cyclone And that was my initiation into the team.'

Brave: The video, captured by New Zealand film maker Geoff Mackley, was taken on Ambrym Island in the South Pacific Ocean

Casual: The summit at the center of the island is dominated by a desert-like caldera which covers an area of 100 square kilometres. Volcanic activity on the island includes lava lakes in two craters near the summit

Mackley's website also professes his interest in nature, including volcanology.

He says: 'My filming activities in recent years have evolved around my passion for the natural world and in particular, nature in her most violent moods: erupting volcanoes, hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons, tornadoes........the greatest show on earth'

The summit at the center of Ambrym island is dominated by a desert-like caldera which covers an area of 100 square kilometres.

Volcanic activity on the island includes lava lakes in two craters near the summit.
Up until now, the wider world might have associated this countryside with James Herriots charming veterinary tales or Brideshead Revisited.

As of last night, North Yorkshire has a new claim to fame  and its closer to a plotline from Dallas.

For councillors representing one of the most stunning parts of the UK yesterday elected to make the area the frontline of Britains fracking industry.

While furious locals denounced the decision as an affront to democracy  North Yorkshire County Council had received 4,000 objections to the plan and only 32 letters of support  the Government will be delighted.

The Rt Rev Graham Cray, left, pictured with the Rev Jackie Cray, right, who lives in Kirby Misperton, said he was 'appalled' by the industrialisation when he toured fracking fields in the US

According to ministers and the fracking industry, this is a multi-billion pound enterprise which will keep the lights on in Britain when all else fails. To its opponents, its pure planet-poisoning vandalism.

So you had to feel sorry for the members of North Yorkshires planning committee, chaired by a local farmer, last night as they had to pass judgement on one of the most divisive issues of our times  in the full knowledge that the prospects of an entire industry rested in the balance.

For energy analysts had been warning that would-be investors were losing interest in Britains fledgling shale gas industry. Thus far, Britain has had one attempt at fracking  in 2011.

It resulted in a tiny earthquake below Blackpool and a rather larger one above ground in the form of protests, riots and a temporary ban on further fracking.

Though that ban has subsequently been lifted in England, an application to resume fracking in Lancashire has been thrown out and is the subject of an appeal. So a lot was hanging on last nights vote in Yorkshire.

For two days, local residents and eco-activists had mounted a noisy protest outside the councils Northallerton HQ.

Inside, the 11-strong committee had to decide whether to allow fracking beneath the village of Kirby Misperton in the district of Ryedale.

Before them sat a 252-page report from the councils own planning officials which recommended approval  in line with Government policy.

Finally, after many passionate  and some tearful  contributions, the Conservative-controlled committee voted by a margin of 7-4 to allow the applicant, Third Energy, to go ahead and frack.

Protesters, pictured, were left devastated by the decision, which could open up rural England to drilling

According to Third Energy, there is nothing to worry about. According to many locals, though, a swathe of stunning countryside faces desecration.

Just to the west of the site sit the Yorkshire Dales. Castle Howard, the location for TVs Brideshead Revisited, is just up the road.

Downton Abbey, though filmed in the Home Counties, is set in these parts.

So what is at stake? Third Energy says it merely wants to conduct exploratory fracking on a site, known as KM8, which already produces conventional gas.

Quite apart from concerns about earthquakes, locals warn initial heavy lorry traffic and noise could be a catalyst for years of upheaval across the region.

For the energy company has already said if this exercise is successful, then there could be much more of the same.

Does Yorkshire want to forfeit the title of Gods Own County? Because we are facing the remorseless industrialisation of Ryedale, says local landowner and farmer Sir Richard Storey, a passionate campaigner against the plan.

Not so, argues Third Energy. The disruption to normal routines should not be significant, says its glossy brochure.

Fracking is shorthand for hydraulic fracturing  the process of drilling deep down below the water table to a shale deposit, blasting it open and pumping out the shale gas which that produces.

More than 150 new fracking licences have recently been awarded across England, in addition to a parliamentary green light for fracking under our national parks.

After last nights result, there will be fresh impetus behind the industry.

Campaigners say the controversial drilling technique causes contamination and noise problems

They also say the crash in world oil prices has made fracking 'economic lunacy', says Robert Hardman

Opponents cite past experience in the United States to argue that it can cause earthquakes, water contamination and nightmares for those living nearby.

Besides, they say, the crash in world oil prices has made fracking economic lunacy.

Here in North Yorkshire, relations between the frackers and the locals have been dismal.

Residents point to a public meeting back in 2014 when Third Energys agents assured a town hall gathering the firm had no plans for fracking.

What the company said they were going to do and what they have applied to do are entirely different, says the Rt Rev Graham Cray, a former bishop who lives in Kirby Misperton and has toured the fracking fields of North America.

He says he was appalled by the industrialisation he found there.

A Third Energy spokesman is adamant that the company has consulted openly and widely with local residents.

The proposed fracking site is down a muddy public footpath on farmland half a mile from the village.

It sits next to a conventional platform which has been pumping conventional gas out of the ground for many years without incident.

But the fracking plans have required a new extension to accommodate a drilling rig and storage equipment.

A smart new green security fence has been built all the way around the existing security fence. Clearly, they are expecting trouble.

In theory, if the tests yield enough shale gas for viable production, then the energy company will take away the fracking kit and leave unobtrusive pumps to bring up the gas as usual. But opponents point out that shale creates unconventional gas.

In North Yorkshire, pictured, relations between the frackers and the locals have been 'dismal'

Most wells, they say, can lose up to 75 per cent of their output after a year. In which case, the company will either need to refrack or drill a new well to keep the original investment going.

As a result, all the lorries, all the kit and all the mess would then need to be repeated. And so it goes on year after year.

Alarmist Nimbyism? The frackers certainly think so, pointing out that new technology means that future wells will not require continuous refracking.

But the campaigners say otherwise. Sir Richard explains that he had never worried about fracking until he consulted some friends in the Taranaki district of New Zealand.

In 2007, they were told that a single fracking well was to be drilled near their home, involving a handful of transport movements.

By 2013, there were dozens of wells and lorry traffic had increased 1,000 per cent.

Its horrific, he says, pointing to photographs of the site. Retired chemicals executive Frank Colenso has devoted the past two years to fighting fracking in Ryedale.

He explains how the maths fails to add up, arguing that falling oil prices have left the US shale gas industry in debt to the tune of $220billion.

Speculators want to find gas, sell on and get out, he says.

There are powerful arguments on both sides. A lot of the scarier anti-fracking stories from the Green lobby have turned out to be wrong.

And the UK does need to be more self-sufficient if we do not want to depend on the likes of Vladimir Putin to keep us warm.
Footage has emerged of a monster great white shark launching out of the water just metres from divers in a cage.

The apex predator put on an impressive show for the crowd, stealthily stalking the metal cage before making two breaches above the surface.

It's believed the video was filmed at Gansbaii, a fishing town in South Africa known for its dense population of great white sharks.

A man has filmed the remarkable moment a monster great white shark breached just metres from the diving cage he was inside of

The apex predator, which looked to be over four metres long, stealthily stalked their cage before launching its enormous frame into the air

WHY DO GREAT WHITES 'BREACH'? Breaching, or bursting out of the water, is a hunting technique employed specifically by great white sharks to prey on unsuspecting animals. There are different types of breaches, but the goal remains the same: to explode out of the water from the bottom of the ocean to catch a target by surprise. Sharks can reach speeds of 55 kilometres an hour, and have been photographed launching their entire body out of the water with a 360 degree spin from the momentum. This is called an 'aerial breach'. Seal Island in False Bay, South Africa, is renowned for its 'flying great white sharks.' The apex predators are often seen breaching as a method to attack the seals. Advertisement

The man filming the remarkable encounter initially is underwater, but comes above surface to chat with other divers in the cage about the enormous shark that just passed by.

But before he can go underwater again, the same shark bursts out of the water vertically in one explosive movement.

It makes a second breach later on in the footage, but only a portion of its body makes it out of the water.

Breaching, or coming above the waters surface, is a hunting technique employed specifically by great whites to prey on unsuspecting animals.

There are a number of different types of breaches used by great whites, but the intention remains the same: to use explosive speed from the bottom of the ocean to catch a target by surprise.

Breaching is a hunting technique employed specifically by great whites to prey on unsuspecting animals

The man could hardly believe his luck, grinning underwater into his camera after the spectacular natural event

Great white sharks can reach burst speeds of up to 55 kilometres an hour and have been known to fly out of the water completely when hunting fur seals, known as the vertical breach.

With up to 300 serrated triangular teeth and an exceptional sense of smell that can detect tiny electromagnetic fields generated by all animals, they remain the undisputed kings of the ocean.

Their only known predator is the killer whale.

Australian surfing legend Mick Fanning famously escaped a near-fatal great white shark attack in South Africa in July last year.

Fanning was competing at Jeffreys Bay - 600 kilometres east of Gansbaii but on the same southern coastline of South when he was set upon by the shark.

The 34-year-old announced on The Project on Network Ten on Friday that he would return to compete at Jeffreys Bay in July to 'right the wrongs.'

Australian surfing legend Mick Fanning famously escaped a near-fatal great white shark attack in South Africa last year. He was competing at Jeffreys Bay, which is on the same coastline as Gansbaii
A petrol tanker rollover has damaged six cars in Melbourne's north-west, leaving at least one person dead and up to eight people injured during peak-hour traffic.

Police and emergency services were called to Calder Freeway near the Western Ring Road in Keilor Park at 8.05am on Tuesday.

One car was trapped underneath the B-double tanker and at least one person was found dead.

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A petrol tanker has collided with six cars in Melbourne's north-west, leaving one person dead and up to eight people injured during peak-hour traffic

Police and emergency services were called to Calder Freeway near the Western Ring Road in Keilor Park at 8.05am on Tuesday

So far, six people have been taken to hospital and two others were treated at the scene

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said they were still in the process of confirming how many people were in the car that was trapped but confirmed one person was dead.

The deceased, a 49-year-old man from Ascot Vale in Melbourne's north-west, is yet to be formally identified.

'Due to a significant amount of fuel still in the truck and on the road, police will need to wait for [Metropolitan Fire Brigade] crews to clear the scene before they can use equipment to cut into the crushed vehicle and further investigate,' she said.

'At this time it is expected to take until at least 3pm.

'The road is also expected to be closed for several hours, including through afternoon peak [hour traffic], and motorists are advised to seek alternative routes.'

Inspector John Kearney said the crash was one of the most serious he had seen.

'I don't think you get much worse than this,' he said.

Insp Kearney said police were unsure how the car that still had one dead person trapped inside was damaged.

'As you can see the car has been significantly damaged, how that occurred as the truck rolled we are unsure,' he said.

Initial investigations have revealed the tanker was in a centre lane on the freeway when a car pulled in front of it, causing the truck to swerve and the driver to lose control.

The truck has then hit a number of other cars.

One car is trapped underneath the tanker and at least one person is confirmed to be dead

The driver of the tanker suffered leg injuries and he was also taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital

Police are still yet to get to the car underneath the tanker as they need to wait for Metropolitan Fire Brigade crews to clear the scene

The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined and detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit are investigating

Scene photos show at least five damaged cars and others with their bonnets open as a precaution to ensure no sparks could ignite the diesel on the road.

The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined and detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit are investigating.

Six other people have been taken to hospital following the crash and are in a stable condition.

A woman in her 40s was freed from her overturned car with neck, shoulder and arm injuries.

She was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.

The driver of the tanker suffered leg injuries and he was also taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital.

A woman in her 40s with neck and hand injuries and a woman in her 20s with neck and facial injuries were taken to Sunshine Hospital.

Initial investigations have revealed the tanker was in the centre lane on the freeway when a car pulled in front of it, causing the truck to swerve and the driver to lose control

The truck has then hit a number of other cars but the exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined

A MFB spokesman told Daily Mail Australia they were assisting in the clean up of diesel

A teenaged boy with no obvious injuries was also taken to Sunshine Hospital as a precaution.

Another person was taken to Western Hospital in Footscray, in Melbourne's west.

Two other people were assessed at the scene but did not require hospitalisation.

Locals say the stretch of road was notorious for crashes.

One motorist, who witnessed the crash, said this was one of the worst crashes he had ever seen.

'I have seen a fair few ugly accidents in my years on the road but this one was gut wrenching as there was so many involved and a car completely squashed by a b double tanker,' he said.

'The view from the cabin gave us a birds [sic] eye view straight down at the squashed car and just left me speechless.

'Prayers are with the family and the person in that car, words can't describe the mess that was there only hope that driver passed instantly with no pain and may they rest in peace.'

The man also urged people not to pull out in front of trucks unexpectedly.

'No sudden braking or brake checking down a hill as in my personal opinion this would have been a key factor as to the cause of the accident,' he said.

'If you don't know how to merge onto a free way or respect 70 plus ton trucks need room then save your own life and others and don't drive.'

A Victoria Police spokeswoman was unable to confirm the reported death but exact details were yet to be confirmed

Six other people have been taken to hospital following the crash and are in a stable condition

A further two people were assessed at the scene but did not require hospitalisation

Andrew Chung, who came across the scene moments after the incident, told The Age he drove past the scene and saw a woman with a bleeding nose and could smell petrol.

He then saw the tanker 'tipped on its side [with] petrol gushing out of one of the nozzles that had broken off'.

Mr Chung said the intersection was 'always an issue'.

'The problem with it is that people are trying to cut across the lane to get to the exit. I've seen them cut across three lanes to get to the exit point,' he said.

Trent Theodore echoed Mr Chung's remarks, saying: 'This freeway is notorious for trucks trying to move over onto the centre lane and cars cutting them off.'

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade are also at the scene to clean up fuel that spilt onto the freeway from the tanker.

It was carrying a total of 60,000 litres of fuel - both diesel and unleaded fuel - and between 10,000 and 20,000 litres had leaked out.

'Once we decant the fuel from the tanker, the tanker will be righted and removed,' MFB's Darren McQuade said.

'We've got the school nearby that has been relocated... We've got traffic blocked on the Calder Freeway in both directions, that will continue for most of today.'

Fuel had also leaked into a nearby creek and MFB are working to remove the contaminated water.

Calder Freeway is closed between Western Ring Road and the Tullamarine Freeway.

The stretch of road is expected to be 'closed well into this afternoon [Tuesday]', VicRoads said.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will not debate before the California primary after all.

Fox News had offered to host the face-off, and Sanders last week accepted.

Clinton's camp rejected the proposal today, saying the candidate's time would be better spent speaking directly to votes and 'preparing for a general election.'

Sanders said in a statement from California, where he's posted up campaigning, that he's 'disappointed but not surprised.

'I also would suggest that Secretary Clinton may want to be not quite so presumptuous about thinking that she is a certain winner.' he said. 'In the last several weeks, the people of Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon have suggested otherwise.'

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Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will not debate before the California primary after all. Clinton's camp rejected the proposal today, saying the candidate's time would be better spent speaking directly to votes and preparing for the general election

Both campaigns agreed to debate in California in the thick of the primary season.

A statement from the former secretary of state's communications director Jen Palmieri this afternoon made clear that the campaign now believes that a debate with Sanders is unnecessary.

The delegate math favors Clinton, and she is the likely Democratic nominee. She has all but declared herself the winner of the race even though the last primary is three weeks away on June 14.

Sanders is trying to make a last stand in California but he's nearly out of money. Financially unable to afford more airtime in California, Sanders told reporters traveling with him in Los Angeles today that he'd focus his efforts on grassroots events in the state.

The U.S. senator said he expects to come face-to-face with 200,000 supporters in California by primary day, or 10 percent of the voters he needs to win in June.

'I should also add that I hope Secretary Clinton will keep her word in terms of engaging in a debate here in California,' he said at a news conference after his Lincoln Park rally Monday afternoon in East LA.

Palmeri told reporters hours later, 'We have declined Fox News' invitation to participate in a debate in California.

'As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses.'

The senior Clinton aide said, 'We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands.'

Sanders said in his reply, 'I am disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clintons unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process.'

'The state of California and the United States face some enormous crises. Democracy, and respect for the voters of California, would suggest that there should be a vigorous debate in which the voters may determine whose ideas they support.

He added, 'I hope Secretary Clinton reconsiders her unfortunate decision to back away from her commitment to debate.'

Bernie Sanders accepted the invitation to debate Hillary Clinton on Fox News in California, where he's seen here rallying his supporters today. It would have fulfilled a promise by both campaigns to debate again in May

California has the largest pledged delegate haul of all the Democratic contests and votes on June 7.

Last Tuesday the Washington Post reported that Fox had made a bid to host its first Democratic debate in a decade.

'By ending that dry spell, perhaps the party can bring some sense of closure to this long and robust primary season. In the process, you and Secretary Clinton will reach a vast number of viewers  many of whom are certainly open to persuasion  just as we pivot to the general election,' the letter said, suggesting to the candidates that their Republican viewership may be open to the idea of voting for a Democrat in 2016.

The Sanders campaign responded favorably the following day.

Campaign manager Jeff Weaver said this afternoon, 'We have told the network that we would accept the invitation with the understanding that we can reach mutual agreement on the debate moderators, the format and other details.'

It used the Fox proposal as an opportunity to put pressure on Clinton to engage in one final, televised showdown.

'More than half way through the month of May, we hope Secretary Clinton will soon make good on her campaigns commitment and agree to a time and pace for a debate,' Weaver said in a statement.

Weaver said, 'There are issues of enormous importance facing the people of California and our nation and the people of our largest state deserve to hear the Democratic candidates opinions.'

Sanders needs a sweeping win in California to overtake Clinton in pledged delegates. A televised primetime debate would have amounted to free advertising for his financially struggling campaign.

The clash would have been a boon for Fox News, too.
Fracking in one of the most beautiful parts of the British countryside received the go-ahead last night, opening the door for a dash for shale gas.

Green campaigners condemned the decision by North Yorkshire County Council, warning it could be a landmark ruling paving the way for drilling in rural areas across England.

The fracking operation at Kirby Misperton, near Malton, will be the first in Britain for five years. Full-scale production can begin if tests show gas could be extracted on a commercial scale.

Energy companies with licences to explore for hidden reserves are now likely to apply for consent for test drilling at dozens of rural sites across England.

Green campaigners, pictured, were left devastated by North Yorkshire County Council's decision to allow fracking at Kirby Misperton

The landmark ruling could pave the way for drilling across rural England, despite protests, pictured

Fracking, a highly controversial method of mining, involves injecting water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into rocks deep underground to open up fractures in the rock to release trapped gas and oil.

Critics say the process causes noise and contamination  and small earthquakes were triggered near Blackpool in 2011 by a firm exploring for shale gas, leading to a temporary moratorium.

Adela Pickles, from the campaign group Frack Free Ryedale, said: This is the starting gun for fracking in the UK.

It has established a planning precedent in North Yorkshire which means that it is going to be a lot harder for planning committees to turn down future applications.

Third Energy, the company behind the North Yorkshire scheme, has produced gas at the site for more than 20 years.

It has been granted consent to carry out test fracking and production from an existing well drilled three years ago. The process will target rocks nearly two miles below ground.

The test fracking is expected to take around six weeks and consent has been granted for nine years of production.

A packed Northallerton County Hall witnessed the precedent being set, with firm Third Energy granted permission to carry out fracking for nine years at the site

Critics claim the process causes noise and contamination while small earthquakes were caused in Blackpool by drilling in 2011

Gas from the well would be pumped to a nearby power station, generating electricity for local homes and businesses.

The planning authority received more than 4,000 objections, mainly on environmental grounds.

The well is less than four miles from the North York Moors National Park, where a 2.4billion potash mine was controversially given planning consent last year.

Locals fear the schemes will deal a devastating blow to the local tourist industry.

Third Energy said work at Kirby Misperton will not begin for many months, but there are fears of mass protests of the kind witnessed three years ago in the Sussex village of Balcombe, where test drilling for oil took place.

Simon Bowens, from Friends of the Earth, said the decision was an absolute travesty.

Third Energy chief executive Rasik Valand insisted fracking was safe while Ken Cronin, of the UK Onshore Oil and Gas, said the vote was an important first step.

He said the industry did not yet know what we can get from fracking in the UK and whether gas will come out of the ground in sufficient quantities to be profitable.

Local Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake said he broadly welcomed the decision but warned it had to be regulated properly and done in a way that protects the beauty of the countryside.

He told the Mail: This is a national policy, it was passed by a majority of 250 votes in 2015. Its no good saying youll back it as long as its not in your area.

Fracking licences were granted in 27 areas last August and in December MPs voted to allow it to take place below national parks and other protected sites.

David Cameron has said he wanted to go all out for fracking, as a UK shale gas industry would provide greater energy security and keep prices down.

Energy minister Andrea Leadsom said last night: Were very clear that fracking is a fantastic opportunity.

Its good for jobs, the economy and strengthens our energy security. We already have tough regulation in place to ensure that fracking is safe.

ROBERT HARDMAN: They just lied to us say locals

Up until now, the wider world might have associated this countryside with James Herriots charming veterinary tales or Brideshead Revisited.

As of last night, North Yorkshire has a new claim to fame  and its closer to a plotline from Dallas.

For councillors representing one of the most stunning parts of the UK yesterday elected to make the area the frontline of Britains fracking industry.

While furious locals denounced the decision as an affront to democracy  North Yorkshire County Council had received 4,000 objections to the plan and only 32 letters of support  the Government will be delighted.

According to ministers and the fracking industry, this is a multi-billion pound enterprise which will keep the lights on in Britain when all else fails. To its opponents, its pure planet-poisoning vandalism.

The Rt Rev Graham Cray, left, pictured with the Rev Jackie Cray, right, who lives in Kirby Misperton, said he was 'appalled' by the industrialisation when he toured fracking fields in the US

So you had to feel sorry for the members of North Yorkshires planning committee, chaired by a local farmer, last night as they had to pass judgement on one of the most divisive issues of our times  in the full knowledge that the prospects of an entire industry rested in the balance.

For energy analysts had been warning that would-be investors were losing interest in Britains fledgling shale gas industry.

Thus far, Britain has had one attempt at fracking  in 2011. It resulted in a tiny earthquake below Blackpool and a rather larger one above ground in the form of protests, riots and a temporary ban on further fracking.

Though that ban has subsequently been lifted in England, an application to resume fracking in Lancashire has been thrown out and is the subject of an appeal. So a lot was hanging on last nights vote in Yorkshire.

For two days, local residents and eco-activists had mounted a noisy protest outside the councils Northallerton HQ.

Inside, the 11-strong committee had to decide whether to allow fracking beneath the village of Kirby Misperton in the district of Ryedale.

Before them sat a 252-page report from the councils own planning officials which recommended approval  in line with Government policy.

Finally, after many passionate  and some tearful  contributions, the Conservative-controlled committee voted by a margin of 7-4 to allow the applicant, Third Energy, to go ahead and frack.

According to Third Energy, there is nothing to worry about. According to many locals, though, a swathe of stunning countryside faces desecration.

Just to the west of the site sit the Yorkshire Dales. Castle Howard, the location for TVs Brideshead Revisited, is just up the road. Downton Abbey, though filmed in the Home Counties, is set in these parts.

So what is at stake? Third Energy says it merely wants to conduct exploratory fracking on a site, known as KM8, which already produces conventional gas.

Locals carried out a two-day protest ahead of the decision and many were left in tears by the result (pictured)

Quite apart from concerns about earthquakes, locals warn initial heavy lorry traffic and noise could be a catalyst for years of upheaval across the region.

For the energy company has already said if this exercise is successful, then there could be much more of the same.

Does Yorkshire want to forfeit the title of Gods Own County? Because we are facing the remorseless industrialisation of Ryedale, says local landowner and farmer Sir Richard Storey, a passionate campaigner against the plan.

Not so, argues Third Energy. The disruption to normal routines should not be significant, says its glossy brochure.

Fracking is shorthand for hydraulic fracturing  the process of drilling deep down below the water table to a shale deposit, blasting it open and pumping out the shale gas which that produces.

More than 150 new fracking licences have recently been awarded across England, in addition to a parliamentary green light for fracking under our national parks.

After last nights result, there will be fresh impetus behind the industry.

Opponents cite past experience in the United States to argue that it can cause earthquakes, water contamination and nightmares for those living nearby.

Besides, they say, the crash in world oil prices has made fracking economic lunacy.

Here in North Yorkshire, relations between the frackers and the locals have been dismal.

Many feel betrayed while local landowner Sir Richard Storey said the area was facing 'remorseless industrialisation'

Residents point to a public meeting back in 2014 when Third Energys agents assured a town hall gathering the firm had no plans for fracking.

What the company said they were going to do and what they have applied to do are entirely different, says the Rt Rev Graham Cray, a former bishop who lives in Kirby Misperton and has toured the fracking fields of North America.

He says he was appalled by the industrialisation he found there.

A Third Energy spokesman is adamant that the company has consulted openly and widely with local residents.

The proposed fracking site is down a muddy public footpath on farmland half a mile from the village.

It sits next to a conventional platform which has been pumping conventional gas out of the ground for many years without incident.

But the fracking plans have required a new extension to accommodate a drilling rig and storage equipment.

A smart new green security fence has been built all the way around the existing security fence. Clearly, they are expecting trouble.

In theory, if the tests yield enough shale gas for viable production, then the energy company will take away the fracking kit and leave unobtrusive pumps to bring up the gas as usual. But opponents point out that shale creates unconventional gas.

In North Yorkshire, relations between the frackers and the locals have been dismal, say residents

Most wells, they say, can lose up to 75 per cent of their output after a year. In which case, the company will either need to refrack or drill a new well to keep the original investment going.

As a result, all the lorries, all the kit and all the mess would then need to be repeated. And so it goes on year after year.

Alarmist Nimbyism? The frackers certainly think so, pointing out that new technology means that future wells will not require continuous refracking.

But the campaigners say otherwise. Sir Richard explains that he had never worried about fracking until he consulted some friends in the Taranaki district of New Zealand.

In 2007, they were told that a single fracking well was to be drilled near their home, involving a handful of transport movements. By 2013, there were dozens of wells and lorry traffic had increased 1,000 per cent.

Its horrific, he says, pointing to photographs of the site. Retired chemicals executive Frank Colenso has devoted the past two years to fighting fracking in Ryedale.

He explains how the maths fails to add up, arguing that falling oil prices have left the US shale gas industry in debt to the tune of $220billion. Speculators want to find gas, sell on and get out, he says.

There are powerful arguments on both sides. A lot of the scarier anti-fracking stories from the Green lobby have turned out to be wrong.

And the UK does need to be more self-sufficient if we do not want to depend on the likes of Vladimir Putin to keep us warm.
The father of a woman bludgeoned to death in her 2million home wrestled a knife from his son-in-law as he tried to take his own life, it was claimed yesterday.

Property developer Chander Parkash had arrived at the house in an exclusive Surrey enclave to find Sonita Nijhawan, 38, dead on the floor.

Her husband Sanjay, 46, was stabbing himself in a daze and slashing at his throat.

The 66-year-old grandfather wrestled the knife from his son-in-law, saving his life, then called police, friends revealed yesterday.

Property developer Chander Parkash had arrived at the house in an exclusive Surrey enclave to find his daughter Sonita Nijhawan, 38, dead on the floor. Her husband Sanjay was stabbing himself (both pictured)

Investment banker Mr Nijhawan was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Last night it was revealed that the couples four-year-old son, who was in the property near St Georges Hill, Weybridge, at the time, still does not know his mother is dead.

He is thought to have been playing in the room next door to where she was killed by a blow to the head on Saturday morning.

Mr Parkash, who runs several businesses and owns care homes and shops, carried the crying boy out of the mansion as he called out: Wheres mummy?

A close family friend told the Mail: Mr Parkash got there and found them both in the kitchen, he said Sanjay was in a daze and asking for an ambulance for Sonita.

Last night it was revealed that the couples four-year-old son, who was in the property near St Georges Hill, Weybridge, at the time, still does not know his mother is dead

'But her dad said he could tell from her eyes she was already gone. He said that Sanjay was just sat there stabbing himself saying Call her an ambulance and there was blood everywhere.

'Chander had to take the knife off him and stop him from killing himself.

Police found Mrs Nijhawan dead and her husband seriously injured.

Last night Mr Nijhawan was recovering in hospital under police arrest. Detectives do not believe he will be well enough to be interviewed until tomorrow at the earliest.

The investment banker who earned 14,000 a month and his wife, a care home director on a 150,000 salary, had just moved into their dream home after spending two years renovating the property.

Friends said the couple bought the land for 925,000 in 2009 and knocked down the existing property to build a mansion.

They had no money worries, although he did take a bit of a pay cut when he lost his job at Barclays a few years ago, a friend said.

A friend who attended the couples wedding at the London Hilton on Park Lane said both families were struggling to come to terms with the killing.

Dr Ajit Prasad, 57, said of Mr Nijhawan: His mother cant understand it because hes quite mild mannered. Hes even afraid of wasps. She doesnt believe he hurt his wife, and that someone else must be involved.

A post-mortem examination yesterday found that Mrs Nijhawan died from head and neck injuries.

Surrey Police said: A 46-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of a womans body at a property in Weybridge on Saturday is still in police custody.
A bookshop in Melbourne has been forced to close its doors after the local council opted to uphold a complaint made by just one resident.

The owners of Bookhouse in St Kilda will have to move out next month after a resident complained that the second-hand book store was trading illegally in a residential area.

City of Port Phillip Council is upholding the complaint after the owners, Ben Kemp and Margot McCartney, failed to prove the premises had been used as a business for the last 15 years without a break of more than two years.

Ben Kemp and Margot McCartney, the owners of Bookhouse in Melbourne's St Kilda, will be forced out next month after a resident complained the store was trading illegally in a residential area

'We were aware of the neighbour's unhappiness from two years ago - he did say he thought a spaceship had landed next door,' Mr Kemp told Daily Mail Australia.

'I said I was sorry, I don't set up bookshops to cause people grief and we didn't hear anything after that.

'Then we received a letter from the council (about nine months ago) saying you shouldn't be trading in a residential zone.

'We were unaware it was a residential zone. We had to go through the process of proving existing use rights - we supplied council with all sorts of information in support of that but it wasn't satisfactory.'

The business would have been allowed to continue trading under the 'existing use rights' clause if the couple had been able to prove its history to council's satisfaction, according to The Age.

Mr Kemp said he understood the premises at 52 Robe Street had operated as a shop since back in the 1920s.

Residents had informed him it was a milk bar before more recently becoming a video store, a homewares shop and a gallery.

He claims council were able to justify the closure of his book store because a costume-maker had occupied the store from 2009 to 2012 and they weren't convinced she used it as a shop.

City of Port Phillip Council is upholding the complaint after the owners failed to prove the premises had been used as a business for the last 15 years

The business would have been allowed to continue trading under an 'existing use rights' clause if the couple had proven its history, according to the council

Mr Kemp, who runs the shop with his wife, said he can't understand how a bookstore could have upset the one resident who complained given the area is known for controversial businesses, including sex shops.

'I feel gutted, because I can't imagine anyone finding issue with a bookshop,' he said.

Mr Kemp believes the neighbour who complained was unhappy with the 'visual noise' the book shop brings to the suburban street.

'We trawled through history and when he bought his house 12 years ago, this shop was an Arabic video store so he would have known it was a business.'

The book store owner described council's actions as illogical because they had approved an application last year to place an illuminated advertising sign outside the building without coming across the zoning issue.

Mr Kemp said he chose to not put the sign up because he was concerned about offending the neighbour.

The couple will move out by June 5, but the landlord is considering whether to appeal the decision with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
People who say they dont identify with any religion now outnumber Christians as the country becomes less religious, a study has found.

Almost half the population of England and Wales said they had no religion  referred to as nones  in 2014 study, almost double the figure of 25% recorded in the census just three years earlier.

People defining themselves as Christian, including Anglicans, Catholics and other denominations, made up 43.8% of the population  lower than the 48.8% of nones.

Almost half the population of England and Wales said they had no religion  referred to as nones  in 2014 study, almost double the figure of 25% recorded in the census just three years earlier. File image

The stark decline is revealed in the report Contemporary Catholicism in England and Wales, written by Stephen Bullivant of St Marys Catholic University in Twickenham, south west London.

The document, which will be launched at the House of Commons today, says that both the Anglican and Catholic churches are struggling to retain people brought up as Christians.

The Church of England expects attendance to continue to fall for another 30 years as its congregations age and younger generations shun faith.

Christian churches are also struggling to obtain new recruits from atheist or agnostic backgrounds.

The vast majority of converts to faith come from other Christian denominations, rather than non-Christians or people identifying as having no religion.

According to the report, four out of ten adults raised as Anglican  and a similar number of those raised Catholic - now identify as having no religion.

People defining themselves as Christian, including Anglicans, Catholics and other denominations, made up 43.8% of the population  lower than 48.8% of nones

London is the countrys most religious area, in terms of having the smallest proportion of people identifying as nones at 40%.

While in Wales, almost 60% of people say they have no religion.

Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Bullivant, a senior lecturer in theology and ethics, said: The striking thing is the clear sense of the growth of no religion as a proportion of the population.

The main driver is people who were brought up with some religion now saying they have no religion.

What were seeing is an acceleration in the numbers of people not only not practising their faith on a regular basis, but not even ticking the box.

The reason for that is the big question in the sociology of religion.

In preparing the study, Mr Bullivant analysed data collected through British Social Attitudes surveys over 30 years.

Northern Ireland, which has long been the most religious part of the UK, was not included in the data. In 2011, just 7% said they belonged to a non-Christian religion or no religion.

Scotland was also omitted from the survey, but last month a separate report found 52% of the population said they were nones, compared with 40% in 1999.

Thirty years ago in England and Wales, 44.5% of the population described themselves as Anglican  a figure which had fallen to 19% by 2014.
Sir John Chilcot's report is twice as long as Tolstoys novel War And Peace

Families of British soldiers killed in the Iraq war expressed anger yesterday after it emerged they will get just a few hours to read the 2.6 million word Chilcot report before it is published.

Bereaved relatives said that it was not good enough to hand them embargoed copies of the document  twice as long as Tolstoys novel War And Peace  on the morning of July 6.

It will be impossible for them to digest Sir John Chilcots long-awaited report and pick out crucial points before it is officially released, they warned.

Furious families desperate to learn the truth about why Tony Blair sent their sons and daughters to die in the disastrous war want the Iraq Inquiry chairman to give them restricted copies several days in advance.

Sir John Chilcot's report will finally be published on Wednesday, July 6, some seven years after it was first ordered by Gordon Brown

Relatives who have waited an agonising seven years for the report are willing to sign strict legal declarations preventing them from releasing any information before publication.

But they believe Sir John  accused by MPs of lacking a conscience for failing to end the families pain  is again treating them with contempt.

In a letter to the families, Iraq Inquiry lawyer Louise Marriott said: The Inquiry report will be made available online on the day it is delivered to the Prime Minister and laid in Parliament.

Arrangements are being made to enable families of those who died as a result of the conflict in Iraq to have early access to the report on the day of publication.

Reg Keys, whose son Lance Corporal Thomas Keys, 20, died in an Iraqi ambush in 2003, said: A few hours advance notice are no good to us.

We wont have time to digest the report, pick out the salient points and separate the wheat from the chaff before we are bombarded for comments and interviews. There is a danger we will be neutered.

We are willing to sign any legal disclaimers and confidentiality clauses to get a few days with the report rather than a few hours.

We feel angry, frustrated and as if we are being stitched-up. This is another case of: Do the families really matter? Does Sir John not trust us?

Matthew Jury, a lawyer at McCue & Partners which is representing 29 families, said: In light of the fact that the report is 2.6million words long and it is likely therefore that the summary itself will be the length of a novel, this is not long enough.

It will not be possible forthe families to make sense of the report in just a few hours before anyone else sees it.

The families should be allowed to see the report a few days before the official publication date so that they can at least digest some of the content before it goes public.

Relatives could give an undertaking to the Inquiry not to discuss or give sight of the report to anyone outside the family circle.

Mr Jury insisted this should not be done at the expense of delaying publication further. He said: The families are willing to read an uncorrected copy rather than wait for the report to be type-set and proof-read.

He is also seeking clarification on the arrangements for relatives to receive early copies of the report. For instance, some parents and siblings are not considered next-of-kin because the deceased serviceman or woman was married.

Relatives may also be inconvenienced if they are ordered to be in London to receive the report, meaning they have to take time off work, pay for childminders and fork out for travel and hotels.

So far the inquiry into the war, in which 179 British service personnel were killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2009, has taken more than six years and cost the taxpayer 10million.

The Chilcot inquiry is looking at the UKs decision to take part in the invasion which toppled Saddam Hussein, whether troops were properly prepared, how the conflict was conducted and any planning for its aftermath.

Security checks on the document were completed earlier this month [May] without the need for any redactions. But Sir John provoked anger by insisting he would need another two months to prepare the document for publication.

Tony Blair 'won't be let off the hook' over claims he offered British military assistance to US President George Bush before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a source close to the Chilcot report said

Critics believe David Cameron, who agreed the release date with Sir John, is keen to delay controversial announcements until after the June 23 referendum amid concerns of a public backlash.

Families fear the reports impact will be reduced in the fallout from the vote.

It was claimed at the weekend that former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw had been sent a 5,000-word letter by the Chilcot inquiry listing alleged failings over the Iraq war.

Sources said he was at risk of criticism over his handling of the run-up to conflict in 2003 and his departments role in the British occupation of Basra afterwards.

Former Prime Minister Mr Blair and ex-MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove are also expected to bear the brunt of Sir Johns criticism, the source told the Sunday Times. Military leaders and civil servants are also likely to be in the firing line.

More than 150 witnesses gave evidence to the Inquiry and more than 130 sessions of oral evidence were held.
For BBC Radio 4 presenter Justin Webb, however, the suggestion elicited a blunt response from his 16-year-old daughter Martha, who said: But you dont do anything.

Many parents would expect a bit of respect from their teenage children at the idea that they earn more than the Prime Minister.

For BBC Radio 4 presenter Justin Webb, however, the suggestion elicited a blunt response from his 16-year-old daughter Martha, who said: But you dont do anything.

The Today host, 55, revealed that her dressing down over his salary, reported to be more than David Camerons 143,462 a year, came after he picked her up from school.

He said: My daughter is outraged at the suggestion that I might earn more than the Prime Minister.

She has read my name on a list on the internet and is quizzing me on the way home. She declared: But you dont do anything and, after his protestations that he does need to wake rather early to be on air by 6am, added: But you just read things out. Literally, Daddy, you read for a living. And you pick me up every day.

His revelation in Radio Times comes amid outrage over BBC salaries, with critics questioning if the licence fee should be used to pay six or seven-figure sums to media stars.

However, Webb, who is also father to Marthas twin Sam and Clara, 12, admitted he agrees with her that news broadcasters can be overpaid.

This, he added, can mean they become worse at their jobs by living in an affluent bubble. Webb said: Those of us who are decently paid already live in another world from millions who struggle to get by.

His comments come shortly after a White Paper on the future of the BBC revealed that the Corporation will have to reveal the salaries of staff on more than 450,000 a year.

While Webb is believed to be below this benchmark, he said the issue of pay for news broadcasters is a particularly pressing problem at the BBC since the salaries come straight from licence payers.

The BBCs top earners include Chris Evans on 1.6million, Gary Lineker on 1.8million and Graham Norton on 1.3million.

Webbs Today co-host John Humphrys is paid 375,000 although this also covers his work on Mastermind. At least 42 of the Corporations TV stars are paid more than Mr Cameron, according to website Heat Street.

His revelation in Radio Times comes amid outrage over BBC salaries, with critics questioning if the licence fee should be used to pay six or seven-figure sums to media stars

At least 42 of its TV stars are paid more than David Cameron, according to news website Heat Street, with others including Eddie Mair, Andrew Neil, Martha Kearney, Sophie Raworth, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

However, while presenters pay packets will be exposed, the corporations top actors will be able to keep their remuneration secret thanks to a loophole.

Night Manager stars such as Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie are among those who appeared on BBC screens but because their dramas were made by independent companies rather than directly by the BBC, they will not have to disclose their pay, even if it breaches the 450,000 threshold set by ministers.

Mr Webb said the issue of pay for news broadcasters is a particularly pressing problem at the BBC since the salaries come straight from licence payers.

He added: That is  literally and metaphorically  a matter to be decided above my pay grade. But perhaps its more important that all news broadcasters  on commercial stations as well  should be paid in a manner that keeps them on the side of the people.

The former BBC North American Editor said this is why the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in the US came as such a surprise to media politicos, adding: For all the American obsession with classlessness, the big money at the top of journalism has cut off the commentariat from the rest of society.
Angry army veterans gathered outside Trump Tower Monday, demanding that the Republican presumptive nominee apologize for overstating his donations to vets groups.

The protest centered around Donald Trump's claim that a January 28 fundraiser for veterans raised $6 million, when in fact accounting by the New York Post and Washington Post revealed that the total was more like $3.1 million.

Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski subsequently told the Post that the fundraiser netted about $4.5 million and claimed the shortfall was due to Trump's acquaintances pledging donations but not following through.

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Angry army veterans gathered outside Trump Tower Monday, demanding that Republican presumptive nominee apologize for overstating his donations to vets groups

Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski subsequently told Post that that the fundraiser netted about $4.5 million, rather than the $6m originally projected

In fact accounting by the New York Post and Washington Post revealed that the total was more like $3.1 million

He has since told CNN that the $4.5 million total is also inaccurate.

The Donald himself, however, is yet to publicly address this discrepancy.

Speaking outside the protest Monday, former Marine Alexander McCoy, who helped organize the rally, told the New York Daily News: 'We are calling on him to apologize to American veterans and provide the six million dollars that he said that he raised.'

He added: 'He has not shown any honor in his actions or his policies. He would make a reckless and dangerous commander-in-chief.'

Army veteran Perry O'Brien, who also led the demonstration, told the Daily News: 'It's part of a very troubling pattern of Donald Trump consistently using veterans as political props, and exploiting men and women who are former service members for his own political gain.

'Many of us  are particularly concerned that he has been using veterans to advance an agenda of bigotry and hate that is not shared by the majority of military and veteran community.'

The protest centered around Donald Trump's claim that a January 28 fundraiser (pictured) for veterans raised $6 million

Donald Trump awards a $100,000 check to a veterans charity during a campaign rally at the Gerald W. Kirn Middle School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S January 31

Army veteran Perry O'Brien said he worries that his comments try to turn Americans against each other and in doing so does 'a great disservice to the people that have made such great sacrifices for this country

O'Brien also raised concerns about the way Trump maligns groups such as 'Muslims, women, Latinos, and immigrants' all of whom, he says, he has served alongside.

He said he worries that his comments try to turn Americans against each other and in doing so does 'a great disservice to the people that have made such great sacrifices for this country'.

Fellow protesters held signs that read: 'Trumpty Dumpty didn't serve. Trumpty Dumpty broke his word'

While another said: 'Trump makes America hate again.'

The hashtag 'Vets vs Hate' has been adopted by the group to represent their views on social media.

McCoy explained to The Hill that it was used previously to protest Trump's 'Islamophobic attitudes.'

Indeed, McCoy opposes a raft of Trump policies, including his support for privatizing the Department of Veterans Affairs and his favoring of waterboarding.

Meanwhile, Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told The Washington Post that Trumps refusal to divulge how much of the money he had distributed raised questions about whether the candidate intended the fundraiser primarily as a public-relations effort for himself.

The hashtag 'Vets vs Hate' has been adopted by the group to represent their views on social media
Indonesian authorities have seized a massive 65 kilograms of crystal meth in the country's capital, Jakarta.

Three Taiwanese nationals and seven people from Indonesia's Aceh region, in the north of Sumatra island, and from Jakarta have reportedly been arrested over the haul.

A group of men were shown handcuffed together on Monday in orange prison shirts at Jakarta police station Polda Metro Jaya after the haul was announced.

Men were shown handcuffed together in orange prison shirts reportedly at a Jakarta police station

Authorities presented the 65kg haul to the media, holding up bags of methamphetamine, known as Shabu in Indonesia

Indonesian authorities have seized a massive 65 kilograms of crystal meth in the country's capital

Further pictures showed a group being led from a police station while handcuffed together.

According to Australian Crime Commission data, one kilogram of crystal meth can be sold for up to $265,000 a kilogram in New South Wales.

Indonesian authorities were seen presenting the 65kg haul to the media, holding up 50g bags of methamphetamine, known as Shabu in Indonesia.

Drug trafficking in Indonesia is punishable by death for all group one drugs, which includes meth

Police said men were arrested as part of an operation held during April and May

Authorities reportedly said ten people were arrested as part of the operation during April and May

Authorities also seized several mobile phones, car keys, passports and scales.

Police reportedly said they arrested men as part of an operation that took place in April and May.

Drug trafficking in Indonesia is punishable by death for all group one drugs, which include meth, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, hashish, MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, amphetamine, methamphetamine and opium.

Authorities look over passports, scales and mobile phones in front of suspects

Shabu, as meth is known in Indonesia, was allegedly stored in plant goods packaging and clear zip lock bags
John Prentice Hicks, 39, raped a woman at knifepoint on the Washington DC Metro, authorities said

A father of four raped a woman at knifepoint before 10am on a Washington DC Metro train, prosecutors said Monday.

John Prentice Hicks, 39, approached the woman on a red line train and took out a knife as it went through the Forest Glen station, she told police.

He raped her, then forced her to move to a different part of the car and forced her to perform a sex act, according to court documents.

Hicks, of Northeast Washington, has been charged first-degree rape, the Washington Post reported.

The woman, also 39, told officers she had fallen asleep on the train on April 12 and woke up once it had reached the Takoma Park station.

She said she noticed a man between 35 and 40 years old, wearing back clothes, who approached her.

The man asked if she had a boyfriend and it she was going to Glenmont station, the woman told police.

Then, she said, he produced a folding knife, flashing the blade.

The man gave her a 'bearhug' and 'forcefully guided her to a separate portion of the train car, blocking her attempts to exit', Metro Transit Detective CH Dorrity wrote in court documents.

He then raped her according to Haynos.

Then, police say, Hicks made her sit in the corner of the train car and assaulted her again.

The woman had a laceration on her finger after struggling with Hicks over the knife, Dorrity wrote.

Hicks got off the train at Glenmont station, at the end of the line, and told the woman to stay inside the car, authorities said.

She saw him get back inside in a different car and exited the train to talk to a Metro worker, court documents state.

The woman was taken to the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.

Investigators saw a man on surveillance footage getting off the train at the time indicated by the woman, the Washington Post reported.

Detectives identified Hicks as a suspect in a previous indecent exposure case that took place on a Metro train, Haynos said.

Records showed that a SmarTrip card registered to Hicks had been used to exit Glenmont Station at 10am on April 12, according to detectives.

Hicks got off the train at Glenmont Station (file picture), at the end of the red line, after raping the woman and forcing her to perform a sexual act inside the train, according to court documents

They showed the woman Hicks's mugshot as part of a lineup, alongside photos of five other men.

She identified Hicks as the man who had assaulted her in the morning, police said.

The woman told them she recognized the shape and size of his face as well as the size of his eyes.

'I don't think he had hair or facial hair, though,' she added.

Detectives asked her how certain she was on a scale of one to ten that Hicks was the man who had attacked her.

'Seven out of 10,' she said according to the Washington Post.

Detectives originally charged Hicks with attempted first-degree rape, first-degree sex offense and second-degree assault, court records showed.

But prosecutors later decided to change the attempted first-degree rape charge into a first-degree rape charge based on the evidence collected, Haynos said in court Monday.

'This is a horrifically terrifying experience. It certainly was for the victim in this case,' she added.

'I don't know many people who would have thought this would have happened in such a public arena  and that somebody would have the audacity to do that, particularly at 10 am.'

Officers arrest Hicks on the day of the assault and he appeared in court for the first time Monday.

Hicks, who has worked as a forklift operator for 11 years, lives with his mother and has four young children, the assistant public defender who represented him Monday said.

She asked the judge to set a bond for Hicks, saying his highest concern at the moment was to get back to work.

But Hicks will remain held without bound until his next court date on June 10.

His earlier convictions, which Haynos listed Monday, include first-degree sexual abuse, attempted second-degree child sexual abuse and unauthorized use of a vehicle, all between 1995 and 2007.
Fonterra and Murray Goulburn have slashed the prices of milk solids

It comes as dairy farmers tell stories of hardship after price drops

Coles was accused of failing to stock farmer-friendly brands this week

But spokesman said it was a 'typo' and the milk is NOT made from powder

In Facebook post, Coles said milk is whipped up with reconsituted powder

Coles has made an embarrassing blunder less than a day after the supermarket giant was accused of failing to stock farmer-friendly brands.

The supermarket giant has this week been deluged with questions about whether their cut price home brand milk is actually fresh.

And shoppers were furious when a social media staffer seemingly told a customer on the company Facebook page the milk was whipped up from powder.

'We can confirm that Coles Brand Fresh milk is made from reconstituted powder,' the Coles employee wrote.

The post sparked an instant uproar with company representatives eventually pointing out the post was a 'typo' and was meant to say the milk is 'not' made from powder.

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Supermarket giant Coles sparked an uproar after telling a customer their store-branded milk was made from reconstituted powder

The original post: 'We can confirm that Coles Brand Fresh milk is made from reconstituted milk powder'. A Coles spokesman said it was a typo

But that was after many shoppers took away a different idea. 'Coles FRESH milk is made from RECONSTITUTED milk!!!' one shopper cried.

'Just like their FRESH bread, that was partially baked and frozen months earlier overseas!!

Fumed another: 'How do you get away with calling it fresh'.

A third said: 'You can run, but you can't hide Coles. You are frauds'.

A fourth added: 'People need to know that Coles milk is just baby formula mixed with water.'.

'Why you would delete a post admitting to using powdered milk to make up your $1/L milk?' asked another punter.

As the situation spiraled out of control, a company spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the post was missing the crucial word 'not'.

'It's a typo. The word 'not' was missing. It's being corrected.'

The company has followed up with customers, assuring them their store-brand milk is fresh.

'We can 100% confirm Coles brand milk is fresh and not made with reconstituted milk'.

The supermarket giant says it is committed to supporting a vibrant dairy farming industry.

Many of the country's dairy farmers are facing hardship after dairy giants Murray Goulburn and Fonterra simultaneously slashed the price of milk solids.

And customers have rallied around struggling farmers by opting to buy only branded milk, posting pictures of empty shelves online.

Many customers have pledged to boycott supermarket-brand milk - forking out for more expensive brands at the shops. Coles Langwarrin is pictured on Monday

'Was the demand so strong for the local milk that we consumers are happy to pay for or did you forget to put it out?' Another customer from Western Australia complained there was no independent milk available

Some shoppers this week accused Coles of replacing online orders of branded milk with its own home-branded product, and of deliberately not stocking farmer-friendly varieties.

An online shopper's purchase of branded milk was 'swapped' to the Coles store brand ahead of delivery.

The shopper shared her receipt with Daily Mail Australia, showing her order of Pura Full Cream Milk had been replaced by Coles Full Cream Milk.

'Is Coles now intentionally substituting branded milk with Coles milk on online orders?' the woman said.

People shared images of barely stocked shelves on social media, with some asking if Coles was deliberately not displaying branded milk

One upset customer suggested they would not shop at Coles again until they were able to buy a range of branded milks

Other customers went a step further, alleging the supermarket chain was deliberately only stocking its milk on shelves.
A pharmacist has pleaded guilty to drugging a 26-year-old female colleague for a year by spiking her drink as they worked together in a pharmacy on a university campus.

Yan Chi 'Anthony' Cheung was arrested at his Maroubra home in Sydney's east earlier this month and on Tuesday he pleaded guilty to poisoning offences at Waverley Local Court.

Nine News reported that court papers said that he drugged his co-worker 23 times over the past year using six different drugs. She suspected she was being drugged as she fell asleep a number of times at work.

Yan Chi 'Anthony' Cheung (centre in hooded top) pleaded guilty to poisoning offences at Waverley Local Court in Sydney

The court papers also said that Cheung was obsessed with his co-worker. He made a number of sexual advances towards her, and when she asked him to stop it, the drugging started.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that officers arrested the man after obtaining CCTV footage from the pharmacy on the University of New South Wales' Kensington campus showed the 33-year-old pouring a liquid into his colleague's drink.

He had been charged with using poison to injure or cause distress or pain, and tampering with evidence.

According to Acting Inspector Matt Magee of Maroubra Local Area Command, Mr Cheung may have tried to change times listed on the CCTV footage, the publication reported.

The 33-year-old tried his best to avoid the assembled media as he came out of court afterwards

He would make no comment and ducked away into a waiting vehicle beside Waverley Local Court

Cheung, who worked at a pharmacy at UNSW (pictured), pleaded guilty to drugging a 26-year-old female colleague over a number of months

CCTV footage from the pharmacy on the University of New South Wales' Kensington campus showed Mr Cheung pouring a liquid into a drink

Police said the woman, who is an assistant pharmacist, felt ill and noticed that her drink tasted 'bitter' on a number of occasions while at work, ABC News reported.

She went to Maroubra police station on May 11 to report that she believed a colleague had placed drugs into her drinks at work.

ABC News also reported that Mr Cheung was 'infatuated' with the woman. The pair had never been in a relationship.
An airbrushing artist is giving sick children something to smile about by inking them up with fake tattoos.

Benjamin Lloyd, based near Auckland on New Zealand's south island, shared pictures on social media of the 'tattoo' he gave to a friend's young son.

The fake ink was custom design featuring skulls and roses, with the young boy seen smiling as he got his artwork.

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A New Zealand artist who airbrushes fake tattoos on children (pictured) is using his art to help sick kids by providing them with a 'confidence boost'

Benjamin Lloyd, based near Auckland on New Zealand's south island, is planning to go to Starship Hospital and give young patients airbrushed tattoos

After sharing the shots and video online, Mr Lloyd wrote: '50 likes and i'll go to Starship Hospital and tat (sic) all the kids up'.

The next morning, he woke up to almost 400,000 likes, and just under 10,000 comments.

'Well it looks like i'm off to starship,' he posted.

Mr Lloyd said he has given a number of children the airbrushed artwork to 'boost their confidence'.

Mr Lloyd recently shared a picture of his artwork and it quickly went viral, with thousands of people liking it and commenting on his post

Mr Lloyd said he has given a number of children the airbrushed artwork to 'boost their confidence'

'The kids are so amazed. As soon as they get the tattoo it boosts their confidence,' he told the NZ Herald.

The young artist said he uses a custom, non-toxic ink that can be washed off in the shower to create his tattoos.

Each tattoo takes about nine minutes to complete.

'The kids are so amazed. As soon as they get the tattoo it boosts their confidence,' the young New Zealand artist said

Mr Lloyd uses a custom, non-toxic ink that can be washed off in the shower to create his tattoos

Mr Lloyd was inspired to help young children with his airbrushing due to the bullying he received in school for a burn he had on his hand

Incredibly, Mr Lloyd was inspired to help young children with his airbrushing due to the bullying he received in school for a burn he had on his hand.

'I was teased every day at school and so I would draw over my hand and up my sleeve,' he told Stuff NZ.

'I just got better and better, eventually I had a line up of people wanting me to draw on them, I was doing deals with kids swapping cards and marbles.'

Mr Lloyd's posts quickly went viral online, with thousands of people commenting on them.

On average, the tattoos he gives to children take about nine minutes to complete

People have praised Mr Lloyd for his amazing work, calling it 'beautiful', 'fantastic', and 'incredible'

More of his airbrushing work can be found online at www.facebook.com/BenjaminLloydCollection/

'Beautiful ink for kids. I love that you do this and all the kids look so happy... keep being a fantastic human,' one woman wrote.

'That's so incredibly kind hearted of you. Amazing to see someone do caring and selfless,' Amber Gollagher said.

'Love love love this. From a parent who spent 6 months with my son before he passed. This is a great thing you do,' Nancy Hayne wrote.
A minimum-security prisoner who escaped from a halfway house in Alaska came back three hours later in an attempt to free others.

Alaska State Troopers said 20-year-old Joshua Yaska escaped the center on a bicycle early Sunday morning before he returned with an SUV and tried to help other inmates flee the facility in Fairbanks, according to Alaska Dispatch News.

Northstar Center staff members said Yaska was spotted leaving on a bike just after 1am Sunday.

Alaska State Troopers said 20-year-old Joshua Yaska escaped the center (pictured) on a bicycle early Sunday morning before he returned with an SUV and tried to help other inmates flee the facility in Fairbanks

Troopers say he returned at 4.20am and tried to 'aid in the escape of other inmates'.

Authorities say he tried to strike a halfway house employee with the vehicle.

Troopers said they caught up with him that night after he broke into a relative's home.

Online court records show Yaska has past misdemeanor convictions for misconduct, assault and violating the conditions of his release.

He has been represented by the Alaska Public Defender Agency, which didn't immediately return a phone message Monday.

Yaska could face charges of fourth-degree escape and third-degree assault because of the incident.

The Northstar Center provides temporary housing, monitoring and transitional services for 143 minimum security adult males and females, according to the center's website.

People serving time in Department of Corrections' halfway houses can't be physically prevented from leaving by staff but face escape charges if they walk away, according to Dispatch News.
Up to 46 seats may have been impacted by 'no-shows' in 2013 election

Many 'wasted votes' in the last poll belonged to young voters

More than 10 key marginal seats could be affected on July 2

The behaviour of young Australian voters could determine the result of more than 10 key marginal seats in the upcoming election and help decide which party takes power.

Yvote.com.au founder Skye Riggs said that 'young people could have changed the outcome in at least 46 seats' in the last election if they had turned up, avoided 'donkey votes' or submitting informal ballot papers.

'This time it will definitely be more than 10,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Voters in the 18-24 age group have been urged to take their voting seriously at the July 2 election

A pro-voting website has been established to encourage young voters to exercise their democratic right

Founder and CEO of Yvote.com.au Skye Riggs (left) believes more than 10 key marginal seats could be decided because of informal votes. It was estimated results of up to 46 seats were impacted at the last Federal election in 2013

An informal vote is a ballot paper which has been incorrectly filled out, scribbled on or one with derogatory remarks written on it.

A 'donkey vote' is when a voter simply numbers the ballot paper from top to bottom with little or no thought given to the candidates.

Seats likely to be affected again by informals or no-shows include Barton and Dobell, which are narrowly held by the Liberal Party, and McEwen and Parramatta where Labor has a narrow margin.

'There are other seats we are expecting to be largely influenced, potentially up to a third of the seats on old calculations,' she added.

At the last election, using Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) data from the 18-30 age group, around 46 electorates may have been a different result with full voting participation.

Several marginals held by the major parties could be impacted by 'wasted votes by disenfranchised young voters,' she said.

This time around, the calculation has been based on the 18-24 age group.

One seat to watch will be New England, the seat currently held by Nationals MP and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who'll be challenged by independent Tony Windsor.

'New England is a good example, the margin [at the last election] was huge.'

She said with a new candidate in Tony Windsor entering the fray, current polling indicates a much closer result.

But estimates suggest that up to 5000 young people may not vote there and that could influence the result.

'Young people don't identify strongly with the major parties as previous generations have, and there is the opportunity for candidates to engage young people,' Ms Riggs said.

'It is hard for them (young voters) to see how that vote impacts.

'At the last election so many issues being voiced from communities around Australia were really disconnected from the election platforms.'

Newspoll results show the massive approval rating that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) had after replacing Tony Abbott in September last year, no longer exists

While Mr Turnbull remains the country's preferred prime minister, his lead on Labor rival Bill Shorten (pictured) has more than halved

Aside from the issue of informal votes, it was also estimated that up to 350,000 Australians aged between 18-25 hadn't enrolled to vote by the Monday cut-off.

The latest Newspoll showed the government had been unable to reel in Labor's two-party-preferred lead of 51 per cent to 49 per cent.

It also revealed the massive approval rating that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had after he replaced Tony Abbott last September no longer exists.

The Coalition government's primary vote remains steady at 41 per cent, while Labor has dropped one point down to 36 per cent.

The Greens remain unchanged at 11 per cent, while other parties and the independents are up by one point at 12 per cent.

Voters still believe the Coalition will win the election, but that expectation is also reportedly slipping.
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Eerie pictures show the preserved classroom that belonged to the students and teachers killed during the South Korean Sewol ferry disaster.

The Sewol was carrying 476 people when it took a sharp turn and capsized off the southwestern island of Jindo in April 2014 , with the loss of 304 lives.

Of those who died, 250 were students from Dawon High School in Ansan, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Seoul. The children were told to stay in their cabins, where they waited for further orders, which never came.

Eerie pictures show a preserved classroom from Dawon High School in Ansan, south of Seoul. 250 students and teachers from the school were killed during the South Korean Sewol ferry disaster

Flowers, pictures and letters offering condolences have been left behind in the classroom by friends and family, still grieving two years after the tragedy on April 14, 2014

A South Korean woman mourns for victims of the Sewol ferry in a permanent commemorative classroom outside of school grounds

The classroom has been maintained to look exactly like it was when the children left the school for a field trip aboard the Sewol ferry

Yellow ribbons can be seen posted on many of the desks - a symbol of hope and solidarity by the South Korean people

The Sewol was carrying 476 people when it took a sharp turn and capsized off the southwestern island of Jindo (pictured)

The disaster was put down to a combination of an overloaded cargo bay, inexperienced crew and an illegal redesign of the ship

The disaster was mainly due to human error - an illegal redesign of the ship, an overloaded cargo bay, inexperienced crew and a questionable relationship between the ship operators and state regulators.

Captain Lee Jun-Seok, one of the first to be rescued, was sentenced to life in prison for 'murder through wilful negligence' and sentences ranging from two to 12 years were imposed on 14 other crew members.

At the two year anniversary of the tragedy last month, memorials were held across the country in memory of the lives lost.

A crowd of some 2,500 mourners took part in a service on Jindo, reading memorial poems and releasing thousands of yellow balloons.

Mourners queued to lay flowers in front of hundreds of portraits of victims on an altar set up beside a street in central Seoul. Online websites were full of postings mourning the dead.

At Dawon High School in Ansan, a permanent commemorative classroom outside of school grounds has been maintained to remain exactly the way it was when the Sewol ferry sank.

Flowers, letters and pictures to offer condolences for the students and teachers who died are laid neatly across the desks and walls. Yellow ribbons are posted on each desk, a symbol of hope and solidarity.

The chalkboard of the preserved classroom shows messages scrawled in South Korean, along with the faces of students who were lost in the tragic ferry disaster

304 people died when the ferry sank, and 250 of those were students of Danwon High School in Ansan, south of Seoul

Family, friends and relatives of the 250 victims visited the classroom for the two-year-anniversary of the Seyol disaster

Students from the high-school were told to stay in their cabins, where many of them remained until they drowned

People pay a tribute at a group memorial altar for the victims of the sunken South Korean ferry at a remembrance hall in Ansan

Riot police spray South Korean protestors with a water cannon in front of the Gwanghwamun in 2015, during a rally to commemorate the first anniversary of the Seyol disaster

South Korean coast guard members and rescue teams - including elite navy SEAL divers raced to find the bodies of passengers

Salvage crews are now preparing for the challenging task of raising the 6,825-tonne ferry - a key demand of victims' families, who cling to hope that nine bodies still unaccounted for may yet be recovered.

The $72 million salvage project being spearheaded by a Chinese company is expected to begin this month and could be finished by late July.

'The government will do its best to salvage the ship and bring back the nine missing bodies to the families,' Oceans Minister Kim Young-Suk said at the memorial service at Jindo.

The Sewol lies more than 40 metres beneath the surface, and officials say lifting the 145-metre-long vessel from the seabed without causing it to break up will be the main challenge.

'Unfortunately, nothing can be guaranteed and we can only do the very best we can do to ensure that the risk is minimised,' said Simon Burthem, a naval architect at TMC Marine, a global consulting firm involved in the salvage project.

Still, he said, there was an 80 percent chance the operation would succeed.

'Lifting the wreck in one piece from such a depth has never been done before, so this is a very, very difficult and challenging project and indeed a world first,' Burthem said.

Wang Weiping, the site superintendent of the Chinese salvage company, praised the dangerous work done by dive teams in often treacherous conditions.

'REMEMBER 0416': The classroom is dedicated to the loss of 250 students, who tragically drowned on April 16, or '0416'

A South Korean woman pays tribute at a group memorial altar for victims of the Seyol disaster. Pictured are the faces of the 250 children who died on the ferry

The bereaved families of the student victims recently agreed with other parents at the school to move the classrooms of the victims to a permanent commemorative classroom out of the school instead of leaving them unused

Their main task had been to seal the vessel with netting to ensure nothing -- such as human remains -- tumbles out when the ship is being lifted.

For the families of the nine victims whose bodies were never recovered, the two-year wait has been emotionally draining.

'It's been 730 days and I can see the ocean before me,' said Lee Keum-Hui, who has been camping out at Paengmok harbour near the salvage site, praying for the recovery of her 16-year-old daughter's body.

'I know where she is but I can't get her,' Lee said.

'I know the government can do more. But all I can do is just wait and trust its words,' she told AFP.

Other bereaved family members accused the government of a lack of transparency.

'Everything is conducted behind closed doors and the families are not permitted to observe the recovery operation,' said Jung Seong-Wook, who acts as a families' representative for the salvage project.

The maritime ministry says it can arrange trips for the families as long as they do not disrupt salvage operations.

For relatives like Lee, the prospect of not recovering victims' remains is almost unbearable.

'We tremble with fear at even the slightest chance of never finding the missing bodies,' she said.
Parents are outraged after a 'death list' with student names was discovered at a middle school in North Carolina and they say the teacher 'failed' to report it to the principal.

The Columbus County Sheriff's Office has confirmed list was found in an eight grade class at Acme-Delco Middle School last week.

Police said a 14-year-old girl is listed as the offender, for communicating threats, according to WECT.

Columbus County Schools Assistant Superintendent Jonathan Williams said he was aware of the situation at the school, but has not seen the list himself.

A 'death list' with student names was found at a middle school in North Carolina, according to police. The Columbus County Sheriff's Office has confirmed list was found at Acme-Delco Middle School last week. Police said a 14-year-old girl is listed as the offender, for communicating threats

Parent, Ronnette Smith (right) said her son's name was on the list. Arthea Jacobs' (left) son was on the list as well. The mothers expressed their frustration with the way the incident has been handled, as they say the teacher 'failed' to deal with the situation appropriately

Parent, Ronnette Smith, told WECT that her son's name was on the list.

Arthea Jacobs' son was on the list as well.

The mothers expressed their frustration with the way the incident has been handled, as they say the teacher 'failed' to deal with the situation appropriately.

'She was looking the other way so [Smith's son] took the book and gave it to the teacher,' Ronette Smith told WECT.

'The teacher failed to give the book to the appropriate person, being the principal.'

Smith said when she went to the school Friday to speak with Principal Christie Brown, Brown told her that she didn't know anything about the list.

Brown was able to confirm what transpired between when the list was discovered and how the teacher handled it after conducting a short investigation.

Both mothers still don't understand why the teacher didn't take immediate action.

'They failed all of the students of Acme-Delco Middle School,' Smith said.

'If Friday would have been the day that that person decided to act out the plan they had, we all would have looked back and said were there any signs? There were, but they were disregarded,' Smith told WECT.

An eighth grade student, who cannot be identified, told the DailyMail that he witnessed the entire incident. He said his classmates were 'freaking out' because they 'never talk to her'. A spokesperson for the Columbus County Sheriff's Office said the case has been referred to Juvenile Services

An eighth grade student, who cannot be identified, told the DailyMail that he witnessed the entire incident.

He said the students were in class during free time and the list was lying on the girl's desk when another student took it from her and gave it to the teacher.

'One of my friends came up to me and said you about to die and I said "what you mean"'?

'He said she made a death list with everyone's name on it,' the student said.

The student went on to say that his name was on the list with a 'question mark next to it'.

He said students were 'freaking out because they never talk to her'. He described her as a 'quiet' girl who 'stays to her shelf most of the time'.
Police have accessed the phone records of a whistleblower who criticised the government's asylum seeker policies after working as a mental health director for Australian detention centres.

Dr Peter Young has been investigated by Australian Federal Police (AFP) over the alleged leaking of medical records about the 2014 death of refugee Hamid Khazaei on Manus Island.

Dr Young is one of the most senior officials to speak on the record about detention conditions, but has denied leaking the records in question following a report from Guardian Australia.

Dr Peter Young has been investigated by Australian Federal Police (AFP) over the alleged leaking of medical records about the 2014 death of refugee Hamid Khazaei on Manus Island

Mr Khazaei died as the result of a cut on his leg which developed into septicaemia.

Accusations at the time said treatment had been delayed up to 19 hours and an initial medical recommendation he be transferred to Australia was allegedly ignored.

Sydney-based psychiatrist Dr Young is a former medical director of mental health for Australia's detention centres who was employed by International Health and Medical Services (IHMS).

He has accessed hundreds of AFP files on himself using the Privacy Act.

They are heavily redacted but state Dr Young was investigated for alleged leaks because of 'comments attributed to him being highly critical of (the immigration department) and IHMS in their handling of asylum seeker medical care'.

'Dr Young's phone did not identify contact with any media outlets or journalists,' documents said.

It's likely the AFP accessed Dr Young's metadata, which would reveal who he had spoken with.

Dr Young told Daily Mail Australia the department was 'absolutely committed to keeping everything they're doing off the record'.

Refugee Hamid Khazaei, who lived in Manus Island, (pictured) died in 2014 as the result of a skin infection on his leg

'That's why they would see me as a target.

'The means to which they'll go to stop dissent is quite worrying in a democratic society  that we have governments prepared to do these sorts of things [is quite worrying].'

He said he understands the AFP are 'compelled to investigate' things referred to them.

'But we all know people in the government or people in the department leak various things all the time as a matter of routine. They bring in the federal police to deal with those things when it suits them, obviously not when it doesn't suit them.

'They have a routine practice of at least manipulating the federal police in these processes for political ends,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'I think what people need to understand is, it's really dangerous that we have so little transparency around those situations. How much the government is keen for them to not know what's going on. This should be ringing alarm bells to people.'

He told Guardian Australia the 'covert surveillance' was 'outrageous'.

'It seems they were more interested in chasing this up [the leaking of records] than following up on the causes of his death.'

Dr Young confirmed he was no longer working as director of mental health at the time of Mr Khazaei's death and could not have accessed the records.

He said it was a 'very silly suggestion that I was involved in it, when I wasn't even working there'.

Dr Young is one of the most senior officials to speak on the record about government conditions, but has denied leaking the records in question

The investigation into alleged unauthorised disclosures of information was finalised in September 2015 due to a lack of evidence.

AFP confirmed the investigation to Daily Mail Australia 'regarding the possible unauthorised release of commonwealth information, following a referral from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

An AFP spokesperson said 'no persons of interest were predetermined', but declined to comment on operational methodologies.

There has been uneasiness the AFP is accessing journalist records to prosecute whistleblowers.

Guardian Australia journalist Paul Farrell recently accessed his own police files and discovered AFP were investigating his sources.

The AFP has more recently been criticised after raiding the offices and homes of Labor staffers in Melbourne over the disclosure of NBN documents.

A coronial investigation into Mr Khazaei's death is continuing.

In April, Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled Australian detention facilities on Manus Island - where Mr Khazaei lived - was illegal.

Accusations at the time said treatment had been delayed up to 19 hours and an initial medical recommendation he be transferred from Manus Island to Australia was allegedly ignored (stock image of Manus Island detention, 2012)

In April, Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled Australian detention facilities on Manus Island - where Mr Khazaei lived - was illegal (stock image of Manus Island detention, 2014)
Developers of a new housing estate in suburban Melbourne are only targeting Islamic families in what has been described as one of Australia's biggest faith-based developments.

Iqra Village, the residential project at Melton South in Melbourne's west, will be divided into 75 lots and marketed towards South Asian migrants.

There are also plans to build a mosque at the centre of the neighbourhood where two houses have already been built.

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The new suburban housing estate called Iqra Village at Melton South in Melbourne's west will be divided into 75 lots and marketed towards Islamic South Asian migrants

The vacant block of land is just a few kilometres from where Reclaim Australia protesters staged a violent rally last year over Islamic migration.

Australian Federation of Islamic Councils treasurer Keysar Trad told Nine's A Current Affair that Muslims may want to live in the estate to be free of discrimination and misunderstanding.

'This particular venture is an indication there's a feeling out there that there's perhaps less acceptance of Muslims,' he said.

'A project of this nature will allow people to be able to develop a local place of worship or a local school without too many objections from neighbours. They won't be getting in anybody's way, it's something within their local community.

There are also plans to build a mosque at the centre of the neighbourhood in Melbourne's west where two houses have already been built

The residential project at Melton South in Melbourne's west will be divided into 75 lots and marketed towards Muslim families

The vacant block of land is just a few kilometres from where Reclaim Australia protesters (pictured) staged a violent rally last year over Islamic migration

'We've always encouraged our community to live among mainstream society and to build friendships and promote understanding and awareness.'

While the neighbourhood is being marketed towards Islamic families, it is not a Muslim-only estate.

A spokesperson for Melton City Council said permits had been issued for medium density housing.

'There was no reference in the planning applications that the development was a faith-based community development,' the council said in a statement.

'Subdivision works have been completed but at this stage only two dwellings have been constructed.

'Melton City Council continues to build an inclusive community that embraces and values cultural diversity.'

Australian Federation of Islamic Councils treasurer Keysar Trad told Nine's A Current Affair that Muslims may want to live in the estate to be free of discrimination and misunderstanding
Walid Phares, a top national security adviser for Donald Trump, is quietly talking to Muslims on behalf of the presumptive Republican nominee.

Phares told the Hill in an interview last week that the Trump campaign did not instruct him to hold these dialogues, but that they were an extension of his decades-long career working in Middle Eastern affairs.

Most of those who reached out said they want to support Mr. Trump, but theyre not clear about some of the statements hes made, Phares told the newspaper.

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Walid Phares, a top national security adviser for Donald Trump, is doing outreach to the Muslim community, trying to persuade Muslim Republicans to back the GOP's presumptive nominee

Trump called for a temporary ban on non-American Muslims entering the United States in December and lost support from that demographic of voters

The boldest foreign policy pronouncement the Republican frontrunner made came in December on the heels of the San Bernardino, California terror attack.

Trump called for a temporary ban on non-American Muslims entering the United States, a position widely condemned by political foes on both sides of the aisle and many Muslims around the world.

Phares said, however, that Muslim Republicans and Middle Eastern conservatives, groups hes started conversations with, are open to a Trump presidency, they just wanted more details, especially on the issue of how hed treat their demographic group.

Most of those who reached out said they want to support Mr. Trump, but theyre not clear about some of the statements hes made, Phares told the HIll.

These people know what they want  theyre concerned about the well-being of their communities and believe that Trump has the right economic and social agenda, he continued.

But theyre trying to get a handle on how hell deal with the Middle East, he added.

Phares is an interesting surrogate for The Donald, having also been an adviser to the GOPs 2012 hopeful, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has openly expressed his distaste for his 2016 successor.

The adviser was born in Lebanon and is a Christian, though hes plugged into many Muslim circles as well.

He appears on the Fox News Channel as a terrorism expert.

And he generally has a good reputation from those in the know.

Hes already convinced some Muslims to board the Trump train as well.

Shireen Qudosi, a Muslim writer based in California, was contacted by Phares before the Indiana primary in hopes that she would endorse the billionaire.

Qudosi had cold feet at first, with many of her other Republican friends supporting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

She told the Hill that she wasnt sure if it was worth the risk to endorse the former reality television star.

But once Cruz, and also Ohio Gov. John Kasich dropped out, leaving Trump the only Republican standing, Qudosi said that Phares had left her mostly convinced to back Trump, though she wrote a blog post expressing her mixed feelings.

His mannerism and language dont always paint a pretty picture  but neither does the idea of a nuclear Iran, Yazidi sex slaves, more terrorist attacks, the Muslim Brotherhood, gross human rights violations, drone wars, etc., Qudosi wrote.
Elijah Wood was quoted as saying young actors are being

Back track: Elijah Wood, 35, (pictured) says his comments about Hollywood and sex abuse that made headlines globally were taken out of context

Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood has backtracked on his comments about young Hollywood actors being sexually abused by predatory high-powered 'vipers' in the industry.

The actor, 35, sent shockwaves through the world when he was quoted by The Sunday Times saying that child abuse is rife in Tinseltown - and is 'probably still happening'.

But on Monday, Wood posted a statement on Twitter insisting his words were off-the-cuff comments taken out of context.

Across five tweets, he wrote: 'The Sunday Times interviewed me about my latest film but the story became about something else entirely.

'It prompted a number of false and misleading headlines.

'I had just seen a powerful documentary and I briefly spoke with the reporter about the subject which had consequences I did not intend or expect. Lesson learned.

'Let me be clear: This subject of child abuse is an important one that should be discussed and properly investigated.

'But as I made absolutely clear to the writer, I have no first hand experience or observation of the topic, so I cannot speak with any authority beyond articles I have read and films I have seen.'

The Sunday Times and writer Oliver Thring have yet to comment on Wood's statement.

Shocking allegations that top Hollywood figures have been protecting child abusers have circulated widely in recent years.

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Several industry figures have been convicted following claims of sex abuse and former child actors - including The Goonies actor Corey Feldman, 44 - claimed he was 'surrounded' by molesters when he was a teenager.

Wood, who stars in his new film The Trust, told The Sunday Times that his mother had protected him from abuse when he first arrived in Hollywood aged eight.

But he said: 'I've been led down dark paths to realize that these things are probably still happening.'

The actor, who played Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings, was quoted as saying he believes that other actors remain in danger.

He said: 'If you're innocent, you have very little knowledge of the world and you want to succeed.

'People with parasitic interests will see you as their prey. What upsets me about these situations is that the victims can't speak as loudly as the people in power.'

Wood was talking to the Sunday Times about Jimmy Savile, a British entertainer who sexually abused dozens of victims over five decades.

Savile was knighted by the Queen and his crimes were only revealed after his death, despite years of rumor and innuendo and led to allegations of a cover-up by government figures and broadcasting chiefs.

Anne Henry, co-founder of Bizparentz - a group to help young actors - said that Tinseltown is currently sheltering around '100 active abusers'.

Henry believes that around three quarters of child actors that 'went off the rails' later in their life had been abused in Hollywood.

She said: 'This problem has been endemic in Hollywood for a long time and it's finally coming to light.

'Very bad people are still working here, protected by their friends.'

In the last 10 years, several wealthy and significant people involved in the industry have been convicted.

Some have left prison and returned to Hollywood and continued to work with children.

Anne Henry, co-founder of Bizparentz, a group to help young actors, said that Tinseltown is currently sheltering around '100 active abusers'

Cover-ups: Corey Feldman (left) has made many allegations about child-sex rings and abuse in Hollywood. Elijah Wood said that the story of British entertainer Jimmy Savile (right) has many similarities

Wood compared the allegations in Hollywood to the claims linked to Savile following his death in October 2011.

Wood said: 'You all grew up with Savile - Jesus, it must have been devastating. Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organised.

'There are a lot of vipers in this industry. There is a darkness in the underbelly - if you can imagine it, it's probably happened.'

Feldman, who was one of the biggest child stars in the 1980s, was abused when he was a young actor.

He said: 'The No 1 problem in Hollywood was and is - and always will be - pedophilia.'

Other child actors were reportedly told by adults that it was perfectly normal for older men and younger boys in the industry to have sexual relations.

Feldman told a British tabloid four years ago: 'When I was 14 and 15, things were happening to me. These older men were leching around me like vultures.'

He went on to suffer with alcoholism, mental health problems and became addicted to drugs.

His friend, Corey Haim, another child actor, died of pneumonia aged 38 in 2010. Feldman claims a 'Hollywood mogul' is to blame for his friend's death.

He said abusers are still working and are some of the richest and most powerful people in the business.

It was also claimed that a number of pool parties were held in Los Angeles during the late 1990s - primarily hosted by millionaire businessman Marc Collins-Rector.
Robert Ritchie was indicted in the death of his son

A grand jury has indicted an Ohio man who prosecutors say waited 15 hours to call for help despite knowing his wife had placed his 4-year-old son in scalding water, eventually causing his death.

A Warren County grand jury indicted Robert Ritchie of Franklin on Monday on charges including involuntary manslaughter and child endangering.

Prosecutors say in March Ritchie's wife, Anna, 25, put Austin Cooper in water estimated at 130 degrees for at least 20 minutes as a punishment.

The boy was bleeding and had skin coming off his legs, and authorities say Robert knew he had been burned and scalded, and was blistering.

An investigator testified in March that Anna Ritchie admitted hearing Austin crying, but that she ignored his distress and told his father not to check on him that night.

Robert found the boy dead the next morning.

'The allegations that exist against Mr. Ritchie are that for a period of 15 hours after he had been informed that the child had been burned, after he had been informed that the child had blisters and that there was at least some level of bleeding, that he never laid eyes on that child for 15 hours until he found him dead the next morning in his crib,' Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said, according to WLWT.

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Prosecutors allege Robert Ritchie, pictured left with son Austin Cooper, knew the child had been burned and was bleeding but waited 15 hours before he checked on the boy

Austin Cooper would have had a 95 percent chance of surviving if he had been hospitalized, prosecutors said

Anna Ritchie was indicted in April on charges that she killed her stepson by holding his legs in hot water for up to 25 minutes as a punishment

The county coroner previously concluded that the boy died of shock from blood and fluid loss resulting from his burns. He would have had a 95 percent chance of surviving had he been hospitalized, prosecutors said in April.

In March, Robert spoke with a local news station about his son's death.

'It's like a nightmare on a loop. Just why? He's so young. Just an innocent little boy. I don't know why,' he told WDTN a few days after Austin Cooper died.

Robert's attorney, Frank Schiavone IV, says they believe justice will prevail.

Anna Ritchie was previously indicted on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault and endangering children.
The death of an 18-year-old teenager, who was struck by a train, has been ruled an accident.

Alex Martinez, was killed Friday night after he was struck by a CSX train.

The Mercer County medical examiner's office ruled his death accidental after an autopsy on Monday, according to NJ.com.

Martinez was on the railroad tracks near the Lower Ferry Road Bridge when he was struck around 6.10pm Friday.

Alex Martinez, 18, was killed Friday night after he was struck by a CSX train. The Mercer County medical examiner's office ruled his death accidental after an autopsy on Monday

Martinez was on the railroad tracks near the Lower Ferry Road Bridge when he was struck around 6.10pm Friday. His girlfriend, Bianca Russo, said he was using the tracks as a shortcut to get from Ewing to her home across the Delaware River. He's pictured with his girlfriend's daughter, Aaviannah

The train was traveling south to Philadelphia from Kearny, CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle told NJ.com.

The train continued on but stopped in Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, following the accident.

'CSX's sympathies are with those affected by this tragedy,' Doolittle told NJ.com.

Martinez attended Ewing High School.

'The Ewing School Community is shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ewing High School senior Alex Martinez,' according to a statement on the school district's website.

The EHS Student Council tweeted: 'The EHS family lost a loved senior last night, Alex Martinez. Thoughts and prayers go out to all who are affected, he will truly be missed.'

His girlfriend, Bianca Russo, posted a photo of him and her daughter on Facebook that was captioned: 'Can't believe this.. You were so good to me & my daughter.'

She told NJ 101.5 that Martinez was using the tracks as a shortcut to get from Ewing to her home across the Delaware River.

Russo said 'taking the train tracks is only 15 minutes to walk', instead of a two hour walk if he went around the Calhoun Street Bridge.

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (center) offered her condolences to Martinez's family by posting a photo of her with him pictured second from right. She said Martinez volunteered on her campaign

Police are still investigating the reason that Martinez was near the tracks (file photo of a CSX train)

She told the station that he was 'really funny, smart and about to graduate'.

The couple had just began dating after meeting several months ago. She told the NJ 101.5 that her boyfriend was supposed to test for his drivers license on Monday and wanted to become a chef.

She added that 'everybody loved him' and he 'had an effect on all his friends and family'.

Russo said Martinez was also good to her newborn daughter, Aaviannah, and treated her as if she were his own child.

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman offered her condolences to Martinez's family by posting a photo of her with him that was captioned: 'My deepest condolences and prayers go out to the family of Ewing High School senior, Alex Martinez.

'He was a volunteer on my campaign, and I am truly saddened by his loss. May he rest in peace.'

Grief counseling was available to students and the community on Monday.

Police are still investigating the reason that Martinez was near the tracks.
The mother of a daughter who was given detention for dying her hair green has lashed out at the school, claiming it didn't take offence to her hair being purple or red in the past.

Brooke Dawes went to her school - Gladstone State High School - on Monday expecting it to be just like any other day.

However, when the 13-year-old arrived she was given a detention by a teacher after being told her hair colour broke the school's dress code.

Brooke Dawes (pictured) was given a detention when she went to school on Monday with her hair dyed green

Brooke's mother, Janine Brooks, slammed the school for being 'inconsistent' and not focusing on the important thing - educating students.

'(Brooke) should be learning, not getting in trouble because she has green hair,' Ms Brooks said, according to the Sunshine Coast Daily.

'I'm sick of the school preaching policies and falling short of their own.'

Ms Brooks added she does not want to be forced to change her daughter's hair colour, however it appears the school rules may require her to do so.

Brooke's mother, Janine Brooks (left), slammed the school for being 'inconsistent' and not focusing on the important thing - educating students

Brooke Dawes is a student at Gladstone State High School (pictured) in Queensland

According to the newspaper, the school released a statement explaining what is covered by the dress code, and what happens to students who break it.

'The dress code clearly explains and documents standards of acceptable or reasonable dress in relation to: clothing worn by students, including headwear and footwear; and other aspects of personal presentation of students, including coloured hair,' the statement read.

Reaction to the punishment was mixed on social media, with some saying the detention was deserved even blamed Ms Brooks.

Some on social media said Brooke deserved a detention for her bright hair, and even blamed her mum for letting her do it

'What a joke! Do yourself a favour and teach your children to follow school rules or else your daughter will spend the rest of her life working for someone who did!' one person wrote.

'Tell her to wait till uni (sic) to dye her hair stupid colours... the best way to get through school is to do your work and don't stand out,' another said.

'I think it's parents like this that are the reason we are seeing a generation of spoilt, selfish, self obsessed kids with a sense of entitlement who think the world owes them! Grow up Mum... ' another woman added.

However others were quick to defend the young student, saying she had been punished for 'being herself'

However, others were quick to defend Brooke, saying she had been punished for 'being herself'.

'Schools should be teaching children to embrace who they are. They should be encouraging children to be confident and proud of themselves,' one woman said.

'I agree with this mum! My daughter is 10 and dyed her hair pink and it helped her self confidence tenfold, even helped her grades because she felt better as a person,' another added.
Harrowing scenes have emerged of the charred dormitory where 18 schoolgirls were killed after an out-of-control fire ripped through the building as grieving families visit the scene.

Most of the victims, aged between five to 12, had refused to leave the burning building after thinking they were being prank by another student, who raised the alarm when she noticed the fire downstairs.

And instead, they returned to their beds, not knowing the horror that was about to unfold as the flames engulfed their second-storey dormitory at around 11pm on Sunday.

Heartbreaking photographs show families weeping outside the Pitakiatwittaya School in the Wiang Pa Pao district of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand after the inferno claimed the lives of 18 girls.

Malawian Saw-wa, 33, (left) and Yupin Saw-wa, 28 who lost their daughters, cry near the burnt building at the Pitakkiat Wittaya School in northern Thailand

Forensic exports inspect a burnt building at the school in northern Thailand after a fire ripped through

A photograph taken from behind the girls' room shows flames tearing through the school on Sunday night

Eight-years old Thai student Kantina Yaekhorku (pictured) shows her wounds while waiting for her parents after she survived a school dormitory fire in northern Thailand on Sunday night

Grieving family members mourn the death of two of their daughters as they weep outside of the school

Family members mourn the death of their daughters after a fire swept through the elementary school

Distraught parents break down after learning their daughters have been killed by an out-of-control blaze

The families of those killed have been asked to travel to the area to identify their daughters' bodies, some of which have been charred beyond recognition.

Emotional scenes reveal the grief of families and relatives, who have reunited at the scene to mourn the tragic deaths of the young schoolgirls.

Charred debris strewed the floors and smoke blackened walls reveal the trail of destruction where the flames blazed out of the windows of the boarding school over the weekend.

Five girls were injured and 15 students managed to escape without injuries after climbing down the second-floor window by using sheets tied together to form a rope.

'We remembered some lessons from Girl Scouts to tie cloth together to make a long rope and we climbed out of the window,' fifth-grade student, known only as Suchada, said.

'The teacher helped us. While the teacher was climbing down, the rope tore and she hurt her leg and waist.'

Grieving family members break down outside the building after an inferno claimed the lives of 18 schoolgirls

Yupin Saw-wa cries as she holds a picture of her daughter, who died after a fire swept through the dormitory

Yupin Saw-wa, (left) breaks down as she pays tribute to her daughter, who was killed alongside 17 other girls

Charred debris and smoke blackened walls reveal the horrific trail of destruction where the flames erupted

Girls shoes are seen outside of the school dormitory where a fire broke out on Sunday night killing at 18

Harrowing scenes have emerged showing the horrific trail of destruction after a massive blaze ripped through

A blue piece of clothing can be seen hanging from the second-floor after 15 students managed to escape by using sheets tied together to form a rope

Suchada also revealed how she had gotten up to use the bathroom when she noticed the fire downstairs, and ran to tell her friends in various rooms.

However, some of the girls didn't believe Suchada, so they closed the door on her and went back to sleep, she said. Eighteen schoolgirls died after they were unable to escape from the inferno.

The two-story wooden structure that caught fire housed 38 girls, most of them belonging to the area's ethnic minorities.

A police official said besides the 18 dead, another five girls were injured, including two in serious condition. He said two of the bodies were so badly burned they were unidentifiable.

Firefighters took three hours to extinguish the fire, and pulled survivors and bodies from the second-story window of the wooden building.

It is not yet known what caused the fire. Local police are investigating the incident while trying to account for all of the 38 girls in the building at the time.

Forensic exports inspect a burnt building after an out-of-control fire claimed the lives of 18 schoolgirls

Family members break down after an out-of-control fire claimed the lives of 18 schoolgirls on Sunday night

A Thai policeman stands guard outside of the school dormitory where a fire broke out on Sunday night

Emergency services pass a stretcher carrying another injured student down a ladder after putting out the blaze. Five of the girls rescued were seriously injured and two are still unaccounted for

Eighteen girls died in the fire at Pitakiatwittaya School in the Wiang Pa Pao district of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand on Sunday night. Above, fire fighters work rescue a child from the girls' second-storey dormitory

A police tape is seen outside of the school dormitory where a fire broke out on Sunday night killing at 18

The school is run by a Christian charity which provides free education to local hill tribe children, CNN reported.

It has been open for five years and has around 140 students.

On Monday local police were trying to track down the families of those who survived the fire.

Officers posted photographs of their school account cards on Facebook in the hope of spreading news to concerned parents.

'But others were asleep and could not escape resulting in the large number of casualties.'

Fire fighters searched debris at the site on Monday morning for the two unaccounted girls who are now feared dead.

'We are working hard to find any trace of the two missing girls,' said Mr Sawang Momdee, chief disaster officer of the Chiang Rai district.

The bodies of those who died were lined up on beds at a nearby hospital for identification. They had been numbered with sheets of paper.

Firefighters used ladders to access the girls' second-storey bedroom after getting the blaze under control

The building has been reduced to charred debris (above) with much of the charity-run school's supplies depleted in the fire

Smoke stains surround the window through which some of the children were able to escape

The school (pictured above on Monday morning), which has around 140 students, was gutted by the fire

The bodies of those killed in the fire were lined up on hospital beds for identification on Monday morning

Fire fighters were able to save some of the children by lifting them out through the dormitory window (above)

The fire broke out some time around 11pm as the students were going to bed in their dormitories. Above, flames coming from one section of the building can be seen in local media reports

Some students were able to escape because they had not yet gone to bed, local media reported. Above, fire fighters work to contain the blaze
Chris Noth's mother, a star CBS reporter, has died aged 92, People reports.

Jeanne Parr rocketed from local news and modeling in Wisconsin to becoming one of the first female correspondents for the national network.

And it all came from a blooper.

She was presenting the weather when she managed to lose Arkansas on the map, according to Madison.com.

The clip made it on to the quiz show What's My Line, and a CBS producer watching the show liked what he saw.

Trailblazer: Jeanne Parr (pictured in 1967) rocketed from local news and modeling in Wisconsin to becoming one of the first female correspondents for the national network CBS. She has died at the age of 92

He got in touch with Parr and convinced her to relocate to New York.

At first she was a weather girl on the Jim Jensen Show.

Within a few years she was covering national events such as the Republican National Convention and the New York riots in 1967.

In 1978, she got her own talk show, The Jeanne Parr Show.

Eventually she was producing documentaries, and wrote a book, The Superwives, about the wives of star athletes.

She went on to set up her own media company.

Parr had three children with salesman Charles Noth in Madison before rising as a star in journalism: Charles, Chris and Michael.

Actor son: Parr's son Chris Noth, now 61, rose to fame as Mr Big on Sex And The City

Her husband died in a car accident in 1965.

Chris, 61, rose to fame as Mr Big on Sex And The City. He has since starred in The Good Wife and Law & Order.
Cancer conwoman Belle Gibson and her company could be fined more than $1 million after a court gave Consumer Affairs Victoria permission to take legal action against her over claims she beat terminal cancer.

The regulator had applied for leave to take Federal Court action against Ms Gibson and her company, Inkerman Road Nominees - which is in liquidation - for false and misleading conduct.

Registrar Phillip Allaway granted leave to Consumer Affairs on Tuesday during a hearing at the Federal Court in Melbourne.

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Cancer faker Belle Gibson (pictured) will have her day in court after legal proceedings were launched

Cancer faker Belle Gibson could be fined more than $1 million after the Victorian consumer watchdog announced it will take legal action.

After a yearlong investigation, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) on May 6 said it was launching proceedings against the 23-year-old social media entrepreneur in the Federal Court.

The action relates to alleged false claims Ms Gibson and her company made about her terminal brain cancer diagnosis, cancer treatments and $300,000 worth of charity donations.

Simon Cohen, the director of CAV, had applied for leave to commence proceedings against Ms Gibson's company, Inkerman Road Nominees Pty Ltd. Now leave has been granted, proceedings can go ahead against the company and Ms Gibson.

Ms Gibson was the founder of the popular wellness and recipe app, The Whole Pantry

In a range of media interviews last year, Ms Gibson admitted she had not told the truth about her cancer

In civil proceedings, companies can be forced to pay penalties of up to $1.1 million and individuals up to $220,000.

A range of other penalties, including declarations and injunctions, are also available to the court.

The founder of popular recipe app The Whole Pantry, Ms Gibson convinced thousands of fans she had recovered from cancer through healthy eating and natural therapies.

But after questions were raised about her diagnosis and what had happened to $300,000 in promised charity donations, Ms Gibson admitted she had lied about cancer.

Healthy food app The Whole Pantry was runaway success - until Ms Gibson admitted she never had cancer in the first place

'No, none of it is true,' she told the Australian Women's Weekly in April 2015.

Penguin, the publisher of Ms Gibson's Whole Pantry cookbook, has also had to pay out $30,000 over the affair.

In an enforceable undertaking, the publisher acknowledged it did not require Ms Gibson to substantiate her health claims.

'Penguin has accepted its share of responsibility in this saga,' said Consumer Affairs Minister Jane Garrett.

Under the terms of the undertaking, the company is required to improve its education and training programs to ensure staff substantiate the health claims authors make.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Gibson for comment.

Earlier this year, the mother-of-one said she did not believe she would face charges following the consumer probe.

'I don't believe I will,' she told Melbourne newspaper The Herald Sun.
There were dramatic scenes outside the Britain's Got Talent studios in London last night as police attempted to Taser a suspect who tried to flee officers following the show's live semi-finals.

Police were forced to draw their Tasers in a bid to detain the suspect who officers wanted to speak to in connection with an alleged criminal damage incident outside the Wembley Arena studios.

As judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon were leaving the arena, swarms of police officers descended on the street and rounded on a group of men  as shocked onlookers stood nearby.

And a source said the judges even had to be 'held back' to ensure the coast was clear as they left.

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Police were forced to draw their Tasers in a bid to detain a suspect who officers wanted to speak to in connection with an alleged incident outside the Wembley Arena studios in north west London late last night

Dramatic photographs show police drawing their Tasers and pointing them at one suspect, who was attempting to flee them by climbing over makeshift scaffolding and onto a building site outside the studios in Wembley

The Met Police said the force had received reports of the group allegedly causing damage to a car parked in the street outside the BGT studios and attempted to detain four men - but said one gave chase (pictured)

A show insider reportedly claimed that judge Amanda Holden had to be 'held back' briefly from leaving the Britain's Got Talent studios so that police could deal with the incident which occurred at around 11pm last night

According to The Sun, a show insider said: 'There was an incident outside the studio that was nothing to do with the show and Amanda was briefly held back for her own safety.'

Dramatic photographs show police drawing their Tasers and pointing them at one suspect, who was attempting to flee them by climbing over makeshift scaffolding outside the studios in Wembley Park.

Other pictures show uniformed officers trying to chase after the suspect, with one even attempting to climb over a barrier, while others show police cars with blue lights flashing outside the studios.

The worrying incident occurred outside the Wembley Arena and Fountain Head studios  where Britain's Got Talent is filmed  on a night when a host of stars turned out for the live semi-finals.

Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon were accompanied by their follow judging companions Simon Cowell and David Walliams as a total of nine acts performed for their chance to win the 250,000 prize money and opportunity to perform in front of the royal family at the Royal Variety Show.

As the judges were leaving the studios following a night of high excitement, they were greeted by numerous police officers who were attempting to track down the group of four men.

The Met Police said the force had received reports of the group allegedly causing damage to a car parked in the street outside the BGT studios.

Officers were sent to the scene at around 11pm and two of the men were initially detained, while two others tried to flee, police said. Pictured: An officer climbs over a building site barrier to try and chase one suspect

The Met confirmed that while the Tasers were drawn, they were not discharged and said all four men were later apprehended by officers who climbed over barriers into a building site in an attempt to detain at least one

Officers were sent to the scene at around 11pm and two of the men were initially detained, while two others tried to flee, police said.

The third men was detained a short time later while officers were forced to draw their Tasers on the fourth man after believing he may have given chase while brandishing a metal pole.

The Met confirmed that while the Tasers were drawn, they were not discharged and said the man was later apprehended by officers who climbed over barriers into a secure building site in an attempt to detain him.

Police confirmed that all four men were spoken to but none were arrested and all were moved on.

As the judges were leaving the studios following a night of excitement, they were greeted by numerous police officers who were attempting to track down the group of four men. Pictured: Police cars outside Wembley
A truck driver allegedly involved in a hit and run that killed a grandmother was caught on CCTV pulling her jacket from under his vehicle before dumping it and continuing his deliveries, police say.

Jo-Ann Thwaites, 60, was hit by a truck police allege was being driven by Emmanuel Xiberras, who failed to stop, before she became trapped under a second truck that dragged her for 600 metres along Pittwater Road in Brookvale on Friday morning.

Superintendent Stuart Smith of Traffic and Highway Patrol said the 36-year-old drove his Lilydale chicken truck from the crash site to a nearby IGA supermarket at Allambie Heights where he allegedly cleaned his vehicle and disposed of a purple jacket that belonged to Ms Thwaites.

'At that location we believe a driver did get under the vehicle and then disposed of certain clothing items that may or may not have been blood-stained into a bin at that location,' he told 2GB radio on Tuesday.

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Jo-Ann Thwaites, 61, was killed after a 36-year-old Lilydale truck driver allegedly hit her and fled the scene

Emmanuel Xiberras was arrested after allegedly cleaning his truck and disposing of Ms Thwaites' jacket

The 36-year-old was caught on CCTV allegeldy throwing Ms Thwaites purple jacket in the bin

Ms Thwaites was killed on Pittwater Road in Brookvale in Sydney's north-shore after she was struck by two trucks. She was dragged along the road for 600 metres during the second truck collision (pictured)

The 36-year-old was approached by witnesses after arriving at the supermarket but made no efforts to hand himself in to police before he was tracked to Lilydale's Girraween location, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Xiberras was arrested about seven hours after the crash and charged with negligent driving occasioning death and failing to stop and render aid after impact causing death.

According to the Daily Telegraph, he told arresting officers that he thought sound he heard during the alleged hit and run was the result of a flat tyre.

Police are asking for witnesses to come forward so they can work out a timeline of events.

'What importantly we need to do now is establish the behaviour of the driver and the movements of that truck in between the fatal incident and then where it ended up at IGA,' Supt Smith said.

The Lilydale truck driver was arrested about seven hours after the crash and chraged with negligent driving occasioning death and failing to stop and render aid after impact causing death

Xiberras was arrested about seven hours after the crash and charged with negligent driving occasioning death and failing to stop and render aid after impact causing death

Investigations by NSW Police revealed Ms Thwaites was hit by two trucks in a row. It was originally believed only one truck had hit her

The other truck driver who unknowingly dragged Ms Thwaites for 600 metres, aged 57, was escorted to hospital for blood and alcohol testing, and has not been charged.

Supt Smith said the accident was not Ms Thwaite's fault and that her loved one's were distraught.

'It was a dreadful event, she was dragged by a second heavy vehicle for some period,' he said

'She was on the pedestrian crossing she was legally entitled to be there.'

Her son Nicholas said she had dropped her car in for a service earlier that morning and that while he offered her a lift, she much preferred going for a stroll in the outdoors, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Xiberras has been granted conditional bail and will appear in Manly Local Court on June 15.

NSW Police raided the headquarters of Lilydale Chickens on Tuesday morning, searching for any extensive issues with truck safety and company drivers, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The Girraween business in Sydney's western suburbs is also the headquarters for Baiada Poultry, a privately owned Australian company which heads up Steggles and Lilydale Chicken.

Police say the first truck was driven from the crash site to a nearby IGA supermarket at Allambie Heights (pictured) where the 36-year-old driver allegedly tampered with evidence

NSW Police raided the headquarters of Lilydale Chickens on Tuesday morning, searching for any extensive issues with truck safety and company drivers

The pedestrian died at the scene while the 57-year-old man driving the truck north was unharmed, NSW Police said in a statement

During the blitz police found two heavy vehicles with speed limiters tampered so they could travel faster, one unregistered truck and 10 trucks with considerable defects.

'Out of such a small sample that's quite concerning,' Superintendent Smith told the publication.

In a statement, Baiada denied ownership of any trucks that received breaches.

'We will, however, thoroughly investigate any breaches reported to us by police and ensure that they are immediately rectified,' the statement said.

'We will move to terminate agreements with any transport companies that do not comply with legal standards.'

This is the second huge loss in three years for Ms Thwaites' children, who lost their father to suicide in 2013.
A father and son have been missing for a week after vanishing from their home - taking only a photograph and laptop with them.

Craig Rochus, 49, and his 15-year-old son William, have not been seen since about 1.30am last Tuesday at their Rosebud home on the Mornington Peninsula, 100 kilometres south of Melbourne.

Lynn Auld, mother and grandmother of the missing pair, is concerned about Mr Rochus following a recent struggle with mental illness after the death of his father.

Craig Rochus, 49, and his 15-year-old son William, have not been seen since about 1.30am last Tuesday at their Rosebud home on the Mornington Peninsula, 100 kilometres south of Melbourne

She told The Age Mr Rochus has not picked up his medication since he disappeared.

Mr Rochus has been struggling with mental illness since the death of his father, his mother Lynn Auld said

Mr Rochus and William did not take any clothes with them and left the lights on and dirty mugs in the sink of their Cass Street home.

'It was like they just went out to get takeaway,' Mrs Laud told The Age.

They drove off in a champagne-coloured Mitsubishi Verada sedan, police said, with the number plate OFO156.

Mrs Auld said her calls to the paid had gone unanswered, though Mr Rochus did ring at one point to say she had 'ruined his life'.

'He said: 'We're not on the [Mornington] Peninsula, you will never find us',' Mr Rochus told Mrs Auld, she said.

William's Queensland mother has not heard from the pair.

The 15-year-old has been absent from his school at Rosebud Secondary College since the pair disappeared.

Mrs Auld has been posting images of Mr Rochus and William to Facebook in the hope they will be found.

15-year-old William has been absent from his school at Rosebud Secondary College since their disappearance

'Family very concerned as Craig has been depressed and unwell since the recent death of his father,' Mrs Auld wrote on Monday.

She told The Age that the 49-year-old father was a 'beautiful soul', while William was 'loyal' and a 'very soft boy who just loves his dad'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mrs Auld for further comment.

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate the father and son.

Anyone who sees Craig or William and or their champagne Mitsubishi is urged to contact Rosebud Police on 5986 0444.

Mrs Auld told The Age the 49-year-old father was a 'beautiful soul', while William was 'loyal' and a 'very soft boy who just loves his dad'

Mrs Auld has been desperately sharing images of Mr Rochus and William to Facebook in the hopes someone will spot them
British troops fighting overseas should only be prescribed the controversial anti-malarial drug Lariam as a last resort, senior MPs will warn today.

In a damning report, the Ministry of Defence will be criticised for giving the drug - which is linked to side-effects including depression and hallucinations - to thousands of soldiers.

The Commons Defence Committee will say it believes the risk and severity of the side effects were unacceptable for military personnel on operations overseas.

The drug should be effectively banned unless there are extraordinary circumstances in which soldiers cannot take any other alternatives, a group of cross-party MPs will say.

In a damning report, the Ministry of Defence will today be criticised for giving the controversial anti-malarial drug Lariam - which is linked to side-effects including depression and hallucinations - to thousands of soldiers

Its findings, published today, came as hundreds of former troops are expected to mount legal claims against the department after suffering mental health issues and psychological side-effects.

Some ex-military personnel claimed they encountered hallucinations, severe depression, sleep deprivation and anxiety as a result of taking the drug.

Lariam was banned from being given to US Special Forces in 2013, but in the UK it remains one of the drugs of choice for military personnel in malarial areas.

The MoD has a stockpile of more than 11,500 packs of the drug.

MPs called for Lariam to be designated a 'drug of last resort' only to be issued where there was no alternative available.

At least 17,368 personnel were prescribed it at least once between the start of April 2007 and the end of March 2015, according to official MoD figures.

The Committee said there was 'strong anecdotal evidence' that stringent conditions laid down by the manufacturers for issuing Lariam had been ignored by the armed forces.

Tory MP Julian Lewis, chair of the committee, said: 'It is our firm conclusion that there is neither the need, nor any justification for continuing to issue this medication to service personnel unless they can be individually assessed, in accordance with the manufacturers' requirements.

It is our firm conclusion that there is neither the need, nor any justification for continuing to issue this medication to service personnel unless they can be individually assessed Tory MP Julian Lewis

'And  most of the time  that is simply impossible, when a sudden, mass deployment of hundreds of troops is necessary.'

Kevin Timms, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell leading dozens of cases against the MoD, welcomed the report.

But added that the action came 'too late' for the many veterans who have had their lives ruined after suffering serious side effects.

Another firm, Hilary Meredith Solicitors, has so far been contacted by over 450 former service personnel who were prescribed the drug and suffered side effects.

Partner Philippa Tuckman said Lariam had been associated with 'disturbing' side effects for years and should be banned all together.

The committee said it had received evidence that a body of current and former service personnel had been adversely affected by its use and that the arrangements for supporting them were 'inadequate'.

While the manufacturer, Roche, had issued 'clear guidance' that individual risk assessments should be conducted before prescribing, the committee said the MoD appeared to have interpreted this to include 'desk-based' assessments using medical records rather than face-to-face interviews.

Lariam was banned from being given to US Special Forces in 2013, but in the UK it remains one of the drugs of choice for military personnel in malarial areas. The MoD has a stockpile of more than 11,500 packs of the drug

It said it was 'deeply disturbing' that some personnel apparently preferred to throw away the Lariam they had been prescribed and run the risk of contracting malaria, rather than take the drug.

'If true, it is an indication that some in the armed forces have completely lost confidence in Lariam,' the committee said.

'Lariam is a drug whose own manufacturers have laid down stringent conditions which must be met if it is to be prescribed safely.

'We see no reason to disbelieve the very strong anecdotal evidence that such conditions have been ignored in dispensing it to large numbers of troops about to be deployed.'

The drug should be restricted to personnel who are unable to tolerate any of the alternatives, after a face-to-face interview and after they have been made aware of the alternatives, the committee said.

An MoD spokesman said: 'The vast majority of deployed personnel already receive alternatives to Lariam and, where it is used, we require it to be prescribed after an individual risk assessment.
A woman accused of throwing eggs at the stage of a Kendall and Kylie and Jenner fan event spat and bared her teeth at police when they tried to arrest her, a court has heard.

Clancy Leach was arrested in November after allegedly hurling eggs towards a stage at Westfield shopping centre in Parramatta, western Sydney, where the stars were due to appear.

The 25-year-old denies assaulting a police officer and behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.

Parramatta Local Court heard on Tuesday that she was 'hocking saliva' to spit on officers when they arrested her as she stood in the crowd with fans waiting for the reality stars to appear.

Clarence Leach (above) spat and swore at police officers as they arrested her for egging a Kendall and Kylie fan event in Parramatta in Sydney last November, a court has heard

'I saw her baring her teeth, almost growling. I remember she was hocking saliva in her mouth,' said Constable Michael Blades.

Constable Adam Tanti said she spat on his trousers and swore at him, telling him: 'F*** you. Don't touch me.'

The court heard that Leach was standing on the upper platform when officers who had been directed to another woman approached her after the egging.

When they tried to arrest the other fan, Leach allegedly said: 'It was me, I threw them. Leave them her alone.'

She was carrying a plastic bag containing a carton of eggs, the court heard.

Leach's lawyer James Antonena argued that she was salivating because of her asthma which gave breathing and coughing.

Mr Antonena also denied the prosecution's claims she confessed to the egging to police, instead telling the court Leach merely told them not to arrest the other woman.

Const Blades was on the shopping centre's ground level where the event was to take place when eggs flew towards the stage.

Kendall (centre) and Kylie Jenner (right) had not yet appeared on stage. They are pictured above after the egging

Assistants strategically placed umbrellas on stage to shield the starlets from further attack at the event in November

The reality TV stars were promoting their latest clothing range during a tour of Australia at the time

Leach, 25, said the spitting was the result of her asthma. She is due to appear at court again in June

The egging took place at a fan event at Westfield in western Sydney's Parramatta (above) in November

One girl, who is waiting in the crowd at the event, was left with yolk on her head.

The Jenner sisters had not yet appeared on stage. Leach will reappear at Parramatta Local Court next month.

The event went ahead last year despite the egging after assistants strategically placed umbrellas on stage for the celebrities.

The Jenner's famous half-sister Kim Kardashian was once the victim of a similar stunt having been doused in flour as she appeared on the red carpet at an event in the US.

The younger siblings were in Australia at the time to promote their latest clothing collection.
Human remains retrieved from the EgyptAir 804 crash site point to an explosion on board, an Egyptian forensic official said today.

The official is part of the investigation team that has personally examined the body parts taken to a Cairo morgue.

He said all 80 pieces brought to the capital so far were small and that 'there isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head'.

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The mother (left) of EgyptAir hostess Yara Hani Tawfik weeps during a mass at Al-Boutrossiya Church for victims of the jet disaster. Relatives faced further agony today after an Egyptian forensic official said human remains recovered from the crash site were so small it suggested there was an explosion on board

US Navy personnel ready equipment on board a Lockheed P-3C Orion patrol aircraft during a operation on Sunday for debris and human remains of MS804 which crashed in the Mediterranean, killing 66 people

The official, who declined to be named, said 'the logical explanation is that it was an explosion' that may have brought down the jet over the Mediterranean Sea.

His assessment was backed up by the head of the Egyptian Forensic Medicine Authority.

Dr Hesham Abdel-Hamid told MailOnline the body parts recovered from the Mediterranean had injuries consistent with an explosion.

He said: 'Analysis of the remains of the victims flight MS804 indicated there was an explosion on the plane.

'The remains had been ripped apart because of a bomb. However we have not found any bomb fragments as yet.'

More than 20 body bags containing part of corpses have been taken to the Zenhom morgue as part of the investigation.

Captain Mohamed Said Ali Ali Shoukair was among the 66 passengers and crew who died on MS804

Tragic loss: Joumana, four months, and her two-and-a-half-year-old brother Mohamed (right) were two of the youngest casualities of the EgyptAir disaster

Pictured: Faycal Bettiche (left) and his wife Nouha were taking their young children on holiday when travelling on the doomed flight. Right, air stewardess Samar Ezz Eldin who also lost her life in the disaster

Family man: British geologist Richard Osman was among the 66 victims on board the jet. His brother has described his 'delirious happiness' after the birth of his second daughter just three weeks ago. Mr Osman is pictured here with his French-born wife Aureilie and his first daughter Victios

Relatives of the 66 passengers and crew gave DNA samples to the forensic services to aid identification.

A forensic source said: 'There is no complete body. There are only body parts. They are unrecognisable.

'But it is important for the families to be able to bury their loved-ones and to be able to visit their grave to help with the mourning process.'

Dr Abdel-Hamid said the Egyptian Attorney General had asked the French and Greek authorities for all data relating to the aircraft and its flight path.

He said: 'Attorney General Nabil Sadk has asked Athens and Paris to release all the documents related to Egypt Air flight MS804 and the aircraft's flight path.

'The attorney general has also asked the Greek and French authorities for recordings of all the communications between the aircraft and the Greek air traffic controls since it entered Greek air space.'

Earlier, the head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services said the doomed jet did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared off radar.

The comments by Ehab Azmy, head of the National Air Navigation Services Company, challenged an earlier account by Greece's defence minister.

Mr Azmy said that in the minutes before the EgyptAir plane disappeared it was flying at its normal altitude of 37,000 feet, according to the radar reading.

Mourners sit in their cars waiting to enter the El-Mosheer Tantawy Mosque in Cairo ahead of the memorial ceremony last night held by EgyptAir for relatives and family members of EgyptAir staff on flight MS804

EgyptAir staff walk between cars as they try to enter the El-Mosheer Tantawy Mosque for the memorial

A mourners sits in his car waiting to enter the Al Mosheer Tantawy mosque in Cairo for the prayer service

Mr Azmy said: 'That fact degrades what the Greeks are saying about the aircraft suddenly losing altitude before it vanished from radar.

'There was no turning to the right or left and it was fine when it entered Egypt's FIR (flight information region), which took nearly a minute or two before it disappeared.'

According to Greece's defence minister Panos Kammenos, the plane swerved wildly and dropped to 10,000 feet before it fell off radar at about 2.45am local time on Thursday.

Greek civil aviation authorities said all appeared fine with the flight until air traffic controllers were to hand it over to their Egyptian counterparts. The pilot did not respond to calls and the plane then vanished from radars.

The service was held as an Egyptian air traffic official said the doomed jet did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared off radar, contradicting an earlier account by Greece's defence minister

The mass prayer ceremony took place at the Al-Mosheer Tantawy Mosque in Cairo last night

Mourners arrive for a memorial for the victims of the EgyptAir crash at Cairo's Al Mosheer Tantawy mosque

Egypt, which is sending a submarine to search for the flight recorders, has refuted earlier reports alleging that search crews had found the plane's black boxes which could offer vital clues to what happened in the final minutes of the flight.

Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes.

The French vessel that joined the effort is equipped with sonar that can pick up the underwater 'pings' emitted by the recorders.

The search area is roughly halfway between Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria and the Greek island of Crete, where the water is 8,000 to 10,000 feet deep.

It was initially claimed that Mohamed Said Shoukair lost all radio contact before the Airbus A320 plunged into the sea last Thursday, with the loss of 66 lives, while travelling from Paris to Cairo

Data indicates the plane was on fire before it plummeted into the Mediterranean. An ACARS screen grab (above) shows smoke alarms in the lavatory behind the cockpit sounded at 00.26GMT, three minutes before the plane lost contact



To add to the confusion, It was initially claimed Captain Mohamed Said Ali Ali Shoukair lost all radio contact before the Airbus A320 plunged into the sea last Thursday en route from Paris to Cairo.

But aviation sources in Paris have now said he contacted Egyptian air traffic controllers to say he was going to make an emergency landing because there smoke filling the plane.

There was 'conversation several minutes long' between Captain Shoukair and the controllers, which amounted to 'a distress call', according to French TV station M6.

However, the claims were last night denied by EgyptAir.

A spokesman said: 'Claims made by the French TV station are not true. The pilot did not contact Egypt air control before the incident.'

A 2013 report by the Egyptian ministry of civil aviation found that the same Airbus 320 made an emergency landing in Cairo that year, shortly after taking off on its way to Istanbul, when one of the engines 'overheated'.

Aviation experts have said that overheating is uncommon yet is highly unlikely to cause a crash.

Relatives of the Christian victims of EgyptAir flight MS804 weep during an absentee funeral mass at the main Cathedral in Cairo on Sunday. Remains of the first victims were described as 'unrecognisable' as they were taken to Cairo to start the long and painful process of identifying the bodies
WA police have offered $100,000 for information that will lead to conviction

They hope the people shown in the images will assist police with inquiries

Police found her body on January 7, two days after her death

A grandmother was killed during a cold-blooded break-in in Perth

Police release CCTV and dash cam images to help find a killer

Police have released CCTV images in a desperate attempt to solve the case of a grandmother who was killed during a cold-blooded home invasion.

Valeria Fermendjin was killed in her Melville home, a south-west suburb of Perth, on January 5 and was found two days later by police.

CCTV and dash cam footage show members in the public who were near the property at the time the invasion occurred, between 7.30am and 8.30am on January 5, reported Perth Now.

Valeria Fermendjin was killed in her Melville home, a south-west suburb of Perth, on January 5 during a cold-blooded home invasion

Police are hoping a member of the public may recognise themselves in the image and as a result contact police.

'These people are members of the public going about their daily business, but it is hoped that they may have information that can assist detectives in their investigation,' a WA Police spokeswoman said.

'Even the smallest bit of information can help.'

The first set of images were released on April 27.

Police have released images of CCTV and dash cam footage of members of the public who were around the grandmother's home at the time of the invasion

Officers are hoping someone will recognise themselves or members of the public will recognise someone and contact police

Officers are hoping the people in the images will assist officers with their inquiries

This comes after Western Australia police offered $100,000 in March in an unprecedented move for information that could lead to an arrest.

State Crime Commissioner Michelle Fyfe said WA Police had applied for government funding for rewards before, but never this early in an investigation.

'A great deal has already been achieved by Major Crime Squad in this investigation, however we believe that a monetary reward may provide further opportunities to solve this crime,' Ms Fyfe said when the reward was put on offer.

Soon after the discovery of her body, detectives said the attack was 'opportunistic' and that Ms Fermendjin was not targeted because of her age.

It is unknown how many people were involved in the attack.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

The images are the second set of photos released by police - the first was released on April 27

This comes after police offered a $100,000 rewards for any information that would lead to an arrest
An Australian manufacturer is currently battling it out in a U.S court over the right to call its boots 'uggs', again highlighting some of the famous Australian products that have been snapped up by international buyers.

Australian Leather Pty Ltd, based in Sydney, makes about 50,000 pairs of the sheepskin boots per year and sells them for less than $100.

Despite having spent more than two decades crafting the footwear, the small business is having to duke it out with massive American company Deckers - which is trying to establish a global trademark for 'ugg', the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

An Australian manufacturer is currently battling it out in U.S. court over the right to call its boots 'uggs' (stock image)

And while it is widely known famous Australian brands such as Vegemite and Foster's are no longer locally known, a number of other traditionally local favourites have been snapped up by overseas buyers.

With that in mind, Daily Mail Australia has rounded up some of the iconic 'Aussie' companies that are now foreign-owned.

Speedos

The famous bathers have long been a staple of most Australians summer wardrobe, however the company was snapped up by British-based Pentland Group in the 1990s.

After being founded by a Scottish migrant named Alexander MacRae in 1914, the Aussie favourite went on to become synonymous with the swimming world.

Speedos, the famous Australian bathers, were founded by a Scottish migrant named Alexander MacRae in 1914 (stock image)

The company was bought out by British company Pentland Group in the 1990s (stock image)

Countless word records have been smashed by athletes wearing the brand, while even more weekend swimmers had pulled on a pair over the years.

Since Speedos was bought out, its range has been expanded to make it one of the biggest swimwear companies in the world. Most products are now manufactured in the U.S.

Tooheys

Sydney-based brewery Tooheys poured out its first beer in 1869, with the first offering a 'dark ale'.

The brewery went on to broaden its product base, offering a full selection of beers for more than a century.

Sydney-based brewery Tooheys poured out its first beer in 1869, with the first offering a 'dark ale' (stock image)

In 2009, the company was bought out by Japanese giant Kirin Holdings - which also owns XXXX, James Squire, James Boag and Hahn (stock image)

It was listed as a public company for the first time in 1902, and even shipped beer to soldiers fighting overseas throughout World War I.

In 2009, the company was bought out by Japanese giant Kirin Holdings - which also owns XXXX, James Squire, James Boag and Hahn.

R.M. Williams

R.M. Williams is one of Australia's truly iconic brands.

It was founded by Reginald Murray Williams in 1932, nine years after he decided to leave behind his family in Adelaide and live in the South Australian outback.

Mr Williams honed the skills he used to make handcrafted leather boots by making saddles and bridles for horses.

R.M. Williams is one of Australia's most famous brands, and was founded in 1932 by Reginald Murray Williams

The Australian company was world renowned for its handcrafted leather boots, and was purchased by LVMH Group - an affiliate of Louis Vuitton - in April 2013 (stock image)

The company went on to provide a variety of products - expanding beyond its beloved boots.

The Australian company even made it to the White House, with President Bill Clinton known to be a fan.

In April 2013, 49.9 per cent of the company was sold to L Capital Asia, a private equity fund sponsored by French luxury giant LVMH Group - which is an affiliate of Louis Vuitton.

The remaining 50.1 per cent was snapped up next year by L Capital Asia.

Arnott's

Arnott's Biscuits have stocked pantries and fridges around Australia for decades, growing from a small shop ran out of a bakery in Newcastle, NSW, to one of the country's biggest brands.

Over the years, Arnott's has been responsible for Tim Tams, Shapes, Tiny Teddies, Monte Carlos and Wagon Wheels.

Arnott's Biscuits, makers of the famous Australian snack Tim Tams, was founded in Newcastle, NSW (stock image)

The local favourite was purchased in 1997 by U.S giant Campbell Soup Company (stock image)

However, almost 20 years ago in 1997, the Australian company was purchased by U.S. giant Campbell Soup Company.

Arnott's are still Australian made, with the biscuits shipped to more than 40 countries.

Billabong

Surf brand Billabong collapsed in 2012, leading to it being taken over by a U.S. private equity group the next year.

Billabong was a huge Australian surf brand that started in 1973 by Gordon and Rena Merchant, before it was taken over by a U.S. private equity group after financial troubles in 2012 (stock image)

Before its financial failings, the company was hugely successful across Australia, selling clothing, backpacks, skateboards, surfboards and other products.

Billabong peaked when it was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, only to see its strength rapidly fall away on the back of some of unsuccessful acquisitions and attempted expansions.

Bundaberg Sugar

The Queensland-based company was sold to Belgian organisation Societe Financiere des Sucres.

Queensland-based company Bundaberg Sugar was sold to Belgian organisation Societe Financiere des Sucres (stock image)

The sugar has been grown locally for more than 130, becoming a crucial part of the state's economy.

One of the most recent mills where the famous sugar is produced, the Tableland Mill, was sold in 2011.

Uncle Toby's

Millions of Australians grew up eating. Uncle Tobys products for breakfast.

Uncle Tobys first started milling oats in Australia in 1893, and went on to become one of the country's biggest companies

Swiss giant Nestle purchased Uncle Tobys for $890 million in 2006 (stock image)

After first milling oats in 1893, the company went on to become one of Australia's biggest before it was sold to Swiss giant Nestle for $890 million in 2006.
A New Zealand man was left feeling sick before he even ate his McDonald's meal in Brisbane when he found that 28 of the 30-piece box of chicken nuggets he bought were completely raw.

The New Zealand Herald reports that McDonald's Australia is launching an investigation after Hamilton man Codi Tewaaka and his family were given the nasty meal at Morayfield McDonald's on the outskirts of Brisbane.

Mr Tewaaka and his family had just arrived from New Zealand and decided to have a quick bite to eat on the way home from the airport.

Hamilton man Codi Tewaaka and his family were given the stomach-churning meal at Morayfield McDonald's on the outskirts of Brisbane

After arriving at the fast food restaurant he ordered his partner's two children and his brother's nine-month-old baby 10 nuggets each and took them as a takeaway.

'As we got home I broke up one nugget to put into the baby's processing dummy and I realised it was raw and checked the other kids' nuggets. Two were cooked, the rest were raw,' Mr Tewaaka said.

He returned to the McDonald's and immediately lodged a complaint about the standard of the meal he had been served up.

'I got told to wait [a few days] for a phone call that I never received so I rang them to be told it was headquarter's problem now, not theirs, and I needed to wait a month,' he said.

Tewaaka had ordered his partner's two children and his brother's nine-month-old baby 10 nuggets each and took them as a takeaway

Because of the poor response to his complaint he contacted the regional council which will now investigate it.

'I was unhappy about the response considering it's a big company and it was 28 raw nuggets not just one or two... and the fact that their food manager let it go out plus the counter girl not double checking and not sticking to food standards,' he said.

A McDonald's spokesperson confirmed they were now investigating and said that they were 'disappointed this has happened'.

'We have conducted an investigation and are liaising with the customer directly,' the spokesperson said.
Turkey has been accused of cherry-picking the most qualified of Syrian refugees while sending on to Europe thousands of sick and uneducated migrants.

At an internal European Union meeting in Brussels last week a Luxembourg government official claimed Turkey was sending 'serious medical cases' to Greece.

Turkey is currently home to around three million refugees from the civil war in Syria, many of them housed in squalid camps along the border.

Volunteers walk on a pile of lifejackets left behind by refugees and migrants who arrived to the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey last year

Many are desperate to travel across the Aegean Sea to Greece or across the border to Bulgaria, where they can gain access to the EU.

Under a deal agreed in March, the EU will resettle one Syrian refugee from Turkey in exchange for each Syrian deported from Greece.

But Turkey has been accused of sending ill and unskilled Syrian refugees on to Europe while blocking the exit applications of skilled professionals.

Migrants throw rocks toward the Greek police during a scuffle at the Macedonian border, in Idomeni earlier this week. The status of around 8,500 asylum-seekers in Greece has yet to be decided

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, shakes hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, prior to their meeting at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul this week

The UN refugee agency usually decides on eligibility for resettlement but Turks have reportedly excluded Syrian doctors, engineers and academics from the scheme.

A Turkish government official told the Daily Telegraph they had the 'right' to choose who stays in Turkey.

Around 400 asylum-seekers have been returned to Turkey and 177 refugees resettled in Europe, but the status of 8,500 asylum-seekers in Greece has yet to be decided.

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is on the defensive over the March deal, under which Turkey is supposed to get visa-free travel and six billion euros (4.64billion) in aid in return for stopping the flow of Syrian migrants.

She told Turkey's president this week that Ankara must fulfill all the EU's conditions before securing visa-free travel for Turkish citizens.

One of the sticking points is Turkey's human rights record and its draconian anti-terrorism laws, which have been used to target journalists and political dissidents.

The EU planned to introduce visa-free entry for Turks on June 30 but although Turkey has fulfilled most of the 72 conditions Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has refused to budge on the terrorism laws.
-named locations were collected after survey to find the funniest

Fanny Barks, Brown Willy and Scratchy Bottom are just a few of the locations that have been hailed some of Britain's most outrageous place names.

Britain has long had a fascination with hilariously-named spots - and now some of the most amusing have been revealed in a list dominated by rude references.

It is a hamlet in Worcestershire - Bell End in Lickey End - that stole the top spot with Brown Willy in Cornwall coming in at a close second and Boggy Bottom in Hertfordshire taking third place.

Boggy Bottom in Hertfordshire, Twatt in Orkney (pictured) and Nob End in South Lancashire all made it into the top ten

The lengthy list features four of Britain's 'bottoms' as well as suggestive names such as Cockplay and Bushygap

These laughable locations are followed by Twatt in Orkney, Scotland and Nob End in South Lancashire.

The bizarrely-named spots were revealed by insurance provider Swiftcover after it asked 2,000 Brits to vote for the place names that produce the biggest chuckle.

Fanny Barks in Durham, Minge Lane in Worcestershire and Dicks Mount in Suffolk also help to make up the top ten.

The lengthy list features four of Britain's 'bottoms' as well as a string of genitalia-related references such as Fannyfield, Cockplay and Honey Knob Hill.

Dorset boasts the most entries with Scratchy Bottom, Happy Bottom and Shitterton all placing.

Those towards the end of the 30-strong collection include Pratt's Bottom in Kent and Lickers Lane in Merseyside.

Britain has long had a fascination with hilariously-named spots - and now some of the most amusing have been revealed

The bizarrely-named spots were revealed by insurance provider Swiftcover after it asked 2,000 Brits to vote for the funniest place names

The county of Dorset boasts the most entries with Scratchy Bottom, Happy Bottom and Shitterton all placing

Brown Willy (pictured) - which placed second - is a hill on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall that reaches heights of around 420m
Lawyers have been striking in Greece in outrage over the enormous backlog of legal cases which are preventing divorce and inheritance cases from being on trial.

Dubbed the 'necktie movement', lawyers in Greece have gone on strike, causing the closure of courtrooms since mid-January.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's austerity measures, including a recent tax hike, have continued to cause outrage with more than 200,000 trials having to be postponed in Athens alone due to strikes.

Greek lawyers have been on strike for four months against austerity measures that impose heavy taxes on self-employed professionals

Prime minister Alexis Tsipras won a vote in parliament early Monday May 23, 2016, that will heap more taxes on a dwindling number of Greeks able to pay them

Effectively, no one in Greece can get a divorce, inherit property, sue for wrongful dismissal, or carry out any transaction that requires court approval.

Only criminal cases nearing the statute of limitation are going to court as trial dates have been pushed back as far as 2032.

At the city's main court complex, criminal suspects in handcuffs, police escorts, and smartly dressed lawyers gather around a canteen, waiting hours for their new court dates.

Athens lawyer Thanos Koussoulos says self-employed professionals like him will feel the most pain, as the new measures will increase monthly pension contributions, taxable income, and levies on services.

'An average lawyer will lose half his income and won't be able to survive,' he said, speaking in an empty courtroom.

'Every part of society has been affected by these measures, including groups once considered to be privileged. I think it's a good thing they are demonstrating.'

Lawyer Dimitirs Vervesos shouts slogans with his colleagues during a rally organized by Greek Bar Associations in Athens

Ties are attached to a tree by protesting lawyers following an anti-government rally in front of the parliament in Athens

Prime Minister Tsipras, 41, was elected on a pledge to scrap austerity. But he was forced by bailout lenders to abandon his position to receive more rescue loans for Greece and a promise of better repayment terms needed for the economy to pull out of recession.

Shortly before the vote, Tsipras argued that sacrifices asked of Greeks would finally pay off.

'Spring may soon be over, but the real spring for our economy lies ahead of us ... We've turned the page of history,' Tsipras told lawmakers.

Under the new measures, taxes will be added to everything from beer and coffee to gasoline and monthly Internet charges.

Sales taxes will increase across the board, the government created an automatic austerity mechanism to safeguard future budget targets beyond its own term in office, and bailout creditors were even given seats on a new privatization committee with expanded powers.

The measures pave the way for eurozone finance ministers to approve the release of a new batch of bailout loans when they meet in Brussels today.

The creditors will then address the next vital issue for Greece: how to lighten the burden of repaying its mountain of bailout loans.

Hundreds of lawyers and other professionals have gathered on the streets in protest over the tax hikes

Lawyers shout slogans during a rally organized by Greek Bar Associations in the capital city Athens

Greece has relied on financial aid from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund since 2010, but harsh cost-cutting reforms demanded in return sent the economy into shock and about a quarter of the workforce still remains jobless. That has weakened its ability to repay the loans.

The normally sober financial daily Naftemporiki said taxpayers had paid a heavy price for the continued bailout support, leading Monday with the headline: 'Painful Measures, Stale Promises.'

The creditors' demands that Greece commit to years of high budget surpluses left Tsipras' government with little choice but to hike taxes.

Pharmacists, vets, dentists and physical therapists all joined lawyers in street protests earlier this year as the extent of the austerity measures became clear.

The engineers' association, whose members include Tsipras and several government officials, printed a wanted-style poster with the picture of all the engineer graduates in parliament who supported the austerity measures, under a banner that read 'So That We Remember Them.'

Ironically, the lawyers' strike has added pressure on the government to seek a quick way to raise revenue, as tax cases challenged in court have been held up.

Ordinary Greeks have suffered, too. Former municipal worker Christin Barbopoulou was part of a class action contract dispute with the city authority in Athens after being laid off in 2009. Due to repeated court delays and the strike this year, her next court date has been moved to September, 2017.

She spent two years out of work before finding a low-paid job as a security guard.
New York police are hunting a man they say sexually assaulted the same woman twice in Manhattan earlier this month.

The NYPD says Jeffrey Mahon, 49, first attacked the woman on the afternoon of May 3, when he grabbed her arm and buttocks.

On May 15, he is alleged to have again attacked her when she was getting out of her car and he tried to touch her.

Police say Jeffrey Mahon (pictured left and right) attacked the same woman twice in Manhattan this month

In the first incident, she was able to break free of his grip and run away. During the second, she got back inside her car and locked the doors, NBC New York reported.

The two attacks are alleged to have occurred near 65th Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side, and 45th Street and Eighth Avenue respectively.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump met with Bob Corker in New York on Monday, intensifying speculation that the U.S. senator from Tennessee may be his ticket.

Speaking after the meeting, Corker described the get-together at Trump Tower as 'a meeting between two people who didn't know each other except over phone calls getting to know each other'.

He said he has no reason to believe he's being vetted as a potential Trump running mate or for a Cabinet position should Trump win the general election.

US Senator Bob Corker, pictured leaving Trump Tower in Manhattan yesterday, met with the billionaire businessman for the first time where they discussed 'wide-ranging policy ideas'

Trump is attempting to create a shortlist for vice president nominees in advance of November's election

Senator Corker, who is Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, said he had 'no reason whatsoever' to believe he was being considered as Trump's vice president after being questioned outside the building

'I have no reason whatsoever to believe I am being considered for a position like that,' Corker told reporters who pressed him about various possible positions.

Corker is currently the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He also serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

In a statement, Corker's chief of staff Todd Womack said the pair had 'had a good meeting...in which they engaged in a wide-ranging policy discussion'.

Corker praised a high-profile foreign policy speech that Trump delivered in Washington last month, saying in a statement that 'in a year where angry rhetoric has defined the presidential race on both sides of the aisle, it is my hope that candidates in both parties will begin focusing not only on the problems we face but on solutions.'

He said he believed the speech 'could be an important step in that direction.'

Trump, pictured addressing the National Rifle Association, is trying to improve his foreign policy proposals

A Trump campaign spokeswoman did not immediately responded to a request for comment on the meeting.

Earlier, Trump had offered to meet North Korean despot Kim Jong-un in Geneva as part of his efforts to increase the profile of his foreign policy agenda.

However, North Korean officials described the offer as 'kind of propaganda or advertisement' during the US Presidential race.

So Se Pyong, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations said: 'It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his (Trump's) idea or talk is nonsense.

'It's for utilisation of the presidential election, that's all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement. This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election.

'There is no meaning, no sincerity.'

Trump is thought to have around half a dozen names under consideration for his vice-presidential pick.

Ben Carson, an early frontrunner in the GOP presidential race who dropped out and has since become a Trump surrogate, indicated over the weekend that the list of potential candidates had been submitted to Trump.

As well as Corker, names included in the conversation include Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, although he has personally distanced himself, despite being a Trump supporter.

Retired Lt Gen Michael Flynn, a national security adviser to Trump, is another name that has been floated, although he doesn't tick the Capitol Hill insider box that the billionaire would like.
A teenager has been rushed to hospital in a critical condition after being stabbed in a Melbourne shopping centre.

Police were called to Dandenong Plaza about 4.25pm on Tuesday to reports of an 18-year-old man from Dandenong South suffering possible stab wounds.

Police are currently at the scene investigating.

A man has been rushed to hospital in a critical condition after being stabbed in a Melbourne shopping centre

Police were called to Dandenong Plaza about 4.25pm on Tuesday to reports of a man suffering possible stab wounds

It is believed the teenager suffered 'upper body' wounds and remains in a critical condition at the Alfred Hospital, according to The Herald Sun.

The third level of the shopping centre was evacuated shortly after the incident.

Police and ambulance vehicles remain at the entrance to the plaza.
The new president of the Philippines - who is dubbed 'Duterte Harry' because of his crime-busting, maverick style - has refused to live in the country's presidential palace.

The Malacanang Palace in Manila was built in 1750 and has been the home of Filipino presidents ever since the country became independent in 1945.

But Rodrigo Duterte told reporters this week he would not live there and explained why: 'There are many ghosts there.'

Rodrigo Duterte, pictured, won a crushing victory in the presidential election earlier this month. But despite his tough image as a no-nonsense crimefighter, he is very superstitious and was freaked out by ghostly goings on at the Malacanang

The palace's most notorious residents were dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda, who lived there from 1965 until they were ousted by 'People Power' in 1986.

During their rule many political dissidents and coup plotters were allegedly tortured and murdered in what was known as The Black Room.

But the Marcoses themselves also claimed to have been haunted by the ghosts of two former presidents, Manuel Quezon and Manuel Roxas.

This photograph of the Malacanang Palace supposedly shows a headless member of the presidential bodyguard. Photographer Wig Tysmans claimed the effect was probably due to long exposure

Marcos's daughter Imee once saw Quezon's ghost in the presidential study.

The palace is also reportedly haunted by the ghost of a presidential valet.

Duterte even told the press of his own ghostly encounter at the palace when he was working as a consultant for President Gloria Arroyo 15 years ago.

Duterte, who is known as The Punisher because of his tough record on tackling criminals, told Rappler: 'She once called me around 2 am.

Dictator Ferdinand Marcos (pictured left) and his wife Imelda (right) both believed the palace was haunted during the 20 years they lived at the Malacanang

'I was brought to a sitting area with paintings of the presidents, while I waited for her to dress up.

'The presidents were in different poses, but they were all looking in front. The wind blew or maybe the aircon was on full blast. When I looked again, they were all looking at me. Son of a bitch, I'm out of here. It's crazy.'

The Philippines government's own website has a whole page devoted to ghostly phenomena at the palace.

One tale refers to an American chaplain, known as Father Brown, whose ghost is variously described as benevolent or malicious.

He was supposedly executed by the Japanese at the palace while during their World War II occupation of the islands.

Duterte said he still planned to work out of the palace but said he was looking into the possibility of living in the nearby Arlegui mansion, which was used by President Cory Aquino and her successor, Fidel Ramos in the 1990s.

Duterte, who was Mayor of Davao in the southern island of Mindanao, says he also plans to sell the 'obscene' presidential yacht and converting the president's fleet of aircraft into emergency vehicles.

'I will travel using commercial aircraft,' he promised.
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She is 87, has three children, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren and, in her opinion, the best booty in Brazil - at least for a lady of her age.

Meet Terezina Isen, one of the pensioners battling it out to be crowned Miss 'Granny' Bumbum - the country's Queen Mother of shapely derrieres.

The popular 'best bottom' pageant this year announced it was taking entries from over fifties, for a new version of the popular contest, celebrating the bodies of women in their 'golden age'.

And more mature ladies from all over Brazil jumped at the chance of becoming the official owner of the country's best bottom - which, in a country obsessed with the female backside, is about as close to royalty as you get.

Perfect posterior: Brazil's world-famous Miss Bumbum competition has decided to open itself up to the over-50s this year - and it has had no shortage of eager applicants. Pictured: Eliza Gattermayer

Classical: Fans of the Miss Bumbum can expect to see everything they usually would from the younger contestants, albeit with a few more wrinkles. Pictured: Miss Granny Bumbum hopeful Geralda Diniz

Vintage: And here is the oldest contestant so far - 87-year-old Terezina Isen, who follows a gruelling daily regime of walking, yoga and water workout sessions which would exhaust someone half her age

A little help: For the perfect deriere, grandmother Terezina turns to regular cellulite vacuum therapy (pictured)

The Miss Bumbum competition, normally reserved for women aged 19-25, has a huge following in the country and around the world, and winners often go on to become national celebrities.

So, with so much at stake, it's no wonder the ambitious grannies vying for the prestigious prize are prepared to do anything to get their bottom to the top.

For widow Terezina, it means a gruelling regime of daily walks, yoga and water workout sessions, as well as regular cellulite vacuum therapy get her buttocks looking the best.

She told MailOnline: 'I might be nearly 90, but I'm youthful, not just on the inside, but outside as well.

'I'm not one of those old folks with a saggy bottom and drooping skin, everything out of place. I'm firm all over, with everything in the right place.

'I was always the most beautiful girl in my town when I was young, I would always be the one everyone noticed. Now it's time to show that I've still got it.'

Terezina, from Salvador, in Brazil's north-east, was married aged 21 and lost her bank manager husband 23 years ago, after 42 years together - but she says singledom gave her a new lease of life.

She said: 'My husband never let me go out to work or be independent, I spent my life taking care of my house and raising my children.

'I always dreamed of becoming a 'Miss'. So when I heard they were taking old women like me for Miss Bumbum, I signed up on the spot.

'It was all I ever wanted, but I had to be the reserved wife and mother.

'Not any more. Even now as he's looking down on me I'm sure he doesn't approve one bit.'

Catfight: Eliza is less impressed with her older rival, however. 'Unlike some people's, my body is original and impeccable. I'm not trying to make it any more smooth or shapely with beauty treatments,' she told MailOnline

Fame hungry: The grandmother-of-two, who is a youthful 63, has not escaped notice of her rivals either, however. A decision to pose topless has been dismissed by the others as a brazen attempt at publicity

Terezina claims she only strutted a catwalk once in her life, when, as a teenager in the 1940s, she was voted carnival queen in the small town where she grew up.

But she clearly has good genes - her glamour model granddaughter Ju Isen became known as 'Impeachment Girl' after stripping naked during protests for the suspension of president Dilma Rousseff.

Previously she had caused a storm after doing the same during Sao Paulo's carnival procession.

The 23-year-old also announced she was going on a self-imposed 'sex strike' until Rousseff was removed from office.

Terezina says she, too, has no quarms about flaunting her body in public - but promised to save people's blushes by only wearing a swimsuit for the final of the competition, in November.

She said: 'Why should your life end just because you're getting on a bit? I go to the beach every week, and people have to accept me the way they see me, which is often without much on.

'Why should I sit at home doing crochet just because people think that's what an old woman should do? I've still got a good body, and the best bum of any old woman, so I might as well show it off while I still can.

'People are always surprised when they know my age, most think I'm in my sixties. Well, I intend to keep doing this well after I'm 100. And once I'm crowned Miss Bumbum I'm ready for the life of fame, magazine covers and glamour shoots that comes with it. I still feel young.'

Tough contest: The grandmothers are hoping their behinds will impress as much as the derrieres on show in previous years

Internationally acclaimed: The 2015 competition was won by Suzy Cortez, who has gone on to international fame - something Terezina is ready for. 'When I was younger, I would always be the one everyone noticed. Now it's time to show that I've still got it,' she said

Idolised: The 15 women who appeared on stage had already been named Miss Bumbum in their own provinces, making them minor celebs

But if Terezina is convinced of victory, her equally ambitious opponents have other ideas.

And it appears that, despite their advancing years, there will be no pleasantries between the grannies as they fight to get their behinds to the top spot.

The regular Miss Bumbum competition, now in its sixth year, is always dogged with catfights, bitching and claims of foul play - and the pensioner version doesn't look like it will be any different.

Unlike some people's, my body is original and impeccable. I'm not trying to make it any more smooth or shapely with beauty treatments Eliza Gattermayer

In a clear dig at her rivals, 63-year-old Eliza Gattermayer spits: 'Unlike some people's, my body is original and impeccable. I'm not trying to make it any more smooth or shapely with beauty treatments.

'I've never done any plastic surgery or botox.

'What you see is 100 per cent me, and I'm proud of every mark because they are the marks of life, the challenges, my children.

'I don't need to try to shine. I shine because I love life and I live it intensely.'

Eliza, who has two grandchildren, admits that she is doing daily bum-firming exercises especially devised by her personal trainer son.

She also recently did a topless photo shoot, slammed by some of her fellow competitors as a brazen attempt at publicity.

The former civil servant is also no stranger to beauty pageants - she competed in Brazil's Miss University competition in 2012, and won Miss Guarulhos, the city in Sao Paulo, south-east Brazil, where she lives, in 2013 and 2015, in the older age category.

But the mother-of-two says: 'I always try to give my best. And I'm very happy to parade my body, it does wonders for my vanity.

'At first I had reservations about entering my bottom in a competition, because up until now I'd been judged on all of me. But when I took the photos and saw my bottom I was very pleased, it really is very beautiful.

'It was only when I saw my bottom that I was sure I would win Miss Bumbum.'

Impressed: Eliza only recently realised she might have a chance at the title, after seeing a picture of her bottom for the first time in years. At that moment, she revealed, she knew she would win the competition

Living to the full: Eliza says she hopes to show the world that just because you are older, it doesn't mean you should just sit around, doing crochet and waiting to die

Eliza says that after enduring an unhappy marriage, she was finally 'liberated' when she divorced her husband of three decades five years ago.

She said: 'I went off into the world and did everything I'd always dreamed of. I suddenly had a new lease of life. My dream was to be a beauty queen, so I started entered contests, and I was so happy to win some.

'That's why I entered Miss Bumbum. I want to show women of my age that life hasn't finished, you don't need to sit at home watching TV, doing crochet, and just waiting to die.

'When they look at me I want them to see that your later years can be beautiful happy, magical.

When I win Miss Bumbum I'm sure they'll be lots of men interested in me too. I love dating and dancing. Right not I'm fully concentrated on winning, but when that's over I do want to make the most of the male attention. Eliza Gattermayer

'When I win Miss Bumbum I'm sure they'll be lots of men interested in me too. I love dating and dancing. Right not I'm fully concentrated on winning, but when that's over I do want to make the most of the male attention.'

But for 63-year-old Geralda Diniz, another Miss 'Granny' Bumbum hopeful, Eliza's 'desperate' attention-seeking antics won't get her anywhere.

'Did you see her photos? Completely unsuitable for a woman her age, showing off her saggy bottom as if she were 25 years old. She should spare the country having to look at that.

'And then there are others trying to hide the reality by making their buttocks firmer. Come on, we're pensioners, we're not going to fool anyone.

'I'll win this by showing people what God gave me, pure and simple, and with elegance not vulgarity. There's nothing artificial about me.'

Geralda, whose husband of 40 years passed away three years ago, adds: 'I think my bottom is great, proportional for my body and age. Of course it won't please everyone.

'I'm better good shape than most woman my age. I do pilates and hydrogymnastics twice a week, and I eat healthily, but I also drink beer and smoke. Life is there for living, that's my motto.

'But I don't care what people think about me. I've never been happier with myself than I am today. In fact I love myself so much I'd marry myself if I could.

'I feel like a beautiful glamour model in an old woman's body. If anyone deserves to win Miss Bumbum, it's me.

Mother-of-four Geralda, who has four grandchildren, is no stranger to popularity contests - she finished forth in this year's Big Brother Brasil and won hundreds of thousands of fans with her straight talking and dry humour.

Pure and simple: Geralda, also 63, says she is going to win with 'elegance not vulgarity' - pointing out that, as grandmothers, no one is every going to believe they all have firm bottoms, at least not without some help

Everything in moderation: Geralda admits to keeping up an exercise regime, but also drinks beer and smokes. 'Life is for living,' the grandmother-of-four tells MailOnline. 'I don't care what anybody thinks of me'

She claims she entered Miss Bumbum to 'raise the banner' for senior citizens. She said: 'There's a lot of prejudice against old folks.

People think we should be indoors, wearing long-sleaved granny dresses and with a Bible in our hands, and we certainly shouldn't be showing off our half-naked bodies.
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This is the makeshift Greek migrant camp of Idomeni - where thousands of asylum seekers trying to make their way to Europe have lived for months amid mud and squalor.

Photographs taken from the dwellings on the Greek-Macedonian border show often filthy conditions where inhabitants have made makeshift homes inside cramped tents and bunk beds.

The pictures have emerged as hundreds of Greek riot police today launched a dawn raid to evacuate the site and move more than 8,400 people to official camps nearby.

Clothes hang to dry on makeshift clothes lines outside an old train carriage which lies dormant at the Idomeni campsite in Greece

A migrant's paltry belongings, seen inside a dwelling, amount to just these few blankets, clothes and toiletries

A single torchlight illuminates a cabin where a family are living in an old train which was pulled into the refugee camp to house refugees

Glasses, drinking bottles, toiletries and cigarettes lie on a migrant's bedside cabinet inside a makeshift dwelling

These few items were photographed hanging in the inside pockets of a migrant's tent at Idomeni campsite

At night, the camp takes on an eerie mood - here migrants are seen sitting around tents while illuminated by a spotlight

Light shines in the distance away from a tent belonging to a young woman named Kaleema from Syria on the rocks of the camp's railway

Clothes and toys donated to a young Syrian woman with twin three-year old sons are left stranded on the makeshift camp floor

Light shines near the tented accommodation and an old train which have provided shelter for some of the 8,000 refugees and migrants

Two tents which are home to four young refugees from Mosul and Idlib stand on the gravel next to the railway lines

A toilet area stands between tents in the makeshift camp, which was today raided at dawn by Greek authorities

Dusty shoes are lined up outside a tent where a family of ten have been living at the campsite

These stretchers are the only beds for two migrants, who had gathered at the camp in a bid to reach Macedonia and ultimately Europe

Belongings are piled up in a room home to 20 women in a converted office building, which acts as a place of safety for them

Possessions and food belonging to a Syrian family hang up inside an old train which has been used to house some of the refugees

Belongings of a family who have travelled from Baghdad, including a headscarf, UNHCR blankets and a sleeping bag, are carefully stacked in their tent

Washing hangs on a line stretched between rows of tents, while the sun sets in the distance

A Samaritan's purse blanket provides some privacy for a family living inside a disused train carriage left to sit at the campsite

No violence was reported as the operation commenced today.

The camp, which sprang up at an informal pedestrian border crossing for refugees and migrants heading north to Europe, is home to an estimated 8,400 people - including hundreds of children - mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

At its peak, when Macedonia shut its border in March, it housed more than 14,000, but the numbers have declined as people realised the border was shut and began accepting authorities' offers of alternative places to stay.

In Idomeni, most have been living in small camping tents pitched in fields and along railway tracks, while aid agencies have set up large marquee-style tents to help house people.

Greek authorities have been sending in cleaning crews regularly and have provided portable toilets, but conditions have been precarious at best, with heavy rain creating muddy ponds.

Laundry is hung inside a train carriage which was shared by three families who had travelled from Iraq and Syria

Donated UNHCR blankets lie on the ground where Anya, a young English teacher from Idlib, Syria, is living with friends

A stroller is left inside of a train carriage which was once shared by three families who had travelled from Iraq and Syria

Two oranges are left with clothes and other possessions belonging to a Syrian family at a makeshift dwelling in Idomeni

A box of donated fruit - featuring lemons and oranges - sits inside a shelter that once homed a young family from Iraq

A sheet is draped across the doorway of a train carriage in a bid to provide privacy for the three families living inside

Three boys play inside a box which sits amid the debris, clothes and toys that were donated to a young Syrian mother

Pictured left is a swing made by Syrian Kurdish families for their children. Right, UNHCR blankets are used to partition off living quarters in an old train

Many of those staying at the campsite took refuge inside train carriages - such as this family, who use a blanket for privacy

Possessions and aid donations lie discarded beside the train tracks, where some 8,000 are to be evacuated in a 10 day operation

Toys lie discarded and laundry is hung inside a train carriage next to a tent that was hastily erected inside

A pair of shoes belonging to a young man, Basheer, from Syria, sit inside his cramped living quarters in Idomeni

Washing hangs in the sunshine beside a converted office building which acts as home to around 40 Syrian women

In recent weeks, the camp had begun taking on an image of semi-permanence, with refugees setting up small makeshift shops selling everything from cooking utensils to falafel and bread.

Police and government authorities say the residents will be moved to newly completed official camps.

More than 54,000 refugees and migrants have been trapped in financially struggling Greece since Balkan and European countries shut their land borders to a massive flow of people escaping war and poverty at home.

Nearly a million people have passed through Greece, the vast majority arriving on islands from the nearby Turkish coast.

A tent stands where a baby named Shams was born in the makeshift camp earlier this year. Men, women and children were among those to call the camp home

A meal is cooked beside a tent belonging to a former soldier named Dabir, who escaped from the Syrian army in a bid to reach Europe

A bucket and discarded clothes lie strewn across the wooden floor of this shelter, while a box of shoes is sits beside its entrance

Food and items of clothing are left which have been donated by chairities and volunteers inside a tent belonging to a young girl called Aleena

The canvas roofing stands of some of the hundreds of tents pitched in the makeshift camp can be seen here illuminated by moonlight

Khalid, from Aleppo, fled the Syrian conflict in a bid to reach Europe. Pictured is the laundry hanging outside his home in Idomeni

Laundry belonging to the children of a young Syrian refugee, Fatima, hangs on the greasy and grimy walls of a train carriage

Here graffiti can be seen left on the walls of the bathroom area, created inside a train carriage

Lyrics to a song called 'Ara ne Olsun' by Turkish singer Tuvana Trkay are written on a wall in a converted office building

Donated eggs and clothing sit on top of a rubbish bin inside a darkened shelter belonging to an Iraqi refugee family

This is a roof covering made from sticks and plastic, which served as a kitchen for a group of Syrian Kurdish families

Pictured is the home of Yusir, who has travelled from Hama in Syria. A thin blanket is all that separates him from the gravel below

2,000 MIGRANTS RESCUED IN A DAY More than 2,000 migrants trying to reach Europe from Africa were plucked to safety from unseaworthy boats in the Mediterranean in 15 operations off the coast of Libya on Monday, the Italian coastguard service said. Two Italian naval vessels rescued more than 500 people while two Doctors Without Borders (MSF) boats took another 788 migrants. An Irish navy boat rescued hundreds more as did a passing cargo ship, according to the coastguard. So far this year, the International Organization for Migration says an estimated 190,000 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Another 1,359 have died en route.

In March, the European Union reached an agreement with Turkey aimed at stemming the flow and reducing the number of people undertaking the short but perilous sea crossing to Greece, where many have died after their overcrowded, unseaworthy boats sank.

Under the deal, anyone arriving clandestinely on Greek islands from the Turkish coast after March 18 faces deportation back to Turkey unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece.

But few want to request asylum in the country, which has been struggling with a six-year deep financial crisis that has left unemployment hovering at around 24 percent.

Journalists were barred from the camp during the evacuation operation, stopped at a police roadblock a few miles away.

Twenty buses carrying various riot police units were seen heading to the area while a police helicopter observed from above. An estimated 700 police were participating in the operation.

Some refugees were pictured fleeing the scene as officers arrived.

Greek authorities are also eager to reopen a railway line - the country's main freight train route to the Balkans - which runs through the camp and has been blocked by protesting camp residents since March 20.

The government has been trying to persuade people staying in Idomeni to leave the area and head to organised camps.

On the move: Hundreds of Greek riot police were called in to launch a dawn raid today as authorities started an evacuation of the country's largest refugee camp

A ten-day operation is underway to move more than 8,400 people from the squalid Idomeni encampment on the Macedonian border

Some migrants were spotted trying to flee from the site across fields to avoid being transported to an official government camp

On guard: 400 officers descended on the site before six buses carried 340 people to a new official refugee camp near Greece's main northern city of Thessaloniki

Greek authorities have been sending in cleaning crews regularly and have provided portable toilets, but conditions have been precarious at best, with heavy rain creating muddy ponds

The camp, which sprang up at an informal pedestrian border crossing for refugees and migrants heading north to Europe, is home to an estimated 8,400 people - including hundreds of children - mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq

Sprawling: An aerial shot shows the scale of the camp. At its height there were more than 12,000 people crammed into the site

Twenty buses carrying various riot police units were seen heading to the area while a police helicopter observed from above. An estimated 700 police were participating in the operation

In Idomeni, most have been living in small camping tents pitched in fields and along railway tracks, while aid agencies have set up large marquee-style tents to help house people

The government has been trying to persuade people staying in Idomeni to leave the area and head to organised camps

Greek authorities are also eager to reopen a railway line - the country's main freight train route to the Balkans - which runs through the camp and has been blocked by protesting camp residents since March 20

In recent weeks, the camp had begun taking on an image of semi-permanence, with refugees setting up small makeshift shops selling everything from cooking utensils to falafel and bread

Authorities say the campaign of voluntary evacuations was already working, with police reporting that eight buses carrying about 400 people left Idomeni on Sunday

Refugees and migrants are transferred on a bus to government camps, during a police operation to evacuate a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni

A refugee boy on a wheelchair passes in front of riot policemen during the evacuation at the Idomeni refugee camp at the border between Greece and Macedonia

No force was used as officers, who started to arrive at the camp Monday, urged people to leave their tents and board buses waiting nearby to transfer them to reception centres

This week it said its campaign of voluntary evacuations was already working, with police reporting that eight buses carrying about 400 people left Idomeni on Sunday.

Others took taxis heading to Thessaloniki or the nearby town of Polycastro.

On the eve of the evacuation operation, few at the camp appeared to welcome the news.

'It's much better here than in the camps. That's what everybody who's been there said,' Hind Al Mkawi, a 38-year-old refugee from Damascus, told the Associated Press on Monday evening.

'I've heard (of the pending evacuation) too,' she said. 'It's not good ... because we've already been here for three months and we'll have to spend at least another six in the camps before relocation. It's a long time. We don't have money or work - what will we do?'

Abdo Rajab, a 22-year-old refugee from Raqqa in Syria, has spent the past three months in Idomeni, and is now considering paying smugglers to be taken to Germany clandestinely.

'We hear that tomorrow we will all go to camps,' he said. 'I don't mind, but my aim is not reach the camps but to go Germany.'

Over the past two weeks, Greek officials have managed to convince some 2,500 people to leave Idomeni, while the number at Piraeus was brought down from around 5,000 people in March to 1,500

Many are wary of relocating to organised camps away from the border or the city of Athens, because it could be harder to find people-smuggling contacts.
The 30-year-old was taking toddler to school while he was in Disney dress

A mother has hit out at a middle-aged woman who accused her of 'punishing' her three-year-old son Zackary, pictured, for letting him wear a princess dress to school

A mother has hit back after a woman at the bus stop told her she should be 'embarrassed' that her three-year-old son was wearing a princess dress - by sharing a heartfelt open letter about the jibe.

Haylee Bazen, from Cambridge, wanted to show people that her Disney-obsessed son Zackary Buckley can be whoever he wants and should not have to conform to gender stereotypes.

The 30-year-old was stunned when a middle-aged woman interrupted her conversation while they waited at the bus stop on Friday to ask if she was punishing Zackary by putting him in a dress.

Haylee said: 'I literally couldn't believe what I was hearing when this woman stopped us. She asked me if I was punishing him and if I'd put him in that dress because he'd been bullying girls.

'She told me that we should be embarrassed and that boys shouldn't wear dresses but if anything she's the one who should be embarrassed.

'If I saw someone on the street in an outfit I didn't like or thought didn't suit them I wouldn't stop them and shame them - why ruin someone's day?

'Zackary loves dressing up, some days he'll want to be a pirate or put on zombie make up but he also loves Disney and on this particular day wanted to wear his dress to school to show his friends.

'He said that he needed it because he wanted to sing Let it Go for his show and tell and of course - three-year-old logic meant that he had to look the part too.'

Zackary's princess obsession began last year when his mother took him to see Snow White in pantomime and he fell in love with her.

In February, for World Book Day, he wanted to go to school dressed as Snow White but Haylee did not want anyone to laugh at him so told him to go as something else.

When she was discussing it with his teacher, she was told that she should let him dress as a princess if he wants to - and Haylee couldn't believe she had let other people's opinions get in the way of his happiness.

After that, she decided to let him wear whatever he wants as long as it makes him happy - and wants people to know it is not OK to shame a three-year-old for expressing himself.

Haylee said: 'He asked for a Snow White doll for his birthday and wanted me to read him the story at bedtime every night for weeks.

'Now when I go shopping with him I don't see things as just simply girls and boys I see it as stuff he likes and stuff that he wants.

Haylee Bazen said her three-year-old loves dressing up - whether it is as Snow White, a cowboy (left) or a pirate (right)

Haylee said she no longer views toys and clothes as gender specific after her son Zackary expressed his love for Disney

The full post that Haylee Bazen put up on Facebook after she was confronted by the woman at a bus stop

After discussing Zackary's interest with his teacher, she was told that she should let him dress as a princess for World Book Day - and since then, Haylee has not let other people's opinions get in the way of his happiness

'For a middle-aged woman to come up to us and question his outfit was just ridiculous - you might expect it from elderly people because they don't know any different but I was so shocked.

'I feel like I shouldn't have to justify my son to anyone, his whole family is so proud of him and we all love him so much but I decided to write the letter to tell people to leave us to it. '

Along with his princess collection, he also has a massive collection of cars that he loves to play with, rides his scooter and is obsessed with pirates.

Haylee was also once asked whether Zackary was a boy or a girl by a bus driver when he was wearing Frozen leggings with Elsa and Anna on.

She could not believe that in this day and age he was made to look like a freak show - so wanted to aim the post at anyone who thought it was wrong for boys to wear dresses.

'YOU'RE THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED': THE HEARTFELT OPEN LETTER

'To the lady at the bus stop who felt the need to interrupt my conversation with my son. 'I am NOT sorry you didn't like how he was dressed nor am I sorry that you didn't like our discussion topic of who our favourite Disney Princess is (Snow White obviously). 'Zackary is my 3 year old son and he can be who he wants to be. Today he was a Disney princess and YES I did send him to school like that. 'Why??? Because that's what he wanted to wear, because he wanted to show his teachers and friends his Elsa dress, because he wanted to sing 'let it go' for show and tell, because he doesn't understand the gender stereotypes YOU think he should conform to, but most importantly because he is awesome. 'He plays with cars and dolls, princesses and pirates. He rides his scooter or pushes his pram. He wears zombie face painting or lip stick and if he choose to wear a dress he can. 'So next time you see us, dressed as a princess or cowboy, keep you disapproving stares to yourself and unless you want to tell him how great he looks keep your poisonous words to yourself too. 'You're the one that should be embarrassed to leave the house not us.'

Zackary's princess obsession began last year when his mother took him to see Snow White in pantomime and he fell in love with her




The campaign to keep Britain in the EU has opened up a 13 per cent lead, a new poll revealed today as Boris Johnson's Vote Leave was warned it is failing to combat economic fears of Brexit.

Worryingly for the Leave campaign, the new poll found its strong base of men, pensioners and Tory voters are snubbing the Out campaign.

Sir Lynton Crosby, the polling strategist who masterminded David Camerons surprise general election last year, warned the campaign to leave the EU is dwindling and has failed to quell ongoing concerns about the financial and economic consequences of a Brexit.

The influential election guru singled out particular criticism for the Vote Leave, which is spearheaded by Mr Johnson, saying today's poll reveals the 'weaknesses of the campaign's organisation'.

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The ORB poll showed the Remain campaign on 55 per cent and Leave trailing on 42 per cent among those who said they will definitely vote

Since the ORB poll in March, support for Brexit has fallen significantly, with the Remain campaign now leading among key voter groups, including those over 65, men and Tory voters. The Brexit campaign enjoyed significant leads among each of these groups two months ago

The latest polling results came as David Cameron made another warning about the risks of Brexit, telling an audience at easyJet staff in Luton today that the cost of family holidays to Europe could rise by an average of 230.

But as the Prime Minister ramped up his warnings of a Brexit vote, he faced a growing backlash over scaremongering. Yesterday Eurosceptics dismissed his and George Osborne's 83-page Treasury analysis on Brexit as 'propaganda' and even 'b******s'.

The ORB poll, for the Daily Telegraph, showed the Remain campaign on 55 per cent and Leave trailing on 42 per cent among those who said they will definitely vote.

The lead is even bigger among all voters, with Remain on 58 per cent and Brexit on 38.

In March the ORB poll found a majority of 60 per cent of Conservative voters were backing Brexit, while only a third (34 per cent) said they were for Remain.

The influential election guru singled out particular criticism for the Vote Leave, which is spearheaded by Boris Johnson (pictured at York train station yesterday after another day of campaigning) saying today's poll reveals the 'weaknesses of the campaign's organisation'

Tory election guru Sir Lynton Crosby (left) singled out particular criticism for the Vote Leave, which is spearheaded by Boris Johnson (right), saying today's poll reveals the 'weaknesses of the campaign's organisation'

But remarkably - just two months later - the majority of Tory supporters now say they're backing the Remain campaign, with 57 per cent saying they back Britain staying in the EU compared to 40 per cent for Brexit.

Another worrying swing for the Brexit campaign is seen among men.

COST OF HOLIDAYS COULD RISE BY 230 A YEAR IF WE LEAVE THE EU, DAVID CAMERON WARNS The Prime Minister (pictured at Luton Airport today) claimed voters' foreign trips are under threat from a Brexit vote Brexit would make family holidays to Europe 230 more expensive on average, David Cameron has warned. The Prime Minister claimed voters' foreign trips are under threat as he ramps up his EU referendum campaign despite a Tory backlash over scaremongering. Arguing that Treasury analysis suggests a Leave result on June 23 could trigger a 12 per cent slump in the value of the Pound, Mr Cameron said bills for accommodation, food, drink and other costs abroad would rise. But the latest salvo in the increasingly bitter EU battle will infuriate Eurosceptics who have dismissed the official assessment published yesterday as 'propaganda' and even 'b******s'. Some ministers are said to have threatened to resign in the wake of the document - which also claimed Brexit could cost up to 820,000 jobs - being released yesterday. Speaking to easyJet staff at an event in Luton today, Mr Cameron defended the way he had conducted the campaign so far and insisted the Conservative Party would not be torn apart. 'Do I believe at the end of this we can all come together and accept the result? Absolutely, I do,' he said. The premier said he was making a 'clear' case for the UK to stick with Brussels on 'patriotic', economic and security grounds. 'The big bold patriotic thing is to stay in the EU ...to fight for the world we want,' he argued. But he insisted there were also clear 'retail' reasons why the public should vote to remain in the union.

In March the Brexit campaign had a lead of 13 per cent among men, according to the ORB poll, but today the completely flip this into a 13 per cent lead for itself - with 55 per cent backing EU membership compared to 42 per cent who continue to back Brexit.

Sir Lynton's analysis of today's survey reveals that the only age group that shows signs of changing its mind are older voters.

A majority of those aged over 65 now want the UK to stay in the EU - an increase of 18 per cent since March.

It reveals the In campaign has managed to convert a 28 per cent deficit into an 8 per cent lead in the last two months.

Criticising Mr Johnson's Vote Leave campaign, Sir Lynton wrote: 'In making these observations about this poll, it is important to note that the problems for the suggest weaknesses of the campaigns organisation, not the messengers or indeed the messages that could be deployed.'

He added that the Remain campaign 'continues to strengthen its position among voters with another week of effective campaigning while the Leave campaign dwindles, having failed to quell ongoing concerns about the financial and economic consequences of a Brexit'.

His analysis comes after David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne presented another sober Treasury analysis on the short-term risks to the economy of a Brexit vote.

They warned that a vote to leave the EU is the 'self-destruct option' that could cost 800,000 jobs, a recession on the scale of the credit crunch and a 220 a year rise in food prices within two years.

The 83-page document came at the same time as Mr Johnson delivered another rant about how the EU's burdensome red tape was harming the sale of bananas, vacuum cleaners and hairdryers in the UK.

He even picked an argument with a heckler who was threatening to throw an egg at him, telling the 22-year-old: 'Don't waste that egg [because] there are people hungry in this country'.

It led to some Brexit supporters questioning whether Mr Johnson was taking the campaign seriously enough - a point that appears to be echoed in Sir Lynton's analysis today.

John Mills, the influential pro-Brexit Labour donor, told MailOnline that his claims about the EU's over-regulation was 'unrealistic' and admitted Mr Johnson was a 'mixed blessing'.

'I think we are over-regulated but the idea that all these regulations are going to disappear on the 24th of June is frankly unrealistic and you might be able to unpick some of them but I dont think theres going to be a bonfire.

Admitting Mr Johnson's style of campaigning had drawbacks, he added: 'Boris is Boris, I mean hes a plus and a minus to be honest, I think hes in that sort of category.

'Boris has always had a bit of a tendency to go off piste but he does it in a half-loveable way and hes a mixed blessing.'

David Cameron and George Osborne presented another sober warning from the Treasury on the risks of Brexit - at the same time as Boris Johnson (pictured in York yesterday) delivered another rant about how the EU's burdensome red tape was harming the sale of bananas, vacuum cleaners and hairdryers in the UK

The ORB poll came after David Cameron (pictured campaigning in Luton Airport today) made another strong warning about the economic and financial costs of Brexit and today he claimed family holidays would increase by more than 200 a year if Britain left the EU

Bank of England governor Mark Carney backed up the Treasury report's warning today by claiming a a Brexit vote would send prices rocketing and economic growth plunging.

BREXIT WOULD SEND PRICES ROCKETING AND GROWTH PLUNGING, WARNS BANK CHIEF In another controversial intervention, Mark Carney (pictured at the Treasury Committee today) said there was unanimous agreement at the Bank of England that Brexit would have a 'material' impact on the economy A Brexit vote would send prices rocketing and economic growth plunging the independent Bank of England Governor warned today. In another controversial intervention in the EU referendum, Mark Carney said the Bank's committee that sets interest rates unanimously agreed that Brexit could have a 'material' impact on prices and growth in the UK. He also refused to rule out making a further warning just days before the June 23 vote in what could prove to be a decisive intervention from a public servant, who is meant to be neutral during elections. But he faced anger from leading Brexit campaigners, with Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg, who has previously called for Mr Carney to be sacked over his Brexit warnings, accusing him of 'putting out the same propaganda as the Chancellor'. In a heated exchange at the Treasury committee today, Mr Rees Mogg attacked the Bank governor for being 'politically involved' in the referendum and colluding with George Osborne. But Mr Carney shot back, insisting there was no political bias at the Bank and defended his right to make warnings about the economic impact of a vote to leave the EU. He said it was his job to 'come straight with the British pople' over the risks of Brexit. 'We have a responsibility to discharge our remit and to the British people, who don't want risks hidden from them,' Mr Carney insisted.

In another controversial intervention in the EU referendum, he said the Bank's committee that sets interest rates unanimously agreed that Brexit could have a 'material' impact on prices and growth in the UK.

He also refused to rule out making a further warning just days before the June 23 vote in what could prove to be a decisive intervention from a public servant, who is meant to be neutral during elections.

But he faced anger from leading Brexit campaigners, with Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg, who has previously called for Mr Carney to be sacked over his Brexit warnings, accusing him of 'putting out the same propaganda as the Chancellor'.

In a heated exchange at the Treasury committee today, Mr Rees Mogg attacked the Bank governor for being 'politically involved' in the referendum and colluding with George Osborne.

But Mr Carney shot back, insisting there was no political bias at the Bank and defended his right to make warnings about the economic impact of a vote to leave the EU.

He said it was his job to 'come straight with the British pople' over the risks of Brexit.

'We have a responsibility to discharge our remit and to the British people, who don't want risks hidden from them,' Mr Carney insisted.

Another pro-European voice, Tony Blair, endorsed Mr Cameron's 'strong and effective' campaign to keep Britain in the EU despite claims it is dominated by scaremongering.

The controversial former prime minister said the Remain campaign was doing 'pretty well' with less than a month to the referendum.

And in his latest intervention on the campaign, he insisted Europe 'needs Britain's leadership' as it tackles a string of problems, including the migrant crisis and aggression from Russia.

The former premier admitted earlier this year he was 'too divisive' to be of help to the Remain campaign led by Mr Cameron.

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron's bid to keep the UK in the EU was dealt a blow when his former policy guru Steve Hilton accused him of 'pathetic scaremongering' after the latest warning on the cost of family holidays.

Steve Hilton, who masterminded Mr Cameron's bid for Downing Street, said the claim that family breaks to Europe could be 230 more expensive was 'like a parody'.

Mr Hilton, who quit Downing Street in 2012 to teach at Stanford University in California and is supporting Brexit, said the holiday price warning was another example of 'pathetic patronising EU scares' and both sides were treating the public like 'simpletons'.

'You've got to be kidding. It's almost like a parody,' he told Press Association.

'I just wish we could have a serious debate about the long-term future of how we want to be governed rather than this kind of nonsense.

'It just does not do anyone any favours. It just puts people off the whole political class'.

Boris Johnson has to show the public he is a safe pair of hands

Analysis by Political Editor James Tapsfield

Boris Johnson wields an angle-grinder on the Brexit campaign trail

With a month to go, there is still everything to play for in the EU referendum battle.

But a string of polls have now suggested apocalyptic warnings about the consequences of Brexit are starting to hit home.

The furious reaction to yesterday's Treasury forecast that up to 820,000 jobs would be sacrificed underlines how much Tory tempers are being frayed.

But there is also increasing nervousness that the tactics are working and the Brexit camp seems unable to land clean blows.

The anxiety will have been heightened by the intervention of Sir Lynton Crosby - who masterminded David Cameron's shock general election victory a year ago and has previously run successful campaigns for Boris Johnson.

When the Australian guru says the Leave campaign's efforts have been 'weak' and its chances are 'dwindling', it is a brave person who does not sit up and take notice.

Mr Johnson is without doubt the biggest beast on the block for the 'out' campaign, and no-one doubts the former mayor's ability to draw crowds and garner media attention.

But he has also become embroiled in ridiculous rows over the detail of EU banana regulations - risking looking trivial while the pro-EU camp is talking about recession and an increased terror threat.

Mr Johnson cannot resist a good photo op, even when - especially when - it makes him look faintly ridiculous.

Earlier this month he took great delight in donning a mask and protective gear at a steel factory, ending up resembling menacing Batman villain Bane.

By contrast, Mr Cameron is most often seen wearing a sober suit speaking to attentive workers, or delivering a serious speech from behind a lectern.

The biggest obstacle to victory for those who want the UK to leave the EU after June 23 is the natural conservatism of the British people.

They need to be reassured that voting to cut ties with Brussels is not too big a risk, and will not mean immediate disaster.

Mr Johnson has to show he is a safe pair of hands as well as someone you would like to have a drink with down the pub.

WHO ARE THE MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE VOTE LEAVE CAMPAIGN? THE BIG BEAST Boris Johnson provided a much needed spearhead for the Leave campaign when he declared his support for Brexit. The former London Mayor is a member of Vote Leave's core campaign committee. He has conducted the battle in typically flamboyant fashion, touring the country by bus delivering joke-strewn speeches and bizarre photo ops. But there have been mutterings that his approach, while gathering crowds and plenty of media attention, is not suited to combating the hard economic assault from Remain. On several occasions Mr Johnson has been drawn into an argument about the detail of EU regulations on bananas, risking looking trivial as the pro-EU camp warns of recession and a higher terror threat. THE INTELLECTUAL Michael Gove is regarded as one of the deepest thinkers in government. His decision to join efforts to cut ties with Brussels came despite his close personal friendship with David Cameron. Mr Gove, another member of Vote Leave's core campaign committee, has mainly been deployed for set-piece speeches, where he has added intellectual weight to the campaign. He will also feature in the televised referendum specials, where Leave supporters hope his sharp debating skills will serve him well. However, while widely liked at Westminster Mr Gove is believed to polarise opinion in the country after a controversial spell as Education Secretary. Mr Cameron shifted him from that high-profile role shortly before the general election for fear he would turn off voters. THE ATTACK DOG One of the rebel backbench 'b******s' who blighted John Major's time in Downing Street, there was never any doubt which side Iain Duncan Smith would be on in this referendum. He has been designated as Vote Leave's attack dog, and has taken to the task with gusto. Since quitting the Cabinet and launching a devastating assault on George Osborne over welfare curbs, Mr Duncan Smith has been a constant presence on the airwaves and in newspapers. And he has not held back, most recently accusing Business Secretary Sajid Javid of being two-faced by supporting Brexit in private before coming out for Remain. Last week he lambasted David Cameron for 'jettisoning' flagship reforms from the Queen's Speech in a desperate bid to avoid derailing efforts to keep the UK in union. Again, Mr Duncan Smith is seen as a divisive character. Although lauded by many Tory activists he is a hate figure for many on the Left over his changes to welfare. THE MAVERICK Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Mr Gove, is Vote Leave's campaign director. He has been credited in part with securing the Cabinet minister's backing for Brexit, and many also praise his role in pushing through education reforms. But Mr Cummings is regarded as a maverick who has a habit of getting into bad-tempered clashes with opponents. He had a long-running grudge with former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in government. More recently he traded blows with chairman Andrew Tyrie during a fiery appearance before the Treasury Select Committee. And he was embroiled in another row with ITV over referendum debates after the broadcaster was accused of caving to Downing Street demands 'effectively becoming part of the In campaign'. THE REFERENDUM VETERAN Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott founded campaign group the TaxPayers' Alliance and is a well-respected operator. Mr Elliott was one of the masterminds behind the successful No2AV referendum fighting machine in 2011. The poll ended up with more than two-thirds opposed changing the voting system, in a bitter disappointment for the Liberal Democrats and a large proportion of the Labour Party. Mr Elliott has kept a fairly low-profile during the referendum battle so far, although quotes are often issued in his name. However, Mr Elliott did come under fire from Arron Banks of the rival Leave.EU group for blocking a merger. The millionaire businessman's group was eventually beaten to the official Electoral Commission designation, and it is unlikely the pair will be exchanging Christmas cards.

Tony Blair insists Europe NEEDS Britain to give it leadership as he claims David Cameron's 'strong and effective' campaign to stay in the EU is doing 'pretty well'

Former prime minister Tony Blair (pictured arriving at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster today) claimed Europe 'needs' British leadership

Tony Blair today endorsed David Cameron's 'strong and effective' campaign to keep Britain in the EU despite claims it is dominated by scaremongering.

The controversial former prime minister said the Remain campaign was doing 'pretty well' with less than a month to the referendum.

And in his latest intervention on the campaign, he insisted Europe 'needs Britain's leadership' as it tackles a string of problems, including the migrant crisis and aggression from Russia.

The former premier admitted earlier this year he was 'too divisive' to be of help to the Remain campaign led by Mr Cameron.

Mr Blair's comments came as he awaits the conclusions of the Chilcot Inquiry but reports have suggested the two million word report will be 'brutal' for the former Labour leader and his 2003 team.

Speaking at a Prospect Magazine event today on 'Britain in the world', Mr Blair insisted he could not discuss the findings of the inquiry before its findings are published on July 6.

Asked about the June 23 referendum on the EU, Mr Blair said: 'Europe needs Britain's leadership'.

But he said today the campaign was going 'pretty well' without him and praised the tactics of the In effort.

Mr Cameron appeared alongside Chancellor George Osborne yesterday to warn of a recession if Britain backs Brexit.

The PM was back on stage today warning holidays would be more expensive if the country decides to quit the trading bloc.

Vote Leave has hit out in frustration at the campaign tactics, deriding them as 'project fear', but polling suggests the Remain camp is pulling ahead.

Controversial former prime minister Tony Blair (pictured delivering a speech in Westminster today) said the Remain campaign was doing 'pretty well' with less than a month to the referendum.

Mr Blair today intervened on a controversial Leave claim about potential Turkish membership of the EU and insisted Britain, along with the other 27 existing members, would have a veto.

The former PM went further and repeated his belief migration to Britain had not been too high under his leadership.

CAMERON AND GOVE TO FACE EU QUESTION TIME CHALLENGE - BUT WON'T APPEAR TOGETHER David Dimbleby will moderate separate Question Time shows with David Cameron and Michael Gove David Cameron and Michael Gove will face a live audience in BBC Question Time specials ahead of the referendum, it was announced tonight. The rival campaigners are already booked for opposing appearances on Sky News next week - but on none of the programmes will they appear together. Mr Gove will appear on the BBC first. He will face live questions on Wednesday, June 15, at a programme broadcast from Nottingham. Four days later - and just four days before polling day - Mr Cameron will face the same challenge, on Sunday, June 19, this time in front of an audience in Milton Keynes. The BBC is also due to host a huge final debate on June 21 at Wembley Arena.

He told the event: 'I believe that people who have come into this country have committed far more than than they have taken by way of benefits.'

Mr Blair added the answer to Britain's problems was not to have less migration.

He warned the only solution to the migration crisis gripping Europe was resolving the war in Syria not trying to stop people travelling while fighting continued.

The latest poll on the referendum revealed a 13 per cent lead for the Remain campaign amid growing questions about Boris Johnson's championing of the Vote Leave cause.

Sir Lynton Crosby, the polling strategist who masterminded David Camerons surprise general election last year, warned the campaign to leave the EU is dwindling and has failed to quell ongoing concerns about the financial and economic consequences of a Brexit.

The influential election guru singled out particular criticism for the Vote Leave, which is spearheaded by Mr Johnson, saying today's poll reveals the 'weaknesses of the campaign's organisation'.

Sir Lynton's analysis of today's survey reveals that the only age group that shows signs of changing its mind are older voters.

A majority of those aged over 65 now want the UK to stay in the EU - an increase of 18 per cent since March.

It reveals the In campaign has managed to convert a 28 per cent deficit into an 8 per cent lead in the last two months.

Mr Blair today suggested if Britain does vote to Remain on June 23, it will have allies for further reform in Europe.

He said: 'The anxieties Britons have about Europe are shared by many people in Europe.'

The three-time election winner expanded on his belief that today's politics are confusing.

Mr Blair told the Prospect gathering: 'I thought I was pretty good at politics.

'But I look at politics today and I'm not sure I understand it.'
Abdurahman, 47, said he didn't expect the boy to run and yell

A 12-year-old boy has been allegedly sexually assaulted by an Indonesian masseur in Bali while his mother was getting a massage in the next room.

The Perth boy was holidaying with his family in Kuta, a popular tourist district, when the alleged assault occurred.

He was in private room next to his mother and grandmother at a massage parlour on Saturday.

The male therapist allegedly asked him to remove his pants to avoid them being stained by oil.

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During a press conference, Abdurahman (pictured) stood between police and told reporters that he 'didn't expect it would go like this'

Kuta Police Chief Wayan Sumara said the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was asked to lie flat on his chest by the male masseur.

The boy was then told to lie on his side, at which point police allege the masseur became 'aroused' and asked him to roll onto his chest again.

At that point the masseuse allegedly took his own pants off and attempted to sexually assault the boy.

'The victim yelled and ran to his mother. Hearing the story from her son, the mother and the victim came straight to the (police) precinct,' Mr Wayan told reporters on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old masseur, known only as Abdurahman, was arrested a few hours later at the business.

Police have seized a pillow, the man's pants and a bed sheet from the parlour, where it is understood he has been working at the Bali store for the past five years.

Mr Wayan said the boy and his parents were 'shocked' but remain in Bali where they continue to assist with the investigation.

During a press conference in which Abdurahman stood between police with his head bowed, he told reporters that he didn't expect the boy would 'yell and run'.

He said he had previously had 'homosexual relations' with around 15 people but that they were consenting.

'I even had boyfriend and not long ago, he passed away. I really didn't expect (Saturday's incident) would go like this,' he said.

Abdurahman (pictured) said he had previously had 'homosexual relations' with around 15 people but that they were consenting

The man is expected to be charged with a number of offences, including committing an act of violence or a series of lies in order to persuade a child to conduct a lewd act

A 12-year-old boy from Perth has been allegedly sexually assaulted by a masseur while his mother was getting a massage in the next room (stock image)

The attack occurred during a family holidy in Kuta, Bali. The boy was in private room next to his mother and grandmother at a massage parlour on Saturday (stock image)

The man is expected to be charged with a number of offences, including committing an act of violence or a series of lies in order to persuade a child to conduct a lewd act.

The offence carries with it a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

He has been taken into custody and is being held at Kuta police station.
NSW Police couldn't comment if the driver was wearing her

A woman has died after she was flung from her car after hitting a teenage boy as he was crossing a street.

The woman in her 50's was driving along Carlton Parade in the southern Sydney suburb of Carlton at about 3.30pm on Tuesday when her car collided with a 16-year old male as he crossed the road.

She was thrown from the car and was unable to be revived by paramedics. The unnamed teenager was taken to St George Hospital.

A woman in her 50's has died after being flung from her car after she collided with a teenager who was crossing the street

The teenager is in a serious but stable condition in hospital, He is receiving treatment for facial abrasions and an elbow injury.

NSW Police were unable to confirm reports that the driver was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the collision.

A spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that investigations into the crash are ongoing.

Local traffic diversions are in place around the crash site.

The woman was driving along Carlton Parade in the southern Sydney suburb of Carlton when she collided with the 16-year old male. She was thrown from the car and was unable to be revived by paramedics

The 16-year old was taken to hospital in a serious condition where he now remains stable. He is receiving treatment for facial abrasions and an elbow injury




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Tiny eco homes are helping busy professionals escape the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle in an ultimate escape costing $99 a night.

New company Getaway builds long and skinny 8ft by 20ft houses which are then delivered to idyllic rural locations not too far from the city.

The project, which began in Boston and is now expanding to New York, offers a taste of 'tiny house living', with homes described as 'big enough to live in, but small enough to live simply in'.

Tiny: Eco homes are helping busy professionals escape the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle in an ultimate escape costing $99 a night

Plush: New company Getaway builds long and skinny 8ft by 20ft houses which are then delivered to to idyllic rural locations not far from the city

Space efficient:The homes, available in Boston and New York, are described as 'big enough to live in, but small enough to live simply in'

The firm, launched in 2015, builds 'Instagram-able' tiny houses designed by Harvard Graduate School of Design students to provide the comforts of home.

The cabins include a queen-size bed, stove, toilet, shower and a selection of classic books and board games.

Company founder, Jon Staff, said: 'Getaway is the anti-vacation. Vacations are too costly, too complex and too distant.

'A Getaway is near enough, within two hours, to escape in an instant, affordable, as low as $99 per night and designed for you to do nothing at all - an invitation to hide your phone, look at the stars and flicker of a campfire and connect with people you care about.

'Our goal is to get Americans to use those 50 per cent of vacation days they don't use each year.'

Jon added: 'Getaway houses are placed on secluded, quiet land within two hours of the city.

Many levels: The firm, launched in 2015, builds 'Instagram-able' tiny houses designed by Harvard Graduate School of Design students to provide the comforts of home

Exterior: The land is leased from local property owners, putting dollars directly into the rural economies in which Getaway operates

Cosy: Whether booking for a writer's retreat, romantic weekend, or digital detox, customers just book online and are sent a private access code

'We pick rural land that is physically close enough to the city to let you escape in an instant, but spiritually far enough from the city to guarantee a refreshing recharge.

'Our land is leased from local property owners, putting dollars directly into the rural economies in which Getaway operates.'

Whether booking for a writer's retreat, romantic weekend, or digital detox, customers just book online and are sent a private access code which grants entry to the tiny house in the woods of their choice.

Lonely: In June, Getaway are launching in the New York area following the success of its three builds in Boston

In June, Getaway are launching in the New York area following the success of its three builds in Boston - The Ovida, The Lorranie and The Clara - each named for team member's grandmother.

These flagship designs were created by Wyatt Komarin, Addison Godine and Rachel Moranis.

The four-bed Ovida is a take on a traditional family bunkhouse, The Lorraine is billed as a writer's retreat sleeping two comfortably and The Clara is designed as a full-time hangout for four.

Snug: The firm picked rural land that is physically close enough to the city but spiritually far enough to guarantee a refreshing recharge

Design: The team say they are 'progressively iterating' the designs (left) on the back of guest feedback. Right is the master bedroom

The team say they are 'progressively iterating' the designs on the back of guest feedback.

Each home is constructed in around four weeks and is built around 'a program' based on what the visitors need.

Mr Komarin said: 'I think what is appealing is the ability to begin the architectural process from this small scale, in which the wholeness of the concept can be felt throughout the scheme, rather than appearing as a mish-mash of shrunken down architecture.'

He added: 'I find challenges of designing at a small scale to be very fulfilling. We've got to pack a lot of program into a 160-square foot footprint.

'Constraints on budget also provide a lot of challenges.

'It forces a materials and systems organisation in which one surface or assembly must service more than one function.'

Early life: Each home is constructed in around four weeks and is built around 'a program' based on what the visitors need

Modern: The kitchen boasts a swanky sink and stove arrangement where boiling a nice brew or rustling up a bite to eat is no sweat

Light: There are plenty of windows allowing the light to stream in, giving the cabin an airy feel and letting dwellers enjoy stunning views

The anti-vacation: Company founder, Jon Staff, said: 'Getaway is the anti-vacation. Vacations are too costly, too complex and too distant'

Master bedroom: The cabin includes a queen-size bed, stove, toilet, shower and a selection of classic books and board games

Picturesque: The company aims to get Americans to use those 50 per cent of vacation days they don't use each year

Ready for action: The cabin has plenty of space for dogs and there is even enough room on the floor to cram in an extra camper for the night

Exciting: The home allows campers to escape into the wild and have a truly authentic holiday experience with the birds and the bees

Escape: The different levels of the cabin allow one person to hide away if they need some alone time during the stay

Roomy: The tiered seating is well-designed so there seems to be more space, and there is plenty of room for games at the table
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A group of U.S. Navy officer recruits have completed their freshman year with a bizarre ritual involving scaling an obelisk covered in slippery vegetable fat.

Each year the freshman class, known as 'Plebes,' form a human wall to climb the Herndon Monument at the Annapolis Naval Academy in Maryland and replace the Plebian sailor's hat with an officer's hat.

The tradition is one step in marking the end of wearing freshman headgear and moving up to headgear more like a U.S. Naval officer.

This year the recruit who completed the task was Midshipman 4th Class Chris Bianchi, a 19-year-old following in his late father's footsteps by joining the Navy, Navy Times reported.

Mr Bianchi reached the top of the obelisk to complete the task in one hour, 12 minutes and 30 seconds - a faster than average completion time.

Afterwards, he told the publication he had pointed to the sky to thank his father, who died in a 2003 training flight accident when he was just seven years old.

Naval officer recruits scaled the Herndon monument by massing around it and forming a pile up until one was able to reach the top

After a gruelling hour-and-a-quarter, Midshipman 4th Class Chris Bianchi placed an officer's hat atop it and completed the challenge

The annual event saw hundreds of shirtless participants climb the obelisk in a symbolic end to their year as freshmen recruits

There is little strategy involved in the event - participants simply climb on top of one another until someone can reach the obelisk's peak

A young recruit looks worse for wear as his fellow trainee soldiers use him as a stepping stone to climb skywards

A recruit uses his shoulder to boost his comrade on top of him during the gruelling annual ritual at the Annapolis Naval Academy

In order to make the task more difficult, the tall obelisk is covered in vegetable shortening and participants are sprayed with water

The challenge is completed when recruits manage to remove the Plebian Sailor's hat at its peak with an officer's hat

A young recruit screams during the challenge, which was completed in the faster-than-average time of one hour and 12 minutes

The freshman class works together to hoist Midshipman 4th Class Chris Bianchi to the top of the lard-covered monument

The event is watched by hundreds and supervised by members of the academy, while it is prepared by upperclassmen
Former prime minister Tony Blair, pictured at today's Prospect event, claimed Europe 'needs' British leadership

Tony Blair today endorsed David Cameron's 'strong and effective' campaign to keep Britain in the EU despite claims it is dominated by scaremongering.

The controversial former prime minister said the Remain campaign was doing 'pretty well' with less than a month to the referendum.

And in his latest intervention on the campaign, he insisted Europe 'needs Britain's leadership' as it tackles a string of problems, including the migrant crisis and aggression from Russia.

The former premier admitted earlier this year he was 'too divisive' to be of help to the Remain campaign led by Mr Cameron.

Mr Blair's comments came as he awaits the conclusions of the Chilcot Inquiry but reports have suggested the two million word report will be 'brutal' for the former Labour leader and his 2003 team.

Speaking at a Prospect Magazine event today on 'Britain in the world', Mr Blair insisted he could not discuss the findings of the inquiry before its findings are published on July 6.

Asked about the June 23 referendum on the EU, Mr Blair said: 'Europe needs Britain's leadership'.

But he said today the campaign was going 'pretty well' without him and praised the tactics of the In effort.

Mr Cameron appeared alongside Chancellor George Osborne yesterday to warn of a recession if Britain backs Brexit.

The PM was back on stage today warning holidays would be more expensive if the country decides to quit the trading bloc.

Vote Leave has hit out in frustration at the campaign tactics, deriding them as 'project fear', but polling suggests the Remain camp is pulling ahead.

Mr Blair today intervened on a controversial Leave claim about potential Turkish membership of the EU and insisted Britain, along with the other 27 existing members, would have a veto.

The former PM went further and repeated his belief migration to Britain had not been too high under his leadership.

He told the event: 'I believe that people who have come into this country have committed far more than than they have taken by way of benefits.'

Mr Blair added the answer to Britain's problems was not to have less migration.

He warned the only solution to the migration crisis gripping Europe was resolving the war in Syria not trying to stop people travelling while fighting continued.

The latest poll on the referendum revealed a 13 per cent lead for the Remain campaign amid growing questions about Boris Johnson's championing of the Vote Leave cause.

Mr Blair gave his views on a wide variety of international issues and insisted as a former Prime Minister he had a role to play in Britain's referendum debate

Sir Lynton Crosby, the polling strategist who masterminded David Camerons surprise general election last year, warned the campaign to leave the EU is dwindling and has failed to quell ongoing concerns about the financial and economic consequences of a Brexit.

The influential election guru singled out particular criticism for the Vote Leave, which is spearheaded by Mr Johnson, saying today's poll reveals the 'weaknesses of the campaign's organisation'.

Sir Lynton's analysis of today's survey reveals that the only age group that shows signs of changing its mind are older voters.

A majority of those aged over 65 now want the UK to stay in the EU - an increase of 18 per cent since March.

It reveals the In campaign has managed to convert a 28 per cent deficit into an 8 per cent lead in the last two months.

Mr Blair today said David Cameron's campaign to keep Britain in the EU was going 'pretty well' as polling leads for the Remain campaign grew to 13 per cent

Mr Blair today suggested if Britain does vote to Remain on June 23, it will have allies for further reform in Europe.

He said: 'The anxieties Britons have about Europe are shared by many people in Europe.'

The three-time election winner expanded on his belief that today's politics are confusing.

Mr Blair told the Prospect gathering: 'I thought I was pretty good at politics.

'But I look at politics today and I'm not sure I understand it.'

Mr Blair continued: 'It's not yet a proven concept that Corbynism can win an election.

'It's clear the hard-left/right can take over political parties. It's not clear to me that they can take over the country.'
List: Dr Tim Lomas of the University of East London put together a collection of 216 words in foreign languages that have no simple equivalent in English

If you're sipping a beer outside during a party thrown in your honour, then it would be fair to call yourself a feestvarken enjoying an utepils.

For these are two of a collection of 216 words in multiple foreign languages that have no simple equivalent in English, put together by a psychologist at the University of East London.

Others included in the set are cwtch in Welsh meaning to hug or a safe, welcoming place; enraonar in Catalan for discussing something in a civilised, reasoned manner; and herrliche gefuhle in German for glorious feelings.

The list compiled by Tim Lomas also includes 'hedersmann' in Norwegian, used for an honest man with great integrity, and 'sarang' in Korean, which means to love someone strongly.

Meanwhile milczec in Polish means to refrain from speaking without necessarily being silent, and voorpret in Dutch for a pleasurable sense of anticipation before a looked-forward-to event.

Dr Lomas used what he called a quasi-systematic search to find the terms used in his paper in The Journal of Positive Psychology, and put them into three categories of feelings, relationships and characters.

He writes: The paper has two main aims. First, it aims to provide a window onto cultural differences in constructions of well-being, thereby enriching our understanding of well-being.

This lexicon may help expand the emotional vocabulary of English speakers Tim Lomas, University of East London

Second, a more ambitious aim is that this lexicon may help expand the emotional vocabulary of English speakers - and indeed speakers of all languages - and consequently enrich their experiences of well-being.

Also included in Dr Lomas's list is the Dutch word uitwaaien for going out into the countryside to clear one's head, and vivencias in Spanish for experiencing life deeply and intensely in the here and now.

Meanwhile yichus is used in Yiddish for someone who has a good family heritage, and has lived up to this promise, while zwischenraum is German for an open or empty space in or between things.

And finally, one of the most unlikely words to ever enter English is solarfri, which is Icelandic for when workers are granted unexpected time off to enjoy a particularly sunny or warm day.
Being watched by hundreds of gawping visitors every day could become a serious irritation.

And one gorilla proved that theory as it took offence to one girl and violently body-slammed the glass inches away from the terrified tourist.

A video showed the beast then turn around and cheekily bare its bottom in an apparent display of aggression at Como Park Zoo in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

One gorilla (left) who took particular offence to the crowds proved that theory as it violently body-slammed the glass (right) inches away from a girl, causing her to scream in shock at Como Park Zoo in Saint Paul, Minnesota

The 49-second clip shows the furry animal approach the visitors from the other side of the glass enclosure.

As the female tourist coos: 'Hello, hello,' at the animal, it shows its irritation by taking a sudden run-up right at her.

It throws itself at the glass with a deafening thud just inches from the visitors, causing them to shriek.

The primate then gets on all fours and displays its behind before heading away to sit at the other side of the enclosure.

The primate then turned away from the girl and bared its bottom to the visitor in an apparent display of aggression

The footage, seemingly taken on a mobile phone, was originally posted on Youtube, before being shared on Facebook.

Some commenters on Facebook expressed sympathy for the gorilla.

Jacqueline Chalmers Herbert said: 'This is so Sad us humans need to wake up. It's about time parents teach there children this is not normal.'

Another user added: 'Poor thing is in hell', while Conor Byrne commented: 'Imagine coming across one of these things in the wild... Madness'

The irritated primate made no show at hiding its emotions as it sat side-long to the glass
A pregnant mother suffering from the effects of type 1 diabetes collapsed in a street and her young son had to help her walk because passersby ignored her plight and one even heckled her for being 'drunk'.

Jade Howard, 30, noticed Theresa Ale's son, aged six, trying to help her down a busy street in Auckland, New Zealand, when she saw him stumbling and heard him say: 'it's all right mum, you can do it, we're nearly there'.

But no-one was helping the type 1 diabetes sufferer who'd just collapsed - in fact, drivers in cars were sounding their horns and yelling out their windows at her and pedestrians walked past ignoring her.

According to Ms Howard, one even yelled out 'you wasted b****'.

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New Zealand mother Jade Howard, 30, went to the aid of pregnant diabetes sufferer Theresa Ale, who'd collapsed in an Auckland street but was being ignored by other passersby

Ms Howard's son recorded her helping Ms Ale into her car after seeing her struggling as she suffered from diabetes

Ms Ale has type 1 diabetes, but hadn't noticed it affecting her as she was pregnant, which made it harder to detect

Ms Howard (pictured) posted about the incident on social media, begging people to be a little more selfless

With a feeling something wasn't right, she sprung into action.

When she went over the pair, the boy said his mother had diabetes and needed sugar.

Ms Howard gave them lollies she had and helped them to her car before driving them home.

She'd asked if the woman needed a doctor but she said she had everything she needed at her house.

The unwell woman revealed to her she'd been scared for her life.

In a Facebook post, Ms Howard wrote: 'While driving her home she said "thank you so so much I was AFRAID for my life but no one would help me". This broke my heart'.

Ms Howard assisting Ms Ale to her car before taking her home to recover from the ordeal

Ms Howard wrote this post about he incident. It's been shared over 15,000 times and has over 7000 comments

Ms Howard said she wasn't posting about the story on social media seeking likes or 'to boast', but to ask people to be a little more selfless

'I was holding back tears I mean, I know society is f****d but it was so disturbing to witness people from my community where I grew up and my kids are growing up just stroll/drive past a clearly struggling woman.

'Of all these people that we share parks and pools with, sit next to at the library, stand in queue with at the supermarket, sit next to at church, whose kids go to the same school as mine, not ONE took a second to see if she was ok and offer some help...why?? This is so bewildering to me.'

Ms Howard, who admitted she'd thought Ms Ale was intoxicated at first before realising something was wrong, said she wasn't posting about the story seeking likes or 'to boast', but to ask people to be a little more selfless.

'What if it were your mum, aunt, sister or daughter!?

'Where the f*** is the compassion these days?'

Ms Ale, 38, said because she was pregnant warning signs her blood sugars were low weren't so obvious, the New Zealand Herald reported.

She was shocked at the people who'd watched on instead of helping her.

Since uploading a video of her aiding the un-named woman to her car, which was filmed by her son, it has been viewed more than 1.1million times.

Thousands of people have commented on the video, congratulating Ms Howard for her actions.

Ms Howard's son captured the moment she helped Ms Theresa back to her car
Greek fighter jets intercepted a US passenger plane over the Mediterranean just hours after the EgyptAir disaster sparking claims its pilots did not make contact because they were asleep.

The two military aircraft were scrambled when the Delta Airlines pilots 'failed to make contact' with Greek aviation officials after entering the country's airspace at about 7.10pm on Thursday.

Hours earlier all 66 people on board an EgyptAir flight were killed when the Airbus 320 crashed in the Mediterranean after disappearing from the radar while en route from Paris to Cairo.

Greek fighter jets intercepted a Delta Airlines flight over the Mediterranean just hours after the EgyptAir disaster amid claims its pilots did not make contact because they were asleep - claims Delta say are 'completely untrue' (file picture)

The two F-16s were scrambled when the Delta Airlines pilots 'failed to make contact' with Greek aviation officials after entering the country's airspace at about 7.10pm on Thursday (file picture)

F-16 jets intercepted the Delta Airlines flight DL8957 just before 7.30pm as it was flying south of the holiday island of Santorini, the Aviation Herald reports.

According to the news.com, Athens-based air traffic controllers had made repeated attempts to establish contact with the pilots before the fighter jets were scrambled.

Delta Airlines says flight crew were 'unable to establish radio communications with Greek air traffic control for a short period' during a 'handoff between air traffic control agencies'.

But news.com reports claims that the F-16 pilots could see the Delta flight crew in their seats and that they were 'possibly asleep' - claims Delta Airlines have described as 'completely untrue'.

The website reports that one of the F-16s flew ahead of the Boeing 767-400, which was flying from Frankfurt in Germany to Kuwait, and used light signals in an attempt to 'rouse' the pilots.

F-16 jets intercepted the Delta Airlines flight DL8957 just before 7.30pm as it was flying south of the holiday island of Santorini (file picture)

Contact was finally established with Greek authorities, the website reports.

A Delta Airlines spokesman told MailOnline: 'While transiting to Greek airspace, the flight crew of Delta flight 8957, a charter operation from Hahn, Germany to Kuwait, was unable to establish radio communications with Greek air traffic control for a short period.

'This occurred during a handoff between air traffic control agencies and communications were expeditiously reestablished.

'At no point did the Boeing 767-400ER leave its planned route of flight.'




This selfish motorist has been branded Britains most inconsiderate driver after he was caught on camera parking his car across four disabled bays.

The unidentified man left his grey Vauxhall Astra carelessly abandoned in the middle of the spaces at the McDonalds branch in Coventry as stunned onlookers watched on Saturday afternoon.

Witness Ashley Brownsword, 33, claimed the man and his girlfriend had gone in to get a meal from the fast food restaurant at about 5pm and were in there for at least ten minutes.

Shocking: The unidentified man left his grey Vauxhall Astra carelessly abandoned in the middle of the spaces at the McDonalds branch in Coventry as stunned onlookers watched on Saturday afternoon

But the driver left his vehicle strewn across four of the six disabled bays available, infuriating scrap yard manager Mr Brownsword from Kenilworth, Warwickshire, who took a photo of the car.

He said: I pulled in to the McDonalds because my young lad needed to use the loo. But I could not believe my eyes when I saw this bloke parked across four disabled bays, it was just so blatant.

I just thought what an absolute idiot. It was 5pm, so a busy period for the restaurant and if anybody disabled wanted to use the spots they couldnt.

We werent there for too long but they will still there when we left after about 10 minutes or so. I could not believe somebody could be that inconsiderate. It was bang out of order.

I could not believe my eyes when I saw this bloke parked across four disabled bays, it was just so blatant. I just thought 'what an absolute idiot' Ashley Brownsword, witness

'There were plenty of other spaces they could have used but they just could not be bothered to park up properly. I was absolutely appalled.

The image taken by Mr Brownsword was uploaded to Facebook page Spotted: Coventry City, where it attracted dozens of comments.

Patricia Swindley wrote: Hope to God some of you never have a disabled parent or loved one who needs a disabled space, and you have to watch them struggle because some thoughtless idiot who doesnt need one has parked in a disabled space. What an awful country we live in when people just dont care.
Wali Muhammed (pictured) of Belgravia, London, denies two counts of sexual assault

An Islamic tutor slipped his hand under a copy of the Koran and groped a 13-year-old girls thigh as she read from the holy book, a court heard.

Wali Muhammed, 41, also touched the teenagers bottom while teaching her at his home in upmarket Belgravia, central London, jurors were told.

The teenager initially thought Muhammed was a bit of a klutz - but police were called after she complained to her mother, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Tim Forster, prosecuting, said the girl was first sent to Muhammeds home to study the Islamic holy book by her mother in October 2014.

He said: The lessons were arranged by her mother and the woman who was supposed to be taking the lessons or giving the lessons was the wife of this defendant.

It was her understanding that there would be no one else present apart from other children.

As lessons went on the defendant - who is a teacher at a school - would come home and be present during some of the lessons.

The girl - who cannot be named for legal reasons - was sat on the floor with other pupils while Muhammed was on the sofa.

According to the victim the defendant, while sitting on the sofa, would start touching her feet with his feet.

Initially she thought that was just him being clumsy or, as she put it, a bit of a klutz.

But the court heard that Muhammed went on to twice touch the girl in a sexual manner - once on her bottom and once on her thigh.

Firstly on one of the occasions she says that as she was kneeling in front of him he touched her bum with, it appears, his foot.

On another occasions she says that whilst he was kneeling or sitting down next to her and she had the Koran open in front of her he slid his hand onto her thigh under the Koran.

The young girl became uncomfortable and eventually told her mother about the incidents.

Police were then called who took a statement from the girl.

Muhammed was later arrested and in interview with police denied doing anything improper.

In particular he denied touching in any way [the girl] during the course of the lessons, Mr Forster said.

A teacher who has a child in a classroom and was teaching that child and asking them to read and putting their hand on that childs lower back or bum or thigh would be questionable behaviour.

Muhammed, of Semley Place, Belgravia, denies two counts of sexual assault.
Homicide police are investigating her links to white

A woman at the centre of a murder investigation appears to be an Australian poster girl for white supremacism.

Melony Jane Attwood, 35, is a team leader for a Facebook group called Aryan Girls United. She also has links to the Aryan Nations Perth, an Australian chapter of a notorious US group.

Ms Attwood is one of four people charged with murdering her former partner Alan George Taylor, who was found bludgeoned to death in his Girrawheen home in Perth last month.

Melony Jane Attwood is one of four people charged with murdering her former partner Alan George Taylor

She is involved with group called Aryan Girls United and has links to the Aryan Nations Perth, an Australian chapter of a notorious US white supremacist group

Homicide detectives are looking into Ms Attwood's links to the Perth chapter of the group, reports Yahoo.

Images from Ms Attwood's personal Facebook page depict the Aryan Nation's Perth flag hung in a backyard, as well as a number of swastika symbols.

Another image on her Facebook account depicts a message which reads: 'I'm going to start hugging people that I hate so I know what size hole to dig.'

Mr Taylor was living in a home with Ms Attwood, their three-year-old son and several other people, where police were called at 4.45pm on Friday, April 22.

Major crime squad Det-Sgt Dean Lampard described the attack against Mr Taylor as 'brutal' with a 'high level of violence'.'

'We believe a weapon was used to inflict those injuries (and) this weapon is yet to be located.'

Mr Taylor was found bludgeoned to death in his Girrawheen home in Perth last month

Homicide detectives are looking into Ms Attwood's links to the Perth chapter of the Aryan Nations (pictured: an image from her Facebook)

Her Facebook page contains a number of swastika inspired symbols and white supremacist messages

Mr Taylor's parents have taken to social media to grieve the 'senseless murder' of their son.

'Just wanted you all to know WE are Alan Parents (sic) who have had to organise a funeral after he was brutally and senselessly murdered and he was put to rest today his family and true friends are all shattered and heartbroken,'

Two other people charged with the murder - Robert Wayne Edhouse, 20 and Corey Joshua Dymock, 19  have links to the Ayran Nations Perth.

A fourth male suspect, 17, cannot be names for legal reasons.

Pictured: members of the Aryan Nations Perth, who have been campaigning for their cause in recent months

Graffiti tied to the group has also been appearing including an ill-shapen swastika spray-painted onto a Midland carpark

Mr Taylor's parents have taken to social media to grieve the 'senseless murder' of their son

Mr Edhouse was crusading for the group in the weeks leading up to the alleged murder, leaving white supremacist messages in letterboxes of Perth homes, reports WAToday.

Graffiti tied to the group had also been appearing including an ill-shapen swastika spray-painted onto a Midland carpark.
A management shake up at David Jones sees two executives leave the company including their Head of Fashion who was a front row fixture last week at Fashion Week Australia.

As well as Donna Player, marketing, financial services and customer insights executive David Robinson had stepped down a David Jones spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

The South African chain is now looking to focus on their online presence with a new executive position announced to focus exclusively on their online reach and e-store according to The Age.

David Jones' Head of Fashion Donna Player (left) is leaving the company after joining in 2012

Ms Player is considered one of the most powerful women in fashion retail with over 30 years experience, she joined David Jones in 2012.

She was responsible for what brands of clothing, footwear, accessories, home and food merchandise were sold in-store and online at the South African chain and was often spotted front row at fashion shows, including at Fashion Week Australia in Sydney last week.

The departing fashion industry icon will be replaced by David Collins who has 25 years experience in senior merchandise and commercial retail roles.

Also leaving is David Robinson who had been with the company for over 18 years, most recently as the chief marketing officer.

He had been interested in expanding David Jones' reach using social media channels and other publishing ventures and said in February this year:

'Australian designer fashion is one of our most key segments online and it makes up a significant amount of business for us.'

It was announced earlier in May that the fashion director for Harper's Bazaar, Thelma McQuillan, would be the new fashion director of the store's customer magazine as well an app that will be launched in August.

Ms Player is considered one of the most powerful women in fashion retail with over 30 years experience

Ms Player was a front-row fixture and many fashion events and was seen last week at Fashion Week Australia

The chain is now looking to focus on their online presence with a new executive position announced exclusively focusing on their online reach and e-store

The management shake up comes after Woolworths took over David Jones in 2014 for $2.2 billion. Former Marks & Spencer executive John Dixon took over as chief executive to revitalise the brand.

Mr Dixon thanked Ms Player and Mr Robinson for their 'strong contribution to the business'.

'Our business is undergoing a significant transformation and the changes announced today will deliver a world-class leadership team,' he said via a statement.

'The creation of two new executive roles, combined with the introduction of new skills and experience, reflects key areas of strategic focus and will extend our capabilities during this exciting phase of the business' development.'

Also leaving is David Robinson (far left) who had been with the company for over 18 years, most recently as the chief marketing officer
With its plumped up body and sullen face, you could be forgiven for thinking this Australian amphibian bears a striking resemblance to Jabba the Hutt.

The frog, nicknamed 'The Boss' by its owners, has an uncanny similarity to the Star Wars' villain.

Like the obese alien, the Australian waxy monkey tree frog has a grotesque triple chin and terrifying reptilian eyes.

The Australian waxy monkey tree frog, nicknamed 'The Boss' by its owners in Ashington, Northumberland, bears a striking resemblance to the Star Wars' villain, Jabba the Hutt, with its triple chin and reptilian eyes

The frog has an uncanny similarity to the Star Wars' villain. The intergalactic mobster, who film critic Roger Ebert once compared to 'a toad meets the cheshire cat', first appeared in 1983's 'Return Of The Jedi' (above)

Owner Keith Talbot, 47, snapped 'The Boss' at his home in Ashington, Northumberland while it was perched on a branch in a vivarium.

He said: 'He was sunbathing when I took these photos, unlike other tree frogs they like basking.

'He ignored me when I took the photos, croaking and making chirping noises.'

Mr Talbot, a computer game artist and amateur photographer, has welcomed comparisons of his pet to Jabba.

He added: 'Me and my wife have often kept exotic pets such as snakes, lizards and frogs.

He may be nicknamed 'The Boss', but at only three inches tall, the Australian waxy monkey tree frog is far smaller than the 'slimy worm-ridden piece of filth' - as Jabba the Hutt is lovingly called by Han Solo

Keith Talbot snapped 'The Boss' at his home in Ashington, Northumberland while it was perched on a branch

'We often refer to this one as 'The Boss' because he is always on the highest branch and often sits on top of the other frogs.'

He may be 'The Boss', but at only three inches tall, he is far smaller than the 'slimy worm-ridden piece of filth' - as Jabba is lovingly called by Han Solo.

The intergalactic mobster, who film critic Roger Ebert once compared to 'a toad meets the cheshire cat', first appeared in 1983's 'Return Of The Jedi'.

His menacing personality, repulsive looks and instantly recognisable laugh made him iconic in the blockbusting sci-fi saga.
Michael Brandon Osikomaiya, 23, was arrested last Thursday for pimping a 16-year-old girl. He has since been placed on administrative leave from his job as a special education teacher for Baltimore City Schools

A special education teacher has been placed on administrative leave after police arrested him last week for pimping a 16-year-old girl.

Michael Brandon Osikomaiya, 23,was arrested last Thursday at the Towson East Motel in Baltimore, Maryland, where his teen girlfriend arranged to meet up with a man for sex.

In reality, the person the unnamed teen contacted was an undercover police officer.

Baltimore City school officials were informed by police of the charges against Osikomaiya on Friday and he was immediately placed on administrative leave.

Osikomaiya taught in the special education department at NACA Freedom and Democracy II, a public charter school.

Authorities say the teen he is accused of pimping is not one of his students.

'Nothing in our investigation so far has indicated that any of his students were any of his victims,' Baltimore County Corporal John Wachter said. Osikomaiya also has no prior criminal record in Maryland.

He is currently being held on $200,000 bail and faces charges of human trafficking and prostitution.

After being caught prostituting herself, the teen told cops that she was dating Osikomaiya, a family friend that she had know for about four or five years.

They started dating about two months ago, and she says he was with her when she began posting ads on Backpage.com shortly after.

She said that her boyfriend 'did not condone what she was doing but he wanted to keep her safe since he couldn't stop her'.

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Osikomaiya taught special education at NACA Freedom and Democracy II, a public charter school (pictured above). Officials say the victim was not one of his students

Osikomaiya was arrested at the above motel on Thursday. The 16-year-old girl said he let her use his phone to book clients, but did not 'condone' her prostitution

Therefore, he let her use his phone to contact potential customers and accompanied her to appointments, parking his car in front of the room while she met with Johns.

Cops arrested Osikomaiya when he returned to the motel last Thursday, shortly after dropping off his girlfriend.

When he returned and was arrested, he told cops that he thought the girl was 17 and that he let her use his phone to set up appointments because she didn't have her own. (The age of consent in Maryland is 16).

'Osikomaiya stated that he knew what he did was wrong but he just didn't want [the girl] being left alone and getting hurt,' police said in the arrest affidavit.

Since Osikomaiya's arrest, the 16-year-old girl has gone missing.

A FBI victim specialist was speaking to the girl in a car after the incident, when she suddenly bolted from the vehicle and she hasn't been seen since.

Police officials said Monday that they consider the girl to be a victim and don't plan to charge her in the case. They are asking that she turn her self back in simply so they can interview her and provide victim support.

'The victim in this case was reported missing from Baltimore City and unfortunately when the FBI advocate was driving her to a location so that she could be interviewed she got out of the car and ran off,' Wachter said.

'We're considering her a victim, she's not a suspect, and we would like for her to go to the police, and if there's a problem at home, we'll deal with that.'

The Baltimore County police vice unit and the Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force continue to investigate the incident.

In a statement, Baltimore City School officials asked anyone with questions about Osikomaiya's arrest to contact the school at 443-642-2031.

'Please be assured that all staff members at NACA Freedom and Democracy II, and across the school district, are expected to be role models and to act, at all times, in the best interests of the students they serve,' Chief School Supports Officer Karl Perry Sr said.

'Students, if you are anxious or have any concerns regarding this matter. I encourage you to speak with Principal Brown, a school counselor, a school police officer, health suite staff, a teacher, or any other adult with whom you feel comfortable.
The bosses of a pet food company have been fined for supplying meat to a professional chef catering for an Indian food festival.

David Pegg, 45, and William Uzzell, 70, of MG Meats were spotted making deliveries to chef Royly Da Silva in a car park and at his home in Swindon, Wiltshire, in a van called 'The Dog's Dinner'.

Investigators found plastic tubs of pet food were packed next to unmarked bags of raw meat inside the unrefrigerated vehicle, with nothing separating the two.

Fined: Pet food bosses William Uzzell and David Pegg (right) supplied food to catering chef Royly Da Silva, left

Deliveries: The suppliers stored pet food and raw meat next to each other in the unfefrigerated 'The Dog's Dinner' van. Pictured above, a sack of what appears to be meat is unloaded from the vehicle

Filthy: Investigators found raw chicken, samosas and prawn rissoles stored in a freezer in a garage (pictured)

They concluded there was a 'high risk of contamination' between the food for human consumption and the pet food.

Da Silva, 37, also led investigators to a lock-up garage where they discovered 'old, filthy' food containers covered in dirt and cobwebs.

There was also a chest freezer packed with beef patties, raw chicken, samosas and prawn rissoles for a London food festival attended by 15,000 people.

An earlier hearing was told the food was littered with congealed blood and dead flies.

Da Silva, who owned Indian and Goan catering company Royal Food, had boasted of a five-star hygiene rating and stated online he had 14 years' experience in the industry.

Pegg and Uzzell were each fined 8,000 after admitting five charges of failing to comply with animal by-product requirements. They also admitted failing to comply with EU provision on food safety and hygiene. Da Silva was fined 6,500 last month after admitting 16 food safety breaches.

Disgusting: The plastic tubs of food (pictured) were intended to be used at a Indian food festival in London

Health risk: Da Silva had boasted about his hygiene rating, but stored food in a garage (pictured)

The van used by the pet food company even had a canine-themed personalised number plate - AB07 DOG.

Photos taken by undercover council officers show Uzzell and Da Silva unloading sacks of meat from the white Transit. The vehicle also had a 1st place rosette on the back door, boasting of a 'Dog Food Award'.

A prosecutor for Swindon Borough Council said Pegg and Uzzell had exposed the public to 'significant health risks'.

Environmental health officers carried out covert surveillance Da Silva and the source of his meat products after receiving a tip-off from concerned neighbours.

They found deliveries being made at his home address and in a supermarket car park.

They discovered that Uzzell used to run a stall at a market in Swindon where he first met Da Silva.

Defending Pegg and Uzzell, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, Phillip Haycock said neither had a criminal record and had fully complied with the investigations.

Suspicious: Investigators at the unmarked garage where Da Silva kept freezers filled with food

Cluttered: Clothes, a bicycle and fridges stood side-by-side in the garage where Da Silva stored ingredients

Mouldy: The window frames of the garage where the food was stored were covered in dirt and grime (pictured)

He said: 'The defendants accept that their behaviour at the time didn't comply with the regulations.

'Since this incident the packaging of the meat that they supply for dog food - and the van itself - is compliant with EU regulations.'

He also claimed that the pair had no idea what Da Silva intended to do with the meat, and were merely fulfilling orders for him.

Magistrates chairman Peter Wells told the pair the bench viewed the crimes as serious offences and they each held a high degree of culpability.
A maths teacher who penned a note to show her students the power of social media has been left shocked after her Facebook post went viral, gaining more than 72,000 shares.

Paula Beare, a Year 9 coordinator at a high school in Toowoomba Queensland, kept her Facebook privacy settings to a minimum and posted a handwritten note asking her followers to share the picture 'as far as they can'.

She hoped to create a mathematical model based on the number of 'likes' and 'shares,' but did not expect the post to travel as far as Canada, the Swiss Alps, Denmark and France.

A maths teacher who penned a note to show her students the power of social media has been left shocked after her Facebook post went viral

Paula Beare, a Year 9 coordinator at a high school in Toowoomba Queensland, kept her Facebook privacy settings to a minimum and posted a note asking her followers to share the picture 'as far as they can'

'Next week I need to present to the year 9 students about cyber-safety and I wish to see how far this message will go based on my account's security settings,' the post read.

'Please help me by sharing this message as far as you can.

'I will aim to track the number of "likes" and "shares" and create a mathematical model, as well as sharing just how far something can go from a small Facebook account'.

She hoped to create a mathematical model based on the number of 'likes' and 'shares,' but did not expect the post to travel as far as Canada, the Swiss Alps, Denmark and France

In just the first two hours of being posted, Ms Beare revealed it had been shared more than 200 times.

But after four days it had rocketed to over 72,000.

One of the teacher's followers said the post made it to the Swiss Alps on Saturday, less than 24 hours after it was uploaded.
The chief of police in Brussels was injured when he tried to stop angry protesters on his own with a pepper spray.

Police chief Pierre Vandersmissen was treated for a head injury after he was attacked during the anti-austerity demonstration which involved around 50,000 people on Tuesday.

He was singled out after he broke off from the main police group and started chasing protesters.

Vandersmissen was wearing no protective clothing and was soon outnumbered.

Police chief Pierre Vandersmissen was treated for a head injury after he was attacked during the anti-austerity demonstration which involved around 50,000 people on Tuesday

He was singled out (pictured) after he broke off from the main police group and started chasing protesters

The protester landed a heavy blow to his head which sent him to the floor unconscious.

The police commissioner was taken to hospital and is expected to be released on Wednesday.

The demonstration was called to protest the centre-right government's social and economic policies, which trade unions say cut deep into the foundations of Belgium's welfare state.

In all, two police officials and eight protesters were injured in the clashes, during which police fired water cannons. About a dozen people were detained.

It was a repeat of previous anti-austerity protests when the violence of dozens overshadowed the march of tens of thousands.

The government said in a statement 'it condemns the violence committed by a minority' but added it took note of the large size of the demonstration demanding changes.

Under the slogan 'Our cup runs over' the main unions joined in the march, united in their opposition against moves to increase workers' flexibility at work, longer careers before pensions kick in and less pay under tougher conditions.

The trade unions say the centre-right free market policies of Liberal Prime Minister Charles Michel over the past two years are costing an average family about 100 euros (76) a month, while the promise of many extra jobs remains elusive.

Instead the trade unions want the government to tackle tax evasion.

Socialist union leader Rudy De Leeuw denounced the attack on Vandersmissen and said that if the unidentified attacker turns out to be a member of the union, he will be expelled.

'It is the most cowardly thing to do,' he said.

The police chief is seen (left) going over during the protest before he lands on the floor (right) unconscious

Police detain a man during clashes with demonstrators at a protest against new working regulations

Riot police take position as demonstrators protest against new working regulations in Brussels
It comes just a day after 27 schools were closed in Britain due to threats

Police have closed a 'number of schools' and others cordoned off to pupils

At least 16 schools evacuated across Britain after alleged bomb threats

At least 16 schools have been evacuated today after a series of chilling bomb threats were made.

Police said 'significant enquiries' were underway after a 'number of schools' across the UK had to be evacuated and closed this morning following threats to bomb, shoot and behead children.

Schools in Devon, North Wales, Northern Ireland, South Lanarkshire and across central Scotland have all been either shut or 'cordoned off' amid fears for pupils following the anonymous threats.

The South West Counter Terrorism Unit - the national lead for such alerts - has now launched a nationwide investigation into the threats which it is treating as 'malicious hoax communications'.

As part of its enquiries, the unit is speaking with law enforcement agencies in the US, police said.

Schools in Bangor, Wales, South Lanarkshire, Northern Ireland and central Scotland have all been either shut or 'cordoned off' amid fears for pupils following anonymous bomb threats today. Pictured: Police outside Carluke Primary School in South Lanarkshire today after pupils were evacuated following 'malicious calls'

Police Scotland issued a warning on its official Facebook page today confirming that schools had been shut

Police Scotland said the threat is not thought to be credible but some schools in the central belt have been evacuated as a 'precautionary measure'. It is not known exactly how many are involved.

Dave Taylor, who has children at Carluke Primary, described a scene of 'concern and panic' in South Lanarkshire.

He told Mirror Online: 'When you hear something like that it's always a worry, especially when there are kids involved.

'No alarm went off at the school. It was just a case of getting everyone out.'

Officers are said to be searching buildings as 'significant inquiries' continue.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said: 'A number of schools across the central belt have received a threat via the telephone.

'Police Scotland would like to reassure the public that at present these do not appear to be credible threats, however they are being taken seriously.

SCHOOLS EVACUATED TODAY Ringwood School, Hampshire Oldway Primary School, Devon Bloomfield Primary School, Bangor Linn Primary School, Antrim Ballysally Primary School, Coleraine Leadhill Primary School, Castlereagh Abbey Primary School, Newtownards Carluke Primary School, South Lanarkshire Canberra Primary School, South Lanarkshire Dunrobin Primary School, North Lanarkshire Donfoot Primary School, Ayr Perth High School, Perth Two in Northern Ireland Charlestown Primary School, Carlyon Bay, St Austell A 'number' of schools in central Scotland

'Staff and police are working with local authorities and are currently searching school buildings.

'Some schools as a precautionary measure have been evacuated and significant inquiries are under way.'

Carluke primary and Canberra primary in East Kilbride are among the schools evacuated. South Lanarkshire Council said pupils have been moved to other nearby schools.

Pupils and staff at Dunrobin Primary in Airdrie were also removed from classes but have now returned.

A North Lanarkshire Council spokesman said: 'Staff received a telephone call claiming there was an explosive device within the building and pupils were taken to the nearby community centre.

'Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland were quickly on the scene and carried out a site safety inspection. They gave the all-clear for staff and pupils to return to the building just after 10.30am.'

Perth High School was also targeted by a call but was not evacuated on police advice.

Schools across Northern Ireland were also evacuated this morning after a series of 'malicious communications' were received.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said there was no information to indicate a terrorist link to the incidents.

Officers said there had been similar communications in other parts of the UK and police services were working together to establish if there was a link.

PSNI Temporary Chief Superintendent Simon Walls said: 'PSNI are investigating a series of malicious communications to schools across Northern Ireland today.

'At this stage there is no information to suggest the incidents are terrorist-related. However, enquiries continue to establish the facts.

'We will liaise with other UK police services, who have received similar calls, to investigate who is responsible and whether these incidents are linked.'

Police and fire crews were scrambled in South Lanarkshire (pictured) following reports of bomb threats today

Perth High School is among those to have been evacuated and closed today following more 'bomb threats'

And police in Devon confirmed parents had been asked to collect their children amid fears of a new 'bomb threat'.

Oldway Primary School in Paignton sent all pupils home amid the latest round of evacuations.

Headteacher Stewart Biddles later confirmed that the school received a phone call 'claiming that a bomb had been left on the school site'.

He said: 'Following guidance from the police, the school was immediately locked-down. The police arrived at school and we were told that they classed the threat as 'standard', meaning that they would not insist on school closure, but would leave the decision with us.

'The first priority of any school must be to keep its children safe. For this reason, the decision was taken to close the school and all parents were contacted. We did not mention anything about the threat at this stage in order to avoid unnecessary panic.'

'Thank you to all of you for your patience and understanding.'

Responding to the hoax calls, Devon and Cornwall Police said: 'We are aware that hoax calls have been made to a number of schools across the country today, and have been informed of malicious calls being made to three schools within Devon and Cornwall.

'The first call was to Pinhoe School in Exeter, the second call was received at Devonport High School for Girls in Plymouth, and the third was to Charlestown Primary School, Carlyon Bay, St Austell.

Dunrobin Primary School in Airdrie was also closed to pupils today after teachers received a threatening call

Bloomfield Primary School in Bangor, north Wales, was among those out of Scotland to be evacuated and shut

'As per their school policy, Charlestown Primary evacuated pupils for a short while as precautionary searches took place. Pupils and staff at Pinhoe and Devonport were not evacuated.

'Parents have been informed by the relevant schools, and at no time were any staff or pupils in any danger.

'Whilst we are currently of the opinion that these call are without substance, as a precaution, a police presence attended all schools in question and a police presence will remain in these areas to offer reassurance.

'All three are being treated as hoax calls and will be offences under the malicious communications act. We take this extremely seriously, and condemn whoever is responsible.'

The National Police Chiefs' Council said forces across the country were working together in light of the numerous threats received.

A spokesman said: 'Several police forces are investigating a series of malicious hoax communications to schools across the country.

'At this stage there is no information to suggest the incidents are terrorist-related, however the SWCTIU are coordinating the approach to establish the facts.

'Forces continue to work together to investigate who is responsible and whether incidents are linked.

'As this point there is nothing to link these with a spate of similar calls earlier this year but this has not been ruled out.

'Police take hoaxes extremely seriously. They divert police resources and cause disruption and alarm to the public.'

Bomb threats forced the closure of 27 schools across the UK on a day of GCSE exams yesterday (pictured). At least 16 schools have now been closed across the country again today following similar chilling threats

It comes just a day after a total of 27 schools across Britain were closed on a day of GCSE exams after another string of bomb threats were made.

Thousands of pupils were evacuated after a series of anonymous phone calls warning of hidden explosives were received by school offices up and down the country yesterday morning.

Many students were pulled from school grounds in the middle of their exams as emergency services swooped on scene to carry out searches, in what appears to have been an elaborate hoax.

A similar incident occurred in January when a Russian Twitter group was believed to have been responsible for a series of bomb threats which saw 14 schools evacuated in Britain.
A mechanical engineer has stunned villagers with his jaw-dropping 3D illusions of zebra crossings and road blocks.

Shivrama Krishna, 26, has no formal training in the highly specialised art form but the passionate cartoonist creates incredible drawings across roads and rooftops.

An astonishing video captures Mr Krishna, the son of a farmer from Telangana, southern India, baffling drivers with his incredibly life-like 'zebra crossing' on a dusty village road.

Shivrama Krishna, 26, the son of a farmer from Telangana, southern India, baffled drivers with his incredibly life-like 'zebra crossing' on a dusty village road

A video showed him laying down a clever combination of rectangular strips in varying hues of grey and white to create the incredibly life-like illusion

The clip sees Mr Krishna using a range of paint brushes and paint stainers to craft his optical illusion.

The artist lays down a clever combination of rectangular strips of flex sheets in varying hues of grey and white.

When positioned together in just the right way, they perfectly capture the shadows and textures of a real zebra crossing.

The video also shows another creation - this time what appear to be short white blocks with yellow edges.

The video also shows another creation - this time what appear to be short white blocks with yellow edges. A stunned villager can be seen enjoying the trick as he walks across them, giving the illusion that he is hopping from block to block

The mechanical engineer's other mesmerising designs include a 3D style swimming pool painted on a roof

Mr Krishna uses a range of paint brushes and paint stainers to craft his optical illusions

A mind-bending design of another swimming pool is full of detail - right down to shading of the light hitting the water

A stunned villager can be seen enjoying the trick as he walks across them, giving the illusion that he is hopping from block to block.

His other mind-bending designs include a larger-than-life size swimming pool, staircase and Eiffel Tower on paper sheets.

Mr Krishna always had a knack for drawings and spends around three to four hours complete each one.

He started painting and cartooning as a hobby before eventually getting an opportunity to work as a cartoonist for a text book in 2011.

But he got the taste of 3D art for the first time in 2015 after assisting an artist from New Delhi.

Ever since, he practises day and night to perfect his skills.

Mr Krishna was awarded a certificate for the most number of 3D painting illusions' (pictured)

He started painting and cartooning as a hobby before eventually getting an opportunity to work as a cartoonist for a text book in 2011 (pictured, a 3D shelf)

Mr Krishna always had a knack for drawings, like this 3D looking leaf, and spends around three to four hours complete each one

He said: 'I used to doodle and paint in books while in class. I always scored highest marks in arts.

'Eventually I started drawing cartoons but last year I found a new love in 3D illusions and started practicing perfecting the skill.'

'My peers and neighbours are impressed by my work and I am only hoping to be better and improved with time.'

Mr Krishna has so far made 143 paintings of which nearly hundred are small scale.

He does not paint on the floor directly rather he uses flex sheets and banners as canvas for large-size drawings.

His range of subjects knows no bounds and he has evenaaplied his deft touch to portraying the Eiffel Tower
The man convicted of murdering British student Meredith Kercher is to be freed from prison for 36 hours for good behaviour, it has been reported.

Rudy Guede was jailed for 16 years in 2008 for killing Miss Kercher who was found dead in her Italian flat after being stabbed 47 times.

The Ivory Coast-born drifter is understood to have been granted temporary release from Viterbo's Mammagialla prison from tomorrow morning until Friday evening.

Guede celebrated the decision by a probate court in Rome which overturned an earlier ruling.

Rudy Guede (pictured during an appeal hearing in 2009) has been granted 36 hours outside prison for good behaviour while serving 16 years for the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy

Guede was convicted of killing Miss Kercher (above) who was stabbed 47 times at her flat in Perugia in Italy

Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported him as saying: 'I will again be able to feel the sun on my skin and look out of the window without bars before my eyes.

'Thirty-six hours, each one of them precious. I thank everybody who has had faith in me.'

Guede, 29, is the only person to have been definitively convicted of Miss Kercher's murder in Perugia in 2007.

American exchange student Amanda Knox, who was convicted and later acquitted of the killing, said she was disappointed by the decision to release Guede.

She said: 'I regret that Rudy Guede has never regretted it [the murder] and I hope that those who granted him permission [to leave jail] did it for social reintegration.'

Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were initially found guilty of murder and sentenced to 26 years in jail in 2009.

American exchange student Amanda Knox (left) and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were initially found guilty of murder and sentenced to 26 years in jail in 2009, but definitively acquitted by the Supreme Court last year

However, they were acquitted in 2011 after evidence used against the pair was found to be flawed.

Knox immediately returned to the United States protesting her innocence, but in January 2014, the Italian courts overturned that acquittal and reinstated the guilty verdict.

However, the case ultimately went to the Supreme Court and their conviction was definitively overturned in March last year.

Knox has since taken her case against Italian police to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that she was mistreated during their murder investigation.

Now a journalist in her hometown of Seattle, Washington, Knox told the ECHR she underwent hours of questioning without an interpreter or a lawyer and that her interrogators slapped her on the head.

The ECHR has asked the Italian authorities to respond to a request Knox submitted in November 2013 regarding 'the lack of fairness in the criminal procedure'
Facebook has changed its rules on Trending Topics after the company was accused of blocking news reports supporting right-wing candidates and causes.

The company earlier claimed there was no evidence of a conspiracy to suppress conservative topics on its social network.

Facebook's general counsel Colin Stretch wrote a 12-page letter to Republican senator John Thune who had expressed concern over the censorship reports.

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Facebook has changed the method it uses to determine 'Trending Topics' after the company was accused of bias over claims conservative views were under represented on the social media network

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week met with conservative commentators including Glen Beck to discuss how the social media network ranks its news stories while denying any overt left-wing bias

Senator John Thune, pictured, right, wrote to Facebook after the allegations of anti-conservative bias surfaced

Senator Thune is chairman of the commerce committee which is responsible for the internet and consumer protection.

Facebook's Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg met with Glenn Beck and a dozen other prominent conservative commentators after the allegations surfaced on Gizmodo, based on a single, anonymous source.

The story, featuring a former Facebook worker claimed the company deliberately downplayed conservative news.

Then, right-wing activist Lauren Southern complained she was banned by Facebook for complaining on the network over their censorship of conservatives.

Facebook later lifted Southern's suspension claiming it was a 'human error'.

As part of the changes outlined Monday, Facebook will stop looking to news outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post and Drudge Report to automatically nominate topics for its trending feature. It also automatically nominates topics based on a spike in user posts about a subject.

Spokeswoman Jodie Seth said: 'In our meetings last week, we received feedback that any list - even a good one - inherently raises questions of which publications are included versus which are not. Based on this feedback, we felt that the best approach would be to clear up this issue by removing these lists entirely and focus on surfacing the conversation on Facebook.'

Trending topics are seen on the right side of the screen on computers, or after tapping on the search bar in a mobile app.

Conservative activist and Donald Trump supporter Lauren Southern (pictured left and right) was banned from Facebook after complaining about how the social media site censored another conservative

Southern was sent a notice that she was being temporarily blocked from posting on Facebook (above)

Southern detailed, and even videotaped, the ordeal on Friday which began after she mentioned the administrator of a right-wing group had been banned from Facebook (shown above)

As part of its review, Facebook found that members of the team working on trending topics could temporarily suppress topics if news outlets weren't reporting on them enough.

But said it found no evidence of systemic political bias, though it couldn't discount that a lone wolf might be able to game its system.

'It is impossible to fully exclude the possibility that, over the years of the feature's existence, a specific reviewer took isolated actions with an improper motive,' it said.

'Our investigation could not exclude the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias in the implementation of our guidelines or policies,'

Thune said in a statement he found Facebook's response 'encouraging' though it revealed that its trending topics feature 'relied on human judgment, and not just an automated process, more than previously acknowledged'.

Brent Bozell, the president of the conservative Media Research Center and who attended last week's meeting, applauded the change.
A mother was allegedly killed in her home last night as she looked after her four children while the rest of her family was attending a funeral.

Saima Khan, 34, is said by neighbours to have suffered a stab wound to the neck and was seen on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood at her home last night in Luton, Bedfordshire.

Her family returned from the funeral to a scene of horror with Mrs Khan having suffered stab wounds, and it is believed she may have disturbed a burglar who broke into the house.

It has also been claimed that burglars were trying steal gold from the house, and that Mrs Khan was hit over the head with a glass mirror, before being fatally stabbed in the neck with a shard of glass.

Horrifying death: Saima Khan, 34, is said by neighbours to have suffered a stab wound to the neck and was seen on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood at her home last night in Luton, Bedfordshire

Frightened witnesses heard family members of the carer in the road screaming for help at about 11.30pm before paramedics arrived  and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Zaheer Asghar wrote on Facebook today: Absolutely shocking news, last night a sisters house was burgled at approximately 12am. The burglars attempted to steal gold from the house.

The sister, whose name was Saima Khan, confronted them but was hit over the head with a glass mirror from her hallway. Her jugular vein was cut and she sadly passed away, bleeding to death.

I hate thieves so much right now ya Allah bring justice upon whoever done this and ya Allah please give her children and family patience in this extremely hard time.'

Neighbour Nousheen Dar, 34, who is also a mother of four, said: I heard all this noise, I think it was her mum and sister screaming and crying in the street.

I woke my husband to see what was going on and if we could help. There were a number of neighbours in the street and as soon as we got outside the ambulance turned up.

The paramedics asked us to move away, but I did see that she was on the floor in the doorway and there was a lot of blood around her. It was horrible and I dont know why it has happened.

It seems so random. At the time everyone was just in shock. Her sister was going mad asking for the paramedics to help her.

But they said they couldnt do anything and they had to leave her how she was as it was a crime scene. Her neck was cut so it was a big shock.

Mrs Khan and her younger sister Sabah were at the family's three-bedroom semi-detached home while looking after the formers four young children, whose ages range from one to seven.

Investigation: Mrs Khan and her younger sister Sabah were at the family's three-bedroom semi-detached home while looking after the formers four young children, with ages ranging from one to seven

The rest of the family, which included the sisters' parents, Mrs Khans taxi driver husband Hafiz and a younger brother of the sisters, were at a relative's funeral at Luton Central Mosque.

Mrs Dar said the family are lovely and caring and she has known them for around seven years, adding: I am close with the family because we have been neighbours for a while.

They are a very caring family and are just lovely people, her husband is lovely too. It is very scary when something like this happens so close to home. I am very scared.

She was on the floor in the doorway and there was a lot of blood around her. It was horrible Nousheen Dar, neighbour

Her husband Iram, 48, added: The family are very caring people and they are always playing with their children. My wife is very scared and I am very scared now. I do not understand why this has happened.

Neighbours said the family had come to Britain seven years ago from the Netherlands. Former councillor Khtija Malik, who lives on the same road, described Mrs Khan as a very quiet lady.

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be identified, said: The first I knew that something was wrong was when I heard Saima's mother and her aunties screaming in the street.

They had been to a funeral at Luton's Central Mosque and came back before the men to see her laying in the hallway just inside the front door in a pool of blood.

I heard the younger sister had been upstairs in the bathroom at the time when a burglar got into the house. She came out of the bathroom and came downstairs to see her sister on the floor.

Dawood Massod, 21, who describes himself as a community leader, said the woman died following a burglary gone wrong as men burst into a sister's house where she had her neck slit and died.

At the scene: Police and an ambulance arrived at the scene overnight and Mrs Khans four children were taken out of the house, placed in police vehicles and taken away by the police

He said: People living nearby and friends of mine have said that they were at the house and there was a robbery. It just went wrong and the burglar had a knife and they slit the sister's neck.

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: Bedfordshire Police was called by the ambulance service shortly after 11.30pm yesterday to Luton, where a woman had suffered serious injuries.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit are treating the incident as suspicious.

My wife is very scared and I am very scared now. I do not understand why this has happened Iram Dar, neighbour

The area remains cordoned off to allow further enquiries to take place. Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call the Major Crime Unit on 101.

Police and an ambulance arrived at the scene overnight and Mrs Khans four children were taken out of the house, placed in police vehicles and taken away by the police.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Gallop, senior investigating officer, said: We are treating the womans death as murder and its therefore of the utmost importance that anyone with information that could help our investigation gets in touch immediately. We are following a number of lines of inquiry and are keeping an open mind as to what led to this tragic incident.

The East of England Ambulance Service attended after it received reports of a woman who was unconscious and not breathing.

A spokesman added: A rapid response vehicle, ambulance crew and ambulance officer attended. Sadly, the patient died at the scene.
Rishi Sunak plunged the knife in on Liz Truss today pledging to 'fix' her 'mistakes' after taking over as Britain's 57th PM today. The incoming premier addressed the nation in Downing Street after being asked to form a government by King Charles in the traditional 'kissing hands' ceremony. He warned there will be 'difficult' decisions to deal with the 'profound economic crisis' facing the country, saying he 'understood' the way Britons were suffering. 'I fully understand how hard things are,' he added. In a swipe at Boris Johnson, he said the 'mandate' from the 2019 election did not belong to any individual. 'I stand here before you ready to lead our country into the future. Ready to put your needs before politics,' he said. Earlier, Liz Truss hailed her 'significant achievements' as she gave her farewell speech outside No10 - sealing her fate as the shortest-serving PM ever.
Tony Blair, pictured at today's Religion and Geopolitics event hosted by Prospect, warned a 'proper ground war' was necessary in Syria

Tony Blair today said a 'proper ground war' was needed in Syria to defeat ISIS but admitted his 'mistakes' after the 2003 Iraq war meant Britain was 'reluctant'.

As he awaits the long-delayed Chilcot Inquiry into the war, the former prime minister again refused to apologise for embarking on the war alongside then US President George W Bush.

But he admitted today the bloody aftermath of the invasion meant there was now a 'low threshold' for casualties among troops.

Despite the fears of casualties, the three-time election winner warned the battle against ISIS was 'our fight' and one that could not be ducked.

Speaking at a Prospect Magazine event on 'Britain in the World', Mr Blair said: 'Airstrikes are not going to defeat them. You're going to have to wage a proper ground war against them.

'The only question for us is if we're prepared to do that or not... There's a low threshold for taking casualties.

'But you're never going to beat Islamists unless you fight them.'

The former PM said it was impossible to defeat suicide bombers without 'military capability' and insisted: 'I can't dress that up.'

He added: 'If we don't defeat them (terrorist), they're going to come and attack us. This is not someone else's fight, this is our fight.'

Mr Blair admitted the Syrian civil was 'as close to a problem without a solution as anything I can remember'.

He said the choice was not as simple as 'Assad or the crazy people' - insisting such a claim was 'ridiculous'.

But he said the war should expand to Libya if necessary.

He said: 'We cannot afford to have ISIS govern a large part of Libyawe shouldn't be in any doubt they need to be taken on on the ground.'

The former Labour leader said the West must stop thinking 'we're going to solve this problem' and added that struggles are generational and 'we should get into a Cold War mindset'.

Mr Blair made his comments as he awaits the final verdict of the Chilcot Inquiry, which is due to be published after almost seven years on July 6

Sir John Chilcot is due to publish his report into the Iraq War on July 6, almost seven years after he was first ordered to investigate what happened in the lead up to and aftermath of the war.

Reports emerged at the weekend the inquiry had reached a 'brutal' verdict that will savage Mr Blair and his team, including then foreign secretary Jack Straw.

Sources told The Sunday Times Mr Blair 'won't be let off the hook' over claims he offered British military assistance to US President George Bush before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The aftermath of the 2003 invasion is expected to be covered at greater length in the report than the build up, but public attention will be much more focussed on the decisions and the period before British forces joined American troops to invade Iraq in 2003 in search of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.

Mr Blair today refused to be drawn on the findings but admitted: 'We underestimated profoundly the forces that were at work in the region and that would take advantage of the change once you topple the regime.

'That's the lesson. The lesson is not actually complicated, the lesson is simple - it's that.
A dawn raid was launched on Google's office in Paris yesterday as part of a probe into 'aggravated tax fraud' and money laundering.

Around 100 police officers, five magistrates, 25 computer experts and about 100 tax officials entered the US internet giant's premises at 5am as France ramped up its efforts to clamp down on alleged tax evasion.

Google is accused of owing the French government 1.2billion in unpaid taxes.

The raid is part of EU officials' attempt at cracking down on big businesses avoiding tax, with companies such as Apple, Amazon, Fiat and Starbucks in the firing line.

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Investigation: Police officers were seen leaving the Paris offices of US internet giant Google last night

A police car outside the Google offices in Paris yesterday during a tax fraud raid at the company's premises. The prosecutor's office said it was to determine if Google Ireland had failed its financial obligations in France

'We respect French legislation and are fully cooperating with the authorities to answer their questions,' a Google spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

The raid also prompted calls for an investigation into Britain's 'sweetheart' tax deal with the tech giant.

In January, Google agreed to pay 130million to cover a decade of back taxes after a six-year probe by HM Revenue & Customs.

But France's socialist government has pointedly ruled out striking a similar deal with the company over back taxes.

Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Commons public accounts committee, told The Times that MPs would ask HMRC representatives on June 13 whether they had requested from French officials any of the evidence that precipitated the raid.

She said: 'HMRC has previously said it could revisit the deal if they receive more information from the French and Italians. We'll see if they have asked for it.'

A source close to the matter said in February that French authorities believe the Californian group owed 1.6 billion in back taxes.

A police car leaves the Paris office following officials' search of the premises yesterday morning

Members of the press and photographers wait outside the building during the raid involving 100 officers

A police car leaves the Paris offices of US internet giant Google after officers carried out a search yesterday

Its European operations are headquartered in Ireland, which has some of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe.

The PNF said the probe, launched in June 2015, aimed to 'check' whether Google Ireland Limited, 'by not declaring part of its activity carried out on French territory... has failed in its tax obligations, notably in terms of company tax and value-added tax'.

Google France received a 'notification' of the investigation back in March 2014, which did not give any precise figures.

Italy has demanded more than 200million from Google, which is accused of perpetrating tax fraud there for years.

It has been raided by French authorities before, in June 2011, during an investigation into transfers to its Irish headquarters.

In January, Google agreed to pay 130million in back taxes to Britain, prompting criticism from opposition lawmakers and campaigners.

At the time the U.S. online search firm, which has faced severe criticism of its UK financial arrangements, said the payment would cover back taxes from 2005 to 2015.

OTHER GIANTS IN THE DOCK: MAJOR FIRMS AND CORPORATION TAX Facebook: The social media titan paid just 4,327 in corporation tax in 2014, despite reporting UK revenues of 105million. Apple: The US-based technology firm behind the iPad and the iPhone made 34billion in profit during the year to September 2014. Experts estimate that the UK accounted for 1.9billion of that profit, but the firm only paid 11.8million in British corporation tax. Amazon: The online shopping giant took 5.3billion in sales from British shoppers in 2014 but paid just 11.9million in tax after announcing profits of 34.4million. Starbucks: The coffee chain paid just 8.6million of tax over 14 years between 1998 and 2012 when sales totalled 3billion. But latest company filings show it paid 8.1million in corporation tax for last year on profits of 34.2million.

It also agreed to make changes so that future payments to HM Revenue and Customs will 'reflect the size and scope of our UK business'.

'We have agreed with HMRC a new approach for our UK taxes and will pay 130million, covering taxes since 2005,' said a spokeswoman for Google.

'We will now pay tax based on revenue from UK-based advertisers, which reflects the size and scope of our UK business.

'The way multinational companies are taxed has been debated for many years and the international tax system is changing as a result. This settlement reflects that shift and is in line with recent OECD guidance.'

The EU has also been investigating 'tax rulings' by some member states that benefit multinationals.

Brussels is probing online retailer Amazon's tax arrangements in Luxembourg, one of a series of such probes targeting major global firms, including Apple, Starbucks and Fiat.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai defended the Internet giant's tax practices during a visit to Paris in February.

'We're a global company. We have to abide by tax laws everywhere, we do abide by local tax laws in every single country,' he said.

'We're advocating strongly for a simpler global tax system,' he added.

France has previously refused to negotiate the amount of back taxes it would request, with

However, a source inside France's tax authority said in February that bargaining may still be possible.

'This does not mean that Google will ultimately pay 1.6 billion,' the source told AFP. 'There will be appeals, and perhaps a negotiation in the end, in particular on penalties.'
Dismal polls: Boris Johnson, pictured holding a copy of the Daily Mail in York yesterday, has brought nothing to the Leave campaign

Disappointing, isn't it?

When the person you admired lets you down, or turns out to be a big fat fraud.

Like finding out Lord Sugar is 4ft 2in and, seated in the boardroom, his little feet don't touch the floor. Or realising Tom Bradbury is nearly bald, his sparse hair manned-up by two cans of dry shampoo.

Now Boris has fallen from the pedestal I had him on. Delusional fool that I am.

When he came out for Brexit I thought we had it made.

Despite those who said he was just in it for himself, I thought finally Brexit had a credible leader who would convince voters to leave the EU.

Intellectually, linguistically, he is untouchable. Able to think off-piste whilst Dave snow-ploughs down the nursery slope.

And he looks somewhat human, in a way Michael Gove in his paedo-specs and Iain Duncan Smith with his flattened face do not. (I'd swear IDS had patio doors he forgot about. Repeatedly)

Sure, Boris is a bit of a loose cannon. Stuck up on a zip wire, bulging at the gusset. Smashing a Japanese kid to the floor playing rugby during a Trade visit to the Far East.

But at least he has personality. As Europe seeks ever-closer union, our humour might be our last stand, setting us apart from the Germans who find slapstick hilarious.

But Boris has brought nothing to the Leave campaign.

Boris, pictured emerging from a sports car in West Yorkshire yesterday, is a bit of a loose cannon

If anything, he has pushed undecideds towards Dave. I campaigned for a referendum as an Independent in 2009, spending my own cash for the cause.

And even I am losing faith in our ability to get out of Europe.

I know the increasingly dismal polls are partly a fabrication.

We haven't learned from the General Election and still believe asking a few wealthy Lefties in Islington how they will vote can be extrapolated to a national view.

People will also hide their voting intentions. Remember how we uncovered the Shy Unionists in the Scottish Referendum, too fearful of 'Yes Scotland' bullies to speak out until they made it to the polling booth?

And remember how the Shy Tories became brave at the General Election, leaving the pollsters with egg all over their faces?

I even enjoy Shy Hopkins support from people whose 'friends' unfollow them on Twitter if they are caught thinking for themselves.

Compared: Boris does look somewhat human, in a way Michael Gove (left) in his paedo-specs and Iain Duncan Smith (right) with his flattened face do not. (I'd swear IDS had patio doors he forgot about. Repeatedly)

But three weeks out from our last chance to leave Europe theres no way of avoiding the fact that the gap is huge.

And I still don't really know who is leading the Leave campaign.

Farage will head up the ITV debate, Duncan Smith is endlessly outraged at the lies from Osborne and the Treasury, and Gove has gone back to his more comfortable territory of prison reform.

(Which is odd, given Europe has authority over our Justice system and we failed to include a British Bill of Human Rights in the Queen's Speech. We are therefore forced to accommodate the families of foreign criminals in order to protect THEIR right to a family life.

To have human rights, surely you have to act half-human in the first place? Prisoners, you do not deserve the right to vote. This is because you are not always capable of making sensible decisions - as evidenced by the fact you are now obliged to provide oral favours to your cell mate for a Sim card.)

It isn't just a lack of one clear leader. It is the total absence of a clear and compelling vision. Where is the definitive argument to convince us what we are going to do, and why we are going to do it? Over and over? Until the message gets through?

If anything, Boris has pushed undecideds towards Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured in Luton today)

Please humour me here:

Q: Tell me where Dave and George were yesterday?

A: B&Q.

Q: Why?

As much as the Leave contingent wants to distance itself from Farage faster than it could run from a hooker with herpes, at least Farage is authentic

A: Because we are in danger of making a DIY Recession.

Very good. Treat people like they are stupid, and your message will get through.

Now, let's try this again for the Leave Campaign, such as it is.

Q: Where was Boris yesterday?

A: In a car, doing doughnuts.

Q: Why?

A: *Silence*

Q: Have a think. Why would Boris be in a car spinning doughnuts and leaving tyre marks?

A: Because there is a new series of Top Gear and he wants to be the Star in the Reasonably Priced Car.

You see? Leave has lost its way. Gove is banging on about giving prisoners iPads, Duncan-Smith just looks bald and cross, and Boris is playing the fool.

As much as the Leave contingent wants to distance itself from Farage faster than it could run from a hooker with herpes, at least Farage is authentic.

He is as calculating, self-adulating, manipulative and vicious as the rest of the pack (see Suzanne Evans' suspension for details) but at least he is consistent.

His entire career has been one long campaign to Leave Europe.

As much as the Leave contingent wants to distance itself from Nigel Farage faster than it could run from a hooker with herpes, at least Farage (pictured in Dudley today) is authentic

Boris's career is starting to look increasingly like one long campaign to Love Boris.

You know, I don't think the European Referendum will be decided by heads at all.

People say they want clear facts, but there are so many being thrown about, there is no way to establish truth from fiction.

Heads will vote to stay. Hearts will vote to leave.

Although people dont believe every word of the Project Fear campaign they probably understand deep down that leaving the EU is likely to cause a few short-term economic waves that might cost them a few quid.

People say they want clear facts, but there are so many being thrown about, there is no way to establish truth from fiction

But they also understand that theres more to life than money.

You cant always put a price on freedom and the preservation of our culture, national identity and way of life.

A great leader with a clear vision could have articulated that, inspiring both loyalty and hope, winning hearts and minds.

But Boris has failed to deliver, possibly because the cynics who accuse him of opportunism are right and he doesnt entirely believe in it himself.

I still hope June 23 will be decided by people's hearts and that a warm nostalgia for a Great Britain we used to be proud of will make us want to fight for our country.

But with conflicted leadership and no clear vision, I fear many will lack the courage to act. They will be swayed by the fear Dave is peddling faster than a dealer with dodgy pills.

If the Brexit side does lose, much of the blame will lie with Boris - who will have no compunction about scampering back aboard the government bus if he gets half a chance.
These are the haunting last moments of an 11-year-old boy before he was stabbed to death in broad daylight in Texas as police continue to hunt for his killer.

Josue Flores was captured on a household CCTV camera in Houston walking home from middle school exactly a week ago wearing a distinctive green backpack, KHOU reports.

Just two blocks away from where this was filmed the sixth-grader was attacked, stabbed multiple times, collapsed at the side of the road and then died later in hospital.

Josue Flores, 11, was captured on CCTV walking home from school last Tuesday afternoon just moments before he was stabbed to death in a random attack

On Monday night a wake was held for Flores with 325 people turning out and vowing to do everything possible to help catch the person responsible.

Mayor Sylvester Turner had appealed for the public's help in catching the killer earlier in the day, with Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson adding his voice too.

Anderson said: 'There is a monster who is out among us. You may know who he is. Your conscience needs to be your guide.'

Police have said they have some leads but are withholding specifics. Authorities also say DNA testing of evidence from the scene is being expedited.

Flores was stabbed multiple times and collapsed at the side of the road before dying later in hospital

Meanwhile private funeral services for Flores are due to take place later today.

Officers believed they had captured Flores' killer when they arrested Che Calhoun, 31, on Wednesday last week after multiple people said they had seen him fleeing the scene.

However, charges against Calhoun were dramatically dropped the following day after cops found witnesses and physical evidence showing he was miles away in a south Houston suburb at the time of the murder.

'We wound up locating several witnesses from his alibi, interviewing them, and late last night wound up recovering physical evidence and showed he was down in Pearland and could not have been at the location where the murder occurred,' Houston Homicide Lieutenant Robert Blain said.

Pearland is located about 16 miles from Houston.

Residents in the neighborhood where Josue was stabbed held rallies demanding justice for the slain schoolboy.

His sister, Guadalupe Flores, told ABC 13: 'It's about love. My brother wanted everybody to be together, to come together. I know he would want everybody to come together as one to find whoever did this.

'It's not about race. It's not about color. It's not about anything. We're all brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter the color. No matter what you've done in your life, it's all about love.'

Grown men openly wept as hundreds of demonstrators walked down the street chanting, before laying tributes at a makeshift shrine at the spot where Flores was attacked.

On Friday neighbors revealed they're scared that the killer is at large and want him caught as soon as possible.

Several witnesses told officers on Tuesday they heard loud screaming and saw Josue struggling with a man.

The sixth-grader was walking home from a science club meeting at Marshall Middle School just north of downtown Houston.

Police arrested Che Calhoun, 31, the day after the killing after multiple witnesses said they saw him fleeing the scene but dramatically dropped the charges against him a day later after his alibi checked out

Hundreds of people took to the streets on Sunday demanding justice for Flores as his sister told reporters that 'he would want everybody to come together as one to find whoever did this'

Grown men wept in the street as they chanted slogans demanding justice before laying tributes at a makeshift memorial on the spot where Flores was attacked

He collapsed on the grass and the man ran off. A bystander alerted police and the boy was taken to the hospital with multiple stab wounds.

Josue was pronounced dead a short time later.

Court documents showed three people described Calhoun as the man seen fleeing from the scene.

Police obtained an arrest warrant and federal marshals arrested him on Wednesday.

Blain said his detectives 'don't rely solely on eyewitness identification', noting that Calhoun was identified by a witness presented with a photo lineup.

Omar Garza, 18, said on Friday that he was the person who identified Calhoun in the photo lineup and that he still believes he identified the right person.

His mother, Patricia Garza, 39, said crime, including robberies and drug dealing, has steadily increased in the neighborhood where she's lived her entire life - and that Josue's killing has left her 'really scared'.

She is also concerned for her son's safety and fears possible retaliation against him.

The suspect police are now looking for is a black man who is about 180 to 220 pounds and six feet tall, who wore a black shirt and black pants and had a green jacket draped over his shoulder.

'This was a horrendous crime,' Acting Police Chief Martha Montalvo said. 'We're going to do our due diligence. We're not going to stop. We're going to do what we need to do to resolve this.'

Those who live in the neighborhood have said they are scared that the killer is still on the loose

Christopher Martinez, 14, was one of the many people to lay flowers at the spot where Flores was killed while walking home from middle school on Tuesday last week

Lesa Mendes, Flores' grandmother, is comforted by Maria Cristina Sepulveda as she views a makeshift memorial set up for the schoolboy at the spot where he died

More than a dozen residents gathered Friday afternoon at the site where Josue collapsed and where a growing memorial of balloons, candles and stuffed animals sits under a tent.

People dropped cash in containers to help his family with expenses for his funeral, set for Tuesday.

Michael Harrison, the principal at Marshall Middle School, told KTRK earlier this week Josue was a 'very quiet, very respectful' child.

'Just a joy and a pleasure to have around. And so I just really feel saddened by the situation,' Harrison added.

Many of those who came to the vigil on Friday said they were upset and scared to learn his killer remained at large.

'I don't feel safe right now,' said Maria Tenorio, 48, who has three sons. 'As a mother, this hurt me that this happened.'

Police and the mayor of Houston have appealed to the public to help catch Flores' killer (pictured, his green backpack at the scene of the murder)

Residents of the Houston neighborhood where Flores was killed said they didn't feel safe knowing that his attacker was still at large

Tenorio said she believed someone saw the killer and implored them to call the police.

Patricia Cerna, 52, who lives next door to where the boy was attacked, said she heard his cries and saw the assailant run from the scene but wasn't able to see his face.

A neighbor chased the attacker in his car but lost him after the man crossed some railroad tracks, she said.

Meanwhile, Cerna rushed outside to the wounded boy.
A tradesman woke up $123 million richer last year after glitch with his Commonwealth bank account.

Melbourne glazier Matthew Pearce, 30, was surprised when he opened his mobile phone banking app in November and found $123,456,789 deposited into his Netbank saver account, according to Nine News.

'It [the app] actually gave me the option to transfer the money and BPAY it, so I could actively transfer money into someone else's account,' he told Nine News.

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Melbourne glazier Matthew Pearce, 30, was surprised when he found more than $123 million was deposited into his Commonwealth bank account last November because of a glitch (pictured)

The tradesman said he notified the bank, which then withdrew the money (pictured) back out of Mr Pearce's account within two weeks

'I was pretty shocked about it. I actually thought they'd actually paid me the money thinking I was someone else.'

Mr Pearce said he took a photo of his large balance and figured out that the transfer must have been a glitch because the sum was in numerical order.

Two weeks after Mr Pearce contacted the bank he heard from a bank representative who told him that the glitches 'can happen sometimes.'

Christine Jia Xin Lee, 21, spent $4.6m in just 11 months by splurging on luxury items such as a $90,000 handbag. She told investigators she thought her parents had given her the money

He said his account is now back to normal but he decided to talk about his experience because of the recent arrest of a Sydney student who spent $4.6 million accidentally deposited into her account.

Malaysian student Christine Jiaxin Lee, 21, allegedly went on a spending spree after she was accidentally granted a $4.6 million overdraft by banking group Westpac.

She was arrested earlier this week trying to board a plane to Malaysia and was charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of a crime.

Pictured: Hermes handbags. Police discovered numerous Berkin designer handbags in Ms Lee's home (pictured)

Over 11 months, Ms Lee allegedly spent a lot of the money on luxury items and transferred $1.15 million to her Paypal account, according to police.

Police have recovered the $1.15 million transfer but believe the rest of the money has been spent or transferred to other accounts overseas.

Westpac has taken action against Ms Lee through the Supreme Court, which found a default judgment against her; and the Federal Circuit Court, which ordered her estate be sequestered.

Pictured: A Dior necklace was among the items pictured and tendered to the NSW Supreme Court from Ms Lee's home

When asked by a bank investigator where she thought her money had come from, Ms Lee said over the phone: 'I thought that the money was from my parents in Malaysia'.

The investigator asked: 'What have you spent the money on?'

'I bought clothes, shoes, lots of handbags,' Ms Lee replied.

The matter is expected to come before Waverley Local Court on Tuesday.
Donald Trump said he would have no problem asking Congress to formerly declare war so that he could better deal with the current terror threat growing out of the Middle East.

'It wouldnt bother me at all doing that,' he told Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly in an interview that aired last night. 'We probably should have done that in the first place.'

But the presumptive Republican nominee also spoke about how different a war on terror looked compared to more traditional warfare.

Donald Trump told Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly that he'd have no problem approaching Congress and asking for a formal declaration of war against terror groups like ISIS

Donald Trump (left) spoke on Bill O'Reilly's (right) program last night about the terror threat, suggesting that foreign fighters were coming through U.S. borders. 'It's probably not going to be pretty,' Trump said

'Look, we are at war with these people and they don't wear uniforms,' Trump noted. 'It's not your traditional war where it's a war against Germany, Japan, whoever,' he added, ticking off the powers the United States fought against in World War II.

Trump then suggested that the United States had very little intelligence about who was joining ISIS, even going as far to claim that many of them were entering the United States.

'This is a war against people who are vicious, violent people that we have no idea who they are, where they come from,' Trump stated.

'We are allowing tens of thousands of them into our country now so to top off wars on foreign land, wait 'til you see what happens in the future,' he continued.

'It's probably not going to be pretty,' he added.

In December, in response to the homegrown terror threat in the aftermath of the San Bernardino shootings, carried about by a radicalized couple Trump called for a ban on non-American Muslims coming into the United States.

Trump, like many of his Republican peers, has also spoken out against the U.S. bringing Syrian refugees into our country, at one point calling it a 'great Trojan horse.'

'I hope I'm wrong about that, but it's probably not going to be pretty,' Trump again warned in his sit-down with O'Reilly. 'It's not speculation, we're allowing people into our country.'

'We don't know who they are, where they come from,' Trump reiterated. 'They happen to have cell phones, some of them have cell phones with the ISIS flags on them so I think it's something we have to be very tough and very vigilant and very smart [on] or we're going to be in big trouble.'

Trump was possibly referring to a report out of Norway that said asylum seekers in that country had pictures, including images of ISIS flags, on their cell phones.

The report also noted that the refugees could be simply documenting their circumstances and not necessarily supporting the jihadist group.

Trump used this example at a December presidential debate as well, arguing that the 'tens of thousands of people having cell phones with ISIS flags on them,' would not be coming into the country if he were elected president.

'I don't think so,' The Donald shared.

On O'Reilly, Trump circled back to answer the host's original question again.

'I would have no problem with doing it, Bill,' Trump said of asking for congressional approval to wage war with the likes of ISIS.

'I'll study the facts, but I think right now, I would have no problem with doing it because we are at war,' he continued.
Cars with no valid taxation were towed away and illegal immigrants at the site are set to be deported

Today the police, council and Home Office finally intervened in the camp

They have been accused of hassling shoppers asking for employment

A camp of migrants established in a road between a McDonald's and Asda was today cleared by police after a group of unemployed men had apparently lived there for nearly a decade.

More than ten dumped and untaxed vehicles were towed away by Scotland Yard officers, working alongside Southwark Council and the Home Office to clear the site off the Old Kent Road in South London.

All cars without up-to-date taxation were removed, according to bystanders, while anyone found to be in the country illegally will now face deportation.

The squalid conditions had sparked worries about the health of the men living there - but one said: 'It's still better than Romania.'

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Removal: Police and council officials today took a number of vehicles away from a camp at the Old Kent Road in South London

Search: The authorities look on as a car is set to be removed at a retail park in the area

Bundles: A man stands next to a pile of his possessions during the operation to remove cars from the area

Interior: One of the cars appeared to show signs of occupation with bottles of water and multiple umbrellas

Chaos: The operation comes after the migrants have apparently been there for nearly a decade

Locals around the retail park have been complaining about the semi-permanent camp for at least eight years, but the authorities did not take action until the camp was exposed by the Press earlier this month.

Shoppers, security guards and nearby businesses including B&Q previously called on the council to evict the men, who hassle passers-by asking for work.

But the police have insisted they could not act because the migrants were parked on private land.

One security guard told the Daily Mail recently: 'We are only employed because members of the public have made numerous complaints about Romanians harassing them, saying "job, job, job".

'We don't have the power to kick them out of the car park, until they are drinking or smoking or being abusive. Then we can call the police.'

Towed: The operation was a collaboration of the Metropolitan Police, Southwark Council and the Home Office

Crackdown: The removal came a few weeks after the camp's existence was revealed in the Press

Warning: A council official puts a ticket on a car telling the owner to remove his vehicle

Homeless: Onlookers stand by during the clearance of the camp by the authorities

Heavy-duty: A number of vehicles were sent to the scene by the police to assist in the operation

Street: About half of the retail park's car park is taken up by cars which have apparently been dumped

The migrants were said to take up around half of the space in the car park, which is used by shoppers at a number of different stores.

Andre, a 29-year-old who has lived in a car at the site for eight years, said: 'Living in a car is not a great life, but we don't have any choice. And it's still better than Romania.'

Other Romanians at the camp said they would rather not have to pay rent so they have more money to support their families back in Eastern Europe.

A shopper said: Its quite intimidating. They offer to carry your stuff but you dont know who they are and they are quite persistent.

Unemployed: Many of the migrants at the camp say they have a better life there than in Romania

Prepared: Police arrived early this morning to clear the camp in a major operation

Removals: A car getting towed away from the site off the Old Kent Road today

Dumped: Officials claimed many of the cars had been parked there for months

Clean-up: Council workers were seen sweeping away debris towards the conclusion of the operation

Southwark councillor Michael Situ said at the time that residents had complained about noise and antisocial behaviour.

However, this is a fluid situation with different people arriving and departing each week, and wont be solved overnight, he added.

A B&Q spokesman said: This ongoing situation needs resolution by all parties  the landlord and local authorities.

Southwark Council and the Home Office did not respond to a request for comment on the police operation today.

Inhabited: This picture from earlier this month shows how cars were used as a living space
Rickey Waddell Wilson, 68, was charged with killing an 82-year-old woman in a Myrtle Beach hotel room

An 82-year-old woman was found beaten to death in a Myrtle Beach hotel room, police said.

The victim, identified as Virginia Harris Eakers, was found dead from blunt force trauma Sunday in room 211 of the Rodeway Inn on South Ocean Boulevard in the seaside South Carolina town, officials said.

There were 'signs of a struggle within the room,' police wrote in an affidavit, according to the local newspaper Sun News.

Investigators believe the woman was killed by a man who was with her when she checked into the motel Friday.

Rickey Waddell Wilson, 68, was charged with murder Monday after his arrest by Myrtle Beach police officers.

Police said Wilson was the only one known to have visited Eakers in the hotel room, and that Wilson gave statements that were contradicted by surveillance footage and eyewitness observations.

Wilson was further incriminated after officers found evidence on his person that tested positive for blood, as well as by a personal item of Wilson's that was discovered at the crime scene.

According to Horry County deputy coroner Michelle McSpadden, the victim's hometown is unknown as she moved around a lot, but it is suspected she lived near Myrtle Beach for several years.

A bond hearing is scheduled Tuesday. It was not immediately known if Wilson had an attorney.

Courtesy of WBTW
A man whose wife died in his arms as they descended Mount Everest has been told her body has been carried down the treacherous peak and will arrive in Kathmandu within days.

Maria Strydom, 34, from Melbourne, died from altitude sickness in Nepal on Saturday afternoon after having to turn back from the final leg of her expedition because she felt unwell.

Dr Strydom's husband Robert Gropel tried to carry the Monash University lecturer back down the mountain but was unable to save her and was diagnosed with high altitude pulmonary oedema when he was airlifted to hospital in Kathmandu on Monday.

The veternarian is 'very determined' to bring his wife's remains back to her family in Australia and is waiting for her body is transported from the mountain to Kathmandu over the next few days.

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Dr Robert Gropel was pictured sitting in a chair at his hotel in Kathmandu after he was released from hospital where he was treated for high altitude pulmonary oedema following the death of his wife Maria Strydom

He was told her body has been carried down the treacherous peak and will arrive in Kathmandu within days

The Monash University finance lecturer (left) died from altitude sickness when she was descending the world's highest mountain over the weekend with her husband (right)

Dr Gropel was pictured sitting in a chair at his hotel in Kathmandu after he was released from hospital and has been joined his parents Heinz and Patricia, who earlier said he was 'physically OK' with some minor, residual altitude sickness.

Seven Summit Treks claim her remains have been recovered from the mountain's 8,000-metre mark, according to the ABC.

Ms Gropel told AAP in an email that they are 'desperately hoping' that this is the case.

Dr Strydom's sister Aletta Newman said she knew a retrieval operation was being planned on Tuesday, but had not received any updates from the tour company.

Ms Newman, who lives in Brisbane, said they were eagerly awaiting Dr Gropel's return as he could shed some light on what happened during her sister's last night.

'He's probably the person who can give us the most answers in terms of what really happened because he was there,' she said.

The body of Australian university lecturer Maria Strydom remains on Mount Everest at the 8,000-metre mark after she died from altitude sickness when she was descending with her husband Robert Gropel

Dr Gropel uses a mobile phone as he stands in the lobby of a hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal

Dr Gropel has been joined his parents Heinz and Patricia, who earlier said her son was 'physically OK' with some minor, residual altitude sickness

'He is able to speak but obviously he's absolutely distraught - he's absolutely broken,' Dr Strydom's sister said

Dr Gropel was airlifted to hospital in Kathmandu on Monday to receive treatment for altitude sickness but was discharged (pictured) on Monday after his parents Heinz and Patricia arrived

Melbourne vet Robert Gropel is understood to be distraught and does not want to leave Nepal without his wife's body. Maria Strydom's body remains on Mount Everest at the 8,000-metre mark

'He is able to speak but obviously he's absolutely distraught - he's absolutely broken,' Ms Newman said.

'He's very determined not to leave Nepal without his wife.'

Dr Strydom's mother, Maritha Strydom, posted on Facebook on Tuesday thanking her 'amazing family and in-laws who are all working as a team to make [the retrieval] happen and raise the fortune needed to bring Marisa back'.

The distraught mother added that expedition leader Arnold Coster had offered his help in the recovery operation.

Mr Coster detailed what happened during the trek in a Facebook post.

'On May 20 our apparently perfect-looking summit push turned into disaster,' he wrote of the expedition organised by Seven Summit Treks.

Everyone summited except Dr Strydom who decided to turn around just above the South Summit at 8am due to fatigue.

'He's very determined not to leave Nepal without his wife,' Ms Newman said of her sister's husband

Everyone summited except Dr Strydom who decided to turn around just above the South Summit at 8am due to fatigue

Given Dr Strydom's body is located within the 'death zone' on Mount Everest, it will be incredibly difficult for her family to retrieve her

She and Dutch climber Eric Arnold both died during the descent, Mr Coster said.

'At the moment we are assembling a rescue team to try to retrieve the bodies.

'These tragic events numbed the whole team and our thoughts are with their family and friends.'

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says consular assistance is being provided to both families.

Dr Gropel, a Melbourne vet, is understood to be distraught and does not want to leave Nepal without his wife's body.

Given her body is located within the 'death zone' on Mount Everest, it will be incredibly difficult to retrieve her.

Dr Strydom's family have since hit out at the expedition company after they had to learn of her death online instead of direct from Arnold Coster Expeditions.

Dr Strydom's family have since hit out at the expedition company after they had to learn of her death online instead of direct from Arnold Coster Expeditions

Expedition leader Arnold Coster broke his silence with a report detailing what happened to the climbers in a Facebook post.

In the statement, Mr Coster and his company said other people posted news about Dr Strydom's death before they had a chance to contact the family, while the team had been busy helping Dr Gropel.

However, on Monday evening - after the statement was released - Dr Strydom's family said they still had not heard from either Arnold Coster Expeditions or the other company involved, Seven Summit Treks.

Dr Strydom's mother Maritha commented on the Facebook statement with: 'We never had ... any contact from anyone from your company, now, almost 48 hours after my daughter's death. I want her body back.'

Dr Strydom and Dr Gropel, both experienced climbers, were vegans determined to conquer the highest mountains on each continent.

Aspokesman for the trekking company pointed out where Dr Strydom died on Sunday. She died alongside fellow climber, Dutch man Eric Arnold




Victoria's premier has been accused of bullying another politician who has struggled with his weight all his life by making jokes about his size.

It's claimed after Liberal MP Andrew Katos asked a question in state government, Labor politicians commented: 'we didn't see that coming' - to which premier Daniel Andrews allegedly said: 'First time anyone has said they didn't see him coming'.

'Obviously he's having a go at my weight. It's something I've struggled with all my life,' the Herald Sun quoted Mr Katos as saying.

Liberal MP Andrew Katos (pictured) says he's been bullied about his weight by Victoria's pemier, Daniel Andrews

Mr Katos said he's struggled with his weight his whole life and it played on his mind

Mr Katos has also accused Mr Andrews of making fun of Victoria's Opposition Leader Matthew Guy of the Liberal Party, about his height

Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews has been accused of bullying Liberal politicians Andrew Katos and Matthew guy

'Ask anyone who's overweight, it plays on your mind sometimes. When the premier makes a comment like that it doesn't help.'

Mr Katos has also accused Mr Andrews of making fun of Victoria's Opposition Leader Matthew Guy of the Liberal Party, about his height, according to The Age.

He claims the premier has repeatedly referred to Mr Guy as 'you little man'.

'That's the sort of thing you expect from a school yard bully not the premier,' he said.

'You don't expect that from the leader of the state. He is the premier of this state who is preaching about tolerance and equality and all manner of things in that vein, and yet he comes out and says comments like that.'

It's not the first time politicians have been criticised for such behaviour.

And while debate in parliament can often be heated, personal attacks are frowned upon.

Mr Andrews' office has not commented on the matter publicly.

Mr Katos said Mr Andrews' behaviour was' the sort of thing you expect from a school yard bully not the premier'

Mr Katos (left) has also accused Mr Andrews (right) of making fun of Victoria's Opposition Leader Matthew Guy
A man who was sacked after making Facebook posts supposedly supporting Islamic State has launched an unfair dismissal claim, saying his comments were 'sarcastic'.

Nirmal Singh was employed as a casual worker at Aerocare at Perth airport before being fired in October when another employee noticed he made posts including one saying 'We All Support ISIS' under an pseudonym on Facebook.

The Fairwork Commission heard the comment was written underneath a post from Australia's hardline Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir about police worker Curtis Cheng, who was shot dead by Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad last year,The Adelaide Advertiser reported.

Mr Singh said he did not support Islamic State and has launched an unfair dismissal claim seeking $7,000 in wages he has lost since being sacked.

Nirmal Singh (pictured), who was sacked after making Facebook posts supposedly supporting Islamic State has launched an unfair dismissal claim, saying his comments were 'sarcastic'

The commission heard Mr Singh also made various other posts under the social media alias Sherry Solus Singh and used his own photo in the Facebook page, according to The ABC.

He reportedly made another concerning post, which included images of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, but told the commission he believed the posts were in a 'secret group'.

Mr Singh also admitted he had shared information about a rally held by Hizb ut-Tahrir and 'liked' their page.

After three meetings with his bosses in October, he was sacked for breaching their social media policy.

But, Mr Singh told the commission he deleted the Facebook page and his posts after his employers voiced their concerns in the initial meeting.

The Fairwork Commission heard the comment was written underneath a post from Australia's hardline Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir about police worker Curtis Cheng (pictured), who was shot dead by Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad last year

He reportedly made another concerning post, which included images of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, but told the commission he believed the posts were in a 'secret group'

Nirmal Singh was employed as a casual worker at Aerocare at Perth airport before being fired in October when another employee noticed he made posts including one saying 'We All Support ISIS' on Facebook

'There were concerns I understood and I addressed those concerns by offering to delete the posts and the profile but how they breached the social media policy, I don't understand,' he told the Brisbane hearing via video link.

'There is no post that threatens anyone or names anyone'.

He also told the commission he understands 'any jokes' must be taken seriously by the Federal Police and airport security.

Mr Singh was employed as a casual worker at Aerocare for 18 months and during that time had access to restricted airport areas for various airlines including Jetstar and Virgin Australia, WA Today reported.

Mr Singh confirmed he has found another job at Perth airport since his dismissal and has had his security clearance reinstated.

The hearing continues.

Mr Singh also admitted he had shared information about a rally held by Hizb ut-Tahrir and 'liked' their page. Pictured: Ismail al-Wahwah speaking at February rally
A group of suspected drug pushers have been forced to do a walk of shame with signs around their necks on the streets of the Philippines.

Eleven drug dealers were forced to join the 'Flores de Pusher' march in the town of Tanauan in the Philippines as part of a shame campaign against illegal drugs.

They each wore a sign saying 'I am a Pusher, do not follow me,' by the order of Tanauan Mayor Antonio Halili.

Eleven suspected drug pushers were forced to join the 'Flores de Pusher' march in the town of Tanauan in the Philippines as part of a shame campaign against illegal drugs

Local news outlet, the Philstar, reports that Tanauan City Civil Security Unit caught the 11 individuals selling and using illegal drugs in a buy-bust operation.

According to the Tanauan City Public Information Office, Mayor Halili had warned the known drug dealers to stop their illegal drug trade or face the consequences.

Aside from their shameful walk, the eleven suspected drug pushers could also be charged with illegal drug trade and possession.

Mayor Halili has said he will continue doing the Walk of Shame until the spread of drugs in the city stops.

The event is reportedly called 'Flores de Pusher,' based on the annual 'Flores de Mayo' festivities.

Flores de Mayo is part of the May celebration known as the Flower Festival held in honor of the Virgin Mary in the Philippines.

Mayor Halili has said he will continue doing the Walk of Shame until the spread of drugs in the city has stopped

Each of the eleven suspects wore a sign saying 'I am a Pusher, do not follow me,' by the order of Tanauan Mayor Antonio Halili
A teenage girl was beaten and bitten on the nose after being dragged into a car by her hair in an attack organised by her mother and grandmother.

The girl, who was 15 at the time, was hit in the face and upper body by her mother in the back seat of a car as her grandmother drove near Aldinga Beach in south Adelaide in 2014, a South Australian District Court heard on Tuesday, according to ABC.

The girl's mother and grandmother were found guilty of aggravated causing harm with intent and will be sentenced in July.

A teenage girl, 15, was hit in the face and upper body after being dragged into a car by her hair in an attack organised by her mother and grandmother, a South Australia District Court heard on Tuesday (stock image)

Prosecutor Jemma Holt told the court that the mother and grandmother orchestrated the attack with the girl's former partner, according to ABC.

'On the prosecution's case, it was her plan to confront, intimidate and scare her [the girl] to teach her a lesson, that is because she thought [the girl] had taken things from her home and she had got away with it,' Ms Holt said.

The girl's hair was cut with scissors and her ankle was broken, Ms Holt said.

The girl's mother beat her daughter and bit her on the nose as her grandmother drover the car near Aldinga Beach in south Adelaide in 2014 (stock image)

The teenager told the court this week that she grew up in a neglected and violent home because her mother took drugs and that she now suffers from panic attacks.

'I didn't go out for a long time because I had nearly no hair ... I didn't know how to tell people my mum had cut my hair and bashed me,' she said.

'If two women who are meant to love me can do that, then how can I trust anyone?'

Defence lawyer Todd Grant said the grandmother has a psychiatric condition stemming from the death of her son, who was murdered overseas.
A woman who was starved, assaulted, and held against her will in a hotel room for years has beaten the odds to receive her high school diploma just 18 months after she was rescued.

Iasia Sweeting, 22, was overcome with emotion when she walked the stage at Dekalb School of the Arts in Georgia to a standing ovation on Monday night.

Tears streamed down her face as she later told WSBTV: 'It's a culmination of every type of emotion that you could ever feel. It's fear, it's happiness, it's anger that it didn't happen sooner, but it's appreciation that it did happen.'

Calvin McIntosh held Sweeting captive and raised the alarm after he brought their dead daughter's abused body into a hospital in Gwinnett County, Georgia, according to authorities.

Sweeting was found catatonic, emaciated and near death four years after she disappeared in 2010.

Iasia Sweeting, 22, beamed as she walked the stage at Dekalb School of the Arts in Georgia to a standing ovation. The principal raised her arm in victory (pictured)

Sweeting went missing in 2010 when she was a sophomore. She was found 18 months ago weighing just 59 pounds after Calvin McIntosh held her captive in a hotel room

Sweeting, who said she was unsure whether she would live to see the day of her graduation, has made a speedy recovery after authorities found her in 'desperate need of medical attention' (right)

Tears streamed down her face as she said: 'It's a culmination of every type of emotion that you could ever feel. It's fear, it's happiness, it's anger that it didn't happen sooner, but it's appreciation that it did happen'

Sweeting, who was rescued 18 months ago, narrowly escaped death to receive her diploma.

The principal raised her arm in triumph, and students who were not even in high school when Sweeting was a student stood and applauded her success.

She celebrated the milestone with family and friends, and admitted there were several moments in her life where she didn't think she would live to see the day.

'God just made everything possible that Ive been praying for all these years. This is what I've been wanting to see,' her mother, Elvis Morgan, told WSBTV.

Sweeting disappeared in 2010 when she was a sophomore, and police deemed her an 'at-risk runaway', despite family members who contested the idea that she would vanish on her own volition.

Four years later, Sweeting was discovered emaciated and covered in blankets at the Extended Stay Hotel in Peachtree Corners, 15 miles away from her high school.

Weighing just 59 pounds, Sweeting was in 'desperate need of medical attention', according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Calvin McIntosh and his daughter Najlaa Mcintosh were charged for the murder of 15-month-old Alcenti Mcintosh, who McIntosh fathered with Sweeting

Investigators found notes related to the Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, a cult that mixes black supremacist ideas with worship of the Egyptians at the Extended Stay Hotel in Peachtree Corners, Georgia

BLACK SUPREMACY, PHARAOHS, UFOS AND THE ILLUMINATI: THE CULT MCINTOSH FOLLOWED According to the Southern Poverty Law Center the Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, or Nuwaubianism, is movement that follows a bizarre theology. It mixes black supremacist ideas with worship of the Egyptians and their pyramids and adheres to strange beliefs involving UFOs, the Illuminati and Bilderbergers. Their leader and founder Dwight York is currently serving a 135-year prison sentence for a string of child molestation charges and racketeering. He trafficked children as young as four across the country primarily so they could be sexually exploited. York was arrested after he had his followers build two pyramids out of wood and stucco and other Egyptian-style buildings on the compound, which they called 'Tama-Re.' Most of the Nuwaubians at Tama-Re lived in cheap trailers, while York lived in a mansion on the property. As many as 400 other Nuwaubians lived in the surrounding area. He once said in a speech: 'White people are the devil. They say the Nuwaubians are not racist  bullcrap! I amWhite people are devils  always was, always will be.' He is currently serving his sentence in the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado.

Calvin McIntosh and his daughter Najlaa Mcintosh were charged for the murder of 15-month-old Alcenti Mcintosh, who McIntosh fathered with Sweeting.

McIntosh was arrested after he brought the infant, who had already died from starvation, into a hospital.

Authorities searched the hotel room, and found Najlaa, Sweeting, one five-year-old, and two three-year-olds.

McIntosh had fathered two children with his own daughter Najlaa, and two more with Sweeting.

He is said to have ordered Najilaa to deprive the children and Iasia of food if they were disobedient.

'Copious amounts of literature and notes in reference to ritualistic behavior and the Nuwaubian Nation of Moors' were also found in the hotel room, investigators said.

The cult mixes black supremacist ideas with worship of the Egyptians and their pyramids and adheres to strange beliefs involving UFOs, the Illuminati and Bilderbergers.

Both Calvin and Najlaa McIntosh pleaded not guilty in March 2015 and are still held in jail without bail.

Mcintosh was charged with one count of felony murder, one count of malice murder, four counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, one count of cruelty to children in the second degree, one count of cruelty to a physically disabled adult, one count of rape, one count of incest and one count of aggravated sodomy.

Najlaa Mcintosh was charged with one count of felony murder, one count of malice murder, four counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, one count of cruelty to children in the second degree and one count of cruelty to a physically disabled adult.

The three children found in the hotel room are in the custody of Georgia's Division of Family and Children Services.

Students who were not even in high school when Sweeting was a student stood and applauded her success

McIntosh is said to have ordered Najilaa to deprive the children and Iasia (pictured) of food if they were disobedient
Actor Burt Kwuok who was best known for playing Inspector Clouseau's hapless sidekick Cato Fong in the Pink Panther films has died aged 85.

The Manchester-born star, who also appeared in three Bond films and BBC comedy Last of the Summer Wine, passed away 'peacefully' today, his agent confirmed.

In the Pink Panther films he was cast as the servant Kato, the spelling of which was later changed to Cato, in the 1964 Inspector Clouseau film A Shot In The Dark.

British-born actor Burt Kwuok, who was best known for playing Inspector Clouseau's hapless sidekick Cato Fong in the Pink Panther films, has died aged 85. His agent said in a statement he passed away 'peacefully'

Burt Kwuok was best known for playing Inspector Clouseau's hapless sidekick Cato Fong in the Pink Panther films. He is pictured above receiving an OBE for his services to drama at Buckingham Palace in 2011

The character became a hit with fans as their quirky friendship of servant and sometimes attacker developed. Kwouk continued in the role following the death of Clouseau actor Peter Sellers in 1980.

During an interview in 2010 with film historian Barry Littlechild at The Cinema Museum, he spoke about working with Sellers.

He said: I know that since Peter died, which is 30 years ago, there's been a lot of knocking copy on it, books, articles, films, television programmes, radio programmes, and they've all sort of dwelled on the dark side of Peter.

I never really saw anything of the dark side. For me it was the light side of Peter Sellers I knew and enjoyed, and would like to remember.

He starred in seven films in the Pink Panther franchise, appearing alongside Sellers, Roger Moore and Roberto Benigni in their incarnations of the inept French detective Inspector Clouseau.

A running gag throughout the films was that marital arts specialist Cato would attack Clouseau at random, often inopportune, moments, to keep him on guard.

Talking about the role of Cato to Littlechild, he explained: He (director Blake Edwards) made it into a silly. Until then martial arts had always been taken very seriously and in the early 60s judo became the fashionable thing, everyone wanted to know about judo, and it was done in a very serious way like Bruce Lee, and we decided to take the Michael out of it, so we did.

Later in his career, Kwouk would join Harry Hill's eponymous TV show and become the face of Channel 4's gaming show Banzai.

Even though he is most recognisable for his big-screen role as Inspector Clouseau's manservant in the popular Pink Panther films, Kwouk (pictured above in 2011) was also a familiar fixture on the small screen

Stars around the world paid tribute to the actor on Twitter today after his agent confirmed he died 'peacefully'

But he memorably returned to the small screen in BBC's Last Of The Summer Wine as Chinese electrician Entwistle, from 2003 until its end in 2010.

Born in Manchester in 1930, he was raised in Shanghai, China, until he was 17, when he moved to the United States.

His plans to study in the US were thwarted when his family's wealth was wiped out in the 1949 revolution, and he came back to Britain in 1954.

He is quoted as recalling that his girlfriend at the time nagged me into acting.

His first role was in a film called Windom's Way and he then landed what is considered his big break in The Inn Of The Sixth Happiness.

He has three James Bond credits to his name, appearing in Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and the 1967 spoof Casino Royale.

His best-known TV work includes shows like The Avengers and Danger Man and another of his film credits is Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun.

He married Caroline Tebbs in 1961 and the couple had a son together. He was honoured with an OBE for his services to drama in the 2011 New Year's Honours list.

At the time, Prince Charles told him he watches the Pink Panther films when he 'gets depressed'.

Kwouk (pictured left in 2011, and right in 2001) also had a long-running stint on Last Of The Summer Wine

After the investiture at Buckingham Palace, Kwouk said: 'He told me that when he gets depressed, he puts on a Pink Panther film and that makes him feel better. He's a Goons fan, so he's a Pink Panther fan as well.'

His family will be having a private funeral but there will be a memorial service at a later date.

Actor Herbert Lom, best known for playing the hysterically-twitching Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus, became friends with Mr Kwouk when they appeared in the Pink Panther comedies together.

His son Alec Lom remembered Mr Kwouk as a charming man who always had a beaming smile when you met him. He seemed to take the shenanigans of the film industry in his stride and with a good sense of humour.

Remembering the friendship between Mr Kwouk and his father, he said: Burt was an actor who played many roles in his life and like my father very much enjoyed the comedy stretch in their careers.

He had an extremely dry sense of humour. I remember one occasion when there was a premiere of the Pink Panther in Leicester Square, my father was looking out for Burt and to everybody's surprise Mr Kwouk arrived in a gleaming rickshaw, which was in line with his unpredictable character in the movies.

He created a spectacle which was in keeping with the pattern of behaviour of Cato.

Stars around the world took to Twitter to pay tribute to the actor after news of his death broke this afternoon.

Comedian Al Murray said: 'I was very lucky to have worked with Burt Kwouk on the Harry Hill show way back when. Hey Little Hen, when when when?'
A company claims it can identify terrorists, paedophiles and ace poker players simply by looking at their face.

Faception, an Israeli start-up, says its technology can spot character traits that are undetectable to the naked eye.

The company claims its software classified nine of the 11 Paris massacre jihadists as terrorists from their facial features without inputting any prior knowledge of their involvement.

It appears to have been so successful, the firm says it is now working with a homeland security agency to help identify criminals.

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A company claims it can identify terrorists, paedophiles and ace poker players simply by looking at their face

Faception, an Israeli start-up firm, claims its software classified nine of the jihadists behind the Paris attacks as terrorists from their facial features without inputting any prior knowledge of their involvement

Shai Gilboa, Faception chief executive, said: 'We understand the human much better than other humans understand each other.

'Our personality is determined by our DNA and reflected in our face. It's a kind of signal.'

The firm, which was founded in Tel Aviv in 2014, has developed a database of 15 classifiers which Gilboa says are used to determine personality traits with 80 per cent accuracy.

Faception showed off the technology at an amateur poker tournament where it predicted which four competitors would be the best by comparing their pictures with a database of professional players.

At the end, two of those four ended up among the event's three finalists, it was reported by The Washington Post.

Faception showed off the technology at an amateur poker tournament where it predicted which four players would be the best by comparing their pictures with a database of professional competitors. At the end, two of those four ended up among the event's three finalists

The Faception website says: 'Utilising advanced machine-learning techniques, we developed and continue to evolve an array of classifiers.

'These classifiers represent a certain persona, with a unique personality type, a collection of personality traits or behaviours.

'Our algorithms can score an individual according to their fit to these classifiers.'

However, experts questioned whether the technology could lead to a Minority Report-style system of justice where people are placed under suspicion before they have even committed an offence.

They also warn that such software is often only as accurate as the information that is programmed in in the first place.

Pedro Domingos, a professor of computer science at the University of Washington, said: 'Can I predict that you're an axe murderer by looking at your face and therefore should I arrest you?

'You can see how this would be controversial.'
Excruciating attempts to win the support of young people at the EU referendum backfired on both sides today as campaigns flopped.

The Britain Stronger in Europe campaign faced ridicule for launching a new video which urged young voters to get 'votin' because the EU helps them variously with 'workin, ravin, chattin and roamin'.

Twitter users poured scorn on the bizarre deletion of the letter G from each word and the campaign faced claimed it was being patronising.

Each scene is accompanied with flashed-up words such as WORKIN and RAVIN. Viewers are then told Lifes Better in the EU and implored to VOTIN on June 23

A music festival by the Brexit campaign fared no better. Leave.EU has sponsored the event - due to take place on June 19 and costing 23 a ticket - and today announced the line up as including acts including Alesha Dixon and boyband 5ive.

Within hours both pulled out citing concerns over the 'political' nature of a Brexit festival just four days before the historic EU referendum.

The musicians had been due to appear alongside speakers including Nigel Farage at the event in Birmingham.

Alesha Dixon pulled out of an appearance alongside Nigel Farage at a Brexit festival on the final weekend before the crunch EU referendum as the Leave side try and boost youth support

The 'youth' vote is seen as critical to both sides in the referendum battle as traditionally turn out among the young is low.

If either side were able to get young voters to the polls it is seen as potentially crucial to their campaign.

Slamming the Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) effort, Twayna Mayne said: 'Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse somebody came up with #votin ...#EndofDays.'

Emma Brooke posted a picture of the campaign which shows an attractive young woman splashing around in the sea with the words 'Chillin, Meetin, Tourin, #Votin'.

She added: 'Err guys @votincampaign. You do know that young people still use the letter 'g' right...?'

Charles Turner, a marketer, wrote on Twitter: 'If we're old enough to vote, we're old enough not to be patronised... another reason why I think the #votin campaign is a disaster.'

The Britain Stronger in Europe seeks to remind young voters the EU is good for their 'meetin' and 'learnin' as it bizarrely strips a series of words of the letter G

The video has a grand finale that reminds youngsters of the voter registration deadline of June 7 to ensure they can get 'votin' on referendum day

Social media users did not hold back on their criticism of either side. The Brexit festival was mocked for having a lead act whose main song was 'Stay Another Day' while others said the intent of the festival was as 'shocking' as its line up

'STINKIN. SINKIN. FLAILIN. FAILIN. QUENTIN LETTS ON THE CAMPAIGN VIDEO Project Fear may have just become Project Dear Oh Dear. The ageing Daddios of Remain possibly thought they were gettin' on down with today's young things but yesterday's 24-second campaign video will make toes curl like bindweed. It is the most patronising yoof sensation since Alan 'Fluff' Freeman and his woolly jumper. Hi, there, pop pickers! Remain, anxious to persuade the under-30s to register for the EU referendum, has produced an advertisement better suited to the sub-teens. To the soundtrack of an old geezer's idea of funky chords (a fizzy sort of electro-guitar), 12 words in multi-coloured capital letters are flashed on screen. Each word is a present participle: WORKIN, LEARNIN, EARNIN, SHOPPIN, RAVIN, CHATTIN, ROAMIN, MAKIN, MEETIN, SHARIN, GOIN, LIVIN. This leads to the big one, folks: #VOTIN. See what happened there? They elided 'Vote In' and turned it, too, into a present participle. An act of genius. Shakespeare himself would be envious of such wordplay. To accentuate the message, each WORD is accompanied by a quick-flashed image. Thus, when EARNIN is on the screen, we see footage of someone using a bank's hole-in-the-wall machine. For MAKIN we see a bloke spraying graffiti on a wall. For SHARIN it is an image of a mobile telephone, for GOIN it is the wing of an aeroplane at take-off and for LIVIN it is somebody dropping earthwards with an unopened parachute. Perhaps it is the creative director of whichever advertising agency came up with this guff. Other present participles may suggest themselves. Stinkin. Sinkin. Flailin. Failin. Have voters not already been treated like children in this referendum campaign (look out, boys and girls, the bogeyman is coming to get you)? Perhaps Remain realised that its message has so far been too aggressive and pessimistic. But now that have lurched to an equally ludicrous extreme of infantilisation. This is a referendum in which our national freedom is at stake. Voters, by definition, are adults. Can the pro-Brussels mob please start treating us like the grown-ups we are?

Other users poured scorn on the Brexit side.

Jacob Daniel was one of many to suggest East 17 playing 'Stay Another Day' would be 'awkward'.

Andy Gilder said: 'Alesha Dixon and 5ive playing a pro-Brexit festival? Presumably as examples of outdated institutions taking money but giving nothing back?

Celia Linnett said: 'Oh excellent, an anti EU festival to get down with the kids. Line up almost as shocking as the idea.'

Education minister Sam Gyimah, a Conservative MP campaigning to stay in the EU, said the BSE video is an attempt to reach out to the so-called easyJet generation.

Extolling the virtues of the EU, and the new video, on The Huffington Post website, he wrote: 'And it is the young generation for whom the answer is most obvious: life is better in the EU.

'As the #VOTIN launch video points out whether it is 'learnin', 'travellin', 'sharin' - the 'easyJet generation' takes being in the EU for granted on so many levels, and reaps the biggest rewards from our membership.

'They will be the worst affected if Britain votes to leave, finding it harder to get a job, suffering the squeeze of lower wages and higher prices, and forfeiting their automatic right to work, study and travel abroad.'

Twitter users complained of being 'patronised' by the Britain Stronger in Europe coming with a reminder for them to get 'votin' - pointing out they can use the letter g as well as anyone else

He warned that the 'easyJet generation could quickly become the lost generation' unless they turn out and vote.

But the video was quickly seized upon by the Brexit-backing opposition who joined in the mockery.

Tory MP for Braintree James Cleverly, who backs Brexit, wrote on Twitter: 'Clearly someone in their 50s came up with the #votin 'youth' campaign.

'It's so bad I thought it was a parody by the #Brexit team.'

Head of communications for Leave.EU Ann Wigmore backed her own campaign's plans.

She said: 'We are delighted to be endorsing this event which we believe will be a fantastic finale to the referendum campaign.'
When it comes to the popularity portion of the presidential contest, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are losing.

A new NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll found that around 60 percent of Americans either dislike or hate the parties' top contenders.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, is disliked or hated by 63 percent of registered voters, while Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner, is disliked or hated by 58 percent or survey respondents.

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Hillary Clinton (left) and Donald Trump (right) have this in common - they're both majorly unpopular with the American public

Just 10 percent of registered voters surveyed said they admired Donald Trump, while about one in four said they hated him

In a similar vein, 17 percent of respondents said they admired Hillary Clinton, while 21 percent said they hated her and another 37 percent said they disliked her

Further breaking down those numbers, Trump is hated by 26 percent, while he's disliked but not 'hated,' by 39 percent.

Clinton's numbers are similar with 24 percent of respondents saying they 'hated' the former secretary of state, while another 39 percent said they didn't like the Democratic frontrunner, but didn't fully hate her.

In short: one in four voters despise the people they'll likely see on the November ballot.

On the flipside of the equation, just 10 percent said they admired Trump, while 17 percent said they admired Clinton, who would become the nation's first female president if elected.

Twenty-three percent of respondents said they liked Clinton, but didn't admire her, while 26 percent of registered voters felt the same way about the billionaire.

In a head-to-head general election match-up between Clinton and Trump she bests him by four points, 47 to 43 percent, the same lead the former secretary of state held in this same poll last week.

The poll also asked respondents why they were supporting a particular candidate and found that one-third of the registered voters were supporting Clinton or Trump in opposition to the other.

Among Clinton supporters, 33 percent they were voting for her to opposed Trump, while another 30 percent liked her experience, another 15 percent enjoyed her positions on issues, another 15 percent said they approved of her leadership ability and finally 8 percent of voting for her because she's the Democratic party's nominee.

With Trump supporters, 36 percent said they'll be voting for The Donald because they don't want to see another Clinton in the White House.

Another 31 percent appreciate Trump's positions on issues, while 24 percent like his leadership ability, while 6 percent are voting for him because he's the GOP nominee.

Finally 2 percent plan to vote for Trump because of his experience.

Lastly, the poll explored the demographic groups that favor one candidate or another.

Female voters continue to flock toward Clinton, as the former secretary of state now has increased her lead with the ladies by 18 points.

She wins women 54 percent to Trump's 36 percent.

Last week, she was up 15.

Trump has an upper hand with men, winning them 51 percent, while 41 percent prefer Clinton.

Black voters overwhelmingly support the Democrat, giving her an 82 point edge.

Eighty-eight percent of black voters like Clinton, versus the just 6 percent who support Trump.

She's even extended her lead as she's up seven points this week.

Hispanic voters also heavily support Clinton, 64 to 29 percent  giving her a 35 point buffer.

White voters, on the other hand, prefer Trump, giving him a 14 point advantage over Clinton.
Off-duty Louisiana firefighter George William Chambers IV was electrocuted while riding a horse and died

An off-duty Louisiana firefighter was electrocuted while riding a horse and died, authorities said.

George William Chambers IV, 41, 'made contact with a low-hanging power line while riding a horse Sunday morning in a field on Pete Modica Road in Bossier City,' the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook.

'The horse that Chambers was riding was also electrocuted,' it added.

The Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office said Chambers was declared dead at a Bossier City hospital 'a short time after the incident.'

Chambers, a fire truck driver, was a 20-year veteran of the city's fire department.

The sheriff's office said that he is survived by a wife and two children.

Bossier Fire Chief Brad Zagone said in a statement: 'The Bossier City Fire Department is saddened over the loss of our brother George Chambers.

'George was an outstanding firefighter and will be missed by all of us who were fortunate to serve with him and call him friend.

'Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family during this difficult time.'

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Chambers, a fire truck driver, was a 20-year veteran of the city's fire department. The sheriff's office said that he is survived by a wife and two children

Chambers 'made contact with a low-hanging power line while riding a horse Sunday morning in a field on Pete Modica Road in Bossier City,' the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office said

Benton Fire Chief J.T. Wallace told KTAL: 'I watched him grow into quite a professional, someone that had the heart for the job and had the patience and the people's interest at heart.'

An online obituary for Chambers said: 'George had a quiet way about him, but always greeted you with a radiant smile, a handshake, or a hug.

'He enjoyed the simple things in life. He was a family man giving all he had emotionally and spiritually to his loving wife Winde and his precious children, as well as his entire extended family.
Mystery surrounds why Everest has claimed six lives in just a week after rescue teams said there was little hope of finding two missing mountaineers days after four climbers were killed.

Paresh Nath and Goutam Ghosh, both from India, lost contact with the rest of their team when they neared the summit of the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) mountain.

The missing climbers were part of a team of four, one of whom, Subhash Pal, also from India, died after falling ill on Sunday. The fourth team member, a woman, was rescued and taken to hospital.

Last Thursday crew member Phurba Sherpa, 25, fell to his death whilst attempting to fix a route close to the summit.

The Sherpa's death was followed by the passing of Dutch climber Eric Arnold, 36, who reached the summit on Friday but died on Saturday while making his descent after complaining of weakness.

Maria Strydom, a 34-year-old South African national who taught at Monash University in Australia, died on Saturday afternoon after being forced to turn back from the final leg of the expedition due to illness.

Goutam Ghosh (left) and Paresh Nath (right) lost contact with the rest of their team over the weekend when they neared the summit of the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) mountain.

Dr Maria Strydom was climbing with her husband Robert (above together) and a group of 10 other experienced climbers

The South African national (above during a previous expedition) was an experienced climber who previously conquered Kilimanjaro

Dr Strydom (left), a university finance lecturer, took on the seven summit challenge with her husband

Mount Everest was the latest peak in the couple's 'seven summit' climbing challenge. Above, Dr Strydom at the top of Denali, the highest mountain in North America

The 34-year-old (seen above with her husband at Uhuru Peak on Kilimanjaro during a previous climb) said she wanted to dispel the idea vegans were 'weak' or 'malnourished' by climbing Everest

Dr Strydom, an experienced climber, returned to Camp 4, the last camp before the mountain's summit, on Friday where she spent the night but died from lack of oxygen the following day

The deaths on the world's tallest mountain have renewed safety concerns after eager climbers flocked to the 8,850-metre summit for the first time since last year when an avalanche triggered by a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Base Camp, and all expeditions ground to a halt.

Weeks before her death Dr Strydom said she and her husband wanted to dispel the belief that vegans were 'weak' or 'malnourished' by taking on the climb.

'It seems that people have this warped idea of vegans being malnourished and weak. By climbing the seven summits we want to prove that vegans can do anything and more,' she had said.

She also told of the dangers most climbers feared when taking on the mountain.

'We've all heard stories of frostbite and having to turn around from excessive waiting times due to inexperienced people blocking routes.

'This can lead to life threatening situations and death where Sherpas and other climbers have to risk their lives to attempt rescues.'

Dr Strydom, an experienced climber, returned to Camp 4, the last camp before the summit, last Friday where she spent the night but died from lack of oxygen the following day.

It is not clear when Dr Strydom's body will be returned to Australia. The trek company confirmed last Sunday it was still on the mountain.

Eric Arnold, a 36-year-old Dutch national, also died on Saturday from altitude sickness. He is pictured above during previous climbs

It was Mr Arnold's fifth attempt at the mountain. He reached the summit on Friday, informing friends online of the accomplishment

Three officials from India have now arrived in Kathmandu to coordinate searches and another mountain rescue team will be deployed Wednesday, Sherpa said

As climbers ascend above 8,000 metres, they enter the 'death zone' - notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air - where oxygen supplies fall to dangerously low levels and make mountaineers susceptible to altitude sickness

'A sherpa has to carry the body to Camp 1 where an air ambulance can pick up but (it is) not fixed when to do that still (sic)' they said.

Her husband, they added, was at base camp. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it was assisting an 'injured' Australian man believed to be Dr Strydom's husband.

'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman reported to have died on Mt Everest in Nepal.

Mr Arnold, a triathlete from Rotterdam, was making his fifth attempt at climbing Everest. On Friday he shared a celebratory photograph on Twitter after reaching the summit.

A tourism official later confirmed he died while making his descent. Authorities are liaising with those in the Netherlands to organise for his body to be airlifted off the mountain.

Three officials from India have now arrived in Kathmandu to coordinate searches and another mountain rescue team will be deployed Wednesday, Sherpa said.

'We are trying to locate them and pray they are okay, but they were very high up and it has been over two days. It is difficult to keep hope alive,' Wangchu Sherpa of Trekking Camp Nepal told AFP.

As climbers ascend above 8,000 metres, they enter the 'death zone' - notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air - where oxygen supplies fall to dangerously low levels and make mountaineers susceptible to altitude sickness.

A live GPS map tracking Dr Strydom's movements gave her family updates on her whereabouts

Above, a spokesman for the trekking company pointed out where Dr Strydom died on a map on Sunday

More than 350 climbers including 140 foreigners have reached the summit of Everest this season after two consecutive years of deadly disasters that led to almost all attempts being abandoned.

US climber Melissa Arnot Monday became the first American woman to successfully summit and descend Everest without using extra oxygen.

'Climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen has been a goal of mine for a long time... I'm incredibly fortunate,' Arnot said in a statement.

Since the first summit of the world's highest peak in 1953 more than 300 people have died on Everest and neighbouring Lhotse, which share the same route until Camp 3 at 7,200 metres.

Despite the risks and recent disasters, Everest's allure remains undimmed, with Nepal issuing 289 permits to foreigners for this year's spring climbing season.

Hundreds of climbers fled Everest last year after an earthquake-triggered avalanche at base camp killed 18 people.

Only one climber reached the top in 2014 after an avalanche killed 16 Nepali guides that year.
Obama took a break from his hectic trip to Vietnam to hang out with Anthony Bourdain again on Tuesday.

The president filmed the second half of his interview with the 'Parts Unknown' host after the White House posted a photo of Bourdain and Obama swigging beers.

The pair shared a dinner at the Bun cha Huong Lien restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Monday, which stunned the 54-year-old owner who had no idea she would be hosting the president.

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Knocking back brews with Barry: 'Parts Unknown' host Anthony Bourdain interviewed Obama on Monday and Tuesday. For the first part of the interview, the pair shared beers over a $6 Bun Cha dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam

New friends: Obama and Bourdain filmed the second half of the interview on Tuesday before the president left for Ho Chi Minh City

Bourdain shook Obama's hand after the pair went shopping in a Hanoi market place, although it is unclear what part two of the interview will entail

Nguyen Thi Lien knew a foreign television crew would be filming in her restaurant but didn't know who their guest would be.

'His presence in our restaurant was a great surprise for my whole family, who could never have imagined it, even in our dreams,' she said Tuesday.

Secret Service and local police closed down the streets surrounding Bun Cha Huong Lien eatery on Monday evening.

A large crowd gathered outside the restaurant, letting out a cheer as Obama exited.

Surrounded by bodyguards, he stopped to greet excited locals, many capturing the moment on their phones, before being whisked away in his limousine.

Nguyen Thi Lien, the owner of the Bun Cha Huong Lien eatery where Bourdain and Obama dined on Monday night said she had no idea the president was coming to her shop

'His presence in our restaurant was a great surprise for my whole family,' Lien said. Secret Service had to shut down the whole street before Obama ate with Bourdain

She said Obama was 'nice' and 'smiling' and that she regretted not getting a picture with the president like those outside her shop did on Monday

'Obama was nice, smiling, cheerful and popular with everyone,' Lien said.

She added that she regretted not posing for a picture with the president.

It was unclear what Bourdain and Obama filmed on Tuesday but it is reported that they went shopping together in a Hanoi market.

Bourdain picked up the $6 tab for Obama after their 'Bun Cha' dinner, typically grilled pork and noodle.

After three days in Hanoi, Obama's next stop on the trip was to Ho Chi Minh City, which he left for right after his interview with Bourdain.

Before parting ways Obama could be seen shaking Bourdain's hand as rain torrential rain fell on Hanoi.

In Ho Chi Minh City Obama did some sightseeing, including a stop to the Jade Emperor Pagoda, considered to be one of the world's most beautiful pagodas.

The pair met for the first time on Monday night over Bun Cha dinner for the first part of the 'Parts Unknown' interview

Bourdain tweeted this picture on Monday, showing he and the president were sat on low blue stools but enjoyed the food and beer

The president was in Hanoi, Vietnam, for three days as part of a trip to Asia and had dinner with Bourdain for their first meeting

Bourdain praised the president, saying his 'chopstick skills' were 'on point' as the two appeared to sip beer

The CNN host said he picked up the president's tab, which only cost him $6. The episode was filmed for the shows eighth season

The CNN host will discuss Obama's interest in the people, food and culture of Vietnam, for an episode to air in September

Before Obama departed the city, Bourdain posted a picture to his Instagram of himself and the president candidly leaning over the silver-topped table while patrons in the background casually enjoy dinner.

He captioned the photo saying Obama's 'chopstick skills' were 'on point' - a talent Obama might have picked up while living with his mother in Indonesia in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

No one appears star-struck or aware of the president and Bourdain as they eat their Monday evening meal.

Bourdain also tweeted: 'Total cost of bun Cha dinner with the President: $6.00. I picked up the check.'

The CNN host discussed Obama's interest in the people, food and culture of Vietnam.

Bourdain's food travelogue is one of the network's most popular nonfiction series. Bourdain's show has been on CNN since 2013.

Rock star president: Local residents hoped to snap a picture as Obama left his evening meal with Bourdain

Obama had his fun with Bourdain but also took serious strides with the U.S.'s former war enemy nation of Vietnam

On Monday Obama lifted a half-century-old ban on selling arms to Vietnam, which was at war with the U.S. beginning in 1955

For each episode the chef travels to a different part of the world to explore that area's culture, primarily by sharing in the area's distinct native cuisine.

The interview with Obama will be featured in the eighth season of 'Parts Unknown,' which begins in September.

Obama had his fun with Bourdain on Monday but also took serious strides with the U.S.'s former war enemy nation of Vietnam during his time in Hanoi.

The president lifted a half-century-old ban on selling arms to Vietnam, looking to bolster a government seen as a crucial, though flawed partner in a region that he has tried to place at the center of his foreign policy legacy.

Obama announced the full removal of the embargo at a news conference where he vowed to leave behind the troubled history between the U.S. and Vietnam

Obama steered clear of harsh condemnation of what critics see as Vietnam's abysmal treatment of dissidents

Obama announced the full removal of the embargo at a news conference where he vowed to leave behind the troubled history between the U.S. and Vietnam and embrace a new era with a young, increasingly prosperous nation.

Obama steered clear of harsh condemnation of what critics see as Vietnam's abysmal treatment of dissidents, describing instead modest progress on rights in the one-party state.
A father left jail sobbings after he was charged with murder for leaving his eight-month-old daughter to die in a hot car.

Joshua Blunt, 25, wept as he emerged from the Grenada County jail in Mississippi on Tuesday, after he was released without bond.

He was arrested last Thursday after forgetting he left daughter Shania Rihanna Caradine in his car for three hours while he went to work at a restaurant.

The temperature in the car would have likely reached over 100F.

Judge Rusty Harlow ordered the release of Blunt on his own recognizance after city prosecutor Jennifer Adams requested the move.

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An emotional Joshua Blunt, center, is surrounded by family members as he is released from the Grenada County Jail in Grenada, Mississippi. He has been charged with murder after leaving his eight-month-old daughter to die in a car

Shania Rihanna Caradine (pictured in Blunt's arms) had been in the car for more than three hours when her father and a co-worker found her unconscious. Temperatures inside are believed to have reached 100F

Blunt struggled to hold back his tears as he embraced relatives and friends who had offered vocal support during the brief court hearing. Judge Rusty Harlow ordered the release of Blunt on his own recognizance after city prosecutor Jennifer Adams requested the move

A friend and a police detective testified to the court he wasn't a flight risk.

There is now the possibility the second-degree murder charge against him could be reduced.

Blunt covered his face and struggled to hold back his tears as he embraced relatives and friends who had offered vocal support during the brief court hearing.

Adams told Harlow that Grenada officials want to reduce the charges against Blunt from second degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison, to culpable negligence, a felony punishable by up to a year in prison.

However, Harlow said he wanted to hear from Grenada County District Attorney Doug Evans, who prosecutes felonies in the county, before making that decision.

Blunt's lawyer, Carlos Moore, has said he will fight that lower-grade felony charge.

Janette Fennell, founder of Kansas-based nonprofit child safety organization KidsAndCars.Org, said criminal charges were filed in just fewer than half of cases involving the deaths of children in hot cars in the United States between 1990 and 2015.

Prosecutors are considering whether to drop the charges from second degree murder to culpable negligence

John Archer, Blunt's brother-in-law, expressed relief that Grenada Municipal Judge Rusty Harlow ordered Blunt's release without bond

The district attorney was present for the hearing but didn't participate. Evans later told The Associated Press that the correct procedure would be for city officials to drop the original murder charge and enter a new culpable negligence charge. Evans said he's seen some information from the investigation, but couldn't comment on whether he believed Blunt knew the child was in the car.

'They'll have to bind it over to the grand jury and we'll have to look at it and decide whether to present it to the grand jury,' Evans said.

Shania Caradine, Blunt's daughter, died Thursday after she was left in her father's car outside the 333 Restaurant in Grenada.

Blunt's lawyer says she was there for about four hours. The lawyer said Blunt and a co-worker found the infant in the car, took Shania inside the restaurant and put cool towels on her to await an ambulance that took her to the University of Mississippi Medical Center Grenada. Grenada County Deputy Coroner Jo Morman said physicians at the hospital tried unsuccessfully for hours to revive the baby.

Blunt was sobbing as he got into a car and drove away from the jail. His legal team have said they will fight to get the charges down-graded

She was the second Mississippi child to die from heatstroke in a vehicle within two weeks. No charges have been brought against a parent in the other case.

Supporters and family members erupted in claps and cheers in the courtroom after Harlow ordered Blunt's release, with one person shouting 'Oh yes!'

John Archer who said he's Blunt's brother-in-law, said he and his wife, Patricia Archer, helped raise him.

'We think it was fair because he's working two jobs and he's never been in trouble. 'He's just trying to support his family. It's just an accident.'

Blunt (left and mugshot right) was set to have the day off on Thursday. His lawyers say the change in schedule meant he forgot to drop off his daughter

He was supposed to drive around to the home of his girlfriend Shanice Caradine's (pictured) to drop off the child but forgot, his lawyers said

Archer said Blunt was called in to work Thursday on a day he had been scheduled to be off. Archer speculated that the change in routine distracted Blunt from dropping off his daughter at the home of Shanice Caradine, the child's mother and Blunt's girlfriend.

Among supporters present Tuesday was Allyson Worsham, who owns the 333 Restaurant. She called Blunt a good worker who had been 'so proud' when his daughter was born.

'This has been a horrible tragedy,' said Worsham said. She thanked a jail guard for watching Blunt, saying he had voiced thoughts of suicide after his daughter's death.

'Shanice sent a message to me that she loves him and that she and Shania forgive him,' Worsham said.
Producers of 60 minutes say they're struggling with a lack of stories as the team behind the botched child retrieval remain on leave.

One insider told the Telegraph on Tuesday that 'the good ideas have quite literally dried up.'

The program is now recruiting journalists from other programs across Channel Nine to help out.

National Nine News anchor Peter Overton has already filed a report, while it's reported that Today host Karl Stefanovic is also being pushed to cover the shortfall.

Producers of 60 minutes say they're struggling with a lack of stories as the team behind the botched child retrieval remain on leave

Nine Network's review of the failed child 'recovery' has been completed and is now being considered by board members, including non-executive chairman Peter Costello, Nine CEO Hugh Marks and former CEO David Gyngell.

The board is attempting to figure out how to respond to the 60 minutes crisis that cost the network over $1 million and saw the news crew detained in a Beirut prison for two weeks.

Nine Network's review of the failed 'recovery' of Sally Faulkner's (pictured) children has been completed and is now being considered by board members

The budget for 60 Minutes has been cut after the report on Sally Faulkner's broken family garnered huge costs, including compensation to Faulkner's estranged husband Ali Elamin (pictured)

National Nine News anchor Peter Overton (left) has already filed a report, while it's reported that Today host Karl Stefanovic (right) is also being pushed to cover the shortfall

The crew consisting of reporter Tara Brown, senior producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment are still on leave after returning home five weeks ago on April 20.

The budget for 60 Minutes has been cut after the report on Sally Faulkner's broken family garnered huge costs, including compensation to Faulkner's estranged husband Ali Elamin.

The executive producer for the program Kirsty Thompson, is 'literally scrambling' for stories.

'A program such as 60 Minutes would usually have stories bedded down and planned weeks and months in advance, but now staff are being redeployed to fill gaps in the schedule,' one insider told the Telegraph.

Today host Karl Stefanovic has been reported to help out the program that's been on air for 37 years, while National Nine News anchor Peter Overton has already filed a report for the program on Saturday night about swimming siblings Cate and Bronte Campbell.

The program's ratings are also causing concern, with a loss of 19 per cent of the audience compared to figures at this time last year. The show dropped more than 200,000 viewers in 2015, down from 2014's 1,207,000 and averages about 790,000 viewers a show.

The crew consisting of reporter Tara Brown (pictured), senior producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment are still on leave after returning home five weeks ago
Advertisement

These are the amazing pictures of the Death Valley National Park in California taken from a light aircraft some 3,000 feet above the barren landscape.

Among the amazing features is the Ubehebe Crater, which is approximately 600 feet deep and half a mile across. The huge feature may only be 300 years old.

Scientists believe the crater was caused by a massive volcanic explosion after hot magma rising from below came in contact with ground water, super-heating it, causing the massive explosion.

Jassen Todorov flew his 1976 Piper Warrior aircraft above the Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley national park in California

The massive crater was caused when magma rose from beneath the airport and super heated the ground water causing the explosion

 Slide me  The people climbing up the side of the crater look like they are not much larger than ants, circled right

The people walking through the park, circled, can be seen from above most easily by the shadows they leave behind due to the low sky

According to the National Parks Service, Ubehebe is the largest and youngest of all the craters in the area.

The amazing images were captured by Jassen Todorov, who was flying his 1976 Piper Warrior aircraft above the park.

Todorov, 41, a music professor from San Francisco, USA, said: 'The photographs were taken from my plane - I am a pilot and aerial photographer.

'Death Valley is one of my favourite areas to explore, and the Ubehebe Crater feels as if it is the Moon. It is very unique and interesting.

'Death Valley is very remote - it was absolutely fascinating to photograph this area.

'I felt as if I was flying over the moon.'

The Death Valley is the lowest, driest and hottest area in North America.

It was named by gold prospectors who were struggling through the harsh landscape in 1849, believing the valley would be their grave.

Here Todorov photographed a number of cars left in a parking area near the massive craters which were caused by explosions

The barren landscape was caused by a massive volcanic explosion although Death Valley is the lowest point in the United States

Todorov said: 'Death Valley is one of my favourite areas to explore, and the Ubehebe Crater feels as if it is the Moon. It is very unique'

Todorov said he enjoys flying over Death Valley as it is a fascinating location due to its extreme climate and high temperatures
For more of the latest Kris Jenner news visit www.dailymail.co.uk/kris

Has been investigated by the New York Department of Education

But school is believed to be the

is set to open in September in New York's Trump Tower

Kris Jenner has become the face of a new $105,000-a-year business school that has operated illegally and suffered a host of legal problems under a different name, according to a report.

The Kardashian family matriarch is chairman of the board of the Legacy Business School (LBC), which is set to open in Trump Tower in September.

The private business school in Manhattan, founded by chief executive Alessandro Nomellino, will offer certificated programs in management business administration as well as creative courses in fashion and marketing.

But, according to an investigation by The Daily Beast, the school was once called the European School of Economics, which was investigated multiple times by the New York Department of Education and has mounting financial issues.

Kris Jenner (pictured in a promotional video) has become the face of a new $105,000-a-year of the Legacy Business School, that operated illegally and suffered a host of legal problems under a different name

The school was once called the European School of Economics (ESE), which was investigated multiple times and has mounting financial issues. Jenner is pictured in Dubai earlier this year with Alessandro Nomellini, the CEO of both LBC and ESE

They were fined and and told to cease their operations after they allegedly advertised illegally and granted degrees without the state's permission.

The University of Buckingham in the UK approved their application to give out bachelors and masters certificates, but their request was denied in New York.

The institution has reportedly been sued at least 12 times in the United States and has had trouble paying off its debt.

According to the blog ESE Leaks, staff have also had issues with wages not being paid.

LBC has denied their links to ESE, but shares a phone number, address, and CEO, Alessandro Nomellini. They also both have offices on the 19th floor of Trump Towers.

The New York State Education Department says an institution needs permission from the Board of Regents to grant a degree.

Yet NYSED spokesman Jonathan Burman told the Daily Beast: 'To the best of our knowledge, ESE never submitted an application for either permission to operate or for degree authority.'

However they still advertised to students, with one Facebook post in 2013 stating: 'Take a Masters Degree in New York awarded by the University of Buckingham and allow the city to catapult you to your professional dreams!'

Angelica Matseyev told the Daily Beast that ESE and LBC are separate entities.

But another New York State Education Department spokesperson, Jeanne Beattie, however, told news website in an email that the European School of Economics 'has applied to change its name to Legacy Business School.'

The private business school in Manhattan, founded by Nomellino, will offer certificated programs in management business administration as well as creative courses in fashion and marketing

Trump and Kris Jenner attend The New York Ball: The 20th Anniversary Benefit For The European School Of Economics at Trump Tower in November 2014

The school also has a campus in Dubai. Last month Jenner flew to the UAE for a press conference.

She made reporters wait for 40 minutes, spoke briefly, and then quickly left for lunch, according to The National.

She said: For those who can hone their creative vision, understand how to amplify their ideas, and apply the tenacity it takes to turn concepts into reality, there is almost nothing that can't be accomplished.

'Unfortunately, these kinds of essential skills are too often neglected in today's schools. The old modes of education simply cannot keep up. The world is just changing too fast.'

'As someone who always expects the best, I was drawn to Alessandro's concept of a white-glove business school, offering the finest amenities, with luxuries that you'd expect from a school created for the global elite.'

When the school opens in September, the first 100 guests who enroll will get an 'exclusive dinner' with Jenner.

Daily Mail Online has reached out to the Legacy Business School, the European School of Economics and New York's Department of Education for comment.

They have not yet responded.
The married delivery man may have

Nachman Breier, 54, was arrested for allegedly peeping on naked motel guests in New Jersey

A 54-year-old man was arrested on Monday for allegedly spying on naked guests in a New Jersey motel.

Police said Nachman Breier, of Spring Valley, New York, attempted to photograph naked couples at the Skyview Motel in Fort Lee on at least two occasions, the Record reported.

On one occasion, Breier allegedly opened a window, moved aside the curtains, and tried to take pictures with his cell phone of a couple having sex, police said.

The copulating guests noticed him, at which point Breier fled in a black Toyota Sienna with a New York Volunteer Ambulance Service license plate, police said.

Around 5:30pm on Wednesday, motel employees called police after a male guest complained a man, later identified as Breier, opened a window and snapped pictures of the motel guest and his wife.

The guest told police he saw the man drive away in a dark-colored minivan, the Record reported.

After his arrest Breier was charged with invasion of privacy and released on his own recognizance.

He is described as a married man who delivers beverages for a living. Cops believe he may have committed similar crimes in the past.
Christopher Walsh Atkins was one of two producers behind the Starsuckers film. Today he was in court charged with fraud in regard to the movie's finances

Two film producers created a 'web of lies' to get taxpayers to finance a BAFTA nominated film, a court heard today.

Christopher Walsh Atkins, 40, and Christina Slater, 37, vastly inflated invoice costs to ensure they received investment for their Starsuckers film, it is claimed.

A Government scheme allows British films of all budget levels to claim a payable cash rebate of up to 25 per cent of expenditure.

Atkins and Slater priced their movie - described as a 'critique of the rise of the celebrity culture' - at more than double its actual cost, allowing them to claim back an inflated cash sum, Southwark Crown Court today heard.

Shane Collery, prosecuting, said: 'These defendants and others essentially created a web of lies to assist others to obtain tax relief to which they were not entitled.

'They did so because this was the way they obtained funding for the film ventures they engaged in.

'That came first. That was what mattered to them and it was more important than if the taxpayer in this country effectively lost money.'

The pair are said to have taken advantage of the UK Film Tax Relief scheme, set up to support the British film industry.

They allegedly inflated invoice costs to make it appear as if two Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) - created by chartered accountant Terence Potter - had lost money.

Mr Collery explained: 'Investors in those LLPs could then use those losses to reduce their tax bills.

'Potter in particular was the creator of a scheme that required that the two LLPs he formed, and indeed others, made losses.

'This itself would then mean that investors in those LLPs could use those losses to reduce their tax bills.

'Those investors provided the money that would be used in part to pay for the film Walsh Atkins and Slater produced and another project.

'Without the involvement of Walsh Atkins and Slater it would not have worked.'

The tax relief that investors supposedly received from the alleged scam were seen as the 'carrot' attracting them to invest in the film.

Christopher Walsh Atkins (pictured, left, outside court today), 40, and Christina Slater (right), 37, vastly inflated invoice costs to ensure they received investment for their Starsuckers film, it is claimed

A 'Mercedes Movie project' was also planned but never finished.

'Starsuckers cost less than half of that which they represented to HMRC,' said Mr Collery

'We are dealing with two educated and intelligent individuals who are engaged in interesting work, work with a little glamour perhaps.

The tax relief that investors supposedly received from the alleged scam were seen as the 'carrot' attracting them to invest in the film - described as a 'critique of the rise of the celebrity culture'

'However, they appear to have decided that honesty could play second place to other ends.'

Walsh Atkins, of Hampstead, and Slater, of Tottenham, each deny two counts of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, three of false accounting and one of fraud.

The trial continues.
Celebrity defence lawyer Chris Murphy is claiming that a man punched him in the head in a road rage attack.

Mr Murphy posted a photo of a truck in Sydneys Bondi Junction on Tuesday afternoon to social media in an effort to identify the alleged attacker.

Caltex driver blocks path. I say nil. Opens door punches my face. Takes off. 40yo male, Mr Murphys tweeted.

Celebrity defence lawyer Chris Murphy (pictured) claimed on Tuesday that he was 'coward punched' by a 40-year-old man in an unprovoked attack near Sydney's Bondi Junction

He posted photo of the alleged attacker's truck to Twitter in an effort to identify the man (pictured)

If you were driver of [license plate] who coward punched me today, you may find you chose the wrong victim.

Easy to kill person on Warfarin. Life sentence 4 you too, Mr Murphy continued, posting a third picture of the truck.

Mr Murphy has represented several high-profiled clients, including actor Matthew Newton, who has had several brushes with the law.

If you were driver of [license plate] who coward punched me today, you may find you chose the wrong victim, Mr Murphy said on social media

Mr Murphy has represented several high-profiled clients, including actor Matthew Newton, (pictured) who has had several brushes with the law

He also represented James packers ex-wife Jodhi Mears after she was arrested for high range drink driving in 2014.

Mr Murphy defended former NRL star Hazem El Masri when he was accused by his estranged wife of assault.

He also briefly represented Man Monis, who held 17 people hostage at the Lindt Cafe in December 2014, during a bail variation for charges pressed against Monis in 2009, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Murphy defended former NRL star Hazem El Masri when he was accused by his estranged wife of assault (pictured)

He also represented James packers ex-wife Jodhi Mears (pictured) after she was arrested for high range drink driving in 2014
A woman was reunited this month with her class ring that vanished more than twenty years ago, due to the help of an Ohio plumber.

Cherie Kissiar's 1991 class ring was discovered by Mr. Rooter plumber Trent Dawson.

He said in an interview with WOIO: 'I found it in the floor drain, didn't actually get it out from the floor drain, got it out of my shop vac.'

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Cherie Kissiar (pictured) was reunited this month with her class ring that vanished more than twenty years ago, due to the help of an Ohio plumber

Top class: Kissiar (seen with her ring) has said the ring was one of the last things her mother bought for her

Kissiar graduated from Mansfield Senior High School in Mansfield, Ohio, in 1991. Her ring is seen here

Kissiar told the station: 'I was 17 when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. One of the last things she ever bought me was my ring, my class ring.'

Kissiar's 1991 class ring disappeared that same year, The Mansfield-News Journal reported.

Incredibly, it's not the only ring that Dawson has given back to its owner - the plumber was able to find the owners of three other rings.

Dawson's daughter Tori had discovered four stranger's rings in her mother's jewelry box, the teen told WOIO.

Dawson told the TV station: 'At the end of the day, if it wasn't for my daughter telling me I need to find the owners, they'd still be in the jewelry box collecting dust.'

Social media was used to locate the ring owners.

Dawson's daughter Tori (right) had discovered four stranger's rings in her mother's jewelry box. Dawson (left) has said: 'if it wasn't for my daughter telling me I need to find the owners, they'd still be in the jewelry box collecting dust'

Dawson reunited Karen Singrey with her 1972 class ring that disappeared in 2008. Dawson and Singrey are pictured together here

Digging deep: Dawson has said he found Karen Singrey's ring in a sewer line

Dawson reunited Karen Singrey with her 1972 class ring that disappeared in 2008, telling WOIO: 'I found that one in a sewer line, it was attached to a necklace wrapped up in roots.'

Singrey told the TV station: 'There's no words, it's just so amazing. This is like a flash from the past.'

Connie Keck's 1969 class ring disappeared in the 1980s and was discovered in a manhole, Dawson told The Mansfield News Journal.

She came up from Florida to get the ring, the newspaper reported.

Dawson told the news outlet he's going to mail a 1989 class ring to its owner, a man living in Kentucky.
An Indigenous woman said she 'felt like dirt' after a security guard at Queensland's Parliament House denied her entry as she was wearing a shirt with the Aboriginal flag on it.

Janine Kelly claims she was turned away from the state's parliamentary chambers on Tuesday when she tried to enter the gallery to show her support for the appointment of an Indigenous police commissioner.

She said a guard spotted her wearing a black t-shirt emblazoned with the Aboriginal flag and approached her to advise she had to turn the shirt inside out before entering or leave.

'I'm shocked and disappointed that we still have to deal with racism from our institutions in this country,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Janine Kelly (right) said she 'felt like dirt' after a security guard at Queensland's Parliament House denied her entry as she was wearing a shirt with the Aboriginal flag on it

Ms Kelly, said she protested and slammed the man over the 'racist' demands but he simply shrugged his shoulders and said he was 'just doing his job'.

'I felt shamed and made to feel like dirt, so I'm very hurt and angry,' she added.

Ms Kelly, who put a jumper over the shirt, said she has not had a problem getting into Parliament House before and never thought she would be harassed simply for wearing clothing with Aboriginal symbols.

'You get looks by people and you know they look twice, but nobody ever said you can't wear that'

'I wear it everywhere since I bought it about a month ago and no one has ever said anything.'

She said she was so proud of her heritage that she even sleeps in the shirt.

Ms Kelly claims two other women were told they had to turn their shirts inside our or face ejection.

According to the Brisbane Times, parliamentary bylaws prohibit donning a banner, sign or symbol that is affiliated with a particular cause or political party.

However, Clerk of the Parliament Neil Laurie said the security guard should have made a judgement call in to allow Ms Kelly to enter and apologised for the incident, adding that the guard would be counselled on the bylaws.

Parliamentary bylaws prohibit donning a banner, sign or symbol that is affiliated with a particular cause or political party, but Clerk of the Parliament Neil Laurie said the security guard should have made a judgement call in to allow Ms Kelly to enter and apologised for the incident

'Now in this case I think the officer just made a bad judgment call because the Aboriginal flag in itself shouldn't be, isn't one of those things,' he told the Brisbane Times.

He blamed it on the guard making a snap decision and said it definitely should 'not have been prohibited'.

'I'm always one to admit when my guys get it wrong and in this case they did,' he said.

Ms Kelly, of the Nhanada Wachinar and Amangu Yamaji tribes from Western Australia, had not received a formal apology at the time of publication but said she would accept one in writing.

She was attending the sitting on Tuesday to bring attention to the number of Indigenous Australians currently serving time in jail, making up a over a quarter of the nation's prison population.

Ms Kelly said the issue was particularly close to her as her 22-year-old niece died in prison after complaining that she was unwell to guards two days after she was locked up in 2014.
An Oklahoma man believes he has finally stopped a burglar from repeatedly breaking into his house, after catching the thief red-handed and placing him under citizen's arrest.

Ted Starr says that his home in McClain County has been burglarized nearly a dozen times over the years, with clothes, his computer and other items worth anything going missing.

However he believes that the days of being robbed are over, after he personally apprehended an intruder. Starr said he had a feeling his house would be burglarized, so he unexpectedly returned home.

Upon arrival, he noticed a battery had been removed from his camper and there was a bag outside the house that didn't belong to him.

''Hey, you! Get on the ground now!': This intruder was caught coming out of the home of an Oklahoma man, who placed the thief under citizen's arrest

Ted Starr says that his home in McClain County, Oklahoma, has been burglarized nearly a dozen times over the years, but he believes he has finally caught the man responsible

Scene: Starr says he had just returned home and saw this bag - which does not belong belong to him - on the outside table

'I immediately got on the phone and called my father,' Starr told KFOR.

The next minute, the back opened and a stranger stepped out.

'I said ''Hey, you! Get on the ground now! Get down'',' Starr said.

The man followed the orders, and Starr decided to recorded the incident on his phone.

In the recording, the man can be heard saying that he did not take anything.

'I promise on the Bible I was just sleeping, man. I was walking by, and I fell asleep,' he said in the recording.

David James Robertson, 42, was arrested and charged, including second degree burglary

Police arrived at the scene and arrested the man, identified as David James Robertson, 42.

He is facing a couple of charges, including second degree burglary.

Robertson was released on a $5,000 bond.

Starr said he did not feel sorry for the man. Actually he felt angry.

'A lot of anger. You're taking stuff that I've worked for, that I work hard for, and you don't want to get a job, so you'll just take what I have and, on top of that, you're taking sentimental stuff,' Starr said.
A homegrown terrorist suspect was arrested in his Bronx home in a dawn raid Tuesday on charges of providing material support to ISIS and passport fraud.

Sajmir Alimehmeti, 22, was rejected twice trying to enter the United Kingdom after his camouflage clothing, nunchakus and Islamic State flag images on his cellphone raised suspicions.

The New York City man is also said to have put on ISIS decapitation videos to keep himself 'motivated' while he worked out, according to the criminal complaint.

Sajmir Alimehmeti, 22, (pictured) was arrested in his Bronx home in a dawn raid Tuesday on charges of providing material support to ISIS and passport fraud

A criminal complaint signed by an FBI agent described Alimehmeti (pictured) as repeatedly demonstrating support for the Islamic State since 2014

The arrest followed an investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which has rounded up more than six people on similar charges in the last year. Pictured: FBI agents carrying boxes of belongings seized at Alimehmeti's apartment Tuesday

The arrest followed an investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which has rounded up more than six people on similar charges in the last year.

Alimehmeti appeared in Manhattan federal court later that day, it was not immediately known who would represent him at his initial appearance.

A criminal complaint signed by an FBI agent described Alimehmeti as repeatedly demonstrating support for the Islamic State since 2014.

According to court papers, Alimehmeti tried this month to provide advice and assistance to a person he thought was traveling from New York to Syria to train and fight with the Islamic State.

Federal investigators allege that the 22-year-old has spent the past two years trying to get to Raqqa, which he referred to as the 'heart' of ISIS's operation.

The FBI complaint described how employees of the agency and the New York City Police Department gave Alimehmeti numerous opportunities to demonstrate his enthusiasm for the Islamic State after authorities in the United Kingdom ordered him twice returned to the United States in the fall of 2014.

The court papers said he was wearing camouflage pants and shirts and carrying nunchakus in his luggage when he arrived at Manchester Airport in October 2014, and he was denied entry at Heathrow Airport two months later when authorities spotted images of Islamic State flags and bombing attacks on his cellphone and laptop computer.

Investigators also said that he had been building up a small arsenal of weapons over the last year from an online store. This included a stash of knifes, a reversible face mask, a set of Smith & Wesson handcuffs and gloves with steel knuckles (Pictured: Images of arsenal stash pictured in complaint)

The New York City man is also said to have ISIS decapitation videos to keep himself 'motivated' while he worked out, according to the criminal complaint. PIctured: Alimehmeti's Bronx apartment

According to court papers, Alimehmeti tried this month to provide advice and assistance to a person he thought was traveling from New York to Syria to train and fight with the Islamic State

Federal investigators allege that the 22-year-old has spent the past two years trying to get to Raqqa (pictured) which he called the 'heart' of ISIS's operation

Alerted by UK authorities, the FBI went to work, introducing Alimehmeti to undercover law enforcement agents who posed as Islamic State recruits interested in traveling to Syria, according to court papers.

The FBI said Alimehmeti helped the undercover law enforcement operatives buy equipment necessary in land controlled by the Islamic State.

It also said Alimehmeti repeatedly expressed his desire to help the terrorist group, even claiming that music videos including one depicting its fighters decapitating prisoners kept him motivated while he exercised.

Investigators also said that he had been building up a small arsenal of weapons over the last year from an online store, according to the complaint.

This included a stash of knifes, a reversible face mask, a set of Smith & Wesson handcuffs and gloves with steel knuckles.

Alimehmeti appeared in Manhattan federal court (pictured later that day, it was not immediately known who would represent him at his initial appearance

According to the court papers, Alimehmeti was told that one of his undercover law enforcement contacts was going to join the Islamic State and Alimehmeti 'expressed his excitement at this and inquired whether he could travel,' as well.

The FBI said Alimehmeti told the law enforcement operatives that he had saved $2,500 for his own travel but needed to get a passport in a different name because his name was 'already in the system.'

He told the agent: 'I'm ready to fking go with you man. You know I would  I'm done with this place. There are kuffar [unbelievers] everywhere', according to the complaint.

The court papers said Alimehmeti told the undercover contacts he and his brother 'had our own plan' to travel from Albania to Syria but that his brother had been arrested in Albania.

In a footnote, the FBI said in court papers that Alimehmeti's brother was arrested on weapons and assault charges in Albania last August.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old from Pennsylvania pleaded not guilty Tuesday to accusations he tweeted out the names and addresses of military personnel with threats of violence.

Jalil Ibn Ameer Aziz pleaded not guilty to federal charges of solicitation to commit a crime of violence and transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure.

Jalil Ibn Ameer Aziz (left) pleaded not guilty to federal charges of solicitation to commit a crime of violence and transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure. Right: Police tape blocks off a road leading to a home in Harrisburg where Aziz was arrested in on Dec 17, 2015

Assistant federal public defender Thomas Thornton called Aziz 'just a kid who made mistakes' and said he does not believe Aziz is a threat. He said his client is 'overwhelmed' by the charges against him.

During the brief hearing, Thornton withdrew a request that Aziz be released from Dauphin County Prison and placed under house arrest with his parents, saying Aziz's parents love him but 'don't feel they can undergo the scrutiny' of the courts and media.

Aziz pleaded not guilty in December to trying to help a group designated by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors alleged that Aziz used Twitter to spread Islamic State propaganda and concealed a bag loaded with ammunition behind a dryer in his home.

Authorities allege in a criminal complaint that Aziz used 57 Twitter accounts traced to the central Pennsylvania home he shares with his parents to advocate violence, encourage people to fund jihadist groups and express a desire to travel to territory controlled by the Islamic State group.

Thornton has called the charges excessive for a teenager tweeting from his bedroom.
A man accused of killing his housemate hid the body in the bath for a week and washed him repeatedly to cover the smell before dismembering his body, the Supreme Court of Victoria heard on Tuesday.

Mathew David Brennan is accused of killing his housemate Brendan Bernard, 32, in January 2015 before dumping parts of his body into the Maribyrnong River, north of Melbourne, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Chief Crown Prosecutor Gavin Silbert, QC, alleged that Mr Brennan kept Mr Bernard's body at the North Melbourne apartment they shared before dismembering him a week later in a 'record time' of an hour and 20 minutes.

Mathew Brennan allegedly killed his housemate Brendan Bernard (pictured) in January 2015 at their Melbourne apartment and left the body in the bath for a week, a court heard on Tuesday

Mr Brennan is accused of washing the body repeatedly to cover the smell before dismembering Mr Bernard and dumping his body into the Maribyrnong River (pictured)

Mr Brennan, who is believed to have a history of drug use, and two other men - Constantinos George Spaliaras and Edward Lionel Hill - have been charged with Mr Bernard's murder.

All three of the men are alleged to have attacked Mr Bernard in his apartment and cutting his throat with a razor before bashing him, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Bernard's arm was found floating in a plastic bag in the river on February 5, 2015, and was later identified by his family when police released an image of a devil tattoo found on the body part.

Mr Bernard's body was later identified by a devil tattoo (pictured) on an arm recovered from the river

The jury was told that after Mr Bernard's death, Mr Brennan allegedly told a neighbor that he 'got rid of that guy...he was a really bad guy.'

It was suggested last year that the men had discussed cooking and eating Mr Bernard's body as a way of getting rid of it.

The hearing is ongoing.
The animals, which include interactive lighting, sound effects and moving parts, all represent

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Taronga Zoo has opened its doors to a never before seen breed of wildlife  literal party animals.

To celebrate the Sydney zoo's 100th birthday, Vivid light and music festival will cross the Harbour Bridge to bring an array of enormous illuminated animals to the zoo for the first time.

Ten giant sculptures of critical Australian species - including spiders, crocodiles and turtles  were lit up Tuesday night as a trial ahead of the official opening on Friday.

A funnel-web spider light sculpture is seen during a media preview of Vivid Sydney illuminated displays at Taronga Zoo

Vivid light and music festival will cross the Harbour Bridge to bring an array of enormous illuminated animals to the zoo for the first time

Ten giant sculptures of critical Australian species - including spiders, crocodiles and turtles  were lit up Tuesday night as a trial ahead of the official opening on Friday

The animals, which include interactive lighting, sound effects and moving parts, all depicted threatened species that the zoo is battling to save from extinction.

The festival promises huge projections across the zoo's heritage-listed buildings coupled with larger-than-life animal light sculptures and thousands of lanterns.

NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman said combining two of Sydney's tourist attractions was a perfect way to highlight the zoo's centenary.

'For years Vivid has been shining a light on the city of Sydney and now it will shine a light on the conservation work done by Taronga Zoo.'

Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said the festival, which will this year feature musical performances from Bjork, New Order and Bon Iver, boosted Sydney's visitor numbers in the traditionally quieter winter months.

'Last year it generated over $40 million of expenditure,' he said.

The animals, inc;uding this pangolin, include interactive lighting, sound effects and moving parts

All of the animals depicted threatened species that the zoo is battling to save from extinction

NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman said combining two of Sydney's tourist attractions was a perfect way to highlight the zoo's centenary

A giant lantern in the shape of an endangered corroboree frog sits against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge

The festival promises huge projections across the zoo's heritage-listed buildings coupled with larger-than-life animal light sculptures and thousands of lanterns

The festival, which will this year feature musical performances from Bjork, New Order and Bon Iver, boosted Sydney's visitor numbers in the traditionally quieter winter months

A Sumatran Tiger light sculpture is displayed during a media preview of Vivid Sydney illuminated displays at Taronga Zoo
Donald Trump has been raising theclaims in interviews and in a new ad as part of his campaign to take down Hillary Clinton

The 90s were back in full force as she was joined by two other accusers, Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey, who repeated claims of harassment

She tells Sean Hannity's radio podcast she was in a 'state of shock' at the time

A trio of women who have accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct detailed Monday what they say happened years ago  and why they held back from going to the police or going public at the time.

'I was still in a state of shock and felt like it was my fault. I felt like it was my fault and I just had to accept it for letting him come to my room,' said Juanita Broaddrick, who came forward in 1999 with accusation that Clinton raped her in an Arkansas hotel room two decades earlier.

'That was just how we felt back then,' she told Sean Hannity's podcast Monday night.

Broaddrick retold her story of a decades-old encounter with Clinton in his hotel room, a day after Donald Trump's campaign released a new web ad that uses her accusations, and after the candidate himself mentioned the word 'rape' to describe what happened then in an appearance on Hannity's show television show on Fox News.

'I felt like it was my fault,' Broaddrick said on Sean Hannity's radio show

Bill Clinton visited Braoddrick's nursing home in Van Buren Arkansas

Paula Jones filed the sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill Clinton had ultimately helped spur his impeachment while former White House volunteer Kathleen Willey accused Clinton of groping her

Kathleen Willey was a fundraiser who lived in Virginia and knew Clinton personally

'It's hard for me to say the word "rape". I always usually say "sexual assault" but rape is the perfect terminology for what happened,' Broaddrick explained.

Broaddrick, who was attending a nursing conference at the time of the alleged incident, said she agreed to meet Clinton for coffee in his hotel room despite some misgivings.

'I felt apprehensive, but he was the [state] attorney general,' she said. 'I believed him. I believed it would not have been good to meet down in the coffee shop. I even ordered coffee to the room.'

She repeated her story that Clinton then forcibly had sex with her and bit her lip to the point of making it bleed.

When it was over, 'He calmly walks to the door and puts on his sunglasses and turns and says you better put some ice on that. I was shocked,' she said.

Broaddrick described how she later attended an event attended by Bill and Hillary Clinton, a fact that has been used to undermine her story.

She said she wanted to leave the event but Hillary Clinton approached her and delivered what Broaddrick perceived as a threat. 'She pulled me back into her and said very low, she said do you understand everything you do? And it frightened me, to say the least.'

Hannity had three Clinton accusers on the same program, as the Clinton scandals of the 90s come roaring back, fueled by constant mentions and attacks by Trump on the campaign trail. Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey each told their stories, which made headlines during Clinton's presidency and campaigns.

Hannity said he knew all three women and had interviewed them previously.

Bill Clinton has been campaigning hard for his wife's election

Jones described how she met Clinton after a member of his security detail first approached her at a development conference in Arkansas when Clinton was governor.

Clinton 'was kind of staring at us, over at us, you could kinda tell he was looking at us,' she said.

Hannity interjected: 'You know if you're being quote checked out.'

'If it weren't for that, Sean, It's called the Clinton eye sweep,' interjected Willey.

'Ooh. Now I need to take a shower,' said Hannity, in one of several moments of levity despite the serious nature of the accusations.

After Clinton's security invited her up to the then-governor's suite, Jones explained: 'I was very reluctant. We're like oh maybe he wants to  gets us a job or something,' she explained, having been a young state employee at the time.

'It never crossed my mind that I was going to go up here and he would do that. Ever,' she said.

Jones sued Clinton for sexual harassment, charging that he lured her to his room in the Excelsior hotel, tried to kiss her and dropped his pants in an attempt to get oral sex.

Then in an odd twist, Jones left the program in the middle of the interview to answer the door.

'Oh you know what. Can you all just hang on? I have a sheriff guy at my house,' she said. 'I'm sorry. Can you all go to somebody else? I've got to got the door I'm sorry.'

'This is live radio, folks,' Hannity explained, before turning to Willey's story.

Broaddrick brought back the issue on Twitter in January

Fox News host Sean Hannity said he believes all three Clinton accusers 'a hundred thousands per cent'

Hannity told the three women on his show: 'I've known you all for years. You've all become friends of mine. I have respect for all of you.'

He said he believed them 'a hundred thousand percent.'

Willey, a White House volunteer who had helped raise funds for Clinton, sought a White House meeting with Clinton in 1993 after she got in financial trouble as her husband faced possible jail time.

'We were in serious financial trouble. We had one in college and one on the way to medical school and a nice life,' she said.

'I'm going to go to the president and tell him that I need a job,' she decided.

Willey ended up in the Oval Office with Clinton, and says the two talked in a kitchenette area  the same area where trysts with Monica Lewinsky were said to have occurred.

Willey says she came to Clinton for help getting a government job

'The next thing I knew he had me back into a corner, all over me, whispering in my ear. I didn't know what to do. It was just like Paula and Juanita's. You don't know what to do. And I'm thinking to myself, what in the world is he doing?'

'His hand's up my skirt. He put my hand on his crotch. He had his hands on my breasts. His hands were all over me, whispering in my ear tha, 'I've been wanting to do this first time I met you,'' she said.

'I remember saying to him, 'Aren't you afraid somebody's gonna walk in here like Hillary or anybody. And he said, 'No, I know where everybody is all the time.''

Bill Clinton reached an $850,000 settlement with Jones in 1998, ending a lawsuit that culminated in his impeachment trial in Congress. Clinton admitted no wrongdoing.

Clinton 'emphatically denied' Willey's accusation in a 1998 deposition. The Independent Counsel's report on President Clinton found that Willey had made false statements during her deposition in Jones' lawsuit and also made false statements to the FBI about her sexual relationship wtih a former boyfriend.

Hillary Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill denied the charge when Trump first raised the issues on Hannity.

'Trump is doing what he does best, attacking when he feels wounded and dragging the American people through the mud for his own gain.'

The old allegations about her husband reemerged after Hillary Clinton said December 3 in New Hampshire that, ''Every survivor of sexual assault deserves to be heard, believed, and supported.'

Broaddrick told WRKO in Boston on Tuesday: ''It's important for everyone to know that Hillary Clinton is not innocent in all of the cover up and the attempted attacks on all of the women that Bill Clinton abused.'

She added: 'I think she's been very paramount.'

NBC's Andrea Mitchell last week called Broaddrick 'discredited,' a claim Broaddrick herself disputed.

'It's simply outrageous for Andrea Mitchell to spew such a lie,' Broaddrick said. 'Nothing has changed from the detailed investigation that NBC did into my story in [1999] before airing it. And now, if NBC thinks my experience has been discredited, why did Andrea Mitchell call me and ask me for new information about my encounter with Hillary?' she said.
The baby was born prematurely and is now

Sentenced: Candace Stanley, 23, was on drugs when she left her baby on a pile of trash, told paramedics it was an alien and refused to hold it in 2014. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday

A Tulsa woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison for neglect after she gave birth prematurely at home while on drugs, claimed her baby was an alien and was found swinging the placenta around by paramedics.

Candace Marie Stanley, 23, pleaded guilty on Monday to the neglect charge, which said she had exposed her newborn boy to drugs including Xanax, marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin.

She also admitted to not providing the first aid care demanded by a 911 dispatcher, instead placing the child on a pile of trash in her apartment and playing with the placenta, Tulsa World reported.

Paramedics were called to Stanley's apartment on December 16, 2014, in what was at that point an 'unknown medical emergency.'

An earlier report by Tulsa World said that Stanley had made 'intermittent' calls to 911 in which she had described a 'baby or alien' in her apartment.

When they arrived, they found Stanley naked and bleeding on a couch, 'swinging the placenta,' while the baby lay on a pile of trash nearby, according to Emily OBanion, a critical care paramedic with EMSA.

O'Banion told the court in March 2015 that the apartment was a filthy 'drug hovel,' and that she found the baby - who was turning blue and not moving or breathing - on top of a container full of trash.

'Hovel': Stanley's apartment was located in the 13000 block of East 16th Place (pictured), and described as looking like a 'drug hovel' by a paramedic. The baby they found there is now paralyzed on one side of its body

She told Stanley to hold the baby to her for the warmth that was needed to resuscitate him, but Stanley refused.

The baby, who was born at 36 weeks - making him premature by one week - was taken to hospital, where he underwent life-saving operations, including a heart-lung bypass operation due to lack of oxygen.

He also tested positive for methamphetamine, marijuana and Xanax. Stanley herself tested positive for amphetamines, according to the court affidavit.

While in hospital, Stanley told the medical team she had used meth and marijuana while pregnant and received little natal care. She also admitted to being a heroin addict.

Hospital staff later told police she thought they were vampires trying to 'get her.'

In his closing argument Stanley's lawyer, M.J. Denman, told the judge that his client was a victim of a long-term habit, having begun using drugs at 13.

But Assistant District Attorney Andrea Brown said that despite previous jail sentences and treatments, Stanley has repeatedly gone back to drugs - and even admitted to smoking meth in Tulsa Jail while awaiting trial.

She also said that Stanley had also exposed her previous newborn - over whom she no longer has custody - to drugs.

The child in this case, now 17 months old, will never be able to fully use one side of his body due to damage he sustained, the court heard in a victim impact statement written by the woman who is caring for him. Denman said there was no medical evidence proving that was caused by drug use.

Read out to the court by Brown, the statement from the carer said that the child was now happy - but that she dreads the day that he discovers the circumstances surrounding his birth.

Stanley began to cry when that last part was read out, Tulsa World reported.

The child is now being adopted by a woman who - quite coincidentally - is the sister of one of the paramedics who responded to Stanley's 'alien' call.

Tulsa County District Judge William LaFortune said that Stanley must serve one year of her 15-year sentence before he will consider reducing it.
John Oliver and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov have become embroiled in a bizarre social media clash after the comedian poked fun at the hard man's appeal to find his missing cat.

Oliver, 39, spent part of his HBO show 'Last Week Tonight' mocking Kadyrov, who had taken to Instagram for help in finding his pet - a domestic cat resembling a tiger cub.

The British television host told viewers on Sunday how 'the entire Chechen Republic was put on notice this week, because its leader couldn't find his cat'.

John Oliver and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov have become embroiled in a bizarre social media clash after the comedian poked fun at the hard man's Instagram appeal (pictured) to find his missing cat

Oliver tweeted a photograph of himself holding a feline along with the caption: '@RKadyrov Is this your cat?'

He then teased Kadyrov for posting numerous pictures online showing him wearing Vladimir Putin t-shirts and pointed to allegations of human rights violations made against the strongman.

At one point, he told the audience: 'We need to find this mans f*****g cat and we need to do it yesterday.'

Oliver then tweeted a photograph of himself holding a feline along with the caption: '@RKadyrov Is this your cat?'

But the 39-year-old leader, who came to power in 2007 after a vicious armed struggle with a number of other Chechen strongmen, then posted an unexpected response on Instagram a day later.

Kadyrov posted a photoshopped image of Oliver wearing a Putin T-shirt, complete with the caption 'Im tired of jokes, I want to care for cats in Chechnya. By the way, Putin is our leader!'

As well as the picture, he wrote a rambling post explaining that his 'tiger cat' had left the house.

'It happens in spring from time to time. He also needs to meet with friends, mingle and share news. By cat rumors he has in our district a familiar she-cat with which hes going to start a family. Im sure that after spring affairs, the cat will return to native walls. Perhaps, he'll bring his sweet love with him.'

In another part of the post, in broken English, he adds: 'The anchorman comedian - John Oliver asks millions of viewers to look for a cat. I knew long ago that in the USA unevenly breathe to my younger friends. One day horses aren't allowed to jump, the other - a cat is a real star of a show.'

He then launches into a defence of Putin's foreign policy and described the Russian leader as 'a wise, courageous, resolute Head.'

In his first post about his missing 'toyger' cat, he had described how 'we have begun to seriously worry' and that he would be 'grateful for any information' about the animal's whereabouts, the Guardian reports.

Kadyrov posted a photoshopped image of Oliver (above) wearing a Putin T-shirt, complete with the caption 'Im tired of jokes, I want to care for cats in Chechnya. By the way, Putin is our leader!'

The 39-year-old leader (pictured), who came to power in 2007 after a vicious armed struggle with a number of other Chechen strongmen, posted an unexpected response on Instagram a day later

Kadyrov is considered an the internet-savvy leader and is known for having a wildly popular Instagram page where there are pictures of him cuddlng up to kittens and hobnobbing with film stars.

But he is also a former warlord accused of running the Russian republic 'like a medieval tyrant'.

The father-of-eight has uploaded more than 4,800 posts and has around 905,000 followers to his kadyrov_95 account on the photo-sharing site.

He has shown a particular fondness for snaps of himself with cute fluffy kittens, baby birds, lambs and even tigers.

In May 2013 he posted snaps of himself with Liz Hurley and a white kitten on Instagram after meeting the actress when she arrived in Chechnya to film thriller Turquoise with French actor Gerard Depardieu.

Putin has relied on Kadyrov to stabilise Chechnya after two separatist wars, effectively allowing him to rule the region like a personal fiefdom.

Kadyrov's unparalleled privileges and defiant behavior have earned him numerous enemies in Russia's law-enforcement agencies, whose leaders have long pushed for his dismissal.
One person has died and another is seriously injured after a digger fell from a low loader trailer and dropped on top of a car in a shocking crash.

Police said a 'very serious' road crash had occurred at around 11am in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The trailer collided with a bus before the JCB tumbled onto the silver car below and crushed those inside.

One person has died after a digger fell from a low loader trailer and dropped on top of a car (pictured)

The digger fell onto the car before a double-decker bus and other vehicles were hit in the carnage.

The male driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene and the male driver of the agricultural vehicle was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where staff describe his condition as serious.

A lamppost was also knocked over in the mayhem that happened near the entrance to a building side.

Emergency services remain at the scene in Fernhill Road where witnesses have suggested four passengers were in the car before it was crushed.

Surrounding streets leading to the crash site also cordoned off, including access to nearby houses.

One resident said: 'It looks absolutely horrific and I just feel for the people involved.

'I have heard there has been a death which is just so sad.

Nearby resident David Gillespie referred to the crash as 'horrendous' and compared it to a 'worst nightmare'

Margaret Ferrier, SNP MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, took to Twitter to voice her devastation

'It is a very busy road this but I have never seen anything like this before here.

'My heart goes out to the families involved, it's just so upsetting knowing somebody has died there.'

David Gillespie, 63, of Rutherglen, added: 'This is just horrendous and I can't imagine what it must have been like to be in that car.

'The driver of the lorry must be devastated as well, it is your worst nightmare something like this happening.

'I don't know how many people were in the car but hopefully nobody else dies.

'It is a tragic looking scene.'

Margaret Ferrier, SNP MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West took to Twitter to express her sadness.

She tweeted: 'Devastated to hear of the incident today in my constituency of Rutherglen - my thoughts are with all involved.'

One witness told Glasgow Live that the lorry seemed to lose control as it drove down a hill.

'The truck appeared to lose control as it came down the hill.

'It hit a lampost and the JCB came off the back of the truck and the bus crashed into it.

Witnesses have suggested there were four passengers in the car and that there are a number of casualties

South Lanarkshire Council has confirmed that the road is shut at its junction with Croftfoot Road because of a serious crash

'There's a car in the ditch at the side of the road and there's a car under the JCB. We've heard there are two people in it.

'They've put a screen up around the JCB so you can't see what's happening but you can see that the car is still there beneath it.'

Sergeant Alison McAuley from the divisional road policing unit said: 'An extensive recovery operation, which is expected to last for several more hours, is currently underway and Fernhill Road is closed with local diversions in place.
Melvin Toran, 50, was found dead after federal agents tried to serve him an arrest warrant Tuesday

Two FBI agents were shot and wounded and a man was found dead Tuesday after the officers tried to serve an arrest warrant at a suburban Chicago home.

A Cook County medical examiner's office spokeswoman said the dead man was 50-year-old Melvin Toran.

She said a cause of death hasn't been determined because an autopsy is pending.

The FBI didn't say if Toran shot the agents or if they killed the man.

Toran was reportedly a 'reputed high-ranking member' of the Black P Stone Nation Street gang, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The newspaper cited an unnamed federal law enforcement source.

Toran had sold heroin to an FBI informant and the agents were at his home to arrest him on drug trafficking charges, the source claimed.

The FBI investigate the scene of a shooting in Park Forest, Illinois. Two of its agents were shot and wounded while trying to serve an arrest warrant at the suburban Chicago home, and the man they were seeking is dead

A Cook County medical examiner's office spokeswoman said the dead man was 50-year-old Melvin Toran. It was unclear who shot the two agents and how Toran died

Two women comfort each other as FBI investigate a shooting at a residence in Park Forest, Illinois on Tuesday

Forest Park residents embrace each other after a man was found dead and two FBI shot after they tried to serve an arrest warrant Tuesday

The Illinois Department of Corrections website says Toran was paroled from prison on Feb. 18, 2013. It does not indicate what he was convicted of.

Toran had a long criminal record, including a 1986 conviction for murder, weapons offenses, and aggravated assault of a police officer, the Tribune reported.

FBI spokesman Garrett Croon said the injured agents were released after being treated at hospitals.

According to neighbors who spoke to the Tribune, about 40 law enforcement officers descended on Toran's home on Rich Court in Park Forest at 6:30am.

When Toran refused to come out, SWAT team members fired tear gas canisters into the home, a neighbor told the Tribune.

Shots could be heard after officers broke down the door, the neighbor said.
Thousands of migrants have poured into Europe this week, heralding the start of another summer of chaos on the continent.

The fresh influx  into Italy  comes after the EU negotiated a controversial 4.7billion deal with Turkey to ease the pressure of migrants arriving in Greece.

Two weeks ago the EU said that the number crossing the Aegean Sea to the Greek islands had fallen by 90 per cent since Turkey agreed to take them back.

But at the same time the number attempting the more perilous crossing from North Africa into Italy is rising as the weather begins to warm up.

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The International Organization for Migration revealed 2,725 migrants had been picked up from the sea as Libyan coastguards intercepted more migrant vessels today

550 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were picked up today after they set out to cross the Mediterranean in four rubber boats, Tripoli coastguard spokesman Ayoub Qassem said

Italy revealed yesterday that it had rescued more than 2,600 migrants in only 24 hours.

The countrys coastguard said they had helped save 2,000 off the Libyan coast from 14 rubber dinghies and one larger boat on Monday.

Another 636 were rescued from two boats in Maltese waters, in operations involving Maltese and Italian vessels, it said. It gave no information about the nationalities of those saved.

Libyan coastguards yesterday detained a further 550 people trying to reach Europe illegally by boat. Authorities said those intercepted from four large inflatables were from several African countries and included three children and 30 women, eight of whom were pregnant.

EU officials have warned that up to half a million more migrants will arrive from Libya alone this year, reigniting the crisis as the continent struggles to cope with the consequences of German chancellor Angela Merkels decision to let in more than a million last year.

And despite the deal with Turkey, the countrys president is threatening to open the floodgates again in a row with Brussels over travel rules for Turks wanting to go to Europe.

The overwhelming majority attempting the crossing from North Africa are economic migrants rather than genuine refugees from Syria or Iraq.

Migrants and refugees are rescued during an operation at sea with the Aquarius, a former North Atlantic fisheries protection ship now used by humanitarians

SOS Mediterranee and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) rescued the migrants today

These two migrants can be seen thanking the heavens after they were picked up a former North Atlantic fisheries protection ship today

In Libya the chaos since Muammar Gaddafis overthrow in 2011 has been exploited by people traffickers, with thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe.

Most of those trying to reach Italy, which is 190 miles from Libya, leave the Libyan coast on rickety fishing boats or rubber dinghies, heading for the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is close to Tunisia, or towards Sicily.

The onset of better weather has raised fears of huge numbers attempting the still perilous sea crossing.

Increased patrols in the Mediterranean appear to have convinced many migrants they will be rescued before they get into any difficulties at sea.

So far this year more than 34,000 people have been brought to the Italian coast after being rescued off Libya, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. A further 156,000 have landed in Greece.

The adults can be seen clutching children after taking desperate measures to get to Europe and away from the war-torn Middle Eastern and north African countries they come from

Volunteers from the charities help a migrant woman onto the rescue boat after the treacherous trip across the Mediterranean earlier today, which kills hundreds every year

The Aquarius, now used by humanitarians SOS Mediterranee and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), is the key to many rescues on the dangerous stretch of water

According to forecasts by the International Organisation for Migration, Italy appears on track to take in at least 100,000 migrants from North Africa across the Mediterranean for the third straight year in 2016.

An IOM spokesman said current trends are following last year, when a surge of people crossed from North Africa during the summer months.

He said: The numbers each month so far this year have been almost identical to those in 2015.

The arrivals look likely to be robust again through the warmer months.

There have been concerns that the closure of the route from Turkey to Greece will lead to people crossing from North Africa instead.

We have seen no evidence of that so far but it is such a long journey that is too early to say whether there is a shift.

Austria has begun building a fence on its border with Italy at the Brenner Pass through the Alps because of concerns.

Italy is calling for floating migrant processing centres to be stationed in the Mediterranean to register all arrivals before they reach land.

Greece yesterday sent in police and bulldozers to knock down tents and relocate thousands of migrants who have been stranded for months in a squalid camp on the border with Macedonia.

The migrants from various African countries, including 30 women and three children, were stopped off the Libyan coast near Sabratha, a city 80 km (50 miles) west of the capital Tripoli

Migrants stopped by the coastguard close to the shore are sent back to overcrowded detention centres in Libya

Libya is a frequent departure point for migrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean to Europe and the number attempting the journey is expected to rise with calmer weather during the summer

Migration flows from Libya increased sharply in 2014 and 2015 and has been slightly lower so far this year, according to Italian data

In an operation that began shortly after sunrise, officers put more than 1,500 people on buses to newly opened camps near Greeces second city Thessaloniki, about 50 miles to the south.

Officials said it would take at least ten days to clear all 8,400 people living in the makeshift, overcrowded and muddy camp at Idomeni.

At its height, more than 12,000 people were crammed into the camp which aid groups opened last year to accommodate 2,500 people during what was, at the time, a short procedure to cross the border.

But it exploded in size after Balkan states began closing their borders in mid-February to stem the human tide seeking passage to northern Europe.

The IOM yesterday said fewer migrants are dying as they try to cross the Mediterranean to Europe because rescue operations have been stepped up.

So far this year 1,370 migrants and refugees have died at sea, nearly 25 per cent fewer than in the same period last year.

Meanwhile Europe has accused United Nations aid workers in Greece of inciting people there to apply for asylum even if they have no chance of getting it.

At a meeting of European Commission officials in Brussels, the Daily Mail has learnt, first vice president Frans Timmermans blamed them for disrupting the deal with Turkey to ease the crisis.

He said the UN refugee agency workers on the Greek islands, such as Lesbos, were creating problems by encouraging migrants to submit asylum requests when they quite blatantly did not meet the requirements to apply for refugee status.
David Norman, pictured, from Harlem, New York was a former heroin addict and drug dealer who just graduated from Columbia University aged 67

A former heroin addict and drug dealer from Harlem who has been in and out of jail since 1968 has just graduated from Columbia University aged 67.

David Norman, from Harlem, was the oldest person to graduate from the Columbia University School of General Studies with a bachelor's degree in philosophy.

According to Norman, he turned to drugs as a teenager to make up for a lack of self confidence.

Speaking after graduating from the Ivy League college, Norman said: 'I was a very shy kid, and I was also selling narcotics, and in that capacity you were taught not to show feelings. One of the things I realized early was that when I got high, I was able to function socially, which was one of my biggest problem.'

While in prison during 1968, he would spend the long nights talking to people in neighboring cells. He said he always enjoyed reading, but had a very limited formal education.

He said: 'They went to school and I didn't, and we'd have these long discussions. The guy on my right liked Shakespeare, and I didn't know anything about him, and in turn I would talk to him about everything I had read, which included philosophy.'

He was last imprisoned in 1995 and spent six years volunteering as a counselor for the transitional services program. This provides help to inmates during their first 90 days of freedom when the risk of reoffending is often at its highest.

He said: 'That job changed my perspective. It let me know that I have something to offer. I decided I would devote my time to working toward something bigger than myself.'

When he was released from prison, he went to work at Mount Vernon Hospital as an educator and outreach worker.

He is now a research assistant at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and volunteers with a local church.

He has been free of drugs for the past 20 years and now wants to write a book as well as work with those who are in a similar situation to his younger self.

Norman said he started taking drugs as a teenager because he was shy but has now been clean for 20 years

He added: 'I remember a time when people would avoid me on the street, because of my attitude. Now I smile and say hello to people and ask them how they're doing. When my perspective changed, my life changed. Whatever happens outside has to begin inside.'

According to Columbia University, graduates of the School of General Studies receive the same degrees as all of the other Ivy League students at the institution.

It offers the chance for 'non traditional students' to pursue an Ivy League education.
Frat's cooler was found with phrase: 'Do you wanna do some blow man?'

The University of Oregon has opened an investigation after a fraternity allegedly trashed an island in the middle of a California lake.

Park rangers at the Lake Shasta campsite found discarded tents, sleeping bags and chests filled with food and alcohol, when they patrolled on Monday morning following a massive college party.

One photo showed a cooler emblazoned with OU fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha's Greek lettering and the phrase, 'Do you wanna do some blow man?'

Other objects strewn all over the floor had Oregon Duck logos on them.

The University of Oregon has opened an investigation after a fraternity allegedly trashed an island in the middle of a California lake. Objects strewn all over the floor had Oregon Duck logos on them

This photo shows a cooler emblazoned with OU fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha's Greek lettering and the phrase, 'Do you wanna do some blow man?'

They are believed to have been left there by college students during an unsanctioned trip for fraternity and sorority members along the West Coast.

Phyllis Swanson, a spokesman for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, said around 1,000 students sometimes head to the lake.

She told Oregon Live revelers left more trash than ever before. Swanson also said that it is illegal to abandon property in a national forest.

University of Oregon's vice president for student life, Robin Holmes, told the publication the mess left by the students was 'disgraceful'.

She added the school is trying to find who was involved, adding that they violated the school's code of conduct.

National fraternity Zeta Omicron Zeta was suspending all of its chapters' activities until the 'situation is addressed.'

Lambuda Chi Alpha, which is one of their chapters, released a statement saying: 'The Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity is guided by seven core values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service & Stewardship, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.

Park rangers at the Lake Shasta campsite found discarded tents, sleeping bags and chests filled with food and alcohol, when they patrolled on Monday morning following a massive college party

They are believed to have been left there by college students during an unsanctioned trip for fraternity and sorority members along the West Coast

'Unfortunately the individuals who committed the destruction to Lake Shasta recently seen on social media did not uphold these values.

'We are partnering with the University of Oregon, and the International Headquarters of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, to investigate this situation. We will, in no uncertain terms, hold the individuals who did this accountable.

'Though it is not known who all was involved at this time, we find this situation to be absolutely unacceptable.

'On behalf of any of our members involved, the UO Zeta Omicron Zeta Chapter would like to extend our deepest apologies for any destruction of Lake Shasta resort and the surrounding environment.

'Our Chapter has reached out to the United States Forest Service to arrange for our members to help in the clean-up of the environment.

'Also, on behalf of any of our members involved, we apologize to the entire Fraternity and Sorority Life Community at the UO and our university.

Abandoning property in a national forest is illegal. The fratnerity allegedly involved has offered to help clean up the mess that was made

'The actions in which these individuals participated do not reflect our Fraternity's values, nor do they reflect the values of our community here at the UO.

'Our Chapter leadership has been in contact with the UO and our Fraternity's international headquarters.

'Until the investigation into this matter is complete, and all disciplinary actions have been implemented, effective immediately there will be no Chapter activities of any kind.
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A pair of women who headed two of the most powerful rival 'Razor' gangs in the 1920s, were largely considered the Queens of the city as they battled for control of Sydney's criminal underworld.

Photographs of police reports relating to Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh and witness statements have surfaced, revealing their extensive criminal history including assault, carrying razors, shooting with intent, prostitution, offensive behaviour and indecent language.

Devine was dubbed the 'Worst Woman in Sydney' and after years of working as a street-walking prostitute, she had her first prison stint in 1925 after slashing a man's hand with a razor until 'blood squirted in his face'.

'I never said a word. She said "There he is, the b*****d," and swung her arm and I put my hand up to my face and I felt the sting then saw blood,' victim Sydney Thomas Thornton Corke said in a police report.

Photographs of police reports relating to Tilly Devine (pictured) and Kate Leigh have surfaced, revealing their extensive criminal history including assault, carrying razors, shooting with intent, prostitution, offensive behaviour and indecent language

Devine and Leigh (pictured) headed two of the most powerful rival 'Razor' gangs in the 1920s, were largely considered the Queens of the city as they battled for control of Sydney's criminal underworld

'When I looked at it the blood squirted in my face.'

Mr Corke said he was taken to St Vincent's Hospital and later suffered pneumonia and pleurisy.

A police document reported a 'blood stained' razor was discovered in the gutter near Ms Devine's Surry Hills home on Crown Street, linking her to the crime.

Devine, who was born in England in 1900 as Matilda Twiss, began working as a prostitute after leaving school, according to the Atlas Obscura.

She married James Edward Devine - or Big Jim - in 1917 and the pair moved to Sydney two years later. But after years of abuse, she finally filed for divorce in 1945 after more than 25 years of marriage.

According to old police reports, Devine's criminal history included offensive behaviour, indecent language, assault, common prostitution and contempt of court.

Devine owned a three-bedroom home in the Sydney east suburb of Maroubra (pictured) and hosted many gangster parties

Devine was dubbed the 'Worst Woman in Sydney' and after years of working as a street-walking prostitute, she had her first prison stint in 1925 after slashing a man's hand with a razor until 'blood squirted in his face' (pictured is the victim's police statement)

Devine, who was born in England in 1900 as Matilda Twiss, began working as a prostitute after leaving school

A police document reported a 'blood stained' razor was discovered in the gutter near Ms Devine's Surry Hills home on Crown Street, linking her to the crime

Devine was dubbed the 'Worst Woman in Sydney' and had an extensive criminal history including assault, carrying razors, shooting with intent, prostitution, offensive behaviour and indecent language

She was described on a 1985 police report as a prostitute 'of the worst type' and an 'associate of the worst type of prostitute, vagrants and criminals'.

Ms Devine spent two years at Long Bay prison for slicing Mr Corke's hand and on her release was determined to start her own brothel rather than continue life as a prostitute. She managed to find work as a madam as the law stated it was only an illegal profession for men.

After heading the feared Sydney Razor gang, Devine was forced to employ a set of bodyguards to protect her after the rivalry between herself and Leigh because heated.

She owned a three-bedroom home in the Sydney east suburb of Maroubra and hosted many gangster parties. The large property was protected by her bodyguards and beloved Pomeranian dogs.

Devine married James Edward (pictured) in 1917 and the pair moved to Sydney two years later

This is possibly Tilly Devine's signature from court papers in 1925

After heading the feared Sydney Razor gang, Devine was forced to employ a set of bodyguards to protect her. Sir McDonald (pictured) worked as one of her bodyguards

After years of abuse, Devine finally filed for divorce from Big Jim in 1945 after more than 25 years of marriage

Court documents showed a 'blood stained' razor was discovered in the gutter near Ms Devine's Surry Hills home on Crown Street, linking her to the crime

Both Devine and Leigh had fearsome gangs, who would frequently attack each other in the street in Sydney

While Devine spent time in prison, another woman was on the rise as a second 'Queen' of the city.

Leigh fell pregnant at just 13 and went on to become a petty criminal and madam. She ran a successful business that illegally sold alcohol after 6pm.

Both Devine and Leigh had fearsome gangs, who would frequently attack each other in the street and trash each other's businesses. Devine allegedly got into a physical altercation herself in 1929 and scratched one of Leigh's female friends.

Both women were eventually brought down by tax law. Leigh was declared bankrupt after unpaid taxes and died in 1964.

Devine was also slammed with a 20,000 fine and sold off her last brothel in 1968. She passed away two years later after suffering bronchitis.

Both Devine and Leigh had fearsome gangs, who would frequently attack each other in the street and trash each other's businesses

Devine's husband gave evidence in 1929 about Gregory Gaffney, who was shot dead outside his home

Big Jim said he 'fired to frighten' Gregory Gaffney instead of harm him

Nellie Cameron (pictured) had many relationships with gangsters and became known as the 'kiss of death girl'

Devine divorced her husband after years of abuse in 1945 after more than 25 years of marriage
So much for a rematch at the Belmont Stakes.

Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist won't run in the final leg of the Triple Crown after developing a fever and having an elevated white blood cell count, trainer Doug O'Neill said Tuesday.

'He's out because of sickness,' O'Neill said.

Any thoughts of a second straight Triple Crown were wiped in the Preakness last Saturday when Exaggerator finally defeated Nyquist after four previous losses.

A rematch in the Belmont on June 11 would have been the next best thing to a Triple Crown attempt. Last year, American Pharaoh became the first horse in 37 years to sweep the Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

End of the race: Kentucky Derby-winning horse Nyquist will not run in the Belmont Stakes, the last of the three American Triple Crown races, his trainer announced. Above, Nyquist zooming to a Derby win on May 7

Out sick: Nyquist's trainer Doug O'Neill (pictured center on May 19) says he is pulling the horse out of the Belmont Stakes due to illness. Nyquist is suffering a fever and elevated white blood cell count

'He's fine, but he's got an elevated white blood cell count,' O'Neill's assistant Jack Sisterson said from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, where Nyquist is recovering. 'We just want to do right by him and get him 100 percent.'

Nyquist came into the Preakness unbeaten in eight races, including a 1 1/4-length win over Exaggerator in the Derby. Exaggerator turned the tables in the Preakness, winning by 3 1/2 lengths over a sloppy track with Nyquist finishing third.

On Monday, Nyquist had a temperature of 102 and blood work was done. The fever had dropped at some point but was back up again Tuesday, when results of the blood work came back Tuesday.

No exaggeration: Nyquist (purple, 3, second left) led for most of the race on Saturday at the Preakness Stakes (green, 5, far right), but was overtaken by Exaggerator in the final straightaway despite an extremely sloppy track

'Sometimes it happens when a horse runs back quick,' Sisterson said, referring to the short two-week turnaround between the Derby and Preakness. 'For races like these, horses have to be on top of their game, Unfortunately, there'll be no Belmont.'

Once Nyquist recovers, he will be shipped back home to California, with a plan that could include a trip to Saratoga for the Travers Stakes.

This is not the first time Nyquist has been sidetracked. After winning the Florida Derby on April 2, the colt owned by J. Paul Reddam was shipped to Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. His return to training was delayed by an elevated white blood cell count. At that time, he had no fever, was back on the track in a few days and went on to win the Derby on May 7.

In 2012, O'Neill's Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another was retired the day before the Belmont with a tendon injury and missed a Triple Crown chance.

Without Nyquist, the 1 1/2-mile Belmont loses some of its luster, but Exaggerator can expect to take on a number of rivals from the Derby and Preakness.
A 12-year-old girl died after a horse she was riding at a charity rodeo collapsed from a heart attack and pinned her underneath.

Experienced horseback rider Kalee Chandler was competing in an Adrian, Missouri, barrel racing event, which involves maneuvering the animal in an intricate pattern around three drums.

The horse collapsed from a heart attack and crushed Chandler, who was 'pretty lifeless' by the time she was transported to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City on Saturday night.

Experienced horseback rider Kalee Chandler, 12, (pictured) died after a barrel racing event in Adrian, Missouri

The horse collapsed from a heart attack and crushed Chandler underneath. She died on Monday at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City (pictured, Chandler riding at a different event)

Family members said Chandler loved barrel racing, and she tried to control the horse as it sped up near the finish line, family friend Toni Samples told PIX11.

The horse reportedly suffered a heart attack, crashed into a gate and pinned Chandler to the ground.

Chandler was skilled at maneuvering horses in barrel racing (pictured)

Ruth Walter, who organized the event, said she heard the crash and called 911 as she ran to the scene.

Spectators struggled to lift the large horse, and Chandler was 'pretty lifeless' but the time she was finally freed, Samples said.

Paramedics arrived to perform CPR before she was transported 60 miles to the children's hospital and put on life support.

'When something like this hits your community you're just stunned,' Alan Mundey told KCTV5 on Monday.

'I think everybody woke up this morning and the first thought was, "How's Kalee doing?"'

He added: 'She could ride a horse, she could really ride a horse.'

A funeral home in her hometown of Butler announced on Monday afternoon that Chandler had passed away, leaving behind her parents.

One family friend wrote on her grandmother's Facebook page: 'Those of us that knew Kalee loved her so very much.

'Such a vibrant, loving, and caring little girl. Our thoughts and prayers have been with all of you and will continue to be in the difficult days ahead.'

Ruth Walter, who organized the event, said she heard the crash and called 911 as she ran to the scene (pictured, Chandler)

Spectators struggled to lift the large horse, and Chandler was 'pretty lifeless' but the time she was finally freed, a family friend said

A funeral home in her hometown of Butler announced on Monday afternoon that Chandler (left) had passed away, leaving behind her parents and grandparents
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin police have called off the search for Michalene Melges, 40, and her three adolescent sons. The police asked for the public's help in fiding the family this week

The search for a missing Wisconsin mother and her three sons was called off on Tuesday, after police received a tip and located the family in Georgia.

Hours after Michalene Melges, 40, and her three sons, ages 10 to 14, were found at a vacation rental in Savannah, Georgia, authorities hit the real estate agent with several charges.

The charges filed against her on Tuesday were a felony count of interference with child custody in addition to misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and contributing to truancy.

'She is cooperative but limited in her responses to police,' Lt. Ed Gritzner of the Lake Geneva police told the Chicago Tribune. 'She's given us no rhyme or reason as to why she was in Savannah, Georgia.'

'Much like ourselves, there's a relief that the boys are OK,' Gritzner added. 'There may be some things to sort out in family court, but that will come later.'

Family members are currently arranging a way to travel down to Georgia and collect the boys - 10-year-old Maverik 'Buddy' Melges, 12-year-old Kristian 'Max' Melges and 14-year-old Hans Melges.

Melges pulled her three boys out of school earlier this month, saying they were going on a last-minute vacation from May 10 to May 13.

Concerns were raised when the boys did not return to school last week, and when they missed three visitations with their father, who Melges recently divorced.

Police previously said it did not appear Melges was keeping her sons from their father, Hans Erik Melges, but the new charges suggest that she was indeed.

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Melges and her sons Hans, 14 (left); Buddy, 10 (center); and Max, 12 (right); were found Tuesday at a vacation rental in Savannah, Georgia

The family are believed to have absconded from Wisconsin with their two dogs, a black Labrador named King and a King Charles spaniel named Gigi or Geneva

Melges rented a minivan from Lake Bluff, Illinois on May 9. The car was returned on May 13 by another person in Plano, Texas. The family ceased use of their phones and credit cards after leaving Wisconsin

Melges recently divorced the father of her three sons, Hanks Erik Melges (the former couple pictured together above). She now faces a felony charge for interfering with child custody

Before being located in Georgia, Melges and her sons were last seen leaving their upscale Lake Geneva home on May 10.

The day before, Melges rented a minivan in Lake Bluff, Illinois. It was dropped off by another person in Plano, Texas - more than 930 miles away - on May 13, mystifying family, friends and police.

Adding to fears was the fact that Melges and her brood didn't use their phones after leaving Wisconsin, or use any debit or credit cards.

It's unclear what she was doing in Georgia.

Melges works as a real estate agent in Lake Geneva. Her ex-husband's father is famed sailor Buddy Melges Jr, an Olympic gold- and bronze-medal winner.

Authorities say the mother was been cooperative but has not given any reason for why she and the boys were in Savannah. Above, a picture of the three boys with their parents on a whitewater rafting trip
A police network of 'Big Brother' spy cameras takes photos of about 34million number plates each day, new figures have revealed.

Around 9,000 surveillance cameras have been placed along Britain's roads and senior officers claim they are invaluable in preventing and solving serious crimes and terrorist attacks.

The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology is also fitted to police vehicles, and is used to find stolen cars and tackle uninsured drivers.

But privacy campaigners have argued that the system, which allows officers to access 22billion records held for up to two years, is intrusive and heightens fears of an Orwellian surveillance state.

ANPR cameras automatically photograph and record the location and time a vehicle passed. They are placed on most motorways and main roads and have been rolling out nationally since 2006

Searches of the database by police officers have soared by more than 50 per cent in just two years  from 194,317 in 2012 to 300,758 in 2014, according to figures obtained by Sky News.

Each time a vehicle passes an ANPR camera it takes a picture of the number plate and the front of the car, including the driver's face. Police say this allows them to track criminals and terrorists in real time as they drive around.

But Jonathan Bamford, of the Information Commissioner's Office, said: 'You've really got to ask the question about the extent of ANPR and the amount of records that it's collecting.

'There are a lot of people going around on their ordinary day to day business doing nothing wrong, innocent individuals  those are being acquired at the rate of 30 million or so a day and being retained for a number of years.'

Renate Samson, director of privacy campaigners Big Brother Watch, said: 'A proper debate about how this technology is used and to what extent it invades the privacy of ordinary motorists is long overdue.

'There needs to be a massive education programme about ANPR: what they are, what do they do, how long is our data kept, and what is the data used for? If not, it will fuel concerns about a surveillance state.'

Police claim that the ability to identify wanted or suspicious vehicles is crucial in an age when crooks increasingly use the road network to carry out their crimes.

There are more than 9,000 ANPR cameras in operation around the country

In the last 12 months, evidence from ANPR cameras has been used in more than 200 court cases to secure convictions for a offences including robbery, kidnapping, drugs and murder.

Martin Lyddon, ANPR manager at Essex Police, which is buying 31 new cameras to take its total to 95, said: 'ANPR makes a positive contribution to policing objectives every day, supporting a range of activities from volume crime enquiries to major incidents.

'The blend of traditional policing methods combined with ANPR technology has brought these offenders to justice.

'We know that it can be considered by some to be controversial, but it has proven itself as a crucial tool in both detecting and deterring crime.

'We have extremely stringent processes in place to manage the data that these cameras collect and innocent members of the public have nothing to be concerned about.'

In December, the Mail revealed how Britain's surveillance tsar had warned that the ANPR network and database was illegal.

Tony Porter, the independent surveillance camera commissioner, questioned the database's legality in a report.

He said: 'There is no statutory authority for the creation of the national ANPR database, its creation was never agreed by Parliament, and no report on its operation has even been laid before Parliament.'

Mr Porter's warning was troubling because police want to extend retention of details to seven years and DVLA officials could be permitted access to track down road tax cheats - increasing the risk of data being abused.

While there is almost no chance of the system being shut down, it raises the prospect of motorists - including criminals - taking legal action against the authorities for breaches of privacy.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'The Automatic Number Plate Recognition system is a valuable source of intelligence and evidence for police in the prevention and detection of crime.

'Its use is subject to strict safeguards in the Data Protection Act, as well as the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.'
However, he then fell through the ceiling of a Spanish restaurant next door

After stealing $1,000, a gun and more, he climbed back up to escape

He then crawled around the area above the ceiling of the Orlando business

A Florida cat-burglar was left counting his lives after tumbling through the ceiling of a restaurant during a break-in.

Security footage from the Fonda El Criollito restaurant in Orlando shows the thief's legs - clad in black shorts and blue sneakers - dangling for a second in front of the camera before the rest of him comes tumbling down.

The man can be seen landing on a polished steel table, which breaks, before scrambling up, bag in hand, and going on with his heist, WESH 2 reported.

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Twinkle toes: The thief can be seen in this security footage dangling from the ceiling he's just fallen through, his blue sneakers not quite touching a table in the kitchen of Orlando's Fonda El Criollito restaurant

Dropping in: He then falls hard, causing the table to collapse under his weight, and sending him sprawling. It's believed that he broke into the building through the roof's A/C duct, then crept around above the ceiling

Down to earth: He then crashes down, bag of stolen goods still in hand from the Food Mart next door, where he took around $1,000 in cash, a gun and other items

The thief's original target wasn't the restaurant he landed in, but the Semoran Food Mart next door.

Employees believe the man got inside the empty space above the ceiling by climbing, pipes or drain spouts at the side of the building, removing the A/C duct on top of the roof.

He was then able to lower himself down into the Semoran Food Mart, where he had the free run of the place.

'Once the guy was inside, he made it down from the roof and walked all the way over here to the cash register, even to the safe, stealing a gun, stealing cash, and then he went right back up there,' Alexa Baez, who helps run the Food Mart, said.

The took around $1,000 from the restaurant, Baez said.

But while the thief's entrance was smooth, his exit was a disaster.

Swift exit: The thief then leaves quickly, not knowing that his face has been caught on camera

Disaster: While climbing back up into the ceiling of Semoran Food Mart, the man broke a water pipe, causing flooding in parts of the building

On his way back into the ceiling he broke a water pipe, flooding an area of the Food Mart.

And then his stealthy escape was ruined when he fell through the ceiling of the Fonda El Criollito kitchen and crashed through one of its tables.

'I think he hurt himself because he hit pretty hard in here. He just ran out the door,' Ramon Marraro, cook at El Fonda Criollito, told WESH 2.

The man got away, swag bag in hand, but his exit through the Spanish restaurant - every painful second - was caught on camera.

And Semoran Food Mart is now offering a $500 reward to anyone who can help them get their stolen items back.
Donald Trump holds his first presidential fundraisers this week. The events directly benefit his campaign, but he doesn't see it that way.

Trump insists that his about-face from self-funded candidate to one who relies on donors is happening only at the request of the Republican National Committee.

'The RNC really wanted to do it, and I want to show good spirit,' Trump said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. ''Cause I was very happy to continue to go along the way I was.'

GOOD FOOTSOLDIER? Donald Trump says he is embracing a traditional big-ticket fundraising system for the general election, but only because the Republican party asked him to abandon his 'self-funding' primary model

CH-CH-CHANGES: Trump's campaign is in the middle of a growth spurt at the same time it's learning how to mesh with the Republican national Committee's larger goals for November

SOUTHWESTERN EXPOSURE: The maiden voyage of the new Trump fundraising circuit will take place Monday in Albuquerque, New Mexico and cost $10,000 per person

Trump's self-funding has been a point of pride, a boast making its way into nearly every rally and interview. The billionaire businessman lent his campaign at least $43 million, enough to pay for most of his primary bid.

'By self-funding my campaign, I am not controlled by my donors, special interests or lobbyists. I am working only for the people of the U.S.!' he wrote on Twitter in September.

With this week's fundraisers  a small gathering Tuesday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a large $25,000-per-head dinner Wednesday in Los Angeles  Trump gains hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars but loses his ability to accurately assert that he is free from the shackles of outside donors.

Trump's voters repeatedly have cited his independence from the influence of donors and special interests as a top reason they back him. It's not clear how they will react now.

Perhaps to assuage those voter concerns, Trump is trying to promote his fundraising agreement as beneficial to other Republicans, not his own campaign.

The deal itself shows Trump comes first.

For every check he solicits  and donors can give almost $450,000 apiece  the first $5,400 goes to Trump's primary and general election campaign accounts. The rest is spread among the RNC and 11 state parties.

The RNC can use its money to help Republican candidates for Senate and Congress. However, Trump's team and Republican officials also have said the RNC plans to take the lead on major presidential campaign activities such as voter identification and turnout.

Asked by The AP if he sees a contradiction in asking for money after repeatedly saying he stood above the other candidates because he didn't, Trump said, 'No, because I'm raising money for the party.'

NOT SO SURE: Trump has previously said he could 'sell a building' if he wanted to, just to keep the self-funding streak going

Trump also first denied to the AP that he is raising any money for the primary. Reminded of the terms of the fundraising agreement, he then said primary donations don't really count because he already has defeated his GOP rivals.

He promised not to use any donor money to pay down his loans. That means he has until the Republican convention in late July to spend primary contributions on expenses such as staffing and summer advertising.

Despite Trump's claim that he would have carried on self-funding if not for the RNC, in other media interviews he has expressed a reluctance to sell buildings or other assets to pay for a costly general election.

'It would be foolish for him to unilaterally disarm against Hillary Clinton,' said Roger Stone, Trump's friend and informal political adviser about why Trump decided to take donations.

Trump's likely opponent, the former secretary of state, aims to have $1 billion for her bid, through her campaign, the Democratic Party and outside groups.

The presumptive GOP nominee's still-forming fundraising team, led by Steven Mnuchin, Trump's national finance chairman, and Lew Eisenberg, the RNC's national finance chairman, is rushing to schedule events.

Trump and the RNC are set to announce new additions to the financial operation on Tuesday, including New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and former Ambassador Mel Sembler, who helped raise major money for previous presidential candidates.

The event in Albuquerque, hosted by funeral services company owner Kevin Daniels, was first reported by The Washington Post. About two dozen attendees are expected, paying $10,000 apiece.

TEARING UP THE 'LOANS': Trump has pleged not to pay himself back for any of the money he has given his campaign so far, even though the funds were technically loaned because of campaign finance laws

On Wednesday, donors will hobnob with Trump at a reception and dinner at the Los Angeles home of his friend and fellow real estate investor Tom Barrack, whose publicist said he is passionate about surfing and horses and is the 'son of hard-working Lebanese parents.'

Price of admission  a minimum of $25,000 with the option of paying $50,000  includes a photo with Trump.

Mnuchin has said he's being inundated with offers of financial assistance. Eisenberg said the Trump fundraising agreement enables the party to 'recover the interest and enthusiasm of major donors and raise the money needed to win a Republican presidency, Senate and House, as well as secure the Supreme Court.'

Two past presidential fundraisers who are hoping to join Trump's finance team are convinced he'll raise the money needed to win.

For Trump, who has never sought out donors, 'the low-hanging fruit is more abundant than it's ever been for anyone at this point in a presidential cycle,' said Rick Hohlt, a Washington lobbyist. Donors, he said, are excited to meet Trump  many for the first time.
A single mother who made headlines earlier this year when she was arrested for having sex with a stranger on a Las Vegas Ferris wheel has pleaded no contest to the charges against her.

Chloe Scordianos of Hicksville, New York, was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct after police say they caught her romping with Philip Panzica, 27, while celebrating her 21st birthday.

Scordianos entered the plea in documents filed in her home state and is not expected to appear in court in Nevada, her attorney Chris Rassmussen revealed to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

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Chloe Scordianos, 21 (left), has pleaded no contest after police say she was caught having sex with and Philip Panzica, 27 (right), on a Las Vegas Ferris wheel

Scordianos initially intended to plead not guilty to a felony charge of committing sex acts in public, but agreed to a no contest plea after the charge was changed to misdemeanor disorderly conduct

Surveillance footage of the incident, outside The Linq hotel on The Strip, is also not being made public, police said.

Scordianos previously planned to plead not guilty, but Rasmussen said she had changed her mind after speaking with prosecutors.

Ms Scordianos has learned that the phrase 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas' is not always true. Chris Rasmussen, Chloe Scordianos' lawyer

The plea bargain saw a felony charge of committing a sex act in public against her dropped.

'Ms Scordianos has learned that the phrase "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" is not always true,' Rasmussen said. 'This plea will allow her to close this embarrassing chapter in her life and keep this salacious video private.'

Panzica was in town to get married, but had a falling out with his fiancee and went on a bender when he met Scordianos.

The two were arrested when they decided to go on the High Roller Ferris wheel, owned by Caesar's Palace, and started having sex.

A little over a month after their tryst, Scordianos' partner in crime was tragically murdered in a carjacking.

Panzica (right) was in Las Vegas to get married to his fiancee Mistie Bozant, left, but the two had a falling out and he went on a bender when he met Scordianos

Panzica and Bozant remained friendly after the one-day affair. Back in Texas, about a month later, Panzica was shot dead while driving Bozant home from her job at a strip club (above)

Panzica and his former fiancee, Mistie Bozant, profited from his fall from grace by agreeing to do interviews about his arrest.

Police said he bragged about earning $4,000 to appear on Inside Edition to Aaron Jones, a shoe-shiner at the strip club where Bozant worked, the night Jones' brother, Bryant Christopher Watts, shot him dead.

Watts has claimed innocence, saying he felt like Panzica and Bozant were about to rob him and his brother and that he pulled out his gun in self defense.

Panzica is survived by a son, who he had with a former girlfriend.
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The bell from HMS Hood has been unveiled by the Princess Royal to mark the 75th anniversary of the Royal Navy's largest loss of life from a single vessel.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen - who funded the expedition to retrieve the bell from the seabed of the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland - attended the event at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard where the bell has gone on display.

Anne struck eight bells at midday during the ceremony, held with HMS Victory as a backdrop, watched by descendants of some of the 1,415 sailors who died when the battleship was hit by German vessel Bismarck on May 24 1941.

Ceremony: The Princess Royal has formally unveiled the bell from HMS Hood to mark the 75th anniversary of the ship's sinking in May 1941

Remembering: Anne (left) struck eight bells at midday during the ceremony, watched by descendants of some of the 1,415 sailors who died when the battleship was hit by German vessel Bismarck on May 24 1941. Pictured right, sailors are seen carrying the bell from HMS Hood

Recovered: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen - who funded the expedition to retrieve the bell from the seabed of the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland - attended the event at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard where the bell has gone on display

Mr Allen, 63, told the Press Association: 'It's an incredible way of recognising and remembering the men who gave their lives.

'There are very few things that have this amount of history, it's an amazing object when you see all the inscriptions. I think it's great to have a tangible artefact here, that the families of the men who went down on the ship and the survivors can have an amazing artefact like this so they can come and give remembrance to the amazing sacrifice that those men made that fateful day.'

Patricia Beach, 82, of Beech Hill, Berkshire, was seven when her father Albert Varlow died as an officer aged 44 on HMS Hood.

She said: 'It changed my life. He talked to me a lot and he said he really thought he wasn't going to come back, he knew he was going on a very unsafe boat. He said, 'Look after your mother'.

'I think of him every day, he was a personable person, a great father.'

Commander Keith Evans, 96, from Haslemere, Surrey, the chairman of the HMS Hood Association who served on board in 1938-39, said: 'It's quite emotional. I was lucky not to be there that day, it was a real shock throughout the whole country when it went down.'

James Warrand, from New South Wales, Australia, attended to remember his father, Commander Selwyn Warrand, who died at the age of 37.

Before the disaster: Lady Hood launched Hood (pictured) in 1918 in memory of her late husband Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood, who was killed in his ship, HMS Invincible, at the Battle of Jutland on May 31 1916. It was sunk by German vessel Bismarck on May 24 1941

On public display: After the unveiling (pictured), the bell was carried by a Royal Navy guard to Boathouse 5 for the official opening of the exhibition 36 Hours: Jutland 1916, The Battle That Won The War, which marks the centenary of the Battle of Jutland

DARKEST DAY IN ROYAL NAVY HISTORY: HOW ONE OF BRITAIN'S GREATEST EVER WARSHIPS WAS SUNK IN THE WAR The loss of HMS Hood, with 1,400 crew was the Royal Navy's darkest hour. It was on a remote stretch of the sea between Greenland and Iceland, 75 years ago, that in the last great battleship duel in the history of maritime warfare, Hitlers Bismarck sank HMS Hood. She was sent to the bottom on May 24, 1941, as she steamed in to attack the Bismarck and her escort cruiser Prinz Eugen before they could break out into the Atlantic and attack the Allied convoys. A huge explosion sent a 600ft column of flame and smoke into the sky, and the 40,000-ton Hood broke in half and sank in just three minutes  taking all but three of her 1,418 officers and crew. Destroyed: The sinking of HMS Hood (shown) by the Bismarck 75 years ago was the Royal Navy's largest loss of life from a single vessel Her last remaining survivor, Ted Briggs, passed away in 2008. Both in size of ship and number of men killed, she was the biggest single loss in the Royal Navys history. The disaster prompted Churchill to issue his famous order: Sink the Bismarck! (which happened six days later). The Hood has lain untouched and largely forgotten nearly two miles down in the cold darkness of the Irminger Basin, taking with her the mystery of why she sank so quickly. Hopes that she may reveal her secrets were first raised in 2001, when Sussex-based shipwreck expert David Mearns discovered and filmed her remains, scattered over 1 miles of seabed. As his remote-controlled underwater vehicle skimmed over the wreck, its lights caught the gleam of the ships main brass bell, unscathed amid the devastation. The wreck is protected as a war grave but, after receiving permission from the British government and the Admiralty, Paul Allens August 2015 expedition recovered the bell  the ships proudest symbol, used to mark time on board and regulate the crews turns of duty.

He said: 'It's staggering, is all I can say, it's great to see the bell returned here, it's very emotional.'

Derick Collins, from Fareham, Hampshire, lost his father, torpedoman Able Seaman Reginald Collins, 36.

He said: 'It's an emotional day and now generations can see what the Hood was to the nation and the great loss we all suffered, not only us personal families but the nation as a family as well.'

Only three of Hood's crew survived and it was the expressed wish of one of them, Ted Briggs, to recover the ship's bell as a memorial to his shipmates.

After the unveiling, the bell was carried by a Royal Navy guard to Boathouse 5 for the official opening of the exhibition 36 Hours: Jutland 1916, The Battle That Won The War, which marks the centenary of the Battle of Jutland.

Lady Hood launched Hood in 1918 in memory of her late husband Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood, who was killed in his ship, HMS Invincible, at the Battle of Jutland on May 31 1916.

Origin: An inscription on the side of the bell reads: 'In accordance with the wishes of Lady Hood it was presented in memory of her husband to HMS Hood battlecruiser which ship she launched on 22nd August 1918'

The bell's retrieval nine months ago from a mile and a half below the water's surface was led by a team assembled by Mr Allen and included Blue Water Recoveries. The expedition was launched from Mr Allen's yacht, equipped with a state-of-the-art remotely operated vehicle

Only three of Hood's crew survived and it was the expressed wish of one of them to recover the ship's bell as a memorial to his shipmates

An inscription on the side of the bell reads: 'In accordance with the wishes of Lady Hood it was presented in memory of her husband to HMS Hood battlecruiser which ship she launched on 22nd August 1918.'

The bell's retrieval nine months ago from a mile and a half below the water's surface was led by a team assembled by Mr Allen and included Blue Water Recoveries.

The expedition was launched from Mr Allen's yacht M/Y Octopus, equipped with a state-of-the-art remotely operated vehicle (ROV) which was adapted to retrieve the bell.

Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks, president of the Hood Association, whose uncle died on board, said: 'There is no headstone among the flowers for those who perish at sea.

'For the 1,415 officers and men who lost their lives in HMS Hood on 24 May 1941, the recovery of her bell and its subsequent place of honour in the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth will mean that future generations will be able to gaze upon her bell and remember with gratitude and thanks the heroism, courage and personal sacrifice of Hood's ship's company who died in the service of their country.'

Deep sea mission: A suction device lifts the bell from the sea floor during the successful expedition by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen
A bomb squad and the FBI have been called to Los Angeles International Airport after a threat was made about an incoming aircraft.

Compass Airlines Flight 5931, carrying 67 passengers and four crew, was traveling from Houston to LAX when the threat was called in to the Transportation Security Administration.

An armed tactical unit, dozens of police officers and firemen, along with multiple emergency vehicles rushed to meet the plane as it landed at around 8.30am Pacific Time before it was examined.

An American Eagle aircraft traveling from Houston to LAX is being examined by FBI agents and bomb disposal experts after a threat was called in to airport workers (pictured, crew and passengers are evacuated)

Passengers were kept on board the aircraft while authorities swept it for a device but were later evacuated by fire crews. It is unclear exactly how many were on board

Dozens of emergency vehicles and hundreds of police and firemen responded after the aircraft was isolated in a remote part of the airport earlier today following the threat

A black armored vehicle was seen approaching the plane before the tactical unit began carrying out a sweep for devices stowed on board.

Images from the scene showed officers checking the wheel wells of the aircraft before making their way on board with a bomb-sniffing dog at around 9.30am.

Around half an hour later fire crews approached the aircraft in order to help the passengers and crew members off.

Each of them was searched before boarding a bus back to the terminal building.

It is not clear if any device was found on board the plane, and the exact details of the threat were not immediately available.

The airport is one of the busiest in the world and a hotspot for celebrities flying in and out of Hollywood. Kim Kardashian and husband Kanye West were pictured there today.

Earlier in the day police were called to George Bush Intercontinental Airport to another bomb threat about a different aircraft.

Officers investigated a possible bomb threat against a Delta Air Lines plane, a police spokesman said, but no device was found on the plane.

Bill Begley, spokesman for the Houston Airport System, said the plane has since departed the airport.

Armed officers were seen making their way on to the aircraft along with a bomb-sniffing dog in order to check for any device stowed away on board

Authorities have not revealed the exact nature of the threat, and it is not known if any device was found

Earlier armed agents were seen examining the wheel wells of the aircraft which has been isolated in the extreme southwestern corner of the aircraft

'It is a non-specific threat,' he said. 'We worked with the airline and with TSA to pull the passengers and baggage off the plane and re-screen them.'

The threat came hours after the head of security for the US Transportation Security Administration was removed from his post in an attempt by the agency to address the issue of long airport lines.

Kelly Hoggan, who had served as TSA assistant administrator for security operations since May 2013, was replaced by his deputy, Darby LaJoye, who will serve on an acting basis, according to a memo from agency head Peter Neffenger.

LaJoye, who is currently a deputy assistant TSA administrator, was previously a top security official at Los Angeles International Airport and JFK in New York.

Security at many airports, including Los Angeles, was beefed up after a spate of attacks on aircraft and airports, including the Brussels bombing back in March.

Ground crew were restricted from accessing some areas while background checks on new employees were heightened to avoid devices being smuggled on to planes.

Flight 5931 was flown by Compass Airlines, a sub-carrier of American Eagle, an airport spokesman said

Passengers and crew were still on board the plane as armed officers conducted their checks, though it is not known exactly how many people are there

Police gather a safe distance away from the aircraft which has been isolated in a remote part of the airport

Dozens of emergency vehicles rushed to the scene and stopped a distance away from the aircraft while a tactical team examined the plane

Just days ago EgyptAir Flight plunged into the Mediterranean Sea after dropping from 37,000 feet with authorities now saying there could have been an explosion on board.

An official said that, of all 80 pieces of human remains brought to Cairo, none of them have been intact, pointing to a blast on board.

Dr Hesham Abdel-Hamid told MailOnline the body parts recovered from the Mediterranean had injuries consistent with an explosion.

He said: 'Analysis of the remains of the victims flight MS804 indicated there was an explosion on the plane.

'The remains had been ripped apart because of a bomb. However we have not found any bomb fragments as yet.'
The first British NHS doctor to join ISIS in Syria has been revealed thanks to leaked ISIS recruitment papers.

Issam Abuanza, 37, allegedly left his wife and two children behind in Sheffield when he fled the UK in 2014.

He had been a practising doctor with the NHS for seven years, after he received his licence to practise medicine in the UK in 2009, according to a BBC investigation.

Shocking images posted on social media appear to show Abuanza wearing an army uniform and clutching an AK-47 while reading the Koran.

Another photograph shows him wearing doctors' scrubs with a gun in a holster slung over one shoulder.

'Soldier': Issam Abuanza has been revealed to be the first practising NHS doctor to leave the UK to join ISIS in Syria, after ISIS registration documents were leaked

The father-of-two turned ISIS fighter has reportedly been condemned by his own sister after the truth about his 'path to terror' emerged.

He used to be quite the dashing young man, very modern. Ive no idea how he became like this or who showed him the path to terror,' his sister Najla told the BBC.

They will never forgive him. My dads wish was to see him before he dies. He has spent all his money on him and his education and this is what he does.

A Palestinian doctor with British citizenship, Abuanza is said to have filled in ISIS registration forms when he crossed into Syria to join them on July 26 2014.

According to the forms, as seen by the BBC, he said he was a doctor specialising in endocrinology - which deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to hormones.

On his form to enter the terror group, he was reportedly asked if he wanted to be a commando, a suicide bomber or a soldier, to which he answered a soldier.

Up until October 2015, when he stopped posting, Abuanza was very active on social media, frequently writing messages in support of ISIS and attempting to recruit other British medics.

He used to be quite the dashing young man, very modern. Ive no idea how he became like this or who showed him the path to terror. Sister Najla

In January 2015, he wrote a Facebook post celebrating the Charlie Hebdo terror attack in Paris, in which 12 members of staff from the satirical magazine were murdered.

'Praise be to God for this terrorist act,' he wrote. 'God kill off their enemies, military and civilian, men and women, adult and children.'

In February 2015, he wrote another post about the death of the captured Jordanian pilot who was murdered by ISIS fighters.

In the chilling post, he said that he would have wanted to heal the victim so they could kill him all over again.

'I would've liked for them to burn him extremely slowly and I could treat him so we could torch him once more,' he wrote.

In another post online from March 2015, he celebrates when 11 British medical left their studies in Sudan to join him in Syria.

Just two days ago I was the only doctor in the ambulance, and I was very shocked and sad,' he wrote.

Terror: Photographs posted on Facebook show Abuanza wearing doctors' scrubs with a gun in a holster slung over his shoulder. In other social media posts he celebrates ISIS terror attacks, such as that in the offices of Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, and pleads for other British medics to join him

'Then suddenly 11 Sudanese doctors entered the territory.

You dont know how happy I was with them.

In another post from November 2014, he said: We need doctors in Syria, in all specialties. Mainly vascular surgery, thoracic surgery and anaesthesia.

Abuanza reportedly qualified as a doctor in Baghdad in 2002, the year before the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Between May 2007 and July 2009, he allegedly worked at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl, North Wales.

Following that, he travelled around the UK before reportedly settling at Scarborough Hospital between October 2012 and August 2013.

Abuanza's current whereabouts are unknown, and he has not posted anything on social media since October when he was living in Deir Ezzour province in eastern Syria.

Medics: A man claiming to be a doctor, with a strong British accent and calling himself Abu Amir al-Muhajir, speaks in a propaganda video released by ISIS in June 2015 calling for British medics to join him in Syria. He is believed to have been one of the British medical students who abandoned their studies in Sudan to join ISIS

Set up: Another medic speaks to the camera in Arabic in the propaganda video while showing off the 'really good' medical facilities in the so-called Islamic State in Syria

One of the British medical students is believed to have featured in an ISIS propaganda video in June 2015, calling for Muslim medics from England and Sudan to join them in Syria.

Believed to be named Ahmed Kheder, he declared at the beginning of the video that he was appearing on behalf of the doctors and medical council here in wilayat al-Kheir [Deir Ezzor province] in the Islamic State.

He said: There is actually a really good medical service being provided here. Lots of hospitals, lots of services provided.

In the final minutes of the video, the English-speaking doctor gives a lengthy speech urging Muslims with skills in medicine to join ISIS.
Guilty: Ryan Collins (pictured), 36, pleaded guilty Tuesday to hacking into the email and online accounts of several female celebrities

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Tuesday to hacking into the email and online accounts of several female celebrities and stealing private information, including nude photos and videos.

Ryan Collins, 36, was accused of gaining access to more than 100 Google and Apple accounts from November 2012 to September 2014. Many of those accounts belonged to famous women, including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton.

The father-of-two pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of gaining unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information.

Federal prosecutors said Collins used a scheme called phishing in which he was able to get victims to provide information about their accounts in response to emails that appeared to come directly from Apple and Google.

In the scheme, he asked account-holders to provide their log-in data, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In some instances, authorities said, he was able to obtain all the files his victims had stored online, including nude photos and videos.

No celebrities were identified in a plea agreement filed in March. Prosecutors say there was no evidence that Collins posted any of the pilfered images online or shared any information he obtained.

Collins was able to access 50 iCloud accounts and 72 Gmail accounts using the phishing scheme, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Collins has previously worked as an art director and webmaster, and as a personal chef. According to his Facebook page he is married and has two children

Collins was accused of gaining access to more than 100 Google and Apple accounts from November 2012 to September 2014. Many of those accounts belonged to famous women

Collins was charged as part of an investigation into the posting of nude photos of numerous celebrities, including Lawrence and Upton, but prosecutors said he was not suspected of being involved in releasing those images.

'We continue to see both celebrities and victims from all walks of life suffer the consequences of this crime and strongly encourage users of Internet-connected devices to strengthen passwords and to be skeptical when replying to emails asking for personal information' David Bowdich, the assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles field office said.

Collins' hacking was discovered while federal officials were investigating 'Celebgate', which was the widespread sharing of stolen, nude celebrity photos on the Internet in September 2014.

According to the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors are recommending that he serve a prison term of 18 months.

The sentencing judge may impose the statutory penalty of five years in prison, as he or she is not bound by that recommendation from prosecutors.

'Today, people store important private information in their online accounts and in their digital devices,' US Attorney Eileen M. Decker said.

'Lawless unauthorized access to such private information is a criminal offense.

'My office remains committed to protecting sensitive and personal information from the malicious actions of sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals.'

No date was set for sentencing. Collins' attorney didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.

The hacked celebrities include Jennifer Lawrence, left, and Kate Upton, right, but prosecutors said Collins was not suspected of being involved in releasing those images

According to his Facebook page Collins is married and has two children. He is originally from Hershey, Pennsylvania, and currently lives in Lancaster.

His LinkedIn profile says he graduated from James Madison University in 2003 with a degree in integrated science and technology.

He works as a creative project manager for the eCommerce marketing company Listrak in Lancaster.
A New York bus company has denied responsibility over a bus that ferried a group of students to school while the interior was covered in feces, vomit and urine.

Officials at Lawrence Woodmere Academy on Long Island - a $32,000-a-year school - reported students crying after getting off the 90 minute trip last month.

Teachers boarded the bus and took photos of the conditions, showing filth all over the bus, even on the seats.

However the Queens-based bus company, RivLab Bus Company in Arverne, blamed the toilet-like conditions of the bus on the children who ride it, PIX 11 reported.

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Disgusting: Pictures taken inside the bus by teachers at Lawrence Woodmere show vomit, urine and fecal matter all over the bus, along with other rubbish. Eight children had taken the bus that day

Filthy: The pictures show feces splattered on the floor of the bus, along with other filth and rubbish

Officials at Lawrence Woodmere Academy on Long Island - a $32,000-a-year school - reported students crying after getting off the 1.5 hour trip last month

In the image above, a surgical glove (left) is seen among the other rubbish strewn across the floor

The bus was privately hired by a Queens-based company, , RivLab Bus Company in Arverne

According to parent Vincent Lopez, his daughter, Veronicas, was one of eight children on the bus during the day in question.

It takes 90 minutes to get to school from the family's house in Queens, and Lopez said all the students were sharing a seat because the others were filthy.

'Feces on the ground. Vomit on the chair. Urine smelling. And the bus driver saying, 'Get in!' And eight children sitting on one chair because it's filthy.'

As Veronica, a seventh grader, explained to PIX 11 about being on the bus: 'There was a broom that had poop. I tried to go to sit in another seat, and it was sticky too. We all had to squish into the back!'

The school sent an email to the bus company that said, in part: 'Our students at LWA once again were transported on a bus that was unsafe and unhealthy for any LIVING PERSON to ride on ... The students were crying when they arrived. The families are asking for a full refund for the remainder of the school year.'

'There was a broom that had poop': Vincent Lopez says that his seventh grader daughter Veronica (right) was one of the eight students on the bus that day and that they had to share the one clean seat

'The children have been transported safely,' said co-owner of the bus company, Dan Rivelas, who suggested the mess was caused by the students

The co-owner of the bus company, Dan Rivelas, reportedly replied to the school saying the company had fulfilled its service and that there would be no refunds.

He then told PIX 11: 'The children have been transported safely.

In regards to the filthy bus, he said: 'My definition (of safety) is getting them to and from school safely and we have an excellent safety reputation.'

Lawrence Woodmere Academy has since ended its relationship with RivLab Bus Company.

Headmaster Alan Bernstein said in a statement that they 'were appalled at the horrible condition. They were unapologetic and had no explanation that we found credible (we) will no longer be doing business with RivLab'.

RivLab Bus Company is a charter company in Averne, Queens. The company denied the mess in the bus was their responsibility or fault

Woodmere Academy on Long Island is a $32,000-a-year school. It hired the buses privately to get the children to school

The bus system used by Lawrence Woodmere Academy - private and paid for by parents - does not fall under the jursidcition of a County Transportation Department.
Just a block down the street from Disneyland, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called out the heads of the Walt Disney Company for their corporate greed.

'I'm probably the only politician to come to Anaheim and say this,' Sanders told a boisterous crowd gathered Tuesday morning at the Anaheim Convention Center, before going on a tirade about Disneyland employees' working conditions.

'Is anybody making a living wage at Disney?' Sanders said, surveying his crowd, to which he received a chorus of noes.

The Vermont senator, who is fighting for his political life in California before the state's June 7 primary, noted that employees of the popular amusement park 'are forced to live in motels, because they can't afford a place to live.'

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Sen. Bernie Sanders used his Anaheim rally's proximity to Disneyland to shame the corporation for its corporate greed

Bernie Sanders' first rally today was just a block down from the Disneyland Resort, which the Vermont senator chided for paying low wages and high CEO pay

Sen. Bernie Sanders is fighting for his political life, hoping that a big win in California can keep his campaign rolling onto the Democratic National Convention

Sanders broadened his point to the other coast as well, noting how employees at Disneyland's sister park, Disney World, trained foreign workers coming in on H-1B visas, before they were all laid off.

'Meanwhile, the CEO of Disney made $46.5 million in total compensation,' the Vermont senator said.

He talked about how the many t-shirts and souvenirs sold at the Disney theme stores weren't made in America, but made in China, and suggested the company should reinvest in the United States by reopening factories here.

'Poverty is not discussed in Congress, not discussed in the media,' Sanders said at another point.

Sanders wrapped his point into an attack on the corporate media as well.

'Let me make a prediction that that statement won't appear on ABC tonight,' Sanders said, pointing out that Disney owns ABC News.

Disney snapped back at Sanders attack with Suzi Brown, a spokeswoman for Disneyland, saying the senator 'clearly doesn't have his facts right.'

'The Disneyland Resort generates more than $5.7 billion annually for the local economy, and as the areas largest employer has added more than 11,000 jobs over the last decade, a 65 percent increase,' she continued.

'These numbers dont take into account our $1 billion expansion to add a Star Wars-themed land, which will create thousands of additional jobs across multiple sectors,' she added.

An audience member in Anaheim, California holds up a Bernie Sanders muppet while supporters wait for the Vermont senator to start another day of his Southern California swing

Sanders was echoing his opening act, The Young Turks host and co-creator Cenk Uygur, who railed against the reporters standing in the back.

Uygur called out his media brethren for reporting that Hillary Clinton is the strongest candidate to go up against the Republicans' presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

The Young Turks host read off some of the recent polls that showed Trump ahead of Clinton in the general election race.

'Embarrassing!' yelled one excited member of the crowd.

Sanders, in these head-to-head match-ups would beat Trump, Uygur pointed out.

'But only by 15 points!' the host joked.

The Sanders campaign has used general election match-ups for months to make their case against Clinton, who has an almost insurmountable lead in the pledged delegate count.

Sanders, consistently, has out-performed Clinton against Trump, though Clinton has usually still beaten the billionaire.

This week, however, polling started to show Trump overtaking Clinton in some of these match-ups, making team Sanders make the case even more loudly.

Bernie Sanders rounded out his Tuesday in Southern California by hosting a rally in San Bernardino, California, in which he proclaimed that Donald Trump 'will not become president'

Onstage in Anaheim, the 74-year-old Sanders talked about how his campaign has gotten the youth vote motivated, while pundits suggested that young people were too busy 'doing video games' and 'drugging up.'

'What does it tell us?' Sanders asked of attracting so many young fans.

'It tells us and it should tell the country and certainly the leadership of the Democratic party that our ideas and our vision is the future of America,' he said.

Sanders told supporters that a win in the Golden State could keep his bid going.

'If we win California big we're going to go marching into the Democratic with a lot of momentum. And if we go marching into the Democratic Convention with a lot of momentum we're going to march out with the Democratic nomination,' Sanders stated.

'And if we march out with the Democratic nomination, Donald Trump is toast,' Sanders said.

At two more rallies on Tuesday, Sanders attracted crowds of 3,000 in Riverside, California, 250 of whom were sent to an overflow room and another 5,243 in San Bernardino, California, the town rattled by the December terror attack.

In San Bernardino, Sanders sassed his Democratic primary rival and the man he hoped to face in the general election.

'You can't take their money and then take them on,' he said, again attacking Clinton for accepting campaign donations from Wall Street bankers.

Sanders also promised his 'yuge' crowd that 'Donald Trump will not become president.'
A New York man who lost millions defending himself four times against accusations that he murdered his wife is finally able to walk free after 15 years.

Calvin 'Cal' Harris's wife, Michele, then 35, vanished from their home on September 11, 2001. She and Harris, who was then 38 and worth $4million, were going through a divorce - and cops said he murdered her to keep his money.

He underwent four trials between 2005 and today, each one ultimately collapsing. Now, finally, Harris is free - with a fraction of his former wealth.

Free at last: Calvin Harris (pictured after his acquittal Monday), 54, has finally been declared not guilty in his fourth trial for allegedly killing his wife, Michele, who disappeared on September 11, 2001

Crying: Harris cried as he recalled how he'd been 'robbed' of his kids' childhoods. 'I've been ripped away from my kids three times now,' he said. 'That's been hard.' He may sue the authorities in light of his acquittal

Family: Harris's children (pictured with Michele prior to 2001) have always stood by their father. Michele's body was never found after her disappearance

'When [the judge] first came out and started talking, I thought I was done,' Harris, now 54, told reporters, according to CBS News. 'I was numb. When he came back with not guilty, I was shocked.'

And he began to cry as he recounted how he had been 'robbed' of his 'right as a father' to raise his children.

'I've been ripped away from my kids three times now,' Harris said, crying. 'That's been hard.'

He added that although it was now over, the 15-year ordeal, which he called a 'horrible abuse of power,' had taken its toll on his entire family.

'We can now finally move forward and make plans in our lives as normal people do,' he said.

'But I can tell you there will be no celebration at our house tonight. There are no winners in this case. Everybody loses.'

And Harris's lawyer, Bruce Barkett, said that he was determined to make hold responsible for his client's repeated trials accountable.

'The people that hunted Cal Harris for 15 years - today, the hunted become the prey,' he warned.

He also said he was still developing leads in Michele's disappearance.

And he added that the difference this time around was that rather than relying on a jury, they had left Harris's verdict up to 'a neutral and fair magistrate.'

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin, in terse comments after the verdict, said prosecutors presented the available evidence as best they could.

He added Michele Harris is still considered a missing person and that his office would investigate any 'credible' information about her disappearance.

Vanished: Michele and Calvin Harris were undergoing a divorce when she disappeared. Police believed that he had killed her to stop her taking half of his $4million used car fortune

The ruling came almost eight weeks after Judge Richard Mott began hearing the nonjury trial.

Prosecutors had argued that Harris killed his wife - whose body was never found - when she came home to the Southern Tier estate they shared with their four children, according to CBS News.

Neither her body nor a murder weapon were ever found.

Defense lawyers had countered that authorities overlooked another suspect in the area - a man from Texas - as the couple's marriage broke up.

They also introduced new evidence, including what appeared to be part of a woman's bra strap, buttons and other items found in a burn pit in a home close to the family's residence.

'We had evidence in the third trial that two individuals had burned bloody clothing in a burn pit about seven miles from where Michelle and Cal lived,' Barket, said in March.

'We dug up that burn pit and found physical evidence collaborating with the fact that clothing was in fact burned there.'

Barket says the outdoor fire pit was located on property then owned by a man named Stacy Stewart, who was known to Harris's wife and was seen with her on the day she went missing.

In that fire pit, the defense says, were a number of items, including a knife blade, a button, what could be a shoulder strap from a bra, a woman's bathing suit or purse, and two fragments of charred fabric - one dark blue or black, one a lighter color.

'Those colors match the coloring of the clothing that Michele Harris was wearing the night she disappeared,' Barket told ABC News. 'She had on, as it was described, a navy blue golf or polo shirt and a pair of khaki shorts.'

The station attempted to contact Stewart but said he could not be reached for comment.

Still together: Harris's children helped support him emotionally throughout the multiple court cases. He said Monday that he had been 'robbed' of his right to raise them

Prosecutors had argued that Harris killed his wife - whose body was never found - when she came home to the Southern Tier estate they shared with their four children. The upstate NY house that Harris and his wife Michele shared when she disappeared on September 11, 2001

Michele Harris' empty minivan was found the morning of Sept. 12, 2001, with the keys still in the ignition at the end of the couple's long driveway.

Her body was never found, and prosecutors have relied largely on circumstantial evidence, along with a small amount of blood stains found in the home.

Harris's first trial began in 2005. Prosecutors said that blood found in the couple's home was evidence that he had attacked his wife.

They also presented a witness who said he had heard Harris threatening her life.

The defense argued that the threats were never serious and that the evidence was circumstantial, but Harris was still convicted of murder in 2007.

However, that conviction was overturned and a new trial ordered when Kevin Tubbs, a new witness, came forward and said he saw a woman who looked like Michele arguing with another man the morning after her alleged death.

Harris was convicted a second time in 2009, but that verdict was overturned by New York's highest court when the defense showed that errors were made when examining the impartiality of a potential juror and when instructing the jury on hearsay testimony used in a trial.

Calvin Harris, 55, was wealthy from his family's car dealerships, and court papers say he told people his wife would not get half his business as divorce loomed.

A 2007 conviction against Harris was set aside when a new witness potentially helpful to the defense belatedly came forward.

A second guilty verdict in 2009 was overturned based on trial-court errors. Jurors in the third trial last year failed to reach a verdict after 11 days of deliberations.

This was the second trial held in rural Schoharie, more than 100 miles from where the highly publicized case originated.

Burn pit: Harris's lawyers introduced new evidence for his fourth trial, including this burn pit near the family's home, in the latest trial, arguing that an acquaintance of Michele's had murdered her
Three Ponzi fraudsters who blew the 78million they stole from investors on Bentleys, Porsches and yachts were jailed for a total of 20 years today.

Spencer Steinberg, 46, Michael Strubel, 54, and Jolan Saunders, 40, claimed they had won a contract to supply electrical goods to the Olympic Village ahead of the 2012 London games.

They said Saunders Electrical Wholesalers Limited (SEWL) also supplied goods such as including trouser presses and kettles to major hotel chains.

Spencer Steinberg, 46, (pictured left) Michael Strubel, 54, (centre) and Jolan Saunders, 40, (right) claimed they had won a contract to supply electrical goods to the Olympic Village ahead of the 2012 London games

But SEWL was just a shabby high street electrical retailer in east London - a one man and a van operation.

A court heard over four years a total of 78million was received fraudulently from 91 investors.

Saunders and Strubel were both jailed for seven years while Steinberg was jailed for six years and nine months at Southwark Crown Court today.

Judge Michael Grieve QC told them: Over the four years a total of about 78million was received fraudulently from some 91 investors in ever increasing amounts.

You did repeatedly and over time extract from them ever mounting funds that were necessary to feed the fraud and keep it afloat.

Among smaller investors were many who lost more than they could afford.

Saunders and Strubel were both jailed for seven years while Steinberg was jailed for six years and nine months at Southwark Crown Court today

The judge conceded that not all investors had suffered financially and said one had even made a 2million profit which helped encourage others to invest.

It is in the nature of a Ponzi scheme that there will be winners as well as losers when the music stops.

Judge Grieve told Saunders: You are a confidence trickster of the very highest skill.

The fraud that was SEWL was your brainchild and it was you who was able to convince almost everyone that it was a business of tens of millions.

Saunders was described as the lynchpin of the operation by the judge before he was sent down.

Turning to Strubel, Judge Grieve said the fraud financed his lavish lifestyle of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Rolls Royce and a yacht.

You fell or succumbed to the wealthy lifestyle and the admiration from your peers that you thought a wealthy lifestyle would bring.

Strubel and Steinberg were said to have gained 2.8million and 1.8million respectively while no figure was given for Saunders profits.

Victims were persuaded to invest hundreds of thousands over a period of two months so SEWL could meet urgent orders, then paid seemingly sky-high returns.

Participants were asked if they would roll over their investment for another two months while the trio used bogus accounts to impress clients into parting with their cash.

Two investors parted with 2m after being shown fake company invoices that showed they were supplying the Olympic Village.

Two investors parted with 2m after being shown fake company invoices that showed they were supplying the Olympic Village (pictured in 2012)

Others were fooled after Saunders started using doctored invoices from the Park Plaza chain of hotels that suggested they were a major supplier.

The trio were not investigated until the scandal of US investor and notorious fraudster Bernie Madoff hit the headlines in 2008, jurors heard.

Prosecutor Sarah Forshaw QC said the trio raked in 79.5million of investor cash and lived the life of riley.

She said: The defendants persuaded people to part with their money on the promise they were going to invest it for them in a good, profitable business, then effectively pocked the money themselves.

It made them rich, rich at the expense of people they defrauded - you will hear about Bentleys, Ferraris, Porsches and Rolls Royces, you will hear about yachts and million pound houses.

Ms Forshaw stressed that many of those who had lost out due to the scam were close friends and family of the three fraudsters.

The defendants persuaded people to part with their money on the promise they were going to invest it for them in a good, profitable business, then effectively pocked the money themselves

Jeremy Stone, an old school friend of Saunders at the prestigious Chigwell School in east London, told how he lost 17million in the scam.

Mr Stone told the court he ploughed 27 million into the scheme and had 10 million handed back in returns.

Neither his family nor any of their co-investors have been able to recoup any of the outstanding money.

In his victim impact statement read to the court Mr Stone spoke of the effect his old school friends scam has had on his family.

He said: There have been some very dark times where I considered life was not worth it any more.

He ripped a loving family apart and he did it right in front of their faces with no shame.

The trio ran the Ponzi scheme for four years between 2006 and 2010 until they were investigated by the Serious Fraud Office.

Ms Forshaw explained that 91 investors have been identified but that there might be others who have not been found.

Steinberg and Strubel claimed they had no reason to suspect the business was anything but legitimate.

When the Bernie Madoff scandal broke in 2008, one investor told Steinberg he was spooked by the seemingly sky high returns he was getting from SEWL.

Steinberg said he was not concerned because Madoffs business was a city company.

It was a completely different business to Saunders. I didnt think SEWL was a Ponzi scheme, he said.

But the court heard how he had been able to buy himself two Porsches with his profits - one for racing, one for driving - and a new house where he could host lavish parties.

Steinberg, of Radlett, Hertfordshire and Strubel of New Southgate, north London, were both convicted of conspiracy to defraud and were jailed for six years and nine months and seven years respectively.
A Colorado student who was beaten up by a classmate has become the latest victim of a worrying trend of bullies starting fights after school just to film the scuffle and put it up on Facebook.

Cherish Ruggier, a student of West High School in Denver, says that she was 'ambushed' after school recently by a girl who had been bullying her for months.

Cherish says that one of her friends filmed the melee and posted it online, with other friends and peers then sharing it around.

'I was scared, It happened so quick and nobody wanted to help me,' Cherish told Fox 31 Denver.

Shocking fight: Video uploaded to Facebook shows Cherish Ruggier (red hair) being overpowered by another girl in a fight after school in Denver, Colorado

Cherish says that one of her friends filmed the melee and posted it online, with other friends and peers then sharing it around. At one point in the clip the other girl is on top of her, repeatedly hitting her in the head

'I was scared, It happened so quick and nobody wanted to help me,' Cherish Ruggier said in a TV interview

Cherish said she was shocked to see the people she considered friends just suddenly turn on her.

'It's just sad when they are your friend for a minute and the next, they are not. And they say hurtful things and do hurtful things,' Cherish said.

The other girl in the fight video has not been identified.

Cherish's mother, Tennile Chavez, worries that her daughter is in danger and that no one is willing to step in and help.

'Someday I'm going to get the call that someone did shoot your daughter or beat her up so bad, and it will be too late,' Chavez told KDVR.

Fox 31 reported that it has been 'inundated' with calls and email from parents saying that their children have been targeted for fights for the point of filming the scene and posting it online.

'This comes home with you': Denver Public Schools official Eldridge Greer (left) and counselor Sean Boyd (right) both discussed the worrying trend of school fights being posted online

Fearing for her life? Cherish's mother, Tennile Chavez, worries that her daughter is in danger and that no one is willing to step in and help

Cherish Ruggier, a student of West High School in Denver, says that she was 'ambushed' after school recently by a girl who had been bullying her for months

Counselor Sean Boyd said the people who are posting fights on social media are typically seeking attention.

'It has to do with claiming a sense of power, control and status,' Boyd told the network.

'This doesn't stop at the end of the school day. This comes home with you. It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week.'

Boyd said the impact on the victim can be all-consuming.

'Colorado still ranks in the top 10, year after year, for having the highest suicide rate and this is one of those variables that absolutely contributes to that,' he said.

Cherish says that one of her friends filmed the melee - in which she is repeatedly punched in the head - and posted it online, with other friends and peers then sharing it around

Denver Public Schools official Eldridge Greer said the problem with investigating the videos is that it is hard to determine who is at fault in the fight.

'If they have a video of a fight, while it looks like this person threw the first punch, but the other person threw the second punch, so I'm going to discipline differently,' he told Fox 31.

'It's more likely there was a fight and we are going to have to give a consequence to both kids.'
A paralyzed dog who was ready to be put down was saved from death at the last minute when a visiting veterinary student discovered the tick that had caused his incredibly rare condition.

Ollie the Sheltie, of Portland, Oregon, had become increasingly lethargic and weak after going on a camping holiday - a condition that baffled his regular vet.

Blood tests and X-rays did nothing to explain the illness, and on May 4, after Ollie became fully paralyzed and unable to eat, his owners, Al and Joelle Meteney, agreed to put the ten-year-old dog down, according to ABC News.

Saved: Ollie the Sheltie, 10 (pictured at a check-up with, l-r, owner Al Meteney, vet student Neena Golden and vet Dr. Adam Stone) became paralyzed with a mysterious illness after a camping trip in late April

Once bitten: Just one minute before Ollie was to be euthanized, Golden found a tick like the one pictured (A and B fully engorged; C shown before feeding) by Ollie's ear. Once it was removed, he made a full recovery

The Meteneys took the ailing animal to DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital, rather than their usual vet, to be euthanized.

TICK PARALYSIS Tick paralysis is caused when an egg-laden female tick latches onto an animal for a prolonged period of time. Neurotoxins in the parasite's saliva flow into the bloodstream of the host, causing a paralysis that begins in the legs and spreads quickly throughout the body. It can be fatal, if left long enough, but removing the tick usually sees symptoms disappear. Despite common belief, if a tick's head comes off while being removed, it will not cause more toxin to be injected - though it may cause irritation. Removed ticks should be kept for a vet or doctor to look at. Symptoms can occur within two days, but usually occur after five-to-seven days, as an increased flow of neurotoxin occurs around this time. The Rocky Mountain wood tick and American dog tick are usually associated with the illness in North America but some 43 types of ticks around the world are on record as causing it. Most North American cases occur between April and June, and though it can affect humans, it is more common in animals.

It was there that Neena Golden, a veterinary student who was getting hands-on experience at the hospital, made the surprising discovery that saved the hapless hound's life.

As Ollie was just one minute away from death, Golden decided to comfort him by tickling him behind his ears - and that's where she found the tick that was causing his woes.

Although Ollie had been wearing a tick collar during the trip, one of the parasites had still managed to latch onto him.

Neurotoxins in the insect's saliva then flowed into Ollie's bloodstream over the course of days, causing 'tick paralysis' - a potentially fatal illness.

It's something that Dr. Adam Stone, who was overseeing the procedure, said is very rare.

'The doctor walked in and remembered that he heard about this in school,' Mr Meteney said.

'He told me it was just one little thing, one slide, and they mentioned it and [that] it was rare, and that was it.

'He had never seen a case before in his career.'

The tick was removed, and Ollie was sent home - though not before his fur was shaved to make sure he didn't have any other ticks hidden away.

And now, Al says, the once-paralyzed pup is back on all four feet. 'He's bright-eyed, active, chasing the squirrels around,' he said.

'He has a spring in his step that he hasn't had in quite a while.'
A Georgia woman lost control of her car and crashed into a playground as she was on her way to vote in the state's senate primary election Tuesday.

Police said the woman crashed through a gate and went about 12 feet over a ledge before plunging into the playground at the Intown Community Church on the outskirts of Atlanta, police told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

'While parking, the vehicle surged forward, going over the curb, through a fence and down an embankment,' DeKalb Police major Stephen Fore told the Journal-Constitution.

A female driver lost control of her vehicle Tuesday and crashed into a playground in Dekalb County outside of Atlanta, police said

'I couldn't believe it when the car surged hard again,' said the driver Nancy Najmaister after the crash

Najmaister told Channel 2 Action News she and her husband, who was a passenger, were fine after the crash except for bruises to their knees and backs

The woman was on her way to vote in Georgia's senate primary elections Tuesday - but the crash prevented her from doing so, she said

'It was a shock, and I tried to stop it. I couldn't believe it when the car surged hard again!' the driver, identified as Nancy Najmaister, told Channel 2 Action News.

'I felt that cement wall scraping and I saw the car going down. In my mind I remember I thought it was going to go over, and over, and we were going to be hurt,' she said.

Channel 2 reported the woman and her husband, who was a passenger, suffered bruises on their knees and backs, but that they were otherwise fine.

No children were injured in the incident.
George Zimmerman sold the gun he used to shoot dead Trayvon Martin for $250,000 to a mother planning to give it to her son for his birthday, according to reports.

Zimmerman said he put the pistol up for auction after hearing Hillary Clinton's 'anti-gun rhetoric' as he smoked a cigar during an interview with KTNV.

He also vowed to fight against the Black Lives Matter movement and end the career of Florida state attorney Angela Corey, who led Zimmerman's prosecution.

But he may have made yet another enemy after he snubbed Daytona Beach bar owner Denny Honeycutt, who Zimmerman initially agreed to sell the gun to for $150,000.

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A mother purchased the gun George Zimmerman (left) used to fatally shoot Trayvon Martin for $250,000 as a birthday gift for her son, Denny Honeycutt (right) told the News Journal Online

Zimmerman may have made yet another enemy after he snubbed Daytona Beach bar owner Honeycutt, who Zimmerman initially agreed to sell the gun to for $150,000

The former neighborhood-watch volunteer was acquitted of second-degree murder in 2013 after he claimed to shoot the unarmed black teenager in self-defense.

Honeycutt, who owns Froggy's Saloon on the Main Street of Daytona Beach in Florida, aired his grievances and accused Zimmerman of reneging on their deal.

After the first auction was unlisted, Zimmerman went to United Gun Group, which added a verification process to thwart hoax bidders after they interfered with the sale two times before.

Zimmerman confirmed he had been in contact with Honeycutt because he failed to see the required asset verification that was attached with the highest bid, which exceeded the bar owner's by $100,000.

'I thought he was a man of his word,' Honeycutt told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

'I still got the check waiting on him. If he comes back, he comes back. If he doesn't, he's an [expletive].'

In an interview on Monday, Zimmerman said the gun had been shipped to its new owner, a mother who purchased the gun for her son's birthday present.

Zimmerman said he started the auction process because he was 'tired of Hillary Clinton's anti-gun rhetoric.'

'She had recently made comments about, not comments, she had recently lied about the situation,' he said. 'She has been stumping around for a false campaign for the Trayvon Martin Foundation. She lied saying that I killed him when he was walking home in his daddy's neighborhood.

Zimmerman confirmed he had been in contact with Honeycutt (pictured) because he failed to see the required asset verification that was attached with the highest bid, which exceeded the bar owner's by far

Honeycutt, who owns Froggy's Saloon on the Main Street of Daytona Beach in Florida (pictured) aired his grievances and accused Zimmerman of reneging on their deal

'Which if anyone watched more than seven minutes of the trial they would know that is false.'

Money from the auction will also be used to help the families of slain police officers. Zimmerman blamed their deaths on the Black Lives Matter activists and called them 'pansies'.

'I am going to donate to officers such as the deputy in Texas that was shot in the head at point blank range for no other reason than he was in uniform,' he said.

'No one can replace his life. No one can replace the service he was doing to his community. My goal is to attempt to make his family as whole as possible again.'

He is also actively seeking to end Florida state attorney Angela Corey's career as she is campaigning to be reelected for a third term in the state's 4th Judicial Circuit.

Zimmerman also compared himself to the founding fathers, referred to the gun as a historical artifact, and said he would be offering signed lithographs of the gun on his website, according to reports.

Zimmerman started the auction process because he was 'tired of Hillary Clinton's anti-gun rhetoric'. He was acquitted in 2013 for the death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin (right)

In a blog post signaling the auction's close, Zimmerman wrote: 'Fellow Patriots, First and foremost, I would like to thank and give the glory to God for a successful auction that has raised funds for several worthy causes.

'I would like to thank Todd Underwood and UnitedGunGroup.com for their moral fortitude in hosting my firearm auction. I would also like to thank all members of UnitedGunGroup for their support and words of encouragement.

'At this time, the auction with United Gun Group is closed. The process of notifying the winning bidder will begin immediately. The winning bidder will ultimately decide if they want their information to be maintained in confidentiality.'

The listing ended with a Latin phrase that translates as 'if you want peace, prepare for war'.

Critics called the auction an insensitive move to profit from the slaying.

He smoked a cigar during an interview with KTNV and said he would use the proceeds from the gun to fight against Hillary Clinton, Black Lives Matter activists and try to end state attorney Angela Corey's career

Zimmerman told the Daily Beast he cherishes the pistol (pictured) and said: 'It is what was used to save my life from a near-death brutal attack by Trayvon Martin'

Zimmerman told the Daily Beast he cherishes the item.

'It is what was used to save my life from a near-death brutal attack by Trayvon Martin,' Zimmerman said of the gun.

'If it was a stick or mace, it's the one tool I had that prevented Trayvon from killing me.'

Zimmerman said the pistol was returned to him by the US Justice Department, which took it after he was acquitted in Martin's 2012 shooting death.

In two of the auction listings, he claimed that 'many have expressed interest in owning and displaying the firearm including The Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.'.

However, the museum said in a statement it had not done so and had no plans to display it.

Amy Siewert, from FDLE, showed the jury how George Zimmerman's gun can be fired during his trial in Seminole circuit court, in Sanford, Florida in July 2013

Zimmerman was controversially acquitted of murder charges in 2013.

He shot Martin on February 26, 2012, after calling police because he thought the hooded teenager looked suspicious.
Jared Andrew Fox, 24, was arrested on Friday on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography. His arrest comes three months after he was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl

A 24-year-old Michigan man accused of raping a 15-year-old girl was arrested again on Friday after investigators unlocked child porn files on his electronic devices.

Jared Andrew Fox was arrested in February on suspicion he raped a 15-year-old Ingham County girl who he met online while posing as a 14-year-old boy.

Following his arrest, Meridian Township police obtained warrants to search Fox's car and home in St Johns and they seizing his computers, cell phones, tablets, discs and hard drives.

The electronic devices were analyzed by the Michigan State University Police Department Digital Forensic and Cyber Crime Unit and they recently found evidence of child pornography stored on the devices.

That led Clinton County authorities to arrest Fox again on Friday on charges of distributing or promoting child abusive commercial activity, possession of child sexual abusive material and using computers to commit a crime.

He was arraigned on Monday and held on $100,000.

'Fox has been engaged in large scale distribution of child pornography, Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney Charles Sherman said in an email to the Lansing State Journal. 'He has been engaged in a minimum of sending or receiving 383 images and videos of children, some under 5 years old being sexually assaulted by adults and/or other children.'

Fox will be tried in Clinton County court in the child porn case since his home in located within the county's jurisdiction. He is being tried in neighboring Ingham County for the rape case, since that is where the victim lives.

According to court documents, Fox met the 15-year-old victim while posing as a 14-year-old boy online on the website MeetMe.com, where he 'was engaging young girls in sexually suggestive conversations'.

Investigators unlocked more than 600 pages of conversations in which Fox 'attempted to convince young girls to engage in sexual activity with him'.

In October, the female victim 'agreed to let him come to her house and he raped her'.

He faces five counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and two others charges in that case.
Hillary Clinton continued her pivot to the general election today in California.

In the LA suburb of Commerce Clinton derided presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump's tax plan and told an IBEW union chapter that the billionaire wants to give Wall Street a break and 'let them run wild again.'

'And he has experience in bankruptcy,' she said, bringing up his businesses Chapter 11 filings. 'l don't know if that's one of the qualifications for running for president, but I kind of doubt it.'

Clinton ignored her opponent in the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders, entirely despite his being in the same area of Southern California today for a series of campaign rallies.

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Hillary Clinton derided presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, saying 'he has experience in bankruptcy. Bringing up his businesses Chapter 11 filings, she said, 'l don't know if that's one of the qualifications for running for president, but I kind of doubt it'

Her attention was focused squarely on Trump, whom she expects to face in November after she is formally presented her party's crown and scepter.

The real estate mogul and former reality TV star is finished with his primary, now that he's the last candidate standing, and is attacking Clinton and her husband full force.

He brought up Bill's sexual exploits last week as well as a decades old rape charge and suggested that Hillary only wanted him in the White House so she could keep an eye on him.

Clinton says she won't play Trump's game, though and is sticking to the issues.

The theme of her Tuesday afternoon speech was that Trump would drive the economy into the ditch Barack Obama found it in back in 2009.

'Somebody may come along promising that he can make the economy great,' she said, alluding to Trump.

Speaking specifically about his tax plan, which would cut rats for the rich, she said, 'Donald Trump's tax plan was written by a billionaire for billionaires, as far as I can tell.'

Monday she signaled she would shift her stump to target Trump as she spoke to the Service Employees International Union at the group's convention in Las Vegas.

'Trump economics is a recipe for lower wages, fewer jobs and more debt. He could bankrupt America like he has bankrupted his companies,' Clinton said, according to CNN.

Punching back at Trump she said, 'I mean ask yourself, how could anybody lose money running a casino? Really?'

She made the same joke Tuesday afternoon in Commerce at a rally billed as an event for working families and said, 'I'm never gonna let Wall Street bankrupt Main Street again!'

Among other complaints Clinton levied at Trump today is his impulsive behavior.

Here's a 'person running for president who calls into shows...and says whatever the thought of the day might be, she said.

'I think it matters what you say when you're running for president, and it really matters when you are president.'

Bernie Sanders was in a neighboring county but her attention was focused squarely on Trump, whom she expects to face in November after she is formally presented her party's crown and scepter. He's seen here last week at the NRA's annual convention

In the LA suburb of Commerce Clinton derided presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump's tax plan and told an IBEW union chapter that the billionaire wants to give Wall Street a break and 'let them run wild again'

She likewise repeated a debunked suggestion that Trump doesn't pay federal income taxes and that's why he's refusing to release his returns and hit him for saying he gives as little money to the government as possible while calling for an expansion of the military.

Sticking it to him in the foreign policy arena, Clinton said she was struck today when North Korea said it is not 'interested' in meeting with him for nuclear talks if he becomes president as he suggested.

'That is a blessing I guess, right?' she said.

Clinton pivoted to her own experience as secretary of state and said, 'I know a little bit about the hard choices that make their way to the Situation Room at the White House.'

'You know, we could build a wall all the way around America but that wouldn't keep the Internet out, would it?' she said.

The Democratic presidential candidate said she'd 'respect' other people as president - unlike Trump.

'We don't have to love each other, but we have to respect each other,' she said.

Clinton will hold another rally this afternoon in Riverside, California, just as Sanders is finishing his own event in the college town.
A Memorial Day display made up of crosses honoring fallen soldiers has been removed after a resident questioned if all the dead troops were Christian.

A collection of 79 white crucifixes was taken off public property along a highway in Hiram, Georgia, after someone complained about the religious overtones.

Each of the hand-painted crosses were supposed to represent a resident of Paulding County who had died serving their country.

The troops were killed in conflicts from the First World War to Iraq and Afghanistan.

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A Memorial Day display made up of crosses honoring fallen soldiers in Hiram, Georgia, (pictured last week) has been removed after a resident questioned if all the dead troops were Christian

Some people have blasted the decision and urged people to stop 'whining'. Others branded it as political correctness gone mad.

City Manager Barry Atkinson said the complaint opened the eyes of officials to something they 'missed' and tore the tribute down immediately.

But Hiram Mayor Teresa Philyaw said the cross display, which she approved and planned, was never intended to be religious.

She told Fox News: ''It was never about religion. I was devastated when it had to come down.

'We wanted to make sure that they weren't forgotten. We also wanted their families to know that our hearts still bleed for them.

'At the time, it never, ever crossed my mind about the religious factor in it.

'The cross is a 'rest in peace' symbol to me.' She added that she didn't think any families of the fallen soldiers had complained.

Atkinson told WSB-TV that those who called his office asked if crosses were appropriate.

'They asked were all those fallen soldiers Christian, and the answer to that was not, they obviously weren't.'

He did note that the resident who complained offered to give the city donation to help build a public memorial.

The collection of 79 white crucifixes was abrpuptly taken off public property along a highway after someone complained about the religious overtones. Each of the hand-painted crosses were supposed to represent a resident of Paulding County who had died serving their country

Sandra Newsome wrote: 'What a real embarrassment that Paulding County is in the news for taking down the crosses that represented fallen soldiers. What is our country coming to?'

Tiffany Archer added: 'As a resident of Paulding County it upsets me that they had to be taken down.

'If they have a problem with it they can look at the other side of the road! Our fallen deserve to be recognized and I can't think of a better way.

Michele Alexander simply put: 'Stop whining all the damn time America we are getting soft.'

Marc Mesa shared her sentiment, writing: These are the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice so these whiny, insensitive narcissistic people can be free to be what they are.'
A Florida woman was hit with a $203,000 medical bill after she stepped on a rattlesnake that was lying on the front doormat outside her home.

Cindy Vise, 56, was rushed to the hospital on Sunday after being bitten by a pigmy rattlesnake.

She received several doses of antivenin at $20,000 each and doctors kept her overnight for additional tests and observations, according to WPTV.

Her daughter Elvan Silva told the station that her mom opened the door and 'took a step out and stepped right on the snake'.

Cindy Vise (pictured), 56, was rushed to the hospital on Sunday after being bitten by a pigmy rattlesnake. She received several doses of antivenin at $20,000 each and doctors kept her overnight for additional tests and observations

Her daughter Elvan Silva said doctors had to make sure 'she wasn't getting blood clots from reaction to the venom'. But once all medical treatment had been administered, the family received the bill in the mail totaling $203,000. Pictured is a pigmy rattlesnake

Silva said doctors had to make sure 'she wasn't getting blood clots from reaction to the venom'.

But once all medical treatment had been administered, the family received the bill in the mail totaling $203,000.

Silva told WPTV that her mom 'didn't qualify for Medicaid' and she doesn't have a job or insurance.

But the family did find a charity that will 'pay up to $36,000' Silva said.

However, that still leaves Vise, who didn't lose her leg and should make a full recovery, stuck with $167,000 left to pay for medical costs.

Chris Writ, a snake expert, who came out to the family's home to inspect the outside area told WPTV: 'Sometimes you won't even see them. You'll walk right by them.'

He said the repellant that he uses is '99 per cent effective, but when you live where snakes live, you're going to have snakes'.

Wirt told the station that snakes usually come into contact with people's homes when they are hunting for food like mice, frogs and lizards.

His company is getting at least two calls a week regarding rattlesnakes and advised Silva to be on the lookout for 'any kind of den, nest and eggs' and get rid of any excessive high grass.

Silva said that her and her children are taking extra precautions when they walk outside now.

Vise and her daughter have set up a GoFundMe account with hopes of getting the cost down.
The U.S. Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against Charleston shooter Dylann Roof.

Roof, 22, is accused of killing nine black parishioners at a historic church in South Carolina last June.

'The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision,' Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.

He faces 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, obstruction of religion and firearms offenses.

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Roof, 22, is accused of killing nine black parishioners at a historic church in South Carolina last June (pictured)

Authorities have accused him of holding white supremacist views, saying he targeted the victims because of their race.

His federal trial had been delayed while U.S. prosecutors decided whether to seek the death penalty.

Defense attorneys have said he would plead guilty if he did not face the possibility of execution.

He also faces the state death penalty if convicted of the shooting.

Roof's attorney, Michael O'Connell, declined to comment on the prosecution's decision when reached by phone on Tuesday.

The date and length of his trial is also determining the timeline of another trial: that of Officer Michael Slager, the South Carolina police officer charged with shooting dead black motorist Walter Scott.

Last month Circuit Judge J.C. Nicholson delayed the 22-year-old Roof's trial until January after the defense said its expert needed two to six months more to complete a psychiatric evaluation of Roof.

No other details were mentioned at the hearing, and Nicholson has sealed the release of any information about Roof's medical records.

The trial is now set for January 17, 2017, with jury screening to begin in early December. The trial had been scheduled to start in July.

In the most recent court documents, the defense said that if its own investigation turns up mental health evidence about Roof it intends to use in the guilt or innocence phase of the trial, it will tell the state about such information by September 18.

The state has also requested a list of defense witnesses.

The massacre prompted national push to remove the Confederate Flag from federal buildings after it emerged Roof used the flag as his banner. Pictured: One of Roof's personal photos which emerged after the attack

'The investigation is far from complete and with jury selection some seven months away, the defense does not yet know what witnesses it may call beyond those who will also testify for the state,' the filing signed by public defender Ashley Pennington said.

While the defense did not object to providing the judge a list of potential witnesses, Pennington wrote that giving the list to the prosecution would 'provide the state with a windfall of information' that the state rules for trials do not allow.

Instead, the defense said it can give the list to the judge who could then provide it to potential jurors during initial jury screening to determine if the jurors know any of the witnesses.
Aides to Donald Trump have doubled down on their all out attack on the Clintons, indicating that Trump now favors congressional Republicans' impeachment of Clinton, charging Hillary Clinton with abetting her husband's misbehavior, and even backing congressional Republicans in the 1995 government shutdown.

Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson made the reassessment of impeachment when CNN's Wolf Blitzer quizzed her on Trump's past defense of Bill Clinton.



'He's being honest,' Pierson said of Trump's comments.

Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson says Trump was just 'being a friend' by backing up Bill Clinton

Trump in 2008 called Clinton's impeachment 'nonsense'

'When you are being a friend and a private citizen you defend your friend. That's what he did. 'Today it is a problem, because Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath,' she said.

'Today [Trump] acknowledges that yes this was definitely a problem and now we're looking at putting the same man back in the White House,' Pierson added.

Pierson was pressed about Trump's 2008 comments that backed up Clinton, when he faced an impeachment trial in Congress following an investigation by an Independent Counsel.

'I mean, look at the trouble Bill Clinton got into with something that was totally unimportant and they tried to impeach him, which was nonsense,' Mr. Trump told CNN then.

Trump lawyer Michael Cohen made a similar statement. 'He was a private citizen who was friendly with the Clintons and he was trying to protect a friend, all right?' he told CNN's 'New Day.'

'Now, it's a different game. It's 2016. He is the Republican presidential nominee,' he added.

So far the Clinton camp says it doesn't want to engage with Trump on the attacks

Trump campaign chairman Sam Clovis faults Hillary Clinton for failing to control her husband's 'sexual predation'

Pierson was referencing Clinton's false statements to a grand jury in connection with the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

But she also chided him for 'doing things inappropriately with an intern at the White House.

'You have Hillary Clinton who's going to turn everything over to he husband,' she continued, at which point Blitzer brought up impeachment, which ultimately led to Clinton acquittal and contributed to Republicans losing the House.

'Thank you House Speaker Gingrich for that,' Pierson said, referencing impeachment. 'After Bill Clinton vetoed government reform and shut the government down,' she said taking sides with the House GOP in the 1995 budget standoff.

Trump campaign national chairman Sam Clovis turned up the heat even further, telling MSNBC for failing to control Bill's 'sexual predation.'

'We spent the first 17 minutes of your show talking about a person accused of sexual predation and then we come to this issue here and we essentially are talking about the fact we have a war on women being waged by the Democrats against the Republicans, at least that's the accusation,' Clovis said.

'Yet we have the person who is the lead of that fight on the part of the Democrats is in fact the person who could not control the sexual predation that went on in her own home. So this is really an ironic aspect of this whole presentation here.'

Clovis then said the Clinton's relationship was fair game.

''Frankly it's a private matter for them, but at the same time when you move yourself into the public domain and you want to become president of the United States, there really isn't very much that's off limits,' he said.
Her remains have been recovered to be transferred to Kathmandu in days

The university lecturer died to altitude sickness along with a Dutch climber

The 34-year-old was joined by her husband Robert for the challenge

Dr Maria Strydom died on Saturday afternoon after taking ill on Everest

The body of a vegan university lecturer has reportedly been brought down Mount Everest to be transferred to Kathmandu within days.

Seven Summit Treks says the remains of 34-year-old Maria Strydom have been recovered, the ABC has reported.

The Monash University lecturer died on the peak at the weekend along with Dutch climber Eric Arnold after suffering altitude sickness.

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Maria Strydom's remains have reportedly been recovered from Mount Everest, to be taken to Kathmandu within days (pictured with husband Robert Gropel)

Her husband, Melbourne vet Robert Gropel, is in Kathmandu waiting for his wife's remains to be returned

Given her body was located within the 'death zone' on Mount Everest, it would have been incredibly difficult to retrieve her.

Her husband, Melbourne vet Robert Gropel, was airlifted after also falling ill and has since been released from hospital.

Dr Gropel and his parents Heinz and Patricia, who flew to Nepal to be with him, are now focusing on retrieving Dr Strydom.

When asked if Dr Strydom's body was on its way to Kathmandu, Patricia Gropel said 'we are desperately hoping so' in an email to AAP.

Dr Strydom's sister Aletta Newman told AAP on Tuesday night she knew a retrieval operation was being planned, but had not received any updates.

Dr Gropel has been joined by his parents Heinz and Patricia, who flew to Nepal to be with him

Dr Gropel also fell ill on Everest and was airlifted to hospital. He has since been released and is awaiting his wife's remains to be retrieved

The South African national (above during a previous expedition) was an experienced climber who previously conquered Kilimanjaro

Dr Strydom's mother, Maritha Strydom, posted on Facebook on Tuesday thanking her 'amazing family and in-laws who are all working as a team to make (the retrieval) happen and raise the fortune needed to bring Maria back'.

The distraught mother added that expedition leader Arnold Coster had offered his help in the recovery operation.

Mr Coster detailed what happened during the trek in a Facebook post.

'On May 20 our apparently perfect-looking summit push turned into disaster,' he wrote of the expedition organised by Seven Summit Treks.

Everyone summited except Dr Strydom who decided to turn around just above the South Summit at 8am due to fatigue.

She and Mr Arnold both died during the descent, Mr Coster said.

'At the moment we are assembling a rescue team to try to retrieve the bodies.

'These tragic events numbed the whole team and our thoughts are with their family and friends.'

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says consular assistance is being provided to both families.

Given her body was located within the 'death zone' on Mount Everest, it would have been incredibly difficult to retrieve her

A live GPS map tracking Dr Strydom's movements gave her family updates on her whereabouts

Weeks before her death Dr Strydom told how she and her husband wanted to dispel the belief that vegans were 'weak' or 'malnourished' by taking on the climb (pictured with husband Robert Gropel)

Dr Strydom's family have since hit out at the expedition company after they had to learn of her death online instead of direct from Arnold Coster Expeditions.

Expedition leader Arnold Coster broke his silence with a report detailing what happened to the climbers in a Facebook post.

In the statement, Mr Coster and his company said other people posted news about Dr Strydom's death before they had a chance to contact the family, while the team had been busy helping Dr Gropel.

However, on Monday evening - after the statement was released - Dr Strydom's family said they still had not heard from either Arnold Coster Expeditions or the other company involved, Seven Summit Treks.

Dr Strydom's mother Maritha commented on the Facebook statement with: 'We never had ... any contact from anyone from your company, now, almost 48 hours after my daughter's death. I want her body back.'

Dr Strydom and Dr Gropel, both experienced climbers, were vegans determined to conquer the highest mountains on each continent.

The 34-year-old (seen above with her husband at Uhuru Peak on Kilimanjaro during a previous climb) said she wanted to dispel the idea vegans were 'weak' or 'malnourished' by climbing Everest

Mount Everest was the latest peak in the couple's 'seven summit' climbing challenge. Above, Dr Strydom at the top of Denali, the highest mountain in North America

Above, a spokesman for the trekking company pointed out where she died on a map on Sunday

Dr Strydom and Dr Gropel before the 34-year-old succumbed to altitude sickness on an Everest climb

Eric Arnold, a 36-year-old Dutch national, also died on Saturday from altitude sickness. He is pictured above during previous climbs

On Friday Mr Arnold celebrated reaching the mountain's peak by sharing this photograph on Twitter

It was Mr Arnold's fifth attempt at the mountain. He reached the summit on Friday, informing friends online of the accomplishment
A longtime Colorado investigator retired after getting caught calling the president of the United States a racial slur, his former sheriff said Monday.

Lieutenant Robert Jaworski worked for 28 years at the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, in Colorado Springs, before retiring earlier this month.

His departure came after he used the N-word to describe Barack Obama in front of several subordinate officers and employees of the coroner's office, Sheriff Bill Elder told The Gazette.

Jaworski used the slur in a break room inside the Sheriff's Office, while Obama appeared on television, according to Elder.

Lieutenant Robert Jaworski (pictured) worked for 28 years at the El Paso County Sheriff's Office before retiring this month. His departure came after he got caught calling the president a racial slur, the sheriff said

Elder said he would have fired Jaworski if the investigator hadn't left.

'That is unacceptable in my administration,' Elder told The Gazette. 'You wouldn't get a warning as far as I'm concerned.'

A spokeswoman told KRDO that racial slurs of all kinds wouldn't be tolerated in the Sheriff's Office.

Jaworski, who previously worked at a lumberyard and as a UPS driver according to The Gazette, led or supervised investigations into homicides and serious crimes during the past 17 years.

He often received high marks for his performance.

Jaworski's retirement benefits remained intact following his departure.

Elder told The Gazette there was 'no reason' to call for disciplinary action against Jaworski afterwards.

No public funds were used in return for the retirement, deputy El Paso County attorney Elizabeth A Kirkman told The Gazette in a statement.

Elder and Kirkman both told the newspaper they didn't know of any previous reports of racist language concerning Jaworski.

Jaworski used the slur in a break room inside the Sheriff's Office, while Barack Obama (pictured in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Tuesday) appeared on television, according to Sheriff Bill Elder
Consumers will be able to switch their mortgage provider, mobile phone, energy and broadband contracts within a week, under plans announced today.

In a major shake-up, ministers will promise to hand more power to customers fed-up with poor service from big business, rip-off banks and building societies.

They hope increased competition will drive down costs and end the frustration of being stuck with slow broadband, expensive mortgages or locked mobile phones.

A new Government package pledges to allow customers to swap their mobile phone, energy and broadband contracts within seven days (posed by model)

However, consumer groups will want to see the details  with banks having a long track record for finding way of leaving customers dangling on the hook or hitting them with punitive exit charges.

In a bid to show the Government has not been paralysed by the EU referendum, a package will today promise that:

Consumers will be able to switch their current account or mortgage provider, mobile phone, energy and broadband contracts within seven days;

The broadband speed of every home will be published online so potential buyers know what they are signing up to;

Contracts for gas, electricity or other services taken out online can be cancelled on the internet;

Compensation will be paid if services are not switched when promised or if repair men dont turn up.

The new rules, which could be in force next year, are being unveiled as the Prime Minister jets off to the G7 summit in Japan with his party and his Government dogged by in-fighting over the EU.

The seven-day period for switching mortgage supplier would kick in at the point when a homeowner had found another building society or bank willing to give them a mortgage. It would not apply during the time when a bank is carrying out onerous financial checks on a would-be customer  a process that can take weeks.

But, officials say, it will stop existing mortgage providers dragging their feet  and continuing to receive interest  after a customer does a deal to switch.

So, for example, if they were a customer of Santander and wanted to move their mortgage to Nationwide, they would have to go through the application process for a loan with Nationwide, and the promise to switch their deal in seven days would apply from the moment Nationwide had approved their loan. This often happens already, but the guarantee would protect customers in cases where funds are not transferred in time.

Ministers say the process should not take longer than switching a current account, and most banks already do that within a week. But in a survey released by the Government today, fewer than 60 per cent of consumers said they were able to switch as quickly as they would have liked.

Ministers say the process should not take longer than switching a current account, and most banks already do that within a week

The new rules will not be finalised until after a consultation but Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: I want to give consumers more power over switching providers for the services they rely on to make sure they are getting the best deals.

The Government is committed to creating a system that works for consumers and makes markets more competitive.

Under the Digital Economy Bill, households will be able to check broadband and network coverage information for individual properties. Information will be made available on websites showing the speed that can be provided by all the companies operating in the area, not just the current supplier.

The Government said it believes people will use the data when moving house, putting fast broadband at a premium. The Bill will also state that consumers will have to deal only with their new provider in order to switch, ending the headache of having to contact the old provider to exit a contract.

There will be an automatic entitlement to compensation from phone or broadband firms if a new package isnt working on the promised day or a repair man fails to turn up. Customers will be able to cancel contracts online if they signed up for them on the internet. This will remove the misery of having to make a string of phone calls or being left stuck on hold.

Mobile phone users will be able to unlock their phone at the end of the contract for free.

This means it will be easier to change providers while keeping their existing handset. Overall, handset owners spend an estimated 48million a year unlocking their phones, Whitehall officials said.
General Sir Michael Rose claims EU law has seriously undermined the country's combat effectiveness

Britain's Armed Forces would be more effective outside the European Union, 12 former generals and admirals claim today.

Throwing their weight behind the Brexit campaign, the former military top brass say the EU has become 'intrusive', 'out of control' and 'not fit for purpose'.

They reject the idea that a Brexit would have a negative impact on the UK's defence and security, saying that Nato is responsible for peace across Europe.

And in a shattering blow to No 10, one of Britain's most respected generals claims EU law has seriously undermined the country's combat effectiveness.

General Sir Michael Rose says service personnel are in danger of becoming 'no more than civilians in uniform'.

His comments will humiliate the Prime Minister because Sir Michael's name was 'mistakenly' added to a letter orchestrated by Downing Street earlier this year which promoted the EU.

The retired senior military officers are backing Veterans for Britain, a campaign for a Leave vote in the EU referendum aimed at serving and former military personnel.

Sir Michael commanded UN troops in Bosnia from 1994 to 1995 and was in charge of the SAS siege of the Iranian embassy in 1980.

In an individual statement, he says today: 'Sovereignty and defence are indivisible. European law, in my view, has already seriously undermined UK's combat effectiveness as a result of the intrusion of European law into national law. And today, our servicemen and women are in danger of becoming no more than civilians in uniform.'

Sir Michael Rose told the Mail: 'There's a whole raft of bits of legislation that have come from Europe that have impacted adversely on our combat effectiveness.'

He said he was referring to health and safety laws, hours of work directives, constraints on the age at which soldiers can bear arms and the abandonment of certain court martial procedures.

Politicians have warned that soldiers will need 'more than just body armour' to wage future wars and they were being embroiled in morale-sapping 'lawfare' rather than warfare.

Britain's military could also be prevented from detaining prisoners of war for more than 72 hours  in what the MoD has described as a 'lethal Catch 22'  because of the European Court of Human Rights.

Sir Michael said it took a different set of disciplines to prepare troops for war than civilian work. 'If the necessary psychologies and disciplines cannot be developed in training during peacetime, then it is unlikely that our people will rise to the uncompromising demands of the battlefield in time of war,' he added.

He claims the UK's contribution to European defence would be better made through Nato rather than trying to 'spread our limited resources too thinly' by directly funding the EU. Hitting back at claims made by David Cameron, he also said it was an 'insult' to Britain's EU partners to imply that UK membership of the union was necessary to secure future peace.

Other supporters include Major General Julian Thompson, a commander during the Falklands War, and Lieutenant General Jonathon Riley, deputy commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan.

Lt Gen Riley says the Nato is the 'bedrock' of UK security and attempts to build an EU army could diminish British security.

He added: 'Can we seriously believe that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines should be sent into danger by a body over which we have no control, and which answers to none of us?'

BIG GUNS TURN FIRE ON NO 10 'Sovereignty and defence are indivisible. 'European law, in my view, has already seriously undermined the UK's combat effectiveness as a result of the intrusion of European law into national law. 'And today, our servicemen and women are in danger of becoming no more than civilians in uniform. General Sir Michael Rose, former commanding officer SAS 'Can we seriously believe that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines should be sent into danger by a body over which we have no control, and which answers to none of us?' Lt Gen Jonathon Riley, former deputy commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan Lt Gen Jonathon Riley, former deputy commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan 'Inexorable political integration is a daunting enough prospect but to commit our armed forces into a European army would be utterly reckless and the surrender of our national security.' Major General Nick Vaux, Falklands commander 'If the EU was up for a job interview involving foreign policy and defence, they wouldn't get the job the present mass immigration cataclysm shows that the EU is not fit for purpose.' Major General Malcolm Hunt, Falklands commander 'It is an unelected out-of-control organisation that is autocratic and does not listen.' Rear Admiral Roger Lane-Nott, Falklands commander 'The claim that the existence of the EU has saved us from war for 70 years is a myth. It is Nato that has kept the peace.' Rear Admiral Richard Heaslip, former Flag Officer submarines 'Some people in the Remain camp would like us to believe that all co-operation in the anti-terrorist and intelligence fields would cease if we were to Brexit. 'This is arrant nonsense.' Rear Admiral Conrad Jenkin, former commanding officer OF HMS Hermes 'It is an 'unacceptable and illegitimate form of government and I see, unfortunately, no sign at all that it intends to reform in any way.' Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham Major General Nick Vaux, Falklands commander (left) and (right) Major General Malcolm Hunt, Falklands commander Rear Admiral Roger Lane-Nott, Falklands commander (left) and (right) Rear Admiral Richard Heaslip, former Flag Officer submarines 'Either Great Britain will remain in the EU, dominated by people who we do not elect, who we cannot throw out and who dictate many of the laws which govern us, or we will take back control and return to what we were: an independent country in which our Parliament is elected by us, and answerable to us as the lawmaker. Major General Julian Thompson, Falklands commander 'We reject completely the notion that departing from the European Union would have a negative effect on the UK's defence and security. 'The UK and its Armed Forces would be freer, more effective, more democratic and more able to retain their distinctive capabilities and ethos without the impositions being applied by the EU.' Veterans for Britain Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham (left) and (right) Major General Julian Thompson, Falklands commander Advertisement

Together, Veterans for Britain say: 'We reject completely the notion that departing from the EU would have a negative effect on the UK's defence and security. Scares that are being disseminated as part of the EU referendum debate and which relate to departing from the EU are wholly unjustifiable.

'The UK and its Armed Forces would be freer, more effective, more democratic and more able to retain their distinctive capabilities and ethos without the impositions being applied by the EU.'

Major General Nick Vaux, a commander during the Falklands War, added that an EU army would be 'utterly reckless and the surrender of our national security'.
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A group of children in China are facing dangerous journeys between their homes and school because their village is so cut off from the outside world.

Heart-breaking pictures have emerged showing these pupils, the youngest of whom are aged just six, must climb unsecured vine ladders on the side of a steep rock face to go home from school.

The schoolchildren live in a so-called 'cliff village', which is situated on the top of a 2,624-foot-tall peak in south-west China, and their school is at the foot of the mountain, reports Huanqiu affiliated with the People's Daily Online.

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The treacherous climb to home: The children climb up the cliff face to go home from their school at the foot of the mountain in China

Scary experience: The journey up the terrifying cliff face takes around two hours and the students are accompanied by three adults

Taking a break before continuing: The 15 children are aged between six and 15 and live on top of a 2,624-foot-tall peak in Sichuan Province

Experienced: For the parents who are used to the journey, it takes them an hour to go down the cliff and an hour and a half to go up

The set of pictures were taken on May 14 as 15 children spend two hours climbing 17 cliff ladders at the county of Zhaojue County in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

These pupils, who aged between six and 15, were seen carrying heavy bags and supervised by three parents.

Their homes at the Atule'er village boasts an altitude of 4,600 feet.

The village is so remote that only 72 families live there, most of whom make a living by growing chillies.

Once the they arrive at the Le'er Primary School, the children stay there for two weeks before making the treacherous journey back down the mountain to visit their families.

Every time they come down or go up the mountain, their parents take it in turns to pick them up.

For the parents who are used to the journey, it takes them an hour to go down the cliff and an hour and a half to go up.

However for the young pupils, they need around two hours to scale the cliffs with the help of dangerous ladders.

30-year-old Chen Guji is one of the parents helped pick up the children on the day when reporters took the pictures.

Chen told the reporter he had to get up at 6am that morning in order to descend the peak to pick up his four daughter and one son, as well as other children.

His son, named Chen Muhei, is six years old and is the youngest of his five children.

The father used rope and tied a knot around his son's backpacks to ensure his safety.

Treacherous trip: These young pupils have to carry heavy schoolbags while going through the perilous journey once every two weeks

Precarious journey:The children live in a terrifying 'cliff village', which is situated on the top of a 2,624-foot-tall peak in Zhaojue County

30-year-old Chen Guji is one of the parents who takes it in turns to help pick up the children. Chen has four daughters and one son

Renowned community: Atule'er, dubbed the 'cliff village', boasts an altitude of 4,600 feet and is on top of a 2,624-foot-tall mountain

According to A Pi Ji Ti, the Secretary of Communist Party of Zhi'ermo Township, the perilous journey between the village and the foot of the mountain has killed around eight people.

Sometimes the journeys are difficult with the village encountering rain and snowy weather.

Because of this, some children from the village are not sent for education even after they reach the school age.

A Pi Ji Ti added the village dates back some 200 years.

Despite the fact its isolated, the land is fertile and the villagers are self sufficient.

Looking towards the future, the residents would like the government to build a road leading to and from the village however due to the high costs and small number of people who live there, it appears to be out of the question for officials.

Zhaojue County office secretary Ji Ke Jin Song says: 'The main problems is that we can easily move the villagers to a nearby city but without their farm land they have no job.

'They have good land resources and have a high yield of crops. Building a road to the village would cost 60 million yuan (6.2 million) which is not cost effective because the number of people is so low.'

The government has invested one million yuan (105,000) in sheep for the villagers.

It's thought that in the future the village could become involved in the tourism industry.

Isolated in the hills: The village dates back some 200 years and is home to 72 families, most of whom make a living by growing chillies

Sadly, some children from the village are not sent for education even after they reach the school age because of the dangerous commute

Villagers would like a road to be built to ensure a safer journey however the government said the costs are too high
A man in China who tried to take a selfie with a walrus was killed by the animal as it playfully dragged the man into the water, according eyewitnesses.

The incident occurred earlier this month at Xixiakou Wildlife Park in Rongcheng city in the north-east of the country, reports the People's Daily Online.

The business man, Jia Lijun, had visited the park alone and had been taking videos and pictures to put on his social media account when the walrus, which reportedly weighed nearly 1.5 tonnes, grabbed him from behind.

Horrifying incident: The man was killed when the animal dragged him into the water as he was taking selfies

A big animal: The walrus, reportedly weighing some 1.5 tonnes, had been at the wildlife park for over 10 years

Dangerous: The walrus was kept in this enclosure which many people say allows visitors to get too close

According to the report, Jia's family learned the tragic news on the evening of May 11.

However, local media didn't specify the exact date of the accident.

The Chinese media reported the news last week, saying Jia had been killed by a walrus which dragged him into a pool.

However this week, claimed emerged that Jia had been taking selfies and videos with the marine mammal at the time of the accident.

A friend of Jia, surnamed Wu, said the man was very excited about meeting the walrus and had sent many photos and videos to friends.

Wu was a recipient of the videos.

He told local reporters: 'Who would have thought that at three o'clock he would send me a video, talking and laughing and just a few minutes he was drowning in the water.'

Wu learnt from an eyewitness that the attack came when Jia was posing for a selfie.

Wu added: 'His back was to the walrus, and he took a selfie, the walrus came from behind and pulled him into the pool to play. He was killed by the walrus, he didn't accidentally fall into the water.'

According to onlookers, the walrus clung to the man from behind and dragged him to the pool of water, submerging him and swinging him around.

The animal's keeper surnamed Duan found some bamboo sticks to try and rescue the man however it didn't go to plan.

He then decided to enter the pool.

It was at this moment that the animal released Jia and rushed towards Duan.

Duan has been described as a 'strong swimmer' by his colleagues but unfortunately the huge walrus held both men in a tight embrace and dragged them under the water.

By the time they were rescued, it was already too late.

Selfie: The man had been taking photos and videos and sending them to friends on his social media accounts

Many people on social media say there should have been better barriers to keep animals away from tourists

Zoo staff say that the walrus was just being friendly as it's been raised by the same keeper for more than 10 years, since it was a baby

Many people have criticised the park for not having a barrier between the public and the animals.

Wu agrees: 'This is the root cause of the tragedy. In the viewing area, people and the walrus can come into close contact.'

Zoo staff believe that it was a playful gesture as the keeper had been looking after the animal since it arrived at the zoo as a baby more than 10 years ago.

On China's social media sites people have been discussing the story.

On Weibo, many people say that there should have been some boundary between the animals and the visitors.

One user wrote: 'Every time I see safari tourists in close contact with animals, I worry about an accident.'

While another commented: 'The zoo does not take into account these security risks'.

And another said: 'This is not the animal's fault. These large animals have been dangerous to humans. The zoo has no proper safety measures so where is the line?'

The walrus attraction at the park remains open.
A Beijing-based company is recruiting volunteers to join its space-diving programme.

Successful candidates will be sent into the upper layer of the atmosphere as high as 138,000 feet before falling to Earth in a special parachuting suit developed by the high-tech firm, according to People's Daily Online.

The ambitious plan is set to be realised in July 2017 and is expected to break the record for the highest parachute jump in human history.

Sky high ambition: Parachutists Wang Desong, He Yufeng and Qi Yao (from left to right) unveiled China's first parachuting suit on May 19 in Beijing. The outfit is developed by Gold Ocean Space Technology

Space superpower: Chinese government has invested heavily in space-related programmes in recent years

The programme is carried out by Gold Ocean Space Technology, the first privately owned company in China devoted to space exploration.

The firm unveiled its first parachuting suit in Beijing on May 19, which is also the first of its kind made in China.

Recruitment for volunteers to try out the space dive started from last December, according to a statement on the company's website.

So far three candidates have applied for the programme: an entrepreneur, a champion parachutist and an aircraft engineer.

In the next few months, Gold Ocean Space Technology is due to look for more volunteers who will be trained to test the company's related space equipment.

The purposely designed parachuting suit weighs 35 kilograms (77 pounds) and is equipped with a radar, monitoring operations, space-ground communications and an image transmission system.

According to the plan, the company will carry out the first phase of the space-parachuting test next April from 32,808 feet high, reported hinews.cn.

National heroes: Yang Liwei (middle) became the first man from China to have travelled in space in 2003

A Long March 2F rocket carried the country's first space laboratory module Tiangong-1 lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in September 2011

In May 2017, a 65,616-foot-high jump will be attempted followed by a 138,000-foot-high tryout in July.

All attempts are due to be launched from an industrial park in the city of Sanya in southern China's Hainan Province.

Gold Ocean Space Technology hopes that their new suit will make space travel available for the Chinese public.

Jiang Fang, the president of the company, said: 'We hope to lead the growth of the domestic commercial aerospace sector by starting with space parachuting, and gradually establish a path for the public to travel in the space.'

The space-parachuting trip is expected to cost around 500,000 yuan (52,000) per person.

One of the three existing candidates, He Yufeng, is hoping to become a pioneer in female space parachute jumping.

She said: 'I want to challenge myself, and challenge the current world record of 135,000 feet, which was established by former Google executive Alan Eustace for space sky diving.'

In October 2014, Eustace, a former vice president at Google, plummeted to Earth from 135,000 feet in a customised spacesuit.

He had been lifted by a balloon filled with 35,000 cubic feet of helium from an abandoned runway at an airport in New Mexico, USA.

He broke the world record set by Australian skydiver Felix Baumgartner, who had jumped from 128,100 feet in October 2012.

CHINA'S SPACE PROGRAMME China's military-backed space programme has made methodical progress in a relatively short time, although it lags far behind the United States and Russia in technology and experience. China sent its first astronaut into space in 2003, becoming the third nation after Russia and the United States to achieve manned space travel independently. In 2006, it sent its first probe to the moon. China plans to open a space station around 2020 and send an astronaut to the moon after that. 'They are taking their time with getting to know about how to fly humans into space, how to build space stations ... how to explore the solar system, especially the moon and Mars,' said Peter Bond, consultant editor for Jane's Space Systems and Industry. 'They are making good strides, and I think over the next 10, 20 years they'll certainly be rivalling Russia and America in this area and maybe overtaking them in some areas.'

Alan Eustace, 57, a former vice president at Google, during his record breaking leap from 135,000 feet in 2014

Eustace (inside suit) jumped in this special spacesuit which was suspended under a giant balloon

China is hoping to be the next space superpower by 2030.

Chinese central government has invested heavily in its space-related programmes in recent years. And aerospace growth is a part of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) of the country.

In 2003, China becomes the third country in the world to have sent a man into space as astronaut Yang Liwei explored the universe with the Shenzhou Five mission.

Since then, the ambitious nation has launched four other manned space aircraft in the space of 10 years.

The Chinese authority revealed plans to build a new space telescope that could outperform Hubble in March.

According to People's Daily Online, the new telescope will be similar to Hubble, but will have a field of view that is 300 times larger.

Wu Weiren, a chief designer at the China National Space Administration (CNSA), last month revealed that the country plans to explore and settle on moon, with manned missions staying longer on the surface and even establishing a research base.

It's also revealed that CNSA plans to land on Mars by the end of 2021.

In addition, China is completing the world's largest radio telescope at Dawodang Depression in the rural Guizhou province so that the country's scientists could 'listen to the space'.

The 'Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope' or 'FAST', which cost a whopping 125 million to build, is due to start operation this year after a five-year construction process.
A woman and her husband have spent the last ten years living in a toilet so that they can afford to send their two sons to top universities.

Until recently, the woman from Xinzhou District, Wuhan worked five part time jobs until her sons persuaded her to cut down to two, reports the People's Daily Online.

Both of her sons have since attended prestigious universities.

Motherly love: The woman and her husband have spent the past ten years living in a university toilet

A small place to call a home: The area of the toilet the couple reside in is just one hundred square feet

Wang Xiumei and her husband have lived in a toilet for 10 years. The area of the cabin is just one hundred square feet.

Her husband has been in poor health for some time, suffering from asthma and chronic bronchitis. Now, he has severe cataracts in both eyes and is completely blind in his left eye while he can only see out of his right.

In 2006, the eldest son took the college examination and the youngest was in junior high school. Concerned with the cost of putting her children through college, they came to the University and started living in a vacant toilet.

When Wang first started living in the toilet, she had a monthly income of just 520 yuan (52).

She found it hard to pay for her husband's medication. Her son had less than 200 yuan (20) a semester and had to live frugally.

Over the years she has woken up at 5am to clean a nearby karaoke bar before selling milk on the streets at 7am. Wang would then rush to clean the university at 8am and would then work at restaurants during lunch time.

When it came to the afternoon she would continue to clean the university before working in a restaurant until 11pm. This would leave her with around four to five hours of sleep every day.

Despite the grueling regime, she was never late, arriving to work on time every day.

The woman has worked at the university as a cleaner for ten years along with residing on campus

Nowadays her two jobs have an income of 3,100 yuan (323) a month

Sometimes when it was too late to cook, she ordered her son to help her husband eat, eating just bread and a bowl of plain noodles.

She said her son was sensible and worked hard.

This year under hers sons' persuasion, she quit selling milk and working in restaurants, cutting down to just two jobs.

Although life isn't easy, her two sons make Wang Xiumei very proud. Her eldest son was admitted to Peking University's graduate program.

Nowadays, Wang's two jobs have an income of 3,100 yuan (323) a month which aside from the cost of living and medication for her husband, she is able to save some cash.
They can pick out a fish from more than 650 feet away by producing a rapid-fire stream of clicks as they race through the water in search of prey.

But now the secret behind dolphins' amazing ability to navigate and hunt using echolocation has been discovered - mucus.

Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego has found that the wet sticky surface provided by mucus could help dolphins to make their loud, high frequency sounds.

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Dolphins use high frequency clicking sounds to work out where their prey is located, as well as the shape and size of it

Aaron Thode, one of the researchers, said: 'It's harder than you might think to make loud, high frequency sounds.

'Wet, sticky surfaces could serve a purpose in this.'

Previous studies have found that dolphins create sounds by forcing air through nasal passages located just beneath their blowholes.

ECHOLOCATION - HOW DOLPHINS FIND THEIR PREY Dolphins use a process called 'echolocation' to help them identify where objects are located. The animals send out clicking noises in the form of sound waves, which hit an object and bounce back vibrations. The amount of time it takes for the sound waves to come back helps the dolphins to identify their distance from the object - the longer the sound waves, the further away the object. It also gives them information about the location of the object and some indication of the shape and size of it.

Within the nasal passage are dorsal bursae - lumps of tissue - that collide and vibrate, producing the dolphin's unique clicks, chirps and whistles.

However, until now, the finer details of what happens in these nasal passages remained unclear.

The problem with studying the inner workings of these sounds, is capturing the motions - some of which happen as quickly as a thousand times per second.

To counteract this issue, the researchers used a 'lumped element model' - a technique that scientists often use to simplify complex systems.

The model captured the essential characteristics of the vocal system, like the frequency at which the vocal cords vibrate, while remaining simple enough to easily study.

Using the model, researchers were able to accurately reproduce two distinct parts of a dolphin click - an initial loud thump, followed by an extended ring.

Previous studies have found that dolphins create sound by forcing air through nasal passages located just beneath their blowholes (shown above). However, until now, the finer details of what happens in these nasal passages remain unclear

DOLPHINS HAVE ACCENTS TOO Dolphins that live in pods in certain areas off the coast of the UK have been spotted communicating with unique sounds - regional accents - off the coat of Wales. And now a group of marine biologists is studying dolphins in the water around Jersey to determine if these 'accents' are widespread. Researchers from the Marine Biology Section of Societe Jersiaise in the Channel Islands will compare the noises made by dolphins off the Channel Islands with those from elsewhere. To do this, hydrophones - microphones designed to be used underwater - will be placed in the waters around Jersey, which is home to the UK's largest resident dolphin population. They will be fitted with SD cards to record noises, which scientists say will help them identify 'numbers, species and movements' of the mammals.

Their results suggest the thump is caused when the dorsal bursae collide and then pull apart, and the ring develops from the lingering vibrations of the tissue.

Additionally, to produce the loudest, highest frequency parts of the call, the bursae must stick slightly to each other before separating.

Mr Thode described this as: 'kind of like pulling apart silly putty - if you pull it hard it will resist, but then snap apart.'

Dolphins use a process called 'echolocation' to help them find their prey. They send out clicking noises, which bounce back from the prey. The amount of time it takes for the sounds waves to return helps the dolphins identify the distance

The researchers suggest that this stickiness could be provided by the mucus coating of the nasal passage.

Using this model could potentially inspire human engineers looking for clever new ways to create high-frequency sounds.
Can machines ever produce creative works to rival our own creations?

Google is hoping to find out in its latest project aimed at teaching artificial intelligent how to generate music and art.

Dubbed Magenta, the project was created in Google's Brain AI group, which is also responsible for Google Translate, Photos and Inbox.

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Google wants to use Tensortflow software to teach machines how to compose music and create works of art. DeepDream, Google's visual AI that could transform photos into psychedelic art (such as Salvador Dalis Persistence of Memory, pictured), worked on a similar principle

WHAT IS TENSORFLOW? TensorFlow is an open source software library for machine learning Google currently uses TensorFlow for speech recognition in the Google app, Smart Reply in Inbox and to search in Google Photos. Recent examples of machine learning created at Google, include the 'conversation model' and the Deep Dream program. For 'the conversation model' researchers from the Google Brain team trained a computer to have conversations before posing a series of questions about technical support, general knowledge and even philosophy. As part of the Deep Dream program, Google revealed a set of images to help explain how its systems learn over time. The images were created by feeding a picture into the neural network, and asking it to emphasise features it recognised - in this case, animals. Google trains an artificial neural network by showing it millions of training examples and gradually adjusting the network parameters until it gives the classifications the team want. Magenta is planning to do the same for art and music. Eventually, the resulting artwork and music could be made public through an app.

Magenta will launch officially on June 1st, but Google provided a glimpse at what users might expect at this year's Moogfest music and technology festival in North Carolina.

The project was inspired on earlier attempts to use TensorFlow - Google's open-source library for machine learning - to train computers to become artists, according to a report in Quartz.

Douglas Eck, a researcher on the Magenta project, said that the group will focus on algorithms that can produce music.

'There's a couple of things that got me wanting to form Magenta, and one of them was seeing the completely, frankly, astonishing improvements in the state of the art [of creative deep learning],' Eck said during a panel at Moogfest.

'And I wanted to demystify this a little bit.'

Google currently uses TensorFlow for speech recognition in the Google app, Smart Reply in Inbox and to search in Google Photos.

Recent examples of machine learning created at Google, include the 'conversation model' and the Deep Dream program.

For 'the conversation model' researchers from the Google Brain team trained a computer to have conversations before posing a series of questions about technical support, general knowledge and even philosophy.

As part of the Deep Dream program, Google revealed a set of images to help explain how its systems learn over time.

Magenta will launch officially on June 1st, but Google provided a glimpse at what users might expect at this year's Moogfest music and technology festival in North Carolina. Douglas Eck (pictured), a researcher on the Magenta project, said that the group will focus on algorithms that can produce music

The images were created by feeding a picture into the neural network, and asking it to emphasise features it recognised - in this case, animals.

Google trains an artificial neural network by showing it millions of training examples and gradually adjusting the network parameters until it gives the classifications the team want.

Magenta is planning to do the same for art and music. Eventually, the resulting artwork and music could be made public through an app.

During Moogfest, a neural network demonstrated how it could take just five notes and create a complicated melody.

Other than contributing to the performing arts, computers than can create and understand music and arts could be useful in analysing why someone is interested in a performance piece
A solar-powered aircraft attempting to make a record breaking trip around the world using only the energy supplied by the sun has had the thirteenth leg of its journey postponed.

The team behind Solar Impulse 2 said it had scrapped plans to fly from Dayton, Ohio to LeHigh Valley in Pennsylvania after part of its hangar collapsed onto the aircraft.

The aircraft was being kept in a specially constructed inflatable hangar at Dayton but a failure of a power cabinet used to control the fans caused the fabric to briefly touch the aircraft.

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Solar Impulse 2 has been grounded after the inflatable hangar it was kept in on the tarmac at Dayton, Ohio partially collapsed. Part of the hangar fabric touched the aircraft meaning it needs to be checked for safety before it can be allowed into the air again to complete the thirteenth leg of its journey

Engineers said they decided to postpone the 466 mile flight, which was due to start on Monday morning, while they examine it for damage.

They said while the aircraft does not appear to have suffered any harm during the hangar collapse, they needed to clear it for flight before it could take off in the next few days.

HOW DOES SOLAR IMPULSE WORK? Solar Impulse 2 is powered by 17,000 solar cells and on-board rechargeable lithium batteries, allowing it to fly through the night. Its wingspan is longer than a jumbo jet but its light construction keeps its weight to about as much as a car. Solar Impulse 2 relies on getting enough solar power during the day to survive the night. It is also extremely light - about the weight of a car - and as wide as a passenger jet. Both of these combined means it is extremely susceptible to the weather. In high winds it can struggle to stay aloft at the altitudes necessary to gather sunlight.

Solar Impulse 2 is over half way through a round-the-world journey that is attempting to prove how solar energy could be used to power the future of air transport.

Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard was due to sit at the controls during the flight to Pennsylvania, which was expected to take around 17 hours.

A statement posted on the Solar Impulse 2 blog said: 'We experienced a brief cabinet failure which distributes the fan power needed to keep the mobile hangar inflated.

'This lasted approximately 2.5 minutes. During the time it took to reboot the system, some parts of the airplane were lightly touched by the deflating hangar fabric.

'After a first check by the engineers, we do not see any damage. However this will have to be studied more carefully over the next few days and as such the flight from Dayton to LeHigh Valley has to be postponed.

Solar Impulse 2 took just under 18 hours on its 12th leg from Tulsa in Oklahoma (pictured during take off) to Dayton in Ohio. The city of Dayton is important to Mr Piccard and Mr Borschberg because it was the home of the Wright Brothers, the first men to fly a power-driven aircraft heavier than air

With a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 but an ultra-light carbon-fiber skin and overall weight of a car, the Solar Impulse cruises at speeds ranging from only 34 to 62 miles per hour (55 to 100 km/h).

The four engines of the propeller-driven aircraft are powered exclusively by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings.

Excess energy is stored in four batteries during daylight hours to keep the plane flying after dark.

The globe-circling voyage began in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan.

Solar Impulse 2 (pictured as it landed in Moffett Field in Mountain View, California) is more than half way through a round the world journey using just the power of the sun

Mr Piccard and Mr Borschberg have been taking turns flying the plane on an around-the-world trip since taking off from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in March 2015 (route pictured). The plane's maximum altitude is 27,900ft (8,500m) but drops to 3,280ft (1,000m) when the pilot takes 20-minute catnaps

The plane can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 meters), but generally flies at lower altitudes at night to conserve energy.

Mr Piccard and his colleague Andre Borschberg have been taking turns piloting the plane on each leg of the journey.

Both have trained to stay alert for long stretches of time by practicing meditation and hypnosis.

Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard (pictured as Solar Impulse 2 lands in the background in Dayton) is due to be behind the controls as the aircraft flies from Dayton, Ohio, to Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania

The Solar Impulse 2 is built from a range of lightweight materials and high storage batteries (illustrated) to help keep the experimental aircraft in the air for long periods using just the power from sunlight

Solar Impulse 2 has finished the latest leg in its record-breaking quest to circle the globe without consuming a drop of fuel. Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard (left) and pilot Andre Borschberg landed in Dayton, Ohio, late on Saturday as he finished the twelfth leg of the round-the-world trip in the experimental solar-powered aircraft

Mr Borschberg set a new endurance record for the longest non-stop solo flight last July during a 118-hour trans-Pacific crossing, over five days and five nights, from Japan to Hawaii.

He also set new duration and distance records for solar-powered flight. Battery damage sustained during the crossing kept the aircraft grounded for nine months.

The Swiss team's ultimate goal is to achieve the first round-the-world solar-powered flight, part of its campaign to bolster support for clean-energy technologies.

A statement released by the Solar Impulse 2 team on Monday night said the decision to postpone the flight to LeHigh Valley had been made for safety reasons.

It said: 'Lets remember that airplane safety and risk mitigation is of paramount importance and hence we want to ensure that the structures that were touched are in perfect working order.'
The images beamed back to Earth by spacecraft and rovers have revealed Mars to be a cold, dusty and barren landscape.

But evidence is building to suggest the planet looked very different around 3.8 billion years ago, and might have been a much more welcoming place for life.

A new study suggests there may be an extensive spread of carbonates beneath the surface of the red planet, which point to a warmer and wetter environment in the planet's past.

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Aeolian bed forms overlie ancient layered, ridged carbonate-rich outcrop exposed in the central pit of Lucaya crater, northwest Huygens basin, Mars. The image was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life Institute (Seti) found widespread buried deposits of iron and calcium-rich Martian carbonates.

It suggests that the planet had a much warmer and wetter climate that may have seen the surface covered in a kind of marshland.

'Identification of these ancient carbonates and clays on Mars represents a window into history when the climate on Mars was very different from the cold and dry desert of today,' said Dr Janice Bishop, from the Seti Institute, who was one of the researchers involved in the study.

There is a growing consensus among scientists that water once did flow on Mars and may even have been relatively widespread, following a series of recent discoveries, although it remains contentious.

If water was present on Mars, scientists think the bedrock of the planet would be full of carbonates and clays, evidence the planet was once a habitable environment with liquid water.

But until now few of these deposits have been found on the Martian surface.

Mars is famous for being covered in a dry and cold landscape, which is not the ideal place for life to blossom. But evidence is building to suggest the planet looked very different around 4 billion years ago, and might have been a more welcoming place for life

Ancient layered clay-bearing bedrock (top left) and carbonate bedrock (bottom right) are shown exposed in the central uplift of an unnamed crater approximately 42 kilometers in diameter in eastern Hesperia Planum,on Mars. Researchers had struggled in the past to find physical evidence for this carbonate-rich bedrock

LOCKHEED MARTIN JOINS THE RACE TO THE RED PLANET The space race to Mars is heating up  and now, Lockheed Martin is getting involved. The US military firm has unveiled plans to create a manned space laboratory that will orbit the planet by 2028. It says it will use existing technologies, such as the Orion deep-space capsule, to speed up development of the outpost that will eventually help humans land on Mars. The plans were revealed at the 'Humans to Mars' summit in Washington last week. The firm wants to get astronauts orbiting the red planet to perform real-time scientific exploration.

Researchers had struggled in the past to find physical evidence for this carbonate-rich bedrock, which they believe would have formed when carbon dioxide in the planet's early atmosphere was trapped in ancient surface waters.

But the new study has highlighted evidence of carbonate-bearing rocks in multiple sites across Mars, including Lucaya crater, where carbonates and clays 3.8 billion years old were buried by as much as 3 miles (5 km) of lava and a hard kind of rock called caprock.

They focussed their search in the Mars' Huygens basin, an impact crater on Mars named in honour of the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens.

The feature is an ideal site to investigate carbonates because multiple impact craters and troughs have exposed ancient, subsurface materials where carbonates can be detected across a broad region.

According to Professor James Wray, lead author of the study, 'outcrops in the 450-km wide Huygens basin contain both clay minerals and iron- or calcium-rich carbonate-bearing rocks.'

The researchers identified the carbonates on the planet using data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), which is on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The researchers identified the carbonates on the planet using data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), which is on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (artist's impression pictured)

Our neighbouring planet Mars could have been covered in vast salty oceans (artist's impression pictured). According to a study published last week, a pair of meteor impacts several million years apart caused two mega tsunamis on the red planet - providing more evidence early Mars could have supported life

The space race to Mars is heating up  and now, Lockheed Martin is getting involved. The military firm has unveiled plans to create a manned space laboratory that will orbit the planet by 2028. It says it will use existing technologies, such as the Orion deep-space capsule, to speed up development of the outpost

The instrument collects the spectral fingerprints of carbonates and other minerals through vibrational transitions of the molecules in their crystal structure that produce infrared emission.

The extent of the global distribution of Martian carbonates is not fully resolved yet, and the early climate on the red planet is still subject of debate, the researchers add.

The identified regions of Mars could be a good place to look for evidence that life once existed in future missions to the red planet, the researchers said.

This comes a few days after a new study showed early Mars was hit with two mega tsunamis, with the first 3.4 billion years ago.
could open up new ways of creating personalised depression-prevention strategies, say researchers

Adolescence is rarely an easy time for anyone.

But growing up in a deprived area can cause chronic stress which leads to depression later in life.

New research from Duke University in North Carolina has suggested that this may be due to a combination of genetics and brain changes.

These findings could open up new ways of creating personalised depression-prevention strategies.

Results of the study showed that children from lower socioeconomic households (stock image) were more likely to report depression later in life

The three-year study looked at 132 white adolescents aged 11 to 15 from households that ranged from low to high socio-economic status. About half of the participants had a family history of depression.

The results showed that participants from lower socioeconomic households were more likely to report depression towards the end of the three years.

This was due to the build up of a chemical tag which alters the activity of the genes that control an area of the brain called the amygdala, which coordinates the body's reactions to threat.

The researchers suggest that growing up in a family with low socioeconomic status can add chronic stress such as family discord and chaos, and environmental risks such as poor nutrition and smoking (stock image)

MEASURING SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS Socioeconomic status is a measure of an individual or group's position within a hierarchical social structure. Your socioeconomic status is based on the following criteria: Education - higher levels of education are often associated with better economic outcomes Income - this can be measured in a variety of ways, including family income Occupation - aside from financial benefits, employment can improve one's physical and mental health and expand social networks Additionally, age, marital status, family size and religion are also often considered.

Children with higher activity genes developed more active amygdalas which caused them to feel depressed.

Dr Johanna Swartz, first author of the study, said: 'This is some of the first research demonstrating that low socioeconomic status can lead to changes in the way genes are expressed, and it maps this out through brain development to the future experience of depression symptoms.'

The researchers suggest that growing up in a family with low socioeconomic status can add chronic stress such as family discord and chaos, and environmental risks such as poor nutrition and smoking.

Dr Swartz added: 'These small daily hassles of scraping by are evident in changes that build up and affect children's development.'

Additionally, this research could explain one of the mechanisms for a family history of depression.

Douglas Williamson, co-author of the study, said: 'Our new work reveals one of the mechanisms by which such familial risk may be manifested or expressed in a particular group of vulnerable individuals during adolescence.'

The small daily hassles of scraping by are evident in changes that build up and affect children's development (stock image)

The researchers' next step is to expand the age range of the study, and continue to follow the initial participants into young adulthood.

Dr Ahmad Hariri, whose lab led the study, said: 'As they enter into young adulthood they are going to be experiencing more problems with depression or anxiety, or maybe substance abuse.

'The extent to which our measures of their genomes and brains earlier in their lives continue to predict their relative health is something that's very important to know and very exciting for us to study.'
For close to a quarter of a million years the Earth was dominated by huge prehistoric beasts, including giant ground sloths, sabre-toothed tigers and woolly rhinos and mammoths.

These species of megafauna grazed and hunted across the Americas during the Pleistocene period, surviving through multiple ice ages, before disappearing around 10,000 years ago.

A new study, however, adds weight to the idea that the beasts' great size was their downfall, and how small disruptions to the food chain of would have sent them careening towards extinction.

A new study has found that while the largest of prehistoric species, such as woolly mammoths (illustrated), would have been able to easily fend off predators and been top of the food chain, they would have particularly vulnerable to environmnetal pressures

Scientists have put forward a number of reasons for the demise of the Pleistocene megafauna, including climate change, over hunting from humans and the spread of disease and even asteroid impact  or even a combination of these factors.

But the latest study paints a picture of these kings of the animal word teetering on the edge, and so unable to cope with their changing environment.

Researchers in Uruguay examined the relationship between the body sizes and food webs of South American megafauna, which would have dominated the continent thousands of years ago.

They found that while the largest species would have been able to fend off predators, they would have particularly vulnerable to changes in their food supply.

Researchers in Uruguay examined the relationship between the body sizes and food webs of South American megafauna, which would have dominated the continent thousands of years ago. Pictured is the skull of a smilodon, an enormous sabre-toothed cat

The latest study paints a picture of these kings of the animal word, which included giants such as the woolly rhino (illustrated), teetering on the edge, and so unable to cope with their changing environment

TEETERING ON THE EDGE The huge prehistoric animals which dominated the Pleistocene period, for around 250,000 years, would have had few predators. But the researchers believe the great size of the megafauna would have ultimately led to their demise. A study by researchers in Uruguay indicates that many of the megafauna which inhabitaed the Americas would have been living on the energetic breadline. Their demand for food would have made them particularly to changes and environmental pressures. This would have impacted on their feeding behaviour too, as seen by giant ground sloths  which transitioned from being strict plant eaters to scavengers in order to meet their energy needs. Whether it was a loss of plants due to a shifting climate, having humans hunt their prey, or them directly, or falling to disease  the megafauna's size was so carefully balanced with their energy demands, couldn't keep up.

Huge animals make a trade-off between size and energy requirements. While reaching a larger size has distinct advantages for dominating the environment and fending off predators, the additional mass requires substantially more fuel.

According to the researchers, the relationship between the largest Pleistocene animals and their food sources is comparable to modern large species.

For a modern day comparison, there are few animals which can challenge a fully grown African elephant, but they need between 75 to 150 kg (165330 lbs) of food a day.

When plotting a creature's body size against its position in the food chain, the researchers revealed a bell curve, with the outliers at either end.

What's more, living on the energetic breadline would have changed their behaviours too, as seen by giant ground sloths  which transitioned from being strict plant eaters to scavengers in order to meet their energy needs.

In a model of an animal's body size plotted against likelihood of being carnivorous, they found that the largest animals were less likely to be carnivores  owing to the huge energy requirements needed to keep them ticking.

The study indicates that these animals were not the fittest in evolutionary terms, as they were unable to adapt to changing environment.

Living on the energetic breadline would have changed the behaviours of animals too, as seen by giant ground sloths  which transitioned from being strict plant eaters to scavengers in order to meet their energy needs. Pictured is a skeleton of a megatherium (giant ground sloth)

In a model of an animal's body size plotted against likelihood of being carnivorous, researchers found the Pleistocene megafauna were less likely to be carnivores  owing to the huge energy requirements needed to keep them ticking. Illustrated is a sabre-toothed cat preying on a giant ground sloth

Whether it was a loss of their favourite plants due to a shifting climate, having humans hunt their prey, or them directly, or falling to disease  the megafauna's size was so carefully balanced with their energy demands, couldn't keep up.

However, for smaller species which could adapt their energy needs and be flexible about what they ate, the changing environment provided new opportunities to expand into new habitats.

Dr. Matias Arim, a researcher at Universidad de la Republica in Uruguay and one of the researchers, told MailOnline: 'Being close to their energetic limit put this organisms into a fragile situation in which any shift in available energy, food, or changes in temperature could restrict their energetic support.

'Our results highlights that most of these large mammals were close to an energetic constrains, and consequently, were particularly vulnerable to changes on their environment. A context that could not be now ignored when other putative determinants of megafauna extinction are considered - such as human predation.'

Writing in the journal Biology Letters, the authors explained: 'Despite the unprecedented range in body size of Pleistocene mammals, a hump-shaped relationship between trophic position and body size was found, along with a food web structure that resembles that of modern faunas.

'The fact that the largest animals were close to energetic imbalance put these organisms in a delicate situation. Any shift in baseline conditions (e.g. resource availability) or the appearance of a novel predator able to hunt these organisms could lead this species into a highway to hell.'
Next version of Android will include

Apple is developing a 'Siri speaker' for the home and is set to allow app makers to access its smart assistant, it has been revealed.

The move would put Apple in a three way battle with Amazon and Google.

The speaker would double as a music player, and could be revealed next month at the firm's annual developer conference, it is believed.

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Steve Jobs unveiling the Apple iPod Hi-fi at its launch in 2006. Now the firm is set to unveil a new speaker powered by its Siri assistant.

'Apple is upping its game in the field of intelligent assistants,' wrote Amir Efrati of The Information, who revealed the speaker.

'After years of internal debate and discussion about how to do so, the company is preparing to open up Siri to apps made by others.

'And it is working on an Amazon Echo-like device with a speaker and microphone that people can use to turn on music, get news headlines or set a timer.'

Apple is also expected to reveal at its WWDC conference in San Francisco next month that is it bringing Siri to the Mac.

It will also unveil software to allow developers to access Siri for their own apps.

Last week Google declared war on Amazon and Facebook with a new smart assistant it plans to put in everything from a wireless speaker to messaging apps.

Called Google Home, the small speaker will be able to play music and access Google Assistant, a new AI system the search giant unveiled today.

It will harness the power of Google's search engine along with the AI technology the firm developed to beat a grandmaster at the ancient board game Go to create assistants people can talk and text with as if they were a human being.

Mario Queiroz showed off the new Google speaker, called Google Home, that will be released later this year.

The Amazon Tap (left) is a portable version of the 9.25-inch Echo that sells for $130, while the $90 Echo Dot (right) can be plugged into any speaker. at are designed to amplify the role that its voice-controlled assistant Alexa plays in people's homes and lives. They will now complete

GOOGLE'S NEXT-GEN VR HEADSET The tech giant is reportedly working on an update to its current entry-level Cardboard, and is expected to release a headset this year. The firm is bolstering its Android support for VR and is developing a smartphone-based system which will rival Gear-VR, the Samsung-Oculus Rift collaboration which has been available since last year. The new headset will support a wider range of devices than Samsung's Gear, which is limited to Samsung Galaxy smartphones. In addition, Google plans to solve the lingering latency problem with VR  the slight delay between head movements and the video stream  which can be disorientating and leave users dizzy.

Google boss Sundar Pichai took to the stage at a giant outdoor amphitheatre holding 7,000 next to Google's Silicon Valley HQ to unveil the Google Assistant and Google Home speaker, alongside a new version of Android and a virtual reality headsets for mobile phones.

The firm is aiming squarely at Amazon's Echo with the home speaker, which has Amazon's Alexa assistant built in.

Facebook is also developing AI bots that will run inside its Messenger app, Mark Zuckerberg revealed at its developed conference last week.

However, Google believes its search engine and AI experience will give it a huge advantage.

'We want to be there for users, asking them 'Hi, how can I help',' said Pichai, who took over as Google boss when the firm reorganised as Alphabet earlier this year.

'We want users to have an ongoing 2 way dialogue with Google.'

Pichai showed the system using its smart assistant to book cinema tickets, downloading them automatically.

Mario Queiroz showed off the new Google speaker, called Google Home, that will be released later this year.

'I should be able to interact without a phone,' he said.

Users will be able to simply talk to the speaker, telling it what to do or asking it questions in normal English.

The gadget is also a high quality speaker, Google claims, allowing users to play back music from online services of a phone.

It can also control other speakers, forming a voice controlled multi room hifi system, and control other devices such as lights and Google's Nest thermostat.

The speaker is designed to be placed in every room, creating a multi room control system for an entire home.

The new Google Home speaker will use Google's new smart AI assistant, and will go on sale later this year.

The voice controlled assistant will be able to control devices and answer queries.

He also revealed over 50% of Google's queries now come from mobile phones.

'We are evolving search to be much more assistive,' he said.

'We understand a billion entities, and we can even do real time visual translation.

Google says that it is 'an order of magnitude ahead of everyone else' in understanding natural-language conversational queries.

'We believe the real test is whether humans can achieve a lot more with AI assisting them,' said Pichai
A 'devastated' couple claim that their dream holiday was left in tatters after arriving at their resort to find 'building work everywhere'.

Garry Williams and Jacqueline Lewis from Wales spent a combined 6,500 on their trip to Mauritius to celebrate Mr Williams' 50th birthday.

Despite hotel Riu Le Morne being advertised as having 'undergone a major refurbishment in early 2015', the couple claim that the resort had 'cables running across the whole building six days a week and a jackhammer right by the swimming pool'.

Garry Williams and Jacqueline Lewis from Wales spent a combined 6,500 on their 'dream' trip to Mauritius to celebrate Mr Williams' 50th birthday. But they were left devastated when they found 'building work everywhere'

The couple claim that building work was carried out throughout their two-week stay

Speaking to the South Wales Evening Post, Mr Williams, who is a maintenance worker at Llanelli Market, said that the couple had 'saved a lot of money' to go on the holiday and ended up wanting to come home early.

Mr Williams alleges that there was 'heavy construction work' ongoing throughout their stay between February 22 and March 7.

After the stay at the hotel in Mauritius, the duo headed to enjoy the luxury of the VIP airport lounge which they had paid more than 1,000 to use. However upon arrival they were denied access.

He said: 'The brochure when we booked clearly stated everything was refurbished. We were devastated. It is something we saved a lot of money for and were looking forward to, but in the end we could not wait to come home.

'There was a lot of people like us who were complaining. We went to see our holiday rep and they said when you get home, go to see your travel agent.

'We did that, taking pictures with us as evidence of what we had to deal with, and they gave us an e-mail for the complaints department.'

The couple claim that hotel Riu Le Morne was being advertised as having 'undergone a major refurbishment in early 2015'

Mr Williams said: 'There was a lot of people like us who were complaining'. Pictured is a stock image of a room at Riu Le Morne

Thomson has since apologised for the state of the venue, claiming that the incident was 'regrettable'.

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, a spokesperson for Thomson said: 'We're sorry to hear that Mr Williams and Miss Lewis were unhappy with their holiday experience.

'We rely on our partners in resort to advise of any maintenance work and regrettably this did not happen in this instance. Having reviewed their case we offered a gesture of goodwill which is ready for them to collect from the store they booked in at their earliest convenience. In addition, we have also contacted the customer directly to apologise for any disappointment with their upgrade to Thomson Premium Club.

'Thomson would like to remind customers that we closely monitor the progress of work at the hotels we operate to and that situations such as this are rare.'

MailOnline Travel has contacted Riu Le Morne for comment.

Mr Williams (pictured) said: 'In the end we could not wait to come home'
A Turkish Airlines aircraft at Istanbul's main airport was evacuated and searchedafter a note threatening a bomb attack was found on board.

All 134 people, including the crew, who had been on boardthe flight from Ataturk Airport to the central Turkish city of Kayseri had been evacuated, a spokesman said.

Another planewas later arranged for them yesterday (Monday), and the bomb threat was later revealed to be a hoax.

A Turkish Airlines plane was evacuated and searched yesterday (Monday) after a note containing a bomb threat was found on board (file photo)

MailOnline has contacted Turkish Airlines for comment.

Earlier this year a Turkish Airlines flight was diverted to Shannon airport in Ireland where it made an emergency landing after officials discovered a handwritten bomb threat.

The Istanbul-bound Boeing 777, which was carrying 209 passengers, landed safely at Shannon at around 11am on Saturday, January 23.

The diversion came after a handwritten note containing a 'bomb threat' was found on board and all passengers were allegedly told to search their own bags.

All the passengers, including two infants, disembarked safely and were moved to a secure part of the airport while officials swept the plane.

All 134 people, including the crew, who had been on board the flight from Ataturk Airport (pictured) to the central Turkish city of Kayseri had been evacuated

A spokesman for Turkish Airlines said the Boeing 777 was found to have no explosive devices on board and the flight took off to Istanbul.

Turkey has suffered a series of suicide bombings in itscities this year, including two attacks in tourist areas ofIstanbul blamed on Islamic State and two car bombings in thecapital, Ankara, which were claimed by a Kurdish militant group.

Last year an offshoot of the militant Kurdistan WorkersParty (PKK) claimed responsibility for a mortar attack atIstanbul's second airport that killed one airport cleaner andinjured another.
The Foreign Office is being urged to relax its travel advice on Tunisia after the country has seen a 90 per cent drop in British visitors since the beginning of the year.

Britons are currently warned against all but essential travel to the north African country, guidance that has been in place since 31 British holidaymakers were killed in two terror attacks in 2015.

But the Tunisian ambassador to the UK, Nabil Ammar, told the BBC the Government should take into account security improvements that have been made over the last 12 months.

Tunisia has seen a 90 per cent drop in British visitors since the beginning of the year with tourists put off by the threat of terrorism

The Foreign Office said the safety of Britons is its main concern.

Mr Ammar, from Sousse, told the BBC there was now a gap between the 'perception of the level of security, and the real security on the ground'.

He said: 'Every week terrorist cells are dismantled. Terrorists are arrested or neutralised. This should give a positive image, not a negative one.

'If you take statistics, you have much less chance to die in Tunisia or to have any harm in Tunisia than so many countries close to us.'

He added that he respected the UK Foreign Office, but that it should not allow 'the impression that this is not a safe country, and take into account all the progress made' in security.

Mr Ammar also argued that part of the solution against terrorism is to have a good economy, and that he wanted the tragedy of the attacks to bring the two countries closer together.

According to the Tunisian Tourist Board, there was a fall of more than 90 per cent in UK visitors for the first four months of this year compared with the same period a year ago.

Between January and April 2015, Tunisia saw 84,225 visitors from the UK, but just 5,980 in the first four months of this year.

Tourism has been dealt a major blow in Tunisia following the terror attacks on the beach in Sousse

Thirty Britons were among 38 people massacred in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse in June last year - the worst incident of terrorism involving British people since the July 7 attacks in London in 2005.

Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui targeted holidaymakers on the beach and in a hotel before being shot dead by security forces. ISIS claimed responsibility.

Three months earlier, IS terrorists opened fire on tourists at the Bardo National Museum in the capital, Tunis. British tourist Sally Adey, 57, from Shropshire, was among 22 people killed.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'We know our travel advice can have a knock-on effect on local economy and political considerations, but we don't let this influence the advice we give. The safety of British nationals is our main concern.

The resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is on its knees Bob Atkinson, Travel Supermarket

'We are working closely with the Tunisians to understand the terrorist threat better and to help them to strengthen measures to protect tourists further. Our travel advice is under constant review and we will change it as soon as the security situation permits.'

The Tunisian ambassador's pleas come as experts warn that Egypt's tourist industry is in trouble following the MS804 crash.

Bob Atkinson, from Travel Supermarket, said that Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort is now 'on its knees'.

Hotel managers in the Egyptian resort are so desperate for business that they've slashed prices for five star hotel rooms from hundreds to as little as 18 a night.

Atkinson said: 'Prices for hotels are very cheap at the moment as there is no Russian market into the area, they were one of the biggest, and all direct flights from the UK are also off.

'Germany has recently announced that flights can start again but the resorts in the area are empty. Occupancy levels are very low and workers being laid off. The resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is on its knees.

'We don't actually track prices historically to be able to confirm the actual price changes. However a quick search just now reveals that you can get five-star hotels from around 18 a night room only and 21 a night all-inclusive, in June based on two sharing.'

Another travel expert believes the situation is even graver for Egyptian resort tourism.

Dr Yeganeh Morakabati, from Bournemouth University, who specialises in the perception of risk in the context of catastrophic national and global events, told MailOnline Travel: 'It is absolutely crucial that no further events occur, the industry is on its back rather than its knees and is not surviving as we stand today.

'Egypt must make sure it communicates in such a way with the industry, media and public that it builds the trust that is much needed to build market confidence.'
Dancing around a large flower-covered wooden penis in Sweden is just one of the 'normal' things that locals claims tourists are confused by when visiting their country.

Holidaymakers who don't do their research when travelling abroad can run into all kinds of unusual and surprising scenarios abroad according to a new Reddit threat in which people around the world reveal the things that would be 'really bizarre to foreigners'.

More than 3,400 situations travellers may find odd - which include throwing cheese down a hill then running after it, a three-kiss greeting and getting naked with strangers and sweating in a wooden room - flooded the website when the post started under 24 hours ago.

Holidaymakers who don't do their research when travelling abroad can run into all kinds of unusual and surprising scenarios abroad

Answering the Reddit question 'what is totally normal in your country that would be really bizarre to foreigners?', people from the likes of America, South Africa, Israel and even Finland took to the internet to share their local traditions.

One user, TommyTBone from Sweden, said: 'On the longest day of the year, everyone has to gather in a large field and jam a large wooden penis covered in flowers into the ground. Then we dance around it. Historically this was to ensure a plentiful harvest but nowadays it's just an excuse to get drunk.'

User bildpinkt shared another tradition in Sweden, stating that every Christmas the 'entire country shuts down' to watch Donald Duck.

He said: 'Every Christmas at 3pm everyone in Sweden sits down to watch the Donald Duck "from all of us to all of you" rerun from 1958. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the entire country shuts down. We could be invaded and we wouldn't give a damn because we're watching Donald Duck.'

More than 3,400 tales of the situations travellers may find odd - which include throwing cheese down a hill then running after it, a three kiss greeting and getting naked with strangers and sweating in a wooden room - flooded the website when the post started under 24 hours ago

REDDIT'S TOP FIVE ANSWERS TO 'WHAT IS TOTALLY NORMAL IN YOUR COUNTRY THAT WOULD BE REALLY BIZARRE TO FOREIGNERS?' 1. Bildpunkt - Sweden: 'Every Christmas at 3pm everyone in Sweden sits down to watch a Donald Duck rerun from 1958. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the entire country shuts down. We could be invaded and we wouldn't give a damn because we're watching Donald Duck.' 2. Roland0180 - The Netherlands: 'Need some groceries? Get on your bike and stuff everything in your fietstas (bike bag). Kids need to go to school? Bring them in your bakfiets (freight bicycle). Trying your best to talk Dutch to someone? You'll get an answer in English.' 3. TommyTbone - Sweden: 'On the longest day of the year, everyone has to gather in a large field and jam a large wooden penis covered in flowers into the ground. Then we dance around it. Historically this was to ensure a plentiful harvest but nowadays it's just an excuse to get drunk.' 4. Dhrisher - UK: 'Something I noticed is that students (particularly Greek, Italian, French) that come to the UK, find our drinking culture strange. Where they would go out and have a few drinks then go home we will go home once we are dragged out vomiting.' 5. Slr99 - Spain: 'In the Catalan region of Spain they sell these super popular statuettes of people pooping. Everyone from Obama to Big Bird is fair game, and as an American I find it absolutely incredible.'

Commenter dhrisher from the United Kingdom said that he noticed that foreigners often find the UK drinking culture 'strange' and nightcrawler_5 said people find it weird - when visiting the US - that there are dry countries where stores 'cannot sell alcohol' - but 'up the road you can buy all the booze you want'.

Monikafromthatsummer said that in South Africa homeless people will guard your car. She said: 'If you park in any public place, nine out of 10 times a homeless person will approach your car and it's understood that they will "protect" it until you return. You're automatically a d*** if you don't pay them some change when you leave.'

One user, Zodikosis, highlighted that in Israel many places have elevators that stop on every floor - something that a lot of others around the world may find annoying.

He said: 'In Israel, in a lot of places, the elevators are programmed to stop at every floor going up and down, so that the religious people don't have to push buttons and therefore "operate machinery" on Shabbat. So, if you want to get to your floor on time, just take the stairs.'

One user, Zodikosis, highlighted that in Israel many places have elevators that stop on every floor - something that a lot of others around the world may find annoying

Other traditions include putting empty liquor bottles under the table for luck in Russia, eating barbecued chicken intestines and pig's blood stew in the Philippines and the fact that chewing gum in illegal in Singapore.

Sunchild21 from Iran, meanwhile, revealed that in her home country it is polite to say 'no'.

She said: 'In Iran it is common to say no out of politeness when offered something. Only if the other person asks again will you say yes. Actually, you might even say no multiple times.
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The world's longest railway tunnel is set to open in just over a week - after some 17 years of construction.

Measuring 35.4-miles in length, the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is 7,545 feet below the Gotthard massif, cutting through the Swiss Alps.

The tunnel was first conceived in sketch-form in 1947 but construction began 17 years ago. It consists of two single-track tunnels connecting Erstfeld (Uri) with Bodio (Ticino) and passing below Sedrun (Graubunden).

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The Gotthard Base Tunnel will measure 35.4 miles in length and is 7,545 feet below the Gotthard massif, cutting through the Swiss Alps

It's claimed that the tunnel (pictured), will have environmental and economic benefits

Testing of trains is set to being on June 1, with the first passenger-loaded carriages set to start journeys in December this year

Some 28.2 million tonnes of mountain rock have been excavated since construction began 17 years ago

Testing of trains will begin on Wednesday next week (June 1), with the first passenger movements expected to take place in December.

Some 28.2million tonnes of mountain rock have been excavated and an estimated 10.6 billion (8.1/$12 billion) spent to construct a tunnel that should trim travel times through the heart of Europe by up to an hour.

Due to the rugged terrain of the Alps, connecting important cities such as Milan and Zurich is no mean feat, but thanks to the tunnel being almost completely flat along its whole length, trains will be able to travel at 155 miles per hour.

Excavation involved enormous tunnel boring machines cutting through almost 100 feet of rock every day.

The GBT will displace Japan's 33.46-mile Seikan tunnel as the world's longest train tunnel, and bump the 31.4-mile Channel Tunnel that links England and France into third place.

The construction consists of two single-track tunnels connecting Erstfeld with Bodio and is part of the AlpTransit project

Excavation involved enormous tunnel boring machines cutting through almost 100 feet of rock every day

Travel times between Zurich and Milan will be down to two hours and forty minutes, roughly an hour quicker than current times

THE WORLD'S LONGEST RAIL TUNNEL IN THE HEART OF THE SWISS ALPS Length: 57km (the longest rail tunnel in the world) Duration of tunnel journey: a little under 20 minutes Total length of all the tunnels: 152km (94 miles) Highest point of the tunnel: 550m (1,800 feet) above sea level Maximum rock cover: 2,300m (7,545 metres) Construction time (excluding exploratory work): 17 years Excavated material: 28.2 million tonnes Total cost: 12.2billion Swiss francs (8.4billion) Tunnel capacity: 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains per day Timetabled speed: freight trains 100km/h (62mph); passenger trains up to 200 km/h (125mph) Maximum speed: freight trains 160km/h (100mph); passenger trains 250 km/h (155mph) Reduction in journey time from Zurich to Lugano after completion of the axis (from 2020): around 45 minutes Official opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel: 11 December 2016

Austria's delayed Brenner Tunnel could however slot into second place when it opens in about a decade at an estimated length of 34 miles.

A series of test runs are scheduled for the coming months, with a full service starting in December.

Among other benefits, the GBT aims to shave travel time between Zurich and Milan down to two hours and forty minutes, roughly an hour quicker than the trip currently takes by rail.

Its scheduled opening has been described as a 'godsend for Europe' by EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc, speaking to Swiss media.

The GBT 'will be a vital link connecting Rotterdam (and) Antwerp with the ports of the Adriatic' Bulc told the Swiss daily Tages Anzeiger.

It will make north-south travel more fluid, curb air pollution and 'will be a driver of growth in Europe', the Slovenian national was further quoted as saying.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, along with Swiss officials, are due to attend the grand opening next week.

The GBT will displace Japan's 33.46-mile Seikan tunnel as the world's longest train tunnel and bump the 31.4-mile Channel Tunnel that links England and France into third place
Backpackers love a life of adventure - but some have revealed that occasionally matters become a little too adventurous, if not downright startling.

They have shared some of their most bizarre and shocking experiences in hostels on anonymous confessions app Whisper and the stories range from hilarious to disgusting.

Experiences include finding two strangers having sex in their room, drunk men 'full frontal flashing' in elevators and travellers wetting themselves from laughing too much.

Stories include a backpacker who spent three days 'enjoying a woman's company' only for them to vanish from each other's lives soon after and a traveller who was sleeping in a shared dorm and was asked if she would like to 'share' her bed (file image)

One contributor said: 'At a hostel in Ecuador I woke up to a drunk guy spooning me because he thought I was his girlfriend.

'I'm a dude.'

Another added: 'I accidentally broke a window because a mouse ran across my bare foot and I freaked out and threw whatever was in my hand.'

Meanwhile, another commenter revealed that their horror story came in the shape of an elderly man, a crack deal and a hostel.

He said: 'Immediately after checking in, an elderly gay gentleman tried to get with my dad while a crack deal was going down in front of our room.'

Another user said: 'A crazy French woman who ran a hostel I stayed at in Paris would only communicate by shouting and swearing at us and refused to give us sheets or blankets for the beds.'

One contributor said: 'At a hostel in Ecuador I woke up to a drunk guy spooning me because he thought I was his girlfriend'

I found a turd in my pillow case when I stayed at a run down hostel in America Whisper

Posters also shared their stories of when they were on school trips and had to stay in hostels.

One said: 'Went with my school to Italy in eighth grade, busted a crew shooting a porno in our bungalows. Our teachers chased them off. Never seen someone run that fast with a full on tripod.'

Following the post was another confession from a student who claimed that on their school trip the police were called.

They said: 'I went on a school trip to Germany and the school had to call the police because of a man stalking the students to our hostel.'

Other stories include a backpacker who spent three days 'enjoying a woman's company' only for them to vanish from each other's lives soon after, a traveller who was sleeping in a shared dorm and was asked if she would like to 'share' her bed and a generous tourist who snuck in a woman who couldn't afford accommodation - and then slept with her in a single bed.

Concluding the anonymous thread was one poster who revealed why it is always wise to check your bedding before going to sleep. They said: 'I found a turd in my pillow case when I stayed at a rundown hostel in America'

Another consisted of a double booking that saw a young woman forced to share a room with her sister, and eight rugby players - however she confessed that 'it wasn't the worst thing that happened'.

Concluding the anonymous thread was one poster who revealed why it is always wise to check your bedding before going to sleep.
Walt Disney World has made yet another dream come true, when it honored a woman's unused ticket from 1994 - back when she was just four years old.

Chelsea Herline missed out on her family's final day at the theme park in Orlando when she was a little girl, because she was feeling too ill.

But the magic wasn't over, because after her father recently discovered the old ticket, the company decided to let her redeem the park entry voucher 22 years later.

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The magic continues: Last month Walt Disney World let Chelsea Herline, 27, redeem a ticket that she was unable to use back in 1994

Herline decided to chance using the park hopper ticket, and to her amazement was able to use it years later as it didn't have an expiry date

She had no idea that the ticket had been saved over the years - until her dad found it in a safe in her family's basement in their Michigan home.

The unclaimed entry pass still had an image of Herline on it from when she was a child - along with her signature - and to their excitement, it also didn't have an expiry date on it.

The surprising discovery couldn't have come at a more perfect time, as Herline had an upcoming Orlando trip planned, where she would be staying at the family's time-share.

Herline, who is currently employed as an insights analyst at LinkedIn in San Francisco, reportedly hadn't been to Disney World in around a decade, and decided to chance using her old ticket for the occasion.

Last month, her mother drove her to the gates so she could try her luck, and stayed circling in the car park in case the plan backfired.

'I was totally not expecting to go to Disney World that day,' Herline told TODAY. 'I didn't bring anything with me, so it was really surprising.

'The ticket didn't have an expiration date so I was ready to argue my way in, but they were so nice about it.'

Herline was just a four the last time she used the hopper pass. She's pictured here with character Pluto

The Disney fan said the manager chose to exchange the old ticket for a new one, which was scanned and accepted for entry

When she arrived, the woman at the entrance to the park said she had never seen the old-style ticket before, and asked for her manager's advice.

The Disney fan said the manager chose to exchange the old ticket for a new one, which was scanned and accepted for entry.

Her 22-year wait was well worth it, as Herline said she had an incredible day on the rides and revisiting the characters from her youth.

In a post uploaded to LinkedIn, the excited park user said: 'Kudos to Walt Disney World for great customer service!

'Found my ticket from when I was 4 years old with one day remaining - and 22 years later they kept their commitment. #mostmagicalplaceonearth.'

It is not the only time a company has made someone's day by accepting an old ticket.

In February a legendary New York hotel surprised a guest when it honored a $2.50 dinner coupon that was given to her mother 75 years ago.

Barbara Capozzola Alloway brought her mother's prize letter to the hotel in December and was shocked when staff honored it

Barbara Capozzola Alloways mum received the prize when she won an Arthur Murray participation dance contest at the Roosevelt Hotel in 1941, but never claimed it and left it to her daughter when she died in 1999.

Alloway was left stunned after she and her husband showed the letter to staff during their trip to New York and were both treated to a lavish three-course dinner with drinks for $2.50 (1.70) each - a fraction of the cost in today's dollars.

Dated April 16, 1941, the dinner voucher, which features the hotels letterhead and the signature of its managing director at the time, stated: This will entitle the bearer to one dinner ($2.50) in the Roosevelt Grill as a prize for winning the Arthur Murray dance contest.

Please do your upmost the make the evening an enjoyable one.
She loves glamming up for the red carpet and sharing a laugh with the girls.

So it's only natural that Apprentice runner-up Luisa Zissman is 'absolutely thrilled' she'll soon welcome a second daughter into her growing family

Speaking to OK! magazine, she revealed that she's over-the-moon another mini Luisa is on her way: My dream is to have four daughters who are all really into horse riding, like me. Im not sure Id know what to do with a boy!

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Not long now: Speaking to OK! magazine, Apprentice runner-up Luisa Zissman revealed that she is 'absolutely thrilled' she'll soon welcome a second daughter into her growing family

The 28-year-old beauty, who hails from Milton Keynes, already has one daughter Dixie, 5, from her previous marriage to Oliver Sizzman.

At first she didnt believe me. I gave her a book called Im Going To Be A Big Sister and she kept looking at me saying: "Youre joking?!" She was so excited. It was the cutest thing.

But young Dixie wasn't so enthusiastic about the idea of a younger sister.

She was adamant she wanted a brother but Ive bought a few matching outfits for her and the baby, so shes coming around to the idea.

Delighted: On Thursday Luisa posed gleefully while cradling her neat baby bump at the Care After Combat Ball in London

The star also opens up about giving up her beloved horse riding for the last stages of her pregnancy as a result of her hypermobility.

She says: I carried on riding until I was six months along, but I was in agony.

'Every time I got off the horse Id have to have a massage straight away. If I had my way I would have kept riding throughout my pregnancy.

Luisa started dating her husband Andrew Collins in late 2013, a few months after she found fame on The Apprentice.

The business tycoon proposed to her with a 1.5million ring in Paris in October 2014 before they tied the knot in France last July.

Read the full story in this week's OK! Magazine - out today
She may have been unlucky in love on Married At First Sight but animal enthusiast Clare Verrall has just 'found' a furry, foul-mouthed friend.

The 32-year-old Uber driver shared a funny Instagram video on Monday night with a colourful swearing parrot, which she claims to have discovered.

Posing in her pajamas with the male eclectus parrot, she said: 'Anyone in Port Melbourne missing a talking parrot? 'Cause I found one.'

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A furry, foul-mouthed friend... at least it's better than Jono! Ex-Married At First Sight Clare Verrall shared an Instagram video on Monday with a colourful swearing parrot, which she claims to have 'found' in Melbourne

Dressed for bed in a comfy robe and wearing black-rimmed spectacles, Clare frankly explained the situation as the green bird perched on her right shoulder.

'He says hello and he swears and I don't really know what to do with him,' she concluded.

Clare also added in the caption: 'Anyone... missing a talking parrot? Or am I being punked right now???'

The reality TV star also enjoyed a lively exchange with her Instagram followers, revealing: 'It told me to f*** off. I like this parrot.'

Later, she wrote: 'I am totally Dr Doolittle. I have Ruby the dog in diapers tonight... so I'm sitting her with two dogs & a swearing parrot'.

Clare continued: 'I gave him a gluten free cracker & some water. He/she seems pretty happy napping using an open draw as a perch.

A bad match: Animal enthusiast Clare, 32, was paired with tradie Jono Pitman (R) on the Channel Nine reality show - but the pair split shortly after walking down the aisle in a commitment ceremony

'So I guess we just say sleep f******* well buddy & I take him to the vet in the morning?? Hopefully we can find his family tomorrow. This night got weird' (sic).

Later she added the hash-tags 'Reasons I'm single' and 'Where Is Dr Chris Brown When You Need Him?'

On Saturday, Clare was professing her love for the single life on Instagram - and joked about her ill-fated TV 'marriage' to tradie Jono Pitman.

'Gave marriage a crack on #MarriedAtFirstSight, wasn't for me, much happier living the single life!' Despite her public break-up, Clare seemed to celebrate the single life in an INstagram post on Saturday

'Gave marriage a crack on #MarriedAtFirstSight, wasn't for me, much happier living the single life!' she wrote next to a photo of a woman twirling on a stripper pole.

Clare previously criticised her MAFS partner Jono Pitman for his bad temper, and claimed it dredged up negative feelings related to her post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Last year, she was attacked by an unknown man while walking her dog in Prahran and suffered a broken nose, a broken toe and a black eye.

But she recently backpedalled on her remarks about Jono, saying in a lengthy Instagram post: 'I have no hatred or bitter feelings whatsoever towards (him).

Animal lover: Single girl Clare often discusses her pets and animal causes on social media

'He's a good person, just not the right person for me, as I wasn't for him,' she added, diplomatically.

'We absolutely brought out the worse in each other, which is why in the real world we would never have chosen to be together.

'That said, if we had met in the real world we may have been mates as he's a bloody crack up & outstanding karaoke buddy!

'There was no heartbreak. Just disappointment, frustration at our situation, plus emotional & physical exhaustion paired with some quality edition.

'I have had milk last longer than that 'relationship', both Jono & I have moved far beyond it,' she concluded.

During this year's season of Married At First Sight, Jono was portrayed as the 'villainous' groom.

Outraged fans vented their fury on social media as they watched Clare emerge in her wedding dress prompting the footy-loving Jono to mutter 'Oh s***,' and 'She's not what I ordered.'

Jono was also forced to address rumours he had cheated during their 'honeymoon' in the Northern Territory, which he strenuously denied.

Changing her tune: Clare Verrall seemed to praise her hot-headed 'ex-husband' Jono on Instagram last week

As the Channel Nine show was broadcast, Clare made no secret of the fact she and Jono were a bad match.

'He does have a temper. A bad temper. A definite temper,' Verrall told AAP in April. 'I've never been around a person who has had a bad temper or is particularly hot-headed.'

'I was attacked on the street last year and I still have a little PTSD from that, so having people yell and scream, even if it's not at me, makes me incredibly anxious, so that wasn't great.'
She's been known to wear Australian labels on the red carpet at the Oscars, the Grammys and the American Music Awards.

And American media personality Giuliana Rancic has again turned to a Down Under label for her most recent appearance on Fashion Police.

This time, the 41-year-old stunner opted for a sleek black frock by Zhivago that hugged her slim figure in all the right places.

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She's at it again! American media personality Giuliana Rancic has again turned to a Down Under label for her most recent appearance on Fashion Police

The West Australian-based label offered a sophisticated and slightly albeit silhouette in black, with strong padded shoulders and cut-out detailing across the chest.

It also featured a high thigh split so Giuliana could flash just a little bit of flesh on her trim pins, and cinched her waist with a leather belt detail.

She added some colour with a pair of graphic-printed pumps by Christian Louboutin and wore minimal jewellery.

And again! She also wowed in an Alex Perry number when she stepped out in a blue, black and white creation at the 2014 American Music Awards

Tangerine dream: She also wore fellow Australian designer Alex Perry at last year's Grammys

Her highlighted blonde locks were styled in loose waves, falling just below her shoulders, with her makeup subdued yet luminous.

It's the latest in many occasions the beloved American personality has chosen an Australian label to wow onlookers.

In February last year, the E! host posed in an off-white lace design by Sydney label Steven Khalil as she began her coverage of the Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

She loves Down Under designs! The 41-year-old wore a princess-like Paolo Sebastian frock at the Oscars last year

'Giuliana is such a strong supporter of my and other Australian designs, she is always chic but I think she looks effortless and perfect at the Academy Awards,' Steven said following her appearance.

She also chose to wear a dress by Adelaide label Paolo Sebastian as she hosted the live coverage of the Academy Awards in 2014.

Giuliana has also worn Alex Perry on several occasions, including at the Grammys in 2013 and again at the 2014 American Music Awards in November.
She's usually seen busy filming on the set of Home And Away.

But on Monday night, Isabella Giovinazzo kicked back and relaxed as she attended the Sydney premiere of The Nice Guys.

The 24-year-old actress cut a chic casual look at the event as she arrived in a pair of ripped jeans and a striped T-shirt.

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Casual chic: Home And Away's Isabella Giovinazzo went casual chic for The Nice Guys premerie arriving at the event in a pair of ripped jeans and a striped long-sleeve top

As the top fitted around her slender frame, she rolled up the long-sleeves to her elbows.

The matching black skinny jeans highlighted her long toned legs and featured thin slits at the knees.

Isabella dressed up the simple look with a pair of shiny high heels.

Adding some height: The 24-year-old dressed up the simple look with a pair of shiny high heels

Simple look: The actress wore her long two-toned brunette hair out, styled with a curl and parted down the middle

The actress wore her long two-toned brunette hair out and styled with a curl while parted down the middle.

She highlighted her blue eyes with a black eyeliner and defined her lips with a plum glossy lipstick.

She placed her hand firmly on her hips, showing off her freshly painted black manicure, as she posed for photos on the red carpet.

True beauty: She highlighted her blue eyes with a black eyeliner and defined her lips with a plum glossy lipstick

Off the market: Earlier this year, Isabella shocked her fans when she revealed she had married partner Charlie Ford in a secret wedding ceremony, after only a few months of dating

Earlier this year, Isabella shocked her fans when she revealed she had married partner Charlie Ford in a secret wedding ceremony, after only a few months of dating.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, she said: 'I just wanted to keep it as our little special thing.

'That is how I see marriage between two people. We had a small wedding. It was our day, our marriage, and our life.

Isabella began appearing on Home And Away in November of 2013, playing the role of bikini-clad Phoebe Nicholson who was involved in some pretty steamy love scenes on-screen.
She has penned a number of books about how to utilise food to live a healthier life.

And now Cameron Diaz has revealed her 'food inspiration' is none other than Donna Hay.

Chatting to lifestyle magazine GOOP earlier this year, the 43-year-old Hollywood actress listed the Australian culinary queen as one of the most inspiring foodies she follows.

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Biggest fan: Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz has revealed her 'food inspiration' is none other than Australian culinary queen Donna Hay, telling GOOP earlier this year she is one of the most inspiring foodies she follows

After finding out her latest celebrity fan, Donna appeared chuffed, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'We were so excited when that happened, I couldn't believe.'

'It's always so amazing to be reminded that the content we create in our little food studio in Surry Hills resonates with the people all over the world,' the LifeStyle Food star gushed.

Cameron recently released her new health book The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time which encourages 'people to be healthy and live their life to the fullest.'

The New York Times Bestseller followed Cameron's The Body Book: Feed, Move, Understand and Love Your Amazing Body, which she released in 2013.

Exciting: After finding out her latest celebrity fan in the form of Cameron, Donna appeared chuffed, telling The Daily Telegraph : 'We were so excited when that happened, I couldn't believe'

Health conscious: The 43-year-old actress recently released The Longevity Book which encourages 'people to be healthy and live their life to the fullest'

Meanwhile, Donna herself has penned a number of best-selling cookbooks during her prolific career.

The MasterChef guest judge has also appeared on a number of cooking shows in the past, and recently revealed she will star in her own reality television show.

The mother-of-two, who runs who own food empire, announced that she will invite viewers into her home and personal life for the first time, but coyly admitted to News.com.au on Sunday: 'It never occurred to me that people were interested in my life.'

Opening her home: The Australian food doyenne will invite viewers into her home and personal life for the first time, as she revealed she will be starring in her own reality television show

The celebrity chef has been relatively private in the past but is now willing to open up the realm of her personal live as she gives viewers insight into what makes her tick.

When quizzed about what the series will be based upon, the self-effacing food doyenne described the show as: 'Just me doing average things.'

The candid show will track Donna's everyday life, from her morning run to social outings and everything in between.

However, the magazine editor and former food stylist admitted there would be 'no go zones,' when it comes to filming.

The TV series, titled Basics to Brilliance, on Foxtel's LifeStyle Food channel in Australia, will provide viewers with simple to cook recipes with an unexpected twist.

Candid: The show will track Donna's everyday life, from her morning run to social outings and everything in between

If her past success if anything to go by, the bestselling author's new series is likely to be a huge hit with viewers.

Donna won Most Outstanding Lifestyle program for her show Fast, Fresh, Simple at the 10th ASTRA Awards in Sydney in 2012.

Donna will also soon join fellow chef Jamie Oliver on his Food Revolution project which aims to provide children with access to fresh, high quality and nutritious produce.

The pair will film the series together, with hopes to bring the UK chef's initiative into Australian homes.

Private: The magazine editor and former food stylist admitted there would be 'no go zones,' when it comes to filming

Talented: Donna is also a guest judge on Masterchef, seen here with judge George Calombaris

Donna is one of Australia's leading food personalities, magazine editor-in-chief and best-selling cookbook author.

The foodie is also a popular food columnist and contributes to a number of magazine's.

Donna has penned 24- award-winning cookbooks, selling over six million copies worldwide.

The former Marie Claire food editor has two sons, Tom and Angus, and resides in Sydney, Australia.

Successful: The culinary queen has penned a number of best-selling cookbooks during her prolific career as well as appeared on a number of TV cooking shows
He made his claim to fame as the charismatic policeman with chiselled good looks on the long-running Australian soap Blue Heelers.

And actor Ditch Davey is still recognised as Constable Evan Jones more than 10 years after he wrapped up his role on the Channel Seven crime drama, which launched his international career.

Speaking of his former character, the 43-year-old actor told the Daily Telegraph: Everything is a blessing, and that character still resonates with people.

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Memorable character: Actor Ditch Davey says he is still recognised as Blue Heelers policeman Constable Evan Jones more than a decade on

He added: There is not a week that goes by where I dont receive an email or people stop me on the street to have a conversation about it. I really appreciate that.'

Ditch began his career in the limelight after securing a role in a Wrigley's Eclipse advertisement shortly after completing his arts performance course at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).

He then managed to snag cameo roles in popular dramas including All Saints, Above The Law and Water Rats.

Permanant role: The Melbourne native played the character of Constable Evan Jones on the long-running Australian soap for more than five years

Gone but not forgotten: The 43-year-old told the Daily Telegraph the 'character still resonates with people

Red carpet stunners: The Melbourne native poses with his partner Sophia Dunn on the red carpet ahead of the Red Ball in September

But it wasn't until 2001 when he secured a permanent acting role in the iconic crime drama Blue Heelers, where he would portray Evan Jones for five years.

After he wrapped up his role in 2006, Ditch then turned his talents to hosting duties on Channel Seven's Police Files - Unlocked before leaving to work on Sea Patrol as SAS officer Jim Roth.

He also played Romeo in the Australian science fiction film Crawlspace, as well as securing a supporting role in the final season of Spartacus: War of the Damned.

Starring role: Since starting his career on Blue Heelers, Ditch has gone onto play a string of roles including Dr Ian Bickman, chief of neurosurgeon in the ABC TV series Black Box

Ditch was then offered the lead role of Dr Ian Bickman, chief of neurosurgeon in the ABC TV series Black Box.

More recently, the Melbourne native has returned home - after juggling roles in between New Zealand and LA - to promote his latest film Hunter, which is screening at The St. Kilda Film Festival on Wednesday evening.

The film follows gifted people being hunted by the state in a bid to neutralise differences.

Ditch is married to fellow actress Sophia Davey (nee Dunn), who has starred in several films and in theatre across Australia.

They share two children, Eden Dunn and Taika Davey.
Jackie 'O' Henderson has spoken previously about her drug dealer ex-boyfriend on radio.

However, when the 41-year-old referenced her ex during a chat with her KIIS FM breakfast radio co-host Kyle Sandilands on Tuesday morning, the mother-of-one stopped herself.

Suddenly, remembering her five-year-old daughter now listens to the show, the blonde beauty admitted: 'I hope Kitty didn't hear that'.

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'I've lived with a drug dealer before': Jackie 'O' Henderson spoke about her younger years on Tuesday, after Kyle Sandilands made jokes about drugs, assuming his co-host wouldn't know what he was talking about

'I hope Kitty didn't hear that': Realising the track the conversation was heading down, the 41-year-old halted her confessions in case her five-year-old daughter was listening in

The conversation was started by Kyle making a number of drug-related jokes in slang that he didn't think Jackie understood.

Revealing she knew exactly what he was talking about, the radio personality reminded him: 'I've lived with a drug dealer before'.

'I'm not that sheltered,' she added.

Realising the road the chat was heading down, the mother-of-one halted the conversation because her young daughter may be listening.

She revealed, after some convincing from Kyle, that her daughter was listening when the pair gave away $5,000 from their own pockets to a mother-in-need last week in their Give or Take segment.

The youngster is understood to have been listening in the car with her dad, Lee Henderson, and asked: 'Is she giving away our money? I want to keep our money'.

Listening in: The five-year-old was listening with her dad, Lee Henderson, when the mother-of-one gave money away on radio and was a little confused by the situation

Jackie first mentioned her shady ex in January 2015, during a competition between Kyle and guest Guy Sebastian to establish who had dated the most Bogan people in their past.

Drug dealer on the Gold Coast, drove a Kombi van hello, the radio presenter giggled, much to Kyle and Guys delight.

Naturally it didn't take long for co-host Kyle, 43, to chime in, playfully teasing; [He was] selling bags of weed out the back. While Guy added: Such class.'

That was me: Jackie confessed on-air last year to dating a drug dealer when she was younger

And he had his underage Mrs with him. That was Jackie,' Kyle continued.

That was me, the mother-of-one agreed.

In March that year, Jackie also previously discussed her own drug use, openly admitting to smoking cannabis  a mood-enhancing drug that's illegal in Australia - in her younger years.
Last year Caitlyn Jenner's transition opened up a worldwide conversation about the transgender community.

And Whoopi Goldberg is hoping to shed an even brighter light on those issues through her latest project.

The 60-year-old television star is set to produce a new reality show centred on transgender models according to a Monday report from People.

New project: Whoopi Goldberg - pictured in New Jersey on Friday - is set to produce a new reality show centred on transgender models according to a Monday report from People

According to the weekly, the programme which is titled Strut, will focus on Slay Model Management and air on Oxygen.

The Los Angeles-based company is the first to represent transgender fashion talent exclusively.

Whoopi opened up to People about the upcoming programme as she sad: 'This show is important right now, because for all of the positive advances the community has made and continues to make, transgender is still a hot-button word that gets people hysterical.'

The programme is set to follow a group of models with hopes of becoming a marquee name like Alessandra Ambrosio or Adriana Lima but also face the challenges of gender stereotypes.

Coming soon: The programme, titled Strut, will focus on Slay Model Management which is the first to represent transgender fashion talent exclusively

The Ghost actress continued: 'You may even be surprised to discover that you have been seeing and interacting with transgender men and women in ways you didn't even realize!'

Strut is set to premiere later this year on the Oxygen network.

No doubt it is an exciting time for Whoopi as she recently launched a new line of products featuring marijuana that claims to help women who suffer from menstrual stomach cramps.

She told USA Today back in March that period pain is 'not a joke' and that she wants to help those who suffer from it.

Signature: She has been on The View since 2007

Whoopi says that her product, which is released next month, is for people who 'don't want to get high high', but instead simply want a way to relieve their period pain in a calming and relaxing way.

It is only available in California to people with medical marijuana cards due to the federal ban on the drug.

The View co-host launched the brand, Whoopi & Maya, with Maya Elisabeth, founder of Om Edibles, an all female-run medical-marijuana cannabis company in California.
She's only just launched her new website Bottle & Heels for 'open-minded people', but Tammin Sursok has not held back about divulging some of her most intimate experiences.

In a blog post entitled It's Time To Embrace Your Sex, the former Home And Away star opened up about becoming a woman and discovering her sexuality.

The 32-year-old detailed her early teenage years and how she was 'mercilessly teased' for being a 'fat girl' at school, only to shed 38kg and become an 'object of desire'.

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'It's time to embrace your sex!': Former Home And Away star Tammin Sursok has not held back about divulging some of her most intimate experiences on her new site Bottle + Heels

'I had identified myself with weight and being invisible and now, for the first time, I was being seen and I felt completely exposed and ill-equipped,' she wrote.

She continued then to describe how she lost her virginity - 'It was painful, unromantic and confusing' - and how for many years following she didn't feel any real emotional connection to sex.

The brunette beauty continued to detail how many women feel ashamed of their sexual appetite, and how she feels fulfilling her role as a mother and having sexual desire are at odds.

Self-discovery: Tammin reveals she lost 38kg and became an 'object of desire' in her later teenage years (pictured here at 19)

'He has done everything in his power to learn about my body': Tammin has been married to her husband Sean McEwen for five years, and they've been together for ten

Meeting her husband, with whom she's been married for five years and been together for ten, Sean McEwen, changed her attitude.

'My husband has never made be feel shameful or embarrassed for my healthy sexual appetite, he has done everything in his power to learn about my body,' she wrote.

On Sunday, the US-based actress attended the launch party of her publication looking stunning in a white and pink floral-patterned party dress.

Sneak peek: Tammin shared snaps from the special launch party

She shared a snap to Instagram with her husband Sean and daughter Phoenix, two, writing in the caption: 'Thank you to the people who believed in this.

'Today's launch party was one for the books. With 51 activations and over 300 people, I am humbled, euphoric and empowered.'

The website offers '90 per cent original content' with at least half of all content created by Tammin herself.
She gave birth to her gorgeous baby boy Rocco just three months ago.

And Rose Byrne has wasted no time getting her pre-baby body back.

The Australian actress, 36, looked incredible in a slimming in an all-black ensemble as she left her New York apartment on Monday.

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That was quick! Rose Byrne looked incredible in a slimming in an all-black ensemble as she left her New York apartment on Monday, just three months after giving birth to her son Rocco

Making her way to an appearance on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah to promote her new movie Neighbours 2, the Hollywood A-lister showed off her slim figure.

For her television appearance, Rose opted for a pair of loose trousers which finished just below her knee, and wore an off-the-shoulder peplum top which was cinched at the waist, highlighting her tiny frame.

The mother-of-one capped the understated but chic look off with a pair of pointed heels and dark sunglasses.

Her brunette locks were worn down in loose tousled waves and she sported a light application of makeup, which featured a nude lip.

Pre-baby body: Making her way to an appearance on The Daily Show to promote her new movie Neighbours 2, the 36-year-old actress showed off her slim figure

Slender: The Hollywood A-lister opted for a pair of loose trousers which finished just below her knee

Chic: The mother-of-one wore an off-the-shoulder peplum top which was cinched at the waist, highlighting her tiny frame

In February Rose and her partner actor Bobby Cannaval welcomed their first child together, a son, Rocco Robin and the couple are relishing life with a newborn.

Rose has recently been on a promotional tour for her latest flick, Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising.

The actress returns as her character Kelly Radner in the flick, which is currently in cinemas, alongside Zac Efron and Seth Rogen, who plays her on-screen husband.

Monochrome: She capped the understated look off with a pair of pointed heels and dark sunglasses

Last week, Rose revealed on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, that she was stopped by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at an airport recently because of breast milk she carried in her bag.

The starlet had more than three ounces of breast milk with her, exceeding the maximum amount of liquid allowed in a carry-on bag.

Rose told Stephen: 'I've been doing a lot of traveling, too, so I've been taking my breast milk everywhere with me.'

Understated: Her brunette locks were worn down in loose tousled waves

Natural beauty: Rose sported a light application of makeup, which featured a nude lip

Rose went on: 'They wave this weird thing over the top of it, and there's a whole production going on. They take it very seriously that it could be something.'

'I just stand there and smile and tell them that's it's really breast milk, and that it's nothing.'

When the late host suggested she should have just pointed to her son to explain the breast milk, the starlet jokingly said: 'He's really real; he's here. You want me to get 'em out? What do you think? I'm not going to do that. No, no, no!'

In demand: Rose has recently been on a promotional tour for her latest flick, Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising, which she stars in alongside Seth Rogen (left) and Zac Efron (right)
She's been posting several snapshots with her new beau since the pair began dating in March.

But on Monday Kaley Cuoco was spotted solo as she headed to a yoga class in Los Angeles.

The 30-year-old Big Bang Theory star showcased her bronzed shapely stems in a tiny pair of shorts.

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Namaste: Kaley Cuoco, 30, was spotted as she headed to a yoga class in Los Angeles

The stunning blonde donned the short charcoal grey gym shorts teamed with a three-quarter length sleeved shirt and strut in People Footwear Lennon Slides in Sundae Pink Sandals.

She wore the white top which read 'Boheme' on the back, translating loosely to a carefree lifestyle unbounded by convention.

Her hair was swept up in a messy bun and she showed off her natural beauty by skipping the cosmetics and going fresh-faced.

Leggy blonde! The Big Bang Theory star showcased her bronzed shapely stems in a tiny pair of shorts

Easy breezy: The stunning blonde donned a shirt that read 'Boheme' on the back which translates loosely to a carefree lifestyle unbounded by convention

She kept concealed behind dark shades and had her hands full with a cute pink yoga mat, maroon handbag and black gym bag with a skull and crossbones emblazoned on the side.

The award-winning actress made sure to pay the parking meter for her black Lincoln MKX before heading inside the studio.

Once Kaley had finished her limb-bending session, she changed into a more laid-back look with grey sweatpants by Z Supply and graphic tee.

Paying her dues: The award-winning actress made sure to pay the parking meter for her black Lincoln MKX before heading inside the studio

Cuoco shared a sweet snap with her new boyfriend, professional equestrian Karl Cook on Thursday.

The 25-year-old is the son of billionaire software tycoon Scott Cook and appears to have swept the newly divorced starlet off her feet.

Kaley and her ex Ryan Sweeting tied the knot in December 2013 and announced their split last September.

Wardrobe change: Once Kaley had finished her limb-bending session, she changed into a more laid-back look with grey Z Supply sweatpants and graphic tee

Natural beauty! Cuoco skipped the cosmetics and featured her flawless complexion

Low-key look: The blonde beauty kept concealed behind dark shades

Their divorce was finalized earlier this month and the beauty opened up about her love life on CBS This Morning stating: 'I'm not ashamed of anything that happened.'

Kaley also said that she falls in love 'really hard,' and that when she does, 'that person is it for me.'

But she also insisted that 'when it's over, it's over.'

Another outfit: Cuoco later stepped out in a J'adore shirt and tight jeans

She does her own gas work: The beauty looked comfortable at the gas station pump

A treat after all those sun salutes: The funny girl sipped on what looked like an iced coffee

The starlet, who plays dim-witted Penny on The Big Bang Theory, has landed on her feet however and says she is 'happier than I've ever been,' and that 'everything ended the way it was supposed to.'

She admitted: 'Some people make mistakes, and I wouldn't call it a mistake -- it's just what happened in my life.'

Adding: 'Now I'm excited to see what the future holds.'

When asked about her relationship with Cook, Kaley - who is an avid horseback rider - blushed and simply said: 'I think the horse connection is special. He's special.'
He's as famous for his wild past as he is for his roles in blockbuster films.

But Mark Wahlberg insists he's put all the craziness behind him after becoming a family man.

The actor told KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O on Tuesday morning that he's mellowed since having children, admitting: 'I'm a 44-year-old father-of-four now. I'm not the crazy, fun guy that I used to be.'

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Family man: Mark Wahlberg, pictured here with his wife Rhea Durham and their four children, has confessed he's not the same party boy he used to be

Mark added that people in his native Boston expect a 'certain type of guy' when meeting the action movie star, but insists he's a reformed party boy.

'If you can't grow up and become more mature having children, then nothing's going to work for you,' he said.

The proud father added: 'You had all that time to do your thing and worry about you as an individual. Now you're responsible for raising and providing for others.'

Mark married his model wife Rhea Durham in 2009 after eight years of dating.

Happily married: The Boston native and his model wife Rhea Durham were dating since 2001 before marrying in 2009

The pair have four children together: daughters Ella, 12, and Grace, six, as well as sons Michael, 10, and Brendan, seven.

Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks in Boston, Massachusetts, the actor has been open with his troubled past, including a 45-day stint in prison for assault in 1988.

The Daddy's Home star has not only turned his life around with a successful acting career, but is also a producer and entrepreneur with a lucrative food chain Wahlburgers, which he runs with his brothers.

He previously admitted he never imagined he would go on to be as successful as he has been.

Speaking to Men's Health magazine, the actor said: 'I'm very passionate about what I do and I'm able to provide for my family in a way that I never dreamt of, certainly in a way my parents weren't able to provide for us.'
Clare Burt plays Mrs Harris in the production at Sheffield Crucible Theatre

Flowers for Mrs Harris

Sheffield Crucible Theatre

Rating:

When my daughter Eveleen was nine she visited the V&A Museum and saw a 1950s Hubert de Givenchy dress. She stared at it, falling silent for minutes.

That moment changed her idea of beauty and she has never been quite the same.

Paul Gallicos character Ada Harris, a char woman in the drab austerity of postwar London, has a similar epiphany when she sees a Christian Dior dress in one of her clients wardrobes.

Widower Mrs Harris decides she must own such a dress, even though it is far beyond her means. A pools win and three years of hard work later, she travels to Paris.

Gallicos novel was called Mrs Arris Goes to Paris and the storys magic comes when Ada reaches the House of Dior. In this new musical stage adaptation  a delight  that moment only arrives with the second half.

The first half is rather stodgy going, so much time is spent establishing Mrs H and her friend Violet (Anna-Jane Casey) and their various clients.

The first 20 minutes frustrate, no least because composer Richard Taylor and his writer, Rachel Wagstaff, opt for a Sondheimish approach: sung-through dialogue and little forays into melody, repeatedly interrupted. Ones ear cries out for a strong, memorable number.

Mrs Harris is already keen on flowers (a life without flowers isnt any sort of life at all). The moment she sees the Dior dress is done with a strong down-light, a few piano chords and touching gasps of song from Clare Burt, who plays the old girl tremendously well.

But it is only when the action reaches the fashion house, with its initially snooty staff, a kindly marquis (Mark Meadows) and a parade of models in show-stopper frocks, that the show fluffs out its hems. Life dont get better than this, sighs Ada.

Mark Meadows plays Albert Harris in his lovely shows which reminds us life must have an ideal of beauty

Her emotional response delights the chief seamstress (Nicola Sloane), who for years has gone unthanked by spoilt, rigid-faced, clients.

High fashion may not have changed much over the decades, at least in that respect.

It could still do with adjustments  inches off the first half, more give in the tunes and some oil for the Crucibles creaking revolve  but this lovely show reminds us life must have an ideal of beauty, even when seemingly unobtainable.
She starred as Sookie Stackhouse in vampire-based drama True Blood.

And it looks like Anna Paquin is going back to her vamp roots.

The 33-year-old actress opted for Gothic glamour on the red carpet for a screening of her new mini-series Roots in New York City on Monday.

Date night: Anna Paquin was joined by husband Stephen Moyer at the screening of her new mini-series Roots in New York City on Monday

She was not alone as she was joined by her co-star from the HBO series and husband Stephen Moyer at the event held at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.

Anna showcased her dark side in a black dress featuring plenty of sheer panelling and sequins held together by a large black leather belt with a huge blinged out buckle.

Around the shoulders of the frock was completely see-through while there were vertical stripes right under that and sequins throughout the maxi skirt.

Lady is a vamp: The 33-year-old actress seemed to be making a call-back to her old series True Blood as she rocked a Gothic-inspired look in a black sheer maxi dress with sequins

It's Sookie! She had her blonde locks up in a pompadour as her make-up featured smokey eye make-up

Dapper: The 46-year-old wore a dark grey suit with a crisp white dress shirt and black tie

Dynamic duo: She also joined co-star Jonathan Rhys Meyers on the red carpet

Anna's signature blonde locks were done up in a pompadour as she kept the vamp-theme going with smokey eye make-up and a swipe of shiny pink lip.

Stephen, 46, looked dapper in a charcoal grey suit with a crisp white dress shirt, black tie and matching patent leather dress shoes.

The two starred in True Blood from 2008 to 2014 and fell in love. The pair ended up marrying in August 2010 after dating for three years.

Showing his style: He wore a navy blue blazer with black trousers and brown leather boots

Taking the plunge: He wore a very low-cut V-neck which showed off his chest tattoo

Mauve over: Anika Noni Rose sported a strapless deep purple number

Looking good: The 43-year-old actress had her brunette tresses in an updo

Dynamic duo: She was joined by co-star and rapper T.I.

Casual cool: The 35-year-old Live Your Life hitmaker wore a navy jacket over black top, gold chains, black trousers and Air Jordan IV white python leather trainers

The lovebirds welcomed their fraternal twins Poppy and Charlie in September 2012.

Celebrity West Ham United fan Stephen, 46, is also father to 15-year-old Billy and 13-year-old Lilac.

In the upcoming mini-series, which is a remake of the 1977 ABC film, Anna plays Nancy Holt, who is a Quaker fiance of a confederate officer, who has her own agenda when it comes to the handling of slaves.

It features an all-star cast including Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Anika Noni Rose, Chad L. Coleman, Malachi Kirby and rapper T.I.

Roots will begin airing next Monday, May 30 at 9 pm over four consecutive nights on the History Channel.

Shimmering: Carla Hall sported a shiny blue sleeveless number

Man with the plan: Mario Van Peebles looked dapper as he is one of the directors of the four-part mini-series

Bonding time: The 59-year-old actor was joined by son Mandela Van Peebles

Three generations: It was definitely a family affair as his father Melvin was also in attendance

Altogether now: Derek Luke, Lane Garrison, LeVar Burton, Anna Paquin, Erica Tazel, Anika Noni Rose, Jonathan Rhys, Malachi Kirby, Nancy Dubuc, Emayatzy Corinealdi Rege-Jean Page and Mario Van Peebles - pictured from left to right - looked happy as the group posed for a snap together
On Sunday, she enjoyed a romantic dinner with fiance Johnny McDaid in London.

And after all was said and done, Courteney Cox returned to her southern California residence on Monday, swiftly making her way through LAX.

The pretty brunette was dressed in a casual ensemble for her hours-long flight.

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Home at last: Courteney Cox, 51, returned to her southern California residence on Monday, swiftly making her way through LAX

The 51-year-old actress layered a maroon sweater over a grey top.

She paired her look with a set of cropped denim and black loafers.

The Mothers and Daughters actress accessorized with a purse, an oversize grey bag and a collection of rings.

Comfy Court: The pretty brunette was dressed in a casual ensemble for her hours-long flight

Courteney kept her look natural.

Her dark, brunette locks were pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck.

The mother-of-one appeared to be in deep conversation, phone held to her ear as she exited the airport.

Easy style: Her dark, brunette locks were pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck

Chatting away: The mother-of-one appeared to be in deep conversation, phone held to her ear as she exited the airport

On Sunday, Courtney enjoyed a romantic dinner with fiance Johnny McDaid, 39, at Restaurant 34 in Mayfair, London.

The duo appeared to be very much in love, having been together since late 2013, before briefly splitting following a June engagement last December.

They reportedly became engaged again in April and have been spotted on multiple outings since then.
He's certainly not shy when it comes to revealing the intimate specifics of his relationship.

And radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands was at it again on Tuesday, oversharing graphic details of his sex life with his girlfriend of four years Imogen Anthony.

Speaking on his KIISFM breakfast show with Jackie 'O' Henderson, the 44-year-old's sex life was a hot topic, after his co-host asked when he last got hot and heavy with his lady love.

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TMI: Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands has managed to overshare details of his sex life with girlfriend of four years Imogen Anthony on Tuesday

'It was the weekend,' Kyle admitted to Jackie, 41.

'I got up and went to feed the animals and she grabbed my arm and said "no, no" and I know what that means.'

Adding to his confession, Kyle added somewhat distastefully: 'So I thrashed her in there and then went to feed the animals.'

Revealing: Speaking on his KIIS FM breakfast show with Jackie 'O' Henderson, the 44-year-old's sex life was a hot topic, after his co-host asked when he got hot and heavy with his lady love.

Despite getting frisky in between the sheets only a few days ago, Kyle went on to say the fun would have to stop this week due to 'that time of month' for the 25-year-old.

'Too much information?' Kyle asked his blonde co-host.

'You're not one to hold back,' Jackie replied bemused.

'He blurts out everything, but it's fine': Earlier this month Imogen spoke to Daily Mail Australia about her partner's inability to hold information back

Earlier this month Imogen spoke to Daily Mail Australia about her partner's inability to hold censor himself, saying: 'He blurts out everything, but it's fine.'

The model did admit the her beau does speak to her in advance if he plans to reveal an extremely private matter to fans on the show.

'He has kind of spoken to me beforehand,' she confessed.

Close bond: The model did admit the her beau does speak to her in advance if he plans to reveal an extremely private matter to fans on the show

'Anything vulgar like that, he needs a pass. There has been a few things where he has said "can I do this?" and I was like "you cannot",' she explained.

It had been a morning of admissions on the popular radio show with Jackie having to stop herself from talking about her drug-dealer ex-boyfriend because her five-year-old daughter now listens to the show.

'I hope Kitty didn't hear that,' Jackie said when suddenly remembering that her daughter tunes in.

Loved up: Kyle and Imogen have been dating for four years

The conversation was started by Kyle making a number of drug-related jokes in slang that he didn't think Jackie understood.

Revealing she knew exactly what he was talking about, the radio personality reminded him: 'I've lived with a drug dealer before'.

Realising the road the chat was heading down, the mother-of-one halted the conversation because her young daughter may be listening.
Roxy Jacenko has been by her husband Oliver Curtis's side throughout his recent trial.

And despite favouring a wardrobe of mainly all-black designer ensembles, the 34-year-old PR maven opted to add a splash of colour to proceedings as she attended the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The mother-of-two showed off her sartorial style in a bright floral printed mini-dress from Mary Katrantzou, which retails for a whopping $2,835.

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Looking on the bright side: Roxy Jacenko wore a colourful floral printed mini-dress from Mary Katrantzou, which retails for a whopping $2,835 to support husband Oliver Curtis at court trial on Tuesday

The luxurious silk-Georgette dress boasted a colourful digital print and was nipped at the waist to highlight her frame.

The petite PR boss, who runs her own lucrative Sydney-based company Sweaty Betty PR, paired the feminine frock with a pair of $1,800 Azzedine Alaia stilettos, an item favoured by the likes of Kim Kardashian.

Wearing her long blonde locks out in a centre part and slightly curled, she kept her makeup minimal.

Roxy completed her look with a pair of dark lens Ray-Ban Aviators, which she's sported right across the week.

Brightening up his day: The 34-year-old PR maven paired the frock with a pair of $1,800 Azzedine Alaia stilettos

Simple: Wearing her long blonde locks out in a centre part and slightly curled, she kept her makeup minimal

Staple: The petite PR boss, who runs her own lucrative company Sweaty Betty PR, completed her look with a pair of dark lens Ray-Ban Aviators, which she's sported right across the week

Colourful: The luxurious printed silk-Georgette dress boasted a bright digital print and she posted her day's outfit on Instagram before heading to court

As Roxy stands by her husband's side at the NSW Supreme Court she had previously been ditching her signature colourful looks for conservative black.

The astute businesswoman opted for low-key ensembles for her court room attire, favouring dark shades in a range of designer ensembles for each day she attended the trial.

The mother-of-two cut a serious demeanour in all-black outfit once more last Thursday, as she arrived for court on the arm of her beau.

Spotted: The astute businesswoman has mostly opted for low-key ensembles in dark shades for her court room attire. Pictured this Monday in a black and white Dior polka dot dress

Bright and beautiful: The mother-of-two added a splash of colour here and there throughout the trial. Pictured on Friday

She wore a knee-length leather skirt teamed with a black knit and strappy stilettos.

While on Wednesday, Roxy also opted for a basic black ensemble featuring a wrap skirt tied at the waist paired with a matching fitted singlet.

She did however manage to throw in a touch of her signature glam, capping her look off with her favourite Azzedine Alaia stilettos.

She later added to the streamlined look, throwing on a leather Balmain biker jacket which retails for around $5,500 AUD.

Dark days: Roxy wore black for the fifth time in a row as she attended her husband Oliver's trial last Thursday

Basic black: Last Wednesday, the blonde beauty arrived in all-black attire, throwing a leather Balmain jacket over the top of a wrap skirt and matching tank

Last Monday, Roxy opted for yet another monochrome ensemble, wearing a loose-fitting LBD from Miu Miu.

The long sleeve garment featured a conservative high neck and a leather belt around the hips before flaring out.

The Sydney socialite teamed the chic dress with a pair of nude and black Gianvito Rossi shoes valued at over $1,000 AUD, and wore her glossy blonde mane in a perfect blow dry.

LBD: Last Monday, the fashionista opted for another monochrome ensemble, wearing a loose-fitting LBD from Miu Miu

Streamlined: On the first day of her husband's trial, Roxy wore a conservative chic all-black ensemble, consisting of a high-neck top and a flared A-line skirt

On the first day of her husband's trial the Wednesday before, Roxy wore a conservative chic all-black ensemble, consisting of a high-neck top and a flared A-line skirt.

The PR owner dressed up her professional attire with a pair of strappy leather heels and a gold embellished Louis Vuitton belt.

Day two, saw Roxy dress in a smart miniskirt suit with her gaze hidden behind dark Ray-Bans as the pair walked into court.

She struck a slightly less conservative figure than a day earlier in a shorter ensemble and opted for her more daring heels that laced up to the ankle.

Serious demeanour: Day two, saw the Sydney socaliate dress in a smart miniskirt suit with her gaze hidden behind dark Ray-Bans as the pair arrived in court

Prosecutors allege Roxy's husband Oliver Curtis conspired with his former best friend to commit insider trading offences between 1 May 2007 and 30 June 2008.

The alleged offences netted the pair a reported $1.433 million, prosecutors told the New South Wales Supreme Court last Wednesday.

Just prior to jury selection, the 30-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charge telling Justice Lucy McCallum and potential jurors: 'Not guilty, your honour.'

Colourful start to fashion week: Last week, the fashionista's courtroom appearances coincided with Australian Fashion Week, with the blonde beauty taking some time out to attend shows in between court with her mini-mogul daughter Pixie Curtis

Last week, the fashionista's courtroom appearances coincided with Australian Fashion Week, with the blonde beauty taking some time out to attend shows in between court with her mini-mogul daughter Pixie Curtis.

Roxy and her four-year-old were front row at the opening show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, Toni Maticevski.

While last Tuesday, she was spotted in a more casual look wearing cropped jeans, a navy blazer, white T-shirt and black ballet flats at the By Johnny show.

Roxy's Mary Katrantzou dress has previously been worn by Australian Vogue Fashion Editor Christine Centenera.

It's not the first time the women have imitated one another in the style stakes, with the pair sporting matching Louis Vuitton ensembles at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at Sydney's Carriageworks last year.

Style inspiration? Roxy's Mary Katrantzou dress has previously been worn by Australian Vogue Fashion Editor Christine Centenera
Penelope Cruz plays a woman fighting breast cancer in her new film Ma Ma.

The 42-year-old Spanish beauty attended the TimesTalks in New York City on Monday to discuss her dramatic role.

She looked stunning in a black lace dress with delicate sheer sleeves and ruffled skirt while speaking at the event.

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Flawless: Penelope Cruz, 42, looked stunning when she arrived to discuss her new film Ma Ma at the TimesTalks in New York City on Monday

The Oscar-winning actress cut a ladylike figure in the feminine frock which cinched at the waistline and hit just below her knees.

She showcased her slender stems in the see-through number and added height to her 5ft 6in frame with black stilettos.

Her silky chestnut tresses were styled in soft curls and she rounded out the LBD with silver drop earrings.

Feminine frock: The Spanish beauty cut a ladylike figure in a black lace dress with delicate sheer sleeves and ruffled skirt

The Vanilla Sky actress kept her makeup to a minimum for the event with a hint of brown smokey eye, light coral blush and nude gloss.

Cruz stars in the film as Magda and sported a shaved head for her powerful performance.

Highlighting an important cause, the actress foregoes her usual glamorous appearance and looks unrecognisable as she bares her body for the heartbreaking role.

'It's so emotional for me': The Oscar winner plays a woman fighting breast cancer in the dramatic film

Leggy display! Penelope showcased her slender stems in the see-through number and added height to her 5ft 6in frame with black stilettos

Mane attraction: The brunette beauty styled her silky chestnut tresses in soft curls

'It's so emotional for me,' Penelope said to the mediator, New York Times contributor Logan Hill.

She continued: 'The strength and the light of this character, she's such an amazing fighter and she has the most interesting and peculiar reactions, you know?'

'Even the moment when she gets the news that she has cancer,' she said. 'She asks the doctor if she can still go to the hair appointment because it's a little bit conflicting with the time of the checkup at the end of the day.'

Powerful performance: Cruz attended a screening for her film after the live discussion

Smouldering: The Vanilla Sky actress went with a hint of brown smokey eye, light coral blush and nude gloss

The film was released in Spain last year but is now set for worldwide release.

Talking to radio show Cadena Ser last year, the star said that taking on the role was incredibly important to her.

'This is one of the most wonderful characters that I will ever be offered to play,' she said. 'I fell in love with the story of this woman, who is like a goddess, a sage.'

Adding: 'It was very important to me to take risks and at no time did I worry if I looked beautiful, was ugly or very ugly. It is a tribute to all women who face this disease.'

Fan-atical! The brunette beauty made time for a crowd of admirers waiting upon her arrival
She has one of the most enviable figures in Hollywood, which is saying something considering she's 58-years-old.

And blonde bombshell Sharon Stone sure didn't mind showing off her body as she landed at LAX airport in Los Angeles on Monday.

The Basic Instinct vet went bra free as she wore a thin beige top.

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Looking lovely: Sharon Stone sure didn't mind showing off her body as she landed in LA on Monday

Chic too: The Golden Globe nominee smartly paired the top with a camel colored coat and white ripped, cuffed boyfriend jeans that looked like something Kim Kardashian would wear

Her look: Kim has been into ripped jeans this year; here she is seen over the weekend in London

The Golden Globe nominee smartly paired the top with a camel colored coat and white ripped, cuffed boyfriend jeans that looked like something Kim Kardashian would wear.

The Casino star had on a nifty pair of sneakers that looked to be lizard skin with a black band.

The Vanity Fair cover girl's beige leather soft purse tied in nicely.

Cute kicks SS: The Casino star had on a nifty pair of sneakers that looked to be lizard skin with a black band

The mother of three has been working nonstop this year.

She made The Masterpiece, where she played Iris Burton, and they did Running Wild with Jason Lewis. She will also come out in the TV movie Mosaic and is in pre production for The Last Party.

Pretty as ever: The siren with Selma Blair at the Los Angeles premiere of Mothers And Daughters in April

In March 2015 Stone told Shape she likes to keep in shape. ;There was a point in my 40s when I went into the bathroom with a bottle of wine, locked the door, and said, Im not coming out until I can totally accept the way that I look right now.

And that's when she realized she wanted to exercise every day.

'Every time I exercise, I do something different based on which areas need to get in motion.'
Her legendary father passed away nearly seven years ago.

And now Paris Jackson will always have a piece of the King Of Pop with her.

The 18-year-old showed off a brand new tattoo she got to pay tribute to her dad Michael Jackson on Instagram on Tuesday.

Touching tribute: Paris Jackson shared a picture of a new tattoo for her legendary father Michael on Instagram Monday

Standing by her man: The 18-year-old pictured with boyfriend Michael Snoddy in Venice, California on Thursday

The new body art was taken directly from the Remember The Time hitmaker's cover for 1989 multii-platinum album Dangerous.

It features an intricately designed crest featuring several animals including elephants and monkey's with Michael's eyes, eyebrows and a strand of his curly locks hanging down.

Paris captioned it with a heartfelt message which read: 'Never forget your roots, and always be proud of where you came from.'

Inspiration: The new body art is taken from Michael's 1989 multi-platinum album Dangerous

Heyday: Michael passed away on 25 June 2009

She also included one of her father's most famous quotes in the caption: 'The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life. It is present in the infinity of forms and phenomena that exist in all of creation.'

This is not the first ink dedicated to her late, great father, however, as back in early April she shared a photo of herself looking at a new tattoo on her left forearm.

It was 'queen of my heart' in Michael's handwriting as she went on to explain: 'To everyone else he was the King of Pop. To me, well, he was the king of my heart. Thank you @dermagraphink, you're a legend.'

Not the first tribute: In early April she shared this photo of her looking down at her tattoo which read 'queen of my heart' in Michael's handwriting

She may have turned 18 just last month but she already has multiple tattoos including a blue flower on her wrist dedicated to her grandmother and Michael's mother Katherine Jackson.

As there were Chinese letters under the image, Paris explained the body art as she wrote: '"Kaiselin" for Grandma Katherine, done by the ink goddess herself @thetattooprincess. Love you, G-Ma.'

Things may not be completely peachy between she and her grandmother, however, as the matriarch is said to be unhappy at how much her son's only daughter has changed for her new man rocker Michael Snoody.
They've been best friends for over a decade, first meeting at Girlfriend Model Search when they were only teenagers.

And now Tully Smyth has shown how highly she thinks of her friend, suggesting Ruby wouldn't need any help when it comes to finding a girlfriend.

Partying together in LA, 30-year-old Ruby shared a photo of herself sitting under a fluorescent that read 'Pick up booth', captioning it 'Waits...' as if implying she's looking for a date.

Any dates? Ruby Rose shared a photo of herself sitting under a fluorescent that read 'Pick up booth', captioning it 'Waits...' as if implying she's looking for a date to Instagram

Quick to repost the image on Instagram, Tully, 28, clearly doesn't think her DJ friend will need to wait long writing: 'Like you need any help @rubyrose...' and added the hastag '#YoungBloodTravel'.

Ruby looked rock-chic in a black and red checkered shirt, showing off her heavily inked arms and a pair of black skinny jeans.

Meanwhile, social media enthusiast Tully donned a Harley Davidson tank shirt and a black bandanna around her neck, while her blonde tresses were styled in loose curls.

Birthday bash: The social media enthusiast donned a Harley Davidson tank shirt and a black bandanna around her neck, while her blonde tresses were styled in loose curls.

With Tully flying into LA two days ago, she joined the Orange Is The New Black star at nightclub Ep & Lp's first birthday bash.

Taking to Snapchat, Tully documented her activities as she got ready for the event, with Ruby featuring in her social media updates once arriving at the party.

After posing for a group shot, which included Australian television host Renee Bargh, Tully filmed a short clip of her as they talked with friends on the club's rooftop.

'Showing Rubes all about the "subtle beauty" filter...' Tully captioned the 10 second video.

Group shot! Ruby and Tully pose for a group shot, which included Australian television host Renee Bargh (far L)

Mistaken by the thought her Melbourne-based friend was taking a photo, Ruby poses holding up a peace sign with her fingers before being seen breaking into laughter.

Tully and Ruby have been friends since they were 15-years-old after meeting through the modelling competition.

They both feature regularly on each other's social media accounts and are seen catching up when in the same city.

Home movies: Tully filmed a short clip of her as they talked with friends on the club's rooftop. 'Showing Rubes all about the "subtle beauty" filter...' Tully captioned the 10 second video

Oops! Mistaken by the thought her Melbourne-based friend was taking a photo, Ruby poses holding up a peace sign with her fingers before being seen breaking into laughter

Old friends: Tully and Ruby have been friends since they were 15-years-old after meeting through the modelling competition.
Lena Dunham was honoured at a benefit event in New York City on Monday and suited up for the occasion.

The 30-year-old Girls creator wore a grey two-button coat with matching trousers to the ArtsConnection benefit.

The New York City native wore a black and tan buttoned-up blouse and completed her look with black shoes.

Benefit event: Lena Dunham was honoured on Monday at a benefit event in New York City

Lena was joined at the event by her Girls co-star Andrew Rannells, 37, who looked spiffy in a dark blue suit.

Former Christie's contemporary art head Amy Cappellazzo also was honoured at the benefit along with Lena.

Amy's private consulting firm Art Agency Partners that she co-founded was acquired earlier this year for $50 million by Sotheby's, according to Artnet News.

Lena comes from a family of artists as her mother Laurie Simmons is an artist and photographer and her father Carroll Dunham is a painter.

Suited up: The Girls creator suited up for the benefit event by ArtsConnection

ArtsConnection since 1979 has been providing arts programming to students in the New York City public school system.

Lena created the HBO comedy-drama series Girls that premiered on April 15, 2012.

The show's sixth and final season will air in 2017.

Girls stars: Andrew Rannells supported his Girls co-star and director Lena at the benefit celebration

Last season: Girls was renewed in January for its sixth and final season that will air in 2017 on HBO

The honorees: Lena was honoured at the event along with Amy Cappellazzo

Lena portrays aspiring writer Hannah Horvath in the HBO series that also stars Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke and Adam Driver.

Girls showrunner Jennifer Konner, 45, and Lena last year founded the feminist newsletter Lenny Letter.

Lena has been in a relationship since 2012 with musician Jack Antonoff.

Arts education: ArtsConnection has been providing art programming since 1979 to students in New York City's public school system
Earlier this year, The Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg proposed to fiancee Audrey Griffen.

And on Monday, the soon-to-be newlyweds were spotted putting on an affectionate display as they lunched in Sydney's Bondi.

The pair held hands as they walked around the beach-side location with their pet pooch Frankie, before stopping for a bite to eat.

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Two's company..! The Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg and fiancee Audrey Griffen were spotted putting on an affectionate display at Sydney's Bondi on Monday

Osher, 42, was dressed casually for the outing, wearing cream shorts, a black T-shirt and black thongs.

Make-up artist Audrey, meanwhile, wore a tight pair of black high-waisted jeans, a black and white printed singlet top with Adidas sneakers.

The pair both wore caps and sunglasses to shield their faces from the sun.

Osher also had a black pair of reading glasses hanging from the neck of his top.

Quality time: The pair held hands as they walked around the beachside location with Frankie

The pair held hands as they ambled around and enjoyed light conversation.

With his free hand, Osher held onto Frankie's leash.

The pair seemed to also be running some errands, with Audrey holding a pile of envelopes in her hand.

They stopped for some food at vegetarian cafe where they sat opposite each other and chatted animatedly.

Osher had Frankie's leash wrapped around his ankle and occasionally patted his fluffy pooch affectionately as they relaxed.

Chatting the day away: The pair held hands as they walked and appeared in light conversation as they went

Tucking in: They stopped for some food at vegetarian cafe where they sat opposite each other

Sweet: Osher had Frankie's leash wrapped around his ankle and patted his fluffy pooch affectionately as they relaxed

The couple both sipped on healthy green juices with their meals.

On the day, Audrey flashed her stunning engagement ring.

Osher - who hosts both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette - proposed in January when the pair enjoyed a trip to Heron Island in Queensland.

He presented her with a 7.5 carat black and pink sapphire ring.

That rock! Osher - who hosts both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette - proposed in January when the pair enjoyed a trip to Heron Island in Queensland

Symbol of their love: He presented her with a 7.5 carat black and pink sapphire ring in February

Audrey - who has a 12-year-old daughter - is the only woman to have been linked to the TV personality since his marriage to Israeli actress Noa Tishby ended in 2012.

In March, he gushed about Audrey to New Idea, saying they met after she replaced his former make-up artist on The Bachelor.

He revealed when he first saw her, saying he arrived at work all sweaty from riding on his bicycle.

'Worse still, I was wearing this high-vis DayGlo middle-aged cyclist stuff - and there she was, this beautiful Fijian lady,' he explains.

He said the pair took things slow at the beginning.

Going strong: Audrey - who has a 12-year-old daughter - is the only woman to have been linked to the TV personality since his marriage to Israeli actress Noa Tishby ended in 2012
He enjoyed some time out of the limelight while working on several projects, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers was looking happy and healthy in New York on Monday night.

The 38-year-old actor was on hand to premiere his new mini-series Roots at Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Center.

Jonathan gave a glimpse of his inked torso as he sported a very low cut white top underneath a black blazer and fitted trousers.

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Dressed to impress: Jonathan Rhys Meyers was looking happy and healthy in New York on Monday night at the Roots screening

The Irish actor appeared to be back to his best in his dapper ensemble and was seen posing with alongside his co-star Anna Paquin.

In the mini-series, which is a remake of the iconic 1977 ABC film, Anna plays Nancy Holt, who is a Quaker fiance of a confederate officer, who has her own agenda when it comes to the handling of slaves.

It features an all-star cast including Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Anika Noni Rose, Chad L. Coleman, Malachi Kirby and rapper T.I.

Work work work: The 38-year-old actor was on hand to premiere his new mini-series at Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Center

He-vage: Jonathan gave a glimpse of his inked torso as he sported a very low cut white top underneath a black blazer and fitted trousers

Jonathan looks to have come a long way since his relapse in May 2015, when shocking images emerged of Meyers looking dishevelled as he drank vodka straight from the bottle.

Following the relapse, The Tudors star, who has battled alcohol issues for over a decade, apologised to his fans in a statement released via his fiancee's Instagram account.

Alongside an image of the couple he wrote: 'Mara and I are thankful for your support and kindness during this time.

In good company: The Irish actor appeared to be back to his best in his dapper ensemble and was seen posing with alongside his co-star Anna Paquin

True love: Anna Paquin was joined by husband Stephen Moyer at the screening

'I apologizes [sic] for having a minor relapse and hope that people don't think too badly of me.'

Meyers continued: 'I stopped drinking immediately and it is no reflection on Damascus Cover (a film he starred in last year) as I was not meant to attend Cannes this year and I apologize to fans and colleagues.'

'I am on the mend and thank well-wishers and sorry for my disheveled appearance as I was on my way home from a friends and had not changed'.

Mauve over: The talented Anika Noni Rose sported a strapless deep purple Edition by Georges Chakra number

Cause they slay: The star was see posing with Emayatzy Corinealdi, who stunned in a plunging gown by CD Greene

The actor has had a well-publicised battle with alcohol since first shooting to fame in 2002 as the love interest of Parminder Nagra's character in the hit British movie Bend it Like Beckham.

Jonathan is believed to have had six stints in rehab over the past few years, including programmes at the Promises facility in Malibu, California in 2005 and 2007.

Meanwhile in November 2011, the star was ordered by a French court to pay a restitution of 1,000 and was given a judgement of a suspended sentence for public intoxication 24 months earlier.

Bonding time: Actor Mario Van Peebles was joined by son Mandela Van Peebles

Teamwork: Rapper T.I. and actress Carla Hall were also seen posing on the red carpet

Great work: LeVar Burton (C) and Al Sharpton (R) were seen chatting away at the premiere
She's one of the ultimate party girls.

And Naomi Campbell didn't let her 46th birthday slip by quietly as she threw an epic bash to celebrate with her a-list pals.

The model, still looking remarkably ageless, rang in another year in serious style on Monday night, joining family and friends at PHD Rooftop Lounge, New York.

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Busty birthday girl: Naomi Campbell didn't let her 46th birthday slip by quietly as she threw an epic bash to celebrate with her a-list pals

With a reported $15k spent just on the flowers, it's clear that Naomi doesn't do birthday parties by halves.

Q-Tip and Empire co-star Jussie Smollett helped her mark what's being called an 'epic' birthday with 90 guests.

It was hard to believe that Naomi was a day older than her modelling hey-day as she cut a youthful figure in white.

Pals: Usher (left) and Diddy (right) made a Naomi sandwich on Monday night as they helped her celebrate her birthday at PHD Rooftop Lounge, New York

Getting cosy: She was rose between two thorns in striking white on the night

Looking as lithe and effortless as her catwalk debut, the stunner went braless in a waist-coat style cut, to which she later added an extravagant faux-fur coat to pose against the skyline.

Everything about Naomi's birthday party was, naturally, extravagant and TMZ reports that she had 1,000 tailor-made red roses imported from Holland to bear her name.

She invited 90 guests, according to reports, and her old friend Sean 'Diddy' Combs even joined after his Bad Boy reunion tour at Barclay's Center.

Extravagant: Posing in a white faux fur, everything about Naomi's birthday was said to have been extravagant

Diddy and Naomi certainly looked cosy on the night, almost 14 years after they first hit the party scene together.

The friendship between Naomi and Diddy blossomed over the years and he is even said to have delivered an 'amazing' speech for her birthday.

If that wasn't enough, Usher Snapchatted the moment that he sung the ageless supermodel happy birthday.

At the end of the dinner, Campbell was presented with a larger-than-life birthday cake that mirrored her new coffee table book set and then hit the after party at at Up&Down.

Snapshot: She is said to have spent $15k just on red roses for the event

Time to party: Among the 90 guests, was also Khloe Kardashian's ex French Montana

Dated? Usher, seen riding his bicycle in the East Village earlier that day, previously denied dating Naomi
As an in-demand actress she has been used to making sacrifices in her personal life.

And after Elle Fanning, 18, was forced to miss her senior prom, she decided to recreate the night in the glamorous setting of the Cannes Film Festival.

The festival premiere for Elle's new movie The Neon Demon clashed with her high school milestone last Friday, but the teen's date flew out to Cannes to get that all important prom shot with the star.

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Night to remember: After Elle Fanning, 18, was forced to miss her senior prom on Friday, she decided to recreate the night in the glamorous setting of the Cannes Film Festival

The actress was busy walking the red carpet in Cannes on Friday night instead of joining her pals back home in California for their last prom.

But luckily her good friend was gallant enough to make the long trip to help Elle mark the occasion.

A delighted Elle shared a cute snap on her Instagram page on Monday, which shows the actress and her male friend in traditional prom pose on a sweeping staircase.

Work comes first: The actress, 18, was busy walking the red carpet in Cannes for her new film The Neon Demon on Friday night instead of joining her pals back home in California for their last prom

'Reliving my Senior Prom! Thank you, @basquitwat for flying out since I could not be home and making our prom night one to remember forever! #ProminCannes #PromontheRedCarpet,' Elle wrote on Instagram.

The actress is wearing the stunning Zuhair Murad S/S 2016 couture gown she wowed in on Friday's red carpet.

The fairytale number was accessorised with flowers for the snap, while Elle's friend was smart in a tux, standing behind the blonde as she flashed a huge smile.

What a dress! Luckily her good friend was gallant enough to make the long trip to help Elle mark the occasion, for which she had the perfect dress - her stunning couture premiere gown

Stunning: Elle turned heads in the fairytale number from Zuhair Murad in Cannes on Friday

Speaking to Nylon Magazine last year, Elle, who was home schooled until fourth grade, explained why she was keen to have a high school experience.

'I was home-schooled, and it was only a short period of time, but I was like, "I have no friends," she shared, adding:

'My parents have known each other since second grade, and they're still together. They didn't start dating until college, but they always talk about their high school, and I was like, "I have to have that! I want to experience all the proms and be able to talk about that one kid everyone knew."'

And pose: The young actress was the star of the red carpet at she skipped her prom for her her big premiere

Ella has juggled her booming acting career with school, and couldn't miss her big night in Cannes on Friday which saw her premiere her new movie.

In The Neon Demon, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Elle stars alongside Keanu Reeves and Christina Hendricks.

She plays Jesse, an aspiring model who moves to Los Angeles where her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will do whatever it takes to get what she has.

It's the third consecutive film directed by the Danish 45-year-old to compete for the festival's Palme d'Or prize after Only God Forgives and Drive.
It's been labelled 'outrageous' and 'scandalous' by those who have seen the previews.

And before Kiss Bang Love has even aired contestant Josh Poate has defended the show in an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday saying: 'Everyones entitled to their opinion, but we chose to go on it.'

The buff 26-year-old Fireman from Sydney's Northern Beaches went on to add: 'I thought it would be a bit of fun. I thought whats the worst that can happen?'

On the defence: Kiss, Bang, Love contestant Josh Poate has defended the show in an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday saying he thought it would be 'fun'

Josh stars in the first episode of the reality television series which will air on Tuesday night on the Seven Network and is the first one to kiss brunette beauty Lisa Fewster.

It was a nerve-wracking experience as he prepared for the blindfolded kiss and explained: 'There were people around and the fact I knew it was going to be on TV.'

But that all changed once it was over and done with and he revealed that he enjoyed the experience.

Taking the risk: The hunky 26-year-old fireman from Sydney's Northern Beaches explained 'Whats the worst that can happen?

First up: Josh stars in the first episode of the series which will air on the Seven Network and is the first one to kiss brunette beauty Lisa Fewster and revealed he was nervous for the kiss

The show is an experiment where ten people are given a chance to make out with 12 partners while blindfolded and then decide on the basis of the kiss who they would like to see again.

As the first one to step up on the debut episode, Josh revealed to the publication that he is expecting to be teased by his mates.

The 26-year-old is not shy when it comes to flaunting his good looks across his social media platforms and showing off his surfing talents.

Ready for it: As the first one to step up on the debut episode, Josh revealed to the publication that he is expecting to be teased by his mates

Surf's up: Josh not shy when it comes to flaunting his good looks across his social media platforms and showing off his surfing talents

Josh has been single for almost a year and has tried out online dating before, including the popular application Tinder.

The show is made by the producers of Married At First Sight and is a follow on of the success of other dating shows over recent years.

Kiss Bang Love follows similar social experiment series Seven Year Switch, which aired on the network earlier this year, where six married couples swapped partners in a bid to save their relationship.
Osher Gunsberg this week enjoyed a relaxed day out with fiancee Audrey Griffen in Sydney's Bondi.

And while all eyes were on the affectionate couple, attention was also drawn to The Bachelor host's freshly-painted toenails.

The 42-year-old ambled around in a pair of flip flops on Monday that revealed his varnished toenails.

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Keeping up appearances: Osher Gunsberg this week enjoyed a relaxing day out with fiancee Audrey Griffen and showed off his pedicured feet

Rock star look: Osher decorated his feet with black nail polish

While make-up artist Audrey wore sneakers, Osher aired his feet in flip flops.

Osher also wore a pair of white shorts and a black T-shirt, with sunglasses and a cap.

The TV and radio personality revealed on social media he had his feet painted a week ago, taking to Instagram to share a Snapchat video of the process.

See The Bachelor Australia updates as host Osher Gunsberg shows off his pedicure

Colourful: The garrulous host also posted an image to Instagram of his freshly painted toes alongside Audrey's fingers and her 12-year-old daughter's feet in flip flops

Sitting in the pedicure chair at the nail salon, he can be seen enjoying a pedicure.

He wrote on the video the caption: 'So fresh and so clean,' before sharing an image of his feet, writing: 'What do the nail ladies talk about?'

The garrulous host also posted an image to Instagram of his freshly painted toes alongside Audrey's fingers and her 12-year-old daughter's feet in flip flops.

Osher and Audrey became engaged when he proposed while they enjoyed a romantic break to Queensland's Heron Island.

He presented his love with a 7.5 carat black and pink sapphire engagement ring, proposing on the beach at sunset.

Pampered: The TV personality wrote on the video the caption: 'So fresh and so clean'
Johnny Depp was still embodying the Mad Hatter on Monday night, as he accompanied funnyman Sacha Baron Cohen on the red carpet.

Put together, the acting duo were boisterous in front of the cameras at the Alice Through The Looking Glass premiere, held at Los Angeles' El Capitan Theatre.

Edwards Scissorhands actor Johnny, 52, stars alongside the Borat actor, 44, for the first time in the Alice In Wonderland sequel as Sacha joins the all-star cast in the role of Time.

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Cheeky twosome: Johnny Depp (left) and Sacha Baron Cohen (right) made a cheeky duo at Alice Through The Looking Glass premiere on Monday night in Los Angeles

And Johnny couldn't have looked more delighted to share a joke with his giddy co-star on the red carpet, spending time playfully poking at the actor's paunch and pecs in front of the cameras.

The actors seemed to have forged a close bond during filming and couldn't help their playful exchange outside the El Capitan Theatre.

Speaking to Hello! about the atmosphere on set with 'Mad Hatter' Johnny, Sacha joked: 'I was very depressed.

'Johnny was bullying me, I've had elastic bands thrown at me, he had his security team hound me, pin me down, I was wedgied by a large man...'

See Johnny Depp updates as he and and Sacha Baron Cohen act boisterous at premiere

Wandering hands: Johnny was hands-on with his acting companion in front of the cameras

Forged a bond: The actors seemed to have forged a close bond during filming

Johnny is reprising the role of the Mad Hatter, an altogether more eccentric version of author Lewis Carroll's fictional character.

The actor said at the premiere that he had taken on the 'great challenge' to make the Mad Hatter 'infinitely mad, more confused, more lost'.

Continuing to Reveal, Johnny explained: 'Hatter has gone noticeably further down the road of insanity.

'If you are crazy  or have some sort of mental dilemma  but you're not aware of it, it's great. If you're aware that you're crazy, it'll eat you alive.

Co-stars: In the film, Johnny reprises his role as the Hatter, while Sacha joins the cast as Time

'So this time, there are so many things Hatter has to question. It's taking the Mad Hatter and making him even more mad, more confused, more lost, more paranoid.'

Sacha recently revealed that the on-screen meetings between Time and Hatter were largely based on improvisation, as they would spend large amounts of time alone, working out their dual scenes.

Isla Fischer's husband joins Tim Burton's colourful cast in the second part of the adventure, which also stars Mia Wasikowska as Alice and Helen Bonham Carter as the Red Queen.

Improv: The pair spent time on spent improvising their exchanges to make it funnier, they revealed

Hands-on: Johnny and Sacha will certainly delight fans with their first joint appearance
They've been enjoying something of a European trip as they flit between London and Rome over the past week - but Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were pictured heading back to LA on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old reality star channelled her quirky sense of style in a Vivienne Westwood khaki boiler suit, no doubt bought when she visited the World's End store earlier in the week.

She cinched in her waist with a black belt from the same designer as she opened a number of buttons to reveal her ample cleavage, while her husband Kanye West walked behind her.

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Stunner: Kim Kardashian flashed her cleavage in a quirky boilersuit as she prepared to head to Heathrow airport with Kanye West on Tuesday

Walking tall: She cinched in her waist with a black belt from the same designer as she opened a number of buttons , while her husband Kanye West walked behind her

Kim's raven locks were perfectly styled and she looked every inch the superstar as she hid her eyes behind designer shades for her early morning departure.

Clutching her designer Hermes bag in her hand, she wore the same lace-up ankle boots she has been wearing all week.

Leaving their hotel, both she and Kanye headed back to Heathrow terminal five, where they were no doubt keen to resume family life.

See Kim Kardashian updates as she flashes her ample cleavage in oversized boiler suit

Working the look: Kim's raven locks were perfectly styled and she looked every inch the superstar as she hid her eyes behind designer shades for her early morning departure

Power couple: Leaving their hotel, both she and Kanye headed back to Heathrow terminal five, where they were no doubt keen to resume family life

He was sporting his trademark casual style as he accompanied his wife, wearing a sporty jacket and matching jeans and Yeezy trainers from his own collection.

Later that day, Kim shared a cute picture of herself and her love on Instagram as they celebrated their two year anniversary.

She wrote: 'Happy 2 year anniversary to the love of my life! You make me so happy! I love you so much!!!'

Sassy: Kanye was sporting his trademark casual style as he accompanied his wife, wearing a sporty jacket and matching jeans and Yeezy trainers

Jet-setters: They have been enjoying a European trip together, with a one-day visit to Rome

Busy schedule: No doubt they are looking forward to having some sleep as they were partying at the Vogue 100 gala dinner late into the night on Monday night

No smile? Kanye looked typically straight-faced as he made his way out of the building

Wow thing: Kim looked stunning from every angle as she made her way to a waiting car

No doubt they are looking forward to having some sleep as they were partying at the Vogue 100 gala dinner late into the night on Monday night.

Kim looked incredible in a green embellished dress at the star-studded event, while Kanye was suited and booted.

While on the red carpet at the event, Kim defended her right to post naked selfies.

She said: 'For me, it wasn't even about flaunting it. I felt good about myself so let ME do what I feel comfortable with. If you are conservative and if you're not comfortable with that, that's amazing, too.'

Not so cover up girl: Kim ensured she was the main talking piece as she mixed with the fashion pack at the Vogue 100 Gala Dinner in London the night before

Supercouple: The stunning reality TV queen, 35, turned heads as she sauntered into the A-list event alongside husband Kanye West
She was the ultimate show-stopper during her turn in Cannes last week.

Yet Bella Hadid has left behind the barely-there ball gowns to get back to her gothic self after returning to home soil, as she headed to Hollywood's The Nice Guy on Monday night.

The 19-year-old supermodel looked typically incredible in a racy pair of leather trousers with a skimpy vest top while layering over a cutting edgy shearling denim jacket.

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Rock on: Bella Hadid has left behind the barely-there ball gowns to get back to her gothic self after returning to home soil, as she headed to Hollywood's The Nice Guy on Monday night

Bella stormed many a red carpet during The 69th Annual Cannes Film Festival, turning out in flawless and extremely raunchy looks at every turn.

Yet true to her typically edgy style, the Los Angeles-born beauty was back in her trademark threads, most notably rocky leather trousers which accentuated her endless legs.

Keeping things simple on the top, the brunette beauty appeared to forego a bra while rocking her spaghetti strap crop top tucked into her trews.

The only splash of colour in the leather look came in the form of her light wash denim jacket, with a shearling lining, which tumbled purposefully off her shoulders.

Hell for leather: The 19-year-old supermodel looked typically incredible in a racy pair of leather trousers with a skimpy vest top while layering over a cutting edgy shearling denim jacket

Racy as anything: Bella stormed many a red carpet during The 69th Annual Cannes Film Festival, turning out in flawless and extremely raunchy looks at every turn

Legs for days: Yet true to her typically edgy style, the Los Angeles-born beauty was back in her trademark threads, most notably rocky leather trousers which accentuated her endless legs

Denim: The only splash of colour in the leather look came in the form of her light wash denim jacket, with a shearling lining, which tumbled purposefully off her shoulders

Sizzling: Bella shared a stunning image on her Instagram from her night on the town

Proving her truly unconventional approach to fashion, Bella opted to forego jewellery, instead draping a ribbon loosely around her neck.

Adding height to her already statuesque frame were a pair of black lace-up boots with a peep-toe detail and a teetering heel by Schutz- matched perfectly with her leather bowling bag.

Her brunette tresses looked as glossy as ever as they cascaded from a centre parting while flowing into natural waves falling loosely over her shoulders.

Bella's make-up was minimal yet flawless, while she shunned the fake tan look favoured by many, instead showing off her stunning alabaster complexion.

Tying things up: Proving her truly unconventional approach to fashion, Bella opted to forego jewellery, instead draping a ribbon loosely around her neck

Stunner: Bella's make-up was minimal yet flawless, while she shunned the fake tan look favoured by many, instead showing off her stunning alabaster complexion

Signing things away... Bella gave a scrawled autograph to a vying admirer

Having a laugh: Known for her brooding pout and meaningful glares, a world away from her sister Gigi's California girl good looks, the starlet was unusually chipper during her night on the town

Known for her brooding pout and meaningful glares, a world away from her sister Gigi's California girl good looks, the starlet was unusually chipper during her night on the town.

During Cannes, Bella arrived in a host of phenomenal gowns - none more so than her Alexandre Vauthier silk wrap gown which showed off every inch of her frame.

The red dress hit headlines globally when she arrived at the Unknown Girl premiere looking phenomenal due to the slashed split along the entire length of her leg.

Atop the leg exposure, the dress was backless and featured a plunging top - meaning she was forced to forego underwear beneath, instead relying on a built-in bodysuit.

Saucy: During Cannes, Bella arrived in a host of phenomenal gowns - none more so than her Alexandre Vauthier silk wrap gown which showed off every inch of her frame

Lady in red: Atop the leg exposure, the dress was backless and featured a plunging top - meaning she was forced to forego underwear beneath, instead relying on a built-in bodysuit

Greeting the fans: Bella scrawled a signature as she stepped out of a car and onto the streets




She's in the middle of a busy promotional tour for her new movie Ma Ma.

Despite her frantic schedule, Penelope Cruz isn't letting her sartorial side slip as she stepped out in another elegant ensemble on Monday night.

Following a Q&A session earlier that evening, the Oscar winner changed from a black lace dress to a pristine white trousersuit.

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Suits you senora! Penelope Cruz looked smart in a white trousersuit by Burberry as she arrived at a promotional event in New York on Monday night

The mother-of-two showed off a hint of cleavage in a low-cut black top under her white blazer as she arrived at another promotional event in Manhattan.

It was a long day for Penelope, who was up bright and early to appear on Good Morning America.

She arrived in New York this week after attending Eva Longoria's wedding to third husband Jose Antonio Baston in Mexico over the weekend.

Looking good: The mother-of-two showed off a hint of cleavage in a low-cut black top under her white blazer

On the promo trail: The Spanish actress is currently promoting her new movie Ma Ma, which sees her play a breast cancer sufferer

The actress has remained good friends with the former Desperate Housewives star, who famously dated her younger brother Eduardo Cruz in 2011-2013.

Penelope is currently promoting her movie Ma Ma, which came out in her native Spain last year but is now preparing for a US release.

The movie, directed by Julio Medem, stars Penelope as a woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer.

In demand: Penelope arrived in New York on Sunday after attending her friend Eva Longoria's wedding in Mexico over the weekend

Ageing gracefully: The Oscar winner has avoided plastic surgery unlike many of her fellow fortysomething Hollywood contemporaries

Speaking during the TimesTalks event at Florence Gould Hall on Monday, Penelope admitted it was a challenging role for her.

She said: 'It's so emotional for me.

'The strength and the light of this character, she's such an amazing fighter and she has the most interesting and peculiar reactions, you know?

'Even the moment when she gets the news that she has cancer. She asks the doctor if she can still go to the hair appointment because it's a little bit conflicting with the time of the checkup at the end of the day.'
She's a busy mum of two who splits her time between America and London.

But that didn't stop Lauren Silverman from turning heads in a chic outfit as she headed to an appointment in New York on Tuesday.

Simon Cowell's 38-year-old girlfriend beamed as she arrived at a beauty clinic,opting to go bra-free under her blue blouse which she teamed with flared jeans.

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Say cheese! Lauren Silverman looked chic in flared jeans as she ran errands in new York on Tuesday

Keeping it casual, Lauren wore flared jeans and tan block heels, flashing photographers a huge grin as she left her chauffeur-driven car.

Accessorising with aviator shades, a beige bag and simple gold jewellery, the music mogul's other half looked fresh-faced as she arrived for a pampering session.

Lauren, Simon and their two-year-old son Eric split their time between LA and London, often frequenting New York- home of Lauren's nine-year-old son Adam from her previous marriage.

Simon, 56, is currently busy in London filming Britain's Got Talent.

The father-of-one is on the judging panel alongside David Walliams, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.

Nipping out: Lauren opted to go bra-free under her summery shirt as she headed to a beauty appointment

Life of a yummy mummy: She accessorised with aviator shades, a beige bag and simple gold jewellery

The TV mogul was left a little red-faced this week, after fellow judge Amanda suggest he propose to long term girlfriend Lauren.

Following Spartans Resurrection's performance, Amanda, 45, confessed: 'I felt like there should have been a bigger ending.'

Simon replied: 'What? Bigger than a proposal?'

Amanda hit back: 'Something even bigger than a proposal, Simon. Which would be good for someone like you to do, but maybe not You asked for that - that's for Lauren!'

But, Simon instead asked the comedian David Walliams, joking: 'Fine. Will you marry me? It's like a living nightmare.'
She's never backwards in coming forwards and Katie Price threw out another controversial comment on Loose Women on Tuesday when she criticised Victoria Beckham's appearance.

During a segment on the power of smiling, Gloria Hunniford, 76, said she didn't like the way the former Spice Girl, 42, fails to smile when she is photographed.

'That's because she has horrible teeth,' Katie, 38, said as quick as a flash. 'I'm sorry but she does.'

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Don't hold back! Katie Price shocked on Loose Women on Tuesday when she criticised Victoria Beckham's appearance during a discussion about why she rarely smiles

Wow! 'It's because she has horrible teeth,' Katie said about her nemesis quick as a flash. 'I'm sorry but she does'

Katie said that she doesn't personally like to smile as she had an accident when she was younger that affected her own appearance.

She said: 'I hate smiling. When I was younger, I broke my teeth on my brother's skateboard. I like them now but that's because I paid enough for them.

'Anyway, when you're a glamour model, you don't really smile anyway, you just pout.'

Katie famously took a dislike to Victoria in the early Noughties after she released a song with her ex Dane Bowers called Out Of Your Mind.

She said: 'I hate smiling. When I was younger, I broke my teeth on my brother's skateboard. I like them now but that's because I paid enough for them'

The glamour model famously alleged Victoria and her friend Nicola Smith sang Who Let The Dogs Out? when she entered the Manchester United players' lounge at Old Trafford in 2001.

Katie said in a 2004 interview: 'How immature, low and sad.

'I think she dresses well. I think she looks immaculate. But I don't think she's good looking, I don't think she's pretty. She's average.'

Awkward: Katie famously took a dislike to Victoria in the early Noughties after she released a song with her ex Dane Bowers called Out Of Your Mind

She said: 'He worked with Victoria Beckham, and I thought something was going on. Is he obsessed with her? It ended up being her friend. And I was right, my paranoia was right. I was so heartbroken'

Selfie time: Katie then taught the rest of the panel, including Gloria Hunniford, Coleen Nolan and Nadia Sawalha how to do a series of celebrity poses on Instagram, including Keira Knightley's fish-gape

She previously said: 'Even when I was younger, stupidly enough, I wanted my ex Dane Bowers back and I did an overdose.

'It's so stupid, it didnt get him back. You know you do these things for attention.

'He worked with Victoria Beckham, and I thought something was going on. Is he obsessed with her? It ended up being her friend. And I was right, my paranoia was right. I was so heartbroken.'

No teeth here: Katie showed off her perfected pout as she posed for pictures outside the studio

Lovely: She looked summery in a boho style kaftan worn with sky high cream leather boots

Wow thing: Her thigh-highs laced-up all the way to the top as she flashed a coral coloured manicure

Katie then taught the rest of the panel, including Gloria Hunniford, Coleen Nolan and Nadia Sawalha how to do a series of celebrity poses on Instagram, including Keira Knightley's fish-gape.

She also talked about her new puppy, who her husband Kieran Hayler bought for her as a birthday present, after the pooch came on the show on Monday.

'We'd been looking for a puppy anyway, I had to ask Kieran first, I didn't just say yes. We've called her Queenie, because I am Queen and I have a lot of gay friends.'

Grubs up! Katie was pictured tucking into a jacket potato in her car after the show ended

Katie then showed a video of herself surprising two of her children, Junior and Princess with the puppy when she got home.

Junior said: 'He is so cute.'

Princess added: 'He is my new best friend.'

Katie added: 'I'm going to bring him in again to meet you all. He can be like the Blue Peter dog.'
She was no doubt dealt a blow by her ex-boyfriend Louis Smith's candid words about their split.

Yet Lucy Mecklenburgh was a picture of composure as she beamed while attending the Liz Earle CarnivEarle breakfast bash in London on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old former TOWIE star looked sensational in a Seventies-inspired look as she beamed from ear-to-ear despite the Olympian gymnast, 27, discussing his decision to end their romance.

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Beaming: Lucy Mecklenburgh was a picture of composure as she beamed while attending the Liz Earle CarnivEarle breakfast bash in London on Tuesday

Lucy, who soared to fame in the ITVBe show in 2010, yet again proved herself to be a sartorial sensation as she went for outright retro glamour.

An A-line denim midi-skirt with a button-through detail perfectly highlighted her slender frame, honed to perfection by hours in the gym, thanks to her fitness guru status.

She slipped on a skin-tight white vest top underneath her suede tan biker jacket, which gave the look a multi-faceted number of textures and materials.

The pretty starlet then coordinated her suede lace-up heels with her tan jacket, adding just a slight boost to her statuesque frame.

Onwards and upwards: The 24-year-old former TOWIE star looked sensational in a Seventies-inspired look as she beamed from ear-to-ear despite the Olympian gymnast, 27, discussing his decision to end their romance

Glamour sensation: Lucy, who soared to fame in the ITVBe show in 2010, yet again proved herself to be a sartorial sensation as she went for outright retro glamour

Tan-tilising ensemble: She slipped on a skin-tight white vest top underneath her suede tan biker jacket, which gave the look a multi-faceted number of textures and materials

Lucy wore her tresses in her favoured loose waves, shoulder tickling in length with lighter hues worked through the tips for a volume enhancing depth of colour.

Her make-up was typically flawless - made all the better by her beaming smile - seemingly proof she was putting Louis' strong words behind her.

Other stars at the glitzy bash included floral stylist Willow Crossley and TV presenter Laura Jackson.

Shortly before her glamorous trip, Louis finally broke his silence on the reason behind his surprising split from Lucy.

Brunette beauty: Lucy wore her tresses in her favoured loose waves, shoulder tickling in length with lighter hues worked through the tips for a volume enhancing depth of colour

Brave face: Shortly before her glamorous trip, Louis finally broke his silence on the reason behind his surprising split from Lucy

Chic: Her make-up was typically flawless - made all the better by her beaming smile - seemingly proof she was putting Louis' strong words behind her

After 14 months as a couple, Louis ended things in February and is now insisting he didn't want the fitness entrepreneur to become too 'attached' to him.

The Olympic gymnast, 27, explained: 'I wanted to make the decision to end it sooner rather than later.'

In an interview with this week's edition of OK! magazine, he went on to say: 'I could have stayed with Lucy but the longer I left it, the more attached she would feel and the more damage it would have done in the future.

Look at her go... Lucy remained totally composed despite the no doubt painful words of her ex-beau

What could have been: Louis opened up to this week's edition of OK! magazine about this split to TOWIE's Lucy, insisting he didn't want the fitness entrepreneur to become too 'attached' to him

It was hard, but if its not right, its not right and I wanted to make the decision to end it sooner rather than later.'

While the relationship didn't turn out the way Lucy wanted to, Louis has made an effort to still be on good terms with the former reality star.

He explained: We still talk. Time definitely heals all wounds so we chat now and again. Id say were borderline friends, which is nice and what I always wanted.'

'Id say were borderline friends': The Olympic gymnast has made an effort to stay on the best of terms with the former reality star

The athlete confirmed the relationship demise on Twitter and was even said to have celebrated his newly-single status by penning a post to his Official Facebook page that read: 'Damn it feels good to be single. Far too busy to really feel how good it feel but I'm not complaining. Ha.'

He is however, still up for dating and even signed up on the on-line dating app Tinder a mere month after the split.

Although, his recent quest to find romance has seemingly attracted the wrong women, as he said: You can spot people who want to know you for the perks and those who genuinely want to get to know you.'

While he isn't looking for anything serious just yet, he does hope on settling down in the future, saying: 'Im happy focusing on my gym now but Id love to settle down one day.

In happier times: Louis and Lucy - pictured at an event at Ronnie Scott's in London in June 2015 - called time on their romance in February after 14 months together

'When I get married, I only want to do it once and want to spend the rest of my life with that woman. I cant wait to have kids and be the father that my dad was to me.'

Lucy and Louis are said to have called time on their long-distance romance just weeks after a romantic break in Thailand over the athlete's reluctance to get married and start a family.

While the couple spoke openly about their future plans, Lucy reportedly felt as though the sportsman had 'really led her on' in leading her to believe he was ready to settle down.

A source told The Sun at the time: 'Lucy wanted things that Louis just wasnt ready to commit to. In the end Lucy wasnt prepared to wait.

'Let down': At the time of the couple's split, it was claimed Lucy felt 'really led on' by Louis' reluctance to settle down and start a family

Louis' full interview about the Lucy split will be in OK! magazine on newsstands Tuesday

'Louis really had led Lucy on in that theyd discussed marriage and kids at length  it came like a bolt out of the blue and doesnt really make any sense to her.'

The pair first met in August 2014 on gymnastics-based BBC reality show Tumble, which Louis judged and Lucy competed in.

Before long, their friendship turned to romance and they went public as a couple in December 2014.

The career-orientated pair first sparked rumours their relationship was on the rocks when Lucy began building her own home in Essex.

Asked if they've spoken about moving in together, Lucy told Star magazine: 'Not right now. He built his house in Peterborough and I've nearly finished building mine in Essex.

'It wouldn't work at the minute. It's important to have your own space and not to plan things around someone else. We live our own lives and see each other when we're both free.'

Lucy has been rather unlucky in love so far, dating TOWIE lotharios Mark Wright - who is now married to actress Michelle Keegan - and Mario Falcone, the latter of which she had an ill-fated engagement to.

The fitness entrepreneur was also linked to Katherine Jenkins' ex Gethin Jones.

Read the full interview in OK! magazine hitting newsstands on Tuesday
She's temporarily relocated to London for the summer so her estranged husband Ben Affleck can spend time with their children.

And it certainly looks like a change of scene is doing Jennifer Garner the world of good as she headed out of their rented home on Monday.

The actress, 44, looked glowing as she stepped out looking fresh-faced while dropping off some luggage at the house she is staying at in the British capital.

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Natural beauty: Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner looks fresh-faced as she leaves her rented London home on Monday

The mother-of-three showed off her trim figure in skinny jeans and a navy and cream sweater as she dumped some luggage inside before getting back into the car with her driver.

Jennifer flew into the UK at the beginning of May with her three children Violet, 10; Seraphina, seven; and Samuel, four; so they can spend time with Ben while he is filming his new movie.

Ben, 43, will spend the next few months in London while shooting Justice League: Part One, which he is producing as well as playing Batman/Bruce Wayne.

Last week, the family were spotted shopping in the West London suburb of Notting Hill and stopping for lunch at local cafe Granger and Co.

Glowing: It certainly looks like a change of scene is doing the actress the world of good

Slim: The mother-of-three showed off her trim figure in skinny jeans and a navy and cream sweater

An onlooker told People.com: 'Ben and Jen were pretty quiet and just browsed the shelves for 20 minutes with the kids.'

Three weeks ago, the exes enjoyed a family break in Paris after getting the Eurostar cross Channel train from St Pancras to Gare du Nord.

Earlier this month, they were spotted visiting the Harry Potter studio tour at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire.

Ben and Jennifer shocked fans when they revealed they were separating in June 2015 after 10 years of marriage, but have continued to spend lots of time together as a family for the sake of their children.

Change of scene: Jennifer has temporarily relocated to London for the summer so her estranged husband Ben Affleck can spend time with their children

Exploring Europe: Jennifer has been sight-seeing in London with her children and enjoyed a mini break in Paris earlier this month

In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine in February, Jennifer spoke openly about their split: 'I didn't marry the big fat movie star; I married him. And I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again. You can't have these three babies and so much of what we had. He's the love of my life.

'He's the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous. He's just a complicated guy. I always say, "When his sun shines on you, you feel it." But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it's cold. He can cast quite a shadow.'

However, she denied widespread reports of Ben's alleged affair with their children's nanny Christine Ouzounian: 'We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny.

'She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation. Bad judgment? Yes.'

Helping hand: Jennifer's driver helped the actress with a suitcase which they dropped off at the house with a nanny
She showed off her new nose in an Instagram post earlier this month and now that the swelling has gone down, Chloe Ferry looks worlds apart from her former self.

The 20-year-old was pictured arriving at Newcastle train station on Tuesday, where she was pictured with co-stars Charlotte Crosby, Scotty T and Kyle Christie.

The group are heading to London for promotional duties, but all eyes were on Chloe who has been more than open about her changing looks.

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All change: She showed off her new nose in an Instagram post earlier this month and now that the swelling has gone down, Chloe Ferry looks worlds apart from her former self

Leggy lady: The 20-year-old was pictured arriving at Newcastle train station on Tuesday, where she was pictured with co-stars Charlotte Crosby, Scotty T and Kyle Christie

She pulled out all the stops, wearing a super short baby pink mini dress teamed with a leather biker jacket and ankle boots.

Her raven locks flowed down past her shoulders as she wheeled a suitcase behind her.

Revealing a first picture of her nose following the procedure, she wrote: 'So this is my side profile with my new nose still a bit of bruising but nearly gone only been a week since my nose (sic)'

Bruised: Chloe Ferry revealed the swelling she suffered for her new nose on Wednesday, just one day after revealing the results

Two's company: She walked alongside Kyle Christie on Tuesday as they prepared to board the train from Newcastle to London

All glammed up: Chloe later changed into a glamorous, nude-coloured bodycon dress

Flaunting her new face: The party-mad reality star seemed pretty pleased with her brand new look

Like many of her Geordie Shore co-stars, Chloe now looks remarkably different from the girl who was first cast on the MTV series in April 2015 as she makes a bid to change her appearance before her 21st birthday.

She followed Charlotte Crosby in going under the knife, as her 25-year-old co-star blew 4,000 on a 'miracle' nose job in February.

Despite a ribbing from Charlotte, Chloe said she had 'no regrets' about going under the knife when she explained her decision in an interview with heat magazine this week.

Here come the girls! The Geordie Shore girls posed up a storm as they prepared for the cast's five year anniversary party

Legs for days: Charlotte Crosby gave Chloe a run for her money in a flirty, thigh-skimming playsuit

Centre of attention: All eyes were on Charlotte as she strutted her stuff outside MTV HQ

Gang past and present: A few familiar faces returned for the bash, including James Tindale (far left) and Jay Gardner (second from right)

Gal pals: Charlotte and Holly Hagan shared a giggle for the cameras as they made their grand arrival

She told the magazine: 'I'm a bit addicted to surgery and I don't think I'm going to stop.'

Asked what would make her stop, Chloe replied: 'When I look in the mirror and feel good. I'm only making myself look better.'

Chloe has had lip fillers, eyebrow-lift injections, veneers and Botox and while no-one has ever commented specifically on her nose, she admits she was self-conscious about the 'bump' on it.

Meanwhile, Charlotte also put on a leggy display at the train station, wearing a very short high-waisted black mini which had a white pattern running throughout.

Looking good: Holly displayed her pert posterior in a pair of figure-hugging, taupe trousers

Making her mark: Newcomer Chantelle Connolly sported a bodycon, strapless jumpsuit

Lads, lads, lads: The Geordie Shore boys past and present ensured they were the centre of attention

Comeback queen: Sophie was in her element as she celebrated her return to the show

She also went braless as she teamed with a form-fitting khaki keyhole top.

Carrying a large leather overnight bag on her arm, she topped off her look with a sensible pair of black Birkenstock sandals.

She tweeted: 'A lot of love and reminiscing on this train 5 F***ING YEARS.......1 family, 1 Bond  @MTVUK see you's bloody soon.'

Pin-credible: Meanwhile, Charlotte also put on a leggy display at the train station, wearing a very short high-waisted black mini which had a white pattern running throughout
Brian Cox has been seen for the first time shooting scenes for a major new movie about British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The Scottish actor was seen shooting scenes in Edinburgh on Tuesday in full costume, joined by Mad Men star John Slattery, who is playing US Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Puffing away on a cigar and with Churchill's signature Homburg hat on his head, the 69-year-old actor looked the spitting image of the World War 2 leader.

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Talented cast: Brian Cox (right) has been cast as Winston Churchill in an upcoming film about the D-Day landings while US actor John Slattery (left), best known for his role in Mad Men, was also seen on set in Edinburgh in character as General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Strong likeness: Brian (left) was channelling the former Prime Minister Winston Churchill (right) in his trademark hat and bow tie as filming began on Tuesday

Brian and John were seen shooting in the Scottish city for the film titled Churchill, which is set in the 48 hours leading up to the D-Day landings in June 1944.

Eisenhower served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II and would go on to serve as 34th President of the US from 1953 until 1961.

Stanley Tucci had previously been lined up for the role but was unable to commit due to scheduling conflicts.

Plum role: Brian was seen for the first time shooting scenes for a major new movie about British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Iconic: Dressed in a black overcoat layered over a grey pinstripe suit and bow tie, the Royal Shakespeare Company veteran looked uncannily like Churchill

The pair appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion, seemingly disagreeing about how to proceed with the operation.

Churchill was involved in a security row with Eisenhower in the hours before D-Day, according to a secret document released for the first time in 2002.

The British leader blocked the United States' attempts to extend a diplomatic black-out beyond the day of the 157,000-strong invasion of the Nazi-held French coast.

Taking a break: Mad Men star John Slattery, who has also appeared in Sex And The City and Desperate Housewives, was seen checking his messages

Important role: The suited and booted actor plays US Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the film. Churchill blocked the United States' attempts to extend a diplomatic black-out beyond the day of the 157,000-strong invasion of the Nazi-held French coast

Clash: Churchill was involved in a security row with Eisenhower in the hours before D-Day, according to a secret document released for the first time in 2002

Difference of opinion: The British leader blocked the United States' attempts to extend a diplomatic black-out beyond the day of the 157,000-strong invasion of the Nazi-held French coast

However, Eisenhower wanted to avoid British and American diplomatic activity to prevent the D-Day plans leaking out.

Brian was surrounded by a large crew as shots were set up in a city park, while further scenes were filmed at the National Monument.

Dressed in a black overcoat layered over a grey pinstripe suit and bow tie, the Royal Shakespeare Company veteran looked uncannily like Churchill.

Leading man: Puffing away on a cigar and with Churchill's signature Homburg hat on his head, the 69-year-old actor looked the spitting image of the World War 2 leader

Historical drama: Brian takes centre stage as the film focuses on the Prime Minister's 48 hours leading up to the allied invasion of Normandy in 1944

Major new movie: Brian was seen shooting in the Scottish city for the film titled Churchill, which is set in the 48 hours leading up to the D-Day landings in June 1944

Action! Jonathan Teplitzky, who has worked on TV hits like the recent Marcella and Indian Summers, will direct the new film, while author and historian Alex von Tunzelmann has written her debut screenplay

History: As well as Churchill's personal relationships, the film will focus on the huge D-Day operation, which saw Allied forces launch a combined naval, air and land assault on Nazi-occupied France

Brian takes centre stage though, as the film focuses on the Prime Minister's 48 hours leading up to the allied invasion of Normandy in 1944.

It's thought the movie will focus heavily on Churchill's relationship during this short period with his wife Clementine, played by Miranda Richardson.

British model turned actress Suki Waterhouse has also joined the cast, alongside James Purefoy who will play King George VI.

Key moment in his leadership: While the operation contributed to the Allied victory on the Western Front, on the eve of the launch Churchill and his commanders were anxious

In character: Brian was seen puffing on a cigar as he waited for shots to be set up near Edinburgh's National Monument

Dapper: The stage and screen star has called the part 'the role of a lifetime'

THE D-DAY LANDINGS: Shortly after midnight on 6 June 1944, Allied forces launched a combined naval, air and land assault on Nazi-occupied France. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on D-Day, marking the the largest seaborne invasion in history. The 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beach. The operation contributed to the Allied victory on the Western Front. German casualties on D-Day were around 1,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. Advertisement

Jonathan Teplitzky, who has worked on TV hits like the recent Marcella and Indian Summers, will direct the new film, while author and historian Alex von Tunzelmann has written her debut screenplay.

'I'm looking forward to bringing this iconic but complex figure to life,' says Cox of the project.

'It's the role of a lifetime for me and I'm so pleased to be taking this journey with both Jonathan and our great cast.'

As well as Churchill's personal relationships, the film will focus on the planning for the huge D-Day operation, which saw Allied forces launch a combined naval, air and land assault on Nazi-occupied France.

While the operation contributed to the Allied victory on the Western Front, on the eve of the launch Churchill and his commanders were anxious, leading to the PM to bid his wife goodnight with the words, 'Do you realise that by the time you wake up in the morning twenty thousand men may have been killed?'

What a setting: Brian was surrounded by a large crew as shots were set up in a city park, while further scenes were filmed at the National Monument

Historically accurate: The film, which also stars Angela Costello, pays great attention to detail and costumes will be true to the war era

Shortly after midnight on 6 June, over 18,000 Allied paratroopers were dropped into the invasion area, Allied air forces flew over 14,000 sorties in support of the landings and nearly 7,000 naval vessels were launched.

Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on D-Day, marking the the largest seaborne invasion in history.

German casualties on D-Day were around 1,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead.

Stocking up on supplies: Brian was seen trying out different types of cigars with the help of a crew member

Nice view: A vintage car was parked up overlooking the city as Brian discussed the scene

Personal story: It's thought the movie will focus heavily on Churchill's relationship with his wife Clementine, played by Miranda Richardson

Leading lady: Harry Potter star Miranda Richardson, 58, is playing the politician's wife
Since winning My Kitchen Rules last month, champions Tasia and Gracia have been keeping a relatively low-profile.

But on Tuesday night, the Spice sisters joined forces with fellow MKR competitors Eve and Jason at the Eat Street event, which was held at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.

Posing up a storm upon their arrival, the famous siblings appeared to be in great and content spirits as they worked their magic in front of the camera lens.

Culinary stars! MKR champions Tasia and Gracia headed to the Eat Street event, which was held at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, on Tuesday evening

Tasia, 26, cut a stylish figure in a chic all-black ensemble, while 24-year-old Gracia opted for a tailored off-white coat with navy pants and a dark blouse.

Once inside the event, the MKR winners mingled with the likes of Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic, RHOM star Janet Roach and Miss World Victoria Alex Hecker.

Its been nearly a month since Tasia and Gracia were announced as the winners of Seven's hit cooking series.

Fancy that: The Spice sisters were joined by fellow MKR competitors Eve and Jason on the night

Looking sharp! Tasia, 26, cut a stylish figure in a chic all-black ensemble, while 24-year-old Gracia opted for a tailored off-white coat with navy pants and a dark blouse

During the high-pressure finale, the culinary queens took home the $250,000 cash prize after receiving a score of 57 out of 60 from the judges following their face off against Italian couple, Lauren and Carmine.

With their efforts praised by the judges, Colin Fassnidge labelled Tasia and Gracia's third course dish of spicy king prawns 'perfectly cooked'.

'The sauce out shone the prawns. Guys, you don't need $250,000 - you open a sauce factory, and you'll be loaded', the tough-to-impress Irish judge told them.

Star pals: They cosied up with Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic ahead of the event

For the chance to be crowned victors, the two teams had to create a five-course menu for 100 guests at a packed restaurant.

Lauren and Carmine chose an Italian theme, while the sister duo opted for their signature spice Asian palate.

Elsewhere, the Melbourne-based siblings recently confirmed they will soon be releasing a bottled peanut satay sauce, which will be the first of a number of projects from the girls.

'[We're] just waiting for the right time and the website and everything, so finalising the logo and everything else,' they said on Sunrise.

Champions! Its been nearly a month since Tasia and Gracia were announced as the winners of Seven's hit cooking series
Teresa Giudice has an emotional reunion with her family in the dramatic new trailer for Real Housewives of New Jersey.

The reality star, 44, is seen hugging her daughters as she arrives home after serving 11 months in prison for fraud, before tearfully saying goodbye to husband Joe Giudice as he begins his 41-month sentence in the new look at the Bravo hit's seventh season.

The trailer also introduces new cast members Dolores Catania and Siggy Flicker, and includes plenty of tearful confrontations and public screaming matches.

Back home: Teresa Giudice's emotional homecoming after her time in prison is captured in the new trailer for Real Housewives of New Jersey

Teresa looks thrilled as she is welcomed home by her husband and their girls Gia, 15, Gabriella, 11, Milania 10 and Audriana, 6, after her release from Danbury Correctional Center in December.

The trailer also shows the return of Melissa and Joe Gorga and cast member Jacqueline Laurita.

'Here's to my sister, she spent a year, tough times,' Joe Gorga says in a toast to Teresa as the family gathers to welcome her home.

Reunited: Teresa gets a kiss from husband Joe Giudice as she returns home after spending 11 months behind bars for fraud

Emotional: Teresa's daughters are overwhelmed to see their mom again

Salud: Teresa's brother Joe Gorga toasts her homecoming after 'tough times'

Looking ahead: The 44-year-old vows to put her past behind her

'I was dreaming about this moment for the past 11-and-half months,' Teresa says.

'I'm going to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.'

'Just going to leave the past in the past and look toward a brighter future,' she vows.

The trailer also shows the introduction of new cast member Siggy, who announces: 'My name is Siggy, I have issues.'

New cast member: Siggy Flicker joins RNONJ this season

Pals: Teresa says she and new cast mate Delores Catania ''are cut from the same cloth'

And of new cast mate Delores, Teresa explains they are 'cut from the same cloth.'

'We're true Italians, we'll stick with you til the end,' she says.

But after her happy homecoming, the drama quickly escalates, and Teresa is seen saying she wants to 'cut the cancer out' and later refers to someone as 'an evil person, like Osama Bin Laden.'

Later, she complains: 'She's dead to me, I wanted to give her the kiss of death today.'

The trailer also shows Teresa in a candid discussion with her brother Joe Gorga about her marriage.

Trouble: The new trailer includes plenty of drama between the women, including Teresa saying she wanted to give someone 'the kiss of death' and comparing another person to Osama Bin Laden

Conflict: Tensions boil over in a heated confrontation

'Are you bitter at Joe? Because I know you didn't do anything,' he asks.

And as the family worries about how Joe's incarceration will impact Teresa and their daughters, Melissa Gorga tells the sobbing reality star: 'You'll get through it... you're so strong.'

As the Giudices have a heart-to-heart, Joe tells his worried wife they 'can't change what it is, all we can do is get through it.'

Struggling: Teresa wipes away tears as she discusses her husbands upcoming incarceration with Melissa Gorga

Accepting his fate: 'All we can do is get through it,' Joe tells his wife during a heart-to-heart

Supportive: The couple hold hands as the family bids farewell to Joe as he begins his prison sentence

The family are then seen saying goodbye to Joe as he departs for prison, where he is currently serving a 41-month sentence for bankruptcy fraud.

The toll on their daughters is also seen in a heartbreaking scene as the girls cry and pray for their dad to come home soon.

Teresa is seen in bed with her daughters as they pray; 'Please God, can you make Daddy come home quick because I really miss him and I love him so much.'

Tough: Teresa listens in as her daughters pray that their dad will come home soon
He was previously stopped by border control for smuggling apple pies home for Blake Lively.

But now, Ryan Reynolds has been accused of breaking a 'golden' Cannes Film Festival rule, just so that he could share the red carpet with his stunning wife.

Dubbing her first solo experience at the annual French Riviera festival 'incredibly intimidating,' Blake told Vogue magazine that Ryan made it 'so special,' when he walked with her in 2014.

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Out of her comfort zone: Blake Lively has admitted that walking the Cannes Film Festival red carpet is still out of her comfort zone

She gushed: 'I've been there with my husband two years ago, which was so special. He actually broke a Cannes rule, and snuck away from the rest of his cast and came back and picked me up so we got to walk the red carpet together.

'To be there at Cannes with him, thinking: "Wow he has a film at the Cannes Film Festival - what a big deal" was so special.'

Blake and Ryan, who have a daughter called James together, shared the red carpet in May 2014 when he premiered his thriller The Captive.

Not so solo: Telling Vogue that it is 'incredibly intimidating,' the actress said that her husband Ryan Reynolds (pictured here in May 2014) once broke a rule in order to walk the red carpet with her

Naughty, naughty: Blake and Ryan, who have a daughter called James together, shared the red carpet in May 2014 when he premiered his thriller The Captive

But Blake came 'full circle' this year when she attended with not just one but two of her own movie releases, The Shallows and Cafe Society.

For the premiere of the latter, Blake shared the red carpet with Hollywood royalty in co-stars Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg and the film's director Woody Allen.

Previously, Blake was forced to fly solo as a L'Oreal brand ambassador, an experience that sees the whole red carpet shut down in a completely 'unique' and 'incredibly intimidating' cinematic moment.

This year, Blake enjoyed one of the most memorable sartorial reigns in recent years - all while several months pregnant with Ryan's second child.

Red carpet reign: In 2016, the actress has enjoyed one of the most memorable red carpet reigns in recent years, thanks to having two movies out in one go

Though after three film premieres, two photocalls and duties in front of the lens both day and night, Blake confessed that it's still out of her comfort zone.

'It's really like a performance,' she said of the Cannes red carpet. 'Because it's not real life. It's so not my comfort zone having all these people taking my picture and me trying to make that beautiful J-Lo face.'

Proving just how down-to-earth she is, the stunner once forced her husband to risk a $10,000 fine in order to bring home apple pie.

Making the candid confession on The Graham Norton Show, comedy actor Ryan confessed in January: 'My wife is a foodie and loves these apple pies they make in Vancouver where I grew up.

Maternity style: Even with a baby bump, the blonde lovely sartorially on point at every event

'So we grabbed a bunch of them and we were heading back down to the States and across the border.'

The Deadpool star continued: 'The guard knew something was going on as I've the worst poker face ever and he had me on a hook.'

He said, "You remember you did that movie Just Friends and at the end you sang I Swear?" I said, "Yes," and he said, "Go ahead."

'He was saying dance monkey and I danced! I sang that thing in the best falsetto I had and I was on my way through the border eating pie by the next stop.'

Sharing her moment: At the photocall for Cafe Soceity, in which she stars, the actress shared her moment with the likes of Woody Allen (centre) and Kristen Stewart (right)




She set tongues wagging during her recent trip to Cannes.

Yet Chloe Sims has hit out at gossips who questioned her relationship with millionaire tycoon Robert Tchenguiz, who hosted her trip, as she insists they are just friends.

The 33-year-old TOWIE star spoke to Closer magazine about the trip, where she was frequently spied cosying up to the British entrepreneur, 55, in a host of cosy trips to various bashes.

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Just friends? Chloe Sims has hit out at gossips who questioned her relationship with millionaire tycoon Robert Tchenguiz, who hosted her trip, as she insists they are just friends

Chloe dazzled at The 69th Cannes Film Festival where she stepped out to a host of wildly glamorous parties, while rubbing shoulders with the height of the A-list.

While she appeared on Robert's arm for much of the jaunt, she insists the trip was totally platonic - reiterating the pair are good pals.

She told the publication: 'My friend Robert invited me out because he goes every year. I'd love to back , but I'm still struggling with a hangover... I was out till the early hours each morning.

'I had the time of my life. It was so glamorous and I partied loads! I met Leonardo DiCaprio and I was so star-struck... He was really friendly and polite.'

Yes she Cannes! The 33-year-old TOWIE star spoke to Closer magazine about the trip, where she was frequently spied cosying up to the British entrepreneur, 55, in a host of cosy trips to various bashes

A dazzling affair: Chloe dazzled at The 69th Cannes Film Festival where she stepped out to a host of wildly glamorous parties, while rubbing shoulders with the height of the A-list

The duo were most notably together at the De Grisogono party held at Eden Roc, Hotel du Cap, on Tuesday, where she mingled with a host of A-list stars including Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner.

Chloe's friendship with the Iranian-born tycoon was one of the top stories hitting headlines during her getaway as the pair looked particularly cosy.

The duo were spotted out and about in the South of France countless times together - although there was never confirmation that the two are romantically linked.

Star-studded bash: The duo were most notably together at the De Grisogono party held at Eden Roc, Hotel du Cap, on Tuesday, where she mingled with a host of A-list stars including Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner

Back to front: Her stunning gown no doubt turned heads during her turn at the bash

According to The Mirror, a representative for the star shut down rumours of a relationship, and insisted that the two are just friends who enjoy spending time together.

'They arent dating. Chloe is very close to Roberts sister, Lisa, and they are all hanging out and having fun together in Cannes,' her spokesperson told the publication.

Chloe was previously linked to TOWIE co-stars Elliott Wright and Mario Falcone while Robert hosted other stunners such as Caprice and Tara Reid.
Kendall Jenner has revealed she often feels left out by her famous sisters.

The supermodel admitted on Sunday's Keeping Up With The Kardashians that it hurts her feelings when her siblings don't make an effort to spend time with her.

'It really annoys me when you come to the city and don't hangout with me,' Kendall tells sister Kourtney Kardashian over a tense lunch.

Hurt: Kendall Jenner confessed she feels her sisters don't make an effort to spend time with her on Sunday's Keeping Up With The Kardashians

And opening up to mom Kris Jenner, the 21-year-old admitted: 'I don't want to be forgotten about because I have to work a lot.'

The in-demand model often spends time traveling for work, including runway shows for various fashion weeks as well as her duties as the face of Estee Lauder, and so often spends time away from her family.

A concerned Kris then urges Kourtney to make an effort to give Kendall some extra attention.

Left out: The busy model told Kourtney her famous siblings don't reach out when she's in Los Angeles

Not true: Kourtney said she always assumes Kendall is off having fun

Family time: The 21-year-old felt 'forgotten about' by her famous family

'I think it's really important that you girls give her extra love when she's back in town,' Kris tells Kourtney, who agrees and enlists the the rest of the family to help.

Kourtney, Kloe and Kim then team up to plan a welcome home surprise, sneaking into Kendall's house to stock it with treats and a care package.

They also throw Kendall a surprise girls' night.

'We never not want to hang out with you,' Kourtney assures her, as Kim chimes in: 'We never want you to feel left out.'

Concerned: Kris told Kourtney that they need to make Kendall feel special when she's back in LA

Sister call: The model was thrilled when her sisters called to wish her good luck before a photo shoot

Drama: Kendall admitted that she feels her sisters don't reach out to her whenever she's back in LA

Kourtney admitted she's always just assumed Kendall is off having fun and busy with her successful modelling career.

'It does make me sad to hear that Kendall feels left out,' Kourtney said in the confessional.

'I just assume that she's having the time of her life.'

And it seems that their surprise worked, with Kendall looking thrilled as she settled in for a surprise pampering session.

Surprise: Khloe and Kim snuck into Kendall's house with a care package to welcome her home

Nice place: The reality star wore a large white hat and low cut top as she stocked Kendall's home with treats

Surprise! Kendall looked thrilled when Kourtney and her sisters sprung a surprise girls' day pampering session on her

Hug it out: The siblings shared a hug as Kourtney assured Kendall they always love hanging out with her

Chilling: The reality stars looked relaxed as they got their nails done

Big sister: Kim Kardashian also went out of her way to shower Kendall with TLC

A happy Kendall then vowed to give her sisters more of a heads up when she'll be in town so that they can plan to spend time together.

'I love that my sisters put together a care package and a girls night together,' she tells the camera.

'I guess in the future I will let them know I'm in town ahead of time.'

Happy again: The supermodel vowed to do a better job at letting her family know when she'll be back in town
Kendall Jenner has claimed that she is psychic.

The 20-year-old revealed on her subscription based website kendallj.com on Tuesday that it can be hard to find real friends when you're famous, but she always trusts her good instincts.

'Being in the spotlight, there are sometimes a lot of people around with weird intentions,' she confessed in a blog post.

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Inner eye: Kendall Jenner has claimed that she is psychic in a new blog post. She is pictured here last week

'I don't trust people right off the bat, but once you're in my inner circle, I'm extremely loyal and opena lot like a cat!'

Kendall then went on to share that she has seen several psychics in the past, who all tell her that she possesses the inner eye.

'I swear, I've had a keen sense of perception since I was a kid,' the reality turned model revealed. 'I've just always had really good intuition.

'I've actually even been told by like seven psychics that I'M psychic! There's a way you learn how to navigate this crazy world, and I really base it on my gut feelings.'

Model friends: The 20-year-old (seen here with Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss in February) admitted it is hard to find real friends when you are famous

While Kendall confesses that it can be hard to know who your true friends are, it seems she gravitates towards fellow celebrities.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star counts Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne and Hailey Baldwin among her closest friends.

And no doubt Kendall feels it's especially important to be friends with other models who understand her workload, as she admitted during Sunday's episode of her family's reality show that she sometimes feels left out by her sisters when she has to travel for her career.

Sister act: Kendall is currently in London where she was hanging out with big sister Kim Kardashian on Monday

'I don't want to be forgotten about because I have to work a lot,' she told her mother Kris.

Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian then threw her a surprise girls' night out once she was back in Los Angeles.

'We never not want to hang out with you,' Kourtney assured her, while Kim chimed in: 'We never want you to feel left out.'

Surprise! The reality star turned model's sisters treated her to a girls' night after she admitted that she felt left out because she is always travelling for work

It seems as though Kendall's career is only getting busier however, as Kylie recently teased the release of their new book.

The sisters have co-authored Time Of The Twins, the second in their Story Of Lex And Livia series, which will be released on November 15.

Kendall is currently in London, where she was spotted hanging out with Kim on Monday.
Both actresses have the kind of shapely figures that men desire and women envy.

But when Salma Hayek, 49, compared her generous decolletage to her 69-year-old pal Susan Sarandon's assets during an event at the Cannes Film Festival she was shocked to find herself the loser.

And the actress captured the hilarious match-up in an Instagram showing both women looking down each other's cleavages, which she shared on Instagram Tuesday.

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Battle of the boobs: Salma Hayek, 49, compared her decollatage to 69-year-old Susan Sarandon's assets during an event at Cannes Film Festival and was shocked to find herself the loser in a hilarious selfie shared Tuesday

She captioned it: 'Salma: "Susan, you are bigger than me!" Susan Sarandon: "Of course I am..." ' adding the hashtags #cannes #friends #susansarandon.

The shot was taken at the Women In Motion Gala Awards Ceremony during the festival on the French Riviera on May 15.

Both looked stunning in figure flattering gowns at the event, which was also attended by Susan's Thelma And Louise co-star Geena Davis.

Defying her age, Susan chose a little black dress with a plunging neckline while Salma wore a long, pale pink gown with spaghetti straps, tightly fitted to her ribs to push up her boobs.

Boobilicious shot: The selfie was taken when the two actresses showed off their fab figures at the Women In Motion Gala Awards Ceremony during the festival on the French Riviera on May 15

It wasn't the only dazzlingly funny shot that Salma shared from the festival.

Another selfie showed her on a deck overlooking the ocean with Chloe Sevigny pressed up against her, licking her cleavage as Salma threw her head back, eyes closed, resting her hand on Chloe's chest.

Completely ignoring their racy pose, she captioned it: '#sunset in #cannes #chloesevigny #stellamccartney #boucheron.'

Three's a wow: The couple were at the event with Geena Davis, Susan's Thelma And Louise co-star

With Cannes over, Salma is back to work. The beautiful brunette can next be heard, rather than seen, as the voice of Teresa Taco in animated comedy Sausage Party, due out August 12.

Following one sausage's quest to discover the truth about his existence, it co-stars Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen James Franco and Kristen Wiig.

Salma's presently filming action comedy The Hitman's Bodyguard with Ryan Reynolds.

Meanwhile her third comedy, Drunk Parents, in which she stars with Alec Baldwin, Joe Manganiello and Bridget Moynahan, is in post productions
Kim Kardashian has shared some flashback photos of her wedding day as she celebrated her second anniversary on Tuesday.

Writing on her app and website KimKardashianWest.com, the reality star shared some behind-the-scenes Polaroid photos as she reflected on her 'amazing' wedding day to husband Kanye West.

'These Polaroids remind me of the sweetest memories,' Kim wrote.

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Flashback: Kim Kardashian shared some behind-the-scenes Polaroids from her wedding day as she and Kanye West celebrated their second anniversary on Tuesday

In one of the intimate snaps, Kim gets some last-minute adjustments to her veil, while others show a smiling Kanye and a photo of the scenic wedding venue in Italy.

'Having North be a part of our day was so special,' wrote Kim, who welcomed son Saint West in December.

And she added: 'It was truly one of the best days of my life.'

Sweet: Kim also shared a photo of the couple gazing into each others' eyes as she called Kanye the 'love of my life' on Instagram on Tuesday

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 35, and her rapper husband,38. wed in at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy.

It is her third marriage, after she famously split from second husband Chris Humphries after a huge televised wedding and just 72 days of marriage. Kim was also previously wed to music producer Damon Thomas.

Kim also took to Instagram to wish Kanye, 38, a happy anniversary on Tuesday.

Shine bright: The reality star also shared a snap of the couple at the opera in Rome as they celebrated their anniversary with an early trip back to Italy, where they got married

'Happy 2 year anniversary to the love of my life!' Kim captioned a photo of her smiling and gazing into the Waves rapper's eyes.

'You make me so happy! I love you so much!!!' she wrote beside the sweet photo, which quickly earned more than 1 million 'likes.'

The KUWTK star also shared a snap of her and Kanye at the premiere of Sofia Coppola-directed opera 'La Traviata' in Rome on Sunday, with the light glimmering off her large diamond ring.

Family: 'Having North be a part of our day was so special,' Kim wrote. Above, the trio on Kim and Kanye's wedding day in Florence

'My ring shined so bright for our love in Rome while we celebrated our 2 year anniversary in Italy, the country we got married in!' wrote Kim, adding hashtag '#Blessed.'

The famous couple have been in Europe for the past few days, where they celebrated their anniversary a little early.

And the pair looked stylish as they attended the Vogue 100 Gala in London on Monday, before jetting back to LA.

Kim showed off her famous curves in a sheer green gown, while Kanye looked sharp in a classic black tuxedo jacket.
She's one of Geordie Shore's longest-serving stars and is undoubtedly the fan favourite.

So Charlotte Crosby was naturally the centre of attention as she celebrated the popular reality show's fifth anniversary party at MTV HQ in London on Tuesday.

The glamorous star ensured all eyes were on her as she flaunted her hard-earned figure in a flattering, bodycon ensemble.

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Leading the celebrations: Charlotte Crosby donned a flirty, thigh-skimming playsuit to celebrate Geordie Shore's five year anniversary at the MTV headquarters in London on Tuesday

Charlotte made the most of her shapely legs in a low-cut jumpsuit with a black bodice and khaki shorts.

The 26-year-old star put her perfect pins on display in the skimpy number, accentuating her legs thanks to a pair of lace-up nude heels.

She toned down her make-up, favouring a nude palette including matte lipstick and soft, smokey eye-shadow.

Centre of attention: All eyes were on Charlotte as she strutted her stuff outside the bash

Working it: The former CBB winner - who is one of just three stars to have appeared in every series of Geordie Shore - made the most of her moment in the spotlight

On fine form: The bubbly reality star had the boys in hysterics as she posed up a storm for the cameras

Gal pals: Charlotte and Holly Hagan shared a giggle for the cameras as they made their grand arrival

Holly was more covered up for the occasion, teaming a fitted, off-the-shoulders top with a pair of high-rise leggings.

The taupe trousers clung to her shapely legs and pert posterior, the result of her intense workouts.

Holly completed her ensemble with a pair of suede peep-toe wedges and favoured a similar, heavily contoured make-up look to Charlotte.

The girls were joined by a host of Geordie Shore castmates both new and old including current favourites Scotty T and Marnie Simpson and alumni Jay Gardner and James Tindale.

Gang past and present: A few familiar faces returned for the bash, including James Tindale (far left) and Jay Gardner (second from right)

Here come the girls! The Geordie Shore girls posed up a storm as they prepared for the cast's five year anniversary party

Looking good: Holly displayed her pert posterior in a pair of figure-hugging, taupe trousers

Demure ensemble: Fitness fan Holly was embracing a more mature style in her chic ensemble

Oops: Holly's black top turned see-through underneath the bright lights

Lads, lads, lads: The Geordie Shore boys past and present ensured they were the centre of attention

Keeping it simple: Marnie Simpson showcased her svelte figure in a bodycon black ensemble

Charlotte was clearly feeling emotional about reuniting with everyone, taking to social media to post a heartfelt message.

She posted: 'Happy birthday to us @mtvuk @geordieshore I am incredibly proud of being part of the worlds best reality show.....from day 1!!! 

'the memories I have from this experience could fill 1000's books! Good and bad! I love this bunch of t***s with all my heart old and new cast we have lol made Geordie shore what it is today!!!!!

'The most controversial show in the UK! And I bloody love it time to celebrate with my family expect some VERY drunk snapchats (sic)'.

Party pals: The group celebrated with a specially designed cake representing their Newcastle party pad

Doing the honours: Charlotte was entrusted with lighting the sparklers on the quirky confection

Strike a pose: The group prepared for a wild night of celebrations together

Snap happy: Chloe Ferry ensured there was plenty of photographic evidence of the evening

Missing in action: Charlotte's on/off flame and fellow series original Gaz Beadle was noticeably absent

Comeback queen: Sophie was in her element as she celebrated her return to the show

Making her mark: Newcomer Chantelle Connolly sported a bodycon, strapless jumpsuit

Meanwhile, Chloe Ferry looks worlds apart from her former self as she made her post-nose job debut.

The 20-year-old was pictured arriving at Newcastle train station on Tuesday, where she was pictured with co-stars Charlotte Crosby, Scotty T and Kyle Christie.

The group are heading to London for promotional duties, but all eyes were on Chloe who has been more than open about her changing looks.

She pulled out all the stops, wearing a super short baby pink mini dress teamed with a leather biker jacket and ankle boots.

All change: She showed off her new nose in an Instagram post earlier this month and now that the swelling has gone down, Chloe Ferry looks worlds apart from her former self

Leggy lady: The 20-year-old was pictured arriving at Newcastle train station on Tuesday, where she was pictured with co-stars Charlotte Crosby, Scotty T and Kyle Christie

Her raven locks flowed down past her shoulders as she wheeled a suitcase behind her.

Revealing a first picture of her nose following the procedure, she wrote: 'So this is my side profile with my new nose still a bit of bruising but nearly gone only been a week since my nose (sic)'

Like many of her Geordie Shore co-stars, Chloe now looks remarkably different from the girl who was first cast on the MTV series in April 2015 as she makes a bid to change her appearance before her 21st birthday.

She followed Charlotte Crosby in going under the knife, as her 25-year-old co-star blew 4,000 on a 'miracle' nose job in February.

Bruised: Chloe Ferry revealed the swelling she suffered for her new nose on Wednesday, just one day after revealing the results

Two's company: She walked alongside Kyle Christie on Tuesday as they prepared to board the train from Newcastle to London

Despite a ribbing from Charlotte, Chloe said she had 'no regrets' about going under the knife when she explained her decision in an interview with heat magazine this week.

She told the magazine: 'I'm a bit addicted to surgery and I don't think I'm going to stop.'

Asked what would make her stop, Chloe replied: 'When I look in the mirror and feel good. I'm only making myself look better.'

Chloe has had lip fillers, eyebrow-lift injections, veneers and Botox and while no-one has ever commented specifically on her nose, she admits she was self-conscious about the 'bump' on it.

All glammed up: Chloe later changed into a glamorous, nude-coloured bodycon dress

Flaunting her new face: The party-mad reality star seemed pretty pleased with her brand new look

Meanwhile, Charlotte also put on a leggy display at the train station, wearing a very short high-waisted black mini which had a white pattern running throughout.

She also went braless as she teamed with a form-fitting khaki keyhole top.

Carrying a large leather overnight bag on her arm, she topped off her look with a sensible pair of black Birkenstock sandals.

She tweeted: 'A lot of love and reminiscing on this train 5 F***ING YEARS.......1 family, 1 Bond  @MTVUK see you's bloody soon.'

Pin-credible: Meanwhile, Charlotte also put on a leggy display at the train station, wearing a very short high-waisted black mini which had a white pattern running throughout
She's never been shy of flaunting her incredible figure.

But Holly Hagan showed off a tad more than she had bargained for as she suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction at Geordie Shore's fifth anniversary party at MTV HQ in London on Tuesday.

Seemingly unaware that her black bardot top had gone sheer under the lights, the 23-year-old reality star put on a confident display as she posed for the cameras, showing off her surgically enhanced assets by daring to go braless beneath the skimpy material.

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Peek-a-boob! Holly Hagan showed off a tad more than she had bargained for as she suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction at Geordie Shore's fifth anniversary party at MTV HQ in London on Tuesday

Despite giving an unwilling glimpse at her ample assets, the star still looked effortlessly glamorous as she joined her co-stars of past and present at the party.

And her gravity-defying bust wasn't the only part of her on show as she flaunted her enviably perky posterior in a pair of figure-hugging taupe trousers.

Showing off the results of her gruelling health and fitness regime, Holly looked in great shape as she sashayed into the bash, adding some extra height to her frame in a pair of black platform heels.

All bra-vado! Seemingly unaware that her black bardot top had gone sheer under the lights, the 23-year-old reality star put on a confident display as she posed for the cameras

Chic and cheerful! Despite giving an unwilling glimpse at her ample assets, the star still looked effortlessly glamorous as she joined her co-stars of past and present at the party

Looking good: Her gravity-defying bust wasn't the only part of her on show as she flaunted her enviably perky posterior in a pair of figure-hugging taupe trousers

Wearing her caramel coloured locks loose and tousled, she styled her glossy tresses in a side parting that swept over to frame her heart shaped face.

Contoured to perfection, she lined her defined cheekbones with a sweep of rouge whilst a slick of rosy gloss accentuated her plump pout.

She finished off the look with a stack of delicate gold bangles that matched her hooped earrings.

Holly wasn't the only glamorous lady at the bash as she was joined by co-star Charlotte Crosby.

Fitness fanatic: Showing off the results of her gruelling health and fitness regime, Holly looked in great shape as she sashayed into the bash, adding some extra height to her frame in a pair of black platform heels

Blonde beauty! Wearing her caramel coloured locks loose and tousled, she styled her glossy tresses in a side parting that swept over to frame her heart shaped face

Charlotte made the most of her shapely legs in a low-cut jumpsuit with a black bodice and khaki shorts.

The 26-year-old star put her perfect pins on display in the skimpy number, accentuating her legs thanks to a pair of lace-up nude heels.

She toned down her make-up, favouring a nude palette including matte lipstick and soft, smokey eye-shadow.

The girls were joined by a host of Geordie Shore castmates both new and old including current favourites Scotty T and Marnie Simpson and alumni Jay Gardner and James Tindale.

Leading the celebrations: Charlotte Crosby donned a flirty, thigh-skimming playsuit to celebrate Geordie Shore's five year anniversary at the MTV headquarters in London on Tuesday

Centre of attention: All eyes were on Charlotte as she strutted her stuff outside the bash

Working it: The former CBB winner - who is one of just three stars to have appeared in every series of Geordie Shore - made the most of her moment in the spotlight

On fine form: The bubbly reality star had the boys in hysterics as she posed up a storm for the cameras

Gal pals: Charlotte and Holly Hagan shared a giggle for the cameras as they made their grand arrival

Gang past and present: A few familiar faces returned for the bash, including James Tindale (far left) and Jay Gardner (second from right)

Here come the girls! The Geordie Shore girls posed up a storm as they prepared for the cast's five year anniversary party

Lads, lads, lads: The Geordie Shore boys past and present ensured they were the centre of attention

Keeping it simple: Marnie Simpson showcased her svelte figure in a bodycon black ensemble

Charlotte was clearly feeling emotional about reuniting with everyone, taking to social media to post a heartfelt message.

She posted: 'Happy birthday to us @mtvuk @geordieshore I am incredibly proud of being part of the worlds best reality show.....from day 1!!! 

'the memories I have from this experience could fill 1000's books! Good and bad! I love this bunch of t***s with all my heart old and new cast we have lol made Geordie shore what it is today!!!!!

'The most controversial show in the UK! And I bloody love it time to celebrate with my family expect some VERY drunk snapchats (sic)'.

Party pals: The group celebrated with a specially designed cake representing their Newcastle party pad

Doing the honours: Charlotte was entrusted with lighting the sparklers on the quirky confection

Strike a pose: The group prepared for a wild night of celebrations together

Snap happy: Chloe Ferry ensured there was plenty of photographic evidence of the evening

Missing in action: Charlotte's on/off flame and fellow series original Gaz Beadle was noticeably absent

Comeback queen: Sophie was in her element as she celebrated her return to the show

Making her mark: Newcomer Chantelle Connolly sported a bodycon, strapless jumpsuit

Meanwhile, Chloe Ferry looks worlds apart from her former self as she made her post-nose job debut.

The 20-year-old was pictured arriving at Newcastle train station on Tuesday, where she was pictured with co-stars Charlotte Crosby, Scotty T and Kyle Christie.

The group are heading to London for promotional duties, but all eyes were on Chloe who has been more than open about her changing looks.

She pulled out all the stops, wearing a super short baby pink mini dress teamed with a leather biker jacket and ankle boots.

All change: She showed off her new nose in an Instagram post earlier this month and now that the swelling has gone down, Chloe Ferry looks worlds apart from her former self

Leggy lady: The 20-year-old was pictured arriving at Newcastle train station on Tuesday, where she was pictured with co-stars Charlotte Crosby, Scotty T and Kyle Christie

Despite a ribbing from Charlotte, Chloe said she had 'no regrets' about going under the knife when she explained her decision in an interview with heat magazine this week.

She told the magazine: 'I'm a bit addicted to surgery and I don't think I'm going to stop.'

Asked what would make her stop, Chloe replied: 'When I look in the mirror and feel good. I'm only making myself look better.'

Chloe has had lip fillers, eyebrow-lift injections, veneers and Botox and while no-one has ever commented specifically on her nose, she admits she was self-conscious about the 'bump' on it.
She's reported to have split from from her husband of 11 years, Len Wiseman, last November.

And Kate Beckinsale was the centre of attention at the Love & Friendship premiere at the Curzon Mayfair in London on Tuesday night, looking sensational in a gorgeous gown with a cut-out at the waist.

The 42-year-old actress put on a very animated display with her co-star Tom Bennett at the screening, sharing an amicable hug as they walked the red carpet together.

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Joining forces: Kate Beckinsale posed with her delighted-looking co-star Tom Bennett at the Love & Friendship premiere at the Curzon Mayfair in London on Tuesday night

Tom, best known for appearing in PhoneShop and Family Tree, looked delighted to be posing alongside the A-list beauty, beaming from ear-to-ear.

Kate opted for a unconventional, plum-coloured dress which was equal parts daring and demure.

She showed off her classic beauty in the floor-length number, offering a glimpse of her tanned legs thanks to a side-split.

The brunette beauty's striking dress was given a quirky touch thanks to a bright red panel on the left hand side.

Hugging it out: Kate and Tom, best known for appearing in PhoneShop and Family Tree, shared a friendly embrace on the red carpet

Look who it is! Tom looked delighted to be posing alongside the A-list beauty, beaming from ear-to-ear

Close bond: The pair seemed on great terms as they led the cast arrivals at the screening

Chuffed: The British actor, who plays Sir James Martin in the period drama, couldn't contain his excitement

The bandeau style strip showcased Kate's trim waist thanks to a large cut-out section, revealing her gym-honed abs.

The elegant dress was held together by gold halterneck detailing, and Kate drew attention to the quirky neckline thanks to her elegant updo.

Love And Friendship is directed by Whit Stillman and also stars Chloe Sevigny, Xavier Samuel and Stephen Fry.

All together now: Jemma Redgrave, Morfydd Clark, Emma Greenwell, Whit Stillman, Kate, Tom, Justin Edwards, Jenn Murray, James Fleet and Kelly Campbell posed for a group shot

Stunning: Kate was looking better than ever, displaying her youthful complexion with barely-there make-up

Reunited: Kate posed with acclaimed director Whit Stillman, who she first worked with in 1998

Fancy seeing you here! Kate and Tom were in high spirits as they promoted their new romantic comedy

Kate plays the widowed Lady Susan Vernon, who has a reputation as a woman that will stop at nothing to find both herself and her daughter a husband.

Set in the 1790s, the romantic comedy takes its plot inspiration from Jane Austen's epistolary novel Lady Susan.

Love & Friendship, which has been met with positive reviews from critics, is out in limited release on May 13.

Gorgeous as ever: Kate looked incredible in a dark purple dress as she made her grand arrival

Daring to bare: The brunette beauty's striking dress was given a quirky touch thanks to a bright red panel on the left hand side

Perfection: Kate showed off her classic beauty in the floor-length number, offering a glimpse of her tanned legs thanks to a side-split

Kate and Chloe previously worked with director Stillman on the 1998 comedy, The Last Days of Disco.

In an interview with the Today show, Kate discussed their reunion since their first movie, which was an era of 'pre-cell phones and internet,' which only allowed the cast to run into each other on occasion.

'We were suddenly plunged back down into working together. What was funny was that everybody's had so much life and stuff happen to them, and it was kind of very similar vibe. Everybody's a little bit of an oddball and it all kind of worked,' she said.

What a figure: The 42-year-old actress' gym-honed arms and trim waist were on display in the striking dress

Golden girl: Beckinsale's fashionable look was completed with gold halterneck detailing

Kate recently revealed she's 'basically family' with her ex Michael Sheen and his new girlfriend Sarah Silverman, who she invited to the premiere of her new movie Love and Friendship earlier this month.

The star can't understand why people are surprised they're so close and finds it 'really sad' that their friendship is considered unusual.

She told Stylist magazine: 'I don't know why everyone was so surprised. Sarah's such a fantastic woman, I love her and Michael and I have gotten on for years now.

Best foot forward: Kate completed her evening attire with a pair of simple gold heels

Timeless beauty: The glamorous actress teased her brunette tresses up into a high ponytail

Striking: Kate put on an animated display as she worked her magic on the red carpet

Centre of attention: Excited fans clamored for Kate's attention as she paraded along the red carpet

In action: Love & Friendship reunites Kate with her co-star Chloe Sevigny and director Whit Stillman from 1998 comedy, The Last Days of Disco

'I've known him since I was 22, we're basically family.'

'The thing that surprised me was what a big deal everybody made about us all getting on and then thinking, "F**k, that's really sad if it's that unusual.

Kate, who is said to have split from director husband Len Wiseman, was in a relationship with Michael from 1995 until 2003, although they never married.

Michael has been dating Sarah since early 2014, a year after his split from Canadian actress Rachel McAdams after two years together.

Simple chic: Actress Kelly Campbell opted for a classic black dress and tassel embellished heels

Brocade beauty: Screen siren Emma Greenwell looked lovely in a gold embroidered gown

Lace look: Jenn Murray highlighted her svelte figure in a black bodycon number with a fishtail cut
She knows a thing or two about looking for love with an audience looking on.

Bachelorette and Bachelor vet Andi Dorfman has dished on the latest episode of the reality love competition.

With the show failed to help the 29-year-old find her happily ever after - but did provide plenty of material for a new book - she told GMA on Tuesday, she sees some perfect potential suitors for JoJo Fletcher.

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Passing on wisdom: Bachelorette and Bachelor vet Andi Dorfman has dished on the latest episode of the reality love competition in New York on Tuesday

Andi looked amazing as she talk all things Bachelorette and her new book It's Not Okay in New York.

For her appearance, the former attorney turned reality star wowed in a daring-for-morning television white lace jumpsuit.

The one piece featured a low cut V-neck and she paired it with some blue suede stappy heels.

As it was raining in New York on Tuesday, so as she entered the studio the star threw a coordinating blue jacket over her shoulders.

Got some insight: With the show failed to help the 29-year-old find her happily ever after - but did provide plenty of material for a new book - she told GMA on Tuesday, she sees some potential suitors for JoJo Fletcher

The former Bachelorette wore dark brown hair up into voluminous high pony tail.

While the show led to what she has described as her 'most f**ked up relationship' in her life, Andi is still a big fan and watched Monday night's new season premiere with earnest and thinks JoJo is in for a wild ride if the men's introductions are anything to go by.

She told GMA: 'I feel like very season it gets crazier and crazier on that first episode and this season definitely lived up to it - it was wild.'

Racy lacy: For her appearance, the former attorney turned reality star wowed in a daring-for-morning television white lace jumpsuit

Pop of colour: The one piece featured a low cut V-neck and she paired it with some blue suede stappy heels

Andi said her advice for JoJo would just take it all in and have fun with the experience.

She said she also sees a few good guys for her too: 'I definitely see some connections - I love that word - from the very beginning obviously you see Jordan [NFL star Aaron Rodger's brother] and Chad and Luke and I'm happy to see them stay a little while.'

Andi dropped out of The Bachelor when she was the third woman standing as she did not feel a love connection Juan Pablo Galavis and chose Josh Murray in her 2014 season of The Bachelorette.

Cats and dogs: As it was raining in New York on Tuesday, so as she entered the studio the star threw a coordinating blue jacket over her shoulders

While she and Josh were in a relationship for some time, things did not end well and now he features heavily in her book It's Not Okay - in which she refers to men using numbers and not their names.

Explaining why, Andi said: 'I did the number system obviously it is pretty obvious who each number belongs to, but it was kind of this empowerment feeling for me putting every guy into one pot.'

Explaining her motivation behind her book, Andi said: 'The book comes from my own experience of going through a breakup. Every day you see it is a journal entry, so it's very present, very raw emotional comments.

Legs eleven! Andi later changed into blue shorts and a cream blouse for her next appearance

Having fun: The brunette beauty giggled as she stopped by the Extra studios in Times Square

Flattering look: The reality star looked gorgeous in nude mesh booties

Crazier every year: While the show led to what she has described as her 'most f**ked up relationship' in her life, Andi is still a big fan and watched Monday night's new season premiere with earnest and thinks JoJo is in for a wild ride if the men's introductions are anything to go by

Her picks: Andi said, 'I definitely see some connections - I love that word - from the very beginning obviously you see Jordan [NFL star Aaron Rodger's brother] and Chad and Luke [pictured]'

'It was kind of a purge in that sense, but also to empower women and say ''Look you're not alone'', we all see the love stories but we also have the heartbreak but none is talk about it.

'So this is kinda of the break up anthem like I got you, I know, I have been through this... and mainly that you will survive.'

And now she's back on the market: 'I'm dating, I'm happy, I'm definitely living the single life in New York.'
He is alleged to have formed a close friendship with his X-Men: Apocalypse co-star Alexandra Shipp.

And James McAvoy reunited with the 24-year-old beauty for the first time since his divorce was announced as the superhero film's cast stopped by both the GMA studios the AOL headquarters in New York City on Tuesday.

The Scottish star revealed he was splitting from his wife of nine years, Anne-Marie Duff, earlier this month and has been keeping a low profile since the news broke.

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Back to work: James McAvoy (right) was back on the promotional trail for X-Men: Apocalypse on Tuesday, stopping by the AOL headquarters and the GMA studios in New York City with his co-stars, including Alexandra Shipp (second from right)

Taking a seat: It was recently reported that James, 37, and Alexandra, 24, had grown close while filming the latest installment in the superhero franchise

But it was back to work for the 37-year-old actor on Tuesday as he helped Alexandra promote the eagerly-awaited action flick.

Putting the speculation behind him, James looked calm and collected as he arrived at the television studios, clad in a navy ensemble.

The Starter For 10 star donned a casual jacket, simple knit and jeans for the occasion, hiding behind a pair of shades.

The pair were seen chatting on the Good Morning America sofa as they waited for the group interview to commence

Bouncing back: James - who announced he had split from his wife of nine years, Anne-Marie Duff, earlier this month - looked calm and collected as he arrived at the television studios

A source recently told the Mirror: 'James has been quite open among the cast and crew that his marriage was over  and it seems he has struck up a friendship with Alex since then'

Line-up: Tye Sheridan, Evan Peters, Lana Candor, Alexandra and James all attended the promotional event

Alexandra slipped into a cute purple dress with blue belt detailing and a flirty skirt, adding extra height thanks to a pair of towering stilettos.

The American beauty takes on the role of Storm, previously played by Halle Berry in the noughties, in the latest film in the franchise.

It is claimed the pair struck up a friendship on the set of their film amid long running marriage issues between James and Anne-Marie.

Making a name for herself: The American beauty takes on the role of Storm, previously played by Halle Berry in the noughties, in the latest film in the franchise

Gorgeous: Alexandra slipped into a cute purple dress with blue belt detailing and a flirty skirt

Fan favourite: James posed with a group of excited children dressed as the film's motley crew of superheroes

Low-proifile: James declined to comment on the reports he had been linked to Alexandra when he returned to his 1.9 million four-bed terraced house in north London following the allegations

Beaming: The Scottish star looked in high spirits as he chatted to the youngsters outside the TV studios

Filming for the latest X-Men installment began in March 2015 with the cast on location in Montreal, Canada.

James was pictured at the-Men: Apocalypse premiere at London's BFI IMAX earlier this month placing his hands around Alexandra's waist as they shared a joke, with the Mirror alleging the pair had become close friends.

A source told the publication: 'Its no great secret how theyve got close. James has been quite open among the cast and crew that his marriage was over  and it seems he has struck up a friendship with Alex since then.

Colleague: The Mirror claimed earlier this month that James has grown close to his X-Men co-star Alexandra during filming last year

In high spirits: The 24-year-old beauty was on top form as she joked around before the show began

They continued: 'Its been the source of some gossip among those connected to the film  but theyve kept things low key.'

Representatives for James and Anne-Marie have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

James declined to comment on the reports he had been linked to Alexandra when he returned to his 1.9 million four-bed terraced house in north London following the allegations.

Taking to the mic: James had been keeping a low profile since he and Anne-Marie released a statement about the end of their marriage

Candid chat: The Starter For 10 star was joined by American Horror Story favourite Evan Peters

James and Anne-Marie plan to continue living together for the 'foreseeable future' despite confirming the end of their ten year marriage this month.

The acting pair have no plans to change their living arrangements, according to a report in the Sunday Mirror, with the parents keen to minimise disruption for their young son Brendan.

A source told the paper: 'They've decided to stay where they are for the time being and are trying to minimise disruption at home. James will be there for the foreseeable future.'

Split: James and Anne-Marie plan to continue living together for the 'foreseeable future' despite confirming the end of their ten year marriage this month

'It's completely amicable and they're still getting on well. So despite all the news breaking, they've decided to keep themselves at their home in London with their son,' the insider continued.

'To all intents, this seems to be the epitome of the perfect break-up.'

The actor and Anne-Marie met on the set of Shameless over a decade ago, where they played on-screen lovebirds Steve McBride and Fiona Gallagher.

The confirmed the end of their marriage in a joint statement two weeks ago, which read: 'It is with tremendous sadness that we have come to the decision to divorce.

'We enter this next phase with continued friendship, love and respect for one another and the shared focus of caring for our son.'
Melanie Griffith was a guest at one of the most exclusive star-studded weddings.

She attended a weekend of celebrations as Eva Longoria tied the knot to Jose 'Pepe' Baston in Valle De Bravo, Mexico.

And the 58-year-old star showed off her incredible bikini bod in a tiny two-piece while enjoying an afternoon at the luxurious resort's pool.

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Bikini babe! Melanie Griffith, 58, showed off her incredible body while enjoying a weekend of celebrations as Eva Longoria tied the knot to Jose 'Pepe' Baston in Valle De Bravo, Mexico; it is not know who this man is sitting beside her

Revealing! The Oscar nominated actress donned the swimsuit which included a halter-style top which put her ample cleavage on display

The Oscar nominated actress donned the revealing swimsuit as she splashed in the crystal blue waters.

Her patterned blue bathing suit included a halter-style top which put her ample cleavage on display.

She swept her silky tresses up in a high ponytail that she fastened with a navy blue bow to avoid getting wet.

Ageless beauty! The mother of Fifty Shades of Grey star, Dakota Johnson looked youthful as she splashed in the crystal blue waters

As the mother of Fifty Shades of Grey star, Dakota Johnson cooled off from the warm weather, she kept concealed behind movie star shades.

Melanie also made sure to stand out at the celebrity wedding in a gorgeous sleeveless red lace buttoned-up dress.

She was pictured with one of Longoria's best friends, Mario Lopez who posted an Instagram snapshot with the star and his wife, Courtney Mazza.

Youthful: Griffith (far right) swept her silky blonde tresses up in a cute bun

'My girl @melanie_griffith57 was muy caliente in her red dress,' he captioned the photo.

After her sun-soaked vacation in Mexico, Griffith returned home and was spotted in Beverly Hills on Monday afternoon.

She showcased her svelte figure in a form-fitting tee which she paired with skintight sheer leggings that put her endless stems on display.

Red hot! Melanie looked gorgeous in a lace dress as she posed with Mario Lopez and his wife, Courtney Mazza at Eva's wedding

Star-studded: Longoria posed with Victoria Beckham who designed Eva's wedding dress

The blonde beauty appeared to be in good spirits and finished off her monochrome attire with movie star shades and Under Armour trainers.

Melanie recently wrapped shooting on the James Franco directed film, The Masterpiece where she plays Jean Shelton.

Based on Greg Sestero's non-fiction book The Disaster Artist, the film depicts the early friendship of Sestero and Tommy Wiseau, the filmmaker behind the 2003 cult film The Room.

The film includes an all-star lineup of Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Josh Hutcherson, Sharon Stone, Kate Upton and is set for release sometime in 2016.

Landing in LA: After her sun-soaked vacation in Mexico, Griffith returned home and was spotted in Beverly Hills on Monday afternoon

Leggy blonde! The Hollywood starlet showcased her endless stems in a pair of skintight sheer leggings
He's a veteran actor who has starred on a hit TV series (Moonlight), in a string of blockbusters (Die Hard), and even theater (Misery) while bringing up five daughters from two ladies - Demi Moore and Emma Hemming..

But Bruce Willis is also a man.

While shooting an Italian commercial in Miami on Tuesday, the 61-year-old looked like a kid in a candy store as he got close to a gorgeous woman in a red bikini top and a tiny pair of Daisy Dukes with pretty hoop earrings and gold sandals on.

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Eye candy for sure: Bruce Willis looked happy when a stunning model approached him on a Miami beach on Tuesday afternoon

But it was all for work: The 61-year-old actor was shooting a commercial for Italy

At one point she kissed him on the cheek and at another point he went in for a smooch too.

She was just one of several pretty young ladies that surrounded the movie star. Another lady had on a beige bikini and yet another wore a dark string two piece.

The women appeared to be the same age as his eldest daughter Rumer Willis, 27.

Don't need a caption when he smiles like that, but here it is: The actor got close to a gorgeous woman in a red bikini top and a tiny pair of Daisy Dukes

Beso: At one point she kissed him on the cheek and at another point he went in for a smooch too

There was also a scene where a curvy woman seemed to chase Bruce.

She had on a pink dress and looked stressed out. Her hair was worn down and curly and she did not appear to have a tan.

The lady was also seen trying to hug Willis.

Wait, there's more! She was just one of several pretty young ladies that surrounded the movie star. Another lady had on a purple one piece and yet another wore a dark string two piece

Going for the gold: One blonde woman had a shiny two piece on where the bottoms were pulled up exposing her tanned cheeks

Bring in the reinforcements: Also on set were three ladies in other red swimsuits

Also at the shoot was his wife Emma, who wore a pink top.

The former model sat in the shade as she oversaw the filming. Bruce was seen joining the beauty.

This comes one month after his wife Emma said she may remarry Bruce.

'Its definitely a possibility,' Emma told Closer Weekly.

She said she may even do so on their 10th anniversary which would fall in three years.

No smiles here: There was also a scene where a curvy woman seemed to run up to Bruce

Oh no: She had on a pink dress and looked stressed out. Her hair was worn down and curly and she did not appear to have a tan

Some alone time: During a break from set, Willis took a walk on the beach in his blue shirt and beige cargo shorts with a Panama hat on

In a few years, 'we will be older and will be able to appreciate it,' she said.

They keep their union together by spending 'a lot of time at home' together.'

She added: 'But we still have a date night once a week! We always try and make time for each other. My husband is super supportive  we are a good match for each other.'

Together they have girls Mabel, aged four, and Evelyn, 23 months.

On call: Also at the shoot was his wife Emma, who wore a pink top

I'll be there for you: The former model sat in the shade as she oversaw the filming. Bruce was seen joining the beauty who also had on a hat

Censoring her man? The raven-haired looker put her bejeweled hand over his mouth while on a cart

On her smart phone: The leggy mother of two took a moment to make a call
She's expecting her first child with British banking heir James Rothschild.

And Nicky Hilton looked perfectly at home in the English capital as she stepped out in London on Tuesday, keeping her baby bump covered up in a cream coloured mackintosh as she strolled along the street.

The 32-year-old American beauty was impeccably clad in her off-duty look, dressing down her statement coat with simple accessories.

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Maternity chic: Nicky Hilton - who is expecting her first child with British banking heir James Rothschild - was sporting a low-key ensemble as she stepped out in London on Tuesday

Nicky opted for comfort in black leggings and a bodycon top, set off with a pair of buckle detailing ankle boots.

She wore a slouchy leather handbag slung over one arm and added a rock 'n' roll vibe to her look with a fedora.

The hotel heiress upped the glamour thanks to a pair of large designer shades and a statement silver necklace.

Looking good: Nicky opted for comfort in black leggings and a bodycon top, set off with a pair of buckle detailing ankle boots

Pregnancy style: She wore a slouchy leather handbag slung over one arm and added a rock 'n' roll vibe to her look with a fedora

Nicky married her financier husband James in a lavish ceremony in London last July after an 11-month engagement.

The couple met at their friend Petra Ecclestone's wedding, which took place in Italy.

It was announced in January that the fashion designer and mogul is expecting her first child with James.

Happy families: Nicky married her financier husband James in a lavish ceremony in London last July after an 11-month engagement

Nicky previously enthused that she's never been happier since tying the knot with the banking scion.

Discussing the advantages of marriage, Nicky told E!: 'I highly recommend it. If you find the right person, absolutely. It's so much fun.'

'It just feels more official. When you wake up and you look down and you have a wedding band and you're married.

'You're introducing as your husband or your wife - it's nice.'
They packed on the PDA as they strolled down the red carpet at Cannes.

And Mel Gibson, 60, and girlfriend Rosalind Ross, 25, were all smiles as they arrived at LAX on Monday after flying in from France.

The couple have just completed a whirlwind visit to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, where they looked right at home on the red carpet.

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Whirlwind trip: Actor Mel Gibson and girlfriend Rosalind Ross arrived back in Los Angeles on Monday after their trip to the Cannes Film Festival

And despite their 35-year age difference, the couple appeared to be completely in step, flashing big smiles as they jetted back into LA on Monday.

Australian actor Mel went for a casual look in a blue button-up shirt over jeans.

He added comfy black sandals and covered up in a blue trucker's cap and sunglasses.

Equestrian vaulter Rosalind looked stylish in a black coat and leather handbag.

In step: The couple - who have a 35-year age difference - were all smiles as they strolled through LAX

She added trendy distressed jeans and beige suede boots.

The 25-year-old wore her dark hair in a long side braid, and added rose-tinted sunglasses as they exited the terminal.

The Braveheart star and his younger love made their public debut at the Golden Globes in January.

Keep on truckin': Aussie actor Mel wore a blue trucker cap and black sandals for a relaxed look

And they put on a cosy display on the red carpet as they attended the Cannes festival over the weekend, where Mel presented the Palme d'Or to British director Ken Loach for his film I, Daniel Blake on Sunday.

Mel was previously married to wife Robyn, and they had seven children before divorcing in 2011 after more than 25 years of marriage.

He also has a daughter, Lucia, with ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.
On Sunday they took their two-year-old daughter to a farmers market near their home in the Studio City neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

On Monday, a heavily pregnant Emily Blunt and husband John Krasinski enjoyed a much more grown up shopping experience.

The couple left little Hazel at home when they hit the stores on trendy Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood for a bit of retail therapy.

Out and about: On Monday, a heavily pregnant Emily Blunt and husband John Krasinski hit the stores on trendy Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood for a bit of retail therapy

And they were evidently successful as both Emily, 33, and 36-year-old John were seeing carrying bags from the James Perse Store.

The brand sells men's and women's fashions as well as shoes and home furnishings.

The Girl On The Train actress looked as fresh as a daisy as she covered up her baby bump in a blue and white floral frock with a lace trim that fell just above her ankles.

She teamed it with a pair of flat, black caged sandals - a sensible choice of footwear for someone who is likely eight months along.

Swell dress: The 33-year-old Brit looked fit and well in a floral frock that did a good job of hiding her baby bump

Emily left her long brunette free to cascade down her back and she protected her eyes with a pair of Wayfarer-style sun glasses.

Her beau was casually dressed as he walked beside her, wearing a plaid shirt in light colours, khaki chinos and black canvas slip on shoes.

John sported a light growth of designer stubble and also wore dark glasses.

Family fun: Emily and John, 36, pictured with their two-year-old daughter Hazel at a farmers market in Studio City on Sunday, are expecting their second child

The Aloha actor and his British wife are getting ready to welcome their second child.

The couple, who married in July 2010 after dating for almost two years, confirmed their baby news on January 26.
They spent most of their second wedding anniversary on a plane from London to Los Angeles together.

But Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrived home on Tuesday afternoon - leaving a whole evening for romance and celebrations ahead of them.

The 35-year-old reality star stopped to sign autographs for fans as she headed through LAX with her husband - hours after a bomb threat at the airport was deemed 'not credible' by FBI officials.

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Home sweet home: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West landed in Los Angeles on Tuesday following a trip to Europe

Kim and 38-year-old Kanye, who had visited London and Rome during their quick trip, were no doubt looking forward to being reunited with their two children.

The couple, who married in Florence in 2014, are parents to daughter North, who turns three next month, and five-month-old son Saint.

Kim and Kanye strolled side-by-side through LAX following their journey, and were wearing the same outfits they had departed the UK in.

Kim channelled her quirky sense of style in a Vivienne Westwood khaki boiler suit, no doubt bought when she visited the World's End store in London earlier in the week.

See Kim Kardashian updates as she and and Kanye West arrive home in LA

A special day: The couple are celebrating their second wedding anniversary, and fortunately were back in time to have the whole evening ahead of them

Keeping her curves in check: Kim tried to ensure she didn't reveal more than she intended to in her low-cut outfit

Happy to help: The 35-year-old stopped to sing autographs for her adoring fans at LAX airport

She cinched in her waist with a black belt from the same designer as she opened a number of buttons to reveal her ample cleavage, while her husband Kanye West walked behind her.

Kim's raven locks were perfectly styled and she looked every inch the superstar as she hid her eyes behind designer shades for her early morning departure.

Clutching her designer Hermes bag in her hand, she wore the same lace-up ankle boots she has been wearing all week.

Safe and sound: The two stars arrived hours after FBI officials deemed a bomb threat at the airport 'not credible'

Happy family: No doubt Kim and Kanye couldn't wait to get back to their daughter North, two, and son Saint, five months

Love is in the air: The pair were wearing the same outfits they had jetted out of London in

Feeling weary?: Kim and Kanye appeared in good spirits, although looked a little tired as they headed to their car

He was sporting his trademark casual style as he accompanied his wife, wearing a sporty jacket and matching jeans and Yeezy trainers from his own collection.

The pair had been spotted leaving their hotel earlier in the day to head to London's Heathrow airport.

Kim shared a cute picture of herself and her love on Instagram as they celebrated their two year anniversary.

See Kim Kardashian updates as she flashes her ample cleavage in oversized boiler suit

Stunner: Kim flashed her cleavage in the quirky boilersuit as she left her London hotel and prepared to head to Heathrow airport earlier in the day

Walking tall: She cinched in her waist with a black belt from the same designer as she opened a number of buttons , while her husband walked behind her

Working the look: Kim's raven locks were perfectly styled and she looked every inch the superstar as she hid her eyes behind designer shades for her early morning departure

Power couple: Leaving their hotel, both she and Kanye headed back to Heathrow terminal five, where they were no doubt keen to resume family life

She wrote: 'Happy 2 year anniversary to the love of my life! You make me so happy! I love you so much!!!'

No doubt they are looking forward to having some sleep as they were partying at the Vogue 100 gala dinner late into the night on Monday night.

Kim looked incredible in a green embellished dress at the star-studded event, while Kanye was suited and booted.

Sassy: Kanye was sporting his trademark casual style as he accompanied his wife, wearing a sporty jacket and matching jeans and Yeezy trainers

Jet-setters: They have been enjoying a European trip together, with a one-day visit to Rome

Busy schedule: No doubt they are looking forward to having some sleep as they were partying at the Vogue 100 gala dinner late into the night on Monday night

No smile? Kanye looked typically straight-faced as he made his way out of the building

Wow thing: Kim looked stunning from every angle as she made her way to a waiting car

While on the red carpet at the event, Kim defended her right to post naked selfies.

She said: 'For me, it wasn't even about flaunting it. I felt good about myself so let ME do what I feel comfortable with.'

Kim added: 'If you are conservative and if you're not comfortable with that, that's amazing, too.'

Not so cover up girl: Kim ensured she was the main talking piece as she mixed with the fashion pack at the Vogue 100 Gala Dinner in London the night before

Supercouple: The stunning reality TV queen, 35, turned heads as she sauntered into the A-list event alongside husband Kanye West
She has gone into full-on social butterfly mode following her split from husband Professor Green.

And Millie Macintosh certainly ensured she was the centre of attention as she stepped out on Tuesday evening.

The former Made In Chelsea beauty looked seriously seductive as she arrived at the InStyle dinner in London.

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Walk this way: Millie Macintosh certainly ensured she was the centre of attention as she stepped out on Tuesday evening

Showing off her killer legs, the star slipped into a ravishing navy dress.

Making the most of her gym-honed figure, Millie's headturning number featured a split up the side revealing her tanned and toned thighs.

It also boasted a racy lace-up detail at the side of the number.

The star added a small leather handbag on a silver chain and rounded off the winning number with soft pink heels.

Legs be having you: The former Made In Chelsea beauty looked seriously seductive as she arrived at the InStyle dinner in London

True blue: Showing off her killer legs, the star slipped into a ravishing navy dress

Bronzed: Making the most of her gym-honed figure, Millie's headturning number featured a split up the side revealing her tanned and toned thighs

She was among the guests invited to a dinner laid on by the women's magazine.

Another reveller was model Portia Freeman, who looked lovely in a red and blue patterned dress.

Last year, Millie brought out her first book on all things wellness, called: 'Made: A Book of Style, Food and Fitness'.

The self-disciplined starlet is also only just back from luxury fitness retreat, The Body Camp, in Ibiza, where she cleansed her mind, body and soul, no less.

Tease: It also boasted a racy lace-up detail at the side of the number

All about the accessories: The star added a small leather handbag on a silver chain and rounded off the winning number with soft pink heels

Mwah, mwah! She was among the guests invited to a dinner laid on by the women's magazine and kissed a pal outside the bash

Her island-hopping antics follow her high profile split from husband Professor Green, which was announced in February.

Though now, interest surrounds her increasingly close relationship with Co-Founder & Creative Director of Taylor Morris eyewear, Hugo.

Millie is reportedly seeing her ex-boyfriend again, just three months after announcing her split, and pictures of the duo hanging out at Hollywood Arms pub in Chelsea last week appeared to confirm it.

The reality TV stars dated in 2011 and played out an on-again/off-again relationship for the cameras, as featured in the first two seasons of the E4 show.
She's never afraid to take risks when it comes to her sartorial choices.

And Cate Blanchett looked impossibly cool as she enjoyed a night out in Soho, London on Tuesday, embracing a masculine style in a grey trouser suit.

The 47-year-old Blue Jasmine actress opted for a tomboy chic ensemble as she enjoyed a laid-back dinner, looking business-ready in her smart jacket and matching trousers.

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Suited up! Cate Blanchett cut a stylish figure in a grey jacket and matching tailored trousers as she ventured out in London on Tuesday evening

Cate dressed her look down by teaming the suit with a plain white T-shirt and an oversized leather bag.

The Australian actress donned a pair of large, black-rimmed spectacles and wore her blonde bob in a sleek style.

She added a feminine touch to her evening wear thanks to a pair of funky, geometric print block heels.

Specs appeal: The Oscar-winning actress donned a pair of large, black-rimmed spectacles and wore her blonde bob in a sleek style

Beaming: Cate was on fine form during her night on the town, flashing a big grin as she made her way home

It was confirmed just last week that Blanchett is set to play the villain Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death, in the third Thor film.

Thor: Ragnarok will also see leading man Chris Hemsworth return as the titular god, while The Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, will also make an appearance, as will Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and Tessa Thomson as Valkyrie.

Ruffalo teased just how evil Cate's character would be in an interview with ET Online, saying, 'She plays the worst of the worst. So evil.'

New role: It was confirmed just last week that Blanchett is set to play the villain Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death, in the third Thor film

Stylish as ever: She added a feminine touch to her evening wear thanks to a pair of funky, geometric print block heels

'She is going to kill us. Its such a great part she gets to play.'

Filming for the latest Marvel saga is set to start in June and is scheduled for release on November 3, 2017.

Cate has long teased her interest in joining the blockbuster series, previous telling USA Today it was her dream job.

She enthused: 'I would love that. Id love to get fit and punch people.'

Villain: Mark Ruffalo teased just how evil Cate's character would be in an interview with ET Online, saying, 'She plays the worst of the worst. So evil'

Tailored chic: Cate's statement jacket was set off with a black button

Smartie pants: Cate looked gorgeous without her spectacles as well

Collarless: Her suit was fitted to her shape, and she added chunky vintage-style heels to the look

Specs appeal: Her glasses added an extra element of sophistication to the look




Shareholders vote climate test for ExxonMobil, Chevron

Investors of ExxonMobil and Chevron vote at annual shareholder meetings Wednesday on whether the two oil giants should do more to address climate change following a historic global climate agreement.

Shareholder votes in Dallas, Texas, near ExxonMobil headquarters, and at Chevron's San Ramon, California, headquarters will be closely watched in light of the December agreement reached in Paris, in which nearly 200 governments pledged measures to cap global warming.

Environmentalists believe climate change may be at a tipping point for shareholders of Big Oil, who have enjoyed a reliable stream of dividend checks as the oil giants have racked up profits.

Environmentalists believe climate change may be a tipping point for shareholders of Big Oil Mark Ralston (AFP/File)

"We have a breakthrough this year," said Anne Simpson, director of investment at Calpers, the public employees retirement system for the state of California.

"We really have to step up and make sure that companies are in sync. They have to stop looking backward."

Under a proposal by New York state's retirement fund, ExxonMobil and Chevron would be directed to publish the results of an annual climate "stress test" of how changing public policies affect their assets and long-term business prospects.

A second proposal stipulates that the two oil companies should enact policies to ensure that global temperatures do not rise more than two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial level, as agreed in the Paris pact.

Environmentalists have called on the oil giants to champion renewable energy and stop producing fossil fuels, arguing in part that the long-term viability of oil will be undermined by climate mitigation policies.

Addressing climate change is "a real issue of financial risk," said Edward Mason, head of responsible investments at the Church of England.

"We hope that this vote will be the moment when shareholders give an unequivocal signal that, following the Paris agreement, the time for climate risk reporting has arrived."

- Resistance from oil giants -

The oil giants, which have successfully beaten back shareholder proposals on climate change in prior years, argue the latest measures are unnecessary.

ExxonMobil says it has already built in stricter climate policies into economic planning and that progress is being made in part because of the company's investments in technology.

"It is equally essential that society manages the risk of climate change by increasing energy efficiency and by investing in research into technology solutions to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions," said Jeff Woodbury, vice president of investor relations at ExxonMobil.

"Our outlook by no means represents a 'business as usual' case and is generally consistent with other forecasting organizations, such as the International Energy Agency."

ExxonMobil has faced increased scrutiny over the last year following news investigations that accused the oil giant of waging a deceitful publicity war against climate science.

Chevron also said it is addressing climate change in its policies and that a stress test is based upon "the flawed premise" that tough policies will adversely affect all fossil fuel producers to the same extent.

"We believe that Chevron is a capable and efficient producer, well-positioned to compete in any supply-and-demand scenario," it said in its proxy statement.

The climate measures have won support from 50 large shareholders with more than $10 trillion in assets, said Andrew Logan of the environmental group Ceres, which is coordinating the campaigns against ExxonMobil and Chevron.

These include Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest; French banks BNP Paribas and Natixis; and insurers Axa and Aegon.

Also backing the measure are prestigious universities such as Harvard, Yale and Oxford, and shareholder advisory firms Investor Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis.

But crucial to the outcome will be the vote of big investment companies such as Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street, which hold hundreds of millions of shares in oil companies.

Bill McNabb, head of Vanguard, which owns about 6.5 percent of both ExxonMobil and Chevron, has said that shareholders are more likely to effect change by working with the company rather than trying to send a message with a vote.

But Pete Grannis, a deputy comptroller of New York state, said there may be victory even in defeat.

"Win or lose clearly the message is out there that there are number of investors that have concerns about this," he said.

The results of Wednesday's votes are not binding, but ExxonMobil and Chevron have said they will reexamine their policies if the climate measures garner more than 50 percent support.

Environmentalists have called on oil giants to champion renewable energy and stop producing fossil fuels Justin Sullivan (Getty/AFP)
Vietnam activist 'stopped' from meeting Obama

A Vietnamese activist Tuesday said he had been stopped by authorities from meeting Barack Obama as the US leader prepares to engage with rights campaigners in the tightly controlled communist nation.

Obama is currently visiting Vietnam and is expected to meet civil society leaders, including some of the country's long-harassed critics, on Tuesday morning.

So far during his trip he has only lightly touched on the thorny subject of Vietnam's still dismal human rights record.

US President Barack Obama is currently visiting Vietnam and is expected to meet some of the country's long-harassed critics Jim Watson (AFP)

Lawyer Ha Huy Son, who has defended multiple dissidents in court, said he had been invited to meet Obama at the US embassy in Hanoi on Tuesday morning but had been stopped from going.

"Security people have been guarding me at my home for the last two days," he told AFP. "Now they let me out but they have stopped me from going towards the road where the US embassy is."

"They said I could go anywhere else but not to the embassy. And they are still following and watching me," he added.

Activists on social media said two other prominent critics of the communist authorities, banker turned dissident Nguyen Quang A and blogger Pham Doan Trang, had been taken away by security officers.

Neither were answering their phones Tuesday morning. The authorities were also not reachable for comment.

On Monday, Obama announced he was scrapping a Cold War-era ban on weapons sales to Vietnam, as ties between the former foes grow closer thanks to trade and mutual fears of Chinese expansion in disputed seas.

Obama said the decision was part of the ongoing "normalisation" of ties between two countries that have seen a remarkable transition from wartime foes to allies.

But rights groups criticised the decision, saying the US had given away one of its key bargaining chips to push Vietnam to improve its treatment of dissidents.

The one-party state ruthlessly cracks down on protests, jails dissidents, bans trade unions and controls local media.

In a muted reference to its parlous rights situation on Monday, Obama said Washington still had differences with Vietnam on human rights but "modest progress" had been made, something that rights groups rounded on.

The visit is Obama's first to the country -- and the third by a sitting president since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Direct US involvement in the conflict ended in 1973.
Chinese media slam US lifting of Vietnam arms embargo

Chinese state media on Tuesday slammed the lifting of a decades-old US arms embargo against Vietnam, saying the move was aimed at Beijing and calling Barack Obama's assurances to the contrary "a very poor lie".

Obama announced the end of the 41-year-old ban on weapons sales to the United States' former foe in Hanoi on Monday, as Washington and Beijing jockey for influence in Asia and tensions mount in the strategically important South China Sea.

Beijing is taking an increasingly assertive stance in the area, building up artificial islands with facilities capable of military use, while Washington has responded with "freedom of navigation" sail-bys and fly-pasts.

US President Barack Obama (2nd L), flanked by US Secretary of State John Kerry (L), National Security Advisor Susan Rice (2nd R) and US Trade Representative Michael Froman (R), holds official talks with Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi Hoang Dinh Nam (POOL/AFP)

Beijing claims almost the whole of the sea, while several of its neighbours have conflicting claims, including Vietnam.

The arms sales decision "was not based on China", Obama said, but part of normalising ties with the ex-enemy.

China's Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist party, retorted Tuesday that the comment was "a very poor lie" and exacerbated "the strategic antagonism between Washington and Beijing".

Washington's "ultimate goal" was to cement US dominance in the area, it said, and it was "taking advantage of Vietnam to stir up more troubles in the South China Sea".

Similarly the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which includes Vietnam but not China, was one of "three nets that the US is knitting around China -- ideology, security, economy and trade", it said.

The lifting of the embargo will have come as a surprise to the paper, which on Monday confidently declared that such a move "obviously cannot be achieved".

The stance was echoed on the front page of the China Daily, which is published by the government and whose front-page headline said the US was charting a "clear course aimed at containing China".

In an editorial, the paper said that the move risked "turning the region into a tinderbox of conflicts".
Oil riches help keep alive bedouin poetry

The Middle East's poetry equivalent of "Pop Idol" is helping to keep alive an age-old tradition using bedouin dialect, which is barely understood outside the Arabian Gulf.

Apart from the glory, a Kuwaiti student took home five million dirhams ($1.36 million), the top prize in a television show followed by millions of poetry lovers across the region.

With his Nabati poem, Rajih al-Hamidani was crowned 2016 champion of "Million's Poet", staged in oil-rich Abu Dhabi for a seventh year.

With his Nabati poem, Rajih al-Hamidani was crowned 2016 champion of "Million's Poet", staged in Abu Dhabi for a 7th year Marwan Naamani (AFP)

"This is the biggest achievement of my life," said Hamidani after winning the May 17 final.

Fans who had travelled from Kuwait chanted and danced around him as he carried the winner's red banner.

Hamidani, who studies law in Cairo, keeps the flag for a year, after which he can defend the title or pass it on.

He spoke to AFP of his passion for poetry.

"Poetry is a gift I received from God. I did not inherit it from my family. I work on it with passion and I give it all that I can," he said.

The winning poem describing his passion for writing put him ahead of five other finalists.

Audiences cheered after every quartet of his Nabati poetry, which uses bedouin dialect and is favoured in the Gulf but often incomprehensible for other Arabs.

- Passion for 'Nabati' poetry -

Some Arab royals are known for their passion for Nabati poetry, including Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who has a dedicated page on his website.

The competition takes its cue from the pre-Islamic Okaz poetry festival near Mecca, where poets from across the peninsula recited their finest works of classical verse.

The winning poems used to be penned in gold and pinned to the walls of the Kaaba shrine in the Saudi city that later became Islam's holiest site.

Many of those poems are still taught in schools across the Arab world.

"I hope that we will surpass Okaz" in importance, said Issa al-Mazreoui, a member of the organising committee. "We have created a new generation of poets."

The idea is said to have originated from Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and the prizes are funded by the emirate's cultural authority.

Abu Dhabi has been spending lavishly on cultural projects, most notably the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is also being built.

The "Million's Poet" is aired live on Abu Dhabi and Baynouna satellite channels. Scores of hopefuls apply.

Over 15 weeks, 48 finalists from nine countries competed in front of a jury of three while millions watched at home.

Eliminations were based on the votes of the jury and the television audience. The six finalists included an Emirati woman.

Poems with political messages drew reactions from studio audiences, with cheers for poets who criticised Yemeni rebels or the Arab Spring revolts.

Hamidani won 72 percent of the votes, followed by compatriot Saad Battal and Mohammed al-Tamimi from Saudi Arabia.

All six finalists won handsome prizes.

The runner-up took home four million dirhams ($1.09 million), the third placed won three million dirhams, and sixth got 600,000.

"Contrary to other peoples, poetry for the Arabs is not just an art. It records their lives and documents events," said jury member Ghassan al-Khatib.

Kuwait's Rajih al-Hamidani winning poem describing his passion for writing put him ahead of five other finalists Marwan Naamani (AFP)

Over 15 weeks, 48 finalists from nine countries competed in front of a jury of three while millions watched at home Marwan Naamani (AFP)
Philippines' Duterte launches vulgar attacks on Church

Explosive incoming Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has launched a series of obscenity-filled attacks on the Catholic Church, branding local bishops corrupt "sons of whores" who are to be blamed for the nation's fast-growing population.

Duterte also warned the Church, which has a centuries-old tradition of influencing Philippine politics, that his landslide election win this month showed he had more power than its leaders and he would defy them by dramatically expanding family planning.

Swearing, Duterte told senior church figures who had criticised him not to challenge him, delivering his message via reporters at a press conference in his hometown of Davao on Monday night.

Incoming Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has set himself up for confrontation with the Catholic Church on a number of issues, including the death penalty and contraception Noel Celis (AFP/File)

Duterte defied conventional political wisdom with his huge win in the presidential elections, after an incendiary campaign that saw his popularity surge on threats to kill tens of thousands of criminals and vulgar tirades against establishment figures.

Duterte last year called Pope Francis a "son of a whore" for causing traffic jams when he visited Manila, a bold tactic in a nation where 80 percent of the population are Catholics.

Just before the election, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines released a letter advising Filipinos not to vote for a "morally reprehensible" candidate.

The letter did not name Duterte, but it was widely assumed to have been directed at him. Duterte indeed this week said he was the target.

"It is time to be clear between us. You have been castigating me, criticising me," he said at a press conference on Sunday in his first post-election tirade against Church leaders.

Duterte then described Filipino bishops as "sons of whores", as he accused them of being corrupt hypocrites and vowed to expose their "sins".

Duterte, who admits to serial Viagra-fuelled adultery against his current partner after having his first marriage annulled, also blamed the Church for the nation's rapid population growth.

The Church has opposed the government giving out contraceptives and teaching family planning.

While a law was passed in 2012 allowing the government to provide contraceptives, Church lobbying helped influence politicians to cut funding for the programme.

Duterte vowed to dramatically expand the programme after he takes office on June 30, stating he wanted families to have a maximum of three children.

He has four children to two mothers.

Duterte has set himself up for confrontation with the Church on another key front, promising to bring back the death penalty.

The Church will not back down against Duterte on such core issues, one of its leaders, retired archbishop Oscar Cruz, said on Tuesday.

"We won't be quiet... the Church will preach what it thinks is right," Cruz said on DZBB radio.

Philippines' president-elect Rodrigo Duterte last year called Pope Francis a "son of a whore" for causing traffic jams when he visited Manila Manman Dejeto (AFP)
12 dead in Myanmar jade mine landslide, many feared missing

A landslide in Myanmar's northern jade mining region has killed at least 12 people and many more are missing, officials said Tuesday, the latest deadly accident to hit the shadowy but lucrative industry.

The bodies were recovered after a wall of unstable earth collapsed Monday night following heavy rain in the town of Hpakant in Kachin state, the centre of a multi-billion-dollar trade that feeds a huge demand for the precious stones from neighbouring China.

"We retrieved seven dead bodies last night and five more this morning," a police officer in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Rescue workers gather beside a landslide in a jade mining area on the outskirts of Hpakant in Myanmar's northern Kachin State on May 24, 2016 Kyaw Win (AFP)

But efforts to look for more bodies among the rubble have been halted as renewed rain threatens to trigger fresh landslides.

At least 15 people were injured and an estimated 30 others are missing, the officer added.

Confirming the death toll Nilar Myint, a local official in Hpakant, said around 50 people were searching for the stone when an earth wall inside the mine collapsed.

"We are checking homes near the landslide to see who is missing among their friends and relatives," she told AFP.

The area has suffered a string of deadly landslides over the past year, with a major incident in Hpakant last November killing more than 100.

Numerous other smaller accidents have left scores more dead or injured, including a landslide that killed 13 people earlier this month.

The victims are usually impoverished itinerant workers scouring the area for chunks of jade overlooked by the industrial mining firms that have carved up the once-forested landscape.

A resident told AFP hundreds of people have been searching for gems in the craters scooped out by the mining giants during Myanmar's rainy season, when major companies cease operations.

"Locals said that area was a favourite of companies and workers because it had good quality stones. That is why many people were gathering and searching in that particular place," he said on the condition of anonymity, adding that rain and poor roads have hampered the rescue.

Myanmar is the chief source of the world's finest jadeite, a near-translucent green stone that is prized in China, where it is known as the "stone of heaven".

But while mining firms -- many linked to the country's junta-era military elite -- are thought to be raking in huge sums, locals say they do not share in the bounty.

In an October report corruption watchdog Global Witness estimated that Myanmar jade produced in 2014 alone was worth $31 billion, with huge profits going to local drug lords and figures from the powerful military and former junta.

Much of the best jade is thought to be smuggled directly to China.

The group said the secretive jade industry might be the "biggest natural resource heist in modern history".
India uses outdated laws to silence dissent, HRW says

India routinely uses outdated and loosely worded laws to crack down on dissent, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday, urging the government to repeal or amend legislation used to stifle free speech.

A new report from the group details the use of colonial-era laws such as sedition and criminal defamation to clamp down on government critics in the world's biggest democracy.

It comes months after the arrest of Indian student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on a controversial sedition charge sparked major protests and a nationwide debate over free speech.

In 2012, police in the southern state of Tamil Nadu filed sedition complaints against thousands of people who peacefully protested the construction of a nuclear power plant.

"India's abusive laws are the hallmark of a repressive society, not a vibrant democracy," said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW's South Asia director, in a statement.

"Putting critics in prison or even forcing them to defend themselves in lengthy and expensive court proceedings undermines the government's efforts to present India as a modern country in the Internet age committed to free speech and the rule of law."

The report says the law on sedition, which prohibits anything that can trigger "hatred or contempt" for the government and carries a maximum punishment of life in prison, is among the most abused.

Convictions are rare, but the Indian judicial system is notoriously slow and those charged can spend months or even years in jail awaiting trial.

In 2012, police in the southern state of Tamil Nadu filed sedition complaints against thousands of people who peacefully protested the construction of a nuclear power plant.

In 2014 -- the most recent year for which figures are available -- 47 sedition cases were registered across the country and just one person was convicted, according to the government's National Crime Records Bureau.

The HRW report also says a law criminalising the deliberate wounding of religious feelings has had a "chilling effect" on freedom of expression in India and has led to self-censorship by authors, artists and publishers.
On Tuesday Victoria became the first Australian state to formally apologise for 'shameful' historic laws that saw people jailed for being gay as recently as the 1980s.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews admitted in his address to parliament the 'state sanctioned homophobia' ruined lives.

Until 1981, thousands of gay men were convicted and even imprisoned for up to 15 years for offences ranging from buggery and loitering for homosexual purposes to indecency.

Activists said that in some cases, individuals who would today be treated as victims of sexual abuse, were instead charged.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday apologised for laws that made being homosexual a crime until the 1980s

He is pictured here shaking hands with Noel Tovey before the apology to the Victorian gay community

Victoria is the first Australian state to formally apologise for the 'shameful' historic laws

'To our knowledge, no jurisdiction in the world has ever offered a full and formal apology for laws like these,' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told state parliament in Melbourne, as the rainbow flag flew over the building.

'So please, let these words rest forever in our records.

'On behalf of the parliament, the government and the people of Victoria, for the laws we passed and the lives we ruined, and the standards we set, we are so sorry.

'Humbly, deeply sorry.'

Being gay is no longer illegal anywhere in Australia. South Australia was the first to decriminalise male homosexuality in 1975, with Tasmania the last in 1997.

Victoria is the first to apologise, with survivors able to apply to have their convictions quashed.

Tom Anderson breaks down retelling his story outside Parliament on Tuesday

Sydney has a huge Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade which thousands of people participate in (pictured)

'This won't erase the injustice, but it is an accurate statement of what I believe today -- that these convictions should never have happened,' added Andrews, who described the laws as 'nothing less than official state-sanctioned homophobia'.

Rights groups applauded the formal apology.

'This apology is a powerful symbolic act that helps to repair the harm caused by these unjust laws and affirms the value of gay, lesbian and bisexual people's sexuality,' said the Human Rights Law Centre's director of advocacy, Anna Brown.

'It's extremely pleasing to see the Victorian government showing leadership on this issue.'

Prominent indigenous Australian Noel Tovey, who was convicted of buggery nearly 60 years ago at the age of 17 years, said he felt relieved.

'It's good to know at the age of 83 that I am no longer a criminal in the eyes of the law and society,' he said. 'The apology ... is really about the young gay men and women of today.'

Sean Mulcahy, co-convenor of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, called Andrews' statement 'a symbol of how far we have come'.
Death toll from IS bombings in Assad heartland hits 154: monitor

The death toll from a wave of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group in the heartland of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has risen to 154, a monitor said on Tuesday.

More than 300 people were also wounded in the Monday attacks in the Mediterranean coastal cities of Jableh and Tartus, some of them critically, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Most of the dead were civilians, among them eight children.

A car in flames at the scene of bombings in the Syrian city of Tartus, northwest of Damascus, on May 23, 2016

The two cities, which are majority Alawite -- the offshoot of Shiite Islam followed by Assad -- had been relatively insulated from Syria's five-year civil war.

IS claimed the blasts in a statement, saying they were in retaliation for air strikes by the regime and its Russian ally and threatening "more devastating and bitter attacks".

The Syrian foreign ministry blamed "the regimes of hate and extremism" in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the leading supporters of rebels fighting to overthrow the regime.

More than 270,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in 2011. Millions more have been driven from their homes.
Campus bomb kills two in rebel-held Yemen capital

A bomb hit a university campus in the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sanaa on Tuesday killing two people at an event commemorating the country's 1990 unification, a security official said.

Several people were also seriously wounded, the official said, adding that death toll was likely to rise.

The event was organised by the Huthi Shiite rebels who have controlled the capital since September 2014 despite a 14-month-old Saudi-led military intervention in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Students hold posters bearing a portrait of Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah during a rally at the university in the capital Sanaa on March 8, 2016 Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File)

The Huthis were commemorating the May 22, 1990 unification of Yemen after centuries of separation between the north and the south, where British colonial rule was followed by a Soviet-backed communist regime.

There was no immediate claim for Tuesday's bombing but both Al-Qaeda and its jihadist rival the Islamic State group have carried out past bombings against the Huthis, whose Zaidi Shiite faith they regard as heretical.
Hero's burial plan for Philippine dictator Marcos sparks outrage

Plans by the Philippines' controversial president-elect to give late dictator Ferdinand Marcos a hero's burial triggered outrage on Tuesday, with martial law victims warning it would whitewash the strongman's crimes.

Rodrigo Duterte, who won this month's elections in a landslide, announced on Monday he would allow Marcos to be buried at the Heroes' Cemetery in Manila, in what would be another big win for the dictator's family as it cements a remarkable political comeback.

"Burying him at the (cemetery) will whitewash all crimes he committed against the people and will send the wrong message to the world: that in the Philippines, crime pays," Bonifacio Ilagan, who was detained and tortured by Marcos forces, told AFP.

Late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos was in power from 1965-1986 Romeo Gacad (AFP/File)

Ilagan, who heads a group trying to stop the Marcos family from returning to power, said the highly emotional and symbolic burial of the dictator at the cemetery -- where the nation's most revered war heroes have been laid to rest -- would trigger street protests.

Marcos's two-decade rule ended in 1986 when millions of people took to the streets in a famous military-backed "People Power" uprising, forcing the family into US exile where the patriarch died three years later.

Marcos and his wife Imelda were accused of plundering $10 billion from state coffers and overseeing widespread human rights abuses by security forces. Rights groups say Marcos's forces killed or tortured thousands of people.

However Imelda and her children were allowed to return and over the past two decades have enjoyed a stunning rise back into the political elite while fending off a barrage of lawsuits and criminal probes.

Imelda is a congresswoman representing the family's northern provincial stronghold, while Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was elected to the Senate in 2010.

Marcos Jnr ran for the vice presidency in this month's elections. Although he looks set to narrowly lose, at age 58 he is still young enough to achieve his goal of becoming president.

Duterte said Monday he wanted to have the body of Marcos, currently embalmed and enclosed in a glass casket, to be buried at the Heroes' Cemetery to end decades of divisions in society over the issue.

However Nilda Lagman-Sevilla, chairwoman of a group of families whose relatives vanished under Marcos's rule, said healing would only come from discovering what happened to their loved ones and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Her brother, a human rights lawyer who vanished in 1977, is among 882 people who disappeared under Marcos's rule, according to the group.

"They (the families of people who vanished) are still in pain because of the absence of closure," Lagman-Sevilla said.

The Heroes' Cemetery in Manila is reserved for the Philippines' most revered war heroes Ted Aljibe (AFP/File)
Palestinian PM dismisses Netanyahu's direct talks proposal

Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah on Tuesday dismissed an Israeli proposal for direct negotiations instead of a French multilateral peace initiative, calling it an attempt to "buy time".

Hamdallah made the comments as he met French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who held talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories this week to push Paris's peace initiative.

"Time is short," Hamdallah said. "(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is trying to buy time... but this time he will not escape the international community."

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (left) shakes hands with his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah ahead of a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on May 24, 2016 Abbas Momani (AFP)

Referring to the 1990s Oslo accords and their aftermath, he said "there have been negotiations for 22 years and they've led nowhere."

Netanyahu has rejected the plan and called for direct negotiations.

Valls told Netanyahu when he met him on Monday that he would discuss his proposal with French President Francois Hollande, but he has insisted that Paris plans to stick with its approach.

The French initiative involves holding a meeting of foreign ministers from a range of countries, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, on June 3, but without the Israelis and Palestinians present.

An international conference would then be held in the autumn, with the Israelis and Palestinians in attendance. The goal is to eventually relaunch negotiations that would lead to a Palestinian state.

Negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has welcomed the French plan, but Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed his opposition while saying he is willing to meet Abbas at any time.

On Monday, he told Valls that France should host a summit between the pair in Paris.

Palestinian leaders say years of negotiations with Israel have not ended its occupation, and they have pursued a strategy of diplomacy at international bodies.

- 'Friend of Israel' -

Valls departed on Tuesday with little having changed -- Palestinian support and Israeli opposition were known before his visit -- though Netanyahu could face pressure to soften his stance if the initiative gains momentum.

"The simple fact that the June 3 meeting will occur creates hope," Valls said, adding that the two-state solution must be kept alive despite "immense difficulty."

Valls has sought to address Israeli concerns over the French initiative, saying it would not try to impose a solution and that negotiations between the two sides would ultimately resolve the conflict.

He has called himself a "friend of Israel" during his trip, and said Israeli security must be guaranteed.

But he has also criticised Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank, considered to be a major stumbling block to peace.

Jewish settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law and are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Some 600,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem in constant tension with 2.8 million Palestinians. More than 60 percent of the West Bank is under complete Israeli control.

Those arguing for a new peace effort say the lack of any initiative leaves a vacuum that can be filled by hardliners on either side.

There has also been talk of the potential for a Cairo-led plan that could result in a summit between Abbas and Netanyahu, with ties between Israel and Egypt having improved in recent months.

An upsurge in violence since October has killed 205 Palestinians and 28 Israelis. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

The unrest has steadily declined in recent weeks.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with Israeli occupation and settlement building in the West Bank, the complete lack of progress in peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have fed the recent unrest.

Israel says incitement by Palestinian leaders and media is a main cause of the violence.

The Jewish settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law Ahmad Gharabli (AFP/File)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks during his Likud party meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on May 23, 2016 Menahem Kahana (AFP)
Malian to seek forgiveness for razing of Timbuktu, ICC told

A Malian jihadist will seek forgiveness from his people for attacking the world heritage site of Timbuktu when he pleads guilty at an unprecedented case before an international war crimes court, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi will become the first person to admit to war crimes charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in The Hague at a joint hearing and sentencing due to be held in the coming months.

He stands accused of jointly ordering or carrying out the destruction of nine mausoleums and a section of Timbuktu's famous Sidi Yahia mosque, a UNESCO-protected world heritage site dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

Alleged jihadist Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi (L) pictured at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on September 30, 2015 Robin van Lonkhuijsen (ANP/AFP/File)

Mahdi is the first jihadist suspect to appear before the ICC and the first person to be solely charged with war crimes for an attack on a global historic and cultural monument.

Mahdi, who is aged around 40, had told his defence lawyer, Mohamed Aouini, he was "a Muslim who believes in justice."

"He wants to be truthful to himself and he wants to admit the acts that he has committed. And he wants to ask at the same time for pardon from the people of Timbuktu and the Malian people," Aouini told a hearing at the ICC Tuesday.

"He regrets all the actions that he has committed," Aouini added.

Mahdi will admit a single charge of "the war crime of attacking buildings dedicated to religion and historic monuments" in 2012, when many of the ancient shrines were destroyed.

The Malian's prosecution comes amid a global outcry over the razing by the so-called Islamic State group of sites in Iraq and Syria that bear testament to the world's collective history.

ICC prosecutors say Mahdi was a leader of Ansar Dine, a mainly Tuareg group that controlled areas of Mali's northern desert together with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and a third local group in early 2012.

Judge Raul Pangalangan said the court had hoped to open the trial in mid-June, but both the defence and prosecutors asked for longer to prepare, and suggested August 25.

Pangalangan said judges were "willing to accommodate a request" to start the trial after the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr which ends the fasting month of Ramadan in early July.
Maldives ex-president Nasheed says granted UK refugee status

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed says he has been granted refugee status in Britain, after being toppled from power and jailed in a "slide towards authoritarianism" that has forced him into exile.

Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment on controversial terrorism charges last year, but was allowed to travel to Britain in January for spinal cord surgery after he fell ill.

The island nation has been rocked by political turmoil in recent years, seriously denting its reputation as an upmarket tourist destination as current leader Abdulla Yameen rules with an iron fist.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed speaks during a press conference in London, on January 25, 2016 Ben Stansall (AFP/File)

"President Yameen has jailed every opposition leader and cracked down on anyone who dares to oppose or criticise him," Nasheed, 49, said in a statement Monday proclaiming his refugee status.

"In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost.

"Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile -- for now."

The Maldives government reacted swiftly, accusing Nasheed -- whose legal team includes the high-profile human rights lawyer Amal Clooney -- of trying to avoid serving his prison sentence.

"The government of the Maldives is disappointed, if confirmed, that the UK government is allowing itself to be part of this charade, and further, is enabling an individual to circumvent his obligations under the law," it said in a statement.

Last month, President Yameen stripped Nasheed of his pension and medical insurance benefits granted by the constitution to former leaders.

Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said he would continue as their leader and his new status could help focus international attention on the plight of dissidents in the nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims.

"He will continue to be the leader of the party and give leadership to our work from abroad," MDP youth wing leader Shauna Aminath told AFP by telephone.

Nasheed secured asylum in Britain in 2004 after a crackdown on dissidents by the-then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a half brother of the current incumbent Yameen.

- Red carpet -

He returned to the Maldives in April 2005 and won the atoll nation's first democratic presidential elections three years later, toppling Gayoom who had been in power for 30 straight years.

Britain's interior ministry declined to confirm the former president's status when contacted by AFP, saying it did not comment on individual cases.

Nasheed was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for medical treatment in a deal brokered by the former colonial power along with Sri Lanka and India.

The United Nations has led international criticism of the treatment of Nasheed, who served for four years before he was ousted in what he called a coup backed by the military and police in February 2012.

In 2015 he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges relating to the arrest of an allegedly corrupt judge in 2012, when he was still in power.

The Maldives, best known as an idyllic destination for honeymooners, has instead been in the headlines with a succession of political dramas.

In November, the Maldives parliament approved a state of emergency for 30 days, but lifted the tough laws within a week after saying it had made progress in an investigation into a blast aboard Yameen's speed boat that wounded his wife and two others on September 28.

Yameen's trusted deputy Abdulla Adeeb was later arrested in connection with the blast and remains in custody charged with attempting to assassinate him.

Adeeb's arrest, which followed his impeachment, was the second sacking of a vice president in just under four months.

Yameen dismissed former vice president Mohamed Jameel after he accused him of trying to topple the government.

And, in April, Maldives police briefly arrested 16 independent journalists while breaking up a demonstration against an alleged crackdown on freedom of speech.
Hopes fade for Indian climbers missing on Everest

Rescuers searching for two Indian climbers missing on Mount Everest said Tuesday there was little hope of finding the pair alive after losing contact with them over the weekend.

The two men -- identified by the Indian embassy as Paresh Nath and Goutam Ghosh -- were near the summit of the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) mountain on Saturday when they lost contact with the rest of their team.

The missing climbers were part of a team of four, one of whom -- Subhash Pal -- died after falling ill on Sunday. The fourth team member, a woman, was rescued and taken to hospital.

Over 300 climbers have died trying to scale Mount Everest, since the first ascent was made in 1953 Roberto Schmidt (AFP/File)

"We are trying to locate them and pray they are okay, but they were very high up and it has been over two days. It is difficult to keep hope alive," Wangchu Sherpa of Trekking Camp Nepal told AFP.

Three officials from India have arrived in Kathmandu to coordinate searches and another mountain rescue team will be deployed Wednesday, Sherpa said.

Subhash Pal was the third mountaineer to die on Everest in recent days after an Australian and a Dutch climber succumbed to altitude sickness.

As climbers ascend above 8,000 metres, they enter the "death zone" -- notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air -- where oxygen supplies fall to dangerously low levels and make mountaineers susceptible to altitude sickness.

Nava Kumar Phukon, an Indian climber who summitted on Friday, told AFP the weather had been harsh through the weekend with strong winds severely hampering visibility.

"The wind would blow the snow and everything would become white. I could barely see a few metres ahead," said Phukon, 44.

Some 400 people, including more than 150 foreigners, have summitted Everest this season after two consecutive years of deadly disasters that led to almost all attempts being abandoned.

US climber Melissa Arnot Monday became the first American woman to successfully summit and descend Everest without using extra oxygen.

"Climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen has been a goal of mine for a long time... I'm incredibly fortunate," Arnot said in a statement.

Since the world's highest peak was first conquered in 1953 more than 300 people have died on Everest and neighbouring Lhotse, which share the same route until Camp 3 at 7,200 metres.

Despite the risks and recent disasters, Everest's allure remains undimmed, with Nepal issuing 289 permits to foreigners for this year's spring climbing season.

Hundreds of climbers fled Everest last year after an earthquake-triggered avalanche at base camp killed 18 people.

Only one climber reached the top in 2014 after an avalanche killed 16 Nepali guides that year.
French tax police raid Google's Paris offices

French police and two dozen computer experts raided Google's Paris offices Tuesday in a fraud probe, with the US Internet giant already suspected of owing 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in back taxes.

The French authorities suspect Google of "aggravated tax fraud and conspiracy to conceal (it)," the national financial prosecution service (PNF) said in a statement.

Google is one of several multinational corporations that have come under fire in Europe for paying extremely low taxes by shifting revenue across borders in an often complex web of financial arrangements.

Google is one of several multinational corporations that have come under fire in Europe for paying extremely low taxes by shifting revenue across borders in an often complex web of financial arrangements Damien Meyer (AFP/File)

A Google spokeswoman told AFP: "We respect French legislation and are fully cooperating with the authorities to answer their questions."

The PNF said police, tax officials and 25 computer experts took part in the raid.

A source close to the matter said in February that French authorities believe the Californian group owes 1.6 billion euros in back taxes.

Its European operations are headquartered in Ireland, which has some of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe.

The PNF said the probe, launched in June 2015, aimed to "check" whether Google Ireland Limited, "by not declaring part of its activity carried out on French territory... has failed in its tax obligations, notably in terms of company tax and value-added tax".

Google France received a "notification" of the investigation back in March 2014, which did not give any precise figures.

Its offices have been raided by French authorities before, in June 2011, during an investigation into transfers to its Irish headquarters.

In January, Google agreed to pay 130 million (170 million euros, $190 million) in back taxes in Britain after a government inquiry sparked by a public outcry.

Italy has demanded more than 200 million euros from Google, which is accused of perpetrating tax fraud there for years.

- Friendly 'tax rulings' -

Authorities in the United States and several European countries have begun cracking down on so-called "tax optimisation" practices thought to rob their coffers of billions of euros in potential revenue every year.

The European Union has also been investigating "tax rulings" by some member states that benefit multinationals.

Brussels is probing online retailer Amazon's tax arrangements in Luxembourg, one of a series of such probes targeting major global firms, including Apple, Starbucks and Fiat.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai defended the Internet giant's tax practices during a visit to Paris in February.

"We're a global company. We have to abide by tax laws everywhere, we do abide by local tax laws in every single country," he said.

"We're advocating strongly for a simpler global tax system," he added.

France has previously refused to negotiate the amount of back taxes it would request.

However, a source inside France's tax authority said in February that bargaining may still be possible.

"This does not mean that Google will ultimately pay 1.6 billion," the source told AFP. "There will be appeals, and perhaps a negotiation in the end, in particular on penalties."
Solar Impulse plane postpones Ohio departure

A solar-powered plane set to fly from Ohio to Pennsylvania on Tuesday delayed its departure to inspect possible damage due to a mishap, organizers said.

The Solar Impulse 2, set to be piloted by Swiss national Bertrand Piccard, was scheduled to fly out of Dayton International Airport and head to Lehigh Valley International Airport near the city of Allentown at 1000 GMT.

However problems arose with the fan needed to keep the giant plane's mobile hanger inflated, and while rebooting the system, "some parts of the airplane were lightly touched by the deflating hangar fabric," organizers said in a statement.

Solar Impulse 2 workers tow the experimental solar-powered aircraft to the runway in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 21, 2016 Jean Revillard/Rezo (Solar Impulse 2/AFP)

The slow-moving, single-seat plane with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, contains 17,000 solar cells that power the aircraft's propellers and charge batteries. The panels provide the plane's sole source of energy for the flight.

At first check engineers found no damage.

"However this will have to be studied more carefully over the next few days and as such the flight from Dayton to Lehigh Valley has to be postponed," the statement said.

No rescheduled departure time or date was announced.

The Solar Impulse 2 has traversed much of the globe in stages since taking off March 9, 2015 from Abu Dhabi.
Tutu's daughter loses S.African church licence after gay marriage

Desmond Tutu's daughter has been forced to give up her duties as a priest in South Africa's Anglican church after she married a woman, she told AFP on Tuesday.

Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu-van Furth can no longer preside at holy communion, weddings, baptisms or funerals after handing in her licence because the church does not recognise gay marriage.

She said her father, the retired archbishop and celebrated anti-apartheid campaigner, was "sad but not surprised" at the news.

Desmond Tutu's daughter, the Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu-van Furth Rodger Bosch (AFP/File)

"The canon (law) of the South African Church states that marriage is between one man and one woman," Tutu-van Furth said in an email.

"After my marriage... the Bishop of Saldanha Bay was advised that he must revoke my licence. I offered to return my licence rather than require that he take it from me."

Mpho and Marceline Tutu-van Furth have been on honeymoon on the Indonesian island of Bali after holding a wedding party outside Cape Town earlier this month.

Desmond Tutu, 84, who has been in frail health, attended the celebrations with his wife.

He has previously spoken out in favour of gay marriage.

Marceline Tutu-van Furth is an Amsterdam-based professor specialising in paediatric infections.

The couple -- who are both divorced and have children -- officially tied the knot in the Netherlands in December.

"My wife and I meet across almost every dimension of difference. Some of our differences are obvious; she is tall and white, I am black and vertically challenged," Mpho told the South African City Press newspaper.

"Ironically, coming from a past where difference was the instrument of division, it is our sameness that is now the cause of distress," she said in a reference to apartheid.

Senior local priest Bruce Jenneker told AFP that the Saldanha diocese had received Mpho's licence with "sadness".

"It was a great pity that it had to happen," he added.
Kurdish-Arab alliance launch operations north of Raqa, US official confirms

A US-backed alliance of Kurdish-Arab fighters has started to clear Islamic State fighters from the area north of Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital, a US official confirmed Tuesday.

"The SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have begun operations to clear the northern countryside, so this is putting pressure on Raqa," Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.

The US military will conduct air strikes in support of the "several thousand" SDF forces, some of whom have been trained and equipped by the United States.

Islamic State (IS) group fighters established the capital of their self-declared caliphate in Raqa after seizing control of the northern Syrian city in 2014

Warren said the operation began earlier on Tuesday, and SDF forces had met little IS resistance across the sparsely populated area.

Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 IS fighters are in Raqa, Warren said, noting it was not clear when an assault on the key city itself might eventually come.

A separate US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said SDF troops were taking territory on their way to Raqa, but "they are not attacking Raqa" itself.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, coalition warplanes on Tuesday carried out dozens of strikes north of Raqa city.

If Raqa falls, "it's the beginning of the end of their caliphate," Warren predicted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said Moscow was ready to coordinate with both the United States and the SDF in the offensive for Raqa.
Bernard Tomic regrets 'I've got millions' boast

Australian star Bernard Tomic admits he shouldn't have made his notorious rich-boy boast but refused to backtrack entirely from the remarks which also led to him snubbing the Olympics.

The 23-year-old breezed past Brian Baker, the 662nd-ranked American, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round of the French Open on Tuesday.

But his first victory on clay this season was overshadowed by his ongoing problems.

Australia's Bernard Tomic in first-round action against Brian Baker of the United States at the French Open in Paris, on May 24, 2016 Eric Feferberg (AFP)

His decision to skip the Olympics came after he was widely lambasted for his poor form over the European spring where he had played four claycourt tournaments and lost in the first round every time.

He made headlines in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini.

Tomic later told his post-match news conference: "I don't care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?"

It prompted Australia's Olympic chef de mission Kitty Chiller to call his behaviour "appalling".

"I would love to say I have ten million U.S. dollars, but maybe ten million Australian," said Tomic on Tuesday.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have said that, but that's in the past. That was my fault. You got me there.

"I was just in that moment. I just said that and I was talking to my friends about some things, so it just sort of came out."

However, he added: "I don't really care -- maybe if I had 100 that's different."

Dubbed 'Tomic the tank engine' by sections of the Australian media, Tomic lasted just eight minutes in his opening clash at the Rome Masters earlier this month, retiring after a medical timeout when leading Frenchman Benoit Paire 2-1, saying he had been "feeling bad all night".

World number one Novak Djokovic, a potential last-16 opponent at the French Open, blasted Tomic for being immature and lacking commitment.

Ironically, Tomic has been hitting with Djokovic -- a neighbour of his in Monaco -- in practice in Paris.

"I was practising with a lot of quality hits. Novak a few days ago. Good to see and get good rhythm," he added.

"Playing bloody well, so I think the week I had training prior to this has given me the best chance to feel good."

Tomic made the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2011 as an 18-year-old but has been unable to push on.

Injury -- as well as on and off-court problems -- helped push his ranking down to 130 in 2014.

But he insists he can be a top-five player as long as he can ignore the sport's many distractions.

"I don't need to train much to be where I am, 30, 20 in the world. I always have the talent," said Tomic.

"If I want to get more in my career and life, I have to be 100% in everything. You have to give 100% all the time and compete all year. That's been one of the things I've probably been struggling on prior to this year."
Iraq's Fallujah operation gives PM political reprieve

Iraq's operation to recapture jihadist bastion Fallujah has given Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi a political reprieve, drawing attention away from repeated setbacks to reform efforts that have angered protesters.

With the launch of the operation, Abadi can present himself as the commander-in-chief who is fighting back against the reviled Islamic State group, as opposed to a premier whose office was stormed by demonstrators just a few days ago.

Dressed in a black uniform of a type worn by Iraqi special forces, Abadi visited the command centre for the operation to retake Fallujah, an IS stronghold just 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Baghdad.

Iraqi pro-government forces advance towards the city of Fallujah on May 23, 2016 Ahmad al-Rubaye (AFP)

Pictures of Abadi with commanders were posted on his Twitter account along with the text: "The prime minister oversees and directs the battles" from the front lines.

But not everyone was convinced by Abadi's performance, and some critics said he had the Iraqi flag on the wrong side of his uniform.

"For Abadi, (Fallujah) provides not just a distraction but, if executed well, a demonstration of some level of effective command and control from Baghdad," said Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer who is now with The Soufan Group consultancy.

It is "not the same as good governance, but he needs whatever he can get right now," Skinner said.

Zaid al-Ali, a fellow at Princeton University and the author of "The Struggle for Iraq's Future," said the operation could aid Abadi, but only for a while.

- 'Temporary at best' -

"The Fallujah campaign offers Abadi a reprieve from the political crisis in Baghdad, but it is temporary at best," said Ali.

"Regardless of how successful the assault against (IS) in Fallujah will be, Iraqis will continue to demand dramatic reform," he said.

But for Abadi, even a temporary reprieve is a significant improvement.

Last Friday, demonstrators broke into Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, where the government is headquartered, for the second time in less than a month, storming his office after doing the same at parliament in late April.

The demonstrators were demanding the current government be replaced by technocrats -- a measure proposed by Abadi but opposed by powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds.

While security forces largely stood by during the first Green Zone breach, they took tougher measures the second time, using tear gas, sound bombs and water cannons against protesters.

Forces also fired a large number of live rounds, most in the air, but at least two protesters died of bullet wounds while dozens more were injured, the majority by tear gas.

Abadi was thus facing protesters enraged by the deaths and injuries they suffered, demanding a new government that would have to be approved by a parliament that has not met in weeks.

- 'Just what Abadi needed' -

Even before the Green Zone breaches, parliament had repeatedly failed to approve new ministers, only signing off on some of Abadi's nominees in a session from which some lawmakers were barred -- a move now facing a legal challenge.

But now, all eyes are on Fallujah, which has been outside Baghdad's control for nearly two and a half years, falling to anti-government fighters in January 2014 and later becoming an IS bastion.

Abadi said the Fallujah operation had been in the works for months but was delayed by political turmoil in Baghdad.

"Political problems and also the events... threatening security inside Baghdad delayed some of the preparations," he said in televised remarks.

But powerful Shiite militias may have helped force the issue by deploying fighters to the Fallujah area.

However it came about, the fight for Fallujah brings an immediate opportunity for Abadi to project a stronger image.

Abadi "spent the first two weeks of (May) getting beaten over the head on Iraqi talk shows by just about every other faction for being weak," said Kirk Sowell, a Jordan-based political risk analyst who is the publisher of Inside Iraqi Politics.

"Appearing in a military-style uniform, surrounded by men in uniform, to order an operation against Fallujah, this is just what Abadi needed," Sowell said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi inspects the damage after protesters stormed the Iraqi parliament building in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone area on May 1, 2016
Syrian base used by Russia damaged in IS attack: report

Satellite imagery appears to show extensive damage to an air base in Syria used by Russian forces following an attack by fighters from the Islamic State group, US intelligence company Stratfor said Tuesday.

The claim was immediately denied by Russia's defence ministry which said that the damage had been there for months and was due to fighting between Syrian government forces and "militants from terror groups".

Stratfor released satellite images dated from May 14 and May 17, implying that the damage to the T-4 base, also known as Tiyas, was caused in that time.

Russia launched its Syria bombing campaign on September 30 Paul Gypteau (AFP/File)

The images suggest four helicopters and 20 lorries were destroyed by fire inside the base, which strategically located in central Syria between war-ravaged Palmyra and Homs.

"The T4 air base was severely damaged by an Islamic State artillery attack. In particular, four Russian Mi-24 attack helicopters appear to have been destroyed," Stratfor said on their website.

The cause of the apparent damage could not be determined from the images obtained by Stratfor.

But the BBC quoted Stratfor analyst Sim Tack as saying that "this was not an accidental explosion".

It "would really be a marginal, almost non-existent chance for this to be accidental," he added.

Tack said there was evidence of "several different sources of explosions across the airport, and it shows that the Russians took a quite a bad hit".

The Stratfor report said that "ordnance impact points are visible" in the images and that a Syrian MiG-25 fighter jet also appeared to have been damaged.

But Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: "The burnt air and auto equipment along with many craters from shell detonations have been there for several months.

"This is a result of heavy combat for this aerodrome between Syrian government forces and militants of terrorist groups."

- Russian role key -

Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed Syrian source confirming a "fire" at the base, though he did not specify when it had occurred.

"The reasons of the fire are unknown. It started near the space where four helicopters were located. Fire engines could not access the fire due to shelling by terrorists. The fire spread to the helicopters," the source said, adding that there were no casualties or injuries sustained in the shelling.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported shelling of the T-4 base on May 11 after IS jihadists briefly took control of part of a route between Palmyra and Homs.

"Though the Islamic State failed to cut off the road for any extended amount of time, it did move artillery within range of the base, which it subsequently shelled," Stratfor said in its analysis.

The British-based Observatory also said two days later that continued shelling had caused an explosion at a fuel depot and a fire that destroyed three helicopters.

On May 15, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said that four Russian combat helicopters and 20 trucks carrying rockets had been destroyed at the T-4 base by a fire but did not provide further details.

IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq in mid-2014, and the group has claimed deadly attacks in the West and throughout the Middle East.
Kenya warned on violence used in protest crackdown

Kenya's biggest donors and the UN on Tuesday warned against violence after three died as police suppressed opposition demonstrators demanding a change of leadership at the electoral commission ahead of next year's polls.

Police said two people died of gunshot wounds in the western town of Siaya on Monday, and one from a head injury after falling over while running from tear gas in Kisumu, also in the west. The opposition CORD party claimed several people were killed.

The opposition protests, in their fourth week, are organised by the CORD party and aimed at forcing a change of leadership at the country's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ahead of polls due next year.

Kenyan tiot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in the western town of Siaya Monday who also tried to gather in the capital Nairobi (pictured) Carl de Souza (AFP)

Riot police equipped with shields and batons used tear gas and water canon to disperse protesters who also tried to gather in the capital Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa.

"We are deeply concerned by the escalation of violence during the demonstrations," a joint statement by a dozen ambassadors read, including Britain, the European Union and United States. "The deaths and injuries of Kenyan citizens were tragic and unnecessary," they added.

Other ambassadors include those from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden also signed the letter.

"We urge the government of Kenya to investigate the actions of the security services and to hold accountable anyone responsible for the use of excessive force," the statement read, adding that they "call on all demonstrators to act peacefully."

Speaking in Geneva, Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said he was "very concerned by the increasing violence surrounding the weekly protests."

CORD leader Raila Odinga believes the commission is biased, blaming it for his defeat by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2013 vote.

Police said that prison wardens escorting criminals shot and injured five "rioters" who attacked their bus.

"We urge both the authorities and the protest organisers to cooperate in ensuring that peaceful protesters are protected from violent elements joining the demonstrations -- and it is vital the authorities do not overreact to the presence of such elements, thereby placing many other innocent protestors at risk of physical harm," Colville said.
Sri Lanka rain death toll hits 101 as waters recede

Floods subsided across Sri Lanka Tuesday revealing the full extent of damage from last week's deluge that also triggered landslides, officials said, as the death toll crossed 100.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said 101 people were known to have died last week while another 100 people were still listed as missing in the worst hit central district of Kegalle.

Military officials in the district, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north-east of the capital, said a search was still under way for the missing people although there was little hope of finding anyone alive under the tonnes of mud.

Sri Lankan residents clear debris from outside homes following flooding in the Kolonnawa suburb of Colombo on May 24, 2016 Ishara S. Kodikara (AFP)

"The flood waters have receded across the country," DMC spokesman Pradeep Kodippili told AFP. "Over 530 houses have been completely destroyed and another 4,000 partly damaged."

He said most of the capital's flood-affected population had returned to their homes since Monday when the water levels started going down.

At the height of the floods, a third of Colombo's 650,000 residents were driven out of their homes, according to official figures.

The Finance Ministry has estimated the damage to small businesses and industries at about $2 billion. The government has promised compensation to victims, but details are yet to be announced.

Sri Lanka's parliament has been recalled to meet Wednesday, a week ahead of schedule, to discuss reconstruction and rehabilitation following the worst flooding in the capital in nearly a quarter of a century.

Soldiers and relief workers were seen distributing essential supplies to people cleaning up their homes in low-lying areas of Colombo.

Floodwaters from the Kelani, which flows to the Indian Ocean through Colombo, were contaminated with garbage from a dump on the edge of the city as well as raw sewage, raising concerns of a disease outbreak, officials said.

Doctors and nurses were seen across the affected areas Tuesday while the authorities maintained mobile medical units.

Sri Lanka has received international aid as well as support from nationals keen to help the victims.
Kurdish-Arab alliance launch operations north of Raqa

A US-backed alliance of Kurdish-Arab fighters has started to clear Islamic State fighters from the area north of Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital, a US official confirmed Tuesday.

"The SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have begun operations to clear the northern countryside, so this is putting pressure on Raqa," Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.

The US military will conduct air strikes in support of the SDF forces, some of whom have been trained and equipped by the United States. It was not clear when an assault on Raqa itself might come.
In first, Russia, China emergency medical teams get global certificate

Three Russian and Chinese emergency medical teams have become the first certified by the World Health Organization to respond to disasters and disease outbreaks globally, the UN health agency said Tuesday.

The two teams from Russia and one from China "completed WHO's rigorous classification process," the agency said in a statement.

"This means that, when a disaster strikes and an affected country requests help, we can quickly deploy medical teams that we know meet our high standards," WHO chief Margaret Chan said in the statement.

The two emergency medical teams from Russia and one from China "completed WHO's rigorous classification process," the agency said in a statement

The certification programme was launched last year in a bid to ensure that medical teams sent abroad to respond to an emergency have well-trained staff and bring along the proper medicine and equipment to respond to the situation.

There are currently 67 medical teams from 25 countries working to receive the coveted stamp of approval, and WHO expects that number to rise to as many as 200 teams within the next couple of years, representing more than 100,000 health workers, Ian Norton, who leads the work on foreign medical teams at WHO, told reporters.

The certification programme came in response to the humanitarian and medical aid debacle in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince six years ago, killing more than 200,000 people.

"We saw hundreds of teams descend on Haiti with the very best intentions to treat those affected by the earthquake," Ian Norton, who leads the work on foreign medical teams at WHO, told reporters.

"Unfortunately in healthcare, good intentions aren't enough," he said, pointing out that "some arrived without the right training, some arrived without the right equipment and supplies and became almost more of a burden than a help."

Since then, the global medical community has taken great strides to better coordinate responses to disasters and outbreaks, Norton said.

He stressed that it is always better for countries to ensure and coordinate their own emergency response.

But in cases where they need outside help, the foreign medical teams must be sufficiently trained and bring with them the appropriate medication, which must meet international standards.

The new WHO-certified teams will only be deployed if a government requests their assistance.

Providing teams with WHO certificates will help ensure that "disaster-affected governments and their populations (receive) predictable and timely responses by well-trained medical personnel and self-sufficient teams," WHO said.
Uganda protests to DR Congo over border police killings

Uganda has sent an official complaint to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo after four police officers were shot dead on a lake between the neighbours, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The Ugandan police officers were in a patrol boat investigating reports of illegal fishing on Lake Albert on Saturday when gunmen opened fire. Uganda has blamed DR Congo troops for the killing.

"The four police officers were on official duty on Lake Albert within the territorial sphere of Uganda," Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem said. "They were killed in line of duty and their bodies were taken by the DRC authorities."

Ugandan police officers stand guard on February 22, 2016 in Kasangati Isaac Kasamani (AFP/File)

DR Congo government spokesman Lambert Mende told AFP there had been "exchanges of fire" between the "forces of two friendly countries" and that they regretted the incident.

He said that a joint investigation commission had been established to determine exactly what had happened.

Tensions have risen between security forces along the lake in recent years, with each side detaining soldiers and police from the other.

"The government has requested that a meeting of security chiefs of both states be held urgently," Oryem said.
Key stages in the war against IS

Here are milestones in the fight against the Islamic State group as a Kurdish-Arab alliance announced an assault against the IS north of its Syrian bastion of Raqa.

In neighbouring Iraq, government forces have also launched an offensive to recapture Fallujah, a key IS stronghold west of Baghdad.

The first air strikes

Iraqi pro-government forces gather in al-Shahabi village, east of the city of Fallujah, on May 24, 2016, as part of a major assault to retake the city from Islamic State group Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP)

On August 8, 2014, US jets strike IS positions in northern Iraq in response to an appeal from Baghdad, in the first American military operation in the country since troops withdrew in late 2011.

Already entrenched in neighbouring Syria, IS seized swathes of Iraqi territory in a lightning offensive launched in June 2014 and marked by a complete collapse of the security forces.

On September 5, US President Barack Obama vows to build an international coalition to defeat IS.

On September 23, the US and Arab allies launch air strikes on IS in Syria.

IS driven out of Kobane

IS is driven out of the Syrian border town of Kobane on January 26, 2015 after more than four months of fighting led by Kurdish forces backed by coalition air strikes.

An Iraqi military official also says the eastern province of Diyala has been liberated.

Iraq's Tikrit recaptured

On March 31, 2015, Baghdad announces the "liberation" of Tikrit, 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of Baghdad. Government forces and Shiite militias had launched their offensive on March 2 against the IS, which controlled Tikrit for nearly 10 months.

But in May, the IS takes Iraqi provincial capital Ramadi, and Syria's famed ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

IS ousted from border town

On June 16, 2015, Kurdish militia backed by Syrian rebels and coalition air strikes seize the town of Tal Abyad on the Syrian border with Turkey from IS, which had occupied it for more than a year.

Tal Abyad was one of two main transit points on a key supply route to de facto IS capital Raqa.

Turkey declares war on IS

On July 24, 2015, Turkish warplanes bomb IS positions inside Syria for the first time in a dramatic toughening of Ankara's stance.

Turkish raids are nonetheless mostly aimed at positions of the Kurdistan Workers Party in Iraq and Syria.

Turkey gives Washington the go-ahead to conduct operations over Syria from Ankara's strategic southeastern air base of Incirlik.

Russia intervenes in Syria

On September 30, 2015, Russia launches air strikes in Syria to help its Damascus regime ally, but Washington accuses Moscow of targeting US-backed Syrian rebels rather than IS fighters.

Iraq's Sinjar, Ramadi retaken

On November 13, 2015, Iraqi Kurds announce the "liberation" of Sinjar from IS in an assault that severs a key jihadist supply line with Syria. Across the border, a coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters drives IS out of the village of Al-Hol, also on the supply route. The US-led coalition provides air support.

Iraqi forces retake Ramadi on December 27.

Syrians retake Palmyra

On March 27, 2016, Syrian forces backed by Russia retake Palmyra.

Two-pronged offensive begins

On May 24, Kurdish and Arab units grouped within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launch an assault backed by US-led air support against IS fighters north of Raqa, but makes no mention of the city itself. Russia, which appears to have suffered an IS attack on one of its air bases in Syria, says it is ready to coordinate actions with both the US and SDF.

In Iraq, IS fighters in Fallujah were besieged by government troops and paramilitary units.

IS showed it could still strike back, with a wave of attacks killing more than 160 people a day earlier in Syrian regime coastal strongholds.

US tally of IS retreats

On May 16, a Pentagon spokesman says the IS has lost about 45 percent of its territory in Iraq, and between 16-20 percent of land it seized in Syria.

People inspect the damage at the site of a suicide bombing suspected to have been carried out by the Islamic State group on May 22, 2016 in the Christian Wusta neighbourhood of the divided Syrian northeastern city of Qamishli Delil Souleiman (AFP/File)

A video grab made on December 9, 2015, shows an image taken from footage made available on by the Russian Defence Ministry, purporting to show Rostov-on-Don submarine launching missiles in the Mediterranean Sea during a strike against the Islamic State
Israeli minister blocks burial of killed Palestinian attackers

Israel's internal security minister on Tuesday ordered police to stop handing over for burial the bodies of Palestinians killed carrying out attacks, defying a supreme court recommendation.

Gilad Erdan announced the decision on his official Facebook page in response to video posted online showing a large crowd at the east Jerusalem funeral of a local Palestinian man who killed an Israeli rabbi in west Jerusalem in October and was then shot dead by police at the scene.

In the footage, the chanting mourners praise Alaa Abu Jamal as a "martyr".

Israeli soldiers stand guard outside the house of Alaa Abu Jamal, who was shot dead after reportedly running over and stabbing a rabbi at a Jerusalem bus stop in October 2015, in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jabal Mukaber on January 4, 2016 Ahmad Gharabli (AFP/File)

"I was just shown the outrageous images from the funeral last night in east Jerusalem, in which the conditions set by the police were violated and the commitments made by the terrorist's family were broken," Erdan said.

"I instructed the police to stop returning the bodies of terrorists."

The video appeared to show that the rally was outside the cemetery gates and beyond the control of the family.

"Police said the family met the conditions it had been set, as only 40 people were allowed into the cemetery," Israeli news site Ynet reported.

"The chanting was done outside while the body was being taken from the nearby mosque to the cemetery," it said.

In February Erdan's ministry set conditions for the handover of bodies of attackers from Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Bereaved families would have to commit to burying their relatives at night, with a maximum of 40 mourners, and not allow funerals to become Palestinian nationalist demonstrations.

On May 5, the supreme court 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.

But its declaration was a recommendation rather than a mandatory ruling and Erdan said Tuesday that in any case the Palestinians had breached the rules.

"The terrorists' families lied to the court after they pledged to abide by the police demands," he wrote. "It's a shame the court believed them and pressured the police to return the bodies by Ramadan."

Rights groups Adalah 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.
Libya says oil production up at 300,000 bpd

Crude production in oil-rich but conflict-ridden Libya is now more than 300,000 barrels per day since a new terminal opened in the east, the LANA news agency announced on Tuesday.

It cited a spokesman for the National Oil Corporation (NOC) as saying that with Friday's reopening of Al-Hariga terminal near Tobruk in the east, "production today has passed the 300,000 bpd mark".

NOC officials were not immediately available to confirm this, but the corporation's website said on Friday exports from Al-Hariga had resumed with the departure of the tanker Seachance, loaded with 660,000 barrels of crude.

The oil terminal of Marsa al-Hariga is pictured in eastern Libya on April 9, 2014 Abdullah Doma (AFP/File)

The specialised Marine Traffic website said the Malta-flagged vessel departed Al-Hariga on May 20, bound for the French port of Fos-sur-Mer.

LANA said on Tuesday the North African nation's production could soon reach 360,000 bpd.

Oil is Libya's main natural resource, with reserves estimated at 48 billion barrels, the largest in Africa.

It had an output capacity of about 1.5 million bpd before the 2011 revolt that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi, accounting for more than 95 percent of exports and 75 percent of the budget.

But production later slumped amid violence as rival militias battled for control of oil terminals.

The new UN-backed Government of National Accord last month secured the backing of the Tripoli-based NOC as the GNA seeks to assert its control over the country.
US-backed forces battle IS near Syria stronghold, Iraqi city

Kurdish and Arab fighters aided by US soldiers battled the Islamic State group north of its Syrian stronghold of Raqa as Iraqi forces edged towards the jihadist-held city of Fallujah.

The twin offensives are two of the most significant ground assaults against the extremists since they declared a self-styled "caliphate" straddling Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The assaults came as Syria's UN envoy said trapped civilians risk starvation unless Damascus and rebel groups allow greater access to humanitarian aid convoys.

Pro-government forces rest after battling Islamic State group jihadists near al-Sejar village, north-east of Fallujah Ahmad al-Rubaye (AFP)

The UN Security Council is to discuss Friday the humanitarian situation in Syria and the possibility of parachuting aid to besieged cities.

Near the front line north of Raqa city, an AFP photographer saw US soldiers on Wednesday assisting a Kurdish-Arab alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The SDF is working its way through villages and farmland south of the town of Ain Issa, less than 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Raqa city.

It said its fighters had "advanced seven kilometres from Ain Issa and liberated five villages and four fields."

"We liberated the villages of Fatisah, Namroudiya, and Wastah as well as several fields. The coming battle will hold a lot of big surprises," SDF field commander Baraa al-Ghanem told AFP.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF fighters Thursday were shelling IS positions near Ain Issa as the US-led coalition carried out nearly non-stop air raids.

The Britain-based monitor updated its toll for the five-year war to more than 280,000 dead.

- Tunnel, car bombs -

A fragile truce agreed between the US and Russia in February had curtailed Syria's bloodshed despite consistent allegations of violations, but the international fight against IS was excluded from the ceasefire deal.

The first of 250 members of the US special operations forces were due to arrive this week in northeast Syria to support the campaign, joining dozens of advisers already on the ground.

An SDF field commander told AFP that US ground forces were "taking part" in operations north of Raqa.

"There are US forces using (anti-tank) TOW missiles to fire on the explosives-rigged cars that (IS) is using to attack the SDF," said Hawkar Kobane.

Asked about the men seen on the front line, US defence officials did not dispute that they were American special operations forces.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said IS is "concentrating 2,000 fighters along the front lines north of Raqa" to repel the SDF offensive.

"IS has prepared for this fight in recent months by digging tunnels and lining them with explosives, as well as preparing car bombs and hiding in buildings among civilians," Abdel Rahman added.

The SDF has insisted its current campaign is only for the rural area north of Raqa city -- but IS's de facto Syrian capital is expected to be the end goal.

"The ultimate purpose is Raqa city. It may not be short-term or mid-term, but besieging the city and blocking IS movements is also very important," said Washington-based analyst Mutlu Civiroglu.

The battle for Raqa province was announced on Tuesday with much fanfare, just one day after a major offensive began across the border for IS-held Fallujah.

Iraqi troops backed by pro-government militias have been advancing towards the city from surrounding areas.

As they close in, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Iraq said she was receiving "distressing reports" of trapped civilians.

The UN said only 800 people of an estimated 50,000 had been able to flee Fallujah since May 22, "mostly from outlying areas".

The UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said "plenty of civilians" would starve across Syria unless aid deliveries are sped up.

Diplomats in New York said the envoy told the Security Council on Thursday that he has no plans to convene a new round of talks in the next two or three weeks.

More progress was needed to strengthen the ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid before talks can resume, he said.

- 'Enormous' challenges -

The United States and its allies have set their sights on Raqa, Fallujah, and eventually Mosul in their bid to defeat IS.

But experts said ground efforts are likely to be drawn out and complicated.

"The challenges involved in weakening and dislodging the Islamic State from long-held fortified positions are enormous," wrote the New York-based Soufan Group.

To definitively defeat IS, Iraqi and Syrian fighters would have to address local concerns, sectarian politics, and ethnic divisions.

The Soufan Group said recapturing Fallujah "poses the biggest military challenge Iraqi forces have faced in the two years" since IS seized Mosul, their main Iraqi city.

In Syria, it wrote, IS fighters' "determination" to defend Raqa will make the fight to retake it "one of the fiercest yet".

Map of the Syrian city of Raqa locating villages to the north Omar Kamal (AFP)

Troops identified by Syrian Democratic Forces as US special operations ride in the back of a pickup truck in the village of Fatisah in the northern Syrian province of Raqa Delil Souleiman (AFP)

A pro-government forces fighter flashes the victory sign near al-Sejar village, north-east of Fallujah Ahmad al-Rubaye (AFP)
Nigerian governor declares 'war' against herdsmen

A Nigerian state governor has declared "war" against nomadic herdsmen, after another deadly attack in an escalating conflict killed two people.

"The killing of our people must stop," Ayo Fayose, governor of the southwestern state of Ekiti said on Monday during a visit to the community affected.

"We must take all action to stop it. They have killed two. This Ekiti war must be fought with the totality of our spirit, strength."

A burnt vehicle is pictured in Nimbo, southeastern Nigeria, where nomadic Fulani herdsman attacked villagers and burnt down buildings and vehicles on May 5, 2016 Stefan Heunis (AFP/File)

Fayose called on the crowd to "bring down" any cow grazing unnecessarily in any part of the state and local communities to "terminate the lives" of herdsmen that attacks them.

The governor's comments go way beyond any of his counterparts also affected by the Fulani conflict, which has seen a spate of attacks this year against farmers in central and southeastern states.

President Muhammadu Buhari last month directed police and soldiers to "take all necessary action to stop the carnage" and has proposed the creation of grazing land to prevent further clashes.

But Fayose promised to send a bill to the state parliament to criminalise cattle grazing in the state after last Friday's attack in Oke Ako, which also left five others critically injured.

The mainly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farmers have clashed for decades over increasingly scarce land and resources, particularly in Nigeria's religiously mixed central states.

But the violence has escalated in recent months and spread further south.
Strike on Taliban chief shows dimming US hopes for Afghan peace

The US killing of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour marks a significant shift for President Barack Obama, highlighting a new willingness to target the group's leaders in Pakistan and risk retaliatory attacks against struggling Afghan security forces.

The move also shows that Obama has -- at least for now -- abandoned hopes of bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table for peace talks.

US drones killed Mansour on Saturday in a remote area in Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan, the first known American assault on a top Afghan Taliban leader on Pakistani soil.

A Pakistani demonstrator holds a burning US flag during a protest in Multan on May 24, 2016, against a US drone strike in Pakistan's southwestern province Balochistan SS Mirza (AFP)

Though Mansour once appeared in favor of peace negotiations with the government in Kabul, he refused to join talks when he became Taliban chief.

"There's only one option for the Taliban and that is to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

But Marvin Weinbaum, a former Pakistan and Afghanistan analyst and director of the Pakistan program at the Middle East Institute, said Mansour's death shows the United States has no such expectations.

"The peace talks were going nowhere anyway, and this is just simply the death knell of that," Weinbaum said.

"Whatever the US is saying publicly about how this may open new doors for peace, the fact is they wouldn't have done this if they thought they had a chance to bring the Taliban to the table any time soon."

Mansour's death has plunged the Taliban into disarray, just nine months after he became the new leader.

Scott Worden, an Afghanistan expert at the United States Institute of Peace, predicted that in the short term, Mansour's removal could trigger a wave of attacks.

"The Taliban will be incentivized to redouble their efforts to show strength, and I think not go immediately to the negotiating table," Worden said.

"Before the strike, the Taliban felt like they were gaining ground, and they were getting an upper hand, and that time was on their side. They will want to test that for months to come before they reevaluate their position," he added.

Since the start of 2015, Afghan security forces have been responsible for ensuring security across the country, assisted by US and NATO trainers and special forces.

But more than 5,000 local security forces were killed last year alone, and they have struggled to contain a resurgent Taliban.

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook suggested Mansour's death would make the Taliban more likely to negotiate.

"Mansour has been an obstacle to peace and reconciliation between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, prohibiting Taliban leaders from participating in peace talks with the Afghan government that could lead to an end to the conflict," Cook said in a statement.

- Troop level decision -

Since local Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) assumed responsibility for their country's security, taking over from NATO, US troop numbers have dwindled to 9,800 -- and Obama has pledged to cut these further still, to about 5,500 by next year.

The president, who campaigned in 2008 on a pledge to pull US forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, is under pressure not to further risk the already-fragile Afghan security situation.

"Most (military experts) I know would prefer to stay at or near current levels rather than draw down to 5,500 by year's end," said Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institute, who recommends a US troop level of about 10,000.

In February, General John Nicholson, the new commander of the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan, warned it would take years before local forces can independently take charge.

If the United States decides to leave more troops in Afghanistan, it must act soon so NATO allies can in turn make decisions on their own troop levels.

Anthony Cordesman, an expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said 9,800 troops was a low number, and thought it was hard to predict whether Obama would risk a further reduction.

Obama "doesn't want to be seen as somebody who made decisions that deprived his successor of having real options," Cordesman said.

"But this is a president who also debates options almost endlessly, and he tends to in general choose what is relatively low in terms of risk and effort."

Most of the 9,800 US forces remaining in Afghanistan work in a train-and-advise role with Afghan security partners.

US forces have also conducted missions against Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, and defense officials are pushing for greater leeway in bombing Taliban targets.

US forces have been in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion to ouster the Taliban in late 2001.

The United States has spent in total about $1 trillion since, and some 2,200 US lives have been lost in the longest war in US history.

Mullah Akhtar Mansour
As the executive chairman of Alphabet, the parent company for Google, he would be expected to be an avid user of his firm's Android mobile phones.

But Eric Schmidt has an embarrassing secret - he uses an iPhone 6s, a device made by his company's rival Apple.

The technology chief made the admission during an interview at a seminar in Amsterdam, admitting he carries both the iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy S7, which runs on his company's Android software.

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Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt has admitted to using an iPhone 6s alongside the Samsung S7 that runs his own company's Android software. After making the revelation (pictured) he insisted the Samsung device was superior

He made the admission after interviewer Julia Chatterley said she had seen him before taking to the stage with two phones in his pocket.

Mr Schmidt said: 'So we are clear, I have a Samsung S7 and I have an iPhone 6s.

'The Samsung S7 is better. It has a better battery. Are we clear? And to those of you who are iPhone users, I'm right.'

APPLE TRIES TO TAKE ON GOOGLE HOME AND AMAZON ECHO Apple is developing a 'Siri speaker' for the home and is set to allow app makers to access its smart assistant, it has been revealed. The move would put Apple in a three way battle with Amazon and Google, which earlier this month revealed its new Google Home AI assistant. The speaker would double as a music player, and could be revealed next month at the firm's annual developer conference, it is believed. Last week Google announced its own plans for a smart assistant, which would include everything from a wireless speaker to messaging apps. Called Google Home, the small speaker will be able to play music and access Google Assistant, a new AI system unveiled by the search giant.

His admission triggered laughter in the audience during the wide-ranging interview, which was being held on the opening day of the week-long Startup Europe Fest in Amsterdam.

Mr Schmidt spent 10 years as the chief executive of Google, where he oversaw the launch of Android, before becoming executive chairman of the company's holding company Alphabet.

Mr Schmidt appeared at the seminar along with Apple chief executive Tim Cook, who went on stage later in the day.

During the interview, the Alphabet boss referred to his company against accusations by the European Commission that its Android software had unfairly given its own products prominence.

When an audience show of hands revealed more people had an iPhone than an Android, Schmidt said ironically: 'So much for the Android monopoly in Europe.'

Apple and Google currently have a virtual duopoly on the smartphone market with Apple making both hardware and software, but Google providing its Android software for handsets.

Mr Schmidt urged European entrepreneurs to take a risk and get behind start-ups.

Mr Schmidt insisted that his Samsung Galaxy S7 was better than the iPhone and had a better battery life (pictured)

He said Google was hiring thousands of Europeans every year because they had nowhere to go to on their home continent.

'Part of our job is to seed the market with ideas,' Schmidt said, as the two men lobbed a series of jabs at each other's companies in their separate appearances.

Apple was meanwhile on a mission 'to bring the app economy to places where it's missed'.

Mr Cook told the forum in Amsterdam that the growth of apps in many western economies had still to spread to other parts of the world.

Mr Schmidt spent 10 years as the chief executive of Google, overseeing the introduction of the Android operating system. He was speaking at the Startup Europe Fest in Amsterdam (pictured)

He said: 'We recognise it hasn't gone everywhere yet and we want it to very much.

'There is nothing like... unlocking the creativity and innovation of millions of people.

Mr Cook also defended Apple from accusations that it was operating a kind of 'closed' policy on its app store.

There were now two million apps on the Apple store, 'that doesn't sound too closed. We do curate ... there's certain things we don't want to sell like pornography,' he added.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook (pictured on the stage at the forum) defended his company from criticism that it was operating a 'closed policy' on its app store.

'As Apple we have always felt that our role is to stand at the intersection of technology and the liberal arts, because that's where the real magic comes.'

The Netherlands is hosting the week-long event as part of meetings organised during its six months at the helm of the European Union presidency.

'The thing that has fundamentally changed from being the shop-owner on the corner is that now you are selling your product to the world,' Mr Cook added.
Sanders seeks Kentucky recount after narrow Clinton win

US Senator Bernie Sanders on Tuesday called for a recount of votes cast in last weeks' Kentucky Democratic presidential primary, after unofficial results showed him narrowly losing the state to frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

"I hereby request a full and complete check and recanvass of every one of the voting machines and absentee ballots from all precincts in all 120 counties involving the Democratic presidential race from the 2016 primary election," Sanders wrote in a letter to Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

Unofficial results published by the Kentucky State Board of Elections show Clinton edging Sanders by 212,550 votes to 210,626, a difference of less than 2,000 votes.

Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders addresses his supporters at a rally in Anaheim, California on May 24, 2016 Frederic J. Brown (AFP)

Grimes, who is supporting Clinton, posted Sanders's request on Twitter and said the recount will be conducted Thursday in order to "verify the accuracy of the vote totals reported from the voting machines."

A recount is unlikely to change the race trajectory, as Clinton holds a substantial lead in delegates and she nipped Sanders by 28 delegates to 27 in the Bluegrass State, according to a CNN tally.

But it could provide a psychological boost to Sanders and his justification for remaining in the race until the end, as he has pledged to do.

Clinton has amassed 2,301 delegates, including pledged delegates and so-called super-delegates, and is now just 82 shy of the 2,383 needed to clinch the nomination.

But Sanders has been arguing that the momentum rests with him, having won three of the last four contests excluding Kentucky, and that he could actually finish the primary contest ahead of Clinton in the number of pledged delegates.

Some 930 Democratic delegates are still at stake, including 546 in California on June 7. Clinton leads Sanders by 9.5 percentage points in the largest US state, according to a RealClearPolitics poll average.
VW dieselgate: US judge cites progress toward settlement

The San Francisco judge handling the possible trial of Volkswagen in the emissions cheating scandal said Tuesday that there had been "substantial progress" toward a final settlement.

Judge Charles Breyer said the German automaker was "on track to meet the court deadline" of June 21 for a deal with the government and car owners who sued Volkswagen for billions of dollars.

In a hearing in the federal district court, Breyer affirmed the general outlines of the in-principle deal announced one month ago in which the world's number-two automaker said it would buy back 480,000 illegally polluting 2.0 liter diesel cars from their owners, or offer them compensation and a fix of the emissions issue.

Judge Charles Breyer said the German automaker was "on track to meet the court deadline" of June 21 for a deal with the government and car owners who sued Volkswagen for billions of dollars Josh Edelson (AFP/File)

The offer also included creation of a fund for environmental protection, the company said at a court hearing.

The details of the potential settlement between Volkswagen USA, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency have not been released, and Breyer stressed the need to keep the talks confidential until a final agreement can be presented to the court.

Then it will be revealed for public comment, with an eye to finalizing it in a hearing targeted for July 26.

The deal appears to be enough to allow Volkswagen to avert a huge trial over how it would deal with the scandal that has already deeply damaged the company.

Volkswagen has admitted it installed illegal software in 11 million VW, Porsche and Audi cars with diesel engines worldwide that intentionally masked the vehicle's real emissions levels during testing.

The San Francisco lawsuit had accused Volkswagen of major damages to the environment and to the owners of the tainted diesel cars.

But both the company and the US agencies had sought a deal to avoid trial that included a credible fix to the vehicles, or for VW to go as far as to take all of them off the road and compensate owners.

An agreement would not end Volkswagen's troubles. The company will have to address similar charges over its 3.0 liter diesel cars with emissions-cheating devices.

It also faces fines potentially running to the tens of billions of dollars from US regulators, and a criminal investigation over the scandal in the United States.
'The Shield' actor taunted and shot dead wife, court told

US actor Michael Jace gunned down his wife in front of their children at their Los Angeles home after taunting her over her request for a divorce, a court heard.

April Jace was able to stagger away after being hit in the back, only for her husband to shoot her twice more, Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef told the trial in LA.

"You like to run so much. Why don't you try running to heaven?" Jace taunted his keep-fit enthusiast wife before shooting her in the legs, according to the prosecutor.

Actor Michael Jace faces 50 years in jail if convicted of murder over the 2014 shooting in the Hyde Park neighborhood

The 53-year-old, famous for his part in police drama "The Shield" and big-screen roles including in "Forrest Gump", faces 50 years in jail if convicted of murder over the 2014 shooting in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

His defense team doesn't dispute that he killed the victim but says data from her iPhone 5S could provide insights into his state of mind as he gunned her down.

Her smartphone does not have the robust security that prompted the FBI to demand Apple's help cracking a newer model during the investigation into the December 2015 San Bernardino mass shooting.

The jury heard that Jace believed his wife, a financial aid adviser, was having an affair and that she had asked for a divorce.

The couple's two sons were taken into protective custody after Jace was arrested in the early hours of May 19, 2014.

"What you will hear is a really sad story of obsession and control," Mokayef said, adding that the actor had "been out of work for a while" when the fight broke out.

"The defendant did not want her to leave, or the divorce," she said.

The two had exchanged text messages throughout the day, including one in which Jace said he was at a friend's house when he was actually "at home waiting with a loaded gun," Mokayef said.

Jace dialed 911 himself, the court was told, a few minutes after texting his father-in-law to say: "Come get the boys. I shot April."

Defense attorney Jamon Hicks described the shooting as a "terrible, terrible, terrible tragedy."

"This case is not about who did it. We acknowledge it, we acknowledge responsibility. This case is about why it was done," he said.

Hicks told the jury text messages exchanged between the couple earlier in the day would provide a crucial insight into Jace's mindset and demonstrate that the killing was not premeditated.

The actor, who split from his previous wife, Jennifer Bitterman, in 2002, filed for bankruptcy in 2011, citing debts of more than $500,000, with neighbors reporting that he struggled to find work since the end of "The Shield".

Besides "Forrest Gump", Jace appeared in "Boogie Nights" and "Planet of the Apes".

The TV series "The Shield" followed a movie of the same name in which he played officer Julien Lowe.
Charleston church shooter faces death penalty in federal trial

The man accused of gunning down nine African American churchgoers in South Carolina last year will face two death penalty trials, after federal prosecutors announced they would seek capital punishment.

Dylann Roof, 22, allegedly joined an evening Bible study class at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, then shot participants with a .45-caliber Glock handgun. Three people survived the shooting.

He has been indicted for the killings in both state and federal court. It is not yet clear when the federal trial will begin.

Dylann Roof, 22, the gunman suspected in the shooting deaths of nine churchgoers in South Carolina last year

"Following the department's rigorous review process to thoroughly consider all relevant factual and legal issues, I have determined that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty," US Attorney General Lynch said in a statement.

"The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision."

In a separate filing in US District Court in Charleston, federal prosecutors listed several aggravating factors they said justified execution.

Roof "has expressed hatred and contempt toward African Americans, as well as other groups, and his animosity towards African Americans played a role in the murders," read the seven-page filing entered by Assistant US Attorneys Julius Richardson and Nathan Williams.

The document also noted Roof "demonstrated a lack of remorse" and "targeted men and women participating in a Bible study group at the Emanuel AME Church in order to magnify the societal impact."

Roof's defense attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

- 33-count indictment -

Roof was arrested in North Carolina a day after the shooting.

A website attributed to him was later found to contain racist views toward African Americans, as well as photographs of Roof brandishing guns and the US South's historic Confederate battle flag.

In July, Roof pleaded not guilty to a 33-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury including charges under a hate crime law that prohibits the use of force to harm an individual on the basis of race or color.

He is also charged under a second hate crime law that bans the use of force to prohibit the free exercise of religious belief.

In addition, he stands accused of using a firearm to carry out what Lynch has called "racially motivated murders and attempted murders."

Roof's state trial, in which he is also facing murder charges, is set to begin on January 17, after a judge granted a delay requested by defense attorneys.

The local county prosecutor there, Scarlett Wilson, said in September that she would seek the death penalty for Roof. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has also backed execution in the case, labeling Roof as "a person filled with hate."

Roof's attorneys have said he would prefer to avoid execution by pleading guilty in exchange for life in prison.

The historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, where a gunman killed nine people during bible study on June 17, 2015

Pastor Clementa Pinckney, one of nine people allegedly shot and killed by Dylann Roof, lies in state at the South Carolina State House on June 24, 2015 Jim Watson (AFP/File)
Carter warns Trump White House bid fueling racism

Former US president Jimmy Carter is decrying the resurgence of racial tensions coinciding with the rise of Donald Trump, warning that the billionaire tycoon's White House candidacy has tapped a reservoir of "inherent racism."

Carter told The New York Times on Monday that he was disappointed about a recent spike in racism, "except for one thing: I think the country has been reawakened the last two or three years to the fact that we haven't resolved the race issue adequately."

Republican animosity toward President Barack Obama has had "a heavy racial overtone," Carter told the daily, adding that the presumptive Republican nominee's stunningly successful presidential campaign had "tapped a waiting reservoir there of inherent racism."

Former US president Jimmy Carter will in September convene the New Baptist Covenant Summit 2016 on race relations and social inequality Thomas Coex (AFP/File)

"I think there's a heavy reaction among some of the racially conscious Republicans against an African American being president," Carter said.

The 91-year-old politician-turned humanitarian aims to address such issues of when he convenes the New Baptist Covenant Summit 2016 on race relations and social inequality.

Carter is seeking to bring together white, black Hispanic and Asian Baptists to the Atlanta gathering in September in part as a way to heal the racial divide and ease tensions in the country.

The former president last year began treatment for cancer that originated in his liver and spread to his brain. In December, he announced that he was free of cancer but was still receiving treatment.

Carter, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for helping promote human rights and democracy, told the Times that Trump had violated "basic human rights" when he referred to some Mexican immigrants as criminals and called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

"When you single out any particular group of people for secondary citizenship status, that's a violation of basic human rights," Carter said.

Carter grew up on a Georgia farm, where he was raised a Southern Baptist. He was also the first US president to describe himself as a born-again Christian.

Asked why polls show many American evangelicals are backing Trump's candidacy, Carter said: "They have a heavy orientation to right-wing political philosophy, and he obviously is a proponent of that concept."

Carter left the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000 as the denomination shifted to the right politically.
Native Americans step up fight over sacred object auctions

In an international battle stretching from Native American lands in the American West to the auction houses of Paris, two tribes on Tuesday renewed a years-long campaign to prevent the sale of sacred objects.

The Acoma Pueblo Nation located in New Mexico and The Hoopa Valley Tribal Nation of California have announced their opposition to a scheduled sale next week of close to 500 artifacts at Paris' EVE auction house.

They want the sale stopped and the artifacts returned.

Members of the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council, Leilani Pole, left, and Bradley Marshall, right, have expressed outrage over the plans to sell the Native American artifacts in a Paris auction early next week

"This is not a work of art," Governor Kurt Riley of the Acoma Pueblo Nation told AFP, explaining how the Acoma view the objects up for sale. "This is a religious item that is dear to us. And when it's gone, it's like a piece of ourselves goes missing."

The tribes have the support of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian and the US departments of Interior and State. The EVE auction house did not respond to a request for an interview.

"In the absence of clear documentation and clear consent of the tribes themselves, these objects should not be sold," Mark Taplin of the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs told a Tuesday press conference in Washington.

Taplin said US authorities have been talking with their French counterparts since the auctions began in 2013, "But I must say we are still awaiting a response from the French side."

The battle is both cultural and legal.

Selling Native American artifacts in the United States is either highly restricted or illegal, depending on the objects and where they were recovered. And tribes have said that such sales are offensive insofar as they expose treasured and sacred objects to public commerce.

"These items are part of our daily lives and on certain occasions these are used in ceremony," Riley said. Tracking artifacts has become easier thanks to the Internet, he said, and the Acoma have stepped up efforts to recover them.

"We've been successful in the United States to recoup some of those items," he said. "It's in France that they've not been receptive to our position."

- Considered living beings -

There have been numerous Paris auctions of Native American artifacts.

In June 2014, nine masks from the Hopi tribe sold for a total of 137,313 euros ($187,000), with one 19th century mask alone fetching 37,500 euros.

French judges have supported the auctioneers' view that selling the artifacts is legal -- since no French law expressly prohibits them -- and have refused to stop auctions when tribes have sued.

But American tribes see the sales as an affront to their religion and culture, rooted in wrongs that date back hundreds of years when settlers pillaged artifacts.

Many of the sacred items are believed to contain spirits, such as the masks sold in 2014, considered living beings by the Hopi people and worn by dancers during religious ceremonies.

"It's amazing what's left our communities," D. Bambi Kraus of the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers told the Washington news conference.

Kraus said members of her organization have been reviewing auction listings, and have been astonished.

"They're seeing things they didn't even know existed that were being now sold overseas," she said.

Kraus specifically objected to one item in next week's auction, lot #206 described as a warrior jacket of scalps.

"In our world, if that's human remains, you cannot sell human remains. It's just not the thing to do," Kraus said.

Conroy Chino, a Native American political and strategic consultant who is Acoma, said they have tried to explain their position to the French auction regulator, the Conseil des Ventes, but the agency has ruled that Native American groups do not have legal standing on French soil.

"We've been quite dismayed," Chino told AFP. "It creates a black market when French authorities don't take it upon themselves" to stop the sales, he said.

- 'No law violated' -

In a letter to US authorities this month, Riley said many of the 443 items scheduled for sale in Paris are "from the Hopi Tribe, Zuni Pueblo, Acoma Pueblo, or other Ancestral Pueblos that are within our respective cultural provinces and with which we maintain a strong, deep connection."

The US embassy in Paris has tried to intervene. In 2014, it held an informational session on the cultural and religious significance of artifacts, and why Native American groups find their sale objectionable.

In 2013, the embassy called for a halt to another EVE auction, saying tribes should have time to examine artifacts to see if they can be recovered under a UNESCO convention against the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

But EVE defended the auction, saying that "no American law has been violated." The sale went ahead, fetching 520,375 euros ($714,180) for 24 Hopi masks.

The US has two federal laws, passed in 1990 and 1979, that offer protection for Native American artifacts. But the laws do not explicitly ban their export.

New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives asking federal agencies to do more to address the theft of tribal artifacts, as well as their trafficking domestically and internationally.

Members of the tribes involved, including Governor Kurt Reilly, center, have appealed for the items' return

Protesters have demonstrated outside the auction house in Paris during previous sales
'Gigantic' corporate tax hike likely headed to Oregon voters

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  A massive $2.8 billion annual corporate tax hike is likely headed to Oregon voters in November, a move that could create the most aggressive tax climate for big business of any state in the nation.

The ballot proposal comes as raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations is at the forefront of a national debate  especially among Democratic progressives such as Bernie Sanders and much of Oregon's electorate about how to close the gaping economic disparities between rich and poor in a post-Great Recession era.

The proposal's labor-union backers are just one step from getting the measure on the ballot after submitting 130,000 signatures to state elections officials last week. They say it would tap a tiny portion of Oregon businesses while bringing a huge boost to cash-strapped public education, health care and senior services.

FILE -- In this Jan. 22, 2010 file photo, supporters of Oregon's Measures 66 and 67, designed to raise taxes on high-income earners and corporations, hold a rally in Portland, Ore. A proposal for the largest tax hike on big corporations in Oregon history is just weeks away from being inked on the November ballot and could spark one of the ugliest political battles between the measure's labor-union backers and the business community at large. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, file)

But a long-awaited state analysis, released Monday, found the proposed tax hike would come with major pitfalls for wages, jobs and consumers' pocketbooks.

"Oregon would have the worst corporate tax climate in the country," said Nicole Kaeding, an economist with the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that has closely watched the proposal. "If you think about it on a national level, these would be similar to changes in federal revenue by 3 to 4 percent. It's gigantic."

Oregon is one of five states with no sales tax. But like many others, it taxes corporations based on income.

The ballot proposal would maintain the income tax, but for the biggest businesses, it would add an additional layer of what's called a gross receipts tax. That's a sales tax on steroids, Kaeding said. It taxes sales at each level of production rather than only when, say, consumers buy milk at the grocery.

The measure targets Oregon's biggest corporations  roughly 1,000 by the state's estimates, or about 4 percent of businesses. Those with $25 million in Oregon sales would pay a minimum $30,000 tax, plus 2.5 percent on anything above that threshold.

That would bring in an extra $6 billion in estimated revenue  boosting the state's corporate income-tax collections more than five-fold  during the 2017-19 budget cycle, which has a looming shortfall.

Kaeding said the states actively looking into the wealth gap issue are mostly targeting rich individuals, not businesses. Over the years, states have moved away from a gross-receipts structure, not toward it like Oregon, she said.

Five other states have a gross receipts tax, but Oregon's 2.5 percent would be the highest (a slightly higher rate on just one industry in Washington state is the only exception).

The state analysis found that if the proposal passes, consumer prices will rise, population will decline, and about 38,000 private-sector jobs will be lost over five years  although 18,000 public sector jobs will be added. The state believes retailers and utilities would be among the hardest hit, which would have a harsh effect on lower income households.

Katherine Driessen, spokeswoman for the unions, took issue with some of the state's methodologies, but highlighted its key finding that Initiative Petition 28 would help stabilize the budget. For far too long, Oregonians have shouldered the burden of funding the state's critical services, she said.

Unions and business are lining up for what's been described as political World War III over the measure.

Lawmakers are mixed, and some Democrats, who control the Oregon Statehouse, are siding with the Republican opposition. On Monday, some legislators urged stakeholders to come to the negotiating table  something they tried, but failed, to do earlier this year.

If the initiative passes, working families across the state would see significant increases in the prices of everyday goods, such as food and medicine, Oregon House Republican Leader Mike McLane said.

"Come November, Oregonians will see IP 28 exactly for what it is: an ill-conceived, disingenuous measure that would have dramatic consequences for family budgets and the economic future of our state," he said.

FILE -- In this Jan. 22, 2010, file photo, supporters of Oregon's Measures 66 and 67, designed to raise taxes on high-income earners and corporations, hold a rally in Portland, Ore. A proposal for the largest tax hike on big corporations in Oregon history is just weeks away from being inked on the November ballot and could spark one of the ugliest political battles between the measure's labor-union backers and the business community at large. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, file)
Bernie Sanders predicted Monday that the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia could be 'messy' as he pushed the party to adopt his progressive agenda, but added, 'Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle.'

The Democratic presidential candidate said in an interview with The Associated Press that his supporters hoped to see a platform at the July convention that reflects the needs of working families, the poor and young people as opposed to one that represents Wall Street and corporate America.

The Vermont senator said he will 'condemn any and all forms of violence' but his campaign was bringing in newcomers to the process and first-time attendees of political conventions.

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Sen. Bernie Sanders sat down with the Associated Press yesterday for an interview in Los Angeles as he continues as Southern California swing today

Hillary Clinton's chief rival told the AP that he thought the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia could get 'messy'

'Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go,' Bernie Sanders argued

He said the Democratic Party could choose to be more inclusive.

'I think if they make the right choice and open the doors to working-class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, it's going to be messy,' Sanders said.

'Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go.'

Asked if the convention could be messy, Sanders said: 'So what? Democracy is messy.'

'Everyday my life is messy. But if you want everything to be quiet and orderly and allow, you know, just things to proceed without vigorous debate, that is not what democracy is about,' he added.

Sitting down with the Today Show Tuesday morning, Sanders reiterated his point.

'The context of that is democracy is messy. That people will have a vigorous debate on the issues.of course [the convention] will be [messy],' he stated again.

'Thats what democracy is all about,' he noted.

Sanders is vying for support ahead of California's June 7 primary, a day that also includes contests in New Jersey and four other states.

Rival Hillary Clinton has 271 more pledged delegates than Sanders and is just 90 delegates shy of clinching the nomination when the total includes superdelegates, the party officials and elected leaders who can support the candidate of their choice.

Of late Bernie Sanders has argued that the Democratic Party needs to open the doors to working-class people and young people

Bernie Sanders said he had a 'shot' at winning the June 7 California primary against Hillary Clinton and said, given his delegate deficit, it was 'imperative' that he perform well

Bernie Sanders is spending all week campaigning in the Los Angeles area in an effort to best Hillary Clinton in California, the most delegate-rich state left on the primary calendar

Sanders said he had a 'shot' at winning the June 7 California primary against Hillary Clinton and said, given his delegate deficit, it was 'imperative' that he perform well.

'What happens if I win a major victory in California? Will people say, 'Oh, we're really enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton despite the fact that Bernie Sanders has now won whatever it may be, 25 states, half the states?'' he said.

If that happens, he added, superdelegates 'may rethink that. That is why you want the process to play out.'

To NBC, Sanders said he didn't think his staying in the race was negatively impacting Clinton, who's abundantly likely to be the Democratic nominee.

'Well, I guess if we take your assumption and Clinton supporters assumption to the logical conclusion, you know what we should do?' Sanders said.

'We should go back to a monarchy, and not have any elections at all,' he added, though noted that a Donald Trump presidency would be a 'total disaster.'

The senator spoke after the Democratic National Committee announced a 15-member platform drafting committee, which write the first draft of the party platform and will include allies of both candidates.
Clinton campaign declines invitation to California debate

WASHINGTON (AP)  Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton on Monday declined an invitation from Fox News to participate in a debate with rival Bernie Sanders in California before that state's June 7 primary.

Clinton and Sanders are competing aggressively in California as primaries wrap up.

But Clinton is close to getting the delegates she needs to seal the nomination. Sanders says he has a chance to pass her in pledged delegates, though he admits he faces tough odds. Then he would have to persuade many superdelegates to switch their support to him.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton meets with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) members at the union's 2016 International Convention, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said Clinton will compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while also turning her attention to presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

"We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands," Palmieri said.

Clinton's decision was quickly criticized by Sanders.

"I am disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clinton's unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process," he said in a statement.

"Democracy, and respect for the voters of California, would suggest that there should be a vigorous debate in which the voters may determine whose ideas they support," he said. "I hope Secretary Clinton reconsiders her unfortunate decision to back away from her commitment to debate."

Bill Sammon, Fox News vice president and Washington managing editor, said the decision was unfortunate.
Official: Feds investigate Virginia gov's campaign donations

McLEAN, Va. (AP)  Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is a subject of a federal investigation looking at donations to his gubernatorial campaign, according to a U.S. law enforcement official.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation. CNN first reported the story Monday.

Marc Elias, a lawyer for McAuliffe's campaign, said Monday that the governor, a Democrat, is unaware of any investigation.

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2016 file photo, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe gestures as he delivers his State of the Commonwealth Address before a joint session of the 2016 Virginia Assembly at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. A U.S. law enforcement official says Gov. McAuliffe is a subject of a federal investigation looking at donations to his gubernatorial campaign. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation. CNN first reported the story Monday, May 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

"The Governor will certainly cooperate with the government if he is contacted about it," Elias said in a statement.

Spokespeople at the FBI and Justice Department declined comment Monday.

The law enforcement official did not say what specific contributions were drawing scrutiny, but said that campaign finances and donations to his 2013 campaign were part of the investigation.

The official said the investigation has been ongoing for some time and there was no indication that it was close to concluding.

McAuliffe's predecessor in the governor's mansion, Republican Bob McDonnell, was convicted on federal corruption charges but has appealed his conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Before winning his gubernatorial campaign in 2013 over Republican Ken Cuccinelli, McAuliffe made his name in national Democratic politics as a prolific, well-connected fundraiser with close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Although McAuliffe is close to the Clintons, the official told AP that the investigation of McAuliffe is unconnected to a separate FBI investigation looking at the legality of private email servers that Hillary Clinton used while serving as secretary of state.

Last year, McAuliffe's political action committee, Common Good Va., returned a $25,000 donation from a company with ties to Angola's state-owned oil company after The Associated Press raised questions about its legality. Federal law prohibits campaigns at any level from receiving money from outside the U.S.

McAuliffe's international business connections also came under scrutiny prior to his gubernatorial campaign. He served as chairman of GreenTech Automotive, a company that hoped to bring supercompact automobiles to the U.S. market. The company attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreign investment, in part through a federal program that granted visas to investors who met certain job-creation thresholds.

McAuliffe resigned from the company in December 2012. GreenTech, which received millions of dollars in economic incentives from state and local officials to build a plant in Mississippi, faced criticism for falling well below expectations in production and job creation.

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Man convicted of murder in Dallas shooting of Iraqi man

DALLAS (AP)  An 18-year-old was convicted of murder Monday in the killing of an Iraqi man who was taking photos of his first snowfall in Texas.

Nykerion Nealon faces up to life in prison in the death of Ahmed Al-Jumaili, 36, who was outside his Dallas apartment complex taking pictures of snow with his wife and brother on the night of March 4, 2015, when he was fatally shot.

Police said at the time that Nealon told officers he had been hunting for people he thought had shot at his girlfriend's nearby apartment complex that evening. Police said they didn't believe Nealon knew Al-Jumaili.

FILE- This undated file photo provided by the Dallas Police Department shows Nykerion Nealon, who has been convicted of killing of an Iraqi man taking photos of his first snowfall in Texas. Al-Jumaili was outside his Dallas apartment complex taking pictures of snow with his wife and brother on the night of March 4, 2015, when he was shot. (Dallas Police Department via AP, File)

Defense attorney Russell Wilson argued that his client was at the apartments when the shooting took place but someone else pulled the trigger.

But a friend of Nealon's testified that Nealon pulled the trigger, and prosecutors said Nealon had searched online for how to beat a murder charge and how to survive prison shortly after the shooting, according to local media.

The jury deliberated for two hours before finding Nealon guilty, WFAA-TV reported. The sentencing phase is set to continue Tuesday.

Al-Jumaili had fled violence in Iraq to reunite with his wife, who had moved to Dallas earlier. He saved money for more than a year for the move by providing Internet connections to Iraqi homes, his father-in-law, Mohammed Altaae, told The Associated Press last year.

"For a young man and a young woman, oh, God, so many dreams together," Altaae said. "They wanted to have children and educate them well."
Review: 'Alice Through the Looking Glass,' a curious sequel

"Alice Through the Looking Glass ," like its predecessor, owes very little to Lewis Carroll.

Textual adherence is somewhat beside the point when serving as a sequel to something that also cherry picked. But, lest you think that a six-year gap and the absence of Tim Burton in the director's chair might have allowed for a return to the gleeful absurdity of Carroll, it doesn't.

Screenwriter Linda Woolverton ("Beauty and the Beast") has again disposed of the source material in favor of something more linear  a story about Alice (Mia Wasikowska) looking for Hatter's (Johnny Depp) family.

In this image released by Disney, Mia Wasikowska appears in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Peter Mountain/Disney via AP)

Director James Bobin's ("The Muppets") film trudges on through the lushly designed world answering questions we never asked, like, "What was the Mad Hatter's childhood like?" And, "why does the Red Queen have such a large head?" In other words, it's an Underland origin story.

We meet Alice some years after the first film faced again with the prospect of losing her independence. Last time she was fleeing a proposal. This time her livelihood is in jeopardy (she's a sea captain now, and a good one). So when life gets frustrating in the real world, Alice climbs through a mirror and is transported back to Underland. Her old friends have been waiting for her to fix another problem: The Mad Hatter.

The nightmarish Hatter, who has developed a more pronounced (and annoying) lisp, is wallowing in life-threatening depression (manifested in combed hair, a sicklier pallor and a grown up wardrobe) because he's found an object that makes him believe his family is alive. This was not something that seemed to afflict Hatter in the first film, but maybe he's just really good at compartmentalizing.

Alice decides be a noble friend and take on Time to get to the bottom of what really happened on the day when the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) unleashed her Jabberwocky on their village. Time, you should know, is part clock, part man (Sacha Baron Cohen) and sounds a lot like Werner Herzog. His sequences, and his little steampunk companions are actually a high point. It's the one time Bobin can really get out from under Burton's suffocating precedent.

Time talks a big game and can also decide when someone's time is up, but his own command is dependent on a larger than life clock that's powered by another device which also functions as a time travel machine. That's what Alice steals to careen back through time to try to correct the original sins of Underland  a quest she continues even after she learns of the possibly catastrophic consequences of her actions.

While it might sound intriguing on paper, on the screen it's less than enchanting and the plot gets less and less compelling as it goes on. Aside from Depp's descent into grating ghoulishness, the acting of the returning characters remains mostly the same. Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway (The White Queen) continue to do their affected, scenery-chewing shticks, while the host of Underland creatures and their famous voices (including the late Alan Rickman) look more dated than ever  beholden to Burton's CGI renderings from six years ago.

There are some inspired visuals, like a landscape of glimmering pocket watches suspended in air, but many of the set pieces are executed with too much remove. Alice, for instance, must walk across the enormous hands of a ticking clock to gain entry to Time's headquarters. It's a great idea and looks wonderful, but it's just airless and void of suspense in execution.

Excitement and wonder are fairly hard to conjure up when your Mad Hatter is consumed with daddy issues, your protagonist is nonchalant about everything, and the oddities of this world are suddenly getting scientific explanations and backstories that really only show how awfully ordinary everything once was.

It's a shame, too, because the Alice stories could be so wonderful on the big screen. It might be time to scrap it all and try again.

"Alice Through the Looking Glass," a Walt Disney Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for "fantasy action/peril and some language." Running time: 113 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

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MPAA Definition of PG: Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

In this image released by Disney, Sacha Baron Cohen, left, and Johnny Depp appear in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Disney via AP)

In this image released by Disney, Helena Bonham Carter, left, and Mia Wasikowska appear in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Disney via AP)

In this image released by Disney, Mia Wasikowska as Alice, left, and Absolem, voiced by Alan Rickman, appear in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Disney via AP)

In this image released by Disney, Johnny Depp, left, and Mia Wasikowska appear in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Peter Mountain/Disney via AP)

In this image released by Disney, Mia Wasikowska appears in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Disney via AP)

In this image released by Disney, Sacha Baron Cohen appears in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Disney via AP)

In this image released by Disney,Mia Wasikowska, left, and Lindsay Duncan appear in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Peter Mountain/Disney via AP)

In this image released by Disney, Johnny Depp portrays the Hatter in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass." (Disney via AP)

In this image released by Disney, Helena Bonham Carter, portraying the Red Queen, appears in a scene from "Alice Through The Looking Glass ." (Disney via AP)
South Korea: Overseas North Korean restaurant workers flee

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  An unspecified number of North Koreans working at a Pyongyang-run restaurant overseas have escaped their workplace and will come to South Korea, South Korean officials said Tuesday.

The announcement by Seoul's Unification Ministry came after South Korean media reported that two or three female employees at a North Korean-run restaurant in China fled and went to an unidentified Southeast Asian country earlier this month.

It's the second known group escapes by North Korean restaurant workers dispatched abroad in recent weeks. In April, a group of 13 North Koreans who had worked at a North Korean-run restaurant in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo defected to South Korea.

FILE - In this Feb. 18, 2016 file photo, North Korean performers entertain customers at the Okryugwan restaurant in Beijing, China. An unspecified number of North Koreans working at an unidentified Pyongyang-run restaurant overseas have escaped their workplace and will come to South Korea, South Korean officials said Tuesday, May 24, 2016. The announcement by Seoul's Unification Ministry came after South Korean media reported that two or three female employees at an unspecified North Korean-run restaurant in China fled and went to an unidentified Southeast Asian country earlier this month. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan. File)

The latest escapes will likely enrage Pyongyang, which typically accuses Seoul of trying to abduct or entice North Korean citizens to defect. South Korea has denied the accusation.

After the 13 workers  a male manager and 12 waitresses  arrived in Seoul in April, Pyongyang claimed they were kidnapped by South Korean spies and repeatedly demanded their return. South Korea said the workers chose to resettle in the South on their own. It was the largest group defection by North Koreans to the South since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took power in 2011.

A brief Unification Ministry statement Tuesday confirmed that some more North Korean restaurant workers abroad fled, but didn't elaborate. Officials at the unification and foreign ministries refused to provide further details about the North Koreans and their escapes, citing concerns about their safety and potential diplomatic problems with concerned countries. It's unclear when they will arrive in Seoul.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that the North Koreans had worked at a restaurant in the central Chinese city of Xian and that they may have traveled to Thailand. New Focus, a Seoul-based online news outlet run by a defector, which was among the first to break the news Monday, cited an unidentified source in China as saying the group comprised three women who had worked at a North Korean-run restaurant in Shanghai.

South Korea's spy service said earlier this year that North Korea was running about 130 restaurants overseas, mostly in China. Overall, North Korea has about 50,000 to 60,000 workers abroad, mostly in Russia and China, with a mission to bring in foreign currency, according to the National Intelligence Service.

South Korean officials believe overseas North Korean restaurants have been suffering economically since stronger international sanctions were applied against North Korea over its nuclear test and long-range rocket launch earlier this year. The restaurant workers who defected to the South in April have said that their restaurant was struggling to meet demands from North Korean authorities at home for foreign currency, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry.
President Barack Obama showed off his quick wit once again as he toured the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

A Buddhist monk urged him to pray to a certain statue if he'd like to have a son and the President, who is the father of teenagers Malia and Sasha, replied 'I like daughters'.

Obama headed straight for the pagoda, one of the city's most notable and most visited cultural destinations, after landing from Hanoi and greeting scores of excited residents.

Witty: A Buddhist monk urged him to pray to a certain statue if he'd like to have a son and the President, who is the father of teenagers Malia and Sasha, replied 'I like daughters'

Sightseeing: Obama headed straight for the pagoda, one of the most notable and most visited cultural destinations, after landing from Hanoi, where he spent the opening days of his first visit to Vietnam

Welcome: When he landed in Ho Chi Minh, Obama was greeted by scores of ecstatic residents

Overjoyed: Residents could barely contain their excitement at the chance to catch a glimpse of the leader of the Free World

Shifting from the historical to the modern, Obama also visited the Dreamplex business complex in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, a space for startup entrepreneurs that fits with his message about the potential benefits of closer ties to Vietnam's growing economy and its burgeoning middle class.

He told professionals there that their success will send a message about Vietnam's potential for innovation to the world, adding that the Dreamplex is where ideas are 'becoming reality' and that the young people who use the space are 'making things happen.'

He is visiting communist-led Vietnam after knocking down one of the last vestiges of Cold War antagonism by lifting an arms embargo with the former war enemy.

Celebrity former chef Anthony Bourdain shook hands with Obama when the pair met under rainy skies before his flight to Ho Chi Minh

The pair said a few words as they departed the shopping area in Hanoi where they had met

A boy dressed as Captain America waved at Obama's motorcade during his arrival at Ho Chi Minh City

The issue of human rights has surrounded his visit as Vietnam is seen as having very poor record.

Earlier on Tuesday Obama spoke with advocates for the disabled, sexual minorities, a pastor and advocates for freedom of speech, press and the Internet.

'Vietnam has made remarkable strides in many ways,' Obama said, but 'there are still areas of significant concern.'

Obama landed from Hanoi where he had spoken with advocates for the disabled, sexual minorities, a pastor and advocates for freedom of speech

The President was welcomed by state officials upon his arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport

The pagoda is considered to be one of the most beautiful in southern Vietnam. It's also a repository for religious documents and includes more than 300 statues and other relics

After a tour of the pagoda, Obama visited the Dreamplex business complex in downtown Ho Chi Minh City

The space for startup entrepreneurs fits with Obama's message about the potential benefits of closer ties to Vietnam's growing economy and its burgeoning middle class

Vietnam holds about 100 political prisoners and there have been more detentions this year, some in the past week, but Hanoi says that only lawbreakers are punished.

In a speech at Hanoi's National Convention Center, Obama sought to ease fears that Washington wanted to dictate terms to Vietnam on improving rights.

Nations are more successful when people can freely express their thoughts, assemble without harassment and access the internet and social media, he said.

'Upholding these rights is not a threat to stability but actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress,' Obama said.

'Vietnam will do it differently than the United States... But there are these basic principles that I think we all have to try to work on and improve.'

He then referred to China's growing aggression in the region, something that worries many in Vietnam, which has territorial disputes in the South China Sea with Beijing.

Sealed the deal: Obama winked when he arrived for a news conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on Monday after securing an arms deal to forge a new economic and security relationship between them

Obama at the National Convention Center on Tuesday said nations are more successful when people can freely express their thoughts

University students in the audience were captivated by Obama as he talked about human rights and the benefits of trade

Obama got a round of applause when he declared that 'big nations should not bully smaller ones,' an allusion to China's attempt to push its rivals out of disputed territory. Obama said the United States will continue to freely navigate the region and support the right of other countries to do the same.

He also talked up the benefits of what he says will be enhanced trade under a 12-nation trans-Pacific trade deal that is stalled in Congress and opposed by the leading U.S. presidential candidates.

He said the U.S. was ready to help Vietnam meet its commitments under the agreement which would give workers the right to form unions and prohibits forced labor and child labor.

He talked up the benefits of what he says will be enhanced trade under a 12-nation trans-Pacific trade deal

He also predicted the pact, if ratified, would lead to greater regional cooperation.

During a Monday news conference with Vietnam's president, Obama traced the arc of the U.S.-Vietnamese relationship through cooperation, conflict, 'painful separation' and a long reconciliation.

'If you consider where we have been and where we are now, the transformation in the relations between our two countries is remarkable,' Obama said.

People queued to listen to Obama give his speech at the National Convention Center

Secretary of State John Kerry was there to witness the address with 2,000 other eager listeners

President Tran Dai Quang said at a lavish state luncheon that he was grateful for the American people's efforts to put an end to 'an unhappy chapter in the two countries' history,' referring to the 1965-1975 U.S. war with Vietnam's communists, who now run the country.

The conflict killed 57,000 American military personnel and as many as 2 million Vietnamese military and civilians.

Quang added that 'the wounds of the war have not been fully healed in both countries.' Still, Quang said, both sides are determined to have a more cooperative relationship.

During his time in Hanoi, Obama took to the streets to meet and greet locals, wearing his shirt sleeves rolled up in casual fashion, as friendly crowds lined the streets to catch a glimpse.

He also met with celebrity former chef Anthony Bourdain, once on Monday evening and again on Tuesday.

Obama greeted people as he walked to his motorcade vehicle after meeting Bourdain on Tuesday

Meet and greet: President Barack Obama greeted women at the door as he walked from a restaurant after having dinner with Bourdain on Monday

Happy to be there: The president waved to the teeming crowds as if reluctant to get back in the limousine

His casual stroll through the street was part of his bid to emphasize his intent to connect with the nation

Obama smiled as he left. On Tuesday he gave a speech about the importance of a 'constructive dialogue'

When Obama emerged from a tiny Vietnamese restaurant after a $6 dinner with celebrity former chef Anthony Bourdain, he shook hands with members of the squealing crowd who had packed into the street to see him

Obama pictured eating his $6 meal with Bourdain on Monday night on low plastic stools

When Obama emerged from a tiny Vietnamese restaurant after a $6 dinner with Bourdain, he shook hands with members of the squealing crowd and waved as if reluctant to get back in the limousine.

For Vietnam, lifting the arms embargo was a psychological boost.
Suspect in Ohio officer's fatal shooting has pro bono lawyer

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (AP)  One of the two attorneys who represented a man accused of fatally shooting an Ohio policeman and then withdrew from the potential death penalty case will keep that role after all, working for free.

Herschel Jones III pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and other charges in Danville Officer Thomas Cottrell's January slaying. The 34-year-old Cottrell was found behind the village's municipal building, after Jones' ex-girlfriend warned police he was "looking to kill a cop."

The Mount Vernon News (http://bit.ly/1OSWKCY ) reports attorneys Bruce Malek and Brandon Crunkilton withdrew after the Ohio Public Defender's office raised ethical concerns about them representing Jones through a public defender's office while being part of a private law firm. A judge then appointed Crunkilton to the case again, as a private attorney working pro bono.

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Smaller cities across US opening high-tech crime centers

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  Michelle Plante scoured a surveillance video for clues, trying to identify the man seen shooting at someone in a Hartford playground recently in broad daylight. Luckily, no children were there, and the man fled into a nearby house after missing his target.

Plante, who works in the new Real-Time Crime and Data Intelligence Center for Hartford police, determined the address of the house and who lived there. She ran names through databases, hoping to determine the name of the shooter.

Similar work is going on across the country at police real-time crime centers, where walls of flat-screen monitors are fed by surveillance cameras, and computers take in data from shotgun detection systems and license plate readers. Intelligence from the centers is sent to officers on the street, helping them find suspects and avoid harm by having crucial, real-time information, police officials say.

In this Friday, May 20, 2016 photo, Hartford Police Chief James Rovella poses at the police department's Real-Time Crime and Data Intelligence Center in Hartford, Conn. Staff at the center analyze data from surveillance cameras, gunshot detectors, license plate scanners and other sources. Such facilities are proliferating nationwide with the expanded use of surveillance technology, raising some concerns from civil liberties advocates. (AP Photo/Dave Collins)

In Hartford, Plante quickly found a booking photo of one of the residents of the house who looked like the shooter. That information gave police a major lead they may not have had otherwise. Authorities say they are now building a case against the man.

New York City opened its Real Time Crime Center  the first of its kind  in 2005, and other large cities followed suit. Smaller cities are now opening their own centers after acquiring surveillance cameras, gunshot detectors and other technology. Civil liberties advocates, meanwhile, have privacy concerns and are calling for better regulation of police surveillance operations.

Such facilities have opened in the past year in Hartford; Wilmington, Delaware; and Springfield, Massachusetts. Others are in the works in Bridgeport, Connecticut; Modesto, California; and Wilmington, North Carolina.

"It's such a great asset having everybody under one roof," said Sgt. Johnmichael O'Hare, who's in charge of Hartford's center, which officials unveiled in February. "It's all about transfer of information."

Although open only a few months, the center has assisted officers in hundreds of criminal cases that have resulted in arrests, O'Hare said.

"It's huge," he said about the new capabilities. "It provides them real-time intelligence."

Staff members at the centers can monitor surveillance video and tell officers at crime scenes about suspects' movements. They can enter names into criminal and private company databases and relay virtual dossiers on people to police. They also tap into surveillance cameras at schools and businesses  after getting permission in a process agreed upon beforehand  to help police respond to active shooters and other crimes. Much of the information, including video feeds, can be sent to officers' cellphones.

The centers reflect law enforcement's growing reliance on technology. Many cities are using federal grants and drug forfeiture money to help pay for the centers, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up.

The American Civil Liberties Union says there is a lack of general rules to limit privacy invasions and abuse of surveillance technology by police. The ACLU also is concerned about how long police departments retain camera footage and other surveillance data.

"The public really needs to be consulted, and there needs to be a debate," said David McGuire, legislative and policy director of the ACLU of Connecticut, which is keeping an eye on real-time crime centers in the state.

In December, the ACLU of Northern California criticized Fresno police for using social media surveillance software without the public's consent. One software program, the ACLU said, suggested identifying potential threats to public safety by tracking hashtags related to the Black Lives Matter movement. Another program assigned "threat levels" to residents, the ACLU said.

Police told The Fresno Bee newspaper that they were only testing the software during free trials for possible use against violent crime and terrorism and were not tracking Black Lives Matter on social media.

Civil liberties advocates also have concerns about airports and many police departments now using facial recognition software to track and identify people, saying such software is known for mistakes.

The Hartford center doesn't use facial recognition, but officials say that could come in the future.

Hartford Police Chief James Rovella said city officials are well aware of privacy concerns.

"We have to respect people's civil rights at all times," he said.

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This story has been corrected to show no arrest has been made in the case of a man firing a gun at someone at a playground.

In this Friday, May 20, 2016 photo, Hartford police Sgt. Johnmichael O'Hare, left, shows Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy the police department's Real-Time Crime and Data Intelligence Center in Hartford, Conn. Staff at the center analyze data from surveillance cameras, gunshot detectors, license plate scanners and other sources. Such facilities are proliferating nationwide with the expanded use of surveillance technology, raising some concerns from civil liberties advocates. (AP Photo/Dave Collins)
Refugees and scholars: Colleges offer war-torn a route to US

BOSTON (AP)  Colleges in the U.S. are opening their doors  and their financial aid  to Syrian refugees.

Over the past year, at least a dozen schools have promised to cover full or partial tuition for Syrian refugees who are accepted for enrollment. They join a coalition of more than 60 colleges that have started providing scholarships to Syrian students since the country's civil war began in 2011.

So far, colleges have awarded scholarships to more than 150 Syrian students. It's an effort organized by the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit group that offers financial help to students who are displaced by violence and natural disasters.

CORRECTS TO THE DATE HE APPLIED TO THE SCHOOL TO 2013 FROM 2015 - In a photo taken Saturday, May 21, 2016, Mohamad Bassel Khair poses for The Associated Press in his home in Clifton, N.J. Khair, of Damascus, Syria, is graduating from Montclair State University with a masters in nutrition and food science and is now seeking asylum in the U.S. for his family, including a 2-year-old son. Before applying to the New Jersey school in 2013, he and his wife had fled Syria to Egypt, where they couldn't legally work. They gave me a full scholarship, including rooming, Khair said. They were so helpful for me. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Among more than 11 million Syrians who have fled their homes, the institute estimates that at least 100,000 are qualified to attend college but have few options to do so.

"We've never really had those numbers before," said Allan Goodman, president of the institute. "The Syrian civil war is more complicated and at a much larger scale than any other crisis."

To help refugees resume their studies, an initial wave of schools volunteered to offer financial aid soon after war broke out. Since then, many have followed amid pressure from their students.

The University of Southern California is offering to pay full tuition for as many as six refugees starting next year. Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania pledged to cover $25,000 a year for five more.

Graduate students at USC had pushed the university to offer scholarships for several months before the administration agreed. Tufts University near Boston joined the coalition in late 2013 after a student government called for it. At Davidson College in North Carolina, officials said they learned about the effort only after students brought it to their attention. The private school pledged financial aid to Syrian students last month.

"This is largely driven by our students," said Kaye-Lani Laughna, the international admission officer at Davidson. "I'm hopeful that we'll be able to welcome a Syrian student in the next year."

The coalition includes colleges in some states whose governors tried to block Syrian refugees last year, including in North Carolina, New Jersey and Ohio. Experts said they hadn't heard of any universities taking a similar stand against refugees.

Mohamad Bassel Khair, 28, fled Damascus after explosions and firefights became routine. After going to Egypt, where he and his wife couldn't legally work, Khair heard about scholarships at New Jersey's Montclair State University and decided to apply.

"They gave me a full scholarship, including rooming," Khair said. "They were so helpful for me."

He is graduating with a master's in nutrition and food science and is now seeking asylum in the U.S. for his family, including a 2-year-old son.

At least one college, though, questions whether it's legal to earmark financial aid for Syrian students. The University of Colorado Boulder rejected a petition asking to create scholarships for Syrian students, saying it would violate a federal law banning discrimination based on national origin. The school says it already offers other financial aid to help international students, including Syrians.

Officials at the Institute of International Education countered that other schools have offered scholarships for Syrian students without facing legal action, and they expect others to follow. Daniel Obst, a deputy vice president at the institute, said that more than 230 colleges recently agreed to waive tuition for at least one Syrian student if the institute can find other sources of money for airfare and lodging.

The number of Syrians studying at U.S. colleges has risen steadily in recent years but is still relatively low compared with other countries in the region. There were 800 Syrians enrolled in 2015, compared with 9,000 from Kuwait. Demand from Syrians has been lower, experts say, in part because they had a strong education system of their own before war broke out. Now, many Syrian schools have closed or been destroyed.

Along with offering financial aid, some U.S. colleges are also loosening their admission requirements to help bring refugees. Instead of measuring students' English language skills through standardized tests that carry fees, some schools are offering online interviews instead. Some are accepting scanned copies of academic transcripts if the original has been lost.

And some schools are also making room for refugees at their overseas branches. In March, Bard College announced three full scholarships for Syrian students at its Berlin campus. Meanwhile, the European Union recently announced 400 new scholarships for Syrian students, and colleges in Europe have also started offering financial aid to refugees.

But the demand still far exceeds what schools can offer. Thousands of Syrians apply for each new batch of scholarships, said Goodman, the institute's president.

"We have to try," he said. "The price to the world of having a lost generation is just incalculable, and it's all bad."

CORRECTS TO THE DATE HE APPLIED TO THE SCHOOL TO 2013 FROM 2015 - In a photo taken Saturday, May 21, 2016, Mohamad Bassel Khair poses for The Associated Press in his home in Clifton, N.J. Khair, of Damascus, Syria, is graduating from New Jersey's Montclair State University with a masters in nutrition and food science and is now seeking asylum in the U.S. for his family, including a 2-year-old son. They gave me a full scholarship, including rooming, Khair said. They were so helpful for me. Before applying to the New Jersey school in 2013, he and his wife had fled Syria to Egypt, where they couldn't legally work. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

CORRECTS TO THE DATE HE APPLIED TO THE SCHOOL TO 2013 FROM 2015 - In a photo taken Saturday, May 21, 2016, Mohamad Bassel Khair, right, kisses his 2-year-old son Sami Khair between a photo shoot with The Associated Press in his home in Clifton, N.J. Khair, of Damascus, Syria, is graduating from Montclair State University with a masters degree in nutrition and food science. Before applying to the New Jersey school in 2013, he and his wife had fled Syria to Egypt, where they couldn't legally work. More colleges in the U.S. are offering scholarships to Syrian refugees. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Mother of slain officer wishes police got more respect

BOSTON (AP)  The mother of a Massachusetts police officer who was shot dead during a weekend traffic stop says she wishes police got more respect. Sharon Tarentino's comments come as she prepares to bury her son later this week.

"I just wish people had a little bit more respect for what they do  nobody has respect for them anymore," Tarentino told the Boston Herald.

Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr., 42, was fatally shot by Jorge Zambrano early Sunday in Auburn, authorities said. The shooting sparked a statewide manhunt for Zambrano, who was shot and killed by police about 18 hours later after he fired at them from a bedroom closet inside a duplex apartment in Oxford, injuring a state trooper, according to state officials.

Danielle Dowd and her son Lucas pause before a memorial set up for slain Auburn police Officer Ronald Tarentino outside the police station, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Auburn, Mass. The man suspected of killing Tarentino during a weekend traffic stop had a lengthy criminal record and had been released from a maximum-security prison in 2013, officials said Monday. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

"You never think it's going to happen to you, it hits you like a sledgehammer. It's just not fair," Sharon Tarentino told the newspaper by phone from her home in Tewksbury.

Officer Tarentino had been with the Auburn police force for two years, and before that worked with the Leicester Police Department in his hometown. His mother said he had followed in his father's footsteps. Ronald Tarentino Sr. was a Medford police officer who had retired recently.

"He was our first born. His kids are older but they are still going to grow up without their father, and Tricia without her husband," Tarentino said, referring to her son's widow and the couple's three boys.

The man suspected in the slaying, Zambrano, 35, had a lengthy criminal record. Officials on Monday said that he had been released from the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley on Nov. 1, 2013, after serving a seven-year sentence on charges including cocaine trafficking, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer and two counts of resisting arrest.

Since getting out of prison, Zambrano had been arrested multiple times and had court cases pending on charges including assault and battery, trespassing, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Just last week, Zambrano was arrested by a state trooper while he was driving an SUV with a license plate not registered to that vehicle. During the May 16 stop, the trooper arrested Zambrano without incident. He was charged with attaching plates, operating with a revoked license and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

State police said Zambrano was driving that same vehicle with the same license plate when Officer Tarentino stopped him.

A wake will be held for the fallen officer on Thursday at St. Joseph's Church in Charlton. The funeral will be held on Friday at the church followed by burial at Greenville Baptist Church Cemetery in the Rochdale section of Leicester.

Flowers, rosary beads and other articles are placed as a memorial for slain Auburn Police Officer Ronald Tarentino outside the police station, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Auburn, Mass. Tarentino was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Auburn, authorities said. He leaves behind a wife and three children. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Flowers, flags, and other articles are placed as a memorial for slain Auburn Police Officer Ronald Tarentino outside the police station, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Auburn, Mass. Tarentino was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Auburn, authorities said. He leaves behind a wife and three children. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Mourners, including Jennifer Bohn, kneeling, her husband Randy Bohn, center, and Scott Veau, left, pause before a memorial set up for slain police Officer Ronald Tarentino outside the police station, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Auburn, Mass. Tarentino was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Auburn on Sunday morning, authorities said. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Trial set for ex-officer in death of daughter's boyfriend

TULSA, Okla. (AP)  A new trial date for a former Tulsa police officer accused in the off-duty fatal shooting of his daughter's boyfriend has been set.

Judge Sharon Holmes on Monday scheduled an Oct. 3 jury trial for Shannon Kepler. Kepler, who has retired from the police force, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and two counts of shooting with the intent to kill.

Authorities say Kepler shot 19-year-old Jeremy Lake on Aug. 5, 2014, after Lake introduced himself as Lisa Kepler's boyfriend.

Kepler had been scheduled to go to trial in January, but the trial was delayed when Kepler's attorney asked for Holmes to recuse herself from the case because she used to be an assistant district attorney.
Experts say divisive politician could win Australian seat

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Right-wing firebrand politician Pauline Hanson, who opposes Muslim immigration, has a realistic chance of returning to Australia's Parliament in July elections, experts said Tuesday.

Hanson became one of Australia's most divisive politicians in a generation when she used her first speech to Parliament in 1996 to attack the country's nondiscriminatory immigration policy. The independent lawmaker warned that Australians were "in danger of being swamped by Asians."

She was dumped by voters after a single three-year term in 1998 and has made several failed attempts to be elected to federal and state parliaments.

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2003, file photo, former right-wing political leader Pauline Hanson, speaks to the media after her release from prison. Right-wing politician Pauline Hanson, who opposes Muslim immigration, has a realistic chance of returning to Australias Parliament in July elections, political scientists said Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Hanson was sentenced to three years in prison in 2003 on a conviction of illegally registering her party in 1997 and of fraudulently claiming electoral funding. She was released after 11 weeks when an appeal court overturned the conviction. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

But experts agree the 61-year-old's chances of winning a Senate seat in her home state of Queensland are enhanced because the July 2 poll is a rare so-called double-dissolution election, in which candidates need a smaller share of the votes to win a seat.

In a normal election, only half the Senate seats in each state are open for election. In a double-dissolution election, all 76 Senate seats are re-elected, giving an advantage to minor parties and independents.

Queensland University political scientist Katharine Gelber said Hanson has her best chance at being elected since 1998, but declined to give odds.

Griffith University political scientist Paul Williams rated her chances of winning a seat at "about 50-50."

Williams said he expects either Hanson or independent senator Glenn Lazarus to win a seat on the back of the so-called conservative protest vote. Lazarus is a colorful first-term senator known as the "Brick With Eyes," a nickname he gained as a Rugby League football star.

Williams said Hanson's near win in a Queensland state election last year proved she remains "politically alive."

Hanson has maintained a public profile as a commentator, author and even contestant on the Australian version of "Dancing With the Stars."

Hanson told Nine Network television on Tuesday that she was "quietly confident" of becoming a senator.

"But I don't take it for granted," she said. "I've traveled around the country and mostly through Queensland to gain the confidence of the people to give me another go."

Penny Wong, the opposition Labor Party's Senate leader, who had a Malaysian father and Australian mother, did not welcome the prospect of Hanson returning to Parliament after an 18-year absence.

"The commentary suggests that she might be in with a chance," Wong told reporters. "I've spent a lot of my ... adult life arguing against the views that she's promulgated; we'll see how that turns out."

Hanson's political party, Pauline Hanson's One Nation, is opposed to globalization and free trade, and its focus has shifted from Asian to Muslim immigration. The party would end Muslim immigration and resettlement of Muslim refugees.

It also would ban burqas and niqabs in public, and halal certification would be banned except for exports. Also, Muslims would not be allowed to use the Quran to be sworn in as lawmakers.
The Latest: White House protests to Vietnam over activists

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (AP)  The Latest on U.S. President Barack Obama's first visit to Vietnam (all times local):

8:00 p.m.

The White House says it has protested to Vietnam's government over human rights activists who were prevented from meeting with President Barack Obama.

U.S. President Barack Obama and american chef Anthony Bourdain shake hands at a shopping area in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Barack Obama taped the second part of an interview with CNN personality Anthony Bourdain before leaving the Vietnamese capital for his next stop: Ho Chi Minh City. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The president met in Hanoi on Tuesday with six activists, including advocates for the disabled and sexual minorities. But others invited to attend were absent.

White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes says the U.S. learned overnight that those activists were either prevented from coming or made by the government to feel uncomfortable attending, through a variety of methods. He says the White House and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry raised the issue with Vietnam.

Rhodes says it shows the meeting was "the source of significant discomfort" for Vietnam's government. He says the U.S. will follow up to ensure those activists are free and not being punished.

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5:50 p.m.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Sen. John McCain say President Barack Obama's visit to Vietnam proves that old enemies can become new partners.

Kerry, McCain and former Sen. Bob Kerrey all served in the Vietnam War. They say in a joint op-ed that there are few easy answers about what lessons were learned from the war.

The three veterans say the U.S. must never again confuse a war with its warriors. They say U.S. leaders must be honest about the goals when deploying troops. And they say the U.S. must approach foreign cultures with humility.

Writing in the New York Times, they say they could never have imagined during the war that the countries would one day cooperate on trade and even security. They say mutual interests will drive the future partnership.

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5:30 p.m.

President Barack Obama is talking with Vietnamese entrepreneurs about their business ideas and roadblocks to their eventual success.

The conversation is taking place at the Dreamplex, a shared office space in Ho Chi Minh City that rents workstations and rooms to startup entrepreneurs.

Obama is telling his audience that their success will send a message about Vietnam's potential for innovation to the world.

He says the Dreamplex is where ideas are "becoming reality" and that the young people who use the space are "making things happen."

Obama is also using the appearance to pitch a 12-nation, trans-Pacific trade agreement that's stalled in the U.S. Congress and opposed by the leading U.S. presidential candidates. He says the pact will accelerate economic reforms in Vietnam, boost its economic competitiveness and open up new markets.

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5 p.m.

President Barack Obama had a quick comeback for a Buddhist monk who urged him to pray to a certain statue if he'd like to have a son.

"I like daughters," quipped Obama, who is the father of teenagers Malia and Sasha.

Obama was touring the Jade Emperor Pagoda, one of the most notable and most visited cultural destinations in Ho Chi Minh City.

The pink-colored building with a turquoise tiled roof was built in the early 1900s by the immigrant Chinese community and today serves multiple faiths.

Obama headed straight for the pagoda after landing in Ho Chi Minh City from Hanoi, where he spent the opening days of his first visit to Vietnam.

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4:15 p.m.

President Barack Obama has arrived in Ho Chi Minh City.

It's the second stop on Obama's three-day visit to America's former wartime enemy.

Ho Chi Minh City is formerly known and still referred to as Saigon, and is famous for its role in the Vietnam War as the capital of U.S.-backed South Vietnam.

Obama plans to do some sightseeing by taking in the Jade Emperor Pagoda. It's considered to be one of the most beautiful pagodas in southern Vietnam. It's also a repository for religious documents and includes more than 300 statues and other relics.

Obama also scheduled a tour of the Dreamplex, a shared office space that rents workstations and rooms to startup entrepreneurs.

Obama spent the opening days of his trip in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. He arrived late Sunday.

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2 p.m.

President Barack Obama taped the second part of an interview with CNN personality Anthony Bourdain before leaving the Vietnamese capital for his next stop: Ho Chi Minh City.

Bourdain's "Part Unknown" food travelogue is one of the network's most popular nonfiction series.

Obama and Bourdain met in a small complex in Hanoi's Me Tri neighborhood in a heavy downpour.

The two met over a restaurant dinner on Monday to discuss Obama's trip to Asia and his interest in the people, food and culture of Vietnam, CNN said.

CNN has aired Bourdain's show since 2013. He travels to a different part of the world for each episode to explore that area's culture, primarily by sharing in the area's distinct native cuisine.

The interview with Obama will be featured in the eighth season of "Parts Unknown," which begins in September.

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1:10 p.m.

President Barack Obama is pressing Vietnam to respect rights to freedom of speech, a free press, and to associate and demonstrate that are written into the country's constitution.

Obama says Vietnam has nothing to fear from upholding these rights. He says doing so reinforces stability and doesn't threaten it. Obama also says nations are more successful when these rights are respected.

Vietnam is routinely criticized for its human rights record.

The communist nation holds about 100 political prisoners. There have also been more detentions this year, including some in the past week.

The government in Hanoi says that only lawbreakers are punished.

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12:40 p.m.

President Barack Obama is pushing for ratification of a 12-nation, free-trade agreement as he speaks to the Vietnamese people, saying it will lessen reliance on one trading partner and broaden ties with more partners, including the United States.

Obama says the Trans-Pacific Partnership will lead to regional cooperation among participating nations and bring about higher wages for Vietnam's workers. He says that would help them buy more goods from the United States.

He notes that the agreement gives workers the right to form unions and prohibits forced labor and child labor.

Obama is pitching a trade agreement that is stalled in Congress and opposed by the leading U.S. presidential candidates.

He says the U.S. is ready to help Vietnam as it works to fully implement its commitments under the agreement.

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12:30 p.m.

President Barack Obama says improved relations with Vietnam, America's former wartime foe, is teaching the world a few lessons.

Obama is in the midst of a historic visit to the southeast Asian nation and is delivering an address to the Vietnamese people.

Obama says what was once unimaginable has come true - that Vietnam and the United States are partners in a thriving relationship.

And it's a partnership that he says is teaching the world that hearts can change.

Obama says it's also showing the world that peace is better than war.

Obama is speaking at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.

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10:40 a.m.

President Barack Obama is taking his push for closer ties with Vietnam directly to the people.

A day after knocking down one of the last vestiges of Cold War antagonism with a former war enemy, he faces calls Tuesday to more strongly address what's seen as Vietnam's abysmal human rights record.

Obama plans meetings with civil society members and entrepreneurs and then a speech aimed at the people of Vietnam.

On Monday he announced the lifting of a five-decade-old arms sales embargo that's meant to help forge a new economic and security relationship.

Obama must balance this push for better ties with efforts to hold Vietnam's communist leadership to account for charges of widespread abuse of dissidents.

From Hanoi, Obama will fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon.

U.S. President Barack Obama waves after addressing his speech to the Vietnamese people at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam Tuesday, May 24, 2016. In a speech at the National Convention Center, Obama sought to ease fears that Washington wanted to dictate terms to Vietnam on improving rights. (Kham/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses his speech to the Vietnamese people at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Kham/Pool Photo via AP)

President Barack Obama greets women at the door as he walks from the Bun ch Hng Lien restaurant after having dinner with American Chef Anthony Bourdain in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, May 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Unnamed 'Oxygen Thief' becomes self-published success

NEW YORK (AP)  The fair-skinned man with the hoodie and dark ski cap sits on a bench outside McNally Jackson Books in downtown Manhattan, where neither patrons nor employees seem aware that he's the author of a work so in demand at the store that it's often out of stock.

Known to his growing fan base as "Anonymous," he has given us one of the more unusual self-published successes: "Diary of an Oxygen Thief," a 147-page fictionalized memoir, or autobiographical novel, depending on how much of this story of a recovering alcoholic and the damage he has inflicted and absorbed you care to believe.

"It has an unusual negative space," says the author, who on email uses the names Tom Wilkinson and Stanley Easyday and prefers to be identified as O2Thief. "It couldn't be more naked, but at the same time ... 'Who the hell is it?' I think it's a very powerful place to write."

This book cover image released by Gallery Books shows "Diary of An Oxygen Thief," a 147-page fictionalized memoir first published in 2006 by a writer known as Anonymous. This year, the book reached the top 20 on both Amazon.com and iTunes, enough to interest literary agent Byrd Leavell and eventually a publisher that plans to release an e-edition this week and a paper version in mid-June 2016. (Gallery Books via AP)

Some books catch on immediately, others take their time, but "Oxygen Thief" has really followed the scenic route. First published by the author in 2006, the book has slipped on and off the charts ever since, apparently dependent on the occasional tweet or other online comment. "Oxygen Thief" has been such a homegrown operation that the author not only served as his own editor and cover designer, but has also sold the book in the streets and would personally ship it to retailers, sometimes taking on orders for thousands of copies.

His workload is about to lighten. This year, "Oxygen Thief" cracked the top 20 on both Amazon.com and iTunes, enough to interest literary agent Byrd Leavell and eventually a publisher, Gallery Books, a pop culture imprint of Simon & Schuster that plans to release an e-edition this week and a paper version in mid-June. (Film rights have been acquired by Gotham Group.)

"I monitor the Amazon top 100 regularly, and while many self-published titles make a brief appearance there, a persistent best-seller commands special attention," said Gallery executive editor Jeremie Ruby-Strauss, whose authors have included Tucker Max, Ace Frehley and Grace Jones.

Douglas Singleton, a buyer and manager at McNally Jackson, said the store has sold more than 200 copies of "Oxygen Thief," the in-house record for a "consignment order." Asked if he has met the author, Singleton said he wasn't sure. He thinks the man who delivers copies of "Oxygen Thief" is the book's writer, but it's been a couple of years since he's seen him.

"We've often talked about the mysterious nature of the person who drops off the book," Singleton said. "I have an email address for him and sometimes I'll contact him and say we're sold out and we need another 20 copies. And I get no answer back. Then I'll be walking behind the register one day and there'll be 20 copies. And one of my co-workers will say, 'Someone dropped off a bag and said it was for you.'"

Mainstream recognition does not mean you will learn more about him, beyond what he includes in the book. Anonymous authors, even ones who meet with reporters, don't do book tours. Ruby-Strauss is counting on social media (the author himself has a website, http://www.02thief.com , and Twitter feed, @02thief) and expects that he will give telephone interviews.

"The book has such an underground feel to it, a nontraditional promotional campaign focusing on these elements makes perfect sense," the editor said.

As his readers would assume and his accent suggests, the author says he is a native of Ireland, who has lived everywhere from London to Minneapolis, but has spent the past decade in New York. Like the narrator of his book, he has spent much of his professional life in advertising. He declines to give his exact age, but says  plausibly  that he's at least 40.

The author had never attempted a book before "Oxygen Thief," but wanted to give it a try, unsure if or why anyone would care about a man who begins his tale by confiding, "I liked hurting girls." The first half reads like a variation of J.P. Donleavy's "The Ginger Man," the comic saga of a ne'er-do-well and the affairs ruined by his own design. The gods strike back in the second half as the O2Thief falls for a photographer identified as Aisling and eventually learns  or thinks he learns  she is using him for a book about relationships.

"We can't be sure this really happened," the author explained. "It's like a Hitchcockian story  his view of the world."

"When I started the book, I understood immediately why it had captured the spirit of the times," Ruby-Strauss said. "I continued reading, and I discovered it was not the book I thought it was; then I finished reading, only to find my latter revelation was also incorrect. I felt unsettled about the whole thing for several days, which struck me as very promising."

Self-published best-sellers often debate whether to sign on with a traditional publisher, whether the loss of independence is compensated by the security and resources that enable them to focus solely on writing. The O2Thief is happy to try it both ways. He will continue to be his own boss for his next two volumes: "Chameleon on a Kaleidoscope," released in 2012 and yet to attain the popularity of "Oxygen Thief," and the upcoming "Eunuchs and Nymphomaniacs," inspired by what he calls "an inherent incompatibility between the sexes."
Emirati teen convicted for joining IS in Syria

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  State media in the UAE are reporting that an Emirati teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria and fought there has been sentenced to five years in prison.

The Al Etihad daily reported Tuesday that the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi heard testimony that the teen traveled to Turkey and later Syria at the age of 15. The newspaper says the boy's father reported his son's activities to authorities, who later arrested the teen at Dubai International Airport.

The WAM news agency says a defendant accused of joining the Islamic State group received a five-year sentence Monday, without elaborating.
IS attacks undermine Iraqi state in war weary capital

BAGHDAD (AP)  Even as Iraq slowly claws back territory from the Islamic State group, faith in the government is crumbling among many, particularly the country's Shiites, angered by political disarray and the continual pounding of the capital, Baghdad, by militants' bombings.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi triumphantly announced the beginning of operations to retake the IS-held city Fallujah, promising over the weekend that "the Iraqi flag will rise high" once more over the city. On Monday, Iraqi forces backed by U.S. warplanes battled the militants on the outskirts of Fallujah, a major prize that has been held for more than two years by the Islamic State group.

But in Baghdad, many residents are still reeling from a stunning barrage of suicide attacks the previous week that hit crowded markets, checkpoints a restaurant, a cafe and a gas plant killing more than 200 people, largely in Shiite areas. Rather than sow fear, the attacks seemed to stoke anger, particularly at the political elite.

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 17, 2016, file photo, a masked member of an Iraqi Shiite fighters militant group called Kataib Peace Brigades, a Shiite militia group loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, center, carries his militant flag as he takes to the street after a suicide car bombing hit a crowded outdoor market in Baghdad's eastern Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, Iraq. Even as Iraq slowly claws back territory from the Islamic State group, faith in the government is crumbling among many, particularly Shiites, angered by political disarray and the continual pounding of the capital by militants bombings. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim, File)

Hundreds of protesters, including families of victims from the bombings, stormed Baghdad's fortified Green Zone on Friday, demanding better security and government reform. Iraqi forces fired tear gas and live ammunition on the crowds, and the violence left two protesters dead and a number of military personnel wounded in knife attacks. It was the second time in a month that protesters have broken into the zone, where the government is headquartered.

The rising tempers are spilling over into potentially dangerous divisions among Iraq's powerful Shiite militias. The two protests inside the Green Zone were dominated by followers of influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has led a campaign of anti-government protests, initially demanding government reform, but now also calling for accountability in light of security breaches that allowed IS to carry out the wave of recent attacks.

"Woe to the government that kills her own children in cold blood," al-Sadr said in a statement following Friday's clashes.

Al-Sadr's shows of force have also prompted rival militias to deploy in the streets, with each side vowing to protect Iraqis. That has raised fears of frictions or outright violence between the various camps.

Hours after Friday's violence, gunmen in the southern city of Amarah fired on the local headquarters of the Badr Brigade, a militia closely associated with the Interior Ministry and a rival of al-Sadr's. Militia officials accused al-Sadr's fighters of being behind the shooting, which left no casualties.

"There are those who want a fight between the Shiites," said Ali Hassan, a senior official in the Badr Brigade. "But we will not be dragged into that fighting, our only goal now is to fight Daesh," he said using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Divisions among Shiite militias reflect splits among the parties backing them that have gone on for months. Iraq's political leadership has seemed increasingly paralyzed. Al-Abadi's government has been promising reforms to reduce rampant corruption for months but has not come through with them. Parliament has been unable to convene as many lawmakers are refusing to meet, citing security concerns.

Visiting a Shiite shrine to pray for her family's safety, Iktisam Adeeb said the bombings show how the leadership is corrupt and the security forces ineffective.

"Our politicians are just like puppets and someone else is pulling the strings," she said at the Sayyed Idriss shrine, one of several such holy sites in Baghdad revered by Shiites.

Days after she spoke, a rocket hit the shrine complex, damaging an administrative building.

Shiite militias are increasingly stepping in to provide security they accuse the police and army of failing to bring.

After some of the deadliest bombings hit in Sadr City  the large Shiite district in Baghdad that is a stronghold of al-Sadr  the cleric's militia fanned out in the streets of the district.

"There is no confidence in the security forces," said one commander of Saraya al-Salam, or the Peace Brigades, as al-Sadr's militia is called. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Last month, al-Sadr's supporters swarmed into the Green Zone while security forces did nothing.

Afterward, other Shiite militias  including ones that are strong opponents of al-Sadr  sent their own fighters into the streets in the areas around the Green Zone to keep security.

Aqeel al-Rubaie, who owns a shop just blocks from the Green Zone, said he was shocked by the flood of Shiite fighters.

"I thought the state had collapsed and they were moving in," he said. Now instead of worrying about Islamic State group attacks, he said, "I'm worried about fighting among the Shiites. Everyone has a gun and money, and now they're out in the streets."

Officials have painted the surge in bombings in the capital as a sign of militants' desperation as they lose ground in the face of Iraqi forces backed by airstrikes from a U.S.-led coalition. Last week, Iraqi state television interrupted normal programing to proclaim a new victory, the retaking of the western town of Rutba, playing patriotic music videos hailing the bravery of the armed forces.

But claims of victory ring hollow for many amid the bloodshed in Baghdad's streets and the disarray in the government.

Hussein Mohammed, 75, a businessman originally from Najaf who was visiting the Sayyid Idriss shrine, said he believes political crisis in Baghdad invites IS attacks.

"The terrorists saw this as an opportunity," he said of a political crisis. "They have exploited these problems."

Baghdad residents have faced bombings for more than a decade now and even grisly attacks leave many aspects of life in the capital unfazed. Even after the recent blasts, restaurants, shopping malls and markets remained full in areas sometimes only a block or two away from the attacks.

But unfazed doesn't mean unafraid. Security precautions have become second nature, deeply entrenched in people's minds and the shape of the city. At the Sayyid Idriss shrine, the mosque itself literally gleams with ceilings decorated with tiny mirror-work and arches covered in intricate tiles. Outside, the complex is encased in a dusty, concrete shell of fortification  ever since the height of sectarian violence following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, roads leading to the shrine have been blocked off with blast walls, gates and checkpoints.

A slight man with reading glasses hanging around his neck, Mohammed listed the precautions he takes  he avoids restaurants, crowded places, parks.

"It's like I'm not living a full life."

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Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed to this report.

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 17, 2016, file photo, a member of the Kataib Peace Brigades, an Iraqi militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, center, carries his weapon after a suicide car bombing hit a crowded outdoor market in Baghdad's eastern Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, Iraq. Even as Iraq slowly claws back territory from the Islamic State group, faith in the government is crumbling among many, particularly Shiites, angered by political disarray and the continual pounding of the capital by militants bombings. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim, File)

In this Friday, May 20, 2016 photo, members of an Iraqi Shiite fighters militant group called Kataib Peace Brigades, a Shiite militia group loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, search people at Baghdad's eastern Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, Iraq. Even as Iraq slowly claws back territory from the Islamic State group, faith in the government is crumbling among many, particularly Shiites, angered by political disarray and the continual pounding of the capital by militants bombings. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

FILE - In this Saturday, April 30, 2016, supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr walk over the blast walls surrounding Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone Saturday, Iraq. Even as Iraq slowly claws back territory from the Islamic State group, faith in the government is crumbling among many, particularly Shiites, angered by political disarray and the continual pounding of the capital by militants bombings. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, April 30, 2016, file photo supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr storm parliament in Baghdad's Green Zone, Iraq. Even as Iraq slowly claws back territory from the Islamic State group, faith in the government is crumbling among many, particularly Shiites, angered by political disarray and the continual pounding of the capital by militants bombings. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, April 30, 2016, supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr walk over the blast walls surrounding Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Iraq. Even as Iraq slowly claws back territory from the Islamic State group, faith in the government is crumbling among many, particularly Shiites, angered by political disarray and the continual pounding of the capital by militants bombings. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, April 30, 2016, supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr walk over the blast walls surrounding Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Iraq. Even as Iraq slowly claws back territory from the Islamic State group, faith in the government is crumbling among many, particularly Shiites, angered by political disarray and the continual pounding of the capital by militants bombings. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed, File)
Woman known for conspiracy posts loses Texas education race

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  A Texas education board candidate who claimed that President Barack Obama was a gay prostitute and believes dinosaurs walked the Earth with humans lost her primary runoff Tuesday night just two months after nearly clinching victory outright.

Mary Lou Bruner, a 69-year-old former schoolteacher, had been the front-runner for a seat on the powerful Texas State Board of Education that sets curriculum and textbook standards for more than 5 million schoolchildren. But her lead unraveled as old Facebook posts in which she peddled conspiracy theories and fringe political screeds drew greater attention and ridicule.

Voters instead picked Keven Ellis, a local school board president who ran a mainstream campaign, for the Republican nomination. He is now an automatic favorite to win in November in the staunchly conservative East Texas district. The Democratic nominee is a professor at Stephen F. Austin University.

FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2010 file photo, Anthony Bruner and Mary Lou Bruner, right, pray at the start of a meeting of the Texas State Board of Education to discuss Islam and Christianity in textbooks in Austin, Texas. Mary Lou Bruner, a retired Texas schoolteacher who claims President Barack Obama is a gay prostitute is the Republican front-runner in a primary runoff for a seat on the influential state education board. Bruner is back on the ballot Tuesday, May 24, 2016, after nearly clinching the Republican nomination outright in March. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File) AUSTIN CHRONICLE OUT, COMMUNITY IMPACT OUT, INTERNET AND TV MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER AND STATESMAN.COM, MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Among Bruner's since-deleted posts was that Democrats killed John F. Kennedy, that climate change is a hoax concocted by Karl Marx, and that Obama's health care overhaul was an orchestrated plot to wipe 200 million people from the U.S. population. She also wrote that the flood from the biblical story of Noah's Ark is what destroyed the dinosaurs  and not a meteor as "concocted" by atheists. Some of the posts were several years old but captured by the Texas Freedom Network, left-leaning watchdog of the state education board.

In March, Bruner came within two percentage points of avoiding a runoff altogether.

"I honestly believe that in the primary  that was during the presidential primary, too  our race just got buried," said Ellis, who wouldn't criticize Bruner following his victory and instead thanked her for her career as a teacher.

"Voters just may have selected a name," Ellis said.

Bruner's election would have been stunning, even given that the Texas State Board of Education was chaired until 2011 by a creationist who tried weakening evolution lessons in science classrooms. The 15-member board has more recently fought over whether history textbooks promote Islam or contain anti-American biases.

Bruner wrote in 2013 that Noah may have put baby dinosaurs aboard his ark and that those dinosaurs may have been wiped out after the flood described in the Bible because there wasn't enough vegetation on earth for them to survive to reproductive age. Thus, it was the flood that ultimately killed the dinosaurs, she explained.

"Texas escaped an education train wreck tonight," said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network. "If Bruner had ultimately won election to the board, she would have instantly become the most embarrassingly uninformed and divisive member on a board that already too often puts politics ahead of making sure our kids get a sound education."

Bruner did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday night. She did not disavow her Facebook posts in an interview with Dallas television station WFAA in the weekend before the runoff.

"When I wrote those things, I wasn't even intending to run for the State Board of Education. I had no idea that I would," she said. "I was actually calling people and trying to get them to run  people with my values  and I couldn't find anyone. They kept saying, 'Well, why don't you run?'"

Curriculum battles on the Texas education board are often closely watched over worries that the state's textbook buying power influences what winds up in classrooms across the U.S. But publishing experts say technology now allows the industry to more easily customize textbooks for individual markets.

A small number of other runoffs in Texas commanded far less attention. Republican Jodey Arrington, a former aide to President George W. Bush, won a crowded primary to replace outgoing Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer. Another longtime Texas congressman, Democrat Reuben Hinojosa, is also retiring, and political newcomer Vicente Gonzalez emerged from runoff to become the party's new pick.

Republican voters also nominated former lawmaker Wayne Christian for a key post at the state agency that regulates Texas' sagging oil and gas industry.

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Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweber

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Obama reaches out to people a day after Vietnam arms deal

HANOI, Vietnam (AP)  After knocking down one of the last vestiges of Cold War antagonism with a former war enemy, President Barack Obama on Tuesday took his push for closer ties directly to the Vietnamese people, meeting with activists and entrepreneurs. Amid the geopolitical statecraft, he faces calls to more strongly address what's seen as an abysmal human rights record.

Obama spoke with 10 activists Tuesday, including advocates for the disabled, sexual minorities, a pastor and advocates for freedom of speech, press and the Internet, but he said that several others were prevented from coming.

"Vietnam has made remarkable strides in many ways," Obama said, but "there are still areas of significant concern."

People hold up a sign welcoming President Barack Obama as seen from his motorcade en route Jade Emperor Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Ho Chi Minh City is the second stop on Obama's three-day visit to America's former wartime enemy. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

He was to give a speech aimed at the people of Vietnam a day after announcing the lifting of a five-decade-old arms sales embargo that's meant to help forge a new economic and security relationship with this young, fast-growing Southeast Asian nation.

Obama must balance a desire for a stronger relationship with efforts to hold its communist leadership to account over what activists say is the widespread abuse of dissidents.

From Hanoi, Obama was to fly Tuesday to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. He planned a visit to the Jade Pagoda, considered one of the most beautiful pagodas in southern Vietnam and a repository of religious documents that includes more than 300 statues and other relics.

Shifting from the historical to the modern, Obama also planned to visit the Dreamplex business complex in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, a space for startup entrepreneurs that fits with Obama's message about the potential benefits of closer ties to Vietnam's growing economy and its burgeoning middle class.

Obama also planned to meet with entrepreneurs, letting him talk up the benefits of what he says will be enhanced trade under a 12-nation trans-Pacific trade deal that is stalled in Congress and opposed by the leading U.S. presidential candidates.

During a Monday news conference with Vietnam's president, Obama traced the arc of the U.S.-Vietnamese relationship through cooperation, conflict, "painful separation" and a long reconciliation. "If you consider where we have been and where we are now, the transformation in the relations between our two countries is remarkable," Obama said.

President Tran Dai Quang said later at a lavish state luncheon that he was grateful for the American people's efforts to put an end to "an unhappy chapter in the two countries' history," referring to the 1965-1975 U.S. war with Vietnam's communists, who now run the country.

The conflict killed 57,000 American military personnel and as many as 2 million Vietnamese military and civilians.

Quang added that "the wounds of the war have not been fully healed in both countries." Still, Quang said, both sides are determined to have a more cooperative relationship.

That mindset was evident in the friendly crowds that lined the streets as Obama's motorcade zigzagged around Hanoi. When Obama emerged from a tiny Vietnamese restaurant after a $6 dinner with celebrity former chef Anthony Bourdain, he shook hands with members of the squealing crowd and waved as if reluctant to get back in the limousine.

Obama's speech on Tuesday will stress the importance of having a "constructive dialogue," even when the two nations disagree, including on human rights, a White House official said.

That is unlikely to mollify activists, who said the president had given up his best leverage for pressing Vietnam to improve its rights record by lifting the arms embargo.

Duy Hoang, U.S.-based spokesman for Viet Tan, a pro-democracy party that is banned inside Vietnam, said that until Vietnam makes progress on human rights, the U.S. should not sell it military gear that could be used against the population.

Vietnam holds about 100 political prisoners and there have been more detentions this year, some in the past week. Hanoi says that only lawbreakers are punished.

Obama said there had been "modest progress on some of the areas that we've identified as a concern." He added that the 12-nation trans-Pacific trade deal that he's pushing could help prompt Vietnam to implement a series of labor reforms "that could end up being extraordinarily significant."

For Vietnam, lifting the arms embargo was a psychological boost. The United States partially lifted the ban in 2014, but Vietnam has repeatedly pushed for full access so it can better deal with China's land reclamation and military construction in nearby seas.

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. After knocking down one of the last vestiges of Cold War antagonism with a former war enemy, Obama on Tuesday took his push for closer ties directly to the Vietnamese people, meeting with activists and entrepreneurs and arguing that better human rights would boost the communist country's economy, stability and regional power. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama winks as he arrives for a news conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, Monday, May 23, 2016, at the International Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

People in the audience look on as U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Obama gave a speech aimed at the people of Vietnam a day after announcing the lifting of a five-decade-old arms sales embargo that's meant to help forge a new economic and security relationship with this young, fast-growing Southeast Asian nation. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

U.S. President Barack Obama bows to the audience after speaking at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Obama gave a speech aimed at the people of Vietnam a day after announcing the lifting of a five-decade-old arms sales embargo that's meant to help forge a new economic and security relationship with this young, fast-growing Southeast Asian nation. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

U.S. President Barack Obama greets audiences after addressing his speech to the Vietnamese people at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam Tuesday, May 24, 2016. In a speech at the National Convention Center, Obama sought to ease fears that Washington wanted to dictate terms to Vietnam on improving rights. (Kham/Pool Photo via AP)

Secretary of State John Kerry stands in the front of the auditorium after attending U.S. President Barack Obama's speech at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Sen. John McCain say President Barack Obama's visit to Vietnam proves that old enemies can become new partners. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

People looking out along a narrow street in a shopping district are seen from a passing media press van in U.S. President Barack Obama's motorcade en route to visit American Chef Anthony Bourdain in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Barack Obama taped the second part of an interview with CNN personality Anthony Bourdain before leaving the Vietnamese capital for Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
French police force open fuel depot amid protests, shortages

PARIS (AP)  French police used water cannons on Tuesday to disperse projectile-throwing protesters blocking a key fuel depot on the Mediterranean, as gasoline shortages spread around the country amid increasingly tense labor actions.

Strikes have spread to all eight of France's refineries, and one in five gas stations are now dry or running low.

A two-month protest movement against a bill weakening France's famed worker protections reached a new level this week as fuel industry workers joined in  and it's now posing the biggest challenge yet to President Francois Hollande and his government.

Riot police secure tanker trucks arriving to refuel at a refinery in Fos sur Mer, southern France,Tuesday, May 24, 2016. French police have dislodged protesters blocking a key fuel depot on the Mediterranean, as gasoline shortages spread around the country amid increasingly tense labor actions. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

Other forms of transport may provide little relief: unions plan strikes on the SNCF rail system Wednesday and the Paris subways and buses Thursday, though it's unclear how many workers will take part. Air traffic controllers are threatening strikes June 3-5  just as tourist season kicks off, and just days before the start of the monthlong European soccer championship, being hosted in cities around France.

The CGT union, whose hard-left flank is driving the labor movement, reacted angrily to the overnight police advance on the depot at Fos-sur-Mer. Police descended in the darkness, pushing out picketing workers gathered around burning tires. Several police officers were injured.

After the blockade was cleared, fuel trucks that had been stuck for days outside the depot resumed traffic, but faced long delays loading up.

"Other sites will be liberated," Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Europe-1 radio. "I'm very determined."

The striking workers are determined too, pledging to keep fighting until the government withdraws its disputed labor reforms. The government is trying to rejigger rules governing the work week, overtime pay and other labor protections, something opponents say will weaken protections without promoting job creation.

"We think there are more and more businesses ready for open-ended strikes," said CGT member Maxime Picard. He warned the government it faces "an infernal spiral" of tougher strikes. "They don't know what to do."

Twenty percent of gas stations around the country faced shortages as of Tuesday, and unions threatened to stop production at all of France's eight refineries.

Alain Vidalies, junior minister for transport, attributed the gas station troubles to panic, telling Parliament that consumers in some areas bought five times as much gas in the last three days as usual.

Consumers, meanwhile, are throwing themselves at the pumps in anticipation of further problems. France's BFMTV even broadcast images of French drivers crossing the border to fill up in Belgium.

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Margaid Quiocand reported from Fos-sur-Mer. Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.

Tanker trucks line up to refuel at the Fos sur Mer refinery after riot police removed barricades set up by striking workers, southern France,Tuesday, May 24, 2016. French police have dislodged protesters blocking a key fuel depot on the Mediterranean, as gasoline shortages spread around the country amid increasingly tense labor actions. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

Cars are diverted away as tanker trucks resume normal activities after police removed blockades at the refinery in Fos sur Mer, southern France, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. French police have dislodged protesters blocking a key fuel depot on the Mediterranean, as gasoline shortages spread around the country amid increasingly tense labor actions. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

Cars manoeuvre between the remaining barricade used by striking workers to block the entrance at the refinery in Fos sur Mer, southern France, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. French police have dislodged protesters blocking a key fuel depot on the Mediterranean, as gasoline shortages spread around the country amid increasingly tense labor actions. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
Shock, fear in Syrian government bastions after bombings

BEIRUT (AP)  Convoys of coffins streamed through the streets and mourners fired guns in the air Tuesday as two Syrian coastal towns  government strongholds that had gone relatively untouched throughout the civil war  reeled from coordinated bombings that killed more than 160 people.

Residents of one of the towns, Jableh, described a day of horror as explosions went off in quick succession only a few meters apart, tearing through civilian crowds  then hitting the hospital emergency room where many of the wounded were taken.

"It is really incomprehensible why this happened," said Mohammed Mohammed, a 29-year-old media activist, speaking to The Associated Press by phone from Jableh, where more than 120 people were killed, according to residents and activists. "The number of those killed is unreal."

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrians soldiers inspect damaged buses at the scene where suicide bombers blew themselves up, in the coastal town of Tartus, Syria, Monday, May 23, 2016. A series of rare explosions including suicide bombings rocked coastal government strongholds in Syria Monday, killing several people and wounding dozens more, state media and opposition activists said. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks. (SANA via AP)

Altogether, nine bombings hit Jableh and the nearby city of Tartus on Monday, most of them by suicide attackers. The blasts shattered the sense of safety that residents have long enjoyed, living in the Mediterranean coastal enclave that is the strongest bastion of support for President Bashar Assad.

Isolated behind mountain ranges along the coast and under heavy military protection, the region has been spared the physical devastation wreaked on much of the rest of Syria, where entire districts in some cities have been destroyed in fighting. For the past five years, residents have felt the war mainly through loved ones who died in Assad's forces on frontlines elsewhere  or through the thousands who have fled here from fighting.

Monday's bombings, claimed by the Islamic State group, were the first major security breach, bringing the bloodshed to them directly with blasts hitting bus stations, a gas station and the hospital.

In Jableh, a sleepy town on the Mediterranean, funeral after funeral marched through streets emptied of shoppers and commuters, with schools and shops closed, said Mohammed, who runs a Facebook page called Jableh News Network.

"The town is shrouded in black," he said.

Among those killed in the blast at Jableh's bus station were four children from the Hammouda family, aged between four and 14. Mohammed had just returned from their funeral.

He said the children's mother, wounded in the blast, had just been declared dead at the hospital. The children's father, Mazen Hammouda, was a soldier in the Syrian army and died fighting only months ago.

Mohammed said his own father narrowly escaped death. He had been going to meet a friend at the bus station but was delayed by a flat tire. His father's friend, a retired army general who lost his son in the war a few years ago, was killed in the blast.

Mohammed described explosion after explosion starting at around 9:20 a.m. Monday.

The first explosion was at the bus station on the town's outskirts. When he heard the blast, he rushed to the scene to record what happened. As he arrived, another explosion went off at the electricity company nearby, killing at least 12 workers. Two more workers remain missing. Minutes later, an explosion rocked an intersection a few hundred meters from the electricity company, blowing up those standing there.

Mohammed said everyone was moving toward the hospital with the wounded when the last explosion hit inside the crowded emergency room, killing some of the wounded and many among the medical staff.

Tartus, which is home to a Russian naval base and is fiercely loyal to Assad, was particularly considered a sanctuary. Its beaches are dotted with swimmers in the summer and cafes filled with customers.

On Monday, a bomb tore through a packed bus station and a petrol station in Tartus, minutes apart. Many of those killed were ninth grade students who had just finished exams and were taking buses home. A teacher who had been proctoring exams was among the dead.

On Tuesday, Facebook pages were filled with photos of dad or missing students. As funerals got underway, gunfire reverberated across the city a traditional sign of mourning.

Security forces increased checkpoints in the city, stopping cars and pedestrians for searches, according to one resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for security concerns.

In Damascus, Ammar Ismail, a manager of an NGO called Syria my Home and a news website, said callers to a morning radio program he broadcasts on social media were immersed in fear and sadness.

Still, he said, he said his family is still sticking to their annual plans to spend summer vacation in the coastal areas.

Gabi Nakazi, a 60-year-old businessman, said he was concerned about a similar explosions targeting Damascus, seat of Assad's power.

"The message they want to send is that no place is safe," he said.

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Associated Press writer Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed reporting.
Clinton teeters on brink of nomination with superdelegates

WASHINGTON (AP)  Hillary Clinton is closing in fast on the Democratic presidential nomination with the help of superdelegates.

After losing three of four state contests in May, Clinton has maintained a lead over Bernie Sanders of 271 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses.

She also continues to pick up much more support from superdelegates, the party leaders who can back any candidate of their choice, dampening Sanders' chances further even as he insists he can win them over later this summer. In the last week, Clinton picked up 12 new superdelegate endorsements while Sanders netted two, according to an Associated Press survey.

FILE - In this May 12, 2016, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton participates in a round table discussion with HIV/AIDS activists at her campaign headquarters in New York. Clinton is closing in fast on the Democratic presidential nomination. After losing three of four state contests in May, Clinton has maintained a lead over Bernie Sanders of 271 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

When including superdelegates, Clinton's lead grows to 2,305, or 97 percent of the 2,383 delegates needed to win the nomination.

The Democratic primaries are now in a two-week break. They resume in the Virgin Islands on June 4 and Puerto Rico on June 5, with 67 delegates at stake.

Just 78 delegates short, Clinton remains on a glide path to reaching 2,383 on June 7 after polls close at 8 p.m. EDT in New Jersey.

Some things to know about the final weeks of the delegate race:

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THE SCORE

Clinton has won 23 states, while Sanders prevailed in 20. She also holds a razor-thin lead in Kentucky, where the race remained too close to call.

The last six states vote on June 7, followed by the District of Columbia on June 14.

Clinton won bigger primary states including Florida, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania and also posted blowout victories in the South. That has given her a substantial lead in delegates over Sanders based solely on primaries and caucuses, 1,768 to 1,497. Sanders was successful in smaller caucus states and won Michigan and Wisconsin.

When including superdelegates, Clinton has 2,305 to Sanders' 1,539.

Clinton also holds an advantage of roughly 3 million raw votes, based on AP's tabulation  13.2 million to nearly 10.2 million for Sanders. The totals do not include Iowa, Nevada, Maine, Alaska, Washington and Wyoming  caucus states where the AP tabulated delegate equivalents, not raw votes. Sanders won four of those states.

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REACHING 2,383

After a strong April finish that put her 91 percent of the way to the nomination, Clinton was slowed by a lighter primary schedule and wins by Sanders in Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon. She still picked up more than 45 percent of the delegates at stake in May. That's because Democrats award delegates in proportion to the vote, so the loser receives some.

Clinton is 78 delegates short.

In the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Clinton is likely to grab around 40 delegates. That will leave her shy by more than 30, heading into June 7.

With 126 pledged delegates at stake, New Jersey offers Clinton more than what she needs to clinch  even if she were to lose the state.

Also voting June 7, in order of poll close times: North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Montana and California. A total of 694 delegates are up for grabs.

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WINNING A MAJORITY OF PLEDGED DELEGATES

Because of Clinton's big lead, Sanders must flip more than 200 of her superdelegates if he hopes to reach 2,383.

But first, in order to sway them, Sanders will have to win a majority of pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses, his senior strategist Tad Devine has acknowledged. Superdelegates have never before lifted a candidate to the nomination when he or she trailed in the number of pledged delegates.

"I know that it is a steep road," Sanders said at a recent campaign rally, "but if we do very, very well in New Mexico, California and the other states on June 7, my hope is that we end this process with 50 percent plus one of the pledged delegates."

Sanders is far behind on that front.

Clinton is on an easy path to reach 2,026 pledged delegates  or more than half the 4,051 total  on June 7. She will get there even if she loses solidly in all six states.

Sanders needs more than 67 percent of the remaining pledged delegates to overtake her, requiring landslide victories.

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CALLING ON SUPERDELEGATES

Clinton holds a substantial advantage in superdelegates  537 to 42.

There are 714 superdelegates, meaning 135 have yet to commit.

What's up with them?

Many are state party chairs, vice chairs or top officials such as President Barack Obama, who are declining to publicly express a preference for now. Others say they are waiting until their state's primary or caucus are complete.

If three dozen more superdelegates decide to back Clinton in the next two weeks, she'll reach 2,383 before the last states vote.

Among superdelegates who already support a candidate, two have flipped  but not in the direction Sanders would like. Emmett Hansen of the Virgin Islands switched to Clinton, citing the specificity of her policy proposals. In Puerto Rico, Luisette Colon was an early Clinton supporter before becoming uncommitted; last week, she flipped back to Clinton.

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Follow Hope Yen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/hopeyen1

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gestures while speaking to more than 3,000 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) members at the union's 2016 International Convention, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Sanders wants David to keep his job on 'Saturday Night Live'

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says comedian Larry David shouldn't worry about his role on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

The Vermont senator joked in an interview with The Associated Press that he wants David to continue his job impersonating him on the late night show, which had its season finale last weekend.

Speaking to the camera, Sanders says to David: "Larry, I am deeply concerned about unemployment in America. I want you to keep your job on 'Saturday Night Live.'"

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Sanders says he will "fight to win this nomination" and David "can have a job, guaranteed, good pay, four years. Stay with me, Larry."
VOICES: Japanese-American vet: Atomic bomb saved my life

HONOLULU (AP)  Arthur Ishimoto believes dropping the atomic bombs on Japan saved a million American lives  including his own  as well as at least 5 million Japanese lives.

The 93-year-old served in the Military Intelligence Service, a U.S. Army unit made up of mostly Japanese-Americans who interrogated prisoners, translated intercepted messages and went behind enemy lines to gather intelligence.

He was a technical sergeant scheduled to join the invasion of Japan in November 1945, and believes he would have died in the assault.

FILE - In this May 3, 2016 file photo, Arthur Ishimoto, 93, a Japanese-American and U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service veteran, poses with archival photographs of himself as he is interviewed in Honolulu. Ishimoto believes dropping the atomic bombs on Japan saved a million American lives - including his own - as well as at least 5 to 10 million Japanese lives. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy, File)

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Editors: Part of a series of perspectives on the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, released this week as President Barack Obama prepares to visit Hiroshima.

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President Barack Obama doesn't need to apologize for the atom bombs, Ishimoto said, but it's good for him to go to Hiroshima and "bury the hatchet." Obama is scheduled to visit Friday, and become the first sitting president to do so since the end of World War II.

"War is hell. Nobody wins," Ishimoto said. "There's no victor, really."

He was born in Honolulu to parents who hailed from western Japan. He read Japan's plans for fiercely defending its home islands when he served in Tokyo during America's postwar occupation of the defeated nation.

He recalls the plans calling for using kamikaze aircraft, submarines and piloted torpedoes followed by beach mines and suicide units. He met civilians who showed him weapons they had planned to use against the invaders, including a 15-foot-long bamboo spear.

"A lot of these people telling us we shouldn't have dropped the bomb  hey, what they talking about?" said Ishimoto, who after the war became an Air Force major general and commander of the Hawaii National Guard. "They weren't there. They don't know what we faced or what we would have faced. It would have been terrible."

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Prosecutor: Alabama speaker made $2.3 million off his office

OPELIKA, Ala. (AP)  Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard went on trial Tuesday on felony ethics charges that could result in his removal from office, with a prosecutor telling jurors the powerful Republican legislator illegally made $2.3 million off his state position and GOP chairmanship despite promising to clean up corruption in the Statehouse.

Repeatedly referring to the influential lawmaker as "the defendant Hubbard," prosecutor Matt Hart said in opening statements that Hubbard used his public positions to solicit consulting contracts, investments and other business as his personal and business finances crumbled.

Hubbard directed $961,431 in Republican Party money to his two companies while serving as party chairman, Hart said, and he took $733,848 total in consulting contracts from four companies that had business before the Legislature while serving as speaker. Hubbard also asked four lobbyists and company executives for $600,000 total in investments to prop up his failing printing company, Hart said.

Alabama speaker Mike Hubbard with wife Susan Hubbard walks to the Lee County Justice Center on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 in Opelika, Ala. The speaker of Alabama's House of Representatives is going on trial on felony charges that could result in his removal from office. (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News/Pool via AP)

"The evidence is going to show that this guy knew exactly what he was doing ... and he should be held accountable," said Hart, waving his hand toward the defense table.

Defense attorney Bill Baxley, a former state attorney general and lieutenant governor, said prosecutors had it all wrong and Hubbard is innocent.

"He hasn't done anything wrong," Baxley said.

Baxley said the 23-count felony indictment against Hubbard is "a bunch of mumbo-jumbo," and he said Alabama's ethics law contains exemptions that cover things like normal business dealings and friendships.

"We have a citizen Legislature, and the citizen legislators have to have a part-time job unless they are wealthy," Baxley told jurors.

Afterward, two lobbyists took the stand as the first prosecution witnesses.

Former Alabama GOP executive director John Ross testified that Hubbard directed thousands of dollars in party business to a company Hubbard partly owned, Craftmaster Printers. The defense brought out that much of that money went straight to postage costs.

Tim Rowe, also a one-time GOP state director turned lobbyist, said his firm acted as a conduit for what prosecutors called illegal payments from the party to another company operated by Hubbard, who owned or ran companies that handled broadcasting rights for Auburn University athletics.

Alabama Republicans control all three branches of government. They gained control, in part, because of a Statehouse takeover that Hubbard engineered while GOP chair in 2010. The theme of that campaign? Ending decades of Democratic corruption in Montgomery.

Yet today, GOP Gov. Robert Bentley faces possible impeachment over a sexually charged scandal and could be a prosecution witness against Hubbard. So could former Gov. Bob Riley, Hubbard's political mentor. Meanwhile, Republican Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is suspended and faces possible removal for allegedly violating judicial ethics with his opposition to same-sex marriage.

In his opening statement, Hart recounted Hubbard's rise to power and personal history. It included stints as a sports information specialist who helped guide publicity campaigns that ended with Hershel Walker winning the Heisman Trophy at the University of Georgia and, later, Bo Jackson at Auburn University.

Elected to the House in 1998, Hubbard led Republicans' successful effort to gain majorities in the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. He was elected speaker in 2010. Hart said it was around that time that Hubbard's personal and business finances began falling apart as he faced a job loss with a broadcast licensing company that handled Auburn sports, meaning he needed a new source of income.

Hubbard began soliciting consulting contracts that traded upon his position of speaker yet typically didn't mention that he was lobbying while also serving as speaker, Hart said.

In one case, the Southeast Alabama Gas District  which paid Hubbard $12,000 a month for economic development work  sent Hubbard to the Paris Air Show yet Hubbard wore a nametag identifying himself as the House speaker the entire time, Hart said.

Baxley latched on to the reference, saying Gov. Bentley and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange  Hart's boss  also attended the air show. "Yet he is charged with a crime?" Baxley said, pointing at Hubbard.

Court officials have said Hubbard's trial could last about three weeks. A conviction on even one felony count would result in Hubbard's automatic removal from office.

Deputy Attorney Gen. Matt Hart opens the case against Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard in court on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in Opelika, Ala. Hubbard is on trial on felony charges that could result in his removal from office. (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool)

Attorney Bill Baxley begins his opening defense for Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in court in Opelika, Ala. Hubbard is on trial on felony charges that could result in his removal from office. (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool)

Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard stands in Judge Jacob Walkers courtroom before the start of his ethics trial on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 in Opelika, Ala. Hubbard is on trial on 23 felony ethics violations that could result in his removal from office. (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool)

John Ross testifies during Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard's trial on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 in Opelika, Ala. Hubbard went on trial Tuesday on felony ethics charges that could result in his removal from office, with a prosecutor telling jurors the powerful Republican legislator illegally made $2.3 million off his state position and GOP chairmanship despite promising to clean up corruption in the Statehouse. (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool)

Deputy Attorney Gen. Matt Hart opens the case against Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard in court on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in Opelika, Hubbard is on trial on felony charges that could result in his removal from office. (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP, Pool)
Obama's Hiroshima trip parachutes him into history disputes

HANOI, Vietnam (AP)  By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key U.S. allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyo's decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, it's the American president who could end up losing.

Many in China and South Korea feel that Japan got what it deserved when U.S. atomic bombs detonated in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and in Nagasaki three days later. They resent what they see as Japan's focus on the bombs' victims instead of the millions of civilians killed, raped and enslaved by Japanese troops. They worry that the first-ever U.S. presidential visit to Hiroshima will allow Japanese conservatives, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to further distance the country from its wartime sins.

Despite this anxiety, however, there's also a growing desire to work with Japan, the world's No. 3 economy, on diplomacy, security, tourism, culture and trade. This is especially true in South Korea, a fellow democracy and U.S. ally.

FILE - In this March 31, 2016, file photo, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as U.S. President Barack Obama watches after their meeting at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key U.S. allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyos decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, its the American president who could end up losing. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Here, then, is a look at some of the issues that will roil beneath the surface as South Korea and China closely watch Obama's visit:

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WHO'S THE VICTIM?

It's complicated: Many in Northeast Asia claim the role.

Japan's sense of victimhood stems from the more than 200,000 dead in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and from the huge numbers of civilians killed in U.S. air raids on major cities in 1945; 100,000 were killed in the Tokyo firebombing alone. Yet not only did Japan instigate the Pacific war with its 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, decades of colonial and wartime aggression before that claimed hundreds of thousands of victims in China and South Korea.

Those killed by the atomic bombs include an estimated 20,000 Koreans, many brought to Japan for slave labor.

"We (South Koreans) think we were the real victims. For China, their pride was hurt a lot because they think they were in charge before being badly battered by Japan," Lee Myon-woo, an analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute, said. "The Japanese think they also suffered a lot because of the West. Each country has a victim mentality ... and it's not something that we can easily overcome."

The White House says Obama isn't going to Hiroshima to apologize, but just being there will be seen that way by many.

Assigning too much importance to the bomb, critics in Japan's neighbors argue, distracts from Tokyo's current expansion of its military and the hawkish Abe's efforts to distance Japan from its wartime past. Some also worry that it signals a preference by Washington for Tokyo over Seoul.

"The United States and Japan ignore our country a bit," said Park Jeong-mi, 50, from Seoul. "I am dissatisfied with the fact that the U.S. president will visit Japan and also go to the specific area, Hiroshima, when Japan has not made an official apology to our country yet" for its wartime atrocities.

Japanese leaders have apologized repeatedly in the past, but in recent years, Abe has been viewed by South Korea, China and others as attempting to backpedal those apologies and previous acknowledgements of wartime atrocities.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said recently that Japan, when it invites leaders to Hiroshima, should reflect that it "will never tread on the path of militarism again, as it once brought unspeakable suffering to its people and (the) people of Asia and around the world."

Yukio Okamoto, a former Japanese diplomat, said the Japanese people simply want Obama to honor the dead. He said it will "be seen by the Japanese people as the United States facing for the first time the incident eye-to-eye."

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WHAT'S AT STAKE?

The White House wants the visit to look forward, not back.

"My purpose is not to simply revisit the past, but to affirm that innocent people die in a war, on all sides, that we should do everything we can to try to promote peace and dialogue around the world, that we should continue to strive for a world without nuclear weapons," Obama told Japanese public broadcaster NHK in an interview aired Sunday.

Japan and its neighbors, however, could end up interpreting the trip differently. That holds risks for burgeoning cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea.

History disputes have rarely hurt economic and cultural ties among the three neighbors, but they have upset regional security efforts. Seoul, for instance, has been reticent to directly share North Korea-related intelligence with Tokyo because of fear about a domestic backlash to cooperation with Japan's military.

Both Beijing and Seoul have sometimes been accused of using anti-Japan sentiments to stir up nationalist grievances in order to push domestic agendas or distract attention from governing failures.

Regional ties have recently improved. South Korea, Japan and China held a three-way summit in Seoul in November, and Seoul and Tokyo forged an important, but much criticized and still not implemented, deal late last year to compensate Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan's military.

These relatively positive feelings, a rarity in Northeast Asia, could fade if Japan is seen as trying to use Obama's visit to minimize its wartime aggression  or if South Koreans and Chinese think Obama is being indifferent to their painful experiences.

"Obama will say all the right words, but the image of him being there will still upset many (in the U.S., as well as in Asia)," Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS think tank, said in an email. "At this point, it's a lose-lose for Obama."

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WALKING A FINE LINE

Obama will try to focus on his vision of a world without nuclear weapons while avoiding anything that portrays Japan exclusively as a victim.

There's some debate, however, about how, or if, he'll tackle the past.

The visit "will entirely be framed in a futuristic discourse, for example about the future nuclear-zero-goal," said Victor Cha, an Asia expert at Georgetown University. "There is, I think, a desire by Obama to heal the past, but I don't think he will make any direct reference to it."

Others disagree.

In order to try to satisfy audiences in the United States, Japan and the rest of East Asia, Obama will criticize Japan's pre-A-bomb wartime actions and call for a world free of nuclear weapons, but he won't criticize American use of the bomb, according to Charles Armstrong, an Asia expert at Columbia University.

This balancing act might not be enough.

"He will be criticized by Americans, Koreans and Chinese for being too soft on Japan," Armstrong said, "and by Japanese for being too critical."

Some observers hope Obama's visit could lead to something that they say has proven extremely difficult for Japan: An honest accounting of its wartime record. They want reciprocal visits by Abe to Nanjing, China, for instance, to honor those killed in the 1937 massacre there, or to Pearl Harbor, which was attacked 75 years ago this December.

"The powerful image of an American president ready to finally confront the brutal and morally questionable acts of the war can only be truly successful if he can use it to press for similar actions on the part of the Japanese toward their Asian neighbors," Asia experts Gi-Wook Shin and Daniel Sneider recently argued.

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AP writers Hyung-jin Kim and Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul and Ken Moritsugu in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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Follow Foster Klug, AP's bureau chief in Seoul, on Twitter at twitter.com/apklug

FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2015, file photo, U.S. President Barack Obama, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the COP21 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Le Bourget, outside Paris, Monday, Nov. 30, 2015. By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key U.S. allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyos decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, its the American president who could end up losing. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2015, file photo, U.S. President Barack Obama, right, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, shake hands during a bilateral meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila, Philippines. By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key U.S. allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyos decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, its the American president who could end up losing. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2015, file photo, U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye take part in a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House. By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key U.S. allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyos decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, its the American president who could end up losing. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2015, file photo, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, poses with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as they meet to hold a trilateral summit at the presidential house in Seoul, South Korea. By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key U.S. allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyos decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, its the American president who could end up losing. (Lee Jong-hoon/Yonhap via AP) KOREA OUT

In this Wednesday, May 18, 2016 photo, Lee Yong-soo, center, who was forced by the Japanese government to serve as a sex slave during World War II, and Buddhist monks attend a rally demanding full compensation and an apology from the Japanese government near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key U.S. allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyos decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, its the American president who could end up losing. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Turkey's president approves new government led by ally

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  Turkey's president on Tuesday approved a new government formed by one of his most trusted allies, who immediately asserted the intention to institute constitutional reforms that would expand the powers of the presidency.

The new prime minister, Binali Yildirim, replaced Ahmet Davutoglu, who stepped down on Sunday. Davutoglu had a range of differences with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, including seemingly lukewarm support for a constitutional overhaul to give executive powers to the largely ceremonial presidency.

"We will immediately start work to achieve a new constitution, including a presidential system," the 60-year-old Yildirim told lawmakers of his Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in his first speech after taking office.

Binali Yildirim, Turkey's current Transportation Minister and founding member of the AKP, Turkeys governing party, and his wife Semiha Yildirim salute supporters during party congress in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, May 22, 2016. Turkey's ruling party held a special convention on Sunday to confirm Binali Yildirim, a longtime ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as its new chairman and next prime minister, a move that is likely to consolidate the Turkish leader's hold on power.(AP Photo/Riza Ozel, Pool)

"Our priority is to render the constitution more in harmony with the de-facto situation regarding our president's ties to the people," said Yildirim, formerly minister of transport and communications.

Many fear the system that Erdogan seeks will concentrate too many powers in the hands of the Turkish strongman, who has adopted an increasingly authoritarian style of governing, has cracked down on media and government critics and is accused of meddling in the running of the government in breach of the constitution.

The new government includes nine new names, although most ministers from Davutoglu's previous Cabinet retained key portfolios.

They include Mevlut Cavusoglu, who remains foreign minister, and Mehmet Simsek, who kept his seat as deputy prime minister although it wasn't immediately clear if he would still be in charge of the economy.

Volkan Bozkir, the minister in charge of relations with the European Union, was replaced by Omer Celik, a founding member of the AKP who is known to be close to the president. Erdogan's son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, kept his position as energy minister.

At a news conference in Istanbul, Erdogan admitted that he was involved in the selection of ministers.

"The prime minister presented me with a list last night. I worked on that list. This morning, we held a consultation after which I gave my approval," Erdogan said.

In a clear sign that Erdogan would continue to influence the government, he was scheduled to chair the new Cabinet's first meeting at his palace on Wednesday.

"Tomorrow, the first meeting of the council of ministers will be held... under my chairmanship," Erdogan said. "The fight against domestic and international terrorism will be high on our agenda."

Domestically, the political reshuffling takes place as Turkey faces serious security threats including increased attacks by Kurdish and Islamic State militants. It also comes as parliament is in disarray after a government-backed constitutional amendment has left 138 lawmakers vulnerable to prosecution.

Internationally, Turkey is also facing a delicate moment in its relations with the European Union. The implementation of a Turkey-EU deal to help stem the influx of migrants to Europe  which Davutoglu had helped negotiate  has repeatedly come into question.

Erdogan has warned that the migrant deal could collapse if the Europeans renege on their pledges to grant Turkish citizens the right to visa-free travel. The EU says Ankara must meet all of the EU's conditions to secure visa-free travel, including narrowing the definition of "terrorist"  which Erdogan says is out of the question.

Yildirim reaffirmed his determination to press ahead with military operations against Kurdish rebels, saying the fight would continue until the insurgents end attacks and abandon arms. The decades-long conflict against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, flared up again last year with the collapse of a fragile peace process, costing hundreds of lives.

The new prime minister also promised to mend Turkey's ties with a number of countries, in an apparent jab at Davutoglu, a former foreign minister, who conceived Turkey's troubled policy on Syria and under whom relations with Israel, Russia, Egypt and others were soured.

"We will increase the number of our friends; we will decrease the number of our enemies," Yildirim said.

Yildirim, in his speech, called on opposition parties to support efforts to write a new constitution. The ruling party lacks the supermajority needed in parliament for constitutional amendments and is believed to be hoping for the support of the nationalist party. That party's leader, however, said he would not support the plan.

"With the introduction of a presidential system the fragile balance between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary will be disrupted, all power will be concentrated in one hand," nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli said. "While searching for democracy, we will inevitably find despotism."

In a related development, a high court on Tuesday backed a group of nationalist party dissidents' petition to hold an extraordinary congress that could pave the way for a leadership change.

Analysts say that a leadership switch could help the nationalist party win back votes it has lost to the ruling party over the years and derail Erdogan's ambitions for a powerful presidency.

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Dominique Soguel in Istanbul contributed to this report.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Binali Yildirim, the ruling party's new chairman, pose for a photograph at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, May 22, 2016. Turkey's prime minister formally submitted his resignation on Sunday, paving the way for his replacement by a trusted ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who immediately expressed allegiance to the Turkish leader and vowed to follow his path. (Presidential Press Service, Pool via AP Photo)

Binali Yildirim, left, who replaces the outgoing prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, right, shake hands before a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved a new government formed by his trusted ally who has pledged to push through constitutional reforms that would expand the powers of the presidency. (Prime Ministry Press Service, Pool via AP)

Binali Yildirim, center, who replaces the outgoing prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, walk together before a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved a new government formed by his trusted ally who has pledged to push through constitutional reforms that would expand the powers of the presidency. (Prime Ministry Press Service, Pool via AP)

Binali Yildirim, left, who replaces the outgoing prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, right, pose for a photograph before a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved a new government formed by his trusted ally who has pledged to push through constitutional reforms that would expand the powers of the presidency. (Prime Ministry Press Service, Pool via AP)

Binali Yildirim, who replaces the outgoing prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, announce his Cabinet after a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Erdogan has approved a new government formed by his trusted ally who has pledged to push through constitutional reforms that would expand the powers of the presidency.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Binali Yildirim, who replaces the outgoing prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, addresses his lawmakers at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved a new government formed by his trusted ally who has pledged to push through constitutional reforms that would expand the powers of the presidency.(AP Photo)
China says better US-Vietnam ties must not threaten Beijing

BEIJING (AP)  Improved relations between the U.S. and Vietnam must not lead to greater pressure on China or threats to its interests, an official Chinese newspaper said Tuesday.

While China applauds the spirit of reconciliation between Hanoi and Washington, "whatever common interests the two countries pursue, they should never compromise China's national interests and threaten regional security," the English-language China Daily said in an editorial.

The comments point to Beijing's underlying concerns about closer ties between its chief regional rival and its southern neighbor, with which it is in dispute over ownership of islands in the South China Sea.

FILE - In this Monday, May 23, 2016 file photo, U.S. President Barack Obama, left, and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang walk to a meeting after shaking hands at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam. Improved relations between the U.S. and Vietnam must not lead to greater pressure on China or threats to its interests, an official Chinese newspaper said Tuesday, May 24. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Any attempt to enlist Vietnam in an effort to contain China "bodes ill for regional peace and stability, as it would further complicate the situation in the South China Sea, and risk turning the region into a tinderbox of conflicts," the newspaper said.

China on Monday formally welcomed Washington's decision to fully lift a five-decade arms embargo on Vietnam during a visit by President Barack Obama, saying it is happy to see Vietnam develop "normal and friendly cooperative relationships with all other countries, including the United States."

China has looked on warily as the U.S. and Vietnam have steadily strengthened their relationship in recent years, in line with growing Vietnamese concern over Chinese moves to assert its maritime claims.

Despite being fraternal Communist neighbors, China and Vietnam fought a border war in 1979, and clashes in 1988 over their conflicting claims in the South China Sea killed dozens of people. The tensions reared again in 2014, when China parked an oil rig off Vietnam's central coast, sparking confrontations at sea and deadly anti-China riots in Vietnam.

While the China Daily noted Obama's assertion that lifting the arms embargo had nothing to do with China, the outspoken nationalist tabloid Global Times dismissed that notion outright, calling it a "very poor lie which reveals the truth  exacerbating the strategic antagonism between Washington and Beijing."

The U.S. is "taking advantage of Vietnam to stir up more troubles in the South China Sea," the newspaper said.

In Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry echoed Obama's insistence that the lifting of the arms embargo was not intended to target China.

"Nothing that we did here or are doing here is focused on China," Kerry told reporters, adding that removing the embargo was not unusual but rather reflective of a new normalcy in U.S. relations with Vietnam. "It was not out of order and certainly not inflammatory."

Asked about a Chinese warning against the U.S. and Vietnam creating a "tinderbox" that could lead to regional conflict, Kerry pushed back, saying that it was China's actions in the South and East China Seas that could create a tinderbox.

"I would caution China to not unilaterally move to engage in reclamation activities and militarization of islands," he said.

The Pentagon says China has reclaimed more than 1,295 hectares (3,200 acres) of land in the southeastern South China Sea and is developing and building military installations on the manmade islands.

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10 Things to Know for Today - 24 May 2016

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. WHAT A FORENSICS EXPERT IS SAYING ABOUT EGYPTAIR CRASH

Human remains retrieved from the crash site of Flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft.

A bus moves a migrant family to a government-built camps during a police operation at a makeshift refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Greek authorities began an operation at dawn Tuesday to gradually evacuate the country's largest informal refugee camp of Idomeni on the Macedonian border, blocking access to the area and sending in more than 400 riot police. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

2. SANDERS: CONVENTION COULD GET 'MESSY'

The presidential candidate tells the AP that "democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle" in his push to make the Democratic Party more inclusive.

3. WHAT OBAMA IS IMPLORING VIETNAM TO DO

The U.S. president presses Hanoi to allow greater freedoms for its citizens, arguing that better human rights would improve the communist country's economy, stability and regional power.

4. GREECE MAKES MOVE ON MIGRANTS

Authorities begin an operation to gradually evacuate the country's largest informal refugee camp of Idomeni on the Macedonian border.

5. HOW MARILYN MOSBY IS BEING PERCEIVED

With a mistrial and an acquittal so far in the Freddie Gray case, Baltimore's top prosecutor is facing criticism for having cast her net too wide in her charges against six city police officers.

6. AS ZIKA SPREADS, FLORIDA TOWN A STUDY IN BUG-BORNE ILLNESS

Rio's successful fight against a dengue fever outbreak in 2013 may be a precursor to what other U.S. communities face as the summer mosquito season begins.

7. COSBY DUE IN PENNSYLVANIA COURT

The entertainer faces a preliminary hearing on a charge of aggravated indecent assault stemming from a 2004 encounter at his home near Philadelphia.

8. HAWAII COULD MAKE GUN HISTORY

The island chain could become the first state to enter gun owners into an FBI database that will automatically notify police if a resident is arrested anywhere else in the country.

9. FACEBOOK DROPS NEWS OUTLET INPUT IN 'TRENDING TOPICS' REVIEW

The social network giant adopted the policy after a backlash over a report saying it suppressed conservative views.

10. WHY WARRIOR MAY HAVE EVADED SUSPENSION

Golden State's Draymond Green has a history of his legs flailing out strangely, which lends some credence to the argument that he didn't intentionally kick Oklahoma City's Steven Adams.

U.S. President Barack Obama and american chef Anthony Bourdain shake hands at a shopping area in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Barack Obama taped the second part of an interview with CNN personality Anthony Bourdain before leaving the Vietnamese capital for his next stop: Ho Chi Minh City. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Latest: Russia denies losing helicopters at Syrian base

BEIRUT (AP)  The Latest on the violence in Syria a day after deadly attacks claimed by the Islamic State group targeted government strongholds (all times local):

5 p.m.

The Russian military has denied a claim by the Islamic State group that it has destroyed several Russian helicopter gunships and other equipment at a base in Syria.

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, the wreckage of burned vehicles is seen at the site of a bombing, in the coastal towns of Tartus, Syria, Monday, May 23, 2016. A series of rare explosions including suicide bombings rocked coastal government strongholds in Syria Monday, killing several people and wounding dozens more, state media and opposition activists said. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks. (SANA via AP)

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Tuesday that all Russian helicopters deployed to Syria "are performing their planned missions to destroy terrorists." He rejected the IS claim of destroying four Russian helicopters and 20 trucks at the Diyas air base near the ancient town of Palmyra as "propaganda."

Konashenkov said in a statement that satellite images showing burned shells of helicopters and trucks at the Diyas air base reflect the damage from months of clashes in the area between Syrian government forces and militants. The images were released Tuesday by the U.S. global intelligence think tank Stratfor.

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4:45 p.m.

The spokesman for the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces says the U.S.-backed group has launched its campaign to expel the Islamic State group from Raqqa, the extremists' de facto capital in northern Syria.

Talal Sillo says the present goal is to "liberate" the countryside north of Raqqa, without setting a date for the offensive to capture the city itself.

The announcement follows a meeting between a top U.S. commander and SDF officials in Kurdish-held northern Syria, Saturday. Sillo says the U.S.-led coalition against the IS group is providing air support for the campaign.

A monitoring group inside IS territory that goes by the name Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently reports air strikes on IS positions north of Raqqa. It says intense ground fighting has erupted around the village of Heisha.

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4 p.m.

Residents and media activists say funerals are being held for victims of multiple bombings that hit two government strongholds in Syria.

Gunfire could be heard Tuesday in the city of Tartus as the funerals got underway. Shooting in the air is a traditional sign of mourning in parts of the Middle East.

The victims being buried Tuesday include three children from the Hammouda family, killed in the town of Jableh on Syria's Mediterranean coast.

A series of explosions ripped through civilian targets in Jableh as well as the coastal city of Tartus Monday, killing more than a hundred people, most of them civilians.

The attacks were the most serious breach of President Bashar Assad's coastal strongholds in the five-year-old Syrian civil war.

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1:10 p.m.

The Russian military says it has called for a 72-hour cease-fire in Syria between government and opposition forces in two Damascus suburbs.

In a statement issued late Monday, Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko says this would allow Russian war planes to carry out airstrikes against the Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaida.

Kuralenko, who heads the Russian center monitoring joint efforts with the United States to curb the fighting, says the Russians have called for a "regime of silence" in Eastern Ghouta and Darayya starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

He says Moscow urges "all parties concerned to stop offensive operations and shooting and to distance themselves from the regions controlled by" the al-Qaida affiliate in Syria.

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11:00 a.m.

The World Health Organization says a suicide attack at a hospital in Syria's coastal city of Jableh the previous day has killed 43 people.

WHO says most of those killed were patients and their visiting family members but there were also three doctors and nurses killed in Monday's attack. The organization says the hospital is no longer working.

The bombing was part of a coordinated wave of attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Jableh and the city of Tartus, government strongholds that have so far remained mostly immune to the violence of Syria's civil war, now in its sixth year.

Government officials have said that at least 80 died in Monday's devastating assaults, while the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that 154 had died.
Greece gets new funds approved by eurozone creditors

BRUSSELS (AP)  Greece has won an essential batch of bailout funds from international creditors following agreement among the 19 eurozone finance ministers and can start looking forward to debt relief in the future.

After the ministers approved Greece's recent reform efforts, they decided early Wednesday to disburse 10.3 billion euros ($11.5 billion) in funds to see Athens through the next months.

The first disbursement of 7.5 billion euros ($8.4 billion) could already begin by the middle of next month with other disbursements coming after the summer, pending positive feedback from European institutions.

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, right, and Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, attend a parliamentary session in Athens, Sunday, May 22, 2016. Greek parliament votes on a bill ahead of a Eurogroup meeting next week which is likely to unlock bailout funds for the country. (AP Photo/ Yorgos Karahalis )

"We now have global agreement which opens the way for a significant disbursement of much needed funding for Greece and important measures on debt relief," which will be progressively phased in, said EU Commissioner Pierre Moscovici.

The breakthrough came after 11 hours of tortuous talks instead of the easy approval which had originally been seen. But considering the bad blood between Athens and its creditors over the past years, Wednesday's deal was seen as a major step forward.

"This opens the way for a return of confidence that is so essential for lasting economic recovery in Greece, which is our common purpose," said Moscovici.

EU President Donald Tusk, who had been vital in staving off Greek bankruptcy last year, also looked at the future. He called the deal in a Twitter message "a Strong message of stability for Greece, Europe and the global economy."

A representative of the International Monetary Fund welcomed the deal but said its board would still have to rule on its participation. The linking in of the IMF into the program was seen as essential.

Greece's parliament passed a bill over the weekend on a series of measures that creditors had demanded. They included tax hikes, more budget-cutting reforms and a new privatization superfund, which will manage almost all state property.

The next step for creditors would be to find a way to lighten the country's debt load, which mainly consists of past rescue loans from eurozone states. Greece's debt is predicted to reach more than 333 billion euros ($379 billion) this year, around 180 percent of its annual economic output.

"Greece needs room to breathe, it needs certainty. It's made considerable efforts, and again this weekend," said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, referring to the reforms Greece passed.

On the question of debt relief, Dijsselbloem said there was no appetite for any outright cut to the value of the money Greece owes.

Rather, the creditors are likely to examine a possible lowering in the interest rates and possibly an extension of the rescue loans' maturity dates, as called for by the International Monetary Fund. There are fears the IMF may even pull out of the bailout program if Greece's debt burden is not lightened.

"An actual haircut of the loans will not happen," Dijsselboem said. "What we can look at is the annual debt burden, so Greece can on an annual basis pay its debts. If not, we are ready to help them in the coming years."
Senior Taliban figure says death of leader could unify group

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The death of the leader of the Afghan Taliban in a U.S. drone strike last week could make the insurgent movement stronger by bringing back dissident commanders and unifying the movement's ranks, a senior Afghan Taliban figure said on Tuesday.

Mullah Mohammad Ghous, a foreign minister during the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule of Afghanistan, told The Associated Press that Mullah Akhtar Mansour's death cleared the way for those who left after he became leader to return to the insurgency.

Mansour was killed on Saturday in the strike in southwestern Pakistan, just over the border from Afghanistan.

A Pakistani police officer and paramedics stand beside two dead bodies reportedly killed in a U.S. drone strike in the Ahmad Wal area in Baluchistan province, Pakistan, at a hopsital in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, May 22, 2016. A senior commander of the Afghan Taliban confirmed on Sunday that the extremist group's leader, Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour, had been killed in the strike. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)

His death has been confirmed by some senior Taliban members, as well as Washington and Kabul. The Taliban has yet to formally announce his death.

Mansour had led the Taliban since last summer, when the death of founder Mullah Mohammad Omar became public. Mansour ran the movement in Mullah Omar's name for more than two years. The revelation of Mullah Omar's death and Mansour's deception led to widespread mistrust, with some senior leaders leaving to set up their own factions.

Some of these rivals fought Mansour's men for land, mostly in the opium poppy-growing southern Taliban heartland.

Ghous said a faction loyal to the leader of a major breakaway faction, Mullah Mohammad Rasool  who is believed to be detained in Pakistan  could rejoin the main branch "bringing greater strength."

"Once the death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour is confirmed, Mullah Rasool's group will have no excuse," he said.

Mansour is widely said to have been a major player in Afghanistan's multi-billion-dollar drug production and smuggling business, which along with other contraband helps fund the insurgency.

Western diplomats in Kabul have said that Mansour had been in contact with Iran and Russia in recent months, in a bid to diversify his support base away from Pakistan. Pakistan's ISI secret service has long been suspected of supporting the Taliban leadership in cities over the border from Afghanistan, notably Quetta and Peshawar.

Russia and Iran are believed to have reached out to Taliban groups in recent months as a counterweight to the Islamic State group's presence in Afghanistan. Mansour is believed to have been returning from Iran when he was targeted by the U.S. drone. He was travelling on a Pakistani passport under a false name, according to sources in the Taliban.

"The Taliban needs financial and strategic support, so as leader of the movement Mullah Akhtar Mansour had to look for it in difference places  and that meant he had to travel to different countries," Ghous said, adding that Mansour regularly visited Dubai, Qatar and other countries including Iran, which borders western Afghanistan.

Ghous said that it was widely accepted within the upper ranks of the Taliban that Iran also facilitated contact with Russia for Mansour. "We all know Iran and Russia are linked nowadays, so if Mullah Akhtar Mansour is meeting with Iran it must be with the knowledge of Russia."

Another respected veteran in the insurgency, religious scholar Mullah Hameedullah, agreed that Mansour's death removed an obstacle to unity.

As senior figures gather in Pakistan to discuss the movement's next leader, both Ghous and Hameedullah said the choice of successor would impact whether or not the Taliban chooses war or peace.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, who took office in 2014, assiduously courted Pakistan in an effort to bring the Taliban into a dialogue that would lead to peace talks. Mansour, however, refused, choosing instead to intensify the war, now in its 15th year, once the international combat mission drew down to a training and support role in 2015.

Among the main contenders for the leadership role are Mansour's deputy, Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the notorious Haqqani network  the faction behind some of the most ferocious attacks in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. The Haqqanis are wealthy, and able to attract funding even as competition among Islamist organizations grows.

The son of Mullah Omar, Mullah Yaqub is also believed said to be a viable candidate. He publicly objected to Mansour's elevation, believing it to have been rigged among a small clique, but earlier this year decided to reconcile with the Mansour. He controls the Taliban military commissions for 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.

Discussions on the future of the organization are said to be robust and sources attending have said it could be some time before a decision emerges.

Ghous said: "You never know who will be the next leader.

"I have always preferred that there should be peace talks and I am still saying there should be peace talks," Ghous said. But he added that the deadly U.S. strike on Mansour's vehicle  believed to be the first U.S. drone hit inside Pakistani territory  had prompted some wariness in the Taliban leadership.

"This American strike that killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour might not effect peace talks so much, but if they strike again or if they kill any other leader, then I think we will not see peace talks in my lifetime," he said.
Tony Blair says defeating IS requires 'proper ground war'

LONDON (AP)  The Islamic State group will be defeated only with a ground war involving Western troops, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday.

Blair said airstrikes alone wouldn't defeat the militants. Instead, "you are going to have to go and wage a proper ground war against them," with British, American and other Western troops playing a supporting role.

"The armed forces of America, the U.K., France, other major countries have both experience and capability so even if we are using them in support of local forces, you have just got to decide what our objective is," Blair said at discussion on foreign affairs in London. "Is our objective to defeat this enemy? My answer to that is yes."

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair takes part in a discussion on Britain in the World, in London, Tuesday May 24, 2016, where he acknowledged the invading nations had underestimated the "forces of destabilization" that would emerge in Iraq after the toppling of dictator Saddam Hussein. Blair said Tuesday that the Islamic State group forces will be defeated only with a ground war involving Western troops. (Stefan Rousseau / PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVES

Blair's decision to take Britain into the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 remains deeply divisive, and Iraq is mired in violence. Blair is likely to be criticized in a long-delayed report on the war and its aftermath that will be published in July.

Blair, who left office in 2007, acknowledged the invading nations had underestimated the "forces of destabilization" that would emerge in Iraq after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, "whether al-Qaida on the Sunni side or Iran and its militia on the other side."

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrives with Prospect Magazine editor Bronwen Maddox, to take part Former in a discussion on Britain in the World, in London, Tuesday May 24, 2016, where he acknowledged the invading nations had underestimated the "forces of destabilization" that would emerge in Iraq after the toppling of dictator Saddam Hussein. Blair said Tuesday that the Islamic State group forces will be defeated only with a ground war involving Western troops. (Stefan Rousseau / PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVES
Bank of England chief defends warning over EU exit risk

LONDON (AP)  Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has defended his decision to warn on the economic risks of leaving the European Union in a heated exchange before a parliamentary committee.

Lawmaker Jacob Rees Mogg accused Carney on Tuesday of colluding with Britain's government in delivering a stark warning that recession may result from a British exit from the 28-nation trading bloc. Rees Mogg has called for Carney to be fired for acting irresponsibly.

Carney rejected the charges, arguing that he had a responsibility to warn Treasury chief George Osborne about economic risks and to take the matter "straight to the British people."
Top UK court rules against expats over EU referendum voting

LONDON (AP)  Britain's Supreme Court has rejected a bid by two Britons who live abroad to vote in next month's referendum on European Union membership.

British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years are not eligible to cast a ballot in the June 23 vote.

A London-born World War II veteran who lives in Italy and a Scottish lawyer who lives in Belgium argued the 15-year cutoff was arbitrary and unfair.

But the Supreme Court on Tuesday denied the pair permission to appeal lower court judgments that the rule did not amount to an unjustified restriction on their freedom of movement and right to vote.
Upset Cyprus president calls off peace talks meet

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Talks aimed at reunifying ethnically divided Cyprus stumbled Tuesday when the Greek Cypriot president called off a meeting with the breakaway Turkish Cypriot leader after he attended a dinner of heads of state at the invitation of Turkey.

Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said in a brief statement that President Nicos Anastasiades "regretfully" called off the meeting with Mustafa Akinci scheduled for later this week in light of Monday's "unacceptable actions."

He said the invitation to Akinci aimed to diplomatically upgrade the breakaway north of the island, which only Turkey recognizes as an independent state and maintains more than 35,000 troops there.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, welcomes Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, center, prior to a dinner at the historical Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Monday, May 23, 2016. World leaders and representatives of humanitarian organizations from across the globe are converging in Istanbul for the first World Humanitarian Summit. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Service/Pool Photo via AP)

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup aiming at union with Greece.

The dinner was held as part of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. Anastasiades, who attended the summit, was invited to the dinner but refused to go after he was told Akinci would also be there.

Anastasiades said he remains committed to the yearlong peace talks as long as "rules of mutual respect" are obeyed and both sides stick to the "jointly expressed will to reach a mutually acceptable solution" without "unilateral actions" aiming at the north's diplomatic upgrade.

The statement also served notice to officials involved in the talks  including United Nations envoy Espen Barth Eide who is facilitating negotiations  not to act in a way that could scupper the talks.

"Similar actions by anyone involved, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative not excluded, not only do not help, but oppositely undermine the ongoing process," the statement said.

Anastasiades and Akinci said much progress has been made in negotiations, but difficulties remain. Both said they aim for an accord that would reunify the island into two federal zones by the end of the year.

The internationally recognized government of Cyprus in the island's Greek Cypriot southern half is strongly opposed to putting the breakaway north on an equal diplomatic footing because it considers the Turkish Cypriot government the product of an act of war which violated international law.
'Grey's Anatomy' actor helps produce BET documentary

NEW YORK (AP)  Actor Jesse Williams says he sees BET's documentary premiering Thursday on the Black Lives Matter movement as a time capsule capturing the conditions that led to the group's formation.

Williams, of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," is an executive producer and is interviewed in the film "Stay Woke: the Black Lives Matter Movement." It airs Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT.

Starting with a recording of the call to police that led to Trayvon Martin's death in Florida, the film describes that and the deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Freddie Gray  cases that led to the formation and growth of the protest movement. It traces the group to a frustrated tweet that first used the hashtag #blacklivesmatter.

FILE - In this April 30, 2016 file photo, Jesse Williams attend the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington. Williams, of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," is an executive producer and is interviewed in the film, "Stay Woke: the Black Lives Matter Movement." It airs Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT on BET. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

"We wanted to give them a voice in telling their own story rather than hearing people talk about them," Williams said.

Williams, who said he became involved in the documentary directed by Laurens Grant at BET's request, praised the movement for giving young people angered about deaths of people in police custody "a place to feel like they are part of a community that loves them, that looks like them, that sounds like them, that understands them when they speak and doesn't condescend to them."

The hour-long documentary discusses the resentment some members of the Black Lives Matter community felt toward veteran civil rights activists Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. It also shows footage of anti-police protesters chanting "pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon."

That chant was used to discuss how some in the media seized upon it to paint the group as radical. Although the film quotes one man who says Black Lives Matter is not about harming police but about making law enforcement accountable, Williams said it was not the place of filmmakers or the movement to be critical of the incendiary chant.

"That's not a concern of mine at all, what a couple of kids say in frustration," he said. Black Lives Matter shouldn't let its critics drive the conversation, he said.

Williams said he wasn't familiar with President Barack Obama's commencement address to black students at Howard University earlier this month, where he said change requires more than righteous anger. While the president encouraged activism, he advised young people to work within the system and was critical of instances where protesters disrupted political rallies. The protesters were critical of Hillary Clinton's remarks in 1996 about her husband's crime bill.

Williams said he didn't believe that Black Lives Matter activists need to take a role in changing the conditions about which they're protesting.

"It's unfair for the ones who sound the alarm to be burdened with the responsibility for coming up with a complete solution," the actor said.

___
Oil spilled from ship pollutes Albanian beach

TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Authorities say that oil spilled from a ship has polluted a tourist beach in southwestern Albania.

Vlora Deputy Mayor Ardi Musta told The Associated Press Tuesday that a day earlier oil had leaked from a ship at a storage terminal in Zvernec, 140 kilometers (87 miles) southwest of the capital, Tirana, polluting up to five kilometers (3 miles) of the beach.

The operation of the terminal company has been suspended and it has been fined 1 million leks ($8,000).

Defense Minister Mimi Kodheli posted on Facebook that navy ships were assisting local personnel in cleaning tons of oil from the sea and the beach.
After Austria election, a look at Europe right wing parties

BERLIN (AP)  Right-winger Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party narrowly lost Austria's presidential runoff this week. Though he didn't win, the contest was viewed in Europe as a proxy fight pitting the continent's political center against its growing populist and anti-establishment movements. Here's a look at Europe's major right-wing parties and where they stand:

 AUSTRIA: Hofer's Freedom Party has used anti-EU sentiment and fear that Austria could be overrun by refugees to become the country's most popular political force. The party's rise reflects deep dissatisfaction with the Social Democrats and the centrist People's Party, which have dominated Austrian politics since the end of World War II.

 CROATIA: The right-wing Croatian Democratic Union dominates Croatia's ruling coalition. Party leader and deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Karamarko was among several top government officials who recently attended a commemoration of Croatian fascist soldiers killed by communist partisans at the end of World War II.

FILE - In this May 22, 2016 file picture Norbert Hofer presidential candidate for Austria's Freedom Party, FPOE, waves during an election party in Vienna, Austria. The right-wing candidate in Austria's presidential election has acknowledged defeat to a left-leaning rival, in a Facebook post thanking his backers for their support Monday May 23, 2016. . (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, filr)

 CYPRUS: Far-right ELAM won seats in Cyprus' parliament for the first time during elections marked by low turnout Sunday. ELAM advocates a hard-line nationalist stance in talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots aimed at reunifying the ethnically split island nation.

 DENMARK: The nationalist Danish People's party supports a center-right minority government in Parliament in exchange for a say on some government policies including immigration, which it opposes.

 FINLAND: The right-wing populist Finns Party has been part of Finland's government since 2015, in coalition with the Center and conservative parties.

 FRANCE: The far-right, anti-immigrant National Front is increasingly popular under leader Marine Le Pen, who has brought it toward the political mainstream. She is expected to make it into the presidential election runoff next year. The party was the top vote-getter in regional and European elections last year, but maneuvering by traditional parties kept it from winning any governorships, and may keep Le Pen from the presidency.

 GERMANY: The far-right National Democratic Party is fighting efforts by Germany's 16 states to ban it for unconstitutional policies. The party has also lost voters in recent years to the national Alternative for Germany, which espouses anti-immigrant and anti-Islam positions. Since being founded three years ago AfD has entered the European Parliament and eight state assemblies, and is polling a double-digit share of the vote nationwide.

 GREECE: Golden Dawn, a Nazi-inspired fringe group, became a mainstream player in 2012 when it first entered parliament riding an anti-establishment and anti-immigration wave. Officials from the party, which came third in national elections last September, have expressed a fondness for Nazi music and paraphernalia.

 HUNGARY: Hungary's governing Fidesz party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, long ago abandoned its liberal, anti-clerical roots to become a populist, right-wing party extolling the importance of Christian values, embracing extreme anti-immigrant policies and greatly expanding the role of the state. This shift has helped stunt the advance of the far-right Jobbik party, the second-largest opposition group in parliament since 2010.

 ITALY: The anti-Europe Northern Leauge has aligned itself with other nationalist parties, hosting in Milan earlier this year the first meeting earlier of the Europe of Nations and Freedom group within the European Parliament. Leader Matteo Salvini is vocal in his opposition mass migration from the Middle East and Africa, often citing the arrivals as a terror threat.

 NORWAY: The right-wing Progressive Party has been in a coalition government with the Conservatives since 2013.

 POLAND: Poland's presidency, parliament and government are in the hands of a right-wing, populist Law and Justice party that won presidential and parliamentary elections last year. The party led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski has embarked on sweeping changes aimed at promoting Poland's traditional Catholic values.

 SERBIA: The right-wing populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is the ruling party in Serbia, winning two consecutive elections by a landslide. Its leader Aleksandar Vucic, a former ultranationalist turned self-declared pro-EU reformer, has won Western support on promises to promote peace in the war-torn Balkans despite his hard-line policies at home that included a clampdown on free media and the opposition.

 SWITZERLAND: The nationalist Swiss People's Party has the largest number of seats in Parliament and two Cabinet posts. It regularly backs referendums aimed at restricting immigration and supported a ban on the construction of mosques in Switzerland.

 UNITED KINGDOM: The right-wing UK Independence Party led by Nigel Farage has helped pressure the government into calling the referendum on Britain's EU membership that will be held on June 23. Farage has blamed immigrants for putting a strain on hospitals, schools, housing and other services and says Britain must secure its borders and reclaim its sovereignty by leaving the EU. The party has one member in Parliament.
Family agrees to $1.1M settlement in WWII veteran's death

MARKHAM, Ill. (AP)  Court documents show relatives of a 95-year-old World War II veteran who died after being shot with a beanbag gun by a police officer, who was trying to disarm him, have agreed to a $1.1 million wrongful death settlement.

Park Forest Police Officer Craig Taylor responded in July 2013 after an assisted-living facility staff member reported John Wrana Jr. had become combative. Wrana was shot five times with the beanbag gun before he dropped the knife he was wielding. He died hours later of internal bleeding.

Sharon Mangerson, Wrana's stepdaughter and executor of his estate, had filed a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit in 2014 alleging, among other things, that Wrana's civil rights were violated.

Park Forest recently agreed to a $1.1 million settlement, with $800,000 covering legal fees and costs and the rest going to family members. The federal judge overseeing the case signed off on the agreement on May 12, the Daily Southtown newspaper (http://trib.in/1XtOjzz ) reported.

As part of the agreement, none of the defendants named in the lawsuit, including Taylor, will admit liability or wrongful conduct in connection to Wrana's death.

The attorney representing Wrana's family said Monday that he couldn't comment on the settlement, partially because no final written order had yet been entered.

Taylor testified during his trial that he feared for his life and those of fellow officers when Wrana raised the knife.
GOP governors ask FCC to address illegal prison cellphones

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Ten Republican governors want the Federal Communications Commission to give states more autonomy to apply technology that can stop prison inmates from using smuggled cellphones.

Gov. Nikki Haley and her counterparts encouraged FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler in a letter Monday to give them "flexibility and authority" to render such communication impossible.

While the letter doesn't explicitly say so, what the governors want is permission to jam cellphone signals behind bars.

A 1934 law says the FCC can grant permission to jam public airwaves only to federal agencies, not state or local ones. The cellphone industry has strongly opposed the use of localized jamming technology out of concern that it could set a precedent leading to much wider gaps in their networks.

The governors say the technology would be strictly limited to prisons, and that society outside would not suffer.

"The FCC should act to streamline regulatory review processes and allow states to implement cost-efficient technology in prisons, where the installation of such technology will not sacrifice the safety of the general public," reads the letter, which was proposed by Haley and also signed by governors from Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah.

Haley has long spoken of the dangers of illegal cellphones behind bars. Smuggled by the thousands inside hollowed out footballs, whisked in by corrupt employees or sometimes even dropped by drone, these phones can give inmates an unmonitored, unfettered means of continuing their crimes and even perpetrating violence.

"This is something that has a solution to it," Haley testified last month at an FCC field hearing in Columbia. She said the state has tried other methods, none as effective as signal blocking. "Allow us to jam our prisons. ... Something has to change."

Robert Johnson, a former anti-contraband officer at one of South Carolina's most violent prisons, was shot six times outside his Sumter home in 2010, after police said an inmate used an illegal cellphone to order the hit. He survived, enduring more than a dozen surgeries, and has become an advocate for using jamming technology in prisons.

South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling and his predecessor, Jon Ozmint, also have sought this permission, to no avail.

In 2008, South Carolina got FCC permission for a one-time test at Lieber Correctional Institution, home to the state's death row. Officials flipped a switch on a briefcase-sized device that emitted a frequency that immediately shut down cellphones inside an auditorium. Outside in the hallway, cell service was uninterrupted.

Commissioner Ajit Pai, who oversaw April's field hearing, called the status quo "not acceptable" and said he would renew a discussion about next steps.

In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Wheeler said he agreed contraband cellphones are "a serious problem" and would work with Pai on the issue.

Asked Tuesday about Haley's letter, Pai said it's time for the agency to act.

"The FCC needs to take a leadership role in helping corrections officials combat this problem," Pai told AP. "We must take action, and now."

___

James Nord in Pierre, South Dakota, contributed to this report.

___
Luxembourg to be quizzed over tax ruling allegation

BRUSSELS (AP)  The Belgian government says it will quiz Luxembourg over media allegations that it makes unwritten tax agreements with companies despite European Union insistence to promote full transparency on the much-criticized practice.

The EU has been trying to crack down on preferential tax treatment for big multinationals in member states and has said that taxation deals must be as public as possible.

Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt said Tuesday that he would "certainly ask my Luxembourg colleague to shed some light on this. If this is true  the "if" is very important  it would be fully counter to the where we need to go, namely more transparency."
Burt Kwouk, veteran of the 'Pink Panther' movies, dies at 85

LONDON (AP)  Burt Kwouk, an actor who played martial arts expert Cato in the comic "Pink Panther" films, has died. He was 85.

Kwouk's agent, Jean Diamond, said in a statement that he "passed peacefully" on Tuesday. She didn't give a cause of death.

Born in northwest England in 1930 and raised in Shanghai, Kwouk had his first major film role in 1958's "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness," starring Ingrid Bergman.

FILE - In this file photo dated Feb. 24, 2011, Burt Kwouk, poses after being presented with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in London. The actor best known for playing Inspector Clouseau's manservant Cato in the Pink Panther films, has died aged 85, his agent said, Tuesday May 24, 2016, issuing the statement "Beloved actor Burt Kwouk has sadly passed peacefully away 24th May." (John Stillwell / Pool via AP, FILE)

Kwouk appeared in the James Bond films "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice" as well as the 1967 Bond spoof "Casino Royale," and had roles in popular 1960s TV series "Secret Agent," ''The Avengers" and "The Saint."

In 1964, Blake Edwards cast him in "A Shot in the Dark," a comedy centered on Peter Sellers' bumbling Inspector Clouseau. Kwouk appeared in half a dozen more Pink Panther movies as Cato Fong, a manservant whose job was to attack Clouseau when he least expected it.

Other film appearances included Norman Jewison's sci-fi thriller "Rollerball" and Steven Spielberg's World War II drama "Empire of the Sun" and the 1980s British World War II TV series "Tenko."

Kwouk made screen appearances into his 80s, including a regular role in long-running British sitcom "Last of the Summer Wine."

In 2011, Kwouk was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.

Diamond said Kwouk's family would be holding a private funeral, with a memorial service at a later date.
French premier pushes Mideast initiative with Palestinians

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)  France's prime minister said Tuesday that peace between Israelis and the Palestinians is also important for security in Europe.

Manuel Valls made the comments following a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart in Ramallah.

"We know we, as French and Europeans, we know that our own security, our own stability depends on peace, the region's peace, peace between Israelis and Palestinians," he said.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, left, meets with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Valls is visiting the region in a bid to rouse support for a June conference in Paris in hopes of reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Israel and the Palestinians have not been invited, though the Palestinians have welcomed the French proposal. (Abbas Momani/Pool photo via AP)

France is hosting a peace conference in Paris in June in hopes of reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The country has suffered from a series of attacks by Islamist radicals.

Valls has been visiting the region in a bid to raise support for the initiative. Both Israel and the Palestinians have not been invited to the upcoming conference.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the idea of an international conference, saying the longstanding conflict can be resolved only through direct negotiations.

But Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah welcomed the French initiative and dismissed Netanyahu's position as an attempt to buy time.

"We have to hurry. Time is passing quickly. The two-state solution is disappearing," he said.

The most recent round of talks broke down two years ago. The Palestinians, along with much of the international community, have accused Netanyahu of undermining peace talks by continued settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem  captured territories where they hope to establish an independent state.

Valls wrapped up a three-day tour of Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, left, shakes hands with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Valls is visiting the region in a bid to rouse support for a June conference in Paris in hopes of reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Israel and the Palestinians have not been invited, though the Palestinians have welcomed the French proposal. (Abbas Momani/Pool Photo via AP)
Protesters interrupt coal debate in Swedish Parliament

STOCKHOLM (AP)  Unruly protesters briefly interrupted a debate Tuesday in the Swedish Parliament on the future of state-owned utility Vattenfall's coal assets in Germany.

Swedish news agency TT says demonstrators in the spectators' gallery chanted "leave the coal in the ground" and one of them squirted what looked like ketchup at the lawmakers below.

TT says the protesters were removed by security guards and the discussions resumed within 10 minutes.

Lawmakers were discussing the proposed sale of Vattenfall's coal mines and coal-fired power plants in Germany to Czech investment group EPH.

Environmental activists say the government should stop the sale and close the mines to avoid heat-trapping carbon emissions.
Helen Mirren to narrate audiobook for Beatrix Potter story

NEW YORK (AP)  Helen Mirren's latest role is audio only.

The award-winning British actress is narrating the recently rediscovered Beatrix Potter story "The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots," Penguin Random House told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The hardcover and audio editions are scheduled for a Sept. 6 release.

Mirren's many career highlights include her Oscar-winning performance in "The Queen" and her Emmy-winning role in "Prime Suspect." The Beatrix Potter story is Mirren's first project for the booming audiobook market, although other top actors and actresses have served as narrators over the years, including Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon and Ian McKellen.
Florida crews search Gulf of Mexico for missing boater

CEDAR KEY, Fla. (AP)  A search continues for a Maryland man whose boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico off Cedar Key, Florida.

The Gainesville Sun (http://bit.ly/1sO0nAX ) reports that Gilbert Valdes was on a 23-foot boat with his brother and another man when they capsized in a fast-approaching storm on Friday. All three were wearing life jackets.

On Saturday, U.S. Coast Guard crews found 50-year-old Garrick Valdes of Locust Grove, Virginia, and Bruce Smith of Alachua, Florida. They had managed to remain with the boat, but Gilbert Valdes could not.

The Coast Guard handed leadership of the search to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is keeping up the search with help from the Levy County Sheriff's Office.

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Some incorrect prisoner releases due to staff error

WASHINGTON (AP)  Staff error resulted in 152 federal inmates being freed after their correct release dates between 2009 and 2014, including three who spent more than an extra year behind bars, according to a report released Tuesday by the Justice Department watchdog.

The inspector general report counted a total of 4,340 Bureau of Prisons inmates who received "untimely" releases during those years.

Of those cases, 157 were categorized by the bureau as due to "staff errors," such as employees who misapplied credit for time served, the report stated. Just five of those mistakes led to early releases, and none of those inmates was charged with new crimes during the time they were in the community after their release; in the rest, inmates served more time than they should have, with one prisoner serving roughly three additional years past the correct release date.

"Late releases from prison deprive inmates of their liberty, while early releases can put communities at risk if the inmates are dangerous," the report said.

The overwhelming majority of "untimely" releases were for reasons that the prison bureau said were beyond its control, such as sentences that were changed by court orders after the inmate had begun serving them. In some instances, an inmate had already served more time than the new sentence imposed. When that happens, the inmate becomes an immediate release and may have overserved his time, the report states.

In a statement, Justice Department spokesman Patrick Rodenbush noted that 4,183 of the "'untimely releases' are the result of court initiated actions and are not errors of any type."

"That being said, the Department of Justice is already taking affirmative steps to implement the recommendations of the Office of the Inspector General to further reduce instances of inappropriate untimely releases occurring," Rodenbush said in a statement.

Those recommendations include urging the Justice Department and Bureau of Prisons to improve training and establish a process to notify prosecutors and court officials of untimely releases. The inspector general said the Bureau of Prisons does not always have complete information about the circumstances of untimely releases, and should do a better job of studying the issue "to address those that are in any way preventable."

The inspector general's review followed news reports in 2014 of an inmate held for 13 months beyond his correct release date. That suit was ultimately settled for $175,000, the report says.

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Investigators examine records, wreckage in skydiving crash

HONOLULU (AP)  Investigators are reviewing the records and the burned-out wreckage of the single-engine plane in Hawaii that went up in flames just after takeoff and then exploded as it hit the ground, killing the pilot, two instructors and two tandem jumpers.

So far, there are no records of accidents for the owner of the skydiving plane, officials said Tuesday.

The pilot, two instructors and two tandem jumpers were killed when the plane believed to have been operated by SkyDive Kauai crashed Monday, firefighters said.

This photo provided by Kauai County shows emergency response vehicles near the site of a plane crash in Hanapepe, Hawaii, on Monday, May 23, 2016. All five people aboard a small plane died in a fiery crash on Kauai, officials said. (Sarah Blane/Kauai County via AP)

There also are no reports enforcement actions against David Timko, the owner of SkyDive Kauai, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the FAA. The company is listed in state documents as a trade name for D&J Air Adventures, the registered owner of the Cessna 182H, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

"Our hearts go out to the families," Timko said, adding that he didn't have further comment because the crash is under investigation.

Four of the victims died at the scene, and one died at a hospital, officials said. Police anticipate releasing the names Wednesday pending autopsies, officials said Tuesday.

Investigators reviewed the burned-out wreckage of the single-engine plane in a field just outside a regional airport on the island of Kauai. Cisco Campos was fishing nearby Monday and told news outlets that the engine sounded strange after the plane left the runway.

Campos told Hawaii News Now (http://bit.ly/1TwYRt9 ) that it looked like the plane was trying to go back to the airport when it caught fire and then "everything exploded" as it crashed.

"Something must have been wrong with the engine," he said, adding that as it tried to land again, the plane was heading into the wind.

"By the time I got there, the plane had been burned pretty bad," Kauai Fire Chief Robert Westerman said.

The crash on a dirt road ignited a small brush fire that firefighters extinguished soon afterward.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will investigate the cause of the crash.

A few hours later, another small plane crashed into the water off the coast of Oahu. Lifeguards brought two people to shore Monday, and one went to a hospital, Honolulu Fire Department Capt. David Jenkins said.

The other person aboard wasn't injured, Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokeswoman Shayne Enright said.

Twenty visitors died in aircraft crashes in Hawaii from 2005 to 2014, including one skydiver, state Department of Health data show. The others were killed in plane, helicopter and light sport aircraft crashes. Over the same period, 24 residents were killed in air crashes, including four skydivers.

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Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy contributed to this report from Honolulu.

In this photo provided by Ryan Richardson, plumes of smoke are seen from Port Allen Harbor across an inlet after a plane crashes just outside Port Allen Airport on the island of Kauai, on Monday, May 23, 2016. Multiple people died after a skydiving tour plane crashed and caught fire in Hawaii, one of two plane crashes reported Monday in the islands. (Ryan Richardson via AP)

This image provided by Abe Wills shows part of a small plane sticking out of the water after it crashed off Makaha beach in Waianae, Hawaii, Monday, May 23, 2016. Two people survived with minor injuries after the plane crashed into the water close to shore off west Oahu's Makaha beach on Monday, officials said. (Abe Wills via AP)
Paris attack victims' families meet investigators

PARIS (AP)  Survivors and families of the 130 victims of last November's Islamic extremist attacks in Paris have met for the first time with six magistrates investigating what happened that horrifying night.

The emotional meeting Tuesday in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower revived painful questions about the Nov. 13 massacres by suicide bombers at a rock concert, cafes and the national stadium.

Claire Houd, whose sister Djamila was killed in the Belle Equipe cafe, said "my sister was on a terrace of a bar, having dinner and yet she never came back. Today what we want to know is who was responsible."

Sister of one of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks victims, Claire Houd, center, talks to the media before entering the Ecole Militaire building with other victim families as part of the investigation in Paris, France, Tuesday, May, 24, 2016. Survivors and families of the 130 victims of Islamic extremist attacks in Paris met with investigating judges who are trying to determine exactly what happened the night of Nov. 13, when suicide bombers carried out massacres at a rock concert, cafes and the national stadium. (AP Photo/William Wilson Lewis III)

A lawyer for victims' families, Gerard Chemla, questioned why authorities took four months to arrest surviving attacker Salah Abdeslam and couldn't stop the same network from striking Brussels.
VA chief: 'I deeply regret' wait-time comparison to Disney

WASHINGTON (AP)  Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said Tuesday he regrets remarks he made comparing long wait times at VA health care sites to waiting in line at a Disney amusement park.

"It was never my intention to suggest that I don't take our mission of serving veterans very seriously," McDonald said in a written statement. "If my comments Monday led any veterans to believe that I, or the dedicated workforce I am privileged to lead, don't take that noble mission seriously, I deeply regret that. Nothing could be further from the truth."

McDonald's statement came after a Republican senator called for his resignation and GOP lawmakers and veterans' service groups slammed his remarks as insulting and inappropriate.

In this photo taken Feb. 25, 206, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald speaks in Washington. Republicans are criticizing McDonald after he compared wait times to receive VA health care to the hours people wait for rides at Disney theme parks. McDonald has told reporters on Monday, May 23, 2016, that the VA should not use wait times as a measure of success because Disney doesn't either. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said McDonald's "preposterous statement is right out of Never Never Land" and said the VA leader has shown he cannot ensure that veterans receive health care in a timely manner

"Dismissing wait times when veterans can often wait months for an appointment is negligent and a clear sign that new leadership is needed at the VA," Blunt said as he called for McDonald to step down.

McDonald said at a breakfast Monday that the VA should not use wait times as a measure of success, comparing waits for VA health care to the hours people wait for rides at Disney theme parks. McDonald said a veterans' health-care experience was more important than the time spend waiting for an appointment.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called McDonald's comments "disgusting and beyond the pale," although he stopped short of calling for him to step down.

"This is not make-believe. This is not Disneyland, or Wonderland, for that matter," Ryan told reporters. "Veterans have died waiting in line for their care."

Republicans said McDonald's comments were especially egregious since he took office in 2014 after his predecessor was forced out amid a scandal over chronically long wait times at VA health care sites and reports that as many as 40 patients died while awaiting care at the Phoenix VA hospital. Similar problems were discovered at VA health sites nationwide, along with a widespread practice among VA employees of creating secret lists to cover up the long wait times and receive VA bonuses.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state, a member of the Republican leadership, said McDonald's comments were hard to believe. "When you go to Disneyland, you aren't wondering if you are going to live long enough to make it to Space Mountain," she said.

Democrats called Blunt's comment a blatant bid to boost his re-election chances.

"Senator Blunt of all people should know another resignation at the VA will likely only make things worse," said Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, Blunt's likely Democratic challenger.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who is known for his own verbal miscues, supported McDonald.

Referring to himself as "an expert at wrong choice of words," Reid said McDonald "could have done a better job talking about Disneyland, but he didn't. He is a good man, he's doing his best under very, very difficult circumstances. So I support Secretary McDonald all the way."

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Reach Matthew Daly on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC
Virginia minister arrested on child pornography charges

ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. (AP)  A Virginia minister has been arrested in connection to an ongoing child pornography investigation.

Isle of Wight County Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Potter tells local news outlets that 48-year-old Christopher Alan Hogge was arrested Monday on eight counts of distribution of child pornography.

Hogge has been the pastor at Battery Park Baptist Church in Smithfield since 2001 and is also the director of social services for the city of Franklin. Potter says Hogge regularly works with children in both jobs.

Investigators received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an Internet account in Isle of Wight County had accessed a social media account where child pornography was stored.

Potter says Hogge was downloading the pornography and distributing it to other people.
Rights group: South Sudan army violated civilians in Wau

JUBA, South Sudan (AP)  South Sudanese government soldiers killed, raped, tortured, and detained dozens of civilians in and around Wau town in the country's western Bahr el Ghazal state in recent months, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Tuesday.

The report described abuses by mostly ethnic Dinka government soldiers against civilians of the local Fertit ethnic groups.

Soldiers tortured young men with electric shocks, shot elderly people in their homes and raped women while making their relatives watch, it said.

The atrocities took place before the government and rebels formed a transitional coalition government last month, said the report.

With all eyes on South Sudan's new coalition government in Juba, government soldiers have been "literally getting away with murder in the country's western regions," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

Bekele called on the government to halt the abuses and support creation of a war crimes court to investigate those responsible for atrocities.

The army spokesman was unavailable for comment.

South Sudanese civil rights activist Edmund Yakani said the violence in Wau underscores the lack of progress toward peace despite the new coalition as some in the government are still trying to "clear out" any presence of opposition in the western Bahr el Ghazal area.

"Nothing is improved. It's getting worse and worse," Yakani said. "People are yearning for peace while violence is going on."

South Sudan's civil war began in 2013 pitting mostly Dinka government soldiers against mainly Nuer rebels and has killed tens of thousands of people. Both sides are accused of committing crimes against humanity.
The Latest: Texas voter ID case renewed at US appeals court

NEW ORLEANS (AP)  The Latest on a federal appeals court hearing on a strict voter ID law in Texas (all times local):

11 a.m.

Fifteen federal appeals judges are weighing arguments on whether a strict voter ID law in Texas illegally discriminates against low-income, black and Hispanic voters.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled last year that it does.

But a majority of the 15-member court voted to re-hear the case. Arguments took place Tuesday. It's unclear when the judges will rule.

Attorneys for the U.S. Justice Department and civil rights groups say the law was passed with a discriminatory purpose and should be struck down. Texas lawyers said there is no proof of that the law has a discriminatory purpose or that it has affected minority voting.

Some 5th Circuit judges suggested that the law could be fixed, perhaps by adding more forms of acceptable ID cards.

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9 a.m.

A federal appeals court is preparing to take a second look at a Texas voter ID law.

Texas' law requires residents to show one of seven forms of approved identification. The state and other supporters of the law say it prevents fraud. Opponents, including the U.S. Justice Department, say it discriminates by requiring forms of ID that are more difficult to obtain for low-income, African-American, and Latino voters.
'Star Wars' actor Peter Mayhew to meet 'Chewbacca Mom'

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Late night host James Corden has surprised Chewbacca mom Candace Payne with the chance to meet the actor behind the "Star Wars" creature.

Payne's wildly popular video of her hysterically laughing while wearing a toy Chewbacca mask has gained more than 140 million views on Facebook since she posted it last week.

On Monday's "Late Late Show," Corden read a message to Payne from Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, who says he has carved out time to meet her during an upcoming visit to her home state of Texas.

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2015, file photo, Peter Mayhew arrives at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. The actor, who plays Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, agreed to meet "Chewbacca mom" Candace Parker in a letter read by James Corden's on Monday's "Late Late Show." (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
California cabbie kidnapped by escaped inmates sues county

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  The California taxi driver who was kidnapped and held hostage for a week by three inmates who escaped from jail is suing the county and the sheriff's department.

A lawyer for Long Hoang Ma said Monday that the cabbie was taken by force and held at gunpoint because of county and law enforcement negligence.

The lawsuit, filed May 17, asks for $50,000 of reward money and says Ma suffered damages of at least $2 million, the Orange County Register reported (http://bit.ly/1TSDFBU).

FILE - This Feb. 3, 2016 file photo Long Hoang Ma, a taxi driver who was kidnapped and held hostage for a week by three inmates who escaped from a Santa Ana jail, talks about his experiences during an interview at the offices of Vietnamese-language newspaper Nguoi Viet in Westminster, Calif. Ma is suing Orange County and the Sheriff's Department. A lawyer for Ma said Monday, May 23, that the taxi driver was taken by force and held at gunpoint because of county and law enforcement negligence. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

Lt. Mark Stichter said the Orange County Sheriff's Department had not been served with the lawsuit as of Monday.

Ma was kidnapped when he picked up a fare Jan. 22 by three men who escaped that day from the county-operated Central Men's Jail in Santa Ana. All three were eventually recaptured.

Ma's attorney, Hoang Huy Tu, said the taxi driver was wrongly deprived his portion of the county's reward money promised to those who helped lead to the re-arrests of Bac Duong, Hossein Nayeri and Jonathan Tieu.

The $150,000 was split by four others: a San Francisco homeless man who spotted the van the men were in at one point, a man who said the inmates stole his van while they were on the run, and two Target employees who recognized the fugitives from surveillance footage.

The attorney said Ma, now 72, was instrumental in the trio's capture, helping convince Duong to turn himself in.

"They say they didn't give him any money because he was a victim," Tu said of county officials. "But the man who had his van stolen was a victim too. ... He got some of the reward."

The suit also says the jail was not properly equipped to house the three "very dangerous" men. Tu said Ma is emotionally distressed, has anxiety and difficulty working.

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Lions and dogs and bears, oh my! Pet ownership near forests

Interior designer Heather Mourer and her family were considering a move from Denver when her young daughter saw a mountain lion across the street from the mid-century home in the suburbs they were considering.

They took the Golden, Colorado house anyway, with its view of the Rocky Mountain Front Range and just 20 minutes west of downtown Denver, moving in two years ago with their 50-pound mixed breed dog Ruby. Soon after, they inherited Chacha, a Chihuahua mix, and Mourer set out to inform herself about keeping pets safe, entering terms like "fences to keep mountain lions out" into an internet search engine.

Animal welfare advocates urge pet owners living at the edge of wildland to learn as much as they can about being safe and responsible neighbors to lions and coyote and bears.

FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2015 file photo, a woman walks her dog into local open space wildland at Chautauqua Park, in Boulder, Colo. Animal welfare advocates urge pet owners living at the edge of wildland to learn as much as they can about being safe and responsible neighbors to lions, coyote and bears. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, file)

And it's become increasingly important: In a recent study on urbanization, the think tank Conservation Science Partners found that at any moment in the Western U.S., a bear is about 3.5 miles from significant human development.

A fence was deemed impractical after Mourer read it would need to be 12 feet tall to keep out a big cat. She has instead taken such steps as keeping the yard clear of rocks under which rodents could nest. Rabbits and mice might draw predators who would then become accustomed to being near the house and its prey-sized pets. The dogs' food and water are inside. Unless it's pickup day, trash cans are in the garage so as not to draw bears.

Mourer also is doing what veterinarians, animal shelter custodians and veteran mountain-area dwellers recommend: Keeping her dogs inside unless she is with them, and walking Ruby and Chacha on leashes to ensure they don't run off alone. Mountain lions rarely attack when people are close.

In nearby Boulder, a town of 100,000 with extensive mountain parks and open spaces, rangers last year began allowing dogs on certain trails off-leash as long as their owners had viewed a video training course and could ensure their pets will be in sight and respond to voice commands.

"Training matters," said Cory Smith, who is in charge of pet policy for the Washington, D.C-based Humane Society of the United States. She said the society recommends dogs be kept on leashes for their own safety and to ensure they don't chase after or kill wild animals.

It's not just dogs that shouldn't wander, said Sue LeBarron, who manages the animal shelter for Clear Creek and Gilpin, Rocky Mountain counties west of Denver.

Her shelter recently built a "catio," providing both a place for cats awaiting adoption to play and a model pet owners are encouraged to copy. Catios range from glorified window boxes built of lengths of wood covered in chicken wire to spacious verandas entirely enclosed in wire mesh. There, Fluffy can chase butterflies in the sun, safe from coyotes. As an added benefit, catioed cats won't get into tussles with rabid raccoons or hunt birds.

LeBarron has heard owners say their cats will have a "fuller life" if they can roam.

"But they tend to live a much shorter life," she said.

"There's just too many hazards out there  coyotes, foxes," LeBarron added. "Probably every day I get a call about a cat that didn't come home."

The concerns and responsibilities of pet owners in the cities aren't so different from those of animal lovers in wilder places.

After Chris Shump moved to a Colorado mountain town from Massachusetts 25 years ago, he was initially angered when he got a ticket for walking his dog without a leash.

"My first inclination was that my dog should be off the leash, because if he can't be off the leash here, then where can he be?" said Shump, who manages an outdoor sporting goods shop near the Vail Ski Resort.

Shump has had a succession of pets since then, the latest an 11-year-old chocolate Labrador, and now understands the importance of keeping dogs leashed. The leash has an added advantage. The jangle of a dog chain can let wild animals know a tame cousin is visiting, giving them time to retreat.

"It's not like these things are out to get you," he said. "We're in their habitat."
Police arrest young couple in Chinese student's slaying

BERLIN (AP)  German police say they have arrested a young couple on suspicion of involvement in the slaying of a Chinese student whose body was found earlier this month in the eastern town of Dessau-Rosslau with severe head injuries.

Prosecutors told the dpa news agency Tuesday the man and woman, both 20, had turned themselves in and said they had met with the 25-year-old female student for consensual sex.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was reported missing by friends after going out for a jog May 11. Her body was found about two days later less than 100 meters (yards) from her home.

FILE - In this May 13, 2016 file picture policemen looking for evidence in Dessau-Rosslau, Germany. German police say they have arrested a young couple on suspicion of involvement in the slaying of a Chinese student, whose body was found in the eastern town of Dessau-Rosslau with severe head injuries earlier this month. Prosecutors told the dpa news agency Tuesday May 24, 2016 the man and woman, both 20, had turned themselves in and said they had met with the 25-year-old student for consensual sex. The victim, whose name has not been released, was reported missing by friends after going out for a jog May 11. (Sebastian Willnow/dpa via AP,file)

Prosecutors say the crime scene was a former apartment occupied by the couple in custody and they plan to bring murder charges.
Virginia governor: Feds have found no wrongdoing

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  The federal investigation into Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has focused on his business dealings before he took office and has found no evidence of wrongdoing, the governor's attorney said Wednesday.

Attorney James W. Cooper said Justice Department officials told him they have been looking into McAuliffe's foreign sources of income before he became governor in 2014 and whether he violated the law by lobbying the U.S. government on behalf of foreign interests.

Cooper told The Associated Press that officials said they have found no evidence McAuliffe engaged in such lobbying. He said investigators did not mention concerns about campaign contributions or anything else related to McAuliffe's time as governor.

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2016 file photo, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe gestures as he delivers his State of the Commonwealth Address before a joint session of the 2016 Virginia Assembly at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. A U.S. law enforcement official says Gov. McAuliffe is a subject of a federal investigation looking at donations to his gubernatorial campaign. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation. CNN first reported the story Monday, May 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

"Our view is that (the investigation) should be closed promptly because there is no evidence that he violated the statute," Cooper said.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press earlier this week that McAuliffe is the subject of a federal investigation related to campaign finance.

The governor said Tuesday he believed the investigation centers around a donation connected to a Chinese businessman, Wang Wenliang. Federal law forbids foreigners from contributing to U.S. political campaigns, but McAuliffe said Wang has held a green card for nearly a decade and is a legitimate donor.

Before he was elected governor, McAuliffe headed a small electric-car company that set up operations in north Mississippi. Part of its business plan was to recruit wealthy foreign investors under an investor visa program with the help of a company run by Tony Rodham, the youngest brother of Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.

The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General issued a report last year saying a top department official improperly intervened on behalf of foreign investors seeking U.S. visas in three cases involving prominent Democrats, including McAuliffe.

The report said no laws were broken. The AP reported last year that McAuliffe rebuffed requests by the inspector general for an interview.

McAuliffe criticized federal law enforcement officials on WTOP radio on Wednesday for leaking information about the probe. He said he and Wang have been treated unfairly.

"This poor man has been dragged through the mud for giving a legitimate contribution," McAuliffe said.

Wang is a member of China's ruling Communist Party and a delegate from the northeastern province of Liaoning to the country's ceremonial legislature, the National People's Congress, according to the body's website.

Membership in the congress, which meets only once a year, is often awarded based on contributions to China's economy and society. Proposals raised by Wang at the two-week annual session focused on economic development in the northeast and improving China's foreign trade links, according to a website run by the Chinese Cabinet's information office.

A spokeswoman for Wang declined to comment.

One of Wang's companies, New Jersey-based West Legend, gave $70,000 to McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign and $50,000 to his inaugural committee in 2013, according to Virginia campaign finance records.

McAuliffe, a Democrat and longtime friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton, said he's also confident the investigation won't harm Hillary Clinton's presidential bid.

"I don't think this has anything to do with Hillary Clinton," McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe is a former board member of the Clinton Global Initiative, a program of the Clinton Foundation. The foundation reports that it received $1 million to $5 million from one of Wang's companies, Rilin Enterprises, but does not say when the money was given.

Rilin, one of China's biggest architecture and design companies, has taken on multiple international projects, including construction work on China's consulate in New York City and its United Nations representative office, according to Chinese media reports.

One of Wang's companies, Dandong Port Group, has a trade deal to ship Virginia soybeans to China. Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore said Dandong has purchased "hundreds of millions" worth of Virginia soybeans in recent years.

Wang is chairman of the group, based in the Chinese city of the same name along the North Korean border.

Wang is also an active environmentalist. Democratic Leader Harry Reid last year thanked Wang for his "commitment and dedication" to restoring the Dandong Yalu River Estuary Wetland in China, according to a statement published in the congressional record.
UN laments absence of G-7 from key humanitarian summit

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP)  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday criticized the leaders of the world's wealthiest countries for failing to attend a pivotal humanitarian summit in Turkey which culminated with a long list of commitments and question marks over their implementation.

At the closing of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, the first of its kind, Ban said it was "disappointing that some world leaders" couldn't attend, singling out the Group of 7 countries  Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Only German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended the summit.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks during a side event entitled: "Mayors Focus Session: Cities Response to Migration" at the the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. World leaders and representatives of humanitarian organisations from across the globe gathered in Istanbul on May 23-24, 2016 for the first World Humanitarian Summit, focused on how to reform a system many judge broken. (Isa Terli/Pool Photo via AP)

In an apparent reference to Russia, Ban also criticized members of the U.N. Security Council who have prevented progress "not only in critical issues of war and peace, but even on humanitarian affairs," stressing that the absence of these leaders didn't "provide an excuse for inaction."

The summit, which aimed to boost humanitarian responses to global crisis, drew the participation of 10,000 participants including 65 heads of states. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose nations are striving to broker peace in Syria, were no shows.

Despite the absence of global heavyweights, Ban was encouraged by the results of the conference saying that more than 1,500 commitments were made by 400 government representatives, humanitarian organizations and other groups in line with the conference's priorities.

Top U.N. officials used the second day of the summit to call for greater preparedness for emergencies and increased protection for the most vulnerable. They unveiled a new "Global Preparedness" partnership so that 20 countries could be ready to face future risks, primarily caused by climate change, by 2020.

Stephen O'Brien, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said "very little at the moment goes to preparedness" when it comes to mitigating the risks of natural disasters or meteorological phenomena like El Nino.

Izumi Nakamitsu, director of the Crisis Response Unit of the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), said more steps need to be taken to "reduce the impact" of natural disasters. "We need to reach the most vulnerable, the most affected people first and very often these are women and children," she told The Associated Press.

"Women and girls are 14 times more likely to die of a natural disaster than men and boys," Jordanian Princess Sarah Zeid told journalists. "Conflict, contagion and climate are creating an unprecedented need. In all these settings, it is women and girls who are hit first, hit hardest, hit longest."

Upholding international humanitarian law, ensuring a seamless response between emergency relief and development, mobilizing more resources with greater efficiency to those in need and to local humanitarian actors, were other salient themes of the two-day gathering.

"The summit highlighted major gaps in the way the international community approaches crises," said Elhadj As Sy, secretary-general of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

While galvanizing strong participation, the summit has also come under sharp criticism  particularly from rights groups who questioned the record of host country Turkey  and many parties from the humanitarian and development communities concerned by the non-binding nature of the commitments made.

Sara Pantuliano, managing director at the Overseas Development Institute called it a "missed opportunity" saying the commitments that came out of it "fell short in substance and ambition."

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks during a side event entitled: "Mayors Focus Session: Cities Response to Migration" at the the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. World leaders and representatives of humanitarian organisations from across the globe gathered in Istanbul on May 23-24, 2016 for the first World Humanitarian Summit, focused on how to reform a system many judge broken. (Isa Terli/Pool Photo via AP)

Binali Yildirim, center, who replaces the outgoing prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, smiles to cheering lawmakers at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved a new government formed by his trusted ally who has pledged to push through constitutional reforms that would expand the powers of the presidency. (AP Photo)

Participants attend a side event entitled: "Mayors Focus Session: Cities Response to Migration", at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. World leaders and representatives of humanitarian organizations from across the globe converge in Istanbul on May 23-24, 2016 for the first World Humanitarian Summit. (Isa Terli/Pool Photo via AP)

Binali Yildirim, who replaces the outgoing prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, waves before addressing his lawmakers at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved a new government formed by his trusted ally who has pledged to push through constitutional reforms that would expand the powers of the presidency.(AP Photo)
Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign requested a recanvass in Kentucky's presidential primary Tuesday, where he trails Hillary Clinton by less than one-half of 1 percent of the vote.

The Sanders campaign said it will ask the Kentucky secretary of state to have election officials review electronic voting machines and absentee ballots from last week's primary in each of the state's 120 counties.

Sanders signed a letter Tuesday morning requesting a full and complete check and recanvass of the election results in Kentucky.

Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign requested a recanvass in Kentucky's presidential primary Tuesday after losing to Hillary Clinton by a tiny margin

Clinton and Sanders both picked up 27 delegates in Kentucky and one remaining delegate will be allocated in the sixth congressional district

'He's in this until every last vote is counted and he's fighting for every last delegate,' said Sanders' spokesman Michael Briggs.

Clinton holds 1,924-vote lead over Sanders out of 454,573 votes cast. The Associated Press had not called the race, despite Clinton's slight lead, in the event that Sanders might ask to recanvass the vote.

A recanvass is not a recount but a review of the voting totals. It is unlikely to affect the final outcome but could affect the awarding of a single delegate still up for grabs.

Sanders has vowed to amass as many delegates as possible in his lengthy primary fight against Clinton, where he trails the former secretary of state by 274 pledged delegates according to a count by The Associated Press.

Clinton holds a substantial lead with party leaders and elected officials, called superdelegates, and is on track to clinch the nomination through the combination of pledged delegates and superdelegates after contests on June 7.

Sanders can ask a judge to order a recount or an examination of individual ballots but his campaign would have to pay for it. The deadline to request a recanvass is Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Clinton and Sanders both picked up 27 delegates in Kentucky and one remaining delegate will be allocated in the sixth congressional district, which includes Frankfort and Lexington.

The delegate will be awarded based on final vote tallies and Clinton currently leads Sanders by a slim margin of about 500 votes in that district.

The recanvass is conducted by the state at no cost to the campaign.

A tip in the statewide vote in Sanders' favor would not guarantee him that last delegate.

But if a recanvass were to determine he actually received more votes than Clinton in the sixth congressional district, Sanders could earn the last remaining delegate that Clinton would otherwise receive.

Earlier this year, Sanders could have pressed for a review of voting results in the leadoff Iowa caucuses and in Missouri's primary. He narrowly lost both contests.
North Korea's ambassador to Britain said Tuesday that his country has no interest in presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's offer to open nuclear talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Hillary Clinton pronounced it 'a blessing' just hours later.

Ambassador Hyon Hak Bong said that Pyongyang views Trump's offer as an electoral ploy that isn't serious.

Hyon said that 'we see it as the dramatics of a popular actor,' adding that U.S. presidential candidates say a lot of things during a campaign but once they assume power they always adopt a hostile stance toward North Korea.

Hyon Hak Bong, North Korea's Ambassador to the UK, said Tuesday in London that his country has no interest in Republican presidential contender Donald Trump's offer to open nuclear talks

Hyon called Trump's campaign-year trial balloon 'the dramatics of a popular actor' and said there's nothing for the U.S. and North Korea to discuss

The timing is not right for talks, he said.

'North Korea has no package ready  the United States also has no package ready  to advance relations between the two countries,' he said.

'No progress can be made. That is why we say we have no interest whatever in remarks made by him.'

Trump said last week that he is open to meeting with Kim Jong Un, which would represent a sharp alteration in U.S. policy.

Hillary Clinton, his likely opponent in the November general election, said during a campaign speech that she was struck by the North Koreans' lack of 'interest.'

'That is a blessing, I guess, right?' she asked.

OUR LUCKY DAY: Hillary Clinton said Tuesday afternoon in the California town of Commerce that Pyongyang's rebuff of Trump could be 'a blessing'

The Obama administration says it is willing to resume talks with North Korea, but only if Pyongyang commits itself to the goal of abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

Hyon said North Korea needs its nuclear weapons for self-defense and to protect its sovereignty.

He said the 'six-party talks' aimed at ending his country's nuclear weapons program through negotiations are 'dead.'
Lin-Manuel Miranda's new honor is as sweet at dessert

NEW YORK (AP)  Lin-Manuel Miranda has already this year won a Pulitzer Prize, a Grammy, the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History and a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant. What more could he get?

The answer came Tuesday when the composer and writer of the Broadway smash "Hamilton" got a portrait unveiled at Sardi's, the legendary Broadway watering hole . The drawing will now hang alongside those of Whoopi Goldberg, Lucille Ball and Sally Field.

When asked how this honor was different, Miranda joked: "You can enjoy this with the best baked Alaska in town is the difference." His show is gunning for the best musical Tony Award on June 12.

Lin-Manuel Miranda attends his Sardi's caricature unveiling at Sardi's restaurant on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Sardi's, located in the heart of midtown Manhattan's theater district, has been a magnet for celebrities, particularly in the years before and after World War II, and many of them, especially when they were appearing on Broadway, had their caricatures on its walls.

The one featuring Miranda  pictured wearing his Alexander Hamilton costume and a stern expression  will be placed near the entrance. (He inscribed it with a shard of one of his lyrics: "Look around, look around.") Over time, it will migrate up to higher floors as portraits get retired.

Some "Hamilton" cast members including Leslie Odom Jr. and Phillipa Soo as well as designer David Korins were on hand to celebrate the unveiling, including members of Miranda's family.

The groundbreaking, biographical hip-hop show tells the true story of an orphan immigrant from the Caribbean who rises to the highest ranks of American society, told by a young African-American and Latino cast.

Luz Towns-Miranda, his mother, said the walls packed with frames reminded her of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "This is Broadway's equivalent," she said. "Basically, he's being honored by Broadway."

Mom gave the drawing her thumbs-up: "I think it captures Hamilton's reflective, tortured self and his vision of this complicated, traumatized and genius individual, who was just non-stop," she said.

Miranda said he remembers coming to the restaurant for the first time at age 12 to celebrate his sister's high school graduation. "I remember looking up at the faces  the ones I knew and the ones I didn't," he said. "So it's very surreal. Very surreal."

Max Klimavicius, the restaurant's managing partner, said it wanted to honor Miranda back when he had success with "In the Heights" but scheduling never worked out.

"He is special to me in particular because I'm also an immigrant. I came here with nothing and ended up owning this place,' he said. "So to me, it has a lot of significance."

Lin-Manuel Miranda and his mother Luz Towns-Miranda attend his Sardi's caricature unveiling at Sardi's restaurant on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Lin-Manuel Miranda attends his Sardi's caricature unveiling at Sardi's restaurant on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Lin-Manuel Miranda attends his Sardi's caricature unveiling at Sardi's restaurant on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Lin-Manuel Miranda attends his Sardi's caricature unveiling at Sardi's restaurant on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Lin-Manuel Miranda and his mother Luz Towns-Miranda attend his Sardi's caricature unveiling at Sardi's restaurant on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
The Latest: Passengers escorted from jet screened at LAX

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The Latest on a possible threat to a jet at Los Angeles airport (all times local):

10:30 a.m.

American Airlines says officials screened a jet at Los Angeles International Airport as a precaution after a "non-credible" threat was received about the flight from Houston.

Passengers were escorted from the twin-engine regional jet more than an hour after it landed without incident Tuesday morning. A SWAT team with a dog went through the plane, which was kept on a remote stretch of runway.

Passengers were put on buses to be taken to a terminal. American spokeswoman Polly Tracey says the airline hopes to have all passengers on their way shortly.

Airport police Officer Rob Pedregon says the Transportation Security Administration received a threat to the American Eagle flight operated by Compass Airlines.

Officials didn't release details about the possible threat.

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10:10 a.m.

SWAT officers and a police dog are investigating a possible threat aboard a jetliner that landed at Los Angeles International Airport after a trip from Houston.

Airport police Officer Rob Pedregon says the Transportation Security Administration received a phone call Tuesday about a possible threat to Compass Air Flight 5931. The plane was marked as American Eagle.

The plane arrived at 8:43 a.m. from Houston and was kept on the runway with all passengers on board. Seven SWAT officers and a dog have walked up a staircase and into the plane.

Pedregon did not have details about the threat.
19 students arrested in Chile presidential palace breakin

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP)  Several dozen students have broken into Chile's presidential palace to protest what they say are failed education reforms.

Authorities say the students went through the main entrance of the La Moneda palace on Tuesday, pretending to be tourists. They then ran to a patio that is off-limits to tourists and pulled out a sign that said: "Notice: Today begins the offensive."

Palace guards arrested 19. The rest escaped.

A student protester is detained by presidential guards for trespassing inside La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. The students, who demand the right to free education, were protesting the education policies under President Michelle Bachelet's government. (Marcelo Hernandez/Aton via AP) NO PUBLICAR EN CHILE - CHILE OUT

President Michelle Bachelet ran for her second term promising free university education, but many pieces of her ambitious educational reform have stalled.

Beginning this year, about 150,000 students from low-income families will be able to study for free. But many students are angry that the university benefit hasn't extended further.

Students try to run past presidential guards before getting detained for trespassing inside La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. The students, who demand the right to free education, were protesting the education policies under President Michelle Bachelet's government. (Marcelo Hernandez/Aton via AP) NO PUBLICAR EN CHILE - CHILE OUT
Police: California officer wounds teen pointing replica gun

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP)  A California police officer shot and injured a suicidal 15-year-old boy who pointed a replica handgun at him, authorities said Tuesday.

The boy was shot after officers in Santa Rosa responded to a 911 call late Monday about a man with a gun in a city park, police Lt. Michael Lazzarini said.

The boy briefly got down on the ground before rising up and pointing the replica handgun at the officer, Lazzarini said.

While taking cover, the officer fired several shots, striking the teen once in the foot.

Officers said the boy made the 911 call and had a suicide note saying he wanted police to kill him.

"Tragically, it appears the boy orchestrated this whole thing," Lazzarini said.

Police declined to identify the boy, who is recovering in a hospital and receiving psychiatric care. The name of the officer who fired the shots was not immediately released.

In 2013, a Sonoma County deputy shot and killed a 13-year-old boy who was carrying a pellet gun that looked like an assault rifle.

The death of Andy Lopez prompted protests complaining of police mistreatment in communities of color. The teen's family also filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the county and sheriff's department.
Crash of EgyptAir Flight 804: What we know so far

CAIRO (AP)  The question of what caused EgyptAir Flight 804 to crash in the Mediterranean, killing all 66 on board, remains shrouded in confusion, speculation and conflicting statements. Here is a look at what is known so far and what questions remain unanswered.

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EXPLOSION OR NOT?

U.S. Navy LT. JG Dylon Porlas uses binoculars to look through the window of a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion patrol aircraft from Sigonella, Sicily, Sunday, May 22, 2016, searching the area in the Mediterranean Sea where the Egyptair flight 804 en route from Paris to Cairo went missing on May 19. Search crews found floating human remains, luggage and seats from the doomed EgyptAir jetliner Friday but face a potentially more complex task in locating bigger pieces of wreckage and the black boxes vital to determining why the plane plunged into the Mediterranean. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

One of the primary questions is whether or not the plane was brought down by a bomb or some sort of mechanical failure. On Tuesday, two different Egyptian officials publicly disagreed on whether or not the available evidence indicated an on-board explosion. A senior Egyptian forensics official told The Associated Press that the condition of the human remains collected from the crash site so far indicated an explosion. Later however, the head of Egypt's forensic agency dismissed such talk, calling it "baseless."

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ON-BOARD FIRE?

The strongest indication of trouble on the flight so far comes from smoke detectors that went off and transmitted messages in the plane's final moments. France's air accident investigation agency said smoke was detected in multiple areas on the plane, with spokesman Sebastien Barthe telling the AP that such messages "generally mean the start of a fire." The cause however remains unclear for the French, with Barthe saying his organization was "drawing no conclusions from this. Everything else is pure conjecture." Industry publication Aviation Herald has reported that sensors detected smoke in the plane's lavatory, as well as a fault in two of the plane's cockpit windows in the final moments of the flight.

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CONFICTING STATEMENTS

While Egyptian officials publicly disagreed with each other Tuesday about whether the evidence so far indicated an explosion, there is also debate as to whether the plane suddenly flew erratically in its final moments before crashing. Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos has said it swerved 90 degrees to the left, then spun a full 360 degrees to the right as it plummeted and fell off radar. But the Egyptians refute this.

Ehab Azmy, the head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services, says that the plane did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared. Azmy says that the plane was flying at its normal altitude of 37,000 feet when it vanished from radar. Egypt has also swiftly denied other reports over the plane's final moments  one that the pilots had sent a distress signal, and another that they had communicated with Egyptian air traffic control over plans to put out a fire on board.

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TERRORISM?

No group has claimed responsibility for the crash. The very day the plane went down, Egypt's Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi said that the possibility of a terror attack "is higher than the possibility of having a technical failure." The statement comes in stark contrast to Egypt's handling of last year's downing of a Russian airliner, when officials constantly denied the terrorism possibility, even after Russian investigators said a bomb had brought the plane down. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who eventually accepted the Russian assessment, has communicated quickly on the EgyptAir crash, cautioning against premature speculation. "There is not one scenario that we can exclusively subscribe to," he told Egyptian television. "All scenarios are possible."

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FLIGHT DATA

The search is still on for the plane's black boxes, which could be deep on the sea bed. There had been initial reports that they were found but Egypt later denied this. The first audio available from the flight indicates that all was routine when it checked in with air traffic controllers in Zurich, Switzerland, late Wednesday night, before being handed over to Italian air traffic controllers.

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PASSENGERS

Experts have also raised the theory of a rogue passenger taking over controls of the plane, or a struggle between pilots. But three European security officials say the flight's passenger manifest contained no known names on current terror watch lists. The lists are often used by both European and American security and law enforcement agencies. The passenger manifest was leaked online and has not been officially verified by EgyptAir.

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Follow Brian Rohan on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/brian_rohan

U.S. Navy LT JG Curtis Calabrese takes notes on board of a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion patrol aircraft from Sigonella, Sicily, Sunday, May 22, 2016, searching the area in the Mediterranean Sea where the Egyptair flight 804 en route from Paris to Cairo went missing on May 19. Search crews found floating human remains, luggage and seats from the doomed EgyptAir jetliner Friday but face a potentially more complex task in locating bigger pieces of wreckage and the black boxes vital to determining why the plane plunged into the Mediterranean. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

FILE - This file still image taken from video posted Saturday, May 21, 2016, on the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman shows some personal belongings and other wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 in Egypt. Human remains retrieved from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft in the east Mediterranean, a senior Egyptian forensics official said on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (Egyptian Armed Forces via AP, File)

U.S. Navy LT JG Katia Medford-Davis looks from a window of a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion patrol aircraft from Sigonella, Sicily, Sunday, May 22, 2016, searching the area in the Mediterranean Sea where the Egyptair flight 804 en route from Paris to Cairo went missing on May 19. Search crews found floating human remains, luggage and seats from the doomed EgyptAir jetliner Friday but face a potentially more complex task in locating bigger pieces of wreckage and the black boxes vital to determining why the plane plunged into the Mediterranean. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

FILE - This picture posted Saturday, May 21, 2016, on the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman shows part of the wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804. Human remains retrieved from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft in the east Mediterranean, a senior Egyptian forensics official said on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Arabic reads, "Part of plane wreckage." (Egyptian Armed Forces Facebook via AP, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, May 22, 2016 file photo, A Coptic Christian grieves during prayers for the departed, remembering the victims of Thursday's crash of EgyptAir flight 804, at Al-Boutrossiya Church, the main Coptic Cathedral complex, in Cairo, Egypt. Human remains retrieved from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft in the east Mediterranean, a senior Egyptian forensics official said on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

FILE - In this Friday, May 20, 2016 file photo, The Imam of al Thawrah Mosque, Samir Abdel Bary, gives condolences to Tarek Abu Laban, center, who lost four relatives, all victims of EgyptAir plane crash, following prayers for the dead, at al Thawrah Mosque in Cairo, Egypt. Human remains retrieved from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 suggest there was an explosion on board that may have brought down the aircraft in the east Mediterranean, a senior Egyptian forensics official said on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
WWII US spy vets group irked by cemetery name choice

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  A new veterans cemetery to be built between Buffalo and Rochester will be named the Western New York National Cemetery, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said Tuesday in an announcement that irked an organization of World War II spies.

Some veterans groups had pushed for naming the cemetery after Gen. William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan, a Buffalo-born Medal of Honor recipient in World War I and founder of the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA.

The head of the Falls Church, Virginia-based OSS Society said the group was disappointed in the decision by the VA's National Cemetery Administration to leave Donovan's name off the cemetery to be built at a 132-acre rural site near the New York State Thruway in Pembroke in Genesee County.

"It is outrageous that nothing has been done to honor Gen. Donovan, one of America's greatest patriots, in Buffalo or western New York," said OSS Society President Charles Pinck.

The National Cemetery Administration said federal law mandates that national cemeteries be named after the region where they're located and have a "broad appeal to the veteran population." Only four of the 134 national cemeteries overseen by the NCA are named after people, Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Zachary Taylor, a New York congressman and a World War I general.

The NCA said its staff worked with local and regional veteran service officials and organizations from January through March to solicit suggestions for names for the new cemetery, which is expected to open in 2018.

"Of the names submitted, 'Western New York National Cemetery' best met VA's naming criteria," the National Cemetery Administration said in a statement.

In July 2014, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, announced at the Pembroke site that he was asking the VA to name the cemetery after Donovan. He stood before a sign that read: "William Donovan Western New York National Veterans Cemetery." Pinck said that led his organization to believe naming the cemetery after Donovan was "a done deal."

Amending the name of a national cemetery to add a person's name isn't unprecedented. In 2002, "Gerald B.H. Solomon" was tacked onto the name of the Saratoga National Cemetery to honor the late local Republican congressman who helped get it built. The name change required special legislation passed by Congress. It was unclear Tuesday if Schumer or other members of New York congressional district would start a campaign on Donovan's behalf.

Donovan, born in Buffalo in 1883, served in a New York National Guard unit sent to Texas in 1916 to help the U.S. Army battle Mexican insurgents led by Pancho Villa. During World War I, when Donovan was dubbed "Wild Bill," he led an Army infantry regiment, earning a Medal of Honor for his battlefield heroics against the Germans.

After the U.S. entered World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt picked Donovan, by then a wealthy Wall Street lawyer, to organize America's intelligence agency, the OSS. Donovan did much of the recruiting himself, seeking out spy and commando candidates from the American military, Ivy League colleges, and even Hollywood.

Before it was disbanded after the end of the war, some 13,000 people had served in the OSS. Only a few hundred OSS vets are thought to be still living.

Donovan died in 1959 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Despite earning some of the nation's highest honors, he's nearly forgotten in his hometown. A downtown Buffalo state office building that bore his name was redeveloped into a hotel. There was an effort to have a nearby federal courthouse named after him, but Robert H. Jackson, a U.S. Supreme Court justice from western New York, received that honor.

At the American Legion post in Buffalo that Donovan co-founded after World War I, there's support for putting his name on the new cemetery.
Lawyer denies ex-rebel leader tied to attack on Haiti police

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  The lawyer for a Senate candidate and ex-rebel leader said Tuesday that his client had nothing to do with a deadly attack on a police station in southern Haiti this month.

Attorney Reynold Georges said accusations that former paramilitary Guy Philippe organized the May 16 assault on the Les Cayes police station were baseless and "politically motivated." A prosecutor in the southwest town of Jeremie summoned Philippe to his office Tuesday, but Georges requested 15 more days to prepare for initial questioning.

Georges asserted that interim President Jocelerme Privert's administration is "persecuting" Philippe and other people aligned with former President Michel Martelly's Tet Kale party.

Presidential spokesman Serge Simon declined comment on Georges' assertions, saying Haiti's justice system is still investigating the police station attack.

Speaking from Les Cayes, police Inspector Octave Jean said as many as 50 armed men joined in the attack on the station, during which a number of guns were stolen. The attackers wore camouflage or faded green uniforms that appeared to be from Haiti's disbanded military, he said.

One police officer was killed and one wounded officer is still being treated, Jean said.

Some of the assailants tried to escape in a white van that swerved off a road and tumbled into a ravine, killing three of the attackers. Four men survived the crash and were captured, but Jean said two of them died while undergoing medical treatment.

Jean said two of the captured men told investigators that Philippe was behind the attack.

The attacker killed in a shootout with police at the station has been identified as a 70-year-old ex-soldier. Other captured men were younger and clearly not demobilized soldiers, Jean said.

"These are guys who have been recruited to create trouble," he said, declining to provide any other specifics about the investigation.

Haiti's military was abolished in 1995 under Aristide because of its history of toppling governments and crushing dissent. Small groups of veterans have complained that they are owed money in pensions and lost wages.
Sailors' nightmare in Rio Olympics: plastic bags, trash

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  If you're the head of world sailing, this is your worst Olympic nightmare.

A sailor nears the finish line in Rio de Janeiro's polluted Guanabara Bay, holding the lead with a coveted gold medal in sight. Suddenly, the boat loses speed. A plastic bag catches the rudder. Chasing boats overtake for all the medals, and millions on worldwide television watch a life-time dream being crushed.

"We want an absolutely fair playing field; getting the rubbish out of the water," Andy Hunt, the CEO of World Sailing  the sport's governing body  told The Associated Press. "We don't want to have any stories of sailors with plastic bags, or whatever it might be that in any way impacts performance."

FILE - In this April 7, 2016 file photo, a worker collects floating trash from Guanabara Bay during the inauguration of the renovated Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Andy Hunt, the head of World Sailing, met with city, state, and organizing committee officials on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, pushing for what amounts to a superficial cleanup of Guanabara Bay. Rio state officials have acknowledged a real cleanup of Guanabara will take 20 years, with the city still pouring at least half of its untreated sewage into its surrounding waters including Guanabara. "We don't want to have any stories of sailors with plastic bags, or what every it might be, that in anyway impact performance," said Hunt. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

Hunt met in Rio on Monday and Tuesday with city, state, and Olympic organizing committee officials, pushing for what amounts to a superficial cleanup of Guanabara Bay.

Rio state officials have acknowledged a real cleanup of Guanabara will take 20 years  organizers promised to do it for the Olympics  with the city still pouring at least half of its untreated sewage into its surrounding waters, including Guanabara.

The massive bay is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) long and almost as wide in places.

An independent study by The Associated Press has shown high levels of viruses and sometimes bacteria from human sewage in the waters where hundreds of sailors will compete when the Olympics open in 2 1/2 months.

There has been one big improvement so far: the new Marina da Gloria. The new marina building is sparkling, and the water is clearer just months after a new sewage system was installed to stop brown, untreated sludge from being poured into the small harbor.

"The water is cleaner, and there isn't a smell," Hunt said.

At a test event a year ago, sailors complained about the stench, and shot videos of open sewage flows just meters (yards) from where boats were launched.

"We're going in the right direction," Hunt added. "We remain cautiously optimistic. It doesn't mean we're going to take off the pressure."

World Sailing, backed by the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee, is not testing the water for viruses. World Sailing says the bacterial levels are below what would be considered dangerous for athletes.

The WHO and IOC argue that viral testing lacks a clear standard for measuring risk, and therefore is not needed.

World Sailing is attacking the problems it can see: spotting and collecting floating rubbish during the Olympic sailing events. Hunt said a helicopter would go up at 6 a.m. every morning and direct 11 rubbish collection boats below where to deploy.

In addition, he said 17 so-called eco-barriers  fences across trash-filled streams that flow into Guanabara  will keep dead animals, bags, and household rubbish from entering the bay.

"Those eco-barriers have got be completed before the end of June, so there's enough time to track the rubbish and then make sure it's collected effectively for games time," Hunt said.

Though World Sailing says the water will be safe for hundreds of sailors, Hunt said teams are being briefed about how to stay healthy in Rio.

"There are briefings for the teams to make sure they prepare in terms of hygiene," Hunt said. He added that there would be "facilities to wash down clothing when they come off the boats, alcohol gels, anti-viral gels and so on that can help ensure that the athletes keep well through the competition."

Three Spanish sailors were robbed at gunpoint last week while they were training in Rio, including 2008 Olympic gold-medalist Fernando Echavarri. Hunt acknowledged that several other sailing teams had also been robbed in Rio in the last several years.

Hunt called it a "very, very scary experience."

The former head of the British Olympic Association, Hunt urged national Olympic committees to watch their athletes in Rio.

"The National Olympic committees need to issue clear instructions and guidance, and protocols around what athletes and support staff can do during games times," he said.

Australia, for one, has told its athletes to stay out of Rio's favelas  or slums.

Many sailors will be staying in hotels near the sailing venue, rather than at the better-protected Athletes Village more than an hour away.

"Like any city in a country like this," Hunt said, "you need to be very aware of the environment you are operating in, and take every precaution yourself to prevent yourself from getting mugged. It's doesn't mean it's right or acceptable, but it's the reality."

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Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/stephen-wade

FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2015 file photo, Brazilian athletes Samuel Albrecht and Isabel Swan practice in Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Andy Hunt, the head of World Sailing, met with city, state, and Olympic organizing committee officials on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, pushing for what amounts to a superficial cleanup of Guanabara Bay. Rio state officials have acknowledged a real cleanup of Guanabara will take 20 years, with the city still pouring at least half of its untreated sewage into its surrounding waters including Guanabara. "We don't want to have any stories of sailors with plastic bags, or what every it might be, that in anyway impact performance," said Hunt. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
Tapes: Peterson hoped to sell drugs in Mexico after prison

CHESTER, Ill. (AP)  Secret recordings between Drew Peterson and an inmate he's accused of trying to enlist to help kill a prosecutor show that the former suburban Chicago police officer discussed selling drugs in Mexico if he gets out of prison.

Jurors in Peterson's murder-for-hire trial in southern Illinois on Tuesday heard him boast to prison informant Antonio Smith about an acquaintance with "cartel connections," the Chicago Sun-Times reported (http://bit.ly/1OKOPT6 ).

Peterson, 62, is currently serving a 38-year-sentence and isn't Mexican. If convicted of trying to arrange the killing of Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, he could be sentenced to another 60 years in prison.

Smith testified Monday that Peterson, who was convicted of killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio, had referred to his missing fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, as a "dead woman" and said he killed her. But in the recordings played in court Tuesday, the former Bolingbrook police sergeant can be heard telling Smith that Stacy Peterson is "still alive, running around out there."

Peterson has pleaded not guilty to trying to arrange the killing of Glasgow, who helped convict him in 2012 of killing Savio eight years earlier.

Smith, 25, is serving a 40-year sentence for attempted murder, home invasion and robbery. The Chicago gang member nicknamed "Beast" told both Glasgow and the FBI about Peterson's alleged efforts to find a hit man. He also agreed to wear a wire in exchange for $3,200 from the FBI to replace property lost after he was transferred to the federal prison system following his involvement with Peterson.

Lucas Liefer, Peterson's lawyer, dismissed the recordings as fanciful prison boasts that don't include Peterson directly stating that he wants Glasgow killed.

Drew Peterson has never been charged in Stacy Peterson's disappearance and has maintained his innocence.

But Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker has said that Peterson wanted Glasgow killed in part because he was worried that the Joliet prosecutor would also charge him in his fourth wife's death.

Peterson's first-degree murder conviction in Savio's death is under review by the Illinois Supreme Court.

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Ecuador vows to privatize airline to help rebuild from quake

QUITO, Ecuador (AP)  Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said he will partially privatize a state-run airline as damage from last month's earthquake compounds hardships facing the oil-dependent economy.

In Tuesday's annual address to lawmakers, Correa said he will either sell or allow investors to buy shares in Tame airline. Also on the auction block are a state-run cement maker, bank and power generator.

Downplaying speculation he may seek re-election next year, Correa said he'll spend his final year in office helping Ecuador rebuild from the powerful, magnitude 7.8 quake, which left 663 dead and thousands homeless..

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa arrives to the National Assembly to give his last annual state-of-the-nation address in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

Correa said it will cost Ecuador upwards of $2 billion to rebuild.

Even before the quake the OPEC nation was facing a deep recession with the economy forecast to shrink 4.5 percent this year.

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa arrives to the National Assembly to give his last annual state-of-the-nation address in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Intruders breach US airport fences about every 10 days

Under pressure to prevent people from sneaking onto runways and planes at major U.S. airports, authorities are cracking down  not on the intruders who slip through perimeter gates or jump over fences, but on the release of information about the breaches.

A year after an Associated Press investigation first revealed persistent problems with airports' outer defenses, breaches remain as frequent as ever  about once every 10 days  despite some investments to fortify the nation's airfields. As Americans wait in ever-longer security screening lines inside terminals, new documents show dozens more incidents happening outside perimeters than airports have disclosed.

At the same time, leaders at some airports and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration are saying some of the 345 incidents AP found shouldn't count as security breaches, even when intruders got deep into secure areas.

ADVANCE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016, AND THEREAFTER - In this Friday, May 13, 2016, photo, a commercial airliner lands at San Diego International Airport, where multiple layers of fencing topped with razor wire protects the airport grounds. An Associated Press investigation has documented perimeter breaches at many of the busiest airports in the U.S. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Was it a perimeter security breach in March 2015 when a woman walked past a vehicle exit gate at San Francisco International Airport and onto the tarmac, where she tried to flag down a jet for a trip home to Guatemala? No it was not, said the airport and TSA officials, who also tried to suppress information about the case.

After discussing intrusions openly at first, officials at several airports and the TSA started withholding details, arguing the release could expose vulnerabilities.

Following a two-year legal struggle with the TSA, AP has now used newly released information to create the most comprehensive public tally of perimeter security breaches. The 345 incidents took place at 31 airports that handle three-quarters of U.S. passenger travel. And that's an undercount, because several airports refused to provide complete information.

The count shows that an intruder broke through the security surrounding one of those airports on average every 13 days from the beginning of 2004 through mid-February; starting in 2012, the average has been every 9.5 days. Many intruders scaled barbed wire-topped fences or walked past vehicle checkpoints. Others crashed cars into chain link and concrete barriers.

Airport officials point out that no case involved a known terrorist plot. Police reports suggest many trespassers were disoriented, intoxicated or delusional. Some came on skateboards and bikes, while others commandeered vehicles on the tarmac. One man got into a helicopter cockpit and was preparing to take off.

Five intruders brought knives and one a loaded gun.

Over the past year, the TSA and airports have been focused less on perimeter security than on stopping weapons that passengers or baggage handlers try to sneak onto planes.

"It doesn't surprise me that people sometimes try to jump over fences to see what they can get away with," said TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger. "The question is: What's your ability to detect it and ... what might you do to mitigate that happening in the future?"

None of the airport officials would discuss how much they are spending on fortifying perimeters. Some that added security in the past year saw fewer intruders, others had more.

Altogether, there were at least 39 breaches nationwide in 2015, which also was the annual average from 2012 through 2015. The low was 34 in 2013 and the high 42 in 2012, when incidents spiked after several years hovering around 20 breaches.

Aviation security consultant Jeff Price said the TSA and airports have not done enough to address gaps in perimeter security.

"The straight-up honest answer as to why it's not being vigorously addressed? Nothing bad's happened. Yet," Price said.

Airport officials stress that the miles of fences, gates and guardhouses protecting their properties are secure and say many intruders are quickly caught.

Perimeters are not "a gaping vulnerability," said Christopher Bidwell, vice president of security at the advocacy group Airports Council International-North America. When intruders are quickly caught, "their ability to do anything nefarious isn't really there," Bidwell said. "It's being neutralized because they are actively being surveilled."

But video cameras and guards don't always spot intruders.

After eluding security and reaching parked planes at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, one intruder warned an airport worker in December that he "better not say" anything. Authorities never found the man, though they did arrest three others at different times in 2015, including one man who managed to drive his vehicle in with a convoy entering the airfield during a visit by Pope Francis.

The large airports with the most known incidents serve San Francisco (41), Las Vegas (30), Philadelphia (30) and Los Angeles (26). New York's JFK ranked 10th with 12 breaches.

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Pritchard reported from Los Angeles, Mendoza from San Francisco. Contributing were Dan Kempton in Phoenix, Monika Mathur and Alicia Caldwell in Washington, and Brian Barrett, Rhonda Shafner, Jennifer Farrar and Jacob Pearson in New York.

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Contact Justin Pritchard at https://twitter.com/lalanewsman and Martha Mendoza at https://twitter.com/mendozamartha

ADVANCE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016, AND THEREAFTER - In this Friday, May 13, 2016, photo, as a commercial airliner taxis for takeoff, the perimeter fencing and razor wires show the layers of security at San Diego International Airport. An Associated Press investigation has documented perimeter breaches at many of the busiest airports in the U.S. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

ADVANCE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016, AND THEREAFTER - In this Friday, May 13, 2016, photo, the perimeter of San Diego International Airport shows part of its security consisting of multiple fences with a combination of razor wire and barbed wire. An Associated Press investigation has documented perimeter breaches at many of the busiest airports in the U.S. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

ADVANCE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016, AND THEREAFTER - In this May 17, 2016, photo, a plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport from behind fencing at the Millbrae Gate, in San Francisco. An Associated Press investigation has documented perimeter breaches at many of the busiest airports in the U.S. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

ADVANCE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016, AND THEREAFTER - In this May 16, 2016, photo, a plane taxis toward the terminal after landing at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. An Associated Press investigation has documented perimeter breaches at many of the busiest airports in the U.S. (AP Photo/John Locher)

ADVANCE FOR THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016, AND THEREAFTER - In this May 17, 2016, photo, a sign warns against trespassing as a plane lands at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. An Associated Press investigation has documented perimeter breaches at many of the busiest airports in the U.S. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Sen. Reid calls for people to 'lay off' Bernie Sanders

WASHINGTON (AP)  Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that people should "lay off" Bernie Sanders, sending a message to restive Democrats increasingly anxious to see the party unite behind Hillary Clinton.

Reid is personally close with the Vermont independent senator and presidential hopeful. Last week he disclosed that he'd spoken with Sanders to voice concerns about unruly protests by Sanders supporters at the Nevada state Democratic convention, and subsequently voiced his disappointment over a defiant statement Sanders issued in response.

On Tuesday Reid had a different message, signaling to fellow Democrats that pressuring Sanders is not the way to go.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., right, and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., center, listens as Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., holding up a calendar, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

"I've had conversations with Bernie, he's a good person, he's doing his best to effectuate what he believes in, and I have no criticism of Bernie at this stage," Reid said.

"I think we should just kinda lay off Bernie Sanders a little bit, OK?"

Reid's comment comes as Democrats, including in the Senate, grow increasingly vocal with their impatience over Sanders' continued presidential candidacy. Sanders is showing no signs of quitting despite nearly impossible odds of overtaking Clinton, who is eager to turn her attention to Republican Donald Trump and the general election in November.

Instead Sanders' is warning of a potentially "messy" Democratic Convention in Philadelphia in July while criticizing Clinton and the Democratic Party for their dependence on big money. Many Democrats find such criticism is wearing thin and poses threats to the party, but there's debate over how best to respond. Reid seems determined for now to try to keep Sanders in the fold without alienating him and his backers.

Reid also told reporters that he'd spoken with Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold, who is running for Senate, and "I'm very happy that Sen. Sanders is supporting him bigtime." Although it's not surprising that Sanders would back Feingold since they share similar outlooks, Sanders has not thus far gotten involved in endorsing or campaigning for Senate Democratic candidates. Backing Feingold could reassure other Democrats about his intentions and party loyalty.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. listens at right, as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Keillor and 'Prairie Home' players plan one more show

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Garrison Keillor is bringing back familiar elements of "A Prairie Home Companion" at least one more time.

Keillor will host what he's calling "The Minnesota Show" on Sept. 2 from the Minnesota State Fair. It'll be broadcast on public radio stations nationally the following evening.

The show will be familiar to "Prairie Home" fans, with sketches including private eye Guy Noir, his usual company of actors and his signature monologue, the "News From Lake Wobegon."

FILE - In this July 20, 2015 file photo, Garrison Keillor, creator and host of "A Prairie Home Companion," appears during an interview in St. Paul, Minn. Keillor will host what hes calling The Minnesota Show on Sept. 2, 2016, from the Minnesota State Fair. Itll be broadcast on public radio stations nationally the following evening. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)
Toyota to invest in ride-hailing app Uber

NEW YORK (AP)  Toyota said Tuesday it is investing in Uber, making it the latest car company to put money in a ride-hailing app.

The Japanese company did not say how much the investment is worth.

As part of the deal, Uber drivers can lease Toyota vehicles with money earned from their driving.

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2016, file photo, Toyota Motor Corp. President and Chief Executive Akio Toyoda speaks at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Toyota said Tuesday, May 24, that it is investing in Uber, making it the latest car company to put money in a ride-hailing app. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Investing in ride-hailing services can be a way for automakers to sell more cars. Earlier this year, General Motors Co. invested $500 million in Uber rival Lyft.

Uber relies on drivers who use their own cars to give customers rides. Riders request and pay for their rides through the Uber phone app. The company has entered more than four hundred cities around the world, despite pushback from regulators and the taxi industry about how it vets drivers.
In final drive, Obama seeks better relations with US foes

WASHINGTON (AP)  In his final stretch as president, Barack Obama is driving the United States toward friendlier relations with longstanding adversaries, working to consign bitter enmities with Vietnam, Iran, Cuba and Myanmar to the history books.

Though the reconciliations have been years in the making, Obama hopes he can prove the benefits of his softer approach before he hands control to an uncertain successor in January. Defiant cries of naivete by his opponents have only strengthened his conviction that the U.S. must release itself from an us-versus-them mentality forged during wars that ended decades ago.

The quest for resolution was on display this week in Hanoi, where Obama lifted an arms sales embargo that had stood as one of the last remnants of the Vietnam War and the deep freeze that persisted until the two nations restored relations in 1995.

President Barack Obama is given flowers as he greeted by Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, Chairwoman of People's Council HCMC, second from left, as he arrives on Air Force One at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Ho Chi Minh City is the second stop on Obama's three-day visit to America's former wartime enemy. In his final stretch as president, Barack Obama is driving the United States toward friendlier relations with its most longstanding adversaries, working to consign bitter enmities with Vietnam, Iran, Cuba and Myanmar to the history books. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Obama's next gesture will come Friday in Hiroshima, Japan, where he'll become the first sitting president to visit the site where the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb  helping end World War II but sowing resentments. Seven decades later, those have mostly fallen away. Though his move has rankled some U.S. veterans and some Japanese, Obama's visit will be a powerful reminder of the intimate alliance between two nations that now view China more warily than they do each other.

Speaking to the Vietnamese people Tuesday, Obama dismissed calls for keeping the communist-run country at a distance, the stance of those fecklessly nursing long-forgotten rivalries. He noted that he's the first president to come of age after the war, telling his young audience that his own daughters had grown up knowing only peace between the U.S. and Vietnam.

"When the last U.S. forces left Vietnam, I was just 13 years old," Obama said. "So I come here mindful of the past, mindful of our difficult history, but focused on the future: the prosperity, security and human dignity that we can advance together."

For Obama, the belief that his youth uniquely positions him to turn the page took root long before he was elected president. In his 2006 book "The Audacity of Hope," Obama wrote that American politics suffered from a case of arrested development, or what he dismissively referred to as "the psychodrama of the baby boom generation  a tale rooted in old grudges and revenge plots hatched on a handful of college campuses long ago."

Elsewhere, in recent years few countries have seen as dramatic a shift in U.S. relations as Myanmar, also known as Burma. With the country's transition away from decades of oppressive military control, the administration rewarded Myanmar for reforms by easing sanctions against state-run companies and banks earlier this year while continuing to call for more economic and political changes.

Though the party of longtime opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi swept into power in Myanmar in March, Suu Kyi herself is still barred from formally holding the presidency due to a constitutional rule believed to have been written specifically for her. Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser and an architect of his Myanmar policy, said the rapprochement reflected dual goals of acknowledging history but not becoming imprisoned by it.

"That's kind of central to the president's whole view of the world," Rhodes said. "That we can move beyond difficult and complicated histories and find these areas of common interest."

The sprint toward warmer relations with erstwhile foes reflects Obama's hope that by locking in tangible progress, he can make his approach seem inevitable and even irreversible. While likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton largely supports Obama's detente with Cuba, Iran and Myanmar, Republican Donald Trump is a wild card whose election could augur a sharp return to the more belligerent U.S. stance of the past.

Yet Obama's critics argue that in his efforts to make peace, Obama has erroneously lumped together countries like Myanmar and Vietnam, which have gradually moved toward U.S. values, with others like Iran and Cuba, which they say have not.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., one of the harshest critics of Obama's foreign policy, says the outreach to Cuba and Iran demonstrates "the folly of the president's rush to appease adversaries who don't change their behavior."

"The United States should always be open to trying to turn adversaries or former adversaries into allies, but it has to be based on their conduct," Cotton said in an interview.

The president's diplomatic successes in a handful of countries are tempered by backsliding elsewhere, such as in Iraq and Syria, where Obama concedes the U.S. will be fighting the Islamic State group long after he's out of office. In Russia, where Obama held out early hope for a new era of cooperation, ties have frayed amid U.S. denunciation of Moscow's aggression in Ukraine and support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Anthony Cordesman, a former State Department consultant and now an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says Obama has simply seized timely opportunities presented, for example, by the weakening of the Castro government in Cuba and growing Vietnamese concerns about China.

"The truth of the matter is we haven't put anything behind us," Cordesman said. "The legacy a president can leave another president is never binding, and particularly in international affairs it's always a more than one-person game."

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Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/author/josh-lederman

President Barack Obama bows to the audience after speaking at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Obama gave a speech aimed at the people of Vietnam a day after announcing the lifting of a five-decade-old arms sales embargo that's meant to help forge a new economic and security relationship with this young, fast-growing Southeast Asian nation. In his final stretch as president, Barack Obama is driving the United States toward friendlier relations with its most longstanding adversaries, working to consign bitter enmities with Vietnam, Iran, Cuba and Myanmar to the history books. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Feds: 5 arrested, accused of scam posing as IRS agents

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Treasury Department has arrested five people in Miami accused of posing as IRS agents in telephone calls and demanding immediate payment of overdue taxes, a scheme that netted them an estimated $2 million, a top official said Tuesday.

J. Russell George, who heads the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration office, said Tuesday that the five defrauded about 1,500 people.

The IRS has called similar impersonators the largest such scam in agency history. George said overall, 1.2 million Americans have reported receiving such calls, and around 6,400 of them have reported being cheated out of $36.5 million.

The callers pose as IRS or Treasury agents and demand immediate payment of back taxes or other fees, threatening arrest if they don't. George said some scammers demand that people pay using iTunes or other prepaid debit cards.

The five arrested had their victims quickly wire them money  something George said the IRS does not do.

Sahil Patel of Tatamy, Pennsylvania, was sentenced last July to more than 14 years in prison for leading a similar scheme that prosecutors said victimized people in nearly every state.

The five arrested Monday were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, George said.

He identified them as Jennifer Valerino Nunez, Dennis Delgado Caballero, Arnoldo Perez Mirabal, Yaritza Espinosa Diaz, and Roberto Fontanella Caballero.

A senior official with the office said they began investigating those arrested Monday after one victim complained to the Senate Aging Committee.

That official said the five all live in Miami and are Cuban nationals. He spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details he wasn't authorized to discuss publicly.
David Cameron looking to world leaders to help drive for Remain vote

David Cameron is hoping for further international backing for Britain to stay in the European Union as he sets off for what will be his final summit of world leaders before the June 23 referendum.

The UK's referendum is not on the official agenda for the two-day G7 in Japan, which kicks off on Thursday, but it is certain to feature heavily in conversations in the margins of the event and the Prime Minister will be hoping for a united show of support for a Remain vote from host Shinzo Abe and his fellow leaders.

On a visit to London earlier this month, the Japanese PM warned that Brexit would make the UK "less attractive" to investors from his country. And he said Japan would prefer to seal a free trade deal with the whole EU, rather than individual states.

Prime Minister David Cameron with Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during his recent visit to London.

Negotiations on the EU-Japan deal are high on the agenda for the summit in the Ise-Shima coastal resort, with G7 leaders expected to back early completion of talks which began in 2013. Both Mr Abe and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have said they hope the deal - which Downing Street believes could be worth 5 billion a year to the UK - can be sealed by the end of 2016.

Mr Cameron is set to be at loggerheads with his host on broader economic policy, setting his face against Mr Abe's drive for a co-ordinated fiscal stimulus by G7 states to inject vigour into the lethargic global economy.

British officials said that Mr Cameron's priority will be to encourage the G7 to back "flexibility", with an approach permitting member states - the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan - to pursue economic policies appropriate to their particular circumstances.

The PM will push for action from the G7 on steel-dumping, to counter market distortions caused by over-production in China, which is threatening the viability of the industry in the UK and other countries around the world.

He will push for G7 condemnation of missile-testing in North Korea, and will seek support for the extension of sanctions against Russia when they come up for renewal in the summer. He will voice Britain's support for the extension into Libyan territorial waters of the EU's Operation Sophia mission against people-trafficking.

The final communique of the two-day summit is thought unlikely to give explicit G7 backing to the Remain side in the Brexit debate, but leaders including Mr Abe, US President Barack Obama and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau have already made clear their concerns about the negative consequences they expect from EU withdrawal.

A meeting of G7 finance ministers last week concluded that a potential UK exit would "complicate the global economic environment", while Germany's Wolfgang Schauble told reporters: "We were all of the opinion that it would be the wrong decision for the UK."
MoD to continue issuing controversial anti-malarial drug despite MPs' criticism

The Ministry of Defence is to continue issuing a controversial anti-malarial drug to some troops on overseas operations, despite strong criticism from MPs over the way it has been prescribed.

The Commons Defence Committee said there was "strong anecdotal evidence" that stringent conditions laid down by the manufacturers for issuing Lariam had been ignored by the armed forces.

It called for the drug - which has been associated in a minority of users with depression, hallucinations and panic attacks - to be designated a "drug of last resort", only to be issued when there was no alternative available.

The Ministry of Defence has been criticised by MPs over the way the controversial anti-malarial drug, Lariam, has been issued to troops on overseas operations.

The Surgeon General of the armed forces, Vice Admiral Alasdair Walker, said it was important to retain Lariam for personnel who were unable to take other anti-malarial drugs.

"We would not want to take that drug out of our armamentarium," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"Under very close control with very careful assessments, then Lariam still is an effective drug, but it has to have that careful assessment. It is not our frontline drug. It is only for people who are unable to take the other drugs."

While Lariam is not the main anti-malarial drug used by the armed forces, at least 17,368 personnel were prescribed it at least once between the start of April 2007 and the end of March 2015, according to official MoD figures.

The committee said it had received strong anecdotal evidence that a body of current and former service personnel had been adversely affected by its use and that the arrangements for supporting them were "inadequate".

While the manufacturer, Roche, had issued "clear guidance" that individual risk assessments should be conducted before prescribing, the committee said the MoD appeared to have interpreted this to include "desk-based" assessments using medical records rather than face-to-face interviews.

It said it was "deeply disturbing" that some personnel apparently preferred to throw away the Lariam they had been prescribed and run the risk of contracting malaria, rather than take the drug.

"If true, it is an indication that some in the armed forces have completely lost confidence in Lariam," the committee said.

"Lariam is a drug whose own manufacturers have laid down stringent conditions which must be met if it is to be prescribed safely.

"We see no reason to disbelieve the very strong anecdotal evidence that such conditions have been ignored in dispensing it to large numbers of troops about to be deployed."

The committee chairman Julian Lewis said: "It is our firm conclusion that there is neither the need, nor any justification, for continuing to issue this medication to service personnel unless they can be individually assessed, in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements.

"And - most of the time - that is simply impossible, when a sudden, mass deployment of hundreds of troops is necessary."

An MoD spokesman said: "The vast majority of deployed personnel already receive alternatives to Lariam and, where it is used, we require it to be prescribed after an individual risk assessment.

"We have a duty to protect our personnel from malaria and we welcome the committee's conclusion that, in some cases, Lariam will be the most effective way of doing that."

Kevin Timms, a lawyer for armed forces personnel who suffered side-effects from Lariam, said: "The announcement that Lariam is finally to be banned for military use apart from in exceptional circumstances is to be welcomed but this action comes too late for the many veterans who have already suffered from its serious side-effects. We have heard first-hand how it has ruined lives.

"It is now imperative that the new guidelines for prescribing Lariam are implemented as soon as possible and that the MoD clarifies the support it will be offering to armed forces personnel affected.
Grandfather died from operable cancer when NHS trust seriously delayed treatment

A grandfather died from operable pancreatic cancer after an NHS trust ignored doctors from another hospital and said he had something else.

Peter Filipovic faced serious delays to treatment and was eventually too ill to have the surgery that may have extended his life.

The 62-year-old was told by doctors at Medway NHS Foundation Trust that he had a small tumour on his pancreas during an endoscopy procedure to investigate his symptoms.

Peter Filipovic faced serious delays to treatment and was eventually too ill to have surgery

He was then referred to King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for surgery but medics there failed to act upon the diagnosis of possible cancer and investigated him for other problems.

His wife Jean - to whom he was married for 42 years and had three children with - ended up taking her complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).

After investigating for a year, it ruled that King's failed to act quickly enough and had given the family "confusing and contradictory" information.

Mrs Filipovic, 65, from Sittingbourne, Kent, said: "The specialist at Medway said he had known people who had had this operation for a small tumour and had survived.

"He then referred Peter to King's for surgery, saying they were the best ones for this operation. But King's did absolutely nothing.

"We had to wait more than a month for our appointment at King's. They asked a few questions and then said we could go. They didn't mention an operation.

"We then waited another month for an appointment where Peter asked about the operation and the doctor said "what operation?"

"We said "for the cancer" and the doctor said "you haven't got cancer." We obviously felt relieved."

However, Mr Filipovic, who had two grandchildren, continued to lose enormous amounts of weight - he dropped from 18st to 12st in less six months - and suffered jaundice.

Mrs Filipovic said: "He looked terrible, he was completely yellow, even his eyeballs, and he was only eating small amounts.

"When we went back to King's, they decided to admit him. They did an endoscopy, saw the tumour and took a sample and then sent him home.

"About a month later we had another appointment and Peter couldn't even walk, he was in a wheelchair. They then said he did have cancer."

King's said it intended to operate but by then it was too late and Mr Filipovic was too weak to have the operation. The trust referred him for chemotherapy but it was also too late for that.

A damning report from the PHSO published on Tuesday - detailing dozens of errors by public bodies and the NHS - found King's failed to act quickly and mishandled the complaint.

While it was unable to ascertain whether the delays could have changed the outcome for Mr Filipovic, it ruled King's "failed to act on another trust's diagnosis of possible pancreatic cancer."

The report said: "Mr W (Filipovic) was diagnosed with suspected pancreatic cancer by Trust A (Medway) in late 2011 and was referred to Trust B (King's) for treatment.

"Trust B conducted its own tests, but did not treat Mr W for the suspected cancer. Mr W continued having tests in early 2012, and at the end of a two-month period Trust B confirmed that Mr W had pancreatic cancer.

"The Trust said that it intended to operate in approximately two weeks' time but unfortunately, by then, Mr W was too jaundiced to have the operation.

"The next month, when his jaundice had improved, Mr W was too frail to have the operation. The Trust referred him for chemotherapy but it was too late to treat him, and he died in summer 2012."

It said King's "ruled out possible pancreatic cancer" and instead "concentrated on changes in the body and another part of the pancreas.

"It failed to act quickly enough on Mr W's symptoms. However, the outcome might have been the same even if Trust B had been quicker with Mr W's investigations."

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Julie Mellor said: "The NHS provides excellent care for patients every day, which is why it is so important that when mistakes are made they are dealt with well.

"These cases bring home all the suffering patients and their families experience when things go wrong, particularly when complaints are not handled effectively at a local level.

"Families have been left without an explanation as to why their loved ones died, mistakes have not been admitted, which means that much-needed service improvements are being delayed."

Following the PHSO's investigation, King's apologised for the failings and the impact those failings had on Mrs Filipovic.

It also paid her 1,500 "in recognition that its failings denied Mr W the opportunity to be given the best chance of survival, and for the delay in providing a reasonable response to her complaint," the PHSO said.

A spokeswoman for King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We would like to apologise wholeheartedly once again to the family involved in this case.

"The care Mr Filipovic received at the hospital fell below the high standards we set ourselves, and we recognise this was unacceptable.
Angelique Kerber loses in French Open first round

Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber became the first big casualty of the French Open when she was beaten by Kiki Bertens in the first round.

It was a tough draw for Kerber, with Bertens going into the clash on the back of a title in Nuremberg at the weekend, and the Dutchwoman continued her fine form to win 6-2 3-6 6-3.

The leading women have been hugely inconsistent all season so it is no great surprise to see one of them fall early.

Angelique Kerber's stay at the French Open was short lived

Bertens, ranked 58, began brilliantly but Kerber looked like she had turned the match round in the second set.

However, Bertens quickly moved into a 3-0 lead in the third and, although Kerber saved two match points, a drop shot into the net on the third sealed her fate.
HMS Queen Elizabeth captain hails 'special moment' as he takes command of ship

The first commanding officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth has hailed "a truly seminal moment for Scotland" as he took command of what he expects to be the last major aircraft carrier built in the United Kingdom.

Captain Jerry Kyd took command of the UK's future flagship at Rosyth Dockyard, Fife.

He said maritime warfare has "changed very little" since the Battle of Jutland, when Royal Navy battle cruisers launched from Rosyth 100 years ago next week to enforce a British blockade during the First World War.

HMS Queen Elizabeth berthed at Rosyth in Fife (MoD/PA Wire)

But he said the Queen Elizabeth will be equipped to deal with future threats, including unmanned aircraft, robotics and cyber attacks.

Captain Kyd told the Press Association: "As a naval officer I always want more ships and more aircraft carriers, but I can't see in the foreseeable future two more ships of this scale being built in the United Kingdom.

"Of course, we have built this ship with a 50-year lifespan, so unless there's a turnaround or any course that you never predict with world events, I think this is a truly seminal moment for Scotland and indeed the entire country who have come together to bring this ship together.

"It's a very special moment, and the British public should be extraordinarily proud not only of British industry for having the know-how and the skills to put this ship and the HMS Prince of Wales together."

HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, which is still under construction at Rosyth, aircraft carriers are the largest surface warships ever constructed for the UK.

Captain Kyd said HMS Queen Elizabeth will be tasked with "protecting British maritime power around the world wherever the government needs it".

He added: "That's all up for debate and discussion over the coming years, but the world is a turbulent, changing, dynamic place so I can't predict exactly where we will be."

Captain Kyd said maritime warfare has "not changed a huge amount" since the First World War.

"Navies are still about projecting power around the world, dominating the oceans, making sure there is free trade," he said.

"Sea lanes are the arteries of the world's global economy. If you cut trade, you cut countries off and it's a disaster.

"We're seeing a rapid change in technology. We're seeing militarisation, robotics, the new domain of cyber and what that means in terms of the digital frontier of warfare.

"But we've designed this ship with a whole host of innovations and very high spec technology which will hopefully proof her to take advantage as those things develop.

"I predict that manned aircraft will probably die away in the coming decades, we'll see more unmanned aerial vehicles, we will certainly see more robotics and much more competition in the virtual domain.

"Nothing in life now is invulnerable - that's a fact.

"You have to see this ship as much more than just a warship.

"She is four-and-a-half acres of British power projection, she is a sea base, she is part of the UK that you can put anywhere in the world without impunity.
Prince Charles has private meetings with Northern Ireland political leaders

The Prince of Wales has met Northern Ireland's political leaders on the second day of his visit to the region.

The private and separate meetings with First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness began a packed schedule for the heir to the throne.

The prince talked with the Democratic Unionist leader and Sinn Fein veteran in two 20 minute behind-closed-doors encounters at the royal residence at Hillsborough Castle.

The Prince of Wales meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster at Hillsborough Castle in County Down.

The leaders updated Charles on the current political and economic situation in Northern Ireland.

The Duchess of Cornwall will accompany Charles later on Tuesday for a number of visits to local businesses and places of interest.

Later, the royal couple will host a musical evening at Hillsborough Castle.

On Wednesday, the Prince and Duchess will travel across the Irish border to Co Donegal.

The visit to the Republic of Ireland is at the request of the UK Government and follows Charles and Camilla's trip to the country this time last year when the Prince toured the place where his great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten, was murdered by the IRA in 1979.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "The visits will recognise the warm friendship that exists between both countries, promoting understanding of their respective heritage and celebrating the best that each has to offer."

Charles arrived in Northern Ireland on Monday, when he was given a glimpse into the high-tech world of internet security during a visit to Queen's University's first Global Research Institute at the Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.

On his first public engagement of the day, the Prince visited one of Ireland's oldest Presbyterian churches in Portaferry, on the tip of the Ards Peninsula in Co Down.

It marked Portaferry Presbyterian's reopening as the Portico arts centre after eight years and almost 1 million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund plus dozens of other benefactors.

It is modelled on the Temple of Nemesis and the facade is dominated by six Doric columns.

Ian McDonnell, chair of the Friends of Portaferry Church, said the Heritage Lottery Fund had donated a remarkable sum "without which we would be sitting in a dank, damp, dangerous building and certainly not celebrating".

Charles said it was an enormous pleasure to be able to join the congregation for the reopening.

"It is a remarkable project and for me it is very special to be able to join you on this occasion to rededicate this building," he said.

"I hope it will provide everybody who lives in this particular town with something very special for the future."

The prince was joined by the Duchess of Cornwall for a number of afternoon engagements in Co Armagh.

The royal couple first visited the Yellow Door deli in Portadown town centre where they chatted with a range of local food and drink producers.

Charles and Camilla embarked on walkabouts before and after the visit, greeting Union flag waving well wishers lining the streets.

Afterwards the couple travelled to Ulster Carpets factory in the town.

Among the carpets being manufactured in the long established business is one destined for Buckingham Palace.

The Prince of Wales with Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Hillsborough Castle, County Down.

The Prince of Wales (front, second right) attends a service of thanksgiving and dedication during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry.

The Prince of Wales (centre) is greeted by Lord Lieutenant for County Down David Lindsay as he visits the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry.

The Prince of Wales unveils a plaque to officially open the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry.

The Prince of Wales holds a hurley presented to him by members of the local GAA club during a visit to the Portico Arts Centre in Portaferry.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during a visit to Ulster Carpets in Craigavon.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (both right) view a carpet destined for the Ball Supper Room at Buckingham Palace, London, during a visit to Ulster Carpets in Craigavon.

The Prince of Wales looks at a carpet during a visit to Ulster Carpets in Craigavon.
Theresa May criticises lack of diversity in fire and rescue crews

Theresa May has attacked a lack of diversity in fire and rescue teams as she set out plans to reform the service.

The Home Secretary said the firefighter workforce is "96% white and 95% male".

Empahsising the need for action on the issue, she said: " it is not just professionalism and integrity that underpin the relationship with the public, it is also how representative fire and rescue services are of the communities they serve."

Theresa May called for more diversity in fire crews

Last year she attacked the lack of black and minority ethnic officers in the police.

She also warned that a "culture of bullying and harassment" seen in some fire and rescue authorities "can no longer be allowed to persist" as she made her first major speech on plans to shake up the service since it fell under Home Office control earlier this year.

Mrs May announced plans to introduce a "rigorous and independent" inspection regime for fire and rescue in England.

She said it was "almost impossible" for people to scrutinise their local service as they are examined by a system of "peer challenge" which "provides no assurance whatsoever to the public".

Mrs May said: "It is not so much marking your own homework as setting your own exam paper and resolving that you've passed - and it has to change."

Inspection powers will be strengthened to put beyond doubt the powers of fire inspectors to enter premises and access information, while action will be taken to ensure the G overnment has the power to commission inspections of particular issues or services.

Procurement data from every fire and rescue authority in England will also be published to shed light on how much each is paying for items such as uniform, operational kit and vehicles.

Reform must extend to chief fire officers, Mrs May said, adding that there is "widening disparity between the pay of chief fire officers in different parts of the country, with little relationship to their skills, performance or the size of the role".

In the 15 years since the Home Office last oversaw fire and rescue services, the risk of fire has fallen considerably, Mrs May said.

"Buildings are safer, families and communities are more secure, and firefighters' time is being wasted far less", she said.

However, she argued the service has "succeeded in spite of the framework it operates in, not because of it".

She added: "I intend to work with fire and rescue services to deliver a programme of reform that is as radical and ambitious as I have delivered in policing since 2010."

Fire and rescue authorities have "shouldered their fare share" in delivering savings, Mrs May acknowledged, but warned more would need to be found over the next four years.

The challenge facing senior officers is how to reform the workforce "to meet a completely different risk and demand model", she said, but stressed "this does not and should not mean a reduction in the quality of front line firefighting".

Earlier this year the Government announced measures to enable police and crime commissioners to take on responsibility for fire and rescue authorities "where a local case is made", while emergency services will be placed under a statutory duty to collaborate.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "The Home Secretary may be surprised that we agree with her on some of the issues she raised.

"We have been calling for an independent inspectorate for some time, as the current system had led to huge imbalances on the standards imposed on services across the county."

He added: "We are all however surprised about the claims that the Home Secretary has made about the size of the fire and rescue workforce not having changed in the past decade.

"The record cuts that this Government have imposed on the fire and rescue services have resulted in far fewer frontline firefighters and is contributing to a poorer and less reliable public service.
Eddie Izzard urges voters to keep faith with EU in university debate

Eddie Izzard has admitted he thinks the European Union is difficult and too bureaucratic but urged young people to vote to stay in and "make it work".

The comedian said he considers himself a British European who wants the younger generation to have the same opportunities he did when he travelled around Europe in his youth.

He went head-to-head with Tory MEP Daniel Hannan at Reading University Students' Union for a debate ahead of next month's referendum.

Eddie Izzard and Daniel Hannan took differing views on the EU referendum

Izzard listed big names including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and organisations like the International Monetary Fund and the Confederation of British Industry who he said had warned Britain leaving the EU would be a bad idea.

Of the EU he said: "It is a good force for change. It's difficult, it's too bureaucratic, I totally agree with that. But no-one's ever tried to do this before, so we should be trying to do it."

He added: "I just think we should stay in and try and make it work. We have to work like crazy to make it work. It's not easy but I just don't think pulling out is the right idea."

Izzard, who came out as transgender in 1985, wore a white t-shirt emblazoned with pink letters reading Stand Up For Europe and a matching pink beret.

Throughout the event, which saw both participants take questions from the audience, Izzard said "humanity" should be the priority.

He said: "It (humanity) overrides everything surely. It's the thing you've got to put at the top in trying to get to a place, a world where everyone has the same chance."

Countering Izzard's argument about making Britain's membership of the EU work better for us, Mr Hannan pointed to the Prime Minister's visits across Europe in a bid to secure a renegotiation.

He said these had failed and added: "Just ask yourselves one question. Look at how intransigent the EU showed itself to be - how unable or how unwilling to reform and ask yourselves this - If this is how we were treated now, the second largest net contributor, before we had our referendum, how would we be treated if we voted to remain?

"Any idea that we could stay in and then try and reform it having thrown that part away - it would be laughed at in Brussels."

The prominent Eurosceptic, who urged those watching the debate to "fire me" described the EU as "obsolete", adding: "It is a hangover from an earlier age - a relic of the 1950s."

He said: "I would not be asking you to serve me with my P45 if I were not confident that the economy as a whole will do better outside the European Union."
U.S. says late Taliban leader was planning attacks on Americans

By Jibran Ahmad and Jonathan Landay

PESHAWAR, Pakistan/WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama approved the drone strike that killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour because the Taliban leader was overseeing plans for new attacks on American targets in Kabul, the Afghan capital, U.S. officials said on Monday.

While the Taliban have yet to confirm the death of their leader Saturday in a remote area in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, senior members of the insurgency's leadership council met to begin choosing Mansour's successor.

Two senior members of the movement also said Pakistani authorities had delivered Mansour's badly burned remains for burial in the western city of Quetta. Pakistani officials, however, denied handing over a body.

U.S. forces targeted Mansour because he was plotting attacks that posed "specific imminent threats" to U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, said Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, later specified that the Taliban were planning new attacks against "our interests and our people in Kabul." He did not elaborate.

But the administration hopes Mansour's death will have a long-term impact by pushing the Taliban to end its refusal to engage in peace negotiations with Kabul and "choose the path to reconciliation," the official said.

He expressed hope that the death of Mansour will convince Pakistan to live up to its "rhetoric" and deny safe haven to the Taliban. American intelligence and military officials have long said the Pakistani military supports elements of the insurgency.

But the Taliban's direction is hard to predict and hinges largely on what happens in the leadership contest and in fighting over the summer season.

Mansour's death cleared "an obstacle to reconciliation," said one U.S. intelligence official, also speaking on condition of anonymity. "But it's not clear if it clears the path for reconciliation."

A second U.S. intelligence official was more pessimistic.

"It's at least equally likely that killing Mansour will destroy any chance to get the Taliban into negotiations with the (Afghan) government, not that there ever was much of one," said the second official, who specializes in South Asia and also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"His successor could be even more loathe to negotiate."

NO SHIFT IN U.S. STRATEGY

Obama confirmed Mansour's death while on a three-day visit to Vietnam, calling it "an important milestone."

"The Taliban should seize the opportunity to pursue the only real path for ending this long conflict - joining the Afghan government in a reconciliation process that leads to lasting peace and stability," Obama said.

He stressed that the operation against Mansour was not a shift in U.S. strategy in Afghanistan or a return to active engagement in fighting, following the end of the international coalition's main combat mission in 2014.

The U.S. now has 9,800 troops in Afghanistan, and a decision is expected later this year on whether to stick with a timetable that would see their numbers cut to 5,500 by the start of 2017.

Pentagon spokesman Davis said the drone strike that killed Mansour was carried out under U.S. rules of engagement that permit the military to conduct defensive strikes. He said it was the first time to his knowledge that U.S. forces had attacked inside Pakistan under that rule. Previous strikes there were done under U.S. rules on counterterrorism.

Pakistani authorities have said the attack was a violation of the country's sovereignty, and an official from the foreign ministry told the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad that the attack could "adversely impact" peace talks. U.S. military officials said they had discussed their interest in Mansour with Pakistan.

Reaction from Islamabad was otherwise relatively muted, and a number of questions remained over what happened.

An undamaged Pakistani passport in the name of Wali Muhammad, which Pakistani authorities said contained a visa for Iran, was recovered next to the burned-out car at the scene of the attack and is believed to have belonged to Mansour.

The Taliban have set up a 10-member commission to try to establish how Mansour was targeted by the U.S. drones, sources within the group said.

They said he had crossed into Pakistan from Iran, where he had been holding meetings with Iranian officials and Taliban leaders located there.

According to Taliban officials, the movement has set up offices in Iran, which Mansour used to visit. But the U.S. intelligence officials questioned that account, saying they have seen little credible evidence of close ties between the Sunni Muslim extremist Taliban and Shiite Iran.

A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry was quoted on state media denying that such an individual had crossed the border from Iran to Pakistan at the time in question.

LEADERSHIP 'VERY CAREFUL'

Although some individual Taliban members have said that Mansour was killed, the group's leadership, keenly aware of the need to limit splits, has not issued its own confirmation, concentrating instead on naming a successor.

"The leadership is being very careful because one wrong step could divide the group into many parties like former mujahideen," said one Taliban official from the eastern province of Nangarhar, referring to guerrilla leaders who fought the Soviets in the 1980s before splitting into warring factions.

Mansour's number two, Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the militant network blamed for a series of high-profile attacks in Kabul, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the movement's late founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, are among the main contenders.

Yaqoob initially opposed Mansour's claim to the leadership when his father's death was belatedly made public last year. Choosing a member of Mullah Omar's family would be a means of building consensus, but one of the Taliban officials said Yaqoob was reluctant to take over.

Serious divisions emerged last year when it was confirmed that Mullah Omar had been dead for two years, leaving his deputy Mansour in effective charge of the movement and open to accusations he deceived his commanders.

Haqqani had the backing of Pakistan, while Yaqoob had support among members of the Afghan Taliban, one member of the leadership council, or shura, said.
India's NALCO to explore building smelter in Iran

BHUBANESWAR, India, May 23 (Reuters) - India's National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) and Iran's mining development body have agreed to explore the possibility of building an aluminium smelter in Iran, NALCO said in a statement on Monday, as New Delhi tries to boost trade ties with Tehran after the lifting of sanctions.

NALCO's Indian refinery would supply the alumina for the smelter if the project were to go ahead.

The agreement also opens up the prospect of other Iranian smelters using alumina supplied by India.
Banned, British-made cluster bomb used in Yemen, civilians return to "minefields"- Amnesty

By Magdalena Mis

LONDON, May 23 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A banned, British-made cluster bomb was used by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, Amnesty International said on Monday, warning that civilians returning home in northern Yemen risked injury and death from "minefields" of deadly cluster bombs.

Cluster bombs, dropped by air or fired by artillery, scatter hundreds of bomblets across a wide area which sometimes fail to explode and are difficult to locate and remove, killing and maiming civilians long after conflicts end.

They pose a particular risk to children who can be attracted by their toy-like appearance and bright colours.

The BL-755 bomb, manufactured in Britain in the 1970s, was located by Amnesty in Hayran in northern Yemen near the Saudi border.

Amnesty said this was the first confirmed use of a British-manufactured cluster munitions since the adoption of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster bombs.

The bomb, designed to break into more than 2,000 fragments, is known to be in the stockpiles of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Amnesty said.

"Even after hostilities have died down, the lives and livelihoods of civilians, including young children, continue to be on the line in Yemen as they return to de facto minefields," said Lama Fakih, Amnesty International senior crisis adviser.

"They cannot live in safety until contaminated areas in and around their homes and fields are identified and cleared of deadly cluster bomb sub munitions and other unexploded ordnance," Fakih said in a statement.

A Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign in Yemen in March last year with the aim of preventing Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking control of the country.

More than 6,000 Yemenis, about half of them civilians, have been killed in the fighting and airstrikes over the past year, the United Nations says. Millions more have been displaced.

The human rights group said during its recent mission it documented 10 new cases in which 16 civilians, including nine children, were killed or injured by cluster munitions between July 2015 and April 2016.

A British government spokesman said Britain was satisfied that its arms export licences for Saudi Arabia were compliant with U.K. and EU criteria.

"The U.K. Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world," he said in a statement.

Britain was not a member of the Saudi-led coalition and British personnel were not involved in carrying out strikes in Yemen, directing or conducting operations or selecting targets, he said.

Amnesty said since the start of the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen it documented the use five other types of cluster munitions used by the coalition forces manufactured by the United States and Brazil.

The United Nations said in January that "troubling reports" that cluster bombs have been used on civilian areas in the capital of Yemen could be a war crime.

Mark Goldring, Oxfam GB chief executive, said the Amnesty report was evidence that British arms sales were adding to suffering in Yemen.

"This underlines a simple truth - Britain's arms sales and technical military support are fuelling a brutal war in Yemen," Goldring said in a statement.
Egypt will analyse EgyptAir jet's black box if found intact-official

The contents of the black box from the EgyptAir jet that crashed on Thursday will be analysed in Egypt if it is found intact, air accident investigator Hani Galal told Egyptian private broadcaster CBC on Monday.

The recorder will be sent abroad for analysis if it is found in a damaged state, he said.

Egyptian officials were able to track the plane for one minute before it crashed but were unable to communicate with the crew, the head of Egypt's National Navigation Services Company told the same channel.
Facebook changes policies on 'Trending Topics' after criticism

By Yasmeen Abutaleb

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Monday that it had changed some of the procedures for its "Trending Topics" section after a news report alleging it suppressed conservative news prompted a U.S. Congressional demand for more transparency.

The company said an internal probe showed no evidence of political bias in the selection of news stories for Trending Topics, a feature that is separate from the main "news feed" where most Facebook users get their news.

But the world's largest social network said in a blogpost that it was introducing several changes, including elimination of a top-ten list of approved websites, more training and clearer guidelines to help human editors avoid ideological or political bias, and more robust review procedures.

Earlier this month, a former Facebook contractor had accused the company's editors of deliberately suppressing conservative news. The allegations were reported by technology news website Gizmodo, which did not identify the ex-contractor.

The report led Republican Sen. John Thune to write a letter demanding that the company explain how it selects news articles for its Trending Topics list. (http://bit.ly/1Tvv3Nm)

Two days after Thune's letter, Facebook published a lengthy blogpost detailing how Trending Topics works even though it rarely discloses such practices. Previously, it had never discussed the inner workings of the feature, which displays topics and news articles in the top right hand corner of the desktop homepage for its more than 1.6 billion users.

Facebook said its investigation showed that conservative and liberal topics were approved as trending topics at nearly identical rates. It said it was unable to substantiate any allegations of politically motivated suppression of particular subjects or sources.

But it did not rule out human error in selecting topics.

"Our investigation could not fully exclude the possibility of isolated improper actions or unintentional bias in the implementation of our guidelines or policies," Colin Stretch, Facebook's General Counsel, wrote in a company blogpost.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg met last week with more than a dozen conservative politicians and media personalities to discuss issues of trust in the social network.

In his letter, Thune had called on Facebook to respond to the criticism and sought answers by May 24 to several questions about its internal practices.
China regulator tightens overseas insurance product sales scrutiny - Shanghai Securities News

SHANGHAI, May 24 (Reuters) - China's insurance regulator has asked all of its branches to heighten vigilance against sales of insurance products in the mainland by overseas insurers that break rules, the state-owned Shanghai Securities News said on Tuesday.

In February, China's foreign exchange regulator set a $5,000 single-purchase limit for customers buying overseas insurance products using mainland bank cards.

Shanghai Securities News said that the China Insurance Regulatory Commission has asked all branches to investigate cases of domestic consultancies, wealth management and insurance firms receiving payments from foreign firms, or holding summits or advertising regarding foreign insurance products.

A spokesman for the regulator declined to comment on the report.
Poland - Factors to Watch May 24

Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Tuesday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 2 hours):

RETAIL TAX

Poland plans to impose a progressive, two-rate tax on retailers, with a tax-free amount of 17 million zlotys ($4.3 million) in monthly revenue, despite possible opposition from the European Union (EU), the finance ministry said in its latest draft.

SWISS FRANCS

Poland's outgoing central bank chief Marek Belka said on Monday that any conversion of the Swiss-franc denominated mortgages weighing on Polish banks should be done at the zloty's current market rate.

RAIFFEISEN POLBANK

Polish unit of Raiffeisen suffered a 10 million zloty ($2.53 million) consolidated net loss in the first quarter, but improved its net profit by 140 percent year-on-year to 144 million zlotys in unconsolidated terms, Rzeczpospolita daily reported.

PKP CARGO

Polish freight carrier PKP Cargo is running an audit after the bankruptcy announced by Czech OKD - the main client of Czech AWT, which PKP Cargo bought last year, daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reported.

****Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
South Africa's Zuma to appeal against reinstatement of corruption charges

May 24 (Reuters) - South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has filed notice to appeal against a court ruling that corruption charges against him should be reinstated, his office said.

"The President believes that the decision of the Court affects him directly and is of a strong view that the Court erred in several respects in its decision," the presidency said in a statement released late on Monday.
Iraq says total oil output 4.7 million bpd; exports at record

BAGHDAD, May 24 (Reuters) - Iraq's total oil output has reached 4.7 million barrels per day (bpd) and exports are running at a record 3.9 million bpd, the state-run Iraqi Media Network reported, citing an oil official.

The figures are for all of Iraq, including the northern Kurdistan region and Kirkuk, Deputy Oil Minister Fayadh al-Nema said, according to the website.
Romania - Factors to watch on May 24

Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Tuesday.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

Romania's top court is expected to vote on Tuesday on a challenge to decriminalise abuse of public office, a common offence in anti-corruption investigations.

If the top court decrminalises it, a third of the cases anti-corruption prosecutors sent to trial in 2015 would automatically lead to acquittals. This year, DNA is investigating over 860 cases of public procurement fraud, generally committed through abuse of office.

DEBT TENDER

Romania sold a planned 400 million lei ($99.22 million) worth of March 2021 treasury bonds on Monday, with the average accepted yield at 2.68 percent, central bank data showed.

CEE MARKETS

Political tensions in Poland and Romania knocked Central European assets on Monday and the forint reversed early gains as a credit rating upgrade for Hungary boosted expectations for monetary easing.

REFINERY

Romanian oil and gas group OMV Petrom will shut down its Petrobrazi refinery for maintenance and upgrades on May 25, online news publication Profit.ro said.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on
EU gives Poland more time in rule of law investigation

By Gabriela Baczynska and Jakub Iglewski

BRUSSELS/WARSAW, May 24 (Reuters) - The European Union gave Poland more time on Tuesday to settle a constitutional crisis, saying it was not about to escalate its unprecedented investigation into whether government policies were threatening the rule of law.

The EU executive Commission launched its inquiry after the government changed the way the constitutional court operates, something critics said undermined the tribunal's ability to uphold democratic checks and balances.

Last week, the Commission gave Warsaw until Monday to make substantial progress in addressing its concerns, threatening to pursue a procedure which could ultimately see Poland stripped of its voting rights in the EU - something never done before.

After meeting Prime Minister Beata Szydlo on Tuesday, however, Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans said Poland should find its own solution to the crisis.

"I fully agree with the Polish prime minister when she says this is only a Polish problem and that we can only find a Polish solution," Timmermans told reporters in Warsaw.

Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said no formal decision on escalating the probe would be made right away.

Since coming to power in October, the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) has strengthened its grip on key institutions, including the secret services and public media.

It also enacted legislation increasing the number of constitutional court judges required to make rulings, changing the order in which cases are heard and rejecting court appointments made by the previous government.

The court itself has refused to implement the new rules.

The Commission has to tread a thin line between ensuring Warsaw does not breach the EU's democratic standards and avoiding souring relations with governments as the continent struggles with the migration crisis and awaits Britain's vote on whether to leave the 28-nation bloc.

Szydlo, who last week said in an emotional speech that she would "not yield to any ultimatum" from Brussels, said after Tuesday's talks with Timmermans that the government had proposed ways to make the constitutional tribunal operate transparently.

"The Polish government has proposed such solutions to the debate over the court which ... meet all the conditions to settle the conflict," she said.

Neither Warsaw nor Brussels announced any details about the talks that were largely aimed at calming the escalating spat.
Slovakia - Factors To Watch on May 24

BRATISLAVA, May 24 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Tuesday. 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: Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak will brief lawmakers on Slovakia's priorities for its EU presidency this year. Related stories: =========================NEWS=============================== MINING: Czech miners' unions have teamed up with lignite mine owner Pavel Tykac and another investor to make on offer for New World Resources' insolvent mining subsidiary OKD, the unions said on Monday. Story: Related stories: ======================PRESS DIGEST============================== OIL TRANSIT: Slovakia's state-owned oil transit company Transpetrol, which operates Slovakia's part of the Russian Druzhba pipeline, has raised the volume of its transit by approximately a million tonnes last year to 9.9 million tonnes. http://spravy.pravda.sk/ekonomika/clanok/393912-transpetrol-vlani-prepravil-o-milion-ton-ropy-viac/ Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it vouch for their accuracy. 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: Jason Hovet on +420 224 190 476 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com ($1 = 0.8759 euros)
Russia, Ukraine commit to Minsk accords in call with France, Germany

BERLIN, May 24 (Reuters) - The leaders of Russia and Ukraine discussed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President preparations to hold elections in an eastern Ukrainian area hit by a pro-Russian insurrection, according to the german government.

Progress on implementing the Minsk peace accords, negotiated by Berlin and Paris, has stalled. The elections are a key step in the agreement designed to end a conflict that has killed more than 9,000 people since April, 2014.

Moscow and Kiev accuse each other of failing to stick to the deal, which also includes restoring Kiev's control over the whole border with Russia and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the conflict zone.

"In the centre of the consultations were security questions and the preparations for local elections in the conflict areas in eastern Ukraine," said German government spokesman Steffen Seibert in a statement.

"The participants on the call agreed to intensify their cooperation in both areas to swiftly achieve progress."

The EU imposed sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and stepped them up later that year when pro-Russian rebels seized territory and fought Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine. Russia denies Western accusations it has supplied equipment and tropps to the rebels.

The conference call, including Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and France's Francois Hollande took place late on Monday.
Hardliner elected as head of Iran's top clerical body

DUBAI, May 24 (Reuters) - A powerful anti-Western cleric was chosen on Tuesday as the head of Iran's new Assembly of Experts, in a sign that hardliners are still in firm control of the body in charge of choosing the next supreme leader.

Ahmad Jannati, 90, is a an outspoken critic of President Hassan Rouhani and his attempts to end Iran's global isolation by normalising ties with the West.

The 88-member assembly, consisting mostly of elderly clerics, is expected to choose the successor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 77 and rumoured to be in frail health.

The supreme leader has the final say on all state matters, including foreign policy. He is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and appoints the heads of the judiciary, state broadcasting and major economic conglomerates. By comparison, the president has little power.

In a letter to the new assembly, carried by state media, Khamenei asked the new members to "guard the Islamic and revolutionary identity" of Iran and pay attention to the "personal and political piety of the (next) supreme leader".

The selection of Jannati, with 51 votes according to state media, as the new head is likely to surprise voters in the February election who managed to block many hardliners from keeping their seats in the assembly. Jannati had squeezed in as the last of 16 members elected in the capital Tehran.

Jannati is also the chairman of the Guardian Council, a hardline vetting body that disqualified the majority of prominent reformist and many moderate candidates from running in the February elections.

Even by the standards of Iran's clerical establishment, Jannati stands out for his virulently anti-Western opinions, once accusing the West of having created al Qaeda and describing U.S. forces in Iraq as "bloodthirsty wolves".
Britain's FTSE lifted by solid Kingfisher

By Alistair Smout

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index rose on Tuesday, helped by well-received trading statement from Kingfisher and a broker upgrade for Imperial Brands.

Britain's top share index was up 28.20 points, or 0.4 percent, at 6,164.63 by 0802 GMT, having opened the day slightly lower.

Kingfisher rose 2.1 percent, among top gainers after the owner of the B&Q chain reported a 3.6 percent increase in like-for-like sales in the first three months of its financial year. Traders said its UK and French divisions had performed better than expected.

"In its first half-year, it is a little early to be judging the returns from the five-year 'One Kingfisher' strategy but management is pleased with progress so far," David Stoddart, analyst at Edison Investment Research, said in a note.

Tobacco firm Imperial Brands rose 2 percent, benefitting from an upgrade by Barclays to "overweight" from "equal weight".

"Imperial is executing strongly. Organic sales momentum is improving and margin/cash generation increases underpin (at least) 10 percent dividend growth," analysts at Barlcays said in a note.

"Moreover, we are increasingly confident margins will surprise to the upside and that the US is performing ahead of expectations."

Top faller was Coca-Cola HBC, down 3.2 percent after a shareholder said it was going to sell its 1.5 percent stake in the bottling company.

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.
Greece starts moving migrants from squalid border camp

By Phoebe Fronista and Fedja Grulovic

IDOMENI, Greece, May 24 (Reuters) - Greece sent in police and bulldozers on Tuesday to knock down tents and relocate hundreds of migrants who had been stranded for months in a squalid makeshift camp on the border with Macedonia.

Several busloads of people, most of them families with children, left the sprawling expanse of tents at Idomeni to move to state-run centres further south. Buses were lined up ready to take more, Reuters witnesses said.

By the latest count, at least 8,000 people were camped at Idomeni in difficult, overcrowded conditions with poor sanitation, ignoring previous calls by the government to leave.

As many as 12,000 people, most of them Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis, were stuck there at one point after Balkan countries shut their borders in February, barring them from crossing to central and northern Europe.

Greece was the main entry point for more than a million migrants who made it to Europe last year, most after perilous sea crossings.

New arrivals there have slowed sharply since the European Union struck a deal with Turkey to get it to curb the flow, but the government says there are still more than 54,000 migrants on Greek soil.

It plans to move people gradually to state-supervised facilities which have a capacity of about 5,000. A total of 2,031 people were moved on Tuesday, police said, 1,273 of them Kurds, 662 Syrians and 96 Yazidis.

"The evacuation is progressing without any problem," said Giorgos Kyritsis, a government spokesman on the migration crisis. They would be relocated "ideally by the end of the week", he said. "We haven't put a strict deadline on it."

A Reuters witness on the Macedonian side of the border said there was a heavy police presence in the area, but no problems were reported as people with young children packed up huge bags with their belongings.

Media on the Greek side of the border were kept at a distance. Inside the Idomeni camp, police in riot gear stood guard as people boarded the buses, state TV footage showed.

But at the Oreokastro camp near the city of Thessaloniki, migrants already there shouted at new arrivals not to get off the buses because of conditions there, a Reuters witness said.

POOR CONDITIONS

A police official said about 1,000 people continued to block the only railway tracks linking Greece and Macedonia, closed off for weeks by protesters demanding passage to northern Europe.

Trains were forced to divert through Bulgaria to the east, and some goods wagons have been stranded on the tracks for weeks.

"This should have happened a long time ago," said Anastasios Sachpelidis, a local transporters association representative. The closure was "a big loss," he said. "We lost clients, we lost money, time and our credibility."

Human rights groups had raised alarm about the deteriorating conditions at Idomeni, where children slept in the open, scuffles broke out over food, and Macedonian forces who tear-gassed migrants trying to storm past the razor-wire fence.

International charity Save the Children said it was also concerned about a lack of basic services such as bathrooms and shelters for children in some of the official camps.

"Many of the children, especially lone children, have been through enough trauma already," said Amy Frost, its Greece team leader. "Relocations to formal camps need to be managed sensitively to ensure the process is not adding to the trauma."

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said Greece had to ensure the individuals now had access to asylum.

"That has been an issue - making sure Greece has this capacity to do that. It is something that we have to continue to watch," spokesman Adrian Edwards told a briefing in Geneva.

A sharp rise in asylum applications since the EU-Turkey deal has burdened Greece's asylum system, already criticised as inadequate and slow.

Progress has also lagged on a scheme to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU states to alleviate pressure on the two frontline countries. Just 1,145 people have been relocated so far.

The evacuation of Idomeni signalled "the establishment of medium to long-term camps on European soil," said Melanie Ward of aid group International Rescue Committee.
Nokia could cut 10,000-15,000 jobs worldwide - union

By Jussi Rosendahl

HELSINKI, May 24 (Reuters) - Telecom network equipment maker Nokia is likely to cut 10,000 to 15,000 jobs globally as part of a cost-cutting programme following its acquisition of Franco-American rival Alcatel-Lucent, a Finnish union representative said.

Nokia kicked off the programme in April with a target to slash 900 million euros ($1 billion) of operating costs by 2018, but it has yet to give a figure for how many jobs will be reduced in total.

"We haven't heard any official numbers, but based on the information from our union contacts, I would estimate the global impact of this round would likely be around 10,000 to 15,000 jobs," said Risto Lehtilahti, a trade union shop steward at Nokia's Oulu site.

A Nokia spokeswoman declined comment on the 10,000-15,000 figure.

Nokia employs around 104,000 people worldwide. Last week the company specified its plan for its home country, saying it was cutting around 1,000 Finnish jobs, compared to an initial target of 1,300 jobs.

Nokia has said it is looking to reduce 1,400 positions in Germany. In France, it would cut around 400 jobs but also create 500 research and development posts - in line with a pledge to the French government during the Alcatel negotiations.

The Nokia spokeswoman said the company didn't have any updates for France or Germany, and declined to give details on other countries. Nokia is holding talks with employee representatives in about 30 countries.

The savings plan is partly due to tackle the weak network gear market. Nokia forecast earlier this month that its network sales would fall this year.

"Some work will be completely terminated, some cuts come from Alcatel overlaps, and some work will be transferred to countries with lower costs," said Tuula Aaltola, another Finnish shop steward.

According to Communication Workers of America (CWA), the company already started to reduce U.S. jobs a year ago in preparation for their 15.6 billion euro merger.

"We don't know what Nokia's plan is for the U.S.-based workforce. They have cut 500, cut our (unionised) workforce in half, and we hope that's all that is going to be taken away," CWA representative Lisa Bolton said.

Lehtilahti said he feared that Nokia would kick off another round of cuts at a later stage.
Japan sales tax, snap poll in focus as Abe prepares for G7 summit

By Linda Sieg

TOKYO, May 24 (Reuters) - After hosting a G7 summit this week and escorting U.S. President Barack Obama on a visit to Hiroshima, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was widely expected to postpone an unpopular sales tax hike, call a snap election and seek big wins in both houses of parliament.

But G7 policy rifts, conflicting advice from advisers and domestic outrage after the arrest of a U.S. military base worker in connection with the killing of a woman on Okinawa, are clouding the mainstream forecast.

"It's politics, isn't it. Not everything goes according to the schedule we had in mind," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda told Reuters on Tuesday.

Full agreement on macro-economic policy looks hard to come by at the May 26-27 summit, where topics from terrorism and refugees to cyber security will also be discussed. Lobbying by Beijing could soften a statement on maritime security, including references to China's assertiveness in the East and South China Seas, site of rows with Japan and Southeast Asian nations.

Abe had been hoping, experts said, to use a G7 agreement on the need to bolster the world economy with fiscal steps as a launch pad for a domestic package including the probable postponement of a planned sales tax rise, replaying a strategy he used successfully before a 2014 snap lower house election.

The government had planned to raise the levy to 10 percent from 8 percent in April unless there was a financial crisis on the scale of the Lehman Brothers collapse or a major natural disaster.

But Abe has also said a rise would be meaningless if tax revenues fell, fanning speculation he would put off the rise for a second time and call a lower house poll in hopes of locking in a two-thirds majority in both chambers. That could open the path to his long-held goal of revising Japan's pacifist constitution.

Then on Saturday, Finance Minister Taro Aso said he had told U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew that the tax rise would go ahead as planned. Hagiuda echoed that view.

"It has been decided (to raise the tax) from next April," Hagiuda said. "As long as no special situation arises, wouldn't going ahead as planned be the better way to win the trust of international society?"

OKINAWA WILDCARD

Some domestic proponents of the premier's reflationary "Abenomics" recipe have also recently changed their tune, urging Abe to implement the tax rise and offset any harm to consumption with a big spending policy.

And on Tuesday, another close aide to Abe, Masahiko Shibayama, told Reuters fiscal policy should be deployed to offset the impact of the tax rise, and monetary policy could also help.

Opposition parties have made clear that they would view a second postponement of the sales tax hike as admission by Abe that his "Abenomics" recipe of hyper-easy monetary policy, fiscal spending and promised structural reform was a flop.

The Abe government also hopes Obama's visit on Friday to Hiroshima, the first city to suffer an atomic bombing, will showcase the strong alliance between the former wartime foes.

That rosy outlook, however, has been clouded by the arrest last week of a U.S. civilian employed at a U.S. military base on Okinawa, where many residents resent playing host to the bulk of American military personnel in the country.

Abe will press Obama to take steps to prevent similar crimes when the leaders meet on the G7 sidelines.

The incident will likely garner fresh attention in June, when Okinawa anti-U.S. base activists plan a big rally and the island marks the anniversary of the end of the bloody battle of Okinawa in 1945.

That could affect Abe's decision on a snap election for the lower house in tandem with a July 10 poll for the upper chamber.

Still, Abe may judge that sooner is better than later for a lower house poll - none needs to be held until 2018 - given weakness in the economy and signs that cooperation among fragmented opposition parties is progressing.

A threatened no-confidence motion by opposition parties before parliament rises on June 1 could give Abe an excuse to call a lower house vote, even if rejected by the ruling bloc's big majority, Hagiuda said.

"Wouldn't this give the leader of the country a reason to ask the people if they agree?" he said.
EDF says cannot give timing for UK nuclear investment decision

By Susanna Twidale

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - EDF cannot give a definitive time for when the French utility will make an investment decision regarding the Hinkley C nuclear project in Britain, EDF Energy CEO Vincent de Rivaz told British lawmakers on Tuesday.

The project, estimated to cost at least 18 billion pounds ($26.16 billion), was announced in October 2013. It is expected to produce seven percent of Britain's electricity when built, but a final investment decision has been delayed as EDF secures partners and financing.

De Rivaz told members of parliament's energy and climate change committee some of the company's trade union members had suggested the project should be delayed by 2-3 years.

The final decision would be taken once a consultation by the company's central works council had taken place.

That consultation began on May 2 and will at least 60 days, de Rivaz said, but would not say how long it could last.

"I don't want to prejudge the outcome of the consultation the sooner we have the final investment decision the better," he said, speaking in front of parliament's Energy and Climate Change Committee.

De Rivaz was called to reappear before the committee after indicating in March that a final decision could be taken by early May to explain why that had not happened.

Britain is looking to Hinkley to replace ageing power plants and to help the country meet its emission-reduction targets.

Britain's minister of state at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Andrea Leadsom, was also called before the committee. She said the government had not given EDF a deadline to take a financial decision on the project and remained "fully confident" the project would go ahead.

De Rivaz said EDF still hopes the project will start power generation in 2025, but said an update on timings would be provided after the investment decision had been taken.

The company said this month it would take 115 months to build once the decision is made.

Both de Rivaz and Leadsom said the project would not be affected should Britain leave the European Union after a referendum on June 23.

Separately, French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron told the British lawmakers in a letter that French authorities remained fully behind the project and he had every confidence a final investment decision could be made rapidly after the central works committee consultation.

"I can appreciate that a certain amount of impatience may be creeping in as the project is key for the UK's energy and climate policy," Macron wrote in the letter dated May 23.

The French state owns 85 percent of EDF.
Richemont in talks to buy Italian jewellers Buccellati -sources

By Massimo Gaia and Astrid Wendlandt

MILAN/PARIS, May 24 (Reuters) - Cartier owner Richemont is in exclusive talks to buy a controlling stake in Italian jewellers Buccellati from local private equity firm Clessidra, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Clessidra bought a 67 percent stake in the Milanese firm famous for its ornate, lace-like jewels from the Buccellati family in 2013. The family kept a minority holding and remained actively involved in the business.

Richemont declined to comment.

A deal would make Buccellati, which reported sales of 41 million euros in 2015, the latest Italian high-end jewellery house to be snapped up in a foreign takeover.

French luxury goods heavyweight LVMH bought Roman jewellers Bulgari for 3.7 billion euros ($4 billion) in 2011. Two years later rival Kering took over Milanese jewellery brand Pomellato.

Former Bulgari CEO Francesco Trapani is currently Clessidra's deputy chairman but he is expected to leave the group after failing to win control following the sudden death in January of Clessidra founder Claudio Sposito.

Italy's Pesenti family in May agreed to buy a majority stake in Clessidra from Sposito's widow in a deal that values the private equity firm at around 20 million euros.

Il Sole 24 Ore daily reported on Tuesday Clessidra had picked Richemont over east Asian suitors after talks over the past few months.

Buccellati CEO Gianluca Brozzetti was quoted as saying earlier this month the group was talking to potential investors about a sale and there were many interested parties.

Negotiations over Buccellati come as Richemont grapples with slowing sales and difficulties at its watch business.

Broker Evercore ISI on Monday downgraded the stock to 'hold' from 'buy' mentioning a slowdown in jewellery sales, which accounted for more than one third of the Swiss group's revenue and had been offsetting watch weakness over the past two years.

Buccellati was on the market for more than two years before the 2013 deal with Clessidra.
Iraq forces shell Falluja for second day; UN concerned for civilians

By Saif Hameed

BAGHDAD, May 24 (Reuters) - Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State targets in Falluja on Tuesday, the second day of an assault to retake the militant stronghold just west of Baghdad.

As the government sought to ease international concerns about the risk to civilians, residents in the city, 50 km (30 miles) west of the capital, reported sporadic shelling around the city centre, but said it was less intense than on Monday.

"No one can leave. It's dangerous. There are snipers everywhere along the exit routes," one resident told Reuters by internet.

Some 100,000 civilians are estimated to be in Falluja which, in January 2014, became the first Iraqi city to be captured by Islamic State, six months before the group declared its caliphate. The population was three times bigger before the war.

The Iraqi military said it had dislodged the militants from Garma, a village east of the city, overnight. No casualties were reported by the army or the city's main hospital. On Monday, eight civilians and three militants were killed, and 25 people wounded, 20 of them civilians, according to the hospital.

The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross issued statements on Monday evening appealing for the warring parties to protect civilians, who have limited access to food, water and healthcare.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told Iraqi TV that the armed forces had been "instructed to preserve the lives of citizens in Falluja and protect public and private property."

Abadi ordered the offensive despite concerns that it could divert resources from a push later this year to retake Mosul, Islamic State's de facto capital, and in the face of months of political chaos since his plan to appoint a cabinet of independent ministers - in a bid to fight corruption and patronage - was blocked by parliament.

Shi'ite politicians stepped up calls on Abadi to attack Falluja after a series of devastating bombings in Baghdad and elsewhere, claimed by Islamic State, an ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim group.

Local Sunni tribes and a coalition of mostly Shi'ite militias are supporting the army in the battle against Islamic States, whose forces in the city number between 500 and 700, according to a U.S. military estimate.
Iraq forces keep up shelling of Falluja, U.N. concern mounts for civilians

By Ahmed Rasheed and Stephen Kalin

BAGHDAD, May 24 (Reuters) - Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State targets in Falluja on Tuesday, the second day of an assault to retake the militant stronghold just west of Baghdad, as international concern mounted for the security of civilians.

Residents in the city, 50 km (30 miles) from the capital, reported sporadic shelling around the city centre, but said it was less intense than on Monday.

"No one can leave. It's dangerous. There are snipers everywhere along the exit routes," one resident told Reuters by internet.

The United Nations refugees agency UNHCR said women and children died while trying to leave the city. Over 80 families had managed to escape since May 20, it said in a statement.

About 100,000 civilians are estimated to be in Falluja which, in January 2014, became the first Iraqi city to be captured by Islamic State, six months before the group declared its caliphate. The population was three times bigger before the war.

The Iraqi military said it had dislodged the militants from Garma, a village to the east, overnight. No casualties were reported by the army or the city's main hospital. On Monday, eight civilians and three militants were killed, and 25 people wounded, 20 of them civilians, according to the hospital.

CIVILIANS

The U.S.-led coalition "is providing air power to support the Iraqi government forces in Falluja," its spokesman, U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren, told Reuters by phone.

The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross issued statements on Monday evening appealing for the warring parties to protect civilians, who have limited access to food, water and healthcare and who now risk being used as human shields.

Resourceful residents have begun appropriating solar panels affixed to street lights to generate power in their homes.

Even the militants have had to scrounge and conserve supplies, collecting plastic objects to turn into makeshift fuel and conducting patrols on bicycle, residents told Reuters.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the armed forces had been "instructed to preserve the lives of citizens in Falluja and protect public and private property."

"Those who cannot take the exit routes, they can stay at home and not move," he added in comments aired by state Iraqi TV while on visit to the field command center near Falluja.

The Association of Muslim Scholars of Iraq, a hardline political organisation formed in 2003 to represent minority Sunnis, on Monday condemned the campaign as "an unjust aggression, a reflection of the vengeful spirit that the forces of evil harbour against this city".

It said in a statement nearly 10,000 residents had been killed or wounded by government shelling over the past two years, which Reuters could not verify, and warned any victory would be "illusory".

The military campaign could take "many weeks, if not longer", predicted Ranj Alaaldin, an Iraq expert at the London School of Economics, due to lingering support for Islamic State among many residents who may still prefer the militants to a Baghdad government long perceived as sectarian and repressive.

In a nod to local sensitivities, Iraqi officials say Shi'ite militias, grouped under a loose government umbrella to help boost the army and police following partial collapses since 2014, would be restricted to operating outside the city limits.

Abadi ordered the offensive despite concerns that it could divert resources from a push later this year to retake Mosul, Islamic State's de facto capital in Iraq.

"You do not need Falluja in order to get Mosul," Warren, the anti-IS coalition spokesman, said in a phone interview at the weekend.

A series of bombings that killed more than 150 people in one week in Baghdad, the highest death toll so far this year. cranked up the pressure on Abadi to do something about the city seen by many Shi'ite politicians as an irredeemable bulwark of Sunni Muslim militancy.

"The intelligence indicates that this recent IS resurgence in Baghdad through some sleeper cells originated from Falluja," said senior lawmaker and former national security adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie. "Falluja is too close to Baghdad."

Reuters could not independently verify that claim and the authorities have not publicly made such statements.

The UNHCR voiced concern for the safety of the men and older boys who manage to escape to the army lines, as they are separated from their families by the Iraqi forces, for security screening.
Cyprus president cuts short Turkey trip after protocol row

ATHENS, May 24 (Reuters) - Cyprus's president has cut short a visit to Turkey over a perceived protocol breach by Ankara, with which the island has been at loggerheads with since 1974.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who has been in Turkey since Monday, refused to attend an official dinner hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci was invited.

Anastasiades and Akinci are engaged in reunification talks for Cyprus as leaders of their respective communities. Anastasiades is also president of the internationally-recognised Republic of Cyprus, and is sensitive to any perceived attempt to put the two on an equal footing at international events.

Quoting Greek Cypriot sources, Cyprus's state news agency CNA reported that Anastasiades said "Have a nice dinner, I'm not coming" when a U.N. envoy telephoned him to say Akinci had been invited to the heads of state banquet on Monday evening.

Anastasiades would leave Turkey on Tuesday evening and make a brief stopover in Athens on Wednesday, officials said.

Anastasiades had also cancelled a meeting scheduled with U.N. special envoy for Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, for Thursday. It was unclear if he would meet Akinci as scheduled on Friday.

Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. The conflict is a major obstacle to Turkey joining the European Union because of Ankara's refusal to recognise Cyprus.
UK banks ditching fintech, foreign customers to cut costs

By Huw Jones

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Banks are ditching customers such as financial technology firms and foreign nationals to cut the cost of complying with tougher capital and anti-money laundering rules, an independent study for Britain's markets watchdog said on Tuesday.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which commissioned the 73-page study of how banks were lowering their risk, warned lenders on Tuesday they could fall foul of competition law if they refuse new business or close accounts without good reason.

Banks have faced a welter of new regulation since the financial crisis, burdening them with new costs and making them more cautious. Lenders have also been fined hefty sums for breaching anti money-laundering rules.

The study from John Howell & Co found it costs 1-2 pounds ($1.45-$2.90) to check new customers, rising to 100 pounds if closer scrutiny is required, while external intelligence reports run into thousands of pounds.

"As a result, many banks have undertaken a strategic review of their business and functions, often choosing to focus on their 'core' business," the study said.

Two large, unnamed British banks are together closing around 1,000 personal and 600 business accounts a month to curb risks, the study said.

Foreign diplomats, students and businesses are all finding it harder to retain UK-based accounts, or to carry out a full range of banking across currencies and jurisdictions, it added.

Banks have little appetite to pass on some of the higher compliance costs to customers in what the study calls a "market failure".

Some banks are closing accounts for money transmission services, pawnbrokers, fintech companies, and charities operating in countries or regions seen as presenting greater money laundering and terrorist financing risks, it added.

Britain accounts for half of European fintech start-ups, which use technology from cloud data storage to smartphones to provide loans, insurance and payment services.

But banks and investors have grown more cautious about the sector because of poorly understood business models and still-evolving regulation systems, the study said.

This is likely to worry the British government which is encouraging growth in the sector to avoid losing ground to rival centres like the United States and Australia.

Some banks spoke of "challenges" in trade-related finance, vital for greasing the wheels of the global economy.

Smaller companies working in the defence sector were also finding it hard to obtain banking services, but the British Bankers' Association was helping to improve access.
Philippines says Malaysian Navy detains three fishermen in South China Sea

MANILA, May 24 (Reuters) - A Malaysian naval patrol detained three Philippine fishermen for encroaching in territorial waters in the disputed Spratlys this month, the Philippine military said on Tuesday, in what may be the first such incident involving Southeast Asian neighbours.

Malaysia and the Philippines have overlapping exclusive economic zones in the disputed South China Sea, which is believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas and is almost entirely claimed by China.

But Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim the sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.

On May 9, the Philippine vessel was about 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Commodore Reef, one of nine Philippine-held territories in the South China Sea, when a Malaysian patrol boat intercepted it for encroaching in territorial waters.

When the vessel tried to flee, the patrol boat gave chase, and briefly detained the fishermen. Hours later they were turned over to Philippine troops stationed on Commodore Reef, a Philippine navy spokeswoman said.

"The Western Command is saddened by the incident involving our fellow Filipinos," Captain Cherryl Tindog said in a statement, adding that the fishermen received medical treatment. "They are in stable condition, except for some bruises."

The statement gave no reason for the time elapsed since the event.

The fishermen complained of having been punched and kicked during questioning by the Malaysian Navy after being apprehended, Tindog added.

"We were treated like criminals," Nelson Plamiano, one of the fishermen, told broadcaster GMA 7.

The Malaysian Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Philippine military directed questions on diplomacy and policy issues to the Philippine foreign ministry, which did not respond to queries from Reuters.

Political analysts say the incident was the first reported to involve the Malaysian navy and Philippine fishermen since a 2012 escalation of tension in the South China Sea, when China harrassed Philippine and Vietnamese fishermen in the Spratlys.

Malaysia's handling of the Philippine fishermen was a violation of an informal code of conduct signed in Cambodia in 2002, said Jay Batongbacal, an expert in maritime law from the University of the Philippines.
Drop in deaths in Mediterranean is hopeful sign, migration body says

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, May 24 (Reuters) - Fewer migrants are dying as they try to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, which may reflect better management of refugee flows and swifter rescue operations, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

So far this year 1,370 migrants and refugees have perished at sea, nearly 25 percent fewer than in the same period last year, IOM spokesman Joel Millman said. An estimated 191,134 people have arrived by boat so far this year in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

The death toll included 13 in May, none of them on the eastern Mediterranean route between Turkey and Greece, where arrivals have slowed to a trickle since the European Union struck an agreement with Turkey to get it to curb the flow.

This compared with 95 deaths in May a year ago and 330 in May 2014. More than 3,770 people are estimated to have died in the whole of 2015, most of them by drowning after their flimsy, overloaded boats capsized.

"Obviously now that the Turkey-Greece route appears suspended for the time being, we hope that this is the beginning of a sound management policy of refugees and migrants who wish to make the crossing and don't take these enormous risks," Millman told a news briefing.

Some 2,725 migrants were rescued attempting to reach Europe from Libya over the past 24 hours by various vessels, he said. IOM also had reports that Libya's coastguard had turned back 850 migrants.

IOM has had greater access to Libya since a U.N.-backed national unity government was formed last month. The agency is helping to organise charter flights to repatriate sub-Saharan migrants who agree to take a package or receive a re-integration grant.
Britain investigating reports its cluster bombs used in Yemen

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Britain is investigating reports that cluster munitions made in the country during the 1970s have been used by a Saudi-led coalition during the ongoing conflict in Yemen, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told parliament on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies began a military campaign in Yemen in March last year with the aim of preventing Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, taking control of the country.

Amnesty International said on Monday it had documented Saudi use of cluster bombs in Yemen that had been manufactured in Britain.

"The MoD (Ministry of Defence) is now urgently investigating the allegations that have been made," Hammond told parliament. He said the weapons described in Amnesty's report were decades old, and that it was now illegal to use or supply such bombs under British law.

Britain has ratified an international treaty prohibiting the use of cluster bombs, which scatter smaller bombs over a wide area. Saudi Arabia has not ratified the treaty.

Hammond said that there was currently no evidence that Saudi Arabia had used cluster munitions, and that Britain had previously been told by Saudi authorities that such weapons had not been used.

Responding to an urgent question in parliament, junior defence minister Philip Dunne said Britain was seeking fresh assurance in light of the report, but he urged caution over its findings.
Slovenia to raise corporate tax, cut income tax from 2017

LJUBLJANA, May 24 (Reuters) - Slovenia plans to raise corporate tax by two percentage points to 19 percent and reduce personal income tax rates at the start of 2017, the finance ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ministry has said the higher tax on corporate profits should not hurt Slovenia's competitiveness because the current rate is among the lowest in the euro zone.

But the country's personal income tax rates, which rise to around 50 percent at the highest bracket, are relatively high and pressure has been growing to reduce them.

Legislation for the tax changes will be prepared in June and should be passed by parliament in autumn, the statement said.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry said last week the government should curb public spending rather than hike taxes.

"The public sector should be rationalised. It is essential to curb public spending," the chamber said in a statement, adding slower growth of exports - the main driver of the Slovenian economy - could hurt growth.
Cyprus president cuts short Turkey trip after protocol row

By Michele Kambas

ATHENS, May 24 (Reuters) - Cyprus's president cancelled scheduled peace talks and cut short a visit to Turkey on Tuesday, his spokesman said, after a United Nations summit treated the rival Turkish Cypriot leader as a head of state.

The protocol row underscored the sensitivity and complexity of the Cyprus conflict, a decades-old conundrum that generations of diplomats and an army of peacemakers have failed to crack.

It was also an unexpected hiccup in an otherwise positive progression of peace talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

President Nicos Anastasiades was in Turkey attending a U.N. humanitarian summit but refused to attend a banquet for heads of state on Monday evening because Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, who represents breakaway north Cyprus, was also invited.

Turkey is the only country that recognises the breakaway North Cyprus statelet.

Implicitly blaming the U.N. for the controversy, Cypriot government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides said there was 'no fertile ground' for Friday's planned meeting in Nicosia.

Nonetheless, he added, Anastasiades was still committed to the peace process on the ethnically divided island. In a series of Tweets, Akinci said the matter was blown out of proportion.

The island was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974, triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup.

The Greek Cypriots, who represent the whole island in the European Union, are sensitive to any perceived attempt to place them on an equal footing with north Cyprus, which is backed financially and militarily by Turkey.

Anastasiades and Akinci are engaged in reunification talks for Cyprus as leaders of their respective communities.

"The President of the Republic reiterates his decisiveness to continue the dialogue as long as the principle of mutual respect and the will for an acceptable solution are maintained. Without unilateral moves which seek to upgrade the pseudo-state," Christodoulides said in a statement.

Such actions by any party - "with the special adviser of the UN Secretary general not excluded" - undermine the process, he said.

It was not immediately clear who invited Akinci to the summit. His Twitter account showed pictures of him with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.N. special envoy Espen Barth Eide.
Saudi Arabia's rulers adapt message for social media age

By Sylvia Westall and Angus McDowall

DUBAI/RIYADH, May 24 (Reuters) - The participation of tens of thousands of young Saudis in a social media debate over plans to reform the kingdom's oil-reliant economy last month marked a shift in how Riyadh's conservative rulers interact with their subjects.

Saudi Arabia's dynastic leaders, who rule by fiat and strictly limit public dissent, have historically courted public opinion only via informal councils with tribal, religious and business leaders or citizens seeking to petition them.

But in one of the most active countries on social media in the Arab world, the ruling Al Saud have started trying to shape the online debate with carefully managed media campaigns and senior officials have been sacked after social media criticism.

"It's a new focus for the government as it reaches out to a young Saudi population that is more likely to use social media," Saudi analyst and commentator Mohammed Alyahya said. "That's the most effective way to capture their attention."

One recent showcase for this was the launch of 31-year-old Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform plans, which used Twitter alongside traditional media to build anticipation and introduce hashtags - key discussion phrases.

"A strong and determined country with a connection between the government and the citizen," one of the slogans read.

Some 190,000 Twitter users in Saudi Arabia actively took part in the ensuing debate over Vision 2030, generating more than 860,000 messages according to France-based social media monitor Semiocast.

This meant the discussion reached 46 percent of the 7.4 million active Twitter users in the kingdom, Semiocast said, describing this level of outreach in a state-sponsored debate as exceptional.

SOCIAL MEDIA STORMS

There is good reason for the sensitivity: since 2012 social media storms in Saudi Arabia over government policies or the actions of senior officials have culminated in the sacking of senior people on at least five occasions.

The level of participation means even ministers without social media accounts invest time and money monitoring what people say about them online, said Diya Murra, a Riyadh-based account director for social media agency The Online Project.

"People are holding them accountable for things that are being done or not," he said.

Social media use among the 21 million Saudis and roughly 10 million foreign residents of the kingdom cuts across political and religious lines: keenly followed social media users include both strict Muslim clerics and self-described liberals.

In a country in which debate has traditionally been strictly regulated by state decree and cultural tradition, and in which gender mixing is often illegal, social media has allowed many young Saudis to interact in ways that were impossible before.

Twitter is most popular among 18 to 24-year-olds in Saudi Arabia, followed closely by users in their late 20s to early 40s and its useage is split roughly between men and women, according to iMENA Digital, which serves clients in Saudi Arabia. It said photo-sharing site Instagram has become the leading channel among young Saudis, around three-quarters of them women.

ONLINE DISSENT

Speaking at a packed discussion about Twitter in an expensive Riyadh hotel last month, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the platform was not always an accurate barometer of public opinion, but that it could help track trends.

"It is direct. There are no barriers," he told the largely young audience, who were segregated by gender.

However, he and other Gulf Arab politicians speaking at the forum also said they were in favour of controls to prevent anonymous posting and of punishing users who broke taboos by criticising religion or calling to end monarchical rule.

Rights groups have criticised Saudi Arabia and its neighbours for jailing some who voiced dissent online, including Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for a "cyber crime" of insulting Islam.

He remains in prison 18 months after sentencing, but no more than 50 lashes were carried out. When asked about Badawi in May, Jubeir told a news conference the case was complicated and involved civil lawsuits that did not involve the government.

On Monday, a Riyadh court sentenced a man to 80 lashes for Tweets that carried "insults to the country", as well as for drinking alcohol, Okaz daily reported.

Diplomats in Riyadh say while the judiciary has given harsh sentences to online dissenters who drew the anger of hardliners, the police routinely ignore on social media far more severe criticism of senior people than was ever allowed before.

The growing influence of social media became apparent in 2012 when the late King Abdullah sacked the religious police chief and replaced him with a relative progressive after a viral video showed members of the body harassing a family in a mall.

CULTURE OF RESPECT

In April 2014, as a deadly outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) swept Jeddah, anger over a perceived cover-up surged on social media and Abdullah sacked the health minister.

Since King Salman came to power in January 2015, such sensitivity seems to have only amplified. Another health minister, Ahmed al-Khateeb, widely regarded as a protege of the king, was dismissed after footage of him shouting at a Saudi citizen during a heated argument was captured on a smartphone.

Weeks later, Salman replaced his own head of royal protocol after he was caught on camera slapping a news cameraman covering the arrival of the Moroccan king in Riyadh.

It is a far cry from the days before widespread internet use in Saudi Arabia, when discussion was limited to informal meetings or to newspapers and television channels that rarely held officials to account or criticised government policies.

Still, a culture of public expressions of respect for government endures. More than a third of reactions to Vision 2030 on Twitter were positive, Semiocast said, adding the debate generated "patriotic pride" and expectations of progress.

The debate had been closely coordinated over various media and driven by influential Saudi personalities young people were already connected to, The Online Project's Murra said.

One was Omar Hussein, a young comedian popular on YouTube and with 1.5 million followers on Twitter. He promises in a video to explain the vision in three minutes. Filmed as a piece to camera it has been viewed more than a quarter of a million times.

He is careful to explain the plan as a vision, with a more concrete blueprint coming later, something observers say is important for managing expectations about the ambitious goals.
Indonesian capital to allow small stores to sell beer again

JAKARTA, May 24 (Reuters) - Indonesia's capital Jakarta is bringing beer back to its mini-marts, the city's governor said on Tuesday, more than a year after sales of the alcoholic drink were banned in small retailers in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

"The point is (drinks with alcohol content) below 5 percent will be allowed, and beer is included," Jakarta governor Basuki Purnama Tjahja told reporters, adding that unlicensed vendors would be penalised.

But the ban, which was last year issued by the trade ministry, remains in place across the rest of the country.

"The prohibition of sales of alcoholic beverages in retailers the size of mini-marts and below, is still in place," Trade Minister Tom Lembong told Reuters by text message.

According to media reports at the time, the trade ministry implemented the ban to crack down on underage drinking. Larger retailers can still sell beer, as well as spirits and wine.

Provincial and city governments in Indonesia are allowed to regulate the sales and distribution of alcohol independently of central government rules.

Major brewers have raised concerns over the national ban, saying the regulation could hurt profits and expansion plans in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

PT Multi Bintang Indonesia, majority-owned by Heineken, had said last year that a planned 40 million euro ($43 million) investment hinged on regulatory certainty,

The east Javanese city of Surabaya this month proposed a ban on alcohol, but it remained unclear if this would apply to hotels and bars in the country's second-largest city.
Firefighters protect Canada's oil sands battling 1,100 C flames

By Liz Hampton, Eric M. Johnson and Ethan Lou

EDMONTON/CALGARY, Alberta, May 24 (Reuters) - (Editor's Note: Please be advised that the last paragraph contains language that some readers may find offensive)

Fighting massive forest fires is dangerous and taxing enough, but those sent into Canada's oil sands are not only wrestling with one of the worst wildfires in the country's history. They are doing it surrounded by the volatile, explosive chemicals and compounds critical to pumping oil from some of the world's largest reserves.

Now in its third week, the fire's proximity to the billions of dollars worth of oil equipment, flammable liquids, and extraction sites had people fearful that the flames, which can jump as far as more than a kilometer with gusts of wind, could do catastrophic damage to critical infrastructure.

Dozens of safety workers and industrial firefighters are working at places like Syncrude and Suncor Energy's upgrading facilities north of Fort McMurray surrounded by flames burning to the edges of the oil sands, facing temperatures running as high as 1,100 Celsius (2,000 Fahrenheit).

The heavy bitumen in the oil sands themselves is not flammable, but the facilities and people inside are at risk.

"The most harrowing moments were when we first arrived on scene, dealing with these forest fires growing on you, flames jumping fifty feet in the air," said Aron Harper, 35, a firefighter and emergency medical technician employed by Suncor, who lives in Fort McMurray, Alberta province's main oil hub.

"We were yelling at guys to get out of there because the thing was growing so fast. I've never seen a fire grow that fast in my life."

Firefighters do not measure forest fires by temperature, but by a measure known as "head fire intensity," said Travis Fairweather, Alberta wildfire information officer. It is calculated as the rate of heat energy released over time at the front of the fire, and this fire at times reached five times a level considered extreme, he said.

Almost half of Alberta's 2,351 firefighters have been assigned to Fort McMurray and oil companies have drafted industrial firefighting specialists to protect operations in the area, where about one million barrels of capacity has been shuttered. (Graphic:http://tmsnrt.rs/1T6HcrN)

"DOZER BOSS"

These specialists are armed with special foam used to spray exposed equipment and sprinklers that can cover distances of 150 feet (45.7 m).

In Alberta many facilities are built with protection against such fires. This includes firebreaks around them, where vegetation is cleared and replaced with pavement or gravel to stop the progression of fire.

But with this fire, companies including Enbridge and Suncor had to enhance their buffer zones by widening firebreaks. Philip Haggis, a wildfire technologist with the province of Alberta, found himself driving an all-terrain vehicle over blackened earth and through smoke-filled forests, leading a small convoy of bulldozers in containing the fire surrounding them.

Haggis was involved in protecting a Brion Energy Corp facility northwest of Fort McMurray. He was a "dozer boss" for the first week of the fire, supervising a team that removes vegetation - what he calls "fuel" - from the path of the blaze to prevent its spread.

The fire shifts without warning, and at least one team has been caught off-guard in a dead end.

"They got overtaken by fire," Haggis said. "They had to get evacuated and some of their equipment got burned up."

Suncor, one of Canada's largest oil producers, put additional sprinklers on its sites, a company spokesperson said.

Enbridge Inc, which saw a fire come within just one kilometer (0.62 mile) of its Cheecham crude oil tank farm, said it has not yet had to use a foam perimeter at its facilities but did spray tanks down with water to protect from the fires.

Early last week, after the fire forced the evacuation of thousands of workers from oil sands sites, Harper was tasked with securing the perimeter of Suncor's facilities from behind the wheel of a massive 8-wheeled "ARFF" fire truck (aircraft rescue and firefighting) with a built-in 3,000-gallon water tank linked to a water cannon operated by a crew member.

For days they drove up and down a 10 km-stretch of highway adjacent to the plant, with the fire raging on the other side, and would beat back encroaching flames to make sure the fire didn't jump the highway onto Suncor's land.

"The major concern was if it ever jumped the highway. There's a lot of valuable stuff behind us that you definitely can't have catch fire," he said.

"The weather, it was so dry, the wood so dry, the wind, everything was working against us. You think you'd have (the fire) out and you'd turn your back and you're like, holy shit, this fire would come right back to life."
Burundi opposition group says ready to attend any new peace talks

DAR ES SALAAM, May 24 (Reuters) - A Burundi opposition group that includes politicians in exile said on Tuesday it was ready to attend any new round of peace talks hosted by Tanzania, after a first round from which it was excluded.

The mediator, former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, said the first round was more of a "monologue" by the government but that he would meet with those who did not attend and might have "positive contributions" to make.

Burundi has been mired in a year-long crisis in which more than 450 people have been killed since President Pierre Nkurunziza pursued and won a third term. Opponents said his move violated the constitution and a deal that ended a civil war in 2005.

A new round of peace talks was launched in the Tanzanian city of Arusha at the weekend, after previous discussions in Burundi and Uganda over the past year collapsed or stalled.

But several opposition groups, including CNARED, an umbrella group that includes exiled politicians and former government officials, said the talks had little value as they and other leading opposition voices were left out.

"If President Mkapa decided to invite CNARED to the next round of talks, we will respond to his invitation," CNARED spokesman Pancrace Cimpaye told Reuters. Cimpaye had described the talks as a "monologue" when they opened on Saturday.

"Talks should be between Nkurunziza's side and all political parties and civil society grouping opposed to the third term."

The government has said CNARED is not a registered party.

In a closing statement on Tuesday, Mkapa said he would continue mediation efforts in the next two weeks, including speaking to those who had not attended the first round.

"I will continue and complete the consultations with those who did not come during this session, but whom I feel might have positive contributions to make to the process."

Arusha was also the location for negotiations that led to the deal to end the ethnically charged 1993-2005 civil war.

Renewed violence in Burundi has alarmed a region where memories of the Rwanda's 1994 genocide remain raw. Like Rwanda, Burundi has an ethnic Hutu majority and a Tutsi minority.

The violence in Burundi has so far largely followed political rather than ethnic loyalties. But diplomats fear ethnic wounds could reopen the longer strife continues.
Afghanistan says Taliban shadow governor in Helmand killed

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, May 24 (Reuters) - A senior Taliban leader identified by Afghan authorities as a shadow governor of the southern province of Helmand has been killed by security forces, officials said on Tuesday, although the Taliban immediately denied the report.

The report came days after Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed by a U.S. airstrike in south western Pakistan.

Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor of Helmand, said Mullah Muzamel had died of injuries sustained during an air strike in Marjah district late on Sunday.

"First he was wounded and later that night he died of his wounds," Zwak said.

Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said in a tweet that Muzamel had been killed in a special forces operation along with two of his commanders.

However Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman for southern Afghanistan, denied the report.

The shadow governor for Helmand's name is Haji Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund and he is safe, he said.

"No official has been killed or wounded in Helmand," he said.
Libyan coastguards intercept 550 migrants off western coast

TRIPOLI, May 24 (Reuters) - Libyan coastguards intercepted about 550 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa on Tuesday after they set out to cross the Mediterranean in four rubber boats, Tripoli coastguard spokesman Ayoub Qassem said.

The migrants from various African countries, including 30 women and three children, were stopped off the Libyan coast near Sabratha, a city 80 km (50 miles) west of the capital Tripoli.

Another 850 migrants were intercepted in the same area on Sunday.

Libya is a frequent departure point for migrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean to Europe and the number attempting the journey is expected to rise with calmer weather during the summer.

Migration flows from Libya increased sharply in 2014 and 2015 and has been slightly lower so far this year, according to Italian data.

Migrants stopped by the coastguard close to the shore are sent back to overcrowded detention centres in Libya. Those who make it further out to sea are often picked up by international rescue missions and brought to European ports.

The International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday that some 2,725 migrants were rescued by various vessels attempting to reach Europe from Libya over the past 24 hours.

The number of migrants who have died trying to cross the Mediterranean so far this year is 1,370, a drop of nearly 25% compared with the same period last year, the IOM said.
Areva says talks with Finland's TVO are "difficult"

PARIS, May 24 (Reuters) - French state-controlled nuclear group Areva said on Tuesday that talks with its Finnish customer TVO about the long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 reactor were "difficult".

Areva and Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) are claiming billions of euros from one another because of delays and cost overruns on the EPR reactor that Areva is building in Olkiluoto, Finland.

"The discussions with TVO are difficult, but the door remains open. Our priority remains the successful completion of OL3," an Areva spokeswoman said.

French daily Le Monde reported on Tuesday that the Areva-TVO talks had broken down in recent weeks.

The two parties have taken their dispute to the International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) arbitration court which is expected to take years to resolve.

But the French government early this year had asked Areva to speed up the talks as the issue is blocking a planned takeover of Areva's nuclear reactor division by utility EDF, which does not does not want to take on any Olkiluoto-related liabilities.
Pakistan can't confirm Taliban leader is dead, criticises U.S. drone strike

By Asad Hashim and Syed Raza Hassan

ISLAMABAD, May 24 (Reuters) - Pakistan's interior minister said on Tuesday he could not confirm that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour had been killed in a U.S. drone strike, and described Washington's justification for the attack as "against international law".

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that Mansour had been killed in the drone strike, and the Pentagon said separately that Mansour was plotting attacks that posed "specific, imminent threats" to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told reporters that the body recovered on Pakistani soil, near the Afghan border, was charred beyond recognition, adding that DNA samples would be tested against a relative who had come forward to claim the body.

"The government of Pakistan cannot announce this without a scientific and legal basis," Khan told a news briefing.

He did not identify the relative or say whether he or she claimed to be related to the Taliban leader or someone else.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters that U.S. intelligence and military agencies used multiple streams of intelligence, including human intelligence and electronic surveillance to locate and identify the car carrying Mansour.

That enabled multiple drones operated by the Joint Special Operations Command to incinerate the car when it reached an empty stretch of road in a remote area where there was little danger of causing civilian casualties.

"There were multiple forms of intelligence attributed to tracking him down," a U.S. official said.

Khan rejected the U.S. argument that it could launch attacks across borders in order to protect its interests.

"For the U.S. government to say that whoever is a threat to them will be targeted wherever they are, that is against international law," he said. "And if every country in the world adopts this rule, it will be the law of the jungle."

Pakistan and the United States have been uneasy allies in the war against the Taliban and other Islamist militants in the region.

Critics in Afghanistan and the United States accuse Pakistan of allowing the Afghan Taliban's leadership to take shelter on its territory, something that Islamabad has denied.

The militant movement has made territorial gains and carried out a series of deadly attacks across Afghanistan since NATO forces officially wound down their combat mission at the end of 2014, undermining the Western-backed government in Kabul.

Recent events echo those in 2011, when U.S. special forces raided a building in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad that killed longtime al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, infuriating and severely embarrassing Islamabad.

CROSS-BORDER STRIKE?

Khan said the car was destroyed on Pakistani territory but was fired "from another country", presumably Afghanistan, where more than 10,000 U.S. and coalition troops remain.

Khan added that Pakistani authorities were also investigating a passport bearing the name of Wali Muhammad, which was found near the burned out shell of the car believed to have been the target of the drone attack.

He confirmed the passport in question had been used to travel from Pakistani airports multiple times, and that it held valid visas for Iran, Dubai and Bahrain.

If the travel document proves to have been used by Mansour himself, it would raise fresh questions about how the Taliban leader was able to move freely in and out of Pakistan and whether he had help from the country's security apparatus.

Khan on Tuesday disputed that elements of Pakistan's security apparatus supported the Taliban leadership.

"If (Mansour) was availing Pakistani intelligence agency support and help, would he be travelling like this?," he asked, referring to reports that the target was alone with a single driver.

The circumstances surrounding the killing remain murky, including how the U.S. verified it was Mansour who was killed in the attack and how any documents could be recovered from the fiery scene.

"You could not see a spot of paint ... that's how bad it was hit," Khan said. "How was a passport lying just a few yards away? So first we have to establish that, whether he was actually using it."

The Taliban have not issued any official statements on Mansour since Saturday's drone strike.

However, Taliban officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said Mansour is dead and a council is meeting to choose a successor, the second such leadership shura in a year after the death of the movement's founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was confirmed in 2015.

MYSTERIOUS PASSPORT

Authorities in Quetta, the Baluchistan capital, showed a copy of the recovered passport, which has a photo bearing a strong likeness to the officially released Taliban picture of Mansour, to a Reuters reporter.

They also noted that it bore an exit stamp from Iran's land border with Pakistan dated May 21, the day of the drone strike.

Pakistani immigration records show that the Wali Muhammad passport was used at least 18 times since 2006 to travel internationally, two senior officials in the Federal Investigation Agency, which manages borders, told Reuters.

One of the officials in the southwestern province of Baluchistan said the passport was used mostly over the land border with Iran and from the airport in the southern city of Karachi, with the last exit from Karachi en route to Dubai on March 31, 2015.

The second official reviewed computerised records of the passport and said there were "18 travel events" from Karachi airport starting in 2007, with the last arrival at Karachi on April 2, 2015.

A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry was quoted on state media denying that such an individual had crossed the border from Iran to Pakistan at the time in question.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates did not respond to questions on whether Mansour might have entered Dubai using an assumed name or whether there was any record of a Wali Muhammad visiting.
Greece to start key data handover on EgyptAir crash Wednesday - source

ATHENS, May 24 (Reuters) - Greece will start dispatching key information on the EgyptAir crash to Egyptian authorities on Wednesday, including data from the airliner as it flew through Greek airspace moments before disappearing, a source close to the probe said on Tuesday.

"We will start sending the main data from tomorrow, including the radar tracking and the conversation with controllers," one source who requested anonymity told Reuters.

Sixty-six people are thought to have died when the EgyptAir Airbus plunged into the Mediterranean 290 km north of Alexandria on a Paris to Cairo flight on May 19. The aircraft dropped off radars 10 minutes after leaving Greek airspace and entering Egyptian airspace.

The source close to the probe, and a second defence ministry official, said Greece stuck by its account that the plane had lurched violently in mid-air before it disappeared from radar screens. There has already been an exchange of information with Egypt, the sources said.

Egyptian authorities said they did not see the plane swerve and lose altitude before it vanished from their radars.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos last week said the aircraft took a sudden 90 degree turn, before flipping 360 degrees in the opposite direction and plunging from a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet to 15,000 feet, then vanishing.

"The picture we have off our radars is what the minister announced...we insist on that," the defence official said.

The plane and its black box recorders, which could explain what brought down the aircraft, have not yet been detected. Egyptian officials have said it is too early to draw any conclusions on what may have caused the crash.
Polish regulator gives Raiffeisen more time to offload local bank

WARSAW, May 24 (Reuters) - Poland's financial regulator KNF said on Tuesday it has given Austria's Raiffeisen Bank until the end of 2016 to sell its Polish unit and if it can't find a buyer it must list a stake next year.

When Raiffeisen bought the bank, Raiffeisen Polbank , in 2012 it agreed with the regulator to list at least a 15 percent stake by the end of June 2016 in an initial public offering. Since then it decided to sell the bank because it needed the money.

KNF said in a statement that it had agreed that the bank could be sold this year to a Warsaw-listed bank, on condition that Raiffeisen keeps the unit's Swiss franc-denominated loan portfolio. Or if it fails to find a buyer it must list the bank, Poland's No.10 lender by assets, on the stock exchange by the end of June 2017.

Poland's government wants to force banks to convert their Swiss franc-denominated mortgages into zlotys at a collective cost of up to 60 billion zlotys ($15 billion).

Raiffeisen Polbank has one of the biggest Swiss-franc loans portfolios among the Polish lenders, which, together with a banking tax, have hurt Raiffeisen's plans to sell the Polish unit.
At least four parties bid for Tata Steel's UK assets - sources

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - At least four parties have submitted bids for the British assets of Tata Steel ahead of the Indian company's board meeting this week that could determine their fate, according to sources close to the bidders.

Tata said in March it wanted to offload its UK steel operation, throwing the sustainability of British steelmaking into question after a series of other plant closures, blamed on cheap Chinese imports, rising costs and weak demand.

Management buyout vehicle Excalibur Steel, Sanjeev Gupta's Liberty House metals group, India's JSW Steel Ltd and Greybull Capital have submitted separate bids for Tata's UK operations, the sources said.

Tata said earlier this month it had received seven notifications of interest. It declined to comment on Tuesday.

The government has offered hundreds of millions of pounds in support to the potential buyers as it seeks to avoid the political damage of around 10,000 job losses weeks away from the country's referendum on membership of the European Union.

After being accused of a flat-footed response to the initial announcement of the sale, British business minister Sajid Javid said he had met Tata in Mumbai to discuss the sale process ahead of its board meeting.

"Several credible bidders in play. Determined to keep momentum and find right buyer," he tweeted on Tuesday.

The board is expected to pick apart the bids and decide which warrant closer consideration.

Excalibur, led by Tata's UK strip products director Stuart Wilkie, and Liberty have put in separate bids, separate sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, responding to reports that the two were prepared to work together to secure a deal.

India's JSW Steel Ltd has also bid for the British operations of Tata Steel Ltd, sources confirmed earlier this month, which prompted concerns about its debt levels and putting pressure on its shares.

As of this week, JSW had no intention of withdrawing its bid, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
Foreign investors more loyal to Germany than ever before-study

BERLIN, May 24 (Reuters) - Foreign investors are more loyal to Germany than ever before, with only 8 percent planning to relocate parts of their operation elsewhere, according to a survey by EY published on Tuesday - the lowest figure since the survey launched in 2005.

"Germany is currently among the most attractive business locations in the world," said Hubert Barth of EY's executive board. "Investors find a well-educated workforce here and can count on good political, social and legal security, which is a big plus in politically and economically uncertain times."

In a global poll of 735 businesses, 69 percent named Germany as one of the three top investment locations in Europe. This was followed by the United Kingdom with 43 percent, and France with 36 percent.

More than four fifths of investors were attracted by Germany's communications and transport in addition to its well-qualified workforce.

However foreign investors said an increasing number of attacks on foreigners and an anti-immigrant movement in Germany had the potential to have a negative impact on foreign firms' willingness to invest in the future, EY partner Peter Englisch said.

Attacks on refugee shelters increased more than fivefold in 2015 and Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Tuesday that the numbers were likely to increase again this year. The anti-Islam PEGIDA group holds regular anti-immigrant rallies and the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged in recent regional elections.

The cost of staff and labour in Germany was also a negative factor for investors, with only 37 percent finding these attractive - 13 percent fewer than in the previous year.

"Investor decisions must be economically viable", said Englisch. "And if Germany becomes too expensive, more investors will shy away from their engagement here".
Daughter of detained Hong Kong bookseller appeals for U.S. help

By David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - The daughter of a Hong Kong-based bookseller detained in China took her campaign for his release to Washington on Tuesday, appealing for help in pressing China for information as to his status and to release him.

Angela Gui told a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China that her father, Gui Minhai, a naturalized Swedish citizen, had been detained for eight months without trial and was being denied consular access or legal representation.

"I still haven't been told where he is, how he is being treated, or what his legal status is - which is especially shocking in light of the fact that my father holds Swedish, and only Swedish, citizenship," she said.

The commission was created by Congress in 2000 to monitor human rights in China.

Gui Minhai disappeared in Thailand in October and subsequently appeared in a tearful confession broadcast on Chinese state television in January in which he said he had voluntarily turned himself in to mainland authorities and had been detained for "illegal book trading." {nL3N16839K]

Angela Gui, who was born and raised in Sweden and is now studying in Britain, said the confession was "clearly staged" and that her father was in "unofficial and illegal detention."

She appealed for support in working with Sweden and other governments to secure his release, or if he was suspected of a real crime, for details of his detention and proof that his case was being handled in accordance with legal procedures.

"I also want to ask the United States to take every opportunity to ask China for information on my father's status, as well as urge that he be freed immediately," she said.

"The U.S., Sweden, and other countries concerned about these developments need to work to make sure that Chinese authorities are not allowed to carry out illegal operations on foreign soil."

The disappearance of Gui Minhai and four associates who sold books critical of Chinese leaders sparked fears that Chinese authorities were overriding the "one country, two systems" formula protecting Hong Kong's freedoms since its return to China from British rule in 1997.

In February the United States called on China to clarify the status of the booksellers.
Britain's Serious Fraud Office re-examines funding model

By Kirstin Ridley

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - The Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Britain's leading fraud and corruption investigator and prosecutor, said on Tuesday it was re-examining a funding model that has been criticised for risking weakening investigations and delaying cases.

So-called "blockbuster funding", under which the agency can request extra cash for costly cases directly from the government, was criticised in a report published on Tuesday by the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (CPSI), which reviews the effectiveness of the SFO's structures and governance.

The CPSI said such a model, which allows the SFO to shore up its staffing levels with external experts for big cases, could damage investigations, did not provide value for money and prevented the agency from building future expertise in-house.

It said that when it inspected the agency 21 percent of staff were not permanent employees.

"There is therefore an inherent lack of consistency in (SFO) teams, which becomes particularly problematic because of the lengthy nature of SFO investigations," the report said. "This disruption increases the risk of delay in cases and may weaken the investigative strategy going forward."

The CPSI report, which praised the SFO board for improving the reputation of the agency externally over the last four years, also suggested other reforms such as a smaller management board, appointing a chief executive, clearer reporting and delegation lines for committees and holistic risk management.

SFO head David Green said in an emailed statement that the agency was "giving new consideration" to a funding model he has said in the past is not perfect, but which "does the job".

He said the SFO was also carefully considering recommendations such as appointing a CEO or chief operating officer and changing the structure of the management board.

Legal experts have already criticised a funding model they argue could lead to political interference with cases that can concern influential blue-chip British companies. The SFO's current caseload includes investigations into Barclays, Rolls-Royce and GSK.

The SFO operates on a core annual budget of around 35 million pounds ($51 mln), although extra cash injections to pay for costly cases have pushed that up to around 50 million pounds a year over the last few years.

Its biggest and costliest cases have included the investigation into the alleged manipulation of financial benchmarks such as Libor (London interbank offered rate), which to date has yielded one conviction and one guilty plea.
Food aid to avert famine threat in Boko Haram hit northeast Nigeria - UN

By Kieran Guilbert

DAKAR, May 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More than 400,000 people in Boko Haram-hit northeast Nigeria will receive food aid to avert the threat of famine as the lean season approaches, the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.

"It is a race against time as the lean and rainy season is upon us," WFP executive director Ertharin Cousin said at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.

"We know that unless we act fast, and we act now, hunger will only deepen in the months to come."

Poor sanitation, high rates of disease and a lack of access to food, water and healthcare could lead to a "famine-like situation" if aid is not urgently provided, the WFP said.

The U.N. agency will give food or cash to 431,000 people in the northeastern states of Borno and Yobe, delivering nutritious food to 64,000 children aged under two at risk of malnutrition.

Some 2.5 million people in northeastern Nigeria are hungry, and more than 800,000 need immediate food aid in Borno and Yobe, the two states hit hardest by Boko Haram, according to the WFP.

The most vulnerable people are reliant on aid after being cut off from their farms since 2013, and it is likely that this year's food production will again be disrupted, the WFP said.

The amount of land being used to grow food in the northeast has dropped by almost 70 percent over the past year as violence has disrupted farming and driven people off their land, said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The insurgency has closed local markets and stifled cross-border trade with neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, doubling staple food prices in some areas of Borno state since the start of the year, according to the WFP.

"With diminished harvests caused by the devastating effects of drought and halted crop production in most farming districts, food supplies are terribly low," Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno, said at the summit.

The conflict has displaced almost 2 million people within northeast Nigeria. Aid agencies cannot reach some areas due to insecurity, the WFP said.

A regional offensive last year drove the militant group from much of the territory it held in northern Nigeria, undermining its seven-year campaign to carve out an Islamist caliphate.
U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance begins offensive to seize territory north of Raqqa - spokesman

AMMAN, May 24 (Reuters) - An alliance of Kurdish-led armed groups fighting Islamic State in northern Syria said they had launched an offensive on Tuesday to seize countryside north of the militants' de facto capital Raqqa, their spokesman said.

Talal Silo, spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, told Reuters that the campaign at this stage did not include an assault on Raqqa itself.

An unspecified number of SDF fighters were seen moving south from their stronghold of Tel Abyad near the Turkish border towards Ain Issa, a town about 60 km north west of Raqqa, and clashes were reported nearby, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.
"Doctors waiting for death" - Syrian aid workers appeal for more protection

By Alex Whiting

ISTANBUL, May 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Syrian aid workers have pleaded for the international community to do more to protect them from deadly attacks, and to make sure aid reaches those most in need, saying statements of support need to be translated into concrete action.

Speaking on the second day of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, the head of a medical organisation inside Syria said people are now moving hospitals underground and into caves since international attempts to end attacks on them have failed.

"Being a doctor inside the country means waiting for death," said Zedoun Al Zoubi, head of the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), which works in Syria.

"Instead of saving lives, you are concerned all the time about your own life because a doctor is the main target for air strikes," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Some 10,000 doctors have fled the country, and just 1,000 are left in opposition areas, Al Zoubi said.

"Everybody knows that hospitals are the safest place in the world in a time of war, but in Syria they are the riskiest place."

When one hospital tried to build an underground facility near a Free Syrian Army barracks, the armed opposition group asked them to leave, saying the presence of a hospital would mean the area would be bombed.

"Air strikes target mainly hospitals not militias," said Al Zoubi, who was forced to flee Syria in 2013.

Earlier this month, medical aid charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres, slammed four of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council for ties to attacks on hospitals in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.

MSF pulled out of the humanitarian summit, saying the U.N.-sponsored meeting would not hold states to account for their role in conflicts or pressure them to abide by the laws of war.

WAR CRIMES

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a discussion with Syrian aid workers in Istanbul that the attacks on hospitals amounted to war crimes, and the perpetrators should be brought before the International Criminal Court.

"Protecting humanitarian workers is a core tenet of international humanitarian law. My senior officials and I raise it at every opportunity with member states and the international community," he said.

"Mobilising leaders to recommit to upholding the rules of law is one of the core responsibilities of the Agenda for Humanity which will be adopted at the end of today," he added.

Speaking to the Syrian NGOs, he said: "While we are not able to meet all the requirements, we are doing our best. I ask you to be courageous and hopeful."

SAFE SPACES

"The least the (international community) can do is to provide a safe atmosphere for humanitarian workers," Rouba Mhaissen, founder and director of Sawa for Development and Aid, which helps Syrian refugees in Lebanon, said in an interview.

This would include setting up no-fly zones, using air drops to deliver aid to areas cut off from all agencies, and ensuring that hospitals and schools are not targeted.

She also urged donors to channel more funds directly to Syrian NGOs, saying they have greater access to many of those in need, and fewer overheads than international aid agencies.

Syrian aid workers delivered 75 percent of humanitarian aid in 2014, but received less than 10 percent of cash funding available for the Syria response, according to recent research by Local To Global Protection (L2GP).

"Despite their crucial role, Syrian NGOs struggled to get their most basic costs covered," said L2GP, which promotes local charities' work in major humanitarian crises.

Mhaissen said one of the hardest things she and her colleagues face is to have to keep repeating the same messages to the international community "and not see a single change".

"We go (into) the field and we experience firsthand raw human suffering," Mhaissen said.

"Every time we think 'this is the worst that can ever happen', something worse happens."

She said she draws hope from the Syrian refugees in the camps, and from speaking to people inside Syria.
U.S.-backed Syrian alliance launches new attack near IS capital

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN, May 24 (Reuters) - A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian militias launched a new offensive against Islamic State fighters near their de facto capital of Raqqa city on Tuesday, a monitoring group and an official said.

The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance is the main Syrian partner for the U.S.-led alliance battling the Islamic State group that controls large areas of northern and eastern Syria. Its most powerful component is the Kurdish YPG militia.

Aided by U.S.-led air strikes, the YPG has driven Islamic State from wide areas of northern Syria over the last year or more, though its advances have recently slowed.

There has been no indication of when a full assault on Raqqa city might take place. A Kurdish official contacted by Reuters declined to say whether it was a target of the latest offensive.

Syrian Kurdish groups have previously said an attack on the predominantly Arab city of Raqqa should be led by Arab militias. Syria experts say the SDF's Arab groups are not yet ready for such an attack, however.

An unspecified number of SDF fighters were seen moving south from their stronghold of Tel Abyad near the Turkish border towards Ain Issa, a town about 60 km north west of Raqqa city, and clashes were reported nearby, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

An SDF spokesman, Talal Silo, confirmed a military operation began this morning but gave no details. He told Reuters via internet messaging it was focused at this stage on capturing large tracts of territory north of Raqqa, not the city itself.

"CAPABLE AND COMPETENT PARTNERS"

The ground operation was accompanied by a series of air strikes on militant hideouts in the area carried out by jets belonging to a U.S.-led coalition.

The attack follows a recent visit to northern Syria by U.S. Central Command Commander General Joseph L. Votel , the highest-ranking U.S. military official to visit Syria since the war erupted in 2011.

After meeting with commanders of the SDF, Votel said the local forces being trained by U.S. special forces were proving to be "capable and competent partners".

"They're exhibiting their initiative, their innovativeness, their skills their expertise to really make a difference here," he was quoted as saying by the U.S. Defence Department.

His visit fuelled expectations of an imminent attack but neither Washington nor its allies have indicated they are about to embark on a campaign to retake Raqqa or Mosul city, the other main stronghold of the militants in Iraq.

Washington's strategy in Syria has shifted from trying to train thousands of fighters outside the country to supplying groups headed by U.S.-vetted commanders.

U.S. officials said delivery of weapons since the alliance was set up has helped the SDF fighters push further south into Islamic State-held territory.

"As we've done (before), we are providing air power and support," said Colonel Steve Warren, the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State.
GRAINS-Wheat climbs on short-covering, wet US weather

By Rod Nickel

WINNIPEG, May 24 (Reuters) - Chicago wheat rose on Tuesday, lifted by short-covering and concerns about unfavorable rains for maturing U.S. crops.

Corn ended mixed and soybeans finished a volatile session lower, with corn weakened by spread trades against wheat and soybeans down on technical selling.

Chicago Board of Trade July wheat added 2 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $4.64 a bushel.

"I think the heavier-than-expected rain in hard red wheat country is maybe giving us a pop," said Mike Zuzolo, president of Global Commodity Analytics.

Showers in the U.S. Plains winter wheat belt will diminish in the southwest the rest of this week allowing some improvement in harvest conditions, but southeastern areas remain unfavorably wet, Commodity Weather Group said.

"Weather forecasters continue to expect more rain on U.S. hard red winter wheat crops this week," said Tobin Gorey, director of agricultural strategy at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "The market will have some concerns about quality and yields."

Chicago July corn eased 1/4 cent to $3.97-1/2 a bushel, losing on trades against wheat on expectations that livestock operations might replace some corn in livestock feed rations with wheat this summer, traders said.

Even so, corn drew early support from strong prospects for U.S. export sales, said Dan Cekander, president of DC Analysis.

"There is ongoing U.S. old-crop corn export business, because we are competitive," he said.

The U.S. corn crop was 86 percent planted by Sunday, ahead of the five-year average of 85 percent but behind an average of analyst expectations for 88 percent.

Chicago's July soybean contract lost 3-3/4 cents to $10.54-3/4 a bushel, having closed 1.5 percent lower on Monday.

Soybeans were pressured by technical selling as soymeal pared gains. Soymeal, a livestock feed ingredient produced along with soyoil when soybeans are crushed, rallied last week on worries about Argentina's soybean harvest following April floods.
Two Colombian journalists missing after Spanish reporter vanishes

BOGOTA, May 24 (Reuters) - Two journalists have gone missing in Colombia's northeast conflict zone while covering the disappearance of a Spanish reporter feared kidnapped this weekend, the government said on Tuesday.

Television news channel Noticias RCN said in a statement there had been "a possible kidnapping" of a reporter and a cameraman in Norte de Santander province, near the border with Venezuela. The reporter is Diego D'Pablos and cameraman is Carlos Melo.

The journalists were in El Tarra municipality to cover the disappearance of fellow reporter Salud Hernandez, who writes for Spain's El Mundo and local newspapers, who was last seen in the area on Saturday.

The heads of the army and the police will go to the province to direct search operations for Hernandez and the other journalists, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Tuesday.

Military sources and local media have speculated Marxist rebels or crime gangs operating in the area may be responsible for the disappearances, but the government has not yet classified them as kidnappings.

Three other reporters in the region to cover Hernandez's disappearance were briefly held by armed men who identified themselves as members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group, before being released.

The country has been in peace talks with bigger rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) since the end of 2012 and recently agreed to start negotiations with the ELN.
China catches up with Russia as major investor in Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, May 24 (Reuters) - China's investment in Uzbekistan now matches that of former Soviet overlord Russia, according to a figure announced on Tuesday by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, highlighting Beijing's growing role as a regional economic powerhouse.

China has invested a total of $6 billion in the Central Asian nation, Wang told reporters in Tashkent, where he was attending a meeting of the Russia- and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation security bloc.

"China is becoming one of the biggest investors for our partners (in Central Asia)," Wang said.

He did not provide a direct comparison with Russia and official data on foreign direct investment flows by country is not available.

However, Uzbek state media last November quoted Russian ambassador Vladimir Tyurdenev as saying Russia's investments in Uzbekistan were worth about $6 billion, making it the No.1 foreign investor in the former Soviet republic.

Beijing has stepped up economic activity in the region, first with the construction of a pipeline that delivers Central Asian gas to China and then with the launch of its "One Belt, One Road" initiative to secure global supply chains.
U.S. prosecutors to seek death penalty in South Carolina church shooting

May 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday it would seek the death penalty in the case of a white man accused of killing nine black parishioners at a historic church in South Carolina last June.

"The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.
Cuba to legally recognize private firms in move bolstering market reforms

HAVANA, May 24 (Reuters) - Cuba will recognize small and medium-sized private firms as legal entities, a Communist Party document published on Tuesday showed, a move that could remove obstacles for businesses and foster the emerging private sector.

Cuba's government has relaxed restrictions on self-employment in recent years in an attempt to slash the state payroll and battle economic stagnation, leading to the creation of many independent businesses from hairdressers to restaurants.

President Raul Castro recognized however at the Communist Party Congress last month that such businesses were working "without the necessary legal recognition," under rules designed for small, family firms only.

The 32-page document published on Tuesday detailed the party's plan for Cuba's economic development, approved in the Congress, stating Cubans could create "private businesses of medium, small and micro size" that would be recognized as "legal entities."

Economists said this recognition might confer on businesses additional rights such as the ability to import wholesale supplies or export products. The document did not specify what the new status would entail.

"It remains to be seen whether these activities will be allowed," said Paolo Spadoni, a Cuba expert in the department of political science at Augusta University in the U.S. state of Georgia.

"But it is another sign of Cuba's recognition that private enterprises will have a significant role in the future economic model even though the fundamental means of production will remain in state hands."

Cuba's Communist Party holds a closed-door Congress every five years to evaluate progress and set the economic and political guidelines for the next half-decade.

"Private property in certain means of production contributes to employment, economic efficiency and well-being, in a context in which socialist property relationships predominate," the party acknowledged in the published document.

The new guidelines will not become law until approved by Cuba's National Assembly, which meets only twice a year and is due to hold its next session in July.

Market-style reforms introduced by Castro in Cuba in an attempt to modernize the economy have faced significant resistance from conservative party stalwarts.

Many are concerned a strong private sector could generate opposition to the single-party system.
U.S. FDA panel recommends approval of Novo Nordisk diabetes drug

By Toni Clarke

May 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. advisory panel on Tuesday recommended approval of a new diabetes drug made by Novo Nordisk A/S that combines two of its existing treatments in a fixed-dose combination designed to be both effective and convenient.

The panel voted 16-0 that the Food and Drug Administration should approve the drug, iDegLira, for patients with type 2 diabetes. The FDA is not obliged to follow the advice of its advisory panels but typically does so.

IDegLira combines Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Tresiba, also known as insulin degludec, with its GLP-1 agonist Victoza, or liraglutide. Clinical trials showed the drug helped patients control their blood sugar and did so with one injection rather than two.

On Wednesday, the committee will discuss a similar drug, iGlarLixi, made by Sanofi SA, which combines the company's experimental GLP-1 agonist lixisenatide with its insulin product Lantus.

The drugs, if approved, would be the first two products with different mechanisms of action in a single, fixed-ratio combination injection. The companies aim to show that treating diabetes earlier and more aggressively will stave off complications from diabetes such as heart disease and blindness.

FDA reviewers said the drug may look more effective in clinical trials than in practice because of the way the trials were designed, adding that greater convenience could come at the price of reduced dosing flexibility. Panelists said the drug's benefits outweighed those concerns.

"I feel this does bring a new, useful treatment option," said Dr. Robert Smith, a professor of medicine at Brown University and chairman of the panel.

The panel struggled to precisely define which patients iDeGlira would be most useful for but agreed it would at least be appropriate for patients who were previously taking either insulin or a GLP-1 drug.

There was less clarity about the drug's usefulness in patients who had not previously taken one of those drugs. Some panel members said they would be reluctant to start a patient on two new drugs at once. But certain patients in this group, such as those who were needle-shy, could benefit, they said.

Dr. Todd Hobbs, U.S. chief medical officer for Novo Nordisk, said the company was "extremely pleased" with the panel's recommendation. "This is an important milestone for healthcare providers and patients," he said.

Panel members recommended the agency ensure that the drug's label makes clear that the injection contains two drugs.
U.N. urges Falluja combatants to let civilians escape fighting

UNITED NATIONS, May 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Tuesday pleaded with combatants in Iraq's embattled Falluja to protect civilians escaping the fighting as Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State targets in an attempt to retake the militant stronghold just west of the capital.

Earlier the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said a number of women and children had died while trying to leave the city. Over 80 families had managed to escape since May 20, it said in a statement.

In New York, a spokesman for the world body issued a public plea on behalf of the nearly 50,000 civilians still in the city.

"We're calling on all parties to the conflict to take all measures to protect civilians caught in the middle," Farhan Haq told reporters. "That includes allowing civilians to freely move out of conflict zones and being provided with protection as they disperse."

He noted that the United Nations has long wanted the international community to join forces and stop the crimes of Islamic State (IS), also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh. But that must not be done at the expense of innocent civilians.

"We have been encouraging united international action in the face of the sort of atrocities that have been carried out by Daesh," Haq said. "At the same time ... we urge that all participants in such operations observe international human rights and humanitarian law."

Iraqi forces have surrounded Falluja since last year but focused most combat operations on IS-held territories further west and north. The authorities have pledged to retake Mosul, the north's biggest city, this year in keeping with a U.S. plan to oust Islamic State from their de facto capitals in Iraq and Syria.
In 1993, I was travelling across India for my research on why it leads to conflicts when Muslims, not Hindus, come to India from Bangladesh.

To interview central BJP office bearers, I often used to go to its head office at New Delhi's Ashoka Road. Responding to a senior BJP leader's query, I had inadvertently divulged my travel plan to Assam.

A day after I came to Guwahati, a person arrived at my hotel and introduced himself as a senior office bearer of Assam BJP and offered help - and his jeep - so I could travel in the region to conduct my field study.

Of course, I politely declined his offer. However, for obvious reasons, I asked for his help to be able to meet other leaders of the BJP and the RSS in Assam.

One nippy evening, I went with him to meet the top RSS leadership of the eastern zone in one of their hideouts outside Guwahati. This was the time when RSS was banned for the third time after the demolition of Babri Masjid. I sat with four elderly, senior functionaries of the RSS on the ground to get my recorded interview.

They were polite, firm and politically correct while talking about the massive Bangladeshi migration to the region. After the formal interview was over and I switched off my tape recorder, they offered me a cup of tea and launched vitriolic attacks against "invading" Muslims and emphasised that RSS is determined to counter the Bangladeshi policy of "Lebensraum" in the Northeast.

I am recounting my Assam experience after 23 years to illustrate that BJP's coming to power in Assam is not a fluke or because of any wave.

Hindutva groups have been doing the ground work for this victory for decades together. In this Assembly election, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah went only thrice to campaign in Assam. National leaders were kept out of electoral planning. This election was out and out an RSS show.

Many decades of hard work of the RSS in the region has brought BJP to power in Assam. RSS does not typically stop at gaining political power. It is only a mean for their quest toward the larger end, which is religious-cultural domination.

They have not stopped their project after Modi came to power in India. They will also not stop in Assam after Sarbananda Sonowal takes over the reins. Moreover, Sonowal has not been produced from their laboratory.

He has made his political career in opposing migration from Bangladesh. After a long stint in AGP, he joined the BJP only five years ago. RSS had designed a Khilonji (an indigenous Assamese) package to hide its "Hindutva" teeth.

Targeting Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF as a party of Bangladeshi Muslims managed to win them some support from Assamese Muslims too.

But, after coming to power in Assam, the RSS will certainly go back to doing what they do best, pitting Hindus against Muslims. In pursuit of this strategy, the "khilonjia" agenda will be pushed back and the "Hindutva" agenda will take the centerstage.

More than Himanta Biswa Sarma, it is the RSS who will soon be the biggest worry for CM Sonowal if he gets serious about the issue of illegal immigrants - both Hindus and Muslims.

RSS will never let Sonowal go against "illegal" Hindu migrants from Bangladesh or waste their decades of hard work in the northeastern state.

It has been extremely effective in making Gujarat a very successful experiment of its "Hindutva" brand for last two decades in the western part of India. Now Assam provides RSS a similar opportunity in the eastern part of the country. But Assam is no Gujarat.

Muslims constitute more than one third of Assam's population. It is a state that has seen the highest Muslim population growth in the country in the last census.

In most of its districts bordering Bangladesh, Muslims have already become a majority. Whether this growth is due to migration or homegrown, is anyone's guess.

The Congress party and the AIUDF have managed to get most of the seats in these bordering districts, where Muslims are greater in numbers. In upper Assam, where Hindus are in dominant majority, both these "pro-Muslim" parties have been almost wiped out in the electoral arithmetic.

Sooner than later, the Hindutva onslaught will force Muslims in Assam - whether they are natives or settlers - to come together.

Badruddin Ajmal also knows that the Congress has no option, but to get into some sort of alliance with his party AIUDF to remain politically relevant in the state. That calculation even inspired him to distribute sweets to celebrate his "loss" after the election results came out.

This creates a very plausible scenario of Muslims in the lower Assam and Barak Valley, who are mobilising themselves against Hindutva experiments of the RSS under BJP rule in the state. Due to sheer strength of their number and concentration in a particular geographical location, it will not be easy for the RSS machinery or the BJP government to politically dominate them through majoritarian culture, a la Gujarat style.

The Bangladeshi link of Muslims in Assam can potentially make the conflict more like the one in Jammu and Kashmir, where religious division coincides with regional division and a neighbouring country becomes an active participant in the unrest.

Moreover, considering the growing fundamentalism in Bangladesh and the increasing presence of the ISIS and the al Qaeda in the country, the Hindutva experiment of the RSS in Assam can certainly invite outside "players" to the conflict arena.

For India, security and stability in Assam - more than any other state - is critical as it is the one which anchors the six other states in the Northeast to the mainland.
Is becoming a self-styled "swami" or a "baba" the best profession in the country? These are the benefits of becoming a "baba" - he becomes popular instantly, has wealth that is not accounted for, has massive political and corporate contacts, has a large fan following in the form of devotees. The attractions go on and on. Besides all these, the babas also indulge in sexual misdemeanours.

One can only feel sorry for the gullible devotees and believers who are exploited by these babas. Many cases of sexual exploitation go unreported owing to the social stigma attached to it and social connections of these so-called saints. However, some of them have come to light after some of the victims mustered courage to spill the beans.

These are four prominent babas who preyed on their innocent believers, but finally law caught up with them:

Baba Parmanand was arrested on May 24 from Satna in Madhya Pradesh.

1. Baba Parmanand

The police in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, on May 24, confirmed the arrest of this controversial "godman" on charges of sexual exploitation of women. An FIR had been filed against Ram Shankar Tiwari alias Baba Parmanand after several women registered complaints accusing him of sexually exploiting them in the name of treatment for infertility.

The police raided Parmanand's ashram in Barabanki and seized several CDs containing obscene videos of women, vulgar literature and porn movies. Parmanand was arrested from Satna in Madhya Pradesh and brought to Barabanki.

2. Asaram Bapu

Asaram has been in jail in Jodhpur for the past 26 months. He was convicted after being accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl at his Jodhpur ashram even as her mother was waiting outside. He has not only been accused of sexual assault but also rape and molestation. He, along with his son Narayan Sai, are in jail for exploiting women devotees.

3. Nithyananda

The 293rd pontiff of the Adheenam Mutt in Bidari on the outskirts of Bangalore was arrested in June 2012 on charges of rape and molestation. After searching the premises of Nithyananda, the police were horrified to find a dump of condoms and "ganja" in the corner of a compound.

The then Karnataka chief minister, DV Sadananda Gowda, ordered the arrest of Nithyananda after several of his followers appeared on a private Kannada TV channel and accused the godman of exploiting them.

Arathi Rao, a follower of Nithyananda, gave a detailed account of her five-year experience with the guru. She alleged that Nithyananda repeatedly raped her and threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed it to anybody. Arathi also claimed that it was she who had secretly filmed Nithyananda's sex tapes with a Tamil actress.

4. Ichchadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj Chitrakoot Wale

He was also a self-styled godman who preached spirituality while running a prostitution racket. Two air hostesses were among eight people arrested in February 2010 for flesh trade in the capital. The eight, including two men and six women in the age group of 19 to 30 years, were taken into custody near the PVR cinema at Saket in south Delhi while travelling in two cars. They included an air hostess who worked for an Indian carrier and another who was employed by a European airline.

The mastermind was identified as Shiv Murat Dwivedi, 39, alias Ichchadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj Chitrakoot Wale. Dwivedi, who belonged to Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh, had come to New Delhi in 1988 and worked as a security guard at a five-star hotel in Nehru Place.
The Left and its influence may be on the wane in the country but its ideology of political violence has vitiated the atmosphere in West Bengal and Kerala, the two states where it has considerable presence. This culture of political violence, which is unacceptable in a democracy, had first subsumed the Congress and its offshoot, the Trinamool Congress, in West Bengal and Kerala.

Apprehensions are that, if steps are not taken to crush it, even the BJP will get sucked into this bloodbath in the process of taking on the CPM in Kerala and the Trinamool in West Bengal.

The Left cultivated widespread political violence in West Bengal, the state which it ruled for about 34 years. The substantially stunted state Congress could not give a tough fight to the former's violent political methodologies. It goes to the credit of chief minister Mamata Banerjee who stood up to the excesses of the CPM cadres. On a few occasions, she herself got injured while many of her supporters were killed. But she did not succumb to the Leftist violence.

However, one of the most important reasons for Mamata's success is the fact that she countered the Lefts violence with violence, earning confidence of the people who were fed up with the Lefts brutality. But now, the Trinamool has clearly overtaken the CPM in terms of political violence. The Left cadres are no longer a worthy match to the political extremism of the Trinamool.

When will this political violence stop?

The situation is a bit different in Kerala, where the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has always given an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth response to the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). Hence, power has generally rotated alternately between the two equally strong formations. Enter the BJP in the two states now and we witness more violence  a triangular one now in the two states. The BJP has won three seats in West Bengal and one in Kerala. While it is a case of BJP, Trinamool and CPM cadres in West Bengal, it is BJP, Congress and CPM in Kerala.

Bihar may have earned the epithet of Jungle Raj but what we witness on a daily basis is the spectre of political jungle raj in Kerala and West Bengal. The difference between the two is that in Bihar, the supporters of Lalu Prasads Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) are accused of perpetrating violence on the common man, on the rich businessmen or upper caste people of the state. Besides, there is a general breakdown of the law and order machinery.

However, in Kerala and West Bengal, the cadres and supporters of the CPM, Congress and Trinamool Congress clash among themselves, generally sparing the ordinary man. Now, the BJP cadres, along with the counterparts in their ideological parent, the RSS, are also asserting themselves and trying to get a foothold in the two states.

This sustained and organised violent political culture is taking a toll on the BJP and RSS cadres as they are relatively new to it. Though they generally are the victims, on some occasions they too retaliate, dealing a serious blow to the other party. Slowly and gradually, the BJP/RSS cadres are also getting assimilated to this kind of politics.

Several cases of post-poll violence have been reported involving the CPM, Trinamool and BJP in both the states where results of the Assembly elections were announced on May 19. In West Bengal, actor-turned politician Roopa Ganguly, the state chief of BJPs womens wing, was attacked in Diamond Harbour near Kolkata on May 22, allegedly by members of the ruling Trinamool Congress. Roopa, who had unsuccessfully contested from Howrah (North) against Trinamool's Laxmi Ratan Shukla in the recent Assembly elections, suffered head injuries and was admitted to a hospital.

The attack took place while she was returning from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas, where she had gone to meet some party workers who had sustained injuries after being targeted allegedly by Trinamool workers.

Several other incidents of post-poll political violence have taken place in West Bengal. Trinamool workers allegedly thrashed CPM supporters in Jadavpur area and allegedly torched over a dozen of houses. In Hooghly and Howrah, CPM party offices were attacked. At Bishnupur in Bankura district, it was the other way round where the office of the Trinamool was vandalised allegedly by the CPM cadres.

In Kerala too, a string of post-poll political violence took place, killing a CPM worker in Pinarayi and a BJP supporter in Thrissur. The reign of terror unleashed by the CPM workers on the BJP supporters forced some Union ministers to meet President Pranab Mukherjee and submit a memorandum on the extreme lawlessness prevailing in the state. The delegation, which was led by transport minister Nitisn Gadkari, comprised JP Nadda, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Nirmala Sitharaman. MPs MJ Akbar and Meenakshi Lekhi, and Kerala BJP chief Kummanam Rajasekharan were also part of the delegation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the US the fourth time in his two years in office. This, taken with President Barack Obama's visit to India in 2015 as chief guest at our R-Day celebrations, indicates that both sides want to work together to expand bilateral ties in a way that their respective expectations are met and find as much common ground as possible on international issues where the views of the two countries differ.

Challenge

The challenge before India is to enlarge the areas of understanding with the US. It needs to soften the edges of differences over a whole host of political, security, and economic issues that are inescapable between a power that wants to maintain its hegemony, and a slowly rising power like India that is sensitive about the inequities of the present international system in which its say is limited and is unable to change US policies that hurt its interests.

In the circumstances, any viable Indian strategy would be to harness US support wherever possible to promote the government's development agenda which alone can make India strong and increase its weight in global decision-making. This requires an assiduous engagement of the US for building the right political atmosphere for promoting our interests.

However, building a stronger relationship with the US will severely test our diplomatic skills because of the constant US pressure to open up our economy more, usher in big-bang reforms, make regulatory changes, introduce legal structures that suit US corporate interests, tighten IPR provision and so on.

At the political level, we have to guard against closeness to the US affecting our freedom of action in foreign policy. If we seek some gains from wooing America, the US will look for reciprocal gains. The challenge will be to maintain a balance between the two.

Barack Obama at Nuclear Security Summit. (Reuters)

Undoubtedly, the process of consolidation of India-US ties is being given personal attention by Modi and Obama.

Indian policymakers believe that White House oversight is required to push the relationship forward, as the state department is seen as wedded to past positions and prejudices developed during the Cold War and nurtured even afterwards on non-proliferation, Pakistan and human rights issues.

Not that this means that the White House can be counted to deliver what India wants. George W Bush was stubbornly soft on Pakistan on terrorism and Obama has not so far done anything dramatic in India's favour.

Re-galvanising

In fact, Modi has been personally energetic in re-galvanising the US relationship that had begun stagnating in the UPA's second term. He has struck a personal rapport with Obama and worked constructively with him on issues like climate change and renewable energy. His business-friendly credentials and assiduous cultivation the US corporate sector, his development plans for India for which he seeks US involvement and so on, have made India an attractive partner in the eyes of the US.

On several fronts, Modi has been clearing the ground for closer India-US ties. He has resolved the rift over our nuclear liability legislation. Progress has made in negotiations with Westinghouse for supply of nuclear reactors. Defence cooperation with the US has been expanded.

India-US military exercises are expanding. In the Joint Strategic Vision for Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean regions announced during Obama's January 2015 visit India boldly accepted that the security of these two maritime domains was interlinked, with China's new assertiveness, its naval expansion and its illegal actions in the western Pacific in view.

Expectations

If the positive direction of India-US relations is set to continue, any expectation that the US will radically change its policies on issues that are vital to India's security would be misplaced.

The US will not sanction Pakistan for its terrorist activities against India and will want to supply military assistance despite revived Congressional opposition. The US will counter China only where it directly challenges US power.

It will, therefore, treat China as a potential adversary in the western Pacific but as a partner in our region, as its willingness to promote a Chinese role in Afghanistan in collaboration with Pakistan shows. The US does not consider the Taliban as a terrorist organisation and is willing to accommodate it politically in Afghanistan in a Pakistani-brokered deal.

The US is not taking a position on the CPEC or Gwadar. No wonder, as some US officials acknowledge, India and the US have 95 per cent convergence in the east and 5 per cent convergence in the west.

India and the US are clashing on the WTO issues. The US has not delivered on India's APEC membership, or that of NSG and MTCR. During the Nuclear Security Summit, Obama surprised us by implicitly equated India and Pakistan on nuclear missteps. The issues involving our IT industry remain unresolved.

During his June visit, Modi will address the US Congress. He was denied this opportunity in September 2014. This shows the distance travelled in the relationship since then.
Unlike its faraway namesake, this Syria has no Muslims. Its a pretty village with trout in its rivers and black bears in its hills, home to many who cheer one of Donald Trumps most derided proposals: a ban on Muslims.

Laurie Richards, the cashier at the general store, thinks the way others do: She doesnt like everything about Trump, but she thinks he is right to talk about temporarily barring Muslims from entering the United States. Islamist fanatics, responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, continue to commit murder from Brussels to San Bernardino, Calif. It only makes sense, she said.

Do I think he will be perfect as president? No, said Richards, 43. But his provocative ideas  such as his talk of a giant wall on the U.S.-Mexico border  show an attitude, she said. It tells her that Trump gets it, that he understands the big problem and is open to dramatic fixes.

Of all Trumps ideas, the ban on Muslims is considered by his critics to be particularly off the rails. With 1.7 billion Muslims in the world, it aims to shut out nearly one in four people on the planet. It has been called racist, unconstitutional and unenforceable. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has said that it is shameful and dangerous.

Yet the idea turns out to have broader support than many of Trumps critics expected. Nationally, 64 percent of Republican voters said in a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll that they approve of the ban  as did 45 percent of independents  while 26 percent of Democrats do.

In Syria, Va., a Republican-leaning town in a pivotal state, talk of the ban deplored by so many is exactly what is rallying people behind Trump. It is a case study of one of the key qualities of the Trump candidacy: His popularity has grown and held steady  not despite his extreme rhetoric, but because of it.

Just as confounding for Trumps foes, perhaps, is the fact that many of his supporters dont take the idea literally. They hear it as a rhetorical nod that he will change things. That complicates Clintons task as she attempts to draw a contrast with Trump.

Several people said that it made little sense to pay attention too closely to election-year proposals because candidates rarely deliver when they are in office, especially if Congress is needed to approve a new measure.

Richards, for instance, said she doesnt think a ban will occur, just as she knows that Mexico probably wont pay for the giant wall Trump talks about building on the southern border. But she said that no other candidate is telling her what she thinks: Just about anybody can set foot in the United States, and those days should end.

Trump is no angel, she said, as she rang up a customers $3 egg-salad sandwich in a crossroads store that stacks items including milk and rifle carriers. In fact, she said, Trump sometimes is belligerent and crude, and she doesnt like his crass judgments about womens bodies and looks.

I could rate him, too  he is not the best-looking man!

But until the day the government can give a 100 percent guarantee that it can screen out Islamist terrorists, there should be a ban, she said. Security is her No. 1 issue  and a lot of people think the way she does.

They wont change me

Ask Trump voters about Clinton, or vice versa, and the charitable words voters use are wacko and liar. In a village of only 200 people, many said it is best to avoid talking about the November election.

I dont want to get in an argument. I just want to sell my plants, said Molly Sanford, who was working on a crossword puzzle in front of the Hollerfolk Nursery. As she sat among the marigolds and begonias she talked, but not too loudly, about what a ridiculous idea a ban on Muslims is.

Ban people of a certain religion in a country founded on the idea of freedom of religion? Sanford said, shaking her head. More puzzling than what he is saying is that he has so many followers.

Those of us who are for Hillary, or even who are Democrats, we have to have a secret handshake, she said.

Ten miles down the road in Madison, Willie Lamar is a pharmacist and the mayor. There are such extremes in this election, he said, so its smart to steer talk in his drugstore to anything but politics. People are keeping their opinions close to the vest. . . . I have some very good friends who believe differently than I do. I know Im not going to change their mind. And they wont change me.

Lamar, an independent who said he hasnt decided for whom to vote, said a Muslim ban, and other border-security ideas Trump is suggesting  including a 2,000-mile wall to keep out Mexicans  are not really viable. But people give him credit for talking about issues that need to be addressed.

For people to take the wall literally or banning Muslims literally is as outrageous as Trump thinking he can do it. Its a rhetorical comment . . . whether his methods are doable or make any sense is beside the point.

Trump is right that border security is an critical issue, Lamar said. But he thinks that banning people based on religion is un-American.

A new voice

Thousands drive through Syria on a single day in the fall, when the Blue Ridge Mountains burst into color and the village offers apple butter, bluegrass music and hayrides. But mostly it is a quieter place where, unlike the close-in suburbs of Washington, the federal government is not well liked.

Dairy farmers dont want to be told by federal authorities to fence their cows lest they pollute nearby streams. And Jimmy Graves is not happy that he was told to buy a $6,000 mechanical lift for his pool to accommodate disabled guests.

I had to put it in four years ago and havent used it once, said the 79-year-old owner of the landmark Graves Mountain Lodge. He said his uncle was among the settlers of the village a century ago who picked the name Syria out of the Bible.

Washington hasnt addressed two big needs: cellphone coverage and a road into the Shenandoah National Park that would bring more tourists.

Still, more than in most elections, people are watching who will go to the White House. It got their attention in December when Trump called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.

Last week, after foreign leaders denounced Trumps ban  including the new mayor of London, who is Muslim  the presumptive Republican nominee said there would be exceptions and ideally it would not be in place too long, just until we figured things out.

An hours drive from Syria, leaders in Northern Virginias growing American Muslim community say that the way Trump talks about Islam is bigoted and scary, whether he intends to follow through on a ban or not. Many in that part of the state applauded Clinton when she said, It is not in keeping with our values, its not effective in protecting us and it plays into the hands of terrorists.

But around this village of white clapboard Christian churches, many are supporting Trump and welcome his proposed ban, even though they said it will never pass Congress  and shouldnt. More significantly, Graves said, people hear a new, clear voice saying the country needs to do more to keep out people who are unsuitable.

Mary Jordan is a national correspondent for the Washington Post covering the 2016 presidential campaign. She served as the co-bureau chief of the Posts London, Mexico and Tokyo bureaus, and was the head of content of Washington Post Live, which organizes forums and debates.
WASHINGTON D.C. - USA - The Leader of the House of Commons Chris Grayling has delivered a speech in the Capitol on why the UK should Vote Leave and how a future US/UK relationship would continue to be strong following a Leave vote.

Mr Grayling began his speech by stating that a politician in the United States would struggle to garner support by advocating joining an organisation which mirrored the European Union:

There should also be Supreme Court of the Americas, perhaps in Venezuela, to outrank the USs own Supreme Court, and to take decisions that will be mandatory in the United States.

We should even consider having an army of the Americas, and do away with antiquated ideas like the United States having its own military.

And to achieve this dream, we have to give every citizen of the Americas the right to live and work wherever he or she chooses across the whole of North and South America

Suggesting that the United States should be part of such an organisation does not seem to me to be a political platform likely to command widespread support here.

He went on to highlight how the creation of the euro has been damaging for the EU, and that a solution to the problem is difficult to find:

The seminal moment for the European Union came seventeen years ago with the creation of the single currency. In my view the countries that joined the euro created the economic equivalent of the San Andreas fault. They tried to create a single economy in a geographic area where there was no single government, no common culture or commonality of performance, and where the traditional escape valves when things went wrong in underperforming nations simply disappeared

But theres no easy solution either. You cant just kick a country out of the Eurozone without creating that massive collapse either. If Greece had been forced out of the Euro, it would have been left with a devalued currency, unable to afford to pay its Euro-denominated debts. It would have defaulted and left massive losses across the continent. And then the pressure would have built up on other countries, and the contagion would have spread. And would spread if and when all of this happens again.

The Leader of the House of Commons discussed how as a result of the failures of the single currency, the eurozone must integrate further:

The plans are already taking shape. Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, her deputy Wolfgang Schauble, the Italian Finance Minister, the French President Francois Hollande, the Speakers of the biggest Eurozone Parliaments, the Presidents of the big EU institutions have all called for political union. It means, according to Hollande, a Eurozone Parliament, a common budget and a common cabinet. Inevitably it means giving up independent nation status.

Although recognising that the UK is outside the euro, Mr Grayling explained how this integration will still have a major impact on Britain:

And as the member countries of the Eurozone move to unify more and more of the way they govern themselves, many of those changes inevitably will be applied to the UK as well  because we are already subject to EU-wide legislation in those areas. So if the Eurozone takes a decision about how to operate its banks, Britain and the City of London are affected by the same rule changes and we can do nothing about it.

As the Eurozone federates, and the EU becomes a single block with a single Government, what happens to the bit stuck on the edge? The UK. We will have little ability to defend our national interest. We will be outvoted all the time. But more and more of our law-making will be sucked into Brussels. We will be of marginal importance while footing a large slice of the bill.

He concluded by suggesting that President Obama was wrong to intervene in the EU referendum debate. However he assured attendees that no matter the result of the vote, the UK would continue to have a special relationship with the US:

Inside or outside the EU, Britains relationship with the United States will and must remain strong. Neither of us should ever be at the back of the line when it comes to working together. If Britain chooses to leave, our partnerships in defence, in intelligence, in counter-terrorism, in trade and in culture should remain strong and unchanged. Neither of us would benefit from growing apart, and neither of us should want that to happen, regardless of how Britain chooses to shape its future.
LONDON - England - Responding to a pro-EU TUC report, Gisela Stuart MP, Chair of the Vote Leave, has revealed how the EU has been detrimental to workers and women's rights.

The UK has led the way in promoting and protecting workers rights, and its deeply misleading to suggest that leaving the EU would put them at risk.

The best way to ensure that workers rights are to protected is to have a parliament that is directly accountable to the people; in other words, to put power back in peoples hands. The EU prevents that, and means that unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats can impose rules and regulations that the British people have no say over.

On 23 June we have the opportunity to take back control of our country and our democracy, as well as the 350 million we send to Brussels every week, by voting to leave the EU.

Protection of Womens Rights is not contingent on EU membership

Before we joined the EU:

In 1961 the contraceptive pill was made free and available to all on the NHS, giving women more control.

Parliament passed the Abortion Act 1967, providing women greater autonomy.

Parliament passed the Divorce Reform Act 1969, allowing spouses an easier escape from unhappy.

Parliament passed the first Equal Pay Act 1970, demanding equal pay for equal work.

We have also since passed, without assistance from the EU:

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975, guarding against sexual harassment in the workplace.

The Employment Protection Act 1975, supporting mothers with paid maternity leave.

The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, seeking justice for and providing assistance to the victims of domestic violence.

Membership of the EU actually undermines Womens Rights and their interests

Car insurance: Decisions by European Courts have increased the cost of life and car insurance for women. The ECJ has held that its Charter of Fundamental Rights prevented insurance companies from charging women lower premiums.

Impact on family finances: The independent House of Commons Library has concluded that EU membership increases the costs of consumer goods, stating that the EUs Common Agricultural Policy artificially inflates food prices and that consumer prices across a range of other goods imported from outside the EU are raised as a result of the common external tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade imposed by the EU. These include footwear (a 17% tariff), bicycles (15% tariff) and a range of clothing (12% tariff).

The VAT Directive also requires the charging to VAT of domestic supplies of fuel and power. The 1997 Labour Party Manifesto stated that the tragedy is that those hardest hit are least able to pay. That is why we strongly opposed the imposition of VAT on fuel. However, the party could only pledge to cut VAT on fuel to five per cent, the lowest level allowed. When the Labour Party proposed a reduced rate of 17.5% VAT on petrol in 2011, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Justine Greening, said that EU law does not permit a reduced rate or exemption to be applied to transport fuel, and that renegotiating EU VAT rules could take as much as six years.

Taxation of sanitary products: The VAT Directive also requires the UK to charge sanitary products and contraception to tax of at least 5%. This means a requirement to charge VAT on tampons, despite the opposition of Government Ministers and a majority of MPs. As the Treasury Minister, David Gauke has admitted: any change to EU VAT law would require a proposal from the European Commission and the support of all 28 member states. Without that agreement, we are not permitted to lower rates below 5%.

Abortion: Abortion was legalised in Great Britain in 1967. Nonetheless, the EU Treaties specifically grant the Republic of Ireland the right to ban abortion.
The 16-year-old boy charged with attacking a teenage girl on the Rimrocks earlier this month is being investigated for his involvement in two other violent assaults.

Anthony Lowe, who is being tried as an adult for a May 6 attack on a 17-year-old Billings Senior High student, had a detention hearing Monday to determine if he should be held on additional bond after he was identified as a participant in a third attack on the Rims.

Senior Deputy County Attorney Laura Watson said Billing police had made her aware of two additional investigations into Lowe. One occurred at about 6 p.m. on May 6, a few hours prior to the attack on the 17-year-old girl. The attack was reported by a woman who said Lowe approached her with a few men and one woman. The woman told police the group beat her to the ground.

Law enforcement officials were alerted to an April 30 attack against two boys who identified Lowe as one of their attackers.

On that night, Lowe and Johnny LaFountain, 19, his co-defendant in the attack against the 17-year-old girl, were hanging out in the Kmart parking lot with two other boys and two other girls, according Billings police reports.

The two boys and one girl left the parking lot and headed to the Rims, leaving LaFountain, Lowe and a girl at the Kmart parking lot.

After the boys left, LaFountain and Lowe grew angry about texts the two boys were sending to the girl who was with LaFountain and Lowe. The three went to the Rims, where the two boys and the girl were hanging out in a car.

LaFountain and Lowe went to the car and attacked the boys, Watson read from the Billings police report. Police said about $2,500 in damage was done to the car, which could lead to a criminal mischief charge for Lowe.

LaFountain is also being investigated for his involvement in the two other attacks.

Lowe had posted a $5,000 bond after being arrested for the attack on the 17-year-old. Watson asked for an additional $5,000 bond in light of the new evidence.

Lowe's mother told Yellowstone County District Judge Russell that it was LaFountain who was involving her son in the attacks.

"Random acts of violence are concerning to everybody in our community," Fagg said. He released Lowe to his mother's custody and warned him if he appeared in his court again, he'd wish he hadn't.

Fagg ordered Lowe placed on GPS monitoring.
HELENA  An anti-abortion group is asking a federal judge to prevent Montana's commissioner of political practices from seeking penalties against it for mailings it sent during the 2012 Republican primary elections.

In its lawsuit filed Tuesday, the National Pro-Life Alliance said the mailings it sent in the race between state Sen. Bruce Tutvedt and challenger Rollan Roberts II were protected issue advocacy.

Commissioner Jonathan Motl concluded the mailings were illegal and unreported campaign advocacy.

Motl's finding against the National Pro-Life Alliance is one of about two dozen unsettled cases that have been consolidated in a series of placeholder lawsuits to prevent their expiration because of a four-year statute of limitations.

The anti-abortion group asks a federal judge to prohibit Montana from regulating political expression that does not expressly advocate for or against a candidate.
The company that keeps the coal-fired Colstrip power plant running has notified five of its owners that theyll need a new operator by May 2018, if not sooner.

Talen Energy owns a share of the Colstrip plant and also operates the entire facility. Talen officials told The Gazette Tuesday its role as operator is not economically viable and a new plant manager is needed.

Monday the Pennsylvania company notified the owners of Units 3 and 4 they would need a new operator no later than May 23, 2018.

This decision is part of Talen Energys overall strategy to conclude our business operations in the state, said Todd Martin, Talen spokesman. Talen Energy will continue to work with all of the Colstrip stakeholders to create the best possible outcome for employees, customers and the community as we facilitate the successful transition to the new operator.

Talen was obligated by contract to give two years' notice to the owners of Units 3 and 4 to assure enough time to find a new operator. The shareholders of those units are Washington utilities Avista Corp., and Puget Sound Energy; Oregon utilities Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp; and NorthWestern Energy, a South Dakota company that is Montanas largest gas and electric utility.

Ownership of Colstrip Units 1 and 2 is evenly split between Talen and Puget Sound Energy. The new operator will run those units also, Martin said.

The new operator wont be NorthWestern Energy. In an earlier meeting with Puget Sound Energy, Talen and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, NorthWestern said it wasnt interested. NorthWesterns position hasnt changed, said Butch Larcombe, company spokesman.

Talen, and formerly PPL Montana, have performed as operator for the past decade, Larcombe said. However, no owner is required to serve as the operator. The owners will get together soon to discuss Talens decision and develop a plan for operating the facility in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

There are companies that specialize in operating power plants, said Grant Ringel, of Puget Sound Energy. Now that Talen has given its notice the plant owners will choose one.

Talen's exit as operator won't be a major factor in Colstrip's future.

"I'm not sure changing operators changes the dynamics that much compared to the overriding market pressures," Ringel said, namely low energy prices pulled down by cheap natural gas, which has made coal power less competitive.

The Monday announcement wasnt unexpected, said Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip.

This announcement didnt make me want to burn a house down, Ankney said.

Talen CEO Paul Farr said earlier this month that his company will lose millions in terms of operating Colstrip through the balance of the year. The market price of electricity, largely because of cheap natural gas, has fallen below the profit margin of coal-fired power.

Talen is more vulnerable to market prices than Colstrips other owners because it is unregulated. The other Colstrip owners are regulated utilities guaranteed fixed profit percentages by the states in which they do business.

Talen reported a $341 million net loss in 2015. The companys value has fallen 70 percent since it was spun off of Pennsylvania Power and Light.

Three other Colstrip owners are on a slow walk to the exits. Puget Sound Energy is banking money for the eventual shutdown and cleanup of Units 1 and 2. It took a change in Washington law so Puget could began amassing money for the units eventual closure.

Initially, Washington legislators prohibited Puget from using the funds for seven years, but Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee eliminated that time limit so the utility could spend the money sooner if shutdown came earlier. Climate change concerns prompted the new law.

PaciCorp has to stop using coal power in Oregon by 2030. Portland General Electric has to drop coal power by 2035. Those deadlines stem from a 2016 law introduced in response to a consumer petition for the utilities to drop coal power immediately. Concerns about climate change drove the discussion.

PacifiCorp has said it will continue to use Colstrip to provide electricity to customers outside Oregon.

Avista Corp. remains committed to Colstrip.

"This doesn't change our view on Colstrip, the value of Units 3 and 4, and how it works with our energy portfolio into the future," said Mary Tyre, Avista spokeswoman.

Montana elected officials have attempted without success to steer Colstrip's outcome.

There are 2,300 people in the company town that shares the power plant's name. Roughly 80 percent of the households draw paychecks from the power plant or the coal mine that feeds it.

In addition to pressure from Oregon and Washington, Colstrip could also face compliance issues with the federal Clean Power Plan, which calls for a 47 percent cut in Montana smokestack carbon dioxide emissions. The Clean Power Plan has been put on hold by a lawsuit filed by Montana and other coal states.
The Hyundai Creta shook things up in the compact SUV space, successfully dethroning the erstwhile segment leader, the Renault Duster. However, Honda has now slid the BR-V into the fray. Does it have what it takes to take on the new king of the ring? We pit them against each other to see who comes out on top!

In terms of appearance, the Creta feels more 'SUVish' among the two. The crisp lines, lovely 17-inch alloy wheels and the flared wheel arches give the Hyundai an aggressive stance. The BR-V on the other hand, is a crossover in the truest sense. It's a nice blend of a practical MPV design with brawny elements from an SUV thrown in for good measure. As is the norm in the segment, both vehicles get projector headlamps with LED light guides, roof-rails, faux skidplates and matte-black cladding that envelopes the lower half of the body.

The Honda is the longest vehicle in its class, measuring a shade over 4.4 metres in length. That said, it is also amongst the narrowest. The BR-V looks great from certain angles such as the front-three-quarters but ends up looking too much like the Mobilio, especially from the side. The Creta on the other hand, is likeable from pretty much any angle. However, a slightly livelier rear profile would've tied the design together better.

Hyundai Creta

Honda BR-V

The BR-V borrows the dashboard design from the updated Amaze. The interiors are engulfed in a sea of black, and a few dull-silver accents are thrown in to liven up the place a bit. The Creta, on the other hand, has opted for a safe beige and black combo. The Honda's party piece is the fact that it is a seven-seater, but, only just. Squeezing in three people in the second row is a bit of a task thanks to the narrow width. The Creta fares much better in terms of shoulder room in the second row. Leg space is evidently better in the BR-V, for which Honda have scooped out the front seats and reduced the length of the seat base. This does compromise on under-thigh support slightly. Speaking of the third row, it has ample amount of headroom. Legroom for the last row occupants can be tweaked by sliding the second row, which is a thoughtful touch. Like most last rows, however, occupants sit in a knees-up position. While this isn't an issue for short commutes, longer journeys will be an issue.

The feature list on the Honda BR-V is average at best, and it skips out on touchscreen infotainment, cruise control, reverse parking sensors / camera and more, all of which the Hyundai Creta gets. We think Honda could have been slightly liberal while drawing up the feature list. Both cars get Bluetooth-enabled audio systems, automatic climate control, keyless entry and go in respective top-spec versions.

The Hyundai Creta features a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine that generates 128PS of power and 260Nm of torque. The Honda BR-V, on the other hand, is available with a 1.5-litre i-DTEC motor that develops 100PS of power and 200Nm. There's a big gulf in the power figures and it does show when on the move. The Creta feels sprightly, thanks to the added power. Now, turbo-lag is noticeable in both motors, which means you have to keep them on the boil (read: above 2000rpm) to extract any sort of performance out of them. This can be slightly annoying within the confines of the city, but, out on the highway, both feel relaxed cruising at triple digit speeds.

The ride quality on the Creta is evidently better, and we have to thank the softer suspension set up for it. Also, Hyundai has done a good job of controlling the NVH levels inside the cabin. While the diesel engine on the BR-V doesn't sound as gruff as the Amaze from inside, a little more damping would've been appreciated. Speaking of handling, the BR-V beats the Creta hands down. The steering is just the right weight and inspires enough confidence for you to chuck it in a corner. Yes, there is a hint of body roll, but that is purely because of the car's height. ARAI rated fuel efficiency stands at 21.9 kmpl for the BR-V, whereas the Creta returns 19.67kmpl.

The top end BR-V has been priced at Rs 12.90 lakh as opposed to Rs 14.43 lakh for the Cretas top variant. For nearly a lakh and a half extra, the Creta gets a more potent engine, better equipment and better ride quality. The Hyundai is worth the extra money, in case you do not need the third row of seats.

Source: CarDekho.com
Teslas rising popularity is certainly giving a lot of car makers something to worry about. While established players have opted for hybrid-technology, their mainstream products continue to be dominated by petrol and diesel engines. Mercedes-Benz is looking to change that and has announced that it will introduce four new electric models in its line-up by the end of 2020.

Apart from targeting Tesla, these new models will also go up against Audis newly announced electric range. The German government recently announced that it will offer sales subsidies on all EVs that are priced less than (approximately) INR 45 lakh, which is a major motivator behind this move. While these cars will enter mass production, it will initially be limited to about 50,000 units per year, since the development cost is expected to be high.

This announcement was made by Mercedes-Benzs R&D head, Thomas Weber, who revealed that two of the four will be electric saloons and two will be SUVs. The saloons are expected to be based on the C-Class and S-Class, whereas the SUVs are expected to be based on the GLA and GLC, which will be launched in the Indian market on June 2. These cars will come with a new design language, which will be immediately recognizable as the Mercedes stand-alone electric vehicle. Also based on the MEA platform, these cars will be rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, and will have up to three electric motors.

The cars are expected to be manufactured at Mercedes-Benzs Bremen, Rastatt and Sindelfingen plants in Germany. The company has announced that it will be investing around INR 4,885 crore at its Hamburg plant in Germany, which will manufacture key components for these cars. An investment is being also made to expand the companys battery production facilities in Germany.

This move highlights the shift of major carmakers towards alternate fuels and sustainable energy. Many leading manufacturers are now shifting their focus to electric vehicles and are making heavy investments, for not only do these cars cause zero emissions, they also reduce the burden on fossil fuels, which are depleting quite fast.

Source: CarDekho.com
Google has based its regional headquarters in Dublin where corporate tax rates are lower than elsewhere in Europe.

French investigators raided Google's Paris headquarters on Tuesday as part of a tax evasion inquiry, the financial prosecutor's office said. Google said it was fully complying with French law.

Facing public anger at the way multinational companies use their footprints around the world to minimize tax, France, Britain and others have sought ways to make sure Google, Yahoo! and other digital giants, who often have their tax bases in other countries, pay their taxes locally.

Investigators from the financial prosecutors office and France's central office against corruption and tax fraud, accompanied by 25 IT specialists, took part in the raid.

"The investigation aims to verify whether Google Ireland Ltd has a permanent base in France and if, by not declaring parts of its activities carried out in France, it failed its fiscal obligations, including on corporate tax and value added tax," the prosecutor's office said in statement.

Google has based its regional headquarters in Dublin where corporate tax rates are lower than elsewhere in Europe.Google says complies with French law, cooperating with authorities

The company, now part of Alphabet Inc, has been under pressure in recent years over its practice of channeling most profits from European clients through Ireland to Bermuda, where it pays no tax on them.The raid was carried out as part of an investigation that started in June last year.

"We are cooperating with the authorities to answer their questions," Al Verney, a spokesman for Google in Europe, said in an email. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt approached for a reaction at a conference in Amsterdam, declined to comment. Investigators started their investigation of Google's offices in central Paris at 5 AM, a source close to the finance ministry said.

France is seeking some 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in back taxes from U.S. Internet giant Google, criticized for its use of aggressive tax optimization techniques, another finance ministry source had said in February.

Google had agreed in January to pay 130 million pounds in back taxes to Britain, prompting criticism from opposition lawmakers and campaigners.
The decision prompted Monsanto to warn it could consider pulling out of India.

New Delhi: India has temporarily withdrawn an order capping royalties on any new variety of genetically-modified (GM) cotton seeds, a government source said on Monday, bringing relief to U.S.-based Monsanto Co, the market's sole supplier.

"We are temporarily withdrawing the order," said the source, who is involved in the decision-making process but didn't wish to be named because he is not authorised to talk to the media.

In an order last week, the agriculture ministry said any company providing any new, advanced variety of GM cotton would not be allowed to charge royalties of more than 10 per cent of the price of seeds, currently fixed at 800 rupees, for five years from the date of marketing.

From the sixth year, the royalties, or trait value, will taper down by 10 percent every year. Along with putting a lid on royalties, New Delhi also tightened rules that regulate the sale of GM cotton seeds.

The move was widely seen as another blow to Monsanto, the only company that sells GM cotton seeds in India, a leading producer and exporter of the fibre.

The government will now seek feedback from various stakeholders in the next 90 days before reaching a decision, said the source, who gave no reason for the decision to temporarily withdraw the order.

In March, India cut royalties paid by local firms for Monsanto's GM cotton seeds by nearly 70 per cent and capped the price of its seed at 800 rupees for a packet of 450 grams after appeals by some state governments and farmers to lower the rate of the Bt variety that commands 90 percent of the market.

The decision prompted Monsanto to warn it could consider pulling out of India. Shrugging off Monsanto's concerns, government ministers said India would keep regulating Bt cotton seed prices.

Separately, India's antitrust regulator has ordered an investigation into Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) (MMB), a joint venture with India's Mahyco, to probe whether the company had abused its dominant position as a supplier of GM cotton seeds.

Monsanto, the target of a $62 billion offer from Germany's Bayer, introduced a GM cotton variety in India in 2002 despite stiff opposition from critics who questioned its safety. GM cotton seeds catapulted the country to being the world's top producer and the second-largest exporter of the fibre.

Cotton is the only GM crop grown in India. A Monsanto spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.
The government recently announced the list of the first 20 cities to be developed as 'smart cities' with Bhubaneswar topping the list.

Mumbai: The Modi government's vision of creating 100 smart cities will require an investment of over USD 150 billion over the next few years with the private sector being a significant contributor, says a report. According to Deloitte, nearly USD 120 billion will come from the private sector.

The government has already initiated two programmes with an initial outlay of USD 7.513 billion for 'Smart Cities Mission' and the 'Atal Mission for Rejuvenation of Urban Transformation (AMRUT)' for the upgradation of 500 existing cities.

"Even as funding for these smart cities is an area of concern, the major challenges remain with respect to the development of smart cities project management, government decision-making and policy and regulatory framework," Deloitte India Senior Director PN Sudarshan said.

The government recently announced the list of the first 20 cities to be developed as 'smart cities' with Bhubaneswar topping the list followed by Pune, Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Vishakapatnam, Sholapur, Davangere, Indore, New Delhi, Coimbatore, Kakinada, Belagavi, Udaipur, Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana and Bhopal.

While several cities have made incremental investments in smart solutions, the challenge will be to replicate these on a larger scale, he said.

According to the study, in 2016, service providers and over-the-top content providers will invest heavily in city-wide Wi-Fi networks which will be the back-bone for smart city services.

"As smart solutions are heavily dependent on ICT, service providers will play a significant role in smart cities.

In 2016, service providers will participate in (and lead in many cases) consortiums for responding to RFPs for smart/digital solutions for various city and state governments," Sudarshan said.

Reliance Jio is likely to roll out Wi-Fi services across over 50 cities in 2016.Similarly, Bharti and Vodafone are deploying Wi-Fi through a joint venture company, Firefly.

Facebook is working with BSNL to deploy Wi-Fi in 100 areas in rural India while Google has announced a partnership with the railways to provide hotspots in 400 railway stations by 2016.

"Over the next 10-15 years, these cities will emerge as the key technology, economic, and social hubs for the country.
Hyderabad: When his wife called him from Saudi Arabia three days after landing there and started crying, Ali bin Yusuf Barkath thought she must be homesick.

The 40-year-old Parveen, who went to work as a maid in a Saudi nationals house, told Yusuf Its terrible. I cannot stay here anymore.

After eight days when Yusuf talked to her, things were worse. She told me that she was made to work from morning to midnight. They did not give her food on some days. She could not speak properly fearing her employer would snatch her phone, said Yusuf, an autorickshaw driver.

The next conversation with Parveen shocked Yusuf. He became convinced that she was being pushed into bonded labour.

When she protested, her employer told her that he bought her paying money to the visa agent. He told her that she cannot leave for two years as per the deal with the agent, said Yusuf.

Mother of a teenaged girl, Parveen flew to Saudi on a maids visa on November 29 after a local agent, Mohd Anwar, made her believe the job was easy.

He said that there were only two adults and two kids at the home and that she would be paid 1,000 Riyal (Rs 17,794) per month. But there were seven people in the house. She can sleep only just six hours, said Yusuf.

Like Parveen, there are four other Hyderabadi women, who are stuck in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. The agents and their Gulf counterparts take money from Gulf employers for recruiting cheap labour.

Since procedures through embassies take a long time the cops are hunting down local agents and pressing them to get the victims freed. In Parveens case, the agent, Mohd. Anwar has already promised to bring her back to Hyderabad in a few days, police said.

A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official said that if the women can contact the Indian embassy, efforts will be made to rescue them. "Their relatives from Hyderabad must contact MEA with the victims visa details, said the official over the phone.

However, the spokesperson said that many people go to Gulf through illegal channels without registering at the embassy. "Many people go there with the help of Illegal agents who do not register details with Indian embassy. When the embassy does not have details it becomes difficult to rescue the workers," said the official.

"The external affairs minister has urged people to take the services of only registered agents to go abroad," he added.

Woman duped into marrying beggar

The Falaknuma police has arrested a woman broker for tricking a 21-year-old woman into marrying a beggar from Oman by making her believe that the groom was a rich sheikh.

After the wedding when the woman went with him to Oman she found that her husband was a beggar at local masjids.

The broker, Sajda Begum, a resident of Bhavaninagar, was booked for cheating under Section 420.

Police said the Omani came to Hyderabad in August 2015 and married the victim. After the wedding she went to Oman with him. Later, she found that he was earning money by begging at masjids, said a police official from south zone.

The victim contacted her parents, who live in Falaknuma and complained to them. They approached police and lodged a petition. They alleged in the complaint that the man compelled her to beg with him to earn money.

Cops found that Sajda Begum had earlier took money from the Oman national to get a woman for him.

The police have now started efforts to bring the victim back from Oman. The agent has agreed to rescue the victim and bring her back to Hyderabdad, said south zone DCP V. Satyanarayana.
HELENA  A federal judge is considering a request by state attorneys to issue a stay on part of his ruling last week that invalidated campaign contribution limits approved by Montana voters in 1994.

U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell peppered Montana Department of Justice lawyers with questions during a hearing Tuesday, but he did not make an immediate ruling.

Last week, Lovell ruled for the second time in four years that Montana's campaign contribution limits are unconstitutional.

As a result, state officials reinstated contribution rules in place prior to the initiative. That means higher contribution limits for individuals and political action committees, but it also means political parties can contribute unlimited amounts of money to campaigns.

State attorneys argue that lifting limits on parties could allow individuals and PACs to circumvent limits placed on them.

During the hearing, Lovell sharply questioned the state's attorneys and at times suggested he was unconvinced by their arguments.

After being reminded by Montana Assistant Attorney General Matthew Cochenour that the state on Tuesday was not arguing the merits of whether campaign contribution limits were unconstitutional for the purposes of requesting a stay, Lovell minced no words: "I believe they are unconstitutional. Why should I grant you a stay?"

The state's case for a stay rests partly on its belief that it will prevail on appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and that unlimited party money could disrupt the current election cycle, two weeks before the June 7 primary.

"A stay in this case would be in the public interest," Cochenour told the court.

The attorney for the group of conservative activists, corporations and political organizations that challenged Montana's limits as being unconstitutionally low argued that there was no reason for re-imposing contribution limits on political parties, asserting as Lovell did in his May 17 ruling that Montana officials failed to prove that the limits combat corruption or the appearance of it.

"Political parties cannot corrupt their own candidates," said the group's attorney, Anita Milanovich, adding that last week's ruling did not do away with campaign reporting rules.

She said there was no evidence presented by the state to show that political parties were attempting to corrupt the electoral process.

Lovell had previously struck down Montana's contribution limits in state elections as being too low for candidates to effectively campaign. The 9th Circuit court reinstated the limits a little over a week later in October 2012 and ordered Lovell to re-examine the issue based on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizen's United case, which required states to prove their limits were stopping an exchange of money for political favors.
New Delhi: Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu announced the first list of 20 cities on Thursday that will be developed to have basic infrastructure.

Bhubaneswar emerged on top among 20 cities, including Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bhopal that have been selected as part of the first batch of the Smart City initiative for which the NDMC area of Delhi has also made the grade.

Assured water and power supply, sanitation and solid waste management systems, efficient urban mobility and public transportation, IT connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation are some of the highlights of the initiative.

Pune, Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Visakhapatnam, Solapur, Davanagere, Indore, Coimbatore, Kakinada, Belagavi, Udaipur, Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana and Bhopal are the other cities selected in the first batch.

Read: What are 'Smart Cities'?

"Nobody can stop an idea whose time has come and this applies to the Smart City (initiative as well)," Naidu said while announcing the list of cities that were selected through the 'Smart City Challenge Competition'.

Congratulating the winners of the competition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I wish the cities the very best as they move forward with implementation and transform urban India."

The contest was as rigorous and demanding as the civil services competition, Naidu quipped.

"For the first time in the country and perhaps in the world, investments in urban development are being made based on a competition among cities. The results of the competition revealed the unrecognised strength of our federal structure," he said.

List of smart cities

The cities in the first list have made it to the top of the competition based on implementation framework, including feasibility and cost-effectiveness, which had a weightage of 30 per cent, followed by result orientation (20 pc), citizen participation (16 pc), smartness of proposal (10 pc), strategic plan (10 pc), vision and goals (5 pc), evidence-based city profiling and key performance indicators (5 pc) and processes followed (4 pc).

Naidu said that the various states selected the cities and sent a list of 97 names, out of which 20 have been selected.

Read: Smart Cities will require huge fund mop-up via PPP: Experts

A bottom-up rather than top-down approach has been the key planning principle under Smart City Mission, he said.

While Delhi is spread over 1,484 sq.km, the NDMC zone covers three per cent, or 42.7 sq.km, of that area.

Urban Development ministry had in June last year released the guidelines and mission statement for the project to develop 100 Smart Cities. The mission is a flagship programme of the Modi government.

The focus of the mission includes the provision of clean water, setting up of sanitation and solid waste management systems, efficient mobility and public transportation, affordable housing and governance.

The cities have come up with clear strategies for implementation and have identified partnerships and collaborations for producing the desired results.

Of the 20 cities, 18 have come forward with retrofitting proposals. Ahmedabad has proposed both retrofitting and redevelopment while Bhopal will only take up redevelopment.

Naidu said a total investment of Rs 50,802 crore has been proposed in the selected cities over the five-year period. Of this, Rs 38,693 crore will be spent on area development.

The proposals are based on detailed assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats specific to the city and the area chosen for development.

In all, a total area of 26,735 acres will be taken up for improvement across these 20 cities, including redevelopment of 425 acres (Bhopal-350 acres and Ahmedabad-75 acres).

Under retrofitting, deficiencies in infrastructure and other areas will be holistically addressed. Redevelopment means demolishing built-up areas which are not amenable to any intervention.

Investments proposed range from Rs 1,049 crore (Ludhiana) to Rs 5,099 crore (Indore).

The 20 cities account for a total population of 3.54 crore with city-wise population ranging from 2.58 lakh (New Delhi Municipal Council area) to 55.78 lakh (Ahmedabad).

Five cities have a population of below 5 lakh, four in the range of 5-10 lakh, six in the range of 10-25 lakh, four between 25 and 50 lakh. Only one city (Ahmedabad) has a population of more than 50 lakh.
Mumbai: . The usually calm and collected actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan got a fit of anger during Sarbjit interviews when she was asked a question about Salman Khan.

According to a report in Spotboye, while addressing the media at Vashu Bhagnani's office, Aishwarya was asked if she would ever work with Salman in future. A shocked Aishwarya, got up and not only stopped the interview but also ensured that the footage of entire incident was deleted.

Apparently, producer Jackky Bhagnani rushed to play the peacemaker but there was little he could do. The actress then asked other journalists to move on instead of just being spectators.

This comes as a surprise because Aishwarya has never refrained from answering such questions and very tactfully handled them in the past.

Last month when Aishwarya was asked about the controversy of Salman being appointed as the goodwill ambassador of the Indian team for Rio Olympics 2016, she said, Anybody who is doing good to represent the country and anybody who is working or seeking or standing out for whatever vocation we have in the country be it sports, arts or music, I think thats wonderful and needs to be recognised.
Mumbai: Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan starrer Rangoon, which was chasing a September 2016 release has pushed its dates and is now looking for a earlier 2017 release.

Due to pending post production work, Rangoon will now release on February 24, 2017. Only a couple of weeks back the films team finished the final shoot and the teams absolutely happy with the final results.

The film will release just a day before Shahids birthday.

'Rangoon' directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, is a classic tale that is set against the backdrop of World War II. The director who wanted to work on this subject since eight years now, promises that the film will have the musical charm of Moulin Rouge, the romance of Casablanca and the intensity of Saving Private Ryan.

In this love triangle, well see Saif playing the character of a filmmaker, Kangana as an actress from the 40s and Shahid playing the role of an army officer. The makers of Rangoon plan on releasing the film around October next year. The film is being produced by Sajid Nadiawala.
Popular Pakistani actress Maria Wasti may soon be joining the likes of Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan and Mawra Hocane who have found success in Bollywood. The actress has been spotted repeatedly with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, giving a clear indication that she might be doing a film in India. Though Maria hasnt given any official confirmation, a source close to her reveals that she is finally ready to take up projects in India.

Reveals the source, Maria is considering some projects in Bollywood. It is very likely that the actress may soon sign the dotted line and will be seen on the silver screen like her contemporaries. The news will bring cheer to her fans in India, who religiously follow her show Malika- E- Aliya.

When contacted, Maria said, Yes, I am considering a few projects in India. I have always been keen on trying my luck in Bollywood. Its very encouraging to see Pakistani actors doing so well in the film industry here. The Indian audience have accepted them with open arms.

I am confident they will accept me as well. My show is being appreciated and noticed here. At the moment I cannot reveal much and I can only say that very soon people will get to see me on the big screen. Marias show Malika-E-Aliya is about the story of a middle-class girl.
Adults born prematurely are more likely to have lower incomes, be single and have chronic health conditions than those born at a healthy weight. (Photo: Pixabay)

By early adulthood, adults who were born prematurely at low birth weights are less likely to be employed and to have children, and more likely to have lower incomes, be single and have chronic health conditions than those born at a healthy weight, according to a new study.

The new study continues to follow the first generation of extremely low birth weight babies who survived in the early era of advanced neonatal care, said lead author Dr. Saroj Saigal of McMaster University in Ontario. We reported their outcomes a decade ago at 24 years of age and at that time they were comparable to (full-term) children, despite the fact that 28 percent had disabilities, Saigal told Reuters Health by phone. Employment and educational parameters were similar.

But after the transition to adulthood, there are differences between the groups, she said. The researchers studied 189 adults born between 1977 and 1982. One hundred had been born prematurely, weighing less than 1 kg, while the other 89 had weighed more than 2.5 kg. All participants completed standardized questionnaires on health, education, employment, social integration, sexuality and reproduction.

More than half of each group were women. One in five of those born premature had neurologic impairments. In their mid-20s, the two groups had similar life circumstances and achievement, and at ages 29 to 36, educational achievement and family and partner relationships were still similar - but fewer premature adults were employed or employed full time.

On average, the premature group was making $20,000 less per year than the term group. Half of the premature group was never married or single, compared to about a third of the full-term group, and 20 percent had never experienced sexual intercourse compared to 2 percent of the term group, as reported in JAMA Pediatrics, May 23.

Neurological disabilities explain some of the differences, but personality differences also play a role, Saigal said. Overall the majority were educated, living independently, employed, contributing to society, but those born very premature tended not to be go-getters as much as those born at term, she said.

More adults in the premature group also reported being homosexual or bisexual than in the term group, although its not clear why that would be and the sample of people in this study was relatively small, she said. Most of the difference came from individuals in the low birth weight group identifying as bisexual, said Peter Anderson of Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, who was not part of the new study.

The study has provided enormous insights into our understanding of how these infants transition through childhood to adolescence to adulthood, Anderson told Reuters Health by email. The results are predominantly positive given their vulnerability at birth.

Hopefully children born today should do equally well if not better than children born earlier, given advancements in neonatal care, Saigal said. The majority of times we do not know why infants are born this early.
Dominic Husson and Louise Veronneau are the first couple to get married at the Cat House. (Credit: YouTube)

Canadian couple Dominic Husson and Louise Veronneau liked cats so much that they decided to celebrate the most beautiful moment of their lives with them  their wedding. The venue of their nuptials was the Cat House on the Kings, which is a no-kill, no-cage feline shelter in Parlier, California.

The two did not find the idea of having their wedding ceremony in the presence of around 1,000 cats even the slightest bit weird. We are both animal lovers, and it shows she's a great person, and that's why I wanted to marry her, Husson was quoted as saying by NBC News.

Dominic and Louise are the first couple to get married at the Cat House. The sight of the bride and groom happily posing with their furry guests makes their wedding absolutely purr-fect!

Click on the link below to view the video:
Hyderabad: A 25-year-old woman from Hyderabad, who went to Saudi Arabia to work as a 'house maid', was allegedly tortured to death, as she succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment at the King Saud hospital for chest diseases in Saudi Arabia.

The family members of Asima Khatoon were informed about the death on Thursday when an unknown person called her mother from Riyadh and informed that Asima was no more.

Asima used to call her family and lament about the torture being allegedly meted out to her at the hands of her employer.

Three days before her death, Chief Secretary of Telangana Dr. Rajiv Sharma had made a request in writing at the behest of the deceased's family to rescue her from the clutches of her employer and repatriate her back to Hyderabad.

Asima, a resident of Shah Colony in Dabeerpura, had left for Riyadh in December 2015 on a 'house maid' visa procured via an agent.

Since the government had stopped issuing 'house maid' visas about two years ago, she was in fact, sent to Riyadh on a business visit visa for 90 days and was illegally kept there in confinement.

Though there was no information from her since her departure, she telephoned home about two months ago informing the family about the instances of torture that had been meted out to her from the hands of her employer, Abdul Rahman Ali Mohammed.

She told her mother on the phone that she was being harassed mentally and physically and requested her family to make arrangements for her return at any cost.
Patna: Four days after promulgation of partial prohibition in Bihar on April 1, the Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday decided to impose a total ban on alcohol in towns and cities.

The decision was taken after cabinet gave its approval to excise and prohibition departments proposal to impose a complete ban on sale and consumption of liquor in the state including IMFL brands.

Announcing the decision after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the government which had earlier decided to allow sale and consumption of Indian Made Foreign liquor brands in selected parts of urban areas has now, after growing public demand, decided to impose a complete ban.

We didn't not expected this kind of public response, we have now decided to impose a complete ban on liquor with immediate effect. No license will be given and no hotels and Bars in the state will be allowed to serve liquor after this announcement, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said.

With the decision to impose a prohibition on all kind of liquor Bihar has become fourth state to become complete dry after Gujarat, Nagaland and Mizoram.

During Assembly elections, Nitish had promised that he will start a people's movement against liquor in the state and ensure that the ban on liquor is effectively implemented.

#WATCH: Nitish Kumar announces complete imposition of alcohol ban in Bihar, turns dry state from todayhttps://t.co/vUtBFa0LGS  ANI (@ANI_news) April 5, 2016

The Chief Minister said that the government had earlier planned to launch several awareness drive and also to create anti-liquor perception among people regarding ill effect of consumption of alcohol in urban areas before banning IMFL but, the kind of environment we wanted is already there, they (women) didnt want the government to open liquor shops they wanted a complete ban what more do we want. This has become a social movement and we felt that time has come to bring social change in Bihar.

The Chief Minister said that the state was going to set an example in the country by banning liquor, and added that the temporary ban on alcohol in the state has received tremendous response from women and children.

According to sources the state government was compelled to ban IMFL brands after women started protesting state governments decision to allow consumption in urban areas.

Now there will be no discrimination both rural and urban areas will face similar kind of ban, Kumar said during the announcement in Patna on Tuesday.

On 'toddy' which has created controversy in recent days following intervention of RJD President Lalu Prasad against its stoppage in view of interest of people associated with the trade, Kumar said the state cabinet decided to strictly impose the 1991 guidelines which allows consumption of "Neera" (drink from palm trees before sunrise) but disallows consumption of 'toddy' (after sunrise when the palm tree liquid gets fermented and gains alcoholic properties).

The 1991 guidelines prohibits sale and consumption of 'Neera' within 50 metre of places like hospital, education institutions, religious places among others in towns and 100 metres radius in rural areas, he added.

The chief minister said "Neera" would be allowed, while 'toddy' drink would be barred.

In the 2014-15 the excise collection from the liquor in the state was Rs 3,700 crore while the target for the 2015-16 was set at Rs 4,000 crore.

Liquor Prohibition was the first major announcement by Kumar after he was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fifth time following an emphatic election victory.

It was a promise he had made at a public event in April to a group of angry women who had complained about liquor addiction in villages.

He had also exhorted women not to hesitate in destroying the country liquor manufacturing units after April 1.

"Do not hesitate to destroy 'bhattis' (manufacturing units of country liquor) if need arises and complaint to the call centre," Kumar had said earlier while launching a campaign to make prohibition a mass movement in the state.

The Chief minister had also said that a designated cell would be set up in Patna for strict monitoring of prohibition decision and its telephone numbers would be advertised so that citizens could inform, if they see illegal trade in liquor after prohibition comes into force.

Urging women to make the liquor ban in Bihar a mass movement, Kumar said he decided to go for it to fulfil his poll promise that if he returned to power, their wish to stop sale of liquor, which ruins families, would be fulfilled.
It also ordered the Karnataka High Court to hear all pleas challenging the same.

Bengaluru: The 85% pictorial warning on cigarette packets are here to stay and if the manufacturers are caught bypassing the order, they will be heavily penalized and the products seized.

On May 4th the Supreme Court directed the tobacco industry to adhere to rules requiring stringent health warnings on cigarette packs. It also ordered the Karnataka High Court to hear all pleas challenging the same.

The order has been hailed by health experts, who have been pushing for bigger pictorial warnings. "Earlier it was a 40% pictorial warning, which means 60% promotion. This also means you promote more than you warn. It is a lethal product and it is the consumer's right to know everything about the product," says Dr Vishal Rao, Consultant Oncologist - Head and Neck Surgeon, Health Care Global (HCG) Cancer Center who is a Member of the High Powered Committee, Tobacco Control Government of Karnataka.

Infographic

Also, the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC), an international cohort study that surveys adult smokers in nineteen countries, provides much of the evidence for health warnings.

According to ITC research, adult and youth smokers report that large, comprehensive warnings reduce smoking consumption, raise the motivation to quit and increase the likelihood that they will remain abstinent following a quitting attempt.

Experts believe that this move would bring down the new customer base added every year by the industry. "One lakh customers are lost every year, so they need more customers and hence this order of a huge pictorial warning will have a big impact on new consumers. So it is a huge victory," says Dr Vishal.

Health warnings on cigarette packs inform smokers about the health hazards of smoking, encourage smokers to quit, and prevent nonsmokers from starting to smoke. Warnings on tobacco products are an ideal way of communicating with smokers because they pair the warning directly with smoking behavior.

According to a study, 'Tobacco Warning Labels: Evidence of Effectiveness' there has been evidence from countries such as Uruguay, that have increased the size of their warnings even further. This has shown greater effectiveness, including thinking about the risks of smoking, thinking about quitting and abstaining having a cigarette many times. It was also found that smokers report greater recall of warnings that appear on the front, compared to the side, of packages.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and most of his ministerial colleague are expected to attend an event at India Gate to be hosted by mega star Amitabh Bachchan on May 28 to mark the second anniversary of the government.

The government is organising the event-- 'Zara Muskura Do' (Smile Please)-- which will have several performances and programmes highlighting its "achievements". The show will be beamed across the country by Doordarshan.

Read: Modi govt to highlight achievements in 200 'nerve centres' for 2nd anniversary

Various schemes and programmes, particularly Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Digital India and Rural Electrification, will be highlighted during the show. Programmes to mark the completion of Modi government's second year in office will also be held in various other cities.

The government had formed a panel of ministers, headed by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and comprising Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, to supervise preparations for the show.

The panel has had extensive discussions regarding the government schemes which need to be highlighted.

Last year, the Modi government had celebrated its first year in office with a tagline 'Saal Ek, Shuruaat Anek'. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had asked various ministries to provide details of their achievements.

BJP has also planned to hold over 200 events across the country between May 26 and June 10 to highlight the government's "successes" and Modi is likely to address rallies in different places, starting with an address in Saharanpur on May 26.
Let's start with where the data comes from: The Commissioner of Higher Education, which collects employment data from students one year after they graduate, and the Department of Labor.

The Montana University System finalized a memorandum of understanding in 2007 with the state's Department of Labor and Industry that allows the University System to track the labor force outcomes for recent graduates. Nearly all employed Montanans are identified in the Department of Labors Unemployment Insurance records (you wouldn't be if you're self-employed, for example. The state's data grabs about 80 percent of graduates).

Using these records, University System can ascertain how many graduates obtain work in Montana and what wages they receive. That's from this PDF, which gives a bit more insight into the data.
New Delhi: CBI on Tuesday carried out searches at the prestigious Viswa Bharati University in Santiniketan in connection with alleged irregularities committed by a former Vice-Chancellor.

CBI sources said searches started at seven places this morning after the agency registered a case on a reference received from the Central government in this regard.

It is alleged that UGC guidelines were not followed in the appointment process during the tenure of a former Vice-Chancellor, the sources said.

The University was founded by Rabindranath Tagore.
Hyderabad: Elders of the Muslim community have proposed direct zakat for the needy and those who are in need of higher education. The Young Reformers Forum, along with Reformers Front of India, have started the Direct Zakat Movement in the Old City. They are holding sessions in masjids and community halls in the small colonies of the city.

With Ramzan only 15 days away, senior family members are being counselled to directly help people rather than donating money to educational and charitable institutions.

The need was felt as in the last few years it was found that institutions were getting huge sums, ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore, and instances of misappropriation of money had become common.

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Mr Ehsan al Hamumi, a senior member of the group said, We are trying to tell people to identify those who are in need and help them directly. They can pay their school or college fees or buy books, clothes or other teaching material and hand those over to them. The direct connect is important as it gives surety that the money has been properly utilised. Otherwise, within a few months, we hear instances of misuse of money. This has confused many donors who approach us and ask for guidance as to where they must make their Ramzan offerings.

The first priority is to give to those who are in need, they can either be neighbours or relatives. Mr Ilyas Shamshi, of Reformers Front of India said,

Zakat is a private affair and hence the donors do not need to advertise where they have given their money. The need for directly helping out people was felt as despite magnanimous donations, there are still a large number of people in need. Hence this money must be donated to those within your circles who fit the description of needy.

But there are a few sects in the Muslim community who oppose this idea and advocate that zakat must be paid to clergymen and also to the institutions operated by them.

A senior member of the Shia sect said on condition of anonymity, We are not for this kind of advocacy. For Shia Muslims, zakat has to be paid to the clergymen. They are operating institutions, mausoleums and also hospitals for members of the community who get free service.

Ahead of Ramzan, call to avoid splurging

Several counselling sessions have been held over the last fortnight in the Old City, Abids, Trimulgherry, Balanagar, Moula Ali and Alwal, requesting people not to waste time shopping during the holy month of Ramzan. With new fashion accessories and clothes arriving only after the 10th of Ramzan, most people wait for the last 10 days to finish their shopping.

Mr Ather Moin, a senior member of the community said, Ramzan is not a month for shopping. But due to the consumerist attitude of people, it has now become a shopping event for Id-ul-Fitr. This is a completely wrong message going down to the younger generation of Muslims who have to refrain from these indulgences.

The last 10 days of Ramzan are very important as the 10 nights are only for prayers and many stay awake all night praying. Ms Naseema Begum, who is also passing on this message to various womens groups in the city, says, It is very painful to find most people wasting their time in bazaars. The holy month demands of one to refrain, but instead people become indulgent. Its a Herculean task to create awareness but we are trying to get maximum people to change their mindset.

Advisories have also been sent to families on WhatsApp groups and social media to shop in the last 15 days of Shabaan and spend the whole month till Id only in prayers.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat arrives at CBI headquarters for questioning in connection with the sting CD probe in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: "Sometimes even an ant can trouble an elephant," Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said on Tuesday, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, hours after appearing before the CBI in the sting CD case involving him.

"We are not here to fight against Modiji or (BJP chief) Amit Shah. But if they keep pinching us, then they should not forget that sometimes even ant can trouble an elephant," Rawat said addressing his supporters here.

Though insisting that he did not want a confrontation with the Centre as he was "more concerned about the development of my state", Rawat, who was reinstated as Chief Minister following a court-ordered floor test in the legislative assembly, however, said the Modi government was trying to achieve "what it could not" by getting a CBI probe instituted against him.

"We chose to respect the CBI probe. We could have taken a stand (against the probe) for the government which had transferred the matter to CBI wasn't an elected government, it was a decision taken during President's rule. And what is President's rule? Centre's rule. And Centre only has asked its agency to probe the matter," Rawat told the gathering at his 9, Trimurti Lane residence.

Rawat said after its Uttarakhand debacle, the Centre will think twice before imposing President's rule in any state.

He said his government wants an "atmosphere of cooperation" to prevail with the Centre and that he does not intend to "challenge the authority of the Prime Minister".

Rawat said he will appear before the CBI again on June 7 and "present my side of the story before the agency".

The Congress leader said it was "unfortunate" that he had to appear before the CBI when he was supposed to be back in the state monitoring the situation after yesterday's landslide which claimed 12 lives.

CBI had registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) on April 29 to probe the sting operation in which Rawat was purportedly shown negotiating a deal to buy the support of rebel Congress MLAs ahead of the floor test.

Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul had recommended a CBI probe when the state government was under President's rule. However, days after Rawat's reinstatement, the state Cabinet met under Indira Hridayesh and decided to withdraw the notification recommending CBI inquiry. The premier investigative agency, however, decided to proceed with the investigation, claiming legal opinion obtained by it was in its favour.
The HRW report also says a law criminalising the deliberate wounding of religious feelings has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in India. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: India routinely uses outdated and loosely worded laws to crack down on dissent, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday, urging the government to repeal or amend legislation used to stifle free speech.

A new report from the group details the use of colonial-era laws such as sedition and criminal defamation to clamp down on government critics in the world's biggest democracy.

It comes months after the arrest of student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on a controversial sedition charge sparked major protests and a nationwide debate over free speech.

"India's abusive laws are the hallmark of a repressive society, not a vibrant democracy," said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW's South Asia director, in a statement.

"Putting critics in prison or even forcing them to defend themselves in lengthy and expensive court proceedings undermines the government's efforts to present India as a modern country in the Internet age committed to free speech and the rule of law."

The report says the law on sedition, which prohibits anything that can trigger "hatred or contempt" for the government and carries a maximum punishment of life in prison, is among the most abused.

Convictions are rare, but the Indian judicial system is notoriously slow and those charged can spend months or even years in jail awaiting trial.

In 2012, police in Tamil Nadu filed sedition complaints against thousands of people who peacefully protested the construction of a nuclear power plant.

In 2014 the most recent year for which figures are available 47 sedition cases were registered across the country and just one person was convicted, according to the government's National Crime Records Bureau.

The HRW report also says a law criminalising the deliberate wounding of religious feelings has had a "chilling effect" on freedom of expression in India and has led to self-censorship by authors, artists and publishers.

It cites Penguin India's 2014 decision to withdraw a book on the history of Hinduism by American scholar Wendy Doniger rather than fight a case brought by a fringe religious group.
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim will be nabbed soon and brought to India.

The Union Minister, however, has not mentioned any specific time duration for this.

"Dawood will be nabbed soon. He will be brought back to India at any situation. He is an International terrorist. However, there is need to take the help of international agencies to nab him," said Singh in an interview to ETV News head Jagdeesh Chandra.

Read: Know Dawoods location, expect Pak to hand him over, says India

"All the relevant documents against Dawood have been given to Pakistan," he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier reiterated that it will continue to pursue Pakistan to handover Dawood after a television channel claimed that it has tracked his location.

Days after the latest ISIS video showed Indian Jihadis in its ranks warning to avenge purported atrocities on Muslims in India, the Union Minister also assured that there is no threat to India from the terror outfit.

"There is no threat from ISIS. Along with the alertness of the security, the Muslims of the country are also against the ISIS. In India, the Muslim community won't allow them to do so.

In a latest video released by the ISIS, Indian Jihadis, including Thane engineering student Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, has issued a warning and vowed to avenge the demolition of the Babri Mosque and the purported killing of Muslims across the country.

Four youth from Mumbai's Kalyan - Aarif Majid, Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, Amaan Tandel and Saheem Tanki - had fled to Iraq in May 2014 to join ISIS. Out of these, Aarif Majid is in the NIA custody as he returned from Syria. Shahim Tanki is supposed to have been killed in a bomb attack in Raqqa last year, as claimed by Sheikh in the video.
The Army and Assam Rifles have been continuously running an intensive combing operation to trace the militants in the deep jungles near Indo-Myanmar border, where the incident happened on Sunday afternoon (Photo: Representational Image)

Imphal: The Army on Tuesday vowed to hit back hard on the militants who carried out an ambush which killed six Assam Rifles personnel in Manipur's Chandel district on Sunday.

"In counter-insurgency operation it is a matter of initiative and opportunity. They have been able to get this opportunity but it is not long before we hit back and we will hit back very hard," Lt Gen Abhay Krishna, General Officer Commanding of 3 Corps, told reporters in Imphal.

Read: Rajnath orders action against militants who killed Assam Rifles personnel

The Army and Assam Rifles have been continuously running an intensive combing operation to trace the militants in the deep jungles near Indo-Myanmar border, where the incident happened on Sunday afternoon.

Refusing to divulge details of the operations before the media, Krishna said the search was on in the jungles. "I can assure you no setback can ever dilute the resilience of the Indian Army. We are trained to be resilient. This type of casualties is a setback for everybody but it is also an opportunity to bounce back and bounce back with a bigger success," he said, adding strong action cannot be taken at the press of a button.

Read: Manipur ambush: Bodies of six Assam Rifles personnel flown to native places

On the security situation in Manipur where 18 army personnel were killed in the same district last year in an ambush by NSCN(K) militants, the officer said, "After one year they have been able to get this opportunity but we will wrest this opportunity and initiative very soon".

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh condemned the incident. We stand united in the fight against insurgents and will continue to strive for furtherance of peace in the region, he said, adding those involved in such crimes will be severely punished.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had directed security forces to take "strongest possible action" against the militants involved in the ambush.
Bengaluru: As per the Supreme Court order, the NEET phase 2 examination will be held on July 24. Results of NEET phase 1 held on May 1 and NEET phase 2 will be announced together on August 17.

The Supreme Court also directed the agencies concerned to complete the medical admission process by September 30. But a few students feel that some vested interests may misuse the time-table for gain by blocking seats in engineering colleges.

Reason: there will be a minimum gap of one month between the engineering and medical admission process. According to the students, all the private engineering colleges will complete their first and second round of seat allotment process by August 17.

But most of the students who secure seats in the top ranked engineering colleges also appear for NEET and if they get a good ranking in the NEET they drop their engineering seats for medical seats.

"As per the consensual agreement signed between the state government and COMEDK colleges, all the merit seats which become vacant after the II round of the seat allotment process, will be considered as management quota seats. As students are not immediately aware of their ranking in NEET, they join the engineering course first. After that there is the possibility of these students vacating their engineering seats. As these seats become management quota seats, colleges can sell them for a hefty amount," said an officer from the higher education department.

"Agents also use the same tactic. First they approach meritorious students who have written both COMEDK UGET and NEET. Once they vacate their engineering seats, they block those seats with the help of college managements," he explained.

Students want the state government to postpone the engineering seat allotment process by both KEA and COMEDK till the completion of at least the first round of NEET counseling. "We will raise the issue at all the public forums," said Sharath Bhat, an engineering seat aspirant.
"BJP and Cong both have become dharna parties wid no governance agenda,(sic)," the Delhi Chief Minister tweeted. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday hit out at the BJP and Congress terming them as "dharna parties" with no governance agenda.

The CM's remarks came after BJP and Congress activists staged a protest outside his residence over alleged water and power crisis in the national capital. "BJP and Cong both have become dharna parties wid no governance agenda,(sic)," the Delhi Chief Minister tweeted.

Read: Stop outages or face licence cancellation: Delhi govt to power discoms

Attacking the Chief Minister, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay alleged while the city was facing severe water and power crisis, the CM was busy fulfilling his political ambitions in Goa and Punjab. Holding pots in their hands, the Delhi Mahila Congress workers raised slogans against Kejriwal.

"Water and power is unavailable even for two days at a stretch. The Delhi chief minister should be ashamed of this. He (Kejriwal) should think of the national capital rather than thinking of Goa and Punjab. He has spent only on his advertisements," Delhi Mahila Congress president Barkha Shukla Singh said
Naik Pandurang Mahadev Gawade of 41 Rashtriya Riffles was killed while fighting a group of highly-trained militants in Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: The residents of Mulwandwadi village in Sindhudurg district of coastal Konkan on Tuesday bid a tearful adieu to martyr Naik Pandurang Mahadev Gawade of 41 Rashtriya Riffles, who was killed while fighting a group of highly-trained militants in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Gawade was cremated with full military honours at his native village. The villagers had put up posters lauding his supreme sacrifice for the country.

Guardian Minister of Sindhudurg, Deepak Kesarkar said the government will render all possible financial assistance to the martyr's family.

Gawade, who is survived by wife and two children, was critically injured in the fierce gunbattle that resulted in the elimination of five heavily-armed militants at Chak Drugmulla in Kupwara.

The Army on Monday paid tributes to Gawade, lauding his "valour and sacrifice", at a solemn ceremony held at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.

Gawade was part of the column which located and engaged the terrorists hiding in a cluster of houses. The injured soldier was admitted to the Military Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.
The Army and Assam Rifles have been continuously running an intensive combing operation to trace the militants in the deep jungles near Indo-Myanmar border, where the incident happened on Sunday afternoon. (Photo: PTI)

Imphal: The Army on Tuesday vowed to hit back hard on the militants who carried out an ambush which killed six Assam Rifles personnel in Manipur's Chandel district on Sunday.

"In counter-insurgency operation it is a matter of initiative and opportunity. They have been able to get this opportunity but it is not long before we hit back and we will hit back very hard," Lt Gen Abhay Krishna, General Officer Commanding of 3 Corps, told reporters here.

The Army and Assam Rifles have been continuously running an intensive combing operation to trace the militants in the deep jungles near Indo-Myanmar border, where the incident happened on Sunday afternoon.

Refusing to divulge details of the operations before the media, Krishna said the search was on in the jungles.

"I can assure you no setback can ever dilute the resilience of the Indian Army. We are trained to be resilient. This type of casualties is a setback for everybody but it is also an opportunity to bounce back and bounce back with a bigger success," he said, adding strong action cannot be taken at the press of a button.

On the security situation in Manipur where 18 army personnel were killed in the same district last year in an ambush by NSCN(K) militants, the officer said, "After one year they have been able to get this opportunity but we will wrest this opportunity and initiative very soon".

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh condemned the incident. We stand united in the fight against insurgents and will continue to strive for furtherance of peace in the region, he said, adding those involved in such crimes will be severely punished.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had directed security forces to take "strongest possible action" against the militants involved in the ambush.

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of the martyrs were sent to their hometowns in two specially requisitioned Indian Air Force aircraft accompanied by a team of Assam Rifles personnel.

In a solemn wreath laying ceremony conducted in true traditions of the Indian Armed Forces, homage was paid to the six martyrs of 29 Assam Rifles.

Wreaths were laid by the Chief Minister, his deputy Gaikhangam and high ranking officers of Army and Assam Rifles based in Manipur.

CorCom, a conglomerate of proscribed outfits, in a statement issued to the media, had claimed that the ambush was carried out by them. The deceased include a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and five jawans of the Assam Rifles.
The slew of measures planned in order to reach out to people and widen the media outreach further include holding sammelans. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The NDA dispensation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will complete two years in office, has identified 200 "nerve centres" across the country to highlight the achievements of the government.

Read: UP in focus of Modi, Shah events for government's 2nd anniversary

According to an internal communication, BJP would observe a 21-day-long 'vikas parv' from May 26-June 15, during which 33 teams, each comprising of one Cabinet Minister, one Minister of State (MoS) along with a national and state-level party functionary will visit 6-7 identified "nerve centres" to highlight the achievements of the government.

Read: On 2nd anniversary, NDA to target Oppn, highlight Emergency

"It is also important to emphasise the obstruction by Opposition in not passing important legislations and creating hurdles in the path of development so that general public take note of achievements of government within a short span of time despite the difficulties and shortcomings inherited from the previous regimes," states the internal note sent to all ministers and department heads.

The Modi government would complete two years in office on May 26.

The slew of measures planned in order to reach out to people and widen the media outreach further include holding sammelans with beneficiaries of various welfare schemes of Central government, holding non-political meetings with industry bodies, farmers and women's organisations, lawyers and doctors' associations. Besides, it includes holding press conferences along with exclusive interviews and organising official programmes.

The Lok Sabha MPs belonging to NDA have been told to spend at least two days and one night in each assembly segment under their Parliamentary constituency and hold meetings with public for grievance redressal.

During the meetings, a model development tree will be displayed prominently for the better understanding of the public. The Prime Minister's appropriate message on a particular welfare scheme will be displayed in the background.

Cut outs and banners explaining the achievements scheme-wise in general and most important with particular reference to that town or area will be put up and each MP and members of team have been asked to use social media effectively to disseminate campaign highlights.

Rajya Sabha MPs belonging to NDA have also been asked to visit districts in the state they are elected from and devote 15-20 days during the campaign visiting all assembly constituencies and highlighting the achievements.

Apart from that, eight Chief Ministers and one Deputy Chief Minister of BJP will spend at least two days within home town and two days outside the state to highlight significant projects, policies and welfare schemes of the government.

Besides, party functionaries will be visiting every block to attract local media and disseminate through them the quantum of funds sanctioned and released and the number of beneficiaries of various welfare schemes.

State party functionaries will visit each and every Mandal and should make night halts at major villages to develop personal rapport with villagers.
Guwahati: BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday said NDA government's two years in office at the Centre will be written in "golden words" in history for the many developmental works that took place during the place.

Read: Amitabh Bachchan to host Modi govt's 2-year anniversary event at India Gate

"After two days, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre will complete two years. In the history of India this period will be written in golden words that so many developmental works took place, which never happened in 60 years since Independence," Shah said.

Read: BJPs first govt in Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal sworn-in as Chief Minister

Elaborating, he said the Centre under the leadership of Narendra Modi has worked for development of all sections of people and the happiest moment for his party to form the government in Assam.

Addressing the huge public function organised for the swearing-in of new Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, he said "I want to assure the people of Assam that our government will work very efficiently to take the state on the path of strong growth. Assam will be included in the list of developed states in India."

The Centre will always stand by Assam in its problems and needs, he added. Shah ended his speech with 'Bharat Mata Ji Jai'.

The public meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a host of BJP chief ministers, besides those of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, union ministers and top BJP leaders.
Over 10 lakh UCF having all relevant information about the flyers including their finger prints are part of the database now. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: A data bank carrying fingerprints of all foreigners coming to India on e-tourist visa is being set up by the Home Ministry to help thwart entry of terrorists and criminals from abroad.

Immigration officials have started collecting finger prints of those coming on electronic or e-tourist visa and creating an Unique Case File (UCF) of all visitors, official sources said on Tuesday.

Over 10 lakh UCF having all relevant information about the flyers including their finger prints are part of the database now, they said.

The move comes amidst hightened threat from terror groups, including the IS.

All those coming to India on e-tourist visa have to mandatorily get their finger prints scanned with authorities.

The Home Ministry has decided to press ahead with the drive despite External Affairs Ministry recently expressing its reservations over the mandatory requirement of finger print scanning of the foreigners, saying it may discourage tourists form visiting India, the sources said.

The Home Ministry officials, however, suggested that the government could look at incentivising the tourists by giving them long-term visa to address Foreign Ministry's concerns.

"It has been suggested that long term e-visa for two to five years or maybe more can be given to foreigners if they are giving finger prints. This will encourage the visitors while complying with all security requirements," a source said.

The US also gives long-term tourist and business visa of upto ten years to Indians, he said

The e-tourist visa scheme was launched on November 27, 2014. The scheme has been extended to 150 countries. On an average about 3,500 e-tourist visas are being granted daily to foreign nationals. Under the scheme, a visitor can apply for visa online. They receive it online too.
In its very first Cabinet meeting, the government, which came to power in May, 2014, recommended issuing two Ordinances. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Ordinance to keep state education boards out of the common medical entrance test for this year is the 21st promulgated by the Narendra Modi government, with the most controversial being the one to amend the land acquisition law.

In its very first Cabinet meeting, the government, which came to power in May, 2014, recommended issuing two Ordinances -- one to amend the TRAI Act to allow Nripendra Mishra take over as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and the other to amend the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act fortransfer of a cluster of villages for the Polavaram project.

Both the Ordinances were issued on May 28, 2014. Besides the two, the government had issued a total of five Ordinances in 2014, including the one to amend the Land Acquisition law of 2013. The Ordinance envisaged procuring land for industrial corridors, rural infrastructure, defence and housing.

The Ordinance to amend the The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act passed by the previous UPA government was promulgated and repromulgated on three occasions following which the government gave up the Ordinance route and went for a statutory order.

The Bill to amend the land law is pending before a Joint Committee of Parliament. The other Ordinances promulgated in 2014 were the Coal Mines (special provisions) -- issued twice -- the one on Textile Undertakings and another to amend the Insurance laws.

In 2015, a total of 10 Ordinances were promulgated, including the one to amend land law which was issued twice on April 3 and May 30 respectively.
New Delhi: After raising queries, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday signed the ordinance to keep state boards out of the common entrance test (NEET) for MBBS and dental courses for this year.

The President promulgated the ordinance this morning after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him, official sources said.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early this morning along with top Health Ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by the President on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The Ordinance had been sent on Saturday to the President, who left for China today on a four-day state visit.

After the ordinance on Uttrakhand was overturned by the Supreme Court earlier this month, the President's Secretariat was this time more cautious and raised pointed queries as it was virtually taking on the apex court's order which had directed the Government to hold medical exams under NEET covering government and private colleges besides state boards.

The President was briefed by Union Health Minister J P Nadda yesterday mainly on three issues including different exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

This was followed by another briefing by officials after which the file was taken back by the Health Ministry last night only to return this morning with additional information and legal advice.

The ordinance on NEET, cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday last, is aimed at "partially" overturning Supreme Court order that had also taken into account the multiple medical entrance tests by states and private colleges as well as allegations of corruption.

The court had directed that a common entrance test-- NEET--will be held across India for MBBS and dental courses.

But state governments had objected to its implementation from this year, saying it will be too stressful for students as they had little time to prepare for the syllabus and also there were issue of language.

They said the students affiliated to state boards will find it tough to appear for the uniform test as early as July and such students will be at a loss compared to those who have followed the central board.

After the Supreme Court turned down the plea, the Centre had decided to take the ordinance route.

Different states earmark anything between 12-15 per cent seats in various private medical colleges for state quota so that students from one state can get seat in another state.

More than 15 states were opposed to NEET and had raised issues like different syllabus and languages during the recent state health ministers' meeting.

The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24.

Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1.

With the ordinance being promulgated, students of state government boards will not ave to sit for NEET on July 24.

They, however, will have to become part of the uniform entrance exam from the next academic session.

The exam will be applicable for those applying for Central government and private medical colleges.

The Supreme Court earlier ruled that the students would have to appear for NEET starting this academic session for admissions into medical or dental colleges in the country.
The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams. 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET 1, says Nadda. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: All private medical colleges will come under the ambit of common medical exams, NEET, Health Minister J P Nadda on Tuesday said after an Ordinance to keep the state boards out of it for a year was signed by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Noting that the Ordinance has given a "firm and statutory" support to the common medical entrance test, he said the students in states will get an opportunity to appear this year (2016-17) for undergraduate exams.

"All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill UG seats. However, for PG courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year.

"The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams. 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET 1," Nadda told reporters here.

"There are states which have deferred their exam like UP while Bihar has opted for NEET. They have an option. But these seats will be filled either by NEET or state governments," he said.

After having raised queries, the President today signed the Ordinance which has a provision for states to keep out of NEET for a year.

Mukherjee signed the Ordinance this morning after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early this morning along with the top ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by Mukherjee on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

Nadda said that in the Ordinance, a provision has been made where an exemption has been given to state governments.

He said, "The President today morning signed the Ordinance which was sent to him by the Union Cabinet. Following this, the legal procedure has been initiated. It will be notified today."

Nadda said this year, the NEET examination will be conducted on July 24.

He said Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chandigarh have conducted exams under NEET. Bihar too has opted for NEET from this year though Delhi is yet to take a decision, he said.

Nadda said the states that have deferred the exams are West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh.

"All state seats will be filled up either by NEET or by their state examination board and in private medical colleges, the quota that they have for states will also be filled up by the state list or NEET list. PG examination in December 2016 will be a complete NEET," he said.

He said the states had not effectively put forth their views in the right perspective before the Supreme Court.

"In order to provide them relief, we brought this Ordinance," he said.

"The government was very clear from the beginning that it was in favour of NEET," the Health Minister said.

He said that after the apex court order, many state governments had approached the Centre and appraised it of various issues, including ongoing tests of states, parity of syllabus and regional languages.

Nadda said that after due consultations, including an all- party meeting and state health ministers' meet, a consensus was reached that NEET "in principle" is to be implemted which is why the Ordinance was brought.

Rejecting Congress' charge that the government was going against NEET, he said the Centre always favoured it.

"It is very wrong. In the all-party meeting, where Jairam Ramesh was also present, I had said NEET should be implemented and for this year, exemption should be granted for undergraduate courses," he said.

The President was briefed by Nadda on Monday mainly on three issues, different exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

This was followed by another briefing by Health Ministry officials after which the file was taken back by them last night only to return this morning with additional information and legal advice.
Mumbai: The special CBI court in Mumbai on Monday for the second time rejected the bail application filed by former media honcho Peter Mukerjea in the Sheena Bora murder case.

While rejecting the bail plea, special judge H.S. Mahajan on Monday said that he went through the case diaries and there were certain facts in the case diaries, which the court could not disclose to the defence. On the basis of those facts the judge rejected Mukerjeas bail plea.

His first bail application was rejected on the ground that the chargesheet at that time was not filed and the judge had held that the investigation was going on. Later Mukerjea again filed the bail application after the CBI filed chargesheet against him.

Peters lawyer had claimed before the court that he was not aware about Sheenas death and blamed his wife for the offence. The lawyer had also pointed out contradiction in motive behind Peters involvement in murder as told by the CBI and details provided in the chargesheet which itself said that Peter had congratulated his son Rahul after he got engaged to Sheena Bora.

On the other hand, CBI counsels Bharat Badami and Kavita Patil had opposed Peters bail plea saying there is ample evidence on record to show his involvement in the conspiracy of murder and the investigation is still underway and the investigating agency would file more documents in the court in future and hence he should not be granted bail.

After hearing arguments, the judge had reserved order on bail application till May 23 and rejected it on Monday.

Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyam Rai had allegedly strangled Sheena (24), Indranis daughter from an earlier relationship, inside a car in April 2012. The crime, which came to light in August 2015, is allegedly linked to certain financial dealings.

(THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN The ASIAN AGE AS MAY THE CASE BE)
Stalin's election as party's floor leader came at a meeting attended by all 89 DMK MLAs including Karunanidhi. (Photo: File)

Chennai: All set to take over as the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Tamil Nadu Assembly, DMK scion MK Stalin on Tuesday vowed to do justice to the post and take up people's issues in a constructive way in the legislature.

63-year-old Stalin, son of party patriarch M Karunanidhi, was unanimously elected as its Legislature Party leader by the DMK MLAs on Tuesday, marking his ascent towards the key Opposition Leader status for the first time in his political career.

Stalin's election as party's floor leader came at a meeting attended by all 89 DMK MLAs, including Karunanidhi, who won from his native Thiruvarur constituency for a second term by a record margin of over 68,000 votes.

DMK is the single largest opposition party with 89 MLAs and by virtue of being elected its Floor Leader, Stalin qualifies to be the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, a post the party has wrested now after DMDK headed by actor-turned politician Vijayakant grabbed it in 2011.

Stalin thanked Karunanidhi and the party MLAs for electing him as their leader.

"As an Opposition Leader, I will work efficiently. I will discuss people's issues in a constructive manner in the House and strive to uphold Assembly democracy," he said on his Facebook page.

Stalin, considered Karunanidhi's political heir apparent, will be leading a strong DMK contingent with allies Congress (8) and IUML (1) to support him in the opposition benches.

At Tuesday's meeting, senior leader Durai Murugan was elected Deputy Leader of DMK Legislature wing while R Sakkarapani the party's Whip.

Although DMK had fancied winning the May 16 polls with exit polls favouring it, the party fell short as AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa led her party to a 'historic' successive term, winning 134 of the 232 seats.

However, DMK has emerged a stronger opposition this time, almost scoring four times of the 23 MLAs that it got in the 2011 elections when it was trounced by AIADMK and relegated to the third place behind DMDK.

Stalin was DMK Floor Leader in the previous Assembly too.A sixth time MLA, Stalin made his Assembly debut in 1989 and rose in the party ranks to lead the Youth Wing besides later being elevated as Treasurer.
Students who reached the Sadvidya College in Mysuru to attend the examination were in for a shock when they were asked by the authorities to manage a change in clothes as soon as possible or skip the exam. (Representational image: DC/file)

Bengaluru: After candidates who appeared for a clerical exam were forced to strip down to their underwear and attend their examination by the Army in a recruitment drive in Patna, an examination centre in Mysuru has forced a student to cut down the sleeves of his shirt in order to appear for the JEE exams held across the country on Sunday.

According to reports, students who reached the Sadvidya College in Mysuru to attend the examination were in for a shock when they were asked by the authorities to manage a change in clothes as soon as possible or skip the exam.

After realising that it was impossible to manage a change in clothes at the last minute, as all the local shops were shut owing to the weekend, an 18-year-old was left with no option but to cut out his sleeves. Though he pleaded with the examiners, claiming it to be his lucky shirt, it found no takers. His suggestion to undergo a thorough frisking was also ignored.

Another young woman who turned up at the exam venue wearing a full sleeved kurta was sent back home to change, but never returned.

Reports quoted CBSE officials as saying that the authorities of the college were only doing their duty, and that they had received special instructions from the top authorities in the board that students sporting brooches, large buttons, flowers, programmable watches or full sleeve shirt must be allowed to appear for the exam.
Union minister of state for road transport & highways, and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and Union mistier Venkaiah Naidu greet the sixth time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa, after the swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Chennai: AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa was on Monday sworn-in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a record sixth term and swung into action immediately by fulfilling some of the major poll promises made by her party during elections.

Governor K. Rosaiah administered the oath of office to Ms Jayalalithaa at 12.00 noon at a glittering function held at Centenary Auditorium of the University of Madras, as AIADMK MPs, MLAs and other leaders erupted in joy as their leader was being sworn-in as Chief Minister for a second straight term.

After Ms Jayalalithaa, her 28 cabinet colleagues took oath in two batches as the event come to a close in 23 minutes. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Union Parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union minister of state for shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and representatives from various walks of life including Kollywood.

Mr Venkaiah attended the event as the representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was away in Iran on an official visit. But, Mr Modi took time from his busy schedule to greet the Chief Minister on Twitter.

In a departure from tradition, Opposition DMK was represented by its treasurer M.K. Stalin, senior leader K. Ponmudy and newly-elected MLAs, though they were seated in the 10th row at the auditorium. Draped in a green sari, Ms Jayalalithaa arrived at the auditorium a little before 12 noon and was waiting for the Governor to arrive.

Once the Governor came to the dais, she welcomed him with a bouquet, which was reciprocated by the Governor. Immediately after the customary welcome, the Chief Minister introduced her cabinet colleagues to Mr Rosaiah after which the oath taking ceremony began. Immediately after the swearing-in ceremony was over, Ms Jayalalithaa drove straight to the secretariat and assumed office and signed files.
A Stillwater County man was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into allegations he had sexual contact with two girls younger than 16.

Jason Russel Burg, 42, was arrested during a traffic stop near Billings, said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Rod Ostermiller. He was being investigated by officials from Stillwater County and the United States Marshals Service Montana Violent Offender Task Force.

Burg was booked into Yellowstone County Detention Facility in connection to a felony sexual assault and a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of children. Hes being held on a $100,000 bond.

According to the documents, Burg allegedly entered a bathroom where one of the girls was showering and touched her sexually. On another occasion, he allegedly encouraged and assisted the girl to remove her pants so he could see her naked.

Law enforcement became aware of the incidents after Burg attempted to volunteer in a Park City church youth program. During the interview process he admitted to the inappropriate contact with the girls.

A pastor contacted law enforcement and informed officers Burg had made similar admissions to a marriage counselor in Laurel. The counselor had reported Burg to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services.
Hyderabad: Even as vigilance inspections are underway at various private institutions, Chief Minister K Chandrasekar has acceded to the plea of private college managements to give an audience for them to express their views.

The meeting is likely to take place on Tuesday. A member of the Private Institutions JAC said that they had been seeking the CMs appointment for the last few weeks.

We want the government to give some time so that all institutions comply with the norms. The governments intentions are good and the college managements appreciate it. What we want is a few months time after which the government is free to initiate action against violators, he said.

They cited few rules such as permanent structure for private degree colleges after five years of establishment, payment to faculty only through cheques etc. that were on paper but had rarely been followed all these years.

Now colleges are being asked to show records of payments made to faculty members by cheque in the last few years, and if we fail to furnish them, it is being termed as a violation of rules. All such issues can be addressed if we are given time, he said.

MLC Mr Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, who owns the Anurag Group of Institutions, facilitated the meeting with the CM, said the JAC members. Another request that the JAC would like to put before the CM is release of fee reimbursement dues for 2015-16 and leftover dues from 2014-15.
The BSP chief, who has faced flak for installing her statues besides those of party founder Kanshi Ram at almost all the memorials and structures erected by her during her various stints as chief minister, had recently remarked that she will no longer make memorials or put up statues. (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: Notwithstanding BSP chief Mayawati's declaration that she will no longer install statues in Uttar Pradesh if voted back to power, her supporters will be banking heavily on her statues for campaigning in the 2017 polls.

A local sculptor has been roped in to carve out some 150 statues of 'Behenji' in her favourite pose to be installed at election offices and other places by BSP candidates in the coming elections for campaigning purposes.

"Altogether orders for some 150 statues have been received and work is on in this regard with the dye being cast," said Amarnath Prajapati, the sculptor who has to his credit several of the statues dotting the state capital installed by the Mayawati government.

"The order for these statues have come in from individuals who supposedly are supporters of BSP candidates," Prajapati said, adding he has been asked to deliver them well before the elections that are due early next year.

Each statue will be some three-and-a-half feet high and weigh around 40 kg to ensure they are portable. It will be golden in colour and made of metal and marble.

The statue will depict the former chief minister in walking mode, holding the purse in her right hand and scarf around her neck in her signature style.

Prajapati, however, said that he has not been contacted by anyone from the party in this regard and the orders have come his way by individual buyers.

The BSP chief, who has faced flak for installing her statues besides those of party founder Kanshi Ram at almost all the memorials and structures erected by her during her various stints as chief minister, had recently remarked that she will no longer make memorials or put up statues.

"When I come to power, I will not build memorials, because my work is over. Now I will focus only on development," Mayawati had said in Lucknow on April 14 on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti.

She had also defended the decision to install her own statues by claiming that it was the wish of her mentor Kanshi Ram.

"My statue was installed next to his (Kanshi Ram's) as his successor and for dedicating my life to realising Ambedkar's dreams and welfare of Dalits," she had said.
The YSRC is left with 50 members after 17 of its MLAs defected to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the last three months. (Photo: File)

Vijayawada: Family auditor of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and a co-accused in the disproportionate assets case against Jagan, V Vijaysai Reddy, will file his nomination papers on 26 May as the opposition YSR Congress candidate for a Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh, party sources said.

Nomination process for the biennial elections to Rajya Sabha began with the issue of notification on Tuesday. Election for four seats in Andhra Pradesh, falling vacant on June 21, is scheduled for June 11.

The YSRC is left with 50 members after 17 of its MLAs defected to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the last three months.

But the YSRC can comfortably win one seat as only 37 votes are required to get one candidate elected. Vijaysai is currently a general secretary of the YSRC. He is facing criminal trial in several cases along with YSRC chief Jagan Reddy in quid pro quo deals.
The minister said at least 25 women jailed in Gulf states have sought the state government's help recently. (Representational Image: AP)

Chennai: Women domestic workers from Andhra Pradesh are languishing in jails in Gulf states after attempting to flee abusive employers or overstaying their visas, said an Indian state minister, urging the national government to help them.

In a letter to India's foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, Andhra Pradesh's minister for non-resident Indian welfare, Palle Raghunatha Reddy, called for action to bring back the women.

"Necessary steps should be initiated to bring them to their native areas safely by providing free travel and necessary visa documents at the earliest possible (opportunity)," he wrote.

"Instructions should be issued to Indian embassy officials in Gulf countries to interfere in the matter and provide necessary help in terms of food, clothing and shelter."

Read: Hyderabad woman, working as maid in Saudi, tortured to death

Government figures show there are an estimated six million Indian migrants in the six Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman.

These include women who leave their villages to take up jobs overseas paying up to three times more than in India, putting their fate in the hands of recruitment agents, who often dupe them.

There is no official data on the exact count of the migrants stranded in Gulf countries but experts put the numbers in tens of thousands, many of them in jail.

Read: Telangana: Poor women tricked into slavery in Gulf

Some of the migrants overstay on tourist visas and are unable to pay the fines required to return home. In some cases, they do not have exit visas. Many others have been jailed on petty offences waiting for their case to be heard, according to the Andhra Pradesh state government.

Women from Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring state of Telangana "are being sold like products in a retail shop," Reddy wrote in the letter sent last week.

"Women are being sold to the tune of 400,000 rupees ($6,000)in Saudi Arabia and between 100,000 ($1,500) to 200,000 rupees ($3,000) in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait," the minister wrote.

He added that at least 25 women jailed in Gulf states have sought the state government's help recently.

In response to a query in India's parliament in March, the foreign ministry said their diplomatic missions in all six Gulf states had registered complaints of physical abuse, maltreatment, non-payment of salary, and other grievances.

Requesting anonymity, a senior official in the Andhra Pradesh government said a group of ministers from the state would travel to the Gulf next month to investigate the plight of migrants from their region.

The state government is also in the process of appointing lawyers to provide legal advice to Indian prisoners in Gulf jails, the official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the newly sworn-in Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the swearing-in ceremony at Veterinary College play ground, Khanapara in Guwahati. (Photo: PTI)

Guwahati: Standing at the gateway to the Northeast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made it clear that from here on his party would begin the march to capture the remaining six states that make up the seven sisters of the Northeast.

After demolishing the Congress in Assam, the BJP is ready to gun for Congress-ruled Manipur and Meghalaya next. Addressing a public rally at the ceremony in Guwahati to swear in Sarbananda Sonowal as the new Chief Minister of Assam, the Prime Minister said Assam will soon become the epicentre of growth for the entire South Asian region.

The dreams of the people who have given BJP the mandate will come true, the Prime Minister declared. Promising achche din for Assam, Mr Modi said the Centre and the state government will leave no stone unturned to change the future of Assam.

I am sure Sarbananda Sonowal and his team will work very hard to transform Assam, Mr Modi said in his speech in Hindi, adding, A leader belonging to the tribal community, a leader dedicated to serving the people and society is now Assams chief minister.

Democracy is about partnership: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made it clear that from here on his party would begin the march to capture the remaining six states that make up the seven sisters of Indias Northeast.

While expressing his gratitude to the people of the state, Mr Modi in his short speech said, Democracy is about bhagidari (partnership). The Centre and the states must walk shoulder to shoulder for development.

Assuring the people that the government in New Delhi would now always be standing with the Assam government, Mr Modi said, The Central government believes in cooperative federalism. We want to give the states maximum strength and enable them to progress.

BJP president Amit Shah, speaking earlier at the same venue, said, Development can truly come to Assam now after the state being denied it since the last decade. Mr Shah pointed out, There are 14 NDA chief ministers here, and we are ecstatic that there is a BJP chief minister leading Assam.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, who was the only BJP chief minister (other than Mr Sonowal) to address the public, said, History has been created in Assam. You have voted the BJP to power. Whichever state has a BJP-NDA government has seen fast-paced growth and development. I can say this with certainty, that Assam will grow leaps and bounds.

Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu also addressed the public meeting, held after the swearing-in ceremony. The oath-taking ceremony was planned as a BJP show of strength following its first election victory in the Northeast.

From student politics to joining AGP, then switching to BJP and becoming an Union minister, the new Assam CM Sarbanada Sonowals political journey to the top has been a steady climb marked by twists and turns.

A low-profile man but always sporting an infectious smile, 54-year-old Sonowals name as the partys face for the state Assembly elections came as no surprise as he came with a clean image.
Nimhans, which has a full-fledged de-addiction centre, has till date trained 38 doctors including psychiatrists from Bihar in an ongoing programme (Representational Image)

Bengaluru: The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) has come to the aid of the Bihar government in banning the sale and consumption of all forms of alcohol; from country made to the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).

The Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) government had banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar from April 1, citing the ill-effects of alcohol addiction in society, especially among the poorest of the poor.

Nimhans, which has a full-fledged de-addiction centre, has till date trained 38 doctors including psychiatrists from Bihar in an ongoing programme to help people fight their addiction.

The Bihar government has opened 38 de-addiction centres across the state to help people fight addiction and lead normal lives. The Institute (Nimhans) has trained 38 doctors, including psychiatrists and general practitioners, to help in the governments de-addiction programme. The module is more to train the trainers so that they can train more doctors in the programme for an improved outreach, said Prof Vivek Benegal, Centre of De-addiction Medicine, Nimhans.

He added that the Institute is helping the trained doctors in Bihar using the Internet based virtual knowledge network so that there is a continuous support to them. Bihar is the fourth state to go dry after Gujarat, Nagaland and Kerala. The Tamil Nadu government recently decided to implement prohibition in a phased manner.
CHENNAI: The DMK moved to the next big step in power transition and declared party treasurer M.K. Stalin as its floor leader, elevating him to the status of the Opposition leader. The decision was taken at party MLAs meeting chaired by party president M. Karunanidhi at the DMK headquarters here.

At the MLAs meeting held immediately after the chief executive committee meeting, it was also decided that principal secretary K. Duraimurugan will be the deputy leader of the party, R. Chakrapani the chief whip and K. Pitchandi the deputy whip. The decision announced by Karunanidhi was welcomed with loud applause by party MLAs.

Stalin, in an immediate Facebook post, thanked Karunanidhi and other MLAs for electing him as the Opposition leader. He vowed to function well and discuss peoples issues constructively at the House to maintain Parliamentary democracy. Stalins elevation makes it clear that Karunanidhi will guide the party from behind.
Hyderabad: Though decks have been cleared on Tuesday for exempting state government medical colleges from the Supreme Court-mandated Neet (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) for a year with President Pranab Mukherjee giving assent to the Central government's Ordinance, students from Telangana state will have to write two tests - Eamcet and Neet - to fulfil their ambition of a career while students from Andhra Pradesh, however, have been spared the twin exam worries because they have already cleared Eamcet.

Ms Shankuntala, a teacher in Hyderabad whose daughter secured 503 rank in AP Eamcet, was not happy with the Centre's decision. "This ordinance has created more worries for students and parents. In TS, students have to write two tests within a gap of few weeks. If they wanted to give relaxation from Neet, they could done it entirely for this year," she said. Prashant Reddy, who secured 1,329th rank in AP Eamcet, felt that two tests would take a toll on students. "The student community strongly feels that only one entrance exam should be held - either Eamcet or Neet. The joy we had the other day that there would be no Neet this year was short-lived," he said. Private medical and dental colleges in TS have given up their plans of separate entrance tests. However, the choice of filling NRI quota seats will remain with them like before.
Pune: In a bizarre claim, a farmer has said he could earn only Re 1 from sale of nearly a tonne of onions at the district Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC).

According to Devidas Parbhane, 48, the fall in onion prices is already taking a toll and like him, several others have got a 'raw deal' despite a bumper crop this season.

"Every day, we are hearing news about farmer suicides from drought-hit regions. However, with onion prices touching new lows, farmers like me may be meeting the same fate," said Parbhane, the sole bread-earner for his family of five.

Parbhane explains the math: he has two acres of farm land in which he grew onions by spending Rs 80,000. "On May 10, I sent 952 kg of onions in 18 gunny bags through a truck to the Pune-based Agriculture Produce Market Committee and received Rs 16 per 10 kg. So, per one kg, it works to one rupee and sixty paise," said Parbhane.

"The total onion was sold for Rs 1,523.2. Out of the earnings, the middlemen took away Rs 91.35 as commission, labour charges were Rs 59 and Rs 18.55, and Rs 33.30 was paid against miscellaneous charges. Rs 1,320 was paid to the truck driver, who transported the produce to APMC."

He claimed that after all the deductions, he is taking home only Re 1. He was informed that the prices of onion had plunged drastically that particular day. "I was expecting at least Rs 3 per kg. However, I was disappointed after receiving such a deal," the farmer said.

"For four months, I took care of my produce and watered the onions at the time of load-shedding. Forget the profit, I am unable to recover even my expenditure on growing onions."

There were no comments on the farmer's claim from APMC. Local media reports quoted the trader who bought the onion as saying that produce was of smaller size and inferior quality.

Meanwhile, a delegation of onion traders and APMC members from Lasalgaon in Nashik has met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking his intervention on the issue of plummeting prices of onions.
"The animal lifted him by the neck and threw him on to the ground, chewed the body and severed the head," said a villager. (Photo: Representational Image)

Barmer: A camel attacked its owner and bit off his head, after being left out in the sweltering heat all day with its legs tied.

According to a report, a camel in Rajasthans Barmer district lost its composure, attacked its owner and severed his head, leading to the mans death. 25 villagers attempted to restrain the camel for six hours but in vain.

Urjaram of Mangta village was entertaining guests at his house on Saturday night when he suddenly realised that his camel had been out in the heat all day with its legs tied. He was attacked when he tried to untie the annoyed animal.

"The animal lifted him by the neck and threw him on to the ground, chewed the body and severed the head," said a villager. The villagers said the camel had attacked the man earlier too.

Temperatures in Rajasthan have soared during the summer, with the mercury touching record levels. Even Indian army personnel patrolling the border with Pakistan have had a tough time dealing with camels in the heat. Recently, a camel attempted to get a jawan off its back while rushing to the shade.
In spite of my rapidly graying and receding hair, sore feet at the end of the day, and the need to wear reading glasses in the shower so I can tell the difference between shampoo and conditioner, I will admit that there are advantages to growing older. Some of these being that you learn to control your temper, see issues from other people's point of view, and not take policy differences personally. Those traits have served me well in three sessions of the Montana Senate.

That being said, the most recent (of many) executive orders by President Obama now dictates that if a boy wants in the girls' locker room with our daughters, we as parents, trustees and teachers are powerless to stop it, less we risk the federal blackmail of the loss of much-needed funds. The idiocy of this policy defies understanding, sympathy or compromise. It would take a book to describe everything wrong with this harebrained idea, so I'll just name the most obvious:

1. Yet again, no debate, no legislation, no court case. King Obama waves his scepter and expects his will shall be carried throughout the land. Even those who might agree with the president's policies should be very concerned at the concentration of executive power under this administration. Tyranny is not much fun when its not your person in there.

2. Top down, centralized decisions from D.C. (or Helena) are seldom good ones when it comes to education. And yes, that includes NCLB (No Child Left Behind). Local control is a policy we value in Montana on both sides of the aisle. I wish they did in Washington as well.

3. And most importantly, how stupid is this idea in the first place? As if being a teenage girl isn't hard enough as it is. Even harder now than it was when we children of the 70s and 80s grew up.

We have cyberbullying, sexting and a myriad of other complications that were the stuff of science fiction 20 years ago. And now Washington proposes to add to these adolescent stresses the requirement to undress in front of a member of the opposite sex. Lunacy.

What added stresses does this put on our teachers and administrators? Are they really supposed to decide which kid is really struggling with his identity and which one just wants in to the girls' locker room? What kind of liability will this decision entail?

I'm not unsympathetic to a child who is having a hard time because he or she has identity problems. The schools should (and for the most part, do) protect kids who are struggling or being bullied because of this or any other issue, and should make reasonable accommodations. What we don't need is a federal mandate creating a special class of student that doesn't have to follow basic rules of a civilized society.

As a father and a state senator, I vow that one of the first bills drafted for the 2017 session will be legislation opposing this foolishness and protecting the safety and security of our daughters.
Bhopal: A Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh has appealed to party President Sonia Gandhi to nominate a member from the Muslim community to contest Rajya Sabha elections in the state.

General Secretary of the state Congress Committee's Minority cell Mohammad Idrees Khan has said the move will enhance the party's image and attract the community's vote.

In a letter to Gandhi, Khan said, "In 2012, you had decided to send Ibrahim Qureshi to Rajya Sabha from MP but at the eleventh hour he was denied the seat and the same was given to senior Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi."

"If you didn't want to send Qureshi for any reason at that time, then in his place some other Muslim leader could have been given the chance as you had already decided to send him (Qureshi) to the Upper House...Who are the leaders who indulged in conspiracies to make you change your decision. Why you did not try to find out? It puts a question mark over your leadership," the letter dated May 23 said.

"After 2012, the party again denied the Rajya Sabha berth to a Muslim candidate in 2014. Though leaders like Syed Sajid Ali, Masarrat Shahid, Ibrahim Qureshi and others were in Delhi and in regular touch with top AICC office bearers, the seat was allotted to Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh," it said.

"If this time also the party fails to give Rajya Sabha berth to any Muslim candidate, then it will be a major setback for the community," the letter said.

Khan also alleged that Congress workers were unable to convey their feelings to the party president as there is no way to do so.

"Create some system so that those who write a letter to the Party President should get at least one line reply from you. This will ensure that the party will not get weak," he said.

Three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh are to fall vacant. Sitting BJP members Anil Madhav Dave and journalist Chandan Mitra, besides Congress' Vijay Laxmi Sadho are to retire. The notification for the biennial polls is likely to be issued today.
Proactivism in foreign policy led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, along with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, has been perhaps one of the biggest hallmarks of the Modi governments performance in the past two years, with strengthening of ties with the United States and sharp ups and downs in ties with Pakistan being the most important features.

The last few months of the previous UPA-2 governments tenure had seen a sharp deterioration in ties with the superpower due to the arrest of Indian diplomat, Devyani Khobragade, in 2013. When Prime Minister Modi took over on May 26, 2014, there was uncertainty over ties given that Mr Modi had been denied a visa in 2005 to visit the US when he was chief minister of Gujarat.

But brushing aside all that, the Prime Minister embarked on a whole new push to bolster ties with the US. Within four months of taking over, he visited the US where the ice was broken. Within four months of that, US President Barack Obama visited India to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade on January 26, 2015, the first for any US President, which showed the warmth in ties.

Both countries announced a breakthrough in the seven-year logjam for operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal. This was followed by a visit by PM Modi to the US in September 2015 that included the West Coast and Silicon Valley. The PMs third visit took place in March this year to Washington for a nuclear summit which will now be followed by an unprecedented fourth visit in June to address a joint session of the US Congress.

Apart from this, Mr Modis neighbourhood-first policy was also a cornerstone of his foreign policy approach in the past two years. For his swearing-in ceremony, Mr Modi invited leaders of the Saarc countries and it was the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that caused the greatest excitement and triggered hope for improvement in ties with Indias troublesome western neighbour. But there was volatility in store, and despite several upswings, including Prime Minister Modis surprise Lahore visit in December 2015, a series of mis-steps by Pakistan has led to the comprehensive dialogue being put in hold.

Despite the roller-coaster ride in India-Pakistan ties, India took steps to improve ties with other neighbours that resulted in a mixed bag of results. Ties with Nepal began on a promising note, with Mr Modis two visits to that country in 2014. India also rushed relief aid to Nepal last year following the earthquake there. But ties began going downhill after Nepal adopted its new Constitution and triggered anger among Nepalese Madhesis in the Terai who felt they had been ignored by the hill Nepalese, resulting in the Madhesis enforcing an economic blockade.

When the disruption ended and ties seemed to be improving came a bid by the Nepali Congress and the Maoists to topple Nepalese PM K.P. Oli. Speculation was rife that Kathmandu suspected New Delhis hand, leading to the cancellation of the Nepalese Presidents proposed visit and sacking of the Nepalese ambassador.

But ties strengthened sharply with another eastern neighbour, Bangladesh, with whom India inked a landmark agreement to settle the border issue, with an exchange of enclaves between the two sides. This has bolstered ties with the Sheikh Hasina government in Dhaka which has traditionally been pro-India. On Sri Lanka, too, ties improved with the electoral defeat of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015 and the taking over of Maithripala Sirisena as the new President. India is hopeful that the new government in Colombo will hasten the reconciliation process with Sri Lankan Tamils and also take steps to find a humanitarian solution to the problem of fishermen fishing in each others waters.

India also reached out to its extended neighbourhood, including Afghanistan where India is implementing several development projects, as well as Iran where PM Modi inked a bilateral agreement for development of the crucial Chabahar port that will enable India to bypass Pakistan and trade with Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian nations using both the sea and land routes.Important visits to the Gulf by Mr Modi, including to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, also cemented ties with these oil-rich countries where a large number of Indians live and work.

On China, its President, Xi Jinping, made a historic visit to India in September, 2014, followed by PM Modis visit to China in the middle of 2015. But despite improvement in ties with Beijing, India has been concerned over the Sino-Pakistani nexus that has been manifested in two recent decisions of Beijing - to block New Delhis move to get Pakistan-based terrorist and JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN and to block Indias entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group. But despite this ties between the two sides appear stable, with President Pranab Mukherjee embarking on a visit to China.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have often been pilloried for seeming to be barely in India in his first two years in office, so often was his globetrotting diplomacy taking him around in that time. While foreign policy successes are not necessarily driven by an individual, even if he is the Prime Minister, it is quite apparent that Mr Modi has hit it off with many heads of state and government.

Mr Modis visit to Iran on the eve of his completing two years in office is a case in point. Indias strategic gain in the promised unfettered access to developing Chabahar port on the southern coast of Iran would be immeasurable, provided, of course, that India is able to keep to project deadlines. The bypassing of Pakistan logistically and counterbalancing Chinas development of Gwadar port in Pakistan come like two birds with one stone, besides facilitating Afghanistans access to the world.

This is the first visit by an Indian PM in 15 years to Iran, but then few could have made headway in such spectacular manner in the intervening time as that country was isolated internationally and under sanctions until a month ago when it signed a milestone nuclear accord with the US and other world powers after curtailing its nuclear programme. In any case, India and Tehran enjoyed strong bilateral ties even when sanctions applied as India was the second-largest buyer of Iranian crude.

What the deals signed now by Mr Modi in Iran signify is a gigantic breakthrough for trade with Iran as well as the strategic progress through Chabahar. In a sense, Mr Modi was in the right place at the right time. But then much the same could be said of other diplomatic initiatives of which he has been the lead figure in the last 24 months.

In bringing Riyadh and Tehran closer to India even as the countrys diplomatic footprint expanded exponentially in West Asia in two years, Mr Modi and his foreign office mandarins have elevated Indias profile in a vital region considering how important such initiatives were to also diffuse the impact on India of ISIS recruitment of Indians as well as Indian citizens affected in the strife-torn areas around. In obtaining Saudi cooperation towards combating terrorism, India has scored many valuable points while counterbalancing Pakistans obviously closer links to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and many other countries in the region.

There may have been a number of legacies Mr Modi may have inherited in foreign policy, but there is no doubt there have been more successes than failures on the broad canvas of diplomacy, although India struggled nearer home as with Nepal, Pakistan and China. Even then, a milestone land boundary agreement with Bangladesh would show that India under Mr Modi has notched several gains between May 2014 and now.
It appears your daily bread has turned cancerous, along with the air youve been breathing. A survey by the Centre for Science and Environment, a well-known NGO, has found that an overwhelming 84 per cent of 38 popular brands of pre-packaged breads in the national capital, including pizza bases, buns and the Indian pao used by some of the top fast-food outlets, contain potassium bromate and potassium iodate, two chemicals banned in many other countries.

The health ministry has, of course, ordered the proverbial inquiry and promised action, and FSSAI, the Indian food regulator, has removed potassium bromate from the permitted additives list. These actions in themselves reek of something far worse than knee-jerk reactions. The question is why were two suspect chemicals on the permitted list in the first place?

Are Indian lives so cheap that profit can actually be allowed to create potentially fatal health hazards? Do we have to leave it to an NGO to point things out. Carelessness alone cannot be the reason. And what about those  and they are an overwhelming number  who have been eating bread every day, and how have safety matters slipped to such an extent that our most common food is now deemed poisonous?

The answers lie in some unpleasant truths: no one cares to do his job and, yes, the profit motive usually wins. The percentages of the findings are so alarming that one might as well ask the reader to begin baking his own bread till matters are sorted out.
It is a morality play: Total prohibition is a step that needs to be welcomed in the land where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. But, at the same time, the state government also needs to come up with some creative measures for people living in rural areas so that they adopt it willingly and voluntarily. Roughly two per cent of the total population of the state is tribals. The Nitish Kumar government has imposed a ban on liquor in Bihar, completely ignoring the tribals for whom consumption of liquor is part of their culture. For example, during Sarhul festival, tribals living in different parts of Bihar and Jharkhand consume liquor as part of their ritual.

I as well as other social scientists believe that a complete ban on liquor never works. Keralas efforts to introduce prohibition is a clear example. The Kerala government imposed graded prohibition, arguing for a liquor-free state eventually. It did so by restricting the sale and consumption of liquor to five-star hotels. Yet it is unclear whether consumption of liquor was the reason for some of Keralas social problems or a symptom of a wider social breakdown brought about by change. On December 30, 2015, the apex court upheld the Kerala governments decision, while contending that introducing prohibition was a different task. The court also observed how Kerala had in the past forayed into prohibition and found it unimplementable. In fact, governments and politicians from South India presented it like the new myth of Sisyphus where prohibition was introduced with much fanfare only to be quietly withdrawn once it started to impact state revenue.

Prohibition, in fact, has an electoral sensibility. Politicians, like eager scouts, make the promise only to abandon it later. Prohibition has become a governmental morality play. But the government cannot play populist games without revenue that the sale and consumption of alcohol provides. The general trend should be to move from prohibition to regulation as it may prove to be a more flexible game where piety and populism can play out their respective parts in parallel silos.

Data from surveys done by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies shows that Nitish Kumars political support base comprised largely of women. They were in the forefront of the protest against the consumption of alcohol as it is women who usually experience first-hand consequences, such as domestic violence. Therefore, Mr Kumars wish to consolidate this group is understandable. But there are problems of governance especially in the state not known for law and order control. There is also the danger that imposing prohibition will lead to a crime wave which consolidates itself around prohibition as it happened previously around mining. Prohibition then becomes a sham, especially as far as bootleggers are concerned.

The rhetoric of prohibition is clear. The silence is about how to moderate or minimise the consequences of alcoholism, and the requirements of revenue that are equally demanding. Civil society and state must start a new conversation to try and understand the impact of knee-jerk moralism on social life.

Prof. S. Narayan is an anthropologist and emeritus professor at the Institute of Social Studies, New Delhi

Liquor ban empowers women: Article 47 of the Constitution clearly says that the state shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health. In spite of the views of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bhimrao Ambedkar against alcohol consumption, which are echoed in the Consitution, the lack of intent towards prohibiting alcohol is a cause for concern. The state of Bihar, which is facing economic challenges, has, by prohibiting alcohol, carved a milestone of sorts.

Even though Bihar generated maximum revenue from liquor, chief minister Nitish Kumars government has taken the decision to ban liquor in the state. Liquor ban was earlier imposed in the year 1977-78 but it didnt hold for lack of proper enforcement. But this time both circumstances and implementation have changed. Earlier, administrative orders were issued for ban of liquor without an eye on its social impact. However, under Mr Kumar the ban has been imposed considering it to be the need of the hour and as a result of a poll promise to those whose lives were most affected by liquor, i.e. women. This is a strong move and follows Mr Kumars earlier steps to strengthen womens position in the state so that he could harness their support in implementing the liquor ban. Legislations centred around education for girls, providing scholarship, dresses and cycles as well as self-help groups, strengthen womens position and promise a progressive future.

Under the same goal, womens empowerment was assured through reservation of 50 per cent seats in panchayats. Since November 2005, under the guidance of Mr Kumar, Bihar has reformed itself to provide a voice to the marginalised and work for their empowerment. This leads to the obvious question as to why political parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party have not come up with comprehensive welfare schemes that seek change in the ideological and moral sense. Unanimous approach against the evil of liquor consumption has been taken for the first time by identifying it as a link to the prosperity of the people.

Bihar, which is always perceived as state where people dont cast their vote, they vote their caste, has engineered a caste-neutral constituency of women, providing them social security and empowerment through various schemes. Certainly, Mr Kumars decision will invite opposition from the liquor mafia, which will require tough regulation of the prohibition. All 243 MLAs of the Bihar Assembly, including the Speaker, chief minister and Leader of the Opposition, rose from their seats and vowed they will not consume alcohol, adding that they would also discourage others from doing so. This has prompted members of Janata Dal (United) to take a similar oath. Similar initiatives have also started picking pace in Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Jharkhand where women have urged political parties, both ruling and contesting, to include prohibition in their agenda.

Its instances and decisions like these which highlight the persona of Mr Kumar not just as a political leader but as a social reformer. He is willing to take up arms against all those who are not motivated by social welfare but by spreading misrule and dividing the people.

Neeraj Kumar is a Bihar MLC and JD(U) spokesperson
The BJPs victory in the Assam Assembly elections, the results of which were declared last week, was expected but not by the landslide margin the party and its allies took the Assembly, together bagging 86 of its 126 seats. Of this 86, the BJP alone contributed 60, a stupendous rise from the five seats it managed in 2011. Equally spectacular is the way in which the ruling Congress, with strongman Tarun Gogoi at the helm for three consecutive terms, was dispatched with just 26 seats. So much has already been said of the Assam results, now the question is: how will this change of guard in this most populous and important northeastern state impact the rest of the region?

Without question, the developments in Assam would have startled the Congress government in Manipur headed by Okram Ibobi, more so than in the two other Northeast states ruled by the Congress  Meghalaya and Mizoram. Arunachal Pradesh, which returned the Congress in the last Assembly polls, has already slipped out of the Congress sphere thanks to a disgraceful game of defection earlier this year, quite brazenly abetted by the governor, a handpicked appointee of the BJP government at the Centre.

Tripura has always been a Communist bastion, occasionally challenged by the Congress, though in recent times the BJP base is seen as growing, especially in grassroots elections. Nagaland has, since the days of veteran leader S.C. Jamir a decade and a half ago, distanced itself from the Congress in favour of a regional party, Naga Peoples Front. Nagaland today has three BJP legislators, but by defection and not election. The NPC, which returned four MLAs, broke up with three of them deciding to leave and join the BJP.

There is no doubt that the Congress governments in Meghalaya and Mizoram too would be vulnerable, but this, if at all, would be in anticipation of what happened in Arunachal Pradesh, whereby the BJP engineers a split and topples governments using its clout as the ruling party at the Centre. The general perception in these small, weak north-eastern states, hugely dependent on Central government largesse for sustenance, is that it is to their advantage to be on the right side of the ruling formation at the Centre, and this mindset would also catalyse any such pressures for a shift of alliance towards the party in power at the Centre.

The equation in Manipur, however, will be a little different, and there are reasons why the state is likely to become the BJPs next target to conquer. The scenario here is in some ways similar to conditions in Assam that made the victory of the BJP and Asom Gana Parishad, which came out of the Assam Agitation of the 1970s and 1980s against illegal immigrants, almost inevitable. For one thing, Manipurs Assembly polls are due to be held nine months from now, in February 2017, therefore political strategists will see any move to topple the government now would only earn disrepute, as well as strengthen local resistance to what may be portrayed as the ruling partys unwarranted hegemony.

For another, as in Assam, the state is now in the grip of acute insecurity of a radical shift in its demography due to unchecked immigration, a concern that has become complex because of the ethnic divide between the tribal population in the hills and the largely non-tribal population of the central valley, both of which see the problem quite differently. Three bills passed by the state Assembly late last year which together were purportedly meant to achieve what a British-era law, popularly known as the Inner Line Permit System (ILPS), which restricts immigration and prohibits transfer of land ownership to non-domiciles, has been the cause of a sharp split between the states hills and valley, the hills fearing that these bills, if they become law, would adversely affect them.

In Assam the BJP and its ally, the AGP, used the general Assamese insecurity on the immigrant issue as a campaign plank and reaped rich rewards in terms of votes. The party may try to replicate this feat in Manipur too after negotiating the hill-valley divide on the issue. It is another matter whether reaping electoral benefits by playing on such insecurities will prove prudent in the long run, but elections are all about immediate results, and insecure populations will always be ready to fall for some tall promises.

There are other similarities between the Manipur situation and Assam. Unlike Mizoram and Meghalaya, which have an overwhelming Christian majority, Manipur, like Assam, is a Hindu majority state, and therefore the BJP may presume it will be an easier ground to spread its ideology. Unlike in the other two states, Manipur also has an RSS base in the valley districts, that should be encouraging for the BJP. The fact that the BJP has never managed to set roots in Manipur may not be altogether discouraging for the party given its recent sterling performance in Assam, which is also traditionally not BJP territory.

In the 2012 Assembly election in Manipur, the BJP drew a blank. However, after the disqualification of two Trinamul Congress MLAs in a defection drama in 2015, the BJP wooed the disqualified MLAs and fielded them on its tickets in the byelections that followed. The two won their seats, giving the BJP a presence with two MLAs in a House of 60, after almost two decades, when at another peak of BJP power under the Atal Behari Vajpayee government, Manipur saw four BJP MLAs, two of them by defection.

As in Assam, the BJP may also champion the demand of a section of the majority Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe status. There is another section of Meiteis who feel this is retrogressive and do not want ST status, but the main opposition to such a move is likely to be from the hill tribes, who are already in the ST category, who think the possible inclusion of Meiteis in this category may end up depleting their share of the benefits of reservation.

As in Assam, the Congress, under chief minister Okram Ibobi, would have also completed three consecutive terms by the next election, thus similar anti-incumbency scars, besides charges of corruption and incompetence, would also work in the BJPs favour. In fact, the success of the BJP in keeping its electoral promises in Assam may be the fulcrum on which the fate of Manipurs Congress government rests.
Chinese consumer goods manufacturer Xiaomi is all set up to unveil its first ever drone tomorrow.

Chinese consumer goods manufacturer Xiaomi is all set to unveil its first ever drone via a live stream event on May 25.

The companys move to venture into drone manufacturing will be a wake up call for leading drone manufacturer DJI, as the MI Drone is expected to compete directly against the Phantom 3 4K.

According to a report by Bloomberg, the drone made with FIMI Technology will record high-resolution 4K video and cost about 4,000 Yuan ($610), which is approximately 25 per cent significantly cheaper than DJIs Phantom 3 4K device. However, for the Indian market, the drones wont come cheap, with a predicted price of Rs 41,500.

Last week, Xiaomi told it will unveil its drone on May 25, without disclosing the specifications and expected price. As of now, they have released a teaser video giving a glimpse at what it could look like.

Hinting at a new flying product to be launched soon, Huga Barra, the Global VP of Xiaomi has also tweeted, Xiaomi is launching something tomorrow that is super fly. The event is expected to be live streamed in China, revealing the specifications of the drone.

Moreover, in a forum post, Xiaomis super moderator Vincent Khao had shared details and shared a picture of what looked like a Quadcopter. Reports indicate that the drone can record videos 4K videos at 30fps, and can be controlled by the Mi Band and hand gestures as well.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Nokia Networks is in talks with Indian telecom operators to start trials of next generation 5G networks.

New Delhi: Nokia Networks is in talks with Indian telecom operators to start trials of next generation 5G networks even as the country is yet to see full-scale roll out of 4G technology based mobile voice and data services.

The Finnish telecom equipment maker is already testing the fifth-generation networks with global telecom giants like US-based Verizon, Korean SK Telecom and Japan's NTT Docomo.

The 5G technology will guarantee delivery of 100 megabit per second speed at homes and will be capable of handling 1000 times more data traffic when it will be commercialised by 2020, Nokia Networks Head of Mobile Broadband Milivoj Vela said on the sidelines of an event today.

In India, Nokia Networks is part of Telecommunications Standards Development Society which is working on 5G, and is in discussion with telecom operators to start 5G trials.

However, Indian telcos are still investing in 4G technology to roll out the fourth generation networks and large parts of the country are yet to be covered under the high-speed data and voice services.

Talking about 5G networks, Vela said that 5G will focus on data services while voice calls will be facilitated through 4G technology. "It will be used for purposes beyond voice and data communications carried by people today. It will has less than 1 millisecond latency that will be used by machines for quick action like for to stop in case it identifies any obstacle, surgery from remote location etc."

"Discussion about spectrum (at global level) in which 5G will operate will finish by 2019. Commercial 5G deployment will start in 2020. Then you will see 100 mbps guaranteed speed everywhere," Vela said.

He said that 5G will operate in spectrum band above 6000 Mhz and the technology will be launched in phases. "One cell (mobile antenna) in 5G will be able to handle 1000 times more data traffic in 2020 compared to data traffic in 2010. We have already achieved 1 million devices connected to single cell site and 30 gbps speed on 73 Ghz band in lab," Vela said.

At present spectrum band between 700 Mhz and 2.6 Ghz are available for mobile services in India. Wifi services are generally used between 2.4 Ghz to 5.9 Ghz.

"Already 4G is taking voice calling to high definition voice calls and voice call cannot be better than this. 5G will about high quality data experience. It will enhance telepresence (web conferencing) to a level where one will not feel the difference if a person is in room or on telepresence," Vela said.

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MUMBAI: Locky Ransom virus, which has created havoc in the world, has locked 150 computers in Revenue and Public Works Department of Mantralaya in Maharashtra. Though the state has averted major disaster of infection to other systems, the government had to literally struggle to stop damaging the files further.

The Information Technology department, with the help of experts, has managed to control the virus but the threat still persists, as the Mantralaya computers are not completely foolproof against the virus. The IT department has at present locked the private mailing sites like gmail, yahoo, rediff to avoid external mailing through which the virus can hit the system again.

We are allowing only the official government mails so that the other computers remain safe. Also, we have upgraded the systems with three types of anti-virus softwares. Unfortunately, the Locky virus comes with an extension that has military encryption, which no one has been able to de-code so far in the world, Principal Secretary of IT department Vijaykumar Gautam told this newspaper.

The Locky virus when enters the computer locks the entire system and sends message to the user to pay some amount which is in bitcoin. It is used worldwide to harass big institutions for ransom hence the name Locky Ransom. The virus entered the system around May 11 or 12 but was detected last Friday only.

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Johnny immediately took Anita to the hospital where the doctors told him that his wife was never pregnant. (Photo: YouTube Video Grab)

Montgomery, Albama: A woman was arrested for brutally murdering her husband's pet dog and using his remains to stage her miscarriage after faking pregnancy for over seven months.

According to a report in The Sun, the accused identified as Anita Parker had lied to her husband about her pregnancy for seven months.

She killed their 8-month-old chihuahua puppy and used his tissues, blood and other remains to fake her miscarriage.

When her husband Johnny Parker returned home, he found Anita soaked in blood and tissues. When he confronted her, she told him that she had a miscarriage and had to flush the fetus down the toilet.

Johnny immediately took Anita to the hospital where the doctors told him that his wife was never pregnant. When Johnny returned home, he realised that his pet chihuahua was missing. His neighbour found the dead puppy gutted in the trash and informed Johnny about it.

Eventually Anita confessed to killing their pet dog and using his remains to fake her miscarriage. Johnny said that he never suspected that his wife had been faking her pregnancy, although she never allowed him to visit the doctor with her. "It hurts like crap, man, about my dog. I loved that dog, man," Johnny was quoted as saying.

He also told police that to assure him of the pregnancy, Anita would always show him the ultrasound pictures of a male fetus, adding that he now suspects that she might have downloaded them from the internet.

Anita Parker has been arrested and charged with first-degree animal cruelty and has been held on a bond of $7000.




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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A new poll by Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Trump is leading his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, 68, by four per cent in a hypothetical November match up. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he would have no problem asking the Congress for a declaration of war against terrorism.

"It would not bother me at all doing that, we probably should have done that in the first place. This is a war against people that are vicious, violent that we have no idea who they are or where they come from," Trump, 69, told Fox News yesterday when asked if he would support asking Congress for a declaration of war to fight terrorism.

"We are allowing tens of thousands of them into our country now, so on top of wars on foreign land, wait until you see what happens in the future. It is probably not going to be pretty," Trump said.

Meanwhile, Trump met Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in New York, fuelling speculation that this was part of his vice presidential search. Corker, however, refuted such reports.

"We talked more about China, Russia. You know, I will tell you what is interesting. I met my counterpart last week from China. The fact that he is challenging some of the status quo, it is causing these countries to think a little bit differently about the US and I say that in a positive way," Corker told reporters after meeting Trump.

A new poll by Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Trump is leading his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, 68, by four per cent in a hypothetical November match up.

In the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Clinton is leading Trump 46-43. But both the polls are within the sampling error.

Trump, who so far has self-funded his campaign, would hold his first fund raiser today in New Mexico. About 25 people are expected to attend this fund raiser of USD 10,000 per person.

Last week, Trump had signed agreement with the Republican National Committee in this regard. He has set a target of USD one billion for fund raisers.
Samirkumar Shah, resident of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, could be jailed for maximum 10 years and fined USD 250,000 if found guilty. (Representational Photo: PTI)

New York: A 53-year-old Indian-American physician has been indicted by prosecutors on charges of healthcare fraud in the US state of Pennsylvania.

Samirkumar Shah, resident of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, could be jailed for maximum 10 years and fined USD 250,000 if found guilty.

A federal grand jury indicted the physician on Tuesday on two counts of healthcare fraud. The indictment was returned against him in the Pittsburgh court, according to documents.

Shah knowingly and wilfully executed a scheme to defraud healthcare benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in connection with the delivery of and payment for healthcare benefits, items and services, US Attorney David Hickton said.
Pakistan hits out at the US for launching the drone strike on its soil to kill Mansour, describing it as a violation of its sovereignty. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The US respects Pakistan's sovereignty but will carry out strikes to eliminate terrorists who are targeting its forces, the Obama Administration said on Monday as Islamabad expressed concern over the drone strike by American forces on its territory to kill Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

"We certainly do respect Pakistan's territorial integrity. But as we've said before, we will carry out strikes to remove terrorist who are activity pursuing, and planning and directing attacks against US forces," the State Department Deputy Spokesman, Mark Toner, told reporters at his daily news conference.

Toner was responding to questions on Pakistan hitting out at the US for launching the drone strike on its soil to kill Mansour, describing it as a "violation of its sovereignty".

"The strike sends a clear message that those who target Americans and Afghan people are not going to be given a safe haven. And then also, that it know that there's only one option for the Taliban and that is to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict," Mr Toner said in a subtle warning to the Taliban.

He said the death of Mansour does not mean defeat of the Taliban but it does send a clear message.

"What I think it does send is a clear message. If you're going to carry out attacks, if you're going to lead attacks against our forces and against Afghanistan's forces, then you are going to be targeted and you're not going to have safe haven," Mr Toner said.

He said it also sends the message that the Taliban must decide what its future is going to be.

"Whether it's going to be part of a peaceful, political future for Afghanistan. There is a path towards that. They can sit down with the Afghan government and begin negotiations and talks. We've encouraged that. We support an Afghan-owned, Afghan led process," he said.

"I think it presents them with a clear choice. You know that there are ways to engage and identify the fact that you're willing to engage in a peaceful way. And frankly, Mansour showed no. Absolutely no predilection towards engaging in any kind of peaceful political process," he said.

Mansour, believed to be in his 50s, was killed when a US drone fired on his vehicle in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan. He had emerged as the successor to Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, whose 2013 death was only revealed last summer.

Pakistan on Monday summoned US ambassador David Hale to express concern over the drone strike.
Mansour, believed to be in his 50s, had emerged as the successor to Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, whose 2013 death was only revealed last summer. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: The US has told Pakistan that while it respects its territorial integrity, it will continue to conduct strikes to eliminate terrorists who target American soldiers, a day after Islamabad summoned the US ambassador to express concern over the drone strike in Pakistan that killed Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

Mansour was engaged in "specific actions, specific things ...in real time" that posed "specific, imminent threats" to US and coalition forces in Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said.

"This was a defensive strike against an individual who was actively engaged in planning and conducting operation that were targeting US and Coalition personnel," Davis said during a press conference yesterday.

While the US has been conducting similar defensive strike inside Afghanistan, this is probably for the first time that the US did a "defensive strike" inside Pakistan after the killing of Osama bin Laden.

The strike targetting the Afghan Taliban supremo deep inside Pakistan was carried out on May 21 by multiple unmanned drones operated by US Special Operations forces while Mansour was travelling in a vehicle in a remote area in the restive Balochistan close to the Afghan border while apparently returning from Iran.

Mansour, believed to be in his 50s, had emerged as the successor to Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, whose 2013 death was only revealed last summer.

Davis, however, asserted that the drone strike has not strained ties with Pakistan, despite Islamabad summoning US ambassador David Hale to express concern over the drone strike, which it described as a "violation of its sovereignty".

Responding to questions on Pakistan hitting out at the US for the drone strike, State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said: "We certainly do respect Pakistan's territorial integrity. But as we've said before, we will carry out strikes to remove terrorist who are activity pursuing, and planning and directing attacks against US forces."

Davis said the location of the strike "required higher level of approval".

"Ultimately this was an individual who was specifically targeting US and coalition personnel and had specifically engaged in operations in the past that resulted in US and coalition personnel being killed," he said.

In a subtle warning to the Taliban, Toner said the strike "sends a clear message that those who target Americans and Afghan people are not going to be given a safe haven. And then also, that it know that there's only one option for the Taliban and that is to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict".

He said the death of Mansour does not mean defeat of the Taliban but it does send a "clear message".
Up to 70,000 police are being deployed before the two-day meeting of the club of rich nations, with about one-third of the officers headed to Ise-Shima, an area between Tokyo and Osaka that is hosting the event. (Photo: AFP)

Tokyo: Japan is on high-alert ahead of a Group of Seven summit with thousands of police on the streets of Tokyo and fanning out across the country as authorities boost security to unprecedented levels.

The annual event, which takes place on Thursday and Friday, draws leaders from some of the world's richest nations, including US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Host Japan said it is taking no chances in the wake of the Paris and Brussels terror attacks, and Fukushima's operator said Tuesday that work at the crippled nuclear plant would be suspended during the talks.

Up to 70,000 police are being deployed before the two-day meeting of the club of rich nations, with about one-third of the officers headed to Ise-Shima, an area between Tokyo and Osaka that is hosting the event.

Thousands of other police will be on hand in Hiroshima when US President Barack Obama makes an historic visit to the atomic-bombed city on Friday, the National Police Agency said. Dustbins have also been removed or sealed and use of coin-operated lockers blocked at train and subway stations in the capital and areas around the venue site.

Electronic message boards in train stations are warning passengers of the elevated risks and advising them to keep watch for suspicious activity. Authorities said they will be keeping a close eye on so-called "soft targets" such as theatres and stadiums.

There have been few public protests so far in Japan unlike some previous G7 gatherings. Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power told AFP it will also suspend most work at the site - which was destroyed during the 2011 quake-tsunami disaster - on Thursday and Friday. As many as 8,000 employees are working on decommissioning and other tasks at the plant.

The company said the measure was not taken over fears of an attack at the plant itself, which is hundreds of kilometres away from both Tokyo and the G7 venue, but rather to "minimise the risk of incidents" that could divert authorities' attention.

"The summit is happening when there is a very serious threat of terrorism internationally," National Police Agency chief Masahito Kanetaka said yesterday. "Protecting Japanese people from the risk of terrorist attacks on soft targets, not only at the summit venue but also in big cities such as Tokyo, is a key issue. We will be ready for any incident."

The March Brussels airport and metro attacks which killed 32 people are believed to be the work of jihadists closely linked to the cell which carried out the November Paris massacres in which 130 people died. Japan is unused to incidents of international terrorism and is seen as a low-risk target "in normal times", said security expert Shiro Kawamoto.
Geneva: United States Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in his election race, a senior North Korean official said on Monday. Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters in New York last week, said he is willing to talk to the North Korean leader to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, proposing a major shift in US policy toward the isolated nation.

"It is up to the decision of my Supreme Leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his (Trump's) idea or talk is nonsense," So Se Pyong, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, told Reuters on return from Pyongyang after attending the first ruling party congress in 36 years. "It's for utilisation of the presidential election, that's all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement," he said. "This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election."

"There is no meaning, no sincerity," So added.

As a candidate, US President Barack Obama made unfulfilled campaign promises to meet the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), he said.

North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February, triggering tougher international sanctions and the adoption of a more hardline position by South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

So, who is also North Korea's ambassador to the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament, reiterated that his country was prepared to return to stalled six-party talks on its nuclear programme. China and Russia backed the idea, but the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan reject it, he said. "As a responsible nuclear state, we will never use them first," So said. "If the United States use their nuclear weapons first, then we have to use also that one."

"If the United States gives up their hostile policies and changes their attitude, then we also (can) have relations as a normal country," So said. "To South Korea, we proposed high-level military talks but South Korea refused now."

South Korea dismissed on Monday a North Korean proposal for military talks as "a bogus peace offensive" and said it was formally rejecting the overture because it lacked a plan to end the North's nuclear programme. So said that North Korea would not share nuclear technology with other countries. "As a responsible nuclear state, we keep and observe the obligations of non-proliferation of nuclear technology".
The Church will not back down against Duterte on such core issues, one of its leaders, retired archbishop Oscar Cruz, said on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)

Davao: Explosive incoming Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has launched a series of obscenity-filled attacks on the Catholic Church, branding local bishops corrupt "sons of whores" who are to be blamed for the nation's fast-growing population.

Duterte also warned the Church, which has a centuries-old tradition of influencing Philippine politics, that his landslide election win this month showed he had more power than its leaders and would defy them by dramatically expanding family planning.

Read: Philippines' Duterte to visit Pope, apologise for 'whore' insult

"Don't fuck with me," Duterte told senior church figures who had criticised him, delivering his message via reporters at a press conference in his hometown of Davao on Monday night.

He defied conventional political wisdom with his huge win in the presidential elections, after an incendiary campaign that saw his popularity surge on threats to kill tens of thousands of criminals and vulgar tirades against establishment figures.

Duterte last year called Pope Francis a "son of a whore" for causing traffic jams when he visited Manila, a bold tactic in a nation where 80 percent of the population is Catholic.

Just before the election, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines released a letter advising Filipinos not to vote for a "morally reprehensible" candidate. The letter did not name Duterte, but it was widely assumed to have been directed at him. Duterte indeed this week said he was the target.

"It is time to be clear between us. You have been castigating me, criticising me," he said at a press conference on Sunday in his first post-election tirade against Church leaders.

Duterte then described Filipino bishops as "sons of whores", as he accused them of being corrupt hypocrites and vowed to expose their "sins".

Duterte, who admits to serial Viagra-fuelled adultery against his current partner after having his first marriage annulled, also blamed the Church for the nation's rapid population growth. The Church has opposed the government giving out contraceptives and teaching family planning.

While a law was passed in 2012 allowing the government to provide contraceptives, church lobbying helped influence politicians to cut funding for the programme.

Duterte vowed to dramatically expand the programme after he takes office on June 30, stating he wanted families to have a maximum of three children. He has four children to two mothers.

Duterte has also set himself up for a confrontation with the Church on another key front, promising to bring back the death penalty.

The Church will not back down against Duterte on such core issues, one of its leaders, retired archbishop Oscar Cruz, said on Tuesday.

We won't be quiet... the Church will preach what it thinks is right," Cruz said on DZBB radio. Cruz said the Church leaders would be willing to talk with Duterte.

"The only difficulty is one of the parties is automatically antagonistic against the other. How can you have dialogue fairly and squarely with such an ambience," Cruz said in another interview on ABS-CBN television.

The Catholic Church has been a central figure in some of the Philippines' most tumultuous political events of recent times.
Long's lawyer said that Long was relieved that he has been apprehended as it releases him from the guilt that he has been enduring since these offences were committed and is now finally able to get help, which he always needed but could not bring himself to ask. (Representational photo: AFP)

London: A twenty-year-old man from Liverpool was sentenced to jail for two years and eight months after police found images of him sexually abusing a baby in a pram and a young toddler.

The youth was also convicted for possessing over 3,000 sexually explicit images that were deemed illegal, containing child pornography, extreme porn and bestiality.

According to The Mirror, John Long was arrested after police raided his home on a tip off that he was downloading thousands of pornographic images featuring children.

When confronted, Long admitted to viewing these images for 'sexual satisfaction' but claimed that he never acted on the impulse, and that he was attracted to girls.

But police officers came across images of Long sexually abusing two toddlers when they scrolled through the vast collection of images in his hard drive.

When confronted again, Long made a full and frank admission, and confessed that he has been collecting sexually explicit images of children for years now and that he 'was messed up in the head'.

Long's lawyer said that Long was relieved that he has been apprehended as it releases him from the guilt that he has been enduring since these offences were committed and is now finally able to get help, which he always needed but could not bring himself to ask.

He also said that Long has had an unpleasent childhood, suffered from severe malnutrition at four, and was taken away from his mother, after which he was fostered. Long was not a part of mainstream society and education as he had behavioural difficulties, and was later diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

He has also been asked to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
Sudanese-born El Shafee Elsheikh has emerged as the fourth member of the cell, which has been filmed killing and torturing western hostages in ISIS held territory. (Representational Photo)

London: The last unnamed member of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) 'Beatles' gang was on Tuesday identified as a 27-year-old from west London.

The gang named in reference to the English accents of the terrorist suspects was led by Mohammed Emwazi, dubbed Jihadi John and killed last year in a US drone strike in Syria.

Sudanese-born El Shafee Elsheikh has emerged as the fourth member of the cell, which has been filmed killing and torturing western hostages in ISIS held territory.

"We tried to handle this in a mild, considerate way, but before we could do anything he [his son] just left," said his father Rashid Sidahmed ElSheikh, a translator based in London.

According to western hostages who were later released, the so-called Beatles were allegedly responsible for beatings, waterboarding, mock executions and killings of a number of mainly western hostages.

El Sheikh was identified through a joint 'Washington Post' and 'BuzzFeed News' investigation.

His name was confirmed by a former US countert-terrorism official and other people familiar with British nationals in Syria.

His family said he is still alive and living in Syria and remains in touch with some friends and family.

All four Britons who made up the ISIS Beatles grew up in the same part of west London, but it is unclear whether they knew each other before they left for Syria.

All of them apparently joined Al Qaeda's branch in Syria before defecting to the ISIS.

Besides Jihadi John, the others identified previously include 31-year-old Aine Davis, who is in custody in Turkey for suspected terrorism, and 32-year-old Alexe Kotey, a

Londoner of Ghanaian and Greek-Cypriot background whose whereabouts are unknown.

Davis' wife, 27-year-old Amal el-Wahabi, became the first woman to be jailed for terrorism offences connected to Syria in 2014 after she was caught paying a smuggler to take 20,000 euros in cash to Turkey for her husband.
Istanbul: Kenya will close the world's largest refugee camp in 2016 because the facility housing Somalis displaced by decades of war poses an "existential threat", Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto said on Monday.

The United Nations (UN) and Western states have warned against forcibly repatriating the 350,000 or so Somalis who still live in the sprawling Dadaab camp in northeast Kenya, saying it would violate international obligations. But Ruto, speaking at a UN humanitarian summit in Istanbul, said the international community had failed Somalia, still struggling to recover from the anarchy of the 1990s. "The refugee camp poses an existential security threat to Kenya," he said, arguing attacks including the Westgate mall rampage in 2013 and the Garissa University massacre in 2015, which claimed hundreds of lives, were planned at Dadaab.

Now those extremists pose a global risk, he said. "There is radicalisation by extremist elements in the camp, especially of young people," he said. "Their recruitment into terror networks, including Al Shabaab and Al Qaeda, is a threat to the world ... The route to (Islamic State) is established."

Ruto, who was due to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon at the Istanbul summit, expressed frustration that other states have lagged on pledges to rebuild Somalia. He said Kenya has spent $7 billion on Dadaab over the past quarter century. "We understand well our international obligations," he said. "We have unfortunately ... not seen a shared responsibility in Somalia. We not only risk leaving Somalia behind, we risk forgetting Somalia all together."

Kenya wants the international community to build schools and other infrastructure across the border to lure refugees back. The government has previously threatened to eject refugees, but this time it will stick with a deadline expiring in six months that was agreed with Somalia and the UN, Ruto said.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR said in January it might miss a 2016 target to repatriate 50,000 refugees because the Somali government is battling the al Shabaab insurgency and provides few public services. Somalia is slowly rebuilding and is due to elect a new parliament in August.

Ruto said exiled communities were needed for the recovery: "It would not be possible to comprehensively work on peace, reconciliation and stability without the participation of the almost 1 million refugees who currently live in our country."
As 28 rigs drill away in western North Dakota for roughly $48-per-barrel of oil Tuesday, about 2,500 registrants gathered in Bismarck for the 24th annual Williston Basin Petroleum Conference.

Attendees came from 35 states, five Canadian provinces and five countries and 272 vendors were on hand to market their products to conference-goers.

The early arrivals among conference attendees and vendors said there was a different mood from when the oil boom was in full swing.

Its definitely a bit of a different vibe, said Travis Kelley, regional vice president for workforce housing company Target Logistics.

Kelley said maintaining a visible presence at the petroleum conference is important, adding that with some companies merging with others some potential new customers may now be in play.

Target Logistics has been a major workforce housing player in the oil patch for a few years but has seen a decline in workers staying in their facilities, as have hotels in the region. Kelley estimated that the companys facility outside Williston is running from 30 percent to 40 percent capacity.

It remains to be seen, Kelley said of the future housing market as oil prices remain low.

Registration for the conference is far below the 2014 record of 4,250 registrants and 536 exhibitors but higher than the 1,800 registered a few months ago. Ness said the major operators who used to send 30 to 50 employees might send five to eight.

At that time, oil was about $90 a barrel.

"It is certainly a different activity level in western North Dakota today than it was two years ago," Ness said.

Ness said producers need the price of oil to hold around $60 per barrel before operations pick back up.

Were in a very different time, said Sheri Grossman, of the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Visitor spending for the conference, which bounces between the United States and Canada every other year, is estimated to be about $1 million, according Grossman.

In 2014, Bismarck-Mandans 3,100 hotel rooms were all booked and people coming to the conference had started looking for places to stay in surrounding communities, some going as far as Dickinson and Jamestown for rooms. This year, there are rooms available at local hotels but the conference is still the largest to come to the community.

By all standards, its still a great conference, Grossman said.

Conference topics will focus on investing during the lower-price environment and finding ways to add value to the crude and its byproducts. Speakers will cover new technologies, such as refracking, which has become of interest for a different reason than youd expect, said Lynn Helms, director of the states Department of Mineral Resources. Efficiencies in production costs, such as water handling and disposal, also will be of interest.

Already, drill time for wells has been reduced to about 15 days and well production declines have stabilized slightly from a 65 percent decrease from initial production to a 50 or 55 percent decrease, Helms said.

Ness said because of the changes in industry the number of drilling rigs may no longer be the proper barometer to gauge the industry.

Were going to need to find a new measuring stick for industry, Ness said.

Conference expectations

Rep. Diane Larson, R-Bismarck, said the conference provides her as a lawmaker a good opportunity to get up to speed on the state of the industry from numerous industry insiders.

What Im hoping to come away with is whats the latest information on whats going on, Larson said, adding that the industry changes so rapidly its tough to keep track of developments.

Ness told reporters the energy industry has focused heavily on finding efficiencies in the wake of the downturn. The most recent data puts statewide production at about 1.11 million barrels per day, down from a December 2014 record of nearly 1.23 million barrels per day.

Rep. Andrew Maragos, R-Minot, said he also was looking to hear about the state of the industry. He says the industry will rebound at some point and the period of declining revenues and job losses will pass.

Im very much an optimist, Maragos said.
He was reportedly found by his father-in-law, slashing his throat and arms with a knife at his newly-built home on the posh St George's Hill estate in Weybridge on Saturday. (Photo: Representational Image/PTI)

London: An Indian-origin investment banker who was arrested for killing his wife at their home in southest England had apparently tried to commit suicide by slashing his throat, it emerged on Tuesday.

Sanjay Nijhawan, 46, is in a "stable but serious" condition in hospital after an apparent suicide attempt, having allegedly murdered wife Sonita at their Surrey mansion over the weekend.

He was reportedly found by his father-in-law, slashing his throat and arms with a knife at his newly-built home on the posh St George's Hill estate in Weybridge on Saturday.

Read: 'Where's mummy?' Boy cries as mother stabbed to death at their home in UK

"He was suffering from depression and was on anti-depressants," Ajit Prasad, Sonita Nijhawan's business partner, told 'The Times'.

"He also felt a bit undervalued at work... He was getting around 14,000 pounds a month but colleagues on permanent positions received around 20,000 pounds," he said.

Nijhawan, who had worked in London for Barclays and ABN Amro, was made redundant in 2013. Since then, he was reportedly working on low-paying temporary contracts.

Another friend told the newspaper on condition of anonymity: "While he had no problems with money, he might have been anxious about where he was going to get a permanent position."

Nijhawan was arrested over the stabbing and strangling of his wife while their four-year-old son was in the house. Police are believed to have seized medication from the house. A post-mortem on Sonita has given a preliminary cause of death as head and neck injuries.

According to reports, the couple had spent three years building the two-million-pound home and had moved in only a fortnight ago.

Their neighbours described them as a seemingly happy couple and Sonita as a "loving and caring mother", who was a co-director of three care homes along with her father Chander Parkash and brother Amit.

The Surrey and Sussex major crime team officers said their investigation continues.
Mohamed Nasheed was allowed to travel to Britain in January for spinal cord surgery after he fell ill. (Photo: AP)

London: Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed said on Monday he has been granted refugee status in Britain, after being toppled from power and jailed in a "slide towards authoritarianism" that has forced him into exile.

Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment on controversial terrorism charges last year, but was allowed to travel to Britain in January for spinal cord surgery after he fell ill.

The island nation has been rocked by political turmoil in recent years, seriously denting its reputation as an upmarket tourist destination as current leader Abdulla Yameen enforces emergency rule.

"President Yameen has jailed every opposition leader and cracked down on anyone who dares to oppose or criticise him. In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile for now," Nasheed, 49, said in a statement proclaiming his refugee status.

The Maldives government reacted swiftly, accusing Nasheed whose legal team includes the high-profile human rights lawyer Amal Clooney of trying to avoid serving his prison sentence.

"The government of the Maldives is disappointed, if confirmed, that the UK government is allowing itself to be part of this charade, and further, is enabling an individual to circumvent his obligations under the law," it said in a statement.

Britain's Home Office interior ministry declined to confirm the former president's status when contacted by AFP, saying it did not comment on individual cases.

Red carpet

Nasheed was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for medical treatment in a deal brokered by the former colonial power along with Sri Lanka and India.

The United Nations has led international criticism of the treatment of Nasheed, who was elected in 2008 and served for four years before he was ousted in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

In 2015 he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges relating to the arrest of an allegedly corrupt judge in 2012, when he was still in power.

The Maldives, best known as an an idyllic destination for honeymooners, has instead been in the headlines with a succession of political dramas.

Yameen is a half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled for 30 years until his defeat by Nasheed in the country's first multi-party elections eight years ago.

In November, the Maldives parliament approved a state of emergency and sacked Yameen's estranged deputy who was arrested in connection with a blast aboard the presidential speedboat that the government says was an assassination attempt.

The impeachment was the second in just under four months, Yameen sacked former vice president Mohamed Jameel after he accused him of trying to topple the government.

And in April Maldives police briefly arrested 16 independent journalists while breaking up a demonstration against an alleged crackdown on freedom of speech.

The Maldives last month stripped Nasheed of his pension entitlements and health insurance, after demanding he return from medical leave in Britain.
Syrians gather in front of a burning car at the scene where suicide bombers blew themselves up, in the coastal town of Tartus. (Photo: AP)

Beirut: The death toll from a wave of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group in the heartland of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has risen to 154, a monitor said on Tuesday.

More than 300 people were also wounded in the Monday attacks in the Mediterranean coastal cities of Jableh and Tartus, some of them critically, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Most of the dead were civilians, among them eight children.

The two cities, which are majority Alawite -- the offshoot of Shiite Islam followed by Assad -- had been relatively insulated from Syria's five-year civil war.

IS claimed the blasts in a statement, saying they were in retaliation for air strikes by the regime and its Russian ally and threatening "more devastating and bitter attacks".

The Syrian foreign ministry blamed "the regimes of hate and extremism" in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the leading supporters of rebels fighting to overthrow the regime.

More than 270,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in 2011. Millions more have been driven from their homes.
This picture posted Saturday, May 21, 2016, on the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman shows part of a plane chair from EgyptAir flight 804. (Photo: AP)

Cairo: The contents of the black box from the EgyptAir jet that crashed on Thursday will be analysed in Egypt if it is found intact, air accident investigator Hani Galal told Egyptian private broadcaster CBC on Monday.

The recorder will be sent abroad for analysis if it is found in a damaged state, he said. Egyptian officials were able to track the plane for one minute before it crashed but were unable to communicate with the crew, the head of Egypt's National Navigation Services Company told the same channel.

Egyptian officials did not see the plane swerve, Ehab Mohieeldin added, contradicting comments made by the Greek defence minister.

EgyptAir flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo disappeared from radar over the Mediterranean Sea. In an earlier report, France's air accident investigation agency said the jet sent a series of signals indicating that smoke had been detected on board before it crashed into the Mediterranean on May 19.

On March 21, Egyptian military had found human remains, wreckage and the personal belongings of passengers floating in the Mediterranean, which was the first confirmation that flight MS804 had plunged into the sea.

The navy was searching an area about 290 km north of Alexandria, just south of where the signal from the plane was lost early on Thursday. There was no sign of the bulk of the wreckage, or of a location signal from the "black box" flight recorders that are likely to provide the best clues to the cause of the crash.
Smoke billows in the background as Iraqi pro-government forces advance towards the city of Fallujah. (Photo: AFP)

Jeddah: Gulf Arab foreign ministers agreed with their Canadian counterpart Monday to strengthen "cooperation" in the fight against the Islamic State group and other jihadist organisations, they said in a statement.

Ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council agreed with Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion on the need to "dry up" sources of finance for jihadists.

"The campaign against Daesh (an Arabic acronym for IS) and other terrorist organisations is not religious or linked to a religion or sect but rather a war on terror," they added in a statement.

They agreed to "strengthen joint cooperation... to eradicate terrorism", including by "doubling efforts to stop the flow of foreign terrorist fighters" to Syria and Iraq, where the Sunni jihadist group has seized territory.

The joint Arabic-language statement was released following a "strategic dialogue" between Dion and GCC ministers in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah.

The statement, which came after deadly IS attacks on Monday in Syria and Yemen, condemned the "barbarian crimes committed by Daesh and other terrorist groups".

It also comes after Dion on Saturday announced the start of a Canadian security pact with Tunisia, initially for three years, to support the North African country in its fight against "terrorism".

The ministers also voiced support for the Iraqi government's "efforts to preserve security and stability", urging the creation of a "comprehensive" government there to "strengthen the capabilities of Iraqi security forces in their war on Daesh".

Iraq has been hit by a months-long political crisis that has paralysed the legislature, as the country's forces battle to regain more ground from IS while also facing a major financial crisis.

The ministers also reaffirmed their "rejection of Iran's support for terrorism and its actions that undermine stability in the region, including acts by Hezbollah", the Lebanese militia whose supporters are fighting alongside the Tehran-backed regime in Syria and which is listed as a "terrorist group" by GCC countries.

The ministers vowed to work together "to confront (Iran's) interferences in the region".

In addition to Iran's arch-rival Saudi Arabia, the GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in January after Iranian demonstrators burned Saudi Arabia's embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Several other GCC members followed suit in cutting ties.
raqi security forces and allied Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces and Sunni tribal fighters, take combat positions outside Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad. (Photo: AP)

Near Fallujah: Iraqi forces battled the Islamic State group Monday in the opening stages of an operation to retake Fallujah, one of the toughest targets yet in Baghdad's war against the jihadists.

As Iraqi forces retook a town east of Fallujah as they closed in on the city which saw deadly battles in 2004 between insurgents and American forces, IS claimed bombings in neighbouring Syria that killed at least 148 people.

The jihadist group has increasingly turned to the tactic of killing civilians in bombings as it faces battlefield losses, and its spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani appeared to acknowledge in a recent statement that IS would probably lose more ground.

"In the early hours of the morning today, the heroic fighters advanced from different sides" to retake "all the areas occupied by (IS) around Fallujah", Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in televised remarks.

Abadi said the operation was supposed to start earlier, but "political problems and also the events threatening security inside Baghdad delayed some of the preparations".

Iraq has been hit by a months-long political crisis that has paralysed the legislature, and demonstrators have twice broken into the fortified Green Zone area, storming parliament and Abadi's office.

IS has also carried out a series of deadly attacks in and around Baghdad this month.

Iraqi forces had not yet entered the Anbar province city just 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Baghdad, but an AFP photographer near Fallujah said they were advancing as aircraft hit targets inside it.

Less than a day into the operation, security forces retook Karma, a small town that lies in a sprawling rural area northeast of Fallujah, the general in charge said.

"They took control and raised the flag above the city council building," Abdel Wahab al-Saadi said, adding that many IS fighters were killed defending the town.

Civilians barred from leaving

Abadi's announcement settled the issue of which IS-held city Iraq should seek to retake next, a subject of debate among Iraqi officials and international forces helping Baghdad battle the jihadists.

Iraq's second city Mosul was the US military's recommended target, but powerful militias may have helped force the issue by deploying reinforcements to the Fallujah area in preparation for an assault.

On Sunday, Iraq's Joint Operations Command warned civilians still in Fallujah estimated to number in the tens of thousands to leave. It told families that could not depart to raise a white flag over their location and stay away from IS headquarters and gatherings.

Officials said several dozen families had fled the city, but IS has sought to prevent civilians from leaving, as have forces on the government side, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

The United Nations called for safe corridors to be set up to allow Iraqi civilians to flee Fallujah, where 50,000 remain "at great risk", according to spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"Civilians are under grave danger as they try to flee," he said.

Anti-government fighters seized Fallujah in January 2014 after security forces withdrew during unrest sparked by the government's destruction of a protest camp, and the city later became one of IS's main strongholds.

Fallujah and Mosul, the capital of the northern province of Nineveh, are the last two major cities IS holds in Iraq.

Syria bombings

On Monday, seven near-simultaneous explosions targeted civilian sites in the Syrian seaside cities of Jableh and Tartus, killing at least 148.

The jihadists have also struck Baghdad, and attacks in and around the Iraqi capital have killed more than 160 people this month.

Fallujah has a long history as an insurgent bastion, and US forces launched two major assaults on the city in 2004, in which they saw some of their heaviest fighting since the Vietnam War.

Iraqi forces have the advantage of greater knowledge of the area, especially if they employ pro-government Anbar tribal fighters in the battle, but they lack the training and enormous firepower that American forces could bring to bear.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in June 2014, and Iraqi forces performed dismally during the initial offensive despite significantly outnumbering the jihadists.

But the "caliphate" the jihadist group subsequently proclaimed has been shrinking as anti-IS forces score major victories in both Iraq and Syria, where the group had also seized significant territory.
Negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014. (Photo: AFP)

Ramallah: Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah on Tuesday dismissed an Israeli proposal for direct negotiations instead of a French multilateral peace initiative, calling it an attempt to "buy time".

Hamdallah made the comments as he met French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who has held talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories this week to push Paris's peace initiative.

"Time is short," Hamdallah said. "(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is trying to buy time... but this time he will not escape the international community." Netanyahu has rejected the plan and called for direct negotiations.

Valls told Netanyahu when he met him on Monday that he would discuss his proposal with French President Francois Hollande, but he has insisted that Paris plans to stick with its approach.

The French initiative involves holding a meeting of foreign ministers from a range of countries on June 3, but without the Israelis and Palestinians present.

An international conference would then be held in the autumn, with the Israelis and Palestinians in attendance. The goal is to eventually relaunch negotiations that would lead to a Palestinian state.

Negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.
The September 2014 attack on the Pakistan Navy Shipyard (PNS) Zulfiqar left one Pakistani officer and three attackers dead, while seven sailors were wounded. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: Pakistan has sentenced to death five naval officers for their involvement in a deadly attack on a Karachi dockyard in 2014, the father of one of the men and their lawyer said on Tuesday.

The September 2014 attack on the Pakistan Navy Shipyard (PNS) Zulfiqar left one Pakistani officer and three attackers dead, while seven sailors were wounded.

Reports in Pakistan's Dawn and the Wall Street Journal later said the militants wanted to hijack a frigate in order to attack US Navy patrol vessels in the northwest Indian Ocean.

"My son has informed me that a naval court has awarded him and four other officers the death penalty for charges such as having links with the militant Islamic State group (IS), mutiny, hatching a conspiracy and carrying weapons in the dockyard," said Saeed Ahmed, a retired army major and father of one of the convicted men, sub lieutenant Hammad Ahmed.

The alleged ties to ISIS contradicts the Pakistani Taliban's claim of responsibility at the time.

Al-Qaeda's then newly-formed South Asia chapter also claimed responsibility. Al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban have carried out joint operations for years, but both are hostile to the Islamic State group which is an upstart in the region.

Ahmed added his son was convicted on April 12 but he only became aware of it last week when he visited him in prison.

"My son was denied the right to a fair trial," he said.

Ahmed's lawyer Inam-ur-Rahim told AFP that his client was preparing to file an appeal but so far had not been given documentation relating to the case by the military court, including the charge sheet.

When contacted for comment, a senior navy official did not explicitly confirm the sentences or whether a trial had taken place, but said: "Such actions were part of the National Action Plan (NAP) to purge the country of terrorists."

Pakistan launched a countrywide campaign against militancy called the National Action Plan starting in 2015 after a deadly Taliban attack on a Peshawar school left more than 150 people -- mostly children -- dead.
Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who is believed to have been killed in an air strike by the United States in Balochistan (Photo: AFP)

Kabul: The Afghan Taliban are struggling to find a successor to slain chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, militant sources said on Tuesday, with one saying the two main contenders had backed out of the leadership race.

Mullah Yakoub, the Taliban founder's son, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, an implacable foe of US forces, were seen as the two frontrunners for the job after Mansour was killed Saturday in a rare American drone strike deep inside Pakistan.

"Yakoub has refused to accept the role, saying he is too young for it," a senior Taliban source in northwest Pakistan said.

"Mansour's deputy and operational head of the Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has also refused due to personal reasons."

That development will complicate the job of the Taliban's supreme council, which has been holding emergency meetings since Sunday at an undisclosed location in Pakistan to find a unifying figure for the leadership post.

The insurgents have yet to officially confirm the death of Mansour, which has thrown the deeply factionalised Taliban into disarray nine months after he was elevated to the Taliban leadership following a bitter power struggle.

"The main challenge is to save the Taliban movement from being further divided," another Taliban source said, adding that supreme council members were constantly changing the venue of their meetings to avoid potential air strikes.

"It will take time to reach a consensus for the leadership position."

Other candidates in the fray include Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the movement's former deputy who is said to be close to the Pakistani military establishment.

He was jailed by Pakistan in 2010 but freed in September 2013 as part of efforts to boost Afghanistan's peace process. He has since been reported to be under house arrest by Pakistani authorities.

Mullah Adbul Qayyum Zakir, considered one of the group's most violent and committed commanders, is another leading contender.

The complicated search for a new leader risks igniting a new succession battle within the Taliban, which saw its first formal split last year.

Many top commanders refused to pledge allegiance to Mansour, saying the process to select him was rushed and biased as they accused him of keeping founder Mullah Omar's death secret for two years.

"The Taliban movement is passing through a very crucial said, citing some of the commanders at the supreme council meetings.
China that any attempt by the US to use Vietnam as a foil to China could further complicate regional tensions. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: An official Chinese newspaper says improved relations between the US and Vietnam must not lead to greater pressure on China or threats to its interests.

The China Daily said in an editorial Tuesday that any attempt by the US to use Vietnam as a foil to China could further complicate regional tensions.

The comments point to Beijing's underlying concerns about closer ties between its chief regional rival and its southern neighbour, with which it is in dispute over ownership of islands in the South China Sea.

China on Monday formally welcomed Washington's decision to fully lift a five-decade arms embargo on Vietnam during a visit by President Barack Obama, saying it is happy to see Vietnam develop "normal and friendly cooperative relationships with all other countries, including the United States."
The man who killed two young women and critically injured a third in a June drunken-driving crash was sentenced Tuesday to serve 25 years.

South Central District Judge David Reich said he hoped the sentence he gave Jordan Morsette would serve as a deterrent.

"I don't doubt that Morsette didn't intend this to happen," Reich said. "It does still involve choice."

Shayna Monson, who was critically injured in the crash and returned home recently after several months in a rehab facility, was guided by her mom to the witness stand.

"I'm the only one that survived," she said with stilted speech. "I hope others learn from this accident and don't drink and drive."

Her mom, Connie Monson, stood by her side.

"No parent should ever have to watch their child go through the things that she has gone through," Connie Monson said.

About 50 people, many carrying tissues and wrapped in each others arms, filled the courtroom.

Morsette's attorney, Jodi Colling, said she reviewed all of the evidence, including video, autopsies and victim impact statements, with Morsette. She said he struggles with depression and anxiety and was self-medicating with alcohol at the time of the accident. He wants help and needs treatment, she said.

Morton County Assistant State's Attorney Gabrielle Goter said Morsette received court-ordered treatment before the accident. He made a series of choices before and after he got in the car, she emphasized.

Reich called Morsette's mental health problems "more of an explanation than an excuse."

"I just want to say I'm sorry," Morsette said. "I hope everyone can forgive me."

Morsette, then 28, crashed his pickup head on into Shayna Monsons car while driving the wrong way on the Bismarck Expressway.

Morsette pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for the deaths of 21-year-old Taylor Goven and 22-year-old Abby Renschler and one count of criminal vehicular injury for the injury to 22-year-old Shayna Monson in April.

Because this was Morsette's second DUI, he faced a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 45.

The exact breakdown of Morsette's sentence is 20 years with 10 suspended for a five-year probation period on each of the homicide counts and five years on the injury count. Reich ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.

There is no minimum term that Morsette will need to serve, Pat Bohn, clerk of the parole board said. The board will evaluate the case within three months and set an initial review date.

Morsette will be evaluated for addiction and mental health problems and assigned appropriate treatment in prison. He is not allowed to contact the victims.

"I feel justice has been served," Connie Monson said after the hearing.
Mukherjee, who is making his first visit as head of state but has made a number of trips to China in various capacities during his long political career, is expected to convey India's concerns on these issues and present India's views on how it felt strongly on them, sources said. (Photo: PTI)

Beijing: China's opposition to India's membership in the elite NSG and its action blocking the UN move to ban JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist are expected to figure prominently during President Pranab Mukherjee's talks with the top Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Mukherjee, who is making his first visit as head of state but has made a number of trips to China in various capacities during his long political career, is expected to convey India's concerns on these issues and present India's views on how it felt strongly on them, sources said.

The President, who arrived today in southern China's Guangzhou city on the first leg of his four-day visit, will have one-on-one meeting with President Xi on Thursday besides holding delegation-level talks with him. He will also meet Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress Zhang Dejiang.

Issues of mutual interest like the festering border dispute and ongoing mechanism to resolve the problem will figure in the President's discussions with the Chinese leadership.

New Delhi's stand on the nuclear issue assumes significance in the context of the scheduled meeting of the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in South Korea next month when it is expected to make its bid strongly for membership of the nuclear club.

The sources said that India's membership of the NSG was a logical culmination of its efforts in pursuing its peaceful objective of a civil nuclear programme and there could be no comparison with others.

At the same time, India has no objection to Pakistan's membership of the NSG but is opposed to China's attempt to bracket the two countries together on the issue, Indian officials say.

The sources said China was free to canvas for Pakistan in its quest for nuclear programme but it should not rake up any bogey in a bid to checkmate India.

They also rejected Beijing's new insistence on India signing the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty for gaining membership of the NSG or its dismissal of New Delhi's stand that France had not signed the NPT when it became a member of the NSG.

Officials pointed out the NSG is a consensus-based regime and not a treaty.

Officials said that the visit of the President was more than ceremonial or reciprocal because of the fact he carries some heft in view of his long political career and the different portfolios he had during that period including external affairs and defence portfolios.

Also the President is expected to convey India's concerns over China blocking the UN move on Azhar at a time when there was need for a collective fight against global terror.

Sources felt that Beijing's stand on these two issues could be seen as an attempt to placate it's "all-weather" ally Islamabad.
Sharif is currently in London, along with family members, for medical check-up. (Photo: AFP)

Lahore: The Nawaz Sharif government has been issued a notice by a Pakistani court in Lahore on a petition challenging the Prime Minister on his more than 70 foreign tours which has cost the exchequer over 600 million rupees.

The Lahore High Court yesterday issued the notice on a plea by barrister Javed Iqbal Jafrey, who pleaded that Sharif extravagantly spent public money on his foreign tours, and on his and family's projection in the media.

Jafrey alleged that the prime minister was spending public money to get medical treatment in London at a time when there are no medicines at hospitals and the country was mired in foreign debts.

"It is unfortunate that the prime minister fails to establish state-of-art hospitals in the country where he could go for his own medical treatment," he said, adding that taxpayers' money was been used by the premier and his family for their "lavish" foreign tours.

Sharif is currently in London, along with family members, for medical check-up. But speculation is rife that he has gone there to meet former president Asif Ali Zardari for "advice" on the "PanamaPapers" documents leak in which the names of his two children has figured for having off-shore companies.

Petitioner Jafrey also told the court that millions was being spent on media advertisements to promote the prime minister and his political party (PML-N).

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah sought a reply from the government tomorrow, overruling LHC registrar's objection to the petition.

In February, the National Assembly was told that 638 million rupees had been spent on Sharif's foreign trips. He has lived at least every fifth day of his tenure out of the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had informed the National Assembly that Sharif has spent a total of 185 days abroad in 65 foreign tours with accompanying staff of 631 officers between June 2013 and February 2016.

After he came to power in June 2013, Sharif has often visited abroad, despite criticism by Opposition and media.

According to the data provided in the Assembly, Sharif visited Britain 17 times, spending about two months in the UK, of which 32 days were listed as official stay while 24 were listed as transits.

During each transit, Sharif has stopped for at least a couple of days which cost the exchequer 137.8 million rupees. After the UK, Sharif spent most of his time in the US, visiting the country for 18 days. He has visited Saudi Arabia five times, followed by China, which he visited four times. Turkey was Sharif's another favoured destination which he visited at least once every year.
Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who is believed to have been killed in an air strike by the United States in Balochistan (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan today refused to confirm the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour but said a DNA test will be done to establish the identity of a man killed in a US drone strike last week.

"He is an Afghan national and the Pakistan government has no means to identify Afghan citizens," he told reporters.

"Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are still investigating the incident, but so far they have not been able to confirm the identity," the minister said.

He said that an individual approached the government today to claim the body of the second deceased person, saying "he is a relative of Mullah Mansour".

"We will perform the DNA test of that person and if it matches with that of the deceased body, only then we will be in a position to confirm that it was Mullah Mansour who was killed in the incident," he said.

He confirmed the attack on Pakistani soil but said that drone did not enter its airspace.

"The attack was launched from other country," he said, but refused to identify exactly from where the strike was carried out.

He said that he was unable to understand how the passport of the passenger traveling in the vehicle as Wali Muhammad was not damaged when everything was destroyed in the attack.

Khan said investigation was going on about it. He said Wali Muhmmad got Pakistan's identity card in 2001 and also got the passport in 2011. He said those officials who verified him as a Pakistani are being probed.

Khan said the US government informed Pakistan about the strike seven hours after the attack.

He condemned the drone attack as violation of Pakistan's territory and said it may lead to serious implication for relations between Pakistan and US.

Talking about the possibility of impact of the Taliban chief's killing on Afghan peace process, the minister said that he was not sure how will it help in the brining peace.

Khan said he cannot understand that Mansour was a hurdle in peace process as he was at helms of affairs when the first round of direct talks was held in Murree in July last year.

He said that second round planned on July 31 last year was sabotaged when it was revealed that Mullah Omar was dead. Khan said progress was made in the first round and Taliban "had agreed to declare Kabul as conflict free zone."

Khan also revealed that a representative of the Haqqani network was present in Muree talks.
A sign shows the way to Everest Base Camp high in the Khumbu Glacier, one day after an earthquake-triggered avalanche swept through parts of the base camp killing scores of people (Photo:AFP)

Kathmandu: Rescuers racing against time continued their search for the two missing Indian climbers on Mount Everest for the fourth day on Tuesday as hope to find them alive receded.

Discussions with authorities were underway to find Paresh Chandra Nath (58) and Goutam Ghosh (51), said Wangchu Sherpa, the managing director at Trekking Camp Nepal.

Nath and Ghosh were near the summit of the 8,848-metre peak on Saturday when they lost contact with the rest of the four-member team, all of whom were Indians.

One of the team members Subhash Pal died after falling ill on Sunday. The fourth woman member Sunita Hazra was rescued and taken to hospital.

Meanwhile three Indian officials have arrived in Kathmandu to coordinate searches and another mountain rescue team will be deployed tomorrow, reports said.

In a status report on Monday, the Indian Embassy said it was in constant touch with authorities concerned with rescue operations, as well as Deepankar Ghosh, an official from the Government of West Bengal.

The embassy said it has made arrangements for hospitalisation of rescued climbers and for the transportation of mortal remains of those dead to India, the Himalayan Times reported.

Five people have died so far during this Himalayan climbing season, which saw about 400 mountaineers summit the world's highest peak, officials have said.

A Dutch and an Australian woman died of altitude sickness Friday and Saturday respectively. A Nepali guide died on Thursday after he slipped and fell 2,000 metres. Another Indian climber had died a few days ago.

More than three dozen other climbers have developed frostbite or become sick near the summit in the past few days. Nearly 40 climbers including an Indian woman have developed frostbite during this Himalayan climbing season

Last year, devastating earthquake caused the climbing season to be canceled and climbing attempts were largely abandoned in 2014 after an avalanche above the base camp killed 16 Sherpa guides.

At least 19 climbers were killed in the avalanche triggered by the earthquake.
Mansour's death has been confirmed by some senior Taliban members, as well as Washington and Kabul. (Photo: AP)

Kabul: The death of the leader of the Afghan Taliban in a US drone strike last week could make the insurgent movement stronger by bringing back dissident commanders and unifying the movement's ranks, a senior Afghan Taliban figure said on Tuesday.

Mullah Mohammad Ghous, a foreign minister during the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule of Afghanistan, said that Mullah Akhtar Mansour's death cleared the way for those who left after he became leader to return to the insurgency.

Mansour was killed on Saturday in the strike in southwestern Pakistan, just over the border from Afghanistan. His death has been confirmed by some senior Taliban members, as well as Washington and Kabul. The Taliban has yet to formally announce his death.

Mansour had led the Taliban since last summer, when the death of founder Mullah Mohammad Omar became public. Mansour ran the movement in Mullah Omar's name for more than two years. The revelation of Mullah Omar's death and Mansour's deception led to widespread mistrust, with some senior leaders leaving to set up their own factions.

Some of these rivals fought Mansour's men for land, mostly in the opium poppy-growing southern Taliban heartland. Ghous said a faction loyal to the leader of a major breakaway faction, Mullah Mohammad Rasool who is believed to be detained

in Pakistan could rejoin the main branch "bringing greater strength."

"Once the death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour is confirmed, Mullah Rasool's group will have no excuse," he said. Mansour is widely said to have been a major player in

Afghanistan's multi-billion-dollar drug production and smuggling business, which along with other contraband helps fund the insurgency.

Western diplomats in Kabul have said that Mansour had been in contact with Iran and Russia in recent months, in a bid to diversify his support base away from Pakistan.

Pakistan's ISI secret service has long been suspected of supporting the Taliban leadership in cities over the border from Afghanistan, notably Quetta and Peshawar.

Russia and Iran are believed to have reached out to Taliban groups in recent months as a counterweight to the Islamic State group's presence in Afghanistan. Mansour is believed to have been returning from Iran when he was targeted by the US drone.

"The Taliban needs financial and strategic support, so as leader of the movement Mullah Akhtar Mansour had to look for it in difference places and that meant he had to travel to different countries," Ghous said, adding that Mansour regularly visited Dubai, Qatar and other countries including Iran, which borders western Afghanistan.

Ghous said that it was widely accepted within the upper ranks of the Taliban that Iran also facilitated contact with Russia for Mansour. "We all know Iran and Russia are linked nowadays, so if Mullah Akhtar Mansour is meeting with Iran it must be with the knowledge of Russia."
Decks were cleared today for exempting state government medical colleges from the Supreme Court-mandated single All India entrance exam for a year with President Pranab Mukherjee giving his assent to the NEET Ordinance before he embarked on his China visit.



Ending the uncertainty on the fate of the Ordinance after the President raised some queries on the measure that was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday, states now have the option of either conducting their own exam or be part of the NEET to fill 85 per cent of the Under Graduate (UG) medical and dental seats. 15 per cent of the remaining seats will be filled through NEET route by all India counselling.



Union Health Minister J P Nadda while giving details of the Ordinance, which, he said gave a "firm statutory status" to the concept of Uniform Entrance Examination, however, made it very clear that all private medical colleges and deemed universities will come under the ambit of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test(NEET).



However, for PG courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year.



Nadda said that the necessity of promulgating the Ordinance arose as the Supreme Court is presently in vacation while both the Houses of Parliament had been adjourned sine- die.



Allaying apprehensions that the Centre is trying to defer NEET through the Ordinance, Nadda said that NEET is already implemented and the second phase will be held on July 24.



"The purpose of the Ordinance is to provide a firm statutory status to the concept of Uniform Entrance Examination for all undergraduate and post graduate admissions in medical or dental colleges while providing a relaxation to the state governments in relation to only UG admissions for this year [2016-17] in view of their difficulties," he told reporters.



Mukherjee signed the Ordinance this morning after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him.



Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early this morning along with the top ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by Mukherjee on the NEET issue.



"All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill UG seats.



"The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams. 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET 1," Nadda said.



Nadda said that the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and The Dentists (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 are being promulgated to amend the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 and Dentists Act, 1948 respectively.



The Ordinance was brought in to provide for a uniform entrance examination for UG and PG admissions with a proviso that for UG admission for the year 2016-17 only, the state government seats (both in government and private medical colleges) shall be exempt from the purview of NEET regulations if the State so opts.



Nadda said that the Ordinance addresses the concerns expressed by states and political parties. He said that it was the Centre which had approached the Supreme Court in the matter with the review petition and said it is strongly committed to NEET.



Nadda said that only state government seats in government medical colleges and state government seats in private institutions will have exemption for the current year.



The Minister said that the management quota seats shall be filled by the respective private colleges, associations of colleges or private universities or deemed universities through the NEET UG-2016 examination in all the states "even for this year.



"The necessity of promulgating the Ordinances arose since the Supreme Court is in vacation presently and both Houses of the Parliament had adjourned sine-die by May 13, 2016," he said.



He said that six states and one UT are already participating in the NEET this year and the Ordinances will allow them as well as any other state, which so opts, to fill up their state seats from NEET for 2016-17 UG admissions.



"The President today morning signed the Ordinance which was sent to him by the Union Cabinet. Following this, the legal procedure has been initiated. It will be notified today," he added.



Stressing that the exemption to the state governments from NEET is only for a year, Nadda said that this was strongly requested by the states at the meeting of the state health ministers recently after they cited three reasons-- state level examinations already conducted, exams conducted in regional languages and the syllabi were different from the All India PMT.



"All parties reiterated that while they were all in -principle in favour of holding NEET, it would be prudent and in the larger interest of lakhs of students to allow the state governments to continue with their existing procedures for filling up of UG seats for 2016-17 in respect to state government seats," Nadda said.



He said Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chandigarh have conducted exams under NEET. Bihar too has opted for NEET from this year though Delhi is yet to take a decision, he said. Nadda said the states that have deferred the exams are West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh.



He said the states had not effectively put forth their views in the right perspective before the Supreme Court. "In order to provide them relief, we brought this Ordinance," he added.


German authorities probing the terror bombing of a gurudwara in Essen have admitted mistake by failing to respond "resolutely" to a warning in January from the school of one of the two main suspects in the attack, prompting an internal investigation.





Over a month after the attack on Nanaksar Satsangh Sabha Gurdwara, police in the town of Gelsenkirchen said it was a failure not to alert the judicial authorities after the head of a secondary school informed them that its 16-year-old pupil Yussuf T had in January shown fellow students on his mobile phone a video of the detonation of a self-made explosive device.



Instead of taking any steps against the youth, police agreed on a code of conduct for the students with the school leadership and this was a "wrong decision", regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) reported yesterday quoting a police official.



"Our reaction was not resolute enough," the official said.



Police have ordered an internal investigation to establish why the warning was not taken seriously enough, the report said.



A report on regional TV channel WDR said investigators had searched Yussuf's room at his house in Gelsenkirchen shortly before Christmas last year and confiscated his computer and his mobile phone.



The teenager had spoken about a police raid on his house when he returned to the school after the Christmas holidays and he was in possession of a mobile phone which was not confiscated during the raid, Yussuf's class teacher told the channel.



The teacher said she heard from Yussuf's classmates that he had shown them a video of an explosion on his mobile phone.



This information was conveyed to the local police authorities by the school leadership, but they made no effort to confiscate the second mobile phone, the report said.



Investigators found the video of a "trial explosion" of a self-made bomb on a USB drive confiscated from the house of Yussuf's accomplice Mohammed B in Essen, several days after the bomb explosion at the gurudwara on April 16 that injured three persons, including a Sikh priest seriously.



The video showed the two men detonating in an open area a bomb similar to the fire extinguisher filled with explosives which they detonated at the entrance of the gurudwara.



The interior ministry of the state of North Rhine Westphalia confirmed at the end of last month that the two teenagers wanted to detonate their bomb inside the gurudwara, which hosted a Sikh wedding ceremony, but they failed to break in through the entrance door.



The two men were arrested four days after the attack while a third suspect, 17-year-old Tolga I from Wesel, in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, was taken into custody early this month. All of them are currently kept in a preventive custody.
Delhi University colleges has enhanced quota for Kashmiri migrants in all undergraduate courses, thanks to the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministrys letter asking the university to do so.





The varsitys committee on undergrad admissions approved 5 % supernumerary quota for Kashmiri refugees in its meeting on Monday, R N Dubey, a committee member said.

He said it means all DU colleges will now be able to admit 5 % more students than their sanctioned strength in each course.



Until now, all varsity colleges reserved up to three seats for Kashmiri migrants  one each in arts, commerce and science streams.



Earlier on May 13, the ministry in its letter to DU Vice Chancellor said it received representations from a Noida resident and the All India Kashmiri Samiti seeking concession for the wards of Kashmiri migrants.



The letter was also addressed to Vice Chancellor of Delhi Technological University.

Dubey said the Kasmiri refugees, registered either in Delhi or Jammu, will get up to 10 per cent relaxation in cut-offs during undergad admissions.



So far, DU had up to 5 per cent supernumerary quota each for foreign applicants and students applying under the sport/extra-curricular activities (ECA) quota.



Unlike the last year, all the minority colleges in DU will have to participate in the centralised registration process that begins on Saturday.



St Stephens College and Jesus and Mary College will be free to have their separate admission rules, but like the last year they cant invite registrations themselves, the admission committee member told DH.



Sources say three Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC)-run

colleges  Mata Sundari College for Women, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce  have also received the universitys nod to conduct their own admissions like Stephens and Jesus and Mary College.



According to the Parminder Pal Singh, DSGMC spokesperson, the High Court granted minority status to the these colleges, but only the admission process kicked off last year.

DU will invite online registration for its undergraduate courses between May 28 and June 16, Dubey said.



The first cut-off will be issued a week after the registration process ends and it will be good, he added.


Barry Howard, 52, Mandan, died May 23, 2016, at CHI St. Alexius Health, Bismarck. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. CDT Thursday, May 26, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, with the Rev. Dale Nabben officiating. Burial will be held at 2 p.m. MDT at Oakdale Cemetery, near Killdeer.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at Parkway Funeral Service.

Barry Dean Howard was born Jan. 14, 1964, in Fargo, the son of Gary Howard and Marian (Thompson) Zeller. He grew up in Indiana, graduated high school from Crawfordsville and attended Purdue, Ind.

Barry was employed for a large farming operation near Indianapolis for several years. He enjoyed this job very much as it connected him to his roots in North Dakota.

Barry married Kathy Stephens on Aug. 5, 1989. He moved to North Dakota in 2007. In 2008, he moved to Dakota Alpha in Mandan, following his first brain tumor surgery and lived there until his passing.

Barry is survived by his father and stepmother, Gary (Irene) Howard, Bismarck; his mother and stepfather, Marian (David) Zeller, Lebanon, Ind.; his sister, Genna Howard and brother, Jesse Howard, Washugal, Wash.; his stepsisters, Aaron Dvorak, Andrea Dvorak and Kelsey (Thomas) Hennessy, all of Bismarck; his stepbrothers, Mitch Dvorak, Chicago, and Chris Dvorak, Minot; his uncle, Ralph Howard and aunt, Patricia Howard, Dunn Center; and his cousins, Duane, Darrell and Douglas Howard.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Harold and Verne Howard and Marvin and Mabel Thompson; and an uncle, Jerry Thompson.

Go to www.parkwayfuneral.com to share memories of Barry and sign the online guest book.
Alleging that they were being targeted for raising the issue scarcity of water, a group of women students from a Delhi University undergrad hostel told the varsity authorities that their parents were wrongly informed about their absence from hostel premises.





Earlier on April 23, over 200 students of DUs Undergraduate Hostel for Girls (UGHG) protested against no water supply to their hostel for two months. Water Minister Kapil Mishra addressed the women protesters around midnight after receiving a complaint from them. The minister had alleged that there was laxity on the part of hostel administration.



A women activist group called Pinjra Tod led the protesters on Monday. In their memorandum to the Dean Students Welfare, they said the provost shot off letters to parents of some of the protesters.



"This is to inform you that your daughter ... left the hostel on 23 April, 2016 at around 5 pm and returned around 2.30 pm on 24 April, 2016 without obtaining prior permission from the hostel authorities," the letter said.



"This also has had a bad impact on other residents and brings a bad reputation to the hostel. This action could have caused any incident for which we are not responsible," the letter added.



Mishra said took to Twitter to extend defend the girls. I was there, police was there, provost given in writing tht no action will be taken against students, he tweeted.



Arguing that the students were fighting for their basic rights, he said he will take up the matter with the Vice Chancellor.



Devangana Kalita, co-founder of Pinjra Tod, said the students have lodged a complaint with the Delhi Commission for Women, saying that they faced gender discrimination. The university should send another letter to the parents and apologise for knowingly misstating facts, a woman protester said.


The Delhi government has identified a batch of 28 principals to be sent to Cambridge University in the United Kingdom in June for a training programme.





The government had in its Budget in March announced that it will send its teachers and principals to universities like Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge to train them in best education practices.



It had also earmarked Rs 102 crore for this purpose.



Now, the government has selected 28 principals from its 54 model schools in the capital to visit the university and other government schools in the United Kingdom (UK) in the third week of June.



To improve infrastructure and providing quality education in government schools, the Education department had identified 54 schools which were to be developed as model schools.



Teaching methodology



In the UK, the percentage of students going to private schools is very less. Around 95 per cent children prefer government schools and they are performing well. So the principals will get a chance to understand the teaching methodology and the way these schools operate, said a government official.



Even though the duration of the trip is still being worked out, for the first few days, the principals will undergo a leadership training programme at the university, following which they will be visiting some of the local schools to understand the education system.



They will get an opportunity to interact with the teachers at those schools. Also, we are planning to call the teachers from there to visit Delhi, the official said.



The next batch will be sent in July or August, he added.



Stressing the governments commitment to bring state-run schools at par with private schools in the capital, the government has given a push to programmes involving training of teachers and principals.



Earlier, in April and May, around 60 school principals in two batches were underwent a five-day training programme at IIM Lucknow to learn leadership and management skills.


Private power distribution companies will have to pay compensation to consumers for unscheduled blackouts exceeding two hours from this weekend, Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain said on Monday.





Sources said the power regulator, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, is mulling to ask discoms to pay Rs 50 per hour to consumers who face blackouts beyond the two-hour period.



The compensation will be made on per hour basis and the amount will be adjusted against the electricity bills of the beneficiaries, Jain said.



The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission has to implement the scheme (floated by the government last year). The draft notification has been issued and consultations have taken place. The scheme will be implemented by this week, he added.



He said some areas faced outages for a few hours after a 400 KVA tower in Bamnauli fell on Sunday.



We have written to the central government to probe into the incident. As of now we have made alternate arrangements but the complete restoration will take two to three days time," he added.



Complaints rectified

The minister said that about 90 per cent of complaints about outages are rectified within two hours.



Of the total 2,938 complaints received by (Reliance discom) BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) on Sunday, some 1,022 complaints were resolved in the first hour. Another 1,541 complaints were rectified within two hours. Less than 100 complaints took more than two hours, said Jain.



The city government has been putting pressure on discoms to upgrade their infrastructure.



In the last 10 to 15 years they were not able to upgrade their infrastructure. They either failed to upgrade the infrastructure or if they did they used sub-standard material which could not deliver the result," he said.



On Sunday, the city saw a peak power demand of 5,634 megawatts. The highest ever peak power demand of 6,188 MW was on Friday.



There is no shortage in the supply of electricity in Delhi. Hence, there are no scheduled power cuts in Delhi. But we have been getting complaints that some areas are facing blackouts in the name of 'local faults', said Jain.



The minister said the discoms have been pulled up to maintain their equipment to provide uninterrupted power to Delhiites.



While Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited received 752 complaints on Sunday, the private discom got 1,241 complaints three days ago, the power minister said.



The BYPL received 4,631 complaints three days ago whereas BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) got 3,995 complaints on Sunday. It received 5,211 complaints three days ago.



The low number of complaints is attributed to weekends as offices remain shut on Sundays.


The Delhi government has finished preparing the comprehensive plan for river Yamuna, which includes cleaning the river and four major drains, creating a special regulation zone, and riverfront development.





Called as the Yamuna turnaround plan, it is likely to be completed in two and a half years at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore.



With previous two Yamuna action plans failing to bring desired results, the officials say the new plan is different and will prove much more effective.



The earlier two plans only focused on the engineering cleaning of the river whereas it requires much more than that. Any water body has to be treated not only as flowing water system but also as an economic spinner and has to be put into urban planning realm, said a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official.



One of the major highlights of the plan, which will be presented to Union Ministry of Water Resources soon, is what DJB calls space making, which means creating space in the vicinity of water body so people dont litter and including water bodies in the urban planning mechanism.



Besides an ecological riverfront across 9,000 hectares, the plan includes creation of a special regulation zone of 250 metres on both sides of the four large drains  Najafgarh, Supplementary, Shahdara and Barapullah.



The idea is to notify 250 meters around the banks of drains as commercial space where water oriented development will take place.



We will create a clean water body which will lead to an automatic rise in the value of land around these drains. Then the real estate can come up. Just imagine the spin off and economic benefit the city will gain. All the high rises will come up on the banks and the city will get additional housing and revenue. The water body cleaning should have some meaning and not only cleaning dirty water, the official said.



The DJB will be sending a proposal for this to Delhi Development Authority (DDA) which will have to change the Delhi Control norms.



For protection of floodplains, the plan has a provision for development of green pathways along the Yamuna, a wetland system in between, and shallow.



On Monday, Delhis Water Minister Kapil Mishra led a delegation to meet Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, renowned environmental activist in Punjab, who resurrected the 110-mile Kali Bein rivulet.



The team visited various sites operated and maintained by Baba Seechewal to treat wastewater and sewage, which used eco-friendly and natural processes, thus reducing the financial and environmental cost of cleaning the river, a statement by the government said. It found that many of the processes and techniques used in Seechewal found a prominent place in the governments plan to clean River Yamuna.


All private medical colleges will come under the ambit of common medical exams, NEET, Health Minister J P Nadda today said after an Ordinance to keep the state boards out of it for a year was signed by President Pranab Mukherjee.



Noting that the Ordinance has given a "firm and statutory" support to the common medical entrance test, he said the students in states will get an opportunity to appear this year (2016-17) for undergraduate exams.



"All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill UG seats. However, for PG courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year.



"The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams. 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET 1," Nadda told reporters here.



"There are states which have deferred their exam like UP while Bihar has opted for NEET. They have an option. But these seats will be filled either by NEET or state governments," he said.



After having raised queries, the President today signed the Ordinance which has a provision for states to keep out of NEET for a year. Mukherjee signed the Ordinance this morning after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him.



Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early this morning along with the top ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by Mukherjee on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).



Nadda said that in the Ordinance, a provision has been made where an exemption has been given to state governments. He said, "The President today morning signed the Ordinance which was sent to him by the Union Cabinet. Following this, the legal procedure has been initiated. It will be notified today."



Later Nadda tweeted,"Government of India is fully committed to #NEET. 1st phase has taken place, 2nd phase will also take place.



"Govt is in process of taking decision in the spirit of collective view taken at all-Party Meeting and Health ministers meeting. Concerns of State Govts & lakhs of aspiring medical students regarding #NEET being addressed," he said.



Nadda earlier said that Centre is working out how the three concerns which have been raised by the states can be worked out through the legal framework. Asked if under the Ordinance, states have been exempted, he said, "These are the things which we are dealing with".



"There were concerns by some state governments on three aspects - ongoing exams of state government, syllabus and regional language. We called an all party meeting to address these concern. Congress's Jairam Ramesh who attended that meeting had said the state government's concerns should be met and the state boards should be exempted for one year. Therefore the consultation is going on," Nadda said.
An air ambulance coming from Patna with seven persons on board crash landed in Najafgarh area of South West Delhi after both its engines apparently shut down but no one sustained any major injury.





The six-seater Beech King Air C-90A aircraft crash landed at around 2:40 PM on a field in Kair village in Najafgarh about 10 km from the Indira Gandhi international Airport, police officials said.



The 27-year old plane belonging to Chandigarh-based private operator Alchemist Airways had to force land after both its engines failed, airport officials said.



Aviation regulator DGCA has already started an inquiry into the incident.



A 61-year-old cardiac patient Virender Rai who was being flown to Delhi has been rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon immediately after the incident. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.



The 1989-make aircraft, carrying registration number VT EQO, was in touch with to Air Traffic Control as it was in the final approach to landing.



The six other onboard persons include Rupesh (doctor), Jung Bahadur (aircraft technician), Juhi and Bhagwan Rai (both relatives of the patient), Amit Kumar (pilot) and Rohit (co-pilot).



"I pray for the early recovery of the injured. The causes of the accident shall be looked into," tweeted Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.



Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said DGCA officials have been sent to the site of the incident to conduct a probe.



"We received an emergency call from the pilot. Both the engines of the aircraft had reportedly failed. They made the landing safe. The DGCA is looking into the incident," Sharma told reporters.



As many as 14 fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately after the aircraft crashlanded.
With the ban on diesel vehicles with engines above 2,000 cc extended to Kerala, Japanese auto major Toyota is "re-looking" at its Indian operations saying orders are passed "against principle of natural justice".



Although the company, which operates in India as a joint venture -- Toyota Kirloskar Motor -- with the Kirloskar group, is not considering shutting shop here, but at the same time it is also not looking at launching new models here.



"We have already started re-looking at our operations. What is hurting us is not so much the ban but the unfairness. Orders are passed without hearing us. It is going against the principles of natural justice. We feel our vehicles are being targetted," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice-Chairman and Whole-time Director Shekar Viswanathan told PTI.



He was reacting to the direction by National Green Tribunal Circuit Bench in Kochi yesterday to Kerala government not to register any diesel vehicle in with engine capacity of 2000 cc and more, except public transport and local authority vehicles.



The green bench had also banned light and heavy diesel vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, in six major cities, including state capital Thiruvananthapuram and commercial capital Kochi.



Toyota is among the automobile manufacturers worst hit the ban imposed by the Supreme Court on registration of diesel cars and SUVs with engines above 2,000 cc in Delhi and National Capital Region last December.



"We can understand if they banned all diesel vehicles but why only 2,000 cc and above?" Viswanathan said. When asked if the company will consider closing operations in India, he said: "There are about 25,000 people whose jobs are directly or indirectly linked to our operations. We are not going to abandon them."



While he did not elaborate what "re-looking" at Indian operations would entail, Viswanathan said post the diesel ban issue, Toyota headquarter is questioning the rationale for making investments to launch new models in India.



"We will have to sell only those models which we are allowed to sell in India. The newly launched Innova Crysta is doing very well for us," he said, however, adding the company has to miss out on Delhi-NCR and Kerala, which are among its bigger markets in India.



Viswanathan had earlier termed continued restrictions on vehicles that comply with all regulations as "worst advertisement of India" referring to the ban on big diesel cars and SUVs in Delhi-NCR.



Last week, Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz had said it has put on hold investments in India due to ban on sale of larger diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR and the issue has put a question mark on the country's credibility as an investment destination.
A data bank carrying finger prints of all foreigners coming to India on e-tourist visa is being set up by the Home Ministry to help thwart entry of terrorists and criminals from abroad.





Immigration officials have started collecting finger prints of those coming on electronic or e-tourist visa and creating an Unique Case File (UCF) of all visitors, official sources said today.



Over 10 lakh UCF having all relevant information about the flyers including their finger prints are part of the database now, they said.



The move comes amidst hightened threat from terror groups, including the IS.

All those coming to India on e-tourist visa have to mandatorily get their finger prints scanned with authorities here.



The Home Ministry has decided to press ahead with the drive despite External Affairs Ministry recently expressing its reservations over the mandatory requirement of finger print scanning of the foreigners, saying it may discourage tourists form visiting India, the sources said.



The Home Ministry officials, however, suggested that the government could look at incentivising the tourists by giving them long-term visa to address Foreign Ministry's concerns.



"It has been suggested that long term e-visa for two to five years or maybe more can be given to foreigners if they are giving finger prints. This will encourage the visitors while complying with all security requirements," a source said.



The US also gives long-term tourist and business visa of upto ten years to Indians, he said.



The e-tourist visa scheme was launched on November 27, 2014. The scheme has been extended to 150 countries.



On an average about 3,500 e-tourist visas are being granted daily to foreign nationals. Under the scheme, a visitor can apply for visa online. They receive it online too.
Voicing concern over "inability" of investigators to nab the assailants of rationalist M M Kalburgi even nine months after his murder, several eminent thinkers and scholars in Karnataka today said the slow pace of probe raises "suspicion".





In a letter to the President, the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Karnataka Governor and the Chief Minister, they said the state government should show its resolve in favour of democratic principles by nabbing those behind the killing and taking action against them as per law.



The signatories include literary figures, scholars and rationalists like Chandrashekar Patil, Narendra Nayak, Panditaradhya, Hema Pattanashetty, Vasanta Shetty and Sushi Kadanakuppe.



Demanding that the facts behind the killing of Kalburgi be made public, they said the case not reaching any conclusion even after nine months would send a "wrong" message to the society.



Kalburgi, 77-year-old rationalist fell to the bullets of two unidentified men at his residence at Dharwad in north Karnataka, considered the state's cultural capital, in August last year.



Alleging that CID, investigating the case, had not placed any facts in front of the public, they said "after the sketch of the suspects were released, we are not aware as to where the investigations have reached."



Inability to come to any conclusion so far creates suspicion about the responsible investigation, they added.



The state CID is probing the killing, which had led to national outrage with several writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards over "rising intolerance", citing the murder of Kalburgi as one of the reasons for their action.



Citing slow phase of the investigation, the letter expressed apprehensions that Kalburgi case will face similar consequences to that of Dabholkar and Pansare of Maharashtra.



Anti-superstition crusader Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, while Pansare, a prominent anti-toll activist and rationalist, was shot-at in Kolhapur on February 16 last year. He died in Mumbai four days later.



Investigators are also looking for links between the murders of Kalburgi, Dabholkar and Pansare.



Stating that finding out those behind the killing will be a tribute that the government can pay to Kalburgi, the signatories said not doing so will be an indirect support to religious fundamentalists.



They said it would also indirectly indicate curtailing freedom of thinking and free sharing ideology and also silence voice against fundamentalism.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan today refused to confirm the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour but said a DNA test will be done to establish the identity of a man killed in a US drone strike last week.



"He is an Afghan national and the Pakistan government has no means to identify Afghan citizens," he told reporters.



"Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are still investigating the incident, but so far they have not been able to confirm the identity," the minister said.



He said that an individual approached the government today to claim the body of the second deceased person, saying "he is a relative of Mullah Mansour".



"We will perform the DNA test of that person and if it matches with that of the deceased body, only then we will be in a position to confirm that it was Mullah Mansour who was killed in the incident," he said.



He confirmed the attack on Pakistani soil but said that drone did not enter its airspace.



"The attack was launched from other country," he said, but refused to identify exactly from where the strike was carried out.



He said that he was unable to understand how the passport of the passenger traveling in the vehicle as Wali Muhammad was not damaged when everything was destroyed in the attack.



Khan said investigation was going on about it. He said Wali Muhmmad got Pakistan's identity card in 2001 and also got the passport in 2011. He said those officials who verified him as a Pakistani are being probed.



Khan said the US government informed Pakistan about the strike seven hours after the attack.



He condemned the drone attack as violation of Pakistan's territory and said it may lead to serious implication for relations between Pakistan and US.



Talking about the possibility of impact of the Taliban chief's killing on Afghan peace process, the minister said that he was not sure how will it help in the brining peace.



Khan said he cannot understand that Mansour was a hurdle in peace process as he was at helms of affairs when the first round of direct talks was held in Murree in July last year.



He said that second round planned on July 31 last year was sabotaged when it was revealed that Mullah Omar was dead.



Khan said progress was made in the first round and Taliban "had agreed to declare Kabul as conflict free zone."



Khan also revealed that a representative of the Haqqani network was present in Muree talks.


It's May 2016, the movie The Revenant has already won a boatload of awards this year. Its leading actor, Leonardo DiCaprio was stellar in his bloodied role. His return from near death to be Revenant, was a true example of the depths of mans will to survive.

For the fossil fuel industry (coal, oil and natural gas) we too have a story in play to where we have been beaten and bloodied extensively over recent years. Coal has been pounded heavily since Clinton-Gore took office. But just as that industry had spent billions of dollars reducing emissions, Al Gore found a new assault on all fossil fuels; namely carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Fossil fuel energy providers have endured years of ever-increasing aggressive and harsh Environmental Protection Agency regulations on top of years of low natural gas prices, now collapsed oil prices and decades of oppression toward the coal-fired power industry. The very energy industry that provided the economic driver for America to become a leading industrialized nation and economic superpower is under an unprecedented assault by a movement of irrational activism that wants us all but gone.

Yes, fossil fuels are a finite natural resource. And yes, we owe it to future generations to find economic alternative forms of energy against an exponentially exploding global population. But the untimely deployment of uneconomic alternative energy sources is economic suicide for this country in an ever-expanding global marketplace. And being economically weak now will not make for an economically strong future.

Back to Leonardo  and I mean DiCaprio, not da Vinci  the two being nothing alike. Recently, DiCaprio joined the Sioux Nation to stand against the now permitted oil pipeline that will transport North Dakota crude oil to Gulf Coast refineries. It is the most environmentally safe and most economic means for moving petroleum to market. Then days ago DiCaprio took an 8,000-mile jet trip to accept an environmental award in New York where he stated: Climate change is real. It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species. We need to work together to stop procrastinating ... Let us not take this planet for granted.

Its just another do as I say not as I do theatrical display whose number one beneficiary is always they themselves. The most urgent threat facing our entire species? Based on fuzzy science? Ask the millions of people globally who are jobless, poor, homeless, starving, sick, persecuted, etc.  how much they believe climate change is the most urgent threat. Then follow the money trail of the climate activists and you will see who they truly care about. Gore got very fat and wealthy all at our expense. He, like DiCaprio, consume gross quantities of fossil fuels as they live their posh lives of conspicuous consumption.

It is an irreverent display of conduct toward Americas fossil fuel energy providers working every day to bring safe and affordable energy to fuel Americas economy. This all on top of a federal deficit approaching $20 trillion that cannot keep blowing billions more dollars on foolish premature Solyndra Solar-type boondoggle renewable energy projects.

So, as we gather for the 2016 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference to address complex issues, we must be reminded that America cannot survive without fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry is and will be the leader in economically transitioning Americas complex energy production mix to include other forms of energy production that make sense rather than just feel good no matter what the cost is to the consumer.

America has a wealth of da Vinci-like brilliant inventors, engineers and innovators. We will continue pioneering new forms of energy to economically fuel our nation and a global population that is on its way to 8 billion souls. And we will do it with reverence as we emerge from this difficult time to show we too can be a Revenant.
After a detailed probe, the police department has concluded that the Honganuru clash, which erupted after a flexboard of Ambedkar was desecrated, was perpetrated by the vested interests and Kemparaju, a dalit, is the prime accused.



Disclosing this issue to media persons, here, on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police Kuldipkumar R Jain said, Six out of seven accused, who allegedly insulted Ambedkars flex by garlanding it with footwear have been arrested. Kemparaju, president of Ambedkar Association of the village, is found to be the prime accused.



Doddarangaiah, Nanjaiah alias Deveragudda Nanjaiah, Mahadeva alias Kunta Mahadeva, Mahadeva alias Pachalike Mahadeva, Chamadasaiah and Kemparaju are the arrested. Other accused are at large and would be arrested soon, he added.



Jain said that the probe revealed three elements for the clash, that has also been confessed by Kemparaju himself.



Shops

The SP explained that the members of local groups had met six months ago and decided to clear the shops near the bus stand in the village. A notice was issued by the gram panchayat in this regard. But, a few shop owners had approached the court and had brought a stay order.



Kemparaju, his friend Bar Mahesh and others, who did not expect this, were waiting for an incident to happen, when the shops can be destroyed and removed. When Ambedkar Jayanti was celebrated in the village on April 14 and 19, the photos of Kemparaju and his friends were missing in the flexes, which irked Kemparaju.



After this, Kemparaju decided to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti on April 30 in a grand manner and needed more than Rs 1 lakh. But, they were able to collect only Rs 35,000. Kemparaju, who knew it would be an insult if the programme cannot be celebrated in a grand manner, hatched a conspiracy to insult the flex of Ambedkar, so that the function can be cancelled.



He discussed the issue with his friends during the village fair on April 26 and 27. On April 28, he himself tied the flex with footwear, triggering the clash.



Shops torched

Kemparaju has confessed during the probe that he and his friends visited the spot at 3 am and again at 6.30 am. Expecting tension, they utilised the opportunity to get rid of the shops near the bus stand. They allegedly sprinkled diesel on the shops and torched them.



The SP clarified that the department has not succumbed to any political pressure and has conducted the probe in a transparent manner.



Seventeen people have been arrested in connection with the clash and an FIR is filed against 150 people. There is no need for anxiety as only the guilty are being arrested, he said. Additional SP Muthuraj M Gowda and DySP Mahantesh Muppinamutt were present.


Premium furniture company Team 7 has announced that it will arrive in Bengaluru in November with a 5,000 sq feet outlet in Jayanagar.





Being set up at an investment of over Rs 4 crore, the store will be home to some fine European hardwood furniture across the categories of kitchen, living, dining and bedroom furniture.



Having set up its flagship store in Mumbai last year, the company plans to expand into one new city every year with New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Kolkata in the pipeline.



Team 7s speciality is natural wood. While that may drive the price up, durability is guaranteed. All furniture is made to measure, and is centrally designed and produced in Austria, said Georg Emprechtinger, Managing Director, Team 7.



With presence across 30 countries, the company has its largest customer base in Germany, which claims 50% of its market. It is closely followed by Switzerland and Austria.



The Bengaluru store is in line with the rest of our stores across the globe. But in India, our main focus is on kitchen and dining furniture, said Emprechtinger, adding, We offer a unique package in terms of design and natural wood. From this standpoint, we see no competition.



He said, While we will take on the market slowly, as we explore it one city after another, we believe that India is a growing market with more people being able to afford premium furniture year after year. Founded in Austria in 1959, the 85 million company continues to manufacture all its furniture there.




The Congress workers named a public toilet in Allahabad town after Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor in protest against the latters tweets decrying the naming of national assets after the Gandhis.



A group of the Congress workers put up a placard on the walls of a public toilet at Shivaji Nagar locality in the town on Monday naming it after Rishi Kapoor. It is our way of lodging protest over the Bollywood actors remarks on the Gandhi family, said a local Congress worker.



The party workers also raised slogans and sought his apology.
After being on the run for over two weeks following sexual exploitation charges against him, self-proclaimed Baba Parmanand alias Ram Shankar Tiwari was arrested by the police on Tuesday.



According to the police sources here, the Baba was nabbed with one of his close aides, identified as Arvind Pathak, while he was on way to his ashram.



Tiwari had been absconding after a case of sexual harassment was lodged against him after several videos purportedly showing him with women disciples in compromising position, went viral on the social media network, the sources said.



The police officials in Barabanki said that the Baba, who had a sprawling ashram in Uttar Pradeshs Barabanki district, used to lure childless women with the promise that with the help of his tantrik cure, they would be able to bear children. So far eight such videos have appeared on the social media network, said a senior police official.



The Baba had a large following in Barabanki and several other adjoining districts. The Baba used to sexually harass the women and also filmed the acts. He then used to blackmail them, the official said.



Tiwari had fled after registration of the case. The police had later sealed his ashram and a massive hunt had been launched to nab him.



The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court had stayed the Babas arrest, on a petition moved by his lawyers after the latter claimed that the case against the Baba was lodged by a policeman and not the victims.



The police said that several victims came forward during the past two days and lodged reports against the Baba accusing him of sexually harassing and blackmailing them. Efforts were on to nab the other close aides of the Baba, the police said.
Whether EgyptAir Fli-ght 840 flying from Paris to Cairo was bro-ught down by an electrical fault or a bomb, the incident can be expected to prompt passengers not to fly with it or to choose other airlines and holiday-makers to stay away from Egypt.





The flight crashed in the Mediterranean sea on May 19, killing all 66 passengers and crew. The aircraft had been in Asmara in Eritrea and Tunis in Tunisia as well as Cairo before flying to Paris, raising suspicions that a bomb or an incendiary device could have been put on the plane at any of these locations, complicating the task of investigators.



Egyptian authorities initially suggested that the crash was a result of terrorism but later said the cause was yet to be identified. Experts say this could take a month or more to determine.



Cairos approach to this incident contrasted sharply with its months-long refusal to accept that a bomb had caused last Octobers crash of a Russian civilian aircraft, killing 224 people, while flying over Sinai. The local branch of the Islamic State claimed the bombing.



Investigators found that an airport employee had placed explosives in a soft drink tin under a seat. Lax security at Sharm al-Shaikh and other Egyptian airports was blamed for the disaster. Since then, Egypt has stepped up vetting of cleaners and loaders and intensified searches of passengers and luggage.



There are, however, always possibilities of lapses, increasing the vulnerability of troubled countries like Egypt, Eritrea, and Tunisia, as well as countries facing terrorist threats, including France. In February, explosives hidden in a laptop killed the man who brought it aboard and blew a hole in a Somali plane which landed safely. Two airport employees carried the laptop past security checks. In March, another laptop exploded while being examined by security personnel at an airport in central Somalia.



So far, the 21st century has suffered a few aircraft bombings. The 1970s and 1980s experienced spikes in explosions on aircraft, with many casualties. The most deadly was the 1985 destruction of Air India Flight 182 over the Atlantic Ocean by Sikh militants, with 329 fatalities.



EgyptAirs safety record has been relatively good. The airlines most recent accident in July 2011 involved a cockpit fire due to an electrical fault interacting with an oxygen supply hose for the crew. The accident, fortunately, took place on the ground at Cairo airport. Seven injuries occurred during evacuation. This incident will ensure that investigators focus on the electrical systems of flight 840 as well as search for clues of sabotage.



The crash of the EgyptAir plane will deal a heavy blow to Egypts ailing tourism sector. Many people who contemplate holidays in the country could drop the idea or cancel bookings while those travelling there for work could choose airlines other than EgyptAir, reducing its earnings and, perhaps, forcing the airline to close certain routes.



Fall in revenuesEgyptian tourism revenues fell after 30-year President Hosni Mubarak was ousted by the 2011 uprising. The decline was accelerated by the unrest which began in July 2013 when President Muhammad Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood stalwart, was ousted by the army following mass protests calling for his resignation.



He was brought down by mismanagement and corruption and because the Brotherhood refused to share power with other parties. His supporters mounted a campaign against the authorities and the military while radical sympathisers based in Sinai attacked troops and police. This prompted a harsh crackdown by the security forces on all forms of dissent. This has not, however, halted attacks by IS and its allies.



The downing of the Russian airliner in early 2015 led to a 46.3% reduction in this years flow of foreign tourists to Sharm al-Shaikh, once a popular holiday resort. This came on top of a fall in tourist arrivals in Egypt from 15 million a year to nine million since 2011. In peak years, tourism provided $14 billion in foreign revenue urgently needed to import fuel, commercial goods and food for Egypt. Tourism revenue is now $5.9 billion due to insecurity.



Since 2011, the Egyptian economy has been in free fall. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates have deposited billions of dollars in Egypts central bank to boost foreign exchange reserves and prop up the sinking currency. During a recent visit to Cairo, Saudi King Salman announced a $16 billion investment fund as well as smaller investments in specific projects.



However, due to the kingdoms own economic crisis brought on by the low price of oil  its major resource  Riyadh may not be able to deliver on its pledges, leaving Egypt on the verge of bankruptcy.



Until it has the means, Cairo will not be able to tackle radicalisation of disaffected, poorly educated and unemployed youth recruited by IS to strike at the army and the wealthy elite which reversed the 2011 revolution that promised Egyptians Bread, Freedom and Justice.




President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday commenced his visit to China with New Delhi relying on him to smooth the ruffled feathers in Beijing.



Mukherjee landed in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province in southern China, on the first day of his visit, which will also take him to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. His visit to China comes days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to travel to Washington and meet American President Barack Obama.



The President was received by Vice Governor of Guangdong, He Zhongyou. In a gesture rarely made during visit of foreign leaders to provincial capitals of China, both the Governor of Guangdong, Zhu Xiaodan, and the Secretary of the local unit of the Communist Party of China, Hu Chunhua, will call on him on Wednesday.



New Delhi, however, is keenly waiting for Mukherjees meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang in Beijing on Thursday.



Sources told DH that Mukherjee would convey to Xi that India was keen to have a strong partnership with China, based on mutual trust and friendship, and sensitivity to each others concerns, interests and aspirations.



Several new irritants of late came up in Indias complex relations with China. New Delhi has been upset about Beijings persistent policy of shielding Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and other terrorist leaders based in Pakistan from the United Nations sanctions.



China has also opposed Indias proposed entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Beijing argues that since neither New Delhi, nor Islamabad signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, if India is admitted into the NSG, Pakistan should also get a berth in the 48-nation cartel that controls global trade in atomic material, equipment and technology.



Addressing members of Indian community in Guangzhou in the evening, Mukherjee recalled that India had been arguing for China's inclusion in the World Trade Organization right from the early days of the body. He appeared to be indicating that New Delhi would expect Beijing to reciprocate by supporting India's membership at the NSG and the United Nations Security Council.



India has also been opposing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is proposed to cover the areas that New Delhi claims as its own and accuses Islamabad of illegal occupation. Beijing was also irked by the recent conclave of Chinese dissidents in India.


The Centre has tightened norms for establishment and functioning of the deemed-to-be universities to ensure that they maintain their teaching quality and standards.



The University Grants Commission, however, lifted restrictions on nomination of the founder of such universities or his or relatives as the institutions chancellor provided that they would not be made members of the board of management.



They can now be nominated as chancellors of the universities for a period of five years. But they shall not be appointed chief executive officer of the varsity, Higher Education Secretary Vinay Sheel Oberoi told DH. As per the revised regulations, those willing to set up a deemed university will have to submit a letter of intent declaring that all the prerequisites like construction of building, laboratory will be completed within three years.



They will also have to secure A grade certification from National Assessment and Accreditation Council in five years to retain the deemed-to-be university status. Number of PhD scholars per supervisor now will be eight, six and four for Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor respectively. The number of M Phil scholars per supervisor will now be three, two and one for professor, associate professor and assistant professor respectively, Oberoi said. Only a full-time regular teacher of the concerned university college can act as a supervisor. However, co-supervisor can be allowed in inter-disciplinary areas, he added.



An institution will be eligible to become a deemed university if it has undergraduate and five post-graduate programmes with research in existence for three years, he said.



The revised regulations also have provisions for detachment (removal) of vice chancellors of these universities in cases of irregular appointment or financial or administrative irregularities and impropriety.



The government of India will have its nominee in the board of management of only those deemed universities which are either fully funded or partially funded to extend of 50%.


There may be complaints about airlines predatory pricing, but a travel portals data shows airfare decreased by 35% on domestic routes and 16% on international routes during April-June this year.



One of the reasons could be the increase in frequencies and destinations by airlines like IndiGo, Vistara and the resurrection of SpiceJet in the domestic market.



We are seeing positive passenger movement and have seen airfares stabilise in the April-June quarter vis-a-vis last year, MakeMyTrip vice-president (Online Revenue) Diwakar Pareek said.



The analysis by the portal showed that a Delhi-Goa ticket cost Rs 5,309 last month compared to Rs 7,144 same period last year. While the ticket is priced around Rs 4,347 this month, it was Rs 6,198 last year. For a June ticket to Goa, one could buy it for Rs 4,379 now, while the average was Rs 5,247 last year.



Similarly, a Mumbai-Goa ticket cost Rs 2,762 last month compared to Rs 3,111 same period last year. While the ticket is priced around Rs 2,778 this month, it was Rs 3,786 last year. For a June ticket to Goa, one could buy it for Rs 2,282 now while the average was Rs 2,553 last year.



Pareek said domestic market continues to grow at a very healthy rate and attractive sales by airlines have further energised travel to domestic and foreign destinations like Dubai, Colombo, Kathmandu, New York, London, Singapore and Bangkok.



While Delhi-London and Bombay-New York average fare in June 2016 saw a drop of 16%, the reduction in fares helped create new demand for air travel on these routes. With a heavy advance purchase for the summer vacation period and the upcoming high travel season, we expect the overall numbers to maintain the robust growth, he said.



Parliamentarians and fliers were complaining that the airlines were jacking up prices, especially for last-minute bookings. The issue was raised in Parliament in the recently concluded Parliament session once against but Civil Aviation Ministry has said that it could not interfere in such matters.
The issues of our time are becoming more and more bizarre, but in North Dakota, we have a way of pressing on through the application of common sense and conservative values.

In consideration of current events, the difference between the two leading gubernatorial candidates could not be more stark. President Obama has issued an illegal directive in an attempt to force public school children of opposite gender to be intermingled in locker rooms and bathrooms. In the interest of being taken seriously, he even threatened to hold underprivileged children hostage by eliminating funding for the services upon which they rely if his demands are not met.

This intermingling of vulnerable children would already be a reality had Doug Burgum had his way regarding the passage of SB2279 in 2015. But Wayne Stenehjem rightly points out the fact that Obama's directive is not only illegal, but not in line with the way North Dakotans choose to do business.

As a husband and parent of three, two of them daughters, I appreciate Wayne Stenehjem standing against reckless federal overreach and experimentation in our schools which could potentially threaten the privacy and safety of my family.

North Dakotans are best served by leaders who espouse North Dakota values; that's why I will be supporting Wayne Stenehjem for governor.
Pudota Neelima became the first woman from the newly formed Andhra Pradesh state to scale Mount Everest. Neelima, who survived the 2015 Nepal earthquake, reached the summit on Monday after beginning her ascent on April 20 from the Chinese side with six others. She was the only Indian in the batch.



Neelimas parents, P Showraiah and Dr Kondaveeti Papa, recall that since childhood, she wanted to be different. Her wish and courage to be different from others made her stand apart, her parents said and added that her indomitable spirit drove her to achieve the feat. Neelima is a multi-talented girl. A professional Bharathanatyam dancer, Neelima has also trained in Keralas martial art form Kalaripayattu and practises yoga. A B. Tech from MGIT (Hyderabad) in Mechotronics, Neelima gave up her job at Cognizant Technologies to pursue mountaineering, especially her dream of conquering Everest.



Neelima was at the Everest base camp in April, 2015 when the earthquake struck in Nepal. She did not let the traumatic events dampen her spirits and the sight of bodies and the injured (mainly sherpas), made her resolve to summit the Everest, her parents said. On reaching India with help from the Army, she declared her intention to scale the Everest provided someone sponsored her.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Social Justice which has been spearheading Justice for Rohith Vemula agitation, deplored the efforts of Hyderabad varsity authorities to dismantle the Velivada (Dalit ghetto).





The members of the umbrella organisation of several student unions refused to remove the Velivada and burnt down order copies from the authorities in defiance.



The Velivada was initially erected by Rohith himself at the square near the university shopping complex after he, along with four other research scholars belonging to the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), were barred from entering the hostels four months ago.


After maintaining silence for close to 3 years, the state government has started pulling up the promoter of the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC).





The Public Works Department (PWD) recently slapped a default notice on the promoter, Nice (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise), for not complying with the project Framework Agreement (FWA) as far as the construction of concrete roads (pavement for expressway, link road and peripheral road) is concerned. The department had given 180 days time to the company to rectify the lapse. But the promoter has obtained a stay order from the High Court of Karnataka.



In a detailed report to the government, the PWD has said the company was supposed to complete the phase I and II of the toll road within 8 years of the initial financial closure, which happened in March 29, 2003. This includes construction of 4-lane concrete pavement as per the FWA. The then government in 2002 had accepted the companys request to initially construct 2-lane roads of bituminous pavement and open it for traffic as toll road, subject to completion of the 4-lane concrete pavement as mentioned in the FWA.



The project envisages constructing 111 km of expressway between Bengaluru and Mysuru, 41-km peripheral road, 9.8-km link road (both around Bengaluru) and five townships under Build, Own, Operate and Transfer basis. A major portion of the peripheral road and link road and some portion of expressway is complete. The project has come to a standstill. The company has sought lands from the government to complete the project. But the government has refused, arguing that it has already given sufficient lands.



Further, the PWD said the cement concrete surface should be designed to have a life span of 60 years and should conform with international standards. As per Article 6.3 of FWA, the company shall design and shall cause the designer to design the toll road in accordance with the technical requirements. The pavement of the expressway, link and peripheral roads shall be a rigid, as per para 6.4.1.2 of the project technical report. The thickness of the concrete slab to be provided has been calculated as 300mm for all the reaches, the department stated.




His mortal remains arrived in Goa Monday evening and were kept at Panajis military hospital for the night.



After a solemn ceremony Tuesday morning when the Commandant, Signal Training Centre, Goa, Brigadier SK Agarwal laid a wreath, Mahadevs body was transported to his native village of Amboli.



The last rites of Naik Gawade Pandurang Mahadev, who lost his life during a security operation in Kashmirs Kupwara Sector, were performed with full military honours at his native village of Sindudurg in Maharashtras coastal Konkan region.Large number of people from nearby villages gathered at the funeral to pay their last respects to the soldier.Naik Gawade Pandurang Mahadev had been critically injured in a fierce encounter that resulted in the elimination of five heavily armed terrorists on May 21 in Durgmulla, Kupwara.The soldier was part of the column which initially located and engaged the terrorists hiding in a cluster of houses. He was evacuated to the Military Hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
Janata Dal (S) State President H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday set a two-day deadline for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to render justice to a 25-year old dalit woman who has claimed that the police harassed and humiliated her for standing in front of chief ministers home office.





At a press conference held at the Vidhana Soudha in the presence of Sunitha, the harassed woman, Kumaraswamy sought that criminal and atrocity cases be booked against the police personnel responsible for humiliating the woman.



Kumaraswamy said the government should provide a loan of Rs 5 lakh to the victim for her livelihood from the Ambedkar Development Corporation.



Kumaraswamy said he would stage an infinite dharna if his demands were not met in two days.



Sunitha said she along with her husband Muthuraj, an auto driver, and two children went to Krishna, the home office of the chief minister on May 17 at 2 pm for an audience with Siddaramaiah.



The family lives in a house on Pipeline, Magadi Road but the katha had not been issued despite repeated visits to officials.



I was told that the chief minister would meet us at 4 pm. However, nothing happened till 6 pm. My kids had not even had their lunch. So my husband took them home and I stayed back. Around 6.30 pm a woman police constable asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was waiting for the chief minister. All of a sudden she started abusing me in foul language. She said that she suspected that I was into prostitution, Sunitha said with tears rolling down her eyes.



Sunitha said she was later taken to the High Grounds police station where she was again abused.



From the station, she was taken to State Home for Women on Hosur Road, where further humiliation awaited her.



The woman police also tried to disrobe her and snatch away her mobile phone, Sunitha claimed.



She was let off the next morning after taking an undertaking from her husband. Kumaraswamy disputed Bengaluru Police Commissioner N S Megharikhs statement that the police took the woman into custody as she tried to commit suicide in front of Krishna.



He produced a letter written by the station house officer of the High Grounds police station to the superintendent, State Home for Woman that Sunitha was taken into custody for moving in a suspicious manner on Kumara Krupa Road, where Krishna is located. Kumaraswamy said that after the incident, a private money lender who had promised to provide a loan of Rs 5 Lakh to Sunitha to run a bakery had back-tracked.



Gowda promises help

JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda has promised to help the family purchase an autorickshaw.



Gowda, who slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his insensitive remarks, said that Muthurajan and his wife Savitha had fallen on hard times. Muthurajan is finding it difficult to get an auto on rent. I will help him buy the vehicle, he said. He said Siddaramaiah had been politicising any issue highlighted by the JD(S).



Nobody indulges in politics when it concerns a dalit woman. Siddaramaiah should take note of the seriousness of the matter, the former prime minister said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that eastern India must develop like the western region in order to bring about cohesive growth of the country.



Addressing a rally of over 1 lakh people in Guwahati during the oath taking ceremony of the new BJP-led government in the state, the prime minister said Assam will be the focal point of the Act East Policy.



Assam is important for Indias Act East Policy. Northeast India development is closely linked to Assam development. Development in eastern India states  Bihar, Northeast India, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Jharkhand will take the country to the new heights of economic development, Modi said.



The prime minister also said the Centre will give full support to Assam. Assam is the repository of rich cultural heritage. The new chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal is straight, simple and charming. He will not let you down. We will together take the concept of cooperative federalism to new heights. We will hold hands and march shoulder to shoulder, he added.



Modi said that every government that came to power whether in state or Centre tried to do some good work.



The focus of his government at the Centre and the BJP governments in the state is to build on the good work of the previous government, ironing out loopholes and start new initiatives, he said.


A war of words ensued at a meeting convened by Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya with SC/ST MPs and legislators in Bengaluru on Tuesday.





The meeting was held at Conference Hall in Vidhana Soudha and had been convened to obtain suggestions from the elected representatives regarding utilisation of grants under Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP).



During the meeting, former minister and Congress MLA P M Narendraswamy highlighted the sorry state of affairs in hostels. He also blamed the minister for not running his ministry efficiently, sources privy to the meeting said.



This irked Anjaneya, who used a foul word against Narendraswamy resulting in a verbal duel between the two. The duel went on sometime till Member of Lok Sabha from Kolar, K H Muniyappa pacified them. Later, Anjaneya tendered an apology at the insistence of a section of legislators, the sources added.




Getting paid twice

While laws of the Ministry of Human Resources Development states that one cannot get paid by the government twice, ideally Duttagupta should have got his pension amount deducted from the pay he received as VC. After a lot of administrative to and fro, MHRD referred the matter to President Mukherjee, who following inquiries, approved Duttaguptas termination.



The former VC is also accused with making around 25 illegal appointments, jobs that are currently under MHRD scrutiny and the appointees could also get terminated, sources said. Among filling a number of key chairs, he appointed the Controller of Examinations in violation of the Visva Bharati Act and without following UGC eligibility guidelines.



In continuation with the Centres action against sacked vice-chancellor Sushanta Duttagupta of Visva Bharati University, the CBI conducted raids at the campus and the tainted academics house on Tuesday.In a coordinated raid, a team from the central agency raided the campus at Santiniketan, around 190 Km from Kolkata, while another team called on Duttagupta at his Salt Lake residence in the eastern fringes of Kolkata since morning. The team at Santiniketan searched various offices of the tree-laden campus and seized a number of relevant documents and files.The team at Salt Lake is also believed to have stumbled upon some documents. Duttagupta was sacked in February after President Pranab Mukherjee, Visitor of all central universities including Visva Bharati, gave his approval to the process, which was initiated last year. Duttagupta is charged with financial and administrative irregularities during his tenure as VC since 2011.He has been accused of drawing salary from Visva Bharati while receiving pension from Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University, an institute he served earlier.
The first sign of trouble for the air ambulance that crash landed in Delhi on Tuesday was when the one of the engines stopped working at 2.22 pm.



The commander of the plane Captain Amit Kumar suddenly informed the Air Control Traffic (ATC) and asked for an emergency landing.



Thirteen minutes later at 2:35 pm, he again informed the ATC that the second engine broke down and he was looking for a spot for an emergency landing. At 2.37 pm, the aircraft lost contact with the radar and VHF.



The ATC received information about the crash landing at 2.40 pm. According to officials, 14 fire tenders were rushed to the spot while police and district administration also deployed their staff.



Official sources said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will conduct a detailed investigation as it is mandated for probing all serious accidents involving Indian aircraft.



Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju tweeted, I pray for the early recovery of the injured. The causes of the accident shall be looked into.


The skill and the presence of mind of pilots saved lives after an air ambulance with seven people on board crash-landed near Delhi airport on Tuesday.



After both the engines of the 27-year-old Beechcraft King Air C-90A aircraft of Chandigarh-based Alchemist Airways shut down as it approached the airport, pilots Amit Kumar and Rohit Singh skilfully glided the seven-seater to a field in Khair village in south-west Delhi's Najafgarh, around 11 km from the airport.



The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry into the incident and rushed a team to the site. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said the pilots did a commendable job by landing the plane safely.



Officials and aviation experts described the belly-landing of the aircraft as a miracle, as no one, including a patient Virender Rai (42) who was being flown in from Patna after a brain stroke, was injured.



Only one of the fliers -- Bhagwan Rai, the patient's relative -- suffered minor bruises on his forehead and abrasions on his thigh and was discharged from the government Rao Tula Ram Hospital where he was taken after the accident.



A villager Devendra, who was among the first to reach the spot, said, "I was helping labourers who were building my house when I saw a plane flying very low near my house. Suddenly, I heard a noise and rushed and saw the plane. More people came and we brought the occupants out of the plane."



The aircraft, carrying a registration number VT EQO, was hired by Rai's family and took off from Patna airport at 11.43 am. It crash landed around 2.40 pm. As they were approaching the airport, the pilots first informed the air traffic control (ATC) about the collapse of the first engine and later about the second one.



Following this, the pilots looked for a suitable place to land the aircraft by causing little damage. They managed to avoid thickly populated areas and found the agricultural land. Soon after the incident, locals rushed to the spot with police and fire fighters.



There was every chance of the plane catching fire.fuel (ATF). However, the pilots managed a safe landing.


A bulk of the MBBS seats in private medical colleges will be filled up through NEET in 2016, the health ministry announced on Tuesday.



This comes after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the ordinance. A gazette notification on promulgation of the ordinance by the President was issued on Tuesday evening.



The ordinance on the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) was promulgated to exempt states, which wished to go ahead with their own examinations in 2016, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said. From the next academic year, there would be one common entrance test, he said. All private institutions and medical colleges will come under NEET in 2016, he said.



Health Ministry sources told DH that of the 27,000-odd MBBS seats in private medical colleges, almost two-thirds are likely to be covered by the NEET.



The only exemption for private medical colleges will be the state quota seats. A percentage of seats in private medical colleges is reserved for the state quota. These seats will also be exempted from the NEET in 2016-17 and filled up from the state's own tests.



So far, five states  Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tripura  have conducted their own entrance examinations for MBBS courses. They would be exempted from NEET this year.



Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Rajasthan, Odisha, Chandigarh and Bihar, on the other hand, have decided to go ahead with the NEET.



Seven states  Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab  have deferred their entrance exams because of the confusion over NEET. Its up to them now to decide if they would join the NEET or continue with their own test, Nadda said.



Since Tamil Nadu and Puducherry do not conduct entrance examinations for medical and dental colleges, they will follow their usual procedure of admitting students on the basis of Class XII board marks in 2016.



Before departing for China, Mukherjee signed the ordinance after Health Ministry officials answered his queries. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early on Tuesday to respond to clarifications sought by Mukherjee.



Accordingly, the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and The Dentists (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 are being promulgated to amend the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 and Dentists Act, 1948 respectively to provide for a uniform entrance examination for undergraduate and post graduate admissions with a proviso that for UG admission for 2016-17 only, the state government seats (both in government and private medical colleges) shall be exempt from the purview of NEET regulations if the state government so opts.



The exemptions were given on three grounds  (i) states where the test was conducted, NEET would mean another test for students (ii) state examinations are given in regional languages and it would be unfair to ask students to give another examination in less than two months in Hindi or English and (iii) the syllabi for the state level examinations are different from All India PMT, which would be the basis for NEET-II.




In a major relief to Karnataka, which is facing water shortage, the Centre on Monday signed a $100 million loan agreement with the World Bank for urban water supply modernisation project in the state.



The drinking water problem has aggravated in the state in recent times due to drought as major rivers and reservoirs are facing acute water shortage.



The objective of the project is to provide city-wide access to a continuous piped water supply in the eligible cities in Karnataka and to strengthen the service delivery arrangements at city level, finance ministry said after signing the pact. The Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) is the implementing authority for the World Bank-funded project, the ministry said.



The project will be implemented over a period of six years, initially in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad. The project will benefit about 10 lakh residents of Hubballi-Dharwad, including estimated 1.60 lakh slum dwellers. The project will have four broad components  capital investment programme, institution building, technical assistance for sector development and project management.




Two bundles of answer scripts of the BCom fourth semester examination, pertaining to ASC Degree College which were forgotten in an auto on Monday, were handed over to police on Tuesday.



Two attendants of the college had left the bundles in an autorickshaw en route to Bangalore University. The Halasuru Gate police collected the two bundles from Umashankar, the driver of auto, on Tuesday noon.



According to the police, Umashankar went to the ASC College to hand over the bundles. However, he was advised to approach the police. The police checked the bundles and each bundle had 30 answer scripts, which were intact.



 I was cleaning my autorickshaw on Tuesday and found the two bundles in the luggage space behind the passenger seat. I read the slip on a bundle and realised that the two staffers of the college had forgotten to collect them. The address of the college address was written on the bundles and I directly went there and met the principal, Umashankar said.



Meanwhile, K N Ninge Gowda, Registrar (Evaluation), Bangalore University (to which the college is affiliated) said that the papers were found on Tuesday and have been kept in police custody. The university will be getting these copies tomorrow. However, we will not be evaluating these copies at present as it was not in our custody for 48 hours. There is no evidence that no malpractice has happened during these hours, said Gowda.



He said that the issue would be placed before the Syndicate and a committee would be constituted to find out how and why the papers went missing.




Businessmen and moneybags aspiring to become members of the Upper House of Parliament are lobbying hard in the Congress and the JD(S) ahead of the biennial elections scheduled for June 11.



Of the elections to the four seats, the ruling Congress will be able to win three seats on its own, while the BJP can win one for itself. Businessmen are seeing an opportunity to bag a seat in case the JD(S) decides not to field its own candidate. The Deve Gowda-led party has supported businessmen in the Rajya Sabha polls since 2004.



Prominent among the businessmen exploring the possibility of entering Rajya Sabha are Chenna Reddy, a contractor; B M Farooq, a businessman; Kamal M Morarka, Director of Gannon Dunkerley & Co Ltd; A C Shanmugam, Chairman of Rajarajeshwari Medical College; K Prakash Shetty, CMD of Gold Finch. Reddy is a long-time friend of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He is a Congress member and has submitted an application to the party urging it to field him as a candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls.



Sources in the Congress said Siddaramaiah was planning to seek the party high commands permission to field Reddy as the third candidate. He was planning to ensure his victory with the help his friends in the JD(S) and independent MLAs. The MLAs are the voters in this election. A candidate needs to secure a minimum of 44 votes to win the polls. The Congress will have about 33 excess votes left after ensuring the victory of two of its candidates.



Siddaramaiah and State Congress president G Parameshwara are likely to visit Delhi on May 26 to hold a meeting with the high command on finalising the candidates. The party is likely to field Oscar Fernandes as the first candidate. Many senior leaders, both from Karnataka and outside, are vying with each other to become the second candidate. P Chidambaram, Narayanaswamy and Jairam Ramesh are among the former Union ministers aspiring for the seat.



The party leaders are also making efforts to enter into an understanding with the JD(S) for winning the third RS seat. The Congress may, in turn, help the JD(S) win a Karnataka Council seat scheduled for June 10. The JD(S) has 40 MLAs. Thats the reason businessmen, including Farooq, Morarka, Shanmugam and Shetty, are queuing up seeking the partys support. Farooq, who is a brother of Congress MLA Mohiuddin Bava, is the frontrunner after the businessmen seeking the JD(S) support. He has already garnered the support of nearly a dozen MLAs  independents and other small parties. Farooq is also the president of Bearys Welfare Association, Bengaluru, sources in the JD(S) said.



The JD(S) is not confident of fielding its own candidate as many of its MLAs are not on good terms with the party leadership. They have been hobnobbing with the Congress and have even developed a good rapport with Siddaramaiah. The BJP, sources in the party said, is likely to field Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu as its candidate.


Extra-marital affairs resulted in two murders at Baiyappanahalli and Upparpet on Tuesday. An 18-year-old man stabbed his stepmother to death in front of her two children at Suddaguntepalya in Baiyappanahalli on Tuesday afternoon. The police arrested Ajit, within hours after he murdered Chaitra, 40, police said.



Ajit is the youngest of the three sons of Shivakumar, a welder by profession and Shobha. Shivakumar met Chaitra, the wife of Narayanaswami about four years ago and the two began an affair.



Shobha pleaded with Shivakumar to end the affair, but he ignored her pleas. Shobha committed suicide by immolating herself around seven months ago. Chaitras husband Narayanaswami also passed away due to illness, police said.



Shivakumar married Chaitra despite opposition from his three sons and moved out of the house. He rented a house in the same lane, police said.



Ajith nurtured a grudge against Chaitra as he thought she was the primary reason for his mothers suicide. He entered the house after his father left for work and when Chaitras two children - a 6-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter - were not in the house. He repeatedly stabbed her at around 11.30 am and fled, police said.



Chaitra managed to come out of the house and raised an alarm. She told the neighbours about the attack. Chaitra was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries later, police said. The police arrested Ajit from a relatives house where he was hiding.



Man kills wife

In another incident in Upparpet early on Tuesday morning, a 27-year-old man bludgeoned his wife to death, suspecting her fidelity. The victim is Mahadevi, 28. She was married to Muthappa Sangappa Savadi. The couple hail from Raibag in Belagavi district, police said. The couple have three daughters. He suspected that Mahadevi had an affair with a man from her native place. He had even warned her against the affair. She parted aways with him and moved to her parents house along with the children, police said.



Savadi moved to Benglauru about three months ago and joined a hotel in Gandhinagar as a supplier. Mahadevi came to the city on May 22, seeking financial assistance from Savadi. The hotel owner advised the two to end their differences and stay together. He even offered her a job at his hotel and she accepted the offer, police said.



Savadi told his employer that he had murdered his wife. On being alerted, the police came there and arrested him.



She did not reform even after she moved to Bengaluru. She would use my mobile phone and talked to her paramour. She called her paramour, spoke for a while on Monday and I warned her against doing so. We had a fight and went to bed. I could not control myself, woke up at around 3 am, took a stone slab and bludgeoned her, Savadi told the police.


MICHIGAN -- White Cloud, the albino bison that has become a symbol of Jamestown, was returned Saturday to Shirek Buffalo Farm in the town of Michigan.

The National Buffalo Museum announced White Clouds departure Monday morning. In the press release, the museum explained that a bison can live in captivity for 20 to 25 years. Because of White Clouds albinism, her life expectancy is unknown.

Ken Shirek, who owns and operates Shirek Buffalo with his family, said the main reason for bringing White Cloud back to the familys buffalo farm was her health.

Well, shes getting old, he said. Buffalo never do very good in the heat and in fly season.

Shirek said his family discussed White Clouds overall health with volunteers who manage the bison herd for the National Buffalo Museum, and both sides agreed that moving the 19-year-old animal back to the farm was the best move for her health.

Shirek said he is surprised White Cloud has lived as long as she has. He said albino animals generally dont live as long as non-albino animals.

Shirek said the bison will not return to Jamestown in July for White Cloud Days, the annual celebration of her birthday.

During her time in the wild, White Cloud has had 11 calves, including another albino named Dakota Miracle. Dakota Miracle remains part of the herd at the National Buffalo Museum.

Don Williams, president of the National Buffalo Museums board, said earlier Monday that White Clouds health was the most important factor in the decision made to send her to Shirek Buffalo Farm.

We are aware of her health, he said.

Williams said the farm where White Cloud was born will be able to care for her during the summer in ways the National Buffalo Museum staff and volunteers cant.

Shirek said the people who have cared for White Cloud during her time in Jamestown did a very good job.

White Cloud was born July 10, 1996, at Shirek Buffalo Farm. The Shirek family wanted to make the rare albino bison more visible to the public, so they made a special arrangement with the museum in 1997 for White Cloud to join the bison herd that lives on the grounds around the the museum.

The museum staff estimated that more than 3 million visitors stopped to see White Cloud during the 19 years she was in Jamestown.

Ilana Xinos, National Buffalo Museum executive director, said it was kind of sad coming to work Monday knowing that White Cloud wasnt with the bison herd.

She said White Cloud Days will not be any different this year other than no White Cloud. No matter where White Cloud is, she will remain a symbol of the Jamestown community, she said.

She is the idea of what makes our community special, Xinos said.
The process for parents of children with type 1 diabetes to claim financial support has been made easier, it has been announced.

The Government has agreed to change the medical guidance on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) after being lobbied by campaigners.

The amendments will now make it easier for children with type 1 diabetes to meet assessment criteria, should their parents choose to claim.

DLA is a non-means tested and tax free benefit which was created to help the parents cover the costs of looking after a child who needed more looking after than a child of the same age who doesnt have a long-term condition.

Leading charity Diabetes UK said three years ago it started receiving reports that applicants were experiencing problems in claiming DLA awards. Parents of children aged over 12 years old said they were being turned down for the benefit, and Diabetes UK believed the medical guidance content for DLA decision makers was misleading and called for it to be reviewed.

Alongside the Families with Diabetes National Network (FWDNN), Diabetes UK encouraged affected families to ask their local MP to raise the issue with Mark Harper, who was the Minister of State for Disabled People at the time.

Last year the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) agreed the guidance need to be updated and it has now been significantly altered to incorporate issues raised by families.

Chris Askew, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: For too long the guidance to Disability Living Allowance misrepresented type 1 diabetes in a way that left the challenges faced by families of children with the condition unrecognised and their claims too often rejected.

This newly revised guidance is a big step forward for families and children with type 1 diabetes because it clearly acknowledges the challenges and extra care required to manage this complex condition.

Neil Sykes, from the Families with Diabetes National Network, said: There was an assumption that children with type 1 diabetes should be able to look after themselves from the time they began secondary school.

There was no understanding of the fact that managing the condition in teen years comes with a whole new set of challenges. Looking after a child or a teenager with type 1 diabetes is almost a full-time job, with no let-up day or night.

Furthermore, research shows that more intensive management improves blood glucose levels for children and therefore reduces their risk of developing long-term complications. Through sharing their own experiences and frustrations with their MPs, our wonderful families ultimately played a key part in getting the DWP to listen to and act on our concerns by revising this guidance.
Los Angeles

Los Angeles

At the VII Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), the most regressive of all those held thus far, Gen. Raul Castro announced that major amendments will be made to the socialist Constitution.

The dictator said that they will be carried out in the future and, although he did not provide any details, revealed that they would made to "ratify the irrevocable nature of the political and social system endorsed in the current Constitution, which includes the PCC's leadership role in our society."

In short, they are bound to worsen the already appalling Constitution. This is hardly a cause for surprise, because the two changes made thus far, in 1992 and 2002, far from moderating its Stalinist character, actually intensified it. The 2002 version was Castro's response to the Varela project, spearheaded by opposition leader Oswaldo Paya (later killed under quite suspicious circumstances), which called for political reform to expand fundamental freedoms in Cuba.

The initiative had a national and international impact, cited in a speech by former US president Jimmy Carter, before Fidel Castro, during his visit to the island in 2002. The commander was furious, and ordered the National Assembly of the People's Power to approve an amendment to the Constitution stipulating the "irrevocable character" of the Communist system.

The retrograde spirit of the only Communist Fundamental Law in continental history jumps out when compared with the Constitution of 1940. That Constitution was drafted by a Constituent Assembly elected by the people at the polls, and made up of prominent intellectuals, jurists and politicians (76 in total) including six Marxist-Leninist representatives of the Partido Union Revolucionaria Comunista. The nation's entire political-ideological spectrum was represented in that body.

The 1940 Constitution replaced that of 1901 and established rights not enshrined in many constitutions in the world at that time, such as the inalienable right of the individual to a decent job, a minimum wage, the eight-hour workday, paid holidays, the right to strike, workers' freedom of association, and social security protection against unemployment, invalidity, old age, and other contingencies.

It also ensured the freedom of expression, assembly, and political association as individual rights. It recognized the right to private ownership over the means of production, and the separation of the three branches of government. That Constitution was a source of national pride, considered internationally one of the most advanced in the world.

Copied from the Soviets

The Constitution of 1976, in contrast, was drafted by a commission cherry-picked by Fidel Castro, who appointed Blas Roca as its president, a longtime leader of the Cuban Communists since in the 30s they were allies of Fulgencio Batista. And it was copied from the USSR, with aggravating elements imposed by Castro.

And I assert that it was copied from the USSR because Blas Roca told me as much in early 1976. As he had been a delegate to the Constituent Assembly of 1940, I asked him which constitutional text had been more demanding and difficult to write: that approved 36 years ago, or that which was receiving its final touches, to be approved shortly.

In his soft-spoken tone, he told me that the circumstances surrounding the drafting of the two constitutions were very different, because in 1939 and 1940 each paragraph or important point had to be negotiated "intensely with the bourgeois members" of the Constituent Assembly.

"However," he added, "this one now is more laborious because we do not want to copy anyone, yet we have to take into account the constitutions and the experiences of other socialist countries; Czechoslovakia's, for example, has been very useful."

I think Blas Roca confessed more than he would have liked, and to backpedal mentioned the Czech constitution rather than the Soviet. But it is common knowledge that all the constitutions of the Communist countries of Eastern Europe were essentially copied from that of the Leninist motherland.

In the Cuban case, it is obvious that the ideas of a president of a Council of State controlled by the PCC, rather than a president elected at the polls, and the fact that the PCC and its first secretary constitute the highest echelon of power, above the head of State and Government, were flown in directly from Moscow. Thus, the current Constitution does not even recognize individual rights acknowledged throughout the civilized world, including private property, but rather State ownership (sovjoses), that of small farmers, cooperatives (koljoses), and mixed ownership between the State and foreign investors.

Jurassic in nature, but ...

It is very naive to believe that the constitutional changes that General Castro has alluded to will include the right to private property, or facilitate structural reforms that the country needs, measures incompatible with Castroism's Jurassic nature.

However, the collapse of leftist populism in Latin America, the dire crisis suffered by chavismo in Venezuela, and the ouster of Dilma Rousseff in Brazil, Castro's second most important ally, is leaving Castro's cadre almost defenseless, which could force changes to the Constitution in an effort to attract foreign capital and relax the State's monopoly over the economy and trade.

In other words, the foreseeable breakdown of the Sao Paulo Forum and "21st-century Socialism" will impose its own rules on Cuba, which have nothing to do with those of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Che Guevara or Fidel Castro.

Until there is new leadership on the island, however, and as long as the two brothers continue to run the country, the Constitution will not recognize the right to private ownership of the means of production, nor citizens' basic rights.

The plan that the dictator had lined up when he announced the constitutional reforms will need to be "updated" for simple reasons of survival, but not for the benefit of Cubans. With today's low oil prices, even if the disciples of Chavez continue in power, the current flow of aid from Caracas to Havana cannot be sustained.

Guaranteeing the succession

In short, the core aim of these changes to the Constitution is to institutionally guarantee the succession of the Castros and the "historical" leaders back from the Sierra Maestra days, and to establish a neo-Castroism consisting of a capitalism on the leash of an authoritarian State, with some socialist, fascist, Chinese and post-Soviet elements.

It is likely, therefore, that the positions of the President of the Council of State and President the Council of Ministers will be separated, and the head of State will be stripped of his status as Commander- in-Chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR); if Raul Castro is missing (due to his death, illness, or because he has finished out his term) his replacement as head of State and the Government, presumably Miguel Diaz-Canel, does not form part of the Military Junta, but would become the supreme commander of the FAR without being the First Secretary of the PCC ("number one").

For the first time a civilian without a revolutionary or family pedigree would be the Commander-in-Chief of the FAR, and not the First Secretary of the PCC, who is constitutionally the dictator, a genuine absurdity in a Communist military regime. Fixing this institutional mess will be vital.

Of course, as neither China nor Russia will subsidize Cuba, and the island will depend more than ever on the US, and anti-Castro Cuban exiles (gusanos), anything could happen, albeit uncalculated by Castro's elite.

Cubans' rejection of the regime, meanwhile, is accelerating like never before. And as the song says, "La vida te da sorpresas..." ("Life surprises you").
The controversy around Facebook's trending topics led to a US Senate inquiry.

Following the controversy over Facebooks Trending Topics section, the company, in response to a US Senate inquiry, has said that its altering how trends are selected. Facebooks news operation will not depend on the top 10 websites any more. These included websites like The Washington Post, New York Times and CNN. The top 10 websites list was used to determine whether a particular topic is newsworthy or not.

Further, Facebook is also getting rid of the list of websites used for determining relevance of stories, and the RSS feeds that fed to its algorithms. This list includes over 1000 websites, which Facebook uses to judge the relevance of new stories. Facebooks General Counsel Colin Stretch said that the companys investigations havent revealed any evidence of systematic political bias. According to Facebook, theres no evidence to substantiate claims that certain news sources had been suppressed. Stretch said that most of the subjects had been included in the Trending Topics section.

Facebook did, however, acknowledge that isolated improper actions or unintentional bias is something that is possible. The company said that its changing the way trends are decided now, to avoid this. The section will now be more heavily dependent on algorithms that Facebook has.

The changes made by Facebook are in response to a US Senate inquiry, by the Senate Commerce Committee, earlier this month. Senator John Thune, who leads the committee, send a letter to Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, following a series of reports by technology blog, Gizmodo.

Source: Facebook, Thune Statement
With the launch of the ASUS Zenfone Max, ASUS decided to do something different. Rather than hold the launch event in different cities in the country, Asus decided to give the world a glimpse of the Zenfone Max. The company achieved this through a digital launch. ASUS fans all over the world could log onto the Internet and experience the features of the smartphone.

Bollywood heartthrob Sonakshi Sinha is the company's first ever brand ambassador in India and she will be the face of the Zenfone Max during the launch phase of the smartphone. The commercial she stars in address the biggest problems smartphones face today  battery life.

Whats the point of having a slim and sleek smartphone when you need to carry a big and ugly power bank along with it? Introducing the all-new Zenfone Max. The smartphone is just 5.2 mm at its thinnest edge and weighs a mere 202 grams. In spite of the lightweight and slim profile, the smartphone boasts of a 5000mAh battery, but thats not it! The smartphone also comes with an OTG cable that turns the Zenfone Max into an innovative charger to power up other devices. The smartphone is ideal for those looking for an affordable powerhouse smartphone that wont run out of battery by lunchtime. Not only can the smartphone survive heavy usage efficiently but also charge your second smartphone or other compatible devices on-the-go.

To put things into perspective, the lithium-polymer battery powering the Zenfone Max, when fully charged, provides 914.4 hours of standby time or 37.5 hours of 3G talk time or 32.5 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing or 72.9 hours of music playback or 22.6 hours of video playback.

At an affordable price point, the ASUS Zenfone Max houses some impressive specifications. The new Zenfone Max is powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 615 Octa-core processor. This 64-bit processor is powerful enough to ensure the user gets a smooth, lag free experience, when using the smartphone. Giving consumers more choice, the Zenfone Max will be available in two variants  2GB RAM and 3GB RAM. The storage on both the variants is 32GB, which can be expanded by an additional 64GB, thanks to the inclusion of a MicroSD card slot. The storage is more than enough to handle a users needs, be it for music, movies, apps, games, photos, videos and more. The SoC, combined with the RAM, can run any app available on the Play Store. It also ensures smooth multitasking experience for the user.

Furthermore, the Zenfone Max features a 5.5-inch HD display with a 1280x720 pixel resolution. The IPS display with full-screen lamination, combined with ASUS TruVivid technology, ensures that the device provides superior clarity, brightness and touch responsiveness. The Bluelight Filter for Eye Care protects the user's eyes from strain during prolonged usage.

Straight off the bat, the ASUS Zenfone Max runs on Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 giving users the latest and greatest experience of the Android OS. This combined with the ZenUI makes the user experience seamless. The various battery modes help users extend and enhance the battery life of their phones even more.

The new Zenfone Max has a 13 MP rear camera and f/2.0-aperture, coupled with the ASUS PixelMaster 2.0 technology and dual-LED flash, which will help users get natural-looking photographs. It also features Laser Auto Focus technology that helps photography enthusiasts focus on an object in as fast as 0.03 seconds. Zenfone Maxs front camera is a 5MP f/2.0-aperture camera, with 85-degree wide-viewing angle to captures more details and information in the pictures.

A beast on the inside, the smartphone is a beauty, too. The surrounding metal-like edge makes the phone durable, while the back shows off the look and feel of embossed leather giving the phone a premium and classy finish. The phone is available in three colours  black, orange and blue to suit the personalities and styles of different users.

The ASUS Zenfone Max is targeted at those who wish to own a smartphone with an all-round performance without actually burning a hole in their pockets! It is the go-to phone for users looking to invest in a smartphone that showcases premium looks, coupled with stellar performance and a battery that can not only last really long, but also charge other devices when needed.
While the Moto G4 Plus beats the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, LeEco Le 1s, Lenovo Zuk Z1 and others in the camera department, it doesn't do as well otherwise. The Redmi Note 3 remains the best performer, and it is 40% more powerful than the G4 Plus. So, if you want a good camera, go for the G4 Plus, if not, the Redmi Note 3 remains our pick below 15k.

Motorola Moto G4 Plus 32GB detailed review

Motorola is meeting the market midway. With the Moto G4 Plus, the company, which has largely ignored market trends, has tried to check the right boxes this time. Compared to competition, the 16MP camera, fingerprint sensor and the 1080p 5.5-inch display are all in tune with current market trends in India. In comparison, the last years Moto G (3rd Gen) had a 720p display, a poor camera and no fingerprint sensor.





It seems, unlike Google, Lenovo doesnt want Motorola for its technology alone. The companys influence over Motorola is becoming more apparent now, and the new Moto G4 Plus has a lot going for it, but is in some ways still behind its competitors.

Build and Design: Old isn't gold anymore...

A plastic body doesnt necessarily mean cheap or badly built, and Motorola has proved that time and again. Having said that, its getting a tad old now. The plastic back on the Moto G4 Plus feels nice, but it is a utilitarian design in a world of premium-looking budget devices. Id pick the LeEco Le 1s, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and even the Lenovo K4 Note over this: Not because of their metallic designs, but because they simply feel better.

Whats more disappointing is the lack of the trademark curves. Motorola phones have usually had a pebble-like curved back, which made them really ergonomic. The Moto G4 Plus has a flatter profile, with curves on the edges. To be clear, its still quite ergonomic, just not what it used to be. This, when combined with the plasticky frame around the sides, gives the Moto G4 Plus a really utilitarian feel, which just does not belong in todays market.

Its not a particularly bad design, just uninspiring and utilitarian. I'm not a big fan of the square fingerprint sensor on the front either. It looks out of place, and the noise cancellation mic next to it hinders the design.

Display and UI: Upgraded but...

Full HD, 1080p resolution displays have usually been reserved for higher-priced Moto devices, but this is one way that the company is meeting the demands of the market this time. However, upgraded resolution doesnt always mean a better display. Details on the Moto G4 Plus display arent as good as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, and it doesnt do as well with black levels. The Lenovo Zuk Z1 is the best phone under 15k, as far as the display is concerned.

To be clear, youll perhaps notice this only if youre comparing the phones side-by-side, which is what I did. If I had to choose, Id go for the Redmi Note 3, again. The Moto G4 Plus has a nice, bright display, but depending on personal preference, you may or may not like it.

As happens to be Motorolas way, the UI remains stock, with slight changes in the camera. It shouldnt affect the companys ability to deliver timely updates, though.

Fingerprint Sensor and Waterproofing: There is one, and there is none..

The fingerprint sensor on the Moto G4 Plus is extremely fast. While the square-ish button-like sensor on the front is weird, Motorola has made the right choice by choosing to not making it a 'real' button. This allows you to turn on the screen without actually pressing the power on/off button. You can simply place your finger on the sensor and you bypass the lock screen. Alternatively, I sometimes found myself mistaking the fingerprint sensor as the home button, but that's easily solved as you use the phone more.

While issues with the fingerprint sensor can be forgiven, it's sad that Motorola couldn't make this waterproof. The company says that this is because the sensor makes it more difficult to add waterproofing, but still, Moto is credited for bringing this feature to the budget range, and we would have appreciated had it continued.

Performance: Smooth, but not the best...

When HTC launched the One A9, the Snapdragon 617 surprised us all. Its not Qualcomms most powerful SoC, but it worked well for the A9, and it works for the Moto G4 Plus as well. Imagine a 64-bit variant of the Snapdragon 801 and youll arrive at the 617. The SD617 is stable, and with Motorolas stock interface, it does just about everything right.

That said, if youre looking for a powerful smartphone, youll still have to choose the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. The Snapdragon 650 on it makes it about 40% faster than the Moto G4 Plus. If youre playing heavy games like Injustice: Gods Among Us, the difference in load times is quite evident. If youre playing Injustice, therell be frame rate drops when the various power meters show up, making it more difficult to play.

All of this makes for a less-than-ideal experience than the Redmi Note 3, but even so, most regular users would get by easily. Whats interesting is that the frame drops I saw on the Moto G4 Plus werent there on the HTC One A9, and one can only attribute it to better-tuned software. Gaming performance is reminiscent of the Snapdragon 615, even on the Moto G4 Plus.

For light users, regular apps load fast enough, and while the performance isnt as snappy as the Redmi Note 3 and Le 1s, its satisfactory. This is a slightly more expensive phone, though, and such factors can be crucial.

Camera: A job well done...

The primary weakness of the Moto G series has always been in the camera. The G4 Plus corrects this. In fact, it has a better camera than both the Redmi Note 3 and Le 1s. Images are better detailed and colours look crisp and reasonably true-to-source. I wouldnt call this a breakthrough camera, but against it competition, it comes out on top.



(L-R) Indoor, White Light, Outdoor, Low Light

That said, if youre expecting a camera like the Xiaomi Mi 4i, this isnt it. The Moto G4 Plus is better than the Honor 5X, Lenovo K4 Note, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and LeEco Le 1s, though. It takes brighter images in low light, and in indoor conditions, it doesnt lose details as easily.

Battery: Not the greatest, but works...

The Moto G4 Plus has a 3000 mAh battery, which would last most light users for the whole day. That said, on heavier usage, youd be charging it at least twice. I usually charged the phone once at night, and once around 5pm. This, with almost an hour of gaming, a minimum of 50 emails, 20 phone calls, and many messages on WhatsApp. Add a lot of social media, browsing and posting to this, too.

While the Redmi Note 3 did, indeed, do better for me, the LeEco Le 1s and Honor 5X are much worse. For regular usage, the battery life is enough.

Bottomline

While meeting the market halfway has put the Moto G4 Plus in a good position, it's still not enough. Currently, the phone's camera seems to be the only real reason to buy it. Comparing it with our current favourite, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, the phone can't really outperform that device anywhere, except the camera. So, if you're fine with compromising 40% performance for a better camera, then the Moto G4 Plus is the phone for you. If you're asking me for the best smartphone under 15k, it remains the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.
UK onshore oil and gas explorers IGas Energy and Egdon Resources were among those celebrating the approval granted to a fracking project in Yorkshire late on Monday.

Councillors in North Yorkshire voted to back plans by privately owned Third Energy, said to be the first scheme to gain approval in the UK in five years, to extract shale gas near the North York Moors national park.

Despite country-wide protests against fracking, a controversial process as the liquid pumped underground at high pressure to fracture rocks and release trapped gas but also cause unwanted tremors and pollute water courses, the decision is felt likely to lead to schemes elsewhere in the country gaining approval.

Cuadrilla Resources, which was the last company to carry out fracking in the UK in 2011, is expecting decisions on its plans for two sites in Lancashire before 4 July.

IGas Energy is the largest UK shale player by gross acreage and has carried out $225m of total gross shale exploration work over its own properties and those of its partners, Total, ENGIE E&P and INEOS.

IGas has acreage across all of the UK's shale basins and claims to be well placed to "make a significant contribution to home grown gas production from shale", with a recent submission for a planning application to drill two wells in North Nottinghamshire.

Egdon Resources is primarily focused on onshore exploration and production in the UK, currently holding interests in 36 licences in the UK and across the Channel in France, including in iGas's Springs Road, Nottingham project, plus is awaiting the award of nine further licences which include "unconventional", or fracking, opportunities.

Egdon said it expected a decision on planning consent for Spring Road in the third quarter of 2016.

Shares in IGas were up 28% to 19.5p and Egdon's by 25% to 10.75p from early on Tuesday.
Standard Chartered: Macquarie reiterates to outperform with a 440p target.

Britvic: Goldman Sachs stays at buy with a 838p target.

Premier Oil: JP Morgan keeps at neutral with a target price of 61p.

RBS: Deutsche Bank reiterates hold with a target of 239p.

BT: Macquarie reiterates undeperform with a target price of 360p.

Kingsfisher: HSBC stays at hold with a 355p target, Credit Suisse reiterates outperform with a target of 425p and Cantor Fitzgerald keeps at hold with a 360p target.

BP: JP Morgan keeps at overweight with a target of 410p.

Barclays: Deutsche Bank reiterates hold with a 175p target.

Anglo American: Credit Suisse stays at neutral with a target price of 500p.

Genel: JP Morgan reiterates overweight, 237p target.

Ocado: Jefferies stays at hold with a 265p target.
Google 's Paris office has been searched by gendarmes as part of a 1.6bn tax fraud probe, according to reports.

Google's France headquarters in the ninth arrondissement were searched from 0500 local time, following a complaint about the US giant's tax evasion, a report from Le Parisien website stated, citing a police source, while agency AFP also reported the raid.

Hundreds of tax officials and law enforcement brigade of the financial crime unit were said to be on the premises, backed up by five 'magistrat' judges.

France is seeking 1.6bn (1.3bn) in back taxes from Google, a finance ministry source told Reuters in February.

In January Google agreed to pay the UK government 130m in back taxes for the period between January 2005 and June 2015, but French finance minister Michel Sapin ruled out striking a deal with the US internet giant, saying the sums at stake in France were far greater than those in Britain.

The tax probe comes on top of formal charges against Google by the European Commission in April for violating antitrust laws over its mobile operating system Android and charges last year for abusing its dominant position in the internet search market.

If the charges are proven, Google could in theory face multi-billion-euro fines.
European stocks reversed opening losses to trade higher, led by strength in the insurance and banking sectors as investors continued to focus on the timing of the next Federal Reserve rate hike.

The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 index finished the session with gains of 2.21% or 7.43 at 344.12, while Germanys DAX was 2.18% higher to 10,057.31 and Frances CAC by another 2.46% to 4,431.52.

Milans FTSE Mib was the standout gainer from among the main equity benchmarks on the Continent, as the Stoxx 600 bank sector index jumped 3.62% or 5.28 points to close at 150.96.

Nevertheless, it was shares in the main insurance oufits which paced gains, with the related sector gauge snapping 3.94% higher to end the day at 252.18.

Confidence [in the bank sector] may have stemmed from UBS Boss Axel Weber telling CNBC that a US rate hike would not be a bad thing (i.e. what's all the fuss about?), yet maintaining he didn't think it would move anyway until better signs of economic strength are evident.

An upbeat tone looks to have temporarily stifled the hitherto negative pressures stemming from (mainly non-voting, remember) US Federal Reserve hawks, who've seemed pretty chuffed with the effect they've had on the markets over the past week or so," said Augustin Eden at Accendo Markets.

Crude oil futures were to be seen higher despite strength in the US dollar. West Texas Intermediate was up by 1.01% to $48.57 a barrel and Brent crude was ahead by 0.58% at $48.63.

A weaker euro also helped to lift equities in Europe.

The single current was trading down 0.69% to 1.1143 by the close of trading in London, even as sterling got a boost from a Telegraph poll suggesting support for Brexit was on the decline.

In corporate news, shares in SEB rocketed after the French household equipment manufacturer announced the acquisition of Germany coffee machine maker WMF from KKR.

DIY retailer Kingfisher was a high riser after reporting a solid start to the year, with 6.2% like-for-like growth in B&Q and Screwfix stores in the UK and Ireland contributing to 3.6% group growth to 2.7bn.

Severn Trent was also in the black as it cut its dividend but posted a rise full-year profit.

Old Mutual edged up after confirming that it has received approaches from third parties to acquire its 66% stake in OM Asset Management.

On the downside, German speciality chemicals group Evonik was under the cosh after private equity firm CVC placed its shares at a discount.

Earlier, Destatis confirmed that German gross domestic product grew at 0.7% in the first quarter compared with 0.3% in the final quarter of last year.

It said positive contributions came mainly from domestic demand, which helped to offset weaker trade.

Elsewhere, the latest survey from the ZEW Center for European Economic Research in Mannheim showed German investor confidence unexpectedly deteriorated in May.

The indicator of economic sentiment declined 4.8 points from the previous month to 6.4, versus expectations for an increase to 12.0.

The current situation index, however, rose 5.4 points to 53.1, beating forecasts for a reading of 47.9.

The indicator of economic sentiment for the Eurozone, meanwhile, fell by 4.7 points I May to 16.8, undershooting expectations of 23.4.
The FTSE 100 shrugged off an early dip to put on a strong gain over Tuesday's session as Brexit odds lengthened, oil prices strengthened and a banking sector tracking expectations of a US rate rise higher.

With an hour to go before the close, the blue chip index was up 1.1% at 6,205.26, led by a host of financial sector stocks.

Top of this group was Royal Bank of Scotland, followed by St James's Place, Old Mutual, Legal & General, Aviva and Prudential which traders attributed to the strong indications from a newspaper poll that voting at next month's European Union referendum will be in favour of the Remain campaign and a firm defence of his anti-Brexit stance from Bank of England governor Mark Carney in Parliament.

The Telegraphs ORB poll revealed a 55% majority want to stay in the EU and 42% who will vote to leave on the 23 June. After a later ICM online poll showed remain at 45% and leave at 45%, the EU 'poll of polls' had the Remain campaign's lead up to 56% versus 44%, the largest since current polling started in September.

The Remain led lifted housebuilders such as Persimmon, Berkeley Group and Travis Perkins, which have been depressed by the concerns around the vote, though banks were given an extra boost by a reported rise in mortgage activity at building society Nationwide.

Shares in Old Mutual also received a fillip as the group confirmed reports that it has received approaches to acquire its 66% stake in OM Asset Management (OMAM). The Anglo-South African company said that it was continuing to assess options with regard to the preferred route to carry out the managed separation announced in March.

As a consequence of the decision to proceed with the managed separation of Old Mutual, we expect to receive interest in our assets periodically, said Old Mutual, adding that it would update the market as and when appropriate.

However, topping the pile was Tesco as investors flocked to buy the grocer's shares, many inspired by the reiteration of an 'outperform' rating from Bernstein and 220p price target.

Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne said he sees positive signals after sifting through the supermarket group's annual report.

He said the annual report enabled a look at what has been achieved over the last 12 months and commented that management has far exceeded any expectations from a year ago.

Looking at management's incentives, they are pinned to ambitious targets, which provided Monteyne encouragement, saying that either Tesco is either far more confident on UK margin than the market consensus or Tesco has some other cash up its sleeves.



Another high flyer was Kingfisher, with the DIY retailer assembling a solid start to the year. Like-for-like sales growth in B&Q and Screwfix stores in the UK and Ireland of 6.2% contributed the main part to 3.6% group growth to 2.7bn.

While LFL sales in France continued to show evidence of slow recovery, up 0.2% at constant currencies, Poland was also solid at 10.8% and made up for declines in the smaller Russian and Spanish businesses.

There was also good progress in chief executive Veronique Laury's ambitious five-year strategic repair job, including the installation of a new store IT system across the estate, while a June launch is looming for a new 'offer and supply chain organisation'.

"We have made a solid start to the year, trading in line with expectations," said Laury.

The fallers were led by Coca Cola HBC, with analysts citing sugar shortage halts production in Venezuela as a downer. Moreover, stakeholder New Argen sold a stake of 5.37m shares.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Tesco (TSCO) 170.85p 6.71%

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 245.70p 4.96%

St James's Place (STJ) 945.00p 4.88%

Old Mutual (OML) 174.70p 4.42%

Legal & General Group (LGEN) 234.50p 4.22%

Travis Perkins (TPK) 1,961.00p 3.98%

Kingfisher (KGF) 372.50p 3.33%

Aviva (AV.) 447.00p 3.26%

Prudential (PRU) 1,365.00p 3.14%

Persimmon (PSN) 2,147.00p 3.02%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 1,322.00p -3.15%

Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 5,980.00p -1.64%

Fresnillo (FRES) 1,063.00p -1.30%

Ashtead Group (AHT) 963.00p -1.08%

Royal Dutch Shell 'B' (RDSB) 1,661.00p -0.36%

Merlin Entertainments (MERL) 417.00p -0.36%

ARM Holdings (ARM) 960.50p -0.26%

Rio Tinto (RIO) 1,940.00p -0.21%

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Oller: How John Frank found peace after life of football punishment

Former Ohio State tight end John Frank finds joy and meaning in Orthodox Judaism, which ironically would have precluded him from playing football.
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LONGVIEW (AP)  Residents can weigh in on a coal-export terminal proposed near Longview at public hearings this week.

The Washington Department of Ecology and Cowlitz County last month released a draft environmental review that found the proposal along the Columbia River could have some unavoidable, significant impacts on greenhouse gases emissions, vessel traffic and rail safety.





. . .
Bridge worker's truck found in Hood Canal

POULSBO, Kitsap County (AP)  The Washington Department of Transportation has found the missing car of the Hood Canal Bridge employee. The vehicle was found early Monday about 150 feet north of the bridge.

Acting Transportation Secretary Roger Millar told employees of the DOT about the discovery in an email Monday morning.

The vehicle is submerged in more than 300 feet of water and state officials are calling on Seattle-based Global Diving & Salvage to help them recover the vehicle and the man who has been missing for a week. The timing of that recovery will depend on tides, currents and equipment needs.

Searchers used sonar to scan the bottom of Hood Canal over the weekend to search for the missing worker.




Research undertaken by a Nigerian student from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) could change the way sickle cell disease is regarded in Africa.

Dr Bola Ola, from the Department of Behavioural Medicine at State University Lagos in Nigeria, was concerned that many people living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) showed signs of severe depression.

He found that there was a lot of stigma attached to having sickle cell in Nigeria. Some communities believed that sickle cell was associated with supernatural spirits, rather than being a genetic condition, inherited from parents, and possible to treat very successfully with modern medicine.

Working with DMU sociologist Professor Simon Dyson, Dr Ola interviewed those living with SCD in Nigeria who were also depressed.

He said: People would be stopped in the street by people whom they did not know, and told that they should not be allowed to go to school, that they were a burden on their families, and even that told that their mother should have aborted them.

The people we interviewed attributed their low mood and self-esteem to these types of comments, which happened constantly, and could be made by neighbours, school or work colleagues, and even by close family members. In several cases the people with SCD had become so desperate that they had made preparations to commit suicide.

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Professor Dyson, who supervised Bolas PhD said: We helped Bola to recognize what the people themselves were saying: they were not stigmatized because of sickle cell, but because they broke the assumptions of other members of society about what people living with sickle cell could and could not do.

Once we realized this it was a short step to recognizing that those with SCD could themselves point to their achievements. Often they could do what others assumed they could not: they were top of their class, they had a job as a journalist, an office manager, a teacher or a chef, or they had given birth and brought up their children.

Dr Olas co-supervisor, Dr Scott Yates, Reader in Psychosocial Studies at DMU then suggested following up the individual interviews with group discussions. Once they met one another and shared experiences, the group members with sickle cell started to recognize that what they needed to do was to campaign in the same way that disability rights campaigners have worked in the UK, discussing how they could organise a group to do just that.

Dr Ola said he was proud of what his work had helped achieve.

He said: My supervisors encouraged me not to see my research participants as people to meet as a one-off.

Not only have we all stayed in touch, but some of the people with SCD are now working with me as community interviewers on a further research project looking at the best way to support children living with SCD at school in Nigeria.
China, which has expanded its rail-and-road link to Nepal, now wants to extend a proposed rail link further into India, as it expands trade. China is now looking to rail-link Bihar to improve connectivity with India and South Asia, state-run Chinese media reports. China and Nepal have already planned a cross-border railroad link to the Rasuwagadhi area in Nepal and the new China railroad link is expected to reach Nepal border by 2020, an article in the state-run Global Times said. This rail line can connect China and India with a line connecting Rasuwagadhi to Birgunj, which borders Bihar, says the article. This will facilitate India's trade with China through the rail link. This will also be an easier route than through Kolkata, saving time, cost and distance, the report said. "The railroad connection to China not only is important for Nepal and Nepalese people's future development, but also has the capacity to build connectivity with the whole of South Asia. The government of Nepal has the chance to make history," the article says. It also criticises attempts to block major projects in Nepal. "Challenge is both internal and external stakeholders' sensitivity about mega infrastructure projects. Unfortunately due to oversensitivity, some major projects were aborted before even a brick was laid. So the Nepali government must play a key role in bringing all the stakeholders into a sufficient consensus," it said. The road and rail link, however, will serve China more than India or Nepal while at the same time blunting India's influence in the country. India currently has a bilateral trade deficit of $48 billion in its $70 billion trade with China. The land route for trade could easily double this figure. China already operates a combined road and rail service to Kathmandu through the rugged mountain ranges in Tibet to step up transportation links with land-locked Nepal. A freight train from Lanzhou, the capital city of northwestern China's Gansu province now carries cargo to Xigaze, the nearest Tibetan town close to Nepal, from where the goods are transported to Nepal by road. The whole journey, which includes 2,431 km of rail transport and 564 km of road transport to Geelong Port in Nepal, takes 10 days. It takes another 160 km of road transport to reach Nepal's capital Kathmandu. The combined transport takes 35 days fewer than traditional ocean transport, the report said. Nepalese officials say the new routes with China will cut down dependence on India, which till now is the sole supplier of goods. Prime Minister Oli's government in Nepal was keen on opening up new routes with China, including access to its port Guangzhou to reduce dependence on India in the aftermath of the blockade along the Indian border imposed by Madhesis in Nepal to express their resentment against the new constitution.








RBI unhappy as payments banks licensees drop out

Reserve Bank of India deputy governor S S Mundra today expressed displeasure at two in-principle licensees for payments banks cancelling their plan to set up such banks.

''We would certainly feel a little aggrieved because lot of effort on the part of RBI goes in processing these applications,'' Mundra told reporters in Mumbai.

Last week, Sun Pharma founder Dilip Shanghvi with IDFC Bank and Telenor pulled out from their payment banks plans (See: Sun Pharma, Telenor and IDFC Bank drop payments bank plan).

Before this, the Cholamandalam group dropped its plan to set up a payments bank a couple of months ago.

Last August, RBI gave in-principle approval to 11 applicants including the Department of Posts, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Airtel M Commerce Services, Fino PayTech, National Securities Depository, Reliance Industries, Tech Mahindra and Vodafone m-pesa for setting up payments banks.

Besides Shanghvi, Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma was also a successful applicant.

When asked whether RBI would levy processing fee on the entities which have pulled out, Mundra said the current regulation does not give scope for charging such a fee.

''Unfortunately, that kind of enabling mechanism is not there today. But if we learn by experience, probably this is something which can help in augmenting our revenue to some extent,'' the RBI deputy governor said.

When asked when the central bank will issue the first licence for a universal bank, he said there was no timeline.

''The opportunity to submit application would be available on ongoing basis but how long it will take there is no prescribed (timeline). It needs due diligence and inputs from various agencies and you cannot control their behaviours,'' he said.

Earlier this month, the RBI issued draft guidelines for issuing on-tap universal bank licences.

Mundra said apart from payments and small finance banks, there is a room for some more categories of differentiated licences too.
Singapore investors upbeat on India: power minister Goyal

India has received very positive feedback from international investors in Singapore and can look forward to good investments coming from the island nation, minister of state for coal, power and renewable energy Piyush Goyal said on Monday.

"I do feel that the mood is very favourable for India. They (investors) can see the India story structurally improving. They can see the demand that India provides and to my mind India can look forward to good investments coming from Singapore," Goyal, who was on a one-day visit to Singapore at the head of a delegation of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) told reporters.

Inviting investments in India's power and infrastructure sectors, he apprised Singaporean investors including the Government Investment Corp of investment opportunities in India and the initiatives of the government.

"We had good sessions with investors during the morning. We have received a very positive feedback and support from international investors," Goyal said.

"We have had a wide range of discussions with investors," he added.

Goyal addressed a Deutsche Bank db AccessAsia annual economic conference earlier on Monday.

"Delievered keynote address at dbAccess investor conference, Singapore. Unprecedented investor interest in India," he tweeted.

He also met the Singapore deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and members of the Indian and Singaporean industry at the India-Singapore Energy Technology and Investors Meet jointly organised by the by the Indian High Commission, Ficci, Singapore Manufacturing Federation and Institute of South Asian Studies.

Later, Goyal visited Singapore's Institute of Technical Education and discussed a possible collaboration with the institute in setting up 21 centres across India as part of the government's skill development initiative.

"Skilling is one of the main reasons I am visiting Singapore. We hope to have a collaboration with ITE for training faculty," he said.

"We got an opportunity to share the India growth story here. They showed a lot of interest about the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana. Overall, the mood has been very favourable for India," he added.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Manufacturing Federation announced on Monday that it will take part in two exhibitions in India in July - AMTEX in New Delhi and Last Mile Fullfilment India in Mumbai - and will also sending delegations to Mumbai and Indore in October this year.
UK grants refugee status to Maldives ex-Prez Mohamed Nasheed

The United Kingdom has granted political refugee status to ousted former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, his lawyer has said.

A prominent human rights campaigner and Maldives' first democratically elected president, 49-year-old Nasheed had been allowed to go to Britain in January for the for spinal cord surgery following a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and the UK.

His lawyer Hasan Latheef claimed on Monday that Nasheed had been granted political refugee status, but the British government is yet to comment.

"In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile - for now," Nasheed said in a statement confirming his exile.

The Madives government said on Monday that it was disappointed that the UK government had agreed to "be part of this charade", adding that British ministers were helping efforts to circumvent the law.

Nasheed became Maldives' first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was supposed to return to Maldives after treatment, but remained in London, where his wife and daughters have been living since he was jailed.

Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on terrorism charges after allegedly illegally ordering the arrest of a judge in a trial that put a spotlight on instability in the Maldives.

The jail term was widely criticised by international bodies, including the United Nations, and foreign governments.

A popular figure on the world stage, Nasheed's case was championed with the help of a international legal team that included Amal Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of the American actor George Clooney.

He was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for treatment.

Cameron described Nasheed as his "best friend" in 2011 and this year hosted the ex-president, his wife and Amal at Downing Street after he arrived in London.

The Maldives stripped Nasheed of his pension entitlements and health insurance last month, after demanding that he return from medical leave in Britain.
Donegal County Council is to contact Irish Water about bads smells that exist at times in the centre of Kilmacrennan.

Offiicials from the Letterkenny Muncipal District Council are to raise the issue to see if any more can be done to tackle the bad smells in the Upper Main Street area of the town.

The matter was raised at the May meeting of the municipal district by Cllr. Michael McBride (pictured) who tabled a motion calling for an urgent review and solution to the ongoing problem of sewage fumes in the Upper Main Street.

He said the problem has been going on for a few years and that there is a foul and vile smell of gas coming from the sewage system.

He said an exhaust had been put in and this had worked reasonably well. But the smell at times is unbelievable near the garda station and post office.

The gas seems to just hang in the air. This is just not on, he said.

The council said in a written reply that its water services are actively involved in trying to find the source of, and solution, to the ongoing and unacceptable foul sewer odour being experienced by residents in the upper main street area to the town.

Site inspections

A number of site inspections have taken place with more planned. When results are known water services will be better informed on the most appropriate solution to elimnnate this situation, the council said.

Cllr. John ODonnell said the smell is worse in good weather. He assured people that the matter is being acted upon and added that there may be a problem with holding tanks.

We definitely need to look at it, he said, suggesting that that they put in more exhausts.

He said the long term solution was a new treatment plant for Kilmacrennan and he called on the council to provide an update on this.
Some primary schools had to switch their heating off on certain days during the winter, according to a Donegal educator.

John Boyle, (pictured), Vice-President of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and a native of Mullaghduff, revealed the extent of economic hardship in schools this week.

He was commenting on news that, in their briefing document to Minister Richard Bruton, Dept. of Education officials warned that that financial pressures are a critical issue for primary schools. The constraints, the report said, are "potentially more risky than having large class sizes" and might force the closure of some schools.

According to national media, the briefing document says covering running costs is "a critical issue" following an 11 per cent drop in capitation and other grants between 2011 and 2015. The cuts "create a risk that some may not be able to cover critical costs" such as heating or insurance, "the absence of which could trigger school closure", the document warned.

The steep drop in teacher numbers was also highlighted, with officials noting that it would take 1,300 new teachers, in addition to whatever is required due to increased enrolments, to return to the number of primary teachers in schools in 2008.

Mr Boyle said capitation grants, which meant to cover day to day running costs, teaching materials and resources, should be returned to 2008 levels. Rates for both primary and secondary schools should be the same, he added, as currently, the rate is 92c per primary student and 1.77 per secondary student.
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.
This month mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Chinas Cultural Revolution. Here are five facts you should know about one of the darkest times in modern human history:

1. The Cultural Revolution  officially known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution  was a social and political movement within China that attempted to eradicate all traces of traditional cultural elements and replace them with Mao Zedong Thought (or Maoism), a form of Marxist political theory based on the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong, the Chinese communist revolutionary and founding father of the Peoples Republic of China. Mao governed as Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976.

2. The beginning of the Cultural Revolution is traced to May 16, 1966, when Mao issued a document that included indictments against his political foes. In what has become known as the May 16 notification, Mao claimed that, Those representatives of the bourgeoisie who have sneaked into the party, the government, the army, and various cultural circles are a bunch of counter-revolutionary revisionists. Although Mao unveiled his intention in May, it was not until August that the Communist Party issued the Decision Concerning The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which outlined the Chairmans goals. The two primary institutions that Mao wanted to eliminate were education and religion, the main threats to Mao Zedong Thought.



3. In the summer of 1966, groups of students  from middle school to college age  began to form violent paramilitary units. Mao, who believed being violent was a sign of a true revolutionary, sponsored the radical students. He ordered the nations schools to be shut down and encouraged these students  known as Red Guards  to dedicate themselves to revolutionary activity. Much of this activity included violence against the elderly, teachers, and other traditional authority figures. Mao and his allies held several rallies which were attended by over ten millions children and teens who identified as Red Guards. At an August rally for the Red Guards, the students were told to attack the Four Olds of Chinese society (old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas.) Over the next two months hundreds of thousands of homes were looted by Red Guard members, stealing money and valuables and destroying books, magazines, and works of art. The students also destroyed religious institutions and cemeteries, libraries, and cultural and historical artifacts.

4. Along with destroying property, Red Guards members also humiliated, tortured, and murdered innocent people. In August and September of 1966, note historians Roderick MacFarquhar and Michael Schoenhals, the Red Guards murdered more than 1,700 people in Beijing. In Shanghai in September there were 704 suicides and 534 other deaths related to the Cultural Revolution. During this wave of violence Mao issued a directive ordering the police not to interfere with the student movement. Because the death toll is considered a Chinese state secret, no one knows for sure how many people died during the Cultural Revolution. Estimates by various scholars range from one-half to eight million.

5. By December 1968, Mao had reestablished his cult of personality and restored his influence. Having achieved his objective, he grew tired of the chaos and violence he had unleashed. He implemented the Down to the Countryside Movement, an expansion of a program in which young intellectuals from the cities were sent to the rural areas of the country to live with a work with the peasant class. (Maos definition of intellectual was very loose, and included children who merely had a middle school education.) From 1962 to 1979, about 17 million sent-down youths were displaced, leaving the country with an entire generation of undereducated people.
The Henry County division of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Office gives back to the community.

We are proud to announce that we are wrapping up our Prosper and All Star programs with the students attending school in Henry County, said Jimmy Jones, Henry County Extension agent. The Prosper Program is taught to students in sixth grade. This program is designed to strengthen families. The program is taught to six-grade students and their families. We discuss topics such as peer pressure, drugs and alcohol. This program is taught away from the school s etting . Families residing in Headland participated in the class that was held at the First Baptist Church of Headland; and families residing in Abbeville participated in the class held at our office. We had 11 families participate in this program. That brings our total to more than 100 families that have participated over the years. This program helps parents and children build a bond to address issues that the children face with friends away from school and at school.

The All-Star Program is taught at school and addresses students in seventh grade.

The All-Star Program addresses the same topics as the Prosper Program, but we have made this program a career-based program, Jones said. We want to get the students minds thinking about what kind of career they may be interested in. Each student who participates in the class is taught that, in order to achieve the goals they set to make their career choice become reality, they must make right decisions, when it comes to drinking, alcohol and staying in school. This program also teaches students the importance of receiving their education and working hard.

Several students want to continue their education following high school, and this program allows them to get a jump start on community service. A university looks for students who have performed community service in their area. Universities look for students who believe in working hard to improve their community. So, we educate students on the best way to get a jump on serving their community. This program is also designed to educate students on the importance of earning a degree. If a student continues their education and earns a degree, they will make more in the workforce than someone who did not receive a degree. It is all about improving life and making the right choices in life. Each student participating in the All Star Program has a 4.0 grade point average, and this class helps to educate the students on making sure they stay on the right path to achieve their goals.

The key to achieving your goals is staying on the right path, making the right choice in life and working hard. Students need to know, if you get involved with alcohol and drugs, your life could take a drastic change and not for the better. Plus, students in todays times face a lot of peer pressure. We hope that the students who participated in this program will remember what they have been taught and properly handle what ever situation may arise. This is a really great program for our students, and we are proud to offer it to the students. This year we have graduated 10 classes from the All Star Program, and that is great. Now, we are looking forward to the next school-term classes. I encourage parents with upcoming sixth-grade students to participate as well as all seventh-grade students. 

The Prosper Program and the All Star Program are made possible through the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University.

For more information regarding the programs, or to find out when the programs will start for the next school term, call 585-6416.
Music education is a lot more than puffing on recorder flutes and shaking maracas. Its about giving students the opportunity to develop skills by hard work and discipline and to find opportunities to shine.

Kim Price has strived to provide students with those opportunities for 33 years. Now the woman who helped save music education in the Dothan City Schools in the early 2000s is retiring.

Price has spent her entire career as a music educator in the Dothan City Schools. The daughter of a Baptist minister of music and a teacher, Price embraced music education as a way of putting to use skills taught to her by both parents.

Price remembers spending many hours practicing piano with her father as a child. Price can remember being enlisted by her dad for many church performances.

He put me out there a lot and gave me responsibility for playing things, even when I wasnt that good, she said.

Price spent many years shuttling around several elementary schools, providing music lessons to students at each school. Price says shes not much of a lecturer, but said she enjoys using music to reach her students.

Its an avenue of expression, she said. Im not a great talker, but I can play the piano for you.

Price was hired as the music teacher for Montana Magnet School in 2002. After state funding cuts hit a few years later, she was the only elementary music teacher still employed by the city schools.

Price wasnt about to let music education die in the other schools, so she along with a group of volunteers formed Encore. The program provided materials teachers could use to provide music education and also offered the services of volunteers. Within a few years, the financial situation improved, and music teachers returned to the system.

Price said much has changed in music education during her career. She said technology has provided teachers with more examples of differing styles of music to show students. Price said today's students also have a broader appreciation for differing genres of music than students in years past.

Price said the city school system has a pretty good elementary music program now, but needs to offer more opportunities to students in middle school. She defends the value of music education, saying that it helps engage students in school and makes them more receptive to academic courses.

It energizes and activates their brains, she said. They need a creative outlet. It makes them better when they go back to their regular classroom.
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With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc.

The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties.
 If Only Rhodes Had Waited, Like Phil Caputo | Main | A Guide to the Perplexed: Ploughshares and the Iran Deal Echo Chamber 

May 24, 2016

Moderate Palestinian Movement Honors Japanese Terrorist



Fatah, the movement that dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA), has honored a terrorist named Kozo Okamoto for his part in a 1972 attack in Israel that killed 25 people, including 16 tourists from Puerto Rico, and injured 70 others.

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), a non-profit organization that monitors Arab media in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), the Gaza Strip and eastern Jerusalem, reported that Okamato was praised on Fatahs Facebook page on May 18, 2016.

Okamoto and two fellow members of the Japanese Red Army, a terrorist movement that frequently partnered with Palestinian terror organizations, Yasuyuki Yasuda and Tsuyoshi Okudaira, perpetrated a terrorist attack at Israels Ben Gurion International Airport on May 30, 1972. All three Japanese Red Army members had been recruited by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

One survivor of the attack, Ros Sloboda, recalled the sound of shattering glass, then people started dropping, there was blood everywhere.? The carnage, she told the BBC in May 2014, was the stuff of nightmares, really (Survivor Recounts 1972 PFLP-Red Army Terror Attack at Tel Avivs Lod Airport,? Algemeiner, May 21, 2014).?

Yasuda and Okudaira were killed carrying out the attack and Okamoto was captured and subsequently tried and convicted by an Israeli court. Despite a sentence of life imprisonment, Okamoto was released in 1985 as part of a prisoner exchange with Palestinian Arab terrorists for Israeli prisoners. Although still wanted by Japan for his crimes, Okamato has received sanctuary in Libya, Syria and most recently, Lebanon.

In its Facebook postwhich included a picture of the bloody aftermath of Lod Airport massacreFatah wrote: 44 years since the airport operation (26 killed and 80 injured). A thousand greetings to the Japanese fighter and friend, Kozo Okamoto, the hero of the Lod airport operation, May 30, 1972.?

As CAMERA has noted, (see, for example Those Intransigent Moderates of Fatah,? May 6, 2014) Fatah is frequently referred to as moderate? by a wide variety of news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the U.K.-based Daily Telegraph, among others.

After PMW highlighted the groups Facebook post, Fatah did not retreat from its praise of Okamoto. In a subsequent entry on the social media site, Fatah wrote:

Responding to the Israeli media [PMW]Blessings to the Japanese fighter, the comrade Kozo Okamoto, hero of the operation at the Lod airport. The Fatah movement is proud of all who have joined its ranks and the ranks of the Palestinian revolution for the freedom of the Palestinian people? Fatah went on to describe the murderer as having carried out one of the most famous self-sacrificing operations of the 20th century.?

As CAMERA has pointed out (CAMERA Notes Palestinian Incitement in Washington Times,? Feb. 22, 2016), Fatahs praiseand often supportfor terrorist attacks is not new.

In his 2016 book Undeclared Wars with Israel: East Germany and the West German Far Left 1967-1989 (Cambridge University Press), University of Maryland professor Jeffrey Herf noted that on May 31 1972, the BBC monitoring service recorded a broadcast on Voice of Fatah radio in Arabic from Cairo extolling the Lod terrorist attack:

The great, humane, revolutionary choice by a group of youths [the members of the Japanese Red Army] who were born thousands of miles from Palestine demonstrates the greatness of these youths, which is equal to the justness of the Palestine cause. It also indicates the position our cause occupies on the world level?

Herf writes that after the news of the Lod massacre broke in Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, speaking to the Knesset, said Woe to any revolution, local or global, which is built on blood and murder, conducted in the name of murder. Immediately after they heard of last nights incident, both Cairo and Beirut hailed a great victory. Scores of people were killed and wounded. And their joy knows no bounds (Undeclared Wars with Israel, pg. 158-59).?

Fatahs joy? over violent murders, or what it called a great, humane revolutionary choice,? remains unabated. And immoderate.





Posted by SD at May 24, 2016 01:18 PM

Can someone explain to me why the EU and Obama are giving these Fatah thugs hundreds of millions of dollars, while Fatah glorifies murdering Israeli civilians.

Posted by: Ken Kelso at May 27, 2016 08:11 AM

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There is only one place to start with the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV, and that's at the end.

As one of the most highly-anticipated new car arrivals of the year, and a car that, through the weight of expectation, bears the burden of reviving enough passion for the fabled Italian brand to spearhead a challenge against the German triumvirate in the luxury segment, the burning question is, is it good enough?

The short answer is a definitive yes, it's good. It's very, very good actually and signals that Alfa Romeo is back to its best, creating a genuine sporting sedan that is fast, engaging, full of character and a worthy alternative to the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S it has in the cross hairs.

Due to arrive in Australian showrooms from around February next year (as the catalyst for a full brand relaunch alongside a family of Giulia models that will eventually be joined by the company's first SUVs) and priced at approximately $140,000, Alfa Romeo has created a lot of hype for the Giulia QV since it was first revealed at the company's 105th anniversary in Milan last year.

From the very outset, it said the car was designed around a series of diametrically-opposed benchmark numbers for the compact luxury segment; it not only had to be the fastest, most powerful vehicle in its class and the quickest around the Nurburgring, but it also had to be the lightest, most fuel efficient and most comfortable to drive in everyday circumstances.

On paper, it seems to have nailed those targets. Starting with the basic underpinnings, the structure was designed with the high-performance QV as the priority and as such features a mix of hot-formed steel, aluminium and carbon fibre to create a chassis that Alfa claims is the stiffest in its class and, with a kerb weight under 1500kg, is among the lightest.

Sitting under the carbon-fibre bonnet is a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that has the highest specific output in the segment, eclipsing the M3's maximum outputs and matching the peak power of the C63 S despite its smaller capacity with 375kW produced at 6500rpm and 600Nm of torque generated between 2500-5500rpm.

With modern fuel-saving functions such as cylinder deactivation (which allows it to run on only three cylinders at cruising speeds) and stop-start, Alfa says you can have your cake and eat it too with the Giulia QV netting a respectable combined average consumption of 7.2-litres per 100km.

Hooked up to an electronically-controlled rear differential with torque vectoring via an eight-speed automatic transmission, Alfa claims the Giulia QV can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, has a top speed of 307km/h and can lap the fearsome Nurburgring in under 7mins and 40 seconds  each of which are new standards for compact four-door sedans.

But those are just numbers. The important question is how do they translate into the real world? After a series of unfiltered, fast laps around Alfa Romeo's Balocco test track outside of Milan, where the car was developed, the Giulia QV is not only fast in a straight line but could just re-set the bar as the best driver's car in its class.

There are some areas that need a bit more polish (which I'll get to), but as far as harnessing its power within a chassis that is brilliantly balanced  completely chuckable and playful when taken to the limit and serenely composed and comfortable at normal speeds  the QV is a rewarding, enjoyable and engaging car to drive.

While peak torque is delivered higher in the rev range than its rivals (which Alfa's Chief Technical Officer Roberto Fedeli told Drive is strategic development to give the driver a more emotional sensation as it builds speeds), there is minimal turbo lag when it gets underway and a smooth, refined power delivery. Combined with the conventional torque-converter automatic, it ensures the Giulia QV is effortless in everday situations.

At the other end of the driving spectrum though  with the rotary drive controller set to the QV's unique Race mode (there's also Auto, Normal and Dynamic) which sharpens the throttle response as well as tightening the adaptive suspension and switching the stability control off  the engine spins up so quickly through its immense mid range that it is easy to snag the 7000rpm rev limiter before you know it, particularly in the lower gears, as it launches the car towards the horizon.

While the engine delivers plenty in the way of performance to tickle the senses, it doesn't have the best soundtrack in the business  which is something of a letdown from Alfa, which has been renowned for producing spine-tingling exhaust notes. Sure, its bi-modal system is loud under heavy acceleration, but the turbos cut into its induction note, it drones at constant speeds and there's none of the crackling and popping when you back off the gas  or the deep-chested V8 bellow - that makes the C63 so characterful no matter how fast you drive it.

The automatic, too, is nicely matched for 90 per cent of the time, with smooth shifts and intuitive logic that ensures it is in the right gear for the right environment when left to its own devices, but it is a bit slow to react to inputs through the oversized, column-mounted paddle shifters in manual mode when taking it to the limit.

As for how it handles, the Giulia QV is genuinely brilliant and offers a better all-round balance than its rivals. Even though the Balocco circuit was relatively smooth, the suspension soaked-up the harsh ripple strips with aplomb  suggesting it will handle Australia's pockmarked roads with a decent level of compliance  while also generating huge levels of grip with excellent body control. We'll reserve final judgement though on just how comfortable it is when we drive it on real roads.

At the absolute limit, the front-end feels more natural than an M3 with nicely weighted steering that, with only two turns from lock-to-lock, requires fine inputs as it is not only razor sharp but nicely progressive through the ratio. At the back end, the electronic differential also harnesses its prodigious power better than a C63, generating great traction to rocket between the bends or lurid, easily controlled slides when called for.

What's more, the Giulia is more than just a one-trick pony. From a packaging perspective, it has a great driving position with good adjustment through the snug-fitting seat and steering wheel, decent vision thanks to slim A-pillars and plenty of interior space with more than enough rear space for two adults to travel without any restrictions.

The cabin is also well appointed with a leather-topped dash, clear instruments and a simplicity to the dash layout that makes accessing its functions easy to navigate. The 8.8-inch multi media screen, which incorporates audio, sat nav, vehicle settings and connectivity systems, isn't as comprehensive as others in the class but nor does it lack the basics expected from a compact luxury contender.

It also has all a comprehensive suite of safety systems to match the Germans, building on its six airbags with active functions such as automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection as well as lane departure and forward collision warnings.

There were some minor quibbles in the final fit and finish of some panels and the overall ambience and quality of materials in the cabin isn't as high as it the Germans, but nor is it that far off the best in the business.

In the end, the Giulia QV lives up to the promise that Alfa Romeo can produce a genuine alternative to BMW and Mercedes. Believe the hype; the Italian brand is back to its best with a muscle car that rekindles the spirit and driving enjoyment it has been missing for decades.

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia QV pricing and specifications

On-sale: February 2017

Price: $140,000 (estimated)

Engine: 2.9-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol

Power: 375kW at 6500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2500-5500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, RWD

Fuel use: 7.5L/100km

Read all the latest Alfa Romeo news and reviews here
Podracer

Combining the post-punk sounds of the 80's, the sub-pop sounds of the 90's and different elements of rock, punk and metal, Podrader have crafted their own signature sound, that has thrilled audiences all across the nation and beyond. The band, who consist of Alan Anderson (vocals, guitar), Damien Carroll (bass, backing-vocals) and Keith Mullholland (drums, backing-vocals) have shared the stage with some of the finest bands to have emerged from Ireland and beyond, having recently supported Kerbdog on their 2015 tour.

The band have also gigged with (Snow Patrol side-project) Little Matador, LaFaro, Giveamanakick, Fighting With Wire and the Dutch rockers Lo Lite. Podracer have gained huge critical acclaim, including favourable reviews from 'BBC - Across The Line', Pure M Magazine, Steel Notes Magazine, Fortitude Magazine, GUBIC, LoudStuff.com and AU Magazine.

The bands debut album "Parking Cars & Pumping Gas" was released on September 29th 2012. The band recently took to Blackrock Recording Studios to record a special track for a special album which is expected to be released this summer and are feverishly rehearsing new material for their long awaited second album which is due to be recorded later in the year.

Sonnets and Sisters

Sonnets and Sisters have been packing venues such as The Spirit Store, The Market Bar and Eoin's Bar recently, due to their fantastic musicianship and harmonious sound.

The band released their debut single 'Take What You Want' on Friday 13th May in The Spirit Store, again to a sold out audience. The band, formally known as SAS, consist of Stephanie Winters (vocals/keyboard/percussion), Anton Hande (vocals/guitar), Saidhbhin Gorham (vocals/ guitar/bass/percussion), Harry Stover (drums/percussion).

The new single has already gained huge air-play and positive reviews, which can only be maximised in the future.

Evil Presidentes

The story of Evil Presidentes began in the summer of 2009 in the old backroom of The Spirit Store. Cousins Neil Waters & James Kenny, who both shared a love of both rock 'n' roll & hip hop. The duo started off what is now known as the Band of DJs, a collective of local musicians meandering through a mix of hard rock & electronic sounds.

The live band line up consists of Neil Waters (Beats/Vox), James Kenny (Drums), Jagger Murray (Lead Guitar), Franny Watters (Rhythm Guitar), Damien Carroll (Bass), Dylan Connolly (Percussion), Mick Conway (Drums) & Lauren Murphy (Vocals).

The band of DJs vinyl players are Neil Waters, James Kenny , Francis Watters, DJ Propaganda, DJ Noonan, Dylan Connolly , Sean McMahon & Rob Sharkey.

You can listen to Evil Presidentes mixes and live performances on www.soundcloud.com/evil-presidentes

Third Smoke

Winners of RTEs 'John Murray Show/Saturday Night Show Emerging Music Competition'. Third Smoke take their musical influence from The Dandy Warhols, Arcade Fire, The Beatles and The White Stripes creating an energetic indie-rock performance.

The bands debut single 'Ms. Summer Breeze' the fantastic music video for which, filmed in the cool surroundings of 23 Seats has received 3,361 views on YouTube (at time of going to press).

Just Mustard

Just Mustard launched their debut, 5-track EP in An Tain Arts Centre on May 7th. The band released the catchy single 'Lemon Smiles' last year, the hypnotic music video for the bands equally hypnotic song 'Greedy Ape' has gained over 1000 views on YouTube.

Permanent Deja Vu

The two-piece Permanent Deja Vu who consist of Gavin Wynne (vocals, guitar) Grace Wynne (vocals, keyboard) have released two albums so far, 2012's 'Palace in Flames' and 2014's 'One Book, Write Down Another'. The duo have been praised for their lyrical depth and melodic appeal, rooted in classic songwriting.

Their new music video for their brand new single 'Signature Piece' was shot in locations throughout the town. The clever video has been the topic of much debate with music-fans throughout the town, who are trying to break down the video's cryptic plot. e Permanent Deja Vu's music can be purchased on www.permanentdejavu.bandcamp.com.

The Future West

With diverse influences ranging from Daft Punk to At The Drive-In, New Order to Ennio Morricone, The Future West have become the authors of some of the most unique sounding songs written.

The band, who formed in late 2015, consist of Francis Watters (vocals),Rorie Ball (guitar), Sean Bradley (guitar),David Joyce (Synths), Robert Clarke (bass) and David Noonan (drums), launched their debut single 'Call Me Stupid' to a sold out crowd in The Spirit Store, earning them the title as one of the most anticipated live bands of 2016.

Arco Arena

One of the most successful bands to recently emerge from 'The Lock-Up' practice space on The Castletown Road. Arco Arena have performed in venues throughou the town such as McManus' Pub, as well as an intimate acoustic gig in Blade FX Barbershop.

The band have also toured across Ireland in venues such as The 1440 in Portadown, to name but one. The very promising band consists of Charlie Abbott (vocals, guitar), Peter McCoy (guitar), Pauric McCrum (drums, percussion) and Eoghan Maguire (vocals, bass). Keep an eye out for them, at a venue near you soon.

 Mak

 Mak were formed by Aoife McCann and Ellie McMahon, who met each other in 2011, both vocal students at BIMM Dublin. Aoife and Ellie have fused their background in musical-theatre with an eclectic array of influences, including Bjork, tUnE-yArDs, Django Django, Lykke Li, Arcade Fire, Sylvan Esso, Anita O'Day, to help shape a unique sound and performance style. The band, which also features Alin Sean Leonard (guitar, keys), Colm Rogan (guitar, keys, bass), Dylan Povey (drums) and Peter Kelly (percussion) are set to perform at this years Body & Soul Festival, which takes place on the grounds of Ballinlough Castle, Clonmellon, Co. Westmeath. Their debut single 'I Can Feel It In My Bones' can be stremed on SoundCloud, www.soundcloud.com/aemakoffical.

We, The Oceanographers

We, The Oceanographers are a three piece lo-fi indie pop band consisting of Conal McIntyre, Joey Edwards and Sean Bradley.

After releasing their debut album in March 2015 and achieving critical acclaim, the band went on on to play a European tour in the summer of 2015, as well as playing a part in some Irish Festivals. The band have a released a series of EP's under the '@ventures' title

Amongst The Wolves

Amongst The Wolves, who consist of Stephen Cummins (vocals, guitar) Baz Black (drums) and newly recruited bass player Eoin Madden released their self-titled EP back in April. The band will head back into the studio in July to record the remainder of their eagerly anticipated debut album. Those awaiting the new album can catch the band live in venues such as Sarsfields, for a night of high energy Punk Rock. The 'Amongst The Wolves' EP can be purchased on iTunes and streamed on Spotify.

Elephant

Elephant, aka, multi-instrumentalist Shane Clarke, creates songs that are reminiscent of artists such as Badly Drawn Boy and Elliot Smith, and combines them with a more meandering style of music, similar to the likes of Broken Social Scene, Justin Vernon and Joanna Newsom. Earing him huge critical acclaim.

Elephant has received much praise for his live performances, sharing the stage with Martha Wainwright, BC Camplight, whilst also earning slots at most of the countrys top festivals including Electric Picnic and Body & Soul as well as two trips to Dingle's Other Voices music trail.
Successful launch for new homes at Taylor Wimpey's Shoreham Crescent

Discerning West Sussex home-hunters are wasting no time in finding out more about Taylor Wimpeys exciting new Shoreham Crescent development in Shoreham-by-Sea.

This superb collection of one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses benefits from a fantastic location less than a mile from the harbour  and enjoyed a highly successful launch earlier this month.

Just six miles from Brighton, where property prices are considerably higher, the apartments at Shoreham Crescent are ideal for first-time buyers hoping to live within easy reach of all the attractions of this vibrant city without paying through the roof.

For example, one-bedroom apartments at Shoreham Crescent are priced from 220,000, whereas in Brighton, an average one-bedroom property for sale on the second-hand market is priced at more than 240,000, while a typical two-bedroom home is on sale for more than 370,000.

Whats more, the Help to Buy scheme is available at Shoreham Crescent, enabling eligible first-time buyers and those with a property to sell to secure a Government loan of up to 20% on their new homes full price  so they only need a 75% loan-to-value mortgage and a deposit as low as 5%.

Susan Joseph, Sales Manager for Taylor Wimpey South Thames, says: We are absolutely delighted with the fantastic response to the launch of Shoreham Crescent and would urge prospective purchasers to visit us without delay to discover what this outstanding development of high-quality, great-value homes has to offer, especially for first-time buyers who cant afford nearby Brightons rocketing property prices.

We are continuing to experience a great deal of interest from property-seekers, so anyone harbouring hopes of finding their ideal home here should act now to avoid missing out!

One of the new homes available to reserve at Shoreham Crescent is the two-bedroom Plot 23 apartment in Longstaff House, priced at 260,000.

Ideal for first-time buyers or downsizers, this impressive property features a spacious open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, an en-suite master bedroom, a second double bedroom, a bathroom and additional storage space off the entrance hallway. Allocated parking is also provided outside.

Help to Buy is available on new-build homes up to the value of 600,000, and theres no salary cap for purchasers taking advantage of the scheme.

Shoreham-by-Sea is a vibrant seaside town located within the Adur Valley, offering an ideal base to explore Englands glorious south coast. Residents of Shoreham Crescent can enjoy the perfect balance between countryside and seaside living, with a semi-rural backdrop on the doorstep and the bustling city of Brighton within easy reach.

The new homes are conveniently located within walking distance of the towns harbour and just a mile from Shoreham-by-Sea town centre, where all local amenities needed for everyday living are available.

Brighton is just six miles away, giving easy access to the rich variety of restaurants, bars, clubs and theatres for which the city is famous, as well as to its popular shopping district and seafront.

For commuters, Shoreham Crescent boasts excellent rail links with Shoreham-by-Sea station just a mile away for direct links to Brighton and London Victoria, while Brighton City Airport is on the doorstep and Gatwick Airport just over 30 miles away. The development also offers easy access to the A27 for Portsmouth and the A24 and A23 for links to Surrey and London.

To find out more about the new apartments now on sale at Shoreham Crescent, property-seekers should visit the Sales Information Centre, located off Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6TQ, and open daily from 10am to 5pm. Alternatively, visit taylorwimpey.co.uk.
Investment strategies to help cope with a summer of uncertainty

This summer presents a number of geo-political concerns for investors  the biggest of which is the run up to and the aftermath of the EU Referendum vote.

With a month to go until the vote and with results looking increasingly uncertain, Tom Stevenson, investment director for Personal Investing at Fidelity International looks at what investors can do to prepare themselves for a potential summer of volatility.

Tom Stevenson said: The EU referendum has created an unprecedented level of uncertainty for many investors. Nobody is sure what either outcome  particularly a leave vote  would actually mean for individual stocks or sectors. Leave and the markets could slump, stay in and we could see a relief rally and in the lead up, UK equity valuations have started to fall. All in all, the next month is shaping up to be a jittery time for investors in the UK. So what can be done to navigate the choppy waters ahead?

A well-diversified, balanced portfolio and a focus on long-term goals rather than short term headlines looks sensible.

In an unsettled environment, investors should try to remain calm and look to maintain core investment principles:

Dont panic and stay invested

While the EU referendum is clearly unsettling investors, it is essential to hold your nerve if markets get choppy.

Wholesale moves in and out of the market are rarely a good idea. First, because the trading costs involved are too high to make such a radical move sensible. Over-trading always eats into investment returns and is best avoided. Second, because markets are great discounters of news. Investors have been factoring in the possibility of an EU exit for some months now so there is a real possibility that a vote to stay in would result in a big rally in markets. Being out of the market this summer looks riskier than ever.

It is also worth remembering that staying fully invested through market cycles makes sense because missing even a handful of the best days in the market can seriously compromise your long-term returns. The best days in the market invariably follow close behind the worst ones  time in the market matters more than timing the market.

Diversify your holdings

An investor located in the UK does not need to restrict their investments to the UK  even a large slice of Britains blue chip index, the FTSE 100, is made up of international companies, giving investors global exposure.

Clearly the EU vote will have a significance beyond these shores but its major impact is like to be on the UK economy. As such there has never been a better time to ensure that your portfolio is well-diversified geographically. Diversification of asset classes also looks sensible in the next few months and is often the best defence when faced with an environment which is likely to tense with market and political uncertainty.

Drip feed your investments.

Drip feeding your money into the markets rather than making a lump sum investment can be a sensible way to approach investing. This is especially true during bouts of uncertainty.

By regularly investing throughout the year, youll benefit from a process called pound-cost averaging. This means you end up buying more units when prices are low and less when they are high. In addition, the more short-term volatility there happens to be, the greater the effect is.

Go active

During periods of uncertainty, the flexibility of active investing can be hugely beneficial compared to the rigid allocations of passive strategies.

Active stock pickers have the ability to sort the wheat from the chaff, ensuring that not only the best quality investments make it into the fund but equally, avoiding any companies that are vulnerable in an unsettled market environment.

Focus on wealth preservation if capital loss is a concern

One way to mitigate volatility in markets is to invest in a balanced fund. These funds attempt to smooth returns by combining a range of defensive and growth-focused assets. One example is the Fidelity Multi Asset Balanced Income Fund, which might suit relatively cautious investors looking for income during market instability. The fund holds an equal balance of lower-risk bonds and some higher-risk assets like global equities for greater growth potential.

However, in more uncertain times, wealth preservation might be your ultimately goal. If this is the case, you may want to consider funds such as the RIT Capital Partners investment trust, which aims to generate long-term capital growth while preserving its shareholders capital.
Earlier this month, John Covington, the former head of Governor Rick Snyders failed education experiment on Detroit students  the Education Achievement Authority (EAA)  resigned to become a consultant (and, according to Covington, to take care of his mother.) As Jack Lessenberry explained it in his Metro Times titled Detroits EAA fatally flawed' (a terrific piece worth reading in its entirety), his resignation was a face-saving move for everyone involved.

John Covington, the imperial head of Detroits fatally flawed Education Achievement Authority, got fired last week. Theyre all denying that, of course. The cover story is that suddenly, at the start of the week, he resigned to care for his ailing mother, which is touching, presuming he has one.

The fact is that, with the clouds of scandal and failure surrounding him and the EAA that he created and led, Covington was fired.

Now we learn that Covington is coming in for a VERY soft landing:

John Covington received more than $74,000 in severance after quitting as chancellor of the embattled Education Achievement Authority, records obtained by The Detroit News show. , records obtained byshow. Covington left the job that paid $325,000 per year on June 17, saying he had to care for his sick mother. The day before, he signed a seven-page separation agreement that agreed to pay him $74,158 in unused time and two weeks pay. The EAA wasnt obligated to pay him anything because he quit, but officials with the reform district defended the severance.

That list bit is, perhaps, the most galling. Covington quit and that should have been that. He wasnt in any way entitled to a severance package, particularly in light of how colossal a failure he turned out to be. Nevertheless, his supporters in Lansing decided to extend a considerable benevolence to him by cutting him a check for over $74,000 anyway.

But whats also galling is the fact that Covingtons severance is more than the average pay of teachers in Michigan. According to the Department of Education, the average teacher salary in Michigan is $62,613. Teachers in Covingtons EAA only earn between $50,000 and $60,000 per year. Hell, the average annual salary in the state as a whole is just $44,540.

So, after creating a cloud of scandal around the EAA  from poor treatment of students to inadequately serving disabled children and from what can only be described as abuse of teachers to highly questionable spending by the district, Covington walks away with fistful of cash. In essence, hes being rewarded for being an utter failure.

Its a terrible lesson to teach Detroit kids. But, given that John Covington is involved, that is not surprising in the least.
In January of this year, eight teachers at the Universal Academy  a for-profit charter school in Detroit  were fired without being given a reason. However, as is well-documented in a Metro Times article titled, Begging for answers: Eight teachers were just fired from a Detroit charter school without cause or notice, six of the teachers had spoken at a school board meeting about problems they saw at the school. It seemed very clear to them that this is why they were being fired:

I am struggling to understand how this incredibly bright, hard-working student who fully deserves a diploma from Universal Academy can be removed so suddenly from her education, [teacher Asil] Yassine wrote in a Nov. 14 email to Nawal Hamadeh, the superintendent of the school and CEO of Universal Academys management company, Hamadeh Educational Services. Could you please send me a copy of the federal or state law or HES board policy that describes why this student is too old to stay in school? Yassine says she received no response. As shed soon learn, this lack of transparency is a norm. Three months later, on Feb. 12, Yassine was one of eight teachers who were fired, via email, from Universal Academy. Just as she never received answers from Hamadeh as to why Etab was pushed out, she and the other teachers who were fired have yet to find out why they were let go. They have suspicions, sure  six of the eight teachers who were terminated attended a board meeting on Jan. 26, where they tried to draw attention to problems they believed were adversely affecting the school culture and students. But, nothing could be confirmed. Their termination letters simply reiterated that they were hired at-will and could be terminated at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice.

The teachers filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Review Board which is now investigating.

Tonight, teachers and community members are holding a rally to support and demand justice for the eight teachers who were apparently fired for the audacious act of trying to protect school children in their care. After the rally, the teachers and supporters will attend the schools board meeting 6:30 p.m. They will be demanding that the board pass a resolution to ensure teachers voices are protected in the future.

Here are the details if you wish to join them:

WHEN: TODAY  Tuesday, May 24, 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: 6919 N Waverly St., Dearborn Heights, Michigan 48217

WHO: Teachers, parents, and community members
NOTE: This post has been updated to reflect the fact that Rep. Lee Chatfield DOES have a Republican primary challenger.

Stephanie Chatfield, the wife of conservative tea party Republican state House Representative Lee Chatfield, revealed this week that she had an abortion when she was in high school. In a post on Facebook, Ms. Chatfield revealed that she became pregnant after attending a party and being sexually assaulted, according to her description of what happened:

In high school, I made a poor decision to attend a party one night. I have no memory of the majority of that night, but judging by my appearance and physical condition the next morning, I knew I had been taken advantage of. Three weeks later, I found out I was pregnant.

A month after the assault, Ms. Chatfield terminated her pregnancy.

A blackmailer approached the couple recently, making it clear that they intended to make the story public, presumably to harm the candidacy of Rep. Chatfield who is running for re-election in the 107th House District. In her Facebook post, Ms. Chatfield reaffirms her opposition to abortion and implores young women in similar circumstances to seek help at a crisis pregnancy center, to reach out to their friends and family, and not to choose the path that she had chosen.

This is a disgusting situation and the blackmailer will hopefully pay a severe karmic price for exploiting a rape victim for political gain. Ms. Chatfield is not running for office. Ms. Chatfields position on abortion now  or that of her husband  is irrelevant to the conversation. She was a teenaged rape victim and exploiting her tragic story is unconscionable.

Some will portray this as rank hypocrisy on the part of the Chatfields who would deny other women in this sort of terrible situation the choice to terminate their pregnancy by a rapist. That is, however, not what this is. This is, first and foremost, an example of politics at its absolute worst. Exploiting Stephanie Chatfield to damage her husbands political career is evil and wrong and disgusting.

It is also an indictment on anti-Choice zealots and other religionists who have created a toxic environment of shame so intense that a rape victim spends the rest of her life wracked by guilt for a decision made under intense duress as a teenager. Whether you are pro-Choice or anti-Choice, nobody deserves that.

I dont agree with Ms. Chatfield on the issue of abortion but she, at least, is honest about her position and wants to help other women who are dealing with unwanted pregnancies in proactive ways that dont involve shame and shunning and victimizing the victim. In her case, Ms. Chatfields blackmailer is making her a victim all over again.

Its possible that this blackmailing scheme is coming from a supporter of his Democratic opponent, Phil Bellfy. If so, they are not only not helping, they have compromised some of the fundamental values held by Democrats. Their reprehensible actions go against everything that Democrats stand for in terms of fairness and justice and advancing the position of women in our society. This seems unlikely since the primary has yet to happen.

If, on the other hand, this is coming from someone supporting Rep. Chatfields GOP primary opponent, Kathy Twardy, its shitty, mudslinging Republican politics at its worst with a rape survivor as its ultimate victim.

For shame.
Adblock Plus, which has been in the forefront of online ad blocking, this week announced the beta of Flattr Plus, a joint project with micropayment site Flattr, which promises no less than to revolutionize Web monetization.

Users decide how much money they want to have distributed among their favorite sites, and the Flattr Plus algorithm automatically divvies up the proceeds among the sites they engage with the most.

The beta will launch at the end of the month.

Websites and publishers wishing to participate are required only to sign up  they wont get tags or logos placed on their site.

The full version of Flattr Plus will be launched at the end of the year.

Fine Points

Adblock Plus and Flattr together will get 10 percent of whats donated, said Adblock Plus spokesperson Ben Williams.

Consumers have to provide a method of payment  their credit card number or bank account number, for instance  and specifiy how much they are willing to contribute to their favorite sites, he told the E-Commerce Times. They can choose whether to make a one-off donation or regular payments.

Details involving cancellation and renewal procedures will be ironed out in the beta with user feedback, Williams said.

Currently, Flattr just lets you set an amount, and you decide how much your monthly budget is, he explained. If someone budgets too much, wed certainly let them pull out  but again, this is a question for the beta.

Opposition to Ad Blockers

Its unfortunate to see yet another attempt to paint ad blocking as anything other than a dangerous technology that erodes the foundations of the free Internet, commented Dave Grimaldi, EVP of public policy at the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

No matter what new angles ad blockers employ to appear more conciliatory to content creators, preventing advertising on websites means less funding to keep them alive, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Its worth noting that Flattrs founder, Peter Sunde, is no friend of copyrights, Grimaldi said, adding that he has no respect for content, and was convicted and sentenced to prison on serious infringement charges.

Sunde was a spokesperson for The Pirate Bay, which he cofounded  a BitTorrent site that facilitates the sharing of files, especially movies. A Swedish court convicted the founders in 2009 of assisting in copyright infringement.

Publishers Battles

The conflict between online publishers and ad blockers has escalated of late.

Wired earlier this year began preventing people using ad blockers from accessing articles on its site, offering them alternatives to ad blocking if they wanted to view the content.

Forbes and The New York Times have been testing various approaches to fight back against ad blocking.

The IAB in March released an ad-blocking primer outlining tactics publishers are using successfully to persuade users to stop deploying ad blockers.

Tactics include paying ad-blocking companies to whitelist a site, revenue-sharing with readers, and reinserting ads into their websites even when users run ad blockers.

Ads help fund journalism, the publishing industry argues.

Meanwhile, ThinkPrivacy CEO Alexander Hanff has launched a website for people to report sites detecting or circumventing ad blockers, and he plans to file complaints with national regulators across the EU against publishers that block ad blockers.

Can Flattr Plus Succeed?

Dont believe all the hype around ad blocking, advised Adblock Plus Williams. Weve been sued five times in the United States and have won every case.

Adblock Plus has tens of millions of users who have voted with their devices against the status quo with ads, he continued. Besides, all the publicity might actually help the product succeed.
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VANCOUVER  Six more apparel retailers, among them Tesco, Esprit, KappAhl, and New Look have joined the campaign of conservation NGO Canopy which is aimed at ending the use of ancient and endangered forests in rayon supply chains. The CanopyStyle initiative now has more than 65 fashion brands, with Canopy saying their collective goal is to ensure that "the rayon/viscose supply chain is free of endangered forests by 2017."
(Photo: Church of England)The British monarch Queen Elizabeth II opening the General Synod of the Church of England November 2010.

The number of people who say they have no religion is rapidly climbing and significantly offsets the Christian population in England and Wales, new analysis shows.

The proportion of the population who identify as having no religion  referred to as "nones"  reached 48.5 percent in 2014, almost double the figure of 25 percent in the 2011 census, The Guardian newspaper reported.

Those who define themselves as Christian  Anglicans, Catholics and other denominations  made up 43.8 percent of the population.

"The striking thing is the clear sense of the growth of 'no religion' as a proportion of the population," Stephen Bullivant, senior lecturer in theology and ethics at St Mary's Catholic University in Twickenham told the newspaper.

Bullivant analysed data collected through British Social Attitudes surveys over three decades.

"The main driver is people who were brought up with some religion now saying they have no religion. What we're seeing is an acceleration in the numbers of people not only not practising their faith on a regular basis, but not even ticking the box. The reason for that is the big question in the sociology of religion," he said.

The report did not examine data from Scotland or Northern Ireland, but The Guardian reported that last month a Scottish Social Attitudes survey found that 52 percent of the population said they were not religious, compared with 40 percent in 1999.

RELIGION IN NORTHERN IRELAND

In Northern Ireland, which has long been the most religious part of the United Kingdom, 7 percent said in the 2011 census that they belonged to a non-Christian religion or no religion.

The new analysis will fuel concern among Christian leaders about growing indifference to organised religion.

The Church of England said it this year that it expects attendance to continue declining or another 30 years as its congregations age and the millennial generation rejects the institutions of faith.

Bullivant's report, Contemporary Catholicism in England and Wales, is to be launched at Britain's lower chamber of Parliament on May 24 and it finds that both the Anglican and Catholic churches are struggling to retain people brought up as Christians.

Four out 10 adults who brought up as Anglicans define themselves as having no religion, and almost as many "cradle Catholics" have discarded their family faith to become "nones."

The report said that neither the Anglican nor the Catholics are bringing in fresh blood through conversions. Anglicans lose 12 followers for every person they recruit, and Catholics 10.

The vast majority of converts come from other Christian denominations, rather than non-Christians or people with no religion.

"There's a kind of denominational musical chairs," said Bullivant. "No one is making serious inroads into the non-Christian population."

The proportion of the population who describe themselves as Anglican plunged from 44.5 percent in 1983 to 19 percent in 2014. Catholics made up 8.3 percent, other Christians 15.7 percent and non-Christian religions 7.7 percent said The Guardian.

Bullivant's analysis found that London has the smallest proportion of people identifying as "nones," at an average of 40 percent, accounted for by the capital's large minority ethnic population.

Conversely, 59.5 percent of people in Wales say they have no religion.

Half of all Christians in England and Wales are aged over 55, although Catholics have a younger age profile and 58.6 percent of those describing themselves as Christian, are women.

More than nine in 10 Christians are white, which is slightly higher than in the general population. Far more Catholics (27.5 percent) than Anglicans (8.9 percent) attend church once a week or more.

The report is intended to provide reliable up-to-date statistics about the state of Christianity, and particularly Catholicism. It drew on data from British Social Attitudes surveys between 1983 and 2014.
ANN ARBOR, Michigan  Despite ongoing advances in automated-vehicle technology, the majority of U.S. motorists remain skeptical about self-driving cars, according to a new study from Brandon Schoettle and Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Their report, based on a survey of 618 U.S drivers, found that 45.8 percent of respondents prefer no self-driving capability at all.

Another 38.7 percent said they'd accept a partially autonomous vehicle, but just 15.5 percent of those surveyed said they'd want a fully self-driving car.

And when it comes to riding as a passenger in a completely self-driving car, 66.6 percent of respondents said they'd be "very or moderately concerned," compared to 50.7 percent in a partially autonomous vehicle. Only 9.7 percent of those surveyed said they wouldn't be at all concerned about riding in a completely self-driving car.

The researchers found that older drivers expressed greater concern for autonomous vehicles than younger survey respondents, with 45.2 percent of those over 60 saying they'd be very concerned about riding in a self-driving car, compared to 26.1 percent of those aged 18-29.

And the report noted that more women expressed concern about ceding total control to an autonomous vehicle than men, 43 percent to 31.3 percent.

For the purposes of the study, the researchers defined a fully self-driving car as one that would control all safety-critical functions, even allowing the vehicle to travel without a passenger if required, while a partially autonomous vehicle was defined as one in which the driver could hand over all safety-critical functions to the vehicle but still take over occasionally.

But even in the study's definition of a completely non-self-driving car, the understanding was that the driver "will be assisted with various advanced technologies."

This is an important distinction, because a number of tech features currently available are sometimes considered "semi-autonomous," and many of those technologies are becoming more common all the time, even on moderately priced vehicles.

For example, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, 2016 Ford Focus and 2016 Honda Civic are available with Active Lane-Keep Assist, which nudges the steering wheel back if the car begins to drift into an adjacent lane, and Front Collision Detection with automatic braking, which can apply the brakes to help reduce the severity of a crash.

Pointedly, this latest study comes at a time when many major automakers  including Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Tesla and Volvo  are plunging ahead with the development of self-driving technology.

And, as recently reported by Edmunds, a new coalition formed by Google, Ford, Uber, Lyft and Volvo plans to "work with lawmakers, regulators and the public to realize the safety and societal benefits of self-driving vehicles."

Edmunds says: The development of self-driving technology is moving forward steadily, but this study indicates that the majority of drivers aren't yet completely on board.
Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o...
Figures show that violent attacks on teachers are on the rise in almost every state.In South Australia, incidents of violence against teachers doubled from 231 in 2012 to 469 in 2014, spiking to 549 last year. This has prompted the states teachers to call for extra support staff to keep them safe.South Australias Australian Education Union (AEU) president, Howard Spreadbury, told Adelaide Now that a contributing factor behind the spike in violent incidents was the presence of students with behavioural issues being in mainstream schools.Acts of violence from students and threatened violence from parents have become an issue, Spreadbury said.This is partly a result of students with extreme behaviour and learning disabilities being in mainstream schools. To be fair to the department, they have been putting additional resources in some schools where there has been an extremely violent student.However, Spreadbury added there was a need for more support staff in mainstream schools and more places for students in special classes and special schools.The issue of violent attacks on teachers is also on the rise in Western Australia, where there has been a 38% increase in assaults against the states teachers since this time last year.The statistics show that in the first three months of this year there were 149 assaults - a 38% increase on the same time last year - and at least 90 of them were committed by primary school students.However, unlike in SA, the assaults against WA teachers are mostly coming from students.According to the states education union, the rise in violence may be due to the cutting of programs designed to target students with behavioural issues.State School Teachers Union (SSTU) president, Pat Byrne, told WA Today that this has led to a situation where many of the states teachers are left vulnerable to the unpredictable behaviour of at-risk students.We've seen behaviour management programs cut, and fewer staff in schools who are available to engage with at-risk students before their behaviour escalates into violence, she said.Teachers in Queensland have also called for better resourcing to help the worsening situation in their state, which recently saw a principal twice being threatened by armed youth and having his car stolen in less than a week.Teachers in the far-north Queensland town of Aurukun were evacuated for their safety and have only recently returned to school  albeit under armed police guard. Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) president, Kevin Bates told The Educator that government action needs to be taken to ensure adequate support and resourcing to promote positive behaviour in students.It is not so much about teachers and principals seeking preventative measures against violence, but wanting the resources and support from all levels of government in the short and long-term to help every child to achieve to his or her maximum potential, Bates said.Bates comments follow a plea by the Australian Education Union (AEU) for greater protection of teachers, pointing to a link between the rising number of students with a disability entering schools and a spike in violence against teachers.Late last year, it was reported that student-on-teacher violence in Victoria was worse than previously thought, when it was revealed that over the last 3  years, at least 105 educators required medical triage.More than half of those wounded required an ambulance, hospital bed or surgery to treat broken bones, stab wounds, or other injuries.Almost as many were treated at school medical centres for various cuts, abrasions and bites, while countless others are left sore, bruised, scarred or emotionally traumatised after their encounters. NSW Secondary Principals Council (NSWSPC) president, Lila Mularczyk , told The Educator that while the states schools mitigate against inappropriate communication and behaviour, such incidents do happen.Any inappropriate communication and behaviour is not acceptable, she said, adding that this can have significant impact on those involved.Any inappropriate behaviour especially violence cannot be tolerated and is serious.
Current discussions about K-12 education often highlight the reforms that seek to improve the quality of schooling. Some of these measuresthe common-core standards, teacher evaluation, and, most recently, the Every Student Succeeds Actundoubtedly have the potential to improve educational opportunities for students. However, what is often missing from education reform conversations is how these reforms can create sustainable changes to the education system. We believe the systems very foundations are broken, and school funding is one of the most pressing issues in need of repair.

Most states have failed to create school funding systems that provide the necessary foundation for all children to receive equal access to an excellent education. The nations children deserve no less, particularly in view of evidence that money spent wisely on education matters. In a 2012 review of studies that looked at the effect of funding on student outcomes, education scholar Bruce D. Baker found that ongoing improvements that enhance the amount and distribution of funding can increase student achievement.

School funding took a substantial blow after the Great Recession began in 2007, even as federal funding from the economic-stimulus package in 2009 softened the impact. Despite the improving U.S. economy, school funding has been slow to recover, and schools still feel the recessions effects nine years later. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found in a recent report that although 35 of the 46 states surveyed increased their general state aid per student in 2016, 25 are still providing less general state funding than they were in 2008. And at least seven of those states have cut 10 percent or more from their general state funding per student since the recession.

And as a result of the recent drop in oil, coal, and gas revenues, Alaska, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, among other states, have had to make deep cuts in their K-12 school budgets and must now find new funding streams.

Whether in tough or strong economic times, families and education funding advocates lack a way to insist on the equitable financing needed for excellent schools. This absence arises in part from the U.S. Supreme Courts 1973 San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez decision, which affirmed that the U.S. Constitution neither explicitly nor implicitly provided a remedy for closing the funding gaps across school districts. This decision closed the federal courthouse door to future decisions that could address K-12 spending gaps and, ultimately, the gaps in educational opportunities and resources among children across districts.

The decision thus remanded the design and implementation of more-effective school funding systems to the laboratory of the states. The Supreme Courts decision also noted the need for changes to school funding and expressed concern about the long and heavy reliance on local property taxes.

Despite subsequent decades of state-level litigation on school finance, most changes to finance systems have failed to provide equal access to a high-quality education for all children. Most states continue to build education systems funded by property taxes that vary greatly depending on a childs ZIP code, rather than a childs needs and the desired educational outcomes.

Most states have failed to create school funding systems that provide the necessary foundation for all children to receive equal access to an excellent education."

Significant school finance reforms can, in fact, lead to improved educational and social outcomes for children.

A 2015 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research, which followed children born between 1955 and 1985 through their adult lives in 2011, found that disadvantaged students completed an additional 0.46 years of schooling when districts had a 10 percent increase in per-pupil spending each year for the 12 years the children attended public school. In adulthood, their earnings increased by almost 10 percent, and their likelihood of living in poverty was reduced by roughly 6 percentage points, while children in districts without such spending increases did not experience similar benefits.

The study also found that increasing spending by 25 percent per student throughout the course of a K-12 education could erase the attainment gaps between students from low-income and nonpoor families.

Notwithstanding generally mediocre state records on narrowing disparities in educational opportunity and achievement, the Every Student Succeeds Act relies on states as the engines for educational improvement. Under the new federal law, states will only be required to intervene in the bottom 5 percent of low-performing schools, in schools where student subgroups are struggling, and in high schools where the graduation rate is 67 percent or less.

If the problems with our education system were limited to these schools, the requirements might be promising.

But the authors Eric A. Hanushek, Paul E. Peterson, and Ludger Woessman, in their 2013 book Endangering Prosperity: A Global View of the American School, reveal that the shortcomings of U.S. education are far more widespread than the lowest-performing schools and students. Children from all income levels show lackluster academic performance on international assessments when compared with their international peers.

Given the refusal by most states to devote funding to disadvantaged students for the resources needed to compete with their more advantaged peers, history suggests that the ESSA approach is unlikely to decrease gaps in educational opportunity and achievement significantly.

We believe that the United States must embrace fundamental changes to law and policy, including to school funding, in order to deliver an excellent and equitable education to all its students.

Such changes should include determining the costs that would enable every student, including those who are disadvantaged, those living in concentrated poverty, and English-language learners, to have equal access to high-quality learning opportunities that prepare them for college, a career, or both. States should closely link their funding systems to these costs and monitor the use of funds to ensure that they are put to the best use.

Ending the disparities in educational opportunities across the country will require federal policies to close the opportunity and achievement gaps when individual states refuse to close them on their own.

Without such foundational reforms, we are not just tinkering at the margins of education reform. We are tinkering toward nowhere.
635996898518804651-Hot-Car-Death-Mississ-Gate-2-.jpg

An emotional Joshua Blunt, center, is surrounded by family members after being released from the Grenada County Jail in Grenada, Miss., Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Blunt, who is charged with second-degree murder, is accused of leaving his 8-month-old daughter in the back of his car where she later died. He was released without bail. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

GRENADA, Miss.-- Joshua Lewis Blunt walked out of the Grenada Municipal Court on Tuesday morning, but still faces a murder charge in the death of the eight-month-old daughter he left in a hot car.

Blunt has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 8-month-old daughter, Shania, after he left the infant in his car for four hours on Thursday. After being found, Shania was then transported to University of Mississippi Hospital in Grenada where she passed away. Blunt was subsequently arrested.

At a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Rusty Harlow decided to release Blunt on his own recognizance. While Blunt is pleased with his release, he and his attorney, Carlos Moore of Moss Point are not satisfied with Tuesday's ruling. Moore said the murder charge against his client is evidence of a double standard.

"My client is thrilled to be out of jail and appreciates the city prosecutor for not opposing his motion to be released from jail on his own recognizance, however, he is extremely disappointed that the city judge did not heed the same prosecutor's motion to amend and reduce the current charge of second degree murder to culpable negligence," Moore said.

On Monday afternoon, Moore said he had spoken with Grenada City Prosecutor Jennifer Adams and was told that the city agreed the charge should be amended from second degree murder to culpable negligence manslaughter. Multiple attempts to reach Adams to confirm that account went unanswered.

"This is unprecedented and shows racism is still in play," Moore said. "How can you release a suspected murderer with no bail if you really believe it was murder? There appears to be a power play. The black city prosecutor vs. the white city judge and white district attorney. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Let's stop playing games with a man's freedom. Again, I say the white woman in Madison was not arrested or charged at all. Please continue to pray for my client as he prepares to bury his dearly beloved daughter while still facing a possible life sentence. I will be with him for the duration and will not rest until he is totally free with complete color-blind justice. Anything less is unacceptable."

An attempt was made to contact Grenada District Attorney Doug Evans, to no avail.

Blunt worked at 333 Restaurant where he was a dishwasher. The owner of the establishment was in the courtroom on Tuesday to show support, which the judge took notice of, according to Moore.

Harlow decided to continue the preliminary hearing to July 26 and assured that if more time was needed, Moore and his counsel could continue for a later date.

The Mississippi Press will continue to follow this story as more information becomes available.
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.
Angelita Rebollo is a fun-loving Spaniard whose email signature includes the message, When life hands you a lemon, bring out the tequila and salt. She also has a brilliant scientific mind, which she uses to killcancerous cells, that is.

In her laboratory at Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in the historic Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital near the banks of the Seine in central Paris, Rebollo has developed a technique for blocking specific functions of proteins that turn a healthy cell into a cancer cell. The treatment could help people with a range of illnesses, though initial results suggest it will first be used to treat ovarian cancer and severe types of breast cancers. While chemotherapy causes numerous side-effects by destroying many good cells along with the cancerous ones, Rebollos targeted therapy kills only the cancerous cells.

Her research into the topic started 17 years ago in Madrid and led her to found a company, PEP-Therapy, with a few other scientists working at prestigious French research institutions. The company name comes from the molecules at the heart of Rebollos researchcell-penetrating and interfering peptidesand the companys role is to convert this scientific breakthrough into a medicine that can be used to save lives.

The reason we created the company was to translate the research from the bench to the hospital, says Rebollo. The objective is to develop a molecule that will help many, many people.
As Bushra Al-Obaidi confidently works away in her thriving handicraft shop in the centre of Amman, Jordan and promotes her beautiful products online it is hard to believe that, not long ago, she was struggling to send her children to college or even put food on the table.

Life for women in Jordan, who make up 70% of those living in poverty, is one littered with hardship. They face lower wages then men, have little control over property, face high levels of physical vulnerability and often have to combine being homemaker with being the main income earner.

In the face of this adversity and little control over their lives, one organisation in Jordan is reaching out to women to help them take on these challenges and form a path of opportunity for themselves and their families.

Over the last 20 years, the Microfund for Women (MFW) has given women across Jordan confidence beyond the home and the chance to engage in economic activity, through offering microloans that women are ordinarily refused by banks. The initiative has unsurprisingly won support from an array of beneficiaries, including from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development - made possible by EU grants to support Europes Southern Neighbourhood.

Women in need of finance are able to come together as guarantors for one another and receive loans to pull themselves out of poverty and create their own businesses, sometimes employing others too.

Bushra is one of these women. She was able to turn the challenge of simply providing for her family into entrepreneurship as her dream of opening a handicraft shop was made a reality by a small loan of just 2500 Jordanian Dinars (3000) from the Jordan Microfund For Women.
MOSS POINT, Mississippi-- Moss Point police are looking for two males they say robbed a Family Dollar Monday afternoon.

The incident happened about 2 p.m., Moss Point Chief of Police Art McClung confirmed to the Mississippi Press.

The clerk told police two masked black males entered the store, but only one of the suspects was brandishing a gun.

The first suspect was a black male wearing all grey with a red hoodie, while the second suspect was a black male wearing all black and possibly had a head of dreadlocks.

According to McClung, the exact amount of money taken in the robbery is unknown.

If you have any information about this crime, you are asked to call Moss Point police department at 228-475-1711 or Crime Stoppers at 800-787-5898. You can log onto the Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers website at mscoastcrimestoppers.com.
Mushcup's Brian Steff takes his turn in 'My Favorite Guitar'

Mushcup's Brian Steff has an arsenal of guitars though his favorite is one loved and admired by fans
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.

13:33, 25 OCT 2022
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.
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.
Police confirm school was evacuated due to bomb threat

Police have confirmed a 'security threat' at an Onchan school earlier was a bomb scare.

Ashley Hill Primary School was evacuated this morning as a precautionary measure - officers have now confirmed nothing suspicious was found.

The police say they believe the threat was linked to similar incidents in the UK over the last two days.
Shark finning is an abhorrent practice. The sharks fins are sliced off and the live animal is dumped back into the sea to drown or bleed to death. Photo by iStockphoto

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The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday refused to consider an appeal to overturn legislation that prohibits the sale, trade, and possession of shark fins in California, in a major victory not only for sharks, but also for the right of states to set rules for stopping the abuse of the marine species.

The Supreme Court decision is the fifth federal court ruling upholding the California law, and it marks the final chapter in this long-running litigation. The decision is also good news for nine other states that have passed similar laws to protect sharks from live finning.

The ruling should spur the Administration to finalize regulations to implement the Shark Conservation Act, passed by Congress in 2010 and signed into law by President Obama. The Act would close loopholes in the federal law that protects sharks from finning in U.S. waters. That rule has been pending for several years, largely due to questions about the interplay between state and federal regulatory frameworks. The Supreme Courts decision puts to bed any question that state laws prohibiting the sale of shark fins are in conflict with federal law, or are otherwise unconstitutional. It is a legitimate exercise of state authority to eliminate local demand for products that are the result of inhumane and unsustainable production practices.

Shark finning is an abhorrent practice that deserves the support of no one. The sharks fins are sliced off and the live animal is dumped back into the sea to drown or bleed to death. Unsustainable fishing methods like these have caused a decline of as much as 90 percent among some shark populations in recent decades. It is cruel and its an ecologically devastating activity.

The United States is among the worlds top shark-catching countries and a significant exporter and importer of shark fins. Worldwide each year, it is estimated that upwards of 70 million sharks are hunted for their fins. But there is good news: in recent years, the war against shark finning has gained momentum, with dozens of nations implementing strong bans on shark finning, including the European Union, India, and numerous Latin American countries. By finalizing the rule implementing the Shark Conservation Act, the United States would be more aligned with the policies of these other governments.

In addition to the 10 states and three U.S. territories that prohibit shark fin sales in their jurisdictions, others are seeking to do the same. The Rhode Island House of Representatives has unanimously passed legislation, following the senate passage of a companion bill, to prohibit the possession and sales of shark fins. One of our nations leading humane legislators, New Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak, has introduced similar legislation in his state to take on the shark fin industry. The Pennsylvania legislature is also reviewing a ban on shark fin sales: its befitting that the Keystone state aspires to protect one of the oceans keystone species.

All of these efforts to end shark finning, strengthened by yesterdays Supreme Court action, show there is a strong consensus among legislators and the American public that these animals belong in the wild, and not in a bowl of soup. The Obama Administration can finalize the rule and deal a body blow to Americas role in this heinous global trade.
Theres been a lively debate recently about funding gaps inside districts between schools with low levels of state and local aid and their wealthier counterparts. But is a major factor in intradistrict inequality being overlooked by many people? If you ask Bruce Baker, a Rutgers University professor who studies school finance, the answer is yes.

First, heres how the debate has played out in Washington: The U.S. Department of Education is expected to issue Every Student Succeeds Act regulations that will require districts per-pupil spending in Title I schools, those with relatively large shares of students from low-income households, to be at least equal to the average of per-pupil spending in non-Title I schools. Its supposed to govern the requirement that federal aid supplement, and not supplant, state and local K-12 funding.

Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. and others say districts can use thoughtful strategies to close the gaps , without having to transfer teachers en masse between the two types of schools. And more generally, his supporters, like Kevin Carey of the New America Foundation, say that however districts have to change practices in order to meet the regulation , such a rule would fulfill the purpose of federal aid to poor students, as well as federal law, by providing a more proper and fair level of resources.

But others strongly disagree, saying theyre worried about the burden as well as unintended consequences for districts and poor students. They also say the expected regulation is very clear federal overreach . And the two national teachers unions, with their local affiliates collective bargaining agreements on their minds, are clearly worried about the prospect.

So whats a factor that many people are missing? Special education, Baker says. And why? The strongest predictor of differences in spending across schools is different rates of kids with disabilities, Baker told me.

A Misleading Narrative

Now, Baker says he isnt arguing that senior teachers salaries, and where they teach, dont contribute in some fashion to disparities inside districts And he says that intradistrict inequity is a problem that should, in fact, be studied and remedied where possible. But his main thesis here is that a certain storyline has been crafted and stressed about the distribution of teachers and its effect on resource levels that doesnt have a lot of evidence behind it.

As an example of how special education spending is closely correlated to spending gaps, Baker pointed to an analysis he conducted of inequitable spending levels between New York City public schools. You can see in the chart to the right theres a close relationship between special education and per-pupil spending levels.

That holds true outside of Gotham as well, Baker said: The within-district distribution of kids by special needs is perhaps more often a function of district program planning and allocation practices.

For example, in some districts, wealthier scools tend to identify a higher proportion of students with autism than in their less-well-resourced counterparts, he noted. And in many cases, districts might pick a particular school site to offer a certain suite of special education services. But generally, the idea that per-pupil spending corresponds more closely to levels of disadvantaged students than any other factor is off the mark, Baker told me.

Baker offered a few other arguments in this vein:

 Theres a misperception that a large number of districts are very heterogeneous and contain both wealthy and poor schools. In reality, many districts have a lot of one type, but not the other.

 Its also generally a mistake to think that special education students are spread evenly throughout districts. In reality, those students tend to be unevenly distributed.

 Intradistrict spending disparities are notably less important to overall educational funding equity than interdistrict disparities.

 Inequitable distribution of resources within school districts is complicated and messy, whereas interdistrict inequality can be largely traced directly to decisions made by state legislatures and governors.

A Late Draft

Now, its important to note here that in a late draft of the proposed spending regulation, Education Department staffers did craft language that took students with disabilities into account . Under that proposal, offered before negotiations over spending rules broke down, districts would be able to argue that non-Title I schools serving a high share of students with disabilities shouldnt ultimately hurt their ability to comply with the per-pupil spending requirement I mentioned in the introduction. (That requirement would apply to a provision of ESSA called supplement-not-supplant.)

So the department, at least, has taken note of the issue, although we dont know exactly how the actual regulations will address this factor or what the threshold would be for a high share of such students.

In at least one key respect, Bakers making a similar point to the one made last week at a U.S. Senate education committee hearing by National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten: Interdistrict disparities matter more than those inside districts. And his broader contention is that focusing on per-pupil spending levels, as many advocates are, misses the point in many respectsalthough its worth pointing out that some, like Chad Aldeman of Bellwether Education Partners, are amused by what they see as the unions self-serving and inconsistent position that in this situation, per-pupil spending shouldnt be the focus.

I want to see both, Baker said of greater intradistrict and interdistrict equity. But we have to be really careful about how we try to impose the regulations to improve within-district equity, because there are a lot of factors that affect why different schools have different amounts of money.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
This spring found the nations two largest states embroiled in debates over the portrayal of ethnic groups in state history and curricular standards.

In California, where two-thirds of students are Latino or Asian, the states Instructional Quality Commission, which sets curriculum frameworks for schools around the state, voted last Thursday to adopt a new history curriculum for middle schoolers that split the difference between the concerns of several groups of Hindu Americans.

One group, led by the Hindu American Foundation, was concerned that the proposed framework used the term South Asia to refer to the civilizations that came out of the Indus River Valley, rather than India, the name of the most prominent of those civilizations. The group also lobbied for the curriculum to exclude teachings about the caste system, which they said led to misunderstandings about Indian culture and some students being taunted or bullied in schools.

That group was countered by a group of South Asian scholars and activists who argued that excluding teachings about the caste system is tantamount to whitewashing the subcontinents history and the detrimental impact of that system especially on Dalits, the lowest caste.

The California board decided Thursday to refer to India rather than South Asia, but to keep in teachings about the caste system. The New York TImes reports that the board came to the decision after debating dozens of individual sentences .

Californias deputy superintendent of education Tom Adams told the Times that what were really trying to do here is make sure that the children of California have a curriculum that helps them understand all these groups.

Meanwhile, in Texas, a new textbook proposed for use in that state has drawn fire for its representation of Mexican-Americans. The Associated Press reports that the book describes Mexican-Americans as having adopted a revolutionary narrative that opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society.

The textbooks are on the agenda after a group of activists convinced the states education commission to include Mexican-American studies in textbooks.

The Texas process is at an earlier stage than in California: Texans have until September to submit comments about the textbook.

Correction: An earlier version of this post referred to the Dalit caste as Dawits.

Related:


Younited Italia, Nicola Manzari e il nuovo Coo, Luca Faccini e Head of Growth e Domenico Petraroli e General Counsel
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2016 -- Have you ever seen a foam cup appear to melt away in acetone? Foam cups, bowls and containers are made of a lightweight but strong material - expanded polystyrene. How then does acetone reduce this substance to a blob of goo? In this week's video, Reactions teams up with chemistry professor Matt Hartings, Ph.D., to explain the viral phenomenon. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/FrnDB2_Kt-4.

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UPDATED ACT, which has been criticized for making it difficult to get accommodations on its college-entrance exam, announced Tuesday that it is taking steps to make the process easier.

The Iowa-based testing company said that a new system, which will begin next month, would simplify and speed up the process of getting accommodations for students with diagnosed disabilities. It will provide a faster and more user-friendly experience by providing a single online request form, and the ability to track the request as it moves through ACTs system. And it is designed to eliminate unnecessary documentation, a key stumbling block that has been reported by many students with disabilities and their advocates.

Suzana Delanghe, ACTs chief commercial officer, said in a prepared statement that ACT is making these enhancements to improve the experience of students who require accommodations on the ACT due to special needs.

UPDATED But ACT spokesman Ed Colby said that while the new system is intended to make the system easier to use, the ACT doesnt anticipate that it will result in more approvals of requested accommodations.

This change will not impact approvals. The transparency will simply help students know where their application is in the process, so they dont have to wonder. These changes are simply to make the system more user-friendly for students and schools, he said in an email to EdWeek.

Colby said that the company currently approves about 90 percent of requested accommodations, but it is examining all of its accommodations policies to see if more changes should be made to serve students better without compromising the validity of the test results or changing what it measures.

With the new system, students would register online for the test and work with their counselor, or someone else, to request accommodations online, the ACT said. The system will request that the student submit only the documentation needed for the students particular diagnosis, eliminating the need to send unnecessary support materials, the ACT said in its announcement.

The company said that, based on pilots it has conducted of the new system, students should be able to receive answers to their accommodations requests 10 days sooner, on average.

Long wait times, repeated requests for more documentation of disabilities, and denials of accommodations have been a problem for many students in states that require all students to take the ACT or the SAT, as we reported in a story earlier this year.

Many students who have been denied the accommodations theyre used to have found themselves in a difficult position: In some states, theyve had to choose between taking the test without their usual accommodations, and risking a compromised performance, or insisting on their normal accommodations, and then being denied the right to have the scores certified for use in college admissions.

That disparity caught the eye of the Justice Department, which has been monitoring the accommodations problems students have been experiencing with the SAT and the ACT. The Council of Chief State School Officers hosted a meeting in Chicago last week of states that wanted to discuss a range of issues related to using the SAT for accountability, including the granting of accommodations. No similar meeting was scheduled for states that use the ACT, CCSSO officials said, but one could be organized if there is sufficient interest among states.
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 24, 2016 - Seismologists have created a new algorithm that could one day help give coastal cities early warning of incoming tsunamis.

Right now, tsunami warning systems rely on region-specific scenarios based on previous patterns in that area. That's because scientists use sensors in the ocean, which can detect abnormal movements but can't make accurate projections of how much water will hit a coast and how hard. But "most likely" isn't a sure thing. If a real tsunami doesn't match any of the known scenarios, it could result in significant loss of life.

Scientists at the Australian National University developed the Time Reverse Imaging Method to take real-time data from the ocean sensors and use that information to recreate what the tsunami looked like when it was born. Once scientists have the tsunami source pinpointed, they can use it to make better predictions about what will happen once the waves reach shore. This new method is fast enough to compete with existing algorithms but much more accurate.

"[The Time Reverse Imaging Method] is not based on some guess, it's based on [real-time] information," said Jan Dettmer, a seismologist at the university. "[This method] would improve accuracy without sacrificing speed."

Dettmer and his colleagues will speak about their tsunami-tracking algorithm at the 171st meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, held May 23-27 in Salt Lake City.

The researchers studied plate tectonics in the Japan Trench to help create the algorithm. The earth's crust is broken up into large plates that float on top of the mantle, which is part of the earth's core. These plates move and push against each other, ultimately creating deep trenches and high mountains over the course of millennia.

When the movement happens very quickly, it's an earthquake. Earthquakes can cause landmasses to move several meters, and if it happens underwater it creates a tsunami. Tsunamis kill an average of 8,000 people every year, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. That's why early warning is so important.

"Once the earthquake happens, then we have minutes," Dettner said. Dettmer's system takes scientists one step closer to accurately predicting a tsunami's trajectory. In order to predict its course, you need know the initial sea surface displacement, or, what the wave looked like when it first started.

That's difficult to do because, while the Japanese government has placed a lot of sensors in the Pacific Ocean, they do not cover the entire seafloor. So Dettmer looked at the information gathered from the March 11, 2011, Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami.

Dettmer took the information from the 2011 event and used it to go backward in time mathematically, calculating what the tsunami looked like when it first started. Once he had the information from the beginning of the tsunami, he added it to the sensor data and projected what the tsunami would look like once it hit land.

By checking his results against what actually happened in 2011, Dettmer was able to hone his algorithm.

The plan is to apply test his method on other recorded earthquakes and fine-tune the technology until it is ready for implementation, which he says could be in less than five years.

"This is a step forward," Dettmer adds. "This research can be part of the next generation of tsunami warning systems that are based on real time information."

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Presentation #2aMU3, "Time reverse imaging of tsunami waveforms," by Jan Dettmer will take place on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at 3:55 PM MDT in room Solitude. The abstract can be found by searching for the presentation number here: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/spring-meeting-itinerary-planner

ABOUT THE MEETING

The 171st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) will be held May 23-27, 2016, at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek Hotel. It will feature more than 900 presentations on sound and its applications in physics, engineering, music, architecture and medicine. Reporters are invited to cover the meeting remotely or attend in person for free.

USEFUL LINKS

Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/spring-2016-meeting

Itinerary planner and technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/spring-meeting-itinerary-planner

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 400-900 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video. You can visit the site, beginning in early May, at (http://acoustics.org/current-meeting).

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact John Arnst (jarnst@aip.org, 301-209-3096) who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST

A press briefing featuring a selection of newsworthy research will be webcast live from the conference on Tuesday, May 24. Topics and time of webcast to be announced.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.
A new model suggests the mucus coating in dolphins' nasal passages is necessary to produce key characteristics of their sonar clicks

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 24, 2016 - A dolphin chasing a tasty fish will produce a stream of rapid-fire echolocation clicks that help it track the speed, direction and distance to its prey. Now researchers have developed a model that could yield new insights into how the charismatic marine mammals make these clicks - and it turns out snot may play an important role.

The researchers will present their model at the 171st meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, held May 23-27 in Salt Lake City.

"It's harder than you might think to make loud, high frequency sounds," said Aaron Thode, a research scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. "Wet, sticky surfaces could serve a purpose in this."

Most scientists believe dolphins create sound by forcing air through nasal passages located just beneath their blowholes. Within the nasal passage are lumps of tissue, called dorsal bursae, that collide and vibrate, producing the dolphin's repertoire of clicks, chirps and whistles. Yet the finer details of what happens in the nasal passages remain murky.

It's difficult to film a dolphin's working nasal passages, Thode said, and many of the motions happen as quickly as a thousand times per second, making it hard to measure them. In place of direct observation, Thode turned to a lumped element model - commonly used by engineers and scientists to simplify complicated systems.

While looking through the scientific literature on the human voice, Thode found a lumped element model for vocal cords. The model represents the vocal cords as discrete masses connected by springs, which store and release energy, and dampers, which dissipate energy. The model captures essential characteristics of the system, like the frequency at which it vibrates, while remaining simple enough to easily solve.

Thode worked with his father, Lester Thode, a retired physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratory, to adapt the vocal cord model to dolphin nasal passages. The researchers compared their model's simulated clicks to recordings of real dolphin clicks that had been gathered by their colleagues at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and the Navy Marine Mammal Program.

The model accurately reproduced two distinct parts of a dolphin click: an initial loud thump, followed by an extended ring. It suggests the thump is caused when the dorsal bursae collide and then pull apart, and the ring develops from the lingering vibrations of the tissue.

What's more, the bursae must stick slightly to each other before separating in order to produce the loudest, highest frequency parts of the call.

Thode describes the required motion as "kind of like pulling apart silly putty - if you pull it hard it will resist, but then snap apart." The researchers think the mucus coating of the nasal passage could provide this stick-and-snap motion.

The model can produce whistles, click trains and individual clicks. It can also reproduce "weird" clicks, where the thump and ring seem to occur at the same time, and shows a similar statistical correlation between peak frequency and power as observed in real click data.

The agreement between real and simulated clicks is encouraging, but the researchers caution the model is still under development.

"Others could create a different model that also matches the data," Lester Thode said.

Going forward, the father and son team hope to get more dolphin recordings so they can see if additional predictions made by the model - such as the timing patterns of click bursts - also show up in real life.

The model could potentially inspire human engineers looking for clever new ways to create high-frequency sounds. It could also yield insights into how other animals, such as whales, vocalize, Aaron Thode said.

Presentation 2pABa3, "There must be mucus: Using a lumped-parameter model to simulate the "thump" and "ring" of a bottlenose dolphin echolocation click," by Lester Thode will take place at 1:30 p.m. MDT on Tuesday, May 24 in Salon 1. The abstract can be found by searching for the presentation number here: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/spring-meeting-itinerary-planner

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ABOUT THE MEETING

The 171st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) will be held May 23-27, 2016, at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek Hotel. It will feature more than 900 presentations on sound and its applications in physics, engineering, music, architecture and medicine. Reporters are invited to cover the meeting remotely or attend in person for free.

USEFUL LINKS

Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/spring-2016-meeting

Itinerary planner and technical program:

http://acousticalsociety.org/content/spring-meeting-itinerary-planner

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 400-900 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video. You can visit the site, beginning in early May, at (http://acoustics.org/current-meeting).

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact John Arnst (jarnst@aip.org, 301-209-3096) who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST

A press briefing featuring a selection of newsworthy research will be webcast live from the conference on Tuesday, May 24. Topics and time of webcast to be announced.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.
Matthew Hill will receive the 2016 CAN Young Investigator Award at the upcoming 10th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting in Toronto, on May 31, 2016

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) is proud to announce that Matthew Hill, from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary, will be awarded the 2016 CAN Young Investigator Award at the upcoming 10th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting in Toronto, on May 31st 2016.

Dr. Matthew Hill's research has deepened our understanding of how the brain responds and adapts, or fails to adapt, to stress. His research has helped demonstrate the important role of the endocannabinoid system in buffering stress response and regulating emotional response in the brain. His pioneering work with rodents has demonstrated that exposure to chronic stress results in a collapse of the endocannabinoid system. He also showed that enhancing the endocannabinoid system produced behavioral changes suggesting reduced anxiety and active coping responses to stress, and that conventional antidepressants use the endocannabinoid system to dampen activation of the stress response. This body of work has led to the hypothesis that deficient endocannabinoid signaling may be an underlying cause of stress-related psychiatric conditions such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

In addition to showing that endocannabinoids regulate stress, Dr. Hill has worked to elucidate the mechanisms through which they act. In a series of highly-cited publications he showed that endocannabinoid signaling can prevent the activation of the stress response, that stress hormones recruit endocannabinoids to terminate the stress response, and that endocannabinoid signaling is required to modulate the excitability of stress circuits, thereby contributing to the ability of the brain to adapt to repeated exposure to stress. His current work focuses on understanding how chronic stress hinders endocannabinoid signalling to generate pathological anxiety.

The insight Dr. Hill has gained through research done with animals has prompted him to collaborate with clinicians to investigate the role of endocannabinoids in humans. This work has shown that the endocannabinoid system regulates stress response in humans and that this system is defective in individuals suffering from major depression or PTSD. This research has led to the exploration of new therapeutic avenues, investigating the potential of endocannabinoids for the treatment of these psychiatric illnesses.

Matthew Hill's productivity, both in terms number and quality of scientific publications, is impressive. He has published in top journals in the field such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, the Journal of Neuroscience and Molecular Psychiatry. His expertise and originality are well-recognized, as he has been invited to present his findings over 50 times in the last five years, at numerous international conferences and as an invited speaker at Universities and research institutes across Canada and the USA, including McGill University, Columbia University, Emory University and the National Institutes of Health. He has also been invited to speak in Europe, including at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich Germany, and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Dr. Hill's research has also been highlighted in many media outlets, including the New York Times, Scientific American and CBC radio. Dr. Matthew Hill is one of the few early career investigators to have received a CIHR Foundation grant.

Dr. Hill has demonstrated his leadership in the field of cannabinoid research as Past-President of the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids, and President-elect of the International Cannabinoid Research Society.

Dr. Hill's leadership in research, the originality and quality of his work, and the impressive level of recognition he has gathered internationally make him stand out as an exceptional young neuroscientist. The Canadian Association for Neuroscience is very proud to present Dr. Hill with the 2016 CAN Young Investigator Award.

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Selected publications

Gray, J.M., Vecchiarelli, H.A., Morena, M., Lee, T.T., Hermanson, D., Kim, A.B., McLaughlin, R.J., Hassan, K., Kuhne, C., Wotjak, C.T., Deussing, J.M., Patel, S. & Hill, M.N. (2015). Corticotropin releasing hormone drives anandamide hydrolysis in the amygdala to promote anxiety. Journal of Neuroscience 35(9), 3879-3892.

Dincheva, I., Drysdale, A.T., Hartley, C.A., Johnson, D.C., Jing, D.Q., King, E.C., Ra, S., Gray, J.M., Yang, R.R., DeGruccio, A.M., Huang, C., Cravatt, B.F., Glatt, C.E., Hill, M.N., Casey, B.J. & Lee, F.S. (2015). FAAH genetic variation enhances frontoamygdala function in mouse and human. Nature Communications 6, 6395.

Hill, M.N., Anilkumar, S., Filipski, S.B., Iverson, M., Stuhr, K.L., Keith, J.M., Cravatt, B.F., Hillard, C.J., Chattarji, S. & McEwen, B.S. (2013). Disruption of fatty acid amide hydrolase activity prevents the effects of chronic stress on anxiety and amygdalar microstructure. Molecular Psychiatry 18(10), 1125-1135.

Hill, M.N., McLaughlin, R.J., Bingham, B., Shrestha, L., Lee, T.T., Gray, J.M., Hillard, C.J., Gorzalka, B.B. & Viau, V. (2010). Endogenous cannabinoid signaling is essential for stress adaptation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 107(20), 9406-9411.

Bowles, N.B., Karatsoreos, I.N., Li, X., Vemuri, V.K., Wood, J.A., Li, Z., Tamashiro, K., Schwartz, G.J., Makriyannis, A.M., Kunos, G., Hillard, C.J., McEwen, B.S. & Hill, M.N. (2015). A peripheral endocannabinoid mechanism contributes to glucocorticoid-mediated metabolic syndrome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 112, 285-290.

Learn more about Dr. Hill

View Matthew Hill's CRC profile: Canada Research Chair in Neurobiology of Stress (Tier 2)

Read Matthew Hill's profile at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute: http://www.hbi.ucalgary.ca/profiles/dr-matthew-hill

Calgary's Top 40 under 40 (2014) Read about Dr. Hill's nomination in Calgary's list of top 40 for Matthew Hill's research into the endocannabinoid system has changed our understanding of how the brain deals with and recovers from stress.

About the CAN Young Investigator Award

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award is given yearly to recognize outstanding research achievements by a young neuroscientist at the early stage of his or her career. The winner is chosen by the CAN Nominations Committee.

About the Canadian Neuroscience Meeting

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience is holding its 10th Annual Meeting in Toronto, May 29 to June 1 2016. Held yearly since 2007, it brings together researchers working in all fields of neuroscience research. Organized by neuroscientists and for neuroscientists, it highlights the best and most novel neuroscience research in Canada every year.

About the Canadian Association for Neuroscience:

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience is the largest association dedicated to the promotion of all fields of neuroscience research in Canada. The association has been organizing a yearly annual meeting since 2007. Learn more about our meeting at: http://can-acn.org/meeting2016
Canadian military personnel have higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, but they are also more likely to access mental health support than civilians, found new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)

Suicide prevention has been a focus in Canada in recent years, with initiatives such as the Mental Health Commission of Canada and major investments in military and veteran mental health aimed at reducing this cause of death. Despite these initiatives, suicide rates have remained mostly unchanged.

The media in Canada has criticized the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) about the lack of mental health services for military personnel. However, the CAF has engaged in greater investments in mental health services renewal over the past decade, relative to the Canadian public system. Over the same general period, more than 40,000 CAF personnel were deployed in support of the mission in Afghanistan. There is a lack of information on the relative trends in suicidality and use of mental health services in the two populations.

Researchers from Canada and the United States looked at data from four nationally representative surveys in 2002 and 2012/13 to compare rates of suicidal thoughts and help-seeking in military and civilian populations. They found that in 2012/13, personnel in the CAF had a 32% increased odds of thinking about suicide and 64% increased odds of planning suicide than the civilian group.

"Trends of an increasing lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts over the 10-year period and of a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation and plans among military personnel than among civilians in 2012/13 is a concerning and important observation with public-policy ramifications," writes Dr. Jitender Sareen, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, with coauthors.

The authors also found that suicidal ideation in women, but not men, who served in the military decreased over time.

"The prevalence of lifetime and past-year suicidal ideation among male military personnel did not change over time; however, female military personnel had a significant decrease in lifetime suicidal ideation," write the authors. They suggest it may be that women are more likely than men to seek help for mental health issues.

People in the military with suicidal thoughts were significantly more likely than civilians to seek help and accessed more types of professionals for help. Care-seeking for suicidality increased in both populations, but the increase was significantly greater in the CAF.

"This study supports the criticism that the Canadian public health care system is not universal but has significant inequities, inefficiencies and varying levels of service," states Dr. Sareen. "It also speaks to potential value of incremental investments in the public system, similar to those made in the CAF."

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San Diego, CA (May 22, 2016) -- A new study shows the rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to increase in individuals under 50 years old, despite the fact that the overall rate of the disease has been declining in recent years. Following examination of more than 1 million CRC patient records over 10 years, researchers suggested that health-care providers should be more vigilant about detecting symptoms in younger patients. The findings were presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2016, the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

"While the health-care system has done a great deal to address colorectal cancer in people over 50 -- heightening patient awareness and increasing screenings -- our findings show that much more needs to be done to fight this cancer in people under 50, a group not normally considered at risk," said Elie Sutton, MD, the study's lead author and research fellow at Mt. Sinai West Hospital, New York, NY. "Not only did we find that the rate of colorectal cancer in this group is rising, we also saw that within the group that was diagnosed at a younger age, a higher percentage were diagnosed at later the stages of cancer (stage 3 or 4), which is very concerning."

The study found that, over a decade, the number of young-onset cases rose by 11.4 percent, which translates to approximately an average increase of 1.28 percent per year or 136 new cases every additional year. In contrast, researchers saw that the number of CRC cases in late-onset patients (50 or older) fell by 2.5 percent. This analysis of the younger group also found a higher incidence of more advanced cancer than in the older group (stage 3: 30.6 percent vs. 25.1 percent; stage 4: 25.6 percent vs. 18.2 percent). Additionally, they found that young-onset cases were more prevalent in non-white patients than late-onset cases (22.1 percent vs. 16.0 percent).

Dr. Sutton and his team examined 1,010,530 CRC cases in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2013 to determine the proportion identified as young-onset compared to those that were late-onset. They also recorded variables between young-onset and late-onset in factors such as the stage at which the cancer was found, the length of in-patient hospital stay, demographics, and 30-day and 90-day mortality rates.

Studies of CRC about five years ago found a similar trend toward young-onset, Dr. Sutton said. "Between the time of the previous research and our study, we still have not adequately addressed the risk of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50. It's critical that we reverse this trend so that we are able to reduce, and hopefully eliminate, it in all populations, regardless of age."

While these findings show that CRC is on the rise in people younger than 50, Dr. Sutton notes that the overwhelming majority of CRC cases still occur after age 50.

Colorectal cancer often starts in either the colon or rectum as a growth or polyp that can become cancerous over time. Finding and removing these polyps from the large intestine through screening, such as a colonoscopy, can help prevent CRC. In the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute, CRC is the third-most-common cancer, with more than 132,000 new cases in 2015. In that year, CRC was also the second-leading cause of cancer deaths, second only to lung cancer.

Dr. Elie Sutton will present data from the study "An Update on Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer, an NCDB Analysis," abstract Tu1812, on Tuesday, May 24, at 9:30 a.m. PT, in Hall C of the San Diego Convention Center. For more information about featured studies, as well as a schedule of availability for featured researchers, please visit http://www.ddw.org/press. Dr. Sutton did not have any disclosures for DDW research. Faculty disclosures can be found online at http://www.ddw.org/DDW_Disclosure_Index.pdf.

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Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), DDW takes place May 21-24, 2016, at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA. The meeting showcases more than 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. More information can be found at http://www.ddw.org.

Follow us on Twitter @DDWMeeting; hashtag #DDW16. Become a fan of DDW on Facebook.
Astrophysicists have taken a major step forward in understanding how supermassive black holes formed. Using data from Hubble and two other space telescopes, Italian researchers have found the best evidence yet for the seeds that ultimately grow into these cosmic giants.

For years astronomers have debated how the earliest generation of supermassive black holes formed very quickly, relatively speaking, after the Big Bang. Now, an Italian team has identified two objects in the early Universe that seem to be the origin of these early supermassive black holes. The two objects represent the most promising black hole seed candidates found so far [1].

The group used computer models and applied a new analysis method to data from the NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, and the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope to find and identify the two objects. Both of these newly discovered black hole seed candidates are seen less than a billion years after the Big Bang and have an initial mass of about 100 000 times the Sun.

"Our discovery, if confirmed, would explain how these monster black holes were born," said Fabio Pacucci, lead author of the study, of Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy.

This new result helps to explain why we see supermassive black holes less than one billion years after the Big Bang.

There are two main theories to explain the formation of supermassive black holes in the early Universe. One assumes that the seeds grow out of black holes with a mass about ten to a hundred times greater than our Sun, as expected for the collapse of a massive star. The black hole seeds then grew through mergers with other small black holes and by pulling in gas from their surroundings. However, they would have to grow at an unusually high rate to reach the mass of supermassive black holes already discovered in the billion years young Universe.

The new findings support another scenario where at least some very massive black hole seeds with 100 000 times the mass of the Sun formed directly when a massive cloud of gas collapses [2]. In this case the growth of the black holes would be jump started, and would proceed more quickly.

"There is a lot of controversy over which path these black holes take," said co-author Andrea Ferrara also of Scuola Normale Superiore. "Our work suggests we are converging on one answer, where black holes start big and grow at the normal rate, rather than starting small and growing at a very fast rate."

Andrea Grazian, a co-author from the National Institute for Astrophysics in Italy explains: "Black hole seeds are extremely hard to find and confirming their detection is very difficult. However, we think our research has uncovered the two best candidates so far."

Even though both black hole seed candidates match the theoretical predictions, further observations are needed to confirm their true nature. To fully distinguish between the two formation theories, it will also be necessary to find more candidates.

The team plans to conduct follow-up observations in X-rays and in the infrared range to check whether the two objects have more of the properties expected for black hole seeds. Upcoming observatories, like the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope will certainly mark a breakthrough in this field, by detecting even smaller and more distant black holes.

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Notes

[1] Supermassive black holes contain millions or even billions of times the mass of the Sun. In the modern Universe they can be found in the centre of nearly all large galaxies, including the Milky Way. The supermassive black hole in the centre of the Milky Way has a mass of four million solar masses. The two black hole seed candidates would also be the progenitors of two of the modern supermassive black holes.

[2] Black hole seeds created through the collapse of a massive cloud of gas bypass any other intermediate phases such as the formation and subsequent destruction of a massive star.

More information

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.

The team of scientists in this study consists of Fabio Pacucci (Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy), Andrea Ferrara (Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy), Andrea Grazian (INAF, Italy), Fabrizio Fiore (INAF, Italy), Emanuele Giallongo (INAF, Italy), Simonetta Puccetti (ASDC-ASI, Italy)

Image credit: NASA, ESA, CXC

Links

* Images of Hubble - http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/archive/category/spacecraft/

* Chandra press release - http://chandra.harvard.edu/press/16_releases/press_052416.html

* Hubblesite press release - http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2016/19

* Link to science paper - http://www.spacetelescope.org/static/archives/releases/science_papers/heic1607a.pdf

Contacts

Fabio Pacucci

Scuola Normale Superiore

Pisa, Italy

Email: fabio.pacucci@sns.it

Andrea Ferrara

Scuola Normale Superiore

Pisa, Italy

Email: andrea.ferrara@sns.it

Andrea Grazian

National Institute for Astrophysics

Rome, Italy

Email: grazian@oa-roma.inaf.it

Mathias Jaeger

ESA/Hubble, Public Information Officer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 176 62397500

Email: mjaeger@partner.eso.org
Although Cercopithecus monkeys, a widely distributed genus in Africa, usually have a discerning palate for fruits and leaves, they are opportunistic omnivores that sometimes consume lizards, snakes, birds and mice. These forest-dwelling primates share habitat and food resources with bats, which are known reservoirs for zoonotic diseases such as Ebola, Marburg and Henipa viruses as well as bacteria and parasites that can be spread between animals and humans. This has led researchers to hypothesize that primate consumption of fruits contaminated with an infected bat's saliva or feces facilitates zoonotic disease transmission. Scientists estimate that more than six out of every 10 infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals.

Primates and bats also may interact directly, but their behavioral and predator-prey interactions are poorly documented, and detailed reports of their interactions have been rare, until now. Researchers in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University initiated a study of Cercopithecus predation on bats after observing monkeys preying on two different bat species in Gombe National Park in Tanzania. They are the first to document monkeys consuming bats with photos and video.

Observations from this study suggest an alternative pathway for bat-to-monkey disease transmission that has implications for zoonotic disease transmission to humans. The study titled, "Bat Predation by Cercopithecus Monkeys: Implications for Zoonotic Disease Transmission," is published in the current issue of the journal EcoHealth.

"Our study found that Cercopithecus monkeys opportunistically preyed on bats not only in Gombe, but also in the Kakamega Forest in Kenya," said Kate Detwiler, Ph.D., co-author of the study and an assistant professor in FAU's Department of Anthropology. "The behavior that we observed and the persistence of these monkeys to capture their prey indicate that bats are desirable items in their food repertoire."

During the course of the study, the researchers observed the Cercopithecus monkeys both handling and eating bats and sometimes had prolonged contact with the bat carcass. The monkeys spent between 10 minutes to just a little over an hour consuming a single bat, and in one case consuming the bones as well.

"In two of the events at the Kakamega Forest in Kenya, a monkey snatched a bat from its day-roosting tree before eating it," said Elizabeth Tapanes, first author of the study and a recent graduate of the master's in arts program in the Department of Anthropology at FAU. "Roosting bats were likely easy prey that could be reached while torpid or asleep."

All cases of monkeys hunting or feeding on bats occurred in or near human-modified or forest-edge habitats. Both the Gombe and the Kakamega ecosystems have experienced forest fragmentation and loss over recent decades. These habitat changes have led to more primates using forest edges and adjacent-modified habitats like the plantation forests where the predation events in the study occurred.

"While effects of habitat change on bats are unknown and merit further study, our observations suggest that Cercopithecus monkeys preying on bats may be habitat specific, and possibly affected by anthropogenic habitat changes," said Tapanes.

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Co-author of the study also includes Marina Cords, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at Columbia University in New York.

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU's world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU's existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit http://www.fau.edu.
MELBOURNE, FLA. -- Scientists at Florida Institute of Technology used a high-speed camera to capture an amazing lighting flash from a May 20 storm near the university's Melbourne campus.

The flash was recorded at 7,000 frames per second.

The video was captured as part of the process of testing the camera for its ultimate use, which will be centered on capturing and studying the dynamics and energetics of the upward electrical discharges from thunderstorms known as starters, jets and gigantic jets.

Principal Investigator Ningyu Liu from the Geospace Physics Laboratory in Florida Tech's Department of Physics and Space Sciences is available for interviews. Additional information may also be obtained from Hamid Rassoul, the project's co-principal investigator and dean of the College of Science.

An MP4 video of the lightning flash is available upon request.

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Boston, MA -- Women with elevated levels of common types of flame retardant chemicals in their blood may be at a higher risk for thyroid disease--and the risk may be significantly higher among post-menopausal women, according to a new study from researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The new paper is the first to suggest a link between polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and increased risk of thyroid problems in post-menopausal women in a nationally representative sample of women in the U.S. Thyroid problems include hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, goiter, or Hashimoto's disease.

The study was published online May 23, 2016 in the journal Environmental Health.

"These chemicals are just about everywhere, from the blood in polar bears to eagles to humans on every continent," said Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard Chan School and the study's lead author. "This near ubiquitous exposure means we are all part of a global experiment on the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals on our bodies."

PBDEs have been used as flame retardants for decades, largely in furniture, in quantities up to 20% of the weight of the product. Over time, they migrate out of the furniture into the air, settle into dust in homes, schools, offices, and the outdoors, and accumulate in people's bodies. Previous research has shown that these chemicals accumulate in fatty tissue and interfere with hormonal functions, including interference with thyroid hormones. Because it's known that estrogen levels regulate thyroid hormones, researchers theorized that post-menopausal women may be particularly vulnerable to PBDE-induced thyroid effects.

The researchers looked at a nationally representative sample of women involved in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). They compared the levels of four common PBDEs in participants' blood samples in 2003-04 with their history of thyroid problems.

The researchers found that, overall, women were about five times more likely than men to have a thyroid problem. The percentage ranged from 13-16% among women, compared with 2-3% among men.

Women with the highest flame retardant concentrations in their blood were significantly more likely than those with lower concentrations to have a thyroid problem. The effect size was doubled in post-menopausal women.

"To our bodies, these flame retardant chemicals look and function exactly like endogenous hormones our bodies produce. Should we be surprised that we see downstream health effects for women with higher body burdens of these chemicals? I think no. This is all too predictable and preventable," said Allen.

One limitation of the study is that it couldn't determine effects from newer flame retardant chemicals because they are not currently reported by NHANES.

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Other Harvard Chan authors on the paper included Eileen McNeely, instructor in the Department of Environmental Health; John Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation; and Sara Gale, a former research assistant.

This research was supported in part by NIH/NIEHS P30ES000002 and supported in part by the intramural research project of the National Cancer Institute/NIH (Birnbaum).

"PBDE flame retardants, thyroid disease, and menopausal status in U.S. women," Joseph G. Allen, Sara Gale, R. Thomas Zoeller, John D. Spengler, Linda Birnbaum, Eileen McNeely, Environmental Health, online May 23, 2016, doi: 10.1186/s12940-016-0141-0

Visit the Harvard Chan website for the latest news, press releases, and multimedia offerings.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people's lives--not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America's oldest professional training program in public health.
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - The biennial Asia Pacific Lung Cancer Conference (APLCC 2016) was successfully organized in Chiang Mai, Thailand (13-15 May 2016) by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), Thai Society of Clinical Oncology (TSCO), Chiang Mai Lung Cancer Group and Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University (CMU). More than 870 participants from 26 countries with a wide range of expertise spanning prevention, treatment, research, and care and support fields actively participated in this regional meeting.

Follow-Up on Promise to Reduce NCD Deaths by 1/3rd by 2030

This was the first APLCC organized after governments of U.N.-member nations (including those in the Asian-Pacific region) had adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the U.N. General Assembly in September 2015. One of these goals is to reduce premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including lung cancer, by one-third by 2030.

"Lung cancer and other NCD-related SDGs can only be met by Asian-Pacific governments if we prevent the disease effectively, efficiently screen for the earliest possible diagnosis, and treat with the latest evidence-based therapies - saving lives from lung cancer is not a choice, it is a public health imperative," said Dr. Sumitra Thongprasert, Chair of APLCC 2016, Emeritus Professor at Chiang Mai University, and Senior Director (Oncology), Bangkok Chiang Mai Hospital in Thailand.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world. "Undoubtedly lung cancer is a significant cause of loss of quality of life and premature death. Despite scientific advancements in lung cancer management, outcomes remain poor with less than 5 percent five-year survival," Dr. Thongprasert said.

Effective Tobacco Control Can Significantly Help Reduce Lung Cancer

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco smoking is the top risk factor for lung cancer, with 90 percent of cases attributed to tobacco use. The APLCC wants to push the message of the dangers of tobacco during the lead up to World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2016.

"Almost all countries in the Asian-Pacific region (barring Indonesia) have ratified the Global Tobacco Treaty (formally called the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control). Countries in the region must enforce the treaty and domestic tobacco control and health laws effectively, and not just for saving lives from lung cancer but also from a range of life-threatening diseases attributed to tobacco use. We also need to reduce exposure to other risk factors for lung cancer," Dr. Thongprasert added.

Affordable Healthcare for Everyone Must Become Reality

While committing to the 17 SDGs, governments also committed to making universal health coverage a reality by 2030. The SDG 3.8 commits governments to achieving universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all by 2030.

"Affordable healthcare must become a reality for everyone, especially for those most in need. Early lung cancer diagnosis, and standard investigations and therapy as per the latest guidelines and research, will then be able to make a phenomenal difference in the lives of all people," Dr. Thongprasert concluded.

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For more information on IASLC Asia Pacific Lung Cancer Conference, please visit:

Website: http://www.aplcc2016.com | Twitter: @APLCC2016 | Facebook.com/APLCC2016

For more information on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, please visit: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/health/.

About the IASLC:

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 5,000 lung cancer specialists in over 100 countries. Visit http://www.iaslc.org for more information.

About the TSCO:

The Thai Society of Clinical Oncology's (TSCO) primary goals are to educate medical oncologist through major cancer centers in university hospitals and improve the treatment and prevention of cancer. In addition to advancing education of medical oncology, TSCO provides education for other disciplines to advance the quality of cancer care in Thailand.

About Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University:

Since its founding in 1967, the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University has grown continuously. Now the largest medical school in northern Thailand, it operates the largest and most comprehensive hospital in the region.

(This article was written jointly by Shobha Shukla and Bobby Ramakant of CNS (Citizen News Service) and edited by IASLC. CNS is a media partner of APLCC 2016. Follow CNS on http://www.citizen-news.org Twitter: @CNS_Health, Facebook.com/CNS.page and YouTube.com/c/CitizenNewsOrgCNS)
A bill to overhaul parts of Californias teacher-tenure laws has gotten some fresh support from Students Matter, the California group that brought the Vergara v. California lawsuit .

The bill, from Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, a Democrat, would extend a teachers probationary period from two to three years. Exceptional teachers would receive tenure in their fourth year, but districts could otherwise choose to extend a teachers probationary period for a fourth year. (These third- and fourth-year probationary teachers would get some protections but not full due-process rights.)

The bill would also create a separate process for tenured teachers being dismissed for poor performance. Rather than the three-person panel that hears all other cases of firing, these teachers cases would be heard by an arbitrator, whose binding decision could not be appealed.

But before that, tenured teachers with low evaluation ratings would be guaranteed support through new district training programs.

AB 934 also makes some changes to how the state conducts layoffs, though they would still be based in large part on seniority.

In 2015, Republican lawmakers introduced a host of other proposals, but they were quickly shot down in the Democratic-controlled legislature . The proposal from Bonilla, a Democrat, was seen as having more of a chanceand as threading a very fine needle between supporters and opponents of the Vergara case.

Initially, Students Matter initially took no position on the Bonilla bill. But after Vergara went down on appeal and a few tweaks to the legislation were made, its now on board, despite still eyeing some additional changes. (Dont mistake that as capitulation, though; its still going to appeal Vergara to the state Supreme Court .)

Other supporters of Bonillas proposal include the advocacy group Teach Plus.

The California Teachers Association and California Federation of Teachers oppose the bill.
History professor Maria Barbara Zepeda Cortes awarded 10-month fellowship to study at The Huntington Library in California, home of largest Galvez archive in the US

Eleven boxes and two oversize folders hold the 734 documents that comprise "The Galvez Papers." Housed at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, it is the largest U.S. collection of historical documents related to Jose de Galvez, a wildly successful reformer of the Spanish colonies known as the Indies (which includes present-day Mexico) whose efforts still resonate today.

"The Galvez Papers" consists mostly of correspondence between Galvez to the viceroy of Mexico, and includes a number of documents relating to the settlement of California in 1769. The documents span the period between 1763 and 1794, an era that overlaps with the Bourbon Reforms--named for the House of Bourbon which ruled over Spain and its colonies in the late 18th century. In 1765, as part of these reforms, Galvez was sent by Spanish King Carlos III to New Spain to stop corruption and strengthen Spain's rule.

The region now known as Mexico had largely ruled itself from the 16th century to the 18th century. According to Lehigh University history professor Maria Barbara Zepeda Cortes, Spain had watched while Britain and France expanded their empires and made use of their colonies to enrich their countries--and now Spain wanted to do the same.

"Though Galvez came from an impoverished family, he had climbed the political and social ladder all the way to the top," says Zepeda Cortes. "The King trusted Galvez to lead these huge, highly political reforms in which Galvez had to negotiate with entrenched factions within colonial Mexico and face fierce opposition to the control being imposed by the crown."

Despite such considerable obstacles, Galvez thrived. He made unexpected allies, such as the independent traders who traveled the route between Spain and Mexico. Many of his moves were brazen enough to stir the ire of the viceroy who was charged with overseeing New Spain and whose authority Galvez continuously challenged.

Galvez also faced opposition inside the Crown from those who were not happy with the way he conducted reforms. But the King had confidence in him and did until the day Galvez died.

Galvez stayed in the colonies for seven years and, briefly after his return to Spain, was appointed Minister of the Indies, a position of even greater power and responsibility. All issues coming from the Spanish colonies were his to address and, according to Zepeda Cortes, there were some very tough issues.

"For example, there were border issues between Spanish America and Brazil, a Portuguese colony," says Zepeda Cortes. "In addition, the Crown began imposing state monopolies on the colonies' most consumed goods--such as tobacco and alcohol--challenging established producers and creating a lot of distress. Many in the Americas began to see Galvez--not the Crown--as the source of the reforms."

"In spite of these thorny issues, he became one of Spain's most successful reformers transforming potential enemies in the colonies into allies who remained loyal to him and his family," added Zepeda Cortes.

Both during his time Mexico and when he returned to Spain, Galvez produced a substantial paper trail. In fact, according to Zepeda Cortes, Galvez signed so many documents that near the end of his life a carpal tunnel-like affliction prevented him from being able to sign official papers by hand. The King granted him special permission to use a stamp.

Despite his impact, the story of Jose de Galvez remains underexplored. The last U.S. book about him was published in 1916. Who was this man whose efforts shaped the western United States, Mexico and parts of South America?

Zepeda Cortes will spend 10 months searching "The Galvez Papers" for answers. She won a prestigious long-term fellowship to study at The Huntington Library. The Barbara Thom Postdoctoral Fellowship is designed to support non-tenured faculty who are revising their dissertation for publication. Zepeda Cortes's book is tentatively titled: The Politics of Reform: Jose de Galvez and the Transformation of the Spanish Empire.

Among the reasons for her interest in Galvez is that, according to Zepeda Cortes, historians have tended to focus on other Spanish ministers. Zepeda Cortes is also fascinated by some of the more outlandish stories surrounding him.

For example, in an attempt to colonize California, Galvez led a military expedition to Sonora (now in the northwest region of Mexico) where a group of indigenous people were organizing regular attacks on Spanish settlements. He and his army lost.

"For six months, he went crazy," says Zepeda Cortes. "There are reports that he would run around naked calling himself Montezuma--an Aztec emperor--and that he once told his troops that he was going to send monkeys in uniform to fight the next battle because his own soldiers were incompetent."

She is also interested in how his interventions changed the region "in surprising ways."

Galvez empowered regional leaders, shifting power away from the viceroy. Many of the regions he carved out eventually became the federal states Mexico, as well as provinces of Argentina and Peru. His nephew, Bernardo Galvez, became a hero of the American Revolution when he led Spanish forces to defeat the British in the Siege of Pensacola. Bernardo later became Governor of Louisiana. The city of Galveston, Texas is named for him.

Another example of Galvez's impact: Before the Bourbon Reforms, the colonies did not have standing armies. During Galvez's time, militias were created to defend against Spain's foreign enemies in the region--such as Portugal and Britain.

"Those armies were largely made up of locally born men of Spanish descent known then as Criollos and, later, Mexicans or Americanos," says Zepeda Cortes. "Those armies became the rebels and eventual supporters of the Latin American wars for independence."

The Huntington Library archive consists of letters, documents, and one map (all in Spanish) which are papers assembled in 1794 for the second Conde de Revillagigedo. It consists mostly of official correspondence (1765-72) between Galvez and the successive viceroys of Mexico. They deal with the organization of the expeditions sent to San Diego and Monterey to occupy California, the efforts to enlarge the frontiers of New Spain and subdue the Indians in Sonora and Sinaloa, and the removal of the Jesuit missionaries from Lower California.

According to The Huntington Library's website some 1,700 scholars come from around the world every year to conduct advanced humanities research using The Huntington's collections. Through a rigorous peer-review program, the institution awards approximately 150 fellowships to scholars in the fields of history, literature, art, and the history of science.

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Dark matter is a mysterious substance composing most of the material universe, now widely thought to be some form of massive exotic particle. An intriguing alternative view is that dark matter is made of black holes formed during the first second of our universe's existence, known as primordial black holes. Now a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, suggests that this interpretation aligns with our knowledge of cosmic infrared and X-ray background glows and may explain the unexpectedly high masses of merging black holes detected last year.

"This study is an effort to bring together a broad set of ideas and observations to test how well they fit, and the fit is surprisingly good," said Alexander Kashlinsky, an astrophysicist at NASA Goddard. "If this is correct, then all galaxies, including our own, are embedded within a vast sphere of black holes each about 30 times the sun's mass."

In 2005, Kashlinsky led a team of astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to explore the background glow of infrared light in one part of the sky. The researchers reported excessive patchiness in the glow and concluded it was likely caused by the aggregate light of the first sources to illuminate the universe more than 13 billion years ago. Follow-up studies confirmed that this cosmic infrared background (CIB) showed similar unexpected structure in other parts of the sky.

In 2013, another study compared how the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory compared to the CIB in the same area of the sky. The first stars emitted mainly optical and ultraviolet light, which today is stretched into the infrared by the expansion of space, so they should not contribute significantly to the CXB.

Yet the irregular glow of low-energy X-rays in the CXB matched the patchiness of the CIB quite well. The only object we know of that can be sufficiently luminous across this wide an energy range is a black hole. The research team concluded that primordial black holes must have been abundant among the earliest stars, making up at least about one out of every five of the sources contributing to the CIB.

The nature of dark matter remains one of the most important unresolved issues in astrophysics. Scientists currently favor theoretical models that explain dark matter as an exotic massive particle, but so far searches have failed to turn up evidence these hypothetical particles actually exist. NASA is currently investigating this issue as part of its Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope missions.

"These studies are providing increasingly sensitive results, slowly shrinking the box of parameters where dark matter particles can hide," Kashlinsky said. "The failure to find them has led to renewed interest in studying how well primordial black holes -- black holes formed in the universe's first fraction of a second -- could work as dark matter."

Physicists have outlined several ways in which the hot, rapidly expanding universe could produce primordial black holes in the first thousandths of a second after the Big Bang. The older the universe is when these mechanisms take hold, the larger the black holes can be. And because the window for creating them lasts only a tiny fraction of the first second, scientists expect primordial black holes would exhibit a narrow range of masses.

On Sept. 14, gravitational waves produced by a pair of merging black holes 1.3 billion light-years away were captured by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) facilities in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana. This event marked the first-ever detection of gravitational waves as well as the first direct detection of black holes. The signal provided LIGO scientists with information about the masses of the individual black holes, which were 29 and 36 times the sun's mass, plus or minus about four solar masses. These values were both unexpectedly large and surprisingly similar.

"Depending on the mechanism at work, primordial black holes could have properties very similar to what LIGO detected," Kashlinsky explained. "If we assume this is the case, that LIGO caught a merger of black holes formed in the early universe, we can look at the consequences this has on our understanding of how the cosmos ultimately evolved."

In his new paper, published May 24 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Kashlinsky analyzes what might have happened if dark matter consisted of a population of black holes similar to those detected by LIGO. The black holes distort the distribution of mass in the early universe, adding a small fluctuation that has consequences hundreds of millions of years later, when the first stars begin to form.

For much of the universe's first 500 million years, normal matter remained too hot to coalesce into the first stars. Dark matter was unaffected by the high temperature because, whatever its nature, it primarily interacts through gravity. Aggregating by mutual attraction, dark matter first collapsed into clumps called minihaloes, which provided a gravitational seed enabling normal matter to accumulate. Hot gas collapsed toward the minihaloes, resulting in pockets of gas dense enough to further collapse on their own into the first stars. Kashlinsky shows that if black holes play the part of dark matter, this process occurs more rapidly and easily produces the lumpiness of the CIB detected in Spitzer data even if only a small fraction of minihaloes manage to produce stars.

As cosmic gas fell into the minihaloes, their constituent black holes would naturally capture some of it too. Matter falling toward a black hole heats up and ultimately produces X-rays. Together, infrared light from the first stars and X-rays from gas falling into dark matter black holes can account for the observed agreement between the patchiness of the CIB and the CXB.

Occasionally, some primordial black holes will pass close enough to be gravitationally captured into binary systems. The black holes in each of these binaries will, over eons, emit gravitational radiation, lose orbital energy and spiral inward, ultimately merging into a larger black hole like the event LIGO observed.

"Future LIGO observing runs will tell us much more about the universe's population of black holes, and it won't be long before we'll know if the scenario I outline is either supported or ruled out," Kashlinsky said.

Kashlinsky leads science team centered at Goddard that is participating in the European Space Agency's Euclid mission, which is currently scheduled to launch in 2020. The project, named LIBRAE, will enable the observatory to probe source populations in the CIB with high precision and determine what portion was produced by black holes.

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Related video: 0:02 / 0:35

What the first LIGO detection would look like up close
A group of researchers at Osaka University found that if DNA damage response (DDR) does not work when DNA is damaged by radiation, proteins which should be removed remain instead, and a loss of genetic information can be incited, which, when repaired incorrectly, will lead to the tumor formation.

It is thought that one of the reasons why cells become cancerous is that the source of genetic information is physically destroyed. Our body has a system to repair DNA damage (DNA repair mechanism), so why a normal cell turns into a cancer cell and why radiation exposure causes cancer have not been clarified.

Radiation damages genomic DNA, the essential blueprint for life; therefore, living organisms have several mechanisms for maintaining the stability of their own genomes. Although they have big evolutionary differences, both humans and budding yeast contain proteins that perform the same function. Miki Shinohara, associate professor and her group at the Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University examined the DNA repair function of yeast Xrs2, an orthlog of human Nbs1, and yeast Tel1, an orthlog of human ATM.

Mutations in the Nbs1 gene are responsible for a human hereditary disorder which develops a high risk of cancer. This group found that DNA damage was repaired when human hereditary disorder type mutations (xrs2 mutations) were introduced in yeast XRS2 genes, but it was repaired with more errors than a DNA sequence with no mutations. This group determined that the cause was that the function of the Tel1 protein, which is important for DNA damage response, was not fully implemented in xrs2 mutations.

In the process of DNA repair through homologous recombination, it is necessary to make double-stranded DNA near DNA lesions into single-stranded DNA. This group clarified that Ku remained on DNA damage in tel1 mutants and xrs2 mutants. Ku is not required, so it should be removed when DNA damage is repaired.

Ku is a protein to join DNA ends broken by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). It is thought that Ku, a repair tool, joins DNA ends where Ku normally should not work, and as a result, repair is completed with incorrect DNA information.

Tumor formation occurs when genomic DNA is broken or errors have become continuous. In human cells as well, if Nbs1 and ATM function in the same way to ensure repair of DNA damage, tumor formation may be prevented.

This group's achievement shows the possibility to clarify the mechanism of human tumor formation, especially the molecular mechanism responsible for in the initial stage of cell cancerization due to DNA damaged by radiation in the initial stage, by using the model of budding yeast, a primitive eukaryote. Furthermore, it may be possible to clarify the molecular mechanism of cancerization by radiation exposure by verifying it using human cells.

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This research was featured in the electronic version of PLOS Genetics on Saturday, March 19, 2016.
Osaka University and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. signed an agreement between the Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) and Chugai for collaboration to advance immunology research leading to the discovery of innovative novel drugs.

With the total 10 billion yen ($91 million) contribution from Chugai, IFReC researchers will continue academic basic research and Chugai will gain access to results relating to the research projects and the right of first refusal for joint research.

IFReC was selected for the World Premier International Research Center (WPI) Initiative Program initiated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2007. Headed by Director Shizuo Akira, an eminent immunologist, IFReC convenes approximately 30 of the world's top-class principal investigators from Japan and overseas in the fields of immunology, live imaging and bioinformatics to conduct innovative immunological research. The research conducted by IFReC is of the highest standard and recognized globally, with papers published in major international journals and prestigious international prizes awarded to its researchers.

"Since its launch in 2007, IFReC has been conducting research toward comprehensive understanding of the immune system and has achieved internationally-acclaimed exceptional results in the field of basic immunology. This collaboration will cement IFReC's research foundation and maintain IFReC's level even beyond the end of the support period for the WPI program in April 2017, thereby facilitating our achievement and continuance of the WPI objectives." Akira mentioned.

Chugai is a leader in the field of biopharmaceuticals and antibody pharmaceuticals in Japan. In 2005 the company succeeded in developing the first domestically-created antibody drug, Actemra. Currently, Chugai is developing ACE910 (emicizumab) and CIM331 (nemolizumab) using its proprietary antibody engineering technologies. Going forward, Chugai aims to utilize middle molecule technologies, which are expected to become another central technology for the development of new drugs, to focus on the research and development of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceuticals.

"Chugai has innovative proprietary technologies for antibody engineering and middle molecules, which enables drug discovery of targets that could not be done previously. Through the combination of these technologies and the diverse research results achieved through the global top-class immunology research at IFReC, we are confident of providing multiple innovative pharmaceuticals to patients." said Osamu Nagayama, Chairman and CEO of Chugai.

This comprehensive collaboration will maintain an academic environment that allows researchers at IFReC to focus on basic research originating from their own ideas, with the aim of contributing back to society the results of the advanced immunology research. In addition, through the combination of the global top-class research in immunology at IFReC and the knowledge of innovative drug research accumulated by Chugai through its proprietary technologies, the obstacles between basic research and clinical application research will be eliminated. The collaboration will seek to achieve significant results that contribute to the benefit of the medical community and human health around the world.

"Osaka University promotes collaboration with industry based on the concept "From university-industry cooperation to university-industry creation (co-creation)" and aims for innovation toward creation of social value. This collaboration is a new form of university-industry cooperation at Osaka University. The funding for research activities at the basic research stage will promote basic research for the long-term and strengthen university-industry cooperation." commented Shojiro Nishio, President of Osaka University.

Outline of the comprehensive collaboration agreement

Period: April 2017 to March 2027

Investment: 1 billion yen per year

Purpose: To benefit the society through further advancement of the basic immunology research at IFReC as well as contributing to society through the creation of innovative novel drugs by utilizing the immunology research capabilities at IFReC in the research and development of innovative pharmaceuticals at Chugai.

Research area: Immune-associated diseases

Collaboration scheme

1. IFReC researchers will continue academic basic research without restriction. 2. Research outcomes of independent research projects1) that IFReC is engaged in will be regularly disclosed (reported) to Chugai twice per year. 3. Chugai will select research projects2) for joint research on the basis of the reports. 4. IFReC researchers will engage in joint research with Chugai. 5. In and after the final stages of non-clinical research, Chugai may engage in research development independently.

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About Osaka University

Osaka University was established in 1931 at Nakanoshima, Osaka as the sixth imperial university and comprised the School of Medicine and the School of Science. In 2007 the university merged with the Osaka University of Foreign Studies (established in 1921). The university currently has 11 schools, 16 graduate schools and five affiliated research institutes making it a leading research-oriented comprehensive university in Japan.

Inheriting its ideology and spirit from its origins in Kaitokudo and Tekijuku, Osaka University is resolved to contribute to the stability and welfare of society, worldwide peace, and harmony between people and the natural environment. Through the orchestration and co-creation of diverse knowledge, the university pursues the essence of scholarship at the highest level of education and research. The university aims to solve global-scale social problems through the creation of new academic fields and integrated learning exceeding specialist fields to develop graduates who are capable of making significant contributions to the creation of a society rich in humanity. The solid implementation of these aims will lead to our goal of becoming one of the world's best universities.

As of May 1, 2015, there were 15,535 undergraduate students across Suita, Minoh and Toyonaka campuses, and 7,886 graduate students. The staff numbered 6,363.

For further details on Osaka University see the website http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/index.html

About the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC)

IFReC was selected for the World Premier International Research Center (WPI) Initiative Program initiated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2007 and launched at Osaka University on October 1, 2007. Led by internationally-renowned immunologist Shizuo Akira, the center is a world top-class research institution. The discoverer of regulatory T cells, Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, and 180 other high-level researchers are leading the world of immunology at IFReC. IFReC's goal is to visualize the behavior, activation status, and interaction of immune cells in vivo through the fusion of immunology, imaging technology and bioinformatics, to understand the immune system comprehensively.

For further details on IFReC see the website http://www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/index.htm

About Chugai

Chugai Pharmaceutical is one of Japan's leading research-based pharmaceutical companies with strengths in biotechnology products. Chugai, based in Tokyo, specializes in prescription pharmaceuticals and is listed on the 1st section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. As an important member of the Roche Group, Chugai is actively involved in R&D activities in Japan and abroad. Specifically, Chugai is working to develop innovative products which may satisfy unmet medical needs, mainly focusing on the oncology area.

In Japan, Chugai's research facilities in Gotemba and Kamakura are collaborating to develop new pharmaceuticals, and laboratories in Ukima are conducting research for technology development for industrial production. Overseas, Chugai Pharmabody Research based in Singapore is engaged in research focusing on the generation of novel antibody drugs by utilizing Chugai's proprietary innovative antibody engineering technologies. Chugai Pharma USA and Chugai Pharma Europe are engaged in clinical development activities in the United States and Europe.

The consolidated revenue in 2015 of Chugai totalled 498.8 billion yen and the operating income was 90.7 billion yen (IFRS Core basis).

Additional information is available on the internet at http://www.chugai-pharm.co.jp/english.

About the World Premier International Research Center (WPI) Initiative Program

The World Premier International Research Center (WPI) Initiative was launched in 2007 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). In the middle of intensifying competition for securing the world's finest brains, Japan is facing the increasing needs to lead the world with its competitive edge in science and technology. In this environment, the WPI program aims to build within Japan "globally visible" research centers that boast a very high research standard and outstanding research environment, sufficiently attractive to prompt frontline researchers from around the world. Nine WPI centers have been established, all of which engage in research activities under strong leadership by center directors to realize four WPI objectives of advancing leading-edge research, creating interdisciplinary domains, establishing international research environments and reforming research institutions.

For further details on WPI see the website http://www.mext.go.jp/english/research_promotion/1303822.htm
How can society plan for the future if we only look at individual issues in isolation? Climate change impact studies typically focus on a single sector such as agriculture, forestry or water, ignoring the implications of how different sectors interact. A new study, published in Nature Climate Change, suggests that an integrated, cross-sectoral approach to climate change assessment is needed to provide a more complete picture of impacts that enables better informed decisions about climate adaptation.

The importance of a cross-sectoral approach as a prerequisite for any type of comprehensive climate impact assessment is not a new notion. Already stressed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is surprising that until now no published research has assessed the differences between impacts simulated by single sector and integrated models.

As a part of the FP7-funded EU project IMPRESSIONS* which aims to assess the implications of high-end climate change (+2 degrees and above), the new paper aims to demonstrate the benefits of using multi-sectoral modelling approaches.

"To address the current knowledge gap, in our paper we compare 14 indicators derived from a set of impact models run within single sector and integrated frameworks across a range of climate and socio-economic scenarios in Europe. The results show that single sector studies misrepresent the spatial pattern, direction and magnitude of most impacts because they omit the complex interdependencies within human and environmental systems", explains Dr. Paula Harrison, Center for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), UK.

In reality, it is often through the socio-economic drivers that cross-sectoral impacts become evident, as policy effects in one sector can have indirect effects in others. For example, measures designed for coastal flood defence also impact on coastal habitats and biodiversity, or changes in water allocation schemes affect the water available for irrigation of agricultural crops. Exactly these important nuances are lost in single sector studies, where one aspect is taken out of its context.

Using the CLIMSAVE Integrated Assessment Platform (IAP), which links models of agriculture, forestry, urban growth, land use, water resources, flooding and biodiversity, the new study compares single-sector and integrated modelling approaches and their outcomes.

The resulting discrepancies are particularly evident for indicators such as food production and water exploitation which are highly influenced by other sectors through changes in demand, land suitability and resource competition.

"This analysis has demonstrated quantitatively for the first time the uncertainty arising from a single sector perspective. This highlights the importance of developing adaptation plans that are robust to changes in climate and socio-economic pathways and that take account of cross-sectoral interactions", concludes Dr. Harrison.

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Full study available here.

Additional information:

*This research is funded by the FP7-funded EU project IMPRESSIONS: Impacts and Risks from High-end Scenarios: Strategies for Innovative Solutions, Grant Agreement No 603416.

IMPRESSIONS aims to advance understanding of the implications of high-end climate change, involving temperature increases above 2C, and to help decision-makers apply such knowledge within integrated adaptation.

Contact:

Dr. Paula A. Harrison

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH)

Email: PaulaHarrison@ceh.ac.uk

Tel: +44 1524 595858
With the UK's Psychoactive Substances Act poised to come into force, experts ask whether a blanket prohibition of NPS is feasible

Passed in 2016 in the United Kingdom and due to come into force on 26 May, the Psychoactive Substances Act bans all new psychoactive substances (NPS) except those specifically exempted, such as alcohol and tobacco. The Act has attracted much criticism from scientists and experts. But what better alternative exists? The scientific journal Addiction has today [25 May] published the opening statement in a debate by leading addiction researchers from around the globe.

The opening statement, by Prof Peter Reuter and Bryce Pardo of the School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, outlines three problems with the Psychoactive Substances Act's total ban of NPS:

1. The Act's definition of psychoactivity is too broad: it applies to substances of potential and known minimal to moderate harm. 2. The Act does not provide a way to establish psychoactivity. On this topic, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has warned that "There is currently no way to define psychoactivity through a biochemical test, therefore there is no guarantee of proving psychoactivity in a court of law." 3. The Act's penalties for violations of a total ban are not proportional to the harm of the substance involved. Under the Act, judges cannot impose a common sense approach in sentencing since they will have little if any evidence on the harms of the specific drug involved in the case.

On the other hand, Reuter and Pardo point out that total prohibition of NPS has two major potential advantages:

1. The Act will likely reduce the number of different NPS introduced in a given period. 2. The Act should reduce the cost of managing the NPS problem by eliminating the need to study and classify each newly emerging NPS.

Professor Reuter says: "Given the prominence of the United Kingdom in drug policy affairs internationally, the choice made by the UK is likely to reverberate throughout the world. The Expert Panel that developed the Psychoactive Substances Bill identified several alternative approaches but did not have sufficient time to study them fully. So little is known about the subsequent Act's feasibility and consequences that it would have been better to delay until more effort was made to assess all the alternatives."

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For editors:

Reuter P and Pardo B (2016) Can New Psychoactive Substances be Effectively Regulated? An Assessment of the British Psychoactive Substances Bill. Addiction 111: doi: 10.1111/add.13439

This paper is free to download for one month after publication from the Wiley Online Library: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291360-0443/earlyview or by contacting Jean O'Reilly, Editorial Manager, Addiction, jean@addictionjournal.org, tel +44 (0)20 7848 0853.

Interviews with co-author Prof Peter Reuter: contact him at the University of Maryland, USA by email (preuter@umd.edu) or telephone (1 240 988 6605).

Addiction is a monthly international scientific journal publishing peer-reviewed research reports on alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco, and gambling as well as editorials and other debate pieces. Owned by the Society for the Study of Addiction, it has been in continuous publication since 1884. Addiction is the number one journal in the 2015 ISI Journal Citation Reports Ranking in the Substance Abuse Category (Social Science Edition).
Scorpions, snakes, snails, frogs and other creatures are thought to produce tens or even hundreds of millions of distinct venoms. These venoms have been honed to strike specific targets in the body.

For victims of a scorpion's sting, that spells doom. For scientists, however, the potent molecules in venoms hold the potential to be adapted into medicines. But venoms are difficult to isolate and analyze using traditional methods, so only a handful have been turned into drugs.

Now a team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has invented a method for rapidly identifying venoms that strike a specific target in the body--and optimizing such venoms for therapeutic use.

The researchers demonstrated the new method by using it to identify venoms that block a certain protein on T cells--a protein implicated in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. The researchers then used their method to find an optimized, long-acting variant of a venom that blocks this protein and showed that the new molecule powerfully reduces inflammation in mice.

"Until now we haven't had a way to seriously harness venoms' vast therapeutic potential," said principal investigator Richard A. Lerner, Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Immunochemistry at TSRI.

The report on the advance by Lerner and his colleagues was selected as a "Hot Paper" and cover story by the journal Angewandte Chemie.

Choose Your Poison

The use of venoms as therapies may seem paradoxical, since these molecules generally evolved to harm and kill other organisms. But a low dose delivered to the right place can sometimes have highly beneficial effects. The pain-killing drug ziconotide (Prialt), for example, is derived from one of the venoms used by cone-snails to immobilize their fishy prey. Venoms also are attractive from a drug development perspective because they tend to hit their targets on cells with very high potency and selectivity.

Drug companies would have adapted far more venoms into therapies by now, but the traditional method of determining the biological target of a venom is slow, difficult and expensive. It involves the extraction of relatively large quantities of venom from the animal species in question, followed by purification of the molecules and laborious lab-dish tests to see how they affect cells.

The new method is geared for speed and involves the extraction only of information--with little direct involvement of venomous creatures. To start, the TSRI-led team, including first author Hongkai Zhang, a senior scientist in the Lerner laboratory, consulted animal toxin databases and assembled a list of 589 venoms whose protein sequences have features of interest. They then synthesized the venoms' genes and inserted them into special viruses that deliver genes into cells.

The aim in this initial, proof-of-principle project was to find venoms that block a potassium ion-channel protein known as Kv1.3. Ion channels allow charged molecules to flow in and out of cells, and are involved in a variety of essential biological functions--which makes them common targets of venoms. Kv1.3 is of special interest to the pharmaceuticals industry because it appears to facilitate the proliferation and migration of T-cells that drive inflammatory disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Drugs that block Kv1.3 are already under development.

To screen their library of venoms for those that block Kv1.3, the researchers, including a team of collaborating biologists at the Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies at Shanghai Tech University, used a cell-based selection system of a type developed by Lerner, Zhang and colleagues in 2012. They created a culture of special Kv1.3-containing test cells in which a strong interaction between a venom and a Kv1.3 ion channel would switch on a red fluorescence gene. The researchers distributed the venom-gene-carrying viruses among the cells and used a fast, automated system to select the cells that showed strong fluorescence. Standard molecular biology techniques were then used to identify and quantify the venom genes these cells contained. The researchers repeated this selection process for three rounds to see which venom genes became most abundant in the cells.

In this way, the team soon identified 27 likely Kv1.3-blocking venoms. All but two turned out to be known blockers of the ion channel. Another had been reported in the literature as a suspected potassium-channel blocker, and the last, an uncharacterized scorpion venom called CllTx1, proved in subsequent traditional-method testing--using actual venom extracted from a scorpion--to be a potent Kv1.3 blocker.

Optimal Pharmaceutical Properties

The team realized that their selection system could be useful not only for screening libraries of natural venoms but also for screening artificial variants or "analogs" of a given venom to find those with optimal pharmaceutical properties. To demonstrate, they generated about a million analogs of a long-acting protein based on ShK, a sea anemone toxin that blocks Kv1.3, and put the analogs through three rounds of selection to find the best one. The resulting candidate, S1-2, showed a strong effect not only for blocking Kv1.3 but also for reducing inflammation in a standard rodent model.

"This analog appears to be very potent against Kv1.3 and has no off-target effects on closely related ion channels," said Zhang.

Zhang, Lerner and their colleagues now plan to use their method with much larger venom datasets to find more drug candidates. "We're particularly interested in finding venoms that block sodium ion channels involved in pain," Lerner said.

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In addition to Lerner and Zhang, co-authors of the paper, "Autocrine-Based Selection of Drugs that Target Ion Channels from Combinatorial Venom Peptide Libraries," were Mingjuan Du, Xiao Liu, Jingying Sun, Wei Wang and Xiu Xin of Shanghai Tech University; Lourival D. Possani of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who purified the scorpion toxin CllTx1 for analysis; and Jia Xie and Kyungmoo Yea of TSRI.

Funding for the research was provided by the JPB foundation, Zebra Biologics and ShanghaiTech University.
SAN FRANCISCO--For her two decades of outstanding dedication and leadership of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (BSSA), the Seismological Society of America (SSA) will present Diane I. Doser with its 2016 Distinguished Service Award. The award will be presented at the SSA's Annual Meeting held 18-20 April 2017 in Denver, Colorado.

Doser is the director of the Kidd Memorial Seismic Observatory and professor in the department of geological sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso. She served as BSSA Associate Editor from 1996 to 2010, becoming Editor-in-Chief of the journal in 2010. She will complete her service with BSSA in June 2016.

As Editor-in-Chief, Doser appoints and manages a 27-member international board of associate editors through 350 yearly submissions to the journal, and oversees the production of the 110-year-old journal's online and print editions.

"I am greatly honored to receive the 2016 Distinguished Service to SSA Award. The Seismological Society of America was the first professional society I joined as a student. I have always felt a strong affiliation with the Society and its focus on understanding earthquakes to benefit humankind," Doser said. "Serving as editor-in-chief of the Bulletin for nearly six years has been a wonderful opportunity for me to help advance the Society's purpose and values. I am grateful to all the associate editors, reviewers and staff who have helped me to insure the Bulletin remains the premier journal of earthquake related research."

In their letter nominating Doser for the award, past SSA president Ruth Harris and President-elect Andrew Michael commended Doser's high scientific standards as BSSA editor."It is through service to the Society, as exemplified by the dedication of Diane to our journal, that we are able to achieve publication longevity and excellence," they wrote.

During her tenure, Doser helped initiate and produce two special print issues of BSSA, on the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, published in May 2013, and the 2012 Haida Gwaii and 2013 Craig earthquakes, published in May 2015. She also led the publication of two "virtual" online special issues of collections of previously published papers: a January 2014 publication of articles to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and a collection published in April 2015 of BSSA articles on the seismology of the region surrounding the 2015 Gorhka earthquake in Nepal. The second collection was quickly assembled to give researchers easier access to published science from the region in the wake of the Nepal quake.

As another service to SSA members, in December 2013 Doser led BSSA's implementation of Publish-Ahead-of-Print (PAP) arrangements, to publish journal articles online after completion of the production process but before the full issue of the journal is compiled.

Doser graduated with a B.S. in applied geophysics from Michigan Technological University in 1978, and received her M.S. (1980) and Ph.D. (1984) in geophysics from the University of Utah. Her current research centers on studies of earthquakes in south-central, southeast and interior Alaska, helping to produce seismic hazard maps for the Alaska region, as well as the application of geophysical techniques to environmental and engineering issues related to watershed studies and saline and freshwater aquifers.

The Distinguished Service to SSA Award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the work of the Seismological Society of America. This award is presented at the annual meeting following the year of the award.

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A new study, the largest of its kind, has systematically examined International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies over the past three decades. It found that--despite claims to have reformed their practices following the global financial crisis--the IMF has in fact ramped up the number of conditions imposed on borrower nations to pre-crisis levels.

The crisis revived a flagging IMF in 2009, and the organisation has since approved some of its largest loans to countries in economic trouble. At the same time, IMF rhetoric changed dramatically. The 'structural adjustment programs' of austerity and privatisation were seemingly replaced with talk of the perils of inequality and the importance of social protection.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge's Department of Sociology collected archival material on the IMF's lending operations and identified all policy conditions in loan agreements between 1985 and 2014 - extracting 55,465 conditions across 131 countries in total.

They found that structural adjustment conditions increased by 61% between 2008 and 2014, and reached a level similar to the pre-crisis period.

The authors of the study, which used newly-available data and is published today in the Review of International Political Economy, say their findings show that the IMF has surreptitiously returned to the practices it claims it has abandoned: encroaching on the policy space of elected governments by enforcing free market reforms as conditions of lending. This is despite the IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde rejecting concerns over the return of structural adjustment: "We do not do that anymore"*.

"The IMF has publicly acknowledged their objectives to include creating breathing space for borrowing countries, and economic stability combined with social protection," said lead author Alexander Kentikelenis. "Yet, we show the IMF has in fact increased its push for market-oriented reforms in recent years - reforms that can be detrimental to vital public services in borrowing countries."

Although the IMF claims its programs can "create policy space" for governments, structural adjustment conditions can reduce this space as they are often aimed at an economy's underlying structure: privatising state-owned enterprises and deregulating labour markets, for example.

"Our research suggests that structural adjustment is not a policy fad of the past," said co-author Thomas Stubbs. "The emphatic return of structural conditionality in recent years calls into question the IMF's 'we don't do that anymore' rhetoric. These reforms at the IMF are basically just hot air."

Many of these conditions continue to intrude on policy areas such as the labour market, despite claims to the contrary. Post-crisis, examples have included:

The elimination of 4,000 civil service positions in Moldova in 2010.

A 15% cut in pensions and raising of the retirement age in Romania, re-introduced as a 'binding' condition after it was struck down by the country's constitutional court in 2010.

Extensive labour market liberalisation in Greece, including: the precedence of firm-level over sector-wide pay agreements to reduce the power of collective bargaining; the reduction of minimum wages and employee dismissal costs.

An increased retirement age in Portugal in 2012, followed by a realignment of public sector worker rights to "private sector rules", including job termination.

In recent years, the IMF emphasised its attention to poverty reduction and social protection, with increasing use of conditions that specify minimum expenditures on health, education and other social policies.

The researchers found that inclusion of social spending conditions had indeed jumped since 2012, mostly applicable to sub-Saharan African countries. However, after detailed analysis, the authors found that nearly half such conditions were not implemented. Yet those African nations with the weakest adherence to social spending conditions still consistently met, and often far-exceeded, the IMF's fiscal deficit targets.

"The IMF's well-advertised 'pro-poor' measures are only superficially incorporated into programme design, and are, at best, of secondary importance to stringent macroeconomic targets," said co-author Lawrence King.

Added Kentikelenis: "We have shown that the IMF has been particularly adept at introducing layers of ceremonial pretences of reform designed to obscure the actual content of its adjustment programmes. These gaps between rhetoric and practice in the IMF's lending activities reveal an escalating commitment to hypocrisy."

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Reference:

* "We provide lending, and, by the way, structural adjustments? That was before my time. I have no idea what it is. We do not do that anymore. No, seriously, you have to realize that we have changed the way in which we offer our financial support." - Christine Lagarde, International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) Press Briefing, Washington, D.C, April 12, 2014 https://www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2014/tr041214b.htm
Too few adults taking antipsychotic medications are being screened for abnormalities in lipids, which include cholesterol and triglycerides, new research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus finds.

The biggest gap in screening is among adults age 40 and younger, the group for whom early detection and intervention has been shown to be effective when additional cardiovascular risk is present.

Adults with serious mental illness die 20 to 30 years earlier than their peers, largely due to increased risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. Taking antipsychotic medication increases that risk. The American Diabetes Association and American Psychiatric Association recommends more intensive diabetes and cholesterol lipid screening for patients receiving antipsychotics, but rates of screening have remained low.

"Antipsychotic medications are associated with substantial weight gain, as well as changes in insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism, which increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease," said lead author Elaine Morrato of the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz.

Compared with prior reports, progress has been made to improve diabetes screening, but lipid screening remains particularly underutilized. The study, published May 11 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, included 9316 Missouri Medicaid patients to identify factors associated with failure to receive annual glucose and lipid testing during treatment with antipsychotics.

Another notable study finding is understanding who is prescribing antipsychotics. About 75 percent of patients initiated therapy with a prescriber not practicing in a Community Mental Health Center and about half initiated therapy with a non-behavioral health care professional. Federal and state investment to prevent and reduce cardiovascular disease among those with mental illness has focused on psychiatrists practicing in community mental health settings.

Failure to receive testing was most strongly associated with patient characteristics and factors affecting frequency of health care utilization. Lack of testing was highest among adults 40 and younger, who have fewer chronic conditions.

One possible reason for low rates of testing may be the result of conflicting messages on whether younger adults should be tested. Some guidelines call for the use of screening tests in all patients receiving antipsychotics regardless of mental health diagnosis, while others prioritize screening only in adults with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and other guidelines have prioritized screening based on age, ethnicity and other risk factors.

Better integration of behavioral health and primary care services is a public health priority. More research on the effectiveness of metabolic screening for younger adults receiving antipsychotics is needed to resolve the ambiguity in screening guidelines. Clarity is important for health system directors and policy makers who must decide on the most efficient use of limited resources for improving screening rates and achieving public health goals to reduce cardiovascular disease.

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The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is the only comprehensive academic health sciences center in Colorado, the largest academic health center in the Rocky Mountain region and one of the newest education, research and patient care facilities in the world. Home to 21,000 employees, more than 4,000 degree-seeking students and two nationally recognized hospitals that handle 1.7 million patient visits each year, CU Anschutz trains the health sciences workforce of the future and fuels the economy. CU Anschutz features schools of medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine and public health, a college of nursing and a graduate school. All interconnected, these organizations collaboratively improve the quality of patient care they deliver, research they conduct, and health professionals they train.
A veteran English teacher who fought back against curriculum changes by providing his students with the classic novel Frankenstein might be out of a job.

Todd Friedman, who teaches at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., was removed from his classes, put on administrative duty, and faces possible termination after his principal found out that this past fall, he personally purchased 102 copies of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein for his Advanced Placement students (about $220 with shipping) and then charged his students $2 each to recoup most of the cost.

Friedman said this is a common practice at the school, and that students paid $6 for Hamlet at the school bookstore, so the $2 price didnt merit complaints, according to the New York Post . Friedman also told NBC New York that he was protesting against the changes in the English curriculum that focused more on nonfiction reading (a tenet of the Common Core State Standards).

When the schools principal found out about the transaction, however, he filed a formal complaint with the citys department of education. The departments Office of Special Investigations found that Friedman violated Chancellors Regulation A-610 , which says that materials and textbooks supplied by the department of education for use in classes shall not be sold to students.

The investigators did not recommend any specific disciplinary action, according to the N.Y. Post, and noted in their report that Friedman didnt profit off the students. The DOEs Administrative Trials Unit will now determine Friedmans final punishment. The hearing date has not yet been set.

I was providing a service to the students, Friedman told the N.Y. Post. This isnt sexual abuse. This isnt child molestation. Im not a danger to the students.

In fact, it seems many of his students support him. I got an email from one of his former students, Mary Pomponio Finnel, who had Friedman as a teacher in the 1990s. Friedman always pushed us, and encouraged learning from sources outside the standard curriculum, she wrote. Through a class assignment, I was first introduced to Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club. (As fate would have it, Pomponio Finnel now works in the publishing industry!)

And theres this Twitter endorsement:

Mr Friedman is def the reason why my vocabulary pops severely tho. He is passionate about his job and thats what... //t.co/s9barDGOgy -- Beauty Behind Da Bar (@LadiesOfBBB) May 16, 2016

Friedman told the N.Y. Post that he thinks his administrators report was retaliation for his filing unfair labor charges against the school in March of 2015. He said he filed the charges to protest the dumbed down curriculum and unfair evaluations. Friedman has been a teacher for almost three decades, and has been at Midwood for 13 years.

While Friedman wasnt quoted as explicitly mentioning the common core, Midwood, like many high schools, has revamped its English curriculum in response to the new standards. The common standards for English/language call for students to read more nonfiction-by the 12th grade, under the standards, 70 percent of what students read in school should be nonfiction. The reasoning is that students need to be better prepared to read informational texts in college and in the real world, but some English teachers have been critical of the change.

Midwoods English assistant principal told InsideSchools.org that the change in the curriculum would help students learn research, argument, and critical thinking skills so they can read, write, listen, and speak for the real world. Its not clear how Friedmans diversion from the pre-planned curriculum would affect students preparation for the AP exams. The AP Language and Composition curriculum for high school juniors focuses on more non-fiction texts, but AP English Literature for high school seniors is less aligned to the common core standards. (The local news coverage does not specify which class Friedman bought the books for.)

Either way, some supporters are pointing out that it seems counterintuitive to punish an English teacher for promoting literature.

Teacher #ToddFriedman - we NEED teachers like this! Are they really punishing him for demanding higher standards? //t.co/Qt0NuFcS6n -- jen lownie (@jenniferlownie) May 16, 2016

When great teachers are reassigned for giving students great books, something is wrong. Free Todd Friedman! #FreeTodd -- Mark Naison (@McFiredogg) May 18, 2016

Source: Image by Flickr user Paul Domenick , licensed under Creative Commons

Related Reading on English Curricula:

Follow @madeline_will and @EdWeekTeacher on Twitter.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The U.S. has been a leading voice for human rights. It's also run prison camps, now and in the past, that denied people those rights.

A. Naomi Paik wanted to explore that contradiction - finding out why these camps were organized, how they were justified, how prisoners have been treated and their response to that treatment.

The result is her book "Rightlessness: Testimony and Redress in U.S. Prison Camps since World War II," published in April.

Paik, a University of Illinois professor of Asian American studies, looks at the detention of three different groups at different times: Japanese-Americans during World War II (their detention redressed in the late 1980s); HIV-infected Haitian refugees at Guantanamo, Cuba, during the 1990s; and suspected enemy combatants from the War on Terror, also at Guantanamo, since 2001.

"The point for me in looking at the United States is that we believe ourselves to be the world's champion of civil rights and human rights, but nevertheless the U.S. still creates these populations of rightless people and makes sure they stay rightless," Paik said.

The U.S. has not been the only democratic nation to do this, or to justify it out of fears of enemies, disease or terror, with racism a central factor, Paik said. Shades of rightlessness can be seen today in the plight of many Syrian refugees, she said.

"I think we have this kind of misconception that we're all born with this thing called human rights, and that rightlessness is produced when we are deprived of those rights - but I don't think that's, in fact, the case," Paik said. It's less a matter of rights being taken away and more a matter of losing the political community that will guarantee them, she said.

"At that very moment that you need this thing called human rights, you find out you don't have them," Paik said. You find "you don't have the right to have rights," as one Guantanamo detainee described it in a postcard to his family. You're either isolated from the community that can ensure your rights, or that community lacks the will or power to ensure them.

Paik describes how each of the three camps was established and justified, citing legal documents. She then describes the nature of the detainees' treatment and their response - and for some, their later redress - by reading testimony from affidavits and depositions, trials and hearings, as well as personal letters, opinion pieces, poetry and video.

"Part of what defines rightlessness for me is not being listened to, not being heard, not mattering," Paik said, and that isolation comes through in the detainees' stories. But their stories also show determination to protest and be heard.

"All of these people continue to try, they continue to find new ways to get their message across, to try to break through that 'not-mattering,'" Paik said. They went on hunger strikes, refused to bathe, forced negotiations with camp administrators and exercised other means of protest.

Paik argues that the example of these camps demonstrates that our concept of universal human rights is flawed. "I think the way that we've conceived of it now is not in fact universal, that it's actually very particular, and it's left out whole swaths of people who we presumed should have been included, but in fact historically have not been," she said.

To change that will require political imagination, but that potential for change first requires understanding the present, Paik said. "I wanted to understand where we are right now really thoroughly so that we can get to the place where we can imagine something else."

Paik said she sees prison camps as "intense laboratories of rightlessness," but thinks we also need to see rights on a spectrum, with all of us aware that we can become rightless, even when it seems unimaginable.

"I'm trying to look at how the concept of rightlessness might help us see how our fates are connected with the fate of the Guantanamo detainee or the Haitian refugee. We need to see ourselves as sharing a kind of condition."

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For her world-leading research in the fabrication of atomic-scale devices for quantum computing, UNSW Australia's Scientia Professor Michelle Simmons has been awarded a prestigious Foresight Institute Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology.

Two international Feynman prizes, named in honour of the late Nobel Prize winning American physicist Richard Feynman, are awarded each year in the categories of theory and experiment to researchers whose work has most advanced Feynman's nanotechnology goal of molecular manufacturing.

Professor Simmons, director of the UNSW-based Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, won the experimental prize for her work in "the new field of atomic-electronics, which she created".

Her group is the only one in the world that can make atomically precise devices in silicon. They have produced the world's first single-atom transistor as well as the narrowest conducting wires ever made in silicon, just four atoms of phosphorus wide and one atom high.

President of the Foresight Institute Julia Bossmann said the US $5000 prizes reward visionary research. "Our laureates realise that big innovation is possible on the nanoscale. The prizes acknowledge these pioneering scientists and inspire others to follow their lead."

Professor Simmons said: "I am delighted to win this award. Feynman once said: 'What I cannot create, I do not understand'.

"By creating electronic devices atom by atom, we are gaining a very fundamental understanding of how the world behaves at the atomic scale, and it's phenomenally exciting," she said.

As director of CQC2T, Professor Simmons heads a team of more than 180 researchers across six Australian universities, including UNSW. She has previously been awarded two Australian Research Council Federation Fellowships and currently holds a Laureate Fellowship.

She has won both the Australian Academy of Science's Pawsey Medal (2005) and Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal (2015) for outstanding research in physics. She was named NSW Scientist of the Year in 2012 and in 2015 she was awarded the Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science.

In 2014, she had the rare distinction for an Australian researcher of becoming an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is also Editor-in-Chief of the first Nature Partner Journal based in Australia, npj Quantum Information.

In April, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull opened new quantum computing laboratories at UNSW and praised Professor Simmons' contribution to the nation as both a scientist and director of the CQC2T team.

"You're not just doing great work, Michelle. You're doing the best work in the world," Mr Turnbull said. "It is a tribute to your leadership, your talent ... that you've attracted so many outstanding scientists and engineers from around the world. This is a very global team and it's right here at the University of New South Wales."

The Forsight Institute is a leading think tank and public interest organisation focused on transformative future technologies. Founded in 1986, its mission is to discover and promote the upsides, and help avoid the drawbacks, of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and similar life-changing developments.

In 1959, Richard Feynman gave a visionary talk at the California Institute of Technology in which he said: "The problems of chemistry and biology can be greatly helped if our ability to see what we are doing, and to do things on an atomic level, is ultimately developed - a development which I think cannot be avoided."

Both Feynman Prizes are for 2015. The theory prize was awarded to Professor Marcus Buehler of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for developing new modelling, design and manufacturing approaches for advance materials with a wide range of controllable properties from the nanoscale to the macroscale.

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New research highlights strong connection between bank health and real estate investments For the first time link between 1920s real estate boom and bank failures quantitatively tested

LONDON, 24 May 2016: New research from the University of Warwick serves as a warning to banks not to over invest in mortgages.

The study was conducted by Dr Natacha Postel-Vinay who examined the state of banks in 1920s Chicago, the city which had the highest urban bank failure rate in the Great Depression.

Dr Postel-Vinay who is based at the University's Department of Economics said: "Chicago had been known by historians as undergoing a severe real estate boom and bust in the 1920s - but no-one had actually undertaken to quantitatively test the link between this real estate boom and the bank failures.

"A majority of banks failed in Chicago which makes it particularly important to study if one wants to find out about causes of bank failures generally."

Her research is released the same month that Britain's biggest building society, the Nationwide, announced it is increasing the maximum age of its mortgages to 85 and Barclays bank introduces a 100% mortgage - the first since the banking crisis.

For her study Dr Postel-Vinay analysed hand-collected bank balance sheet data from 1923 to 1933. Her paper, 'What caused Chicago bank failures in the great Depression? A look at the 1920s' has been published in the June edition of the Journal of Economic History. In it she shows that mortgages mattered for banks more from an illiquidity point of view than from a quality point of view. In the Great Depression banks did not make any significant losses on these loans as their sizes were small relative to property prices. Nevertheless their lack of liquidity (due to long maturities) posed a significant problem for banks when they came to face a liquidity crisis.

In the 1920s Chicago underwent a significant real estate boom and bust. Dr Postel-Vinay's paper highlights that banks that invested too much in mortgages in the 1920s were more likely to fail in the 1930s depression. Dr Postel-Vinay believes that this is of significance to today's banks. She states that because although we know that in the recent banking crisis real estate was an important cause of bank trouble, few people know this was already the case in the Great Depression. By suggesting some continuity between the 1930s events and the 2000s, her paper lends further support to the idea that there may be strong connections between bank health and real estate investments. Although in the recent crisis banks actually made losses on mortgages, their inherent lack of liquidity was also a source of weakness.

Dr Postel-Vinay added: "The general lesson I draw for banking supervision policy is that 'liquidity risk management matters:' although today real estate loans have gained in liquidity thanks to securitisation, they are still fundamentally less liquid than other types of investment - therefore banks should think twice before loading up on those in good times."

###

For media enquiries please contact Nicola Jones, Communications Manager, University of Warwick 07920531221 or N.Jones.1@warwick.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

What caused Chicago bank failures in the great Depression? A look at the 1920s' has been published in the June edition of the Journal of Economic History

doi: 10.1017/S002205071600053X

Author: Natacha Postel-Vinay, University of Warwick
MADISON, Wis. -- Bottles of dilute hydrogen peroxide sit on shelves in medicine cabinets across the world, yet synthesizing the chemical at the large scale requires a surprisingly complicated process that is economically unfeasible for all but a few industrial facilities.

Chemists and engineers have long been working on simpler approaches. A significant challenge can be stabilizing hydrogen peroxide once it forms, because yields are limited by the molecule's propensity to break down over the same materials utilized for its synthesis.

Chemical and biological engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have uncovered new insight into how the compound decomposes. This advance, published this spring in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could inform efficient and cost-effective single-step strategies for producing hydrogen peroxide.

Consumers reach for highly watered-down hydrogen peroxide to clean out minor cuts and scrapes, but the chemical also could be useful for numerous industrial processes as different as making flexible foam seat cushions or precursor chemicals for flame retardants.

Even though most applications would only require dilute solutions of hydrogen peroxide, production methods rely on the few large facilities capable of synthesizing large volumes of highly concentrated chemicals. This necessitates transporting concentrated hydrogen peroxide solutions long distances to the end user, which comes with significant expense.

"A single-pot reaction would permit on-site production and make hydrogen peroxide an economically feasible oxidant for a number of chemical processes, in particular to replace more environmentally harmful oxidants such as chlorine," says Tony Plauck, a doctoral student in chemical and biological engineering at UW-Madison and first author of the study.

Scientists first proposed a single-step procedure to synthesize hydrogen peroxide in 1914, combining pure hydrogen and oxygen gases over a material called a catalyst, which accelerates the chemical reaction by lowering the energy barriers preventing the components from combining, but doesn't itself become transformed.

Unfortunately, as more and more of the final hydrogen peroxide product accumulates in the vessel containing the mixture, the catalyst can also facilitate a subsequent undesirable chemical reaction wherein hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen gas and water in a process called decomposition.

"One of the biggest catalytic challenges is finding a material that can actively produce hydrogen peroxide, but also something inactive towards decomposing hydrogen peroxide, which is a very thermodynamically favorable reaction," says Plauck.

Some of the most widely studied materials for direct hydrogen peroxide synthesis are palladium-based catalysts. Many researchers investigate how hydrogen and oxygen come together and chemically react on regions of the catalyst's surface called active sites. But palladium can also catalyze the decomposition reaction, so the hydrogen peroxide produced under these conditions tends to rapidly break down.

"Typical palladium catalysts exist as tiny, highly dispersed palladium nanoparticles, which contain a variety of surface features that may vary in their ability to decompose hydrogen peroxide," says Plauck. "If we understand where and how hydrogen peroxide primarily decomposes, we can propose some design criteria for future iterations of palladium catalysts."

Plauck's advisors on the project, chemical and biological engineering professors Manos Mavrikakis and James Dumesic, are experts in both theoretical and experimental approaches in catalysis. Their expertise in the computational techniques -- such as microkinetic modeling and density functional theory -- enabled the researchers to describe the experimentally observed decomposition reaction with unprecedented accuracy and detail.

"Hydrogen peroxide is currently prepared by a highly polluting process," says Mavrikakis. "These insights open new avenues for the direct synthesis of a chemical that, among others, is needed in large volumes for the laundry and paper bleaching industry."

The researchers used computational modeling to investigate different surface features of palladium nanoparticles that may be responsible for hydrogen peroxide decomposition. Based on the theoretical models, they predicted experimentally observable parameters of the reaction, such as the rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition. Then the researchers made those experimental measurements and revised various aspects of their models until the theoretical predictions agreed with the experiments.

Ultimately, their results suggested that multiple surface features of palladium nanoparticles can significantly contribute to the overall hydrogen peroxide decomposition activity of these catalysts. Furthermore, the models provided detailed insight into how the decomposition reaction might be suppressed on palladium.

###

The work was supported as part of a Dow Chemical Company University Partner Initiative with UW-Madison, and Dow's Eric E. Stangland also contributed to the research.

--Sam Million-Weaver, perspective@engr.wisc.edu
Statisticians at the University of Washington have developed the first model for projecting population that factors in the vagaries of migration, a slippery issue that has bedeviled demographers for decades.

Their work, published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also provides population projections for all countries worldwide -- and challenges the existing predictions for some, particularly the United States and Germany.

"It turns out that for quite a few countries, migration is the single biggest source of uncertainty for population projections," said principal investigator Adrian Raftery, a UW professor of statistics and sociology.

For the first time, the researchers used a "probabilistic" model that draws on migration rates in each country and worldwide over the past 65 years, along with patterns of fertility and mortality, to project population around the world. The findings were most striking for Germany, whose bureau of statistics has called population decline "inevitable" as the country's populace ages.

But the UW model predicts that when migration is factored in, Germany's population decline could be offset by the arrival of more than 1 million immigrants every five years for most of the next century. The data in the study was collected before the influx of more than 965,000 migrants and refugees into the country in 2015, so the near-term difference could be even more dramatic.

"Our model could change the perception of the future of Germany from a country that goes into decline for the rest of the century to one that may not, if its policy of accepting migrants continues," said Raftery, also a faculty affiliate for the UW Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences and the UW Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology.

The researchers also predict that France and the United Kingdom are likely to have bigger populations than Germany by 2060, given both countries' higher fertility rates.

They also predict that the U.S. population has a 10 percent chance of exceeding 610 million over the next 85 years -- nearly double the current population -- when migration is factored in, versus a projected high of 510 million if it isn't. While that likelihood is small, it has large ramifications, said lead author Jonathan Azose, a doctoral student in the UW Department of Statistics.

"If you think about planning for social welfare programs, sometimes the biggest issues arise when these unexpected events occur," he said. "Countries need to be prepared for the possibility."

But migration is a difficult force to predict, driven by factors ranging from war to economic crises, employment opportunity, family dynamics and even migration policy, which can themselves be difficult -- if not impossible -- to foresee. To come up with their projections, the researchers looked at past migration patterns in each country to determine a range of probability for future outcomes, reasoning that recent history creates an environment that is likely to create similar migration patterns going forward.

"A lot of the influences that have produced migration levels in the recent past are baked in and likely to continue to play a role in the future," Raftery said. "It's almost impossible to tease out all factors, but using current levels of migration, this is the best we can do."

The researchers then incorporated global migration patterns to build a statistical model and make population projections for each country. Some regional patterns emerged. Smaller European countries that have experienced broad swings in migration over the past half-century are more likely to be impacted by migration uncertainty than countries like India and China, where migration rates are smaller relative to their large populations.

In some African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, migration uncertainty is expected to be less of a factor in population change than fluctuations in mortality and fertility rates. And projections were adjusted for Gulf countries that in past decades have had large influxes of oil industry workers, since in-migration is expected to decline as the sector cools off in that region.

The researchers' model contrasts with the traditional "deterministic" approach that projects current mortality, fertility and migration rates into the future to estimate population size. But migration rates vary considerably in many countries and fluctuate over time, Raftery said, making for unreliable estimates.

Leaving migration out of the equation can lead to long-term challenges for nations in planning for social programs, the researchers said. Many European countries are cutting education funding in anticipation of declines in school-aged populations, Azose said, which could lead to school closures and fewer trained teachers.

"If the school-age population turns out to be larger than the space allocated for them, there can be huge costs associated with opening or reopening schools and finding teachers to staff them," he said. "International migration, and especially refugee migration, typically includes large numbers of school-aged children."

The new research stems from a collaboration between Raftery and his colleagues and the United Nations Population Division that started 10 years ago. The team was enlisted by the U.N. to incorporate uncertainty about fertility and mortality to develop more accurate population prediction models. But migration remained a critical, and unaccounted for, determinant. Raftery hopes the new model may eventually be incorporated into U.N. projections.

"Including migration uncertainty in population projections could make a substantial difference in how we understand population changes," he said. "As far as we know, nobody has done this before."

###

Hana Sevcikova, a senior research scientist at the UW Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences, co-authored the paper. The work was supported by NIH grants R01 HD54511 and R01 HD70936.

For more information, contact Raftery at 206 543-4505 or raftery@uw.edu or jonazose@uw.edu.

The paper is available at: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/05/18/1606119113.full
To the distress of South Floridians, several potentially man-eating Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) have turned up in Florida waters, where they are not supposed to be. Nile crocs are far more aggressive than the American version, being responsible for 200 human deaths yearly on average in Africa.

From the AP story:

Step aside, Burmese python  you may no longer be Floridas scariest invasive species. Researchers have confirmed that three Nile crocodiles were captured near Miami, and they say its possible more of the man-eating reptiles are still out there, although no one can say for sure. The big question now: How did they get to Florida? They didnt swim from Africa, University of Florida herpetologist Kenneth Krysko said.

They didnt swim Did they raft?

Probably not. On their own, animals rarely resort to cross-ocean seafaring except under the combined pressure of biogeography and neo-Darwinian theory.

See Casey Luskin in No. 9 of our series The Top Ten Scientific Problems with Biological and Chemical Evolution, Neo-Darwinism Struggles to Explain the Biogeographical Distribution of Many Species.

See here as well for more in our coverage of rafting animals:

In any event, do you have this straight? Monkeys, which dont swim, can navigate oceans while clinging to mats of mud, shrubbery, and tree debris. Crocodiles, which do swim, cannot.

Photo: Nile crocodile, by Tim Muttoo [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.
Lawyer Conference in Cuba Moved to Miami Over Political Fears

Despite warming relations between America and Cuba, the annual meeting of the Inter-American Bar Association has been relocated from Havana to Miami. An abundance of caution, apparently, is to blame.

If the conference had moved forward, it would have been the first time IABA had met in Cuba since the organization's inaugural conference in Havana.

Concerns Over the Speakers

According to Daily Business Review, the Cuban officials decided to cancel the annual meeting of the Inter-American Bar Association in Havana over concerns of the scheduled speakers and fear that they might start either discussing the communist regime or the controversy over the communist sympathizers in Venezuela. The request seems to have come from Cuba's government-sanction bar association.

General Luis Almagro

The controversy centers around General Luis Almagro who, in the past, has been a vocal critic of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro. Seeing has how Mr. Almagro recently used words like "traitor" and "petty dictator" to describe Maduro, one can understand why Cuba might feel a touch reticent at the thought of potentially becoming the soapbox of the OAS head Almagro. Maduro responded by throwing his own jabs at Almagro and the current sentiment between the two men is electric.

The Cuban government, sensing danger, asked the IABA's president Carlos Lopez to have Mr. Almagro removed from the speaker list. But when Cuba appeared to want "complete control" of what was to be said, Mr. Lopez simply decided to change venues.

It's a little sad, particularly in light of the easing of tensions between America and Cuba after many decades of heightened distrust.

Some Background

The IABA was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in DC. The organization is committed to promoting the rule of law and advancing democracy in the Americas. The ABA is a member of the IABA, so this gives readers a sense of the organization's influence.

Related Resources:
Virginia Politicians Cannot Sue Over Redistricting, Supreme Court Rules

The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to Virginia's court-imposed redistricting yesterday, ruling that three Virginia Congressmen could not show that they were harmed by the new plan. The ruling brings an end to a long-standing dispute over Virginia's congressional districting which arose after a federal district court ruled in 2012 that the state's redrawn congressional map relied too heavily on race, segregating black voters into already majority-African American district.

Representatives Randy Forbes, Robert Wittman, and David Brat, all Republicans, sought to challenge that ruling. But none of the Congress members were representatives of the district at issue and none of them could show how they would be harmed if the old plan was not reestablished, the Supreme Court determined in a short, unanimous decision written by Justice Brennan.

Virginia's Gerrymandering

Following the 2010 census, Virginia began the process of redrawing its congressional districts, a task that was handled by the state's General Assembly. The result was a majority-minority district, District 3, that jumped from Richmond to Norfolk, winding along the James River and encompassing many of the state's black voters.

A three-judge federal district court has twice invalidated that redistricting, determining that it placed too much emphasis on race, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. It ordered the General Assembly to create a new plan and, when the state failed to act, brought in a special master to take over the task.

Virginia eventually stopped fighting the courts, but Representatives Forbes, Wittman, and Brat, did not, appealing all the way to the Supreme Court. But as the Supreme Court pointed out in an earlier order regrading oral arguments, none of the Congress members live in or represent the only district whose constitutionality is at issue. How could they show a judicially recognizable injury in order to have standing to sue?

Changing a Congressional District, but Not Yours

The Congress members' standing argument was somewhat straight forward: the district court's order to redraw the District 3 brings more Democrats into their home districts, harming their reelection prospects.

Forbes' claim to standing was representative. If the old districting is not reinstated, Forbes argued, his district would "completely transform from a 48 percent Democratic district into a safe 60 percent Democratic district." As a result, Forbes has already chosen to run in a new Congressional district.

At oral arguments, Forbes' lawyer claimed he would certainly return to his district should the old plan be reinstated. But he seems to have misspoke.

Shortly after, Forbes wrote the Supreme Court to say that he wouldn't return to his original district even if the old districting plan was reinstated. "Given this letter," the Court wrote, "we do not see how any injury that Forbes might have suffered 'is likely to be redressed by a favorable judicial decision.'"

Wittman and Brat fared no better. The two Congressmen, the Court said, could not provide any "record evidence establishing their alleged harm."

Despite claims that the new districting would flood districts with Democratic voters, the Court wrote, "we have examined the briefs, looking for any evidence that an alternative to the [previous plan] will reduce the relevant intervenors' chances of reelection, and have found none." Indeed, the Congress members' briefs didn't even focus on their own districts. "We need go no further."

Related Resources:
Thank you for the answer. I was hoping someone had already got their lump sum payment and could provide information but you were most helpful. I have spoken to an international tax attorney, and he said that he could write a tax ruling on these funds making them exempt from US tax, by designating them as a private social security account - but I am yet to see that, as I won't be entering those waters until I attempt to claim the money. It isn't much, about 50k, and the entire sum is preserved. I have been in the US since 1998, and no employer contributions or private contributions have been made into the fund for 2 years prior to that. It has pretty much lost and earned interest, in fact it is a lower balance now than when I first moved to the US.



The only way my tax situation would change, would be if I got a pay increase in my current job.



My fund in Australia has already said I can claim the funds even if I am working overseas, I just have to be retired in Australia with no intention of returning to work there - which is my case.



It is all a little scary, not having any real strict guidelines on these funds, so I hope the tax attorney I spoke to can help me out. I have never declared the funds on any US tax return, because to me I haven't had the money. I cannot do anything with the money, and the two smaller accounts I had have already been eaten up by fund fees until there is nothing left for me to claim. Who knows what could happen, the market crash and you lost a large percentage, then the rest is gone with fund fees.



Well, again, thank you for answering me, I guess I will have to throw back to the attorney in August when I become eligible to claim the funds, and jump the US tax hurdles when the time arises.


Official figures back up anecdotal evidence that expats are leaving Spain, especially in resort areas like the Costa Blanca which is popular with British and German nationals.The data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) shows that the number of foreign citizens living in Spain fell by 128,372 in 2015, a fall of 9%. And overall the expat population has been going down since 2012.Moroccans and Romanians make up the biggest expat group with each having more than 700,000 residents in Spain. The British are the next biggest group of expats, followed by the Chinese, Germans, and French. But British expats fell 6% last year to 283, 243, and Germans by 7% to 130,911.A breakdown of the figures shows that at the beginning of 2015 there were 4,601,272 foreign residents officially living in Spain in an overall population of 46.5 million. However, the drop in foreign residents pushed down Spains population by 99,439, despite an increase of 28,933 in the native populationOverall foreign resident numbers steadily increased up to 2012 but have fallen every year since driven by a big drop in expats from European Union countries. The number of EU nationals living in Spain fell by 111,526 to 1,835,584, a fall of 5%, whilst other nationalities fell by 16,846 to 2,765,688.At the same time some groups of economic migrants like the Chinese increased by 8,023 or 3%, followed by Ukrainians up 7,850 or 3% and Moroccans up by 2,542, but this was not enough to compensate for the big fall in EU expatsAccording to Mark Stucklin, a British expat who runs property business Spanish Property Insight, this is bad news for the Spanish coast, and bad news for Spain overall. He believes that the most likely cause of this reverse is Spanish Government policy.He put blame on the change in law which means that expats living in Spain must now declare their worldwide assets for tax purposes. Expat numbers were growing until 2012 when this law was passed, and have fallen ever since. So Spanish Government fiscal policy is driving away EU expats, and this is clear from these numbers, he said.He pointed out that the worldwide asset declaration obligation was introduced to clamp down on corruption and fiscal evasion by locals. But the main victims have been EU expats, who are either leaving Spain, choosing not to come in the first place, arranging their affairs to avoid being fiscal residents, or simply dropping off the radar, Stucklin explained.All of this leaves Spain worse off in every respect. I suspect Spain is losing hundreds of millions, if not billions in lost taxes and economic activity, but nobody knows for sure because it has never been studied, he added.He also pointed out that Spain badly needs all the economic growth it can get, and attracting wealthy northern Europeans to retire to Spain should be a priority. Expats buy homes and spend their money on goods and services in Spain. It should be rolling out the red carpet to boost this expat population as much as possible, Stucklin said.He thinks it is a disaster for area like Alicante, home to the Costa Blanca which has always been very popular with British expats. With a smaller population these regions will get less public money and suffer lower economic growth as a consequence, he said.Furthermore, a declining population compounds Spains problems. It pushes up the debt per capita ratio and makes it harder to grow the economy, which also puts pressure on the debt/GDP ratio. Spain is left with fewer people to pay an increasing amount of national debt, he added.
Jury members selected human rights defenders from Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Colombia, Honduras, Palestine, and Tanzania after receiving 126 nominations from 53 countries. Front Line Defenders presents the Award annually to a human rights defender who  at great personal risk  has made an exceptional contribution to protecting and promoting the rights of their communities.

Each of the six finalists for our annual award struggles for justice and human rights in their communities, and each does so in the face of severe risks. Phyoe Phyoe has faced prison time, threats, and ongoing intimidation aimed at stopping her work for academic freedom and human rights. On her first day out of prison last month, her top concern was for others still behind bars. We are honoured to recognise her as a finalist, said Mary Lawlor, Executive Director of Front Line Defenders, as she announced the finalists in Dublin on 10 May.

As governments, multinational corporations, paramilitaries, and criminal groups try to limit the powerful work of peaceful human rights defenders, the 2016 finalists and their families have faced harassment, physical attacks, defamation campaigns, prison sentences, and intimidation the group said in a statement.

Front Line Defenders works to promote the visibility and protection of the six finalists named today, each of whom is critical to the human rights movement in their countries and communities.

Human rights defenders tell us that international support is critical to their work. This Award demonstrates  to them and to their oppressors  that Ireland stands behind these incredible individuals. It proves that defenders at-risk do not work in a vacuum, but as part of a global fight for human rights, said Ms. Lawlor on Tuesday.
Virginia authorities handcuffed a middle school student and charged him with larceny for "stealing" a milk carton from the school cafeteria earlier this year. The child has also been suspended from school.

In Prince William County, Virginia, the boy's mother Shamise Turk says police handcuffed and charged her son Ryan with stealing a carton of milk from the school cafeteria.

The school normally charges students 65 cents per carton for milk. Ms. Turk says Ryan is allowed to drink it for free, because he is registered on the school's lunch program.

Ms. Turk says one day Ryan went back to the lunch line to get his milk, and a Prince William County police officer approached him and accused him of stealing it.

Police say officers then handcuffed Ryan because the student "broke the rules and became disorderly," according to local news reports.

Ryan Turk told a local television news reporter that yes, he did pull back when the officer grabbed him.

"I yanked away from him I told him to get off of me because he's not my dad," Ryan said.

Shamise Turk says her son was then taken to the principal's office, where officials searched the student for drugs. The school principal says "he was acting inappropriately."

"Because he was fidgety, kept pulling on the strings of his pants, and laughing when we were trying to talk to him and just wouldn't talk," Shamise Turk said.

The school suspended her son for "theft, being disrespectful and using his cell phone."

The Prince William County Schools spokesman says, "the need for disciplinary action is determined by how a student behaves throughout any given incidentan appeals process is in place to ensure the fairness of any disciplinary action."

His mother says they're nuts.

Police told her the larceny charge is because he tried to "conceal" the milk, which Ryan denies.

He cannot go to school, and if the charges are upheld, he has a juvenile record and will have trouble getting into college or finding employment, among a host of other damaging things this does to young black men in America.

"I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm mad. It just went too far. They are charging him with larceny, which I don't have no understanding as to why he is being charged with larceny when he was entitled to that milk from the beginning," said Ms. Turk.

More: [Washington Times] [KMOV] [NBC 29 WVIR] [WTVR]
An Express-News investigation of infection deaths at SeaWorld parks was unfairly critical and presented an incomplete set of facts in a biased way, the company said on its blog after the article was published Sunday.

The investigation, based on federal data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, found that infections have caused the deaths of almost 150 sea lions, beluga whales, orcas and other dolphins at SeaWorld parks in the last 30 years. They have been especially deadly for killer whales, contributing to 60 percent of deaths for the species.

Many biologists and veterinarians think captivity impairs the immune systems of marine mammals by making them bored and stressed out, while SeaWorld and its defenders disagree. The companys critics say stress is the reason many orcas at SeaWorld parks fracture their teeth on concrete and metal in their tanks, opening a pathway for bacteria.

SeaWorlds blog post includes a quote from Kevin Willis, vice president for biological programs at the Minnesota Zoo, saying animals in his facilities are not chronically stressed. The Express-News investigation devoted several paragraphs to SeaWorlds response to accusations that its marine mammals have high levels of stress.

Suggesting that they are, because they have less space than their wild counterparts, doesnt take into account everything faced by their wild counterparts, including hunger, pollution or being preyed on by other animals, Willis says in the blog post.

The blog post mentions a 1996 study in Marine Mammal Science that was described in the Express-News article. The study shows that semi-domesticated bottlenose dolphins held in a sea pen had lower levels of stress hormones than wild dolphins that had been captured with nets shortly before having their blood tested.

The Express-News investigation came after the deaths of five dolphins, whales and sea lions from infections at the local park since May 2014. Another three marine mammals died from inflammatory diseases often caused by infections.

Along with the federal data, the article was based on interviews with four former SeaWorld trainers; seven experts, including three suggested by SeaWorld; and employees of the two federal agencies that regulate SeaWorlds animal care, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS. Through another FOIA request, the Express-News obtained inspection documents for SeaWorlds three U.S. parks from APHIS.

SeaWorlds blog post notes that the company hosted an Express-News reporter on a visit that included a tour of its animal care facilities. The Express-News also interviewed SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby, Vice President of Veterinary Services Chris Dold and employees of the local park.

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In SeaWorlds blog post, Willis surmises that a high infection rate among captive marine mammals could be caused by too few bacteria in their pools due to federal regulations for water quality. The small amount of bacteria could cause a lack of stimulation of the animals immune systems when they are young, he says.

This is just one hypothesis that some scientists have been looking into, and no scientist would leap to stress as the reason if in fact infection rates were found to be higher in the animals in our care, Willis says in the post.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
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HOUSTON  Exxon Mobil has been under pressure for more than a year to explain its handling of climate change issues in the past. Now the company faces new pressure to explain its future, particularly how it will change in response to a warming world.

At the companys planned annual meeting Wednesday in Dallas, shareholders will vote on a resolution to prod Exxon Mobil to disclose the risks of climate change to its business.

Such resolutions have been floated before, and they typically do not pass. But there is a growing chorus of investors, many of them large institutional shareholders, who say they are worried that Exxon Mobil, the largest publicly traded energy company in the world, is not adequately preparing for tighter times if countries start acting on the pledges they made in December as part of the Paris climate change accord.

Exxon Mobil, for example, projects that global demand for oil will keep growing  by just more than 13 percent from today, to 109 million barrels of oil a day by 2040.

But the International Energy Agencys projections include one scenario where demand could drop by 22 percent by 2040, to 74 million barrels a day by that year, if measures are put in place to keep global warming at levels that, while still dangerous, could avoid the most devastating consequences.

The shareholder resolution calls for Exxon Mobil to publish an annual assessment of impacts of various climate change policies, including ones that would lead to the steep drops foreseen in the most severe energy agencys forecast. Another resolution calls for the company to give shareholders a bigger say over governance.

Exxon Mobil previously tried to block the climate change resolution, but the Securities and Exchange Commission ruled in March that shareholders must be allowed to vote.

Alan T. Jeffers, a company spokesman, said last week that Exxon Mobil welcomed a dialogue with shareholders.

We want them to understand that we see the issue of climate change, we see the risks of climate change and take them seriously, and we are working hard on lower emissions technology, he said.

Jeffers added that his companys projection was not set in stone, and that Exxon Mobil is flexible enough to move in new directions in the future.

But big owners of the stock worry that the optimism of Exxon Mobils outlook for oil demand is dangerously misguided.

Investors cant afford to have Exxon become the next Kodak, said Scott M. Stringer, the comptroller of New York City, whose pension fund owns roughly $1 billion worth of fossil fuel stocks.

It is impossible for them to do business for the next 100 years as they have the last 100 years, added Stringer, who supports the risk-disclosure resolution.

Some protesters are exhorting investors to sell all of their fossil-fuel stocks and are conducting campaigns to pressure Exxon Mobil and other companies to keep it in the ground  that is, to stop extracting the very fossil fuels that are their lifeblood.

And while some of those activists would consider it a victory to see these companies driven out of business, a growing number of institutional shareholders want to see these companies move profitably into a future in which fossil fuels play a smaller role, while renewable sources like wind and solar play a larger one.

In recent months, Exxon Mobil has been under increasing pressure to move faster, in part because of the efforts of the attorneys general of New York, California and several other states. They are investigating Exxon Mobil over its past funding of publicity that cast doubt on the science of climate change, while Exxons own scientists were speaking and writing about the seriousness of global warming.

But many investors are more interested in Exxon Mobils plans for the future than what the company did and said decades ago.

Our concern is about looking forward, said Anne Simpson, investment director for California Public Employees Retirement System, which is backing the disclosure resolutions. The critical thing now is the next 25 years.

Jeffers noted that shareholders had withdrawn a similar disclosure resolution a few years ago when Exxon Mobil promised to report on the risks it faced because of evolving emissions policies. It concluded that there was no current risk of demand drying up to a degree that the company would have to leave some of its oil reserves in the ground, a problem known as stranded assets.

That conclusion did not satisfy Exxon Mobils critics.

The world is changing around Exxon, said Andrew J. Logan, director of oil and gas and insurance programs at the sustainable investing organization Ceres, which backs the resolutions.

He noted that the range of large shareholders promoting the resolutions included New York state, the Church of England and the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund.

The fact that this array of actors lining up against Exxon is so diverse is a powerful demonstration of just how isolated the company is at the moment, Logan said.

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Chevron, which is facing a similar resolution, is having its annual meeting Wednesday as well. Executives at Chevron say the company already carefully assesses various risks to its investments.

Foreign energy companies have been more receptive to such resolutions. Last year, even before the Paris agreement was completed, several large European oil companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil of Norway and BP, accepted resolutions that were similar or virtually the same as those facing Exxon Mobil and Chevron.

Those companies, which are based in countries where the governments and public opinion are demanding new climate change initiatives, have pledged to seek new opportunities in renewable energy.

Statoil even acknowledged that it may, in fact, end up leaving some fossil fuels in the ground.

Probably there will be assets stranded, yes, because the costs of CO doesnt make them attractive, said Bjorn Otto Sverdrup, Statoils senior vice president for sustainability.

By contrast, the political environment around climate change remains polarized in the United States. For example, Rep. Lamar Smith, a San Antonio Republican who is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, has accused the Obama administration and federal researchers of manipulating global warming research to pursue the administrations suspect climate agenda.

Last week, Smith also sent a letter to the New York attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, demanding all communications since 2012 between Schneidermans office and climate change activist organizations. Smith said the attorneys general were doing the bidding of environmental activists who set out to make pariahs of Exxon Mobil in pursuit of policies to limit climate change.

Analysts sympathetic to companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron say some of the activists, especially divestment groups on college campuses, are trying to lower the equity values of oil companies and choke off capital for exploration.

That, these analysts say, would keep the benefits of cheap energy out of the hands of the poor and emerging middle classes in the developing world.

But proponents of the resolutions say transparency about climate risks can help shareholders better assess their investment and prod Exxon Mobil and other companies to take part in a more sustainable future.

Proponents point to a recent paper, for example, by Chatham House, a research organization based in London, that said Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell are faced with the choice of managing a gentle decline by downsizing or risking a rapid collapse by trying to carry on business as usual.
San Antonios DPT Laboratories, which manufactures topical medications, will soon be answering to a new parent company  global pharmaceutical company Mylan  if a $1 billion deal closes this fall as planned.

Mylan plans to acquire DPTs current owner, private equity company Renaissance Acquisition Holdings LLC, for $950 million in cash, plus additional contingent payments of up to $50 million, subject to customary adjustments.

The change in ownership is contingent on regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the third quarter.

DPT, a private operation that employs more than 1,100 people, is included as part of the transaction. More than 800 of DPTs workers are based in San Antonio.

DPT makes liquids, creams, lotions, ointments, gels and aerosol foams and sends them to pharmaceutical companies distribution systems. It also helps drug manufacturers develop new medications to bring to the commercial market.

The company wont disclose the names of any medications that it makes or develops at its San Antonio facilities. Spokeswoman Stacy London noted confidentiality agreements prohibit DPT from publicly revealing such information.

DPT employees have been verbally notified of the change in ownership. It wasnt immediately known, however, if that change will affect the size of the companys workforce in San Antonio or if the facilities here will keep DPT Laboratories name.

DPT Group President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Johnson couldnt be reached for comment Monday. He did not respond to a list of questions from the San Antonio Express-News seeking details on how the acquisition will affect DPTs San Antonio operations.

However, Renaissance is expected to retain its sterile-focused businesses and associated manufacturing facility, Mylan said in a news release announcing the acquisition. The deal does include Renaissances other site in Quebec.

Renaissances executive leaders did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

Renaissance, which is privately controlled and the majority of which is owned by RoundTable Healthcare Partners, generated approximately $370 million in revenues last year, Mylans announcement said.

This is a strong and growing business in a very attractive category, which is highly complementary to Mylans existing assets, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said in a prepared statement.

We see significant opportunities to accelerate the growth potential of the business as part of the global Mylan platform.

The acquisition will bring Mylan a portfolio of around 25 brand-name and generic topical products, along with an active pipeline of around 25 products, the release said.

The transaction also provides Mylan with an established U.S. sales and marketing operation targeting dermatologists. And it will bring Mylan a manufacturing and development platform.

Mylan spokeswoman Nina Devlin declined to comment beyond the news release since the transaction hasnt yet closed.

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DPT was acquired by Renaissance in 2012. The terms of that sale were not disclosed, but DPTs management and operations remained in place in San Antonio following that acquisition.

DPT was founded in 1938 as Texas Pharmacal Co., commonly hailed as the first dermatology company in the nation. It was renamed DPT Laboratories in 1990.

Today, DPT runs an aerosol facility on Distribution Drive. It also operates a research and development office and a distribution center at Brooks City Base. Its corporate headquarters are based in downtown San Antonio.

Mylan, which is publicly traded, has a workforce of almost 35,000 employees worldwide and a portfolio of more than 1,400 generic and brand-name pharmaceuticals. Its products include the EpiPen epinephrine injection, the EasiVent inhaler, the Emsam anti-depressant skin patch and Ultiva, an intravenous pain medication. Mylan sells its pharmaceuticals in 165 countries and territories.

Mylan has more than 50 facilities worldwide dedicated to manufacturing or to research and development.

For the first quarter of this year, Mylan reported total revenues of $2.19 billion, up 17 percent from the $1.87 billion reported for the same time period last year.

pohare@express-news.net
The Arizona-based BASIS charter network announced Monday that its two charter schools here will expand in fall 2017 to enroll students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

The networks Medical Center campus now enrolls fifth- through 11th-graders, and the North Central campus has fifth- through 10th-graders. The Texas Education Agency last month approved an expansion amendment for the charter network to accept students below fifth grade, agency spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe said.

BASIS enrollment cap is still at 3,750 students, she said.

Peter Bezanson, CEO of BASIS for-profit management company, said the network sought the charter amendment in response to demand from the community for a program serving the lower grades.

Our program is designed to encourage a childs natural curiosity to question, to create and to discover, Bezanson said in a statement.

BASIS schools are known for their rigorous curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. High-schoolers must take at least six Advanced Placement exams by the end of their junior year. Bezanson said last year that a K-4 charter amendment could lessen student attrition rates because fewer would arrive in the fifth grade unprepared for the schools demands.

Mandarin Chinese instruction will now begin in kindergarten, as will an engineering and technology course that introduces students to engineering techniques through a focus on the design process. Accelerated math will also begin in kindergarten, where students will have a first-grade curriculum.

Students will have physical education in addition to recess, and a connections course that integrates what they are learning in all their subjects. In the first through fourth grades, each class will have two teachers: one an expert with a degree in the subject being taught, and the other a learning expert who focuses on effective teaching methods.

amalik@express-news.net
Sylvester Perez, who retired last year as superintendent of the San Antonio Independent School District, will be the state-appointed superintendent at Edgewood ISD, the Texas Education Agency announced Monday.

The agency also appointed a five-member board of managers to take over from an elected board that had spent the better part of a year in a 3-3 factional deadlock, unable to perform basic functions until fairly recently.

Edgewood, long one of the states poorest school districts, is one of three in Bexar County that has drawn some measure of TEA involvement this year. The agency appointed a conservator for South San ISD in February, citing poor school board governance. It also opened an accreditation investigation into Southside ISD this month after multiple complaints were filed against the district.

Perez said he will begin Wednesday in an interim capacity, serving until the new board finds a permanent replacement. He estimated that would take five or six months.

We simply cannot forget about the children in the Edgewood Independent School District, Perez said. Those children and those staff members need to be supported. This isnt something that I have to do, but that I want to do.

The new board will be sworn in at 6:30 tonight during a public meeting at the Guerra Conference Center, 1930 Herbert Lane.

Its members will be Stella Camacho, a self-employed bookkeeper and district parent; Frank Espinosa, manager of terminal services for NuStar Energy and a member of the Edgewood Education Foundation and District Alumni Association; Amanda L. Gonzalez, a campaign manager for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Richard Santoya, a retired firefighter and paramedic who previously taught at Kennedy High School; and Roy Richard Soto Sr., owner of five Premier Rental-Purchase stores and a Kennedy graduate.

Perez spent three years leading SAISD. He had already retired, and it was to be an interim position while the board there searched for a permanent leader. But after that search led to a candidate who withdrew amid media scrutiny of his record and legal problems, the board made Perez the full superintendent while it resumed its search.

The hiring of SAISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez last year allowed Perez to retire in June to tend to his aging parents. He said Monday that his father died in September.

A native San Antonian, Perez said hes concerned about children in the inner city and wants to help stabilize Edgewood and turn it into an attractive district for prospective future superintendents.

Before SAISD, Perez served as superintendent for the Midland, San Marcos, Clint and Mathis school districts. He has also worked in Harlandale, Judson, North East and Northside ISDs as a teacher or administrator.

Under state law, the new board of managers will run the district for at least three years. School board elections scheduled for November can still go forward, but those elected cannot exercise their powers while the board of managers is in place.

Edgewood ISD enrolls more than 11,000 students. Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath decided in March to appoint a superintendent and board of managers to replace the current trustees after a TEA investigation found that the board was unable to govern the district or work with administrators.

The district had been without a superintendent since the summer, when Jose Cervantes accepted a buyout. It could not agree on whom to appoint to fill a board vacancy left by the departure of a trustee who already had been absent from meetings for months.

amalik@express-news.net

Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN
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The jury in the murder trial of a former Bexar County sheriff's deputy took less than two hours to find him not guilty in the killing of an unarmed man in 2013 after a minor traffic crash.

Anthony Lamont Thomas, now 41, was off duty when he and Mathew Jackson, 29, had a roadside confrontation after the side mirrors on their vehicles bumped while they drove on Loop 1604 near Lookout Road on the Northeast Side before dawn on Aug. 31, 2013.

Thomas is not a cold-blooded killer and did what every other ordinary, prudent person would have done because they would have reasonably believed their life was in danger, his attorney, Cleophus Marshall, told the jury in closing arguments.

When the verdict was announced, deputies immediately escorted Thomas and his family from the courtroom, and Jackson's wife also left, crying.

Thomas fired at Jackson eight times with his Glock semi-automatic pistol and hit him once in the heart, according to testimony. He died at the scene. Thomas has said he heard a gunshot and feared for his life when Jackson ran toward his car with something shiny in his hand.

No other weapon besides Thomas was found but a chrome cigarette lighter was found with Jacksons body, back in Jacksons car.

Mathew Jackson is dead because a trained officer believed a lighter was a gun, special prosecutor Miguel Najera said in his closing statement, accusing Thomas of concocting a story to cover up his actions, a story that did not match the evidence.

Najera used an overhead projector to display a list of what he said were discrepancies in Thomas' statements since the night of the shooting. The 911 tapes show Thomas initially reported that Jackson had a gun, that he saw a gun through his window, Najera said, He (Jackson) fired off a shot and I returned fire. There's no mention of a shiny object.

Then the story changed to, he sees the victim running up to my car, then this is the first time the gun becomes a shiny object, Najera said, pointing out that Thomas said he stayed in his car, but a witness testified he drove by and saw Jackson in his car and another person at the scene.

But Marshall said Thomas self-defense story made sense.

If you believe your brother is an ordinary and prudent person, and believed his life was in danger, ... your grandmother, friend ... preacher would have acted the same way, then you must find him not guilty, Marshall said. If there are any of you who are ordinary and prudent people who would say, 'I would have done the same thing,' you must find him not guilty.

Earlier Tuesday, Najera had asked for a lesser charge of manslaughter to be added as an option for the jury to consider. Defense lawyers objected, saying there was no evidence Thomas was guilty of that.

The state chose not to include that in the indictment, defense attorney Ed Shaughnessy told state District Judge Ron Rangel.

The indictment is what it is, Rangel told Najera. I know you had nothing to do with the indictment.

A grand jury indicted Thomas on the murder charge in 2014 on evidence presented under former Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reeds administration.
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A former police chief and evidence expert tangled with the special prosecutor Monday in the murder trial of Anthony Lamont Thomas, accused in the killing of an unarmed man after a minor traffic mishap in 2013.

Thomass actions were tragic but reasonable when the off-duty Bexar County sheriffs deputy fired eight bullets at restaurant waiter Mathew Jackson, said Albert Ortiz, a retired San Antonio police chief and now a crime scene and evidence consultant. Testifying for the defense, he said he reviewed Thomas statements and reports and believed Thomas felt threatened and followed the training he received as a law officer.

That prompted a heated exchange with special prosecutor Miguel Najera, who said Thomas changed his story,first saying he saw Jackson with a gun, then later saying he saw something shiny in the mans hand before he fired.

Thomas and Jackson had stopped on Loop 1604 near Lookout Road on the Northeast Side on Aug. 31, 2013 after the side mirrors on their vehicles bumped. Thomas told investigators he heard what sounded like a gunshot as Jackson quickly approached his drivers side window. Hit once in the heart, Jackson, 29, died at the scene.

Do police officers lie? Najera asked Ortiz. Do they sometimes cover up their mistakes?

After moments of tense exchanges, Ortiz replied, Yes.

Najera pressed Ortiz on whether the men might have been engaged in a road-rage confrontation because each had attempted to pass the other before their mirrors made contact, and whether any of the evidence he reviewed indicated that Jackson had something in his hand.

Ortiz countered that Thomas had only split seconds to make a decision, and followed training protocols.

If he didnt have a weapon in his hand, he isnt justified to shoot him, Najera said.

Forensic experts testified Monday that Jackson was at least three and up to four and a half feet from the gun barrel when shot.

Ortiz, questioned by defense attorney Cleophus Marshall, said he believed common sense dictated Thomas actions.

Thats the way youre trained, Ortiz said. Three and a half feet is a danger zone. You cant stop. You have to react within seconds.

Jackson had gotten off work and had drinks at a friends house. Tests showed his blood alcohol level to be 0.109, above the state limit of 0.08.

Investigators said they never found a gun belonging to Jackson. A chrome lighter with blood on it was found with Jacksons body in his car.

Jacksons common-law wife, Erica Fitts, testified Monday that she and her husband had been arguing minutes before the fatal encounter. Marshall said the pair exchanged at least 10 calls or text messages between 4 a.m. and 4:36 a.m., and asked whether their argument and his alcohol ingestion made Jackson angry enough to confront Thomas.

I was worried, she said. When he asked Fitts why she kept calling Jackson, she said, I was upset.

Fitts told the jury she went to look for Jackson and rode up on the shooting scene.

Thomas, 41, was indicted in 2014 and has been free on bail. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. Najera was appointed because District Attorney Nicholas LaHood, a defense lawyer before he took office, had been approached by Thomas.

The state and defense rested their cases Monday. Closing arguments are expected to be heard at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday before state District Judge Ron Rangel.

ezavala@express-news.net

Twitter: @elizabeth2863
According the the filings in a lawsuit brought by Equal Justice Under Law against Harris County, Texas, 77% of the inmates in Harris County Jail  largest in Texas, third largest in America  are there because they couldn't make a bail payment of $5,000 or less.

Bail in the jail is assessed via video-links during which the accused are instructed not to speak and are not given access to counsel.

People who are imprisoned before sentence are significantly more likely to plead guilty, "almost 80 percent, compared to 56 percent of those who aren't locked up before trial."

The lawsuit argues that the practice of detaining people too poor to pay bail without assessing whether they can afford it is unconstitutional. It alleges that the county's practice is to determine bail based on a generic offense-based schedule. Anyone who can't pay is detained. Then usually within 24 hours, arrestees appear via a videolink before a hearing officer, who determines probable cause for the arrest and approves the original bail amount, sometimes adding to it, without inquiring about whether the arrestee can pay. Arrestees don't get defense attorneys, nor are they usually allowed to speak or request to have their bail reduced. ODonnell said she was told not to speak during her hearing and it took all of 60 seconds. As one prosecutor recently put it, according to the lawsuit, if an arrestee "can't pay, they sit in jail." After the hearing, anyone who still doesn't have the money is taken to the County Court to see a judge and is assigned a court-appointed attorney. But bail is still unlikely to be reduced, given that it only happens in less than 1 percent of cases, and detainees stay locked up outside of the courtroom, often not even appearing inside. Many plead guilty  almost 80 percent, compared to 56 percent of those who aren't locked up before trial  because they are told they can get released more quickly. "Harris County's wealth-based pretrial detention system violates the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the United States Constitution," the lawsuit says. "It has no place in modern American law." It seeks an injunction to end the practice.

Texas' Largest Jail Accused Of Jailing Poor People Because They Don't Have Money [Bryce Covert/Think Progress]

(Thanks, Pterryx!)



(Image: The 701 Jail, Whisper to Me, PD)
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Tuesday renewed her drive in Congress to change how the military handles sexual assaults, an offensive backed by an attempted delivery of 100,000 petition signatures to the White House demanding change.

But when assault victims and their advocates arrived Tuesday at the White House, they were not allowed to leave the petitions despite what they believed had been an agreement to accept them. The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry on the matter.

Gillibrand, D-NY., announced that she would once again pursue her proposal to change how sexual assault prosecutions take place in the armed services by removing key decisions from the chain of command. Her legislation would establish an independent justice system within the military.

A year ago, Gillibrand fell 10 votes short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster, and she fell five votes short in 2014 amid concerns by the military that the change would erode the World War II-era Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Gillibrand said she is hopeful this year in the wake of reports that the Pentagon misled members of Congress when making its case against the legislation. A vote is expected next month as Congress continues work on a new military spending bill.

I think many senators that weve spoken to are concerned, deeply concerned, about the attempt to mislead Congress, deeply concerned that numbers remain unchanged, deeply concerned that our conviction rate has stalled, she said at a news conference.

The Pentagon for years has been unable to solve its problem with sexual assaults. More than 6,000 assaults were reported last year, a slight dip from the year before, but only 543 cases went to trial. Of those, 413 suspects were convicted.

But victims consistently have said they were retaliated against for reporting assaults, with 60 percent of victims reporting retaliation since 2010.

Overall, the military estimated there were 20,000 assaults two years ago, with most of them not reported by victims to authorities.

Congress in recent years has passed would-be reforms, including provisions to make retaliation against victims a crime and new legal resources for those attacked. But Gillibrand asserted that assaults remain pervasive, as well as reprisals against those who report them.

She directed comments to President Barack Obama, saying she had spoken to him directly.

What Im frustrated about is that he is commander in chief, so he can change this rule all by himself, she said. We believe the president should show leadership here.

Gillibrand pointed to an Associated Press investigation last month finding that the Pentagon misled members of Congress in an effort to blunt her legislation. The report cited internal records showing that Defense Department officials portrayed civilian district attorneys as being less willing than senior military officers to punish sex offenders.

Gillibrand has Republican allies for her legislation, among them Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

At the news conference, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, remarked that some in Congress get intimidated with people coming to the Hill with stars on their shoulders and on their uniforms. There was a lot of evidence given that the military could handle this on their own that was just outright misleading.

Nonetheless, Gillibrand offered no evidence that she has been persuasive in changing votes.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has been one of Gillibrands main adversaries as far as stripping power from the chain of command.

John LaBombard, McCaskills communication director, said, Absolutely no evidence has shown a systemic problem with commanders refusing to move forward with courts-martial, and independent policy experts have rejected the idea of stripping commanders of that power."

Don Christensen, a former Air Force chief prosecutor and now president of Protect Our Defenders, an advocacy group that is promoting more protections for victims, said he believed a number of senators are on the cusp of voting with us, but was unable to name them.

After the news conference, a contingent from Protect our Defenders accompanied by two assault victims were rebuffed when trying to deliver the petitions at the White House. A spokesman said they had filled out the necessary security forms but that uniformed Secret Service refused to allow the petitions to be left.

Christensen said he was disappointed. To get 100,000 people to step up like this shows that the country is concerned and it shows the president and the people who work for him that this issue is not going to go away, he said.

bill.lambrecht@hearstdc.com




Texas voters return to the polls today to settle a handful of races that werent decided in the Republican and Democratic primary elections in March.

About 10,000 people in Bexar County cast early votes last week in the four runoff races on the Republican ballot and five contests on the Democrats ballot.

Todays winners secure a place on the November general election ballot.

Some 6,930 Democrats voted at the countys 34 early voting sites, compared with 3,440 Republicans.

Four of the five races on the Democrats ballot are local contests, while only one of the four GOP races is the kind of local affair that boosts turnout. Competing for the GOPs nomination for constable in Precinct 3 are incumbent Mark Vojvodich and challenger Nathan Buchanan.

Topping the short GOP runoff ballot is the race between Texas Railroad Commission candidates Gary Gates and Wayne Christian. Amid possible name confusion in Bexar County, last week Gates published a newspaper ad reminding voters that his opponent shares the name of a beloved local judge.

Republicans have two runoffs for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Vying for the Place 2 nomination are Ray Wheless and Mary Lou Keel. In Place 5, the runoff pits Brent Webster against Scott Walker.

Democrats are reckoning with one statewide runoff between Railroad Commission candidates Grady Yarbrough and Cody Garrett. The party has two countywide runoffs, with Gabe Quintanilla and Angelica Jimenez competing for the 408th District Court bench, and Andy Lopez and Javier Salazar facing off for the sheriff nomination.

The Democrats sheriff nominee will challenge Sheriff Susan Pamerleau, a Republican, on Nov. 8.

Another big contest Tuesday is the Democrats race for state representative in District 120, where Barbara Gervin-Hawkins and Mario Salas made the runoff as the top two vote-getters in the six-candidate March primary. The winner goes to the November ballot, where there wont be a GOP candidate but there could be an independent challenger.

Democrats also will pick a nominee for Precinct 2 constable, with Rudy Garza and Michelle Barrientes Vela in the runoff.

Voters can find out whether theyre registered to vote, their polling site location and whats on todays ballot by visiting www.bexar.org/elections.

jgonzalez@express-news.net

Twitter: @johnwgonzalez
EGYPTIAN MILITARY, HO / NYT

CAIRO  The French navy said Monday that one of its ships has joined the search for the wreckage of EgyptAir Flight 804, focusing especially on the hunt for its flight recorders, as questions remain over what caused the Airbus A320 flying over the Mediterranean to crash, killing all 66 on board.

Days after the plane crashed, remains of the victims arrived at a morgue in this Egyptian capital city, where forensic experts were to carry out DNA tests, according to the head of EgyptAir, Safwat Masalam.
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The six-building Scobey complex and the surrounding Cattleman Square neighborhood  which are both full of history but marred by urban blight  could be due for a revival as a developer plans to turn the complex into a mixed-use project.

A developer is under contract to buy the 2.6-acre, 270,000-square-foot complex at 301 N. Medina St. on the near West Side, according to its current owner, Ed Cross, who is CEO of Cushman & Wakefield affiliate San Antonio Commercial Advisors. He declined to name the developer at this time.

Cross is asking the city to rezone the industrial-zoned complex, and the city Zoning Commission is expected to consider the request at its June 21 meeting.

If it is built, the project could be a catalyst for the Cattleman Square area, which doesnt have much of a residential presence apart from the Haven for Hope homeless shelter; it is one of the few parts of central San Antonio without a registered neighborhood association, according to the citys website.

The area around the Scobey is dominated by government buildings such as the Bexar Appraisal District headquarters and the hulking Bexar County Adult Detention Center.

The Cattleman Square area is largely derelict, scarred by vacant lots, abandoned industrial buildings, and empty beer and liquor bottles, but it has seen major improvements in recent years. The Scobey is less than a block away from VIAs $35 million new Centro Plaza transfer hub and its executive offices in the recently renovated International & Great Northern Railroad depot, now known as the Grand. Its also a few blocks north of UTSAs downtown campus and a little more than half a mile from the newly built Peanut Factory Lofts on South Frio Street.

With the help of a county economic development grant, local firm 210 Developers is building a 242-unit apartment building named Vitre at the crossing of West Commerce Street and Pecos-La Trinidad, a few blocks east of Scobey. The first residents are expected to move in within 14 to 16 months, said Mark Tolley, a partner at the firm. 210 Developers also built the Peanut Factory Lofts.

Its obviously a very transitional neighborhood. It has fantastic historical fabric, Tolley said of Cattleman Square. We are very encouraged by the steps that have been taken in the area  every step is incremental when youre looking at revitalization of areas like this.

The neighborhood, which offers great views of San Antonios skyline, is appealing to county employees, UTSA students and those seeking an urban lifestyle who are willing to take the risk of moving to a changing area, Tolley said.

The Scobey, which the city has declared a historic landmark, was appraised for a total of $1.1 million this year, according to the Bexar Appraisal District.

The developer eyeing the Scobey could benefit from a Federal Transit Administration program to create mixed-use developments around transit stations. Last month, San Antonio was selected to receive assistance from the administration, and local officials plan to use it to revitalize the area around Centro Plaza.

The Scobey dates to about 1940, according to county property records, but one of the buildings has a cornerstone indicating it was built in 1913. It was the hub of a transportation and logistics company until the early 70s, according to the Express-News archives. Cross bought it in 1999 as an investment, he said in a phone interview.

When SAWS decided to move its headquarters around 2003, Cross proposed the Scobey as a potential site, but SAWS instead bought the former headquarters of Valero Corp. near Brackenridge Park. Seven or eight years ago, he proposed the site as a new headquarters for the San Antonio Police Department, but the department instead chose a nearby site on Santa Rosa Avenue.

Finally, Cross put the property on the market about a year ago because he is shifting his focus to developing the River North area, he said.

The western part of downtown, across Interstate 10 from Cattleman Square, also has potential for redevelopment. The city and county have put more than 8 acres of prime real estate on the market in the hope they will be used for a mix of businesses and residential dwellings. The $175 million San Pedro Creek revitalization project also is expected to spur development there.
A police detective in Rock Falls, Illinois has been arrested for stealing more than $1,700 in cash found on the body of a man who died of a heroin overdose. Detective Sgt. Veronica Jaramillo, 43, was taken into police custody on May 17, 2016 by Illinois State Police and charged with theft and official misconduct.

Investigators say the detective was assigned to the dead man's case, and stole the cash from the Rock Falls Police Department evidence locker to pay her own utility bills.

Penny DePotter, of Dixon, Illinois first told a WQAD-TV reporter it was her son's money that was stolen.

"She took it all, every dollar of it", DePotter said.

Paul "Rodney" DePotter was found dead of a heroin overdose on December 6, 2015. His mother said he had been 21 days clean and sober, but had recently inherited about $2,500 from his grandfather. Police say $1,741 was found on DePotter's body when he died.

"I'm hurt because her bills were more important than my son. And when I called her she said, 'What more do you want me to do'?" She was cold. She was very cold", DePotter told a reporter.

"She's dirty. There's no other way around it. The lowest of the low", she said. "That money was not drug related, they had no right to keep that money. It was not drug-related", she said.

From local news WQAD:

Jaramillo was placed on administrative leave Tuesday, according to the Rock Falls Police Chief Tammy Nelson. Nelson said that any matters where Jaramillo was the lead investigator would be reviewed and reassigned. "As this time it does not appear that any investigation or arrest handled by Sergeant Jaramillo will be impacted," said Nelson's statement.

Addiction is a disease. People who die of addiction deserve to be treated with respect. So do their families. May justice be served.

[Related local news coverage: kwqc.com]
European Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan was urged to drive forward his simplification agenda as he visited a West Lothian farm this morning (20 May).

At the request of NFU Scotland, the Commissioner visited the Dandie family at Learielaw, Broxburn on Friday, 20 May, where they run a large arable farm with a beef suckler cow herd and beef finishing enterprises.

The visit followed Commissioner Hogans participation in NFU Scotlands debate on European membership 'In or Out  The implications for Scottish food and farming' which was held at Ingliston the previous evening (Thursday 19 May).

Commissioner Hogan spoke in some detail about his commitment to cutting regulatory burden during the debate and NFU Scotland used the farm visit to push the case that his simplification agenda must deliver meaningful change for those actively farming and crofting in Scotland today.

Burden 'weighs heavily' on almost every farm business

Speaking after the visit, NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said: "The regulatory framework built around CAP, and the fear that has built up around accidental breaches of those rules, weighs heavily on almost every farm business in Scotland.

"Commissioner Hogan has spoken passionately about his simplification agenda, changes are being introduced and we understand more positive developments are yet to be announced.

"That is refreshing to hear and we urge the Commissioner to press on with that work so that we can make a genuine difference to the regulatory burden on Scottish farm businesses.

"One key development already on track is the notion of a yellow card system on penalties, where an unintentional breach of the rules offers the opportunity to rectify matters rather than the current heavy handed penalty system approach.

"This is a significant step forward on proportionality and a lobbying priority of NFU Scotlands for many, many years. We look forward to more detail on how this approach can be taken forward.

'Huge environmental contribution that farming delivers'

"On regulation, the rules around the greening element of the new CAP are part of Commissioner Hogans review.

"We not only need simplification in this area, but we also want the Commissioner to better recognise the huge environmental contribution that farming currently delivers.

"While we urge Commissioner Hogan to put the tools in place across Europe, it will then be NFU Scotlands job to ensure that Scottish Government adopts them.

"But as we have seen, to our cost, Scottish Government has at times chosen to gold-plate rather than simplify and as a result our farmers and growers are now operating to more restrictive greening rules when compared to other parts of the UK and Europe.

"With CAP budgets under pressure, we want the Commissioners review to keep a focus on activity, preserving precious funds for those actively farming and so delivering the economic, environmental and social goods which the CAP was designed for.

"With the meeting having taken place on an excellently managed West Lothian farm, producing quality Scottish cereals and beef, the extreme market volatility affecting every farm and every sector in Europe means Commissioner Hogan must press on with measures to help reduce the impact of such extreme volatility on family farms.

"We know market management tools and support from the European Investment Bank are under discussions but the farm price crisis is deepening.

"NFU Scotland believes changes are required in the wider supply chain. As things stand, an unfair share of the risk sits with primary producers while they are failing to share in the rewards.

"While the Grocery Code Adjudicator is an important starting point for fairness in the UK, we urge the Commissioner to press on with similar considerations at a European level and extend these from the retailer right down the supply chain to farms."
Rodrigo Duterte is the new president of the Philippines: he ran on a promise to be a "dictator" and endorsed execution by vigilante death-squad as a way of combating crime; now he's announced that he will give a hero's burial to the embalmed corpse of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who committed mass-scale human rights abuses and embezzled $10B from the national treasury.

Marcos died in exile in Hawaii, and his body was subsequently embalmed and put on display in his family's home in the Philippines. Marcos's son is now a prominent politician in the Philippines.

Duterte will also pardon Gloria Arroyo, another corrupt former president of the Philippines, currently facing charges of graft and vote fraud.

Duterte has said that he will not prohibit protests at the internment of Marcos's body.

The Marcos clan has insisted the late ruler deserves to be buried at the cemetery, arguing he was a World War II hero for resisting the Japanese occupiers. However American and local historians have disputed his military credentials. Duterte said allowing Marcos to be buried at the cemetery did not necessarily make him a hero, pointing out other soldiers without gloried reputations were also there. But current President Benigno Aquino, whose parents led the democracy movement against Marcos, did not allow the burial, arguing it would be the "height of injustice". Duterte also said on Monday that he believed Arroyo, who has been detained since 2011, should be free. "I'm ready to grant a pardon to Arroyo. Arroyo to my mind should already be released," Duterte said of the president from 2001 to 2010.



Philippine dictator Marcos to get hero's burial: Duterte

[AFP]





(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
EU exports of all pig meat products were up by more than a quarter in the first three months of 2016, compared with a year earlier, according to latest figures from the EU Commission.

All the main categories of export were higher, on the back of strong demand from Asian markets, in particular.

Fresh/frozen pork exports to China more than doubled, while sales to Hong Kong and the Philippines were both up by a third.

Total pig meat exports to non-EU countries (Jan-Mar)

Japan and the United States both took around 20% more EU pork than in the same period last year.

South Korea was the only major market to take significantly less product this year. Offal sales to the Asian markets were similarly strong.

In addition, China bought substantially more pig fat this year which, along with growth to the Philippines, provided some relief to a part of the market which has been struggling since the Russian ban.

All of the EUs significant exporters experienced year-on-year growth in third country exports during the first quarter of 2016.

Spain led the way with shipments up by nearly half, while Germany saw a 31% rise and Denmarks sales were up 7%.

It was a similar story among the EUs mid-ranking exporters, including the UK, which saw third country volumes rise by more than half, the fastest growth of any Member State.

The strength of export sales in early 2016 helped to provide some support to the EU pig market at a time when consumer demand for pork was subdued.

More recent reports suggest that export sales have remained strong, meaning that an upturn in domestic demand has tightened the EU market and pushed pig prices higher.

With supplies are forecast to reduce later in the year, signs that export demand will remain robust could provide some cautious optimism among EU producers.
The food and farming industry could benefit from an extra 360 billion in EU funding to help SMEs and larger processors grow their businesses, the Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said today.

In a meeting with UK farmers and banking experts she will agree plans to make best use of these funds to boost the productivity and competitiveness of farm businesses.

The money can be used to help build successful British agricultural businesses, including grants to fund start-ups, improve infrastructure, develop skills, find business partners abroad and pilot new product lines.

Between 2011 and 2015, dairy companies in the UK invested just 468m in their businesses, compared to 1.4bn in Germany and 785m in Ireland - highlighting the opportunities that additional funding could bring to the UK industry.

Investment in additional processing capacity, for example, would help address the 1.3bn dairy deficit, which means less than half the butter and cheese we eat is made here in the UK.

Help unleash the talent and ambition

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: "Unlocking access to our share of 360 billion of European funding will help unleash the talent and ambition across our world-leading food and farming industry, from supporting punchy start-ups to developing the very latest technology in production methods.

"Last year our dairy exports hit 1.4 billion so we know theres a growing appetite for quality British dairy products.

"The funding will help innovative businesses produce more high-demand products such as yoghurts and cheeses in the UK, creating more jobs, increasing productivity and making the sector more resilient."

Artisan cheese manufacturer Cows & Co, which has its creamery in Cumbria and dairy herd in Dumfriesshire, is one such farm business seeking to access EU funding to support its expansion.

Cows & Co is bringing together a group of farmers in the borders area who have additional capacity to produce high-quality milk to make cheese.

Together, they are looking to create unpasteurised cheese to sell into the many specialist shops across the UK that have sprung up to cater for the increasing demand in top-quality British cheeses.

While Cows & Co has the necessary producing, processing and marketing expertise within its group, moving into unpasteurised products requires investing in separate processing facilities  which is where EU support can provide the head start the project needs.

Accessing the right funding is a 'pivotal catalyst'

Stuart MacLennan of Cows & Co, who will speak at todays meeting, said: "Cows and Co Group are committed to investing in our business to grow the premium markets that are fundamental to adding sustainable profitability to the dairy industry.

"Accessing the right funding is a pivotal catalyst to delivering this strategy as well as investing in new technologies and new routes to market."

Other attendees at the meeting include representatives from the European Investment Bank, the European Commission, British high street banks, Dairy UK, National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Dairy Crest and Muller.

They will look at opportunities for investment in the dairy supply chain as well as ways for the industry and its partners to identify relevant projects and access EU funds.

In addition to the introduction of extended tax averaging and securing the third-largest settlement of all EU Member States in direct aid for our dairy farmers, the government has backed the creation of a futures market for dairy, pushed for the creation of an Agricultural Markets Taskforce to enhance transparency in the supply chain, and is opening up new export markets.
Scottish shoppers are being urged to 'Do More With Pork' in a new campaign behind specially selected pork.

The six week campaign aims to showcase the quality, affordability and versatility of Specially Selected Pork, which is underpinned by quality assurance schemes which make animal welfare a priority.

Featuring four recipes, which are perfect for both delicious mid-week meals, as well as barbecues with friends and family, the Scotland-wide campaign will be supported by online, radio and press advertising.

Three hundred independent butchers, who are members of the Scotch Butchers Club, will also receive promotional packs containing recipe cards and resources to help them boost their sales of Specially Selected Pork during the campaign period.

Laurent Vernet, Quality Meat Scotlands Head of Marketing said that the campaign aims to inform people how highly versatile and budget-friendly pork.

"This years campaign is very much building on the 42% brand recognition we already have with Scottish shoppers, so that when consumers go into their local butchers or supermarket they are looking to put pork into their shopping basket.

"The Specially Selected Pork logo not only assures quality in every bite but also assures consumers that animals have been reared to animal health and welfare standards approved by the Scottish SPCA."

Specially Selected Pork will also be the main sponsor of Taste of Grampian 2016 on June 4th with its high profile involvement ensuring the visitors who attend the event leave with a better understanding of what sets the Scottish pig industrys brand apart.
A list of farmers signed up to a new cull has been leaked and their names and addresses published on an anti-cull Facebook page.

Police have urged farmers who feel threatened by protesters to contact them.

We are actively investigating any offences that may have been committed. We take the safety of our communities very seriously, a police spokesman said.

On its Facebook page, the Stop the Cull group said it had the list. It added: Weve received a list of farmers who have signed up for the Devon badger cull  The source of the information is from within the farming industry, seems the badgers have friends everywhere. When we have confirmed that the information is 100% correct, well publish it.

The NFU condemned the publishing of the list as it could lead to farming families being targeted.

"As far as we are aware, the list that has been leaked appears to have been compiled by a third party based on speculation and assumption. Circulating or threatening to publish a list like this is hugely irresponsible and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms," the union said.

Last month the government announced that Natural England had received 29 applications or expressions of interest from farmers groups wanting a badger cull in their area.

NFU South West regional chairman James Small said the leaking of names would only become a problem if people used it for illegal purposes, such as violence or intimidation.

He added: "I would encourage the Badger Trust to condemn any illegal activity that might take place at any time."

'Heroes of the countryside'

Natural England said it has received 29 applications as farmers across the South West prepare for the next roll-out of the badger culls.

Farmers who have taken part in the badger cull are 'true heroes', NFU president Meurig Raymond said.

"Let me be very clear, the NFU may have galvanised action but the people we should really thank are those on the ground in Somerset, Gloucestershire and, this year Dorset, for making the 2015 programme safe, humane and effective.

"You are the true heroes of the farming community. On behalf of all livestock farmers, Thank you."

"Secretary of State I salute what you and your predecessor have done to establish an eradication strategy and get culling onto the agenda and off the ground, he said.
AHDB agrees to transfer surplus levy funds to new horticultural body
Increase depends on land productivity

By Diego Flammini

Assistant Editor, North American Content

Farms.com

Farmers in Illinois may notice an increase in farmland taxes as they begin receiving their tax bills.

Jessica Grammer, manager at the Jackson County Farm Bureau told the Herald & Review that the increase is based on the lands productivity index  which determines soil quality.

Parts of Southern Illinois have a productivity index ranging from 90 to 100, which is closer to the lower end, compared to Central Illinois which has many farms in the 120s.

The Illinois Farm Bureau estimates the lowest average index is 90 (valued at about $74.73 per acre) in Johnson County, and 125 (valued at about $522.88 per acre) in DeWitt and Piatt counties.

Ron Ellis, a Williamson County Commissioner told the Herald & Review that based on his math, farmland with a 91 index rating could see a 37 per cent increase in the first year and a 77 per cent increase in the second year.

Jim Anderson, a farmer from Williamson County, said farmers in the northern part of the state have better lands and therefore should pay more.

Their soil is a higher quality, so they can sell it at a higher prices, he told the Herald & Review. With the exception of land costs, we have the same expenses in equipment  and time.

Anderson explained a scenario where it costs a farmer $400 to plant an acre of corn, which produces 150 bushels. At $4/bushel it can take 100 bushels to break even and he would need an extra 50 bushels to make money.
Dissernet, a leaderless collective of Russian scientists and journalists scrapes the doctoral dissertations of Russian elites  who have been attaining advanced degrees at an unprecedented rate  runs them through plagiarism detection software to flag probable frauds for human review, and publishes the names of officials who've been caught cheating, one or two every day.

The fake dissertations are hilariously bad. Igor Igoshin, a member of the Duma, got his degree in economics for a thesis on the market for meat, which began life as someone else's research on chocolate markets; Igoshin's dissertation just search/replaces instances of "chocolate" with "beef" ("dark chocolate" becomes "home grown beef" and "white chocolate" becomes "imported beef"). Yuri Tsarapkin received his oncology degree for a thesis on breast cancer that started out at someone else's thesis on stomach cancer, with "stomach" search/replaced by "breast."

But getting a fake degree has real advantages: in the professions, advanced degrees allow practitioners to charge more for their services. Politicians with advanced degrees can rotate out of politics into senior positions as university administrators.

Dissernet participants have been singled out for retaliation, of course. One founder has been charged with tax evasion; and a journalist involved with the project has been questioned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But the organization  amorphous and leaderless, without offices or funding  has thus far been largely immune to state attacks.





The supply side of the diploma mills is shrouded in mystery. Slick salespeople from the dissertation-for-hire industry make cold calls on successful business-people with this pitch: "It's time you became a doctor of economics. It'll be good for your business." The growth of Dissernet has dented their business, because the buyers are increasingly wary of buying plagiarized goods that will be exposed, humiliating them (if only briefly) on the public stage.



The most straightforward reason that advanced degrees are in such high demand in Russia is that they can bring tangiblethat is, monetarybenefits to those who acquire them. In some sectors of the economy, only those with doctorates can be promoted to the highest ranks; in others, including medicine, an advanced degree allows a practitioner to charge more for his services. In politics, the incentives are particularly perverse: Not only do Ph.D.s allow officials who have lost their hold on power to get highly paid jobs as the heads of universities ("where the unlucky or the failed or the stupid can land," said Zayakin), they also make it easier to profit from other forms of corruption. "Teaching work is one of the few legal spheres of work that active politicians are allowed to do," said Parkhomenko. "A politician isn't allowed to do business. But he can be a professor, and he can write books. That's a great way to launder money. Where did you get this money? Well, I gave lectures. I did consulting. I'm a respected person; I have this income from my scientific teaching work." But the value that Russia's elites place on academic status is not entirely economic. Osipian argues that the country's past and the proud tradition of scholarly excellence it established during the Soviet era is key to understanding today's demand for Ph.D.s. "In the Soviet Union, there was enormous prestige around math and sciencephysics, chemistry, biochemistry, biologybecause there was real research being done, and the people doing it were honest and honorable," he said. That prestige has survived, even as funding for academic work has declined under Putin and many scientists have left for jobs abroad. For those who can afford it, an advanced degree is still a tool for social advancement. According to Gregory Simons, a senior researcher at the Uppsala Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies in Sweden and the co-author of a recent article on corruption in Russian higher education, the explosion in academic fraud in Russia has been fueled by the combination of actual scholars and scientists being underpaid and of socially ambitious professionals having disposable income to spend on status symbols.



The Craziest Black Market in Russia

[Leon Neyfakh/Slate]





(via Beyond the Beyond)

(Image: Working meeting with State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin

, Kremlin.ru, CC-BY)
DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the establishment candidate's establishment candidate: she co-sponsored SOPA, blocked reform of loan-sharking payday lenders, voted against marijuana law reform, called for the prosecution of SOPA, and chaired Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign. She's served six terms in office and never had to face a primary challenger, until now.

Tim Canova is the anti-Wasserman Schultz: a former advisor to Bernie Sanders who has raised a tidy sum in small-money individual donations (average: $17.63), believes in campaign finance reform, killing TPP, and regulating Wall Street banks.

Sanders publicly endorsed Canova last week, and Canova brought in another $250,000 off the endorsement (he'd previously raised over $1M). I gave him $100 (my family and I were issued our green cards on Saturday, freeing us to make legal campaign contributions; I also donated to Sanders).

Instead, it's Wasserman Schultz's brand of politics that makes her so worthy of a challenge from the base. Any sitting officeholder who chairs such as vast fundraising apparatus as the Democratic National Committee is going to be the receptacle for impure donations. But dear God, if she hasn't performed some unseemly donor maintenance. She, along with much of the Florida delegation, has co-sponsored a bill to block proposed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules reining in payday lenders, an awful industry that has donated her tens of thousands of dollars. She voted last year for another measure to block CFPB enforcement of regulatory guidance that would crack down on auto dealers discriminating by race. The auto dealers' lobby is no joke. About the only issue on which she is willing to go against her donors' wishes is medical marijuana, the legalization of which she is weirdly opposed to. It's hard to determine what sort of chance Canova has, since Wasserman Schultz has never before faced a Democratic primary challenger. But it's probably not going to be easy. Wasserman Schultz's reliably blue district has a high percentage of Hispanic and older voters who don't express the sort of hostility toward the Democratic establishment you might find on a college campus. Sanders' support will bring Canova all the money he needs. Still, he's working on a terrain that went 68 to 31 percent in Clinton's favor in the March presidential primary.

Bernie Is Building an Army of Primary Challengers

[Jim Newell/Slate]

Bernie Sanders email raises $250,000 for Debbie Wasserman Schultz's primary opponent

[Elizabeth Landers]
More than half of employees who work for CCS make $43K or more a year
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.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) fined a former AML compliance officer and suspended her for failing to conduct required due diligence and periodic risk reviews of foreign financial institutions.

Linda L. Busby, formerly from Raymond James & Associates, Inc., was fined $25,000 and suspended for three months.

FINRA also fined Raymond James and an affiliate $17 million for widespread anti-money laundering failures.

Busby was the AML compliance officer for Raymond James from 2002 to February 2013.

FINRA said Raymond James grew quickly between 2006 and 2014. Because of the growth, Busby and Raymond James were unable to establish AML programs tailored to each firms business.

Instead they relied on a patchwork of written procedures and systems across different departments to detect suspicious activity.

The end result, FINRA said, was that certain red flags of potentially suspicious activity went undetected or inadequately investigated.

FINRA sanctioned Raymond James in 2012 for inadequate AML procedures. As part the 2012 settlement, the firm agreed to review its program and procedures, and certify that they were reasonably designed to achieve compliance.

Brad Bennett, FINRAs enforcement chief, said the latest AML failures were made even more egregious by the previous sanction for the same offenses.

Raymond James failed to conduct required due diligence and periodic risk reviews for foreign financial institutions, FINRA said.

Busby failed to ensure that Raymond Jamess reviews were conducted.

Raymond James and Busby consented to FINRAs findings but neither admitted nor denied the charges.

FINRA is the biggest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. In 2015, it brought 1,512 disciplinary actions against registered brokers and firms and levied $95 million in fines.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Hell be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016.
Alexander Skarsgard was injured while filming a sex scene for 'The Legend of Tarzan'.

Alexander Skarsgard

The hunky 39-year-old actor admitted he was hurt while working on a raunchy love scene with co-star Margot Robbie after she hit him.

He told Closer magazine: "Even though I'm fighting apes, the only injury I got was from a sex scene with Margot - she hit me!

"Our director David Yates wanted our sex scene to be really animalistic, so he was behind the camera saying things like, 'Hit him harder! Come on!'

"He kind of egged us on and wanted to feel very primal, so she beat me up!"

Despite the incident, Alexander admitted it wasn't difficult to act out love scenes alongside beautiful Margot, 25, who plays his romantic interest Jane Porter.

He said: "Tarzan and Jane have to be drawn to each other, and the audience need to feel it - obviously it wasn't hard acting that with Margot, she's so charming!"

Director David previously spoke about Alexander getting injured during filming, revealing that Margot punched the actor and left a mark.

He said: "They're doing this love scene together, and I said [to Margot], 'Just slap Alex while you're making love, just kind of give him a punch'.

"It was sort of an earthy, sensual moment of her enjoying sex with Alex, and the only bruise he picked up during the entire shoot was probably that punch from Margot. Which says a lot about her feistiness."

Meanwhile, it was recently claimed that Alexander and his girlfriend Alexa Chung are buying a house in Los Angeles together.

The couple have been dating for over a year, and though Alexander has been living with the British beauty in New York, they are now planning to move to the West Coast for the sake of his career and have already started looking at properties together.

A source said: "They are completely made for each other and are having a great time together.

"Alex sold his Los Feliz mansion last year and has been living in NYC with Alexa, but work opportunities are pulling him back to LA.

"Alexa loves the lifestyle there too, so they are considering buying together. They are thought to have already browsed a $4.5 million home nestled in the hills in Silverlake."
Calvin Harris rang Taylor Swift after his car accident to assure her that he was safe.

Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift

The 32-year-old DJ was lucky to escape with minor injuries after a VW Beetle collided with his Cadillac SUV near Los Angeles International Airport last week and Calvin immediately called his 26-year-old girlfriend to tell her that he was ok.

A source told E! News: "He didn't want to alarm her. She was very caring when they connected on the phone when it initially happened."

While Calvin had to cancel two gigs over the weekend as he recovered from the accident, he is doing much better and is expected to return to work soon.

The insider added: "He is keeping an eye on his body to make sure he is 100 per cent this week."

A representative for Calvin - whose real name is Adam Wiles - said he is "recovering", explaining: "Adam was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck in a serious collision in Los Angeles. He was examined by doctors and sustained a number of injuries. He has since been checked out of hospital and is now recovering. We wish all the other passengers involved in the incident a fast recovery."

Calvin - who was a passenger in the SUV and reportedly left hospital "against medical advice" because there were no private rooms available - called off Friday's (20.05.16) DJ set at Omnia nightclub in Las Vegas after the accident and followed it up by pulling out of his planned headlining performance at Hangout Fest in Alabama on Saturday (21.05.16).

One of the passengers in the other car, driven by a 16 year old, reportedly broke her pelvis after being violently ejected from the vehicle in the collision.
Elijah Wood insists he has "no firsthand experience or observation" of a Hollywood paedophile ring.

Elijah Wood

The 35-year-old actor - who is best known for his starring role in the 'Lord of the Rings' franchise - previously claimed there is a conspiracy to cover-up historic cases of child abuse involving some of the movie industry's most influential names, likening the situation to the case of British entertainer Jimmy Savile, who was exposed as a paedophile after his death in 2011.

But he has now insisted his remarks were taken further than he intended as he had only had a "brief" exchange about a "powerful documentary" he had seen.

He tweeted: "The Sunday Times interviewed me about my latest film but the story became about something else entirely.

"It prompted a number of false and misleading headlines. I had just seen a powerful documentary and I briefly spoke with the reporter about the subject which had consequences I did not intend or expect. Lesson learned.

"Let me be clear: This subject of child abuse is an important one that should be discussed and properly investigated. But as I made absolutely clear to the writer, I have no firsthand experience or observation of the topic, so I cannot speak with any authority beyond articles I have read and films I have seen."

In his original interview, Elijah admitted the expose of Jimmy Savile - a popular figure in the UK until it emerged he abused hundreds of victims over the course of his career, and used his fame and influence to cover his tracks - must have been "devastating" to his fans.

He said: "You all grew up with Savile, Jesus, it must have been devastating."

And he went on to discus "vipers" in the industry who had similar intentions.

Elijah told the Sunday Times newspaper: "Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organised. There are a lot of vipers in this industry, people who only have their own interests in mind. There is darkness in the underbelly - if you can imagine it, it's probably happened."

Elijah added that abuse victims cannot speak loudly enough to have their voices heard amid the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

However, he remains grateful to his own mother for ensuring he was protected from sinister characters during his early years in the movie business.

He said: "She was far more concerned with raising me to be a good human than facilitating my career."
Sheridan Smith has been rushed to hospital.

Sheridan Smith

The 'Funny Girl' actress - who has sparked concerns for her mental health in recent weeks - was taken via ambulance to Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford on Sunday (22.05.16) after she reportedly collapsed at Champneys Health Spa.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Things have been looking up, but on Sunday there was a medical emergency and ambulances were called. But she is doing much better and it has nothing to do with stress or her state of mind."

A spokesperson for the South East Coast Ambulance confirmed a woman "in need of medical assistant" was taken to hospital as a "priority" just after 5.20pm.

She was later released from the Royal Surrey County and is said to have made a full recovery following her collapse.

The 34-year-old beauty - whose beloved father Colin was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year - decided to flee to the Champneys Health Spa after taking a month off her West End show 'Funny Girl' due to "exhaustion and stress."

Producers of the production, which is staged at the Savoy Theatre in London, announced earlier this month that Sheridan will not be appearing in the show for "two to four weeks" while she gets the "rest and support she needs".

Sheridan was recently faced with claims she was drunk on stage during the West End show, with the performance subsequently cancelled due to "technical difficulties."

Meanwhile, Sheridan's friends are becoming increasingly worried about the star and have urged her to get some help after she started to isolate herself following her father's tragic cancer diagnosis in January.

A source said recently: "Her dad's diagnosis was a bolt from the blue. She is trying to be strong but she isn't answering her phone, and has cocooned herself away from lots of her mates. We want her to get the help she needs - that anyone would need under the circumstances."
The Trump family was spotted in full attendance at Tiffany Trump's graduation day and all looked happily settled. The family got together to celebrate Trump's 'mystery' (Tiffany's media tag) daughter's big day.



For those who have watched the American comedy 'What a Girl Wants', will be able to relate to what I meant by mentioning 'happily settled' family and 'mystery daughter'. The Hollywood flick is very much a reflection of Tiffany-Donald Trump's life. Ignoring the controversies that refuse to leave Donald Trump alone, what remains positive for him is the support he gets from his beautiful (literally) family.



Irrespective of whatever the US Presidential election result would be, the Trump empire is blessed with two glamourous divas - Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump, who vouch for their father's passion supporting women empowerment.



Previously referred to as Donald Trump's 'mystery daughter', Tiffany Trump broke her silence about her father at Trump's Republican presidential debate. The 'glamourous' Tiffany is sweeping the Instagrammers off their feet by posting her bikini clad pictures. On the other hand, Ivanka Trump is grace, power and (American) beauty personified. EVP at the Trump organization and principal of Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, Ivanka introduced Donald Trump for the big presidential announcement at the Trump Tower.



Take a look at these 5 pictures of the Trump girls that will teach you all about being the attagirl!







No matter what the world says about you, you just need to believe in yourself!







You are hot, sexy and beautiful! JUST free yourself of all the inhibitions.







Be glamourous in all situations. You are a woman of 'power' and if you believe in that, the world will bow in front you!







Love yourself and the world will love you too!







Never forget what makes you a powerful woman. Stay connected to your roots at all times.





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Young men have successfully lobbied for a larger slice of a stronghold of 'sisters'--nursing. Brothers, as they are referred to, will now have 30% seats in nursing colleges, up from the earlier 10%, as the state has relaxed the quota for men.

"In our previous general body meeting, we increased the quota for male nurses to 30% in the GNM (general nursing and midwifery) course because of the demand from males," said Maharashtra Nursing Council president Dr Ramling Mali.



Nursing, largely a women's profession, has seen increasing interest among men, often fuelled by the high pay and growing opportunity to migrate to the West. Some term the quota as gender discrimination and feel men and women must co-exist in the profession. Then there are states like West Bengal that don't entertain men who aim to be nurses. Many nursing colleges declare themselves as "all-girl" institutes to duck charges of gender bias.Similarly , several hospitals too have not yet opened their doors to brothers. In 2009, the Madras high court had upheld the Tamil Nadu government's decision to bar male candidates from the diploma course in nursing on the grounds that the course syllabus had been changed to include midwifery , and that government hospitals had enough "male nurses" till 2045. But in other states like Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, said Dileep Kumar, president of Indian Nursing Council, men have entered the nursing education stream.



At the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health and Sciences, Karnataka's health science university , the number of males opting for the nursing course has ballooned. In 2007-08, only 97 men registered for the BSc nursing course against 276 women. The number rose to 2,454 in 2010-11 against 5,270 females.In Maharashtra, for BSc nursing in 2015, there were 621men against 2,554 women. In 2013, it was 304 men for 2,598 women.



"We at the INC have not mapped the data of nurses yet.We have a registry of 19 lakh nurses, but many of these may be retired, or may not be working or may have gone abroad.We have started the exercise of tracking our nurses now," added Kumar. He added that several hospital departments needed male nurses and hospitals were waking up to that fact.



But many brothers already in the profession claimed they were having trouble at the workplace due to the perception that they were "heavy lifters" of patients and that women patients were not comfortable with them.



Many tried to explain the increased interest of men in nursing despite the perceived disadvantages to the high pay and the shortage of nurses globally. Research shows that among male nurses migrating into the EU nations, youths from Punjab dominate.



"The social composition of aspiring migrants among Indian nurses is becoming more diverse. The intention to migrate is notable among Punjabi nurses. Known for their strong migratory disposition, the people of Punjab have built social networks across Europe and North America. Unlike migration from Kerala, migration from Punjab has been led by men," noted a paper on international mobility of nurses by Praveen Kodoth and Tina Jacob.

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Blood donations are usually sluggish in summer as people are on vacation and educations institutions that host drives are closed. But the crisis this May, say hospitals, is forcing doctors to put off elective surgeries.

Doctors attributed the paucity to the elections, which kept volunteers busy, and the vacations that have kept away students, who form 75% of donors. City hospitals are presently seeing at least a 40% drop in donors since last month.



Government hospitals are increasingly depending on their donor registry. "In an emergency, we call up a volunteer from our registry," said N Rajkumar, head of the blood bank at Stanley Medical College and Hospital. There wasn't really a crisis as elective surgeries were postponed by a week, especially of patients with rare blood groups, he said.



Some hospitals insist on families of patients finding their own sources. K Vasanthi, a 72-year-old cancer patient who required repeated transfusions, said the Adyar hospital where she was admitted asked her to source whole blood. "This despite my group not being rare.Doctors told me every group is rare this time," she said.



Some hospitals said they couldn't delay the procedures as many patients were from afar. "We've been having a dry spell since April, and it's likely to go on till mid-June. We can't delay procedures either as many of our patients come from abroad," said Deepti Sachan, in-charge of the blood bank in Global Hospitals. In case of a need, her team sent out messages on WhatsApp groups or got in touch with HR departments of companies. "What we are worried about is the buffer stock we keep in case of emergencies.We need to constantly replenish that," she said. The shelf-life of donated blood is 35-42 days.



Experts estimate that blood transfusions are most required for trauma-induced surgeries, cancer-related procedures and pregnancy-related complications which comprise nearly 45% of all major operations. Disorders like sickle cell anemia, thalassemia and haemophilia also require repeated blood transfusions.



Blood banks say they will be able to tide over the crisis within two weeks, once educational institutions open. TN has close to 275 blood banks, including 85 state run banks.

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She got married to the most eligible bachelor in the neighbourhood, who was a decade older than her. Her pristine face was a reminder of the fact that the most beautiful people in the world were often subject to committing the gravest of mistakes that would cast a shadow on their future and that of people connected to them even briefly. She was beautiful and paid for her beauty like the protagonist of any piece of popular literature. While the entire neighbourhood knew that the woman in question would regret her decision of marrying the man, the woman was oblivious of her mistake, flying high. Four years and three children later, the woman realised what rut she had entered.



She was not directly related to me, but if the sheepish glances and meaningless conversations exchanged between us were considered deeper than the blood ties people boast about, then we were indeed related. We stayed in the same building and I played with her toddlers; I loved them like mine.



I was still in college and all the youngsters of the building loved discussing the newlywed, courtesy her matchless beauty, but what lied inside was enough to scare the wits out of anybody. Yes, she was being subjected to domestic abuse on a daily basis. Her husband inflicted all sorts of inexplicable atrocities on the woman who had committed the sin of loving him. He was nymphomaniac, who impregnated her so many times that the colony doctor also refused to treat the woman beyond a certain point. Her frequent visits to the hospital gave away her secret, she was caught beyond her vanity. She was no more the pretty lady who lived across the floor, she was the lady people pitied now.



I happened to discuss the same with my parents once and that was the end of my umpteen trips to her house. But then, there are some karmic connections you can't break and so it happened one day. There was a board phone in each one of the apartments of our building and it rang at a rather odd hour one night. It was 3 am and a woman was howling on the phone, it was 'her'. The receiver started to shake from my hand because I couldn't handle the shrieks and it slipped, only to be picked up by my father who has never raised his voice ever, at least in my memory. But all hell broke loose that day, I saw my father shouting at the top of his voice, telling the husband of the woman to get his act straight or he'll get him arrested. Yes, it was a distress (read SOS) call from the woman who was being beaten blue and black that night. Not that I expected the man to listen to my father's threat, but then, the thought of getting arrested in the wee hours of morning after a drunken brawl was something that even scared the barbaric man to his wits. The storm had settled for now. What followed was a half-yearly silence but then, the storm kept coming and coming again.



Habits die hard and it had become a habit of the neighbour to abuse his wife, but then came a day when it was not enough to threaten him and the police had to be called. The woman called me on the landline after surviving yet another violent bout. She begged me to help her, I told her to call the police and she finally did. An hour later the lobby below the building was bustling with local police, people making all sorts of assumptions but to our shock the police left within a few hours, well that's because the woman had taken her complaint back. She claimed it was her private matter and could be resolved well at home, the husband was let off after a warning. Everything went onto to be normal, he kept on abusing her. It's been years since the incident took place and we eventually moved out of the premises, but the domestic violence continues and the woman puts on her makeup every evening, takes her children out to play and she does make an eye contact, I bump into her often but I don't reciprocate when she smiles because there's nothing to smile about.



It saddens me each day when I end up walking past her, I hope she'll realise one day how she's the reason for her own misery, how that one phone call to the police could've changed her life forever and that of her children.



I've had her looking for an opportunity to talk to me more than once. Perhaps she's looking to give an explanation for why she sent the police back that day. But then, I want her to understand that it's not me who needs an explanation or anybody in the whole society but she, who needs to justify what she did (or she didn't in that case) to herself.



She must be having millions of reasons to choose that hell over the heaven that awaits her, but she needs only one reason to choose latter over the former.



-By Ankita Shukla

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A female applicant strongly raises her chances of getting hired if she gives out personal information, finds a new study, contradicting the conventional theory that if a woman wants equal footing professionally, she should not share any personal information.



The findings showed that female candidates who gave personal information clarifying her resume gaps raised their chance of being hired by 30 to 40 per cent, compared to a comparable female candidate who provided no personal information. "Our study provides the first-ever evidence that women who conceal personal information dramatically lower their hiring prospects," said Joni Hersch, a professor involved in the research.



Employers overwhelmingly preferred to hire female candidates who provided information to explain a resume gap, regardless of content. "If we start to encourage honest conversations between employers and employees on an official level, it could lead to meaningful change in the quality of applicants, particularly in industries that have been so resistant to providing family-friendly work policies," added one of the researchers, Jennifer Bennett Shinall.



For the study, the team included 3,022 people who acted as potential employers and had to choose between two job candidates, described as mostly similar except for their openness about a 10-year gap in their job histories. The gap was explained with information such as taking time off to raise children or a recent divorce as the reason for leaving and wanting to re-enter the workforce.



Next Story : Not Your Average Gift: Our Handpicked Thoughtful Diwali Gifts


Speculations are rife that Priyanka Chopra is set to audition for the part of the femme fatale in the new Bond film.

The Quantico star, in her interview to American magazine Complex, has not denied it but jokingly added that she would be keen on playing the sleuth himself. She told the magazine, I get that all the time. But f**k thatI wanna be Bond.

The former Femina Miss India is optimistic that anything is possible after she landed her role in the Baywatch film, which was originally written for a male actor.

Priyanka is also looking forward to her India trip next month when she starts preparing for her performance at an upcoming Bollywood awards gala in Madrid on June 23.


Last night, the whos-who of B-Town came out to hear British legend Sir Ian McKellen, aka Gandalf aka Magneto, in conversation with Aamir Khan. The actor was in Mumbai to promote Shakespeare Lives, a global programme to celebrate the Bards works on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016. The evening also marked the launch of the Jio MAMI Film Club. Here are the highlights from the two-hour long conversation.

- The star of The Lord of The Rings spoke about his experiences as a closeted gay actor, his difficulty playing heterosexual loves scenes and how coming out at the age of 49 was one of the best things he ever did. He said, after I came out, acting became less about disguise and more about revelation.



- During the question and answer round, McKellen revealed his pre-show routine which includes taking an afternoon nap, interacting with other members of the cast and lying on the floor of the stage and humming as a warm-up exercise.



- Known for his role in the X-Men series, McKellen also spoke about the launch of his new app, Heuristic Shakespeare. Using video, audio and extensive notes, the app is designed to help demystify Shakespeare for a younger audience and in its first stage features The Tempest.



- In answer to a question by Sonam Kapoor on the best female roles in Shakespeares plays, McKellen said his favourite female character was Lady Macbeth from the play Macbeth.



- McKellen ended the conversation by reciting a verse from Sir Thomas More, the only surviving play script to contain Shakespeares handwriting. McKellen had the privilege of being the first actor to take on the play when it was first produced in 1964.

Image: Yogen Shah
E-commerce in Italy is expected to grow 17 per cent in 2016 to generate 19.3 billion euros ($21.56 billion). Clothing, tourism, IT and electronics are expected to be the catalysts for the growth, according to the prediction by the Italian e-commerce association Netcomm during the eleventh edition of the Netcomm Ecommerce Forum.The growth of the Italian online retail industry has been particularly impressive over the recent past. In 2010, the industry was worth just 8 billion euros ($8.94 billion), which means it has grown by 140 per cent during the last six years.

E-commerce in Italy is expected to grow 17 per cent in 2016 to generate 19.3 billion euros ($21.56 billion). Clothing, tourism, IT and electronics are expected to be the catalysts for the growth, according to the prediction by the Italian e-commerce association Netcomm during the eleventh edition of the Netcomm Ecommerce Forum. The growth of the Italian#

Online purchases from smartphones increased by 51 per cent, compared to last year, and now account for 15 per cent of all online transactions in Italy. If purchases from tablets are added to that share, mobile transactions now account for almost a quarter (24 per cent) of all online transactions in Italy.The expected growth of 17 percent this year is mostly due to increased sales in product categories such as clothing, IT and electronics, publishing and tourism.Netcomm predicts the e-commerce industry of Italy will account for 5 per cent of the country 's retail sales in 2016. Also, the average order of products was worth 75 euros ($84), while the average order for online services was worth 253 euros ($283). In total, there were 115 million product orders conducted, while services were purchased online 45 million times.In Italy, there are now about 18 million online shoppers, but the number of Italian companies selling products or services online is lagging behind. According to Netcomm, there are just 40,000 companies active in the e-commerce sector.Just compare these numbers with the 800,000 in Europe of which 200,000 are in France alone, Netcomm's President, Roberto Liscia, said. This way, Italian companies do not only lose market share in Italy, but are also likely to lose revenue from foreign shoppers. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Swedish home furnishing major Ikea has announced that it has purchased of its first land parcel in Mumbai Metropolitan region to build a 4,00,000-sqft store.This will be Ikea's second store in the country after Hyderabad. The 23-acre site is strategically located in Navi Mumbai on the Thane-Belapur Road, the company said in a statement. The Hyderabad store which is scheduled to open in the second half of 2017 is also of the same size.

Swedish home furnishing major Ikea has announced that it has purchased of its first land parcel in Mumbai Metropolitan region to build a 4,00,000-sqft store. This will be Ikea's second store in the country after Hyderabad. The 23-acre site is strategically located in Navi Mumbai on the Thane-Belapur Road, the company said in a statement. The#

The store in Navi Mumbai will be a huge one of around 4,00,000 sq ft. The Hyderabad store which is scheduled to open in the second half of 2017 is also of the same size.Ikea expects over 5 million visitors per year to the Navi Mumbai store, underlining its large expansion plans in the country. Its location to an existing suburban railway station, Turbhe, will make the store easily accessible to the public.Ikea is also evaluating sites in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi and NCR and plans to open 25 stores in India by 2025, it said. The company, which received government approval in 2013 for its Rs 10,500 crore proposal to open retail stores under 100 per cent FDI."Maharashtra is one of the most important market for Ikea. Along with setting up retail stores, we will expand our supplier landscape and grow local sourcing as much as possible."Each Ikea store will employ 500-700 coworkers directly and another 1,500 indirectly, engaged in providing services," Juvencio Maeztu, CEO of Ikea India said."We are committed to having 50 per cent women in our organisation at all levels and giving equal opportunities to all. We will bring a unique shopping experience through our inspiring stores offering affordable home furnishing products for the many people in Mumbai," he added. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Ahead of the Budget next month, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has called for zero-rated tax regime for the entire textile value chain.The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Gloves Manufacturers & Exporters Association, Carpet Manufacturers & Exporters Association, and Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association have also demanded a zero rating regime for all exporters particularly the entire textile value chain.

In its Budget proposals for the fiscal year 2016-17 sent to the Finance Ministry, the Aptma urged the government to allow duty and sales tax exemption on import of raw and ginned cotton, considering the shortfall in the local cotton output.



It said that the government in the last budget imposed sales tax at five per cent on the import of raw and ginned cotton. On the other hand, the local cotton remained exempted from the sales tax.



Aptma said that the industry consumes around 16 million bales annually, whereas the total production of cotton in Pakistan is around 13 million bales due to which the spinning sector of Pakistan has to import around 25 per cent of its consumption requirement, majority of which is long staple and contamination-free cotton, which is not available in the country.



This cotton is used to manufacture high value yarn and in turn high added products, which are mainly exported in one form or another, the association said.



Aptma also said that in order to avoid cumbersome procedure of the sales tax refund, there should be no sales tax on raw cotton and ginned cotton at the import stage.



The aspect of levy of tax to discourage import of cotton and to encourage local cotton is not applicable, as they are not substitute of one another, according to the proposals.



As far as Customs duty on the import of raw cotton is concerned, Aptma said that in the budget 2014/15 one per cent duty was imposed, which was further increased to two per cent in the last budget. Through budgetary measures in November 2015, the government further enhanced the duty rate by one per cent. Due to three per cent duty, the cost of production has further increased, as the prices of local cotton also increased in tandem with the imported cotton prices, it said.



Due to the crop failure this year, the textile industry had to import more cotton as compared to the previous year; therefore, duty and tax should be exempted on the import of raw cotton.



However, the Aptma has demanded 15 per cent imposition of regulatory duty on the import of yarn and fabric under the Customs Tariff Chapter 55. The proposal has been forwarded in order to save domestic industry from the onslaught of dumped imports and to provide them with a level-playing field.



The association also demanded that the duty on import of manmade fibres such as polyester, viscose, acrylic and nylon be slashed to zero per cent. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Abu Dhabi, 23 May 2016  Fijis Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola held bilateral talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs  H.E. Dr. Anwar Gargash in Abu Dhabi.



During their talks Minister Kubuabola thanked Minister Gargash for the growing cooperation between Fiji and the UAE. He also spoke on the rehabilitation phase that the Fijian Government was coordinating following the devastation caused by Cyclone Winston. He also explained the different initiatives that were being implemented following this cyclone which including the Adopt A school Programme and the Help For Homes initiative.



Minister Kubuabola also expressed the Governments appreciation for the UAE-Pacific Partnership fund and the impact that the fund provided in terms of sustainable energy initiatives for Fijians living in Kadavu, Lakeba and Rotuma. He also thanked the UAE for its support to the Pacific Islands Development Forum and spoke on the birth of the Suva Declaration that was taken to last years 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris, France.



In his concluding remarks, the Minister invited his UAE counterpart to visit Fiji in the near future.



Minister Gargash commended the Foreign Minister for the two countries growing relations and the work carried out by Fijis Embassy in the UAE to strengthen these relations. He also commended the role of Fijis UN peacekeeping mission in different parts of the world including the Middle East.



Minister Kubuabola will travel this week to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia for the formal opening of Fijis new Diplomatic Mission there.


HON PM BAINIMARAMA'S NATIONAL STATEMENT AT WORLD HUMANITARIAN SUMMIT - TURKEY





We share the development challenges of many small and vulnerable nations and our priorities are reflected in the formal commitments we are making here in Istanbul.

Fiji comes to the first World Humanitarian Summit determined to give Pacific Islanders a voice and contribute to this historic global debate.Fiji recognises that only by growing our economy can we combat poverty and improve the living standards of our people. But we will not compromise on our overarching principle that any development must be sustainable. Because our pristine surroundings are our ultimate livelihood through the visitors we attract. And the Fijian Made brand of quality goods and services we take to the world.We are committing to higher standards of governance through zero tolerance for corruption and such measures as an integrated national financing framework and the better collection of data to improve decision-making. And our social priorities are reflected in our commitments to improve the position of women and girls and prevent gender based violence.But by far our most important priority relates to the biggest humanitarian crisis we have ever faced in the Pacific  the escalating threat to our physical safety and way of life posed by the extreme weather events and rising sea levels caused by climate change.In common with other small and vulnerable states the world over, we urgently need to gain access to the funding we need - in the form of grants or loans - to build our resilience to withstand this threat. To strengthen our homes and our infrastructure. And strengthen our response to disaster wherever and whenever it strikes.Three months ago, the biggest cyclone ever to make landfall in the southern hemisphere slammed into Fiji with winds of more than 300-kilometres an hour. Cyclone Winston killed 44 Fijians and ravaged 40,000 homes, public buildings and infrastructure  leaving us with a damage bill of 1.4 billion US dollars.And while it could have been much worse because Winston spared our main tourism areas, Fiji is a stark reminder to the world of the new and frightening era that is dawning on us because of climate change.Stronger and more frequent cyclonic winds, more floods, more droughts. And the ever-rising seas that are already swamping arable coastal land and are destined to swallow up three Pacific nations altogether  our friends in Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.Fiji and the other members of the Pacific Islands Development Forum want the present cap on global warming agreed to in Paris  2 degrees Celsius above the pre industrial age  lowered to 1.5 degrees. And in the meantime, I appeal to you all on behalf of every Pacific Islander to provide us with the financial means to adapt and survive.
HON PM BAINIMARAMA'S REMARKS AT THE SIDE EVENT - COMMITMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT THE NANSEN INITIATIVE PROTECTION AGENDA - TURKEY





So we are all vulnerable in the Pacific, though none more so than those nations that are destined to sink beneath the waves altogether. As we build on the Protection Agenda in the work of the Platform for Disaster Displacement, I assure the world that we in Fiji will welcome the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu as Pacific brothers and sisters with open arms. But we will need the assistance of the global community to do so. And the search for a proper framework begins now.

The launch of the follow up to the Nansen Initiative  the Platform for Disaster Displacement, is one of the most important events for Fiji at this conference. Because Fiji has already made a commitment to give permanent refuge to many thousands of people displaced by climate change. And because of our very recent experience of natural disaster in the form of Tropical Cyclone Winston.We hope that the Platform for Disaster Displacement will build the consensus needed to establish an effective international mechanism to protect people displaced across borders because of natural disasters and climate change. One of Fijis formal commitments at this Summit is to support the Nansen process. And allow me to outline the Fijian experience. Because it goes to the heart of why we are all here today and the extent of the challenge that confronts us.Fiji has offered to give a permanent home to the populations of two of our closest neighbours - Kiribati and Tuvalu - in the event that current scientific projections are realised and the rising seas envelop them altogether. We will naturally need the assistance of the global community to carry out that mass movement of people when the time comes, and help them adapt to new lives in Fiji.As things stand, we have yet to establish an international legal framework for this to occur. But with this initiative, we are at least building the consensus we need to adequately respond to a situation that is unique in human history. Entire sovereign nations - members of the United Nations -disappearing beneath the waves and their people having to be accommodated elsewhere.All this, of course, is still some way down the track, although some of the more alarming recent projections of global warming could make it sooner than we think. But with the launch of this initiative, we have at least begun the process of recognising the magnitude of the task ahead of us. And for its part, Fiji has allocated funding to explore theunresearched legal areas of climate change, including giving refuge to the citizens of Kiribati and Tuvalu.In the meantime, we have facilitated the purchase by Kiribati of a large area of land on our second biggest island, Vanua Levu, to ensure its food security. And at the same time, we have begun the process of moving our own people out of the way of the rising seas.Our own challenge as mainly volcanic mountainous islands pales into insignificance beside the challenge to our atoll neighbours. There is no suggestion of any Fijian having to move to another country because of climate change. Nonetheless three entire villages have been moved so far and we have identified more than 600 settlements in Fiji that are threatened by the rising seas. We have also lost a significant amount of arable coastal land, including in our important sugar cane industry, and are currently mapping the areas that are most at risk.But our more immediate concern is the threat to the welfare of our people and our economy posed by the extreme weather events caused by climate change  droughts, floods and cyclones - which are more ferocious now than ever before.Just over three months ago, Tropical Cyclone Winston slammed into Fiji with winds in excess of 300 kilometres an hour.It was the biggest cyclone ever to make landfall in the southern hemisphere. 44 of our people were killed and around 40,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, along with 229 schools and other public buildings and infrastructure. And we were left with a damage bill estimated by the World Bank at 1.4 billion US dollars.We are doing everything in our power at global forums to highlight our vulnerability. And to put our case to gain access to the grants and loans we need to build our resilience to future events. To strengthen our homes and our infrastructure to withstand the next onslaught.
Here's another bad news for Katrina Kaif fans! Reportedly, Ranbir Kapoor has told Jagga Jasoos's director Anurag Basu, that he will never work with his ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif again.

According to a report in Spotboye.com, ''Ranbir was heard telling Anurag on the recent schedule that this is the last time that he and Katrina are working together. Worse still, Ranbir was even heard asking Anurag if he could tone down some of his romantic scenes with his ex-flame. Knowing Basu's penchant for perfection, that may not happen.''

Click on VIEW PHOTOS to see some adorable Pics of the ex-lovers



As much as everyone had hoped that estranged couple Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif would kiss and make up during the Morocco schedule of Jagga Jasoos, it did not happen. Rumour has it that the Morocco schedule of the movie has been wrapped up and Ranbir Kapoor will return to Mumbai soon. And as far as Katrina is concerned, she has already left for London to be with her family.



Also Read: Kareena Kapoor And Saif Ali Khan Expecting Their First Child?

The news of Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif's break-up shocked the whole country. Last year, in December the two were happily posing for the shutterbugs at a Christmas party and one month later, in January 2016, the couple separated.

It is said that Ranbir Kapoor had promised Katrina Kaif that he will marry her this year but he broke his promise and told her that he is not ready for such a big step.

Well, we are still waiting for an official statement about their break-up!
The Kerala censor board has recently been in the headlines, due to the clash between the board members and Kammatipaadam director Rajeev Ravi, upon the certification of the movie.

The movie has bagged an A certificate from the board, to the much shock of the industry. But Kammatipaadam is not the only Malayalam movie to bag A certificate, in the recent past.

Here are some recent Malayalam movies, which bagged A certificate.....

Kammatipaadam

As we earlier mentioned, the Dulquer Salmaan movie received an A certificate, due to th excessive violence content and offensive mentioning about the backward castes.

Gangster

The Mammootty starrer directed by Aashiq Abu bagged an A certificate from the censor board, due to the violent content and vulgarity.

Haram

The Fahadh Faasil movie, which marked the directorial debut of editor Vinod Sukumaran, also received A certificate, due to violent and vulgar contents.

Kili Poyi

The movie which is directed by Vinay Govind with Asif Ali and Aju Varghese in the lead roles, is the first ever stoner movie of Mollywood. It bagged A certificate due to the same reason.

Papilio Buddha

The censor board award the highly acclaimed movie directed by Jayan Cheriyan with an A certificate, stating that it consists some offensive dialogies which insults women and certain castes.

Ozhivu Divasathe Kali

The movie directed by Sanalkumar Sasidharan, which bagged the Kerala state film award of 2015 for Best Feature Film, shocking received an A certificate from the censor board.

Chayam Pooshiya Veedu

Kerala censor board initially refused to certify the movie due to the its excessive vulgar content. But the movie finally bagged an A certificate, after a long legal battle.
There is a particular genre that has not been tried and tested much in Malayalam films. Yes, we are talking about science fiction films, which are very rare to find in Malayalam cinema.

Only a very few films in Malayalam have dealt with such kind of subject. Take a look at some of the science fiction movies in Malayalam.

Karutha Rathrikal (1967) This film directed by Mahesh is the first notable science fiction movie in Malayalam. The film had Madhu in the lead role and he played the role of a doctor who invents a medicine that creates split personality among people. Jaithra Yaathra (1987) Jaithra Yaathra directed by J Sasikumar is another science fiction film which had Nizhalkal Ravi and Thilakan in the lead role. The film is about a locket that helps people to go invisible. Athisayan (2007) Vinayan came up with the film Athisayan, which was based on the English film Hulk. The film had Jacky Shroff in the role of a scientist who is working on a project that would make people go invisible. Bharathan Effect (2007) This film written by Madhu Muttam and directed by Anil Das revolved around a person named Bharathan, who makes an invention that leads to the creation of a flying object that uses the concept of anti-gravity. The film had Biju Menon in the lead role. Red Rain (2013) The film directed by Rahul Sadasivan is the first Malayalam film that did take a look into the extraterrestrial life. The film which had Narain in the lead role did win lot of appreciations for its making.

It has to be noted that, most of the films in the above list didn't find much success at the box-office. This might be the reason why Malayalam film-makers are reluctant to make films of this genre.

Moreover, science fiction movies are being made in big industries like Bollywood and Hollywood, that too, under a big budget, which is a prerequisite for such kind of films.

Recently, the Tamil film 24 directed by Vikram Kumar with Suriya in the lead role got released and was a big success in Kerala also. Malayalam films, with the very limited market they have, can't afford to make movies with a large-scale budget.

But, according to the reports, Malayalam cinema will get its first time-travel movie soon. The film which has been titled as Tik Tok will be directed by debutante Vivek Anirudh. The film will have Tovino Thomas in the lead role.

We hope that the movie would make this genre much popular in Malayalam cinema too.
ROCKVILLE, MD -- (Marketwired) -- 05/23/16 -- The lip filler procedure is the latest thing to come under the influence of Keeping up with the Kardashians. Kylie Jenner admitted to having the cosmetic procedure done. This has spurred high interest from teens and those in the 20- to 30-age bracket.

When Kylie admitted to having the work done on the show, it sparked a riot on social media. Youngsters took the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, sucking into a shot glass to temporarily maximize their lips. But many older teens and young 20-somethings are going further.

An article in the New York Daily News quoted numerous teens who have decided to improve their lips. As one said, "I disliked my lips and makeup was just not cutting it."

Celebrity Fashion

The list of celebrities getting the lip filler procedure just keeps growing. From Lisa Rinna to Graciela Alfano, from Courtney Love to Janice Dickinson, from Jessica Simpson to Jennifer Hudson, pouty lips are in, for sure.

Though many of the famous refuse to admit to having any work done, many celebrity sites online show before and after shots. The lips on these show biz and social celebrities definitely look enhanced.

Safer than Ever

Dr. Adam Tattelbaum, M.D., points out that in this case the influence the celebrities are having on the younger set is benign. The newest treatments, tools and techniques have made this procedure safe and reversible. Even the chance of an allergic reaction, especially when the patient uses injectables, is slim to none.

Those who have had the procedure done and like the results say the important thing is to have the work done by an experienced doctor. Even though it is reversible and quick, it is still a medical procedure. Patients sometimes don't appreciate how fragile and delicate the lips are.

How Does It Work?

Most procedures use a hyaluronic acid compound that goes by the name Juvederm, Belotero, Restylane or Resylane Silk. Though all are basically the same, each has a slight variation. For example, Juvederm has properties that work well for adding volume, while Restylane Silk is useful with older patients because it helps with structure.

Most doctors use needles, but some use a tiny tool called a micro-canula. It is much like a needle, but less sharp.

The results last between three and six months. If you don't like the look, you don't have to worry. It's not permanent. If you really don't like the look, your doctor can inject hyaluronidase, which reverses the filler procedure immediately.

After the treatment wears off, your lips will look like they did before you had the work done. Both the lip and its lining retract to its original position.

Does It Hurt?

A little bit, but you probably won't notice. The doctor applies a topic anesthetic and the injectable itself contains a tiny amount of anesthetic. The number of needle pricks you have to endure range from 4 to 20. The actual number varies depending on the goal. If you seek volume, there are fewer. If you want work done on the lip lining, it takes a few more.

Do Lips Need Recovery Time?

It takes about a few days to a week for you to see the beautiful pouty lips you want. As with all medical procedures, there is a small amount of swelling. Occasionally minor bruising occurs around parts of the lip.

After the procedure, doctors recommend that the patient avoid exercise, alcohol and even kissing for 48 hours. Elevating your head while you sleep is a good idea. Arnica and cold compresses help with bruising and swelling.

Trust Experience

To get attractive results, you need the skill of the trained cosmetic surgeon, like Dr. Adam Tattelbaum. He has years of experience and is founder and senior partner of the well respected Washington Plastic Surgery Group in Rockville, Maryland. Dr. Tattelbaum is double board certified with:

The American Board of Plastic Surgery

The American Board of Surgery

He completed his training in plastic surgery at Georgetown University and Harvard University, and is currently on the clinical faculty at Georgetown.

Listed among "America's Top Plastic Surgeons" by the Consumer Research Council of American, he was asked to join the Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, a mark of distinction.

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- 54% of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects come from Europe

- UK, Germany and France remain the top destinations for FDI

- Large corporations shy away from Europe, with only 20% planning to invest

LONDON, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to EY's 2016 European attractiveness survey, foreign direct investment (FDI) into Europe hit a record high with 5,083 FDI projects in 2015 (up by 14% year-on-year), leading to the creation of 217,666 new jobs (+17%).

Western Europe (WE) continues to be the most appealing FDI destination in Europe, accounting for the 77% of all FDI projects. Together, the UK, Germany and France account for slightly more than half (51%) of all FDI projects across all of Europe. Poland and Russia are the top performers by FDI projects growth overall, with an increase in market share of 61% and 60% respectively over the previous year. The Netherlands - which rose one position to number five in the top 10 FDI destination ranking - recorded 47% growth in FDI projects in 2015. In terms of job created, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) saw the creation of half (50%) of all FDI jobs, as the region received 69% of FDI projects in manufacturing.

Despite a positive 2015 for FDI investment in Europe, geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges are denting investor sentiment. Among 1,469 executives interviewed globally, only 22% plan to expand their European operations in the immediate future, down from 32% last year.

Marc Lhermitte, EY International Location Advisory Services leader and report author, says:

"Despite an uncertain business environment and a variety of geopolitical risks, investors continue to see Europe as a relatively safe haven. Europe's strengths are its digital and logistical infrastructure, skilled labor force and stable legal and regulatory environments. However, inflexible labor markets, high labor costs and complex corporate taxation regimes are relative investment turn-offs."

Andy Baldwin, EY Area Managing Partner-elect - Europe, Middle East, India and Africa, says:

"At first glance, the data suggest that Europe continues to be the destination of choice for FDI. However, when you dig below the surface, the need for business, governments and entrepreneurs to form a coalition to address long-standing and much needed supply side labor and taxation reforms are all too clear. This year's survey is also taking place against the backdrop of the EU Referendum and broader geo-political tensions, so these are perhaps impacting investors' plans to expand European operations at this stage. Other noteworthy points from the survey are the continued attractiveness of Greater London as the first choice in Europe for investment, an increasing focus on infrastructure renewal across Europe and the inexorable rise of China as a major player in FDI."

Who is investing in Europe?

Intra-European projects continue to dominate FDI activity, with 2,751 near-shore investments amounting to 54% of all projects and 108,543 jobs created. Outside of Europe, the US led all FDI investments into Europe - 1,193 FDI projects and 58,437 jobs created - and is the top country globally to invest in Europe. In the finance and business services sector, the US created 558 projects and 22,425 jobs.

Asia is also increasing its activity in Europe, with 735 FDI projects (+13%) and 37,215 jobs created in 2015. China is the biggest Asian investor in Europe, with 238 projects (+2%) and 8,917 jobs created. India's FDI is also noteworthy, with 126 projects in Europe - 37% more than last year. India was among the top three non-European investing countries in the finance and business services sector (55 projects, +22%).

City ranking

Greater London ranks as the leading urban area by number of FDI projects in 2015 - accounting for 406 out of 1,065 FDI projects in the UK - followed by Greater Paris with 159 FDI projects. The Munich and Bavaria area in Germany emerges as the fastest growing urban area for investors in 2015, with year-on-year growth of 134%, followed by Berlin.

In terms of investor sentiment, London is once again the most attractive European city, followed by Paris - which has notably improved its appeal up by 14% over the previous year. According to investors, the top 10 cities for FDI investment ranking includes three cities in Germany - Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich - as well as two cities in Spain - Barcelona and Madrid. Rome features as a new entrant in this year's top 10 cities with a 5% increase in its attractiveness for FDI over last year.

Sector breakdown

Europe's manufacturing appeal remains intact, accounting for 49% of FDI projects and 62% of FDI jobs. In manufacturing industry, Poland (117 projects, +34%), Turkey (105 projects, +52%) Hungary (69 projects, +103%), Serbia (51 projects, +76%) and Romania (51 projects, +21%) drove FDI growth. Germany overtook the UK as the most attractive destination for transportation and communications projects (81 projects, +72%), while the UK supplanted Germany as the number-one destination for retail and hospitality projects (43 projects, +26%) over last year. The automotive sector drove manufacturing growth in Hungary and Poland, while machinery and equipment dominated in Turkey, Serbia and Romania.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

About EY's European attractiveness surveys

EY's attractiveness surveys analyses the attractiveness of a particular region or country as an investment destination, and is designed to help businesses make investment decisions and governments remove barriers to growth. A two-step methodology analyses both the reality and perception of FDI in the country or region.

We define the attractiveness of a location as a combination of image, investors' confidence and the perception of a country or region's ability to provide the most competitive benefits for FDI. The research was conducted by the CSA Institute from February to April 2016, via telephone interviews with a representative group of 1,469 international decision-makers.
SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 05/23/16 -- To help meet the increased demand for secure, cloud-based file sharing services across the Asia Pacific region, Ingram Micro (NYSE: IM) today announced the availability of Dropbox Business on the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace in Singapore.

Through the Cloud Marketplace, channel partners can seamlessly purchase, provision, configure, and manage Dropbox Business, a leading provider of file sharing and collaboration services, via a single automated platform.

"The inclusion of Dropbox Business on our Cloud Marketplace improves our competitive position in the industry and strengthens our existing product portfolio to better serve the needs of channel partners and their customers," said Francis Choo, vice president & country chief executive ASEAN and Hong Kong, Ingram Micro. "Through the Cloud Marketplace's automated portal, channel partners can now quickly access and deploy an affordable and secure file sharing solution that enhances collaboration capabilities and drives new business opportunities in the cloud."

With today's evolving business landscape now yielding a workspace that is no longer confined to a fixed location, many companies have transitioned to cloud technologies to effectively and securely collaborate in real time. Considered one of the most widely adopted collaboration platforms on the market, Dropbox Business allows users to work anywhere and at any time, providing the capabilities to save, access, and sync critical files and workloads across multiple devices with ease.

Built on a highly scalable infrastructure, Dropbox Business also offers seamless integration with hundreds of existing third-party solutions, allowing channel partners the opportunity to attach relevant software offerings and deliver a comprehensive end-to-end solution to their strategic customer segments and vertical markets. Channel partners will soon have the opportunity to experience greater cross-sell opportunities by seamlessly attaching Dropbox Business to Microsoft Office 365 via Ingram Micro's productivity suite, and deliver an affordable and complete offering that boosts productivity and communication across key vertical markets. The ability to bundle and sell unique Dropbox Business offerings will also allow channel partners to leverage the largely untapped SMB space and drive greater business transformation in the cloud.

"We are pleased to be working with Ingram Micro to help accelerate cloud profitability and business growth to our mutual channel partners," said Marcus Low, Head of Channels for Asia Pacific at Dropbox. "The addition of Dropbox Business to the Cloud Marketplace in Singapore demonstrates our mutual commitment to delivering a best-in-class and affordable cloud solution that allows companies to speed up collaboration and increase productivity."

"We are excited to add Dropbox Business to our cloud portfolio and offer our customer segments a comprehensive, one-stop file sharing and collaboration solution to support their accelerated business growth," said Mr. Yap, founder of Innocom Technologies. "The availability of Dropbox Business on the Cloud Marketplace allows us to diversify our software offerings and soon deliver value-added bundles that will help boost our revenue base and broaden our cloud footprint."

The Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace is an ecosystem of buyers, sellers, and solutions that enables channel partners to transform and grow their business by offering instant, online access to a wide array of innovative cloud solutions from a single online portal. Through its automated platform, the Cloud Marketplace delivers seamless and efficient management of the complete end-customer cloud subscription lifecycle. View a demonstration of the Cloud Marketplace here.

To learn more about the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace visit: https://sg.cloud.im/.

About Ingram Micro Cloud

Ingram Micro is a master cloud service provider (mCSP), offering channel partners and professionals access to a global marketplace, expertise, solutions and enablement programs that empower organizations to configure, provision and manage cloud technologies with confidence and ease. For more information on Ingram Micro Cloud, please visit www.ingrammicrocloud.com.

About Ingram Micro Inc.

Ingram Micro helps businesses Realize the Promise of Technology. It delivers a full spectrum of global technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. Deep expertise in technology solutions, mobility, cloud, and supply chain solutions enables its business partners to operate efficiently and successfully in the markets they serve. Unrivaled agility, deep market insights and the trust and dependability that come from decades of proven relationships, set Ingram Micro apart and ahead. More at www.ingrammicro.com.

Press Contact:

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MISGAV, Israel, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Gordian Surgical, a portfolio company of The Trendlines Group, recently began first-in-human (FIH) trials with its TroClose1200', an innovative trocar with an integrated closure mechanism for the safe, easy, and effective suturing of incisions in the abdominal wall during laparoscopic surgery. The Company has performed 13 successful procedures in Israel and India to date.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/370678 )



Gordian Surgical's TroClose 1200 is used to open the abdomen to insert optical and other surgical tools at the start of the procedure. Its integrated closure system delivers "two in one" functionality to also allow for closing incisions; however, instead of inserting the sutures in a time-consuming process at the end of the procedure, using the device's uniquely designed release mechanism, sutures are inserted into the tissue at the beginning of the procedure. The sutures are anchored to remain in place throughout the operation and incisions are closed almost automatically on removal of the TroClose1200.

Gordian completed product development in 2016 and started its FIH trials in Israel (Poriya Medical Center and Carmel Medical Center) and in India (Asian Bariatrics Hospital, Hyderabad). To date, thirteen laparoscopic procedures were performed using the TroClose1200, including hysterectomy, cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), hernia repair, and sleeve gastrectomy.

Dr. Nissim Geron, Director of Surgery, Poriya Medical Center, Israel (and Gordian's Medical Director), said: "The innovative device functioned very well and allowed for closure of incisions that would have been very difficult to perform without the use of Gordian's product. The product is safe, user-friendly and represents an important breakthrough in laparoscopic surgery."

Dr. Surendra Ugale, experienced laparoscopic surgeon, India, remarked: "I am extremely satisfied with the TroClose1200. The device demonstrated excellent performance and would be a great asset for any bariatric surgery, most especially on morbidly obese patients."

Gordian CEO Zvi Pe'er adds: "We are very pleased with the results of Gordian's product so far, and are planning further procedures and follow-up trials to confirm the product's functionality. Undoubtedly, successful clinical trials will advance Gordian to the next level."

Gordian Surgical has raised approximately $3 million in investments from The Trendlines Group, Pirveli Ventures (a Canadian foundation operating in Israel), Virtus Inspire Ventures - a Chinese fund, and private investors, including renowned Israeli and U.S. surgeons.

Contact: Ofir Shpigel's Media and Public Relations| +972-4-9535030Keren Gavish:keren.g@ofirpr.co.il
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES--(Marketwired - May 23, 2016) - The NAAIM 2016 Uncommon Knowledge Conference kicked off on May 1st with international investment expert Reda Bedjaoui joining the proceedings. The CEO of Redbed Investments LLE is highly regarded in his field for his extensive knowledge of real estate, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance. Geared specifically for active investment managers, this year's edition of the innovative financial summit being held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida allowed participants to meet and learn from each other over the course of four days.

Participants of Uncommon Knowledge have come to expect relevant, groundbreaking presentations by keynote speakers, and panel sessions that provide innovative techniques and fresh approaches to the industry. Since its creation in 1989, the National Association of Active Investment Managers (NAAIM) has grown to include 200 member firms that manage more than $30 billion in investments. The business association emphasizes the manager's proactive role in their trade, a philosophy that has become the basis behind the "action" in the group's moniker. This hands-on, forward-thinking approach is defined by NAAIM as exhibiting a determined involvement in "the ongoing process of investment selection and risk management" in order to improve "a portfolio's risk/reward relationship." This year's Uncommon Knowledge conference's theme, "Staying Ahead of Change: Actions to Take Today for Building Success," discussed recent developments in marketing, trading, and the legal domain, with sessions also dedicating proper time to sharing methods for tapping into profitable opportunities within these areas. As an expert investor in North American, British, and Middle Eastern properties, commodities, and with his strong background in international law, Reda Bedjaoui's insight lended itself to the topics of the day.

Though clearly a business-minded meeting, one of the intentions of the conference was to foster relationships among likeminded professionals. Beyond the agenda of events that included talks on maintaining and building trading systems, benchmarking, succession planning, marketing to millennials and communicating with client bases, members found a schedule of outdoor activities and cocktail receptions. A highlight of the conference, the 2016 NAAIM Shark Tank Finals set six finalists against each other as they presented their carefully tailored strategies to a team of peer judges.

Reda Bedjaoui is a recognized thought leader on multi-sector international investing. His acumen extends across a multitude of investment fields including futures and options trading, hedge funds, real estate, start-ups and joint ventures, resulting in successful enterprises ranging from the technology field to the beverage industry. Holding a Bachelor in Law degree from the Universite de Montreal, he expanded his education at Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands, and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec, Canada (Montreal Section) in 1995. Mr. Bedjaoui has practiced commercial and corporate law, and international arbitration at positions for Montreal and Paris law firms.

Reda Bedjaoui - Expert Investor and CEO of Redbed Investments: http://www.redabedjaouinews.com

Reda Bedjaoui -- Offers Expert Advice for Novice Hedge Fund Investors: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reda-bedjaoui----offers-expert-advice-for-novice-hedge-fund-investors-2016-05-17

Reda Bedjaoui -- Attends Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/reda-bedjaoui-attends-annual-investment-214119787.html

ICMediaDirect.com

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WUZHEN, China, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --In the ancient water town where history collides with the modern way of life, the four-month Wuzhen International Contemporary Art Exhibition hosted by Culture Wuzhen is presenting new perspectives to visiting artists.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371246

Running from March 28 to June 26 and featuring works from artists from 15 countries and regions around the world, the exhibition's theme is "Utopias/Heterotopias," and aims to encourage meaningful dialogue between contemporary artists from east and west to explore new channels for inspiration.

Wuzhen's unique mix of traditional and contemporary made a particular impression on American visual artist Ann Hamilton, who said, "What drew me here was how everything feels so far away from modern life in the big cities. The handcrafting culture is still really noticeable here, and the architecture makes the town feel like a living museum."

"That in many ways relates to my questions about how, in a world dominated by technology, the process and historical meaning of making things by hand takes on a particular significance."

Acclaimed Chinese artist Xu Bing spoke very highly of the exhibition's professional level and the respect as well as recognition showed to the artists' works. "It is displaying contemporary work by Chinese and international artists on the same, localized platform and triggering in-depth discussions about both the characteristics and blind spots of contemporary art," Xu said.

Xu brought two works to Wuzhen. The Character of Characters is composing a harmonious sense of participation with the strong regional culture of Wuzhen, while the Dragonfly Eyes expresses his recent thinking on how to cope with the development of contemporary human civilization.

Song Dong, who is displaying the installation art Avenue Square, said that Wuzhen itself is like a piece of art. "Wuzhen is also an incubator that preserves the ancient and historic town and keeps generating new ideas," he said.

In addition to the 130 pieces from 40 artists, the exhibition also includes various public education events on worldwide contemporary art as well as workshops for children and young people.

About Wuzhen

Wuzhen is a traditional ancient Chinese water town located one hour from Shanghai. With 1,300 years of history, Wuzhen combines more than 10 cultural landscapes including folk museums and celebrity residences with contemporary art elements and modern resort facilities to offer visitors an unparalleled leisure experience.




CHARLOTTE (dpa-AFX) - Bank of America Corp. (BAC) is challenging a U.S. Labor Department decision that the lender discriminated against black applicants more than 20 years ago and must make about $1 million in total payments to those individuals, according to reports . The bank reportedly said in a complaint filed Monday in federal court in Washington that the agency's administrative proceedings were unlawful and that findings of intentional discrimination by the bank were erroneous. Bank of America in 2013 was ordered to pay $2.2 million to black job applicants whom the Labor Department said were unfairly rejected for teller and clerical positions. An administrative judge told the bank to pay $964,000 to more than 1,000 applicants from 1993 and $1.22 million to 113 people who were rejected in 2002 to 2005. The lender was also ordered to make job offers to 10 people. 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.
ATLANTA, GA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- QASymphony announced today that it will increase its investment in the European market. The company has experienced rapid international growth in recent months with the addition of several large enterprise customers located in Europe, including ASG, which provides software and services to 70% of the Fortune 500; Honeywell; HR consultancy Towers Watson; global security firm G4S; and online gaming company Bet365.

Over 300 companies worldwide rely on QASymphony to help them create high-quality software at an agile pace. QASymphony's qTest platform is used by agile testing teams for test case management and exploratory testing. qTest also provides detailed reporting and analytics to help managers analyze the performance of the testing team.

QASymphony has been experiencing strong growth in the US and internationally as large enterprise companies continue to move away from legacy software testing tools to modern tools that help increase the speed of development. qTest is the only software testing platform designed specifically for agile teams and has a real-time integration with the most popular agile development tools, including Atlassian's JIRA.

As part of its recent Series B venture funding, QASymphony made international expansion a key focus for 2016. The company recently added staff in Europe, including a former HP and Oracle sales executive, who will lead QASymphony's European sales efforts. In Q1, QASymphony established a partnership with Europe-based Clearvision, the leading Platinum Atlassian Expert, which has led to several enterprise customer wins.

Over the past six months, QASymphony has participated in several European software conferences, including Dublink, Clearvision's Future of Collaboration event, TestBash UK and Finovate Europe. This week, QASymphony is sponsoring Atlassian's Atlas Camp in Barcelona, Spain.

"We are experiencing strong demand from large enterprises throughout Europe and are starting to invest heavily there to achieve the same leadership position that we have established in the North American market," says Dave Keil, CEO at QASymphony. "Leading Atlassian resellers from several European countries are excited to partner with us based on our success selling agile testing solutions to the enterprise. We anticipate making additional announcements over the course of 2016 as we accelerate our investment in the international market."

About QASymphony

QASymphony helps companies create better software by being the only provider of truly enterprise-level agile testing tools. With QASymphony's solutions, businesses have the visibility and control needed to ensure application quality in fast-paced development environments. Companies like Dell, Barclays, Salesforce, Office Depot and Verizon trust QASymphony to improve their team's communication, productivity and collaboration. QASymphony is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. To learn more, visit www.qasymphony.com.

Media contact:

Kevin Wolf

TGPR

(650) 327-1641

Email Contact




Regulatory News:

LafargeHolcim (Paris:LHN) announces the appointment of Caroline Luscombe as the Group's new Head of Organization and Human Resources and member of the Executive Committee from 1 July 2016, based in Zurich. In this role Caroline will take over responsibility for Organization and Human Resources from Jean-Jacques Gauthier, Chief Integration Officer Organization and Human Resources.

Caroline Luscombe joins LafargeHolcim from Syngenta where she has been Head of Human Resources since January 2010 and a member of the Executive Committee since 2012. Prior to joining Syngenta, Caroline held senior HR roles in the financial and healthcare businesses of the GE Group, and in the speciality chemical company, Laporte plc.

Having successfully led the integration which is now nearing completion, Jean-Jacques Gauthier will be appointed Country CEO in Algeria from September 1, 2016. Algeria is a key country for the Group offering significant growth and development opportunities. With the forthcoming completion of a new cement manufacturing plant of 2.7 million tonnes, LafargeHolcim's total capacity in the country will reach 11 million tonnes by the end of 2016. The Group is also building a country-wide retail franchise network for construction materials. On taking up his new role, Jean-Jacques will relinquish his position on the Executive Committee.

About LafargeHolcim

With a well-balanced presence in 90 countries and a focus on cement, aggregates and concrete, LafargeHolcim (SIX Swiss Exchange, Euronext Paris: LHN) is the world leader in the building materials industry. The Group has 100,000 employees around the world and combined net sales of CHF 29.5 billion in 2015. LafargeHolcim is the industry benchmark in R&D and serves from the individual homebuilder to the largest and most complex project with the widest range of value-adding products, innovative services and comprehensive building solutions. With a commitment to drive sustainable solutions for better building and infrastructure and to contribute to a higher quality of life, the Group is best positioned to meet the challenges of increasing urbanization.

More information is available on www.lafargeholcim.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006560/en/

Contacts:

For LafargeHolcim

Media Relations: media@lafargeholcim.com

Zurich: +41 (0) 58 858 87 10

Paris: +33 (0) 1 44 34 11 70

or

Investor Relations: investor.relations@lafargeholcim.com

Zurich:

+41 (0) 58 858 87 87
Regulatory News:

SAFE ORTHOPAEDICS (Paris:SAFOR) (FR0012452746 SAFOR), a company offering innovative ranges of sterile implants combined with their single-use instruments for back surgery, announces the issuance, on May 23, 2016, of a second tranche of OCABSA YORKVILLE under the agreement dated April 27, 2016 with YA II CD, Ltd1

This second tranche corresponds to 50 convertible notes with a nominal value of 10,000 euros each, representing a total debt debenture of 500,000 euros, with warrants attached.

In order to proceed with this issuance before the next general shareholders' meeting, an amendment to the agreement dated April 27, 2016 has been signed on May 23, 2016 with YA II CD, Ltd.

Pursuant to such amended agreement, the main characteristics of the OCABSA YORKVILLE are as detailed below.

As mentioned in its April 28, 2016 press release, the cash position of Safe Orthopaedics was at 4.15 million euros. Moreover, on April 28, 2016, Safe Orthopaedics received subscription commitments for a total amount of 2.1 million euros (of which 1.2 million euros have already been subscribed as of the date hereof; the remainder of 900,000 euros is to be subscribed following the approval of the next shareholders' meeting).

This new tranche of OCABSA YORKVILLE reinforces the cash position of Safe Orthopaedics.

Main characteristics of the notes with warrants issued to Yorkville (OCABSA YORKVILLE

The OCABSA YORKVILLE could be issued in several successive tranches, upon the exercise of tranche warrants issued free of charge by Safe Orthopaedics (the "Tranche Warrants"). If the Tranche Warrants are exercised by Safe Orthopaedics, holders of the Tranche Warrants must, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, subscribe to a tranche of OCABSA YORKVILLE

50 Tranche Warrants under the first tranche, representing a total debt debenture of 500,000 euros, have already been issued on April 28, 2016. The convertible notes have been converted in 290,696 new shares on May 11 and May 12, 2016.

50 Tranche Warrants under the second tranche, representing a total debt debenture of 500,000 euros, have been issued on May 23, 2016, under the 17th and 19th resolutions of the January 9, 2015 shareholders' meeting. These 50 Tranche Warrants have already been exercised by Safe Orthopaedics.

400 Tranche Warrants may further be issued, should the next shareholders' meeting approve such issuance.

Should the 500 Tranche Warrants be exercised by Safe Orthopaedics, the maximum total bond debenture will be 5.0 million euros.

1 See the April 28, 2016 press release.

It being specified that the issuance will not give rise to the filing of a prospectus with the AMF (French market regulator).

Main characteristics of the notes (OCA YORKVILLE

The OCA YORKVILLE will be issued at 97.5% of their nominal value.

They will have a maturity of 14 months as from issuance date and will not bear interest. On maturity or in case of default, the unconverted OCA YORKVILLE shall be redeemed by Safe Orthopaedics. The OCA YORKVILLE , will not be subject to a request for admission to trading on the Euronext Paris market and will therefore not be listed.

As the OCA YORKVILLE of the first tranche, the OCA YORKVILLE of the second tranche may be converted into shares at any time at their holder's discretion according to the following conversion ratio: N Vn P

"N": number of Safe Orthopaedics new ordinary shares to be issued upon conversion of one OCA YORKVILLE

"Vn": nominal value of one OCA YORKVILLE

"P

92% of the lowest daily VWAP of Safe Orthopaedics' share over the pricing period ( i.e. those trading days during which the OCA YORKVILLE holder will not have sold shares among the ten trading days immediately preceding the conversion request of the Note) if the Tranche Warrants exceeds 500,000 euros

those trading days during which the OCA holder will not have sold shares among the ten trading days immediately preceding the conversion request of the Note) if the Tranche Warrants exceeds 500,000 euros 95% of the lowest daily VWAP of Safe Orthopaedics' share over the pricing period (i.e. those trading days during which the OCA YORKVILLE holder will not have sold shares among the ten trading days immediately preceding the conversion request of the Note) if the Tranche Warrants is lower or equal to 500,000 euros;

Such amount being the lowest issue price as authorized by the Shareholders' meeting of January 9, 2015 in its 17th and 19th resolutions.

Main characteristics of the Warrants (BSA YORKVILLE

The number of BSA YORKVILLE to be issued upon the issuance of each tranche of the OCABSA YORKVILLE will be such that, multiplied by the exercise price of the BSA YORKVILLE (determined as described below), the resulting amount shall be equal to the nominal amount of the Tranche Warrants, i.e. 500,000 euros for the second tranche of the OCABSA YORKVILLE . 240,384 BSA YORKVILLE , with an exercise price of 2.08 euros, have been issued on May 23, 2016, after the exercise of the 50 Tranche Warrants of the second tranche.

The BSA YORKVILLE will not be subject to a request for admission to trading on the Euronext Paris market and will therefore not be listed. They will be exercisable during a five-year period starting on their issuance date (the "Exercise Period

Each BSA YORKVILLE will give right to its holder, during the Exercise Period, to subscribe to one new Safe Orthopaedics' share (subject to certain potential adjustments). As for the BSA YORKVILLE of the first tranche, the exercise price of the BSA YORKVILLE of the second tranche will be equal to 115% of the average daily VWAP of Safe Orthopaedics' share over the ten trading days immediately preceding (i) issue date of the first Tranche Warrants and (ii) the exercise date of the Tranche Warrant giving rise to the issuance of the OCA YORKVILLE from which the BSA YORKVILLE are detached for the following Tranches Warrants.

New shares resulting from the conversion of OCA YORKVILLE or the exercise of BSA YORKVILLE

New shares issued upon conversion of OCA YORKVILLE or exercise of BSA YORKVILLE will carry immediate and current dividend rights. They will carry the same rights as those attached to the existing ordinary shares of the Company and will be admitted to trading on Euronext Paris market under the same listing line (ISIN FR0012452746).

Safe Orthopaedics will publish and update on its website a table of the outstanding Tranche Warrants, OCA YORKVILLE , BSA YORKVILLE and number of shares.

Yorkville's Commitments

Until the latest of (i) the end of the commitment period of 36 months and (ii) the full conversion and/or redemption of all the outstanding OCA YORKVILLE , Yorkville committed:

not to hold at any time a number of shares higher than 4.99% of the outstanding number of shares of the Safe Orthopaedics (except in case of Safe Orthopaedics's agreement); and

not to request any seat at the Board of Directors of Safe Orthopaedics.

Next publication: 2016 Q2 revenue, July 12, 2016 (after the market closes)

About Safe Orthopaedics

Founded in 2010, Safe Orthopaedics is a French medical technology company that develops and markets an innovative range of sterile implants and associated single-use surgical instruments, with the aim of facilitating safer, optimized and lower-cost spinal surgery. By avoiding the reuse of surgical instruments, Safe Orthopaedics reduces the risk of infection, avoids the cumbersome and unreliable logistics of instrument sterilization, and limits hospital costs. Protected by 17 patent families, the SteriSpine Kits are CE-marked and FDA cleared. The company is based at Eragny-sur-Oise (France), and has 37 employees.

For more information, visit: www.SafeOrtho.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains information related to the markets where Safe Orthopaedics operates and forward-looking statements. Even though Safe Orthopaedics believes that this information and forward looking statements are based on current plans and forecasts of Safe Orthopaedics, such forward-looking statements are, by their nature, subject to a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives and expectations expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. A full description of the risks and uncertainties that could affect its results, financials, performance or achievements and thus lead to a change from the forward-looking statements, securities can be found in the Safe Orthopaedics's annual report and half-year report available at its website.

In France, the offer of Safe Orthopaedics shares described above does not constitute a public offering in France, as defined in Article L. 411-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.

With respect to Member States of the European Economic Area that have transposed European Directive 2003/71/EC of the European Parliament and European Council (as amended in particular by Directive 2010/73/EU to the extent that the said Directive has been transposed into each Member State of the European Economic Area), no action has been taken or will be taken to permit a public offering of the securities referred to in this press release requiring the publication of a prospectus in any Member State.

This press release and the information it contains does not, and will not, constitute a public offering to subscribe for or sell, nor the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy, shares of Safe Orthopaedics in the United States or any other jurisdiction where restrictions may apply. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Safe Orthopaedics does not intend to register securities or conduct a public offering in the United States.

This distribution of this press release may be subject to legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Any person who comes into possession of this press release must inform him or herself of and comply with any such restrictions.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006499/en/

Contacts:

Safe Orthopaedics

Thierry Lambert, +33 (0)1 34 21 50 00

CFO

investors@safeorthopaedics.com

or

NewCap

Julien Perez Valentine Brouchot

Investor Relations

Nicolas Merigeau

Media Relations

+33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

SafeOrtho@newcap.eu
50m capital increase, which may be raised to a maximum of approximately 66 m if the full extension clause and the overallotment option are exercised including Greenshoe

Subscription commitments totalling 14m from key anchor shareholders as well as new investors, including a leading banking player supporting regional development, Credit Mutuel du Nord Europe

Indicative price range applicable to the public offering and global placement: between 27 and 35,5 per share

Closing of the public offering scheduled June 6, 2016 and the global placement scheduled June 7, 2016 (deadline for setting the offer price)

Regulatory News:

Francaise de l'Energie (" Francaise de l'Energie" or the "Company") (Paris:LFDE) announces today the launch of its Initial Public Offering on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris.

The Autorite des Marches Financiers (the "AMF") granted visa no. 16-194 on May 23, 2016 for the prospectus relating to the Initial Public Offering of Francaise de l'Energie, composed of the document de base registered March 14, 2016 under no. I. 16-009, a securities note (note d'operation) and the summary of the prospectus (included in the securities note).

Exploitation of coal bed methane, an ambitious and innovative plan for our territories

Francaise de l'Energie, designated as a high-tech start-up by Bpifrance since June 2013, has become a key participant in the gas sector in France. Francaise de l'Energie has identified a previously untapped potential: extraction of gas contained in the coal of the former French coalfields. The Company has certified its first reserves of coal bed methane in the Lorraine basin and is preparing the construction of its first production platform in the region.

In addition, due to the acquisition now underway of the Gazonor Company, income will initially be generated thanks to mine gas production in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Francaise de l'Energie intends to accelerate this activity through the transformation of "recovered" gas into green electricity. This optimization of the existing production should enable to cover the operating costs of the Group.

Francaise de l'Energie Group (including Gazonor and Concorde) (the "Group") has assembled a broad portfolio of research and operating licenses in France, which cover the majority of coal bed methane resources identified in France. These licenses, closely located to the European gas pipeline and transport networks, confer an economic advantage for the exploitation of coal bed methane in heavily gas consuming regions and that are characterised by the densest population of industrial clients in all of Europe.

Following the certification of its gas resources by the BEICIP-Franlab (IFP New Energies), the Group holds the equivalent of almost six times the annual consumption of natural gas in France. The Group intends to develop and produce this high volume of gas over the next 20 years by focusing initially on Lorraine, with the launch of its first production platform in the next 18 months. The Group's strategy is to replace a part of the imported and consumed gas in France by a high-quality, made in France gas and provide a competitive local energy thanks to local supply circuits.

A significant potential market

France, as the fourth-largest gas market in Europe in terms of consumption, presently imports almost 100% of the gas it needs (primarily from Norway, Russia, the Netherlands, Algeria and Qatar).

Francaise de l'Energie intends to develop and produce a competitive 100% French energy. This local gas production offers customers a unique alternative to diversify their supply sources by diminishing geopolitical risk.

The significance of these resources and the quality of its gas make Francaise de l'Energie a real pioneer in the energy transition as needs are expected to continue to increase in Europe. According to the Energy 2050 road map of the European Commission, the consumption of gas in Europe should increase by 4.5% between 2014 and 2020, and this trend should continue until at least 2035.

A "new generation" competitive gas with a low environmental footprint

Coal bed methane produced by Francaise de l'Energie is an excellent quality, high calorific value gas, composed of 96% methane, while imported gas contains only up to 93%(1). Due to its performance, proximity to infrastructure and competitive cost structure, Francaise de l'Energie believes that developing it should be profitable in all market configurations.

The overall carbon balance of coal bed methane production and distribution by Francaise de l'Energie is also favourable at about 3.4 g of CO 2 kWh, or an environmental footprint on average ten times lower than that of imported gas, which stands at approximately 32 g CO 2 kWh (1)

An energy with a positive socio-economic impact

Large-scale, competitively priced extraction of local gas will help to revitalise former French coalfields where the Company operates by improving the attractiveness of the regions in the eyes of gas consumer industries such as the chemistry, metallurgy, automobile or even food industries.

The objective of Francaise de l'Energie is to sign competitive supply contracts with various local partners or regional authorities in order to generate stable sources of income during the period of exploitation.

The impact of gas marketing will also give rise to the creation of jobs in the region.

Strategic Assets

The Group has one of the most experienced technical management teams in the European coal bed methane sectors, boasting skills and know-how in evaluating, developing, exploiting and promoting gas resources.

Francaise de l'Energie's management and staff regularly collaborate with recognised experts in the sector and have laid the solid industrial groundwork that affords the Group the support of public and political authorities.

This support, which is provided on both national and regional levels, was formalised in the "Etat-Region Lorraine" treaty signed in 2013 by the Prefect, the Prime Minister and the President of the Regional Council of Lorraine, committing to the creation of the Energy Valley in Lorraine.

Francaise de l'Energie uses a proven drilling technology to create multiple lateral drains, which captures the gas present in the network of natural coal fissures, thereby avoiding invasive techniques.

In addition, with the acquisition of Gazonor, Francaise de l'Energie will have regular income thanks to its coal bed methane production in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais (covering its base SG&A of ca EUR 400k per month going forward).

A firmly Europe-oriented production strategy

Francaise de l'Energie is now ready to enter a new stage of its development by strengthening its technical and financial means with a view to putting the Lorraine gas resources into production. The aim of the Company is to have more than 15 production wells in activity in Lorraine by the end of 2018, which would allow it to generate production of more than 700 million m3 over 12 years by the end of 2018. At the same time, Francaise de l'Energie also intends to enlarge its reserves.

In addition, Francaise de l'Energie plans to increase its production of coal bed methane in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and to improve its operating margin on its activities in the region, in particular by taking advantage of the fact that coal bed methane is considered as a "recovered" energy, thus making it eligible for buyback rate guaranteed by the French State. The Group could also equip three of its collection sites with electricity production units by 2017.

Francaise de l'Energie is mainly based in France at this stage, but in the long term it wishes to develop on a European scale, in close proximity to its local settlements, in particular in Germany and Belgium, and has the ambition to become a gas industry leader in France and in Europe.

Francaise de l'Energie goes public to:

Become a key player in the energy sector and produce in the long run 5% of the annual gas consumption in France

Finance the expenditures of its coal bed methane production activities in Lorraine (subsidised electricity tariff guaranteed over the next 15 years)

Finance the acquisition of Gazonor in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and the transformation of coal mining methane into electricity (regulatory approval applicable to the mining law was deemed obtained May 23, 2016)

A project already partly-funded, sign of its maturity

Francaise de l'Energie has significantly reduced the risk of execution of its project thanks to the binding term sheet signed with RGReen Invest to finance, via a debt issuance in three tranches, 60 million of the Group's work program, and in particular some funding needs relating to the monetisation of coal mining methane in subsidised green electricity in Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

This financing proves the confidence of RGreen Invest, one of the most dynamic French players in investments targeting the environment, in the Group's projects.

The development plans in Lorraine and Nord Pas de Calais amount to a total investment ranging from 77 million to 122 million, over the next 3 years. The financing of RGreen Invest will provide a significant portion of these capital needs, the balance coming from cash flows generated by Gazonor from 2016 onwards and other sources of funding such as farm out or prepayments if needed.

Terms of the IPO

Structure of the offering

The offering of Francaise de l'Energie shares (the "Offering") will comprise:

A public offering in France in the form of an open-price offer (" French Public Offering "), mainly for individuals; and

"), mainly for individuals; and An international offering (the " International Offering ") for institutional investors including: A private placement in France; and An international private placement in certain countries including the United States of America under the rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " Securities Act "), and outside the United States of America under the Regulation S of the Securities Act

") for institutional investors including:

The allocation of the offered shares between the French Public Offering, on the one hand, and the International Offering, on the other hand, will be determined according to the nature and amount of demand.

If the demand within the French Public Offering is sufficient, the number of shares allocated in response to the orders placed in the French Public Offering will at least equal 10% of the total number of shares offered in the Offering after potential exercise of the Extension Option and before potential exercise of the Overallotment Option.

Initial size of the Offering

About 50m, i.e. 1 851 851 new shares (based on the lower limit of the offer's indicative price range) to be issued in the form of a cash capital increase of the Company through a public offering.

Indicative price range

27 to 35.5 per share.

The price of the shares offered in the French Public Offering will equal the price of the shares offered in the International Offering (the "Offer Price

The Offer Price may be fixed outside the indicative price range. The indicative price range may be amended at any time up until, and including, the day on which the offer price is fixed. In the event that the upper limit of this range is raised or that the Offer Price is fixed above the upper limit of the range (initial or amended as applicable), the closing date of the French Public Offering will be postponed or a new public subscription period will be opened, as appropriate, so that there are no fewer than two business days between the date of publication of the press release giving notice of this modification and the new French Public Offering closing date. Orders placed in the French Public Offering before publication of the above mentioned press release will remain valid unless they have been specifically revoked before the new French Public Offering closing date.

The Offer Price may be set freely below the lower limit of the indicative price range or the indicative price range may be freely modified downwards (subject to there being no significant impact on the other terms of the Offering).

Extension option

The extension option (the "Extension Option") represents a maximum of 15% of the number of new shares initially offered, or a maximum of 277 777 new shares (based on the lower limit of the indicative price range). The Extension Option may be exercised in whole or in part on one single occasion on June 7, 2016.

Overallotment option

The overallotment option (the "Overallotment Option") represents a maximum of 15% of the number of new shares offered after exercise of the Extension Option, as the case may be, representing up to 319 444 additional new shares (based on the lower limit of the indicative price range). The Overallotment Option may be exercised in whole or in part until July 7, 2016 (included).

Gross proceeds of the Offering

About 50m, which can be increased to around 66m if the Extension Option and the Overallotment Option are exercised in full.

Estimated net proceeds of the Offering

About 46m which can be increased to around 62m if the Extension Option and the Overallotment Option are exercised in full.

Subscription commitments from existing and new shareholders

A number of the Company's existing shareholders as well as new investors have undertaken to place subscription orders for a total amount of 14 million, or around 28% of the gross size of the Offering (excluding exercise of the extension option).

Lock-up commitments from the Company and the shareholders

Commitment of the Company: 180 calendar days standstill

Commitments of principal shareholders: 360 calendar days, subject to a progressive decrease over time, up to 50% of their stake between 181 and 270 calendar days and up to 75% of their stake between 271 and 360 calendar days.

Eligibility for the PEA-PME regime

The Company's shares are eligible for the PEA and PEA "PME-ETI" regime.

Expected timetable

May 23 2016 AMF visa on the Prospectus May 24 2016 Press Release announcing the Offer and availability of the Prospectus

French Public Offering and International Offering open June 6 2016 French Public Offering closed at 5.00 p.m. (Paris time) for over-the-counter orders and 8.00 p.m. (Paris time) for Internet orders June 7 2016 International Offering closed at 12.00 p.m. (Paris time) (except early close)

Determination of the Offer Price for the Offering and exercise of the Extension Option, as the case may be

Press release regarding the Offer Price, the final number of shares issued and the results of the Offering

Euronext notice of the results of the Offering

Underwriting agreement signed

Beginning of stabilization period, if any June 8 2016 Beginning of conditional trading in the Company's shares on Euronext Paris on the unique quotation line "FRCAISE ENGIE PROM" June 9 2016 Settlement and delivery of the Offering June 10 2016 Beginning of unconditional trading in the Company's shares on Euronext Paris on the unique quotation line "FRANCAISE ENERGIE" July 7 2016 Deadline for exercise of the Overallotment Option

End of stabilization period, if any

Terms of subscription

Anyone wishing to participate in the French Public Offering must place orders through a financial intermediary registered in France, no later than 5.00 p.m. (Paris time) for over-the-counter orders and 8.00 pm (Paris time) for Internet orders on June 6, 2016. To be accepted, orders placed under the International Offering must be received by the Lead Managers and Book runners or Co-Lead Managers no later than 12.00 p.m. (Paris time) on June 7, 2016.

Francaise de l'Energie codes

Name: FRANCAISE DE L'ENERGIE

ISIN code: FR0013030152

Mnemonic: LFDE

LFDE Section: Compartment B

Compartment B Business sector: ICB: 0530 Oil Gas Producers

ICB classification: 0533 Exploration Production

Information available to the Public Copies of the prospectus, which received a visa from the AMF on May 23, 2016 under number 16-194, comprising a document de base registered with the AMF on March 14, 2016 under number I. 16-009 (the "Securities Note") and the summary of the Prospectus (contained in the securities note), may be obtained free of charge from La Francaise de l'Energie, (1 avenue Saint-Remy, Esp. Pierrard, 57 600 Forbach) as well as from the Company's (www.francaisedelenergie.fr) and the AMF's (www.amf-france.org) websites.

Risk factors - Francaise de l'Energie draws the public's attention to the business-related risks described in Chapter 4 "Risk Factors" of the Document de Base and the offer-related risks described in Chapter 2 "Offer-related Risk Factors" of the Securities Note. If all or some of these risks materialise, this could have an adverse effect on the activity, reputation, operating results, financial situation or future prospects of the group. Furthermore, other risks, which were not identified or were not considered relevant by the group at the time the document received its visa from the AMF, could have the same adverse effect.

About Francaise de l'Energie

Francaise de l'Energie is a young, innovative company (Bpifrance label) based in Forbach in the Lorraine region of France. Based in the region since 2009, Francaise de l'Energie is a dynamic SME which employs almost 20 people, and is already a leader in the evaluation of gas resources in France. Francaise de l'Energie specialises in CBM (Coal Bed Methane), and its experienced technical team has demonstrated the presence of significant gas resources in the coals of former French producing basins. With the production of this new generation energy, which is both clean and strategic, Francaise de l'Energie is developing an ambitious project based on recognised expertise.

For more information, go to www.francaisedelenergie.fr

Disclaimer

This press release does not constitute, nor can it be construed as, a public offer or offer to buy or solicit the public's interest in a public offer.

No communication or other information related to this transaction or to Francaise de l'Energie may be transmitted to the public in a country in which any approval or registration is required. No steps to such end have been taken (or will be taken) by Francaise de l'Energie in any country in which such steps would be required (other than France). The subscription for or the purchase of Francaise de l'Energie shares may be subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Francaise de l'Energie assumes no responsibility for any violation of any such restrictions by any person.

This press release does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Directive 2003/71/CE of the European Parliament and Council dated 4 November 2003, as amended, in particular by Directive 2010/73/EU in the case where such Directive was implemented into Law in the member States of the European Economic Area (together, the "Prospectus Directive").

This press release is promotional in nature.

In France, an offer is open to the public only after the delivery by the AMF of a visa. With respect to the member States of the European Economic Area other than France (the "Member States") having implemented the Prospectus Directive into Law, no action has been or will be taken in order to permit a public offer of the securities which would require the publication of a prospectus in one of such Member States. As a result, securities may not and will not be offered in any Member States (other than France), except pursuant to the exemptions set forth in Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, if such exemptions have been implemented into Law in the Member State(s) in question or in other cases not requiring Francaise de l'Energie to publish a prospectus under the Prospectus Directive and/or regulations applicable in these Member States.

Any shares sold in the United States will be sold only to "qualified institutional buyers" (as defined in Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended) pursuant to Rule 144A.

This press release was not disseminated or approved by an "authorised person" within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. As a result, this press release is directed at and intended for only (i) persons outside the United Kingdom, (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, (iii) persons listed in Article 49(2) (a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unregistered associations, etc.) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, or (iv) to any other person to whom this press release may be directed by Law (persons mentioned in paragraphs (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), together referred to as "Relevant Persons"). The shares of Francaise de l'Energie described herein are available only to Relevant Persons, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire Francaise de l'Energie securities will be addressed to and engaged in only with Relevant Persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person must not act or rely on this document or any of the information it contains. This press release does not constitute a prospectus approved by the Financial Services Authority or any other regulatory authority in the United Kingdom within the meaning of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

This document does not constitute or form part of an offer of securities or a solicitation for purchase, subscription or sale of securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction (other than France). Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or pursuant to an exemption from this registration requirement. Francaise de l'Energie shares have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and Francaise de l'Energie does not intend to undertake a public offering of its securities in the United States.

The release of this press release in certain jurisdictions may constitute a violation of applicable laws. The information contained in this press release does not constitute an offer of securities in Canada, Australia or Japan. This press release must not be directly published, transmitted or distributed in the territory of the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan.

For a period of 30 days from the date the Offer Price is made public (i.e., according to the indicative timetable until July 7, 2016, inclusive), Societe Generale, as stabilisation agent, pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, specifically Regulation No. 2273/2003 of the European Commission of 22 December 2003 governing terms for applying Directive 2003/06/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 28 January 2003 on insider dealing and market manipulations, may (but is not required to do so) undertake stabilisation operations in order to stabilise or sustain the price of the Company's shares in the Euronext Paris regulated market. Pursuant to Article 10-1 of regulation (EC) 2273/03 of 22 December 2003, stabilisation operations may not be performed at a price that exceeds the offer price. Such interventions are liable to affect the share price and may result in a market price above that which would otherwise have prevailed. Even if stabilisation operations are performed, Societe Generale may decide to interrupt such operations at any time. The relevant market authorities and the public will receive information pursuant to Article 9 of the aforementioned regulation. In accordance with the provisions of Article 11 b) of the aforementioned regulation, Societe Generale, acting on behalf of the institutions underwriting the Offer, may, if needed, undertake overallotments in connection with the Offer up to the number of shares covered by the overallotment option, plus 5% of the Offer as applicable (excluding exercise of the overallotment options).

1 IFEU Study (Institut Fur Energie- und Umweltforschung) February 2016.

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED, TRANSMITTED OR DISTRIBUTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006529/en/

Contacts:

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Investor Relations

Antoine Denry, + 33 1 53 32 78 95

antoine.denry@citigate.fr

or

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Media Relations

Daiana Hirte, +33 1 53 32 78 90

daiana.hirte@citigate.fr
Regulatory News:

Uno-X Hydrogen AS, a NEL ASA (NEL) joint venture, has entered into an agreement with a Norwegian affiliate of Praxair, a leading global industrial gas company, as a strategic alliance to install 20 hydrogen refuelling stations, covering all the major cities in Norway by 2020. As part of the agreement, Praxair's Norwegian affiliate will aqcuire a 20 percent ownership interest in the joint venture.

"We are proud to annouce Praxair as a member of our strategic alliance and investor for the development of a nationwide hydrogen station network in Norway. Praxair is a global hydrogen supplier and we see the Norwegian rollout as a global showcase for the future development of hydrogen networks in other key countries, like the US, Germany and Japan," says Jon Andre Lkke, CEO of NEL ASA.

Following the agreement, Praxair's Norwegian affiliate will hold 20 percent of Uno-X Hydrogen, with Uno-X Gruppen and NEL holding 41 percent and 39 percent, respectively. The joint venture will build a network of hydrogen refuelling stations with hydrogen production, allowing fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to operate in and between all the major cities in Norway. The stations will be deployed in cities like Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, and Kristiansand, along with corresponding corridor locations.

"Our joint venture will identify and develop the production infrastructure necessary to support a Norwegian network of refuelling stations. We believe that working closely with gas and oil companies, like we have done in Denmark and are now doing in Norway, is a recipe that can be successfully replicated around the globe," says Lkke.

About Praxair

Praxair, Inc., a Fortune 250 company with 2015 sales of $11 billion, is the largest industrial gas company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies are making our planet more productive by bringing efficiency and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, primary metals and many others. More information about Praxair, Inc. is available at www.praxair.com.

About NEL

NEL ASA is the first dedicated hydrogen company on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Since its foundation in 1927, NEL Hydrogen has a proud history of development and continual improvement of hydrogen plants. NEL is a global supplier of hydrogen solutions, covering the entire value chain from hydrogen production technologies to hydrogen refuelling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles. H2 Logic A/S is a leading manufacturer of H2Station hydrogen refuelling stations that provides fuel cell electric vehicles with the same fast fueling and long range as conventional vehicles today. www.nel-asa.com

About Uno-X Hydrogen

Uno-X Hydrogen AS is a joint venture, owned by Uno-X, Praxair and NEL. The joint venture will build a network of hydrogen refuelling stations, where fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) can operate between all the major cities in Norway. The stations will be deployed in cities like Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Kristiansand, along with corresponding corridor locations. The target is that FCEVs can drive between the most populated cities in Norway by 2020.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006567/en/

Contacts:

NEL ASA/ Praxair

For additional information, please contact:

Jon Andre Lkke, CEO, +47 90 74 49 49
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Switzerland's foreign trade data for April is due to be released in the pre-European session on Tuesday at 2:00 am ET. The trade surplus totaled CHF 2.16 billion in March. Ahead of the data, the Swiss franc showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the franc fell against the yen, it held steady against the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound. As of 1:55 am ET, the Swiss franc was trading at 1.1108 against the euro, 1.4348 against the pound, 0.9908 against the U.S. dollar and 110.26 against the yen. 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 statistical office is set to release Germany's revised quarterly GDP data in the pre-European session on Tuesday at 2:00 am ET. The GDP is set to confirm the 0.7 percent sequential growth in the first quarter. Ahead of the data, the euro against its major rivals. As of 1:55 am ET, the euro was trading at 0.7741 against the pound, 1.1108 against the Swiss franc, 1.1211 against the U.S. dollar and 122.48 against the yen. 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.
The French professional social network refocuses with distinctive offers on the French market to reinforce its position as an essential partner/channel

Regulatory News:

This morning, Viadeo (Paris:VIAD), the French professional social network, presents its 2016-2018 strategic plan: ViaNext

Refocusing on the French market, promoting mobility and employment, supporting companies and recruiters in the digital transformation of their business, securing its position in the French HRTech Viadeo presents a comprehensive strategic program and exciting announcements and will reach breakeven in 2017.

In line with the development of the job market in France, ViaNext's core priorities are to maximize customer ROI and member engagement. It is based on three core pillars:

Via Job : Viadeo creates employment by connecting people to opportunities. From being a mainstream business social network, the platform is now completely focusing on job offers that connect candidates and recruiters and will evolve its user experience accordingly.

: Viadeo creates employment by connecting people to opportunities. From being a mainstream business social network, the platform is now completely focusing on job offers that connect candidates and recruiters and will evolve its user experience accordingly. Via You : Recognising that people are so much more than a CV or commoditised recommendations, Viadeo will enable members to showcase their true professional personality through new innovative tools.

: Recognising that people are so much more than a CV or commoditised recommendations, Viadeo will enable members to showcase their true professional personality through new innovative tools. ViaBiz: Viadeo leverages its rich data for companies to create opportunities in a highly targeted and segmented way to maximize their ROI.

Meanwhile, two initiatives will strengthen its strategic objectives:

Via Lab : As a catalyst of innovation, Viadeo boosts growth and brings value to the lives of its customers and members, exemplified by an ambitious partnership with Le Lab RH, a community that brings together over 160 start-ups in the HR field.

: As a catalyst of innovation, Viadeo boosts growth and brings value to the lives of its customers and members, exemplified by an ambitious partnership with Le Lab RH, a community that brings together over 160 start-ups in the HR field. ViaFR: specific programs to support those who are the future of the French job market.

ViaJob

Viadeo puts the job market at the center of its strategy. Transparency between companies, employees, and the candidates is one of the defining trends in the current market. this is illustrated by the use of the "ViaVox" feature that has generated more than 3.8 million reviews of employees on more than 40 000 companies in only a few months.

Connecting talents to all opportunities via its network is the first mission of Viadeo. In order to do this, Viadeo has adapted its offer to accommodate companies' size and requirements. For example:

Companies with a high level of recruitment now have access to a new subscription allowing them to post unlimited job offers for less than 1,000 per month

Small Businesses can subscribe to all of Viadeo's services (company page, vmail, and job offers) for less than 50 euros per month, this is a new self-service offer.

ViaYou

Because Viadeo members are so much more than their online CV, Viadeo will help them showcase their unique professional identity. Their experience, motivations, and interests will be featured in an innovative and more personal way. Viadeo will offer to its members the opportunity to express their talent through videos and other new tools and rely on their network to bring out their interpersonal skills ("soft skills") as well as their expertise.

ViaBiz

Viadeo offers to advertisers the ability to use rich declarative data for highly targeted advertising, both on Viadeo's platform as well as on other sites (via coupling with live auction programs on key advertising marketplaces).

ViaLab

Recognising that the ecosystem is always more innovative than any one company can be, Viadeo is going to position itself as an anchor in the French RHTech ecosystem. The company is going to open APIs on its platform to encourage the ecosystem to innovate 'on top' of the Viadeo platform. Additionally, Viadeo is entering a partnership with LabRH to connect directly to innovators who are rethinking employment, employability, or personal growth at work.

As part of this partnership, start-ups addressing recruiting issues will be incubated in Viadeo's new incubator.

Viadeo and LabRH will present the details of this partnership during a conference organized in their new collaborative office mid-June.

ViaFr

Viadeo was started 11 years ago in France and has deep knowledge of this market and its ecosystem.

Its members and clients encompass all employment areas, whether in Ile de France or regions and in all business sectors.

With this knowledge, and eager to play a key role in the French job market, Viadeo announced today the opening of free services to those who need it most: young workers and the unemployed, as well as creators of businesses and NGOs.

In short, ViaNext will:

Offer all French talents the transparency they deserve,

and connect them via their network to all opportunities

"Our entire team at Viadeo is very enthusiastic about this new chapter. This marks a return to the fundamentals of our business, which aims to create demonstrable value for our clients, recruiters, and our members, cementing our position as an essential partner and channel for employment," concludes Renier Lemmens, Viadeo's CEO.

New announcements will follow to provide more information on ViaNext.

About Viadeo

Created 11 years ago, Viadeo is the French leader in business social networks with close to 11 million members in France. Viadeo offers companies, regardless of their location or sector, a tailor-made solution, and a range of offers tailored to their specific needs. Viadeo offers all French talent the transparency they deserve and connects them via their network to all opportunities.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006570/en/

Contacts:

Media

Weber Shandwick

Pauline Bonnet Nassim Guessous

Tel.: 01 47 59 56 33 56 62

viadeo@webershandwick.com
GENEVA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

As the Annual Summit Takes Place This Week, Global Leaders Have an Opportunity to Scrutinize WHO's definition of transparency and accountability

Health Ministers from 194 countries will gather this week in Geneva to set the direction for future health policy around the world. JTI - Japan Tobacco International - is calling for the Assembly to urgently address an alarming transparency and accountability crisis at the heart of the World Health Organization (WHO) during discussions on the agency's reform.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130528/617491 )



In a recent report, the WHO states that "...significant progress has been made towards meeting the objectives of being a more effective, efficient, transparent and accountable organization."[1] This contradicts censorship practices that are increasingly being witnessed at WHO meetings.

At the last Conference of the Parties (COP6) of the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2014, members of the public and journalists were unjustifiably ejected from the public gallery, leaving them unable to observe and report on plenary sessions that are meant to be transparent. The alarming tactic of conducting proceedings behind closed doors has prompted concerns - notably by the media - that health lobbyists and non-elected parties are wielding undue influence over treaty negotiations.

These exclusion tactics go against basic transparency and accountability rules - and are in sharp contrast to other UN meetings. At the Sustainable Innovation Forum (COP21) on climate change in Paris earlier this year, some 3000 journalists were accredited, while political and business leaders from around the world actively participated in debates. Proceedings were open to the public and live-streamed on the internet. Businesses sponsored the event.

Michiel Reerink, Global Regulatory Strategy Vice-President at JTI, stated: "Nobody would argue against the need for tobacco to be appropriately regulated, but there is a right way and a wrong way of achieving that. Excluding the public and the media from debates amounts to censorship, and is unacceptable from a publicly-funded organization. This begs the question: what does the WHO have to hide?"

JTI, a member of the Japan Tobacco Group of Companies, is a leading international tobacco manufacturer. It markets world-renowned brands such as Winston, Camel, Mevius and LD. Other global brands include Benson & Hedges, Silk Cut, Sobranie and Glamour. With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and about 26,000 employees worldwide, JTI has operations in more than 120 countries. Its core revenue in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, was USD 10.3 billion. For more information, visit http://www.jti.com.

--------------------------------------------------

1. Overview of reform implementation, World Health Organization, Report by the Director General, Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly, Provisional agenda item 11.1, March 11, 2016, p.1.
On 12th of May 2016, the Tribunal Panel of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), reached a decision regarding the disclosure of information directly related to the ongoing dispute.



AS Tallinna Vesi had requested that it be permitted to publish certain extracts of its Memorial, the document which sets out its case and the history of the privatisation, including the roles played by the City of Tallinn, the Government of Estonia and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Government of Estonia objected to this and the Tribunal Panel has agreed in part to this objection, such that neither party can publish arbitration documents although, subject to certain limitations, 'general discussion' about the case in public is permitted.



The full decision and other procedural orders and decisions issued during the arbitration process, subject to the redaction of confidential information, are available on the ICSID website. The final hearing remains scheduled for November 2016.



Background information:



In October 2014, AS Tallinna Vesi and its shareholder United Utilities (Tallinn) B.V., registered in the Kingdom of The Netherlands, commenced international arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Estonia for breach of the Agreement on the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between the Kingdom of The Netherlands and the Republic of Estonia.



Riina Kai Chief Financial Officer AS Tallinna Vesi Tel: (+372) 62 62 262 riina.kai@tvesi.ee

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Cranswick plc (CWK.L), a leading UK food producer, reported preliminary statutory profit before tax of 58.7 million pounds for the year ended 31 March 2016 compared to 52.8 million pounds, previous year. Profit for the year increased to 45.4 million pounds from 41.2 million pounds. Statutory earnings per share was 91.2 pence compared to 83.8 pence. Adjusted profit before tax increased 13.7% to 65.7 million pounds. Adjusted earnings per share was 104.3 pence compared to 91.8 pence, prior year. Revenue was up by 6.6% at 1.07 billion pounds. Underlying revenue increased 4.7% from prior year, with corresponding volumes up 10 percent. The Board of Cranswick plc proposed to increase the final dividend by 10.7 percent to 25.9 pence per share. Together with the interim dividend, this makes a total dividend for the year of 37.5 pence per share, an increase of 10.3 percent on last year. 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.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has started broad customer roll-out of MyP&WC Power, a flexible new service portal that makes conducting business with the company more convenient than ever through its advanced e-commerce functionality. The company expects the number of users on the new portal to grow from about 3,000 currently to as high as 50,000 by the end of 2016. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

With an easy-to-use shopping cart, advanced transactional and search capabilities, and a dashboard that can be personalized, the MyP&WC Power portal offers customers rapid access to the P&WC products, services and information that are most relevant to them. The portal is optimized for both mobile and desktop devices to provide full transactional capabilities on PCs, tablets and smartphones.

"Every aspect of our new service portal is designed for customer convenience and making it easier to connect and access a wide range of information and services - whether they are purchasing parts or technical publications, renting engines or checking the latest bulletin," said Satheeshkumar Kumarasingam, Vice President, Commercial Services, P&WC. "It is one of the many technology investments we are making to deliver bottom-line value to customers to help save them time and money."

The broad deployment of the new portal follows positive results from a customer survey in March and beta testing with more than 400 customer users in early April. "We are onboarding existing portal customers in a progressive manner in order to ensure comprehensive support during the transition," said Mr. Kumarasingam. "Customer feedback to date has been highly positive and with the portal's powerful e-commerce capabilities we are confident we could see upwards of 80,000 users take advantage of it over the long term."

GlobeAir, which recently came on board the new MyP&WC Power portal, is the foremost private jet operator in Europe with the world's largest fleet of Citation Mustang jets.

"GlobeAir continues to innovate with the goal of delivering higher quality service while optimising costs," said Claudio Bruno, Chief Operations Officer, GlobeAir. "Technology, in particular IT, is fundamental in our quest and the new P&WC portal is one such example, allowing us to be faster and more efficient in maintaining the airworthiness of our aircraft."

MyP&WC Power is tailored to the needs of all customers - from fleet owners and operators, to individual aircraft operators, to administrators. The portal is simple to use yet powerful in its ability to manage a comprehensive array of transactions. As the progressive roll-out continues, customers using the existing portal will be notified when their account on MyP&WC Power is active.

Visit us at EBACE 2016 stand N114.

About Pratt & Whitney Canada

Founded in 1928, and a global leader in aerospace, P&WC is shaping the future of aviation with dependable, high-technology engines. Based in Longueuil, Quebec (Canada), P&WC is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. United Technologies Corp, based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries.

Note to Editors

Follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/pwcanada) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/PrattWhitneyCanada) for our latest news and updates.

Contacts:

Jennifer Barron

Pratt & Whitney Canada

1-450-677-9411 x75009

jennifer.barron@pwc.ca




GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) continues to build momentum for its new engine oil analysis technology as a growing number of customers register their engines in the trial. Now in the final stages of development, P&WC's innovative oil debris monitoring technology has the potential to significantly enable proactive maintenance interventions and drive increased aircraft availability. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

"We are seeking 'early adopters' from among our business aviation customers to participate in the trial to support the final calibration of this technology across our turbofan and PT6A engine models," said Timothy Swail, Vice President, Customer Programs, P&WC. "Our oil analysis technology has shown its potential to take engine diagnostics and prognostics to the next level of precision and efficacy to drive enhanced aircraft availability, reduce costs and enable preventive, on-condition maintenance environments."

The highly sensitive technology detects minute particles within engine oil, allowing for the identification of deterioration in specific oil-wetted components well before a potential event occurs without having to remove the engine. Once the solution reaches maturity in the next 18 to 24 months, it will have the potential to surpass the effectiveness of any existing oil debris monitoring technology. "Our business aviation customers - from fractional carriers to operators of corporate fleets and charters - are in the business of time and efficiency," said Mr. Swail. "They are looking for 100 per cent planned maintenance environments and we are committed to helping them get there and to helping drive services that are highly personalized, performance-based and guaranteed."

P&WC is asking business aviation customers to join the technology trial by contacting their field service representative. They will be asked to collect oil samples at regular intervals and ship them to P&WC for analysis (expenses paid by P&WC). Participants will have the opportunity to receive reports, for information purposes only, with oil analysis results and technology updates at no cost during the trial. "With more than 14,000 P&WC turbofan engines and over 15,000 PT6A engines flying, there is an opportunity to significantly extend time on wing and transform unscheduled events into scheduled events, helping customers save time, reduce costs and optimize maintenance planning," said Mr. Swail.

P&WC is a proven leader in developing and deploying advanced engine diagnostics, prognostics and engine health management solutions. Its vision is to move customers to more planned and predictive maintenance environments to ensure peace of mind. The company has delivered more than 6,000 engine diagnostics and prognostics solutions to customers and is continuing to invest in new technologies to simplify maintenance for customers, reduce costs and increase aircraft availability.

Visit P&WC at EBACE, stand N114. Customers interested in participating in the trial may contact their Field Service Representative (FSR) or visit the Oil Analysis Technology Trial section of P&WC's website for more information.

About Pratt & Whitney Canada

Founded in 1928, and a global leader in aerospace, P&WC is shaping the future of aviation with dependable, high-technology engines. Based in Longueuil, Quebec (Canada), P&WC is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. United Technologies Corp, based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to challenges in the design, development, production, support, performance, and realization of anticipated benefits of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.'s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Note to Editors

Follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/pwcanada) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/PrattWhitneyCanada) for our latest news and updates.

Contacts:

Jennifer Barron

Pratt & Whitney Canada

1-450-677-9411 x75009

jennifer.barron@pwc.ca




MUMBAI and DUBAI, UAE, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Sterlite Technologies' Telecom Software Division Elitecore announces the version release of its NetVertex PCRF v6.6. The platform empowers CSPs with service agility, faster monetization and optimization, a key enabler for the operators to enhance customer experience.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160225/791663 )

Dhaval Vora, Elitecore's VP - Product Management, Sterlite Technologies, said, "The latest release enables CSPs with innovative use cases such as group plan support, quota sharing, global emergency plan, dynamic QoS, and VoLTE. With the highly scalable platform, our customers can now support 20% more sessions in the same hardware capacity, thereby reducing TCO."

The new Policy Designer featured is a state-of-the-art tool to manage subscriber, subscription & package configuration at 50% reduced time from previous version, simplified configuration of policy form with convenient dropdown menus and responsive GUIfor easy configuration by even non-technical staff, comprehensively supporting the agile policy management promise.

The new release also includes an enhanced SPR with DDF functionality which enables the distribution of subscribers across multiple SPRs (Subscriber Profile Repository). The DDF functionality has been further improved to support upward scalability of the architecture and enables communication between PCRFand any SPR.

Additional key features of NetVertex PCRF v6.6 include:

Multi-tenancy and Virtualization support

IMS and VoLTE services is now separate from Data Package Policy to easily support new IMS services in a 4G/LTE architecture

3GPP29.212r11 - Sd Interface Compliance

About Sterlite Technologies:

Sterlite Technologies Limited (STL) "Sterlite Tech" [BSE: 532374, NSE:STRTECH]) is the world's leadingand India's only vertically integrated Optical Communication Products, Services & Software company. It aims to transform everyday living by delivering smarter networks. With expertise in designing, engineering, buildingand managing broadband data networks, the company has global footprint in 75 countries, including manufacturing units in India, China and Brazil. Projects undertaken by the company include intrusion-proof secure network for the Armed Forces, rural broadband, Smart Cities, and establishing high-speed Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks. For more details, visit http://www.sterlitetechnologies.com.

About Elitecore

Sterlite Technologies' Telecom Software Division - Elitecore is a global IT product and service provider. Elitecore has over 150 network deployments worldwide for 59 service providers in more than 40 countries. Elitecore's clients include 13 of the world's top 30 operators. For more details, visit http://www.elitecore.com.

Media Contact

LK Pathak

VP - Marketing & Corporate Communications

M: +91 9925012059

E: l.k.pathak@elitecore.com


CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Political party Democratic Alliance (DA) in South Africa has chosen CM Telecom's Hybrid and SMS messaging solutions to interact with voters, campaigners and to secure its IT infrastructure with One Time Passwords through mobile messaging and push notifications.

The mobile passwords create an extra layer of security (two-factor authentication) to login sessions which prevents data breaches

Hybrid Messaging, which combines push notifications, voice messages and SMS text messaging, makes sure messages are delivered on every possible device. Voice and SMS text messages are also used as a back-up in case the push notification is not delivered on the handset within a period of time.

Warwick Chapman, Executive Director with the DA: "We have traditionally relied on SMS for One Time PIN delivery but are keen to use CM Telecom's Hybrid Messaging to drive down cost of these OTP's in the long term. A secondary target is to introduce a mobile application into the Apple and Android stores that serves as both an Authenticator and a starting dashboard into our ecosystem of applications. CM are a respected service provider, with a willing and supportive technical team and a range of solutions that fit our needs. The presence of a local CM office in South Africa and a well-known and respected local manager is critical to our selection of CM as a partner."

James Bayhack, Country Manager of CM Telecom in South Africa comments: "The DA's view on mobile being the 'way forward' re-affirms that organisations needs to embrace the efficiencies and reach of the mobile ecosystem. We are delighted to be able to compliment the DA's mobile strategy and will be at their side as their needs continue to grow."

About The Democratic Alliance:

Democratic Alliance (DA) is a political party and the official opposition at a National Government level in South Africa. The DA has been governing theWestern Cape, one of South Africa's nine provinces, since the2009 general election, and has governed the City of Cape Town since 2006. It is the only party to have increased its share of the vote in every national election held since 1994, and currently has 22.23% electoral support.

https://www.da.org.za/

About CM Telecom:

Launched in Netherlands in 1999 and with more than 20,000 clients worldwide, CM Telecom's platform helps brands conduct critical business processes including customer interaction, marketing campaigns and transactions. Services include SMS tools, app development, push notifications and aHybrid Messagingproduct, which combines multiple channels in one package - ensuring customers can deliver messages to audiences via one partner, whatever the platform. CM Telecom's platform is powered by its own self-built infrastructure, supported by a 24/7 network operations centre including in-house data centres and fibre networks across northern Europe. Next to Hong Kong and Cape Town, CM Telecom has offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Brussels, Amsterdam, Breda, The Hague and Enschede.

https://www.cmtelecom.co.za

For more information contact

James Bayhack

James.Bayhack@cmtelecom.com

+27-(21)-2761958


VIENNA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

With Photo

First artist to issue shares -shares of a 77m photograph ofthe world's first stock exchange, the "Handelsbeurs" in Antwerp

The IPO of the year is about to take place! Investors are offered a stake of LMSTX, a 77 m photograph by Austrian artist Lies Maculan.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160520/370458 )



The concept, which was inspired by the stock market, offers the opportunity to purchase art in small units.

The investor becomes a co-owner of an artwork, of the great whole, that spreads throughout the world.

LMSTX is an art project that illustrates and applies mechanisms of the financial markets.

The Artwork

The picture shows the world's first stock exchange, the "Handelsbeurs" in Antwerp , founded in 1531.

, founded in 1531. The basic structure of the 77m picture consists of the 27 large-sized photographs.

The perspective distortion was corrected, the floor structure and the arcades partly changed and disturbing elements removed.

The assembly of the 27 photographs generate the high resolution, necessary to produce the picture in its full size - 7 x 11 meter. The resulting unreal perspective further adds to the image's uniqueness.

Shares and Blocks Of Shares

The picture consists of 7,700 shares.

The 10cm x 10cm images are printed directly onto stainless steel using a Lapada printer.

Every share is unique, certified, numbered and signed.

Several shares make up a block.

These blocks of shares are available in different sizes and shapes.

The offer price starts at 100.

The Trade

If by December 2016 4,000 to 6,000 shares have been subscribed, the online shop will be replaced with a virtual trading platform.

This is where demand meets supply.

Shareholders can offer their shares at a desired price, and potential buyers can make specific (precise serial number or image description) or unspecific bids. The average value of the bids will be listed as the stock price and function as the basis for negotiation for buyers and sellers.

The closing of a sales contract will not be conducted online, the platform simply connects suppliers and bidders. The chart-development will be documented and the entire buying and selling process will be transparently communicated through the platform and social media.

The Timeline

The online shop will open on 31st May 2016.

In October 2016 the first shareholders' meeting will take place in which the development of the project will be discussed and future plans announced.

Starting from December 2016 the online trading platform will be available for at least 12 months, providing 4.000 shares have been subscribed.

for high resolution images please contact lm@lmstx

References:



Lies Maculan

Telefon: +43(0)664/212-4761

Email: lm@lmstx.at



Maria-Anna Goess

Telefon: +43(0)664/314-8806

Email: mg@lmstx.at



website: lmstx.at

Adress: Schiffamtsgasse 11, 1020 Wien

Facebook: LMSTX LiesMaculanStocks

Instagram: LMSTX LiesMaculanStocks



A picture/s accompanying this release is available through the PA Photowire. It can be downloaded from http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or viewed at http://www.mediapoint.press.net or http://www.prnewswire.co.uk .
EQS-News / 24/05/2016 / 15:11 UTC+8 For Immediate Release BaWang International (Group) Holding Limited BaWang Wins Libel Lawsuit against Next Magazine * * * Reaffirmed Highest Product Safety and Assured Compliance with Health Requirements (23 May 2016, Hong Kong) Chinese herbal shampoo and personal care product brand owner BaWang International (Group) Holding Limited ("BaWang" or the "Company", stock code: 1338) and its indirect subsidiary, Bawang (Guangzhou) Company Limited, have won the libel lawsuit against Next Magazine Publishing Ltd ("Next Magazine") over an inaccurate and defamatory report published by Next Magazine in July 2010 which questioned BaWang's product safety and accused it as cancerous without proven scientific support. In the judgment made by the Honourable Lok J of the Court of First Instance, Hong Kong on 23 May 2016, the Court commented that "In short, the Defendant [being Next Magazine] had adopted a naive and unprofessional approach in reporting the story" and that Next Magazine's report in the article was "not a product of responsible journalism." The Court rejected all the pleaded defences raised by Next Magazine in relation to BaWang's libel claim and found that the defamatory article published by Next Magazine prevented readers from knowing that in fact, BaWang's "stance of BaWang Shampoo Products being safe was supported by a scientific study conducted by a responsible team of scientists; published by a responsible regulatory agency; endorsed by the government of a scientifically advanced country." After five and a half years' lawsuit, BaWang and Bawang (Guangzhou) Company Limited were awarded general damages for libel in the amount of HK$2,004,652.50 and HK$1,000,000, respectively. The High Court of Hong Kong also made a costs order nisi that Next Magazine shall pay to Bawang and Bawang (Guangzhou) Company Limited 80% of the legal costs of Bawang and Bawang (Guangzhou) Company Limited in respect of the lawsuit. Mr. Chen Qiyuan, Chairman of BaWang said, "The verdict is an affirmation of BaWang's brand reputation and our high product safety standards. Safeguarding personal health has always been at the core of BaWang. In our five and a half year legal battle with Next Magazine, we have strengthened quality control in the course of production and made additional investments in product research and development so as to provide further assurance to consumers since the publication of the article. In fact, the Group's management system for production of hair care and skin care products have respectively been certified to be in compliance with the guidelines on cosmetics good manufacturing practice (GMP) separately laid down by the Centre for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition of the US Food & Drug Administration and the ISO 22716.2007. " Mr. Chen Qiyuan also said, "We respect the press who abides by good practices, but we will not tolerate ungrounded derogatory reports of any kind. We believe that winning this libel lawsuit will be a step towards reclaiming our territory and strengthening consumer confidence in our products. Going forward, we will continue to offer safe and effective personal care products to consumers." During the hearing, the expert witnesses from both sides confirmed that using Bawang shampoos is safer than drinking water that meets the safety threshold recommended by WHO (World Health Organization). Indeed, in the Court's Judgement, the Judge stated that "One can also test the Defendant's suggested safety standard with the WHO's recommended safety level of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. Assuming that the Plaintiffs' shampoo (being the BaWang shampoo) is to contain 27 ppm of 1,4-dioxane (which was alleged by Next Magazine), using the Defendant's model to assess health risk, it is still 3 times safer using the Plaintiffs' shampoo than drinking the WHO-recommended drinking water." Additionally, the China's State Food & Drug Administration released a public circular at its official website respectively on 16 July 2010 and 21 July 2010 stating that BaWang's anti-hair-loss shampoo is safe for consumer use as the amount of dioxane is minimal and complies fully with international standards. Other evidences and testaments presented at the court also point to the conclusion that the accusations made by Next Magazine were untrue and not based on scientific findings. - End - About BaWang BaWang International (Group) Holding Limited is engaged in the research and development, manufacture and marketing of Chinese herbal shampoo and a range of personal care products. The Bawang brand has been awarded the Well-known Trademark of China in 2007. According to the research results of Euromonitor International, the BaWang brand has been the leading Chinese brand in terms of sales value in the Chinese herbal shampoo and anti-hair-loss shampoo market in the PRC between 2007 and 2013. BaWang adopts a multi-brand strategy and operates diversified branded products including BaWang Shampoo, Royal Wind, Herborn and Litao. Bawang's distribution network covers 27 provinces and four municipalities in the PRC. Additionally, BaWang branded products are sold in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. Issued by Cornerstones Communications Ltd. on behalf of BaWang. For further information, please contact: Harriet Lau / Sharis Siu T: (852) 2903 9290 / 2903 9282 E: bawang@cornerstonescom.com Document: http://n.eqs.com/c/fncls.ssp?u=LHJPHHWDBI Document title: BaWang Wins Libel Lawsuit against Next Magazine Key word(s): Statement 24/05/2016 Dissemination of a Press Release, transmitted by EQS TodayIR - a company of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Media archive at www.todayir.com 466061 24/05/2016

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 24, 2016 03:12 ET (07:12 GMT)
JZ CAPITAL PARTNERS LIMITED (the "Company")

(a closed-end collective investment scheme incorporated as a non-cellular company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registered number 48761)

Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting and

Proposed Amendments to the Company's Articles of Incorporation

24 May 2016

Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the Extraordinary General Meeting ("EGM") of the Company will be held at the offices of Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited, Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3QL, on 17 June 2016 at 1:25 BST (or as soon thereafter as the Annual General Meeting of the Company convened for the same day has been concluded or adjourned).

The purpose of the EGM is to consider and, if thought fit, approve certain proposed amendments to the Company's Articles of Incorporation.

The Board is proposing to adopt new Articles of Incorporation (the "New Articles") in order to update the Company's existing Articles of Incorporation (the "Existing Articles"). The New Articles primarily take account of changes to remove any reference in the Existing Articles to the Company's 2016 Zero Dividend Preference Shares (the "2016 ZDP Shares") (which the Company is proposing to redeem on the redemption date of the 2016 ZDP Shares, being 22 June 2016), changes to law and practice in Guernsey since the Existing Articles were last updated substantively in this regard and other changes of a more minor, technical or clarifying nature. Details of the proposed amendments are included in the Notice convening the EGM.

The Notice convening the EGM is being distributed to members of the Company and will shortly be uploaded to the Company's website at www.jzcp.com. Copies of the Notice convening the EGM the Company is posting to shareholders are available for viewing, during normal business hours, at the registered office of the Company at Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3QL and will shortly be available for viewing at www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm.

For further information:

William Simmonds

J.P. Morgan Cazenove +44 (0)20 7742 4000 Ed Berry / Kit Dunford

FTI Consulting +44 (0) 20 3727 1046 / 1143 David Zalaznick

Jordan/Zalaznick Advisers, Inc. +1 (212) 485 9410 Paul Le Ray

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited +44 (0) 1481 745815

About JZCP

JZCP is a London listed fund which invests in high quality US and European microcap companies and US real estate. Its objective is to achieve a superior overall return comprised of a current yield and significant capital appreciation. JZCP receives investment advice from Jordan/Zalaznick Advisers, Inc. ("JZAI") which is led by David Zalaznick and Jay Jordan. They have worked together for 30 years and are supported by teams of investment professionals in New York, Chicago, London and Madrid. JZAI's experts work with the existing management of microcap companies to help build better businesses, create value and deliver strong returns for investors. JZCP also invests in mezzanine loans, first and second lien investments and other publicly traded securities.

For more information please visit www.jzcp.com.
Streamlines tuition payments for over 150,000 international students attending school in the UKBOSTON and LONDON, 2016-05-24 10:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flywire, a global provider of cross-border payment solutions, today announced that it has completed migration of the Uni-Pay client base onto the Flywire platform, following its October 2015 acquisition of the company. Flywire now serves over 120 schools and universities in the U.K. - making fast, easy tuition payment available to over 150,000 international students traveling each year to attend UK institutions such as University of Durham, University of Leeds, Manchester Metropolitan and University of Liverpool.The UK is the world's second largest destination market for international education with UK universities and schools recruiting more international students every year. A growing percentage of these students are coming from the Asia-Pacific region where Flywire has increased its presence and tailored its platform and services to meet the unique needs of students traveling from countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and India.Flywire provides UK schools with a simple, secure and cost-effective way for their international students to pay tuition and other expenses. The platform processes payments from 220 countries and territories, in 70 local currencies and enables schools to accept bank transfers, online banking, and credit and debit cards while providing students with currency exchange rates that can offer significant savings when compared to home-market banks and credit card providers. Flywire also supports the schools with multilingual servicing via phone, email, and chat, as well as 24/7 online payment tracking."Manchester Met provides world class education facilities, cutting-edge technologies and is one of the largest campus-based universities in the UK," said Paul Sheil, finance manager at Manchester Metropolitan University. "Access to cost-effective payment options is essential to our growing international student population. Flywire provides an easy-to-use payment portal allowing students to quickly make payments from their home country, in their own currency, taking advantage of localised banking arrangements, competitive exchange rates and no international banking charges.""As the world becomes more global, Flywire is connecting educational institutions with international students by providing the most trusted and easiest-to-use solution for paying education bills globally," said Mike Massaro, CEO of Flywire. "We're pleased to be able to offer our industry-leading technology and outstanding customer service to our Uni-Pay clients. The transition has been very smooth thanks to our customers and the many talented people that have joined our team from Uni-Pay."About FlywireFlywire, formerly peerTransfer, is a leading provider of high-ticket payment solutions, connecting educational and healthcare institutions with consumers on six continents. Introduced five years ago as a way for international students to pay their tuition for studies abroad, Flywire is now welcomed by over 900 colleges and universities around the world and hospitals in North America. The company has processed billions in payments from 220 countries and territories, in 70 local currencies. Convenient, fast and secure, Flywire's scalable platform accepts bank transfers, online banking, and credit and debit cards - providing currency conversion at exchange rates that can offer significant savings when compared to home-market banks and credit card providers. Committed to a great end-to-end customer experience, the company offers multilingual servicing via phone, email, and chat, as well as 24/7 online payment tracking.Flywire is headquartered in Boston, MA with international operations in London and Manchester, UK; Shanghai, China; Tokyo, Japan; Singapore; and Valencia, Spain. For more information, visit www.Flywire.com.Media Contact: Tim Walsh for Flywire timw@walshgroupmarketing.com +1 617-512-1641
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 4:30 am ET Tuesday, the Office for National Statistics is set to release U.K. public sector finance data. The budget deficit is forecast to widen to GBP 6.4 billion in April from GBP 4.8 billion in March. Ahead of the data, the pound climbed against its major rivals. The pound was worth 1.4539 against the greenback, 159.27 against the yen, 1.4431 against the franc and 0.9686 against the euro as of 4:25 am ET. 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.
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The wine bar chain is set to open a new venue in Harrogate hosting a launch party on the 2nd of June.

The chosen location will be the new commercial development on Station Parade/Albert Street.

Veeno champions Italy's after-work aperitivo culture, specialising in Italian wines alongside spuntini - mainly platters of meats and cheeses imported from Italian producers. It already has sites in Manchester, Leeds, York, Liverpool, Nottingham and the recently launched Bristol.

Arch. Giada Schioppa of The Master Key Group has designed the interiors of the venue: "The Veeno brand is a promise of quality and excellent customer experience. We managed to create a comfortable environment that suits different styles of drinking and eating in a very authentic Italian feeling."

The new opening will be a catalyst to further openings, with plans to accelerate the growth in the next months

LINK TO IMAGE https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9uaOOhSV4nfemRaWGlGLWc4ZEk/view?usp=sharing
Partnership with Vandergeeten Trade and Commerce Co LTD Extends Tennent's brand footprint in China

C&C Group continues to ramp up its international expansion in Asia-Pacific with the announcement of its fourth strategic partnership in the recent months. C&C Group is proud to confirm the signing of a new distribution agreement with Vandergeeten for the distribution of its Tennent's portfolio in China.

C&C Group and Vandergeeten have agreed a 3 year partnership for distribution of the Tennent's brand portfolio in China. Initially Vandergeeten will launch Tennent's 1885 Lager, Tennent's Stout, Tennent's Whisky Oak Aged Beer, Tennent's Scotch Ale and Tennent's Extra into both the On Premise and Off Premise channels Nationally in China.

Vandergeeten have been distributing premium food and beverage products from Belgium and Western Europe into China for over 20 years and currently work across a world class portfolio of premium international drinks brands.

Joris Brams, Managing Director of C&C Group's International Division, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for C&C Group to work in partnership with a well established company in China with a very strong reputation in the drinks business. The market for imported premium beers in China has enjoyed stellar growth over the last 5 years and this partnership with Vandergeeten will ensure that the Tennent's brand portfolio is well positioned for long term growth in China"

Yu Xiaoning, Chief Executive Officer of Vandergeeten, said: "Working with C&C is an exciting opportunity for us to even further diversify our wide range of premium European beers. We're confident that in cooperation with C&C, we can develop Tennent's into a popular and successful brand enjoyed by customers all throughout the country."

-END-

About C&C Group plc

C&C Group manufactures Bulmers the leading Irish cider brand, Magners the premium international cider brand, the C&C Brands range of English ciders and the Tennent's beer brand. C&C Group also owns and manufactures Woodchuck and Hornsby's, two of the leading craft cider brands in the United States.

C&C Group also distributes a number of beer brands in Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland, primarily for Anheuser-Busch InBev, and owns Wallaces Express, a Scottish drinks wholesaler.

The Group's Irish wholesaling subsidiary, Gleeson group, owns and manufactures Tipperary Water and Finches soft drinks. C&C Group is also the exclusive distribution partner of Pabst Brewing Company, the largest independently owned brewing company in the US, for the UK and Ireland.

C&C Group is headquartered in Dublin and its manufacturing operations are based in Co. Tipperary, Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; Somerset, England; and Vermont, USA. C&C Group plc is listed on the Irish and London Stock Exchanges.

About Vandergeeten

In 1994, Vandergeeten imported its first shipment of premium goods into China. From these bold beginnings, Vandergeeten has grown into a household name for premium imported goods in China.

Boasting more than 20 years of experience and a portfolio of over 90 brands, they are one of the most active distributors of bottled draught specialty beer and confectionary on the mainland.

Vandergeeten has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as regional representatives and sub-distributors covering all of China. This carefully selected network of wholesalers and distributors allows Vandergeeten not only to distribute fine imported goods all over China, but also allows them to maintain the consistent quality they've built their name on.

Vandergeeten has always been committed to quality, striving to provide both business partners and consumers with a complete range of services to ensure brand success in the fast-paced and highly changeable Chinese market.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005776/en/

Contacts:

For further information, please contact:

C&C Group, Media Contact

Jennifer Peters

FTI Consulting

+353 (0) 1 663 3684

jennifer.peters@fticonsulting.com

or

Vandergeeten, Media Contact

Greg Monk

Brand Manager

+86 13552191735

greg@egdistriselecta.com
Regulatory News:

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005812/en/

Financial targets (Graphic: Business Wire)

Sandvik (STO:SAND):

Today, at the Capital Markets Day in Sandviken, Sweden, Bjorn Rosengren, President and CEO and Tomas Eliasson, Executive Vice President and CFO of Sandvik, presented the fundamentals of Sandvik's strategy.

"We will run our businesses with focus on stability, profitability and growth with our different businesses currently at different stages. Through increased decentralization of our business model, decisions are made closer to the customers and we will improve the speed in responding to our customers' requirements and to changed market activity", said Bjorn Rosengren who continued:

"Within the business areas, each product area will have total ownership and accountability of the respective operations, which will generate improved transparency. This creates an entrepreneurial environment, developing strong leaders. There will be no quantum leaps, but I expect each business to achieve constant improvements".

"Despite the relatively short time I have been with Sandvik we have already announced consolidation of business areas as well as identified some non-strategic operations. That said, the review of the business portfolio is ongoing and continuous", said Bjorn Rosengren".

The business area presidents presented the strategy and mid-term focus for their respective operations:

Sandvik Machining Solutions, Jonas Gustavsson

Defend and strengthen the core offering: 11,000 new products to be launched in 2016, including the first intelligent tool

Drive and acquire growth both in core and adjacent areas

Focus on digital manufacturing and intelligent tools

Launch of a new product area, Powder and Blanks Technology, to capture the growth potential in the round tools segment

Operational excellence through supply chain optimization and cost efficiency in the whole organization

Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, Lars Engstrom

Implement decentralized business model with eight product areas based on the product offering. The decentralized business model enables an even clearer focus and faster response to our customers

Grow the aftermarket business by the global roll-out of customer service centers, new or improved customer offerings such as new e-solutions and increased productivity through data-driven predictive maintenance

Improve profitability through e.g. product launches and technologies supporting value based pricing, grow the aftermarket business, ongoing supply chain optimization program, focus on cost efficiency

Sandvik Materials Technology, Petra Einarsson

Maintain the decentralized business model with nine separate business units within the three product areas

Further strengthen the leading position for strategic growth products - and improve profitability in the core and standard product offering by operational excellence and a more lean business model

Contingency plans are in place to manage different market scenarios

Long-term market fundamentals remain solid, and several new products and materials are being launched to meet the energy and climate challenges

Sandvik introduces new financial targets

The new targets are set until 2018, with 2015 outcome as a starting point. [image]

"Previous targets were based on a different macro environment than what we currently have. In my view, our new targets are appropriate and ambitious for Sandvik in times of change as well as in expectations of a continued muted macro environment, yet signaling my strong belief that the new decentralized business model will result in a more cost efficient organization with higher pace. Targets can be achieved both through support from top-line growth as well as internal performance improvement", said Bjorn Rosengren.

=7% EBIT growth (Compound Annual Growth Rate)

Target is based on adjusted operating profit in 2015 for new business area structure and excluding metal price effects in Sandvik Materials Technology. Improvement excludes potential nonrecurring items, impact from changed exchange rates for Sandvik Group as well as metal price effects in Sandvik Materials Technology.

=3%-points improvement of return on capital employed (ROCE)

Target is based on adjusted operating profit and capital employed in 2015. Improvement excludes potential non-recurring items.

Net debt Equity ratio of <0.8

The absolute ratio remains unchanged, however this implies a strengthening of the balance sheet as the net debt calculation will include net pension liabilities, which previously were excluded.

50% dividend payout ratio, of reported earnings per share

The target remains unchanged.

Previous targets were through cycle: 1) 8% growth, combined organic and acquired, 2) 25% ROCE, 3) net debt equity ratio of <0.8

Sandvik Group

Sandvik is a high-tech and global engineering group offering advanced products and services that enhance customer productivity, profitability and safety. We hold world-leading positions in selected areas tools for metal cutting, equipment and tools for the mining and construction industries, stainless materials, special alloys, metallic and ceramic resistance materials as well as process systems. In 2015, the Group had about 46,000 employees and sales of about 91 billion SEK in more than 150 countries.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005812/en/

Contacts:

Sandvik

Ann-Sofie Nordh

Vice President

Investor Relations

tel: +46 8 456 1494

or

Par Altan

Vice President

External Communications

tel. +46 70 616 20 24.
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- The results of Institutional Investor's Alpha's 15th annual Hedge Fund 100 ranking of global hedge fund firms by assets show that although the total assets managed by the 100 largest firms increased over the previous year, they rose by a paltry 1.5 percent, to $1.66 trillion at the beginning of 2016. This compares with the 7.6 percent increase reported last year and a 6 percent rise at the start of 2014.

Still, some firms managed to grow their assets substantially in 2015. This was particularly true of quantitative firms that employ computer-driven strategies. Altogether eight of the 12 largest hedge fund firms now rely mostly or totally on computers to make their investment decisions.

"Computer-based strategies shone in what was otherwise a very challenging year for hedge funds," says Institutional Investor's Alpha Editor Michael Peltz. "If the quants can keep up their performance gains, they should continue to attract more than their fair share of new asset flows."

Raymond Dalio's Westport, Connecticut-based Bridgewater Associates lands at No. 1 for the sixth straight year, with $104.2 billion under management, up more than 16 percent from $89.6 billion the previous year. Last year Bridgewater's Pure Alpha II fund rose 4.7 percent, while Pure Alpha Major Markets jumped 10.6 percent. The firm's much smaller All Weather fund lost 7 percent.

New York-based J.P. Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM), which owns Highbridge Capital Management, is once again the second-largest firm on the ranking, also for the sixth consecutive year, with $50 billion. However, this is down from $59.3 billion the previous year.

Greenwich, Connecticut-based AQR Capital Management ranks third, switching places with New York-based Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, which now lands in fourth place. New York-based Millennium Management rounds out the top five. Non-U.S. firms also had a big year, with 23 of the top 100 firms on this year's ranking based outside the United States.

To view the Hedge Fund 100 ranking and methodology, visit the 2016 Hedge Fund 100 ranking. To view full ranking results, including additional fund data, assets under management and returns, plus detailed profiles of each firm on the ranking, subscribe.

The 2016 Hedge Fund 100: Top Ten

1. Bridgewater Associates $104.2 billion 2. J.P. Morgan Asset Management $50 billion 3. AQR Capital Management $47.2 billion 4. Och-Ziff Capital Management Group $44.6 billion 5. Millennium Management $34 billion 6. Winton Capital Management $33.8 billion 7. D.E. Shaw & Co. $33.1 billion 8. Viking Global Investors $33.07 billion 9. Man Group $31.8 billion 10. BlackRock $31.1 billion

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Industry Proven Analogix IP Cores for USB-C Integrate DisplayPort, SuperSpeed USB Data Transfer, and Power Delivery

Analogix Semiconductor, Inc. today announced that it has signed a technology licensing agreement with LG Electronics for Analogix's Intellectual Property (IP) for full function USB-C technology.

The Analogix DisplayPort IP cores have shipped into over 1 billion System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions from multiple customers. Analogix has integrated DisplayPort Alt Mode the industry's standard way to transfer high-definition audio and video over the USB-C connector into its IP cores for full function USB-C, offering comprehensive benefits including:

High-Performance Video and Audio: DisplayPort Alt Mode support for resolutions up to 8K;

Power Delivery: USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) up to 100W battery charging;

Data Transfer: SuperSpeed USB up to USB 3.1.

"USB-C is a crucial connectivity technology and working with Analogix enables us to productize innovative solutions," said James S.W. Song, vice president of Engineering at LG Electronics.

"Integrating the full function USB-C into the mobile Application Processor (AP) core offers high-performance video out without adding the cost of any additional ICs," said Michael Ching, vice president of technology licensing for Analogix. "Our technology enables device manufacturers to reduce their design footprint, bill of materials, and time to market."

DisplayPort was architected for mobile and in particular, it facilitates integration into deep sub-micron CMOS process technologies that use lower voltage rails. DisplayPort over USB-C allows AP makers to efficiently and simultaneously transmit high-resolution video, audio, USB data, and power routed out of the same USB-C connector, enabling devices to interoperate with accessories in the USB-C ecosystem, and ultimately benefiting consumers.

About Analogix Semiconductor

Analogix Semiconductor, Inc. designs and manufactures semiconductors for the digital multimedia market, from portable devices such as smartphones to high-end graphics cards and large, high-definition displays. Analogix is the market leader in providing end-to-end interface connectivity semiconductor solutions for DisplayPort, including the SlimPort branded products, and an industry leader in mobile display controllers, such as low-power, high-speed timing controller solutions. The DisplayPort standard is an innovative, packetized digital interface for high-resolution video and audio that was developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). SlimPort branded products are compliant with DisplayPort, Mobility DisplayPort (MyDP), and DisplayPort Alt Mode over the USB Type-C connector.

For more information visit www.analogix.com and www.slimport.com, follow us on Twitter @Analogix and @SlimPortConnect, or connect with us on LinkedIn.

Analogix and SlimPort are trademarks or registered trademarks of Analogix Semiconductor, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005056/en/

Contacts:

Analogix Media Contact

Gratia Stefan, 408-988-8848

marcom@analogix.com
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Energizer Holdings, Inc. (ENR) announced it has agreed to acquire HandStands Holding Corp. from Trivest Partners for an aggregate cash purchase price of $340 million. Energizer intends to ultimately fund the acquisition through a combination of approximately $250 million of existing cash and committed debt facilities. HandStands is a designer and marketer of automotive fragrance and appearance products. Inclusive of recent acquisitions, calendar year 2015 pro forma net sales were approximately $128 million, with approximately 80% in the U.S. Energizer said, excluding one-time transaction and integration costs, earnings accretion from the transaction in the first full fiscal year following the close is estimated to be $0.15 to $0.20 per share and free cash flow is expected to increase by at least $20 million. In addition to revenue growth potential, Energizer anticipates cost synergies of approximately $5 million over a period of two years. 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.
CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen weakened against the other major currencies in the European session on Tuesday. The yen fell to a 4-day low of 160.02 against the pound, from an early high of 158.09. Against the euro and the Swiss franc, the yen dropped to 122.67 and 110.63 from an early more than 2-week highs of 122.35 and 110.20, respectively. The yen edged down to 109.71 against the U.S. dollar, from an early high of 109.17. Against the Australian, the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars, the yen slipped to 78.63, 73.84 and 83.39 from an early near 3-week high of 78.31, a 2-week high of 73.28 and more than a 2-week high of 82.90, respectively. If the yen extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 163.00 against the pound, 125.00 against the euro, 113.00 against the franc, 113.00 against the greenback, 83.00 against the aussie, 76.00 against the kiwi and 86.00 against the loonie. 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.
LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Cartel Blue Inc. (OTC PINK: CRTL) is pleased to announce that after weeks of negotiations, Cartel Blue Inc. nears an agreement with international apparel manufacturer, Newtown, Inc. to manufacture and distribute its new line of eco-friendly hemp fabric urban streetwear apparel products. Cartel Blue Inc. will market its new streetwear apparel line under a newly created division of the company.

Initially called, Evolution of Consciousness, Cartel Blue's urban streetwear collection will include men's and women's eco-friendly hemp t-shirts, hoodies, jeans and tote bags. A tasteful variety of hemp fabric finishes, fits, colors, graphics, washes and styles will highlight this new division of Cartel Blue, Inc. Further details regarding the agreement will be forthcoming once it is finalized.

Urban Streetwear Market Research Reports 2015 acknowledges that urban streetwear is the fastest growing segment of USA and Global apparel sales. The USA urban streetwear market is pegged at $80 billion and $175 billion worldwide.

The Company's President, David Rhodes, stated, "Collaborating with Newtown is going to really give Cartel Blue another level of market presence which should propel our company to have the type of brand awareness Cartel Blue needs in order for it to become a major player in the denim industry. The level of commitment from such a well-respected company as Newtown demonstrates that Cartel Blue is on the right path."

Hemp apparel fabric exudes superior properties. It is one of the strongest and most durable of all natural textile fibers. Apparel products made from hemp will outlast their competition by many years. Not only is hemp strong, but it also holds its shape, stretching less than any other natural fiber. This prevents garments from stretching out or becoming distorted with use. Although hemp may be known for its durability, its comfort and style are second to none. The more hemp is used, the softer it gets. Hemp does not wear out, it wears in.

For information regarding capitalization and corporate data, please make reference to www.otcmarkets.com

About Cartel Blue, Inc. (OTC PINK: CRTL)

Cartel Blue, Inc. (OTC PINK: CRTL) is a Los Angeles California based eco-friendly apparel line that utilizes high quality fabrics and designs with contemporary and edgy marketing strategies advocated by popular and unique celebrities in the film, television, and music industries. Cartel Blue, Inc.'s mission is to bring its unique sportswear to consumers concerned with high quality fashion and/or social-issue change that enlarges their personal freedoms. Being a collection driven company, our vision is to become the preferred option for customers in the premium denim and sportswear market. Please visit us at www.CRTLinvest.com for more information.

Safe Harbor Disclaimer

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Cartel Blue, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.

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Cartel Blue, Inc. Investor Relations

(310) 498-1105

E-mail: Info@crtlinvest.com




Telsiai, Lietuva, 2016-05-24 12:30 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On JSC "Zemaitijos pienas" Board's initiative and decision, JSC "Zemaitijos pienas" (registered office Sedos str. 35, Telsiai, Company code 180240752) ordinary general meeting of shareholders is being called on June 14th, 2016.Meeting place - Public company "Telsiai district business incubator", meeting hall, address Sedos 34A, Telsiai.Meeting starts at 3:00 PM (registration starts at 2:00 PM, registration place - Public company "Telsiai district business incubator", meeting hall, address Sedos 34A, Telsiai).Meeting accounting day - June 07th, 2016 (only those persons have the right to participate and vote at the general meeting of shareholders, who will be the Company's shareholders at the end of the general meeting of shareholders accounting day, or their authorized persons, or persons, with whom an agreement of voting right transfer is concluded).Rights accounting day - June 29th, 2016 (shareholders will use shareholders' property rights, arising from decisions adopted during the general meeting of shareholders, in proportion to the number of shares they have at the end of rights accounting day).Meeting agenda:1. Organizational issues of the general meeting of shareholders; 2. Buy back the shares of Zemaitijos pienas; 3. For the next extraordinary meeting of shareholders;The Company does not provide a possibility to participate and vote at the meeting by electronic means of communication.Decision drafts regarding the meeting agenda issues, documents, that are going to be presented for general meeting of shareholders, and information, related to execution of shareholders rights are going to be announced no later than 21 days before the meeting, in accordance to the legislation.Shareholders, whose shares give them no less than 1/20 of all votes, can propose to supplement meeting agenda, providing a shareholder's meeting decision draft along with every proposed additional issue or, if the decision is unnecessary to be made, explanation. Proposals to supplement the agenda shall be delivered in writing or by email.Proposals in writing shall be delivered to the secretary's office during working hours or sent by registered mail to address: JSC "Zemaitijos pienas", Sedos str. 35, Telsiai. Proposals by email shall be delivered by sending them by email info@zpienas.lt, proposals should be submitted no later than in time limits indicated in the Law of limited liability companies of the Republic of Lithuania.Proposals to supplement the agenda with additional issues shall be submitted according to procedures and conditions of the Law of limited liability companies of the Republic of Lithuania. Shareholders have the right to submit questions for the Company, related to meeting agenda issues. Shareholders can submit questions by email info@zpienas.lt, no later than 3 working days before the meeting. Company will answer the questions by email until the meeting.In registration to attend the meeting, shareholders or their authorized persons shall provide an identity document. Persons authorized by shareholders shall provide a power of attorney according to the laws. Power of attorney granted by natural person must be certified by the lawyer. Power of attorney issued in a foreign country must be translated into Lithuanian and legalized according to the laws. Authorized person can be authorized by more than one shareholder and vote differently according to each shareholders' orders.The Company does not establish a special form of power of attorney. A shareholder holding shares of the Company, acquired on its own name but on behalf of other persons, before voting at the general meeting of shareholders shall disclose to the Company final customer's identity, the number of shares, which are used to vote and the content of voting instructions provided to him or any other explanation regarding participation and voting at the general meeting of shareholders agreed with the client. A shareholder may vote with the votes granted by the corresponding part of shares differently from the votes granted by other corresponding shares.Shareholder or his authorized person can vote in advance in writing by filling in the general voting bulletin. General voting bulletin form will be published no later than 21 day before the meeting. Under the request of shareholder, the Company sends the general voting bulletin by registered mail or delivers it personally upon signature no later than 10 days before the meeting. Filled general voting bulletin shall be signed by the shareholder or his authorized person and provide the documents supporting the power of attorney. If the general voting bulletin is signed by the shareholder's authorized person, the document confirming the right to vote shall be submitted along with it. Filled general voting bulletin along with supplement documents (if necessary) shall be submitted to the Company by sending registered mail to the secretary's office, by address JSC "Zemaitijos pienas", Sedos str. 35, Telsiai no later than the last working day before the meeting. Decision drafts of the general meeting of shareholders and other information are going to be announced in accordance to the legislation.Lawyer Gintaras Keliauskas + 370 444 22208Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=572990
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Global FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) industry is estimated to account for USD 9,882.5 million by 2020. Consumer electronics industry growth owing to rising demand for smart devices such as phablets and smartphones is projected to be key driver for market growth. Upsurge in electronic utilities and functionalities in the automotive sector may trigger demand growth of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) which is anticipated to drive the market over the next six years.

The market demand has potentially increased attributing to miniaturization of devices across various application domains. In addition, significant increase in bandwidth demand in wireless network coupled with technological advancements is expected to have a positive demand on the market. Application of FGPA in medical imaging systems is projected to provide new avenues attributed to their ability to be reused and re-programmed. Availability of application specific integrated circuits may act a restraint for global FGPA market over the forecast period.

Browse full research report with TOC on "FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) Market Analysis By Application (Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Data Processing, Industrial, Military And Aerospace, Telecom) And Segment Forecasts To 2020" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fpga-market

Telecom is estimated to witness growth at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2014 to 2020 to remain the fastest and largest growing application sector over the next seven years. FGPA upgradation is a simplified procedure that involves mere changes in the software along with high degree of flexibility. Consumer electronics contributed to over 12.0% of the revenue share in 2013, and is estimated to grow rapidly over the forecast period.

Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) including GPS maps, collision avoidance system, AFS (Advanced Front-lighting System), and 3D visualization are key applications of FPGA systems. Furthermore, use of this technology in aerospace and military applications including warfare electronics, unmanned vehicles, SONAR, and RADAR is also estimated to contribute to rising demand.

Asia Pacific is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2014 to 2020. It contributed to over 40.0% of the overall market share in 2013. Rising demand from application areas is projected to drive the industry in this region. Promising regulatory scenario to ensure safety in automotive is also anticipated to fuel FPGA implementation in developed economies.

Altera and Xilinx are the major industry players; other organizations functioning in the industry include Microsemi Corporation, Lattice Semiconductor, Freescale Semiconductor and Atmel Corporation. New product introductions and technology advancements are the key approach adopted by market participants. FPGA architectures involve fuse, anti-fuse and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM).

Altera offers a wide range of devices categorized on the basis of cost into low-cost FPGA (Cyclone series), mid-range FPGA (Arria series) and high-end FPGA (Stratix series), on the basis of performance and functionality; Xilinx devices are classified as Artix, Spartan, Virtex, Kintex, Virtex Ultrascale and Kintex Ultrascale.

Access press release of this research report by Grand View Research: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-fpga-market

Grand View Research has segmented the global FPGA market on the basis of application and region:

FPGA Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020) Automotive Consumer Electronics Data Processing Industrial Military and Aerospace Telecom Others

FPGA Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020) North America Europe Asia Pacific RoW



Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Power Transformer Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/power-transformers-market





Industrial Robotics Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/industrial-robotics-market





Semiconductor IP Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/semiconductor-ip-market

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Read Our Blog -- grandviewresearch.com/blogs/semiconductors-and-electronics

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TUSTIN, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Premier Holding Corporation (OTCQB: PRHL), announces that it has associated with J. Joseph Inc. to architect the next iteration of its successful internet-based deregulated sales portal. The goal is to make this technology as much a game changer in this industry as Quotron was for financial data in the age of ticker tape machines. Details of this exciting project will be available shortly.

The Company's proprietary sales portal, dubbed "ESP" or Energy Sales Portal (Formerly NEST) has been used internally and with select affiliate partners to much success. With Premier's previously reported completion of the acquisition of a power supplier, the company will now dramatically enhance the technology for use among the thousands of power resellers to support sales through this newly acquired supplier.

J. Joseph Inc., formed in 1999, has provided technology services to companies such as Farmers Insurance, Ken Blanchard Companies, J.D. Power and Associates, Deloitte, Southern Company and ACT. Managing Partner John Jednak said: "Being agile in engagements and continually improving our team, processes and technology translates into efficiencies in time and savings. We are honored to work with Premier Holding Corporation's team to design and advance the next generation of Energy Sales Portal. Our leadership team possesses decades of experience in multiple markets including energy. We place a high value on the relationship between consumer and distributor which will be reflected in ESP."

President and CEO of Premier, Randall Letcavage adds: "We could not be more impressed with the team at J. Joseph Inc. When you look at what they have done for these major companies we look forward to seeing the level of sophistication, elegance and features they can provide to Premier Holding Corporation and our customers. We expect the portal, which is already an impressive technology with its speed and compliance capabilities, to be even more user-friendly, enabling faster and more efficient sales transactions and truly become the gold standard for the deregulated power sales industry. Through our supplier we will be providing this portal to our growing number of outside resellers to help them expand their business and support their customers."

About Premier Holding Corporation

Under the corporate motto, "Everything Energy," Premier is an energy holding company focused on acquiring and integrating energy companies as synergistic subsidiaries. The Company accumulates residential and commercial clients in deregulated markets from all subsidiaries and cross sells energy and energy efficiency products and services including LED lighting, energy management systems, smart home technology, and more, maximizing profit potential and minimizing cost of client procurement. In addition, Premier Holding provides top line management and financial support, which includes access to capital, financing, legal, insurance, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and management strategies. Additional integrated business offerings include direct energy services as power purchase agreements (PPAs), energy financing and leasing of generation programs in urban and rural real estate environments, lighting efficiency systems and refrigeration systems. For more information, visit PRHL Investors Relations www.prhlcorp.com.

About J. Joseph Inc.

J. Joseph Inc. ("JJI") incorporated in 1999 provides technology services and management consulting to individuals, non-profits, small to mid-sized business, multinational organizations and Government. JJI has evolved into an agile development organization providing Internet-based solutions, mobile/tablet based applications, and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Its client relationships extends over multiple years and projects based on the fact JJI believes understanding their clients' values, goals and needs are the basis of any relationship or project.

Website: http://jjoseph.net

email: contact@jjoseph.net

Premier Holding Corp. Safe Harbor

This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipate," "optimistic," "intend," "will" or other similar expressions. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website at http://www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

For more information, contact:



Megan Samson

(949) 260-8070

msamson@prhlcorp.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Kirkland Lake Gold Inc., ("Kirkland Lake Gold" or the "Company") (TSX: KGI), an intermediate gold producer with operations in Ontario, Canada, is pleased to report results from underground exploration drilling programs on the South Mine Complex ("SMC") and the '04 Break. The SMC drilling was focused on the South Claims (formerly a part of the Queenston Mining Joint Venture property) which are located approximately 800 metres south of the #2 shaft at the Macassa Mine Complex, and lie immediately southwest of the HM claim and hosts a highly prospective portion of the SMC. Drilling from the 4250 foot level on the '04 Break mineralization commenced in May and is aimed at testing an area above the 3400 foot level, east of the Tegren fault to follow up on results from last year.

Underground Drilling Highlights:

SMC Drilling Zone 53-2932 76.5 g/t Au (58.6 g/t cut) over 3.1 metres FWZ 53-2933 367.2 g/t Au (120.0 g/t cut) over 0.2 metres; and HWZ 878.8 g/t Au (151.5 g/t cut) over 0.3 metres, including NSZ 1,458.5 g/t Au over 0.2 metres 53-2934 53.5 g/t Au (48.0 g/t cut) over 2.2 metres; and HWZ 42.9 g/t Au over 0.2 metres NSZ 53-2936 55.2 g/t Au over 0.5 metres NSZ 53-3067 174.2 g/t Au (79.5 g/t cut) over 6.0 metres, including NSZ 174.5 g/t Au over 0.2 metres '04 Break Drilling 42-1770 27.4 g/t Au over 0.6 metres, including 102.9 g/t over 0.1 metre 42-1771 13.4 g/t Au over 0.2 metres Notes: All widths in this table are true widths. Higher grade assays are cut to 246.9 g/t or 120.0 g/t depending on the zone (see tables below for more information).

Mr. George Ogilvie, Chief Executive Officer of the Company commented, "We are pleased to see that the SMC mineralization continues to extend giving us the opportunity to further expand the known resource and potentially increase the level of reserves as we continue to drill.

"The drilling on the '04 Break mineralization, although in its infancy, is very promising and we are pleased with these initial results. We will continue to drill this target area with a 1km strike length throughout the course of this year and into next year. Our hope is to define a zone of mineralization above the 3400L elevation ultimately with resources that could be brought into the mine plan sometime in 2017 or 2018. This would allow us to achieve an incremental increase in throughput from the Macassa Mine Complex."

The following figures, referred to elsewhere in this release, may be viewed at the Company's website at www.klgold.com.

- Figure 1 - plan view showing the latest underground exploration results relative to #3 shaft: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/NR-24May16-SMC%20Plan%20View-Figure1.jpg

- Figure 2 - detailed plan view showing the latest drill hole intersections on the SMC: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/NR-24May16-SMC%20Drilling-Figure2.jpg

- Figure 3 - longitudinal section showing 4250 target area relative to existing zones and infrastructure: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/LongSection_of_04_Break_Figure3.jpg

- Figure 4 - longitudinal section showing the latest drill hole intersections on the '04 Break: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/NR-24May16-04Break%20Drilling-Figure4.jpg

Underground Drilling Program Continues To Grow The SMC Southeast Within The South Claims

This program concentrated on expanding the SMC by testing the New South Zone ("NSZ") as well as the previously identified hanging wall ("HWZ") and footwall zones ("FWZ") to the NSZ. Drilling continued to expand the NSZ with follow up drilling conducted to verify and expand around previously released drill results (see Company press release dated November 12, 2015) 53-2891B which returned 386.7 g/t (73.4 g/t cut) over a true width of 7.5 metres. Recently completed drill hole 53-3067 intersected the NSZ 14 metres to the west and up-dip of 53-2891B and returned 174.2 g/t (79.5 g/t cut) over 6.0 metres true width. It would appear that the wide intersections in these two drill holes represent the convergence of the NSZ and a footwall system further described in this release.

Additional step out drilling on the NSZ to the west included drill hole 53-2933 which returned 878.8 g/t (151.5 g/t cut) over a true width of 0.3 metres, drill hole 53-2934 which returned 42.9 g/t over a true width of 0.2 metres and drill hole 53-2936 which returned 55.2 g/t over 0.5 metres true width. These intersections have added 43 metres of strike length and joined two previous individual resource areas.

Both FWZ and HWZ to the NSZ continue to expand with a footwall zone to the NSZ which has a lobe that extends in the down dip component based on recent drilling. Drill hole 53-2932 returned 76.5 g/t (58.6 g/t cut) over a true width of 3.1 metres and drill hole 53-2933 returned 347.3 g/t (57.9 g/t cut) over a true width of 1.7 metres, both have extended the zone 104 metres down dip. This zone appears to converge with the NSZ further down dip as described previously.

The HWZ to the NSZ has now expanded into one continuous block with the addition of three new intersections. Drill hole 53-2933 returned 367.2 g/t (120.0 g/t cut) over a true width of 0.2 metres, drill hole 53-2934 returned 53.5 g/t (48.0 g/t cut) over a true width of 2.2 metres, and drill hole 53-2936 returned 29.1 g/t over a true width of 0.5 metres. These holes have added approximately 30.5 metres of strike length to this HWZ.

The following table summarizes the latest underground drilling results in metric values:

SMC UNDERGROUND EXPLORATION (SOUTH CLAIMS) - (5300 Level)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ZONE DIP AZIMU FROM TO CORE TRUE ASSAY CUT (degr TH (m) (m) LENGTH WIDTH (g/t) (g/t) DRILL ees) (degr (m) (m) HOLE ees) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53-2892A NSZ -38 275 218.7 219.3 0.6 0.5 42.5 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 219.0 219.3 0.3 0.2 81.9, VG - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53-2932 HWZ -47 094 79.9 80.2 0.3 0.2 13.7 ------------- --------------------------------------------------- NSZ 136.6 145.5 8.9 3.8 17.8 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 138.9 139.3 0.4 0.2 46.3 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 142.0 143.0 1.0 0.4 106.6 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- FWZ 149.7 155.9 6.2 3.1 76.5 58.6(ii) ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 196.8, VG, 153.6 153.9 0.3 0.2 Tell - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 154.8 155.1 0.3 0.2 175.9, VG - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 155.1 155.5 0.4 0.2 117.9 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53-2933 HWZ -43 100 367.2, VG, 88.4 88.7 0.3 0.2 Tell 120.0(ii) ------------- --------------------------------------------------- NSZ 158.8 159.6 0.8 0.3 878.8 151.5(i) ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 1,458.5, VG, 159.1 159.6 0.5 0.2 Tell - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- FWZ 166.9 170.7 3.8 1.7 347.3 57.9(ii) ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 166.9 167.6 0.7 0.3 1,425.3, VG, - Tell ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 167.6 167.9 0.3 0.2 215.7, Tell - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 170.1 170.7 0.6 0.3 298.6 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53-2934 HWZ -43 108 90.0 95.2 5.2 2.2 53.5 48.0(ii) ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 90.0 90.6 0.6 0.2 89.5 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- And 92.1 92.8 0.7 0.2 167.3, VG - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 92.8 93.4 0.6 0.2 59.7 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 94.8 95.2 0.4 0.2 58.6 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- NSZ 156.1 156.4 0.3 0.2 42.9 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- FWZ 193.5 193.8 0.3 N/C 11.0 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53-2936 HWZ -46 113 93.0 94.2 1.2 0.5 29.1 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 93.5 93.8 0.3 0.1 54.9 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- NSZ 147.9 149.2 1.3 0.5 55.2 - ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 148.8 149.2 0.4 0.2 93.6 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53-3067 NSZ -34 260 242.8 251.8 9.0 6.0 174.2 79.5(i) ------------- --------------------------------------------------- Including 242.8 243.1 0.3 0.2 174.5, VG ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 395.7, VG, 243.1 243.7 0.6 0.5 Tell ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 243.7 244.4 0.7 0.4 130.6, VG ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 244.4 244.7 0.3 0.2 92.9, VG ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 246.2 246.5 0.3 0.2 206.1, VG ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 248.3 248.9 0.6 0.4 235.9, VG ------------- --------------------------------------------------- And 2,311.2, VG, 250.9 251.3 0.4 0.2 Tell ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NSV = No significant value, VG = Visible Gold; Tell = Tellurides; (i)Cut = cut to 246.9 g/t, (ii)Cut = cut to 120.0 g/t. N/C = True width not calculated, will not make minimum requirements for resource definition.

Testing The '04 Break East Of The Tegren Fault Now In Progress

The first two exploration holes drilled up dip from the new drill bay on the 4250 foot level tested the '04 Break east of the Tegren cross fault. The first hole, 42-1770, intersected the '04 Break 41 meters east from previously released drill hole 34-661 which assayed 76.5 g/t over 0.3 metres true width (see the Company press release dated February 23, 2015). Drill hole 42-1770 returned 27.4 g/t over 0.6 metres true width at the -3000 foot elevation. A new footwall zone was also intersected in drill hole 42-1770 at the -3053 foot elevation and returned 7.5 g/t over a core length of 1.2 metres (true width unknown at this time). The second completed drill hole from the -4250 level 42-1771, intersected the '04 Break at the -3173 elevation and returned 13.4 g/t over 0.2 metres true width. The '04 Break in drill holes 42-1770 and 42-1771 was strong, with associated quartz veining and visible gold observed in both drill holes.

The following table summarizes the latest underground drilling results in metric values:

'04 BREAK UNDERGROUND EXPLORATION - (4250 Level)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DRILL ZONE DIP AZIMU FROM TO CORE TRUE ASSAY CUT HOLE (degr TH (m) (m) LENGTH WIDTH (g/t) (g/t) ees) (degr (m) (m) ees) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42-1770 FWZ +74 218 365.9 367.1 1.2 ?? 7.5 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- '04 BRK 379.5 381.2 1.7 0.6 27.4 - ----------------- ----------------------------------------------- Including 379.5 379.8 0.3 0.1 102.9, VG - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42-1771 '04 BRK +70 209 336.0 336.5 0.5 0.2 13.4, VG - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NSV = No significant value, VG = Visible Gold; Tell = Tellurides; (i)Cut = cut to 246.9 g/t, (ii)Cut = cut to 120.0 g/t. N/C = True width not calculated, will not make minimum requirements for resource definition. ?? = True width unknown at this time

QA/QC Controls

The Company has implemented a quality assurance and control (QA/QC) program to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with the best possible practices. The drill core is sawn in half with one half of the core samples shipped to Swastika Laboratories in Swastika, Ontario. The other half of the core is retained for future assay verification. Other QA/QC includes the insertion of blanks, and the regular re-assaying of pulps and rejects at alternate certified labs. Gold analysis is conducted by fire assay using atomic absorption or gravimetric finish. The laboratory re-assays at least 10% of all samples and additional checks may be run on anomalous values.

Qualified Person

The Company's exploration programs are under the supervision of Doug Cater, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration. Mr. Cater is the 'qualified person' for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, of the Canadian Securities Administrators, and has reviewed and approved this news release. As the Vice President of Exploration, Mr. Cater is not considered independent.

About the Company

Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. is a Canadian focused, intermediate gold producer with assets in the historic Kirkland Lake gold camp, and east of the Timmins gold camp along the Porcupine-Destor Fault Zone, both in northeastern Ontario. The Company is currently targeting annual gold production of between 270,000 to 290,000 ounces from its cornerstone asset, the Macassa Mine Complex and the recently acquired East Timmins Operations.

The Company is committed to building a sustainable mining company that is recognized as a safe and responsible gold producer with quality assets in safe mining jurisdictions.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This Press Release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made such as, without limitation, opinion, assumptions and estimates of management regarding the Company's business, including but not limited to; the continued exploration programs on the SMC and the '04 Break mineralization, the timing and results thereof; the ability to continue to expand the SMC and to increase its level of resources and the timing thereof; and the ability to define a new resource on the '04 Break above the 3400 foot level, the potential to increase the level of reserves, and the timing and results thereof. Such opinions, assumptions and estimates, are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

These factors include the Company's expectations in connection with the projects and exploration programs being met, the impact of general business and economic conditions, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, fluctuating gold prices, currency exchange rates (such as the Canadian dollar versus the United States Dollar), possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in accounting policies, changes in the Company's corporate mineral reserves and resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in project development, construction, production and commissioning time frames, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, higher prices for fuel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, unexpected changes in mine life, seasonality and unanticipated weather changes, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, and limitations on insurance, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015, and the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the interim period ended December 31, 2015, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Contacts:

Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.

Toll Free: 1-866-384-2924



Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.

George Ogilvie, P.Eng

Chief Executive Officer

+1 416-840-7884

gogilvie@klgold.com



Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.

Suzette N. Ramcharan, CPIR

Director of Investor Relations

Direct: +1 647-361-0200; Mobile: +1 647-284-5315

sramcharan@klgold.com

www.klgold.com




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- AltaGas Ltd. ("AltaGas") (TSX: ALA) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, AltaGas LPG Limited Partnership, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (the "Agreement") with Astomos Energy Corporation ("Astomos") setting out key commercial terms for the sale and purchase of Liquefied Petroleum Gas ("LPG") from the proposed Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (the "Export Terminal"). The Export Terminal provides AltaGas' customers with the opportunity to realize incremental value through access to Asian markets and pricing for western Canadian propane.

Under the terms of the multi-year Agreement, Astomos will purchase at least 50 percent of the 1.2 million tonnes of propane available to be shipped from the Export Terminal each year.

"The long-term Agreement with Astomos is a major step in underpinning development of our Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal, Canada's first propane export terminal," said David Harris, President and Chief Executive Officer of AltaGas. "This Export Terminal is one of the key building blocks of our strategy to build out natural gas processing and liquids separation capacity in the Montney formation, a leading North American gas play. The additional processing capacity we are building and connectivity to the Export Terminal provides upstream energy producers with unparalleled access at the most competitive rates to these premium markets. Market diversity, including global markets outside Canada, is a key step forward for Canadian producers. We look forward to working closely with Astomos, one of the largest LPG players in the world, and with producers to maximize their profitability."

AltaGas has begun the formal environmental review process for the Export Terminal, located near Prince Rupert, British Columbia on a brownfield site with a history of industrial development. The site is leased by AltaGas from Ridley Terminals Inc. ("RTI") and is connected to Canadian National's existing rail network and AltaGas processing plants. The site includes rights to an existing world class marine jetty with deep water access to the Pacific Ocean. RTI leases the land from the Prince Rupert Port Authority. Preliminary engineering has been completed and the front-end engineering and design study is being completed for the second quarter of 2016. AltaGas expects to reach a financial investment decision in 2016 for the approximately $400 - $500 million Export Terminal and commence commercial operations in 2018, subject to continuing First Nations and stakeholder engagement and receipt of necessary approvals.

Astomos Energy Corporation was established as joint venture between Idemitsu Kosan Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corporation in 2006. It is one of the largest LPG players in the world, handling is excess of 10 million metric tons of LPG annually. Astomos currently operates a fleet of 21 Very Large Gas Carriers that support its importing, distribution and international trading businesses. They hold the top market share for both sales and imports to Japan, and have significant market share across Asia. For more information visit: www.astomos.com

AltaGas owns natural gas processing facilities in British Columbia and Alberta, including production of LPG. AltaGas is part owner and operator of a similar LPG export terminal in Ferndale, Washington.

AltaGas is an energy infrastructure business with a focus on natural gas, power and regulated utilities. AltaGas creates value by acquiring, growing and optimizing its energy infrastructure, including a focus on clean energy sources. For more information visit: www.altagas.ca

This news release contains forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "develop", "target", "believe", "allow", "seek", "propose", "estimate", "expect", "potential" and similar expressions, as they relate to AltaGas or an affiliate of AltaGas, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, business objectives, expectations with respect to AltaGas' arrangements with Astomos including timing of entering into a definitive sale and purchase agreement, the amount of LPG to be purchased by Astomos, the potential for extension of the term of the arrangement, Astomos' plans to increase its LPG Fleet and expectations with respect to Astomos' handling capacity, expectations with respect to the development of the proposed Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal including that it will be the first propane export terminal off the B.C. west coast, support for the project, access to new markets, job creation during construction and operation, employment opportunities for local community and First Nations, development costs, construction costs, propane transport capability, initial shipment capacity and timing of final investment decision, completion of front-end engineering and design study and commercial operations, expectations relating to the development of additional LPG production facilities, expected growth, results of operations, performance, business projects and opportunities and financial results.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect AltaGas' current views with respect to future events based on certain material factors and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, changes in market, competition, governmental or regulatory developments, changes in political environment, general economic conditions, operational risk, volume declines, construction risk, and other factors set out in AltaGas' public disclosure documents. Many factors could cause AltaGas' actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those described in this news release, including without limitation, those listed above. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this news release as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, sought, proposed, estimated or expected, and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in this news release, should not be unduly relied upon. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release. AltaGas does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Contacts:

Investment Community

1-877-691-7199

investor.relations@altagas.ca



Media

(403) 691-7197

media.relations@altagas.ca




PETAH TIKVAH, ISRAEL -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Cellebrite, the leader in forensic extraction, decoding and analysis solutions, today unveiled its new UFED Analytics Platform. Together with its powerful UFED data acquisition solutions, Cellebrite's new analytics offering delivers intuitive data analysis and management capabilities that instantly unify law enforcement and prosecution teams, accelerate investigations and generate defensible evidence. Cellebrite's Analytics product family is comprised of three offerings: UFED Analytics Desktop is designed to meet the needs of a single forensic practitioner; UFED Analytics Workgroup addresses the needs of a small investigative team; and UFED Analytics Enterprise is built to support hundreds of users managing data across numerous cases. These solutions empower examiners, analysts, investigators and prosecutors to simultaneously organize, search, map, visualize and manage large sets of digital data to identify case critical evidence quickly and efficiently.

Cellebrite's new UFED Analytics product family delivers a core set of analytic capabilities that bring unprecedented power to investigative teams. Advanced text, image, video, geolocation and link analysis capabilities deliver the deepest, most accurate insights possible, automating complex analytical tasks and allowing investigators to discover critical case details in real time. A planned case highlights mechanism applies predefined rules to reveal the "most important" pieces of information within large data sets. These analytic engines are designed specifically for digital investigations and will become a foundation for future enhancements that further transform the workflows that digital evidence practitioners employ to solve their cases.

Cellebrite's new UFED Analytics Platform provides a progressive range of data management and analysis capabilities which include the ability to automatically merge, decode, index and store digital data sources - even historical case extractions - in a centralized robust digital forensics library to help analysts and investigators easily view and document all forensics artifacts. Available advanced user and case-level permission management controls ensure authorized stakeholders can view data independently or collaboratively as needed throughout the investigative process. All UFED Analytics solutions are designed to maximize current forensics technology investments and work with current data storage capabilities and policies.

"To work cases faster, investigators need direct access to all digital forensic evidence," said Cellebrite Corporate Co-CEO Ron Serber. "Relying on the manual review of digital data - which is what is done today - increases the chance of leaving valuable evidence behind. The new UFED Analytics Platform automates digital data analysis and case management tasks, saving valuable time and investigative costs. Our customers tell us its fundamentally transforming their forensics investigation process."

New Analytics Solutions at a Glance

UFED Analytics Desktop

The standalone UFED Analytics Desktop application simplifies and automates analytical tasks, allowing users to easily identify the critical relationships that can focus investigations. By immediately linking and unifying multiple disparate data sources, UFED Analytics Desktop helps generate leads and uncover actionable insights from existing call logs, application data, text messages, locations, private cloud sources, images, videos and more. This powerful, cost-effective forensics tool allows digital data to be viewed from multiple angles and isolate key details for easy analysis and reporting to case stakeholders. UFED Analytics Desktop will be generally available in July 2016.

UFED Analytics Workgroup

Designed for 50 users or less, UFED Analytics Workgroup delivers a local client-server solution that efficiently and effectively manages hundreds of digital data sources. It empowers a dedicated group of investigators, analysts and examiners to centrally store, review, analyze and cross-reference all available case data simultaneously via web-based tools. After an administrator loads data sources to a local server and assigns one or more investigators, the investigators can then log in and immediately review the data - no manual analysis required. UFED Analytics Workgroup is available on a limited basis today to qualified customers.

UFED Analytics Enterprise

UFED Analytics Enterprise supports a complete, end-to-end, digital forensics workflow. This scalable platform enables anywhere from tens to hundreds of users to collaborate on a case or perform cross-case analysis simultaneously. Whether handling forensics operations for a single department, an entire agency or multiple agencies, UFED Analytics Enterprise simplifies the complexity associated with managing and correlating forensic digital data. UFED Analytics Workgroup is available on a limited basis today to qualified customers.

"Investigators and prosecutors have intimate knowledge of the cases they work, yet don't have the tools to find the evidence they need quickly and must instead rely on sifting through large extraction reports to uncover leads," said Serber. "Our UFED Analytics solutions automate time-intensive analytical tasks, enabling them to instantly see common connections, merge data about the same person across multiple data sources, filter data based on relevant parameters and - most notably - apply key findings in real time."

A force multiplier, the UFED Analytics Platform delivers the deepest, most accurate insights possible from the widest variety of mobile digital data sources - UFED and other forensics tools, private cloud, Telco and mobile applications - maximizing resources and accelerating investigative actions. To learn more, visit us online at www.cellebrite.com.

About Cellebrite

Every day around the world, digital data is impacting investigations. Making it intelligent and actionable is what Cellebrite does best. A pioneer of mobile data forensics since 1999 with a passion for technology innovation, Cellebrite is uniquely positioned to address the rapidly evolving needs of its diverse customer base to access, unify and defend digital evidence of all kinds. Together, our powerful UFED solutions deliver the only complete, end-to-end Digital Forensics Platform on the market. Our track record remains unchallenged. Our results? Proven and well documented. With more than 40,000 UFED licenses deployed globally in 100 countries, we allow law enforcement, intelligence services, border patrols, special forces, military and the private sector to achieve their missions quickly and effectively.

Cellebrite is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Sun Corporation, a listed Japanese company (6736/JQ).

Contacts:

Cellebrite

Jeremy Nazarian

CMO

+1(973) 941-7200

jeremy.nazarian@cellebrite.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK), the leader in online lending for small business, announced today an expansion of its offerings to include a line of credit up to $50,000 and an expanded term loan up to $250,000 to help meet the growing needs of Canada's 1.1 million small businesses.

New OnDeck Line of Credit: $10,000 to $50,000 in flexible cash

Beginning immediately, Canadian small businesses that have annual revenue of at least $100,000 and have been in business for at least one year can apply for a line of credit from OnDeck from $10,000 to $50,000.

OnDeck's new line of credit offers eligible Canadian small businesses access to capital when they need it, whether they need to manage cash flow or be prepared for unexpected opportunities. The line of credit can be drawn upon at any time and has all the benefits of a credit card but can be used for expenses where a card won't work, such as making payroll.

Expanded Term Loan: $5,000 to $250,000 (up from $150,000) over 6 to 24 months

OnDeck's term loans enable eligible Canadian small businesses to access capital from $5,000 to $250,000 (up from $150,000) with loan repayment terms of 6 to 24 months.

Since OnDeck entered Canada in 2014, the company has delivered more than $50 million in financing to Canadian small businesses.

"Small business owners need financing at every stage of their business' lifecycle, whether to take advantage of growth opportunities like buying inventory, investing in major equipment purchases, or managing cash flow," said Gary Fearnall, country manager, OnDeck Canada. "The new OnDeck Line of Credit - along with the expanded Term Loan - will provide Canada's small businesses the growth capital they need in as little as 24 hours. That type of speed and service is exactly what small businesses need to grow in today's economy."

Tom Collver and Kyle Dutka are the owners of pb+j, an integrated digital and design agency, based in Toronto, Ontario. When Tom and Kyle went looking for additional capital to grow their business faster through new hires and marketing initiatives, they chose an OnDeck term loan.

"We were amazed at how quickly and smoothly the loan application process at OnDeck went for us," said Tom Collver, co-owner pb+j. "Thanks to financing from OnDeck, we were able to hire new employees and boost our marketing efforts, ultimately doubling our revenue. They have been true partners in helping us grow our business and we are now on our third round of financing with OnDeck."

Since 2007, OnDeck has harnessed its proprietary technology, including the OnDeck Score, to assess the health and outlook of a business in real-time and deliver streamlined capital access to the largely underserved small business community. As a result, the company has delivered more than $4 billion (US) to small businesses in the United States and Canada. Since 2014, OnDeck has delivered more than $50 million in financing to Canadian businesses.

To learn more about OnDeck and its lending options for Canadian small businesses, visit www.ondeck.com/canada.

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 (US) 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.

All dollar amounts noted in this release are Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Miranda Eifler

OnDeck

(917) 677-7112

meifler@ondeck.com



Investor Relations:

Kathryn Harmon

OnDeck

929-237-7861

kharmon@ondeck.com




REDWOOD CITY, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- AutoGrid Systems, the Energy Internet leader, announced today that it has raised over $20 million in financing from a consortium of global strategic investors. AutoGrid plans to use the funding to further develop its Energy Internet suite of applications and to extend marketing and sales efforts in North America, Asia and Europe.

The consortium is led by the utility-backed fund Energy Impact Partners (EIP), an investment firm representing four of the largest utilities in the United States and United Kingdom, and Envision Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based fund focused on software for big data, the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and security. The consortium also includes Envision Energy, one of the largest renewable energy developers and technology providers in the world with over 50 gigawatts of assets under management. All existing AutoGrid investors, including E.ON, one of the largest utilities and renewable energy developers in the world, participated in the heavily oversubscribed round.

"Energy Impact Partners is focused on supporting companies that are optimizing energy consumption and improving sustainable energy generation," said Michael Donnelly, the EIP Partner who will be joining AutoGrid's board of directors. "AutoGrid offers unparalleled real-time connectivity and control with its software platform. Big data analytics and automated control of grid operations will allow utilities to adapt to the increasingly complex distributed energy environment. Having these capabilities in a system that is both scalable to millions of endpoints and rapidly deployable is a game changer."

"We look to invest in and partner with category-leading big data and IoT software companies that transform markets and industries, so AutoGrid is right in our sweet spot," said Dan Ahn, Managing Partner at Envision Ventures. "We are excited to become an investor in AutoGrid, and support their effort to transform the energy industry, making it both more efficient and sustainable."

"AutoGrid has a great and proven platform that provides us with data science capability to better understand our customers' energy production and consumption, and how to integrate both into our system," said Susana Quintana-Plaza, Senior Vice President Innovation at E.ON.

The investment comes on the heels of a highly successful 2015, in which AutoGrid realized 100 percent year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenues and a 350 percent increase in distributed energy resources (DERs) under contract.

"We are excited to work with our global consortium of strategic investors, who not only bring the needed capital but the benefit of extensive interactions with their business units to inform our product roadmap," said Dr. Amit Narayan, founder and CEO of AutoGrid. "This investment will help accelerate our mission of creating software that can leverage data to power our future energy needs, eliminating our dependence on unsustainable fossil-fuels."

AutoGrid's integrated suite of Energy Internet software applications enables energy service providers operating in increasingly competitive market environments to build next-generation renewable-friendly energy networks by managing and optimizing DERs in real-time while engaging customers, enhancing reliability and reducing operating expenses.

About Energy Impact Partners

Energy Impact Partners is a collaborative strategic investment fund that invests in companies optimizing energy consumption and improving sustainable energy generation. Through close collaboration with its strategic investor base, EIP seeks to bring the best companies, buying power and vision in the industry to bear on the emerging energy landscape.

For more information, visit www.energyimpactpartners.com

About Envision Ventures

Envision Ventures was founded by entrepreneurs who launched successful companies dedicated to changing the world. Envision takes a long-term view of financing. As an independent evergreen fund, with no end-of-fund life date, Envision helps entrepreneurs avoid many of the conflicts typical in the venture industry. Envision Ventures founder Dan Ahn has been a Silicon Valley venture capitalist for two decades, serving as managing director of two venture firms, Voyager Capital and Woodside Fund, and having invested in numerous successful entrepreneurs. Earlier, Ahn was the founder of Endpoint Technologies, which was successfully acquired by Applied Materials. Ahn holds a BA and MBA from Harvard University. For more information: www.envisionvc.com.

About Envision Energy

Envision Energy (www.envision-energy.com) is one of the world's largest smart energy management companies and among the eight largest turbine companies in the world with more than 7.5 GW of Envision smart wind turbines in operation. Envision's Energy OS platform is used to manage more than 50 GW of renewable energy assets, including charging stations and energy consumption devices worldwide. Envision has regional offices across Asia, Europe, North and South America and has established global R&D and engineering centers in Denmark, Germany and the United States.

About E.ON

E.ON is an international privately-owned energy supplier which faces fundamental change: through implementing its new strategy, E.ON will in the future be focusing entirely on renewables, energy networks and customer solutions, which are the building blocks of the new energy world. The conventional generation and energy trading businesses were combined into a distinct company, Uniper, as per 1st January, 2016. E.ON plans to spin off the majority of Uniper to E.ON's shareholders in the second half of 2016.

In the 2015 financial year, the E.ON staff comprises in excess of more than 56,000 employees based in many countries in Europe as well as in Russia and North America, generating sales of around EUR 116 billion. In addition, there are businesses in Brazil and Turkey that E.ON manages jointly with partners.

About AutoGrid Systems

AutoGrid builds software applications that enable a smarter Energy Internet. The company's suite of Energy Internet applications allows utilities, electricity retailers, renewable energy project developers and energy service providers to deliver cheap, clean and reliable energy by managing networked distributed energy resources (DERs) in real time and at scale. AutoGrid applications are all built on the AutoGrid Energy Data Platform (EDP), with patented Predictive Controls technology that leverages petabytes of smart meter, sensor and third-party data, along with powerful data science and high-performance computing algorithms, to monitor, predict, optimize and control the operations of millions of assets connected across global energy networks.

The world's leading energy companies, including E.ON, Bonneville Power Administration, Florida Power & Light, Southern California Edison, Eneco, Portland General Electric, CPS Energy, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, NextEra Energy and CLEAResult, are using AutoGrid's software to improve their operations, integrate renewables and drive deeper engagement with their customers. AutoGrid has been recognized with several prestigious industry awards including Bloomberg New Energy Pioneer 2016, World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2015, Red Herring Top 100 North America 2015, Industrial Innovation Company of the Year by the Cleantech Group and Green Product of the Year by the BIG Awards for Business Programs.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: SWA) is pleased to announce that it has signed a binding Heads of Agreement with Orezone Gold Corporation ("Orezone") for the Company to acquire the Bondi gold deposit ("Bondi"). Bondi is 100% owned by Orezone and is located immediately adjacent to Sarama's South Hounde Project in south-western Burkina Faso. The deposit has a historical estimate of Mineral Resources of 282,000oz Au (measured and indicated) and 150,000 Au (inferred) 1,2 and is within trucking distance of Sarama's South Hounde Project.

Completion of the acquisition will bolster Sarama's position in the region, consolidating ownership of advanced assets in the highly prospective Hounde Belt and providing significant optionality for the development of a mine in the region.

Highlights

Historical estimate of Mineral Resources (published by Orezone in 2009, reported at 0.5g/t Au cut-off grade) 2 : 4.1Mt @ 2.1g/t Au for 282,000 oz Au (measured and indicated); and 2.5Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 150,000 oz Au (inferred)

: The historical estimate includes a large component of higher-grade material (reported at 2.0g/t Au cut-off grade) 2 : 1.4Mt @ 4.2g/t Au for 186,000 oz Au (measured and indicated)

: Bondi is located within trucking distance of both the 2.1Moz Au 3,4 South Hounde Project and the 0.7Moz Au 5,6 Karankasso Project and upon completion Sarama will have significant interests in three advanced projects in the southern Hounde Belt

South Hounde Project and the 0.7Moz Au Karankasso Project and upon completion Sarama will have significant interests in three advanced projects in the southern Hounde Belt Opens up development options for the South Hounde Project and presents possible development routes where regional deposits are combined to feed a multi-source gold production centre

Drill-defined mineralisation extends over a 4.1km strike length and extends to approximately 320m below surface

Majority of Bondi's mineralisation is well defined by 25-40m x 25m spaced drilling

Metallurgical testwork commissioned by Orezone concluded that mineralisation is amenable to processing by cyanidation at a conventional grind size of P 80 75 micron, with composite samples of oxide and fresh material achieving gold extractions of 97% and 91% respectively 7

75 micron, with composite samples of oxide and fresh material achieving gold extractions of 97% and 91% respectively Historical expenditures of over US$9M on the property by Orezone and others

Upon completion of the transaction and in consideration of the acquisition, Orezone will receive, from Sarama: 9.6 million common shares in the capital of Sarama (valued at $1.44M at a share price of $0.15 per share); 3 million warrants for common shares in Sarama, exercisable for 2 years at a price of $0.195 per share; 2 million warrants for common shares in Sarama, exercisable for 3 years at a price of $0.240 per share; and a production royalty of US$20/ounce sold on the first 200,000 ounces of gold sold from the Property, as defined hereafter.



Property Details

Location & Strategic Fit

The Bondi gold deposit is located within the 168km  Djarkadougou exploration property (the "Property") which lies adjacent to Sarama's 2.1Moz 3,4 Au South Hounde Project in south western Burkina Faso (refer Figures 1 and 2). Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second largest city, is located approximately 75km to the west and is linked by a paved highway that transects the Property. The mineral resources within the South Hounde and Karankasso Projects are each located approximately 30km (straight line) from Bondi, presenting an opportunity to ultimately combine the three deposits by trucking feed to a central processing facility.

Metallurgical testwork by Sarama at the South Hounde Project has identified several processing flowsheets including heap leaching for oxide material and a staged tank-based plant for hard rock material. The combination of Bondi and the South Hounde Project puts Sarama in a position where, building on recent exploration success, it can contemplate development options via several possible processing routes.

Exploration & Mineral Resources Estimate

Since 1998, Orezone and others have conducted systematic exploration on the Property, including approximately 80,000m drilling (reverse circulation and diamond core), which culminated in the delineation of sub-vertical, shear-zone hosted mineralisation along a strike length of 4.1km. The mineralised lodes are up to 24m in width and have been intersected to a vertical depth of approximately 320m by the deepest drilling (refer Figures 3 and 4). Gold is associated with disseminated sulphides (predominantly pyrite) in quartz veins and veinlets that are hosted by quartz-feldspar-porphyry, sheared arenite-argillite and mafic dykes. Alteration envelopes of varying composition are also present.

In 2009, Orezone published a Mineral Resource for Bondi (see note on Historical Estimate below), reported at a cut-off grade of 0.5g/t Au 2 , comprising:

4.1Mt @ 2.1g/t Au for 282,000 oz Au (measured and indicated); and

2.5Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 150,000 oz Au (inferred)

This Historical Estimate included a high-grade component (reported at a cut-off grade of 2.0g/t Au) of 1.4Mt @ 4.2g/t for 186,000 oz Au (measured and indicated) 2 , which reflects several shoot-controlled, high-grade zones within the lodes.

Metallurgical Performance

Metallurgical testwork commissioned by Orezone in 2013 concluded that the mineralisation is amenable to processing using a standard cyanidation flowsheet, with gold extractions of 97% and 91% being achieved for composite samples of oxide and fresh mineralisation respectively at a conventional grind size of P 80 75 micron 7 . The metallurgical testwork results are contained in a report (Report on Metallurgical Testing -- Bondi Drill Samples MLI Job No. 3685, May 29 2013) compiled by McClelland Laboratories Inc. (Canada) (the "Metallurgy Report").

Disclosure of Historical Estimate

In February 20, 2009, Met-Chem Canada Inc. prepared a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") technical report (Technical Report on the Mineral Resource of the Bondigui Gold Project) on Bondi for Orezone (the "Technical Report"). The Technical Report included disclosure of a Mineral Resource estimate which Sarama considers to be relevant and reliable at the time of disclosure given that it was prepared to NI 43-101 standards.

During a recent due diligence site visit to the Property, Sarama noted that oxide areas of the Bondi mineral resource have been affected by artisanal mining. The Company is not able to reliably estimate the extent of depletion and quantify its effect on the oxide component of the mineral resource. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify this Mineral Resource as a current Mineral Resource and as a result, Sarama is treating this resource as a Historical Estimate, as defined in NI 43-101, and not as a current Mineral Resource.

The Technical Report and the Metallurgy Report are currently available on Orezone's website www.orezone.com. The Technical Report is also available under Orezone's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Key Commercial Terms

Pursuant to the terms of the Heads of Agreement, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and satisfaction of certain conditions set out in the Heads of Agreement, Sarama will issue to Orezone:

9.6 million common shares in the capital of Sarama (valued at $1.44M at a share price of $0.15 per share);

3 million warrants for common shares in Sarama, valid for 2 years and exercisable at a price of $0.195 per share, being 30% above the volume-weighted average price (calculated over a 10-trading day period immediately before the execution of the Heads of Agreement); and

2 million warrants for common shares in Sarama, valid for 3 years and exercisable at a price of $0.240 per share, being 60% above the volume-weighted average price (calculated over a 10-trading day period immediately before the execution of the Heads of Agreement).

Both warrants series will have an accelerated expiry, giving Sarama the option to reduce the life of the warrants if, at any time during their life, the closing price of Sarama common shares is 100% above the respective exercise prices for 15 consecutive trading days.

Orezone will also be entitled to receive a production royalty of US$20/ounce gold sold on the first 200,000 ounces of gold produced from within the Property, or its successor mineral tenure area.

Sarama and Orezone anticipate completing a definitive agreement in respect of the Bondi acquisition in the coming weeks and will commence the transfer process for the Djarkadougou Permit shortly thereafter.

Sarama's President and CEO, Andrew Dinning, commented:

"Sarama is excited to have entered into this agreement with Orezone to acquire the Bondi deposit. Orezone has undertaken a great deal of work on the deposit which complements our South Hounde Project and is expected to be highly accretive to Sarama on a NAV per share basis.

We are also pleased that a successful industry player like Orezone recognises the value of combining the projects and starting the consolidation of the highly prospective southern Hounde Belt. We look forward to the completion of this transaction which will result in Sarama having significant interests in three advanced gold projects in the region which the Company sees as providing optionality and pathways for potential project development.

We would also like to welcome Orezone to Sarama's register as a significant shareholder and look forward to realising the mutually beneficial outcomes that this transaction can deliver."

Figure 1 - Location Plan of Southern Hounde Belt Showing Major Projects

Figure 2 - Geographic Plan of Local Project Area

Figure 3 -Plan of Bondi Deposit Mineralisation

Figure 4 - Cross Section of Bondi Mineralisation

About Sarama Resources Ltd

Sarama Resources Ltd (TSX VENTURE: SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer with substantial landholdings in Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on consolidating under-explored landholdings in Burkina Faso and other established mining jurisdictions.

Sarama's flagship properties are situated within the Company's South Hounde Project area in south-west Burkina Faso. Located within the prolific Hounde greenstone belt, Sarama's exploration programs have built on significant early success to deliver an inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.1 Moz gold 3,4 . Acacia Mining plc is earning up to a 70% interest in the South Hounde Project by satisfying certain conditions, including funding earn-in expenditures of up to US$14 million, over a 4-year earn-in period and may acquire an additional 5% interest, for an aggregate 75% interest in the Project, upon declaration of a minimum mineral reserve of 1.6 million ounces of gold.

Sarama holds a 30% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's South Hounde Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"). Savary is the operator of the JV and in October 2015, declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 671,000 ounces of contained gold 5,6 at the Karankasso Project JV.

Sarama has also agreed to acquire a 100% interest in the Bondi gold deposit from Orezone Gold Corporation (refer news release May 24, 2016). Bondi has a historical estimate of mineral resources of 0.3Moz Au (measured and indicated) and 0.1Moz Au (inferred) 1,2 .

Together, the South Hounde Project, Bondi deposit and the Karankasso Project form a cluster of advanced gold deposits, within trucking distance of one another, which potentially offers a development option for a multi-source fed central processing facility in the southern Hounde Belt region of Burkina Faso.

Incorporated in 2010, the Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound exploration strategy across its property portfolio.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the Company's plans for drilling and geochemical and geophysical surveys at the South Hounde Project, the Earn-In Agreement with Acacia, including the amounts that may be spent on exploration and interests in the South Hounde Project that may be earned by Acacia upon making certain expenditures and estimating a minimum reserve, the potential to expand the present oxide component of the Company's existing estimated mineral resources, and future exploration plans. It also includes statements about the completion of the acquisition of the Bondi gold deposit, that acquisition being expected to be accretive to Sarama on a NAV per share basis, the potential development of the Bondi, Karankasso and South Hounde Projects on a combined basis. Readers are specifically cautioned that there can be no assurance that required permits to develop a mine for the Bondi gold deposit can be obtained, including because part of the Property is within the Nabere Partial Reserve (Fauna). There can also be no assurance that artisanal mining activities will not interfere with any proposed development of the Bondi gold deposit. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to Mineral Reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, Acacia's continued funding of exploration activities, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

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.

Qualified Persons' Statement

Scientific or technical information in this news release that relates to the preparation of the Company's mineral resource estimate for the South Hounde Project is based on information compiled or approved by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered to be independent of Sarama Resources Ltd. Adrian Shepherd is a Chartered Professional Member in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Adrian Shepherd consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this news release that relates to the preparation of the Karankasso Project's mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled or approved by Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa are employees of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. and are considered to be independent of Savary Gold Corp. and Sarama Resources Ltd. Antoine Yassa is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and Eugene Puritch is a member in good standing of Professional Engineers Ontario. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa have sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which they are undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa consent to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this news release, in respect of the Bondi gold deposit, relating to metallurgical testwork information drawn from the Technical Report prepared for Orezone on that deposit and the Metallurgical Report prepared for Orezone on that deposit has been approved by Fred Kock. Fred Kock is an employee of Orway Mineral Consultants Pty. Ltd. and is considered independent of Sarama Resources Ltd. Fred Kock is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Fred Kock consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this news release, in respect of the Bondi gold deposit relating to mineral resource and exploration information drawn from the Technical Report prepared for Orezone on that deposit has been approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this report of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

1 4.1Mt @ 2.1g/t Au for 282,000 oz Au (measured and indicated) and 2.5Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 149,700 oz Au (inferred), reported at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off

2 The effective date of the historical estimate of the Bondi deposit mineral resource estimate is February 20, 2009. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "Technical Report on the Mineral Resource of the Bondigui Gold Project", dated February 20, 2009. The technical report is available under Orezone Gold Corporation's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

3 43.0 Mt @ 1.5 g/t Au (reported above cut-off grades ranging 0.3-2.2 g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the likelihood of the inferred mineral resources having reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction)

4 The effective date of the Company's inferred mineral resource estimate is February 4, 2016. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated March 31, 2016. The technical report is available under Sarama Resources Ltd.'s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

5 9.2 Mt @ 2.3 g/t Au (at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off)

6 The effective date of the Karankasso Project JV mineral resource estimate is October 7, 2015. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the Karankasso Project, Burkina Faso", dated October 7, 2015. The technical report is available under Savary Gold Corp's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

7 Gold extraction results are averages for the 48-hour extractions for high-grade and medium-grade composite samples for each material type tested by mechanical agitation (refer Tables 36-39 of the Metallurgy Report). Key testwork leach conditions were P 80 grind size of 75 micron, 40% v/v solids density, slurry pH 10.8-11.2, NaCN concentration 1.0g/l, 48-hour leach time. For further details, the Metallurgical Report is available on Orezone's website at www.orezone.com.

Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede

e: info@saramaresources.com

t: +61 (0) 8 9363 7600
VANCOUVER, BC --(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - THC BioMed Intl. Ltd. (CSE: THC) (OTC PINK: THCBF) (FRANKFURT: TFHC) is pleased to announce that our wholly-owned subsidiary, THC BioMed Ltd. has been granted authorization by Health Canada to produce fresh marijuana, Cannabis Oil and Cannabis Resin.

This license allows us to formulate, prepare and present our products. Team THC will work diligently to bring the highest quality products to market within the shortest time frame possible. Products can only be released for sale once Health Canada has granted a sale amendment to its License.

"We now look forward to providing the highest quality products to our customers and bringing value to our shareholders as we work to build a world class Cannabis Company," said John Miller President and CEO. THC BioMed will immediately begin development of a wide range of products including Medical grade Dried cannabis, CBD, THC Oils and Cannabis infused products for topical application.

THC BioMed Ltd. is also pleased to announce it has reached another milestone, by setting the foundation of another subsidiary, Seeds R Us, focused on establishing a national supply chain for Cannabis genetics. We are now in possession of a diverse selection of seeds, imported from Holland. The imported genetics are listed on our THC BioMed.com website under the Seeds R Us tab and include high CBD and high THC producing strains. Profiling for both genotypes and phenotypes, for each of the 28 strains is currently underway.

THC's Vision is to be on the leading edge of scientific research and development of products and services related to the medical cannabis industry. Management feels that THC is well positioned to be in the forefront of this rapidly growing industry where our high standard of excellence and our commitment to scientific research and new product and service development.

Please visit our website for a more detailed description of our business and services available. www.thcbiomed.com

Forward-Looking Information:

This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of THC. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of THC. Although THC believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because THC can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. THC disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

President and CEO:

John Miller

THC BioMed Intl. Ltd.

T: 604 682 1643

E: info@thcbiomed.com
SANDSTON, VA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Anord Critical Power, Inc. (ACPI), a recognized leader and innovator in the power distribution market, today announced that 2016 Energy Efficiency and Uptime Summit has selected the company to present insights on power distribution. John Day, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, will discuss data center power distribution and its effects on reliability, safety and the facility's overall bottom-line.

Tweet this:.@AnordCritical to offer insight on datacenter powerdistribution effects on bottom-line, June 1st Energy Efficiency and Uptime Summit. PDU

The 4th annual summit sponsored by the Critical Power Group of Ashburn Virginia will feature a wide variety of data center and related industry experts. The Group selected Anord Critical Power as an industry insider, to join a panel of experts on June 1st at the Sheraton Tyson's Corner in Virginia, to offer particular insights on energy efficiency, lowering PUE and best-of-breed products and topologies.

"Mission-critical facility managers and IT operators are faced with ensuring the delivery of non-stop services," Day said. "In addition, these same managers and operators are tasked with keeping energy consumption under control by maintaining efficient power distribution systems. To assist them, there's a host of new, more efficient power distribution systems available that lower operational costs and improve worker safety during maintenance procedures. We are excited to discuss these next-generation power options at Critical Power Group's important event."

To learn how you can leverage ACPI's Anord Modular Product (AMP) PDU and RPP to efficiently power your mission-critical facility, contact Anord Critical Power at 804-683-2078 or us.sales@anord.com.

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About Anord Critical Power, Inc.

Anord Critical Power, Inc. is a U.S.-based subsidiary of Anord, a leading independent provider of critical power infrastructure to the global data center industry, entering the American market with the delivery of a robust switchgear product offering superior system resilience and enhanced operator safety. Its compact, fully compartmentalized switchgear system offers a "best-of-both-standards" solution to meet the needs of critical power businesses. Established in 1969, Anord has a strong pedigree and successful track record in providing mission critical Low Voltage, Power Switchgear, Power Distribution Unit, and Remote Power Panel to many of the world's leading cloud computing, colocation, and enterprise data center businesses across EMEA as well as, APAC, North and Latin American markets. Anord's proprietary "AMS" switchgear system provides customized power switchgear equipment from a type tested and certified modular platform fully compliant with the IEC LV Switchgear standard 61439-2, and is listed to UL891. For more information visit: www.anordcpi.com.

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For more information, contact:

Jackie Abramian

BridgeView Marketing (for Anord Critical Power, Inc.)

603-570-7533

Jackie@bridgeviewmarketing.com

@AnordCritical




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Veresen Inc. ("Veresen") (TSX: VSN) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its 33 megawatt Glen Park hydro power generation facility for proceeds of US$61 million plus working capital at closing. Glen Park, located near Watertown in upstate New York, is contract operated and sells its output on a month-to-month basis at prevailing market prices.

"The sale of Glen Park reflects our continuing efforts to optimize our portfolio," commented Don Althoff, President and CEO of Veresen. "This divestiture provides additional flexibility beyond our expected DRIP proceeds to fund our contracted growth program."

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016, subject to customary closing conditions including the approval of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on Veresen's 2016 financial performance. Veresen is maintaining its full year distributable cash guidance of $0.94 per Common Share to $1.08 per Common Share and expects distributable cash from the Power business to remain in the range of $47 million to $54 million.

About Veresen Inc.

Veresen is a publicly-traded dividend paying corporation based in Calgary, Alberta that owns and operates energy infrastructure assets across North America. Veresen is engaged in three principal businesses: a pipeline transportation business comprised of interests in the Alliance Pipeline, the Ruby Pipeline and the Alberta Ethane Gathering System; a midstream business which includes a partnership interest in Veresen Midstream Limited Partnership which owns assets in western Canada, and an ownership interest in Aux Sable which owns a world-class natural gas liquids (NGL) extraction facility near Chicago and other natural gas and NGL processing infrastructure; and a power business comprised of a portfolio of assets in Canada. Veresen is also working to advance Jordan Cove LNG, a six million tonne per annum natural gas liquefaction facility proposed to be constructed in Coos Bay, Oregon, and the associated Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline. In the normal course of business, Veresen regularly evaluates and pursues acquisition and development opportunities.

Veresen's Common Shares, Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares, Series A, Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares, Series C, and Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares, Series E trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols "VSN", "VSN.PR.A", "VSN.PR.C" and "VSN.PR.E", respectively. For further information, please visit www.vereseninc.com.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained herein relating to, but not limited to, Veresen and its businesses, and the Glen Park hydro power generation facility ("Glen Park") disposition, constitutes forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, which address activities, events or developments that Veresen expects or anticipates may or will occur in the future, are forward-looking information. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "will", "may", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "potential", "plan", "intend", "target", "project", "forecast" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or outlook. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to, the timing of closing of the Glen Park disposition, the use of the proceeds of the Glen Park disposition, the use of proceeds from Veresen's Premium Dividend and Dividend Reinvestment Plan, the impact of the Glen Park disposition on Veresen's financial performance and Veresen's guidance for 2016 distributable cash. The forward-looking information included herein involves significant risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, risks relating to closing of the Glen Park disposition, the potential for undisclosed liabilities associated with the Glen Park disposition and realizing the expected benefits from the Glen Park disposition. Additional information on risks, uncertainties and factors that could affect the foregoing forward-looking information and/or Veresen's operations or financial results is included in its filings with the securities commissions or similar authorities in each of the provinces of Canada, as may be updated from time to time. Readers are also cautioned that such additional information is not exhaustive.

The impact of any one risk, uncertainty or factor on a particular forward-looking statement is not determinable with certainty as these factors are independent and management's future course of action would depend on its assessment of all information at that time. Although Veresen believes that the expectations conveyed by the forward-looking information are reasonable based on information available on the date of preparation, no assurances can be given as to future results, levels of activity and achievements. Undue reliance should not be placed on the information contained herein, as actual results achieved will vary from the information provided herein and the variations may be material. Veresen makes no representation that actual results achieved will be the same in whole or in part as those set out in the forward-looking information. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date hereof, and Veresen does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. Any forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

 denotes trademark of Canaccord Genuity Corp.

Contacts:

Veresen Inc.

Mark Chyc-Cies

Investor Relations Director

(403) 213-3633

investor-relations@vereseninc.com




BOISE, IDAHO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- U.S. Geothermal Inc. (NYSE MKT: HTM) a leading renewable energy company focused on the development, production, and sale of electricity from geothermal energy, will be presenting at the following upcoming conferences:

The company is pleased to announce that Kerry Hawkley, Chief Financial Officer, will be a featured presenter at the Marcum Microcap Conference on Thursday June 2, 2016 at 10:00 am ET in New York City at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The annual 2 day Marcum MicroCap Conference is a showcase for public companies with less than $500 million in market capitalization. Additional information about the conference can be obtained at www.marcumllp.com. A webcast of the presentation will be available for replay for up to 90 days using the following link http://wsw.com/webcast/marcum4/htm or on the home page of our corporate website www.usgeothermal.com.

Additionally, Mr. Hawkley will be participating in a presentation panel made up of leading renewable power producers, as well as attending one on one meetings with Institutional Investors at Cowen's 44th Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on Wednesday June 1, 2016 at 8:00am ET in New York City at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. Additional information about the conference can be obtained at www.cowen.com.

About U.S. Geothermal Inc.:

U.S. Geothermal Inc. is a leading and profitable renewable energy company focused on the development, production and sale of electricity from geothermal energy. The company is currently operating geothermal power projects at Neal Hot Springs, Oregon, San Emidio, Nevada and Raft River, Idaho for a total power generation of approximately 45 MWs. The company is also developing an additional estimated 90 MW's of projects at: the Geysers, California; a second phase project at San Emidio, Nevada; at Crescent Valley, Nevada; and the El Ceibillo project located near Guatemala City, Guatemala. US Geothermal's growth strategy is to reach 200 MWs of generation by 2020 through a combination of internal development and strategic acquisitions.

About Marcum MicroCap Conference:

The Marcum MicroCap Conference is dedicated to providing a forum where publicly traded companies under $500 million in market capitalization can network with the investment community. The conference features presentations by CEOs and CFOs from six principal industry sectors and provides investors with the opportunity to meet with management of these companies on a one-on-one basis. The Marcum MicroCap Conference attracts fund managers and high net worth investors focusing on small cap equities. Over 2,000 participants from all segments of the microcap market attend each year, including senior management, finance and legal executives, venture and lower middle-market private equity investors, institutional investors, directors, investment bankers, buy- and sell-side analysts, and service providers to the microcap marketplace.

About Cowen Group:

Cowen Group, Inc. is a diversified financial services firm and, together with its consolidated subsidiaries, provides alternative investment management, investment banking, research, and sales and trading services through its two business segments: Ramius LLC and its affiliate's makes up the Company's alternative investment management segment, while Cowen and Company, LLC is its broker-dealer segment.

Please visit our Website at: http://www.usgeothermal.com

The information provided in this news release may contain forward-looking statements within the definition of the Safe Harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned to review the risk factors identified by the company in its filings with US and Canadian securities agencies. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of U.S. Geothermal, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties; interpretation of the results of well tests; project development; resource megawatt capacity; capital expenditures; timelines; strategic plans; or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from U.S. Geothermal's expectations include the uncertainties involving the availability of financing in the debt and capital markets; uncertainties involved in the interpretation of results of well tests; the need for cooperation of government agencies in the development and operation of properties; the need to obtain permits and governmental approvals; risks of construction; unexpected cost increases, which could include significant increases in estimated capital and operating costs; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in U.S. Geothermal's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities and in other U.S. Geothermal reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations, beliefs and opinions on the date the statements are made. U.S. Geothermal Inc. assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if management's expectations, beliefs, or opinions, or other factors, should change.

The NYSE MKT does not accept responsibility for the adequacy of this release.

Contacts:

Saf Dhillon

Investor Relations

U.S. Geothermal Inc.

Tel: 866-687-7059

208-424-1030 (FAX)

saf@usgeothermal.com

www.usgeothermal.com




Tallinn, 2016-05-24 14:14 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CORRECTION: AS Tallink Grupp Notice calling Annual General MeetingAS Tallink Grupp has amended the 23 May 2016 notice of calling the Annual General Meeting. Pursuant to the amendment the penultimate sentence of point number two of the agenda shall be read as follows: "The list of the shareholders entitled to dividends shall be fixed as at 30th June 2016, 11.59 PM."Section 4.2.4 of point number four of the agenda has been amended as follows: "the list of the shareholders entitled to receive the payments arising from the reduction of the book values of the shares shall be fixed as at 30th June 2016, 11.59 PM."Dear Shareholder of AS Tallink GruppThe Management Board of AS Tallink Grupp, registration code 10238429, location and the address at Sadama 5/7, 10111 Tallinn, is calling the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 14th June 2016 at 11:00 AM in the conference centre of Tallink SPA & Conference Hotel, at the address Sadama 11a, Tallinn.Registration of participants at the Annual General Meeting begins at 10:00 AM.Agenda of the Annual General Meeting and the proposals of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board regarding the points of agenda:1. Approval of the Annual Report of the financial year 2015To approve the Annual Report of the financial year 2015 of AS Tallink Grupp presented by the Management Board.2. Proposal on distribution of profitsTo approve the following profit allocation proposal of AS Tallink Grupp prepared by the Management Board:1) To approve the net profit of the financial year of 2015 in the sum of 59,070,000 euros;2) To allocate 2,954,000 euros from the net profit to the mandatory legal reserve;3) To pay dividends to the shareholders 0,02 euros per share, in the total amount of 13,398,000 euros;4) 42,718,000 euros to be transferred to the retained earnings.The list of the shareholders entitled to dividends shall be fixed as at 30th June 2016, 11:59 PM. Dividends shall be paid to the shareholders by transfer to the bank account of the shareholders on 5th July 2016.3. Introduction of share without nominal value and amendment of Articles of Association3.1. To introduce shares without nominal value.3.2 In connection with the introduction of share without nominal value, to amend the Articles of Association of AS Tallink Grupp as follows:3.2.1 To amend Article 2.2 of the Articles of Association and word it as follows:"The minimum number of the shares of the company without nominal value is 600,000,000 and the maximum number is 2,400,000,000 registered shares of one class. Each share shall grant 1 (one) vote to the shareholder at the General Meeting. The company shall have electronic share register and those entered in the share register shall be deemed the shareholders. Share certificate shall not be issued."3.2.2. To amend the first sentence of Article 8.1 of the Articles of Association and word it as follows:"A shareholder shall be paid a part of the profit (dividend) according to the book value of the shareholder's shares."3.3 With the introduction of share without nominal value, AS Tallink Grupp has 673,817,040 shares without nominal value and the share capital is 404,290,224 euros, and the book value of one share amounts to 0.60 euros.4. Reduction of share capital4.1 The reason for reducing the share capital is improving the capital structure and favouring the return on equity. Company has no need to own share capital within the registered amount and the requirements that legislation imposes on share capital will also be fulfilled in the case of the reduced share capital.4.2 The share capital shall be reduced as follows:4.2.1 the share capital shall be reduced on account of 3,935,000 own shares held by the company, which total book value amounts to 2,361,000 euros, cancelling the aforementioned shares. As a result of cancellation of own shares, the company shall have 669,882,040 shares, which book value amounts to 401,929,224 euros.4.2.2 the share capital shall be reduced by the reduction of the book value of the shares, as a result of which the book value of one share shall be reduced from 0.60 euros to 0.54 euros, whereas the total number of the shares shall remain the same (i.e. 669,882,040 shares). Based on the foregoing, the share capital of the public limited company shall decrease from 401,929,224 euros by 40,192,922.4 euros, and the new share capital shall be 361,736,301.6 euros.4.2.3 in connection with the reduction of the share capital, the shareholders will be made monetary payments in the amount of 0.06 euros per share within the term provided by law, but not earlier than 3 (three) months after the entry of the reduction of the share capital in the commercial register.4.2.4 the list of shareholders entitled to receive the payments arising from the reduction of the book values of the shares shall be fixed as at 30th June 2016, 11:59 PM.5. Extension of authorities of the members of the supervisory boardDue to the expiry of the term of authority of the members of the supervisory board to extend for the next authority period:- authority of Mr Kalev Jarvelill as the member of the supervisory board retroactively as from 31.01.2016.- authority of Mr Ain Hanschmidt, Mr Colin Douglas Clark, Mrs Eve Pant, Mr Toivo Ninnas and Mr Lauri Kustaa Aima as the supervisory board member as from 18.09.2016.The work of the members of the supervisory board is remunerated pursuant to the resolution No 5 of 7.06.2012 of the annual general meeting.6. Appointment of an auditor for the financial year 2016 and the determination of the procedure of remuneration of an auditor- To appoint the company of auditors KPMG Baltics OU to conduct the audit of the financial year 2016.- The auditors shall be remunerated according to the audit contract to be concluded.The list of shareholders entitled to participate at the Annual General Meeting shall be determined 7 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting, as at 7th June 2016, 11:59 PM.The materials of the Annual General Meeting, including the drafts of the resolutions, annual report of the financial year 2015 of AS Tallink Grupp, the auditors' report, the profit distribution proposal may be examined on the home-page of AS Tallink Grupp by the address www.tallink.com, on the home-page of Tallinn Stock Exchange by the address http://market.ee.omxgroup.com/ and in the office of AS Tallink Grupp at the address Sadama 5/7, Tallinn, 1st Floor, on business days from 09:00 AM to 4:00 PM from the calling of the general meeting until the general meeting takes place.Questions concerning the items on the agenda may be sent on the e-mail address info@tallink.ee.A shareholder has the right to receive information on the activities of the AS Tallink Grupp from the Management Board at the General Meeting of AS Tallink Grupp. If the Management Board refuses to provide information, the shareholder may demand that the General meeting decide on the legality of the shareholder's request or to file, within two weeks after the General Meeting, a petition to a court by way of proceedings on petition in order to obligate the Management Board to provide the information.The shareholders whose shares represent at least one-twentieth of the share capital may demand an inclusion of additional issues on the agenda of the General Meeting if such demand is presented at least 15 days prior to the date of the General Meeting. The above mentioned documents shall be sent to the public limited company in writing on the address: AS Tallink Grupp, Sadama 5/7, 10111, Tallinn.The shareholders whose shares represent at least one-twentieth of the share capital may submit to the public limited company a draft resolution for every item of the agenda. This right may not be exercised after 3 days before holding the General Meeting.For the registration procedure of the Annual General Meeting we ask the following:Shareholder in person to present the identity document (Passport or ID Card);the representative of the shareholder in person, the identity document (Passport or ID Card) and the duly signed written Power of Attorney.The legal representative of a shareholder (legal person) to present an extract (or other similar document) from the relevant commercial (companies') registry of the country where the legal person is located (Estonian legal persons to provide the extract from the commercial registry card, issued not more than 15 days prior to the date of the General Meeting) and the identity document of the representative.The authorized representative of a shareholder (legal person) shall present, in addition to the documents listed hereinabove, the written Power of Attorney duly issued by the legal representative of the shareholder. The documents of a shareholder located abroad shall be legalized or certified with apostille unless an international agreement stipulates otherwise. AS Tallink Grupp is entitled to register the above mentioned shareholder as a participant also in case all the requisite data of the legal person and its representative are contained in a Power of Attorney issued to the representative and certified by a notary public abroad and the Power of Attorney is acceptable in Estonia.A shareholder may notify AS Tallink Grupp of the nomination of a representative and of the withdrawal of the authorization prior to the date of the General Meeting on the e-mail address: info@tallink.ee or by bringing the above mentioned documents to the office of AS Tallink Grupp at Sadama 5/7, Tallinn, 1th Floor on business days from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM latest by 12th of June 2016 at 4:00 PM and the forms of the documents provided for on the web-page of AS Tallink Grupp at www.tallink.com shall be used. The information about the nomination of a representative and of the withdrawal of the authorization can be found on the web-page of AS Tallink Grupp at www.tallink.com.Sincerely Yours Management Board of AS Tallink GruppVeiko Haavapuu Finance DirectorAS Tallink Grupp Sadama 5/7. 10111 Tallinn Tel. +372 640 9914 E-mail veiko.haavapuu@tallink.ee
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: QTA) (OTCQX: QTRRF) ("Quaterra" or the "Company") and its subsidiary Singatse Peak Services LLC ("SPS") today announced results from Hole B-052, the fifth core hole of a drill program to explore and further define the Bear deposit, a large porphyry copper system on the Company's 52-square mile property in the historic Yerington Copper District of Nevada. The drill program is being funded with option payments to SPS by Freeport-McMoRan Nevada LLC ("Freeport Nevada").

Highlights

Hole B-052, drilled vertically to a depth of 3,468 feet, intercepted two zones of 0.4% copper, the first of 43 feet (13.1 meters) with 201 ppm molybdenum starting at 2,508 feet and another of 29 feet (8.8 meters) starting at 2,667 feet. Overall, the hole intercepted 666.2 feet (203.1 meters) of 0.14% copper mineralization beginning at a depth of 2,081.3 feet.

Table 1. Significant intercepts from Bear core hole B-052*

--------------------------------------------------------------- HOLE B-052 From To Interval Interval % ppm ppm ppm --------------------------------------------------------------- feet feet feet meters Cu Mo Au Ag --------------------------------------------------------------- 2081.3 2747.5 666.2 203.1 0.14 89 0.006 <0.5 includes 2508.0 2551.0 43.0 13.1 0.40 201 0.009 <0.5 includes 2628.5 2747.5 119.0 36.3 0.23 83 0.007 <0.5 includes 2667.0 2696.0 29.0 8.8 0.40 68 0.011 <0.5 2399.5 2982.5 583.0 177.7 0.11 160 <0.005 <0.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------

*Drill intercepts are based on actual core lengths and may not reflect the true width of mineralization.

Note: 1 ppm = 1 gram per tonne

Discussion

Hole B-052, collared 700 feet north-northeast of hole B-051, was sited to determine if the favorable alteration and mineralization intersected in hole B-051 extended and strengthened to the north. Although the alteration and style of mineralization encountered in hole B-052 is similar to B-051, the narrower and lower grade mineralization shows that this is most likely not the case. Molybdenite is more common than in previous SPS holes, occurring in narrow quartz veins that cut and often offset chalcopyrite-pyrite veins and veinlets and continuing over a longer vertical range (709.5 feet) than the copper mineralization. The lower copper and gold grades, combined with a higher pyrite/chalcopyrite ratio, indicate that hole B-052 was drilled in a more distal part of the system. Additional drilling will be necessary to test this concept as Bear mineralization remains open in three directions.

Hole GHH-001, the sixth and final drill-hole of the current program located in Ground Hog Hills about 6,000 feet south of previous SPS holes, has been drilled to a depth of 2,017.5 feet and cased for possible future deepening. It was drilled to test an area of favorable geology and mineralization coincident with an historic IP anomaly. Assays for this drill hole are pending. Hole locations are shown on a map available on Quaterra's website at http://quaterra.com/projects/quaterras-yerington-copper-projects/bear-deposit/. A video of the current drill-program at the Bear deposit is available for viewing on the Company website at http://quaterra.com/quaterra-video-2015-bear-drilling/.

For background on the Bear deposit, Quaterra's Yerington project and the option agreement with Freeport Nevada please see the news release dated November 17, 2015, or visit the Company website at www.quaterra.com.

Quality assurance and control

Core samples were either sawed or split by SPS personnel in Yerington, Nevada, and shipped to Bureau Veritas Minerals NA -- Inspectorate America Corporation, an ISO certified assaying/geochemistry facility, in Reno, Nevada, for sample preparation. Gold analyses are assayed in Bureau Veritas' lab in Reno using their "FA430" procedure (fire assay with atomic absorption finish) with a 5 ppb Au detection limit. Prepared pulps are shipped to Bureau Veritas' lab in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, for analysis using their "MA 300" procedure for 35 element ICP-ES analysis. Commercially prepared standards and blanks are inserted by SPS at 50-foot intervals to insure precision of results as a quality control measure. SPS has a chain of custody program to ensure sample security during all stages of sample collection, cutting, shipping, and storage.

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Thomas Patton, Ph.D., the CEO of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.

About Quaterra Resources Inc.

Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: QTA) (OTCQX: QTRRF) is a copper exploration and development company with the primary objective to advance its U.S. subsidiary's copper projects in the Yerington District, Nevada.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Thomas Patton, Chairman & CEO

Quaterra Resources Inc.

Disclosure note:

Some statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements under Canadian securities laws and within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified in this news release by words such as "believes", "anticipates", "intends", "has the potential", "expects", and similar language, or convey estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives, potential outcomes, expectations, or goals. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. In particular, forward looking statements in this news release include or assume that the Company will receive all option payments over the next six months, that exploration results on the Bear deposit will define further mineralization, that historic exploration results will be confirmed by new exploration, that further drilling will extend the boundaries of the known high-grade mineralized area, and that drill results from the current drill program point to a large copper system. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. A summary of risk factors that apply to the Company's operations are included in our management discussion and analysis filings with securities regulatory authorities, and are publicly available on our website. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.

For more information please contact:

Thomas Patton

Chairman & CEO

Quaterra Resources Inc.

604-641-2758
24 May 2016

Keller Group plc ("the Company")

2016 AGM Results

At the Company's Annual General Meeting held earlier today, each of the resolutions set out in the Notice of Annual General Meeting dated 29 February 2016 was passed on a poll.Votes cast were as follows:

Resolution Votes

For % Votes Against % Total Votes Votes Withheld 1 - To receive the report and accounts 54,008,387 98.84% 631,706 1.16% 54,640,093 1,866,116 2 - To approve the Directors' remuneration report 53,507,344 96.51% 1,935,912 3.49% 55,443,256 1,062,953 3 - To declare a final dividend of 18.3p per ordinary share 56,505,848 100.00% 361 0.00% 56,506,209 0 4 - To appoint KPMG LLP as Auditors 53,436,270 94.57% 3,069,939 5.43% 56,506,209 0 5 - To fix the remuneration of the Auditors 54,707,150 97.05% 1,662,849 2.95% 56,369,999 136,210 6 - To elect Mr Alain Michaelis 56,352,976 99.73% 153,116 0.27% 56,506,092 117 7 - To re-elect Ms Nancy Tuor Moore 56,431,523 99.87% 74,686 0.13% 56,506,209 0 8 - To re-elect Mr Roy Franklin 53,233,968 94.21% 3,272,241 5.79% 56,506,209 0 9 - To re-elect Ms Ruth Cairnie 55,502,355 98.22% 1,003,854 1.78% 56,506,209 0 10 - To re-elect Mr Chris Girling 55,714,666 98.61% 787,543 1.39% 56,502,209 4,000 11 - To re-elect Mr James Hind 56,352,732 99.73% 153,477 0.27% 56,506,209 0 12 - To re-elect Dr Wolfgang Sondermann 56,353,063 99.73% 153,146 0.27% 56,506,209 0 13 - To re-elect Mr Paul Withers 56,433,346 99.87% 72,136 0.13% 56,505,482 550 14 - Authority to allot shares 56,493,619 99.98% 12,034 0.02% 56,505,653 556

15 - Authority to disapply pre-emption rights

(subject to Resolution 14) 56,493,072 99.98% 11,581 0.02% 56,504,653 1,556 16 - Authority to buy back shares 55,461,544 98.15% 1,044,665 1.85% 56,506,209 0 17 - Authority to make political donations 54,055,120 97.44% 1,419,870 2.56% 55,474,990 1,031,219 18 - Authority to call a general meeting on 14 days' notice 53,296,310 94.32% 3,209,543 5.68% 56,505,853 356

In accordance with Listing Rule 9.6.2, copies of the resolutions passed (other than those concerning ordinary business) will shortly be submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will be available for inspection at www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM.

The full text of all the resolutions passed at the meeting can be found in the Notice of Annual General Meeting, which is available for inspection at www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM and on the Company's website at www.keller.co.uk.

Enquiries:

Keller Group plc

Kerry Porritt, Company Secretary

Tel: 020 7616 7575

END
SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Mitchell International, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance industry and their supply chain partners, today released the latest version of the RepairCenter Mobile app. The revamped RepairCenter Mobile app adds additional on-the-go flexibility and industry-leading solutions that improve workflow, internal processes and deliver an exceptional customer experience, all from a mobile device.

"Repairers are constantly looking for ways to improve and streamline their operation and leveraging mobile technology is a great way to accomplish this," said Paul Rosenstein, Vice President of Product Management at Mitchell International. "The RepairCenter Mobile app eliminates numerous outdated and time-consuming processes, which leads to more effective shops, and happier customers. This app sets repairers and their shops up for success."

Updated RepairCenter Mobile app features:

Enhanced user experience and streamlined navigation

Ability to create new jobs by scanning the VIN number to decode the vehicle details

Ability to edit job details on-the-go

Multiple photo upload capability to quickly capture vehicle damage

Real-time messaging through RepairCenter Hub to keep you connected to your shop

Push notifications for alerts and notifications

Advanced job search by VIN Scan

Customer Status updates with Web Status

RepairCenter Mobile is fully compatible with RepairCenter and is available for iOS devices.

Click to find more information about Mitchell's RepairCenter Mobile app update.

About Mitchell International

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Mitchell International, Inc. is celebrating its 70th year of enabling better business outcomes for its Property & Casualty customers and supply chain partners. Mitchell delivers smart technology solutions that simplify and accelerate claims handling processes, driving more accurate, consistent, and cost-effective resolutions. Mitchell integrates deep industry expertise into workflow solutions, which provide unparalleled access to data, advanced analytics and decision support tools. Mitchell's comprehensive solution portfolio and robust SaaS infrastructure connect its customers in ways that enable tens of millions of electronic transactions to be processed each month for more than 300 insurance companies and over 30,000 collision repair facilities across the Americas and Europe. For more information, please visit http://www.mitchell.com/

Contact:

Amanda Windsor

LEWIS for Mitchell

619-677-2700

Mitchell@teamlewis.com




SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- For the first time in history, clinicians are able to capture patients' heart and lung sounds and integrate them into the electronic health record (EHR). This milestone represents a groundbreaking advance in longitudinal patient care.

Three companies have joined forces to launch this groundbreaking effort: Direct Urgent Care, Eko, and drchrono. Using a quick three step process, clinicians can now seamlessly incorporate heart and lung sounds into patient health records.

1. Direct Urgent Care, a Berkeley-based urgent care provider with 30,000 patients, enables providers to record important heart and lung sounds using the Eko Core Digital Stethoscope

2. The Eko Core Digital Stethoscope wirelessly transmits stethoscope sounds to a HIPAA-compliant Mobile App on a smartphone or tablet.

3. The information is then uploaded to the drchrono EHR, an online medical platform with comprehensive EHR capabilities, to enable clinicians to seamlessly incorporate heart and lung sounds alongside patient health records.

Direct Urgent Care will be able to streamline cardiology and pulmonology specialist referrals, reference sounds between patient visits and improve long-term care for patients of all ages. "Improving patient care is one of the most critical pieces to healthcare today, and this EHR-integrated stethoscope is a game-changer in the industry," said Dr. Caesar Djavaherian, Founder of Direct Urgent Care. "The ability to share recorded heart and lung sounds with specialists who may not be in the same location as the patient dramatically improves the time to diagnosis and treatment of the patient. An EHR-connected stethoscope is truly revolutionary."

Listed by "TIME Magazine" as one of the "Top 25 Inventions of 2015," the Eko Core is the only FDA-cleared digital stethoscope on the market that amplifies 40X, wirelessly pairs with a HIPAA-compliant mobile application, and enables telemedicine clinics to stream heart and lung sounds to remote clinicians in real-time. "While the stethoscope has been around for two centuries, this represents the first time that doctors are not only hearing heart and lung sounds but also saving them to the patient's record. This is a really decisive moment in digital healthcare and we are pleased to partner with industry experts to bring this technology forward," said Connor Landgraf, CEO of Eko Devices. "This partnership represents the beginning of better, more integrated and more efficient healthcare."

The timing of the partnership pairs with drchrono's massive growth, having added more than 90,000 physicians and 6 million patients to the drchrono platform. "This is a partnership designed to create the mobile medical toolkit of the future," said Daniel Kivatinos, COO and co-founder of drchrono. "Like the Direct Urgent Care team, doctors of the future will be mobile, carrying a digital stethoscope and iPad or iPhone. The stethoscope, iPad and iPhone should be connected."

To learn more about the integrated solution, visit: www.ekodevices.com/drchrono and www.drchrono.com/ehr-digital-stethoscope

About Eko:

Eko Devices (Eko) has built a platform of non-invasive cardiovascular monitoring devices, clinical software, and point-of-care decision support algorithms to improve the delivery of cardiovascular care. In 2015, Eko launched the Eko Core Digital Stethoscope, the first FDA-cleared digital stethoscope on the market to wirelessly stream heart & lung sounds to HIPAA-compliant software. For the first time in history, patient sounds can be integrated with electronic health records (EHRs) for more seamless referrals, documentation and monitoring. For more information about Eko, please visit www.ekodevices.com.

About drchrono:

drchrono creates the best electronic health record (EHR) and practice management experience for physicians and their patients; the platform was built for iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch and web. drchrono includes a medical API developers can build on. The company has more than 90,000 physicians and 6 million patients signed up to date. The company was ranked by Inc. 500 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and Black Book Rankings voted drchrono's EHR the #1 mobile Electronic Health Record four years in a row. For more information about drchrono, please visit www.drchrono.com.

About Direct Urgent Care:

Direct Urgent Care was founded on the principle of providing timely, effective and efficient healthcare to the members of our community in a modern and welcoming clinical setting. Founded in 2013, Direct Urgent Care treats over 20,000 patients annually in Berkeley, Mountain View and Oakland and looks forward to to extending its services to San Francisco in July 2016. For more information about Direct Urgent Care, or to book an appointment, visit www.DirectUrgentCare.com.
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- North Springs Resources Corp. (OTC PINK: NSRS) is pleased to announce they have entered into a joint agreement with Island Capital S.A. for an ownership position in POTEN. POTEN is a treatment using F.D.A. approved pharmaceuticals for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Unlike Viagra, Cialis, and other leading drugs in this sector, POTEN shows no additional concerns with individuals that suffer from type 2 diabetes. North Springs Resources Group hopes to finalize the patent over the next ninety days.

J. Douglas Pulver, President, states, "North Springs is ecstatic to have the opportunity to be part of bringing this new treatment to market. POTEN has the ability to serve a greater number of people who suffer from erectile dysfunction than anything currently in the marketplace. Annual sales in this sector is forecasted to top four billion dollars this year, and we feel we can establish our position in this market in the near term."

North Springs Resource Corp. would also like to announce the launching of their new website at Northspringspharmagroup.com. The new website shows the Company's forward progress moving into the medical/pharmaceutical sector. The Company will be releasing more news in the coming weeks regarding the shift into the medical/pharmaceutical area along with updates on the treatment procedure using POTEN.

"Our new website shows the professionalism and integrity that our Company wants to portray as we enter into the medical/pharmaceutical sector," said J Douglas. "The Company would like to invite investors and the public to visit the new website."

About North Springs Resources

For more information about North Springs Resources Corp., please see their website at www.northspringsresources.net. Company Contact: 813-699-4098

Safe Harbor Statement: This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. These statements are any statements that are not of historical fact and may be deemed to be forward-looking statements made by management that express their belief at the time they are made regarding the Company's results of operations, possible profits, financial developments, business activities, and potential for success in various aspects of our operations. You can identify forward-looking statements as those that are not historical in nature, particularly those that use terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expects", "anticipates", "contemplates", "estimates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "predicts", "potential," or "continue," or the negative of these similar terms. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors, including the following: (a) those risks and uncertainties related to general economic conditions, (b) whether we are able to manage our planned growth efficiently and operate profitably, (c) whether we are able to generate sufficient revenues or obtain financing to sustain and grow our operations, and (d) whether we are able to successfully fulfill our primary requirements for cash. The Company's actual results may differ significantly from the results projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.

North Springs Resources Corp

813-699-4098




SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Opportunity Fund, California's leading nonprofit microfinance provider, today released its latest research report, "Unaffordable and Unsustainable." The report offers a first-of-its-kind analysis of the loans being offered to small businesses by short-term, high-cost alternative lenders. This growing market of alternative lenders operates outside of government regulation, with many unregulated lenders selling short-term, high-cost financing products that do more harm than good.

The research draws conclusions from a detailed dataset of alternative loans held by small business owners who came to Opportunity Fund in hopes of refinancing. The report uncovers punishing loan terms from short-term, high-cost lenders, including an average annual percentage rate (APR) of 94 percent and an average monthly loan payment that is nearly double the owners' net incomes. These predatory lending practices can be devastating to small business owners, many of whom turned to alternative lenders after being denied capital from traditional banks.

"The short terms and extraordinarily high cost of these loans put many small business owners in a cycle of debt that can be nearly impossible to get out of," said Eric Weaver, CEO and founder, Opportunity Fund. "We want to stress that not all non-bank small business lenders are doing this, and we applaud the ones that have signed on to the Small Business Borrowers Bill of Rights. Like Opportunity Fund, they are working to give small-business owners access to affordable and responsible credit to build their businesses, support their families and create jobs."

Highlights from the report include:

The average alternative loan in the dataset carried an APR of 94 percent, with one loan priced at an astounding 358 percent APR

The average monthly loan payment for businesses in the dataset is nearly double (178 percent) the net income available to their owner(s)

Among Hispanic borrowers in the sample, the average monthly payment was more than 400 percent of take-home pay

More than 25 percent of these businesses succumbed to multiple alternative lenders, in a practice called "stacking" in which lenders provide a follow-on loan to a small business that already has a loan

Among the businesses Opportunity Fund helped refinance, owner(s) cut their monthly payments by over 60 percent and their APR by an average of 85 percent

High cost, predatory lenders operate in a regulatory void, resulting in a growing number of small-business owners accruing debt they can never repay. This report underscores the need for small business owners, lenders, advocates and policy makers to join together and demand transparent and responsible lending.

Download the report here and join our webinar on June 1 at 11 a.m. PT to hear more about the results.

About Opportunity Fund

Opportunity Fund, California's leading microfinance provider, believes that small amounts of money and financial advice helps people make permanent and lasting change in their own lives, driving economic mobility and stronger communities. We empower small business owners, low-income students and working families because entrepreneurship, education and sound financial habits are proven pathways to a thriving economy. Our strategy combines microloans for small business owners and microsavings accounts to help students pay for college and families save for a rainy day. Since 1994, we have invested $115 million and helped more than 12,000 people across California. Learn more at www.opportunityfund.org.

Additional Resources:
Amber Road (NYSE: AMBR), a leading provider of global trade management (GTM) solutions, today announced Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA, parent company of Danieli Group, ranking among the three largest suppliers of equipment and plants for the metals industry worldwide, has selected its Restricted Party Screening solution to support Danieli's enterprise-wide global trade compliance initiative.

Headquartered in North-Eastern Italy, Danieli Group includes more than 40 subsidiaries globally, with workshops and implementation projects across the world.

Seeking more comprehensive coverage to support current operations and future growth, Danieli decided to further enhance its compliance controls by implementing a state-of-the-art solution. The company chose Amber Road's Restricted Party Screening solution, part of the comprehensive Export On-Demand solution that also includes product classification, export controls and export license management as standard modules.

"Besides the fact that our company attaches particular importance to corporate responsibility issues, global compliance is more and more becoming a key factor for success in our market," said Gianluca Buoro, compliance manager of Danieli Group. "In Amber Road we found a partner that fulfills our global requirements for optimization and automation of sanction and embargo compliance processes. That, together with its worldwide reach, ability to implement a solution in just weeks and well-defined path for expansion into other compliance areas, made Amber Road the clear choice for Danieli."

Additional factors that moved the needle in Amber Road's favor included its positive references in Italy and its Europe-based hosting services.

Amber Road will implement the Restricted Party Screening solution in several phases, aiming to eventually cover Danieli's entire worldwide operations. The solution will be hosted in Amber Road's high-security facilities in Frankfurt, a new facility opened in September 2015, to meet the specific needs of European companies for compliance with EU data protection and privacy regulations.

"We are very happy to have one of Italy's flagship companies using our Export On-Demand solution to comply not only with Italian laws but also global trade regulations," said Thomas Kofler, director of sales, Italy, for Amber Road. "In recognizing the importance of global trade compliance in the worldwide metals industry, Danieli Group is fostering further development and growth. We look forward to continuing to partner with Danieli, to enhance its capabilities in compliance and possibly also in other areas of global trade management."

About Danieli Group

Danieli Group, established in 1914, is headed by Italian company Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA (listed at Milan Stock Exchange); it is active in two synergic business fields such as Plantmaking (Danieli Team) and Steelmaking (ABS). Headquartered in Italy and with a business turnover of approx. 3 billion Euros the group currently employs nearly 10.000 employees, most of whom are based in Italy, Germany, Sweden, Austria, France, The Netherlands, Spain, UK, USA, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, China, India and Japan. The Danieli Team is a pool of highly specialized and experienced product lines providing the steel and nonferrous metals industry with advanced technology and reliable plants and equipment for the best product quality and cash costs, as well as sustainable production. Danieli guarantees single-point design, manufacturing, construction, project management and highly competitive after-sale services. The cohesion between the specialized working groups together with top quality manufacturing make Danieli a recognized highly reliable innovative partner. Danieli supplies the widest range of processing technologies from ore and scrap treatment, ironmaking and steelmaking, casting rolling and downstream processing of flat, long, tubular, extruded and forged products. As a key factor of competitiveness, Danieli invests conspicuous resources every year in research and development to maintain its technological leadership.

About Amber Road

Amber Road's (NYSE: AMBR) mission is to improve the way companies manage their international supply chains and conduct global trade. As a leading provider of cloud based global trade management (GTM) solutions, we automate the global supply chain across sourcing, logistics, cross-border trade, and regulatory compliance activities to dramatically improve operating efficiencies and financial performance. This includes collaborating with suppliers on development, sourcing and quality assurance; executing import and export compliance checks and generating international shipping documentation; booking international carriers and tracking goods as they move around the world; and minimizing the associated duties through preferential trade agreements and foreign trade zones. Our solution combines enterprise-class software, trade content sourced from government agencies and transportation providers in 145 countries, and a global supply chain network connecting our customers with their trading partners, including suppliers, testing/auditing firms, freight forwarders, customs brokers and transportation carriers. We deliver our GTM solution using a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model and leverage a highly flexible technology framework to quickly and efficiently meet our customers' unique requirements around the world.

For more information, please visit www.AmberRoad.com, email Solutions@AmberRoad.com or call 201-935-8588.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005449/en/

Contacts:

US Media Contact

Veronika Clough

+1 203-820-60631

VeronikaClough@AmberRoad.com

or

Amber Road Contacts

Annika Helmrich (US Canada)

+1 201-806-3656

AnnikaHelmrich@AmberRoad.com

or

Martijn van Gils (Europe Asia)

+31 858769534

MartijnvanGils@AmberRoad.com
Latest Release of Robotic Process Automation Platform Built to Enable AI for the Enterprise

Today at the Company's North American Partner World event in New York, Blue Prism continues to distinguish itself as the only enterprise-class Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software available for large, regulated industries, offering centralized management of a multi-skilled digital workforce that meets the needs of both business operations and the most discriminating of IT teams. Following a rigorous testing and roll-out process, the company has announced general availability of Version 5.0 of its enterprise RPA platform. As of Q1, more than 80 enterprises across the globe have successfully implemented Blue Prism's latest software robots in demanding enterprise back-office environments to eliminate the rules-based manual data entry and processing work that humans shouldn't be doing. This gives business functions a digital workforce that can be targeted to perform many different tasks that are best suited for machines, freeing up valuable human resources to focus on customer value driven work.

"We are passionate about serving the unique and demanding requirements of large, complex and regulated enterprises. Providing a new pool of labor for these organizations is no small feat, as, if RPA is to be transformational, you must consider the needs of the business, as well as the stringent demands of enterprise IT," said Alastair Bathgate, CEO, Blue Prism. "We feel that IT requirements are generally passed over by other solutions in the market. In fact, most of these tactical products are implemented at a department level, which is the equivalent of shadow IT; shadow RPA."

Blue Prism's universal, multi-skilled software robots completely automate complex processes and integrate with any application and any platform; other non-enterprise solutions, including SDKs and desktop recorded automation options are 'human assisted' automation for simple tasks. Blue Prism's enterprise RPA is controlled by the business and governed by IT, and supports a high volume of complex processes that have been relocated from the desktop into the data center. Here, RPA can be properly overseen and credentialed by IT professionals who have strict standards for security, control, data integrity, change management, scalability, robustness and scheduling.

"Typical desktop 'RPA' are simple scripts recorded on personal computers to help workers save time with monotonous tasks. They are usually installed ad hoc within departments without IT's knowledge, until something goes wrong and then it becomes an IT problem," said David Moss, chief technology officer, Blue Prism. "Any 'RPA' solution with a record button should be a red flag for any IT architect evaluating solutions. If it's on the desktop, it lacks security and scalability appropriate for enterprise deployment. It should be a non-starter."

Making AI Actionable in the Enterprise

The latest version of Blue Prism's RPA platform is designed to provide organizations with an execution engine to provide, orchestrate and leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning capabilities as an intrinsic component of their process automation and execution strategy. Blue Prism's RPA is built as the transactional platform, with its software robots helping AI turn decisions into actions and providing a wealth of centralized process data for mining and analysis.

Some of the new features in Version 5.0 include:

Enhanced insight and analysis of the performance, management and business value of the digital workforce through centralized dashboards leveraging the statistics repository

Updated user experience via a redesigned UI along with scalable multi-team access provisioning

Active queues that load balance the digital workforce and provide centralized management via a workflow-centric approach

Enterprise-scale and strength through internationalization (locales and character sets), dependency tracking and global application models

Encryption schemes that include support for multiple algorithms and portability when encrypting sensitive data for storage in the database

Earlier this month, Blue Prism was recognized as the Best Enterprise Application of AI at the AIconics awards in London, organized by AI Business as the world's only independently judged awards celebrating the drive, innovation and hard work in the international AI community.

About Blue Prism

Founded in 2001, Blue Prism (AIM:PRSM) is the leading provider of enterprise-class Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software. The company's multi-skilled software robots are implemented as digital labor in the most demanding enterprise back-office environments to eliminate the disproportionately low-return, high-risk, manual data entry and processing work that humans shouldn't be doing. The company's pioneering technology is used to automate back office tasks in sectors ranging from banking, telecoms, energy, BPO, government, financial services, retail and healthcare sectors. With offices in Manchester, London, Miami and Chicago, Blue Prism debuted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in March of 2016. Blue Prism has been recognized by Gartner as a Cool Vendor and by AI Business as the Best Enterprise Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the AIconics awards. For more information, visit www.blueprism.com and follow the company on Twitter

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005996/en/

Contacts:

Version 2.0 Communications for Blue Prism

Jen Kaye Melissa Mahoney, 617-426-2222

blueprism@v2comms.com
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Following a strike notice by Tasiast unions previously announced on May 10, 2016, unionized employees at Kinross Gold's Tasiast mine in Mauritania have today initiated strike action. The Company remains open to re-commencing negotiations on a new collective agreement and to resolve other outstanding items with union representatives. The Company does not expect the strike to affect development of the Tasiast Phase One expansion.

About Kinross Gold Corporation

Kinross is a Canadian-based senior gold mining company with mines and projects in the United States, Brazil, Russia, Mauritania, Chile and Ghana. Our focus is on delivering value based on the core principles of operational excellence, balance sheet strength, disciplined growth and responsible mining. Kinross maintains listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: K) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: KGC).

Cautionary statement on forward-looking information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws, including the provisions of the Securities Act (Ontario) and the provisions for "safe harbor" under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. The words "development" and "expect" that certain actions, events or results will affect, or will occur or result, and similar such expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kinross as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. These uncertainties and contingencies can affect, and could cause, Kinross' actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward looking statements made by, or on behalf of, Kinross. 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. All of the forward looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our filings with the securities regulators of Canada and the U.S, including but not limited to those cautionary statements made in the "Risk Analysis" section of our full year 2015 management's discussion and analysis and the "Risk Factors" section of our most recently filed Annual Information Form. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Kinross. Kinross disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Other information

Where we say "we", "us", "our", the "Company", or "Kinross" in this news release, we mean Kinross Gold Corporation and/or its applicable subsidiary(ies).

Media Contact

Louie Diaz

Director, Corporate Communications

phone: 416-369-6469

louie.diaz@kinross.com



Investor Relations Contact

Tom Elliott

Senior Vice-President, Investor Relations and Corporate Development

phone: 416-365-3390

tom.elliott@kinross.com
Customers Can Now Leverage IPC for Secure, Reliable Connectivity to Leading Institutional FX Market

Hotspot, a leading institutional foreign exchange (FX) market owned and operated by Bats Global Markets (Bats: BATS), and IPC Systems, Inc., a leading global provider of specialized communications and managed network-as-a-service solutions for the financial trading community, today announced that IPC is now a connectivity provider to Hotspot, enabling IPC's diverse ecosystem of buy-side and sell-side clients to gain access to the Hotspot market.

Hotspot brings the powerful benefits of an independent, transparent ECN marketplace structure to institutional foreign exchange trading. Hotspot's ECN model provides increased market transparency and greater control of the trading process, enabling better trade execution and lower transaction costs.

"We're pleased to partner with industry providers like IPC to allow our members maximum flexibility and connectivity efficiencies in accessing our market," said Bill Goodbody, Jr., Senior Vice President and Head of FX at Bats. "We strive to provide our customers with connectivity choice and we are pleased to have IPC on board as a partner, providing more customers access to the strong liquidity on Hotspot."

"Connectivity is a critical element for institutional FX investors to source liquidity, trade effectively, achieve best execution, and mitigate risk," said David Brown, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Financial Markets Network, IPC. "We welcome Hotspot to our global FX Hub and are thrilled to connect FX market participants to them through our reliable and secure financial markets private cloud."

The IPC Financial Markets Network service portfolio includes the Connexus Financial Extranet, Direct Connect and MPLS WAN data services, as well as Trader and Enhanced Voice connectivity services. IPC's Financial Markets Network interconnects global financial centers and allows access to more than 6,000 market participant locations across 700 cities in more than 60 countries.

Hotspot's average daily volume (ADV) in April 2016 was $25.6 billion and total trading volume was $537.4 billion. The company's diverse customer base is comprised of more than 220 clients including banks, market makers, hedge funds and various institutions. Additional information is available at hotspotfx.com.

About Bats Global Markets

Bats Global Markets, Inc. (Bats: BATS), is a leading operator of exchanges and services for financial markets around the world with a stated mission of Making Markets Better. Bats operates the largest equities exchange in Europe and the continent's largest trade reporting facility. In the U.S., Bats operates four stock exchanges, which taken together constitute the largest market for ETF trading and the second-largest equities market in the country. Bats also operates two U.S. options markets. Bats owns Hotspot, a leading institutional spot foreign exchange market, and ETF.com, a leading provider of ETF news, data and analysis. The company is headquartered in Kansas City with offices in New York, London, Chicago and Singapore. Visit bats.com and @BatsGlobal for more information.

About IPC

IPC is a technology and service leader that powers financial markets globally. We help clients anticipate change and solve problems, setting the standard with industry expertise, exceptional service and comprehensive technology. With customers first and always, we collaborate with each to understand their individual needs to help make them secure, productive and compliant within our connected community. Through service excellence, long-developed expertise and a focus on innovation and community, we provide agile and efficient ways for our customers to accelerate their ability to adapt to the ever-changing requirements for advanced data networks, compliance and collaboration with all counter-parties across the financial markets. www.ipc.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006034/en/

Contacts:

Bats Contacts:

Stacie Fleming

Kansas City

+1.913.815.7193

or

Hannah Randall

London

+44.207.012.8950

comms@bats.com

or

IPC Contacts:

Khurram Mirza

Jersey City

+1.201.253.2285

or

Finn Partners for IPC

Jonelle Taylor

New York

+1.646.202.9785

info@ipc.com
CAMBRIDGE, England, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Experience in Complex and Challenging Manufacturing Environments Helps Ubisense to Deliver Benefits Across Healthcare Services

Ubisense Group plc (AIM:UBI), a leader in enterprise location intelligence solutions, has been awarded two projects to adapt its Dimension4 real-time precision tracking technology and SmartSpace software platform into products that significantly reduce the pressures facing Accident and Emergency (A&E) units.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/806494-b )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/806494 )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/806494-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/806494-c )



The only business to be awarded two projects in this call by the NHS England funded initiative SBRI Healthcare, Ubisense is now developing solutions to specifically help coordinate admissions in real-time and aid longer-term resource planning.

Ubisense's technology is already employed by over half of the major global automotive companies to monitor, control and optimize their complex assembly processes in challenging manufacturing environments. Through in-depth research and work with the world-renowned Addenbrooke's Hospital, Ubisense recognized a number of parallels between the ad-hoc, non-linear processes required by modern manufacturing and those employed every day in A&E departments. These new projects will utilize the same proven techniques embodied in the Ubisense "Smart Factory" range of products to generate efficiency and visibility benefits for hospitals.

Paul Webster, VP of manufacturing, said: "We've been looking for the right opportunity to utilize our solutions outside the manufacturing industry and there are many areas across the healthcare sector where our technology can deliver real advantages. Working in conjunction with experts from the NHS and Academic Health Science Networks (AHSN's) allows us to explore this in more detail and we're looking forward to seeing the results of our work."

With the dramatic global expansion of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) there is an increasing demand for software platforms that can derive intelligence from the movement and interaction of objects and their environment. Ubisense SmartSpace enables organizations to can construct massive real-time virtual environments and monitor and model real world behaviors enhancing existing software solutions.

This work was commissioned and funded by the SBRI Healthcare programme. SBRI Healthcare is an NHS England initiative, championed by the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs). The views expressed in the publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the SBRI Healthcare programme or its stakeholders.

Part of Innovation Health and Wealth, the SBRI Healthcare programme sets industry the challenge in a series of health related competitions which result in fully funded development contracts between the awarded company and the NHS. Unlike many R&D projects which offer grant or match funding, SBRI contracts are 100 per cent funded and the company retains the IP.

For more information or images, please contact Becky Lamont on 01223 781004 / 07468 698315 or email becky.lamont@ubisense.net

About Ubisense

Ubisense (AIM: UBI), a global leader in enterprise location intelligence solutions, helps manufacturing, communications and utility companies improve operational efficiency and boost profitability. Ubisense location intelligence systems bring clarity to complexity, enabling customers to revolutionize their operational effectiveness in a measurable way. Founded in 2002, Ubisense is headquartered in Cambridge, England, with operations in North America, France, Germany and Japan. For more information visit: http://www.ubisense.net

About SBRI Healthcare http://www.sbrihealthcare.co.uk

The Small Business Research Initiative for Healthcare (SBRI Healthcare) is an NHS England initiative, championed by the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), whose role is to promote UK economic growth by spreading innovation and best practice across the NHS. The SBRI Healthcare competitions are launched on a biannual basis and result in fully funded development contracts between the awarded company and NHS England to meet known healthcare need.

Funding for SBRI Healthcare has been secured from NHS England. The programme is directed by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network (EAHSN) on behalf of NHS England and the other regional AHSNs. Health Enterprise East is the management partner and supports the EAHSN to handle the applications, assessments and delivery against contracts.

About Academic Health Science Networks http://www.eahsn.org.uk

Academic Health Science Networks, of which there are 15 regionally based, have been recently designated to provide a systematic delivery mechanism for the local NHS, universities, public health and social care to work with industry to transform the identification, adoption and spread of proven innovations and best practice. SBRI Healthcare competition theme areas are chosen in partnership with the Academic Health Science Networks across England. The programme management is led by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network on behalf of NHS England.

About Health Enterprise East and Competition details http://www.hee.co.uk

Health Enterprise East Limited (HEE) is the NHS Innovation Hub for the East of England, and assists with accelerating the development and uptake of innovative MedTech products and services that improve the quality of healthcare delivery.

Having pioneered and successfully run the initiative for the East of England since its launch in 2009, HEE now oversees the national SBRI Healthcare programme bringing together businesses, the healthcare industry and the NHS. Information on future competitions can be found on the SBRI Healthcare and the Health Enterprise East website.

Contact:

Becky Lamont

Head of Marketing Communications

Ubisense

St Andrews House, St Andrews Road, Cambridge CB4 1DL.

t: +44 1223 781004

m: +44 7468 698315

e: becky.lamont@ubisense.net

t: @beckylamont

l: http://www.linkedin.com/company/ubisense

w: http://www.ubisense.net


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Fancamp Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: FNC) -

The Company is pleased to announce the staking of a series of claim blocks targeting possible lithium, cesium, tantalum and rare earth element occurrences in pegmatites (LCT pegmatites, after Cerny,1991), 12 km east of the Romaine River and 100 km north of Havre St. Pierre on Quebec's North Shore.

These targets are located in the so called Natashquan Domaine (after Brisbois and Clark, 2003, DV2002-03) which, among other things, is characterized by high alkaline, late to post orogenic, S-type granitic bodies and associated pegmatites. Reconnaissance mapping by Quebec government geologists in 1997 outlined two large pegmatite rich fields, one marginal to the host granite, and another distal to the northern extend of the granite. They describe feldspars and micas as the primary modal mineralogy of the pegmatites. No previous exploration for such targets has been recorded and the Company plans to ground check all of these in early summer.

Regarding the recently acquired Jumonville property east of Chibougamau (see news release of April 20, 2016) the lepidolite occurrences associated with granite-pegmatite complexes are due to be investigated in early June.

This release was prepared by Mike Flanagan, P.Geo, Qualified Person under NI 43-101 rules. Mike Flanagan (P.Geo.), Vice President of Exploration of the Company, is the non-independent qualified person who has approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

About Fancamp Exploration Ltd (www.fancampexplorationltd.ca)

Fancamp Exploration Ltd. is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company that continues to evolve into a holder of shares in partner companies together with royalties. These assets enable the Company to generate free cash flow without further shareholder dilution. The Company has an exceptional inventory of resource projects at various stages of development in three provinces. The commodities include gold, base metals, chromium, titanium and iron.

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 news release.

S.E.C. Exemption: 12(g)3-2(b)

Contacts:

Peter H. Smith PhD., P.Eng.

President

1-514-481-3172

phsmith@outlook.com




David Brain recognized at 2016 National Outsourcing Association Professional Awards

Symphony Ventures, a professional services firm dedicated to helping enterprises leverage the latest automation, artificial intelligence and digital labor solutions, today announced Chief Operating Officer David Brain was named 2016 Consultant of the Year by the National Outsourcing Association (NOA). Brain was recognized for his innovative approach to helping clients leverage cutting edge tools to achieve game-changing levels of savings, compliance, efficiency and customer experience. Brain was honored alongside the other 2016 winners at the Professional Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 19 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, England.

Now in its fourth year, the National Outsourcing Association's annual Professional Awards showcase talent in outsourcing and sharing services, celebrating individuals and teams who strive to make a difference in the global sourcing industry. The Consultant of the Year award recognizes individuals who deliver both initial and ongoing business value to clients, incorporate both best practice and continuous service innovation and demonstrate commitment to the development and future of the industry. Applicants were judged on performance in five categories: personal profile, best practice and governance, benefits realization and innovation, market insight and testimonials.

Brain's impressive credentials, including founding Symphony Ventures and establishing its innovative approach to harnessing leading robotic process automation tools, dually contributed to his inclusion on the shortlist of honorees and his eventual winner status.

Kerry Hallard, CEO of the NOA, said, "The availability of skills is increasingly becoming a chief concern for those operating in the outsourcing sector in the UK and beyond our research throughout 2015 demonstrated this is the case now more so than ever. And that's why the NOA's Professional Awards program exists to showcase outsourcing's most talented and encourage the professionalization of outsourcing globally."

"I am honored to have been recognized at this year's ceremony among the other impressive nominees and named the 2016 National Outsourcing Association Consultant of the Year," said Brain. "The outsourcing market is rapidly evolving and presents a complex array of options for today's businesses. Symphony Ventures is committed to helping our clients better understand and leverage the latest robotic process automation and cognitive-based solutions that will deliver real business value. This award validates our approach and we look forward to continuing to help our clients harness the Future of Work."

For more information on the National Outsourcing Association Professional Awards, visit: http://www.noa.co.uk/event/professional-awards/.

About Symphony Ventures:

Symphony Ventures is a global consulting, implementation and managed services firm passionate about leveraging 'Future of Work' tools and technologies for the benefit of its clients. Symphony harnesses a cutting edge platform of process and execution tools and a global team of experts to help organizational leadership reduce friction and unleash capital and quality. Symphony has headquarters in London and offices in San Francisco and Krakow. Founded in 2014, Symphony has been ranked a robotic process automation (RPA) service leader by HfS Research, a leading service delivery automation (SDA) focused service provider by Everest Group and a Cool Vendor by Gartner. The firm is rapidly growing and shaping an industry predicated on work, value and customer experience. For more information, visit http://www.symphonyhq.com/ and follow the company on Twitter at @SymphonyVenture.

About the National Outsourcing Association:

The National Outsourcing Association (NOA) is the leading association serving both the outsourcing professional and the global outsourcing industry. Our vision is to grow the size and positive reputation of the outsourcing industry. Our mission is to be both the home and global ambassador of world class outsourcing. www.noa.co.uk

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524006046/en/

Contacts:

Version 2.0 Communications for Symphony Ventures

Kristen Leathers, 617-426-2222

kleathers@v2comms.com




World's largest leisure travel company partners with leading media buying firm, PHD, to consolidate and strategically coordinate global media buying for seven of its 10 brands in North America and the UK

Consolidation from six agencies to a single firm for the two regions expected to drive higher demand for cruising and generate significant savings on the company's more than $100 million annual media spend

MIAMI, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest leisure travel company, today announced it is partnering with PHD, a leading Omnicom advertising agency, to handle all media planning and buying for seven of its 10 global cruise brands in North America and the United Kingdom.

Following an extensive agency review and media buying analysis, Carnival Corporation is consolidating from six agencies to a single firm, awarding PHD its media planning and buying business based on the firm's global expertise, capabilities and purchasing power for North America and the UK.

PHD will handle media planning and buying responsibilities for Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises UK and Cunard Line in the North America and UK markets. PHD currently supports media planning and buying for Carnival Cruise Line and Cunard Line.

The move leverages Carnival Corporation's scale as the world's largest cruise company to improve the strategic coordination of media buying across multiple brands in two of the world's largest regions for cruise vacations. It is expected to help generate awareness and drive increased demand for cruising, while creating multi-million dollar savings in media costs. In 2015, Carnival Corporation's six brands in the two regions combined for $116 million in media spend.

"We are excited to partner with the team at PHD across our leading portfolio of cruise brands in North America and in the UK,"said Josh Leibowitz, chief strategy officer for Carnival Corporation. "Bringing together our brands to work with a world class agency like PHD enables us to further enhance our digital and traditional media strategies to grow demand for cruising as the world's best vacation choice."

Leibowitz added: "As part of our ongoing efforts to leverage our scale across 10 global cruise brands, this agreement enables our brands to work together in a completely new way. We appreciate everyone on our collective teams for all the hard work that made this possible."

PHD will use its significant purchasing power, sophisticated research resources and advanced business intelligence tools to provide Carnival Corporation strategic expertise and support for its marketing programs. PHD will work closely with the company and its brands on a framework that enables strategic coordination for media buying across multiple brands and regions, which will create efficiencies in media spending and help unlock demand for cruise vacations.

About Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation &plc is the largest leisure travel company in the world, with a portfolio of 10 cruise brands inNorth America,Europe,AustraliaandAsiacomprised ofCarnival Cruise Line, Fathom,Holland America Line,Princess Cruises, Seabourn,AIDA Cruises,Costa Cruises, Cunard,P&O Cruises(Australia) andP&O Cruises(UK).

Together, these brands operate 101 ships visiting over 700 ports around the world and totaling 225,000 lower berths with 15 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and 2020.Carnival Corporation &plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies inAlaskaand the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both theNew Yorkand London Stock Exchanges,Carnival Corporation &plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com and www.fathom.org.
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Note to editors: There are three maps associated with this press release.

Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX: ERD) ("Erdene" or "Company"), is pleased to announce additional results from follow-up drilling on the recent high-grade discovery at the Company's 100%-owned Bayan Khundii Gold Project ("Bayan Khundii") in southwest Mongolia. Today's results are for the second batch of drill results (9 holes; 835 metres) from the Company's on-going Q2-2016 drill program that now includes an expanded 30 diamond drill holes totaling 3,825 m. Included with this release, for reference, are two plan maps and a cross-section.

"The Bayan Khundii exploration program continues to return impressive intersections of gold mineralization often coming to surface and that appear to extend below the current depth of drilling. These initial drill results provide continuity of mineralization in the Striker Zone, one of several targets now being explored over a 1.7 km strike length," said Peter Akerley, Erdene's President and CEO. "As we begin to test the boundaries of the main mineralized area, it is apparent that intense alteration associated with the gold mineralization is extensive and continues under surrounding younger volcanics. We are currently well financed to continue with a very active field season of drilling as a result of the recent Sandstorm Gold financing and the exercise of warrants."

Highlights (i)

-- Western extension of Striker Zone confirmed with hole BKD-28, 40 m northwest of hole BKD-17 (63 m of 5.3 g/t gold) -- From surface; 18 m of 1.1 g/t gold, including 3 m of 4.5 g/t gold -- From 50 m to end of hole; 70 m of 1.1 g/t gold, including 7 m of 4.7 g/t gold -- Average grade of entire 120 m hole was 0.9 g/t gold -- Five of the six holes testing the western extension of the Striker Zone ended in gold mineralization -- Western-most hole, BKD-31 (43 m from BKD-28) returned 47 m of 0.5 g/t gold at the end of the hole, including 11 m of 1.1 g/t gold -- New zone uncovered in trenching, north of Striker Zone; BKT-13 returned 5 m of 3.4 g/t gold -- Drilling of targets outside main zone and under younger volcanic cover has revealed intense alteration, typical of Bayan Khundii gold mineralized zones; results are pending -- Results for remaining 14 holes anticipated through late second quarter

(i) Reported intervals are not true width. They represent drill intersection widths from holes drilled at 45 or 60 degree angles. The mineralization at Bayan Khundii is interpreted to be moderately dipping (approximately 40 to 50 degrees to the southwest), approximately perpendicular to drill hole angles.

Table 1 - Bayan Khundii drill results (results pending for BKD-32 to BKD-45)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interval Drill Hole From (m) To (m) (m)(i) Gold (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Testing Eastern Extension of Striker Zone (partially eroded by unconformity with overlying younger rocks) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-23 22 34 12 0.52 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-24 64 72 8 0.29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-25 41 83 42 0.35 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Testing Western Extension of Striker Zone ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-26 4 7 3 0.53 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-27 57 85(ii) 28 0.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 61 69 8 1.04 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-28 0.8 19 18.2 1.09 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 12 15 3 4.52 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 30 31 1 3.85 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 50 120(ii) 70 1.10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 97 120(ii) 23 2.03 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 97 104 7 4.71 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-29 46 50(ii) 4 0.59 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-30 59 85(ii) 26 0.76 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 64 67 3 3.22 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-31 93 140(ii) 47 0.50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 109 120 11 1.14 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i) Reported intervals are not true width. They represent drill intersection widths from holes drilled at a 45 to 60 degree angle. The Bayan Khundii mineralization is interpreted to be moderately dipping (approximately 40 to 50 degrees) perpendicular to the drill hole angle.

(ii) End of hole

Bayan Khundii Exploration Program Q2-2016

With the success to date of the Q2-2016 Bayan Khundii exploration, the program has been expanded from 3,500 m to 3,825 m of diamond drilling in 30 drill holes. The 2016 drilling program was designed to test both the continuity and extent of mineralization in the main zones, including the Striker Zone, and to explore the possible limits of mineralization through reconnaissance drilling. This program will be followed by more detailed drilling in Q3-2016. The drill results are being released in several stages; the first batch of results (7 holes; 1,012 m) were released on May 9, 2016; the second batch (9 holes; 835 m) are being released today; and the final results (approximately 14 holes; 1,978 m) are anticipated to be released in late Q2-2016. Initial drill results and program details are included in the May 9, 2016 release (click here for press release). Partial results for the 2016 trenching program have also been received.

Some of the key technical observations since the May 9, 2016 press release update include:

-- Western extension of Striker Zone confirmed with hole BKD-28 (23 m of 2.0 g/t gold within 70 m of 1.1 g/t gold), 40 m northwest of hole BKD-17 (63 m of 5.3 g/t gold) and 130 m southwest of hole BKD-10 (35 m of 5.7 g/t gold); -- Five of the six holes testing the western extension of Striker Zone ended in gold mineralization; -- Trenching continues to uncover new areas of visible gold and high grade zones at surface, north (trench BKT-13 returned 5 m of 3.4 g/t gold) and south of Striker Zone; -- Drill holes BKD-20 and BKD-23 have now been extended to deeper depths to test a northeastern extension of Striker zone, results pending; -- Drilling of northeast target, 700 m northeast of the main Bayan Khundii zone, has uncovered typical Bayan Khundii alteration and mineralization; results pending; -- Intense silica-sericite alteration and veining intersected under cover, approximately 200 m northwest of Striker Zone, in recent drill hole BKD- 39, results pending; -- High grade gold zones within the Striker Zone can be very wide, grading in excess of 5 g/t gold and greater than 50 m in width; and -- Based on the drilling and surface sampling completed to date, when all zones grading greater than 1 g/t gold are excluded, the entire target area has a pervasive low-grade gold mineralization averaging greater than 0.1 g/t gold.

Geology

Bayan Khundii is a low sulfidation epithermal gold system with all of the primary lithologies (volcanic tuff and andesite) pervasively altered by multi-stage, locally intense, silica and sericite alteration. The locally intense silica-sericite alteration (SS2) overprints the pervasive silica sericite alteration (SS1) and commonly forms selvages (halos) around quartz veins, fractures, and hematite/specularite veinlets, as well as selvages surrounding disseminated hematite and other inclusions. Extensive hypogene hematite and specularite mineralization occurs as veinlets, mineralized fractures, locally disseminated, and infilling of breccia zones, including common hematite-quartz breccias. Quartz veins and breccias occur within all altered lithologies and include comb textured quartz, saccharoidal (sugary) quartz, recrystallized quartz (intensely silica altered) as well as chalcedonic quartz. The gold mineralization is associated with quartz veins, quartz breccias, within hematite-specularite veins and fractures, within altered host rocks including along margins (alteration selvages) of quartz veins and disseminated within the altered host rocks, often, but not always, associated with disseminated hematite-specularite mineralization. Gold grades within the host rocks, excluding the greater than 1 g/t material, average 0.1 to 0.2 g/t gold. The recent drilling supports much wider zones of gold mineralization than previously recognized, including previously untested gold mineralization west of the Striker Zone with 70 m of 1.1 g/t gold in hole BKD-28. Gold mineralization is generally observed to be fine grained.

Initial Metallurgy

Initial independent metallurgical test work, completed by Erdene in February 2016, indicates the gold mineralization at Bayan Khundii is very amenable to conventional processing techniques involving a combination of gravity and cyanide leach of gravity tails, yielding 99% gold recovery for the high-grade composite sample (24.9 g/t gold) and 92% gold recovery for the low-grade composite sample (0.7 g/t gold). Blue Coast Research Ltd. of Parksville, British Columbia, carried out the metallurgical testing program, the details of which can be found in Erdene's February 16, 2016 news release (click here for link).

Future Plans and Results

The current drill program includes continued testing of Westridge, Stockwork and Striker Zone extensions to the north. It is anticipated that this phase of the Bayan Khundii exploration program will be completed in June 2016 with all results received by the end of Q2 or early Q3. On completion of the drill program, the Erdene technical team will be interpreting all results and establishing plans for the next phase of exploration with a follow-up drill program anticipated in Q3-2016.

About the Bayan Khundii Gold Project

In Q2-2015, Erdene conducted an initial exploration program on the southern portion of the Company's 100%-owned Khundii license. This reconnaissance work led to the discovery of the Bayan Khundii ('Rich Valley') gold prospect, located 20 km southeast of the Company's flagship Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project. Subsequently, gold mineralization at Bayan Khundii has been identified in three separate prospect areas over a 1.7 km trend, with detailed exploration only taking place over a 500 m by 350 m zone in the southwest prospect area, where the Company's Q4-2015 and Q2-2016 drill programs have focused. Visible gold has been observed in multiple drill holes and results include several high-grade intersections within a series of parallel structures exposed at surface. Results include up to 35 m of 5.9 g/t gold in hole BKD-10 (including 12 m of 16.2 g/t gold) from surface to the bottom of the hole, and 63 m of 5.3 g/t gold in hole BKD-17 from 50 to 113 m depth. The details of the Q2-2015 drill program can be found in Erdene's December 14, 2015 news release (click here for link) and details of the first phase of results from the Q2-2016 drill program can be found in Erdene's May 9, 2016 news release (click here for link). The license has a 2% net smelter returns royalty ("NSR Royalty") in favour of Sandstorm Gold with a buy-back option to reduce the NSR Royalty to 1%.

To view the maps associated with this press release, please visit the following links:

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160524-1056080_1_800.jpg

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160524-1056080_2_800.jpg

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160524-1056080_3_800.jpg

Qualified Person and Sample Protocol

Michael MacDonald, P.Geo. (Nova Scotia), Director of Exploration for Erdene, is the Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. All samples have been assayed at SGS Laboratory in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In addition to internal checks by SGS Laboratory, the Company incorporates a QA/QC sample protocol utilizing prepared standards and blanks.

Erdene's sampling protocol for drill core consisted of collection of samples over 1 m or 2 m intervals (depending on the lithology and style of mineralization) over the entire length of the drill hole, excluding minor post-mineral lithologies and un-mineralized granitoids. Sample intervals were based on meterage, not geological controls or mineralization. All drill core was cut in half with a diamond saw, with half of the core placed in sample bags and the remaining half securely retained in core boxes at the Company's Bayan Khundii exploration camp. All samples were organized into batches of 20 samples including two commercially prepared standards and blanks. Sample batches were periodically shipped directly to SGS in Ulaanbaatar via Erdene's logistical contractor, Monrud Co. Ltd.

About Erdene

Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company holds four exploration licenses and a mining license in southwest Mongolia. These include: Altan Nar - an extensive, high-grade, near-surface, gold-polymetallic project that the Company is advancing toward a production decision, however the Company has not yet completed a mining study to support the technical feasibility and economic viability of Altan Nar; Bayan Khundii - an earlier-stage, high-grade gold discovery made in Q2-2015; Khuvyn Khar - an early-stage, copper-silver porphyry project with multiple drill targets and significant copper intersections; Zuun Mod - a large molybdenum-copper porphyry deposit; and Altan Arrow - an early-stage, high-grade, gold-silver project. In addition to the above properties, the Company has an Alliance with Teck Resources Limited on regional, copper-gold exploration in the prospective Trans Altay region of southwest Mongolia. For further information on the Company, please visit www.erdene.com. Erdene has 119,753,765 issued and outstanding common shares and a fully diluted position of 131,384,791 common shares.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The 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 is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE

Contacts:

Erdene Contact Information

Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO



Ken W. MacDonald

Vice President Business Strategy and CFO

(902) 423-6419

info@erdene.com

www.erdene.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErdeneRes




LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- CITRIX SYNERGY -- ThinPrint today announced that its pull printing solution app, Personal Printing, has been verified as Citrix Ready. The Citrix Ready program helps customers identify third-party solutions recommended to enhance virtualization, networking and cloud computing solutions from Citrix Systems, Inc. ThinPrint's Personal Printing app completed a rigorous verification process to ensure compatibility with Citrix Worx, providing confidence in joint solution compatibility.

The Citrix Ready program makes it easy for customers to identify complementary products and solutions that can enhance Citrix environments. Personal Printing has successfully passed a series of tests established by Citrix, and can be trusted to work effectively with Citrix Worx in order to increase security, reduce costs and eliminate complexity typically associated with printing.

Citrix and ThinPrint have worked together for more than 15 years to guarantee flexible, fast and secure printing from mobile apps and desktops. This includes XenApp and XenDesktop for desktop apps, using ThinPrint technology for easy print management and perfect print performance. With Personal Printing now delivered and managed within Citrix Worx, customers have enhanced security through the ability to seamlessly add and remove the app from users' mobile devices using XenMobile. This assures only current or approved staff has access to company systems, apps and data. Additionally, customers can easily deploy Personal Printing without the need for employees to manually download it form the iTunes App Store, reducing complexity for the end user and alleviating strain for IT admins.

Personal Printing enables employees to retrieve print jobs by scanning a QR code at a printer. This increases security and confidentiality by assuring documents are only seen by the employee intended. This also saves money by preventing documents from being printed and not picked up. Additionally, it is the only pull printing solution that works with any printer, eliminating the need for additional hardware. Alternative authentication methods, such as smartcards or PIN-entry, are also available. Personal Printing is scalable and comes with user-based pricing, making it simple to introduce to specific user groups or departments within a company.

Citrix customers are increasingly rolling out a more complete set of Citrix products to take advantage of new technologies in a world with a diverse array of mobile and stationary devices and apps. ThinPrint technology, used by more than 20,000 Citrix customers worldwide, simplifies this for businesses by consolidating all print management to one centralized print server for any mobile, virtual or cloud environment. This makes designing the print environment as easy, secure and efficient as possible. Specific benefits provided by ThinPrint products include using up to 98 percent less bandwidth, the use of 20 percent fewer resources on application servers, and decreases by 60 percent and 80 percent for IT resources and help desk calls respectively around printing.

"Work styles, user demands, company expectations and regulatory frameworks are changing more than ever, with traditional desktops and mobile devices working closer together than ever before through the delivery of apps and data," said Henning Volkmer, president and CEO of ThinPrint Americas Business. "As customers expand their use of Citrix solutions to address these shifts, ThinPrint assures that printing, one of the most critical business processes, is secure, cost effective and simple."

"We are pleased to have ThinPrint, one of our oldest partners, expand within the Citrix Ready program," said Siddharth Rabindran, Director, Citrix Ready at Citrix Systems, Inc. "Citrix Ready makes it easier for customers to select the most suitable virtualization infrastructure products for their specific needs. By taking part in our program, ThinPrint has enabled its customers to obtain the highest quality user experience available today, and the simplest means for making an informed product purchasing selection."

To learn more about Personal Printing, visit ThinPrint at Citrix Synergy, May 24 - 26, at booth 765S and visit http://www.personal-printing.com/en-us/

ThinPrint

ThinPrint, with 15 years of continuous development and internationally patented ThinPrint technology, is the leading provider of print management software and services for businesses. Whether printing from traditional PCs, mobile devices, thin clients, virtual desktops, or from the cloud, over 25,000 companies across all industries and of all sizes optimize their printing infrastructure and increase productivity thanks to ThinPrint. In addition, more than 100, and growing, Desktop-as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service providers deliver reliable, high-performance printing from the cloud to their customers all due to ThinPrint. The investment in ThinPrint leads to a fast ROI because the easy-to-implement and manage print system reduces the burden on IT departments, results in significant performance improvements to the network while ensuring optimal, reliable print support at every workplace. ThinPrint technologies and components enable its use in almost any infrastructure and take into account integration of branch and home offices as well as mobile employees. The solutions are developed and rigorously tested at ThinPrint's headquarters in Berlin - software Made in Germany. Offices in the United States, the UK, Australia, Japan and Brazil, as well as more than 200 channel partners around the world offer direct and on-site customer care. Thanks to numerous OEM partnerships, ThinPrint technology components are integrated in a variety of terminals, print boxes and thin client of leading hardware manufacturers. Special significance is placed on the strategic partnerships of the company with Citrix Systems, Fujitsu, Fuji Xerox, Hewlett-Packard, IGEL, Konica Minolta, Kyocera Mita, Lexmark, Microsoft, OKI, Samsung, VMware, and Wyse.

About Citrix Ready

Citrix Ready identifies recommended solutions that are trusted to enhance the Citrix Delivery Center infrastructure. All products featured in Citrix Ready have completed verification testing, thereby providing confidence in joint solution compatibility. Leveraging its industry leading alliances and partner eco-system, Citrix Ready showcases select trusted solutions designed to meet a variety of business needs. Through the online catalog and Citrix Ready branding program, you can easily find and build a trusted infrastructure. Citrix Ready not only demonstrates current mutual product compatibility, but through continued industry relationships also ensures future interoperability. Learn more at www.citrix.com/ready.

Copyright  2015 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Citrix Synergy, Citrix Ready, XenApp, XenDesktop and XenMobile are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the U.S. and other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Heather Smith

ct@visitechpr.com

303-752-3552 x 224




NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Norm Champ, a partner in the Investment Funds Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and former Director of the Division of Investment Management at the SEC, today announced that McGraw-Hill Education will publish his book Going Public: My Adventures Inside the SEC and How to Prevent the Next Devastating Crisis. McGraw-Hill Education is a leading publisher of business, education and consumer titles. The book, expected to be published in January 2017, chronicles Champ's personal experience at the SEC in the midst of the recent financial crisis.

When Champ joined the SEC in 2009, the agency was under immense pressure to reign in Wall Street. There was little doubt the SEC had to fix rules that permitted bad behavior and start to enforce existing laws. Champ was eager to be a part of this positive change. He soon realized, however, not everyone shared his enthusiasm for ushering in reform. Going Public offers a behind-the-scenes look at the SEC's arcane culture and Champ's efforts to lead reforms to stabilize an American financial system that was on the brink of disaster.

"I'm thrilled that McGraw-Hill Education, which has an esteemed legacy in the publishing industry, will publish this book," Champ said. "I want to use my experience at the SEC to provide a vision of change. With common sense regulation, we can strengthen the American financial system and make certain that it will continue to be the world's most vibrant market."

About Norm Champ

Norm Champ (http://normchamp.com/ @NormBChamp) is a partner in the Investment Funds Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and the former Director of the Division of Investment Management at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He is also a lecturer on Investment Management at Harvard Law School. Before joining the SEC in 2010, Mr. Champ was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Chilton Investment Company, an investment adviser to long/short equity hedge funds and managed accounts. Mr. Champ has an A.B., summa cum laude, in History from Princeton University and a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. He was a Fulbright Scholar at King's College London where he received his M.A. in War Studies. Prior to joining Chilton in 1999, Mr. Champ was with the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell and clerked for the Honorable Charles S. Haight, Jr. of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences that help students, parents, educators and professionals drive results. McGraw-Hill Education has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in nearly 60 languages. For more information, visit mheducation.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Taryn Burks

917-675-6244

Email Contact




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Visiting US President Barack Obama took eaters at a hotel in the heart of Hanoi by surprise Tuesday when he sat on a low blue-colored stool to have a lunch of cheap noodles. Obama sat with US celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain at Hanoi's Bun cha Huong Lien restaurant, and the latter shared a photo of the $6 dinner with the President on Instagram. The post has gone viral, attracting more than 120,000 likes and thousands of comments. Bourdain posted the photo with the footnote 'Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.' 'Total cost of bun Cha dinner with the President: $6.00 . I picked up the check,' he added. On the menu was bun cha, a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and rice noodles, some fresh leaves, and Hanoi beer. A huge crowd gathered outside the eatery cheered when the president came out. Obama found time to sit down for dinner just hours after announcing that US is lifting decades-old arms embargo on Vietnam. The rare dinner will air in September as an episode of Bourdain's travel and food show 'Parts Unknown' on CNN. 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.
CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Trustwave today announced the appointment of Charles "C.J." Spallitta as Senior Vice President of Product Management.

Spallitta joined Trustwave from Hewlett Packard Enterprise where he served as the Executive Director of Worldwide Portfolio Management and oversaw the complete service lifecycle for all managed services globally, including portfolio strategy, product marketing, analyst relations and go-to-market strategies.

Trustwave Chief Executive Officer and President Robert J. McCullen, said, "C.J. brings three decades of technology leadership experience to this position, and we're excited to welcome him to the Trustwave team. His industry knowledge of the security market and the larger information technology landscape will be integral to growing our comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity technologies and managed security services."

Prior to Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Spallitta was Executive Director, Global Security Product Management at Verizon Enterprise Solutions, where he was responsible for the full product lifecycle for the Managed Security Services, Identity Management and Risk/Compliance lines of business, including portfolio management, service development, go-to-market and pricing. He was also previously the Director of Strategy and Business Development for Risk Management at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Spallitta was also Vice President of Security Product Management at Cybertrust, Inc., Vice President of Business Operations at Betrusted, and Vice President of Strategy, Service Development and Marketing at Security Assurance Group.

Spallitta received a bachelor's degree in business administration in information systems and a master's degree of business administration from Loyola University Maryland, where he also serves as an advisory board member to the Information Systems and Operations Management department.

About Trustwave

Trustwave helps businesses fight cybercrime, protect data and reduce security risk. With cloud and managed security services, integrated technologies and a team of security experts, ethical hackers and researchers, Trustwave enables businesses to transform the way they manage their information security and compliance programs. More than three million businesses are enrolled in the Trustwave TrustKeeper cloud platform, through which Trustwave delivers automated, efficient and cost-effective threat, vulnerability and compliance management. Trustwave is headquartered in Chicago, with customers in 96 countries. For more information about Trustwave, visit https://www.trustwave.com.

All trademarks used herein remain the property of their respective owners. Their use does not indicate or imply a relationship between Trustwave and the owners of such trademarks.

Cas Purdy

Trustwave

cpurdy@trustwave.com

+1 312 470 8703
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Ucore Rare Metals, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: UCU)(OTCQX: UURAF) ("Ucore" or the "Company") is pleased to update on the continuing performance of the SuperLig-One rare earth element ("REE") separation pilot plant (the "Plant" or "SuperLig-One").

Pregnant leach solution ("PLS") derived from the Company's Bokan-Dotson Ridge project in Alaska has been treated by the SuperLig-One Molecular Recognition Technology ("MRT") Plant, at the IBC Advanced Technologies, Inc. ("IBC") Utah facility, to separate the scandium ("Sc") contained therein from the group of REE previously separated from the impurity metals in the PLS ("Gangue Metals") (see Ucore Press Release, dated May 9, 2016.)

Since announcement of the completion of SuperLig certifications, PLS analysis, automation control verification, water testing, process flow testing of the Plant, and REE separation, as a group, from the Gangue Metals, the SuperLig-One Plant has achieved the following results:

-- Scandium Separation from the Group of REE - Scandium has been separated at the greater than 99% level from the other REE, leaving essentially no Sc in the PLS. This separation replicates prior lab-scale work. The purified group of REE originally present in the PLS, absent the Sc, is now available for further separations. Early, rapid, and effective separation of the Sc makes this metal available without the need to separate it sequentially from the REE matrix. Efficient separation of Sc early in the processing flowsheet distinguishes MRT from other, less selective technologies, such as solvent extraction and ion exchange ("Legacy Separation Technologies"). -- Scandium Purity - The purity of the recovered Sc is greater than 99% versus the other REE. The purpose of the Sc separation was to remove it completely from the PLS without removing any of the other REE in the process. The successful completion of this objective preserves the value of the PLS as it advances to subsequent separation circuits. -- Verification of Results and Confirmation of Scale-up Parameters - The results have been verified analytically at IBC using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy ("ICP"). The results obtained are consistent with the previous lab-scale test work performed at IBC, confirming that the SuperLig-One Plant is scaling as expected.

"Scandium is an increasingly high-profile and extremely high-value technology metal," said Jim McKenzie, President and CEO of Ucore. "Much like lithium, Sc is considered a clean-technology metal with enormous development potential. In turn, the scandium industry has seen a significant number of resource development start-ups recently, primarily on the Australian and Canadian exchanges. The rate of growth in scandium-centric enterprises evidences the increasing demand for this remarkable metal. Each of these new enterprises will require a technology capable of separating Sc from often complex metallurgical environments. The SuperLig - Sc product is just such a tool, rendering near-quantitative purity, potentially faster and more efficiently than legacy SX technologies."

"Our intent is to offer customized separation solutions across a host of technology metals," continued McKenzie. "These applications include SuperLig products tailored to metals such as REE, platinum group metals, Li, Co, W and many more. Ucore's announcement of the separation of Sc at pilot scale, using a non-SX platform represents the first of many prospective metal breakthroughs that we are targeting in the very near future."

Scandium is a highly valued REE used in advanced aluminum alloys to impart added strength, increased corrosion resistance, greater heat toleration, and improved weldable properties. Sc is deployed primarily in the production of solid oxide fuel cells ("SOFC"), where its electrical and heat-stabilizing qualities make it the metal of choice in specific applications. It is ranked among the most promising of the clean technology metals, and is a critical component of advanced fuel cell technologies.

An assured supply of Sc is seen as a condition precedent in the commercial development of select aluminum alloys, including automotive assembly, additive layer manufacturing (3D printing) and high voltage tension wires. The application of scandium extends to the aerospace industry, where its alloys hold the potential for significant aircraft weight and cost reductions. The metal additionally holds promise for industrial weldable structures, with similar cost-reduction potential. All of the above applications are largely dependent upon not just reliable Sc supply sources, but upon economic and efficient separation technology to liberate the metal from potentially adverse poly-metallic environments. SuperLig offers a flexible platform for unlocking Sc from highly diverse supply sources, with a smaller installation footprint than SX capable of being located close to the Sc source.

Advanced Development

The next stages of the SuperLig-One pilot plant operation will consist of running the purified PLS containing the REE, minus Sc, sequentially through each unit operation in the Plant to accomplish the following:

-- Class Separation of Light REE (lanthanum to neodymium plus yttrium) and Heavy REE (samarium to lutetium) - Separation of the REE remaining after Sc removal into these two groups is an important juncture, since heavy REE are more valuable as a group, scarcer on world markets, and contain more of the Critical Rare Earth Oxides ("CREOs"). -- Separation of Individual REE - This phase of the SuperLig-One pilot program will demonstrate separation of Heavy CREOs, as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. These separations will produce terbium and europium at over 99% purity, plus dysprosium at 99.99% purity. The remaining solution containing heavy REE (holmium to lutetium; gadolinium and samarium) and light REE (lanthanum to neodymium and yttrium) will be retained for future separations, as required.

After confirmatory testing of each unit operation, the Plant will undergo a continuous run of PLS.

For further information on the SuperLig-One Pilot Plant Mission Summary, please see the following link: http://ucore.com/superlig-one

For background on traditional approaches to separation of REE and the historical advance offered by MRT, please refer to the recently published White Paper on Separation of Rare Earth Elements, entitled "Molecular Recognition Technology: A Green Chemistry Process for Separation of Individual Rare Earth Metals", at the following link: http://ucore.com/academic-papers

Steven R. Izatt, President and CEO of IBC, has approved the scientific and technical content of this news release and is the Qualified Person responsible for its accuracy. Mr. Izatt, Registered Member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration ("SME"), holds a B.A. degree in Chemistry from Brigham Young University ("BYU"), as well as an M.S. in Chemical Engineering Practice and an M.S. in Technology and Policy, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ("MIT").

Background

Ucore Rare Metals is a development-phase company focused on rare metals resources, extraction and beneficiation technologies with near term potential for production, growth and scalability. On March 3, 2015, Ucore announced the right to acquire a controlling ownership interest in the exclusive rights to IBC SuperLig technology for rare earths and multi-metallic tailings processing applications in North America and associated world markets. The Company has a 100% ownership stake in the Bokan project. On March 31, 2014, Ucore announced the unanimous support of the Alaska State Legislature for the investment of up to USD $145 Million in the Bokan project at the discretion of the Alaska Import Development and Export Agency ("AIDEA").

For further information, please visit http://www.ucore.com.

Cautionary Notes

This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities, research and development timelines, and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. 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 exploitation and exploration successes or setbacks, research and develop successes or setbacks, continued availability of financing, and general economic, market or business conditions.

MRT is at advanced testing stages and has yet to be proven, at a commercial scale, for the separation of rare earth elements. The Company has not yet released an economic assessment on the use of MRT for the separation of rare earth elements and does not yet have any specific contracts for the processing of rare earths using MRT.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined by the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Ucore Rare Metals Inc.

Mr. Jim McKenzie

President and Chief Executive Officer

+1 (902) 482-5214

www.ucore.com




PUNE, India, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Flexible Packaging Market by Material (Plastic Film, Paper, Aluminium), Printing Technology (Flexography, Rotogravure, Digital), Type (Stand-Up Pouches, Retort Pouches), Application (Food & Beverages, Healthcare, Cosmetics & Toiletries) - Global Forecast to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, The Market is projected to grow from USD 97.97 Billion in 2016 to USD 125.66 Billion by 2021, at an estimated CAGR of 5.11%.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 264 market data Tables with 61 Figures spread through 276 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Flexible Packaging Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/flexible-packaging-market-1271.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

This growth is due to the increasing demand from various end user industries such as food & beverages, healthcare, cosmetics & toiletries, and others (oil & lubricants, household products, agricultural products, and sporting goods). Factors such as growing consumer preferences towards convenient packaging ease of use, and its lightweight characteristic is driving the demand for flexible packaging. Manufacturers are shifting towards flexible packaging as it produces less waste due to lower consumption of raw materials, requires less storage space, is easy to transport, and has excellent barrier properties.

Plastic films segment is projected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period

Raw materials such as plastic films, aluminum foil, paper, and bioplastic are used for flexible packaging. Plastic films are further categorized into polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, BOPET, EVOH, polyamide, and others (polystyrene). Out of these, polyethylene accounted for the largest market share in 2015. The BOPET segment is projected to grow at the highest rate from 2016 to 2021. BOPET is primarily used in the packaging of food & beverage products as it protects them from oxidation and also provides extended shelf life to the product

Make an Inquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=1271

Stand-up pouches segment contributes maximum market share to the Flexible Packaging Market

The stand-up pouches segment is estimated to account for the largest share in 2021, mainly because of growing consumption of food & beverage, dairy, and cosmetics products. Stand-up pouches are appealing as well as functional as they offer various features such as zipper re-seal, slider closure, and release valves. The growing healthcare industry also provides an opportunity to the market to grow further due to the rising consumption of over-the-counter products for which stand-up pouches are used, especially in the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

Asia-Pacific to play a key role in the market for flexible packaging

On the basis of key regions, the global Flexible Packaging Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW. The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest share among all the regions in 2015 and is projected to grow at the highest rate from 2016 to 2021, in terms of value. This is mainly due to the increasing demand for flexible packaging in China and India, coupled with the growing food & beverage industry in these countries. Owing to the increasing disposable incomes, the urbanized population is shifting towards packaged foods which are healthy and safe. Therefore, rising income and consumption level would also lead to the growth of the flexible packaging in this region.

The key players in the Flexible Packaging Market are Amcor Limited (Australia), Bemis Company, Inc. (U.S.), Constantia Flexible Group GmbH (Austria), Huhtamaki Group (Finland), and Sonoco Products Company (U.S.). Other players include Sealed Air Corporation (U.S.), Mondi Group (South Africa), Clondalkin Group Holdings B.V. (The Netherlands), Coveris Holdings S.A. (U.S.), and Ampac Holdings, LLC (U.S.).

Browse Related Reports:

Skin Packaging Market by Material (Plastic films, Paper & Paperboard, Others), Type (Carded, Non-carded), Heat Seal Coating (Solvent-based, Water-based, others), & Application (Food, Consumer goods, Industrial goods, others) - Global Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/skin-packaging-market-70226116.html

Protective Packaging Market by Material (Foam Plastics, Paper & Paperboard, Plastics), Product Type (Flexible, Rigid, Foam), Function (Cushioning, Blocking & Bracing, Void-fill, Insulation, Wrapping), Application (Food & Beverage, Consumer Electronics, Industrial Goods, Automotive, Household Appliances, Health Care) - Trends & Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/protective-packaging-market-39055502.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/packaging

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Markets and Markets

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Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com


SINGAPORE, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, forecasts global revenues of aftermarket mobile accessories to top $110 billion in 2021. Aftermarket Bluetooth headsets for smartphones will grow the fastest, in terms of both revenue and shipments, with shipments expected to show a 9% CAGR between 2016 and 2020.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151014/276887LOGO

"Bluetooth stereo headset shipments are rising steadily, and Apple's rumored decision to remove the headphone jack from its new iPhone only further supports our belief that mobile accessory manufacturers will largely focus on Bluetooth audio listening in the near future," says Marina Lu, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. "Wired headsets are also showing strong growth, as consumers usually have to buy additional headsets for their smartphones."

Screen protectors, protective cases, and chargers also contribute to growth in aftermarket mobile accessories. Apart from larger touchscreens and higher value smartphones, advanced functionality for screen protectors, including privacy protection, anti-glare, anti-fingerprint, anti-scratch, and higher transmittance, is driving their demand. Vendors also cater to consumers' desires to personalize their smartphones by developing well-designed protective cases. And new features built-in to these cases, such as wireless charging, memory expansion, and shock-resistant technology, increase their appeal.

While screen protectors and cases are working in harmony to propel aftermarket revenues forward, wireless charging pads are also powering this year's sales. ABI Research expects them to become much more prevalent over the next five years.

"Specifically, emergency charger shipments are taking off, as consumers' dependence on mobile phones is leading to quicker power consumptions and the need for more frequent charging at different locations," concludes Lu. "Given users' attachment to their smartphones and their wants and needs to personalize and protect them, the aftermarket mobile accessories market is showing no signs of slowing down."

These findings are part of ABI Research's Mobile Device Accessories Service (https://www.abiresearch.com/market-research/service/mobile-device-accessories/), which includes research reports, market data, insights, and competitive assessments.

About ABI Research

For more than 25 years, ABI Research has stood at the forefront of technology market intelligence, partnering with innovative business leaders to implement informed, transformative technology decisions. The company employs a global team of senior analysts to provide comprehensive research and consulting services through deep quantitative forecasts, qualitative analyses and teardown services. An industry pioneer, ABI Research is proactive in its approach, frequently uncovering ground-breaking business cycles ahead of the curve and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. In all, the company covers more than 60 services, spanning 11 technology sectors. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Dealnet Capital Corp. ("Dealnet" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: DLS) today announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance agreement with a manufacturer (the "Manufacturer") of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment ("HVAC") to provide a tailored vendor finance program to the Manufacturer's dealer network (the "Dealer Network") across Canada. The Manufacturer is a premier global leader in the HVAC space, selling multiple well known branded products to its Dealer Network.

The Manufacturer had previously been financing with a competitor of Dealnet and was looking for a new Canadian partner who could deliver the following key attributes:

a. friction free finance program for their contractors b. real time technology enabled credit adjudication c. comprehensive training and support for dealers d. comprehensive experience to assist manufacturers in deploying and leveraging consumer finance programs through an extensive dealer network

Initially, the program will be rolled out to approximately 80 dealers located in Ontario, with several dealers already on board. The program will then be deployed to the Dealer Network across Canada in the coming months.

Dealers are required to meet various criteria set by the Manufacturer to ensure they will operate with integrity and care while representing the Manufacturer's brands. The majority of sales generated by the Dealer Network are inbound where the consumer invites the dealer as an authorized representative of the Manufacturer for a quotation, providing another entry point into the home for Dealnet.

"Manufacturer programs are an important part of our growth strategy and we are pleased to achieve this significant milestone with an industry leader that shares our philosophy for a high level of service" said Michael Hilmer, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. "A suite of financing options demonstrates the manufacturer's commitment to provide their dealers with as many tools as possible to support and service the Canadian consumer. The availability of flexible financing is important to all types of consumers making a major purchase and increases the dealer's ability to secure a sale. This program is expected to be the first of many manufacturer programs for Dealnet."

About Dealnet Capital Corp.

Dealnet is an engagement enabled consumer finance company that is initially focused on home improvement finance solutions including heating ventilation and air conditioning financing and leasing. Dealnet leverages its large scale customer service and engagement technology platform to attract home improvement dealers by providing front and back office services to support dealer operations leading to origination growth.

For additional information please visit www.sedar.com.

Neither the 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.

Contacts:

DealNet Capital Corp.

Michael Hilmer, CEO

416-420-5529

mhilmer@dealnetcapital.com



DealNet Capital Corp.

Nicole Marchand

Investor Relations

416-428-3533

416-428-3533




TORONTO, CANADA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- BacTech Environmental Corporation ("BacTech" or the "Company"), (CSE: BAC) (OTC PINK: BCCEF) (WKN: A1H4TY) announced today that its 98% owned Bolivian subsidiary Empresa Minera Ambiental BacTech S.A. ("EMABSA"), has signed an Association Contract with Corporacion Minera de Bolivia ("COMIBOL"), the state mining company of Bolivia.

The ten-year contract calls for the environmental remediation and restoration of the "Antigua" tailings and an option on the "Nuevo" tailings, both situated at the Telamayu mill site. Telamayu is situated near the town of Atocha in the Department of Potosi. The agreement envisions three phases, with the first phase focused on the completion of a technical study on the 600,000 tonne Antigua tails. Included in the study will be the drilling of a grid of 10 metre holes that will provide information for a NI 43-101 study. In addition, tailings material will be used in metallurgical studies to determine the optimal flow chart for the proposed plant. Engineering of the plant will be conducted by Bumigeme Inc. of Montreal, Canada.

To date, the Company has conducted its own preliminary study on the tailings from material provided by COMIBOL. Approximately four years ago, COMIBOL collected some 2,000 bags of material at 1 metre intervals from 4 separate holes dug to the bottom of the tailings. BacTech engaged SGS Bolivia S.A. to take samples from each bag to create a 250 tonne representative sample for assay and early flotation work.

The work was carried out at PRA Inspectorate Labs in Vancouver and confirmed the reported grades provided earlier by COMIBOL. The tailings contain high levels of silver (8.8 oz/tonne), copper (2.24%), and commercial quantities of tin (1.5%). The early testwork showed that the material responded well to concentration by washing followed by flotation, while the assay and particle size data suggested that gravity separation may also be appropriate for recovery of coarse silver and tin values and should be investigated in subsequent testwork. It is therefore expected that the recovery will be improved by conducting further testwork. The results from the early work conducted by PRA Laboratories are summarized later in the press release.

The second phase will be the construction of a processing plant that will create concentrates of silver, tin and copper using conventional processing. There will be contributions from gravity separation, flotation concentration, and copper precipitation from water creating the final products leaving site.

There is considerable infrastructure at the mill site including power, rail, a mill housing and a local workforce. The Telamayu mill has processed ores from the surrounding mines for over 70 years, with the Antigua and Nuevo tailings created from the operation. The existing infrastructure should lead to reduced capital costs.

The final stage is the commercialization of the plant which is expected to be completed within the next 12 to 15 months. All three stages require the posting of a performance bond that is released upon completion of each phase. BacTech has posted a bond of USD$26,000 to cover the initial phase.

The Nuevo tailings are considerably larger, estimated to be approximately 4 million tonnes, but contain lower grades than Antigua. At some point in the future, BacTech will conduct an evaluation and an economic study to determine the viability of the tailings.

Previous Assays -------------------------------------------------- Element Unit Telamayu Tailing Comp. -------------------------------------------------- Silver g/mt 275.0 -------------------------------------------------- Gold g/mt 0.24 -------------------------------------------------- Tin % 1.57 -------------------------------------------------- Antimony % 0.95 -------------------------------------------------- Copper % 2.24 -------------------------------------------------- Bismuth % 0.56 --------------------------------------------------

As mentioned previously, BacTech conducted its own evaluation from material provided by COMIBOL. It is understood that the mill processed head grades of 9,300 grams per tonne (300 opt) silver which provides an explanation for the high silver grades. It seems that the high grade copper is a result of no effort to capture the metal during processing of zinc, silver and tin.

"This agreement provides BacTech with a soft entry into the Bolivian market. The combination of low capex, multiple metals for recovery and a strong partner in COMIBOL, provides a great stepping stone for additional environmental reclamation projects in partnership with COMIBOL in the future. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company receives 100% of the cash flow in the initial 18 months or until the project financing debt is repaid, whichever comes first," said Ross Orr, President and CEO of BacTech.

BacTech's in-country General Manager for Bolivia is Dr. Jose Cordova, who has 32 years of experience in global mining, including positions as both President and as Technical Manager for COMIBOL. Dr. Cordova will be responsible for the development of the Telamayu project. EMABSA's in-country legal representatives are Reynolds and Associates.

The tonnages provided by COMIBOL are of a historical nature and have not been confirmed by the Company. BacTech is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or reserves as they are not NI 43-101 compliant.

The Qualified Person ("QP") on the press release is Gary Williams, P.Geo.

Company Profile

BacTech Environmental Corporation holds the perpetual, exclusive, royalty-free rights to use the patented BACOX bioleaching technology for the reclamation of tailings and mining waste materials. The Company's principle focus is a high- grade silver/copper tailings project called Telamayu, located in Atocha, Bolivia, in association with COMIBOL, the state mining group. The Company signed an MOU with Duran Ventures Inc. to explore the viability of building a BACOX plant in Peru to treat high-grade gold/arsenic ores. Investigation has begun to identify similar opportunities in Ecuador. The Company continues to field enquiries globally with respect to additional opportunities for remediation, including licensing transactions for the technology.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information", which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to future tailings sites, sampling or other investigations of tailing sites, the Company's ability to make use of infrastructure around tailings sites or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements 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. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. 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, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Shares outstanding 42,393,994

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.

Contacts:

Ross Orr

President & CEO

BacTech Environmental Corporation

416-813-0303 ext 222

borr@bactechgreen.com




LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The London School of Economics and Political Science has announced the appointment of four new Visiting Professors, including actress Angelina Jolie Pitt, to its Center for Women, Peace and Security. Angelina Jolie Pitt is currently UNHCR's Special Envoy. Along with her, former UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, Jane Connors, and Madeleine Rees will contribute to new MSc program in Women, Peace and Security, the first of its kind internationally, LSE said Monday. Jane Connors is the Director of International Advocacy at Amnesty International Geneva. Madeleine Rees is the Secretary General of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. They join other LSE Fellows, scholars, activists and practitioners dedicated to developing strategies to promote gender equality and enhance women's economic, social and political participation and security. The Visiting Professors play an active part in the Centre, delivering guest lectures to students, participating in expert workshops and public events, and undertaking their own work. 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.
SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- UltraMemory Inc. (UltraMemory) has selected NanoSpice and NanoSpice Giga from ProPlus Design Solutions, Inc., the leading technology provider of giga-scale parallel SPICE simulation, SPICE modeling solutions and Design-for-Yield (DFY) applications, to simulate its super-broadband, super large-scale memory design.

UltraMemory is developing innovative 3D DRAM chip, which includes Through Chip Interface (TCI), enabling low-cost and low-power wireless communication between stacked DARM when compared to TSV technology.

Highly accurate and high-capacity SPICE simulation was necessary because it needed to simulate several DRAM chips with analog functions. UltraMemory's decision to adopt NanoSpice, a high-performance parallel SPICE simulator, and NanoSpice Giga, the industry's only GigaSpice simulator, came after an extensive evaluation of commercial SPICE and FastSPICE circuit simulators. NanoSpice and NanoSpice Giga have been integrated in UltraMemory's existing design flows to replace other SPICE and FastSPICE simulators to provide full circuit simulation solutions from small block simulation to full-chip verification.

NanoSpice was validated for its high-accuracy, fast simulation speed and analysis feature compatibilities. NanoSpice Giga proved itself to be a worthy replacement to FastSPICE with a pure SPICE engine for higher accuracy, and advanced parallelization technologies for superior performance and giga-scale simulation features. Its usability removed the UltraMemory user's need to operate complicated FastSPICE options and tuning.

By fully leveraging the computation power of advanced multi-core servers and offering a unique license model, ProPlus simulation tools offer several times higher simulation performance or throughput than other circuit simulators with the same level of investment in hardware and software licenses.

"UltraMemory aims to improve the performance of the next-generation computer system by developing the super-broadband and super-large scale memory," says Mr. Takao Adachi, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UltraMemory Inc. "As a result, we have very high standards for simulation accuracy and performance for our large scale memory designs. ProPlus' NanoSpice and NanoSpice Giga were selected as total circuit simulation solutions in our design flow. They have proven to be accurate and fast, delivering impressive simulation throughput and unique advantages with their pure SPICE simulation engines for all our advanced memory design needs."

"UltraMemory has a great vision for developing leading-edge memory for its next-generation computer system," remarks Dr. Zhihong Liu, ProPlus' chairman and CEO. "We welcome the opportunity to be part of this important project. NanoSpice and NanoSpice Giga fit this opportunity with their full range of simulation capacities from small blocks to full chip SPICE-accurate simulation power, and can help achieve goals that would be difficult to reach without our circuit simulation solutions."

ProPlus will demonstrate NanoSpice and NanoSpice Giga, along with its new ME-Pro process and device evaluation tool, during the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in Booth #1219 Monday, June 6, through Wednesday, June 8, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. DAC will be held at the Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas.

About ProPlus Design Solutions

ProPlus Design Solutions, Inc. delivers Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions with the mission to enhance the link between design and manufacturing. As the leading provider of nano-scale SPICE modeling, the innovative giga-scale SPICE simulation and design for yield (DFY) applications, it provides the industry's golden SPICE modeling platform, the first and only GigaSpice simulator, and the only integrated DFY design platform. Founded in 2006, ProPlus Design Solutions has R&D centers in San Jose, Calif., Beijing and Jinan, China, and offices in Tokyo, Japan, Hsinchu, Taiwan, and Shanghai, China. More information about ProPlus Design Solutions can be found at www.proplussolutions.com

About Jedat

Jedat is the exclusive distributor of the products of ProPlus Design Solutions in Japan, while providing the electronic design automation environment "SX-Meister series" that automates custom LSI design such as analog/mixed-signal, power device, LCD driver and memory. With the automatic synthesis technology specialized for custom design, SX-Meister has brought significant improvement to the area where the automation approach was difficult to apply in the past. All of the tools are integrated in a constraint-driven database reusing accumulated design know-how that results in significantly improved quality and time to market. Sales and support partners are located in Seoul, Korea; Shanghai, China; Hsinchu, Taiwan; and the U.S. Please visit Jedat on the Web at www.jedat.co.jp

NanoSpice, NanoSpice Giga, NanoYield, BSIMProPlus, NoiseProPlus, MEPro and Nano Design Environment are registered trademarks of ProPlus Design Solutions. ProPlus Design Solutions and Jedat acknowledge trademarks or registered trademarks of other organizations for their respective products and services.

For more information, contact:

Nanette Collins

Public Relations

ProPlus Design Solutions

(617) 437-1822

Email Contact



Nobuto Ono

Manager, Product Marketing and Business Development

Jedat, Inc.

+81-3-5847-0312

Email Contact




ALISO VIEJO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- NVISION Eye Centers, a premier U.S. provider of custom LASIK, KAMRA Inlay, cataract surgery and other vision correction procedures, is pleased to announce its official partnership with Canada-based eye care treatment facility, Crystal Clear Vision -- which has been providing standout ophthalmology services to patients since 2012.

"We are incredibly fortunate to partner with Crystal Clear Vision," says NVISION Eye Centers' president James Pereyra. "This groundbreaking facility, which has built an international reputation as a highly successful treatment, research and teaching mecca, displays the kind of cutting-edge initiatives NVISION strives to embody. We look forward to benefitting from the company's legacy of passionate expertise."

Launched in 2012, Crystal Clear Vision, a state-of-the-art LASIK, KAMRA, Implant and Cataract facility, located in the boutique Yorkville area of downtown Toronto, was founded and built by highly respected industry leader, and surgeon, Dr. Jeff Machat. Crystal Clear Vision is a world-class facility with the most advanced laser and diagnostic technology, and acts as a research and educational center for visiting doctors from across the globe. Dr. Machat began pioneering laser vision correction procedures 25 years ago, including Custom LASIK, Custom All Laser LASIK, the KAMRA reading vision procedure, and numerous other major advances in laser eye surgery. Dr. Machat, who was recently announced as NVISION's new Chief Medical Officer, will operate at the company's Orange County, Murrieta, and San Francisco locations, while continuing his role as Medical Director in Toronto.

"I could not be more thrilled for Crystal Clear to join forces with NVISION, and its amazing lineup of distinguished doctors and surgeons," says Dr. Machat. "I have spent my career cultivating effective treatment options in the field of eye care, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue alongside such a prominent brand in ophthalmology."

California-based NVISION Eye Centers has already begun to introduce Dr. Machat to its local eye care patients and incorporate Crystal Clear Vision's invaluable, time-tested techniques in the areas of LASIK, KAMRA Inlay, and cataract surgery. This recent partnership -- with such a legendary name in ophthalmology -- only furthers NVISION's commitment to help the world see more clearly.

For more information, call (877) 455-9942 or visit: http://www.nvisioncenters.com.

ABOUT NVISION EYE CENTERS: NVISION Eye Centers is the premier provider of LASIK and cataract surgery in the U.S., with centers in California, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona and Toronto, Canada. An innovative leader in ophthalmology, NVISION is dedicated to providing the best patient experience through the use of the latest technology and treatment by the most talented and experienced surgeons in the industry. NVISION was founded in 2010 by Tom Tooma, M.D., one of the earliest pioneers of LASIK who has performed more than 100,000 procedures throughout his esteemed career. With more than 1,900 eye doctors referring their patients and trusting their own eyes to NVISION surgeons, NVISION Eye Centers is the Eye Doctors' #1 Choice. For more information, visit www.NVISIONCenters.com or call (877) 455-9942.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leslie Licano

Beyond Fifteen Communications, Inc.

949.733.8679 ext. 101

leslie@beyondfifteen.com




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- ROOT Data Center has taken another step towards making Montreal the leading data centre city in Canada with the addition of a second centre in Baie-D'Urfe, PQ, and expansion of its existing LaSalle, PQ, facility. Investment in greater capacity, increase energy efficiency and a significant increase in staff have been possible through the on-boarding of clients who recognize the value in ROOT's location and unique service offering.

Additional 175,000 square foot site

ROOT Data Center has become the data centre of choice because of its ability deploy needed capacity quickly through one of the most energy-efficient facilities in the country. This allows clients to bring their offerings to market sooner and significantly reduce traditional operational costs.

Anonymous by request, a sizeable new client entering Canada required more capacity to house their IT infrastructure and geographic redundancy was required, inspiring the need for a second site. Currently, ROOT is completing phase one of its new facility in Baie-D'Urfe. The 175,000 square-foot centre that will eventually have a total power capacity of 50MW (megawatt), will go online in June with a 20MW capacity, enough to power up to 20,000 homes.

In sync with the physical site expansion, ROOT has hired more staff to meet its rapid growth, ramping up their team from nine in December 2015 to 34 employees as of April 2016.

ROOT, the eco-superior data centre

Efficiencies are realized though a unique cooling technology that uses the ambient air temperatures to cool the data centre. It is 100 percent free cooling when the temperature outside is below 22C and partial free cooling between 22C and 30C. In Montreal partial support is needed less than 10 percent of the year meaning ROOT's facilities reduce non-critical energy consumption by more than 50 percent compared to traditional centres. It also eliminates the need for more risky and complicated water cooling systems that can use millions of gallons of wasted water annually.

"We are very excited to assist our new customer as they enter the Canadian market," said Root Data Center chief executive officer, AJ Byers. "They have proven that our desire to challenge the data centre industry in Canada, by being more efficiency-focused, can bring significant value to large international organizations coming into the country."

$25 million in funding

ROOT raised $25 million in growth financing to complete the development of the LaSalle data centre, build the second data facility and fund their operational and staffing growth. The funding was secured from ABRY Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm with extensive investment experience in the data centre sector.

About ROOT Data Center

ROOT is a next generation data centre company that provides colocation solutions to empower the world's computing leaders. Its modular design promises optimal agility and efficiency, which enables all customers to scale their technology infrastructure and grow with confidence. Less power to waste, more power to you. For more information visit www.rootdatacenter.com

Contacts:

Or to coordinate an interview,

ROOT Data Center Media Relations

Mylene Demers

mdemers@casacom.ca

(514)286-2145 ext. 232




BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Jebbit," an interactive content marketing platform that enables marketers to engage their customers and develop thorough behavioral and attitudinal consumer profiles, today announced a new mobile offering as part of a suite of" products." The suite enables brands to use interactive content to engage consumers on a 1:1 basis to acquire new users, educate audiences, drive conversions, and profile customers. The company's platform is used by global brands and media companies such as Tribune Media, Dunkin' Donuts, EMC, LifeLock, and AutoNation, all of which leverage mobile as a key customer engagement medium.

One product, a mobile-first, micro-content platform, has a swipeable interface and engages a brand's audience with interactive content like quizzes, lookbooks, and trivia. Consumers can simply swipe left or right to indicate their preferences, tastes, and opinions. Early adopters like Cathay Pacific Airways, Boden, and Greater Media Boston have launched campaigns leveraging Jebbit's new mobile product with tremendous results. Out of the consumers who have seen the mobile content created with Jebbit's platform, 79% engaged with it and 52% entered their email address.

"This is our first campaign with Jebbit, and we already love working with them. We are delighted with the high customer engagement rate and the stunning aesthetics of the campaign," said Wing Mui, Senior Online Marketing Analyst at Cathay Pacific Airways.

Other products in the interactive content suite include an immersive landing page, a site overlay, and a native solution. The platform allows marketers to view real-time performance and audience analytics to optimize their campaigns. In the past year, Jebbit newly partnered with several leading brands to improve their online performance including Cathay Pacific Airways, Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Boston Globe, Boden, and LifeLock.

"Genuine customer engagement requires constant evolution and iteration -- you won't keep customers coming back if your web presence is stale and predictable," Jebbit CEO Tom Coburn said. "Jebbit launched these new products because consumer expectations and digital marketing strategies are always changing. New ideas help our clients, and their customers, get the best possible online return. Our new mobile solution helps marketers engage their audience with smarter content that beats short attention spans."

Jebbit's platform uses interactive content to increase consumer engagement and conversion for brands and publishers. By creating a real-time content workflow, Jebbit can personalize a brand's interactions with each individual in its audience, capturing data to better inform marketing efforts. Marketers confirm that the value of Jebbit is in the overall increase in conversion and data they acquire about customers, with an average campaign providing three to four new data points on a consumer. A Forrester Report predicted that interactive content marketing spend will hit" $76.6 billion by the end of 2016."

About Jebbit:

Jebbit is a venture-backed company offering a digital marketing platform that creates engaging micro-content, personalizing a brand's interaction with each individual in its audience. Over time, our solution transforms the unique data we've captured into rich consumer profiles, which integrate with any marketing technology stack. Our customers like Dunkin' Donuts, The Boston Globe, Tribune Media, and AutoNation value the unique data capture and increased conversions that ultimately boost lifetime value. To learn more, visit" www.jebbit.com."

Media Contact:

Kaitlyn Kirkaldy

kaitlyn@jebbit.com
SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Tempered Networks Inc., the pioneer in Identity-Defined Networking, has announced its Identity-Defined Network (IDN) Fabric that delivers new levels of security, scale and flexibility to address enterprise connectivity needs. The IDN Fabric is enabled by the newest release of the Tempered Networks platform, which gives enterprise IT staff more ways to seamlessly and dynamically extend trusted connectivity to any IP-enabled endpoint. The secure fabric cloaks the enterprise's fluid perimeter, providing baked-in security, micro-segmentation, and resiliency to seamlessly safeguard business critical assets and endpoints -- wherever they are located -- across physical, virtual and cloud environments. Today's announcement affords customers the benefits of secure software-defined networking and hybrid cloud computing.

Trust on demand

Tempered's IDN Fabric offers a broad set of new HIPservices, deployable across enterprises growing hybrid infrastructures. A tightly-integrated API facilitates automated integration with networking tools bringing unprecedented ease-of-use to previously complex workloads like self-provisioning portals, adaptive defensive networks, and data center redundancy. The new secure network fabric builds on Tempered Networks' core HIPswitch technology that provides trust gateways using unique, cryptographic identities only accessible by explicitly whitelisted systems or endpoints. The fabric is a mesh of trust gateways and dynamic encrypted tunnels that are centrally managed through an automated orchestration engine. With the new IDN Fabric, these capabilities can be seamlessly extended to provide elastic security services, without the complexity typically associated with mapping security controls to other network segments across the hybrid enterprise.

"Tempered Networks is making a transformative impact on secure networking that is sorely needed as cyber crime and cyber warfare skyrockets," said Jeff S. Hussey, CEO of Tempered Networks. "The complexity of today's networking and security solutions only exacerbates the problem for CIOs and CSOs, rather than fixing it. Tempered Networks Identity-Defined Networking Fabric unshackles IT staff from all the tedious, error-prone tasks of managing the complexity that comes with firewalls, VPNs, VLANs, IPsec, etc. Instead, we shield users through automated orchestration of security policies and trust relationships for flawless execution."

Details

The Tempered IDN Fabric transcends the restrictive rules of IP networking through the use of Host Identity Protocol (HIP). With HIP, security is baked-in from the start, eliminating the need to bolt on security technologies that are complex to manage. The new release of Tempered Networks Conductor and its SimpleConnect API set the bar for automated orchestration. Customers can easily manage security policies and trust relationships, achieving micro-segmentation and resiliency at scale, across heterogeneous environments.

With the announcement of its secure IDN Fabric and new platform, Tempered Networks introduces:

Conductor enhancements:

SimpleConnect API. A RESTful API exposes the full functionality of the Conductor's advanced orchestration engine, enabling customers to easily manage device communication policies through the fabric and automatically integrate the Tempered solution into other workloads.

Visual Trust Map. Provides a clear visual map of trusted relationships between whitelisted endpoints (i.e. device groups) to give administrators a clear picture of all connected and protected assets.

New dashboard. An intuitive live dashboard makes it easy to view the inventory of HIPservices in operation, which models are deployed, and which release versions are running.

Endpoint traffic stats. Network throughput visualization for public and overlay networks.

New HIPservices:

HIPapp for Windows. A new software application that provides seamless identity for any endpoint running Windows 7 or 10. When running the HIPapp, these endpoints can securely communicate with other trusted distributed equipment, devices and services protected by Tempered overlay networks.

Virtual HIPswitch 300v. Enables IT staff to extend HIPswitch hardened security capabilities into virtual environments.

AWS Cloud:

The HIPswitch 300v and the Conductor are now available as a virtual instance in the AWS Cloud.

Availability

The new software release for the Tempered Networks platform will be available in May 2016. Customers under current maintenance agreements can upgrade their Conductors and HIPswitches to the new 1.12 firmware at no additional charge.

Supporting Quotes

"Our research at IDC continues to indicate enterprise IT is struggling to adequately manage network environments that are not only growing but are becoming increasingly complex," said Brad Casemore, research director for datacenter networks at IDC. "IT leadership must reduce the manual ways that staff manage networks and increase the automation of tedious and error-prone networking tasks. In this respect, Tempered Networks is focused on shielding users from the management complexities of IP-based networking through automated orchestration of device policies on encrypted overlay networks. Reducing complexity is vital for IT to enhance their service levels across the enterprise."

"In contrast to traditional firewalls with static traffic filtering rules, or IPsec gateways that encapsulate all traffic through tunnels, HIPswitches use a stronger approach," said Dr. Andrei Gurtov, principal scientist at Aalto University in Finland. "Tempered Networks establishes secure tunnels over public Internet networks to deliver vulnerable user traffic safely, and they employ white-listing of hosts that govern use of these tunnels between cryptographic identities, protecting against unauthenticated malicious traffic. Furthermore, usability has always been an Achilles' heel of any proposed security solution, but Tempered has addressed this by focusing on providing an all-in-one platform with easy centralized management."

"Most of our enterprise IT customers are trying to take advantage of cloud and hybrid environments, as well as supporting a growing array of devices -- including non-traditional endpoints. That's a tall order when their CSO is on a mission to reduce their network attack surface, since it's not a trivial challenge to secure a constantly shifting perimeter," said Craig Harper, Chief Technology Officer at Sysorex. "By expanding the footprint of its secure, identity-based HIPservices to client endpoints and into the cloud, Tempered Networks gives Sysorex a unique advantage that will help our clients significantly enhance their risk posture."

"Traditional IT security products introduce a level of complexity at the operational level that can make it difficult or impossible to deploy and scale without impacting service or introducing risk," said Rick Dahlstrom, Executive Vice-President Sales & Marketing at McNaughton-McKay Electric Company. "Tempered Networks sets the bar for usability, flexibility and scale so our customers can focus on their core operations, rather than spending ongoing cycles managing, securing and troubleshooting their networks."

Supporting Resources

Fabric: How it Works: http://www.temperednetworks.com/how-it-works/

CEO perspective on State of the Art Cyber Security. http://www.temperednetworks.com/resources/state-of-the-art-cyber-security-through-automation/

Primer on Host Identity Protocol (HIP): A Game Changer in IP Communications. http://www.temperednetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Host-Identity-Protocol-Andrei-Gurtov.pdf

The Answer to Next Generation Security Threats. http://www.temperednetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/AST-0163765_Tempered_Networks_White_Paper_Pg1-4_Final.pdf

About Tempered Networks

Tempered Networks delivers a game-changing approach that brings seamless identity and trust to hybrid enterprise networks. The company's Identity-Defined Networking (IDN) Fabric cloaks an organization's fluid and porous perimeter, with baked-in security, effortless micro-segmentation, and centralized automated orchestration to eliminate manual errors and ensure enterprise scale. Tempered Networks' modern approach transcends the restrictive and tedious rules of IP networking, empowering IT staff to focus more on strategic business initiatives. The proven technology was in development and production for over 10 years at a Fortune 50 company and recently commercialized. Customers in the commercial, industrial and public sectors are deploying 'well-tempered' networks today. For more information go to www.temperednetworks.com.

You can also follow us @TemperedNW on Twitter or visit us on LinkedIn for more information about Tempered Networks and our technology.

Forward-looking statements. Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. Such statements include, for example, statements regarding the Company's or management's beliefs, expectations, estimations, plans, projections and similar statements. Any such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results and performance, or industry results to be materially different from any results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and there can be no assurance that the results and events contemplated by such forward-looking statements will, in fact, occur. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein.




Endace presents results of a field study comparing the accuracy of GPS and PTP timing in WAN environments at STAC Summits in London, Chicago and New York

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Endace, a global leader in high-speed network monitoring and recording technology, announced today that it has joined the STAC Benchmark Council.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160523/371135LOGO

"Following our recent spin-off, we are pleased to be renewing our long standing support for STAC, and the automated trading community," said Endace CEO, Stuart Wilson. "We've had a long relationship with STAC, which has used our technology for many years in its test labs to measure the performance of solutions for automated trading. We are keen to work with the community again and bring our expertise in highly accurate timestamping, lossless network recording, packet capture accuracy and replay to bear on setting and measuring performance standards for the financial industry."

The STAC Benchmark Council is a community of financial institutions and vendors that collaborate to develop technology benchmark standards for the financial industry. Industry members include the world's largest banks, brokerage houses, exchanges, hedge funds, proprietary trading shops; and vendors serving the financial industry.

Endace is also a platinum sponsor of the STAC Summits in London, Chicago and New York, where Wilson and Endace's CTO, Dr. Stephen Donnelly, are sharing the results of a field study comparing the accuracy of GPS and PTP timing in a live HFT environment - allowing automated traders tomake sound decisions in the face of looming MiFID-II requirements.

Dr. Donnelly's field testing demonstrated that PTP accuracy in a WAN environment is highly dependent on the environment it is being deployed in, and is sensitive to factors such as physical path changes or congestion queueing.

The conclusion from Dr. Donnelly's testing is that GPS should still be preferred as the gold standard for accurate synchronization. In environments where GPS time sources are not feasible, PTP may provide a possible solution in depending on the accuracy required, but 1) its accuracy is very dependent on the architecture and components of the network on which it is deployed, and 2) ensuring accuracy in a WAN environment is much more difficult to do.

About Endace

For more than 15 years, Endace has provided high-speed, network recording and visibility solutions to monitor and protect some of the world's largest, most complex networks. Customers include global banks, telcos and service providers, media and broadcast companies, health organizations, retailers, e-commerce and web giants, governments and large enterprises. Customers choose Endace technology because it can monitor and capture network traffic with 100% accuracy regardless of network speeds or loads. It can scale to meet the needs of the fastest networks and is built on an open architecture that enables integration with a wide variety of custom, open source and commercial solutions.

www.endace.com




SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Azul Systems (Azul), the award-winning leader in Java runtime solutions, will be engaging technical audiences and providing insight into the evolution of Java and advances in Java Virtual Machine (JVM) technology at conferences across Europe in the next few weeks. Simon Ritter, Azul's Deputy CTO, will be presenting at jPrime, Devoxx UK and Devoxx Poland.

Having moved to Oracle as part of the Sun acquisition, Simon's previous focus was on developer outreach for the core Java platform, Java for client applications and embedded Java. Now, at Azul, he continues to help developers understand all aspects of the Java platform.

For further details on Simon's sessions, see below:

- jPrime, Sofia, Bulgaria

Friday 27 May, 09.00 - 09.50, "JDK 8: Lessons Learnt With Lambdas and Streams"

- Devoxx UK, London

Wednesday 8 June, 12.40 - 13.30, "Arduino And Java With The Intel Galileo"

Thursday 9 June, 16.20 - 17.10, "Faster Java By Adding Structs (Sort Of)"

- Devoxx Poland, Krakow

Wednesday 22 June, 16.30 - 17.20, "Project Jigsaw in JDK 9: Modularity Comes To Java"

For a complete list of Azul Systems events, visit: https://www.azul.com/news-events/events.

About Azul Systems

@azulsystems

Azul Systems, the industry's 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 Azul's 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 www.azul.com.

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.

Contacts:

Media Contacts

For Azul Systems:

Howard Green, VP Marketing

+1 650 230 6616

hgreen@azul.com

Twitter: @azulsystems



Global PR Azul

Darren Cottom

+44 (0) 1295 713172

+44 (0) 7713 652216

darren@750-mph.com

Twitter: @darrencottom




DENVER, CO and SEATTLE, WA and SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA and LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Conga, a provider of document and report generation solutions for Salesforce customers, announced today that it will create integrations for Google's new Sheets and Slides APIs, which create collaborative, data-driven presentations and documents, and eliminate time-consuming manual development processes.

For Conga, these integrations will further expand the capabilities of its document generation solution, Conga Composer. This level of integration will offer existing and prospective Composer users the option to leverage Composer to merge data from Salesforce into documents within Google Apps.

Similar to Google Docs, integration with Google Sheets and Slides will provide Composer users real-time document collaboration and editing capabilities in Google Drive. This will be further enhanced by the ability to host templates within Google Drive and leverage Salesforce data to create polished, customized presentations with a consistent look and feel.

"At Conga, we are committed to bringing solutions that are innovative and match our customers evolving business," commented Doug Rybacki, Conga's Vice President of Product. "Our integration with Google's new APIs will provide our customers a more collaborative environment for their document solutions in real-time with Google Sheets, Slides and Google Drive. For existing Composer users, this new integration means more options to produce documents, and the new APIs will allow documents to merge through Google Slides and Sheets. For the first time, users can work outside of a Microsoft platform in a more dynamic and collaborative fashion," said Rybacki.

To learn more about Conga, please visit www.congamerge.com.

About Conga

Conga is a Salesforce Platinum ISV Partner and is the developer of the Conga Suite, the number one document generation and reporting applications for Salesforce. With more than 600 Five Star Reviews and superior NPS ratings, it is no wonder why Conga is now a Top 3 rated application out of over 3,000 applications in the Salesforce AppExchange.

The company was founded in 2006 to help Salesforce customers worldwide fully utilize their data in dynamic documents, presentations and reports. With industry-recognized products and support, Conga has rapidly built a base of over 150,000 users, in 45+ countries, across all industries. Thousands of customers use Conga to generate millions of documents every year, including leading companies like Hilton Worldwide, Schumacher Group and CBRE.

The company is privately-held and based in Colorado with global operations in the UK and Australia. Learn more at congamerge.com or follow Conga on Twitter: @CongaMerge.

About Google Sheets

The new Google Sheets API gives developers programmatic access to nearly all of the features users have access to via Google web and mobile UIs. Developers can now use Sheets to build richer workflows that range from offering their users customizable reporting, to allowing them to collaborate on a sheet, and import updated data directly back into their product. For more information, visit: http://googleappsdeveloper.blogspot.com/

About Google Slides

With the new Slides API, developers can also create and update presentations programmatically. Notably, it makes it easy for partners to export data from other tools and leverage functionality in Slides to create great looking visual reports. The new Slides API can also be used to empower users to merge data from other products into Slides, to create custom presentations quickly.

Video-Link Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3012283



MEDIA CONTACT

Mark Hanes

TallGrass Public Relations

(917) 359-0697

mark.hanes@tallgrasspr.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Darnley Bay Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: DBL) ("Darnley Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter return royalty, in the Clear Lake zinc-lead-silver deposit in the Yukon Territory from Bernie Kreft, the optionor.

The Clear Lake project, consisting of 121 contiguous claims covering approximately 2,479 hectares, is located 65 km east of Pelly Crossing, 90 km northeast of Carmacks and 225 km north of Whitehorse. A dirt airstrip approximately 1,000 metres long was used during previous drilling programs but is now overgrown. A winter road links the property to the all-weather North Klondike Highway at Pelly Crossing, approximately 65 km to the west.

Extensive exploration work by several operators since the 1970s has included 18,219 metres of diamond drilling in 71 holes. The Yukon Geological Survey database reports a "geological reserve" of 5,570,114 tonnes grading 11.4% zinc, 2.0% lead and 38.01 grams of silver per tonne. In 2010, a previous operator reported that SRK Consulting prepared a report in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"), estimating that the deposit contains an inferred mineral resource of 7.65 million tonnes grading 7.65% zinc, 1.08% lead and 22 g/t silver, based upon 63 drill holes totaling 13,168 metres of drilling, using a 4% (Pb+Zn) cut-off. Pb grades were capped to 1.5% and Ag grades were capped at 60 g/t.The best drill intersections assayed 16.06% zinc, 1.91% lead and 51.91 g/t silver over a core length of 14.6 meters (DDH 79-19) and 14.13% zinc, 2.24% lead and 36.45 g/t silver over 29.0 meters (DDH 83-46). The deposit consists of three elongate-shaped lenses, 5 to 30 m thick and 450 m in length that extend at least 300 m down dip, and additional mineralization in the hanging wall. It has potential for expansion at depth and along strike (SRK, 2010).

Clear Lake is a SEDEX massive sulphide deposit occurring in Devonian- to Mississippian-aged Earn Group shale. SEDEX deposits often occur in clusters at a specific geological time horizon and are a major source of zinc and lead, accounting for more than 50% and 60% of the world's reserves of these elements respectively. In 2008-2009 a previous operator carried out helicopter-borne VTEM and magnetic surveys, followed by a ground program of induced polarization and gravity surveys, in three target areas. Analysis by Condor Consulting Inc. and Aurora Geosciences Ltd. revealed coincident/complementary gravity, EM and IP anomalies, characterized as possible massive sulphide bodies with similarities to the Clear Lake deposit itself. One is associated with a zinc-rich gossan. The other two are modelled at depths of 150 m-300 m. No work has been conducted on the property since that time and therefore these targets remain untested.

The foregoing resource estimates are historical. The initial historical estimate was completed prior to the implementation of NI 43-101 and the latter historical estimate was not prepared by the Company. The Company considers the initial historical estimate to be relevant and reliable given the high quality of the historical estimate completed and the latter historic estimate was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. The Company has not independently verified either of the resource estimates, and therefore, neither can be relied upon as a current mineral resource for the Company. A qualified person of the Company has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources.

Terms of the acquisition include cash payments of $100,000 over five years. In addition, the agreement provides for bonus payments to the optionor consisting of $25,000 on completion of 1500 metres of drilling and a further $25,000 upon completion of a total of 3000 metres of drilling. In addition, a payment of $125,000 and 250,000 shares is required upon an inferred resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 equal to, or exceeding, one of the following thresholds: 2.2 billion pounds Zinc, 320 million pounds lead or 320 million grams silver. In order to maintain the option, Darnley Bay has a commitment of $25,000 of exploration expenditures to be completed by the end of August, 2016, and a total of $500,000 by the third anniversary of the agreement. The optionor will retain a 2% Net Smelter Return Royalty, 62.5% of which can be purchased from the optionor for $1 million.

This transaction is consistent with Darnley Bay's stated business strategy to acquire interests in several base metal deposits at or near the feasibility stage. In March, Darnley Bay announced an option to acquire the Davidson molybdenum deposit near Smithers, British Columbia (see press release dated March 8, 2016).

Stephen Reford, P.Eng., Chief Technical Officer of DBL, Qualified Person under NI 43-101, reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information presented in this press release.

Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that Darnley Bay expects are forward-looking statements. Although Darnley Bay believes the expectations expressed in such 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 the statements. There are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. These include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Darnley Bay, investors should review registered filings at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Darnley Bay Resources Limited

Jamie Levy, President and CEO

(416) 567-2440

(416) 361-2515 (FAX)

jlevy@darnleybay.com

www.darnleybay.com




BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Two U.S. Department of Defense cybersecurity officials will be among the featured speakers at a major regional conference hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association's New England Chapter.

"Advancing National Security Innovation: Fostering DoD/New England Industry Collaboration" will be held June 16 at UMass/Lowell. It will focus on innovation technology sectors with significant DoD and industry investments: cybersecurity; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR); and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Senior officials from federal and state agencies, defense contractors, research laboratories, academia, commercial industry and the financial sector will attend.

Marianne Bailey, the DoD's Principal Director, Deputy Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Cybersecurity, will deliver the morning keynote speech. John Mills, Chief, Cybersecurity Strategy Division, DoD CIO, will participate in a morning panel on Perspectives on Adopting Cybersecurity Solutions.

Forward-looking investments in these technology sectors will be explored, along with opportunities and challenges for DoD/industry collaboration.

"The conference will be of great business-building value to all participants," said Paul Serotkin, President of the NDIA/NE Chapter. "We are looking forward to this becoming an annual event for the region's innovation economy."

In addition to cybersecurity issues, panel sessions will include:

DoD/Industry Collaboration to Advance C4ISR/UAS Innovations.

Challenges and Opportunities for Disruptive Technology Commercialization.

Economic Development Updates from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

For speaker updates and registration, visit the NDIA/NE website: www.ndianewengland.org.

NDIA New England is the regional arm of the National Defense Industrial Association (www.ndia.org), the nation's leading defense industry association in providing a forum for the exchange of information among industry, academia, the military and state and federal government on national security issues.

For more information, contact

Harry King

NDIA New England

Communications Director

hkking@rcn.com




GUERNSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Further to a binding term sheet signed on May 24, 2016 ("Term Sheet") with Coro Mining Corp. ("Coro" or the "Company"), Greenstone Resources L.P. ("Greenstone") announces that it has agreed to convert the full repayment amount of US$8.125 million owing to it under the US$5.1 million convertible debenture dated 7 August 2015 and the US$1.4 million convertible debenture dated November 11, 2015 (together, the "Convertible Debentures") at C$0.10 per share. Greenstone currently has ownership and control over 79,800,000 common shares of Coro, representing 33.4% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. As a result of the conversion of the Convertible Debentures, Greenstone will acquire ownership and control over an additional 106,730,000 common shares of Coro and will, following the conversion, have ownership and control over a total of 186,530,000 common shares of Coro, representing approximately 53.9% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Coro.

Pursuant to the Term Sheet, Greenstone has also agreed, subject to satisfaction of customary conditions, to subscribe for 34,000,000 common shares of Coro, at a price per common share of C$0.10, for aggregate proceeds of US$2,588,307 (the "Tranche 1 Placement"), representing 9.8% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Coro post-conversion of the Convertible Debentures. Following completion of the Tranche 1 Placement and the conversion of the Convertible Debentures (as described above), Greenstone will own 220,530,000 common shares of Coro, representing approximately 58.0% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Coro.

In addition, pursuant to the Term Sheet, in the event that Coro is not able to raise an additional C$4.61m from subscribers other than Greenstone, Greenstone has agreed, subject to satisfaction of customary conditions and the approval by shareholders of Coro other than Greenstone, to subscribe for up to 66,000,000 additional common shares of Coro at a price per common share of C$0.10 (to be converted into US dollars) (the "Tranche 2 Placement"), representing 64.3% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Coro post-conversion of the Convertible Debentures and post completion of the Tranche 1 Placement.

Coro and Greenstone have agreed that the amount of the Tranche 2 Placement shall be no less than such number of common shares as will result in Greenstone owning at least 53.9% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Coro after the conversion of the Convertible Debentures and the completion of the Tranche 1 Placement and the Tranche 2 Placement.

Greenstone intends to convert the Convertible Debentures and subscribe for the Tranche 1 Placement and Tranche 2 Placement for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, Greenstone may from time to time acquire and/or dispose of securities of Coro or continue to hold its current position. A copy of the early warning report required to be filed with the applicable securities commission in connection with the transactions will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and can be obtained by contacting Joanna Duquemin Nicolle and Sadie Morrison at +44 1481 810 100. Greenstone's address is set out below.

Greenstone Resources L.P. 1st Floor, Royal Chambers St Julian's Avenue St Peter Port, Guernsey Coro Mining Corp Suite 1280 - 625 Howe Street Vancouver, BC Canada V6C 2TB

Contacts:

Joanna Duquemin Nicolle and Sadie Morrison

+44 1481 810 100




Technavio has announced the top six leading vendors in their recentglobal pneumatic nebulizers market 2016-2020report. This research report also lists 13 other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period.

Competitive vendor landscape

The global pneumatic nebulizers market is growing steadily. The competition in the market is intense as vendors offer different types of pneumatic nebulizers. Vendors adopt various strategies such as online marketing, use of new technologies for product development, and manufacturing of customized pneumatic nebulizers for children and soundless nebulizers.

"The implementation of these strategies has led to the development and use of various advanced devices. Moreover, the adoption of these strategies helps vendors to reduce the cost of the developmental processes of pneumatic nebulizers and also enables them to compete with others to gain market share and expand their product portfolio. In fact, many vendors are expanding their sales in emerging markets such as India and China to gain market shares," says Barath Palada, a lead analyst at Technavio for general medical devices research.

Request for sample report: http://goo.gl/oxC2FY

Top six pneumatic nebulizers vendors:

Philips Healthcare

Philips Healthcare operates in the global nebulizer market through its subsidiary Respironics. The company offers a range of products from classical nebulizers such as compressor nebulizers to advanced user-friendly nebulizers combining mesh-based aerosols delivery. SideStream nebulizers, SideStream Plus, SideStream nebulizer kit, Aeroneb, and I-neb AAD system are some of the company's key products. This diverse portfolio of the company allows it to offer specific sets of nebulizers to different geographical regions for various patient needs.

Omron Healthcare

Omron Healthcare is a Japan-based company with a strong portfolio of blood pressure monitors and respiratory devices. In September 2014, the company acquired NS Industria de Aparelhos Medicos, which is based in Brazil, to gain market share. This acquisition increased its shares to 48% in the Brazilian nebulizer market. It also enabled the company to offer cost-effective nebulizer units in Latin American and Asia. The company plans to expand in the Asian market. Its key products consist of a small, light, and tabletop nebulizer called CompAir nebulizer system and CompAir Elite Compact nebulizer which consists of a carrying case, nebulizer kit, air tube, mouthpiece, extra filters, and a child mask.

PARI Medical

PARI Medical specializes in developing devices for treating respiratory diseases. The company's nebulizers are being used in more than 20 clinical trials of new medications. The company also supplies its nebulizers to pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis and AstraZeneca for them to supply aerosol-based drugs. It has developed or is in the process of producing products to cater to individuals with bronchitis, COPD, cystic fibrosis, asthma, and other respiratory disorders.

BD

BD completed the acquisition of CareFusion in March 2015. Through this acquisition, BD expanded its geographical presence and served as a one-stop solution provider for consumer needs. Airlife and SideStream Plus are the company's key products offered for standard, continuous, and high-efficiency medication with different ranges of volume output. The product offerings of the company include standard medication nebulizers, continuous medication nebulizers and high-efficiency medication nebulizers.

Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare

Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Washington, New York, US. The company manufactures a range of durable medical equipment such as respiratory systems, mobility products, bariatric products, beds, wheelchairs, sleep surfaces and pressure prevention products, and self-assist products. It also provides long-term care and rehabilitation products, patient room equipment, power operated wheelchairs, personal care products, and electrotherapy devices.

Heyer Medical

Heyer Medical was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in Bad Ems, Germany. The company develops and distributes advanced medical devices in the areas of anesthesia, monitoring, ICU ventilation, and inhalation. Heyer Medical offers a wide range of pneumatic nebulizers worldwide for treating respiratory diseases.

Browse Related Reports:

Global Nebulizers Market 2016-2020

Global Respiratory Drugs Market 2016-2020

Global Self-care Medical Devices Market 2016-2020

Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005093/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Nemaska Lithium Inc. ("Nemaska" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: NMX)(OTCQX: NMKEF) is pleased to announce that it has received the first $5M tranche from Ressources Quebec Inc., a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec" acting as a mandatary for the government of Quebec. The private placement with Ressources Quebec totalling $10M was announced on March 11, 2016 and was held in escrow until the closing of the Johnson Matthew Battery Materials transaction (announced on May 11, 2016). The remaining balance of $5M is being held in escrow and will be released to Nemaska Lithium upon achievement of certain project milestones for the Phase 1 Plant.

"This new cash installment allows us to continue on schedule with the development of the Phase 1 Plant, with a goal of commissioning the plant by the end of this year and delivering commercial samples of battery grade lithium hydroxide to customers in 2017," said Guy Bourassa, President and CEO of Nemaska Lithium. "The Phase 1 Plant is a crucial marketing tool which will save us time and money once we are in full commercial production. By qualifying the lithium hydroxide produced from the Phase 1 Plant, our customers will have confidence in the quality and homogeneity of our products well before the mine and commercial Hydromet plant start commercial production."

The total budget to build and operate the Phase 1 Plant for two years is $38M, of which $12M comes from JMBM up-front payment, $13M from a grant from Sustainable Development Technologies Canada (SDTC), $3M grant from Technoclimat program through the Bureau de l'efficacite et de l'innovation energetiques of the Ministere de l'Energie et des Ressources naturelles and finally a $10M equity investment by Ressources Quebec Inc. To date, progress payments have been received from SDTC, Technoclimat and Ressources Quebec for a total of $7.88M.

About Nemaska

Nemaska intends to become a lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate supplier to the emerging lithium battery market. The Corporation is developing in Quebec one of the most important spodumene lithium hard rock deposit in the world, both in volume and grade. The spodumene concentrate produced at Nemaska Lithium's Whabouchi mine will be shipped to the Corporation's lithium compounds processing plant to be built in Shawinigan, Quebec. This plant will transform spodumene concentrate into high purity lithium hydroxide and carbonate using the proprietary methods developed by the Corporation, and for which patent applications have been filed.

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.

The statements contain herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ from those currently projected. The Corporation does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

www.nemaskalithium.com

Contacts:

Nemaska Lithium Inc.

Guy Bourassa

President, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary

418 704-6038

info@nemaskalithium.com



Nemaska Lithium Inc.

Wanda Cutler

Investor Relations

416 303-6460

wanda.cutler@nemaskalithium.com



Nemaska Lithium Inc.

Victor Cantore

Investor Relations

514 831-3809

victor.cantore@nemaskalithium.com

www.nemaskalithium.com




Since the CAD to USD exchange rate hit a bottom in January 2016, it had mostly been climbing upward. But then, as we entered the fifth month of the year, the CAD to USD pair started showing weakness again. Now, analysts are saying that the worst could be yet to come for the Canadian dollar.David Rosenberg is the chief economist and strategist at Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc. He believes that right now, the Canadian dollar is treading in "dangerous waters." (Source: ".

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.
Olaine, 2016-05-24 20:04 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 1. Report of the Board on results of operations in 2015.Draft resolution:To take notice of the Report of the Board on results of operations in 2015.2. Report of the Council on results of operations in 2015.Draft resolution:To take notice of the Report of the Council on results of operations in 2015.3. Report of the Auditing Committee on activities in 2015.Draft resolution:To take notice of the Report of the Auditing Committee on activities in 2015.4. Approval of the Audited Consolidated Annual Report of Group and Parent Company for 2015.Draft resolution:To approve the Audited Consolidated Annual Report of JSC "Olainfarm" group and of Parent Company for 20155. Distribution of profit of 2015.Draft resolution:5.1. To use part of the year 2015 profit of JSC "Olainfarm" in amount of 2 549 399.12 euros to pay dividends to shareholders of JSC "Olainfarm", (ISIN code of the shares LV0000100501) paying 0.181 euros per one share. Part of the profit in amount of 12 016 600.88 euros to retain undistributed and to reinvest in development of JSC "Olainfarm".5.2. Set September 14, 2016, as a record date for dividends and September 21, 2016, as the date of payment of dividends.6. Report of the Board on budget and on planned operations in 2016.Draft resolution:To take notice of Report of the Board on budget and on planned operations in 2016, which include Parent Company's unconsolidated turnover forecast for 2016 in amount of 86 million euro, and JSC "Olainfarm" consolidated turnover forecast for 2016 in amount of 100 million euro. Forecast of unconsolidated profit of JSC "Olainfarm" is 9 million euro, but consolidated profit is 10 million euro.7. Election of the Certified Auditor for 2013.Draft resolutions:7.1. to elect SIA "Ernst & Young Baltic" (license No.17, unitary registration No. 40003593454) to be the certified auditor of JSC "Olainfarm" in 2016.7.2. to set 43 300 EUR as the total remuneration of certified auditor for 2016.8. Election of the Auditing Committee.Draft resolutions:8.1. to elect Viesturs Gurtlavs to be the sole member of the Auditing Committee.8.2. to set the total monthly remuneration of the Auditing Committee at 4800 euros.JSC Olainfarm is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Latvia with more than 40 years of experience in production of medication and chemical and pharmaceutical products. A basic principle of company's operations is to produce reliable and effective top quality products for Latvia and the rest of the world. Products made by the Group are being exported to more than 35 countries of the world, including the Baltics, Russia, other CIS, Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.Information prepared by:Salvis Lapins JSC Olainfarm Member of the Management Board Rupnicu iela 5, Olaine, Latvia, LV 2114 Phone: +371 6 7013 717 Fax: +371 6 7013 777 E-mail: Salvis.Lapins@olainfarm.lv
Technavio analysts forecast the language learning development software market in Europe to grow at a CAGR of over 12% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global language learning development software marketin Europefor 2016-2020. The report also lists organizational learners and institutional learners as the two major end-user segments for this market.

Technavio education analysts highlight the following four factors that are contributing to the growth of the language learning development software market in Europe:

Government emphasis on language learning

Growing number of English language learners

Significant demand from organizations

Increase in m-learning

Government emphasis on language learning

The European Commission has laid great emphasis on foreign language learning. There have been continuous efforts to make citizens proficient in at least two foreign languages apart from one's native language. Students are learning foreign languages when they are 6-9 years because the EU has mandated early language learning in schools. Learning two languages is compulsory in a majority of EU nations.

According to Jhansi Mary, a lead analyst at Technavio for education technology research, "This development forecasts a greater level of assistance required from the language learning software providers. They will be required to introduce software that includes interactive elements of language learning specifically for students."

Growing number of English language learners

Europe consists of diversity in terms of languages spoken in the entire region. It has 24 official languages in 28 member states. Among all of the languages spoken in the region, English is the preferred language across Europe. Globalization and urbanization coupled with better access to educational institutions have enabled exposure to the language.

Moreover, English is one of the prominent languages taught at schools in most of the European countries. There is also an increased need for learning English among non-native speakers who have emigrated to countries where English is the native language. This requirement necessitates them to take tests such as, test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) and international English language testing system (IELTS). As a result, users in the education sector are primary consumers of language learning programs.

This facilitates the growth and development of language learning software. In addition, increased demand for English language skills encourages international vendors to explore potential markets in Central and Eastern Europe.

Significant demand from organizations

Companies in Europe are extending their workspaces to improve collaboration pertaining to project and task management among teams locally and globally. In order to successfully expand in emerging economies with promising growth prospects, knowledge of languages that are used for locally for business communication, plays an important role.

Multinational corporations are recruiting employees from around the globe and bringing multilingual employees onboard. This helps them achieve business development and better customer service and accelerate sales. Language learning also helps them collaborate with foreign clients while fostering stronger relationships, especially with large corporations. "Organizations are keen to provide language learning training so as to have employees who are well-versed with industry-specific terminologies in other languages. This kind of training is now provided online, thus, creating greater demand for online language learning software, which will further boost the market during the forecast period," says Jhansi.

Increase in m-learning

The use of mobile technology and applications among corporates has enhanced connectivity and boosted employee productivity. The adoption of new technologies such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops has spiked the use of mobile internet that is cost effective and has made communication easier.

M-learning is playing a similar role in the education industry. Hence, vendors of language learning products are using mobile apps as a strong medium of content delivery and content centralization. These apps also reduce logistical costs. These apps use interactive graphics and animations in a digital format to help learners quickly grasp the target language.

Browse Related Reports:

Language Learning Development Software Market in APAC 2016-2020

Global Online Language Learning Market 2016-2020

Global Natural Language Processing 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 enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform.

About Technavio

Technaviois 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/20160524005085/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Saint Jean Carbon Inc. ("Saint Jean" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: SJL), a carbon science company engaged in the development of natural graphite properties and related carbon products, is pleased to announce that the Company has signed an arm's length definitive agreement to acquire the Bell hydrothermal lump/vein graphite mine. The property comprises of 13 claims for a total area of 781 ha. It is located on Buckingham and Lochaber Townships in southwestern Quebec, about 170 km west of Montreal.

On closing the Company will issue 1,500,000 common shares as full consideration for the Bell Claims at a deemed value of $0.055 per share. The vendor will retain a Royalty of 0.75 percent on the Net Output Returns.

Historically the mine produced about 6,700 tons of graphite between 1906 and 1912. Exploration drilling was performed in the early 1950s, which defined the downward extension of Bell Mine graphite deposit.

The agreement is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange").

About Saint Jean

Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with interest in graphite mining claims in the province of Quebec in Canada. For information on Saint Jean's 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 Director

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, 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".

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 Transaction, including regulatory and shareholder approvals, if necessary, 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.

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 laws.

Contacts:

Saint Jean Carbon Inc.

(905) 844-1200

info@saintjeancarbon.com




DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Elite Data Services Inc. (OTC: DEAC) (the "Company"), a newly restructured technology driven management company, today announced that it had completed a lengthy corporate restructuring plan, and executed a definitive agreement to acquire Properties of Merit Inc. ("POM"), a Nevada based mining corporation which has secured gold and precious metals production interests in British Columbia.

For the past several months, the Company's management team has been working diligently to restructure the Company in hopes to acquire additional operating assets to foster its growth. On March 10, 2016, the Company executed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with POM to acquire its mining production interest in river claims located approximately 80 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, Canada in the lower Lillooet River Valley.

In order to complete the terms of a definitive agreement, management decided to restructure the Company first, which now includes three (3) separate subsidiaries (one minority owned) dedicated to our three different businesses: online marketing, gaming operations, and mining production interests.

In doing so, the Company recently formed Elite Data Marketing LLC and Elite Gaming Ventures LLC, both Florida limited liability companies, to manage the operations related to its online marketing and gaming businesses, respectively. In addition, the Company modified its original purchase of the gaming operations into a joint venture in order to limit certain financial impacts, and further executed assignments to move Company assets into their respective subsidiaries.

Separately, the Company executed several agreements with existing consultants, creditors, related parties and vendors in order to cancel non-performing agreements, reduce debt, extend payment terms of corporate obligations, and to provide compensation plans to parties actively working with the Company.

Charles Rimlinger, the Company's CEO stated, "This is a great day for the Company. We have struggled for the past year to build out our online marketing and gaming operations, but now we stand ready with a sense of renewed excitement to move this Company forward and to focus our efforts on new revenue streams, build up existing businesses, and increased shareholder value." He further added, "We are very much appreciative to all of our shareholders for being patient during this lengthy process."

The Company anticipates the initial closing with POM to occur on or before May 27, 2016.

Please refer to Current Report Form 8K dated May 24, 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for more information on the Company's recent events.

About Elite Data Services, Inc.

Elite Data Services Inc. ("Company"), a Florida corporation, is a technology driven management company which owns and operates businesses in areas of online marketing, gaming operations and mining interests. The Company is comprised of two (2) subsidiaries: Elite Data Marketing LLC, and Elite Gaming Ventures LLC, and minority interest in Properties of Merit Inc., with operations in the U.S., Canada and the island of Roatan, Honduras.

About Properties of Merit Inc.

Properties of Merit Inc. ("POM"), a Nevada based mining company, which has secured production interests in certain placer mining river claims containing gold and other precious metals in addition to rare earth elements located approximately 80 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, Canada in the lower Lillooet River Valley.

Forward-Looking Statements

Non-historical statements included in this press release are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements relating to the Company's future performance are subject to many factors including, but not limited to: working capital and availability of capital, implementation difficulties, impacts involving key vendors, lenders, competitors, and other risks detailed in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and other subsequent SEC filings. Such statements are based upon management's current beliefs and expectations subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the terms "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "may", "should", "plan", "possible", "potential", "project", "will", and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. There is no guarantee that the Company will enter into the agreements referenced herein, nor if we do, that successful implementation will transpire. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information, or otherwise.

Investor and Public Relations Contact



Elite Data Services, Inc.

Charles Rimlinger

Chief Executive Officer

(615) 905-4042

info@edscompanies.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/24/16 -- Redhawk Resources, Inc. ("Redhawk" or the "Company") (TSX: RDK)(FRANKFURT: QF7) announces that the Company is issuing the following news release to clarify its disclosure.

Non-Compliant Disclosure of Mineral Resources

In the Company's corporate presentation entitled, "Large Copper System, Copper Creek Arizona" (the "Corporate Presentation"), which is available on its website, the Company had provided a resource estimate, expressed as contained metal quantities, which omitted certain information required by National Instrument 43-101- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), including the grade of each category of mineral resource. In addition, contrary to NI 43-101, the Corporate Presentation disclosed a combined contained metal quantity which summed inferred mineral resources with other classes of mineral resources. The Company has now updated the Corporate Presentation and revised the disclosure to include the grade of every metal in each category of mineral resource and present the inferred mineral resources as a separate class in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.

In addition, the Company's website inadvertently referred to its previous preliminary economic assessment dated July 25, 2013 (the "Prior PEA"), rather than its amended preliminary economic assessment dated October 28, 2013 (the "Amended PEA"). The Prior PEA was not compliant with NI 43-101 and should not be relied on. The Amended PEA was filed to replace it in its entirety and the website has been updated to refer to the Amended PEA.

Non-Compliant Disclosure of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA)

The Company's website also contained disclosure from the Amended PEA which was not compliant with NI 43-101 because it did not contain the following cautionary language: "The Amended PEA is preliminary in nature as it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the results of the Amended PEA will be realized." The Company's website has now been updated to include this disclosure.

Finally, the Company's disclosure of the Amended PEA results on its website failed to discuss the impact of taxes on such results. The cash flow-analysis in the Amended PEA is pre-tax. If the Copper Creek project is profitable, the Company would be subject to tax in the State of Arizona. Combined federal and state corporate income taxes in the State of Arizona have been estimated at 39.53 percent. A further discussion on the impact of taxes on the results of the Amended PEA is available on the Company's website and in the Amended PEA.

R. Joe Sandberg, CPG, President and Director of the Company, is a qualified person within the meaning of N1 43-101 and has approved this written disclosure.

About Redhawk

Redhawk is a Canadian-based resource exploration and development company with a current focus on the advancement of the Copper Creek copper-molybdenum project in San Manuel, Arizona through a joint venture with Anglo American. The Copper Creek property consists of approximately twenty-nine square miles of contiguous patented and unpatented mining claims and state prospecting permits, located about 70 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona. The area is a mining friendly and politically secure location with excellent and readily accessible infrastructure including power, rail, water, roads and qualified consultants. Redhawk is concurrently implementing a strategy for growth through the opportunistic acquisition of interests in further mineral projects during this period of decreased valuations in the mining sector.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

J. Stephen Barley, Executive Chairman

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These forward looking statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Forward looking information involves risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking information. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update any forward-looking information except as required by law.

Contacts:

Redhawk Resources, Inc.

J. Stephen Barley

Executive Chairman

604-633-5088

info@redhawkresources.com

www.redhawkresources.com




Luxfer Holdings PLC ("Luxfer Group") (NYSE:LXFR) today announced the appointment of Dr. Brian Kushner as an additional non-executive director on its Board of Directors.

Dr. Kushner, who holds a doctorate in applied and engineering physics from Cornell University, was co-founder of CXO LLC, a management consulting firm headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2008, CXO was acquired by FTI Consulting, a global business advisory firm. Dr. Kushner is now senior managing director, corporate finance, for FTI and a co-leader in activities related to technology practices and aerospace, defense and government contracting practices.

Dr. Kushner began his career in 1982 at BDM International, a defense firm, as part of the management team that completed a leveraged buyout of BDM in 1990 by the Carlyle Group. Over the past two decades, he has served as chief executive, chief restructuring officer or director of more than 20 public and private technology, manufacturing, telecom and defense companies.

Dr. Kushner currently serves as a director and chair of the audit committee of Everyware Global, the parent company of the Oneida and Anchor Hocking brands. He is also a member of the executive committee of the Advisory Council of the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, chairman of the Physics Advisory Council at the University of Texas at Austin and a member of the Engineering College Council at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

As part of the Board's succession planning, two further non-executive director appointments are planned in the near future.

About Luxfer Group

Luxfer Group (www.luxfer.com) is a global materials technology group focused on sustained value creation using its broad array of technical know-how and proprietary materials technologies. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of high-performance materials, components and high-pressure gas-containment devices for environmental, healthcare, protection and specialty end-markets. Luxfer customers include both end-users of its products and manufacturers that incorporate Luxfer products into finished goods.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160524005490/en/

Contacts:

Luxfer Group

Dan Stracner, Director of Investor Relations

U.S. telephone: +1-951-341-2375

dan.stracner@luxfer.net
AdTriba, a Hamburg, Germany-based marketing technology startup, raised seed funding from High-Tech Grunderfonds (HTGF).

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

The company intends to use the funds to increase marketing activities and develop new features such us TV-attribution and automated optimization of campaigns.

Co-founded in November 2015 by Janos Moldvay (CEO) and Ludwig Ostrowski (CTO), AdTriba provides a Saas-based platform that allows advertisers to track, control and optimize their online marketing activities across all digital marketing channels through data science and user journey analysis.

The solution enables an accurate reporting and assessment of every online marketing campaigns profitability while taking into account the complexity of multi-touch and cross-channel user journeys.

The company currently serves 10 customers including Rebelle, Flyeralarm, Lee, Wrangler, Goertz and Zeit-Verlag, with additional 13 more companies testing the solution.

FinSMEs

24/05/2016
Accelerate Learning, a Houston, TX-based edtech company, raised $10m in Series A funding.

Owl Ventures made the investment joining Rice Management Company, the steward of the Rice University endowment, the sole investor in the company prior to this round of funding. In conjunction with the funding, Tory Patterson, managing director at Owl Ventures, joined Accelerate Learnings Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to grow internationally, and to develop enhancements and additions the product portfolio.

Founded in 2013 at Rice University and led by Vernon Johnson, CEO, Accelerate Learning is a provider of digital resources for preK-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Its STEMscopes is a comprehensive science curriculum that provides teacher and student digital resources, supplemental print materials, and hands-on exploration kits that build student engagement and excitement. The product is now used by nearly 6,000 schools in 35 states across the country.

FinSMEs

24/05/2016
AutoGrid Systems, a Redwood City, CA-based provider of Energy Internet software applications, raised over $20m in Series C-2 funding.

The round was led by utility-backed fund Energy Impact Partners (EIP), an investment firm representing four of the largest utilities in the United States and United Kingdom, and Envision Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based fund focused on software for big data, the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and security, with participation from Envision Energy and existing investor E.ON. In conjunction with the funding, Michael Donnelly, an EIP Partner, will be joining AutoGrids board of directors.

The company plans to use the funds to further develop its Energy Internet suite of applications and to extend marketing and sales efforts in North America, Asia and Europe.

Led by Dr. Amit Narayan, founder and CEO, AutoGrid provides an integrated suite of Energy Internet software applications which allows utilities, electricity retailers, renewable energy project developers and energy service providers to deliver clean energy by managing networked distributed energy resources (DERs) in real time and at scale. The companys applications are built on the a proprietary platform (AutoGrid Energy Data Platform), with predictive technology that leverages petabytes of smart meter, sensor and third-party data, along with data science and computing algorithms, to monitor, predict, optimize and control the operations of millions of assets connected across global energy networks.

Users include leading energy companies such as E.ON, Bonneville Power Administration, Florida Power & Light, Southern California Edison, Eneco, Portland General Electric, CPS Energy, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, NextEra Energy and CLEAResult.

FinSMEs

24/05/2016
Apixio Inc., a San Mateo, Calif.-based data science company for healthcare, raised $19.3m in Series D venture capital funding.

The round was led by SSM Partners with participation from First Analysis, and Bain Capital Ventures. In conjunction with the funding, Casey West, managing partner at SSM Partners, will join Apixios Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to develop new applications that create insights for appropriate care and quality measurement.

Led by Darren Schulte, MD, CEO, Apixio provides a cognitive computing platform, which mines unstructured medical records, such as medical charts and Medicare-reported chronic condition data, for an accurate view of a patients chronic conditions to allow payers and providers to offer more targeted care delivery.

The companys platform has analyzed data from more than six million patients to date.

FinSMEs

24/05/2016
MDLinking, an Amsterdam, The Netherlands-based provider of a medical app, raised 2.5m in seed funding.

Backers included Alec Behrens, who was one of the founders of Booking.com.

The company is currently in the process of raising an additional 15m Series A funding round.

Co-founded by Doctor Hans Flu and oncological surgeon and former Harvard research fellow in surgery Gijs van Acker, MDLinking provides an app for doctors to share their best practices around the world and treat patients on a global scale. The app, which combines live streaming with instant messaging and networking in a secure environment, has already been used by medical professionals from Europe, Africa, Asia and the US.

The app also gives access to a curated interactive educational library featuring live streams, training courses, huge volumes of research and in-house point of view, virtual reality and augmented reality productions.

FinSMEs

24/05/2016
With a manoeuvre right out of the pages of a slapstick Bollywood script, the Congress (or at least its supporters) has struck back at Rishi Kapoor's late night Twitter musings against institutions named after the Gandhi family members.

In a move that will leave high-schoolers or at best, fans of Sajid Khan films in awe, Congress supporters named a public toilet after Kapoor in Allahabad.

The supporters ceremoniously cut a red ribbon in front of a poster declaring the renaming, which flaunted a picture of the actor. A few children gathered at the scene (appropriately) looked on.

Allahabad (UP): Congress supporters name public toilet after Rishi Kapoor in response to the actor's tweet pic.twitter.com/xuXFi7gj9u  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 24, 2016

This comes following the veteran actor's, now famous, "Baap ka maal samjh rakha tha?" jibe at the Gandhi family.

In a series of tweets last week, Kapoor attacked renaming of public institutions after politicians, and mused (quite publicly) why the names of illustrious cultural ambassadors  such as Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan  or eminent industrialists like JRD Tata, were not used for more public institutions.

We must name important assets of the country (after people) who have contributed to society. Har cheez Gandhi ke naam? I don't agree. Sochna log! Rishi tweeted, adding in another post, Baap ka maal samajh rakha hai?

This was not the first time Kapoor had tweeted his thoughts about the Gandhi family. A few days before that, he had tweeted about the AgustaWestland scam, while in April 2015, when there was a lot of media attention on Rahul Gandhi's return to India after a sabbatical, the veteran actor had tweeted: "Why this fuss and hullabaloo? Someone just back after a holiday yaar give him a break. When is he to enjoy his money? In faltu days na? Samjho".

And if you were wondering, of course, the public toilet has not been officially renamed.

Samjho

Samjhe?

Hum bhi nahi...
Tax sleuths descend on lavish marriages and parties to keep a discreet but hawkish eye on the happenings with a view to sizing up the extent of splurge and later asking for the sources. The tip off comes from a variety of sources including the banquet hall owner and hence one may say it is no big deal. But I-T sleuths also have informants who trigger tax raids. The high value transactions regime under which sub-registrars have to notify the tax department if the property is registered for Rs 30 lakh or more etc is also an excellent tax intelligence gathering device.

In the event, eyebrows go up naturally when the I-T sleuths choose to turn a blind eye to the distribution of cash packets in our elections. Tamil Nadu especially has earned notoriety for this dubious practice. In the recently concluded assembly elections in that state, the two dominant regional parties reportedly have distributed cash packets at the rate of Rs 250 per voter aggregating to a mammoth cash distribution of Rs 1,000 crore across the state.

There cannot be any smoke without fire goes the cliche. Tamil Nadus dubious electoral reputation therefore does not rest merely on market gossip. Over the years, its cash for vote capers have become the stuffs of legend. At any rate, what prevents the income tax department from keeping an equally hawkish vigil on this blatantly unethical and illegal practice? One may say cynically that when both the main rivals distribute cash, the ultimate outcome is influenced by factors other than the cash distributed. May be, but is that a weighty enough reason for the I-T department to turn a Nelsons eye to this growing evil?

Conducting a free and fair election is not the job of the Election Commission (EC) alone. To be sure, it does take pains to video graph important political rallies. It takes police support to intercept vehicles carrying cash in excess of the limits it prescribes. But it seems to be at its wits end in unraveling the mystery behind cash. It is here the IT sleuths ought to step in. Why cant the IT sleuths fan out in vulnerable pockets and take up residence for the nonce so that they can act on the cash coming their way? The cash thus received at their temporary doorsteps, as it were, can be traced back to its source given some amount of diligence and intelligence.

Indeed, the saga of EC vigilance is a saga of lack of follow up or support by the tax sleuths. The EC asks every candidate in assembly and Lok Sabha elections to file an affidavit listing all the assets of the contestant and his/her spouse. There have been mind-blowing disclosures, with the top honors going to the BSP supremo Mayawatis famous disclosure of prime property in Delhis Sardar Patel Marg valued at Rs 380 crore.

The glib explanation by politicians is what they can do if the property prices appreciate. Touche! Alas, if only the tax sleuths properly follow up on the confession extracted by the EC! Time has come to refuse to confer the touch-me- not status to the politicians. It is costing the nation dear. Vijay Mallya slipped out of the country thanks to his fabled connections across the political and administrative spectrum. The Teflon image enjoyed by politicians is ruining the country and gnawing at its vitals. We admire at our democracy and its ability to throw out non-performers. But we scarcely spare a thought for the way the elections are funded in policy circles.

Yes, the commentariat agonize over the ills of our political funding with some suggesting state funding as the ultimate panacea but who will stop the cynical and blase distribution of cash and other blandishments to the blighted electorate which has over the years learnt to accept cash with two eager hands from whosoever is distributing but vote as per the dictates of their conscience. This is a small redeeming factor but that does not exonerate the somnolence bordering on the indifference of the tax sleuths.
ISLAMABAD Pakistan's interior minister said on Tuesday he could not confirm that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour had been killed in a U.S. drone strike, and described Washington's justification for the attack as "against international law".

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that Mansour had been killed in the drone strike, and the Pentagon said separately that Mansour was plotting attacks that posed "specific, imminent threats" to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told reporters that the body recovered on Pakistani soil, near the Afghan border, was charred beyond recognition, adding that DNA samples would be tested against a relative who had come forward to claim the body.

"The government of Pakistan cannot announce this without a scientific and legal basis," Khan told a news briefing.

He did not identify the relative or say whether he or she claimed to be related to the Taliban leader or someone else.

Khan rejected the U.S. argument that it could launch attacks across borders in order to protect its interests.

"For the U.S. government to say that whoever is a threat to them will be targeted wherever they are, that is against international law," he said. "And if every country in the world adopts this rule, it will be the law of the jungle."

Pakistan and the United States have been uneasy allies in the war against the Taliban and other Islamist militants in the region.

Critics in Afghanistan and the United States accuse Pakistan of allowing the Afghan Taliban's leadership to take shelter on its territory, something that Islamabad has denied.

The militant movement has made territorial gains and carried out a series of deadly attacks across Afghanistan since NATO forces officially wound down their combat mission at the end of 2014, undermining the Western-backed government in Kabul.

Recent events echo those in 2011, when U.S. special forces raided a building in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad that killed longtime al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, infuriating and severely embarrassing Islamabad.

CROSS-BORDER STRIKE?

Khan said the car was destroyed on Pakistani territory but was fired "from another country", presumably Afghanistan, where more than 10,000 U.S. and coalition troops remain.

Khan added that Pakistani authorities were also investigating a passport bearing the name of Wali Muhammad, which was found near the burned out shell of the car believed to have been the target of the drone attack.

He confirmed the passport in question had been used to travel from Pakistani airports multiple times, and that it held valid visas for Iran, Dubai and Bahrain.

If the travel document proves to have been used by Mansour himself, it would raise fresh questions about how the Taliban leader was able to move freely in and out of Pakistan and whether he had help from the country's security apparatus.

Khan on Tuesday disputed that elements of Pakistan's security apparatus supported the Taliban leadership.

"If (Mansour) was availing Pakistani intelligence agency support and help, would he be traveling like this?," he asked, referring to reports that the target was alone with a single driver.

The circumstances surrounding the killing remain murky, including how the U.S. verified it was Mansour who was killed in the attack and how any documents could be recovered from the fiery scene.

"You could not see a spot of paint ... that's how bad it was hit," Khan said. "How was a passport lying just a few yards away? So first we have to establish that, whether he was actually using it."

The Taliban have not issued any official statements on Mansour since Saturday's drone strike.

However, Taliban officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said Mansour is dead and a council is meeting to choose a successor, the second such leadership shura in a year after the death of the movements founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was confirmed in 2015.

MYSTERIOUS PASSPORT

Authorities in Quetta, the Baluchistan capital, showed a copy of the recovered passport, which has a photo bearing a strong likeness to the officially released Taliban picture of Mansour, to a Reuters reporter.

They also noted that it bore an exit stamp from Iran's land border with Pakistan dated May 21, the day of the drone strike.

Pakistani immigration records show that the Wali Muhammad passport was used at least 18 times since 2006 to travel internationally, two senior officials in the Federal Investigation Agency, which manages borders, told Reuters.

One of the officials in the southwestern province of Baluchistan said the passport was used mostly over the land border with Iran and from the airport in the southern city of Karachi, with the last exit from Karachi en route to Dubai on March 31, 2015.

The second official reviewed computerized records of the passport and said there were "18 travel events" from Karachi airport starting in 2007, with the last arrival at Karachi on April 2, 2015.

A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry was quoted on state media denying that such an individual had crossed the border from Iran to Pakistan at the time in question.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates did not respond to questions on whether Mansour might have entered Dubai using an assumed name or whether there was any record of a Wali Muhammad visiting.

(Additional reporting by Gul Yousufzai in QUETTA; Writing by Kay Johnson; editing by Mike Collett-White)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Now that bread, once the staff of life and the stuff we broke with each other, has been found guilty in Delhi, there goes another pillar of culinary probity.

A report gives the details of the supposedly cancer-causing chemicals being used in the bread samples tested, which included brands such as Britannia, Harvest Gold and the fast food chains  KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Subway, McDonald's and Slice of Italy.

According to the source, Britannia, KFC, Domino's, McDonald's and Subway have denied that these chemicals were used in their products.

Although credit is given to Marie Antoinette, rather dubiously, for having suggested cake as a substitute, one can imagine that in the offices of Maggi, some smart cookie is coming up with a campaign offering noodles and butter instead.

But, truly, food and adulteration seem to be close buddies. Watered down milk was a staple when we were growing up. The milkman even had different prices for each level of mix.

Then again, what is good for us?

Remember the days when you were told to eat all your leafy vegetables or else no ice cream? And you looked at that spinach like it was algae from the sea and you prodded it and slid it around the plate in the hope that it would sink into the ocean again. My friend who has just crossed 60 has been told by his doctor to avoid all leafy vegetables because they might cause knotting of the intestines. He tells me from his Calcutta bed that they have cut out ice cream too.

Great. Wonderful. Who are all these people ruining our lunch? Every now and then, I like to update my banned items' list and add new stuff so that one day there'll be nothing left to eat that is good for us and then we can lift the ban on everything and go back to square one.

Face it, the whole thing has to do with guilt, so you buy derivatives of the real thing under the fond belief that this will be good for you. Then, a few months down the road they will tell you there isn't enough Riboflavin in the stuff and you've now got a choice of either crumbling with shame or ensuring that your Riboflavin intake is upped immediately. Let's recap.

Bread was the staff of life. Now, it clogs your arteries. Brown bread was better till it rendered space to bran. Bran was good but it became a mockery when wheatgerm was introduced. And with each shift, the price went up too.

Remember butter? With toast. With scones. On biscuits. In cakes. They replaced it with a substitute. Then they replaced the substitute with a low-cal substitute. Then the low-cal substitute was dumped for a non-fat variation, and no one tells us what is in this seventeenth substitute that is so good for us we can't have a pat of butter.

Salt was of the earth, the essence of loyalty and service, and once used as currency to judge a man's character. Now, it gives you blood pressure and makes you slow and stodgy. So you have this non-sodium substitute that makes you ill.

When monosodium glutamate was introduced, we choked our food with it to enhance flavour. Now, it is the equivalent of offering strychnine.

Milk was the epitome of human kindness and we sloshed in that stuff. The new thing is that dairy products are 'uh oh' stuff and you have to be very careful. So you can have soybean milk as a substitute. Ever heard a soy bean say moo?

Tea and coffee died a long time ago. As did red meat. Touch it at your own peril. Red wine will pickle your kidneys and give you gout.

Guaranteed to get gout, pretty silly you will look after the seekh kebabs, hobbling around with a swollen toe. Remember sugar, a term of endearment and as much a giver of energy as the main ingredient in festivities? Now, you might as well shove a dagger in your solar plexus and end it right there. This is all very fine, but has anyone ever thought to look into all these substitutes we are having?

Eggs on your face are fine but not in your tummy. Chocolates kill. Lentils are sinful. Wheat is dicey. Rice sucks big time. Potatoes are daggers and tomatoes mean self-immolation. No one in their right mind eats dessert anymore. Cheese means deceased.

I checked out what we had for lunch. There was monoglyceride and diglyceride followed by hydrogenated oil for one dish, and the other contained hydrolised oil, not that I know the difference. Then, three helpings of monosodium glutamate, something called sodium caseinate, a generous pile of xanthan gum and a gelling agent that was unidentified. Lots of stabiliser and a sprinkling of sodium citrate to go with it.

Then, I had my daily dose of folic acid, E331 emulsifier, calcium disodium EDTA, pectin and guar gum.

All this evidently is better for me than a glass of cold milk. Or a slice of bread.

I am just waiting for the day when they say don't eat anything on your plate, are you crazy?
At present, around 330 million people in India are suffering a severe drought, which has caused an acute drinking water shortage crisis, especially in the states of Maharashtra and Telangana. The government of Maharashtra has recently declared 29,000 villages as drought-ridden. In fact, India has long been a water-stressed country. It has two percent of the worlds land, 16 percent

of its population, but only four percent of its renewable water resources.

Groundwater, constituting about 38.5 percent of available water resources, meets nearly 55 percent of irrigation, 85 percent of rural and 50 percent of urban and industrial needs.

Water stress is not unique to India.

There is a direct, positive relationship between economic growth and water stress. Rapidly growing countries of Asia and South America are facing a growing water crisis that threatens to derail their ambitious growth plans. For example, Brazil has more freshwater than any other country in the world, and yet its largest city, Sao Paulo, faced a drought in 2014. Nearly 40 percent of Brazils population faces some degree of water stress. In the 1950s China had 50,000 rivers. Today, the number has reduced to 23,000.

Small countries like Malaysia and Singapore have been facing droughts in recent years. Groundwater in Thailand is highly contaminated due to pollution caused by industries and over-extraction of groundwater.

A recent World Bank report says that countries can lose up to six percent of their GDP due to water scarcity that is caused by climate change.

By 2030, the world is projected to face a 40 percent deficit in its demand for water. India, with its growth ambitions, and a billion hopes, is clearly vulnerable. China has faced water problems similar to India in scale. China and India are both facing a water crisis because of over-consumption, pollution and inefficient use. Severe pollution is another common problem for both countries.

For instance, in China, water from one of its major rivers  the Yellow River Basin  has been badly polluted by more than 4,000 petrochemical firms. Water quality is so bad that it is no longer fit even for agriculture. The Ganges River is one of the most polluted in the world. The lack of sanitation in much of India has severely polluted its groundwater as 80 percent of all sewage flows directly into Indian rivers untreated.

Inefficient water use is a common problem as well.

In India, non-revenue water is 41 percent on a national average, compared to 21 percent in China. Agriculture consumes 90 percent of Indias fresh water, aggravated by a policy of subsidising fuel for irrigation pumps, which is rapidly depleting Indias groundwater. In China, industries consume about 23 percent of all fresh water supply.

However, while fast-growing countries face similar stresses on their natural resources, the way they respond to these stresses can be remarkably different. Countries that put in place robust water governance systems to cope with rapidly increasing water needs and the unpredictability of water supply caused by climate change will be able to meet their ambitious growth targets and promise of a good quality of life.

Tiny Singapore, a city-state long dependent on neighboring Malaysia for its basic drinking water needs has fine-tuned the technology for treating waste water and then reintroducing the treated water into its water system (the technology is dubbed NEWater). Singapore has also built an effective drainage system to be able to capture as much rainwater as possible in order to maintain its reservoirs. The city-state has recently weathered a drought, but its unsuspecting citizens would not realise it, as the availability and purity of their drinking water remains unaffected.

Even under conditions of water stress, countries like Thailand and Malaysia are able to provide tap water 24/7 to their citizens in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. China provides 24/7 tap water to its citizens. The water tariffs in these countries are not subsidised, thereby reducing the burden on government budgets. In contrast, urban Indias reliance on water tankers is unrelenting.

When they can, urban India is joining rural India in digging their own personal tubewells.

Chinas main approach to solving its water (and energy) crisis is to build more large dams and diversion canals. Some 22,000 medium to large-sized dams (at least 15-metres-tall) have been built since the 1950s. This is roughly half the worlds current total dams. The worlds largest dams are found in China. In addition, some 130 large dams are in various phases of development  from planning to construction  along the Yangtze and its tributaries, the Mekong and Brahmaputra, all flowing from the Tibetan Plateau.

China has the worlds largest dam  the Three Gorges Dam with a capacity 10 times that of the Hoover Dam  and the worlds largest water transfer project  the 2,700 mile North-South Water Transfer Project. The main driver of this dam-building frenzy is to reach the goal of generating 15 percent of Chinas energy needs from renewable sources such as dams (from the current level of

nine percent) as well as to supply water to agriculture and rapidly expanding cities.

In India, dam-building has been a much more difficult undertaking for a variety of reasons.

Water is a state subject and not a Central subject. State governments do not have the same capacity  engineering, financial, administrative and the political will  to undertake massive dam-building projects. In addition, inter-state conflicts in a federal system discourage cooperation.

In China, the state owns all water resources, surface (such as rivers) as well as groundwater. In India, groundwater is owned by the landholder. The state is therefore unable to regulate groundwater exploitation. It can only introduce policies to influence usage.

Water tariffs for domestic and industrial use are set by state governments and municipalities in India. State governments usually have less capacity and limited skill sets when compared with the Central government. Under the circumstances, the Central government should invest in capacity-building for state and city governments so that these sub-national governments can regulate and collect sustainable tariffs.

Clearly, effective water governance is the key to coping with water stress.

Research has shown that there may be existence of a water Kuznets curve ie certain water governance indicators vary positively with a countrys level of economic development. For example,

richer countries tend to pursue cost recovery compared to lower income countries where raising water tariff remains a politically sensitive subject. This is not surprising. Consumers in high and middle income countries are able to afford their water bills compared to poorer countries. Such a relationship has been found with respect to China. As China has increased its per capita income, its water governance indicators have strengthened, especially with reference to India.

For India, a water governance framework should include an overhaul of the legal regulation of water, efficient use of water for agriculture use, increasing green belts to raise the groundwater table and public-private partnerships for urban water supply and sewage treatment.

The present government has earmarked $3 billion for Ganga rejuvenation for the next five years, with plans to manage waste effluents, industrial pollution and revival of aqua life. The government should encourage growth of crops that are less water-intensive so that groundwater over-exploitation can be arrested. In this years Budget, the government has provided subsidies for drip-irrigation in the hope of reducing dependence on groundwater. This year, the government is planning to pump in $6 billion to increase the countrys forest cover.

However, it remains to be seen whether the present government is able to deliver on promises that have not been implemented in the past 40 years. If India is to grow rapidly in the next 30 years, it has to decisively address its water problems now. For a start, Indias politicians should put water on top of their agenda.

Good water economics is good politics.

Dr Eduardo Araral is the vice-dean, Research and associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He is also director at the Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Shivani Ratra, is a researcher at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

Sun Xi is an independent commentary writer based in Singapore and an alumnus of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Bengaluru: Voicing concern over "inability" of investigators to nab the assailants of rationalist MM Kalburgi even nine months after his murder, several eminent thinkers and scholars in Karnataka on Monday said the slow pace of probe raises "suspicion".

In a letter to the President, the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Karnataka Governor and the Chief Minister, they said the state government should show its resolve in favour of democratic principles by nabbing those behind the killing and taking action against them as per law.

The signatories include literary figures, scholars and rationalists like Chandrashekar Patil, Narendra Nayak, Panditaradhya, Hema Pattanashetty, Vasanta Shetty and Sushi Kadanakuppe.

Demanding that the facts behind the killing of Kalburgi be made public, they said the case not reaching any conclusion even after nine months would send a "wrong" message to the society.

Kalburgi, 77-year-old rationalist fell to the bullets of two unidentified men at his residence at Dharwad in north Karnataka, considered the state's cultural capital, in August last year.

Alleging that CID, investigating the case, had not placed any facts in front of the public, they said "after the sketch of the suspects were released, we are not aware as to where the investigations have reached."

Inability to come to any conclusion so far creates suspicion about the responsible investigation, they added.

The state CID is probing the killing, which had led to national outrage with several writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards over "rising intolerance", citing the murder of Kalburgi as one of the reasons for their action.

Citing slow phase of the investigation, the letter expressed apprehensions that Kalburgi case will face similar consequences to that of Dabholkar and Pansare of Maharashtra.

Anti-superstition crusader Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, while Pansare, a prominent anti-toll activist and rationalist, was shot-at in Kolhapur on 16 February last year. He died in Mumbai four days later.

Investigators are also looking for links between the murders of Kalburgi, Dabholkar and Pansare.

Stating that finding out those behind the killing will be a tribute that the government can pay to Kalburgi, the signatories said not doing so will be an indirect support to religious fundamentalists.

They said it would also indirectly indicate curtailing freedom of thinking and free sharing ideology and also silence voice against fundamentalism.
New Delhi: Decks were cleared on Tuesday for exempting state government medical colleges from the Supreme Court-mandated single All India entrance exam for a year with President Pranab Mukherjee giving his assent to the NEET Ordinance before he embarked on his China visit.

Ending the uncertainty on the fate of the Ordinance after the President raised some queries on the measure that was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday, states now have the option of either conducting their own exam or be part of the NEET to fill 85 percent of the Under Graduate (UG) medical and dental seats.

15 percent of the remaining seats will be filled through NEET route by all India counselling.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda while giving details of the Ordinance, which, he said gave a "firm statutory status" to the concept of Uniform Entrance Examination, however, made it very clear that all private medical colleges and deemed universities will come under the ambit of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

However, for PG courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year.

Nadda said that the necessity of promulgating the Ordinance arose as the Supreme Court is presently in vacation while both the Houses of Parliament had been adjourned sine-die.

Allaying apprehensions that the Centre is trying to defer NEET through the Ordinance, Nadda said that NEET is already implemented and the second phase will be held on 24 July.

"The purpose of the Ordinance is to provide a firm statutory status to the concept of Uniform Entrance Examination for all undergraduate and post graduate admissions in medical or dental colleges while providing a relaxation to the state governments in relation to only UG admissions for this year [2016-17] in view of their difficulties," he told reporters.

Mukherjee signed the Ordinance on Tuesday morning after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat early Tuesday morning along with the top ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by Mukherjee on the NEET issue.

"All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill UG seats."

"The states will have an option. Approximately five states have undertaken their test. 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams. 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET 1," Nadda said.

Nadda said that the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and The Dentists (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 are being promulgated to amend the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 and Dentists Act, 1948 respectively.

The Ordinance was brought in to provide for a uniform entrance examination for UG and PG admissions with a provison that for UG admission for the year 2016-17 only, the state government seats (both in government and private medical colleges) shall be exempt from the purview of NEET regulations if the State so opts.

Nadda said that the Ordinance addresses the concerns expressed by states and political parties. He said that it was the Centre which had approached the Supreme Court in the matter with the review petition and said it is strongly committed to NEET.

Nadda said that only state government seats in government medical colleges and state government seats in private institutions will have exemption for the current year.

The Minister said that the management quota seats shall be filled by the respective private colleges, associations of colleges or private universities or deemed universities through the NEET UG-2016 examination in all the states even for this year.

"The necessity of promulgating the Ordinances arose since the Supreme Court is in vacation presently and both Houses of the Parliament had adjourned sine-die by 13 May 2016," he said.

He said that six states and one UT are already participating in the NEET this year and the Ordinances will allow them as well as any other state, which so opts, to fill up their state seats from NEET for 2016-17 UG admissions.

"The President today morning signed the Ordinance which was sent to him by the Union Cabinet. Following this, the legal procedure has been initiated. It will be notified today," he added.

Stressing that the exemption to the state governments from NEET is only for a year, Nadda said that this was strongly requested by the states at the meeting of the state health ministers recently after they cited three reasons- state level examinations already conducted, exams conducted in regional languages and the syllabi were different from the All India PMT.

"All parties reiterated that while they were all in-principle in favour of holding NEET, it would be prudent and in the larger interest of lakhs of students to allow the stategovernments to continue with their existing procedures for filling up of UG seats for 2016-17 in respect to state government seats," Nadda said.

He said Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chandigarh have conducted exams under NEET. Bihar too has opted for NEET from this year though Delhi is yet to take a decision, he said.

Nadda said the states that have deferred the exams are West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh. He said the states had not effectively put forth their views in the right perspective before the Supreme Court.

"In order to provide them relief, we brought this Ordinance," he added.
Sir, what do you think about NEET?

In many variants of an ongoing online joke, somebody puts this question to a politician.

Netaji replies: ''Neat, with water, soda or just a few ice cubes. It doesn't really matter if the whiskey is good."

To many, the ongoing controversy about the preferred procedure for admission to medical colleges is just a joke, spun on the many delicious meanings of the acronym for National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) and the propensity of politicians to serve just their own interests.

But, when students, owners of medical colleges and brokers hear NEET, they don't think whiskey. They think business that runs in several hundred crores.

To understand the business of NEET, search for MBBS admission consultants on Google. You would get a wide range of names and numbers of people eager to help you secure admission in a medical course, become a doctor.

This is how it goes.

For securing admission in private medical and dental colleges in India, you have to write a private exam conducted by these institutions. Just before the process begins, the consultants  a euphemism for brokers  approach students and guarantee admission for a substantial donation/capitation fee, ranging from 50 lakh to a crore. The money is passed on to owners of these private colleges by the broker after retaining a small commission.

Typically, the entrance exam is fudged. Aspirants who have already paid the advance are asked to leave most of the answer sheets blank. They are filled up later to manipulate the merit list. Sometimes, even those who have paid in advance are made to cough up more than the amount agreed upon on the pretext of being on a wait-list.

Many owners of private medical colleges are pure businessmen. Their only objective is to sell seats to the highest bidder and make the maximum amount of money possible in the admission season  and even after that.

Aware of the rampant loot in the system and other systemic flaws, the Medical Council of India (MCI) issued a notification in 2010 mandating a single admission test  NEET  for all medical colleges in India.

The MCI decision, incidentally, was born out of another 2010 SC judgment that had advocated a single exam for all colleges. In their 2010 verdict, a two-judge bench argued a single entrance test would save poor and meritorious students. The judges said it will spare them the physical stress and financial burden of travelling for multiple entrance tests in the hope of securing admission.

Students hailed the decision as a major reform. Apart from ending corruption and making medical education a privilege of those with deep pockets, it also obviated the need to write multiple entrance.

According to The Hindu, the NEET was welcomed by students and parents because of transparency and the respite it offered from the ordeal that the aspiring doctors had to endure until last year when they had to file multiple applications and shuttle between cities across the country to take entrance tests, which medical colleges would hold with no co-ordination among them. It had also curbed the room for the promoters of several medical colleges to extort hefty capitation fees.

The decision was a big blow to private medical colleges. In one brutal blow, it deprived them of a source of huge capitation fees and illegal donations. Hit by the MCI notification, it is widely believed, the owners got together to find a way to circumvent the new law. Huge amounts of money  some say every college pitched in with Rs 3 crore  were pooled to fight the diktat.

In 2013, in a surprise decision, a Supreme Court tri-judge bench headed by the then Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, who was to retire the next day, scrapped the NEET. CJI Kabir and Justice Vikramjit Sen formed the majority to hold that the notification mandating NEET for all violated private medical colleges' rights to carry on business guaranteed under Article 19(1)(g) and the constitutional guarantee under Article 30 to the minority community to set up and manage educational institutions.

In the Supreme Court, however, Justice A R Dave did not agree and, in a strong dissent, stressed that there was no proper discussion on the draft majority verdict which appeared to have been rushed because the CJI was to retire in a few days.



A few days after the top court asked colleges to revert to the old system and junk the single-entrance exam, several educationists, health sector experts and members of the MCI exhorted the then minister of health Ghulam Nabi Azad to appeal against the verdict. For some reason known only to Azad, the government refused to act.

In an unprecedented move, in April this year, the Supreme Court recalled its 2013 decision scrapping NEET and reintroduced it this year. The Narendra Modi government has, however, brought an ordinance to allow states to conduct their own exams for one more year.

The government's argument is almost similar to former CJI Kabir's argument. It claims that the government needs at least a year to make NEET a level-playing field for students, especially because the proposed entrance exam is loaded heavily in favour of those from schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

But, it has ignored the spirit of the dissenting note Justice Dave had put up in 2013 while objecting to the scrapping of NEET: "If only one examination in the country is conducted and admissions are given on the basis of the result of the said examination, in my opinion, unscrupulous and money-minded businessmen operating in the field of education would be constrained to stop their corrupt practices and it would help a lot, not only to the deserving students but also to the nation in bringing down level of corruption."

By deferring the single-exam system for at least one more year through an ordinance, the Modi government has given private colleges a huge lifeline.

They must be raising a toast to it. NEET.
6.38pm: House adjourned till tomorrow 11am

6.37pm: Rajya Sabha sends Lokpal Bill to Select Committee.

6.37pm SP's Naresh Agarwal asserts that the names he suggested that is under the established rules and regulations of the Rajya Sabha.

6.36pm: Axom Gana Parishad's Birendra Prasad Baishya calls the motion a breach of procedures.

6.35pm: BJP's Shanta Kumar questions the motive of the government.

6.31pm: Don't let the government come up with loose motion: Sitaram Yechury

6.25pm: The Chair, Professor PJ Kurien denies that he has not allowed members of the House to air their opinions. He said any member of the House is free to introduce a motion. He refuses to take blame on the names suggested by Naresh Agarwal for the Selection Committee.

6.18pm: Mayawati opposes names of the select committee. Supports Arun Jaitley that the government should not from a friend's shoulder. The minister should be responsible of his duties. Wants a detailed discussion on the matter. Mayawati wants detailed discussion with all political parties.

6.15pm: V Narayanasamy, Minister of State, PMO Supports the name proposed by the Samajwadi Party member for the Select Committee. Wants that the committee to submit the report on the first day of the last week of the Monsoon Session.

6.10pm: CPM's Sitaram Yechury questions the absence of a motion for a select committee. Consider all amendments. But if you want a select committee, the minister should propose it.

6.05pm Leader of Opposition, Arun Jaitley

Credibility of Parliament at stake. Serious differences of opinion with the government. On 29 December 2011, the Lokpal was almost passed but the government backed off. High time to decide whether we need a Lokpal or not. The minister or the government should be upfront and say that we want a Select Committee. The government should not shoot from a friend's shoulder about the committee.

6.00pm Reacting to the motion, BJP leader Rajeev Prakash Rudy instantly came on his feet opposing the motion calling it a breach of procedure.

______________________________________________________________

From the Rajya Sabha Hand Book (the rules in contention)

(ii) Consideration Stage of the Bill (Second reading, Rule 69)

After introduction or after the presentation of the report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee as the case may be, for the Bill to be taken up for consideration, a separate notice to this effect is to be given. In respect of Government Bills, the Minister gives the notice. In respect of a Private Members Bill, the member gives notice after his name has been selected by draw of lot as described in para  1.21 (V). Thereafter, the Bill is listed for consideration and passing on an appropriate day in the List of Business for that day. Consideration of a Bill by the Council is in two stages:

(a) First Stage (Rule 70)

The first stage consists of a general discussion of the principles underlying the Bill. At this stage it is open to the House to refer a Bill to a Select Committee of the House or a Joint Committee of the two Houses or to circulate it for the purpose of eliciting opinion. This is done by a motion moved by a member that it be referred to a Select Committee of the Council or that it be referred to a Joint Committee of the Houses with the concurrence of the House. For this purpose a written notice of the motion is required to be given mentioning the number of members proposed for the Joint/Select Committee and the names of the Rajya Sabha Members proposed to be included. Alternatively, the member in charge of the Bill moves a motion that the Bill be taken into consideration. At this stage the Member-in-Charge may make a speech explaining the principles and provisions of the Bill. Other members with the permission of the Chair may also speak on the principles of the Bill. Amendments to any of the clauses of the Bill are not permitted to be moved at this stage (In respect of Private Members Bills, the Minister whose Ministry is responsible for the subject matter of the Bill may intervene and give the view point of the Government). Thereafter, the memberin-charge of the Bill may reply and if he so desires, seek the permission of the House to withdraw the Bill.

(b) Second Stage-Clause-by-Clause Consideration (Rule 70) If the motion for consideration of the Bill as introduced in the House is adopted by the House, the Bill is taken into consideration clause-byclause. The Chair calls the clause number one by one. Discussion can take place on each clause of the Bill and amendments to clauses are moved at this stage. First the amendments are moved to a clause and then the clause with the adopted amendments, if any, is put to the vote of the House. The amendments form part of the Bill if they are adopted by a majority of members present and voting. This stage of the Bill is completed when all the clauses, the schedules, the enacting formula and the title of the Bill have been put to vote and disposed of.



(c) Bill before the Select/Joint Committee (Rules 72 to 93)

If the motion for Constitution of a Select Committee is adopted or if the motion for Constitution of the Joint Committee is adopted by the Houses, the Bill stands referred to the Committee. Select Committee or a Joint Committee constituted to examine Bills is an ad-hoc Committee in nature and becomes defunct as soon as it presents its report to the House. The Select/Joint Committee considers the Bill clause-by-clause just as the House does. Amendments can be moved to various clauses by members of the Select/Joint Committee.

The Select/Joint Committee can also take evidence of associations, COMPOSITION, BUSINESS AND PROCEDURE 40 HANDBOOK FOR MEMBERS OF RAJYA SABHApublic bodies or experts who are interested in the measure. After the Bill has thus been considered, the Select/Joint Committee presents its report to the House, which will include the Bill with all the amendments accepted by the Committee. The Council then

considers the Bill as reported by the Committee, after a motion to take up the Bill as reported by the Committee is moved and passed. The member-in-charge of the Bill may move the motion by giving a notice which after admission is included in the List of Business.

(d) Bill circulated for Eliciting Public Opinion [Rule 70 (3)]

If a Bill is circulated for the purpose of eliciting public opinion thereon, such opinions are obtained through the agency of the State Governments. When a Bill has been circulated for eliciting opinion, the next motion by the member-in-charge of the Bill has to be a motion for reference of the Bill to a Select/Joint Committee, unless the Chairman allows a motion to be made that Bill be taken into consideration. The member gives notice in this regard and the item is included in the List of Business for the appropriate day.

______________________________________________________________

5.50pm Samajwadi Party's Naresh Agrawal came up with a proposal of six names comprising a Select Committee to where the Lokpal Bill will be sent.

5.45pm: Lokpal Bil tabled by Minister of State, PMO, V Narayanasamy.
Guwahati: BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday said NDA government's two years in office at the Centre will be written in "golden words" in history for the many developmental works that took place during the place.

"After two days, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre will complete two years. In the history of India, this period will be written in golden words that so many developmental works took place, which never happened in 60 years since Independence," Shah said.

Elaborating, he said the Centre under the leadership of Narendra Modi has worked for development of all sections of people and the happiest moment for his party to form the government in Assam.

Addressing the huge public function organised for the swearing-in of new Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, he said, "I want to assure the people of Assam that our government will work very efficiently to take the state on the path of strong growth. Assam will be included in the list of developed states in India."

The Centre will always stand by Assam in its problems and needs, he added.

Shah ended his speech with Bharat Mata Ji Jai.

The public meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a host of BJP chief ministers, besides those of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Union ministers and top BJP leaders.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made history in the recently-concluded assembly elections, as it clinched power in Assam for the first time. Assam was a Congress bastion with party veteran Tarun Gogoi ruling the state since 2001. The BJP in the state swept the polls by winning 60 seats in the Assembly.

With this massive electoral success, it was no surprise that the BJP is intending to make its leader Sarbananda Sonowal's swearing-in as a gala event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states and even diplomats from Saarc countries are expected to attend the event, as per a report in Economic Times.

The new government will be sworn in on Tuesday at the Veterinary College Ground in Khanapara. The ground has been prepared to accommodate at least one lakh people. Before the oath-taking ceremony, a cultural event of Assamese music and dance is slated to take place, as per a report by NDTV.

Reports said that Guwahati city literally turned into a fortress for the oath-taking ceremony. Apart from Modi and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states, BJP president Amit Shah, yoga guru Ramdev Baba and spriritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar are also expected to mark their presence.

Sonowal, on Sunday, met Assam Governor PB Acharya and staked claim to forming the next government by his party and its allies in the state. The combined strength of the BJP, AGP and BPF is 86 in the 126-member house.

Although the BJP did not confirm the numbers, other sources said that while five members from the BJP will be sworn-in with Sonowal, there will be two each from alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF).

Earlier, newly-elected 60 BJP legislators held their first formal meeting at a city hotel and unanimously elected Sonowal as their leader. Sonowal said the BJP will take Assam to new heights of development in cooperation with its alliance partners.

He said he did not have any problem in working with senior AGP leader and former state chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

On Sunday evening, Sonowal met three-time former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi at his official residence in Koinadhara hills and invited him for the swearing-in ceremony.

I met Shri Tarun Gogoi Dangoriya and took his blessings and also invited him for the Swearing-in ceremony. pic.twitter.com/jZepNKvM9b  Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) May 22, 2016

With inputs from IANS
After 15 years of Congress rule in Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP clinched a massive victory in the northeastern state. The party swept the assembly election by winning 60 seats in and clearing the path for the first BJP government in the northeast. Together with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), the BJP bagged 86 of the 126 assembly seats.

Sonowal's swearing-in ceremony was nothing short of a grand event. Starting from all BJP bigwigs, including veteran LK Advani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and party president Amit Shah, all the chief ministers from NDA-ruled states were present at the event. According to reports, even diplomats from Saarc countries attended the ceremony. Interestingly, the BJP marked its massive sweep in Maharashtra with a similar star-studded event for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' swearing-in ceremony.

Addressing the huge gathering at the Veterinary College Ground in Guwahati's Khanapara, PM Modi said Assam is an important centre for development in all of northeast. Starting his speech in Assamese, the PM hailed the newly-elected Sonowal as a soft-spoken and a development-driven leader.

PM Modi's speech put onus on Assam as a gateway to the northeast, as he kept stressing on a collaborative functioning of the state and the central government in New Delhi.

Until the historic win on 19 May, BJP was in the margins in northeast and was considered a Hindi-speaking north Indian party. Wave of anti-incumbency against Congress veteran and former CM Tarun Gogoi and centering their campaign around the illegal immigration from Bangladesh, the BJP fought and won the assembly polls on identity issues.

After winning the elections, Sonowal had told pro-RSS journal Organiser, "Assam badly needed a government imbued with nationalism as it had been turned into a playground by separatist forces. The Assam verdict is a vote against the Congress policy of being lukewarm towards illegal immigration of people from Bangladesh and the changes in the demography caused by Muslim infiltrators. It is not Assam alone which is faced with the problem of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Even distant Bengaluru is faced with it, though to a smaller extent."

The Assam election and BJP's sweeping victory is a perfect example of the importance of allies. Tarun Gogoi had earlier said that the "question doesn't arise of allying with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)".

Trends have now shown that the AIUDF got the third-largest number of seats in the elections.

On the other hand, BJP formed alliances with the BPF and AGP. NDTV reported that the BJP faced pressure from both within the party and the old Sangh guard to ignore the AGP. It was also said that the AGP was being given too many seats. But the BJP nevertheless entered into an alliance with the AGP and BPF, which "gave it the leadership of a broad-based social alliance".

Apart from its alliance with AGP and BPF, the BJP party centered its campaign around its chief ministerial candidate. Instead of riding on the Modi-wave, which spectacularly failed in Bihar, the party focused on its local candidates and issues.

Sonowal's presence actually helped BJP which portrayed itself as a pro-tribal outfit for the first time. This brought in huge dividends. Besides Sonowal's own Kachari tribe, other communities like Moran, Muttock, Tai Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Sootea and the Tea tribes too flocked to the BJP. The splitting of the Muslim votes also worked in favour of the party.

Sonowal being a tribal suited both the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP in their quest for power beyond river Brahmaputra in the northeast. With his staunch opposition to the illegal migrants from Bangaldesh, Sonowal gave legitimacy to the Hindutva politics of a 'north Indian party' among the tribals in the northeast.

"BJP was always an accepted political force for upper caste Hindu Assamese, but Sonowal and a few others like tea tribe leader Kamakhya Tasa gave BJP new footholds. The election results in Assam exemplify that paradigm shift and hopefully its a new beginning under Sonowal," said Guwahati-based political analyst Ratnadeep Gupta.

It goes to Sonowal's credit that he could deliver Assam to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah in an election where the so-called 'Modi wave' of 2014 was either on the wane or simply non-existent.

However, running a state like Assam will be a challenge for Sonowal. Apart from keeping its allies happy, Sonowal has the daunting task of maintaining the aspirations of those for whom the newly-elected CM is the face of the tribal population in the state. One of the key poll planks which BJP rode on was the issue of the tribals in the northeastern state.

The fact that BJP has overthrown a government which ruled for 15 years is significant because in 2011 the saffron party was an 'also-ran' with only six seats in the assembly.

Defection of Congress leader Himanta Biswas Sarma to the BJP dealt a huge blow to Congress. In fact, it was Sarma who was instrumental in getting the Harama Mohilary-led Bodoland Peoples Front within the NDA fold.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP formed a government in February led by dissident Congress politician Kalikho Pul, according to Livemint.

With inputs from agencies
Syria: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday condemned bombings claimed by the Islamic State group in two Syrian coastal cities and voiced concern about the military escalation in and around Damascus.

More than 148 people were killed in the bomb blasts at bus stations, hospitals and a power station in the cities of Jableh and Tartus, two strongholds of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Ban "condemns the terrorist attacks on Monday that claimed the lives of dozens of civilians in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartus," said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

He expressed "great concern" over the escalating military activity in and around Damascus, particularly in Daraya, Aleppo and Idlib and in northern Homs, especially Al-Houla, he added.

Fourteen civilians -- four of them children -- were killed when a barrage of barrel bombs hit the town of Al-Houla and neighboring villages last week, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Barrel bombs are indiscriminate weapons typically dropped from helicopters. Their use in Syria's war has come under fierce criticism by rights groups but the regime denies using them.

Ban renewed his call to all warring factions to spare civilians and said those responsible for such attacks must face justice.

US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to urge him to press the Damascus regime to halt its attacks on Aleppo and Daraya, the US State Department said.

"Russia has a special responsibility in this regard to press the regime to end its offensive attacks and strikes that kill civilians, immediately allow relief supplies (...) and to comply completely with the cessation of hostilities," said spokesman Mark Toner in Washington.

The United States strongly condemned the attacks in Jableh and Tartus and vowed to continue its military campaign against IS jihadists in Syria and Iraq.
Jeddah: Gulf Arab foreign ministers have agreed with their Canadian counterpart to strengthen

"cooperation" in the fight against the Islamic State group and other jihadist organisations, they said in a statement.

Ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council agreed yesterday with Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion on the need to "dry up" sources of finance for jihadists.

"The campaign against Daesh (an Arabic acronym for IS) and other terrorist organisations is not religious or linked to a religion or sect but rather a war on terror," they added in a statement.

They agreed to "strengthen joint cooperation... to eradicate terrorism", including by "doubling efforts to stop the flow of foreign terrorist fighters" to Syria and Iraq, where the Sunni jihadist group has seized territory.

The joint Arabic-language statement was released following a "strategic dialogue" between Dion and GCC ministers in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah.

The statement, which came after deadly IS attacks yesterday in Syria and Yemen, condemned the "barbarian crimes committed by Daesh and other terrorist groups".

It also comes after Dion on Saturday announced the start of a Canadian security pact with Tunisia, initially for three years, to support the North African country in its fight against "terrorism".

The ministers also voiced support for the Iraqi government's "efforts to preserve security and stability", urging the creation of a "comprehensive" government there to "strengthen the capabilities of Iraqi security forces in their war on Daesh".

Iraq has been hit by a months-long political crisis that has paralysed the legislature, as the country's forces battle to regain more ground from IS while also facing a major financial crisis.

The ministers also reaffirmed their "rejection of Iran's support for terrorism and its actions that undermine stability in the region, including acts by Hezbollah", the Lebanese militia whose supporters are fighting alongside the Tehran-backed regime in Syria and which is listed as a "terrorist group" by GCC countries.

The ministers vowed to work together "to confront (Iran's) interferences in the region".

In addition to Iran's arch-rival Saudi Arabia, the GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in January after Iranian demonstrators burned Saudi Arabia's embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Several other GCC members followed suit in cutting ties.
New Delhi: In continuation of high-level engagements, President Pranab Mukherjee sets off on a four-day visit to China on Tuesday with an aim to further broaden ties between the two Asian economic giants as he will deliberate on a range of key issues including the contentious ones with the Chinese leadership.

Mukherjee is likely to raise the issues of China blocking India's bid to get a UN ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar and its stand that New Delhi must sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to get membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The lingering boundary issue may also figure in talks.

The President will be meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Le Keqiang and other top leaders.

This will be the first visit of Mukherjee to China as President though he had visited the country a number of times in different capacities. The last Presidential visit to China was by Pratibha Patil in 2010.

Ties between the two countries have been on an upswing since Xi's landmark India visit in September, 2014 during which both countries had signed 12 agreements and China pledged an investment of USD 20 billion in India's infrastructure sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited China in May last year during which both sides had resolved to further deepen ties in a range of areas.

However, irritants in ties cropped recently after China blocked India's move to get a UN ban on JeM chief Azhar and opposed granting India membership of NSG, saying it must sign the NPT to get an entry into the premier group.

Ahead of his visit, Mukherjee said China joining hands with India in the fight against terrorism will have "its own impact", indicating that the two countries must comer together to deal with the challenge.

The comments came against the backdrop of Beijing blocking India's bid to put Azhar on the UN list of proscribed terrorists.

Mukherjee will begin his visit by arriving in the highly industrialised Chinese city of Guangzhou tomorrow. The city which has strong business links with India has an economy of over USD 1 trillion.

He will be the first Indian leader to visit Guangzhou where Chan Buddhism originated and later spread to Japan and Korea.

Besides interacting with the Indian community, which has over 3,000 businessmen, Mukherjee will also address India- China Business Forum to highlight the investment opportunities in India.

There, the President will have meetings with the Governor who is also the party secretary and attend a lunch for him in his honour.

On the second leg of the visit, he will travel to Beijing where he will hold wide-ranging talks with the Chinese leadership on key bilateral, regional and global issues.

A key engagement of the President will be a roundtable of Vice Chancellors of Chinese and Indian universities. A number of MoUs will be signed between academic institutions of both the countries.

In Beijing, the President will also be talking to students of Peking university.

Mukherjee will be accompanied by a delegation of academicians including Vice Chancellors of two central universities as well as heads of IIT- Delhi and Bhubaneshwar, IIM, Ahmedabad and NIT Nagpur and Agartala.

Union Minister Santosh Ganwar and four MPs will also accompany the President as part of the delegation.
Hanoi: By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key US allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyo's decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbours China and South Korea, it's the American president who could end up losing.

Many in China and South Korea feel that Japan got what it deserved when a US atomic bombs detonated in Hiroshima on 6 August, 1945, and in Nagasaki three days later. They resent what they see as Japan's focus on the bomb's victims instead of the millions of civilians killed, raped and enslaved by Japanese troops. They worry that the first-ever US presidential visit to Hiroshima will allow Japanese conservatives, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to further distance the country from its wartime sins.

Despite this anxiety, however, there's also a growing desire to work with Japan, the world's No. 3 economy, on diplomacy, security, tourism, culture and trade. This is especially true in South Korea, a fellow democracy and US ally.

Here, then, is a look at some of the issues that will roil beneath the surface as South Korea and China closely watch Obama's visit:

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Who is the victim?

It's complicated: Many in Northeast Asia claim the role.

Japan's sense of victimhood stems from the more than 200,000 dead in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and from the huge numbers of civilians killed in US air raids on major cities in 1945; 100,000 were killed in the Tokyo firebombing alone. Yet not only did Japan instigate the Pacific war with its 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour, decades of colonial and wartime aggression before that claimed hundreds of thousands of victims in China and South Korea.

Those killed by the atomic bombs include an estimated 20,000 Koreans, many brought to Japan for slave labour.

"We (South Koreans) think we were the real victims. For China, their pride was hurt a lot because they think they were in charge before being badly battered by Japan," Lee Myon-woo, an analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute, said. "The Japanese think they also suffered a lot because of the West. Each country has a victim mentality ... and it's not something that we can easily overcome."

The White House says Obama isn't going to Hiroshima to apologise, but just being there will be seen that way by many.

Assigning too much importance to the bomb, critics in Japan's neighbours argue, distracts from Tokyo's current expansion of its military and the hawkish Abe's efforts to distance Japan from its wartime past. Some also worry that it signals a preference by Washington for Tokyo over Seoul.

"The United States and Japan ignore our country a bit," said Park Jeong-mi, 50, from Seoul. "I am dissatisfied with the fact that the US president will visit Japan and also go to the specific area, Hiroshima, when Japan has not made an official apology to our country yet" for its wartime atrocities.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said recently that Japan, when it invites leaders to Hiroshima, should reflect that it "will never tread on the path of militarism again, as it once brought unspeakable suffering to its people and (the) people of Asia and around the world."

Yukio Okamoto, a former Japanese diplomat, said the Japanese people simply want Obama to honour the dead. He said it will "be seen by the Japanese people as the United States facing for the first time the incident eye-to-eye."

___

What's at stake?

The White House wants the visit to look forward, not back, but it cannot control how either the Japanese or their neighbours interpret the trip.

Losing control of the interpretation has risks for burgeoning cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea. History disputes rarely hurt economic and cultural ties, but they have upset regional security efforts. Seoul, for instance, has been reticent to directly share North Korea-related intelligence with Tokyo because of fear about a domestic backlash to cooperation with Japan's military.

Both Beijing and Seoul have sometimes been accused of using anti-Japan sentiments to stir up nationalist grievances in order to push domestic agendas or distract attention from governing failures.

Regional ties have recently improved. South Korea, Japan and China held a three-way summit in Seoul in November, and Seoul and Tokyo forged an important, but much criticised and still not implemented, deal late 2015 to compensate Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan's military.

These relatively positive feelings, a rarity in Northeast Asia, could fade if Japan is seen as trying to use Obama's visit to minimise its wartime aggression  or if South Koreans and Chinese think Obama is being indifferent to their painful experiences.

"Obama will say all the right words, but the image of him being there will still upset many (in the US, as well as in Asia)," Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS think tank, said in an email. "At this point, it's a lose-lose for Obama."

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Walking a fine line

Obama will try to focus on his vision of a world without nuclear weapons while avoiding anything that portrays Japan exclusively as a victim.

There's some debate, however, about how, or if, he'll tackle the past.

The visit "will entirely be framed in a futuristic discourse, for example about the future nuclear-zero-goal," said Victor Cha, an Asia expert at Georgetown University. "There is, I think, a desire by Obama to heal the past, but I don't think he will make any direct reference to it."

Others disagree.

In order to try to satisfy audiences in the United States, Japan and the rest of East Asia, Obama will criticise Japan's pre-A-bomb wartime actions and call for a world free of nuclear weapons, but he won't criticise American use of the bomb, according to Charles Armstrong, an Asia expert at Columbia University.

This balancing act might not be enough.

"He will be criticised by Americans, Koreans and Chinese for being too soft on Japan," Armstrong said, "and by Japanese for being too critical."

Some observers hope Obama's visit could lead to something that they say has proven extremely difficult for Japan: An honest accounting of its wartime record. They want reciprocal visits by Abe to Nanjing, China, for instance, to honour those killed in the 1937 massacre there, or to Pearl Harbour, which was attacked 75 years ago this December.

"The powerful image of an American president ready to finally confront the brutal and morally questionable acts of the war can only be truly successful if he can use it to press for similar actions on the part of the Japanese toward their Asian neighbours," Asia experts Gi-Wook Shin and Daniel Sneider recently argued.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday summoned US ambassador David Hale to express concern over the drone strike by American forces in Pakistani territory to kill Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour which it said was a "violation of its sovereignty".

According to a statement by the Foreign Office, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi pointed out to the US envoy that the drone strike was a "violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and a breach of the UN's Charter that guarantees the inviolability of the territorial integrity of its member states."

Fatemi also emphasised that "such actions could adversely impact the ongoing efforts by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) for facilitating peace talks between the Afghan Government and the Taliban."

The Special Assistant said that Pakistan and the US had been closely coordinating in the fight against the menace of terrorism and that "this cooperation needed to be maintained".

Mansour, believed to be in his 50s, was killed when a US drone fired on his vehicle in the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan. He had emerged as the successor to Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, whose 2013 death was only revealed last summer.
London: Satellite imagery appears to show extensive damage to an air base in Syria used by Russian forces following an attack by fighters from the Islamic State group, US intelligence company Stratfor said on Tuesday.

The claim was immediately denied by Russia's defence ministry which said that the damage had been there for months and was due to fighting between Syrian government forces and "militants from terror groups".

Stratfor released satellite images dated from 14 May and 17 May, implying that the damage to the T-4 base, also known as Tiyas, was caused in that time.

The images suggest four helicopters and 20 lorries were destroyed by fire inside the base, which strategically located in central Syria between war-ravaged Palmyra and Homs.

"The T4 air base was severely damaged by an Islamic State artillery attack. In particular, four Russian Mi-24 attack helicopters appear to have been destroyed," Stratfor said on their website.

The cause of the apparent damage could not be determined from the images obtained by Stratfor. But the BBC quoted Stratfor analyst Sim Tack as saying that "this was not an accidental explosion."

It "would really be a marginal, almost non-existent chance for this to be accidental," he added.

Tack said there was evidence of "several different sources of explosions across the airport, and it shows that the Russians took a quite a bad hit."

The Stratfor report said that "ordnance impact points are visible" in the images and that a Syrian MiG-25 fighter jet also appeared to have been damaged.

But Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: "The burnt air and auto equipment along with many craters from shell detonations have been there for several months. This is a result of heavy combat for this aerodrome between Syrian government forces and militants of terrorist groups."

Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed Syrian source confirming a "fire" at the base, though he did not specify when it had occurred.
Kabul: Three days after Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike in Balochistan province of Pakistan, a state of confusion has been created in the militant group due to leadership vacuum, said Afghan political experts.

Mansour was killed in the Pakistani town of Ahmad Wal in a US drone strike on Saturday, confirmed the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) and US President Barack Obama, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The news of Mansour's death has been widely hailed by Afghans as a major blow to the militant group, which according to political observers will help further facilitate the government's carrot and stick policy and push for peace and war simultaneously.

According to Afghan political and military experts, the elimination of Mansour, amid the ongoing Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, would knock the wind out of the Taliban and eventually weaken its war machine and its capability on the battleground.

"The sudden death of Mansour at this critical stage in Afghanistan where his fighters are fighting tooth and nail to gain power could put the Taliban in a state of confusion and create a leadership vacuum," said General Atiqullah Amarkhil, an analyst close to the situation.

Taliban militants would further be divided into several more groups in the wake of Mansour's death, the analyst predicted.

The death of Taliban founder Mullah Omar had divided the armed outfit into two factions led by Mansour and his rival Mullah Mohammad Rasoul respectively, the analyst argued.

Mansour's death will lead to the further fragmentation within the already divided group, he explained.

"Not having a leader would eventually demoralise Taliban fighters," Amarkhil maintained, adding that government forces would now be presented with the opportunity to mount more pressure on the insurgents to shrink Taliban-held territory.

"It is a good chance for the government to exploit the situation in Afghanistan arising out of the leader's death, while keeping up military pressure on the Taliban fighters, also encourage them to sit at the negotiating table," Amarkhil said.

The government should also warn the Taliban that anyone rejecting talks would face the same fate as Mansour, he said.

When asked why Mansour was targeted, Amarkhil said, "Since Mansour had close links with Al-Qaeda, he was an irreconcilable element of the peace process and had always organised attacks on Afghan and foreign forces, and therefore the US decided to eliminate him."

"The group will be further fragmented now. The leaders including Mullah Omar's son, Mawlawi Yaqub, Mullah Manan, Mullah Zakir and Sarajudin Haqqani -- the leader of the Haqqani network -- would have to bargain over the militant group's new leadership," Jawed Kohistani, an expert on the situation, said.

Mansour's death, according to the observer, does not mean achieving peace in months, but will certainly weaken the Taliban's military capability.

It might take months not weeks for the Taliban leadership council to find a successor of Mullah Mansour, according to the analyst.

Neither Taliban militants, nor the Pakistan government has formally confirmed the leader's death on Pakistani soil.

However, sources close to the outfit in contact with the media have revealed that the Taliban senior leaders and commanders were discussing choosing Mansour's successor.

Beside Afghan government and intelligence agency, Obama has also confirmed Mansour's death, saying the leader was killed on Pakistan soil on Saturday.

"Targeting Mansour and taking him out sends a strong message to the Taliban to opt for peace and will also aid the government in stepping up its own push for peace through mounting increased military pressure on the group," a former provincial governor and military analyst, Musa Khan Akbarzada, said.

Afghans from all walks of life have branded Mansour as a murderer of thousands of innocent people and have welcomed his death.

"I am hopeful that Mansour's death would lead to the death of the Taliban and eventually lead to a return to lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan," Sayed Abdullah, 33, a resident in Kabul, said.
Hillary Clinton tried to draw a sharper contrast with Donald Trump on Sunday even as a new poll showed the two candidates in a statistical tie.

The new Washington Post/ABC News survey found the presidential frontrunners in "a virtual dead heat" among registered voters even as Donald Trump unleashed a "creepy" attack ad against the Clintons on Instagram.

Trump, left without any rivals to deal with, is pivoting towards general election strategies - especially those that could drive larger turnout among white working class people and people under 30 who typically don't show up on election day, at least not in numbers that do any justice to their heft in actual census numbers.

Never in the poll's history, The Post said, had two major party nominees been viewed as harshly, with nearly 6 in 10 voters holding negative impressions of both candidates.

That underscored a growing sense of urgency in the Clinton campaign to define her both more clearly and positively -- a task made harder by her inability to shake off her tenacious Democratic rival, Bernie Sanders.

Clinton, in an appearance on NBC, challenged Trump's "Make America Great" slogan, suggesting that "he seems to be particularly focused on making himself appear great."

The former secretary of state said her campaign would be "demonstrating the hollowness of his rhetoric, and the danger of a lot of what he has said."

- 'We're stronger together'

Asked to sum up her own message, Clinton said, "We're stronger together."

She said Americans needed to unify and work together to improve the economy. "We're stronger together when we have a bipartisan, even nonpartisan foreign policy that protects our country. And that provides the kind of steady, strong, smart leadership that the rest of the world expects."

But the new poll seemed to show that if Americans are united about anything, it is in their dissatisfaction with the two leading candidates.

What is shaping up to be the nastiest American presidential campaign in recent memory is beginning with voters expressing historically deep and practically identical levels of discomfort with both Trump and Clinton.

This has shaken up some in the Democratic camp, who assumed Trump would be an easy target, and it has provided encouragement to Sanders, the Vermont senator who trails Clinton but keeps winning primaries.

Appearing on Sunday talk shows, Sanders pleaded with the hundreds of the party's so-called super-delegates who support Clinton to reconsider their allegiance ahead of the Democratic nominating convention in late July.

A frequent critic of the Democrats' selection process, he said the party was headed for an "anointment" of Clinton.

As the race for the White House grows closer, Clinton supporters and some Democratic Party leaders have made increasingly insistent calls for Sanders to step aside and let Clinton turn her full attention to Trump.

But Sanders vowed yet again on Sunday to stay in the race at least until California, the most populous state, stages its primary on June 7.

The Post/ABC poll found the two leading candidates are in a statistical dead heat, with 46 percent of registered voters favoring Trump and 44 percent supporting Clinton.

That amounted to an 11-point shift in the Republican's favor since March.

Clinton's net negative rating among registered voters was a minus 16, virtually the same as Trump's minus 17, though his negatives were significantly higher among all adults.

- Positive ratings

Voters gave Sanders the most positive ratings of the three, with a net positive of 8 points among registered voters.

But Clinton suggested on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the Sanders numbers might be meaningless, because early polls are often unreliable and because Sanders has not borne the brunt of the intense scrutiny that she has faced for decades.

"I don't think he's ever had a single negative ad against him," she said. "That's fine, but we know what we're going into and understand what it's going to take to win in the fall.

"Finally, I would say that polls this far out mean nothing. They certainly mean nothing to me."

Voters also continued to express positive views of President Obama, to whom Clinton has closely tied her campaign, giving him a 51-percent approval rating.

Clinton has largely aligned herself with Obama -- while taking her distance on issues like trade with Asia -- but said Sunday that she is her own person.

"I'm not running for anybody's third term," she said on NBC. "I'm running for my first term. I also want to do what works. My goal is to produce positive results for the American people."

(Text story by AFP, original video content/ analysis by FP)
ANKARA Turkey's nationalist opposition said on Tuesday it would hold an extraordinary congress aimed at resolving a leadership dispute, a move that could dash President Tayyip Erdogan's ambitions of winning greater powers.

Opinion polls suggest the removal of Devlet Bahceli as leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) could lead to a surge in support for his party, weakening Erdogan's chances of securing strong parliamentary support for the introduction of a full presidential system in Turkey.

Earlier on Tuesday Turkey's Court of Appeals unanimously approved a local court ruling allowing the MHP to go ahead with its party congress.

MHP deputy chairman Semih Yalcin said the party respected the court's decision and proposed June 26 or July 10 for the congress to be held. He added that Bahceli, who has led the MHP for much of the past two decades, would seek re-election.

Turkey's ruling AK Party has been hoping for MHP support in parliament to change the constitution and introduce an executive presidential system or, as an interim measure, a system whereby the head of state is allowed to retain his party ties.

Erdogan founded the AK Party more than a decade ago and served as party leader and prime minister until 2014 when he became Turkey's first directly elected president. He has already transformed the role, largely ceremonial under the existing constitution, into a much more active one but is still keen to turn it into a full presidential system.

"The MHP will no longer be irrelevant in Turkish politics," said Sinan Ogan, one of four leaders of a revolt within the party. Another leader is former interior minister Meral Aksener, Bahceli's main challenger for the MHP leadership.

"Once the MHP completes its change it will be a movement that will dominate Turkish politics," Ogan told CNN Turk television.

The MHP rebels are opposed to Erdogan's plans for an executive presidency.

Erdogan hopes that Bahceli keeps his post, thereby hitting support for the MHP in an early parliamentary election political analysts say could take place later this year and ensuring a big enough majority for the AK Party to change the constitution.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New York: Many Democrats had salivated at the prospect of a November election duel between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump as he willfully blundered: alienating Latinos on issues like immigration and dinging his own approval ratings by mouthing off on abortion, women and Muslims. However, Trump's abrasive, long shot campaign for the White House is now looking less unrealistic with polls showing a statistical dead heat between the billionaire businessman and Clinton.

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll on Monday showed that Clinton has little room for complacency. Republicans have rallied behind Trump in the weeks since he effectively clinched his partys presidential nomination, helping him narrow Clintons once double-digit lead to just 3 percentage points, said the poll.

Republican voters are consolidating behind Trump. And a more united Republican Party, combined with an electorate looking for major change, has made this a too-close-to-call campaign, said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster who conducts the Journal/NBC News survey with Democrat Fred Yang.

Trump may have a short political resume, but he is proving to be a surprisingly formidable candidate after all for former secretary of state Clinton.

"Here's the bad news  this guy can win the general election pretty damn easily," American policy advisor and strategist Jay Carson, who was Clinton's 2008 press secretary, wrote on his Instagram account.

"I hear far too many of my liberal friends calling him a 'joke' and acting like the general election is in the bag which is nuts because he's dangerous and he has a path to victory," added Carson.

In good news for Trump the survey says that he outpaces Clinton, 46 percent to 43 percent, in the 12 most competitive presidential battleground states  states that President Barack Obama won by 1.5 percentage points in 2012. He does particularly well in the South and Midwest.

However, Trump faces tough odds on the West Coast in Latino heavy states like New Mexico and California. He is also under pressure in the traditional battleground states of Colorado and Nevada  and possibly even Arizona.

"One of the biggest cards in favor of Hillary Clinton is the vote against Trump, rather than the vote for her," William H Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution told CNN.

"She has a lot of policies that are certainly friendly to Latinos...but I think the biggest thing that will energise them is Trump."

A Fox News Latino poll released Friday showed Clinton leading Trump among Latino voters 62 percent to 23 percent. Trump rode to the top of the Republican party on a wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric, but all his wild talk about Mexican immigrants and bluster about building a wall between Mexico and the US and forcing Mexico to pay for it hasn't gone done well with minority voters. Not surprisingly, an overwhelming 74 percent of Latinos said they viewed Trump unfavorably.

Minority communities which include Indians, Chinese, Koreans and Japanese have been key voting blocs for Democratic front-runner Clinton, helping her rack up strong wins over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Given Trump's terrible unpopularity among fast-growing minority groups that are reshaping politics in the western states, political pundits say Trump may have to "simply cede the West to the Democrats and focus on swaying rust-belt voters with his anti-establishment, anti-trade, anti-Wall Street message."

Democrat Fred Yang, who conducted the Journal/NBC News survey with Republican pollster McInturff, says that despite a rough couple of weeks and the prospect of a tough campaign ahead, the "fundamentals look favorable for Hillary Clinton."

"Her advantage in the trial heat against Trump for the most part mirrors the Obama 12 numbers among key constituencies; in fact, Trump is doing slightly less well among white voters overall than Romney did four years ago, said Yang.
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Googles Project Loon has been facing setbacks for sometime now to kickstart in India. However, according to a new report from Economic Times suggests that Googles ambitious project may soon take off in India.

The Communications and IT Ministry is finally in talks with Google to conduct Project Loon on pilot basis. The pilot is expected to take off in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, however, the testing will be allowed only for four days. Earlier in March, the government had asked Google to resubmit a fresh proposal for testing Project Loon. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been given the responsibility to decid on the location and other requirements for the pilot. As per the report, discussions between Googles Loon team and NIC are expected to happen this week.

The report quoted an official,

We are trying to test the effectiveness of Loon in the interiors of the country, since there is already ample connectivity in urban areas.

The Googles project was rejected as one of the concerns was that the spectrum band required by Google for the transmission  700 MHz to 900 MHz  is currently occupied by telecom service providers and could lead to interference with cellular transmissions. In addition, he civil aviation ministry feared that the balloons may interfere with flight paths.

On the location, the official said,

We will identify the location and then approach the Civil Aviation ministry for permission. It will be done like in the case of joy rideswe will provide specifics in terms of the starting and closing time of the pilot for them to be adequately informed.

Rajan Anandan, Googles Managing Director for South East Asia and India has said in March that the company is initiating talks with telecom operators in India to pilot its Project Loon initiative. Project Loon is Googles program where it beams high-speed WiFi internet via balloons down to remote areas in developing countries. Each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area about 40 km in diameter using 4G LTE. Started in 2013, the Project Loon has run its experimental pilot in New Zealand, Californias Central Valley, northeast Brazil, South Africa, Sri Lanka (in February), as well as in Indonesia.

source
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX -3.06%) shares fell sharply from the middle of 2014 to early February because of declining copper and oil prices. The falling commodity prices caused investors to become concerned about Freeport-McMoRan's over $20 billion in debt and prompted management to announce that it would consider separating the energy businesses from the company.

Although several months have passed since the announcement, Freeport-McMoRan hasn't separated the oil and gas business yet. Because crude prices crashed from late last year to February of this year, Freeport-McMoRan couldn't sell those assets for reasonable prices. Now that crude prices are higher, management has taken the middle-of-the-road approach. To make sure leverage doesn't hurt as much if commodity prices go down, it's cutting costs, announced plans to lay off a quarter of its oil and gas employees, and divesting some assets. To preserve upside, it's said it's going to keep many of its oil and gas assets in addition to its core copper mines. Is management's strategy a good one?

More bullish on crude than copper

By recently selling previously core copper assets such as the Tenke copper mine in Congo for $2.65 billion in cash but keeping non-core oil and gas assets, it seems that management is more bullish on crude than they are on copper.

This may be the right strategy. Although copper fundamentals are favorable in the long run, the sector is oversupplied and the prospect of a rebound over the next few years is uncertain. China accounts for around half of copper demand, and China's economy hasn't shown any signs of a turnaround yet. The leadership in the country has seemingly ruled out the kind of large-scale infrastructure stimulus that would send copper prices surging. Although major copper producers including Freeport-McMoRan have announced cuts this year, the announced cuts haven't been enough to send copper spot prices sustainably higher. At the moment, copper spot prices are just 10% higher than their lows for the year.

Crude outlook is getting better

The outlook for crude is considerably better than for copper. Among the oil bulls, there is a consensus that non-OPEC production will continue to decline and everyone in OPEC except Saudi Arabia and Iran is tapped out. Iran has several hundred thousand barrels per day of production capacity left to ramp up before needing substantial Western investment to raise production higher. Saudi Arabia has spare capacity of 2 million barrels per day, with 1 million per day available immediately and 1 million per day available in six months. Some of Saudi Arabia's immediate production is spoken for, at least during summer. The kingdom's oil consumption increases by around 400,000 barrels per day every summer because it burns crude for its energy and cooling needs.

Many bulls don't think Saudi Arabia can sustain the increased 2 million barrels of production for long. They see Saudi Arabia's willingness to IPO Saudi Aramco as a sign that the kingdom's finances are worse than the official numbers state. If Saudi Arabia's finances are weaker, the country won't be able to hold prices lower for long before its own finances dip below dangerous levels. It might not be in Saudi Arabia's interest to hold crude prices low for another year, either. Saudi Arabia will benefit more if crude prices are higher when Saudi Aramco IPOs next year.

Investor takeaway

The bull thesis for crude could prove wrong just as it did in the middle of 2015. Demand could falter because of the weak global macroeconomy. Record inventories around the world could ensure crude prices stay low even with all the geopolitical disturbances that have popped up.

No one knows for sure, but there is more and more data supporting the bullish thesis and less and less data supporting the bearish thesis every day. The latest bullish data point is the Energy Information Administration's prediction of $76-per-barrel Brent prices by 2017. If that happens, Freeport-McMoRan's management will have made the right choice. The company would realize around $2.2 billion in EBITDA from its oil and gas segment versus its current run rate of $1 billion now. In addition, Freeport-McMoRan would be able to get more for its oil and gas assets if it wanted to sell at that time.
A new Instagram video released by Donald Trump puts Bill Clinton front and center, digging into the past of the former president, including prior accusations of sexual misconduct, in an attempt to hurt Hillary Clintons bid for the White House.

Laura Ingraham, LifeZette editor-in-chief, discussed the ad during an interview with the FOX Business Networks Lou Dobbs, saying it was effective.

Its just one short little video, but there is an entire generation of American women who arent familiar with what happened at the hands of Bill Clinton, Ingraham said. Its not just about Hillary being an enabler, forgiving her husbanda lot of people do that. Its about what Hillary did to the women.

Ingraham said Trumps attacks against Hillary Clinton will only get worse as the election season progresses, and also commented on Paul Ryans refusal to support the presumptive GOP nominee.

I think at some point it becomes really curious as to whats going on here, Ingraham said. I can see a little time passing, its not a big deal. But the longer this goes on, the more interviews you give, the more conflicted you seem as the party has moved on, she said.
Atlassian announced a trove of news at the company's AtlasCamp 2016 in Barcelona this morning across its product suite. Atlassian CTO Sri Viswanath put the announcements into context. Viswanath, who joined the company in January after running high-scale cloud infrastructure at Groupon and past leadership roles at Sun Microsystems and VMware, brings both enterprise and consumer-facing experience to Atlassian in helping develop a completely distributed service-oriented stack.

"It's a fascinating time in tech. There are so many disruptions happening, and the rate of change is increasing!" said Viswanath. "My job as CTO is to be able to stay ahead of these opportunities so we can ride those waves."

At AtlasCamp the company announced Connect, a third-party integration architecture for add-ons in Jira Service Desk, a beta of the new Bitbucket Pipelines service for cloud-based continuous delivery, newly open-sourced initiatives like RADAR, and native mobile apps for JIRA software and Atlassian Confluence. Viswanath said he sees an opportunity to strengthen Atlassian's traditional "behind the firewall" business, while accelerating in the cloud and building a platform that can scale 10x larger than where it is today.

"In addition to creating an enterprise-scale cloud platform, we're also heavily investing in mobile which has become increasingly important to our customers as we extend beyond traditional software developers into business teams like in HR, marketing, and finance."

JIRA Service Desk and Atlassian's Cloud StrategyConnect for Jira Service Desk is a way to build and embed add-ons within the help desk user interface (UI) and workflows to augment service desk functionality and ticketing, and tie it in with other business processes. Viswanath talked about several different use cases for Connect within Jira Service Desk.

He gave examples such as integration with data monitoring services like Splunk to quickly reference incident information, creating IT help desk requests based on incoming voice calls from a business voice-over-IP (VoIP) service, and attaching company data from a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, or integrating asset management tools into Service Desk workflows to display asset data from within the agent interface.

"Software products like Service Desk deliver the most value when they are tightly integrated into your team's workflows and help them get their job done without the limitations or boundaries of any specific technology or application," said Viswanath. "In today's world, a team might rely on multiple cloud applications in their day to day jobs. An IT team might use Atlassian as a Service Desk, New Relic for monitoring, and PagerDuty for notifications."

Atlassian showed off a few early adopter Connect add-ons at AtlasCamp, including ones built by Whispir, Avisi, Cloud MGR, and Atlassian partner companies Appfire, Riada, and RefinedWiki. In the smartphone demo integration you see here, Whispir is sending a simplified text message request form that becomes a Jira Service Desk ticket.

Viswanath's larger plan for Service Desk is to build a greater mindshare with IT departments to drive sales for all Atlassian products. He said the product's main development will focus on "smarts, ease of use, and ecosystem." The ecosystem part of that vision ties into the Atlassian Marketplace and the company's larger strategy to extend and customize its products, and deliver them via the cloud.

"The shift to the cloud provides new business opportunity for our Marketplace vendors as many users are looking for integrated tools that help them be more productive in their new environment," said Viswanath. "Many vendors in our ecosystem sell both server and cloud add-ons, and they're seeing exponential success in net new cloud bookings as more and more of our customers shift to the cloud."

Atlassian's Roadmap to the Future

Beyond Jira Service Desk and the company's cloud strategy, Viswanath said Atlassian has a lot more ideas in the hopper. Atlassian's HipChat collaboration app has become a sandbox for much of the company's work with machine learning and predictive analytics to give business users richer context within the chat experience. It's part of a concept called ChatOps, and it goes far beyond the chat bots trend.

"Messaging companies need to democratize what has become the bot experience," said Viswanath. "The key to building a successful messaging platform is managing signal to noise. It requires immersive, interactive experiences directly inside of chat with actions, not relying on archaic command line integrations."

Viswanath said this will happen not with bots, but through chat-based apps. Atlassian is steering into this shift through its HipChat Connect framework, which allowa developers to create free integrations listed in the Atlassian Marketplace. The ultimate idea, he said, is to bring messaging and machines together in ChatOps conversations that simplify teamwork and turn conversation-driven collaboration into the norm.

"HipChat is taking messaging and bots beyond command lines to applications that are built and run inside of chat," said Viswanath. "Chat is about more than sending words and file links back and forth. Technical users have figured this out. We're making it possible for non-technical users as well. It's the democratization of the messaging experience. Consumers and business teams live inside of chat. In the case of HipChat, we see teams logged in for eight hours a day. The chat window is becoming the browser for many business teams."

On a wider note, Viswanath said he's excited about the potential of augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) across every field, from consumer gaming to healthcare and enterprise businesses.

"I believe AR will be mainstream in a few years with platforms available for different applications. It will create a huge marketplace similar to the growth we saw in mobile," said Viswanath. "I am also excited about AI. It's becoming easier than ever to build smarter applications using data. We are seeing a number of open source initiatives from Google, Facebook and open AI initiative and others. We already have many applications like Siri, Google Now, and Cortana that are intelligent. We are also seeing the marketing buzz around autonomous cars. My six-year-old daughter keeps telling me that she won't have to drive at all!"

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
Debt-laden Chesapeake Energy Corp , the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer, said on Thursday it had issued or agreed to issue about 4 percent of its outstanding shares in exchange for debt over the past week.

The company's shares were up 4 percent at $4.54 in premarket trading following news of the privately negotiated deals.

A number of U.S. oil producers have completed debt-for-equity swaps or bond swaps as they try to reduce their debt and interest payments as oil prices remain weak.

Chesapeake, whose debt stands at about $9 billion, said it issued or agreed to issue about 28.1 million shares between May 5 and May 11 in exchange for senior notes worth about $153 million. The notes are due in 2017, 2019, 2037 and 2038.

The company said in February it had tapped legal firm Kirkland & Ellis for advice as it seeks to bolster its balance sheet to manage debt maturing in the next 18 to 24 months.

Chesapeake has said it has no plans to seek bankruptcy protection, as some analysts and investors have speculated.

Chief Financial Officer Nick Dell'Osso said on May 5 that Chesapeake was considering "the use of additional secured debt, private transactions with bondholders and other types of exchange offers and open market purchases."

Up to Wednesday's close, Chesapeake's shares had fallen about 24 percent since then.

The company surprised investors last month by keeping its $4 billion loan from banks even as many other oil and gas producers reported steep falls in credit limits.

But the renewed credit limit came at a steep price. Chesapeake disclosed on April 11 that it had to pledge 90 percent of its proved oil and gas properties, all hedge contracts and personal property.

Chesapeake has also been looking to sell assets to shore up its finances. The company said last week it would sell $470 million of oil and gas assets in Oklahoma to Newfield Exploration Co, and is looking to sell assets worth another $500 million to $1 billion this year. (Reporting by Swetha Gopinath in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr)
Image source: Apple.

According to a report from DigiTimes, Apple's chip suppliers are planning to start mass production of chips bound for the next-generation iPhone flagships in June. The report says that these suppliers are "generally less production on their unit production for the devices by the end of the year."

In particular, DigiTimes claims that Apple is planning to build around 75 million of these new iPhone by the end of 2016, a figure that the publication claims is lower than the iPhone 6/6 Plus builds in 2014.

In addition to putting out build estimates, the report seems to have a list of some of the suppliers that will provide chips for the upcoming iPhone, which DigiTimes attributes to "sources from chip makers in the iPhone supply chain." Let's take a closer look.

Modem? Intel and Qualcomm

It has been rumored for quite some time that Apple would split the modem orders for the next-generation iPhone between longtime modem supplier Qualcomm and Intel , which has been working hard to build viable modem solutions for the mobile market.

According to the DigiTimes report, Intel and Qualcomm will indeed be splitting the modem orders. This is a significant win for Intel, as this would arguably represent the highest volume smartphone win that it has gotten since it acquired the Infineon Wireless assets. This would also be a blow to Qualcomm, which has long counted on having the entirety of the iPhone to itself.

Usual suspects elsewhere

The report claims that Apple will tap Dialog Semiconductor for power management chips, NXP Semiconductors for NFC chips and Broadcom for "wireless solutions" (presumably this is in reference to Wi-Fi and related chips, as well as RF filters).

These chipmakers winning spots inside the latest iPhones shouldn't come as a surprise to investors as they were in prior-generation iPhones.

Tapping Taiwan for A10 production

It has been widely reported for quite some time that Apple would shift away from the dual sourcing strategy that it employed for the A9 applications process to a single source for the A10 --TSMC .

DigiTimes' report serves as yet another confirmation of this, claiming that the A10 would indeed be manufactured solely by TSMC on its 16-nanometer FinFET process (not 10-nanometer as some websites have claimed, despite the fact that TSMC won't even begin mass production on 10-nanometer until sometime in 2017).

Winning 100% share for the iPhone 7, after having around 30%-40% share for the A9 in the last product cycle, should provide a nice boost in Apple-related business year over year for the chipmaker even if iPhone unit sales don't grow much (or even contract a bit).

Other likely winners

In addition to the chipmakers listed here, there are several others that are likely to be in the next iPhone. Struggling motion processor vendor InvenSense has indicated that North America is its largest geography and that it will "likely be a key contributor" in the coming fiscal year. This suggests that Apple will use InvenSense in the upcoming iPhone.

A recent report from Nomura Securities (via Barron's) claimed that Apple's longtime image sensor vendor Sony "may not be able to deliver its full share of dual cameras to Apple" as a result of manufacturing yield challenges as well as the recent damage to its manufacturing plant as a result of an earthquake in Japan.

LG Innotek, then, is expected to pick up the slack and potentially benefit from Sony's struggles.

The article Apple Inc. iPhone 7 Chip Winners Revealed originally appeared on Fool.com.

Ashraf Eassa owns shares of Intel and Qualcomm. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple, InvenSense, NXP Semiconductors, and Qualcomm. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and Intel. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
An Intel solid state drive aimed at enterprise applications. Image source: Intel.

Semiconductor equipment supplier Applied Materials recently reported better-than-expected results and stronger-than-expected forward guidance.These results, according to Seeking Alpha contributor Dana Blankenhorn, mean that microprocessor giant Intel -- a fairly large customer of Applied Materials -- "is a buy."

I don't think that this is necessarily the case. Here's why.

What drove Applied Materials' results?

One key driver of the better-than-expected results was a big spike in display manufacturing equipment orders. According to management, the average yearly orders for display manufacturing equipment were $750 million. During the first half of this year alone, those orders have come in at $883 million (with new orders surging from $183 million in the first quarter to $700 million in the most recent quarter).

Intel doesn't manufacture or sell displays, so strength here says nothing about Intel's performance one way or another.

Applied also reported a large surge in Silicon Systems orders, which includes equipment used to build logic semiconductors, DRAM, and NAND flash memory. New orders were up from $1.275 billion last quarter to $1.966 billion in the most recent quarter.

By far the largest driver of this surge were orders for NAND flash equipment, growing from around $281 million to $963.34 million. This ramp is apparently due to an acceleration in the ramp of 3D NAND capacity industrywide.

Intel previously signaled that it will be converting an old logic fab in Dalian, China, to produce 3D NAND. I don't doubt that Intel's spending to build out 3D NAND capacity is helping Applied Materials' results, but Intel buying equipment for memory as it has already told investors that it was going to isn't exactly a reason to rush out to buy Intel stock.

Applied also says that in the second half of the year, it should benefit from "robust levels of foundry investment in the second half of the year." I would think this is more of an indication of the significant leading-edge technology buildout from the likes of TSMC and Samsung , as well as the older technology buildout from less advanced foundries such as SMIC and UMC than a surge in Intel-related orders.

At any rate, Intel's capital expenditure plans are already publicly known, so once again, Applied Materials seeing orders from Intel isn't really a reason to buy Intel stock.

Applied Materials' results don't tell us much about Intel

At the end of the day, there's not a whole lot that we can infer about Intel's future financial performance from Applied Materials' results. The major chipmakers generally provide investors with their capital expenditure plans, and those plans merely tell investors what sort of capacity is being built out in a given year.

This capacity buildout could conceivably be used to get a read on the future demand that management expects, but a company could very well build out a certain level of capacity and ultimately have it go underutilized if end demand doesn't materialize.

However, even trying to read the tea leaves from capital expenditure plans can be unreliable, particularly if companies plan a high level of equipment reuse from one technology generation to another.

Long story short, Applied Materials' results shouldn't change how investors think about Intel's prospects in the near term.

The article Do Applied Materials, Inc. Results Mean Good Things for Intel Corporation? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Ashraf Eassa owns shares of Intel. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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IMAGE SOURCE: NORDSON CORPORATION.

Nordson Corporation released fiscal second-quarter 2016 results Monday after the market close. It's apparent the market is pleased, with shares of the adhesive-dispensing company up around 6% in extended trading -- and for good reason.

Quarterly revenue climbed 9.2% year over year, to $437.6 million, including 8% organic growth, a 2% contribution from the first-year effect of acquisitions, and a 1% negative headwind from foreign exchange rates. For perspective, Nordson's guidance called for top-line growth of 2% to 6%, including roughly the same contributions from acquisitions and currency headwinds, but much more modest organic growth of 1% to 5%.

Meanwhile, operating margin expanded 3 percentage points, to 28%, and would have been 29% adjusted to exclude one-time charges from Nordson's restructuring initiatives. This result was driven by both Nordson's strong revenue growth and ongoing "continuous improvement" margin expansion initiatives. Based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), net income rose 43.4% year over year, to $70.6 million, and earnings per diluted share increased 53.8% year over year, to $1.23. Here again, Nordson's guidance called for lower operating margin of 19%, and GAAP earnings per share of just $0.85 to $0.95.

On a segment basis, sales volume at adhesive dispensing systems grew 9.3% on a currency-neutral basis, primarily driven by organic growth with less than 1% of that total related to the first-year effect of its acquisition of screw and cylinder manufacturer WAFO. Nordson CEO Michael Hilton noted that this marks the fourth straight quarter of "excellent organic growth" for the segment before adding, "Growth in the current quarter was broad based, as we generated strong organic growth in all product lines driven by consumer non-durable end markets."

Advanced technology segment sales volume climbed 23% year over year, driven by a 20% increase in organic volume and 3% growth from acquisitions. In this case, Hilton credited sustained momentum from last quarter in order rates and project activity, which translated to exceptional organic growth and improved operating margin across automated dispensing, test, and inspection solutions in electronic end markets, and continued strength in fluid management components for medical and industrial markets.

Finally, sales volume at the industrial coating systems segment fell 13% year over year, thanks to challenging comparisons to last year's second quarter, given softness in the U.S. and Japan. To Nordson's credit, Hilton explained, "Sequentially, sales volume in the current quarter increased at a pace more typical of this segment than the accelerated rate of a year ago."

On a geographic basis overall, sales from the U.S. fell 6.3% year over year on a constant-currency basis, to $131.3 million, or 30% of sales, while revenue from the rest of the Americas climbed 15.4%, to $33.6 million, or 7.7% of total sales. Revenue from Europe grew 19.5%, to $125.9 million, or 28.8% of total sales. Sales from Japan fell 3.2%, to $29.4 million, or 6.7% of total revenue. And Asia-Pacific revenue jumped 25.2%, to $117.4 million, or 26.8% of sales.

Next, order rates for the 12-week period ending May 15 climbed 4% on a constant-currency basis. And backlog for the quarter ended April 30 was roughly $302 million, up 5% from this time one year ago, including 3% organic growth and 2% from acquisitions.

Looking ahead, Nordson anticipates that third-quarter 2016 revenue will increase 1% to 5%, or to an approximate range of $467.4 million to $485.9 million, including organic volume in the range of a 1% decline to 3% growth, 3% growth from acquisitions, and a 1% negative effect from foreign currency exchange. At the midpoint, that should result in operating margin of 24% and GAAP earnings per diluted share of $1.25 to $1.37. Even so, and though we don't pay much attention to Wall Street's near-term demands, analysts' consensus estimates predicted that Nordson would achieve third-quarter revenue of $473.8 million, or around $3 million below the midpoint of guidance, and earnings of just $1.23 per share.

Hilton elaborated:

In the end, it's unclear whether Nordson was under-promising with the intention of over-delivering in Q2, especially given persistent macroeconomic headwinds which have held back growth over the past few quarters. But this is also a fairly cut-and-dry case of Nordson's exceeding expectations as it strives to improve margins and consistently deliver top-line growth ahead of GDP regardless of those headwinds. Combine that outperformance with Nordson's encouraging guidance, and it's no surprise to see shares trading higher today.

The article Nordson Corporation Glues Together a Solid Earnings Beat originally appeared on Fool.com.

Steve Symington has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Nordson. 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.
Few industries can match the size or competitiveness of the automotive industry. Those factors make it a difficult business to succeed in, but they're also what make it compelling to cover. In addition, in such a capital intensive industry, even the smallest decisions are a bigger deal for the bottom line. In a recent study by Planning Perspectives, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors both improved their scores with suppliers, which could help profitability down the road, but one automaker didn't.

FCA struggles

It's been all too easy for the media to harp on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' problems recently. The automaker checked in with poor vehicle dependability and consumer satisfaction results according to J.D. Power's surveys, and it was just recently revealed that it has a rocky relationship with its suppliers.

"There are lots of companies in many industries that are working hard to build the best supplier relations they can, because when things get tough, they want to be the customer of choice," said John Henke, CEO of Planning Perspectives, and author of the study, according to Detroit Free Press.

Out of the six major automakers in the U.S. market, FCA ranked dead last with a 222 score in the supplier working relations index. That was well below Toyota's and Honda's 332 and 323 score, respectively, and below Ford's267 and GM's 250.

In terms of what percentage each of the automaker's suppliers said they have good relations with the buyers, Toyota led the pack with 43% responding favorably. That was followed by Honda and Ford's respective 41% and 24%. FCA again checked in at the low spot with 15% of its suppliers responding they have good relations with the automaker.

Looking beyond FCA, Ford improved its score this year. Detroit's second-largest automaker posted a small dip in its 2015 score, and part of the blame was placed on Hau Thai-Tang, who had become Ford's purchasing chief a couple of years prior. According to suppliers' executives, Thai-Tang has made quite a bit of progress in building relationships with suppliers.

"Ford's [score] went up," Henke said. "Hau Thai-Tang has ... got some traction. I told him, "You're not getting out enough.' ... But it's finally taking place. I don't know if he took my advice. The most important thing is that the word is getting out." Henke told Automotive News.

Ford wasn't the only Detroit automaker to improve on supplier relations; General Motors also scored significantly higher on the survey after Steve Kiefer improved the situation during his first year on the purchasing job. If you're keeping track, GM's relations with its suppliers hit a recent low during the 2013 survey results, forcing Detroit's largest automaker to make changes to its standard terms-and-conditions contract with suppliers. That move, along with hard work to improving communication, appears to have paid off.

FCA's response

FCA is taking these issues seriously, though, and just last week shuffled its top global and North American purchasing executives. The automaker appointed Scott Thiele as its new global andNorth American head of purchasing and moved Scott Garberding to head of quality for the same two markets.

Time will tell if those personnel changes will help FCA improve its relations, but until then, it's going to indirectly cost the company. Consider that major automakers spend between 70% an 80% of their revenue on parts, components and materials from their respective suppliers, a better relationship helps milk profits out of a capital-intensive industry.

The article 2 Detroit Automakers' Operations Improve in Recent Study While 1 Is Left in the Dust originally appeared on Fool.com.

Daniel Miller 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.
Coca-Cola Co. is widely considered to be one of the safest and strongest dividend stocks in existence. The beverage maker has a staggering 54-year history of consecutive dividend increases, earning it the coveted "dividend aristocrat" status. Even so, there are several large-cap stocks offering higher dividend yields than Coke's 3.19% right now that may be worth a deeper dive by income-seeking investors. With this in mind, our team of Foolish dividend experts discusses the merits of three such stocks.

George Budwell: British pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline is a high-yield dividend stock that's been getting the cold shoulder from investors for a while now. But it might be high time that investors took another look at this beaten-down pharma stock.

The short story is that Glaxo's flagship asthma and COPD drug, Advair, has seen its sales plummet because of the introduction of generics. Making matters worse, the drugmaker's product sales in the high-growth Chinese market have also taken a hit in recent quarters, presumably as a result of its well-publicized bribery scandal in the Communist nation.

The good news is that Glaxo is starting to put these problems behind it, evinced by the drugmaker's fairly strong first-quarter numbers. For instance, sales of Glaxo's new products more than doubled from a year ago, helping it to offset a big chunk of Advair's marked decline. Moreover, management reported that vaccine sales also rose by a healthy 14% on a pro forma basis during the three month period, showing that its pivot to the low growth, yet more stable, vaccine market was indeed a smart move.

Turning to Glaxo's dividend, the drugmaker announced in its first-quarter earnings release that it plans to maintain the current quarterly payout of around $0.55 per share (subject to foreign exchange rates) through 2017. At present, this payout gives Glaxo a monstrous yield of 5.27% -- a yield that easily trumps Coke's more modest 3.19%. That said, Glaxo's 12-month trailing payout ratio does stand at a worrisome 634%, reflecting the company's recent struggles and ongoing restructuring process. In short, this high-yield dividend isn't without risk, but things do seem to be turning around for the pharma giant.

Andres Cardenal:The automotive industry is notoriously challenging and competitive, but Ford is doing a great job at generating growing sales and profitability for investors. Sales in the U.S. amounted to 231,316 vehicles in April, a 4% year-over-year increase. Retail sales grew 3%, marking Ford's best April performance over the past decade.

Financial performance during the quarter ended in March was remarkably strong. Total revenue grew 11% year-over-year, reaching $37.7 billion on the back of 1,720,000 wholesale vehicle deliveries. The company registered an automotive operating margin of 9.8% during the period, and automotive operating profit was a historical record for the company, at $3.3 billion.

South America remains a challenging market because of unstable macroeconomic conditions, but Asia and North America look remarkably strong, and the company seems to be solidly on track toward improving performance and market-share growth in Europe. Even if demand is cyclical and hard to predict in the industry, Ford looks well positioned for sustained growth.

At current prices, Ford stock is paying a generous dividend yield of 4.5%. Importantly, Wall Street analysts are forecasting that the company will make $2.08 in earnings per share during 2016, and the $0.15 quarterly dividend accounts for less than 30% of the company's forecasted earnings. A conveniently low payout ratio in combination with solid financial performance should allow Ford to continue raising dividends in the future, and this bodes well for investors in the iconic automaker.

Neha Chamaria: A substantial exposure to the oil and gas sector may have hurt Emerson Electric's bottom line, but its dividends aren't taking any hits: The stock is yielding 3.8%, and CEO David Farr has ruled out any possibilities of a dividend cut.

Farr's confidence stems from Emerson's solid financials, which speak for themselves: It generated free cash flow worth $2.2 billion against net income of about $1.9 billion during the trailing 12 months. Emerson's FCF was nearly 1.8 times its dividend payout during the period, which means there's enough buffer for further dividend increases even if cash flows decline for a couple of years. Comparatively, Coke's FCF covered about 1.2 times its dividends during the past 12 months.

The best part is that Emerson's cash flows should only expand in the coming years as the company aggressively reorganizes its business. So if actions like an intended spinoff or sale of its network power segment is expected to scoop out nearly $6 billion from Emerson's projected $21 billion worth of sales this year, the company is confident of crossing the $20 billion mark again by 2019 with higher margins and cash flows, bolstered by acquisitions.

As sales expand, so should Emerson's profits. There's ample room for dividend growth, as the company currently pays out only about 60% of its net income in dividends. Coke is already giving out 80% of profits to shareholders. Add up Emerson's solid 59-year streak of dividend increases, and you can safely consider it a bigger and better dividend stock than Coke today.

The article 3 Stocks With a Bigger Dividend Than Coca-Cola originally appeared on Fool.com.

Andrs Cardenal owns shares of Ford. George Budwell has no position in any stocks mentioned. Neha Chamaria has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Coca-Cola and Ford. The Motley Fool recommends Emerson Electric. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Pfizer, Inc.

While following blindly in the footsteps of billionaires is risky, it's always interesting to see what stocks legendary investing gurus are selling, especially when it involves a widely held stock like Pfizer, Inc. . Last quarter, seven billionaires tracked by The Motley Fool sold 19.2 million shares of Pfizer. With billionaires exiting this big pharma Goliath, is it time for you to sell, too?

First, some background

Pfizer has been very busy in the past year. After years of ducking and moving to offset sliding sales tied to the 2011 patent expiration on its megadrug Lipitor, management orchestrated a slate of potentially transformative M&A deals in 2015.

The most notable of those deals was the company's proposed $160 billion tie-up with Allergan plc , an Irish based company best known for its top-selling drug, Botox.

Pfizer's planned merger with Allergan was complex and would have shifted Pfizer's headquarters overseas in a cost-savings move known as a tax-inversion. Inversions to countries like Ireland, where corporate tax rates are lower, have become more common in the past decade, but they're increasingly drawing ire from the U.S. Treasury Department, which isn't eager to see tax revenue move elsewhere.

In Pfizer's case, shifting to Ireland could have reduced its effective tax rate from the mid-20% levels to mid teen levels. Given that Pfizer's trailing-12-month sales eclipse $50 billion, that drop could have added billions of dollars to the company's bottom line.

However, the Treasury Department put new regulations in place in early April that required a multi-year look-back period when calculating post-merger ownership levels. Doing so made it impossible for Pfizer to clear the ownership hurdle, and as a result, Pfizer's management scuttled the deal shortly thereafter.

Billionaire sellers

Risk that the government could unravel Pfizer's megamerger appears to have been scented out by some of the most highly respected money managers in America.

Last quarter, Andreas Halvorsen, the billionaire behind Viking Global Investors, unloaded 6.3 million shares in Pfizer. The sale of Pfizer by Halvorsen, who boasts a net worth of $2.8 billion, was the biggest by any of the billionaires tracked by The Motley Fool.

Another seller of Pfizer in the quarter was James Simon's Renaissance Technologies. Simon's $14 billion net worth makes him one of the most influential investors on Wall Street, and in Q1, his fund sold 5.6 million shares of Pfizer. Pennant Capital Management and Citadel Advisors also sold off shares. Pennant, which is run by billionaire Alan Fournier, sold 3 million shares in the quarter, while Citadel, the workhorse behind Ken Griffin's $7 billion net worth, sold 2.7 million shares.

Image source: Pfizer, Inc.

Looking forward

Although Pfizer's disintegrating deal with Allergan is disappointing, investors might not want to join these billionaires in selling Pfizer's stock.

Pfizer may not have closed its deal with Allergan, but it did close on a $17 billion acquisition of specialty drugmaker Hospira last year. That deal catapults Pfizer into a leading position in the burgeoning market for off-brand alternatives to top-selling complex biologic medicine. These generic copycats, known as biosimilars since they're not exact copies of the reference drug, could generate billions of dollars in annual sales for Pfizer in the next few years.

Further, headwinds associated with Lipitor are easing, and that means growth in sales of key drugs such as its cancer therapy Ibrance and anticoagulant Eliquis will start to have a more meaningful impact on the company's top line.

Last quarter, expanding use in breast cancer patients resulted in Ibrance sales soaring to $429 million from $38 million a year ago. At the same time, a multibillion-dollar run rate for Eliquis lifted Pfizer's alliance revenue by 80% year over year to $354 million in Q1.

Overall, a stellar first-quarter performance allowed Pfizer's management to increase its full-year sales outlook by $2 billion. The company now expects to generate sales of at least $51 billion in 2016, and if Pfizer delivers on that target, it should be able to produce EPS of $2.38 or more. Since Pfizer's return to growth provides firepower to fuel other acquisitions (such as its recent purchase of Anacor Pharmaceuticals) and increases its dividend payout, long-term investors might want to stick around.

The article Billionaires Are Bailing on Pfizer, Inc -- Should You? 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.
European regulators may decide as soon as this week to require video streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime to feature 20% European content and to ensure their "prominence," Reuters reported.

Current European Union broadcast rules require television networks to make 50% of their content European. Many countries in the EU already have laws setting quotas for streaming networks, according toVariety, but the numbers vary greatly from 10-60%. The proposed new quotas would set a level playing field for streaming services across the continent.

The goal of the new rules would not be to force Netflix and Amazon to pack their services with old content that meets the standard, but rather to encourage new investment in European film and television.The current rules only require services that are physically based in a country to meet such quotas, but the proposed rules would require anycompany that does business in a certain country to hit the 20% minimum.

These new rules would also force Netflix and Amazon to promote local content, presumably on their service's homepages. Judging by the Netflix-provided screenshot of its app's home page in Spain, this would require changes as well:

The Netflix Spain homepage does not seem to be heavy on locally produced content. Image source: Netflix.

How expensive will this be for Netflix and Amazon?

The bottom-line cost of the EU proposal for Netflix and Amazon depends upon the final wording of the proposal. It's a question of whether the rules count partially European products against the quota or whether a show or film must be entirely European. It's also possible that the EU makes the 20% number an investment quota, which is a doomsday scenario for the streaming leaders.

Under the first scenario, in which partial productions count, Amazon and Netflix would already be in compliance, according to research from Ampere Analysis. Even under a more strict standard, the new rules would not present a major obstacle in most European countries, according to Ampere Analysis:

Of course, the goal of the rules would not be to have Amazon and Netflix juggle their content lineup by cutting some non-European shows to get into compliance. The point would be to encourage investment in European productions, and that's where this could get expensive.

Canal Plus, a premium cable TV channel based in France, is "currently obliged to invest a sum equivalent to 12% of its annual revenue pre-buying French films," according to Variety. That's well more than most companies are currently spending: According to an EU study cited by Variety, streaming services operating in Europe invest just over 1% in new productions.

These rules could kill momentum

While a looser standard could have little to no impact, an investment requirement could be difficult for Netflix and Amazon. Under strict 20% investment requirements, both services would have to either spend a lot more money on purely European content across a number of countries or vastly limit their catalogues in the various European markets.

Netflix, as you might imagine, has objected to this type of quota system in the past, tellingthe European Commission (the legislative arm of the EU):

Why not let the market decide?

While the potential EU rules would be bad for the streaming companies, they could also limit choice in European nations or even cause some streaming companies to avoid certain markets. Daniel Dalton, a member of the European Parliament from England's Conservative party, condemned "digital protectionism" and told Reuters it would not lead to quality film-making: "The European Commission has yet again failed to understand how the digital world works. Subscription services like Netflix and Amazon should consider only one thing when placing content on their platforms: what their viewers want to watch."

It's easy to see why the EU wants to protect local cultures and support creative voices in its countries. But it's also easy to see how content quotas or minimum investment laws could backfire, leading citizens of these nations to get a watered-down version of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other services.

Encouraging the top streaming companies to invest in local productions make sense. Forcing them to do so won't have the desired effect, and it will be bad for the companies and European viewers.

The article Could New Rules Push Netflix, Amazon Prime Out Of Europe? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Daniel Kline has no position in any stocks mentioned. He is in the middle of season two of Daredevil, but can only watch when his wife goes to sleep as she is not a fan (but she loved Jessica Jones). The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon.com and Netflix. 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.
J.M. Smucker said it would reduce prices of its U.S. packaged coffee brands, including the Folgers and Dunkin' Donuts, in response to sustained declines in coffee bean prices.

"For the last several quarters, lower green coffee costs were reflected in promotional pricing for the majority of our packaged coffee products, and we do not anticipate those prices changing significantly," Steve Oakland, the head of Smucker's U.S. food and beverage business said.

The price decreases, at an average 6 percent, exclude the company's K-Cup pods.

(Reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian)
Shares of Herbalife Ltd jumped as much as 8.5 percent amid conflicting reports on whether the company had reached an agreement in principle with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to settle a probe into whether it runs a pyramid scheme.

The nutritional supplements maker's stock soared after the New York Post said a settlement was imminent but came off its highs after CNBC, citing a source, reported that no settlement was near.

The stock was up 5.6 percent at $62.77 in midday trading on Tuesday.

Herbalife has come under fire from billionaire investor William Ackman, who has accused the company of running a pyramid scheme, in which members make more money through recruitment than selling the company's products.

The New York Post, citing sources, said Herbalife had agreed to pay a "hefty fine" as part of a preliminary agreement with the FTC. The report said an announcement of a settlement could come as soon as Tuesday. (http://nyp.st/1RnwPOq)

CNBC's Scott Wapner, however, tweeted later that "no settlement is imminent betweenHerbalife and the FTC."

Herbalife said earlier this month that it was in advanced talks with the FTC over a settlement and estimated it could pay $200 million in fines.

The FTC declined to comment, while Herbalife could not be immediately reached.

Ackman's Pershing Square Capital, which has held a large short position in Herbalife since 2012, had no immediate comment. (Reporting by Abhijith Ganapavaram and Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru and Diane Bartz in Washington; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
It's been a busy 2016 for Nokia with the assimilation of its former rival Alcatel-Lucentand an Internet of Things (IoT) deal with one of Russia's leading telecoms, to name but a couple of recent events. But the news that really caught investors' attention was Nokia's decision to reenter the world of mobile devices.

In the second quarter of 2010, Nokia was on top of the global mobile-phone sales heap, well ahead of "upstarts" including the iEverything maker and every other manufacturer. But as consumers ditched their old-school mobile phones for smartphones, Nokia took a beating which resulted in the now infamous $7.9 billion sale of its phone business to strategic partner Microsoft .

The deal with Microsoft was the end of the Nokia phone story, until CEO Rajeev Suri's announcement that it's back in the mobile mix, albeit in a different -- and better -- way than before.

Image source: Nokia.

The deal

Nokia's latest foray into mobile devices began with the recent formation of Finland-based HMD Global, which has been granted an "exclusive global license to create Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets for the next ten years." In return for the use of the Nokia brand and intellectual property from its industry-leading patent portfolio, HMD will make royalty payments for each device sold.

Microsoft once again enters the Nokia mobile picture. Microsoft has agreed to sell what remains of its feature-phone unit to FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn , for $350 million. In return, Foxconn acquires Microsoft'smanufacturing, some design rights, and the software king's extensive distribution and sales networks.

In conjunction with the Microsoft sale, HMD and Nokia Technologies have inked a deal with Foxconn -- financial terms weren't disclosed -- to collaborate on the "building of a global business" utilizing assets from its $350 million acquisition.

What it means

When rumors began swirling last year that Suri was planning a return to mobile, there was a collective groan from many Nokia investors and pundits. After years of losing both market share and money, the notion of Nokia making the same mistake again was a head-scratcher.

However, the arrangement that Nokia has put together with the parties involved -- including Microsoft divesting itself from the mobile-phone market -- is ideal. With low- and mid-tier feature phones, targeting one of the few regions that still offers some growth potential -- emerging markets -- is a solid plan, though one reason some of the big mobile-device hitters have avoided emerging markets is the razor-thin margins of lower-end units.

But outsourcing the manufacturing of feature phones and tablets that bear the Nokia name, a still-popular global brand, gives Nokia a revenue opportunity without the risk associated with building the devices. And let's not forget further monetizing Nokia's valuable patents. One estimate suggests Nokia's patent portfolio is worth between $4.48 billion and$11.2 billion. And with the assimilation of Alcatel-Lucent with its own laundry list of patents, Nokia's intellectual property is likely on the high end of industry valuations.

The opportunity to offer emerging markets low-cost mobile devices without the manufacturing hurdles is an arrangement that can only help Nokia. And additional sales from its non-networking technologies unit will be ancillary revenue that can only help boost Nokia's topline. That said, the arrangement with HMD and Foxconn won't miraculously change Nokia's reliance on connecting the world via its suite of networking solutions.

Of Nokia's $6.28 billion in total revenue in the first quarter of 2016, nearly 93% was derived from its networking division, with the balance split between technologies and other sales. But any step to further diversify revenue sources is a step in the right direction, especially with so little downside. Priced at just 15 times future earnings and sporting a 5.75% dividend yield, Nokia's stock may now get the shot in the arm it needs from mobile.

The article Nokia Corp.'s Return to Mobile Is Spot-On originally appeared on Fool.com.

Tim Brugger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
After an unexpected breakup in April that saw the pending megamerger between Pfizer and Allerganfall by the wayside, Pfizer has found its new target.

It's no secret that Pfizer has been looking to complement its roughly half-dozen therapeutic areas of focus with acquisitions in order to boost its late-stage pipeline and provide earnings accretion relatively quickly for its shareholders. In fact, during Pfizer's quarterly conference call, CEO Ian Read stated that the company was actively looking at ways to boost its innovative business with late-stage and/or commercial products. Pretty much everyone on Wall Street knew an acquisition was probably coming soon, the only question we had was how big it would be.

We now have our answer.

A complimentary fit

On May 16, Pfizer announced that it was acquiring Anacor Pharmaceuticals for the hefty sum of $99.25 in cash per share, or a 55% premium to where Anacor shares closed on Friday. The crown jewel of the $5.2 billion acquisition is crisaborole, a non-steroidal topical anti-inflammatory PDE-4 inhibitor that's been submitted for regulatory review in the U.S. for mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema). Crisaborole is also being studied as a treatment for psoriasis. Pfizer believes that Anacor's lead compound could generate up to $2 billion in peak annual sales.

"Crisaborole is a differentiated asset with compelling clinical data that, if approved, has the potential to be an important first-line treatment option for these patients and the physicians who treat them," said Albert Bourla, Group President of Pfizer's Global Innovative Pharma and Global Vaccines, Oncology, and Consumer Health Businesses.

Image source: Pfizer.

That "compelling clinical data" Bourla speaks of comes from the AD-301 and AD-302 phase 3 studies released in mid-July 2015 that showed a statistically significant advantage in clearing the chronic rashes that occur with atopic dermatitis compared to the placebo. In terms of primary endpoint, the percentage of patients experiencing an Investigator's Static Global Assessment (ISGA) score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) with a minimum two-grade drop at day 29 was 32.8% in AD-301 and 31.4% in AD-302 compared to the placebo's 25.4% and 18% respective effectiveness.

The secondary endpoint, which examined which patients achieved an ISGA of 0 or 1 regardless of whether or not they had a minimum two-grade drop, also demonstrated success for crisaborole. In AD-301 and AD-302, 51.7% and 48.5% of patients experience full or almost-full clearing, which compares to 40.6% and 29.7% full or almost-full clearing, respectively, for the placebo.

As icing on the cake, Pfizer also gains access to topical toenail fungal treatment Kerydin, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July 2014.

Pfizer believes the deal will not materially affect its outlook in 2016, that it'll be slightly dilutive to full-year EPS in 2017, and be accretive to its bottom-line in 2018 and each year thereafter.

Sounds like a great deal, right? I'm not so sure.

Pfizer may have vastly overpaid for Anacor

While I'm all for having Pfizer use its cash flow to boost the inorganic growth side of the equation, I'd contend that it vastly overpaid for Anacor when it offered $5.2 billion for the drug developer.

Image source: Pixabay.

Taking this step by step, Pfizer really is getting two assets: kerydin and cirsaborole. Anacor does have other topical anti-inflammatory products in development, but they're all in the discovery or preclinical stages of development. Aside from these two therapies, the only other drug in clinical studies is AN3365 for infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, and it's far too early to tell if this clinical therapeutic is effective.

Kerydin is, to be blunt, an afterthought in this acquisition. Anacor forged an agreement with Sandoz to help market Kerydin back in 2014, and last year total distribution and commercialization segment revenue was $69.7 million. With peak sales estimates of $400 million, it's not going to move the needle much for Pfizer.

The bigger concern would be for crisaborole. On one hand, there's probably a better than 50-50 shot at FDA approval come its PDUFA date in January 2017 thanks to the drug's meeting its primary and secondary endpoints in both studies and its being generally well tolerated by patients. With few options in treating atopic dermatitis, crisaborole could gobble up market share quickly. But, it's what happens one or two years from now when crisaborole is facing a bounty of potential new competitors that worries me.

Image source: Celgene.

Celgene's oral PDE-4 inhibitor Otezla is already approved to treat psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis, but Celgene has hopes of eventually gaining a label expansion for atopic dermatitis as well. In a previously conducted, though small, study involving Otezla that defined treatment benefit as a 50% (or higher) decrease in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), Otezla delivered a 62% success rate. Keep in mind that EASI and ISGA aren't comparable measurements, so we can't simply say one drug is better than the other. But it does suggest that Otezla could be on track to become the first oral eczema treatment for those with moderate-to-severe forms of the disease.

In addition, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi are expected to file for regulatory approval of injectable dupilumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in the third quarter. In the LIBERTY AD SOLO1 and SOLO2 trials 37% and 36% of patients who an IGA score of 0 or 1 (clear or nearly clear) compared to just 10% and 8.5% for the placebo. EASI improvement from baseline was also a healthy 72% and 69% for dupilumab compared to just 38% and 31%, respectively, for the placebo. Regeneron and Sanofi's injection was also well-tolerated.

Image source: Sanofi.

Roche, AstraZeneca, and Chugai in Japan are also working on midstage atopic dermatitis therapies. This is an increasingly crowded space, and $2 billion seems like a longshot with other successful therapies making their way down the pipeline.

Even with the assumption that crisaborole becomes a blockbuster ($1 billion in annual sales), it could be a very long time before Pfizer realizes a "gain" on its investment. Assuming a healthy margin on crisaborole of say 70%, and taking into account added revenue from Kerydin, the dilutive effect this acquisition could have on 2017 EPS, and the likelihood that crisaborole would take a few years to ramp up sales, it might be 2024 or 2025 before Pfizer finds its $5.2 billion "investment" in Anacor yielding positive results.

The good news here is Pfizer is generating more than enough cash flow to facilitate additional deals, and its oncology segment is on fire with an immuno-oncology offering (avelumab) waiting on the wings. The bad news is I don't believe its acquisition of Anacor was a particularly good move, and I don't see any immediate benefits to this deal for shareholders.

The article Pfizer's Buyout of Anacor Pharmaceuticals for $5.2 Billion Is a Bad Move -- Here's Why 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, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Celgene. It also owns shares of Regeneron 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.
The MRZR-D from Polaris Industries could transform the powersports vehicle maker's defense business into a big growth segment. Image source: Polaris Industries.

Look, but don't touch. That admonition from your mom growing up applies to the Polaris Industries all-terrain vehicle it is set to unveil publicly in Florida this week, an all-new turbo diesel-powered version of its dominant RZR brand. Why the hands-off policy? Because they're for military use only and are not available to the public.

Polaris has been providing specially designed RZRs, dubbed MRZRs, to U.S. special ops forces as part of the lightweight tactical all-terrain vehicle (LTATV) program since 2013. Last July it was awarded an $83 million five-year, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for its MRZR 2 and MRZR 4 vehicles. The new diesel model could be what helps lift sales at the defense unit of the powersports vehicle maker.

The U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM,has been engaging in a buy-try-decide evaluation of light vehicles after discovering a hole in its fleet capabilities for an internally transportable vehicle for its CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor helicopter from Bell Boeing, the joint venture between Textron's Bell division and Boeing. The ability to deliver an LTATV to forward-deployed troops is considered critical to their mission, and Polaris' ultralight MRZR's have helped fill the gap.

In its latest iteration, the powersports vehicle maker took feedback it received from field use of its existing vehicles and updated the MRZR's occupant seating space, ergonomics, and sightlines.But what really sets the MRZR-D apart from its predecessors is the turbo-charged diesel engine, which provides greater rangeand more power than gas-powered vehicles while using fuel that's likely to be more widely available where these vehicles will be deployed. Gasoline supplies tend not to be very reliable in global hot spots and are often of lower quality.DefenseNews reports the diesel engine also increases the MRZR's range by up to 30% on roads.

The highly configurable design of the MRZR-D means the turbo diesel-powered vehicle can carry from two to six people, more weaponry, or greater litter transport. Image source: Polaris Industries.

Polaris already has a sole-source deal with SOCOM for as many as 2,000 of its MRZRs, but the military found them lacking in how far they could travel and how much they could carry, whether in terms of passengers or injured. The new MRZR-D could resolve those issues, as it's customizable from two to six passengers, meaning it can be configured to carry more weaponry or allow for transporting gurneys, while also giving troops access to more remote locations.

Polaris Defense is a relatively small component of the powersports vehicle maker, which realizes more than three-quarters of its annual revenues from civilian sales of off-road vehicles. Even its motorcycle business accounts for more sales than does the military business, which is tucked into its global adjacent markets segment that also produces commercial utility vehicles.

In its first-quarter earnings report, Polaris blamed a shift in military budget spending patterns for the "significant" decline in sales it realized during the period, but the segment also suffered a 2% drop in 2015 for similar reasons as it said "budgetary constraints" hurt sales.

If the new MRZR-D it will unveil this week at the 2016 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa is able to prove its worth in the field, Polaris Defense may just find it becomes a new growth business. And because the new vehicle is diesel-powered rather than gasoline-powered like the current models, it could be a more attractive option to foreign customers as well.

RZR enthusiasts can only hope Polaris Industries applies the lessons it's learning from its military business and applies them to its civilian models too. We just may see some of these enhancements trickle down to the models geared toward fun rather than fighting.

The article Polaris Industries Inc Looks to New Military RZR to Jump-Start Defense Sales originally appeared on Fool.com.

Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Polaris Industries. 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.
Most investors have diversified portfolios with many different stock holdings. Yet if you have new money to invest, you want to make the most of it, and that can often mean making a concentrated play on a promising stock. With that in mind, below you'll find several picks vying for the status of the single best stock to own today. Take a look and see which argument makes the most sense to you for your portfolio.

Image source: Getty Images.

I'll toast to that

Tyler Crowe:The best stock for someone to own has a lot more to do with their investing objectives than one single stock being the panacea for all their needs. With this in mind, let me preface this by saying this approach is for someone looking for a stable dividend investment to supplement income or a great addition to a retirement account where you can defer the taxes on those dividends for decades. If that is the objective, then it's hard to argue against shares of Anheuser Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD).

For a few years now, the big attention-grabbing headlines in the U.S. have centered around the growth of craft been and how it's taking market share from InBev's flagship products. To understand why this company is poised for long-term growth that will support its dividend for years to come, you need to look to the global market. Thanks to its merger with SAB Miller, the combined entity will own about 28% of the global beer market and will have pretty strong footholds in some of the fastest-growing economies around the world. It's a market where branding goes a long way, and AB InBev is holding a lot of cards.

Unless we find an experimental new way to consumer alcohol, Anheuser Busch's competitive advantages should ensure decades of pricing power and profitability that the company will be able to translate to returns for investors. With a dividend yield of 3.1% and a bright future ahead, AB InBev looks like one stock you need to own if you want stable growth and a strong dividend.

Look to the East

Dan Caplinger: One smart way to look for promising stocks internationally is to look at business models that have been successful for investors in the U.S. and find companies seeking to replicate or improve on those business models elsewhere. Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) is an excellent example, with the search engine giant having used a similar business model to the No. 1 U.S. search engine leader and having seen similarly positive results.

Like its U.S. counterpart, Baidu hasn't been satisfied with its strong position in online search. The company has made efforts to diversify itself, including making forays into the driverless auto market and looking to help its users take information they get online and lead them toward offline service providers that can follow through on their needs. Yet Baidu's biggest opportunity is China itself, especially given the fact that the company has done well even as the Chinese economy has hit a rough patch.

Going forward, Baidu has potential for growth in mobile payments, internet-based services, and a host of other areas that it hasn't even thought to pursue yet. With the market giving Baidu only a fraction of the value that its U.S. counterpart enjoys, the Chinese search giant could give shareholders a lot more gains if the company can make the most of all the opportunities it has.

A digital payment leader

Brian Feroldi:One company that I think is a great stock to buy today isPayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL). Despite its size, this company continues to grow at impressive rates, which is a trend that I think will continue for years to come as consumers worldwide shift their spending habits toward digital channels.

PayPal's most recent quarterly results showed that the bull thesis for this stock is on track. Customer accounts grew by 11%, processed transactions rose by 25%, and total payment volume jumped by 29% on a currency-neutral basis.All of that led to a 19% growth on the top line (if you adjust for currency movements), which is solid growth for a company valued at nearly $50 billion.

Those numbers all looked great, but Wall Street appears to be laser-focused on the company's declining margin profile. The reason for the margin pressure is that the company's take rate on each transaction is going down, which is a trend that will likely continue now that it has signed partnerships agreements with both Visa and MasterCard.

I'll admit that those agreements might be a near-term headwind for margins, but I'm bullish on the long-term potential of these deals. The reason is that theagreements will make it easier for consumers to use PayPal to make in-store transactions on both Visa's and MasterCard's networks, which should help to accelerate the growth of PayPal's payment volume.

In short, I think that PayPal has positioned itself well to grow at double-digit rates for years to come. With shares trading for less than 23 times next year's earnings estimates, I think this is a great buy-and-hold candidate.

The best oil stock for the coming recovery

Matt DiLallo: Two years of underinvestment is causing a significant decline in worldwide oil production. In the U.S. alone, production is expected to decline by 10.1% while global production is on pace to slip 3.3%. Meanwhile, demand for oil continues to grow, which should create a much tighter oil market by the end of this year. That forecast suggests that oil prices and drilling activity could rebound sharply over the next year, which plays right into the hands of shale leader EOG Resources (NYSE: EOG).

Unlike most of its peers, EOG Resources is not focused just on growing production in the impending recovery; it wants to drill wells that deliver the highest rate of return. Through a combination of innovation and technology, the company pushed well costs down and hydrocarbon recoveries up across a vast swath of its drilling inventory. As a result, it is currently sitting on roughly 6,000 premium well locations, which are those that can generate a 30% after-tax rate of return at $40 oil. That is enough inventory to grow production for more than a decade.

In fact, EOG Resources' current plan is to increase its oil production by double digits through 2020. At $50 oil, it can deliver 10% compound annual crude oil production growth, with that rate accelerating to 20% if crude averages $60 a barrel. Given its strategy that prioritizes returns, this will not be growth for the sake of growth but instead will deliver robust economic returns for investors.

While many oil companies intend to go back to growth mode once oil prices improve, EOG Resources is the only one focusing on growing returns. That makes it the single best oil stock for investors looking to profit from the looming recovery in the oil market.

A cheap tech giant

Tim Green: The technology sector is tough for investors, because any company, no matter how dominant, can be disrupted by unforeseen developments. But networking hardware giant Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) has so far done a good job of staying one step ahead of the competition. Its dominance in its core markets and its ongoing shift toward software and services make Cisco one of my favorite stocks.

Cisco still derives the bulk of its revenue from hardware, namely switches and routers, but the company is aiming to become a seller of integrated solutions involving hardware, software, and services. Cisco has done very well selling proprietary hardware in the past, but the future will require the company to meet the increasingly complex networking needs of its clients. Cisco's growth going forward will depend on software and services, a path similar to the one forged by IBM many years ago.

The other thing I like about Cisco is its valuation. Backing out the $37 billion of net cash on its balance sheet, Cisco trades for less than 10 times its free cash flow. This low price means that the company's ongoing share buyback program is good use of cash, knocking down the share count and boosting per-share numbers. Cisco is no longer the growth stock it once was, but the stock still looks like one of the best.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

Brian Feroldi owns shares of Baidu. Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. Matt DiLallo owns shares of Baidu. Timothy Green owns shares of Cisco Systems. Tyler Crowe has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Baidu and PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool owns shares of EOG Resources. The Motley Fool recommends Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and Cisco Systems. 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.
Will Toyota's self-driving research program join forces with Uber's? That's just one of many questions following Tuesday's deal. Image source: Toyota.

Toyota announced on Tuesday that it has made a "strategic investment" in Silicon Valley ride-hailing giant Uber. Toyota also said it will begin offering auto leases to Uber drivers. The size of Toyota's investment in Uber wasn't disclosed.

The announcement came just a few hours after rival Volkswagen announced a $300 million investment in the much smaller ride-hailing company Gett. General Motors invested in Lyft in January.

What the companies said

"Against the backdrop of rapidly evolving car usage trends in recent years, the development of mobility services in new areas, including ridesharing and car-sharing, has gathered pace on a global scale," the two companies said in a joint statement. "Through this agreement on the trials, Toyota and Uber will accelerate further talks in aiming to establish new services and to offer new value to customers."

What does this mean for Uber and Toyota?

For Uber, it's probably pretty simple. The ride-sharing giant has raised massive amounts of cash, but it needs more to fund an aggressive global expansion effort as well as advanced technology initiatives. Those initiatives include the development of a self-driving car. Toyota has its own self-driving research program under way; it's possible this new partnership will involve some joint work going forward.

For Toyota, it's a big strategic move. Nearly all of the big automakers have been talking up the idea of "future mobility," a general term that seems to include ride-sharing, ride-hailing, electric vehicles, and self-driving technology. But in recent months, it has become clear that General Motors has been doing much more than talking: GM and Lyft will reportedly start testing a self-driving taxi service within a year -- much sooner than most industry observers had expected -- and the service will use GM's advanced Chevrolet Bolt electric cars.

That news probably rattled executives at a lot of automakers, including Toyota. Those executives may have been rattled again when Apple disclosed its $1 billion investment in Uber's global arch-rival, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing, earlier this month.

Uber's prototype self-driving car is a Ford. Will the next one be a Lexus? Image source: Uber.

It's possible a race was on to secure partnerships with other ride-hailing companies. Last week, Uber released a photo of its first self-driving prototype. The car is a Ford Fusion, which led to some speculation that the Blue Oval could be talking to Uber about a partnership.

If so, Toyota appears to have beat it to the punch.

But what does Toyota want with Uber?

That's not yet clear. Toyota's leadership surely wants to make sure the company has a way to learn and understand the ride-hailing business in depth. It's also a way for Toyota to get some leasing business, though I suspect that's a minor consideration. Toyota probably has bigger plans for the relationship.

It's not yet clear whether Toyota will follow the example of GM with Lyft and use its new partnership to test new technologies like self-driving electric cars -- but it might. It might also have something else in mind. It's a safe bet that Toyota has a plan of some kind that goes well beyond a desire for a financial return on its investment.

It's also possible that Toyota's investment was as much about blocking one or more rivals as it was about an acute desire to work with Uber. If so, it's likely we'll see more deals announced soon.

The article Toyota and Uber Join Forces: What It Means 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.
Image source: ExxonMobil.

There are always some companies that seem expensive no matter what the situation might be. Integrated oil giant ExxonMobil is, arguably, just such a company. Here's why investors are paying a premium for this oil giant and why you might want to pay up, too.

How much for the doggie in the window?

ExxonMobil share are currently yielding around 3.4%. Compare that to Chevron and, for a little more dramatic gap, Royal Dutch Shell , which yield around 4.2% and 7.3%, respectively. I'd try to use the price-to-earnings ratio to show just how much more expensive Exxon is than its peers, but, unlike Exxon, many of those competitors are losing money so their P/E ratios wouldn't provide a meaningful comparison point. In fact, in some cases, P/E actually makes weaker competitors look more expensive even though they aren't trading nearly as dearly as Exxon.

Looking at it a different way, Exxon's shares are down around 10% or so since oil prices started their steep decline in mid-2014. Chevron's shares are down over 15% and Shell's shares are down nearly 40%. So, once again, Exxon stands out from the pack. Why?

Rock-solid numbers

There are a number of reasons for Exxon's premium valuation, but one of the most important is its rock-solid balance sheet. Sure, you may have just read about S&P downgrading the company's debt. But it was the last oil company to get cut and the rating slipped from AAA, the highest possible, to AA+, the next best rating.

One of the big reasons cited for the credit downgrade was debt, but let's put that into some perspective. Exxon's long-term debt makes up roughly 15% of its capital structure. Debt isn't a huge issue in the grand scheme of things. And that debt level is lower than peers like Chevron, where long-term debt stood at around 18% of the capital structure. The figure was around 27% at Shell. Advantage, Exxon.

XOM data by YCharts.

Pay me

Another reason why investors are so fond of Exxon over some peers is the company's impressive dividend history. Exxon has increased its distribution each year for over 30 years. Chevron's streak is at 28 years and holding. Chevron normally ups its disbursement in the first quarter, but it didn't do that this year. That suggests the annual increase streak may be coming to an end. And Shell's dividend hasn't been increased in over two years. Worse, investors are worried that a big acquisition during an industry downturn will lead Shell to trim the payment.

When it comes to dividends, investors often pay up for consistency. And that's no different here. Exxon, again, comes up the leader.

Putting shareholders first

Another reason that Exxon is given a higher valuation than its peers is that, put simply, it has historically done a better job for shareholders. You might think that's a hard statement to back up, but it isn't. If you look at return on capital invested, Exxon routinely leads the pack.

XOM Cash Return on Capital Invested (CROCI) (TTM) data by YCharts.

To put this metric into some context, when Exxon invests in a project, its returns tend to be higher than the returns earned by peers. In other words, it's just a better-run oil company than most, which is something that's probably worth paying up for.

Not cheap

There's no way around it: Exxon isn't cheap. In fact, it's probably one of the most expensive oil majors you can buy right now. But that doesn't mean you should ignore its strengths, including industry-leading balance sheet numbers, consistent dividend growth, and top-notch investment history. There's a reason why investors are paying a premium for ExxonMobil shares. You might be inclined to do so, too, now that you know why.

The article Why Investors Are Paying a Premium for Exxon Mobil Corporation originally appeared on Fool.com.

Reuben Brewer owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Chevron. The Motley Fool owns shares of ExxonMobil. 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.
Youve likely seen the headlines about oil prices going up. Theyve been hard to miss. After all, prices have been rising for a while now  up six out of the last 7 weeks. As we currently hover around a 2016 peak just short of $50 a barrel, thats over 75% higher than the 12-year low reached in February.

Whats going on? In a nutshell, the oil market has moved closer to a production deficit, with outages and supply disruptions in Canada, Nigeria, Venezuela, and other producing regions, as demand has risen, says Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, a consumer-driven crowdsourcing website that helps drivers find the cheapest gas in their area. Every time there's a threat to supply that alters the delicate balance of fundamentals, the market spikes very quickly."

Higher crude oil costs always translates into higher gasoline costs. You feel this effect almost immediately, and its notable: every $1-a barrel increase in crude oil prices translates roughly into an increase of 2.38 cents/gallon at the gas pump.

Factor in seasonal patterns including maintenance production and an uptick in travel due to an improving economy, its costing you a lot more to fill your car up. In fact, gas prices are up nearly 7 cents from last weeks average of $2.22/gallon; about 16 cents higher than last months average of $2.14/gallon.

Prices at the Pump Rising

Last Week: $2.22/gallon

Last Month: $2.14/gallon

What about airfares? Fuel costs are the largest expense for the airlines, accounting for about 30% of their costs, says Patrick Surry, Chief Data Scientist at Hopper, the airfare prediction app. However it takes longer for producers of energy services, as such, to pass costs down to the consumer. If oil prices were to stay elevated for a sustainable period of time (think: several months), then we could see upward pressure on prices. However, countering that, to some degree, are increased industry capacity and competition. The jump in fuel prices would have to be a really big one if airlines were to cut back on capacity.

All of which begs the question: whats ahead for oil prices? While the market will undoubtedly be volatile and unpredictable in the short term, the rally in oil could prove short-lived, says DeHaan. And dont expect a bullish surprise at the next OPEC meeting between oil producing countries on June 2. The meeting will be nothing more than a forum for a continued slugfest between Saudi Arabia and Iran. They will try to drive prices higher with baseless comments that dont translate into action, says DeHaan. Smaller nations are expected to remain mute spectators.

The message, behind all this oil talk, is this: pack your bags and take that much-needed vacation.

After all, summer gas prices, even with their recent uptick, are still nearly 50 cents lower than they were last year at this time. In fact, theyre at their lowest summer levels since 2005. The current situation will not likely be repeated next summer, says DeHaan.

As for summer airfares, theyre cheaper than theyve been since 2009, says Surry, with average fares during the summer months ranging from a peak of $240 in June, and then dropping to $211 by August. Its a great time to travelespecially internationally, given the strength of the U.S. dollar. Youre paying less for the airline ticket and youre spending less - on everything - once you hit the ground.

Vera Gibbons is a financial journalist and Senior Consumer Analyst with www.GasBuddy.com. A former analyst with MSNBC who appeared regularly on the Today Show, Gibbons was previously a Financial Contributor with CBS News. She has written for Inc., SmartMoney, Kiplingers, Real Simple, CNN Money, All You, Zillow, The New York Times, and Fortune.com. Today, Gibbons appears regularly on Fox News and Fox Business News.
She may star in "Alice in Wonderland," but theres no tea here.

Anne Hathaway quickly apologized on Instagram after she posted a controversial meme that dissed the Kardashian clan. The original meme featured a photo of Hathaways "Through the Looking Glass" co-star Helena Bonham Carter and read In a world of Kardashians, be Helena Bonham Carter.

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Anne Hathaway Talks Shedding Her Pregnancy Weight, Says Husband Adam Shulman is a 'Spectacular' Dad

The Oscar-winning actress deleted the photo, and posted the message, Post removed for unintended shade thrown.

She captioned the message, saying, It never occurred to me I was pitting anyone against each other. Not my style. Peace x.

MORE: Anne Hathaway Looks Gorgeous at First Red Carpet Event Since Giving Birth to Son -- See the Pics!

After clarifying her intentions online, Hathaway attended the Hollywood premiere of her fantastical film wearing a flower-covered Christopher Kane dress.

I've known Christopher for many years, and I love him, she told ETs Carly Steel. When I think of a great English designer, I think of him, and he's so idiosyncratic and so talented. So I just reached out to him and said, Want to just let your imagination go wild? And he made this!
The Obama administrations Department of Justice (DOJ) is unethical and intentionally deceptive.

Harsh words, right? Youd expect that kind of criticism came from a political opponent or maybe even from a conservative commentator. But no  thats not the case.

In fact, that stinging assessment came from a district court in Texas  the same court that blocked President Obamas unlawful Executive Order on immigration to award legal status and federal and state benefits to nearly five million aliens.

That case is now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court and a decision could come at any time.

Just last week, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen issued a 28-page order, posted here, that concluded the Justice Department attorneys involved in the case were unethical and intentionally deceptive and made misrepresentations when they had knowledge of the truth.

In the words of Judge Hanen: The misconduct in this case was intentional, serious and material. In fact, it is hard to imagine a more serious, more calculated plan of unethical conduct.

The Wall Street Journal notes the assertions made by DOJ attorneys during the case simply didnt add up:

When 26 states sued to block the order in December 2014, Justice repeatedly assured Judge Hanen that the Department of Homeland Security would not start processing applications until February 2015 at the earliest. Two weeks after the injunction came down, in March, Justice was forced to admit that DHS had already granted or renewed more than 100,000 permits.

Justice has also conceded in legal filings that all its lawyers knew all along that the DHS program was underway, despite what they said in briefs and hearings. One DOJ lawyer told Judge Hanen that I really would not expect anything between now and the date of the hearing. As the judge notes, How the government can categorize the granting of over 100,000 applications as not being anything is beyond comprehension.

Justices only explanation is that its lawyers either lost focus on the fact or the fact receded in memory or awarenessthe fact here being realities that the DOJ was required to disclose to the court. The states werent able to make certain arguments or seek certain legal remedies because the program supposedly hadnt been implemented, leaving them in a weaker legal position.

Judge Hanen found the conduct of the DOJ so troubling that he ordered all agency attorneys in Washington, D.C. to annually attend a legal ethics course. And he ordered Attorney General Loretta Lynch to appoint someone within the department to ensure compliance with his order and to come up with a plan to prevent this unethical conduct from ever occurring again.

Its not the first time the government attorneys have been singled out in court for their biased behavior. Just last month, I reported on a federal appeals court judge who was hearing our case on behalf of 38 organizations which were unlawfully and unconstitutionally singled out by the IRS because of their political beliefs. At that hearing, the court was very critical of the IRS and its claim that it has instituted changes as a result of the targeting scheme. In fact, the court openly questioned whether the agency has made any significant changes to alter its unlawful behavior.

As Judge David B. Sentelle put it: Its hard to find the IRS to be an agency we can trust.

And in March, another federal appeals court struck a significant blow against the IRS and ruled that the agency, along with the Justice Department, has been dragging its feet in providing key information requested in another lawsuit against the agency about the unlawful targeting scheme.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected an appeal by the administration and highlighted a very frank and telling conclusion by the trial judge:

My impression is the government probably did something wrong in this case. Whether theres liability or not is a legal question. However, I feel like the government is doing everything it possibly can to make this as complicated as it possibly can, to last as long as it possibly can, so that by the time there is a result, nobody is going to care except the plaintiffs. . . . I question whether or not the Department of Justice is doing justice.

Based on whats happening inside the Obama administrations Justice Department, its clear the Department of Justice is not doing justice.

These recent court findings underscore what we have known for some time: the Justice Department is focused on settling political scores, instead of upholding the Constitution and the rule of law.

In the immigration case, the conclusion by Judge Hanen that the DOJ attorneys were unethical and intentionally deceptive is symptomatic of a pattern of behavior that appears to be the rule, rather than the exception  behavior that should trigger disbarment proceedings against the attorneys involved.

As the Wall Street Journal correctly opines, . . . this is a constitutional challenge with major consequences for the separation of powers, and the deceit must have required the participation and coordination of dozens of political appointees and career lawyers. That suggests a serious institutional failure, not mere rogue actors.

But dont expect to hear anything about this from the Obama administration. It continues to move forward with its 3-D strategy: Delay, Distract, and Deflect  acting like the Wizard of Oz  hoping the American people will pay no attention to whats behind the curtain.

But thanks to insightful opinions from jurists like Judge Hanen, we can shine a spotlight on exactly whats behind the curtain  a corrupt and unethical Obama administration that permits its lawyers to mislead both the court and opposing counsel in writing and in open court on multiple occasions.
Before I begin, I must confess how indebted I am to two different men.

One is Donald Trump, who provides an endless treasure trove of political and psychological analysis. You could write a hundred books about the guy, and never repeat a phrase.

The other, is Robert Cialdini, who wrote the fantastic, seminal work on influence, appropriately called, Influence. I am going take the persuasive tools outlined from the latter, and apply them to the former.

The goal: to show you that while it is entirely possible that President Donald Trump will build his giant beautiful wall, its more likely that he may not have to do that at all.

Instead, he could abandon the idea (and other such claims), and reach out to Hispanics and widen the tent  without alienating those who were attracted to his strong stance regarding our porous borders in the first place.

Let me explain.

On page 104 of Cialdinis classic book from the 1980s, you will find an illustration of a table, the legs symbolic of promises that help support a commitment to conserve energy at home. Every commitment rests on promises. In this example, the tables legs that get you to conserve energy are publicity you get for your efforts, lowered energy bills, new self-image, pride in doing good and reduction in dependence on foreign oil.

You notice there are five legs. You only need four. Meaning, if say, publicity drops out, the table still stands, and so does ones commitment to conservation. Why is this important?

Because publicity might have been the main promise that got you to engage in this conservation effort to begin with (a person might have told you they would write about you in the paper)! But once that promise is withdrawn  the other outcomes from conservation are appealing enough to make it seem worthwhile.

Now consider the table does not represent energy conservation at all, but instead represents ones commitment to Trump. What would be the legs to that piece of furniture?

That initial, first leg of promise might be

1. He tells it like it is. When he said, Im going to build a wall and Mexico will pay for it, it blew you away. It was blunt, brazen and raw. It resonated.

That was the first leg of the table  his carefree honesty about the world.

2. The next leg is hes an outsider. He came out of nowhere, and crushed everyone, like a burly, effusive tornado from a reality show. Which leads to

3. The third leg, hes winning. Theres nothing better than backing a winner, especially if you were there first! It feels awesome and appears unstoppable! And that leads to

4. The fourth leg, which is you are now part of a movement that enhances your self-esteem and differentiates you from others. Its not just a campaign, its a phenomenon, a cult of personality that rivals, and might even exceed, the Obama movement of 2008.

5. The fifth and perhaps most important leg is you mustnt abandon your long term investment in this life choice, a commitment that is now going on six months. The longer youre for something, the harder it is to be un-for something.

So imagine, as the election approaches, Trump sees that he might need to reach out to Hispanics and disaffected Sanders voters. So, he offers a mild, but knowing rebuke to his own initial promise. When I said wall, it was a suggestion, is now, already being floated, as I write this.

So the initial leg of that table telling it like it is has been pulled out from under that table.

Does that table collapse? No  there are still four legs there, and they are so powerful, and so meaningful, that Trump reneging on that initial promise can be absorbed easily and without casualty to the overall package.

Cialdini writes in Influence about the sales gimmick known as low-balling. A car dealer will offer you a sedan for 500 bucks cheaper than the competitor. But then later, after youve practically signed on the dotted line, committed a day or two to the negotiation, shown the car to your wife and coworkers, envisioned the long drives down the coast with the wind in your hair -- the salesman confesses that they made an error and forgot to factor in the air conditioning in the price. Its upsetting, but at this point, youve already committed so much to the purchase, you sign the deal anyway.

The legs of that table -- time invested, mental attachment, boasting to coworkers, pleasing your wife -- makes turning back a hard choice, even if it means forking over the extra five hundred clams.

Thats the beauty and brilliance of Trump. His initial promise led to a cascade of other powerful attractions and appeals that have burrowed into the hearts and minds of millions of supporters. Now, he can retract almost anything; he can change his mind on everything. And it wont matter.

The commitment is made. He has sealed the deal. Even if the memorable specifics are no longer honored.


Will the dumb comments by the VA secretary, Bob McDonald just go away, or will he have to go as a result?

Pressure seems to be mounting.

A Disney spokesperson said, "This company was founded by veterans. Roy Disney was an officer in the U.S. Navy and Walt drove an ambulance in France assisting service members directly after WW1."

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers said, "When you go to Disney, you aren't wondering if you're going to live long enough to make it to Space Mountain."

Donald Trump took his shot, too, saying, "Obama's VA Secretary just said [that] we shouldn't measure wait times. Hillary says VA problems are not 'widespread'. I will take care of our vets!"

VA officials released a statement late last night saying they are "working to better serve the veterans we have the privilege of serving."

That just sounds like more government talk with no action.

Last time I checked, vets waiting for care can't get a Disney "fast pass" to try and get care more quickly. Unlike the Disney app where park goers can find out which lines are the shortest at any given time, there's no such app for vets.

Yes, it is important for our vets to get great service at VA hospitals, but can't we give them great service and shorter waits?
The fact that one Chibok girl basically rescued herself last week shouldnt make any of us feel better.

The family of Amina Ali Nkeki has a reason to celebrate. The rest of the world does not.

The response from the Nigerian government and the Obama administration to one abducted Chibok girls escape last week is symptomatic of a larger issue. Real action  not just posturing and attention seeking  is needed to rescue these girls, now missing for more than two years.



I was hardly surprised to see the Nigerian government immediately attempting to celebrate (and take credit for) the purported rescue of a second Chibok girl just days after Aminas escape  the second girl, it turned out, was not actually among those taken in the mass kidnapping in 2014. After all, the Nigerian government has been more preoccupied with securing positive international impressions than they have been about securing freedom for the Chibok girls.

Now more than ever, we need to refocus attention on Aminas escape, as she is currently the only Chibok girl from the mass kidnapping to emerge after two years of captivity. Her self-rescue should fill leaders in the free world with shame on behalf of her classmates continued imprisonment.

This is not the time for the world to celebrate. This is the time to confront our shame.

How have we allowed more than 200 girls to remain trapped in captivity for over two years, held by one of the worlds most brutal terrorist groups?

Amina was found last Tuesday by local witnesses with her baby, wandering out of the Sambisa Forest in northern Nigeria. This location is known to be a Boko Haram stronghold and has been thought to be a possible location where the Chibok girls have been held.

Within hours of Aminas sighting, the Nigerian government wasunsurprisinglyeagerly attempting to take credit for her release. Their attempts to capitalize are disgraceful; they also make me realize why the search for remaining Chibok girls has been so unfruitful. It appears that the Nigerian government has been much more concerned about good press than actual results on behalf of the captured schoolgirls. While the girls wait, cowardice and corruption continue to be the prevailing reality.





Within the Obama administration, were seeing hopeful words and hashtag advocacy on the ongoing captivity of the Chibok girls (with First Lady Michele Obama raising the issue by tweeting a photo of herself joining #BringBackOurGirls). But the one action from the administration that holds the most promise has yet to be accomplished. President Obama still hasnt visited Nigeria during his nearly two full terms in office. Not once. (Obama is reported to currently be tinkering with the possibility of a trip to Nigeria in July. To that I say, better late than never.)

In an advocacy campaign launched earlier this year, Open Doors USA has been urging President Obama to prioritize a trip to Nigeria.

Were also asking him to issue a statement on the desperate situation of persecuted Christians in Northern Nigeria, including the Chibok girls, as a result of Boko Haram and other groups.

Were also encouraging him to put pressure on Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to support investigations into allegations that prominent Nigerian politicians have been funneling financial support to Boko Haram. It isnt too late for more Americans to add their voices to our call for action.

Last weeks news of one girls freedom can and should be an opportunity to advocate for those still held captive. For Amina, much care will be needed to help her begin to heal the physical and emotional scars of her ordeal. But I cannot help but rejoice for her family as their personal nightmare comes to an end.

I visited with several of the fathers of the kidnapped Chibok girls while in Jos, Nigeria, several months ago. As director of advocacy at Open Doors USA, I wanted to hear firsthand about the challenges facing the families in the wake of their daughters disappearance.

What I witnessed broke my heart.

Open Doors is on the ground in Nigeria, providing trauma counseling and practical support for the families of the kidnapped girls. But the needs are very deep, and the heartache these families endure on a daily basis is gut wrenching.

Im incredibly grateful that the pain of not knowing what happened to their daughter is over for one family. But the voices of the other fathers still ring in my ear.

After describing his daughter to me, one father put his head in his hands and wept, softly crying over and over, I miss her, I miss her, I miss her, as tears ran down his face.

As I discovered while I was in Jos, at least 18 of the parents of the missing Chibok girls have died in the wake of their daughters kidnapping.

Tragically, even as Amina, the newly recovered Chibok girl, is reunited with her mother, she will also be learning of the death of her father.

They didnt die of old age, one Chibok father was quick to tell me of the parents who have died. They died of heartache.

This is not the time for the world to celebrate. This is the time to confront our shame.

The worlds silenceand the inexcusable inaction of our leadershave allowed over 200 innocent girls to remain captives for two years. It is time to demand action and insist that we do whatever is in our power to rescue the Chibok girls and reunite them with their families.

For more information about Open Doors campaign for action on behalf of the Chibok girls and other victims of persecution in northern Nigeria, visit http://live.opendoorsusa.org/petition/.
Hillary Clinton's campaign has declined an invitation to a proposed Fox News-hosted Democratic presidential debate that her primary opponent Bernie Sanders tentatively accepted last week.

The campaign released a statement Monday, almost a week after Fox News invited both Democratic presidential candidates to a final debate in California before the June 7 primaries.

"We have declined Fox News' invitation to participate in a debate in California," Clinton Campaign Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. "As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses.

"We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands."

Naturally, Fox News is disappointed that Secretary Clinton has declined our debate invitation, especially given that the race is still contested and she had previously agreed to a final debate before the California primary," Bill Sammon, Fox News VP and Washington Managing Editor said in a statement.

Sanders campaign tentatively accepted the invitation last week under the assumption they could reach a "mutual agreement with Clinton.

Sanders said in a statement Monday night he was "disappointed but not surprised" by Clinton's decision not to participate.

The state of California and the United States face some enormous crises. Democracy, and respect for the voters of California, would suggest that there should be a vigorous debate in which the voters may determine whose ideas they support. I hope Secretary Clinton reconsiders her unfortunate decision to back away from her commitment to debate.

"I also would suggest that Secretary Clinton may want to be not quite so presumptuous about thinking that she is a certain winner. In the last several weeks, the people of Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon have suggested otherwise," he said.

The Vermont senator echoed his statement at a campaign apperance in Santa Monica, Calif. Monday night.

"I gotta tell you this," Sanders said, "I think it is a little bit insulting to the people of California, our largest state, that she is not prepared to have a discussion with me about how she will help the Californians address the major crises that we face."

The campaigns earlier this year agreed in principle to hold a May debate.

California is one of six states holding Democratic primaries or caucuses on June 7. The others are Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota.
As one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was expected to have an easy 2016 re-election race  then along came Bernie Sanders.

In a matter of days, the firebrand presidential candidate has elevated the Democratic National Committee chairwomans Florida race from just another local primary to a nationalized battle -- and an offshoot of Sanders fight against the Democratic Party itself.

Sanders, who long accused Wasserman Schultz of working against his campaign, escalated that feud over the weekend by endorsing her primary challenger, Tim Canova, and then helping him fundraise.

Analysts still see Canova as a longshot bid to topple Wasserman Schultz and deny her a seventh House term. But Sanders intervention has given the challenger a much bigger profile, and already is helping him raise hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Canova -- a law professor and first-time candidate touting such progressive ideals as Wall Street and campaign finance reform -- boasted Monday that Sanders small-dollar fundraising blast brought in roughly $250,000.

Like Bernie, we are running a campaign that is funded by working Americans, not corporations or wealthy elites, Canova said. Our political and economic systems are rigged in favor of the billionaire class and establishment politicians like Wasserman Schultz.

Speaking Monday afternoon with Fox News Neil Cavuto, Canova said, Shes concerned about her re-election and she should be.

In announcing his endorsement over the weekend, Sanders initially told CNN hes backing Canova because his views are much closer to mine than to Wasserman Schultz's." But he pulled no punches when it came to the incumbent, making clear that if elected hed fire her as DNC chairwoman. In his Canova fundraising email, he said: "The political revolution is not just about electing a president, sisters and brothers.

The comments complicate what otherwise should have been an easy re-election for Wasserman Schultz, a stalwart fundraiser and 11-year House incumbent.

Washington Republicans, within hours of Canovas statement, also tried to capitalize on Sanders efforts.

As Sanders boosts far-left candidates who share his socialist vision of higher taxes and bigger government, he is forcing Democrats to move even further to the left  rendering their candidates unelectable, said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Bob Salera.

However, Republicans may stand less of a chance at taking the 23rd District seat  held by Democrats since it was created in 1990  than Canova. No Republican candidate has officially entered the race, though a Washington GOP source told FoxNews.com that several potential candidates are considering a run. Whether Wasserman Schultz survives her Aug. 30 primary is a factor.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report and other analysts handicapping the race have long had her safely in the win column, and havent changed their assessment yet.

Dave Wasserman, who analyzes House races for the Cook report, said Monday that Wasserman Schultz is not very vulnerable, despite the Sanders attack  which can be traced back to accusations that she limited the number of primary debates to protect the front-running Hillary Clinton.

There will certainly be a groundswell of contributions and national interest, but his race really depends on voters in her district, said Dave Wasserman, pointing out that the congresswoman won re-election in 2014 with over 60 percent of the vote.

Those voters are not succumbing to the Bernie Sanders movement, he said. Shes well known to many voters beyond her job as chairwoman. Many know her personally.

Still, Sanders and Republican Donald Trump surged in their respective White House campaigns by knocking their opponents as Washington insiders. Trump defeated 16 rivals  mostly sitting or former officials -- in the GOP primary to become the partys presumptive nominee.

Sanders has taken Clinton to the final weeks of Democratic primary with an insurgent campaign that continues to portray the former secretary of state as a Washington and Wall Street insider. He could employ similar tactics to boost Canova.

Wasserman Schultz, though, responded to Sanders intervention by saying she remains neutral in the Democratic presidential primary and is confident about her own chances.

"I am so proud to serve the people of Florida's 23rd district and I am confident that they know that I am an effective fighter and advocate on their behalf in Congress," Wasserman Schultz, who was recently endorsed by President Obama, said in a statement.
Conservative radio giant Rush Limbaugh explained that he will not be making a formal endorsement of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

"In the words of a famous and well-known politician, what difference does it make now?" Limbaugh said on his show Monday, referring to an oft-quoted line by Hillary Clinton.

"I can't believe you think it matters now. ... I think it's a moot point now," Limbaugh told a caller who pleaded with him to declare his support for Trump. "Look, I've never endorsed in primaries, I've never made it a big deal. I've always tried to downplay it, to boot. I don't live under any delusions here that people are going to make up their minds on these serious things just because I happen to tell people who I'm for."

Trump is certain to be the GOP nominee, since all of his rivals withdrew from the race. The primaries are still ongoing state by state, however, until he finally locks up the required 1,237 delegates.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
Longtime Clinton ally and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe insisted Tuesday that a newly revealed federal probe into contributions accepted by his 2013 campaign has nothing to do with the Clinton Foundation or Hillary Clinton  as the news put renewed focus on the dozens of donors he and the foundation have in common.

The Democratic governor was peppered with questions from the media about the investigation on Tuesday. He said he was shocked to learn about the probe and can absolutely guarantee that federal investigators will find no wrongdoing.

Were very confident, he said.

Sources familiar with the investigation confirmed to Fox News on Monday that investigators are probing whether the governors 2013 campaign accepted illegal contributions.

The probe, first reported by CNN, apparently involves a $120,000 donation from Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang through his U.S. businesses. U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals to donate to political races.

McAuliffe's attorney, Marc Elias, said in a statement his office had not been aware of the investigation, but would cooperate if contacted by federal officials. The governor said Tuesday that the businessman in question is a valid donor and has been a green-card holder for years.

The individual, though, also is a donor to the Clinton Foundation. CBS News reported last year that Rilin Enterprises  a company run by Wenliang and reportedly connected to the McAuliffe donation in question  pledged $2 million in 2013 to the Clinton Foundations endowment.

And hes far from the only donor to both McAuliffes campaign and the foundation. The Washington Post reported last year that 120 donors have given to both McAuliffe and the foundation.

Asked about the overlap, McAuliffe said Tuesday, We have a lot of the same friends. But he insisted the situation has nothing to do with the Clinton Foundation.

Asked later if hes concerned the probe might reflect poorly on Democratic presidential candidate Clinton, he said it has nothing to do with her, either.

Republicans nevertheless seized on the connections.

Not only is this FBI investigation another reminder of the kind of corruption and sleaze the Clintons and their friends traffic in, it raises additional questions about the legitimacy of the Clintons charitable enterprises, Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Short said in a statement.
Donald Trump faces a huuuge disadvantage in money and manpower heading into the fall election.

Thats the message the media are sending with a spate of articles about the obstacles facing the Republican nominee.

But what if the assembled media and political experts are once again wrong?

Just throwing it out there.

On the surface, it seems apparent that if Trump has trouble raising a billion dollars, does battle with a much smaller staff and has little turnout operation, hes ceding some crucial advantages to Hillary Clinton.

But so far, at least, the usual rules havent applied to this billionaire outsider.

Ive long believed that the media grow too enamored of candidates who raise big bucks. This was true when Phil Gramm spent a small fortune to win one delegate, and when Howard Dean was on a fundraising tear before he lost Iowa. And it was true in spades of Jeb Bush, whose $100-billion Super PAC haul boosted the medias confidence in him long after it was clear that Trump would drive him from the race.

Ted Cruz had a better field operation, which was evident in Iowa and other caucus states, and also in states where he lost to Trump and yet netted additional delegates. But Cruz quit after a string of losses ending in Indiana.

Ah, the pundits say, but its different in a general election, when youre fighting on a far bigger battlefield and ground troops are critical. And maybe theyre right.

Here, for example, is what Politico is reporting:

At the outset of the general election, Hillary Clintons campaign looks like a well-oiled juggernaut next to Donald Trumps vastly smaller, mostly self-funded operation.

Through the end of April, Trumps staff of 70 was about one-tenth the size of Clintons 732 employees. He had spent just $57 million, dwarfed by her $182 million. She was even spending more than three times as much on office space.

Trump, who self-funded his campaign while accepting small donations, even spent significantly less than Cruzs $81 million, Politico says.

The New York Times says Trump may not have a very deep well to draw on:

A powerful array of the Republican Partys largest financial backers remains deeply resistant to Donald J. Trumps presidential candidacy, forming a wall of opposition that could make it exceedingly difficult for him to meet his goal of raising $1 billion before the November election.

The paper checked in with more than 50 of the GOPs biggest donors and found a measure of contempt and distrust toward their own partys nominee that is unheard of in modern presidential politics.

Which doesnt shock me, since Trump spent ample time attacking them as special-interest moguls who were pulling the strings of his rivals.

The Wall Street Journal says Trump has zero staff in the pivotal state of Ohio. And John Kasichs people arent helping, according to this killer quote from former senior strategist John Weaver: The very things that attracted them to John are the things that would keep them from working for Trump. Plus, they would be shot.

Trump recently said that to finance a billion-dollar fall campaign, I would have to sell a building or something like that. But that might make other rich guys wonder why they have to open their wallets for him.

Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski dismissed these various reports as media hype. He said on Justice with Judge Jeanine that were small, were tight-knit, were working very well together and were going to continue to grow and bring more people in. But you also have to look at the mindset, and what we can accomplish with a small group is the mindset that our government needs.

Meaning theyll be lean and mean, while Hillarys expensive campaign juggernaut shows that shell be a big-spending president.

Much of the small fortunes that presidential candidates raise is devoted to the air wars. But has there been a campaign in the television era where ads mattered less? Trump is a master of driving the news cycleas television milks his candidacy for ratingsand spent remarkably little on commercials. But hes here and Jeb is back in Florida.

He basically makes the television media cover him just about every day by offering some new controversy or revelation; hes mastered the art of attaching himself to breaking news, writes National Reviews Jim Geraghty. A plane disappears, he asserts that its terrorism, and then a good chunk of the coverage is, is this premature, did he jump the gun, etc.

Joe Trippi made a similar point on Media Buzz, saying Trump either creates the news cycle or inserts himself into the cycle. Clinton is rarely able to do that, and her cautious interviews are not only far fewer in number, they rarely generate major headlines.

But then there is the ground game. Trump has dismissed the data-driven technologies widely credited with helping President Obama in 2012, though it also may be that he simply cant afford them.

Still, a general election is ultimately about identifying and turning out your supporters. It may be that Trump is ceding a few percentage points to Hillary, especially in swing states, if he cant effectively compete on that front.

Or, just maybe, Trump turns out to be riding a wave that swamps all these usual journalistic assumptions.
Add Harry Reid to the list of troubles dogging Hillary Clinton as she stumbles toward the Democratic nomination for president.

The powerful Senate minority leader delivered an unusual warning to Clinton on selecting a running mate, vowing to "do whatever I can" to stop her from choosing a Democratic senator from a state led by a Republican governor.

If we have a Republican governor in any of those states, the answer is not only no, but hell no and I would do whatever I can, and I think most of my Democratic colleagues here would say the same thing," Reid, D-Nev. said on MSNBCs AM Joy Monday. I would yell and scream to stop that.

Should Clinton pick a senator as her running mate and win, he or she would need to step down, allowing that state's governor to temporarily fill the seat. In a Republican-led state, that would surely flip that seat to the GOP -- complicating Reid's goal of bringing the Senate back under Democratic control before he retires at the end of his current term.

Reids bid to forestall that scenario would rule out some high-profile names that have been floated as possible Clinton VP picks, such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

Unclear is whether Clinton -- presuming she is able to clinch the Democratic nomination -- would consider Reid's warning in her vice presidential selection process.

But to support his position, Reid offered the example of Democratic Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, who was appointed as Treasury Secretary in 1993 under President Bill Clinton. Though Democratic Gov. Ann Richards appointed a Democratic successor, Bob Krueger, he was later beaten in a runoff by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison. Republicans have held the seat ever since.

We have never recovered from that, Reid said. "Had we not gone along with that, we could still have a Democratic senator from Texas.

A Democratic aide later appeared to walk back Reids comments, telling The Hill that Reid was responding to a question and not indicating that he would weigh in on the VP selection process.

I wouldn't look too deep into his comments, the aide said. He didn't want Republican governors to be in line to appoint [GOP senators]."

Brown and Warren, both in the Democratic Partys liberal wing, have been cited as possible for picks as ways to excite the partys base and burnish Clintons left-wing credentials -- and bring back disenchanted Bernie Sanders supporters.
Top congressional Republicans made their case Tuesday to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, testifying before the House Judiciary Committee that he intentionally ignored and lied to Congress about the agencys 2010 targeting scandal.

We were lied to in Congress. We were misled in Congress, said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Commitee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is seeking Koskinens removal.

The commissioner, in a written statement, called the charges "unfounded" but did not personally testify before the committee.

The unusual hearing Tuesday instead featured Republican lawmakers outlining to their colleagues why they believe impeachment should be pursued. Chaffetz has 73 co-sponsors on his impeachment resolution -- but support from other Republicans has been tepid and Democrats are flatly opposed.

The Utah Republican argued Tuesday that impeachment appears the remedy of last resort, after years of investigations and findings by his panel yielded few results.

He also testified that Koskinens conduct before Congress is impeachable. Chaffetz specifically has accused Koskinen of failing to provide congressional investigators with subpoenaed evidence, not testifying truthfully about the destruction of emails and taking three months to reveal to Congress that emails considered important to the probe were missing.



The facts before us on the impeachment go solely to what Mr. Koskinen did and didnt do when he was under subpoena, Chaffetz told the Republican-led Judiciary committee, which handles the chambers impeachment requests. There was a lot of gross negligence, things he should have done, could have done.

In 2010, the IRS began subjecting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status to unusually tough scrutiny, prompting GOP lawmakers to launch congressional investigations, cut the agency's budget and trim its staffing.

In May 2013, the agency acknowledged the targeting. Koskinen was nominated by President Obama later that year and began running the agency in December 2013.

But in 2014, the IRS disclosed it had lost emails to and from Lois Lerner, who headed the agency division that processes applications for tax-exempt status. Chaffetz alleges that 422 IRS backup computer tapes containing up to 24,000 of Lerner's emails were destroyed while Koskinen was in charge.

Florida GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis also argued that while Koskinen said he made every effort to find backup computer tapes for Lerners lost emails, an IRS inspector general simply drove to a government warehouse in West Virginia to recover at least some of them.

This is a sorry train of false statements, DeSantis told the committee. Americans will never get the truth.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has yet to embrace the impeachment push, with spokesman Brendan Buck saying Ryan has deferred to committee leaders.

Many Republicans would rather not launch a campaign-season impeachment effort with little chance of success.

The hearing Tuesday started with partisan wrangling.

Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte refused to allow Koskinens written testimony to become part of the official record, arguing it was not subject to questions by committee members.

This is Lois Lerner all over again, said committee member and California GOP Rep. Darrell Issa, referring to Lerner invoking the Fifth Amendment on the scandal so she did not have to testify before Congress.

Michigan Rep. John Conyers, the top Democrat on the committee, acknowledged the evidence presented by Chaffetz and others suggested mistakes by Koskinen and other IRS commissioners but questioned whether Koskinens reached the level of gross negligence and were bad enough for him to be impeached.

Is this being a little heavy handed? he asked.

To impeach a federal official, a majority of the House must vote to proceed. It then takes a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate to actually remove the official from office.

The Senate's minority Democrats could easily block the effort, leaving many to believe that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., won't even try. McConnell spokesman Donald Stewart declined to comment on the subject last week.

In his statement Monday, Koskinen said he delayed telling Congress about missing emails until his agency could assess how much data had been lost. He also said he assured Congress that all emails had been preserved -- which turned out to be untrue -- only because he wasn't aware at the time that data containing the emails had been destroyed.

"The allegations that I somehow attempted to deceive Congress are unfounded," he said.

Last July, a report by IRS Inspector General Russell George concluded that the data were destroyed by mistake, not in any agency effort to withhold information from Congress.

The Justice Department ended a two-year investigation of the controversy last year, saying no IRS official would face criminal charges and that it had uncovered no evidence that agency officials acted out of political bias against conservative groups.

Koskinen's term as IRS commissioner expires in November 2017, 10 months into the next president's term.

The reality is there are 90,000 good, hard-working people there, Chaffetz also said. But they are being mismanaged and led by somebody who is lying to Congress.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump pushed back Tuesday against critics questioning how much he raised for veterans charities at an event in January.

I raised almost $6 million for the veterans including putting up $1 million of my own money, he said in a newly released online video. I had no obligation to do anything or to do so. I get nothing but bad press from the dishonest media. It is absolutely disgraceful.

The billionaire businessman held the Des Moines event when he skipped the Jan. 28 Fox News GOP debate in Iowa. After the event, Trump claimed he raised $6 million for veterans.

However, The Washington Post recently reported that campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says the fundraiser only raised $4.5 million. Lewandowski told The Post this discrepancy comes from large donors pledging to write big checks, but then backing out. He would not name the donors.

The Post also reported it has been able to account for just $3.1 million given to veterans groups. Post reporter David Fahrenthold also questioned the whereabouts of the $1 million Trump claimed to have put up of his own money.

10/ The other question: to whom did @realdonaldtrump give the $1M he pledged? https://t.co/eL01y8zgYf  David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) May 24, 2016

In the new Trump video, posted to Instagram, Trump responded to the accusations. Called, A suggestion for the dishonest media, the video features Trump in his Manhattan office, blasting the coverage of his event as disgraceful.

The billionaire finishes with a shot at Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton: Why don't [the media] look into the Clinton Foundation, [if] you want to see dishonesty?

On Monday, a group of anti-Trump veterans protested outside Trump Tower, calling him a "fraud" and accusing him of using vets as "props for hate."

FoxNews.com's Christopher Snyder and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The top-ranking TSA official ousted from his post in a major shakeup over long lines at America's airports wasn't quite fired, it turns out  he was only grounded.

Fox News learned Tuesday that Kelly Hoggan, the Transportation Security Administrations head of security operations whose removal was widely reported late Monday, was merely put on paid administrative leave pending reassignment.

Hoggan's dodge of the pink slip is the latest in a series of high-profile government officials curiously avoiding the chop in favor of a seemingly cushier fate. Before he was put on leave, Hoggan also had received $90,000 in bonuses, and it's unclear what his next move might be.

Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee previously had expressed outrage at the bonus package after reports surfaced of security screening failures at airports around the country. Those security lapses were detailed in a Department of Homeland Security inspector general report last year.

But the scrutiny recently turned to screening delays at airports in Chicago and other major hubs. Wait times have eclipsed three hours at some airports, a phenomenon TSA administrator Peter Neffenger and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson have attributed, in part, to a shortage of TSA officers combined with heightened air traveler volume.

Despite TSAs best efforts, the agency is still warning airline passengers to expect wait times and to manage expectations when preparing for travel. Neffenger has named Darby LaJoye, former head of security operations at Los Angeles International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, as Hoggans replacement effective immediately.

Hoggan is hardly the first official to collect a paycheck after being removed amid controversy.

Lois Lerner, the IRS official at the heart of the Tea Party targeting scandal, was allowed to retire in 2013 after being placed on administrative leave as the revelations of conservative groups being targeted for extra scrutiny came to light.

In May 2013, President Obama announced that Steven Miller  acting head of the IRS  had resigned. Obama, in a statement from the East Room of the White House, said he will not tolerate this kind of behavior.

What Obama failed to mention was that his time as commissioner would have ended just a few weeks later.

Last year, it was revealed two of the officials whose actions touched off the 2014 VA wait-time scandal were placed on paid leave for over a year. They weren't alone. Of the nearly 6,000 VA employees put on administrative leave between 2011 and 2013, 46 individuals were paid not to work for more than a year.

In November, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, probed the Department of Homeland Security on why 88 agency employees were getting paychecks while on leave for a year or more. According to his office, four were on leave for three years or more.

Fox News Chad Pergram and Matthew Dean and FoxNews.com's Jennifer Hickey contributed to this report.
The death of the Talibans leader in a U.S. drone strike has scrambled discussions between the U.S. military and the White House over whether to let U.S. forces once again conduct offensive operations against the insurgent group in Afghanistan.

The American military wants presidential permission to use airpower to blunt the groups threatened advances this summer, according to several U.S. officials. The White House first wants to see what effect the death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour in Pakistan over the weekend will have on the Taliban, senior administration officials said.

President Barack Obama confirmed Mansours death on Monday. The death came amid indications of an impending Taliban offensive.

U.S. intelligence agencies have been warning the White House that the Taliban could seize more Afghan territory, including population centers, during this summers fighting season, in part because the Afghan government and its military forces are so weak.

Fearing a Taliban surge, military officials want to use American aircraft to counter the group this summer, the U.S. officials said.

Doing so, however, would require a significant revision in the so-called rules of engagement, which were changed in January 2015 under Obamas plan to scale back U.S. military involvement and to encourage reconciliation efforts with the Taliban.

Obama has told aides he is not inclined to restart regular U.S. operations against the Taliban, the senior administration officials said. But the strike in Pakistan on Saturday that killed Mansour has boosted the idea that the U.S. can continue pursuing so-called high-value targets and mid-level Taliban extremists, officials said.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald is scrambling to calm a growing bipartisan firestorm after downplaying veteran wait times at VA hospitals by comparing them to wait times for rides at Disney theme parks.

McDonald made the comments Monday morning, and faced a backlash from Capitol Hill almost immediately.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., went so far Tuesday as to call for McDonalds resignation.

Secretary McDonalds preposterous statement is right out of Never Never Land, Blunt said in a statement. I call on him to resign because its clear he cannot prioritize getting our veterans the health care they deserve and have earned in a timely manner.

One of the toughest condemnations came from Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat and Iraq war veteran who lost her legs in Iraq and still receives health care at a VA hospital.

Comparing abhorrent wait times to a trip to Disneyland is unbelievably tone-deaf and hurtful to American heroes desperately in need of care, she said in a statement. Duckworth, who is running for Senate, said McDonald needs to comprehensively address the VA's systemic problems -- and that means reducing wait times, improving care and increasing patient satisfaction.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, also said he was troubled by the secretarys comments and wants to speak with him.

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of that committee, said in a statement he was extremely disappointed in Secretary McDonalds comparison of the deadly VA wait-time scandal to long lines at an amusement park.

Even Disney pushed back on the secretarys comments. A Disney Theme Parks representative told Independent Journal Review that they do in fact take wait times very seriously at their parks, and, A large team of highly trained industrial engineers are tasked with improving our guests experiences, from transportation, to guest flow, to ride comfort and certainly wait times.

McDonald made the comparison during a breakfast with reporters in Washington.

When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what's important? What's important is, what's your satisfaction with the experience?" McDonald said.

On Tuesday, he said in a statement it was never his intention "to suggest I don't take our mission of serving Veterans very seriously."

This is not make-believe, Mr. Secretary. Veterans have died waiting in those lines. https://t.co/OxfT3AYzTi  Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) May 23, 2016

"On Monday, I made some remarks on how were working to improve Veterans' satisfaction with the care they receive from VA. It was never my intention to suggest that I don't take our mission of serving Veterans very seriously," he said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan swiftly chided him on Twitter.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump used the remarks to hammer home his own message about the lingering problems at the VA.

The VA later issued a statement on Monday stressing that they are working to better serve Americas veterans.

This is a solemn duty that we take seriously, the statement said. We know that Veterans are still waiting too long for care. In our effort to determine how we can better meet Veterans needs, knowing that their satisfaction is our most important measure, we have heard them tell us that wait times alone are not the only indication of their experience with VA and thats why we must transform the way we do business.

The VA went on to acknowledge that inaccurate figures can cause unintended consequences and confusion like the flawed and erroneous bookkeeping that was exposed in 2014. That year, reports broke that dozens of patients died while waiting for care and that VA employees at some locations made secret lists to hide long wait times. McDonald took over when his predecessor, Eric Shinseki, was forced out.

The VA is the only health care system that makes wait time information public.

Asked Monday by Fox News about wait times, McDonald acknowledged they have issues getting veterans in for care and said theyre working hard to address it.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Guerin Hays contributed to this report.
Facebook has apologized for telling a feminist group promoting a body positivity event that their photo of a plus-size model in a bikini showed "body parts in an undesirable manner"and suggesting they use an image of someone "running or riding a bike." Australian group Cherchez la Femme says it received a notification from Facebook about an event page for its "Feminism and Fat" discussion featuring a photo of model Tess Holliday, the Guardian reports.

They were told the ad violated Facebook's "health and fitness policy" and that ads "may not depict a state of health or body weight as being perfect or extremely undesirable. Ads like these are not allowed since they make viewers feel bad about themselves." The event's Jessamy Gleeson tells the BBC that she was infuriated by the move.

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"I can see that they were attempting to try to tackle eating disordersthat makes sensebut at some point you have to consider that women of different weights exist on Facebook." A Facebook spokesperson tells Cosmopolitan that banning the ad was a mistake.

"Our team processes millions of advertising images each week, and in some instances we incorrectly prohibit ads," the spokesperson says. "This image does not violate our ad policies." (Google has banned "deceptive" ads for payday loans.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Facebook Sorry for Calling Plus-Size Photo 'Undesirable'
Who hasn't felt the frustration of being almost completely unable to scale a sheer skyscraper covered in glass? LG certainly has, so it gave a champion climber two of its CordZero vacuum cleaners, and pointed her in the direction of a suitable building -- the idea being the suction created by the cleaners through special cups would be enough to see her scale the outside. Was it really possible, or would she plunge to her doom?

To make sure there was no actual doom-plunging going on, the stunt was carefully orchestrated by LG, as a way to show the power of its cordless CordZero Cyking vacuum cleaners, and the amazing ability of pro rock climber Sierra Blair-Coyle. The cleaners aren't exactly like the ones you'll buy from the shops, having been modified to make them suitable for use during the climb, including the addition of those all-important suction cups. The 200 watts of power and 45,000rpm inverter motor are the same though.

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Blair-Coyle had to wear two of the motors on her back, complete with hoses running to the cups, bringing the combined weight including her own to 70kgs. She then had to lug all that to the top of a 33-story building located in Songdo, Incheon, in South Korea, using only her upper body strength and any grip she could get from her climbing shoes. Amazingly, she completed the mission in just half an hour, and that includes a stop to grab a pair of fully charged CordZero packs.

There are echoes of the famous scene from Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, where Tom Cruise scaled the outside of the Burj Khalifa hotel in Dubai, but arguably Blair-Coyle's achievement is somewhat more impressive. Tom Cruise may have performed the stunt, but he did have the help of a helicopter and a giant winch. Maybe Ethan Hunt should keep an LG CordZero handy for next time.

Check out the video for some stunning aerial footage, and be safe in the knowledge this wasn't a crazy free-solo climb, because Blair-Coyle has a safety rope in case the LG cleaners decided suspending people halfway up the side of a building wasn't part of their job description.
It's 2004, and President George W. Bush is still in the White House, a new website called The Facebook launches at Harvard University, Martha Stewart is sentenced to five months in prison, and Motorola introduces the Razr flip phone.

More than a decade later, we prepare to say goodbye to our first black president, Facebook is your parents' favorite social network, Martha Stewart continues dishing out home design inspiration, and Motorola teases a Razr flip phone?

The company on Friday released a not-so-cryptic video tipping a next-gen version of its wildly successful handset. Featuring popcorn shirts, bedazzled phones, and dog-tag necklaces, Motorola's nostalgic promo reminds us of life before touch screens.

"Flip back to the Razr days of yesteryear and get ready for the future," Motorola wrote in the YouTube video description.

But in a world fueled by smartphones, phablets, tablets, and PCs, it's hard to imagine a flip-phone comeback. But you won't have to fantasize much longer: The company's big reveal is slated for June 9. No further details have been released. Interested consumers can sign up online for news via Twitter and email.

Motorola isn't the only sentimental manufacturer: AT&T/Kyocera and Freetel showed off modernized flip phones at January's CES in Las Vegas. The DuraXE from AT&T Kyocerawith its 2.6-inch 32-by-240 screen and 5-megapixel camerais a rugged flip feature phone running a form of Android 5.1.1 on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, with 1GB of RAM.

Japanese phone maker Freetel, meanwhile, showed off Musashi, a flip Android device with two 800-by-480, 4-inch LCD touch screens (one on the front, one inside the flip), a full phone keypad, a Mediatek processor, and dual SIM card slots, plus a MicroSD slot and removable battery.

For a trip down memory lane, check out PCMag's 2004 review of the Motorola RAZR V3.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
Climbing to the top of a canyon is already pretty terrifying for any traveler with a fear of heights.

But Chinese builders have upped the ante with the worlds longest and highest glass bottom bridge set to open in a few months above the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. A spokesman for the project told FoxNews.com that visitors would likely be welcome to walk across the bridge later this year, though the official opening date has been pushed back to January 2017.

Spanning two cliffs high above the majestic natural feature, the new bridge will stretch 1,410 feet long, measure 20 feet wide, and tower 984-feet above the ground below.

The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in Hunans Zhangjiajie National Park is believed to have inspired visuals for James Cameron's epic 2009 film "Avatar, with its foggy sweeping vistas and craggy green peaks.

The chief architect behind the project is Israeli Haim Dotan, who designed the Expo 2010 Shanghai's Israel Pavilion. China Construction Group began working on the bridge last summer. The walkway is being constructed with 1.9-inch-thick glass panels and features several glass observatories at various sections. It will also allow daring tourists bungee jumping opportunities.

The project was originally slated to open in January but has since faced multiple construction delays due to bad weather and local government interference.

By comparison, the Grand Canyon Skywalk in Arizona is just 69 feet long and hovers about 718 fee above the canyon floor. Canada's Glacier Skywalk in Alberta, which opened last year, extends 115 feet from the cliff and is just under 984 feet tall.

Zhangjiajie bridge officials have said that only 800 guests will be allowed on the walkway at a time to prevent exerting too much pressure on the glass and underlying structure.
With a world of products available for virtual perusal, stepping into a brick-and-mortar store seems to have lost its appeal to most shoppers.

Major retailers such as Sears and Gap are suffering disappointing earnings and shuttering dozens of stores. Last week, Gaps CEO said his company would be  delusional not to start selling some of its apparel on Amazon and other sites. Photos of abandoned, dilapidated malls filled with plant overgrowth make the rounds online frequently as more closures loom. Macys sales in the first quarter of 2016 fell 7.4 percent from the same period last year, and many other stores have failed to meet even their bleakest expectations.

Meanwhile, online-first companies are opening brick-and-mortar storefronts, and 71 percent of people say they would prefer to purchase an item in a store if one was located nearby. Ecommerce is no replacement for touching and feeling a product before making a purchase -- 85 percent of people value this option, according to TimeTrade. Many people prefer to shop in stores, but stores arent doing enough to meet their demands and rival the online experience.

There is no shiny object or silver bullet to this retailer set of challenges out there, says Pano Anthos, managing director of retail innovation accelerator XRC Labs. In order to stay relevant to smartphone-consumed consumers, stores have to get creative and bring the digital world to the physical world.

Related: Are Digital Retail Models Taking Over Brick and Mortar?

Here are five ideas retailers are testing that would make us actually enthusiastic about going shopping again:

1. In-store experiences

Susan Chiang | Getty Images

When was the last time a big sale made you get in your car and head to the local mall? (Black Friday 2012?) What about the last time an email alert from a store (free shipping!) inspired you to make an impulse buy? (Last week?)

Thanks to the convenience of ecommerce, you dont have to get off your couch to outfit your entire wardrobe or home. That means stores have to offer an experience that will outdo even the flashiest online deal.

At its flagship store in Manhattan, Macys has recently hosted dance parties as well as opened a special floor, called One Below, geared toward millennials. One Below contains selfie walls, wearable tech and 3-D printers for custom-made accessories. Members of the young demographic value being able to curate and personalize their possessions, sure, but they also dont like being stereotyped. Theyre turned off by transparent attempts to market to them, and they dont all dwell on their obsession with selfies like older generations do. Still, these efforts are a sign that Macys recognizes the need to offer something more than merchandise alone.

Many stores have offered alternatives such as special events and classes over the years, but today the stakes are higher. People dont hang out, because the stores are boring, Anthos says. Store engagement gives the consumer a reason to be there beyond simply buying an object.

In December, Nordstrom contributed to a $15.5 million series B financing round for Shoes of Prey, a company that lets people customize a pair of heels or flats. Shoes of Prey started as online-only, but it quickly realized the demand for people to try on shoes before shelling out. Now, Shoes of Prey operates out of many Nordstrom stores -- a win for both companies.

The problem is, most major retailers are still in the experimental phase. They havent done much research to find out if events actually make people want to spend more, for instance. Besides, adding a 3-D printer to a store in New York is one thing, but its a huge expense to install them chain-wide, leaving shoppers in the Midwest without more reasons to stop in.

What the companies do know is that many customers expect VIP service. Eighty-nine percent of consumers want shopping to feel personalized, but only 18 percent of them say that retailers are achieving this level of service, according to mobile marketing platform Vibes. A positive interaction with a sales associate can go a long way. But anyone whos been accosted immediately upon walking into a store knows how annoying that can be.

Its very similar to the digital journey in ecommerce, Anthos says. Youre looking, thinking, learning, reading way before youre ready to buy something. Attentiveness and clerks are a very late stage in the purchase process.

Another example is the movement among stores of asking your name, writing it on a dry erase board on a dressing room door and playing the roles of BFF and personal shopper. But how is that employee supposed to know that just because youre trying on clothes in a store that sells pink ponchos, that doesnt mean you would ever wear one?

TimeTrade found that 59 percent of millennials say they would spend more if a personal shopper proposed suggestions. The distinction is that not every sales associate is trained to be a personal shopper, and not every customer believes they have signed an invisible contract to receive style tips.

2. Omnichannel retail

Akiko Aoki | Getty Images

While omnichannel might sound like an industry buzzword, its the future of shopping. Even today, if youre shopping in a store, chances are youve done a bit of research online beforehand.

At the most basic level, omnichannel retail refers to a consistent shopping experience online and off. But that doesnt just mean the store and website sell the same merch. It also refers to bait stores cast out to reel you in.

According to Googles marketing insights arm, Think With Google, retailers want to know how you shop when youre not in their stores. On your laptop? On your phone? If you made the trek to a store, what prompted you to go? Was it an ad? Was that ad on another website? A promoted Facebook post? An email promotion?

If youre a shopper getting wind of these tactics, you might feel like stores are spying on you. But theyre doing it all with your interests -- quite literally -- in mind.

Google cites a 2015 IDC study that found omnichannel shoppers have a 30 percent higher lifetime value for retailers than their single-channel counterparts. Stores are desperate to master the art of not only getting your attention, but also making sure that when they do, that you can transfer your online browsing into in-store buying with no hiccups. Think: the end of online-only deals.

Say youre browsing a stores website and add a few items in your virtual shopping cart, but you dont check out. Instead, you travel to the store to see them for yourself. If you sign in when you arrive, maybe by sharing your email address with a tablet-toting employee (a la Apple Store Genius Bar), itll make finding and buying those products much easier. Plus, that sales associate will get a sense of your tastes and preferences and be better equipped to provide you personalized service.

This practice falls more in line with hiring a personal shopper. However, theres a catch-22. Anthos explains: You want my user information to give me better service, but I want better service before I give you that user information.

TimeTrade surveyed nearly 5,500 consumers and found that 59 percent would be willing to share their online shopping carts with in-store employees. The idea is even more favorable among millennial and gen Z consumers, at about two-thirds. Retailers have been slow to catch on: 24 percent of them have this capability today, while 26 percent say they arent interested in implementing it. Theyre still afraid it wont be a hit.

Stores are proud of their heritage, Anthos says. Their whole model is, weve been around for 150, 200 years. But that heritage means they dont change very much, very fast, and when they put something in, if it doesnt succeed right away, its considered a failure.  Startup companies think of failure as a learning experience. That never crosses the mind or the culture of a retailer.

Related:

4 Ways Omni-Channel Retailers Can Step Up Their Shipping Game

3. Leveraging data through tech

Todor Tsvetkov | Getty Images

As stores move toward providing smooth online-to-offline transitions, theyre also thinking about the data they can mine from your every shopping move. Again, this unsettles many people, but remember, theyre already getting it from you when you shop online.

By 2020, brick-and-mortar stores will have access to the same data and analytics as ecommerce, according to Fitch Ratings. Like improving customer service, stores know that introducing these changes to shoppers will require delicate care. If youre the type of person who wants sales associates to give you your space, youll probably balk at Big Brother monitoring your behavior.

Smart technology is one of the most promising sources of data for retailers, with possibilities including video and Wi-Fi tracking to follow customers paths through stores, smart shelves to see what items they pick up and move around and devices called beacons to transmit smartphone notifications to passersby.

When TimeTrade surveyed consumers to gauge their aversion to tech that tracks, such as beacons and Wi-Fi, relatively equal proportions said they didnt like the idea (39 percent) or they didnt mind as long as it benefited them (44 percent). As far as smart mirrors, which help customers visualize outfits in various colors, many people are open to the idea -- theyre just skeptical that it will really help them try on variations of the same outfit.

The bottom line is, retailers are going to have to prove that their newfangled tech is truly helpful not just to them, but to you.

Take beacons. Theyre small boxes, or even computerized stickers, that detect nearby customers and push deals or notifications to their smartphones via Bluetooth. But do you walk around with your Bluetooth on all the time? And if a store asked you to turn it on, would you? What about if a store asked you to download their app?

Even if you say yes, you might get an influx of notifications, disrupting your browsing with deals for items youre not interested in. You might be in one department and a beacon from another will detect you and send you a blast. The stores are working on that.

Beacons are, again, very late in the sale cycle, Anthos says. When youre in browsing mode, the last thing you want to is to be hit by ads. You just want to look around.

Still, Business Insider Intelligence predicts that beacons and proximity marketing will influence more than $40 billion in retail sales in 2016. Soon, stores will find a way to shower you with deals and challenge you to scavenger hunts, all via messages.

If you want to keep your phone free of these kinds of pushes, stores have another plan. Some have added iPads for you to shop and play with.

4. Downsizing and showrooms

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 20: Jimmy Butler and CEO & Founder of Bonobos Andy Dunn attend Bonobos Michigan Avenue Launch Party at Bonobos Guideshop on April 20, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois.

Daniel Boczarski | Getty Images for Bonobos

So many products are available online that the idea of spending hours in a giant store might seem like a waste of time. Even if that store has top-notch customer service and all of the highest-tech bells and whistles, youre probably used to typing in a search query to find what youre looking for, so whats the point of getting lost among the racks?

In addition to closing dozens of stores, Sears is beginning to pilot smaller spaces. The first of these, announced last week, is a 10,000-square-foot store devoted to home appliances in Fort Collins, Colo. The store will include technology that allows customers to visualize new appliances in various kitchen layouts, according to Reuters.

Ecommerce may be taking over retail as we know it, but that doesnt mean youre going to buy everything on the Internet. Online-first businesses such as Shoes of Prey, Warby Parker, Birchbox and Amazon have opened physical locations for the majority of customers who like to touch, feel and try on products before proceeding with a purchase. Online retailer Bonobos has a chain of 21 "Guideshops" that dont carry inventory for purchase. Instead, customers can walk in or make a fitting appointment, then have their merchandise delivered to their home or office. Talk about VIP service.

Same-day delivery is becoming more and more feasible in major cities, and soon the rest of the country will have this luxury. Youll become accustomed to being able to have anything delivered anywhere, any time, if youre not already. Plus, when stores downsize, theyll be able to carry only the items you truly want, so you wont have to sift through the excess.

In the future, its also possible that the sharing economy will influence more stores to offer rental service, Anthos explains. Rent the Runway, another company that started online and later opened brick-and-mortar locations, lets people borrow the latest fashions so they can wear them at a lower cost. If youre a fast-fashion aficionado, widespread renting could help you keep up with constantly evolving trends.

Related: Why These Ecommerce Front-Runners Are Building Brick and Mortar Stores

5. 'Store as platform'

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Shopping at a physical store feels outdated and foreign. You rely on your phone to guide you through the shelves, telling you, say, which sneakers are the highest rated among triathletes. Maybe while youre in a store, you go on Amazon to check ratings and then see, hmm, Amazon is selling pairs for $15 less ... and with one tap you leave the store empty-handed.

In addition to getting better about price-matching competitors, Anthos presents another concept he thinks stores should adopt, which he refers to as store as platform. In this vision of a digital experience translating to the physical world, stores would parallel online marketplaces.

He uses the iOS App Store as an example. It contains a page of featured apps, which includes New Apps We Love and New Games We Love sections, curated by Apple. Users can browse these suggestions, or toggle over to Top Charts and see what the most popular apps are among iOS users. (The Google Play store recommends apps for users as well as lists popular downloads.)

Anthos makes the point that physical stores dont rank products by popularity or reviews, despite the fact that tech-savvy consumers often use these filters when shopping online. He says he believes stores should begin allowing vendors (e.g. Nike and Adidas) to rearrange assortments and displays based on product popularity.

Right now stores would say, thats a lot of work, Anthos says. But you spend more time on your phone than you do in a store -- by far. Stores have to start modifying their behavior.
Schools across Colorado are receiving anonymous bomb threats in the form of robocalls, forcing several buildings to evacuate students Monday as a precaution.

Cherokee Trail Elementary School in Parker, Colo., as well as schools in Colorado Springs and Pueblo were evacuated Monday in response to the threats, which the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force are aware of, KMGHTV reported.

Christine Harms, director of the Colorado School Safety Resource Center, told the station many schools around the country have also received bomb threats via robocall in the past few months.

Some schools in Colorado are evacuating, while others are not, Harms told the station.

Nothing suspicious has been found at any of the schools in Colorado that received the threats. The automated phone calls are being investigated by the FBI.

Click here for more from Denver7
Once-secret jailhouse recordings showed that the ex-cop and convicted murderer Drew Peterson had a new career in mind if he ever got out of prison: drug dealer.

Prosecutors played some of the recordings in court Tuesday during Peterson's murder-for-hire trial in southern Illinois. They said that after he entered prison for murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio, he offered a hitman $10,000 to kill the prosecutor in his murder trial.

"Theres that guy thats got cartel connections," Peterson told 25-year-old jailhouse informant Antonio Smith, otherwise known as "Beast," the Chicago Sun-Times reported. "They can get us into dope."

Peterson reportedly also claimed he knew somebody with property in Mexico where he could land a plane.

Prosecutors said "Beast" buddied up with the former Bolingbrook sergeant before agreeing to wear a wire for the FBI. The informant testified Monday that Peterson admitted to killing his fourth wife, Stacy, whose body was never found.

However, the recordings cast some doubt on that claim, the newspaper added. In one recording, Drew Peterson is heard saying, "Stacys still alive, running around out there."

Officials initially classified Savio's drowning death as an accident after her body turned up in a dry bathtub in 2004. They reopened the investigation after Stacy Peterson disappeared in 2007. Drew Peterson was convicted of murder in 2012.

Peterson, 62, was sentenced to 38 years in prison. He denied all the charges against him.

Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker told jurors on Monday that Peterson was motivated by "anger, hatred (and) revenge" against Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow. He said the defendant also believed Glasgow's death would lead to a successful appeal of his first-degree murder conviction, which is under review by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Peterson, who is imprisoned at the Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois, faces an additional 60 years in prison if convicted of the new charges.

"They're going to sensationalize the heck out of this thing," defense attorney Lucas Liefer told the jurors during his opening statement. "Do not give in to this approach."

On the recordings, Peterson blames Glasgow for efforts to revoke Peterson's $79,000 annual police pension, prosecutors say. He also says Glasgow is the reason that Peterson's son, Stephen, lost his job at the Oak Brook Police Department over what authorities said were the younger Peterson's efforts to obstruct the investigation into Savio's death.

After Peterson's conviction, Glasgow called him a "coward" and a "thug" who would "threaten people because he had a gun and a badge."

Glasgow testified that he listened to about 15 minutes of the Peterson wiretap.

"The word 'kill' wasn't used, but the implication of kill was there," Glasgow testified. "Based on 36 years of experience in law enforcement, from my listening of the tape, it was clear to me there was going to be my demise."

Walker said "Beast" didn't receive a reduced sentence for his cooperation but was paid $3,200 by the FBI to replace property lost after he was transferred to the federal prison system following his involvement with Peterson.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A DNA test came too late for a bear in the Great Smoky Mountains, because workers had killed it before the evidence cleared the bear in an attack on a hiker, park officials announced Monday.

Bradley Veeder, 49, said the bear bit his leg through his tent before tearing through other tents earlier this month, WATE reported. Veeder said he'd been hiking the Appalachian Trail. The national park is located on Tennessee's border with North Carolina.

Three days later, the first bear that appeared at the campsite after the reported attack matched Veeder's description. It weighed nearly 400 pounds. At first, workers tranquilized the black bear.

We had reason to believe it was the bear involved in the attack. There were some dental injury on its canines that matched up to the puncture wounds on Mr. Veeder, park spokeswoman Dana Soehn told the news agency.

Workers submitted samples for DNA testing, but concluded quickly that their only feasible option was to kill the animal. They told Reuters it was too big to fit a tracking collar over its head, and too heavy to carry for six miles out of the back country.

Park officials announced the grim news when the test results returned: They killed the wrong bear.

Still, they said they were optimistic they could track down and identify dangerous animals more quickly. DNA profiling for bears is relatively new and we had been waiting weeks to get information back, but over the last year... weve been able to get lab results back in a two week time period, Soehn told reporters.

Doctors treated and released Veeder the day after the attack, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.
After three military combat tours in war-torn Iraq, Chase Millsap returned home to get on with a civilian life. But there was one thing he couldn't do: leave a comrade behind, certainly not one who had saved his life.

Especially not the former Iraqi military officer who had worked with the Americans and was now living a precarious existence as a refugee dodging Islamic State militants seeking to kill him.

For the past two years, Millsap has been fighting a different kind of battle, one to gain asylum for the brother in arms he simply calls The Captain.

"The Captain is the epitome of my personal commitment to take care of people," said Millsap, 33, who served in the Marine Corps and later joined the Army and became a Green Beret.

For the time being, The Captain lives in southern Turkey, struggling to obtain refugee status in what he hopes will be the first step toward seeking permanent asylum in the United States.

"If I go back, I'm sure I die," the 37-old Muslim and married father of two said recently during an interview over Skype. He agreed to speak, but, fearing for his safety, only wanted to be identified by his former rank.

As he spoke, his 3-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son played in the family's living room.

Millsap visited his friend last year at his cramped apartment, hoping he might help him expedite his refugee application.

After running into one obstacle after another  The Captain couldn't get an interview at one government office because his papers were in English, not Turkish  Millsap returned to the United States and formed the nonprofit Ronin Refugee Project with a handful of other military veterans.

It's dedicated to helping those who fought alongside Americans find safe harbor here or in other Western countries. After helping The Captain, they hope to turn their attention to others.

"He's one of millions that's stuck in a system that is broken and he's just gonna continue to wait," Millsap said. "And so we decided to step up, me and a few other veterans."

He will be in Washington on Tuesday to meet with members of Congress and others to discuss just how the U.S. might go about doing that.

"That's really become my mission," said the newlywed who obtained his master's degree from the University of Southern California and then went to work this month as a community liaison helping U.S. veterans reintegrate into civilian life.

Friendly and outgoing, Mills was a fresh-faced second lieutenant when he arrived in Iraq in 2006 to lead a contingent of U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers. The Captain, a lieutenant himself then, was among the latter group.

"When I met The Captain, I was unimpressed at first," Millsap said, chuckling now.

He was a Marine, after all, he is quick to add, and no decent Marine thinks anyone can do the job better than he can. Never mind that they were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by danger in a foreign country where they didn't know the culture.

His attitude began to change as The Captain patiently explained why he and his troops weren't getting buy-in from the locals or the Iraqi soldiers. It changed dramatically, however, after a sniper tried to take Millsap's head off during a routine patrol.

"He quickly pushed me down and ran towards the gunfire and because of that, saved my life," Millsap recalled.

The sniper, seeing an angry Iraqi soldier charging at him, chose to run rather than shoot again.

"And that," Millsap added with a laugh, "is when I truly realized that this guy's OK."

It was a coincidence that the two crossed paths a year later during Millsap's second tour. He was again in charge of a Marine contingent, and The Captain was now his Iraqi counterpart. The bearded soldier stared at him, incredulous that he'd returned to that hell.

Millsap left the Marines after that tour to join the Army's Green Berets, rising to the rank of captain himself. The two didn't cross paths but kept in touch by phone and email  until one day, the communications stopped.

The Captain, Millsap would learn a year later, had nearly been killed when an improved explosive device blew up his Jeep. He recovered and soldiered on until the Islamic State group began moving in and the death threats began. When calls to his home began identifying his children by name, he gathered up his family and fled to Turkey.

Now, a typical day begins with physical therapy on his right arm, still damaged by the IED. That's followed by tasks like teaching his children the English alphabet, then studying English grammar himself so he can fine-tune his United Nations application for refugee status.

The last time he met with a U.N. official, he said, he was told a decision might come within three months. That was four months ago. Now he's heard maybe in a month or two. Or maybe a year.

He and Millsap check in by Skype once a week. During a recent call, he praised Ronin Refugee Project for not forgetting him.

"I feel like you are my family. You are my brother. You and the other group of Marines are really gentlemen," he said before his voice began to break.
Authorities in North Carolina are searching Tuesday for the person who fired dozens of rounds on a residential block in a drive-by shooting, injuring a 4-year-old girl who was home at the time.

4 y/o Ariana Odoms is the little girl shot in a drive-by last night. More from her uncle at 7 on @FOX46News pic.twitter.com/VLJN6vU7hG  Emily Collins (@EmilyFOX46) May 24, 2016

The girl, identified as Ariana Odoms, was inside the home on Monday at about 11 p.m. when the gunshots were fired, Fox 46 reported. She was hit on her side.

I heard my sister saying, My daughter bleeding, my daughter bleeding. So I ran in there seeing her lay on the floor. I picked her up, ran to the back door and got in the car and drove to the hospital, the girls uncle, Delonta Leach, told WSOCTV.com.

The girl was rushed to Cleveland Memorial Hospital in Shelby and was later transferred to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

Authorities have not made any arrests, but told local media that they had a strong lead on the suspect and the car.

Click for more from Fox 46.
Timbaland was wearing something unusual when I met him at a swanky hotel in Beverly Hills last week. The Grammy-winning rapper-producer was strapped into a human turtle shell of sorts -- a silent mini-backpack that intensely vibrates all over, pumping throbbing beats through your insides like you swallowed a bass cannon.

Jiggling organs aside, I was dispatched to the Viceroy LErmitage to pick Timbalands, aka Timothy Zachery Mosleys, brain for entrepreneurial lessons and advice our readers can relate to. He was there to promote SubPacs new Bluetooth wearable, the M2 Tactile Audio System, that funky thing he was wearing over his gray shirt.

Related: 6 Rappers Who Are Also Franchisees

While giving the SubPac a spin, I surprised myself by blushing and spitting out some salty expletives, as the contraption reverberated through my core. Bass-heavy rap rattled my eardrums from a set of bulky headphones. SubPac's Toronto-based founder, CEO and creator, John Alexiou, seated next to Timbaland, wasnt kidding when he told me that Feeling is believing. Mind you, Im not one whos easily sold on trendy wearable tech, but the thing damn near knocked me out of my chair.

All the while, as I shuddered in my leather-backed chair, beats hammering at my upper body and belly. Alexiou and Timbaland looked on with what came off as genuine anticipation, watching my head bob to the beat, heeding my requests to crank it up, louder, louder! I probably made a fool of myself, completely letting go and deeply, internally feeling the beat, but the ride was so much fun that I didnt care. The music took control.

Alexiou wasnt at all surprised at my reaction. Hes seen similar responses before when demoing his gear, he says, pointing to a time when he let a group of hearing-imparied individuals try SubPac's wares. The former financial industry executive connected with Timbaland in the recording studio. He got very lucky: Having heard of SupPac through word of mouth, Timbaland made the first move and reached out to Alexiou.



Related: 3 Entrepreneurial Lessons to Learn From Kanye West

Youre not going to buy your way into working with an innovator and influencer like Tim, Alexiou says. To do that, entrepreneurs have to surround themselves with the right people, persevere and follow their hearts. Not to sound cliche, but thats what it takes to get your idea through in the world.

Timbaland says he came aboard Alexiou's team as a SubPac strategic partner because the innovative device gave him back something he felt hed lost touch with recently -- creative inspiration. That feeling I had lost at one point, he says. When you do music and its in you, you have to find something to inspire you. It cant be an act. Ive worked with everybody, so it was like, What is next to do? How can I get back to what I loved about music as a kid?

As cool as the tactile bass delivery contraption that brought Timbaland and Alexiou together is ( Vice says it could be the future of music listening for serious producers.), particularly when paired with virtual reality goggles and earphones, I wasnt there to expressly to see and feel it.

Related: From Paper Boy to Music Mogul: Entrepreneurship Lessons from Sean 'Diddy' Combs



Like I said, I had another axe to grind: to find out how Timbaland, a multimillionaire hip-hop legend, went from growing up in the projects of Norfolk, Va., squeezing music out of an inexpensive Casio keyboard his mom bought him, to churning out chart-topping songs with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Aaliyah, Drake and Missy Elliot. I wanted to know how the 44-year-old icon rose to the top of the cutthroat music industry -- and keep rising -- and what entrepreneurs can learn from his unlikely ascent.



But the clock was ticking, other journalists were lined up outside the small room we were in, and I was only allowed time to ask three quick questions:



Whats your best piece of advice to entrepreneurs who want to make it big?

Timbaland: Theres no advice on that because its about your heart and your drive. Some men are men. Some women are women. Some people are girls. Some girls are girls who dont graduate to being women. Some men are boys that dont graduate to be men. Its all about your determination and being un-prideful about a lot things and going after what you believe in. Youre gonna get the door slammed in your face, but do you stop there or do you persevere? Theres no advice to follow because its really about whats in you, and just being good at what you do. Follow you, believe in you and dont let hard times harden you.

Me: With so many hit songs under your belt, how do you stay fresh, stay passionate and keep innovating

Timbaland: Once you find something that you love and that connects to you, you dont think about innovating. You just do what you do. Its the same thing as when I got my first hit. I didnt think about all the music coming from the '90s. It was, How am I gonna be this kid from Virginia whos gonna get his music heard and to the masses? You just do what God gave you. You work with the gifts that you were given. You dont say, Im going to innovate and be creative. You dont talk about it. You do it. I just love the music and then the music oozes out of me.

Related: The Rock Releases an Alarm Clock to Get Jabronies Like You Out of Bed

Me: Whats your top success tip for entrepreneurs?

Timbaland: My success tip is teamwork, building the right team. Always staying prayed-up and perseverance, and follow your heart. Never let nobody tell you can or cant. 'Cant' should not be in your vocabulary. 'Do' should always be in your vocabulary. I will do. I will.
A Memorial Day display featuring crosses to honor fallen soldiers was removed from public property in Georgia after someone questioned whether the soldiers were all Christian.

The 79 white, handmade crosses posted on public property along state Highway 92 in Hiram, Ga., were meant to represent the 79 Paulding County residents who died in Americas wars, according to town officials.

But the crosses were abruptly taken down last Friday after someone called Hiram City Hall questioning whether the cross is an appropriate symbol for the memorial.

Hiram Mayor Teresa Philyaw said the cross display, which she approved and planned, was never intended to be religious.

"It was never about religion -- it was just to honor them," Philyaw told FoxNews.com on Tuesday. "I was devastated when it had to come down."

"We wanted to make sure that they werent forgotten. We also wanted their families to know that our hearts still bleed for them," she said. "At the time, it never, ever crossed my mind about the religious factor in it."

"The cross is a 'rest in peace' symbol to me," said Philyaw.

But not everyone in the Georgia town with a population of 2,332 agrees with Philyaw.

Hours after the crosses were posted, an unnamed resident called the office of city manager Barry Atkinson and asked whether all 79 military personnel were Christians.

Philyaw said they had died in wars from World War I to Iraq and Afghanistan. She said to her knowledge, none of their families had complained.

The cross memorial has since ignited fierce debate on social media -- with many people saying its removal is political correctness run amok, while others argued all faiths should be represented.

"The 79 veterans from Paulding County who sacrificed their lives for our nation are being taken down for the Memorial Day holiday because some find it offensive," wrote one Facebook user. "Tell that to the families of these brave veterans who died for us so we can have freedom and shame on you, mayor of Hiram, Georgia, for caving in to their demands."

"It is impossible to do anything good in this world anymore," wrote another.

Some Facebook users posted photos of other memorial sites in which crosses were used to honor the fallen.

Barry Atkinson indicated he agreed with the decision to remove the crosses, WSB-TV reported.

The phone call, Atkinson told the station, "opened our eyes that we missed something here.

We immediately took corrective action, he said.

Atkinson also noted that the caller offered to make a donation should the city plan to build a permanent memorial.

"If Hiram was willing to do a permanent veterans memorial, they offered to make a cash contribution, so I wouldn't say they were really mad," he said.

Some Hiram residents, meanwhile, are searching for private property where the crosses can be displayed, according to the station.

For her part, Philyaw said, "If there is one of those 79 that they know to be of a different religious belief, we will gladly put up."

A city council meeting is schedule for Tuesday night to debate the proper way in which to honor the fallen heroes.

"Whatever the choice is, a memorial of some kind will be displayed," said Philyaw.
One of the two brothers accused of killing a married couple in Washington state surrendered last week and is reportedly helping authorities find the victims bodies.

Tony Reed, 49, is accused of helping his older brother, John Reed, kill the couple sometime around April 11, Q13Fox.com reported. John Reed is believed to be on the run in Mexico.

Tony Reeds attorney told the station that his client intends to prove his innocence.

He wanted to come up and face the charges and thought it was the right thing to do, James Kirkham, the attorney, said.

The assistance was welcomed news for authorities.

Hes been helping detectives, yes, but we still have not recovered their bodies, so thats something we hope will happen very soon, Shari Ireton, a Snohomish County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman, told Q13Fox.com. The chances of being able to get to their exact location is much better than it was a week ago.

On April 12, neighbors reported Monique Patenaude, 46, and her husband, Patrick Shunn, 45, missing when their livestock was left unattended.

Detectives concluded the couple had been killed after they searched the vehicles and the home near the couple's where John Reed recently lived.

Surveillance video linked the Reed brothers to the dumping of the couple's cars over an embankment north of Seattle, authorities said. Authorities have said they had no information about any issues between John Reed and Shunn and Patenaude but noted that others had described a property dispute between them.

Tony Reed has dozens of arrests and twice was under state supervision  from 1989 to 1991 on drug charges, and from 1994 to 2003 for three misdemeanors, one count of attempting to elude police and one count of third-degree assault.

John Reed has been cited for mostly minor offenses, including driving without a license and collecting wood without a permit. He served five years under supervision of the Department of Corrections in the late 1990s for attempting to elude police in Whatcom County.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The United Methodist Church will put a moratorium on its homosexuality debate, delaying at least for the time being efforts to allow for the ordination of non-celibate clergy.

Delegates at the UMC General Conference in Portland, Oregon, voted 428-405 Wednesday evening to adopt a proposal from the Council of Bishops halting Church legislation on human sexuality issues.

Titled "An Offering for a Way Forward," the Council of Bishops' recommendation will involve church leadership appointing a "special commission" to analyze the denomination's official stance on homosexuality, gay marriage, and gay ordination.

"We recommend that the General Conference defer all votes on human sexuality and refer this entire subject to a special commission, named by the Council of Bishops, to develop a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph in our Book of Discipline regarding human sexuality," reads the recommendation.

"We will name such a commission to include persons from every region of our UMC, and will include representation from differing perspectives on the debate. We commit to maintain an on-going dialogue with this commission as they do their work, including clear objectives and outcomes."

The recommendation does not involve a finalized plan, with it noting that a special General Conference might be called as early as 2018, as opposed to the planned 2020 General Conference.

"We have discussed in depth the processes which might help our Church heal and move forward  up to and including the possibility of a called General Conference in 2018 or 2019," continued the recommendation.

"We have not finalized our plans for such processes, but we will keep working on options we have heard from many of you, and we will keep reporting to this General Conference and to the whole Church."

According to the United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline, homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching" and no clergy can be ordained who is involved in a same-sex relationship.

As American secular society has become more accepting of homosexuality, some UMC congregations and leaders have called on the Church to change its positions on gay ordination, the definition of marriage, and removing the "incompatible" language from the Book of Discipline.

In advance of the 2016 General Conference, a few regional bodies of the UMC announced they would refuse to consider the sexual orientation of clergy candidates.

"Sexual orientation and gender identity are not and will not be considered in the evaluation of candidates by the Board of Ordained Ministry," reads a statement from the New York Annual Conference's Board of Ordained Ministry.
American Airlines says officials screened a jet at Los Angeles International Airport as a precaution after a "non-credible" threat was received about the flight from Houston.

Passengers were escorted from the twin-engine regional jet more than an hour after it landed without incident Tuesday morning. A SWAT team with a dog went through the plane, which was kept on a remote stretch of runway.

Passengers were put on buses to be taken to a terminal. American spokeswoman Polly Tracey says the airline hopes to have all passengers on their way shortly.

Airport police Officer Rob Pedregon says the Transportation Security Administration received a threat to the American Eagle flight operated by Compass Airlines.

Officials didn't release details about the possible threat.

Click for more from Fox 11.
The annual Yulin Festival in China's southern Guangxi province is about to get underway this June. During Yulin, locals celebrate the summer solstice and hot months to come.

They do this by eating meat from an animal whose widespread slaughter by the thousands makes most Westerners gasp: dogs.

Related: Warby Parker Co-Founder on the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurship

An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 dogs (and cats as well) are killed for the event. But it's not just their deaths that strike dog lovers as horrific, it's the torture inflicted beforehand: These animals, many of them stolen household pets, are beaten to death, skinned alive, boiled alive and disemboweled. These horrific acts are often carried out in front of other caged dogs for the psychological trauma, because locals believe that adrenaline-soaked meat tastes better and has health benefits.

American entrepreneur Marc Ching has seen these practices firsthand and is single handedly spearheading an effort to do something about it. "Im undercover as a dog-meat buyer for 'the American Dog meat industry.' So I get to see everything that they do," Ching shared last week week in an interview.

But first, some basics: Ching, 37, runs The PetStaurant in Sherman Oaks, Calif., where he and six employees sell pet products and offer free consultations about natural health and wellness therapy for pets. "I provide a 24-hour free service for dogs and cats to keep them healthy and manage health, sickness. That's my primary thing," Ching explains. During consults with pet owners, "I do liver [illness], organ failure, kidney issues, itching, cancer, seizures, diabetes -- significant illnesses," he adds, allowing that his six-year-old business racks up $230,000 a month in sales from custom pet food and supplements.

That's the money part.

And most of those business revenues are funneled to Ching's other passion: his Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, which he says spends about $250,000 a year to pull about 200 dogs nationwide out of harrowing environments, rehabilitate and adopt them out. "We specialize in abuse and torture," Ching says. He describes a recent case: a dog suffering a gunshot wound and a shattered pelvis from a beating with a bat. Referrals to such sad cases come from animal control/cruelty groups and Ching's website, reportanimalabuse.org.

Still, as bad as such domestic abuse sounds, most of the focus on Ching in recent weeks stems from a recent Buzzfeed article about his undercover work in Asia and the annual return of the controversial Yulin festival next month.

The New York Times also recently reported on Humane Society International's ongoing campaign to shut down "dog farms" in South Korea, which don't directly torture the caged animals but do sell them to slaughterhouses for that nation's annual summertime Bok Nal celebration, featuring widespread consumption of boshintang, dog meat stew.

"I don't do dog farms," Ching comments. "Dog farm rescue is no different from a puppy mill rescue, in my view. Dogs just live there and eat and then they're taken to a slaughterhouse. I've been to dog farms and never rescued them because there's no abuse, no torture. What my foundation is trying to highlight is to say, 'Look, you're torturing these [other] animals; this should not be allowed.'"

Kelly O'Meara, director of Companion Animals and Engagement for Humane Society International, in Maryland, disagrees. "Marc is a remarkable person," she says, but she's quick to point out HSI's anti-dog meat work in Asia over seven years -- the group has shut down five South Korea farms and rescued 250 dogs. O'Meara shares her view that these animals suffer their own kind of torture, crammed into tiny cages with metal bars and subjected to starvation and frigid weather. "From start to finish, there's immense cruelty in the dog meat trade," O'Meara says.

Related: Fast-Food Giants' Top Cheese Supplier Embroiled in Shocking Animal Abuse Scandal

Still, outright torture in other places is what prompted Ching to first visit China last September, just months after he learned about the Yulin festival. In China as in other dog-eating countries he's since visited on five more trips -- Cambodia, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam -- horrific treatment, like that at Yulin, is common. "They cut their feet off. They hang them. They boil them alive, rip out their eyeballs," Ching says.

He says that for his trips, he sends an advance team of researchers who find and verify the dog slaughterhouses. He then visits with a guide, driver, translator and hidden video camera. Posing as a businessman from the "American dog meat industry," he watches as dispassionately as he can manage while dogs are tortured in front of him. He tells proprietors that he wants to take the dogs back to California to slaughter them himself so he can taste the meat, fresh, before making a deal.

They fall for it. The entrepreneur gets out with perhaps five dogs at each facility, 15 slaughterhouses per trip, he says. And that's a relief, because these people normally are suspicious about -- and potentially dangerous toward -- animal rights people from abroad and their own Asian countries -- where the eating of dog meat has become increasingly disdained by young people, who have dogs as pets of their own. Ching has been beaten up at least one.

From the slaughterhouses, the dogs are taken to cities for veterinary care, crated and shipped -- if they make it. "A quarter of them survive. Three quarters die," says Ching, who notes that he's brought back perhaps 300 dogs, including many with collars that were people's pets. The latter have included breeds such as French bulldogs and pugs, which sell for thousands of dollars in the United States.

The worst part of course is Ching's self-imposed requirement to witness their suffering. On his first trip to China, he watched a man throw a small dog at a wall and had to be restrained by his translator from attacking the abuser.

"The first time I watched torture was on my second trip [to China]," he says "I watched them torture dogs, hanging them and beating them. And, to be honest, when I watched it, I started crying. It wasnt like sobbing, the tears just came from my eyes, and it changed my life."

Currently, he's planning to shoot a PSA in early June -- with appearances by celebrities, he says -- then return to Asia. "Im only one person," Ching points out. But he hopes others will join him and emphasizes that he's talking about torture, not the choice to eat dog meat.

"Im not in these countries to tell them not to eat dog meat. Im there for one reason, because theyre torturing these dogs," says Ching. Asked whether he considers himself a "social entrepreneur," he answers, "Originally I didnt make my business to do social issues, but its grown into that. My business does well, to where I have the freedom to do what I want, for social and charity purposes. But its the main funder of what I do."

Related: A Social Entrepreneur Helps Homeless Dogs

There is also a personal cost for his new activism, Ching acknowledges. "Its the worst thing thats ever happened to me, ever," he says of what he's witnessed. "I cant even describe it; its ruined my life. Im messed up. [But] I keep going back out there because I feel I cant stop. These dogs are being tortured, and I have to be out there until they pass a law against it."
Ted Kaczynski, the serial mail bomber known as the Unabomber whose deadly spree lasted nearly two decades, wants to tell his story, Fox8 reported.

Kaczynski, whose infamous 35,000-word anarchist manifesto called for a worldwide revolution against modern society, penned a letter to New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright because he says he is ready to speak to someone in the media.

The Unabomber reached out. Thanks, Ted, you're not nuts at all. pic.twitter.com/enTCOO02MI  Lawrence Wright (@lawrence_wright) May 22, 2016

In order to determine who will get the interview, I am asking you to write me back affirming that you understand that I am not mentally ill as my brother, Dave, would have you believe, he wrote.

David Kaczynski helped investigators identify Ted as the Unabomber, ending a 16-bomb spree that began in 1978 and ended with Ted Kaczynskis arrest in 1996.

Wright posted Ted Kaczynskis letter, dated April 4, on his Twitter account Sunday and wrote, The Unabomber reached out. Thanks, Ted, youre not nuts at all. Wright was criticized for his remark on Twitter and later tweeted out that it was unnecessarily snarky.

It is not clear why Ted Kaczynski reached out to Wright, but he wrote in the letter that he would only speak to one person.

Fox8.com reported that David Kaczynski is the author of a book called The Last Tie: The Story of the Unabomber and his Family. The book details his brothers struggle with mental illness.

Ted Kaczynski killed three people and injured nearly two dozen more by sending bombs through the mail over a two decade span. He was captured in April 1996 and sentenced to four life terms.
A Utah teenager is recovering Tuesday after police say his friend stabbed him with a samurai sword during a sleepover on Saturday.

Unified police Lt. Lex Bell says the incident happened around 6 a.m. Saturday at a home in Herriman.

Fox13Now.com reported that the suspect allegedly took a sword from the sleeping victims blade collection and stabbed him in the abdomen.

"The father jumped out of bed, ran upstairs and confronted our suspectthe 17-year oldwho was trying to obtain another weapon to stab the kid again," Bell told the station.

The victims parents ran into the room and called police.

Authorities say an officer tried to Taser the suspect but it did little to slow the teen.

"There was still a huge physical fight going on, our officer tried to use a Taser on our 17-year old suspect," he said, adding that, "the Taser was ineffective."

It is normal operating policy that firefighters do not enter a building or home until police have secured the situation. In this case, they reportedly ignored the rule and helped police subdue the teen.

Bell suggested that narcotics could have been involved or some kind of psychotic breakdown.

Bell said the victim was flown to the hospital in extremely critical condition, but was stabilized after surgery.

Click for more from Fox13Now.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Authorities in Wisconsin said Thursday that the mother who vanished with her three sons after she rented a van two weeks ago were found 'safe and sound' in Savannah, Ga.

Lt. Ed Gritzner of Lake Geneva police told FoxNews.com that Michalene Melges and her sons were first spotted by a person who recognized the family from news reports. Authorities from Lake Geneva contacted police in Savannah, who were able to positively identify the family.

"I can confirm that they are safe and sound," Gritzner said.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Melges, 40, had called her sons school earlier this month and asked administrators that her sons be excused from May 10 through 13.

She rented a van on May 9 in Lake Bluff, Ill. What happened in-between is a mystery, but the van was returned to a rental company in Plano, Texas. The workers there said they never saw the family.

The four were last seen leaving their home in Lake Geneva, outside of Milwaukee. Their phones and her credit cards have not been used since the disappearance.

The sons were identified as Hans, 14, Kristian, 12 and Maverick, 10.

Melges is divorced and is reportedly in violation of child custody rules, authorities said. Authorities said foul play is not suspected. Police also said there is no evidence that she is keeping her children from her husband.
The leader of the Afghan Taliban who was killed in a U.S. airstrike over the weekend reportedly visited Iran just hours before his death.

Mullah Akhtar Mansour, an Afghan citizen, was carrying a Pakistani passport when he entered the country Saturday at the Taftan transit point in western Pakistan, a popular crossing for cargo trucks, VOA news reports.

The passport reportedly had the name Wali Muhammad on it, but also had Mansours photo.

It wasnt immediately clear why Mansour was in Iran, but five hours after he crossed the border, he was killed in the drone strike while traveling to Quetta, officials said.

A passport control photo also showed Mansour entering Pakistan, and he previously crossed into Iran at the same location on April 24, VOA News reported.

Western diplomats in Kabul have said Mansour had been in contact with Iran and Russia in recent months, in a bid to diversify his support base away from Pakistan. Pakistan's ISI secret service has long been suspected of supporting the Taliban leadership in cities across the border from Afghanistan, notably Quetta and Peshawar.

Russia and Iran also are believed to have reached out to Taliban groups in recent months as a counterweight to the Islamic State terror group's presence in Afghanistan.

A senior Afghan Taliban figure said Tuesday that Mansours death could make the insurgent movement stronger by bringing back dissident commanders and unifying the movement's ranks.

Mullah Mohammad Ghous, a foreign minister during the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule of Afghanistan, told The Associated Press Mansour's death cleared the way for those who left after he became leader to return to the insurgency.

His death has been confirmed by some senior Taliban members, as well as Washington and Kabul. The Taliban has yet to formally announce his death.

Mansour had led the Taliban since last summer, when the death of founder Mullah Mohammad Omar became public. Mansour ran the movement in Mullah Omar's name for more than two years. The revelation of Mullah Omar's death and Mansour's deception led to widespread mistrust, with some senior leaders leaving to set up their own factions.

Some of these rivals fought Mansour's men for land, mostly in the opium poppy-growing southern Taliban heartland.

Ghous said a faction loyal to the leader of a major breakaway faction, Mullah Mohammad Rasool  who is believed to be detained in Pakistan  could rejoin the main branch "bringing greater strength."

"Once the death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour is confirmed, Mullah Rasool's group will have no excuse," he said.

Mansour is widely said to have been a major player in Afghanistan's multi-billion-dollar drug production and smuggling business, which along with other contraband helps fund the insurgency.

"The Taliban needs financial and strategic support, so as leader of the movement Mullah Akhtar Mansour had to look for it in difference places  and that meant he had to travel to different countries," Ghous said, adding that Mansour regularly visited Dubai, Qatar and other countries including Iran, which borders western Afghanistan.

Ghous said that it was widely accepted within the upper ranks of the Taliban that Iran also facilitated contact with Russia for Mansour. "We all know Iran and Russia are linked nowadays, so if Mullah Akhtar Mansour is meeting with Iran it must be with the knowledge of Russia."

Another respected veteran in the insurgency, religious scholar Mullah Hameedullah, agreed that Mansour's death removed an obstacle to unity.

As senior figures gather in Pakistan to discuss the movement's future and who should be leader, both Ghous and Hameedullah said the choice of successor would impact whether or not the Taliban chooses war or peace.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Rev. Canon Mpho Tutu-Van Firth, the daughter of former Cape Town Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has revealed that she is giving up her church license over her decision to marry a woman.

"Because the South African Anglican Church does not recognise our marriage, I can no longer exercise my priestly ministry in South Africa," Tutu-Van Firth said in a statement, according to The Telegraph.

"The bishop of the (Cape Town) diocese was instructed to revoke my licence. I decided that I would give it to him rather than have him take it."

Although same-sex marriage is legal in South Africa, the Anglican Church does not recognize the practice, as it goes against the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman.

Desmond Tutu became a prominent name in 1980s for his strong opposition to apartheid, along with his campaigns for a number of socials rights struggles, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, along with many other awards.

Though he retired in 1996, he has continued calling on the Anglican Communion to change its laws on marriage, and has been a supporter of gay rights.

Back in July 2013, he even said that he would rather go to Hell than a "homophobic Heaven."
A drunk man who says he wanted to shake hands with a lion and then challenge it to a fight caused a stir at a zoo in India before panicked officials pulled him out of the exhibit, local media reported.

The man, identified as 35-year-old Mukesh Kumar, reportedly ignored warnings from a nervous crowd as he jumped into the moat of the lion enclosure at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad on Sunday.

I wanted to shake hands with the lioness, fight the lion and also end my life. So I went inside," Kumar told the Express newspaper, which added that he had been drinking with friends before coming to the zoo.

#WATCH: Drunk man jumps into a lion's enclosure in Hyderabad, was safely rescued by zoo authoritieshttps://t.co/an77mTXpIm  ANI (@ANI_news) May 22, 2016

Kumar extended his hand out to the big cats, but the crowd began throwing objects into the exhibit to distract the lions. Zoo officials later pulled Kumar out and he was taken into police custody.

The zoo said it would beef up its security so no more shenanigans could occur in or around the lion enclosure.

"From now on, one security guard would be posted outside the enclosure of all carnivorous animals. We will also seek more police patrol inside the zoo park," Zoo curator Shivani Dogra told the Express.

Click for more from The Express.
Human remains recovered from the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 804 showed burn marks and were "very tiny," suggesting an explosion brought down the plane, a senior Egyptian forensics official told the Associated Press Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a U.S. official briefed on the latest intelligence told Fox News, "All signs continue to point to terrorism."

The official who spoke to the AP claimed he personally examined the remains of some of the plane's 66 passengers and crew at a Cairo morgue. He said all 80 pieces brought to Cairo so far are small and that "there isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head."

He added that at least one part of an arm had signs of burns -- an indication it might have "belonged to a passenger sitting next to the explosion."

The U.S. official speaking to Fox News said American satellites could have missed a potential explosion over the eastern Mediterranean. "Contrary to popular belief, we cannot see every part of the earth all the time."

The official said most U.S. satellites would be trained to positons on land and known areas of interest and not focused over an empty part of the sea, particularly the eastern Mediterranean.

The official would not rule out an explosion took place. To date, no terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the EgyptAir disaster.

The Airbus A320 crashed early Thursday morning near the end of a fight from Paris to Cairo.

An independent Cairo newspaper, al-Watan, quoted an unnamed forensics official Tuesday as saying the plane blew up in midair, but that it was unclear whether the blast was caused by the an explosive device or something else. The official also said the remains retrieved so far are "no larger than the size of a hand."

But Egypts head of forensics denied the statements Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing state news agency MENA.

"Everything published about this matter is completely false, and mere assumptions that did not come from the Forensics Authority," MENA quoted Hesham Abdelhamid as saying.

Analysts who spoke to Fox News also said the body parts could have been broken up in a similar way upon impact with water.

Family members of the victims arrived Tuesday at a Cairo morgues forensics department to give DNA samples to help identify the remains of their kin, a security official said. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

An international effort to hunt for the plane's cockpit voice and data recorder resumed Tuesday, with ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States taking part in the search.

The search area is roughly halfway between Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria and the Greek island of Crete, where the water is 8,000 to 10,000 feet deep.

The head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services, Ehab Azmy, told The Associated Press Monday that the plane did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared off radar, challenging an earlier account by Greece's defense minister.

Azmy, head of the National Air Navigation Services Company, said that in the minutes before the plane disappeared, it was flying at its normal altitude of 37,000 feet, according to the radar reading. "That fact degrades what the Greeks are saying about the aircraft suddenly losing altitude before it vanished from radar," he added.

"There was no turning to the right or left, and it was fine when it entered Egypt's FIR (flight information region), which took nearly a minute or two before it disappeared," Azmy said.

Greece's defense minister, Panos Kammenos, had said the plane swerved wildly and dropped to 10,000 feet before it fell off radar.

Greek civil aviation authorities said the flight appeared normal until air traffic controllers were to hand it over to their Egyptian counterparts. The pilot did not respond to their calls, and then the plane vanished from radars.

It was not immediately possible to explain the discrepancy between the Greek and Egyptian accounts of the air disaster.

A 2013 report by the Egyptian ministry of civil aviation records that the Airbus 320 in the crash made an emergency landing in Cairo that year, shortly after taking off on its way to Istanbul, when one of the engines "overheated."

It said that the EgyptAir A320 GCC took off from Cairo airport heading to Istanbul at 2:53 and that when it reached an altitude of 24,000 feet, the pilot noticed that one engine had overheated. A warning message appeared on the screen reading, "engine number 1 stall." After checking on best measures to take, the pilot headed back to Cairos airport where a maintenance engineer inspected the engine, disconnected it, and sent it to be repaired.

There were no injuries, no fire, and no damage to the plane, the report read, adding that the engine had a technical problem.

The report is one of over 60 reports classified by the ministry as incidents, serious incidents and accidents that took place between 2011 and 2014. Among them, 20 involved A320 Airbus planes, the highest among any other aircraft.

Experts contacted by AP said that while an overheated engine is not a common problem, it is unlikely to cause a crash.

David Learmount, a widely respected aviation expert and editor of the authoritative Flightglobal magazine, said, "engine overheat is rare but it happens."

He said that the pilot can shut down the engine and aircrafts can operate with a single engine.

"I don't think engine overheat alone has ever caused an aircraft to crash. An engine fire could cause a crash but has not done so in the modern aviation era," he added.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
State media in the UAE are reporting that an Emirati teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria and fought there has been sentenced to five years in prison.

The Al Etihad daily reported Tuesday that the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi heard testimony that the teen traveled to Turkey and later Syria at the age of 15. The newspaper says the boy's father reported his son's activities to authorities, who later arrested the teen at Dubai International Airport.

The WAM news agency says a defendant accused of joining the Islamic State group received a five-year sentence Monday, without elaborating.

The United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven city-states that hosts U.S. military personnel fighting the Islamic State group, hasn't faced the militant attacks plaguing other Gulf countries.
A human rights group says South Sudanese government soldiers killed, raped, tortured, and detained dozens of civilians in and around Wau town in the country's western Bahr el Ghazal state in recent months.

A report released Tuesday by Human Rights Watch described a "counterinsurgency" rife with abuses carried out by mostly ethnic Dinka government soldiers against civilians of the local Fertit ethnic groups.

The report said soldiers tortured young men with electric shocks, shot elderly people in their homes and raped women while making their relatives watch.

It said the atrocities took place before the government and rebels formed a transitional coalition government last month.

South Sudan's civil war began in 2013 pitting mostly Dinka government soldiers against mainly Nuer rebels.
The Russian military suffered a setback in Syria when fires destroyed four Mi-24 attack helicopters last week, but U.S. officials tell Fox News the intelligence community believes it was an "accident," not an Islamic State terror attack.

The fires also destroyed more than a dozen trucks at an air base in Tiyas, roughly halfway between Homs and Palmyra.

On May 14, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on the Russian base, known locally as 'T4.' Fighter jets belonging to the Syrian regime were also destroyed.

On Tuesday, the U.S. intelligence firm Stratfor published satellite images showing the destruction to part of the base including the charred remains of the Russian attack helicopters and a supply depot. Stratfor analysts said they believed the ISIS claims were valid.

U.S. officials told Fox News that intel teams more strongly believed an accidental fuel tank explosion caused the damage. It was unclear what could have triggered the blast, which set off secondary explosions on the runway.

"The Stratfor analysis is wrong," one U.S. official told Fox News. Another official said, "There is no indication that an ISIS attack took place."

When asked about the cause, another official said, "Refueling can be dangerous."

A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry Tuesday said all of Russia's helicopters were accounted for and the images of the scorched runway wereover a month old, the product of previous attacks by the Syrian regime and "terrorist groupings."

Major-General Igor Konashenkov added, "The rumors about the destruction of a group of Russian helicopters and two dozen trucks were created by the propagandists of [ISIS] who unsuccessfully tried to 'sell' this alleged piece of news about ten days ago," according to TASS, a Russian news agency.

Bombings claimed by ISIS in Latakia and Tartus, Assad regime strongholds along the Mediterranean coast, killed more than 190 Syrians this week.
A U.S.-backed Kurdish group launched a campaign to expel the Islamic State from Raqqa, the extremists' de facto capital in northern Syria, a spokesperson announced Tuesday.

The predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces sought to "liberate" the countryside north of Raqqa, the spokespersonsaid without setting a date for the offensive to capture the city itself.

The announcement followed a Saturday meeting between a top U.S. commander and SDF officials in Kurdish-held northern Syria.

Meanwhile, The World Health Organization said Tuesday a suicide attack at a hospital in Syria's coastal city of Jableh the previous day killed 43 people.

WHO reported most of those killed were patients and their visiting family members, adding that three doctors and nurses also died in Monday's attack.

The bombing was part of a coordinated wave of attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Jableh and the city of Tartus, government strongholds that had remained mostly immune to the violence of Syria's civil war, now in its sixth year.

Government officials said that at least 80 died in Monday's devastating assaults, while the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that 154 had died.

Also Monday, the Russian military called for a 72-hour cease-fire in Syria between government and opposition forces in two Damascus suburbs.

In a statement issued late Monday, Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko said this would allow Russian war planes to carry out airstrikes against the Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda. He said Moscow urged "all parties concerned to stop offensive operations and shooting and to distance themselves from the regions controlled by" the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Arbys Inks Development Agreement for 25 New Restaurants in Kuwait & Saudi Arabia Momentum for Future International Expansion Grows

ATLANTA - May 24, 2016 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Arbys Restaurant Group, Inc. (ARG), parent company of the franchisor of the Arbys brand, has announced an international franchise development agreement with Al-Kharafi Global for General Trading & Contracting Company-WLL (Kharafi Global), to open 25 new Arbys restaurants in the State of Kuwait and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the next seven years. This news follows a strong year of development for Arbys in 2015 with 69 new restaurant openings globally along with agreements for 138 new restaurants announced in Q1 2016.

We are excited about the agreement with Kharafi Global as we turn our attention to bringing the Arbys brand to new markets around the world., said Paul Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Arbys Restaurant Group, Inc. We welcome Kharafi Global and their experienced restaurant development and operations team into the Arbys family and have the utmost confidence in their success.

We are thrilled to bring the Arbys brand to guests in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, said Haidar Al Naqeeb, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Kharafi Global. With Arbys continued strong sales performance, outstanding leadership and robust menu of delicious, Fast Crafted products, we believe the future for Arbys is incredibly bright.

Arbys remains on track with its goal to surpass $4 billion in total system-wide same-store sales (SSS) by the end of 2018. In Q1 2016, the Brand announced U.S. System SSS growth of 5.8 percent1 in the first quarter of 2016. Arbys SSS growth more than doubled a representative sample of the larger Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) chains2, representing 22 consecutive quarters of SSS growth and 13 consecutive quarters of industry outperformance. Arbys also reported U.S. System two-year SSS of 15.3 percent in Q1 2016.

1 Source: Internal ARG data; Includes estimates for unreported franchisees at time of release.

2 Source: The NPD Group/SalesTrack Weekly reports same store sales collected weekly from 45 of the larger Quick Service Restaurant chains during Q1 2016 ending April 3, 2016.

About Arbys

Arbys, founded in 1964, is the first nationally franchised sandwich restaurant brand, with more than 3,300 restaurants worldwide. The Arbys brand purpose is Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences. Arbys restaurants feature Fast Crafted service, a unique blend of quick-serve speed and value combined with the quality and made-for-you care of fast casual. Arbys Restaurant Group, Inc. is the parent company of the franchisor of the Arbys brand and is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Visit Arbys.com for more information.

With the current growth and momentum of the Brand, Arbys is actively seeking new franchisees. To learn more about available markets and requirements, visit DiscoverArbys.com.

SOURCE Arbys

Contact:

Christopher Fuller

Arbys

678-514-4211

PR@arbys.com

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Nation's Restaurant News Names The Melting Pot as Nation's No. 2 Casual Dining Restaurant Chain in 2016 Consumer Picks Report

Leading Polished Casual Fondue Restaurant's Unique Dining Experience Resonates with Consumers Nationwide

TAMPA, Fla. - May 23, 2016 // PRNewswire // - The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., the world's premier fondue restaurant and a leading polished casual dining franchise, today announced the brand was recognized as the No. 2 casual dining restaurant in Nation's Restaurant News' 2016 Consumer Picks Report.

"At the end of the day, what matters most to us is what our guests think of our overall brand, and this latest ranking is a testament to how much we value our customers and their feedback," said President of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., Mike Lester. "It's a huge honor to be recognized as the No. 2 casual dining restaurant chain. As we look to the future, we'll continue to focus on offering craveable and unique seasonal menu items to keep our ever-growing customer base coming back for more."

The NRN Consumer Picks report measures consumer perceptions of restaurant brands in four dining categories. Nation's Restaurants News, in conjunction with research company WD Partners, surveyed more than 37,000 people to score the brands on factors such as service, food quality and atmosphere. The participants' responses were used to create an overall score to produce the final ranking. Amongst the casual dining brands, The Melting Pot ranked No. 1 in service and atmosphere and No. 2 in food quality, menu variety, reputation, craveability, and likely to recommend.

"It's an exciting time to be a part of The Melting Pot, especially as we plan to grow our award-winning brand on a domestic and international level," said Dan Stone, chief business & people development officer at Front Burner. "The brand has received several awards and recognition over the past few years and there has never been a better time to join the brand. With little to no competition in the fondue market segment, The Melting Pot's unique dining experience truly resonates well with guests across the country."

In order to fuel growth, the company is actively seeking qualified franchisees at the International Franchise Expo (Booth No. 227) in New York City from June 16-18 at The Javits Center. New York City is one of a number of select markets throughout the U.S. where the company is looking to recruit qualified new franchisees. Domestically, the company is seeking new franchisees in select markets, includingHouston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; South Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Des Moines, Iowa;Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York; and Charleston, South Carolina. On the international front, The Melting Pot is focusing its expansion efforts in target markets across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia,Mexico, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

The Melting Pot operates 125 restaurants across 35 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and theUnited Arab Emirates, and has over 10 locations in development internationally. The concept is known for offering an assortment of flavorful fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees served with signature dipping sauces. The menu features a variety of a la carte selections, highlighting customizable options that invite guests to enjoy one, two, three or more courses as they select any combination of individually-priced cheese fondues, salads, entrees and chocolate fondues.

To learn more about ownership opportunities with The Melting Pot, contact Christina Hobbs, director of franchise development for The Melting Pot, at chobbs@themeltingpot.com, or call 800-783-0867 ext. 109.

About The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Founded in 1975, The Melting Pot has offered a unique fondue dining experience for more than 40 years. As the premier fondue restaurant franchise, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. has more than 125 restaurants in 35 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and over 10 international locations in development. A leading polished casual dining franchise, The Melting Pot was recognized as the No. 2 casual dining restaurant in the Nation's Restaurant News 2016 Consumer Picks report. Known for offering a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees, The Melting Pot's menu also features cheese fondues, salads, fine wines and chocolate fondue desserts. Fondue fans can join The Melting Pot's Club Fondue for exclusive promotions, special events and advance holiday reservation privileges. The Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit www.meltingpot.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities with The Melting Pot, please visit www.meltingpotfranchise.com.

About Front Burner

Front Burner is a franchise management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. It is affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1975 with 125 restaurants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and 10 locations currently in development internationally. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.

SOURCE The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Contact:

Sloane Fistel

Fish Consulting

(954) 893-9150

sfistel@fish-consulting.com

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Pollo Campero Celebrates its 45th Anniversary with New Restaurant Openings and Sales Momentum

Latin Chicken Brand Reports Strong Gains in April, Despite Industry's Performance

DALLAS - May 24, 2016 // PRNewswire // - Pollo Campero, Latin America's largest chicken restaurant chain, celebrated its 45th anniversary on April 27th with new United States restaurant openings in Charlotte, North Carolina and Bronx, New York, as well as one new unit in Quito, Ecuador. Pollo Campero also reported a 9.6 percent same-store sales growth for the month of April, despite the industry's slight decline in same-store sales, according to Nation's Restaurant News. Campero first opened its doors inGuatemala in 1971 as a small, family-owned restaurant and has since grown to more than 350 restaurants worldwide.

The two new restaurant openings in New York and North Carolina mark the fourth and fifth openings forPollo Campero in 2016. The openings are part of the brand's plan to double its U.S. system in the next three years. "We have come a long way since 1971, and we celebrated this special month by growing our family with new restaurant openings," said Tim Pulido, President and CEO of Pollo Campero International. "It's been 45 years since we opened our first restaurant, but the same passion, dedication and care we put into each of our recipes are still present. Preserving these core values, as well as our original flavors, are what have made Pollo Campero so successful."

As noted above, Campero reported 9.6 percent in comparable sales growth for the month of April in the U.S., helping the brand grow in both sales and in units. A key driver of this growth continues to be the brand's millennial consumer base, which is attracted to Pollo Campero's unique Latin roots. To sustain the brand's sales momentum, Campero is looking at technology to improve convenience at its restaurants  its new mobile app and online ordering test aim to simplify and expedite ordering.

About Pollo Campero

Pollo Campero is a Latin QSR+ concept that focuses on fresh and authentic hand-breaded and citrus grilled chicken recipes. The brand started in Guatemala in 1971 as a tiny, family-owned restaurant and has expanded to more than 350 restaurants worldwide, including 62 in the U.S. With bold and exciting Latin-inspired menu items, Campero has become a favorite for those looking for unique flavors, such as Millennials. Today, as Pollo Campero marks its 45th anniversary, its focus on quality, and its mission to stay true to its Latin roots remain the same. At the heart of that commitment: the promise to use fresh, never frozen, hormone-free chicken paired with traditional Latin sides, drinks and desserts in a vibrant atmosphere.

For franchise information, or to learn more about Pollo Campero, visit Campero.com. Follow the flavor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CamperoUSA.

SOURCE Pollo Campero

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Showhomes Celebrates Record-Breaking Sales Year, Best Sales Month Ever at Annual Conference

Americas Premier Home Staging Franchise Honors Top Franchise Owners, Sets Tone for 2016 Growth

(PRWEB) May 23, 2016 - Showhomes, Americas leader in home staging for more than 30 years, is proud to announce its highest performing franchisees of the year. The unveiling of the annual list of honors came as Showhomes celebrated its bet ever year, quarter and month of sales during its annual conference, held in San Antonio, Texas.

At the conference, Showhomes franchise owners, vendors and corporate leaders gathered to celebrate 2015 as the brands most successful year since it was founded in 1986. The innovator was also thrilled to announce that March 2016 marked its single biggest month of revenue ever, closing out its single best quarterly revenue as well. Total revenue for the Showhomes system during March 2016 was up a staggering 40% in comparison to March 2015. In addition, Showhomes Central Houston location set the companys all-time single location monthly revenue record.

Q1 helped cement Showhomes position as Americas leader in home staging services, said Showhomes Chief Operating Officer Matt Kelton. Traditional home staging put our brand on the map three decades ago, but Showhomes unique and innovative approach to getting homes sold faster and for top dollar has helped propel us to the next level. We saw great energy and excitement surrounding that at this years conference, and we are already capturing that momentum as we move into the second quarter of the year.

Showhomes top performers were honored for their role in helping to achieve the impressive growth results, for embodying the business core values and for delivering top results. Among the awards highlighted during the conference are:

Franchise of the Year: Awarded to Showhomes San Diego franchise owners Chris and Lisa Gulliver. As the brands top honor, the Franchise of the Year award recognizes a single franchise that consistently makes sound business decisions and operates with overall excellence. Showhomes San Diego achieved outstanding revenue growth throughout the year, engaged in corporate-sponsored events, reached the criteria for the brands Circle of Excellence Award, maintained a customer-centered focus and established outstanding products, services and vision.

The Circle of Excellence: Presented each year to all franchises with an average score of 80% or above on the brands mystery shops who have completed and passed all Showhomes U courses. This years Showhomes Circle of Excellence designation was awarded to Showhomes franchise owners in: North ShoreBarrington, Western North Carolina, Tulsa, Grand Strand, Mobile, Jacksonville, Tampa, Fox Valley, Raleigh, Triad, Memphis, The Woodlands, Coral Gables, St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Little Rock, Folsom Lake, San Diego and Charleston.

Directors Choice Award for Superior Customer Satisfaction: Awarded to Showhomes Raleigh for maintaining a superior level of customer satisfaction, meeting criteria including outstanding mystery shop scores, committing to the philosophy of adding value to all transactions and building business growth through referrals and repeat business outreach efforts.

Rising Star Franchise of the Year: Awarded to Showhomes Grand Strand-Triad, recognizing the franchise for ramping up and excelling quickly within the first 12 months of business. Showhomes Grand Strand-Triad has staffed appropriately and is engaged in the brands franchise network, FIT calls, Showtalk, Conference and Regional Meetings.

These awards recognize just a few of the dedicated partners that have already made 2016 a year to remember for Showhomes, said Kelton. As we head into our traditionally hot summer selling season between April and August, we expect even bigger months ahead, and were extremely proud of the dedicated franchise owners who are helping to make it all possible.

Showhomes customer-focused model has driven the pioneer to become the nations largest and most successful home-staging franchise. With the housing market steadily improving, Showhomes is also capturing new market share by offering home updates and renovation services as well. Showhomes Home Manager program has also helped set the brand apart from other home staging companies. It matches high-end, vacant homes currently on the market with individuals or families who have beautiful furniture, artwork and accessories, but are in need of temporary housing. Acting as professional caretakers, the Home Managers keep the home in show to sell condition, providing both peace of mind to homeowners and staging services at a fraction of the traditional cost. Showhomes also provides up to $5 million in additional insurance coverage for any home utilizing the Home Manager program.

In 2015, the franchise reported a 33 percent year-over-year increase in overall revenue. With the backing of the home updates and Home Manager program, Showhomes is poised to smash through even more revenue records in 2016 by helping to reshape sellers expectations as they prepare to list their home.

To learn more about the products and services Showhomes offers, visit http://www.showhomes.com. For franchising information, visit http://www.showhomesfranchise.com.

About Showhomes

Founded in 1986, Showhomes has helped Realtors and homeowners sell more than 25,000 residential properties worth more than $8.5 billion, by transforming high-end vacant houses into fully-furnished, inviting, valued Showhomes. Currently serving prominent communities in 18 states, Showhomes is a rapidly expanding franchise system with nearly 60 offices nationwide. Boasting the expertise of long-time real estate and interior design professionals, Showhomes is a one-stop-shop for home staging, home redesign, One-Day Makeovers for currently occupied homes and its proprietary Home Manager program  a proven model to get upscale vacant homes off the market, faster. Every major national media outlet in the U.S. has praised the work of Showhomes; the companys work has also been featured on Oprah, HGTV and the Travel Channel. For more information or to learn about franchise opportunities, please visithttp://www.showhomes.com.

SOURCE Showhomes

Contact:

Lauren Boukas

No Limit Agency

+1 (312) 526-3996

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The teacher crisis is real, and were not going to work our way out of it simply by making it easier to hire teachers.
We live in an era where were all interconnected, she said. We all look for each other. We want that human connection. As a result of that alone, we drive the ability to have researchers dip in and work with us.

Patient-driven research

Painters foray into patient-directed, social media-fueled research began with her own diagnosis in May 2010. When she first heard her test results, she collapsed to the ground and wailed, she said. But by August of that year, she had co-founded a nonprofit group called Angiosarcoma Awareness with Lauren Ryan  who had started that eight-person Facebook page. Ryan died in 2014, but her legacy lives on: Today, the group has more than 2,000 members  patients and family members and advocates  who have raised $1 million to fund angiosarcoma research.

During those first two years post-diagnosis, Painter underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy. (Her angiosarcoma, which can arise in any location, was in her breast). She also defended her dissertation, completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer immunology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and enjoyed every minute with her husband and girls, which she described as just icing and cherries and wonderful little treats on top of what I thought I wasnt going to be able to have.

When she completed her postdoc in July 2012, she found herself at a crossroads: Did she want to run her own lab or be an advocate?

The decision was surprisingly easy.

Compared to what I could do as an individual [investigator] in my own lab, there was no doubt in my mind that I could have a greater impact doing something in the interface between advocacy and science, Painter said Monday.

So she turned down a laboratory at MD Anderson Cancer Center to join the Broad Institute as its associate director of operations and scientific outreach. One of the Broads first projects: an audacious idea to use social media to partner directly with metastatic breast cancer patients to drive clinical research.

Metastatic breast cancer

Metastatic, or stage 4 breast cancer  cancer that has metastasized, or spread elsewhere in the body  is almost always incurable. Median survival after an MBC diagnosis is only two to three years. Yet despite killing 40,000 women and men every year  a number that has not budged in decades despite gains in detection and treatment of early breast cancers  MBC shares something in common with the much rarer angiosarcoma: Medical researchers know surprisingly little about it.

For example, how many people diagnosed with early stage breast cancers go on to develop mets? Estimates are between 20 and 30 percent, but no one knows for sure because the National Cancer Institutes Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program, or SEER Registry, only tallies people when they die of cancer; it doesnt track recurrence or progression. How many people are now living with MBC? Again, no one really knows.

MBC activists blame the lack of knowledge on a lack of funding for late-stage breast cancer. And they blame the lack of funding on a kind of cancer catch-22: Numbers  or in this case, their lack  in turn drive research priorities.

Enter a genomics project focused on metastatic breast cancer that aims to fill some of those data gaps. The MBC Project was the brainchild of Dr. Nikhil Wagle, a social-media-savvy medical oncologist (twitter handle: @Nikhilwagle) at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and a genomics researcher at Broad.

Wagle provided the ability to do large-scale genomics research. But he knew he needed partners, and he recruited Painter to help find them. Their notion of using Twitter to do so was bold, given that only a fraction of scientists use social media and many openly scoff at it.

Painter explained Wagles and her idea in an email. Because of our combined experiences in social media, she wrote, we felt strongly that we could leverage existing social groups on Facebook and Twitter to effectively engage a large swath of patients with metastatic breast cancer to empower them to drive research into their own disease. We worked as a team with anyone in the online community who was willing to talk with us about the how we should build the project.

Among the questions they wanted to investigate: What changes at the molecular level can lead to MBC? Why do some patients show extraordinary responses to a certain treatment, yet other patients tumors never respond? Why do some people get metastatic breast cancer at a young age? What genes are involved in MBC, especially in underrepresented and understudied groups? How can researchers ultimately develop better therapies?
My Lead System Pro Launches Blog And Website

My Lead System Pro is a new solution for building brands and building a business. The blog can be used to increase lead generation with targeted clients.

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My Lead System Pro is a newly launched blog and website designed to promote methods of lead generation, as well as other tools needed to build a brand and promote a business. For many people who want to enjoy the benefits of owning their own business, the need for tools to expand market presence is important. The new blog launched by My Lead contains tips and methods to generate targeted leads who are ready to buy the specific products or services of the business. The system offered by My Lead is free of charge, providing all of the tools needed to promote an online presence.

The MLSP blog and website contains all of the tools required to market to a targeted list which is built by the entrepreneur. The tools which are included in the system include state-of-the-art email templates, well-designed sales pages and capture pages. The tools have been designed by authorities in the industry.

Starting a business today can be done with a minimal investment, thanks to the internet, but planning and recognition of the marketing tools is a critical feature. MLSP has the tools to accomplish the tasks associated with uplifting a new business venture. The fact that the new website and blog is free of charge to use makes even novice entrepreneurs more adept at capturing customers, without a huge expenditure of resources.

The system takes a new entrepreneur step-by-step through a series of lessons where he or she is taught the methods of internet marketing that have been shown to be successful. The lessons are given in great detail and then practical application of the lesson is required before the student is allowed to move on to the following lesson. With this teaching approach, the students receive the theoretical steps combined with the practices which actually work in real time.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.bestmlmmarketing.com/my-lead-system-pro/

Contact Info:

Name: Pierre Charles

Organization: My Lead System Pro

Address: 2-906 Watson St ,Ottawa, Ontario K2B 6B9

Phone: (613) 404-6058

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/my-lead-system-pro-launches-blog-and-website/116348

Release ID: 116348

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Thermalabs Launches New Slogan - Life's a Beach

Thermalabs has hinted at a new slogan for its global brand.

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Cosmetics firm Thermalabs has finalized work on its new slogan. Previously, the company had focused exclusively on self-tanning and general cosmetic aids. But in the last few months, Thermalabs has been drifting away from this traditional influence, launching new sub-brands such as Tent Word and Supremasea to expand its global market. The company this week announced plans to make at least six new models of beach chairs. These are top-quality beach relaxation products that are designed to make sure people enjoy an excellently good time at the beach.

The new slogan will be 'Life's a Beach'. It will effectively replace the 'self-tanning reloaded' slogan on the company's official website. The company will also print this slogan on its product labels for its beach-related solutions.

Thermalabs has been an immensely successful company for the three years that it has been in existence. The firm opened its doors sometimes in 2013, starting off with a self-tanning lotion labeled 'America's Gold Standard Tanner'. This was a premium product based on an exclusive and rare formulations. It featured key ingredients such as Aloe Vera, Olive Oil, and other useful substances whose benefits for the skin are well-known. Following a genius marketing and advertising strategy, Thermalabs was able to highlight to prospective users why this product was different from the competition's offering. The Gold Standard Tanner was such a success that the company sold thousands of units within just the first week in the market, and attracted the media coverage that the young company needed to successfully pitch its future releases. By the end of its first 12 months in the market, the young startup had managed to garner a global consumer community spanning over 50, 000. By all means, this is an extraordinary achievement for any company that's less than five years old.

Thermalabs story of excellence is one that most other brands can learn from. Since 2013, the company has contributed a portfolio of at least 15 different products to the market, the majority of which are tanning lotions and accessories. The company's Supremasea brand was introduced last year to oversee the production and prospecting of the firm's new collection of skin care formulations based on Dead Sea salts and minerals. Headed by Kristina Meyers, Supremasea has already introduced its pilot product in the market - Tan Enhancer. This is an after-tan glow lotion that moisturizes the skin and contributes to a radiant glow. It's also enriched with protective ingredients such as Vitamin E to keep the skin safe from free radicals and other environmental pollutants.

While announcing the new slogan, Thermalabs co-coordinator in charge of marketing, Alex Howard, said, "It's been a long way coming for Thermalabs. When we started off some three years ago, we had nothing more than ideas for great product, and a noble goal guiding us. But things are quite different now. The company's commitment to a skin cancer-free world has guided us to at least 15 different products thus far. But here's the news - we are finalizing plans for our new range of 6 classy beach chairs for that perfect beach time that everyone wants to experience. Indeed, our company is making strides in the beach-related products sector. To match up, our branding team has decided that a fresh look tagline is much needed. That's why moving forward, we'll change our slogan to 'Life's a Beach'."

For more information about us, please visit http://www.thermalabs.com/home

Contact Info:

Name: Jennifer Parker

Organization: Thermalabs



Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_zu966dkg

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/thermalabs-launches-new-slogan-lifes-a-beach/116369

Release ID: 116369

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No Snoring Launches To Help People Overcome Snoring And Sleep Apnea

No Snoring is a new online resource center offering the latest advice and techniques for overcoming snoring, together with product reviews of sleeping aids and more.

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Snoring affects millions of individuals around the world, including those who live with people who snore. Snoring can negatively affect health by disrupting the rest people get while sleeping, and drives many people to look for a way to overcome the problem. Unfortunately, medical solutions include noisy, expensive and intrusive ventilators and other less preferable options. No Snoring is a new website that looks into practical alternatives to prevent snoring, and has published comprehensive information on anti-snoring aids, sleep techniques and more.

The website is an invaluable tool for anyone looking for help and advice in stopping snoring, starting with comprehensive information on how snoring happens, and what contributes to it. This includes sleeping positions and habits, lifestyle choices, weight and more. This information is all designed to contextualise the issue so people can see how different techniques could work.

The website also has information on anti-snoring devices, including mouthpieces, with reviews of many popular snoring devices. In order to identify an effective mouthpiece brand, the site has created impartial and insightful reviews of the products based on their own experiences and on the feedback left by real users online. The site is already being regularly updated to include the latest tools and approaches.

A spokesperson for No Snoring explained, "No Snoring is pleased to be able to provide this online resource for people throughout the world to benefit from. Snoring is a serious problem and for chronic snorers can create a lasting health deficit. By taking simple steps and even using some of these simple devices, individuals can improve their quality of sleep, reducing or even eliminating snoring. We want to help as many people as possible to do this, and so we will continue to expand the comprehensive resources we have available, so everyone can find the right solution for them."

About No Snoring: No Snoring is a new online resource center designed to help people find actionable advice and guidance on preventing and eliminating snoring. The website is regularly updated with new content by a committed team of writers and researchers, including product reviews on the latest sleep apnea devices and anti-snoring aids.

For more information about us, please visit http://nosnoring.net/

Contact Info:

Name: PRWhirlwind

Organization: PRWhirlWind

Phone: 0704958032

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/no-snoring-launches-to-help-people-overcome-snoring-and-sleep-apnea/116418

Release ID: 116418

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Knowledge Solutions Announces Google Local Mobile 3-Pack Money Back Guarantee

Knowledge Solutions is celebrating the launch of its new Google Local Mobile 3-Pack (aka "Snack Pack") Money Back Guarantee service. Further information can be found at http://www.Knowledge-Solutions.com/snackpack

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Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Marketing (SEM) Services firm "Knowledge Solutions", has announced the launch of its new Google 3-Pack (aka "Snack Pack") Money Back Guarantee service, making 1st page Google rankings affordable for every business.

Knowledge Solutions has opted to set a new competitive standard with the release of its new Google Local 3-Pack (aka "Snack Pack") Money Back Guarantee service.

The new service will Guarantee a US-based business inclusion in the Google Local "Snack Pack" listing in less than six (6) months or the business will receive 100% of their service fees. Most clients achieve 3-Pack inclusion in 90 days or less; even in many competitive niches.

With Google's recent change to reduce the 7-pack to a 3-pack, this organic search result real estate is even more valuable than ever before. The local three-pack listing can actually list Google reviews along with a business name and overall rating. Google states that 50% of consumers who conduct a local search on their phone visit a local business within 24 hours.

Mark Royer, President of Knowledge Solutions, says: "We wanted to shake things up with our Google Local Business Money Back Guarantee service launch because we want our Customers to have confidence in their business decision to engage us to deliver their SEO services. We want them to Trust us with their organic search results. We're planning for it to push hundreds of businesses into the Google Snack Pack organic results who have never been there before."

When asked about the Google 3-Pack Results Guarantee service, Mark said: "We think it's going to be a real hit because everyone needs more prospects and clients and this will guarantee clicks a business never had before. And we will deliver this service at a monthly rate that every business can afford."

The new Google 3-Pack Guarantee service is launching on Monday May 23, 2016. To find out more about the service and Knowledge Solutions itself, visit http://www.Knowledge-Solutions.com/SnackPack

For more information about us, please visit http://www.knowledge-solutions.com/snackpack

Contact Info:

Name: Mark Royer

Email: mark@knowledge-solutions.com

Organization: Knowledge Solutions

Address: 2658 Del Mar Heights Road #209, Del Mar, CA 92014

Phone: (619) 723-5208

Release ID: 116181

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Worth Officer Released After 10 Years in Prison PCS Bail Bonds Weighs in on Former Fort

PCS Bail Bonds gives its opinion on former Fort Worth officer being released on bail after serving 10 years in prison.

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PCS Bail Bonds (www.PCSBailBonds.com), Fort Worth, Texas' most trusted bail bond service, is weighing in on the release of a former Fort Worth police officer on $10,000 bail after spending 10 years in prison.

Earlier this month, former Fort Worth Police Officer Brian Edward Franklin was released on a $10,000 bond. He had previously been imprisoned for close to 8,000 days after being convicted of sexual assault of a child back in 1995--a crime of which he adamantly claimed he was not guilty. (Source: Mitchell, M., "'I'm not the only innocent man in prison,' freed Fort Worth man says," The Star-Telegram, May 5, 2016; http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article75906357.html.)

"That's a long time for anyone to remain in prison while they fight their case," says Paul Schuder, owner of PCS Bail Bonds. "One can only imagine how he feels having gained his freedom, at least for now."

The $10,000 bail was set by District Judge Wayne Salvant after the Texas courts overturned the charges in April. Franklin admits he was offered plea agreements while serving his time, but didn't want to agree to any terms because he believed strongly in his innocence.

"Overturning a conviction is not an easy feat," Schuder explains. "It takes a lot of convincing and hard work using real evidence for something like this to happen."

Tarrant County prosecutors are not giving up on the case and say they will be taking Franklin back to trial. The district attorney's office also says a plea bargain is not out of the question.

"It's really about the terms of the agreement, as Franklin clearly does not want to be labeled as someone who would commit the crime for which he was charged," Schuder concludes. "Everyone will have to wait and see what happens, but for now he is a free man."

PCS Bail Bonds has been a part of the Fort Worth Community for two decades and continues to serve the Fort Worth community by offering bail bond services to its residents.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.pcsbailbonds.com

Contact Info:

Name: Paul Schuder

Organization: PCS Bail Bonds

Address: 111 E. Rosedale Street Fort Worth, TX 76104

Phone: 888-335-1655

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/worth-officer-released-after-10-years-in-prison-pcs-bail-bonds-weighs-in-on-former-fort/116216

Release ID: 116216

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The chief executive of 1825 has said his focus is on growing the business after reports of several staff leaving.

It has been reported that a number of staff who joined Standard Lifes advice arm with Pearson Jones when it was bought last year have left.

But Steve Murray said there was nothing out of the ordinary going on.

He said: Movement of staff is expected in any organisation, as are retirements, especially in a firm of a reasonable size.

Our key focus has been to support the seamless transition of clients to new advisers to ensure no upheaval or uncertainty.

We are continuing to focus on growing our business and meeting the needs of our clients  we have made several key hires into 1825 to add to the great range of talent we already have.

Former deputy managing director Peter Heckingbottom has left the company, as has Jonathan Lee, the former head of tax and trusts.

Clive Grant, the former head of the Sheffield office, retired last month while Harry OConnor left to set up a firm which is an appointed representative of 2Plan Wealth Management.

It has also been reported that former director John Metcalf has left but the FCA register says he is still with Pearson Jones.

Mr Murray declined to comment on individual members of staff.

Last month 1825 announced the takeover of Baigrie Davies which, combined with the earlier purchases of Almary Green and Munro Partership, means the company will have 70 financial planners advising 9,400 clients on 3bn of assets.
Nikko Asset Management has continued the expansion of its Ucits range with the launch of a portfolio focused on Japanese stocks.

The launch of the Luxembourg-domiciled Japan Focus Equity fund, managed by Yuki Watanabe, comes as part of plans to further develop the firms range.

This latest fund builds on the success of Nikko Asset Managements launch of the Asia ex-Japan Ucits fund in September 2015, the company said in a statement.

The firm continues to expand its range of Ucits funds with further launches planned later in 2016, providing access to a broad range of exposures across developed and emerging markets.

The Japan Focus offering aims to achieve capital growth by investing in around 30 stocks by focusing on fundamental research to spot companies that could benefit from long-term structural trends.

The new product is based on an existing fund, domiciled in Japan, which has been managed by Mr Watanabe since August 2012.

Our Japan Focus fund has been launched in response to investor demand for specialist expertise in actively managed investments in Japan, the manager said.

Ongoing charges for the product were not disclosed.
High-profile backers of peer-to-peer (P2P)-lending investment trusts have stuck to their guns after a scandal in the US shook other investors faith in the asset class.

The board of Lending Club, a leading player in P2P lending in the US, announced on May 9 that its chief executive was to resign after a review found problems with internal controls.

The move has prompted a government investigation and has had a knock-on effect on P2P Global Investments, the trust that holds stakes in a variety of P2P platforms and whose yield of more than 6 per cent has attracted income-seeking fund buyers and managers.

P2P Global said in a statement that it did not participate in the near-prime programme with which Lending Club found issues, and added it did not have exposure to the US firms equity.

But the trust, which does invest in the US firms prime programme, saw its share price drop by 7 per cent in the following days, widening its discount to net asset value back out to around 12.5 per cent.

Aviva Investors Chris Murphy said he continued to back P2P Global in his UK Equity Income fund, and noted that the trust invested in high-grade portfolios.

P2P Global does have exposure to Lending Club, but it also has a disciplined team that undertakes significant due diligence as part of its selection process, Mr Murphy said.

This, and the fact that it [invests in] a diverse range of platforms, gives us a certain degree of protection. We still believe long term that this model of lending is disruptive to the traditional bank lenders.

Alan Brierley, director of the investment companies team at Canaccord Genuity, said setbacks and volatility were inevitable for a rapidly growing area such as P2P.

He said: The disruptive potential of online lending is obvious, but the industry still needs to do more to address concerns about what happens in a credit downturn.

In the short term we see a more challenging environment for both the industry and for P2P Global as it seeks to reassure investors.

Peers such as VPC Specialty Lending Investments and Funding Circle SME Income Fund have also seen discounts widen, despite having no exposure to Lending Club, illustrating the damage done to a sector that had already experienced a shaky start to 2016 as risk appetite fell.

Kelly Prior, an investment manager on the F&C MM Navigator Distribution fund, which holds 1.5 per cent of its portfolio in P2P Global, said she remained confident on the long-term picture for P2P and platform lending as an asset class.

P2P and platform lending is a relatively new area for investors. Banks have been doing this for a long time but in a more leveraged way, Ms Prior said.

How P2P Global replaces the Lending Clubs stream of loans should they choose to move away from this platform will be important in the long term.
The Clydesdale Yorkshire Bank Group (CYBG) has set aside a further 450m to cover the cost of payment protection insurance mis-selling.

The banks interim results for the six months ended 31 March detailed changes during the period since it was spun out of National Australia Bank at the start of the year .

Only 9.7 per cent of the 450m charge impacts the groups income statement (44m) as a result of the conduct indemnity provided by NAB.

We consider that, based on our updated assumptions, the total cover remaining of 1.8bn is sufficient to cover the costs of dealing with legacy conduct matters, the statement added.

The report also detailed progress made towards cutting costs, which were put at 353m for the period.

The bank is on track to deliver full year costs well below the 762m expectation for 2016, at 730m for the full year.

In addition to reductions to the branch network announced in April, the group implemented a voluntary severance scheme for senior grade staff.

As a result around 150 staff will exit the business in the second half of the year, with the vast majority expected to leave by mid-July.

We will continue to review our operating costs in the second half, generating further efficiency initiatives, read the statement. We are focusing on four areas where we believe we can have a material impact; the distribution network; process improvement; organisational efficiency; and central cost management and procurement.

Chief executive David Duffy said the business has strong momentum from mortgage market growth and SME lending.

In the first half we have demonstrated good progress, with 9.8 per cent annualised growth in mortgages, stabilisation of our core SME book, over 1bn of new loans and facilities for SMEs made available and continued growth in current accounts, he stated.

Underlying profitability increased to 107m, from 48m in the six months to September 2015, driven by an increase in operating income, lower costs and reduced charges for bad debts.

Compared to the six months to 31 March 2015, underlying profitability was lower by 4m, with higher operating income offset by higher costs incurred from being a standalone business.

The group also saw a change in mortgage origination mix, as expected, with a higher proportion of owner occupied mortgages compared to buy-to-let, despite very strong buy-to-let volumes at the end of the period in advance of the changes to stamp duty.

We welcome the recent Financial Policy Committee consultation on the buy-to-let market - we believe it will continue to be an important part of the housing market in the UK, the statement added.

We compare favorably with the proposed underwriting criteria, stress testing affordability of mortgages to 7.45 per cent compared to the PRAs proposal of a current minimum of 5.5 per cent.

Earlier today (24 May), both Nationwide and Paragon Group made similar statements, with the latter noting its tightening of buy-to-let lending criteria in January, increasing the stressed interest rate in its minimum interest coverage ratio test from 5 to 5.35 per cent and embedding forward-looking affordability tests.
Nationwide Building Society has seen statutory profits up 23 per cent to 1.27bn over the year to 4 April, driven by a 20 per cent increase in gross mortgage lending to 32.6bn.

The companys preliminary results also revealed net mortgage lending up 28 per cent to 9.1bn, from 7.1bn a year earlier.

This meant total assets have grown by 13bn to 209bn at the start of April, largely attributable to 9.3bn growth in residential mortgage lending, cementing Nationwides position as the second largest mortgage lender in the UK.

Chief executive Joe Garner noted the gross mortgage advances and net lending figures represent market shares of 13.7 per cent and 21.4 per cent respectively.

We have played a major role in supporting borrowers in the buy-to-let market, in which we have maintained our position as the second largest lender.

We recognise that buy-to-let has come under regulatory and political scrutiny in recent times, including significant changes to the tax regime governing mortgage interest tax relief which come into effect from 2017, he noted, adding Nationwide has taken a lead by increasing rental cover requirements to ensure loans are affordable, and by reducing the maximum loan to value for new buy-to-let loans.

Elsewhere, the results detailed an increase in underlying costs by 170m to 1.79bn, reflecting business growth, focus on risk control and continued investment in new and enhanced products and services.

The building society holds provisions for customer redress to cover the costs of remediation and redress in relation to past sales of financial products and post sales administration.

A 127m charge in the period predominantly relates to updated estimates for provisions previously recognised, with 95m of the increase relating to payment protection insurance.

As for the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, this charge has reduced by 45 per cent to 46m, reflecting the groups expected share of interest costs in relation to the 2016 to 2017 scheme year and final confirmation of previous scheme year charges.

As for the outlook, the statement noted clear evidence of more sustained competition within the mortgage market, resulting in further margin pressure during this year and the next, which is anticipated to mean moderated profits in the period ahead.

Nationwides chairman David Roberts thanked outgoing chief executive Graham Beale for his huge contribution and welcomed Mr Garner.

Joe stood out as someone with a deep understanding of the sector, who has championed customer interest throughout his career, and who will set the strategic direction for the society and our people.

peter.walker@ft.com
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 Release Date, Specs, News & Update: Smartphone To Beat Apples iPhone 7? More Features Revealed

Several fans are now excited for the release of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6. Expected to rival the imminent iPhone 7, recent reports are claiming that the upcoming Galaxy Note 6 is going to be a game-changer.

Samsung Galaxy Note 6 expected to beat iPhone 7

Tech fanatics are confident to say that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will beat Apple's iPhone 7 as the former is expected to come with few unique features. Reports have it that the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will not only be an upgraded version of the Galaxy Note 5 as it is expected to introduce exemplary technologies.

As a matter of fact, Samsung has reportedly filed a trademark for Samsung Eyeprint and Samsung Iris, which sparked reports that the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 would be arriving with these features. Aside from that, rumor mill is also spreading that the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will come with a foldable Stylus Pen.

The rumored Samsung Galaxy Note 6 foldable Stylus Pen, according to reports, is set to break records as the first-ever smartpen to be introduced in the history of smartphones. The foldable Stylus Pen is said to let users pullout the S Pen, bend it in half and lock it that could be used as a stand.

The filing of the foldable Stylus Pen patent reportedly took place Q3 2015, which could mean that the exemplary technology is possibly now in the works. However, up until now, Samsung has remained silent about what fans should be expecting in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6.

More Samsung Galaxy Note 6 specs & features revealed

Meanwhile, aside from the Samsung Iris, Samsung Eyeprint and foldable Stylus Pen, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is set to introduce the Samsung Focus, which is similar to Blackberry's Hub app. This feature is expected to arrive in Samsung Galaxy Note 6.

As for its specs, the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is said to sport a 5.8-inch display with 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. It will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 823 processor with 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB internal memory.

As for its camera, the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is said to have a 12MP main camera and 5MP front camera. Stay tuned to GamenGuide for more Samsung Galaxy Note 6 news and updates!
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This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department, the Benton County Sheriffs Office and Oregon State Police. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.

Corvallis Police Department

SATURDAY, MAY 21

DUII: 10:31, 235 N.W. Fourth St. An officer arrested Murphy Metin Altunel, 22, no address listed, for a charge of DUII. He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.12 percent.

FRIDAY, MAY 20

FLEEING POLICE: 12:53 a.m., Northwest 16th Street and Northwest Harrison Boulevard. An officer reportedly attempted to stop a man who appeared to be intoxicated, but the man ignored him and took off running. Officers eventually caught him, identified him as 21-year-old Corvallis resident Mackin Bannon Eder, and arrested him for a charge of interfering with a peace officer.

Benton County Sheriffs Office

MONDAY, MAY 23

DUII: 1:42 a.m., Highway 34 and Peoria Road. A deputy arrested Abraham Eben Read, 29, of Lebanon, for a charge of DUII. He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent.

SATURDAY, MAY 21

BURGLARY: 3 p.m., 950 Clemens Mill Road, Philomath. A deputy responded to a report that someone broke into a mill site and spray-painted on several buildings.

DUII: 3:14 a.m., Northwest 13th Street and Northwest Harrison Boulevard. A deputy arrested Jack Ward Bowman, 20, of Corvallis, for charges of DUII and purchase or possession of liquor by a minor. He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.11 percent.

FRIDAY, MAY 20

ANKLE SHOT: 8:45 p.m., 32350 Marys Peak Road. A deputy responded to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center for a report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The man told the deputy that he accidentally shot himself in the ankle with his AK-47 while on a camping trip with his fraternity on Marys Peak. No charges were filed.

DUII: 3:07 a.m., Northwest Witham Hill Drive and Northwest Sylvan Drive. A deputy arrested Ryan Mathew Hayes, 18, of Corvallis, for charges of DUII and purchase or possession of liquor by a minor. He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.11 percent.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18

DUII: 5:42 a.m., Highway 20 at milepost 38. A deputy arrested Karen Elizabeth Kelley, 30, of Philomath, for charges of DUII, driving while suspended and reckless driving. She reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.19 percent.
Am Dienstag am Bonner Himmel : Was man bei einer partiellen Sonnenfinsternis beachten sollte
Berlin/Bonn law : Ministry jobs in Bonn

Bonn 34 political and administrative representatives meet to create a unified position paper on keeping ministry jobs in Bonn.

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When the central government of Germany moved from Bonn to Berlin in 1999, there was much concern about not leaving a massive hole in Bonn in terms of jobs and infrastructure. As the capital of Germany, Bonn had ministries and embassies galore but all of that would change with the move to Berlin. Politicians met in 1994 to divide up ministries, ensuring that some would remain in Bonn. In fact, the majority of ministry jobs were to remain in Bonn. This became known as the Berlin/Bonn-Gesetz (law). Today, however, only 36 percent of the 20,000 ministry jobs remain in Bonn while 64 percent are in Berlin with the central government.

Barbara Hendricks of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is charged with maintaining and updating the so-called Berlin/Bonn law. After the parliamentary summer pause, Hendriks is expected to give her report on the status of the Berlin/Bonn law, including any forthcoming changes planned by government officials in Berlin. Its a time when officials in Bonn get nervous because they fear even more ministry jobs will be lost to Berlin. The latest federal budget report listed a cost of 7.5 million euro in extra expenses derived from some ministries being split between Bonn and Berlin.

Mayor Ashok Sridharan has formed a working group to come up with a unified plan for the region to present to Hendricks when she comes with the Berlin perspective after summer. It is our biggest priority to find a solution acceptable to all regions in this area, and all political parties. We want to find consensus and not be divided by this, said the Mayor.

The working group includes 34 political and administrative officials, and their goal is to present a unified plan for ensuring the continued viability of Bonn as home to ministry employees. In doing so, they will try to get support from the states of North Rhine Westphalia and Rheinland-Pfalz to help strengthen their position. At the beginning of May, there was a conflict over how the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) had proceeded on this matter. It is a heated and emotional topic for both Bonn and Berlin; both will need to be well-equipped with sound arguments and strategies when they take up the topic after summer.
Roundtable to include youth : Niklas P.: 20-year-old suspect remains in custody

Bad Godesberg Despite rumors to the contrary, the main suspect in the killing of Niklas P. remains in jail and evidence against him firm. Roundtable discussions are to include youth.

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Despite rumors that police do not have enough evidence and will have to let him go, nothing has changed in the arrest of the 20-year-old man suspected of delivering fatal blows to Niklas P. Lead prosecutor Robin Fabender told the General Anzeiger, We dont see any grounds for changing his custody status.

As reported, the 20-year-old with an Italian passport and Moroccan roots, was taken in by police in connection with the death of 17 year-old Niklas P. The judge issued an arrest warrant for manslaughter. The suspect, who was already known to police for committing violent acts, denied involvement in the crime but got tangled in a web of contradictions when police took him in for questioning. His alibi also proved false. As well, he was positively identified in a photo by a witness. Two other suspects were taken in and released when accusations against them did not pan out.

Mayor Ashok Sridharan has called for a roundtable discussion at the end of the month to discuss youth violence and prevention. Jessica Rosenthal of the Bonn Social Democratic Party (SPD) criticized the the roundtable for not including youth, We cannot be allowed to talk about them, we must speak with them. In response, city spokesperson Monika Horig said The composition of the roundtable has not yet been completely determined. It is planned to have representatives of the city, schools, churches, police and youth workers, but youth will definitely be invited as well.

Some parents of Paul-Klee elementary students and Clara-Fey secondary school said they were surprised that there had not been any discussions about the death of Niklas in their childrens schools since they were near the area where the fatal beating happened. Both schools responded, however that there had been numerous and regular discussions. Petra Romer, director of the Paul-Klee school said they were bringing in external trainers from the police to show kids what to do in these kinds of situations. She said, We want to strengthen our kids instead of stoking their fears.
Formal commitment signed : UN Sustainable Goals Center will come to Bonn

Bonn An official agreement sends a strong signal about Bonns role as a UN city and a hub of sustainable development.

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In a positive development for Bonn, the German government and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) signed a Statement of Intent today to open a Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Campaign Center here. This had been discussed and hoped for but now it looks concrete. State Secretary Friedrich Kitschelt noted that this stands for another milestone in the relevance of Bonn being at the same time a UN city and becoming furthermore a global hub of sustainability.

The new center will be key in helping the UN SDG Action Campaign achieve its goals. A special initiative of the UN Secretary General, the Campaign was launched to advocate and engage the public in reaching sustainability goals. This includes ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and tackling climate change by 2030. It is charged with inspiring people to act, including UN member states, but also increasing stakeholders and their cooperative efforts. Accountability measures will be established and there will be room for testing out innovative efforts in sustainability.

Haus Carstanjen will be home to the new Global Campaign Center, and this is full of meaning. Not only was Haus Carstanjen the first UN standpoint in Bonn, but it was also where the historic Marshall Plan was signed following World War II. UN Volunteers (UNV) has a long-standing partnership with the Global Campaign and this will serve as a strong base for the new Campaign Center.
This Futuristic Bus Lets you Drive Your Car Underneath it News oi -Vigneshwar

People around the world have something to hate in common. Any guesses? Yes, it's none other than the traffic jam. Cars, buses, trucks rushing around around from dawn to dusk as drivers hustle to and from works. Undoubtedly, its noisy, annoying and sometimes it frustrates you to the core, where you feel like giving up everything, just to reach your destination.

More women and young drivers today than in the past!

Talking about the reason, there are many! But one of the main reasons is the rapid growth of the population that increases the number of cars annually. Some reports suggest that, there are more women and young drivers today than in the past. If you observe carefully all the reasons for traffic jam are intertwined

Straddling Bus -- Cheaper, greener and faster

Instead of building more subways, Shenzhen-based Huashi Future Parking Equipment company has proposed a brilliant solution to cut down the traffic via "Straddling Bus". This wide and tall bus can accommodate 1,200 passengers, having a width of two traffic lanes

Vehicle lower than 2m (6.6 ft) high will be able to pass underneath the bus

As per the company, this vehicle travels at a speed of 40km/hr, where it will reduce the traffic by 30% to even 40% on roads. Meanwhile, this vehicle is powered by electricity and solar energy.

Using Straddling bus can save 860 tons of fuel and prevents 2,640 tons of carbon emissions

Moving on, it costs about 500 million yuan to build the bus and a 40-km-long path for it, which is 10% of building equivalent subway. However, a trial was scheduled in Beijing, but the the project was not given authorisation by the district authorities -- the technology was considered to be too immature.

Best Mobiles in India
'Feels Like Home Season 2' offers something real and tangible to think about; takes home a pertinent point - if your intentions are good, there is nothing in life that isn't achievable.
Patrols in disputed waters in Pacific not called back: spokesman

ROC Central News Agency

2016/05/23 22:39:03

Taipei, May 23 (CNA) Taiwan did not call back its official vessels patrolling disputed waters near the Okinotori atoll, Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan () said Monday.

Contrary to a report published by Japan's Kyodo News, which said the Japanese foreign ministry had been notified by Taiwan that the vessels were being withdrawn, Tung said the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has not reported such actions.

The Taiwanese government stands firm on its stance to protect fishermen, Tung said.

The CGA also responded to the Japanese report by saying that its two vessels, along with one dispatched by the Council of Agriculture, are still following the existing plan to patrol the disputed waters in the Pacific Ocean.

The waters around Okinotori will still be covered by the CGA's annual plan to patrol the high seas and protect Taiwanese fishermen's operations after the month-long patrol mission that began on May 1 is concluded, the CGA said.

Japan claims a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone around the tiny atoll it controls, but Taiwan argues that Okinotori is a reef rather than an island -- as Japan defines it -- and therefore is not entitled to anything more than a 500-meter "security zone" around it.

The dispute surfaced after a Taiwanese fishing boat, the "Tung Sheng Chi No. 16," was seized on April 25 by the Japan Coast Guard while operating in waters some 150 nautical miles from the atoll.

The boat and its crew were released on April 26 only after the owner paid a 6 million Japanese yen (US$54,442) deposit demanded by Japanese authorities.

(By Tai Ya-chen, Yu Kai-hsiang and Kay Liu)

enditem/ls

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Abdullah: Death of Taliban Mansour to pave way for peace

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Kabul, May 23, IRNA -- Death of Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour will make big changes in that terrorist group, Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah said.

As Abdullah said, Afghan and US security forces are assessing the US attack to be assured of whether Mansour has been killed or not.

Abdullah noted Mansour's car was attacked by a US drone in Pakistan's soil.

The military was still assessing the results of the strike, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook has said in a statement.

Also, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the recent US attack operated in a region in Balochistan to kill Taliban leader, stressing the US assault violated his country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Manour was among important persons in the terrorist group of Taliban that was leading the group during times when death of Mullah Mohammed Omar, former Taliban leader, had not been revealed, said Abdullah.

'If the news about his being killed is approved, then there will be new opportunities for those supporters of Taliban who want to join peace process, since he was a major obstacle in the way of peace talks,' said Abdullah.

1483**1771

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Pakistan yet to confirm Taliban leader's death

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, May 23, IRNA -- Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said it was not clear that Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was among the two people reportedly killed in the air strike in Balochistan.

Talking to reporters after his arrival in London for a medical check-up, he added that details of the incident were still being collected.

He criticised the US drone strike and said that a strong protest had been lodged with the US over the attack.

He described the air strike in the Dalbandin area of Balochistan as a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty.

Also a statement issued by Pakistan Foreign Ministry said the US had shared the information that a drone strike had been carried out in Pakistan near the Pak-Afghan border in which Mansour was targeted. The information was shared with Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif after the strike.

US Secretary of State John Kerry had said the United States conducted a precision air strike that targeted Taliban leader Mullah Mansour in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Though Afghan government has confirmed death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour in US drone attack, still there are many contradictory reports about his death.

272**1723**1771

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24th MEU 'FiST' shapes battlefield during Eager Lion

US Marine Corps News

By Sgt. Devin Nichols | May 23, 2016

Beneath the desert sun in Jordan, a notional enemy of armored vehicles prepares to make a stand against U.S. Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Jordanian armed forces and Italian Marines, who wait just beyond the horizon of the battlefield.

On a hilltop that overlooks the battlefield, a group of American, Jordanian and Italian joint terminal attack controllers and joint fire observers watch the enemy, gathering data to pass on to friendly aircraft and artillery that will drop 30,000 pounds of explosives on the enemy before the waiting ground units make their assault.

This was the scene during the culminating event for exercise Eager Lion 2015, in Jordan, May 18, 2015. JTACs with Kilo Company, Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 24th MEU, joined forces with Jordanians and Italians during the two-week exercise to gain familiarity with each other's tactics and procedures.

Infantry units are better able to fight an enemy when the enemy's advantages have been mitigated. It's up to the unit's Fire Support Teams to do just that. The FiST is the initial part of the process to soften the battlefield by directing fire from artillery, mortars, naval guns and aircraft.

"Our mission is similar to the mission of pre-landing bombardments by naval gunfire in World War II," said 1st Lt. Bryan C. McDonald, a Roanoke, Virginia, native and the Fire Support Officer for Kilo Company. "Before the [infantry] company makes an attack, we shape the battlefield, destroying and neutralizing targets so the ground unit can move."

For the final event of Eager Lion, fire support came from two U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers and AH-64 Apaches, teamed up with two sections of Royal Jordanian F-16 Fighting Falcons and AH-1 Cobras.

Cpl. Paul J. Griswold, a Vienna, Virginia, native, and Kilo Company joint fires observer, assisted the JTAC by performing terminal guidance operations. These operations included marking targets using a variety of markers, to include ground-based lasers, infrared lasers or smoke rounds so the aircraft can easily identify them.

Before conducting the final counterattack, the multi-national fire support teams conducted drills and simulated "call-for-fire" scenarios to work on cohesion and communication. Once proficient, they conducted live-fire exercises, first using mortar systems and then air assets.

McDonald said the Jordanians and Italian observers were efficient and it was important to build these relationships since it's possible that these nations could someday work with each other in a real-world scenario.

"This exercise has made me comfortable with the teams I worked with," said Sgt. David M. Parslow, an Anaheim, California, native, and a JTAC for Kilo Company. "If I ever run into another Jordanian or Italian fire support team and we have to use their aircraft, I know that we can work together to accomplish the mission."

Eager Lion is a recurring multinational exercise designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships, increase interoperability between partner nations and enhance regional security and stability. The 24th MEU is embarked on the ships of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and deployed to maintain regional security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

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Deputy Secretary General: NATO ideally equipped to project stability beyond our borders

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

23 May. 2016

NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow stressed NATO's role in projecting stability to the east and to the south at the House of Commons, UK Parliament, on Monday (23 April 2016). Addressing the Henry Jackson Society, Ambassador Vershbow outlined NATO's current security challenges and what the Alliance is doing to respond.

The Deputy Secretary General highlighted the challenge posed by a more assertive Russia in the east. He stressed that NATO is responding by strengthening its deterrence and defence posture, while striving for meaningful dialogue with Moscow. "NATO will continue to engage with Russia. We need to make sure that where our forces come into close contact, misunderstanding does not lead to an incident that could spiral out of control," he said. Ambassador Vershbow added that leaders are expected to agree on an enhanced forward presence in the east of the Alliance at the Warsaw Summit in July. "This presence will be defensive, proportionate and in line with our international commitments," he said.

Referring to NATO's response to threats from the south, the Deputy Secretary General stressed that NATO is stepping up efforts to "project stability" across the Middle East and North Africa by working with partners to build their ability to defend themselves. Drawing from operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo, NATO is already working with Iraq and Jordan to strengthen their security institutions and armed forces. Ambassador Vershbow underlined that these efforts must be enhanced: "We need to expand our capacity building programs if we want to have a truly strategic impact on the ground." He added that this will be a key theme of the Warsaw Summit.

Ambassador Vershbow also addressed NATO's cooperation with the European Union. He underlined that by working together, NATO and the EU make each other stronger and more effective. Today, both organisations are working closely, supporting partners and fighting illegal trafficking in the Aegean Sea.

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U.S. lifts arms embargo on Vietnam

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 14:38, May 23, 2016

HANOI, May 23 -- President of the United States Barack Obama on Monday announced the United States is lifting a decades-long arms embargo on Vietnam.

Obama made the announcement at a press conference co-chaired with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in Vietnam's capital Hanoi during his ongoing visit to the country.

While answering questions from media at the conference, Obama also made it clear that the United States may sell weapons to Vietnam under a case-by-case basis. The United States "will continue to engage on case by case evaluation to do so (sell weapons)," he said.

The Vietnamese president, for his part, said that "Vietnam welcomes U.S. decision to completely lift arms embargo on Vietnam."

The United States imposed an arms embargo on communist-ruled north Vietnam in 1964, while in 1984, the United States included Vietnam on the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) list of countries that were denied licenses to acquire defense articles and defense services.

Vietnam has been still under the embargo despite the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1995.

In July 2013, former Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and Obama launched the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive partnership during Sang's visit to the United States.

In 2014, the U.S. partially lifted the arms embargo against Vietnam, allowing transfer of maritime security-related defense articles to Vietnam.

Pham Quang Vinh, Vietnamese ambassador to the U.S. said in an interview with Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA ahead of Obama's visit that the embargo is "the last barrier in bilateral ties."

Obama arrived at Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi late Sunday night, kicking off his first visit as U.S. president and the third consecutive one by a U.S. president to Vietnam since the two countries normalized ties.

His visit, made at the invitation of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, is scheduled to last till Wednesday.

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45 army recruits killed in Yemen's Aden bomb attacks

Iran Press TV

Mon May 23, 2016 7:49AM

At least 45 people have been killed and dozens of others injured when two car bomb attacks targeted conscripted soldiers in Yemen's southern port city of Aden.

According to the Yemeni officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, one bomber targeted a line outside an army recruitment center, near the Badr base in the Khormaksar district of the city, killing at least 20 on Monday.

A second bomber detonated his explosive belt among a group of recruits waiting outside the home of an army commander, killing at least 25.

Yemen's Saudi-backed former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi is based in Aden.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but similar assassination attempts have been made over the past months by militants of Yemen's al-Qaeda against pro-Hadi military commanders.

Many say al-Qaeda militants also enjoy support from Saudi Arabia as there have been numerous reports of airdrop by Saudi jets of ammunition to areas under the control of the militants, especially in areas where it could launch attacks against Houthi Ansarullah fighters.

The Houthis are still in control of much of Yemen despite more than a year of Saudi airstrikes and ground operations.

Numerous attempts by the United Nations for clinching a deal between Houthis and the pro-Hadi camp have failed.

Sources have put the death toll from the bloody aggression at more than 9,400.

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Intra-Yemeni Peace Talks Resume in Kuwait

Sputnik News

16:07 23.05.2016

The UN-brokered negotiation between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels were renewed in Kuwait City on Monday, a source at the negotiations told Sputnik.

DUBAI (Sputnik)  The morning session included common consultations and was limited to addresses from delegation heads, the source said.

The talks between the delegations and UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed are expected to continue in the evening.

The peace negotiations were halted on May 17 by the Yemeni government because of disagreements over how the military leadership in the transition period would be formed.

In September 2014, Houthi rebels supported by army units loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh rose against the country's government and seized large territories, including the capital of Sanaa.

In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched an airstrike campaign against the Houthis. A number of attempts to establish a UN-brokered ceasefire in Yemen have so far failed.

 Sputnik

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DR Congo: UN envoy urges 'patriotic reawakening' to ease rising political tensions

23 May 2016  The top United Nations official in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has expressed deep concern about the increasing political tensions in some parts of the Central African country, urging both the majority and opposition sides to reawaken their patriotism.

"The current situation and the dangers weighing upon it need patriotic reawakening both on the part of the majority as well as the opposition, to place the interests of the country above any other consideration," Maman Sidikou, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), said in a press release over the weekend.

He noted that increasing the number of judiciary proceedings and actions likely to shrink the political space will only exacerbate the tensions and make it even more difficult to hold the political dialogue insistently called for by President Joseph Kabila.

Mr. Sidikou urged strict respect for the rule of law and the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

"Only a genuinely inclusive political dialogue, Constitution-abiding, will help Congolese actors to successfully overcome the current challenges, more particularly the ones relating to the electoral process," he said.

Citing Security Council resolution 2277, he said that the UN stands resolutely with the African Union and its appointed facilitator, former Togolese Prime Minister Edem Kodjo, to facilitate the launch of the political talks.

The Special Representative further expressed the UN readiness to assist an independent nation electoral commission in organizing free and transparent elections to mark a new step forward in the advancement of the democratic process in the DRC.

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Targeted Taliban Leader Was in Iran Hours Before Dying in Drone Strike

by VOA News May 23, 2016

Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, the Taliban leader killed in a U.S. drone strike Saturday, crossed into Pakistan from Iran about five hours before he died.

A VOA reporter has seen his passport, showing his entry and exit stamps. Mansoor, an Afghan citizen, carried a Pakistani passport when he entered the country about 10 a.m. local time at the Taftan transit point. The passport bears the name Wali Muhammad, but has his photo.

In addition, a passport control photo shows him entering the country. The photo has been shown to villagers in Chaman Railway Colony, to see if they know the person in the photo. Chaman Railway Colony was one of the addresses in the Pakistani identification documents Mansoor carried.

He had crossed into Iran at the same point on April 24.

The Taftan crossing is a busy cargo transit point, bringing goods to and from Iran.

Mansoor headed to Quetta, about 680 kilometers from Taftan. He stopped for lunch near the town of Kochki. After eating, he headed back the road, and was sitting in the back seat of the car. He was killed about 15 kilometers away, near Ahmad Wal, about 170 kilometers from his destination.

The VOA reporter who saw the passport says it had multiple exit and entry stamps for travel between Karachi in Pakistan and Dubai between 2006 and 2013.

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With Their Leader Dead, What are Afghan Taliban Doing?

by Ayesha Tanzeem May 23, 2016

As news of the death by a drone strike of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor emerged, the usual Taliban spokesmen accessible to media disappeared. So far, there has been radio silence from official Afghan Taliban sources.

Behind the scenes though, it is probably quite different. Hectic messages are likely going back and forth among senior Taliban leaders.

The Taliban have a structure for situations like these, according to Nazar Mohammad Mutmayeen, a pro-Taliban analyst based in Kabul.

Council

The first thing they do when their leader is killed is call a meeting of their Rahbari Shura, or leadership council.

"They would like to hold that meeting as soon as possible," according to Rustam Shah Mohmand, Pakistan's former ambassador to Afghanistan. "They would like to send a message to the world that they are united and will continue with their war."

In a similar situation in July 2015, when news emerged that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had been dead for at least two years, the shura met and decided on the successor within a few days.

That situation, however, was much different.

Mansoor, the successor to Mullah Omar, had been a deputy to him and one of the founding members of the Afghan Taliban. Yet he still faced serious challenges to his leadership from within the group, including from Omar's brother and son.

Analysts said one of the reasons that Mansoor ratcheted up the level of violence in Afghanistan was to overcome those challenges. He needed to prove his loyalty to the movement, prove himself as an able battlefield commander and overcome a reputation of being Pakistan's puppet.

The current succession debate may be more divisive.

"Afghanistan is a tribal society," according to Mohmand. "Agreement on a single leader is not always easy."

Compromise

This is why Mohmand thinks the shura would place the utmost emphasis on trying to keep the movement together, even if it has to come up with a compromise candidate who lacks the stature of Omar, or even Mansoor.

The security challenges involved for top Taliban commanders to travel means that all of the shura members may not be able to gather in one place.

The Taliban rulebook states that in situations like these, whichever shura members were present in or around Quetta or Kandahar would meet to decide on an interim leader, until a permanent one was elected.

If it looked difficult for the entire shura to gather within a reasonable time, the smaller group might decide on a candidate who could then be presented to other members for endorsement.

An announcement by the shura, however, is by no means a guarantee against infighting. When the Taliban announced Mansoor's leadership, three current or former members of the shura openly disagreed with the decision.

Violence

While Afghanistan might get a reprieve from larger attacks during this time, small-scale operations in various Afghan provinces would likely continue.

The Taliban have a shadow governor and a commander in each of Afghanistan's 34 provinces who are quite independent when it comes to local operations, according to Nazar Mohammad Mutmaeen, a pro-Taliban analyst based in Kabul.

"For the small operations, they don't need approval," he said.

He also said that the Taliban shadow governors were quite cooperative toward each other.

When the Taliban in Nangarhar needed help, for example, the Taliban in Ghazni went to Nangarhar, he said. Similarly, when they needed help in Kunduz, the Taliban came from all over the north.

"The real question is what will happen to the morale of the Afghan Taliban on the ground," Mohmand said.

If the fight for succession becomes prolonged, however, it could spill onto the battleground.

A similar episode happened after Mansoor's succession, between him and his rival, Mullah Muhammad Rasool. The two had to literally fight it out on the battlefield before Mansoor managed to mostly sideline Rasool.

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Joint Statement: Between the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 23, 2016



At the invitation of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang, President of the United States of America Barack Obama paid an historic visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries and to advance their shared vision for the future. On the occasion of the visit and the May 23, 2016 meeting between the two leaders, the United States and Vietnam adopted this Joint Statement.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the rapid, substantive, and comprehensive growth of U.S.-Vietnam relations over the past year, guided by the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership of 2013 and the Joint Vision Statement issued during the historic visit to the United States by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong in July 2015.

The common interests of the United States and Vietnam continued to expand through intensifying exchanges of delegations at all levels and maintaining dialogue mechanisms; promoting economic growth thanks to enhanced trade and investment relations; and deepening cooperation in education, science and technology, health, security and national defense, people-to-people ties, human rights, humanitarian, and war legacy issues. The increasingly enhanced U.S.-Vietnam relations have positively contributed to the joint efforts of the international community in maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and respect for international law in the region, and building a rules-based region. Together, we are addressing regional and global challenges, including climate change, sustainable development, global health, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peacekeeping, and wildlife trafficking.

Toward that end, the two countries reaffirmed their obligations to observe the UN Charter and commitments to respect international law, their respective political systems, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The United States and Vietnam also committed to strengthening and developing the ASEAN Community, and to working with the international community to respond to global challenges. Both sides committed to work together to advance the Comprehensive Partnership in the following areas:

Strengthening Political and Diplomatic Ties

Both sides pledged to continue to exchange delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations, and to strengthen dialogue between agencies of the two governments. The two sides also intend to expand annual high-level dialogues between their two foreign ministries to discuss measures to strengthen the Comprehensive Partnership and discuss other issues of mutual interest. The two sides concurred that strengthening mutual trust plays a crucial role in enabling sustainable, healthy, and long-term friendship and cooperation.

Advancing Economic Ties

The two countries resolve to focus on fostering economic cooperation, including trade, investment, science and technology, human resource training, and climate change. The two sides stated that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is economically and strategically important, and would promote trade and investment between them, accelerate inclusive economic growth, and create jobs. The two sides reaffirmed their commitments to seek early ratification and full implementation of this high-standard agreement, including commitments on investment, business facilitation and development, intellectual property, textile, services, labor, and environment. The United States pledged to support Vietnam through robust technical assistance and capacity-building programs to effectively implement and meet the high standards of the TPP. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that economic growth is inclusive and creates opportunity for all, which is furthered by fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic development. The two sides highlighted that development cooperation continues to be a driving force in the bilateral relationship. Both countries pledged to promote bilateral trade and investment, and would continue to work toward access for industrial, agricultural, and aquacultural goods. The United States and Vietnam committed to consult through the enhanced bilateral working group in a cooperative and comprehensive manner regarding Vietnam's desire to be recognized as a market economy. Both countries welcomed the conclusion of major commercial deals on the occasion of the visit, such as VietJet's purchase of 100 Boeing aircraft and Pratt & Whitney engines, as well as a wind energy MOU between GE and the Vietnamese government.

Deepening People-to-People Ties.

Both sides affirmed their support for the enhancement of people-to-people ties to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation, and friendship between the two peoples. The United States welcomed the Vietnamese government's approval of the Peace Corps to teach the English language in Vietnam. The United States and Vietnam hailed the establishment of Fulbright University Vietnam, which will be a world-class Vietnamese university. Both sides welcomed the bilateral arrangement granting one-year, multiple-entry visas for short-term business and tourism travelers from both countries. Both sides highly valued and recognized the success of the Vietnamese-American community and their contributions to the promotion of bilateral ties.

Enhancing Security and Defense Cooperation

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation in 2011 and the U.S.-Vietnam Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations signed in 2015, giving priority to humanitarian cooperation, war legacy, maritime security, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Both sides reiterated they would continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, combatting transnational crime, and cyber security. Vietnam welcomed the U.S. government decision to fully lift the ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam. Vietnam welcomed U.S. maritime security assistance  including through the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI), the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, and Foreign Military Financing  and looked forward to working with the United States to enhance Vietnam's maritime capabilities. The United States and Vietnam signed a letter of intent to establish a working group for the Cooperative Humanitarian and Medical Storage Initiative (CHAMSI), which will advance cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The United States reaffirmed its support for Vietnam's peacekeeping efforts with an aim of assisting Vietnam's first deployment of UN peacekeeping forces by 2017.

Both countries expressed their satisfaction with their joint efforts to advance humanitarian and war legacy issues. In particular, the United States valued Vietnam's active cooperation to support the humanitarian mission of providing the fullest possible accounting for U.S. personnel still missing from the war. Both sides committed to continue their cooperation on unexploded ordnance removal. Vietnam welcomed cooperation leading to the successful conclusion of the first phase of dioxin remediation at Danang International Airport, with the final phase already underway. The United States committed to partnering with Vietnam to make a significant contribution to the clean-up of dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Air Base.

Promoting Human Rights and Legal Reform

Both countries pledged to continue supporting the promotion and protection of human rights in conformity with their own constitutions and respective international commitments. The two countries welcomed the results of positive, frank, and constructive dialogues on human rights, especially the 20th round of the U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue in April 2016, to narrow differences and continue to build trust. The United States welcomed Vietnam's ongoing efforts in improving its legal system and undertaking legal reform in order to better guarantee the human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone in accordance with the 2013 Constitution. Vietnam informed the United States of its plan to revise, amend, and draft new laws, including the Law on Religion and Belief, Law on Association, the Amended Law on Legal Aid, the Amended Law on Legal Record, and Law on the Promulgation of Administrative Decisions. Both sides recognized the contributions that social and religious organizations continue to make in the fields of education, healthcare, and social services in both countries. Both sides encouraged further cooperation to ensure that all people  regardless of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation, and including persons with disabilities  fully enjoy their human rights. The United States and Vietnam welcomed a letter of agreement on law enforcement and justice sector assistance.

Addressing Regional and Global Challenges

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their shared commitment to the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes, including full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force in accordance with the UN Charter and international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Both countries underscored the commitments of parties to the disputes to refrain from actions that aggravate or broaden the disputes and recognize the importance of strictly implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) and working to accelerate negotiation with substantive results toward the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC). In this regard, both countries expressed serious concerns over recent developments in the South China Sea that have caused tensions, eroded trust and threatened peace, security, and stability. Both countries recognized the imperative of upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea, called for non-militarization and self-restraint in addressing disputes, reaffirmed shared commitments under the Sunnylands Declaration, and committed to working closely with other ASEAN partners in implementing that Declaration.

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to actively coordinate with and support Vietnam in successfully organizing APEC 2017.

The United States and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to addressing climate change and implementing the Paris Agreement. They shared a desire to see the early entry into force of the Agreement, and are both committed to formally joining the Agreement in 2016. The United States and Vietnam pledged to take a number of practical actions to advance climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as enhance transparency and capacity building in the U.S.-Vietnam Climate Partnership, including in the Mekong River Delta. Future work will build on the results of collaboration between the United States and Vietnam in implementing programs under the Lower Mekong Initiative. The United States pledged its continued support for Vietnam in responding to the latter's worst drought in over 90 years and salinization, and in advancing sustainable economic development in the lower Mekong basin. As a development partner of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the United States expressed its commitment to supporting cooperation among MRC members and between MRC members and other regional mechanisms in using, managing, and developing trans-boundary water resources in an effective and sustainable manner.

The two countries expressed support for an expanding civil nuclear partnership as we seek to reduce emissions from the global power sector, the signing of the Administrative Arrangement under the U.S.-Vietnam Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy ("123" Agreement), and the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation. Both countries welcomed the successful outcomes of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit and pledged to continue to work together to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture. The two sides intend to establish the U.S.-Vietnam Joint Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation to facilitate the implementation of the 123 Agreement.

The two countries committed to sustain their successful cooperation and joint leadership under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), particularly with respect to collaboration on the emergency operations centers and outbreak detection and response in humans and animals, as well as implementation of a national roadmap to achieve each of the GHSA targets. The United States pledged its support to improve Vietnam's capacity in coastal medicine. The United States and Vietnam committed to work together regionally and globally to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic threats, and both countries affirmed to undertake a joint evaluation of these efforts in 2016.

Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and protecting biodiversity under the new U.S.-Vietnam Partnership to Combat Wildlife Trafficking.

Deepening a Long-Term Partnership

Both sides agreed to further enhance the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, making it deeper, more substantive, and more effective in order to better serve the interests of the two peoples for peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world.

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FACT SHEET: United States-Vietnam Relations

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 23, 2016



Relations between the United States and Vietnam are at a historic high following the establishment of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 and the celebration of 20 years of diplomatic relations in 2015. The President's visit to Vietnam builds on this positive momentum to cement the progress of the last few years and propel our bilateral relationship to the next level.

Engagement with Southeast Asia has been a central pillar of the U.S. Rebalance to Asia. The return on this investment is clearly evident in our relations with Vietnam, where we have significantly increased trade and investment and expanded cooperation across the board.

Our economic ties are strong and growing quickly. Trade between our countries has nearly tripled in the last seven years, and now tops $45 billion. U.S. exports to Vietnam increased by 23 percent in 2015, the largest increase of our top 50 trade partners, and only one of two markets with double-digit growth. At the same time, the United States remained Vietnam's largest export market, growing 24 percent year-on-year.

Economic ties between our countries are poised to expand even further with the implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which will hold nearly 40 percent of the world's GDP accountable to the highest labor, environmental, and intellectual property rights standards of any previous trade agreement, while leveling the playing field for workers and businesses. The United States is committed to helping Vietnam continue on its path of economic reforms, including efforts required to fully implement its commitments under the TPP through technical assistance. These reforms will include work to ensure freedom of association, including independent unions, and other internationally recognized labor rights; protection and enforcement of intellectual property; and environmental protection and sustainable growth.

U.S. investment in Vietnam has grown significantly over the past seven years to nearly $1.5 billion. Through the recently-launched U.S.-ASEAN Connect initiative we are working with all ASEAN members, including Vietnam, to foster the policy environments that promote ASEAN economic integration, increase trade and investment, assist the development of clean energy and energy connectivity, and spur sustainable, innovation-led economic growth.

We are working with Vietnam toward a successful 2017 APEC host year and ensuring that APEC continues to be an incubator for new ideas that spur inclusive economic growth, promote sustainable development, and advance trade liberalization.

We have expanded security cooperation. We have expanded cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, including through the Pacific Partnership and Pacific Angel engagements and joint humanitarian training exercises. The United States is strengthening security cooperation with Vietnam, including helping the government build its maritime security capabilities, by providing more than $45.7 million since FY 2014 through the State Department's Foreign Military Financing and law enforcement capacity building programs. Additional assistance is provided through the Department of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) funding, a regional initiative for which the Department of Defense has committed $425 million over five years. At Vietnam's request, we are pursuing providing 18 MetalShark 45-foot patrol boats, as well as training and maritime law enforcement equipment to the country's Coast Guard. Our Navies are working more closely together to ensure maritime security and safety.

The United States is supporting Vietnam's efforts to contribute to UN peacekeeping operations by assisting in the development of a peacekeeping training center near Hanoi, as well as providing medical equipment to support Vietnam's UN pledge of a deployable Level II hospital.

We are working together to prevent North Korea's proliferation activities and to fully implement UNSCR 2270.

U.S.-Vietnam people-to-people ties are stronger than ever. Nearly 19,000 Vietnamese now study in the United States -- 40 percent more than in 2009. Over 80,000 Vietnamese visited the United States in 2015, and many thousands of Americans visited Vietnam. The new Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV), which opens in Ho Chi Minh City later this year, will help bring world-class, independent education to Vietnam and deepen the ties between our peoples. Over 13,000 Vietnamese are members of the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), more than any other ASEAN country except Indonesia. We are also connecting American universities with Vietnamese higher education institutions to improve the quality of higher education in Vietnam. The United States and Vietnam signed a Peace Corps country agreement during the President's visit.

We have deepened cooperation on humanitarian and war legacy issues. Vietnam has provided critical assistance to our efforts to account for U.S. personnel missing in action from the war. We also continue to work with the Vietnamese government to identify the remains of Vietnamese personnel lost during that period. The United States has contributed over $92 million since 1993 to address the threats posed by unexploded ordnances (UXO). The United States has invested nearly $90 million in dioxin remediation at the Danang airport, a project that will finish next year. We have also funded an environmental assessment at Bien Hoa airbase.

We have expanded cooperation on regional and global challenges. Vietnam is a key partner on climate change, sustainable development, nuclear and radioactive source security, advancing the Global Health Security Agenda, and wildlife trafficking. Vietnam is taking critical steps on climate change, including committing to join the Paris Agreement this year, developing plans to implement their climate targets, and the government's call to review coal-fired power generation and move towards natural gas. The United States has invested over $40 million since 2011 to help mitigate the impacts of climate change in Vietnam, one of most vulnerable countries in the world to its effects. We are helping Vietnam reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture, forestry, and energy sectors and building resilience for communities in the Mekong River and Red River Deltas and along the coast of Vietnam. We are partnering with Vietnam to build capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to biological threats, including through Vietnam's five-year roadmap to achieve the targets of the Global Health Security Agenda and our joint effort to undertake and share external assessments of capability.

We also work with Vietnam as part of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) to develop a regional approach to sustainable environmental management and strengthen capacity to manage shared water resources. We recently responded to Vietnam's ongoing historic drought with a natural disaster declaration and $50,000 for immediate assistance to those most affected. The United States has provided $5 million to support Vietnam's efforts to counter wildlife trafficking, particularly strengthening law enforcement, and reducing demand for illegal wildlife products. The United States and Vietnam have expanded cooperation in combating transnational crime, including through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to strengthen effective border management in Vietnam through the establishment of border liaison offices.

We are actively promoting respect for human rights and religious freedom. The United States supports a strong, prosperous, and independent Vietnam that promotes respect for human rights, open space for civil society, and the rule of law. The Vietnamese government's commitment to protect fundamental human rights is a crucial aspect of our bilateral relationship and continued progress in that area will enable the Vietnamese people and the U.S.-Vietnam partnership to reach its fullest potential.

During the April 25-26 annual U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, the United States called on Vietnam to release all prisoners of conscience and cease harassment of individuals exercising their fundamental freedoms, including those relating to expression, assembly, and religion. Our two countries have increased cooperation on disability rights and the rights of LGBT persons in the UN Human Rights Council. We also welcome Vietnam's ratification in 2015 of the UN Convention Against Torture and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and will continue to urge their full implementation.

The Vietnamese government has pledged to institute legal reforms to bring Vietnam's laws into compliance with its international commitments and its 2013 constitution, which contains a new dedicated chapter on human rights. We are also supporting legal education in Vietnam by working with Vietnamese law schools through the United Nations Development Programme. We continue to explore ways that the United States can work with Vietnam to support both legal reform and the rule of law, including through a new Letter of Agreement on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Sector Assistance. U.S. and Vietnamese officials and academic experts also have increased exchanges of best practices on key laws, including the Law on Religion and Belief and the Law on Association. USAID's economic engagement with Vietnam supports strengthening the rule of law and raises standards in key areas. Working with Vietnam to ensure it meets the high standards of the TPP agreement offers an unprecedented opportunity to make progress on labor rights.

The U.S.-Vietnam relationship is poised for progress. In the years ahead, we look forward to working with the new Vietnamese government to strengthen our cooperation on the increasingly wide range of shared interests between our countries and deepen the bonds between our peoples.

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Lifting Embargo Allows Closer U.S., Vietnam Cooperation, Obama, Carter Say

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2016  The United States has lifted the ban on arms sales to Vietnam, eliminating one more vestige of the Cold War, President Barack Obama said in Hanoi yesterday.

The move is part of the president's emphasis on U.S. relations with partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

The United States and Vietnam will cooperate more closely on regional security issues, Obama said during a news conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

"As part of our engagement with [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and the East Asia Summit, we're working together to advance regional security and stability," he said. "Vietnam has welcomed American navy ships to your ports. Our militaries are conducting more exchanges and partnering on maritime security."

Deepening Cooperation

The deepening cooperation includes providing patrol boats and training for Vietnam's coast guard and exercises that will make it easier for Vietnamese and American service members to work more closely together in the event of a humanitarian disaster.

"I can also announce that the United States is fully lifting the ban on the sale of military equipment to Vietnam that has been in place for some 50 years," Obama said. "As with all our defense partners, sales will need to still meet strict requirements, including those related to human rights. But this change will ensure that Vietnam has access to the equipment it needs to defend itself and removes a lingering vestige of the Cold War."

The president stressed the need for stability especially in the South China Sea, where a number of countries -- China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia -- have competing claims on reefs and islands.

International Norms

The president emphasized the need for international norms and rules to be followed in the region, and said freedom of navigation and overflight must continue in the international waterway. He also said disputes in the region must be resolved peacefully, through legal means, in accordance with international law.

"I want to repeat that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and we will support the right of all countries to do the same," Obama said.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter supported the president's decision on eliminating the arms embargo on Vietnam. "Bilaterally, this allows us to make yet further advances in what really is an historic military-to-military relationship with Vietnam," he said during an in-flight interview on the way to New Haven, Connecticut. "I think this will particularly be reflected in the maritime domain, which is one of the areas that we work most closely with Vietnam in."

Carter visited Vietnam last year and was the first American official to tour the Vietnamese fleet in Hai Phong harbor. "I'm glad that we took a number of steps there, and I'm glad the president has decided to increase it further," he said.

China Worrisome

China is worrisome to the states of the region, the secretary said. The move "is a reflection of the fact that more and more countries in the region are coming to the United States more and more, to do more and more with us because of their general concern with the security environment in the region," he said.

Southeast Asia has benefited greatly from the stability of the region, brought about in part by the American presence there, he said.

The secretary did emphasize that the move in Vietnam is not directed against China. "Nothing we do there is directed at China, but there's no question that China's actions there -- particularly those over the last year -- have heightened concern in the region, and that's another factor which causes [Vietnam] to want to work with us," he said.

The Chinese have literally built islands on reefs and outcrops in the South China Sea and has built airstrips and ports on the islands and placed radar stations, support buildings, solar arrays and lighthouses on them. The South China Sea is a crucial international waterway through which trillions of dollars of commerce passes each year.

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Marine Reserves roar in kingdom of Jordan's Eager Lion 2016

US Marine Corps News

By Master Sgt. William Price | May 24, 2016

Marine reservists from Marine Corps Forces Reserves recently took advantage of a new administrative order that allows them to conduct annual training in an imminent danger pay area, during Exercise Eager Lion 2016, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, conducted May 15-24.

MARADMIN 016/16 announced a change to DoD policy for Reserve Component and allows MARFORRES personnel to perform their Annual Training (AT) and provide individual or unit readiness training; support to mission requirements, (i.e., Operational Support) as may occur as a consequence of performing AT.

"Exercise Eager Lion was a fantastic opportunity to work at the operational level in an environment that reflects the way we as Marines have conducted warfare over the past 25 years," said Lance Cpl. Colton A. Thompson, a Force Protection Intelligence Analyst and native of Lakeland, Fla. "Eager Lion has not only exposed me to working in a joint-operational setting with our other U.S. military branches, but it has also allowed me the privilege of getting to work with our allied forces."

Eager Lion 16, one of U.S. Central Command's premiere exercises, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, About 3,000 U.S. military personnel  representing USCENTCOM headquarters and its components  are currently supporting the exercise, mirrored by an equal number of Jordanian Armed Forces soldiers.

To fill the number of billets to support an exercise of this magnitude, military planners had to think outside of the box, and MARADMIN 016/06 provided the manpower Eager Lion needed to roar.

"When shortfalls were published in January by 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, as part of Force Headquarters Group operations, we took it for action to fill critical billets from within the MARFORRES community," said Master Sgt. Michael J. Decker, EL-16 Current Operations Chief, and a Kingston, N.Y. native. "This enabled our major subordinate elements to be gainfully employed while fulfilling several shortfalls within 5th MEB in support of EL-16 due to concurrent real word operations... a win on all fronts."

The MARFORRES Marines with FHG out of New Orleans, were quick to provide pivotal billets such as: Embarkation NCO, Current Operations Chief, Intelligence Analyst, Manpower/Protocol Officer, Surface Movement Coordinator and Civil Affairs Operations Officer.

"This annual training has been the most beneficial AT I have been part of. I was able to gain hands-on experience within my MOS, executing real-life tasks alongside the notional tasks supporting the exercise," Lance Cpl. David A.Thigpen, an Embarkation NCO, and native of Jackson, Miss. "I was able to learn more from being a part of Eager Lion, than I have doing any homesite AT since I have moved into embarkation."

Eager Lion 2016 consisted of a 10-day series of simulated scenarios to facilitate a coordinated partnered military response to conventional and unconventional threats. The scenarios developed will include border security, command and control, cyber defense and battle space management.

"This was a unique opportunity to train with our sister-service and Jordanian counterparts in a joint environment and realize functioning as one team, one fight," said Capt. Samuel K. Kennedy, a Manpower/Protocol officer, and Robertsdale, Ala. native. "The Marine reservists participating in Exercise Eager Lion came hungry to validate their capabilities while contributing to the greater whole."

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Taliban Preparing Ground for Leadership Transition

by Ayaz Gul May 24, 2016

While the Afghan Taliban have still not officially confirmed or denied the death of their chief, Mullah Mansoor, in a U.S. drone attack, insurgent leaders appear to be preparing the ground for a leadership transition.

In a Pashto-language statement released to pro-Taliban media outlets, a senior member of the group's so-called Rahbari Shura, or leadership council, has urged Taliban fighters "not to pay attention and desist from drawing conclusions" about the fate of Mansoor in the wake of "self-created" reports.

In the statement, an unnamed council member pointed to what he said were "enormous sacrifices" by the Taliban and added that the movement would not let the enemy divide and weaken the movement.

"The Islamic Emirate [the Taliban] will gain strength from the sacrifices of its leaders. All the members and other leaders in the movement think alike and are capable of leading come what may," he asserted.

Another Taliban official, quoted in a separate statement, said that the movement would not "weaken and deter" even if news of the death of its leader was accurate. The group, he maintained, did not rely on any one individual and was capable of swiftly filling a leadership vacuum.

He asserted that the death of Mansoor, if true, would only boost the Taliban ranks and create additional security challenges for the United States and the Kabul regime.

Commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, U.S. General John Nicholson reiterated on Tuesday that Mansoor was blocking peace and reconciliation efforts. "Two days ago we killed Mullah Mansour because he stood in the way of peace," the general said while speaking in southern Afghan city of Kandahar bordering Pakistan.

Meanwhile, members of the leadership council of the Taliban have reportedly been meeting at an undisclosed location to elect their new leader and an announcement could be expected within the next couple of days.

But the Taliban has so far avoided publicly commenting on any development related to the fate of Mansoor.

Possible Mansoor successors

His two deputies, Sirajuddin Haqqani and Maulvi Haibatullah as well as Mullah Yaqoob, the elder son of the group's founder, Mullah Omar, are said to be among the top contenders.

Observers with knowledge of Taliban affairs and even some insurgent sources suggest that Yaqoob, in his late 20s, could be the next Taliban leader.

He is currently commanding military operations in 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Some Taliban officials believe Yaqoob's elevation to the top position could help unify the insurgency and overcome divisions noted since last July when Mansoor took charge after it was confirmed Mullah Omar had been dead for more than two years.

President Barack Obama on Monday confirmed that Mansoor was killed in a drone attack on Saturday.

The Taliban leader was traveling in a vehicle in the southwestern Baluchistan province near the Afghan border when the missiles struck him. His driver, identified as Mohammad Azam, was also killed.

The bodies were transported to Quetta, where relatives were handed Azam's remains in the presence of media. But it it still unclear what has happened to remains of the other body.

Taliban's silence

Meanwhile, Taliban spokespeople have continuously been sending statements claiming battlefield successes since the U.S announced the killing of Mansoor on Saturday. But they have not responded to queries about the fate of their top leader.

An insurgent spokesman, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, assigned to discuss affairs in southern Afghanistan, on Tuesday denied Kabul's claims that the Taliban's shadow governor for southern Helmand province and a brother of the group's late leader, Mullah Omar, were killed in overnight U.S. airstrikes in the area.

Omar's brother, Mullah Abdul Manan, is also among the Taliban leaders being projected as possible successors for Mansoor.

Afghan commentators and politicians in media interactions have expressed fears the death of Mansoor will lead to more violence and appeared less optimistic about peace talks.

Impact on peace prospects

It put the final nail in attempts to find a political way of out of the Afghan conflict, said Marvin Weinbaum, director of the Center for Pakistan Studies at the Middle East Institute.

"None of the likely claimants to the Taliban's helm is likely to join a peace process. Mansour's death may set off a new leadership struggle, but is unlikely to weaken the insurgency in Afghanistan," says Weinbaum.

Baluchistan borders western and southern Afghan provinces that are traditionally considered Taliban heartlands.

U.S and Afghan officials have long maintained that Taliban's leadership council, usually referred to as Quetta Shura, has been operating from the Pakistani province.

"The direct order by President Barack Obama that Mansour be killed makes it clear that the Afghan conflict will be settled on the battlefield, not at a conference table," Weinbaum.

Islamabad acknowledges presence of Taliban leaders on its side of the border, but blames the long porous frontier with Afghanistan.

Mansoor's Pakistani passport and travel history, though the documents are under a pseudonym Wali Mohammad, suggest he lived and traveled freely and with impunity within Pakistan and was even allowed to travel abroad through the country's airports to multiple destinations, including repeated trips to Dubai.

Pakistani officials, however, say an investigation is still underway to determine the identity of the second man killed in the US drone attack.

Based on the address in the Pakistani passport and national identification card, authorities in Karachi have also raided a residential apartment in the name of Wali Mohammad and several suspects have also been detained.

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Russia's Space Station Mir Plunged Into Ocean Before Time

Sputnik News

13:59 23.05.2016(updated 16:17 23.05.2016)

The first ever space station Mir could have been kept aloft a little longer, although this would hardly be viable financially, a Russian space agency Roscosmos executive in charge of manned missions said.

LONDON (Sputnik)  The Soviet Union began putting parts of the modular space station into low orbit in 1986. Mir was deorbited and fell into the Pacific in 2001 after 15 years in space.

"It could have been maintained, although the question is whether this would have been practical," Sergei Krikalev, a former cosmonaut, told RIA Novosti.

Krikalev, who marked this year 25 years since his first mission to Mir, said the space station had been so well-built technically that it could have served longer. "But flying for the sake of flying was pointless," he noted, adding Russia had been planning a second station and there would not be enough money for both.

Krikalev said he had campaigned for using Mir as an orbital base for the nascent International Space Station (ISS) by adding new modules to it, rather than assembling the ISS from scratch. He said the plan was to keep Mir as a back-up space station for another three-five years.

But NASA, which was investing in the ISS project, opposed this proposal and Mir was decommissioned after the first ISS module was successfully launched into orbit in 1998.

 Sputnik

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Iran Army fighters bomb positions of hypothetical invading forces

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon 23 May 2016 - 13:21

TEHRAN (ISNA)- Iranian Army fighters targeted positions of the strike forces of the hypothetical enemy on the third phase of Holy Quds military drill underway in Iran.

Two F-7 fighters bombarded districts in which the hypothetical enemy had infiltrated.

The fighters immediately left the area after the operation to keep safe from the hypothetical enemy's attacks.

The fighters of Air Force of Iranian Army also successfully conducted surveillance operations on the drill site.

End Item

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Ayatollah Khamenei says Iran defiance behind US enmity

Iran Press TV

Mon May 23, 2016 12:33PM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the US hostility against the Islamic Republic stems from Iran's defiance of Washington's arrogant policies.

"The main cause of all these enmities and fabrication of pretexts is [Iran's] defiance of Arrogance (a reference to the hegemonic powers led by the US)," the Leader said while addressing a commencement ceremony for graduates of Imam Hussein Military Academy in Tehran on Monday.

Ayatollah Khamenei was referring to the US hostile stances against Iran's nuclear program, missile power and human rights record.

"Were the Iranian nation ready to surrender, they (arrogant powers) would have comprised over [Iran's] missile power and nuclear energy and they would have made no mention of human rights," said the Leader.

Regarding Iran's missile program, Ayatollah Khamenei said: "Recently they have embarked on massive [media] hype campaign, but they must know that such hues and cry will have no effect and they cannot do a damn thing."

The Leader said the US officials have acknowledged that the Iranian nation refuses to submit to the bullying tactics of arrogant powers due to its adherence to Islamic ideology.

Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted "steadfastness", "defiance of the enemy" and "safeguarding the revolutionary and Islamic identity" as the main factors of the strength of the Islamic establishment and the Iranian nation.

"The Americans and other powers are extremely sad at this issue and they have no other option. That is why they made huge efforts in order to bring the country's decision-making and decision-taking centers under their control, but they failed and thanks to God they will fail to do so," noted the Leader.

Ayatollah Khamenei said arrogant powers resorted to every tool in an attempt to "bring the Islamic establishment to its knees and force it into submission" but Iranian people refuse to follow the arrogant powers due to their Islamic beliefs.

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Iraqi PM optimistic on liberation of Fallujah in near future

Iran Press TV

Mon May 23, 2016 5:40PM

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has hailed an ongoing military operation against Daesh Takfiri group in west of the country, saying Iraqi troops will soon seize full control of the town of Fallujah in the western Anbar Province.

"God willing, the operations will end with the full liberation of Fallujah," Abadi said Monday during a visit to a military command center, adding, "The enemy has started to collapse and our brave fighters are pounding Daesh hideouts continuously."

Earlier in the day, Iraqi fighter jets carried out bombardments on positions of Daesh in central districts of Fallujah while troops approached the northern suburb of Garma. Residents said clashes first erupted in southern outskirts of Fallujah in al-Hayakil area.

"Big achievements have been made  it is going on successfully, thank God," Abadi added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iraqi premier regretted the fact that a surge in Daesh bomb attacks in and around the capital, Baghdad, as well as disputes between political factions have delayed the operation to retake Fallujah, the first major town Daesh captured in Iraq more than two years ago.

He said safety of citizens in Fallujah was another reason to delay the highly-anticipated offensive, saying Iraqi military has instructed citizens and civilians of Fallujah and other areas to go to safe corridors.

"We hope that they would be able to reach these corridors, but if they could not they can stay in their houses and stick to their houses," Abadi said.

Daesh blitzed Fallujah, 50 km (30 miles) from Baghdad, in January 2014, months before the Takfiri terrorists seized control over Iraq's second largest city of Mosul. Estimates show as many as 100,000 civilians, nearly a third of Fallujah's pre-war population, are still in the city.

Recapturing the city would nearly complete Iraq's anti-Daesh offensive in the Anbar Province as the military and allies prepare massive operations to push militants out of cities and villages in northern province of Nineveh.

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Joint Press Availability With Burmese Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Press Availability

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Naypyitaw, Burma

May 22, 2016



MODERATOR: (Inaudible.) We will commence this press briefing with a brief statement by the Minister for (inaudible) of Myanmar, to be followed by the Secretary of State of the United States of America, and then the minister will take questions.

And may I now call upon the minister for to deliver a speech.

FOREIGN MINISTER AUNG SAN SUU KYI: Thank you. I won't take too much time because I don't think we have too much time left, but it's a great pleasure for me to welcome Secretary of State John Kerry to our country for the third time  or is it the fourth time? He is inclined to come and we've lost track  (laughter)  of the times he's been here. But always, always too short. I think we need more time together and I hope that next time we meet, we will be able to spend more time together to discuss matters of mutual interest to our two countries.

And now I think I'll give the floor to our honored guest, because that will save me from having to make too long a speech. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much, Madam Foreign Minister, State Counselor. What a pleasure to see you again. It's very special for me. And as the minister said, I've been here several times; we have lost track. But this is the first time  and I have not lost track of  this is the first time that I have been here when the government is officially recognized by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who for more than a quarter of a century has embodied the aspirations and the ideals of her people.

Before I say more, with your indulgence, Madam Minister, I do need to say something about  a comment on the situation in Afghanistan. Yesterday the United States conducted a precision airstrike that targeted Taliban leader Mullah Mansour in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. And Mansour posed a continuing imminent threat to U.S. personnel in Afghanistan, to Afghan civilians, Afghan Security Forces, and Resolute Support coalition members across the country. And this action sends a clear message to the world that we will continue to stand with our Afghan partners as they work to build a more stable, united, secure, and prosperous Afghanistan. The United States has long maintained that an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned reconciliation process is the surest way to achieve peace, and peace is what we want. Mansour was a threat to that effort and to bringing an end to the violence and the suffering that the people of Afghanistan have endured for so many years now. He also was directly opposed to peace negotiations and to the reconciliation process. It is time for Afghans to stop fighting and to start building a real future together. And it is no secret that we are all living in a time and in a world that is marked by very complicated challenges.

The bottom line is  and I know the minister and state counselor will agree with me  that this is a moment of extraordinary promise for many countries in many parts of the world. That is precisely what brings me here today. The recent seating of Myanmar's first democratically-elected, civilian-led government since 1962 was an historic event for this country, but it wasn't just historic for this country; it was really a historic cause for democracy worldwide.

When I first visited Myanmar as a United States senator 17 years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi and her movements, her activities, were then heavily restricted. And I visited with her in her home  a home in which she spent many years isolated, but never giving up hope, never unwilling to fight for the future of her country. At that time, the military leadership assured me that there were no political prisoners but the people of Myanmar prized  well, they tried to tell me that the people of Myanmar prized order more than they prized democratic rights.

Time and again, the Burmese people risked their lives in order to prove that theory was wrong, and we were very privileged in the United States along with many other countries and people to support the cause of the people of Myanmar.

Today, my message is very, very simple: We strongly support the democratic transition that is taking place here. The landslide election victory of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy, the inauguration of President U Htin Kyaw, and the seating of a new Union Parliament  all of which includes more than 100 former political prisoners  is a remarkable statement to people in the world. The people of Myanmar should be  and I know are  extremely proud of the journey that you are on. The United States also welcomes Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's appointment as state counselor and foreign minister. And we applaud the actions that the new government has already taken to release political prisoners.

Obviously, Myanmar has changed, and it has changed much for the better, and so has our bilateral relationship as a result.

Just as President Obama has made Asia a priority of his presidency, he has made Myanmar a central focus of our policy towards Asia. He has visited this country twice  significant. And in consultation with the elected government and working with our own Congress, we have adjusted our sanctions policy now to strengthen democracy, to encourage inclusive economic growth, and to facilitate foreign investment in the civilian-led economy; and at the same time, we are maintaining some sanctions in order to encourage all institutions, investors, and members of society to support the government's continued reform efforts that are aimed at consolidating a civilian-led democracy. Since 2012, we have provided more than $500 million in assistance for civil society, for national reconciliation, for democracy, for respect for human rights, and enhancing the health and the food security of vulnerable populations. And we have supported peace and reconciliation, as well as families and communities in many parts of the countries that  a country that have suffered from natural disaster or conflict, including in Rakhine state.

So I discussed each of these issues and more with the foreign minister this morning, and I emphasize that, although I came to this country with a message of support, I also came to listen. And I listened carefully this morning to the priorities of the government, to the ways in which the United States can try to be helpful, and to the important hurdles we still need to work together to get over. We also listened with respect to the relationship of Myanmar to ASEAN, to the region, to neighbors, and to the other challenges that the country faces.

I know that the legacy of more than half a century of military rule has not yet been completely erased, and I will be discussing the military's role in the democratic reform process  and in the region  when I meet with Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing later today.

So let me just make it clear that the late Vaclav Havel often talked about the difference between serving as a member of a democratic opposition and as your country's national leader. The difference, as he put it, between the poetry of revolution and the prose of governing. It should be obvious today that governing effectively is as challenging as it has ever been anywhere, in many countries, even in countries that have been stable and democratic for centuries. The new Government of Myanmar faces enormous economic and social challenges, but I want to underscore it has already accomplished extraordinary things.

So we wish the men and women of the new government well, and we will do all that the diverse people of this extraordinary country want to and are hoping for in order to try to expedite this journey towards the completion of full democracy and towards the increase of economic benefits and stability for all of the people of Myanmar.

And it's my privilege again, as I said before, to be here with a person that I have respected for all of these years and whose example to all of us has been so important. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Excellencies. Now, this is the time for the first questions.

QUESTION: (In Burmese.) Well, I am a reporter from Irrawaddy Media Group. What I would like to ask you, Mr. Secretary, is about the sanctions you've made it possible for Burma to go  get off. So what are the principles by which you eased those sanctions? Because there are many rumors going around, floating around, and I would like to get a clarification from you. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much. Well, the key to the lifting of the sanctions is really the progress that is made within Myanmar in continuing to move down the road of democratization. One of the things that I will emphasize today is that it's very difficult to complete that journey  in fact, impossible to complete that journey with the current constitution. It needs to be changed. It needs to be a reflection of how civilian authority is fully respected and how the separation of powers, if you will, is clearly defined. In addition, there has to be an inclusivity, a resolution of some of the other issues with respect to normal democratic reforms.

But we think  we're prepared to make changes as we not only see, but as the foreign minister and state counselor encourages us to believe that she and the democratic movement in the country are satisfied that progress is, in fact, being made. And so we have made a lot of changes in the last week  the last  a week ago in the current regime of sanctions. We've kept some, as I said, in order to continue to leverage certain individuals and certain sectors that they must do more to help support and complete this transition to democracy. As we see that happen, and as the state counselor/foreign minister indicates to us that it is appropriate, we will consider taking further action at that time.

MODERATOR: Next question.

QUESTION: Yes, hello. Lesley Wroughton from Reuters. Mr. Secretary, there are conflicting reports that the U.S. actually hit the target of the Taliban leader. Can you clarify what the situation is? We also understand that the United States did not notify Pakistan in advance of the attacks, much as you didn't in the bin Ladin raid. Can you tell us what went into that decision and whether you believe the chances of a peace agreement with the Taliban are now improved or set back by that attack?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me make it crystal clear --

QUESTION: And can I ask the Madam Counselor?

SECRETARY KERRY: Oh, sorry.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.) (Laughter.) Do you believe the United States went far enough in easing sanctions this time? At what stage in your country's transition can you see or do you think that the U.S. should entirely lift those sanctions?

(Inaudible) to answer first. (Laughter.)

FOREIGN MINISTER AUNG SAN SUU KYI: All right. Very shortly, we're not afraid of sanctions. We're not afraid of scrutiny. We believe that if we are going along the right path, all sanctions should be lifted in good time. John, you  you've been (inaudible) spoken to this, and I understand and I accept and I believe that the United States is a friend, and are not keeping the sanctions to hurt us, but to (inaudible) that it would help us. And I'm ready to accept that; I'm not afraid of sanctions. We'll get (inaudible), and I'm sure that the time will come soon where the United States will rule that this is not the time for sanctions.

SECRETARY KERRY: We have had longstanding conversations with Pakistan and Afghanistan about this objective with respect to Mullah Mansour, and both countries' leaders were notified of the airstrike. I'm not going to get into further details about the timing, the tick-tocks. I will say to you that this morning, I know that General Nicholson talked directly to General Raheel Sharif and I talked directly to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. And it is important for people to understand that Mullah Mansour, as I said a moment ago, has been actively involved in planning attacks in Kabul, across Afghanistan, presenting a threat to Afghan civilians and to the coalition forces that are there. And this is a decision that was made by the President of the United States and it's one that I wholeheartedly, completely support, and it was done appropriately and in conversation with both parties.

QUESTION: But do you think peace  you can move ahead with talking to the Taliban now about peace?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, he was not  he was not  neither  he was neither encouraging people to talk nor supporting the talks nor supportive of reconciliation. So hopefully this is a message to people that if nobody wants to talk about peace, we're prepared to continue to do what we need to do to protect our country and to protect the journey of Afghans towards their full sovereignty and independence as a democratic country. The president of Afghanistan has made it clear that he's prepared to have talks. We are prepared to have talks. But if people want to stand in the way of peace, continue to threaten and kill and blow people up, we have no recourse but to respond, and I think we responded appropriately.

MODERATOR: Next question.

QUESTION: Thank you. My name is Win Naing from Radio Free Asia. And then my question goes to our foreign minister (inaudible). There has been a lot of, like, writings about the Rohingya issue these days. Yesterday I think The Washington Post wrote an editorial saying directly to you that we cannot repeat Burma's past mistake regarding Rohingya issue. And there is a campaign launching outside of Burma for the Rohingya in the United States last week. Do you have any comment on this particular issue? Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER AUN SAN SUU KYI: Well, what we want to do is avoid any terms that (inaudible) go too far. I wasn't talking about one particular term. I was talking about all the terms that are incendiary and which create greater divisions between our peoples in the Rakhine and, of course, elsewhere too.

Now, the reason why I say that we've got to be very firm about not using emotive terms is because emotive terms make it very difficult for us to find a peaceful and sensible resolution of our problems. There are two terms which are emotive, and we've got to face them fairly and squarely. The Rakhine Buddhists object to the term "Rohingya," just as much as the Muslims object to the term Bengali, because these have all kinds of political and emotional implications which are unacceptable to the opposing parties. All we are asking is that people should be aware of the difficulties that we are facing and to give us enough space to sort out our problems. If there is an insistence on other part  either on the part of the Rakhine Buddhists or on the part of the Muslims to insist on particular terms, knowing full well that these will create more animosity, this does not help to our finding a resolution to the problem at all.

What we want is to find a practical resolution. We are not interested in rhetoric. We are not trying to outtalk anybody. We are not trying to say that any particular stand with regard to nomenclature is better than another. What we are staying  saying is that there are more important things for us to cope with than just the issue of nomenclature. I know that is important because it has to do with identity, and identity is of extreme importance to peoples all over the world. We are not in any way undermining people's desire to establish their own identity. What we are asking for is that those who really wish us well should be aware of the implications of terms that they use quite, perhaps, unwittingly, not knowing what the implications are for those of us who have to cope with the actual problems that arise from this disagreement over what name to use.

We are trying to find a solution to this problem, and while we are trying to find that solution, we would like our friends to be helpful in this  to understand that we are not trying to (inaudible) down any particular group, but we are trying to find something, some way forward that would be acceptable to both. That is very difficult. I'm not denying that. And if our well-wishers are not ready to cooperate with us, it will make our task that much more difficult, which is not to say that we're going to back away from it. We will still accept it as our responsibility and we will try to do the best we can to resolve the problem to the benefit of both communities.

MODERATOR: This (inaudible), this will be the last question.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, would you like to --

SECRETARY KERRY: Would I like to or do I have to? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Please.

SECRETARY KERRY: Trying to drag me into the middle of this. No, let me  I'm happy to  I'm very happy to speak to it. First of all, I think  I think Daw Aung San Suu Kyi just gave you an important and courageous answer that speaks to the challenge. Of course we talked about it this morning  we absolutely did talk about it. The name issue is obviously very sensitive, and she's just spoken to sensitivity. It's divisive, and I know that it arouses strong passions here. At the same time, we all understand, as a matter of fact, that there is a group here in Myanmar that calls itself Rohingya. We understand that. And we use that term ourselves sometimes. But what the minister and I talked about today is very much in line with what she has just said, and that is that what's critical to focus on is solving the problem; what's critical to focus on is improving the situation on the ground to promote development, promote respect for human rights, and to benefit all of those who live in Rakhine and throughout Myanmar. And that's what we've come here to say to the minister, that we are committed to work with her in the effort to do that  to try to solve the problem, not grow the problem; to try to provide solutions, not to provide divisions. And I think it's important for everybody to try to work constructively in that direction.

MODERATOR: The last question.

QUESTION: Madam Foreign Minister, David Sanger from The New York Times. Good to see you again after many years. I'd like to ask you about two areas of policy that are now your responsibility. One, to follow up on this question of these  this group of refugees who many in the U.S. are concerned are being detained in almost apartheid-like conditions. I'd like to know practically what you think you can do to relieve the human suffering that you see there, which goes beyond the naming issue.

And secondly, since you entered office, what have you learned about an effort that the United States was concerned a few years ago that the military government, it seemed to be, was involved in to obtain nuclear weapons technology, including from the Russians and the North Koreans? And Mr. Secretary, you've already addressed the first issue, but on the second, in 2011, the State Department did turn out a report concerning that Myanmar was not in compliance with its NPT responsibilities because of this effort. Later you said that those have been partially allayed, but I'd like to know whether you believe right now that problem is solved.

FOREIGN MINISTER AUNG SAN SUU KYI: In response to the first question, there are, of course, two steps that we have to take. First of all, humanitarian access. We have already given as much humanitarian access as has been requested with regard to the IDP camps. Now, in order to stop people from having to live in these IDP camps, we have to create the kind of situation where they can live peacefully and securely outside of the camps, and that is what we are working at. That is why we say that we need the space in which to build up trust and security within the community.

Now, with regard to your second question, the United States actually didn't push us on this. Secretary Kerry mentioned it in passing. I know that it was a sensitive issue two years ago. I have not yet heard it discussed publicly in recent years. Of course, we understand, we know, everybody knows that Thailand and Burma are two of the countries which have not yet signed the anti-nuclear proliferation agreement, and perhaps this is a matter of concern to some, but then you'd have to ask the Thais the same question: Why have they not yet signed this agreement? And it does not mean that we don't intend to sign it. I think we are all working towards a world where there will be no need for nuclear weapons.

QUESTION: Do you believe you had a program at one point, or the government, the previous government, had a program?

FOREIGN MINISTER AUNG SAN SUU KYI: Well, if they did, they haven't said anything about that to me. The previous government was not in the habit of informing me of what they were doing. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Let me just say that, as the minister mentioned, that I did raise the issue with her, and (inaudible). And I am satisfied that with respect to the DPRK, clearly, Myanmar has taken the steps to address that issue and we're satisfied that we're on the same page.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Excellencies.

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US justification for drone attack violates int'l law: Pakistan

Iran Press TV

Tue May 24, 2016 2:12PM

The justification provided by the United States for its recent drone strike, which reportedly targeted Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, runs contrary to the international regulation, Pakistan says.

"For the US government to say that whoever is a threat to them will be targeted wherever they are, that is against international law," Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told reporters in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The remarks came a few days after the US Department of Defense announced in a statement that it had mounted the strike against Mansour in a remote area of southwest Pakistan, near the Afghan border.

US Secretary of State John Kerry defended the attack, arguing that Mansour "posed a continuing imminent threat" to US personnel and Afghans.

The Pentagon also said that the US forces targeted the Taliban leader in an air raid because he was engaged in plotting that posed "specific, imminent threats" to US and US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, however, said the drone attack violated its sovereignty because it was carried out on the Pakistani soil.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Khan said he could not confirm Mansour's death, saying the body recovered from the site of the strike was charred beyond recognition.

DNA samples would be tested against a relative who came forward to claim the body, he added.

"The government of Pakistan cannot announce this without a scientific and legal basis," Khan said.

The Taliban has yet to formally announce Mansour's death. However, Washington and Kabul have confirmed it, with senior Taliban members saying their leadership council has been meeting to discuss the succession.

The reports about the alleged killing of Mansour, who assumed leadership only last year, come as splinter groups within the Taliban had refused to pledge allegiance to him.

The Taliban has seen a string of defections ever since the news about the death of its founder and long-time leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, broke in late July 2015. Mullah Omar died at a hospital in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi in April 2013.

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Blasts kill at least 140 in western Syria: Monitor

Iran Press TV

Mon May 23, 2016 7:54AM

Seven bomb explosions have rocked the coastal cities of Tartous and Jableh in western Syria, leaving at least 148people dead, a London-based monitor says.

In Jableh, the attacks took the lives of at least 100 people and left scores of others injured on Monday morning, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights said.

At least 48 people were killed in Tartous and many others injured in almost simultaneous bombings.

According to the report, one of the explosions occurred near a hospital when a bomber detonated his explosive vest.

Daesh claimed responsibility for the bombings. The Takfiri group, which is controlling parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq, has repeatedly targeted civilian structures like hospitals and schools.

Rights groups have documented numerous cases of such bombings and attacks over the past months.

Physicians for Human Rights said in a recent research that militants had carried out about a dozen attacks on medical facilities, with Daesh being responsible for at least eight of them in which more than a dozen medical staff had been killed.

Syria has been gripped by a foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.

According to UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, more than 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has also displaced over half of the country's population of about 23 million.

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Free Syrian Army Threatens to Withdraw From Ceasefire Regime

Sputnik News

16:18 23.05.2016

The Free Syrian Army will withdraw from the ceasefire regime if governmental troops continue their offensive against Darayya, a suburb of Damascus, and other besieged areas across Syria, the Free Syrian Army's legal adviser, Osama Abu Zeid, said Monday.

DUBAI (Sputnik)  He added that every associated group would respond to government attacks in line with their capacities.

"If attacks on Darayya and besieged areas across Syria continue and the ceasefire regime is violated throughout the country, all groups associated with the Free Syrian Army and other revolutionary units will withdraw from the political process in 48 hours," Abu Zeid told RIA Novosti, commenting on the ongoing clashes between government troops and rebels in Darayya.

Earlier last week, governmental troops liberated towns of Deir al-Asafir and Zebdin in the eastern outskirts of Damascus.

The parties to the Syrian conflict, which erupted in 2011, laid down their arms on February 27. The ceasefire regime across Syria does not apply to territories under the control of terrorist groups.

 Sputnik

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Ban condemns terrorist attacks killing dozens of civilians in two coastal Syrian cities

23 May 2016  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the terrorist attacks today that claimed the lives of dozens of civilians in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartous.

A statement attributable to his spokesperson said that the Secretary-General "takes note with great concern of the escalating military activity in many areas in and around Damascus."

"The violence, particularly in Daraya, Aleppo and Idlib, and in the northern countryside of Homs, especially Al-Houla, is causing mounting civilian casualties," the Secretary-General said.

According to media reports, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) claimed responsibility for the attacks, in which more than 140 people were reportedly killed and many others wounded by at least five suicide bombers and two devices planted in cars.

In his statement, Mr. Ban also reiterated a call on all parties to the Syrian conflict to refrain from attacks on the civilian population, adding that those perpetrating such attacks must be held accountable for their crimes.

Reminding all parties to the cessation of hostilities of their duty to abide by its terms, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2268 (2016), the Secretary-General also called on all Member States to take "immediate, collective and decisive action to bring the tragedy unfolding in Syria to an end," in line with their commitments in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016).

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US Allied Forces Launch Operation to Liberate Raqqa

by Sirwan Kajjo, Mutlu Civiroglu, Jeff Seldin May 24, 2016

Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have launched an operation to capture areas north of Raqqa, the Syrian de-facto capital of Islamic State, with the aim of eventually liberating the city.

The U.S. allied group made the announcement in a video statement posted online Tuesday. "We're launching this campaign with the help of (U.S.-led) coalition forces in northern Raqqa," said Rojda Felat, a female Kurdish commander.

A senior SDF commander told VOA his forces are advancing from three different directions. "[Kurdish] YPG tanks and other heavy weaponry have been deployed," he said.

"The SDF has announced they have begun operations to liberate the countryside north of Raqqa. We have always been focused evicting Da'esh (Islamic State) from Raqqa and we will continue to support the SDF as they conduct ground operations to further isolate the city," said Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS.

A commander with the Syrian Democratic Forces said earlier that coalition troops would be fighting with SDF forces but Warren refused to comment on the specific role coalition forces would play.

"As you know, we don't talk about Special Forces operations," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a visit to Uzebekistan, said Moscow is ready to coordinate efforts with the Kurds and the U.S.-led coalition to liberate Raqqa.

But Col. Warren rejected any notion of possible coordination with Russia.

Focus on 2 towns

Hussam Eisa of Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, a Syrian group that reports on IS abuses, said the offensive is focusing on areas around two towns.

"I think it will take a long time before the YPG decides to march toward Raqqa city. They are supported by U.S. warplanes. They have targeted areas around the towns of Tel al-Saman and al-Haisha, 40 kilometers north of Raqqa. These areas are almost empty of civilians. Most residents have fled to Raqqa city," Eisa said.

Tamped-down expectations

The U.S. is supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces, mostly made up of Syrian Kurds, numbering at least 25,000 fighters, with a smaller element of Syrian Arabs, numbering perhaps 5,000 to 6,000. The U.S. is trying to increase the Arab numbers.

But U.S. officials have been tamping down expectations of rapid progress. And a European diplomat told VOA that the plan currently is to try to encircle much of the city of Raqqa, at least to take outlying villages north, west and south.

"The Arab fighters are not sufficient in numbers nor do they have the capabilities to take on the hardened IS fighters defending the city," he said. "And the Kurds can't be in the vanguard in capturing Raqqa," he added. He puts the numbers of Sunni Arab fighters in the SDF lower than 5,000.

The diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there are an estimated 185,000 civilians left in Raqqa  out of an original population of 400,000.

Jamie Dettmer contributed to this report.

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Turkey threatens to suspend EU deals if visa-free travel not allowed

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Tue 24 May 2016 - 08:39

TEHRAN (ISNA)- Turkey has threatened to suspend all agreements with the European Union (EU) if Brussels fails to grant visa-free travel to Turkish citizens.

"Let them continue to apply double standards, let them continue not to keep their promises for Turkish citizens, but they should know that if they maintain this attitude, Turkey will take some very radical decisions very soon," said Yigit Bulut, an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Monday.

Bulut warned that Ankara would review "all relations with the EU, including the customs union deals and the migrant readmission agreements."

The EU is in a standoff with Turkey on the future of an agreement signed in March to stem the flow of refugees and asylum seekers to Europe.

Under the deal, Turkey has committed to taking back all the asylum seekers and refugees who have used the Aegean Sea to illegally reach Greece. In return, Ankara was promised financial aid, the acceleration of visa liberalization talks and progress in its EU membership negotiations.

The two sides are currently negotiating a sub-deal under which Turkish nationals would be allowed visa-free travel to Europe.

Negotiations over the deal for visa-free travel have been faltering. Turkey reportedly refuses to make changes to its anti-terror laws, as required by the EU.

Turkey formerly set the end of June as a deadline for the 28-member bloc to scrap visas for Turkish citizens, but sources in the EU said it is nearly impossible to meet the deadline.

Concerns over the potential collapse of the deal with Turkey have reportedly prompted EU officials to consider a "plan B"  striking a similar deal with Greece, instead of Turkey.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees are fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria, and attempt entry into Europe without applying for a visa. The influx has crippled the bloc, particularly the countries on its external borders.

End Item

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Halifax County Industrial Development Authority Board of Directors on Friday awarded a $101,475 contract for the design, bid and construction associated with the new Center for Coating Application, Research and Education (C-CARE) formulation lab.

During its regular monthly meeting held at the Southern Virginia Advanced Manufacturing Center (former Daystrom building), IDA directors authorized execution of the contract with Dewberry.

The Southside Economic Development Commission arm of the Virginia Tobacco Commission earlier this month gave a thumbs up to a $600,000 grant that will fund half the cost of the new formulation lab.

According to IDA Executive Director Matt Leonard, the full commission is expected to finalize actions on the grant funding at its Tuesday meeting.

The IDA also approved bond refinancing of existing debt and agreed to enter into a bond purchase agreement with Carter Bank and Trust to advance $616,721.94 in additional funds to pay for the C-CARE formulation lab outfits.

In other business Friday morning, IDA directors were updated on procurement of a custodial services contract that Leonard said may be acted on at the June meeting with the contract going into effect in July.

Finance Committee Chairperson Mattie Cowan reported on the IDAs financials saying, So far we are in really good shape and should end the year coming in under budget.

A current draft of the proposed 2017 budget is ready for board review, and directors are expected to approve it at their June 17 meeting.

Leonard told board members he has been in discussions with Acadia Healthcare, Inc., purchaser of the former Carlbrook School property.

Carlbrook was headed for an absolute auction of the 191-acre campus, as well as all of its personal property, with Woltz and Associates hired to conduct the sale of the property. Woltz brokered the transaction of the sale.

The new owner is New Boston, LLC, a subsidiary of Acadia Healthcare, Inc., Franklin Tennessee.

Leonard said he worked closely with Woltz and Associates of Roanoke, adding, We appreciate Acadias interest in investing in the Carlbrook project, as well as Woltzs work in connecting them to the Carlbrook property. We look forward to continuing to develop the project with them to everyones benefit.

We continue to be in discussions with Acadia to help them get the most out of that property, he added.

In other business Friday morning, the following actions were taken:

w Board Chairman Butch Blanks appointed Operations and Personnel Committee Chairman W. W. Ted Bennett, Finance Committee Chairman Mattie Cowan and Properties and Prospects Committee Chairman Chris Lumsden to serve on the nominating committee to select a slate of officers for consideration at the June 17 meeting.

w Blanks also recommended the board conduct a retreat during their June meeting to review and update the IDAs strategic plan.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
LAS VEGAS  Whats the future of the physical store?

That was one of the big topics of a three-day retail and technology conference called Shoptalk, which attracted more than 3,000 people from a broad spectrum of the retail world, including stores, suppliers and venture capitalists. They included executives from traditional retailers like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and e-commerce upstarts that are disrupting the industry with names like Bonobos and Stitch Fix, both of which offer personalized services for clothing. There was even an appearance from Lionel Richie who talked about his new home furnishing collection.

They came together this week as the health of the retail sector and the future of shopping is under the spotlight in the wake of a slew of quarterly sales drops from the likes of mall icons such as Macys and Kohls. Even big-box retailer Target Corp., which had enjoyed rebounding sales amid an overhaul, was not spared from the doldrums. The Minneapolis-based discounter warned Wednesday that it could see a decline in a key revenue metric for the current quarter. That would reverse almost two straight years of increases.

The soft patch goes beyond the unseasonably cool weather. Many stores have been overhauling their businesses as they aim to cater to shoppers increasingly buying more online or heading more often to off-price stores to get deals. But the changing behavior could be accelerating, forcing those who dont change fast enough to be left in the dust. In fact, some analysts speculate that online leader Amazon could supplant Macys as the nations largest apparel seller next year.

Gerald Storch, CEO of Hudsons Bay Corp., which operates stores under the Hudson Bay, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor names, acknowledged in a keynote address earlier this week that the U.S. has too many stores. But stores and malls still matter.

The future doesnt belong to Internet-only companies, said Storch. It belongs to customer-facing brands that meet the needs of the customer, however she wants it, whenever she wants it. All companies will be Internet companies, or they wont be companies at all.

Here are four trends that were highlighted at the Shoptalk conference, which ended Wednesday:

 STORE EXPERIENCE MATTERS: Major stores are trimming their fleet, but the physical store isnt dead. It just needs to change.

Targets Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Casey Carl discussed how the chain is testing new store experiences. For example, Targets Connect Home space in San Francisco showcases how shoppers can use smart technology for the home like baby monitors and sprinklers. It had huge success with its Wonderland temporary store in Manhattan last holiday season that featured a giant Etch-a-Sketch. These are learning labs that we can scale, Carl said.

Meanwhile, a number of online-only retailers are now expanding with physical stores, but dont expect to walk out with the products you buy. Andy Dunn, founder and CEO of Bonobos, which sells mens clothes that boast a better fit, now operates 21 physical stores that are called Guideshops. There, customers can get fitted, and they will be able to order the items and have them delivered to their home. Shoppers, however, cant actually take the product with them. Dunn says instant gratification only works for food and essentials.

You dont eat your shirt, he said.

 STORES AS DISTRIBUTION HUBS  A GAME CHANGER? Macys Inc. was among the first major retailers to start shipping merchandise from the store to shoppers homes a few years ago. Many have followed and executives are relying on this strategy to help speed deliveries to customers. About a quarter of Target stores now ship orders to shoppers homes. But they have learned some lessons. Stores had enough problems making sure they had the right inventory in the store at the right time  and the right number of workers based on customer traffic. Now, stores are being stretched to take on different roles. Michael Tobin, senior vice president of strategy and innovation at Macys, says its working out those issues. Its starting to test new approaches to workload management, matching tasks to available resources. That means a worker would show up to work and immediately sign onto a computer to get assignments.

 MAINSTREAM BRANDS LOSING LUSTER: Shoppers, particularly millennials, are losing their appetite for major brands that can be found everywhere unless theres a strong emotional connection. That includes names like Nike or Lululemon. That spells trouble for department store chains, which have devoted huge areas to mainstream brands. Online companies like Revolve Clothing have tapped into this trend. Revolve, which started in 2003, is now a $400 million business. It sells hip micro-brands that are not widely distributed.

Big mass brands actually turn them off, said Mike Karanikolas, co-founder and co-CEO of Revolve.

 THE RECOMMERCE ECONOMY: An increasing number of shoppers are buying and selling their clothes and other items online. In fact, a growing number of shoppers are considering the resale value of the item before they buy in a regular-price store. Tracy Dinunzio is CEO and co-founder of Tradesy.com, which allows shoppers to buy and sell designer handbags and clothing. She says that 88 percent of customers are checking its site for the resale value before they go out and buy. Thats actually good news for mainstream stores as customers will be able to recoup some of the money from the sale of their items and plow it back in. Macys has teamed up with thredUP, an online consignment shop, allowing customers to get Macys gift cards based on items they get rid of.

Every woman who buys online will sell online, said Dinunzio.

But that could spell trouble for the world of fast fashion as women are encouraged to buy higher-quality goods, she said.
The reported mineral reserve totals 401 million tonnes ("Mt") grading 0.40 % total copper ("Cu") and 0.07 g/t gold ("Au"), and the mine-concentrator as designed is expected to produce 3.1 billion pounds of copper and 484,000 ounces of gold over the 19-year life of the operation.

Initial capital cost is US$ 1.16 billion and the base case after-tax valuation yields an expected net cash flow of US$ 1.6 billion with a net present value ("NPV") of US$ 496 million at an 8 % discount rate.

After-tax internal rate of return ("IRR") is 15.9 % and the Project has a 5.1-year payback period from the start of operations.

Production averages 120,000 tonnes per annum ("tpa") of copper in concentrate over the first 5-year period and 75,000 tpa over the life of the operations.

A total of 4.4 million dry metric tons ("dmt") of concentrate will be produced over a 19-year period with an average grade of 32.5 % copper and 3.4 grams per tonne gold.

No deleterious elements in any significant concentration were found in the copper concentrate produced from the flotation testwork, and all the impurity elements were found to be below smelter penalty limits.

A brackish-water aquifer located within 35 kilometres ("km") of the proposed process plant site has the potential to satisfy the projects process water requirements. Testwork has indicated this water is suitable for concentrator processing,

Thickened tailings disposal will be in a natural basin approximately 1 km downhill from the plant site.

VANCOUVER, May 24, 2016 - AQM Copper Inc. (TSX VENTURE:AQM) (BVL:AQM) ("AQM" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of a positive, independent Preliminary Feasibility Study ("PFS") of the Company's Zafranal Project ("Project") located in the southern Peru porphyry copper belt.The Zafranal Copper Project is owned by Compania Minera Zafranal S.A.C. ("CMZ"), a joint venture company that is beneficially owned by AQM, Teck Resources Ltd. , and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. AQM, through Minera AQM Copper Peru S.A.C. ("MAQM"), has been the operator of the Project since 2009.The Zafranal PFS was independently prepared by Ausenco Peru S.A.C., ("Ausenco"), Amec Foster Wheeler PLC ("AmecFW") and NCL Ingenieria y Construccion SpA ("NCL"), with the support from other specialist consultants. The PFS report reflects the design of an open pit mine, conventional flotation concentrator processing facility and associated infrastructure.

Bruce Turner, President and Chief Executive Officer of AQM states, "We are extremely pleased with the results of the PFS as it provides a solid basis for advancing the Project. The PFS reflects the combined experience and efforts of the partners and our consultants in delivering an excellent result. Our engagement with the regional and local authorities and representatives of the local communities has generated a constructive space for continued dialogue and we are optimistic that all the stakeholders will benefit from the continued development of the Zafranal Project. AQM currently has CDN$ 2 million in the bank in Canada, and an additional US$ 10 million in its subsidiary MAQM in Peru to contribute towards its share of the cost of the next level of study for the Project. We are currently in discussions with our partners as to the next steps to advance the Project."

The PFS was commissioned to further define the development plan for the Zafranal deposit based on the findings from earlier studies but incorporating the following modifications:

An additional 17,671 metres ("m") of diamond drilling and 9,931 m of reverse circulation ("RC") drilling, including 5,534 m in-fill drilling of Zafranal Main Zone, 4,965 m of metallurgical drilling, 2,267 m of geotechnical drilling, 8,388 m of hydrogeological drilling and 6,447 m of condemnation drilling

Revised geological and resource models, and development of a geometallurgical model

Variable concentrator throughput based on mineral zone (competence, hardness and rock quality)

Variable recovery and concentrate grade based on geometallurgical domains

Identification and investigation of a brackish groundwater resource within 35 km of the process plant site that is unlikely to be of value for other than industrial uses and could potentially be a water supply for the Project.

PFS Results Summary:

Economic Analysis

Long-term forecasted copper and gold prices of US$ 3.00 /lb and US$ 1200 /oz, respectively, were used to estimate Mineral reserves and the base case valuation. The basis of the economic analysis contained in the PFS was signed off by Ausenco and contains production parameters, capital costs, operating costs, pre-tax and post-tax financial projections. The Project is projected to yield the following financial results:

Summary of Financial Results (1)

DESCRIPTION PRE-TAX (2) POST-TAX (3) Initial Capital Cost (US$ million) 1,157 1,157 Net Cash Flow (US$ million) 2,711 1,649 Net Present Value at 5 % discount rate (US$ million) 1,536 813 Net Present Value at 8 % discount rate (US$ million) 1,084 496 Net Present Value at 10 % discount rate (US$ million) 849 333 Payback (years) (4) 2.6 5.1 Internal Rate of Return (%) 23.8 15.9

Notes: 1. Valuation based on 100% Project and 100% Equity. The Zafranal Project is owned through CMZ, a 50/50 corporate joint venture between Teck Resources Ltd. and the Company's operating subsidiary, Minera AQM Copper Peru S.A.C. ("MAQM"). MAQM is owned 60% by the Company and 40% by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. As such, the Company has a 30% beneficial ownership interest in the Zafranal Project. 2. Based on pre-tax economic cash flows. 3. Based on after-tax economic cash flows, reflecting mining royalty, special mining tax, corporate income tax (26%) and workers' profit sharing. A 9.3% dividend withholding tax is not included but it would be applied to any repatriation of profits. The calculation of taxes in the valuation was reviewed by Peruvian tax specialists from the law firm of Zuzunaga, Assereto & Zegarra Abogados, Lima Peru. 4. From the start of mill operations.

Key Operating Parameters

DESCRIPTION UNITS LOM Mine Production Flotation Ore kt 400,569 Waste kt 583,684 Stripping Ratio (incl. Leach Stockpile) 1.46 Ore Processing Flotation Ore kt 400,569 Copper Head Grade - Average % 0.40 Gold Head Grade - Average g/t 0.07 Copper Recovery - Average % 88.1 Gold Recovery - Average % 54.3 Metal Production Copper - Recovered million lb 3,123 Copper - Annual Average million lb 164 Gold - Recovered koz 484 Gold - Annual Average koz 25

Initial Capital Cost

The initial capital cost, including contingency, for the Project is estimated at US$ 1,157 million with an expected accuracy range of 25 %. The PFS envisages that a mining contractor will operate the open pit for the pre-mine period and until Year 3 of production. Year 4 will be a transition year with the contractor winding down and the CMZ operation of the open pit ramping up and continuing until the end of mine life. A summary of initial capital expenditures follows:

Description $US Million Mine $ 142 Concentrator $ 430 On-Site Infrastructure $ 33 Off-Site Infrastructure $ 98 Total Direct Capital $ 703 Project Preliminaries $ 103 Indirect Costs $ 132 Owners Costs $ 68 Total Indirect Capital $ 303 Contingency (15%) $ 151 Total Initial Capital Cost $ 1,157

Sustaining Capital Cost

The significant sustaining capital in the Mine reflects the purchase of mine equipment fleet in Year 3 and 4 of production as CMZ takes over operation of the mine.

Description $US Million Mine $ 213 Concentrator $ 15 On-Site Infrastructure $ 1 Total Sustaining Capital $ 229 Contingency (15%) $ 34 Total Sustaining Capital Cost $ 263

Total Project Capital Cost

The total Project capital cost is shown in the following table for the LOM:

Description $US Million Initial Capital Cost $ 1,157 Sustaining Capital Cost $ 263 Project Closure Cost $ 136 Total Capital Cost $ 1,556

Each element of the estimate is developed initially as a base cost only. A growth allowance has then been allocated to each element of the cost to reflect the level of definition in pricing and design maturity relating to that element. A growth allowance of US$ 95 million, which is expected to be expended, has been included in the initial capital cost, and represents 11.2 % of Total Direct Cost.

The estimated contingency was then assessed as 15 % of total initial capital cost and 15 % of total sustaining capital cost to arrive at a project estimate within the required 50 % confidence interval ("P50"). The estimated project closure cost was deemed to already include sufficient contingency. The value of the base estimate, the growth allowance, the contingency and the project closure cost represent the total project estimate. Risk events that may or may not affect the capital cost estimate are covered in the positive range of sensitivity analyses.

Operating Cost

Average mine site production cost is estimated to be $ 1.29 /lb copper produced from plant feed material processed, including mining, re-handling, milling, and flotation as shown below:

COST ITEM UNIT UNIT COST (US$) Contractor Mining (Y1 to Y4) $ /tonne mined 1.93 Owner Mining (Y4 to Y19) $ /tonne mined 1.76 Production Mining (Y1 to Y19) $ /t milled 4.25 Milling $ /t milled 4.59 G&A $ /t milled 1.22 Total Mine Site Operations $ /t milled 10.05 Total Mine Site Operations $ /lb Cu Produced 1.29

Notes: The estimated costs exclude the two-year pre-stripping period. Rounding of numbers may result in apparent summation differences.

Average C1 operating costs for the 19-year production period total $ 1.59 per payable pound of copper net of transport losses and smelter deductions. A breakdown of these costs is shown in the following table, along with estimates for C2 and C3 costs as per Wood Mackenzie definitions.

COST ITEM AVERAGE YEAR 1 TO YEAR 6 TO FOR 19 YEARS YEAR 5 YEAR 10 Onsite Costs (Mine, Mill and G&A) 1.33 0.95 1.35 Concentrate Road Transportation 0.06 0.06 0.06 Port Charges, Ocean Freight & Insurance 0.14 0.13 0.14 TC/RCs and Marketing 0.24 0.23 0.24 Less By-Product Credits (0.17 ) (0.15 ) (0.17 ) Total C1 Costs 1.59 1.21 1.62 Depreciation & Amortization 0.49 0.57 0.33 Total C2 Costs 2.07 1.78 1.96 Royalties 0.07 0.09 0.06 Total C3 Costs 2.14 1.87 2.02

Notes: Unit Costs based on payable pounds of copper and rounding of numbers may result in apparent summation differences.

Financial Sensitivities

In addition to the base case after-tax evaluation of economic cash flows using a copper price of $3.00 /lb, initial capital cost of US$ 1,157 million and a discount rate of 8 %; different copper prices and other variables at the base case copper price were tested to determine financial sensitivities of the Project as shown in the following tables:

Copper Prices (US$/lb) Copper Price Sensitivity 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 Undiscounted Cash Flows Pre-Tax (311 ) 1,204 2,711 4,236 5,753 US$M After-Tax (478 ) 648 1,649 2,623 3,574 After-Tax NPV US$M at 5% (515 ) 180 813 1,426 2,029 Discount Rates 8% (547 ) (5 ) 496 978 1,454 10% (567 ) (101 ) 333 749 1,162 Internal Rate of Return IRR % 0.0 % 7.9 % 15.9 % 22.1 % 27.6 %

Changes To Base Case NPV8% (US$M) Inputs /Changes to Inputs Base Case -25 % -10 % 0 % 10 % 25 % Initial Capital (US$M real) 1,157 745 595 496 394 241 Total Op. Costs (US$/t milled) (1) 10.05 788 613 496 374 188 Head Grade - Feed (Cu %) 0.401 (155 ) 239 496 745 1,118 Head Grade - Feed (Au g/t) 0.069 455 479 496 510 534

Notes: 1. Excludes in-land freight costs

Location

The Zafranal Project is located in southern Peru about 166 km by road (90 km straight-line distance) northwest of the city of Arequipa, 80 km from tidewater and approximately 216 km by road from the Port of Matarani.

The regional climate is arid with scarce precipitation, and average temperatures range between 7 C in winter and 24 C in summer. Elevation ranges between 1,400 and 2,900 m above sea level ("masl") in the Project area.

Geology

Zafranal is a classic example of an Andean style porphyry copper-gold deposit. Mineralization is hosted in Jurassic volcano-sedimentary rocks and in a diorite intrusive suite of late Cretaceous age. The emplacement of mineralized porphyries is structurally controlled and occurs near or at the intersection of a series of northwest trending strike-slip faults belonging to the Incapuquio fault system, and regional east-west trending structures. Primary mineralization occurs as chalcopyrite both as disseminations and in quartz stockworks. A near surface well-developed sub-horizontal chalcocite rich supergene enrichment blanket has developed over a 2.5 km strike length, with thicknesses of up to 180 m.

Mining

Conventional open pit operation with mine life of approximately 19 years (excluding two years of pre-stripping) with an average waste to ore strip ratio of 1.36: 1, for the production period. The mine plan developed for the Zafranal Project is designed for a variable feed to a concentrator in the range of 55,000 to 64,000 tonnes per day depending on mineral type, with a peak total material movement of 75 million tonnes per year. The mine is scheduled to work seven days per week or 365 days per year.

The mine design proposes two contiguous pits with a combined strike length of 3,500 m, maximum width of 1,000 m, and maximum depth of 456 m. Pre-production stripping of 45 Mt will be required prior to the start-up of the concentrator. Peak daily movement of 205,000 t of material occurs in production Year 1.

A total of 18 Mt of waste from the mine will be used to construct facility platforms and roadways, and the remaining 548 Mt of waste will be deposited in valley dumps using relatively short haulage cycles. The mine will utilize three of these types of dumps, two above and one below the planned open pits. The northeast dump will receive 12.8 million tonnes. The north waste dump will receive 151 Mt and the central waste dump, below the main open pit will receive 384 Mt. A 17.6 Mt oxide and mixed mineral stockpile will be created on top of the north section of the central waste dump with a crest elevation of 2,580 masl. There are no plans to construct a process plant to process this material at this time and the material in this stockpile is considered as waste. A 38.7 Mt low-grade sulfide stockpile will be created to the west of the open pit. This material will be reclaimed at the end of the mine life and processed through the concentrator.

Milling

The primary crusher will be located adjacent to the mine on the opposite hillside of the valley immediately south of the Main Zone open pit at a base elevation of 2,494 masl. Due to the steep topography between the primary crusher and the rest of the concentrator, the conveyor that transfers the crushed ore to the crushed ore stockpile, which feeds the grinding circuit, passes through a 3,600 m long tunnel.

The rest of the concentrator will be terraced down a ridge with the major facilities including: the crushed ore stockpile and reclaim, grinding and pebble crushing; flotation, regrind, reagents, and concentrate thickening; filtration; concentrate load-out and tailings discharge and water utilities. The concentrator support buildings, general and administration buildings and accommodation camp are located further downhill from the concentrator on the same ridge. The areas are compact but adequate for the facilities.

The tailings management facility ("TMF") will be located 1 km southeast of the concentrator and has been sized to provide sufficient capacity to store approximately 396 million tonnes of tailings based on the mine and concentrator production schedules. Due to the favourable topography in the TMF area which provides a natural basin for the impoundment, only one embankment will be initially required in the southwest of the impoundment with a small embankment required later in the northwest. Sand cycloned from the tailings will be used to raise tailings embankments in ongoing operations. During the design of the TMF to its current status a number of trade-off studies were developed involving alternative disposal sites, disposal methods, embankment construction methods and alternative construction materials.

A comprehensive metallurgical testwork program was performed by C.H. Plenge Laboratories in Lima, Peru and supervised by Transmin Metallurgical Consultants. The testwork was completed on representative samples of the proposed concentrator feed appropriately representative for the PFS. The results of the comminution and flotation programs were combined with results from previous programs for a comprehensive geometallurgical analysis. The proposed flotation feed is amenable to typical copper flotation using conventional concentrator processing technology.

A variable throughput design has been established for the concentrator, dependent on the proportions of feed from each mineral zone ("minzone") domain, based on geometallurgical analysis of the results of comminution testwork and rock quality data, as follows:

MINZONE DOMAIN PROJECTED THROUGHPUT t/d Hypogene 57,400 Supergene 65,300 Mixed 72,500

Notes: During the first year of concentrator operation throughput has been ramped up in staged intervals reaching 55,000 t/d after 11 months of operation, and this throughput rate was also maintained for the full second year of operation. Variable throughput commences at the beginning of the third year of concentrator operation and continued until the end of operations.

Variable concentrate grades and recoveries have been assigned to the concentrator feed based on geometallurgical analysis of flotation testwork results as follows:

MINZONE DOMAIN GEOMETALLURGICAL RECOVERY % CONCENTRATE CHARATERISTICS COPPER GOLD GRADE % CU Hypogene Low secondary copper 90.5 56 28 Supergene Low acid soluble copper 89 52 37 Supergene Medium acid soluble copper 84 55 34 Supergene/Mixed High acid soluble copper 77 52 32 Oxide Low S/Fe ratio - - -

A total of 4.4 million dmt of concentrate will be produced over the life of the Project. No deleterious elements in any significant concentration were found in the copper concentrate produced from the testwork, and all the impurity elements were found to be below smelter penalty limits.

Site Access:

CMZ has secured all legal rights for the Projects mineral concessions, and these rights have been recorded at the Public Registry.

CMZ holds the right of surface access to Projects mining concessions to carry out mineral exploration through a renewable lease agreement entered into with, Autodema, the regional governmental agency that manages the Majes Siguas irrigation project. The lease agreement term was last renewed on 11 September 2015 and is in force until 27 October 2017. This annual renewable agreement allows for continued exploration activities within the Zafranal Project and may, under certain conditions, be modified to allow for future development of the Zafranal Project.

CMZ is aware of an ongoing title dispute between Autodema and local landowners, and although CMZ is not involved in the legal dispute, it maintains open dialogue with both parties. As a result of these discussions, CMZ has entered into an option to purchase agreement to acquire the land needed for development of the Project from the local landowners who are disputing title with Autodema to ensure that it will have access to surface rights required for the Zafranal Project regardless of the final outcome of the litigation process.

The main access to the site for personnel and supplies will be via 34 km of an existing and partially paved road from Pedregal de Majes on the Pan American Highway, then from there to the plant site via 9 km of new gravel topped road. A refurbished 26 km gravel topped access road will also be constructed from Anexo de Pedregal to the plant site for transporting personnel, supplies and copper concentrate. Concentrate will be truck transported 216 km, initially from the plant site to Anexo de Pedregal then via existing road to the coast and from there, southeast to the Port of Matarani, using the newly constructed highway along the coast.

Industrial Water Supply

An estimated 410 liters per second ("L/s") of make-up water is required for operations. Field investigations have identified several potential sources of brackish water, unsuitable for human and animal consumption or irrigation of crops, one of which could become a water supply for the Project. One of these is a brackish groundwater resource located 35 km from the process plant site where the groundwater quality is poor but potentially suitable for industrial use at the Zafranal Project. Groundwater extraction from this or any other aquifer will require the approval of the water authorities and the acceptance of the local authorities and community residents. Metallurgical testwork using this brackish water has produced positive results.

Power Supply

The power delivery and site power distribution systems are based on total installed equipment rated at 99 MW with a peak demand of 91 MW. Power supply for production is scheduled to be available from the New Socabaya Substation that is located close to the city of Arequipa. This will require the installation of an approximately 96 km long transmission line to a proposed 220 kV substation that will be located adjacent to the concentrator.

Social and Environment

CMZ has an ongoing extensive stakeholder relations program implemented in an effort to ensure that the Company fully engages with the local communities and regional authorities, informs on project activities, addresses concerns and reduces or mitigates the potential impacts of the Project. A working table forum was established in 2015 with representatives from the local communities.

Environmental and social baseline studies for the Project have been conducted to compile a third modification of the Semi-Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIAsd) in order to obtain environmental certifications and permits for the ongoing exploration and study programs of the Project. The application is currently under review by the relevant authorities.

Formal baseline studies for the Project are being carried out with the completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) currently scheduled for December 2017.

Mineral Resource Estimate

Geological logging and assay results from 295 core holes totalling 95,619 m and 88 RC holes totalling 27,041 m were used as the basis for preparation of three dimensional (3D) wireframe models of geological structures, lithology, alteration, and mineral zonation envelopes.

CMZ prepared the new mineral resource estimate using the revised geological model of the Zafranal Main and Victoria Zones. The mineral resource was subsequently reviewed and audited by Amec Foster Wheeler ("AmecFW"). The resource estimate included in the PFS pertains to the Main Zone and Victoria deposits only, as other known mineralized areas in the Project area were not deemed to be economically attractive at this time. AmecFW reviewed the resource model that had been provided by CMZ and considered that it was suitable for use in resource estimation.

An external review of the analytical QA/QC program completed by Julio Bruna, MAusIMM CP (Geology) and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, of Politax S.A. Santiago, Chile, concluded that the sample preparation, analysis and security program provided an acceptable level of confidence in the assay results and that they can be used for resource estimation and mine planning studies.

Mineral resources were estimated using long-term forecasted copper and gold prices of US$ 3.50 /lb and US$ 1,400 /oz, respectively.

A summary of the mineral resource for the PFS at a 0.15 % total copper cut-off grade appears in the following table:

Mineral Resource Estimate for the Zafranal Deposit based on a 0.15% Total Copper Cut-off

Effective Date 14 December 2015, Peter Oshust, PGeo

Tonnage Grade Contained Metal Classification (Mt) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Cu (Mlb) Au (Moz) Measured Mixed - - - - - Supergene 83.3 0.58 0.07 1,056 0.20 Hypogene 120.5 0.28 0.07 744 0.28 Total Measured 203.8 0.40 0.07 1,801 0.47 Indicated Mixed 23.5 0.28 0.12 146 0.09 Supergene 100.3 0.53 0.07 1,176 0.21 Hypogene 139.7 0.26 0.06 804 0.28 Total Indicated 263.5 0.37 0.07 2,126 0.58 Measured and Indicated Mixed 23.5 0.28 0.12 146 0.09 Supergene 183.6 0.55 0.07 2,234 0.40 Hypogene 260.2 0.27 0.07 1,543 0.56 Total Measured and Indicated 467.3 0.38 0.07 3,925 1.05 Inferred Mixed 7.8 0.22 0.09 37 0.02 Supergene 8.7 0.30 0.04 57 0.01 Hypogene 4.9 0.18 0.03 20 0.00 Total Inferred 21.4 0.24 0.06 114 0.04

Notes: 1. Mineral resources are reported inclusive of those mineral resources that have been converted to mineral reserves. Mineral resources are reported on a 100% basis. 2. Mineral resources are reported within a constraining pit shell developed using Whittle software. Assumptions include metal prices of US$3.50 /lb for Cu and $1,400 /oz for Au; process recoveries of 86% for Cu and 50% for Au in supergene, 86% recoveries for Cu and 50% recoveries for Au in mixed, and 89% for Cu and 50% for Au in hypogene, US$1.58 /t of mining at 2,534 m plus $0.01 /bench downward and $0.03 /bench upward. US$5.45 /tonne for processing, and US$0.38 /tonne for G&A. 3. Assumptions include 100% mining recovery. 4. An external dilution factor was not considered during this resource estimation. Internal dilution within a 15 m x 15 m x 12 m SMU was considered. 5. The 1.0% Royalty was not considered during the preparation of the constraining pit. 6. Quantities and grades in the mineral resource estimate are rounded to an appropriate number of significant figures to reflect that they are approximations.

Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content. The reader should be aware that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves so do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Mineral Reserve Estimate

NCL Ingenieria y Construccion SpA ("NCL") prepared the mine design and mineral reserve estimate by evaluating the measured and indicated mineral resource and sequencing the mining development based on the scheduling the mine pushbacks according to their net processed value. A summary of the mineral reserve for the PFS at a 0.15 % total copper cut-off grade appears in the following table:

Mineral Reserve Estimate for Zafranal Deposit

Reserve Ore Ore Grade Contained Metal Category Type Mt % Cu g/t Au Mlbs Cu koz Au Proven Mineral Reserves Mixed 0.4 0.48 0.11 4 1 Supergene 97 0.61 0.08 1,308 233 Hypogene 105 0.28 0.07 660 249 Total Proven Mineral Reserves 202 0.44 0.07 1,972 483 Probable Mineral Reserves Mixed 2 0.4 0.11 16 6 Supergene 78 0.5 0.06 861 156 Hypogene 118 0.27 0.06 694 246 Total Probable Mineral Reserves 198 0.36 0.06 1,571 408 Total Mineral Reserves (proven and probable) Mixed 2 0.41 0.11 20 8 Supergene 175 0.56 0.07 2,169 389 Hypogene 224 0.27 0.07 1,354 495 Total Mineral Reserves (proven and probable) 401 0.4 0.07 3,543 891 Notes to accompany mineral reserves table

Notes: 1. The Qualified Person for the estimate is Carlos Guzman, RM CMC and FAusIMM, an NCL employee. Mineral Reserves have an effective date of 31 March 2016. Mineral reserves are reported on a 100% basis. 2. Mineral Reserves are reported as constrained within measured and Indicated pit designs, and supported by a mine plan featuring variable cut-off. The pit designs and mine plan were optimized using the following economic and technical parameters: metal prices of US$3.0 /lb Cu and US$1,200 /oz; recovery to concentrate assumptions according to geometallurgical domains for Cu and Au; copper concentrate treatment charges of US$90 /dmt, US$0.09 /lb of Cu refining charges and US$4.0 /oz of Au refining charges; concentrate charges of US$12 /wmt for marketing, US$37.55 /wmt for road transport, US$20 /wmt for port and insurance, US$65 /wmt for shipping and 0.3% for transport losses; average payability of 96.9% for Cu and 90% for Au; average mining cost of US$1.86 /t, process costs of US$4.47 /t for mixed and supergene materials and US$4.75 /t for hypogene, and G&A US$1.25 /t processed; average pit slope angles that range from 36 to 41; a 1% royalty rate assumption, and an assumption of 100% mining recovery. 3. Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content. 4. Tonnage and grade measurements are in metric units. Reported copper grades are total copper grades. Contained gold ounces are reported as troy ounces.

The NI 43-101 Technical Report has been prepared by an integrated engineering team led by Ausenco in Lima, Peru. The Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of the Press Release date.The geological information for this press release was approved by Alvaro Fernandez-Baca, P.Geo, a consulting geologist and a Qualified Person under NI 43 - 101.The analytical QA/QC program for drill samples was reviewed and approved by Julio Bruna Novillo, MAusIMM CP (Geology), of Politax S.A. and a Qualified Person under NI 43 -101.The mineral resource estimate was prepared by CMZ then reviewed and approved by Peter Oshust, P. Geo., of Amec Foster Wheeler plc and a Qualified Person under NI 43 -101.The mine design and mineral reserves estimate were prepared under the supervision of Carlos Guzman, RM CMC and FAusIMM, an employee of NCL Ingenieria y Construccion SpA, and a Qualified Person under NI 43 - 101

The metallurgical and process information contained in this release was approved by Greg Lane, FAusIMM, of Ausenco Services Pty Ltd and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101.



The full list of other Qualified Persons and their responsibilities for geotechnical, hydrogeological, hydrological, environmental and other contributions to the Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) will be provided in the Technical Report.



The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed, summarized from the PFS and approved by Bruce L Turner, P.Eng., CEO of AQM Copper Inc., and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101.





On Behalf of the Board, AQM Copper Inc.



Bruce L. Turner

President and Chief Executive Officer







About AQM Copper



AQM Copper Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company exploring and developing copper deposits in South America. Through its Peruvian subsidiary, Minera AQM Copper Peru S.A.C. (MAQM), the Company is developing the Zafranal Copper-Gold Porphyry Project located in Southern Peru. MAQM is the operator of a 50/50 Joint Venture with Teck Resources Ltd. through a sole purpose Peruvian company, Compania Minera Zafranal. MAQM is owned 60 % by AQM Copper Inc. and 40 % by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation.



The Company's management and directors have extensive experience working for the world's largest mining copper producers and investment banking backgrounds. Please refer to the Company's website at www.aqmcopper.com, for further information regarding the Company and the Zafranal Project.





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





CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION



Except for statements of historical fact relating to AQM Copper Inc., certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "believes", "considers", "intends", "targets", or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "may", "will", "should", "would" and "could". We provide forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about our current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those identified and reported in AQM Copper Inc.'s public filings, which may be accessed at www.sedar.com. Other than as specifically required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events, results or otherwise.







Contact



To speak with an Investor Relations representative, please contact:

Spyros P. Karellas

Pinnacle Capital Markets LTD.

(416) 433-5696 or (416) 800-8921

spyros@pinnaclecapitalmarkets.ca


VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: QTA) (OTCQX: QTRRF) ("Quaterra" or the "Company") and its subsidiary Singatse Peak Services LLC ("SPS") today announced results from Hole B-052, the fifth core hole of a drill program to explore and further define the Bear deposit, a large porphyry copper system on the Company's 52-square mile property in the historic Yerington Copper District of Nevada. The drill program is being funded with option payments to SPS by Freeport-McMoRan Nevada LLC ("Freeport Nevada").

Highlights

Hole B-052, drilled vertically to a depth of 3,468 feet, intercepted two zones of 0.4% copper, the first of 43 feet (13.1 meters) with 201 ppm molybdenum starting at 2,508 feet and another of 29 feet (8.8 meters) starting at 2,667 feet. Overall, the hole intercepted 666.2 feet (203.1 meters) of 0.14% copper mineralization beginning at a depth of 2,081.3 feet.

Table 1. Significant intercepts from Bear core hole B-052*

HOLE B-052 From To Interval Interval % ppm ppm ppm feet feet feet meters Cu Mo Au Ag 2081.3 2747.5 666.2 203.1 0.14 89 0.006 <0.5 includes 2508.0 2551.0 43.0 13.1 0.40 201 0.009 <0.5 includes 2628.5 2747.5 119.0 36.3 0.23 83 0.007 <0.5 includes 2667.0 2696.0 29.0 8.8 0.40 68 0.011 <0.5 2399.5 2982.5 583.0 177.7 0.11 160 <0.005 <0.5

*Drill intercepts are based on actual core lengths and may not reflect the true width of mineralization.

Note: 1 ppm = 1 gram per tonne

Discussion

Hole B-052, collared 700 feet north-northeast of hole B-051, was sited to determine if the favorable alteration and mineralization intersected in hole B-051 extended and strengthened to the north. Although the alteration and style of mineralization encountered in hole B-052 is similar to B-051, the narrower and lower grade mineralization shows that this is most likely not the case. Molybdenite is more common than in previous SPS holes, occurring in narrow quartz veins that cut and often offset chalcopyrite-pyrite veins and veinlets and continuing over a longer vertical range (709.5 feet) than the copper mineralization. The lower copper and gold grades, combined with a higher pyrite/chalcopyrite ratio, indicate that hole B-052 was drilled in a more distal part of the system. Additional drilling will be necessary to test this concept as Bear mineralization remains open in three directions.

Hole GHH-001, the sixth and final drill-hole of the current program located in Ground Hog Hills about 6,000 feet south of previous SPS holes, has been drilled to a depth of 2,017.5 feet and cased for possible future deepening. It was drilled to test an area of favorable geology and mineralization coincident with an historic IP anomaly. Assays for this drill hole are pending. Hole locations are shown on a map available on Quaterra's website at http://quaterra.com/projects/quaterras-yerington-copper-projects/bear-deposit/. A video of the current drill-program at the Bear deposit is available for viewing on the Company website at http://quaterra.com/quaterra-video-2015-bear-drilling/.

For background on the Bear deposit, Quaterra's Yerington project and the option agreement with Freeport Nevada please see the news release dated November 17, 2015, or visit the Company website at www.quaterra.com.

Quality assurance and control

Core samples were either sawed or split by SPS personnel in Yerington, Nevada, and shipped to Bureau Veritas Minerals NA -- Inspectorate America Corporation, an ISO certified assaying/geochemistry facility, in Reno, Nevada, for sample preparation. Gold analyses are assayed in Bureau Veritas' lab in Reno using their "FA430" procedure (fire assay with atomic absorption finish) with a 5 ppb Au detection limit. Prepared pulps are shipped to Bureau Veritas' lab in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, for analysis using their "MA 300" procedure for 35 element ICP-ES analysis. Commercially prepared standards and blanks are inserted by SPS at 50-foot intervals to insure precision of results as a quality control measure. SPS has a chain of custody program to ensure sample security during all stages of sample collection, cutting, shipping, and storage.

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Thomas Patton, Ph.D., the CEO of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.

About Quaterra Resources Inc.

Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: QTA) (OTCQX: QTRRF) is a copper exploration and development company with the primary objective to advance its U.S. subsidiary's copper projects in the Yerington District, Nevada.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Thomas Patton, Chairman & CEO

Quaterra Resources Inc.

Disclosure note:

Some statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements under Canadian securities laws and within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified in this news release by words such as "believes", "anticipates", "intends", "has the potential", "expects", and similar language, or convey estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives, potential outcomes, expectations, or goals. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. In particular, forward looking statements in this news release include or assume that the Company will receive all option payments over the next six months, that exploration results on the Bear deposit will define further mineralization, that historic exploration results will be confirmed by new exploration, that further drilling will extend the boundaries of the known high-grade mineralized area, and that drill results from the current drill program point to a large copper system. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. A summary of risk factors that apply to the Company's operations are included in our management discussion and analysis filings with securities regulatory authorities, and are publicly available on our website. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Revelo Resources Corp. ("Revelo" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:RVL) is pleased to announce that it has defined a new drill target ("Los Morros") with potential for a porphyry copper discovery at its 100% owned Block 2 copper project, located 45 km northwest of the giant La Escondida copper mining district in northern Chile. Revelo recently completed detailed geological and hydrothermal alteration mapping over key portions of Block 2, and principal conclusions of the work include:

The definition of an elongate zone of quartz-alunite alteration, extending over at least 3.5 km in Paleocene-aged volcanic rocks, which represents the eroded remnants of a much larger, pre-existing "lithocap" related to a possible porphyry copper system.

Hydrothermal alteration vectors including high-temperature alunite, together with geochemical vectors including molybdenum and zinc, suggest that a possible source porphyry copper system is located to the east or northeast of the altered outcrops.

An interpreted, westward-verging post-mineral thrust fault to the east of the altered outcrops has translated barren volcanic rocks over the proposed porphyry copper target area and thus obscured it from surface examination.

A previously untested porphyry copper target is interpreted to lie within the lower plate of a post-mineral thrust fault, with barren volcanic rocks in the upper plate, and with peripheral hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation typical of porphyry copper systems exposed to the west of the thrust fault.

Tim Beale, President and CEO of Revelo, commented: "The Los Morros target within our Block 2 property lies along the north-western extensions of the Escondida fault zone. The evidence for a porphyry copper target obscured by a thrust fault to the east is compelling, and has never been tested by drilling. Geology, structure, alteration and geochemical zonation patterns support the model. We will look for a partner to test the target, which is located along a segment of one of the world's most prospective belts for major copper deposits."

Please visit the Block 2 project page on Revelo's website (http://www.reveloresources.com/projects/block-2) for further information.

WORK AND RESULTS - BLOCK 2

Detailed geological and hydrothermal alteration mapping at 1:5,000 scale has been completed on key portions of the Block 2 porphyry copper project, focused on the Los Morros target. Visual interpretations of hydrothermal alteration characteristics have been supported by in-house mineral analyses carried out by Revelo's technical team using a "Terraspec" near-infrared mineral analyser.

Hydrothermal alteration dominated by an advanced argillic zone of quartz-alunite, or "lithocap", has been mapped over about 3.5 km within volcanic tuffs along an elongate, approximately N-S to NE-SW oriented ridge of Paleocene-aged volcanic rocks, which is surrounded along its western, northern and eastern flanks by chlorite-epidote (propylitic) hydrothermal alteration in andesitic volcanic rocks. Zoned, polymetallic veins, previously mined on a small scale in an artisanal fashion, occur along the western and northern flanks of the lithocap.

High temperature alunite, determined using the Terraspec, suggests alteration zonation towards a possible source area to the east and north of the altered outcrops. This is supported by geochemical zonation patterns from limited sampling of rocks carried out by Revelo within the quartz-alunite alteration, suggesting higher molybdenum values (up to 30 ppm) to the east and north, and with more distally zoned zinc anomalies (up to 64 ppm) to the south and west.

The most intense advanced argillic alteration occurs at the northern end of the ridge, where intense quartz-alunite alteration exists over approximately 1,500m x 700m. Further to the north-northeast, an area of quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration has recently been discovered that may indicate proximity to a porphyry copper source.

A significant N-S trending, westward verging thrust fault has been mapped on the ground and is indicated on published geological maps to the immediate east of the altered outcrops. The thrust fault translates older, Cretaceous-aged andesitic rocks over the altered Paleocene-aged volcanic rocks. Revelo geologists propose that the hydrothermal alteration likely extends to the east below the thrust fault, with a possible porphyry copper source to the "lithocap" located underneath, and obscured by, the thrusted volcanic rocks. Another significant N-S fault, the Sierra de Varas Fault, lies approximately 5 km to the east and would limit the area in which to search for the covered porphyry system. A schematic diagram illustrating the proposed model is shown here:

Schematic Diagram of Post-Mineral Thrust Model for the Los Morros Target at Block 2 (Taken & Modified from Sillitoe R.H. 2010): http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Revelo1.jpg

ABOUT BLOCK 2

Block 2 is located in northern Chile and is centred approximately 125 km east-southeast of the coastal port city of Antofagasta, with the main target area accessed via 107 km of paved road on route towards the La Escondida copper mine and then 33 km of unpaved gravel road. The property is situated in the center of one of the most geologically productive segments of the principal northern Chile copper belt, the Domeyko Cordillera, along trend and approximately 45 km north-northwest of the giant La Escondida copper mine and other related copper deposits in the district (BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Antofagasta Minerals and Barrick Gold). Block 2 consists of approximately 25,900 Ha of 100% owned tenement comprising both exploration and mining concessions, and the main identified target is called Los Morros.

The Block 2 property covers an important segment of the prospective belt. The principal area of interest is located within an area underlain by Paleocene volcanics and intrusives partially covered by Miocene to Pliocene aged gravels and sediments, and with thrusted blocks of Triassic to Jurassic marine sediments and Cretaceous volcanics along the north-eastern and eastern margins. Polymetallic veins appear to be zoned on a district scale around mapped hydrothermal alteration.

The principal strands of the Domeyko Cordillera fault zone extend approximately north-south through the La Escondida mining district, including the Escondida Fault, (also sometimes referred to as the West Fissure Fault Zone or Falla Oeste). One important fault strand, the Sierra de Varas Fault, passes directly through the Block 2 property to the east of the Los Morros target, and may link in to the, possibly younger, proposed post-mineral thrust fault that obscures the principal Los Morros target.

ABOUT REVELO

Revelo is a Prospect Generator that has consolidated an outstanding portfolio of 22 projects prospective for copper, gold and silver located along proven mineral belts in one of the world's top mining jurisdictions - Chile. Several targets are ready for drill testing within the portfolio, and two projects are subject to option and joint venture agreements with subsidiaries of Newmont Mining (Montezuma Project) and Austral Gold (San Guillermo Project). As part of its portfolio, Revelo retains a 2% royalty interest (currently non-producing) in the Victoria Project, an important copper-gold-silver exploration project in northern Chile, and it is developing a nascent royalty portfolio. Revelo's total exposure to mineral tenements in northern Chile is around 350,000 hectares, of which about 100,000 hectares (3 projects) is subject to 3rd party exploration expenditures.

Revelo has a goal of building a sustainable exploration business focused on securing prospective land along the prolific mineral belts of northern Chile, and by implementing effective exploration and capital management strategies to grow, advance and de-risk its portfolio to provide shareholders with multiple opportunities for exploration success. Revelo is actively looking for partners to advance the projects within its portfolio.

Revelo is a Canadian company and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE:RVL). For more information please visit Revelo's website at www.reveloresources.com.

Revelo has contracted Ian Gendall, CEO and President of Genco Management Inc., to carry out the detailed geological, structural, and hydrothermal alteration mapping exercise at Block 2, and also to integrate historic information in order to define new targets for further work. Mr. Gendall has abundant experience in the exploration and evaluation of porphyry copper systems in South America and elsewhere. Mr. Gendall is a Qualified Person as set out In National Instrument 43-101, and he is independent of Revelo in accordance with the application of section 1.5 of National Instrument 43-101.

Dr. Demetrius Pohl, PhD., Certified Professional Geoscientist (CPG), an independent consultant, is the Company's Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosures for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators, and has approved the written disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Timothy J. Beale, President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Revelo expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Revelo 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 may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

REGIONAL LOCATION MAP OF BLOCK 2: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Revelo2.jpg

GEOLOGICAL MAP AND MODEL OF LOS MORROS, BLOCK 2 TARGET: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Revelo3.jpg
VANCOUVER, May 24, 2016) - Redhawk Resources, Inc. ("Redhawk" or the "Company") (TSX:RDK) (FRANKFURT:QF7) announces that the Company is issuing the following news release to clarify its disclosure.In the Company's corporate presentation entitled, "Large Copper System, Copper Creek Arizona" (the "Corporate Presentation"), which is available on its website, the Company had provided a resource estimate, expressed as contained metal quantities, which omitted certain information required by National Instrument 43-101- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), including the grade of each category of mineral resource. In addition, contrary to NI 43-101, the Corporate Presentation disclosed a combined contained metal quantity which summed inferred mineral resources with other classes of mineral resources. The Company has now updated the Corporate Presentation and revised the disclosure to include the grade of every metal in each category of mineral resource and present the inferred mineral resources as a separate class in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.In addition, the Company's website inadvertently referred to its previous preliminary economic assessment dated July 25, 2013 (the "Prior PEA"), rather than its amended preliminary economic assessment dated October 28, 2013 (the "Amended PEA"). The Prior PEA was not compliant with NI 43-101 and should not be relied on. The Amended PEA was filed to replace it in its entirety and the website has been updated to refer to the Amended PEA.The Company's website also contained disclosure from the Amended PEA which was not compliant with NI 43-101 because it did not contain the following cautionary language: "The Amended PEA is preliminary in nature as it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the results of the Amended PEA will be realized." The Company's website has now been updated to include this disclosure.Finally, the Company's disclosure of the Amended PEA results on its website failed to discuss the impact of taxes on such results. The cash flow-analysis in the Amended PEA is pre-tax. If the Copper Creek project is profitable, the Company would be subject to tax in the State of Arizona. Combined federal and state corporate income taxes in the State of Arizona have been estimated at 39.53 percent. A further discussion on the impact of taxes on the results of the Amended PEA is available on the Company's website and in the Amended PEA.R. Joe Sandberg, CPG, President and Director of the Company, is a qualified person within the meaning of N1 43-101 and has approved this written disclosure.Redhawk is a Canadian-based resource exploration and development company with a current focus on the advancement of the Copper Creek copper-molybdenum project in San Manuel, Arizona through a joint venture with Anglo American. The Copper Creek property consists of approximately twenty-nine square miles of contiguous patented and unpatented mining claims and state prospecting permits, located about 70 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona. The area is a mining friendly and politically secure location with excellent and readily accessible infrastructure including power, rail, water, roads and qualified consultants. Redhawk is concurrently implementing a strategy for growth through the opportunistic acquisition of interests in further mineral projects during this period of decreased valuations in the mining sector.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDJ. Stephen BarleyExecutive ChairmanCautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These forward looking statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Forward looking information involves risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking information. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update any forward-looking information except as required by law.J. Stephen Barley, Executive Chairman604-633-5088info@redhawkresources.comwww.redhawkresources.com
The flaming chorizo is soaked in sherry. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

Address 7 Bay St Double Bay, NSW 2028 View map Book online Opening hours Wed-Thu 5:30pm-midnight; Fri-Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-5pm Features Accepts bookings, Bar, Licensed, Romance-first date Prices Moderate (mains $20-$40) Chef Jose Silva Phone 02 9362 4680

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Double Bay Rissole. No, it's not a very specific eastern-suburbs-related euphemism (well, it could be  if anyone out there has five minutes to spare, Urban Dictionary is crying out), it's beef that's been shredded, breaded and fried and dubbed a "rissois". It's just one of the many little snacks that kick off Jose Silva's menu at this new Bay Street wine bar.

An ex-acolyte from the cult of Guillaume, Silva has injected some serious Portuguese flavour into DB. The chef also owns Sweet Belem in Petersham  as close as you'll get to a roolio troolio pasteis de nata in Sydney  and they sell on the menu here for $5 each, all covered with sugar and cinnamon sprinkles. Here, he serves crunchy salt cod fritters, heavy on the cod, light on the everything else. His peri peri eggplant is a total spicy squoosh-fest.

You might be lucky enough to catch ex-Rockpool Bar and Grill sommelier Louella Mathews working the Coravin. The greatest gift of all time for wine fans who can't afford more than a half glass of burgundy at a time, it has pretty much changed the way a lot of us are learning about, and drinking, wine. The system injects a little mosquito-like proboscis into the cork, and sucks up the liquid without letting any air in, thus preserving the whole bottle as if it was never opened. Magic!

Lots of share-friendly gear at Bibo Wine Bar. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

She might suggest a juicy glass of barbera or maybe a half glass of burgundy alongside some Aussie pinot, just for a bit of fun compare-and-contrast work. And would you look at that  the table next to us are drinking something that looks suspiciously unfiltered and skin contact-y.

While you're here, it'd be remiss of you, really, to not order the whole chorizo which comes soaked in sherry and alight, like your own personal spot-fire. Not to mention a bowl of fat clams bathed in white wine served with some good, rough bread.

As you might expect, this is share-friendly gear. Jurassic quail, drawn and quartered, comes served finger-searingly hot and salty with big slices of roasted Jerusalem artichoke. Deliciously charred brussels sprouts are dressed in a buttermilk-rich sauce and finished with puffed and toasted rice.

Brussels sprouts are the stars of the greens. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

But when it comes to anything verde, that's the end of it. As is the Portuguese way, there's very little by way of the green stuff. Or as one waiter once proudly said to me over a steak sandwich in Lisbon, "the animals eat the greens so you don't have to".

Well played, sir.

Pro tip Bibo takes reservations but also keeps tables for walk-ins

Try this The chorizo, purely because it's on fire, and when it arrives you can say "ooooooh"

Like this? Head on over to Love Tilly Devine for more glass-and-a-plate action; 91 Crown Lane, Darlinghurst, 02 9326 9297

http://bibowinebar.com.au/
Hotel Harry in Surry Hills offers southern-style hospitality. Photo: Christopher Pearce

Address Hotel Harry, 44 Wentworth Avenue Surry Hills, New South Wales 2010 View map Book online Opening hours Daily 11:30am-3am Features Accepts bookings, Accommodation, Bar, Groups, Pub dining, Vegetarian friendly, Gluten-free options, Late night, Licensed, Lunch specials Prices Moderate (mains $20-$40) Chef Morgan McGlone Payments eftpos, Cash, Visa, Mastercard Phone 02 8262 8800

Come hungry to Harpoon Harry Dining Room. Not just because the cooking is hearty, but because that way you'll play your part in the slow dance that is southern  as in America's deep south  hospitality.

Come not hungry, and you might be a bit fazed when larger-than-life chef-about-town and driving force behind the Nashville-style Belles Hot Chicken, Morgan McGlone, sends out a goodly slab of St Louis smoked pork ribs slathered with barbecue sauce ($22), as an entree.

It's a pretty bad-ass way to start, like injecting pork straight into your veins, without bothering with all the lip-smacking and finger-licking. The flavours run deep, not shallow around these parts. First, there's the brining, then a dry rub  a mix of spent coffee grains, chilli powder, onion and garlic powders, cayenne and smoked paprika. Then there's smoking for five hours at 120C over ironbark and red gum, coating with McGlone's barbecue sauce and a quick roast to finish.

It's not all about meat - try the plate of roasted vegies. Photo: Christopher Pearce

Topped with mad curls of bubbly, deep-fried pig skin, it's finally ready to be torn apart and eaten in the hands.

Since working with acclaimed southern chef Sean Brock in Charleston and Nashville, McGlone has been like a southern revivalist minister spreading the gospel of southern food. He's converted the downstairs bar menu to shrimp po' boys, cornmeal johnny cakes, and a big, two-hands double burger; making good use of Harriet, the custom-made one-tonne wood-fired smoker.

Now he's taken over the upstairs dining room, leaving intact the chequerboard walls, colourful tiles, 1940s light fittings, and neon signs of the original Latino fit-out. The comfortable space has the air of a parlour in a well-to-do, turn-of-the-century brothel.

Don't miss the St Louis pork ribs, with Harry's barbecue sauce and crisp pig skin. Photo: Christopher Pearce

There's more meat if you want it  a Riverina pork chop with "six-hour cabbage" and a steak dinner for two that has grown men crying for help. Not every dish is big and meaty, however. Cloudy Bay diamond shell clams dressed with a bold green garlic butter and bottarga ($22) number just five, and the "shrimp and grits" ($33) is a lovely thing, like eating soft corn polenta with a ladleful of bisquey, buttery broth topped with a tangle of tail-on Crystal Bay prawns and a rubble of fermented and smoked pork sausage. There's a lot of respect  and butter  on the plate here.

McGlone is a smart cook, so this food isn't heavy and bland, as much southern cooking is today, but bright, lively, considered and refined. Elements such as garlic and sausage are fermented, wild greens evident, and dinky little Parker rolls  sweet, hot and fresh  are served with a lush lard butter.

Former Buzo and Vincent wine man James Hird has compiled a high/low list of white, red, rose and orange wines that looks downright drinkable, though he's most proud of his old-school bourbon trolley with its tray of cut-crystal glassware.

He talks me down from an $81 red to a $37 fleshy, savoury 2014 D'Estezargues Cuvee des Copains, a hog-friendly Grenache from the Rhone Valley.

A Plate of Vegies ($28) is like being able to order all the side dishes at once, from blackened sweetcorn to sweet potato with creme fraiche and candied pecans.

Pound cake ($12) comes in a brick gussied up with chocolate cremeux and rhubarb syrup. Pleasant, but I'm heading back for a "Shake" of Melbourne Moonshine and fior di latte ice-cream, or a Suburban of Buffalo Trace bourbon and smoked cola.

Looks like you'd better come thirsty, too.

THE LOWDOWN

Best bit: Sayin' things like "shrimp and grits".

Worst bit: You'll end up fuller than a tick on a hound dog.

Go-to dish: St Louis pork ribs, Harry's barbecue sauce, crisp pig skins, $24.

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good Food Guide. This rating is based on the Good Food Guide scoring system.
A little Italy: Vaporetto's charming front bar. Photo: Simon Schluter

Address 673-681 Glenferrie Rd Hawthorn, VIC 3122 View map Book online Opening hours Dinner daily 5pm-late; lunch Fri-Sun from noon Features Bar, Licensed, Wheelchair access, Accepts bookings, Gluten-free options, Vegetarian friendly, Outdoor seating Prices Moderate (mains $20-$40) Payments eftpos, AMEX, Cash, Visa, Mastercard Phone 03 9078 5492

Vaporetto, you've already twigged if familiar with Italian water transport, is Hawthorn's crack at Venetian dining. Take another 10 points if that makes you think cicchetti  the sinking city's take on tapas, traditionally knocked back at knock-off time with spritzes.

Here in the Lido Cinema Complex on Glenferrie Road, this new wine bar and eatery has seen east-siders hitting mandarin liqueur-spiked Aperol spritzes and mustardy emmenthal cheese panini for the past two months. That sandwich says much about the aspirations behind the bar. The crustless, gooey-centred sambo spiked with prosciutto and cayenne pepper is modelled after the one at Venice's Harry's Bar  home of the peach bellini and host to history's most distinguished booze hounds. Veterans knew it not as a bar, but a lifestyle.

It's Harry's drink-anytime energy that Europhiles Stephanie Edgerton, David Wickwar, chef Greg Feck and partner Kim Coronica of Crabapple Kitchen have tried to capture, albeit at more accessible prices. Thus: cheap-but-decent Italian wine on tap by the glass, carafe or litre. And cicchetti  warmed olives and Bateman's Bay oysters; porchetta slices dotted with clam mayonnaise like a wrong vitello tonnato  available past last credits for movie debriefs armed with arancini and arneis.

Prosciutto and emmental toasties with a kick of cayenne. Photo: Supplied

To the front you sit at a white marble bar twixt Murano chandeliers and leather stools. Weathered Venetian shutters and a century-old tobacconist's shopfront form the backdrop. A northern Italian bartender is deeply invested in whether you like the sarde in saor, sweet-and-sour sardines sometimes divisive due to their funk. Funky they are, but bright too, the cured fillets heaped onto oiled toast with soft pickled onions and a jumble of parsley, pinenuts and goji berries for tartness and crunch.

People have quickly picked up on how-to-Venice. Well-heeled silver foxes are catching the double break of their senior's cinema discount and spritz happy hour  a tenner from 5-7pm. Behind them, a couple is on late-afternoon espressos while a solo drinker  always Harry's best cared-for guests  gets an over-pour to finish a bottle of chianti.

And the Italo-party now has phase two, a split-level dining room where Feck is bolstering the snacks with pastas, gussied-up polentas and steaks. Across the board, the one-time chef of Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder and Sapore spins pretty and creative rather than dogmatically classic.

Spanner crab and chilli pop against a squid ink polenta. Photo: Simon Schluter

Veneto, fish heartland, with a love of wet risottos, and some lesser-used spices, means your negroni is spiked with cinnamon and star anise; oysters are sloshed with a quince and shallot vinegar and a play on risotto Buranello, made with rockling and lots of parsley, is lighter and looser than you're used to (and better with a little extra salt).

Dishes are pretty to look at. Sweet lobes of spanner crab and rounds of green chilli pop against a squid ink-stained polenta that has a husky rather than popcorn-y resonance. Burnish-edged shallot petals sprout from a beet and onion puree, some filled with goat's curd, others a salty prosciutto soup. Unusual, especially billed as salad, but the flavours work.

A little more Italian simplicity would sometimes do well. Beef tartare jumbled with pickled shimeji mushrooms, earthy mushroom puree and discs of raw trumpeter is a bit of a sweet smoosh.

Go-to dish: Bigoli noodles with duck, mandarin and asiago. Photo: Simon Schluter

But often what reads complicated eats thankfully straight. The bigoli, say, an udon-thick noodle billed with duck, dried mandarin and Asiago, like a pasta-based duck a l'orange, registers like a fairly bright ragu, the citrus barely pronounced. Bonus points for bringing the leftover sauce in a pan with oiled toasts as sponges.

The bitter leaf salad is your friend amid the festival of rich pastas and steaks. We're defeated come the dark, raisin-studded doughnuts with orange-infused custard.

But if the menu wants for lightness, the dining room could use less. The bright lights, bouncy patterns in mustards and blue, with a backdrop of an Astroturfed courtyard and overhead speakers blasting a mystery mix of Phil Collins, Demis Roussos and other karaoke go-tos kinda break the spell. (Ditto your otherwise excellent waiter's need to know if every bite is OK.)

Fritole - raisin doughnuts with custard. Photo: Simon Schluter

For our money, that front bar, all softness and snacks is still Vaporetto's ace in the hole. But what a card to have up your sleeve.

THE LOWDOWN

Pro tip Schedule post-cinema snacking.

Go-to dish The bigoli with duck, mandarin and asiago  bright ragu with noodle bounce.

Like this? Hit Heartattack and Vine for cicchetti and vermouth, 329 Lygon Street, Carlton.

http://www.vaporetto.com.au/
1. Marion

The copper and white-washed interior of Marion Wine Bar is the latest tentacle to spread from Andrew McConnell's empire, making a home next door to its upmarket sibling Cutler & Co. Head chef Josh Fry is a big fan of rare breed birds and makes sure he has a chicken dish, usually from Milking Yard Farm, on the menu every couple of weeks. "Chicken is one of the most affordable meats you can get and to then see something that is quite expensive it is a bit of a shock," says Fry, who describes the taste of Sommerlad birds as "outrageously good". You can buy Sommerlad chickens from Andrew McConnell's boutique butchery Meatsmith (273 Smith Street, Collingwood) for $29.90 a kilogram (a whole bird costs about $90).

53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy 03 9419 6262; marionwine.com.au

2. Henrietta's Chicken Shop and Bar

After trialling their ethical, top produce chicken shop at a series of pop-ups, Albert Street Food and Wine alums Ruth Giffney and Stuart Brookshaw have found it a permanent laneway address in the CBD. Henrietta's offers a brined, charcoal-cooked bird from either Bannockburn, or the premium-priced Milawa free-range option. The fitout is "nouveau farm" with plenty of wood, rustic metal pails and big pictures of happy chooks. Your bird comes marinated and rubbed in indigenous spices, such as lemon myrtle and native peppercorn, with sides salads of ancient grains and herby potato. There is Brunswick Bitter on tap and sangria by the jar. And the team is not finished popping up in unusual places, the next one being Dubai.

Sommerlad chicken at Marion in Fitzroy. Photo: Kristoffer Paulsen

Shop 7, Fulham Place, Melbourne, 03 9629 7886, henriettas.com

3. Mr Ottorino

Matt Tine, chef at Fitzroy's new Mr Ottorino, has free-range and rare-breed birds on the Sicilian-influenced menu. Tine is currently researching new suppliers for ethically raised birds for his signature dish, rice-stuffed chicken, a recipe that comes from his nonna.

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122 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, 03 9415 6876 mrottorino.com

4. Embla

The team behind the popular Town Mouse in Carlton opened wine bar Embla this year with a wood-fired oven at its heart. Chef Dave Verheul loves a good free-range chick "cooked super simple" and you might find it cut in half and roasted with garlic, salt and rosemary, alongside a jus that is made all the more delicious by the tasty dark meat.

122 Russell Street, Melbourne, 03 9654 5923, embla.com.au

5. Igni

Chef Aaron Turner has a serious poultry pedigree, starting Belles Hot Chicken with Morgan McGlone in Fitzroy before splitting off to launch the Nashville-style Hot Chicken Project in Geelong. Now Turner is going more upmarket with Igni, which opened this year in a simple, modern space of concrete floors with lashings of wood along the prominent bar. It's a degustation-only affair that changes regularly but expect a star chicken dish when he can source the right bird.

2 Ryan Place, Geelong, 03 5222 2266, restaurantigni.com

6. Pretty Mama

Milawa free-range birds get the jerk chicken treatment at this slick Caribbean diner tucked away near Southern Cross Station. This sleek mash-up of a tiki bar by way of Havana is a joint venture from Michael Cotter (Po' Boy Quarter) and bartender Shae Silvestro (ex Brooks, Der Raum).

220 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 03 9034 4355, prettymama.com.au

7. Good Days

A room short on fuss  duck egg blue walls, black and white tiled floor and a wooden bar  turns out an Asian menu big on flavour. Grab a bar seat to watch the open kitchen at work carving up Milawa chickens and McIvor Farm pork. The chicken rice, national dish of Singapore, is a hearty reinvention with Asian greens, a herby green sauce and ginger-stuffed nuoc cham with the roast free-range chicken piled on top, all charred and juicy. It is a fresh, succulent plate that would whip the fussiest diner into a queue-forming frenzy.

165 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 03 9041 2000, good-days.com.au

8. Rude Boy Burger

You'll find excellent produce slapped between two pieces of bread at Rude Boy Burgers, a retro and recycled burger joint tucked under flats in Brunswick West. Try the Fried Chicken Parma Bun where the meaty taste of Milawa free-range chicken still shines or try it with crispy prosciutto, tomato and basil sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and ketchup. A perfect dude-food do-over for a Melbourne chicken classic.

482 Albion Street, Brunswick West, 03 9386 4302, facebook.com/rudeboyburger

Coming soon

Paul Wilson's chicken project

Although it is yet to receive an official title, Wilson is clear on the details of his imminent venture at popular Prahran Market. "Chicken will be the hero," Wilson says. "It's a very small site and it is really giving the market goer an opportunity to drop in and grab a home-cooked meal, prepared by a leading chef who has spent 15 years researching the best way to cook a chicken." Wilson is going to brine, cold smoke, then spit roast his heritage birds. Then they will be cut in a unique method he learnt in Mexico.

TBC, Prahran Market

Philippe Mouchel, rotisserie restaurant project

Taking inspiration from the French rotisseries that he loves, Mouchel is opening his new restaurant in Collins Street in mid-June. The restaurant will be based around a rotisserie, where he will also slow cook a range of proteins, including free-range chicken. "I like to cook them in the simple way," Mouchel says. "I like to roast them in a rotisserie with a good seasoning of salt, pepper, perhaps some fresh thyme and rosemary, lemon and put some herbs under the skin and basting them with a bit of fat, a little bit of butter well it is not really a little bit."

115-117 Collins Street, Melbourne
Andy Ruwald, Tom Walton, James Prier and Dare Jennings at the refurbished Deus Ex Machina bar-restaurant in Camperdown. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

Former Bistro Moncur head chef Tom Walton, Bucket List founder Andy Ruwald and bar sage James Prier are behind a new bar-restaurant that swings opens today at Deus Ex Machina in Camperdown.

The cafe-restaurant space at the custom motorcycle mecca has been closed for months, quietly getting some fine-tuning and customising of its own. The result is a cheeky wink at the Deus product.

"There's lots of leather. We've wrapped the door handles in it, even the footrest under the bar is like the material they put around exhaust pipes," Ruwald says.

The new concrete bar top came with a bling price tag of $80,000. Walton says locals were front of mind when designing the breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. "We wanted it to be affordable and generous. There has never been table service or a bar here before," he says. "We won't do Moncur's Cafe de Paris, but there's a sirloin with a special Deus butter with paprika and anchovy." Good Food tracked down the creative and elusive Deus founder Dare Jennings at the company's Tokyo satellite operation.

"I'm a big fan of Andy [Ruwald]. Why did we choose him? I saw a slogan in Melbourne the other day that said, 'excellence in guess work'. That's very Deus."
Todd Garratt (left), with business partners Traci Trinder and James Hird at the opening of Vincent in 2013. Photo: Steven Siewert

Todd Garratt, the talented former co-owner of Buzo, Wine Library and Vincent, is joining the CBD restaurant gold rush. Garratt has signed on as executive chef at Balcon by Tapavino, which opens on Bligh Street, in a part of the city electrified by the recent openings of Hubert and No 1 Bent Street by Mike. Garratt recently returned from scouring food in the Basque region to inspire Balcon's opening menu.

Hot-on-the-heels of the Australian Museum getting a hospitality refit, neighbour The Hotel William is poised for a massive makeover which will see the pub open a rooftop bar, first floor restaurant and basement speakeasy. Entrepreneurial publican Warren Livingstone has inked a JV with the pub's owner, Arthur Laundy. "We'll move Burgers by Josh in then get working on the redevelopment. We'll also probably revert to the original name, The Prince William."
sun sentinel/tns Heather Sherman (left) agreed in December to donate her kidney to anyone in need through the nonprofit National Kidney Registry. One month, five states and eight recipients and donors later, Jeff West (right) received the kidney at Cleveland Clinic Florida, in Weston, from an anonymous donor in Atlanta.

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Kidney patients given new life by transplant chain

By Diane C. Lade, Sun Sentinel (TNS)

FORT LAUDERDALE  Jeff West, his kidneys failing, was dreading having to quit his job and spend years tethered to a dialysis machine. But shortly before treatments even began, the Boynton Beach man received an unexpected gift  a kidney donated by a volunteer whom he had never met.

It happened through what's called a transplant chain: a set of surgeries, stacked like dominoes, that depend on people willing to literally give a part of themselves to someone they don't know.

A growing trend in kidney donation, the coordinators of transplant chains say they aim to get kidneys to more renal patients, and do it faster. They also say they can sometimes make better medical matches than through traditional one-on-one donations between friends or relatives.

They do it by signing up hundreds of renal patients and their loved ones who are willing to donate to them but are incompatible because of blood type or other issues. These programs then use sophisticated computer software to generate new donor-recipient pairs between strangers.

It's sort of like medical speed-dating. The bigger the dating pool, the better the chances for a great match. And chains involve live kidneys that have a much longer potential life span than a deceased donation.

"It can open up an option for a kidney that people otherwise might not get," said Michael Spigler, vice president of patient services and kidney disease education for the American Kidney Fund.

West's chain started in December when Heather Sherman, a 41-year-old software support technician from Jacksonville, agreed to donate to anyone in need through the nonprofit National Kidney Registry. That person ended up being a 47-year-old mother of two who received Sherman's donation on Dec. 9 at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

West's transplant happened a month later, at the end of the chain, when he received a kidney removed from a 53-year-old anonymous person in Atlanta and flown to South Florida.

In between was a tightly choreographed dance involving five hospitals in five states, eight recipients and donors, kidneys being flown or driven hundreds of miles  and four lives saved, or even more when you consider those successful transplants moved other people up on wait lists.

"It literally gave me my life back. It's a reaffirmation that there still is good in the world, that we can impact others in a positive way," said West, 52, still emotional four months after his successful surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. Sherman's kidney also was removed there.

It was the first time Cleveland Clinic Florida  one of nine Florida hospitals certified to do living kidney transplants, and one of two in the state currently affiliated with the registry  had participated in a chain. It's an emerging option for people with serious renal disease who, depending on their blood type and medical condition, could wait five years or more for a lifesaving donation.

West, who loves his job as a technical representative for a heating and air conditioning manufacturer, said his doctors had told him last spring he would wait at least two years for an organ and probably could not work as his kidneys deteriorated.

"I accepted my career was over, although I thought dialysis would be like a death sentence," said West, who has genetic polycystic kidney disease. "Then suddenly, they said: 'We have a donor for you. Are you available in January?' I was blown away."

Improving the odds for renal patients is critical, Spigler said. About 100,000 people nationwide are waiting for kidneys, including 4,500 in Florida. With only about 18,000 transplants done annually, Spigler said the average wait is about two years but goes up to five years for patients with rarer blood types.

"It's a remarkable process. People are connecting around it. We are seeing a dramatic improvement  in our ability to take patients off waiting lists and (get) better quality kidneys," said Dr. Diego C. Reino, a transplant and hepatobiliary surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic Florida's transplant center.

Ruthanne Leishman, director of the UNOS network, said kidney transplant chain registries remain largely unregulated, although there have been calls for drafting policies or forming one national network.

"This is a new world, and things are sorting themselves out," Leishman said. "The nice thing about having competing kidney paired donation programs is it fosters innovation."

A year ago, Cleveland Clinic Florida became one of 77 transplant centers nationwide affiliated with the Long Island-based National Kidney Registry, one of the three main U.S. nonprofits involved with transplant chains. It was started in 2008 by a software and data processing entrepreneur, Garet Hil, after his family struggled to find a kidney donor for his 10-year-old daughter.

In eight years, the registry has generated more than 1,700 transplants, with 88 percent of them through chains, said Joe Sinacore, the registry's director of education and development. Most people enter the registry as pairs  someone who needs a kidney and a friend or relative who did not match with the patient but still is willing to donate  with between 200 to 300 pairs in the system.

Donors and recipients are not charged, but transplant centers pay a fee for the registry's services, Sinacore said, which is billed back to the recipient's insurance. He declined to say how much.

The registry generated the nation's longest transplant chain last year, involving 35 transplants at 25 hospitals in 15 states and the District of Columbia, and spanning 3 months. Most chains, however, run about five transplants long, Sinacore said.

All of them start the same way, with what's called a "good Samaritan" donor, someone who simply wants to give the gift of life and enters the system alone. In the case of Jeff West, that person was Heather Sherman.

As per registry protocol, West and Sherman were told nothing about anyone in the chain prior to the transplants. Sherman knew little about renal disease and first heard of the registry through a news story.

"It's the first time it occurred to me that I could donate to a stranger," Sherman said. "It was unbelievable that I could make that kind of difference, that I could give life to someone."

Good Samaritan donors are carefully screened psychologically as well as physically, "to make sure they understand what they are doing, and not just trying to fill some hole in their lives," Sinacore said. Sherman said her family initially questioned why a healthy young woman would want to give one of her organs to someone she didn't know.

Yet Sherman said she never had any doubts  a feeling confirmed when she began corresponding with the woman who received her kidney in Ohio in December. Sherman said her recipient had been on dialysis for several years but now was able to attend her son's track meets and go to church again.

Although Sherman's kidney is not the one nestled in his body, West said he considers her a lifesaver along with his own anonymous donor because she started the chain that ended with him. Meeting Sherman three weeks after his surgery "was very emotional for me," he said. "I was very moved by her altruism."
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Adapted By Amy Friedman And Illustrated By Jillian Gilliland

Once upon a time, long ago, the great god Zeus overcame the gigantic race, the Titans, to become the most powerful god. He ruled over Olympus and banished the Titans to Tartarus, but he spared two of those he conquered, Prometheus (or forethought) and his brother, Epimetheus (or afterthought). Instead of banishing them, he gave them the task of going to Earth to make its creatures. Just before he sent them down from the heavens, he gave Epimetheus gifts to offer their creations.

The brothers traveled to Earth and set to work. Using the abundant river clay, they began to mold their creations. Prometheus was wise and the more thoughtful and cautious of the two brothers. He took great care with his work, spending a good deal of time thinking over each decision he made in crafting human beings. He decided he would shape them like the gods, for he imagined great things they would one day accomplish.

His brother was not so thoughtful. He worked as fast as he could, shaping and molding all the animals. Each time he finished a creation, he handed out of one Zeus' gifts. He gave the animals strength and endurance. He gave out a keen sense of smell and sight. To some of his creatures he gave wings; to others he gave claws; to others he gave a protective coat; and others still received thick coats of fur.

When Epimetheus was finished with his creation, he realized he had given away all Zeus' gifts, and he had nothing left for his brother to give the human beings.

When Prometheus finished his work and saw his creatures shivering in the cold, dark night, terrified of the many powerful beasts his brother had created, his heart ached. He could not bear the sight of their suffering, and so he decided he must return to Olympus to ask Zeus for another gift. He wished to give his creations fire.

He stood before Zeus and humbly asked, "I wish you to give me one more gift. The people do not have coats of fur to keep them warm, and they do not have protective shells or wings or claws. Please, let me give them fire."

Zeus was furious at so bold a request. "The fire belongs to the gods and to the gods alone!" he roared. "How dare you return asking for more!" And he sent Prometheus away.

Prometheus knew he must help his creations, and although he understood Zeus could be a vengeful, angry god, he decided he must do something. He would steal fire.

He waited until he was certain Zeus was not watching, and he lifted his torch to the light of the sun, catching an ember of fire. This he hid inside a hollow stalk and hurried back to Earth.

He gathered the people and said, "I give you fire," and he set the ember free.

It burst into flame, and all the people cheered at the warmth and the light of this gift.

"Never let the light of Olympus die," Prometheus warned. "If you keep the flames alive, you shall live good and happy lives."

The people were overjoyed. With fire, they no longer shivered in the cold night. With fire they were able to forge weapons to subdue the wild beasts. With fire they made tools to till the earth and build dwellings. With fire they warmed those dwellings. And the animals feared the sight of those flames and no longer attacked human beings.

As the humans watched the smoke spiraling up into the sky, their thoughts turned to the gods. They decided to build temples to honor those gods, and they decided to roast an animal as a sacrifice to those gods.

When Zeus looked down and saw the fires flickering, he was furious. He understood Prometheus had betrayed him. But when he breathed in the smells of those sacrifices, he calmed down. He liked this notion of a sacrifice to him, the all-powerful god.

Prometheus did not like watching his creations burning their meat as sacrifice. He worried that they had too little to waste on the gods, so he devised a plan.

He instructed the men to butcher an ox and to divide the meat into two equal portions. "Place chops and roasts in one half and bury these beneath sinews and bones. In the other half place scraps and entrails and fat."

When they had followed his instructions, Prometheus invited Zeus to Earth to choose his offering, and naturally Zeus selected the half that looked better ? the scraps and fat. When he realized Prometheus had tricked him and cheated the gods, he was overcome with rage.

"Now you and your creations will suffer!" he roared, and he sent for Hermes, the messenger god, to carry Prometheus to the top of the Caucasus Mountains and chain him there.

Every day an eagle swooped out of the sky and tore at Prometheus' liver, and every night his immortal liver once again grew. The next day the eagle returned, swooped down, and once again Prometheus suffered the anguish of his punishment. It was only the visits from his son, Deucalion, that gave Prometheus any joy.

Zeus had sworn to punish humans, too, and this he did ? in a roundabout fashion ? by creating a beautiful woman, Pandora. She was endowed with many god-given virtues, including curiosity, and Zeus sent her to Earth as a wife for Epimetheus. Epimetheus, despite warnings from his brother not to trust gifts from Zeus, accepted her, and in time, Pandora wreaked terrible havoc upon humans.

Prometheus, however, did not suffer eternally after many ages had passed. Zeus relented and allowed the great warrior, Hercules, to rescue him. Hercules killed the eagle and broke Prometheus' chains, thus freeing this great hero and friend of mankind.
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By Ross Ramsey, Texas Tribune

We are in a national election year. State issues don't seem to matter. Local issues don't, either, except through the national/federal filter.

Want evidence? You could see some of the signs when Texas Republicans held their convention a week ago in Dallas. The issues of the day were Ted Cruz's exit from the presidential race, Dan Patrick's grandstanding on transgender bathrooms, the start of Greg Abbott's book tour promoting states' rights, and persistent attacks on President Obama, Hillary Clinton and the federal government from just about every candidate and officeholder in sight.

Texas Republicans don't have Wendy Davis to kick around any more. They're not talking about other Texas Democrats, either. National politics is this year's North Star for those navigating the political waters.

This is a partial explanation for the biggest obstacle in the way of the 44 politicians on the ballot in various runoff races Tuesday. Most people are not paying attention to their races  or to the local issues that might animate them.

On the eve of election day in 22 state runoff races, Texas voters seem to be concerned with other things.

The candidates at the GOP gathering did their best. Would-be Texas Railroad Commissioners Wayne Christian and Gary Gates were working delegates. So were aspirants to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and various congressional and Statehouse positions.

They didn't get much love from the convention organizers, though, relegated to waving from the stage in lineups of legislators instead of time at the microphone. That was the treatment for state Reps. David Simpson, of Longview, and Bryan Hughes, of Mineola, who are vying for the party's nomination in the contest to replace Kevin Eltife in the Texas Senate.

They and others got smaller opportunities, talking briefly in caucus meetings and one on one with delegates during the three-day gathering. Many of the GOP's candidates didn't show up, choosing to stay closer to home and to the runoffs they are trying to win.

The dozen Democrats in Tuesday's runoffs didn't even get a chance to decide whether going to a convention for self-promotion was worthwhile: The state's Democrats don't meet until June 16  well after these runoffs are over.

It's an off year for top state offices. With none of the big statewide offices on the ballot  U.S. Senate, governor and so on  there is little to compete with the thunder coming from the presidential race. Downballot candidates from the state's Railroad Commission down to county clerk races across the state will be competing with the national campaigns for attention and advertising time.

In the general election, many voters will probably revert to the easiest shorthand available, casting straight-ticket ballots or basing their downballot choices on whether they agree with those candidates' favorites in the race for president.

November turnout should be big; it usually is in presidential election years. Turnout in this year's March primaries was swollen, too, with undecided contests for both of the major-party presidential nominations.

None of that is happening in the runoffs. No presidential candidates. No high-dollar ad campaigns. And nothing to identify the candidates to voters who might not know much about them.

It's a low-interest, low-information affair. Some of the races are local, and those local candidates for House and Senate seats were more likely to stay away from the biennial gathering of Republican activists for a simple reason: That's not where their voters were.

State party delegates can have outsized influence in low-information races. They take what they know about Judge X back home with them, passing it along to other activists  the people most likely to vote in low-energy primary runoffs.

The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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The Little Sisters of the Poor got a big decision from the U.S. Supreme Court last week.

The eight sitting justices decided unanimously to express "no view on the merits" of questions raised by the Little Sisters in a case about religious liberty and required coverage of contraception in insurance policies. Instead, they sent those questions back to the lower courts for further briefing and resolution.

The move, characterized in some early headlines as "punting," made no explicit statement about the government's duty to preserve religious freedom versus its newfound need to provide unfettered access to free contraception.

But it did vacate lower court rulings favorable to the government.

As National Review writer and attorney David French explains, "When the court vacates the ruling you're challenging, that's a win."

So those Americans who still value their religious liberty and who have sustained a seemingly constant battering of their first freedom by the current administration should view last Monday's ruling as a notable  and, we can hope, enduring  victory.

The case revolved around the "Obamacare" requirement that employers, including the Little Sisters, provide a wide array of contraceptive and abortifacient coverage (including the morning-after pill and surgical sterilization) in their health insurance plans.

For the Little Sisters and their co-plaintiffs, providing such coverage  even by way of what the government described as an "accommodation"  was a gross violation of their religious beliefs.

To make matters worse, failure to provide the required coverage would result in financial penalties so steep they would break almost any business, let alone a charity organization.

The government, the court said, "may not impose taxes or penalties" on the Little Sisters for failure to give relevant notice of refusal to provide the contested coverage, essentially removing the cudgel the administration was using to beat them into submission.

The court suggested that the parties should be able to find a means of seamlessly delivering contraceptives that doesn't violate the religious objections of the Little Sisters and their co-plaintiffs.

Indeed, the court's opinion explained how in a supplemental briefing the government conceded that such a resolution was possible, despite its earlier insistence that the existing "accommodation" was the only available option.

While the justices were careful to warn that the ruling should not be construed as any indication of "where this Court stands," the context is important.

As French explains, "this is the second time a unanimous Supreme Court has turned back the Obama administration's regulatory efforts to restrict religious freedom"  quite a feat, given that many observers were expecting a 4-4 ruling that would let the government's circuit court victories stand.

The decision suggests that the administration's aggressive push against religious liberty has in some circumstances been "too hard even for the Supreme Court's more liberal justices."

But make no mistake. This victory is one in many battles to come over the future of religious freedom in America.

Religious belief is under attack not only by an overly intrusive federal government but by an increasing level of misunderstanding, indifference and even hostility to religion from society at large.

William McGurn of The Wall Street Journal warns that a growing portion of America unfortunately "regards religion as a collection of irrational beliefs. They simply cannot fathom why folks with such beliefs ought to be exempt from laws that seem obvious to them and that everyone else is expected to obey."

The religious devout are often unfairly seen as ignorant; the devotion to their faith little more than a thin veil to disguise bigotry.

And with the growing number of nonreligious Americans, pools of potential allies are rapidly shrinking.

That is all the more reason for the Little Sisters and their sympathizers to cherish their hard-won victory. Such results may be ever more rare in the years to come.

Cynthia M. Allen is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Contact her at cmallen@star-telegram.com.
The Chicago Police Department thought it had a fail-proof strategy for keeping a lid on violent crime: a heat map of the 400 individuals most likely to break the law. The index of violent individuals was the result of a predictive analytics program that used a mathematical algorithm to sift through crime data. It worked much like the analytics programs Netflix or Amazon use to predict a persons next movie rental or book purchase.But the algorithm ran into a firestorm of controversy in late 2013 when aarticle told the story of a man on the list who had no criminal arrests. While the police defended the tool, critics said it was nothing more than racial profiling. They compared to it to a bad version of, the popular sci-fi film about police who predict crimes before they happen.Chicagos experience demonstrates both the promise and limitations of analytics in government. The public sector is already using it at all levels: The U.S. Border Patrol uses it to figure out how best to allocate resources along the border with Mexico. States use it to stop fraud in Medicaid and tax returns. Local governments use analytics to determine which buildings may have code violations, or to predict possible traffic and transit disruptions before they happen.But despite all the successful implementations of analytics, many such projects actually fail. According to IT research firm Gartner, more than half of all projects arent completed within budget or on time, or they fail to deliver the expected results. Like other types of IT projects, an analytics initiative can fail for a variety of factors, big and small. But several key reasons stand out.First, there are misconceptions about analytics. Its not a technology project that should be run by the IT department, though it will need input from CIOs and their staff to manage the databases and networks that underpin it. Its also not about data. Rather, its a way to predict future strategies and support decision-making. Thats why the right stakeholders need to be involved.Second, analytic projects fail when the data quality is inferior. Bad data creates poor results. Lack of data sharing can also hobble the best planned analytics project. While there are technical barriers to data sharing, too often the problem is an unwillingness to share between agencies or departments. The result is turf battles that erupt when one agency wants to protect the data theyve collected.Third, states and localities suffer from a talent shortage when it comes to finding people who can successfully run an analytics project in the public sector. The field of analytics is still relatively new, so the pool of skilled analytics experts is shallow. To improve a public service, you need analysts with domain knowledge, says Jennifer Bachner, director of the master of science in government analytics program at Johns Hopkins University. This is essential to identifying and measuring outcomes that matter.Last, measuring the impact of analytics in government is far more complex than in the private sector. As the Chicago Police Department found out, analytics can lead to messy results. The mathematician who created the algorithm for the heat map of likely criminals said the data did not use any racial or negative bias about minority groups. But thats not how the results were viewed by others.Finding a correlation between two sets of data and predicting an outcome works fine in the private sector, but as Bachner points out, government policymakers need to identify where they can intervene in a policy to make it better. Thats hard to do and requires more substantive knowledge, she says. Improving a government program requires policymakers to make changes that lead to desired outcomes. This kind of challenge is about identifying causal relationships, not just correlations.
At first blush, a federal judge believes Gov. John Kasich and Republican lawmakers who support abortion restrictions acted unconstitutionally to end state funding for Planned Parenthood.U.S. District Court Judge Michael Barrett of Cincinnati on Monday barred Ohio Department of Health Director Richard Hodges from enforcing a law to strip $1.5 million from the organization. The law was to have taken effect on Monday.Ruling that Planned Parenthood had demonstrated a "likelihood of success" in the courts, Barrett granted a temporary restraining order through June 6 in ordering the state to reinstate its terminated contracts with the group.For more than 20 years, Planned Parenthood -- which offers abortions at three of its 28 Ohio clinics -- received federal grants and state money to offer non-abortion programs such as breast and cervical cancer screening, sexually-transmitted-disease testing, a Healthy Moms-Healthy Babies program and other services. But lawmakers voted early this year to terminate funding, for any purpose, to any abortion provider.Barrett wrote in his order that the law would be "depriving thousands of Ohioans of high-quality, affordable health-care services and education programs." The law "bears no rational relationship to Ohio's stated interest of favoring childbirth."He added, "There is also no doubt that the Ohio legislature enacted (the law) for the purpose of placing a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking to obtain an abortion."Money taken from Planned Parenthood was to be redirected to other health clinics in Ohio. Supporters said it would help provide broader health-care coverage across the state, but opponents argued that many of those clinics do not offer the care for low-income women offered by Planned Parenthood.In alleging constitutional violations in its lawsuit, Planned Parenthood said the law would illegally compromise a woman's right to a legal abortion because the loss in funding for other programs could imperil the financial health of its three abortion clinics, particularly in Cincinnati. The three Planned Parenthood clinics performed about 30 percent (6,237) of the 21,186 abortions performed in Ohio in 2014 -- and 36 percent of those in Franklin County.Iris E. Harvey, president of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, said in a statement, "The courts rejected Gov. Kasich and Ohio legislators' attack on people who already have the least access to care. They attempted to block Planned Parenthood patients from care, all in the name of politics. Politicians had gone as far as to claim women can get cancer screenings at food banks. The court just called their bluff."A spokeswoman for the state Health Department declined to comment on the ruling by Barrett, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, a Republican.Ohio Right to Life officials had the bill at the top of their legislative agenda for years, and they had praised lawmakers for ensuring taxpayer dollars are "shielded from the abortion industry."But Monday, Michael Gonidakis, president of the group, said in a statement: "Yet again, an activist judge jumps to Planned Parenthood's rescue, showcasing the special privilege Planned Parenthood has, even in a state of pro-life voters. Despite the will of the people, Planned Parenthood will continue to feed at the trough of taxpayer dollars for another two weeks. Today, Planned Parenthood's greed and power are on full display in Ohio."
The long-awaited corruption trial of Alabama state House Speaker Mike Hubbard begins on Tuesday. Ironically, most of the two-dozen charges filed against him involve violations of ethics laws that Hubbard himself sponsored.Hubbard denies all charges. But his trial comes at a time when there are ethics or legal questions surrounding top leaders of all three branches of Alabama's state government.Gov. Robert Bentley faces both federal and state investigations into whether he misused his office to reward friends and cover up a purported affair with a top aide.Roy Moore was suspended earlier this month from his post as chief justice of the state Supreme Court for violating judicial ethics. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that made same-sex marriage a universal right, Moore instructed probate judges that the Alabama court's decision barring such marriages was still in effect.With so many high-profile leaders facing serious allegations, Alabama's political class is wondering what this might mean for the future of the state, said Bill Britt, who runs the Alabama Political Reporter, an online news site."We look like a cesspool of corruption," Britt said. "Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, it's easy to see the damage to our state on a national or even international basis."Some people in Alabama are worried that one-party control has made the state more susceptible to scandal. Democrats ruled Alabama for more than a century before Republicans took control following the 2010 elections."If this were a more robust two-party state, the drumbeat against Hubbard or Bentley would have been louder," said Zac McCrary, a Democratic consultant based in Montgomery.Hubbard faces 23 counts of ethics violations, all alleging that he profited from relationships with people doing business with the state. He's accused of voting when he had a conflict of interest, taking illegal payments from lobbyists and lobbying executive branch agencies on behalf of business clients.The House re-elected Hubbard as speaker last year, even though he was already under indictment. Hubbard's attorneys say that he had relied on guidance from the state Ethics Commission.One of the accusations swirling around Bentley is that he fired the state's top law enforcement official for providing evidence in the Hubbard case. Last month, the House voted to authorize an investigation into Bentley's activities. But the resolution also raised the bar on the number of votes needed to move an impeachment effort forward. No hearing is expected until next month."The salaciousness of the Bentley saga distracts from more damning accusations of hiring and firing and misuse of public funds," said McCrary.Barring any further revelations, however, most observers believe that Bentley will manage to hold on until his term ends, more than two years from now."There's a sense that he's going to limp to the finish line," said Bob Davis, editorial page editor of. "A finish line that's a long ways off."Meanwhile, Moore faces a trial in the Court of the Judiciary. He could be removed from office, much like he was back in 2003 when he refused a federal court's order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building. He was re-elected as chief justice in 2012.On Saturday, conservative groups and other supporters held a rally at the state judicial building, calling for Moore's reinstatement."Chief Justice Moore has a tremendous amount of support in rural Alabama," said Britt. "People are outraged that he may be impeached."With the outcome uncertain in each case, it's not yet clear how they'll affect the different branches. Davis argues that multiple investigations involving top political actors exacerbates public cynicism about government."We're sort of like the dog that's been beaten and chained so much that we all go, 'Gosh, here we go again,'" he said. "We've become perhaps numb to it all."As with all things political, thoughts have already turned to how things will play out in the next election. Hubbard's lawyers have alleged that even though state Attorney General Luther Strange removed himself from the case, he was interested in seeing Hubbard hamstrung as a potential rival to replace Bentley."This has hastened the attention being paid to the 2018 elections," said McCrary, "gaming out the impact that these scandals could have on once and perhaps future gubernatorial aspirants like Mike Hubbard and Roy Moore."
The U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating Gov. Terry McAuliffe since at least last year over donations to his gubernatorial campaign, CNN reported late Monday afternoon.A government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the investigation's existence to the Daily Press. An attorney for the governor said McAuliffe hadn't been contacted by authorities.Quoting anonymous U.S. officials, CNN reported that campaign donations from a Chinese businessman drew invesitigators' attention. The Washington Post, quoting one unamed official, said investigators have been scrutinizing McAuliffe's personal bank records, tax returns and public disclosures dating back many years, looking at foreign sources of income.The Post also reported skepticism among prosecutors about whether the investigation would lead to charges.All reports on the investigation Monday relied on anonymous sources. Spokespeople for Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Attorney and Department of Justice offices in Washington and Richmond declined comment as a matter of policy.The governor's office referred all questions to Marc Elias, legal counsel on McAuliffe's 2013 campaign, and now general counsel to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Elias said the governor had not been contacted by authorities and that he would "certainly cooperate" if he is."Neither the Governor nor his former campaign has knowledge of this matter," Elias said in an email.CNN said $120,000 in donations from a Chinese businessman named Wang Wenliang drew attention from investigators. The network also quoted a spokeswoman saying that Wang holds U.S. permanent resident status, which would allow him to make such a donation.U.S. law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to election campaigns here.Wang's spokeswoman also told CNN that Wang had not been contacted by investigators. Elias told the Daily Press that Wang's contributions "were completely lawful."CNN also reported that, though the probe focuses on McAuliffe's campaign, investigators have scrutinized his time on the Clinton Global Initiative board, a charitable foundation set up by McAuliffe's close friend, former President Bill Clinton. McAuliffe and CGI share a number of big-dollar donors.McAuliffe's ties to foreign business have caused controversy before. His political action committee returned a $25,000 donation last year from a company with ties to Angola's state-owned oil company after The Associated Press raised questions about its legality.Also last year, a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's report concluded McAuliffe got special treatment when he sought movement on long-delayed visa applications tied to GreenTech, an electric car company that he helped found.These allegations were also an issue in the 2013 governor's race. McAuliffe left GreenTech in 2012.The Inspector General's report left unclear for whom McAuliffe sought visas through the U.S. government's EB-5 program, which provides visas to foreign investors. McAuliffe said he was simply pushing a slow-moving bureaucracy to move -- one way or another -- on the long-lingering visas.After the inspector general's report, some called for a wider investigation, but there is no indication whether Monday's reports are connected to the visa program.Response to Monday's news focused largely on McAuliffe's connections to the Clintons and the fact that he's apparently the second Virginia governor in a row to garner attention from the U.S. Department of Justice, which indicted former Gov. Bob McDonnell shortly after he left office in 2014.McDonnell faces a 2-year prison sentence now on federal bribery charges, though his appeal is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday unanimously rejected an attempt by Virginia's Republican members of Congress to block new district boundaries that led Rep. Randy Forbes to seek election this year in a district where he doesn't live.The high court ruled that none of the GOP legislators had legal standing to oppose the boundaries set in place after a federal lawsuit found the old district lines weakened black voter clout by packing too many black voters in the 3rd District. The 3rd's incumbent is Rep. Bobby Scott, the only black person elected to Congress from Virginia since the late 1800s.As a remedy, federal judges in Richmond ordered the redrawing of district lines in time for this year's congressional elections. When the Republican-controlled General Assembly failed to comply, the judge hired a redistricting expert and put new districts in place.In their legal challenge to the redistricting, attorneys for Forbes and other legislators argued that the Chesapeake Republican is harmed because the 4th District, which he has represented since 2001, had been redrawn from a Republican-majority district to one that is a "safe 60 percent Democratic district."However, the justices ruled Forbes gave up any claim of damage when he decided to forgo seeking re-election in the 4th to instead run in the adjacent 2nd District to replace Rep. Scott Rigell, a Virginia Beach Republican, who is not seeking re-election.Forbes, who remains a 4th District resident, is competing in a June 14 GOP 2nd District primary with state Del. Scott Taylor and attorney Pat Cardwell, both Virginia Beach residents.During March 21 oral arguments in Washington, the justices were told Forbes would give up his bid for election in the 2nd and run in the 4th should the court rule in his favor. However, Forbes' attorney wrote to the court after the hearing to say his client would continue to run in the 2nd -- regardless of the court's decision."Given this letter, we do not see how any injury that Forbes might have suffered 'is likely to be redressed by a favorable judicial decision,' " Justice Stephen Beyer wrote. "Consequently, we need not decide whether, at the time he first intervened, Rep. Forbes possessed standing. Regardless, he does not possess standing now."Reps. Rob Wittman and Dave Brat, both Republicans, also argued they were harmed because in their districts -- the 1st and 7th, respectively -- their "base electorate" was replaced by "unfavorable Democratic voters."Breyer wrote that Wittman and Brat didn't present evidence to back up their claim.In challenging the new boundaries, the House GOP members argued that the federal judges in Richmond put too much weight on race in ruling the old maps were unconstitutional. They had asked the high court to delay using the new maps in this year's election until it ruled on their challenge. Chief Justice John Roberts denied that request in January.Breyer wrote Monday that given the Republican legislators' lack of legal standing, there was no need to rule on any of their objections to the new districts.The revamping of districts affected more than one million residents in southeast Virginia and the Richmond area. It also sparked an increase in candidates this year.The 3rd, which once stretched from Newport News to Richmond, is now centralized in Hampton Roads. It takes in all or part of the cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Franklin, Hampton and Newport News and Isle of Wight County. Scott, a Newport News Democrat, is seeking re-election and is being challenged by Chesapeake Republican Marty Williams, chairman of the city's Planning Commission.The 4th District, which once included all of Chesapeake and Suffolk, now includes a portion of those cities as well as all of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg -- both with significant black populations -- and several other cities and counties in between. The changes weaken Hampton Roads' voting strength in the 4th, with more than 60 percent of its residents now in the Richmond area.Two Republicans and two Democrats are competing in separate June 14 primaries to be on the 4th District ballot in the fall. GOP contenders are Henrico County Sheriff Mike Wade and Chesterfield County resident Jackee Gonzalez. Democratic candidates are state Sen. Donald McEachin of Henrico County and Chesapeake City Council member Ella Ward.The 2nd retains all of Virginia Beach and the state's Eastern Shore and part of Norfolk and Hampton. Its territory has been expanded to include Williamsburg, York County, and nearby communities. It loses Newport News precincts.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams on Monday rejected the state's case against Officer Edward Nero, acquitting him on all counts for his role in the arrest of Freddie Gray.The verdict, which followed a five-day bench trial, is the first in the closely watched case. Nero, 30, had faced misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office. Gray, 25, died last year of injuries sustained while riding in the back of a police transport van.Prosecutors argued that Nero committed an assault by detaining Gray without justification, while the reckless endangerment charge related to Nero's role in putting Gray into the arrest wagon without buckling a seat belt. In closing arguments Thursday, Williams had skeptically questioned prosecutors about their theory of assault, a theory legal experts said was unprecedented.In his ruling Monday, Williams said there were "no credible facts" to show that Nero was directly involved in Gray's arrest, and said testimony showed Nero's role in putting Gray in the van was minimized by the actions of others and not unreasonable given his training."Based on the evidence presented, this court finds that the state has not met its burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt all required elements of the crimes charged. Therefore, the verdict for each count is not guilty," Williams said.Nero leaned forward after the verdict was read and wiped his eyes. He hugged his attorneys.Marc Zayon and Allison Levine, the attorneys, said Nero and his family "are elated that this nightmare is finally over.""The State's Attorney for Baltimore City rushed to charge him, as well as the other five officers, completely disregarding the facts of the case and the applicable law," the defense lawyers said in a statement. "His hope is that the State's Attorney will re-evaluate the remaining five officers' cases and dismiss their charges. Like Officer Nero, these officers have done nothing wrong."Four officers are charged in Gray's death, while charges against Nero and one other stemmed from his arrest and the failure to place him in a seat belt.Late Monday, Williams issued a new gag order prohibiting Nero and his lawyers from speaking out until all of the officers' cases are resolved. State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby did not attend the reading of the verdict, and a spokesperson did not respond to questions about her whereabouts, citing the gag order.Gray's twin sister, Fredericka, left the courthouse visibly upset and declined comment. Billy Murphy, the attorney for the Gray family, said prosecutors face an "enormous standard of proof" and commended Williams for "not bending to public opinion."Williams "stood tall and did what he believed was just" while being "very careful" to make clear that his findings were specific to Nero's case, Murphy said.The state's theory for the assault charge had been described by legal observers as "novel" or even "radical." When the constitutionality of a police stop is questioned, the typical remedy is for charges to be dropped or evidence suppressed. Officers can also be sued.But prosecutors sought to criminalize the interaction, with Deputy State's Attorney Janice Bledsoe remarking that people in Baltimore were "jacked up all the time" and that officers must justify all of their actions. While Williams had questioned prosecutors on the theory in closing arguments, he made no conclusion on it in finding Nero had no involvement.Nero was the second of six city police officers charged in the case to stand trial. The first trial, of Officer William Porter, ended in a hung jury and mistrial last December. Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., the driver of the van where Gray suffered fatal injuries, is slated to stand trial in two weeks for second-degree murder and related charges.Nero, a former New Jersey volunteer firefighter who joined the Baltimore Police Department in 2012, is one of three officers who were on bike patrol when they chased and arrested Gray in West Baltimore on April 12, 2015. Gray died a week later of his injuries, touching off citywide protests.Prosecutors initially charged Nero and Officer Garrett Miller with wrongly arresting Gray for having an illegal knife, which they said was in fact legal under state law. They later backed off that theory after defense attorneys noted the knife was banned under city code, and instead said the officers did not follow legal requirements in how they went about stopping Gray before finding the knife.Gray was placed in a prone position and handcuffed, which prosecutors said was excessive force. The officers' detention of Gray, for a period of less than three minutes, constituted illegal touching, prosecutors charged.Zayon said in closing arguments that countless court decisions backed the officers' actions, saying officers may chase a suspect in a "high-crime" area and detain him while seeking to confirm or dispel their suspicions. Another officer, Lt. Brian Rice, had initially begun chasing Gray, and Miller and Nero had responded to his call for help.Miller, who faces the same charges as Nero, was given limited immunity and forced to testify by prosecutors. But on the stand Miller said he alone had caught and handcuffed Gray, minimizing the involvement of Nero, who he said went to retrieve their bicycles from another area as he handled Gray. Prosecutors pointed to Nero and Miller's use of the word "we" to describe the events as indication that both actively took part.Williams said "Miller stated unequivocally" that he had detained Gray, and noted that Brandon Ross, one of Gray's friends, also backed the account in his testimony. Prosecutors alleged Miller had twisted his story to help his "buddy" Nero, but Williams noted Ross had no such incentive to lie."When the detention morphed into an arrest, the defendant was not present," Williams said. "As such, the court rejects the state's theory that the defendant was involved in the arrest, because, absent 'I' and 'we,' there are no credible facts to show that he was involved in the touching of Mr. Gray before Miller brought him to the corner."Prosecutors also argued Nero could be convicted under a theory of "accessory liability," which Williams said would require showing Nero knew a crime was being committed and either participated or deliberately allowed it to continue. Bledsoe had argued while there was no case law to support the argument, there was also none prohibiting it.Williams said it was "not an appropriate application of the law.""There has been no information presented at this trial that the defendant intended for any crime to happen, nor has there been any evidence presented that the defendant communicated any information to a primary actor that he was ready, willing and able to lend support if needed to any crime," Williams said.After the arrest, Nero helped place Gray into the van, shackled but not buckled into a seat belt. Prosecutors said Nero had a "duty" to keep Gray safe, and presented testimony about police training and policies designed to keep arrestees safe. Just three days before Gray's arrest, a new directive went out that required police to seat belt detainees, removing their discretion.Zayon said there was no evidence to show Nero had received the new directive, and a sergeant testified that it had not been distributed or read at daily roll calls. Other officers testified that it is the van driver's responsibility to ensure that a detainee is secure _ audits performed in 2014 to ensure compliance targeted van drivers, not arresting officers.Rice had climbed into the van to pull Gray in, while Nero helped with his legs and did not enter the van.Williams said the law required him to judge the "reasonableness" of Nero's actions, and he found it was reasonable for Nero to defer to a supervisor's determination about whether to belt Gray.T.J. Smith, the Police Department's chief spokesman, said Nero, whose salary was $55,625 last year, will remain working in an administrative capacity pending the outcome of an internal investigation, which is being handled by an outside police department.Smith said that internal investigation will not be completed until all of the criminal cases against the other five officers are completed because they will likely be witnesses in each case.Miller, whose trial is scheduled for late July, accompanied Nero into the courthouse and sat with Nero's family near the front of the courtroom. As Nero hugged his attorneys and other supporters, Miller appeared emotional as well.Outside, a small group of protesters decried the ruling, and pursued Nero's family into a nearby parking garage with a crush of media in tow. Michael Belsky, an attorney for Rice, could be seen making a video recording of the incident.State Sen. Catherine E. Pugh, the winner of last month's Democratic primary for mayor, said she's been in touch with activists and believes the public understands the lengthy nature of criminal proceedings against multiple officers charged in Gray's arrest and death.She said she believes the city has improved policing since Gray's death."We've learned a lot of lessons," she said.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rebuked Georgia prosecutors for improperly assembling an all-white jury in a murder case involving a black man and then giving trumped-up explanations as to why they excluded blacks from the trial.Timothy Tyrone Foster was convicted of murder in 1987 in the death of an elderly white woman in Floyd County and has been on Death Row ever since. The high court's action sent the case back to the Georgia Supreme Court and all but cleared the way for a new trial.Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for a 7-1 majority, repudiated prosecutors' stated reasons for striking African-Americans from the jury, calling one of them "nonsense." The prosecutors' explanations were not only disingenuous, they were also contradicted by their own files and the answers prospective jurors gave during the selection process, the chief justice wrote.On Aug. 28, 1986, Queen Madge White, a retired elementary school teacher, was found dead on the floor of her home in Rome. Foster would later be indicted for sexually assaulting and strangling the 79-year-old widow. In closing arguments, the district attorney told the jury it needed to give the death penalty to Foster to "deter other people out there in the projects."The majority's decision often drew from the prosecution's own files, obtained by Foster's new lawyers almost 20 years after his trial. "(T)he focus on race in the prosecution's file plainly demonstrates a concerted effort to keep black prospective jurors off the jury," Roberts wrote.The files show that the prosecution team used a green marker to highlight the black people who were in the jury pool. On another sheet of paper, prosecutors listed six people as "definite NO's" for the jury; the first five of whom were the remaining African-American prospective jurors.Roberts also chastised prosecutors for being "indignant" when they were initially accused of striking prospective black jurors because of their race. He noted that in one court filing, prosecutors wrote that "the state and this community demand an apology."But the prosecution's own files "plainly belie the state's claim that it exercised its strikes in a 'color-blind' manner," Roberts wrote. "The sheer number of references to race in that file is arresting."Justice Clarence Thomas filed the sole dissent, saying he believed the trial judge's determination that race was not a factor in jury selection to be more reliable than the high court's review three decades later.Barry Slotnik, who chairs the New York State Bar Association's death-penalty committee, praised the ruling."This decision by the court was beyond extremely important," he said. "Clearly the U.S. Supreme Court has sent a message to prosecutors that it's not going to stand for convictions that are race-based."The ruling did not overturn Foster's death sentence. Instead, the court sent the case back to the Georgia Supreme Court for "further proceedings."Leigh Patterson, Floyd County's district attorney, declined to say what she planned to do if, as is expected, Foster is granted a new trial."We're in the process of notifying the victim's family," she said. "This remains a very important case to that family and to this community."Foster's lawyer, Stephen Bright, senior counsel for the Southern Center of Human Rights in Atlanta, said he found it "sobering" that no Georgia court had found any problem with jury selection in Foster's case. "One hopes there will be greater vigilance in dealing with discrimination in future cases," he said.The high court's ruling was possible because evidence from the prosecution's own files came to light, Bright said. "But there are many other cases where the same discrimination took place but no one ever found the evidence we found in this case."In its decision, the high court focused on two prospective black jurors -- Marilyn Garrett and Eddie Hood -- who were struck by prosecutors during jury selection. It found that the prosecution's use of its peremptory strikes against Garrett and Hood violated its 1986 precedent, Batson v. Kentucky, which held that excluding a potential juror because of his or her race was unconstitutional.Roberts went into exhaustive detail in explaining why he found prosecutors' explanations for striking the pair to be based on pretext.In Garrett's case, for example, then-District Attorney Stephen Lanier said one of the reasons he struck Garrett was she was "too young" and that prosecutors were looking "for older jurors that would not easily identify with the defendant."But Garrett was 34 and Foster was 19, and prosecutors declined to strike eight white prospective jurors who were under the age of 36. One of them, who served on the jury, was 21, Roberts pointed out.In a prior interview, Garrett, who is now Marilyn Whitehead, said she felt discriminated against by prosecutors at Foster's trial. "After that, I felt like I never wanted to be on a jury against because of the way I was treated."As for Hood, prosecutors said they struck him because he had an 18-year-old son who was about the same age as Foster and who had been convicted of theft by taking. That was "basically the same thing that this defendant is charged with," Lanier said, when explaining why he struck Hood from the jury."Nonsense," Roberts wrote, noting the extreme disparity between the capital murder charges facing Foster and the 12-month suspended sentence Hood's son received for stealing hubcaps from a car in a mall parking lot."The 'implausible' and 'fantastic' assertion that the two had been charged with 'basically the same thing' supports our conclusion that the focus on Hood's son can only be regarded as pretextural," Roberts wrote.As for the state's argument, Roberts wrote, it "does not dissuade us from the conclusion that its prosecutors were motivated in substantial part by race when they struck Garrett and Hood from the jury 30 years ago. Two peremptory strikes on the basis of race are two more than the Constitution allows."Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the 7-1 majority:"The contents of the prosecution's file, however, plainly belie the state's claim that it exercised its strikes in a 'color-blind' manner. The sheer number of references to race in that file is arresting. ... (T)he focus on race in the prosecution's file plainly demonstrates a concerted effort to keep black prospective jurors off the jury."Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote the sole dissent:"In few other circumstances could I imagine the court spilling so much ink over a fact-bound claim arising from a state post-conviction proceeding. It was the trial court that observed the (prospective jurors) firsthand and heard them answer the prosecution's questions, and its evaluation of the prosecution's credibility on this point is certainly far better than this court's nearly 30 years later."First the win, then the commencement speechStephen Bright, who founded the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta four decades ago, has now won all three of the cases he's argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.On Monday, he received news of the high court's 7-1 decision in the Timothy Tyrone Foster case in New Haven, Conn., where he teaches at Yale Law School. During a telephone interview just minutes after the decision was released, Bright said he didn't have much time to talk.Why? He was about to give the commencement speech for this year's Yale Law graduating class. When introducing Bright before his speech, Dean Robert Post disclosed the outcome of the high court's decision to rousing applause from law students and the audience.In Bright's two prior cases before the U.S. Supreme Court:In 2007, he successfully argued on behalf of condemned Louisiana inmate Allen Snyder, a black man sentenced to death by an all-white jury. The court ruled that Snyder's trial judge improperly allowed prosecutors to strike prospective black jurors on account of their race.In 1988, he won the retrial of Georgia death-row inmate Tony Amadeo on grounds the Putnam County district attorney and jury commissioners arranged it so blacks were underrepresented on lists from which grand jurors were chosen.
Description

GIS - 24 May, 2016: The Light Rail Transit Project as the ultimate alternative mode of transport which would be complementary to the Road Decongestion Programme in solving the problem of traffic congestion was the gist of the reply of the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport, Mr Nandcoomar Bodha, to the Private Notice Question on the Light Rail Transit Project at the National Assembly this morning. The Light Rail Transit Project as the ultimate alternative mode of transport which would be complementary to the Road Decongestion Programme in solving the problem of traffic congestion was the gist of the reply of the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport, Mr Nandcoomar Bodha, to the Private Notice Question on the Light Rail Transit Project at the National Assembly this morning.

A road transport system with an integrated three tier structure to provide greater mobility and fluidity in the transport system for the next 30 years is what the Government envisions, according to the Minister. What exists actually will form the first level, the Road Decongestion Programme will be the second level and the Light Rail Transit will represent the third level, averred Mr Bodha, highlighting that at all times the Road Decongestion Programme has taken into account the alignment of the Light Rail Transit.

The Minister thus explained that the Road Decongestion Programme on its own would not have solved the problem of traffic congestion. While the Road Decongestion Programme will ease fluidity of movement of vehicles, the Light Rail Transit will ensure mobility of people and facilitate the access to jobs and other activities, he stated.

Regarding the Light Rail Transit, Mr Bodha announced that a delegation from Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, which was engaged in 2012 to undertake the Feasibility Study and Project Implementation Planning for the Mauritius Light Rapid Transit system, is in the country to start preliminary discussions for the production of an update of their previous studies. Minister Bodha underlined that no new feasibility study is envisaged for the project in view of the significant work already done by Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and the sum paid in consequence, that is Rs 539, 226,992.

The Minister also briefed the house on developments concerning the Road Decongestion Programme, one of the most important road infrastructure projects ever embarked by any Government with a view of laying the foundation of a modern Mauritius and helping to alleviate the road traffic congestion problem, which is being aggravated with the increasing number of vehicles.

Following a request to the Korean State for a technical and financial audit of the Road Decongestion Programme, said Mr Bodha, a Korean team of consulting and engineering firms conducted a complete technical and financial assessment for which the final report was submitted in April 2016. He added that necessary procedures were initiated in accordance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act to consider the implementation of the Programme under a government-to-government agreement, and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Road Development Authority and the Korea Expressway Corporation on 5 April 2016.

The Minister spoke of the due diligence exercise effectuated on the proposal of the Korean Team to ensure that Government is obtaining value for money, and the resultants submitted to the High Powered Committee set up under the chairmanship of the Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service. The report of the High Powered Committee will be submitted to Government for consideration, pointed out Mr Bodha.

Stressing that the Road Decongestion Programme will not be amended to accommodate the Light Rail Transit, the Minister remarked that in view of the different alignments of the two projects, it is proposed to study the best way to integrate the transport system along the two alignments. It is more appropriate to see how to integrate from the Town and Country Planning perspective the two projects to see to it that the projects be implemented efficiently and that they are financially viable if Government decide to go on with the Light Rail Transit Project, affirmed Mr Bodha.

Government Information Service, Prime Ministers Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email:

Website:
A request for legislation to formally adopt the downtown master plan for the city, authored by the same consultants who wrote the city's comprehensive plan. The downtown master plan, completed in 2013, recommends improving the corridors that lead to downtown, defining downtown's boundaries and redeveloping Market Square to be a focal point. The comprehensive plan suggests investment in downtown Canton and recommends implementing the downtown plan in full. The Canton City Planning Commission voted this month to recommend adoption of the downtown plan.

A first reading of an ordinance that would allow the city's law department to contract with a collections agency. The city usually certifies the unpaid amount to the county auditor's office, which a memo attached to the legislation categorizes as a "relatively ineffective" method. Officials from the law department and the mayor's office are in conversations with debt collections firms.

A first reading of an ordinance that would allow the city to advertise and receive bids for a resurfacing project on 30th Street NW from Cleveland to Market avenues. The project is expected to cost about $1.6 million and will include base repairs and repaving. Work is expected to begin in August.

A vote to hire a facilities engineer for the water department and, after a move by Councilman Kevin Fisher, D-5, and Majority Leader Frank Morris, D-9, a separate vote to increase salaries starting next year for some engineering and water jobs. Both votes passed, with Fisher and Morris voting against the raises.

(TNS) -- City officials want to offer high-speed, widely available, affordable internet as a utility to help attract and retain businesses.They expressed their support for broadband infrastructure Monday, when Canton City Council adopted an informal resolution to explore a regional effort to develop such a network.Both the Stark County commissioners and the Jackson Township trustees have approved similar resolutions.Canton's resolution says the Stark County Broadband Task Team  an organization that's worked for years to bring a broadband system here  said the utility could lure technology-driven companies that would hire young professionals and burgeoning businesses that need quick and reliable internet.Marc Schneider, who co-chairs the team, spoke at Monday's meeting about the "transformational ability" of broadband. He said for a robust economy, Stark County needs more people in the 20-to-35 age range. He also mentioned the $100,000 the team had raised to hire a consulting firm to conduct a countywide feasibility study.The team's website advocates for high-speed internet as a utility to add value to buildings and available land. The volunteer team includes representatives from the government, business, educational and nonprofit sectors.Monday's council agenda also included:
Construction disruption

Pricing and an office

The Fiber 1000 + TV plan, which features Internet speeds up to 1,000 megabits (1 gigabit) per second and 150 channels plus DVR, is $130 a month.

Fiber 1000, which features Internet speeds of 1,000 megabits per second, is $70 a month.

Fiber 100, which features Internet speeds of 100 megabits per second, is $50 a month.

(TNS) -- In January 2015, Google Fiber announced plans to expand its high-speed Internet service into four new communities: Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta and Nashville, Tenn.For those keeping score at home, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company has launched service in Nashville and Atlanta on a limited basis, but users in Charlotte and Raleigh havent yet been able to sign up.So when will service start in the two North Carolina cities? The company wont say, but residents have been noticing contractors hauling giant orange reels of fiber-optic cables through their neighborhoods. In Charlotte, more than 3,000 miles of fiber will be laid, the company has said.Though the construction is causing disruptions for some residents, it has also spurred excitement among consumers looking to tap speeds that are 100 times faster than normal broadband. With that kind of speed, a scientist using Google Fiber, for example, could download an entire genome in less than half an hour, the company has said. It used to take 77 hours.Being a Google Fiber location also helps put the city on the technology map, advocates say. And even as Google is building out its project, rivals such as AT&T and Time Warner Cable are also working to boost speeds.Here is what we know on Googles progress so far:The Charlotte Department of Transportation characterizes the Google Fiber project as perhaps the fastest build out of such a project, spokeswoman Linda Durrett said.And its construction so far has not been without disruption to Charlotte residents.Google Fiber has a 24/7 construction hotline (877-454-6959). A company representative said Google starts investigating complaints immediately and aims to get back to callers in two business days or less.According to CDOT, there have been 84 complaint/inquiry calls about Google Fiber between Jan. 1, 2015, and May 10, 2016. The city received 46 service request complaints/inquiries over that time, including 33 related to Google Fiber, three related to Time Warner Cable and 10 related to AT&T, which has been pushing out its own high-speed service throughout parts of Charlotte.For the neighborhoods in which Google Fiber is being installed, the company has said it leaves door hangers with information about the project that includes contact information in case residents have any questions throughout the process.Audra Wade is a Kannapolis schoolteacher who lives in the Winchester community in North Charlotte, and she said she didnt have any warning about construction in her neighborhood. Crews were out for about six weeks digging and laying Google Fiber equipment close to her property in February, Wade said, preventing her from accessing her driveway for nearly a month.The crews cracked a slab of concrete in front of her house and replaced it with a darker one that doesnt match the rest of the sidewalk.What gives you the right to come and deface my property and just walk away like its OK? Wade said.On its website , Google Fiber said its mostly building on easements or rights of way. These are areas where local laws authorize utilities and service providers to access public and private property to install their equipment. Theyre also often very close to private property lines.Another affected resident is Brenda Mills, a retired accounting manager living in Charlottes Mallard Creek area. Though the construction hasnt caused any damage to her property, crews in her neighborhood installing Google Fiber have accidentally cut water, sewer and gas lines.Once, Mills said, a broken water line spewed water into the street for two days. Another time, the Charlotte Fire Department shut down David Cox Road, the only entrance into Mills neighborhood, because of a broken gas line. Neighbors had to park at a nearby church and walk in.People on this street are getting pretty stressed out, Mills said.Jess George, Google Fibers community impact manager for Charlotte, said the company is working to minimize construction-related disruptions as it builds out one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Charlottes history.Were also committed to resolving issues as quickly and safely as we can. When construction incidents occur, contractors aim to restore areas to a state as close as possible to the condition they found it in, George said.Google Fiber has a construction hotline (877-454-6959) that is open 24/7, and George said when people call the hotline, the company begins investigating immediately, aiming to get back to them in two business days or less.After construction comes the sign-up phase of the process, then in-home installation. Google Fiber hasnt laid out when those last two steps will happen, but it has provided pricing for its services in Charlotte.Google Fiber will soon open a Fiber Space in the former Dixie Tavern space on East Seventh Street near the 7th Street Public Market uptown. There, customers will be able to meet with Google Fiber representatives, try high-speed Internet and eventually sign up for service.The companys progress elsewhere suggests the company is coming closer to expanding its high-speed services here.Earlier this year, Google Fiber plugged into existing infrastructure in Atlanta to launch its services in a few apartment buildings in the citys suburbs, according to local reports . And earlier this month, Google Fiber launched service in four apartment and condo buildings in Nashvilles core, the Tennessean reported Google Fiber already operates in Kansas City; Austin, Texas; and Provo, Utah.
(TNS) -- Nearly a dozen McDonalds fast-food restaurants across Detroit are joining a list of businesses equipped with enhanced lighting and high-resolution video cameras as part of a crime-fighting strategy called Project Green Light.Already, four McDonalds restaurants have Project Green Light equipment that feeds directly to a real-time crime center at Detroit Public Safety Headquarters. That number will swell to 11 in the coming weeks, city officials said today.Project Green Light now has 26 businesses hooked up with security equipment, including gas stations, liquor stores and restaurants.Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig started the program in January at eight gas stations to help improve public safety in neighborhoods. They said statistics showed one-quarter of the citys violent crime happened within 500 feet of gas stations after 10 p.m.I absolutely believe Project Green Light is making criminals think twice before committing a crime at a gas station, Duggan said today in a statement. Soon, theyll think twice about doing it at a McDonalds or any other Green Light business. We are going to continue to move this program across the city and create an expectation of safety.The crime center at Detroit's public safety headquarters runs 24 hours, seven days a week. It is divided into two sections, one each for the east and west sides. Typically, a civilian crime analyst and an officer are assigned to each section.Multiple screens are visible, including a console with camera footage from businesses involved in Project Green Light. If one of the partnering businesses calls 911, police inside the crime center are alerted and they can focus on footage at that location.Police also use the Green Light footage to accumulate information about what's going on at Green Light businesses even when there isn't an emergency, Sgt. Michael Woody said. For example, if a gas station owner tells police he is having a problem with drug sales at certain times, police will study footage to look for patterns, suspicious people or suspicious vehicles, Woody said.Businesses pay for the service; costs vary.The program has paid off, officials said.Police arrested a suspect and recovered a gun last week with help from video surveillance at a Green Light gas station at East 7 Mile and Hoover.Earlier this year, a woman who could be seen shooting at two people at a gas station in the program was arrested.The president of the Detroit Black McDonalds Operators Association, Savarior Service, said the groups members want to take care of their customers and workers. Service said the technology will create a safer environment for both.The McDonald's at Grand River and Lahser already has seen a decrease in loitering since joining the program a couple of months ago.Obviously, doing business in Detroit, as a restaurant business taking in cash, it has its challenges," Service said. "Sometimes our establishments will attract certain traffic.Service said she looks forward to all of the chain's Detroit locations participating in Project Green Light so it becomes common knowledge that McDonald's restaurants in the city are being watched by police.We are setting a goal for all of our members to be online with Project Green Light by the end of this year, Service said.Detroit has witnessed a string of shootings during the weekends recently, including 17 on Mother's Day weekend that left seven people dead and 14 injured. Three of those killed in recent weeks by gunfire have been children.
Felipe Massa is in a realistic mood about Williams' chances ahead of this weekend's race in Monaco.

The British team was third overall in 2014 and 2015 but has clearly fallen behind both Red Bull and Ferrari this year.

"I think we will be behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull," Massa told Brazil's UOL Esporte. "After that I think we're in a good position.

"I like Monaco. Or, I like it when we are competitive, but if you get caught behind, no one likes Monaco!" he smiled, referring to the near-impossibility of overtaking on the Principality's fabled streets.

The impression recently is that it may not be Mercedes or Ferrari but in fact Renault-powered Red Bull with the best chassis overall so far in 2016.

Massa said: "I don't think there is enough data to say that Red Bull is the best car. I think the Mercedes is also a very good car.

"They (Mercedes) show it in every situation and at every track. The Red Bull is also good, better than the Ferrari maybe," he added.

(GMM)
McLaren-Honda appears to be finally emerging from its long slump, with bosses Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier sounding particularly upbeat ahead of Monaco.

Dennis, the Woking team's supremo, told the BBC: "I honestly believe that the next world champions after Mercedes will be McLaren. We'll get to that goal before other people."

Also optimistic are Fernando Alonso and team boss Eric Boullier, who think the MP4-31 is among the very best chassis on the 2016 grid.

That bodes well for twisty and slow Monaco, where the limitations of the Honda engine will have less impact.

"On paper, we could be between sixth and eighth place I think," Frenchman Boullier is quoted by Italy's Autosprint.

"Last year we had the third best chassis, but close to Williams and Ferrari," he explained.

"Now it is Mercedes, Red Bull, us, and then Ferrari, Toro Rosso and Williams. They are clearly behind today," said Boullier.

As for Honda, the Japanese marque is planning improvements within the 2016 season but then a total redesign for 2017, coinciding with the sweeping new chassis rules.

"The 2017 regulations level the playing field and it is enough time for us to catch up with Honda, so I think we'll have a good chance next year," said Dennis.

(GMM)
A decision is looming about how Renault will handle the transition from 2016 to 2017, team boss Frederic Vasseur has admitted.

It is widely believed that, with the French marque having taken over Lotus at the eleventh hour, Renault regarded 2016 as little more than a transitional season as it focused much harder on preparing for the new rules for 2017.

Asked if 2017 is a perfect opportunity for Renault, team boss Vasseur admitted to Spain's El Confidencial: "Yes, but we have to make a decision on the splitting of efforts between this year and next.

"It is delicate," said the Frenchman. "On the one hand, we can really focus on the new rules, which is an advantage, but on the other hand it is very important for a racing team to have pressure ahead of each race.

"So if we give up in the short term, we could lose the competitive spirit," he added. "On the other hand we must find the best way to prepare for 2017."

Vasseur said that while the new rules are positive for Renault, Mercedes for example is less happy.

"Everyone is playing their own game," he said. "The position of each team is based on self-interest, so that what Ron (Dennis) wants is different to what Toto (Wolff) wants.

"But then I think the common interest calls for more aggressive cars with more sound and bigger tyres," added Vasseur.

Although new to F1, Vasseur is no stranger to the paddock after building up the successful GP2 outfit ART.

"In the sporting way not much has changed except I spend more time on politics and the media now," he said. "I'm losing weight because I have no time to eat!" Vasseur laughed.

F1 is now setting up in Monaco, where it has emerged that Renault has decided to release one version of its new engine upgrade for both the works team and customer Red Bull.

Insiders talk of a 35 horse power and half-second per lap boost.

"We have a thousand people concentrated on winning a tenth each week," said Vasseur. "If the engine is a couple of tenths, it would be a very, very big step forward. But it will not put the car at the front of the grid."

(GMM)
Fact Sheet: A Breather For Jagan

It now appears as if YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will manage to send Vijay Sai Reddy to the Rajya Sabha after all. Apparently, Naidu feels that attracting more YSRCP MLAs to his side before the Rajya Sabha deadline means a negative image along with having to shell out a lot of money.

While money as of now is not the issue for CBN, he had decided to slow down with the defections as there is no likelihood of the MLA seats in Telangana and AP being increased in the near future.

What this means is that YSRCP will now breathe easy and Jagan can have his trusted lieutenant in the Upper House of Parliament.

Meanwhile, Andhra traitor Venkayya Naidus sycophancy seems to have paid off as he is being re-nominated from Karnataka for a record fourth term.

Amit Shah will personally request Naidu to re-nominate Nirmala Seetharaman from AP and Naidu will obviously oblige. He neither has the guts nor the honesty to refuse a person like Amit Shah. But as far as the YSRCP is concerned, its a happy scenario for them albeit temporarily.
KCR Set To Split Komatireddy Brothers?

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has successfully demolished the opposition parties in the state with his Operation Akarsh and a series of victories in all the elections held in the last two years, is now hell bent on breaking the backbone of the Congress party.

According to sources, KCR has more or less succeeded in creating a split in the Komatireddy brothers  Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and MLC Rajagopal Reddy by luring the former into the TRS.

Sources said KCRs son K T Rama Rao had negotiated with Venkat Reddy and finalised the deal before he left for the USA. Indications are that Venkat Reddy would join the TRS on June 6.

However, Rajagopal Reddy has differed with his brother. Sources said Rajagopal still sees a lot of prospects for him in the Congress party and he strongly believes he would become the PCC president, so that he can restore the glory of the party; and who knows, he can even become the Chief Minister one day.

But, hitherto, he had been getting strong support from Venkat Reddy; and if the latter defects to the TRS, Rajagopal would definitely get demoralised. And that is what KCR wants!
Too Many In Race For RS Seats In TDP!

Telugu Desam Party president and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu might be trying hard to split the YSR Congress party MLAs to win the fourth Rajya Sabha seat, but he is facing a tough time in selecting the candidates for the three seats his party can win.

There is a heavy competition for the three seats with several aspirants making a beeline to Naidu, wherever he goes.

When Naidu was in Delhi last week, a group of TDP leaders from Kurnool met him and requested him to nominate former minister T G Venkatesh for Rajya Sabha. Naidu, who had reports that Venkatesh had tried to join the YSR Congress party, did not evince much interest in him.

Similarly, former minister Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad also met Naidu and requested him to consider his name for the RS seat under SC quota.

Former minister J R Pushparaj from Guntur is also seriously lobbying for the post under the same quota. Former MLA from Chittoor Hemalatha also put forth her request under womens quota.

Another former minister N Md Farooq from Kurnool and Mothkupalli Narasimhulu from Nalgonda are also in the race for RS seat.

Let us see who will be the lucky candidate.
The successful reduction of carbon monoxide in the UK is also matched by high percentage reductions across Europe over the same time period. This suggests that recent rises of carbon monoxide in newly developed countries can be reversed in a 20-year time frame with similar technological and policy implementations. The open-access study is published in the journal Scientific Reports .

New research published today (23 May) in Scientific Reports has found a marked and progressive 80% decline in atmospheric CO (carbon monoxide) in SE England since 1997, following adoption of strict controls on gasoline vehicle emissions begin in the 1990s. The decline is strongest (approximately 50 ppb per year) in the 19972003 period but continues post 2003.

The team used high-precision measurement equipment based at Royal Holloway College in Egham, but also found similar declines in even the most traffic-populated regions of London, including Marylebone Road, show. The authors argue that the clean-up of gasoline cars was effective, but recognize the challenge facing diesel vehicles.

Linear trends of CO at the measurement site. Lowry et al. Click to enlarge.

CO is representative of many pollutants, and London of many northern European cities. While decadal variations in frequency of meteorological events, especially long-lived anticyclones such as those of summer 2003, may result in anomalous yearly averages, the sustained decline in CO suggests a significant and progressive underlying improvement in air quality in London. This observed decline is consistent with emission inventories and satellite observations, and comparable to the decline in other European cities but much higher than rates of decline observed at European continental background sites15. The cause of the London decline is almost certainly the strict controls on vehicle emissions introduced by the UK government, first in the 1991 Road Vehicles Regulations, and then the 1997 National Air Quality Strategy.  The UK legislation accompanied parallel moves across Western Europe in response to a European Union Directive, and the general improvement in Londons easterly air quality further confirms the betterment of air in the northern European source areas contributing to this flow.

The comparison with Hong Kong is instructive. Strong pollution control was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1997, and in Hong Kong in 1999. There the resemblance ends: the sub-continental regions differ in CO emissions history. Over the past 15 years the Egham area has reached near-oceanic background air quality, while urban Hong Kong has seen only limited decline in ambient winter CO. London benefits greatly from the wide emission reductions over NW Europe since 1990. Even in prolonged episodes of easterly air in winter, ambient CO mixing ratios at Egham now do not reach the excessive levels characteristic of the mid-late 1990s. However if it had not been for strenuous local emission control in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the annual average CO mole fractions in Hong Kong could by now have been very much higher. Further improvements in Hong Kong during the sustained continental airflow of the winter NE Monsoon will depend on continued efforts to improve emission controls and thus air quality in mainland China.

 To conclude: effective improvement in ambient CO is indeed possible within a relatively short timeframe (a decade or less), but it needs both strong local action and co-ordinated regional policy. Lowry et al.

Resources
Uno-X Hydrogen AS, a NEL ASA (NEL) joint venture, has entered into an agreement with a Norwegian affiliate of Praxair, a leading global industrial gas company, as a strategic alliance to install 20 hydrogen refuelling stations, covering all the major cities in Norway by 2020. As part of the agreement, Praxairs Norwegian affiliate will aqcuire a 20% ownership interest in the joint venture.

Following the agreement, Praxairs Norwegian affiliate will hold 20% of Uno-X Hydrogen, with Uno-X Gruppen and NEL holding 41% and 39%, respectively. The joint venture will build a network of hydrogen refueling stations with hydrogen production, allowing fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to operate in and between all the major cities in Norway. The stations will be deployed in cities such as Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, and Kristiansand, along with corresponding corridor locations.

Our joint venture will identify and develop the production infrastructure necessary to support a Norwegian network of refuelling stations. We believe that working closely with gas and oil companies, like we have done in Denmark and are now doing in Norway, is a recipe that can be successfully replicated around the globe. Jon Andre Lkke, CEO of NEL ASA

Praxair, Inc., a Fortune 250 company with 2015 sales of $11 billion, is the largest industrial gas company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide.

NEL ASA is the first dedicated hydrogen company on the Oslo Stock Exchange. NEL is a global supplier of hydrogen solutions, covering the entire value chain from hydrogen production technologies to hydrogen refueling stations.
GREENSBORO  When Marian Tasco stepped down last year from the city council in Philadelphia, her supporters threw her a $100-a-plate dinner to honor her lifetime in public service.

Tasco said any money left over from the event would go to Bennett College, the school she attended in the late 1950s but left when she no longer could afford the tuition.

Organizers expected about 500 people to show up for the gala. Twice that number did.

Tasco made good on her pledge earlier this month when she gave $50,000 to Bennett during its alumnae reunion weekend.

My heart remains with Bennett College, Tasco said in a statement announcing her gift.

The college said Tascos gift was among $724,000 received during its annual National Alumnae Association Weekend, which was held May 6-8 and coincided with commencement. Among the gifts was $80,000 from the class of 1966, which celebrated its 50th reunion.

Tasco, a Greensboro native raised by her grandmother, attended J.C. Price School and graduated in 1956 from Dudley High School. She received a $50 church scholarship to attend Bennett, according to a recent profile of her in the Philadelphia Inquirer. But she left the womens college after a few years when the cost became too much.

Tasco moved north to live with her mother. In 1959, she got a job as a clerk with the Philadelphia Police Department. She took night classes at Temple University and in 1965 received her degree in business education.

In the 1970s Tasco became involved in city politics, according to the Inquirer. In 1983, she became the first African-American elected to the Philadelphia City Commissioners, the 3-member board that oversees the citys elections.

Four years later, Tasco won a seat on the Philadelphia City Council. From 1987 until 2015  seven terms  she represented a district that covers the northern part of the city. Tasco, now 78, declined last year to seek an eighth term.

At her retirement gala, the newspaper reported that (m)ayors past, present, and future praised Tasco as a source of advice in unsure times and a force of political nature when she was sure what she wanted to accomplish.

Bennett College, meanwhile, considers Tasco to be a member of the class of 1960, the year she would have graduated had she stayed in school.

The college already has a scholarship named for Tasco. In a statement Tasco said she hopes her new gift will help to provide scholarship dollars for young ladies with similar backgrounds so that they can complete their education.

The Philadelphia Inquirer contributed to this report.

Contact John Newsom at (336) 373-7312 and follow @JohnNewsomNR on Twitter.
More than 300 late veterans from Alamance County will be honored in the countys annual Memorial Day program at 11 a.m. Monday at the Alamance War Memorial on West Elm Street in front of the Criminal Justice Building.

A roll call of the dead will be made and a bell will toll for each one named.

The Western Alamance High School band will perform along with vocalist Jimmy Cartner. The Alamance County Sheriffs Department Honor Guard will participate along with William Dickten, trumpeter.

For information, call (336) 675-3808.

Donations needed for United Way programs

United Way of Greater High Point needs the following items for its summer feeding programs for children: Fruit cups, pop-top meats, toaster pastries, individual cereal boxes, shelf-stable milk, juice boxes, cereal bars and small bottles of water.

Donations may be dropped off at the United Way office, 201 Church Ave. in High Point.

Donors may receive a red nose as part of the #RedNoseDay movement to bring awareness to childhood poverty.

For information, call (336) 883-4127.

Southwest students to showcase research

Southwest Guilford High School students and faculty of The Joint School for Nanoscience and Nanoengineering will host a year-end NetSci brain research showcase from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the lobby and auditorium of the JSNN building at 2907 E. Gate City Blvd. in Greensboro.

Parking is free.

Following the brief student presentation, guests will have a chance to view the brain imaging center at JSNN.

Elementary school to host ladybug release

General Greene Elementary will host a ladybug release at 9 a.m. Thursday at the school, 1501 Benjamin Parkway in Greensboro.

Students will hear a story and sing a song about the ladybug life cycle and then release their ladybugs.

Students have been studying the ladybug life cycle as part of their science lessons.

Mattress Firm hosts drive for foster kids

Local Mattress Firm stores are accepting clothing and monetary donations for Childrens Hope Alliance and Thompson Child and Family Focus through June 26. Both North Carolina organizations provide support to children and families in need.

Mattress Firm Foster Kids is a company-wide philanthropic initiative to help foster children.

The company will host six annual donation drives at its stores across the country, collecting items such as clothing, school supplies, toys and money to support extracurricular activities.
May 24, 1961

Eleven freedom riders  white and Negro  broke the racial barriers in a bus station lunchroom today. Then, under heavy military guard, they left for New Orleans in a continued assault on Southern segregation. Four hours later, a second group, composed of one white man and 13 Negroes, boarded another bus, also bound for Jackson. National guardsmen with fixed bayonets, and state and city police, sealed off the block around the downtown Trailways bus station to prevent a recurrence of the bloody weekend race riots which followed arrival of some of the riders on Saturday.
Daesh is not human being, said Dominic, a displaced Iraqi Christian husband and father of 11, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group, during my recent trip to Erbil, Iraq. Their minds are affected. All they want is to kill, kill, kill, war, war, war.

And kill and war is what ISIS does. So much so that on March 17, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry declared that the killing of Christians, Yezidis and Shia Muslims in Iraq and Syria to be genocide.

Kerry minced no words.

Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions  in what it says, what it believes, and what it does Daesh captured and enslaved thousands of Yezidi women and girls  selling them at auction, raping them at will, and destroying the communities in which they had lived for countless generations.

ISIS has killed Christians solely for their faith and forced Christian women and girls into sexual slavery, said Kerry. Christians have been in Iraq since the first century.

Kerry came to the genocide determination based on a review of a vast amount of information gathered by the State Department, the U.S. intelligence community, and by outside groups, including New Haven, Conn.-based Knights of Columbus who funded and submitted a 280-page report documenting the genocide. (This writer is a member of the Knights of Columbus.)

On June 5, 2014, ISIS attacked the city of Mosul, triggering a massive exodus of Christians and religious minorities. Two months later ISIS attacked nearby city of Qaraqosh, the largest Christian city in Iraq, and emptied it of some 50,000 Christians, who fled on foot, in cars and on donkeys and traveled 45 miles to the Ankawa district in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region. There they lived outdoors, some in tents, others finding shelter in abandoned half-built structures, a true humanitarian disaster.

One group of women religious, the Iraqi Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, who themselves were displaced from Mosul, Qaraqosh and surrounding villages, got busy organizing and handing out diapers and milk to young mothers and infants, and later creating an elementary school, religious education programs and offering hope to the people.

As a direct result of the ISIS attacks, the trauma of the flight from Qaraqosh directly contributed to the death of 23 elderly Dominican Sisters, ages 70 to 75, who died of heart failure.

In mid-April 2016, as an act of solidarity with the suffering Christians and other religious minorities, New Yorks Cardinal Timothy Dolan, as chairman of the Board of Directors of the 90-year old New York City-based papal agency, Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), made a pastoral visit to Erbil and Dohuk, a town near the Turkish border. Dolan was joined by fellow CNEWA board member, Bishop William Murphy, of the Rockville Centre diocese on Long Island. I went as a journalist for the National Catholic Reporter .

Our small delegation visited multiple health clinics, displacement camps for Iraqi Christians and Yezidis, and met many religious sisters, including and priests who are on the front lines of caring for the displaced, as well as bishops of different religious traditions.

At each stop the displaced repeated the plea to be able to just go home. No one asked to come to the United States. Dolan understood the sentiment. Sometimes we in the United States get this idea that the whole world wants to come here, Dolan said. The whole world wants to live in their own homes with security and stability and with some type of peace and prosperity. Thats what were hearing and America needs to know that, Dolan said.

But what can be done to help the displaced Christians and Yezidis? For Dolan, it starts with solidarity in prayer for these suffering people. Where else are we going to go, but to our faith? said one woman we met. Dolan also recommends getting practical and becoming advocates. Supporting CNEWA and other charitable organizations with boots on the ground is one concrete step.

As for advocacy, Dolan says that he hears from Jewish leaders who say to him, Whats taking you so long? Why are you afraid to advocate with the government on behalf of your people? We need to do that, Dolan said.

Twenty-two months since Displacement Day (Aug. 6, 2014), Iraqi Christians are not going home any time soon. They are stranded in Ankawa, living a miserable existence in overcrowded 7-foot-wide containers in displacement camps, in need of more and better housing, medical, food, water, education and jobs. The Iraqi Dominican Sisters, priests and lay people, among others, are doing everything they can  with what little they have  to create normalcy from genocidal chaos.

When asked how lasting peace will come about, Dominic, the elderly gentleman waiting to see the doctor, said, From the schools, churches, family and especially parents (teaching peace to the children), he said.

This old, suffering Iraqi Christian is speaking to each of us.

Tom Gallagher is a Riverside resident, a member of St. Catherine of Siena Parish and regular contributor to the National Catholic Reporter.
The new OMG Omega bowl has sustainably sourced trout. Photo: Sweetgreen

Salad chain Sweetgreen announced two menu changes today: The fast-growing and deep-pocketed company says it started contemplating how to make food healthier, and its decided the first step is banning all traces of bacon, as well as sriracha, from its 50 locations. The action kicks off a larger campaign to fix Americas broken food system that Sweetgreen wryly dubs Make America Healthy Again. (Yes, there are Trump-style hats.) Everyones favorite Thai hot sauce had to go because it packs too much added sugar (thanks, Michelle Obama); its been replaced with dried chiles. As for peoples beloved strips of cured pork, the chain says, Simply put, you cant be a healthy food business and serve bacon.

To at least throw fans a bone, Sweetgreen pairs the announcement with news of two new health-conscious bowls: the Hello Portobello, which is packed with wild rice and roasted mushrooms, and OMG Omega, an option that features avocado and steelhead trout, a sustainably raised fish that the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch rates a best choice. That is, after bacon.

[Washingtonian]
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Nashville, Tennessee-based musician Erskin Anavitarte announces today's release of "Black & White," a song that calls out the segregation of Sunday morning worship. The song, written by Anavitarte and Jeff Pearson, is going for adds at INSPO/AC Christian-formatted radio stations.

"Black churches, white churches, right next door, there on the same block, both with hands raised high to Jesus, but still a million miles between us," says Anavitarte, quoting the first verse of his new single. "One song may not make much difference, but my prayer is that we remember that God made us all and perhaps bridging the gap begins by focusing our eyes on Jesus. That's the message of this song."

Stephen Leiweke produced the single, which is on the upcoming EP titled "Look Up," and follows the previously-released single "Do What You Gotta Do." "Do What You Gotta Do" received significant airply on WAY-FM and is currently in rotation at CHR radio.

For more information about Anavitarte, visit ErskinMusic.com and like onFacebook and Twitter. Listen to all of Anavitarte's music on YouTube.

Tags : erskin anavitarte Black and White erskin anavitarte new single
Published on 2016/05/23 | Source

Retro style fads won't go away and the bootcut jeans are still prevailing on the street. Bootcut jeans are great when you want to enjoy the effect to make your legs look longer.

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When Yoona departed to Guangzhou through Incheon International Airport on May 16th for her schedule in China, she wore a pair of bootcut jeans matched with a checkered jacket to create the refreshing look.

Also, Ha Ji-won wore a pair of bootcut jeans matched with a navy blazer layered with a simply a white T-shirt, when she left to Shenyang to attend KOTRA Korea Brand & Hallyu Product Exhibition on May 11th.

Yoona added feminine touch with the long wavy hairstyle. She put on a T-shirt and a pair of bootcut jeans layered with an orange checkered jacket and accessorized with an orange shoulder bag to create the neat refreshing look. A pair of grey sneakers she put on adds more to the effect to make legs look long.

Ha Ji-won had the long straight hair. She also wore a T-shirt and a pair of bootcut jeans matched with a striped blazer to create the stylish look. Ha Ji-won added a khaki shoulder bag and a pair of running shoes to complete the casual and comfortable look.
Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby.

11:52, 25 OCT 2022
Cracking down on wage fraud will be central to a Coalition election policy, with all eyes on embattled convenience chain 7-Eleven, which has received considerable media attention for its systemic underpayment of workers.



The policy would include a $20 million injection of funding and tough new powers for the workplace watchdog, plus a ten-fold increase in fines for non-compliant employers.



Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has released a new set of policies, sending a warning to employers that intentionally exploit workers.



The new penalties for "serious contraventions" will be 10 times higher than the current maximum penalty for underpayment of workers of $10,800 for an individual and $54,000 for a corporation, Fairfax Media reported.



The franchise industry will also face an employment law shakeup, with franchisors who fail to manage worker exploitation now to be held accountable for any wage abuse in their stores.



The $170 billion franchise industry has also been put on notice, with franchisors charged under newly created offences designed to them accountable for wage abuse in their stores if they fail to deal with worker exploitation.



While convenience giant 7-Eleven has been in the spotlight over widespread non-compliance and systemic wage fraud, these new policies would apply to all business sectors across Australia.



"The widespread non-compliance within the 7-Eleven chain is perhaps the most well-known example, however unfortunately is by no means the only one," Senator Cash said in a statement.



The FWO has taken eight 7-Eleven franchisees to court since 2009 and stung one store with a record $214,200 for the underpayment of two migrant employees and falsifying records, and has said the convience store giant needs to root out and deal with systemic non-compliance.



Cash's announcement closely followed the controversial removal of the former head of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, Allan Fels by 7-Eleven.



Fels had headed up a panel assessing the company's wage fraud pay claims and was sacked after 7-Eleven decided to take the compensation panel "in-house" in what Professor Fels described as "bogus" and would result in the company returning to "lawlessness", Fairfax reported.



Professor Fels would gain a new appointment as the head of a new Migrant Worker Taskforce within Fair Work.



"The taskforce, with advice from Professor Fels and Dr David Cousins, will provide oversight and advice to the Fair Work Ombudsman to ensure that 7-Eleven rectifies the serious breaches committed by its franchise network and to ensure 7-Eleven takes responsibility for addressing its systematic failing to provide minimum entitlements to 7-Eleven franchise employees," Senator Cash said.



If re-elected, the government would grant the FWO evidence-gathering power similar to those of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Taxation Office, plus introduce a new penalty for obstructing Fair Work inspectors.




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Virgin Australia has been crowned Australias Most Attractive Employer with recent research showing over half of all Australian employees would like to work for the iconic airline.



Earlier this month Virgin picked up first prize at the annual Randstad Award, hosted by HR and recruitment specialists, Randstad.



Its the second consecutive year that Virgin has topped the list of enviable employers, narrowly beating rival Qantas and defence, security and aerospace company BAE Systems.



Randstads employer branding research showed that Virgin is particularly attractive to workers for offering a good work-life balance, a pleasant working atmosphere and strong management.



The airline was also recognised as the most attractive employer for women and people in the 25-44 years old age bracket.



Aviation is the Most Attractive Sector to work for in the country, according to 46% of Australians, as workers believe the sector leads for training, interesting job content and working atmosphere.



Other contesters for the countrys top three sectors included Fast Moving Consumer Goods (38%) and State and Federal Government (36%).



Reputation and brand play a big part in attracting and retaining quality staff, with 84% of workers saying they would leave their current job to work for a company with a better corporate reputation, according to Randstads survey of some 10,000 employees.



Frank Ribuot, CEO of Randstad Australia & New Zealand, congratulated Virgin Australia for maintaining its top position once again after winning in 2015 and in the inaugural award in 2011, and for consistently placing in the top three since the Randstad Awards inception.



Virgin Australia clearly has a winning formula as one in every two people in the country know the Virgin brand, love it and would love to work there. This is a very powerful asset to own, said Ribuot.



Geraldine Chin Moody, Group Executive, People, Culture and Sustainability at Virgin Australia, said, We are incredibly proud of the lengths to which our people go to bring the Virgin Australia brand to life,



Its fantastic to see their passion and commitment recognised with the Randstad Award for the second consecutive year, she said.






Creative Startups, the world-class program that helps creative entrepreneurs develop their business models and identify venture capital funding, has launched its newest business accelerator program for the Southeastern United States.

Hosted by the Center for Creative Economy in Winston-Salem, NC, the program announced that it is now accepting applications from creatively-driven companies that want to compete for $50,000 in angel or venture capital funding. Companies from throughout the United States can apply, however this location makes it easy for companies in the Southeast to participate (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida). Deadline for applications is July 1, 2016. For more information go to www.creativestartups.org/ws

Creative Startups is headquartered in Albuquerque, NM. Their programs are run in regions throughout the world. The goal of Creative Startups is to get creative business ventures beyond the launch stage to customer acquisition and profitability.

Companies in the creative enterprises compete to participate in the program, with 10-12 teams chosen to participate in an intensive eight-week session that includes a six-week online course using Stanford Universitys entrepreneurship curriculum, and a five-day Deep Dive in which the teams work one-on-one with global visionary and creative leaders. The Southeastern Accelerator will be spearheaded by the Center for Creative Economy, with the online program starting on August 8 and the Deep Dive taking place from September 26-30 in Winston-Salem.

During September, Deep Dive week highlights will include DEMO DAY at the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem. The 10-12 competing teams will showcase their innovations to funding prospects, business and community leaders, and the media.

At the end of Deep Dive week, the 10-12 competing teams will pitch their business concepts to angel and venture capital funding leaders and compete to be one of three teams chosen to receive a share of $50,000 in investment funding.

We are excited to bring Creative Startups to the Southeast, said Alice Loy, Co-Founder of Creative Startups. Our goal is to accelerate success and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurial, creative businesses. If you are starting or growing your creative business, you face a lot of challenges. Creative Startups helps you overcome these challenges and risks by providing a world-class intensive course in Creative Entrepreneurship, connecting you with successful creative entrepreneurs who are passionate about mentoring you, and accessing angel and VC investors.

In the past eighteen-months, companies that have completed the program have raised on average $152,000 in funding for their projects while benefiting from more than 800 hours of mentorship from leaders in the creative industries, including Fast Company, Hopeless Records, and CODAworx, among others. For a full list of the 2016 mentors, visit http://www.creativestartups.org/mentors.

The mentors were top-notch; the structure of the programming was nearly flawless; and the amount I learned was incredible, says Vince Kadlubek of Meow Wolf, an artist collaborative that launched an interactive art experience in Santa Fe, NM. Since the accelerator, they have partnered with George R.R. Martin of Game of Thrones; and opened the doors to their 20,000-square-foot multiplex, built by 80 artists, that now welcomes 1,000+ visitors a day. Since opening in March 2016, Meow Wolf has generated $1.2 million in revenue.

While the concept of startup accelerators is becoming increasingly popular, Creative Startups is unique in that it focuses solely on the teaching and mentoring of the creative industries with mentorship from successful entrepreneurs whose core skills are based in the creative industries. These industries cover a wide range of sectors, including design, gaming, software, film, music, publishing, performance arts, visual arts, new media, video, museums and education technology. Creative Startups mentors include musicians, filmmakers, designers, branding experts, and investors who invest in creative businesses. Combined, Creative Startups Mentors have raised over $360 million for new ventures.

Entrepreneurs interested in applying can visit The Southeastern Accelerator for more information.

# # #

About The Center for Creative Economy

The Center for Creative Economy serves as a catalyst for innovation and an advocate for creative industries and entrepreneurs, promoting connectivity and growth. The center brings people, ideas, and resources together to benefit a burgeoning creative sector. In addition to Creative Startups, its programs include Swerve, the new hub for creative enterprises in North Carolinas Piedmont Triad. It brings creative professionals together at lively, informative monthly meetups, and through a growing online community. Swerve participants tap into a local network of collaborators, mentors, and new business contacts. The focus is on cultivating and expanding creative businesses and meeting new people. For more information, visit www.Centerforcreativeeconomy.com

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(Hedgetracker) The latest list of the Top California Hedge Funds has been released, revealing that the lists assets fell for the second consecutive quarter. California funds saw their assets decrease by -1.2% quarter-over-quarter, as compared to their East Coast brethren, which squeaked out quarterly gains. It is not all bad news for the top CA hedge funds, as 31 of the top 50 funds actually saw their equity assets increase over the quarter. Leading the top gainers were Farallon Capital

The California list is once again headlined by ValueAct Capital Management (GARP), Farallon Capital Management (Long/Short Global Equity) and SPO Advisory (TMT Focused).Twenty-one of the funds on the Top California Hedge Fund List, including ValueAct, Farallon, and Passport, are headquartered in downtown San Francisco, with an additional thirteen funds being located in the greater Bay Area. Down the coast, eleven of the top hedge funds call Los Angeles home, while only five of the top funds are located in the greater San Diego area.

To read this article:
Household indebtedness has more than doubled in relation to disposable income over the past twenty years. Experiences from around the world indicate that households scale back consumption considerably during economic crises, exacerbating the crises further, it states in its regular bulletin .

The vulnerability of households in relation to the risks of the real estate market is increased by the concentration of wealth on real estate. Regional differences in the real estate market are similarly notable, continues the Bank of Finland.

The growing risks are primarily a consequence of two factors, according to the central bank: an increase in both the average size and average repayment period of mortgages.

The national financial system is according to the bulletin also vulnerable to risks associated with mortgage lending due to the high share of mortgages of all loans granted by banks and the low risk weight of mortgages in the calculation of solvency ratios. Mortgage-backed bonds are similarly crucial for the funding and investment activities of banks in Finland and elsewhere in the Nordics.

The Bank of Finland considers it positive that the number and share of the most indebted mortgage-borrowers  that is, borrowers whose debt burden exceeds 400 per cent of their disposable income  has declined since 2010. The share of mortgages of all loans granted to businesses and households has decreased due to the slow growth of the mortgage portfolio.

The centralisation of the banking sector is another concern for the Bank of Finland. Nordea's decision to convert its subsidiaries into branch offices will according to the central bank promote the connectedness of the sector further.

Finland's banking sector is structurally vulnerable due to its notable degree of centralisation, funding structure and connectedness within the Nordics: banking crises and other serious problems in the financial system can spread rapidly within the banking system and inflict notable costs, it states.

The stability of the financial system will, on the other hand, be strengthened by the mortgage cap to be introduced in July as well as the higher risk weights to be set on mortgages by the Financial Supervisory Authority.

In international comparison, Finnish authorities have relatively few means at their disposal to reduce the likelihood and impact of financial crises. Based on experiences from global financial crises and the crisis of the 1990s in Finland, macro-stability instruments must be completed in time to enable authorities to efficiently intervene in growing risks to stability in advance, states the Bank of Finland.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Irene Stachon  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
A 16-year-old boy charged with attacking a young man who suffered serious facial injuries would not get out of bed to come to court.

The boy, who cannot be named because he is minor, is charged with assault causing harm to Andrew Cusack (21), who was treated for lacerations to his face in St James's Hospital following the alleged incident in the early hours of May 2 at Dame Lane.

A bench warrant was issued by Judge John O'Connor at the Dublin Children's Court yesterday, when the boy failed to turn up for his case.

He was initially granted bail on May 6 with strict conditions, including a ban on going to Dublin city centre.

However, he was arrested there again within hours of getting released, and was allegedly in possession of a knife.

He was remanded in custody for a week. On May 16 he was re-admitted to bail with stricter conditions. The teenager was barred from the Dublin 1, 2, 7 and 8 areas; he had to sign on daily at his local garda station, obey a 9pm-8am curfew and abstain from alcohol.

His mother told the court she would supervise him.

Warned

The case resumed yesterday and Judge John O'Connor was told the teenager had abided by the bail terms. However, the boy subsequently had a row with his mother and refused to get out of bed to come to court.

Judge O'Connor issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

He had warned him last week that if he broke bail again he could go back into custody until his trial has been heard.

At the boy's first hearing on May 6, the court heard the assault case would involve "an awful lot of CCTV as well". Mr Cusack is the son of Professor Stephen Cusack, an expert on emergency medicine at UCC.

Judge O'Connor has already made an order for disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence, which is to include medical reports.

Garda Keith Connors has said he would be comply and that "there is an awful lot of CCTV as well".

The boy has not yet entered a plea to the charge. Directions from the DPP are required and a decision has yet to be made as to whether the case will remain in the Children's Court or instead be sent forward to the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.
A former winner of the Irish Apprentice has been left without a conviction after she admitted to being so "out of it" after a night's drinking she could not remember taking cocaine.

Michelle Massey (34) was found with the drug in her pocket when she was searched in a garda station following her arrest after a drunken episode in south Dublin.

She was arrested after she became violent in a dispute with a taxi driver.

Fanatic

Fitness fanatic Massey was originally thought to be due to appear before Dun Laoghaire District Court last Friday after a judge ordered an updated probation report. However, the matter was actually finalised in February and Judge Ann Watkin left her without a conviction.

Massey has no previous convictions of any kind.

The defendant, with an address at Corrig Hall, Ticknock Hill in Sandyford, had admitted to public drunkenness and threatening and abusive behaviour at Taney Road in Dundrum on May 1, 2015.

She had also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine at Blackrock Garda Station on the same date.

Massey previously told Dun Laoghaire court she was having a "pretty rough time" when she was found with the cocaine.

Her lawyer had said it had been a "bad night, a one-off" for Massey, who had never used drugs before and had no recollection of taking the cocaine.

In February, the court heard that Massey told a probation officer that two deals of cocaine had been placed in her trouser pocket by an unknown person without her knowledge.

Defence solicitor Richard Young said his client was "someone who would never have abused drugs" and she found it hard to believe she had acted in such a manner.

However, she accepted that in the circumstances "that is what must have occurred - that she would have been in possession and would have consumed same".

On the night, she had gone out to a licensed premises in the city centre and consumed a "large amount of alcohol".

She was going through a difficult period at the time and she "foolishly decided to go out and become quite intoxicated".

Asked by the judge if this was why she took the drug, Mr Young said: "Perhaps, unfortunately she has no recollection."

Sergeant Peadar McCann confirmed the garda evidence was that Massey had been "completely out of it".

Criminal

"I was having a pretty rough time," Massey told the judge in evidence.

Mr Young said his client apologised to the taxi driver and gardai. "It's a bad night, it's a one-off," Mr Young added.

Massey paid 500 into court and Judge Watkin left her without a criminal conviction.

A former sales consultant originally from Peterborough in England, Massey won the third series of the Irish version of The Apprentice TV3 show in 2010.

Her prize at the time was a one-year 100,000 contract working for entrepreneur Bill Cullen.
Protection vests issued to security staff on the Luas lines do not protect against needle attacks, it has emerged.

It comes as staff from STT Risk Management, the private company that provides security for Luas operator Transdev, have begun an industrial relations process to seek better pay.

Security officers on the light rail system are supplied with black vests, which are supposed to protect them against stab attacks. But when tested by some concerned staff, they say the needles were easily able to pierce through the material, as our pictures show.

Weapons

Needles have been utilised as weapons by drug users and attacks pose the added risk of infecting security personal with bloodborne disease, such as HIV.

Despite putting their lives on the line to keep commuters safe, security personal are paid just 10.75 an hour  an amount described as pennies by Dublin city councillor Mannix Flynn.

STT staff have rejected a 6pc pay increase recommended by the Labour Court, raising concerns that they may be the next out on strike, following the drivers. It would bring the basic hourly wage to 11.40 per hour by the beginning of 2018. The union representing the staff, Siptu, said that it had now written to STT management requesting a meeting to discuss the pay claim.

Siptu sector organiser Diane Jackson said the request for discussions was part of an ongoing industrial relations process. She said that a report referring to an imminent ballot for strike action by the workers was incorrect.

There was no response to questions put to Transdev about the safety of the vests or the pay claim last night. It is unclear if the Luas could still operate if the workers decided to strike.

They have received support from at least two independent city councillors  Mannix Flynn and Christy Burke.

I say good luck to them. If you look at the Luas, its an absolute crime spree. There are people injecting, people passed out on the floor, its disgraceful, Mr Flynn said.

Its pennies they get paid, when you consider the danger of the work they do, he added.

Mr Flynn said it was time to establish a transport branch of the gardai, to specifically police public transport, such as the Luas. Former Dublin lord mayor, Mr Burke, also supported the workers.

Security

Everybody has a right to strike to try and secure better pay and working conditions. They bring a great sense of security to people who use the Luas, he said.

Security guards on the Luas lines are paid the minimum wage for security staff, and less than the 13.84 that is paid to security on the Dart.

They brought a pay claim to the Labour Court, claiming their role goes beyond regular security guards, the profile of people they deal with on the Luas is different to those encountered by other security staff and they deal with more anti-social behaviour.

The discontent comes as the ongoing dispute between Luas drivers and management over pay shows no sign of being resolved.

Further work stoppages by drivers are planned by drivers on Thursday and Friday.
Terrific 10: Championship season brings out best in county athletes

Tesla Cup and Central Maryland Conference championships were decided last week, with county teams and athletes rising to the occasion.
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Both India and China are attaching considerable strategic significance to the visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to the worlds most populous nation.

President Mukherjees visit to China was long overdue and Beijing too was keen on hosting him at the earliest, but the visit couldnt take place earlier because of the dynamics of Indias foreign policy. Though delayed, the visit at the level of Head of the State and as a state guest is indicative of the positive relationship between the two countries.

President Pranab Mukherjee is visiting China six years after former President Pratibha Devisingh Patil took the trip in May 2010. However, Patils visit was more symbolic than substantive. Prior to Patil, the last President to visit China was KR Narayanan in 2000.

By all accounts, Beijing is expected to consider this visit strategically significant, unlike previous occasions, for a number of reasons. First, Mukherjee is an astute politician and an outstanding parliamentarian of longstanding experience. In recent times, he has been very active in promoting and fostering foreign policy goals and objectives of the country, complimenting and supplementing the sustained efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the South Block.

Also Read | Economic ties, Masood ban on agenda as Prez begins 4-day China visit

Also, he is no stranger to China. As two-time cabinet minister of external affairs and defence minister, he has visited China on several occasions and has firsthand experience in dealing with the many complex issues in the relationship between the two countries. He has also met and interacted with top Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, during their visits to India. This strategic insight will enable him to better connect with the Chinese leaders, who are expected to reach out to him with similar candour.

The timing of the visit is very significant as well and both sides appear to be making a sincere effort to ensure the visit is a success.

It is the first of several key visits at the highest political level slated for the year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to visit Hangzhou to participate in the G-20 summit to be held in September. G-20 summit will be followed by BRICS summit in Goa, in which President Xi Jinping will participate. It is, therefore, incumbent on the two countries to maintain and nourish proper atmospherics for the success of future high-level interactions.

The leaders of the two countries are taking utmost care not to allow minor irritants to snowball into major issues. In a clear message to Beijing, the annual report of ministry of defence this year deleted certain remarks. Last year, the annual report had remarked that India remains conscious and watchful of Chinas increasing military profile in our immediate and extended neighbourhood, as well as the development of strategic infrastructure by China in the border areas.

Also Read | President Mukherjees China visit comes amid irritants in bilateral ties

The omission is a clear and positive signal to China. Regrettably, however, China didnt reciprocate as it voted against a UN resolution to put Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar on a list of proscribed terrorists.

Nonetheless, to create positive atmospherics, China released the India-China joint production film Kung Fu Yoga in the country, besides the Chinese translation of selected works of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

During his recent visit to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, Mukherjee very thoughtfully in an interview to a newspaper said that India and China are not competing in the Asia-Pacific. Considering the perceived strategic distrust between the two countries, his articulation was well timed ahead of his planned visit.

Also Read | India seeks fair, acceptable solution to boundary issue, says Pranab

His nuanced views on contentious issues will help improve communication between the two countries and smoothen rough edges. He knows well that the relationship between the two countries is passing through a delicate phase and a churning is taking place. How the leaders of the two countries and the diplomatic corps handle this delicate relationship will be extremely critical. However, one thing is sure  the leaders of the two countries have the maturity and the wisdom to creatively handle the relationship, which they have done on numerous occasions in the recent past and continue to do so.

The leaders of China know well that India has a strategic autonomy in its foreign policy, including bilateral relations between the two countries, which cannot be dictated by a third country. President Pranab Mukherjee will reinforce this strategic trust in his own inimitable way.

(The writer is a Delhi-based China scholar and a former senior fellow with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Views expressed are personal)
Narendra Modi will be the first prime minister to attend the swearing-in of a chief minister in Assam or any of the other seven north-eastern states. But May 24 for Sarbananda Sonowal would perhaps be remembered for the convergence of several Hindu spiritual gurus.

Sonowal, 53, and at least 10 ministers from BJP and allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) are taking charge at the Khanapara ground on the southern edge of Guwahati. The ground with space for 80,000 is below the hillock from where Sonowals predecessor Tarun Gogoi ruled for 15 years.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, criticised by ULFA for an anti-Assam land deal for his Patanjali plant, and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar would be blessing Sonowal on his big day. What matters for local BJP leaders more, though, is the confirmation from seven Vaishnav monastery heads to be prominent guests for the event.

They include the satradhikars (abbots) of Garamur, Kamalabari and Aauni-Ati, the three main satras (monasteries) in Majuli, the island-constituency Sonowal that represents.

Read:

Sonowal resigns from cabinet to be next Assam chief minister

The erosion-plagued Majuli, now reduced to 520 sq km, once had 65 such satras. Only 22 remain, some having been washed away and others having relocated to the mainland in the past six decades.

I am grateful to the abbots for guiding us spiritually through this historic political journey, Sonowal said after visiting the ashram of Krishnaguru, another Vaishnav spiritual guru in western Assams Sarthebari on Monday.

The reclusive and controversial Krishnaguru heads a sect different from the other Vaishnav groups.

Ram Madhav, BJP general secretary in-charge of Assam, said Union home minister Rajnath Singh and defence minister Manohar Parrikar would accompany Modi for the BJP-led governments swearing-in.

The chief ministers of 10 BJP-ruled states are also scheduled to arrive, Madhav said.

Read: PM Modi congratulates Mamata, Jaya, Sonowal; thanks BJP workers

Heads of NDA constituents have confirmed their attendance too. They include Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu of Telugu Desam Party and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal of Akali Dal.

The BJP has extended invitation to the chief ministers of the north-eastern states with Sonowal having personally requested Gogoi. Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang of Naga Peoples Front and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Kalikho Pul of Peoples Party of Arunachal are certainties.

The BJP had won 60 out of a maximum 126 seats in the recently-concluded assembly elections. This is four short of the majority mark.

AGP and BPF won 14 and 12 seats to give the BJP-led alliance a total of 86 seats. The Congress managed to win 26 seats, its second worst performance since 1985 when it won 25.

The All India United Democratic Front, which was on the upswing since its birth in 2005, had to be content with 13 seats, down by five from its 2011 score.

Read: Border with Bangladesh will be sealed in two years: BJPs Sonowal

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Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa clarified on Tuesday that DMK treasurer M K Stalins seating at the swearing-in ceremony was not intentional and as per protocol, after the allotment of seats kicked up a controversy on Monday.

Attired in white shirt and dhoti, Stalin was spotted in the 16th row at the Madras University Centenary Auditorium, venue of the swearing-in function on Monday.

DMK patriarch Karunanidhi had reacted to the seating arrangement by saying that Jayalalithaa will never change. Even though we got 89 seats and became the primary opposition, Stalin was made to sit among the crowd, while All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi leader R Sarathkumar, who lost in this election, was offered a front row seat, he said in a tweet after Jayalalithaa took oath as the CM for the sixth time.

On the second day after assuming office, the Tamil Nadu chief minister issued a statement regarding the issue.

I understand that M K Stalin was seated in the block of seats intended for Members of the Legislative Assembly.

I am informed that the Public Department had followed the Protocol Manual in allocating seats in the hall for the event.

If this seating plan caused him any discomfiture, I would like to assure him that there was no intent to show disrespect to him or his Party. Had the officers brought to my notice that Thiru M K Stalin would be attending the event, I would have instructed the officers in charge of the arrangements to provide him a seat in the first row, relaxing the norms in the Protocol Manual.

I convey my good wishes to him and look forward to working with his Party for the betterment of the State.
National carrier Air India started services between Bhopal and Pune via Raipur on Monday. There was no direct flight connectivity between the state capital and Pune till now.

State home minister Babulal Gaur flagged off the Air India flight from Bhopals Raja Bhoj Airport at 8.45 am. Gaur said the capital city will develop rapidly due to its air connectivity with other cities in the country.

Air India area manager (Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) Vishrut Acharya said this was the first time that the three states would be linked by the same flight.

It would be very beneficial to the passengers with convenient timings. The new flight will fulfil a long-pending demand of IT professionals and students from the two states working and studying in Pune, he said.

The flight departed from Bhopal with 38 passengers for Raipur and had 31 passengers for the Bhopal-Pune sector. The flight will operate thrice a week, Acharya said.

Schedule

The flight will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

Flight AI 9865 will leave Bhopal at 08.45 am and land in Raipur at 10.15 am. It will depart from Raipur at 10.45 am and arrive in Pune at 1pm

Return flight AI 9866 will leave Pune at 1.30 pm to reach Raipur at 3.45 pm. It will fly from Raipur at 4.15 pm and reach Bhopal at 6.45 pm.
A public interest litigation (PIL) seeking registration of criminal case against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in connection with the National Herald land case has been filed in the Madhya Pradesh high court on Monday. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and senior leader Motilal Vohra have been made respondents in the case.

All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and Vohra were the directors of Young India Company. After taking over shares from Associated Journals, the Young India Company had sold off parts of the 1.14 acres of land in Bhopals MP Nagar zone-I that was given to Associated Journals Limited, publisher of National Herald, in 1981 on a lease of 30 years without the permission of Bhopal Development Authority (BDA).

The BDA had filed a suit in a Bhopal court against Associated Journal Limited for not vacating its 1.14 acres land after the expiry of the lease deed. The lease expired on April 1, 2011.

In the PIL, Bhopal resident RK Sharma has also sought direction to the BDA and the state government to initiate criminal proceedings against the Associated Journals Limited and Young India Company, New Delhi directors. He has also sought direction for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation or any independent investigation agency in the matter.

The petitioner said officials of the state government and BDA did not initiate criminal proceedings against the directors of the two companies despite having knowledge of alleged illegal acts committed by them. Only civil proceedings were initiated in the National Herald newspaper land case in Bhopal, he said.

The court will hear the PIL in June.

On May 17, the court had dismissed four petitions by people having offices in the Associated Journal Limited building after they demanded to be made party in the suit against the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.
Days after Rishi Kapoor questioned naming of roads, projects and other assets in India after the Gandhi family, the Bollywood actor got something named after himself: A public toilet.

While the naming is not official, dozens of Congress workers gathered in Shivaji Park area of Allahabad and hung a board bearing Rishi Kapoors name outside a Sulabh Shauchalya.

DNA, while reporting the news, also said the party workers justified naming of public assets after the Gandhi family. They claimed that the family has played a huge role in countrys freedom while targeting Rishi for raising this issue.

In a series of tweets on May 17, Rishi slammed the political system of India and questioned why roadways, airports and railway stations across the country are named after the Gandhi family members.

Why Indira G airport International ? Why not Mahatma Gandhi or Bhagat Singh Ambedkar or on my name Rishi Kapoor. As superficial! What say?  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) May 17, 2016

We must name important assets of the country who have contributed to society. Har cheez Gandhi ke naam? I don't agree. Sochna log!  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) May 17, 2016

The 63-year-old actor wrote, If roads in Delhi can be changed why not Congress assets/property ke naam? Was in Chandigarh wahan bhi Rajeev Gandhi assets? Socho? Why? We must name important assets of the country who have contributed to society. Har cheez Gandhi ke naam? I dont agree. Sochna log!

Read: 64 places named after Gandhis in Delhi alone, says Rishi

The Congress responded by hinting the actor was trying to curry favour with the BJP. Congress spokesperson PC Chacko, without naming the veteran actor, told the media, It was merely an attempt by some people to get into the good books of those in power.

Hindustan Times could not independently verify the report.

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Talking to fans during a Q&A session on Twitter, Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said that her mother Brinda and daughter Aaradhya are her inspirations.

Replying to a query posted by actor Jacky Bhagnani, Aishwarya said, My inspiration..as a lady would be my mother. And believe me, even my daughter.

She also shared her favourite moment while shooting Sarbjit in Punjab: This wasnt my first time in Punjab. But I got the opportunity to do seva at the Golden Temple through the film and that was my most cherished moment.

When asked if she would like to travel through time with the help of a time machine, Aishwarya said on a philosophical note, We are going to need a time machine at our own time, because life is going at such a fast pace. We are barely able to hold onto the moments we are living. I dont think one needs to go anywhere but stay in touch with reality.

Read: Sarbjit review

Aishwarya also revealed that she binged on gud paranthas when she was shooting for the film in Punjab.

Sarbjit, starring Aishwarya, Randeep Hooda and Richa Chaddha, is a biopic based on the life of Dalbir Kaur (played by Aishwarya). It shows her fight for the release of her brother Sarabjit (Randeep) who was imprisoned in Pakistan after being wrongly convicted for bomb blasts in the country.

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Responding to the naming of a Sulabh toilet after his name, Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor said he was thrilled. The actor jocularly told a leading English daily that he was thrilled by such a move. He said unlike the Congress loyalists, he would be of some use to the people.

He also said that he takes pride in the fact that the Sulabh shauchalaya is named after him because it is Prime Minister Narendra Modis pet project (Swachh Bharat).

Read: Sulabh toilet named after Rishi Kapoor

Talking to Mid Day, Rishi further said that he had nothing against the Nehru or Gandhi family but he was against exploitation of the family names. He said They seem to have not understood what I implied by my tweets. I have been trying to say that I am against how blindfolded these people are to such issues. I am not saying anything wrong or disrespectful of Gandhi or Nehru or their family members.

This is just an observation by a citizen of the country and I have every right to voice my opinion. I know I have ruffled a few Congress feathers but they have misunderstood my intentions, he further told the Mumbai tabloid.

Why Indira G airport International ? Why not Mahatma Gandhi or Bhagat Singh Ambedkar or on my name Rishi Kapoor. As superficial! What say?  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) May 17, 2016

Agitated with Rishi Kapoor for his scathing attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family, the Congress workers in Uttar Pradeshs Allahabad city named a public toilet in the city after the Bollywood actor. Dozens of Congress workers gathered at Shivaji Park area in Allahabad and hung a board bearing Rishi Kapoors name outside a Sulabh toilet.

Read: 64 places named after Gandhis in Delhi alone, Rishi Kapoor tweets map

The actor had earlier in a series of tweets slammed the Nehru-Gandhi family for keeping the names of several institutions after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Change Gandhi family assets named by Congress.Bandra/Worli Sea Link to Lata Mangeshkar or JRD Tata link road. Baap ka maal samjh rakha tha ? he wrote.

We must name important assets of the country who have contributed to society. Har cheez Gandhi ke naam? I don't agree. Sochna log!  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) May 17, 2016

If roads in Delhi can be changed why not Congress assets/property ke naam? Was in Chandigarh wahan bhi Rajeev Gandhi assets? Socho? Why? the actor added.

Why Indira G airport International ? Why not Mahatma Gandhi or Bhagat Singh Ambedkar or on my name Rishi Kapoor. As superficial! What say?  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) May 17, 2016

The veteran actor then asked for suggestions from the people on whether the names can be after film personalities like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and others.

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The Foreign Investment and Promotion Board (FIPB)  the nodal agency for clearing investment proposals by overseas companies  has cleared Apple Incs plans to set up retail outlets in the country, but said the iPhone maker must comply with 30% local sourcing rules.

The move comes a week after Apple CEO Tim Cook made his first visit to the country to capitalise on its growth prospects, and in the face of slowing sales in China, the companys biggest overseas market.

Read: PM Modi asks Apple CEO Tim Cook to make iPhones in India

When contacted, an Apple spokesperson refused to comment on the development.

The California-based company had applied for a waiver of the mandatory sourcing norms, and there was widespread speculation that the government would accept its proposal.

Apple currently has Apple-owned stores across the world, including the US, the UK and China. The sourcing norm has been a hurdle for Apple in India, since the market does not have enough vendors to help it meet the norm. It sells in India through distributors, such as, Redington, Ingram Micro and Bettel.

According to Indian rules, a DIPP secretary-led panel first approves a companys application, and then sends it to the FIPB for a formal clearance. Reports earlier said that the DIPP had approved Apples proposal to open retail stores in the country without the 30% sourcing rider.

Read:Apple CEO touched by Indians warmth, opens facility in Hyderabad

The government can relax mandatory local sourcing norms for companies, which undertake single-brand retailing of products and have state-of-the-art and cutting-edge technology, and where local sourcing is not possible.

Apples case for waiver of sourcing norms came to the finance ministry six days back, but was not justifiable. They (Apple) could not prove through enough merit that the technology they want to sell is cutting-edge technology and state of the art. But they can open stores if they meet the norms, sources said.

The finance ministry has also asked the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) to come up with a policy explaining cutting edge, and state-of-the-art technology, sources said.

This is the second blow for Apple, whose application to import refurbished phones was earlier rejected by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

The company recently reported its first-ever decline in iPhone sales, and its first revenue drop in 13 years. Cook had said that India presents a really great opportunity for Apple.

Chinese mobile device makers Xiaomi and LeEco have also applied for the 30% sourcing waiver, and the governments decision on Apples proposal will now bring the spotlight on them .

The Centre currently permits 100% FDI in single-brand retail, but beyond 49%, a company needs to approach the FIPB.

Read: Apple boss Cook to tap Indian software talent during maiden visit
FRANKFURT: German drugs and crop chemicals group Bayer has offered to buy US seeds company Monsanto for $62 billion (`4.2 lakh crore) in cash, defying criticism from some of its own shareholders in a bid to grab the top spot in a fast-consolidating farm supplies industry.

The unsolicited proposal, which includes debt, would be the largest foreign takeover by a German company if accepted.

The move, which would eclipse a planned combination of Dow Chemical and DuPonts agriculture units, comes just three weeks after Werner Baumann took over as Bayer CEO, and was condemned by a major shareholder as arrogant empire-building when news of the proposal emerged last week.

Giving details for the first time, Bayer said on Monday it would offer $122 per share, a 37% premium to Monsantos stock price before rumours of a bid surfaced.

We fully expect a positive answer of the Monsanto board of directors, Baumann told reporters on a conference call, describing criticism from some investors as an uneducated reaction in the media, driven by an element of surprise.

Monsanto, which said last week it had a received an approach from Bayer but gave no details, has yet to comment on the offer. The US companys shares jumped 9.5% to $111.17 in pre-market trading.

Baumann is staking his claim as the global agrochemicals industry races to consolidate, partly in response to a drop in commodity prices that has hit farm incomes and also due to the growing convergence between seeds and pesticides markets.

ChemChina is buying Switzerlands Syngenta for $43 billion after Syngenta rejected a bid from Monsanto, while Dow and DuPont are forging a $130 billion business.

German chemicals group BASF has also been exploring a tie-up with Monsanto but is seen as unlikely to counter bid, sources close to the matter have said. BASF declined to comment on Monday.

Shares in Bayer, which had already fallen 14% since rumours of a bid emerged last week, dropped as much as 3.6% on Monday to a new 2-1/2 year low of 86.3 euros.

The offer values Monsanto at 15.8 times its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for 2015-16. Markus Manns, a fund manager at Union Investment, Bayers 14th biggest investor, said a deal made sense but not at any price.

The price that has now been disclosed is at the upper limit and it is just about economical. Should it rise further, which is to be assumed, the takeover will become increasingly unattractive, he said.

Equinet analyst Marietta Miemietz, who has a buy rating on Bayer stock, said: While the leverage appears to be manageable from a ratings perspective, we believe that it would curtail Bayers strategic flexibility in the Healthcare space.

Baumann said Bayer would continue to develop its healthcare business that includes aspirin, the painkiller it invented more than a century ago. We are not feeding Peter by starving Paul here, he said, adding no asset sales were planned to help pay for the deal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted Urdu poet Ghalib and spoke about dosti (friendship) as India and Iran on Monday signed 12 pacts, including the agreement to develop Chabahar port  a significant development given the strategic location of the Iranian port with direct access to the Indian Ocean region.

Modi is the first Prime Minister to visit Iran in 15 years, a clear signal to the Persian Gulf country of Indias keenness to forge deeper ties. Given the growing closeness with America in the past decade, this would mean India is ready to take its Iran policy out of cold storage.

The Chabahar port will allow India to counter Chinas expanding influence in the Indian Ocean region. It will allow also allow New Delhi to bypass Pakistan and access global markets.The port is just 100km from Pakistans Gwadar port, which is being developed by China.

The signing of the agreement to develop Chabahar port is a significant milestone in the evolving economic cooperation between India and Iran. It opens up opportunities in bilateral trade and investment, economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das told HT.

Modi said the bilateral agreement to develop Chabahar, in southern Iran, and the availability of about $500 million from India for this purpose is an important milestone, in relations between the two countries.

Read: India, Iran and Afghanistan sign Chabahar port agreement

In the pipeline since 2003, this agreement will open new trade vistas for India. State-run railway body IRCON International will set up a railway line at Chabahar to transport goods right up to Afghanistan. The 500-km rail link between Chabahar and Zahedan will link India to the rest of Irans railway network.

Nalco (National Aluminium Company Limited) is looking to set up an aluminium smelter at Chabahar free-trade zone. A joint venture between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and the Kandla port will invest $85 million (Rs 575 crore) to develop two container berths, 640-metre long and three multi-cargo berths. India also plans to set up a fertiliser plant through a joint venture with the Iranian government.

Moreover, energy security is key for the government, and a renewed friendship with Iran will go a long way. Iranian crude is very suitable for Indian refineries and its demand is high. Renewed ties could make the under-sea pipeline for evacuating Iranian gas a reality said RS Sharma, former chairman and managing director of ONGC.

India is one of the biggest buyers of Iranian crude and is set to import at least 400,000 barrels per day from the country in 201617. But it built up a backlog of payments when Iran was under sanctions  $6.4 billion is due from Indian refiners Essar Oil and MRPL.

After the end of bilateral talks between Modi and Iranian President Rouhani, top sources in the Indian government said India is keen to settle the entire oil due, keeping in mind the emerging economic relationship with Iran.

Part of this relationship will be to allow ONGC Videsh to drill the Farzad gas fields in the Persian Gulf. Discovered by ONGC Videsh in 2008, the gas fields have not yet been developed as India failed to enter into a contract with Iran. Modis visit has started the facilitation process, sources said.

Read: Its time for India and Iran to regain past glory, says PM Modi

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BEIJING: As Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke of plans to expand manufacturing operations in India, China feels such a move could lead to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the country, Chinas state-run tabloid Global Times said on Monday.

It seems the time has come for China to consider whether it is ready for the possible exodus of Apple production chain, the report said, referring to Cooks comments during his India tour.

Cook shared Apples future plans for India. He spoke of the possibilities of manufacturing and retailing in India. He appreciated the breadth of young talent in India and said the youth have significant skills which Apple would like to tap, the Indian government had said in a statement.

Cooks words have prompted a heated discussion in China. Wage increase have apparently eroded Chinas labour competitiveness, resulting in the departure of a number of manufacturing businesses. Now people are wondering if Apple will be the next one, the Global Times said.
NEW DELHI: The government will come out with a revised set of income-tax data in the next 15 days to address the loopholes cited by French economist Thomas Piketty.

The new data will include tables on total income and gross income.

Total income refers to the income from one particular section (salaried, self-employed etc), while gross income is the overall income of all taxpayers combined.

The Centre will also come up with revised calculations, since in the earlier set of data, the number of people filing under different sections did not add up to the total number of taxpayers in the country. Since a number of individuals file returns under more than one category, they were counted twice or sometimes even thrice while calculating the number of overall taxpayers.

To avoid such confusion, the government is likely to introduce more footnotes and clarifications highlighting the way the data should be read.

The government last month released a backlog of tax data for assessment year 2012-13, which showed that only 1% of Indians paid taxes, while 2% filed returns.

The release, coined as a landmark decision by the government, was later questioned by Piketty, who said that too many details were just adding to the confusion rather than being able to give a clear picture.

Piketty called up chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian and said that a lot of calculations do not add up to the total number of 30-million taxpayers. What is missing is the total income of these people, the number of companies who pay taxes, among others, which is not giving the right picture, added the government official quoted above. Not just Piketty, but other independent researchers have also raised several points, which the tax department is working on.

They( India) released detailed data by income range for one year only (2012-2013). For the entire period 2000-2015, the only data that was released is at the aggregate level, total numbers of taxpayers, total tax revenue, etc. In order to study the evolution of income distribution, we would need to have the detailed data by income range for all years, Piketty, the author of the famous Capital in the Twenty-First Century, had told a news agency after the tax department released the data.

The government published tax data till 2000, after which it was discontinued.

It is now looking to release all old data over the next one year, the official said. Once the backlog is clear, we will make it an yearly feature, where every years data will be updated.
MUMBAI: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy gover nor SS Mundra on Monday came down on payments bank applicants who are dropping plans after being given a licence, hinting that such move could call for strong action against the applicants.

Last week, a consortium comprising Dilip Shanghvi & Family, IDFC Bank and Telenor Financial Services, who had jointly applied for a payments bank, opted out without giving a reason. This came two months after Cholamandalam too dropped its plans for floating a payments bank. RBIhad given 11 payments bank licences last year.

Presently, we dont have scope of charging a serious processing fee that can be forfeited if this kind of exercise is done, Mundra said. But if we learn by experience, probably we can do something that can help in augmenting our revenue substantially, he added in a lighter vein.

Yes, we would certainly feel a little aggrieved because a lot of effort from RBI goes in processing these applications. So, having done that, if they dont materialise, thats the only point (of disappointment), the deputy governor said on the sidelines of a banking event.

Mundra refused any chances of replacement. The question of replacement will come if you have a pre-determined number that was not the case.

Further, the deputy governor raised concerns on the Jan Dhan accounts being vulnerable to frauds and that they can be misused where an idle account gets used for receiving and transferring large funds.
NEW DELHI: Two years after taking charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government may not launch any major scheme, and instead focus on implementing the existing ones for the next three years, sources said.

The government has asked ministries, especially the finance ministry, to provide detailed reports, on the implementation and impact of projects, such as Jan Suraksha, which includes Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana.

The Mudra scheme, and Start Up India and Stand Up India programmes are also being monitored.

The focus on the finance ministry stems from the fact that the progress of schemes under the ministry, such as, Jan Dhan Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana, are relatively easy to evaluate as far data is concerned.

In contrast, it is difficult to measure the progress of certain schemes like Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

The Jan Suraksha schemes are of particular importance as they would further help in expanding the scope of financial inclusion. Much like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, these are being monitored and progress reports are being sent regularly to ministries and the Prime Ministers Office, a senior government official told HT.

The finance ministry wants to showcase and present an encouraging progress report of its schemes in the next Union Budget, he added.

To increase awareness about these programmes, an aggressive advertising and marketing campaign may also be launched in the next few months, especially to attract the semi-urban and rural audiences.

We have enough schemes and programmes targeted at the social sector and otherwise, we need proper implementation of these implementation will be critical to take the country to the next stage of economic development, said Rajiv Kumar, senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research.

Meanwhile, Hemant Contractor, chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), had earlier said that as many as 7 million new subscribers are set to join the Atal Pension Yojana.

Till now, about 2.5 million subscribers have opted for the micro pension product, targeted at the unorganised sector.

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Remittances from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to India declined for the first time in six years, falling by 2.2%, according to a report from CRISIL. But despite decline, the remittances are more than Indias trade deficit with GCC. The trade deficit with GCC has narrowed by whopping 77% in last three years due to falling oil prices.

Though Indias dependence on remittances is much lower than some of its Asian peers who also receive remittances from GCC countries

More than half of Indias remittance income comes from the GCC. All GCC countries have huge dependence on oil and if oil prices remain weak for an extended period, economic activity there will come down sharply as the fiscal stress mounts. This can certainly impact the GCC remittances to India.

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India signed a $100 million (about Rs 677 crore) loan agreement with multilateral lending agency World Bank for the Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernisation Project.

The project aims to provide access to continuous piped water supply in various cities of Karnataka and strengthen service delivery arrangements at the city level, a finance ministry statement said.

Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) is the implementing agency for the project, it added.

The project will have four broad components -- capital investment programme, institution building, technical assistance for sector development and project management.

It will be implemented over a period of six years, initially in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad, with provisions for other eligible cities to join the project at a later date, the statement said.

It will help the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation set up a city-level water utility that will take over water supply operations from the professional operating company at the end of its contract period.

It will benefit about one million residents of Hubballi- Dharwad, including estimated 160,000 slum dwellers.

The agreement was signed by Department of Economic Affairs joint secretary Raj Kumar on behalf of India and World Banks India acting country director Michael Haney on behalf of the World Bank.
US agri-business giant Monsanto Co. rejected on Tuesday the $62 billion takeover bid by Germanys Bayer AG as too low, but said it was willing to entertain further talks on a merger.

Monsanto chairman and chief executive Hugh Grant said in a statement that the offer significantly undervalues our company and does not give enough assurance on how Bayer would finance the deal or overcome possible regulatory challenges.

Monsantos board unanimously views the Bayer AG proposal as incomplete and financially inadequate, but is open to continued and constructive conversations to assess whether a transaction in the best interest of Monsanto shareowners can be achieved, the statement said.

Bayer made what amounts to the largest-ever takeover offer by a German company on Monday for the world leader in seeds, farm pesticides and genetically modified crops.

The $122 a share cash offer sent Monsanto shares surging but only to $106 amid expectations of Monsantos rejection and questions over whether Bayer would increase the bid. Bayer shares had tumbled on the news.

Monsantos shares were up 1.7% to $107.77 in early afternoon trade on Tuesday.

Bayer shares traded in Frankfurt had fallen last week on expectations of the proposal, and dropped another 5.7% to 84.42 euros ($94.09) on Monday.

With unconfirmed reports of Monsantos coming rejection already in the markets, Bayer shares rebounded 3.2% Tuesday to 87.15 euros.

The German giant, a global power in pharmaceuticals, consumer health products, and crop science, called the proposed merger an extraordinary opportunity to create a global leader in the agricultural industry. Monsanto is a perfect match to our agricultural business.

The agriculture industry is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges of our time -- how to feed an additional three billion people in the world by 2050, said Bayer chief executive Werner Baumann.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the two companies would together account for around 28% of global sales of pesticides and herbicides.
Public sector banks (PSB) could be allowed to recruit straightaway from the countrys business and engineering schools in a step to reduce acute shortage of staff.

At present, state-owned banks are barred from hiring directly from campuses unlike their private counterparts. But a similar process is already on as specialists are being hired from the private sector on contract.

Campus recruitment is considered a much-needed solution to manpower shortage at a time when state-run banks are looking to get a handle on rising levels of non-performing assets.

The newly launched Bank Board Bureau (BBB) in consultation with the government is likely to announce the roadmap for the new hiring strategy.

This comes after the Bombay high court declared campus recruitments by PSBs as non est in law in 2013. A claim of non est factum refers to a contract that was signed by mistake. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and thereafter the government issued a circular in 2014 to all state-owned banks to stop campus recruitments.

Sources said the top court would be appealed to reverse the order.

There is shortage of talent and these banks are expected to compete with their private sector peers. The issue has been discussed, we are looking into the legal aspects ... Banks must be free to recruit the best talent from wherever, said a bank chairman, who did not wish to be named.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley said on March 5 after the second Gyan Sangam, a two-day retreat for public sector bank chiefs, that provisions must be made to allow state lenders to recruit directly from B-schools.

Legal experts had countered that the government have to present a solid ground to challenge the court order.

The order can be revisited only on the ground that it is required for larger public interest  Any such move by the Centre would be subject to judicial scrutiny, said Manoj Kumar, the managing partner of Hammurabi and Solomon, a legal services firm.

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MUMBAI: Raghuram Rajan has been a vocal supporter of startups and entrepreneurship, a view made amply clear in his various interactions ever since he took over as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2012.

So it was not surprising when Rajan took time out from his busy schedule in Bhubaneshwar last week to visit the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), launched by educationist Prof Achyuta Samanta, which seeks to provide high-quality education for poor children.

KIIT operates on an annual collection of ` 80 crore, comprising almost entirely of funds raised from stakeholders of the institute, its staff, vendors and from in-house sales. Only 10% of the annual collection comes from donations.

Speaking to HT about his interaction with Rajan, Samant recounted the RBI governors words: I am amazed with the kind of financial model that you have built to provide education to the needy. It would be good to see more people participating in such kind of service.

Later, while addressing the 4th Odisha Knowledge Hub, Rajan spoke about the growth in Indian entrepreneurship, which was linked to service. India has come a long way in encouraging free enterprise  from tiny shops to large internet startups, the spirit of entrepreneurship is alive. Doing business is now more reputable than just a few decades ago, as is getting rich, he told the gathering. Graduates want to start businesses or work for startups, rather than join an established consultancy or a bank. What was now needed was to continue improving the environment so that everyone has a better chance. The governor said it was necessary to broaden access to capabilities by providing decent education and health to individuals. Aam aadmi attaches no value to free enterprise if he cannot participate by getting a job or starting a firm.

With over 5,000 registered startups, India is one of the fastest-growing market for such firms, and is ranked the third largest globally, with a total funding of $5 billion in 2015, according to PC Tablet.

The governor also focussed on how far India has come in building a startup environment, but said there was still some way to go. Along with the three historical conditions needed for free enterprise  levelplaying field with easy entry and exit, access to input and output markets and protection of property rights  the governor added two more conditions. These include broadening access to capabilities and a basic safety net.
One important difference between the BJP and the Congress is that the BJP always thinks strategically. So, there was a marked difference in the manner both parties behaved prior to assembly election results.

The Congress recognised that defeat was imminent in Assam. In private, the partys leaders predicted a majority for the BJP-led alliance, and they admitted that things had gone badly wrong in Kerala.

The Congress simply awaited the results with the air of a prisoner on death row. The BJP, on the other hand, recognised that these results presented a huge opportunity.

Read | The battle for India: What lies ahead for Cong, BJP in 2019 elections

Over the last several months, things have not gone according to plan for the Modi government. Apart from the defeats in Bihar and Delhi, there has been discontent about the failure of the economy to soar as high as Narendra Modi promised, about the failure of the governments Pakistan policy and about a rising emphasis on nationalism.

Further, despite its tiny strength in the Lok Sabha, the Congress has been an effective opposition, blocking many of the governments legislative initiatives.

The spirit of 2014, when the BJP seemed all-powerful and the Congress was on its deathbed, seemed to be fading.

The BJP realised that the Congress would lose in Assam and would be defeated in Kerala, where elections follow a pendulum pattern. It realised also, that these defeats would give it the perfect opportunity to recapture the spirit of 2014.

And so, in recent weeks, it focused on corruption scams from the UPA era, suggested that Sonia Gandhi was personally involved and implied that, because she was Italian-born, she funnelled taxpayers money into Italy. (AgustaWestland, for instance.)

It was pretty much the same sort of attack that preceded the 2014 parliamentary election and it had the effect of putting the Congress on the defensive and neutering its parliamentary aggression.

Read | Stick to principles, no failure is permanent: Sonia to Congress workers

When the results were declared and showed that Congress had, in fact, lost Assam and Kerala, it seemed like 2014 once again.

Sure enough, the media response to the defeats has followed exactly the same lines as the post parliamentary-election commentary: the Congress is dying; the Gandhis are out of touch with the grassroots; Rahul Gandhi is an incompetent leader, etc.

The effectiveness of the BJPs strategy in handling the victories and in rekindling the Spirit of 2014, tells us something about the Congresss strategic failures. Most political parties know how to manage the fallout of defeat. Some, like the BJP, know how to multiply the significance of a victory. But the Congress, alas, knows neither.

That failure to think ahead and gauge where public opinion is headed has characterised the Congress over the last four years. During UPA II, the party failed to understand how corruption scandals and Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs somnambulistic performance would hurt. When the whole world was turning to social media, the Congress let the BJP dominate Twitter and Facebook. Ministers like Shashi Tharoor, who were Twitter pioneers, were publicly reprimanded. In the process the party failed to connect with a whole generation of educated Indians who now see it as lazy, corrupt and arrogant.

But the Congress problems do not end there. It still has to establish a clear connect with its own cadres. The precedent for the relationship between the Congress president and the vice president should be the Indira-Rajiv equation from 1981-84. Then too, older Congressmen complained about the arrogance of Rajiv and his computerwallas but there was never any confusion about who was boss. Now, the equation seems more complex, not just to party workers, but also to state leaders.

Read | In BJP-yukt Bharat, Congress must focus on national security

Nor has the party been able to find the right balance in dealing with its regional bosses. Till two years ago, critics complained that the party was ruled from Delhi and that state leaders had no room for initiative. Perhaps, as a response, the balance has swung the other way. In Assam, for instance, it was staggeringly obvious that Tarun Gogoi wanted to drive Himanta Biswa Sarma away so that his son, Gaurav, could inherit the leadership. Gogois insistence that no alliances were required cost the Congress the election.

And yet, the central hierarchy did nothing, arguing that as the man on the spot, Gogoi must be allowed to take his own decisions. The case of Oommen Chandy in Kerala is less extreme  he had no personal agenda but was allowed to fight the campaign as he wished, with no input from Delhi.

So yes, its wrong to run the state from Delhi. But it is wrong to entrust your fate entirely to the satraps. A better balance has to be found.

And finally, theres the problem of the future. In essence, this rests on a simple calculation. The BJP believes that this is a new aspirational India which likes leaders who rise from the ranks. The Congress, it says, is the party of the divine right to rule, of privilege and of dynasty.

The Congress argues that for the poor, who constitute the bulk of the electorate, it is not who you are but what you do that matters. If you can convince the people of India that you are willing and able to help them, they dont really care whether or not you speak good English or that you went to Doon School.

These are two competing visions of leadership and so far, it is hard to tell which one is valid. Yes, there is frequent criticism of the Congresss distant and privileged leadership. On the other hand, Jayalalithaa with her perfect convent school English and her regal manner, remains the queen of Tamil Nadu: nobody objects to her air of privilege and entitlement.

But if the BJP is right, then there could be more trouble ahead for the Congress. The party has an outstanding younger generation that is readying to take over. But nearly every single one of them is a creature of privilege. And the vast majority are dynasts.

It is a prospect that should worry the Congress.

Views expressed are personal.

Read | Ex-UPA minister Kamal Nath joins chorus for change in Congress

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An air ambulance with seven people on board made an emergency landing in a field in the Najafgarh, around 8 nautical miles off Delhi airport, on Tuesday afternoon after both its engines failed.

Police said the twin-engine chartered plane owned and operated by Alchemist pharmaceutical company was on its way from Patna to the national capital carrying a critically ill patient.

<span itemprop="name" content="Watch | Air ambulance crash lands in Delhi"></span><span itemprop="description" content="An air ambulance, carrying seven passengers, crashed landed in Najafgarh area of South West Delhi. The chartered aircraft reportedly suffered an engine failure. Injured passengers have been rushed to a hospital. Fire tenders have been rushed to the spot."></span><span itemprop="duration" content="30"></span><span itemprop="thumbnail" content="http://cfvod.kaltura.com/p/1679921/sp/167992100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_x0j30l22/version/100041/acv/201"></span><span itemprop="width" content="640"></span><span itemprop="height" content="362"></span>

No casualties were reported and the injured passengers were taken to Rao Tula Ram Hospital and Medanta in Gurgaon. Police said one of the flyers is gravely injured while two passengers suffered minor injuries due to the bumpy landing.

Birendra Rai, 45, a businessman, suffering from chronic kidney disorder and brain haemorrhage, was referred from the Jagdish Memorial Hospital in Patna. His daughter, Juhi Rai and Bhagwan Rai, a family member, were also in the air ambulance. Others in the flight included Dr Rupesh, and paramedic Jung Bahadur.

The King Air C-90 twin engine air ambulance of Alchemist Airways took off at 11.43am from Patna and lost contact with the Delhi air traffic control (ATC) at 2.37pm. The flight was scheduled to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi at 2.42pm, said airport director Rajender Singh Lahauria.

An Alchemist Ariways twin-engine plane made an emergency landing at Najafgarh in New Delhi. (HT Photo)

It could not be immediately established what caused the engine failure.

At least 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, officials said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered a probe into the incident.

It was reported that the pilot of the Beechcraft King Air C90 plane, manufactured in 1989, contacted Delhi air traffic control to report that he will try to make an emergency landing as he has lost both engines.

This is the second air ambulance accident since May 2011, when an aircraft flying from Patna crashed in Faridabad and killed all 10 people on board. It was ferrying a liver cirrhosis patient Rahul Raj, 20, his cousin Ratnesh, 23, two pilots  Captain Harpreet Singh and Captain Manjit Kataria  besides Dr Arshad, Dr Rajesh and a paramedic from the Apollo hospital.

A similar small plane carrying 10 BSF officers crashed near Dwarka in December 2015, killing everyone on board.

10 beds kept ready. All preparations for mass casualty at Rao Tularam hospital #aircrash @htTweets  Anonna Dutt (@AnonnaDutt) May 24, 2016
In the cramped market of Badarpur Village, hidden amid shops and eateries, are the Badarpur Gateways. Shopkeepers, buyers and residents pass by these structures every day, but hardly anyone recognises their existence or knows anything about their history and significance.

Located near the Tughlakabad Metro station on the Violet line, one can use the subway to reach the main Badarpur village road. Another five minute walk and one enters the narrow lane of this congested market.

It is believed that these gateways used to be a sarai (inn) for travellers in the medieval times. People travelling between Delhi and Agra would often stop here in the 18th century. The inn doesnt exist anymore, but what remains are its three gateways  northern, southern and central  along the central road through the market. A fragment of an enclosure (cell), part of the inn, also exists here.

When tourists, history students and heritage lovers ask for information about the gateways, locals tell their versions of the stories. Shopkeepers also dole out information and other fables.

There are no information panels here, nor any signboard that explains its history. So when somebody wants any information, they come to us. Though none of us knows who built it, we know that this place used to be an inn. The location of the gateways is fascinating. These are situated one after the other and visible in a straight line, said Ramesh Gupta, a shopkeeper running a garments store here.

According to heritage experts, the gateways are believed to have been erected by Roshanuddaula, who flourished during the reigns of Mughal rulers Farrukhsiyar and Muhammad Shah. The sarai was an extensive building made of rubble masonry. It consisted of two enclosures with a gateway between them and all three gateways which are similar to one another lying in an axial line.

The gateways are now concealed by Metro lines, bridges and highways and the encroachments around them are growing by the day. (Tribhuwan Sharma / HT Photos)

In 2008, the Delhi government signed an MoU with the Department of Archaeology and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) with an aim to protect and conserve at least 250 historical monuments and sites. Restoration work on Badarpur Gateways started in 2014 and ended last year.

Earlier, Badarpur Gateways were unprotected and in bad condition. Later, it became a state protected monument. Now, it comes under the Delhi governments Department of Archaeology, said Ajay Kumar, director (projects), INTACH Delhi Chapter.

According to INTACH officials, the southern enclosure contained arched cells for the accommodation of travellers. These cells are mostly ruined, and only a few of them on the north and west now remain. The northern enclosure, known as the ganj, was surrounded by a battlement wall with bastions at its four angles. It also contained cells similar to those of the sarai, but these together with the bastions on the east have now disappeared, the enclosing wall also dilapidated. The ganj stored vehicles and bulky goods of travellers or merchants who stayed in the sarai.

Locals say that earlier these gateways were visible from a distance. But now they are concealed by Metro lines, bridges and highways. Encroachments around the gateways are growing by the day. There is no breathing space around the walls, which are covered in dust and dirt. Vendors are operating small food outlets dangerously close to the walls of the gateways. Open drains and heaps of garbage lie near the central gateway. The shadowy regions in the centre of each gateway often become a parking area for cycle rickshaws.

People write on the walls and nobody stops them. Old posters continue to stay on the walls. Vendors throw waste here. Human activities and neglect have resulted in cracks on the walls, said Devesh Sareen, 45, a resident of Badarpur Village.

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An alert issued by intelligence agencies says Delhis legislative assembly could be the next target of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

The agencies have shared inputs with Delhi Police and asked them to review the existing security apparatus at the building and other important installations in the city, police sources said.

According to the alert, a top JeM commander, Awais Muhammad -- a native of Okara in Pakistans Punjab province -- has been given the responsibility of executing terror strikes in Delhi. It says Muhammad has flown to Malaysia on proper documents but he may arrive in India on fake papers.

The alert says important schools and colleges may be targeted.

Security arrangements are being reviewed after the alert. The assembly building is generally secured round-the-clock by 25 Delhi Police and 30 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

The special cell has been asked to monitor movements and activities of suspects and sleeper cell agents. The cell has asked the local police to activate members of the eyes and ears scheme.



Read: JeM suspects caught by Delhi cops learnt how to make bombs on YouTube

Though top Delhi Police officers refused to share any information, sources said Muhammad has direct links with JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar and his younger brother Talha Saif.

Muhammad has been given the responsibility of setting up a module in north India by indoctrinating Muslim youths, sources said.

The module is different from the one busted recently by the special cell, said a police source.

There is a possibility the module already exists and its members are ready to strike. Muhammad, who is in Malaysia, may arrive in India on a fake Malaysian passport, said a police officer.

We (Delhi Police) are fully prepared to foil terrorist attacks, said Arvind Deep, special commissioner of police (special cell).
Last year, Delhi University started the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). After about a year of implementation, teachers and students across subjects point out flaws in the system.

They say the new set of students who will join the university in July will face a tough time.

The CBCS was the brainchild of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The University Grants Commission (UGC) was entrusted with the responsibility of framing the syllabus and preparing guidelines.

Called popularly the cafeteria system, it was supposed to allow students to choose inter-disciplinary, intra-disciplinary courses.

Read more: DU moves to Choice Based Credit System amid dissent

The system was to allow easy mobility for students through transfer of credits, which meant a student could study one semester in one college and then pursue the course in another college in any part of the country.

But all this has remained only on paper as mobility has not taken place. Teachers say this will not be possible for a set-up like Delhi University.

Similarly, the choices of subjects under the generic elective course are limited. Generic elective course (GEC) is the inter-disciplinary course where students are required to study four of them in a year, two each in the first and second year.

Students being allowed choices were a pre-requisite of CBCS. This has not happened in all DU colleges and it goes against the spirit of CBCS, said Naveen Gaur, physics teacher at Dyal Singh College.

Students have to study 14 papers of the core course, four papers of GEC, eight papers of discipline specific elective (DSE), two papers each of ability enhancement course (AEC) and skill development course. Of these, in the first year a student has to study four core papers, two papers of GEC and one compulsory (AEC).

The generic elective papers offered are not all related to the course I am doing. I do not see the point why such papers are there. These are only diluting the course. Also, it is not fair that students get their CGPA based on the performance of their class, said Shambhavi, 1st year botany student.

The biggest problem is the grading point. Teachers say individual performances are judged in reference to the peer group. Moreover the students do not know about their performance as they are just given grades and not marks.

In the last semester in courses such as mathematics, economics, physics there was mass failure due to faulty grading.

There is a uniform grading system that has been devised by the UGC. They have not taken into consideration that subjects have different variation. To go by this system means in some subject you have to get more than 100% to score an O grade which is the highest, said Rajesh Jha, political science at Rajdhani College.

With inputs from Sruthi VS

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The Delhi government on Tuesday warned discoms that it would not hesitate from cancelling their licences if they failed to improve the citys power situation. Delhi witnessed a series of power outages since last week.

The warning was conveyed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in a meeting attended by representatives of the private distribution companies BSES, Tata Power (TPDDL) and the chairman of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).

Power minister Satyendar Jain, who was present, said the policy on getting consumers compensated for unscheduled power cuts will be implemented within a week and that DERC will issue a notification in this regard.

The chief minister has given them (discoms) a weeks time to take corrective measures and made it clear that strict action will be taken otherwise. We will not hesitate to consider cancelling their licences, Jain said.

Read more: Unprepared Delhiites gearing up to face long power outages

Theres no shortage of power in the city but the outages are due to local faults. A compensation formula will be implemented within a week. Discoms will decide how to implement it, Jain added.

The number of power outages has shot up since last week, ever since the mercury surged.

A senior government official said the discoms could not offer a single explanation behind the outages, despite there being no shortage of power in the national capital.

The government has categorically asked them to set their house in order, the official said.

The discoms have not built adequate infrastructure. They say we have put up cables but whenever there is overload those cables snap as they are of inferior quality. We have directed the companies to arrange mobile transformers, Jain had said on Monday.

Delhis power demand hit an all-time high of 6,188 MW on May 20. The power demand is expected to rise by July. Tuesdays peak load was relatively low at 4,834 MW, as the weather slightly cooled down after Mondays rain.

Read more: Sizzling Delhi quenches power thirst, demand reaches all-time high of 6,188 MW

The discoms have been asked to deploy additional breakdown and maintenance teams to minimise the number of complaints. They have been asked to strengthen their call centres by doubling the existing capacity and suitably enhancing telephone lines, while deploying more personnel so that each and every call is registered and resolved.
SRINAGAR: Two separate militant strikes killed three policemen in Srinagar on Monday, forcing authorities to sound a high alert and launch a hunt for the extremists behind the first major attacks in the city in years.

By late evening, Srinagars Monday had turned bloodier with reports of a fierce gunbattle between militants and security forces in which a top Jaish-e-Mohammad commander and another militant were said to have been killed.

In the morning incident, extremists shot two cops from close range at the Mill Stop in the Zadibal area that connects the city to the Hazratbal Shrine and a hospital in Soura, a police officer said.

The duo, assistant sub-inspector Ghulam Mohammad and head constable Nazir Ahmad, died of bullet wounds, he said.

Hours later, policeman Mohammad Shafi was killed in the citys Tengpora area

on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The militants took away his service rifle.

Sources said the attackers are on the run on a motorcycle. A massive search was launched in the city with security personnel putting up barricades to check vehicles and frisk pedestrians.

The Hizbul Mujahideen extremist group that has bases in Pakistan-administered Kashmir claimed responsibility.

Hizbul operational spokesperson Burhanuddin told news agency CNS that a special squad of the outfit carried out the attacks and warned that such strikes on security establishments will continue. Srinagar has been relatively peaceful since an attack on June 22, 2013, in which two policemen were shot dead in the business hub of Hari Singh High Street.

Mondays incidents come two days after an encounter with militants in north Kashmirs Kupwara district, in which a soldier was killed. Security forces said five militants were killed and two soldiers wounded in a fierce gunbattle in Drugmulla. Thousands of people participated in the funeral of the five militants in a sign of growing restlessness in the Valley.

Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir have witnessed a steep fall in militancy in recent years as compared to the troubled 90s, leading to spurt in tourism, the mainstay of the states economy.

But recent attacks have brought back fears of the Valley plummeting to the dreaded days of violence and chaos. The restlessness was evident in April when the alleged molestation of a schoolgirl in north Kashmirs Handwara sparked fatal protests across the Valley after several protesters were killed in police firing.

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Delhi has been breathing cancer, it may be eating it too.

For the Capital, already battling toxic air, bread is the latest health scare. A study unveiled by the Centre for Science and Environment on Monday found 84% of 38 popular brands of bread laced with chemicals known to cause cancer.

Potassium bromate and potassium iodate were found in samples of breads, including pav, buns, and ready-to-eat burger and pizza, lifted from across the city.

Potassium bromate is a category 2B carcinogen  that can cause cancer. Potassium iodate is known to trigger thyroid disorder.

Read: Ditch white bread, corn flakes and puffed rice to beat lung cancer

Indian manufacturers use the two chemicals for treating flour while making bread, the study said. Indias food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), does not ban these two chemicals.

An additive that helps hold bread dough together, potassium bromate is known to cause cancer in thyroid, kidney and abdominal lining. The UK, Canada and Sri Lanka are among the countries where the chemical is banned.

The study, conducted by CSEs Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML), says Indian bread manufacturers use potassium bromate and potassium iodate for treating flour while making bread, a statement released by the CSE said.

The use of these chemicals in the bread-making sector has been banned in many countries because they are listed as hazardous for public health: one is a category 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans) and the other could trigger thyroid disorders. India does not ban their use, it said.

The study was conducted between May 2015 and April this year.

The concentration of potassium bromate/iodate was the highest in white bread, buns and pav. It ranged from 22.52 parts per million (ppm) to 11.52 ppm. For brown bread, this range is between 8.16 and 1.15 ppm.

In India, there are no set standards for the presence of the two agents in final products. The limit is 50 ppm in flour, not the final product.

Read: What does one loaf of bread cost in Delhi, Sydney and Paris?

We re-confirmed the presence of potassium bromate/iodate in a few samples through an external third-party laboratory, said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE, and head of the centres lab.

The food companies named in the study denied using the chemicals. Spokespersons for Britannia, Jubilant FoodWorks, McDonalds India, KFC and Subway said in separate statements that their products were fully compliant with safety regulations.

McDonalds India said the CSEs claims are completely baseless, while KFC insisted their food is absolutely safe for consumption. A Jubilant FoodWorks spokesperson said, The flour used by us is not treated with potassium bromate or potassium iodate.

Pointing to some confusion in the study, a spokesperson for Subway said: There is no such item as Subway Subz Burger on the Subway menu today; nor was it ever there in the past.

Doctors, however, said the quantity of chemicals in the breads was high. Though these chemicals are not directly cancer-causing but may lead to cancer after reacting inside the body. The amount they are saying has been detected is alarmingly high and needs further testing in a government lab, said Dr PK Julka, former head, radiation oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Since zero presence is not possible, we go by something called the ALARA principle  as low as reasonably achievable.

The CSE has recommended that FSSAI ban the use of potassium bromate in bread immediately. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) should also amend relevant available standards, it said. The industry, it said, could easily shift to additives such as ascorbic acid and glucose oxidase.

FSSAI said it was in the process of overhauling its standards. We are in the process of revisiting our old standards, which is a humongous task and may take some time. Our new standards do talk of potassium bromate but it may take some time before the standards are revised and made operational, a senior FSSAI official said on condition of anonymity.
The pilots of six-seater Beech King aircraft not only succeeded in saving the lives of those on-board but also managed to avoid any casualty on ground as the plane stopped in a field just a few hundred meters short of a cluster of houses in Kair village.

We heard a loud bang and saw the plane hurtling down towards us in the fields after which I just ran away fearing that it would hit us, Rajpal, a construction worker, said.

A local, Deepak, said, The pilots showed presence of mind, otherwise the damage would have been greater.

The news of the crash landing spread like wildfire in Kair as people trouped in hundreds from neighbouring villages.

Read: Air ambulance carrying 7 people makes emergency landing in Delhi

The air ambulance coming from Patna with seven persons on board crash landed around 2.40 pm after both its engines apparently shut down but no one sustained any major injury.

Watch | Air ambulance crash lands in Delhi

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Another local, Ravinder, who claimed to be an eyewitness, said, It touched down and then bumped off while moving in the fields when its landing gear came off and it kept on dragging making a loud noise.

The locals who rushed to the plane after it came to halt also helped those on-board and attended to them by offering water and making PCR call for help.

Soon policemen from various police stations, including Najafgarh and Dwarka, reached the spot and attended to those onboard and cordoned the aircraft.

An Alchemist Ariways twin-engine plane made an emergency landing at Najafgarh in New Delhi. (HT Photo)

A 61-year-old patient Virender Rai who was being flown to Delhi was rushed to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon by the police. The other passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination.

Fire tenders from Delhi Fire Service and ambulances were also rushed to the spot.

A large number of men women and children thronged the field forcing the policemen to form a ring around the aircraft besides putting a tape around it.

Attracted by the throng of curious onlookers who stayed there for hours, hawkers selling ice cream, drinking water and eatables did brisk business on the spot.
Students applying to St Stephens College and Jesus and Mary College will have to first fill up Delhi Universitys centralized online registration form and submit their unique registration number in the separate application form for the college concerned.

Delhi University on Monday instructed the minority colleges to integrate their registration process with the varsitys registration process for undergraduate admissions even if they maintain a separate admission process.

Nachiketa Singh, member of the admission committee said, They can have their own admission process but the university wants to maintain proper data of students applying. Separate registration leads to duplication and hence we have decided students will have to fill the centralized registration form. They will fill the same registration number in separate admission forms for these colleges.

Sources in St Stephens College said the college was ready to put a column in their application in which students will have to fill their central online registration number. A formal decision in this regard is yet to be taken.

On Tuesday, a meeting was held between a delegation of St Stephens College and the university to discuss the technical solutions to integrate the registration process, university sources said.

Read: St Stephens to begin admission process from May 28

College officials said they follow a 1992 Supreme Court judgment that allowed it to conduct interviews separately and have a separate admission process.

Jesus and Mary College officials were not available for any comment.

St Stephens College announced on Monday night that they would start their online application process from May 28 for the next academic session.

The prospectus and online admission form will be available from May 28. The aptitude test and interview for the ten undergraduate courses offered by the college will be conducted between June 20 to July 9, according to the admission schedule update on the college website.

Recently, Delhi University had written to St Stephens and Jesus and Mary College the two religious minority colleges in the university who conduct a separate admission process asking them to join the central admission process.

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A team of educationalists has termed the new Rajasthan board textbooks as shallow, cast in the Hindutwa framework and decided to move the high court against them.

The team comprised educationists, like Hindi professor Apoorvanand of Delhi University. former NCERT committee member Rajeev Gupta, RTI activist and educationist Nikhil Dey, Komal Shrivastava of Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti and others.

The review was necessitated following a political storm over removal of chapters on Jawaharlal Nehru and the Right to Information (RTI) from the new textbooks. The review panel began its review last week and each subject expert got two days time to vet the textbooks from Class 1 to Class 9 and a few books from Class 11 and 12.

The team released a brief report to the media on Sunday.

Apoorvanand observed, Nowhere in the world, textbooks are brought out in a span of 45 days.

The books have been edited in the framework of Hindutva ideology, he said and cited a Class 9 Social Studies book as an example where a chapter on Sindhu Ghati Culture (Indus Valley Civilization) has been renamed Sindhu Saraswati Culture which resonates with the RSS recreation of history. The change appears to be an attempt to show that Indus Valley civilization was part of the Vedic culture, without any evidence.

This mixture of history and mythology is likely to confuse the students.

He also referred to a Class 9 book which shows Aryans as the native of India and defines Arya as a word meaning higher qualities. In the section on World Wars I and II, the role of Hitler and Fascism has been omitted. In Class 11, a chapter glorifying Hitler has been added.

Rajeev Gupta, retired professor from Rajasthan University, said Class 7 textbooks mention that strikes are wrong and improper which suggests the National Trade Union Act is wrong. In the new books, displacement of only Sindhi community during Indias partition has been mentioned. The new edition does not adequately represent marginalised communities, like Dalits and tribals, Gupta stated.

Nikhil Dey and Shanker Singh termed the removal of a chapter on the RTI from Class 8 textbook as an attempt to erase the acknowledgement of the RTI and the role of the common man in getting through the act.

Komal Shrivastava said, In the science book of Class 8, the chapter on bio- diversity begins with a shloka from the Vishnu Puran, which is not even connected with the subject. Towards the end of the chapter too there are Sanskrit shlokas. This is not required in science books.

Shrivastava also expressed surprise as to why the chapter on animal reproduction was removed from Class 8 textbook but that of plants retained.

Ravi Kant, a maths expert, observed that the new books focused on Vedic maths, failed to encourage mathematical and analytical skills, which has been laid down as one of the objectives of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005).

However, school education minister Vasudev Devnani said the textbook had been changed to instill the feeling of nationalism among students.
Girls often outperform boys in the board examinations when they are given equal opportunities.

But for two trafficked girls, who were sexually exploited at Delhis infamous GB Road, clearing their Class 10 board exam was a special feat.

The girls, aged 16 and 17 and hailing from South Pargana district of West Bengal, secured over 50% marks in their Class 10 board exams. Rescued three years ago by an NGO, Shakti Vahini, the girls had been enrolled in a school in West Bengal and were attending regular classes.

Both of them now want to continue studying. One of them wants to become a journalist, according to activists involved in their rehabilitation.

The girls are among scores of victims of trafficking in the country who have been showing exception willpower to leave their past behind and start their life afresh.

NGOs working for the welfare of such children have recommended to the HRD ministry to include special provisions for such victims in the new education policy being finalized by it.

The recent success has shown that if they are encouraged, victims of trafficking are capable of leading a successful life. The Union government, especially the HRD ministry, should start a plan for such girls and even boys. Once they are rescued, there is no proper rehabilitation plan due to which they are trapped by traffickers again, said Rishikant, an activist with the Shakti Vahini.

Last year, too, three girls  who had been rescued from Delhi  had cleared their Class 12 board exam. One of them, a 17-year-old, had cleared her Class 12 board examination under Jharkhand board. The girl, after escaping from the placement agency where she had been trapped, helped the anti-human trafficking unit of Khunti, Jharkhand, to rescue more girls from the capital.

Officials of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, an NGO run by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, said they had suggested to the HRD ministry for putting in place a rehabilitation plan of such victims in the new education policy to be made public soon.

We have recommended that compulsory education be put in place for trafficked victims, said Rakesh Sengar, programme coordinator of BBA.

In Jharkhand, where trafficking is rampant, the state government has opened a special school where rescued victims are kept.

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In an ideal world, Indians should not be quibbling about the details of people following various religions. But the times are such that some numbers are useful in getting a better understanding of the country to dispel propaganda, lies and half-truths. Details of the 2011 Census revealed last week showed that Indias average household size was 4.45 members, down from 4.67 a decade ago.

The size of an average Muslim household fell to 5.15 from 5.61 over the previous decade. Notably the reduction was sharper at 11.1% for Muslim households headed by men while for families headed by women it was 4.47%. The average size of Hindu families declined by 5 % over the decade. Such data should help us counter myths being propagated to create perceptions that fan social tensions.

Read | Dont push the Indian Muslim over the edge

The old slogan, Small families are happy families should ring better in a developing country that has seen a population explosion. The fact that the average size of a Muslim household is shrinking faster than that of the Hindu counterpart indicates that both communities are headed in the right direction and are increasingly on comparable ground.

The data signals that perceived threats to communities based on demographic bogeys are unwarranted. Last year, BJP member of parliament Sakshi Maharaj said every Hindu woman must produce at least four children to protect the community. Such statements fan tensions in far-flung areas, while actually, the attempt should be to not only shrink the size of the average family but also challenge outmoded notions of women being treated as child-bearing machines.

Read | The challenges of being Muslim in India

Given that Muslim personal law allows polygamy, casual banter and malicious propaganda by Right-wing hardliners have sometimes raised concerns about the growth of the nations Muslim population.

Census data for 2011 showed last year that Hindus made up 79.8% of the population, down 0.7 percentage points over the decade, while Muslims were 14.2% of the country, up 0.8 percentage points. Last weeks data puts the issue in a clearer context because absolute numbers are not everything. Over time, a better balance seems to be emerging.
Exam results of undergraduate courses in the Delhi University could be delayed this year as teachers have refused to evaluate the answer sheets in protest against a UGC notification which increases their workload and may lead to around 5,000 temporary and guest teachers losing their jobs.

The examinations ended last week and the centralised evaluation process was to begin at 13 centres on Tuesday. But none of the 3,000 teachers on evaluation duty turned up after a boycott call by the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA).

The boycott is for four days. The future course of action will be decided at the general body meeting on Saturday, said DUTA president Nandita Narain.

The association is opposing a notification by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which increased the workload of assistant professors from 16 hours of direct teaching to 24 hours per week. For associate professors, it went up from 14 to 22 hours per week.

DUTA contends that since the course material would be covered by overworked professors, the move may lead to the retrenchment of temporary, guest and ad-hoc teachers.

According to the teachers body, the notification would also make promotions difficult. DU teachers are promoted on the basis of the infamous Academic Performance Indicator (API), which follows a point system for different parameters, including student feedback.

The API has been made more stringent and emphasises on research. But now teachers have been assigned extra workload, leaving little time to prepare for quality lectures and research, said Rajesh Jha, who teaches political science at Rajdhani College.

The provision of this notification is intended to destroy public universities, leaving very little scope for quality teaching, learning and research, he said.

The teachers blame the move on 55% cut in the governments budget for the UGC.

A university official said the protest can delay exam results, which are usually announced by the end of June every year. The UGC has to take a call on the issue soon otherwise our calendar will be affected, said a senior official.

Around 3,000 teachers were scheduled to evaluate papers at 13 centres Miranda House, Kirori Mal College, Hansraj College, Daulat Ram College, Gargi College, Kalindi College, Deshbandhu College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma, Sri Venkateswara College, Maitreyi College, Dyal Singh College and Keshav Mahavidyalaya College.

Staff associations at the Sri Ram College of Commerce, Jesus and Mary College, Miranda House, Rajdhani College and Hansraj College passed resolutions condemning the notification.
As if high Blood Pressure (BP) wasnt bad enough, research shows high fluctuations in BP too is bad for us. Rapid fluctuations in blood pressure readings may be linked to faster decline in brain and cognitive functions among older adults, says a new study.

Blood pressure variability might signal blood flow instability, which could lead to the damage of the finer vessels of the body with changes in brain structure and function, said Bo (Bonnie) Qin, lead study author and a postdoctoral scholar at Rutgers Cancer Institute in New Brunswick, New Jersey, US.

These blood pressure fluctuations may indicate pathological processes such as inflammation and impaired function in the blood vessels themselves, she noted.

Read: A new Indian neurological study decodes the creative mind

For the study, the researchers analysed results from 976 Chinese adults (half women, age 55 and or older) who participated in the China Health and Nutrition Survey over a period of five years.

Blood pressure variability was calculated from three or four visits to the health professional. Participants also underwent a series of cognitive quizzes such as performing word recall and counting backwards.

Read: Working shift jobs messes with brain, hampers cognitive skills

Controlling blood pressure instability could possibly be a potential strategy in preserving cognitive function among older adults.

Higher visit-to-visit variability in the top number in a blood pressure reading (systolic blood pressure) was associated with a faster decline of cognitive function and verbal memory, the findings showed.

However, higher variability in the bottom number (diastolic blood pressure) was associated with faster decline of cognitive function among adults aged 55 to 64, but not among those aged 65 and older.

Read: Keeping busy is good for the ageing brain finds new study

The findings appeared in the journal Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

While physicians tend to focus on average blood pressure readings, the new findings suggest that high variability may be something for physicians to watch for in their patients.

Controlling blood pressure instability could possibly be a potential strategy in preserving cognitive function among older adults, Qin said.
The drink that was thrust down your throat when you were young and unwell is the latest hipster fixation in the West. Golden milk or turmeric latte may not mean much to you but it is being ordered with an uncanny regularity in cafes in America, South Africa, Australia and UK.

You know the drink as the humble haldi ka doodh. Yes, the same pungent-smelling milk, probably with a spoon of ghee in it, which was considered a remedy for a host of ills  sore throat, fever, aches and pains and dont forget its anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric lattes are now being sold at cafes from Sydney to San Francisco.

Guardian has named it the  2016s drink of choice. In a new report on food trends in the US, Google singled out turmerics ascent after searches for the spice increased by 56% from November 2015 to January 2016.

Read: Top 10 tips to enjoy a healthier, yummier breakfast

And fuelling that rise is its use in lattes: golden milk is among the top online searches associated with the spice. Turmeric lattes are now being sold at cafes from Sydney to San Francisco, and the drink is gaining fans in the UK, Guardian reported.

Google searches for the spice increased by 56% from November 2015 to January 2016.

Cold-pressed turmeric juice is mixed with juice from almonds and cashews and is being marketed as a healthy alternative to caffeinated drinks. Chefs are also experimenting with turmeric in cookies and health drinks.

But how did turmeric come out of nowhere and climbed on the food to watch out for pedestal? Guardian says, The market research firm Mintel named turmeric as one of its foods to watch in 2016. It has done the rounds of the wellness circuit  the blogs, websites and Instagram accounts of clean eating advocates  for several months, and recipes for the drink abound on Pinterest.

In case you are interested, heres a recipe for golden milk on Gwyneth Paltrows website, Goop.

Even as the West goes gaga over the benefits of turmeric, it is time we also take a refresher course about the spice which can apparently treat everything from cancer to cough. It is said to be rich in antioxidants, its compound curcumin can fight cancer and can lower chances of heart attack. Weight watchers, turmeric also suppresses body fat growth and helps reduce weight.

Now, would you want to try haldi ka doodh at home or wait for an American coffee chain to launch turmeric latte at a store near you?
Brad Pitt has been hailed as a hero after saving a young girl from being crushed by a crowd that had assembled to watch filming of his latest movie, Allied.

Pitt rushed to her rescue as a huge crowd gathered to watch him shoot in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands, reports mirror.co.uk.

The drama unfolded when hundreds of fans rushed forward to take photographs and selfies of Pitt, who plays intelligence officer Max Vatan embarking on a risky mission behind enemy lines in Allied.

Spanish newspaper Canarias7.es reported the girl was in danger of being crushed against a security barrier but no one noticed, except Pitt, who leaped into action and helped her.

Watch how Pitt spots the girl and pulls her away from the crowd:

Pitt was shooting for his new film Allied as fans waved to him from behind a barricade. (Twitter)

He spotted a young girl surrounded by the crowd. (Twitter)

With help from his bodyguards, he helped pull the girl up. (Twitter)

The young girl was trapped right at the front of the crowd with nowhere to go. (Twitter)

Pitts bodyguard lifted the girl to safety on the other side of the barricade. (Twitter)

Pitt ensured that the girls mother found her and then returned to work. (Twitter)

He grabbed hold of the girl and with the help of his bodyguards, lifted her to safety and on to the road before making sure she was safe and well with her mother.

Watch a couple of videos that captured the event from different angles

Shooting of the film, set in World War II, started in London but the entire crew has travelled out to the Canaries for scenes in both Gran Canaria and neighbouring Fuerteventura.

Read: Is Brad Pitt cheating on Angelina Jolie with Marion Cotillard?

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie Pitt will deliver guest lectures and participate in expert workshops after being appointed a Visiting Professor in Practice at the London School of Economics (LSE).

The United Nations special envoy for refugees is among four new visiting professors at LSE, the others being William Hague, former foreign secretary, Jane Connors of Amnesty International Geneva, and Madeleine Rees, secretary- general of the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom.

Read: UN envoy Angelina Jolie is visiting Greece to meet war-fleeing refugees

They will be part of LSEs Centre for Women, Peace and Security, and will join other LSE fellows, scholars, activists and practitioners dedicated to developing strategies to promote gender equality and enhance womens economic, social and political participation and security.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Special Envoy Angelina Jolie looks on as she meets Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, in March.

Jolie Pitt said: I am very encouraged by the creation of this masters programme. I hope other academic institutions will follow this example, as it is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance womens rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict.

I am looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students as well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations.

Christine Chinkin, director of the Centre for Women, Peace and Security, said: Bringing practitioners, policy makers and activists together with scholars is essential in advancing knowledge and influencing global and local policy making.

The centre was launched in February 2015 by Hague and Jolie Pitt in their capacities as co-founders of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.

A statement said that LSE confers the title of Visiting Professor in Practice on persons who have appropriate distinction within their area of (non-academic) practice. It includes individuals who have achieved prominence in public service, or who have attained distinction in their profession and through their practical experience.

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The Modi Government has zeroed-in on 200 nerve centres comprising state capitals and metro cities, to highlight its achievement in the last two years. The NDA government completes two years on May 26.

A 21-day-long festival, vikas parv, to celebrate the governments development programmes, will be organised across the country from May 26. As part of the celebrations, 33 teams have been set up, each comprising a cabinet minister, one minister of state and party functionaries from the national, state and district levels.

Each team will visit six to seven nerve centres where they will highlight the governments achievements.

Besides sending central teams across the country, the party will also organise a gala five-hour show at India Gate in the Capital on May 28. The show is likely to be attended by Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan. The government is in touch with film and TV stars, seeking their participation.

An internal note circulated to all the central ministers and department heads has laid down the strategy the teams will have to adopt to reach out to people.

We are planning to hold seminars and discussions with beneficiaries of welfare schemes. Meetings will also be held with various groups including industry bodies, womens organisation and farmers. Meetings will be held with the public for grievance redressal,said a party leader.

BJP MPs have been directed to spend two days in each assembly segment under their parliamentary constituency and hold meetings with their constituents.

The idea is to reach out to maximum number of people in the country and showcase our work, said a source.

Besides, the central team comprising cabinet ministers and MoS, eight chief ministers and one deputy CM of BJP-ruled states are also being roped in for the celebrations.

The CMs have been asked to spend at least two days within their home town and two days outside the state, to highlight significant projects, policies and welfare schemes of the government.
Kashmiri separatists have forged an issue-based unity to oppose the establishment of exclusive colonies for Pandits and retired military personnel in the Valley, a first since the 2008 Amarnath land agitation.

They are divided ideologically and politically but the Valleys three prominent separatist leaders  Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik  met on Monday evening to challenge the PDP-BJP government over plans to rehabilitate displaced Pandits and ex-servicemen of the state in such colonies.

Hardline Hurriyat spokesperson Ayaz Akbar said the Mirwaiz and Malik went to Geelanis home at Hyderpora in Srinagar and held a closed-door meeting for about 90 minutes.

Read: Kashmiri separatists say wont allow colonies for Pandits, soldiers

This is the first time after 2008 that all the three leaders have come together to discuss any grave issue regarding Kashmir, he said.

In 2008, the three held a series of meetings to mount a joint attack after the PDP-Congress government of the time transferred a piece of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, which manages the annual Hindu pilgrimage. The agitation and counter-agitation in Jammu shut the state for months.

In a unique show of strength, the trio has now planned a major showdown on Thursday and Friday to prevent what they claim is an attempt to change the states demography.

They called for a complete shutdown on Thursday and peaceful protests after Friday prayers against proposed plans for creation of the separate clusters for the Pandits, establishing of Sainik colonies, harassment of the Jammu Muslims, BJP leader Choudhary Lal Singhs warning to the Jammu Muslims of repeating 1947 carnage and induction of new anti-Kashmir industrial policy.

Read: Separatists opinion sought in bringing pandits back to J-K

A joint statement said the time has come for the people to rise to defend their existence, individuality, their Muslim identity and the disputed status of the Kashmir and to start an effective struggle against the dangerous plans of RSS in Kashmir.

Reports said at least three sites have been identified by the Jammu and Kashmir government for setting up colonies for displaced Pandits, who migrated from the Valley after militancy erupted in 1989. The government denied that the colonies will be exclusively for Pandits.

The separatists defended their opposition, saying they cant remain silent over such issues and focus only on their main demand of freedom.

They alleged that the policy makers want to settle the non-state subjects in the state on different pretexts. Creation of Sainik colonies and separate townships for Pandits is a part of this policy. India is using the same experience in Jammu and Kashmir, which Israel had tested in Palestine and the Indian government is in close contact with the policy makers of Israel in this regard.
President Pranab Mukherjee signed on Tuesday an ordinance to keep states out of the ambit of a court-mandated single, all-India medical entrance test this year.

The Presidents nod to the ordinance cleared by the Union Cabinet last Friday comes after high drama as Union health minister JP Nadda visited Rashtrapati Bhavan with a list of explanations on Monday. Ministry officials too answered queries and offered clarifications till Tuesday morning.

Mukherjee sought an explanation for the reasons behind bringing in the ordinance and reportedly consulted in-house experts before clearing it just ahead of his trip to China.

The ordinance is aimed at partially overturning a Supreme Court verdict that said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under the single examination called NEET.

But the exemption to states is only for the undergraduate pre-medical and pre-dental courses, health minister Nadda said. The postgraduate entrance examination in December will have to be conducted under NEET.

From the next academic session NEET will be mandatory for admission to all medical colleges in the country and will be also held in regional languages.

NEET, through this ordinance, has been given a firm statutory basis. The legalities are being worked out right now and it will be notified soon, Nadda said.

Read: Nadda meets Pranab over NEET: What the controversy is all about

All private medical colleges and deemed universities will have to take NEET this year. States will decide on their quota in private colleges, whether to fill them through NEET or state entrance examinations.

Quotas in private colleges  management, sports, NRI, etc.  will also be filled through NEET.

The Supreme Court had ordered a single medical test, benefiting aspirants who juggle clashing exam schedules and differing admission norms by private colleges. The test was allowed to be held in two phases  the first was conducted on May 1 and the second is scheduled for July 24. Nearly 6.5 lakh students took the first test.

But many oppose the NEET on the ground that students affiliated to state boards would find it tough to deal with a test based on a central curriculum and conducted in English and Hindi.

President Mukherjee too has his doubts.

Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi was at the Presidents Secretariat on Tuesday morning along with top health ministry officials to respond to his questions.

Read: NEET relief only for a few students from Maha, say experts

Different states earmark anything between 12-15% seats in various private medical colleges for state quota so that students from one state can get seats in another state. The remaining seats in such colleges are reserved for domicile students. With the Ordinance, the remaining seats meant for domicile students will come under NEET.

More than 15 states were opposed to NEET and had raised issues such as different syllabus and languages during a recent meeting among state health ministers.

Representatives from 18 states met Union health minister JP Nadda a week ago and informed that NEET would put non-CBSE candidates at a disadvantage as there was too little time left for students to bridge the difference between state board syllabi and the central curriculum.

The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24. Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1.

Advocate Amit Kumar who represented Sankalp Charitable Trust, that moved the top court in support of NEET, termed the ordinance shocking and said the NGO will challenge it.

Read: Delhi government says its three colleges to go by NEET

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After the Assam victory, the BJP is aiming big in the northeast. The party on Tuesday formed the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) which would improve coordination among NDA partners in the region and strengthen party bases in the NE states.

After Sarbananda Sonowals swearing-in ceremony as chief minister of the state, Amit Shah, BJP national president, held a meeting with chief ministers of Sikkim Paban Kr. Chamling, Arunachal Pradesh Kalikho Pul and Nagaland TR Zeliang.

The chief ministers were present at the swearing-in ceremony of Sonowal. BJP national secretary Ram Madhav was also present in the crucial meeting of NDA partners.

One of the architects of BJPs victory in Assam assembly election, Himanta Biswa Sarma, was appointed convenor of NEDA. For improving coordination among NDA partners in NE states and strengthening our base in the region, we have formed North East Democratic Alliance today. We will lay emphasis on good governance, speedy development in states where NDA partners are in power in the NE region, said Sarma after formation of the new alliance.

NEDA would target its main rival Congress in the region. BJP has already started its works to oust Congress from power in two Congress-ruled states of Meghayala and Manipur. The party may go for tie-up with small regional political parties in these states. Congress is in power in Mizoram also.

BJP had supported dissident Congress MLA Kalikho Pul in overthrowing Nabam-Tuki led Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh.
A 46-year-old Army subedar allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his revolver inside his room on the premises of Air Force Station at Lohegaon on Tuesday.

The junior commissioned officer, identified as Beant Singh, has left behind a suicide note in which he has named four warrant officers (WOs) responsible for his death, police said.

He was posted at Army field post office which is located at the Air Force Station.

Army junior commissioned officer Subedar Beant Singh posted to the Field Post Office located at Air Force Station Pune was found dead in his room today.

He was staying alone. His body was found with two bullet holes and a civil revolver lying by his side. A suicide note was found near his dead body. Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide, stated a press release from Air Force Station.

The civil and military police are investigating the case, it stated.

According to a senior police officer, Singh was spotted lying in a pool of blood by some officials at around 11am with two bullet wounds on his chest and a revolver lying next to him.

We have recovered a suicide note from spot and in the note, Singh has named four warrant officers (WOs) responsible for his death and we are investigating the case, said Airport police station senior inspector, Sanjay Kurundkar.
The external affairs ministry is trying to bring back an Indian boy from Jessore in Bangladesh, years after he went missing from Delhi.

A senior official in the Indian High Commission in Dhaka is travelling to Jessore in southwestern Bangladesh to meet 12-year-old Sonu on the directive of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.

A First Secretary from @ihcdhaka is going to Jessore today to meet with Sonu, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Swaraj had on Monday said the MEA will resolve the issue soon.

.@JournoPranay

A First Secretary from @ihcdhaka is going to Jessore today to meet with Sonu.  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) May 24, 2016

Thanks for bringing this to my notice. We have initiated action already. We will resolve this soon, she had tweeted after her attention was drawn to Sonus plight.

Sonu had reportedly gone missing from Delhi in 2010 and a man from Jessore recently contacted his family here and gave details about the whereabouts of the boy who is reportedly in a child care home in Jessore.

The details of how the boy had gone missing are not yet known.
NEW DELHI: Universities will face punitive action if they fail to award degrees to students within six months of the declaration of results, the University Grant Commission (UGC) has directed.

In a letter written to all vicechancellors, Jaspal Sandhu, secretary of the apex higher education regulatory body, said that as per regulations, the degree award date shall be within 180 days from the date by which students are expected to qualify and become eligible for them.

According to UGC officials, universities should easily be able to grant degrees within six months of the results declared and there was no reason for further delay.

It is understandable that withholding the degree of a student who has successfully completed his tenure in the institution of his enrolment, for whatever reasons, amounts to constraining his opportunities, Sandhu said.

The UGC has taken a serious view of this issue and will be constrained to take punitive actions as notified in Regulation 9 of the UGC (Grievance Redressal) Regulations, 2012, against the university, he said in the letter.

Under these regulations, the commission can take action against universities, including withholding grants.

The move comes after the UGC received many complaints about the delay on the part of the varsities in awarding degrees.

The UGC has been receiving a number of complaints, representation, references from different stakeholders in higher education regarding some universities that are not awarding degrees in time to the students enrolled in different programmes of study offered by them, Sandhu said in the letter.

Recently, Dev iAhi ly a Viswavidyalaya in Indore was in news for withholding degrees for over a year. According to a report, students had applied for degrees about a year ago but the same were yet to be dispatched.
The CBI on Tuesday conducted raids at five premises of Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan of West Bengals Birbhum in connection with alleged irregularities committed by its sacked vice-chancellor Sushanta Dattagupta.

Two places in Kolkata and two in Bhubaneswar were also searched by separate Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) teams and relevant incriminating documents were recovered. Searches at some of the places are still continuing as on Tuesday evening.

The CBI conducted the raids after filing an FIR against Dattagupta and three other officials of Visva Bharati on the direction of Centre.

The agency booked Dattagupta, deputy registrar Shyamala Ray Nair, former registrar B Gunashekharan (presently registrar, IIT, Bhubaneswar) and finance officer AP Trivedi under sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

It is alleged that University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines were not followed in the appointment process during the tenure of Dattagupta, who is also accused of drawing salary from the Visva Bharati University and a pension from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) simultaneously, said sources.

It has been alleged in the FIR that Dr S Duttagupta, in connivance with other accused officials, appointed Shyamala Ray Nair as deputy registrar illegally in violation of UGC guidelines, said a CBI official.

The allegation is that Nair did not meet the educational criteria and exceeded the maximum age limit by at least seven years, the official said.

Dattagupta, who was appointed in 2011, had challenged the legality of the ministrys fact-finding committee but his petition was dismissed by the Calcutta high court.

The university was founded by the first non-European nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1921 and was declared a central university in 1951.
The bail petition of Bindeshwari Prasad Yadav, the father of Rocky Yadav, the prime accused in the Aditya Sachdeva murder case, was rejected by a local court in Gaya on Tuesday.

Additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) Om Sagar rejected the petition after hearing both prosecution and defence.

Yadavs counsel Satya Narayan Singh and Qaiser Sarfuddin pleaded that his client had been booked for alleged destruction of evidence and not for murder and for that he should be granted bail.

District prosecution officer Triloki Nath Mishra opposed the bail petition.

Yadav and his wife Manorama Devis bodyguard Rajesh Kumar were arrested on May 8 for allegedly helping the accused escape.

Aditya, a class XII student, was shot dead allegedly by Rocky Yadav for overtaking his vehicle on May 7. Rocky was arrested on May 10 from his fathers mixer plant located at Mastpura village.

Meanwhile, the district and session judge Sajal Mandalwar sought the case diary and proceedings of a lower court (ACJM court) in connection with the bail plea of Manorama Devi.

Manorama Devis counsel Satya Narayan Singh and Qaiser Sarfuddin pleaded with the court for bail for their client on the grounds that she did not drink or was caught drinking by the police during raid at her residence.

Manorama Devi was booked under the Excise Act after liquor bottles were recovered from her Gaya residence during police raid subsequent to which she went into hiding for a couple of days before surrendering in a court on May 17 last. The court had sent her to 14 days judicial remand.
The government is set to ban potassium bromate as food additive with Health Minister J P Nadda asserting that it will take appropriate action following a report which claimed presence of cancer-causing chemicals in bread samples of virtually all top brands.

A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study had found nearly 84 per cent of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads including pav and buns, testing positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate, banned in many countries as they are listed as hazardous for public health.

Read: Most bread brands contain cancer-causing chemicals: Study

It claimed that while one of the chemicals is a category 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans), the other could trigger thyroid disorders but India has not banned their use.

Nadda said he has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to take the matter seriously and submit a report at the earliest.

I have told FSSAI to take the matter seriously and submit the report. They are coming out with a report. The Ministry will take appropriate action accordingly. We will take action as soon as the report comes, Nadda told reporters.

Potassium bromate is one of 11,000 food additives that are allowed in food business. After careful consideration, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to remove potassium bromate from the list of permissible additives, FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said.

The regulator has recommended removal of potassium bromate from the list of permissible food additives to the Health Ministry.

On the notification, Agarwal said, As far as issue of notification is concerned the FSSAI has already sent the recommendation to Ministry of Health and it would be issued by the Ministry and there it may take a week or two. After the removal of potassium bromate from the list its use as food additive would be banned, he said.

Industry body Assocham, however, on Tuesday came out strongly in support of bread makers, saying the use of potassium bromate is with full knowledge of FSSAI and termed the research findings about presence of hazardous elements in bread as scare-mongering by NGOs.

The NGOs are free to be watchdogs, but they must realise that their reports and findings should not be targeted only at the industry... While the government is trying to move towards ease of doing business by relaxing the inspector raj, the NGO policing may harm many times, it said.

Drawing a parallel to the Maggi controversy, the chamber suggested that India should not be left to scare-mongering by NGOs.

Read: Kokum baguette, yeast-free bread: Why were obsessed with bread
Jammu University vice-chancellor RD Sharma on Tuesday denied the BJPs allegations that the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)  the partys student wing  has been banned at educational institutions in the region, saying it was a blanket rule that applied to groups of all political and religious affiliations.

Clarifying on the issue, Sharma told HT, Jammu University is governed by certain rules and regulations. Our norms clearly mention that this campus cannot be used for any religious or political activity. The rule has been here ever since the university came into existence.

Referring to BJP general secretary Ram Madhavs comments on Sharmas obstinate behaviour, he said, It seems some disgruntled varsity students gave incorrect information to industries and commerce minister Chander Prakash Ganga in order to cover their own misdemeanour, and the same was conveyed to Madhav. Unfortunately, nobody sought a clarification from us.

We never discourage student organisations from taking up welfare activities on our campuses, but they need to be done as per university norms. A number of welfare activities are conducted on our campuses through the year, he added.

Read | BJP hints at action against Jammu University V-C over ABVP ban

However, BJP state president Sat Sharma did not agree with the vice-chancellors reasoning. Though it is a very good decision to ban political activities on the campus, student organisations  including the ABVP and NSUI  must not be disallowed from holding welfare events and blood donation camps. These are not political activities, he said.

Sat Sharma said it ill behoves somebody of the vice-chancellors stature to get involved in such minor issues. It is unfortunate that the ABVP is being prevented from holding events on the campus, giving the impression that these activities are being conducted with a political motive. The ABVP is a very old student organisation that has been working for the cause of students since Independence, he added.

Madhav had earlier slammed the vice-chancellor over an alleged ban on the ABVP at all educational institutions in the region. BJP ministers take up Jammu Univ VC obstinate behaviour against ABVP. Action wl b taken (sic), he tweeted.
Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat was at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday morning for questioning in a sting operation that purportedly shows him offering bribes to buy MLAs support in a trust vote.

After several denials, Rawat had accepted that it was him in the video but denied any wrongdoing. The sting  video, shot by a Noida-based private TV channel, has him making the offer to rebel Congress lawmakers ahead of a March 28 floor test, which eventually didnt get go ahead as the state was brought under Presidents Rule. The rebel MLAs, who stand disqualified, released the video on March 26.

Read: Harish Rawat accepts he is in sting CD, but says whats wrong in it

Rawat, who returned as CM on May 12 after winning a trust vote ordered by the Supreme Court, will have following questions to answer:

1. Does he know journalist Umesh Kumar who conducted the sting? Does he also know the dissident Congress MLA who has claimed that Rawat offered him R2.5 crore in exchange for support during the March 28 floor test that never took place? Did he ask one of his ministers to approach the legislator?

2. Can he confirm or deny his presence in the 22-minute sting video?

(Rawat may accept his presence but could say the horse-trading talk is not genuine)

3. What was he -- as chief minister -- doing at the hangar of Dehraduns Jolly Grant airport, where the video was shot? If the meeting was planned, what was it for? Did he keep his office and security staff informed?

4. The video purportedly has Rawat saying he cant pay crores of rupees to each of the rebel MLAs, but they could be compensated with lucrative vibhag, or portfolios, and make money while he would look away. He will have to explain his comment.

5. What did Rawat mean by offering to top-up the journalists offer to contribute money to lure the legislators? Was the top-up plan a reference to lucrative assignments?

Read: CBI quizzes Harish Rawat in Delhi: Has the agency overstepped its brief?
Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat arrived at the CBI headquarters on Tuesday morning to face questioning in connection with a corruption probe.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) on April 29 to investigate allegations of horse-trading based on a March sting video on the states request at a time when Uttarakhand was under Presidents Rule.

The video allegedly showed Rawat negotiating a deal to lure rebel Congress legislators to rustle up support for a floor test on March 28  which never took place.

A Preliminary Enquiry is a precursor to a formal probe and is registered when a complaint is filed or information is available indicating serious misconduct on the part of a public servant, but it is not adequate to justify the registration of an FIR. A notice for questioning in this regard was served to Rawat last week.

Read: Harish Rawat shows whos the boss in Uttarakhand, but conditions apply

Rawat was earlier summoned for questioning a day before the floor test on May 10, but he did not appear before the CBI at the time. The Uttarakhand high court on May 20 refused to quash the agencys probe and asked Rawat to cooperate in the investigation, but also directed the CBI to show regard to the office of the CM.

Instances of the CBI questioning incumbent chief ministers are rare, and its directive to Rawat to appear in Delhi to record his statement in a preliminary enquiry, and not a regular probe, was avoidable, said an agency officer, who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Though it is the CBIs prerogative to decide the venue and time, the agency could have questioned the CM in Dehradun itself, at his office or home, said the officer.

[It] could have sent him a questionnaire, as has happened a few times in probes involving those holding high posts instead of calling them in like common suspects.

The CBI recorded two witness statements, including that of a dissident legislator, and said it found the sting footage to be genuine, although it didnt confirm if the same was put through a forensic test.

In a PE probe, the aim of interrogation is only to judge whether there is any substance in the allegations that merits the probe being pursued further. So the questioning could have happened even in Dehradun, said the officer.

Read: Harish Rawat accepts he is in sting CD, but says whats wrong in it

The CBI inquiry was initiated on the states request after Presidents Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on March 27 after nine Congress MLAs revolted against the Rawat government and sided with the BJP. Rawat was reinstated after he won a Supreme Court-monitored trust vote on May 10.

After his re-instatement, Rawat told the media on May 13, I am waiting for the day when CBI arrests me for the sting.

The insinuation was that politics, and not the law, was motivating the CBI.

Three years ago, in May 2013, the Supreme Court had called the CBI a caged parrot speaking in its masters voice, expressing its disapproval of the then UPA-2 regimes alleged interference in the agencys coal scam probe.

The apex courts observation had come after the then CBI director filed an affidavit stating that the then law minister and senior officials of the Prime Ministers Officer had made changes in the heart of the report of the coal-scam probe. The CBI needs to get autonomous vis-a-vis the government of the day, in the real sense of the term, said a former CBI officer.

The CBI needs to get autonomous vis-a-vis the government of the day, in the real sense of the term, he said.

And Rawats inference appears to also be substantiated by a quick glance at the CBIs high-profile probes since it got a new chief in December 2014, six months after the NDA replaced the UPA-2 government at the Centre.

The CBI is probing two serving and two former chief ministers, all of who belong to the main party in Opposition, Congress, pointed out a former CBI officer. In addition to Rawat, Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh (since June 2015), former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot (since August 2015), and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda (since May 16) are under CBI scanner.

Along with Gehlot, the CBI is also probing the roles of Congress Rajasthan chief Sachin Pilot, former finance minister P Chidambarams businessman son Karti Chidambaram and former Union minister Vayalar Ravis son, Ravi Krishna, in an August 2015 case.
India and the US hope to conclude a defence agreement giving their militaries reciprocal access to their facilities round the world before Prime Minister Narendra Modis June visit.

Nisha Biswal, a senior US state department official, told American lawmakers at a senate hearing Tuesday, We are hopeful that progress will be made on some of the foundational agreements, including the logistics agreement, that might be concluded prior to the visit. She added, We are looking to see if there are things we can take on board (for the visit).

Modi starts a two-day US visit on June 7. He will meet President Barack Obama and address a joint meeting of congress as part of an unprecedented engagement with lawmakers.

The two countries announced an in principle decision to sign the pact, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement, during defense secretary Ash Carters India visit in April.

Read | India-US defence ties: Parrikar, Carter talk on technology and terror

When signed, this agreement, one of four so-called foundational agreements, will give Indian and US militaries logistical access to their facilities around the world on a reciprocal basis.

This would be the second foundational agreement signed by India and the United States after the General Security of Military Information Agreement, signed in 2002. The remaining two are Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Intelligence.

Read | Engagement deepens: India, US to ink pact for military cooperation

The logistics agreement was first proposed in 2004, but came up against a wall in India over fears it may accord US basing facilities. Defense secretary Carter addressed that concern during his April visit denying it would led to the basing of US troops in India. It makes it more routine and automatic for us to operate together.

Read | US defence officials line up for Make in India F-16 proposal
President Pranab Mukherjee embarked on a four-day visit to China on Tuesday with an aim to bolster economic ties between the two countries and seek cooperation for combating designs of terror groups.

During his first state visit to China, the President will be meeting his counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Le Keqiang and other top leaders.

The President is likely to raise the issue of China blocking Indias bid to get a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and its insistence on India signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to get membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

India had countered the Chinese contention of signing NPT before becoming a member of NSG as confusion as NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries.

Ahead of his state visit to China, Mukherjee said: We seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question and, pending the boundary settlement, to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas. Both sides should strive to ensure that outstanding issues are addressed in a manner that demonstrates mutual sensitivity to each others concerns, interests and aspirations.

This will be the first visit of Mukherjee to China as President though he has visited the country a number of times in different capacities. The last Presidential visit to China was by Pratibha Patil in 2010.

Mukherjee will also discuss the issue of terrorism with the Chinese leadership.

Before embarking on his visit, Mukherjee asked China to join hands with India in the fight against terrorism which will have its own impact.

Mukherjee will begin his visit by arriving in the industrialised Chinese city of Guangzhou, the first Indian leader to so.

Besides interacting with the Indian community, which has over 3,000 businessmen, Mukherjee will also address Sino-India Business Forum to highlight investment opportunities in India.

On the second leg of the visit, Mukherjee will travel to Beijing where he will hold wide-ranging talks with the Chinese leadership on key bilateral, regional and global issues.

A key engagement of the President will be a round table of vice-chancellors of Chinese and Indian universities.

A number of MoUs will be signed between academic institutions of both the countries.

In Beijing, the President will also be talking to students of Peking University. Mukherjee is accompanied by a delegation of academicians including vice-chancellors of two central universities as well as heads of IIT-Delhi and Bhubaneshwar, IIM, Ahmedabad and NIT Nagpur and Agartala.

Union minister Santosh Ganwar and four MPs will also accompany the President as part of the delegation.
An acute shortage of teachers, their uneven distribution and no-detention policy are the main reasons behind the worsening academic results in Haryana schools.

HT talked to various teachers and educationists who felt that besides the serious problem of shortage of faculty, the no-detention policy, as per which all the students have to be promoted to next class up to Class 9, were the factors responsible for the poor show as their learning abilities remained low, which reflected in the Class 10 and later Class 12 in the Haryana school board exams.

They also pointed out uneven distribution of teachers in several districts as another reason for dismal results.

Though the recently declared Class 12 Haryana school board results showed an improvement from last years 53.96 % pass percentage to 62.40 % this year), the Class 10 results displayed hardly any improvement from last years 45.84% to 48.88% this year.

District education officer (DEO) Uday Pratap Singh, Yamunanagar, which has the second lowest pass percentage (20th among the total 21 districts) with 37.49%, said teachers shortage was the main reason behind the poor result. Against sanctioned post of about 7,000, we have only about 3,100 teachers, he said.

Neelam Bhandari, DEO, Gurgaon, which has 51.71% pass percentage, however, held that though she had recently been posted to Gurgaon, she observed the no-detention policy could be one of the main reasons behind poor results. The policy introduced under the Right to Education (RTE) Act is being reviewed by the Centre.

Haryana schools lecturers association president Dayanand Dalal argued that though unlike Class 10, the Class 12 results had shown some improvement, the serious shortage of teachers and no-detention policy were main reasons behind the poor results.

According to him, against the 34,000 sanctioned posts of lecturer, only about 18,000 posts were filled. He also held that there were districts which had surplus teachers and while others had deficit. He also cited the no-detention policy as one of the reasons responsible for poor results.

Educationist S Kumar, general secretary, Forum of Senior Citizens in Education, who also cited the no-detention policy as one of reasons, however, did not agree with the shortage of teachers as one. One can see the results of teachers who are in service to see the reality. The forum believes it is the motivation among teachers and pupils for education which seems to be missing, he said and added that the forum would be meeting DEOs and subsequently launching some programmes in the schools.

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Hopes of finding the two Indian climbers missing on Mount Everest alive dimmed further on Tuesday, with a rescue mission yet to be sent to locate them on the worlds highest mountain.

Paresh Chandra Nath, Gautam Ghosh, Sunita Hazra and Subhash Pal - all from West Bengal - and four Sherpa guides accompanying them went missing very close to the 8,848-metre tall summit of the mountain on Saturday.

Hazra, Pal and the Sherpa guides were located on Sunday, but there has been no trace yet of Nath and Ghosh. Though Hazra was able to reach till Camp II at 6,400 metres, from where she was airlifted to Kathmandu, Pal died due to altitude sickness while descending on Sunday night at 7,500 metres.

A rescue team comprising six persons will leave Kathmandu by helicopter on Wednesday. They will be dropped at Camp II from where it should take two days to reach the missing climbers and Pal, Wangchu Sherpa of Kathmandu-based Trekking Camp Nepal told HT.

There is little hope of finding them alive as they didnt have adequate oxygen supply to last them at an altitude where the supply of natural oxygen is so low that the area is called by climbers as death zone.

Sherpa said that the rescue team will first try to locate the missing climbers and bring them as well as the Pals body back to Camp II from where it will be possible to airlift them back to Kathmandu.

Read: Indian climber dies on Everest, no trace of two others missing

West Bengal climber Sunita Hazra recovering at Norvik Hospital in Kathmandu. (Utpal Parashar/ HT Photo)

Lucky escape

As efforts continue to trace her team members, Hazra, who sustained severe frostbite, chest infection and altitude sickness, is recovering in a Kathmandu hospital.

Suffering from severe weakness, the 42-year-old was in no position to talk and was being taken care of by husband Sudeb Hazra and two other relatives who reached Kathmandu on hearing about her plight.

Sunita is an experienced climber, but she was totally shocked by what happened on Everest. While her team members perished, she is extremely lucky to have survived, said Sudeb.

According to doctors treating her at Norvic Hospital, the climber suffered frostbite on both hands and feet, a minor fracture on her right hand, severe chest infection and dehydration.

Sunita was admitted on Monday and is now out of danger now. She will have to stay in the hospital for another four to five days to completely recover her strength, Dr JP Jaiswal, consultant physician and cardiologist, said.

Read: Around 30 climbers frostbitten or sick on Mount Everest after 2 die

Everest is worth the pain

Another Indian climber rescued from the Everest and airlifted to Kathmandu is Haryanas Seema Goswami, who is also recovering at the Norvic Hospital.

Goswami suffered frostbite on her feet, chest infection, dehydration and peeling of facial skin. Doctors treating her say she is recovering fast and will be able to leave the hospital within two-three days.

The 27-year-old reached the summit on May 20 but experienced extreme weakness and snow blindness while descending. Another climber helped Goswami to reach Camp IV.

The Sherpa accompanying me left me there alone. My oxygen supply also got over, but I was lucky to find an extra one from a bag lying there. If I hadnt found that, I would have been dead, she told HT.

Four Sherpas from Seven Summit Treks, the expedition organiser, reached her on May 21 and brought her to the safety of Camp II. She was airlifted to Kathmandu on May 22.

Daughter of a tractor driver, Goswami is extremely proud of her achievement and believes the pain and risks are worth the glory. But she is also sad to know about the fates of the climbers from West Bengal.

Though we were on separate teams, almost all Indian climbers on Everest knew each other. I had met Hazra, Pal, Ghosh and Nath while coming down from the peak. They were on their way to the summit, she said.

Another Indian climber, Rajib Bhattacharya from West Bengal, also died due to similar complications last week while descending from the peak of Mt Dhaulagiri (8,167 metre), the seventh highest mountain in the world.

Two climbers, Eric Arnold from Netherlands and Maria Strydom from Australia, also succumbed to high altitude sickness while on their way back from the summit.

Beginning May 11, nearly 400 climbers and Sherpa guides have reached the summit of Everest this season. Around three dozen climbers have been affected by frostbite and snow blindness.

Mt Everest has seen a rush of climbers in the past few weeks after Nepal government lifted a ban imposed after a devastating earthquake in 2015 killed at least 18 people at the base camp, situated at the altitude of 17,800 feet, and forced hundreds of climbers to abandon their expeditions.

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A year after maps in school textbooks published by the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research (Balbharti) depicted Arunachal Pradesh as part of China and marked out Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a separate territory, the new Class 6 history textbooks are once again error-ridden.

Maps show Kanheri caves - located inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park at Borivli - to be underwater. Delhi, the capital of the country, is shown on the eastern bank of river Yamuna (most of Delhi is on the western bank) and the Mediterranean Sea has been depicted as a land mass.

Academicians pointed out several glaring errors in at least six maps published in these textbooks.

While in a chapter on the ancient kingdoms in south India, on page 36, the Kanheri caves built during the reign of the Mauryan and Kushana emperors, have been marked off the coast of Mumbai, a chapter on India and Asia trade routes, shows the Silk Route passing through the Mediterranean Sea, which is marked out to be a land mass.

More than 17 lakh students of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) will refer to these textbooks based on the new syllabus for Class 6.

Experts said the state government allowed the same people, who were responsible for the embarrassing mistakes in the Class 10 geography textbooks in 2014, to work on these textbooks.

At least two of the members from the board of studies, which was sacked for making mistakes in the geography textbook in 2014, were again appointed to prepare the new textbooks, said Vidyadhar Amrite, retired professor of Sathaye College.

He added It is shocking that when the BJP was an opposition party, they had called for strict action against these people, but now they are hiring the same people.

Historical inaccuracies

* Delhi has been shown on the eastern banks of river Yamuna while most of the city lies on the western bank

* While depicting the Silk Route that connected India and Asia, a map shows the Mediterranean sea as a landmass

* Malla, which was one of the republics of India that constituted the mahajanapadas, has been shown to be a part of Nepal in a map. It was actually located near Uttar Pradesh, say experts

* A map confuses Kanheri caves with Elephanta caves and incorrectly shows them in the middle of the sea. The caves are actually located in Mumbais Borivali

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Indian authorities use vaguely worded British-era as well as newer laws to criminalise free speech and stamp out dissent, the Human Rights Watch said in a report on Tuesday, calling on the government to do away with such legislation.

The report, titled Stifling Dissent: The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in India, said old and new laws were being used to restrict activities by NGOs, block internet sites and target marginalized communities, particularly Dalits, and religious minorities in the country.

The observations come amid rising instances of dissenting voices being dragged to court or citizens being jailed for expressing their opinion, especially on social media. The report mentioned the high-profile case of Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Kanhaiya Kumars arrest on sedition charges after a campus event in February where alleged anti-India slogans were shouted.

The governments action against Kumar and fellow students triggered a debate on free speech and invited criticism by the Opposition and many public intellectuals who said cases of religious and political intolerance had gone up since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in 2014.

The report said Indian authorities and political parties used government resources to file cases under archaic laws.

Indias abusive laws are the hallmark of a repressive society, not a vibrant democracy, said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Putting critics in prison or even forcing them to defend themselves in lengthy and expensive court proceedings undermine the governments efforts to present India as a modern country in the Internet age committed to free speech and the rule of law.

The human rights organisation said its report was based on an in-depth analysis of various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (including laws on sedition, criminal defamation, hate speech).

The report also referred to Indian laws that criminalise defamation, saying such legislation should be scrapped in keeping with the views of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. But earlier this month, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of such legal provisions, observing that they do not clash with the right to free speech.

Sedition and criminal defamation laws are routinely used to shield the powerful from criticism, and send a message that dissent carries a high price, Ganguly said.

Indias courts have largely been protective of freedom of expression but as long as you have bad laws on the books, free speech will remain under threat, she said.

The Tamil Nadu government has used criminal defamation cases against journalists, with about 200 such cases pending in the state.

The Human Rights Watchs report also cited Penguin Indias decision to withdraw a book on the history of Hinduism by American scholar Wendy Doniger in 2014 rather than fight a case brought by a religious group.
Japan is keen to fund two more road projects in Indias northeast, a priority area for the Narendra Modi government both in terms of domestic politics and strategic reasons.

The Japanese government, which has pledged Rs 67.1 billion to improve roads in the region, is looking at national highways 40 and 55 that provide vital links to Bangladesh and Myanmar, the only southeast Asian country India shares a land boundary with.

Strategically important N-E states also have reserves of a variety of natural resources. Connectivity, however, remains a problem and Japan is helping India bridge that gap.

A network of roads linked to waterways has the potential to turn the region into a busy trade route and give it the much-needed economic push.

Prime Minister Shizo Abe has expressed Japans intention to provide loans for road connectivity in the Northeast that will also boost regional connectivity , a spokesperson for the Japan International Cooperaton Agency (Jica) told HT.

Read: Taking the lead in Asia: Modi, Abes vision for India, Japan ties

The final funding details are being drawn for the slope protection of the Siliguri-Darjeeling stretch, which is prone to landslides, of national highway (NH) 55.

Japan will also lend a hand in improving NH 40 that connects Shillong to Dawki in Meghalaya close to the Bangladesh border.

The bilateral cooperation with Japan in infrastructure projects in the Northeast, an area out of bounds for Chinese investors for political reasons, has been stepped up of late.

It also comes at a time when Beijing is pumping in money to boost infrastructure in the neighbouring country.

Soon after Abes India visit in December, Jica pledged around Rs 7,000 crore for two highways projects in Mizoram and Meghalaya.

The first is the upgrade of 350-km stretch between Aizwal and Tuipang in Mizoram. The section, which passes through a rolling terrain and needs constant maintenance, is a part of the Kaladan multi-modal transportation corridor that will bring the region closer to Myanmar through sea, river and road links.

A sea route is planned between Kolkata and Sittwe in Myanmar that will help movement of goods. From Sittwe, the waterway will go up to Paletwa in western Myanmar. A road link will then connect the Myanmarese town to Mizoram.

The second project is the improvement of the Tura-Dalu section of NH 51 in Meghalaya that runs up to the Bangladesh border.

Projects helping regional connectivity would bring better economic growth to the region, the JICA official said.

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Lucknow, New Town in Kolkata, Bhagalpur and Dharamsala are among the 13 urban centres picked to be developed as smart cities under the Modi governments ambitious plan for an urban overhaul.

Chandigarh, Faridabad, Raipur, Ranchi, Warangal, Agartala, Imphal, Port Blair and Panaji are the other cities chosen on Tuesday through a fast-track competition.

Meant to change the way urban India lives, smart cities will enjoy uninterrupted power and water supplies, internet connectivity, e-governance along with quality infrastructure.

In January, when the first 20 smart cities were announced the urban development ministry had come under fire for leaving out cities from non-NDA states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.

Upset over the exclusion of the three potential smart cities from Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar had said the urban plan promoted regional inequality.

Read: Govt names 20 cities for smart makeover; Bhubaneswar tops list

Other state government also said the first list was tilted heavily in favour of the NDA-ruled state. All the 12 cities from Uttar Pradesh -- short-listed from the 98 potential smart cities -- lost out in the first round.

To stave off criticism, the ministry decided to fast track the selection process to choose the second lot from a list of 23.

Two of the 13 cities are in Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow) and Himachal Pradesh (Dharamsala) that go to the polls in 2017. While the Congress is in power in Himachal, the Samajwadi Party rules Uttar Pradesh.

Four cities  Faridabad (Haryana), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Panaji (Goa)  are in BJP-ruled states. The capital city of Congress-ruled Manipur, Imphal, too has made the cut.

The 13 cities have proposed projects involving a total investment of Rs 30,229 crore.

The ministry has also decided to allow seven capital cities -- Patna, Shimla, Naya Raipur, Itanagar, Amaravati, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram -- to participate in the competition. The cities were not on the list of 98 potential smart cities.

Smart cities are picked though a two-stage process. In the first stage, a state shortlists potential cities and send the names to the Centre. In the second round, these nominated cities compete with each other.

The selection is based on the scores cities get for carrying out urban reforms in areas including sanitation and governance.

While 20 cities were selected in January, 40 more will be added to the list by the yearend. Each city will be given R500 crore by the Centre over five years. The states will have to make a matching contribution.

Stalemate over J&K, UP cities

The Centre has decided to allow both Jammu and Srinagar from the border state and Meerut and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh to make a pitch for the tag. But, the ministry has made it clear that only one city will be picked from each of these states.

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The special prosecutor of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the 2008 Malegaon blast case has been provided with a security cover, days after the central agency filed a supplementary charge sheet, police sources said.

A security review meeting held in March indicated threats to Rasal and some key witnesses in the case. We have provided security to them, a senior IPS officer, who did not wish to be named, said.

Sources said Avinash Rasal, who lives under the jurisdiction of Khar police station, has been provided three constables - two are posted at his residence and one travels with him.

We have given him the required security cover as directed by the authorities, Ramchandra Jadhav, senior police inspector of Khar police station, said.

Rasal, however, ruled out the possibility of a threat to his life and said he has not received any threats. The state has given me security suo motu for the past week, he said.

The threat to witnesses can also have a bearing on the recent supplementary charge sheet filed by the NIA in Mumbai, where the central agency revoked provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case and even discharged religious leader Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused.

Read: Why NIA dropped charges in Malegaon case

The NIA dropped all charges against Thakur and others for lack of evidence, saying a shoddy probe by Maharashtra authorities forced the U-turn and alleged the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) planted explosives on one of the accused.

The charge sheet said an assistant police inspector Shekhar Bagade went to the house of an accused, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, when he wasnt at home on November 3, 2008. But the police officer kept the visit a secret, even asking one of the witnesses not to reveal anything about the visit.

Two weeks later on November 25, ATS officials searched Chaturvedis house and found a detonator and gunny bag, among other materials.

The samples on cotton swabs taken from his house  sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Mumbai  revealed traces of RDX. FSL said the explosive ingredients recovered from the blast site at Malegaon were similar to the samples from Chaturvedis house.

The NIA later examined accused Prasad Purohit and Ramesh Upadhayay, who revealed Bagade visited Chaturvedis house  a fact corroborated by an army major and a subedar.

On considering the facts narrated by witnesses, the question arises why API Bagade visited the house of Sudhakar Chaturvedi in the absence of accused or witnesses, and why he requested one of the witnesses not to say anything about his presence in the house, the charge sheet said.

This creates doubt on this recovery of swabs of RDX keeping

This recovery becomes suspect on the ground that the ATS Mumbai may have planted the RDX traces to implicate him, and the other accused in the case, it said.

Bagade, now a senior police inspector with Navi Mumbai police station, dismissed the charges.

These are wild allegations. How can somebody plant RDX? I had gone to check the address of Chaturvedi, and it is on record, he said.

Another key accused, Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, was charged under the antiterror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code. He and nine others were named in the charge sheet.

The case was handed over to the NIA in 2011 along with six other cases of alleged Hindu terror. The NIA charge sheet said MCOCA provisions were dropped because of procedural lapses and the ATS appeared to have filed charge sheets against one of the accused without sufficient evidence, only to fulfil conditions of the anti-terror act.

Without the MCOCA, confessions by the accused to police officers wouldnt be admissible in court.

Seven people were killed and 101 injured in the twin explosions when people were coming out of prayers during Ramzan on September 29, 2008, in the Muslim-majority Malegaon town.
Call it the clout of former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin or the fear his name generates, the police now face the challenge of finding witnesses in the murder of Rajdeo Ranjan, the bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan. Ranjan was shot by five gunmen in a public place on May 13.

No witnesses have come forward so far to record their statements. In such a situation, police just have scientific evidence, if it has remained intact, to bank on. Although the government had announced that it would hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the agency has not taken any action even after a week. The police will continue with their probe until the agency takes over.

Read | Another journalist threatened in Bihar despite CM Nitish Kumars assurance

We are continuing with the investigation. Our focus is on the shooter. He has been identified and the search is on to nab him, said Ajit Kumar Rai, DIG, Saran range.

In Siwan, fearful locals refuse to speak about the incident, even to the media. Police, meanwhile, are yet to arrest the shooters.

Another example of Shahabuddins clout was evident when the police carried out raids in the prison after he was shifted to Bhagalpur special central jail following Opposition uproar.

Read | Bihar doctor receives extortion letter for Rs 50 lakh with live cartridge

Vidhu Bhardwaj, superintendent of Siwan district jail, said the police recovered 17 mobiles and three SIM cards buried underground. We have lodged an FIR against unidentified persons with the Mufassil police station. The police will examine who all were contacted through the mobiles and in whose names the SIM cards are registered, he added.

Read | After Shahabuddin, his 3 close associates shifted from Siwan jail

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India and China have areas of differences but it has always been New Delhis attempt to reduce the divergence and expand cooperation, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday as he began his four-day visit to the country.

The basic cardinal principle of Indias foreign policy is to recognise divergenceswe have never indulged in expanding the divergences but reducing the divergences and expanding the areas of agreement, Mukherjee said in his address to around 400 members of the Indian diaspora in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

Indirectly referring to Chinas decision to block Indias inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Mukherjee said India had always supported Beijings inclusion in international organisations.

India, he said, believed that Chinas presence must be there in multilateral organisations as otherwise a huge population will be left unrepresented.

Read: President Pranab Mukherjees visit to China will foster strategic trust

He said cooperation between India and China was expanding in almost every field  economic and political  and in various bilateral and multilateral fora.

Mukherjee said the development of Sino-India relations has been phenomenal in the last two decades, adding that bilateral trade has gone up from around $ 2.9 billion in 2000 to more than $ 71 billion last year.

But we are not satisfied because we do believe there is immense potential for trade and investment between the two countries, he said.

Mukherjees visit takes place even as the two giant neighbours continue to negotiate old and new disputes amid the promise of closer economic ties and narrowing diplomatic differences. For one, the dispute over the 3,488-km border continues to cast a shadow over bilateral relations.

Mukherjee is heading a delegation that includes the minister of state for textiles, SK Gangwar, four Members of Parliament, diplomats and journalists. The President said his delegation represented the multi-party democratic system of India.

After delivering a keynote address at a business forum in Guangzhou on Wednesday, Mukherjee will fly to Beijing for a series of bilateral meetings with top Chinese leaders, beginning with President Xi Jinping.

Mukherjee said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping will have the opportunity to meet each other and share their views at the G20 summit, to be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in September.

China and India, he said, are among the advanced emerging economies and have contributed to the worlds output in trade and investment.

Chinese economy is many folds larger than ours but at the same time we have the potential, Mukherjee said.

India and China need to share best practices, share developmental experience, he added.

He appealed to the Indian diaspora of about 45,000 in China to take part in the governments programmes like Make in India and Digital India.

Commenting on Mukherjees visit, Professor Zhu Cuiping from the Research Institute for Indian Ocean Economies, Yunnan University, said his experience and stature were important factors.

China and India established the bilateral defence dialogue mechanism during President Mukherjees visit to China in 2006 as defence minister. He also visited China and delivered a lecture in Peking University in 2008 as a foreign minister. His rich experiences including work as finance Minister, defence minister as well as foreign minister in the past years means this visit is significant for bilateral relations rather than just a symbolic visit, Zhu said.
One in every five missing children in India is from West Bengal, which reported 14,671 cases of missing children in 2014 or more than 21% of the total cases reported in the country, said NGO CRY - Child Rights and You on Tuesday.

Going by the data shared by the ministry of home affairs during the parliamentary session, West Bengal was among the four states which together accounted for more than 60% of the missing children in the country.

To be more accurate, the state reported 14,671 cases of missing children in 2014, which is more than 21 percent of the total cases reported in India. In other words, one in every 5 missing children in India is from Bengal, a CRY statement said.

Citing National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, the organisation highlighted Bengal was among the top five states in the country in kidnapping and abduction of (K&A) children and accounts for six percent of such cases in the country.

Cases related to kidnapping and abduction of minors in the state has grown by 608% over the last five years. Number of K&A cases in 2010 was 332 and over the last five years it rose to a whopping 2,351 in Bengal, the statement said.

The organisation also drew attention to the gender skewing among missing children, as revealed by the home ministry data.

Over 2010-2014, out of the 3.85 lakh children who went missing across the country, 61 percent were girls. The situation is worse in West Bengal. Missing children data from 2014 shows that 70 percent of the children who went missing in the year were girls, the statement said.

Around 40 percent of the missing children each year remained untraced.

Atindra Nath Das, regional director, CRY East, said: Its good that the state has recorded a decrease, however small it might be, in the number of missing children. But, going by the current trend reflected in the government data, Bengal along with some other states continue to show worrying trends in cases related to missing children. There is a close linkage of missing children to organized crime.
President Pranab Mukherjee signed on Tuesday an ordinance to keep states out of the ambit of a court-mandated single, all-India medical entrance test this year.

The ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet last Friday, is aimed at partially overturning a Supreme Court verdict that said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under the single examination called NEET.

The court ordered a single medical test, benefiting aspirants who juggle clashing exam schedules and differing admission norms by private colleges. The test was allowed to be held in two phases  the first phase was conducted on May 1 and the second phase is scheduled for July 24.

But many oppose the NEET on the ground that students affiliated to state boards would find it tough to deal with a test based on a central curriculum and conducted in English.

Read:Nadda meets Pranab over NEET: What the controversy is all about

Mukherjee sought an explanation for the reasons behind bringing in the ordinance against the apex court decision on making participation mandatory for all medical colleges  state, deemed universities and private colleges  to admit students from the academic year 2016-17 and reprtedly consulted in-house experts before clearing it just ahead of his trip to China.

Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi was at the Presidents Secretariat early this morning along with top health ministry officials to respond to the questions.

Clarifying that the exemption is only for the state government seats, government sources said the state seats that are earmarked in private medical colleges have also been exempted.

Different states earmark anything between 12-15% seats in various private medical colleges for state quota so that students from one state can get seats in another state. The remaining seats in such colleges are reserved for domicile students. With the Ordinance, the remaining seats meant for domicile students will come under NEET.

More than 15 states were opposed to NEET and had raised issues such as different syllabus and languages during a recent meeting among state health ministers.

Representatives from 18 states met Union health minister JP Nadda a week ago and informed that NEET would put non-CBSE candidates at a disadvantage as there was too little time left for students to bridge the difference between state board syllabi and the central curriculum.

The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24. Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1.

Once the ordinance is issued, students of state government boards will not have to sit for NEET on July 24.

They, however, will have to become part of the uniform entrance exam from next academic session, government sources said.

The exam will be applicable for those applying for Central government and private medical colleges.

They said the students affiliated to state boards will find it tough to appear for the uniform test as early as July and such students will be at a loss compared to those who have followed the central board.

State governments wanted exemption and the issues were related to parity of syllabus and option of giving exam in regional languages, Nadda said.

After due consultation, we came out with an ordinance which provides NEET a statutory basis and where we give state governments an option to conduct examination and those who have conducted exams to go forward in that direction, he said.
Accusing Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of being totally unscrupulous, friend-turned-foe Prashant Bhushan has claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party leader can even join hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for personal gains.

Kejriwal is totally unscrupulous...The day it suits him, he will join hands with Modi. I have no doubt about it, Bhushan, who is currently on a private visit to the US, said on Monday.

Bhushans remarks come even as Kejriwal-led Delhi government and the Modi-led Centre have been at loggerheads over a range of issues over the past one year.

Bhushan, an activist-lawyer who founded Swaraj Abhiyan along with Yogendra Yadav after leaving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) last year, said he regrets having not recognised such traits of Kejriwal early on.

He used people like me and Yogendra to gain credibility, and at the same time ensured that he enjoys majority in decision-making bodies of AAP so that he can go ahead with his agenda, he said.

Responding to a question, Bhushan alleged that Kejriwal is not interested in fighting corruption. He does not want accountability for himself, Bhushan said, alleging that he has been hearing a lot of corruption cases about AAP MLAs.

Arvind has Manmohan Singh syndrome, who never took money himself but allowed others around him to take money, Bhushan alleged.

Talking about assembly elections in Punjab, Bhushan said an Aam Admi Party government in the state will be much worse than that of the Congress.

It would be rudderless and chaotic, he said while asserting that AAP is not a credible alternative in Punjab.

Congress, in fact, is a much nicer choice in Punjab. In my view they would be better than AAP. They (Congress) have experience. There is no principal left in AAP, he said.

Swaraj Abhiyan, he said, is not ready yet to jump into politics. This will take about a year, he said in response to a question. Before joining electoral politics, he said, Swaraj Abhiyan wants to establish within itself the principles of transparency, accountability and democracy.

We do not want to repeat the mistakes we did in the case of AAP, he said, adding that people like him were taken for a ride by Kejriwal.
Home minister Rajnath Singh has said there is no threat to India from Islamic State (IS) as people of the Muslim community are against the IS.

Along with the alertness of the security, the Muslims in India are against the IS. They cannot grow in India as Muslims wont allow them, Singh said in an interview to ETV.

Speaking about underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Singh said: He would be nabbed and brought back to India.

Dawood is an international terrorist and there is need to take the help of international agencies to nab him. All the relevant documents against Dawood have been given to Pakistan, the home minister said.

Singh claimed that in last two years the internal security of the nation has been strengthened and Terrorism, Naxalism and Maoism was controlled to a large extent. He said both official and non-official reports justify this.

On Pathankot attack, the minister said the security agencies have given right reply to the January 2 attack.

Singh also said Congress was gradually losing peoples faith.

In coming days Congress will lose its political clout, the minister said.

When asked about the surgery needed in Congress, Singh said: It is their internal matter, adding that there was a need for Congress to introspect.
The University of Hyderabad may be heading for another showdown, with students opposing an order to remove tents from the campus shopping complex, the epicentre of the protests that followed the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.

Students have threatened an agitation against the university circular, signalling fresh trouble in the institute that has been on the boil after Vemula hanged himself on January 17 alleging caste discrimination.

University registrar M Sudhakar in a May 20 letter to students union president KP Zuhail ordered that the tents pitched by the students and the make-shift memorial for Vemula be removed immediately.

The students will also have to take away a tent put up by Vemula and four other students, who called it Velivada, or Dalit colony while protesting against their suspension. A few days later, Vemula committed suicide and the spot turned into a protest site where more tents were pitched and Vemulas bust erected.

A tent inside the campus. (Srinivasa Rao Apparasu/HT Photo)

Read: A lesson in Rohith Vemulas death: India is shackled to caste

Several politicians, including Congress vice-president like Rahul Gandhi, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, had visited the spot to express support for students. The Narendra Modi government was severely criticised for undermining caste-based discrimination and forcing its agenda on educational institutes.

The circular was issued on the instructions of vice-chancellor P Appa Rao, the registrar said. The authorities have already whitewashed pro-Vemula graffiti off campus walls.

Munna Sannaki, a member of the students joint action committee for social justice, alleged conspiracy, saying the circular was sent out when most of the students were away for summer vacations.

The university authorities sent the circular through a security guard Mastan late Saturday evening... We refused to receive and acknowledge the circular, but the security guard gave us copies of it, Munna told HT.

Another tent showcasing the preamble the Constitution, at Hyderabad University. (Srinivasa Rao Apparasu/HT Photo)

Read: Forced labour for grandmother: Inequality defined Rohith Vemulas life

On Monday, the authorities reportedly handed the notice to student union general secretary Raj Kumar Sahu, who recently quit the Students Federation of India. He accused the JAC and Ambedkar Students Union leaders of politicising Vemulas suicide.

The authorities were trying to fire at the JAC from the shoulders of Sahu. Sahu called us last night and asked us to remove the tents. We refused and are prepared for any eventuality, Munna said on Tuesday.

We are waiting for the return of union leaders for further course of action.

Speaking to HT from Kerala, Zuhail said he was told the university was planning to remove Vemulas bust and also the portraits of Dalit icons Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. He warned of a fresh round of protests if the decision was imposed on students.

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Guwahati

Union sport minister Sarbananda Sonowal took oath as Assams 14th chief minister on Tuesday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet colleagues and BJP president Amit Shah.

Assam governor PB Acharya administered the oath at 4.25pm, five minutes after Modi arrived at the expansive Khanapara ground on the southern end of Guwahati. Ten other ministers were also sworn in, including two each from BJP allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF).

A great responsibility has been bestowed upon us. We will try to do justice to it, said Sonowal, a 54-year-old bachelor.

He replaced Tarun Gogoi of the Congress who ruled for three consecutive terms. Before Gogoi, Hiteswar Saikia of the Congress and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta of the AGP held the post twice.

Gogoi, whom Sonowal had invited specially, shared the dais with Modi and other dignitaries.

Read | CM Sonowal and his team: Meet the leaders at Assams helm

(PTI)

The first of the ministers to take oath was Himanta Biswa Sarma, widely believed to have plotted Gogois exit after quitting the Congress and joining the BJP in August 2015. He accompanied Shah to the Kamakhya temple earlier in the day.

Modi became the first Prime Minister to attend the swearing-in of an Assam chief minister or any of the other seven north-eastern states. I am grateful to the people of Assam for giving Sarbananda and his ministers the opportunity to serve them, Modi said, assuring the Centres commitment for the development of Assam and the Northeast.

At least 10 of his cabinet colleagues, including home minister Rajnath Singh and road transport minister Nitik Gadkari, attended the event, whose scale was compared to the AGPs open-air oath-taking ceremony in 1985.

There were 13 chief ministers from states ruled by BJP and NDA constituents too. They included Madhya Pradeshs Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Rajasthans Vasundhara Raje, Maharashtras Devendra Fadnavis, Andhra Pradeshs Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party and Arunachal Pradeshs Kalikho Pul of the Peoples Party of Arunachal.

Read | As it happened: Sarbananda Sonowal takes oath as Assam CM

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, criticised by the ULFA separatist group for a land deal for his Patanjali plant in western Assam, did not turn up. Neither did Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Both were invited.

However, the satradhikars or abbots of seven satras (Vaishnav monasteries) accepted Sonowals invitation. Among them were the abbots of three main satras  Garamur, Kamalabari and Auni-Ati  in Majuli, the island-constituency that Sonowal represents.

The erosion-plagued Majuli, now reduced to 520sq km, once had 65 satras. Only 22 remain, some having been washed away and others having relocated to the mainland in the past six decades.

I am grateful to the abbots for guiding us spiritually through this historic political journey, Sonowal had said after visiting the ashram of Krishnaguru, another Vaishnav spiritual guru in western Assams Sarthebari on Monday.

The reclusive and controversial Krishnaguru has a sect different from the other Vaishnav groups.

The BJP had won 60 of 126 seats in the April assembly elections. This is four short of the majority mark.

AGP and BPF won 14 and 12 seats to give the BJP-led alliance a total of 86. The Congress managed to win 26 seats, its second worst performance since 1985 when it won 25.

The All India United Democratic Front, which was on the upswing since its birth in 2005, had to be content with 13 seats, down by five from its 2011 score.
Uttarakhands Chakrata region bristled with tension on Tuesday amid fears of a possible attempt by upper caste villagers to purify a temple visited by Dalit activists and a BJP parliamentarian leading to violence in the Himalayan state last week.

Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay and Dalit activist Daulat Kunwar were injured in stone pelting, allegedly by upper caste villagers outside the Silgur Devta temple in Punah village, around 180 km from state capital Dehradun on May 20.

Dalit activists said the entry into the Silgur Devta temple was the start of a campaign against a centuries-old caste bias that forbids them from entering and worshipping at 349 temples of the hill states Jaunsar-Bhabar region.

Revered as the holiest land for Hindus, the Himalayan state is home to thousands of temples but most of them are off-limits for people from the lower strata of the social order.

Read: Mob attacks BJP MP for visiting Uttarakhand temple with Dalits

Sources said that upper caste villagers were planning to carry out a ritual cleansing of the Silgur Devta temple which they say have become impure after the entry of the Dalit activists.

Police, however, said they were determined to foil any such move.

Police personnel are deployed in the village where the temple is located. We will not allow anyone to add poison to the air, said Sadanand Date, Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP).

The state government has already ordered two probes -- one by CB-CID (states investigation wing) and other under the commissioner of Garhwal region.

On Monday, home minister Pritam Singh and forest minister Dinesh Agarwal visited the village on Monday. Singh represents the Chakrata area.

Peoples representatives and locals are divided over the issue of Dalit entry into the temple with some questioning Tarun Vijay for not taking locals into the confidence before leading the Dalits into temple.

The injured MP is admitted in a hospital in Dehradun. After chief minister Harish Rawat and governor KK Paul, two Congress rebel leaders -- now in BJP  Vijay Bahuguna and Harak Singh also called on parliamentarian.

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Bihars total prohibition has left thousands of security personnel, including Army men serving in the state, in a piquant situation, deprived of a drink or two to unwind after a hard days work.

Though the new Bihar Excise Act does not intrude into the cantonment areas, a letter by the excise commissioner to the top army official in Bihar and Jharkhand, inspector generals of paramilitary forces and NCC directorate made it explicitly clear that anyone found drinking or possessing liquor outside would face action.

The letter was issued on May 11, more than a month after the Nitish Kumar government imposed total prohibition in the state under a new legislation with stringent punishment for flouting the rules.

The government also requested army and para-militaries to inform their serving and retired personnel not to consume or carry liquor outside the cantonment area. This direction from the state government, army authorities say, is highly impractical.

Twice on Monday and Tuesday, top army officials met state government officials pointing out the difficulties and seeking relaxation of the norms, sources said.

On Monday, the general officer commanding (GOC) of Jharkhand and Bihar sub-area met the chief secretary to raise the issue. On Tuesday, the GOC and IGs of paramilitary forces met the principal secretary, excise to raise the matter, the sources added.

There are nearly 1.25 lakh ex-servicemen in Bihar and 20,000 serving Army personnel in the state. Bihar also has around 10,000 CRPF deputed across the state, besides other para-military forces.

An official of the Jharkhand Bihar sub-area said army personnel and jawans residing outside in residential localities of Patna, Khagaul, Maner, Bihta, were unable to take home the liquor permitted under quotas fixed by the Indian Army.

CRPF additional director general (Bihar sector) Shailendra Kumar Singh said the jawans based in extremist-affected regions like Jamui, Munger, Gaya and Rohtas should get facilities like army to consume liquor in their camps.

We work away from home and family in hills and forests. We dont even have proper accommodation. We work in difficult hours. Taking away alcohol will only make our job difficult and many jawans will prefer staying away from Bihar, he added.

According to army sources, government also ignored that there are other army establishment in Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur Katihar, Jamalpur and Gaya. Some of them also have canteen facility, from where liquor is issued to the army personnel.

A confrontation like situation recently arose at Jamalpur in Munger district where excise officials tried to search the premises of the Territorial Army battalion. Similar situation may come up at other places also, said an army official.

Last week, a section of ex-servicemen staged a demonstration at Saguna More to protest the new excise act. Where should we drink? Give us place, they shouted.

More than 20,000 jawans of the Bihar regiment are posted in far-flung areas of different sectors, including Jammu and Kashmir, north-east region, and they are hardly aware about the new rules of Bihar.

In such a case, when they get sudden movement order or get leave, they would enter Bihar with liquor, oblivious of the fact that it could land them in jail, said another top official.

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The wait for students, who appeared for the Maharashtra state education board examinations, has finally come to an end. Results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams will be declared online on Wednesday, while that of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) is likely to be declared on May 31.

The HSC exam results will be announced online at 1pm and mark sheets will be distributed in junior colleges on June 3.

We are announcing the results earlier than usual so that students failing in exams can apply for the supplementary exams in July, said Gangadhar Mhamane, chairperson, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).

More than 13 lakh students from across the state, including 3.2 lakh from Mumbai division, took the HSC exams, which were conducted between February and March this year. More than 17 lakh students had appeared for the SSC exams in the state and 3.7 lakh in the division.

During the exam, question papers of the HSC book keeping and accountancy paper held on March 4, was leaked on social media, nearly 30 minutes before the paper was distributed to the examinees. But the board refused to conduct a re-exam claiming the paper did not reach a large number of students.

Science students are anxious about their performance in physics as they found the paper tough to crack. Several students had rung up the board helpline after the paper, inquiring about the minimum marks required to clear it. The paper was based on the new syllabus introduced a couple of years ago. Students found the paper lengthy and difficult. Close to 85,546 students had appeared for the paper from the Mumbai division, which includes Thane, Raigad and Palghar.

Special students were also given more concessions during the exams this year. For the first time this year, the board had allowed special students to avail of adult writers, if they were unable to find younger ones. This provision was introduced after autistic students kin moved the Bombay high court, as younger writers were unable to communicate with the students.

Access your result here

The HSC exam results will be announced online at 1pm and mark sheets will be distributed in junior colleges on June 3

Students can access it on www.mahresult.nic.in or www.result.mkcl.org or www.maharashtraeducation.com or www.rediff.com/exams or http://maharashtra12knowyourresult.com

Verification and Re-evaluation

From this year, students can apply for verification of marks from May 26 to June 4

Students can also apply for photocopies of their answer sheets by paying a minimal fee. For re-evaluation of answer sheets, students should submit the photocopy of the answer sheet along with an application within four days of receiving the photocopy.

Re-exam

Students who have passed in all the subjects can retake the HSC exam under the Class Improvement Scheme

For those who fail to clear the exams this year, a supplementary exam will be conducted in July-August instead of September-October

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Trouble is not over for senior BJP leader and state revenue minister Eknath Khadse, especially after the Mumbai police on Tuesday insisted that the leader has not been given a clean chit yet.

Following fresh claims made by a hacker about seven calls allegedly made on his phone from the residence of fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, Aam Admi Party leader (AAP) Preeti Menon who had demanded probe into the allegations on Tuesday met Mumbai police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar and submitted concerned documents that were made available by an ethical hacker, Manish Bhangale.

The hacker has claimed that calls were made from Dawoods residence on Khadses number during January to March 2015. He has also claimed that the longest call among them was made on March 23, 2015.

However, Khadse also came in counter-attack mode as he has now written a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting him to register cases action against Preeti Menon, Manish Bhangale and Jayesh Shah for hacking Pakistani telecom companys database, which is in violation of section 65 and 66 (F)(1)(B) of Information Technology Act.

Khadse also requested CM to initiate thorough probe with the help of Cyber Crime cell of the Mumbai Police and also investigate all the allegations made against him over call logs.

The AAP leader wanted police to interrogate all the five persons whose names appeared in the call log of Dawood including Khadse.

Menon said, I felt it necessary to meet the police commissioner and make him understand seriousness of the case as nothing concrete has been done by them so far. The Mumbai CP has assured us detailed probe in the case.

He (Padsalgikar) too admitted that it was just preliminary probe and detail investigation is still on, Menon added.

Khadse in his letter said, I request to direct the Mumbai Police to book all three  Preeti Menon, Manish Bhangale and Jayesh Dave under IT Act and investigate the matter thoroughly. Also, probe the allegations over use of my cell number when it was not operational, quoted the letter.

Khadse on Tuesday said he will not comment till police probe is completed. I have decided not to make any clarifications further. Let them make all the allegations, I will talk once probe in completed by Mumbai Police, the revenue minister told HT.

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Citizens can file complaints regarding illegal sand mining directly to the environment ministry, said Union MoS for environment Prakash Javadekar on Sunday.

At an event at the YB Chavan auditorium to observe the International Day for Biological Diversity, Javadekar said this was the first time such a step had been taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. We have issued ads highlighting the seriousness of illegal sand mining, said Javadekar.

He said the ministry has planned an eco-bridge in central Maharashtra for the safe passage of wild animals across transport corridors.

The event was chaired by the governor of Maharashtra, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, the environment minister, officials from the United Nations Development Programme and members of the National and State biodiversity authority. Speakers spoke of protecting Indias ecology, which comprises 8% to 10% of the worlds biodiversity.

There has been a huge drop in count of sparrow, vulture and indigenous birds not only in Maharashtra but across the country, said Rao, adding, I urge the environment ministry to discourage the widespread use of pesticides that could be leading to the dwindling numbers.

R Sukumar from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, said elephant numbers in India had doubled over the past three decades. We have observed a sharp increase in the number of elephants  from 15,000 in 1982 to 30,000 in 2016. Even the population of tigers, rhinoceros and lions is on the rise. However, considering severe climate change, the government needs a landscaping approach for wildlife rather than a protected area approach, he said.
Kanye West has landed in fresh trouble as he has now been sued by a composer who says the rapper used his song on one of his new tracks and was not properly compensated.

Gabor Presser, a Hungarian musician, says the last part of Wests New Slaves track, from his 2013 album Yeezus, features one of his songs, reported TMZ.

According to legal documents, Presser claims that West reached out to him before the song was released, and asked him for permission to use it.

Kim Kardashian, left, and Kanye West arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala in New York. (AP)

Presser agreed, but alleges that it was to be used under the assumption that a formal deal would be negotiated. West sent the composer a USD 10,000 advance to push the deal through quickly, but Presser says he never cashed the cheque, and is now suing for USD 2.5 million.

Read: Kanye Wests TLOP is interesting and full of feeling

Read: Kanye West says he was raised to make a difference

Representatives for the rapper and Presser are yet to comment on the report.

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Those planning to visit India Gate next Saturday  Delhis popular weekend destination  could be in for a big surprise. They could have bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan in company.

Bachchan will host a five-hour-long show on May 28 to highlight the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the last two years at the iconic India Gate. The event is likely to comprise talk shows over the governments achievements, interspersed with cultural programmes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the function.

For those who cant turn up, the event will be telecast live by public broadcaster, Doordarshan. The government is in touch with other bollywood stars and TV personalities for participation in this event, contours of which are being finalised.

Bachchan is most likely to attend. Elaborate arrangements are being made for the events. Select ministers will be present to market the schemes that has benefitted the people, a source told HT.

A note prepared in the PMO has listed Jan Dhan, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin Jyoti Yojna, LED bulb distribution scheme, Swachch Bharat and rural employment guarantee scheme. Every government scheme has been classified into five categories  governments focus area  and they include poor, farmer, youth, women and general topics.

Focus will remain on promoting schemes such as Give It Up  voluntary surrendering of LPG subsidy  that in return will provide cooking gas connection to 5 crore beneficiaries below the poverty line over the next three years.

A fortnight long Vikas Parva will be celebrated after May 26. Modi himself will address a rally at Saharanpur in Western UP, followed by other rallies in every corner of the country. Every minister has also been asked to travel during this period and connect with the people.

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The administration and people in Maharashtras draught-hit Marathwada are pinning their hopes on monsoon as only 1% water is left in the dams of the parched region.

We are using the groundwater stock. The weather departments forecast is good and we hope that we will be able to carry on till the monsoon arrives. We have acquired wells and bore wells for water supply, Aurangabad divisional commissioner Umakant Dangat told PTI.

Dangat expressed confidence that the administration will be able to supply water from Jaikwadi dam to Aurangabad till July end, by which time monsoon would have arrived.

Around 3,600 water tankers are operational in the region and water is being supplied to the draught-affected villages and hamlets through them.

This is the fourth year of drought in Marathwada in the last five years. Each of its 8,522 villages has been affected for two consecutive years. Latur in the region has been getting water by a special water train. Around 400 cattle fodder camps are now operational in Beed, Latur, Osmanabad and Ahmednagar districts, officials said.
The AAP stands after the Samajwadi Party (SP) among regional parties to collect funds during Lok Sabha and assembly elections held between 2004 and 2015, a poll expense analysis released by election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has said.

The survey, which details the fund collected and expenditure incurred by regional parties, said that SP, Aam Aadmi Party, Tamil Nadus AIADMK, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of Odisha and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab together collected Rs 267.14 crore, 62% of the total funds declared by all the regional parties, during Lok Sabha polls.

The survey said Mulayam Singh Yadav-led SP, which has its main base in Uttar Pradesh, topped the chart by collecting Rs. 118 crore and spending Rs. 90.9 crore in the three Lok Sabha elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014.

The AAP that contested its first Lok Sabha elections in 2014 collected funds worth Rs. 51.83 crore and spent Rs.17.79 crore.

AIADMK collected Rs. 37.66 crore and stood second highest in expenditure with Rs. 39.31 crore, while BJD collected Rs. 35.76 crore and spent Rs.16.03 crore and SAD collected Rs. 23.89 crore and incurred an expenditure of Rs. 28.67 crore.

These five parties have declared collecting a total of Rs. 267.14 crore which forms 62% of the total funds declared by all the regional parties. An amount of Rs. 129.22 crore (48%) was collected in cash and Rs. 137.72 crore by cheque, said the report.

It said among all the regional parties which have declared their expenditure during assembly elections held between 2004 and 2015, the top five parties include SP, AAP, SAD, Shiv Sena and the Trinamool Congress.

The data shows the parties collected Rs 2,107.80 crore during 71 state assembly elections in this period.

In assembly elections too, SP declared collecting a total of Rs.186.8 crore, while AAP comes a distant second with Rs. 38.54 crore. SP declared incurring the maximum expenditure of Rs. 96.54 crore during the assembly elections followed by Shiv Sena with Rs. 29.60 crore, the report added.

All the five parties have declared a total of Rs. 291.92 crore as funds collected of which Rs. 112.87 crores was in cash and Rs 179.02 crore by cheque. This forms 82% of the total funds declared by all the regional parties.

ADR said the analysis is based on statements submitted by the national and regional parties to the Election Commission of India. These statements contain information of funds collected and spent between announcement and completion of elections.

Cash and cheque

The grand total of funds collected by all national and regional parties during assembly elections (2004-2015) and three Lok Sabha elections is Rs. 5,323.41 crore, while the total expenditure is Rs. 5,193.86 crore.

Cash collections accounted for a whopping 63% of total funds or over Rs 2,100 crore garnered by these regional parties during all state assembly polls between 2004 and 2015. The fund collection through cash was, however, relatively lower at 44% or over Rs 1,000 crore during the three Lok Sabha elections held during this period.

The data shows the parties collected Rs 2,107.80 crore during 71 state assembly elections in this period.

During the Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, 2009 and 2014, cheque payments accounted for the highest collection at 55% (nearly Rs 1,300 crore), while cash accounted for Rs 1039.06 crore.

In the case of state polls, funds collected through cheque payments was Rs 1,244.86 crore between 2004 and 2015. The study did not take into account the recent polls in five states.

In terms of expenditure, the three Lok Sabha polls saw 83% of spending, or Rs 2,044.67 crores, through cheque while this percentage was 65 during assembly polls.

Among national parties, Congress stands first in the collection of funds and total expenditure in assembly elections at Rs. 1,468.49 crore and Rs. 1,209.84 crore respectively while BJP stands second with Rs. 1,128.15 crore and Rs. 1,025.54 respectively.

In Lok Sabha elections, BJP stands first in funds collection at Rs. 855.22 crore and Congress second with Rs. 790.55 crore. However, in expenditure, Congress surpassed BJP by spending Rs. 1,008.02 crore against its Rs. 914.74 crore.

India least transparent

According to the ECI guidelines, parties should not make any expenditure above Rs 20,000 in cash but there is no provision in the expenditure format for the parties to declare expenses below or above Rs 20,000, ADR said.

India is the least transparent country when it comes to funding of political parties, IIM Bangalores Trilochan Sastry, a founder member of ADR, said at a press conference to release the survey results.

Hence, it appears that the parties are taking advantage of the opacity in the expenditure statements to collect and spend funds in cash, the survey said.

It also consists a separate list of defaulters, listing parties who did not submit their expenditure statements between 2011-15. Among the national parties, statements of Nationalist Congress Party and CPI are not available for two assembly elections held between 2011 and 2015.

The availability of election expenditure statements of regional parties is equally worrisome where the statements of JD(U) is unavailable for 15 assembly elections while that of SP is unavailable for 11 assembly elections, it said.

(With PTI and IANS inputs)
President Pranab Mukherjees China visit comes at a time when bilateral ties appear to have lost some steam since Prime Minister Narendra Modis trip in May last year.

An air of anticipation about the two countries forging fresh ties was whipped up in the months between Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit to India in September, 2014 and Modis China visit eight months later.

In about a year, that expectation has thinned and given way to hard foreign policy and diplomatic realities; New Delhi and Beijing continue to be poles apart on many issues.

Chinas decisions to block New Delhis move in the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist, and preventing India from becoming a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) were interpreted as decidedly anti-India positions taken by Beijing.

Beijing, meanwhile, has been wary of New Delhi cosying up strategically and militarily to the US and Japan and have expressed indignation at Indias statements on the dispute-ridden South China Sea.

At the end of 2015, bilateral trade never got close to the much-touted $ 100 billion-mark; it was $71.6 billion last year.

Experts say the visit itself is a sign that the two countries are regularising high-level visits as part of bilateral political process.

Ever since 1988, when the normalisation process of Sino-India relations started, one of the most significant stabilisers of bilateral relations is maintaining such top level exchanges, which have been conducive in reducing mutual misunderstanding, misjudging, misgivings and mistrust, said Hu Shisheng, South Asia expert at the government-affiliated China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations said.

It is not merely a reciprocal visit. It is intended to indicate that despite ups and downs, both countries will continue political dialogue at the highest level, Alka Acharya, director, Institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi, told HT.
A sub-committee meeting of the Central Advisory Board for Education (CABE), chaired by Punjab education minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, on Monday discussed ways to ensure quality education in government schools.

At the meeting, held in Bhubaneswar, representatives of various states gave presentations on infrastructure conditions at government schools besides offering solutions to bridge the gaps.

Apart from laying stress on teacher training programme, the state representatives recommended re-start of class 5 and 8 board exams, besides fast-tracking the recruitment process to fill vacancies. There was also a consensus on initiation of preprimary classes in government schools as a way to improve education standards from the formative primary level itself.

The members also demanded that a department of teacher training should be established in all universities of the country. Also, in each state, a nationallevel state-of-the-art teacher training institute should also be formed. The members also stressed the importance of filling posts of English and Computer teachers. The next meeting of CABE sub-committee will be held on June 25at New Delhi.

The committee under the chairmanship of Cheema has been formed by the human resource and development ministry for the purpose of improving the education standards in government schools throughout the country. The committee is slated to submit its report within a year regarding steps taken and plans formulated in this regard.
An alert watchman foiled theft bid at Punjab and Sind Bank opposite Arora Cinema on Gill Road in the wee hours of Sunday.

On hearing voices from inside the bank, area watchman Shankar Bahadur informed police, who arrested two accused after reaching at the spot, while two of their accomplices managed to flee. The accused have been identified as Dilshad Khan and Udesh Sahni, while their accomplices Guddu and Niranjan are at large.

The police have also recovered iron rod, screw driver, saw blade, torch and gas cutter from their possession.

The police gave cash prize of Rs 1,000 to the watchman for his presence of mind and quick action in calling the police.

Shimlapuri SHO Sanjit Kumar said, The accused entered the bank after breaking open grills of the window at the rear of the building. After entering, they cut off the wires of close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed inside the bank. The alarm at the bank was not in working condition. They ransacked the office of the manager but found nothing. So, they decided to steal cash from the ATM outside the bank and started digging a hole in the wall to enter into the ATM cabin, which was closed from outside.

In the meantime, watchman Shankar Bahadur, who was patrolling the area, heard thuds from inside the bank and immediately sounded the PCR motorcycle squad stationed near Arora Cinema. The PCR squad further informed Shimlapuri police, who raided the bank and nabbed two of them, the SHO said.

Kumar said, Shimlapuri police have registered a case against the accused under Sections 457/380/511 of the IPC following the statement of bank manager Ranjit Singh. Singh said that bank had no guard for night. Police have been working to know past criminal record of the accused.
Taking a step ahead in its resolve to make a no-traffic zone around the Golden Temple, the district administration on Monday made heavy police deployment in the area to stop the entry of four-wheelers.

Anticipating protests, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) J Elanchezhian led the force that stopped four-wheelers and auto-rickshaws from entering the area since morning.

Although this barrier has been set up on the route that goes straight from Chowk Fawara, the administration has opened an alternative one-way route to the right of the chowk.

Talking to the Hindustan Times, deputy commisioner Varun Roojam said, As we are committed to make the area a no-traffic zone, we have strictly stopped the entry of fourwheelers. We understand the problem the traders might face. So, as an experiment, we have started a one-way alternative route. If the traders still have any issues, they are welcome to come and talk to us, but we will not allow anyone to take law in their hands.

There has been a deadlock between the administration and traders having their business establishments in the vicinity of the Golden Temple.

The traders had staged a protest a few days back to dent the plans of the government to set up bollards in the area. But undettered, the administration that is going ahead with the project of beautifying the area around the Golden Temple has decided not to take a U-turn.
Poor performance of government school students in the tricity seems to have become a trend. With government-run institutes performing poorly for the past consecutive three years, this years CBSE Class-12 board results were no different. Seven senior secondary schools failed to secure even 30% pass percentage of total 39 schools in the city, while another seven failed to record a pass percentage of 50%. The periphery schools have been the worst performers with GSSSKaimbwala recording only 5.88% pass percentage.

The district education officer (DEO), for the first time ever, was asked to submit a report regarding the worst performing schools to the director school educations (DSE) office. DEO Vinay Sood said, We cant say no to any student while giving admission in government schools. Even those with low grades have to be enrolled that contributes to the result output later.

The education secretary and the DSE are yet to receive the report.

When HT contacted them, education secretary Sarvjit Singh said, We will issue notices to the heads of the schools with lowest performance and ask them for written explanation. The surprise inspection committee constituted earlier will also be given another briefing.

On the other hand, DSE Rubinderjit Singh Brar said remedial classes will be arranged for students who have got compartment so that they can improve their performance before reappearing for the exam.

He also said, Besides fixing responsibility, it is important that teachers get rid of the fear while dealing with students. After some students were caught carrying mobile phones and recording videos of teachers, the latter have become too cautious and hence feel afraid to check students.

FACTORS AFFECTING RESULTS

The absence of school heads during school hours the issue was highlighted by HT earlier  is also a major reason for the lack of discipline in government schools, which in turn produces poor results. At the backdrop of teachers being engaged in nonacademic duties such as child mapping, and other surveys in violation of the RTE, triggers the problem. Arvind Rana, a government school teacher at Sarangpur, said, If students are engaged in non-academic duties, their absence makes other students take things lightly. Despite repetitive circulars issued by the DSE, nothing has changed.

Meanwhile, students are also awarded a total of 15 grace marks in Class 11, which, in turn, does not enable them to be prepared for the level of board exams in Class 12. The CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation) pattern according to which there is internal marking even in Class 10, also leads to lenient marking. This is another reason many fail to deliver during Class-12 board exams in which there is external evaluation. The no- detention policy till Class 8  which has been under scrutiny for years  and high student-classroom ration are also responsible for the poor results.

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The Punjab government has submitted in the Punjab and Haryana high court that police inspector Balbir Singh, who was injured in the Dinanagar terror attack in Gurdaspur district last July, cant be promoted to the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP).

Assistant inspector general (AIG) Inderbir Singh submitted on the behalf of police that promotion from the rank of constable to inspector was governed by the Punjab Police Rules of 1934 and the promotion from inspector to DSP by the Punjab Civil Service Rules. There is no out of turn promotion to the rank of DSP, the AIG submitted in the affidavit. The inspector was decorated with Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry.

Nearly 250 inspectors other than the petitioner await promotion to the DSP rank and none has been given out-of-turn promotion on account of injuries in the Dinanagar encounter, the AIG submitted. Inspector Balbir Singh had moved the high court alleging that in the August cabinet meeting after the terror attack, the government had decided to promote the cops injured in that incident but in November, director general of police (DGP) had written to him that since he had received Presidents Police Medal in August already, he could not be considered for another reward in promotion.

Recruited in 1992 as assistant sub-inspector (ASI), the petitioner is now inspector in the Punjab special operations cell. He took two bullets in the terror attack in which three Pakistani militants were among seven people killed on July 27, 2015, at the Dinanagar police station in Gurdaspur district bordering Pakistan. He had challenged the government decision as discriminatory.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will give suggestions to make the Metro project for the city financial viable.

A high-level meeting was held here on Monday that was attended by the officials of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, UT administration and officials from Punjab and Haryana.

In the meeting it was discussed that the Metro was not financially viable and the Punjab and Haryana also need to contribute as the project will benefit them as well.

Chandigarh finance secretary Sarvjit Singh said, The DMRC will give suggestions how the project can be made feasible.

Sources in the administration said it was discussed that neighbouring Punjab and Haryana should contribute either in terms of funds or allocate land.

Following the DMRC suggestions, the proposal will be forwarded to the Punjab and Haryana governments for their consent.

The development is significant as local member of Parliament (MP) Kirron Kher had termed the project unviable. She had said I dont think Chandigarh needs Metro. It involves a huge budget. The administration officials also claim that Metro is not financially viable.

The Union ministry of urban development had sent back the revised detailed project report (DPR) of the Chandigarh Metro Project to the UT administration in November last year.

The administration was directed to take consent of its partners  Punjab and Haryanabefore submitting the revised project for consideration.
A day after four people, including son of a police inspector, opened fire at gangster Sukha Barewal, police investigations revealed that the murderous attack was the outcome of a slap.

Sukhas friend-turned-foe Sanjiv Sharma alias Sunny, son of a late police inspector, pumped three bullets into his body at his rented accommodation at Star Colony on the Barewal road late Sunday night. Sukha had slapped a close aide of Sunny some time back which infuriated him, and he came to avenge the slap last night.

SUKHAS CONDITION CRITICAL

He was rushed to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, where his condition is still stated to be critical as he suffered bullet injuries in stomach and on arms.

Police officials said Sunny, who is son of late Inspector Surjit Chand Sharma, nursed enmity against Sukha and to take revenge, he hatched a conspiracy to kill him.

Assistant commissioner of police (ACP, Gill) Surinder Mohan said, Before barging into Sukhas house, Sunny had confirmed that the former was present in the house by making a call on his phone number. The accused fired four bullets, of which three hit him. After committing the crime the accused fled from the spot.

Sukha is a notorious gangster and facing trial in 19 cases including murder, attempt to murder, loot and robbery. Sunny, who was once Sukhas aide, also possesses criminal record. Three criminal cases have been registered against him at different police stations, the ACP added.

The ACP said, Sukha was bailed out from jail around a month ago. He rented an accommodation at Star Colony on Dhandhran Road around 20 days ago.

Ludhiana police in 2014 had arrested Sukha, along with his five accomplices. Police had recovered illegal weapons and cash from him after the gang had robbed Kewal Krishan, alias Jimmy, a resident of Jaito Mandi of `2 lakh in cash and gold jewellery at gunpoint. A manhunt has been launched for the arrest of the accused, the ACP said.

Read: Gangster shot at in Ludhiana, 4 booked

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In criminally active Punjab, khaki is in a deep slumber. The spate of murderous attacks on high-profile persons and now radical Sikh leader Harnam Singh Dhumma---chief of fundamentalist Sikh seminary Damdami Taksalopenly backing criminals involved in the bid on the life of Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale clearly show how Punjab Police have lost the plot.

Gangsters are hitting their targets at will and later gloat over their feats on the social media. Fear rules the streets as in most cases, including the sensational killing of Namdhari sect matriarch Chand Kaur last month, police have failed to find any headway.

This police inability or lack of will to crack major murderous attacks, especially of sectarian tinge and having genesis at succession rows or Sikh dera rivalries, threatens to eclipse director general of police (DGP) Suresh Aroras lofty promise to provide atmosphere of safety and security as he completes seven months in office on Wednesday.

Amidst all this, the top police brass religiously follows the policy of deploying cops on security duty of political agents of different shades.

Police-politico nexus a dangerous trend: Experts

The police-politico nexus has emboldened the criminals. And the focus of frontline police officers posted on key positions at Chandigarh or in the field remains on maintaining public relations instead of policing, say analysts.

A dangerous situation developing in Punjab, they say, adding that rampant shootouts, gang wars, robberies and assassination bids, including that on Dhadrianwale, after a series of attacks on right-wing Hindu activists point towards it.

Incidents will take place. But criminals should not have a free run. This present drift is dangerous and if not addressed it will have major fallout in days to come, says a former DGP-rank officer, pleading anonymity. He pointing out that all officers right from the SHO, SSP to DGP have to work in tandem. Mere instructions dont yield results, he adds.

Cops favourite excuse: Cant fight interference

Political interference, is the commonly heard excuse of the investigators in failing to crack cases.This vote bank politics is being attributed as prime cause in police failure to catch the killers of Chand Kaur, who was shot dead in a broad daylight in April. Investigators have hit a dead end in the murder case of Khanna Shiv Sena leader. Police have failed to resolve the mystery and nab the prime conspirators behind the series of peace vitiating sacrilege episodes that rocked the state last year. The list of such unsolved cases is endless.

To solve politically sensitive cases, political backing, not interference, is needed, says Punjab-based retired DGP- rank officer, adding there is an urgent need to de-politicise police.

140 gangsters on the run

Behind most high-profile murderous assaults criminals associated with various gangs are believed to be involved. Currently, there are 57 gangs with nearly 420 gun-wielding gangsters active in Punjab.

As per police records, at least 180 identified gangsters are cooling their heels in different jails, while over 100 are out on bail. The remaining 140 are on the run. We have formed dedicated crack teams to track gangsters, says DGP Arora.

Most cases against gangsters have ended with an acquittal. In the past decade, 95 gangsters were acquittal in 105 trials. Only 10 were convicted. Between 2010 and March 2016, 55 trials involving gangsters ended with acquittals.

Former top cops admit that many Punjab Police personnel --- from constables to officers --- have become property agents. The criminals are running their network from jails. In past four months, symbolic seizure of 82 mobile phones along with SIM cards from different jails points towards cops conniving with criminals.

Between January 2015 and March 2016, 87 undertrials escaped while on transit from police custody. Last year, a gangster Sukha Kahlwan was shot dead in Phagwara by a rival gang in in police custody. The cops didnt retaliate.

Thats why Punjab Police is derided as politicians pawn and arm of the ruling Akali Dal, say analysts. These gangs were built and backed by the politicians over the years. Police probe can expose how politicians groomed gangsters. Can police dare to expose this? asks another retired DGP-rank officer.

Such is political interference, says a retired DGP, that a sub-inspector was summarily dismissed (under Article 311) for his direct involvement in drug peddling. This SI was reinstated within three days after an Akali Dal leader, who is often linked with drug trade, mounted pressure, said an official.

Punjab Police are not incapable, provided they get a free hand. Can the DGP dare overlook political interests of his political bosses? asks a retired top cop.

Halqa heads have major say in police postings

The politicisation of police under the Akali Dal-BJP rule is blamed as the major reason for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Analysts say the police chain of command has been smashed. The cops are posted in police stations by Akali halqa in-charge. And such appointees follow directions of the halqa in-charge instead of the district police chief.

This imprint of police politicisation and clear political ambitions and affiliations are evident even after the cops hang up their boots.

Almost all retired DGP-rank officers, when contacted by HT, refused to come on record.

Why should I get into this political controversy over law and order. What am I going to gain, said an ex-DGP.

After hanging up my boots, I have stopped looking into such issues. However, let me analyse this law and order situation and I will get back to you in a day or two, said another high-profile retired DGP who was very active during the days of terrorism.

When asked to comment on the law and order situation in the state, director general of police Suresh Arora said: You have already spoken to many peopleby seeking my view you are doing a formality. I would have appreciated had you talked to me in person in my office over a cup of tea...You seem to have already passed a judgmentI will react after reading what you have written.

Spiralling crime

o Jan 18: Two unidentified assailants attack RSS volunteer Naresh Kumar (38) in Ludhiana.

o Feb 4: Unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants open fire at a Shiv Sena leader in Ludhiana.

o April 4: Two bike-borne assailants kill Namdhari sect matriarch Chand Kaur at Bhaini Sahib near Ludhiana.

o April 12: Miscreants abduct Jaskirat, 14, son of Kapurthala industrialist. His body is later found in Tarn Taran district.

o April 23: Two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants gun down Punjab Shiv Sena leader Durga Prasad Gupta at Khanna.

o May 17: Over 20 heavily armed assailants open fire at Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwales cavalcade near Ludhiana. Preacher has a miraculous escape, his follower, however, dies in the attack.

o May 21: Unidentified assailants lynch a law student Manpreet Singh, 24, a son of Punjab police ASI, in Hoshiarpur.

o May 22: Four youth, including son of a cop, open fire at gangster Sukha Barewal, who is facing 30 cases of murder, loot and abduction.

o May 23: Six armed robbers kill guard; take away `60 lakh from a bank-hired car in Moga.

What leaders say

There is a total collapse of law and order machinery in Punjab. Criminal gangs are thriving and organised crime is getting institutionalised. Thats the worst thing. It is happening with due political patronage to the criminals by the Akalis who have subverted the police system. The SHOs and the area DSPs report and answer to local MLAs and halqa heads, instead of their seniors. - Capt Amarinder Singh, Punjab Cong chief

According to the national crime bureau data, Punjab is the fourth safest state in India after Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The NCRB date was available till 2014 and the state had consistently shown improvement in its position since 2007. From 2007 to 2014, the state has come up from 11th slot to fourth in terms of safety. In 2007, the crime rate of Punjab was 135.6 against the national crime rate of 220.5 and in 2014 state had registered 129.6 crime rate against nation crime rate of 220.5 - Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab deputy CM

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Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal will meet Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale at Gurdwara Parmeshar Dwar, 15 km from Patiala, on Wednesday.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal had already met the Sikh preacher following the May 17 murderous attack on him near Ludhiana. Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur also met Dhadrianwale on Tuesday and said the Congress would ensure that the conspirators of the attack were brought to book.

The attack has assumed political significance in the run-up to the assembly elections due early next year.

Not to miss out an opportunity to reflect the poor law and order situation in the state, Kejriwal is coming to meet Dhadrianwale to express condolence on the death of the Sikh preachers associate in the attack. Kejriwal had earlier talked to Dhadrianwale over phone and had said Punjab was not even safe for religious preachers.

MLA Preneet Kaur with Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale at Shekhupur village near Patiala on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Meanwhile, after meeting Dhadrianwale, Preneet told the media that she had come to meet the Sikh preacher to mourn the death of his associate. It is highly condemnable act and the government should identify and punish the culprits.

The MLA said the attack also reflected the poor law and order situation in the state where the criminals were having a field day. She said her party did not like or want to play politics on such sensitive issues, but at the same time, it could not overlook the seriousness and sensitivity of the matter.

Also read I Dhumma admits to Damdami Taksal hand in Dhadrianwale attack
Even after one person died and dozens fell ill in Santpura locality in Kapurthala after drinking contaminated water during the past four days, municipal council (MC) officials have failed to locate the fault in the water supply pipeline.

According to information, Prem Pal of Santpura locality died on Friday after allegedly consuming contaminated water in from the taps while two residents of the locality were found suffering from diarrhoea and have been undergoing treatment since Friday. About eight patients have been undergoing treatment for diarrhoea. However, the health department claimed that Pal died due to a sudden cardiac arrest and not of diarrhoea.

Showing a halfhearted response, MC officials are yet to send water samples collected from the locality for testing. Officials have also failed to find the reason of contamination of water.

Family members of the deceased claimed that they have approached the MC and area councillor several time in the past two weeks, complaining of contaminated water, but to no avail.

MC officials blamed the residents for contamination of water saying they try and tamper with the mainline in an unauthorised manner, damaging it which results in mixing of sewage water in the main water supply.

Senior medical officer (SMO) Roshan Lal said that the department had written to MC on Friday to take appropriate action to rectify the water supply fault.

He said that there was yet not any new case of diarrhoea but residents were found suffering from stomach pain and vomiting due to dirty water supply.

Amritpal Kaur, president of Kapurthala municipal council, said that she had personally conducted inspection thrice to ensure basic amenities were delivered to people. We are rectifying the fault and it will be rectified soon. The cause of the death of a resident is yet to be ascertained, she added.

USE OF TULLU PUMPS UNCHECKED

The unhealthy practice of fetching water by using tullu pumps goes on unchecked in the city though it has been banned by the MC.

Sources said that around 20,000 households depend on tullu pumps and use them routine water supply. However, MC officials could not say anything on their failure to check the use of these pumps.

SK Aggarwal, executive engineer, MC, said that they would soon start a special drive to crack a whip on violators and tullu pumps will be sealed while a fine would also be imposed on defaulters.

MLA PROTESTS AGAINST MC

Protesting over poor infrastructure and lackadaisical attitude of the Kapurthala MC, Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, along with his supporters held a protest for one hour outside the MC office . The MLA said that MC has failed to develop the city during last nine years under the SAD-BJP government and the sewerage system and water supply are worst affected, leading to water-borne diseases.

Santpura residents had filed several complaints with the MC that water supply is contaminated, but the MC did not act. The MLA also met deputy commissioner Jaskiran Singh and demanded compensation of `20 lakh to the family of the deceased.

SYMPTOMS OF DIARRHOEA

Passage of loose or liquid stools more frequently than is normal. Gastrointestinal infection may also incur. Depending on the type of infection, stool may be watery (for example in cholera) or passed with blood (in dysentery for example).

Infection may be caused by a host of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms most of which can be spread by contaminated water. It is more common when there is a shortage of clean water for drinking, cooking and cleaning and basic hygiene is important in prevention.

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The Punjab legislators who have resigned in the past have become eligible for pension by a new cabinet decision.

To appease these MLAs, the council of state minister on Monday decided to bring an amendment to the Punjab State Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facilities Regulation) Act, 1977, with retrospective effect from October 30, 2006.

Punjab parliamentary affairs minister Madan Mohan Mittal said those disqualified by any court of law would still be ineligible for pension.

Earlier, the government had planned to bring a bill for this amendment in the previous budget session of the Vidhan Sabha but failed to because of technical reasons, Mittal said on Monday here, adding that the ordinance passed on Monday would come up before the Vidhan Sabha within six months for approval.

The matter was brought to the general committee of the House, so we decided to bring an amendment, the minister added.

The Punjab cabinet also gave approval to omitting provision 3 (1-A) with effect from October 30, 2006, and amend provision 3 (5) of 1977 law. Under the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, those declared disqualified are ineligible for pension during the said term.

Cabinet decisions

Celebrating 50 years of Punjab

To commemorate the 50 years of the reorganisation of Punjab, the cabinet on Monday approved state-level functions till November 1 to tell people about the struggle for Punjabi Suba.

Nature park at Sito Gunno

In recognition of the sacrifice of nature lover Amrita Devi and 363 other Bishnois who died opposing tree felling by the erstwhile ruler of Marwar (Jodhpur) in 1730, the cabinet approved a nature parkcum-memorial at Sito Gunno village in Abohar. The panchayat would give land and the state forest department bear the cost of the project.

Banda Bahadurs death anniversary

The cabinet also gave approval for commemorating the 300th martyrdom anniversary of Sikh warrior Banda Singh Bahadur from May 29 to June 30. The organising committee led by CM will have deputy CM as vice-chairman. The government will spend Rs 25 crore on the event, install a 20-foot statue of Banda Bahadur at Mehrouli, New Delhi, in a 7.5-acre park developed by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

Energy conservation building code gets nod

The cabinet gave nod to the Punjab energy conservation building code for MCs, local bodies, boards, corporations and government-aided institutions. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has developed the code for commercial buildings with connected load of 10kW and above or contract demand of 120kVA or more. The buildings would consume 40% less energy.

Dual pension allowed

The cabinet allowed dual family pension to widows of ex-servicemen who were reemployed by the Punjab government, on the lines of the ministry of defence. This will cost Rs 7.42 crore a year.

Extension in service

The cabinet aprproved service extension till June 30, 2017, to 582 veterinary pharmacists and 531 sweepers working as service providers in the civil veterinary hospitals.

Fee for artificial insemination

Approval was given to deposit purchase fee for artificial insemination services for livestock received from veterinary institutions to the Punjab livestock development board that buys equipment.
The Tarn Taran police on Monday arrested an 18-year-old woman, on whose complaint a former sarpanch was booked for rape recently, in a case of murder that dates back to January this year.

Sources said the police called the rape victim for a medical examination on Monday, but arrested her. Tarn Taran sadar police station house officer Yadwinder Singh said the woman has been arrested as she is a co-accused in a murder case, for which her father is lodged in the Amritsar central jail.

On Friday, the woman had complained to the police that her relative and former Gorkha sarpanch Kulwinder Singh had raped her, after her mother left her at his house for some days. Acting on the victims complaint, Kulwinder Singh was booked for rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Saturday.

Various social organisations, including Kisan Sangharsh Committee, have warned to launch a stir if the woman is not released by May 25.
The breakaway group of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) working under the banner of Swaraj Abhiyan, or Swaraj Lehar in Punjab, is set for a key state convention on Sunday, May 29, at which its plans to launch a political party would be put up for a formal discussion.

With the immediate target being the Punjab assembly polls due early next year, after the intention is made public at the convention, a formal announcement would be made in another month after that, sources in the groups think tank told HT. We have formed 11 district committees, said a top ex-AAP member who is now with the group, And we will form another three, if not four, committees in the coming week, after which the roadmap for a party will be laid out.

This came on the eve of AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals another visit to Punjab, this time to meet Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale who faced a murderous attack near Ludhiana last week in which one of his fellow preachers was shot dead.

HT ANALYSIS The Kejriwal question: Is Punjab that simple, really?

Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav had last month, at the first-year anniversary of the group, said that it would hold internal polls at district level to form a national committee in the next two-three months that would take a decision regarding formation of a party at the all-India level.

When contacted on Tuesday, Lehar/Abhiyan state convener Manjit Singh said, All issues concerning Punjab, including the matter of forming a party, will be put up for views at the general convention, our first such.

Swaraj Lehar is not a mere NGO. We made the promise of a political front, Manjit said, echoing what Yadav said last month, and added, There is pressure to form launch a political outfit. For that, there is a process on in Delhi, at the all-India level, and here. In light of that we have called this convention.

Swaraj lehar convener Manjit Singh, who is a former Panjab University professor. (HT File Photo)

In the May 29 gathering that is likely to witness around 400 people in attendance, leaders present would include Manjit, who is a former Panjab University professor; staff union leader Harbans Singh Dholewal, and trade union leader and former MLA Tarsem Jodhan.

Yadav said over the phone that he wont be at the May 29 meeting as he was travelling for a padyatra over the drought issue that would conclude in Bundelkhand region on May 31. He stressed, There is no official party launch on May 29 as such... But we are already committed to providing an alternative in Punjab and intervening in the states politics. We are working on putting up a genuine alternative and making efforts in the leadership of Dr Dharamvira Gandhi (suspended AAP MP from Patiala).

Also read I Hot favourite? At Rs 1.7cr, only 3.4% of AAPs donations from Punjab!

There is talk that the two suspended AAP MPs  Dr Gandhi, and Harinder Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib  would join the new group, though there is difference of opinion on that between the two leaders who have openly associated with the Abhiyan.

The group had backed AAPs 2014 Lok Sabha candidate Bhai Baldeep Singh as an Independent for the Khadoor Sahib bypoll, but he was disqualified on technical grounds. Baldeep, when contacted, said he was not part of the policy-making group of the Abhiyan, but would be open to helping form an alternative platform. I am neither with Arvind, nor with anyone else. I am with the idea of alternative politics. If Swaraj Abhiyan members are to formulate a political ideology, I will study it and join if I am convinced, he said.

AAPs suspended MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi on Tuesday told HT that he would not resign from the Lok Sabha to be able to join any new party. The AAP should expel me first. (HT File Photo)

Suspended MPs differ: Let AAP expel us; why resign?

Amid talk that AAP breakaway group Swaraj Abhiyan was set to launch a party that would contest the 2017 Punjab polls, AAPs suspended MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi on Tuesday told HT that he would not resign from the Lok Sabha to be able to join any new party. The AAP should expel me first, he said, a day after Khalsa was quoted as saying that both would resign soon. I would also tell Khalsa-ji to not resign and wait for what the AAP does in the next few months, Dr Gandhi added. People have elected me for five years... I wont run away from the duty.

To a question, he replied, If AAP expels me  which they should as I have already replied to their showcause many months ago  I am open to the option. And if I find at some places AAP has put up corrupt candidates, I will support Swaraj Abhiyan candidates. Khalsa did not respond to calls and text messages.

On going back to AAP, Gandhi said there were no possibilities since Arvind cannot stand a voice of reason and wants only sycophants around himself.

Also read I AAP rebels woo farmers under Swaraj Abhiyan

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Three labourers were killed when they were buried under a heap of earth while replacing sewage pipes in Fatehpur area here on Tuesday.

The incident took place around 4 pm. Around seven labourers were engaged in replacing the sewage pipes near the new jail on the Fatahpur-Jhabhal road.

The three labourers, who were inside a sewer, were trapped under debris when a heap of earth fell on them, said eyewitnesses. The other workers tried to evacuate them, but in vain.

A police team reached the spot and the labourers were pulled out and rushed to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared them as brought dead.

The deceased have been identified as Kali Charan, Tejpal and Vijaypal ---all from Muradpura locality. The bodies have been sent for autopsy.
The UT administration is all geared up to make the second International Yoga Day on June 21 a mega event and is spending nearly Rs 50 lakh on its publicity. The administration has also roped in yoga guru Ramdev for a four-day yoga camp from June 9 to 12. The venue of the camp will be finalised soon.

The June 21 event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Capitol Complex where 35,000 people are expected to do yoga with him. Another 70,000 residents will do yoga at 200 locations across the city.

Also read: Yoga Day website launched in Chandigarh; Modi is to attend

The administration sources said Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will also attend the event. Efforts are on to bring on board Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar will also be present.

Morning Yoga session with #Baba Ramdev. #yoga #welness #energy A photo posted by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@officialshilpashetty) on Jan 19, 2016 at 6:31pm PST

Watch: When Ramdev and Shilpa Shetty came together last for yoga

In all, the administration is spending about Rs 8 crore on the event. A Delhi company has already been hired for Rs 2.8 crore to put in place the infrastructure for the event. The administration will spend about Rs 50 lakh on advertisements on radio and in newspapers, banners, billboards and pamphlets.

Students practising yoga at a camp in Government High School, Sector 25, on Monday. (HT Photo)

The second day of the yoga camp saw a good response. At Panjab University, more than 500 people have been attending the yoga classes for the last three days. More people are attending camps in other parts of the city.

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Raam Reddys National Award-winning Kannada-language film Thithi will hit theatres across India on June 3. The film, which has received a lot of critical appreciation, has already become a commercial success in Karnataka where it released before.

The film will be released with English subtitles. Thithi has seen amazing organic growth and has grown from strength to strength. It began with international acclaim and support from legends like Francis Ford Coppola.

National support and praise from people like Anurag Kashyap and other top national industry leaders has been incredibly encouraging, Reddy said in a statement. Reddy shared that the film, which released on May 6 in Karnataka, is still going housefull in urban centres.

Read: Dont miss a gem like Thithi | Anurag Kashyap on Kannada film

After seeing the unprecedented response to Sairat, running with English subtitles for national audiences, I cant wait to see the response to Thithi nationally, Reddy added.

Produced by Pratap Reddy and Sunmin Park, Thithi was screened in over 12 prestigious international and national film festivals and won 13 awards.

Read: A National Award is a dream come true, says Thithi director

Watch the Thithi trailer here:

The film started its journey at the prestigious Work-in-Progress Lab (WIP) at the NFDC Film Bazaar, 2014 where it was declared the Best WIP Fiction Feature.

Read: Thithi, For The Love of a Man and Waiting in Dubai fest lineup

Thithi is a dramatic comedy about how three generations of sons react to the death of the oldest in their clan, a man named Century Gowda: a locally renowned, highly cantankerous 101-year-old man.

Set in a small village in Karnataka, the three storylines intertwine before converging at Century Gowdas thithi - the final funeral celebration, 11 days after a death.

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Actor Tom Hiddleston has revealed that he had to do multiple takes of the famous love-making scene in The Night Manager to make it look believable.

In a recent interview, the 35-year-old actor said that the Danish director, Susanne Bier, motivated him to shoot the scene time and again as she felt it was not sexy enough, reports Channel 24.

The Crimson Peak actor, who played spy Jonathan Pine in the BBC One crime thriller, upped the oomph quotient when he grabbed his co-star Elizabeth Debicki and made passionate love to her up against a wall in the steamy sequence.

Read: Whats the delay? Tom Hiddleston hasnt been approached for James Bond

Speaking about the director of The Night Manager, Hiddleston stated that she routinely used to say, I think we should go again, its not sexy enough.

Watch The Night Manager trailer

Elizabeth played Jed Marshall in the series and the pairs erotic performance was so convincing that it set tongues wagging that there was a real spark between them. But Hiddleston later clarified, it was all acting.

Read: Tom Hiddleston is strongly hinting that hell take over as James Bond

Follow @htshowbiz for more
TOKYO: Members of an international crime syndicate are suspected of stealing more than 1.4 billion yen (US$12.7million) from cash machines in Japan in the space of less than three hours, in an audacious heist that involved thousands of coordinated withdrawals.

Police believe that as many as 100 people, none of whom have been apprehended, worked together using forged credit cards containing account details illegally obtained from a bank in South Africa.

The culprits used the fake cards at 1,400 convenience store automated teller machines on the morning of 15 May, according to police. Each made withdrawals of 100,000 yen at a time  the maximum allowed by the cash machines  and there was a total of 14,000 withdrawals. The thieves targeted cash machines in the capital Tokyo and 16 other prefectures, according to Kyodo News.

Japanese police have asked the authorities in South Africa, via Interpol, to establish how the credit card information was obtained.

Transaction data retrieved from the cash machines suggests that the criminals used information for 1,600 credit cards issued by the South African bank, which has not been named.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the withdrawals began just after 5am last Sunday, with the last one made just before 8am the same day.

Reports suggest that members of the gang may no longer be in Japan. By using cards that were issued in a different country from the one in which the fraud took place - and on a day of the week when banks were closed - they were probably able to buy themselves enough time to leave the country before their crime was discovered.
At least 11 people died in a landslide in a remote jade mining region of northern Myanmar with many more feared missing, authorities said on Tuesday.

Locals and officials are searching for bodies after a wall collapsed during a downpour on Monday night in the town of Hpakant in Kachin state, the war-torn area that feeds a huge demand for the precious stones from neighbouring China.

We have found 11 dead bodies so far. When the landslide happened, about 50 people were searching for jade, Nilar Myint, a local official from Hpakant, told AFP.

Heavy rain has been falling the whole night, she added.

A local police officer told AFP the rescue was continuing but was hampered by poor transport and communications infrastructure.

The area has suffered a string of deadly landslides over the past year, with a major incident in Hpakant last November killing over 100. Dozens of other smaller accidents have left scores more dead or injured.

The victims are usually itinerant workers searching for pieces of jade left behind by large-scale industrial mining firms.

A local resident and former NGO worker told AFP that hundreds of people have been searching the deep pits left behind by mining firms during Myanmars rainy season, when major companies cease operations.

We think about 200 people were working in that area when the landslide occurred last night... there could be many more casualties, the resident said on condition of anonymity, adding that heavy rain and poor roads had made the rescue difficult.

Myanmar is the source of virtually all of the worlds finest jadeite, a near-translucent green stone that is enormously prized in neighbouring China, where it is known as the stone of heaven.

But while mining firms -- many linked to the junta-era military elite -- are thought to be raking in huge sums, local people complain they are shut off from the bounty.

In an October report corruption watchdog Global Witness estimated that Myanmar jade produced in 2014 alone was worth $31 billion, with most profits going to powerful military and former junta figures instead of the state coffers.

The group said the secretive jade industry might be the biggest natural resource heist in modern history.
BERUT: Bomb blasts killed scores of people in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartous on Monday, and wounded many others in the government-controlled territory that hosts Russian military bases, monitors and state media said.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks in the Mediterranean cites that have up to now escaped the worst of the conflict, saying it was targeting members of President Bashar al-Assads Alawite minority.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 145 people were killed. State media said 78 people died in the attacks on Assads coastal heartland.

Attackers set off at least five suicide bombs and two devices planted in cars, the Observatory said, the first assaults of their kind in Tartous, where government ally Russia maintains a naval facility, and Jableh in Latakia province, near a Russian-operated air base.

Fighting has increased in other parts of Syria in recent weeks as world powers struggle to revive a threadbare ceasefire and resurrect peace talks that collapsed in Geneva this year.

One of the four blasts in Jableh hit near a hospital and another at a bus station, while the Tartous explosions also targeted a bus station.

Footage broadcast by the state-run Ikhbariya news channel of what it said were scenes of the blasts in Jableh showed several twisted and incinerated cars and minivans.

Pictures circulated by proDamascus social media users showed dead bodies in the back of pick-up vans and charred body parts on the ground.

The Observatory said 53 people were killed in Jableh, and gave an earlier toll of more than 48 in Tartous. State media put the total death toll at 78.

Syrias information minister Omran al-Zoubi said in an interview with Ikhbariya that terrorists were resorting to bomb attacks against civilians instead of fighting on the frontlines, and vowed to keep battling them.

Damascus refers to all insurgents fighting against it in the five-year conflict as terrorists.
BANGKOK: Seventeen girls died after a fire swept through the dormitory of a school for children of hill tribes in northern Thailand, officials said on Monday, with a survivor describing fleeing as flames engulfed the building.

The fire started late on Sunday night, meaning many of the children at the school run by a Christian charity were asleep as flames spread through the twostorey wooden building.

The fire broke out at 11 pm on Sunday. Seventeen girls were killed, with five injured, colonel Prayad Singsin of the police in the town of Chiang Rai said.

Two of the injured are in a serious condition, he said, but initial fears that two more girls were missing had been discounted after rescuers picked through the charred debris. The school in Wiang Pa Pao district is home to girls aged between six and 13.

Those in the dormitory on Sunday night were drawn mainly from the deprived local hill tribes, who live too far away to travel to school every day. Television interviewed one girl aged around 10 who escaped with several friends.

I woke up and saw a lot of smoke. It was dark. The fire had broken out downstairs so I called to my friends she said, describing her flight. But those who did not wake up in time died.

There were 38 students in the dormitory when the fire broke out. Some were not yet asleep so they escaped, deputy provincial governor Arkom Sukapan said.


Around 70 Indian nationals, all hailing from Bihar, have been detained in Nepal over crossing the border to enjoy liquor in local pubs here since last month when their state banned sale and consumption of alcohol, according to police.

The Rautahat District Police Office (DPO) said it intensified crackdown on public houses in the southern Nepal district and have detained some 70 Indian nationals from pubs of neighbouring Nepali villages over the last one-and-a-half months.

The Indians began to enter Nepal to enjoy drinks as soon as their state government banned alcohol, according to police.

On Saturday, police nabbed nine Indian nationals who had arrived at a village outside the Rautahat district headquarters, Gaur, from Sitamarhi in Bihar.

The DPO said all 70 Indians were later released after they signed an undertaking that they would not enter Nepal again for consuming alcohol.

Each of them was also fined Rs 1,000, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Nabil Krishna Bhandari.

Besides, two pub operators from Gaur were detained over charges that their business promoted untoward activities.

On April 5, Bihar was declared a dry state as the state government imposed a total ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol including India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) with immediate effect.

According to the decision, no alcohol can be legally consumed in all of Bihar, including bars and restaurants.
Madhesi and other ethnic parties agitating against the new constitution of Nepal boycotted an all-party meeting called on Tuesday by the government to resolve the crisis.

Nearly 30 parties belonging to Federal Alliance did not turn up at the meeting called by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to address the demands made by those opposed to the constitution.

Though Oli had sent a formal request on Monday to United Democratic Madhesi Front, which comprises the four main Madhesi parties in the alliance, they said no official invitation was received.

I learned about Tuesdays meeting only after reading the morning newspapers. How can we attend a meeting based on that?, asked Upendra Yadav, chairman of the alliance.

Another senior Madhesi leader Mahanta Thakur informed Oli over phone that members of the Federal Alliance will not take part in the meeting as they need to conduct internal consultations first.

The meeting was attended by leaders of all parties present in the ruling coalition, president Sher Bahadur Deuba of main opposition party Nepali Congress as well as representatives of several smaller parties.

The prime minister made it clear that unofficial and official talks would continue to find a political solution to the issue. Leaders of other parties also supported the initiative for talks, said a release issued by Olis office.

Madhesi parties belonging to the southern plains and several other parties representing indigenous communities have been protesting in Kathmandu since last week demanding changes in the constitution.

Among other things, the parties want fresh demarcation of federal states and more opportunities in government for marginalized communities.

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CARTAGENA: The ashes of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez have been laid to rest following a tribute to the author in the historic Caribbean port city of Cartagena, Colombia, where he began his writing career. The rest of the ashes will remain in Mexico, where he lived for decades and died in 2014. The walled city of Cartagena was the setting for one of his bestselling novels, Love in the Time of Cholera.

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Focussing on ancient Buddhist links is a customary part of India-China cultural diplomacy during high-level visits even if bilateral ties have generally been less-than sacred in modern times.

President Pranab Mukherjee will carry forward that tradition when he will visit the Hualin temple in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province on Wednesday afternoon.

Legends claim that a Buddhist monk from India came to the region in the 6th century and spread the ideas and philosophy of Buddhism.

The monk, Bodhidharma, is also said to be responsible for starting the physical training of the Shaolin monastery monks, leading to the creation of the martial art, Kung Fu.

It is said the temple had a pagoda named after King Ashoka. But it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution decade of 1966-76. But the repeatedly rebuilt temple remains an example of religious links between the two countries.

To reinforce the link, Mukherjee will officially install a made-in-India bronze statue of Buddha, weighing some 40 kg and four feet in length in the temple.

The statue was specially made months in advance for Mukherjee to install it in the Hualin temple.

Mukherjees temple visit is part of a long tradition of Indian leaders visiting Buddhist shrines in China.

The last Indian President to visit China was Pratibha Patil in May, 2010, and she too had her Sino-India Buddhist moment.

When HT visited the temple in Luoyang on Sunday, hundreds of domestic Chinese tourists were thronging the sprawling and efficiently maintained stupa built on the lines of the Sanchi stupa in Madhya Pradesh.

The Guangdong provincial government will gift Mukherjee a delicately crafted ceramic statue of the Chinese traditional god of longevity, Shou Xing, who is painted or sculpted holding a peach, considered symbol of immortality.

The gift is meant to symbolise longevity not only for Mukherjee but also for India-China relations.
BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces on Monday launched assaults on the Islamic State group in the opening stages of an operation to retake Fallujah, one of the toughest targets yet in Baghdads war against the jihadists.

As Iraqi forces struck targets in and around the terror groups bastion, the IS claimed bombings in neighbouring Syria that killed more than 120 people.

T he jihadist g roup has increasingly turned to its traditional tactic of killing civilians in bombings as it faces battlefield losses, and spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani appeared to acknowledge in a recent statement that IS would probably lose more ground.

In the early hours of the mor ning today, the heroic fighters advanced from different sides to retake all the areas occupied by (IS) around Fallujah, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced in televised remarks.

Abadi said the operation was supposed to start earlier, but political problems and also the events... threatening security inside Baghdad delayed some of the preparations.

IS has also carried out a series of deadly attacks in and around Baghdad this month.
COLOMBO: The former president of the Maldives said hes been granted political asylum in Britain where he had travelled for medical treatment on leave from serving a jail term in his country. Mohamed Nasheed, who was the Indian Ocean archipelagos first democratically elected leader, was sentenced to 13 years in prison last year for ordering the arrest of a senior judge while in office. In January, he was granted a medical leave to travel to Britain, apparently to undergo back surgery. Britains Home Office said in a statement that it does not comment on individual asylum cases.

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WASHINGTON: Confirming Taliban leader Mullah Mansours death in a drone strike, President Barack Obama has called it an important milestone in efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan.

While the US announced the targeting of the vehicle carrying Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in a town in Pakistan, it had not officially confirmed it, but governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan did.

Today marks an important milestone in our longstanding effort to bring peace and prosperity to Afghanistan, Obama, who is touring east Asia, said in a statement on Sunday.

He added: With the death of Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansur, we have removed the leader of an organization that has continued to plot against and unleash attacks on American and Coalition forces, to wage war against the Afghan people, and align itself with extremist groups like al Qaeda.

Mansour has been described as opposed to peace talks that a section of Taliban and its leaders had backed. Mansur rejected efforts by the Afghan government to seriously engage in peace talks and end the violence.., Obama said, urging the Taliban to seize the opportunity to pursue the only real path for ending this long conflict - joining the Afghan government in a reconciliation process that leads to lasting peace and stability.
TOKYO: US President Barack Obama has told Japanese television he will not apologise for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima ahead of his landmark visit to the city this week.

The comments are the clearest yet from his administration over an issue that raises hackles in the United States and has been the subject of heated debate for decades.

Asked if an apology would be included in remarks he plans to make, he said: No, because I think that its important to recognise that in the midst of war, leaders make all kinds of decisions.

Its a job of historians to ask questions and examine them, but I know as somebody who has now sat in this position for the last seven and a half years, that every leader makes very difficult decisions, particularly during war time.

American airmen launched the worlds first atomic strike on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing more than 140,000 people.

Tens of thousands were killed by the fireball that the powerful nuclear blast generated, with many more succumbing to injuries or illnesses caused by radiation in the weeks, months and years afterwards.

The souther n city of Nagasaki was hit by a second bomb three days later, killing 74,000 people, in one of the final acts of World War 2.

Obama will visit Hiroshima after attending the Group of Seven summit hosted by Japan.


By visiting Hiroshima, Barack Obama parachutes himself into a seemingly endless dispute among key US allies and trading partners over World War II. In Tokyos decades-long tug-of-war over history with its neighbors China and South Korea, its the American president who could end up losing.

Many in China and South Korea feel that Japan got what it deserved when a US atomic bombs detonated in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and in Nagasaki three days later. They resent what they see as Japans focus on the bombs victims instead of the millions of civilians killed, raped and enslaved by Japanese troops. They worry that the first-ever U.S. presidential visit to Hiroshima will allow Japanese conservatives, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to further distance the country from its wartime sins.

Despite this anxiety, however, theres also a growing desire to work with Japan, the worlds No. 3 economy, on diplomacy, security, tourism, culture and trade. This is especially true in South Korea, a fellow democracy and U.S. ally.

Here, then, is a look at some of the issues that will roil beneath the surface as South Korea and China closely watch Obamas visit:

WHOS THE VICTIM?

Its complicated: Many in Northeast Asia claim the role.

Japans sense of victimhood stems from the more than 200,000 dead in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and from the huge numbers of civilians killed in U.S. air raids on major cities in 1945; 100,000 were killed in the Tokyo firebombing alone. Yet not only did Japan instigate the Pacific war with its 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, decades of colonial and wartime aggression before that claimed hundreds of thousands of victims in China and South Korea.

Those killed by the atomic bombs include an estimated 20,000 Koreans, many brought to Japan for slave labor.

We (South Koreans) think we were the real victims. For China, their pride was hurt a lot because they think they were in charge before being badly battered by Japan, Lee Myon-woo, an analyst at South Koreas Sejong Institute, said. The Japanese think they also suffered a lot because of the West. Each country has a victim mentality ... and its not something that we can easily overcome.

The White House says Obama isnt going to Hiroshima to apologize, but just being there will be seen that way by many.

Assigning too much importance to the bomb, critics in Japans neighbors argue, distracts from Tokyos current expansion of its military and the hawkish Abes efforts to distance Japan from its wartime past. Some also worry that it signals a preference by Washington for Tokyo over Seoul.

The United States and Japan ignore our country a bit, said Park Jeong-mi, 50, from Seoul. I am dissatisfied with the fact that the U.S. president will visit Japan and also go to the specific area, Hiroshima, when Japan has not made an official apology to our country yet for its wartime atrocities.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said recently that Japan, when it invites leaders to Hiroshima, should reflect that it will never tread on the path of militarism again, as it once brought unspeakable suffering to its people and (the) people of Asia and around the world.

Yukio Okamoto, a former Japanese diplomat, said the Japanese people simply want Obama to honor the dead. He said it will be seen by the Japanese people as the United States facing for the first time the incident eye-to-eye.

WHATS AT STAKE?

The White House wants the visit to look forward, not back.

My purpose is not to simply revisit the past, but to affirm that innocent people die in a war, on all sides, that we should do everything we can to try to promote peace and dialogue around the world, that we should continue to strive for a world without nuclear weapons, Obama told Japanese public broadcaster NHK in an interview aired Sunday.

Japan and its neighbors, however, could end up interpreting the trip differently. That holds risks for burgeoning cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea.

History disputes have rarely hurt economic and cultural ties among the three neighbors, but they have upset regional security efforts. Seoul, for instance, has been reticent to directly share North Korea-related intelligence with Tokyo because of fear about a domestic backlash to cooperation with Japans military.

Both Beijing and Seoul have sometimes been accused of using anti-Japan sentiments to stir up nationalist grievances in order to push domestic agendas or distract attention from governing failures.

Regional ties have recently improved. South Korea, Japan and China held a three-way summit in Seoul in November, and Seoul and Tokyo forged an important, but much criticized and still not implemented, deal late last year to compensate Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japans military.

These relatively positive feelings, a rarity in Northeast Asia, could fade if Japan is seen as trying to use Obamas visit to minimize its wartime aggression  or if South Koreans and Chinese think Obama is being indifferent to their painful experiences.

Obama will say all the right words, but the image of him being there will still upset many (in the U.S., as well as in Asia), Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS think tank, said in an email. At this point, its a lose-lose for Obama.

WALKING A FINE LINE

Obama will try to focus on his vision of a world without nuclear weapons while avoiding anything that portrays Japan exclusively as a victim.

Theres some debate, however, about how, or if, hell tackle the past.

The visit will entirely be framed in a futuristic discourse, for example about the future nuclear-zero-goal, said Victor Cha, an Asia expert at Georgetown University. There is, I think, a desire by Obama to heal the past, but I dont think he will make any direct reference to it.

Others disagree.

In order to try to satisfy audiences in the United States, Japan and the rest of East Asia, Obama will criticize Japans pre-A-bomb wartime actions and call for a world free of nuclear weapons, but he wont criticize American use of the bomb, according to Charles Armstrong, an Asia expert at Columbia University.

This balancing act might not be enough.

He will be criticized by Americans, Koreans and Chinese for being too soft on Japan, Armstrong said, and by Japanese for being too critical.

Some observers hope Obamas visit could lead to something that they say has proven extremely difficult for Japan: An honest accounting of its wartime record. They want reciprocal visits by Abe to Nanjing, China, for instance, to honor those killed in the 1937 massacre there, or to Pearl Harbor, which was attacked 75 years ago this December.

The powerful image of an American president ready to finally confront the brutal and morally questionable acts of the war can only be truly successful if he can use it to press for similar actions on the part of the Japanese toward their Asian neighbors, Asia experts Gi-Wook Shin and Daniel Sneider recently argued.
The Nawaz Sharif government has been issued a notice by a Pakistani court in Lahore on a petition challenging the Prime Minister on his more than 70 foreign tours, which have cost the exchequer over 600 million rupees.

The Lahore high court issued the notice on Monday on a plea by barrister Javed Iqbal Jafrey, who pleaded that Sharif extravagantly spent public money on his foreign tours, and on his and familys projection in the media.

Jafrey alleged that the Prime Minister was spending public money to get medical treatment in London at a time when there are no medicines at hospitals and the country is mired in foreign debts.

It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister fails to establish state-of-art hospitals in the country where he could go for his own medical treatment, he said, adding that taxpayers money was used by the premier and his family for their lavish foreign tours.

Sharif is currently in London, along with family members, for medical check-up. But speculation is rife that he has gone there to meet former president Asif Ali Zardari for advice on the PanamaPapers documents leak in which the names of his two children has figured for having off-shore companies.

Petitioner Jafrey also told the court that millions was being spent on media advertisements to promote the Sharif and his political party (PML-N).

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah sought a reply from the government by Wednesday, overruling LHC registrars objection to the petition.

In February, the National Assembly was told that 638 million rupees had been spent on Sharifs foreign trips. He has lived at least every fifth day of his tenure out of the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had informed the National Assembly that Sharif has spent a total of 185 days abroad in 65 foreign tours with accompanying staff of 631 officers between June 2013 and February 2016.

After he came to power in June 2013, Sharif has often visited abroad, despite criticism by opposition and media.

According to the data provided in the assembly, Sharif visited Britain 17 times, spending about two months in the UK, of which 32 days were listed as official stay while 24 were listed as transits.

During each transit, Sharif has stopped for at least a couple of days that cost the exchequer 137.8 million rupees.

After the UK, Sharif spent most of his time in the US, visiting the country for 18 days. He has visited Saudi Arabia five times, followed by China, which he visited four times.

Turkey was Sharifs another favoured destination that he visited at least once every year.
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis met the grand imam of Cairos AlAzhar Mosque at the Vatican on Monday in a historic encounter that was sealed with a hugely symbolic hug and exchange of kisses. The first Vatican meeting between the leader of the worlds Catholics and the highest authority in Sunni Islam marks the culmination of a significant improvement in relations between the two faiths since Francis took office in 2013. Our meeting is the message, Francis said at the start of his meeting with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb.

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The US respects Pakistans sovereignty but will carry out strikes to eliminate terrorists who are targeting its forces, the Obama Administration said on Tuesday as Islamabad expressed concern over the drone strike by American forces on its territory to kill Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

We certainly do respect Pakistans territorial integrity. But as weve said before, we will carry out strikes to remove terrorist who are activity pursuing, and planning and directing attacks against US forces, the State Department Deputy Spokesman, Mark Toner, told reporters at his daily news conference.

Toner was responding to questions on Pakistan hitting out at the US for launching the drone strike on its soil to kill Mansour, describing it as a violation of its sovereignty.

Newspapers containing news about Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour are on display at a stall in Peshawar, Pakistan, May 23, 2016. (REUTERS)

The strike sends a clear message that those who target Americans and Afghan people are not going to be given a safe haven. And then also, that it know that theres only one option for the Taliban and that is to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict, Toner said in a subtle warning to the Taliban.

He said the death of Mansour does not mean defeat of the Taliban but it does send a clear message.

What I think it does send is a clear message. If youre going to carry out attacks, if youre going to lead attacks against our forces and against Afghanistans forces, then you are going to be targeted and youre not going to have safe haven, Toner said.

He said it also sends the message that the Taliban must decide what its future is going to be.

Whether its going to be part of a peaceful, political future for Afghanistan. There is a path towards that. They can sit down with the Afghan government and begin negotiations and talks. Weve encouraged that. We support an Afghan-owned, Afghan led process, he said.

I think it presents them with a clear choice. You know that there are ways to engage and identify the fact that youre willing to engage in a peaceful way. And frankly, Mansour showed no. Absolutely no predilection towards engaging in any kind of peaceful political process, he said.

Mansour, believed to be in his 50s, was killed when a US drone fired on his vehicle in the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan. He had emerged as the successor to Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, whose 2013 death was only revealed last summer.

Pakistan on Tuesday summoned US ambassador David Hale to express concern over the drone strike.
SEOUL: South Korea dismissed on Monday a North Korean proposal for military talks as a bogus peace offensive and said it was formally rejecting the overture because it lacked a plan to end the Norths nuclear programme. North Koreas proposal on the weekend for talks between the two Koreas, a repeat of a call by North Korean leader Kim Jongun at a congress of his ruling party this month, came after a period of heightened tension on the peninsula.

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Seven Ukrainian soldiers died in the countrys war-torn east over the past 24 hours, the biggest casualty toll in a single day this year, Kiev said on Tuesday.

The latest violence came as the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine called for the implementation of a peace deal in the separatist east during late-night talks on Monday.

Ukraine also called for an OSCE police mission while the Kremlin said it backed an expanded monitoring mission in the east of Ukraine.

As a result of shelling, seven Ukrainian soldiers have died and nine received injuries over the past 24 hours, Oleksandr Turchynov, secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defence Council, said in a statement.

Turchynov blamed Russias leadership for the attacks, accusing it of doing everything to torpedo a peaceful way to solve the conflict and the liberation of the occupied territories.

He claimed Russia was massing heavy weapons along a demarcation line in the east, adding that over the past month Ukraine had detected an increased number of Russian reconnaissance and other unmanned aerial vehicles.

Military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said the deaths represented extremely heavy losses for the Ukrainian forces.

Yesterday, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine spoke by phone and called for the 2015 peace accords signed in Minsk to be implemented as quickly as possible, according to the office of French President Francois Hollande.

The accords call for a ceasefire along with a range of political, economic and social measures to end the conflict which erupted in April 2014 and has now claimed more than 9,300 lives.

The Kremlin said that Germany, France and Ukraine had received proposals concerning local elections in the rebel east, the regions special status and decentralisation, noting they had been agreed with pro-Russian insurgents.

Persistent violence is preventing the warring sides from reaching a firm political reconciliation deal despite a series of truce agreements that have helped reduce the fighting over the past months.

Poroshenkos office said that the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia expressed support for the deployment of an OSCE police mission to eastern Ukraine and the start of consultations on the subject.

OSCE declined immediate comment, while the Kremlin indicated that it did not see eye to eye with Ukraine on the subject.

In our understanding, this is not a police mission, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, of the OSCE monitors in east Ukraine.

But he said that indeed this subject is being discussed, noting that the missions arms policy was under question.
Rishi Sunak and Suella Fernandes have joined Priti Patel, minister of state for employment in the David Cameron government, in the Vote Leave campaign advocating Britain to leave the European Union in the June 23 referendum.

Both Sunak (Richmond) and Fernandes (Fareham) are first-time Conservative MPs elected in May 2015. Sunak is the son-in-law of Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy. They joined over 20 MPs of Commonwealth background to make a new appeal for UK to leave the EU.

Signatories to a letter released on Tuesday claim that Britains membership of the EU is a barrier to ties being strengthened with the Commonwealth and the rest of the world, and that a vote to leave will allow Britain to adopt fairer trade and immigration policies.

The claims are dismissed by the 'Remain in EU' camp, including by Foreign Office minister responsible for India and the Commonwealth, Hugo Swire. The cross-party 'British Indians for IN' group favouring continuing membership of the EU has the support of nearly 15 Indian-origin lawmakers.

Priti Patel, who also has the role of Indian diaspora champion, said: India is a growing market with the fastest growing working age population of any other major economy - but it is a market that we are forbidden from striking a trade deal with because it is against EU rules. Thats just one example of how the EU is holding our great nation back - if we Vote Leave we can change that.

Similarly, EU membership has led to us having an immigration system with discrimination and prejudice at its core. At present, we discriminate against those outside the EU - all due to the fact that EU freedom of movement rules mean we are unable to control migration from countries that are members of the bloc, she added.

The letter says that because Britains trade policy is controlled by the EU, Britain is unable to sign bilateral free trade agreements with countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand or any other non-EU state.

Commonwealth countries like India have been in talks with the EU about doing a trade deal since 2007 - to no avail. While we stand ready to trade and build close ties with countries across the world, the EU is inward looking, protectionist and more concerned with defending its own vested interests than supporting global trade and growth, it said.

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A 53-year-old Indian-American physician has been indicted by prosecutors on charges of healthcare fraud Pennsylvania.

Samirkumar Shah, resident of Armstrong county, could be jailed for maximum 10 years and fined 250,000 dollar if found guilty.

A federal grand jury indicted the physician on Tuesday on two counts of healthcare fraud. The indictment was returned against him in the Pittsburgh court, according to documents.

Shah knowingly and wilfully executed a scheme to defraud healthcare benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in connection with the delivery of and payment for healthcare benefits, items and services, US Attorney David Hickton said.
A US senate panel has tied $300 million in aid to Pakistan for 2017 to its efforts to destroy the Haqqani Network, an Afghan terrorist outfit that Islamabad backs and shelters.

This aid, which is disbursed as reimbursement to US coalition partners in Afghanistan, will be cleared only against a certification to this effect by the secretary of defence, the panel proposed.

It is under discussion as a part of the legislative process to approve US militarys budget for next year, called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), 2017.

The House of Representative has proposed $450 million under the same expense head, tying it inextricably to certification from the administration, with no recourse to waivers.

While Congress, which controls the US purse, may stipulate conditions for releasing certain expenditures, the administration ask them to be waived in the interest of national security.

The House proposes to take away that option, which the Obama administration has opposed saying it unnecessarily complicate progress in our bilateral relationship.

The White House has said the president will be advised to veto the bill if it was presented to him with this and other clauses it listed out in a note to Congress sent on May 17.

While the administration wants the aid to proceed as usual, it signalled its own frustration, taking out Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansour in a drone strike in Pakistan last week.

The US had thus far only targeted leading al Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban figures in drone strikes in Pakistan, letting Islamabad deal with the Afghan Taliban. That has changed now.

There is mounting frustration and anger in the US with Pakistans patchy counterterrorism record. Officials and lawmakers have said they feel betrayed by a duplicitous ally.

Lawmakers had recently killed an Obama administration proposal to substantially subsidize the sale of eight new F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, demanding action against the Haqqani Network.

And its the Haqqani Network again, against whom the senate panel wants to see the Pakistani government take demonstrable actions if it wants the $300 million slated as reimbursement.

The bill proposed by the senate panel wants Islamabad to significantly disrupt the safe haven and freedom of movement of the Haqqani Network in Pakistan, prevent it from using Pakistani territory as safe haven, and actively coordinate with Afghanistan to restrict the terrorists along the border.

The senate has set aside $800 million for Pakistan, with $300 million tied to the Haqqani Network. The House has proposed $900 million, with $450 million tacked to the terrorist group.

A final legislation reconciling these amounts to one acceptable to both chambers will then go to President Barack Obama, who can veto it if it still contains objectionable clauses, or sign it.
PESHAWAR: A village defence committee chief and his police guard were gunned down on Monday by unidentified assailants in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Muhammad Khan, chairman of a village defence committee in Swat district, was shot dead along with his police guard, police said. Another policeman was injured in the firefight, they said. The injured cop has been admitted to hospital but his condition was stated to be critical. Khan was going towards market from his home when the gunmen intercepted him and shot him multiple times before escaping.

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SANAA: A pair of bombings carried out by Islamic State militants killed at least 45 people in Yemens southern city of Aden on Monday, targeting young men seeking to join the army who gathered at two recruitment centers, security officials said.

One suicide car bomber killed at least 20, while a second bomber on foot detonated an explosives vest at the other recruitment center, killing at least 25. Scores of others were wounded, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility for two attacks in a statement posted on social media networks by sympathizers, saying a native of Aden it identified as Abu Ali al-Adani was responsible for one of them. It posted a picture of a man using crutches approaching the center followed by before and after shots of the explosion site.

It said that it also detonated an explosive device in another location, and that at least 30 people were killed in the two strikes.

Yemen has for nearly two years been gripped by a war pitting the internationally recognized government against Shiite rebels who control the capital, Sanaa, and are allied with forces loyal to a former president.

The country is also home to active al-Qaida and Islamic State group affiliates. Aden has in recent months seen a series of suicide bombings and assassinations mainly targeting army and security forces.
In July 1857, William Clarke Quantrill wrote to his mother back home in Ohio. I have but one wish, and that is that you were here, he told her, for I cannot be happy here all alone; & it seems that I am the only person or thing that is not happy along this beautiful stream. Eight years later this apparently tender, lonely young man would die in a Louisville, Kentucky, prison, notorious for being one of the most vicious butchers in the Civil War.

Quantrill was born at Canal Dover, Ohio, on July 31, 1837, the oldest of 12 children. Even as a child, he evinced a twisted, cruel nature. He nailed snakes to trees, shot pigs through the ears to hear them squeal, and tied cats together by their tails and watched them claw each other to death. Walking through fields, he would stab horses and slice open cows.

Following in his fathers footsteps, Quantrill began teaching school at age 16. Not content to tutor others, in 1857 the restless young man moved to Kansas in search of his fortune.

Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall, young Quantrill had a slight frame, reddish hair and cold, steel-blue eyes. One historian described him as bold and physically courageous [but] a sham and almost completely amoral. Quantrill honed his violent nature while living with thieves, murderers and brigands in Kansas. When the Civil War erupted, Quantrillwho had already committed several brutal murderseagerly fought with the Confederate army at Wilsons Creek and Lexington, Mo. By Christmas 1861, however, the 24-year-old Quantrill had organized a small band of pro-Confederate guerrillas to fight and kill Union soldiers and pro-Northern civilians whenever and wherever the opportunity arose.

As the guerrilla band gained notoriety, the group expanded in number. Quantrill, who was rapidly becoming infamous for murder, robbery and the mutilation of the dead, masterminded the August 21, 1863, massacre at Lawrence, Kan., in which 150 men and boys were brutally slain. Two weeks later, the band perpetrated another slaughter at Baxter Springs, Kan., where the bushwhackers attacked a Union headquarters train. The merciless guerrillas killed 98 Federals and lost only six of their own men. It was later reported that the guerrillas had mutilated the dead bluecoats.

Despite his often demonstrated adeptness at killing, Quantrills band grew annoyed with their leaders frequent absences and attempts to secure a high Confederate rank, and soon dissolved into rival factions. Although his personal popularity waned, Quantrill still kept many well-known guerrillas in his service, including Jim Younger and his cousin, Frank James.

In October 1864, Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price was defeated at Westport, Mo., and Mine Creek, Kan. As Southern hopes for a Confederate-controlled Missouri plummeted, Quantrills guerrilla band faced imminent destruction. Fearing capture and execution by Union authorities in Missouri, Quantrill gathered approximately 40 bushwhackers in mid-December and headed east, forever turning his back on Missouri.

Crossing the Mississippi River above Memphis on New Years Day, the guerrillas, wearing captured Federal uniforms, assumed the identity of the nonexistent U.S. 4th Missouri Cavalry. Posing as Captain Clarke, Quantrill informed his men that they would enter Kentucky and ride to Washington, D.C., where the guerrilla chieftain planned to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. Quantrill may have made the statement in jest, for many in his command later scoffed at this claim. Others vowed that their commander did plan to kill the Union commander in chief. Conversely, Quantrill, knowing that the war would soon end, may have planned to go to Virginia to surrender his band with Robert E. Lees army, believing his men would get a reprieve in Virginia. In Missouri they faced certain execution.

It is equally likely that Quantrill entered Kentucky simply because it had become an Eden for bushwhackers. Killers claiming Southern or Union ties roamed freely in the Bluegrass State, robbing and murdering at will. Dire deeds went unpunished. As Union military control tightened in Missouri, Quantrill sought a land where he could terrorize with impunity. In his search, he found Kentucky. There he would also find his death.

According to a postwar memoir written by Quantrill scout John McCorkle, the blue uniforms and the Captain Clarke alias easily hoodwinked Federal troops. While riding through Tennessee, the guerrillas were joined by a local Union soldier. As the Federal rode with the men, he pointed out the homes of various Southern sympathizers and jauntily detailed those who should be killed for their disloyalty. Upon reaching one stately home, the soldier pointed and said: That Rebel that lives there ought not be permitted to live another day. He is rich and the worst Rebel in this country and has done more to aid the damned Rebels than any man in the country. Hearing the tale, Quantrill turned to guerrilla John Barker and told him to go with the Federal to dispose of the Rebel. McCorkle relates: John left with our informant and in an hour returned alone, and the rebel who lived on the hill was not molested;the [Federal] who talked about him never talked about his neighbors anymore.

The Missourians entered Kentucky in mid-January 1865 near Canton and moved east. On their ride they frequently encountered Northern soldiers. Passing themselves off as Missouri Federals, the guerrillas talked and joked with their enemies. At one point, however, the jovial encounters ended. The bushwhackers met a Union captain who was forming a company of black troops. The captain, who boasted openly about what his men would do to the Rebels, was summarily killed by Quantrills cohorts.

In one exaggerated tale spun by McCorkle, the guerrillas supposedly stopped at a private residence for breakfast. After the group dined with the family, McCorkle claimed that the hosts two daughters sensed the guerrillas Southern sympathies despite their blue uniforms. Upon leaving the house, he said, the two girls approached the guerrillas and said, Gentlemen, from your manners we take you to be Southern men, and while I do not know who you are, if you are Southern soldiers I wish you all the happiness and success that could possibly come to anyone, but if you are Federals, my heartfelt wish is that you all will be in hell before night. McCorkle said the men let out a cheer, but were sternly silenced by their commander for losing their 4th Missouri Cavalry persona. It is probable that the years added hyperbole to McCorkles memory, for it is unlikely that a Kentucky belle living in the war-torn state would make such a rash statement to blue-clad troopers. A handful of Kentucky women had already been jailed for revealing their Southern leanings.

As Quantrills raiders maneuvered into central Kentucky, their guise continued to deceive Federal troops. A Union dispatch related that on January 22 the bushwhackers had arrived in Hartford. Telling Union authorities that they were the 4th Missouri Cavalry detached to hunt guerrillas, Quantrill requested a guide to conduct him toward the Ohio River, where the guerrillas most abound. A Federal lieutenant named Barnett, who was in the neighborhood as a recruiting officer of the One hundred and twenty-fifth Colored Infantry, an Indiana trooper named W.B. Lawton, and W. Lownsley of the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry all volunteered to show Captain Clarke the way. The dispatch continued: About three miles from Hartford, near the Hawesville road, they hung Lownsley, it is supposed. He was found in the woods near a week afterward. They shot Lawton after traveling with him about twelve miles, and shot Barnett about sixteen miles from here. Their bodies were all found.

Following the murders, the guerrillas made their way to Hustonville. Eyeing some fresh horses, the band prepared to make off with several of them. As guerrilla Allen Parmer pulled himself onto one of the animals, the Federal lieutenant who owned the horse rushed out. Pointing at Parmer, the lieutenant said the horses would be taken over his dead body. Parmer growled, That is a damned easy job, pulled his pistol and shot the lieutenant in the face. The bullet traveled through the lieutenants head and broke his neck, killing him instantly. Hurrying from town, the bushwhackers turned their horses toward Danville, the geographic center of Kentucky.

In Danville, the veil protecting Captain Clarke was violently lifted. On January 29, U.S. Captain William L. Gross, assistant quartermaster and assistant superintendent of the U.S. military telegraph in Danville, sent a disheartened message to his superiors. Gross informed them that thirty-five guerrillas, under Captain Clarke, all dressed in Federal uniform, entered Danville this morning. They robbed some of the citizens and one boot store and left on the Perryville pike at 11:15 a.m. They claimed, at first, to be Federal troops, Fourth Missouri Cavalry, but there is no doubt they are guerrillas in disguise. They gutted my office pretty effectually.

Purifying the story of the Danville raid, John McCorkle said that Quantrill merely told the soldiers and men to all go home and let him alone, that he intended to hurt no one. After the war, McCorkle became a respected citizen of Glasgow, Mo., and became known as a Christian gentleman of strong character and a tender heart. He probably failed to mention the plundering to sanitize his role in the incident.

Following the sack of Danville, the guerrillas rode westward toward Perryville, the scene of an October 1862 battle. Union commanders, however, were not dwelling on past fightsthey were searching for a new way to catch Captain Clarke. That afternoon, Union brigadier general and Danville native Speed F. Fry sent Federal forces in Lebanon an order tosend one detachment through Perryville and one directly to Perryville. Order your men not to take any prisoners if they find them. Tell your men to be very careful, as guerrillas are arrayed in Federal uniform. Tired of statewide bushwhacker attacks, angered that the guerrillas were so bold as to wear Federal uniforms and sickened by the plundering of his hometown, Fry ordered Union troops to hoist the black flag. As Quantrills men had offered no mercy, Fry called for no quarter.

Riding a number of miles toward Perryville, the guerrillas swung north toward Harrodsburg, with Federal patrols on their tail. As night approached, the band split up into several groups to dine and sleep in private homes. Five miles from Harrodsburg, Quantrill slept in the residence of Mrs. Sallie Van Arsdell while other guerrillas found refuge with her neighbor John Adams. Later in the evening, a group of Federal troops under Captain J.H. Bridgewater surrounded the Adams house. As the bushwhackers tried to escape, Bridgewaters men killed four guerrillas and captured nine others, including Jim Younger.

Quantrill somehow managed to gather his remaining men and escape town. Those killed outside the Adams house were buried in the Oakland Church cemetery, but were re-interred 40 years later in Harrodsburgs Spring Hill Cemetery, where they could rest with other Southern dead. The prisoners, who stated they were going to Virginia (which could lend credence to Quantrills plot to assassinate Lincoln or surrender with Lee), were jailed in Lexington, but eventually moved to Louisville. One guerrilla, accused of killing the Union lieutenant in Hustonville, was held in Lexington but was released after the war. According to McCorkle, the prisoners were constantly threatened with execution, but they bravely defied their captors.

With a portion of the band killed and captured, Quantrill gathered his men and rode to Nelson County. The guerrillas were harassed by Union militia but managed to drive them off. At this time Quantrill may have consolidated forces with Sue Mundy, one of Kentuckys most notorious guerrillas. Mundy, whose real name was Marcellus Jerome Clarke, was called Sue because his youth, flowing locks and cleanshaven face gave him a feminine appearance. Mundy had served in John Hunt Morgans command and entered the commonwealth with Morgans raiders. After Morgans death in September 1864, he re-entered Kentucky to wage a one-man guerrilla war against Federal troops. On January 29, the same day as Quantrills Danville raid, Mundy skirmished with the 54th (Union) Kentucky near Bardstown.

By January 30, the chase was on. Union commanders had mobilized all nearby troops to catch or kill the elusive Clarke. Three miles from Chaplintown, Federal soldiers had a running fight with Clarkes guerrillas and wounded one of them while others with better horses escaped. Two days later, Union Colonel H.M. Buckley, commander of the 54th Kentucky, wrote to his superiors I chased Quantrill all day yesterday from Spencer through Shelby toward the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad; am still after him; will catch him if I can. Buckley, who previously had repulsed Sue Mundys forces, now hunted both guerrillas. Union forces at last were learning that the mysterious Captain Clarke was the notorious Missouri bushwhacker.

Entering the town of Midway on the night of February 2, the combined force of Quantrill and Mundy robbed citizens, burned the railroad depot and stole 15 thoroughbreds from a nearby farm. The previous night the guerrillas had put a railroad depot and freight cars to the torch at Lair Station. In a panic-ridden dispatch, Buckley reiterated that the dreaded Missourian was in the commonwealth. He wrote: We have chased Sue Mundays [sic] gang into Henry. Our horses are worn out; cant do anything without fresh horses. Please send some, if only fifty. Quantrill is with the gang.

Passing by New Market at 11 a.m. on February 8, the band attacked a Federal wagon train. The guerrillas killed three soldiers, captured four others, burned a number of wagons and shot all the mules. Following the raid, Major Thomas Mahoney of the Lebanon-based 30th Kentucky Mounted Infantry feared that the remainder of his wagon train would be reduced to cinders by Quantrills men. Organizing all available troops, the Federals pursued the guerrillas, skirmishing with them all the way to Bradfordsville. Most of the Union soldiers facing the bushwhackers were from the invalid corpsMahoney wrote that many could not master horses and load their guns.

Chased to Bradfordsville, the guerrillas wheeled their mounts and prepared to make a stand. The Federals dismounted, andemploying a tactic used numerous times in Missourithe guerrillas drew their revolvers and charged. According to Mahoney, the guerrillas numbered 45, while 35 ill or disabled men filled the Union ranks. Mahoney remembered that during the excitement of the charge, some of his men let their horses get away, which ran to the guerrillas. A portion of Mahoneys already understrength command then withdrew without orders, causing the frustrated major to halt his pursuit. Following the charge, the guerrillas killed the four Federals they had captured at New Market.

The following day, word spread about the Bradfordsville fight. Union troops stationed at Crab Orchard, Campbellsville, Columbia, Danville, Stanford, Lebanon and Lawrenceburg all moved after the guerrillas. They left the local citizenry to guard each unprotected town. At 2 a.m., the Federal detachment from Stanford, under Captain J.H. Bridgewater (who had attacked the guerrillas at Harrodsburg), again encountered the band on Little South Fork, west of Huston-ville. It is probable the guerrillas were surprised in camp, for Bridgewaters men killed 4, captured 35 horses and equipments; ran 30 or 35 of their men into the woods, most of whom were barefooted; only 7 got away mounted. Captain Clarke escaped barefooted, but our men in three detachments are hunting for them and with good prospect of finding them as the snow is fresh on the ground.

The prospect of catching the routed guerrillas was indeed good; on February 10, a Union captain in Danville reported that troops just brought in three of Clarkes men, captured in the woods after Bridgewaters fight. The following day Federal scouts reported that they had captured another of Clarkes men but in bringing him in this morning he attempted to escape, and was shot dead on the spot. This unnamed guerrilla was probably executed by the Federal scouts. Many remembered General Frys order to allow no quarter.

Although Bridgewater had dispersed Quantrills men, the bushwhackers soon reorganized and resumed terrorizing citizens and Federal troops. On February 27, the bushwhackers raided the town of Hickman. Entering the town at 10 a.m., the guerrillas plundered stores and homes and abused and beat citizenswomen and children includedshooting at them, compelling them to give up their money and setting fire to the buildings. According to a Union lieutenant in Hickman, who possibly exaggerated the guerrillas depredations to ensure a stronger Union presence there, Quantrills men left after the appearance of the [U.S. steamer] Hastings coming up the river. They carried with them a large amount of money, supplies, and whisky.I have been informed that whenever the gun-boat is absent there are always from five to thirty-five rebels in the town. The nervous lieutenant was practically begging his commander to keep gunboats there permanently.

Two days later, Quantrill relaxed at the home of Jim Dawson, near Taylorsville. As the guerrilla chieftain was visiting, his hosts young daughter asked Quantrill to write in her autograph book. For a moment, the schoolteacher in Quantrill emerged once again. He scribbled four stanzas of a poem, one verse of which read:

Though the cannons roar around me

Yet it shall still bear me on

Though dark clouds are above me<

It hath springs which may be won.

According to McCorkle, who portrayed his leader as a Robin Hood and failed to mention the Bradfordsville fight as well as Bridgewaters attack, the guerrilla band stayed in Nelson and Spencer counties for several weeks, hiding out and socializing with prominent Southern families. The scout related that a Union deserter known as Major Metz was robbing local citizens, physically abusing them and telling his victims he was from Missouri. According to McCorkle, Quantrill refused to see the good name of Missouri dragged through the mud. He ordered McCorkle to find the major. When he did, We led the Major into the woods and he was soon deprived of all desire to steal and rob and had abused and mistreated his last man.

Following the demise of Metz, Quantrill led the band between Louisville and Taylorsville, where they encountered a regiment of black infantry. The bushwhackers, McCorkle said, rode into the woods and would ride up to the edge of the timber, fire into them, and dash back into the woods. The guerrillas, experts at hit-and-run warfare, continued this harassing fire until the exhausted troops finally reached Taylorsville.

By March 1865, Kentucky guerrillas were finding that their luck was running out. On the 12th, Sue Mundy was captured in Brandenberg. Another infamous guerrilla who had roamed the Bluegrass State, One Arm Sam Berry, was captured, found guilty of 11 murders and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. The fearsome Champ Ferguson, tried by Union authorities for more than 50 murders, received a death sentence.

Quantrill, however, managed to remain free. On April 13 he allied with a guerrilla named Billy Marion and skirmished with Federal troops near Bloomfield. One Northern soldier was killed and three wounded in the fight, but five guerrillas became casualties in the brief action. Troops under the command of Union Captain Edwin Terrell claimed to have found Marion and killed him, but Quantrill again escaped.

Terrell, a leader of Federal guerrillas in Spencer County, had a reputation of being a fearsome hunter of Confederate irregulars. Serving the Confederacy early in the war, Terrell changed sides and began a career of plundering, raiding and killing Southern sympathizers. Union authorities had grown tired of dealing with the lawless bands. Following the philosophy of it takes a guerrilla to catch a guerrilla, they hired the galvanized bushwhacker to hunt down Quantrill. Terrell would accomplish this task, but, as one of his comrades related: Terrell was a bad man. Perhaps as bad as the man he was hunting down. Following the death of Billy Marion, the Unionist bushwhackers turned their sights on Quantrill.

Moving toward the Salt River, Quantrill learned from a local citizen of the Lincoln assassination. His men cheered and broke ranks, riding to the homes of Southern sympathizers, where they celebrated the death of the president. With all good news, however, must come the bad. Returning to Nelson County, the men learned from their leader that Robert E. Lee had surrendered. McCorkle stated: Knowing the war was over, we decided to separate and make the best terms of surrender we could.This was the last time I ever saw Quantrill.

With a handful of men, the guerrilla chieftain rode toward Spencer County. When they reached the Taylorsville-Bloomfield Pike on May 10, a heavy rain began, driving the remnants of the band into shelter. Entering a barn owned by James H. Wakefield (a sympathizer with whom he had previously stayed), Quan-trill lay down on a pile of hay to rest. His men, bored by confinement in the barn, began pelting each other with corncobs. Guerrilla John Ross received the brunt of the attack, and he ran from the barn to avoid the shower of cobs. Running into the rain, Ross suddenly spied a company of Federal troops. He turned and shouted, Great God, boys, the Federals are right on us! Terrell, alerted to the guerrillas location by a local blacksmith, had found his quarry.

Quantrill jumped from the hay, shouting commands to his men. Telling them to mount, about face, and charge, he grabbed his horse and pulled himself into the saddle. As Quantrill mounted, his stirrup leather broke, throwing him across the back of his horse. Quan-trills mount, which was borrowed and gun-shy, immediately panicked and followed the other horses out of the barn. As the frightened beast cleared the barn door, Quantrill was shot in the back. The pistol ball entered near his left shoulder blade and cut downward into his spine. Partially paralyzed, the guerrilla fell from his horse. One of Terrells men, watching Quantrill fall face down in the mud, fired again. The pistol ball blew off Quantrills right trigger finger.

Jumping off their horses, Terrells men quickly stole Quantrills boots, pistols and money. Dragging him into Wakefields house, the Union bushwhackers began to loot the dwelling, but Wakefield gave them $30 and a jug of whiskey to end their ransacking.

Quantrill mumbled that he was Captain Clarke of the 4th Missouri Cavalry. Terrells men, hoodwinked like scores of others, believed the story and left him at Wakefields home. They wheeled their mounts away and continued their search for the real Quantrill.

Once the Federals had dispersed, Frank James and four others returned to visit their wounded commander, telling Quantrill that they wanted to take him and hide him in the woods. The guerrilla leader declined, murmuring: Boys, it is impossible for me to get well, the war is over, and I am in reality a dying man, so let me alone. Goodbye. Two days later, after learning that the wounded Missourian was indeed Quantrill,Terrell returned, loaded Quantrills paralyzed frame onto a wagon and headed for the military prison in Louisville.

During the journey, Quantrill recognized a doctor in Jeffersonville and asked if he had treated him earlier in the raid. The physician answered: I am the man. I have moved here. Showing grim humor despite the debilitating wound, Quantrill responded, So have I. Later, two young women presented the guerrilla with a bouquet of flowers.

Upon reaching Louisville, Quantrill was placed in the military prison hospital, where he was nursed by a Catholic priest. He made a full confession, converted to Catholicism and took the sacrament of extreme unction. On June 6, following an operation, William Clarke Quantrill died at the age of 27.

The guerrilla leader left behind $800 in gold, a portion of which was earmarked to pay for his tombstone. The remaining funds were given to Kate Clarke, a pseudonym for his mistress, Kate King. Kate, who may have married Quantrill, had on occasion dressed like a man and ridden with the guerrillas. She apparently used her inheritance to start a house of ill repute in St. Louis.

Fearing that Quantrills body would be stolen, the priest who converted him buried the guerrilla in an unmarked grave in the Louisville Catholic Cemetery. In 1887, Quantrills mother visited the grave with William W. Scott, a boyhood friend of the bushwhacker who informed Mrs. Quantrill that he was planning to write a biography of her son. With her permission, Scott unearthed the chieftains body. When he touched the bones, Quantrills spinal column and ribs turned to dust. He took the skull to Mrs. Quantrill, who was able to identify the remains as her sons because of a chipped tooth. Although she wanted the remains moved to Canal Dover, Scott kept the majority of them. A year later he gave a portion of the bones to the Kansas Historical Society, and following his death in 1902 the remainder were given to the same organization.

Quantrills bones now rest in three separate locations. The dust of his ribs and spine are in Louisville, an arm and shinbones are buried in Higginsville, Mo., while the rest are buried in Dover, Ohio. Despite the many burial locations, Quantrills skull traversed a wide area before reaching a final resting place. At one point a college fraternity acquired it and used it for initiation ceremonies. The grisly artifact then made it into the hands of the Kansas State Historical Society (where a wax copy of Quantrills head was made). At some point, the skull was shipped to Dover and eventually buried in 1992.

Many involved in Quantrills last ride met violent ends. Terrell, who managed to hunt down the bushwhacker, was killed a few weeks after Quantrills death. Terrell and his band wereshooting up Shelbyville after its citizens were accused of harboring Confederates. As Terrell was terrorizing the town, an incensed group of townspeople joined together and killed the Union guerrilla. Upon his death, Kentuckians breathed a sigh of relief that their state had been exorcised of a notorious outlaw. He was 23 years old.

Captured Confederate bushwhacker Sue Mundy was taken to Louisville and hanged downtown while thousands watched. The guerrillas who had escaped Terrells ambush at the Wakefield house surrendered on July 26.

The death of Quantrill was overshadowed by the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and Lees surrender at Appomattox. In death, however, myths enveloped the Missouri bushwhacker. To many he became a glorious figure, defending the sons and daughters of the South from the tyrannical North. In truth, Quantrill was a notorious killer, one who, had he survived the war, would doubtless have chalked up further violent escapades. Giving no quarter, Quantrill expected none. From his first murder in Kansas to his last in the Bluegrass State, Quantrill cut a violent swath wherever he went. The sensitive young schoolteacher became one of the most dangerous and despicable figures of the Civil War.

This article was written by Stuart W. Sanders and originally appeared in the March 1999 issue of Americas Civil War magazine.

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At Antietam, George McClellan and his bodyguard dawdled throughout a long Fatal Thursday.

This issue of Americas Civil War takes a close look at the Battle of Antietam on this, the 135th anniversary of the battle. There are feature-length articles on the fighting around Dunker church and Bloody Lane, as well as a Personality piece on Mathew Brady, whose photographs of Antietams aftermath shocked the nation; a look at the fighting 3rd Wisconsin, which lost nearly 60 percent of its troops at the battle; and an eyewitness account of the battle by New York Tribune reporter George Smalley, who scooped the world with his remarkable beat.

Because of the events in the valley between Antietam Creek and the Potomac River on a bright, late-summer day in western Maryland, September 17, 1862, will always be a melancholy date in American history. More Americanssome 23,000fell that day than on any other single day in the often violent 221-year history of the nation. But though the Battle of Antietam took place on a Wednesday, Northern newspapers were soon referring to Fatal Thursday in their editorials. It was a reference not to what had taken place at Antietam, but to what had not taken placethe never-to-be-fought second day of the battle.

By nightfall on September 17, it was apparent to everyone that Antietam had been the most savagely fought battle of the war. Makeshift hospitals in churches, farmhouses, barns and sheds around the crossroads village of Sharpsburg groaned with the thousands of wounded soldiers being brought in from the battlefield by stretcher-bearers. Many others lay beyond reach in the no mans land between the lines. For miles away in either direction, the unbroken moans of dying men could be faintly heardalmost as though the land itself was crying out.

But despite the shocking losses that day, many observers went to sleep that night believing the battle would be renewed in the morning. The ever-observant Smalley had concluded his account for the Tribune by maintaining that everything was favorable for a renewal of the fight in the morning. If the plan of the battle is sound, there is every reason why [Maj. Gen. George] McClellan should win it. At army headquarters, Union Colonel David Strother went to bed fully expecting the battle to resume at dawn. Sometime during the night, however, he heard his commander tell a messenger, They are to hold the ground they occupy, but are not to attack without further orders. Strother, fear[ing] we would thus lose the fruits of a victory already achieved, did not go back to sleep that night.

Strother may have been overconfident in his belief that the Union forces had already achieved victory at Antietam, but he was correct in his assessment that a renewal of the fighting held great promise for such a victory on the morrow. Every Confederate unit at General Robert E. Lees disposal had already been thrown into the terrific struggle, except for two late-arriving brigades on the right. There was no possibility of reinforcement.

Having served with McClellan in the Mexican War and then having fought him for seven full days on the outskirts of Richmond three months before Antietam, Lee correctly guessed that McClellan would not make another attack. During the Peninsula campaign the previous spring, McClellan had flinched from attacking a skeleton Southern force at Yorktown with three times as many men, prompting Confederate General Joseph Johnstonnot known for

offensive-minded audacity him-selfto remark, No one but McClellan could have hesitated to attack. Lee shared that scornful opinion.

As for McClellan himself, he confidently wrote to his wife on the night of the Battle of Antietam, Those in whose judgment I rely tell me that I fought the battle splendidly and that it was a masterpiece of art. McClellan failed to explain why he had committed less than two-thirds of his army in combat that day, or why, with more than 30,000 fresh troops then on handmore than the entire number of soldiers Lee had lefthe would not attack at all the following day.

It all came down to the fact that McClellan was too afraid of losing to risk winning. One battle lost and all would have been lost, he explained later. Lees army might then have marched as it pleased on Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia or New York.

Such manifest exaggeration was ridiculous, as President Abraham Lincoln understood all too well. After personally visiting McClellan two weeks after the battle, Lincoln told colleagues that he had tried unsuccessfully to convince the general that he would be a ruined man if he did not move forward, move rapidly and effectively. Instead of heeding his advice, Lincoln noted ruefully, he began to argue why he ought not to move. Looking at the army massed around him in a sea of tents, the exasperated Lincoln asked a companion, Do you know what this is? It is the Army of the Potomac, the man replied. So it is called, the president said, but that is a mistake. It is only McClellans bodyguard. By failing to renew the Battle of Antietam, McClellan soon lost the use of that bodyguard forever.

Roy Morris, Jr., Editor, Americas Civil War


Lincolns famous flair for words couldnt compete with the gravity of emancipation

When it was first issued, even Northerners who recognized it as a second Declaration of Independence lamented its uninspiring prose. When autographed reprints were offered for sale at a Philadelphia charity fair just a year and a half later, several copies went unsold at the price of $10.

Abraham Lincoln himself believed the document represented a grand consummation capable of inspiring a great revolution in public sentiment. But word for word, it struck many observers as not only less than grand and great, but remarkably short on sentiment itself. Why, observers have wondered, at a moment of such awesome historic importance, did the great writer fail to use all the powers at his command?

One thing is certain: Lincoln never doubted himself or his document. As he told witnesses on New Years Day 1863pausing before affixing his name to it because his right arm was almost paralyzed from three hours of holiday handshakingIf my name ever goes into history it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.

Yet he hardly offered the endeavor his full supply of literary skill. While the first Declaration of Independence began with the unforgettable phrase, When in the course of human events, the so-called second Declaration started with: Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing among other things the following, to wit. The remainder cited not life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but offered insipid phrases like attention is hereby called and I do hereby enjoin. The document groans under the burden of two therefores, one thereto, two to wits and two aforesaids.

The word free, by contrast, appeared in the text only three times, first merely quoting the preliminary proclamation that had been issued a hundred days earlier; and later to admonish liberated people to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence. Most of the text was given not to discussing the promise of liberty, but to listing exemptions and exceptions. Its one stylistically redeeming sentenceupon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justiceI invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty Godwas written not by Lincoln, but by Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase.

No wonder the documents styleor lack of ithas been criticized ever since. Historian Richard Hofstadter offered the most devastating criticism of all, famously deriding the Emancipation Proclamation as boasting all the moral grandeur of a bill of lading. Hofstadter was hardly the first to make such a derisive comment. A 19th-century European Lincoln admirer named Karl Marx similarly complained Lincolns freedom orders called to mind the trite summonses that one lawyer sends to an opposing lawyer, the legal chicaneries and pettifogging stipulations of an actiones jurisa court case. Marx found it astonishing that what he called the most significant document in American history since the founding of the Union and one which tears up the old American Constitution, bears the same character, although its literary shortcomings did not alter its historic content.

Frederick Douglass concurred, even after campaigning mightily for the document to be issued. It was not a proclamation of liberty throughout the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof, such as we had hoped it would be, Douglass lamented, but one marked by discriminations and reservations. Even so, Douglass fully understood its immediate impact. We shout for joy that we live to record this righteous decree, he wrote in Douglass Monthly, quoting the prosaic text with biblical fervor.

How then to explain the proclamations concurrent, and disparate, reputations as both a rhetorical failure and an icon of freedom? Perhaps nothing better illustrates these oddly conflicting historical currents than the strange history

of the document itselfas a talisman and piece of archival history.

This parallel legacy was influenced by two of the nations unique Civil War social movements: the mostly political Union Leagues, dedicated to Republican politics and black enlistment, and the U.S. Sanitary Commission, devoted to the care and feeding of Union soldiers and sailorsespecially the wounded. Both organizations played major roles in burnishing the reputation of the proclamation among the public, sidestepping its shortcomings as political literature and secular gospel and instead embracing its potential as a relic of almost messianic power. Lincolns participation in this metamorphosis is illuminating as well.

Keep in mind that Lincoln authored three separate proclamations: the rough draft he first read to his Cabinet on July 22, 1862, then tabled to await a Union military victory that could sustain it; the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation released to the public on September 22, a few days after Union forces prevailed at Antietam; and the final executive orderthe proclamation issued 100 days later on January 1, 1863.

We are not certain precisely where Lincoln crafted the words of the first two draftsperhaps initially on a steamship bearing him home from a visit to Union troops in Virginia, at the War Department telegraph office near the White House, or at the Soldiers Home, his summer cottage north of Washington. Wherever he worked out his thoughts, there is evidence Lincoln found their composition a daunting, even agonizing, process from the start.

One witness remembered his scribbling no more than a few words at a time. He would look out of the window for a while, and then put his pen to paper, but did not write much at once. He would study between times and when he had made up his mind he would put down a line or two, and then sit quiet for a few minutes. After a time he would resume his writing. By the end of the day Lincoln had written less than a page: It hardly seemed the outpouring of a man inspired.

As for the first publicly released document, whatever its literary shortcomings there was no denying its impact. Lincolns clerk William O. Stoddard never forgot the afternoon one of his colleagues rushed into his White House office and, with a sort of flush on his face, placed a paper before him and told him the president wanted him to make two copies right away. This of course meant transcribing by handno copiers or scanners. At first, Stoddard remembered, he went at it, mechanically, until what he called a queer kind of tremor began shaking my nerves as he realized just what he was writing. Now he began to imagine he could hear the sound of clanking iron, as of breaking and falling chains, and after that the shouts of a great multitude and the laughter and the songs of the newly free and the anger of fierce opposition.

Stoddards responseinitial indifference to the individual words, followed by deep appreciation of their importwas mirrored throughout the country when the preliminary proclamation was issued. Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrew spoke for many when he called it a poor document, but a mighty act.

Not everyone agreed. Lincolns uninspiring prose moved Washington gadfly Adam Gurowski to complain, The proclamation is written in the meanest and most dry routine style; not a word to evoke a generous thrill, not a word reflecting the warm, and lofty comprehension and feelings of the immense majority of the people on this question of emancipation. Nothing for humanity, nothing to humanityit is clear the writer was not in it either with his heart or with his soul; it is clear that it was done under moral duress, under the throttling pressure of events. Then, quoting Union General James Wadsworth, he concluded, never a nobler subject was more belittled by the form in which it was uttered.

It was no surprise that longtime anti-slavery military officers like Wadsworth were disappointed. But Lincoln faced far greater danger from the conservative wing of the militaryfilled with Democratswhere opposition might foment insubordination and worse. Surely that concern was one of Lincolns chief motivations for keeping celebratory hallelujahs out of the document. Indeed, General Fitz-John Porter immediately told the editor of the anti-Lincoln New York World the absurd proclamation was the work of a political coward, revealing it had been ridiculed in the armycausing disgust, discontent, and expressions of disloyalty. Most alarming of all, the chief commander of the Army of the Potomac, George B. McClellan, whose narrow victory at Antietam had emboldened the president to issue the document, told his wife its publication made it almost impossible for me to retain my commission & self respect at the same time. I cannot make up my mind to fight for such an accursed doctrine as that of a servile insurrectionit is too infamous.

Northern editorials proved initially flattering, but to his own vice president, Hannibal Hamlin, Lincoln confided, while commendation in newspapers and by distinguished individuals is all that a vain man could wish, the stocks have declined, and troops come forward more slowly than ever. This, looked soberly in the face, is not very satisfactory.The North responds to the proclamation sufficiently in breath; but breath alone kills no rebels.

The reaction to Lincolns 1862 public statement appeared to confirm his darkest fears. Lincolns party lost 31 seats in Congress later that fall, prompting one border state newspaper to gloat that the balloting repudiated Fanaticism, Abolitionism, and Niggerism A month later, matters went from bad to worse when the Union Army suffered a disastrous defeat at Fredericksburg. These setbacks compelled Lincoln to craft his next and final proclamation with almost microscopic precision.

Nonetheless, as January 1 neared, Northern editors hopeful for a masterpiece clamored for advance copies. New York Editors are anxious, if possible, that your proclamation if ready, may be telegraphed to the Associated Press this afternoon or evening, Congressman Schuyler Colfax advised Lincoln on New Years Eve, so that they can have it in their New Years morning newspapers with Ed[itoria]l. articles on it. Colfax fretted that if the document failed to attract coverage January 1, publication would be delayed until January 3, robbing it of its New Years character.

A skilful manipulator of public opinion, Lincoln doubtless would have preferred to oblige. The truth was, as late as December 30, he was still awaiting comments from members of his Cabinet on the latest draft. He had good reason to doubt their enthusiastic support: Back in July, they urged him to refrain from issuing a preliminary proclamation at all. In September he told them bluntly that he had made a pact with God to issue it with or without their consent. Now, in the final hours of this momentous year, Lincoln still sought elusive consensus. As he massaged his text to make it legally fireproof, he deliberated with them over such proposed clauses as a patronizing admonition that freed blacks refrain from violence, along with, by contrast, a truly revolutionary invitation to African Americans to join the Union armed forces. Ignoring the appeal of holiday glory, Lincoln rejected haste and turned down the eager editors.

Silence from the White House, however, ignited rumors that Lincoln would blink and let the January 1 deadline pass without issuing the order at all. Contemporaries like New Yorker George Templeton Strong, a Union Leaguer and founder of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, wondered whether Lincolns backbone would carry him through the work he is pledged to do.If he come out fair and square, Strong confided to his diary, he will do the biggest thing an Illinois jury-lawyer has ever had a chance of doing, and take high place among the men who have controlled the destinies of nations. If he postpone or dilute his action, his name will be a byword and a hissing till the annals of the nineteenth century are forgotten.

Strong need not have worried. As Lincoln had recently assured a delegation of Union men from his native Kentucky, he would rather die than take back a word of the Proclamation of Freedom. A day after Christmas, Senator Charles Sumner had confidently told fellow Massachusetts abolitionist George Livermore, who later begged for the pen Lincoln used to sign it, The President says he would not stop the Proclamation if he could, and could not if he would.

As those close to the situation soon learned, however, the endless hours of preparation did not mean history would be given memorable phrases to consecrate the occasion. Indiana editor John D. Defrees had recommended such a document as to justify the act in all coming time. But after the political and military disasters of November and December, Lincoln preferred a proclamation that would survive court challenges even if it did not please literary critics; a declaration that might not enthrall the enslaved, but would seal the cooperation of the freewhite men who had no tolerance for black men.

In the face of intractable racial prejudice and mounting dissatisfaction with the administration, Lincoln thus chose to mute his natural skill for oratory even if it risked giving future generations the sense that he lacked empathy altogether. He opted to limit his approach, and grant distasteful exemptions, so border slave states like Kentucky did not react by seceding and joining the Confederacy. He eliminated the likelihood of constitutional challenges by acting narrowly as the commander in chief, with a tightly argued, precisely worded military orderone that would survive the war, even if the appeals went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Nor, in another important sense, did the occasion truly call for rhetorical flamboyance. Lincoln saw the final proclamation as a formal recounting and redemption of the promise behind the warning he had issued back in Septemberthat slave states either return to the Union or forfeit their slaves forever. Now he would calmly summon his war power and collect on that debtusing the Army to enforce it, and recruiting the untapped African-American manpower freedom unleashed and using it against the Rebels. It is not a question of sentiment or taste, he later explained, but one of physical force, which may be measured, and estimates as horse-power, and steam-power, are estimated. And by measurement, it is more than we can lose and live. This was not the time, he said with almost palpable regret for restraining himself, for magic, or miracles.

While the final text was hardly more inspiring than the preliminary order, most in the anti-slavery movement this time excused the prose altogether. Instead they celebrated the consequences, and lauded both God and the man many believed had been ordained to act on heavens instructions. It is a great historic event, William Lloyd Garrison exulted in the Liberator. The proclamation was sublime in its magnitude, momentous and beneficent in its far-reaching consequences, and eminent just alike to the oppressor and the oppressed. Harriet Beecher Stowe later likened Lincoln to Moses leading his Israel through the wilderness, mixing her metaphorscertainly her Testamentsto argue, His rejection of what is called fine writing was as deliberate as St. Pauls.

Such comments eventually helped the proclamation to achieve iconic status, its leaden style notwithstanding. But much of the credit must go to an indefatigable charity organizer named Mary Livermore (no relation to George), coordinator of the northwestern branch of the Sanitary Commission.

Ten months after the proclamation was issued, she wrote Lincoln to alert him to the forthcoming Great Western Fair, designed to raise funds for sick and wounded soldiers. Mrs. Livermore wanted a spectacular donation, not so much for the value of the gift, as for the eclat which this circumstance would give to the Fair. It has been suggested to us from various quarters, she ventured, that the most acceptable donation you could possibly make, would be the original manuscript of the Proclamation of emancipation.There would be great competition among buyers to obtain possession of it, and to say nothing of the interest that would attach to such a gift, it would prove pecuniarily of great value. And, she pledged, We should take pains to have such an arrangement made as would place the document permanently in either the State or the Chicago Historical Society.

Lincoln ignored the request for a time, no doubt reluctant to part with his original manuscript. Knowing its value, clerk William Stoddard had tried, he later confided, to hide it in his desk drawer and  smouch it for himself. Undaunted, Livermore dispatched heavyweight Illinois politicians to rattle the plate. Congressman Owen Lovejoy for one poured on the biblical flattery by telling the president, it seems to me that Illinois would be a very suitable resting place for a document that ought to be laid away in some holy place like the ancient Jewish symbols.

Lincoln eventually bowed to the pressure and donated his manuscript. I had some desire to retain the paper, he admitted, but if it shall contribute to the relief or comfort of the soldiers that will be better. Overjoyed, Livermore promised the treasure will be carefully guarded & skillfully managed, so as to produce a revenue, that shall make your heart glad, and soothe the woes of hundreds in hospitals. She lived up to her word. The proclamation earned a small fortune, even if its disposition turned out to be something of an inside job. Thomas B. Bryan, the art entrepreneur whose own booth displayed its exhibit for the 100,000 fair-goers, purchased it himself for $3,000.

Not only did the manuscript fetch a huge sum of money, it earned the president an unexpected and generous reward: a gold watch donated by a local jeweler for the largest contributor to the fair. The news delighted the once-reluctant donor. He proudly wore his Emancipation timepiece for the rest of his life.

Thomas Bryans efforts were just beginning. By January 7, 1864, he sent Lincoln proof copies of what he called a lithographed Fac-simile of your Proclamation of Freedom, asking him to inform me if the copy impress you favorably. A sharebut only a shareof the profits would go to the new Chicago Soldiers Home. Clearly, Bryan believed his $3,000 investment for the original could be recouped. Designed by printmaker Edward Mendel, complete with a lithographed portrait of the president, his print moved Lincoln to admit, it impresses me favorably as being a faithful and correct copy. Copies soon went on public sale.

Around this very same time, Lincoln received a request for the other emancipation document still in his control: the 1862 preliminary proclamation. Albany Relief Bazaar organizer William Barnes told wealthy New York abolitionist Gerrit Smith, a member of the organizing committee, I think the 22nd Sept. is really more valuable than the 1st of Jany.Jany. was only enforcing Execution. The Sept. Proclamation first embodied the Presidents planwas really the effective Proclamation of Freedom.

Once more it took considerable political wire-pulling to get the president to part with his document. Fortunately, Barnes was married to the daughter of Thurlow Weed, the New York Republican boss. Sidestepping the president, Barnes had his wife appeal directly to her fathers old friend, Secretary of State William H. Seward. On January 4, the original draft of the September proclamation duly arrived in Albany, and excited fair organizers decided to raffle it off.

Smith purchased a huge block of tickets for the drawingperhaps as many as a thousand. It certainly increased his odds of winning, and win he did. Yet such was his reputation that a loud and hearty cheer reportedly greeted the announcement that the old abolitionists name had been drawn. The disposition of it although by chance is eminently just, Barnes said.

In the days when presidents confidently entrusted the U.S. mail with valuable correspondence, Lincolns two freedom documents made it safely through the postal system without harm. But they ended up meeting startlingly different fates. The preliminary proclamation remained with Barnes in Albany while Smith explored options for donating it to another charity. But after Lincolns assassination, the New York State Legislature purchased the proclamation for $1,000. After surviving a devastating fire that swept through the state capitol building in 1911, the document entered the collections of the state library, where it has remained safely preserved ever since. Just last fall, it went on view publicly on an extended tour for the sesquicentennial.

In Chicago, Thomas Bryan made good on his pledge to enshrine the final proclamation at the local Soldiers Home. It was on display there, as Mary Livermore sadly remembered, when disaster struck the city in 1871. In Mrs. Livermores simple words, Lincolns most famous manuscript burned at the time of the great conflagration.

The original, official, so-called engrossed copy of the document, the one Lincoln took so much time to sign, lives permanently in the National Archives in Washingtonbut is badly faded. Lincolns fragmentary July draft is part of the Lincoln Papers collection at the Library of Congress.

I know very well that the name which is connected to this act will never be forgotten, Abraham Lincoln told Senator Charles Sumner even while he was still writing the Emancipation Proclamation. He was right. The proclamation morphed into an icon, its surface banality overcome by savvy salesmanship in the good name of philanthropy. Slowly but surely the public at large came to understand that the text was more than the sum of its parts.

Even the 48 souvenir reprints Republicans Charles Godfrey Leland and George Henry Boker commissioned to sell at the 1864 Philadelphia Sanitary Fair enjoyed a renaissance. The 21-by-17-inch limited editions, signed by Lincoln, Seward and presidential secretary John Nicolay, did fail to sell out for $10 apieceperhaps because the fast-approaching election campaign had transformed both text and author into volatile political lightning rods. But last June, a newly uncovered copy sold handsomely in New Yorkfor $2.1 million.

Historian Harold Holzer is a columnist for Americas Civil War and the author of Emancipating Lincoln: The Proclamation in Text, Context, and Memory.


GIVE THE BOOK TO CLEMENS

Struggling businessmen and unlikely friends, Ulysses S. Grant and Samuel Langhorne Clemens joined forces to write the final chapter in Grants life.

by Craig E. Miller

Samuel Langhorne Clemens first meeting with President Ulysses S. Grant was less than memorable. The famed writer and humorist, better known as Mark Twain, had little in common with the stoic chief executive. As he shook hands with Grant during a visit to the White House in 1870, Clemens found himself uncharacteristically at a loss for words. After a few moments of awkward silence he said to his expressionless host, Mr. President, I am embarrassed. Are you? The president, Clemens later recalled, smiled a smile which would have done no discredit to a cast-iron image and I got away under the smoke of my volley.

Nine years later, the two met again with the same awkward result, but this time Grant said to Clemens, I am not embarrassed, are you? Clemens was impressed by Grants good memory for trifles as well as for serious things, and the two American standards eventually became friends. In 1884 the unlikely friendship would spawn a unique partnership.

IF THE BOOK BUSINESS interferes with the dramatic business, drop the former, for it doesnt pay salt, Clemens wrote in 1884 to Charles L. Webster, his nieces husband. Though he had recently finished writing Huckleberry Finn and started a publishing company named for and directed by Webster, Clemens was in a financial bind. The source of his troubles was a lavish lifestyle and poor investments in such dubious inventions as a patent baby clamp, designed to prevent infants from kicking off their blankets, and a typesetting machine that was never put into use. In November of that year, the 48-year-old Clemens reluctantly took to the lecture circuit and toured the Northeast with the popular Southern writer George Washington Cable. As one half of the Twins of Genius, Clemens earned about $17,000 for the 15 weeks of work. More significantly, however, he stumbled upon an opportunity that changed his life.

After lecturing in New York Citys Chickering Hall one rainy November night, Clemens was walking down the street when, as he later recalled, two dim figures stepped out of a doorway and moved along in front of me. Clemens overheard one of the men ask the other, Do you know General Grant has actually determined to write his memoirs and publish them? He has said so today, in so many words. Clemens could not believe his luck. Grants disastrous financial affairs were widely known, and Clemens instantly recognized the financial bonanza a publishing collaboration could mean for both men.

One of the greatest military officers the United States ever produced, Ulysses S. Grant possessed traits of loyalty and political naivete that caused him only grief as president. During his two terms Grant had more than once been the victim of deception. By 1884, however, the Credit Mobilier, Whiskey Ring, and other scandals associated with his presidency were fading from public memory. Grant had escaped the scandals with his reputation largely intact.

Life outside the White House, however, brought Grant to the brink of ruin. After failing in a third bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 1880, Grant helped found the Mexican Southern Railroad. By 1884 the company was bankrupt. Grant scraped together $100,000 to invest in the promising Wall Street brokerage firm of Grant and Ward, in which his son Ulysses S. (Buck) Grant was a partner. Unfortunately, Ferdinand Wards illegal dealings soon helped destroy the firm. In 1884, at the age of 62, Ulysses S. Grant was destitute.

That summer, however, Grant entered into a new venture that held some promise for success. Century Magazine asked Grant to write a series of articles about his war experiences. Desperate for money, Grant accepted the assignment, and the $500 Century offered for each manuscript. Grand found the work relatively simple and, encouraged by the articles success, the two parties began to discuss terms for the publication of Grants memoirs.

THE MORNING AFTER HIS Chickering Hall lecture, Clemens paid a visit to the Grant home on 66th Street, where he found the general discussing Centurys proposal with his son Fred. Century President Roswell Smith had offered Grant a standard contract that would pay him 10 percent in royalties. Content with the offer, Grant was prepared to sign.

Clemens considered the contract totally inadequate, and advised Grant to hold out for better terms. According to Clemens, he suggested that Grant Strike out the ten percent and put twenty percent in its place. Better still, put seventy-five percent of the net returns in its place. Grant balked, thinking that Century would never agree. Clemens then made his own pitch. Sell me the memoirs, general, he said. He offered Grant 75 percent of the profits and said he would pay any necessary expenses out of his own quarter share. Grant, Clemens recalled, laughed at that and asked me what my profit out of that remnant would be. Clemens responded, a hundred thousand dollars in six months. The ex-president was skeptical but decided to wait before signing Centurys contract.

As he weighed Clemens offer, Grant commenced work on his memoirs and entertained other proposals with larger offers than have ever been made for a book before. After a couple of months, his friend George Childs, who was also a publisher, examined the various proposals and advised, Give the book to Clemens.

BY EARLY 1885, GRANT knew he was terminally ill. After trying to ignore severe pain in his throat for several months, he finally visited a throat specialist, who confirmed the generals suspicions of cancer. Grant dedicated all of his remaining energy to completing his memoirs. Throughout the spring and much of that summer he wrote steadfastly in pencil in the quiet solitude of his home. At times he was so ill and weak that he was forced to dictate his manuscript in a rasping whisper to a stenographer. During these long months, Grant suffered from severe throat pain, neuralgia, coughing, vomiting and extreme weakness. His doctors treated his cancer primarily with cocaine and administered morphine at night to induce much needed rest. In March the general came close to death but miraculously survived and continued to write.

As Grant moved slowly but steadily toward the conclusion of his memoirs, he and Clemens developed mutual respect, trust, and admiration. Clemens was increasingly impressed by Grants intellect and writing ability, and Grant trusted Clemens literary judgment. Meanwhile, Clemens made plans to sell the finished work. He hoped to make a tidy sum of money for himself and realized the great marketing potential created by the publics interest in Grants heroic battle against death, but he was also genuinely concerned about his friends health and the financial well-being of Grants family.

Clemens employed the subscription method to sell the book. Webster and Company had 16 general agents and 10,000 canvassers to market the memoirs, a virtual army of subscription agents that traveled through cities and across the countryside to visit homes personally. Each salesman was armed with a manual, largely written by Clemens, entitled How to Introduce the Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant. Each agent also carried a prospectus showing the size of the two green and gold volumes, the title page, illustrations, table of contents and selection of bindings. To encourage sales, a few of the better salesmen were given some of the original manuscript pages bound in hard covers.

The company agentsmany of whom were former soldiers dressed in faded uniformswere trained to appeal to the hearts of potential customers, especially war veterans, by stressing Grants physical condition, talking up Grants war heroism, and stressing the high quality of the work. Clemens and Webster advised the salesmen to assume people wanted the book and that the only decision they had to make concerned the type of binding. The price of each set began at about $3.50, which could be paid with one dollar up front and the balance on delivery. More elaborately bound sets ranged in price from $4.50 to $12.50. Although by that time more practical marketing schemes were replacing the old-fashioned subscription system, it proved quite successful with Grants memoirs. Grant had hoped the book would sell 25,000 copies. In fact, sales of the two-volume sets eventually reached about 350,000.

In June, under the tightening grip of cancer, Grant traveled with his family to Mount McGregor, New York, to escape the citys heat and to work in a more relaxing environment. Thousands of Union Army veterans also made the trip to Mount McGregor to catch a glimpse of their dying former commander. As they walked past his cottage, Grant acknowledged them with a nod or slight wave from the porch where he sat writing. Countless old friends, political allies, and Civil War officers from the North and South also dropped in to pay their respects.

Grant seemed almost able to put off his death, as he finished the final revisions and the preface to the book. On June 29 he wrote a letter to his wife, Julia, which he held in his coat until he died. I had an idea that I could live until fall, he noted grimly, I see now that the time is approaching more rapidly. If not for the remaining work, he wrote, he would welcome the arrival of the Messenger of Peace, the earlier the better. On July 14, 1885, Grant wrote of his book, There is nothing more I should do to it now, and therefore I am not likely to be more ready to go than at this moment.

Grant died on July 23, just days after completing his task. During a final visit with Clemens, the general, unable to speak, scrawled a note in pencil to ask if his book would make any money for his family. Clemens assured him that subscriptions were already pouring in and that his efforts had been worthwhile. The memoirs ultimately provided Julia Grant with between $420,000 and $450,000.

Clemens was quite pleased with the finished work and considered it on a level with Caesars Commentaries. Its emphasis was, as expected, on the Civil War, and most critics later agreed that it was a fine military work. The general wrote clearly with the preciseness of his old military dispatches and showed a more thoughtful and reflective intellect than many expected. Some even suggested that Clemens had penned the memoirs. Clemens, however, had contributed little to the writing, and he said that when Grant asked for his opinion on his work, he was as much surprised as Columbuss cook would have been to learn that Columbus wanted his opinion as to how Columbus was doing his navigating.

Clemens success in publishing Grants memoirs was a high point in the writers career. As the sales of the volumes first began piling up, he giddily told his wife, Livy, that he was frightened at the proportions of my prosperity, and that it seems that whatever I touch turns to gold. Clemens, however, who had made more than his share of bad business decisions, later claimed that the book made money for everyone concerned but me.

Webster and Companys earnings from Grants memoirs exceeded $150,000, a substantial sum in the 1880s. The companys profits, of course, did not all go to Clemens, but the sales of the books brought him approximately $63,000. Clemens put some of it back into the company, but also continued to pour much of his income into the development of inventor James W. Paiges typesetting machine. By 1887 Clemens had already spent more than $50,000 on this mechanical marvel, as he once called it, and was still spending $3,000 a month on it. Clemens did not give up on the machine until 1894, after nearly 15 years of futile investment.

In the years following the success of Grants memoirs, Charles L. Webster and Company fell on hard times. The company published books by Civil War Generals Phillip Sheridan, George McClellan, and William T. Sherman and remembrances by the wives of Generals George Armstrong Custer and Winfield Scott Hancock. Civil War memoirs and narratives, however, had declined in popularity and sales lagged. The companys fortunes received another blow in 1887, when famed clergyman and editor Henry Ward Beecher died just three weeks after signing on to write his autobiography. Webster and Clemens were left with an incomplete manuscript and an estimated loss of $100,000. At about the same time, company bookkeeper Frank M. Scott was caught after embezzling $25,000, only a portion of which was recovered.

Charles Webster retired in 1888 and sold his interest to Fred Hall, who had joined the company two years earlier. The Panic of 1893 proved to be the last straw for the struggling firm. Banks and businesses across the country closed by the score, and creditors filed claims against the foundering Charles L. Webster Company for almost $80,000. The company failed in 1894, and Clemens filed for bankruptcy. Embittered by his publishing experience, Clemens blamed all of his companys problems on Hall and Webster, whom he had grown to hate. After several years of writing and lecturing he managed to pay off his remaining debts and reestablish his substantial annual income, which in 1902 amounted to more than $100,000.

In his autobiography, published posthumously in 1924, Clemens described his brief and rather comical Civil War career. He had lasted just two weeks in the Confederate service in 1862 before claiming he was incapacitated by fatigue and resigning. It is remarkable that Clemens, who claimed to know more about retreating than the man who invented retreating, ever became friends with the iron-willed Unconditional Surrender Grant. Ultimately, however, he decided that Grant was like himself, just a man, just a human being, just an author.

Craig E. Miller is a retired history teacher from Pennsylvania.
Born in 1965, Steve Maxners earliest memories of world events were of the Vietnam War. Today, as director of the Vietnam Center and Archive at Texas Tech University, Maxner is devoted to preserving for future generations the memories of those who fought in that war. The Center and Archive, the brainchild of Vietnam veteran and the Centers founder, James Reckner, has become the largest archive and research center focused solely on the Vietnam War. Maxner describes how the Center is made possible by the support of Vietnam veterans and how their material donations and oral histories serve to inform and educate.

The Vietnam War was ramping up the year you were born. Do you have any memories of the war?

I was born in 1965 and honestly, some of my earliest memories of actual world events had to do with Vietnam. I can remember President Nixon talking about the war on TV and in the early 1970s how the war was unfolding. So I feel its always been there as part of my early life experiences. Later, as a teenager working with my father, who managed a dry cleaning plant in the early 1980s, I got to know one of the Vietnamese boat people he hired there. The war was very formative for me in terms of my ideas of public policy and military affairs.

When did you get interested in Vietnam in a big way?

I enlisted in the Army immediately after high school. I had taken some Constitutional law classes in high school and had the idea of becoming an attorney. When I joined I put in for legal specialist and also for what they called the Special Forces option. That meant no matter what would be assigned to a Special Forces unit, go through airborne training and have the option of transferring and becoming a Special Forces soldier. Vietnam was always a topic at Ft. Bragg. I lived across the street from Bronze Bruce and next to U.S. Army Special Warfare Center. You couldnt be there in the mid-1980s and not be kind of immersed in the history of Special Forces in Vietnam. So there was a constant reminder of how important the war was and how formative it was for the Army then. It was a fascinating time to be in the Army.

Did you then start studying the wars history?

I did train with Special Forces and got to jump. I didnt really enjoy being a legal specialist; it was an office job and not what I anticipated. It became evident law wasnt a career I wanted to follow. I looked into Special Forces option but found I wasnt eligible until I was at the end of my enlistment, so I opted to go to college. I enrolled at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and joined ROTC. When I first enrolled I was looking to economics or city planning, a way turn my degree into making money. But I started working with a brilliant professor of military history, who first introduced to me to the subject of Vietnam War in the academic setting. From that point on I knew what wanted to do. I switched to history and never looked back.

You seemed torn between studying the military and being a part of it.

I was not sure I would take an active duty commission or go into the reserves after college, but after delving into military history and graduating as the distinguished military graduate at UNCW in 1990. I decided to go back in the Army. Since the reason the military exists is combat, I put in for infantry. It was a tremendously rewarding experience, being at Fort Benning right after First Gulf War. I served two years. I enjoyed being and officer but decided to go back for my masters degree, as I knew at that point I wanted to pursue history as a career

How did you land in Lubbock?

After getting my Masters at UNCW, I headed to Texas Tech University for my Ph.D. in 1996. I knew of Vietnam Center before I got there and of the strong support for the study of military history there. I was immediately offered a graduate teaching position so was able to jump in with both feet to get my Ph.D. and start teaching history.

What was the Vietnam Center like then?

It was founded in 1989 and by 1996 it was starting to grow very rapidly. James Reckner started it with group of local vets in 1989. It was already a remarkable place and archive. I felt lucky to be here, even though I was not yet involved during pivotal events, such as the acquisition of the Douglas Pike collection in 1997 and the hiring of a Vietnamese linguist and specialist who had fled to the U.S. in 1975. But, I didnt realize at the time how important the Center would become, to me personally and to Vietnam veterans more broadly.

How did you come to join the Center?

I was introduced to James Reckner and then went to Vietnam on the Centers first study abroad program in 1998. As I became more involved in studying and then traveling to Vietnam, that was it. I kind of fell in love with Vietnam and the Vietnam Center and started working there as a student more and eventually segued into a full-time position after I completed my course work.

And your first job was a big one.

My first job was to start up the Oral History Project in 1999. It was brand new to us and there werent too many oral history projects working with Vietnam veterans and other participants in the war at the time. It was designed to reflect James Reckners all-inclusive philosophy and not just focus on one particular group. It is aimed to understanding the entirety of the Vietnam War experience by working with veterans, Americans who deserted, civilians, veterans for and against the war antiwar activists, everybody involved. And, we set out to work with individuals of any participating country, even the wartime enemies including the NVA, PAVN, Viet Cong.

You are also editor of the TTU Press Modern Southeast Asia Series?

James Reckner and the former director of the TTU Press started the series and they have published some really import volumes in the series, such as.Hickeyrecent vol. Fragging whole slew of other booksIt has been a really important part of TTU Press activities. As director of the center, I took on that role as series editor. We have been steadily increasing the number of volumes and we have several manuscripts now near the final point of consideration.

How do you balance the academic studies from the popular memoir genre?

We are trying to strike a good balance of the newest scholarship on Vietnam and continuing to publish important memoirs and autobiographies that shed light on that personal experience of war. My role as editor is actually quite modest, the TTU Press Director Robert TKTKT and his staff does the yeomans share of work getting great manuscripts into the system. The hardest part of the work is going through the veterans memoirs. We wish we could pubish all that are submitted, but there have been so many memoirs published there is already a wealth of information available. Thats great, but not necessarily for many authors whose personal stories, while often compelling, dont really further our general understanding of the war. We have to be selective because as a not for profit press we have to know we can break even on a title and know that we publish something that enough libraries and other institutions will want to buy. For authors, it can be a hard proposition if you cant prove that.

How did the Vietnam Center and Archives become such an important institution?

Outside the National Archives we are largest repository of Vietnam related materials in the United States, and that is because of the driving force behind the project James Reckner, who served two tours in Vietnam as a naval officer. James Reckner was great at getting the word out, making sure people were aware of us. He was constantly reaching out to institutions, scholars, and key individuals to get them involved very actively in outreach to veterans. He is masterful in constantly reminding TTU and the state of Texas just how important the work we do here is and making sure the project remains timely, prescient and is not just about history. Our work addresses the ongoing wartime and postwar issues our nation faces.

How has this academic research center brought veterans into it?

One of most important ways has been through the Oral History Project. When launched in 1999 we made a concerted effort to reach out, go to reunions and inform veterans. I was part of the initial team to develop the Centers website and get that information out. As a result, we saw a huge increase in the archival donations. We went from receiving 50 to 100 collections a year to more than 500 donations a year in 2003 and 2004. We saw a huge spike then, but we have subsequently not been as active in outreach, primarily because of funding and storage space issues.

Wont your archival collection role only grow and how will you handle that?

Weve worked hard to make sure Vietnam vets know we are here, that this is their archive. We want to collect and preserve their materials so future generations can learn from them. We need a dedicated building to house archive. We are now receiving a new collection to our archive every dayabout 350-375 a year. In the future we will scale that up depending on space and things like that. We need a dedicated building to house the archive and have a building program in place.

How do reach out to vets?

We go to reunions, our newsletter, web presence, special events, press coverage, and word of mouth. The veteran community is very connected now, especially through the Internet. Any Vietnam Internet search will eventually take people to our site. Word of mouth is one of most important things going for us and you can be sure the veterans vet our program. Because we are asking them to send their original materials there are a lot of concerns and scrutiny about who we are and what we do. Universities, of course were not all that hospitable to the military during the war and some veterans still question why a university would want their stuff? We did have to overcome some of those wartime stigmas attached to universities. Through perseverance and our presence we proved our sincerity and genuine desire to honor veterans by collecting and making available to others their part of story of the war.

Do you ever turn away a donation?

Very rarely do we turn away a collection if it is related to Vietnam. And if we accept it, we are committed to keeping it. The only exceptions are if the collection is infested with insects, we do have to be very careful to ensure the rest of our collection is not harmed. We may return a collection if we cannot adequately clean up.

What about book collections?

We get a lot of books submitted but cannot keep more than three volumes of any particular work. But we do have a program to share books we cannot keep with other libraries and institutions.

What is reason for the drop in donations in the past few years?

Drop in number of collections more as function of scaling back outreach and travel. We were at the beginning two of us attending a reunion once a month. And we continued that for nearly three years. During that time the collect started flowing rapidly and we hired another oral historian. We hit a point where it wasnt just the center archive but our sister archives at the university that were growing so rapidly that we all started running out of space. We need to be careful not to run out of space and then potentially have to turn down collections so we started scaling back on our outreach.

Arent there a limited number of places accepting these types of materials?

There are a few other places that accept Vietnam veteran materials, including some local and state projects, but they are at a far more limited scale, far more selective and restrictive. There is no other project Im aware of that is working on this at the scale and scope that we are.

How extensive now is your collection?

We have the largest collect of Vietnam War materials. Our current holding are between 25 and 30 million pages of material. We have an unrivaled microfilm collection. Weve invested more that $700,000 to purchase microfilm sets from around the world. We have all the presidential library materials, from FDR to Ford, related to Vietnam. The same goes for National Security, Department of Defense, State Department, MACV, U.S. Army Center for Military History, Navy and other organizations involved in the Vietnam War. Weve got it all, after action reports, CHECO reports. On top of that we have official documents form foreign countries including U.S. allies and enemies. We have some neat things like the complete set of captured documents. They were sent to a combined document exploitation center office in Saigon, sort of the intelligence clearinghouse where anything deemed useful was sent in. They became part of massive microfiche set, which was indexed using an IBM punch card system. Block codes on the sound recording part of the film were searchable as users could put queries into the system and it would read information and retrieve the documents. It was a remarkable program in the 1960s. Our problem today is that they only made five machines to read the film, and none still exist. There is no rhyme or reason to the documents organization, so now we have a 2.3-million page mass of awesome historic material you would have to go through document by document to find what you are looking for. Thats 954 microfiche reels.

What do Vietnam vets get out the Center?

I think there is so much value to them telling their story. We dont pay for collects, but for the vets themselves just knowing the materials they have, letters diaries and other documents and pictures and even filmsIts kind of interesting how many guys had 8mm film cameras with them and even have footage from combat. We have some unbelievable 8mm film of a pilot who strapped the camera to his helmet and would film his gun runs, its amazing. One of the greatest services we can do for our vets is to make sure they know there is an organization that truly values their part in this U.S. history. The war was the most tumultuous event in the second half of the 20th century. We need to continue to study and understand this and, more important, continue to do for our Vietnam vets what we are doing for vets today: appreciate and honor their service and sacrifice. This is not just for people today but also for perpetuity. This archive will be here foreverwell as long as there is a Texas Tech Universityand will be available to researchers and students. The veterans who donate their collections will be an ongoing part of that learning experience for future generations.

How accessible are the Centers resources to the average veteran and others?

Materials are avail to vets today through our Virtual Archive. There is that connectivity. They can do searches by name and unit to find information about fellow veterans. They might be able to locate guys they served with. When we receive a request we help them make contact. We always facilitate that kind of communication and make every effort to reconnect vets when we can.

Beyond veterans, how can the Center assist the broad spectrum of people impacted by the war?

And its not only vets we can assist. Working with a collection of FFVPA. A Vietnamese-American woman who helped Vietnamese flee helped to organize the exodus and from her we have 12,000 case files of where her organization helped Vietnamese apply for political asylum to United States. Its an awesome chronicle, the Ellis Island papers of the Vietnamese Diaspora in the United States. All their stories to just getting political asylum, the stories about the reeducation camps and life in post-war Vietnam, it explains how they became Vietnamese-Americans. Weve had numerous people find friends from Vietnam by looking in that collection. As we do vets, we try to facilitate reuniting families and friends and helping newer generations of Vietnamese-Americans who have questions about why they are here. They can find the documents that explain how and why that happened.

Can this also serve as a hedge against future historians revising that part of the history?

These documents are definitely going to be a strong set of evidence to ensure historians dont revise too much about the post-war period in Vietnam, when a tremendous number of people suffered directly and where often the children suffered for the sins of parents who supported the South Vietnam government or worked with the United States.

Fortunately, from our interactions with Vietnam today it appears most of that has stopped, but was a big part of the post-war period. Perhaps some historians will review the docs when revisionist versions of history come out.

Beyond the war, how can the Archive aid general academics and historians?

There is practically nothing political, social or cultural, in the latter 20th century that was not somehow influenced by the Vietnam War. We like to say anyone working on any topic related to the Vietnam War will have to explore our resources. And, to this day the Vietnam War is still very much alive and well in American politics and culture.

What unanswered question regarding Vietnam would you like to see answered?

There are still so many things to understand, the hard part is narrowing it down. I guess Id love to know more about the relationship between Johnson and his administration and General Westmoreland. And the big thing, if LBJ were alive today, I would definitely ask why he didnt better manage the post-Tet publicity. Why didnt he get the public relations forces out there to turn that into the military victory it really was and help that shape where we go from there and continue to press North Vietnam, not let it become a perceived failure.

Isnt understanding the dynamics of domestic politics on military decisions about Vietnam very relevant today?

The constant interplay bet domestic concerns and policy and the Vietnam is one of those remarkable aspects of the war. LBJ didnt want to be perceived as weak yet he didnt want the war to take away from his domestic agenda. In the end, he realized that bitch of a war really destroyed his domestic policy legacy.

How many oral histories does the Archive hold?

Weve currently got more than 1,000 interviews with people from all 50 states, 11 foreign countries. We transcribe all interviews and put the audio interviews and transcriptions on line, so veterans, researchers, students and anyonesuch as children and grandchildrencan listen to them on our web site. That is a great gift to family members.

We have about 950 oral histories online.

Do you search out interviews, or take volunteers?

Its a combination. Every once and a while well contact someone we think is a key participant, who has a unique experience not yet represented in our overall collection. We started identifying groups of people based on those criteria. Weve got a lot of traditional interviews of combat troops, but some groups we knew about werent getting involved, so we started more targeted efforts to fill in gaps and get as complete a picture as possible. This is a very dynamic project, and we have two full time oral historians on staff, doing interviews all the time.

How do you weed out pretenders or others who may be distorting their past?

While we have a rigorous vetting process, there is only so much we can do to validate a veterans service. We do request documents about service, DD214s, and we invite them to part in our archive documentation project. That is a great way to validate service. If they say they served and have nothing to show for it, that is a red flag. Most important, though, we ask them to complete a detailed, 120-question survey, to make sure they understand the depth of our interview. That accomplishes two things, informs them and gets memory going regarding different topics and makes them far better prepared for the interview and helps or staff prepare for follow-up questions. Lastly, it also serves to vet the individual. Its hard to fudge your way through 120 questions. But at the end of the day we cannot have 100 percent assurance on what the individual claims.

How should oral histories be used?

One of most important things about oral histories, whether there is documentation to prove the story details or not, users must remember that memory is fallible. We have a significant faith the veterans are authentic but whether every single thing they remember is correct is another thing. It is incumbent on researchers to be critical of sources and with oral history they shouldnt take every single thing at face value. They need to cross reference things, especially the detailed factual information. We always encourage researchers who use our materials to validate information in those resources.

How important is the texture that comes out of oral histories?

Very. The wonderful thing is it gives a human face to the conflict. You can read government documents and military reports and get solid factual information, but to understand the human drama you need to hear the veterans speak about their experience. It gives the connection to people and is far more interesting, and accessible. History without oral history is boring history. At the end of the day history is about human interactions. Not including the voices of those who participate and sacrifice in war is not good history. But importantly, oral history often really does help to fill in gaps in the documentary record, which if frequently just a snap shot from one particular perspective. Oral history can provide a number of snapshots from a variety of perspectives. The after action report was given by one guy, and then often typed up at headquarters by someone who was not even there. There is not a lot of detail from the entire unit; most comes from the leadership. Even years later, oral history can provide additional detail and insight into what happened in the field. It may even conflict with an after-action report, but that doesnt mean it didnt actually happen.

Is time slipping away given the relative lack of resources to collect this history?

We do in fact have a narrowing window of opportunity and we are concerned about that.

The Vietnam veteran population is rapidly aging. That is why we are pushing hard for a stand alone facility here at TTU that can grow. In addition to our collections of documents we have a tremendous amount of artifacts. We now have five helicopters in our collection! We need to have place to preserve our collections, educate and showcase our artifacts. We have maybe 15-20 years to work with directly with Vietnam vets. On the upside were fortunate that was a textual time in American history. They have a lot of physical documents, photos, and film. So we want to make sure vets know that if they dont want do donate now, at least make it known to their family they want their materials to go someplace. If they designate us, we are honored to receive them. But, they need to make those wishes known so later families dont have to struggle over what to do with Dads old stuff from Vietnam and perhaps ultimately throw it away. I know that happens a lot and it makes me sick. Thats the last thing you want.

So, how does someone reading this donate to the archive?

All they need to do is contact us. Look online, call us at our direct line. We are eager to help them. If want to donate immediately will coordinate receiving and collecting the material from them. If they want to hold on to their material for a time longer, but want to make provisions to donate later, we can provide them with the legal language that they can add to their will to make sure their family knows their ultimate wish. We will do anything and everything possible to make what they want happen.




THE WRITING HAS BEEN ON THE WALL for at least 70 years. Consider Roza Shanina. She grew up in a small village near Arkhangelsk, in the far north of Russia, the daughter of a logger and a milkmaid. A good student, Roza worked her way though college, determined to become a schoolteacher. But in 1941, the year she graduated, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. After her eldest brother was killed in a bombing raid on Leningrad in December, Shaninaalong with tens of thousands of other Russian womenapplied to join the army, intent on turning back the Nazi onslaught. As Drew Lindsay recounts in Why Not Send Women to War? although the all-male Soviet leadership at first resisted the idea, it soon had no choice but to mobilize women against Hitler. By wars end roughly a million women were in uniform and some 320,000 had served in the front lines as pilots, snipers, tankers, and rank-and-file foot soldiers.

Sent to sniper school, Roza was a natural, racking up dozens of kills with her scoped bolt-action Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 rifle. She was known for her ability to score double hitstaking out two targets in quick successionand was the first female sniper to be awarded the Order of Glory for bravery. She died in combat in early 1945, still shy of her 21st birthday, but with 54 confirmed kills.

Despite the unimpeachable performance of such women soldiers in World War II and other modern conflicts, societies are still struggling with the question of whether women belong in combat. A lawsuit filed last year by four American women soldiers seeking to strike down the U.S. governments no-combat rule again raised the curtain on that debate in this country.

Naysayers suggested female soldiers undermined unit cohesion and could not compete physically with men. Proponents called that hogwash, asserting those arguments veiled straight-out discrimination, with real consequences: Career female soldiers only rarely make it into the higher ranks of the military, because combat experience is so often a prerequisite to promotion.

As MHQ goes to press, the U.S. secretary of defense has announced he is lifting the ban on women in combat. It remains to be seen how the new rules will be implemented, and whether all units, particularly special forces, will be opened to women. But as always, a look back at historyand in this case at the achievements of Roza Shanina and other women at arms through the agesoffers valuable lessons on the path ahead.

Twitter: @MHQjournal
Earhart Endures

I always enjoy my old friend Stephan Wilkinsons contributions to Aviation History, and his article Amelia in the January 2010 issue is no exception. Earhart has seldom had so eloquent an apologist. I should point out that TIGHAR has been to Nikumaroro eight times, not four, over the past 20 years. Ill take Steves word for it on the $4 million costIve lost count. I do agree with him that weve recovered some encouraging artifacts but have yet to find the long-sought smoking gun. Thats why were going back again this spring.

But it frankly surprises me that Stephan doesnt think we should. He says leave the lady where she lies. He argues that the most meaningful way to honor Amelia is to let the mystery be. But what if TIGHAR is right? What if those encouraging artifacts are just as encouraging as they seem to be? What if the end of Amelia Earharts story was not a fatal ditching at the conclusion of a failed flight, but rather a successful landing at an expedient alternate followed by heroic, but ultimately futile, months spent as a castaway? Wouldnt that be worth knowing? He says, quite correctly, that Im in it for the intellectual exercise. For anyone who might be interested in joining us, I can assure you that its a great workout.

Ric Gillespie, Executive Director

TIGHAR (tighar.org)

Stephan Wilkinson has done an excellent job of profiling Amelia Earhart, with all her strengths and faults. But one thing needs to be pointed out: Her success at soloing the Atlantic in 1932 was due to polar aviator Bernt Balchen. Having complained bitterly that she was only baggage as a passenger on the 1928 transatlantic flight with Wilmer Stultz, Earhart wanted to fly the route solo. Her husband, George Putnam, asked Balchen to secretly teach her navigation and instrument flying.

Balchen instructed her for more than a month without drawing any attention from the press. On May 17, 1932, Balchen with mechanic Eddie Gorski flew her in a Lockheed Vega 5B from Teterboro, N.J., to Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. He made up a flight plan for her that included the best throttle settings and the course to fly based on the forecast winds. After she took off on May 20, Balchen wired Putnam: AE took off 712 NFLD perfect performance.

Balchens instructions saved Earhart. She had to recover from a spin as the wings were iced up. After she landed in Northern Ireland, she cabled him: Your help made it possible thank Eddie too AE.

C.V. Glines

Author of Bernt Balchen: Polar Aviator

Twin Mustang Betty Jo

As a new subscriber, I have thoroughly enjoyed my first three issues, especially the September 2009 issue and the story about the F-82 (First Blood in Korean Skies, by Warren E. Thompson). For some reason, I was not familiar with the F-82; however, I do recall seeing an airplane called Betty Jo that looked like two P-51s put together. I first read about Betty Jo in 1945 or maybe 46. I also recall that in 1947 and part of 48, when I was stationed at the Marine barracks in the Navy Yard at Pearl Harbor, I saw Betty Jo flying in and out of Hickam Field. Can you tell me more about that plane?

John C. Korn

Via e-mail

Your memory is indeed accurate: The Betty Jo you recall was a famous P-82B, serial number 44-65168, that Colonel Robert E. Thacker made history in on February 27, 1947, when he flew nonstop from Hawaii to New York without refueling, a distance of 5,051 miles, in 14 hours and 32 minutes. Shown above right is a photo of the airplane (note external fuel tanks).

Merlin Mixup?

The comprehensive article on the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine in the September 2009 issue (The Magnificent Merlin) is a great credit to author Nicholas ODell, but the sidebar summary of Merlin-powered aircraft that accompanies it on P. 36 is a little too comprehensive in putting the Merlin in the P-82 Twin Mustang. In the piece First Blood in Korean Skies, which appears in the same issue, the F-82 is described in the specs on P. 55 as having two Allison V-1710s. I believe that P. 55 wins over P. 36 on this question.

Tom Chase

Barrington, N.H.

Actually, both the Merlin sidebar and illustration specs are correct. In its original configuration, the P-82 (through the B model) had Merlin engines. The USAAF ultimately forced North American to switch to the lower-powered Allisons due to the expense of licensing the Merlins (and no doubt because it wanted to use an American engine). As a result, the Twin Mustang is one of the few aircraft in history where the prototype and early versions outperformed the later service models.

Buffalos on Crete

I very much enjoyed E.R. Johnsons Made in America article in the January 2010 issue. While overall Johnson did an outstanding job describing the American-made fighters that served with foreign governments prior to the United States entry into World War II, I found one omission I think is most interesting.

Not all Brewster Buffalos obtained by the UK were assigned to the Far East as the article stated. Three Buffalos were actually part of the fighter force deployed by the British to Crete for the air defense of that island. At the time of the German attack, the Buffalos were unserviceable due to a lack of spares for their machine guns interrupter gear. But for the lack of spares, the Buffalos would have challenged the Luftwaffe over the Med.

Charles G. Jarrells

Dayton, Ohio

Send letters to Aviation History Editor, World History Group, 19300 Promenade Drive, Leesburg, VA 20176-6500, or e-mail to aviationhistory@weiderhistorygroup.com.
George Banda

Medical Specialist 4

2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry,

101st Airborne Division

December 1969-November 1970

Firebase Henderson in Quang Tri was not a good place to be. The jungle was right there. Anybody could sneak up real quick, and you wouldnt see them until it was too late. We had 15 of the recon platoon there, attached to Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, as well as Alpha Company, some ARVN and artillery. This was a temporary base. We were just coming in, giving support and then were gonna go. I was thinking, OK, tomorrow morning well get up early and start making it more secure.

I did that nights last watch, and the next morning, May 6, 1970, I was sitting by the foxhole at 5 when there was an explosion on the west side of the hill. Seconds later a trip flare goes off 50 feet in front of me. I hit the claymore positioned in that area, and it blows. I yelled: Hey, you guys better wake up. Somethings happening. An instant later, an RPG hit five feet away. I went flying up in the air, landed on my head.

I looked at myself, OK, Im not hurt. Im not bleeding. I started shooting, mostly at shadows, until I ran out of ammunition. There was a box of hand grenades, and I tore it open. The other guys came around. One had half of his left foot blown off. My first-aid bag was blown to smithereens, so I took off my shirt and wrapped it around his foot. We were shooting down the hill, throwing frags, rockswhatever we could find. Bullets were hitting near us.

One of the guys turned around, and there was a gook. Dave Matison shot him, and he fell right into an ammo dump, which started exploding, showering us with shrapnel. White phosphorus started falling on us, but we still stayed in that foxhole. Finally I said, We cant stay here, were gonna get killed. We went around the hill to where the others were, Ed Veser, Ken Schutte, Doc Diller, Doc Bowman, Lieutenant Hawley, Sergeant Snyder. Its chaos. Everybodys screaming.

At some point, I had caught a round on the left side of my head. Every time I moved, I would squirt five feet of blood. Being a medic, knowing an artery had been severed, I knew I was bleeding to death. Finally, it slowed down a little and I thought: OK, I can handle this. Start taking care of these guys.

Schutte had been shot, and I think he had lost one eye, but he was still throwing hand grenades. Diller was just laying there on his back like he was asleep. I tried to pick him up and saw the back of his head was gone. I went over to Hawley. Dead. Snyder was dead. Then I thought, Where the hell is Ed? And Im not sure how Ed Veser got down there, but there he was, leaned over in a pile of debris maybe 100 feet down the hill.

But I hesitated to go down there. I wanted to stay where I was. Im bleeding to death, I thought, and Eds way down there. If I go down there, Im gonna get killed. What good can I do? But I couldnt leave Ed down therehe was my friend.

I ripped off a piece of my T-shirt, rolled it into a ball and pushed it into the hole in my head until it hurt. I tied the rest of the shirt around my head, then crawled down the hill. Ed was in an open area, with nothing bigger than a small rock for protection.

I got to him, and the thing Ill always remember is, he said to me, I knew youd come. I still feel guilty about that. He was horribly woundedshouldve been killed instantly. But he was strong, young. Ed, if you help, we can get you back up there. But he couldnt help, he was injured too bad.

To this day I dont know how I dragged him up to the hill, but I got him to the sandbags and laid him down. The helicopters will be coming, I told him. Well get you out of here. He could still speak, which is unbelievable, and he grabbed a hold of my dog tag real tight and said: OK, OK. Dont leave me. And I said, I wont Ed.

But after a while I said: Ed, I gotta go check on the other guys. Theyre hurt too. He said, No, I dont want you to go.

I said, Ed, I dont want to go, but I got to. I started pulling away, and he pulled one of my dog tags out. So he held onto that. Ed, Ill be right back, I said as I went to check on Schutte and the others.

They seemed to be all right, so I turned to go back. Thats when an Alpha Company team came to rescue us. The first guy who saw my wounds, his eyes got real big and he said, Are you all right? I said, Yeah, Im all right. I kept talking to Ed, trying to keep him conscious. Hey your wife is waiting back there for you, Ed. Just hang in there. The medevacs will be here soon. But the ammo dump was exploding, and we were still taking a lot of fire, so the medevacs couldnt land. It was real frustrating because, you know, Eds dying on me.

Finally, the medevacs landed and loaded Ed aboard. I thought, well, maybe they might be able to save him. I did another walk around to make sure I hadnt missed anybody. But everybody was dead; 32 Americans killed that morning. I jumped on the last helicopter and ended up in a Marine hospital for two weeks. In the chaos, I was reported missing in action. Ed didnt make it. He died at 7:40 a.m. But, thats war. We were both from Milwaukee, and at the cemetery where hes buried, Ill still go visit him.

From the documentary Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories, by Wisconsin Public Television,

www.wisconsinstories.org/vietnam.
In August 1966, North Vietnams Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN) reorganized its forces in the Central Highlands, disbanding two under-strength divisions there that had been heavily mauled that summer and spreading their personnel and equipment among other surviving units. Five of the regiments and four newly arrived infantry battalions were consolidated into three regiments, the 24th, 33rd and 95B, and given the task of conducting guerrilla operations in conjunction with Viet Cong units. They were also directed to support the newly formed mobile strike unit centered on the 1st NVA Division. Its three infantry regiments (66th, 88th and 320th) were reinforced by one of the battalions from the disbanded divisions 101st Regiment. Also, four artillery battalions drawn from those divisions were added to the NVAs 40th Artillery Regiment assigned to support the mobile strike force. Soldiers from the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade and 4th Infantry Division would become intimately familiar with those regiments and their supporting mortar and rocket units in the battles around Dak To in 1967. Of the NVAs supporting arms in those battles, the DKB 122mm rocket was the most commonly employed, but the M-43 120mm was the most powerful. Used sparingly and usually against a fire support base or special forces camps, the M-43 delivered a lethal punch, equal to that of the much larger 152mm howitzer use near the DMZ and the Cambodian border.

A battalion support weapon in Soviet practice, the M-1943, or M-43, mortar was a production and operational improvement over the prewar M-1938. It retained the M-38s circular base plate and two-wheeled carriage but has longer shock absorber cylinders. Compared to recoilless rifles, RPGs and smaller mortars, however, its weight limited its employment in the wars early years to setpiece battles of the NVAs choosing. After 1972, as the NVA increasingly utilized motor transport, it saw much greater use.

The M-43 can be towed or broken down into barrel, base plate and bipod. It served as a regimental and division support weapon in NVA service. The mortars were typically allocated to artillery regiments and then farmed out to infantry regiments conducting offensive operations against fixed positions. A simple, robust and easy-to-maintain weapon that requires little training to operate, the deadly and effective M-43 remains in frontline service with the Peoples Army of Vietnam to this day.
Imagine a situation in the modern American army where officers refuse to fight under other officers, where generals openly defy and even strike their superiors, where officers are cashiered or relieved of command at a whim, where dueling challenges are routinely issued and accepted with no fear of official censure or retaliation.

Such a detrimental state of affairs would never be tolerated by either the civilian leadership or the military high command. Yet, this was precisely the situation that existed in Civil War armies on both sides, although the Confederate Army suffered more from its consequences.

The Confederate officer corps was a collection of highly individualistic, temperamental and ambitious men. Honor and personal pride seemed to be at the root of most of their personal differences with each other, even to the point where these considerations were placed above the best interests of the Confederacy. These differences affected military decisions, strategic planning and campaign operations throughout the war and contributed greatly to the eventual demise of the Confederacy.

The Confederates began bickering among themselves at the first important battle of the war. At the Battle of Manassas, the oversized egos of Generals Joseph Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard were found to be too large for the same battlefield. In a dispute that was to be repeated again and again during the war, they argued over who should command their combined forces. Unfortunately for Beauregard, his opponent was better armed for the debate, having brought along a telegram from Southern President Jefferson Davis strictly establishing the relationship between them. Specifically, Johnstons commission made him a full general, while Beauregard was only a brigadier general. Therefore, Johnston officially commanded their forces that day.

However, the wily Creole got in the last word; while Johnston napped in his tent after his long train ride from the Shenandoah, Beauregard drew up the battle orders, to which he attached his name. Later he awoke Johnston to have the commanding general cosign under Beauregards name. Wanting to avoid argument, or perhaps too sleepy to notice, Johnston signed, and history gave Beauregard the credit for the first great battlefield victory of the war.

Other disputes on the Confederate side were neither as harmless nor as fortunate in their outcome. Some, indeed, became legendary, such as those involving the fearsome cavalry leader Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest was a bear cat for a fight. He once gutted one of his lieutenants with a pocketknife after the disgruntled officer had first shot the general. Such a man was not to be trifled with lightly.

On two different occasions, Forrest insulted superior officers in the bluntest terms, and probably only his lethal reputation as a duelist prevented them from taking action. On the first occasion, Forrest resented being placed under Brig. Gen. Joseph Wheelers command in 1862 and, when Wheeler committed their troopers to an ill-conceived attack on Fort Donelson in early 1863, Forrest flew into a rage. He told Wheeler, This is not a personal matter, but you will tell General Bragg in your report that I will be in my coffin before I will fight under you again. (If it had been a personal matter, Forrest probably would have just shot Wheeler and been done with it.) Forrest then ended his tirade with the ultimate military gesture of protest: If you want my sword, you can have it.

Later in the war, Forrest told General Braxton Bragg just what he thought of that vacillating, indecisive officer after Bragg had twice tampered with Forrests cavalry command. The confrontation occurred at Braggs headquarters on Missionary Ridge during the ridiculous Confederate siege of Chattanooga. Forrest said: I have stood your meanness as long as I intend to. You have played the part of a damned scoundrel, and are a coward, and if you were any part of a man I would slap your jaws and force you to resent it. If you ever again try to interfere with me or cross my path, it will be at the peril of your life.

Major General A.P. Hill, one of Virginias favorite sons, was also known for his fiery temper. One historian calls him probably the most contentious of the Army of Northern Virginias officers. Hill quarreled with every officer he served under. After the Seven Days Battles, he engaged in a war of newspaper releases with Maj. Gen. James Longstreet over who deserved the most credit for the successfully completed campaign. After several volleys in the Richmond Whig and Richmond Examiner, Hill cut off all communications with Longstreets headquarters and demanded to be relieved from serving under Longstreet.

For his part, Longstreet heartily endorsed the request, adding a sardonic note that it was necessary to exchange the troops or to exchange the commander. When commanding General Robert E. Lee delayed taking action, the feud only grew worse. After Hills refusal to forward even routine reports to headquarters, Longstreet placed him under arrest and confined him to quarters. Hill took the next step, issuing a challenge to his commanding officer to duel. The two men began making arrangements to settle their differences on the field of honor.

The possibility of losing one or both of his finest commanders finally moved Lee to take action. He restored Hill to his command, then transferred his division to Stonewall Jacksons corps in the Shenandoah Valley. The friendship between Hill and Longstreet was shattered beyond repair, and their relations henceforward were no better than coldly courteous. Lee had merely rearranged his problems, not solved them. Within a week, Hill and Jackson were squabbling, this time over Jacksons uncommunicative command style and their differing interpretations of military protocol. That feud soon surpassed the Longstreet-Hill feud.

On the march into Maryland in the late summer of 1862, Jackson finally grew so exasperated with Hills failure to follow his prescribed marching orders that he rode to the head of Hills division and began personally issuing orders to Hills brigadiers.. At this moment, Hill galloped up and addressed Jackson in high dudgeon: General Jackson, you have assumed command of my division, here is my sword; I have no use for it. Jackson calmly replied, Keep your sword, General Hill, but consider yourself under arrest for neglect of duty.

For the rest of the advance, Hill was ordered to march in the rear of his division. Jacksons charges against Hill were not for insubordination, as one might expect, but for allowing his command to straggle, a fine distinction, perhaps, that was lost on Hill.

Although Hill was restored to command before the campaign was over, and later fought magnificently, he did not forget or forgive. He preferred charges of his own against Jackson. The charges and countercharges persuaded Lee to step in again, this time to call a peace conference of the principals in order to defuse what was tepidly building toward an explosion that would have been extremely damaging to the Confederacy. The peace conference settled nothing, and the charges were still pending when Jackson was killed at Chancellorsville the next spring.

Jackson himself was a legendary feudist, even more obstreperous than Hill, if such a thing could be. At one time or another, he placed Turner Ashby, Richard B. Garnett and Hill all under arrest and ordered their courts- martial?and this was a man who died before the war was half over. On another occasion, he placed five of A.P. Hills colonels under arrest for letting the men use a fence for firewood. Jackson was chronically unable to get along with subordinates, in contrast to Hill, who was chronically unable to get along with superiors.

In the summer of 1861, Jackson began court-martial proceedings against a number of his officers. He blamed Garnett, commander of Jacksons old Stonewall Brigade, for the defeat at Kernstown, and that was just the beginning. Other officers were brought up on charges ranging from insubordination to cowardice under fire. Jackson pressed so many charges that, at one point, all of his subordinate officers were on courtmartial duty.

Garnetts court-martial for unauthorized retreat began in August 1862, but was never settled because the war intervened. Jackson was killed at Chancellorsville, and there are those who say that Garnett went to his death at Gettysburg a few months later in Picketts Charge glad for the opportunity to vindicate his besmirched honor.

As for Ashby, he was also reprimanded by Jackson after the Battle of Kernstown for the undisciplined state of his cavalry. The proud Ashby briefly considered challenging Jackson to a duel, but shooting the sanctimonious Stonewall did not seem sufficient to assuage his wounded pride. Instead, he announced his intention to leave the army. When word of this got out, his troopers announced they would follow Ashby out of the army rather than serve under anyone else. Faced with a mutiny of major proportions, Jackson backed down for the first and last time in his life. He restored Ashby to full command.

Jackson even quarreled with the sainted Lee on one occasion. In December 1862, he reacted angrily to Lees request that he transfer some of his artillery to other commands not so well equipped. Lee did not force the issue. It had been conjectured that the subsequent lack of communication between Lee and Jackson during the Seven Days Battles was at least partly because the two proud leaders felt a sense of rivalry and bent over backward to avoid stepping on each others toes.

As serious as the situation was in the Army of Northern Virginia, it was nothing compared to the situation in the Western armies. The surrender of Fort Donelson offers a case study in how to lose a campaign through jealousy and infighting. The Confederates began the campaign for the Tennessee River at a disadvantage because they were attempting to fight with a divided command. Brigadier General John Floyd, a former secretary of war, was the senior officer at Fort Donelson in February 1862, when Union forces under U.S. Grant initially besieged the fort. However, when Brig. Gen. Gideon Pillow arrived from Columbus, Ky., he immediately assumed command with no other authority than his own presumptuousness. Simon B. Buckners arrival on the night of February 11, 1862, put a third brigadier on the scene. From that point on, there was a definite lack of cooperation among the Confederate high command responsible for holding Fort Donelson.

Pillow and Buckner were already enemies from before the war, when Buckner had blocked Pillows ambition to become a US. senator from Tennessee. Old insults were not easily forgotten, even in the face of a common enemy, and their mutual hostility was hardly kept under wraps. The fact that Pillow was a take- charge kind of person, in a situation calling for tact and diplomacy, did not help. The 55-year-old Floyd might have served as a counterweight to the other two, but he was totally under Pillows influence despite his own impressive credentials.

While the three generals struggled to mount an effective defense of the vital fort, Grant tightened the noose. By February 15, a mood of defeatism had infected the Confederate side. That night there occurred one of the most amazing examples of a cumulative collapse of will in the annals of American warfare. The three generals held a council of war to decide on a course of action. Should they fight, retreat or surrender? Floyd and Pillow decided to surrender.

Having decided the fort could not be held, Pillow and Floyd then refused to surrender it personally to Grant. They feared they might be confined in a Yankee prison for the duration of the war, or worse, hanged as traitors. They turned the onerous task over to Buckner in the following famous exchange:

Floyd: I turn the command over, sir.

Pillow: I pass it.

Buckner: I assume it.

Several ironies resulted from this military fiasco. Although President Davis initially relieved Floyd and Pillow from command, the Southern press at first hailed them as heroes for refusing to surrender and castigated Buckner for turning over the keys to the fort and the Tennessee River. Pillow later was restored to command. Meanwhile, Buckner, arguably the best officer of the three, was marched off to a Northern prisoner- of war camp.

The Army of Tennessee had more than its share of general feuds, which usually seemed to start at the top with the general commanding. During his tenure at the head of the Army of Tennessee, Braxton Bragg made history by single-handedly setting military science and personnel management back to the Stone Age. It was Bragg, one should remember, who once got into an argument with himself while commanding a frontier post and serving at the same time as post quartermaster. Such a background did not bode well for a man who was expected to control a collection of temperamental, quarrelsome lieutenants against a superior enemy in a vast, sprawling theater far from Richmonds authority.

Bragg quarreled, at some point, with everybody who served under him. It was not just that his cold, imperious manner offended everyone; he also displayed appalling incompetence, which only he failed to discern. Long before Forrest became fed up with Bragg and told him so to his face, other general officers had reached the same conclusion, although they expressed their opinions with more circumspection.

Bad feelings first surfaced during the Murfreesboro campaign, when Braggs two corps commanders, Leonidas Polk and William Hardee, refused to visit headquarters except as required by necessity, and even then they kept their visits as short as military matters permitted. It is doubtful that the men in the ranks failed to sense the cool relations between their senior officers.

After the Battle of Stones River, a strategic reverse for the Confederacy, Bragg took the highly unusual step of canvassing his officers to ask for their frank assessment of his leadership. All his division commanders advised him to resign immediately. Polk even wrote a personal letter to Jefferson Davis asking that Bragg be relieved. It was no coincidence that shortly thereafter Bragg placed Polk under arrest for his conduct in the recent battle and forwarded formal charges against him to Richmond. Davis, who considered both Bragg and Polk personal friends, refused to take action, and the charges were dropped. Worse still, Polk stayed with the army.

Bad news travels fast, and when Longstreet in Virginia heard of the problems in the Western army, he dashed off a letter to Secretary of War James Seddon making a thinly veiled offer to take Braggs place, because I doubt if General Bragg has the confidence of his troops. He also added, disingenuously, I am influenced by no personal motive. Longstreet, who always coveted independent command, probably dreamed of escaping Lees immense shadow and expected to whip the Western army into the same sort of fighting trim as the Army of Northern Virginia.

It is doubtful that Longstreet ever felt comfortable in the designated role of Lees Old Warhorse, a nickname Lee himself bestowed upon his lieutenant. Longstreet always saw himself in a grander role than his superiors allowed. On this occasion, Davis was not willing to put Longstreet in command, but he compromised by dispatching Longstreet and two of his divisions to Georgia after the Battle of Gettysburg to join Braggs army.

After Bragg snatched stalemate from the jaws of victory at Chickamauga, Longstreet took up the pen again, this time writing the secretary of war to request that Lee be sent west to replace Bragg. He seemed to have good cause this time? Bragg was busy cashiering senior officers like they were corporals and alienating those he did not dismiss. At the end of September 1863, he removed Generals Polk and Thomas Hindman, sending them to Atlanta to await further action from Richmond. Again, Davis intervened by ordering charges dropped.

The controversy swirling around Bragg was far from over. In fact, it was just climaxing in the famous Round- robin Letter, also known as the Revolt of the Generals. The dump-Bragg clique, now headed by Longstreet, was still hard at work. A letter was circulated among the senior officers of the army urging Davis to replace Bragg. When it finally reached the presidents desk, it bore the signatures of John C. Brown, William Preston, Leonidas Polk and D.H. Hill, among others.

The round-robin drawn up by Braggs senior officers was a devastating vote of no-confidence and secured the desired response from Richmond. Davis dropped all other matters and came to the armys headquarters in person to investigate the problem. In a subsequent meeting called by Davis, the president polled the armys senior officers for their opinions, while Bragg himself looked on uncomfortably. Longstreet, Hill, Benjamin Cheatham, Patrick Cleburne and Alexander Stewart all spoke up and said that Bragg was unfit for command and should be relieved. Only Lafayette McLaws defended Bragg, but his voice was drowned out in the chorus of naysayers.

Unfortunately for the Army of Tennessee, the majority opinion was not shared by the president of the Confederacy. With practically everybody wanting to get rid of Bragg except Davis, the decision to retain him in command was carried by a majority of one.

Longstreet continued to be a lightning rod for controversy in the West, and he apparently learned nothing from his experience in the Generals Revolt. His campaign against Knoxville was badly bungled in the winter of 1863 ; and he blamed his subordinates, specifically Brig. Gen. J.B. Robertson, commanding Hoods Texas Brigade, and Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws, one of his division commanders.

McLaws list of faux pas began when he sided with Bragg earlier against the Longstreet faction in the Generals Revolt. On that earlier occasion, Longstreet had criticized Bragg for blaming his military setbacks on his subordinates; ironically, he now found himself doing the same thing. On December 11, 1863, he sent a curt note to McLaws containing odd, third person references to himself and an even odder ultimatum that one of them had to go and, since the commanding general could not leave, McLaws had to be the one.

The charges against McLaws included neglect of duty, failure to instruct and organize his troops, and poor command decisions. Longstreet charged that McLaws had the poor judgment to exhibit a want of confidence in the efforts and plans which the commanding general had thought proper to adopt. The irony of this vague charge from the same man who at Gettysburg had opposed the efforts and plans of his commanding general, seemed not to have registered on Longstreet.

McLaws sought exoneration by insisting on a full court-martial, which was his right and, like most wartime courts-martial, this one dragged on for months, sapping the energy and distracting the attentions of all the officers involved. The court, in May 1864, delivered a guilty verdict on only one of the three principal charges and handed down a relatively light sentence of 60 days suspension. Davis immediately set the verdict aside and restored McLaws to full command. The presidents action put Longstreet in a bad light, besides reuniting two unhappy officers.

McLaws case dragged on the longer of the two, but Robertsons case was just as ugly. On January 21, 1864, Longstreet filed court-martial charges against him for alleged delinquency and pessimistic remarks during the [Knoxville] campaign. A military court was never convened to hear the charges; instead, a more subtle punishment was meted out by transferring Robertson to the Trans-Mississippi Department, where he finished out the war commanding reserve forces.

Bragg may have taken some secret delight in Longstreets command problems, but that did not improve his own situation. Eventually, after as much damage as possible had been done to the Army of Tennessee, he was replaced by Joe Johnston, whose last assignment prior to taking over the Army of Tennessee had been the poorly organized defense of Vicksburg. Unfortunately, Johnston was no better served by his lieutenants than Bragg had been. His officers during the fight for Atlanta in the summer of 1864 raised dissension to a kind of art form, which eventually contributed to his downfall.

Before that happened, however, the second great internal brawl of the Army of Tennessee occurred. A week after Johnston had assumed command, while the army was encamped at Dalton, Gal, Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne tossed a bombshell into the officer corps by proposing that the Confederacy arm its slaves and use them to fill up the depleted ranks of the armies. Other officers had already advised him not to bring up the controversial subject, if not out of consideration for army unity and morale, then out of consideration for his own promising career.

A furious uproar soon spread far beyond the confines of Johnstons headquarters. General W.H.T. Walker complained to President Davis in a long letter also signed by Generals Alexander Stewart, Carter Stevenson, Patton Anderson and William Bate. Davis tried to put the lid on the entire matter, ordering Johnston to hush up any further discussion of it in the army. This Johnston did, but Bragg and others in Richmond hereafter associated Cleburnes name with a traitorous scheme of abolition, and Cleburne never won corps command, despite a sterling combat record.

The Confederate situation, while not unique in military history, was nonetheless extremely disruptive. Reading through the records, one gets the feeling sometimes that more swords were surrendered to fellow officers during the war than to the enemy.

The quaint practice of surrendering swords at least provided a peaceful method of resolving personal differences. In other instances, Southern officers preferred to use their sidearms on each other rather than surrendering them. This is what happened on September 6, 1863, at Little Rock, Ark., between Generals John S. Marmaduke and Lucius M. Walker. Both commanded cavalry divisions in Arkansas, and Marmaduke impugned the personal courage of Walker, who had already been declared unfit as an officer by no less an authority than Braxton Bragg. A duel resulted in which Walker was mortally wounded. Following his death the next day, Marmaduke was arrested but quickly released because the army could not afford to lose two cavalry commanders while the enemy was active in the vicinity. Furthermore, Marmaduke was a well-liked officer, and popular opinion in the army was clearly on his side.

In April 1865, three days before Lee surrendered, Colonel George W. Baylor shot Brig. Gen. John A. Wharton, the latter being unarmed at the time. Baylor said Wharton called him a liar and slapped his face, sufficient provocation for any red-blooded Southern gentleman, but Whartons friends said Baylor was angry about being passed over for promotion and blamed Wharton for holding him back. Baylor was never charged with any crime, and even if he had been, it is doubtful whether other Southern gentlemen, particularly if they were Texans, would have convicted him.

There is no telling how many dueling challenges were issued and never acted upon. After Malvern Hill, General Robert Toombs challenged D.H. Hill to a duel for accusing him of taking the field too late and leaving it too soon. While Hills unofficial criticism had said nothing about Toombs brigade, Toombs interpreted the insult to be aimed at both himself and his brigade, and therefore demanded the satisfaction usual among gentlemen.

The two men sparred back and forth in a series of letters, with Hill reminding Toombs that they were prohibited from issuing or accepting challenges to duel by the plainest principles of duty and the laws which we have mutually sworn to serve. In the end, Toombs had to be satisfied with publicly calling Hill a poltroon, a taunt which no one else took seriously because of Hills well-known courage on the battlefield.

Constant squabbling among senior officers, accompanied by bitter recriminations and indiscriminate dismissals and transfers, ate away at the armys heart and soul. Jefferson Davis himself never understood this fact and incredibly drew the opposite conclusion from his personal experience. After the Revolt of the Generals, he stated with more wishful thinking than common sense, I have learned that cordial cooperation between officers is not vital to success.

Noted historian Bell Wiley was closer to the truth when he observed: Perhaps the most costly of the Confederacys shortcomings was the disharmony among its people.One who delves deeply into the literature of the period may easily conclude that Southerners hated each other more than they did the Yankees.
Fifty years later people still ask the question about Alger Hiss: Was he or wasnt he a Communist spy?

The headline blared from the front page of the New York Times on August 4, 1948: RED UNDERGROUND IN FEDERAL POSTS ALLEGED BY EDITOR, it read. IN NEW DEAL ERA. Ex-Communist Names Alger Hiss, Then In State Department.

The ex-Communist was Whittaker Chambers, a rumpled, rotund editor at Time magazine. In testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) on August 3, Chambers said Hissthe president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former member of Franklin Roosevelts State Departmenthad been part of the United States Communist Partys underground.

Chambers accusation reverberated like a bombshell in the Cold War atmosphere of 1948. The case was the Rashomon drama of the Cold War, said David Remnick in a profile of Hiss that he wrote for the Washington Post in 1986. Ones interpretation of the evidence and characters involved became a litmus test of ones politics, character, and loyalties. Sympathy with either Hiss or Chambers was more an article of faith than a determination of fact. On the left was liberal New Dealism, represented by Hiss; on the right were conservative, anti-Roosevelt and Truman forces personified by Chambers.

Depending on ones politics, the idea that someone like Alger Hiss could be a Communist was either chilling or absurd. Erudite and patrician, Hiss had graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School. He had been a protege of Felix Frankfurter (a future Supreme Court justice) and later a clerk for Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. In 1933, he joined Roosevelts administration and worked in several areas, including the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, the Nye Committee (which investigated the munitions industry), the Justice Department, and, starting in 1936, the State Department.

In the summer of 1944 he was a staff member at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, which created the blueprint for the organization that became the United Nations. The next year Hiss traveled to Yalta as part of the American delegation for the meeting of Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill. Later, he participated in the founding of the United Nations as temporary secretary general. In 1947, John Foster Dulles, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, asked Hiss to become that organizations president.

Hisss accuser seemed to be his polar opposite. Whittaker Chambers was the product of a stormy and difficult marriage, and he grew up to be a loner. While at Columbia University, he showed literary talent but was forced to leave after writing a blasphemous play. He soon lost his job at the New York Public Library when he was accused of stealing books. Chambers joined the Communist Party in 1925, later claiming he thought that Communism would save a dying world. He worked briefly for the communist newspaper Daily Worker and then the New Masses, a communist literary monthly. In 1932 Chambers entered the communist underground and began gathering information for his Soviet bosses. A growing disenchantment with the Communist Party following news of the purge trials in Joseph Stalins Soviet Union caused Chambers to leave the underground. In the late 1930s, he abandoned Communism and became a fervent Christian and anti-Communist. He started working at Time in 1939 and eventually became one of the magazines senior editors.

Chambers had accused Hiss of being a Communist before his 1948 HUAC appearance. Following the signing of the non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the USSR in August of 1939a disillusioning event for American Communists, who believed the Soviet Union would remain a sworn enemy of Hitlers regimeChambers approached Assistant Secretary of State Adolf Berle and told him about fellow travelers in the government, including Hiss. Chambers recounted his Communist activities to the FBI in several interviews during the early 1940s, but little happened. The Soviet Union, after all, was then an ally in the war against Nazi Germany.

By the summer of 1948 the global picture had changed. As the Cold War chilled, Communist infiltration of the governmentreal or imaginedbecame a serious issue for both Republicans and Democrats. The Justice Department had been investigating Communist infiltration since 1947, but its grand jury had not returned any indictments. Republicans, eager to gain control of the White House in the fall election, had been bashing the Democrats for being soft on communism.

On Capitol Hill, HUAC, dominated by Republicans and conservative Democrats, was looking into possible Communist penetration of the Roosevelt and Truman administrations. Committee members, particularly an ambitious freshman congressman from California named Richard Nixon, knew what was at stake. HUAC was a controversial body under fire for its heavy-handed tactics. If Chambers story proved false, HUACs reputation would suffer a potentially fatal blow.

Hiss learned about Chambers testimony from newspaper reporters and immediately demanded an opportunity to respond. On August 5 he appeared before the committee and read from a prepared statement. I am not and have never been a member of the Communist Party, he said. Hiss also denied knowing Whittaker Chambers. So far as I know, I have never laid eyes on him, and I should like the opportunity to do so. Shown a picture of Chambers, Hiss responded: If this is a picture of Mr. Chambers, he is not particularly unusual looking. He looks like a lot of people. I might even mistake him for the chairman of this committee.

It appeared that Hiss had cleared his name. But Nixonwho had been told of suspicions about Hiss long before Chambers HUAC appearancewasnt satisfied. He argued that even if the committee could not prove Hiss was a Communist, it should investigate whether he ever knew Chambers. Nixon persuaded the other members to appoint him head of a subcommittee to investigate further.

At a session in New York City on August 7, Chambers provided more information. He said that Hisss wife, Priscilla, was also a Communist and that the Hisses knew him as Carl, one of the many names he used while working for the underground. He described the homes the Hisses occupied and the old Ford roadster and Plymouth they had owned. Hiss, Chambers said, insisted on donating the Ford for the use of the Communist Party despite the security risk.

Chambers information wasnt completely accurate. He said the Hisses did not drink, but they did; he described Hiss as shorter than he actually was; he wrongly maintained that Hiss was deaf in one ear. However, he also provided information that indicated he knew them rather well. For instance, he reported that the Hisses were amateur ornithologists and had been much excited about observing a prothonotary warbler near the Potomac River.

On August 16 the committee summoned Hiss to appear in a secret session. This time Hiss conceded that a picture of Whittaker Chambers had a certain familiarity, but he was not prepared to identify the man without seeing him in person. He then described a man he had known in the 1930s and to whom he had briefly sublet his apartment. He hadnt known him as Carl, but as George Crosley. Hiss described Crosley as a frumpish deadbeat with bad teeth who made ends meet by borrowing money and writing an occasional magazine article. When asked about the Ford, Hiss claimed he had given it to Crosley. Hiss also said Crosley had once given him an oriental rug in lieu of payment of rent. Chambers would later claim the rug was one of four he had given to friends of the Soviet people.

John McDowall, a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, addressed Hiss. Have you ever seen a prothonotary warbler? he asked.

I have, right here on the Potomac, Hiss replied.

Nixon now wanted Chambers and Hiss to meet face to face. A meeting had been set up for August 25, but instead Nixon arranged to surprise Hiss with Chambers eight days ahead of schedule. In that tense and hostile meeting at New York Citys Commodore Hotel, Hiss asked Chambers to speak, looked at his teeth, and finally identified him as the man he knew as George Crosley. Hiss issued a challenge to his accuser. I would like to invite Mr. Whittaker Chambers to make those same statements out of the presence of this committee without their being privileged for suit for libel. I challenge you to do it, and I hope you will do it damned quickly.

The next confrontation was public, held on August 25 in a congressional hearing room in Washington. Public interest in the case gave it a circus atmosphere. The packed conference room was jammed with spectators, radio broadcasters, film cameramen and even hookups for live television. At this point Nixon and HUAC appeared openly hostile to Hiss. You are a remarkable and agile young man, Mr. Hiss, said one member of the committee after Hiss answered evasively about the fate of his Ford automobile.

Two days later Chambers appeared on the radio program Meet the Press and declared, Alger Hiss was a Communist and may be now. A month later Hiss filed suit for damages. I welcome Alger Hisss daring suit, Chambers said. I do not minimize the ferocity or the ingenuity of the forces that are working through him.

As Hisss suit prepared to go to trial, the case took a new, even more serious turn. It changed the main issue from whether Alger Hiss was a Communist to whether he was a spy.

In his earlier statements before HUAC, Chambers denied being involved with espionage. His contacts in Washington acted only to influence government policy, not to subvert it, he had said. It was the same story he later told the Justice Department grand jury. But when facing pretrial examinations for the libel suit, Chambers changed his story. He told his lawyers that he could produce evidence that Hiss had given him government materials. When he had broken with the Communist Party 10 years earlier, Chambers said, he had saved some documents in case he needed to protect himself from retribution. He sealed the documents in an envelope and gave them to his wifes nephew, Nathan Levine. Levine hid the envelope in his parents Brooklyn home.

Retrieved from a dusty dumbwaiter shaft, the materials turned out to include 65 pages of typewritten copies of confidential documents (all except one from the State Department), four scraps of paper with Hisss handwritten notes on them, two strips of developed microfilm of State Department documents, three rolls of undeveloped microfilm, and several pages of handwritten notes. All dated from the early months of 1938. Chambers turned over most of the evidence but initially held the microfilm back in reserve. Fearing the federal grand jury would indict him for perjury, Chambers finally handed over the microfilm to HUAC. With a flourish of cloak-and-dagger dramatics, he had hidden it in a hollowed out pumpkin on his Maryland farm.

The so-called pumpkin papers ratcheted interest in the case up another level. Nixon immediately flew home from a vacation cruise in the Caribbean and posed for newspaper photographs showing him peering intently through a magnifying glass at the microfilm strips. The next day Nixon received a shock when an official at Eastman Kodak said the film stock dated from 1945meaning Chambers had lied when he said he had hidden the film in 1938. Shaken, Nixon phoned Chambers and angrily demanded an explanation. It turned out that none was needed. The Eastman Kodak source called back and corrected himself. The film stock dated from 1937.

Hiss, who also testified before the grand jury, claimed the materials were either fakes or had come from someone else. The grand jury thought otherwise and on December 15, 1948, it indicted Hiss for perjury, accusing him of lying when he said he had never given State Department or other government documents to Chambers and that he had had no contact with Chambers after January 1, 1937. Espionage charges were not possible because the three-year statute of limitations had expired.

The trial began at the Federal Building on Foley Square in New York City, on May 31, 1949, and lasted for six weeks. The prosecution emphasized its three solid witnessesa Woodstock typewriter once owned by Alger and Patricia Hiss, the typed copies, and the State Department originalsas uncontradicted facts. According to Chambers, Hiss took documents home from his office so his wife could type copies on the Woodstock. Hiss then returned the originals to his office and gave Chambers the copies. Chambers had the copies photographed for his Soviet handlers.

The typewriting would prove central to the case. The Hisses had once owned a Woodstock, and a comparison of the State Department copies with letters typed in the 1930s by the Hisses on their Woodstock indicated that they came from the same machine.

Hisss defense focused on his reputationhis character witnesses included a university president; several notable diplomats and judges, including Supreme Court Justices Felix Frankfurter and Stanley M. Reed; and Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. In contrast, the defense portrayed Chambers as a psychopathic liar and moral leper who could have acquired the microfilmed documents through many different channels. As for the handwritten notes, someone could have stolen them from Hisss office or trash basket.

After a long search, the defense team tracked down the Woodstock typewriter. The Hisses had given it to a maid, Claudia Catlett. The defense hoped to prove that the Catletts received the typewriter sometime before the spring of 1938, but neither Catlett nor her sons could substantiate the giveaway date, weakening the defense considerably.

The first trial ended in a hung jury, with eight of the twelve jurors voting to convict Hiss. The Justice Department quickly announced it would seek another trial.

The second trial began on November 17, 1949, and lasted three weeks longer than the first one. This time the jury found Hiss guilty. He would serve 44 months in the federal penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

The Cold War turned even colder in the years following Chambers first testimony and Hisss conviction, and continued to intensify after Hiss entered prison. China fell to the Communists in 1949, and the Soviet Union successfully tested an atomic bomb that same year. The following February, a little-known senator from Wisconsin, Joseph R. McCarthy, announced at a speech in West Virginia that he had a list of 205 card-carrying members of the Communist Party who were employed by the State Department. His sensational and unfounded charges launched a red-baiting career that would make his name forever synonymous with witch-hunting demagoguery. As historian Allen Weinstein later wrote, Alger Hisss conviction gave McCarthy and his supporters the essential touch of credibility, making their charges of Communist involvement against other officials headline copy instead of back-page filler.

Richard Nixon benefited as well. His role in the Hiss case helped him secure a senate seat over Helen Gahagan Douglas, a liberal Nixon labeled the Pink Lady. Two years later Nixon became Dwight D. Eisenhowers vice president. Nixon would always consider the Hiss case a defining moment in his career and included it as the first of the six crises he described in his political memoir of the same name.

Chambers, who published his account of the case in Witness, a 799-page bestseller published in 1952, died in 1961 of a heart attack, a hero of the American right. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan awarded Chambers a posthumous Medal of Freedom. Four years later, the Reagan Administration designated Chambers Maryland pumpkin farm as a national historic landmark.

Hiss, who published In the Court of Public Opinion in 1957 to present his side of the story, never stopped fighting to clear his name. Ive spent a great deal of time on the issue of Why me?  Hiss told writer David Remnick in 1986. I came to the conclusion that its largely accident, that I was well down the list of those who were selected in order to bring about a change in American politics. Hiss said that he wasnt the real target; he was merely a means to break the hull of liberalism.

Fortune began looking up for Hiss in 1972 when the Watergate scandal forced Nixon to resign the presidency. Nixons fall gave some credence to a wide spectrum of conspiracy theories involving fake typewriters, phony microfilm, and various collusions among the FBI, Nixon, HUAC, the CIA, the radical right, and the KGB. Hiss even theorized that Chambers, who had engaged in homosexual activity before his marriage, had a deep attachment to him, an unrequited passion that may have led Chambers to seek revenge. Hiss would return to that theme in a second book, Recollections of a Life, published in 1988.

Hisss prospects suffered a reverse in 1978 when Allen Weinstein published Perjury. Weinstein had set out to write an account sympathetic to Hiss. Using the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to previously classified materials from the State Department, Justice Department, and FBI, Weinstein finally concluded that Hiss was guilty. In Newsweek, columnist George Will wrote that with Weinsteins book, the myth of Hisss innocence suffers the death of a thousand cuts, delicate destruction by a scholars scalpel.

Over the years, Hiss attempted to have his case appealed. In 1978, using the newly acquired government documents, he petitioned the Supreme Court for a third time, declaring gross unfairness (a writ of error  coram nobis). On October 11, 1983, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear his case.

Following the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, Hiss requested information from Soviet sources to clear his name. After extensive research, General Dimitri Volkogonov, head of the Russian military intelligence archives, declared, Not a single document substantiates the allegation that Mr. Hiss collaborated with the intelligence services of the Soviet Union. You can tell Alger Hiss that the heavy weight should be lifted from his heart. But questions from suspicious conservatives forced Volkogonov to admit he hadnt searched the complex and confusing archives in great depth and that many of the files had been destroyed after Stalins death in 1953.

In 1993, a Hungarian historian, Maria Schmidt, divulged material from Communist Hungarian secret police files that seemed to suggest Hisss guilt. In 1949 Noel Field, an American suspected of being a Communist spy, had been imprisoned in Hungary as a suspected American spy. Under interrogation he had incriminated Hiss, in a confession Schmidt found in Fields dossier. Field, however, had recanted after his release, and Hiss defenders considered the Hungarian documents to be tarnished evidence.

Another piece of evidence came to light in 1996 when the CIA and National Security Agency made public several thousand documents of decoded cables exchanged between Moscow and its American agents from 1939 to 1957. These materials were part of a secret intelligence project called Venona. A single document, dated March 30, 1945, referred to an agent code-named Ales, a State Department official who had flown from the Yalta Conference to Moscow. An anonymous footnote, dated more than 20 years later, suggested Ales was probably Alger Hiss. Hiss, one of only four men who had flown from Yalta to Moscow, issued a statement denying he was Ales. He went to Moscow merely to see the subway system, he said.

Alger Hiss died on November 15, 1996, at the age of 92. Was he one of the centurys greatest liars or one of its longest-suffering victims? I know he was innocent, says John Lowenthall, a friend and legal representative who made a documentary, The Trials of Alger Hiss, in 1978. For most people its not a matter of fact, its a matter of ideology and emotion. Most of the people who take the stand that Hiss was guilty built their careers on it.

Yet while the preponderance of evidence does weigh heavily against Hiss, his unrelenting insistence of innocence will keep the door of doubt ever so slightly ajar. David Oshinsky wrote in the Chronicle of Higher Education that the question of Hisss guilt or innocence has become, like the case itself, part of our history. For intellectuals, left and right, it still taps the deepest personal values and political beliefs, raising questions about liberalisms romance with Communism, and conservatisms assault on civil liberties, years after the Cold War ended.

A half-century after it started, the Hiss case remains a political dividing line.

James T. Gay is a professor of Hhistory at State University of West Georgia in Carrollton. This article was published in the May/June 1998 issue of American History. Subscribe here.
The debate over the role of women in the military still continues today. Should women be allowed to serve in the front line? Are some of them really natural born killers?

Well, there is no doubt in my mind about the answers to these questions after meeting an extraordinary woman named Zinaida Pytkina. In 1943, as an officer in the Soviet counterintelligence serviceknown as SMERSH, or Death to Spies in Englishshe shot a young German major after his interrogation. My hand didnt tremble when I killed him, she said. The Germans didnt ask us to spare them. They knew they were guilty, and I was angry. I was seeing an enemy, and my father, and uncles, mother and brothers died because of them. She said that she felt joy as she pulled the trigger and saw his body fall backward into his freshly dug grave. Immediately afterward, she said, I was pleased. I had fulfilled my task. I went into the office and had a drink.

Though she was in her late 70s when I met her in her ramshackle house in Volgograd (todays name for Stalingrad), Pytkina was still hard and forthright. Her stare never left me as I talked to her. As she spoke I remembered a serving officer in the FSBthe Soviet national security agency previously known as the KGB whom I had met earlier on that same trip to Russia. When I had asked him to describe his job, he said that he solved peoples problems for them. And now, when asked to describe what her mission had been during the war, Pytkina answered simply that her mission was to fulfill all the orders of my commanders. As a result, she said, she and her comrades did whatever we were told.

She described how captured German soldiers were tortured during interrogationor, as she put it in the euphemistic language of SMERSH, treated gently. If they didnt talk, then a specialist was brought in to give them a washthe code word for a beating. The majority of the Germans would sing, she said, as no one wants to die. She didnt torture the prisoners herself, nor was she allowed to go on a reconnaissance mission and crawl up to the German front line to capture a prisoner and bring him back for interrogation. But she relished the chance to kill this young German officer when she was told by her boss to go and

sort him out.

If they had brought a dozen of them my hand wouldnt have trembled to shoot them all, Pytkina said. He had to be destroyedthe same as they treated us, we had to treat them the same way. At that time if they had lined up all those Germans I would have shot them all down, because so many Russian soldiers lost their lives at the age of 18, 19, or 20, who hadnt lived, who had to go and fight against the Germans just be-cause they wanted more land. As a member of the Communist Party, in front of me I saw a man who could have killed my relatives. I would have cut him up if I had been asked.

I was astonished at the utter ruthlessness that lay within Zinaida Pytkina. I understand the interest in how a woman can kill a man, she said. I wouldnt do it now. Well, I would do it only if there was a war, and if I saw once more what I had seen during that war, then I would probably do it again.

She ended the interview with words that stayed with me for a long time after, mixing her capacity to kill with her femininity. People like him had killed many Russian soldiers, she said, talking of the young German she had shot. Should I have kissed him for that?
On a chilly February 14, 1862, Valentines Day, at the Mystic, Connecticut, shipyard of Maxson, Fish & Co., a sleek-looking ironclad splashed into the water. USS Galenas launch was eagerly anticipated in that tight-knit shipping community, for it was reputed to be on the cutting edge of warship technology. The local paper, the Mystic Pioneer, proclaimed Galenas iron plating would be absolutely impregnable to ordinary projectiles. Newspapers often get it wrong, however, and the first time Galena met up with the business end of Rebel cannons, those ordinary projectiles instead raised havoc with the vessel.

Galena was a product of the ironclad arms race between the Union and the Confederacy that began in the late summer of 1861, when rumors about the construction in Norfolk, Va., of an iron-plated menace known as Virginia began to percolate north. Federal Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles knew such a revolutionary ship could threaten and possibly break the Union blockade of Southern ports, and he targeted opportunistic entrepreneurs with advertisements in Northern newspapers seeking blueprints for iron-plated vessels. To review those plans, Welles instituted an Ironclad Board of veteran seamen Joseph Smith, Hiram Paulding and Charles Henry Davis.

The Ironclad Board had a $1.5 million budget to award to builders and a month in which to award it. The trio reviewed 17 proposed designs. Some were radical, and some were ludicrous. One designer proposed cladding his vessel in rubber, intended to deflect enemy shells. Fortunately for the reputation of the U.S. Navy, that design was rejected.

In the end the board awarded three contracts in September 1861. One went to John Ericsson and his revolutionary Monitor. One board member rejected Ericssons plan, but the other two backed it mostly because he assured the board that the ship could be built in less than 100 days for only $275,000.

The other two accepted designs were more typical and reflected the Ironclad Boards conservative thinking that even ironclads should have sails to supplement their steam engines. New Ironsides was a 4,100-ton, 20-gun behemoth, and then there was Galena, the brainchild of Samuel Pook, a 20-year-old Bostonian soon to be famous for creating the Pooks Turtles ironclads that caused havoc for the Confederates on the Mississippi River in 1862-63.

At first glance, Galena was conventional enough: a 210-foot-long wooden-hulled steam frigate with a 36-foot beam and a sail rig that could muster speeds up to 8 knots. It carried four 9-inch smoothbore Dahlgrens and two rifled 100-pounder Parrotts arranged broadside. The sides of the ship sloped in from the water in what was known as a tumblehome design.

But what was truly unique was Pooks choice of armor: rows of interlocking iron sheets placed in a rail-and-plate arrangement that supposedly made it impenetrable against solid shot up to 6 inches thick. Perhaps due to cost, Pook originally planned to sheathe Galenas 18-inch-thick hull with only 212 inches of armor atop 112 inches of rubber. Once construction began, however, the rubber was replaced by another five-eighths inch of iron, still thinner than called for in any other early ironclad design.

The Ironclad Board was modestly optimistic that Galena would be successful, but others were not. Many officers thought the design of its hull and armor were faulty and vulnerable to shot. Captain Louis M. Goldsborough, commander of the Unions North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, called it a most miserable contrivance. Captain John Rodgers, Galenas first commanding officer, wrote: I was convinced as soon as I came on board that she would be riddled under fire, but the public thought differently, and I resolved to give the matter a fair trial. And while Monitor gained fame for its duel with Virginia and New Ironsides had a successful career, Galenas maiden battle was a disaster.

Drewrys Bluff was a fortified point seven miles below Richmond at a sharp bend in the James Rivera thorn in the Union side. Had it not been for that strongpoint, Federal ships could have steamed much closer to Richmond, a fact not lost on the Union high command in the spring of 1862, when Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan was trying to attack the Rebel capital from the east with his Army of the Potomac.

As McClellan closed in on Richmond in mid-May, Commander Rodgers added Galena to his makeshift James River fleet. Rodgers force also featured the battle-scarred Monitor as well as Naugatuckan aging, partially armored gunboat loaned to the Navy by the Revenue Cutter Service. The gunboat Aroostook and the side-wheeler Port Royal followed in support. No longer worried about the menacing Virginiawhich its crew had reluctantly scuttled near Hampton Roads on May 11Rodgers decided to make a dash for Richmond.

One hundred feet above the river at Drewrys Bluff, behind a series of reinforced embankments known as Fort Darling, a small, patched-together Rebel force of Virginias crew, infantrymen and artillerymen under Commander Ebenezer Farrand waited with a 10-inch Columbiad and an assortment of 8-inch smoothbores and rifles for whatever Yankee ships might come their way. The Rebels had also blocked the narrow waterway with a combination of junks, stone, spiles and chainseven the sunken gunboat Jamestownand backed it with the gunboat Patrick Henry.

About 7:45 a.m. on May 15, Galena, at the head of the fleet, opened fire on the heights. The battle quickly devolved into a shootout between Farrands and Rodgers gun crews. Monitor, unable to raise its guns to fire at the Rebel batteries on the bluff, soon retreated downriver, where Rodgers gunboats were dueling with pesky sharpshooters firing from the riverbank. Naugatucks single 100-pounder Parrott gun burst, meanwhile, rendering that vessel useless.

For three hours Galena sat anchored some 600 yards off Drewrys Bluff, firing with little apparent effect. Farrands 10-inch Columbiad had burst early in the fight, but his men continued to blast away with their remaining cannons. At least 43 shots struck their mark, with 13 penetrating Galenas suspect armor. Even the pesky Patrick Henry got in a lick, puncturing the hapless Galenas lower hull with a shot late in the contest.

By 11:05 a.m., Galenas ammunition was virtually gone, and Rodgers withdrew. By that time 13 crewmen were dead, their blood and body parts mixed with shattered timbers in what was described as a perfect slaughter house.

Criticism of Galena and its design began immediately, initiated by a disgusted Rodgers: We demonstrated that she is not shot-proof; balls came through, and many men were killed with fragments of her own iron. The new ironclads failure looked especially bad in the wake of Monitors recent celebrated performance against Virginia, and following the publication of official reports on newspapers front pages. While Galena was riddled, Monitor commander Lieutenant William N. Jeffers wrote, his beloved cheese-boxretained her superior strength and invulnerability. The balls glanced harmless from her tower of strength and fell into the placid waters of the river. Jeffers later declared that both he and Rodgers were convinced before the engagement that the armor of the Galena was readily penetrable by shot from the class of guns we were likely to find on the battery and that the assault on Fort Darling was nothing further than a reconnaissance in force and a trial of the Galena s armor. [italics original]

Not only had Galena and the James River fleet failed to get past Drewrys Bluff, but the Army of the Potomac soon came up short, too, in its bid to conquer Richmond, retreating ingloriously down the peninsula a few weeks later.

Despite numerous puncture holes, Galena remained on the James River through September, lending its guns in support of McClellans retreating army during the Seven Days Campaign in June and July. After wintering in Hampton Roads, Galena was finally sent north to Philadelphia for repairs. There, it was not only patched up but also stripped of its beat-up iron coat. Whatever its future, Galena would spend the rest of its days as just another wooden gunboat.

Galena soon returned to service as a simple wooden-walled warship, and with none if its former fanfare. In May 1864, it steamed south for duty with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, in time to join Admiral David Farraguts long-delayed attempt to capture Mobile, Ala., the Confederacys most valuable remaining port city and a center of blockade running activity.

For the run past bristling Forts Morgan and Gaines and into Mobile Bay, Farragut gathered a fleet of 18 shipsincluding four of the latest ironclads, the powerful Tecumseh and Manhattan and their massive 15-inch Dahlgrens, and Winnebago and Chickasaw, each carrying four 11-inch Dahlgrens. For the Union, success there represented a nail in the Confederate coffin. For Galenanow captained by Lt. Cmdr. Clark H. Wellsthe expedition offered a chance at redemption.

Just after dawn on August 5, 1864, Farraguts ironclads led the advance toward Fort Morgan and Rear Adm. Franklin Buchanans small defending fleetthe fearsome ironclad Tennessee and the gunboats Gaines, Morgan and Selma. Trailing closely behind, just to port, were his seven largest wooden warships, each with a smaller gunboat lashed to its port side. Two years after leading a daring charge up the James River on the Confederate capital, Galenas fate was literally tied to another ship, the Oneida.

Almost immediately, Farraguts fleet ran into trouble. Led by Brooklyn, his leading wooden vessels, including his flagship Hartford, began slipping beyond the protective screen of Federal ironclads. Fearful of that, lest they become quick fodder for the waiting Tennessee despite the fact all the Union wooden ships had chains hung over their sides for extra armor, a desperate Commander Tunis A.M. Craven ordered Tecumseh, still in the lead, to cut through the minefield to intercept the iron-coated ram. But his gamble failed: At 7:30 a.m., Tecumseh struck a mine and sank with Craven and 92 others within just a few minutes.

Now Brooklyns captain, hesitant to proceed in the wake of Tecumsehs demise, stalledbottling up the column under the deadly rain of lead issuing from Fort Morgans 45 guns. Weighing the risks of remaining in place rather than testing the torpedo field, Farragut turned to his pilot and said, I will take the lead. The battle turned on the admirals decision. Fortunate to avoid any live mines, Hartford charged ahead into Mobile Bay. Continuing to exchange fire with the fort, Brooklyn and the others followed.

Bringing up the rear of the column, Commander J.R.M. Mullanys Oneida came under galling fire. One shot damaged its steering gear, while others started fires on its decks. It was nearly out of the forts range when, at 7:50 a.m., a 7-inch rifle shell passed through the chain armor and the ships side and exploded in the starboard boiler at the water line. Nearly all of the firemen and coal heavers below decks were scalded to death or disabled by the escaping steam. By 8:37, Oneida had lost the use of at least two of its guns when a shot from Tennessee knocked out a third and severely wounded Mullany. The command of the ship now devolved upon me, Lieutenant Charles L. Huntington wrote, and the management of the two vessels upon Lieutenant-Commander Wells, of Galena.

Fortunately for both men, heavy fire from Farraguts ironclads drove Tennessee off and saved their vessels from further mauling. And while Galenas assistant surgeon George P. Wright lent his skills to Oneidas busy medical staff, Wells used Galenas 800-hp engine to keep the much heavier Oneida moving speedily to deeper and safer waters. The safety of the ship after the explosion depended upon the Galena, Huntington wrote. That we are here quietly at anchor attests how noblyWells stood by us.

The fight for Mobile Bay was soon over. With Oneida and Galena out, the rest of Farraguts fleet blasted Selma and Gaines out of action (Morgan escaped up the bay), then turned on the still-prowling Tennessee. Ramming it failed, but the combined point-blank fire of Farraguts heavy ironclads eventually put Tennessee out of action. A gravely wounded Buchanan surrendered at 10 a.m.

Farragut next put his battle-torn fleet to work forcing the surrenders of the three defending Confederate forts. Powell, well east of Gaines, fell that night; Gaines surrendered three days later; but Fort Morgans garrison held out in defiance until Galena, now operating free of the damaged Oneida, and the rest of the fleet pounded it into submission on August 23.

Although its place on Oneidas port side in the initial attack on August 5 had meant that Galena was partially shielded from Fort Morgans guns, Wells gunboat was raked by grape and struck repeatedly by 10-inch shot, but its crew suffered only three casualties, with only one death.

USS Galena finished out its days quietly. After three months of duty in the East Gulf and four months of repairs, it returned to river duty in the Eastern theater, where its career had begun so ignobly. In 1872, a decade after its celebrated birth in Mystic, the ironclad-turned-gunboat was broken up at the Norfolk Navy Yard.

Louis Goldsborough had called Galena a poor stick for an iron clad, and it would be hard to argue otherwise. The failure of Samuel Pooks skimpy armor arrangement doomed Galena to become the forgotten ironcladthe only one of the Unions famed first three to fail. Given the opportunity to fight in her own skin alongside other anonymous wooden gunboats, however, the vessel at least lived up to the faith placed in it back in Mystic.

This article was written by Eric Ethier and originally published in the February 2008 issue of Civil War Times Magazine. For more great articles, subscribe to Civil War Times magazine today!
An Egyptian forensics expert said that the burn marks and small size of the human remains found among the debris of the downed EgyptAir Flight 104 suggest that the plane was brought down by an explosion, while the head of Egypt's forensics unit dismissed the suggestion.

"The logical explanation is that an explosion brought it down," the official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

The official is part of a team investigating the crash. He said he has personally examined the remains at a morgue in Cairo.

Hisham Abdekhamid, the head of Egypt's forensics authority, attempted to walk back the anonymous official's comments, calling them "mere assumptions" and saying that it was too soon to draw conclusions.

Personal belongings from passengers as well as other debris from the missing EgyptAir jet confirms that the airliner carrying 66 people had plunged into the water, the Egyptian navy said Friday.

The found wreckage from Flight 804 includes luggage, seats and body parts and was discovered about 180 miles off the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The plane disappeared from radar on Thursday over the Mediterranean Sea. It was traveling from Paris to Cairo.

"The conflicting reports emerged as search teams scoured the Mediterranean Sea, racing the clock in search of the planes' voice and data recorders before their signal batteries die in about 30 days," reported USA Today.

"Egyptian military forces have found debris, including body parts, from the missing plane 180 miles from the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria. Photographs released by the Egyptian Army show little remains of the devastation - just mangled bits of debris, tattered clothing and a life vest, among other objects."

All 66 people aboard the plane were killed.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A judge on Tuesday ordered Bill Cosby to stand trial on charges that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2004.

Magisterial District Judge Elizabeth McHugh found there was enough evidence for Cosby to go to trial to defend three counts of felony indecent assault against former Temper University employee Andrea Constand. He could face up to 10 years in jail if convicted.

Constand told Montgomery County, Pa., detectives that Cosby drugged and assaulted her when she visited his home in 2004. According to USA Today, "Cosby gave her three pills that made her dizzy, blurry-eyed and nauseated and left her legs feeling 'like jelly.' She says Cosby touched her sexually, without her consent, while her body was 'frozen.'"

The former Temple employee was the first person to publicly accuse Cosby of sexual assault. He has since been publicly accused by more than 50 women.

Prosecutors initially declined to charge Cosby after Constand went to police, citing insufficient evidence.

Last week, a federal judge unsealed a deposition given by Cosby's wife, Camille Cosby, in February in a different suit filed against the star in Massachusetts. According to the deposition, she told a lawyer she had "no opinion" on whether his admission to acquiring drugs for women he planned to have sex with violated their marriage vows.

Three witnesses spoke at Tuesday's preliminary hearing. Constand did not appear in the courthouse.

Outside the courthouse, Cosby's lawyer, Brian McMonagle, said the ruling is a "travesty of justice" and said that the D.A.'s office "presented...evidence of nothing."

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The hotel industry goes hand in hand with excellent security, as it is an integral part of the hotel's success. In modern day, hotels invest heavily in security measures, given that lack of it can render both guests and staff susceptible to a glut of perils; not to mention damaging the hotel's repute. Nevertheless, hotels offering accommodation in high security threat regions, despite their in-house acquiescence such as use of CCTV and camera control, face pervasive risks which require professional handling to avoid escalation.

The recent attack by al-Qaida at a beach in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast, was a big blow to the West African country's hotel industry, with effects likely to foil the government's target of 1 million tourists this year. Reports show that over the past three years, the Ivorian government has invested 151 billion CFA, approximately $266,000 in hotels, in a bid to improve the industry and revitalize tourism. Attacks by gunmen in a hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso earlier this year, plus other terrorist attacks and politically instigated conflicts across African countries such as Mali, Somalia, Burundi, Chad, South Sudan - Juba, Central African Republic and north parts of Nigeria such as Borno; continue to undermine the African efforts of tapping revenue from the hotel and tourism industries.

Insecurity Photo by Jumia Travel

While combined efforts from the United Nations Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the government of Somalia and other organizations of good will to restore peace and security in the war torn country are seen to be gaining mileage, security concerns remain inevitable with frequent terrorist attacks from the notorious Al-Shabaab militant group.

Jazeera Palace Hotel is one of the most popular hotels located in Mogadishu, Somalia. The hotel bore the weight of terror in Mogadishu after it was struck by a suicide bomber in July 2015, causing massive destruction. In the aftermath of such a major security incident, in any given scenario, causes incredible loss of property and in some cases loss of life and lifelong injuries. Huge revenues are also lost to competitors who take advantage to advance their business while the victim takes time to re-build, if at all.

Jazeera Photo by Jumia Travel

Speaking to Jovago.com, Mr. Justus Kisaulu - the General Manager of Jazeera Palace Hotel, which re-opened in November 2015, notes that the security situation in Somalia and specifically Mogadishu is improving day by day. "Despite the negative publicity we get, sometimes we may go for months without any major incidence. Crime and terrorism has been largely deterred by mounting road blocks at various roads, intelligence led operation and professionally training the police force among other measures," he explained.

Jazeera Hotel is a proof of resilience and optimism of the hotel industry in the face of terror. The hotel's occupancy rate remains high at roughly 80%, hosting mainly business people, government officials, government delegations, foreign diplomats and NGOs. Tewelde acknowledges that guests remain concerned about their security when on transit, prompting Jazeera to provide armored vehicles to mitigate the level of risk.

The hotel industry in Bauchi State in Northeast Nigeria has also reached its nadir from being targeted by Boko Haram insurgents. In spite of the spate of insurgency, Bauchi is bestowed with rich natural assets, being home to Ankara National Park and some of the best accommodation facilities in the area. Juliet Okere, the manager of Polycon Guest Inn in Bauchi, says the presence of security personnel in the recent past as a panacea to the insurgence menace has gone a long way in bringing calm in the state, thus boosting guests' confidence to tour the area.

Polycon Photo by Jumia Travel

Remarkably, Juliet credits local Nigerians for their trust and contribution in restoring the hotel industry in the region, which has for years been debilitated by the presence of Boko Haram. While uncertainties surround the future of the industry in Bauchi and other Nigerian states such as Borno which are still writhing against the insurgents, Juliet, like many other hotel stakeholders, remains optimistic that collective efforts will show light at the end of the tunnel.

Despite the security challenges, the hotel industry is defying all odds to remain relevant and competitive. Internet uptake in these terrorism prone countries has also contributed highly to revolutionizing the sector, with the use of online booking platforms such as Jovago and Expedia; which enable travelers to book their accommodation online. According to Jazeera's GM, "Internet in these countries is so crucial because of the increase in International guests and does reduce human movement within the city, thus reducing risk of being targets. This is the driver of the business now and in the future."

A report by the International peace Institute shows that, while last year saw Sub-Saharan Africa overcome a number of important challenges, it also saw the continuation and often the creation of social, political, and economic obstacles that will define the continent's security outlook in 2016. Hopefully, concerted efforts to curtail terrorism which is a global threat, will pave way to the writing of a different script, with a positive outlook for the hotel industry in regions with high security threats.
The new Airbnb TV ads should strike terror in your heart, especially if you manage or own a resort. That is where I see the main - and growing - threat from sharing economy accommodations players such as Homeaway and Airbnb. And my advice to hoteliers is blunt: start now to prepare for battle because it is going to get bloody.

The Airbnb ads hit an emotional high note: Don't go there, live there - and what vacationer does not want to feel that he/she spent a week living in Paris or Manhattan or even Santa Fe?

Implicit in the campaign is the spin that somehow hotels encroach upon their community and are fundamentally alien to it.

I have heard - frighteningly often - from senior resort executives that the sharing economy is no threat to them. Threatened, they say, are city hotels that cater to business travelers who, increasingly, are Millennials and, according to these execs, it's Millennials who want to use Airbnb et. al.

What nonsense and yet they believe it,

Recent research out of the UK found that only 2% of business travelers expressed an interest in Airbnb-type lodgings. No surprise. Business travelers want predictable, reliable lodgings and almost definitionally that means chain hotels. So also no surprise that this same survey found that only 21% would choose an independent hotel.

But for a vacationer - especially one spending multiple days, perhaps a week - Airbnb et al. can offer compelling attractions that put them right in the midst of where they want to be, from Vail to Paradise Valley.

But "living there" is just the start of the Airbnb benefits.

There also is space. Squeezing a family into a typical hotel room is plain uncomfortable. Often for just a couple too. Upgrading to a suite at a resort is expensive.

Wouldn't you rather have a whole house or apartment? Of course and with Airbnb et al. you can, often at a price sharply below that of a suite at many resorts.

That math is daunting - it should be - but know that you can still win.

But many have to up their games, sharply and broadly.

There are three places where resorts should win.

It starts with service. That is no Airbnb forte but it ought to be a core strength of a resort. Sadly, it isn't always so - when hotels are under-staffed and under-trained.

That has to change to win the fight with Airbnb. This means more staff, better trained staff and, yes, that increases the costs but it is worth it because it gives the resort a competitive edge. There is no way a sharing economy accommodation can rival the smooth professionalism of the staff at a top resort. No way.

Next: upgrade the activities on offer and cut out most of the upcharges.

A common resort guest complaint is being nickel and dimed. Give guests fun - exciting - activities and no sharing economy accommodation can compete. Keep as many as possible free. Airbnb generally offers no activities. So this becomes a huge win for the resort.

Last: focus on culinary.

Yes, that whole house rented via Airbnb has a kitchen, but unless you're a foodie shopping the local farmers' markets, most travelers will not want to cook while on vacation.

It is a lot more convenient to walk into a nearby restaurant and enjoy a well-priced meal in local surroundings.

Price a resort restaurant to be competitive with in-town dining and make very sure that the restaurant is as good as, ideally better than, other restaurants in town.

That means guests should want to eat there and when they do they will love the convenience and be wowed by the food. And that is a big win over Airbnb.

Now let's look at the scorecard. AIrbnb will probably win on space and price.

But a smart resort will win on service, activities and food - and that will be enough to delight many guests.

The fight with sharing economy accommodations is about to get brutal - know that. But it is winnable. Just double down on the strengths a well-run resort should have and the odds shift heavily in your favor.

Babs Harrison

Babs Harrison + Partners

Babs Harrison + Partners
With its inception in 2009, the Cornell Hospitality Icon and Innovator Awards became the largest event on the Hotel Schools calendar, attracting more than 600 influential leaders and innovators in the hospitality and travel industries from more than a dozen countries each year. The event is a key fundraiser for the Hotel Schools annual fund, which provides critical need-based scholarships for students.

For more information please contact Meg Keilbach
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Zika Virus Showing Impact on the Caribbean Hotel Industry

The Caribbean hotel industry experienced noticeable performance decreases in the first four months of 2016 that can in part be linked to the spread of the Zika virus, according to STRs consulting & analytics division.

Compared with the April year-to-date period of 2015, the Caribbeans occupancy fell 3.0% to 72.9%. Average daily rate was down 1.4% to US$268.86. Revenue per available room dropped 4.4% to US$195.99.

An April survey conducted by Travel Leaders Group showed that 96.1% of American consumers indicated that the Zika virus had not had an impact on their travel plans this year, said Steve Hennis, STRs VP for consulting & analytics. While that sounds positive, the converse would state that 3.9% of Americans did change their travel plans because of the virus.

A 3.9% drop in demand would have a fairly noticeable impact on occupancies, and data for the Caribbean hotel industry shows the effects already. Coming off of a strong 2015, and despite a very modest increase in supply, all of the key performance metrics are down.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zika virus disease is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected yellow fever mosquito, or Aedes aegypti.

Hennis also cited the following data in regard to performance in the Caribbean:

58% of hotels reported an occupancy decline with almost one-fourth of hotels experiencing an occupancy slide of 8% or more;

47% of hotels reported an ADR decrease; and

56% of hotels reported a RevPAR decrease.

Hennis said that a weakened Canadian dollar and the East Coast blizzard in January bear some of the responsibility for the negative performance thus far in 2016, but the overriding issue appears to be fear over the Zika virus.

The travel industry has dealt with other recent epidemics like SARS and swine flu, yet the affected regions have rebounded, Hennis said. The expectation is that Zika fears will subside and the issue will simply become another part of the travel decision-making process.

Much like concerns about social unrest, terrorism and even bad weather, travelers weigh the risks in the planning process. In the meantime, destinations are taking preventative measures to fight mosquitos and hopefully contain the outbreak. A more permanent solution is in the hands of the scientific research and medical communities who are working diligently to better understand the Zika virus.

About STR

STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com.
Ben Seidel, President and CEO says the move represents a major strategic initiative, embracing the opportunity to cultivate relationships at a deeper level with ownership, asset managers and investment groups.

Real Hospitality Group (RHG) announced today the addition of Chief Investment Officer, expanding the strategic plans for the company's next phase of client services and organizational expansion. Ben Seidel, President and CEO says the move represents a major strategic initiative, embracing the opportunity to cultivate relationships at a deeper level with ownership, asset managers and investment groups.

Seidel commented: "We are excited to announce the addition of Joseph Yi to our team. With his expertise in real estate investment, he will play an integral role in the propelling of our Company's growth, as well as assisting our current partners to attain their investment and financial goals. I feel that our current scale and size warrants a seasoned industry leader with the investment experience and sophistication to better service our clients and the company." Seidel added: "Having Joseph join our group is doubly rewarding for me; we are adding a "difference maker" and an industry opinion leader who will help us elevate our company to new heights, while also onboarding a seasoned veteran who can be of a tremendous resource to continuously improve the level of services we offer our clients."

Mr. Yi brings over 14 years of extensive real estate investment knowledge and experience spanning all major sectors. He is particularly adept in the acquisition, financing, and structuring of investments in hotels, office, multi-family, and mixed-use properties. The breadth of Mr. Yi's expertise has developed through various leadership roles, in which he spearheaded over $5 billion worth of real estate transactions, including over $2 billion in the lodging sector. Mr. Yi's extensive real estate finance background includes bridge, permanent and construction financing, including EB-5 financing in excess of $300 million in four development projects.

Prior to joining RHG, Mr. Yi was a managing director of a luxury residential developer in NYC and prior to that the Vice President of Investments and General Counsel for a prominent real estate and hotel developer.

Mr. Yi received his undergraduate degree from Binghamton University - State University of New York and his juris doctorate from Brooklyn Law School. He brings a comprehensive legal background, which includes several years of service as the General Counsel for a prominent New York-based real estate group. He is an active member of the New York State Bar Association, and has served on multiple boards for various business associations. Mr. Yi currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Asian Real Estate Association of America Manhattan Chapter, and is the founding member of its Commercial Division.

About Real Hospitality Group:

Real Hospitality Group (RHG) is headquartered in Ocean City, MD with a regional office in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The Real Hospitality Group portfolio includes 72 hotel properties with an inventory of more than 9,052 rooms in gateway cities that include New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, and locations in Syracuse, Newark, Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, DE, Montauk, New York, and Ocean City, MD.


For just $313 you can have your own slice of the rappers past.

Eminem has revealed he will be selling items from his childhood home which was demolished in 2013.

The rapper's Detroit home featured on the cover of The Marshal Mathers LP which was released 16 years ago today. The house also featured on the sequel to the EP which was released in 2013.

Eminem has offered no reasoning behind his choice to sell items from the house but has offered several deals for his fans. You can get a wooden dog tag for $28 and for $350 you can get a brick from the house, a dog tag, cassette and Marshal Mathers LP T-Shirt. All come with a signed certificate declaring their authenticity.

Some of the proceeds will go to the Marshal Mathers Foundation which supports organisations who focus on at risk youths in Michigan.
The American electro-pop star is arriving in Dublin this winter

Melanie Martinez has announced a headline show at The Olympia Theatre, Dublin on November 28.

US electro-pop star began writing songs and playing guitar at 14. She taught herself how to play guitar, as her family couldnt afford to send her to guitar lessons, and was influenced both by her dads predilection for old school hip-hop and her own interest in folk songwriters like Regina Spektor and Feist.

Tickets priced from 31 inclusive of booking and restoration fee go on sale at 9am this Friday, May 27.
McCartney defended the rappers repeated use of the n-word and called him "a crazy guy".

Paul McCartney has discussed his collaboration with Kanye West on the 'All Day' and 'FourFiveSeconds'. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 programme, Mastertapes. The former Beatle described Yeezie as a "monster" but also a "great guy".

He discussed the creative process they went. The pair sat around as McCartney strummed guitar chords and Kanye recorded everything on his phone. He didn't hear anything from the rapper for several months until he "got this record that was like a Rihanna song". It was a sped up version of one of his riffs with his vocals speed up to squeak out the line "I find a mystery". "That's me! I loved it!", McCartney said on the radio programme. "You work with him [Kanye]. You leave it for a little while, let it marinate and just hope he gets back to you".

"We never appeared to write a song. A lot of what we did was just telling each other stories", the bassist said. For finished version of the track 'All Day' Kanye used a melody line McCartney played on guitar and made it "seriously urban".

McCartney also decided to disregard those who advised him to disassociate himself with the release of the track, including Oprah Winfrey, due to the repeated use of the n-word in the lyrics. People like Oprah, who are a little conservative about that stuff, she says, You shouldn't do it, even black people shouldn't use that word. I said, Yeah, but it's Kanye!".

He said the reason he stood by the song was, "he's talking about an urban generation that uses that word in a completely different way. It's the context". Mastertapes will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 this Saturday, May 28 at 10am.


With their 20th anniversary looming, Stereophonics are in the form of their lives. Ahead of a much anticipated Dublin show, frontman Kelly Jones talks music, life and the shadow of terrorism

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The Galway group set for a Dublin comeback.

The Saw Doctors will play their first Dublin gig since 2012.

The Tuam rockers have announced a gig in the Olympia later this year before touring the UK.

Tickets for the November show are on sale now from the usual outlets.
The indie rock outfit haven't released any new material since 2013.

The Strokes have teased that they may play new material at an upcoming festival slot. They will headline the Governers Ball in New York in June.

A fan asked guitarist for the group, Albert Hammond Jr. on Twitter if the band would be premiering any new songs at the event. His reply was a simple "wait and see".

You'll just have to wait and see https://t.co/8yAhgSQNTV  Albert Hammond Jr (@alberthammondjr) May 24, 2016

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Organisers for the Governers Ball festival recently said during an AMA on Reddit that they asked the band to play in the promise of them performing new material. "This would be their first batch of new tunes in about, well, half a decade. Thats kind of a big deal".

The Strokes are headlining the NY state festival alongside Beck and Kanye West. They head down under in later this summer to headline the Splendour In The Glass Festival in Byron Bay on July 22.
Weve been inundated with excellent crime dramas from Scandinavia over the past few years, but an interesting challenger to the Nordics is emerging from a bit closer to home. From the misty Welsh seaside comes Hinterland, AKA Y Gwyll, which follows detectives Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington, left) and Mared Rhys (Mali Harries), as they investigate the seedy underbelly of criminals that threaten the remote coastal region of Ceredigion. Murderers, stalkers and thieves drag Mathias into a world of death, drugs and recrimination, as he struggles to maintain the stability of his home town Aberystwyth.

As he delves deeper into the locales dark side, the young policeman is forced to confront his own personal demons. Atmospheric and disturbing, this is a series of poignancy and scale, a story of blood, soil and belonging.

Currently airing on BBC Four on Saturday evenings at 9pm, Hinterland season 2 is released on DVD on May 30.

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NEW YORK - Boeing Co. is selling 100 aircraft worth about $11.3 billion at list prices to Vietnam's VietJet as the airline seeks to expand its international and domestic flights.

Aircraft in deals of this size are typically sold at a discount to list prices, however.
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ATHENS, Greece - Alexis Tsipras doesn't wear a tie, but a growing number of his critics do.

The left-wing prime minister won a vote in parliament early Monday that will heap more taxes on a dwindling number of Greeks able to pay them.

Whereas previous protests against austerity cuts drew violent street demonstrations featuring hooded youths throwing firebombs, this time it's suited middle classes professionals revolting. Lawyers in particular are leading what's been dubbed the "necktie movement" with a strike that's closed courtrooms since mid-January.

Effectively, no one in Greece can get a divorce, inherit property, sue for wrongful dismissal, or carry out any transaction that requires court approval. Only criminal cases nearing the statute of limitation are going to court as an enormous backlog of cases has pushed trial dates as far back as 2032.

More than 200,000 trials have been postponed in Athens alone. At the city's main court complex, criminal suspects in handcuffs, police escorts, and smartly dressed lawyers gather around a canteen that sells toasted sandwiches and iced coffee, waiting hours for their new court dates.

Athens lawyer Thanos Koussoulos says self-employed professionals like him will feel the most pain, as the new measures will increase monthly pension contributions, taxable income, and levies on services.

"An average lawyer will lose half his income and won't be able to survive," he said, speaking in an empty courtroom. "Every part of society has been affected by these measures, including groups once considered to be privileged. I think it's a good thing they are demonstrating."

Prime Minister Tsipras, 41, was elected on a pledge to scrap austerity. But he was forced by bailout lenders to abandon his position to receive more rescue loans for Greece and a promise of better repayment terms needed for the economy to pull out of recession.

Shortly before the vote, Tsipras argued that sacrifices asked of Greeks would finally pay off.

"Spring may soon be over, but the real spring for our economy lies ahead of us ... We've turned the page of history," Tsipras told lawmakers.

Under the new measures, taxes will be added to everything from beer and coffee to gasoline and monthly Internet charges. Sales taxes will increase across the board, the government created an automatic austerity mechanism to safeguard future budget targets beyond its own term in office, and bailout creditors were even given seats on a new privatization committee with expanded powers.

The measures pave the way for eurozone finance ministers to approve the release of a new batch of bailout loans when they meet in Brussels on Tuesday. The creditors will then address the next vital issue for Greece: how to lighten the burden of repaying its mountain of bailout loans.

Greece has relied on financial aid from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund since 2010, but harsh cost-cutting reforms demanded in return sent the economy into shock and about a quarter of the workforce still remains jobless. That has weakened its ability to repay the loans.
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WASHINGTON - As national governments around the world move to strengthen climate change policies, the country's two largest oil companies face a critical test of shareholder confidence in whether they can adapt to the shifting regulatory environment.

On Wednesday, Exxon Mobil and Chevron each hold shareholders' votes at their respective annual meetings in Dallas and northern California to assess whether they should take steps such as conducting financial analysis of climate change policies and putting climate experts on their boards.

The resolutions are largely symbolic, but if approved, they would show that shareholders want oil company boards and executives to more directly address climate change concerns in the way they do business.

The votes come at a critical time for the oil sector, which is coming under increased political, regulatory and popular pressure to slow the pace of climate change even as it contends with the worst oil bust in a generation.

Last year, nearly 200 world leaders in Paris agreed to try to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, and attorneys general from New York, California and the U.S. Virgin Islands have launched investigations into whether Exxon committed fraud in its public statements that discounted the impact of fossil fuels on climate change.

On Wednesday, protesters from several environmental groups are expected to demonstrate at the Exxon Mobil's annual meeting to urge shareholders to support the resolutions and push the oil giant to take steps to address climate change.

"The company must strike a more appropriate balance on climate change, and we will be confronting Exxon with this challenge Wednesday," said Sister Pat Daly, a Dominican nun from New Jersey who has protested atExxon's meetings for years.

Resolutions gain support

Oil companies have faced similar votes dating back to the 1990s, but in recent years the resolutions have gained increasing support.

Shareholders of European oil companies Royal Dutch Shell and BP both overwhelmingly passed resolutions calling on executives to analyze how their business plans fit in with climate change goals. Earlier this month, more than 40 percent of shareholders of Andarko Petroleum of The Woodlands voted yes on a similar proposal, up from 30 percent last year.

The Exxon and Chevron resolutions have been spearheaded by a group of investors that control more than $1 billion in shares and includes the New York State Comptroller, the Church of England and the University of California Retirement Plan. Exxon and Chevron, however, are urging shareholders to vote down the climate initiatives, which are not binding but serve to give executives a sense of what strategies their shareholders want employed.

The two companies argue they are well aware of the potential impact of climate change policy on their business and are already factoring it in to their business decisions.

Exxon, for instance, says it is testing new drilling projects to determine whether they would remain profitable under schemes that would impose significant costs on each ton of carbon emitted by the fossil fuels.

Michael Webber, deputy director of the University of Texas' Energy Institute, said he expects the oil companies can adjust to so-called carbon pricing measures.

"In the short term, my attitude is these are smart, nimble companies," he said. "They'll be fine, assuming the policies are designed in a rational way."

A looming carbon bubble?

The oil companies also add that their businesses should remain healthy for at least the next couple of decades, since oil demand is expected to hold steady. A forecast from the International Energy Agency last year predicted that 75 percent of the world's energy supply would still come from fossil fuels in 2040.

But in the longer term, if carbon emissions are further restrained or even banned, and if renewable technologies improve, then oil companies face the risk of the reserves upon which their value is based staying trapped underground - a concept investors have termed the carbon bubble.

Among the legions of environmental activists using stock ownership to try and leverage change within the oil industry, there is a strong sentiment that Exxon and Chevron are not prepared for what the activists consider all but inevitable.

One proposal put to Exxon shareholders this year would have the company shift its reporting on its reserves from barrels of oil equivalent to British Thermal Units, a measure of energy. Theoretically, such a move would put a priority on building energy sources other than oil.

"Unfortunately, the measure of oil and gas companies is their ability to replace their reserves," Danielle Fugere, president of the activist group As You Sow Foundation, told reporters Monday.

"That system is now becoming a recipe for disaster," Fugere said. "The Paris agreement settled any debate around the world's intent to decarbonize."
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The University of Houston-Downtown plans to buy a large swath of land north of its Main Street campus for an expansion that will bring new academic and student life facilities to the university.

The school received approval from the University of Houston System Board of Regents to pay $13.2 million for the 17-acre property currently owned by a partnership that includes the Metropolitan Transit Authority and a Houston real estate developer.

The partnership, Wellington Fisher, has owned the acreage for more than a decade, after buying it from Hakeem Olajuwon, the former Houston Rocket star who's also been a real estate investor.

"This land has been on the university's radar for a long time," said David Bradley, UHD's vice president for administration and finance. "We hoped one day we could own it."

It was once being considered for a intermodal transit project, but Metro abandoned those plans several years ago after spending $41 million on it.

The authority owns the land in partnership with developer Rocky Stevens. Metro referred questions about the sale to Stevens, who was not immediately available for comment.

"I believe that the new campus footprint will be viewed as among the most significant developments in the university's institutional history," board Vice Chairman Welcome Wilson Jr. said in an announcement Monday. "This land acquisition assures UHD has the needed acreage for enrollment growth, campus expansion and development of new academic programs."

The land is expected to house a new science and technology building, approved by the Texas Legislature last spring.

The university is in the process of selecting an architectural firm to design the building, which UHD hopes to have open by summer 2019.

Much of the land is in the 100-year floodplain, so development will require approval from the Harris County Flood Control Districts, Bradley said.

"Our plan is to leave a lot of it green for the foreseeable future," Bradley added.

The acquisition will increase the size of the university's downtown digs to 40 acres on both sides of Interstate 10.

The 17-acre tract announced Monday will give the university control of 27 contiguous acres bordered by White Oak Bayou to the west, North Main to the east, the Union Pacific railroad tracks to the north and the existing UHD campus to the south.

The land, once owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, used to contain warehouses and a rail line.

Bradley said the university is aware of a plan by the Texas Department of Transportation to expand and rebuild highways around downtown, which potentially could affect the newly acquired site.

He said the portion of the acreage the school wants most would not be affected.

Until TxDOT's plans become more clear, the land in its proposed path will be used for green space and ball fields.

The land deal is expected to close in August.
DETROIT - Once again, Tesla Motors is staring down the naysayers.

CEO Elon Musk's surprised investors Wednesday with a promise to make 500,000 cars per year by 2018, two years ahead of plan - a brash projection given that Tesla has missed smaller production targets in the past.

Auto industry analysts balked. Many doubt that Tesla has the cash, plant capacity or manufacturing expertise to pull off those numbers.

"This is beyond challenging," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president for forecasting at the consulting firm LMC Automotive. "There are so many things that would have to be lined up in a very short amount of time for that to happen."

Tesla's shares dropped 5 percent on Thursday to $212.02.

But the auto industry and some on Wall Street have been wrong before about 13-year-old Tesla. It has sold more than 110,000 vehicles worldwide even without a traditional dealer network. The California-based company has never made a full-year profit but its market value is more than half that of General Motors Co.

U.S. sales of Tesla's Model S luxury sedan jumped 51 percent last year, even as luxury competitors from Mercedes and Audi saw big sales declines.

It doesn't advertise, but drew lines hundreds deep in March when it started taking deposits for its lower-cost Model 3.

Tesla has plenty of believers. Among them is Andrea James, a longtime analyst with Dougherty and Co. She announced Wednesday she was resigning and said she can't wait to buy Tesla shares.

"Does Tesla have a technology lead that is real? Can Tesla build it? Will people come? Yes, yes and yes," James said.

Skeptics point to Tesla's issues with bringing vehicles to market in the past. The Model X SUV, Tesla's latest vehicle, was delayed by more than 18 months while Tesla fiddled with its complicated features, like gull-wing rear doors and free-standing rear seats. That has many doubting Tesla can meet its goal of producing 100,000 to 200,000 Model 3 sedans in the latter half of 2017.

"We want to believe, but we simply cannot," said Brad Erickson of Pacific Crest Securities in a note to investors.
Loetha McGruder, 22, was driving through the Houston ship channel suburb of Jacinto City when she was pulled over on May 19 by a police officer, for travelling about 10 miles an hour over the posted 40-mph speed limit, her lawyers said.

Instead of a ticket, the young pregnant mother, who has a disabled 4-year-old son and a 10-month-old baby at home, found herself arrested and taken to Harris County jail on a misdemeanor charge of failing to present proper ID to the officer, court records show There McGruder remained for five full days because she could not afford to pay $5,000 bail set by a Harris County hearing officer.

That hearing officer did not indicate on a form why he set bond at $5,000 - the maximum amount Harris County designates for misdemeanors though McGruder had no criminal history and two children, the eldest of whom suffers from Down's syndrome.

And he never asked McGruder if she could afford to pay bail - though under both federal and state laws magistrates are required to consider individual defendants' cases individually - including their ability to post bail.

Nor do records indicate that he reviewed any ticket or the circumstances of her arrest before finding "probable cause for further detention exists."

McGruder is the latest of three misdemeanor defendants to be added to a class action lawsuit pending in Houston federal court that alleges that Harris County's bail hearings routinely violate the constitutional rights of people like her. The county's hearings are conducted by via videolink without defense lawyers present.

The case was filed last Thursday by a Washington D.C. group called Equal Justice Under Law, which has been challenging what it calls money bail practices in federal court cases filed all across the United States. Other jurisdictions it has challenged include Ferguson, Mo. and San Francisco, Ca.

Maranda Odonnell, another young mother recently arrested and jailed after failing to present proper ID at a traffic stop and Robert Ryan Ford, a Houston man jailed pretrial after being caught shoplifting about $100 in cosmetics, are the other named defendants. The three were selected to represent thousands of people jailed each year in Harris County on misdemeanor charges because they cannot afford to post bail, which ranges from $500 - $5,000 based on the county's fixed bond rate schedule.

The lawsuit names Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman, who oversees the jail, and the five county hearing officers that generally review such cases and set bond. On any given day, more than 70 percent of those jailed in Harris County are pretrial defendants who have been accused but not yet convicted of a crime, though typically only about 500 at any one time are jailed for minor misdemeanor offenses like petty theft or trespassing.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys have been monitoring conditions in Harris County jail since 2008. An investigation by the Houston Chronicle found that 55 pretrial detainees died in Harris County custody from 2009-2015, including offenders jailed for misdemeanor crimes like trespassing. Last month, another man detained because he could not post bail after allegedly stealing a guitar - a misdemeanor - was beaten to death by two inmates jailed on felony charges.

In part because of federal pressure, county officials have been working on reforms - announcing this year that they had obtained a grant to create a diversion court, revamp pretrial reviews and attempt to urge judges to increase release options for non-violent offenders. But advocates like Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston say those plans left the flawed bond hearings in place - opening the door for the federal civil rights challenge that he supports.

The civil rights case remains pending in federal court - where Equal Justice Under Law attorneys are seeking reforms in lieu of any kind of monetary compensation for all pretrial defendants jailed in Harris County on misdemeanor offenses.

But the case already has begun to have an impact on the lives of those named in the lawsuit, attorneys said.

Last week only hours after the Houston Chronicle posted its story about the federal court challenge, an anonymous donor arranged to post bond on behalf of Odonnell, the first defendant to join the effort, according to Houston criminal defense attorney JoAnne Musick, who has volunteered to represent Odonnel, McGruder and Ford in their county cases.

Odonnell and her attorneys learned she'd be freed on Friday through that mysterious donation - to their great surprise since she had no ability to post her $2,500 bond otherwise, Musick said.

In hearings on Monday morning, Musick obtained a plea agreement for Ford that allowed him to be released based on the five days in jail he'd already served pretrial after being arrested for shoplifting about $100 in items at a Walmart. The items were immediately recovered by the store. The county's cost for jailing him exceeded the value of the theft.

Next Musick sought personal bond and release for McGruder. Personal bonds, which allow defendants to be released without being required to pay after promising to appear for future court dates, are rarely granted in Harris County courts, though they are commonly used for misdemeanor offenders elsewhere, state statistics and pretrial detention studies show.

But after Musick told the judge her client could not afford to pay $5,000, Judge Jay Karahan, of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No 8, granted a personal bond for McGruder.

The hearing occurred early in the day. McGruder's bond was processed at 2 p.m.

But because misdemeanor defendants are not mixed in with thousands of others who are regularly detained and processed each day in Harris County it was very late at night before McGruder was finally released and reunited with her children.
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Way, way out in the Atlantic Ocean, at a point where one of Earth's four cold water currents meets the searing African desert winds, nights are dark as prehistory. Once the sun sets on the volcanic archipelago known as the Canary Islands, a misty net of extraterrestrial white light blankets the sky from horizon to horizon. Until dawn, every ray of visible starlight in the entire northern hemisphere and much of the southern hemisphere gathers overhead. That sprawl of sky over a small island speck on the black ocean suggests, like few other experiences, the nanosecond that is human life.

Such black nights and clear skies have beckoned astronomers to install some of the world's most powerful telescopes on volcanic peaks in this archipelago off the northwestern coast of Africa. As scientists use these state-of-the-art observatories to search out signs of the Big Bang, at sea level 8,000 feet below, tens of thousands of mostly British vacationers are getting drunk and sunburned.

Five million tourists annually visit this Spanish territory to bask in Europe's only subtropical weather. The port at Tenerife, the largest island, is the third-most-visited cruise ship destination in Europe.

Behemoth floating parties disgorge thousands of passengers daily in wintertime, the high season. Only a small percentage of tourists make the two-hour nauseating ascent to the telescopes perched at the windy top of Mount Teide.

That may be about to change. Astrotourism is already a component of the Canaries' booming tourism industry, drawing about 200,000 visitors annually. But with the 2014 designation of the islands as part of a larger EU SkyRoute itinerary for visitors, and the creation in 2011 of a music and astronomy festival, Canarian officials believe more star trekkers will soon be taking the winding drive up the mountain.

Island officials and the Spanish government are trying to cement the islands' reputation as a key destination for both amateur and professional astronomers. In 2007, scientists and policymakers from some 50 countries met on the smaller island of La Palma for the first International Conference in Defense of the Quality of the Night Sky, producing a declaration on "protecting the sky as a basic right for all humanity."

The Canary Islands telescope sites are run by astronomers at the Institute of Astrophysics in Tenerife, a local research organization that operates the European Northern Observatory. The islands have also hosted telescopes from 28 nations over the last few decades.

La Palma, population 70,000, is home to a large colony of scientists and the remnants of a 1960s German commune, and it is also a tiny center for astrotourism. The economy revolves around astronomy, and besides the telescope and research center, there are 13 sky-viewing points on La Palma.

Tenerife's astrotourism lure was bumped up in the past few years with the Starmus Festival, headlined by the likes of the late U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong and other stars of the space world. In the fall of 2014, in a vast conference hall in the Ritz Carlton's Abama resort, Garik Israelian, a Canarian astrophysicist, stood before 600 science aficionados from all over the world, with music from Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" blasting from speakers all around.

Everyone had their iPhones aimed at the wheelchair mounted with a black Intel laptop that almost obscured the figure of physicist Stephen Hawking.

Hawking, along with Brian May of the band Queen, who earned a doctorate in physics from the Canary Islands astrophysical institute, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and several astronauts, was among the headliners at the second Starmus Festival in 2014, the pet project of Israelian.

Israelian is a rocker-scientist who had his own punk band and studied astrophysics in Armenia before emigrating to Spain with his family in the 1970s. He moved to Tenerife and began researching supernovas at the observatories.

The islands are essential to extraterrestrial exploration now, but they played a key role in earthly exploration as well. Columbus "discovered" them in 1492, that banner year in the human enterprise of looking beyond. Drifting down the coast of Africa before steering west to discover the Americas, the explorer dropped anchor and fueled up on fresh water and fruit here.

The islands were not exactly new to mainland Europeans when Columbus arrived. The origin of their name is the Latin word for dog - cane - possibly because, as ancient Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder wrote, early Roman visitors to the islands encountered huge dogs. The small tropical birds we call canaries, native to these islands and others, are named after the islands - not the other way around.

But when Columbus dropped anchor, the islands were still inhabited by a tall, white-skinned people called the Guanches.

Within two years of the explorer's stopover, the Spaniards had colonized the islands and eradicated the Guanche, selling the survivors as white slaves on the Continent.

For modern-day American visitors, the Canary Islands resemble the Caribbean but possess facilities and characteristics of Europe - hospitals, low crime, relatively high standard of living, Spanish culture and healthy, delicious food. But the chief difference between Tenerife and, say, Aruba or the Bahamas is the island's role in international space endeavors.

Israelian plans a third, even larger Starmus festival from June 27 to July 2 this year devoted to discussion of the search for life in the universe.

"The only place and best place to do something like this is here," he said.
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By the time Joseph Cline waded to the telegraph office to send a last, desperate missive, most of Galveston was already underwater.

For days, a massive storm had been brewing in the Caribbean. Swirling slowly on a northerly course, it had drenched Cuba but posed no danger - it seemed - to the prosperous city 50 miles south of Houston.

Now, just after midday on Sept. 8, 1900, it had reached the island. Sea spilled into streets, debris floated past buildings, a black and crimson storm flag whipped in the surging wind.

At the telegraph office, Cline learned that only one phone line to the mainland still worked - and 4,000 calls waited in a queue. He wrangled his way ahead of the others and sent a message warning of an "awful disaster."

Moments later, that phone line, too, went dead.

Even in the midst of chaos, Cline was careful to encipher his cable. He did not want news of the calamity about to beset Galveston to spread through Houston. At least, not yet.

The two places were then locked in a battle to be the greatest city in Texas. One of the greatest in the country.

More Information By the numbers Death toll: 6,000-12,000 Homes destroyed: 3,600 Storm surge: 15.7 feet Highest elevation on the island: 8.7 feet Estimated damages in 1900 dollars: $21 million See More Collapse

The Storm of 1900 would forever tip that balance, halting the progress of one city and clearing the path for the ascent of the other.

****

At the dawn of the 20th century, Galveston was a bustling center of commerce, culture and concentrated wealth. The second-largest port on the Gulf coast and the third-largest city in Texas. The first in the state to have electricity and telephones.

The 27-mile-long island was home to 35 churches, 30 hotels, 484 saloons, 50 brothels and 45 steamship lines. It boasted the biggest opera house in Texas; a lyceum where Galvestonians would gather for lectures; Greek Revival, Romanesque and Italianate mansions; and a downtown known as the "Wall Street of the Southwest."

According to "Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson, the city was home to more millionaires per square mile than Newport, R.I.

It was a city on the rise. With Houston close behind.

The census of 1900 showed Houston's population at 44,633 - for the first time, outpacing Galveston, which had 37,789 residents. Houston, limited as a port city by its inland location, had a near-monopoly on the railroads fast becoming the best way to transport goods. As a result, it had become a transportation hub for cotton crops from the Brazos River Valley.

The city on the Buffalo Bayou also wanted to compete with Galveston as a major port.

During the 1890s, U.S.Rep. Tom Ball fought to convince Congress to dredge Houston's ship channel to a 25-foot depth. But those efforts were blocked in Congress and opposed by the Corps of Engineers, which maintained that Galveston Harbor was enough to serve the region.

The "awful disaster" of Sept. 8 would change that.

B B B

By 6 p.m. that day, the worst of the storm was battering Galveston.

Survivors described an island in utter darkness as angry winds of up to 140 mph lashed the shoreline, reduced the clapboard houses closest to the sea to rubble and hurled slate roof tiles through the air like projectiles. Galvestonians huddled for shelter in brick and stone buildings like the Ursuline Convent and the Tremont Hotel, which each housed 1,000 refugees. Another 400 hunkered down in city hall. Those structures and the bulk of the affluent "Silk Stocking" district survived; working-class neighborhoods were ravaged.

Luisa Rolfing rode the storm out with her family of five in her brother-in-law's house. Her account describes the water swirling up over the ceiling of the first floor and the piano skittering across the room as the house lurched back and forth. "It sounded as if the rooms were filled with a thousand little devils, shrieking and whistling," she later wrote.

A 15-foot surge of water wrought the greatest destruction as it swamped the island, whose highest point measured all of 8.7 feet above sea level.

The rush of water uprooted a train trestle and flung it through the home of Isaac Cline, Joseph's brother and the chief meteorologist in the Galveston office of the U.S. Weather Bureau. Fifty people, along with Isaac Cline's pregnant wife, their three daughters and Joseph, had sought shelter there.

The house was knocked off its foundation, tossing the inhabitants into the roiling water. Cline found his brother and three young children clinging to wreckage, but 18 others - including his wife - did not survive.

At St. Mary's Catholic Orphan Asylum, on the west end of the island, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word tried to save the orphans by tying them with cinctures so they would not float away. The asylum was destroyed, and all 10 nuns and 90 children died. Three teenage boys, who survived by clinging to a floating tree, were rescued after two days.

Dawn revealed a devastated island: Thousands dead, scores missing, the physical and psychological landscape of Galveston forever altered.

B B B

In the aftermath, there were stories of heroism, resilience and rebirth.

Daniel Ransom, an African-American paper hanger who lived near the sea, saved 45 people during the storm, diving into the thrashing water to pull them out of harm's way.

At Ursuline Convent, four women gave birth during the storm, including one who was pulled into the convent after being thrown from her home onto a floating trunk.

Six survivors - two journalists, two brokers, a contractor and an engineer - commandeered a 20-foot launch and made it to the mainland, where a relief effort was already underway in Houston. That city soon sent 250 men, 100,000 gallons of fresh water and two boxcars of food.

Other assistance came from across the country, including the arrival of Clara Barton and her Red Cross workers. U.S. troops were sent in to establish martial law. The War Department distributed rations and tents.

For weeks, about 200 families left homeless camped out on the beach. The bodies of those killed in the storm were burned in funeral pyres on the sand.

It would take more than a decade for the city to rebuild.

A decade in which two forces combined to push Houston to prominence.

In 1901, oil was discovered at Spindletop, near Beaumont - marking the birth of the industry that would fuel Houston's future.

In 1914, the Houston Ship Channel was completed, a project that had gained support after Galveston was flattened, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

"The hurricane made the logic of an inland port on the Texas Gulf Coast clear to all," the report concluded.

The rivalry, it seemed, was over. Houston had won.
On the San Jacinto plain between Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River, at about 3 p.m. on April 21, 1836, Gen. Sam Houston began forming his army for a long-awaited assault on the superior forces of Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Earlier in the day, Houston had sent his scout Erastus "Deaf" Smith to destroy the bridge over Vince's Bayou, thereby cutting off the Mexican Army's retreat and the path for additional reinforcements.

After weeks of humiliating retreat, after trying to absorb the shocking news of the Alamo massacre and the slaughter of 300 men at Goliad (on Palm Sunday), the ragtag army of Texans, totaling about 900 men, was frustrated, angry (at Houston) and seething. At last they would face the foe intent on either killing or driving out every American colonist in the newly declared independent republic. On this field, on this spring afternoon, the fate of the place known as Texas would be determined.

The center column of the Texan force was flanked by a left and right wing, with the infantry on the right of the artillery and the cavalry under Mirabeau B. Lamar deployed on the extreme right. About 4 o'clock, the army quietly wheeled its Twin Sisters cannon, a gift from the people of Gonzales, onto the prairie. And then, in a thin line 1,000 yards across, they began to stride through the tall grass, hidden from Mexican view by trees and a rising swale of ground. Two hundred yards from Santa Anna's barricades, they realized their foe was unaware. Gen. Martin Cos' men, some 500 reinforcements, had arrived the night before and were exhausted by their forced march. The soldiers who worked through the night to erect flimsy barricades of trunks, baggage and packsaddles also were exhausted, and the Mexicans had failed to set pickets out. Houston attacked during the Mexican Army's siesta.

As the line of men surged across the plain, three scraggly fifers played the only tune all three knew, a risque barroom ballad called "Will You Come to the Bower?" Back and forth across the long line, Houston rode his white stallion Saracen. A flag featuring a bare-breasted Liberty led them into battle, its flagstaff topped with the dainty white glove of a Kentucky lieutenant's sweetheart.

Within 200 yards of the Mexican camp, the Texans began to fire. Their two cannons, loaded with chopped horseshoes, slammed into barely awake Mexican soldiers.

"We were all firing as rapidly as we could," said Private Alfonso Steele (quoted in Jeff Long's "Duel of Eagles"). "And as soon as we fired every man went to reloading, and he who first got his gun reloaded moved on, not waiting for orders."

The Mexican camp erupted into chaos, with some soldiers scrambling for their weapons, others trying to shelter themselves behind large trees. Still others hunkered down to the ground, trying to avoid the rain of deadly grapeshot. One of Santa Anna's most experienced officers climbed atop ammunition crates to survey the frantic scene. He stood there, in disgust and despair, until he was cut down by a rebel soldier, a soldier no doubt howling and shouting "Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!"

More Information EXCERPT lleGeni cone excea cus, atur? Is ut quiandaerum fugias mo cullignis modio. Ut lignisque sincien dicipsunt que nit volupta temporitaqui tem fuga. Nequate omnihilitate netur asimpor iaspelestin pliquibusda sametur reped moluptatem erit ON THE BAYOU Though the battle was quickly over, the slaughter went on for hours. When it finally ended, 630 Mexican soldiers were dead and some 730 had been taken prisoner. Eight Texans were killed; a couple of dozen were wounded. See More Collapse

According to Houston's estimate, the battle was over in 18 minutes, although the killing continued until after dark. Along the bayou and across the prairie, wounded Mexican boys pleading for their lives were clubbed or shot or knifed to death. Pleading "Me no Alamo," Mexican soldiers clutched at Texan ankles and begged to surrender, to no avail. Fleeing Mexican troops who made it as far as a nearby marshy lake were picked off like sitting ducks in the water. Bodies piled up in the water.

With the battle won, Houston repeatedly tried to get his men to regroup, in case Mexican reinforcements showed up. He and his officers ordered them to take prisoners, again to no avail. John Wharton tried to obey, only to hear one of his men respond, "Colonel Wharton, if Jesus Christ were to come down from heaven and order me to quit shooting Santanistas, I wouldn't do it, sir!" Moses Austin Bryan, the empresario's nephew, saw Wharton draw his sword, but the soldier cocked his rifle, and Wharton, "very discreetly (I always thought), turned on his horse and left."

The slaughter went on for hours. When it finally ended, 630 Mexican soldiers were dead and some 730 had been taken prisoner. Eight Texans were killed; a couple of dozen were wounded.

Houston had three horses shot out from under him and had his left ankle shattered by a musket ball. As the afternoon turned to evening, the Texans led columns of Mexican prisoners into camp, but there was no sign of Santa Anna. Early the next day, a Texan detail in search of additional prisoners discovered him hiding in tall grass. Dirty and wet, he was wearing a Mexican private's blouse, but Mexican prisoners recognized him as he was led to where the wounded Texas general was lying at the base of a large live oak, in considerable pain from his ankle. "El Presidente!" they gasped as the dictator passed by.

Waking from an opiated nap, Houston raised up on one elbow and greeted Santa Anna courteously. The general took a seat on a black box and asked for a bit of opium for himself. The two men chatted the rest of the afternoon. "Pleasantly teased by their hits of opium," historian Long writes, "the Anglo-Saxon chieftain and the Hispanic caudillo set up the continental chessboard in positions that would still be playing out a century and a half later."

On May 14, the Mexican dictator signed the so-called Velasco Treaties, one public and one private. The public treaty provided for a cease-fire; repatriation of prisoners, including Santa Anna; restoration of Texas property taken by Mexico; and safe conduct for the Mexican armies as they withdrew beyond the Rio Grande. The secret treaty gave Santa Anna freedom immediately, in exchange for his influence in securing the agreement of the rest of the Mexican government to recognize an independent Texas, with the Rio Grande and not the Nueces River as its boundary.

"Measured purely by its subsequent historical impact, the Battle of San Jacinto was one of the most pivotal in history," historian James Haley has observed. The birth of an independent Texas led to its annexation to the United States nearly a decade later and then to the Mexican War, which transformed the United States into a continental power. As 1 of 8 inscriptions on the exterior base of the San Jacinto Monument notes, "Almost one-third of the present area of the American nation, nearly a million square miles of territory, changed sovereignty."
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Houston's early business leaders saw the city's success entwined with their own.

Today, the city maintains that entrepreneurial spirit despite having become the fourth largest U.S. city and its No. 1 exporting region, as well as a global energy capital and an under-recognized center for the arts.

"Houston has always been about business," local historian Betty Chapman said. "Still is."

The city was founded in 1836 and built on its ability, with its access to ports and railroads, to transport the region's resources around the world. Cotton, lumber and agricultural products became the city's foundation and Houston benefited from funneling those goods from Texas and neighboring states down Buffalo Bayou to the Port of Galveston, and later from the Port of Houston.

Whenever amenities like street lights or paved roads became available early on, they always went first to the business center downtown, she said.

Houston's first residents were merchants from across the South who responded to the Allen brothers' 1836 ads depicting a lush and hilly paradise with Gulf breezes, Chapman said.

More Information from bayous to business hub 1841: Houston opens its first market house building on Market Square 1845: 11,359 bales of cotton pass over Houston's docks 1866: Houston's bank established 1899: 2.5 million bales of cotton pass through Houston Cotton drove Houston's early growth as a trade city. Lumber, rice, fruits and vegetables also were major products of the region. Sources: interview with historian Betty Chapman, Picturesque Houston by W. W. Dexler, 1900 on the bayou Before Houston had its own port, it remained secondary to Galveston, which had the coastal advantage. Getting railroads built to it, and later its own port, propelled Houston past its coastal sibling. See More Collapse

"Of course (they) found something else here," she said. "They thought they had passed it."

Expecting settlers, brothers Augustus and John Allen planned 62 downtown blocks with 80-foot-wide boulevards, according to the 1991 book "Houston: Gateway to the Future." By 1837, about 1,500 people had settled in Houston and built 100 houses, according to "The People of Baker Botts" by J. H. Freeman, which was commissioned by the law firm.

William Marsh Rice came to Houston from Massachusetts, but the ship he sent with goods to sell in Texas sank on its way. "He arrived penniless," Chapman said, and began his career in Houston as a bartender. He became involved in the cotton trade and other industries, founded what became Rice University and at one point was known as the wealthiest man in Houston. Despite his initial misfortune, his story of self-making represents Houston's start.

Agriculture was the foundation of early trade, with farmers from around the state hauling their produce on wagons to Market Square downtown. In 1841 the first market house opened across from the square, with stalls for selling goods and offices for city hall.

"This was a really good agricultural area," Chapman said. "That was about all they had going for them at the beginning."

Houston's biggest economic driver in the 1800s and into the 1900s was cotton. Farmers also grew pears, peaches, grapes, plums, strawberries, raspberries, cabbage, peas, sweet potatoes and alfalfa, according to the 1894 book "The Industrial Advantages of Houston and Environs."

Much of it was grown in the fertile Brazos River Valley, Chapman said. The cotton merchants served as Houston's bankers as businesses grew since banking wasn't legal in Texas until after the CivilWar, using cotton as collateral for loans. In 1866 First National Bank became Houston's initial bank, said Jim Parsons, director of special projects for Preservation Houston.

By 1884 Houstonians had built the Cotton Exchange Building to house the growing market, and before the turn of the next century merchants were exporting cotton to Japan and Europe. In 1899 more than 2.5 million bales passed through Houston, bringing in more than $250 million, W.W. Dexter wrote in the 1900 book "Picturesque Houston."

By the mid-1920s Houston had the largest spot cotton market in the world, according to the New Encyclopedia of Texas. Houston had built its own port and become one of the biggest cotton exporters in the U.S.

Before Houston had its own port it remained secondary to Galveston, which had the coastal advantage. Getting railroads built to it, and later its own port, propelled Houston past its coastal sibling.

"By the 1880s Houston was really tied into the national economy by the railroads," said University of Houston professor and historian Joseph Pratt. "And that really changes the trajectory of the region."

Later in the 19th century, John Henry Kirby boosted the size of the lumber trade through Houston. From East Texas, he built a railroad to transport cargo from the forests there to Houston's port. In 1896, he established his first sawmill, and at one point controlled more than 300,000 acres of forest and 13 sawmills.

By the end of the 1800s, Houston had some manufacturing, including several producing macaroni pasta, breweries, and all types of retail stores. "The Industrial Advantages of Houston and Environs" indexes hundreds of businesses from manufacturers to electricity companies to toy stores.

Houston has always seen itself as welcoming, particularly to business, attracting people who kept up the city's momentum through the decades, Chapman said. The people who arrived in Houston weren't wealthy, just ambitious - and white and male. At the time married women were not allowed to sign business contracts, she said. Some, mostly widows and single women, did run shops offering goods like groceries, sewing supplies and fabric.

After the Civil War, African-Americans in Houston faced the same Jim Crow obstacles enacted across the South.

Houston's early businessmen realized that their own success would be limited or propelled by the growth of the city, and their efforts to make Houston a hub for commerce, and later culture, set the city apart.

"That's a big difference, the booster attitude, hustler mentality," Pratt said. "People who were accustomed to working hard and were ambitious realized fairly soon after they got here that they needed a bigger, better city in order to pursue their own ambitions."

Houston didn't let its location 50 miles inland stop it from becoming a major port, for example, and fought and won against Galveston for the Texas legislature's support to build the state's railroads through Houston.

"It's always been perseverance in Houston," Chapman said. "There have always been leaders who thought something could be done, doesn't matter if it was difficult, we can do it."
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The Rev. John Henry "Jack" Yates, an early leader in Houston's black community, touches the lives of city residents and Texans even today - nearly 200 years after he was born enslaved.

His legacy flows through Texas Southern University as the man who founded its forerunner, Houston Baptist Academy, as a school for black children in 1885.

He's ever-present as students attend Jack Yates High School in Houston's Third Ward.

His commanding portrait dominates the sturdy, two-story house in Sam Houston Park that was once his home in Freedmen's Town, now Houston's Fourth Ward.

His spirit presides over the 150-year-old Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Houston, where he was appointed the first pastor, and in the black congregations and black Baptist associations whose roots grew from his evangelical ministry.

And his enduring belief in building a community is evident in what may be his most shining civic project - Emancipation Park at Dowling and Elgin, the first public park in Houston and Texas. The land was purchased by formerly enslaved people as a place for blacks to celebrate Juneteenth, the state holiday that marks the 1865 announcement in Texas that legalized slavery had come to an end.

In just three decades, Yates made the leap from bondage to a leading figure in Houston history whose determination helped inspire a striving community spirit that endures today.

More Information The Rev. JOHN HENRY "JACK" YATES Pastor. Entrepreneur. Community builder. 1828-1897 1828: Born to enslaved parents in Virginia 1830s: Childhood in which he learned to read and do math from his master's son 1863: Though freed by the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1 in Virginia, Yates re-enters slavery to follow his wife and children to Matagorda County, Texas - where their master relocated to continue owning slaves 1865: Emancipation announced in Texas; Yates moves his newly freed family to Houston in search of a better life 1866: Antioch Missionary Baptist Church is organized with Yates as the first pastor 1869: Yates buys several lots on Andrews Street in the heart of Houston's Freedmen's Town or Fourth Ward 1870: Income from his hauling business paired with carpentry skills allows him to construct one of the first two-story houses built for a black family in Houston 1872: Under Yates' leadership, the members of Antioch and Trinity Episcopal Methodist Church - formerly enslaved people - purchase land at Dowling and Elgin for Emancipation Park, the first public park in Houston and in Texas 1885: With the help of white missionaries, Yates organizes Houston Baptist Academy - a school for black children and the forerunner of Texas Southern University 1887: Wife, Harriet, dies; they had 10 children 1888: Marries Annie; they have a son, Yates' 11th child 1891: Yates leaves Antioch to organize Bethel Missionary Baptist Church 1897: Dies in Houston 1926: Jack Yates High School in Houston's Third Ward is named in his honor 1994: Yates' home is moved to Sam Houston Park and restored to its 1870s configuration; his granddaughter, Martha Countee Whiting, who lived in the house, provides tours for more than a decade before her death in 2012 See More Collapse

"You can come here from almost anywhere and change your whole life, if that's what you want to do," said great-granddaughter Jacqueline Bostic of Houston, who was born in 1938, four decades after Yates' death.

He saw the city, she said, as the place it has become to many different people over the decades: a land of opportunity, even to the most unlikely of entrants.

Yates' life of seven decades was contained in the 19th century.

Born in 1828 to enslaved parents in Virginia, Yates acquired more knowledge than most youngsters in bondage. His mother, Rachel, was the main caregiver for her slave master's son after the mistress of the property died.

"My great-grandfather was very industrious and had learned to read and write and do math from the slave owner's son," Bostic said. "He understood a lot of things."

He grew up to work on the farm, but was allowed to keep the money he made from fishing. He also attended religious gatherings there organized by enslaved people.

He married a woman named Harriet on a neighboring farm. When her master moved to a Matagorda County plantation in Texas around 1863 to avoid emancipation and continue as a slaveholder, Yates made an unbelievable decision.

"He had been freed in Virginia, but his wife's slave master was not going to free his slaves, so in order for him to maintain and be with his family, he had to go back into slavery to come with them into Texas," Bostic said. "He gave up his freedom because he wanted to be able to take care of his wife and children."

Once U.S. troops announced the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, more than two years after the effective date of the Emancipation Proclamation, Yates moved his family to an area of the state he believed would be more welcoming: Houston.

He settled his family in tents on the banks of Buffalo Bayou.

"At that time, there was not really a community or place or homes or things for blacks to come to. Houston was a new city, about 30 years old, and growing," Bostic said.

Yates was in his late 30s and at the midpoint of his life when he and his family landed at Buffalo Bayou.

He worked as a drayman, making deliveries for businesses, and monetized his carpentry skills by building homes for other people.

He was ordained as a minister and became the first pastor of Antioch, founded in 1866. He wanted the congregation to have a place to worship and led the charge to move them from a "brush arbor" on the bayou banks to their own building, then into a sturdier structure that still stands today on Clay Street.

Under his leadership, members of Antioch and Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church (now Trinity United Methodist Church) purchased Emancipation Park as a place for the community to celebrate June 19, known as Juneteenth.

He left Antioch after a dispute over expanding the building. Yates, who was frugal, wanted to pay as they worked; others wanted to borrow money for the project.

In 1891, he founded Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, and remained pastor there until he died in 1897. The site of the church, which burned in 2005, is now home to Bethel Park in Fourth Ward.

Yates preached education and entrepreneurship as the path to black self-reliance, and at least four of his children went to college.

"I consider him more than a minister. I consider him a renaissance man. He was an educator and community builder. He told people to buy property and learn a trade - over the pulpit," said Debra Blacklock-Sloan, a member of the Harris County Historical Commission who led the effort to have a state historical marker placed at the Jack Yates grave site in 2008.

"The man lived by what he preached: Education, education, education. And made sure his children got an education," she said. "I think about Emancipation Park where people could always celebrate their freedom  that's education right there. I think about Antioch  that's religious education. When I think about Houston Baptist Academy, the forerunner of Texas Southern University - that's education right there, and the (high) school named after him."

His mission of collective self-sufficiency bolstered the local black community, namely Freedmen's Town.

"He helped them to believe in the value of education," Bostic said. "He made sure that that was a cornerstone. He helped them to believe in owning property. He understood that you needed your own thing. He helped them to understand that you needed to have your own business. They had a community that had everything they needed and they didn't depend on anyone else.

"It's amazing what they did with no formal education of any kind, but they saw to it that their children got it," she said. "They were determined that they were going to provide for their families, and they did."

Even where Yates lived was significant.

His home on Andrews Street was one of the first two-story dwellings built for a black family. He and his brother built it, five years after Yates and his family emerged from slavery.

The house, in the heart of Freedmen's Town, sat among a cluster of lots he owned along a street car line. The residence became a gathering place in his lifetime and beyond.

The integrity of the man who yearned to be fully American was found in a document Blacklock-Sloan unearthed in her research. Already joined in matrimony to his first wife, Harriet, in Virginia and committed to her and the family, he eventually acquired a marriage certificate that made the union legal. After Harriet died, the father of 10 married Annie in 1888 and they had one child.

Blacklock-Sloan recalls research confirming his strong religious beliefs and his widespread respect in Houston.

One newspaper article explains how Yates and another minister went to the jail to visit a black man who was to be hanged.

"They got the man to accept Christ and baptized him," Blacklock-Sloan said.

The Houston Daily Post, a white paper, published a news story about his death in 1897.

"Deceased was pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, colored, of which he was also the founder and had lived in Houston for many years," the article said. "He stood high, not only among his own people, but with the whites as well and was a man of sterling integrity and the possessor of many good traits."

A state historical marker enshrines Yates' grave site at the College Memorial Park Cemetery on Dallas Street near the remains of the Freedmen's Town community.

Great-granddaughter Martha Anne Goddard, who was born in 1949, said her great-grandfather viewed life as a gift to be nurtured and shared.

"I think that the people who were here back 150 years ago appreciated the kind of care and commitment that he had for the community to help others learn how to buy property, how to read, how to write - how to do things to get into the society they were thrust in after being in slavery," she said. "You needed people like that to help other people and not expect something in return."

Goddard said his philosophy was among her inheritance as a descendent.

"We were always taught the importance of service. It was always important to be good stewards of what you were given and be willing to share it with others," she said. "He tried to be a servant as a pastor and educator and as a business person to show others how living that kind of life would not just benefit yourself, but would benefit your community."

Yates' portrait still hangs in his historic residence, revealing the face of a serious man with meticulously groomed graying hair and a salt-and-pepper goatee.

The likeness presided over the front parlor during the time Bostic and Goddard were children growing up in that house, a full half-century after Yates' death. Neither were born in time to meet their great-grandfather, but both - brought up with family stories - deeply admired him.

"He did so many different things as a black male fresh out of slavery, coming here to Texas, raising 11 children  and doing things for the community in terms of religion and education," Goddard said. "He always led by precept and example. He was always someone who was an example of how to live a godly life and raise your children and help others."

His legacy is channeled through churches, schools, a park and his home - not coincidentally all things that continue to be shared by the community he made his home.

The house, moved to Sam Houston Park in 1994, still serves as an avenue for learning. The mother of Goddard and Bostic, Martha Countee Whiting, led candlelight tours through the restored home for more than a decade before her death in 2012 at age 100. Goddard carries on the tradition as a volunteer docent.

"That's one reason why we have the house in the park, so that we can still educate people about what happened to blacks who came to Texas from other places at the end of the Civil War and what they were able to do in a place like Houston - and to show that you could take a little bit and it could go very far," Goddard said.
Worried about the cost to combat a local Zika outbreak this summer, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Monday decried efforts in Congress to dramatically reduce President Barack Obama's funding request to prevent the disease's spread.

Obama is calling for $1.9 billion in emergency Zika funds, but both the Senate and House passed bills last week allotting much smaller amounts. The Senate bill would commit $1.1 billion for Zika, the House $620 million.

"I can simply tell you that that's not enough," Turner said at a news conference at St. Joseph Medical Center. "That $620 million passed by the House is woefully inadequate to address this particular virus."

Zika is not considered fatal, but it has been linked to a broad array of birth defects and neurological disorders. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that the virus has infected at least 157 pregnant women living in the continental United States and another 122 in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. The infection puts women at risk of delivering babies with microcephaly, a condition where babies are born with abnormally small heads.

Houston is considered particularly vulnerable to the mosquito-born virus. It is home to the two types of mosquitoes that transmit the virus and the site of travel back and forth with Latin American countries reporting the most cases. It includes many pockets of poverty, linked to the disease's spread because conditions like dilapidated housing, standing water and poor street drainage help the virus thrive.

To facilitate clean-up of debris that acts as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, Houston health officials said they need another $7 million and Harris County Mosquito Control officials said they need another $5 million. Night-time spraying, mosquito control's usual weapon against West Nile-carrying mosquitoes, is not effective against the species that transmits the Zika virus because they bite during and don't come out at night.

Health officials at the news conference called for area residents to use mosquito repellent, wear long sleeves and pants and remove any standing water in or near their homes. The mosquitoes that transmit the virus, the Aedes Aegypti and the Aedes albopictus, both have black-and-white stripes.

Turner said the Senate proposal may be "marginally acceptable," but appealed to "the feds to do considerably more."

The news conference was organized by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, who wants a national Zika task force and more concentrated efforts from Texas and local health officials. She emphasized that Zika is now in the U.S. in "a very vigorous, powerful and potent way."

Also on Monday, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, the primary supplier of blood components to more than 170 hospital and health care facilities in 26 counties along the Texas Gulf Coast, began testing donated blood for the Zika virus. The screening is part of a clinical trial.
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Sixteen years ago, a nonprofit opened the Washington Courtyards, a development near downtown Houston that included market-rate apartments as well as subsidized units for low-income residents.

Since then, the surrounding Washington Avenue corridor has flourished with an influx of popular restaurants and bars, and owners of nearby residences are sitting pretty. In the past five years alone, median home prices in the Rice-Military/Washington Avenue area have jumped by about 36 percent, according to data from the Houston Association of Realtors.

Obviously the presence of the Washington Courtyards, opened by the Avenue Community Development Corp., is not responsible for the rising home values. Nor, most likely, would it have been to blame had the values gone down.

Property values are driven by market forces, and numerous academic studies have shown that the presence of affordable housing, in and of itself, doesn't diminish the value of homes nearby. This is particularly true in prosperous - or, in fair housing jargon, "high opportunity" - neighborhoods, many of which are in the suburbs.

"At the higher end, there really doesn't seem to be disagreement that it has either a neutral or a positive effect," said Elizabeth Mueller, an associate professor of community and regional planning at the University of Texas at Austin.

Yet fears related to affordable housing seem impervious to facts. The notion that years of hard-earned home equity suddenly vanish when poor people move into a middle-class neighborhood persists, despite abundant evidence to the contrary.

I heard this argument regularly in the 10 years I spent covering housing issues as a reporter, so I wasn't surprised when it surfaced recently in Tomball, a northwest Harris County town of about 11,000 people. Many residents and some of the politicians representing them used the property-value argument, among others, to persuade the Harris County Housing Authority to back down from plans for a 140-unit apartment development for low-income families, and to opt for senior housing instead.

I asked area resident Kay Smith, who helped lead opposition to the Tomball development, what evidence she had that affordable housing lowered nearby property values.

"If you want me to give you statistics and numbers, I can't do that," Smith said. But in response to previously developed low-cost housing in the area, she said, "a whole lot of people are putting up their houses for sale and moving out."

In response to the pushback from Smith and others, the housing authority decided to limit the project, the Retreat at Westlock, to people 62 and older.

This decision was not based on need. Housing authority spokeswoman Timika Simmons acknowledged that the county's affordable housing shortage is greater for families than for seniors.

"Right now, everyone is being forced into senior housing because that's more acceptable," Simmons told my colleague Mihir Zaveri.

It's nice to know that senior citizens, a fraternity I'll be joining all too soon, are regarded as non-threatening. Obviously we all want them to be accommodated.

But the housing authority's acquiescence to the resistance of neighbors and politicians with unusual clout on such matters flies in the face of federal housing policy, grounded in decades of social-science research and reinforced by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in a Dallas case. The bottom line: Concentrating poor people in certain neighborhoods more or less ensures that they and their descendants will remain poor.

To break this cycle, fair-housing laws require that low-income families have access to neighborhoods with the same amenities that middle-class families enjoy. Often, these neighborhoods are in the suburbs, where resistance tends to be strongest.

"The point of putting developments in suburbs with good schools is to provide children with access to better education," Mueller said. "To exclude them is really to undermine that."

Obviously, property values are not the only issue in this discussion. Kay Smith called me back to impress on me that the most compelling concern for her and her neighbors was crime.

"We no longer feel secure in our homes," she said.

The relationship between subsidized housing and crime is questionable as well. That'll have to be another column.
My Tuesday column noted that numerous academic studies have shown that the presence of affordable housing -- that is, homes subsidized by the government so that low-income people can afford them -- generally does not reduce the value of nearby residences.

What are these studies? I thought you'd never ask.

Perhaps the most useful report I saw was this 2008 synthesis analyzing the results of 21 recent studies of this topic. A study of studies, if you will. It found that the effect feared by opponents was most likely to occur "where an over-concentration of units in a neighborhood may result in stagnant or declining property values." This is precisely what fair housing policies encouraging mixed-income developments seek to avoid.

More studies: Here, here and here. Happy reading.

Another point that came up in my reporting was how much subsidized housing has been developed in the Tomball and Cypress areas. (A proposed development in Tomball was the basis for the column.) Kay Smith, one of the leaders of the resident opposition, told me that the Tomball and Cypress areas had been "inundated" with affordable housing. When I expressed surprise at this, she advised me to do more research.

So I did; or, more precisely, I called an organization that had already done the research, the Texas Low-Income Housing Information Service, which has gathered voluminous data on this subject and produced detailed maps.

Will Livesley O'Neill, the nonprofit's communications director, consulted those maps and found that five low-income housing developments built with tax credits had gone up in Tomball since 1990. Three are for families two for senior citizens. Two tax-credit projects have been developed in Cypress, one for families and one for seniors. Low-income housing tax credits are the nation's primary source of new subsidized housing.

Do those numbers show that these areas have been "inundated" with low-cost housing? That's a judgment call, but a recent post O'Neill wrote for his organization's website provides some useful perspective. O'Neill wrote that, according to the State's Housing Sponsor Report, there are 24 tax credit properties with 3,737 total occupied units within five miles of the site of the Pointe at Crestmont, a planned tax credit development in southeast Houston recently approved by the City Council. The Pointe at Crestmont will replace an abandoned, crumbling apartment complex that is a hideous neighborhood eyesore.

"Let's be clear: There is nothing inherently negative about the presence of a low income household in a neighborhood," O'Neill wrote. "But there is something very harmful about concentrated poverty and segregation."
The Harris County District Attorneys office will pursue charges against a Sharpstown High School tutor accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student.

Aldo Leiva, 51, faces a felony charge of sexual performance by a child and possession of child pornography after an investigation by Houston Independent School District police. An arrest warrant was issued over the weekend. Authorities expect to have Leiva in custody shortly, the school district said Monday in a news release.
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The Houston school board has launched an investigation into alleged misconduct by its chief auditor, whose job entails exposing internal fraud, and suspended him with pay.

Public records released this week by the school district confirm Richard Patton was temporarily relieved of his duties March 10 - a move that drew concerns from recently retired Superintendent Terry Grier, who called the board's motives into question.

Since becoming the district's top watchdog in 2014, Patton has uncovered a slew of problems, from improper altering of student grades to potential state law violations involving bids for construction contracts.

Grier said in an interview Wednesday that Patton told him several months ago he thought some board members were restricting him from doing his job.

"He told me he did not have the ability to conduct audits he thought needed conducting because of undue influence from board members," Grier said. "There were firms Richard wanted to audit, that when he tried to audit, he told me, he was dressed down and questioned why he wanted to audit this company or that company."

Grier, who left the Houston Independent School District at the end of February, would not name the board members or companies. Patton, reached by phone Wednesday, declined to comment.

School board President Manuel Rodriguez Jr. disputed that the suspension involved questionable motivations.

"Concerns with board members or anything of that nature had no bearing on what we considered to take this action," Rodriguez said.

He declined to specify why Patton was being investigated, saying only that the alleged misconduct "has nothing to do with sex or anything of that nature. And they're alleged, so I don't want to get into what the allegations are until the investigation is over."

The school board has commissioned a law firm to conduct the investigation.

The board's audit committee, made up of three of nine trustees, is expected to receive an update on the auditor's status during a meeting Thursday. The committee also may consider naming an interim auditor, according to the meeting notice.

Trustee Anna Eastman, a longtime member of the board's audit committee, praised Patton's integrity.

"I have always found him to be professional and to be responsive in difficult situations," she said. "I look forward to seeing the outcome of the investigation, so I can understand the concerns about his work. He always operated with the best interest of the organization in mind."

The March 10 memorandum to Patton, sent from the district's human resources chief and approved and signed by Rodriguez, provided scant details regarding the alleged "misconduct and other performance concerns."

"We believe it is in your best interest and that of the Houston Independent School District that you be temporarily reassigned until further notice," the memo said.

It also said Patton, whose annual salary is $186,920, was banned from contacting staff, parents and students and may not work on HISD business without approval.

Investigations conducted under Patton's leadership revealed that a high school principal allowed improper grade changes and that the district overpaid construction contractors by about $16,000 on one project.

Patton's October 2015 review of the district's voter-approved construction bond program found that weak supervision of contractors and insufficient competitive bidding contributed to a projected budget shortfall. The report drew strong criticism from Grier's administration, which blamed financial problems on higher-than-expected prices in the city's booming construction market. Board members had mixed reactions to Patton's bond report.

Grier hired Patton in 2010 as a compliance officer to ensure the district followed a settlement agreement with the federal government concerning a technology program known as e-rate. The government alleged former district employees received lavish gifts from technology vendors, violating the competitive bidding process.

In September 2014, the school board named Patton the chief internal auditor, tasking him with cleaning up the department after a critical external review by the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Florida-based trade group for auditors.

District records show that Grier awarded Patton an "effective" rating in his 2014 job evaluation, when he served as chief ethics and compliance officer. The district's public records office did not release any evaluations for 2015.
Harris County votes today in a runoff from the March 1 primary. Confusion reigned at some polling places during that past election, as voters grappled to understand changes in their polling locations.

RELATED: Polls open for local primary runoffs

Today polling locations will again have changed, as they do every election. And there will be far fewer places to vote than on March 1, posing a challenge for citizens who are eager to cast a ballot but not sure where to go.

Those answers can be found at the county clerk website here.

Here's why polling place location becomes a perennial hotbed of confusion:

"Every election is its own beast," said Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart.

The locations are re-determined ahead of every election, per state law, and each type of election follows different rules.

In the primary election and runoff, polling places are picked by the political parties, which send their requests to the county clerk, whose office will vet and approve them. In the general election, the county picks the places itself.

"It's a tough challenge to find locations," said Hector de Leon, spokesman for the clerk's office. "So somebody actually goes to every one."

In picking the places, the parties and the county follow rules in the 914-page Texas Election Code, which requires that polls are set by precinct. But that's not the eight constable precincts with which citizens are probably more familiar - it's the 1,020 voting precincts. Among those, planners must distribute poll locations.

To keep costs down, the parties can consolidate contiguous precincts into a single polling location. To do that, they draw on data from the county clerk's office, including the number of registered voters in an area and the historical voter turnout at particular poll locations.

"They're constrained by the budget the states give them," Stanart said of the political parties. "They're supposed to follow guidelines based on estimated turnout."

Turnout in a runoff is typically much smaller than in a primary, so many precincts have been consolidated for Tuesday's election. The Harris County Republican Party's 402 polling locations from the March primary have been reduced to 78 for the runoff; the Harris County Democratic Party reduced sites from about 400 to 85.

Scheduling conflicts also prevent polling locations from the March 1 primary from being reused in the runoff.

"For this runoff we had a lot of schools that were not available due to graduation being today," said Donna Stanart, primary director for the Harris County Republican Party and daughter-in-law of county clerk Stanart. "A big one going on today seems to be kindergarten graduation."

State law requires that notices of change be posted at a place that hosted polls in March but will not for the May runoff.

Voters also shouldn't expect to cast ballots Tuesday at the locations they've seen open for early voting in recent weeks. That's because the county selects the 44 early polling sites, which are open to county residents of any precinct. Come election day, voters must vote in their precinct and a new set of locations kicks in.

"Usually we try to follow whats been done before to some degree," Stanart said. "But the voters don't remember" where they voted in early voting versus election day in the primary or general election, all three of which have different slates of locations.

Voters should check online ahead of each election to find out where they can cast a ballot.
A man serving a 50-year state sentence for making erotic videos in which animals are tortured and slaughtered was convicted in federal court in Houston Monday of selling the same videos across state lines to customers.

PRIOR CASE: Brent Justice and Ashley Richards were sentenced earlier this year

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake heard the entire case against Brent Justice in a swift three-hour bench trial, convicting him on the spot of the four charges that remained before him. Justice, 54, was found guilty of three counts of making so-called animal crush videos and one count of distributing them to customers.

Justice will remain in custody. He will be sentenced Aug. 18.

The U.S. Attorney's office called three witnesses. The defense called none and Justice waived his right to testify.

The first witness called by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack was Justice's co-defendant in the case, Ashley Nicole Richards, who is serving a 10-year state term and got a three and a half year federal term in connection with the videos. Richards, now 25, pleaded guilty to three state counts and entered into a plea deal on four federal counts of making and distributing the videos.

When Richards was a homeless teenager, she told the judge, Justice took her into his home and began referring to her to as his niece. Although they did not have a sexual relationship, he persuaded her to wear skimpy outfits and star in a number of videos in which she tortured and mutilated a chicken, a puppy and a kitten. Most of the videos were custom made for people whom she believed had communicated with Justice online.

MORE DETAILS: Woman sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty

Officer Suzanne Hollifield testified that PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, tipped off her unit, Houston Police Department's animal cruelty division, about the videos and she later determined they were linked to an alias Justice used. A search warrant at the house turned up lights, cameras, a tripod believed to have been used in the videos as well as a mardi gras mask, high heels, a dagger and butcher knife that matched ones used in the videos. Blood spatter on the walls of Justice's home was analyzed and identified by a crime lab as having come from both a dog and a cat.

Then Special Agent David Ko took the stand, explaining through emails and receipts he obtained, how Justice sold his videos through PayPal and Western Union to customers in Orange County, Calif., and in the Washington, D.C. area.

Philip P. Gallagher, of the federal public defender's office, offered minimal cross examination of the witnesses. However, once testimony was completed, he argued on a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the videos did not meet the federal definition of "obscenity." The videos showed no acts of bestiality, and Richards was not naked, nor did her genitalia show, Gallagher told the judge.

Zack countered that Richards had used profanity in one video indicating she was raping a kitten with a dagger.

The judge dismissed the defense motion and said he found Justice guilty of all four counts. He faces a maximum of seven years on each count, or 28 years the judge were to run them consecutively.
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Mayor Sylvester Turner appealed to Houston residents Monday for information on last week's stabbing death of sixth-grader Josue Flores, emphasizing the need to apprehend his killer after police admitted they initially arrested the wrong man.

Turner apologized for that wrongful arrest and called on community members to work with law enforcement.

RELATED: 'Murderer on the loose' after child's death

"I just believe there's somebody or people in this city that have some information that they can provide to law enforcement that will help (get) this person arrested and convicted. What we can do as the Flores family prepares to bury their son  we can do everything we can to bring this person to justice," Turner said. "But it's also going to take a citywide community effort to join with us to make that happen. Help us to bring closure to the Flores family, help us to make sure Josue Flores receives the justice he rightfully deserves."

Acting Police Chief Martha Montalvo said she met with other law enforcement agencies on Monday to develop a plan to protect the northside neighborhood moving forward. She also said DNA testing had been expedited in the case, but it was not clear when those DNA tests would come back.

Asked if time was lost because of last week's wrongful arrest, Montalvo said, "We never stopped looking, even though we had this individual."

CALL FOR JUSTICE: Community marches in honor of slain 11-year-old

Crime Stoppers is offering $15,000 for any information that leads to an arrest. Those with information about the case may contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS or Houston police at 713-308-3600.

Mike Morris contributed to this report.
Tammy Huynh didn't recognize her dad when she saw him for the first time after eight years. Like many of her South Vietnamese friends, she'd grown up fatherless while the men served time in communist re-education camps where many were tortured.

"It was terrible," said the 42-year-old Houston real estate agent who came to the United States with her family in 1990.

Even for the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who escaped the new Hanoi government, risking their lives on makeshift boats or holing up in refugee camps in the Philippines, their memories of the communist country are traumatic. Fleeing it and starting over with nothing is the defining feature of their lives.

So President Barack Obama's announcement Monday that Washington would lift a decades-old arms embargo and allow Vietnam to buy lethal military equipment was met with mixed feelings: a grudging recognition that geopolitics in the region had changed but also a resentment that the United States was not doing more to pressure Vietnam into improving its abysmal human rights record.

Faint, however, was the once ubiquitous Cold War-era protest that nothing should be done with communist Hanoi at all, barring a change in its ideology.

"We are truly happy for the Vietnamese people back home, that the two countries have a more open relationship," Huynh said. "But we're hoping the U.S. is able to demand the commitment to have more human rights."

Human rights organizations had asked Obama to require that Hanoi release political prisoners and agree to stop the recent police beatings of protesters, and they condemned the lifting of the weapons ban without such a commitment.

Large community here

In Houston, which has the nation's largest Vietnamese population outside of Sacramento and Orange County, Calif., prominent real estate developer Stephen Le Sr. said the community urges the freeing of prisoners in exchange for purchasing weapons.

Nearly 111,000 Vietnamese live in the Houston region, two-thirds of whom were born abroad, according to the U.S. Census, and they have been settling here ever since the fall of Saigon in 1975 sparked the largest-ever en masse influx of Asian immigrants.

"That's what we are asking for," said Le, who is on the advisory board of the city's Vietnamese-American Chamber of Commerce. "We want them to be released."

John Sifton, Asia policy director at Human Rights Watch, an international advocacy group, said Washington has been telling the Vietnam government for years to make progress on their human rights record if they want closer military and economic ties.

Instead, Obama "just gave Vietnam a reward that they don't deserve," Sifton said in a statement.

Giac Dang, a Buddhist monk at the Phap Luan Buddhist Culture Center in southwest Houston, said even as relations keep opening with Washington, Vietnam makes little human rights advancement in return.

"The U.S. government should send a stronger signal to Hanoi," Dang said. "What we're seeing with President Obama and the U.S. delegation is too soft."

Obama on Monday called human rights one of the "areas where our two governments disagree." He said Washington respects Vietnam's sovereignty and will not try to "impose" a democratic system on the country, but didn't address any conditions to lifting the embargo.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, said he would offer legislation this week to impose travel restrictions and other sanctions on Vietnamese who have been involved in human rights abuses.

"We simply can't give a pass to the Vietnamese regime and a pass to their oppressive government because, frankly, it's a little inconvenient to bring up during the time we're talking about trade and better economic relationships," he said in a statement.

Tensions with China

American officials have sought to characterize ending the embargo as an effort to help Vietnam in its tensions with an increasingly aggressive China over the South China Sea. Analysts think Vietnam could then possibly grant the United States access to a strategic deepwater port.

"The lifting of the embargo is a good thing for Vietnam to be able to defend itself," said state Rep. Hubert Vo, a Democrat who represents Alief and is the only Vietnamese-American to have served in the Texas Legislature. "But other issues also need to be addressed. It's one step helping Vietnam stand on its feet and to fight against invaders, but we also need to show them what freedom and democracy is all about."

Just like for Cubans in Miami, anti-communism sentiment defines Houston's Vietnamese community, said Mustafa Tameez, a political strategist and chairman of the South Asian Chamber of Commerce.

In a competitive state House race against Vo in 2014, for example, former Houston city councilman Al Hoang sued a local Vietnamese weekly magazine for defaming him as a "spy of the Vietnamese Communist."

In the lawsuit, he said its editor threatened to "destroy" him if he went on a City Council-related trip to Vietnam. Hoang blamed the magazine's coverage for his narrow loss in a council race to Richard Nguyen in 2013.

"The Vietnam War was really tough," said District F Council Member Steve Le, who has no relation to the real estate developer and beat Nguyen last year to hold his council seat. "The generation it affected the most was the ones involved in the war, and they're also the ones that vote more. When they think you're a communist, you're out."

But Le, who came here when he was 8, said that is changing.

"I see the detriment that communism can bring to a country, and for me that is something I see as fighting hard against," he said. "But for the younger generation, their livelihood is here. They could care less about what's happening (in Vietnam.)"

Not concerned

In Hong Kong City Mall on Monday, Kevin Nguyen and his two sisters ate lunch at Phi Coffee & Tea as Vietnamese shoppers bought delicacies from home or sent money back.

Nguyen, a 24-year-old student at Texas Christian University, said he has been here for about a decade and hadn't heard about the lifting of the embargo.

"I don't care very much about Vietnamese politics," he said.

"We live in the U.S. now," added his older sister, Mi.

Nearby, Andy Hau, an 18-year-old Vietnamese-American who was born in California, said engaging with Hanoi was no big deal.

"Don't we already deal with communist China?" he asked. "I think it's kind of good, to build a relationship with them. Maybe it will help trade."
Polls open Tuesday for a small array of Harris County runoffs, including races to nominate a Democratic sheriff candidate and tap a Republican county party chairman.

Aside from judicial contests, the ballot also features two races for state representative, two for constable and one for U.S. representative. Beyond Harris County, candidates for state Railroad Commissioner are slated for a runoff on both sides of the aisle, as are Democrats competing for State Board of Education, District 6.

The projected low-turnout affair has drawn just 49,300 early and mail voters in Harris County - 21,300 Democrats and 28,000 Republicans - down from 217,000 ahead of Super Tuesday.

Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart said he expects total Democratic turnout to hit 34,000 and Republican turnout to reach 45,000.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find Harris County voting locations and sample ballots, go to www.harrisvotes.org.

Voters must present valid photo identification to cast a ballot, which can be a Texas driver's license, an election identification certificate, a personal identification card, a concealed handgun license, a U.S. military identification card, a citizenship certificate or a passport.

Harris County Democratic runoffs:

Former Houston City Councilman Ed Gonzalez is facing Constable Lt. Jerome Moore for the sheriff's nomination, to challenge Republican Sheriff Ron Hickman in November;

Former legislative aide Kimberly Willis and former Houston city councilman Jarvis Johnson are competing for Mayor Sylvester Turner's District 139 state House seat, to be unopposed in the general election;

Constable Chris Diaz seeks to fend off former Galveston sheriff's deputy George Goffney, Jr. in Precinct 2, to ultimately face Republican Daniel Vela in November;

Former Houston police officer Michel Pappillion battles Constable Sgt. Sherman Eagleton in Precinct 3, to run against Republican Dan Webb in November.

Harris County Republican runoffs:

Harris County Republican Party Chair Paul Simpson is seeking reelection against family lawyer Rick Ramos;

State Rep. Wayne Smith battles lawyer Briscoe Cain in Baytown's District 128, to face Libertarian Ken Lowder in the general;

Reggie Gonzales and Lori Bartley compete in Houston's 18th congressional district, to ultimately square off against Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in November.

Meanwhile, in Fort Bend County, Democratic state Rep. Ron Reynolds, who currently is appealing a misdemeanor barratry conviction, squares off against businesswoman Angelique Bartholomew.
AUSTIN - Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush has spent nearly $1 million in taxpayer money to entice dozens of people fired by his administration to agree not to sue him or the agency, a practice that may run afoul of a ban on severance pay for state workers.

Bush, a first-term Republican, has directed the General Land Office to keep at least 40 people on the payroll for as long as five months after ending their employment, according to an analysis of records obtained by the Houston Chronicle. The ex-staffers did not have to use vacation time and, in fact, continued to accrue more time for as long as they were on the payroll. In return, they agreed in writing not to sue the agency or discuss the deal.

Many of the recipients were top aides to former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson who were fired during an agency "reboot" in which Bush replaced more than 100 employees.

Such separation arrangements are made frequently in the corporate world but are not allowed in Texas government, where there is no severance and staffers generally are required to work to be paid, according to employment lawyers, union leaders and former state officials.

"I can understand the thinking of an agency head who wants to get rid of someone and thinks that this is an easy way to do it, but this is not the way to do it," said Buck Wood, an ethics expert and former deputy state comptroller, noting the detailed rules that govern how agencies can spend money do not authorize that purpose. "Keeping someone on the payroll when they're not coming to work so you can avoid the hassle of a lawsuit is just illegal."

Malinda Gaul, a San Antonio employment lawyer who has represented state workers for 33 years, said she had never heard of such an arrangement.

Spokespeople for the General Land Office and Bush's political shop did not return multiple messages seeking comment, nor did they respond to a hand-delivered request for comment.

The separation agreements state that they were meant "to give (employees) time to seek other employment and to avoid the potential expense to the GLO of any administrative or judicial proceedings related to (employees') employment."

'Emergency leave'

Many of the agreements followed termination letters that said employees could choose to be fired or to agree to resign, sign the deal and take the extra pay while not working. Almost everybody offered the deal accepted it, records indicate.

The agency's practices appear to be part of a pattern of Texas state officials paying certain departing employees for different reasons and through different avenues.

The Chronicle reported last year that agencies have spent nearly $50 million over the previous decade on bonuses for staffers who left state government shortly thereafter. Much of it was given to favored aides by officials who were on the way out themselves, such as former Gov. Rick Perry, who paid more in bonuses in one day during his last month in office than he had in the preceding four years combined.

And more recently, Attorney General Ken Paxton drew scrutiny for continuing to pay three top aides after their resignations by putting them on "emergency leave," which agency heads can use when they believe there is "good cause." Paxton's office has not explained the leave other than to tell a conservative website the attorney general "acted in a compassionate, legal and ethical manner" in granting pay to staffers "who had worked tirelessly for the state."

State lawmakers last week said they plan to look into limiting the use of emergency leave for departing staffers.

Costly practice

A Chronicle analysis found the practice already is relatively rare, however. Over the past three years, about 20 of the 120 state agencies in Texas have had at least 133 staffers end their time on the payroll with an emergency leave stint of two weeks or more.

In some cases, the leave appears to have been used to placate disgruntled departing employees and preventing them from suing.

The Attorney General's Office, Teacher Retirement System and Water Development Board, three of the biggest users of emergency leave, all said they have agreed to give the leave in deals with staffers who promised not to sue.

The land office has spent far more on payments for departing employees than any other agency has spent on emergency leave for ex-staffers, even agencies with far more workers, according to the Chronicle's analysis.

The state Department of Family and Protective Services, which has 11,000 employees, has given out the most emergency leave to ex-staffers - about 1,375 workdays over the past three years, including 500 days for one worker during an internal investigation.

The General Land Office, which has 600 employees, has given out nearly 1,850 days of pay for ex-staffers in just the year and a half of Bush's tenure, costing taxpayers at least $655,000 in salaries, plus the additional costs for benefits that the ex-staffers received in that time, including leave accruals, health insurance and retirement contributions. A recent report by the state auditor's office said those benefits are worth about a third of an employee's total compensation.

Appropriate use?

Among those who got paid for not working under a separation deal were Christopher Burnett and Julie Masek, the director and the deputy director of the agency's Office of Compliance and Ethics. Bush fired both of them last month, just a year after announcing the creation of the ethics office.

The ex-staffer who received the most money was Erin Guillette, former Commissioner Patterson's director of executive administration, who got more than $40,000 in salary while not working for nearly four months.

Patterson's former general counsel, William Warnick, got the longest stint of pay for not working, five months, under an arrangement in which his salary was reduced so he could make it to retirement age.

On average, the ex-staffers each received two months of pay after leaving the agency.

Steve Aragon, a former general counsel for the Health and Human Services Commission, said he thinks there are justifiable reasons to pay employees for not working, including to prevent litigation in cases in which it was clear that a staffer likely would not come back. However, he said, it is not something that state agencies should do frequently.

"These situations should be exceptional and would not be expected as a matter of routine," Aragon said.

Others objected to any use of the practice, including Seth Hutchinson, a spokesman for the Texas State Employees Union.

"It's not an appropriate use of state funds," Hutchinson said. "If people are being wrongfully fired, they're being wrongfully fired, and they shouldn't be using state funds to cover it up."

After being told that it is not uncommon in the corporate world, Hutchinson scoffed.

"State government should be held to a higher standard of accountability," he said.
Obama is often accused of being soft on extremists. Conservatives seem obsessed with his reluctance to use the phrase "Islamic extremism" or "Islamic radicals." Call them whatever you want, but Obama doesn't seem particularly reluctant to kill them, so the the war of words seems superfluous. The left is often angered by Obama's over-reliance on drone strikes. The right accuses him of being soft on terrorists. Hmmmm....

Click through the gallery below to see a slideshow of cartoons from Nick Anderson.
Last month, European Union and U.S. negotiators met in New York for the latest round of talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnerships. Both sides are working hard to conclude a deal by the fall.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, commonly known as TTIP, is more than just a free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States; it is an opportunity for the world's two largest economies to set the global standard in international commerce.

TTIP seeks to reduce the remaining tariffs, streamline customs processes, and harmonize regulatory standards between the EU and U.S. These regulatory variances in their current form can make it more difficult for companies to enter new markets. Some estimates indicate that costs associated with dealing with two sets of regulatory requirements can be equivalent to customs duties of 10-20 percent. For small-to-medium sized enterprises, this cost can inhibit their ability to enter and expand into European markets, like the United Kingdom.

While the Houston business community comprises multinational corporations and entrepreneurs alike, the small-to-medium sized enterprises are the true lifeblood of the regional economy. For these entrepreneurs, the benefits of this trade deal could be profound. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced at a recent international trade show that small-to-medium sized enterprises stand to gain 90 percent of the benefit from an ambitious TTIP agreement. Reducing redundant regulations, burdensome localization requirements and too-high tariffs will not only remove many financial burdens from small-to-medium sized enterprises that do business across the Atlantic, but will also encourage new trade and economic growth in the region.

A business-friendly state like Texas already has strong trade ties to the EU, which purchased a combined $45 billion worth of Texan goods and services in 2012. TTIP offers Houstonians improved access to the European market, home to just over half a billion potential customers. Many businesses in the Houston region depend on the Port of Houston - the fourth-largest port in the United States - to import and export their goods. In fact, according to the Port of Houston Authority, more than $19 billion worth of Texas goods were exported to Europe through the Port of Houston alone. With TTIP seeking to ease trade restrictions between the EU and U.S., the Port of Houston will continue to be a key economic hub for the United States and the world at-large.

Impacts go beyond an increase in exports. Harris County alone could potentially add up to 19,000 jobs from more efficient and less expensive trade opportunities. On the global stage, TTIP allows the U.S. and UK to work together on international standards for high-quality goods and services. By harnessing the power of the world's biggest economy (the U.S.) and the world's biggest single market (the EU), we would set standards that others would want and need to adopt.

We need support and input from Houston business leaders to ensure an ambitious TTIP agreement adequately addresses the trade issues most important to local businesses and urge the wider Houston business community to contact their local congressional representatives and U.S. senators in support of a comprehensive TTIP agreement.

Bell is the Houston-based British Consul General. Murillo is president of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Republican Party of Texas Chairman Tom Mechler is safe for another two years at the helm of one of the most dominant state political parties anywhere in America.

For his detractors who failed to mount a successful challenge to Mechler at the partys convention this month in Dallas, that is exactly the kind of power they hoped to wield. Imagine the possibilities.

Alas, the race for the chairman, which I wrote about here, seemed to fizzle before it got started. Mechler drew huge support from the convention delegates, who rejected his opponents attacks that centered on the Amarillo businessmans character and, in particular, his faith.

Taking a bit of a victory lap, Mechler over the weekend opened up about Texas politics of late, especially on the Republican side, where runoffs and intra-party brawls quickly seem to turn into attempted character assassinations.

Theres a problem when Scripture becomes a marketing tool, the chairman told Lubbocks AM 580 West Texas Drive. Its being done a lot of other campaigns too. There ought to be more integrity in the things we say and the things we do as people.

Mechler hit Democrats, as is his job to do, saying that we certainly expect that kind of conduct from the other party, but Democratic candidates for public office are much less likely to stress their faith as a core tenet of their political agenda.

Thats not to say Democrats are not people of faith, though some Republicans may think that is the case. It simply means that ones religious beliefs is not nearly as galvanizing among Democratic voters as it is among Republicans.

Being a Republican has to mean something, he seems to be saying, but it does not have to mean what Mechler and other GOP candidates have faced within their own party.

I dont think its appropriate for Republicans to revert to ends-justify-the-means (campaigning), he said. We will answer for everything.
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As an owner of a small or growing trucking company, you want to provide the best health benefits to your employees and their families. And yet for many companies, traditional employer health insurance has become too expensive or simply does not meet the unique needs of a mobile and diverse workforce. As such, trucking companies nationwide are evaluating health insurance options including individual health insurance reimbursement benefits. Individual health insurance reimbursement is a cost effective solution - but it is a shift in how we think about health benefits. Instead of the company providing an insurance policy to employees, the employees choose their own insurance and get to keep it even if they switch jobs. As such, it is natural to have questions about how it works for your company and employees. To help, this article answers the top five frequently asked questions about transitioning to individual health insurance reimbursement. Q. How does individual health insurance reimbursement work? A. With this health benefits approach, your trucking company sets up a health reimbursement plan to give employees a healthcare allowance. For compliance reasons, and for easy administration, most companies use third-party software to help set up and manage the plan. Heres how it generally works.  The company sets monthly healthcare allowances.  Employees purchase their own health plan.  Employees submit a reimbursement request onl...
If youre looking for a financial wellness program for your company, you probably have some goals in mind for itmaybe helping your employees with their money, growing participation in a 401(k) plan, or increasing productivity. Those are all good goals. But though theyre often held up as great ideals, most companies and employees arent living up to them. Why not? Good goals alone dont change behavior. And it does your company no good to have a financial wellness program if behavior change is not a core part of the teaching. Cookies (and Other Habits) Distract Us From Change We all know what its like to be torn between two desires. When you want to lose weight, for example, your goal is often compromised by your cravings. Which side of you will win: the rational side that knows losing weight is good for you, or the emotional side that just wants a cookie? More often than not, your emotional side wins the battle. Simply knowing that the long-term goal of weight loss is good for us is not enough to overpower the fact that we want that cookie now! Our efforts to reach our financial goals work the same way. We all have longstanding money habits that are comfortable simply because they are familiar. We fight against any changes to those habits, even when we know those changes will help us in the long run. To achieve lifes big goals, financial or otherwise, you must find a way to appeal to both the emotio...
Alberta Health

Alberta has rolled out thousands of overdose kits to help combat a growing fentanyl crisis in the province, but the kits may be powerless against an even more dangerous new opioid on the market.

Last week, Calgary police confirmed a 35-year-old man's overdose may have been due to the presence of W-18 in his system.

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W-18 is 100-times stronger than fentanyl.

An official cuts a fentanyl pill in half. W-18 is a similar opioid that has recently been found in Alberta. (Photo: Getty)

In 2015, fentanyl was to blame for 274 overdose deaths in Alberta, according to the province's government.

Alberta Health distributed nearly 10,000 naloxone overdose kits designed to temporarily reverse an opioid overdose, in an effort to fight back against fentanyl's growing hold on the province.

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The take-home kits are available at harm-reduction agencies, as well as pharmacies and walk-in clinics with a prescription.

"We don't know if W18 is binding to the same receptors in the brain that... naloxone bind to."

The kits, however, might not reverse a W-18 overdose, largely because the way the drug works is unknown.

"There is very limited information on the pharmacology of W-18 so we don't know if W-18 is binding to the same receptors in the brain that opioids, such as heroin and morphine, and opioid antagonists, such as naloxone, bind to," harm reduction specialist Ashraf Amlani told the Globe and Mail.

Another issue is the drug's strength. The B.C. Centre for Disease Control believes W-18 may be too powerful for naloxone to work, Global News reported.

May be a potential cure for overdoses

There is one small piece of good news. The formula behind the drug might also hold the key to an equally strong cure.

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University of Alberta scientists first developed the drug in the 1980s, according to the National Post.

Those scientists, who never tested the drug on humans, looked at both opioids and antidotes.

"In addition to the ones that had varying degrees of analgesic activity there were also compounds that were developed in that series which were actually antagonists , they would actually block the actions of things like morphine at the receptor, so it had no effect," retired U of A professor Ed Knaus told the Calgary Sun.

Naloxone option for now

Until another cure is developed, health officials say the current best option for W-18 users is still naloxone.

"If people are exposed to W-18 and they have symptoms of overdose, same as fentanyl, they should take naloxone and call 911,'' Dr. Laura Calhoun of Alberta Health Services told The Canadian Press.

Also on HuffPost:
Canadian shoppers are piling on a U.S. mall, saying it misled them when it offered "at par" sales at certain retailers.

But the mall said it was always clear about which stores were participating.

Certain retailers at Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham, Wash. held sales over the Victoria Day long weekend in which they treated the loonie at par with the U.S. dollar.

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The mall provided a list of which retailers were taking part on its website.

But shoppers from Canada were nevertheless disappointed when they went to the mall and found few stores were offering the discount.

If you're Canadian and coming down to @BellisFair for the advertised par dollar don't bother, no one is honouring it #bellisfair@NEWS1130  Brad (@JB_Ratel) May 22, 2016

Don't waste your time heading to #bellisfair for the Cdn $ match. The participating stores are far a few between. #moneymoneymoney  Carly (@theregoesCarly) May 22, 2016

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Shopper Daniel Fontaine told Vancouver's CKNW radio that most stores didn't participate in the promotion, and that certain ones weren't clear about its rules.

"I think we found one that was participating in the promotion," he said.

"When we went from store to store and asked 'are you participating?' most of them either didn't know about it, shrugged their shoulders and said we've decided to give it a pass, or had some other excuse of a different promotion they were running."

CTV News reported that only 22 out of 100 stores took part in the sale, which offered a 25 per cent discount to shoppers to make up for the difference between Canadian and U.S. currencies.

Those stores included Macy's, JCPenney and Gap/Gap Kids.

Carly Fryer was one disappointed shopper. She told CTV that she only found out when she arrived that many stores weren't offering the deal.

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"I asked the cashier 'are you doing any deals today?' And she just shook her head," Fryer said.

For its part, Bellis Fair apologized to some customers for any miscommunication and explained further how the discount worked.

@cmansueto We thought this event was explained very clearly. Not sure where the miscommunication is coming from. Our apologies.  Bellis Fair (@BellisFair) May 23, 2016

Bellis Fair plans to hold the "at par" sale again on Canadian long weekends this year, including the Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day long weekends.

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An Ontario couple's last moments together captured in photos are just a small part of an "incredible" 24-year love story, said their son.

On April 28, Jim Mininni went to the hospital for a routine check-up. The 58-year-old had been fighting lung cancer, which he had been diagnosed with for a second time in 2011.

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Doctors noticed Mininni's "laboured" breathing and decided to admit him to the intensive care unit (ICU).

The next day, his wife had a heart attack.

Mininni was taken to Kingston General Hospital, while Cindy Ireland, also 58, was admitted to Brockville General Hospital.

Their sons Chris and Matt tried to unite them. It was a difficult move, as Ireland needed a medical reason to be transferred to another institution.

Luckily, with the help of an "amazing physician," she was moved to Kingston on May 3.

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"[The doctor] saw my father worsening, and knew my mom needed to be there," Chris, 21, told The Huffington Post Canada in an email.

"They found a very large tumor blocking my dad's complete airway, and told us that there was nothing left we could do. They went ahead to wake up my father from sedation, to let him know his situation and about my mom."

Time to say goodbye

Mininni signed a do-not-resuscitate form, not wanting to "prolong the inevitable," Chris said.

Doctors gave Mininni the choice of keeping his breathing tube in until he talked to his wife. He agreed. When he found out what happened to her  and that she was in an adjacent room  he "fell to tears."

On May 4, Chris met with the rest of the family, "broken and in tears." It was time to say goodbye.

Mininni communicated by writing. Shaking, he wrote "MO" but couldn't complete the word for an "agonizing two hours," Chris said.

"He loved my mom with his whole being."

"We kept thinking he was trying to write 'Mouth', as in he wanted the tube out. But he finally finished the word 'Mom.'"

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After hours of preparations, Mininni's request was fulfilled. He was told he would be able to see his wife of 24 years, one last time.

"My dad lit up like a child, tears streaming down his face, he started bowing in prayer nonstop, saying 'Thank you,'" Chris said.

"A team of doctors and nurses started to move my dad, and with him gripping the doctor's hand tight in extreme gratitude, he went to say goodbye to my mom for the last time. They kept him there as long as medically possible."

With his parents on life support, Chris' brother Matt captured this image of their last moment together:

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Mininni died after a few hours.

Almost two weeks later, Chris shared the image on Reddit, where it netted him a lot of positive  and some negative  attention.

"I think it helped the grieving process, to type out absolutely everything, and felt good to just show anyone that was interested what an amazing guy my dad was," he said. "It could've gotten buried with hate on Reddit and I would be been alright with that."

Mininni's mother is recovering at home, and Chris says the kind comments on Reddit have helped her too.

"The photo is just a small slice of the incredible 24-year story. The story is truly what encapsulates how much my father loved my mom, and I have no shame in ever showing people that," Chris said.

"That's who he was by definition. That's what he wanted people to know about him. He loved my mom with his whole being."

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Theres a reason why people call Disney World the place where dreams come true.

In 1993, eight-year-old Prince Harry visited the Magic Kingdom with his mom, Princess Diana, and brother, Prince William, and became the daredevil he always wanted to be.

We went around Space Mountain 12 or 14 times, so much so that my policeman had to get off and vomit over the bench!" the 31-year-old explained to People. "When you are that age you are invincible. And you slowly become uninvincible as you start breaking things!

Prince Harry is back at Walt Disney World this week, but years ago he rode Splash Mountain with his mom. :) pic.twitter.com/p5RWIeIrcq  Jeff Brooks (@BANQVE) May 9, 2016

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Now 23 years later, the Prince has returned to relive his childhood memories.

While visiting Orlando, Florida for his 2016 Invictus Games on Monday, Harry made a special trip to Walt Disney World to ride Splash Mountain once again. Naturally, all the fun was caught on camera as Prince Harry went over the rides 50-foot drop.

PRINCE HARRY DISNEYS STILL A SCREAM  Just Like It Was with Mom https://t.co/yKyKVnOHYZpic.twitter.com/peevEg46cU  Rumor Bus (@RumorBus) May 24, 2016

Prince Harry told CBS that one of the big reasons for bringing the Invictus Games to Orlando was so that he could visit the theme park next door. We had happy memories, he said, recalling his first trip to Disney World. It was absolutely fantastic.

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When speaking of his Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style multi-sport event he created, Harry said: It's a huge shame [my moms] not here, but I hope she'd be incredibly proud of what we managed to achieve.

Harry was just 12 years old when his mom, Princess Diana, tragically passed away in a car crash. Since the loss of his mom, the Prince has dedicated himself to helping orphans in the African country of Lesotho.

In 2015, Harry revealed that it was his mother who inspired him to get involved with charity work.

Its something that our mother did a lot of, he told the Mirror UK, and thats the time that you really get to learn, you get the experiences and you actually get the honest truth out of people.

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On Tuesday, the Trudeaus met with the emperor and empress of Japan at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

Styled by friend Jessica Mulroney, Gregoire Trudeau, 40, donned a pastel pink dress by Canadian designer Jay Godfrey for the occasion. The form-fitting frock featured short, flared sleeves and a boat neckline and looked effortlessly elegant on her.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, speaks with Japanese Emperor Akihito as Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, right, speaks with Empress Michiko as they visit the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tues., May 24, 2016.

The wife of the prime minister paired her dress with beige, pointy-toed Zvelle pumps and John de Jong (JdJ) jewels  both of which are Canadian labels. Her long locks were pulled back into a chic mid-ponytail, showing off her drop earrings beautifully.

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Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, right, speaks with Japanese Empress Michiko during a visit to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tues., May 24, 2016.

Earlier in the day, Justin and Sophie visited the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, where they wrote on prayer tablets, hanging them in the shrine.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, and wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, second left, visit the Meiji Shrine, escorted by a shinto priest in Tokyo on Tues., May 24, 2016.

Sophie wore a floral dress by Erdem with a WANT Les Essentiels handbag, Zvelle shoes and Dean Davidson earrings. This time, she kept her hair in a half-up, half-down 'do, with bouncy curls cascading down her back.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau write prayer tablets during their visit to the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Tues., May 24, 2016.

Prayer tablets written by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau hang following their visit to the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Tues., May 24, 2016.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau hang prayer tablets during their visit to the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Tues., May 24, 2016.

On Wednesday, the Trudeaus are set to take a day off from meetings to celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary.

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Facebook has been forced to backtrack after it banned an Australian ad featuring bikini-clad plus-sized model, Tess Holliday, promoting positive body image, initially saying the photo's depiction was "undesirable."

The social networking giant blocked the ad for Melbourne's "Cherchez La Femme: Feminism and Fat" gathering, saying the image of the #EffYourBeautyStandards model violated its advertising guidelines.

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When organizers questioned the decision, the Facebook Ads Team wrote back saying the ad did not comply with their health and fitness policy because "the image depicts a body or body parts in an undesirable manner".

"Ads like these are not allowed since they make viewers feel bad about themselves," said the letter to organizer Jessamy Gleeson, who posted a screen-shot of it online.

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Gleeson said she was stunned that Facebook "seemingly has no idea that plus-sized, self-describing fat women can feel great about themselves."

Facebook "has instead come to the conclusion that we've set out to make women feel bad about themselves by posting an image of a wonderful plus-sized woman."

6 Months preggo today (& still slayin')  #FUCKyourbeautystandards A photo posted by Plus Model | Mom | Feminist (@tessholliday) on Feb 21, 2016 at 6:12pm PST

Gleeson said Facebook later apologized for its actions, sending her a note admitting it had incorrectly reviewed the ad.

"Our policies are in place to help protect the community from offensive ads that can damage their experience on our platform," it said in a screen-shot Gleeson posted on Twitter.

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"This is not the case here and I'm sorry for our incorrect review. We evaluate millions of ads per week and there are instances that we incorrectly disapprove an image that does not violate our policies."

"Facebook has ignored the fact that our event is going to be discussing body positivity (which comes in all shapes and sizes, but in the particular case of our event, fat bodies)," she wrote.

Here's that Fbook "apology". But our point re: double standards + policing of women's bodies by them stands #CLFFATpic.twitter.com/uoQPgiOtfZ  Cherchez la Femme (@cherchezlafemmo) May 23, 2016

As for Holliday, the model took to Twitter to express how tired she is of having to defend her body.

Kinda tired of defending my body in the plus industry when colleagues of mine who are smaller are praised for being "good role models"..  Tess Holliday (@Tess_Holliday) May 23, 2016

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Bigger bodies are just as valid as smaller ones. We all deserve recognition & respect.  Tess Holliday (@Tess_Holliday) May 23, 2016

I've worked so hard to get here, but somehow it always comes back to my health, size or what they feel I'm "promoting". Let a girl live.  Tess Holliday (@Tess_Holliday) May 23, 2016

My body isn't a joke, or a punchline for your amusement.  Tess Holliday (@Tess_Holliday) May 23, 2016

Facebook has yet to address why they tagged Holliday's body as "undesirable" in the first place.

With files from Monika Markovinovic.

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John Lamb via Getty Images Tablet computer with financial data.

For the last few years the fintech industry, and specifically, alternative lenders, have been the belle of the ball. Substantial growth and strong investor confidence has left the industry with rose coloured glasses; those glasses were dramatically pulled off recently with a succession of three impactful events. First, leading online small business lender, OnDeck released a quarterly earnings report that significantly missed the mark.

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On the same day, Prosper, the United States' second largest marketplace consumer lender, announced it was shedding more than a quarter of its staff. Not to be outdone, Lending Club, the United States' largest peer-to-peer lender, delivered the final blow when CEO Renaud Leplanche, the founding father of peer-to-peer lending, resigned. Suffice it to say, it was not a good week for fintech.

These events have left a lot of questions. Just as fintech hubs have begun to ramp up in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, investors are asking the question, is the fintech honeymoon over? And how does this affect Canada's growing alternative lending space?

The first and most important distinction to make is Canada is not the US. Canada's alternative lending industry is in its relative infancy compared to the 12 plus years our American counterparts have had. In fact, only 8.2 per cent of Canadians have used at least two fintech products, putting us well behind the US, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

While some might view this as a potential threat, this in fact is a strength. In a market like the US, investments in the alternative lending space have adjusted over time with prolonged supply and demand, which has resulted in returns being driven down and caused investors, now on a flurry of negative news, to begin to pause and rethink their risk adjusted returns.

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Meanwhile in Canada, we are just at the beginning of a long potential growth period and frankly, a period of disruption, global investment in fintech reach nearly US$20 billion last year, and Canada was hardly a player, which means there is plenty of room for increased investor interest and, if managed appropriately, strong and stable investor returns as well.

However, if there is one thing to take away from our US counterparts, it's that lenders need to act responsibly and in the best interest of both their investors and their customers to ensure the integrity of their platforms and the capital being put behind them.

As the Canadian alternative lending industry matures, we have the benefit of hindsight. We can closely follow US originators and their experiences and adjust to challenges in the marketplace. Canadian alternative lenders can, at relative ease, adjust their business practices early to deal head-on with potential obstacles, and begin to build business models and practices that ensure the stability of the alternative lending space long term and continued transparency for investors.

Taking heed of the issues facing the US, marketplace lenders in Canada should take a collaborative approach and seek input from as many stakeholders as possible, to ensure the stable growth of the fintech industry. Although I expect originators and investors to perhaps take a pause and reflect with the recent announcements out of the US, and in fact the DOJ and SEC have already announced investigations into Lending Club, I don't expect US regulators will step in with any major policy changes from these recent events.

Alternative lenders must ultimately manage expectations of their investors and continue to work toward improved transparency and communication. Investors will ultimately decide for themselves.

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In Canada, we believe we have a real opportunity to build a stable and healthy alternative lending space. We would encourage platforms getting off the ground to align the risks and rewards of the business with their investors as much as possible so that everyone wins or loses at the same time.

Taking these biases out of the business is a stronger recipe for success, for your platform and your investors and can ultimately mitigate from some of the events being experienced in the US now. We certainly are taking this approach with our own platform and look forward to continuing to be a part of the evolution of the space in Canada.

Fintech, despite the recent negative press, isn't going anywhere. Alternative lenders have attractive value propositions for both borrowers and investors, which include traditional institutional banks. Just like Uber has changed the way consumers get from one place to another, Canadian alternative lenders are still at the forefront of solving some of Canada's biggest problems as it relates to credit.

Serving the underserved, improving financial literacy, helping reduce the growing household debt problems, the value, and innovations being tackled by these fintech's doesn't disappear because of a few bad days. However, as the marketplace matures, we expect to see greater onus on transparency and alignment of interests; a mature market demands mature investors, who have higher expectations both in returns and protection of their capital.
Photo credit: Ken Lund

It's time to cancel your summer beach vacation and head to Colorado instead. Sure, Colorado shines in the winter months when its world-class ski resorts are covered in snow, but those who are in the know head to the Centennial State in summer too.

Colorado is overflowing with summer festivals, must-visit national parks and more outdoor adventure than you can cram into one vacation. These four not-so-obvious reasons why you should visit colorful Colorado when the weather's warm will make you want to rethink your summer vacation entirely.

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You Can Explore Ancient Ruins

You don't have to travel to Peru's Machu Picchu or Rome's Colosseum to explore archaeological sites. Mesa Verde National Park offers visitors an unforgettable look into the lives and architecture of the Anasazi or Ancestral Pueblo people who inhabited this area of Colorado for 700 years. The park is home to roughly 5,000 archaeological sites and more than 600 ancient dwellings that span more than 80 square miles giving visitors a time-travel experience that can't be found anywhere else in the country.

You Can Leave Everything Behind

Photo credit: mypubliclands

If you're looking for a summer getaway that will truly encourage you to unwind, there's no better place to wander than into the Colorado wilderness. The Centennial State is home to 42 campground-equipped state parks, hundreds of private campgrounds and 22 million acres of grasslands and national forest that invite you to leave all of your stresses behind. Wilderness backpacking excursions are some of the most adventurous ways to unplug, and you'll find a number wilderness campsites in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, the Weminuche Wilderness Area, Roosevelt National Forest and other areas across the state.

You Can Cool Down in a Cave

Colorado is home to the unexpected, and the state's many caverns and caves are some of its most underrated natural wonders. Travelers can take a scenic gondola ride to Glenwood Springs' Glenwood Caverns to admire wide open caves with National Geographic-worthy rock formations.

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More experienced cavers, equipped with the proper equipment and know-how, can explore the undeveloped caves at Rifle Falls State Park, White River National Forest and Dinosaur National Monument. Mountain peaks may draw thrill-seeking visitors to Colorado in winter, but it's the underground adventures that make summertime experiences just as memorable.

You Can Still Get in the Water

You don't have to head to the ocean to enjoy summertime fun on the water. Colorado is home to thousands of acres of water that welcome you to bring your swimsuit, paddleboard, kayak or even your boat. The lakes and reservoirs of Navajo State Park, the Blue Mesa Reservoir, and Jackson Lake State Park welcome boaters, tubers, waterskiers and all watersport enthusiasts.

Other bodies of water, like Lake Granby and the Colorado River are ideal for kayaks, canoes and whitewater rafting. Whether you're into fishing, sailing, swimming, wakeboarding or simply admiring the tranquility of a deep blue oasis in the heat of summer, Colorado is the place for your water-based adventures.

Those who have visited Colorado in the summer months know the Centennial State offers far more than winter fun. In addition to outdoor adventures, Colorado offers an abundance of summer food, beer, music and cultural festivals as well as nonstop action in its favorite cities and small towns.

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In December 2015 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission handed down its final report in Ottawa. You could hear a pin drop in the cavernous Ottawa Congress Centre. The silence accentuated the muffled cries and spilling tears as Justice Murray Sinclair Chair of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) spoke.

Standing on a stage beneath a banner reading "For the child taken, for the parent left behind," Justice Murray Sinclair delivered a report consisting of some 3,231 pages.

It was at once historic and devastating. The report detailed the horrendous abuse suffered by Indigenous children in residential schools after being kidnapped from their homes by federal government "Indian agents" and placed in strange unwelcoming surroundings where hunger, sexual exploitation and even death became their tragic watch words.

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On the stage were two empty chairs in memory of perhaps up to 6000 Indigenous children where the residential school became their final resting place.

In a moment of absolute anguish, Justice Sinclair asked all residential school survivors and their families to stand. He then addressed them directly:

"We did this, after all, for those who were there and for those who were with us. We did this for the children who were taken away and for the parents who were left behind to cry for them. We did this for the children of today who needed to know when and what and why things occurred, so they could understand their lives."

Our country was from that day forward forever changed.

Now thanks to the courage of Residential school survivors and the leadership of the Chair of the TRC, Murray Sinclair and his co-Chairs Dr. Marie Wilson and Chief Wilton Littlechild, we must begin a journey of decades along the reconciliation road.

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On May 18th, 2016 the Mosaic Institute which I am privileged to lead honoured now Senator Murray Sinclair with its prestigious "Peace Patron Award" at a sold-out dinner in Toronto.

Vahan Kololian, Chair of Mosaic Institute and Bernie Farber Executive Director bestow Peace Patron Award to Senator Murray Sinclair

Senator Sinclair born in the Selkirk area of Manitoba was an accomplished student. He graduated in 1968 as the school's valedictorian and incidentally was also named as athlete of the year.

Called to the Bar in 1980, Senator Sinclair practiced criminal, civil and Aboriginal law. His reputation as an articulate and brilliant jurist grew. In 1988 he was named Associate Chief Justice of Manitoba and shortly thereafter he was called to be co-Commissioner of Manitoba's Aboriginal Justice Inquiry.

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It didn't end there. The tragic deaths of 12 children in 1994 at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre necessitated an inquest naturally complicated by emotion and tragedy. Senator Sinclair was appointed to head the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Inquest in 1995.

Senator Murray Sinclair was tapped for the role of TRC Chief Commissioner when the first Commission came to a sudden end with the resignation of its first Chair Justice Harry LaForme and the two other co-Commissioners. It was up to Senator Sinclair to repair the process and move it forward which he did with a sense of both urgency and grace.

Senator Sinclair carried his own burden into the difficult task of heading the TRC. His parents and grandparents were residential school survivors so he was brought up in its shadow.

In the end however, his leadership, understanding and sensitivity helped hundreds of the survivors give heartfelt testimony that many to that date never wanted to relive. Said Senator Sinclair in an interview with the Globe and Mail after hearing thousands of hours of gut-wrenching testaments, "We cried when they cried. We laughed when they laughed."

Senator Sinclair viscerally recognizes the diversity of our nation and with this recognition springs the understanding we will need for future generations, "Everything we do going forward should be based on the question of how we achieve reconciliation" explains Sinclair.

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Senator Sinclair's Ojibway name is "Mizanay Gheezhik." It means "the one who speaks of pictures in the sky." As so eloquently stated in the introduction video on the evening of his presentation "...is it any wonder then that he can look to the sky, see what's possible and then show the rest of us how to get there."

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Genesis - Korawee Ratchapakdee via Getty Images Tourist standing on the hill and take a photo in the beautiful sunset time and good landscape area, Loei province, Thailand

Photo credit: Mike Behnken

It's easy to plant yourself in Bangkok for your entire trip to Thailand. It's true, you'll never run out of things to do, flavors to taste or Singhas to sip. However, spending your entire Thailand visit in Bangkok means you're missing out on some of the country's greatest destinations. These five Thai towns and cities are just as impressive as Bangkok, if you can peel yourself away from the capital city.

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Sukhothai

The name Sukhothai means "Rising of Happiness," and this former capital of Thailand is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The picturesque city in Lower Northern Thailand is now the capital of the Sukhothai province, welcoming visitors with its Sukhothai Historical Park ruins, Sangkhalok Museum and ancient Buddhist temples. Visitors are encouraged to take the 1-hour-long drive north of the city center to the Si Satchanalai Historical Park to explore the fairytale-like ancient grounds on bicycle.

Pai

Photo credit: Jeremy Foster

Most travelers who do venture outside of the capital city find themselves in Chiang Mai. However, it pays to keep traveling north, roughly 85 winding-mountain-road miles, to the small hippie town of Pai. You'll need more than a day to explore the quirky shops, soak in the nearby hot springs, dine on healthy Thai and international eats, snap photos of the Pai Canyon and take a yoga class among some of the world's most picturesque natural scenery. The dizzying 3- to 5-hour drive from Chiang Mai is well worth the journey to this small village full of character.

Krabi

Krabi is no stranger to tourists. The town's location -- steps from the turquoise Andaman Sea, just a short boat ride to more than 100 offshore islands, and nestled among limestone cliffs and mangrove forests -- makes it a hotspot for anyone who loves the outdoors. In addition to postcard-worthy beaches, waterfall hikes and seaside rock climbing cliffs, Krabi offers an abundance of traditional eateries and accommodations for all budgets. Hop aboard a boat to Railay Beach, and you'll find yourself on a stretch of sand and sea that's so dreamy you'll have to pinch yourself.

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Nong Kai

Photo credit: snotch

The Mekong River is the 12th-longest river in the world, and the unassuming town of Nong Kai rests along its banks. However, this town's more low-key atmosphere doesn't mean it lacks charm or historical importance. Visitors who venture off the beaten path to Nong Kai are welcomed by the mystical rock formations of Phu Phra Bat Historical Park and the powerful Wat Pho Chai and Wat Khaek temples. Nong Khai is located in the northern province of Isaan, which is known for its unique cultural identity and unforgettable people.

Sangkhlaburi

Few travelers make the 5 hour drive northwest of Bangkok to Sangkhlaburi, and those who don't are missing out. This small town in Thailand's Kanchanaburi province is one of the best places in the country to dine, unwind and explore numerous cultures at once. The Karen, Mon, Lao and Burmese ethnicities actually outnumber the Thai in this melting pot of a town, which means you enjoy some of the country's most vibrant street markets and restaurants alongside ancient architecture and cultural sights. Don't forget to pay a visit to Wat Wang Wiwekaram, a temple that is known as the country's spiritual center for the Mon people.
"Mr. speaker, as we were gathered here for a vote, after the time had counted down, I observed our whip walking down the aisle to proceed with the vote. I had noticed that the official opposition whip seemed to be impeded in his progress down the hall. I felt that this lacked in respect for Parliament and indeed for the function that the official opposition whip is endeavouring to deliver on behalf of all of us.

Therefore, I walked over to encourage the member to come through, and indeed, offered my arm to help him come through the gaggle of MPs standing there impeding his progress down the aisle, and impeding our ability to move forward with this important vote. In so doing, I admit that I came in physical contact with a number of members as I extended my arm, including someone behind me whom I did not see. I certainly did not intend to offend or impact on anyone. I was simply concerned that, unfortunately, the decorum of this place has been impeded by this kind of prevention of the work that the whips are doing.

If anyone feels that they were impacted by my actions, I completely apologize. It was not my intention to hurt anyone. It is my intention to get this vote done."
Ablestock.com via Getty Images Parliament building clock tower in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada

The incidents that took place last week in Parliament were deeply troubling. However, the actions of the prime minister and the repercussions on NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau, who is receiving a torrent of online abuse, have overshadowed the deep problems surrounding the functioning of our democracy.

In our parliamentary system, a majority government has enormous powers. Few realize that the position of prime minister in Canada has more power than the President in the United States or, for that matter, any government leader in the G7.

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The current government already has the majority of seats and therefore control of the legislative agenda. It can use its majority to limit debate on any given bill and it also has control over the committees studying these bills.

Procedure is the set of weapons being used and time is the currency fought over.

The only powers of the Opposition parties against a majority government are procedural in nature, such as point of orders or points of privilege. Non-government MPs can only bring non-binding motions, with the exception of Private Member's Bills, which seldom ever receive government support.

Over 60 per cent of Canadians did not vote for the current Liberal government, just as over 60 per cent did not vote for Stephen Harper's Conservative government. This reality of our current voting system should require any majority government to genuinely try to get support from the other parties for legislation. It is not always possible, but it should be tried in a genuine, honest way.

This is especially true of sensitive legislation, such as the medical assistance in dying, or any changes in our voting system, which, by their nature, should have multi-party support.

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However, if such respect for the role of the Opposition is absent, the House of Commons becomes a battleground, in which the government has an overwhelming advantage. Procedure is the set of weapons being used and time is the currency fought over.

Opposition MPs cannot and will not lay down arms and allow the government do as its wishes.

Many, from across the political spectrum, have said the controversial Liberal Motion No. 6, would be tantamount to a forced unilateral disarmament, which would put all non-Liberal MPs in a procedural straitjacket, preventing them from doing anything except speak when the government permits them to do so.

The threat of this nuclear option, compounded by all the times the government has limited debate in the House created a poisonous atmosphere in the House of Commons.

Blame can certainly be assigned everywhere. But blame games have seldom, if ever, solved anything.

The Opposition, if marginalized by government, will use all the tools at its disposal, to impede the government. It should be so, as a democracy with a subservient opposition is a weakened democracy. Opposition MPs cannot and will not lay down arms and allow the government do as its wishes.

So the ball is in the government's court. After a change in those running government, Parliament is still broken. The government has the power and responsibility to fix it.

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The only question is: does it have the will to do so?

Guy Caron, Member of Parliament (NDP) Rimouski-Neigette--Temiscouata--Les Basques

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When a person committing an egregious act belongs to a group or community with which we identify, should we feel some responsibility for their action? By virtue of a shared language, religion, skin colour or ethnic background, should we feel compelled to publicly denounce an individual that commits a criminal offence? Is it fair to assume that the absence of such a denunciation implies a tacit endorsement of the offender?

On the night of September 4, 2012, as the Parti Quebcois was celebrating its election night victory at a downtown Montreal night club, a masked man with a semi-automatic rifle approached the building where the celebration was held and opened fire, killing a stage technician and injuring another.

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This occurred as incoming Premier Pauline Marois was partway through her victory speech. The assailant, Richard Henry Bain, was charged with first-degree murder in the deadly election night shooting. During his arrest that night, Bain shouted that, "Anglophones are waking up!"

Why disassociate oneself from something with which we should not be associated?

In the aftermath of the Bain shooting, I was asked by Quebec media to publicly denounce Bain as a way to assure francophone Quebecers that his views were not shared by the province's Anglophones and thereby prevent any acts of retaliation.

When La Presse asked me about my reaction to the shooting I offered the following response:

"My reaction was similar to that of all Quebecers. I was angry. When I heard the phrase [referring to Anglophones] I said to myself the guy's crazy. But I don't understand those Anglophones that feel the need to disassociate themselves from the shooter. Why disassociate oneself from something with which we should not be associated? Should a Catholic feel concerned if Richard Bain said he did this because he was Catholic? If he is part of an organization or a movement with which someone was affiliated that might be different, but here we're dealing with a crazy person."

It is worth noting that Bain later described himself "... as a Christian soldier and freedom fighter who Jesus had sent to rid Canada of the separatist problem."

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When I was employed by the Jewish community, I would occasionally be asked by the media to disassociate myself from individuals or groups that identified with the community. There is a need for greater empathy with members of communities for whom such disassociation is commonplace.

In September 2014, La Presse's Rima Elkouri decided to respond to an obnoxious reader of the newspaper who insinuated that the failure on the part of individuals of the Muslim faith to denounce the actions committed by IS is deemed a tacit endorsement. Ms. Elkouri, who is not Muslim herself, denounces such an absurd logic.

In her response, she pointed out that "sometimes it's our citizens of the Muslim faith that feel compelled to denounce barbaric acts with greater vigour than the rest of us so as not to be seen as guilty by association."

Elkouri added: "... Muslims, we tend to forget, are the principal victims of jihadists. They are no more likely to have ties with the Islamic State than do Christians with the Ku Klux Klan. Why this persistent societal demand for Muslims to break ranks with a group with which they do not associate? Why this hunting that regards silence with suspicion." (Editor's note: blogger's translation.)

Elkouri concludes by disassociating herself publicly from this absurd logic.

As a solution to the real problem of terrorism in our society, it is counterproductive to collectively accuse persons of being complicit because they happen to share the same faith as a perpetrator of a heinous act. For the time being we can be thankful that in Canada when it comes to such forms of collective stigmatization, it's the cooler heads that continue to prevail.

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Elena Elisseeva via Getty Images Tax calculator pen and glasses

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) "has abdicated its mandate for fairness by denying the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) to eligible Canadians with disabilities" and particularly those with psychiatric disabilities according to advocate Lembi Buchanan of Victoria. "It has become virtually impossible for the majority of people living with severe psychiatric illnesses to access the DTC without appealing to the Tax Court of Canada," she said.

Ms. Buchanan is lobbying the new Liberal government to restore the accountability that was lost during the Harper government. She added in an email that "there has been a slow erosion of fair treatment of taxpayers with disabilities and no one has really paid attention to it. And of course, no one really seems to care."

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Ms. Buchanan won a significant victory in Tax Court in 2001 when she represented her husband who suffers from bipolar disorder. In Buchanan vs. Her Majesty the Queen, Judge Diane Campbell recognized that "disability" did not mean "inability." The judge ruled that Ms. Buchanan's husband's bipolar disorder was severe enough to meet the restrictive criteria of the Income Tax Act even though he was able to maintain many of his intellectual capabilities.

For her work on this, Ms. Buchanan received the Access Award for Disability Issues in Toronto in 2003. In 2016, Ms. Buchanan received the Meritorious Service Medal from Governor General David Johnson for her "crucial role in income tax reformation by creating the Fighting for Fairness campaign. Through her intense lobbying, the need to broaden the eligibility criteria for the Disability Tax Credit received national attention and led to persons with mental and episodic disabilities benefiting from the federal tax credit."

CRA's behaviour administering the DTC, however, resulted in the House of Commons censuring them for their lack of humanity in 2002. In 2003, the government set up a Technical Advisory Council to help improve fairness. Then, in 2005, a Disability Advisory Committee was established comprised of experts including Ms. Buchanan to report directly to the minister of revenue.

Its mandate was to provide "a forum to identify the needs and expectations of the disability community" as "an important consultative forum through which members can provide helpful advice, comments and suggestions on tax measures for persons with disabilities."

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At the time, Minister of National Revenue John McCallum said that "it is crucial that persons with disabilities be treated equally and fairly, and I am confident that the members of the committee will help us achieve this."

But then, in 2006, according to Ms. Buchanan, the Harper government disbanded the advisory committee. Since then, it has again become increasingly more difficult for people with mental illnesses to qualify for the DTC partly because the tax form is so complicated. The form asks if activities are markedly restricted and adds in parentheses "at least 90 per cent of the time."

It is based on this that many claims are rejected. Because of the 90 per cent or above threshold, many doctors are unwilling to fill out the form in the first place. Upon rejection, many applicants give up while some appeal to the Tax Court, which often rules in favour of the taxpayer.

An example is the case of Steele vs. The Queen, 2002. The judge in that case stated in S 15 that "I remain just a bit sceptical that the medical profession has advanced to the point that the complexites of the brain's receipt, storage and retrieval of data can be identified with such an accuracy that would allow a psychiatrist to proclaim that an individual is unable to remember 25 per cent, 50 per cent or 90 per cent of the time."

The judge went on to say that he is bound by the decision of Associate Chief Judge Bowman in the Radage decision that:

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a) The legislative intent appears to be to provide a modest amount of tax relief to persons who fall within a relatively restricted category of markedly physically or mentally impaired persons. The intent is neither to give the credit to everyone who suffers from a disability nor to erect a hurdle that is impossible for virtually every disabled person to surmount. It obviously recognizes that disabled persons need such tax relief and it is intended to be of benefit to such persons.

b) The court must, while recognizing the narrowness of the tests enumerated in sections 118.3 and 118.4, construe the provisions liberally, humanely and compassionately and not narrowly and technically.

c) If there is doubt on which side of the line a claimant falls, that doubt should be resolved in favour of the claimant.

However, so many claims for the tax credit have been rejected that an industry of consultants has grown up in the past few years who promise to help get the claim through the system. One such company, The National Benefit Authority in Toronto, has 160 full-time staff and charge 30 per cent of the amount their clients recover from CRA. It is estimated that there are 24 different companies offering services.

In 2014 Bill C-462, The DTC Promoter's Restrictions Act, was passed to limit the amount these companies could charge disabled taxpayers, but then the government failed to enforce it. Ms. Buchanan has just heard from CRA that they are now going to draft the regulations for this act so that it can be enforced.

However, one positive piece of legislation brought in for those with disabilities by the Harper Government is the Registered Disability Savings Plan to help people save for the future. The government will donate up to $20,000 over a lifetime to people as well as to provide grant money for low-income Canadians with disabilities up to a $70,000 limit.

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The catch-22, however, is that a Disability Tax Credit is a prerequisite to qualify. Unless Ms. Buchanan's lobbying is successful, few will.

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Richard Lautens via Getty Images TORONTO, ON - APRIL, 28 The Queens of Cannabis has been open for 2 months in the Bloor and Ossington area and is one of the dozens of medical pot dispensaries that has caught Toronto off-guard. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" goes the old joke, with the obvious answer being, "to get to the other side." Sadly, not all of life's questions have such simple and obvious answers.

We recently learned that the mayor of Toronto, John Tory, sent a letter to the Licensing and Standards department asking them to "study and make recommendations" on regulating medicinal cannabis dispensaries in Toronto. This came just a day after Mayor Tory visited a dispensary himself to get a first hand look at the operation.

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So, why did the mayor visit and ask city officials to "study" this, and then immediately begin issuing warning letters from Licensing and Toronto Police ahead of any report -- all ahead of even letting the standards committee to weigh in on the issue? I wish the answer were simple.

We learned yesterday that Cannabis Canada, the trade association that represents Canada's Licensed Producers of medical marijuana, has been lobbying the city quite extensively. But these efforts have been ongoing now for some time -- why the urgency to crack down now? Again, the answer is not as simple as we'd like it to be.

Cannabis Canada has been providing any media outlet who asks with the following "facts:"

"The legal pot industry got its start in 2014, when Ottawa introduced legislation requiring medical marijuana patients had to buy their product from licensed producers. There are currently 31 companies with licenses, 18 of which are in Ontario."

The truth is that the legal pot industry started long before 2014. It started in 2001 when Health Canada instituted the Medical Marihuana Access Regulations (MMAR) which was replaced by the current Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) regulations. MMAR licenses are still legally recognized as valid due to ongoing litigation, most recently the Allard decision.

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The Allard Decision

On Feb. 24, 2016, Justice Phelan of the Federal Court of Canada in B.C. released his decision on the Charter challenge commonly referred to as "The Allard Decision." Justice Phelan concluded as follows:

"The Plaintiffs' liberty and security interest are engaged by the access restrictions imposed by the MMPR and that the access restrictions have not been proven to be in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice."

About dispensaries, the Court says the following;

"Although dispensaries were not a focus of the parties' submissions, I find Ms. Shaw's evidence to be extremely important as dispensaries are at the heart of cannabis access."

Justice Phelan in his ruling gave Health Canada and the Government of Canada six months to replace MMPR regulations or amend existing MMPR regulations to fall in line with his findings. On March 24 2016, the health minister announced that the government would NOT appeal the decision.

So, here we stand with current regulation being deemed unconstitutional, with new regulations expected to be unveiled by Aug. 24, 2016 and the Mayor of Toronto is asking staff and Toronto Police to enforce an unjust law. The law, the regulations for medicinal marijuana, are still in force until such time as the new regulations are in place, mind you -- they are legally defensible, just not morally so.

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The law is fluid, and what is legal one day may be illegal the next or vice versa. What does not change is right and wrong, justice and injustice. Sometimes it takes society a very long time to recognize an injustice. Once an injustice is recognized, defence of what was "legal" prior to a determination of justice is morally reprehensible.

So Cannabis Canada lobbies the mayor, the law is only in force until August (when it's likely access to medical marijuana will expand beyond the current MMPR mail-order) and a 1,000-per-cent markup model will be instituted. The 31 licensed producers are worried about competition, as many hundreds of millions of dollars in future business are at stake -- billions once a legal recreational model is brought in.

So, why did the Mayor cross the road? Why is he asking city staff and police to enforce a law that has been deemed unconstitutional? Why is he not recognizing the authority of the Supreme Court or his duty to uphold the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

The money, of course. It was simple after all.

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I dread(ed) going to all-inclusive resorts.

And before you send confused glances my way, I'll offer some context to explain why: I felt that the people who went to these places prioritized the free-flowing, tipsy-inducing beverages over the food -- but worse, that resorts themselves succumbed to the same idea.

However, I'm always open to exploration and discovering diamonds in the rough -- call me an optimist -- but you never know, your next great meal could be had at an all-inclusive spot. And so long as people opt for an out-of-country bachelor or bachelorette party, you may soon find yourself at one of these resorts.

With this rationale I decided to throw caution to the wind and test the waters with a (relatively) new resort in Mexico. The Hyatt Ziva Cancun opened in January of 2016, with a fancy makeover whose price tag was estimated at $85 million dollars. The hefty costs have come with some perks for hotel guests: for instance, the resort is situated on prime real estate, as Ziva is located on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and offers 270-degree views of the Caribbean Sea.

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But as beautiful as the glimmering waters and pristine sandy beaches are, I cannot eat the view. A gal's gotta have some sustenance -- so bring on the food.

The Lay of the Land:

There are nine restaurants and seven bars that offer a spectrum of international cuisines and drinks. Although restaurants are part of the all-inclusive package, dinner reservations are essential. Hot spots like La Bastille, a French fine-dining spot (for adults 18+ only), fill up fast. However, with the exception of La Bastille, lunchtime is more casual and walk-ins are accepted at all locations, flip-flops and all.

As your willing guinea pig, I sampled my way through as many eateries as possible. Sure you could try all the food yourself (it is all-inclusive, after all), but why waste room in your stomach on the inferior eats?

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Here are my top recommendations for what you should and should not devour:

Eat this:

OK -- technically, it's all about the drinks here. But the Tequila connoisseur session is something not to be missed. It's not advertised -- but it is available -- just ask someone on duty there. It's a free, 30-minute seminar if it is less than four people, and a small charge if you have more than that in your group.

You'll be greeted by a cheery fellow named Eduardo who is the resident tequila sommelier. While he may be youthful in age, he's wise in the ways of all things tequila. On your tasting journey, you learn about the art and craft involved in producing a fine tequila (and that it is not just a drink you take shots to get drunk in college with).

Eduardo explains that although there are 1,068 varieties and counting. To be labelled a true Mexican tequila, it must use Agave Tequilana a.k.a. blue agave, the base ingredient required to make a quality, distilled beverage.

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In terms of tasting, you learn the procedure is akin to enjoying a fine wine: this involves inhaling aromas, noting colour, lustre and viscosity... and then finally taking a sip -- which you hold in your mouth for three seconds before swallowing to detect layers of flavours (e.g. butter, chocolate, vanilla).

Bonus: Ask Eduardo to offer you each style to determine what you enjoy best.

Blanco (white): Clear in colour and not aged.

Reposado (gold colour): Aged between two months and one year in white oak barrels.

Anejo (amber colour): Aged between one and three years in white oak barrels.

Not that:

I can't say what was incredible and what inferior simply because I was never attended to at this restaurant. I headed into Tradewinds for breakfast one morning and was promptly given a seat by the hostess as well as a menu. As I was perusing the list of dish specials, I also noted that it wasn't busy inside. However, no server ever came by.

I waited 25 minutes and by that time, my tummy grumbled ferociously at me, so I got up and left. I informed the hostess what had happened. She was very apologetic and offered to rectify the situation but at that point, I was pretty much over this place -- so to speak -- and went to the buffet instead. This is an unfortunate situation; it would have been nice to have tasted the Chaya and paddle cactus scrambled eggs I was keen on.

Eat this:

I'm one of these rare birds that doesn't prefer to be seated out on a patio (*cue collective gasp*). This is partially due to my upbringing (my parents only ever chose to eat indoors at restaurants) and also -- there are just too many variables to be cognizant of -- cigarette butts, cigarette smoke, wind gusts, hot sun, sun burns, etc. But I pretty much didn't have a choice with Habaneros (it is an outdoor eatery). Fortunately, there was an ample amount of shade by the bar and a welcoming, mild breeze.

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The best bets to order are the Ceviche de Pulpo and Arrachera a las Brasas de Mesquite. The former arrives as stacked coils coated with chipotle tomato sauce. The octopus is so soft and meltingly tender, a knife isn't even required. The latter is a smoke-kissed, grilled flank steak that is as juicy as it is flavourful.

Not that:

Dessert at Habaneros is forgettable and offers inaccurate descriptions on the menu. I tried a custard-like cake with a bit of lime flavouring which tasted like sadness and regret. Save your stomach and instead order a half pina colada and half strawberry daiquiri, a.k.a. Miami Vice.

Eat this:

I should preface this recommendation by saying that I don't drink beer. I'll always choose wine over suds. So, why should non-beer drinkers and beer lovers come here? The brews are remarkably delicious.

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The credit goes to Juan Jose Garcia who is setting a precedent in the world of beer. The first of its kind, Tres Cervezas is a microbrewery on Ziva's resort property that makes their own craft beers on site. Using barley from Mexico and hops from the United States, they always offer three unique brews on tap. Head Brewmaster Juan, who has 10 years of experience in the art of the brew, is creating renditions of styles he admires, for instance, witbier (wheat ales) that are popular in Belgium and Porters from England.

However, there's a big issue that's yet to be addressed: Since Garcia rotates brews so often, none of his creations have names, none of them are bottled -- and none of them are sold anywhere on or off the property. This is a downer because it's unlikely you'll have an opportunity to taste the exact same brew again.

Also -- you can't buy any to take home as souvenirs for friends and families. Currently, Garcia says their focus is on crafting great beer. But as popularity gains traction, hopefully they'll consider bottling and selling their beer in the future. In the meantime, it would be helpful if they simply gave each brew a name.

The featured wheat ale I tried was mild and contained pleasant notes of orange peel and coriander. And then I moved on to a rich porter, which Garcia uses toasted barley for. He infused the brew with local pepper, vanilla beans and chamomile; it tasted like a deep, dark chocolate cake.

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Not that:

This Italian restaurant prides itself on trattoria-style dishes including freshly made pizzas that come out of their wood burning oven, fresh pasta, seafood, and grilled meats.

But there were numerous inconsistencies with regards to cooking: one of my friend's barolo risotto with mushrooms arrived creamy and heavenly. Meanwhile, my other dining companion had ordered the other rice dish: pesto risotto with asparagus tips and blistered cherry tomatoes. It was obvious that the rice was undercooked; there was a hard, unpleasant crunch when each of us tried a spoonful.

The mains also lacked finesse. My pork bistecca with sauteed mushrooms, onions and bacon was severely overcooked. The meat was devoid of any juices, dry and leathery in texture. Fortunately, service from the outset was gracious; the server noticed something was amiss and offered to exchange the dish for something else.

Eat this:

They've recreated Candyland inside Pastele with colours of the rainbow including goblets filled with sugary treats, dainty tea cakes and a chocolate waterfall to top it all off. But if you get carried away with all the sugar, you may just end up in a diabetic coma like I almost did. As tempting as gummies and candies are, they're pretty run-of-the mill. It's best to save your stomach for the housemade gelato (new flavours on rotation, daily -- my personal favourites were Nutella and coffee) and piping hot, made-to-order waffles.

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Overall thoughts: Certain eateries excel over others; however, I do appreciate the diversity of cuisine offered on site. Even though I didn't take advantage of the bottomless cocktails, I definitely drank my weight in cappuccinos and lattes at Casa Cafe -- in my humble opinion, their drinks were far superior to those overpriced big-box coffee shops in North America (and best of all, it was part of the all-inclusive resort feature).

But it is apparent that some of the chefs just aren't as well-versed with certain styles of cooking. If I returned to this resort, I'd definitely fill up at Habaneros and eat the entire menu; this dining spot offers fresh seafood, authentic Mexican flavours and great views of the sea.

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CristiNistor via Getty Images Cigarettes production line in a tobacco factory

Using the image of a puppet pulled by strings from above by a mysterious figure, the World Health Organization is pulling out all the stops in its effort to turn public opinion against the tobacco industry.

The oft-used trope is a popular one in modern conspiracy theories, that of the puppet master behind the scenes controlling world affairs -- or in this case, popular opinion.

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This image is part of the WHO campaign to launch "monitoring centres" in cities across the world, tasked with unmasking the tactics of the tobacco industry and its attempts to "interfere" with public health policy.

"These new units are the watchtowers of the public health movement, helping us to see the tobacco-control landscape in greater detail," said Dr. Vera da Costa e Silva, the head of the secretariat of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

She announced the new monitoring centres in Rio de Janeiro to much pomp and circumstance at the end of March, foreshadowing the opening of dozens of more in the coming months and those that will focus on much more than just the tobacco industry.

"They will communicate with professionals at the national level, but they also have an international function in communicating with one another to create a global tapestry describing the behaviour of the tobacco industry across continents," she proclaimed.

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The Brazilian Observatory at Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), the first of these centres, has already set its sights on the tobacco industry in the powerful developing country.

"The tobacco industry requires constant monitoring of its power and restrictive legal treatment because it brings no social or economic benefit to the country," said Silvana Turci, a researcher at the observatory.

But the tobacco industry is not the only target.

Indeed, the scope of the first monitoring centre's mission is being finely tuned in order to focus on the sugar and fat industries as well.

"It will also serve as a model to monitor the actions of other industries, such as processed food, alcoholic and soft drinks, considering that there are undeniable similarities between the strategies used by all these companies in order to undermine public policies," states the observatory's website.

The World Health Organization is ensuring this remains a top priority in its aim to monitor international public health.

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"We must understand the ways in which the industry does this. How does it operate -- what is its strategy and what are its tactics? How far is it willing to go? And does it operate different approaches in different parts of the world?" said Dr. da Costa e Silva.

Thus far, the monitoring centres aim to create "wiki" systems in order to track and disseminate the information gathered from their campaigns. An example was put together by the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, calling attention to the individuals and institutions "promoting a pro-tobacco agenda."

Such efforts are being funded in order to implement the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control, implemented by the Conference of the Parties held in Moscow in October 2014. It was made up of representatives from practically every country in the world, and remains closed only to participating parties and select governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The next Conference of the Parties is set to take place in New Delhi India in November 2016, where the next level of global tobacco regulation is due to be agreed upon.

The goal of the conference is to advance the "work of the WHO FCTC, thereby strengthening the global battle against the devastating consequences of tobacco use," according to the website.

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Actions taken within this forum are not subject to democratic appraisal and have generally bypassed national legislatures. At present there is no mechanism or body by which to challenge the outcomes of the Conference of the Parties' agreement. That may be a troubling trend for democracy and the rule of law.

In the meantime, the World Health Organization will continue investing in monitoring centres to counteract the "darkness" of sin industries such as tobacco, sugar, alcohol and processed foods.

"Brazil's observatory exists to help us better understand what the industry is doing," added Dr. da Costa e Silva. "It's an important link in our new global chain, and helps us see into areas that were previously covered by darkness, the darkness that the tobacco industry prefers and embraces."

Yael Ossowski is a Canadian journalist living in Vienna, Austria. He is currently a program director for Students For Liberty.

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The five things you need to know on Tuesday May 24, 2016

1) KNIFE-EDGE VOTE

Another day, another relentless bit of heavy pounding of Brexits economic case as David Cameron (who is now in full general election campaign mode) makes a speech warning that air fares and holiday costs will soar if we vote Leave.

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Easyjets Carolyn McCall was on the Today prog underlining the message. Steve Hilton, ex-Dave guru, was on too and tweeted: wonder what pathetic, patronising EU scares we will get today? #GuessTheScare. Some in Government reacted to Hilton's outburst yesterday by muttering 'He's gone full Stewart Pearson' (a reference to The Thick Of It's blue-skies thinker, who was based on Hilton, so that's life-imitating-art-imitating-life for you). On Today he lashed out at the 'bankers' and 'Establishment' 'running the world'.

But the real fear among some in No10 is that the PM will face a vote of no confidence should there be a narrow In result on June 23. And the Mail has splashed its front page on the latest updates on numbers, claiming there a dozens of MPs ready to strike. One backbencher wants Cameron to set a leaving date, with 2018 seen by some of them as the best compromise.

Weve been here before, of course, when Tony Blair (more on him below) was pressured by Brownites to name a date for his departure. In the end, Blair found it hard to resist (and he had a much bigger majority, even after 2005, dont forget).

There are undoubtedly some Tory MPs who have been so infuriated by No10 and No11s conduct that they want to wield the knife after a close result. Yet there are plenty of others from the 2015 and 2010 intakes who, while finding this all distasteful, feel they owe their seats to Dave and dont want to rock the boat. The aim of the plotters though is to wound, not to kill - just as Thatcher failed to get enough support in 1990.

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Yesterday, the anger on the backbenches over Project Fear was palpable in the Queens Speech debate, and the Government had to once again Uncork The Gauke, using the Treasury minister as its human shield (boy does he deserve a promotion after all this). The latest complaint by Eurosceps is about No.10 bullying of the BBC and others to ensure neither Gove nor Boris is on the same programme as Cameron.

The bitterness within the Leave camp is almost as bad at time as that between the Tory tribes. BuzzFeeds neat scoop on Leave.EU publishing the mobile numbers of Vote Leave campaigners was just another example of how dirty this has all become.

2) MALE VOICE HIRE

It took a female party leader yesterday to point out how counterproductive some of the Osborne/Cameron Project Fear was becoming. Nicola Sturgeon attacked the fear based campaigningthat insults peoples intelligence.

In a speech, Shirley Williams urged the public to complain to the BBC the next time they saw a male v male, blue v blue line up on the EU. debate.

And overnight Harriet Harman is ramming home the same point, writing to Ofcom to complain that since January, 48 male politicians have appeared on the Today programme, compared to only 10 female spokespersons from political parties (so 83 per cent of all politicians appearing on the most popular daily news programme in the country on this key issue). Harman meanwhile has been on ITV's Good Morning Britain praising Kim Kardashian's nude selfies, leaving Piers Morgan confused in the process.

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The former interim Labour leader will appear at a press conference alongside Angela Eagle, Seema Malhotra and Kate Green to outline some new research showing that women will suffer more from Brexit, in terms of job losses, cuts and part-time worker rights. Seema Malhotra has blogged for HuffPost, pointing to the gender pay gap being lower inside the EU.

But its not just a men problem. For many Labour MPs, they fear there is a real problem in the referendum is their party just not being heard at all. A new Loughborough University report found that Tory party sources dominated press and TV reporting, with Labour voices sidelined and the Lib Dems and Scottish National party virtually invisible. Maybe a Johnson v Johnson showdown in the BBC Wembley programme would go some way to rectifying that?

3) VOTIN TIME

The Telegraph splashes on an ORB poll that will surprise many old stagers of the political scene: pensioners are now more likely to vote Remain than Leave (52 per cent of over-65s now support staying in the EU, with 44 per cent backing Leave). Just a month to go and the poll gives Remain a huge 13 point lead overall with Tory voters, men and older voters swinging away from Brexit.

Sir Lynton Crosby (for it is he) tells the paper that the Leave campaign is dwindling having failed to quell ongoing concerns about the financial and economic consequences of a Brexit. Still, immigration is still a trump card for Leave, and there is anecdotal evidence that the Turkey scare is having some cut-through in focus groups, as is the migrants using the NHS line.

But in the generational stakes, theres a new campaign launched today to target younger voters. Called VOTIN (think Im lovin it), its the brainchild of minister Sam Gyimah and hes written for HuffPostUK: The easyjet generation could quickly become the lost generation, unless it makes it's voice heard, he tells us.

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Sam starts his piece by saying: One old-school politico told me bluntly: show him a politician going after the youth vote, he said, and he would show you a loser. The young dont vote, so why bother chasing shadows?

Theres a new video from the VOTIN campaign, which says learnin, travellin, sharin will all be hit by Brexit. Reminds me a bit of the 1970s Lipsmackin, thirst-quenchin Pepsi ad. But the yoof of today wont have heard of that

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch this YouTubers compilation of lying Hillary Clintons U-turns over the years. Gift for Trump (but hes next)

4) GROUP SECTS

Tessa Jowell took a very deliberate decision to use her maiden speech in the Lords to warn Corbynistas on the dangers of turning Labour into a sect, and those obsessed with rooting out heresy.

Her voice cracking with emotion, the former Cabinet minister talked about my own beloved Labour Partyturning its back on those who are not true believers on the Left. It was partly a reference to deselection threats, partly maybe even a shot across the bows ahead of the Chilcot report (a certain T Blair appears at the Prospect conference this morning).

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But there is a wider unease about Labour losing touch with a key section of its core vote. Shadow whip Conor McGinn, in a fascinating interview in The House magazine, says: People dont feel Labour listens to them, never mind speaks for them. Liz Kendall tweeted that McGinn was right to warn that many of our traditional supporters feel deeply disillusioned.

At the PLP last night, Alan Johnson and Hilary Benn won a warm welcome for their EU In campaign, but even they faced questions about what Labour was going to do on June 24 to start taking on UKIP in its heartlands, over immigration and other issues.

As it happens, heres one vignette that perhaps illustrates the problem. Some former SWP members who are now back in Labour in the party in Pimlico recently decided to help out with door-knocking on a council estate. Apparently they took it upon themselves to lecture tenants on why they shouldnt buy their own homes, either from the council or housing association. Funnily enough, the tenants werent too impressed.

5) FRACK TO THE FUTURE

There were a lot of tears shed by protestors last night as approval for Britains first fracking drill site was approved in north Yorkshire. Ministers are relieved that at last things are moving on what they see as an energy source of the future. Yet there is real wariness about upsetting natural Tory voters in beauty spots and rural areas.

This is one of those classic examples where its helpful for a Government to have difficult and potentially unpopular decisions out of the way early in a Parliament. Having fuelled Nimbyism on onshore wind farms and solar, can ministers avoid the backlash? Labour has had its own contortions over fracking, but Shadow Energy Sec Lisa Nandy said last night that there should be a moratorium until stronger protections are in place.

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We asked six, seven and eight year old, children to write a Newsletter for other children their age. Not having done this before we didn't know if it would work or how it would work.

During our first sessions they looked at the lay out and played around with how photos could be used - that involved slightly more technical skills than they had - although they did learn a couple of things.

We spent some time on what we would call the Newsletter - they started off calling it 'No Adults Allowed' but one person said she didn't like that so it will now be called 'Just For Children' - it was their decision to change it I should add.

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A sub-committee of three looked at the graphics for the top of the front page and came up with a colourful array of symbols - not particularly coherent but it catches the eye - and thats what they want.

We talked about how much space we would have - in our case two full colour A4 sides for our first edition.

We paid them with biscuits - but no more than two each per session (no union nonsense here). Once we explained that the Newsletter would go into more than 1500 local houses - and possibly into local schools they were really up for it.

They chose their own topics for an article each. Two choose to do something about Taylor Swift and, after some tensions, agreed between them how they would divide up Ms Swift. One choose the ten facts approach (although it ended up as nine facts and an opinion) the other journalist did a purely opinion piece on why Ms Swift is a nice person.

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Our sole boy journalist choose to do something on flooding - his neighbourhood had recently suffered some flash floods due to heavy rain.

Another choose road safety and an article suggesting that if people weren't so rude to each other the roads would be safer - she had seen a recent car accident on a busy local road. For all I know, she may have the answer to most road safety issues in the UK!

Another journalist choose to consult with other children on how a new play area could be laid out - the neighbourhood could be about to undergo some major re-generation involving moving houses and play parks about. Plans were drawn and a few words written on the best rides and swings.

Our last - and youngest - journalist has chosen something on ice creams which sounds good to me and gives something for all our readers.

We briefly discussed what they would feel and think if other people were critical about what they had written and how they would deal with it. We concluded that although some other children might be jealous and mean most would be impressed.

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We have the means to print the Newsletter and get it distributed and now we have the articles written and the pictures and drawings selected.

They will come along to meetings and sit down and discuss issues (even though some time is taken up establishing how many biscuits they can each have). They took it seriously.

They are interested in many things from pop stars to ice cream to the disruption flooding can cause to being safe in their neighbourhoods and what their local area will look like in the years to come.
Every time there is any political debate, economics takes the front seat, and it's not just economics - it's the markets. We are told the markets don't like uncertainty. They get flustered, worried and unsettled, and if they are unhappy the whole world will fall apart: within minutes we will all be fighting in the streets for the last can of cat food, while the City of London will be filled with brokers hitching up their petticoats and screaming like a scene from I Love Lucy! Do we really believe that the economy of the nation should, or does, rest on the emotions of people whose temperament is better suited to a Georgian farce, all fluster and squeal?

I am still very much on the fence about which way to vote in the EU referendum, but this doesn't stop me having a strong opinion on the nature of the debate. The Outers seem not be able to make a solid case and the Inners produce prediction after prediction, all proving their argument - the irony being, of course, that neither the Treasury nor the Chancellor could predict rain on a summer bank holiday.

Economic predictions are supposed to be based on hard evidence and facts. You can bet there will be one group who will come out of the referendum better off either way, and that's the hedge fund managers. They are quietly manipulating the markets - which, as far as the rest of us understand, most likely involves strategically placing mice in petticoats: the markets go wild, our pension pots evaporate and those who were already incalculably rich get richer.

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It does at times feel like a game in which our lives are sport for the Oxford elite to play: Cameron and Osborne vs Gove and Boris. But we cannot leave it all up to them. It's our lives and those of our children: unlike the rich and well connected, on whom radical changes seem not to impinge, whether we are in or out of Europe will affect us. So I will be voting on 23rd June because, right or wrong, surely the worst thing is not to play a part.

In the meantime, I don't know about you but I'm buying up the cat food now ... you never know!

The EU Referendum, deciding whether the UK will leave or stay in the EU, will take place on the 23rd of June. If you are not already registered to vote, you will need to register by the 7th of June in order to have your say.

Registering to vote takes just 5 minutes: simply visit gov.uk/register-to-vote. You will need your National Insurance Number, date of birth, and address.

If you are unable to vote in person on the 23rd, you may apply to vote by post or proxy. For more information on the voting process, be sure to check out www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

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"You can't bring that dog in here!" "No dogs allowed!" "Get that dog out." "I don't take dogs."

These are some of the harsh realities for many assistance dog owners across the UK on a regular basis, including myself.

The charity Guide Dogs is currently running the Access All Areas campaign, a campaign which is geared towards raising awareness of assistance dog access denials and taking steps towards ensuring that more is done by establishments and service providers to prevent them from occurring.

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A survey by Guide Dogs reveled that 7 out of 10 guide dog owners have previously been denied access to a shop based on the grounds that they work with an assistance dog. It further revealed that 44% of guide dog owners who responded to the survey between January and March 2015 who had experienced an access denial had been refused access by a taxi or minicab.

On May 25th 2016 Guide Dogs will be joined by over 100 guide dog owners and their dogs at Parliament to discuss with their local MP their experiences of being denied access, in a lobby for change. I will be one of those 100 guide owners in attendance of the lobby in a bid to represent the guide dog owner community and vocalize my views on the profound impact an access denial can have on a guide dog owner's confidence, mobility and autonomy. We will also be handing in a petition signed by over 50,000 people lobbying Government to take action on access denials.

I have been a guide dog owner for over 3 years and in that time I have faced situations in which I am denied access into a public place, service provider or establishment based on the grounds that I work with an assistance dog. As a writer, journalist and MA student my work requires me to travel to many different places with my guide dog and thus access denials have become a common occurrence for me.

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However, more often than not little is done towards ensuring that access denials do not arise again. Research conducted by Guide Dogs revealed that minicab drivers who refuse access to guide dog owners receive fines that equate to the same amount that someone would receive for evading paying for a train fare. Despite the fact that refusing an assistance dog into a private hire vehicle or taxi is an illegal offence under theEquality Act (2010).

Access denials can have a huge impact on an assistance dog owner both psychologically and emotionally. They can leave a person feeling humiliated, belittled and vulnerable. Since qualifying with my guide dog Unity in 2012 on record I can recall a large number of access denials from minicabs, shops, franchises, public places and on one occasion a bus. A large percentage of the access denials I have experienced are from minicabs or taxis.

One of the first access denials I can recall occurred in 2012, a few months after qualifying with my guide dog. It was in the evening at around 11:45pm, I had been at a social night at my University Student Union. I had pre-arranged a minicab to collect me for this time. Legally, I am under no obligation to inform the taxi company of my having a guide dog, however out of consideration I always ensure that I inform the company that I am booking with that I have a guide dog.

On this occasion I had informed the company that I had a guide dog. However, when I arrived at the minicab, the driver, on noticing that I had a guide dog with me informed me that they did not take dogs and drove away. I was left stranded at midnight, in a poorly light street, in bad weather and by this point my phone was out of power thus I had no way to contact the company. I had no other option but to commute home on two buses and I did not arrive home until 1am. The company took no steps in reprimanding the driver and merely offered up an apology in reconciliation. For a long while after this occurrence I stopped attending social nights with my friends for fear that this same situation would occur again. It hugely dented my confidence and prevented me from partaking in the activities that my peers were enjoying. For the first few months of University, I could not enjoy the experience of socializing, which was something that I am entitled to as a person in my own right. In many ways this first access denial hugely impacted on my quality of life and my mobility. However, this was the first of many.

My most recent minicab access refusal occurred in January 2016, this time it was with a different minicab firm. Again, I had informed the company quite clearly that I had a guide dog and I had ear witnesses to verify this. The first taxi trip proved to be no problems whatsoever. However, on the return journey the minicab driver informed me that they had not been notified that I had a guide dog and that they would not be allowing me into the vehicle. After explaining that my guide dog was a necessity and that it was illegal for them to refuse me unless they had a medical exemption certificate, the driver allowed me into the vehicle.

However, when I had seated myself, the driver turned to face my guide dog and said in an aggressive manner 'if that dog touches me there will trouble for you.' I took this as a direct threat and immediately left the vehicle. There was a fully sighed member of the public present who was able to identify the driver and take a photographic image of the number plate. When I contacted the company they made a claim that I had not made them aware that I had a guide dog and that the driver may have had a medical exemption certificate. However, I informed them that this was not the case and that I had informed then that I had a guide dog and that the driver informed me that they did not have a medical exemption certificate. When I queried how many drivers they knew of that had a medical exemption certificate they were unable to provide me with a figure.

I took this matter further and reported it to the local taxi licensing authority, the cab driver received a warning that the incident would be logged and that if it occurred again their license to drive minicabs in the particular area would be revoked. No fine was issued and no action was taken against the driver for the threat they made towards my guide dog and myself.

I have had plenty of other access denials and each time they occur I report them to the relevant parties including my local Guide Dogs Mobility team, the company or establishment involved and if necessary the local taxi licensing authority if the access denial involves a minicab or taxi. I receive a varied response from the companies I deal with, when I deal with chain stores or large companies I usually receive an apology both verbally and written and an assurance that the incident will be logged and disability training will be provided to that particular branch or store where the access denial occured. When dealing with independent shops and retailers the response is not as positive. I usually receive no form of reconciliation from these independent retailers and often upon going into the same store again I am refused access once more.

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The reasons why I am denied access vary. In some cases it derives from the fact that there is a lack of knowledge around assistance dogs and the laws surrounding assistance dogs and access to public places. More often it is due to the fact that they simply do not want a dog in the premises, regardless of the fact that my dog is a guide dog and therefore exempt from the no dogs policy. Other times I receive a more hostile response, people do not believe that I am visually impaired based on the way that I look and that therefore I do not require a guide dog. Other times people refuse me access due to genuine fear that they may have of dogs. There are other reasons, when it concerns minicab drivers and it is often because they are concerned that the dog will dirty their vehicle.

However, guide dogs are regularly groomed and wormed by their owners and examined by a Veterinary practitioner to ensure that they are hygienic and will not pose a threat to the health of the public when being taken into public places. Guide dogs are also specifically trained to behave in an amenable manor and are socialized from puppyhood in many kinds of environments with people, children and other animals to ensure the safety of guide dog, owner and members of the public. Guide dogs are carefully selected as puppies and they are selected hugely based on their personality, behavior and ability to socialize. Throughout the entire training process of a guide dog, the dogs are selected, trained and cared for with the upmost consideration to ensure that a guide dog works as effectively as possible.

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These access denials have often prevented me from doing day to day tasks, such as getting to a University lecture, attending a job interview, socializing with my friends and even small things like going to buy a birthday present or buying some groceries. Simple things that people may not even consider become hugely significant when an access denial means I am unable to go about my daily business like other people. They have made me feel like a second-class citizen and that I do not matter as an individual. However, behind each assistance dog is a individual, an individual with commitments, hobbies, friends, families and most importantly a life. When access denials occur it isn't just a simple case that a law has been breached, a person's confidence may have been broken, their mobility may be compromised and their self-esteem impeded on.

It can become incredibly frustrating considering that these dogs are given to people like myself to enhance our quality of life and enable us to become more mobile. When these access denials occur our mobility is prevented and our freedom of movement is hindered.

In the experiences I have had as a guide dog owner dealing with access denials, my belief is that the most effective way to ensure that access denials are combated is through a mixture of education and awareness. A large number of the access denials I have faced come from a place of unawareness towards assistance dogs and what their role is. Establishments and service providers need to deliver further disability training to all their staff in which the different types of assistance dogs are covered, explaining their roles and how to recognize them. Further to this, I personally believe that more awareness needs to be raised surrounding the legal implications of refusing an assistance dog owner entry and that this kind of treatment is in fact a form of disability discrimination.

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One of the great joys of living in London and being part of the EU is that we can be spontaneous with our travel plans. On a whim, I decided that I was losing touch with the fashionista inside and a day of 'comp shopping' in Paris was essential.

With last born son just about to take exams, I opted for the 8.20am Sunday morning train - meaning guilty-mum bar was reduced to medium orange levels. Waking from my snooze as the train pulls into Gare du Nord in bright sunshine, guilt levels plummet to super cold green; he's a teenager and independence is good for him.

It's Sunday morning and I've nothing planned other than to be in Paris, absorb the atmosphere, be inspired and refuel the creative chasms which the winter tends to sap. The obvious first stop is to head for Montmartre, an easy two stops on the Metro. I congratulate myself on having remembered to bring my spare tube tickets, saving the queue at the booth. I feel like a Parisienne.

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We climb the steep steps as the sun beats down. Blimey it's hot. The hawkers are intimidating but I'm less irritated than usual having just watched and been moved by the film 'Dheepan', the story of a Tamil refugee struggling to make ends meet in Paris. The reward for the scorching climb is waiting at the top; a view to beat all views - Paris dazzling on this sunny May morning. A city where history, cultures, noise and creativity mingle. I'm so happy I could burst.

The Sacre Coeur is heaving with tourists, but I don't mind. We find a cafe opposite the market and order "grand cafes noir" from the dishy, authentically-garbed 'garcon'. He flirts well and earns his disgracefully large tip. The coffee morphs into pink wine; it feels right and we are busy watching the world walk past. Warm weather, great view, outside seating and in Paris. What more could we want?

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Two hours pass in a haze of caffeine and wine-fuelled conversation; politics, theatre, civil liberties and the less high brow commentary on the clothes and shoes worn by unsuspecting multi-cultural tourists.

Before the day gets too late we drag ourselves on to the next rendez-vous. Lunch... sitting under bright green leafy trees, amidst locals revelling in this first hot spring day. Salade Nicoise, more pink wine and some notes in the diary on local style. It's time to head to the hotel and check in.

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As befits all Sunday afternoons, a little siesta is most welcome. I've had a sleepless week, worrying about poor sales due to the cold spring weather, warehouse expansion plans, new store openings and the ongoing concern about my boys and their exams. This chance to get away at such short notice is just what's needed to cure the insomnia. Waking an hour later I jump out of bed guilty (again) that I'm wasting precious time in this great city and head down to the Seine and over into the 7th Arr., walking on towards to the Latin Quarter.

I'm ashamed to admit that I've lost all care for style when it comes to footwear on these trips. I'm loving my Nike trainers for their super comfy bouncy soles. Trawling through the near-empty Sunday afternoon streets I enjoy looking up at the architecture. Like in New York, I'm dangerously likely to land in dog poop or bump into a lamppost, my eyes permanently gawping upwards drinking in the architectural detail.

A backstreet restaurant for supper. There are so many to choose from. We opt for one serving a simple prawn risotto and green salad, and replete, I'm ready for bed, back in the theatre district where the Hotel Pulitzer offers clean and calm industrial chic design at reasonable prices. It's a far cry from the chintzy, overpriced hotels most commonly found in Paris or the 'move your furniture in front of the non-locking door' hostel-cum-brothels I stayed in whilst a penniless start-up, visiting trade fairs and suppliers many years ago.

Next morning and there are the usual essential purchases to be made; cheese, chocolates and gateaux for loved ones left revising at home. These chores are ticked off with pleasure as efficiently informed sales assistants remind me how vital training can be. Retail sales are dropping by the minute; only 20% of British high street store have seen sales rise in the last year (according to the CBI), and thankfully JoJo Maman Bebe is amongst them. Some say that Great British brands have had their day; we cannot be complacent. To survive we need to go further and we can learn from the delectable micro independents of Paris, New York, Milan. The best ones thrive. We want to be amongst them. It is still possible to be an independent that sings.

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No trip to Paris is complete without a quick dip into Galleries Lafayette. The epitome of good department store shopping, I'm going in to see what the maternity and baby sections are looking like. I'm amazed to walk straight into the 'Diana Collection' from the maternity brand Seraphine. With its Burberry-esque check, this royal family exploiting range is pretty but overpriced and I would be embarrassed to dress my little one in it. Walk two steps down the corridor and Ralph Lauren or Burberry themselves offer much more of the same. I like Cyrillus and Jacadi, who are just too classic to work in the UK, and I love Kenzo kids for its refreshingly different style. JoJo would be really different here, offering our fun designs on practical shapes. We will talk to the buyers.

Having ticked off my comparison shopping duty I drop down a couple of levels and I'm seduced by a Missoni dress on a mannequin. This is what we come to Paris for - impulse buying! Racking my brain for a reason to spend a large sum of money on a dress 2 sizes too small, I remember I'm going to be 50 in the autumn and need the incentive to lose the 8lbs...
For the first time in the 70-year history of the UN, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has brought together world leaders and the humanitarian community for the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, with the aim of making bold commitments to reduce the impact of the unprecedented wars and disasters we are seeing today.

One of the greatest humanitarian challenges we face is providing education for children affected by conflict and crises. Today one in four of the world's school-aged children - nearly half a billion - live in countries affected by crises. Around 75 million of these children and youth are either already missing out on their education, receiving poor quality schooling or at risk of dropping out of school altogether, depriving them of the skills they need to build safe, strong communities and economies when they reach adulthood.

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On 8 January 2016 a primary school in Hujjaira, Rural Damascus is damaged due to continuous clashes in the area. Even though the situation in Hujjaira is calmer now, students cannot return to their damaged school. In Syria, one in four schools are damaged, destroyed or occupied for military purposes or to host displaced families. An estimated over two million children are out of school.

This week Unicef and partners announced the launch of the Education Cannot Wait Fund. The fund aims to reach more than 13.6 million children and youth living in crisis situations, such as conflict, natural disasters and disease outbreaks, with quality education over the next five years, and 75 million children and youth in desperate need of education by 2030. It's an ambitious target, but one we must do everything in our power to achieve.

On average less than 2 percent of humanitarian aid goes towards funding education. Moreover, education systems equipped to cope with protracted crises cannot be built on the foundations of short-term - and unpredictable - appeals. Education Cannot Wait, which has a funding target of $3.85 billion over five years, aims to bridge the gap between humanitarian interventions during crises and long-term development afterwards, through predictable funding.

But the challenge goes beyond just funding. Unicef is also calling for action to make sure children are safe and protected in schools and hospitals. New analysis shows that every day four schools or hospitals are attacked or taken over by armed forces or groups. Governments, including our own, must urgently protect schools, and we're calling on the Foreign Secretary to sign the Safe Schools Declaration.

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As a member of the United Nations Security Council, with a widely respected military and a leading role in training foreign armies, the UK commands a great deal of influence on the world stage. Our nation's record on protecting civilians in conflict is a source of pride, so too our investments as a leading humanitarian donor. Given the devastating immediate impact on students and teachers, and the longer term damage still to be done by generations of children missing out on years of an education, we should be compelled to lead efforts to protect schools from attacks and military use. But whilst fifty-one other countries have endorsed an international Safe Schools Declaration - making a clear political commitment to protect education in armed conflict - the UK Government has so far refused to join them.

On 3 March 2016 in South Sudan, Chubat (right), 12, sits with her friend in the burned ruins of her school in Malakal Protection of Civilian site. The UNICEF supported primary school was burnt down in fighting on 17-18 February 2016, that left at least 18 people dead.

470 children attended grades 1 through 6. The school had five classrooms and seven teachers who taught English, Social Science, Christian Religious Education, and Mathematics. Due to the lack of space in the PoC, the same classrooms were used for CFS activities in the afternoon.

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In 2016, UNICEF launched the second phase of the Back to Learning initiative, targeting almost 600,000 children across the country. South Sudan has one of the largest number of children not attending school in the world.

Signing up to the Declaration may not bring an immediate end to attacks such as those we have recently witnessed, but the UK committing its support to protect education in armed conflict can mark a significant step towards the stigmatisation of such attacks. Such change is achievable, as we have seen by the significant decline in the use of landmines and cluster munitions as accepted tactics of war. Given the UK's influence and international leadership, the strong statement of signing the Safe Schools Declaration can inspire global change in norms and standards -encouraging compliance with existing laws to protect schools in armed conflict, increasing accountability, and changing how fighting forces act even in the midst of war.

At a time when we are seeing increasingly numbers of violent attacks on schools it is time for the UK to continue our long tradition of leading the way in matters relating to international humanitarian law. We cannot stand by and say that there is nothing we can do. Through taking a stand on the world stage and signing up to the Safe Schools Declaration, we can help make sure that schools are always playgrounds and places of learning children, not battlegrounds.
Last week I had a really good chat with several other charity CEOs as we met with their Royal Highnesses, the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry at the launch of the Heads Together campaign at the Queen Elizabeth Park in London.

It is always stimulating to talk with others on an issue as important as mental health, not least in that getting more people to talk more about mental health is one of the key planks of the campaign. This welcome initiative comes at a time when mental health is really under the spotlight, especially that of children and young people, the area that the Anna Freud Centre specialises in.

Mental health is the single largest cause of disability in the UK, and half of adult mental health problems begin in childhood with suicide the second most common cause of death amongst young men. At the same time, fewer than 35% of young people with mental health problems get any help at all. The cost of mental ill health in England is currently 105billion each year, and without effective intervention and treatment these costs will double in the next 20 years.

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This is too big and important an issue to tackle alone, which is why it is so welcome that Heads Together is built on the partnership of organisations like ours looking to change things for the better. Partnership, collaboration and co-operation are the key words - everyone with a stake in better mental health needs to work together to really make a difference.

This isn't just about attitude, it is about doing something practical, it is about looking at how we can engender much greater integration and partnership into the system itself, specifically within those services supporting children and young people. It is about being clear and positive in relation to something that people feel confused about and frightened of.

The question is how we can change things now so that the future can be better. NHS England is doing a terrific job to bring about a transformation of child mental health services. But services need the support of organizations such as the Anna Freud Centre and the others round this morning's Royal Foundation round table to make the step change of integration that is required of them.

In a recent survey of schools that we commissioned, teachers and other school staff see the limited capacity of existing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as the greatest barrier to ensuring children and young people get the support they need. However, many of the schools surveyed did provide mental health support themselves. 577 school staff from 341 schools in England were asked about the provision of specialist mental health support in their school including what support is available and who provides it.

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Over two thirds of schools reported having some specialist support available (e.g. mindfulness, peer support), with specialist provision more common in secondary schools. Most schools used staff training and whole school approaches, to support children and young people with mental health issues. Educational psychologists or counsellors most often provided these services.

So, there is mental health support in many schools but they still see access to external specialist support as a barrier to helping more children and young people. That points to a need for much greater collaboration and joint working between schools and CAMHS, so more can be made of the support that is available.

A recent study from the LSE found that 90% of the additional cost that society incurs in relation to a mental health diagnosis is incurred in schools not just because children need special educational resources such as parental meetings with teachers, extra help provided in the school by teaching staff and learning support assistants. Figures such as these underscore the potential savings that could accrue from more effective and timely management of mental disorders which, as the figures indicate, reach only a minority (probably around 25%) of those who would benefit from such interventions. At the moment, supported by the Department for Education and NHS England, we are leading a consortium of experts to develop and deliver training to over 900 education and mental health professionals, with the aim of improving joint working between schools and CAMHS, really to get them talking more to each other, breaking down any silos that might exist so services can be developed and delivered around the needs and circumstances of children and young people themselves rather than the institutions who deliver them.

Talking therapies are an important part of the treatment mix for mental health problems, so it is entirely fitting that we need to encourage more talking and coordinated action amongst all of those with a stake in better mental health, if we going to turn the tide on the issue, especially for children and young people.

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The death penalty for drug offences has received much attention recently. Mass executions last year in Indonesia, and the announcements of further killings, have garnered world headlines. Iran continues to execute drug offenders at an astonishing rate, earning condemnation from human rights groups. At last month's United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem (UNGASS), the death penalty prompted vocal debates between retentionist and abolitionist States, and more than sixty countries voiced their opposition to the practice.

When Harm Reduction International (HRI) launched our death penalty for drugs project in 2007, this issue was largely invisible in both the human rights and the drug policy discourse. It was certainly not an issue of debate during UN meetings on drug control at the time, which passed every year with no mention of capital punishment. Given that our research has found as many as 1,000 people are executed annually for drug offences, the increased attention over the last decade is welcome.

I am often asked what the international community can do to challenge the practice of death penalty States. There are options. One is for abolitionist governments and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to end financing of drug enforcement operations in death penalty States, which HRI and others have shown to directly contribute to death sentences and executions. Another is to fund human rights advocates working in death penalty countries to influence public opinion and government policy, and to defend death row prisoners.

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After watching dozens of countries speak against capital punishment during the UNGASS, I think there is a third and perhaps even more important action that States can take if they are truly committed to ending the death penalty for drugs around the world.

The death penalty for drugs is the most extreme example of what I call 'punitive suppression'-- the logic that the harsher we punish people, the more effectively we will suppress drugs and drug markets. While this logic is commonly used by death penalty supporters to justify the practice, it also underpins the legal and policy frameworks of drug control in almost every country, regardless of whether they have capital punishment.

Punitive suppression is at the heart of the core UN treaties on drug control, particularly 1988 drug convention that established obligations to enact harsh penal provisions at domestic level. A 2001 UN report recorded a 50% increase in the number of countries prescribing the death penalty for drugs into domestic law between 1985 and 2000, the exact period during which the treaty was drafted, adopted and implemented at national level.

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While abolitionist States argue (correctly) that the death penalty does nothing to deter drug crimes, this argument is undermined when punishment continues to be the premise of drug laws and policies in their own countries. This disconnect allows death penalty States and their defender to argue that capital punishment is rooted in national culture or tradition, and is simply their particular approach of pursuing drug suppression objectives shared by all countries.

While capital punishment for drugs is only practiced by a small handful of governments, it has much wider significance in the drug reform debate. It is a window onto the failure - in both human rights and efficacy terms - of the global experiment in punitive drug suppression over the past half century. For this reason, the crucial work of abolishing the death penalty must go further than simply pointing our fingers at that tiny number of extremist fringe States that continue to execute people. We must acknowledge the flawed logic at the heart of the regime itself, and undo its corrosive effects on the drug laws and policies everywhere.
One 'old-school' politician told me bluntly: show him a politician going after the youth vote, he said, and he would show you a loser. The young don't vote, so why bother chasing shadows? This shocked me and also saddened me.

The argument is depressingly reinforced by cold statistics. Turnout at the 2015 general election among those aged 18 to 24 was just 43%, compared to two-thirds of all voters. Even the referendum on Scottish independence, in which 85% of voters took part, could only muster half of 18 to 24 year-olds to the polling station. So why should we try to engage young people this time around, with our future in the EU on the line? I'll tell you why.

One reason is that if young people don't vote, then the failure is ours, not theirs. It's the job of us politicians to make politics engaging and accessible - less official, less formal, more casual. Westminster should be reaching out to everybody, not just the political classes. That is why I am delighted to be leading the new #VOTIN campaign with Britain Stronger in Europe to reach out to younger voters in the EU referendum taking place in 30 days time. You can watch the launch video here

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This referendum matters to everybody. It matters to me as a thirty something MP and it matters to you. It matters more than whether you voted in the May's local election, or even last year's General Election - important as these contests are, there will be repeat performances in the coming years. The last referendum on our EU membership took place before I was even born, and the youngest person to have voted in it is now 58. It is a once in a lifetime decision, and the younger you are in this referendum, the longer you will live with the huge consequences of this decision.

And it is the young generation for whom the answer is most obvious: life is better in the EU. As the #VOTIN launch video points out whether it is 'learnin', 'travellin', 'sharin' - the 'easyjet generation' takes being in the EU for granted on so many levels, and reaps the biggest rewards from our membership. They will be the worst affected if Britain votes to leave, finding it harder to get a job, suffering the squeeze of lower wages and higher prices, and forfeiting their automatic right to work, study and travel abroad. In the years in which most young people would expect to be moving forward with their lives, our country would be plunged into an era of uncertainty. The easyjet generation could quickly become the lost generation unless it makes it's voice heard.

By contrast, voting to stay in is not simply a vote for the status quo; it is a commitment to fighting for a better, stronger, more secure future; with Britain leading the EU, not leaving it. We want to be a country that values cooperation with the neighbours on our doorstep, and one that builds relationships, not barriers, with other countries. Of course, the EU is not perfect, but like any in relationship or marriage, if all you ever looked at was the sacrifices you are making, rather than the-give-and-take, most of us would end up as singletons!

The truth is this: if you don't turn out to vote it is not the politicians who will lose. This is not a time to stand by and watch events unfold; it is a time to make your voice heard. So make sure you register to vote by the 7th June, and do vote on the 23rd June. Don't let others decide your future. You should be the ones who decide your future.

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Echoing history, this month the US Attorney General filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against North Carolina alleging that HB2, which requires individuals to use the bathroom that corresponds with their birth certificate, is 'impermissibly discriminatory'. Billions of D.C. distributed dollars are at stake.

Since then, local news reports that pepper spray has been authorised for use in a North Carolina high school system, with the blessing of a board member who suggested it could be used on transgender students using the wrong stall.

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But just how did an issue that by the broadest survey affects only 0.3% of the population trigger a constitutional clash at all levels and all branches of government, attracting international boycotts, in the first place?

By most measures arguments from neither side deserve to top the legislative agenda. Law enforcement says safety concerns are a 'non-issue' and LGBT rights register a percentage point on Gallup's 'Most Important Problem' survey. Even Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders agree HB2 should never have been passed!

The answer is that HB2 has been catapulted into the limelight by forces that Americans rarely articulate themselves. Taken together, these 'exceptional' features of American life explain much more than HB2.

These are, simply put: America's unusually open political system, the ongoing trend toward polarization of any issue and, of course, the unique role of moral matters in US political life.

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The unusual popularity of religion in the US is well documented. Four in ten Americans attend church every week and contribute $100 Billion to their coffers annually, excluding campaign gifts. Religious arguments have always been used to 'purify' American politics: from the revolution to the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement to the rise of Reagan Republicanism. And let's not forget Prohibition.

Volumes have been written about why this should be so. But in the final analysis it would be quite the coincidence if the only Western society to still be guided by evangelism was initiated by people who intended that to be exactly the case. On the other hand, the secular gospel of personal freedom and commercialism are equally powerful American voices.

Such paradox is the stuff of national character. Look at Britain, a more liberal culture where you can't be head of state unless your Mum or Dad was. Or Germany, a pacifistic nation friendly to immigrants with a history of Nazism. As they say around here, we're all a lil' bit crazy.

But in the American system of government such internal contradictions, in this case modernity and morality, are constantly invited to duke it out, in a variety of venues, for all to see.

Federalism, the libertarian principle that states retain those powers not specifically awarded the national government, explains the timeline of how who uses what toilet became top of the news.

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Commentators correctly point out the flurry of proposed gender-related bills, of which HB2 is only one, are a state-level backlash by social conservatives to the Supreme Court decision to guarantee the right to same-sex marriage nationwide less than a year ago. It is a decision a consistent majority of Americans now agrees with.

But when the financial hub of Charlotte, NC added LGBT protections to its city anti-discrimination code at the behest of 'local LGBT leaders' in February, the North Carolina House swung into action the following month with a special one day session to enforce the HB2 rule over self-identification, statewide. Only then did the feds cut in with a lawsuit. Governor Pat McCrory, awakening to economic reality, responded that he would see his own government in court.

The US Constitution provides a range of representation most Europeans can only dream of. But whether by accident or design, competing jurisdictions are a recipe for conflict, especially on moral questions that don't obey reason. Those who feel most strongly about any issue can contribute as much time and money as they want, and aim it at the level where it will have most effect at the time.

So moral issues are a money spinner for the parties and neither side has any incentive to compromise. In fact quite the opposite, as an NC GOP operative once explained to me: As we know an issue will be arbitrated eventually, best to stake out the most extreme position possible, to pull the debate your way.

This is probably why moderate traditionalists have been dismayed that HB2 also removed the right to sue for being sacked while gay (now including Pat McCrory, who signed it into law!). And why middle of the road people who loathe discrimination have reservations over self-identification. If a man declares themselves female does that mean they really are?

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Writing in Politico, Michael Lind argues the 2016 presidential race heralds the end of contemporary moral polarization and party order, as economic issues eclipse a divide the parties have capitalized on selfishly. That would be good news.
Once upon a time, half a world away, I could speak French. I was never close to fluent, but seven-year-old "bonjours" developed enough to pull through GCSE; fortunately for me, the exam papers never took a detour via the Business studies department.

However, as the years flew past, so too did the verbs, nouns and phrases. Soon, even a 'bonjour' sounded alien to my ears. The words on Parisian signposts were faintly recollected, but the sentences never formed. Several months ago, upon overhearing a french conversation in a coffee shop, I had the impulsive idea that I wanted to relearn this most beautiful of languages. Surely I could pick up where I left off? As it turned out, it's not quite so simple. Moreover, this realisation prompted a far more sobering one.

I am currently in language school twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It is a school that 25% of people are familiar with. It is, equally, a school open to stigmatisation and misunderstanding. The subject is mental health recovery.

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I am trying to recover from the mental illnesses that began, coincidentally, around the time I stopped learning French. Over six years in a world where self-worth is targeted by every waking moment. In this world, the sunny continent is a world away from continual storms of doubt, fear and anxiety. Revision timetables are blood sugar readings, calorie totals, bus journeys and unanswered texts. These number games make GCSE maths papers therapeutic by comparison.

Furthermore, each time I try to refocus my efforts on recovery, the standard is that much higher. A simple greeting is now as difficult to me as the dreaded subjunctive tense of my Spanish A Level. Bus journeys and milky lattes, once second nature, cannot be found in the dictionary of mental illness. I am learning to walk again and past experiences are scarce to be found.

Last year, the destructive language of anorexia and anxiety grew stronger than ever before. Feeling powerless to answer saw me, ultimately, choose to suspend my studies at the University of Exeter and began inpatient treatment. It was here, amidst recurrent thoughts of failure, that a nurse offered me the perspective behind this post.

"You are fighting some of your biggest demons six times a day. It is the hardest battle you will ever fight, but it is a battle worth fighting. If you can do that, a degree is easy by comparison."

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To those on the brink of graduation, I do not underestimate your achievements! On the contrary, I am still filled with a sinking feeling of inadequacy. It is an emotion that is a frequent occurrence in the school of mental illness. Since my discharge from hospital, almost two months ago, I am still learning to employ self-help strategies. It is a work in progress, but each day I am trying.

On reflection, inpatient is like the recovery equivalent of an intensive language course. You are pushed - both physically and mentally - to limits you never knew existed. Yet you also have the support of professionals, trained to take you there. It literally taught me how to eat again. How to recognise a normal portion. It forced the hand of my macronutrient fears, which were catalysed by a clean-obsessed society. However, it is not a magical fix. At some point, you have to teach yourself. Like the move from school to University, it is then down to you.

Since my reunion with "real world speak", it is a daily test to find my voice. Somedays, this can be managing a bus journey without wanting to cry. Today it was getting my lunch with no one there to prompt me. In recovery recover, a slice of pizza doesn't make you better, just as a few choice phrases don't make you fluent in a language.

I remember preparing for my Spanish AS exam with a book of idioms, including "Estar mas sano que uni pera" - to be healthier than a pear. On reflection, the subject of the pun was quite ironic; nonetheless, my exam plan was to throw it into my essay, whatever the subject, slightly overlooking the fact that the rest of my Spanish could never keep up. This idiom is the pizza. Suffice to say, it takes more than one slice to make you healthier than a pear.

Fluency is pursued one bite at a time; you can't expect too much, something I have to remind myself when I grow inpatient with my own progress. Imagine you are faced with an untranslated copy of Madame Bovary, one week after your first French class? Your face is my internal reaction, each time I see or hear the phrase "just eat a burger". For now, I am contenting myself with the prospect of a Macaron date in Paris, with enough phrases to place my order.

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Recovery is a step-by-step process. You are trying to recollect a world that seems utterly alien, where the simple act of ordering a coffee can require as much rehearsal as a final Drama performance. The "skinny latte" line has been in your head for every Starbucks trip in memory. When you answer your emails, social anxiety turns it into a French listening exam. A social gathering is the oral test that no revision can fully prepare you for.

For those of you taking exams right now, I have been there and wish you all the best of luck.
In exactly one month's time, voters will be asked to decide whether the UK should either leave or remain in the European Union (EU).

This is a very important issue that will affect the future of the United Kingdom and everybody in it for decades to come.

Although this is a decision that could have significant consequences for disabled people, almost nothing has so far been made available publicly about the potential impact of the vote on the 12 million people with a limiting long term illness, impairment or disability who live in the UK.

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Consequently Papworth Trust has produced a report in order to help inform the debate. The report can be found here.

It is unlike anything else that has been produced and has focused on over 300 directives and regulations from the EU that are specifically about disability. Its purpose is not to direct disabled people one way or the other, but to inform them and to help them engage with the issues and come to a decision.

Producing an impartial and balanced information pack is the right thing to do.

Disabled people will of course want to take into account many relevant questions apart from those that are addressed in the report, perhaps whether jobs in the UK might be lost or gained, or whether trade might increase or decrease, or whether immigration is good or bad for the economy, or whether national security might be better or worse in or out of the EU. These matters will be debated by the rival campaigns and their pros and cons will be argued out over the coming weeks. They are not discussed in our report.

Having used our service-user forums to run workshops on the EU Referendum over the last three months, we understand that disabled people are yearning for more information that can help inform their decision.

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We hope this report is of use.
"As [President Barack] Obamas time in office comes to an end, Asian nations are deeply skeptical about how much they can rely on Washingtons commitment and staying power in the region. They sense that for the first time in memory, Americans are questioning whether their economic and defense interests in Asia are really that vital." [NYT]



The judge ruled it could not be proved without a reasonable doubt that the officer had intent to hurt Gray. [Julia Craven, HuffPost]

As part of the ongoing recalls for faulty Takata air bags. Included in the recall are some of the Corolla, Matrix, Yaris, 4Runner, Sienna, Scion xB, Lexus ES, GX and IS vehicles which were built between 2006 and 2011. [Reuters]

If only that made the lines shorter. [Reuters]

"Yet just two months before they kick off, the 2016 Olympics -- the first to come to South America in the events 120-year history -- are shrouded in crisis and doubt. Brazil is facing its greatest recession in 100 years, is embroiled in one of the most formidable political crises since its transition to democracy more than three decades ago, and is navigating a potential global health crisis." [Travis Waldron, HuffPost]

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A wave of what appears to be automated calls threatened schools in California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. [USA Today]

"Theres software used across the country to predict future criminals. And its biased against blacks." [Pro Publica]

WHATS BREWING

The music. The rose. Emma Watson. This movie is perfect and we've only seen 60 seconds of it (yes, Belle was our favorite Disney princess). [HuffPost]

Who doesn't want to make fun of their siblings' instagrams with parental commentary? [We Are Mel]

If you'd like to put those feelings into drawings, we'd love to have them. Please submit samples and proposals to trumpcartoons@huffingtonpost.com. [HuffPost]

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Netflix has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. [HuffPost]

They spend over 60 percent of their day asleep. [HuffPost]

"The number of Lego weapons overall has increased greatly since then. Researchers found that nearly 30 percent of all Lego sets sold today now include at least one weapon. In 1978, that figure was under 5 percent." [HuffPost]

For more from The Huffington Post, download our app for iOS or Android.

WHAT'S WORKING

"Students at Harvard Medical School may just be the first doctors-in-training to learn how to administer one of the most effective drugs for combatting Americas opioid epidemic. But they had to organize the class themselves." [HuffPost]

For more, sign up for the What's Working newsletter.

BEFORE YOU GO

~ Understanding why it's hard to get a photo ID if you're elderly, poor, black or Latino.

~ The FBI is investigating Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe over campaign contributions.

~ When you replace guns with selfie sticks in movie scenes, some crazy things happen.

~ The insect feces that's ruining the Taj Mahal.

~ "Chinas scary lesson to the world: Censoring the Internet works."

~ In defense of the wonder that was the movie "National Treasure."

~ Check out who is the richest person living in your state.

~ This math textbook ad has Inception'd us.
Despite the fact that the Silk Road dates back to circa 300 BC, this international commercial line still figures prominently in discussions among economists and governments on stimulating the global economy through reviving historically proven initiatives. The ancient Silk Road served as an important enabler of great civilisations, including the Chinese Civilisation, the Egyptian Civilisation, the Indus Valley Civilisation, and the Roman Civilisation.

The Silk Road did not impact only cities of commerce, or those that were considered active markets - it also contributed to the prosperity of cities enroute that the merchants and commercial convoys passed. Merchants in the Arabian Peninsula played a major part in preserving activity on the Silk Road, by loading ships with their goods and sailing through ancient maritime trade routes towards the northern shores of India. There, they would meet Chinese merchants and trade Chinese silk for their incense, perfumes, copper and gum.

Later, Islam transformed the Arabian Peninsula and many other lands in Asia and Africa to one unified economic bloc. Muslim merchants significantly influenced all trading activity to and from the Silk Road. While Indian and Chinese merchants docked their ships on the shores of the Arabian Peninsula, it was the Arab merchants who moved goods on their boats or convoys of camels, using a vast network of land and sea routes to re-export merchandise across the ancient world.

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The need to revive the Silk Road today, so that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is one of its central links, is far more than a nostalgic sentiment - it is rather, a response to the recession that has dominated the world economy for over nine years.

The Chinese economy is the most important catalyst of world economy. If the former is stimulated, the latter will see a proportionate surge. This is one critical reason for the present and future of the Chinese economy dominating discussions at the recent Davos conference. The world today realises that rejuvenating the global economy starts with the recovery of the Chinese economy. The Chinese President, Xi Jingping, said during the G-20 Summit in Turkey in 2015 that despite its current temporary slowdown, the Chinese economy contributes more than 30 percent to the global economic growth. This single fact makes us realise the importance of driving trade with China and East Asian countries through reviving the Silk Road - given the high potential the trade line offers to enhancing prospects for the MENA region.

We must remember that President Xi Jingping's first visit, after launching the Silk Road initiative, was to Arab and Islamic countries signifying their important role in the success of the initiative.

Despite their risks and adverse effects on several markets around the world, the recent economic circumstances provided the world with an opportunity to reconsider the global economic structure, and revive global trade lines among economic hubs capable of adapting to new developments, and keen to contribute to the growth of the world's economy.

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Given this priority, the Chinese President launched the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative that includes the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road in October 2013. The initiative aimed at positively impacting development in more than 60 countries around the world and benefiting more than 63% of the world's population. In addition, it was projected to step-up global commercial activity, lead to a higher production capacity in major economies and stabilise the prices of raw materials used across industries, including oil, to reasonable levels. As the world's second largest consumer of energy, China imports nearly half of its energy requirements from countries in the GCC region.

The OBOR initiative was hailed by the members of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, most of whom enjoy strong and strategic relations with China.

Since 2012, trade exchange between the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and China has remained above US$500 billion. Moreover, the relationship between the two parties is based on more than mere economic interest - it is historically rooted in the exchange of culture and science. For decades, the Silk Road has contributed to the growth of movement of goods and people, improved documentation and a surge in publication of research studies by different civilisations along the corridor.

Let us examine some of the ways in which the revival of the Silk Road and the Islamic economy initiative can benefit each other:

Through the years, many changes have occurred on the world economic map that eventually shifted the bulk of global production and trade towards the east - specifically, the markets of the Middle East and North Africa region. The transition brought with it anticipated benefits and responsibilities for the countries of the region. Today the fate and future of the global economy is closely linked with the economic performance of these countries.

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The launch of the Islamic economy initiative has resulted in fundamental changes in the economic and cultural structure of Islamic countries. These countries are gradually reaping the dividends of the initiative through the growth in their manufacturing abilities and greater focus on products and services compliant with Islamic sharia - such as food and beverages, clothes and family tourism.

The One Belt One Road initiative will provide abundant opportunities to the main sectors of Islamic economy through facilitating the trade of halal products among countries that feature along the route of the Belt. Furthermore, there's a significant opportunity for Islamic finance to support infrastructure projects along this Belt.

Principles of Islamic economy are consistent with the ambitions and aspirations of the Islamic countries for sustainable development and will contribute to strengthening the unity of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. For its part, the body aims to become a strong economic and cultural bloc on a global scale and contribute to the successful development of the Silk Road initiative.

The changes in the region's economies, particularly among the GCC-member countries, after the fall in oil prices, has pushed them to diversify their economic activities and increase the contribution of non-oil sectors to the GDP. This has had a positive impact on the future of the people of the region and on the future of the global economy as a whole.

Today, following the global financial crisis of 2008, the world is convinced that in order to avoid any future turmoil, it is required to rehabilitate infrastructure as well as social systems in the developing countries, particularly in countries that are on the Silk Road corridor and within the heart of the commercial and trade hubs.

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This month (May 2016), I authored a piece in the Jerusalem Post focused on one of the most pressing challenges facing the Jewish people in America today: how to connect our next generation to their Jewish heritage, instill in them a sense of pride in their Jewish identity, and connect them to their Jewish homeland. In recent years, this has been a frequent subject of conversation and a source of controversy, with the now infamous 2013 Pew Research Center study, "A Portrait of Jewish Americans" showing a serious decrease in Jewish affiliation among millennials and a disconnect between them and Israel.

I presented what I see as one of our community's most effective solutions to this great challenge: Israeliness. Israeliness is the identity of the people who have been living in Israel for the last century and those who left Israel and moved to the diaspora. It incorporates many elements, including Israeli culture; Jewish values; Hebrew, the modern version of the biblical language; pride in the Jewish tradition and history; a deep belief in Zionism (believing in the right of the Jewish people to live freely in their homeland); a connection to the Land of Israel; and a commitment to the idea that the Jewish people around the globe are brothers, sisters, in one big family.

I've seen firsthand how Israeliness can attract, engage, and inspire American Jews, particularly the next generation of Jewish Americans - and how Israeli-Americans are uniquely positioned to serve as champions and ambassadors of Israeliness in the United States.

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The replies to my article came in quickly. Many loved the idea. Some people didn't comprehend what I meant when I wrote Israeliness. They had NO IDEA what I was talking about. Others said, "Adam, we love the concept, but how can we implement it?"

The short answer is that this is no longer merely a vision, but a reality. More than a dozen programs built by the Israeli-American Council (IAC) in partnership with the broader Jewish community are spreading Israeliness all across the U.S. Through the IAC's work, we are seeing how Israeliness--and Israeli-Americans--have the capacity to change the landscape of Jewish life for the next generation.



Here are five ways that Israeli-Americans are engaging the broader Jewish community.

1.We are leveraging Israeliness to bring young people into the community. The IAC exposes American Jews to Israeliness through bilingual programs like Eitanim, which uses the inspiration of Israeli entrepreneurs and innovation along with a special project-based curriculum to cultivate leadership skills in high school students. Despite starting just this January, there are already hundreds of participants across the country from both the Israeli-American and Jewish-American communities. We also have Mishelanu, which provides a home for Israeli-Americans and pro-Israel college students through programming focused around the Hebrew language and Israeli identity building. It is the fastest-growing Jewish program on college campuses. Other programs focus on young professionals, like Dor Chadash and BINA, bring together Americans and Israeli-Americans for gatherings inspired by Israeli culture, offering everything from social and business networking to intellectual salons.

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2.We are igniting Jewish pride and heritage for those who are not interested in going to synagogue. Recently, the IAC opened the first Israeli Community Center in the U.S. We are building partnerships run Israeli Centers inside JCC's all across the country. These centers serve the Israeli-Americans and the broader Jewish community through activities centered on Israeli culture, art, music, and food. They can provide a home for programs like Shishi Israel--a Friday night "Israeli-style" Kabbalat Shabbat dinner filled with Israeli music and culture, and food, which bring the joy of Shabbat - and a reignited sense of Jewish pride - into families that were long unaffiliated with the "temple-going" crowd. We also organize and encourage Shabbat dinners at our homes where we bring our Jewish-American friends to enjoy our food and culture with us. Through the IAC, many young, Jewish Americans are finding a way express their Judaism through an Israeli lens, which is not necessarily religious.



Israeli-American Council's Celebrate Israel Festival. Photo credit: Abraham Joseph Pal.

3.We are uniting all different strands of Jews--religious and secular--under one umbrella. Israeliness means Jewish identity without religious affiliation. It means being Jewish without the label of Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform. Israeliness means being proud to be who we are, with courage, and standing up for what we believe in. It means not judging people from where they came from - whether Ashkenazic, Sephardic, secular, or Orthodox. This month's Celebrate Israel Festival brought together Jews of all backgrounds in six major cities, and was the largest celebration of the Jewish State outside of Israel. We provide a space for everyone from the orthodox to the unaffiliated and all those in between to come together in a place that they never would before.



4.We are bringing the joy and vibrancy of Hebrew to American Jewish life. Hebrew unites Jews not just because it is our historical language or even because it is the language of the Jewish state: it is the language of our ancestors, beautiful and rich in history and nuance. It should be the second-language in every Jewish home (or the first if you live in Israel). We offer programs like Keshet (previously known as Sifriyat Pijama), which brings Hebrew into the home from the earliest years of life, providing young families with free Hebrew-language children's books that teach Jewish values. More than a quarter of the participants are Americans Jews with basic Hebrew knowledge. They seek to improve their language skills, while teaching their kids Hebrew. As the co-founders of this program, my wife Gila and I hear over and over how it is changing life for more than 18,000 families across America.

5.We are bringing a fresh pair of eyes and energetic spirit to how we think about American Jewish life. Israelis are famously bold. Our ingenuity and willingness to take risks turned a sparse desert into a thriving oasis of high-tech innovation. Israeli-Americans can bring this same spirit when it comes to community building. The IAC's rapid growth in just a few years from a single region to a national Movement reaching 250,000 people show that this willingness to take risks can yield huge rewards. We are willing to fight anti-Semitism and BDS, and we are gaining friends and allies in the Jewish-American community to help us in this fight.

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image: photodune

Divorce is expensive, not only in money but in concessions. What you negotiate now will govern your life for years to come.

Ladies, if you don't already think like the following woman does, start now.

Guys, if the following woman is any indication of how women approach divorce, then you're all screwed. Learn from her.

My focus as a writer is to help you have a fighting chance during your divorce. I want to help you get your head on straight and impress upon you the importance of education and being smart during this (crucial-to-your-future) period of your life.

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What do women know that you should?

The conversation I had recently with a woman going through a divorce made it all too clear. It was interesting to get a woman's perspective and to peek at the analytical mindset she had.

She explained in very concise terms why she wanted a divorce and what she realistically expected from her divorce. She talked about what she was willing to give up, what her absolute deal breakers were and the lasting impact those decisions would have 1, 5 and 10+ years from now.

Most guys say, "I just don't want to be married anymore" and aren't clear on what they want other than just to be free of the marriage. They don't consider how the long-term consequences of their current decisions will impact their future lives.

She created a binder that had color-coded tabs. Each tab represented a different legal reason to divorce with all the corresponding proof to back up each claim. If all this was not enough to get him to settle, she planned on presenting all of this evidence to a judge. This proof included copies of receipts, emails, texts, letters, IP addresses, eyewitness accounts and more.

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She also hired a private detective to gather more information and dig deeper than she could on her own. This was a small cost compared to the damaging information she calculated would be uncovered.

She consulted with other women about their divorces so that she could see what they got and how she could improve upon their experiences. She gathered lawyer recommendations, interviewed three of them and got an idea of what she could realistically expect.

She interviewed people who knew her husband was having an affair and through their eyewitness accounts wrote down the dates, locations and circumstances of the alleged infidelities.

She even got a book on divorce and, get this, actually followed the advice she read!

So let me ask you, what do you think her husband's chances are?

I'll tell you what I think, I think he's about to show up to a gunfight with a butter knife.

What about you? What's in your arsenal? If the extent of your bag of tricks involves hiring an attorney, then I wish you luck.



You need to take this seriously. You may not know it yet but you are about to enter the most important, life determining negotiation of your life.

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I'm not saying that your divorce needs to turn into an ugly and costly fight. What I am saying is that your divorce will determine how many years you will add to your working life just to recover.

Divorce is expensive, not only in money but in concessions. What you negotiate now will govern your life for years to come.

Trust me, I found out the hard way. I didn't research and I didn't prepare. I didn't talk to other divorced people to learn from their experiences and years later I'm still paying big for that stupidity.

Let's be crystal clear. You will find yourself exactly where you let yourself land. Your divorce will decide if you eat cat food or steak in your retirement. You will look back and either regret or revel in the moves you make now.

So what are the three vital things women know?

LEARN. ADVICE. PREPARE. (L.A.P.)

Women Learn all they can through books, research and friends. Women listen to and actively take Advice from their legal team and those who have been there before. Women take all this knowledge and Prepare for their case.

By doing all the necessary legwork ahead of time, they will save thousands in legal fees and help control their future.



Women are willing to put in all the hard work now because they know that during divorce a person has one shot to get the best deal they can.

If they get it right, they just might get to live in the L.A.P. of luxury (or at the very least, better off than you).

Men and Women, here is my call to action for you. Wake up and learn from this example!

I don't side with either of you, rather I side with being smart and prepared.

It's your future.
Asian-Americans may suffer the greatest loss in private health insurance coverage if the Affordable Care Act -- Obamacare -- is ended. The available data suggest that Asian Americans have obtained health insurance through the marketplaces created by Obamacare at a higher rate than other groups. Thus, if Obamacare were repealed, Asian-Americans might see their dramatic gains in health insurance coverage reversed.

The data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey do not indicate whether the people who purchased her health insurance directly from an insurer did or did not use a marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act. However, there is reason to believe that most of the insurance purchased directly from a health insurance company from 2013 to 2014 was bought through a marketplace, or, at the very least, spurred by the implementation of the Act.

Figure A shows the rate of enrollment in directly purchased health insurance for adults by race from 2008 to 2014. Asian Americans have the highest rate. For all groups, direct-purchase insurance rates were on a downward trend until 2013, when the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act went into effect. In 2014, the rates rose for all groups, but Asian-Americans' rate had the steepest growth. Figure B shows that the percentage-point increase from 2013 to 2014 for Asian-Americans, at 2.5, was higher than that for of all of the other groups.

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It is not clear why Asian-Americans might use the Obamacare marketplaces more than other groups. It could be because of the high rate of small business ownership among this group. As small business owners, many of them may not be able to afford a company health insurance policy, but they may have enough income to purchase health insurance as individuals. Others (see here also) argue that Asian-American community organizations have had particularly effective outreach on Obamacare.

Although the Affordable Care Act has provided health insurance coverage to roughly 20 million Americans, Republicans are determined to dismantle it. They received a victory last week, when a Federal District Court judge supported one of their challenges. If Donald Trump is elected president, it is likely that Obamacare will be repealed and Asian-Americans will suffer a huge loss.
As we approach the end of Nigerian President Buhari's first year in office, sworn in before celebratory crowds looking for change (May 29, 2015), the country will be waiting to hear his list of accomplishments. There seems to be two schools of thought on what type of report card his administration should have. Yes, there are critics who primarily complain about changes taking place way to slowly, but there are those that still believe the government is trying to do the right thing and want to give it time to get there. If you are wondering where I fall, well, I fall into the latter category -- very much supporting giving the government the time it needs to make the transformative changes that Nigeria needs and Nigerians want.

Certainly, with any new government, there are fits and starts, and the Buhari Administration has had its own over the last 12 months, coupled with critical economic difficulties making it hard for the President to fulfill his campaign promises. There have been 2 steps forward and one back on things like confusion over the budget submission; the long wait for ministerial appointments; and, on the economic side, challenges in protecting its currency (the naira) from devaluation. The President strongly believes that devaluation will hurt the poor and help the privileged. Drop in global oil prices have hit the country's reserves hard over the last year, along with its ability to pay its bills, or move forward on social sector improvements, particularly health, education, and job creation. As of May 24, 2016, oil prices were at $USD48 barrels per day, still $10 off the country's 2016 benchmark; luckily the new budget's benchmark has oil at $38 per barrel.

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That being said here is the good news:

The list below list is not meant to be exhaustive but highlights some of the changes:

The Buhari Government has:-- Committed to strong anti-corruption efforts; asked foreign governments, including the U.S., to help return $150 billion in stolen state wealth in foreign countries.

-- Moved to "zero-basing," of the budget, linking needs and costs, with a focus on infrastructure development, social needs, manufacturing, and job creation; publicized his personal wealth (good first tone-setting step); and paid civil servants some of their unpaid wages;

-- Made gains against Boko Haram, including more international resources to combat Boko Haram and rescuing more than 800 people held captive by Boko Haram and, two young Chibok girls;

-- Appointed new leadership to the problematic National Petroleum Company (NNPC); and,

-- Worked to carefully vet senior appointments (we will have to see how they all actually do).

Looking at some of these key steps, what do they mean for Nigeria's bigger picture?

Analysis: Steps on Corruption & the Economy:

President Buhari is unshakeable on his quest to end corruption and his national and international reputation on this issue is virtually unmatched. His recent comment "what I am demanding is the return of assets" checkmated British Prime Minister David Cameron, at his own London anti- corruption conference, following his remarks that "Nigeria and Afghanistan are the most 'fantastically' corrupt countries in the world," especially in light of his father being named in the Panama papers . Buhari, not being deterred over the calls for an apology, kept his eye on ball, which is his steadfastness to get state assets back.

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At home, the Buhari Administration has had to institute some difficult economic policies to protect the naira such as tightening foreign exchange. Some of these steps are linked to his anti-corruption efforts to block ways money has been stolen over the years; cash money was one of the biggest ways by which former government officials and others removed funds over decades, or through inflated government contracts.

Business & Investments Feeling the Pinch

I know many businesses are feeling the pinch, but presumably these restrictions are short term for a few more months as the government fine tunes its checks and balances. As an example, in September of last year, the Buhari Government required all ministries to use their Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) accounts, called Treasury Single Account for all government monies. Meaning, ministries cannot deposit government funds into commercial banks -- a past practice where it is believed substantial state wealth disappeared.

Further on the economy is the oil subsidy. Efforts to remove it in 2012 caused strikes which left the country paralyzed for more than a week (I was in Nigeria during this period), and strikes are underway as the Administration tries this again. Depending on what happens between now and President Buhari's May 29, 2016 anniversary speech, it will be important for him to convince the public to get on board. They are not onboard now, particularly since in his campaign he promised not to; the subsidy is, however, financially unsustainable.
In Part One of this two part series on looking back on how the Administration of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has done since taking office one year ago (May 29, 2015), we examined some of the steps he has taken to combat corruption, protect his country's currency, and address other major economic issues such as falling oil prices, coupled with stepping back from a campaign promise not to remove the country's oil subsidy.

Part Two looks at some of the success his military has had in propagating the fight against Boko Haram, one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world, and rescue some of its former captives. The northeast of Nigeria, in addition to the security uncertainty, is still home to a large number of internally displaces persons, with some 200,000 Nigerian refugees spread out over 3 different countries (Niger, Chad, and Cameroon).

Boko Haram Military Campaign, The Internally Displaced:

Nigeria's counterterrorism and military campaign against Boko Haram has had some gains over the last 8 months. The Nigerian military has retaken much of the territory that Boko Haram controlled and terrorized for more than two years. Nearly 800 civilians, who had been held captive by the group, have been either freed or found by the military.

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Equally, and emotionally more important to the families, to the country and to all who cared and worried about the 276 Chibok girls for two years, the return of two of them in May, gave hope that many more might be found or released.

Certainly these changes and events are positive, but the threat by Boko Haram is far from being over. Boko Haram, as noted above, is one of the world's deadliest terrorist groups in the world (see Global Terrorism Index). Furthermore the other issue that is important from a national security perspective is that Boko Haram has "weaponized" more young girls and women than any other global terrorist group.

On internally displaced person's (IDP's), the number and needs are staggering, even though the Buhari Administration has provided funding to assist them, it falls well short (because the resources are not there) of the total monetary needs required to assist the 2.8 million IDP's.

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Going forward over the next 12 months, the Nigerian people, the families of the Chibok girls, and the IDP's in the north are going to want to hear in Buhari's anniversary speech on May 29, 2016 what else is planned for the immediate future not only to improve the response to the IDP crisis; but what it plans to do to step-up its efforts to find the remaining Chibok girls, along with its continued military efforts to contain and combat Boko Haram.
In the final weeks of the Democratic Party's presidential primaries, Bernie Sanders' rhetoric has been fiery. Moreover, he continues to say he will likely fight until the convention.

All this happens as Sanders declines versus Clinton in national polls and polls in the biggest states to come -- New Jersey and California -- look bad for Sanders.

While there's no doubt Sanders will stay in the race through the big June 7 primaries and likely until the final contest on June 14, there are signs he's laying the foundation for the end of his campaign.

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First, Sanders has laid out markers for primary successes that would lead him to go on to the convention. Logically, this means if he doesn't hit those markers, there isn't a logic for continuing the campaign.

For example, here's an interchange between Sanders and a Los Angeles television reporter:

Sanders: I think we have a realistic chance, in the sense that if we do really well in California and the other five states and in the other nonstate primaries, it is possible for us to get fifty percent of the pledged delegates. Reporter: Will you carry that to the convention? Sanders: Of course.

Note the conditions Sanders lays out - doing "really well in California" as well as in the other primaries. If he doesn't do well, there's a rationale for suspending his campaign.

Now, it's possible this is isn't that meaningful. After all, Sanders hasn't said he'd only ask superdelegates to support him if he won the pledged delegates, the ones won through primaries and caucuses.

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And he could claim he had done "really well" in the final primaries while others wouldn't judge the contests that way.

Still, many losses at the end, or even weak wins, would satisfy Sanders' stated standard for when he should go on as a candidate.

Second, by Sanders getting some of what he wants from the Democratic party, Sanders shows his supporters that his candidacy has delivered for them. This will make it easier for him to concede to Clinton.

One of the main things Sanders he wants is to change some policies of the Democratic Party, as expressed in its party platform.

Now Sanders has been able to name many of the members of the Platform Committee.

Party platforms are largely symbolic documents in that the United States does not have cohesive, disciplined parties that make candidates pledge to support the platform. However, that does not make platforms meaningless.

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Sanders was given the power to choose nearly as many members of the Democratic Party platform-writing body as Clinton, who is expected to clinch the nomination next month. Reporter Anne Gearan of the Washington Post characterized this as "unprecedented say over the Democratic Party platform."

That influence resulted from an agreement worked out this month between the two candidates and Democratic Party officials, according to Democratic officials familiar with the arrangement.

As Sanders and Clinton have been continuing to campaign, their staff members have been involved in these negotiations, suggesting there could be other cross-campaign discussions behind the scenes.

The negotiations and its outcome can be read as a demonstration that Clinton and the DNC respect Sanders and his voters.

One of the members of the committee Sanders has named is a vocal, fiery Obama critic, Cornel West. While some Clinton backers are not happy he has been named to the platform committee, having someone on it who appears to be disliked by them but is likely liked by many Sanders supporters especially delivers the message that Sanders has been able to act with autonomy.

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That sense that Sen. Sanders has won something and has been treated with respect helps Sanders and his supporters move on from his (very, very likely) loss.

Now, it is imaginable that platform fights could become difficult, particularly on policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. That possibility could have Democrats nervous.

However, Democrats are better off having Sanders backers in the committee, where they will be negotiating, rather than having Sanders and his strongest supporters feeling upset because he got less representation than he wanted in this body.

As Lyndon Johnson put it with a certain vulgarity, "It's probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in."

This post has also been published at Pollways, a blog hosted by the Bangor Daily News. You can also follow Pollways on Facebook.
For many years, the Federal Trade Commission has protected Americans on the internet with clear standards and strong enforcement against any unfair or deceptive practices online. The FTC is the lead federal consumer protection agency and has been a strong cop on the beat for our privacy. But in a classic case of the "law of unintended consequences," the FTC had the jurisdictional rug pulled from under its feet for a small portion of the internet -- broadband providers -- due to legal changes contained in the Open Internet rules passed last year.

As a result, the Federal Communications Commission -- which regulates telecommunications -- is now eager to put their footprint in this space by knitting a patchwork set of rules that would apply narrowly to broadband companies while exempting everyone else. In fact, the rules under consideration at the FCC would be a huge step backwards for consumers -- confusing consumers and increasing the risk of abusive or discriminatory use of our data online.

And this is particularly dangerous for people of color who must be vigilant to ensure that the discrimination and redlining so common in the "brick and mortar" world does not infect the internet or deny our communities of equal opportunities online. Civil Rights leaders have warned for years of the risk that "Big Data" algorithms and online profiling could send communities of color to the back of the digital bus and lead to discrimination in health, education, employment or other vital aspects of our lives online.

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Yet dangerously, the proposed FCC rules appear cavalierly unconcerned with these risks, and in fact would make them worse. The biggest problem is that, unlike the straightforward, understandable approach to online privacy that the FTC has used for years, the new FCC proposal would create an irrational patchwork with illogically heightened requirements for broadband providers.

It is simply not realistic to expect consumers to understand multiple different approaches to their privacy or to figure out how their data is being used when the rules change for different internet companies they deal with. The federal government is supposed to be making things comprehensible for consumers, not sending them through a gauntlet.

Mass consumer confusion created by government bureaucrats won't protect privacy; it will make consumers simply give up -- another damning case of the law of unintended consequences where rules intended to give more protection gum up the works so badly that they end up offering less. The sophistry from which all this confusion and frustration will flow is the false notion that broadband providers pose a special risk to privacy and need a different set of rules.

In fact, extensive research shows that broadband providers have no unique or heightened access to consumer data that would justify different rules. Instead the opposite seems true. Who has more sensitive information about you -- the banking, health, and social media companies you have accounts with or the broadband company that simply moves data around the web?

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This is particularly true as data encryption becomes the norm. By the end of this year 70 percent of internet data will be encrypted and completely unreadable by broadband companies that carry it. Websites and applications like Facebook, Google, and Amazon on the other hand have free rein because they are "inside" the encryption wall and want to know what you are doing and saying to answer your searches or sell you the right products.

Broadband providers have less reach for other reasons. They offer only a narrow, geographically limited service, while the website, application, and social media companies are with us everywhere we go, including at work, home, or on our mobile phones, our broadband provider is stuck in just one place and only "touches" a small amount of our data.

Instead of an inconsistent patchwork based on false assumptions and a misreading of the privacy threat, the FCC can and should step back and put consumers ahead of this jurisdictional land grab and learn from the success of the FTC approach that puts consumers in the driver's seat rather than in a maze. And that has the sensitivity and flexibility to identify and weed out more subtle forms of data-driven discrimination online that communities of color are in the best position to spot.
When the BBC Radio 4's documentary on Deobandis last month unraveled how the radical religious cleric from Pakistan - Masood Azhar - brought the notion of violent jihad into the UK in the 80s, while the revelations of Azhar's venerable status amongst his young British proteges may have been new, they certainly weren't surprising. After all, a virulent form of jihad has become a religious staple on every hardline religious cleric's menu of divine insanities. Extremist Islamist clergy have called out to such malevolence for decades - it was there in the inflammatory rhetoric of bin Laden (his will revealed he bequeathed 20 million GBP to the cause of jihad), it has populated the sermons of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban for years and has become a pandemic with the rise of the so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS). Infamously, these seditious speeches have included calls for Jihad against the West, to fight as ISIS's self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al Baghdadi pronounced in 2014, "the agents of the Jews and crusaders, their slaves, tails and dogs."

These facts beg the inevitable question - has the vast majority of the Muslim polity that does not subscribe to such extremist views got it very, very wrong? Does Islam really condone brutal savagery, monopolising claims to the "truth" with an utter disregard for plurality and the killing of innocent people with a reckless abandon? The contemporary preachers of violent jihad would have us believe that the Quran mandates the killing of our Christian friends, or our Jewish neighbours or atheist employers for no reason other than their faith or lack thereof. Ironically, there is in fact no complexity in the interpretation of jihad when the question of whether aggressive warfare is permitted by the Muslim Holy Book goes up for scrutiny - the Quran categorically rejects any such notion (as will be evinced below). The concept of jihad is complex in its profundity - it is referred to in the Quran repeatedly as a deeply spiritual and philosophical struggle against one's soul - a journey of constant self-reformation and purification.

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Textual fidelity it seems has become the scapegoat of religious sabotage. Religious extremists - those donning suicide vests and otherwise have used their obdurate yet misplaced devotion to a literal interpretation of Quranic verses as a means of harnessing sensitivities in the Islamic polity that transcend any parameter of the Quran. As Bernard Lewis, writing in The Crisis of Islam underscores, when bin Laden alluded to the "humiliation and disgrace" Islam had suffered for "more than eighty years" in his video message of 7 October 2001, he was referring to the collapse of the Ottoman sultanate of what was then Constantinople. Moreover, with the failure of post-independence nationalist projects in the post-colonial era, there emerged a resurgence of puritan Islamists across Muslim-majority lands, who by taking events such as the secularisation of Turkey and the role of western nations in the Bosnian War committed themselves to protecting an Islamic "identity" (without giving much thought to defining that identity).

Thus, what better way of galvanising the vulnerabilities of a Muslim population than by issuing calls to fight back - to reassert their pride - to partake in holy jihad. And the so-called fighting verses, revealed predominantly during the Battle of Badr, when a thousand-strong Meccan army attacked the staggering three hundred Muslim legion, permitting Muslims to defend themselves by "killing the idolaters" (9:5 - or the verse of the sword as its come to be known) became an all too convenient basis for extremists to sanctify their claims. The Battle of Badr took place following migration, after the Prophet and his followers had endured thirteen years of intense persecution - bearing patiently and notwithstanding the torment they had endured, were not the first to start hostilities - being forced to defend themselves from the invading Meccans. Hence, in 22:39 the Quran speaks of "Permission to fight" being "given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged," in the subsequent verse explaining that if such permission had been denied, "there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques." Thus, importantly, defensive warfare was permitted, not only for the preservation of Muslim worshippers but all religious denominations. Moreover, verses like 9:5 carry in themselves conditions, stating clearly that, "But if they repent...then leave their way free." Moreover, such verses are flanked by qualifications commanding the Muslims to grant protection to the enemies where they seek it, delivering them to a place of security and hastening towards peace should they hasten towards it.

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Paradoxically therefore, a hallmark of pluralism has been transformed into a graveyard of rights as today's 1.6 billion Muslims are left to apologise for the actions of a miniscule minority. The real meaning of jihad is embodied in various verses of the Quran, being epitomised by 29:6 wherein God states, "And whoso strives, strives only for his own soul." Ironically, for the so-called protectors of divinity who routinely usurp God's name to justify their perversity, God emphatically states in 2:224, "And make not Allah a target for your oaths that you may thereby abstain from doing good and acting righteously and making peace between men." And again in 4:114 God provides that there is no good in the conferences of men, except those that "enjoin charity, or goodness, or the making of peace among men." This emphasis on good deeds, righteous actions and peace-making reveals that the introspective journey of jihad envisions to be beneficial not merely for the one who undertakes this journey but his ability to benefit other human beings.
Jane Holl Lute, an American who is the UN point person on improving its responses to abuse allegations, visiting the town of Bambari, the site of a UN peacekeeping mission compound in the Central African Republic, April 2016. UN PHOTO

It has been almost a year since a sweeping assessment of United Nations peacekeeping operations by experts recommended significant changes from top to bottom: a reformed hierarchy in New York and greater coordination and discipline among military contingents in ever-more dangerous missions around the world. Few of their substantive ideas have been adopted.

As outrage mounts over reports of the exploitation and sexual abuse of children by soldiers over the last two years in the Central African Republic and its neighborhood, it is clear that there are still many loose ends needing attention. All indications suggest that the problem is getting worse globally or it is occurring at an undiminished level annually.

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"We can stop admiring the problem, and begin to pursue vigorously solutions to this problem," said Jane Holl Lute, the plain-speaking American whom Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed as his special coordinator on improving UN responses to abuse, at a briefing for the UN General Assembly on May 13. "No one has been standing still."

Yet Lute acknowledged that the job required significant mind-set changes in the field, where she found "pockets of resistance."

In December 2015, a subsequent, separate independent report sharply focused on the abuses in the Central African Republic revealed that a stunning lack of communication and cooperation within the organization ranked high among the failure to deliver justice and protect the human rights of the people the UN was sent to save.

That report described the UN's response to sexual abuses of children as bungled and bureaucratic, amounting to a "gross institutional failure." Though the soldiers initially involved in the abuses were French troops, not formally UN peacekeepers, their presence in the crisis-wracked country had been authorized by the UN, and the organization's mission there was responsible for reporting and acting on allegations of misconduct by anyone connected with the UN.

Instead, UN officials all the way to the top squabbled over who leaked the bad news regarding the abuse, and the welfare of victims was never a priority.

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In February 2016, Secretary-General Ban, who fired the Senegalese general leading the mission in the Central African Republic in August 2015 and produced several preliminary statements and reports over the past year, provided disturbing new data on the global situation in a report to the General Assembly. The report found that scores of allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation across the UN system had been registered in 2015 alone, up nearly 25 percent over the previous year.

Thirty of the allegations were outside peacekeeping, occurring in UN agencies and other civilian programs, and 69 were directly related to peacekeeping missions. (Some of the allegations were later found not to be true and some were still being investigated at the time of the report.)

By contrast, in 2003, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations reported that it had investigated allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against only 19 military personnel and five UN staff members, although this was widely assumed to be a gross undercount. After new complaint procedures were hastily introduced, the number of allegations in 2004 jumped to 72, of which 68 were filed against soldiers and four against civilian UN staff. Ban has only about seven months left in office, and no one watching this issue closely would predict that the situation will or can change dramatically in that time.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations, led by Herve Ladsous, a French diplomat and security expert, presides over 123,053 people in 16 peacekeeping operations, as of March 31, 2016. Of the personnel, 89,546 are soldiers from 123 countries, 13,434 are police officers and 1,793 are military observers. They are backed by thousands of civilian personnel, international and local, and more than 1,800 UN volunteers.

In her briefing to the General Assembly on May 13, Lute also reported on a recent trip to the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to meet UN mission leaders and others involved in peacekeeping work in the region to test their commitment on the ground. Lute's impressions and findings were mixed

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"We found in the first instance very clear commitment by the leadership in both of these missions from the very top to eradicate any instance of sexual exploitation and abuse, and to vigorously respond when allegations arise," she said. "But I can tell you that there are still pockets of resistance and pockets of reluctance to take this on personally by each and every member who serves under the UN in the field.

"Some of the resistance stems from still-held views that the problem of discipline, the problem of comportment, is not everyone's problem." The message that UN leadership wants to enforce, she said, is that "every single individual must personally associate themselves with this agenda, both in terms of their personal comportment and in terms of their attitude in the field when they become aware that transgressions have occurred."

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Some of the reluctance, she added, "stems from the fact that people don't know in all cases what to do or where to go or to whom to report. We are taking steps, both in the field and at headquarters, to put together toolkits and mechanisms that clarify the appropriate response when individuals become aware of this." Lute, she said, is working with a 90-day plan.

At the center of the behavior issue, as it applies to peacekeeping troops directly under UN command, are formal agreements between the UN and troop-contributing countries. These govern numerous aspects of deployment, from the health of soldiers, the risks to which they may be exposed, the value of the equipment they may bring with them (or what they may have stolen or damaged) and what level of reimbursement the governments who send them will receive.

Under a current agreement, reimbursement for each soldier is more than $1,300 a month, but troops in the field have long claimed they get a small fraction of that in pay, with their governments taking the bulk of the money. Peacekeeping is a source of considerable income to some developing countries, such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan and Rwanda.

What has caused the most trouble in these agreements with governments is the legal protection from prosecution for soldiers, national police and indeed the commanders of national contingents grouped under a UN force commander. Infringement of rules of behavior, including allegations of rape or other sexual abuses or exploitation, require that troops be sent back to their home countries for trial and, if convicted, for punishment. This happens only in a minority of cases, prompting critics to suggest that such blanket "hands off our troops" limitations on the UN peacekeeping department agreements should be reconsidered, and a new status of forces model be drawn up.

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Some diplomats and nongovernment specialists who study UN peacekeeping strongly recommend revision of the rules to give the UN more power to act in cases alleging abuse, especially if it rises to the level of criminal activity. Paul Williams, a professor with the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., who has written extensively on UN peacekeeping, asked in an email that although the agreement with troop-contributing countries is fundamentally flawed in allowing them full legal power in dealing with their soldiers outside the reach of the UN Secretariat, "Is there any alternative?"

Referring to sexual exploitation and abuse, he added: "The best solution would be for UN member states to simply carry out proper discipline and punishment of their personnel if they are found guilty of SEA" -- sexual exploitation and abuse.

The panel of experts on UN peacekeeping operations that published its global report in June 2015 said that there needed to be more consultation with troop and police commanders who face daily dangers themselves and sometime resist orders or fail to discipline soldiers under their commands. But it concluded: "In the face of imminent threats to civilians, there must be no tolerance for national constraints and the failure to follow orders."

A succession of UN secretaries-general has said over the years, however, that leaning too hard on troop contributing nations, which governments would consider an intrusion into national sovereignty, might cause them to withdraw from UN missions. Troops can be hard to find as the number of missions grows.

In a 2005 report that many in the UN system and diplomats who have worked with it say could have headed off many later problems, the author, Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein, went so far as to recommend courts martial.

"An on-site court martial for serious offences that are criminal in nature would afford immediate access to witnesses and evidence in the mission area," Zeid wrote in his report for Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general then. "An on-site court martial would demonstrate to the local community that there is no impunity for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse by members of military contingents."

Zeid, a widely respected Jordanian diplomat who holds an undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, was the first president of the governing body of the International Criminal Court and is now the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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Ironically, Zeid was caught up in the Central African Republic scandal in 2014-2015 when the UN human-rights office in Bangui, the country's capital, deliberately withheld information on sexual abuse allegations from the high commissioner's headquarters in Geneva, according to the December 2015 report. A Western diplomat, speaking on background, said recently that the whole affair had left Zeid deeply frustrated, since he, of all people, knew how bad conditions and behavior could be in the field.

In preparing his 2005 report, Zeid found that it was the "inability on the part of many peacekeepers to discern the extent to which the society is traumatized and vulnerable that is at the root of many of the problems."

He recalled earlier reports from West Africa that indicated "the difficulty of identifying perpetrators because victims are often frightened, poorly educated young women and children who have difficulty in identifying their foreign assailants."

Lute, in her recent briefing to the General Assembly related the explanations, or excuses, for bad behavior that she heard in the field. She also described the leadership of some battalion commanders who set very high standards for their troops.

"In the field, I saw a number of examples of what I considered to be the very best practice that I have seen anywhere," she said. "For example: One of the commanders, from Malawi, walked us through the rigorous process that they go through to select the commander to lead a contingent in peacekeeping. He was asked as part of his selection process to develop a philosophy in combating SEA [sex-abuse allegations] and to develop a training plan to pursue over the course of his unit's deployment. I asked to see both [his essay and plan] and they were immediately available and presented to me. This was not just an academic exercise, this was not just a rhetorical exercise. It was a tangible exercise, and a tangible demonstration of follow-up on the kind of best practice that we would like to see promulgated widely in the field.

"We have a number of contingents that don't send commanders into the field unless those commanders have prior peacekeeping experience. In our view, that is a very good, indeed, best practice. We have a number of contingents that have daily accountability checks on their units. The Indian contingent, for example, has daily announced and unannounced checks of the location of their contingent members. There are restrictions on the ability of contingent members to travel in civilian clothes, restrictions on their ability to wander around local marketplaces or local villages and clear accountability throughout the chain of command.

On the other hand, Lute found that excuses were still being made for violations of the rules, which are set out clearly in guidelines monitored by the peacekeeping department's conduct and discipline unit, formed in 2005 and working with conduct teams or designated individuals in missions.

"Some voices have raised problems or issues that we have had to take into account," Lute said. "Some said, We don't have enough training. Some have said, Training is not the answer. Others have said, We have a focus too often on the military and not civilians; that's unfair. We've had some who have said, The length of tour is the problem. We've had some who have said that the lack of welfare and recreation [for troops] is a problem. We've had some who have said, We don't know what widespread [abuse] means. And we have some who have said that it is too difficult to overcome a culture of impunity, and we will never fix this problem."

Her answers at the General Assembly were direct. "Military voices know that with good command and control, good leadership engagement, proper attentiveness to the conditions under which you are asking troops to operate requires constant, steady engagement irrespective of how long you are deployed. We all know that some of the most serious allegations have been committed by contingents that have a rotating period of four months. And we also know that there is no correlation between length of time in the field and the propensity for these acts to occur. The danger of sexual exploitation and abuse is ever present from those who are determined to commit these acts.

"Widespread [abuse] can be one soldier in five, or one soldier in 10, because a soldier's failing almost never in a military context belongs to his or herself. Military operates deeply on a joint approach to mission achievement. You have a role to play, but we will all help you play your role, and you will help me play mine."

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Will things change? Celhia de Lavarene, a French journalist who reported for Jeune Afrique and Radio France International before she became enraged by abusive behavior of UN peacekeepers she saw in her work in countries from Cambodia to Bosnia to Liberia, among many other places. It was a period in the 1990s during which a UN mission chief famously said, "Boys will be boys," when nongovernment organizations complained about the behavior of peacekeepers.

De Lavarene set aside her journalism career to join UN programs to stop the trafficking of women in the Balkans in the early 1990s and in West Africa a decade later, where many Eastern European, African and Asian girls and women were being sold into brothels that served troops, among other clients.

What she saw was not only individual cases of exploitation of vulnerable women and sometimes men, but also the broader picture of large-scale trafficking that often springs up around large peacekeeping forces as well as national armies. In one case, she encountered a UN force commander who had acquired two young girls and installed them in his living quarters.

De Lavarene's efforts were encouraged and supported by Jacques Paul Klein, an American commander in Bosnia and later in Liberia, and she was credited with rescuing hundreds of girls and women from bars and clubs where they were effectively held prisoners by traffickers. Returning to full-time journalism, she became a freelance correspondent based at the UN for the French investigative publication Mediapart and the news magazine L'Obs (formerly Le Nouvel Observateur) and also co-founded a nongovernment organization, STOP, an acronym for Stop Trafficking of People. De Lavarene is the author of a 2006 book on her experiences, "Un Visa pour l'Enfer" ("A Visa to Hell").


Rest on the Flight into Egypt with Saint John the Baptist (c.1509) by Fra Bartolommeo--wikimeda.org

The four Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-- provide skimpy biographies of Jesus, with huge time gaps. We meet Jesus in brief citations as a newborn, a six-year- old in Egypt about to return to Nazareth, a twelve-year-old at the Temple in Jerusalem, and at age thirty, when his spiritual mission begins as he is baptized by John the Baptist. Not much fodder for a reliable psychological profile.

The controversial second-century Infancy Gospel of Thomas offers some additional details about Jesus up to age twelve. But the purported supernatural powers of the child Jesus fly in the face of the earlier canonical Gospels' depiction: "The text [Infancy Gospel] describes Jesus as a brilliant child, performing a number of miracles in Nazareth, completely contradicting the portrayal of the Nazoraeans as described in Luke Chapter 4. Luke describes the natives of Nazareth responding in shock to Jesus' initial messianic teaching, seemingly unfamiliar that Jesus was anything more than a poor carpenter's son."

The New Testament tells us even less about Jesus' mother, Mary. We first meet teenage Mary when she is visited by the Angel Gabriel and told that she will conceive and bear a child by the power of the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:26-35; Matthew 1:18-25). Despite Mary's pregnancy, Joseph, a Jewish carpenter to whom she is betrothed, accepts her (Matthew 1:24). Next, Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant in her old age in answer to the prayers of her pious husband Zacharias, a priest in the Jerusalem Temple (Luke 1:38-40).



Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem, where Jesus is then born. In the Gospel of Matthew's account Mary, Joseph, and infant Jesus escape to Egypt to evade King Herod's decree to kill all male children in Bethlehem two years of age and younger (Matthew 2:16).

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Six years later they return to Nazareth. In a brief mention we learn that Mary, Joseph, and the family traveled to Jerusalem each year to celebrate Passover (Luke 2:41). On one return trip after Passover, when Jesus was twelve, Mary and Joseph noticed that he was missing. They turned back to Jerusalem and found Jesus in the Temple debating rabbis on the Torah (Luke 2:39-52). In another mention, Mary and the family think Jesus is mad when he is giving a sermon in Nazareth (Mark 3:20-21). The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus and Mary attended a wedding in Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle: turning water into wine (John 2:1-3).

We next encounter Mary as one of the witnesses to the crucifixion (Mathew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40; Luke 23:49; John 19:25).While it's not explicit in the Gospels, Mary, mother of Jesus, may have been one of the Mary's or "other women" at Jesus' empty tomb (Luke 24:10). If so, that would have been her final appearance in the Gospels. At the beginning of Acts of the Apostles, the New Testament book that follows the Gospels, there is a brief mention of Mary attending a prayer session in Jerusalem with the disciples after the crucifixion (Acts 1:12-14). Then Mary disappears from the story.

The controversial non-canonical Secret Infancy Gospel of James, dated to the mid second century, purports to fill in some details of Mary's birth and early life. However, the additions have been contested for inconsistencies and practices that are at odds with Judaism and with Mary's later life in a rural community of working-class trades people. Even so, the Infancy Gospel's report of Mary's birth to her elderly parents Anna and Joachim and Mary's life growing up in the Temple in Jerusalem still do not provide an informative biographical profile that illuminates who she was as a person.

Despite the paucity of information about Mary she has emerged as a towering figure in Christianity. She has inspired countless books about her life. Amazon lists over forty-one thousand volumes--and these are only the more contemporary ones. Devotional books abound.

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Who was Mary? What was she like in her daily life? What were her beliefs and personal qualities? We can speculate--as many have--but known biblical sources give us little information to go on. We could learn more about a casual acquaintance than we know about Mary by posing the simple request: "tell me something about yourself."

However, one aspect of Mary's life consistently stands out in the Gospels: She is a dedicated practicing Jew.

The few events documented about her are steeped in Judaism. Her pregnancy forecasts the coming of the Jewish Messiah. In accordance with the Torah mandate, Jesus is circumcised on the eighth day following his birth. Afterwards, Mary performs the postpartum Temple purification rituals, also prescribed in the Torah (Luke 2:22). When Mary, Joseph, and Jesus return from exile in Egypt we are told that she and the family traveled to Jerusalem every Passover (Luke 2:41)--an arduous seven-day journey over rough terrain.

The wedding in Cana that she attended with Jesus was obviously a Jewish wedding, attended only by Jews. Jews of the era did not associate with non-Jews. That Mary took a special interest in this Jewish wedding is reflected in her concern that the wine was running out. In every activity we see Mary's Jewish signature.

Given Mary's well established Jewish identity it is surprising that she is not portrayed as such in the trove of artworks of the Medieval and Renaissance eras, when Christian art flourished. Instead, she is depicted as a Christian, with no trace of Semitic features, dress, or surroundings. Mary's Jewish identity, which dominated her life, vanishes in these artworks, replaced by northern European characteristics and backgrounds. I have written extensively about the omission of Jesus' connection to Judaism in artworks. The disconnection of Mary from her Jewish heritage is part of the same falsification.

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Paintings of Mary's betrothal to Joseph provide glaring examples. The betrothal (some say marriage) theme was popular with the patrons who commissioned artworks, which explains why so many of them were produced by almost every major Renaissance artist. Typical are the paintings of the betrothal by Michael Pacher (c.1495 ) and Raphael (c.1504).



Betrothal of the Virgin by Michael Pacher -- wikimedia.org

Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael--en.wikipedia.org

In both paintings Mary and Joseph appear as stylish fair-skinned, fair-haired Christians.To emphasize that these are Christian ceremonies they are conducted by high church officials. But these ceremonies and settings are alien to the origins of this Jewish couple from a rural village in Nazareth--when, in fact, the actual betrothal and their lives had everything to do with Judaism. All indications from the Gospel depictions say that Mary was immersed in Jewish life and practices.

Why should we care about these misrepresentations? A contentious and often violent relationship between Christianity and Judaism began in the first century, as the emerging Christianity sought to establish itself as separate from its deep roots in Judaism. Remnants of that divide continue to reverberate today. And art (particularly paintings and stained glass windows) was a major vehicle in Medieval and Renaissance Europe for teaching the populace about Church doctrines and perceptions--ones that often embodied anti-Semitism.

But how could separation be achieved by fostering hate, demonization, and persecution of Jews if two of the most iconic figures in Christianity were dedicated practicing Jews, not the Christians devoid of Judaism as portrayed in art representations?

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In the early years of Christianity, separation was a bumpy road, since the new religion was tied to Jewish prophesy and lineage. That's why after a unified church was established at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE the vilification of Jews and Judaism was stepped up, reinforced by a charge that became an unquestioned mantra: "Christ killers."

Jews were then marginalized, persecuted, and frequently massacred. The Christianization of Jesus and Mary in artworks and other cultural depictions separated them from Judaism and widened the Christian-Jewish divide, enabling rampant anti-Semitism to infuse European societies through the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Further aiding the divide, the church banned individual ownership or reading of the New Testament or translations of the bible from Latin into native languages--a moot point since over ninety percent of the population was illiterate. Thus, for over a thousand years the populace would not encounter the Jewish Jesus and Mary of the Gospels.

Artworks, perhaps somewhat inadvertently, contributed to virulent anti-Semitism by picturing Jesus and Mary as Northern European Christians with no connection to the dark menacing "vile Jews," as they were represented in artworks.

But today we are in a new era of reconciliation led by Pope Francis. His bold pronouncement that "inside every Christian is a Jew" reaffirms the common foundation of Judaism and Christianity and seeks healing of ancient wounds and wrongs.

I wish that art historians, curators, and art critics would follow Pope Francis' lead and finally acknowledge the falsification of biblical history in artworks that denied the Jewish identities of Jesus and Mary.

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In excruciatingly detailed commentaries on artworks by professionals in the field the glaring feature of identity theft is almost never noted. Doing so would take nothing away from the magnificence of these works and their contribution to the development and enhancement of art and culture. But it would contribute to a long-overdue participation in the reconciliation of Christianity and Judaism. It would affirm the two sides of the Jesus and Mary story: Jesus and Mary the dedicated Jews and Jesus and Mary whose lives inspired a new religion.
I love to travel, and no matter where I go-beach or bustling metropolis- I enjoy learning from the areas I visit and identifying customs that may be applicable to business. My two week trip this spring to Japan offered many practices to consider adopting to enhance your business culture. Here are some highlights.

Quiet



On this my first trip to Japan, I was instantly struck by how quiet permeated the environment. We began our itinerary in Tokyo. For a city with a population of 13 million, with nearly 40 million in the Greater Tokyo area, I observed relatively few people and cars on the streets-far from the pandemonium on the streets of New York City, where noise reigns with shrieking decibels. In fact, upon leaving the world's largest city, I realized I had never once even heard a car horn- an annoying habit of American drivers who believe that there is a direct correlation between horn honking and traffic moving.

Takeaway: Find time for meditation, a walk in the park, tech free Fridays. Relish the peace and quiet. You may be inspired at what being alone with your own thoughts will reveal.



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Politeness



Upon entering any Japanese setting, one is immediately acknowledged with a polite bow, making a guest feel both welcomed and respected. I compare this to business meetings I have attended in the states when I have been greeted from the chair, the person never even standing up.

Japanese business card exchange, meishi, is a ritual in and of itself and an essential part of business etiquette. After a person has introduced him/herself and bowed, the business card ceremony begins.



This is the protocol. Offer the card with both hands, with the typography reading toward the recipient. The Japanese expect you to take the time to carefully read and memorize all pertinent information before carefully placing it on the table during the meeting, later transferring meishi to a distinctive business card holder-never tucked in a pocket. Business cards are considered an extension of the individual - not just a business tool. And there is no excuse for running out of business cards on a trip to Japan.

I think back to our business card exchanges, whether at meetings or at networking events. There seems to be a competition to collect business cards, as if this were a game of "Go Fish." Our practice often resembles a sporadic dance, quick and haphazard gestures with no one really taking the time to study the card or to even recollect the name and position on the card after the initial greeting. And what happens to the cards? Likely they are slipped into a pocket or tossed into a purse, never seeing the light of day until the pocket or purse is cleaned out. The resurfaced card is then either binned or added to a collection of cards that you intend to do something with one day.

Takeaway: Attend to each person you meet. Whether for a social or business introduction, a firm handshake, calling the person by name while looking her in the eye and even following up with a polite email casts you in a respectful demeanor.

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Symbolism



Symbolism is another tenet of Japanese culture. Our group was in Japan the day after the Kumamoto earthquake and, as such, we were moved to collect donations to be presented to the mayor of Matsue, the friendship city to my home town of New Orleans. The mayor's attache had prepared an envelope for our donation tied carefully with a red and white cord, a symbol of tragedy. The cord was intertwined in two circles representing En-musubi or binding fate, often indirectly associated with future marriages. Tragedies, whether natural or manmade, forge people inextricably forever. Think back to Hurricane Katrina, Sandy Hook or the World Trade Center. These tragedies forever entwine us. How beautiful that reverence to these tragedies is portrayed in tangible ways, much like art being the window to the soul.

Takeaway: Acknowledging others' beliefs, especially religious and cultural, furthers insight into those you meet. Learn more about the ways of your colleagues and friends, and in so doing, you may learn more about yourself.



Rituals

We are all taught basic table manners so as to make social interactions smoother. To that end, the tea service is the most revered tradition in Japanese culture. Each movement, from how the tea is steeped to the position the tea cup is accepted to how it is sipped, depicts meaning. It is an integral part of the culture of the country, and visitors are encouraged to emulate the protocol. Tea often follows a small confectionery and is usually served on a tray with the cup, or chawan. With both hands, the host presents the cup to the guest with the design on the cup facing the guest. Once everyone has been served, the first thing is to bow slightly and say "itadakimasu," which means "I will eat/drink" in a sense of gratitude. The guest holds the chawan with her one hand while supporting it from below with the other hand and sips the tea.

While such attention to detail and investment in time is certainly not going to happen in a neighborhood Starbucks, the ritual points to the importance of hospitality through ceremony. Certainly, though our coffee rituals of sugar, creamer and a shot of vanilla are done with far less fanfare, our morning Joe also represents hospitality of sorts-a gathering of people taking a break to enjoy a favorite beverage.

Takeaway: Value quality time with clients, customers and colleagues. Whether a coffee break, lunch or cocktails, social time, no matter how brief, strengthens your relationships.



Honor



One of my favorite Japanese customs is that there is no tipping; in fact, the Japanese may feel insulted if you try to tip. No tipping is rooted in their work ethic, pride in a job well done and the honor associated with expectations. Japanese believe that they are paid fair wages with the expectation that they will perform their job to the highest standards. Whether waiting tables, driving a taxi or being an engaging tour guide, the workforce, especially in the hospitality industry, are there to serve, and they do so with honor. Honor mirrors integrity. Their word is to be trusted without question, and the highest ethics are their social mores.

Takeaway: While it is highly unlikely that western society will abandon tipping, take pride in what you do, exceeding expectations rather than settling for mediocrity.



I could write volumes about the lessons I learned in Japan. I encourage you to explore this ancient Eastern civilization to identify how some of their customs could effect your business, possibly leading you to a more harmonious corporate culture.

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The Abbey Food and Bar is one of the most iconic gay bars in the world. This week The Abbey celebrates 25 years of being the heart of gay Los Angeles. I caught up with the owner (David Cooley) to discuss the anniversary, another expansion (The Chapel), and an up and coming reality show!

1. Congrats on 25 years of The Abbey! What year has been the most exciting so far and why?

This year has been very exciting. I was able to buy back The Abbey. I am in the middle of demolition on the space next door to expand The Abbey. We have a reality show on E! that starts filming this summer. I will have some very exciting news to announce on Cooley's soon. It seems like 25 is the most exciting year yet.



2. What were your goals when you first opened up the Abbey 25 years ago? Did you envision The Abbey the way it is today?

When I opened The Abbey, I only had one espresso machine, a few cakes and dream of owning a business in West Hollywood. I just wanted to live my life and run my business as a proud gay man, which wasn't as accepted then. I am so grateful every day for the support from the community. They made my dreams come true. I never imagined that The Abbey would impact so many people in such a meaningful way.

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3. Who are some of your mentors that have inspired you in business ?

There are two people in particular who have really helped The Abbey grow. Robert Kass was one of my clients when I was a banker at Wells Fargo. He opened the very first coffee shop in Los Angeles, The Living Room on La Brea. This was before the days of chain coffee. His success inspired me to open the very first coffee shop in West Hollywood. The Abbey could not exist in its current form with out the amazing support from my previous landlord Denny Edwards. Every time I was looking to expand, Denny allowed me to. He was so supportive and let me do what I needed to grow my business. He's mostly retired out in Palm Springs now and we're still good friends.



4. What was the scene like when you came out of the closet compared to now?

Coming out was not a thing you did where I was from in Ohio. When I went to my first gay bar, which was in Las Vegas, I had to drive around the block for over an hour to get up the courage to walk inside. When I opened The Abbey, things were still very secretive. None of the bars were open to the street. Everything was behind smoked out glass or glass blocks so you could not see inside. The entrances were in back alley's so you were not visible to the street. One of the things I am proudest of about The Abbey is that it is a place anyone feels comfortable. You can bring your Mom or your Grandmother and they will feel welcomed. We are open to the street and have been for along time, as if to say, "come on in and join the fun, everyone is welcome here."



5. What are your favorite gay clubs in the world and why?

I love the gay scene in places like Madrid, Rio, Montreal and Tel Aviv but my favorite gay club will always be Stonewall. I was just recently there and it is still inspiring. If all the rumors are true, it sounds like President Obama will actually declare Stonewall as the first-ever National Park Service monument to LGBT rights in June. It is a well earned monument.



photo credit: The Abbey Food & Bar



6. Who are some of your favorite celebrities that have visited The Abbey?

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For me, there is only one celebrity, Elizabeth Taylor. As a boy growing up in Ohio, I never thought I would be friends with the biggest movie star in the world. She came in one afternoon because her nurse was a regular at The Abbey. We struck up a conversation and became friends over many cocktails. In life, she did so much for the LGBT community and brought the AIDS Epidemic to the national spotlight and even co-founded amfAR Even today, she continues to work for the LGBT community. Her estate has fully funded the operating costs of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Her foundation is the official charity of The Abbey. We're honored to help continue her legacy in any way we can.

7. What do you normally order at The Abbey ? Your favorite drink, favorite app, favorite dish , favorite drink?

It depends on my mood. In the afternoon, I drink Sauvignon Blanc. I love white wine on the patio. When it's party time, I'm a Ketel One Vodka drinker. Our most popular cocktails are the Wild Berry Martini with Absolut Acai Berry, The Abbey's Original Mojito with Bacardi Limon and The Abbey's Masc Mule with Stoli. To eat, I really enjoy our new shared plates, like the charcuterie board, barbecue ribs and classic meatballs.



8. What could you see yourself doing if you were not nightlife and restaurant entrepreneur?

I think I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.



9. What venues do you see yourself opening in the next two years and where?

Right now, I'm focused on The Abbey. We are opening The Chapel at The Abbey later this summer. We'll have some news about Cooley's soon. After that, who knows?

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10. What advice would you give to young gay entrepreneurs?

Don't listen to the naysayers. People always tell you why you will fail. Ignore them all.



11. Tell us about the latest addition to The Abbey , The Chapel. What can we expect?

The Chapel is going to add about 5,000 square feet to The Abbey. The Chapel will be an extension of The Abbey and feel a little more luxurious. We're updating the look and feel but it will be connected. We're adding more patio space, more bars and a dance floor.



12. Are you excited about the up and coming reality show? How are you choosing who to feature on the show?

The reality show is a whole new chapter. I had been approached several times over the years but I finally felt like I had the right partners to make the show. E! approached us about the show because some of the executive team overseeing the show are regular customers. Our production company, Banijay Studios is the same. One of our executive producers has been a regular at The Abbey for decades. It's a good group of people behind the scenes and I hope we're going to make a show that reflects peoples' experiences at The Abbey. For the cast, we're starting with our employees.

13. What is going to the narrative and focus of the reality show?

The show will showcase what it takes to make your dreams a reality. My dream is The Abbey and that takes a lot of hard work. We have so many interesting people that work at The Abbey with their own dreams and aspirations. We have event planners, actors, models, musicians, writers, mixologists, makeup artists and more.



14. Describe The Abbey in 3 words?

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It is concerning to hear some supporters of Bernie Sanders say that if he is not the nominee they will not vote, or even that they will vote for Donald Trump. Whether or not we personally like a particular candidate, we must consider the power they will wield and the choices they will make. Nowhere is this clearer than in the power to appoint Supreme Court justices. If Donald Trump wins this election, it is possible, if not probable, that he will appoint several Supreme Court justices. The effects of those lifetime appointments on issues critical to our lives, including civil rights, abortion, campaign finance, affordable medical care and gun control will long outlast his tenure.

Appointing Supreme Court justices is one of the most significant presidential responsibilities, both because of the enormous power that resides in the court and the fact that they are lifetime appointments. The only way a Supreme Court justice leaves office is death, voluntary retirement or impeachment. Accordingly, while you may find presidential term limits reassuring if you don't like the person who won, their Court appointments may survive decades after their tenure. Justice Antonin Scalia served 30 years on the court until his recent death and had a tremendous impact, not the least of which was the District of Columbia v Heller decision, which is used as a powerful bulwark against gun control legislation.

The president's powers to nominate and appoint Supreme Court justices are expressly set forth in Article II of the Constitution. Likewise, Article II gives the Senate the duty of "advice and consent" with respect to the nominations. This year, we have a unique situation where the Republican majority in the Senate has refused to consider any candidate for the Supreme Court nominated by the current Democratic president. This rests on the purported basis that at the time of the Supreme Court vacancy he had only a year left in his term. There has been much discussion about whether this action is an unconstitutional refusal to provide the advice and consent required by the Constitution or, as the Republicans argue, whether such blanket refusal is properly within the parameters of advise and consent. But the effect has been to have an eight-person court for the past many months leaving the court without a tie-breaking vote and the probability that the new president will have an immediate appointment to the court.

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In addition to that probable immediate appointment, the new president could easily have several other appointment opportunities given the age of certain of the justices. Three justices are over 75 and two, Justice Kennedy and Justice Ginsberg, will be over 80 when the next president takes office. If a conservative president makes the immediate appointment and has two other appointments in four years, the Court may very well reflect a reliable 6-3 conservative majority for decades to come.

In thinking about the importance of the Supreme Court, we can reflect on some of its most momentous and well-known decisions. In 1967 in Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court ruled that banning interracial marriage is unconstitutional. In 1973 in Roe V. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that laws providing for a blanket ban on abortion are unconstitutional. In 1896, in Plessey v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court blessed segregation sanctioning a "separate but equal" concept that survived for 58 years until Brown v. Board of Education overruled it in 1954. In 2015, in Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court held that same sex-couples have a fundamental constitutional right to marry. This was a 5-4 decision with Justice Kennedy providing the swing vote. In 2008, the Supreme Court decided District of Columbia v Heller finding that 2nd Amendment was meant to preserve an individual right to "bear arms" and was not limited by the "well regulated militia" language that precedes that phrase in the Constitution. In 2010, the Court, by a 5-4 vote, decided Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, transforming the landscape of moneyed interests affecting elections. These are simply a few of the more well known cases, but the Supreme Court decides cases every day that deeply affect the most fundamental aspects of our lives.

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It is not a coincidence that Donald Trump took the unprecedented step of releasing a list of his potential Supreme Court nominees, all of whom are unquestionably conservative. He is trying to appeal to Republicans who want to preserve Citizens United and Heller and roll back or overturn Roe v. Wade, The Affordable Care Act, Obergefell and more.
Let me preface this with: I am not a Earth-mother-crunch-vegan-chakra goddess whatsoever.

However, after becoming a pet owner and growing more informed about the industrial practices that harm animals in both this country and beyond, my conscience has been tapping me on the shoulder.

I don't know how much longer I can--or want to--ignore it.

First, it started with searching for cruelty-free cosmetics. Recently, I have gradually needed to de-gluten my bath and body products due to a very sensitive wheat allergy. Prompted to read ingredient labels a lot more carefully, I began to notice the little rabbit indicating "cruelty free" on a variety of lip balms, body washes, and beyond. Prior, animal testing had only been something that I saw on the news here and there, so I decided to learn more about it, willfully pushing myself through all of the info that is so tough to read.

And so began my quest to buy "cruelty free" cosmetics. It's been going rather well! An avid Sephora shopper, I continue to support brands like Alterna, Jin Soon, butter London, and DryBar.

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The new part of my journey? I'm slowly coming to terms with my conscience, which whispers: "Umm..you're a little hypocritical." On any given Friday, you can find me with with cruelty-free nail polish on my fingers, while wearing a leather handbag and suede shoes, heading to meet my husband at a steakhouse. Makes no sense, really.

So much of the way we operate makes no sense. We hug our dogs and demand those who hurt such smart, lovable creatures be shot. But the problem is, we click away at our keyboards, as internet vigilantes, while on our way to brunch. Where we'll eat bacon. Though a quick Google search confirms that pigs are arguably even smarter and more intellectually astute than dogs. However, since we don't feel a collective affection for pigs as pets, dead pigs (bacon) have become an American culinary icon, just as dogs have remained "man's (alive) best friend."

Or what about this: It hits us in the depths of our hearts when we hear about elephants being de-tusked and left to die in the Serengeti, yet we revere snakeskin wallets as a luxury. Although, credible sources, such as the peer-reviewed journal Critical Studies in Fashion & Beauty, say that sometimes those snakes are skinned alive to obtain the skin for these products. Are we cool with that?

It's uncomfortable, isn't it. But try to face it.

Because when we do what's right instead of what is comfortable, we own our integrity and feel harmony inside.

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And that's where I'm at. I'm in the staring-it-in-the-face stage. I'm trying to stop myself from tricking my own mind. No longer will I allow delusions like "What a beautiful purse!" Instead, I am beginning to see it for what it is: wearing an animal's hide as a trophy. I probably wouldn't support or like to watch how it was made, so I should not get joy out of the product.

My shower caddy and makeup bag are all clear, but my closet and refrigerator are far from it. Am I going full vegan over here? No, probably not. My goal for myself in the future is to stop buying animal products like leather and suede, and hopefully only eat meat from animals that were killed responsibly.*

When we look at ourselves honestly, we can see that so much of what we do each day is not aligned with who we really are. A big part of the animal products issue is how politicized everything becomes. For instance, as much good as PETA does, the organization can be extreme and cause some Americans to roll their eyes at the intense campaigns. We have to have our own mind in a world that is preoccupied with whether we are Democrat or Republican, liberal, conservative, or moderate. We don't have to fit into a category, but we have to do what is right.

I think it takes years and wisdom to live authentically. But mental backflips have only allowed me you to trick myself for so long. I know what I need to do. And in your soul, you know what you need to do to live a life that is true to your core morals.

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A University of Kansas student had a horrifying encounter with a man whom she met on Tinder in April. The 22 year-old student was picked up by 30 year-old, Shane Steven Allen, from her sorority house for a date after the two matched on Tinder. Allen allegedly held the student captive for a six-day period and beat her repeatedly. The report states that the victim and Allen had seen each other once before and nothing had gone wrong in this initial meeting.

Though these terrifying events are usually isolated, they sadly seem to be happening more and more frequently. In fact, there have been a number of robberies and sexual assaults since the beginning of 2016 where the initial conversation started on an online dating site or app.

In addition to physical crime there is also the potential for financial losses due to romance scams. Criminals will create fake profiles in order to solicit personal and financial information from their victim. In 2014, romance scams stole $86 million according to the FBI's Internet Crime Report.

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Unfortunately, dating app crime, whether it's physical or financial, seems to be on the rise throughout the U.S.

There may be a scientific explanation for this: People are much more likely to share personal things when talking with someone online that they haven't met before. Psychologists have found that people often reveal their "true self" when engaging with another person online, more so than they do in person. This openness can lead a person to trust a stranger much more easily and develop intense feelings more quickly.

When using online dating and dating apps it's important to remember that the major draw of these sites and apps is also the one thing you should keep in mind at all times: the person you're meeting is a stranger. Occasionally you might find that you have some mutual friends in common, but for the most part, you've never met the person you're talking to before. For this reason it's always smart to proceed with caution for the first few times you meet.

Tinder and many other dating sites and apps provide safety tips for when you make a match and decide to meet in person. The most important tips to follow are these:

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Always meet and stay in a public place for your first few dates. You may feel that after talking to someone online you know them, but this doesn't mean you should trust them.

Drive yourself, take public transportation, a taxi or ride-share service to your first date. Don't have your date pick you up and see where you live.

Let a friend or family member know who you will be with and where you are going. Check in with them after the date to let them know how it was.

Know your limits and keep an eye on your drink. If you decide to drink on your date keep it to a 1 or 2 drink limit.

Keep your personal items, like your purse and cellphone near you at all times.

If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, excuse yourself and leave immediately.


Image source: PhotoDune

When we think about public health, we think in terms of things like nutrition or exercise programs. Too often, we don't think about air quality, and the massive effect outdoor air pollution can have on our health.

In 2012, the last year we have data for, outdoor air pollution caused 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide. About 80% of those deaths were related to heart disease and strokes, 20% of lung diseases and infections. While most of those deaths occur in low-income countries, there's trouble in the U.S., as well. The American Lung Association's 2015 "State of the Air" report shows that 47% of Americans are living in areas where pollution levels are dangerously high.

Although air quality is better in the U.S. than it was in the days before the Clean Air Act, there's still a lot of progress that needs to be made. The two big hazards in the U.S. now are ozone and particulate pollution.

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The EPA's latest rules say that ozone levels should be under 70 parts per billion. Exposure to ozone can lead to respiratory irritation. It can aggravate asthma in the hundreds of thousands of people -- including 10% of the country's children -- who suffer from the disease. With exposure over time, it can lead to permanent lung damage.

The EPA's rules have long lagged behind what scientists recommend for optimum public health. The 70 ppb rule is at the upper end of the 60 to 70 ppb that was recommended when it came time to reassess healthy levels. Under GWB, standards were set at 75 ppb, far over what scientists said was safe.

Where Does Ozone Come From?

Ozone isn't a direct pollutant. Instead, it is formed when other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that come into contact with oxides of nitrogen and are exposed to sunlight. VOCs are released through dozens of the activities we engage in every day, from driving our cars to painting a building. They are in wood preservatives, automotive products, degreasers and dry cleaning fluids. Inside your house, you spray them around when you use air fresheners, paint thinner or moth repellants. They're also emitted in larger quantities from oil and gas fields.

And, while some air pollution affects people in low-income communities more, ozone is an equal opportunity polluter. Ozone tends to spread out over a wide range, covering poor and wealthy alike. As Gretchen Goldman wrote last year, "If it's a bad air day in Queens, it's likely also a bad air day in Greenwich, Connecticut." Ironically, ozone levels tend to be higher in suburban and rural areas than in urban ones.

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How Do We Fix These Issues?

On a personal and individual level, we can choose low-VOC paints over regular and skip out on the aerosol air fresheners. In industrial settings, the answer is to cut down on what they are allowed to release. The standards for ozone have been tightened before, but never quite as much as needed. They can, and should, be tightened again.

Rising temperatures are also contributing to higher levels of ozone. Whether you believe that climate change is manmade or not, it's part of what's making the air more dangerous to breathe.

We can also work to raise awareness about people who are affected by respiratory diseases caused by pollution. The law firm Belluck & Fox holds a mesothelioma scholarship essay contest each year. Mesothelioma, which is caused by asbestos exposure, is diagnosed in 2,000 to 3,000 people each year. The essay contest helps raise awareness. Entrants can write about the personal stories of individuals with mesothelioma, research in the area and the history of asbestos pollution. $10,000 in scholarship prizes are awarded each year.

But, Doesn't That Cost Money?

Here's the thing: we either pay for the regulations and technology that will lead to cleaner air for all of us. Or, we'll pay the price somewhere else. If we don't take care of the air, we'll pay the price in higher medical prices. Asthma causes $50.0 billion in direct healthcare costs each year. Even with the Affordable Care Act, many low-income Americans are still without insurance. People who don't have insurance typically don't go to their primary care physician when suffering a prolonged asthma attack. They wait for it to go away until they can't wait anymore, then they go to the emergency room. With the average ER visit for breathing problems costing more than $1,500, the chances are good that that's a bill they can't pay. So, it winds up with higher prices for medical care for all of us.
Compare this write-up about Verizon's $300 million, 6 year build out of fiber optics in Boston, Massachusetts, with Verizon's statement that the $300 million was already spent.

"Verizon to build $300M fiber network in Boston" "Verizon will bring its fiber-optic FiOS network to Boston over the next six years, city and company officials announced..."

Verizon's CFO & EVP Francis J. Shammo stated on the Verizon 1st Quarter 2016 earnings call, April 12th, 2016:

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"So the $300 million, you're not even going to see it in the Wireline capital numbers. It's already there."

Verizon's CEO Lowell McAdam is speaking today, May 24th, 2016 in Boston at the JP Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference. He will be greeted by the striking Verizon union members from the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and IBEW.

But, simply put--Did Verizon lie to Boston and its citizens? Should there be an immediate investigation of the fiber optic deployments and the $300 million?

Verizon told Boston that they were going to be spending about $300 million over 6 years to upgrade the city to FiOS - a fiber-to-the-home service. But according to Verizon's Shammo, the money really isn't being 'spent'. The wiring may already be there as well, and so this "over six years" for the construction--may be just make believe.

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Should there be an investigation into the financial ties of Verizon Wireless and Verizon Massachusetts, the state utility?

But it gets worse: On this 1st Quarter 2016 earnings call, Shammo said that the build out is for another Verizon company - Verizon Wireless--and it is going to be paid for by the wireline, state utility-- Verizon Massachusetts; i.e., it is diverting the wireline construction budgets to do another company's build out of fiber, to be used for wireless services.

While these entities are subsidiaries of the same holding company, Verizon Communications, Inc., Verizon Massachusetts is the state utility and the wireline company, and it is not part of Cellco Partnership, Inc, which does business as Verizon Wireless. (Previously, Cellco was a joint venture with the British telecom firm, Vodafone.) In these excerpts, Verizon attempts to blur the lines about these companies; they are all just 'Verizon'-- but legally, they are not.

Here's an excerpt from the transcript of the call. You decide what's going on. Verizon's Shammo states:

"So obviously when we looked at Boston, it was a city that we needed to densify for the LTE network. So as we looked at all of our current COs around the footprint and the fiber that we already had there, it kind of was a no-brainer to us to say, we can do the fiber bill out. to expand the LTE densification. But we also can use this opportunity with only an increment of about $300 million over the next 5 years to 6 years to expand our FiOS footprint." "So the $300 million, you're not even going to see it in the Wireline capital numbers. It's already there. And as far as the capital that was going to be incurred on the Wireless side of the house, that was already going to be spent, regardless of whether we expanded FiOS. "So we will get to this. But we are starting to - we will start this mid-year this year for especially the 5G and 4G LTE densification. We will start the Internet capability with the passing homes."

Does this actually say: We will use the fiber optic wires, but it will be used by another company--the wireless company, who is having fiber optic wires put in and paid for by the wireline company? And does it say that the wireless service will be the 'Internet capability' that is 'passing' homes'... as compared to a 'last mile' fiber optic wire to the home?

Shammo was asked by Goldman Sachs--what about the other parts of the East Coast, as Verizon controls most of the state telecom wires from Massachusetts to Virginia.

"Is this the last significant fiber deployment you would expect to make within your remaining footprint? Or do you think that there's an opportunity to keep doing this in the Northeast?

Francis J. Shammo responded and I paraphrase: When we see an opportunity to roll out wireless - so that the wire doesn't have to actually go to the home, we'll consider doing another city in the US - be we've stopped our wireline deployment except when it helps the wireless company. He actually said:

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"Well, I think what we'll have to do... is we'll take one city at a time. Obviously we still don't have Alexandria built out or Baltimore. So if we get to a position where we believe we're going to need to invest in densification in those cities, then that's an opportunity for us to take a look at it. But at this time we're concentrating on Boston."

So, Verizon is concentrating on one city when they control the entire East Coast--and spending $50 million a year that's actually already been spent, and focusing on wireless.

Now, in New York State, we found Verizon has been 'cross-subsidizing' their wireless deployments--i.e., they were able to have the regulated state utility pay for the construction of the wires to the cell towers - and, as we demonstrated, each local phone customer was overcharged about $1000.00-$1500.00 for a "massive deployment of fiber optics" and 'losses'. Verizon NY has been losing over $2 billion a year for the last 5 years (with a caveat to 2013). However, these losses are artificial and were created by manipulating the financial accounting. For example, Verizon Wireless did not pay for some, if not most of the wires to the cell towers used by Verizon Wireless, but dumped the expenses in the state utility construction budgets, helping to create the losses. And the fiber optics appears to be for Verizon Wireless, which was not why NY State granted multiple rate increases.

According to the NY Attorney General, about 75% of Verizon NY's wireline utility budget has been diverted to fund the construction of fiber optic lines that are used by Verizon Wireless's cell site facilities and FiOS cable TV.

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"Verizon New York's claim of making over a "billion dollars" in 2011 capital investments to its landline network is misleading. In fact, roughly three-quarters of the money was invested in providing transport facilities to serve wireless cell sites and its FiOS offering. Wireless carriers, including Verizon's affiliate Verizon Wireless, directly compete with landline telephone service and the company's FiOS is primarily a video and Internet broadband offering....Therefore, only a fraction of the company's capital program is dedicated to supporting and upgrading its landline telephone service."

And it appears that Verizon Massachusetts is cross-subsidizing Verizon Wireless's deployments instead of upgrading and maintaining the state utility throughout the entire state.

Verizon is also actually deciding which part of the city should get wired first by having neighborhoods vote.

"Verizon's $300 million build will begin later this year. Verizon will prioritize different parts of each neighborhood through online voting on a company website, it said in a document listing frequently asked questions."

But, as I previously pointed out, Boston was already supposed to have been upgraded with fiber optics starting in 1995--not 2016. We even filed a complaint about it in 1999. As we wrote:

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"In statement after statement, before consumers, advocates, regulators and the press, employees and executives at the top echelon of New England Telephone made repeated and unambiguous representations that NYNEX would spend over $500 million to build the fiber optic network in Massachusetts, commencing in 1995. On July 15, 1994, New England Telephone Chairman Paul O'Brien announced that NYNEX was '...putting its money behind its beliefs. We recently announced plans to build what is essentially a new....state-of-the-art broadband network.... capable of providing video-on-demand and interactive information services.' O'Brien went on to promise that construction would begin late that year, 1994, in eastern Massachusetts. "A few months later, the Patriot Ledger quoted NYNEX spokesman Kenneth Horne describing a very specific plan: 'In Massachusetts, NYNEX plans to begin the new service in Somerville, Revere and Winthrop, then move to Brookline, Cambridge and neighborhoods in Boston, including Roxbury, Brighton, Beacon Hill and the Back Bay...'

This was 21 years ago.

Maybe someone needs to ask Lowell McAdam these questions today at the conference:

Is the wireline company cross-subsidizing the wireless build out without proper compensation?

Have rates been increased, like New York, based on a manipulation of the accounting - partly because the wireless company isn't paying its 'fair share' for construction or use of the networks?

Has the $300 million already been spent on fiber but not 'turned on'?

Is Verizon Wireless paying what any other competitor would pay to use the wires?

Is Verizon Massachusetts losing money and, like Verizon NY, not paying income taxes?

Maybe the rest of the Bay State should wake up to the fact that Verizon is spending $50 million a year on fiber optics in the state--(or nothing extra at all)--and is subsidizing the wireless company.
New York City, New York, USA

As we work to meet the social, emotional and academic needs of all our school children, mental health must be a focus. We know that our schools are a common point of entry for children seeking help for mental health concerns, and we also know that -- for many more students -- there are stigmas around coming forward and asking for help.

First and foremost as a grandmother, but also as a lifelong educator, I want to ensure mental health issues are not a barrier to any student's learning.

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In order to better reach all students and families, we've joined ThriveNYC - the City's plan spearheaded by NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray to improve and promote the mental health of its residents. The Department of Education is working in close partnership with the Health Department to assess the mental health needs of schools Citywide, and expand training and resources to meet students' mental health needs.

At the 130 Community Schools across the City, communities congregate to share resources to serve the "whole child" and improve student achievement. Students and families can access social services and robust mental health services through school-based clinics, including crisis interventions and counseling. For example, at P.S. 188 in Manhattan, students and families have access to a school-based mental health clinic, social workers, crisis specialists and workshops on behavioral management.



Another way we're promoting our children's wellness is through the new Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings, free to all New Yorkers as part of ThriveNYC. We encourage staff members - beyond guidance counselors and social workers - in addition to family and community members, to get training so they can identify early signs of at-risk students.

The trainings teach the necessary skills to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health challenges. While we must reduce stigmas around self-reporting, they still exist, and early identification by community members can translate to early interventions before a situation escalates.

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Another easy step to increase awareness is to make mental health part of everyday conversations. Whether in a classroom, after school program, or at home - having candid, tough conversation and encouraging others to share their perspectives can take the temperature down.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., smiles during an interview with The Associated Press, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

There's a question on the minds of many Democratic Party leaders right now, which might be phrased: Will there be PUMAs? Or, to update it a bit: Will there be BOBs? Or maybe even PUMA BOBs? Perhaps you'll hear, at the convention: "I'm Bob Puma, glad to meet you"?

Cheap acronymic humor aside, the question is an important one. PUMAs, for those who have forgotten the 2008 Democratic primary race, were the supposedly-numerous Hillary Clinton supporters who refused to back Barack Obama (due to slights perceived during the hard-fought primary, as well as ideological differences), and were instead going to defect en masse and vote for John McCain. The name stood for "Party Unity My Ass!" which was also their rallying cry. This year, they may be replaced by the "Bernie Or Bust!" crowd, or (to coin a neologism) the BOBs.

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But before we got to the BOBs, a quick historical review of the PUMAs is necessary. The entire "Party Unity My Ass!" movement (if it can even be called that, in retrospect) was the result of two things which turned out to not actually be representational of how the party's base was feeling. The first was the viciousness of the online flamewar between supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Exactly eight years ago, reading the comments section on any article or blog post about the state of the Democratic race was like watching a to-the-death gladiator battle. No holds were barred, no scathing insult deemed too extreme. From both sides, I hasten to mention (lest I be called biased). The personalities of Barack and Hillary were being savaged online, on a daily basis. This might sound familiar to anyone watching the Bernie-versus-Hillary flamewars online today. But while it's hard to accurately measure such things, it certainly seemed a lot more personal and vicious back then (at least, to me -- I certainly don't read every article's comments section, though).

So you had loud voices screaming at each other online. Due to the loudness and nastiness, some in the media started a narrative that the Democratic Party was split beyond repair. The convention, they all confidently predicted, would be contentious and possibly even violent. The spectre of 1968 was trotted out. For weeks before the convention, the media fanned these flames vigorously. I reached a different conclusion, however:

But personally, I think the entire PUMA ("Party Unity My Ass") effect is going to be about as effective as the Yippies were in nominating Pigasus (an actual pig) to the 1968 Democratic ticket. Which is to say, not very. And I think the demonstrations outside [the convention] are going to be similarly ineffective.

By the time the convention got underway, the narrative had reached ridiculous proportions in the media coverage. This led me to write a little parody of their "reporting," which I prefaced with: "You have to read this with an Australian accent, of course," but which I really should have led into with: "Imagine Eric Cartman saying this in his atrocious 'Crocodile Hunter' Australian accent."

"Crikey! We're on the hunt for the elusive PUMA, here on the streets of Den-vah. The PUMA is a wily beast and has so far evaded every attempt we've had to corner her. We asked hundreds and hundreds of women delegates inside the convention hall, and absolutely none of them would rant and rave in full PUMA fashion before our cameras. By crikey, we've heard stories that say the PUMA is a mythological animal, and even though we haven't found one yet, we're still out here looking..."

The only one to ever actually find any of the elusive PUMAs seemed to be Chris Matthews, who apparently got the "scoop" interview with some ranting Hillary supporters. That was pretty much it, for actual PUMAs (versus the perceived power of the PUMAs by the media). After Clinton gave a truly rousing speech at the convention in support of Obama, I noticed that someone in the media had gotten it right (but, sadly for historical review reasons, I failed to note exactly who it was):

For the first two days, the media kept beating the "Hillary people are going to show a divided party" drum, and it never happened. What was the overwhelming image out of the convention so far? Party unity.... I had to give credit to one talking head (I forget who it was, it may have been Bob Schieffer on CBS) who, obviously speaking without a script, said immediately after Hillary's speech something along the lines of: "Well, we've all be telling the story of how divided the Democrats are, but we were wrong. They are united." I didn't write down the exact words, but to me it was a stunning admission of journalistic failure -- for almost everyone in the media. They really, really wanted a fight. They didn't get one. Too bad. One would like to hope that now their media narrative will pivot on a dime into "It's astonishing how united the Democratic Party has become," but (as always when expecting things from the media) I'm not going to hold my breath or anything.

PUMAs, for all their online ranting, failed to materialize at the convention. I point this out as a cautionary tale for the mainstream media at large, because I think they'll all be tempted to try another crack at this storyline this year. Of course, that doesn't mean that the BOBs might not become a whole lot more real than the PUMAs ever were. Which brings us back to the present.

Losing candidates in a very close race always have a certain degree of fervency among some of their followers. That much is pretty conventional. But Bernie Sanders has run anything but a conventional campaign, and his supporters are not exactly a conventional slice of the Democratic base.

Bernie, in his own words, is trying to lead a "political revolution." So far, he has succeeded in revolutionizing Democratic Party politics. Others have tried to yank the party back to where it was under F.D.R., but none have had anywhere near the success that Bernie's seen. Democrats tacked heavily towards the center in the 1990s, when Bill Clinton remade the party with a very different ideology than had been traditional for Democrats. It would become a more business-friendly and law-and-order party than it had been in the previous few decades. Hillary Clinton has been caught in a bind during the 2016 campaign, because she originally wanted to run on not just continuing (and improving on) Obama's agenda, but also doing the same for her husband's agenda. Nostalgic talk of how things were pretty darn good under President Bill were supposed to be a strong point on the campaign trail.

Bernie forced a major reconsideration of this strategy, of course. Bernie talks about "The People" in just about every sentence, and stands for fighting for Main Street concerns like income inequality and criminal justice reform. By championing such issues as fighting trade agreements and raising the minimum wage (to $15 an hour) and tuition-free public college for all, Bernie forced Hillary to, essentially, reject some of her and her husband's political legacies. By doing so, Bernie drove a lot of the primary agenda in the Democratic race. He showed leadership within the party, and millions of people reacted very favorably to the agenda Bernie laid out. Hillary famously put "17 million cracks in the glass ceiling" for women, but Bernie has likewise put millions of cracks in the old Democratic Leadership Council's version of what the Democratic Party's agenda should be.

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If Bernie Sanders loses the nomination to Hillary Clinton (which is now almost a mathematical certainty), what will his supporters do? This is the big question everyone in the political media world is now about to contemplate, for roughly the next two months. There has been (much like in 2008) a contingent of Sanders supporters online who have quite vocally vowed never to support Clinton. They swear they'll either: (a) write in Bernie's name in November, (b) vote for Donald Trump, or (c) just stay home and grumble. The slogan this time around is "Bernie Or Bust!"

But how many of them will still feel that way in November? That is really the more important question than how many Bernie supporters feel that way now. Time is a great healer of wounds, and Donald Trump is not exactly John McCain.

Three things are really going to have to happen, if the BOB movement is to be defused. The first is that Hillary Clinton is going to have to be as magnanimous in victory as Barack Obama was, back in 2008. Back then, Clinton didn't even concede the race on the last primary day. It took four whole days and a private face-to-face meeting with Obama before Clinton would even concede she had lost the race to him. But Obama didn't hold it against her, and went on to be as inclusive as possible at the Democratic National Convention. Hillary got most of the convention concessions she wanted, and in the end she personally (from the floor of the convention) cast the New York state delegate votes that put Obama over the top in the official nomination roll call, in one of the most brilliantly staged bits of political theater I've ever witnessed. Obama showed Hillary the respect her 17 million votes demanded, and Hillary turned right back around and gave Obama the same level of respect. That level of civility must be the goal of both the Clinton and the Sanders camps this year.

The second thing that has to happen is Clinton is going to have to let Sanders make major changes to the official party platform document. Bernie's millions of votes demand that the party rethink its core partisan agenda. The party simply has to chart a new direction for the future, period. By doing so, it could become a lot more appealing to the hordes of young voters Bernie Sanders has so excited this time around. Even if Hillary Clinton becomes president and serves two terms, the Democratic Party as a whole needs to reach out in a big way to the youth vote, because they are indeed the party's own future. Sooner or later there will be another open presidential election on the Democratic side, and the party would do well to position itself for that eventuality by beginning to address some of the problems Bernie Sanders has been pointing out. Changing the party platform document has no real tangible consequences for the nominee (few people read the platform, and the nominee is not bound by it), but at the same time the platform has always served as an aspirational document for the future of the party. As such, who better to make changes than the man who has inspired so many young voters this time around?

The third and final thing that absolutely has to happen to make the BOBs just as irrelevant as the PUMAs has to come from Sanders himself. Bernie has to have the speech of his life ready to go on the night of June 7, when the final states hold their primaries (Washington D.C. Democrats will still not have voted, but it won't matter one way or the other). He has led his revolutionary forces farther than any other populist Democrat has managed in decades. They could almost taste the victory, but in the end they're going to be denied. I say this as a person who will be casting his vote for Bernie in California two weeks from now, I should mention. But even if he wins here -- even if he sweeps all six states that night, in fact -- Bernie Sanders is not going to be the Democratic nominee. Hillary Clinton will go over the top in the delegate count, no matter which final states Bernie picks up. So Bernie's got to begin the process of letting his own supporters down gently. A lot of them are going to be outright disgusted that Bernie could rally behind Hillary after such a hard-fought campaign. That disgust is going to become quite public, almost immediately. But Bernie still has to give a speech which clearly explains to his own base that denying Donald Trump the presidency is indeed reason enough to support the Democratic Party's nominee.

Sanders will have to make this case repeatedly, over a period of weeks. Once the initial acute disappointment of his supporters wears off a bit, maybe he'll be persuasive. If Clinton is seen as giving Bernie due deference at the convention, this will help ease the tensions between the two in a big way. My guess (on nothing but gut feeling, I'll freely admit) is that Bernie will be largely successful at convincing his supporters to back Clinton in November. All along, his campaign hasn't been personality-driven, it has been driven by the power of ideas. Fighting to get the Democratic Party to fully back those ideas is still a worthwhile fight, even if you believe that Hillary Clinton doesn't agree with a large part of Bernie's agenda. Turning the party sharply away from the old Democratic Leadership Council agenda and starting to refocus on the needs of working men and women and families is a change worth making. Bernie has spent much of the primary season attempting (and succeeding, in many cases) to change Hillary Clinton's position on some of these key issues. He can still be effective at doing so after she becomes the nominee -- or, at least, that's the case he'll have to make to his supporters.

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I think this is going to be a convincing argument, in the end. There may be a Bernie Or Bust faction that has an influence both at the convention and in November, but at this point I think the BOB faction will be a lot smaller than expected (or hyped) by the media.

Chris Weigant blogs at:
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month--a time to celebrate the accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in our nation, including the growing number of AAPI federal judges.

In January 2009, there were only eight AAPIs in lifetime, federal judgeships throughout the country--out of 870 potential positions. There had not been an AAPI judge on a U.S. Court of Appeals--the level just below the Supreme Court--in almost five years.

Today, there are 25 AAPI federal judges, including four at the Court of Appeals level. In fact, President Obama has appointed more AAPI federal judges than all presidents in history combined, and the nine AAPI women he has appointed is even more remarkable considering there were only two prior to 2009.

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While this is important progress, Senate Republicans are obstructing any further advancement by delaying consideration of President Obama's five distinguished AAPI nominees--all women--to lifetime federal judgeships.

Jennifer Choe Groves was nominated to the U.S. Court of International Trade last July. She would be the first AAPI to serve on this Court, and the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved her nomination in early April. However, 11 judicial nominees have been waiting for a Senate confirmation vote longer than her--one since February 2015--and since Senate Republicans are confirming barely one judicial nominee per month, it's unclear whether they will allow her nomination to move forward or simply run out the clock. This, despite the fact that the U.S. Court of International Trade is, by law, a bipartisan court, and Ms. Groves is a Republican. That's right--Republican obstruction is so extreme that it is even blocking the confirmation of the former Secretary of the Republican National Lawyers Association.

But at least Ms. Groves has received a hearing.

Judge Lucy Koh has been nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (again, the level just below the Supreme Court). She would be just the second AAPI woman to serve as a circuit judge in our nation's history. In June 2010, the Senate unanimously confirmed her to serve as a district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by a vote of 90-0, but Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has not yet scheduled a hearing on her nomination.

Karen Gren Scholer has been nominated for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and would be the first AAPI lifetime federal judge to serve in the Fifth Circuit, which covers Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn supports her nomination, and he and Senator Ted Cruz even recommended her to the White House for consideration. Ms. Scholer also has been somewhat active in Texas Republican politics, including service in 2000 on the Texas Finance Committee for the George W. Bush Exploratory Committee, but she has been unable to receive a hearing yet, either.

Judge Florence Pan has been nominated for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and would be the first AAPI female lifetime federal judge to serve there. In May 2009, the Senate unanimously confirmed her to serve as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In fairness, her nomination has only been pending a month, but the Senate Judiciary Committee would have to pick up its pace dramatically to consider her nomination.

Regina Rodriguez has been nominated for the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and would be the first AAPI lifetime federal judge to serve in the Tenth Circuit, which covers Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. Ms. Rodriguez was one of three candidates to be recommended by both Democratic Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and Republican Colorado Senator Cory Gardner. She was nominated on the same day as Judge Pan, in late April.

The Senate can--and should--consider all five of these nominees without further delay. Not just because it's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month or because they would increase the number of AAPI lifetime federal judges by 20%. Of course, it would be nice to continue enhancing the diversity of our federal judiciary, but more fundamentally, our system of justice demands it.

Since Republicans took control of the Senate in January 2015, judicial vacancies have more than doubled, from 43 to 87. It's almost cliche to say that "justice delayed is justice denied," but empty courtrooms mean that everyone must needlessly wait--from criminal defendants to victims of crime, from individuals seeking to enforce their civil rights to small businesses and large corporations.

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The Senate has confirmed only 18 judicial nominees over the past 17 months--a pace so slow it hasn't been seen in decades--while 55 nominees remain pending, subject to Republican obstruction and delay.
Hispanic woman reading Bible

In the early months of the primary season, Donald Trump's personal reputation and his awkward attempts to bond with Christian conservatives persuaded political pundits that he'd be unlikely to attract the support of "values voters." The pundits were wrong. Many explanations have been suggested for Trump's unlikely popularity among Christian conservatives, including the draw of authoritarianism and a "cultural shift" in which evangelicalism has become a political rather than a "religious brand."

I suspect that the phenomenon of Christian conservatives coming out for Trump is determined simultaneously by multiple factors--these and others. What I'd like to suggest, however, is that in addition to asking why Christian conservatives love Trump we should ask how they learn to love him. That is, what forms of political socialization are believers encountering that prime them to regard Trump and his candidacy favorably?

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"Member comments" in response to "The Anything but Trump Ticket" become visible in a pop-up window and include:

I believe Donald is the one God is backing because he is child-like and unpretentious. It is obvious he loves his country. He is not perfect, but he is genuine, a man with no guile and a true leader.



More interesting is this comment:

I am hearing from people of prophecy that God has raised up Donald Trump for such a time as this.

For such a time as this: the phrase, from Esther 4:14, was frequently used by Christian conservatives in the 2000s to suggest that George W. Bush was heaven sent to deal with the nation's dilemmas and direct it back to God.



In addition to what moral entrepreneurs say in public discourse, political agendas are also shaped by what they don't say. For example, as Trump campaigns for President, in its daily political alerts the Family Research Council continues to focus subscribers' attention on challenges to Obamacare, transgender politics, and the Obama administration's antagonism to religious liberty. Conspicuously absent are warnings about the perils of a Trump presidency or even non-partisan exhortations to Christians to pray without ceasing for the outcome of the 2016 election. After Trump referred to "2 Corinthians" in a January speech at Liberty University, FRC president Tony Perkins acknowledged that Trump is "not familiar with the Bible." However, reservations about the likely Republican nominee are not showing up in the FRC's political updates to believers, and that silence is significant.
Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Of all the misinformation disseminated to investors, the most pernicious supports the belief that some "investment pro" or pundit has the skill to reliably pick outperforming stocks. This myth is perpetuated by endless blogs and television appearances by "gurus" touting their latest and greatest stock selections.

A steady drumbeat

A quick review of what passes for financial news is illustrative. For instance, Jim Cramer is touting "The One Retail Stock Money Managers Want to Own." Another blog on Yahoo Finance asks: "Why Is SEI Investments (SEIC) a Strong Buy Stock Now?"

Sometimes these recommendations turn out well -- especially in a bull market. But it doesn't seem to matter to those who make them. They take credit for the good calls and have no accountability for the bad ones.

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What isn't disclosed

It's all an elaborate charade designed to line their pockets with your money. What they don't tell you is that their track record is no better (and often worse) than what you would expect from random chance. One peer-reviewed study looked at the performance of 2,076 mutual fund managers over a 32-year period. It found 99.4 percent of them (which is statistically indistinguishable from zero) evidenced no stock-picking skill.

The ability to confuse luck with skill is critical to perpetuating the myth that stock gurus have the ability to select "winners."

The timeline of a bad stock pick

The problem with this myth is that it can have devastating consequences for investors. Here's a troubling example of a stock tip that went horribly wrong.

On Sept. 30, 2013, The Motley Fool, a very popular financial site, featured an article by Matthew DiLallo. The article was about SandRidge Energy. The stock was then selling at $6 a share and DiLallo discussed whether it was still a good buy at that price. He seems well-qualified. He's the senior energy and materials specialist at The Motley Fool.

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Initially, he noted that SandRidge was a company he knew "inside and out." After assessing the recent run-up in the stock, DiLallo concluded that "there is a lot of value still left in SandRidge even as its stock has been moving higher."

He buttressed his views by noting that "hedge fund billionaire" Leon Cooperman estimated that SandRidge could be worth as much as $10 a share. Cooperman had named SandRidge one of his "top 10 stock ideas" earlier in the year and called it a "potential double." Stock pickers often seek to add credibility to their recommendations by aligning their views with "billionaires."

DiLallo concluded that the answer to the question of whether or not SandRidge was still a buy near $6 a share was "a resounding yes." He disclosed that he owned shares of the stock.

On July 18, 2014, DiLallo speculated about the possibility of a merger involving SandRidge. The stock was selling at $6.51 a share. I suspect many investors viewed the prospect of a merger as a bullish sign.

On Oct. 16, 2014, DiLallo revisited SandRidge. The stock had dropped to $4.57 a share. He still owned his shares. DiLallo counseled investors in the stock to watch for SandRidge's third-quarter earnings, which would tell them how the firm was "managing the plunge in oil prices and what to expect from the company going forward."

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On Feb. 12, 2015, SandRidge was selling at $1.95 a share. DiLallo noted the company needed to "do its best to tread water until the price of oil improves just to control its debt, which has already been a huge weight on the stock."

On March 24, 2015, with the stock selling at $1.69 a share, DiLallo analyzed the impact of oil prices on SandRidge. He provided reasons both to divest the stock and to hold on, but his takeaway was this: "Because time is on SandRidge's side, I don't think now is the time to bail on the company."

By April 21, 2015, DiLallo's enthusiasm for SandRidge was starting to wane. The stock price was $1.92 a share. He still owned shares in the company. He cautioned investors that SandRidge had at least three unique risks that could continue "to plague the company if oil and gas prices remain weak."

On July 14, 2015, with the stock selling at 80 cents a share, DiLallo asked: "Is There Any Hope Left for SandRidge Energy Inc. Investors?" He was still holding on to his shares. He concluded there wasn't much hope the stock would "ever rebound." He noted it was down 88 percent over the past year, but that he was keeping his shares because he didn't "have that much more left to lose."

On Oct. 8, 2015, with the stock selling for 49 cents a share, DiLallo noted a large debt exchange by SandRidge. The headline of DiLallo's blog was upbeat: "SandRidge Energy Inc. Takes Another Step Forward." He was still holding on to shares of the company. While he noted that SandRidge was reducing its legacy debt, he cautioned that "the company still has a lot of work to do as it wasn't built to handle the current oil price."

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Cramer weighs in

DiLallo was not alone in his enthusiasm for SandRidge. On April 16, 2014, when SandRidge was selling for $6.48 a share, Cramer explained why he viewed the stock as a "speculative buy." Cramer believed SandRidge had the "potential to double its well count and has up to 20 years of drilling inventory." He thought the stock could increase to $10 or even $15 a share.

Devastating losses

So what's the big deal? Sometimes the forecasts that stock pickers make are right and sometimes they're wrong. Everyone has a right to express their opinion, right?

Here's the problem. When pundits hold themselves out as having an expertise that a wealth of evidence indicates doesn't really exist, they are misleading gullible investors who can be harmed by their advice. These losses, in aggregate, can be devastating.

According to an analysis published just this month by economists Brian Henderson and Craig McCann, both of whom hold Ph.D.s, SandRidge's stock price declined by 99 percent since 2014, erasing more than $4 billion of market capitalization. In addition, investors lost billions of dollars in SandRidge notes. The authors calculated losses of approximately $3.3 billion across all outstanding notes. Total losses to investors in SandRidge have been well over $7 billion.

SandRidge closed at 2 cents a share on May 16.

Reforms needed

It's not fair to blame DiLallo and Cramer for these losses. Investors have to take responsibility for their own conduct. However, there's an obvious need for regulation of those making stock predictions. They should be required to prominently disclose the accuracy rate of their predictions and to highlight research indicating that stock picking is a highly speculative activity in which few have demonstrated any expertise (as contrasted with luck).

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These mandated disclosures would inform investors that a monkey throwing darts is likely to compile as good a track record as investment "pros." It would limit the carnage by giving investors a dose of reality when evaluating stock-picking advice.

Dan Solin is a New York Times bestselling author of the Smartest series of books, including The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read, The Smartest Retirement Book You'll Ever Read and his latest, The Smartest Sales Book You'll Ever Read. He is a wealth advisor with Buckingham and Director of Investor Advocacy for The BAM ALLIANCE.
Couple with lawyer

If you've never been through a divorce before, the realities of the process will understandably be unfamiliar to you. If you are considering divorce and trying to learn about how a New York divorce works, you may get advice from friends, family members, your hairstylist, or someone at the gym. There's a pretty good likelihood that some or all of what they tell you about the divorce process is just completely wrong.

Myths about divorce in New York can cause people to make decisions or take actions that may wind up hurting them. That is why it is so important to speak with an experienced New York divorce lawyer as soon as possible if divorce is contemplated. Your divorce lawyer can tell you the truth about how divorce works and bust the many myths about divorce.

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Here are 12 of those myths that are widely believed but simply not true:

1. Visitation can be denied if my ex doesn't pay child support.



There is a process for enforcing child support obligations, but threatening or denying a parent visitation with their child is not one of them. In short, access to the children and parenting time are not related to the payment of child support.

2. Commit adultery, lose everything.

Will cheating on your spouse lead to divorce? Maybe. Will being unfaithful mean that you'll lose your kids, your home, your assets, and your rights? Nope. In and of itself, adultery will not mean that you lose anything. But adultery combined with a wasteful dissipation of marital assets can be a factor in issues of equitable distribution.

3. Divorce can be denied.

When you file a divorce case, you are actually asking the judge to grant you a divorce. But that doesn't mean the judge can deny your request. If you want a divorce, you probably will get a divorce. New York courts have ruled that there is no right to a trial on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. Once all the financial, custody and visitation issues have been resolved at settlement or trial, a divorce will be granted.

4. Mothers always are awarded custody of the children.

While there certainly was bias in favor of mothers back in the day, the law has evolved along with changes in society to reflect that both fathers and mothers can be "custodial" Decisions about custody and visitation will be made based on what is in the best interests of the child, and that depends on circumstances and characteristics that have nothing to do with gender.

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5. You must have a lawyer.

Can you represent yourself in your divorce? Yes. Should you? Absolutely not. If you can't afford a lawyer, the judge in New York may require your spouse to pay for your attorney's fees to ensure that both parties are adequately represented.

6. You must get divorced in the state where you married.

Life is long and people move. If you were married in Alaska but now live in New York, you don't have to book a flight to Anchorage to get divorced. You can file for divorce where you live, even if it's far from the state where you wed, provided you satisfy the residency requirements for filing for divorce.

7. You can avoid paying child support.

Child support payments in New York are established by law. If you have a minor child and you are not the custodial parent, you will have to pay child support. If you fail to comply with a child support order, both your spouse and the state of New York will take aggressive steps to enforce those orders and obtain the support owed.

8. Children get to pick who they live with.

If a child has expressed a preference as to which parent they would like to live with, a judge may take it into consideration as one of the many factors guiding their determination as to custody. However, they are not required to follow a child's choice and will make their custody decisions based on what is in the best interests of the child.

9. Divorce always leads to battles.

Divorce can often be acrimonious and full of hostility, blame, and finger-pointing. But it doesn't have to be. Collaborative divorce, mediation, and divorce attorneys who are focused on resolving conflicts as opposed to starting or escalating them can help make your divorce a process of negotiation and agreement rather than argument.

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10. Equitable distribution results in equal division.

Property division in a New York divorce is governed by principles of "equitable distribution." What is "equitable" in a given divorce is not necessarily the equal division of assets. Property can be and often is divided in an unequal manner based on the many factors that go into a judge's decisions about property division. Whether that property is divided 50/50 is not one of them.

11. Women always get maintenance and men never do.

Decisions about spousal support, just like custody decisions, no longer are based on outdated prejudices and reflect the fact that women often earn more than their husbands. Decisions about spousal support are based on the economic realities of the respective spouses regardless of their gender. New York has adopted gender-neutral guidelines to determine how maintenance is awarded.

12. Most divorces go to court.

While you have to file papers with the court in order to get a New York divorce, that doesn't mean that there will be a trial, or that you or your children will have to testify in court, or that there will be lengthy and expensive court battles. If the parties can reach agreement on all issues, the divorce could be granted on papers. Many divorces in New York are resolved without a trial or without the parties ever stepping foot in a courtroom.
As risks have evolved from being phenomenological occurrences in the natural world, the twenty-first century is in many ways the era of man-made risk and man-stoked fires. From cyber risk--which is increasingly mutating to impact all facets of the modern economy--to terrorism, climate change, and reputation risk, mounting a credible defense to these risks requires as much soft skill as it does technical risk and analytical capabilities. Moreover, twenty-first century survival depends very much on our ability to harness risk, encourage bounded risk taking, and improving overall organizational and societal resilience.

Like no time in human history, the priorities of risk and resilience have taken center stage. Yet, risk does not live in isolation, nor does it conform compliantly to the classification systems used by traditional risk management approaches. Rather, decision makers must view risk as a dynamic process that cannot be adequately contained with static tools. The placebo affect that can be created by believing that certain risks are "covered" through traditional approaches to risk management is often more dangerous than the risk itself.

The example of VW is instructive. Once considered a paragon of corporate governance and a leader in the automotive industry, in 2015 VW grappled with a rapidly eroding reputation and a precipitous decline in its market value due to an entirely preventable emission-rigging scandal . It turns out its alleged emissions-cheat device, which was set to reduce engine output while emission tests were conducted on diesel vehicles, was also connected to the company's kill switch. No direct competitive force (perhaps other than the urge to cut corners and gain market share--all due to internal sources of pressure) and no discernible outside factor, caused VW executives to make these ill-fated choices. They did that entirely on their own.

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In another era perhaps VW may have escaped the prying eyes of regulators and the public. Today, firms must opt in favor of transparency in order to remain competitive. VW's case is very much emblematic of risk in our times, where climate change, reputation and technology converged to amplify the losses to the company's shareholders, inviting worldwide scrutiny. Actions that were once accepted as an externality are now treated as something punishable with monetary fines and sometimes irreversible damage to a firm's hard earned reputation.

Climate change is no longer some distant reality in a far off arid developing country. Catastrophic draught is a reality in California. Following Super Storm Sandy, when images of New York's Stock Exchange covered with sandbags were beamed around the world, Wall Street, Main Street and board rooms everywhere contemplated their response to increasingly extreme natural risks. In the aftermath of the VW scandal, companies that do not leave light environmental footprints, or try to cut regulatory corners, fail to review their "green" posture at their peril. Being perceived as thoughtful about the environment is no longer simply a nice marketing motif, it should be thought of as a source of competitive advantage and survival.

Adaptability and Agility

Whether we respond to risk through fear or fiat, risk agility is the key attribute of the survivors. Adaptability and agility have always been the secret survival mechanism of the fittest. Many methodologies have lulled us into ignoring our instincts under the guise that we are safe and that risks are hedged. Compliance, which in some cases is merely the act of grudgingly checking boxes, is not an adequate form of risk management for the twenty-first century.

Risk agility implies a certain mastery of risk, decision making under opacity, and a level of simplicity in the face of complex, heavily interconnected systems. This is both the source of ease in implementing well considered approaches to risk management and decision making, as much as it is one of the confounding factors. Agility, by definition implies nimbleness, speed and an intellectual acuity that often betray large, complex organizations.

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The modern multinational is anything but agile--imagine a super tanker making a U-turn. Now imagine a super tanker with Francesco Schettino at the helm--the captain of the doomed Costa Concordia--navigating through rough seas, while facing a mutinous crew and a system failure caused by a breach. As vivid as this image is, modern corporate leaders share the waters of the market in conditions this risky, and with captains this reckless . The best among them must make decisions that impact the lives of their crew, their missions and, in the direst of circumstances, the very survival of their ship--all with limited information or all the wrong signals.

The inexorable reality is that no matter how opaque choices are, the defining attribute of a leader is his or her ability or obligation to choose. The defining attribute of an agile enterprise is the ability to align all resources to enterprise-dependent decisions. Even in the best of cases, decisions are often made applying the 80-20 rule, or some other maxim that justifies 'permitted' uncertainty in boardrooms, executive committees and government.

For many global enterprises, indecision and paralysis have crept into the decision matrix. Entire continents, such as Africa, are ring-fenced from investment under the perception that the investment climate is too risky or illiquid. New technologies and disruptions are ceded to upstarts, and better ways of organizing for resilience and agility are left to tech companies. Sometimes the best choice to make is no choice at all. For large and complex organizations, gaining momentum and responsiveness can be an exercise in futility. The perpetual motion machine of organizational behavior and the profit motive stand in the way of agility. Our natural orientation toward risk aversion blinds us to clear warning signs that trouble lies ahead.

The Risk Ready Firm

In a risk-ready firm, it is everyone's business to remain in business, which requires a flat risk-response structure that leverages multidisciplinary risk management approaches. In financial institutions, risk management is largely a backward-looking activity that is heavily quantitative and most often driven by regulatory fiat. In the non-financial world, particularly in the manufacturing industry, risk management is much more qualitative, given the tangible (observational) nature of errors in a system or process. Charting a course as a hybrid between the two yields three-dimensional risk management, wherein the filter to noise ratio is controlled, and better, more instinctive responses can emerge.

Culturally, fear of failure and an aversion against reporting bad news must be confronted in all its guises in order for organizations to fully unlock value from risk. Withholding bad news does not make it go away or make it better. In fact, bad news tends to become amplified, and festers with time. In VW's case, company leaders received clear warning signs of the emissions-rigging scandal dating back to 2007, if not earlier . In the Germanwings tragedy, managers received clear signals that Andreas Lubitz, the suicidal co-pilot, was clearly a danger in the skies. Nevertheless, these risk signals were ignored, despite the relatively simple approaches to mitigate and respond to their presence .

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Many risk management approaches unfortunately impose far too much complexity on organizations, making them a source of risk amplification rather than a source of risk abatement. As the old adage goes, complex systems fail in complex ways. Simplicity, therefore, is a key attribute of an agile risk management framework. Some of the most enduring ways to avoid losses merely outline proscribed activities, as opposed to delineating every possible situational response. Greater simplicity is needed in risk management--and in decision making systems--in order to keep up with the times.

The other principal weakness of traditional risk management frameworks and how they hamper agility is that they often rely on historical data to drive current understanding and future directions. The challenge of taking this approach is that it is not very effective against unprecedented, emerging, or never before seen threats. Moreover, despite all the rigor of statistical methods, for many risk domains, such as cyber and reputation risk, the data set is shallow and largely unreported. The omerta that follows a potentially embarrassing cyber risk or reputational exposure hampers the ability to fully understand the scope and the forces shaping these risk domains.

The False Positives of History

The other challenge to historical methods is the preponderance of false-positives derived from a confirmation bias that affects individuals, teams, and organizations. The lessons of history may be consulted not for real clues about the present or future, but for a confirmation of preconceived notions. History can either be a useful guide to managing the present, or it can really set one off on the wrong path. The behavior of nation-states is a good example; either a country will behave exactly as it has and be highly predictable (such as the government of North Korea's constant antics), or it can surprise and amaze (such as Germany's willingness to throw open its doors to Syrian refugees, when many of its neighbors locked the door shut).

By the same token, preconceived notions about how the government of a country may act can defy prediction. For example, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world has come to expect that Vladimir Putin will seek to remind the West that Russia still matters, on the global stage. Russia will therefore be expected to flex its muscles around its borders, and seek to revive an anti-U.S. alliance with China. The West could not have predicted, based on its experience since 2011, that Mr. Putin would choose to take the lead in the fight against ISIS in Syria, essentially superseding America's and the West's prior limited efforts to combat ISIS, and largely making the West irrelevant in Syria's future.

History tends to be an excellent teacher vis-a-vis great successes or great failures when it comes to decision making. It is not such a great teacher when it comes to predicting the future or taking a leap into the unknown. The behavior of complex systems such as weather, the economy, and social risk are not readily gauged by traditional approaches. Such approaches are most effective for high frequency, reliable events. With low frequency and rare events statistical methods tend to suffer from "model error"--namely, the risk that the object being measured is far too complex for the methods used, or more common still, that the person doing the measuring makes a mistake or the model itself is too confounding. Many losses resulting from the global financial crisis where compounded by this reality. Simply put, complexity plus complexity equals complexity squared.

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A (Fr)agile Balancing Act

Risk agility and effective decision making is not about fearing the twenty-first century, although it certainly deserves deference. It is about respecting the speed with which things can fall apart as a result of unforeseen or unexpected events - as quickly as the so called Panama Papers were leaked and within a day had claimed its first head of state in Iceland. As such, the basis for making bold choices should include doing something never done before, or waiting to see what happens before making a move. Agile enterprises are transparent, trustworthy, entrepreneurial and, above all, risk takers. Aversion to risk is dangerous and implies being stuck in another era and held at a standstill by the inertia of fear.

The age that we are living in--the age of globalization, instantaneous information, tremendous technological advances, seemingly constant radical political change, and an unseen strain on critical resources--will show no remorse for the risk averse. Those firms that embrace risk agility will be able to quickly reinevent themselves and establish frameworks and a company culture that recognizes when the enterprise is imperiled by a particular internal course of action, or by external forces. This is the very creative/destructive cycle that drives the global economy. How people, organizations and society will thrive depends now more than ever on our individual and collective decisions.

Risk agility and decision making is mostly about common sense--remembering what your mother taught you as a child, incorporating the lessons you have learned throughout your life, and transforming it all into sensible action. It boils down to this: Be bold. Lean Forward. Know more about the world. Turn the pyramid upside down. Embrace risk. Have a long-term orientation toward the future. Be thoughtful about what you are doing, and how you are doing it. Consider the viewpoints, needs and desires of others. Do the right thing. It is not just about making money or getting the job done; in the twenty-first century, it is about getting to the finish line in one piece, and with a clear conscience.

*Dante Disparte is CEO of Risk Cooperative. Daniel Wagner is CEO of Country Risk Solutions. Both are co-authors of the forthcoming book "Global Risk Agility and Decision Making".

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Co-authored by Bailey Schweitzer

Despite the fact that cyber-attacks occur with greater frequency and intensity around the world, many either go unreported or are under-reported, leaving the public with a false sense of security about the threat they pose and the lives and property they impact. While governments, businesses and individuals are all being targeted on an exponential basis, infrastructure is becoming a target of choice among both individual and state-sponsored cyber-attackers, who recognize the value of disrupting what were previously thought of as impenetrable security systems. This has served to demonstrate just how vulnerable cities, states and countries have become, and the growing importance of achieving global risk agility in the face of such a threat.

From Russia with Love



In December 2015 a presumed Russian cyber-attacker successfully seized control of the Prykarpattyaoblenergo Control Center (PCC) in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Western Ukraine, leaving 230,000 without power for up to 6 hours. This marked the first time that a cyber weapon was successfully used against a nation's power grid. The attackers were skilled strategists who carefully planned their assault over many months, first doing reconnaissance to study the networks and siphon operator credentials, then launching a synchronized assault in a well-choreographed dance. The control systems in Ukraine were surprisingly more secure than some in the U.S., since they were well-segmented from the control center business networks with robust firewalls, emphasizing just how vulnerable power systems are globally.

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The PCC operated a common form of industrial control system known as a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, which allows for remote controlling and monitoring of industrial processes -- in this case the distribution of electricity. The attackers overwrote firmware on critical devices at 16 substations, leaving them unresponsive to any remote commands from operators , effectively leaving plant operators blind. It now seems clear, given the degree of sophistication of the intrusion, that the attackers could have rendered the system permanently inoperable. The fact that they did not leads some in Ukraine to speculate that the attack was a message from Russia not to pursue pending power plant nationalization legislation, since some of those plants are owned by a powerful Russian oligarch with close ties to Mr. Putin.

Cats and Mice

The Ukraine example was hardly the first cyber-attack on a SCADA system. Perhaps the best known previous example occurred in 2003, though at the time it was publicly attributed to a downed power line, rather than a cyber-attack (the U.S. government had decided that the 'public' was not yet prepared to learn about such cyber-attacks). The Northeast (U.S.) blackout that year caused 11 deaths and an estimated $6 billion in economic damages, having disrupted power over a wide area for at least two days. Never before (or since) had a 'downed power line' apparently resulted in such a devastating impact. Subsequent to that attack, SCADA attacks occurred in the UK, Italy and Malta, among others. According to Dell's 2015 Annual Security Report, cyber-attacks against SCADA systems doubled in 2014, to more than 160,000.

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Cyber-attacks are difficult to prevent, given the relative ease with which hackers can find a single system vulnerability, and the impossibility of plugging every conceivable security hole. Cyber-security professionals are in essence playing an endless game of cat and mouse, whereby a would-be attacker attempts to enter a system while security professionals attempts to defend a computer system from attack by applying continuous patches. The adversary then quickly moves to exploit the latest discovered vulnerability. That is why many computer security programs produce patches numerous times per day - even for home computers.

Cyber-Vigilance and the Need for More Resources

High profile cases of cyber-attack are increasingly becoming the norm. The U.S. government had little difficulty finding evidence to assign blame (to China) for the theft of personal information of more than 22 million government employees from the computer systems of the Office of Personnel Management in 2015. Similarly, it did not take long for the U.S. to determine that North Korea was responsible for the cyber-attack against Sony in 2015. Cyber-attacks essentially give nations of all sizes, degrees of wealth and resources a seat at the table of the super powers, affording them a disproportionate amount of clout. While China, the U.S. and Russia lead the world in cyber-attacks, virtually every government engages in such attacks, and nearly every country has it share of computer hackers.

International treaties intended to address the problem have limited impact because of the inability to hold signatories accountable and the difficulty associated with accurately determining the identity of responsible actors. Enhanced information sharing, combined with a mandate to swiftly and accurately release information regarding attacks to impacted citizens, provide a sensible foundation for designing a protocol to effectively address future attacks, yet very few governments routinely engage in this practice.

Clearly, governments, businesses and individuals must devote greater resources to becoming more cyber-vigilant, which means they must devote more resources toward anticipating and protecting against attacks. Governments and businesses need to also engage in more public-private partnerships in order to adequately address the issue. In 2013, President Obama issued Executive Order 13636 ("Improving Critical Infrastructure Cyber-security") which, among other things, called for the establishment of a voluntary risk-based cyber-security framework between the private and public sectors. This framework allows for all U.S. government agencies, regardless of their size or cyber-security capability, to apply the best possible risk management practices in improving the security of critical infrastructure. The primary importance of this framework is that it allows for all those who voluntarily participate to adequately communicate and understand the risks, which is vital to achieving a functioning national and international cyber-security network.

The European Union will also finalize similar measures later this year as a critical first step in defending against cyber-attack. This measure, the "Network and Information Security Directive", forces member states to adopt more rigid cyber-security standards, and creates an avenue for the 28 member states -- and the operators of essential services such as energy, transportation, and healthcare sectors -- to communicate . Other nations are in the process of acting accordingly. However, no nation allocates sufficient resources to adequately respond to the increasing threat of a cyber-attack against critical infrastructure, nor does any nation have a truly comprehensive plan to prevent or meaningfully react to the outcome of such attacks.

Conclusion

In recent years numerous forms of malware targeting SCADA systems have been identified, including Stuxnet, Havex, and BlackEnergy3 . What these three forms of malware have in common is their ability to sneak through Industrial Control Systems undetected, by exploiting the weakest link in the cyber defense network (people), by posing as a legitimate email, or by finding a back door in the SCADA system . The power sector, in particular, has already demonstrated itself to be particularly vulnerable, and must dedicate substantially more resources to closing back doors and training employees to avoid clicking on malicious files.

At the beginning of 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a report downplaying future cyber-attacks against the U.S. power grid, but, demonstrating the urgency of the problem, by the beginning of April, it joined forces with the FBI to commence a program warning utilities around the U.S. of the dangers of future cyber-attacks. A U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing also recently discussed cyber-security of the power sector and identified the most pressing concern as the need to create post-attack plans to assist the affected populations. Governments around the world have plans in place to deal with the consequences of natural disasters, yet none have disaster relief plans for a downed power grid. Clearly, this must change. Local and state governments must work together with their national counterparts to produce and quickly implement plans to address future attacks. They are coming.
Photo taken in Mexico City by Emma Buckhout, Latin America Working Group

The U.S congressional briefing to be held on May 25th with the Group of Experts tasked with accompanying the case of the 43 disappeared Mexican students could not come at a more crucial time.

The end of this week marks twenty months since the disappearance of the students. On the night of Sept. 26th, 2014, students from the Ayotzinapa rural teachers' college left their homes in the state of Guerrero to commandeer buses to travel to Mexico City to commemorate, ironically, the 1968 student massacre. They were instead the victims of what we now know were a series of coordinated attacks between organized crime, police forces, and military soldiers resulting in six deaths, the injuries of an estimated forty individuals, and the enforced disappearance of 43 students.

Yet, nearly two years after the initial attacks, the case remains far from closed.

The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), operating under an agreement by the Mexican government and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) presented the findings from their second and final report on the Ayotzinapa case in Mexico City on April 24th to an audience of civil society organizations, the general public, and the families of the disappeared students. The Mexican government officials who were invited noticeably never showed up. The experts' report presentation was the bitter end to the frustrating year accompanying the case in Mexico; an ending they didn't ask for but were forced to accept when the Mexican government refused to extend their mandate.

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Though their mandate has formally expired, the experts, with support from U.S. and Mexican civil society, will now present their grim findings to U.S. policymakers to expose what has gone wrong in the official investigation with the international community. The disappearance of the 43 students is not just one case that should never happen again. It is an example of the broader, structural weaknesses in Mexico's criminal justice system: the bureaucracy, delays, and re-victimization that thousands undergo on a daily basis in the search for their missing loved ones across Mexico. And for this reason, support from the international community continues to be crucial.

The experts' final report paints a disturbing snapshot of a government that tried to hide the truth at all costs and at the highest levels, including by torturing the majority of the key suspects and tampering with official evidence. More specifically, it offers new evidence to highlight the magnitude of the scale of the attacks against the students and documents a level of coordination between federal, state, and municipal police and members of the military that would have made it impossible for any of these to be unaware of the incidents that evening.

Shedding light on these details was not an easy process. The Experts' time in Mexico was marred by delays and obstacles to access information and media campaigns to discredit their work, as well as attacks against the head of the IACHR, the regional body backing their mandate. Requests to be present to interview the members of the 27th military battalion were never granted. Appeals for international assistance to the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the role of a fifth bus in heroin trafficking to the city of Chicago were made months too late, leaving it as another, current outstanding piece of the investigation.

Most importantly, the Experts' final report is decisive in stating that there is ample scientific evidence to disprove the Mexican government's "historic truth", its main theory the the students were incinerated at the Cocula trash dump which they have continued to insist on through this past April.

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And all this occurred in what the Mexican government's Attorney General has described as "the most exhaustive investigation of its history," in which only one of the student's remains have been identified, and the other victims and families are left without answers almost two years later.

There have already been some welcome reactions to the Experts' final report in the United States, including from the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Powers, and many of the congressional representatives who are hosting the briefing this week. However, statements like these must be sustained and strengthened in the coming months to hold the Mexican government accountable for addressing the short-term inconsistencies in the case as well as to take concrete actions in the medium and long-term to strengthen the rule of law and the investigation and prosecution of human rights violations in the country.

A crucial next step for the Mexican government will be unveiling the details of the special follow-up mechanism to the case. As a group of organizations from the United States and Latin America called for in a letter to the Mexican Foreign Ministry, information regarding its implementation is urgent. One month has already passed with silence from the Mexican government on this front.

The special follow-up mechanism must include plans for addressing pending questions such as the role of the military, torture allegations, and evidence that has been left out of the official investigation. Consultation mechanisms with civil society organizations and the IACHR should be built in. The proposed laws to address enforced disappearances and torture must include civil society's concerns and be passed before the end of this year. Protections for the human rights defenders who will accompany the families of the missing students in the absence of the Group of Experts must be ensured.

In the past, the United States has evaluated Mexico's steps in advancing the protection of human rights as a part of conditions in the Merida Initiative aid package and taken decisions, as it did last year, to withhold aid based on a lack of progress. The Ayotzinapa case provides many examples of Mexico's current backsliding on human rights that should be critically considered in decisions regarding future aid. The United States should also help support the implementation of concrete steps to strengthen Mexico's criminal justice system as a key part of its partnership moving forward.

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U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Werner Enterprises Hangar in Omaha, Nebraska, US May 6, 2016. REUTERS/Lane Hickenbottom

Several days ago, many progressives were on the verge of becoming outraged that White Nationalist William Johnson was on the list of Trump delegates to the California Republican Party State Convention. Before the hardcore criticism fully ramped up, the Trump campaign attributed his inclusion to a "clerical error", and he appears to have resigned, probably to avoid embarrassing Trump.

Too bad. The cause of improved racial discourse would be better served if people like Johnson were considered acceptable fringe members of the Trump coalition. Continuing to publicly shun them only makes it harder for our nation to talk honestly about our on-going racial predicament and about the phenomenon of Donald Trump.

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We have to face the fact that Trump's appeal to whites (the overwhelming supportive demographic of his campaign at this point), is significantly influenced by something that social psychologists call racial threat. Yes, racial threat is a thing. In fact, it is just one of many varietals of very specific types of unconscious racial bias that scientists have discovered affect both whites and people of color (POCs) in different ways and with different impacts. Stereotype threat is another, racial anxiety is another still, and there are other varietals well established in the literature. Racial threat is the fear of diminished racial dominance by one's own group.

The open presence of white nationalists in the Trump coalition would be very uncomfortable, but it could be potentially very valuable because it can help us bring the feeling of racial threat out in the open. Avowed white racists speak openly about feelings that many have and won't admit and that still others have, but are not even consciously aware of. If journalists do their jobs, the presence of these folks will mean that leaders and the rank file will be confronted with questions like: Given how America actually is changing, how legitimate are white nationalists' fears of diminished racial influence? What is the real difference between traditional conservatives who reluctantly support Trump, hardcore Trumpites, and white nationalist Trump supporters on key diversity related issues like immigration, Muslims, transgender people, or affirmative action? Is the difference one of tone, underlying emotion, or something else? What is that difference, exactly? It will be useful to see what happens when conservative commentators, political leaders, average Joe supporters, and The Donald himself are pressed for answers to such questions.

Continuing the practice of excluding unapologetic hateful bigots like Johnson from mainstream political discourse makes it much easier to stay in collective denial about the fact that racially based tribalism is a big part -- although clearly not the only part -- of Trump's appeal to whites. There is overwhelming evidence that much of Trump's core support is measurably animated by racial threat. (If you want a few sources of evidence of the importance of racial resentments within Trumpism, check here, here, and here). Unfortunately, our collective understanding about how prejudice and racism function is stuck in the decades-old images of Klansmen in robes, Bull Connor, Archie Bunker, and the like. As long as racial resentments are thought of as only activating hard core "racists" who deserved to be shunned, right-leaning commentators, conservative leaders, and the rank and file can't honestly discuss what is happening within a great many of us.

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Racial threat, like other forms of unconscious racial bias, needs to be thought of as a set of feelings that majority of people have to one degree or another and that can get activated at different times. Instead of trying to stamp out feelings of racial threat, we should try to collectively work through such feelings, which means publicly owning up to the reality that tens of millions of us are affected -- sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously -- by inter-group bias, racial threat, and a deep-seated tribalism causing people to more strongly embrace others who they see as their "own group." (Of course, the impact of how this very human tendency plays out on different groups varies tremendously, but that is another conversation).

For white progressives, shifting the conversation forward means looking at conscious and unconscious bias not as something they have never had or are cured from, but rather a wellspring of emotions they are working on and are still subject to. Certainly there is good evidence that liberal whites are subject to varieties of implicit bias just as conservative whites are, though often to a lesser extent. (Two references about unconscious bias among liberals are here and here.)

As a black person, I know that there is some room for POCs to do some honest owning up too residual feelings of tribalism too. You don't have to look too far to find otherwise progressive black folks who sometimes resentfully see the increasing Latino immigrant population as "other people" who are taking "our opportunities." You can also see some of this residual tribalism in the disquiet that many black folks have to the gentrification that is affecting areas like Harlem, North Portland, East Austin, Washington DC, or countless other places. Remember, black folks have only had partial control over most cities and neighborhoods they dominate for a few decades; whites have enjoyed full control over America for centuries. Instead of pointing to white folks' nativism in a morally accusing way when it comes out, POCs can productively and empathetically shift the conversation by owning up the tribalism we sometimes feel and invite Trump supporters and others to do the same. Such honest dialogue is what a truly productive "national conversation" would include.

Certainly, there is no moral or practical equivalence between white nationalists advocating for continued white oppression of minorities and black folks worrying that a yoga studio is going to squeeze out Mama Pearl's Diner and Pie Shop. But as America changes, we are have to going to more honestly own up to the way that all of us are subject to feeling uncomfortable when it appears that "people like us" are no longer as dominant over what we consider to be "our home." Doing this will may require breaking some conventions about what we are willing to admit to ourselves and to others. Expanding the definition of what voices are allowed to sit at the table will make this more possible. Continuing to shun those who have more extreme views makes it harder, not easier, for the rest of us to do the remaining work we need to do.
I was greatly privileged this past weekend to deliver a keynote address at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) World Congress in Hollywood, Florida. I have spoken before at the Academy's conference in Las Vegas, and will have the opportunity to do so at their sister organization's meeting in Melbourne, Australia this summer (their winter). The conferences are a big draw to health professionals and scientists interested in exploring the latest advances in anti-aging, from basic science to clinical application.

But I didn't really address any advances, latest or otherwise. Rather, I pointed out how late we all already were to our own party.

I began by telling the thousand or so health professionals in the audience about a NIH trial, just profiled in the New York Times, examining the anti-aging potential of the drug, rapamycin, in dogs. Effects have already been shown in rodent models, and dogs are next in line.

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Given the nature of the conference, and audience, many assembled likely knew more about this particular trial than I do. But that was fine, and rather by design. For me, the dogs in the trial were really just a segue to the neglected elephants in the room.

We already know the anti-aging secret.

After all, what would "anti-aging" mean in practical terms, if not more years in life, and more life in years? We surely don't mean actually stopping the clock, fixing the sun in the heavens and halting the calendar, as Joshua allegedly did. Leaving aside the rather dire, cosmic ramifications of heavenly bodies that stop dancing -- I simply note no reference to any such methods in the otherwise quite comprehensive A4M subject matter.

So anti-aging has to mean preserving the good qualities of relative youth, even as the clock hands turn, the planets revolve, and the calendar turns. We must mean, simply: longevity, plus vitality. More years in life, more life in years. And if that is what we mean, we know how. We have long known how.

So I told my audience, delivering a version of a tale I have told innumerable times over the course of my career, from podiums around the world, and in print again, and again, and again. The repetition, alas, seems both necessary and insufficient, as the world is disinclined to heed.

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We have known for decades the modifiable, root causes of premature death and chronic disease. These factors are not just modifiable now, with knowledge born of latest advances; they have been modifiable for as long as we've known about them, with knowledge accessible then. Knowledge in this case has been nothing like power, since we have so consistently failed to use what we know.

We have known for years not just the root causes of premature death and chronic disease around the globe, but what happens when we do modify them. Chronic diseases that would have occurred, don't -- at least 8 times in 10. People live longer, and better.

We know, too, what happens in cultures where entire populations are beneficiaries of lifestyle as medicine, where they eat well, exercise routinely, avoid toxins like tobacco, sleep soundly, limit the toll of stress, and cultivate their strong connections to one another. In those places we call Blue Zones, people routinely live to a vital 100, and then some time after that, die peacefully in their sleep. If there is a greater prize to which mortals might aspire in this sphere than longevity, vitality, and a gentle exit into that good night at the timely end, I've not found it. If this is not the very quintessence of "anti-aging," I haven't a clue what would be.

And we know, as well, that these very blessings may be imparted to an entire population in the span of one generation by translating what we have long known about healthful living into a concerted, collective action. In North Karelia, Finland, a dedication to lifestyle as medicine for all has slashed heart disease rates by over 80%, and added fully ten years to life expectancy. An additional ten years of living is an anti-aging achievement worthy of a Nobel Prize if ever there was one, but there are no Nobel Prizes in science for using what we have long known.

Perhaps that's the problem. The unknown always beckons. The new and exotic tantalizes. We are all eager to hear about Nobel Prizes attached to the promise of great, potential advances -- even as we fail to keep the promises of the tried and true. We are drawn to the sources of power in distant shadow, even as the amazing might of elephants in the room is put to no good use for the simple fact that they are already in the room, and thus, mundane.

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So I told my audience, assuring them I meant no disrespect to the last batch of Nobel laureates, nor to the next. I like Nobel Prizes as much as the next guy. I just wonder why we can't award them to those who learn the things we never knew we never knew, even as we use the things we long have.

We focus on dogs in trials, I contended, while missing elephants in the rooms with us. We chase birds in the bushes, and overlook the bird in hand. We strive to slow the aging of adults, but look on passively as we willfully accelerating the senescence of our children for profit. What lesser charge is deserved by a society that laments the unnecessary propagation of type 2 diabetes among children, even as it peddles sugar-sweetened beverages for every thirst, and the likes of multi-colored marshmallows for every breakfast?

We know what to eat to foster longevity and vitality for people and planet alike, but hardly anyone is willing to swallow it.

Scientists are irresistibly drawn to the glamour, glories, and allure of the unknown. You'll get no objection to that from me; we are all the beneficiaries of that endless quest. But it does seem to invite periodic exhortations on elephants in rooms, reality checks about knowledge and power. Such was my mission in Hollywood.

As for the population at large, and our culture in general -- the problem runs rather deeper. We have been preoccupied with anti-aging perhaps since the very dawn of self-awareness, and the implications of mortality it unveiled. We have, ever since, tethered our fears to faith and fantasy, tangled our aspirations up in fable -- about fountains of youth in particular.

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The reality is, we have long since found just such a fountain -- but hardly anyone drinks from it.

Why? Presumably because the fountain dispenses only water, and the line forms elsewhere. There is a concession stand nearby where, inevitably, they are selling Coca Cola.

-fin

Director, Yale University Prevention Research Center; Griffin Hospital

President, American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Senior Medical Advisor, Verywell.com
Public schools, we all agree, should teach civics and promote democracy, including respect for constitutional rights. Unfortunately, regardless of the official curriculum, schools routinely teach students through censorship and punishment that those in charge decide what may be said.

In Lessons in Censorship: How Schools and Courts Subvert Students' First Amendment Rights, George Washington University law professor Catherine Ross presents and analyzes dozens of legal cases concerning the free speech rights of students in K-12 public schools. She also provides a convincing critique of the state of the law, an urgent warning about what students experience in school, and concrete suggestions for protecting student speech.

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Ross does not address censorship of college students, which has been much in the news over the past year. But her book is an important reminder that censorship of students begins long before they get to college. She organizes her presentation around five key U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

In West Virginia v. Barnette (1943), the Court ruled that public schools must respect the First Amendment right of students not to participate when the class salutes the flag and recites the pledge of allegiance. The decision was justified on the basis of fundamental principles of free speech, personal autonomy, and the constitutional protection of individual rights. It remains a classic and oft-quoted statement of those principles.

In Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), the Court ruled that public schools must respect the First Amendment right of students to wear black armbands to protest U.S. violence in Vietnam. Setting a relatively stringent standard known since as the Tinker test, it ruled that student speech is protected by the First Amendment provided it does not disrupt the operation of the school or violate the rights of others.

Tinker came at a high point of judicial protection for individual rights. In subsequent decades, as the Supreme Court became more conservative, it increasingly deferred to government authority by reversing or narrowing earlier decisions protecting individual rights. Although Tinker has not been reversed, its scope has been substantially limited by three subsequent Supreme Court decisions.

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In Bethel v. Fraser (1986), the Court upheld the authority of a school to punish a high school student who gave a sexually suggestive speech at a school assembly. Schools have since banned and punished a wide range of speech deemed offensive; courts have often, though not always, rejected First Amendment challenges.

In Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988), the Supreme Court upheld the authority of a high school principal to censor the school newspaper. Ever since, schools have taken their authority over school-sponsored speech to justify censoring or punishing any speech associated with the curriculum, including student speech in class. Unfortunately, federal courts have generally upheld broad school authority over curriculum-related student speech.

In Frederick v. Morse (2007), involving a banner that said "Bong Hits 4 Jesus," the Supreme Court upheld school authority to punish student advocacy of illegal drug use, thus creating a new exception to the First Amendment. Although the opinion concerns nonpolitical speech about drugs, schools construe it broadly and courts generally defer to the judgment of school officials about what needs to be censored.

In summary, schools interpret the three later decisions as broad exemptions from First Amendment law. Unfortunately, federal courts often, though not always, let them get away with this, leaving Tinker to apply only to incidental speech in the hallways and cafeteria that does not offend anyone or question school values. As a result we teach the next generation lessons in censorship that contradict and undermine our claims to value liberty and democracy.

What can we do? Educators should respect free speech. States should pass laws to protect student speech, as some already have. Courts should recognize the core principles of Barnette and Tinker and interpret the subsequent restrictions of their scope narrowly as limited exceptions to basic principles of free speech.

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"It is the hard days--the times that challenge you to your very core--that will determine who you are. We are more vulnerable than we ever thought but we are stronger than we ever imagined... When the challenges come, I hope you remember deep within you is the ability to learn and grow. You aren't born with a fixed amount of resilience; it's a muscle. You can build it up and draw upon it when you need it and you may just become the very best version of yourself." - Sheryl Sandberg at UC Berkeley's Commencement Address

It's been two weeks since my sophomore year of college (at the University of Pennsylvania) ended. Yes, I'm now at the halfway mark of college and it's been a crazy 2 years so far. Having just gone through the hardest semester of my college career so far, I'm still trying to figure out why I drove myself so hard this past semester and took on so many things that I just burned out.

In between taking a lot of hard classes (with a 7 class course load), taking on new commitments and trying to still work on my entrepreneurial ventures, I simply started drowning in so much work that each day became such a struggle to even get through. But life goes on. The semester eventually ended and while it may not have been a good semester, I learned A LOT.

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I'm sharing this in hopes that some freshman or pre-college student out there is able to learn from my mistakes. Or that this article helps others think about their semester and put things into perspective because there's always a silver lining in what we go through.

But these hard times are the ones that teach you the most.

I found some of my best friends this past year and learned how important it is to never take your friends for granted

1. You can't do everything



There's so much pressure in college to conform to the norms and to follow what everyone else is doing while still being yourself. We're always trying to balance all aspects of our life while always trying to do more. But the reality is that we really can't do everything. Something is going to eventually give and we'll start sacrificing the things we actually care about. You have a choice. Pick your spots.

2. Work on your weaknesses but don't forget about your strengths



This semester I tried so hard to work on my weaknesses like learning how to code, trying to get better with numbers and data, spending more time with studying that I forgot about my strengths. I started feeling really miserable as I cranked out problem set after problem set.

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This is when I realized that while you should be working on your weaknesses, you should not forget to continue doing what you're good at. I had stopped writing. I had stopped going to entrepreneurship events. I had stopped working on YouthHack. I wasn't having fun anymore because everything I was doing were things I wasn't good at. Eventually, I couldn't even study properly anymore. Don't do this to yourself.

Like Marissa Mayer said, "Burnout isn't caused by overworking. It's caused by forgetting to spend time doing what you love."

3. It's okay to feel like an impostor or a fraud, most people also feel like one



When things aren't going so well, it's very easy to feel like an impostor. It's very easy to start doubting ourselves, and start asking why we even belong. For me, this started when I started having a hard time balancing all my commitments that I started doing poorly in all of them. As a result, I felt as if I just wasn't good enough in anything. However, don't take yourself too seriously. Realize that everyone is good at something and at the same time, everyone also doesn't really know what they're doing in college. Relax. You aren't alone.

4. It's okay to be vulnerable, to admit that you're having a hard time



I've made some of my best friends by admitting that I'm not superman. It's okay to admit that you're feeling sad. We don't always have to reply to our friends when they ask us, 'How are you?' with a big smile and 'I'm good' even though we're not good. It's okay to open up. This is the only way people will know that you're struggling.

5. Lose yourself in new adventures, but don't forget where you came from and what makes you feel alive



I ended up trying a bunch of new things this semester, but as a result, I ran out of time to do things that I actually cared about. Always leave time for the things that make you feel alive. Never forget about these passions of yours, these hobbies, these things that give you a purpose. It's important to know what activity, what organization and what community makes you feel alive, because this is what you have to go back to during the times you feel burned out.

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6. Never take your friends for granted



It was this semester where I realized how much I love my friends. Without my friends, I actually wouldn't have survived this semester. I'm extremely thankful to all the people who picked me up when I was down, when I didn't know what to do and when I was about to give up. These are the friends who are for keeps, those ones who are there during both the good times and bad. It sounds so cliche but it's during these hard moments when you realize who your true friends truly are. Thanks guys.

7. It's okay not to know



To the college student out there trying to figure things out, don't worry; you are not alone. Two years into college, and I still have no idea what exactly I'm going to major in. I have a better idea of what I don't want to do but at the same time, I'm less sure about what exactly I want to do. I try planning out my next two years only to end up back in square one every single time. There's just way too many factors in life that it's too hard to plan everything out. Uncertainty sucks but that's what makes life so exciting, that's what makes tomorrow a mystery.

8. Life goes on (but there are exceptions when it comes to cheeseballs)



At the end of the day, while life kinda sucked this past semester, the world didn't stop, life went on. Remember that despite all the hardships, all the moments that make life seem so dark, there's always something to be thankful for. There's no point in dwelling upon these negatives. Learn from them and move on.

While I could live regretting going through a slump and feeling depressed this past semester, I am a strong believer in that everything happens for a reason, and that these moments of hardship happen to us to teach us powerful lessons.

This past semester was harder than any other semester I've had. But in between all the all-nighters I pulled and all the days where I felt like a fake, were days where I made my best friends and days where I realized how much I miss doing what I love.

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I can't wait to see where these next two years of college take me.
Biotechnology Research: Seedling growing in laboratory undergoing experiment

A massive National Academy of Science review of hundreds of studies on genetically engineered (GE) food crops, comparing the US, where the crops have been used heavily for 20 years, and Europe, where use is rare, finds no reliable evidence that these crops pose any harm to human or environmental health. The expert panel has posted its report online, along with the evidence they rely on, in the hope that their massive meta-analysis might inform public thinking about the issue. The sad thing is, given the nature of human risk perception, minds already made up on the issue are unlikely to change.

We'll get to the depressing explanation of why that's the case in a minute. First, let's look at the findings. If your mind is open and you just want to learn about the issue, they seem pretty persuasive.

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Based on a review of more than 900 studies, testimony from more than 80 expert speakers in three public meetings and 15 public webinars, and roughly 700 comments from the public, the 20 experts, all academics with no direct ties to the agricultural biotechnology industry, wrote

the committee examined epidemiological data sets from the United States and Canada, where GE food has been consumed since the late 1990s, and similar datasets in the United Kingdom and western Europe, where GE food is not widely consumed. No pattern of differences was found among countries in specific health problems (including a list of diseases that opponents say are caused by genetically modified organisms - GMOs - like cancer, obesity, gastrointestinal tract illnesses, kidney disease, and disorders such as autism spectrum and allergies) after the introduction of GE foods in the 1990s.

On environmental impacts, the experts found that planting crops engineered to include Bt genes (bacillus thuringiensis, a natural insecticide approved for use on organic farms)



tended to result in higher insect biodiversity than planting similar varieties without the Bt trait and using (harsher, more toxic) synthetic insecticides.

They found that while overall herbicide use decreased at first when GE crops first went into use, "those decreases have not been maintained", cautioning however that the use of some herbicides is down, while use of others is up, and the overall number doesn't tell us much.

Total kilograms of herbicide applied per hectare is an uninformative metric for assessing (risk, since) the environmental and health hazards of different herbicides vary...

Here's their overview:



While recognizing the inherent difculty of detecting subtle or long-term effects in health or the environment, the study committee found no substantiated evidence of a difference in risks to human health between currently commercialized genetically engineered (GE) crops and conventionally bred crops, nor did it nd conclusive cause-and-effect evidence of environmental problems from the GE crops, cautioning that "...the complex nature of assessing long-term environmental changes often made it difficult to reach definitive conclusions.

Pretty persuasive...if your mind is open and you just want to see what the bulk of the evidence says. But if you've already decided that GE technology is dangerous, you will find ways to deny this strong scientific statement. You might say, as some anti-GMO groups are saying, that the committee members were too close to industry, the standard 'don't trust the experts' ad hominem mudslinging that advocates use when they can't attack the facts themselves. A Friends of the Earth spokesperson said;

"I'm concerned that their findings and recommendations are deceptive and even biased toward industry interests,"

(The study was funded by independent foundations and the USA government, and externally peer reviewed.)

You might cherry pick all the careful scientific qualifiers the experts used, as scientific experts do... to be to super cautious about their language...and find the phrases that still sound scary. That's what Consumers Union anti-GMO advocate Michael Hanson did in a comment to the Washington Post, pointing out that the committee acknowledged that allergens genetically engineered into new hybrids might be hard to detect before the food gets to market. (Which ignores the NAS panel finding that in the 20 years that hundreds of millions of people have been eating food with GM ingredients, there is no evidence that's happened.)

You might criticize the report because it "is inconsistent about regulating new genetic modification techniques like genome editing and synthetic biology," as the anti-GE ETC Group complained...even though the NAS report specifically said that, given the increasing variety of ways we can modify the genes in the crops (and animals) we grow, that risk assessment should focus on the food we actually eat, not how it's made.

All technologies for improving plant genetics--whether GE or conventional--can change foods in ways that could raise safety issues. Therefore, it is the product that should be regulated, the report nds, not the process (i.e., genetic-engineering or conventional-breeding techniques).

Or you could go all in and just say that 20 years of evidence isn't enough, as GE opponent Charles Benbrook did, saying that there aren't enough human health studies, or as food expert Marion Nestle did, telling the Washington Post "the report reveals how little is known about the effects of GE foods."

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But now we get to the second point, the depressing lesson this whole GMO issue teaches, a lesson with implications about how society struggles to deal intelligently with a wide range of matters. When it comes to how we see risk issues like this, the facts don't matter. Or to be more specific, the facts matter less. What matters most as we make up our minds is how we feel about the issue. We see the facts through the filters of our emotions and instincts. We see untrustworthy big companies profiting from doing unnatural things to our food and agricultural systems, imposing a potential risk on us without telling us (the labeling issue), and for many of us, those psychological characteristics set off instinctive alarms go off. The fact that agricultural biotech is done by big companies does not inherently make food riskier. The fact that some forms of genetic engineering create hybrids that could not occur naturally does not inherently make those hybrids riskier. The fact that labels don't tell us absolutely everything about every ingredient in our food does not inherently make the food riskier. But those psychological factors all make the food feel riskier.

That is a large part of what the fight over GE crops and agricultural biotechnology is all about. It's not a matter of what the evidence says, alone. It's how we feel about that evidence, which subconsciously alters the conscious positions we take. This is why various sides of various issues can see the same facts in such different ways. Despite remaining uncertainties (there are ALWAYS remaining uncertainties) the body of evidence on GMOs is strong and clear. But fears of unnatural risks imposed on us by untrustworthy big corporations are just as strong, at least among the small but passionate community of those opposed to genetic engineering generally. This is a fight about feelings and values. It's one of those unresolvable conflicts we face in modern society when a complicated issue comes along and we have to rely on critical thinking and careful reasoning to figure out what's best, only we're stuck with a risk perception system that evolved to handle risks - lions and tigers and bears, oh MY! - that were much simpler.

The danger here is that our emotion-based risk perceptions might lead us to support policies that feel right but don't do us the most good. Resistance to agricultural biotechnology, which offers huge potential benefits from which millions are not yet benefiting (as the NAS panel itself noted), is just one scary example. The fight over climate change is slowing down action to prevent it. The persistent resistance to fluoride, or fear of childhood vaccines, exposes communities to public health risks. The values-based battle over the reasonable gun safety regulations that a majority of Americans support puts us all, legal gun owners included, in greater danger.
Bernie Sanders's campaign website states: "The only long-term solution to America's health care crisis is a single-payer national health care program." This would be amusing if it weren't so frightening.

British single payer collapsing

British experts and officials just reported that their National Health Service, the classic single payer approach, is "buckling under huge financial and operational pressures." It may and probably will collapse. They are beginning to "question the viability of free universal healthcare."

Sanders observes what is happening to the paradigm of a single payer healthcare system, and says he wants that for us!

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Does Sanders advocate U.S. bankruptcy?

Even before Obamacare, the U.S. was spending twice as much on healthcare as anyone else in the world. That was why President Obama said he needed to reform our system: he said he would bend down our "unsustainable healthcare spending curve." Forget for a moment that Obamacare bent that spending curve upward, by $2.6 trillion. Consider this.

Sanders says his health plan will only cost $15 trillion--that is more than five times what Obamacare cost. Frankly, more reliable estimates put the price tag for Sanders' single payer plan at $32 trillion. That is slightly less than twice the GDP of our entire country ($18 trillion).

If spending on healthcare were "unsustainable" before Obamacare, how much more unsustainable will it be under single payer? Are Bernie Sanders (and Hillary Clinton for that matter) competing to see who can put the U.S. into bankruptcy court the fastest?

Single payer doesn't save money

Before people start shouting about all the money we would save with single payer, consider one fact and answer one question. Fact: The NHS is so costly that the Brits cannot afford to keep it going. Question: Can you name a single government program that is dollar-efficient? If so, show us the proof.

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Single payer advocates see all the money that goes to insurance companies and they think, "Well, under single payer, we won't have to spend that. That money will go to care." Wrong. All the administration, eligibility, verification, follow-up, compliance, and regulatory review will still take place, and that is the major cost. While you might save the profit that insurance companies now take, the inefficiency of government-run programs will consume that saving and then some.

And when single payer does save money...

Bernie also seems to believe single payer systems work to the benefit of patients. He probably did not notice that British doctors went out on strike twice in the past five months. What were they striking for? More pay and better working conditions. Better working conditions means safer care and more timely care. But the government won't do that.

Remember, single payer doctors do not work for their patients. They work for the government. Is that what American patients want? Is that something American physicians will accept?

Single payer pushes grandma off the cliff

Finally, remember the campaign to smear Republican attempts to create Medicare or Medicaid block grants by saying, "they would push grandma in her wheelchair off a cliff?" Ask anyone who knows about single payer systems how they cut costs?

Single payer systems ration care, typically by age. In Great Britain, they save money by not authorizing dialysis for patients in kidney failure over the age of 55 years. The NHS claims the process is "not cost effective," and so, the patient in renal failure, who could be saved ... well, he dies. Single payer systems DO push grandma off the cliff, even before she needs a wheelchair.

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People like Bernie Sanders and groups like Physicians for a National Health Plan believe fervently that single payer is the answer. They believe with almost religious fervor. They may believe in the single payer solution with all their hearts, but that don't make it so. Reality has a way of trumping (forgive the pun) fantasy.
"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. . . . We must have patience till luck turns," Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1798.

Jefferson wrote this observation to a friend thirteen years after the Revolutionary War ended and twenty-five years after the Boston Tea Party.

Revolutions require courage and sacrifice. Post-revolutionary transitions require patience and luck.

Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity is now in its next phase and there's much more work to be done. Fortunately, the reform movement has wind at its back in the form of unprecedented international support, a robust Ukrainian identity, and a relatively free and unfettered media. But the task is arduous and tedious.

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"It has not been as fast as we hoped because we have to be realistic," said reform parliamentarian Hanna Hopko. "The monopoly of power belongs to the old group."

But gains have been made.

In a recent interview, veteran investigative journalist now parliamentarian Sergii Leshchenko ranked the progress. "On a scale of one to ten, Ukraine's progress is about 6.5. I would rate President [Petro] Poroshenko's efforts at 6.5, too."

Leshchenko and twenty-six reformers, out of the Rada's 455 members, have banded together loosely as "Euro-optimists." These gutsy, bright, and articulate reformers are at the center of this post-revolutionary period. In interviews, they discussed the enormity of the task, their frustrations, and their abiding optimism.

"What makes me optimistic [in the long term] is the intolerance of corruption in Ukraine now," said Leshchenko. "Society is ahead of the politicians."

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Recent polls show that Ukrainians want more anticorruption measures, and 76 percent believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.

"It's very easy to be heroes in [the] Euromaidan and much more difficult to be heroes in parliament," said journalist Mustafa Nayyem in an interview, also now a parliamentarian. "The country has moved in the right direction . . . Now there is an emerging feeling that we can do something. That's why I'm optimistic."

Some reforms have been enacted, notably a clean up of its crooked natural gas industry which has been the principal profit center for oligarchs and organized crime in Ukraine and Russia. Other improvements include procurement transparency, police reforms, military restructuring, and some tax reforms. But the work of parliament in the best circumstances is slow and even slower in Ukraine where vested interests stall or sabotage initiatives. For instance, a praise-worthy law on civil service reform had to be voted on twenty times before it passed and 1,300 amendments were added.

This year, however, the most important reform that must be tackled is cleaning up the country's rotten legal system, which requires an amendment to the constitution. Until then, economic development will be stalled and a handful of oligarchic empires will continue strangling the country.

"We have to become a rule of law country," said Hopko. "We hope this year we will amend the constitution. There is a working group with different political factions working to propose amendments and change the constitution to create a new judicial system, competition for judges, and independence from political influence. Now anticorruption institutions exist, but the courts can dismiss charges because it is still possible to 'buy' decisions in courts."

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Public opinion and the reform movement are aligned on this transformation. "Without clean courts, everything is useless," said Nayyem.

To date, the government has removed two prosecutor generals and a prime minister because of public and media pressure. But swapping out office holders cannot replace true judicial reforms, although some have suggested that a snap election would result in a more reform-minded regime.

But new elections, without reform of the electoral process, is hazardous, say reformers.

"Who can guarantee that a newly elected parliament would be a better one?" said Hopko. "We can't be certain of its higher professionalism, as there are no real political parties, the oligarchs continue to control the TV channels, populists are on the rise, and people's apathy is growing due to disappointment and mistrust."

President Petro Poroshenko has been reluctant to deliver major reforms quickly. Leshchenko said Poroshenko's status as an oligarch himself represents a de facto "conflict of interest." Poroshenko promised to divest his business interests, and has not, and has footdragged on other reforms such as election reform, cleaning out the judiciary, and removing parliamentary immunity.

"The conflict is that you are either a businessman or a state person," said Leshchenko. "[Poroshenko] has not addressed this so far."

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Nayyem added that Poroshenko measures his success against the unacceptable behavior of previous presidents but should measure himself against ideal leadership values.

"We don't want to compare him with those gangsters like [Viktor] Yanukovych, but to compare him with guys we wanted to have as president," said Nayyem. "What we have now is very partial [reforms] and not sustainable. One hand is cutting privileges to oligarchs, and the other hand is giving them something."

Besides internal changes, the three parliamentarians agreed that Ukraine needs defensive lethal weapons to fend off Russian aggression.

"The United States didn't want to give us lethal defensive weapons because they were concerned it would exaggerate this conflict and provoke a bigger conflict," said Nayyem. "Russia is supplying tanks and guns to separatists who are not recognized by any government. Why can't we have weapons from our partners in the West? We are fighting against an army, not a few separatists."

Ukrainians, impoverished and disenfranchised, have been working hard for two years to transform their nation into a mature democracy and economy. Volunteerism and activism proliferate as people are determined to seize the opportunities that were squandered after the 2004 Orange Revolution.

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"There are no options to go back," said Nayyem. "I don't see myself as a journalist again. If responsible, we must go to the end. We have burned the bridge behind us. Civil society pressure grows and we must all work hard."

"And have patience."
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. (The Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States/MCT via Getty Images)

There was an especially telling moment in Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's brief Q and A with C-Span in April, 2013. The question was what he thought about President Obama. Thomas first gave a pithy put-down of Obama and then admitted that he had practically no interaction with him. But then he sternly said that he, Thomas, was a black man who did not say the "prescribed things" and that he'd be "picked apart" for it.

He has been and he's done everything humanly and legally possible to get his revenge for being picked at. The latest in the long trail of Thomas paybacks was his sole dissenting vote against scrapping the death penalty verdict for Timothy Tyrone Foster, an African-American, in a rape and murder case in Georgia. Georgia prosecutors were outrageously blatant in dumping any African-American from the jury in the case. They went so far as to put racial designations--"B#1, B#2, and B#3"--beside the prospective black juror's names and then summarily booting them.

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This was too much stomach for Justice John Roberts, and the other two staunch conservatives on the bench. They quickly tossed the verdict, reminding Georgia and all that picking juries by race is a firmly established legal and constitutional no-no. But not Thomas, he didn't see or hear any evil in the patently illegal shenanigans of Georgia prosecutors.

So one can say what they want about Thomas but with his latest judicial insult, he's been a man of his word. Since that fateful day in 1991 when a deeply divided and even more deeply reluctant Senate confirmed him to the high court, Thomas vowed payback against those who ridiculed, reviled, and hounded him during the confirmation fight, and have relentlessly lambasted him since then. He's been on an unholy crusade to wreak revenge for that humiliation. When the issue is anything that even faintly smacks of race, be it voting rights, housing or job discrimination, and his favorite, crime and punishment, especially the death penalty, and the aggrieved is an African-American, Thomas never disappoints. He will vote to burn him.

Thomas's latest ridiculous dissenting vote, like his other just as ridiculous lone wolf votes on race based court cases, make absolutely no sense to most legal experts. But they're not about law. His decisions make sense because they have less to do with his warped interpretation of law and its practice than with his publicly expressed racial views, and his private vow to get revenge.

When asked some years ago how long he'd stay on the court, he reportedly said that he'd stay there for next 43 years of his life. He was 43 at the time. In a more revealing aside, he supposedly quipped to friends that it would take him that long to get even. Whether that is hyperbole or an apocryphal tale, it hasn't taken him 43 years to wreak his revenge.

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The dissent in the Foster case is more than ample proof that Thomas has been a one man wrecking crew on race in law and public policy decisions. But this is not simply one man's personal bitterness over his alleged mistreatment by liberals and civil rights leaders. Nor is it a case of his digging in his heels to push his retrograde view on racial matters. He wants more judges to think and act like him on the bench. And all the better if those strict racial constructionist judges happen to be minorities.

In his 2007 autobiography, My Grandfather's Son, the bitter grudge that he holds against those who did so much to dump his confirmation were on naked and brutal display. He showed no sign of budging a step from the never-ending public and private war he's waged against civil rights leaders and liberal Democrats. He branded them the "liberal mob" and gripped that they had one goal, and only one goal, and that is to "keep the black man in his place." The black man of course is Thomas.

The other theme that courses through Thomas's clinical need for payback is his obsessive view of himself as the perennial martyr. In an American Enterprise Institute lecture in 2001, he wrapped himself in the martyr's garment and said that he expected to be treated badly for challenging liberal opinion. A decade later in a talk to the ultra-conservative Federalist Society, he vented that persecution complex again when he said that unnamed critics "seem bent on undermining" the Supreme Court. He meant one justice on the court, himself.

Thomas's mean-spirited and vindictive views and legal opinions on the death penalty, age and gender bias, first amendment, prisoner rights and affirmative action cases were well known by the time he hit the court in 1991. It could hardly be said even then that he latched on to judicial conservatism solely to curry favor with white conservatives to snatch a seat on the high court. He actually believes what he says and writes in his nutty on man dissents even when others ridicule him mercilessly and deservedly for them. And he could care less, it's just Thomas continuing his big payback.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His latest book is How "President" Trump will Govern (Amazon Kindle) He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report Saturdays 9:00 AM on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network.
In Miami, the American city currently most vulnerable to climate change, a local university has supplanted skeptical politicians in confronting the environmental challenge.

The University of Miami launched a coordinated research effort emulated in scope by few, if any, educational institutions. The objective--to explore every facet of the existential climate change threat to South Florida and beyond. It could not come at a more fitting time. Consider that Florida's governor and some other of the state's leading politicians can't bring themselves to acknowledge the true nature of the problem. The climate-related rising sea levels that are already swamping Miami Beach streets at unusually high tides are evidently not enough of a red flag.

For its ambitious full court press in behalf of the city (and society), the University enlisted all of its 11 schools and colleges to produce a multi-disciplinary report. The focus was on determining sustainable ways to mitigate and/or adapt to the rising tides that ultimately threaten to inundate most of South Florida.

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Unfortunately, Governor Rick Scott has gravitated towards the view that the sea level rise is a result of natural fluctuations that humans are powerless to alter. [Hence, no added regulatory framework and accompanying costs opposed by powerful business interests.]Such detachment on the part of the Florida governor has not deterred the University from linking human activity to the culpability and potential solutions for climate change.

University departments you would not normally associate with a climate crusade contributed to the final report. A professor in the Music School, for example, created the accompanying score for the video introducing the document.

Miami's famed School of Marine and Atmospheric Science worked on identifying types of corals most resistant to ocean acidification stemming from carbon pollution. Oceanic sediments were analyzed with the intent of uncovering clues to future global warming.

Research in the University's College of Arts and Sciences was aimed at reducing our reliance on carbon-polluting fossil fuels through development of lighter streamlined solar panels. Prospective methods for storing solar energy for use in the absence of sunlight were also explored.

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A geography professor conducted research on the migration of tropical disease-carrying mosquitoes that pose a health threat as they move further north in tandem with warmer temperatures.

In the College of Engineering, a professor retooled an automobile engine to run on methane recycled from landfills.

The School of Architecture contributed designs for energy-efficient housing. For its part, the University's Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy concentrated on the politics of climate change and how to most effectively communicate the reality of this environmental threat.
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald walks to the stage past an American flag at a fundraising event where he appeared with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, U.S., May 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

The spectacular eruption of Donald Trump into America's labile political landscape has not been matched by the ability of political commentators to clarify it. One reason is that we lack a broad understanding of what in the twentieth century was called "mass psychology," meaning the role that unconscious irrational emotion and fantasy plays in politics. Another is that we lack a way of thinking about American society and politics that can encompass mass psychology. Is it possible to read Freud historically in a way that can illuminate the Trump phenomenon?

A first step is to recall the history and evolution of mass psychology. The first important work of mass psychology, Gustave Le Bon's 1895 The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, sought to show how credulous the masses were, how easily rumors, false prophets, and irrational fears or passions misled the multitude. This work created the template for mass psychology: a conservative putdown of the supposedly mindless masses. In the same era that The Crowd appeared, American Progressives created the ideal of the independent, non-partisan, well-informed voter, an ideal that helped middle-class women win the vote in 1920, and that still inspires such figures as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton today. The two have gone together ever since. Whether acknowledged or not, much "progressive" commentary draws on the language Le Bon created to dismiss Trump's supporters as credulous and irrational.

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By contrast, political Freudianism, exemplified in America by the early Walter Lippmann, rejected both conservatism and progressivism, asking instead what psychological forces propelled the masses into populist and xenophobic directions. This approach gives us our opening for understanding Trump analytically: what desires, impulses and fantasies excluded from mainstream politics find a home among his followers? How, in other words, have we, the rational mainstream, given rise to Trump?

The next step is to find a way to talk about the role of the unconscious in society. Here, let us start with the individual mind. According to the Freudian theory of id, ego and superego, the mind is not a unity, but has parts that speak in different voices, pursue different agendas, and clash amongst themselves, even as they also work together. Suppose, by analogy, we think of the American people as having a collective psyche of sorts. In that case, we could see Trump as having emerged from our collective id, the part of the unconscious that is the fount of the instincts, and that expresses itself impulsively and without the mediation of reason.

Their origin in unconscious id processes is what gives Trump's remarks their undeniable sense of authenticity-- their truth-effect. It also explains their unpredictability, their forcefulness, and the way they disrupt and outrage common sense and decency. Trump's critics argue that he seems thoughtless and unreflective but that is precisely the source of his power. The impression Trump conveys of being out of control-- but also uncontrollable-- is better seen as a force emanating from the collective American id than as the babblings of an individual.

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This view gains further force when we consider it in relation to the official, progressive, anti-Trump narrative about American politics. According to that story, American government is all about fairness and rational control, enacted by careful, evidence-oriented professionals, epitomized by the Hamlet-like sitting President. Vast numbers of Americans now reject this narrative, at least in their unconscious, as suggested, among other things, by the popularity of the TV series, House of Cards (not coincidentally based on the Clintons)-- which portrays politicians, especially at the highest level, as ruthless nihilists who care only about power and only for themselves. Trump speaks to deep-rooted internal prejudices rooted in the id, when he boasts, "I know and work with all the toughest operators in the world of high-stakes global finance. These are hard-driving, vicious cutthroat financial killers, the kind of people who leave blood all over the boardroom table and fight to the bitter end to gain maximum advantage."

To say that Trump's appeal is at the level of the id is to say that it is infantile; it comes from a part of the mind supposedly left behind in the course of development. Its infantile character is also the key to Trump's off-noted narcissism, which paradoxically leads him to portray himself as the protector of the nation. Trump is in good part a child who continually murmurs to himself, "I can love myself; I am so like my father." In this regard, one may liken Trump to earlier dictators, such as Mussolini and Hitler, who inspired much of Freud's insight into popular longings for authority and protection.

Like those predecessors, Trump manipulates the mass media to project himself as a powerful father figure to an enthralled nation. Like them, he promises security by strengthening borders, drawing a clear line between inside and outside, verging on the racism that even in Freud's day was understood as the analogue to the fascist crowd. Like them, and like his father, he is unusually comfortable with aggression, as when he told a city official who denied him a tax abatement: "I want you to know that I am a very rich and powerful person in this town and there is a reason I got that way. I will never forget what you did." Like them, he projects absolute self-confidence, is totally vague as to future plans, and expresses contempt for the governing elites. But there is an important difference between Trump and these dictators. Trump is defiant, derisive and hostile but, in contrast to his predecessors, especially Hitler, there is very little hatred in him. Trump's narcissism is of the warm, embarrassingly infantile sort, as when he boasts of the size of his penis, and not of the cold, pathological sort, characterized by envy. An example of his ability to convey hostility in a disarmingly child-like manner is his remark on Hillary's bathroom break during a Democratic debate: "Where did she go? ...I know where she went; it's disgusting....Don't say it, it's disgusting, let's not talk." In regressing to a childish stance, Trump simultaneously awakens primitive fears of pollution and cross-border contamination.

Viewing Trump as an emanation from a collective unconscious also helps explain another intrinsic aspect of the Trump phenomenon: the extraordinary passion and even hysteria of his liberal and progressive critics. Whereas Trump gives voice to the repressed suspicions, sarcasms and resentments of the id, his critics speak for the country's superego. Like the id, the superego is itself an unconscious residue of infancy, but it differs in how it manifests itself. Whereas the id intrudes into consciousness in such forms as impulses, fantasies and neurotic symptoms, the superego intrudes in the form of commands, categorical imperatives, dos and don'ts, shame, fears of punishment and humiliating anxieties, all of which escape the constraints of logical thought. Since there is no repressed id without a repressing, criticizing, correcting agency, Trump's critics are also his enablers. It is telling, therefore that Hillary Clinton, Trump's almost-certain opponent in the general election, often gives the impression of being a schoolmistress.

In America, the collective superego is rooted in a deep sense of chosenness and inner perfection, which goes back to the Puritans but became intensely gendered in Jacksonian era. In that period the cult of true womanhood emerged as a counterweight to the supposedly "male" harshness of the market economy. Elite women allied with disestablished ministers created new codes of behavior and speech. Manners, so notably lacking in Trump, became linked to the stigmatization of the male brute. That figure, often figured in the collective well of American fantasy as a Black man or a foreigner, has now been reborn as Trump. The codes of speech and behavior that emanate from the American superego have also shaped our political traditions. After the Civil War, pragmatism- the only original American philosophy-- merged with the cult of women to promote moderation, avoidance of "ideology," bipartisanship, and the supposedly uniquely American gift for compromise. Not just Hillary Clinton but Barack Obama is an exemplary representative of this superego-based, Progressive-era formed, mode of social control. Trump is their clear antithesis.

Progressivism, despite its strong feminist component, represents an elite ideology, always subject to disruption from below. Its leading contemporary version, which gave Trump his first real opening, is political correctness. Progressives think of political correctness as an unpleasant but necessary effort to clean up racist, misogynist and otherwise invidious discourse. It is undeniably that but it is also more. As the outlook of the elites, who were the true victors of the upheavals of the sixties, political correctness is meritocratic but not egalitarian. Its sexual side insists not only that women be respected, but also that male sexuality is inherently predatory. Its cultural side insists not only on respect for the sciences of evolution and climate, but also that much of the country is composed of backward ignoramuses. Its political side not only idealizes cosmopolitan, international, trade-oriented values, but also scorns Americans who are local and provincial. The anti-egalitarian ethos of today's progressives, with its unconscious gendered legacy, is the perfect target for Trump's authoritarian-populist leveling.

Seeking to describe the exclusive-- male, bourgeois, white-- rationality that underpinned early attempts at self-government, the philosopher Jurgen Habermas called attention to "the public sphere." Today's public sphere differs in several respects. On the one hand, it is genuinely a mass arena, in which the two sexes, all races, and all classes can participate. On the other hand, it is anything but rational. Its noisy clamor is but the roiled surface of a deep ocean, within which insistent drives clash, insistent needs demand and buried memories haunt.

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If this is the case, if id and superego forces today drive today's political argumentation and even elections, where, we may ask, is the ego? Again, lets go back to Freud. For him, the ego was a still, small voice within the mind, hard to discern among the thundering claims of the unconscious, but characterized by persistence and, above all, reason. In Freud's view, the ego draws its energies from the id-- a form of autonomy that Freud likened to a rider on a horse-- and ideally turns the unthinking, automatic superego into self-reflective convictions. From that point of view, America has no ego today. But the closest approximation may be Bernie Sanders, since in his campaign the powerful id forces currently propelling Trump find a rational exponent, while the superego is turned from meritocratic superiority toward equality.
Bernie Sanders has become an off camera but all-important supporting character for the drama surrounding a primary contest in southern New Jersey.

Donald Norcross, the first term Democratic US Representative for 1st Congressional District, is facing a challenge from 25 year old political newcomer Alex Law. Law is a self-described "anti-corruption Democrat for progressive policy, smarter government, and campaign finance reform" who has tied his candidacy to the Sanders campaign's message of a more liberal Democratic Party.



The two men have been fighting over the support of Sanders campaign for the past few weeks.

Norcross' campaign brought the primary contest some low level national notoriety last week when a campaign flyer made its way online. The mailer, which mostly refers to the candidate's positions on gun control, features a button on the bottom left touting support from both the Clinton and Sanders campaigns.

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There's just one problem- the Sanders campaign has not endorsed Norcrosss.

As an anonymous source inside the New Jersey Sanders campaign put it:

"[The campaign] doesn't want to touch a lot of these races against incumbent Democrats" in a state that is about to hold a primary.

It's a solid strategic move. The Sanders campaign, which is soldiering on in a bid to influence the Democratic Party's platform at the Philadelphia Convention in late July, needs all the support it can get from party operatives to achieve its goals. Making enemies on either side of a primary in a safely Democratic district would be an error.

So how does Norcross' campaign get away with claiming the endorsement of the Sanders campaign? The answer lies in a very specific endorsement of the Congressman from John Wisniewski, the New Jersey Chairman for the Bernie Sanders campaign.

Wisniewski, a two-decade veteran of the New Jersey General Assembly (the state's House of Representatives) endorsed Norcross in January:

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"I support Donald Norcross for congress," said Wisniewski. "When I was state chairman he was a Democratic National Committee member, so I had the opportunity to serve with him in a political capacity. So, certainly, he's a friend. "My support for Bernie Sanders is my support for Bernie Sanders. Everybody else, I wish them well.

The endorsement was seen as a blow to Law, who had worked alongside "Wiz" for the Sanders campaign, but he appeared to take the setback in stride:

"As a progressive leader and the chair of Bernie's efforts in this state, I expected him to show his appreciation for his values.... "Despite his decision in this matter, we are both committed to working towards seeing a President Bernie Sanders. In this, I look forward to working with Assemblyman Wisniewski as we make sure New Jersey can #feelthebern."

Wiz officially endorsed Norcross on April 7:

"Donald has long been a leader on progressive issues and a fighter for all of New Jersey's working families," Wisniewski, a former chair of the state's Democratic party and current chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, said in a statement.



Law wasn't happy:

"Real Bernie supporters around the state have got to be confused as to why his state chair ... would be there actively supporting someone who is the embodiment of everything Bernie is against," said Law in a statement. "Bernie supporters around the state have already been looking at [Wisniewski's hometown of] Sayerville skeptically, as Mr. Wisniewski has been unable to put together the kind of robust coordination that Bernie needs in New Jersey, and I am sure this will add to their mistrust."



This infighting all came before the mailer.

In a phone interview on May 13, Wisniewski told me that his support for Norcross was given individually in his capacity as Assemblyman, not as chair for the Sanders campaign. When I pressed him on the endorsement, which is widely understood to be the reasoning behind the button touting the Sanders campaign's support, Wiz stood firm.

For Alex Law, Norcross' use of the Sanders campaign in a re-election mailer was a bridge too far. The primary challenger has a petition on his website that calls on Sanders to clarify who, if anyone, he is endorsing in the primary.

Again, as my source in the New Jersey Sanders campaign told me, Sanders will not be endorsing either candidate.

In fairness, Norcross hasn't said that he is endorsed by the candidate himself, a point I brought up to Law when we spoke on Friday.

I asked Law about the discrepancy between his petition's claim that Norcross is touting Bernie Sanders' endorsement and the flyer's claim of the candidate's campaign's support. He replied that "[Norcross] says Endorsed by the Sanders Campaign, that means Bernie. Otherwise, any staffer on the campaign could issue an endorsement and you'd be able to claim that the Sanders campaign did it."

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In response, I pointed out to Law that his campaign's petition could also be seen as deceptive by claiming Norcross said that he was endorsed by Sanders despite the absence of such a claim. Law replied that "To me and most people that read it, it does [say that]. Thanks for your interest in this!"

Repeated attempts to get Law to clarify his point or to engage further were ignored (but seen! thanks messenger). Repeated attempts to reach the Norcross campaign were met with silence.

The Sanders campaign won't be endorsing either candidate in New Jersey's 1st District in the 2016 Democratic primary, but that won't stop both Law and Norcross from using the issue of the popular presidential candidate's endorsement as a campaign issue until the election.

"Law has the better claim to the endorsement; his campaign started out of a Bernie field office & most of his volunteers are former early Bernie volunteers," my Sanders campaign source said, speaking as an private Sanders supporter and New Jersey native. "We'd back people like him in races against Republicans, but not against incumbent Democrats."

The New Jersey primary will be held on June 7.
Today's guest author is Dr. Rev. PM Crowley Hillstrom.

Racial equity is not simply a buzz phrase. It is the foundation on which our national consciousness must be anchored if we are to heal the wounds of systemic racism and oppression.



That's true all over the United States, and my city, Minneapolis, is no exception.



In an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune ("Mayor Betsy Hodges: Minneapolis is wonderful but faces deep challenges"; May 18) Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges praised the city on many fronts but acknowledged that it is "a city with many challenges, especially regarding race."



If you've lived in or near here for any length of time, that should come as no surprise. Communities such as Minneapolis and St. Paul often are on the front pages of local news outlets regarding racial disparities. In the midst of these disparities, leaders such as Minneapolis Councilmember Abdi Warsame provide some real talk about addressing the issues. Warsame says, "if you want to reduce the equity gap, you have to have less talk and [have] more action."



As the director of educational equity for Osseo (Minn.) Area Schools, I have been directed by Superintendent Kate Maguire and our school board to help bring about transformational system change to ensure equitable student achievement.

The charge is an important one: Our data show that we have historically underserved students of color and American Indians as it relates to our mission of "inspiring and preparing all students." As we have developed a collective consciousness regarding racial disparities, we as a system are measuring our conviction and moving towards commitment. Part of that commitment is being developed in an unprecedented collaboration between the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA) and Osseo Area Schools.

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Together with our teams, NUA President Dr. Eric Cooper and I have the opportunity to talk less and act more.

Our recently-forged collaboration will equip our leaders and educators with the ability to examine how race is experienced in our schools and change the lived racial experiences of students of color. It will help us unearth the underlying mental models that have established systems which do not effectively meet the needs of each child. The collaboration will be designed to address the technical needs of teachers in the classroom, and provide them with some of the oft-requested tools to address the adaptive challenges connected to the social construction of race.

Why is this important?

We believe this partnership will propel us toward:

Ensuring high levels of achievement for all students.

Accelerating growth for students of color and other underperforming groups.

Closing the achievement gap on all state-mandated measures.

School districts that have partnered with the NUA have had proven success in these areas already. Our neighbor to the south, Eden Prairie, for example, reduced its achievement gap by nearly 60 percent, using culturally responsive strategies, as well as those pedagogies guided by neuroscience. Districts such as Robbinsdale, Minn., and urban schools in districts such as San Francisco, New York City and Bridgeport, Conn., have in elementary grades seen two standard deviations of improvement for their students.

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That's real progress - less talk and more action.

We see our partnership with the NUA as a crucial aspect in the evolution of racial equity work that is leading to a new era emerging in Osseo Area Schools. Leaders are adjusting their lenses to be able to look the reality of racial biases in the eye and make the commitment to developing a system that is racially equitable.

This collaboration will allow us to become CLEAR about what it means to provide solid culturally responsive pedagogy. Here, CLEAR means:

Cultural - emphasizes the human purpose of what is being learned and its relationship to the students' own culture.

Learning - encourages students to make choices in content and assessment methods based on their experiences, values, needs, and strengths.

Equitable - respectful learning environments in which students' racial and ethnic diversity is valued and contributes to successful academic outcomes.

Achievement - includes multiple ways to represent knowledge and skills and allow for attainment of outcomes at different points in time.

Responsive - through positive relationships, rigorous learning experiences are created involving higher order thinking and critical analysis used to address relevant, real(ness) world issues in an action-oriented manner.

Our collaboration with the NUA is the next iteration of a set of practices that, over time, will help Osseo Area Schools take necessary actions to move towards equitable student achievement.

Based upon our consciousness, conviction and commitment I am optimistic that we will be doing much more than talking.

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We will provide leaders, teachers and students the ability to change our racially predictable outcomes through this powerful collaboration of proven pedagogy and critical system theory. Our partnership will create the lens from which to understand the new paradigm of education--one that values the cultural and racial backgrounds of students while elevating them to the highest of global standards of education. This commitment to transformational systems change is so that each child in Osseo schools can be equipped with the confidence, courage and competence to achieve their dreams, contribute to community and engage in a lifetime of learning.

That's the kind of action all of us should be taking, if we really are serious about eliminating racial disparities in our schools and communities. If we get serious about that, we can help make Minneapolis, surrounding districts, and all our cities - the very best they can be.

Eric J. Cooper is the founder and president of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, a nonprofit professional development organization that provides student-focused professional development, advocacy and organizational guidance to accelerate student achievement. He can be reached at e_cooper@nuatc.org. He tweets as @ECooper4556.
Modern Greece is not a model of virtue. No country is. But to understand the current Greek tragedy brought about largely by the European Union and America's International Monetary Fund, one must see behind the surface.

I visit Greece nearly every year. I give talks and meet academics, politicians and bureaucrats. I travel. I also stay with my relatives. I see the country from the ground up.

Greeks tell me their world has turned upside down. Many cannot find jobs. Others live in poverty, their pensions keep decreasing. And the government, obedient to the dictates of its lenders, is extracting more and more taxes.

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Yet the picture I have from my visit of September-October 2015 is that of a country trying to look "normal." The museums were packed. In the Acropolis museum I heard Chinese, French, Russian, German, Italian, English and, of course, Greek. Tourists also filled hotels and restaurants. The country is very beautiful and the food, as usual, was wholesome and delicious.

Yet I noticed signs of distress: ugly graffiti everywhere; empty storefronts, beggars, and homeless persons in the streets of Athens; hospitals and schools becoming impoverished; university students funded by political parties and non-profit organizations terrorizing other students.

Television documented the psychological and intellectual humiliation of foreign control: perpetual reporting on the doings or sayings of this or that minor bureaucrat of the EU and IMF running the country from the Athens Hilton and behind the facade of the Greek government.

The Greek banks, under the thump of foreign lenders, will not allow you to withdraw more than sixty euros per day.

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So the picture of Greece remains murky. Behind corrupt government, museums full of treasures, hoards of tourists, and tasty food, there's stealing of Greek assets and national sovereignty.

Greece borrowed heavily and irresponsibly for decades. Greek politicians deserve punishment and ostracism.

But does this Greek debt to German and French banks give the right to lenders to treat Greece in a detestable and abhorrent way? Like, for instance, depriving the Greek population of the means of livelihood?

An American professor of economics at the University of Texas, James K. Galbraith, denounces the lenders and the EU-IMF in Greece. The EU and IMF, he says, are enforcing "a policy of threats, so as to maintain austerity, foreclosures, and penury in Greece." They should know that threats and deadlines increase instability and capital flight.

Galbraith explains this horror in his book, "Welcome to the Poisoned Chalice: The Destruction of Greece and the Future of Europe" (Yale University Press, 2016).

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Galbraith' book is a series of short articles he wrote from 2010 to 2015. Each article-chapter sheds light on the Greek tragedy and the unraveling of Europe.

The story of Galbraith is interesting, honest, passionate, timely, well written, and slightly personal. He considers Yanis Varoufakis, the Marxist finance minister who served the Greek Syriza government in the first five months of 2015, his "very good friend." Galbraith observed the Syriza experiment up close. He started going back and forth from Austin to Athens, serving as a no salaried advisor to Varoufakis.

Galbraith is right in putting his critique of the EU-IMF policies of almost fanatical austerity in the context of Greek realities: Greek population is 3 percent of the population of Europe, and Greek production is smaller than 2 percent of Europe's output. However, the blow of austerity dropped Greek output by 25 percent, sending Greece to a catastrophic 1930s American-like Great Depression. Galbraith saw "only pawn shops" in the avenue from Athens to Pireus.

Galbraith accuses the IMF of deception. IMF got involved in the Greek debt only because it wanted to save the indebted banks. In addition, its director in 2010, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, "wanted to become president of France."

Most of the money IMF-EU have been lending Greece does not go to Greece. It circulates in the European banks. The result of this cruel and dishonest practice is Greek debt keeps increasing and the economic condition of Greece keep deteriorating.

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Second, the Greek debt was never "sustainable." Instead of writing-down the Greek debt and recapitalizing the Greek, French and German banks, the EU-IMF launched "a grand experiment in outside control: economic policy run by a creditors' cartel."

The Greek drama, Galbraith says, "is only an artifact, a side effect of the global banking and financial disaster." That disaster started rolling to Europe with the meltdown of US banks and Wall Street in 2008. Predatory speculation then guided the lenders and the IMF and EU.

Indeed, Galbraith explains the vindictiveness of the EU-IMF towards Greece as part of "ring-fencing" -- teaching the other potentially bankrupt countries (Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy) what to expect should they follow the Greek example.

Galbraith denounced the auctioning of Greek public assets by EU-IMF as "moral abomination." He said the leaders of such a scheme are "incompetent beyond all reasonable imagining."

Galbraith concluded that the continuation of brutal austerity in Greece and, to a lesser extent, other peripheral countries - Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Italy - is preparing the road to popular rebellion in Europe.

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Galbraith, however, misjudged the Syriza government. He said Syriza "may be Europe's best hope." I disagree. I find it hostile to Greek civilization, which is the foundation of the West. The prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, lied to the Greeks. In a July 2015 referendum he encouraged, the Greeks said NO to austerity. Yet Tsipras went to Germany and said YES to austerity.

Galbraith said, "Tsipras is the real thing." He is not. He has become Germany's messenger boy. His open borders policy has been catastrophic, inundating Greece with Moslem refugees. These refugees threaten the survival of the country.

The Greeks are now between the Scylla of the lenders and the Charybdis of the Syriza government and Moslem refugees.
Some Suggestions for Teaching Critical Thinking

Since this series is intended for teachers, I'd like to discuss a number of suggestions for those who might want to teach their courses more critically. You simply begin without fanfare by quietly working up a few lessons, which gradually become a small repertoire, which ultimately becomes the only way you know how to teach.

There will be successes and failures, and there will also be some question marks about how it all went, which is very normal when you're breaking new ground. The important thing is a willingness to try, and if you make a mistake, to make it gracefully, and just carry on.

What's even more important is the ability to forgive yourself if things don't have their desired effect. It's all part of the process of learning one's craft and wanting to grow as a teacher. We're all works-in-progress, still growing, still learning, and still making mistakes, which is as it should be.

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The secret is, as with everything else in life, being comfortable with yourself as a person. You should naturally be well-read in your subject and adventurous enough to identify with all points of view. Work out the arguments and counterarguments, the strengths and weaknesses of the idea or theory, and be able to argue both for and against it.

If you find you have a bias toward the idea you're presenting, never reveal it even by your manner lest you destroy the very thing you're trying to do - encouraging students to think for themselves. There's more to it, naturally, but once you begin, everything falls into place, and you'll never view teaching the same way again.

What some teachers don't realize is that it's not only their subjects they're teaching, but also themselves: what kind of person they are; whether they're in love with their subject; whether they want the best for their students and will help them if needed; and whether they're fair.

If, on the other hand, students see them as being afraid of presenting more than one viewpoint; beng closed to every idea except their own, and teach with a bunker mentality - this is the lesson students will learn, and they will have lost the class forever.

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It's also important to realize that there is no right or wrong way to teach critical thinking, or anything else for that matter. Every teacher has his or her own style, which reflects his or her own personality. It's the right way for you if it reflects who you are, and your students are learning. All that matters is that you know your subject thoroughly, and can convey it in ways that will interest your students. Everything else is unimportant.

Since there are many right ways of teaching a course, what I'll be suggesting is only the way that worked for me. These suggestions may not work for everyone, but if you do find something you might want to try, I would urge you to do so and see if it works for you.



English Teachers

How does this play out in English and the social sciences? English teachers are usually very flexible in teaching literature to begin with and rarely have a "one-truth" theory about anything. They listen to students and accept all points of view, being conversant with several interpretations that make the work come alive for students, who tend to read existentially, hoping for an author who will speak to them personally. They are imaginative and brimming with insights, which teachers encourage, even when they reflect contradictory readings of a text, as befits our ambiguous and dissonant times.

A teacher fosters the individualism, independence, and personal vision of students (see here, here, here, and here), the DNA of the young as they search for their own meaning and purpose. Teachers also understand that authors may sometimes be the last persons who can interpret their works in a way that will make sense to students and which helps them to grow. So they'll work within each student's understanding, so that the student can make that novel his or her own. It's this accepting attitude that makes all the difference in the world to students. Teachers are validators, helping students to believe in themselves and to trust their own judgment.

Teachers also want to promote class discussions that stimulate thinking at its most creative and critical by having students listen to other meanings about the story; about what may be going on within the characters and what they may be saying outright or between the lines; whether they're using language to reveal or conceal their true thoughts and feelings, wanting acceptance or courting rejection; and whether students agree or disagree with what's being said or insinuated.

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Do students think that the author is gently mocking the narrator's perception of what's going on, and expects the reader to pick up on what may be the shallow, naive, or wrongheaded viewpoint of this narrator, who may be misunderstanding, misrepresenting, or rationalizing what is happening?

Is the story more about this unreliable narrator than the story itself? And, dare I say it, about those readers who might be uncritically accepting at face value this skewed point of view? And, if so, what a delightful way of acquiring the art of worldly wisdom in learning to "read" people and their self-serving obfuscations about what they are doing on this great stage of life!

Teachers are connoisseurs of subjectivity, encouraging students not to be literal-minded, but open to a wealth of meanings, so that they can identify with all kinds of characters, motivations, and perceptions of what is happening and of what it all means, not to judge but to understand them and to savor the protean nature of that profoundest of mysteries, the human heart.

Others might want to judge the work as too severe or too lenient, too judgmental or too forgiving of what is happening, or why it is happening, or wish to take exception with the author's understanding of the characters, or how these characters might have told their own story, which their creator garbled, and how, given their freedom, they would have made their own fate.

There are also students who form relationships with various characters and, far from judging these characters, have them judge them, the readers, asking them, the characters, for insight and counsel. As they get to know these characters better, they might even reciprocate, venturing suggestions and insights that might have helped these characters to have coped with their circumstances.

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These are but some of the ways of relating to literature, where these fictional worlds can become more stirring, real, and alive than other fictions that pass for "reality" in a workaday world that proves "stale, flat, and unprofitable." There are different ways of finding salvation in this world, and the art of reading literature creatively is only one such way that may enable some to breathe more amply within their story and find inspiration.

Social Science Teachers

Veteran teachers in the social sciences marinate for years in an ocean of theories that make up their field. This is only natural for those who have given their lives to teaching, have advanced degrees, and continually read. Younger teachers are at various stages of their professional growth, taking graduate courses, completing their master's, or progressing with their reading as they warm to their subject and the art of teaching.

All of them constantly mull over their courses in devising ways of teaching more interestingly. Teaching history, for instance, is not just teaching history, but teaching teenagers history, and therein lies a distinction of transcendent importance, as well as the challenge of presenting the past in ways that students will want to learn it.

If the study of history were but a matter of teaching the who-what-when-and-where questions, it would be very easy - and very boring. What makes it interesting, however, are the how-and-why-questions, or judgment calls like "who was right and who was wrong?" or "did the good guys or the bad guys win?" Or who beat Napoleon at Waterloo - the British under Wellington or the Prussians under von Blucher? It requires little imagination to guess what answer you'll get in Berlin or London. Or why did Rome fall? There are dozens of theories. How about the Mexican-American War? Why did it really happen, or which side was right? Was it Manifest Destiny or land grabbing? Or the American Civil War, did the good guys . . . . No, I better not go there.

But is history, then, nothing but national or regional propaganda? "Of course not! Propaganda's what they do; what we do is truth!" That's one theory. Another is, "Let's look at the evidence and see what we find." Then there's, "We don't have time for this nonsense. Just teach them what they taught us in the good old days, and have done with it!" And so it goes.

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This is why history's so boring to students - they're taught only one theory! Not to mention that if you teach only one view or one side of a question, you're brainwashing students, "but never mind that because whether you're coming at them from the Left, Right, or Center, it's all propaganda!" That's another theory.

This is why many social science teachers prefer "teaching the controversy," or presenting all sides of the question, fairly, without taking sides, but having the students decide for themselves. Teachers like this approach because it gets students thinking and wondering which theory's right. It also creates excitement because drama brings ideas to life, and all sides get a fair hearing, which is what students love - not censoring anyone, but letting everyone come to the mic.

Some people call this "democracy." Others call it "getting an education" by having to listen to ideas you may not agree with, that take you out of your comfort zone, and challenge you to be open-minded enough not to agree with the other side, but at least to give it the right to be heard, unless you're so unsure of yourself that you're frightened to do so! It's being tolerant not about the things that don't really matter, but about the important things you'd die for! Now, that's a class act! "Teaching the controversy" and letting the chips fall where they may.

Teachers also like this approach because it prepares students for college by getting them used to dealing with controversies and not losing their cool. In too many high schools students who lack this training in critical thinking are so overwhelmed by having to do it in college that they're in shock and leave, or spend precious time (and money) in remedial courses learning what should have been learned in high school.
It is critical that candidates for the highest office in the land release their income tax returns for multiple years, especially you Mr. Trump. After all, you are running for president based on your wealth and business ability. And every other presidential candidate has done so for the past 40 years.

You said Mitt Romney should release his tax returns when he ran for president in 2012. Now is not the time to be hypocritical. And, by a two-to-one margin, the American public wants to see your tax returns, according to recent polls by The Washington Post/ABC News and The New York Times/CBS News.

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What exactly are you afraid the American people will learn about you and your business dealings if you release your tax returns? Could it be:

You're not paying any federal income taxes? Real estate tycoons like you have myriad ways to zero out your tax bills. You can borrow money against your hotels and apartment buildings and live off those loans, which are not taxed. You can take hefty tax deductions by claiming your buildings are depreciating in value, even as their value keeps going up and up. You can even swap a piece of real estate you want to sell for a new one, thereby deferring capital gains taxes indefinitely. Are you living tax free like you did for at least two years in the late 1970s, Mr. Trump? Are you forcing the rest of us to pick up your tab?

You're paying rock bottom tax rates by exploiting One Percent tax loopholes? Rich people like you often pay lower tax rates than working people. That's because we tax wealth less than we tax work. Money made from Wall Street investments and real estate--capital gains and dividends--that mostly benefit those at the top is taxed at as little as half the rate that money made from work is taxed.

Your fellow billionaire Warren Buffett has lamented that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. Mitt Romney, a private equity multimillionaire, paid a 14% tax rate the year before he ran for president. That's about half what a lot of teachers and electricians pay. How little are you paying, Mr. Trump?

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You're not as rich as you claim? Income tax returns don't list assets, but from the kind and amount of income you receive from those assets, a pretty good estimate can be made of just how rich you really are. Outside experts have already determined from your earlier financial disclosures that you've greatly exaggerated your wealth. Would your tax returns prove you were even a bigger fibber?

You've got shady business dealings? The Panama Papers have revealed just how much the rich and powerful use offshore shell companies and other accounting tricks to hide what they're doing with their money. You own 240 limited liability companies (LLC's), which operate your real estate holdings and other businesses. Are any of those registered offshore?

What about the income you generate from properties offshore and the licensing of your name overseas. There is even speculation that your name may be trademarked and owned by an offshore shell company located in a tax haven, which could license its use in order to dodge paying U.S. taxes. Do you use these or other offshore tax loopholes to obscure your business dealings? If so, how much do they cut your taxes?

You're a cheapskate when it comes to charity? Your tax returns would tell us just how much of your wealth you've given away recently, and to what causes. For instance, you claim to have given away $102 million to charities over the last five years, but an analysis found that not a dime of that money was contributed by you personally. You also claim to be a big funder of veterans' groups--your returns would back that claim up if true. It's easy to talk big about supporting veterans and others that need our help. Are you as generous with your money as you are with your words?

How much would you save in taxes from your tax plan? It is estimated that your tax plan will cut the taxes owed by the top 0.1 percent by an average of $1.3 million in 2017, and by $275,000 for the top 1 percent. The corporate tax rate will plummet from 35% to 15%. Your tax returns will give us a very good idea of how much you will benefit, Mr. Trump.

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I'm Fred Raillard, CEO, Co-founder and Creative Chief Officer of FRED & FARID, a social, content, tech solutions for brands company based in Paris, Shanghai, Beijing and New York. In partnership with FRED & FARID, BFM Business launches #FredinChina, a social media podcast in "Chine Hebdo", the weekly radio broadcast of Mathieu Jolivet. #FredinChina is essential to know and understand the world's largest economy.

I fell in love with China, and live in Shanghai with my wife and sons since September 2012. With my teams at the FRED & FARID Shanghai agency we monitor, analyze and decrypt this ultra-connected China with nearly 800 million netizens by sharing what we see, hear and read on Weibo, WeChat, Huaban, Youku. I prepare this column with Jing Qian from FRED & FARID Shanghai.

Click here to listen to all the podcasts.

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A producer uses live stream to boost Chinese Pride over US movies

The HotTopic of the week is a movie, called Song of Phoenix. It's a story of band playing an old instrument: Suona. A very high sound, difficult to listen. In China, less and less people listen to this kind of traditional music. The movie is directed by a very famous Chinese director called Wu Tiang Ming, telling the story of this instrument. The movie is a docu-fiction, to promote the old traditional music. But it didn't really worked. The only made, after one week 3.6 million RMB, which is really bad. It was released the same week as Captain America and Chinese people preferred to see this film.

A well known producer called Fang Li, decided to help this movie by launching a live stream (which is really trendy in China) to beg theaters in order to encourage Chinese people to go to see the movie. It kind of worked as Chinese people estimate that this movie is going to make 30 millions RMB. It raises a lot of questions on social media, about US soft power versus Chinese one, of which is the best way to promote and build Chinese culture inside but also outside the country.

Tencent partners with Apple: a new era between China and the US?

The HotBrand of the week is Didi. There's Didi and Kuaidi in China which are the 2 famous Chinese Uber. People discovered that Apple invested 1 billion dollars on Didi, which has already a shareholder: Tencent from the BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent). It was a big surprise as in Chinese mind you have a battle between BAT against the GAFA (Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple). It was a kind surprise to discover that one of the big giant of the GAFA was investing in one of the apps where Tencent has already invested.

Also very surprising, cool but enjoyable for Chinese people was to see this picture of both CEOs Tim Cook and Liu Qing, CEO of Didi, together. Liu Qing is very inspiring for Chinese people because her father is the founder of Lenovo. Li Qing was the general manager of a big bank, then she launched Didi and she's also the mother of 3 kids. And she's unfortunately fighting against a cancer. She's super admiring, an inspiring business woman. People speculated on the fact that she will probably make an IPO in the US and all this was a preparation for the IPO.

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A man sexually harassed in a bus posted his story on Weibo

The HotPost of the week is related to a sexual harassment in a bus. A man was sexually harassed by a woman. This man decided to tell his story in a post on Sina Weibo. The reaction was not the one expected. Tones and tones of comments using the same structures than stupid sentences of men  It was a little bit of her fault, because she shouldn't have wore this dress , sentences that we hear in this situation, when women are harassed. This time women use those type of sentences  It's a little bit of your fault you shouldn't have wore this trousers it makes you too sexy . It became really big as men and women started to react at those stupid sentences. Very funny and ironic. Women used that as a way to make men aware of the way they feel. There is a kind of way of justice. The whole thing generated 6,000 retweets on Sina Weibo.
US President Barack Obama addresses a press conference during the Nuclear Security Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Apri1 1, 2016 in Washington, DC. / AFP / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama's forthcoming visit to Hiroshima offers an opportunity to reconsider some of the myths surrounding the historic decision to use the atomic bomb. Such reconsideration also helps focus attention on how we can avoid any future use of weapons that are now thousands of times more powerful than the ones used in 1945.

A good place to start is with an unusual and little-noticed display at The National Museum of the United States Navy in Washington. A plaque explaining an exhibit devoted to the atomic bombings declares: "The vast destruction wreaked by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the loss of 135,000 people made little impact on the Japanese military. However, the Soviet invasion of Manchuria on 9 August -- fulfilling a promise made at the Yalta Conference in February -- changed their minds."

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Hiroshima, Japan, on Sept. 8, 1945, about a month after the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare was dropped by the U.S. (AP Photo/Stanley Troutman)

Though the surprising statement runs contrary to the accepted claim that the atomic bombs ended World War II, it is faithful to the historical record of how and why Japan surrendered. The Japanese cabinet -- and especially the Japanese army leaders -- were not, in fact, jolted into surrender by the bombings. Japan had been willing to sacrifice city after city to American conventional bombing in the months leading up to Hiroshima -- most dramatically in the March 9 firebombing of Tokyo, an attack that cost an estimated 100,000 lives.

What Japan's military leaders were focused on was the Red Army, which was poised to take on the best of Japan's remaining army in Manchuria. The historical record also makes clear that American leaders fully understood this. Indeed, before the atomic bomb was successfully tested, U.S. leaders desperately sought assurances that the Red Army would attack Japan after Germany was defeated. The president was strongly advised that when this happened, Japan was likely to surrender with the sole proviso that Japan be allowed to keep its emperor in some figurehead role.

'The vast destruction wreaked by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the loss of 135,000 people made little impact on the Japanese military.'

Nor was this deemed a major problem. The U.S. military had long planned to keep the emperor in such a role to help control Japan during the postwar occupation. Once the atomic bomb was successfully tested, however, assurances for the emperor that were included in the 1945 Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender were eliminated, making it certain Japan would continue to fight. As the Navy museum plaque also accurately explains: "Truman's political advisors overrode the views of the military leaders and foreign policy makers, insisting that Americans would not accept leniency towards the emperor."

Although it goes on to suggest this was done for political, not military reasons, there are unresolved questions about this judgment. The fact is the historical record also shows that Republican leaders in the United States Senate and elsewhere at that time were urging the president to provide assurances for the emperor precisely because they too judged that this would end the war.

Japan's surrender ceremony aboard the U.S. battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945. (Xinhua via Getty Images)

The Joint Chiefs of Staff felt so strongly about the matter that they undertook what we would now call an "end run" to try to put assurances back into the proclamation. They asked British military leaders to ask Prime Minister Winston Churchill to try to persuade U.S. President Harry Truman to include the emperor paragraph in the proclamation -- and in turn Churchill attempted to get Truman to do so. But to no avail.

Ultimately, of course, the United States allowed Japan to keep its emperor as a way to help control Japan during the occupation -- but only after, not before, the bombs were used. Japan still has a figurehead, powerless emperor to this day.

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'Possessing and demonstrating the bomb would make Russia more manageable.'

The unusual pattern of events -- with the combined U.S. military leadership strongly urging a course of action deemed likely to save lives, and the president resisting -- has, of course, raised questions in the minds of many as to whether other issues were involved.

The most obvious alternative explanation was put forward by early postwar critics who pointed out that there is considerable evidence that diplomatic reasons concerning the Soviet Union -- not military reasons concerning Japan -- may have been important. For instance, after a group of nuclear scientists met with Truman's chief adviser on the atomic bomb, U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes, one reported that, "Mr. Byrnes did not argue that it was necessary to use the bomb against the cities of Japan in order to win the war ... Mr. Byrnes' ... view [was] that our possessing and demonstrating the bomb would make Russia more manageable."

A huge cloud above Hiroshima, a few hours after the initial explosion on Aug. 6, 1945. (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum/U.S. Army via AP)

U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson's diary also includes many passages like the following: "[I]t may be necessary to have it out with Russia on her relations to Manchuria and Port Arthur and various other parts of North China, and also the relations of China to us. Over any such tangled weave of problems the [atomic bomb] secret would be dominant ..." He continues: "We have coming into action a weapon which will be unique ... let our actions speak for themselves."

Close attention to some key dates is also instructive. The Soviet Union was expected to enter the Japanese war three months after Germany surrendered on May 8 -- which would have put the Red Army attack on or around Aug. 8. Hiroshima was destroyed on Aug. 6 and Nagasaki on Aug. 9.

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'Wars cannot be won by destroying women and children.'

That diplomatic considerations may have been at the heart of the decision to postpone the planned assurances for the emperor from the proclamation until after the bomb was used can hardly be proved. What can be proved is that the president was advised that the assurances were, in fact, likely to end the war without the bombs and long before a first landing on the southernmost of the Japanese main islands -- not to mention a full invasion -- could take place. So there was plenty time to use the bombs if Japan did not surrender once assurances for the emperor were given.

The Navy museum plaque is not the only evidence that some of the nation's most important military leaders had grave misgivings about using the atomic bombs against the largely civilian targets of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For instance, the president's chief of staff -- William Leahy, a five-star admiral who presided over meetings of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- declared in his 1950 memoir:

It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender ... My own feeling was that in being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was not taught to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children.

The Enola Gay, the Boeing B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, on Aug. 6, 1945. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Similarly, the five-star general who oversaw America's military victory in World War II and later became president, Dwight Eisenhower, declared publicly in 1963 that, "it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing." In his memoirs Eisenhower recalled that when he was informed by Stimson that the atomic bomb was about to be used:

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I voiced to him my grave misgivings, first on the basis of my belief that Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary, and second because I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives.

A few weeks after the bombing, U.S. Major General Curtis LeMay, the famous "hawk" who led the 21st Bomber Command, an air force unit that was involved in many bombing operations against Japan, stated publicly: "The war would have been over in two weeks without the Russians entering and without the atomic bomb ... [T]he atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war at all."

'The atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war at all.'

And a May 29, 1945 memorandum written by U.S. Assistant Secretary of War John McCloy shows that America's top military leader, U.S. General George Marshall:

thought these weapons might first be used against straight military objectives such as a large naval installation and then if no complete result was derived from the effect of that, he thought we ought to designate a number of large manufacturing areas from which the people would be warned to leave -- telling the Japanese that we intend to destroy such centers.

What really happened in the days leading up to the decision to destroy Hiroshima and Nagasaki may never be known. Enough is known, however, to underscore a critical lesson for the future: Human beings in general, and political leaders in particular, are all too commonly prone to making decisions that put near-term political concerns above truly fundamental humanitarian concerns.

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The only serious answer to the threat of nuclear weapons is an all-out effort to abolish them from arsenals throughout the world -- an answer that President Obama has urged and hopefully will reaffirm during his historic visit to Hiroshima.

Gar Alperovitz is the author of two major studies of the atomic bombings: "Atomic Diplomacy: Hiroshima and Potsdam" and "The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb," where references to the key documentary sources in this piece can also be found.

Earlier on WorldPost:


Japanese school children contemplate ground zero in Nagasaki.

A sitting US president who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to nuclear disarmament is preparing to visit Hiroshima. Mr. Obama is expected to visit privately with survivors of the atomic bombings and to make brief remarks after visiting a museum documenting the humanitarian consequences of nuclear war. Unfortunately, as the president ponders the past, his policies are increasing the risk that nuclear weapons may be used again in the future.

A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) concludes there is a troubling lack of urgency about the possibility that the United States and China could become involved in a military conflict that escalates rapidly and ends in a nuclear exchange. Both governments are deploying weapons and pursuing military strategies that make this more likely. Neither side is willing to invest anywhere near as much time and resources on diplomatic efforts to reduce the risk of war as they spend preparing to fight it.

The Pentagon plans to spend more than a trillion dollars upgrading its nuclear forces. This includes a new nuclear cruise missile the United States plans to make available for use against targets in China during a future military conflict. Concerns about China contributed to a recent decision by both houses of Congress to authorize a massive expansion of the US national missile defense program. New US investments in military space technology aim to counter perceived Chinese threats to US dominance in outer space. US research and development of conventional precision strike weapons could encourage US decision-makers to attempt a preemptive strike targeting China's nuclear forces in the event of a major military confrontation.

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China plans to counter US technical advances by increasing the number and diversifying the basing modes of its nuclear-capable missiles. Chinese military strategists are considering placing their nuclear forces on high alert so they can be launched on warning of an incoming US nuclear attack. Chinese research, development and testing of anti-satellite weapons, missile defenses and hypersonic guide vehicles are aimed at eroding what Chinese military planners see as a US effort to contain China and restrict its development.

Both sides appear willing to initiate a military conflict over contentious disputes. For example, the United States recently warned China it would risk military escalation to prevent or stop a proposed Chinese island reclamation project in the Scarborough Shoal. Chinese authorities reportedly responded by committing to move ahead with the project anyway. This particular contest of wills is part of a steadily increasing number of unresolved diplomatic spats that have escalated to the level of overt military posturing reminiscent of U.S.-Soviet jousting during the Cold War.

Chinese military planners believe they can prosecute a large-scale conventional military conflict with the Unites States without the threat of nuclear escalation. They believe no nation, including the United States, would risk nuclear retaliation by resorting to a first use of nuclear weapons. US military planners believe they can threaten "limited" nuclear attacks against China if a military conflict escalates to a level where the United States or its military bases in allied Asian countries come under Chinese conventional attack. US decision-makers think their Chinese counterparts would never risk launching a retaliatory nuclear strike against the United States or its allies in response to a limited US nuclear attack against Chinese military targets.

It is not difficult to imagine situations that could trigger an inadvertent or accidental nuclear escalation. For example, China's leaders could underestimate US willingness to use nuclear weapons to stop a conventional war. US leaders could underestimate Chinese willingness to retaliate after a limited US nuclear attack. China could launch a retaliatory nuclear attack if the United States were to launch conventional missile strikes that China mistakenly believed were nuclear. The United States could make the same mistake. Equipment in the command and control network of either nation could be destroyed or malfunction, especially given the interest of both countries in anti-satellite weapons. Decision makers may not have timely access to accurate information in the fog of a conflict.

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Compared to round-the-clock preparations for war involving tens of thousands of people and hundreds of billions of dollars in annual expenditures, a handful of US and Chinese diplomats meet for a few hours several times a year to discuss their respective policies on nuclear weapons, missile defenses, anti-satellite weapons and other advanced military technologies. These bilateral dialogues focus on how to manage the military competition between the United States and China rather than on how to resolve the disagreements both sides are attempting to settle with coercion rather than negotiation. The UCS report recommends the leaders of both governments address the growing risk of nuclear war with a greater sense of purpose.
President Obama will become the first sitting American president to visit the city Hiroshima this coming May 27. The president is expected to deliver a speech on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will join Obama on the visit. This is the speech he should give.

On August 9, 1945 the city of Hiroshima in Japan became the target of the first atomic bomb ever detonated in combat. Three days later, Nagasaki was devastated by a nuclear bomb. Within the first months after the bombings, some 1000,000 to 150,000 people died in Hiroshima and 40,000 to 80,000 in Nagasaki. Radiation affected generations to come. Our armed forces brought utter destruction to these cities.

Our political and military leaders proclaimed that they had dropped them in order to avoid a costly invasion of Japan's home islands, saving hundreds of thousands of American lives, and millions of Japanese lives. That explanation has come under criticism.

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For the generation who fought the "War" and their families, there is nothing to revisit - much less to apologize for.

I fear that I would fail to convince anyone to follow a more balanced approach when it comes to whether the U.S. should've dropped the bombs, or whether the United States should apologize for it. But this is not why we are here.

I don't mean to bore you with a long history lesson - my dear friend Dr. Harry Franqui-Rivera is in charge of that.

But I do want to you to understand the lesson we learned in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Second World War was the first global and total war. We are all guilty of atrocities and crimes during that war. By the war's end tens of millions had been killed, murdered, executed in the most gruesome and cruelest of ways.

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We learned the unparalleled and unmatched capacity of the human race for injustice, cruelty, coldness, and indifference. We saw it in concentration camps in Nazi Germany, in prisoner camps in Japanese-occupied territories, and we saw it in internment camps in the United States of America, when we unjustly incarcerated our own citizens for they look like they enemy.

We witnessed our scientists decoding the secrets of the universe and we turned their knowledge into weapons of mass destruction with the objective of finishing the war as soon as possible, winning the war at all costs.

The nuclear bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki shocked the world, as they should have had. Even if they were the logical extension of conventional bombing strategy - as practiced by all major belligerents in WWII - they shocked us. They shocked us because they were clear and irrefutable evidence of the horror we could visit upon our fellow human beings. And they shocked us because of the casual nature of it all.

The bombs put us in a nuclear arms race even as we understood the madness of it all. But we could not stop.

We have to stop.

In the past we made pacts with the Soviet Union - even as we continued to be rivals - to reduce our nuclear arsenals, to prevent proliferation. No one can win a nuclear war. And no cause, as just as it may be, will benefit from dropping a nuclear bomb in a country and obliterating hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people with one strike.

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I stand here today to announce that the United States of America will unilaterally reduce its nuclear arsenal and its intercontinental ballistic missiles. I'm here to invite the world nuclear powers to join us in reducing nuclear weapons, in stopping nuclear proliferation and in incentivizing nations seeking to develop nuclear weapons into not following that path.

I stand here today to tell our allies in the region that they do not have to live under the nuclear specter. I stand here today to assure those seeking to gain political clout by developing nuclear weapons and threatening their neighbors, that they will get anything from this but further isolation. That there is an alternate path, a peaceful road to rejoining the rest of the world and prosper.

We have to refocus and look at the other lessons we learned during World War II and from dropping the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We need to remember and be inspired by the human capacity to stand up to tyranny and to face fear during our darkest hours. We need to remember the Polish farmer that would go into the woods in the middle of the night to rescue survivors from a common grave- not only rescuing his life but his whole family. We need to remember the Japanese civilians who would take pity on American prisoners of war and tried to alleviate their plight.

Most of all, we need to remember those tragic days in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and be honest and show our regret for the lives lost those days. And, we need to remember the spirit of cooperation, the friendship that grew between Japan and the United States shortly after the war and that continues to this day. From mortal enemies to allies and friends.
In 1998, my family immigrated from India to the United States. The move thrust me into a new school, and a new culture. While my middle school was fairly diverse, students of Hindu origin were a small minority. As the new kid, and an immigrant to boot, I attracted attention. On my second day of school, I was pushed into the ground while changing in the gym room. A few days later, I caught a classmate mocking my Indian accent behind my back. Needless to say, school was neither a fun nor safe place for me.

About two months into the school year, my teacher asked me to give a class presentation on the upcoming Hindu festival of Diwali. I was excited about doing so. For the first time, I'd be given a chance to tell my story. On the day, I eagerly delivered my presentation, explaining the Hindu story and the celebration of Diwali; I showed my classmates pictures of my family celebrating. Afterwards, I sat down thinking things would be better. Instead, things got worse.

It seemed that by publicly identifying myself as Hindu, I had given the bullies more ammunition. I faced ethnic and sexual slurs, including some, such as "dothead" that I had never heard before. Students began to mock my vegetarian lunches, pretending to gag and throw up onto my plate.

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In the last two decades, things have not improved much for Hindu students. According to a survey conducted by the Hindu American Foundation, bullying of Hindu students remains a serious problem in public schools. Among the problems identified:

Half of the Hindu students surveyed felt socially isolated because of their religion.

A third of Hindu students had been directly bullied based on their religion, with one in four having been bullied within the past year.

One in three students reported having students mocking their religious traditions

One in eight students reported having teachers mocking their religious traditions

These problems are troubling, and are consistent with figures found in similar studies conducted for Muslim and Sikh students. The bottom line is that far too many students in America today are bullied for being different.

Back in 1998, when I was being bullied, Hindu Americans were a newer community. My family had arrived shortly after the Dotbuster gangs had attacked Hindus and perceived Hindus around the New Jersey and New York area. As such, I hoped that, as awareness and numbers grow, students would learn from one another, and bullying would be reduced.

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Like many African Americans, I grew up not knowing where I came from. There was no "old country" for us. Obviously, I knew that most slaves were brought from Central and West Africa. I heard family stories about being part Native American - that the Seminole Indians had helped slaves escape from their masters by sheltering them within their tribe. That my grandfather's mother was half Cherokee, part Scotch-Irish, as well as African. Her long black hair and high cheekbones in the one photo I saw of her bore this out.

For a while, these stories were enough. I believed that I would only really find out, if ever, in the afterlife.



When I was 29, I moved from New York City to Argyle, N.Y., a small upstate farming town that had been settled by Scots. Since Fergusons were on the original patent, I was often asked, while interviewing people by phone as a local reporter, if I was one of the Argyle Fergusons, and I would laugh, and say no, and explain that I was African American, not Scottish.

A few years ago, at a National Association for Black Journalists conference, the company African Ancestry was doing free DNA analyses for some of the attendees as a promotion. I sat transfixed as the African ancestry of various people was teased out; and listened with amazement at how the person displayed some similar traits as their ancestral land ... for example, a gift with textiles.

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After that, I became more curious about my ancestry.

As the one of the few black people in Argyle, I always wondered why I felt so at home there. Walking into the school auditorium to cover the town's high school graduation, and seeing all of the McKernons, Liddles, Campbells, McWhorters, felt familiar and natural.

I took a selfie one day lying on my couch and spent minutes studying it intently. The sun was in my eyes, so one eye came out a light brownish gray, the other a dark brown. My skin was caramel brown with yellow undertones. My nose was African. My lips were full. My cheekbones high. I looked at the selfie intently. Who was I? What ancestors contributed to my unique look?

I finally decided to do it ... I sent in a sample of my saliva to Ancestry.com.

The directions were easy. Spit up to a certain designated level. Snap the cap with preservative on the test tube. Shake. Seal. Deliver in the self-addressed envelope. Create a portal on the Ancestry web site. Wait.

Finally, they were there. The pie chart that held the mystery of my ancestry.

I had a cousin who had taken the test before me. Her results had come back that she was only 1 percent Native American. Skip Gates, of Harvard University and of the PBS series Finding my Roots, had written that for most African Americans, Native American ancestry was almost entirely absent. There hadn't been many opportunities for slaves to mingle with Native Americans outside of a few states like Oklahoma, along the Trail of Tears. His research had shown that most of those light brown people with high cheekbones and long black hair were an admixture of African and European.

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I was not surprised that my results bore this out. 71 percent African (including 2 percent North African); 28 percent European and a mere one percent Native American.

The ancestry was so straightforward, it was almost a letdown. African and European. We knew all about the forced sex on Southern plantations; so that was no surprise.

But I still was happy to know more about my ancestors than I ever had. The majority of my DNA was from Cameroon. Cameroon was named by Portuguese, who found that a major waterway teemed with shrimp; therefore they called it Rio dos Camaroes or Shrimp River. Facing the Atlantic, it was one of the first places Africans were enslaved. I wondered if my love of the ocean and for seafood was encoded in my DNA. I now know that my family has been in this country from slavery's early days in the 1600s or early 1700s, since we are descended from some of the first peoples brought from the African continent. Therefore, despite the persistent and resurgent racism in the U.S., I have always, proudly and firmly, felt very American.

Twenty-two percent was Great Britain, which in Ancestry.com's breakdown, meant England, Scotland and Wales. Because of the family lore about Scottish ancestry, I assume that ancestry was Scottish. Could that explain why I had always felt at home in a land settled by Scots?

The Argyle Scots had been brought to upstate New York to become a buffer between the French and Indians and English settlers. A Capt. Laughlin Campbell was the man who sailed his compatriots to New York. First, though, he brought the South Carolina Fergusons over. My family is rooted in South Carolina. So although I wasn't descended from the Argyle Fergusons, I was undoubtedly related to them by way of Capt. McLaughlin Campbell.

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Next was Ghana (15 percent) Senegal (10 percent) and Benin, 9 percent. I had a high-school friend whose mother had always said I looked Ghanaian and my younger sister's been told she resembles the nomadic Fulani, who originated in North Africa and peopled many West African nations. So it came as confirmation to discover or North African ancestry. I remember two Senegalese French teachers in high school, whom many of our classmates swooned over. I always used to say that Senegalese men were the best looking men in Africa. Perhaps it's because something in my DNA recognized something of my ancestors in their faces?

Finally, Benin, the land where the beautiful bronze heads originated. These were master craftsman, artists, among the best on the African continent. My mother, aunt and grandfather were all skilled artists. As well as an aunt on my father's side. Coincidence?
There has been an unfortunate tendency to lump Trump and Sanders supporters together as "anti-establishment." While both candidates focus on the corruption in the political system and the plight of many in the middle class, they represent very different strains in contemporary American politics. Trump's "Make America Great" campaign is essentially a right-wing, nationalistic siren call for a return to the past, combining a nostalgic vision of America's past with an apocalyptic vision of the future. His appeal to an older, white male constituency - or what a friend of mine calls the "Goddamn It Party" - illustrates Trump's focus on the past, as well as the danger he represents for the future.

Sanders' supporters, on the other hand, are generally young, optimistic and forward-thinking. Unlike the Trump platform, which offers vague and often conflicting promises, the Sanders' campaign is focusing on income inequality and the corrupting influence of money in politics - both serious concerns that are important for all Americans and the future of our society. While neither Trump nor Sanders have presented a pathway to solutions, the differences in their narratives are stark. It's true that both are anti-establishment, but Sanders' vision is of a more just and equal society, while Trump seems to want to simply burn it all down.

Another obvious difference is in the personalities of the candidates. While Sanders has been accused of over-reaching in his campaign against Clinton, it is understandable that he would want to fight hard for a platform that he believes in. In his heart, the 74-year old socialist Sanders may have little interest in serving as president. The narcissistic Trump, on the other hand, is psychologically driven toward ever greater power and prominence.

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What is most engaging about Sanders is his message, which has attracted millions of Millennial voters. Millennials are the largest generation in American history, and will soon dominate our politics and government. While some may be skeptical of their optimism and impatience for big changes, this is precisely the right approach to secure America's future in the twenty-first century. Their civic involvement, global perspective, embrace of diversity, support of immigration reform and dedication to environmental causes is exactly what America needs.
French philosopher Henri Lefebvre introduced the concept of "the right to the city" in his 1968 book, Le Droit a la Ville, in which contemporary urbanist Neil Brenner refers to as a "radical demand for a democratization of control over the collective means of producing urbans space." More specifically, "the right to the city" characterizes the antagonistic sociopolitical and neoliberal forces of governance--and by extension urbanization--that have prioritized the city for a group of powerful elites while disenfranchising the "others". Even today, the concept of "the right to the city" remains highly relevant in midst of the humanitarian crises as the United Nations, world leaders, and stakeholders are working to create a new framework for humanitarian action at the World Humanitarian Summit that began yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey.

Even though political conflict and socioeconomic instability have severe consequences on human conditions around the world, it is hard to ignore the disproportionate impact that this has on the lives of children and youth who are most vulnerable and in need of humanitarian assistance. While the fragile nature of children and youth are commonly recognized, their dual role as agents of positive change in humanitarian action and peace-building has yet to be fully understood or harnessed.

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All around the world, young people are galvanizing in solidarity to ameliorate the lives of the most marginalized, those affected by disaster, conflict, forced displacement and other humanitarian crises. Looking at the United Nations Volunteer programme, the majority of first responders are under the age of 29. Meanwhile, young people have also shown that they are able to be innovative contributors to humanitarian action. The UN Major Group for Children Youth working with the UN-HABITAT Youth Unit have both actively and meaningfully engaged the voices of youth inflicted by humanitarian crises through their own network of changemakers around the world, from the slums in Nairobi to refugee camps in Jordan. To lead them into the World Humanitarian Summit, young people developed the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action to guide their advocacy and activism.

In the host city of the World Humanitarian Summit, the Istanbul Municipal Youth Council has endeavored to meet the needs of young refugees by conducting a face-to-face quantitative study of 378 Syrian refugees and three in-depth consultations to better understanding their living conditions in the Istanbul, discovering, for instance, that under half of refugees area able to speak Turkish. The Council's work has shown that young people have tremendous abilities to respond to humanitarian crises in differentiated ways, as well as the role of cities in responding to humanitarian challenges. It is undeniable that there is a clear urban dimension in crises, particularly the city's role in often serving as an intermediary in the current refugee emergencies. Cities have both the professional knowledge and direct abilities to intervene in humanitarian management.

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On the second day of the World Humanitarian Summit, the Mayor of Istanbul, Dr. Kadir Topbas, will commit to the Youth Councils Network on Humanitarian Action and emphasize the crucial role local youth-led organizations have in humanitarian action. Dr. Topbas' position as the President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) will powerfully enhance the attention that youth and youth-led organizations will receive from local authorities.
In aggregate terms, the human race has never had it so good. Life expectancy has risen by more in the past fifty years than in the previous one thousand. When the Berlin Wall fell, two-fifths of humanity lived in extreme poverty. Now it's one-eighth. Global illiteracy has dropped from one-half to one-sixth in the same span of time. With a few tragic exceptions, a child born almost anywhere today can expect to grow up healthier, wealthier and smarter than at any other time in history. And more connected, thanks principally to the end of the Cold War, fresh waves of democratization, China's emergence from autarky and the advent of the Internet.

At the same time, we have rarely felt so divided. While walls between countries are going down, within countries they are going up everywhere. Statistical proof of overall wellbeing is cold comfort to a middle class whose real wages have stagnated, or to poor people in the US and other so-called "rich" countries whose poverty has deepened. The bottom-fifth of Americans were earning more money twenty-five years ago. They also had a greater chance of moving up the economic ladder, the lower rungs of which have now been sawed off.

And we have rarely felt so vulnerable. Integrating societies and systems generates many benefits, but the flipside is growing interdependency. Pensioners and home owners have seen their savings decimated by unforeseen financial risks. Workers have lost their jobs overseas to strangers escaping from poverty; those whose jobs stayed onshore are losing them to machines. Farmers suffer crop failure due to climate change. Citizens rage against elites who siphon urgently needed public monies off into foreign bank accounts. Other people's everyday choices on the other side of the world--about what energy they use, what products they consume, what medicines they take or how they secure their data--threaten us unintentionally. Equally, our choices impact them. In an increasingly open world, we've begun to blame more and more of our frustrations on each other.

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The last age of discovery was likewise a time of historic connections and divisions, of singular achievements and shocking new dangers, of bold genius and violent rejection. Columbus's ships found the New World--and spread conflicts and pandemics in their wake. Vasco da Gama found a sea route to the spice riches of the Indian Ocean--and caused the collapse of Silk Road economies that had flourished for centuries. The Gutenberg press shifted human communication to a new normal: information abundance, cheap distribution, radical variety and wide participation. But it also put scribes out of business and enabled a single disillusioned friar (Martin Luther) to ignite a century of religious wars. Copernicus flipped Europe's very notion of heaven and earth with his new sun-centered theory; when Galileo pushed it, he was excommunicated.

Through three decades of feverish connecting, integrating and tangling together--from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the rise of social media--we have built a precious but, history tells us, fragile new world. In so many ways, we are starting to flourish. But equally, we are starting to fray. An age of discovery, then and now, is a time of upheaval. And upheaval makes both winners and losers.

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But it does not make us powerless. This extraordinary age of discovery is not simply the condition of our lives, but a contest as well.

In the 1990s, many people bought into a Pollyannic fantasy that the benefits of greater openness and connectedness--of "globalization"--would trickle down to everyone equally. Today we've replaced such naivete with a sober realization: when some walls are flattened, the world's precious resources pool into those places and into those hands that hold an advantage along whatever dimensions of difference remain.

We've outgrown the fantasy. That's a healthy step. Now the question is: will we abandon the dream? One option is to seek to smash the global agreements, protocols, supply chains and exchanges we have built with one another, and in their place build new, higher walls. From the surging popularity of Donald Trump, to the very real threat of Brexit, to the electoral successes of nationalist, protectionist and xenophobic politicians in democracies worldwide, this project is well underway.

Or we can seek to make our entanglement work. For ourselves. For poor people and poor countries. For the planet. Globalization was never merely a trend; it is also a test of the human character. In an age of discovery, change is rapid. How change unfolds depends on us. Will we allow the weight of unearned gains and undeserved losses to break society, or will we shape outcomes to deliver on the promise that opening and connecting with one another is in all our best interests? Not least because we need to work together to solve climate change, transnational crime and corruption, migration crises and other great global challenges.

Anxiety in a time of rapid change is understandable. Pessimism is in vogue. Anger and despair are infectious. Middle-class wage stagnation is real, and the list of fixes is difficult.

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But courage is infectious, too. Perhaps that's why, when during the height of the last age of discovery Michelangelo was commissioned to carve David and Goliath, he focused on the underdog. David and Goliath was a familiar Old Testament story, about a brave young warrior who improbably defeated a giant foe in single combat. But with hammer and chisel, Michelangelo fixed into stone a moment that no one had seen before. His David stood, not triumphant atop the corpse of his enemy (the standard portrayal), but alone and at the ready, with the implacable resolve of one who knows his next step but not its outcome. Michelangelo carved David in that fateful moment between decision and action, between realizing what he must do and summoning the courage to do it.

The present age is a contest. We're all being drawn into it, more and more. Some are harnessing a prevalent pessimism to seize power for themselves, to tear apart the open society we've built and shorten our reach so that we do not exceed our grasp.

Who will dare to stoke our optimism? To accept responsibility, to start fixing the mistakes we've made, and with bold actions remind us all that, while we may be more vulnerable, our collective potential has never been greater?

Goliath is waiting.
If there was one small thing which you could do to make yourself or your workforce more productive, you'd do it right? This is one of the many reasons why, across the world, 21st century workers are turning to the ancient practice of meditation to help them focus and prioritise effectively.

If you thought that meditation was the sole preserve of Buddhist monks living on remote mountain tops or "sandals-with-sock-wearing" hippies then you're at least 20 years behind the times. Today, lawyers do it; fund managers do it; professors and health-workers do it. Just google "fund managers meditate" and you may be surprised at the results. Meditating lawyers even have their own Facebook page. We're dealing here with some pretty busy people who aren't going to be setting time aside unless they feel it's producing tangible benefits.

The art of meditation started moving into the mainstream back in the early 90's, when Jon Kabat-Zing, a scientist with a PhD in molecular biology, published the book Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness (Delta, 1991). Kabat-Zinn went on to found the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. As a result of his work, and that of other scientists from around the world, mainstream science now recognizes the significant benefits that meditation and mindfulness - the way of fully experiencing each moment that meditation helps, can provide a host of benefits.

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The health and psychological benefits of mindfulness meditation are well documented (see for example Mindfulness in Medicine: Ludwig DS, Kabat-Zinn.J JAMA.2008; 300(11): 1350-1352).

But will the practice of mindfulness and meditation really make a person more productive at work? The evidence seems to suggest that it might. In a study by the university of Washington Seattle, HR workers who had an 8-week mindfulness meditation training course were found to be more focused and to have a less negative attitude towards work than a trial group who had been on an 8-week relaxation training course.

Meditation

Meditation can be spiritual or secular. If you want to try the spiritual approach see this approach to how to meditate, which will let you access some free guided meditations that you or your staff can try out.

If you're looking for a secular approach, you might check out headspace for a free 10-day trial of their mindfulness meditations.

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What kind of benefits in the workplace might regular meditation cause?

Just think about how much of our working day is wasted by lack of focus, stress and general negativity.

Better focus

Regular meditation helps train the mind to focus fully on whatever is happening in the present moment. Somebody who meditates regularly might find it easier to fully engage with the task in hand and to concentrate better during meetings and presentations. A person who meditates regularly will become more able to recognise when their mind starts to wander, and to bring themselves back to the present.

Reduced stress

Workplace stress has a huge negative impact on productivity. Wouldn't it be great if everyone in the office set a little time aside to engage in a practice which helped calm the mind and reduce the power of negative thoughts and emotions?

Better teamwork

Regular meditation encourages feelings of empathy and acceptance. Meditators can become better team players.

A greater ability to prioritise effectively

The increased ability to focus has the knock-on effect of helping to prioritize tasks that need to be done.

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Right now, Democrats appear to be at each other's throats. However, it's highly likely that a month from now, the party will come together just as it did in 2008. The fight this fall will be between two candidates, yes, but also two vastly different understandings of our national narrative, of the course of our development over the past several decades and, in particular, the last eight years.

In two recent commencement speeches, one at Rutgers and the other at Howard, President Obama deftly laid out the differences. He defined a progressive understanding of our collective path that has the virtue not only of being accurate, but also of being one that will help progressive candidates win election this fall and beyond.

The president's take may be more nuanced than that of Mr. Trump, but that's more about Trump than anything else. In a nutshell, the Obama argument is this: Although we've got more work to do to improve opportunity and increase justice for all Americans, we have made real progress, we're moving in the right direction, and we are significantly better off than we were in the past.

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In fact, by almost every measure, America is better, and the world is better, than it was 50 years ago, or 30 years ago, or even eight years ago.

And he's right. Digging into the details, he continued:

And by the way, I'm not -- set aside 150 years ago, pre-Civil War -- there's a whole bunch of stuff there we could talk about. Set aside life in the '50s, when women and people of color were systematically excluded from big chunks of American life. Since I graduated [from college], in 1983....crime rates, teenage pregnancy, the share of Americans living in poverty -- they're all down. The share of Americans with college educations have gone way up. Our life expectancy has, as well. Blacks and Latinos have risen up the ranks in business and politics. (Applause.) More women are in the workforce. (Applause.) They're earning more money -- although it's long past time that we passed laws to make sure that women are getting the same pay for the same work as men. (Applause.) Meanwhile, in the eight years since most of you started high school, we're also better off. You and your fellow graduates are entering the job market with better prospects than any time since 2007. Twenty million more Americans know the financial security of health insurance. We're less dependent on foreign oil. We've doubled the production of clean energy. We have cut the high school dropout rate. We've cut the deficit by two-thirds. Marriage equality is the law of the land. (Applause.)

Note that even as Obama highlighted progress on gender equity, he also reminded us that progress is not perfection, and called for continued efforts to achieve full equality. There's one other thing the president did not mention, but which is of crucial importance in understanding the achievements of his administration in terms of progressive economics. The federal tax code has become significantly more progressive than it was eight years ago, and is overall more progressive than it has been since before Reagan's presidency, with the top 1% paying their highest effective tax rates since 1979.

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On income taxes, we've brought rates on the top couple of percent back to where they were in the 1990s (where they were after being raised in 1990 and 1993), while locking in the income tax rate cuts for those below that level put in place by George W. Bush. In 1989, the top income tax rate was 28 percent. Starting January 1, 2013, it stood at 39.6 percent.

On capital gains taxes, Obama increased the rate paid by those in the top bracket by 5 percent, and also added a separate 3.8 percent increase -- the funds from which go to Medicare -- to the rate paid by those in the top three brackets. Additionally, Obamacare included a separate, broader income tax surcharge of 0.9 percent on higher-income households. And those Obamacare-related tax increases don't go into the general budget -- a good chunk of which gets spent on things like defense and corporate subsidies -- it goes right back out the door to lower-income families in the form of premium subsidies that help buy health insurance. As Paul Krugman pointed out, Obamacare represents "an important redistributionist policy -- the biggest such policy since the 1960s."

Finally, three days after the President's Rutgers speech, the administration announced new overtime rules that will make an estimated 12.5 million working Americans eligible for overtime pay if they exceed 40 hours of work in a given week. Going back to Krugman, he called them "a pretty big deal."

It will take a long time to undo the increases in income inequality that we've seen since Reagan took office. The Obama tax changes, however, are unquestionably a step in the right direction, one that should have a real impact over time. Moreover, recent data shows that, in addition to overall wage growth improving, wage growth has been even stronger at lower-income than higher-income levels. According to one measure: "On a rolling twelve-month basis, [the past year] marks by far the best relative performance among non-college educated workers going back to 1997."

To return to the larger narrative of progress, let's start with the obvious: Anyone who wants to go back to the 1950s either likes the idea of a society dominated by straight, white, Protestant men, or is forgetting about that reality.

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At the Howard speech, the president's presentation of the American narrative included more of a focus on how life for African Americans has improved over time. He cited the importance of the changes to law that the civil rights movement won, and continued: "those mileposts of our progress were not perfect. They did not make up for centuries of slavery or Jim Crow or eliminate racism or provide for 40 acres and a mule. But they made things better." Obama added:

America is a better place today than it was when I graduated from college. [snip] I graduated in 1983. New York City, America's largest city, where I lived at the time, had endured a decade marked by crime and deterioration and near bankruptcy. And many cities were in similar shape. Our nation had gone through years of economic stagnation, the stranglehold of foreign oil, a recession where unemployment nearly scraped 11 percent. The auto industry was getting its clock cleaned by foreign competition. [snip] Since that year -- since the year I graduated -- the poverty rate is down. Americans with college degrees, that rate is up. Crime rates are down. America's cities have undergone a renaissance. There are more women in the workforce. They're earning more money. We've cut teen pregnancy in half. We've slashed the African American dropout rate by almost 60 percent, and all of you have a computer in your pocket that gives you the world at the touch of a button. In 1983, I was part of fewer than 10 percent of African Americans who graduated with a bachelor's degree. Today, you're part of the more than 20 percent who will. And more than half of blacks say we're better off than our parents were at our age -- and that our kids will be better off, too.

Of course, Obama recognizes that we've still got work to do on the matter of racial injustice and inequality:

Yes, our economy has recovered from crisis stronger than almost any other in the world. But there are folks of all races who are still hurting -- who still can't find work that pays enough to keep the lights on, who still can't save for retirement. We've still got a big racial gap in economic opportunity. The overall unemployment rate is 5 percent, but the black unemployment rate is almost nine. We've still got an achievement gap when black boys and girls graduate high school and college at lower rates than white boys and white girls. Harriet Tubman may be going on the twenty, but we've still got a gender gap when a black woman working full-time still earns just 66 percent of what a white man gets paid. (Applause.) We've got a justice gap when too many black boys and girls pass through a pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails. This is one area where things have gotten worse. When I was in college, about half a million people in America were behind bars. Today, there are about 2.2 million. Black men are about six times likelier to be in prison right now than white men.



Despite these continued inequities, and despite the problems that remain in our society, Obama emphasized that while the present day may not be paradise it sure as hell is better than what came before -- for African-Americans and for Americans more broadly:

If you had to choose one moment in history in which you could be born, and you didn't know ahead of time who you were going to be -- what nationality, what gender, what race, whether you'd be rich or poor, gay or straight, what faith you'd be born into -- you wouldn't choose 100 years ago. You wouldn't choose the fifties, or the sixties, or the seventies. You'd choose right now. If you had to choose a time to be, in the words of Lorraine Hansberry, "young, gifted, and black" in America, you would choose right now. (Applause.)

In both speeches, President Obama took aim at the presumptive Republican nominee -- without mentioning his name. On the idea that we need someone who will "make America great again:"

Point number one: When you hear someone longing for the "good old days," take it with a grain of salt. (Laughter and applause.) Take it with a grain of salt. We live in a great nation and we are rightly proud of our history. We are beneficiaries of the labor and the grit and the courage of generations who came before. But I guess it's part of human nature, especially in times of change and uncertainty, to want to look backwards and long for some imaginary past when everything worked, and the economy hummed, and all politicians were wise, and every kid was well-mannered, and America pretty much did whatever it wanted around the world. Guess what. It ain't so. (Laughter.) The "good old days" weren't that great.

Conservatives have long attacked President Obama over his views of our historical development. Among countless other examples, on July 16, 2012, Rush Limbaugh said that the President "despises the country and the way it was founded and the way in which it became great." Having read almost every word Barack Obama published or uttered publicly through mid-2012, and much of the rest since then, I can tell you that such a patently false statement only confirms Senator Al Franken's measured, sophisticated assessment of Limbaugh.

What Obama has provided in these remarks and over the course of his public life is a truly inclusive narrative, one that recognizes the ideals at our nation's core, the ways in which we've fallen short of them, and the steps we've taken to overcome those shortcomings. Here's how he described that narrative on July 4, 2012:

On that July day [in 1776], our Founders declared their independence. But they only declared it; it would take another seven years to win the war. Fifteen years to forge a Constitution and a Bill of Rights. Nearly 90 years, and a great Civil War, to abolish slavery. Nearly 150 years for women to win the right to vote. Nearly 190 years to enshrine voting rights. And even now, we're still perfecting our union, still extending the promise of America.

And in his second Inaugural Address, Obama again connected our founding values to the movements and activists who fought and bled to ensure that we lived up to them:

We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths -- that all of us are created equal -- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.



This is the kind of nuanced understanding of our country that can appeal to Americans of every stripe. Given that being American is the only thing that connects all of us who live here to one another, the only bond with any kind of cultural and historical content that can cross all the other group lines that divide us, we need a workable concept of Americanness and of our collective history. As I've written elsewhere:

A history that emphasizes only our crimes and ignores the progress is but the mirror image of one that does the opposite -- one that presents our history as one solely bathed in glory and righteousness. And if those are the only two options, many middle-of-the-road Americans, in particular whites but others as well, are likely to be more attracted to the Pollyanna-ish view simply because it sounds more familiar and feels better. We progressives have to make sure that we present a balanced picture. That way we can get those people who sometimes forget about the crimes to remember them and to commit to reversing their effects, rather than dismiss our criticisms as "anti-American" because we [supposedly] talk only about the negatives in our country. We have to present our case as representing the true American values, and contrast them to the values of those whom we oppose.

At Howard, Obama summarized the narrative of our history--as well as how it relates to the course of our future. He described:

The evolution of America--the course by which we became bigger, stronger, and richer and more dynamic, and a more inclusive nation. But America's progress has never been smooth or steady. Progress doesn't travel in a straight line. It zigs and zags in fits and starts. Progress in America has been hard and contentious, and sometimes bloody. It remains uneven and at times, for every two steps forward, it feels like we take one step back. But progress is bumpy. It always has been. But because of dreamers and innovators and strivers and activists, progress has been this nation's hallmark. I'm fond of quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." (Applause.) It bends towards justice. I believe that. But I also believe that the arc of our nation, the arc of the world does not bend towards justice, or freedom, or equality, or prosperity on its own. It depends on us, on the choices we make, particularly at certain inflection points in history; particularly when big changes are happening and everything seems up for grabs. [snip] Isolating or disparaging Muslims, suggesting that they should be treated differently when it comes to entering this country -- (applause) -- that is not just a betrayal of our values -- (applause) -- that's not just a betrayal of who we are, it would alienate the very communities at home and abroad who are our most important partners in the fight against violent extremism. Suggesting that we can build an endless wall along our borders, and blame our challenges on immigrants -- that doesn't just run counter to our history as the world's melting pot; it contradicts the evidence that our growth and our innovation and our dynamism has always been spurred by our ability to attract strivers from every corner of the globe. That's how we became America. Why would we want to stop it now? (Applause.)



Finally, although it does not directly bear on the discussion of our historical development, there is one other section of the Howard speech to emphasize as both especially important, and as central to Obama's take on America, in particular given Trump's disproportionate appeal to racially resentful white men. It is a call for empathy, about being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes and understand that person's perspective--even if one disagrees with the policy positions to which that perspective gives rise. He was talking to African Americans directly, but my hope is that hearing him say this to African Americans encourages each of us to apply the lesson to our fellow Americans of every background:

But we must expand our moral imaginations to understand and empathize with all people who are struggling, not just black folks who are struggling -- the refugee, the immigrant, the rural poor, the transgender person, and yes, the middle-aged white guy who you may think has all the advantages, but over the last several decades has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and technological change, and feels powerless to stop it. You got to get in his head, too.

President Obama is not on the ballot this fall, but he has been the dominant political figure of the past eight years. When we go to cast our votes for president in November, the fundamental question is whether we want a president who will, by and large, share the policies and vision of Barack Obama, or one who in addition to being a hateful, uninformed, groper of a fascist who would destroy our position in the world, fundamentally rejects them - -not merely on matters like the size of government, but in every imaginable sense.

Do we want to continue moving forward, continue the progress we've made, and keep fighting to make things better--or do we turn the keys over to Donald Trump? That's what this election is about.
This article was originally posted on Inverse.

By Kashann Kilson

Traditionally, counterfeit foods have been reserved for ultra-high priced items well outside the budget of the average consumer. For years, law enforcement agencies have dunked serious resources to combat the flood of high-dollar knockoffs of luxury products like caviar, truffles, and premium wines, and spirits. As the cost of gourmet food products continue to increase, so does the scope of the counterfeit market: the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's University in Belfast estimates that in the next year, counterfeit food could account for over $600 billion dollars in the global food trade.

However, outside of serious foodies and collectors, more and more consumers are happy spending their hard earned cheddar on imitation food items. Sure it's immoral as shit, but ultimately, as the quality of fake-fancy food and drink items increases, the average consumer cares less and less: they dig being able to get a deal and high-end eats, and quite frankly, can't tell the difference between the real and the forgery to begin with.

Here is a list of 5 high-end food items wherein counterfeit food may cause us to rethink the value genuine articles:

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Olive Oil

As it turns out, olive oil is the single most fraud prone food item on the market today. For the most part, the fraud is more a matter of the quality of the olive oil, which is often falsely billed as being "Italian" or "extra virgin." However, more and more often, inferior quality olive oils are being cut with other oils like hazelnut, corn, and palm. The bad news is that if you can find a deep discount on anything being billed as "authentic Italian" extra virgin olive oil, it's probably anything but. The good news is that without some sort of formal training, you probably won't be able to tell the difference anyway.

European Cheese

The good news is there is pretty much a 0.0% chance the 3lbs. brick of Colby Jack you snagged at Costco this weekend is fake. Luckily that's just not how American cheese companies roll.

However, chances are that fancy Euro cheese your brother-in-law bought on sale at the local grocery outlet is neither fancy nor European. Fake cheese is already an epidemic in Eastern Europe and Asia: it's estimated that over 80% of cheese sold in Russia is fake, while experts estimate that just about any "European" cheese sold in Asia was probably manufactured in China. Normally made from palm oil, these fake cheeses aren't the healthiest thing you can spread over a Ritz cracker, but can be incredibly hard to tell apart from the real deal from a taste perspective.

Red Snapper

Red Snapper isn't necessarily "gourmet" but it certainly has been served up with a side of high-class fraud. According to a study by the conservation group Oceana, mislabeling of Red Snapper has reached epidemic levels in the U.S. Of over 120 fish tested across the nation, only seven labeled Red Snapper were found to actually be the mild white fish. Meanwhile, 94% were found to be tilapia. Similarly, 84% of White Tuna samples were found to be escolar, and over half of the fish labeled as cod were found to be pangasius.

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The telling part here is that, most of the restaurants and markets selling the violating items had been buying from the same suppliers for years, before Oceana used actual DNA tests to determine the fish weren't legit.

Truffle Oil

Whether you love or hate it, the one sure bet is that you've never actually had real truffle oil. For a couple of decades now, over 95% of the truffle oil consumed in the U.S. is actually made from a chemical compound called 2,4-dithiapentane. It shouldn't come as a surprise; real truffles run about a $100 per ounce, so spending $10 for an entire bottle of truffle flavored oil has to come with a catch, right?

Listen, if the faux-stuff is good enough to fool the palettes of five-star chefs (and it is), go ahead and save the hundred dollar bill and keep enjoying your 2,4-dithiapentane with a clear conscience.

Saffron

At upwards of $10,000 per pound, real saffron is one of the most expensive spices money can buy. Subsequently, it is one of the most commonly counterfeited spices in the world. You can still buy the genuine stuff easily enough if you have the coin to spare, but you'll probably be one of the few who do. Know how your favorite Lebanese joint can give you a pound of "saffron" rice as a part of a $10.95 dinner platter? By serving saffron flavored dishes that don't contain a speck of real saffron.

Much like truffle oil, faux-saffron -- typically made from the Safflower -- is close enough to the genuine article. In fact, so few people have had real saffron, that the Safflower version originally produced to be a counterfeit of the original is the flavor most consumers identify with "saffron."

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Posters by Alex Melamid and David Dann

One day while visiting a friend who was renovating her home and is involved in the arts, I walked into the dining room and there stood a plain plywood door, (which I thought was too shabby for her grand house) with some paint splotches on it in the upper right hand corner. I caught myself and thought, "what if its art?" I simply said, "The door!" To which she replied, "beautiful isn't it?"

Artist, Lecturer, Revolutionary Bad-ass and Founder of the magazine Artenol, Alex Melamid, doesn't watch television and hasn't seen more than 20 movies in his lifetime. He wouldn't recognize Angelina Jolie if she hit him with her bike or Anthony Bourdain if he was sitting next to him in a restaurant in Istanbul. In some circles one might consider him a pariah. An evangelist calling out the racketeering in the art world's dark under-belly. "Hello out there, this is bullshit you're buying into!" A battle cry that screams off the pages of his beautiful magazine Artenol, which is printed in "China," Mr. Trump! I mean, it's beautiful! Its glossy pages and fabulous faces whittled into the leaves of premium stock paper are clever and cool, such as Nietzsche's mustache extended in a shape for the reader to tug at as they turn the page, Hillary Clinton's perky cheek, and my favorite, Van Gogh with a drilled hole in his ear canal. It is nothing less than Dali-esque sharp, reminding me of children's books, promising fairy tales and life lessons. His mission is to debunk the extravagance of 'nothing'. The nonsense of art world rubbish! Mind you, in excellent taste with sharp witty writing by the sharpest and wittiest.

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Painting by Alex Melamid

He is an intellectual shredding machine, when it comes to the world he knows well. Recently I attended a show of his on Grand street. Here, lifted right off the page of his announcement, it said: "The Revolution Continues." "A show of revolutionary posters created to call attention to the inequities of Big Art and to inspire the 99 percent to action. It also celebrates the sesquicentennial of Gustave Courbet's revolutionary masterpiece, "The Origin of the World." A champion of freedom and truth in all things, Courbet created this small painting in 1866 to test the limits of those concepts. Now, 150 years after the French master painted his "Origin," Artenol Magazine founder, artist Alex Melamid, will show a work of his own during "The Revolution Continues" to celebrate Courbet's picture. A truly revolutionary (and potentially scandalous*) painting titled "Le Butt du Monde," AKA, Melamid's Butt! EEK! Yes, it's true! Someone get me a shot of vodka!



Posters by Alex Melamid and David Dann

You can take the man out Moscow, but you can't take Moscow out of the man. And as Barack Obama kidded Bernie Sanders at the recent white house press dinner, so too I say 'Comrade' Melamid, you have my vote for the revolution...to an extent. Maybe some might think it madness to say out loud, but a lot of art is drivel, created by some of the most prominent artists of our time, or most likely by their employees. Some people pay outrageous prices for it, since the doyens of art evaluation assign magnificent value to things that are not so magnificent. Damien Hirst & Jeff Koons come to mind. They are businessmen.

A case of the emperor's new clothes? Then there is all sorts of fancy foot work to inflate prices beyond comprehension by buyers and so on...Art shares some of the same very greedy, seedy oeuvre as the banking and real-estate industry for scoundrels who want to hide money or invest. Artists are considered gods in some circles and the same ones are sell outs in another. We assign the depth of value to a piece and though some are priceless in their invention and beauty, some truly are manufactured nonsense, by yes, a greedy slob just as invented as the art they "create" is. This is where my thoughts diverge from Melamid's. I do believe that one should be paid for art, which gives us joy and pause to think and feel something extraordinary. He is a fine painter himself and partially funded his magazine with what he earned. Painting like anything else takes skill, an eye for light and color, form, shape, and storytelling, no less essential to a canvas as writing to a book, acting to a play. Though, true enough, outrageous and bloated prices are just a sign of marketing, storytelling to the elite.

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The current zeitgeist is like a terminal condition of celebrity euphoria, which keeps us in a tailspin, inflating the repetitive and mundane to ridiculous heights of grandeur which make heights of grandeur look like a single step leading up to an art gallery door, where a collector can pull out their limitless check book and buy a piece of art, which they can store in a warehouse by Kennedy Airport, before they sell it at auction at Christie's, where it will go to a new collector, who paid twice as much and who will store it at a facility near Kennedy Airport...



Posters by Alex Melamid and David Dann

The Library Journal counted the magazine as one of the best magazines for art of 2015. They describe it this way: "Artenol aims to be "a purgative for an ailing art world, a palliative for afflicted aesthetes," and it succeeds brilliantly. Rapier sharp satire and astute parody effectively skewer artistic pretension in all its forms. And though some pieces are wickedly funny, the readable and insightful humor manages as well to convey substantive critiques. Artenol also offers serious analyses on rather offbeat but interesting topics unlikely to be addressed in mainstream art mags. Yet this is no seat-of-the-pants alternative screed. Publisher Art Healing Ministry has produced a high-quality magazine with top-notch writing and design. The pretentious (usually unnamed) persons being targeted may be offended, but that's the point.

Doesn't that sound fiendishly fun?! I've read several stories from a few editions. With titles ranging from 'Breaking the Chains of Art Slavery," by Alex Melamid to "Kidnapping and Murder in Verse," by Ian Frazier. Catchy titles like these are a pleasant respite from a world that takes itself -- too seriously!
This piece was co-authored by Jack Myint and Nicholas Borroz. It originally appeared in New Mandala on 23 May, 2016.

To sustain its efforts to counter China's growing influence in Asia, Washington must deepen its economic ties with Southeast Asia. Since 2011, President Barack Obama has stated he intends to pivot American foreign policy towards Asia, the goal of which is essentially to "contain" China, no matter how White House spokesmen try to avoid such a contentious term.

Southeast Asia is the priority sub-region for the pivot. India and Japan are also important elements, but their preexisting antagonism towards Beijing make them natural barriers to Chinese expansionism. Southeast Asia--particularly the poorer countries that are economically beholden to Beijing--falls more within China's sphere of influence.

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The pivot comes after a long-term decline in American influence in Southeast Asia, caused by two factors. First, Washington shifted its focus to the Middle East and Central Asia as a result of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Second, China has displaced American influence with its increasing foreign direct investment in Southeast Asia.

The Obama Administration's attempts to reprioritize Asia have had a decidedly militaristic quality. Washington has repositioned warships to the region; it has indicated it intends to jointly develop an aircraft carrier for India; it will reportedly increase reconnaissance drone flights over the South China Sea; and it has announced it plans to set up "permanent logistics facilities" by developing military bases in the Philippines.

Despite these developments, the pivot is still poorly defined. According to a recent report commissioned by the US Department of Defense, there is "consistent confusion about the rebalance strategy." Essentially, the following questions have no clear answers: how should the United States rebalance towards Asia, and what justifies such a shift?



Economic ties to sustain military involvement

There is growing American awareness that a purely military rebalance will not allow Southeast Asia to resist China over the long term and enable the United States to pursue its interests. An increasing number of articles and policy events in Washington highlight Southeast Asia's need for infrastructure development, warning that China is meeting this requirement in order to establish its dominance in the region. It is in this context that policymakers reacted with alarm last year to Beijing's creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

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There is also increasing consciousness that to validate any military presence in Asia over the long term, Washington must strengthen economic ties with the region. This counters the common criticism both domestically and abroad that the United States often becomes involved in far-flung places where it has no direct economic interest; lightning rods for such criticism are Afghanistan and, to a lesser extent, Iraq.

It is true that the United States already has an economic interest in the region. Southeast Asia's waters are one of the world's most critical shipping lanes for the movement of goods and oil on a daily basis. US-ASEAN two-way trade exceeded over $200 billion in 2015, including over $80 billion in US exports. Additionally, the United States is close to finalizing the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will closer link it to the economies of four ASEAN countries--Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.

But these economic ties must be further strengthened to justify any pivot, as President Obama is well aware. He signaled this when he met with leaders of the ten member states of ASEAN in February--two months after the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). After the summit, Obama remarked the United States' main priorities with respect to Southeast Asia are economic and trade-related.

Specific goals

To solidify economic ties with Southeast Asia, Washington should define and pursue specific objectives that deepen economic ties between it and the United States. These objectives should lower the cost of entry for American firms, and also ensure these companies' investment provides meaningful benefits to receiving countries.

One such objective in US trade policy could be to reduce local content requirements in Southeast Asian countries. These requirements--which pose major disincentives for American companies investing in the region--are in place to ensure economic activity does not unfairly benefit foreign investors over local communities.

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In exchange for reducing such requirements, therefore, Washington should work with American companies to ensure their economic activities in Southeast Asia offer substantive support to host countries' economic development. This could come in the form of CSR, technical training, or building infrastructure development projects that are eventually transitioned to local control. Additionally, US companies could support entrepreneurship initiatives.

To meet these objectives, the United States should look for ways of collaborating with its regional ally Japan--which enjoys a strong reputation in Southeast Asia because of its common implementation of such knowledge transfer programs.

Another specific objective Washington could pursue would be to work with Southeast Asian governments to reduce compliance risk--another major discouragement for risk-averse American companies. Washington could tackle corruption issues by supporting Southeast Asian governments' justice and law enforcement sectors, and also by helping local companies to develop compliance programs.

The benefits of reducing compliance risk for Southeast Asian countries would be meaningful, since it would help improve investment inflows not just from the United States, but also from compliance-conscious investors from other countries. The United States leads the world's anti-corruption industry: it is the author of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), a global standard for defining corruption in international business; and Washington and New York are replete with companies dedicated to helping investors mitigate compliance risk abroad.

Washington should focus these efforts on Southeast Asia's least developed countries. Doing so would allow Washington to build up resistance to Chinese influence in countries most susceptible to it, and also to reduce economic disparities in Southeast Asia that prevent the region's economic integration.

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In these ways, Washington can create an economic justification for its pivot to Southeast Asia. When such ties are established, the United States will be able to sustain its presence in the region over the long term.



Nicholas Borroz is a Washington-based strategic intelligence consultant specializing in geopolitics, the energy sector, and investment risk.
The Sanders candidacy combines an election campaign with a social movement. The size of this movement is unprecedented. Going against the odds, Sanders has revealed and activated a significant left in America and altered the political dialogue in the country. The movement he has generated is, in itself, an historic achievement and the instrument for a continuing potent shift to the left in America. If Sanders also is elected president (a very outside chance), that would be icing on the cake. This is a fluid primary season and my analysis of how things will play out goes on the assumption he will not win the primary (though my fingers are crossed). Absent a primary win, what alternative directions might his remarkable movement take? Here are six possible options for the future, with a critique of each.

The first option is for Sanders to focus on reforming or radicalizing the

Democratic Party, basically creating a new and robust New Deal. His movement could be a powerful force pushing legislators in office to change policies or mobilizing to elect new progressive legislators at every level. Some activists call for organizing a Tea Party of the Left--related to the Democrats, but existing outside the Party. Sanders has already taken steps to shake up Congress by helping fund the progressive campaigns of Zephyr Teachout (New York), Lucy Flores (Nevada), and Pramile Jayapal (Washington State).

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We see new groups forming to reform the Democratic Party, like National People's Action and Brand New Congress. And existing groups have gotten a formidable shot in the arm from Sanders' momentum, including the Working Peoples Party, Progressive Democrats of America, MoveOn, and the Howard Dean offshoot, Democracy for America (DFA). Some groups that are further left, including components of the Democratic Socialists of America, see working within this Party as a useful step toward more radical outcomes down the line. The campaign offers a venue and a fluid constituency who could be moved in a radical direction.

The Democratic Party option has outspoken critics who believe it isn't possible to radicalize this guardian of the status quo. They claim the Party is too immersed in and controlled by the establishment and has long been the graveyard for radical movements. These movements have been taken over, smothered, or subverted after the Party adopted pieces of their programs--Social Security, health care, and 40-hour workweek are some examples. This cooptation takes the steam out of the radical drive.

The critics claim that the Democratic Party is essentially part of a single, two-sided, capitalist party apparatus dedicated to maintaining the current system. Some worry that Bernie could simply be serving as a sheepdog to lead radicalized youth into a moderate fold. And they believe spending time tinkering within the Party is a diversion, deflecting efforts away from building a true left organization and action front. Even if a strong platform statement is adopted at the Convention, there is no reason to think it would be carried forward. Hillary cannot be trusted; she will swing toward the center/right and there are no formal procedures that require implementing that platform.

A second option is for Sanders to support or lead a new independent party focused on social change. This action would involve Sanders' many supporters, existing progressive groups such as those previously mentioned, and socialist organizations choosing to join the effort. The array of socialist groups includes, among others, Democratic Socialists of America, Socialist Party USA, Socialist Alternative, the Green Party, Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Appeal, Freedom Road Socialists, Revolutionary Communists, and Workers' World. Unity hasn't been a high point among these groups, but current circumstances might spark some alliances.

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Jill Stein of the Green Party has already asked Sanders to begin talks on collaborating with her group. An independent party strategy might involve a broad left coalition, a form of united front, in which there would be a socialist presence. The Bernie supporter constituency contains various positions across the liberal-progressive spectrum and many would be unwilling to get on board a strictly socialist organizing thrust. And some socialist groups would definitely prefer to remain apart, fixed on their mission of replacing free enterprise with a planned economy.

When should independent party action begin? There are sharp differences on this. The bold position is that it should start now, during the primary. This is advocated strongly by Kshama Savant, the socialist city council member in Seattle. She believes that Bernie made a mistake by not running as an independent in the first place. Others think the good time would be right after the primary. That allows time to plan the start up--but avoids protracted delay. Probably most of those leaning toward a third party initiative prefer to hold off until after the election. Because of Sanders' pledge to endorse the winner of the primary, he's not likely to support a rival action opposing the Democrats until the election is over. He's come over as a man who won't go back on his word. One of his chief assets is his reputation for honesty and integrity, and there is no reason to believe he would squander that. He said he would endorse the winner of the primary, but he didn't indicate how much support, if any, he would provide during the campaign. That's a big unknown at this time.

The independent party option isn't everyone's cup of tea. Critics say that third parties in have almost invariably crashed in this country, across the political spectrum. On the left, futile campaigns were run by Eugene Debs, Norman Thomas, Henry Wallace, Ralph Nader, and Jill Stein. Moving toward the right, John Anderson, Ross Perot, George Wallace, and Strom Thurmond have played that hand and lost. The electoral system and the structure and culture of American politics work against third parties, and so does the mindset of the electorate. Creating a third party can be a lofty aspiration, but it's not a plausible reality.

A third option is to promote grassroots organizing at the local level--building a progressive action infrastructure with geographically-based coalitions. The grassroots strategy has two components: establish grassroots citizens action groups dealing with local issues--traffic congestion, gentrification, and homelessness; pursue electoral work to affect the vote for city councils, state legislatures, and Congress. This local effort would generate a network of organizations, leaders, competencies, and power that would progress upward. The approach reflects the "Long March to Change" strategy, whereby you build a baseline of local change and slowly erect layers above--in the process putting in place elements of the new society.

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There are emerging developments afoot to carry out such grassroots organizing. The People's Summit is planning a national meeting in Chicago in mid-June. Participants include the National Nurses United, People for Bernie, Democratic Socialists of America, Progressive Democrats of America, Reclaim Chicago, etc. The aim is not to form a new national organization but to energize organizing at the grassroots level. The Summit will draft an overarching People's Platform for these groups to work from. Other new groups are being formed in various locales for similar purposes, for example, Grassroots Select, with offshoots such as TeamBernie4LA in Los Angeles and LeftUpToUs in Austin. Continuing efforts are found in existing groups like Black Lives Matter and Dream Defenders.

Critics point out that concentrating on grassroots organizing has a clear downside. These scattered efforts have never been sufficient and that greater mass is needed to have an impact on national and societal problems. The notable Saul Alinsky community organizing program never took hold because of its strictly local orientation. Local groups often fragment and go off to follow particularistic interests and goals. To tackle significant problems of scope, there needs to be some combination of bottom-up and top-down action and leadership.

A fourth option at play calls for mobilizing to smash the system. Some hard-left activists think it's necessary to carry out broad civil disobedience, using disruptive tactics to unhinge the normal workings of society and harm the wellbeing of elites. That's because the ruling class has never shed its privileges in response to reason or humane impulses.

This strategy has an anarchist flavor, is typified by the student movement at Berkeley, and replicates the approach of Occupy. There would be work stoppages, unlicensed marches, and picketing. Journalist Chris Hedges has been a notable advocate of the disruptive approach. One outcome might be a change in election rules so that dissident groups are able to compete more successfully in the voting process.

Skeptics say that there isn't an appetite in the country for civil disobedience and the possibility of subsequent bedlam. Plus, the instrumentalities of social control through the police and military would quickly crush disorderly overtures. "Smash the system" would become "smash the movement."

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Acknowledging that revolt has a long history (going back to the American Revolution) as a means to dislodge oppressive regimes, circumstances and timing have to be present to create the Perfect Storm for successful non-violent change. Success requires widespread involvement in a disciplined way; not the emotional responses of outrage and the taking up of political theater that are attractive to so many, especially young rebels. The US currently does not have a Mahatma Gandhi or Vaclav Havel to lead this kind of movement.

Fifth, Bernie could release his supporters to build a movement of their own choosing. He would encourage self-direction and not provide direct leadership.

This is not likely to occur. It would mean that Bernie, in some sense, abandons his constituents, an action that doesn't seem compatible with his character.

As a sixth alternative, Bernie could simply focus on being a Senator from Vermont--with greater prestige and leverage in the Senate, including important committee assignments. This is also unlikely because it smacks of deserting his supporters. Senatorial involvement would probably be used in combination with aspects of one or more of the other options.

* * * * * * * *

In all of these strategic directions, there are questions about Bernie's role. Will he lead or support the alternative options? Will he turn over the campaign organization's resources? That includes email lists; a list of volunteers and their skills and willingness to work; staff names, skills, and contacts; fund-raising infrastructure; money. Estimates at this time are that Sanders has a mailing list of 5 million, has 8 million supporters on social media, and has raised more than $185 million in contributions. How these assets are deployed is crucial to any scenario that unfolds.

As context, we have to recognize that despite his self-identification, Sanders is not a full-fledged socialist, as classically understood. He is basically a New Dealer and Scandinavian-type social democrat. He doesn't advocate fundamental socialist principles calling for nationalizing at least some key industries and establishing worker ownership. Rather, He cites Franklin Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech, with its "Economic Bill of Rights," as core to his beliefs, leaving Karl Marx aside. This outlook will shape the choice of options he elects to enact.

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My own guess is that Bernie will, at least in the short run, take option #1, radicalizing the Democratic Party. He is, at the moment, heavily entwined, positively and negatively, in the Party's affairs as a candidate and caucus member. My hope is that further down the line he embraces option #2, taking leadership in starting a new independent party.

Radicalizing the Democratic Party is an ambition mired in frustration. The way the Party has obstructed the Bernie candidacy at every turn has given Sanders pause. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, rather than being a neutral Party chief executive, has been blunt in boosting the Clinton machine and hamstringing Bernie. The unfavorable debate arrangements, the stacked super-delegate setup, and the lockstep endorsements by party elites have all worked against him, as did the suspension of his campaign's database access and the underrepresentation of his campaign on key convention committees. Anyone taking an objective look at the Nevada Convention fracas can see that the State Party's apparatus was lined up with an iron fist to safeguard Hillary's position, extremely frustrating Bernie's delegates.

Hillary's surrogates lament that she has had to fight on two fronts--Bernie and Trump. The accurate rejoinder of the Bernie people is that he too has been obliged to fight on two fronts: Hillary and the Democratic Party establishment. The Democratic powers-that-be stand resolutely in the way of the Bernie insurgency within the Party. If we look toward the independent option, however, the social and political environment of the moment is uniquely favorable to making a third party bid.

Widespread dysfunction and disgruntlement prevail in the country. The government is pinned down by perpetual gridlock; it is impossible even to appoint Supreme Court Justices. Sanders has made the reality of shameful economic inequality evident to all elements of the public. The middle class has gone into distressing economic decline, with no hope of relief in sight. Our manufacturing capabilities are on life support. Problems like homelessness, infrastructure decay, drug addiction and racism seem beyond solution. Efforts to address climate change are pitiful. Ceaseless wars sap the nation's resources and moral integrity.

Public unrest and anger about this state of affairs are found on both the right and the left. Astonishingly, running as a democratic socialist conducting a political revolution, Sanders has tallied almost 10 million popular votes (through May), with the California primary still to come. Compare this with the not quite 1 million votes the great socialist leader Eugene Debs garnered in his most successful campaign. Factor in the enormous energy and commitment of the army of young people fueling the Bernie movement. Take note of the powerful organizing apparatus the campaign has assembled in email lists, volunteers, fundraising, social media, and the like.

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Recognize that avowed socialist Sanders is not seen as a bomb-thrower or crazy person, even by the mainstream media. He is viewed widely as an honest man with integrity, who has been consistent in his views--impervious to the political winds. People broadly admire his quest for equality and drive to take money out of politics. He alone accepts no funds from billionaire backers and is not beholden to special interests. It is no wonder that in polls he is rated the most favorable among all the candidates who have run in 2016.
I've been wondering lately what would happen if the conversation about work-life balance shifted out of living rooms and conference rooms and into the communities in which we live. Think about the community you live in right now -- how does it support you in creating the type of balance you desire?

One of the core elements of balance is finding alignment to values. So then, do your values align with those of the community in which you live? Does your community value education, health, kindness, innovation? Does it value growth, connection, diversity, equality? Does your community value balance?

Do you actually know what your community values? Most people don't; I didn't before I wrote this article. Most cities have a list of core values or at the very least a mission statement listed on their website. Just like a person or a company, a community (even a country) will express its values based on where it focuses time and spends money. Through looking at where a city invests time and money, a clear connection can be seen to a city's actual values.

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For example, this summer in Paris, nine of the city's largest parks will stay open all night. Residents, most of whom value social connection and city landmarks, can now appreciate the beauty of the city and each other 24 hours day. Paris is spending an estimated half a million dollars on this project, a direct alignment to the values of its residents.

For the residents of Carlsbad, California, most of which whom embrace a life of activity (on land and sea) the city has committed that 40 percent of the area will remain undeveloped as open space in addition to the 50 miles of hiking and biking trails and 7 miles of beach access already established. Going a step further, Carlsbad is intentionally working to retain and attract companies that support and share the city values of health and wellness. Making it no surprise that life sciences, action sports, clean technology and health and leisure are some of the area's top industries and employers.

This isn't about cities needing to create new programs, it's about people understanding (and choosing) a city for the programs they already offer, and then working together to maintain that which has been created. It's also about people creating more awareness not only about why they work where they work, but also around why they live where they live.

A Pew Research Center study finds that most Americans will move to a new community at least once in their life. Make that move count. If you value social connection, pick a community that supports social events and business networking. If you value the outdoors -- choose somewhere with open space and national parks. If you value knowledge and learning -- pick a city near universities and research centers.

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This post was co-written with Sarah Lyn Vollmer.

The Paris Agreement sends a power signal that governments must shift global resources towards clean energy. One critical component of this effort must be to use scarce public resources to help meet the deep emissions cuts targets outlined in the agreement. In spite of this progress, some countries are still financing international coal projects with public resources. Japan, which will host the 2016 G7 meeting, continues to be the worst offender when it comes to public financing for international coal projects, providing $22 billion from 2007 to 2015. And while most countries show signs of ending their public financing of overseas coal projects, Japan financed $1.4 billion in coal projects in 2015 and is considering nearly $10 billion in future coal projects.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, in partnership with Oil Change International, World Wildlife Fund, Kiko Network, Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society, and FoE Japan, released a new report today entitled, Swept Under the Rug: How G7 Nations Conceal Public Financing for Coal Around the World. [Full database of the projects is available here (xlsx).] This report highlights the international coal financing from 2007-2015 by Group of Seven countries (known as the G7). The report is an update from a similar study we released last year. Unfortunately, our findings revealed over $42 billion of coal financing from the G7 countries from 2007-2015, with Japan clearly standing out as the worst offender (see figure).

Japan outspent the other G7 countries nearly every year, with the Japan accounting for almost all of the funding the last two years as other countries showed signs of ending their funding of these projects (see figure). During the critical two year final push towards the Paris Agreement Japan funded almost $5 billion worth of coal projects overseas.

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During the course of 2015 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) were intensely negotiating an agreement to phase-out most public financing of overseas coal projects from their export-credit agencies. While this OECD negotiation was occurring and countries (including Japan) were publicly calling for the strongest international agreement to be adopted in Paris, Japan was continuing to actively fund coal-fired power plants around the world (see figure). In 2015, Japan provided $1.4 billion of public finance for three coal-fired power plants overseas with about 1,300 MW of installed capacity.

The vast majority of Japan's international coal finance - 80 percent - was funded by its export credit agencies. These export credit agencies provide the back-end financial support which makes a project much more attractive for private financial institutions to bankroll the remaining finance.

One would expect that after the Paris Agreement and new OECD rules these countries would dramatically reduce their investments in coal projects, if not virtually eliminate this spending altogether. However, Japan and Germany both continue to consider investments in international coal projects. Japan is considering providing over $10 billion worth of public financing to support a series of coal power plants around the world (see figure), which is almost a quarter of the $42 Billion USD that the G7 countries invested from 2007-2015.We have been able to document over 20 coal power plants that Japan is considering funding so the total funding value could be even larger as we have only been able to document Japan public investment values for 10 projects.

In total, Japan is considering subsidizing coal power plants overseas with a total capacity of over 29 GW, which would contribute 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere over the lifetime of the plant. The three largest projects under consideration by Japanese lenders are all backed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC): Batang Power Plant in Indonesia (a 2000 MW plant), Tanjung Jati B Expansion in Indonesia (a 2000 MW plant), and Toyo-Thai Power Plant in Myanmar (a 1280 MW plant). The new OECD agreement will cover financing from Japan's export-credit agencies so it will be critical to see if Japan finally turns the corner on its overseas coal financing and avoids moving these projects from "pending" to "finalized".

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Last month Japanese Environment Minister, Tamayo Marukawa, said that she wants to work with the G7 partners to jointly agree that "this is a year to put (the promises) into action". Putting the promises of the Paris Agreement into action will mean rejecting the use of scarce public resources to support international coal financing projects.
The one common thread is this presidential election is how much voters dislike the presumptive candidates of our political duopoly. The reality is -- voters want more choices.

Sadly, one area where Republicans and Democrats are most willing to cooperate is stopping third party efforts with rules and regulations meant to protect the duopoly. One such reform in California now means many areas are effectively one-party states. For instance, my choice for Congress was limited to Republican A or Republican B. No other option allowed.

The big parties rig the system to do as much harm to third party options as possible.

When Republicans were losing their breakfast over Trump's likely nomination they discussed a third party option. But, the laws they helped push through made it virtually impossible. There are so many hurdles and barriers to entry, political competition is effectively illegal.

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Libertarians are the only third party in position to secure ballot status in all 50 states, which often means spending their limited resources to secure ballot status, leaving little for a campaign.

Over the years Democrats and Republicans faced third party efforts and learned how to use their law-making ability to cripple third parties before they start.

In spite of the crippling efforts, Libertarians have suddenly found themselves in an enviable position. Not only do they look likely to have ballot status in all states, but also have two declared candidates who are credible, experienced and newsworthy -- Governors Gary Johnson and William Weld.

More enviable is these two candidates -- and only these two -- are politically positioned toward the middle-of-the-road voter. Over and over polls have shown most voters are fiscally conservative but socially liberal. This is most true of the largest block of voters: independent voters.

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But, the duopoly refuses to offer voters that ideological combination. Republicans insist candidates support free markets -- but not too free -- and social intolerance. Democrats don't want to regulate the bedroom, but want heavily politicized markets, which reduce competition and protect special interest groups.

Only Governors Johnson and Weld have consistently represented the middle ground. Both were fiscal conservatives elected as Republicans who refused to kowtow to the Religious Right. They supported a woman's right to choose and same-sex marriage. This combination of fiscal responsibility and tolerance won them office in their respective states -- New Mexico and Massachusetts -- in spite of each being Democratic strongholds.

In 2007, Southern Baptist theologian R. Albert Mohler, Jr., complained America was a "post-Christian" nation. Jon Meacham, at Newsweek, asked what common set of values held America together as a society, if not religion. His answer:

If we apply an Augustinian test of nationhood to ourselves, we find that liberty, not religion, is what holds us together. In The City of God " Augustine -- converted sinner and bishop of Hippo -- said that a nation should be defined as "a multitude of rational beings in common agreement as to the objects of their love." What we value most highly -- what we collectively love most -- is thus the central test of the social contract. Judging from the broad shape of American life in the first decade of the 21st century, we value individual freedom and free (or largely free) enterprise, and tend to lean toward libertarianism on issues of personal morality.

Meacham put his finger on the main issue -- liberty, not religion, holds America together. That's why the Religious Right lost their crusade against marriage equality, and why they'll eventually lose the entire "culture war" they started. They demand religious-based laws, which reduce the liberty of others. As much as it would annoy them to know it, they proposed a strongly anti-American position and will be beaten because of it

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Molly Worthen correctly noted in the New York Times, America's political shift is not toward liberalism, but toward secular libertarianism. She isn't particularly happy our "homegrown libertarian ideology" allows people freedoms she'd prefer they didn't have -- something conservatives lament as well, though on different issues.

Worthen said the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality "signals that secular libertarianism is on the ascent while its Christian cousin is in retreat."

Political polls bear this out. Americans are now fine with same-sex marriage. They arent keen to engage in censorship, think immigration reform is needed to make it easier for immigrants, aren't keen to ban abortion, don't want higher taxes, worry about over-regulation, and are skeptical of foreign interventionism. Gallup's Governance Survey found 27% think government too big and shouldn't interfere with business so much, but also say government shouldn't be promoting "traditional morality" either; in other words, they're fiscally conservative and socially liberal. No other political ideology polled higher.

America is ready for a real third party. It may not be the Libertarian Party -- which also has to battle it's own ideologues within the party -- but if one does come into existence it will have to embrace the middle ground of social liberalism and fiscal conservatism.

However, this year, and in this election, the political winds are being kind to Gary Johnson and William Weld, provided the Libertarians have the sense to realize it at their nominating convention
It's clear that despite dire warnings of social media would upend decades of traditional news sources, digital did not mean the end of newspapers, broadcast and magazines. People will always want the news, distribution and form aside, and quality will always be the difference maker and the biggest attraction for consumers.

This week at Ogilvy PR we published a new whitepaper which takes a deeper dive into how digital has transformed news, but left traditional media in a renewed position of importance. Below I lay out the main points from the white paper to tell the story of how traditional media survived and even thrived after the digital "revolution."

Traditional media companies evolved from being in the paper business, to being in the information business. Their core reason of being, delivering news, doesn't change despite the shift in medium. Although many companies made this change slowly, successful traditional media outlets stepped up and invested in digital technologies and are now available across multiple platforms.

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Equally important, new outlets adapted to new formats better suited to these platforms like video, 'listicles', slideshows and interactive stories, rather than just posting a version of the newspaper online. Stories are now adapted or specifically created for these new formats and audiences - think 15-second subtitled videos for Instagram or 140 character breaking news on Twitter.

These formats were often borrowed from new media organizations that started as sources of varied online content. Outlets like VICE, The Daily Beast, Upworthy, Elite Daily and BuzzFeed were a new set of competitors 'born' out of the digital revolution that understood how to distribute content better than their forefathers. What were once considered 'fringe' online news organizations have now become major players. However, the new outlets didn't always do news better, allowing an opening for savvy, digitally-fluent journalists.

Social media enabled journalists to become media brands in and of themselves. These 'Uber media' are reporters that cross platform and are the reporters that other media listen to. These journalists have also built direct relationships with audiences via their traditional platforms and personal social channels.

Digital also gave traditional national media outlets a chance to build a global audience and become international brands. For example, The Guardian was previously a UK-only newspaper, but is becoming an increasingly international service with less than one-third of their audience in the UK, more global offices and locally adapted content.

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Often this transformation to global media brand happens with stories that are broken by traditional media outlets and widely shared around the world. Rolling Stone's Sean Penn interview with El Chapo became a global sensation, with the publication itself inseparable to the story. This is not a new phenomenon, but the ease of sharing content online means it's become more frequent and valuable for the media brand that breaks the story.

National media outlets were supposed to go the way of the dinosaurs, at the hands of "citizen journalists." In fact, audiences didn't become the journalists, but they did become part of the story by responding to the coverage and spreading the story further. These reactions shape how the story is covered, think #jesuischarlie and #prayforparis. The digital response and solidarity shown to the tragic Paris terrorist attacks became central the story. However professional analysis and traditional media drove the story worldwide.

As the media changed, so did the ads that support it. Digital allowed people to seek out the content they want and block unwanted interruptions from traditional ads. Advertisers responded through 'native' advertising and producing original content that is sought out rather than delivered. Through carefully signposted integrations, news sites can offer advertisers content that promises not to interrupt people's online experience, while offering their savvy audience something useful.

However, digital distribution has also caused 'content overload' for audiences. Contradictory information from unfamiliar sources is everywhere. This means that trust and content loyalty is more important than ever before. Media consumers today are curating a smaller number of publishers that they are loyal to, leading to large and trusted traditional media outlets assuming an important role.

The source for information remains crucial, and earned stories in traditional news sources are the most trusted. People are still skeptical of visible involvement of a brand in content. Earned media cannot be bought or owned, it is "earned" organically. There is a significant difference between trust in the media in general, and trust in select traditional media influencers that those surveyed followed.

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Contradictory information from unfamiliar media sources is everywhere. Most brands and individuals are often nakedly self-interested and under-qualified to provide verifiable and engaging content. In our diversified media landscape, traditional media's status as a trusted source of content has been re-established and earned media's influence is more valuable than ever.

For more on this topic, read our new white paper "Earned Media is Alive and Well": http://www.ogilvydo.com/research/white-paper/earned-media-is-alive-and-well/
If boyish-looking southern Californian entrepreneur Phoenix Eyre has his way, to quote from the Musical Hamilton, everyone will be "in the room where it happens."

That room will contain a singular, virtual online world and its capital city, Terra Prime which will provide its citizens with universal education, multi-sector employment and a Human Development Forum which promises to reward the more zealous with cash awards up to $5 million in return for sharing in the ownership, marketing and sales of winning ideas or inventions.

Eyre's company, GenDev Collaborative, has a stellar advisory board and a brain trust of tech firms, NGO's, impact investors, foundations, universities and government.

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All of them intrigued...captivated...by an advanced virtual reality technology capable of creating an ad-supported platform to meet the promise of NexGen gaming, universal education, digital employment and intercultural collaboration.

Eyre won't be doing this without you, either. His funding goal is to launch an IndieGoGo campaign on June 9 and to reward donors by giving them a free download of a massive VR game called Zombies Vs. Celebrities: In Vegas.

With funds in hand, Eyre will reward developers over the summer with prize money as they create the new environment, games and educational experiences/apps - not to forget fabricating 'virtual businesses' to employ refugees and the underemployed.

All this in preparation for the beta launch ambitiously scheduled for August 8.

"We'll do this by employing what is called in the tech world, a 'game jam,' he explains. "GenDev will reach out to over 2,300 Virtual Reality (VR) developers through UploadVR to build a deep offering of 300 virtual landscapes, games and educational materials for the expected immigrants to our shores."

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Non-profit partners and developers are essential to the experience

GenDev claims that it will generate ongoing revenue with an end-user store for large-scale virtual reality games, apps (some free, some not) and experiences - all powered by way of an advanced VR content-rendering engine. They plan, through a score of non-profit partners, to "give back" by way of free education games and hardware for students at low-income schools. Oh yes, and to extend virtual reality employment training and opportunities to refugees in need of jobs.

As Eyre explains it, there are three levels of access to Terra Prime, with use depending on the hardware already available. Universal Education can be accessed via smartphone. Interactive Employment is accessible by way of a console (Xbox or Playstation) or PC. Intercultural Engagement - the crown jewel, and the room where it is happening - is available for those with a VR headset such as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.

Universal Education. The intention here is to provide access to basic and advanced education for every person on earth with access to even the simplest technology. The educational games will be simple at first, but will include access to adaptive tutoring algorithms within the next two years.



Real and Virtual Employment. The goal is to empowering community economic growth through real and virtual employment opportunities by way of multi-sector engagement of the UN SDGs, with a particular focus on the underemployed and refugee populations.

Individuals can train to become docents of virtual museums, tour guides, virtual office assistants, virtual conference hosts, with more opportunities being developed. Participants are encouraged as well to come up with their own ideas for a virtual business enterprise.

"Who knows where that may take them...and us," Eyre muses.

Intercultural Engagement. This is the home of the Human Development Prize (HDP). HDP winners will comprise business, research, student and engineering teams internationally collaborating in VR using GenDev's virtual communication environments and team oriented VR engineering and prototyping software.

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Their Big Picture task: to impact human development and enterprise by creating profitable products and solutions to mesh with the UN's sustainable development goals.



Rockstar Team

Eyre's co-founder is Henry Yu, founder of Kalloc Studios and former VP for the video game company Activision. "Basically," Eyre says, "He's the father of today's modern 3D game engines. His new code drives Terra Prime's world."

On the board is Michael Pellman Rowland, Senior Vice President of the Morgan Stanley Vector Group, Jennifer Kushell, NY Times bestselling author and UN Sustainable Development Goal Committee Member, Grant Van Cleve, President, Tech Coast Angels, and Patricia Devereux, Group Head of Corporate Philanthropy and Citizenship at Mastercard.

The impressive list continues with Aimee Minnich, Co-Founder and Counsel for the Impact Investing Foundation, Elbert Paul, Silicon Valley Regional Vice President of the National Christian Foundation, Roberto Prado, a 20 year veteran/producer at Fox, Jerr Boschee, Founder & Director, The Institute for Social Entrepreneurs and David McConnell, partner at Capital Partners Worldwide.

Register for the free Terra Prime Beta release here. It will pay to be alert, as only the first 100,000 people to register for Terra Prime will get beta access on August 8; the rest of the players will wait it out until September.

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The East African country of Tanzania has long been considered an island of stability where chaos appears to reign across the continent, and even its region of East Africa. But emerging concerns will test whether Tanzania can maintain this relative harmony over the next several years.

When I was invited to teach in Costa Rica, I heard it described as the "Switzerland of Central America," due to its political stability, commitment to economic fairness, and relative peace and tranquility within and beyond its borders. Could that description fit Tanzania?

Certainly most tourists find the landscape, flora and fauna to equal or even exceed Costa Rica's natural beauty. The safaris to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti are indescribable. You'll find Tanzanians as friendly as any other country's people. But there's more to Tanzania than what you'll see on a tour.

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My visit to Tanzania covered the politics and the economy, not just the animal adventures. Like Costa Rica, there's political stability, in the form of an unbroken transition of power by the dominant CCM party, going back to the country's independence. A real, distinct opposition party has emerged, giving this African country's voters a choice. Unlike my experience in Turkey last year, Tanzanians weren't afraid to talk about politics.

Unlike many decolonization battles, Tanzania's freedom struggle was relatively peaceful, owing to its status as an administered international territory (from World War I) and TANU's commitment to participating in elections. The country remains poor, but has improved, thanks to an influx of tourism dollars from those incredible sights to see and experience. The commitment to economic justice and the environment and sustainable development and the strong emphasis on national unity has helped the country avert some of the internal bloody wars seen elsewhere in Africa.

But there's one way in which Tanzania can truly emerge as the Switzerland of Africa, or even the Costa Rica of Africa. It's having a truly democratic and free political system. Freedom House, a non-governmental organization, rates this country as partly free, and it didn't take long to figure out why. In meeting with members from the two leading parties, and talking with many Tanzanians, I found that there is work to be done for Tanzania. The country's elections are controlled by the ruling party's election committee, giving the CCM an unfair advantage. There were complaints that one is not permitted to criticize or joke about the ruling party in the media.

Activists from the famous Maa'sai tribe complained that they will be relocated (again) far from their ancestral homes. Tough law enforcement members worried about poaching and Chinese influence over the country. Even the location of the capital was in dispute, as textbooks will now tell you it is in Dodoma (where the National Assembly meets) "but as long as the President's residence is in Dar es Salaam, that's where the real power is" complained more than one member of the pro-business "Chadema" party, the opposition.

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Photo of this political poster taken by the author.

But there is hope. Almost everyone I spoke with liked the current president, John Pombe Magufuli. "The Bulldozer," as he is known, has shown a commitment to education, development, and even a decision to critique government development projects, as he did in Arusha while I was there. Rooting out corruption and eliminating "ghost jobs," as the Tanzanians called them, has earned him applause from the people. The two-term limit installed after longtime first president Julius Nyerere stepped down, have been honored by his successors faithfully. And the country is one of several to allow the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights to be a court of last resort, given problems with an independent judiciary most African nations experience.

Following through on those, and ushering in an independent electoral commission, plus provide balance in the balance of rights between the Maa'sai and the government could lead this East African country to truly become the Switzerland of Africa.


I suspect I am not alone in being helpless to resist ordering crab in every form when eating around Annapolis. Even though the fat Maryland blue crabs--including softshells--are just now coming into season, the restaurateurs of Annapolis are able to maintain a steady supply of the best blue crab from down the coast and the Gulf of Mexico pretty much year round. Thus, did I find myself ordering crab dishes at almost every meal--including breakfast--while visiting the historic city set on the Chesapeake. Here are some of the places, all quite casual but with food far better than you might expect, where I enjoyed them and much else.

GALWAY BAY IRISH PUB

63 Maryland Avenue

410-263-8333

galwaybaymd.com



Opened in 1998, Galway Bay has all the trappings of a stereotypical Irish pub without seeming in the least kitschy. The brick walls, bare wooden tables and booths, the beer signs, banjos, fiddles, and Irish whiskies--38 of them behind a long polished bar--are key to the genial ambiance, but it's all a lot cleaner and kempt than so many rougher versions of the genre. The owners make a good deal about their being, with no pun intended, green, which is to say it is the first restaurant in Maryland to be certified by Maryland Green Travel.



The menu copies the traditions of Irish-American fare, including first-rate corned beef and cabbage with champ mashed potatoes ($18.99), a hearty lamb stew generous with meat ($13.99) and a shepherd's pie ($12.99) that will convince you that this is one of the homiest of dishes when well made with fresh mashed potatoes, seasonings and good butter (above). Of course, there are crab cakes, and they are terrific. In line with its location, there are also daily specials like Chincoteague oysters with a Naptown Brown Ale mignonette ($10) and San Patricio's Porter-laced chili ($11).

For dessert there is a currant-studded bread pudding ($5.99), but you must not fail to have a shot of Galway Bay's proprietary imported egg nog, which has become so famous that they run out of shipments because so many people order it by the bottle.

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Open daily for lunch and dinner.





CHICK & RUTH'S DELLY

165 Main Street

410-269-6737

chickandruths.com



You may think you've seen places similar to Chick & Ruth's, but you've never met anyone like owner Ted Levitt, who can build, dis-assemble, weld, wire, fit, anchor, brick up, light up, and do anything and everything to keep his magnificent folly going after 50 years. Proudly patriotic--everyone stands up to recite the "Pledge of Allegiance" at 8:30 a.m. --familial to his employees and heavily involved with local charities, Ted is a Renaissance Man who has chosen as his life's work to carry on his mom and pop's legacy here by making people happy with good, honest food culled from the best ingredients he can find, no matter what it costs him.



Chick & Ruth's menu is something like a flea market: If you look long enough you'll find exactly what you want, in this case any of 23 just-baked pies ($3.99 a slice), myriad cookies, apple fritters, donuts, 20-ounce shakes ($4.99), and some of the best half-pound crab cakes ($16.99 to $27.99)--all lump crabmeat--in the city. The vast number of sandwiches are all named after politicians (the "Congressman" is made with corned beef and pastrami), and then there are the huge platters of eggs Benedict (right) with crabmeat ($10.99), Belgian waffles ($6.29), nachos ($6.79), Maryland crab soup ($5.99), pizza ($8.50), flatiron steak ($14.99), country fried steak with sausage gravy ($10.99), and just about everything else you could think of.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

BOATYARD BAR &GRILL

400 Fourth Street

410-336-8880

boatyardbarandgrill.comhttp://www.boatyardbarandgrill.com

Photos by John Bildahl





In terms of sheer enthusiasm and customer care, Dick Franyo, owner of the immensely popular Boatyard Bar & Grill, would go arm and arm with Ted Levitt as exponents of Annapolis hospitality. The whole atmosphere, which does indeed resemble a boatyard clubhouse with its flags, marine art and varnished wood, draws you right in, sits you right down and makes you hungrier than you were just a minute ago.



A lot of Maryland eateries claim to serve the best crab cakes in the Chesapeake, but The Boatyard makes a strong case, with the proclamation "ALL KILLER ~ NO FILLER!" The dish is fully six ounces of lump crabmeat, barely coaxed into the form of a cake, served with housemade tartar sauce, fresh vegetables and smashed redskin potatoes (market price). There's more crab done with artichokes, spinach, onion and Parmesan cheese served with crostini, and both the Maryland crab soup, which is tomato based with some bacon and potatoes, and the cream of crab soup laced with Sherry are paragons of those types ($7.99). (Have the "yin/yang" option--a half portion of each soup serve together in the same bowl.)



Chef George Betz does a splendid job grilling the local rockfish with mint, lime and rum butter, served with rice, ranchero beans, vegetables and fried plantain. Florida pompano (above) shows well here, sauteed in butter with garlic, cherry tomatoes, lump crab, white wine and a squeeze of lemon juice. West Ocean City mesquite-smoked whitefish takes on good flavor from whipped horseradish, sour cream, and Sriracha sauce served with flat bread crackers.

And while it looks daunting and quite messy, share one huge slice of Smith Island cake, a dense, 15-layer chocolate cake with a long tradition among home bakers in the region, now designated as Maryland's official dessert.

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Money is generally a good thing. Scratch that. Money is generally a very good thing. With that said, it's no surprise most of us want more of it.

I believe the surest way to become happy in life is to be both content and ambitious. A balancing act, indeed.

On the Due.com blog, we talk a lot about earning more money. This is the ambitious part of the happiness equation. But what about the content part? I believe money management falls into this category. While making money is great we also need to manage our money well. So do you? Do you manage money well? Let me ask you this. How much much time do you spend per week managing your money?

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That's right. We should all carve out time each week for money management. To protect the assets we already have in our possession. The following article will help you carve out an hour per week to manage your finances. That hour can make all the difference. Here's what to do with your hour of power:

Examine Your Investments

How are your investments doing? Even if you're a passive investor, it's still good to take a look. Research ideas such as tax loss harvesting, rebalancing, dollar-cost-averaging, selling whatever is no longer subject to short-term capital gains and more.

Has a new investment company come onto the scene? Maybe check them out. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of companies such as Betterment and Wealthfront. They may be worth the expense for you.

Look over Your Budget

How well are you doing? Even if you don't keep a strict budget, how well in general are you doing? Look over credit card statements and see how things are looking. Does anything surprise you? Now is a time to change your behavior if that needs to happen. Now is also a good time to review your credit score as many credit card companies now offer free credit scores displayed inside your online dashboard.

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Analyze All Major Upcoming Purchases

Do you have any major purchases coming down the pipeline? Think of things like refrigerators, car tires, laptops, etc. Now is a good time to shop around for good deals. Or at least get familiar with your upcoming purchase.

Examine Your Income

How is your income doing? Should you ask for a raise at work? Do you work as a freelancer and have variable side income. If so, is your weekly income from that growing?

Pay Taxes

Freelancers must pay quarterly taxes. Even if you don't need to, now is still a good time to examine your tax situation and get ready for April 15th.

Keep up with Percentages

This is a fun thing some people do -- create a percentage-based budget. A percentage-based budget is a budget that allows you to responsibly inflate your lifestyle. For instance, let's say you have a hobby of collecting Japanese cars from the 1990s. It's perfectly fine if you allocate 5 percent of your annual income towards this hobby. Right now, that may only be $3,000 per year. This is enough for a new car every few years. Or a few major modifications to your current car each year. Is that not enough? Simple. You can go earn more money. Then, you can keep spending more and more money on cars with no regret.

When examining your budget, make sure you're keeping up with each category. Have you spent enough in your gifting category? Have you spent enough in your self-improvement category? Can you begin buying organic because your food category is a little low?

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One Hour per Week
Long gone are the days when the path to the White House was open to anyone who met the Constitution's bare minimum requirements of being a natural born citizen, a resident of the United States for 14 years, and 35 years of age or older.

Today's presidential hopefuls must jump through a series of hoops aimed at selecting the candidates best suited to serve the interests of the American police state. Candidates who are anti-war, anti-militarization, anti-Big Money, pro-Constitution, pro-individual freedom and unabashed advocates for the citizenry need not apply.

The carefully crafted spectacle of the presidential election with its nail-biting primaries, mud-slinging debates, caucuses, super-delegates, popular votes and electoral colleges has become a fool-proof exercise in how to persuade a gullible citizenry into believing that their votes matter.

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Yet no matter how many Americans go to the polls on November 8, "we the people" will not be selecting the nation's next president.

While voters might care about where a candidate stands on healthcare, Social Security, abortion and immigration--hot-button issues that are guaranteed to stir up the masses, secure campaign contributions and turn any election into a circus free-for-all--those aren't the issues that will decide the outcome of this presidential election.

What decides elections are money and power.

We've been hoodwinked into believing that our votes count, that we live in a democracy, that elections make a difference, that it matters whether we vote Republican or Democrat, and that our elected officials are looking out for our best interests. Truth be told, we live in an oligarchy, and politicians represent only the profit motives of the corporate state, whose leaders know all too well that there is no discernible difference between red and blue politics, because there is only one color that matters in politics--green.

The powers-that-be will not allow anyone to be elected to the White House who does not answer to them.

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Who are the powers-that-be, you might ask?

As I point out in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, the powers-that-be are the individuals and corporations who profit from America's endless wars abroad and make their fortunes many times over by turning America's homeland into a war zone. They are the agents and employees of the military-industrial complex, the security-industrial complex, and the surveillance-industrial complex. They are the fat cats on Wall Street who view the American citizenry as economic units to be bought, sold and traded on a moment's notice. They are the monied elite from the defense and technology sectors, Hollywood, and Corporate America who believe their money makes them better suited to decide the nation's future. They are the foreign nationals to whom America is trillions of dollars in debt.

One thing is for certain: the powers-that-be are not you and me.

In this way, the presidential race is just an exaggerated farce of political theater intended to dazzle, distract and divide us, all the while the police state marches steadily forward.

It's a straight-forward equation: the candidate who wins the White House will be the one who can do the best job of ensuring that the powers-that-be keep raking in the money and acquiring ever greater powers. In other words, for any viable presidential candidate to get elected today that person must be willing to kill, lie, cheat, steal, be bought and sold and made to dance to the tune of his or her corporate overlords.

The following are just some of the necessary qualifications for anyone hoping to be appointed president of the American police state. Candidates must:

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Help grow the military-industrial complex: Fifty-five years after President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned about the growth of the "military-industrial complex" in his farewell address, the partnership between the government, the military and private corporations has resulted in the permanent militarization of America. The military-industrial complex understands the value of buying the presidency, and has profited from the incessant warmongering of Obama and his predecessors.

Police the rest of the world using U.S. troops: The U.S. military empire's determination to police the rest of the world has resulted in more than 1.3 million U.S. troops being stationed at roughly 1000 military bases in over 150 countries around the world, including 48,000 in Japan, 37,000 in Germany, 27,000 in South Korea and 9800 in Afghanistan. That doesn't include the number of private contractors pulling in hefty salaries at taxpayer expense. In Afghanistan, for example, private contractors outnumber U.S. troops three to one. Now comes the news that the U.S. is preparing to send troops to Libya on a long-term mission to fight ISIS.

Sow seeds of discord and foment wars among other nations under the guise of democracy: Any successful presidential candidate needs to be adept at stirring up strife within other nations under the guise of spreading democracy. The real motive, of course, is creating new markets for the nation's #1 export: weapons and sowing the seeds for future conflicts. It happened in Iraq when the U.S. sold Saddam Hussein weapons to build his war machine. It happened in Syria when the U.S. provided rebel fighters with military equipment and munitions, only to have them seized by ISIS and used against us. Now comes the news that President Obama has agreed to sell weapons to Vietnam.

Speak of peace while slaughtering innocent civilians: Barack Obama's campaign and subsequent presidency illustrates this principle perfectly. The first black American to become president, Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize long before he had done anything to truly deserve it. He has rewarded the Nobel committee's faith in him by becoming one of the most hawkish war presidents to lead the nation, overseeing a targeted-killing drone campaign that has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties and deaths.

Prioritize surveillance in the name of security over privacy: Since 9/11, the Surveillance State has undergone a dramatic boom, thanks largely to the passage of the USA Patriot Act and so-called "secret" interpretations of the mammoth law allowing the NSA and other government agencies to spy on Americans' electronic communications. What began as a government-driven program under George W. Bush has grown under Obama into a mass surveillance private sector that makes its money by spying on American citizens.

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Promote the interests of Corporate America and Big Money over the rights of the citizenry: Almost every major government program hailed as benefiting Americans--affordable healthcare, the war on terror, airport security, police-worn body cameras--has proven to be a Trojan Horse aimed at enriching Corporate America while leaving Americans poorer, less secure and less free.

Expand the powers of the imperial president while repeatedly undermining the rule of law: George W. Bush assumed near-absolute power soon after the September 11, 2001, attacks, acquiring presidential wartime powers that included establishing military tribunals and eliminating basic rights long recognized under American law. Instead of restoring the civil liberties undermined by Bush, Barack Obama turned the Bush legacy of indefinite detentions, torture, black site prisons, and never-ending wars into a frightening new normal.

Clearly, it doesn't matter where a candidate claims to stand on an issue as long as he or she is prepared to obey the dictates of the architects, movers and shakers, and shareholders of the police state once in office.

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So here we are once again, preparing to embark upon yet another delusional, reassurance ritual of voting in order to sustain the illusion that we have a democratic republic when, in fact, what we have is a dictatorship without tears. Once again, we are left feeling helpless in the face of a well-funded, heavily armed propaganda machine that is busily spinning political webs with which the candidates can lure voters. And once again we are being urged to vote for the lesser of two evils.

Railing against a political choice that offers no real choice, gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson snarled, "How many more of these stinking, double-downer sideshows will we have to go through before we can get ourselves straight enough to put together some kind of national election that will give me and the at least 20 million people I tend to agree with a chance to vote for something, instead of always being faced with that old familiar choice between the lesser of two evils?"
The astonishing headline last month that medical errors are the 3rd most significant cause of death in the USA -- at an estimated 251,000 per year -- led to massive media coverage. I wrote about it for my typically integrative health and medicine oriented readers in In Defense of "Alternative Medicine". Interest is high. Audiences seem to be ready to try and digest what these horrible data mean.

Yet the storm of reporting and commentary obscured a fascinating side-question. Why were these data about the medical industry in the United States of America published abroad, in the British Medical Journal?

The question bugged me. So I went to the article to find information on how to connect with the paper's corresponding author, Martin "Marty" Makary, MD, MPH. Makary is a surgical director at the esteemed Johns Hopkins Multidisciplinary Pancreatitis Center. He's got his own Wikipedia page.

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I sent him a query. Why BMJ instead of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) or NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine) or Health Affairs?

I got no response the first query. I waited 3 or 4 days and wrote back, reminding him of my initial query, and that I remained interested. Makary is a writer of columns in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere. He is the best-selling author of 3 books, including Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won't Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care. He's a busy guy.

He then responded with a one-liner -- below -- such as one writes while quickly parrying a stream of e-mails. I read it and quickly wrote back. Did he recall that I was press? Did he remember that I'd like to report his response? Journals can be vindictive. I guessed that his response would not be taken to reflect well on the journals and the judgement of the editors. He gave me the go-ahead. Here is Makary's response:

NEJM said not relevant to practicing docs. JAMA said pass. So we went to next highest impact journal [in] medicine.

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Not relevant?

Pass?

How did the editors of these journals make these decisions? I wrote to the media specialists for each, asking for clarity on why they decided as they did. Journals pay attention to their impact factors. This paper was likely to get some significant play. The communications person for JAMA wrote back within a half day. He stated their policy that JAMA doesn't comment on review processes. As a new journal editor, I find this totally understandable. I did not hear from NEJM but assume that the same policy holds.

Not relevant? Pass? With no guidance, here is some speculation on what might have motivated the decisions. Perhaps the journals believed Makary's work is not new news - a ho-hum repetition. After all, in 2013 researchers from the Leapfrog Group published an estimate that ranged from 210,000-440,000 medical deaths per year. A famous 1999 Institute of Medicine report, To Err is Human, put the number at 98,000.

This is hardly a chorus of repetition. One wonders how many repeat studies are published, for instance, on a routine beta-blocker? If the news is old hat, it certainly came as a shock to many members of the media and the public. Might one reasonably assume that a decent percentage of the 850,000 plus "practicing docs" and 1.4 million nurses have yet to fully allow this information into their spirits and perhaps into motivating themselves to change the way they practice?

Maybe the disinterest of the journals was personal. Makary, through his writing, was already known for challenging the industry for its poor safety record and non-transparency. Perhaps they are denigrating him and cutting him off -- sterling Hopkins credentials be damned -- as a mere publicity seeker.

I am making this up. Because I need to make something up to understand why neither of the journals took the study. I previously published what I learned from Makary on my own social media site. Responses were quickly of disbelief and accusation, and then a kind of confirmatory sigh. What else should be expected of an industry gone so awry?

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President Obama is going to Hiroshima. He could start to save history during his historic visit.

Nuclear weapons disarmament commitments and aspirations which, date back to the first resolution of the UN General Assembly, have not been fulfilled. We are presently on the precipice of a new arms race. Most American do not know there are 16,000 messengers of megadeath in existence or that recent scientific studies demonstrate that a mere 100 nuclear weapons explosions would cause a climate catastrophe leading to massive global starvation. Not only must the President inform the public of how dangerous this moment is but he

must offer a realistic response. He must raise the issue of needed progress on nuclear disarmament up the political ladder in importance to the highest level not in just words but also deeds.



Enormous amounts of money are being allocated presently by all states with nuclear weapons to either modernize or expand their arsenals or do both. They are making the resumption of testing more likely, the use of the weapons more legitimate, their spread more likely, their political value greater, and in the meantime, diminishing global security, the rule of law, and hope. Disarmament has not been institutionalized; the threat of annihilation is being advanced.



We did not expect this catastrophe. It must not be ignored. At the 2000 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference all but three of the world's nations (India, Israel, and Pakistan) supported "an unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear-weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals..." because "the total elimination of nuclear weapons is the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons."



We are witnessing a growing distance between aspirations for a nuclear weapons free world, a more secure world, manifest in sober commitments made in good faith by the world's nations and the actual policies arising in the states with nuclear weapons.



Diplomatic rhetoric not backed by action leads to cynicism and hypocrisy. Distrust follows and cooperation is reduced. This is a dangerous cycle in dealing with the deadliest of human inventions.

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Part of the reason is that in the internal debates military voices dominate the security debate and pose insurmountable obstacles such as asserting the weapons are needed to address an unforeseeable threat. Logically, that argument cannot be overcome.



Another reason for this conundrum is that there are distinctly different dynamics being pursued in the policies of the states with nuclear weapons. Leadership at the highest level can change this.



First, of course is nonproliferation and disarmament. Diplomats have demonstrated exceptional skills in finding common interests and articulating policies that would make the world so much safer. Some are set forth in excellent road maps for progress in the 13 Steps of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Review (NPT) Conference of 2000 and the expanded commitments of under that treaty in 2010. They embody both strengthened nonproliferation and progress in fulfilling the commitment to nuclear disarmament found in Article VI of the NPT. These steps involve ending nuclear testing, ending further production of weapons grade fissile materials, and other very modest steps.



The second dynamic is expressed as the necessity of strategic stability. The US, for example, has not changed from the position clearly stated in President Reagan's initiated Commission on Strategic Forces: "Stability should be the primary objective of both modernization of our strategic forces and arms control proposals." Or, President H.W. Bush 's 1991 letter regarding the START treaty that was sent to the US Senate: "The fundamental promise of START is that despite significant differences, the US and Soviet Union have a common interest in. ...ensuring strategic stability." These principles have continued in numerous similar statements from all nuclear weapons states.



Stability is surely a value. But allowing the illusion that there can be sustainable security based on the inherent risks of keeping nuclear weapons at the ready for use in order to ensure they are not used is morally questionable and unreasonably dangerous.

Strategic stability rests on the confidence that robust reliable arsenals ensure that no party can believe it advantageous to instigate a nuclear exchange since retaliation from its adversary will inflict unacceptable harm. This obviously precarious posture is the basis presently for much nuclear policy. This posture overlooks inevitable computer and human errors as well as human irrationality and the possibility of misunderstanding during crisis. It was developed to address a simpler world during the Cold War with far less actors than today.



The world is increasingly complicated, multivariate, with unpredictable nations and cultures, and dramatically asymmetric force postures and numerous new crisis-producing situations. A rational person must question what exactly does strategic stability mean in the complex world of today? Can a sustainable security ever be achieved along with the readiness to annihilate massive numbers of people and inflict unimaginable suffering?



The third dynamic being pursued is simple and predictable. Military planners are always looking for the capacity to dominate potential adversaries and thus pursue with passion policies and weaponry that will provide advantages. In fact one can find US military documents calling for "full spectrum dominance." But this is really not odd for any military. It is in the DNA of military thinking to obtain dominance. What is odd is that there is so little discussion about the unavoidable difficulty in obtaining substantial forward movement in disarmament while pursuing policies and deployments aimed at achieving advantage and ultimately dominance and at the same time ensuring strategic stability. This is a mind boggling juggling act in which the legal, moral, and practical value of security enhancing cooperative endeavors is marginalized and military deployments advanced.



These contradictory currents guiding policies in nuclear weapon states impede needed substantial progress in fulfilling disarmament commitments, whether through a convention, a ban, or a framework of instruments. Advocacy for nuclear disarmament will gain needed traction when clarity is obtained and political will expressed that achieving nuclear disarmament, to which they are already legally required, is more important than attempting to maintain the status quo based on strategic stability and its contradictory pursuit of military advantage.

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The logic inherent in the status quo is driving the world over a waterfall and it can be changed and must be changed rapidly at the highest levels of political discourse. Such a change happened in Reykjavik at the Summit in 1986 between Presidents Gorbachev and Reagan. They stated jointly that they were "guided by their solemn conviction that a nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought. " They almost obtained the security of a nuclear weapons free world. They failed to fulfill that aspiration because President Gorbachev perceived the so called Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars), which included weapons in space, as proposed, as endangering stability and obtaining military advantage while President Reagan only thought of it as defensive. Yet, much good came of the meeting and many nuclear weapons, beginning there and then, have been eliminated.



It is time for the heads of states with nuclear weapons, particularly U.S., Russia (with over 90% of the weapons), France, China, U.K. , Israel, Pakistan, and India to meet at the highest levels, at Summits, and immediately stop the new arms race and set out together to bring the world to the security of a nuclear weapons free world. As part of that road they could advance a Security Council Resolution stating that any further explosive testing of a nuclear weapon would constitute a threat to international peace and should be barred. This could go a long way to making the world safe from the madness of testing until the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty enters into force.



There was a "Nuclear Freeze" movement decades ago and we truly never expected that we would be again calling for a freeze after the end of the Cold War. Freezing a new arms race can only be achieved by a renewed and sincere commitment to disarmament and it is clear that this can only be achieved at the highest political level.



President Obama and the leaders of the states with nuclear weapons must immediately plan on meeting(s) to discuss how to obtain rapid progress and institutionalize nuclear disarmament. They must freeze any new arms racing. President Obama can lead in this endeavor and declare he will do so in Hiroshima. He remains President long enough to start the needed change.

We leave open the discussion of the numerous forums and venues in which such deliberations could occur. The hurdle to achieving progress is not technical, legal, moral, military, or diplomatic. It is a failure of political will. This is a critical moment to generate that will.

The picture of a polar bear on a disappearing ice float galvanized public opinion, which has helped generate political will to address climate change. The picture of the screaming child running from the napalm attack in Vietnam awakened millions to the horror and folly of that war. We have pictures of Hiroshima, which apparently are not enough. We cannot wait for a situation in which we have pictures of the use of nuclear weapons sufficient to shock and awaken the public. With nuclear weapons there may be no public to view those pictures. We must act now.
In trying to explain the contemporary state of American politics, once characterized by a revolt of the voters against the established political parties, we've tested a couple of hypotheses and found each wanting.

A first thesis localized the problem to just one side of the political spectrum (the right, where Republican primary voters have anointed an insurgent as their Presidential standard bearer), but this explanation fell down when we took into account a similar dynamic unfolding within Democratic ranks (one that has only grown stronger in the last two weeks).

A second hypothesis moved us along a bit further by explaining the current state of affairs as symptomatic of public anxiety. But this explanation's focus on voters' economic anxiety failed to explain why rebellion does not seem to correlate with the economic desperation, given that many of those revolting against the parties are on higher rungs of the economic ladder.

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Expanding "anxiety" to include non-economic factors, such as fear of a deteriorating state of the world, could help shore up our "Anxiety Thesis." But for those of us who grew up under the shadow of the nuclear rivalry between the US and USSR, that experience highlights how deep and even existential concern over international affairs can lead to a strengthening of support for civic institutions (such as political parties), rather than hostility towards them.

Rather than search broadly for more abstract contributors to our current mental state, perhaps we should narrow our search to factors that might bear specifically on current political events. To do so, I'd like to draw on what I learned during my One Year BA on the evolution of the nation's self-understanding.

In the beginning of American politics, there was not "Left" or "Right" but Common Sense, specifically, a philosophy that believed the organizing principle for the nation should be the small community which could solve any problem (up to and including scientific discovery) through citizens working together jury-style to arrive at the truth.

As the nation became bigger and the world more complex, the notion that a handful of non-specialists could deal with any issue became less tenable, if not downright quaint. Modernity, after all, requires experts working within large (sometimes faceless) entities to generate our power, manage our airlines and keep the Internet on 24/7. But even as we enjoy (and take for granted) a bounty unheard of in human history, every time we fill up a shopping cart with food manufactured by people we will never meet we feel a small tug of anxiety as living in a Common Sense recedes not just into the past but into the realm of impossibility.

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Anxiety over this loss manifests itself across what we claim to be a political spectrum of polar opposites. When liberals rail against "Big Corporations" and conservatives condemn "Big Government," should we be focusing on the nouns in those phrases or the common adjective "Big?" For "Big" invokes distant impersonal entities that know much more about us than we know about them. And if you look at what those who attack "mainstream" Republicans and Democrats are saying, they seem to see the parties as having joined the ranks of the big, mysterious entities trying to control us.

Might such a sentiment be rational? After all, election politics now begins not with crafting of policy or discussion with voters but with recruitment of experts - pollsters, strategists, speech writers, statisticians, etc. - who all claim to know we voters so well that they can craft a campaign based on taking our votes (and us) for granted. So might today's crisis within the parties represent "We the people" refusing to behave in ways these expensive specialists say we must?

Of course, "We the people" are not entirely off the hook. After all, it is we who have organized ourselves into communities of the like-minded who think and vote in ways that seemed to make us easy to predict (and manipulate). And is rebelling by voting for candidates who might not be experienced or even appropriate for the job of President a rational response to feelings of disempowerment?
New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner arrives at a campaign event in the Rockaways section in the Queens borough of New York July 31, 2013. Weiner, 48, had surged into the lead in polls for the Democratic Party primary before revelations last week that he had sent more sexually explicit messages to at least one woman after he resigned and promised to change his behavior. REUTERS/Eric Thayer (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS)

Most kids couldn't survive the embarrassment of growing up with a last name like Weiner and hope to emerge with their souls and spirits intact. At the same time, a lot of politicians couldn't expect to salvage their political careers if they were caught in an embarrassing sex scandal, especially one where the evidence included explicit photos and text messages that all the world could see. But Anthony Weiner was able to do both, becoming a popular democratic congressman who was later forced to resign after a mortifying digital-age scandal, only to bounce back two years later to make a serious run for mayor of New York city.

Anthony invited budding filmmaker and former staffer Josh Kriegman (and his partner Elyse Steinberg) to film his campaign, and the insanity that followed became the documentary Weiner, one of the best (and most cringeworthy) political documentaries ever made, particularly for the mindboggling fact that Anthony himself signed off on it. Watch the trailer for Weiner below.

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In case you don't remember, Anthony Weiner is a former House representative of New York's 9th district whose star was on the rise for his fiery speech in 2010 denouncing republicans for refusing to fund healthcare for 9/11 first responders. But that came to an abrupt end in May of 2011 when he accidentally tweeted a photo of his underwear-sheathed boner to all of his Twitter followers. After many denials, this eventually led to the revelations that he'd been talking/typing dirty -- but never actually having sex with -- several women he'd met online, causing him to resign in shame a month later. This was made even worse by the fact that his wife, Huma Abedin, is not only one of Hillary Clinton's closest aides and confidantes, but was also pregnant with Anthony's first child.

But the makers of Weiner assume you already know this, and they pick up the story in 2013 with Anthony and Huma warily getting their marriage back on track as Anthony begins a campaign to become mayor of New York City. And with Anthony's operation picking up steam, his innate political skills, his record as a steadfast champion of the middle class, and America's love of redemptive comeback stories, he seems poised to pull it off. That is, until more of Anthony's sexting partners come forward, including ones who had communicated with him after he had resigned from congress, turning his once-promising campaign into the ultimate uphill clusterfuck and a cautionary lesson in crisis management.

Like most documentaries, Weiner won't blow you away with its cinematography or production value. But it's packed full of the most important currency documentaries can possess that scripted films can't provide: access. In fact, the directors of Weiner had so much access to Anthony, his family, and his campaign as one of the most embarrassing scandals in modern political history unfolds that viewers -- and even the filmmakers themselves -- are left wondering why Anthony allowed cameras in to document a campaign that could erupt in embarrassing revelations at any moment.

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It's this question that makes Weiner about more than an unfortunately named politician with a sexting obsession. No matter how well-meaning and civic-minded a politician is, simply wanting to be a politician necessitates a certain amount of arrogance since the candidate is claiming that they are the most deserving of the power, responsibility, attention, and respect the position affords. Add to that the loss of privacy that comes with America's celebrity culture, the 24-hour cable news cycle, and political "journalism" too focused on scandals and personalities, and it becomes hard to imagine what kind of person would ever volunteer for such a job.

The answer, unfortunately, is that our political system may increasingly -- or even exclusively -- attract people like Anthony Weiner. With the media spotlight now unavoidable, maybe we'll only get politicians who crave it or can craft the mostly tightly controlled public personas. With people living more of their lives online and leaving a digital record wherever they go, maybe it will soon be normal for candidates to have embarrassing or explicit aspects of their personal lives exposed. Maybe there will be an increase in the number of cheating scandals as politicians increasingly use social media to seduce willing constituents.

Or maybe since politicians will be unable to keep their peccadillos secret, politicians will simply become more shameless -- or at least more clueless. How else would you describe someone who, having almost ended his marriage and political career by sexting with online randos, not only continued doing it, but put himself back in the public eye where his indiscretions were more likely to be revealed and could cause even more damage and embarrassment for his family, campaign staff, and anyone else who supported him? How could someone base his campaign on the claim that he was sorry for the pain he'd caused through his infidelity and had learned from his mistakes when his actions could prove that neither was true? And while I partially admire Anthony's fighting spirit for refusing to cancel his mayoral bid in the wake of the second scandal, it seems tone-deaf when considering how brazenly he had lied to voters and heartless for the pain it causes his wife, especially considering her high-profile career working for one of America's most public victims of infidelity.

And why would Anthony invite people to film all this? Anthony has his reasons, though few viewers (and probably Anthony himself) will believe it's worth immortalizing his most shameful moments on film and releasing it for public consumption. But in the meantime, his mistake is our gain because it's given us Weiner, a view of a comeback, a political campaign, and a marriage in crisis so intimate, insightful, and cringeworthy that its hard to believe that it even exists.

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Speaking in a southern drawl from Memphis, TN, Darrell Castle, Presidential nominee for the Constitution Party answered my questions:

JF: Why are you running for POTUS?

DC: I was the Constitution Party's nominee; the party wanted me. That's the obvious reason. But personally, I think that if the country could elect someone like me, the rule of law might possibly be restored. The rule of law is in serious jeopardy. I don't think it's deceased yet; it's very important to me. It is the focal point of what I'm trying to do.

JF: What three things would you do first as POTUS?

DC: First, I would start the process of withdrawing the United States from the United Nations and NATO and explain to the American people why I wanted to do that. (He explains later in this interview.) Number two, withdraw the U.S. from the Federal Reserve or repeal the Federal Reserve Act, which of course Congress would have to do. I'd explain to the American people why that was necessary. And third, start the process of trying to do something about the debt that the country faces so that it would no longer be obligated to its creditors, because I want the country to be free and independent again.



JF: How are you publicizing your campaign?

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DC: Just Monday, my campaign sent out 800,000 press releases to news organizations around the country. Of course, we have a website, Internet publicity, things of that nature. But word has gotten around about me on the conservative side of politics and that's where my party is. People who know about us, know about me. The question becomes publicity on the other side. That's where the press releases and more interviews like this one comes in. I did an interview with the Washington Journal with C SPAN a couple of weeks ago that was well-received.

DC: Since the Indiana primary, we have had many, many people contact us, offering to volunteer and telling us they would support us.

JF: How many states are you on the ballot?

DC: Right now, I believe, that it's 19. We're working to get ballot access on the others. Frankly, unless we get some help, there are going to be some states we do not have ballot access in except as a write-in candidate. But we do believe we will have ballot access in enough states to theoretically win the election. In other words, we could generate more than 270 electoral votes if we carried all those states.



JF: How many states have you filed your letter of intent as a write-in?

DC: Texas, I know for sure, and the others we're working on. There are people doing that for me, so I can't honestly answer your question and be accurate. There are people who are in charge of doing that and I know they're working on it.

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JF: What is your international experience?

DC: I'm a former Marine officer. I was pretty international in those days. I have the advantage of never having held political office before. I'm not a professional politician, but I have studied foreign policy and talked about it, and it's one of my interests. I have traveled extensively. 18 years ago, I started a foundation in Bucharest, Romania to minister to homeless gypsy children and it's grown into Mia's Children Foundation. We founded that and we still maintain it.



JF: Do you know about the Trans Pacific Partnership?

DC: Yes I do. I'm very much opposed to it. I'm not necessarily opposed to free trade. I don't think the TPP is about free trade. I really don't see any need to turn the trade sovereignty, the authority of the United States over to foreign corporations. I don't like the idea of giving international corporations, never mind foreign governments, them too, but foreign corporations, the right to sue the United States and demand that it change its trade policy. I want the United States to be a free and independent country. If we want to negotiate a deal with Mexico for example that says: you let us ship our goods to Mexico without import duties and we'll do the same for you, I have no problem with that. But that's not what the TPP is about so I'm dead set against it.



JF: You realize that the Investor State Dispute Settlement process is also part of NAFTA; would you repeal NAFTA?

DC: I do realize that, yes. Yes I would repeal NAFTA.

JF: You said you would withdraw from the U.N. and NATO. Please explain why.

DC: When NATO was formed, it has 28 members, the United States was one of those members. When it was formed, I would think there was probably some use for it. We were probably very concerned that Soviet tanks would come rolling across the German frontier at any minute and it was something that was supposed to prevent that. We had just come out of World War II and we encountered a new enemy and that's really not the case anymore. The United States kind of entered into a deal with those other 27 countries, and that is, you won't have to provide your own defense, we'll do that for you. In return, you can use your entire GDP to advance your economies and fund your welfare states. And the United States can't afford it anymore. It's becoming a little too belligerent. Promises were made between President Reagan and President Gorbechev that NATO would not advance to the edge of the Soviet Union or the old Soviet Union, if the wall would come down. Then the European Union would not swallow up those states and NATO would not be right at the edge of Russia. Unfortunately, those promises were not kept. So I think that organization has outlived its usefulness and does more harm than good. As far as the U.N. goes, as I stated earlier, I want the United States to be a free and independent country, able to make its own decisions in the world. I don't want it to be isolated, that's usually the charge you get when you talk about things like this. But [the U.N.] is the center of many of things in the world that I don't like. It's the center of depopulation and it's the center of the destruction of sovereignty of nations. It's the center of this new global world that we seem to be building. For example, Mr. Trump says he wants to build a wall on the southern border supposedly to prevent immigrants from entering the United States illegally, but the same time he's talking about that, the United States government is building a digital wall, an electronic wall around the entire world so that it can observe every human being on earth, 24/7, no matter where they go. I would like to start the process of taking that whole system apart.

JF: That would be quite a task.

DC: It would, but what better task for the President of the United States to engage himself in?



JF: What is your energy policy?

DC: I think that the United States should start trying desperately to produce its own energy. We're doing that to some extent. We say we're not going to, we don't want to develop our own energy. We don't like fracking and we don't like the Keystone pipeline but we don't mind doing it in other countries. In other words, if we buy our energy from Saudi Arabia, we don't really care what happens to their environment. It's kind of a silly argument to me; it's something that has to be done. It causes a lot of violence in the world when we don't produce our own energy because we have to humble ourselves. Saudi Arabia, one of the most oppressive regimes in the world according to our friends at the U.N., they beheaded 150 people last year, we have to go to those people and do deals with them as the President just did when he flew over there when they were all upset about the 28 missing pages from the 9/11 Commission Report. He told them that we would guarantee their security, them and the other Gulf monarchies. I'm completely flabbergasted and opposed to that sort of thing, and if we produced our own energy, we wouldn't have to do it.

JF: What type of energy would you be going after; what sources?

DC: We could produce our own oil, and what we can't produce, we can buy from friendly countries like Canada. And if there's green energy available to be produced, I mean, there's technologies out there that I don't have the technical experience to understand. I think there's new technologies. I would start with trying to develop our own petroleum energy and see where that took me.

JF: What would you do if or when the derivatives bubble burst?

DC: That's a good question. It sounds kind of terrible, but probably nothing. In other words, I think what we did in 2008 was a horrible mistake. What we got out of it was 20 trillion dollars in debt. My philosophy, my set of principles is: let failing companies fail. There's no such thing as "too big to fail". Let them fail; that's creative destruction. Newer faster banks will come along, younger banks. And they'll stop doing this. As a result, the system is flushed, cleaned out. If you don't do that, if you keep doubling down and compounding the debt and giving these people a license to say "look, this is a pretty good business you're in because if you get to make a profit, you keep it, but if you don't, the taxpayers will come along and bail you out." That needs to stop and these companies need to start operating on a real, genuine free market system where there's no one there to catch them when they fall.

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JF: Do you think the derivatives market should be regulated again?

DC: Yes. I think there are far too many regulations and some of them should be stripped away from American business so that they can hire people again, but at this point, I don't see any way to avoid regulating it, yes.



JF: That's why it's getting out of hand; there's absolutely no oversight.

DC: That, plus the fact that we're there with taxpayer money to catch them when they implode.

JF: There's so many people who don't like Hillary and don't like Trump...

DC: I've met a lot of them recently. You're absolutely right. They talk to either me or whoever the Libertarian candidate will be and they want to know what the differences are.

JF: What are the main differences between you and the Libertarians? That you don't believe in legalizing drugs?

DC: The Constitution party's official position is we don't believe in legalizing drugs, you're right. But me personally, I have said all along that I am an advocate of decriminalizing possession. I think it's a liberty issue and a moral issue. We should not be putting people in prison for possessing these things. There are other ways of handling it and it's causing the whole war on drugs to be a disaster. We differ on the subject of abortion. Our party is firmly against it. Their probable candidate, Gary Johnson, has said that he's in favor of it. Most of the time, Libertarians take an open borders position and I don't. I take a secure borders position.
Seriously, get lost.

Many travelers stay on the beaten tourist path. In most large cities they are far too predictable. In NY I always knew where to find the tourists as they checked off their lists of things to see. For me that type of travel is boring. I don't make lists or plans, I allow myself to discover and explore.

I learned to do this on my first trip to Paris. It was accidental, I took the wrong train and got off in a largely residential neighborhood. I am looking at beautiful buildings and after not seeing the expected street for a few blocks, it began to rain. Pouring down on me, soaking me through. Almost blindly I forged ahead. A Cafe, I went in, dripping onto the floor.

A very concerned waiter rushed towards me and took me to the kitchen. Even though my command of the language was poor, it was obvious I was being instructed to undress and put on a kitchen uniform that was dry. I was handed bar rags to towel off with and a few minutes later he appeared again, let me to a table where I carafe of wine waited and soon hot soup was served.

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At this moment there was only one couple eating cheese (probably the drenching rain kept others away) and myself. The chef came out. "I speak a little English," he began.

We talked and ate together until the rain had stropped, my clothes near the stove had dried and it was closing time. I came back as he promised to teach me how to make a goose cassoulet and we ended up becoming great friends. It has been more than 20 years.

I have traveled a lot and make it a point always to get lost.

I now live in Berlin and one day I walked out of the house and just went in a new direction. No idea where I was going and no plan. 20 minutes from my house I find an area loaded with history, right near the division of the former Berlin Wall. As I always do, I began to taste food and find some good stuff. This led to my assisting Secret Food Tours in designing a Berlin Food tour to add to their roster.

On Sunday my friend Craig and I got lost on purpose. The photo of the Pre-War Berlin House at the top of the column comes from a neighborhood 20 minutes to the East of me by train. We got off at a random stop and found what we found, that house, an abandoned rail track in the midst of a park and ultimately a good meal.

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We ate there for no other reason than it was a Pre-war building and we spotted it from the Tram and were hungry. We had taken the Tram in the wrong direction (not on purpose) but continued our discovery as we found our way back to our homes.

Getting lost has given me friends and experiences that could never otherwise be obtained. If you are not traveling try it in your own city, if your own city is too small on your day off, jump on a bus, a train or your bike.
"I have a gun in my house and in my truck," my brother-in-law announces at dinner. "So if anything happens, I'm ready." What he has of value is a giant television. I don't imagine many people hauling off with that. What do you have that you are willing to kill for? A Stradivarius or a one of a kind vintage car? Is that worth a life?

Americans like the idea of being ready for danger. If you have a gun in your house, you are the dangerous one in the neighborhood. Do you picture yourself in your home, shooting out the windows Western style at bad guys who want your food and water? If these bad guys are really dangerous characters, they would take your gun, shoot you, then make off with your cans of tuna, nuts and raisins.

Being prepared for emergency is a good idea. Many people in disaster-prone areas like New Orleans, California or areas of the Northwest that get snowed in have generators and food and water for days. If you do any camping, as we do, you probably have enough supplies to camp and cook in your back yard. We have a disaster pack in my car so that, if I couldn't drive home in an earthquake, I could ditch my car and walk forty miles home. The backpack is uncomfortable, and when I think of myself walking alongside the fallen 405 toward home, I imagine that it would take a day or two. I carry old running shoes in the car.

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There are religious people who believe in preparing for the End of the World. I grew up in such a place, in a cult in Southern New Hampshire that was prepping for the Tribulation. In long sermons on weekends, our leader George would explain that the Russians were going to attack, the Tribulation was coming and the world was ending. I wasn't sure whether these would be separate events or would occur simultaneously, but it was best to be prepared. We had enough food stored up to last through the winter. We did End of Days training in which we would get up in the middle of the night, roll our belongings into a sleeping bag and disappear into the woods where we would survive for a few days. We learned to kill and eat animals that were not tasty like squirrels, snakes and raccoons.

Collecting guns as a means to protect yourself has come to seem fringe in a country with many violent deaths due to gunfire. Considering how long it's been since we've had a war on our own soil, it's amazing how many people die in this country due to gun fire.... The man who shot up Sandy Hook was a prepper who collected guns. Many Americans are fans of the Second Amendment which was put into the Constitution during a time when there still was a frontier, cowboys, Native Americans fighting for their lands, border wars with Mexico, and danger of wild animals. Carrying a gun around in your truck, outside of Texas, may make you feel manly, but given the number of accidental deaths due to guns in this country as well as passion killings, it seems hard to understand why so many Americans want to include a gun as a means of preparing for disaster. Americans love the idea of Clint Eastwood, the idea that you can be ruthless when it matters and that makes you a hero. When does being ready to kill someone make you a hero?

Americans like guns because of fear, because they like the frontier myth and also because we, as a nation have a tendency toward paranoia, toward an "us and them" mentality. Guns enforce the idea that we are right and "they" are wrong. In all the post-apocalyptic movies from The Road to Mad Max, there are wars over resources. Being prepared for a disaster is buying into the potentiality of the conflict you against nature. Most of us would agree that once the grid is down, having the ability to survive with your resources until help comes is a good thing. Where the possibilities get scarier is when you start to imagine the potentiality of man against man. There's us. We have food and toilet paper. There's them who don't have food or Charmin. Ask yourself, do you feel lucky, punk?

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On May 12, 2016, Israel celebrated 68 years of independence. Just days later, on May 15, I mourned the 68 years since the expulsion of the Palestinian people, known as the Nakba. Not all Palestinians left their homes in 1948, but it wasn't until the year 1967 that those who stayed within the borders of Israel were finally granted Israeli nationality. My family was one of the ones that stayed behind. Yet today, despite holding an Israeli passport, I often ask myself: is the citizenship of these Palestinian/Arab Israelis considered equal to those of Jewish Israelis?

Oriented is a documentary film about three gay Palestinian citizens of Israel. All three carry Israeli citizenship, but are not entitled to the same rights as Jews in the country -- so far, this sounds hard, right? But here, we are just at the beginning. These three men -- myself, and two of my best friends -- also embody the struggle of gays in Arab society, where breaking with social conventions compose a significant part of our fight. What does it means to be gay in Arab society? How does one regard gay Arabs in the international arena?

The film depicts the war of our identities, and the desire to be treated as equals in a country where we can live with our national and sexual identity of choice. While the privileged gays in developed countries fight for surrogates and marriage, as a gay Palestinian living inside of Israel, we're still fighting for the acknowledgement of our nationality, our sexuality, the LGBT community in Arab society and the legitimate right to be called Palestinians while still holding Israeli citizenship.

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Oriented not only criticizes Israeli society -- it also denounces the international arena. How can it be that in 2016, Oriented is the only film where the three protagonists are Gay and Arab and are not presented as victims? Western countries tend to think about us as a single Arab unit, insular and conservative: we drink the same drinks, eat the same foods, practice the same religious traditions, are homophobic... the truth is far from this. Not all of the Arab world is Iran (and if we're talking about it, Iran isn't even actually an Arab state). The truth is, if I were to film a documentary in some of what we call the more progressive countries -- the United States, the U.K, Sweden -- I assure you that in some parts of these places, to be gay means a total suffering. There is no monopoly on being liberal: there are some countries that do it better, and there are some that do it worse.

At a time when some gays are fortunate enough to be born in the right place at the right time, Oriented focuses on us: on the people who were born in the wrong place at the wrong time and still choose to fight. Like us, there are many more people who just want to live freely on their land, with their national and sexual identities as they see fit. So, instead of seeing us and saying: "what poor souls they are, how much suffering they go through," -- help us change this reality. Because there is nothing more exciting than waking up in the morning and being proud of who and what you are.

I'm Khader, a proud Gay Palestinian who lives in a country that doesn't think of me as an equal citizen, and I will do everything, and I mean everything, I can do to change it. While you think of Arabs as terrorists and primitive people, myself, and many others, will prove to you that we can be progressive without fear.

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On the occasion of 2560th birthday anniversary (Buddha Jayanti) of Gautam Buddha, we visited his birthplace in Lumbini, Nepal. Here is a collection of pictures which is worth to be looked on. These pictures were taken in Lumbini, birthplace of Gautama Buddha. If you were not able to visit the birthplace of Lord Buddha on the occasion of his birthday. Enjoy the pictures!

'Flowers' or 'Thorns'? 'Rose Blossom' front of 'Mayadevi Temple' in Lumbini, Nepal. Maya Devi Temple is the main temple traditionally considered the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. Photo: Kishor Panthi

Beyond Religion: People from different cultures and religions visited the birthplace of Lord Buddha on the occasion of his birthday. Not only Buddhists but also Hindus and people from other religions observed the special day. Buddhism doesn't fit neatly into either category of religion or philosophy. When people asked Buddha what he was teaching, he said he teaches "the way things are." He said nobody should believe his teachings out of faith, but instead they should examine for themselves to see if they are true or not. Photo: Sudhan Panthi

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Natural Tiara: The best kind of tiaras are made with flowers rather than jewels. Birthplace of Buddha is covered with those beautiful natural tiaras someone can put together to make these wreaths. Photo: Sudhan Panthi

Holy Crowd: A large number of people including national and international monks gathered in Lumbini to pray for world peace. Photo: Sudhan Panthi

Bodhi Tree: This Bodhi tree is located opposite the Mayadevi pond in Lumbini. The Buddha became enlightened sitting under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya. Photo: Subodh Panthi

Sacred Pool: Next to the Mayadevi Temple, there is a sacred pool where Maya Devi is said to have bathed before the birth. The newborn Buddha also reputedly had his purification bath in this pool. Photo: Kishor Panthi

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Great Place to Meditate: Birth place of the Buddha is great place to mediate for inner peace. Gautama Buddha is also known as one of the greatest healers. Photo: Kishor Panthi
In my last post, The Opioid Epidemic: How Did We Get Here?, I outlined the many factors that contributed to the current state of affairs in this country in regards to opioid use. But now that we've established we've got a problem on our hands, what exactly do we do about it?

We need to stop placing blame. This is the least constructive thing I've witnessed so far when it comes to addressing the current crisis. It is not one person's fault. Heck, it's not even one group's fault. The second we start acting like it is, we lose all sense of personal responsibility. And it's hard to right what's wrong if no one will take ownership. So, for the sake of this exercise, let's just assume it's everyone's fault and get on with it.

We need to remember that we're on the same team. Lately, it seems like the healthcare setting might as well be a season of Survivor. Doctors vs Patients: Who Will Prevail? Doctors feel rushed, taken for granted, and sometimes taken advantage of. And patients feel like they're not being heard and their needs aren't being addressed. But it's important to remember that we both want the same things when it comes to chronic pain: to reduce pain and to increase function. Patients with pain want to feel better and doctors want to help them feel better. Honestly. But we may have different ideas about how to achieve that, so it's more important now than ever that we are open about our concerns, our expectations, and the plan going forward. (If X doesn't work, then we'll try Y.)

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If doctors are resistant to prescribing pain medications, it's not because we want to maintain some sort of control or power over the situation. It's the easiest thing in the world to write a prescription, and to feel like a hero for it, but that's not doctoring. Doctoring is talking to your patient, listening to their complaints, and deciding on a treatment plan that has the best chance of helping them without harming them. When we are faced with data that shows no long-term benefit to opioid medications, and then we see the potential harm they can cause, we do not take the decision to prescribe these medications lightly. That is not to say that I will never, ever prescribe opioids ever again. But each and every time I do, I think long and hard about it. And I hope my patients can appreciate that about me, because it's unlikely to change.

We need to understand the purpose of pain. Pain results when a neurologic signal is sent from a certain body area to the brain to alert us that something is wrong. It lets us know to jerk our hand away from a hot stove or to seek medical attention after an injury. In a perfect world, anything that generated pain would be fixable. Unfortunately, that is often not the case. Patients sometimes have pain from an identifiable problem that can't be fixed. Patients may also have pain whose origin cannot be detected using our current diagnostic tools. In those cases, it is important to understand that we can rule out the potentially life-threatening causes of pain by taking a good history, doing a good physical exam, and ordering the appropriate blood work and imaging studies based on our patient's complaints. After that, we are often left with pain and other symptoms that can be managed, but not fixed.

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Once we have established we are dealing with a condition that causes pain but does not have other damaging effects on the body, our goal is then to reduce the pain--or, more accurately, reduce the perception of pain. Pain causes an increase in certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Just like depression, managing it is often an issue of modulating the neurotransmitters to alter the experience of pain. Actually, a few antidepressants have been found to be effective in the management of certain chronic pain conditions for this very reason.

A long time ago, someone asked me a question I didn't have a great answer for: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? In that same vein, I ask you: If a pain signal is generated but the brain doesn't perceive it, does the pain really exist? I would argue that there is one answer to satisfy both of these brain teasers: It doesn't really matter! It shouldn't matter if I'm taking an antidepressant instead of a narcotic. If I don't feel pain (or even if I feel less pain) and there's nothing life-threatening going on in my body, I'm happy. End of story.

We need to be open to other options. Contrary to popular belief, opioids are not the be-all and end-all for pain unless they're being used strictly for palliation (i.e. focusing on pain management without concern for regaining function, usually for patients that are nearing the end-of-life). It's easy on a physician's part to write the prescription, and it's easy on the patient's part to take it, but opioids don't do anything about the underlying reason for a patient's pain. They don't improve patients' ability to function, and they can actually lead to an increased sensitivity to pain. As I like to tell my patients, opioids are a sledgehammer when what you need is a chisel: they'll get the job done, but it ain't gonna be pretty.

Happily, there are many other options available to us for the treatment of pain. There are non-pharmacologic treatments such as physical therapy, yoga, massage therapy, meditation, and multiple other modalities. On the medication front, we have anti-inflammatory medications, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, muscle relaxers, topical medications, and anti-anxiety medications. There is also the option of regional analgesia, which includes a variety of procedures that can be performed to focus in on a specific painful area. Depending on the type of pain a patient is having, one or more of the above options is likely to be more beneficial than opioids and will almost certainly result in improved function and lifestyle.

A major hurdle we face is that some (not all) of these treatments take time to be effective. The obvious benefit of opioid medications (i.e. I take my pill and I feel better in about thirty minutes) is hard to overlook in favor of a treatment that may take weeks to become effective. However, they have the potential of benefitting our patients long-term, as opposed to opioids, which have not been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of chronic pain. But if we can convince patients to invest in themselves, in their long-term well-being rather than a short-term improvement in symptoms, then we may help them avoid a lifetime of opioid dependence, depression, and chronic misery.

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We need to stop viewing ourselves as the outliers. The sooner we accept that we are all subject to the same rules, the better off we'll be. If we don't, we stand to lose even more autonomy when it comes to pain management. I'm speaking to physicians and patients, here. Most of us wear a seatbelt when we drive, even though we don't expect to get in a car accident. We do it because 1) it has the potential to be helpful and 2) there could be consequences if we don't. It is not advisable to throw caution to the wind, say "it's not going to be me today," and leave the seatbelt in its casing. Seatbelts work because the majority of people use them the majority of the time. Once people start feeling like the rules don't apply to them, the system breaks down. What you really don't want is for doctors to be deciding who looks like they could be a drug addict, and treating those people differently than their other patients. No, we need a standardized system and we need physicians and patients to agree to play by the rules.

The fact remains, the United States comprises 4.4% of the world's population, but consumes 80% of the world's opioids. The problem in this country is not pain. Other populations struggle with chronic pain, they undergo surgeries, and they suffer from terminal illnesses just like we do. The problem is much deeper. It's cultural, it's engrained, and it's not going to be fixed overnight. We are all part of the American culture, even if we've never taken a pain pill, and we cannot be isolated from our environment as different from everyone else.

Recent surveys have suggested anywhere from 11-15% of the United States population suffers from chronic pain, defined as pain lasting at least 3 months. That's about 45 million people. Let's say for the sake or argument that doctors only prescribe opioids for about 10% of those people, and only 1% of those develop an addiction or experience a fatal overdose. Those numbers seem pretty small, right? That's 45,000 people whose lives have been ruined by injudicious use of opioid pain medication. It's easy to say "it won't be me," but as physicians we have to remember that it will be someone. We treat enough people that the numbers say we will likely harm someone by prescribing opioids. That is why we can seem so unnecessarily cautious. That is why we weigh the options so carefully. That is why we have pain contracts and rules. If your doctor is cautious about prescribing opioids, it usually means they care.

We need to accept that the problem won't be fixed overnight. It took twenty-plus years to get to this point, and there is no quick fix. It will be tedious, painful, and slow. But if we--doctors and our patients--don't use this opportunity to shift the pendulum, it will be shifted for us in a much less desirable way.

There will be hoops, so many hoops, to jump through in order to prescribe opioids when we think they are necessary. Someone outside of the medical profession may have to approve each prescription--much like the prior authorization that is necessary for certain medications and diagnostic studies now. There may be regulations about how many of these medications drug companies can produce, therefore driving up the cost for patients.

I really don't want it to get to that. I don't think anyone does.

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You can follow Dr. Scruggs at www.kvscruggs.com.

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https://www.acponline.org/system/files/documents/about_acp/chapters/mn/12mtg/belgrade.pdf

https://www.asipp.org/documents/ASIPPFactSheet101111.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/rr/rr6501e1.htm

http://www.addictions.com/opiate/10-opiate-addiction-statistics/
Anousheh Ansari is the first female private space explorer and first space ambassador, earning a place in history as the fourth private explorer to visit space and the first astronaut of Iranian descent.

To help drive commercialization of the space industry, Ansari and her family provided title sponsorship for the Ansari X Prize, a $10 million cash award for the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks.

Ansari is also the co-founder and CEO of Prodea Systems. Prior to founding Prodea Systems, she served as co-founder, CEO, and chairman of Telecom Technologies, Inc. Ansari has received multiple honors including, the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and the Working Woman's National Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. She was listed in Fortune magazine's "40 under 40".

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Ansari earned a bachelor's degree in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University and a master's degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University. Lan Anh Vu caught up with Ansari to learn more about her journey, how she made her dream of space travel a reality, the challenges of being a CEO in male-dominated tech industry, and her advice for young people across the world.

As told to Lan Anh Vu

My Career in Technology

I started as an electrical engineer working for a telecom company. I really enjoyed building new things, and I worked in a group that designed advanced services and imagined new ways that people could use technology. It was a very creative process that I really enjoyed.

A few years later, after I met my husband and got married, we both left our company and started a company of our own. As a consulting company, we wanted to help people come up with new innovative ideas. After that, we saw that even though a lot of our ideas were really good, they took time to implement. We decided to help our clients implement those ideas. So that's how we got into the software development and building services and products.

It was an adjustment for me to transition from being an engineer to being an entrepreneur. I never went to management school, but I adopted a philosophy based on my work experience. More specifically, I decided to adopt the standards and methods that I liked about the companies I had worked for, and to make sure that I didn't do the things that I thought didn't work. That's probably the best management school I could have had. There were some skills that I needed to enhance, like working with financial spreadsheets, so I took night classes at a community college to learn more skills that would help make our company successful.

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My Space Dream

My obsession with space started when I was 6 years old. I love science fiction and watched Star Trek growing up in Iran. I was fascinated by the sheer mystery of space. What's out there? What's it like? How I could get there? I imagined the universe was full of aliens and I prayed for the aliens to come and take me away. Then I could go and explore the amazing, mysterious places around the universe.

In February 2006, I came close to fulfilling my lifelong dream, when I was asked to be a backup for private space explorer Daisuke Enomoto on a Soyuz TMA-9 flight to the International Space Station (ISS). I underwent a six-month training program in Russia's Star City, as well as cross-training at Johnson Space Center in Houston. In August 2006, just a few weeks before the scheduled flight, Daisuke was medically disqualified. I then became a primary crew of the Soyuz TMA-9 as a replacement. It took two days to travel to the ISS, then I spent eight days on the ISS before returning to earth. The trip back to earth took about four hours.

Looking at Earth from Space

The world looks different to me after seeing the Earth from space. It was a very transformative experience. We are so tiny and insignificant. At the end of the day, all the little things that we worry about so much and all the things we spend our lives and our energy on really don't matter. This experienced changed the way I viewed everything and it helped me re-prioritize my life and my relationships with the world, with my environment, and with the people around me. Those moments and those experiences made me realize what's important and what doesn't really matter. I would love to see more people fly into space, because it has such a profound impact on people. It truly is an experience that can give people the perspective to live a better life with themselves and live more in harmony with the world.

Challenges

Being a woman in the tech industry was a big challenge, especially being a CEO when I started my first company. I was around 30 years old. It was a daily struggle to be taken seriously, to have a voice at the table, to get the proper credit for the work you are doing without a louder male voice taking all the credit. Getting people to give you the benefit of doubts and to give you the credit that you deserve is difficult, so you have to work that much harder to gain the respect and the credit you deserve.

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Lessons Learned

I've learned that if you set your mind to something and you really want it, you will find a way to achieve it. I had lots of ups and downs and obstacles along my way, but I am a very persistent person. I may fall down, but I pick myself up and keep going. That's when you realize that you have a team around you, including your family, and that you are not doing it alone. It's important to have that type of support around you because there will be times that you fall down and you don't think you can get back up until someone offers you a helping hand. Those people are critical to your success in whatever you do.

The other thing I've learned from the space experience is about perspective. Once you can see the earth from space, you become a truly global citizen, who can only think of things at the global level. My company works on projects that impact the entire world. It's important for us to build something that has a global impact, not just something that works as a very local and small project.

We Need More Women in Tech

I think it's absolutely critical to increase the number of women in technology. Women are underrepresented in technology-related jobs, especially in technical positions and at leadership levels. I think a lot of people--not just young girls--don't fully understand what it means to be a computer scientist or a technologist nowadays, what people in those roles do day to day, and the impact they can have on society.

Change needs to start with young girls, before they even begin to consider where life may take them, before high school or college, when decisions about careers are being made. Support must be offered to women at every stage in their careers to help them find their way to becoming tech leaders.

Advice for Young People

My advice for young people is to find their passion, something they believe in, and put their energy into it. One good thing about technology is that it has given tremendous powers to the individual: one person can make a difference. You don't need to be wealthy or have a team of a thousand people. With a social network or crowdfunding, one person with a great idea can do a lot. If young people can find that one thing they want to do and feel passionate about it, then they can do a lot with that.

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Sometimes I think that young women put more limitations on themselves than anyone else. Many women start to believe that they're not meant to do something, especially when they have cultural or family restrictions, so they put that limitation on themselves. Even if an opportunity arises, they don't see it and they've forgotten about the freedom they really have because they are limiting themselves. So it's important not to forget and to always be prepared.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Democratic socialism used to be a vibrant force in American life. During the first two decades of the twentieth century, the Socialist Party of America, headed by the charismatic union leader, Eugene V. Debs, grew rapidly, much like its sister parties in Europe and elsewhere: the British Labour Party, the French Socialist Party, the Swedish Social Democratic Party, the Australian Labor Party, and dozens of similar parties that voters chose to govern their countries. Publicizing its ideas through articles, lectures, rallies, and hundreds of party newspapers, America's Socialist Party elected an estimated 1,200 public officials, including 79 mayors, in 340 cities, as well as numerous members of state legislatures and two members of Congress. Once in office, the party implemented a broad range of social reforms designed to curb corporate abuses, democratize the economy, and improve the lives of working class Americans. Even on the national level, the Socialist Party became a major player in American politics. In 1912, when Woodrow Wilson's six million votes gave him the presidency, Debshis Socialist Party opponentdrew vast, adoring crowds and garnered nearly a million.

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This promising beginning, however, abruptly came to an end. Socialist Party criticism of World War I led to a ferocious government crackdown on the party, including raids on its offices, censorship of its newspapers, and imprisonment of its leaders, including Debs. In addition, when Bolshevik revolutionaries seized power in Russia and established the Soviet Union, they denounced democratic socialist parties and established rival Communist parties under Soviet control to spark revolutions. In the United States, the Socialists fiercely rejected this Communist model. But the advent of Communism sharply divided the American Left and, worse yet, confused many Americans about the differences between Socialists and Communists. Although the Socialist Party lingered on during the 1920s and 1930s, many individual Socialists simply moved into the Democratic Party, particularly after its New Deal programs began to steal the Socialist thunder.

The Socialist Party's situation grew even more desperate during the Cold War. With the Communists serving as cheerleaders for the Soviet Union, Americans often viewed them as, at best, apologists for a dictatorship or, at worst, subversives and traitors. And the Socialists were often mistakenly viewed the same way. By the 1970s, the once-thriving Socialist Party was almost non-existent. Some of its remaining activists, led by Michael Harrington, broke away and organized the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee, which later morphed into Democratic Socialists of Americana group that dropped third party campaigns, called attention to the value of democratic socialist programs, and worked with progressive forces in the Democratic party to secure them. But, for several decades, it made little headway.

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And, then, remarkably, democratic socialism began to revive. Of course, it had never entirely disappeared, and occasional polls found small-scale support for it. But, in December 2011, a startling 31 percent of Americans surveyed by the Pew Research Center said that they had a positive reaction to the word "socialism," with young people, Blacks, and Hispanics showing the greatest enthusiasm. In November 2012, a Gallup survey found that 39 percent of Americans had a positive reaction to "socialism," including 53 percent of Democrats.

Why the rising tide of support for socialism in recent years? One key factor was certainly a popular backlash against the growing economic instability and inequality in America fostered by brazen corporate greed, exploitation, and control of public policy. In addition, college-educated young peoplesaddled with enormous tuition debt, often under-employed, and with little recollection of the Soviet nightmarebegan to discover the great untold political story of the postwar years, the remarkable success of European social democracy.

Of course, Bernie Sanders played an important role in this public reappraisal of democratic socialism. Once a member of the Young People's Socialist League, the youth group of the old Socialist Party, Sanders forged a successful political career as an independent, serving as a popular mayor of Burlington, Vermont, a U.S. Congressman, and, eventually, a U.S. Senator. During these years, he consistently attacked the greed of the wealthy and their corporations, assailed economic and social inequality, and stood up for workers and other ordinary Americans. For many on the American Left, he provided a shining example of the continued relevance of democratic socialism in America.

Sanders's plunge into the Democratic Presidential primaries, though, drew the attention of a much larger audienceand, as it turned out, a surprisingly sympathetic one. Although the communications media were quick to point out that he was a socialist, a fact that many assumed would marginalize him, he didn't run away from the label. Perhaps most important, he presented a democratic socialist program in tune with the views of many Americans: universal healthcare (Medicare for All); tuition-free public college; a $15/hour minimum wage; increased Social Security benefits; higher taxes on the wealthy; big money out of politics; and a less militaristic foreign policy.

This sounded good to large numbers of voters. In June 2015, shortly after Sanders launched his campaign, a Gallup poll found that 59 percent of Democrats, 49 percent of independents, and 26 percent of Republicans were willing to support a socialist if he were the candidate of their party. This included 69 percent of Americans 18 to 29 years of age and 50 percent of those between 30 and 49 years of age. To the shock (and frequent dismay) of the political pundits, Sanders's poll numbers have risen steadily until they rival those of Hillary Clinton, the presumed Democratic nominee, and he has won 20 of the Democratic state primaries and caucuses conducted so far. Indeed, polls show that, if he became the Democratic nominee, he would win a landslide victory in the race for President.

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But whether or not Sanders reaches the White House, it's clear that democratic socialism has made a comeback in American life.
The election of a black President induced Republicans to throw gasoline on the racist kindling they've nurtured for decades. When democrats became the party of equal rights for blacks in the mid-sixties, racists sought a new home. They found it with Republicans; and Republicans have been quite mindful of that audience ever since.

Republicans recognized in the mid-sixties that the American Id--which lives in everyone raised within American history and culture--is a Klansman. Modern Republicans provoke that Id like lap dances provoke erections--and with just as much class.

During the announcement of his run for the Presidency, Ronald Reagan sang a paean to states' rights down the road from the Philadelphia, Mississippi site where white men savagely murdered three civil rights workers. Establishment Republicans like David Brooks pleaded that Reagan spoke of states' rights often, and did so in a non-racial context. But mentioning states' rights in a non-racial context is like singing the Star Spangled Banner in a non-patriotic one. From its use to defend slavery to George Wallace slinging it in 1963 to protect Alabama's racist status quo, the phrase is a toxic racist staple. Despite the mainstream pretense, we all know what it means.

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Republicans have played this game a long time. They use policies like 'states' rights' as dog whistles to invoke America's racist past, a past continually idealized. Recently, however, they've lowered the bar. Their reaction to a black man ascending to the Presidency expelled the whispers for screams. They screamed that Barack Obama was not a real American (in a racist worldview, no black people are unless they acknowledge a white supremacist worldview), and made it their priority to delegitimize his Presidency.

The racism wasn't so subtle anymore. It was no longer limited to policies that harmed minorities. It was heading back toward 60s style "nigger"-slinging. Mainstream congressional Republicans jumped on the 'birther' bandwagon--insisting the President was ineligible for the office due to his birth place (or birth color)--and a tea party congressman screamed, "You lie," at the President as he delivered the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. A Fox News guest called Obama the "rapper-in-chief."

It wasn't so subtle from the Republican base, either.

All the poisons that lurked in the mud hatched out. The white tribalism that helped fuel 'stop and frisk' laws, voter ID laws, defenses of cops killing defenseless black men and women, they all grew tired of hiding and sought the light of day--in the form of Donald Trump.

The Republican establishment originally feared Trump because he stripped the shine from their shoes. He removed deniability from the policy intent of militarized police, gutting anti-discrimination enforcement, and laws to prevent statistically non-existent voter fraud. Here was a man who called for the execution of five innocent black teens during the Central Park Five case, who called Mexican immigrants rapists, who shrugs at support from neo-Nazi and white supremacist hate groups, who has called for a ban on an entire religion and winks at violence against its adherents. There was no more hiding behind euphemisms. Trump howled a racist mating call and the Republican base howled back.

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Now, however, even the Republican establishment is warming to the final acquiescence of Republicanism to Trumpism. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, the fake policy wonk who never met a tax break for the rich he didn't like, has held talks with the presumptive nominee to see if Trump can learn to wear a spit shine like the rest of the Party and spin Muslim-hatred into a policy that sounds more benign. Perhaps, like the base, establishment Republicans have grown tired of the inclusive charade. Perhaps they, too, yearn to slough off the burden of "political correctness," and like their segregationist political forebears, openly shout their hatred for those who don't look like them, love like them, or worship like them.
I'm on the mission to find the best places around the world to go on a date. Australia is one of the furthest places I have traveled to, but it was well worth the 20+ hour flight from the States.

The country is full of diversity - each city has its own culture, character and charm. Here are my top five date ideas in Australia.

Visit one of the world's natural wonders - The Great Barrier Reef - in Cairns, Australia. Take a boat ride on a catamaran to soak up the sun. Snorkeling and scuba diving are both great options to get up close and personal with the sea life.

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Take a road-trip through the outback and explore the Chillagoe Caves. We hired a local guide who pointed out how mother nature created these massive structures of rock and sand. Beware! You might spot some bats flying above, but the views are worth it!

I love food. If you're a food lover as well, you'll be blown away by the Queen Victoria Market. It's massive and filled with vendors selling exotic fruits, organic vegetables, fresh seafood and various meats. Wander through the market and try something new!

Visit one of the tallest buildings in the world - The Eureka Tower. The sky deck on the 88th floor provides beautiful panoramic views of the city. It's the best place to catch the sunset in Melbourne. Bonus: The observation desk provides charging stations for mobile devices and a snack bar at the top.

Recommendation: If you're looking for a place to stay, I highly recommend the West Quay Suites - walking distance from the waterfront as well as Eureka Sky Deck.

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5. Kangaroo Sighting

Visit the Tarango Zoo, a non-profit organization established this safe space for wildlife conservation. The zoo takes care of approximately 4,000 animals and it's the perfect place to spot a kangaroo as well as a variety of wildlife.

I hope you enjoy your trip to Australia and enjoy these dating recommendations along the way.
It wasn't until I was just shy of my 50th birthday that I began dating women, spending the previous five decades entrenched in a heterosexual society where being born female cemented my role as a member of the 'other' or 'second sex,' as Simone de Beauvoir famously coined in her same-named book sixty years earlier.

But I was shocked to discover that within the homosexual community women's secondary status similarly exists. Don't be misled by the acronym, LGBTQ, where the letter 'L' is in the lead. In practice, this is often not the case. Just attend any major LGBTQ political rally or hearing where issues affecting the rights of the entire LGBTQ community are debated and decided, for example, and you will find most of its leaders are male. This therefore begs the question, 'Where are the women?'

"Politicians typically go after the guys for support," says Beth Shipp, Executive Director of LPAC, the first lesbian Political Action Committee. As a result, there is limited public and political support for issues largely affecting women like breast cancer, rape, and reproductive choice. LPAC, however, is determined to show the political community that "Lesbian and queer women possess powerful political power," Shipp says. Clearly, for this organization, the letter 'L' is earning its rightful place.

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Built upon a mission to increase the political power and engagement of LGBTQ women and their allies, LPAC is building a network of lesbians and queer women who take political action. Since its inception only four years ago, in fact, LPAC has raised over $2 million from supporters in 48 states, and has been involved in over 40 races and independent expenditure campaigns across the country. It therefore comes as no surprise that this super PAC has so far helped a number of candidates win campaigns over the past three election cycles, including Arizona Congresswoman Krysten Sinema, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey (the first out lesbian Attorney General in the nation) in 2014; Senator Ed Markey and Houston Mayor Annise Parker in 2013; and President Barack Obama in 2012. "We are also the first national LGBT group to support Hillary Clinton for President for 2016." Shipp adds.

But there's another first that LPAC is about to embark upon. Ensuring that lesbians will be seen as well as heard, the Super PAC will be taking to the stage, literally, by hosting an event on June 16th in New York City that will raise political awareness through humor, wit, and music. Amidst LGBT Pride Month and just prior to the 2016 national political conventions, Levity & Justice for All will include such headliners as Rosie O'Donnell, Lea DeLaria, Billie Jean King, Kate Clinton, Judy Gold and musical group, BETTY. This first-of-its-kind comedy benefit will provide a stage for the political humor and sharp wit of the comics, at the expense of anti-LGBTQ politicians, including the presumptive Republican presidential candidate.

"Watching the news and seeing what Donald Trump is saying, you'd think that the entire 2016 election cycle is a bad sitcom," Shipp says. "The sad truth is that the 2016 election is no joke. We face candidates across the country, including those running for President, who have no respect for women or our LGBTQ community. Levity & Justice for All will celebrate the political voices, humor, and activism of LGBTQ women, inspiring and motivating those in attendance to actively participate in the 2016 election."

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And this cannot happen soon enough. In many states, LGBT Americans continue to suffer legal, political, and cultural discrimination, despite marriage equality. Further, lesbians face bias due to women's pay inequality, increasing threats to sexual and reproductive freedom, and decreasing access to quality healthcare. "This is why we also need to flip the U.S. Senate so that progressives are back in control," Shipp says. "We have LGBTQ women running for office across the country, and we want to be the group that supports them and raises them up."

There are also some unique benefits inherent in a lesbian-led PAC. "Whereas gay men tend to give politically to gain power, lesbians tend to approach politics differently," Shipp says. "We want to see good done in our communities, and to give philanthropically to rape crisis and breast cancer centers, for example." Still, LPAC is committed to furthering social, racial, and economic justice for all members of the LGBT community, including men, whom they hope will also become members. The organization has even coined a welcoming name for its male supporters -- 'Lesbros' - based upon its combined mission to support one another equally, like no 'other' can.
"Business recognizes we can make the world sustainable... and business can't sit back and wait for government to set the rules. Business must lead."

There were the words of Peter Bakker, President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, who spoke at the United Nations Digital Media Zone yesterday.

With the advent of high-level meetings at the UN, conversation around achieving the Sustainable Development Goals has amped up. At the Digital Media Zone, the world's top change-makers have been giving interviews while leaders in business and NGOs have joined delegates and celebrities to discuss how the world can collectively achieve corporate social responsibility. Nowhere has the narrative been more engaging than around innovations in mobile broadband technology as a tool for social good.

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Mobile Innovators

Among the innovators are organizations such as Techfugees, a global community of tech entrepreneurs that are connecting Refugees to mobile solutions through apps that help migrants locate desperately-needed resources, from food to legal advice. "Our goal is to galvanize tech communities around the world... to have them get involved with non-profits on the ground. We want bring the innovation and agility of the technology world to [these causes]," said Andlib Shah, head of the Techfugees US chapter.

Techfugee projects include the Refugee Aid App, which connects the world's most vulnerable migrants to clean water, warm clothing, and support channels, and Refunite, which reunites fragmented families.

Esri is another company taking mobile tech to the next level. Their global mapping technology is "creating a geographic nervous system" for the world, by which data can be synthesized to localize problems for effective solutions. Mobile geography is being used to conserve the environment by locating future natural resource conflicts, and in the nonprofit sector, where accurate infographing is helping promote worthwhile causes.



AIESEC International is including youth in the mobile revolution, by tying activist hashtags to genuine calls to action. Its volunteer program has expanded globally, and relies heavily on broadband to recruit.



Alinafe Chimongo presents Esri's Collector app on his smartphone. It helps Malawi farmers increase crop yields.

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Another trailblazing innovator featured at the DMZ was Qualcomm Wireless Reach (QCW), the CSR initiative of Qualcomm, the world's leading producer of mobile chip sets. QCW is building mobile broadband programs across the globe to drive social change.

"The heart of Qualcomm is building mobile technology... how can we use that to make the world a better place? The SDGs help drive the vision for the programs [and] we touch on every goal."

Qualcomm's focal SDG is #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. That being said, with more than 10 years devoted to corporate social good in over 100 programs across 40 countries, the initiative has been leveraging 3G and 4G mobile technology to bridge the gap between SDGs and positively cross-pollenate.

"We have an education program in Myanmar where we're working with Ericsson, UNESCO... a number of large partners. It fits into the education SDG lens, but it also keeps girls in schools, so there's the gender equality lens."

Qualcomm Wireless Reach focuses largely on developing countries, which are the most in need of resources and access. While emphasis is placed on health, public safety, entrepreneurship, and education, the initiative's portfolio range is sweeping.

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In Japan, QCW is using mobile technology to create digital textbooks for remote education. In the USA, the group is teaching students to empathize with other cultures through augmented reality. In Spain, it is assisting people with disabilities. In Tanzania, the team is helping entrepreneurs manage their micro-finances. In Senegal, they are alerting fishermen to life-saving weather information and documenting the fair market price of each catch, enabling upward social mobility.

India may exhibit the best example of SDG crossover. QCW is providing audio and video training for childbirth and neo-natal care, which is empowering pregnant women, training doctors, improving the literacy of nurses and ASHAs, and teaching medical staff to integrate mobile technologies. Ultimately, the goal of the program is to reduce India's death rate. All information is accessible by central hospitals, meaning that doctors are all on the same page.

Start Local, Think Global



QCW's commitment to empowering local communities is improving lives and livelihoods by putting the program's direction in the hands of locals.

"We can pivot it if something's not going right... [Technology] is a tool. You can't just throw a bunch of tools at people and expect them to change how they do their job." Said Angel Baker, of QWR. "That's why it's really important to work in a local context: local team, local language."



Students in Jordan working with mobile educational technology, part of the QWR program.



They have this "local" mindset in common with Techfugees, Esri, and AIESEC. Fostering people-to-people interactions, on-the-ground training, and localizing social good initiatives makes them sustainable within the communities they help. Each change-maker is focused on bringing underserved communities the resources and education they need to help themselves, packaging it in a way they can understand and integrate into daily life. It's a refreshing difference from large corporations dumping tools into in-need spaces, and assuming the same tools can work in the same way across verticals.

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Lessons learned across QCW's program are taken into new projects, and a central knowledge base is grown and shared. The initiative is currently expanding into new tech areas, including wearable devices and drones. Techfugees and Esri are also on the cutting edge, delving into cross-sector growth. Problem-solving has led to the deployment of unique iterations of tech across the board, such as solar cells for phones in areas that don't have regular access to electricity.

It's a feedback loop we rarely see in corporate social responsibility: learning from local needs, and re-vamping projects to suit the feedback.

It's vital that mobile broadband is a leader in this shift to local. According to the UN Telecommunications Agency, there are almost 6.8 billion mobile subscriptions in the world. Compared to the world's 7 billion people, that number is significant-- especially since poor, underserviced countries still have a subscription rate of 89.4%.
I sat there and listened to her as she poured out her soul. She spoke of a life that was long gone and a nightmare that never ended. She told me stories of happiness, anguish, love, and loss. I listened to her unable to say a word. Tears formed in my eyes as I took her pain, and cradled it in my hands without judgment. This is what I heard...

He and I are two, but sometimes I think that we might be three, even four, and never just one. I love him, but I don't love myself with him. I see the world through him, and I hate what I see. I speak his thoughts and I don't really understand them.

When love turns to an impossible mission, when words are not enough, and everything becomes black or white, we forget how to smile, to cry and to play like two little children.

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Are we humans or has the war stolen our humanity? I saw him in his corner, lost, and afraid I didn't know what to do. I cannot change the past; I cannot stop them from arresting him. I cannot pause time and stop them from beating him. I know how dark it was there, in a room that was not even big enough to lie down. The rats even left it. How could one human decide to put another human in this hell? How could one human decide to strip a man of his love and his identity and transform him into a mere prison number? My love had a number, I don't know the number, but I would love to imagine that it was a nice number, maybe ''777'' ...

I lost my love there, and he lost his soul. I met him for the first time after he was released. I couldn't tell if he was different because I didn't know him before, but he also tried to be funny, and positive. He wanted to appear that he was normal.

Perhaps he had decided to think like the rats and leave his memories behind to poison the monsters that controlled the prison.

Now I see him. He took them all with him, the rats, the memories and the memories' poison, all together in a new place. Now he even misses his life in prison. He thinks that it would have been better to die there than to come out. He is numb, and I love him; I don't know if love is enough because I am also lost, numb and I need him. I really want him to be with me to understand; to wake up. I need him to let it go!

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I am not stronger, I am not a dreamer, I am giving up, and he is still there. A flicker of light and a wisp of smoke-I see him. He is smoking his cigarette in the corner and I am on the other side begging for him to open the window. The smoke is killing me, and the stench of his rotting memories is suffocates us.

He looks at me and says nothing, but I know when I will leave he will cry and he will miss me. Yet, I know he won't stop me for real, and I know that he will continue smoking in his corner, until the day he can forgive himself.

I will miss the rats, the poisoned memories, and our place. Not yet though...not yet. I am still here and we are together, and we will be together until I am completely poisoned.

My love was arrested because he participated in demonstrations in Damascus/ Syria. After being realised, he fled the country because he did not want to get arrested or even killed. He is outside the country now, and he took nothing except me, his cigarette, and a shade of himself. I wish I had been left there, I wish I no longer loved him. However, until you choose something, everything remains possible, and I have chosen my love, I have chosen him, and I would choose him again.

To end up my story, I have a request to make, a huge demonstration is taking place in Paris on the 11th of June, aiming for a 1000 detainee pictures, dead or alive, to be shown to the public. The pictures can show detainees detained by armed groups or by the Assad regime.

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Please join, maybe that would change something, maybe if you accept to come, then my love, 777, will agree to join as well and he may be able to remember me, and I can finally call him again by his name.

Sincerely,

777 Syrian former detainee Lover
"As a human being he may have moods and a will and personal aims, but as an artist he is "man" in a higher sense- he is "collective man"- one who carries and shapes the unconscious, psychic life of humankind" - Carl Jung

Thinkers throughout the ages have defined the human by many terms: from Aristotle's 'zoon politikon'(the political animal), to 'homo faber' (the toolmaking animal), to 'homo ludens'(the playing animal) to 'homo economicus'( the calculative animal) and many more.

Religion scholar Mircea Eliade theorized that archaic human was 'homo religiosus' (the religious animal) in that his behavior revolved around the manipulation of symbols to structure the world in such a way so that the sacred order of reality would break through ordinary reality.

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But what is the 'sacred'?

In this day and age, it's common to hear the expression "spiritual but not religious". According to some, spirituality is the quest for ultimate meaning, and transcendence in relation to the sacred. But trying to define the sacred in this context still remains a problematic task, and our attempt to do so, further blurs the line between religion and spirituality.

For example, the American psychologist William James defined the religious experience as those "feelings, acts and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine or sacred."

Following this line of thinking, I would say there is no more solitary activity which concerns the human animal as much as art. In this sense, we are not so different from the cave-dwellers of the Upper Paleolithic. We are the 'Homo Artisticus'. The innate desire and yearning to create art may be the most distinguishable trait of the human animal.

One can dare to say that art is more revolutionary than science. Because an artistic revelation brings forth a new image of the world. A new image which can reveal a new way of 'being' in the world.

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The revelatory power of art is immediate and iconoclastic. As soon as a work of art is created the artist herself becomes a prophet because she reveals a new conception of the world. But is art a form of religion/spirituality? or does art belong to a different realm of the human experience?

"Art is a ritual that through the manipulation of symbolic imagery, inspired by our innermost feelings, we project ourselves onto an alternate reality. It is both an escape of, and a reconfiguration of, the world as it is. It is the destruction and creation of worlds."

Art sure speaks to the most profound feelings of the human soul. A work of art can attest to the eternal in man, it has the ability to pull us out of the ordinary realm of existence and provide a sense of eternal atemporality. The work of art becomes itself a symbol of the cosmos which binds together the individual with the infinite. In this regard, art is akin to religion.

Furthermore, both religion and art are attempts to give voice to the emotional movements of the human soul. And we are more responsive to these vital dimensions of life because they don't deal with the cognitive but rather the affective and existential aspects of the human condition. As Scott Atran explains that religion persists because "Science is not particularly well-suited to deal with people's existential anxieties - death, deception, sudden catastrophe, loneliness..."

Whereas the scientist looks out into the natural world to decipher the universal laws of nature. The artist, on the other hand, looks within to find meaning by looking into the multiplicities of the human inner realm.

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Last Thursday, immigrants' rights advocates received yet another unexpected chapter in United States v. Texas. This case has affected countless families by blocking DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans) and the expansion of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), the Obama administration's initiatives to allow certain immigrants to come forward and apply for the opportunity to live free from fear of deportation and receive work authorization. This twist came from the federal district court, which issued a blistering order that raised legal eyebrows even among those who support Texas's anti-immigrant position.

Judge Andrew S. Hanen claims to live by the Constitutional rulebook in his latest opinion. He fails to recognize, however, that this order includes an unconstitutional overreach of its own, effectively deputizing himself as overseer-in-chief of private, personal information about those who have applied under the original DACA initiative, a different immigration relief program announced by President Obama in 2012, and which Texas is not challenging.

Experts on both sides of the aisle agree that this order is likely to be appealed, and it's highly unlikely to ever take effect in its current form. Even so, this opinion should be exposed for what it -- and for what this entire case -- is: yet another politically-motivated attack on immigrant communities and those who stand with us.

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Judge Hanen's order has been characterized as an attempt to chastise the Justice Department. I can sympathize with the lawyers at Justice who must be reeling and worried about this attack on their professional integrity. But Judge Hanen's order is much worse: He attempted to scare people like "A," a 20-year-old nurse in Houston with one of the three year work permits. Judge Hanen has demanded A's personal information, including her home address and her A-number (her immigration file number maintained by the federal government), along with information for tens of thousands of other young immigrants who received their DACA notifications in late 2014 before Judge Hanen blocked the new programs. Judge Hanen has promised to release this information to proper authorities in plaintiff states if they show "good cause" for its release.

Again, the 2012 DACA initiative has not been challenged in this lawsuit. In fact, Judge Hanen took care in his February 16, 2015, ruling to say that the original DACA was not at issue in this case, with a few exceptions. Judge Hanen now says that in an earlier order, he halted the issuance of three-year work authorization documents (as opposed to a two-year work authorization document). Yet, before this earlier order, Texas had not separately requested as a part of its legal complaint that these three-year work authorizations be limited. The Department of Justice's attorneys have maintained that they did not mislead the court, though Judge Hanen clearly does not believe them. A close impartial reading of the record shows great ambiguity and it is unclear that work permit length was at issue.

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Judge Hanen claims he is issuing this order to reprimand the Justice Department for an ethical breech. But in what world should we punish young people who have done nothing wrong for such a breech, whether perceived or real?

This case, and this order, is ultimately about families. Immigrant families fought for American children to live free from the fear that their parents won't be home to tuck them into bed at night. Young immigrant leaders before them fought to live free from fear that they'll be torn from the only home they know.
Not so long ago, I learned that one of my former students, a fun-loving, academically strong kid who is now in high school, had a handgun stashed underneath his clothes in his dresser drawer. Some boys in the neighborhood had threatened to jump him, and the other day they threw bottles at him and his friends.

He felt he needed protection.

But the gun made him nervous.

What if my mother finds it?

What if it accidentally goes off in my house?

What would happen to me if I actually used it on someone, killed someone?

I'm told now through one of his friends that the gun is gone. It wasn't my place to ask for more details than that. As the alumni manager of a small K-8 charter school in Chicago, I must practice the delicate art of pushing my former students to talk just so, and not too much.

Most nights, all I can do is close my eyes and pray for these Black and Latino kids, trusting the all-seeing eye to protect them from other kids who also bury their pistols beneath boxers and briefs, kids who aren't as afraid to point and shoot.

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Less than two weeks ago, Lee McCullum Jr., 22, was shot in the head in the West Pullman community. I wouldn't know him by name except that he was the troubled kid turned honors student/prom king/college-bound Fenger Academy High School student featured in the 2014 CNN series, Chicagoland.

Fenger's former principal Liz Dozier did all she could to help McCullum and hundreds of other students escape the dangerous city streets long enough to get a college education and maybe return to give back to the community. McCullum was accepted to Talladega College, Alabama's oldest private historically Black college, but he never made it there. Struggling with homelessness and a checkered past, he survived one shooting shortly after graduation, but not the second.

I extended my condolences to Dozier, who now runs Chicago Beyond, because she has had to bury more students than she cares to count.

I tried unsuccessfully to remove the knot in my throat.

One of my kids had a gun in his drawer, I thought. He had a gun in his drawer.

I spent way too much time last week on McCullum's girlfriend's Facebook page. You see, Tiara Parks, 23, was shot in the head and died just a week earlier than McCullum in the Roseland community. She was a college graduate with a toddler son. She was hanging out with McCullum near some 20 other young people when shots rang out.

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I'm grieving the loss of the two lovebirds. A romance that has ended on the street in cold blood, leaving a young son without a mother and a baby daughter without a father. A legacy of pain to be felt for many years to come.

In my small Surge fellowship cohort of 13, three educators have lost students this school year. One principal recently lost a chronically-ill 14-year-old girl who was too sick to afford insurance; the school ran a crowdfunding page to raise funds for her burial, and her mother donated her organs to other children in need.

Another teacher in my cohort lost his favorite student, 15-year-old De'Kayla Dansberry, who was stabbed in the chest two weekends ago by a seventh-grade girl whose mother allegedly gave her a switchblade to use in the fight. When I saw the report on the news, I instantly wondered what school she attended and whether I knew her teachers. Losing a student, even someone else's student, is like a death in the family, a relative once or twice removed.

The third fellow in my cohort had to attend the funeral of her 19-year-old former student, Juan Gonzalez, who was trying to deposit his paycheck at an ATM when he was gunned down in an attempted robbery. He worked at a local grocery store to help pay his older sister's college tuition and to save money for his own college education.

Kids with guns in drawers, knives in pockets, and blood on their hands. This is not natural. Sadly, in certain neighborhoods, it has become normal.

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I'm relieved that my former student got rid of his gun. Like Liz Dozier with Lee McCullum, I would do anything I could to help him succeed. He has my cell number and can call me anytime. In fact, I just spoke with him and he tells me he's good: He's focused on high school graduation, earning scholarship-worthy grades, and going away to college.

I just pray that a bullet--his or someone else's--won't stop him from achieving his dreams.
While the national media today devotes its pages and airtime to Donald Trump's twitter feeds, and our President is taking center stage issuing bathroom decrees, a huge scandal, the shame of our Democracy, is all but ignored.

An NPR program aired last night told the story:

Remember the Veterans Administration scandal of 2014? Veterans had earlier been induced to enlist in the Armed Forces by our government's promise that upon their honorable discharge they would receive, "all the necessary care... to promote, preserve, and restore your health." Then they were screwed over by their country. The wait for care: months and months-- was so long that some VA administrators cooked the books to hide the disgraceful delays.

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When the matter became public, the finger pointing commenced. There was enough blame to go around.

First, in the eight years of the Bush wars, the size of our military grew, as did the injuries to be treated after discharge. The Administration came up with the cash to acquire the guns and bullets, but failed to acquire the hospital beds and medical personnel sure to be needed when the troops came home. While Bush and Cheney ignored the issue, Congress slept.

Second, when the Harvard Law Professor and Community Organizer Barack Obama, became President, he was full of policy ideas, and successfully crammed Obamacare down the throats of the Republicans in Congress. Having napped for 8 years, the R's were now awake and well rested, and instantly became such experts in health care, they could piss all over The Affordable Care Act. But neither the President nor the Congress looked out for the vets. Their care was left to the slumbering Veterans Administration, an agency that is almost a perfect model of what is wrong with Government.

So for each of the ten years after taking office, our head of The Executive Branch failed to do his duty, failed to monitor the V.A., failed to appoint supervisors who would supervise. And so the veterans got screwed again and again.

When it was reported that not only were there unacceptable delays in the delivery of medical services, but local administrators were fraudulently covering them up, the head of the V.A., General Shinseki was forced out. Congress rushed through a bill providing $10 billion to fix the problem, but the legislation was wildly unrealistic: it gave the V.A. 90 days to patch up a system hosted by a crumbling infrastructure.

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The fix failed.The bill required the agency to create a whole new network of alternative health care providers. The hospitals, doctors and other health care personnel would be paid by the V.A. But when the V.A. tried to put the pieces together, it failed, and hired an outside firm to do the job. The result was chaos. The heart of the fix was that vets could go to non-V.A. doctors when the wait at V.A. facilities was more than 30 days or they lived more than 40 miles away. Not only did the V.A. need to enroll patients and doctors in the program, promulgate regulations, fashion a billing system, etc, it then had to execute: it had to make sure the doctors and hospitals received timely payments for their services. Asking the Veterans Administration bureaucracy to organize and administer such a plan was like asking pigs to fly. Duh, when the doctors and hospitals complained the government did not pay at all, or did not pay within 90 days, they dropped out of the program. And we were back to GO.

The result, NPR reported, is that delays at V.A. hospitals are today as bad as they were before!

I know the President is busy. But so are lots of chief executives who run successful enterprises. They manage to succeed because they know that policy is only the first half: you must then administer the execution of the policy. (Cf. the famous Seinfeld scene when he is told the car rental agency does not have the car they reserved for him. He says to the attendant "Sure you know how to take a reservation, but the important part is to keep the reservation.")

In the few months left to his Presidency, is it too much to ask that Mr. Obama fix this--permanently? Talk about the Obama legacy!

And Congress, they ain't about to sit down and draft a new complicated bill. One of the two sponsors of the defective bill (Senator Bernie Sanders) is too busy now anyway.

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So here is my simplistic suggestion: Do not try to reinvent the wheel. Why not just put all eligible vets into Medicare? And then appoint somebody like Mike Bloomberg as head of the V.A., with power to effect the regulations and attend to the details of the merger. The R's should love it because the government can probably fire thousands of ineffective clerks and managers whose jobs are duplicates of existing medicare personnel.

Let's leave FUBAR back in the history of WWII, and not reimpose its consequences on today's veterans.
Dear Community, Friends & Supporters,

On behalf of myself and the Christopher Street West Board of Directors, we are excited to invite you to the 2016 LA PRIDE Music Festival & Parade in West Hollywood this June 10th - 12th. This year marks the 46th Anniversary of Christopher Street West, the non-profit organization that produces the annual LA PRIDE Festival & Parade bringing our LGBTQ community and allies together.

LA PRIDE's Parade was the first permitted LGBTQ parade in the world and the LA PRIDE Festival & Parade continues to be at the forefront of community and culture. As our annual event continues to grow, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to West Hollywood throughout the weekend, we are thrilled to roll out new experiences for guests of both the Festival and the Parade.

Last year, 80 percent of our Festival attendees were under the age of 34 (up from 70 percent in 2014) and 40 percent of our Festival attendees were under the age of 24. Our majority audience is now overwhelmingly Millennial. Greater than 1/3 of last year's Festival attendees were of Latino descent and 50 percent of our attendees were people of color. 52 percent of the audience is male and 48 percent are female. 8 in 10 Millennials feel the MOST effective way to connect with them is through live music. Our message has always been and will forever be 'Pride'. For this generation, music has proven to be the most effective medium to promote that message.

These demographics are more inclusive on almost every level than the LA PRIDE Festival that I attended in my younger years and that's COMPLETELY OKAY! The Board of Christopher Street West welcomes these changes and has shifted its programming and marketing to ensure the continued relevance of Pride and the economic viability of the Festival & Parade. In being responsive to the community at large and the demographic changes of our actual attendees, we've become the largest LGBTQ ticketed event in the U.S. with an all-inclusive, anybody-is-welcome attitude. This year, we're embracing that to the fullest by producing the world's queerest, most inclusive Pride Music Festival, featuring a long list of LGBTQ talent alongside top ally performers, community-based experiences and large-scale queer art installations, all in one cozy West Hollywood park. Our forthcoming "Own Your Pride" marketing campaign showcases this evolution by featuring community ambassadors representing the contemporary spectrum of LGBTQ self-identity.

Once again, LA PRIDE will highlight community partners through both our award-winning parade as well as Festival on-site activations. We are now accepting applications for the parade, the entry deadline is May 27th and our Parade Production team will begin confirming parade participation and more details in the next two weeks. Applications for LA PRIDE Music Festival exhibitor spaces will be available on our website on May 2nd. We are offering exhibitor spaces to our community non-profit partners, allowing them to engage over 50,000 Festival-goers throughout the weekend. The LA PRIDE Music Festival is one of the largest sources of attracting volunteers and financial supporters for these great local non-profits.

Tickets are available for sale online and are currently discounted in advance of the weekend. On Friday, June 10th, the Festival grounds will be free and open to the public (from 6-8pm) to host West Hollywood's annual Dyke Rally & March, live performances on our Transgender Stage, and our (brand new for 2016) LGBT Youth Dance in partnership with The LGBT Center's LifeWorks program. Thereafter, Friday night (from 8pm-1am) is now a ticketed experience where Festival guests will experience fully-active programming throughout the Festival site on all four of our stages.

LA PRIDE's Music Festival continues to be one of the least expensive Festival tickets at an average of less than $18/day for a pre-sale ticket. With a lineup that rivals that of other major festival experiences, our tickets offer far more for much less than other major music and community experiences. This year's ticket pricing has increased to support several factors; increased talent programming, insurance and security costs, and RFID wristbands which will allow Public Safety to accurately determine the size of the Festival audience in real-time and greatly reduce entry times. In addition to the free community programming on Friday night (see above), each year we distribute $30,000 in free tickets to our non-profit partners. For 2016, we're working with the City of West Hollywood to sponsor the purchase of an additional $15,000 in free tickets that will be distributed to non-profit organizations serving underprivileged LGBTQ youth of color, LGBTQ homeless youth, and the transgender community. Lastly, as in previous years, Festival & Parade volunteer shifts are available in exchange for Festival admission.

We're looking forward to once again making this year's LA PRIDE Music Festival & Parade the leader in bringing our community together to celebrate our diversity, embrace our differences and honor our past struggles.

With Pride,

Sincerely,

Christopher Classen

President

Christopher Street West

LAPRIDE.org
Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more crowded.

Bizarre Biodiversity in the Boreal are wood frogs that freeze in winter, thaw in spring - another reason to help preserve these important carbon storing systems. Source LATimes

Forests: the cheapest way to store carbon

Boreal Circle of Fire - a wildfire emitted many tons of climate-changing carbon emissions as it burned Fort McMurray, Canada, which helps produce climate-changing fossil fuels that, when burned, help warm and dry out boreal forests. Both fires and fossil fuels up the chances for... more carbon-emitting wildfires. This wildfire is just the latest in a growing lineage of early northern wildfires, indicating climate change.

OO Global Warming Spurs Wildfires Increase In Boreal Forest - worldwide, scientists have warned for decades, as rising temperatures, drying trees and earlier melting of snow spur increasing wildfires.

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Large-scale loss of boreal forest could help speed climate change, since their destruction releases vast amounts of gases that further fuel climate change.

Under climate change there:

northern temperatures are rising faster than anywhere else,

snow cover is melting prematurely,

forests are drying out earlier than in the past.

excess heat could be causing an increase in fire-causing lightning.

Related Headline:

OO It's Not Just Alberta:

Warming-Fuelled Fires Are Increasing - worldwide, from China, the US, to Brazil and Australia.



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Smouldering Peat, Smouldering Fuse that firemen battle to prevent more wildfires. Credit Leyland Cecco

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OO Alberta Wildfire Lit the Peat Fuse:

Bigger, Hotter Fires To Follow - burning deep underground, smouldering peat, laced throughout Canadian boreal forest, will release tons of climate changing gas for months in the Fort Mcmurray area, that helped create the dry conditions for the current fire.

Smouldering peat fires can create flare-ups throughout the forest, starting new fires.

Incredibly difficult to stop, they have been known to burn for decades in some cases.

"At this point, only weather can kill it," says the city's retired fire chief.



When we harm forests, we harm ourselves.

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Regrowing Forests Soak Up Carbon far more cheaply than any other method, short of preserving forests. Source www.economist.com

OO Forests Re-Grown On Cleared Lands

Key For Climate, Land Rights says a new study, by trapping carbon from the atmosphere and mitigating climate change.



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A Swath of Death shows the extent of large scale mangrove die-off in Queensland, Australia. Credit James Cook University

OO Australia: Large Mangrove Die-Offs

Linked to Unusual Heat and Coral Die-Offs that happened simultaneously along the north Queensland coast; the die-offs have only recently been observed, being located in remote areas.

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Mangroves act as coastal erosion buffers and marine kidneys, cleaning land water headed towards the sea.

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Getting a Pollen Protein Boost that bees need to feed their young. But if pollen produces less protein, bees have to expend more precious energy to collect enough of it.

OO Rising CO2 Levels

May Spur Die-Off of Bees - suggest new studies. Takeaways:

100+ studies show that rising CO2 produces less nutritious food plants; goldenrod is an essential late summer food source for bees; as CO2 has risen since the 1840s, pollen protein in goldenrod has declined 30%; the most dramatic drop occurred during the most dramatic CO2 rise, from 1960 to 2014;

Decrease in pollen protein may be undermining bee nutrition and reproductive success;

This could contribute to the global die-off of bees being observed.

Pollen protein decreases as CO2 accelerates enables faster and more growth of the plant's starchier parts, including starchier pollen, which dilutes the protein content.

"Pollen is becoming junk food for bees," says a leading USDA researcher.



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What's Not To Love About Plants? They provide food, beauty, healing, and inspire love - yet human exploitation is sending many into extinction. Source www.wonderslist.com

OO One In Five Of World's Plant Species At Risk Of Extinction - says a new assessment from a leading botanical institution. Takeaways:

About 390,000+ species of plant exist;

30,000 of them are used by humans;

20% are at risk of extinction from humans due to:

Spread of invasive plants that wipe out natives; habitat loss to due to farming and logging; Climate change, a smaller extinction threat, but a growing one.

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FIXING CLIMATE CHANGE

@@ A Simple And Smart Way To Fix Climate Change given by Dan Miller in 2014 at a Ted talk suggests a way to profit as we tackle climate change, by finally charging those who sell and use fossil fuels - and distributing the revenues back to all of us.

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The strategy is sure to speed transition to clean renewable energy. What's not to like? Check it out!

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HOT NEWS

Reddest Is Hottest Ever - and shows just how much of the Earth has gotten record hot in April alone on the planet from this map of how much temperatures have strayed from average. El Nino may move the heat around, but global warming is supplying it. Credit National Centers for Environmental Information at NOAA

OO April 2016: Earth's 12th Consecutive Warmest Month on Record -



2016 is shaping up to be the hottest year yet;

El Nino is weakening;

Arctic sea ice at its lowest April extent on record, and keeps falling;

12 costly 2016 catastrophes worldwide so far,1 Billion or more each;

2 US weather catastrophes in April alone topped1 Billion each.

Heat records were broken worldwide, especially across India

Update: India clocked in with a new national record high of 51 C (123.8 F) on May 19, 2016.

Related Headline:

Concerned Yet? Credit Stephane Mahe at Reuters

OO Earth Just Recorded Its Warmest April On Record, And It Wasn't Even Close - with a near-record large margin compared to the average, NASA data shows.



OO April Breaks Global Temperature Record,

Marking Seven Months Of New Highs - and at least 1 C (2 F) degree higher than average for those months during 1951-1980, it adds.



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Get the Picture? Climate scientist Ed Hawkins shows with this graphic how global warming is starting to skirt dangerous levels, especially in the last year... will we act? Credit Ed Hawkins

OO See Earth's Temperature Spiral Toward 2C - as rising levels of greenhouse gases trap more and more heat, the planet is spiraling closer to the point where warming's catastrophic consequences may be all but assured.



OO Can A GIF Change The Way We Think About Global Warming? Maybe.The International Panel on Climate Change, which produces the most comprehensive reports on climate change, sees digitally smart communication as a priority, especially to spread its message of the developing threat of climate change.

Meanwhile, the GIF of spiraling global temperatures created by a climate scientist has been retweeted 3000+ times, and called "the most compelling global warming visualisation ever made".

Love 'dem GIFs.

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Grim News at Cape Grim - CO2 levels are passing the 400 ppm level at this southern hemisphere monitoring station ... and will continue to rise. Credit John Woudstra

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OO World's CO2 Concentration Teetering on Point of No Return - when global concentrations of carbon dioxide never again dip below the 400 parts per million (ppm) milestone, as monitored by stable CO2 tracking stations -- as long as "business as usual" continues.

One of them, at Cape Grim in Australia, tracks stable levels due to the lack of land, which introduces fluctuation in the data; once it observes 400 ppm, it will keep seeing that level... until it rises.





OO Confirmed: Southern Hemisphere CO2 Level

Now Above 400 ppm Milestone - at the Cape Grim, Australia, monitoring station; it will take a lot of action on humanity's part to bring it down, and slow the onset of disastrous climate change.



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MASSIVE HEALTH THREATS

A Sick, Murky Future is here already for many in China and in urban centers worldwide.

OO Air Pollution Rising At An 'Alarming Rate' In World's Cities - having risen 8% in five years with fast-growing cities in the developing world worst affected, according to a new World Health Organization study that surveyed 3,000+ cities.

Related Headline:

OO WHO: Global Air Pollution Is Worsening -

Poor Countries Hit Hardest - it is contributing to a wide range of potentially life-shortening health problems.



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OO Billion People Face Global Flooding Risk By 2060 - China and India are among the countries most threatened, says a new study. All eight of the most vulnerable cities are in Asia, followed by Miami.



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A SWEET SPOT IN CREATING SUSTAINABLE POPULATIONS

Triple Win: Using Profits to Provide Needed US Family Planning - Medicines360.org is key to creating a sustainable US population and bright futures for women - AND saving taxpayers many billions yearly in community costs by preventing unintended pregnancies. Source medicines360.org

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CORAL CATASTROPHE CONTINUES

Coral Death Spiral, Up Close - from bluish pink to white to a light green alga then blanketed by dark, slimy mat of algae: a coral's lights wink out. Credit Coral Watch

OO Great Barrier Reef: Devastating Images

Tell Story Of Coral Colonies' Destruction at a scale that would fill an area the size of Scotland.



OO Coral Bleaching Puts Damselfish In Distress

By Masking Predator Scent - with the odor from coral bleaching, finds a new study..



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Memories of the Way Things Used To Be for an Indian reef. Source www.iasdiscussions.com

OO 'Heart Wrenching': India's Coral Reefs

Show Widespread Bleaching & Death says the head of a reef monitoring program. The reefs were just starting to recover from the 2010 El Nino bleaching, when the reefs were hit again.

Many fish that feed on coral, such as beautiful butterfly fish, quickly decline once the corals die.



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Fish Die With the Corals As Both Are Heat Stressed on Indian coral reefs. Courtesy of Nature Conservation Foundation

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US RIVER FLOWS IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

River Runs Less? Climate change is robbing US rivers of water. Source www.hdwallpapera.com

OO Climate Change Affecting Flows In US Watersheds - says new research. Takeaways:

US Southwest: Flows at both high and low flow times have decreased from 1980 to 2010;

US northeast: flows have increased in autumn and winter as warmer temperatures prevent freezing;

Elsewhere, flows are "more variable but still associated with changes in climate" with river flows mostly down from changing rainfall, but evapotranspiration may be an increasing factor, too.

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ZIP ME THERE, SCOTTY!

It's a Bullet, It's a Train, It's ...It's... Hyperloop! Source www.ibtimes.co.uk

OO Hyperloop Transportation Says It Cracked 760 mph travel with magnets,

using a "passive levitation system."

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The technology is similar to the Maglev train systems used in Asia, but should be cheaper to install and safer to operate. Can't wait to try it out...



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CLIMATE WILL CRIPPLE COFFEE

Too Hot For Coffee? It will be in many places, by 2050, creating a 50% decline in beans, says a new study.

OO Coffee Bean Shortage Predicted Due To Climate Change - 80 % of areas in Brazil and Central America that grow Arabica coffee now, will not by 2050 if current temperature trends continue; internationally, the decline is estimated to be 50 %.



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SPEAKING OUT

And It Will Get Worse and more expensive to fix, if we don't act in time.

OO UN Climate Science Chief: It's Not Too Late To Avoid Dangerous Temperature Rise - but the costs rises with delay, and even more so if we do nothing. Global warming has already increased temperatures by 2 degrees F.

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CLUELESS COMMUNICATION

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@@ How Media Misleads the Public On Science -

And Clouds Climate Change Understanding: John Oliver Beware these words on AM Talk Shows & commercial news programs: "New studies suggest..." -- accurate scientific reporting is as rare there as organic vegetables are at 7-11s.

Such unqualified media reporters sow distrust by:

misreporting the results of studies

covering poorly executed studies

simplifying the scientific process

looking for bold, rather than real conclusions,

not reading or understanding studies

not understanding how flawed studies can be

This corrodes public trust in the valuable science that lies behind our understanding of climate change and other important problems.

What to do? Go to reputable sources for their reporting of the science you want to understand. For climate change, go to NASA, NOAA , IPCC and other reputable institutions' websites.



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CLIMATE CHANGE IS SHRINKING, HARMING WILDLIFE

A Knotty Problem - climate change is robbing these migrant birds of food for their young, resulting in smaller birds and beaks. Not Good.

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OO Shrinking Red Knots:

Arctic Bird Suffers Double Hit From Global Warming - as Arctic snow melts earlier, these migrant birds are hatching chicks too late to catch the peak of their food source, the insect bloom triggered by melting snow.

Undernourished, the chicks develop into smaller, shorter billed birds that find it harder to capture the shellfish they eat in the mudflats of their winter home in Mauritania.

Just one of many unexpected ways that climate change is harming wildlife.



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MELTDOWN

A Glacial Brake Fails - the collapse of the Larsenb Antarctic ice shelf allowed far more ice behind it to speed into the sea. Source European Satellite Agency

OO Continuing Collapse Of Antarctic Ice Shelves Will Affect Us All as record heat helps destroy these glacial "brakes" holding back far more ice from entering the ocean.

The Big Worry? If the fringing ice shelves, the "brakes" of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, undergo similar collapse, this could set off a chain reaction leading to a vast ice-sheet recession over just a few decades - and adding a devastating 3m (yeah, 9 feet) of sea level rise worldwide.

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Fractured Photo - this is our Arctic ice cap, on global warming. Source mashable.com

OO Rapidly Melting Arctic Sea Ice Fracturing -

And It's Only May signaling that ice melt is well ahead of schedule - and a near record or record low sea ice extent to come in September.



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CALIFORNIA CONSERVES FOR UNENDING DROUGHT

OO California Braces For Unending Drought as Gov. Jerry Brown made the state's water conservation efforts permanent despite a slight easing of dry conditions from rains brought on by El Nino.



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GOOD CLEAN NEWS

OO U.S. Utilities Boost Investments in Wind, Solar Power taking advantage of government subsidies.



OO Big Oil Unexpectedly Backs Newest Non-Fossil Fuels



OO Big U.S. Companies Spearhead Renewable Energy Drive



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OO Big Oil Company Transitions Towards Big Solar:

Buys Energy Storage Company



OO Oil Companies Abandon Arctic Drilling Rights for now...



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Windy Blows the Farm as more farmers make money from wind. Source energyrealestates.com

OO Iowa Wind Boom Highlights Transformation In Midwest - as the U.S. power grid is undergoing an extreme makeover from the hulking power plants that generate most of the electricity all the way down to tiny meters attached to millions of homes.



OO US Energy Sector CO2 Emissions Fall 12 % Since 2005 - as coal collapses, but natural gas continues to rise, and the methane leaks from its production and distribution has boosted climate changing emissions.



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CLIMATE LEADERSHIP

OO Obama And Nordic Leaders:

Economic Activity In The Arctic Must Pass Climate Test - what about the tar sands stuff already there?



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OO U.S. Sets Rules To Cut Methane Emissions

From New Oil And Gas Wells -

But Not For Existing Ones not so good news.



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OO Hillary Clinton's Climate and Energy Policies, Explained - they are quintessentially Clintonesque, rich with wonky detail, conversant with the policy levers available, and careful, always, to stay within the bounds of the politically possible (as she sees it).

OMG, it's... it's... LOGIC from a presidential candidate!



OO Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation Divests Entire Holding In BP -- yessss!



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CLUELESS LEADERSHIP

Useless on Climate Action, Too ... what did you expect?

OO Trump Taps Climate Change Skeptic As Energy Adviser



OO Meet Donald Trump's New Energy Adviser who supports replacing the Clean Power Plan with a useless small carbon tax; he said he may challenge Trump 's assertions about climate change being a hoax promoted by Democrats. I'll bet D(D)T has flying saucer theories, too.



OO Trump Promises He Will Reopen Coal Mines.

He Probably Can't - analyses indicate.



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FOSSIL FUEL FOLLIES

OO Global 2040 Forecast Sees Only Slight Fall In Fossil Fuels so expect a much higher number of climate change disasters, including coastal flooding, heat waves, and more, much more!



OO The Cost of Low Oil Prices

Oil and Gas Job Losses Mount Globally - with 350,000+ shed by oil and gas production companies worldwide, says a new report. Time to invest in clean renewable energy!



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OO Over Half of US Coal Assets Are Stranded as many major US coal companies file for bankruptcy.



Bakken Burps Methane - leaking 275,000 tons of the potent climate changing gas annually, a significant amount but less than previously believed. And then there's all those leaky distribution pipes, nationwide...

OO Bakken Oil Field Leaks 275,000 Tons Of Methane Yearly - study says.



One of These Landscapes Is Not Carcinogenic - guess which one?

OO US Fracking Rises As "New Coal" - Natural Gas -

Use Does, Too



If we do not grow sustainably,

Our children will die inhumanely.



@@ How Parents Can Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Teen childbearing cost US taxpayers $9+ Billion in 2010

And the costs of raising a child usually ensures decades, if not a life, of poverty for its mother.

- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Help prevent unintended pregnancies in your community:

publicize where women can access affordable contraception.

They can go here to find locations:

And there are many more actions you can do, right here.

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SOLAR KEEPS FLYING

OO How Solar Brought Muslims And Jews Together In One West Bank Village - as a US nonprofit looks beyond politics to unite people with solar power.



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OO $12.5 Million Raised for Nanowire Solar Materials Development



OO Indian Railways' First All Solar-Paneled Train







Check it out here, right now!

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WHY WE SHOULD ACT NOW: RISING RISKS

Daily Climate Change: Global Map of Unusual Temperatures, May 24, 2016

How unusual has the weather been? No one event is "caused" by climate change, but global warming, which is predicted to increase unusual, extreme weather, is having a daily effect on weather, worldwide.

Looking above at recent temperature anomalies, much of the US and the waters surrounding it are experiencing warmer than normal temperatures: California continues its drought, as its wise governor makes water conservation measures a permanent fixture.

Much of the areas surrounding the North Pole are experiencing much warmer than normal temperatures - not good news for our Arctic thermal shield of ice, which is melting at a record rate this spring. Hotter than usual temperatures continue to dominate human habitats.

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There is, of course, much more news on the consequences and solutions to climate change. To get it, check out this annotated resource list I've compiled, "Climate Change News Resources," at Wordpress.com here. For more information on the science of climate change, its consequences and solutions you can view my annotated list of online information resources here.

To help you understand just what science does and does NOT do, check this out!

Every day is Earth Day, folks, as I was reminded by this wild flower I photographed one spring. Making the U.S. a global clean energy leader will ensure a heck of a lot more jobs, and a clean, safe future. If you'd like to join the increasing numbers of people who want to TELL Congress that they will vote for clean energy candidates you can do so here. It's our way of letting Congress know there's a strong clean energy voting bloc out there. For more detailed summaries of the above and other climate change items, audio podcasts and texts are freely available.
M: Why does-NOT calling Chinatown Soup an Art Gallery play a huge role in what you have created and matter to you immensely?



CTS: "Gallery" is a label that doesn't capture what Chinatown Soup is about. As a hybrid creative space, priorities and values differ from those of surrounding whitebox situations with commercial orientations. Facilitating sales for artists is important, but there's more going on here. What does art celebrate? The spirit of this question inspires how Soup is evolving.



M: You landed this Artistic Space in the heart of The Lower East Side in New York City at the age of 25, what was the first moment you realized you had to go for this opportunity?



CTS: We're technically in Chinatown! But that depends on who you ask. Defining neighborhood borders is a hot conversation topic as of late. Someone tried to make "Lo-Lo-Easi" happen... Anyway, I wouldn't have realized anything without an epic swell of encouragement from friends and family giving dollars and shoulders to lean on. Walking into the space for the first time was a soft shock. It's hard to describe the immediate feeling of "This is it", and that was it. All signs pointed to "yes"--literally. There was a handwritten fortune tacked to a wall that read, "Man proposes, God disposes" in English and Chinese followed by a print of Matisse's "The Horse, the Rider, and the Clown" taped to another wall. I saw The Cut-Outs earlier that year and remembered liking this collage in particular, so discovering it at soon-to-be Soup was a strange, full-circle moment imbued with the potential for some personalized art crit metaphor. Otherwise, there was a creepy poem about vampires scrawled on a dirty whiteboard in the basement. I like to think that they're keeping away the ones we can't readily spot IRL.



M: Your Space Chinatown Soup has a magical feel upon entering it, why do you think that is?



CTS: We burn a lot of sage. It must be working!



M: You have never had to advertise for the Soup's business, how have you sustained the momentum seeing that the space is always booked with talented artist exhibits?



CTS: Soup's founding philosophy was: "Build it and they will come." A year later, it's been refined: "Build it in the heart of downtown New York's art scene and they will stay." Opening on Orchard Street was a happy accident. I believe we're in the heart of the city's last authentic neighborhood left below 96th Street. The border of Chinatown/LES exists in this particular moment like a 1970's SoHo 2.0. While it's a magnet for creatives, the low scale of buildings, relatively cheap rents, lack of corporate tenants, old school New York population, and socioeconomic diversity bring a unique energy that has also attracted galleries, restaurants, hotels, and, most recently, an art-house movie theater. This next wave of change is a striking example of how real estate determines culture, and Essex Crossing is going to cement the area's transformation within the next five years. As a result, artists are getting priced out from both a retail and residential perspective. Soup is designed as an alternative, accessible art space in response to this aspect of gentrification. Granting the openness of say, a Bushwick collective within an increasingly Chelsea-fied scene resonates with artists who don't want to give up on New York.



M: What has been the biggest life lesson since starting Chinatown Soup?



CTS: I'm still learning! I have a feeling that will always be the case. Since Soup is just over a year old, I'll sum it up in three words like I do for my New Year resolutions: "Protect your magic." I used to see that tag on sidewalks all the time, and it's the main takeaway at this inflection point. Soup's "yes" mentality is an open invitation for good and bad vibes. The art of "no" is tough to perfect when it goes against your nature, but that's business. They can and will knock the hustle, so fight for what's fair and forget the rest.



M: Do you feel like anyone calling themselves a struggling artist is a choice or a mindset that can be revolutionized out of?



CTS: Yes and no. From a self-reflexive perspective, you are what you are. Also, if artists didn't struggle, then we wouldn't have art. But, we shouldn't have to suffer. I remember an i-D interview with Deanna Havas about New York privileging "banker children" above artists. This makes me sad, and, as a non-banker child, I'm choosing to believe we can revolutionize new ways of living creatively that don't make us feel insecure or guilty for choosing to be independent of traditional market systems. Soup is an experiment that explores collaborating and contributing to legitimize sharing with one another outside of a standard gallery or non-profit structure. The original Soup began in 2010 Detroit, but now there are Soups in major cities including Los Angeles, London, Oslo, Accra...to name a few. Each one operates differently according to community circumstances, but the artist as activist model is catching on around the world.



M: Do you feel like you are living your wildest dreams? If so, how would you encourage others, that it is possible?



CTS: I never wanted to be in business; I wanted to get free (mostly from making fear-based decisions because of money). For me, that's more of a desire than a dream. I think that distinction has much to do with why launching Soup has been wild--freedom of choice is the greatest responsibility. Here I go quoting again (sorry), but I would encourage others with some found fortune cookie wisdom: "Commitment is the triumph of integrity over skepticism everyday." Living a dream is possible if you're willing to make choices without complaints or expectations. If you care about an idea more than your ego, then you won't be afraid to fail.



M: I absolutely love that, " Commitment is the triumph of integrity over skepticism everyday."

How can people reach you if they would like to discuss displaying their work in Chinatown Soup?



CTS: Email is the direct move. Showing up is also fun. Or follow @chinatownsoup on Instagram if you want to get to know us better. Thanks for asking!


Cork, Ireland

On June 5, 2016, a group of Mormons who are allies of their LGBT+ brothers and sisters will be launching an initiative to show their support and love by wearing rainbow ribbons to church (or wearing them on Sundays if they do not attend) and posting photos of themselves online. The Rainbow Mormon Initiative also encourages those who wish to participate to knit or crochet scarves, hats, or blankets to donate to Ogden Youth Futures, a shelter for homeless LGBT+ teens in northern Utah.

Kristy Money, founder of the initiative, says she was inspired to begin the Rainbow Mormons Initiative after she did her dissertation on suicide prevention in Utah. She saw others who were trying to help with suicide prevention of LGBT+ Mormons and thought "hey, let's organize." But she acknowledges that thousands of other "uncorrelated Mormons" have been fighting the good fight already.

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June 5, 2016 was chosen as a date because it is exactly 7 months from the date of the leaked policy change which labels same-sex married Mormons "apostates" and will be threatened with excommunication. Their children have been denied baptism, a saving ordinance, and inclusion in full church participation from priesthood ordination to mission calls. The children have been told that if they wish to be baptized, they must wait until age eighteen, and then must reject their parents' lifestyle. Even children who were born to opposite-sex parents but whose parents have since divorced after one has come out as LGBT+ are affected by this if they live primarily with a parent who has since contracted a same-sex marriage.

June 5 is the day of Pride Parade in Salt Lake City, and is a "Fast Sunday," which is a special Sunday where Mormons go for twenty-four hours without food to experience spiritual closeness to God and to understand the struggles of the poor and needy. It's also a day when instead of a typical, organized sermon, people are asked to stand and speak contemporaneously, as the spirit moves them.

The Rainbow Mormon Initiative is an attempt to gain visibility for LGBT+ Mormon issues within wards where discussions about the policy have yet to begin. It is an attempt to show love to the most neglected and mistreated members of our church, as Christ showed love to the most reviled of sinners, ate with publicans and prostitutes, because he knew that all of us are sinners and all of us need the Atonement. Rainbow Mormons are those who love LGBT+ people in our own lives and want to show that we are allies and can be called on for support by those who are afraid to come out within the Mormon church and to those who have been rejected by family, and have fled or been forced out of their homes as a result of their sexual orientation.

When asked about why LGBT+ teens are being kicked out of their homes by loving, Mormon parents, Money says that "they're trying to do the right thing and the church is giving mixed messages." The church teaches that homosexual behavior is wrong and that excommunicating is a loving gesture to stop sin. Money says, "so parents believe it too, and do the same thing (rejection from home) hoping it will have the same effect the church hopes for (repentance, obedience)." But in the end, Money warns that psychologists have found the opposite happens, rejected teens feel "alone and shunned and don't tend to come back."

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Money refers to Phil Zombardo, famous for the Stanford prison experiment, who also studied how people elicit change. She says "it takes one person to stand up for what's right, and more who agree and have been silently watching stand up with them, too." The simple act of wearing a rainbow ribbon does make a change for the better. It signals to others that we are safe spaces for those who are in crisis. And although it may seem like all the LGBT+ Mormons have already left, Money says we must think about those who are younger and haven't come out. Money says, "these kids are looking around at what's going on right now in our Mormon community, they are watching us, looking for hope, and we are in a position to help them, by something as simple as a ribbon, a sign just like Noah's that there is indeed hope, and that they have a friend and ally in you. I truly believe it can save lives."
Tyrie Bell was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. His crime: He sold 82 grams of crack to an informant. Tyrie has been locked away for 17 years. It is not simply the shockingly harsh sentence that makes Tyrie a compelling argument for sentencing reform. It is the disparity between him and the violent undercover informant who netted him that demands our attention. It is also the story of Tyrie's teen drug addiction, homelessness, and earnest prison rehabilitation that forces our nation to confront its own addiction to incarceration.



Tyrie was not a gang member. He was not in a drug ring. He was a lone street-corner crack dealer, who became addicted to cocaine at age 16. Tyrie's childhood gaze never rose above eye-level. He was homeless and untethered by age 15, when his family's home burned down and his mother could no longer support him with her $3.75/hour job. With no place to go, Tyrie moved into a crack house in Harvey, Illinois--one of the poorest, most crime-ridden suburbs of the Chicagoland area. An addict allowed Tyrie to sleep on the floor of her crowded home in exchange for drugs. She was one of many caustic adults in Tyrie's young life. Tyrie learned to deal crack for a place to sleep. Addicts came and went at all hours of the day and night. He lived and breathed in a fog of addiction, violence, and deprivation. He dropped out of high school and took his first hit of cocaine at age 16. By 1991, Tyrie was a casualty of the drug epidemic long before he contributed to it.

Another caustic figure in Tyrie's life was a man named CC, who had a penchant for violence and guns. In 1991, CC was serving time in Illinios state prison for armed robbery; he'd held up six people at gunpoint. Undeterred, in 1998, CC was out of prison and had already committed another act of armed violence. CC was also facing federal drug charges and looking to make a deal with the government to avoid more prison. Tyrie was low hanging fruit. CC knew Tyrie sold street corner crack. The feds entered into what is known as a "cooperation agreement" with CC, who agreed to wear a wire and nab unsuspecting street dealers. Prosecutors would reward CC with a reduced sentence in his own federal case. CC wore a wire and purchased 82 grams of crack from Tyrie, who was arrested on a cold December day in 1998.

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Tyrie's federal prosecution was his third strike in 11 months. Twice earlier that year, state police had picked him up for selling small amounts of crack, 15 grams and 81 grams respectively. The feds doggedly pursued Tyrie as if he were a drug kingpin. Prosecutors filed a notice under the federal three strikes drug law --known as Section 851 -- that meant the judge would be required to sentence Tyrie to a mandatory life sentence if a jury found him guilty at trial. There is no parole in the federal system; a life sentence means a living death sentence. The prospect of only leaving prison in a pine box for selling 82 grams of crack was outrageous, but it was very real for Tyrie. He accepted a plea deal to a mandatory 30 years "to save my own life," he now recalls. His federal sentence was rubberstamped with little room for the judge to consider the human being standing in the courtroom. The judge disagreed with the required sentence, saying: "Well, I am going to obviously impose the least amount of time under the guidelines that I can." That mandatory sentence was three decades in the federal penitentiary. At 25, Tyrie was condemned to a cell for more years than he had been alive.

CC, the informant, fared far better in his own federal drug case. For nabbing Tyrie, prosecutors rewarded CC with a three-year sentence. Yes; the violent, three-time felon informant against Tyrie got just three years in prison. Do you feel safer now? CC was arrested a year after his prison release for physically threatening his probation officer. Safer still? Back in court, prosecutors conceded that CC was "a threat to society" whose "disrespect for the legal system is in fact longstanding." CC may be a good candidate for our nation's harsh drug penalties. For some reason, federal prosecutors didn't see it that way back in 1998.

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Meanwhile, Tyrie earned his GED in jail awaiting sentencing. He completed the federal drug rehabilitation program in 2001, and he has been sober since his arrest. He enrolled in college correspondence courses in 2007, earned a 3.7 GPA and received his associate's degree in Business Management, all while working 10,000 hours in the federal prison's work program. Why do we spend spend over $30,000 per year to incarcerate Tyrie Bell?

It is beyond the point of legitimate debate that crack and powder are chemically indistinguishable forms of the same drug: cocaine. The Supreme Court, Congress, and Department of Justice have all said so. Any penological distinction between crack and powder cocaine is unwarranted and historically has had a racially disparate impact. In the 1980's, Congress hastily adopted a 100-to-1 ratio that treated every gram of crack cocaine as the equivalent of 100 grams of powder cocaine. The result was exponentially longer sentences for crack offenders, most of whom were African American.

A tectonic shift in federal cocaine sentencing policy occurred when President Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (FSA). In a statement to Congress, Senator Richard Durbin D-IL, the author of the FSA, stated: "Every day that passes without taking action to solve the problem is another day that people are being sentenced under a law that virtually everyone agrees is unjust. . . . If this bill is enacted into law, it will immediately ensure that every year, thousands of people are treated more fairly in our criminal justice system." The FSA reduced to 18:1 the sentencing disparities between powder and crack cocaine. The FSA's 18:1 ratio was imperfect, but it was a presidential and congressional recognition that prior crack sentences were indeed unfair. Unfortunately, for Tyrie and the thousands like him already serving unfair sentences the FSA was not retroactive.

There are two bills pending in Congress that could change that: Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 (S. 2123) and the House companion bill Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3713). Both bills were introduced last fall and have garnered bipartisan support. If enacted, they would lower a number of harsh federal drug mandatory minimums. Importantly, both bills would make the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive, allowing judges to reconsider thousands of unfairly sentenced drug offenders and grant their overdue release.

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A frequent critique of the sentencing reform legislation is it "doesn't go far enough." Alarmingly, this critique does not come from the right wing. It comes from the left and purportedly from well-intentioned criminal justice allies. By "far enough," liberals and even some African-American opponents complain S. 2123 and H.R. 3713 do not eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing. If this Congress won't even consider an Ivy-League educated white man for the Supreme Court, it most probably won't abolish all mandatory minimums.

Another liberal critique is that sentencing reform must be delayed until we've precisely measured its every possible impact. The National Urban League has urged Congress to delay floor votes on S. 2123 and H.R. 3713 until there is "comprehensive data around the racial impact of the provisions of these legislative proposals on sentencing and corrections reform." Here is how effective reform would be for Tyrie Bell: FSA retroactivity would command a sentence of 11 to 14 years. He has been locked up for 17 years; he has and continues to overserve the upper benchmark for what Congress considers a fair sentence for his crack offense. Every night Tyrie now spends in prison is fundamentally unfair. S. 2123 and H.R. 3713 would free about 5,000 other prisoners -- up to 89% African American -- who are serving discriminatory pre-FSA sentences.

As the unincarcerated, we should be acutely aware of our privilege. Do I think the sentencing reform bills are perfect? No. However, I am not in prison. As a federal defender, I've defended hundreds of cases. An imprisoned client has never called me and said, "Hey, Ms. Cody. Although that new law would free me, it doesn't go far enough; so I am going to just sit in prison until better legislation comes along." Sentencing reform is not simply impressive bipartisan politics, blog fodder or robust intellectual conversation. Sentencing reform is a moral imperative, particularly for the thousands of melanated bodies disproportionately over-sentenced during America's addiction to incarceration. There are prisoners like Tyrie who are overserving time. Like Tyrie, they are disproportionately African American. Like Tyrie, they would directly benefit from sentencing reform. Their freedom must be an indispensable, non-negotiable starting point.

The question is not whether we've precisely measured the atmospheric fog. The question is whether sentencing reform starts with the expeditious decarceration of the 5000 unfairly sentenced -- forthwith. Not one opponent of S. 2123 or H.R. 3713 has volunteered to switch places with Tyrie or the thousands of prisoners like him until better legislation comes along. A privileged critique that does not begin with the swift decarceration of the unfairly imprisoned ignores their bondage at best and perpetuates it most probably. I refuse to entertain the "does the bill go far enough" conversation until Tyrie and the thousands like him are free. I encourage leaders in the African American community, our representatives in the Congressional Black Caucus, our defenders and allies to #freethe5000.
The last time an international trade agreement surfaced as a major issue in a presidential campaign was in 1992, when Ross Perot predicted that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would create a "giant sucking sound" as jobs headed to Mexico. Bill Clinton won that election and NAFTA went into effect the following year -- ultimately proving Perot right.

The outlook is still uncertain, however, for the massive trade pact known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was signed this year but still requires approval by Congress. The Obama administration hasn't sent the agreement to the Hill because, at this point, it doesn't have the votes. Part of the reason is that all three of the remaining Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have said that they don't support the TPP -- at least not in its current form.

On the one hand, that's good news, because the TPP is deeply flawed. It would be bad for the environment, bad for workers, bad for human rights, and bad for public health. For details on just how devastating the TPP would be to the global climate, see the Sierra Club report Climate Roadblocks. It's sobering reading.

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But here's the perverse thing about the TPP (and similar agreements such as one currently under negotiation with the European Union): Increasing international trade doesn't actually require that we sacrifice our environment, health, jobs, or human rights. To be clear, the reasons why these so-called trade agreements are so dangerous has little to do with trade. They're terrible because the powerful corporate insiders who do the negotiating (in secret, of course) pack them with provisions that protect and empower giant, multinational corporations -- including some of the biggest polluters on the planet.

It doesn't have to be this way. There's no reason we couldn't have trade agreements that prohibit corporations from suing governments over public health or environmental protections (as TransCanada is currently threatening to do over the Keystone XL pipeline rejection). In fact, we could negotiate agreements that would do the opposite.

Why not adopt a model for international trade that not only allows nations to tackle climate disruption but actually requires stronger action? This could include incentives and protections for clean energy investments but not for investments that harm our climate. We could restrict and even ban fossil fuel exports, put limits on shipping emissions, and offer powerful incentives for trade in goods that dramatically reduce climate pollution while penalizing trade in goods that do the opposite. We could accelerate progress rather than undermine it. Strengthen rather than weaken our movement.

At the same time, we could negotiate trade deals that protect workers around the globe. Rather than shipping jobs overseas and throwing our wages overboard, we could have trade pacts that, for example, encourage the local production of goods, which would not only generate new jobs but also create vibrant local economies.

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Trade agreements can be powerful agents of change, which is why bad ones are so dangerous. But the power of trade could and should be harnessed to advance the public's interest. It's reassuring that Trump, Sanders, and Clinton have all come out against the TPP. But it would be even more encouraging if they proposed forward-thinking trade policies that put even more wind in the sails of the global climate movement by keeping fossil fuels in the ground, promoting clean energy, and prioritizing human rights over corporate protectionism.
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald walks to the stage past an American flag at a fundraising event where he appeared with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, U.S., May 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Even though I left the GOP 20 years ago -- let's just say I learned Republicans are less committed to individual liberty than they claim to be -- I have continued to work for or with Republicans on health care reform. Now that some of the friends I have made along the way are endorsing Donald Trump, I'm learning even more.

For one thing, my Republican friends are telling me they don't much value the idea of treating everyone with equal dignity. Trump's divisive and degrading behavior toward women, Muslims, Mexicans, the handicapped, and others should disqualify someone from power. How hard is it to disavow the Klan?

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My Trumpkin friends are also telling me they don't much care for free speech. Trump makes no secret of his desire to use the power of presidency to silence his critics, a power that his Democratic successors would also wield. (Assuming he allows successors.)

Yes, Hillary Clinton would restrict speech by making it harder for her opponents to organize to engage in politics. But Trump wants to change libel laws in a way that would expose everyone -- even his supporters -- to lawsuits for criticizing him or anyone else.

These Republicans are telling me they don't much care about civility or American lives. Trump relishes and encourages people to use violence against his critics. His enthusiasm for torture and for murdering women and children would lead our enemies to respond in turn.

The man advocated murdering women and children.Some of my Republican friends are telling me they can vote for a man like that.

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They are also signaling they will vote for someone who doesn't have much regard for American soldiers. Trump thinks U.S. soldiers would carry out his orders to torture and murder. (No, he hasn't repudiated those claims.)

I had no idea some Republicans care so little about keeping their homes. Trump enthusiastically supports allowing the government to take people's houses to give the land to private developers. Like Donald Trump.

I knew that Republicans didn't care a whole lot about health care reform. But I'm surprised they're willing to support someone who says "I like the mandate" that ObamaCare imposed, that socialized medicine works just swell, that he wants government to "take care of everybody," and that he would keep other central provisions of ObamaCare.

Good ol' partisanship would stop Hillary Clinton from expanding ObamaCare even a little. A faux opponent like Trump could co-opt congressional Republicans to expand it a lot.

These erstwhile conservatives are telling me they don't care about the unborn nearly as much as they pretend they do. Trump was pro-choice until about five minutes ago. Pro-lifers may be many things, but since when are they this gullible?

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And they can't claim they doing it for the judges, either. Some swooned when Trump released a list of judges he might use to guide his nomination decisions. They seem to forget this is a man who prizes deals, and judicial nominations may be the biggest bargaining chip he's got.

Give the man his due. Trump is so good at deals, his judges list bought the allegiance of lots of Republicans without committing Trump to anything.

The Trumpkins are also telling me they don't know what a fascist looks like, or if they do, they don't fear fascism as much as I do. I don't know if Trump will bring fascism to the United States. I do know he is what a fascist looks like at this stage of the process.

Most stunning is how many conservatives don't even appear to care about conservative principles or policy. This man runs as fast as he can from any policy discussion. Oh, but he's a conservative. Trust him.

Or even the Republican party. Trump is dismantling the coalition that every Republican president since Ronald Reagan rode to the White House. The GOP would be in a better place after four years of motivated resistance to Hillary Clinton (the press would be fairly critical of her administration) than it would 20 years after Trump turned the GOP into a nativist, nationalist party -- particularly if a third-party candidate increases turnout among conservatives who will vote Republican in congressional races.

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I get why Republicans are telling themselves they can steer a man who believes himself to beinfallible. It is painful to think your cause is about to suffer a huge setback, and there's nothing you can do about it. But the die is cast. You know conservatives have lost -- badly -- when Hillary Clinton is actually the more conservative candidate in the race. Yet Trumpkins are rolling the dice on the devil they don't know, in the hope that he will sprout a halo.

Two more things Republicans recently taught me.

First, some Republican officeholders -- the #NeverTrump crowd -- care more about freedom and equal dignity for all than they care about holding onto power. I find that inspiring.

Second, in my experience, conservatives who work in think tanks or journalism are more likely to disavow Trump than equally conservative congressional staffers or political operatives. This suggests to me many staffers and operatives are afraid to break with or embarrass their weak-kneed bosses, clients, or family members who have already endorsed Trump. In other words, some conservative politicians have the courage of their convictions, and some staffers don't.

Here's hoping Trump will only teach me happy lessons from this point.
Written by Caitlin Salovich and Azmia Ricchuito

Sabree Ata Yousef discovered something sinister at a Kentucky gun range last week.

Almost immediately upon entering Knob Creek Gun Range in West Point, Kentucky, Yousef was greeted by a shooting target that appeared to be a veiled Muslim woman.

The silhouette, which was nonchalantly propped up by a stuffed bear holding a rifle, appears to be an elderly woman wearing in traditional Islamic clothing, with several bullet holes to the face and left side of the chest.

Yousef was made aware of the inappropriate target by a friend a few weeks prior to his visit. To confirm his friend's story, he quickly snapped a photo on his cellphone and uploaded it to his Facebook page.

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The post read, "Two days ago I went to the shooting range, knob shooting range to be exact what I saw was disgusting. They had this picture of a woman in hijab whom was a target. Is this what America has come to? The racism needs to stop."

Mr. Yousef is originally from Palestine and has been in the United States for about 14 months. He was shocked by the entire experience and said, "I posted it to show the world what is happening here."

Interestingly enough, potential customers who visit Knob Creek's website are initially greeted with a bright, bold-lettered banner that says "Celebrate diversity (Buy as many guns as you can)."

Photo credit: Knob Creek Gun Range

In another twist of irony, flags from countries around the world are displayed at the top of the site's homepage. When you scroll over Tunisia's red crescent moon flag, the text "KCR is an international destination welcoming visitors from around the globe," is displayed on the screen.

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Their website also proudly proclaims, "...where the Second Amendment comes first." It seems Knob Creek takes this proclamation pretty literally: The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms, while the First Amendment is the amendment that guarantees freedom of speech--and religion.

We called Knob Creek for comment, and to ask them about the offensive target. A woman who gave her name as Carrie answered the phone, and told us that it's $10 to shoot for the entire day, and that circular paper targets were provided. We asked her about the availability of "other kinds" of targets, and she quickly confirmed they had "silhouette targets." After confirming the availability of "silhouette targets," we asked if they had a "Muslim or scarf wearing target," and she hesitantly replied, "No, I'm going to have to go ahead and say that we don't." When confronted with the fact that we had seen a photo of such an item there, she said "Ummm, probably the only thing we have that's 'Muslim' is maybe this one that someone used that's propped up by our big bear." She was then asked where it came from--if it was one available for purchase in the store or if a customer brought it themselves--and didn't immediately answer. When asked again if it was available in store or if a customer brought it in themselves, she responded "Probably."

It is incredibly unnerving to think that with the rapid rise of Islamophobia and attacks in the West, Muslim shooting targets are suddenly acceptable to be on display in gun ranges in America.

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We disagree with this assessment. It should also further be noted that the target appears to be a wearing a khimar, while The Emperor wears a hooded cloak. When the photo is enlarged, you can also see where it looks like someone actually put the image of the veiled woman on a standard silhouette target...notice the outline behind the veiled woman's image.

We firmly believe that this is not a Star Wars character, but a veiled woman, and find no justification for this, whatsoever.
Why the violin?

Marina Fragoulis isn't quite sure why she chose it. She was 10, and all she knew was that, for no particular reason, she didn't want to play the saxophone.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Marina's from Crete.

She and the wind instrument were almost paired because Marina had taken an aptitude test at school and scored so high that her teachers recommended she embrace the brash brass.

Marina might well have followed their advice because she was new not only to the school but also to the state and the United States.

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It was a transfer by the U.S. Navy that brought her Greek parents to Virginia Beach, Virginia, from Chania, the second largest city on the isle of Crete.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Her music lessons started when she came to America.

At any rate, music seemed like a good pursuit for Marina because it put her on a more level playing field: Unlike her schoolmates, she didn't know English, but nobody in her class knew how to read music.

"Music is a form of expression," says Marina, a tall woman with long, golden hair. "It's about releasing your emotions, but most of the time, it's hard, disciplined work, and I like that. Sitting down and playing scales and etudes is like perfecting your ABCs."

Marina is content to practice two to four hours every morning; her afternoons and evenings are devoted to her nearly 5-year-old son, Marko, her husband, Evangelos Viglis, her music students and performances.

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Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Her husband's the guitar player.

It wasn't always this way. After she graduated from the Mannes School of Music in Manhattan, she supplemented her income with an array of freelance jobs, eventually taking a full-time position as the music teacher at P.S. 125 in Harlem.

"Being a teacher didn't give me time to be a musician," she says. "I was unfulfilled just teaching, and I had to give up many gigs."

After five years, she quit to rebuild her freelance schedule.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Marina practices in the morning.

"I don't want to know where I am every Monday morning," she says. "With freelance, I get to see different people all the time. It's a very social job."

In her case, it's also a very eclectic one. In addition to performing in a variety of venues including Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, Marina is the principal second violinist and occasional concertmaster of the Astoria Symphony Orchestra.

She also is the founder of Dorian Baroque, a chamber orchestra that plays music from the late 1500s to the 1850s on period instruments following period playing protocol.

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Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Marina is a teacher and performer.

This is not as straightforward -- or esoteric -- as it sounds.

The violin, for instance, may look the same to the novice's eye, but it has changed a lot in 500 years. The bridge and bow are different, and the chin rest is a 19th-century addition. The modern sound, produced by strings of steel instead of gut, is louder.

"We don't dress in period costumes or do re-enactments," she says. "Instead, we put ourselves in the sound world of the composer."

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

She's the founder of Dorian Baroque.

The Baroque sound, to our ears opulent, exuberant, dissonant and ornately grand, is free-ranging.

"With classical music, you have to play it exactly as it is written," Marina says. "But with Baroque music, you get to embellish and improvise."

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

She's a longtime player in the Astoria Symphony Orchestra.

And that's what she really relishes.

As she's talking, Marko walks into the living room. Recently, he's shown an interest in Byzantine chant music.

Soon, he'll be taking violin lessons, but not from his mother. Marina's students are older.

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

Music, she says, is all about rules and discipline.

When Marina is not in the classroom or on stage, she's usually in the kitchen.

"I love the technical aspect of cooking," she says. "I love the rules, and it, like my music, allows me to work through problems."

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When she puts her violin back in its case, she reaches for a cup of coffee.
Colonel Mark Cheadle, a spokesman for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), recently made a startling disclosure to Voice of America (VOA). AFRICOM, he said, is currently mulling over 11 possible locations for its second base on the continent. If, however, there was a frontrunner among them Cheadle wasn't about to disclose it. All he would say was that Nigeria isn't one of the countries in contention.

Writing for VOA, Carla Babb filled in the rest of the picture in terms of U.S. military activities in Africa. "The United States currently has one military base in the east African nation of Djibouti," she observed. "U.S. forces are also on the ground in Somalia to assist the regional fight against al-Shabab and in Cameroon to help with the multinational effort against Nigeria-based Boko Haram."

A day later, Babb's story disappeared. Instead, there was a new article in which she noted that "Cheadle had initially said the U.S. was looking at 11 locations for a second base, but later told VOA he misunderstood the question." Babb reiterated that the U.S. had only the lone military base in Djibouti and stated that "[o]ne of the possible new cooperative security locations is in Cameroon, but Cheadle did not identify other locations due to 'host nation sensitivities.'"

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U.S. troops have, indeed, been based at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti since 2002. In that time, the base has grown from 88 acres to about 600 acres and has seen more than $600 million in construction and upgrades already awarded or allocated. It's also true that U.S. troops, as Babb notes, are operating in Somalia -- from at least two bases -- and the U.S. has indeed set up a base in Cameroon. As such, the "second" U.S. base in Africa, wherever it's eventually located, will actually be more like the fifth U.S. base on the continent. That is, of course, if you don't count Chabelley Airfield, a hush-hush drone base the U.S. operates elsewhere in Djibouti, or the U.S. staging areas, cooperative security locations, forward operating locations, and other outposts in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Senegal, the Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda, among other locales. When I counted late last year, in fact, I came up with 60 such sites in 34 countries. And just recently, Missy Ryan of the Washington Post added to that number when she disclosed that "American Special Operations troops have been stationed at two outposts in eastern and western Libya since late 2015."

To be fair, the U.S. doesn't call any of these bases "bases" -- except when officials forget to keep up the fiction. For example, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 included a $50 million request for the construction of an "airfield and base camp at Agadez, Niger." But give Cheadle credit for pushing a fiction that persists despite ample evidence to the contrary.

It isn't hard, of course, to understand why U.S. Africa Command has set up a sprawling network of off-the-books bases or why it peddles misinformation about its gigantic "small" footprint in Africa. It's undoubtedly for the same reason that they stonewall me on even basic information about their operations. The Department of Defense, from tooth to tail, likes to operate in the dark.

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Today, in "The Pentagon's War on Accountability," Bill Hartung reveals another kind of Defense Department effort to obscure and obfuscate involving another kind of highly creative accounting: think slush funds, secret programs, dodgy bookkeeping, and the type of financial malfeasance that could only be carried out by an institution that is, by its very nature, too big to fail (inside the Beltway if not on the battlefield).
In this May 19, 2016 photo, Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, waves during a campaign event in Lawrenceville, N.J. Trump faces a struggle proving himself to white, suburban women, who could be crucial in the November general election. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Dollars-to-doughnuts, Donald Trump has money stashed away in offshore tax havens.



Bitcoins-to-Trump steaks, he engaged in abusive tax havens.



After all, he proudly proclaims that he pays as little taxes as possible. How could he have possibly passed up that opportunity?

Moreover, it is critical to Trump that he view himself as one of the masters of the universe. If little ole Romney could stash his measly $250 million in tax havens, how could self-proclaimed billionaire Donald not be part of that crowd? In fact, one might suspect that he would claim he is the greatest tax haven user in the history of the universe.

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A funny thing happened on the way to cheating the American people and raising the tax burdens of the rest of us. The Senate Committee on Permanent Investigations, chaired by former Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) uncovered the scams, and, with the help of the Treasury Department, forced some abusive havens to disgorge the names of these criminals.

The IRS then offered the criminals amnesty. In exchange for not prosecuting them for tax evasion (a criminal offense), they were allowed to pay their back taxes, and a penalty, and retain anonymity. This offer occurred for 2008 and 2009 returns. It may have been extended.

Yes, if you are very wealthy, the law does treat you differently. It helps when Congress doesn't provide the IRS the resources it needs to prosecute this large band of wealthy criminals.

Hence, we need to see Trump's taxes for 2008, 2009, 2010. Supposedly, the audits on those returns are finished. He either did, or did not, receive amnesty.

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Just to be clear, Trump has said that undocumented immigrants broke the law. Hence, no matter what they have done for this country, no matter how good a citizen they have been--including, unlike Donald Trump eg., actually paying taxes they owe, or even serving in the military that Trump did not do when his turn came (more on that scam in another article)--they must be forcibly deported, along with their children who had no idea they were breaking any law when they came with their parents, or separate from their children if the latter are US citizens. They cannot get to the back of the line, pay a penalty, and, after a time, have a path to citizenship.

Amnesty, you see, is a very bad thing, no matter what the path required to obtain it might be.

That is, it is bad if you are poor and brown. If you are white and rich, hey, why not?

Let's see if Donald Trump himself received amnesty. I realize that it would be just another example of his hypocrisy, and the others do not seem to matter to his supporters.

But, this one's different. Amnesty for Donald Trump. Until he proves the opposite, we are entitled to assume that he received it.

Of course, that is why we will probably never see those years' returns. It is also the very likely reason why Romney, who could easily have shown us those years rather than "waiting" for his returns to be finished for 2011 to release them, never did.

Don't worry, Donald. We won't have you deported.
Japanese women walk past the gutted A-bomb dome in Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan August 6, 2003. REUTERS/Toshiyuki Aizawa/File Photo

To The President of the United States,

As the first US president to visit Hiroshima, ground zero, you will make history for your nation. But you will also make history for humanity. You're right to let historians debate the merits of President Harry Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb, since, as it stands, we cannot rewrite the past. However, you still hold the keys to the debate on the relevance and dangers of nuclear weapons, a debate that grips our future.

In Prague, in 2009, you said you were committed to creating a world without nuclear weapons. In Berlin in 2013, you affirmed that "peace with justice means pursuing the security of a world without nuclear weapons." A year ago, you signed an agreement with Iran that represents a substantial victory in the fight against nuclear proliferation.

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But what about nuclear disarmament? The NPT regime (of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty) is sick for lack of a clear commitment by the nuclear powers to reduce their arsenals. The dialogue with Russia after the "New Start" treaty is not advancing. Meanwhile, tensions are growing as you and your allies pursue an active modernization of your nuclear forces. These weapons, it must be remembered, have a power far greater than Little Boy and Fat Man, the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They are capable of causing unprecedented humanitarian disasters.

Hours before gathering in the peace memorial park in Hiroshima, you will participate in a meeting of the G7 in Ise-Shima, where you will meet President Hollande and Prime Minister Cameron. I hope you will use this opportunity to address the issue of nuclear disarmament with the representatives of these two countries, which, along with the United States, hold nuclear weapons.

This is certainly what I hope for, having appreciated the fact that you hosted the Nuclear Security Summit this year. The initiative was supported by the Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Initiatives pour le Desarmement Nucleaire, the association I chair.

An extension of your efforts could be to propose the convening of a world summit to develop a multilateral nuclear disarmament process. Perhaps at the next UN General Assembly, the United States could support a resolution proposing the preparation of a treaty banning nuclear weapons.

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That's how, in my view, we can build the "world of peace with justice" you spoke of in Berlin

Sincerely,

Paul Quiles, former Defense Minister of France.

President of Initiatives pour le Desarmement Nucleaire
Cover of Panjereh magazine condemning Faezeh Hashemi's support of imprisoned Iranian Baha'i leaders

The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing a big problem. As a matter of fact, the problem is so big that the Iranian leadership and State media cannot stop talking about it. They are very very upset, suffering from high levels of stress and anxiety. This problem is so big that it has unified the otherwise divided hardliners and pragmatists who now speak with one voice in the name of all that is holy and sacred.

If you guessed that the problem is the highest per capita rate of executions in the world or the torture of political prisoners, you are wrong. You are also mistaken if you assumed that the problem is the highest per capita rate of opium addiction in the world. The problem is also not billions of dollars of missing funds or one of the highest rates of corruption in the world. It is not one of the biggest brain drains in the world because of the despair of its young talented citizens either. If you thought it is the fact that more than half the Iranian people live under the poverty line, you are also incorrect. It is not desertification and drought either even if this will result in millions of climate refugees in the coming years. The problem is also not the murder and starvation of thousands of innocent civilians in Syria. These problems are all trivial in comparison with the private meeting between two prisoners of conscience that took place a few days ago.

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Ms. Faezeh Hashemi and Ms. Fariba Kamalabadi first became friends in 2012 in the women's ward of Tehran's notorious Evin prison. Ms. Hashemi is the well-known daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the most influential figures in the Islamic Republic. She was a former Member of Parliament sentenced to six months for "propaganda against the ruling system" because of her Islamic reformist political views. Ms. Kamalabadi is a psychologist and one of the seven members of the leadership of Iran's persecuted Baha'i religious minority. She has been sentenced since 2008 to ten years in prison on absurd charges of "espionage for Israel" and "insulting religious sanctities". Her lawyer, Ms. Mahnaz Parakand, described the indictment against them as "full of accusations and humiliations" against Baha'is without a shred of proof. Ms. Kamalabadi's daughter was thirteen when she was first imprisoned. She missed her daughter's graduation, wedding, and the birth of her grandchild. Finally, she was given a few days to visit her family, during which time Ms. Hashemi visited her on account of their friendship. She was accompanied by the legendary human rights lawyer, Ms. Nasrin Soutudeh, who was also a former cellmate. All who have crossed paths with the imprisoned Baha'is have been inspired by their example of selfless devotion and moral integrity. It is not a surprise that they have gained such loyal supporters.

Once news of this meeting spread, the Iranian leadership became apoplectic. Scores of senior clerics in the religious establishment condemned Ms. Hashemi's meeting with a member of the vilified and banned Baha'i minority. One high-ranking figure denounced "friendly relations" with Baha'is as "treason against Islam and the Revolution" while another warned that "consorting with Baha'is and friendship with them is against the teachings of Islam". Yet another proclaimed that meeting with a Baha'i is "an absolute religious deviation" while others threatened Ms. Hashemi with criminal prosecution to set an example for others. Given the terrible woes of the Iranian people and their discontent with their rulers, this obsessive medieval hatred of Baha'is speaks volumes about the moral bankruptcy of the Iranian leadership and its long-standing scapegoating of a peaceful religious minority. Jean-Paul Sartre famously said that "If the Jew did not exist, the anti-Semite would invent him." The psychology of hatred is above all a reflection of cowardice, of the need for building a "self" by destroying the "other". Iran's Baha'i problem is obviously a problem for Baha'is, but equally a problem for Iran, insofar as an identity built on hatred is an affliction for both the victim and the perpetrator. As a psychologist, Ms. Kamalabadi would understand this very well. The paranoid ideology that needs to imprison and vilify a grandmother who simply wants to hold her grandchild is a political disease that needs to be cured through sustained therapy. The fetishistic incantation of anti-Baha'i propaganda, the delusional conspiracy theories, equating their mere existence as an "insult" to Islam, this is a mark of desperation and weakness, to legitimize brute power through the hypnotic trance of fanatical hatred and mob violence. The more that the long-suffering Iranian people demand a better future, the more Iran's powerful (but weak) security and intelligence establishment needs the Baha'is to create a distraction.

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It is an inspiring testament to the Iranian people and their decency that the likes of Ms. Hashemi and Ms. Soutudeh, are joined by the ranks of other moral leaders such as famous dissidents Mr. Mohammad Nourizad and Mr. Sadegh Zibakalam, and even eminent Shi'a clerics such as Ayatollah Masoumi-Tehrani, who defy hatred and courageously stand in solidarity with their Iranian Baha'i compatriots and call for their freedom and equality. It is this emerging leadership that understands the catastrophic damage that all these years of religious hate-mongering and violence has caused for the rich civilization of Iran that should be one of the most prosperous and progressive countries in the world. The release of the seven Baha'i leaders is not just about seven innocent souls suffering unjustly in prison. The Baha'i problem is a big problem. In fact, the emancipation of Baha'is is about the emancipation of Iran; it is about escaping the prison of hatred and deception that has eclipsed the potential of a great nation that could transform an entire region being ripped apart by sectarian violence.

Amidst the outcry of both the world community and Iranian moral leaders calling for the release of the seven Baha'i leaders, the frightened Iranian leadership should heed the immortal words of Rumi:
The later part of that decade saw folks in silicon valley companies formalize the title. When I started the research labs at eBay over a decade ago it was hard to imagine any work without data. While I had a team of engineers and scientists who looked at all aspects of data from infrastructure to algorithms to machine learning to vision, HCI and economics, none of them had the title of a "data scientist" (it wasn't a "sexy" title then) I saw each one as an expert in their respective field but who worked (or had to learn to work) with large amounts of data. The overall team could have been thought of as a data science team - as in "the elephant and the blindfolded men" story, each one bringing in IQ along a certain dimension and all of them together completing the story. It opened up opportunities for collaboration, learning techniques from other fields, realizing that there are similar techniques from other fields. A machine learning person describing precision-recall to an empirical economist who tries to map it to type1-type2 error and a statistician chiming in with specificity/sensitivity. Everyone was in big data candy land so the distributed data engineers were the most loved as they offered services over the data that the scientists had not seen before.
Recently saw Martin Sheen's youtube video asking for the White House for the justice for Bhopal. He also asked to sign a petition. I would really like to commend this gesture that even after so many years, people still remember the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, often called the Hiroshima of the Chemical Industry. However, there are certain facts that haven't come out in the open even after 25 years. These facts maybe very disturbing to many and make shake the foundations of what they have believed in for so long. This article includes my mother's (now 76 years old and still living in Bhopal) account of the Bhopal incidence. In many ways she had first hand knowledge of what happened immediately after the Gas tragedy. I was very young when the world's worst industrial disaster hit Bhopal the night of 2nd Dec 1984. My mom woke me up at 4am that morning and I thought I had to get ready for school. But things were different. It was still dark and a few families who managed to come to our house which was further away from the main city. The main city was worst hit as the factory was in close proximity to the city. Neighbors came over to discuss the rumor. I could hear (translated from Hindi to English here) "gas has leaked" "is it the gas from a cooking stove" "no a factory". My aunt started to bundle-up my sister and me and hurriedly pack our stuff. But it was impossible to pack all of us in a small jeep- adults, children, dogs and cats. Meanwhile the air smelled different. Our eyes became itchy and watery. But there was no place to go. The main road outside our house was jammed, as by now, the entire city was trying to get out of Bhopal.

I heard that many people had died. I was worried about my friends. My mom left us at home to go to the city later that morning. We heard the rumor that again the gas has leaked. With mummy in the city, we all sat down to pray. Fortunately, it was just a rumor. My mom had left us knowing that we are safe, but there are many who needed her help. She had previously helped Mother Theresa to set up her home in Bhopal and worked with the Missionaries of Charity closely. She was out driving her 1942 Model Army Jeep with the nuns putting eye drops into the eyes of those lucky few who survived. She opened the doors of houses to found everyone dead. Go-carts carried dead bodies with no place to burry. That day she came back exhausted. For the next 15 days she drove her jeep nearly 12 to 15 hours, a day. All the Catholic nuns and priests helped her by putting the patients inside the jeep.

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After few days, Mother Theresa arrived with planeload of blankets and medicines to help out in Bhopal. When everyone was fleeing Bhopal, she was one of the few who visited Bhopal to help the helpless. Eye-drops were over in Bhopal and Mother's eye-drops were of great help. Mummy went with her to show her the area that was worst affected and they started their health work from there. After about two days, mummy received a call from a government representative. He mentioned that Warren Anderson, the CEO of the factory that let out the gas-Union Carbide, was in town and he wanted to donate money to Mother Theresa to immediately start a home for the children who were suffering. Warren Anderson was confined to staying at the factory rest house. He sent two members from his team to meet my mom to convince Mother to start the house for the children. Mummy relayed the same conversation to Mother Theresa who refused the money saying that she can only accept if it comes through the Government. My mom conveyed the message to Mr. Anderson's team and they asked me to speak with him. In the phone conversation with Mr. Anderson, he expressed his deep sadness and mentioned that he wanted to go to the factory site to pay homage to the dead. He also mentioned a series of projects that he planned to help the gas victims, one of which was to open a vocational training center. Others included opening a hospital and a house for the patients. However, suddenly he was asked to leave the country in a hurry.

In subsequent conversations with the Government officials and my mother, it was revealed that Mr. Warren Anderson was there to help. He asked the Government to permission to start his own hospital to cure the patients. He also asked to start with the Vocational Training Centers to give jobs especially to those who were physically challenged after the gas leak. Anderson was there to stay and help with the construction of the Hospital and the Training and Vocational Centers. One would imagine that this would be easy to do and all with the right intentions. Anderson was not allowed to run the hospitals or establish apprenticeship centers. Instead the government asked to give the money to them directly. The politicians in power pocketed most of the money. They asked Mr. Anderson to transfer the money to their individual accounts in their own constituencies. Everyone thought of their individual benefits at that time and no one thought of Bhopal. Anderson did all he could by giving money to the Government as this was the only thing he was allowed to do. The government was concerned with lawsuits and compensation to the victims and after taking Anderson's money, he was conveniently escorted to leave the country. It was the Indian Government who helped Anderson to escape or rather escort him to leave the country.

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After all that, each family was given just Rs. 50,000 (approx.770 USD). I personally know many ladies who lost their children and were not given any compensation since there was some fault in their paperwork (or not). Others who didn't live in Bhopal during the gas leak were given compensations. The government built a fancy hospital called the Bhopal Memorial for the gas affected. As expected from Government institutions, it is very poorly run. There is also a Chest Hospital for lungs to treat patients of the Gas Tragedy. Most of the medical equipment is non-functional. Meanwhile, we still cry for justice, but expect it from the U.S. Government.

A few questions arise- who gave the permission for the factory to be built inside the city premise? The city inspectors did their regular monitoring checks, why was nothing detected in those checks? What did the Government in power do as soon as they heard about the gas leak the night? There is a rumor that the head of the state wasn't present in the city the next morning. When Warren Anderson was asking permission to build and run hospitals, why wasn't he allowed to do so? Probably the hospitals would have been much better condition as compared to the ones we have in Bhopal now. Why was it easier to take the money with no real records from Warren Anderson? Why was he respectfully escorted out of the country and then we cried foul? We would like justice from Union Carbide, Dow Chemicals, The White House, after all the factory was foreign owned. But we forget all the things we do in our backyard. We should cry for justice from the Bhopal Government first.

My mother kept up her good work over the years. Warren Anderson again tried to help Bhopal though her work. In the letter attached, he gave 2 million dollars to Arizona State University to start Vocational Training Centers in Bhopal for the Gas Affected. Probably by now it was evident that he couldn't trust the Government in India too. While the call for Justice and the law suits continued, mummy received a letter in 1995 which was signed by Mr .Warren M. Anderson stating that he would like to donate $2 million as initial seed money for establishment of the Bhopal Technical and Vocational Training Center. The project was developed by Arizona State University. My mom was appointed as the Director of the vocational training school in Bhopal. Professors from Arizona State University stayed extended periods in Bhopal to provide technical support. But unfortunately, the Indian Government did not allow it to operate and stopped all the efforts. They stopped the organization's FCRA (a permit to a non-profit to get funding from international agencies). To make things worse, they started a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry on my mother. My mother remembers this phase of her life to be humiliating and felt like a criminal. Finally, the CBI inquiry couldn't find anything un-lawful and the case was dropped. But by then it was too late to start all over and Bhopal Technical and Vocational Training Center was history.

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This article may prove to be a very rude shock for all the human rights activists fighting for justice, but given my mother's personal accounts of Mr. Anderson's intensions and his work, she would like to sincerely thank him for all his efforts to help the gas affected victims. A couple of times she wanted to speak to the press reporters, but to them a nice story on Anderson meant no story at all. It's been many years since then, the health ailments of the victims continue. Some say that the Bhopal lakes have populated water. We still drink the same water and life continues. My mother started her NGO Mahashakti Seva Kendra in 1992, which is still going strong. It is located near the now closed Union Carbide factory where most families had perished. The NGO has engaged the gas-affected women of Bhopal to live a life of dignity and economic freedom. But their losses can never be erased. Some of them lost their children, some their whole family. The project uses many techniques imparted previously by the Professors of Arizona University and benefits about 5000 women on various projects throughout the year. The Textile Ministry finances the projects.
Photo: Buddha's Page

There is no doubt that Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal. The word "Buddha" means a person who has personally been able to perceive the ultimate truth. Buddha was considered "Siddhartha Gautam" before being recognized as the enlightened being. Most of the historians agree that his lifetime was between 563B.C. to 483B.C. According to the last investigation, his death is said to have occurred between 486-483 B.C.

He spent his first 29 years as a King's son among wealth and prosperity. However, he was always reflecting upon the pains of birth, old age, disease and the sufferings of this miserable and transitory world. For this reason, Buddha abandoned his home at the age of 29 across the plains of India to find solution to these problems. At last, realizing that arduous path to self-realization was not fruitful, Buddha switched to a more moderate path called "the great middle way" by his followers. While under a tree in Bodhgaya meditating on the self, he realized the true knowledge of the Self and was thus called "Buddha." Later, for over 45 years, he went on sharing the knowledge he had gained throughout Indian sub-continent.

Of serious demeanor since his childhood, Gautam used to be worried easily by little things. While performing daily chores, he saw people of old age and full of diseases. He also saw people dying. All these created indifference in him. Why do people becomes diseased? Why do they get old? Why do they die? All these caused a holy indifference in him. One day, he left the palace in the middle of the night at the age of 29 abandoning father's kingdom, which he was to inherit.

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Siddharatha Gautam's father Suddhodhana was the Shakya dynasty King of the kingdom of Tilaurakot. His mother's name was Mayadevi. It is said that Queen Mayadevi was resting at Lumbini on her way to Devdaha when she experienced a great pain. By the puskarani sarobar while lying by the tree, child Siddaratha was born. Sage Asit named the child Sidartha. Meaning of Sidartha is "completely satisfied in the self."

Lumbini- Birthplace of Lord Buddha (Photo: Nepal Tourism Board)

Buddha was definitely born in Lumbini, Nepal. Lumbini is a very vibrant place today with people from all over the world travelling for pilgrimage. Besides, Bodhgaya is considered a sacred spot for those seeking ultimate peace/nirvana. There's no sense fighting for Buddha's birthplace. Seekers of truth should be able to make use of both places for the purpose of perceiving the ultimate like Buddha did.

Buddha travelled across the world meditating and seeking knowledge from the masters before attaining enlightenment. His journey was often arduous after he left the palace. He acquired knowledge from various masters in the process and ultimately while sitting under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya, full knowledge dawned on him.

Buddhism like any other religion has become a way for different political and social groups to attain power/pleasure. Many international organizations are simply using Buddhism to increase their influence among people. Mist of these people do not follow the tenets of Buddism or are engaged in any type of yogic practices. Most of them do not have any text on Dhammapada at their homes. Most of these institutions are created to import immigrants as Buddhist monks from countries like Tibet, Nepal, India, Bhutan etc.

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Emperor Ashoka is said to have contributed to the transmission of the messages of Buddha across the world. After himself becoming a Buddhist, he sent all his children across the world to teach people Buddha's messages. He made Buddism the national religion, constructed Boudha Bihar and regularly honored Boudha Bhikshus on the national stage. This caused rise of Buddism across the Kingdom. Buddha's teachings have been recorded as "sayings" in collections called "Tripithak." They include 82000 sutras by Buddha and 2000 sutras by his disciples.

Why do Christians go to Israel? Because, it's the birthplace of Jesus. Buddhist followers are all over the world, but we can't find anyone who visit Lumbini. It doesn't show any respect or faith over Buddha and what he taught. That's why; the nation is far above any religion. There's no need of recognition or position for those who want to serve their country. Just 10 minutes in 24 hrs are enough.We must think positively. We have hundreds of ways in front of us today. Let's work hard to bring one million tourists to Nepal this year.
In Southfield, just outside of Detroit, where I grew up, my family and many of the families around us didn't have a lot of money. But the American middle class was strong, and we knew that with a little sacrifice and a lot of hard work, my sisters and I could become whomever we wanted. The American Dream was available to my generation and generations before us, but today hard-working Americans are confronting changes in our economy that threaten their opportunity. Wages are stagnant, entire industries are shrinking and disappearing, and the constant evolution of technology has many feeling left out in the workplace.

Economic anxiety is dominating our presidential politics. Candidates are blaming their own boogeymen - Wall Street or immigrants - for the struggles of hard-working Americans. The fear themes in these campaigns reflect the anxiety felt at dinner tables every night. Americans who have worked in the same place for decades don't feel like they are getting ahead and are confronted with tough choices. College graduates with tens of thousands of dollars in student debt are unable to find the high-quality jobs that they expected after graduation. And couples are emerging only slowly from student debt, having put off large purchases like buying a home or a car, without a penny saved for retirement.

Most Americans don't want to build a wall or get a handout; they want an opportunity. People in the middle of their careers want to acquire the skills they need to keep up. Graduates strive to work a high-quality job that is worthy of the degree they worked hard to earn. And everyone hopes for the freedom to move jobs, or cities, without fearing that they will lose their healthcare or fall behind saving for retirement. All of the political noise from the fringes are of no use to these folks -- it's clear that many of the commonsense solutions that America needs are not on the far left or far right, but in the center.

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A year ago, I joined my colleagues in the New Democrat Coalition, a group of 52 pro-growth Democratic lawmakers, to release the American Prosperity Agenda. Together, we created this roadmap for progress that lays out a long-term strategy to grow the economy of the future in a way that leaves no one behind. Earlier this month we released a one-year report that benchmarks our progress. It details the more than 200 pieces of legislation and initiatives proposed by me and the other members of the New Democrat Coalition during the past year to achieve the goals we laid out.

We've offered bold initiatives to reform our broken tax and immigration systems. Our goal of achieving funding for basic scientific research will fuel discovery, create the biotech jobs of the future in places like my district in San Diego, and improve and save the lives of millions. New Dem Chairman Ron Kind's Rebuilding American Manufacturing Act will make America a more competitive place to do business and create high-quality jobs. And we advocate proposals to fix a broken Congress, like my bill to institute a five-day Congressional work week. It's simple: most working Americans put in a five day work week. Congress should, too.

Our approach is pragmatic and result-oriented. Over half of the items in the report are bipartisan. And that approach carried the day last year during the fight to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, which gives new, small business ventures access to capital. As Congressional Leadership failed to heed arguments about the importance of the Ex-Im bank to supporting small businesses, Rep. Denny Heck led the effort to collect signatures to force a vote on reauthorizing the bank. With support from the New Democrats, we got that vote and reauthorized the bank, marking an important victory for small business owners across the country who need its support to export their products around the world and create jobs here at home.

The American Dream is not dead, but in a rapidly changing world we cannot sit back and pretend that the path to achieving it hasn't changed. With the American Prosperity Agenda as our roadmap, the New Democrat Coalition is advancing forward-thinking proposals to create the jobs of the future and give Americans the skills and education to compete for them. In doing so, we help ensure that the next generation has a fair shot at creating their own success, and that America reaps the benefits of a strong, educated and skilled workforce that will drive American prosperity.
A combination photo shows Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) in Palm Beach, Florida and Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (R) in Miami, Florida at their respective Super Tuesday primaries campaign events on March 1, 2016. Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton rolled up a series of wins on Tuesday, as the two presidential front-runners took a step toward capturing their parties' nominations on the 2016 campaign's biggest day of state-by-state primary voting. REUTERS/Scott Audette (L), Javier Galeano (R)

President Donald J. Trump?

In this feverish year, the most recent symptom of distemper is media blather that -- based on polling nearly 6 months out -- America is on the cusp of electing Donald Trump. Before this conjures the megalomaniacal horror of Trump's inaugural address, let me offer a consoling reality -- that political fun house mirror known as the Electoral College.

We may not love it but, like shingles and pneumonia, this particular college will forever be with us. And so, a spoiler alert. At the end of this piece, I'm revealing who won the presidency in November, right down to the last electoral vote. Faced with a national nervous collapse, it seems unkind to wait.

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I'm not alone in trying to be helpful. One day after the Indiana primary, the New York Times predicted the electoral vote count for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. A day earlier, I went through a similar exercise, and got an identical count.

My conclusion? Either the folks at the Times and I are idiotic to precisely the same degree, or this really isn't all that hard. Since then, a brace of experts -- Larry Sabato , the Cook Political Report, and the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report -- have landed on or near this same number. The fun for me, and I hope for you, is in examining why.

The special sauce for this recipe is, of course, the inimitable Donald Trump. Among his other distinctive features he is, as of now, the least popular presidential candidate in modern American history.

Despite this, a spate of recent polls matching him against Clinton have caused the ever-febrile commentariat, ravenous for plot twists, to announce that Trump could become our president. This chorus of lemmings ignores a couple of factors which, unsurprisingly, have closed the polling margin: the Pavlovian tendency of Republican loyalists to come home after the party's nomination has been settled, and the fact that Hillary Clinton and her party are still being battered by Bernie Sanders.

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More important, it undervalues the fundamentals working against Trump's candidacy. Unlike poll numbers, these factors are not transient -- they are baked in the ossified cake of the electoral college.



Trump faces a problem as insoluble as himself -- demographics.



Aside from his assiduous efforts to alienate key demographic groups, Trump's unfavorables among the electorate at large have hit an arresting 60 percent. That Hillary Clinton also has real problems is evinced by her own unfavorable rating. But this is after a quarter-century of pummeling -- everyone inclined to dislike Clinton already does.

By comparison, Trump's capacity to appall suggests truly impressive growth potential. Indeed, he may do double duty, driving up his own negatives while reducing Clinton's at the margin.

In three weeks as the GOP's presumptive nominee, Trumps behavior suggests a man who is driven, not by strategy or consistent beliefs, but by a profound personality disorder which limits his day-to-day ability to be tactical or "presidential." And it is a mortal lock that, when it comes to exposing Trump as an imbecile, the Democrats will be as merciless as Republicans were spineless.

Armed with money and ferocity, from June to November the Clinton campaign will assault persuadable voters with evidence of Trump's narcissism, vulgarity, ignorance and instability -- not to mention his callousness and failures as a businessman. Their biggest challenge is winnowing print, video and tweets for the most repellent moments in an infinity of repulsiveness. This requires a constant state of readiness -- when it comes to providing fresh examples of odiousness and vapidity Trump, like rust, never sleeps.

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Indeed, this is a kind of compulsion. On the eve of his wipe-out of Ted Cruz in Indiana, when a lesser man might think to imitate a president, Trump linked Cruz's father to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. One can but marvel at his authenticity: Donald Trump is a boor to his core.

But Trump faces a problem as insoluble as himself -- demographics. He carried the Republican primaries -- where there is a market for this sort of thing -- by trashing Hispanics, Muslims and, with the zeal of a dedicated misogynist, women. But among the larger electorate this is a very bad idea.

After losing in 2012, the Republican party put out a report calling for an outreach to women, Hispanics and the young. Trump obviously read the memo backwards. While his triumph in the primaries proves that the brain-dead GOP establishment did not know its own base, the party did grasp one basic demographic truth -- there aren't enough old or angry white folks left alive to elect a president by themselves.

This gives rise to a fatal conundrum. Trump may expand his party's share of shrinking demographic groups, but he will shrink its share of those which are expanding.

Trump's base is voters who make less than $30,000; or have high school degrees or less; or are driven by racial antagonism; or detest the broader social tolerance among the populace as a whole. Or all the above -- it begs stating that these characteristics overlap.

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In contrast, Trump puts off voters within a vital demographic: single women; the better educated of both sexes; minorities; and the young. And while the candidates may tussle for the allegiance of those battered by the global economy, that segment of the populace, in relative terms, is not large enough to swing an election.

Another problem is that, with Trump's considerable help, the GOP is not simply dividing -- it is fracturing. Its various constituencies -- working people; conservative ideologues; rich donors; Chamber of Commerce types; foreign-policy hawks; diehard evangelicals; and more moderate suburbanites -- resemble a bad marriage among polygamists. No one can figure out who to divorce first.

This unrest may not drive mass desertions, but it will be damaging nonetheless. Both Clinton and Trump galvanize opposition from hard-core voters in the other party. But Clinton has the potential to attract more centrist Republicans who consider Trump unfit or worry about foreign policy experience, but for whom a "democratic socialist" like Bernie Sanders would be several bridges too far.

Similarly, a number of "true conservatives" will find Trump too ideologically erratic. From the perspective of both groups, these are rational objections. Thus while many of their peers will cozy up to Trump, the deserters are potentially significant, drawn from GOP professionals as well as groups within the party which, while often opposed to each other, are as one in their disdain for the political parvenu who has seized the Republican nomination.

Among the Republican populace at large, these groups represent segments who will vote for Clinton, support a third party, or leave their presidential ballot blank. Some GOP loyalists and donors will focus their money and energies on holding the Senate and House as a bulwark against the electoral defeat summoned by Donald Trump. And in the highly unlikely event of a meaningful third-party challenge from the right, Trump's self-inflicted problems will compound.

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In contrast, Clinton's biggest worry is that a significant chunk of Sanders voters will take a walk. This is serious -- the attenuated race is breeding bitterness against both Clinton and the party. But here, again, Trump is helpful: for Bernie's legions to assist Trump, tacitly or otherwise, is irrational once one considers the issues and the stakes -- as another progressive icon, Elizabeth Warren, is already pointing out.



However absurd it may be as an institution, the electoral college neatly captures our political polarization.



Here Clinton can help herself by emphasizing campaign finance reform and the ravages of globalization, pushing programs to aid its victims. The question is whether she and Sanders can achieve a rapprochement genuine enough that he will say clearly, and often, that his supporters should choose her over Trump. Assuming that he does, this will be an important boost for Clinton -- not all his followers will heed him but, in the end, most will.

So what does all this add up to in November?

A look at the electoral college map pretty much tells us all we need to know. However absurd it may be as an institution, the electoral college neatly captures our political polarization. A few pertinent facts from recent elections:

19 states and the District of Columbia have voted for a Democrat in the last six presidential contests. These alone account for 242 electoral votes -- a mere 28 short of the 270 needed to win the presidency.

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By comparison, the 13 states which voted Republican in the last six elections contain 102 electoral votes. You can take it to the bank that the GOP would carry these states were its nominee Charles Manson or Benito Mussolini -- or even Donald Trump. But even were the GOP to draft Jesus Christ himself, upon resurrection he would have to round up another 168 electoral votes.

This effort did not work out terribly well for another man of faith, Willard Romney. In 2012, Romney received an additional 104 electoral votes. That left him at 206 compared to Barack Obama's 332. In electoral college terms, a landslide.

So why is the GOP at risk of becoming a college dropout? Save for Texas, its most loyal redoubts tend to be light on population: mountain and border states; the rural Midwest; and the deep South. The Democrats' electoral college base is centered on the West Coast; the Northeast; and the mid-Atlantic region. Many have a high electoral vote count, particularly California and New York, and most would vote for any Democrat capable of speech. Such are the dubious fruits of polarization.

Thus recent elections have turned on the electoral votes of seven swing states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia. Indubitably, the electoral college distorts our campaigns -- protecting bad candidates from complete disaster, while rendering all but a few states political orphans. Other than to serve as an ATM for candidates, California never sees them; Ohioans must feel that the contestants have settled in their living room.

Barack Obama carried all seven swing states twice. If Hillary Clinton takes a mere two or three -- or Florida alone -- it's over.

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Here we return to demographics. Four years ago Obama got 51 percent of the popular vote; Romney a bit over 47 perent. And the demographics are only getting better for Democrats. This, combined with Trump's potential for throwing away votes with both hands, should put him closer to 45 percent. As the margin widens, states like North Carolina -- which Obama lost in 2012 but carried in 2008 -- as well as Missouri, Arizona and even Indiana have the potential to go for Clinton.

The last three states are a stretch; North Carolina less so, as Romney carried it by only 90,000 votes. But in all these states, Trump faces a compound of high unfavorables and changing demographics.

In 2012, Romney carried white women by 56 percent; Trump will shave votes from this advantage. In 2004, George W. Bush carried 44 percent of Hispanics; by 2012 Romney was down to 27 percent, helping sink his candidacy. Recent polls show Trump with an 80 percent unfavorable rating among Hispanics.

Still, let's be generous, and give the boy 17 percent of the Hispanic vote -- 10 points below Romney, 27 points below Bush. In at least some states, this helps spell doom in infrared letters.

The counter-conceit of Trump's campaign is that he can expand the Republican electorate in a way that transforms the map. Suggestible as always, cable news is parroting this with excitement and alarm. A particular target is alienated white and blue collar workers in industrial states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, whose devotion to their favorite billionaire, it is proposed, will stem the tide of demography.

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Good luck with that. To start, this scenario rests on an unlikely but essential assumption: that these states contain large numbers of nominal Democrats and independents who have not already been voting Republican, but will be drawn by Trump alone -- in essence, a whole new wave of Reagan Democrats.

There simply is not enough of them. In 2012 our first black president carried Ohio by nearly 170,000 votes, Pennsylvania -- a particular locus of this pipe dream -- by about 310,000, and Michigan by around 450,000. All have significant minority populations; none are immune to demographic change. In these states, as in others, Trump is likely to repel as many persuadable voters as he charms. He's just that kind of guy.

To quote The Donald himself, he's a potential "disaster "in the making. What protects him from an historic shellacking is that polarization creates a red state firewall which prevents the 49 state blowout suffered by McGovern and Mondale, or the dire drubbing inflicted on Barry Goldwater.

True, a gaggle of newly chastened commentators are saying that, having won the Republican nomination, Trump cannot be underestimated. But the GOP has become that special place where sanity goes to die. Flipping the failed conventional wisdom in the primaries for the general election does not make it any wiser. It's just an opportunity to screw up twice.

Hillary Clinton will be a far tougher opponent for Trump than the irresolute crew he faced in the primaries. Whatever her weaknesses, Trump more than matches them. She is thoroughly prepared to deal with this race, and its issues -- Trump is not. He will be no match for her in debate, and nothing he throws at her -- however personal -- will knock her off balance. In the grind of this campaign, no matter his gift for insult, Clinton will wear him down.

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Some unexpected event -- terrorism, perhaps -- may redound to Trump's advantage. No doubt his Republican spear carriers imagine some definitive misfortune befalling Hillary Clinton. But the fundamentals are unlikely to change that much. Resisting change, it seems, is what the electoral college is for.

So here's your last chance to keep the suspense -- such as it is -- going until November. Close your eyes, or else.

Okay. Like the Times and Larry Sabato, I give Clinton every swing state and throw in North Carolina. The result? Clinton 347; Trump 191.

In general, voters tend to revert to their party loyalties, which could bandage Trump against further electoral bleeding. But if you like to imagine The Donald suffering a bit more, add Arizona and Missouri. Now Clinton more than doubles Trump, 368 to 170. Should you put up your feet, have a drink, and envision Trump plummeting toward 40 percent, the unique sclerosis of the electoral college will, at last, be tested.

A word of warning. The one way to mess this up is by not voting in November. The electoral college may be a cumbersome beast, but it still needs feeding.

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So cheer up. Do your part, and after November we won't have Donald Trump to kick around anymore. Except, perhaps, in reruns.
When I woke up the day after Donald Trump (R-Trump Towers) became the presumptive GOP presidential nominee and titular head of the party (consider that a moment: as the GOP nominee, Donald Trump will be the leader of the Republican Party!!), one of my first thoughts was about that very Party and "How dare you?!" for petulantly taking out their personal angst at not getting their way in Congress and therefore foisting a Donald Trump on all the rest of the country, risking that he could become the President of the United States.

And so, I decided to do something about it, and went on a journey into the mind of a Trump supporter. In fairness, this wasn't as easy as it sounds, and required a highly-contoured topographic map and a microscope. But I made it. Also, lest anyone was worried for my well-being, I was extremely prepared with food supplies for the long journey, and wore plenty of protective gear, along with a pith helmet.

When I finally was able to discover the existence and then location of what appeared to be a still-active frontal lobe, I made contact. I explained my mission and the difficulty getting there. To my great surprise, the fellow was very glad I'd arrived safely. "Lucky you!!" he said. At least that's what I think it was. It's possible that the first word he spoke began with an "F" instead. There was a lot of static there, so things were quite fuzzy. "Lucky you!" he shouted. "Lucky you! Lucky you! And the horse you rode in on!" So, he was an animal lover, too, how nice. Though I corrected him that no horse was involved.

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My difficult arrival accomplished, I found a comfortable spot and settled in. Here then are some of the random pieces of our exchange, in which I wanted to know from him why on earth he thought Donald Trump had even the slightest qualifications to be President of the United States, Commander-in-Chief of the American military, and leader of the free world. All I got back were sort of platitudes which by themselves were a bit meaningless, but strung together they could make up what might be seen as a conversation.

"He tells it like it is!"

(Actually, no, Donald Trump gave up telling it like it is decades ago when he realized it got in the way of him conning people into buying Trump Steaks, drinking Trump Wine, getting an education at Trump University, flying on Trump Air, and qualifying for a loan at Trump Mortgage, to pay for your gambling at the Trump Taj Mahal. They all failed, and many people were hurt by them -- to the degree that the New York Attorney General has even taken Trump University to court for fraud -- though at least he himself did just fine financially from them. And we're still waiting, of course, after five years for him to present the non-existent "proof" he has that Barack Obama was supposedly born in Kenya. And for him to find that fictitious video of Muslims celebrating 9/11 in New Jersey. And to explain how on earth he couldn't actually know who the former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke was, who endorsed Trump, despite insisting he has the world's greatest memory. And besides, that's not even his real family name, it's Drumpf. Or skin color. Or hairweave. All of which is fine, unless you're trying to convince people you "tell it like it is.")

"He stands for what I believe in!"

(Actually, no, Donald Trump stands for Donald Trump. That's why, as you may have noticed, he puts "Trump" on everything he owns, sort of like when your mom sewed name tags in your clothes before going to summer camp, except that he's not eight years old, and it's hard to lose a building or an airplane or a casino. Though clearly, it is easy to lose a LOT of steaks and wine. Donald Trump pretty much only cares about himself and what his deal can get for him. Now, mind you, it's possible you believe in some of the same things, like racially smearing Mexicans and wanting to ban Muslims and being misogynistic to women and ridiculing the disabled and supporting torture and keeping nuclear attacks an option and promoting violence and demeaning war heroes and calling people names -- something most people gave up around that same eight-year-old mark. But even if so, that's only a tiny part of what Donald Trump believes in. Because Donald Trump trumps all. And he only believes in those things because they help the Donald Trump Brand. Donald Trump is a megalomaniacal narcissist; a thoughtless bully; a self-centered, wheeler-dealer con man and so profoundly insecure all the attention has to be on him him him marked by his name Trump Trump Trump. And he doesn't care one whit what you believe in. Which is why he can never stand for what you believe in. Or really stand you. Because unless you're rich and have accomplished big things, to Donald Trump you, sir, are a "Loser!!")

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"He's a great businessman."

(Actually, no, Donald Trump is like the line by the late, former Texas governor Ann Richards -- "He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple." There are detailed reports that Donald Trump inherited up to $200 million. He's like Steve Martin's joke about how to make $2 million. "First, get a million dollars..." Great businessman? If you inherited $200 million and did nothing with it but just simply invested it all in Index Funds, Fortune magazine writes that you would make four times what Donald Trump has!! In other words, he's turned his inherited wealth into one-quarter its value. Besides, Donald Trump has filed for bankruptcy four times. If you filed for bankruptcy four times, Donald Trump would call you a "Loser!!" Actually, you probably wouldn't get the chance to file for bankruptcy four times.)

"He can run the government because he knows business."

(Actually, no. Politics is nothing like running a business. Nothing. And being President of the United States is not only less-so, but has absolutely zero to do with running a business. In business, if you're in charge, you can decide everything that you want done. You can order people around and tell all your employees how to do their job. You can fire people, for any reason. In politics, most especially if you're the president, Congress makes the laws and decides what gets done. You can't fire elected representatives or even civil service employees. You have a complete separate political party that can disagree with you about everything and block everything you want. And worse, they might be in the majority and push their own agenda. You have to compromise. You have to be a diplomat. You have to be, literally, a military general, since you're commander-in-chief of all the armed forces. You have to know about outer space, science, macroeconomics, transportation, education, social welfare and on and on, areas far out of your expertise. And then, just when you've been inundated by all that -- there's every other country in the world. You can't order them to do anything. You can't know most of anything about what they're doing. And those are your friends and allies. It doesn't even take into consideration enemy nations that oppose you. And not just oppose, but may be trying, literally, to destroy you. Business?? You know how to run a business?? Swell, buy a chain of 7-11's. This international global politics, bucko.)

"He's so rich, Wall Street can't buy him."

(Actually, no, Donald Trump is a businessman whose whole business life is centered at the business core on Wall Street. Open a dictionary and look up "Wall Street," and you'll see a picture of Donald Trump. Cross-referenced to "Bankruptcies." But then, if your criteria of a qualified president is simply being rich, you probably think a whole lot of people must be incredibly qualified to be president. How about Warren Buffet or George Soros? Oh, sure, they're liberal, but hey they're both really rich, overwhelmingly more rich than Donald Trump that by comparison they make him look like a "Loser!!", so you'd probably like them even better as president. Or maybe Bill Gates or Carl Icahn or Phil Knight or Paul Allen or Jeff Bezos should be president? They're phenomenally rich, massively more than Donald Trump. The Koch Brothers are incredibly rich, perhaps they could be both president and VP? Hey, they're trying to buy the job anyway. Just like Sheldon Adelson, so what about him? Michael Bloomberg could buy Donald Trump 20 times over, and he was even elected to something. "Something" being mayor of New York City. Besides which, we don't even really know what Donald Trump's wealth actually is. So, it might not be anywhere near what he hints and what you think.)

"He finances his own campaign, so he can't be bought by any special interests."

(Actually, no, Donald Trump has a request for donations right on his website. You can't miss it, it's highlighted. In fact, he raised $12 million from donations. Besides which, he's had those four pesky bankruptcies so anyone who thinks he doesn't owe a lot with a lot of obligations to a lot of people isn't trying. Besides which, a couple weeks ago, he hired a national finance chairman with a goal to raise a billion dollars. The chairman will be Steven Mnunchin, a former hedge fund manager at Goldman Sachs who was known for controversial, predatory homeowner foreclosures. Besides which, all that money that Donald Trump keeps saying endlessly that he spent to supposedly "self-finance" his campaign was actually just a loan that can all be paid back from those private donations once his finance chairman raises that billion dollars. Besides which Trump actually does have a Super PAC despite his insistence to the contrary - never mind that whole "He tells it like he is" thing - called Great America Super PAC, run by Jesse Benton, who just weeks ago was found guilty and convicted of four felony fraud charges, including bribery. Yet he remains the head of the Super PAC. Can't be bought by special interests?? Donald Trump, all by himself, is a living, breathing, traveling special interest.)

"He wants to make America great again."

(Actually, no, America is pretty darn good right now. After all, don't you think most of the rest of the world still looks at America as a beacon of hope and liberty and success, the ultimate destination for making it? Besides which, Donald Trump saying he wants to make America great again means the he doesn't believe is America is great. Can you imagine if a Democrat ever said that?? Really, just imagine if a Democrat ran on a platform that America wasn't great. Republicans would have apoplexy and start screaming bloody murder about how unpatriotic that traitor was and ask why he hated America? Which is a fine question for a Republican to ask their nominee -- why does Donald Trump hate America? Why is he so deeply unpatriotic?)

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"He wants to make America First"

(Actually, no, that's a really, really bad thing to want. Seriously. The "America First" line that Donald Trump has started using for his campaign is actually the slogan of American fascists in the 1940s who supported the Nazis. I don't mean a sort of pseudo Nazi used in hyperbolic language to insult someone, but the real Nazis. Y'know, the ones in brown shirts with Hitler. They even had their own party -- the America First Party. So, no, wanting "America First," is a truly awful, despicable, hateful thing to want. Now, mind you, it might actually be what Donald Trump wants, but it's a horrific qualification for being president.)

"Hmm. I didn't know all that. If I stepped back and thought about him more, this Donald Trump really sounds pathetic, a real Loser. And he's got such small hands, what's up with that?? And to think I once supported him. But not anymore. Lucky me. Lucky, lucky me..."

*
Left-wing independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen smiles as he addresses the media after winning Austrian presidential election in Vienna, Austria, May 23, 2016. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

The recent Austrian presidential elections have ensured that Altiero Spinelli's dream of a united Europe will live on -- for the moment. Green Party candidate Alexander Van der Bellen's victory over the right-wing candidate, Norbert Hofer seems to have been an act of fate, since it happens to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the death of Spinelli, author of the Ventotene Manfiesto.

Even those who don't believe that fate has a role in current events must admit that the results of the Austrian elections represent a good omen.

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The next 30 days will be a trying time for the European Union: Until June 23, everyone on this side of the Atlantic who believes in Spinelli's dream of a united Europe will experience a number of difficult tests. The Austrian elections became a symbol for the current conflict between Austria and Italy at the Brenner border, which has been closed for reasons that are more related to the recent elections than to an actual state of emergency.

There are at least three obstacles that need to be addressed in the upcoming period.

First is the finalization of yet another version of a Greek bailout plan, since it has become clear to everyone that the government in Athens will never be able to repay the new loan of 86 billion euros, despite the new draconian measures put in place by the Tsipras government.



The elections hung by a thread, since the country has been stricken by fear of the foreigners coming from distant lands.

Second, Brussels needs to make a decision on the EU-wide deposit insurance fund. (The Germans have condemned the plan, and are insisting on absurd sovereign debt ceilings.)

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Finally, on June 23, everyone will find out the results of the referendum in which Great Britain will decide whether or not to remain in the EU. We cannot predict the repercussions of a "Brexit" ahead of time, but they would certainly be similar to those of a "Grexit."

The path ahead is not an easy one. The victory of the Green party and the pro-Europeans in Austria was a surprise. The elections hung by a thread, since the country has been stricken by fear of the foreigners coming from distant lands.

However, the numbers tell a different story, one which seems to have charmed many Austrians. According to the United Nation's World Population Prospects report, 1.2 million migrants settled in Europe between 2000 and 2010 -- which makes up 0.2 percent of Europe's population. This number seems quite daunting, given that the United States received 1 million migrants within the same time period. From 2010 to 2015, the number of migrants dropped dramatically to 400,000 per year, and between 2000 and 2015, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain received between 100,000-200,000 refugees each.

As Thomas Piketty, the famous opponent of austerity, noted, it was only last year that the number of migrants flooding into Germany reached one million. This influx was perhaps the main cause for Austria's concerns, and for the closing of the border with Italy. Now, Italy is at the front lines.

Europe can breathe a momentary sigh of relief, but we cannot ignore the fact that the migration plan that the Juncker Commission is preparing is not progressing as expected. Its failure will only fuel the fires of the xenophobic parties, who have turned the Brenner frontier into a symbol that has more to do with ideology than with creating an actual barrier.

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Nonetheless, despite the battle over migration in Austria, now that the worst seems to be over, it is worth taking a moment to reflect. Among all of the European states, Austria has one of the highest numbers of foreign jihadists per capita who have left to fight with ISIS: Over 260 Jihadists in a country with a population of 8.5 million.

According to the 2014 census, the Muslim population in the country amounted to a total of 600,000 people (7 percent of all Austrians), including 120,000 Turks, 51,000 Bosnians and 34,000 Afghanis. A portion of the Austrian population uses these statistics to suggest that every Muslim migrant is a potential terrorist. This argument will probably be brought up by every nationalist party during the upcoming European elections. It is necessary to counter this manifesto with a better idea, one that convinces Europeans to choose instead the path of greater integration. It will not be an easy task.
With an acceptance rate lower than one-half of one percent, earning an invitation to Mastermind Talks is more difficult than getting accepted to Harvard.

It is not exclusivity for exclusivity's sake. It is intentional, the design of creator Jayson Gaignard, whose annual world-class event brings together entrepreneurs of an elite character, not necessarily elite revenue. Mastermind Talks' mission statement, prominent throughout its website, gets straight to the point: The quality of an event is in direct proportion to the quality of people in attendance.

"Just like an investor investing in a business, I invest in people." Gaignard explained. "Because I believe that amazing people become increasingly amazing over time."

This year's gathering of 150 carefully selected attendees, each deemed to be amazing, took place in Ojai, California. I was fortunate to attend. Here are some of the behind the scenes tips I learned after speaking with Jayson on my podcast, The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk.

"Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It's that simple, and it's that hard."

It's All In The Details

In creating an interactive setting among inspired minds, Gaignard's meticulousness extends far beyond creating a guest list.

"I spend four to five hours in preparation on just the seating chart for each dinner," Gaignard said. "The first night dinner is really important. It gives each attendee the opportunity to create their own little tribes so that when they show up for the first session (the next morning); they at minimum have some friendly faces in the room." The proximity of each dinner guest is based on, as Gaignard calls it, uncommon commonalities - those different yet connected aspects of who they are that unite them. I found myself seated at a table next to James Altucher: hedge fund manager, best-selling author, entrepreneur, and creator of The James Altucher Show podcast.

"You both have big podcasts," Gaignard said. "I thought that it would be good for you to meet and discuss that."



The Quality of People in the Room

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Where many organizers look to scale up the quantity of attendees, Gaignard scales in quality. As he says, "Amazing people know other amazing people." He adds, "My focus is on scaling trust. If I have trust, I can make magic happen." He establishes this through personal interactions with each guest.



"If I have trust, I can make magic happen."

The mutual trust between Gaignard and the attendees was evident long before the proceedings began, as the event (for which tickets cost $7,000 before hotel and airfare) sold out three months in advance despite not publishing an agenda or a list of speakers (this is unheard of in the event space). And without fail, that trust was rewarded. Mastermind Talks featured surprise appearances by entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, who took part in a Q&A session on night one, and skateboarder Tony Hawk, who was interviewed by Altucher on night two. The final night was filled with hot air balloon rides and a mind-blowing performance from violinist Damien Escobar.

Roundtables and Breakout Sessions

In the past, Mastermind Talks centered around speakers on a main stage, but considering the large number of experts in attendance, Gaignard made the tactical switch to a "peer-to-peer" model, creating community, as he says, "drowning in information and starving for wisdom."

The result is a series of fruitful roundtables led by subject matter experts. People such as Ryan Holiday (writing, PR), James Clear (growing email list to 275,000 in three years), Greg Baroth (how to Instagram like Dan Bilzerian), Hal Elrod (building communities), Cole Hatter (Selling Millions), and Joey Coleman (persuasive presentations) freely shared their best practices before opening up a group discussion.

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Keeping with the theme of uniqueness, the formal event began at 10:00 a.m.--a considerably later start time than other business events. But, like every other facet of Mastermind Talks, this start time was brilliantly designed. Morning workout groups were held at 7:15 with a breakfast to follow, and like-minded guests were afforded much more time together. This created yet another opportunity to form relationships in a setting outside of a conference room.



No Business Cards

Mastermind Talks lacks formalities that dominate other networking events, namely the distribution of business cards. I did not see a single one. Contact information was still shared, through a private Facebook group and a pre-printed Rolodex (put together by Kandis Gaignard, Jayson's wife), but the absence of business cards created a unique setting. As attendees, we were sent an intake form to fill out prior to the event. This information makes up the Rolodex shared with each person on Day 1.

The Host

That environment was only boosted by the efforts of the host. Gaignard, surrounded by his wife Kandis and a team of incredible volunteers, made the stressful task look simple. He exuded confidence, and his likable personality--accented oftentimes with a smile--was complemented by his honesty as he opened up to the attendees with stories of failure on his journey to success.

Trust is not simply a buzzword to Gaignard. It was the foundation of the entire event.



Tips For Attendees

Here are some tips for making the most of your next event:

Go all out: Get out of your room and embrace the experience. Set specific goals for making quality connections with people. Dress differently: This one is host approved. "I like to wear interesting looking pants to help me stand out from the crowd," said Gaignard. Be appreciative: Handwrite thank you notes to people that have impressed you, and have them delivered to each person's room by the hotel staff. Be studious: Take notes on the interesting people you've met, and remember minute details about them or, perhaps, their children. Reference those when you follow up with them weeks later. Do your homework: Have topics of conversation ready. Always be prepared to share your Clay Hebert 6 word introduction.


LADZ (John Arsenault and Adrian Gilliland) , Eden #31, 2012. Chromogenic color print. Courtesy of the artists. Photo courtesy of the artists.

Nearly three decades after Jesse Helms censored Robert Mapplethorpe's work, lawmakers in a conservative Atlanta suburb have lambasted a local showing of the national exhibition "Art AIDS America."

State Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) said that "a fully-loaded porta-potty would be better artistic expression" than the exhibit at Kennesaw State University's Zuckerman Museum of Art, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.

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Exploring artistic responses to AIDS from 1981 to today, the sweeping exhibit includes works by Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Annie Leibovitz, Kiki Smith, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Glenn Ligon, Martin Wong, and Andres Serrano, among other leading artists.

Organized by the Tacoma Art Museum in partnership with the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the exhibit was on view at Kennesaw State from Feb. 20 to May 22. It opens at the Bronx Museum on July 13.

Brett Reichman, And the Spell Was Broken Somewhere Over the Rainbow, 1992. Oil on canvas. Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.

Ehrhart, who heads the state committee that funds colleges and universities, boasted that he will penalize the university for showing the art works, the Marietta Daily Journal reported.

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"I'm going to make it real clear, let's just put it that way. I had a lot of success in getting Tech's attention in spending taxpayer money on ridiculous things," said Ehrhart, referring to his criticism of how the Georgia Institute of Technology handles accusations of sexual assault. Ehrhart said when Georgia Tech ignored his requests, he eliminated the university's request for a $47 million building.

One of the works offending him was Robert Sherer's "Sweet Williams," a delicate painting of flowers being cut in their prime. A Kennesaw State professor, Sherer made the elegiac work with HIV- and HIV+ blood in memory of all the Bills, Wills, and Williams he had known who died of the disease. The medium of tainted blood elevates the painting from a symbolic illustration to a dynamic statement about death.

Robert Sherer (born 1957), Sweet Williams, 2013. HIV- and HIV+ blood on paper. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.



Ehrhart told the MDJ that painting with HIV+ blood should be illegal. "I mean, you could infect somebody and kill them with that. Why don't we just paint with the Ebola virus?" he said.

The means of transmission of the HIV virus has long been determined, and the virus jumping from behind glass to infect a person is not one of those means.

Ehrhart apparently has not caught up with what most of the world knows, but he is a powerful politician who could wreak havoc at KSU. As a Georgian, I am outraged by his statements, particularly his threats to harm an academic institution that serves the community.

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The legislator did not see the exhibition but relied on a handful of photographs of the most provocative images. Such images are carefully limited to a specific gallery in the museum with cautionary signs about mature content. Labels explain each of the works on view. The exhibition's mission is to underscore the important role that artists played in documenting the history of the disease.

Timing is everything, as they say. Ehrhart is up for re-election in Georgia's May 24 primary election, running unopposed. He did not respond to a request for an interview.

Two other legislators chimed in with Ehrhart's diatribe. "Typically, communities send their garbage to the dump and dispose of their body waste at the local sewage treatment plant," State Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta), chairman of the Senate Education and Youth Committee, told the Marietta Daily Journal. "KSU has chosen to celebrate and elevate it to an 'art' exhibit. Trash is trash."

Robert Blanchon, Stains #1 & #2, 1994. Chromogenic color prints. Collection of Jackie Chang. Photo: Courtesy of the Estate of Robert Blanchon.

State Rep. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) told the conservative newspaper that the exhibit "sadly trivializes the very serious issue of AIDS, which is something that we as a nation are committed to dealing with in a serious way."

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Is Setzler saying that art is not a serious way to address social issues?

Far from trivializing, artworks such as Robert Blanchon's diptych "Stains #1 and #2" make AIDS real. Depicting soiled men's briefs, the photographs are indeed repellent, but they show the human response to the virus and its treatment, inviting compassion for the human body out of control.

"The urinary stains from the medicine and the bowel incontinence from all the gastrointestinal problems really show our human frailty," said Rock Hushka, chief curator at the Tacoma Art Museum and co-curator of the exhibit. "I like how the images recall the Calvin Klein ads from the 1980s. The artist has a minimalist conceptual approach with the use of white and the repetition of elements."

Husksa and co-curator Jonathan David Katz drew together more than 125 works to thoughtfully capture the history of AIDS in America and the responses of artists to the epidemic. The AIDS rate in Atlanta is one of the highest in the country -- "Downtown Atlanta is as bad as Zimbabwe or Harare or Durban," said Dr. Carlos del Rio, co-director of Emory University's Center for AIDS Research, as reported by WSB-TV. The leadership at Kennesaw State University saw fit to host Art AIDS America to raise awareness and invite the community to consider how art gives voice to this devastating disease. For a person in power to threaten to restrict funds to the university because of six images drawn from 125 is at least misguided and possibly malicious.


At a news conference Tuesday, I asked Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Andre Carson (D-Ind.) about Hillary Clinton's having returned money from Muslims and refusing to meet with Arab and Muslim groups in her 2000 Senate run.

Rep. Ellison indicated he didn't know about the controversy and -- while stressing his backing for Sen. Bernie Sanders, argued that Clinton was someone who has done outreach to the Muslim community. Carson lauded her as the "most traveled" secretary of state.

Ellison and Carson, Congress' only Muslim members, spoke at the at National Press Club to discuss "Islamophobia and Hateful Rhetoric Directed At Muslims." [See video of their response, full video (33:00) and transcript below.]

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Their opening remarks focused on Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Newt Gingrich, Peter King -- all Republicans.

I had gone into the event wanting to question the manner in which they spoke -- or declined to speak -- about U.S. foreign policy. More on that later.

But, their emphasis on Republican transgressions, some going back to previous election cycles, I thought it important to raise the issue of Clinton's actions and asked if there wasn't anti-Muslim sentiment in the Democratic Party as well.

I cited a recent piece by Rania Khalek, in which she writes:

Back in 2000, during a heated U.S. Senate race in New York, Clinton came under attack for accepting political contributions from Muslim groups whose members were targets of a smear campaign generated by one of the Islamophobia industry's most discredited operatives. Without hesitation, Clinton condemned her Muslim supporters, returned their donations and refused to meet with Arab and Muslim Americans for the remainder of her campaign...

Ellison said: "I'm not aware of the incident. ... When she came to Minnesota she specifically reached out to the Muslim community and had a sit down and talked about anti-Muslim hate. ... I also know that years ago when she was Secretary of State, the Black Caucus had a meeting with her and she had recently appointed a special envoy to Muslim communities, you know -- Farah Pandith -- and she sat Andre and I right next to Farah because she wanted to make sure we were talking and comparing notes."

Presuming he was being forthright, it says something about Ellison's information flow that he would not have been aware of the controversy.

According to her bio at the Kennedy School of Government, "Special Representative Pandith served as the Director for Middle East Regional Initiatives for the National Security Council from December 2004 to February 2007, where she was responsible for coordinating U.S. policy on 'Muslim World' Outreach and the Broader Middle East North Africa initiative."

She reported to Elliot Abrams, well known for his longtime backing of U.S. wars in the Mideast and Latin America.

Ellison stated that Clinton has "not in any way contributed to anti-Muslim hate. In fact Huma Abedin is one of her closest aides and Huma has been the target of anti-Muslim hate herself."

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Carson, who supports Clinton over Sanders, stated that while Clinton was recently in Indianapolis, "We helped to ensure that Muslims were not only there, they were part of the process. And there were a group of Syrian-Americans who had a moment with Secretary Clinton. ... She is the most traveled Secretary of state in U.S. history. ... Whenever I go to embassies that have Muslim ambassadors they talk about the bridge building that was done under her leadership as Secretary of State. ... [Clinton] has a special sensitivity as it relates to issues impacting the Muslim community. As it relates to unwanted surveillance ... Once she becomes president you will see Muslims in very important positions in her cabinet."

It seems at best incredibly paltry: "Part of the process." Syrian-Americans "had a moment." "A moment" to discuss the fate of their country of origin. Which Syrian-Americans? Doubtlessly, there are some who want more U.S. intervention of the sort that brought disaster to Libya -- which Clinton oversaw and Ellison himself backed at the time. Glen Ford has noted that Ellison has also backed a "no fly" zone in Syria.

Though she's at times criticized Republicans for scapegoating Muslims, CNN reported: "Clinton calls for more surveillance, police after Brussels attacks."

I actually asked the first question after their opening remarks. I had hoped that I'd get another question later about U.S. foreign policy after they had staked out their positions on foreign policy in response to other questions. However, I did not get another question in.

The deeper issue is the manner in which the question of "Islamophobia" is being dealt with: It largely excludes discussion of U.S. foreign policy, the dehumanization of Muslim lives lost, especially in U.S. attacks.

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At the event, Ellison stressed that most of the victims of Daesh [ISIL] were Muslims, which is of course true, but it leaves out that most of the victims of U.S. foreign policy are Muslims -- and that U.S. foreign policy has helped foster Al-Qaeda and ISIS and other sectarian groups.

You have Carson talking about how Muslim officials in embassies -- almost invariably of tyrannical regimes -- speak fondly of Clinton. This seems at best a dubious badge of honor.

Rep. Carson spoke in his other remarks of being on the House Intelligence Committee. He also spoke of his time growing up and being critical of law enforcement. I've criticized anti-Muslim bias for over twenty years, but a tacit bargain seems to have been struck whereby Muslims are "tolerated" -- so long as they do not seriously critique U.S. foreign policy, and those who go along with it most will clearly be rewarded most by those who control U.S. foreign policy. Indeed, the subtext of some of Carson's remarks is that such Muslims will be rewarded with plum positions for their apologetics.

The tension here is critical. While some who have written about Islamophobia see a meaningful resolution in incorporation of Muslims into the West, this tends to ignore the incredible violence of U.S. foreign policy. For example, John Feffer, who I know and like personally, recently wrote "Sadiq Khan and the End of Islamophobia" about the recent mayoral race in London.

There is real danger of a line of thinking that in effect charts a course of Muslims being accepted in the West in a manner that neuters any meaningful crit of foreign policy. It's a course that explicitly or implicitly folds in the Muslim community rather than using it as a messenger to meaningful open up the Western societies in terms of challenging and ending their aggressive foreign policies and bring about a more peaceful world.

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In fact, this course is incredibly dangerous because it leads to the impression of having a global dialogue when none is actually taking place about the most critical issues of U.S. government violence.

As Arun Kundnani has argued: "The promise of the 'war on terror' was that we would kill them 'over there' so they would not kill us 'over here.' Hence mass violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Yemen, and Somalia -- in the name of peace in the West. The 'Authorization to Use Military Force' that the U.S. Congress passed in the days after 9/11 already defined the whole world as a battlefield in the 'war on terror'. President Obama continues to rely on the authorization to give his drone-killing program a veneer of legality. This is the old colonial formula of liberal values at home sustained by a hidden illiberalism in the periphery -- where routine extra-judicial killing is normalized."

The remarks of Malcolm X -- whose birthday just passed -- and his view of the course of African Americans in the U.S. is relevant: "They have a new gimmick every year. They're going to take one of their boys, black boys, and put him in the cabinet so he can walk around Washington with a cigar. Fire on one end and fool on the other end. And because his immediate personal problem will have been solved he will be the one to tell our people: 'Look how much progress we're making. I'm in Washington, D.C., I can have tea in the White House. I'm your spokesman, I'm your leader.' While our people are still living in Harlem in the slums. Still receiving the worst form of education."

Transcript:

Sam Husseini: You've mentioned Trump and Cruz and Carson. I think all the names that you mentioned are Republicans that you feel are guilty of soem form of Islamophobia. Rania Khalek, an Arab-American writer recently had a piece recounting that in her 2000 run, Hillary Clinton -- after there were allegations that she was taking quote-unquote Muslim money -- returned the money and refused to meet with members of the Muslim-American and Arab community. How do you respond to something like that? Is the Democratic party itself clear of Islamophobic sentiment as well?

Keith Ellison: I can only speak on what I know about -- and I'm a Bernie supporter. And I support Bernie running all the way through the election. And -- but have to be honest and tell you I'm not aware of that, right?

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Husseini: You don't know about this?

Ellison: Well I'm not aware of the incident. I'll tell you what I'm aware of I know that when she came to Minneapolis, Minnesota -- and this is just being fair and honest. When she came to Minnesota she specifically reached out to the Muslim community and had a sit down and talked about anti-Muslim hate. I know about that.

I also know that years ago when she was Secretary of State, the black caucus had a meeting with her and she had recently appointed a special envoy to Muslim communities, you know -- Farah Pandith -- and she sat Andre and I right next to Farah because she wanted to make sure we were talking and comparing notes.

Now, I don't want to say something didn't happen when I don't know -- when I don't have information. But I can say that if that did happen there's weight with her reaching out as well.

Again, I'm not trying to discredit anyone's experience, I don't have any information on it. But I can tell you she did some things and has not in any way contributed to anti-Muslim hate. In fact Huma Abedin is one of her closest aides and Huma has been the target of anti-Muslim hate herself and I have never sensed that Secretary Clinton is backing herself away from her association with Huma Abedin. So.

Again, I'm a Bernie guy. I'm standing up there -- if you wanna talk who should be president I believe it's Bernie Sanders, but fair's fair and true's true and she has no record that I'm aware of of anti-Muslim hate.

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Andre Carson: As a Clinton guy (laughter)

Ellison: Did I mention that ---?

Carson: As Keith stated, one of her chief advisers and closest confidants is Huma Abedin who is phenomenal. She's a friend of mine. Secretary Clinton was in Indianapolis a few weeks ago. We helped to ensure that Muslims were not only there, they were part of the process. And there were a group of Syrian-Americans who had a moment with Secretary Clinton. If you look at her history as not only as first lady of Arkansas but first lady of the United States of America, and even Secretary of State. She is the most traveled Secretary of state in U.S. history. Let's make that clear.
Loss affects us all, no matter who we are in the world.

Loss is also unique to the individual in that it touches our lives in different ways.

What is universal, however, is the fact that some of us feel alone in our grief. We know we aren't alone, but loss can sometimes feel like a topic that is just too hard to talk about, and so it is avoided.

One woman is single-handedly turning that notion on its head.

Rebecca Malthus is the founder of Project Butterfly, a New Zealand-based charity that assists people through grief. It's a unique concept created to address the need for support following child loss. Currently working on a book, I sat down with her to talk about it.

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Can you tell me about your upcoming publication?

We are currently gearing up for our book project titled 'Good Grief - 365 ways to get through the first year of grief'.

The book project will be our most ambitious project to date.

It is not just based on child loss, but any kind of bereavement.

While the book project is New Zealand-based and many of the ideas come from here we have attracted ideas from the UK, the US, Australia, Korea, and Japan.

We are open to ideas from any place and any culture. We hope it is a great reference piece that is accessible to anyone who is grieving, no matter where they may be.



What do you hope to achieve through publishing the book?

The reason we decided to publish a book is because we have heard from many people over the years.

Everyone seemed to have so many amazing ideas to help remember loved ones. We have heard everything from stories to ideas and tips.

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We have been blown away by the incredible love shared and the tributes and foundations that have been started in the memory of lost loved ones. Some ideas were so simple, some complex, but they all helped at a difficult time.

These ideas can help so many others just beginning their journey and illustrate that there is life after loss. We knew we couldn't let this important information pass, and so decided to collate all of them into a single book.

We hope that by sharing your ideas you can find some peace and for others reading the ideas they can begin their journey knowing they are not alone.

We are self-publishing and are also in the middle of raising the funds for that, too. If we can get the book to be successful it will also help us to become self-sufficient.



Project Butterfly invites you to participate in 'Good Grief - 365 ways to get through the first year of grief'.

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All proceeds of this book will be used to provide respite weekends for not only grieving familes but also for children who have lost siblings. All people who work on this publication are volunteers.
Brent Harris is the founding drummer of New Zealand band Cut Off Your Hands. He's also had sensorineural hearing loss since his late teens, which means his hearing is slowly but steadily deteriorating and may one day go entirely. Doctors have never been able to give Brent a solid reason for his hearing's degeneration, or tell him how long he'll have it for. This rather heavy unknown has had a big impact on his career as a musician, including leading him to question whether he should continue to play music at all - particularly difficult as it's the thing he loves to do most. Not knowing for sure if his hearing loss would be worsened by drumming, Brent chose to stick with it, and enjoyed many good times with the band as a result. Now 29, Brent's hearing is continuing to decline, but he's still got it. I found out more for Impolitikal.com.

Can you talk a bit about your musical background?

Like most people who have music in their bones, I was fascinated by music from a really young age. I always really liked the drums, I remember getting pots and pans out and all that kind of stuff, but I never had a drum kit until I was about 12. I had a friend who had a kit, so I would go around to his place and play it. But it was normal for him and he wanted to do other things, like ride the bike, and I just wanted to play the drums so bad. I eventually ended up borrowing $100 off my sister, and saving up $100, and my parents gave me $100, and I bought a drum kit. From then that was just what I did. I liked to play the drums. I was never a child protege or anything, but it was always the thing I was probably best at.

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What happened with Cut Off Your Hands getting signed?

We did a lot of touring, that was our roots. We were able to drum up a bit of attention, and we ended up signing with French Kiss Records, an independent label based in New York. We signed with them for the States, and we ended up signing with another label called 679, which at the time was an independent label, but it became a subsidiary to Warners. That afforded us to live there and to record and tour, and the opportunity to keep going on that front. That's how it happened. But we felt like it was based off a lot of hard groundwork, because we did lots of shows. Some people get brought up into the label thing really quick, and the label is involved in helping form something, and then it gets presented to market. We had toured really hard for two or three years before anything really happened on that front. In saying that, you're still confronted with A&R dudes who are like: it needs to sound like this. We still had that dynamic going on, that we were having to compete with a little bit. But we were fortunate in that it was more of a grassroots thing.

How did this timeline with your hearing loss?

My hearing was fine until I was 16. It was my last year of high school, maybe it was more like 17 or 18. I was talking to my cousin on the phone one morning. I was talking to her on one side and she sounded fine and then I put her onto my left ear and it sounded a bit like a chipmunk. I went and got a hearing test, and they were like, oh you've lost some hearing on your left side, it's probably just a one-off - can you remember a firecracker going off in your ear or something? But it wasn't too much of a problem. They just said, make sure you protect your ears, blah blah blah. From then, both my ears started losing a lot of hearing, quite quickly. The specialists at that time didn't know really what was causing it, they thought that loud music wasn't helping. But anyone could put two and two together. They basically said, at this rate you'll be stone-cold deaf by the time you're 30. I was in love with playing music, and it was just like, fuck that.
In the past, to be called "discriminating" was high praise. We rarely hear the adjective used that way (or used at all) anymore, but the noun and verb are everywhere. News stories about discrimination are an almost daily occurrence. It stands as one of the main points on the contemporary moral compass.

In the sixties and seventies, when the subject of discrimination came up, it was usually in the context of race or gender. In the eighties, it was often in conversation about physical disabilities. Today, it is typically in the context of sexual orientation or gender identity. Who's next? What group will be the target of discrimination in the coming years?

There is at least some reason to believe it will be religious people, and especially religious conservatives. In the future, people who acknowledge an authority that transcends cultural norms, like Catholics and Evangelicals, may be the ones most likely to face discrimination.

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Prejudice against people of faith is of course nothing new. When T. S. Eliot, arguably the most famous English poet of the twentieth century, converted to Christianity, he immediately became the object of derision and exclusion. The Times Literary Supplement labeled him a traitor. When Virginia Woolf, the de facto leader of the influential Bloomsbury Group, of which Eliot was a member, learned of his Christian faith, she was shocked and disgusted. She wrote to a fellow group member,

"I have had a most shameful and distressing interview with dear Tom Eliot, who may be called dead to us all from this day forward. He has become an Anglo-Catholic believer in God and immortality, and he goes to church. I was shocked. A corpse would seem more credible than he is. I mean, there's something obscene in a living person sitting by the fire and believing in God."

If Woolf's response seems over the top, consider the responses that New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, a self-identified progressive, received after complaining of academia's bias against conservatives. One respondent defended the discrimination, claiming that "Much of the 'conservative' worldview consists of ideas that are known empirically to be false." Another said matter-of-factly, "Truth has a liberal slant." A third sarcastically added, "How about we make faculties more diverse by hiring idiots?"

This is how many liberals think of conservatives, and especially religious conservatives. Kristof quotes the sociologist George Yancey, who is a black Evangelical:

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"Outside of academia, I faced more problems as a black. But inside academia I face more problems as a Christian, and it is not even close."

If Yancey's story is at all representative, it raises a provocative question: had Martin Luther King, Jr. come onto the scene now instead of in the 1950s, would he have faced greater hostility and discrimination because of his faith or because of his race? The bus would stop for him, but would the university pass him by?

Bias against Evangelicals on the university campus is indisputable. Kristoff points out that 59 percent of anthropologists and 53 percent of English professors say they would be less likely to hire a person if they discovered he or she was an Evangelical. This in spite of the fact that many Evangelicals are every bit as qualified as their irreligious peers. With all their praise of tolerance, irreligious progressives don't even try to hide their intolerance of religious peers, particularly religious conservatives.

Jesus repeatedly warned his first followers to expect hostility and discrimination. He didn't pull any punches: "Everyone will hate you because of me." But he also instructed them to respond to such treatment with love instead of lawsuits. That's a huge shift away from society's current response to discrimination, but it has worked in the past and there is reason to hope it will do so again.
The mobile revolution isn't simply a technological invention from which we can disconnect at any time. We can't disengage from the air we breathe or from the feet that carry us. Similarly, in today's world we can't disconnect from our mobile products. They are extensions of ourselves. For companies, it means focusing on delighting customer with a great mobile experience where context and privacy have a place.



1. Be sticky: delight them or go home.



Most of us have a fairly simple way to keep technology at bay when we want to distance ourselves from it: we walk away. We leave the office or factory at the end of the work-day, we turn off the computer, we switch off the TV.



But what of mobile products? Do we walk away from them the way we disconnect from most technology? We hope we can simply turn off our smartphones, but very few of us do. In fact, statistics show that two people out of three place their mobile devices on the nightstand next to their bed. It's the last thing we put down before we go to sleep and the first thing we check when we wake up.



We're not being forced to sleep with our mobile devices within arm's reach. We want to do it. We don't want to be separated from it. It's become what's called a sticky technology, where we've formed such a strong attachment to our mobile devices that our use of them is an ongoing, almost unconscious habit.



Contrast that with the brutal fact that half of the smartphone apps in the Apple App Store don't have a single user. Businesses that want to succeed in mobile need to make sure that they build an experience that matches our high expectations.



2. Get personal: context matters.



With the mobile revolution, there is a lot more data about everything and everyone than ever before. And there is no going back.



Take Facebook. During my time working there, my team conducted a test to determine if users would be open to receiving push notifications. We selected a group of users who had opted out of receiving push notifications, and showed them a screen immediately after they sent an instant message that explained to them the benefit of push notifications.



What was especially tricky about our test was how much it required from the users to be successful - it required 5 steps to change their settings. Typically, mobile companies lose 90 percent of their users with each step, so we weren't optimistic, but to our surprise, almost one in four users went ahead and changed their settings.



What I found interesting about this that it reveals how quickly user behavior evolves on mobile. As recently as six months before we ran the test, a majority of Facebook users were skeptical about push notifications so they opted out of receiving them. They weren't quite sure what push notifications were or whether they had any value. Some felt a bit assaulted by them. And all of a sudden, people realized that push notifications allowed them to know instantly when a friend had posted a photo of them, or sent them a message, or tagged them in a post. So they wanted push notifications. What was appropriate earlier was no longer the norm now.



The amount of data available to mobile companies means that they can personalize the experience of each user to their mood, location and context. Businesses that figure this out will win.



3. Show respect: the P-word.



What if instead of a smartphone, our favorite mobile device was a watch? An earpiece? A pair of contact lenses? A smart patch? A smart pill? A digital nerve ending? As mobile devices shrink, they get more and more integrated into everyday objects around us and more and more deeply embedded within us.



The abundance of information collected by our mobile devices is mostly helpful, though sometimes it can expose our private lives to a level of scrutiny that challenges our comfort level. The unprecedented level of personal exposure that the mobile revolution demands in order to function is relatively uncharted territory and will eventually need checks and balances.



When government has had easy access to our personal information in the past, it has had nefarious consequences: surveillance states, "enemies" lists, persecution of dissidents. In places like China, it is still a reality today.



The same goes for commercial control of our personal data. The European debate around the "right to be forgotten" is an example of democracy in action, of people demanding more control of their digital selves.



In fact privacy loss is a topic that divides generations. Most millennials don't believe there is such a thing as privacy; many baby boomers feel that it's a right.



The disappointing launch of Google Glass is an example of what can happen when a mobile product fails to manage expectations around privacy. Its power was seen as scary and out of the hands of its users. People felt it was built primarily to serve Google's own interests, that it was designed to collect data for the benefit of the tech giant rather than to serve the needs of its users. People wearing Google Glass were asked to leave bars, movie theaters, and casinos. The product was removed from the market at the beginning of 2015.



To learn more about the mobile formula, including how to apply it to your own company, read my book, mobilized: an insider's guide to the business and future of connected technology or visit scmoatti.com.
Man reading book, close-up

The New York Times recently unlocked a secret: not only do men read books, they form book groups -- groups for men who read books!

The newspaper covered some such groups, in different cities, including a gay men's book group in Manhattan more than two years old (and that I've written about in this journal). This group, it must be said, is more democratic than some others, which erect fences on what they allow (e.g., no books about women, no women main characters). The gay men's group does choose books mainly with gay characters or themes, but not all. Women characters don't get locked out.

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I heard about the Manhattan gay men's group early on, and I joined skeptical of whether it had a chance to survive (do gay men read and want to talk about books?) Eight or ten guys who had heard of the group came on the first Tuesday of a month, book in hand. We met in the leader's art gallery in the East Village, my skepticism soon laid to rest. The discussion was sometimes fun, sometimes serious, invariably smart. Guys came.

The group began to grow, so much so that we needed a larger space. Jon, our faithful leader, scoured the neighborhood to locate a new meeting place. He found the manager of a branch of the New York Public Library who offered to keep that building open at night for us, charging us nothing. Our first Tuesday club moved into a large room of a wonderful library in Greenwich Village.

The original idea remained unchanged. Gay men who have read the book come to engage in an hour or more's discussion. Members suggest titles, ranging from new to old, fiction to non-fiction. Forming a circle, everyone has a chance to speak. For some, post-meeting socializing moves to a nearby bar.

The idea for a gay men's book group has been a victim of its own success: there are now so many men who want to come that a cap is sometimes put on the number invited. All those gay men wandering around New York City with their heads in books!

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There was room for more, and just this month, a second gay men's book group was inaugurated in Manhattan, this one called the Third Tuesday Gay Men's Book Club. (Two weeks between the first and third Tuesdays avoid conflict and encourage someone to attend both.) Together with three others, I helped to organize the new group, profiting from an invitation to meet in the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, recently renovated, on Lexington Ave. at 69th St., across from Hunter College. The Third Tuesday club will function independent of the First Tuesday group, selecting our own books and our own leaders.

The first meeting of the Third Tuesday club had small attendance, a reminder of how the original group was at its start. That will likely grow, but hopefully not too much. Discussion centered around Andre Aciman's 2007 novel, Call Me By Your Name. June's book will be Christopher Isherwood's A Single Man.

Will this keep growing until we're all over the map? Since it seems indisputable that gay men do read books, you can't tell. For sure I was wrong back then.
Thank you for the opportunity to address you on your graduation from this esteemed engineering school. I'm honored to help you celebrate this important milestone.

Your life is already full of milestones: Your first steps, your first kiss, passing a driving test, this graduation. And there are more to come: your first job, getting married, buying a house, having a child, becoming a manager, starting a company, retirement - and eventually commencement speaker :-)

In 33% of the commencement speeches this year, 2.8 million graduates are going to hear advice about "follow your own path." Or "Learn from others". Or the perennial favorite, "you can make a difference."

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All of this is great advice. In fact, I'm going to give you exactly the same advice. But in very few of these speeches does anyone let you in on why we're telling you this with such passion and urgency.

So today as we celebrate your graduation I'm going to tell you why.

---

When I was young, I learned a quote in Sunday school, that has stayed with me throughout my life. It said, "teach us to number our days that we gain a heart of wisdom." Since then I've had a series of interesting careers: technician in the Air Force, tech writer, marketer, entrepreneur, CEO and now educator and mentor.

But this idea has never been far from my mind: That most of us will wake up 28,762 days- and then one day - we won't.

That means you have about 21,000 days left - and about 14,000 of them for your career. So herein lies the urgency.

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In every startup I did, every new course I created, and everything I've taught, the phrase "make every day count" took on new meaning when I knew how many were left.

So how do you live a life making the most of each day?

That's the challenge we all face - and we all make different choices on how we do it. But this morning I'd like to share three short stories - about how I made my days count and gained some wisdom from others.

_________

So my first story is about Taking Risks and Pushing Boundaries

As you enter the working world, you'll hear things like, "That's not how we do things here." "It's never been done that way before." and "The rules say you can't do this."

Some of these rules will keep you from killing yourself on the job. Some are required for you to gain the skills to perform your job. But most everything else people will tell you about rules is wrong. Not kind of wrong, but spectacularly wrong. It's ironic because ignoring the rules is what drives innovation and invention. While most visionaries turn out to be hallucinating, the few who are right push the human race further along.

Let me give you an example.

When I retired after 21 years working in 8 startups, I was invited to be a guest lecturer at the business school at the University of California Berkeley. They thought I could tell good stories about what it was like to start a company. Soon I began to pester the head of the department about this new idea I had... that startups are not smaller versions of large companies.

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Actually they're entirely different.

Established businesses execute business models while startups search for them.

Yet everyone - investors, entrepreneurs, academics -- expected new startups to follow the same practices that worked for large companies - write a business plan, forecast 5-year sales projections and build the product without ever talking to customers.

I was a lone voice inside one of the country's leading business schools challenging the conventional wisdom of the last 40 years, proposing that everything we were teaching about starting companies was wrong.

I can't tell you the number of very smart professors and venture capitalists who laughed in my face. But I didn't give up. Because I knew the clock was running and I was determined to make every day count.

I saw something that they didn't and to their credit...Berkeley's Business School and then Stanford's Engineering School let me write and teach a new course based on my ideas.

Five years later the U.S. National Science Foundation adopted this class, now called the Innovation Corps, as the basis of commercializing science in the Unites States. This unorthodox idea has become a movement ...called The Lean Startup - and has led to entirely new ways to start companies, commercialize science, and think about innovation.

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How did this happen? Innovation comes from those who see things that others don't. It comes from people who not only question the status quo - But keep persisting in the face of all the naysayers.

Because your time here is limited.

_________

My second story is about Mentors and gaining the heart of the wisdom

Questioning dogma doesn't mean rejecting all advice and guidance from others who've come before you.

In fact, your career and life can take on a very different trajectory if you find mentors and use that time to learn from their experience.

As an entrepreneur in my 20's and 30's, I was lucky to have two extraordinary mentors, each brilliant in his own field. One, Ben Wegbreit taught me how to think - Ben reviewed my first datasheet and returned it with entire paragraphs circled in red labeled "CFP" - I finally got enough nerve to ask him what CFP meant and he said, "Content Free Paragraph". While Ben taught me how to think, Gordon Bell taught me what to think about. Gordon had the uncanny ability to see the future trajectory of computer and chip technology way before I even understood the problem.

I had no idea I was being mentored and never asked for it. But I sought out these really smart people, because I wanted to know what they knew.

In hindsight I realize that what made these brilliant engineers put up with me was that I was giving as good as I was getting. While I was learning from them - and their years of experience and expertise - what I was giving back was equally important. I brought fresh insights and new perspectives to their thinking.

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In hindsight I realize now that mentorship is a two-way street.

Finding a mentor can change your life - this is where you can gain a heart of wisdom.

So if someone takes an interest in your work and career, be open to their advice. And think about what you can bring to the relationship.

Teach us to number our days that we gain a heart of wisdom.

_________

My last story is about serendipity and making the days count

Some of you may think you have a clear sense of where your career is headed. Others of you may still have no idea. But either way, while the days count down, none of you should be worrying about what you will be doing 10 or 20 years from now. Because none of it will happen as you expect.

While your education has prepared you to master the facts, the other half of your brain needs to learn to trust in serendipity. By the way, the engineering definition of serendipity is, that life is too unpredictable to pre-compute. Serendipity is when it all comes together and you put all the days of your life into what becomes that of heart of wisdom.

Here's the latest way Serendipity changed my life.

Over the last decade I've watched the Lean Startup approach to entrepreneurship take off. The National Science Foundation adopted it. The Lean LaunchPad class is now taught around the world - and VC's expect entrepreneurs to talk about not just their technology but their customer development findings.

It was amazing to see the movement I started grow and thrive.

Just recently serendipity sent me down a new road that connected dots from 40 years ago to today.

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When I was 18 I served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.

After hanging up my uniform I had little interaction with the military until four decades later, when a group in the Department of Defense invited me to give a talk about Lean methods. Shortly after that, I met Pete Newell, the retired head of the Army's Rapid Equipping Force - one of the best Lean and agile organizations in the military - and I met Joe Felter an ex Special Forces Colonel. As I spent time with Pete, Joe and the Department of Defense, two things struck me -

The U.S. government is still operating like a 20th century organization while our adversaries are operating at 21st century speed. And

Solving this problem requires new ways to think about how to organize, build, and deploy national security solutions.

Serendipity had just brought together my military experience of 40 years ago and the tools and techniques I spent the last decade building for Lean Startups.

I asked: What if we could teach students how use Lean methods to solve the most challenging national security problems? A new class - Hacking for Defense - was born.

Together with Pete and Joe and support from many others, we just taught this class for the first time - and hopefully will soon teach it here.

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We plan to scale the class across the country and create a new opportunity for students to engage in national service--solving problems to keep Americans safe at home and abroad.

How did this happen? Showing up a lot, and being open to new seemingly unconnected experiences, helped me create something that never existed before.

--

For me, knowing I was counting the days made me choose to work on things that pushed boundaries and made us collectively smarter.

So what do these stories mean for you?

Take risks and push boundaries Learn from wise people who may know more than you do And let serendipity happen.

--

Of course only you can decide what you will do with the 14,000 days in your career.

But as engineers trained here at NYU you have a distinct advantage. As graduates you've been given the tools to design and build things to help people live better lives. You can solve major challenges the world faces. You can create something that never existed.

Congratulations class of 2016.

My challenge to you - make every day ahead mean something.

Teach us to number our days that we gain a heart of wisdom

Make all the days of your life matter.
I watched the character of the time-travelling Claire Randall Fraser give birth to a stillborn daughter on Outlander this week. I was shaken to the core, as if I too had fallen through a portal in time to the same hospital room in which, a decade ago, I gave birth to a stillborn son. As I write this, I am forever reminded of how poor our language remains about such loss: can one truly give birth to a baby who has died? Immediately we come across a black hole into which words of our everyday life vanish.

Which is all to say that Outlander got stillbirth right.

Think of all the topics which the media covers - which create space for those who might otherwise feel voiceless. And then consider, until recently, how hushed our collective conversation on stillbirth has been.

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Given the high frequency of pregnancy loss, it becomes vitally important that the media cover pregnancy and infant loss in a manner reflective of the true experience of women who deliver stillborn babies. When I see portrayals such as Outlander's, they serve as windows for personal reflection and growth. I don't find accurate media portrayals of stillbirth to be, in our current parlance, triggering. Instead, I find solace in the experience of others. A community gathers and helps its participants to heal.

Consider how Outlander handled the topic so well. We observe Claire Randall Fraser, the show's main character, played by Caitriona Balfe, learning that her baby daughter was stillborn. Claire calls out in agony for her baby to be brought to her. The scene is bloody; we see the placenta removed and how Claire simultaneously cradles and mourns her baby. Claire herself lingers near death even while seeming to welcome it. We watch her take possession of her (self-perceived) sins as guilt, just as a nearby Virgin Mary statue smashes. And in all our spectatorship, we observe Claire's sense of self as a woman and a mother shift.



In many sites across the internet and world of commentary, Claire has been described in feminist terms for both her sexual and intellectual liberation. While the historical setting of the series does not wholly reflect the experience of women today, we can draw inexact parallels to the way contemporary women so often grade themselves on a yardstick which society dictates, whether or not that yardstick notes sexual, intellectual, maternal, or career-related excellence. Is it ever not the case that the more things change, the more they stay the same?

While the greater truth for all of us, men and women alike, is that we live life as an evolution and not along a fixed yardstick. Who and how we are develops in relation to our environment, trauma often spurring our greatest growth. Just as a person can evolve into being a parent, we can also evolve into being a widow or widower, always a veteran of life itself, a forever-changing landscape.

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1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. 1 in 160 pregnancies end in stillbirth. Each year millions of families endure a particular grief associated with pregnancy and infant loss. And still there is a not yet fully emerged shadow that haunts women grieving their losses. This shadow extends to fathers, co-parents, and partners. It then spills over to communities where a cloak of silence and ignorance might prevail. For instance, many people are surprised to know that women whose babies will be stillborn still must undergo labor.

The more the media can present a complex and multi-faceted experience, the less alone women will feel. Rather than including trigger warnings - which tend to stop conversations more than they start them - the media serves women and families by showing what such experiences actually entail. Women who have experienced trauma may need support in returning to it. But return to it they do - over and over again.

The inclusion of fathers' grief also forms a critical part. In Outlander, we see Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan, anticipate the birth of his child. We see his questions and his mourning.

These sorts of representations matter. In our contemporary society where families create their own traditions, we often ask our male partners to be far more involved in child-rearing than was required in the past. Even so, we give them little space for grief when childbearing ends in tragedy. Says author Daniel Raeburn, author of Vessels: A Love Story, whose daughter Irene was stillborn:

"Men and women both assume that even though a father may grieve and then mourn, that he does not need any help the way a woman does. He keeps it all inside. That led to a lot of problems in my case."



Correspondingly, as Claire in Outlander depicted, women almost universally experience guilt about loss, and here the media can help to shape authentic stories and narratives. Says Dr. Julie Bindeman, a Reproductive Psychologist in practice in Maryland:

"If the media does this right - if the popular media starts sending messages about pregnancy and infant loss that are more in line with real life experiences - where grief is real and deep and not sanitized - that reflect real life, well, then, bereaved mothers can start to understand their grief responses as normal responses to abnormal situations."
Social Security card and Medicare enrollment form

There is a raging debate going on in Washington about how the government pays for drugs used to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, immunodeficiency diseases, and other serious medical conditions. Unfortunately, for patients, the debate has become political. When that happens, the "truth" has a way of becoming a mere inconvenience as patients, especially seniors, take a back seat to politics. We should all be scared of what is brewing.

Seeking to stop rising health care costs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to experiment with the way the Medicare program pays for drugs given to patients in doctors' offices. These "Part B" drugs are complex, injectable medications, like chemotherapy, that must be given to patients by skilled medical professionals because they are potentially toxic and can cause severe reactions. Close supervision in a medical facility is a must!

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The experiment came about because CMS believes that oncologists and other doctors are motivated to use higher-priced drugs since Medicare pays for them on a "cost plus" formula. The medical practice has to purchase the drug and is paid an additional percentage to cover the storage, preparation, and related costs. For the record, it should be noted that CMS and Congress came up with this formula--not doctors.

To hear it from the government, doctors are not heroes fighting cancer and other diseases daily in the trenches, but rather profiteers pushing costly and unnecessary treatments on ailing patients. That is not only insulting but an unsupported indictment of our nation's medical care.

To "solve" this nonexistent problem of doctors purposefully prescribing more expensive drugs, CMS wants to drastically reduce payments to do the complete reverse--penalize the prescribing of high-priced drugs and incentivize doctors to give their patients cheaper ones, even if not appropriate.

The problem with the premise of this government medical experiment is that history holds some inconvenient truths showing that it will do the exact opposite of what CMS intends.

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Believing the same thing as the government, the nation's largest insurer, UnitedHealthcare, ran a pilot study to remove any financial incentive tied to drugs. The result--published in a peer-reviewed medical journal--was a 179% increase in spending on cancer drugs, not a decrease.

Even if CMS questions that result, it cannot deny the troubling and inconvenient fact that government payment cuts over the last 11 years have increased both spending on cancer care and drug prices. In 2005 and 2012, the government imposed significant cuts to Medicare drug payment rates, cuts that shifted cancer care to the more expensive hospital setting. In 2014 alone, this cost Medicare and taxpayers an extra $2 billion; and from 2004 to 2014, cancer drug prices have increased by at least 39%. So much for reducing costs and drug prices!

Unfortunately, the inconvenient truths for the government don't stop there. In modern-day cancer care, with over 200 different types of cancer, there are simply very few situations where doctors have a choice between two equally effective drugs that differ in price. The newer drugs, such as the immuno-oncology treatment that saved former President Jimmy Carter, cost more. Choosing to prescribe them is not a matter of doctors seeking more money but one of saving lives.

Having run a cancer research network, I don't use the word "experiment" loosely to describe the CMS proposal. But that is what it is. CMS' own description of dividing three-quarters of the country into a "test" arm and the remainder into a "control," all "randomized" by clusters of zip codes, screams "experiment"--especially when it will impact doctors' abilities to deliver life-saving medicine to cancer patients. Fortunately, some are realizing this and are questioning CMS, such as Senator Charles Grassley who has asked about the government's plans to force patients to participate in experimental research that has none of the established patient safeguards.

This experiment also presents an inconvenient legal dilemma for the government. Congress created the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), the branch CMS is using to run this experiment, to test health care reforms on a controlled scale--not in a national, mandatory way. Is CMS simply using CMMI to circumvent Medicare Part B drug payment rates passed into law by Congress? If so, it appears that CMS is purposefully overstepping its powers to overturn existing law. If not, then Congress mistakenly gave CMS too much power in the Affordable Care Act to be able to use CMMI to effectively circumvent any Medicare law. Either way, this presents a very inconvenient constitutional problem. If tested in a court of law, this could invalidate the entity (i.e., CMMI) that has been behind so many innovative health care reform programs to date.

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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel remains in office months after evidence emerged that during his reelection campaign he hid from the public a videotape of a white police officer shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald sixteen times. The juxtaposition of the two Democratic presidential candidates calling for the resignation of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder for the lead poisoning of children in Flint while failing to call on Emanuel to do the same underscores the political complicity of what's happened to African Americans in Chicago. But perhaps no one has been more complicit than local black leaders and, sadly, African-American voters, themselves.

I am not a native of Chicago. After relocating here seven years ago, however, an unmistakable vibe about the city immediately struck me. Its African-American denizens were suffering from something post-traumatic, though precisely what remained mysterious to me. The racial hierarchy that one sees in all major cities was more pronounced here than anywhere else I had lived or visited in the United States. Indeed, even in the ivory towers of academia in the city, the sense of "know your place and stay in it" was palpable. This was not Mayor Harold Washington Jr.'s Chicago, I concluded; it was instead Richard Wright's Chicago with a glum post-Reconstruction hangover akin to the one in Wright's Native Son.

So when the Laquan McDonald story broke, I was only mildly surprised. A mayor who could take for granted the black vote, having done little or nothing to earn it, could also perpetrate an outrageous racial cover-up by suppressing video footage of a white police officer assassinating a black youth. And where was Chicago's black political gentry during the cover-up? Many were ginning up votes for Rahm Emanuel, but not based on any record of accomplishment. A 2015 report by 24/7 Wall St. used disparities between black and white populations in major urban centers to determine the ten worst cities for African Americans. Chicago ranked number four.

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Consider some of the yawning inequalities between blacks and whites. The black poverty rate in the city is five times that of whites; the percentage of whites holding at least an undergraduate degree is more than double that of blacks; and the number of annual deaths per capita among blacks is more than double that of white Chicagoans, placing Chicago at the head of the pack nationally in per capita deaths among blacks.

Add to these grim figures Chicago's hyper-segregation; national headline-grabbing murder rate; failing schools; nearly 20% black unemployment rate; and a police force that, according to independent findings, has "no regard for the sanctity of life when it comes to people of color," and it becomes hard to see why any black person would have supported Mayor Emanuel's reelection. No, Emanuel did not create these problems, but he had no grand vision to cure any of them either, a shortcoming evident to many and which resulted in the incumbent being forced into a runoff.

If Barack Obama had been raised as a black teenager in today's Chicago, he would not be president of the United States today, and perhaps he wouldn't even be alive. Yet the President endorsed Emanuel's reelection. He was not alone in his complicity, though. Alderman Will Burns was viewed as Emanuel's top black booster on city council, helping to deliver the mayor 58% of the black vote in the runoff against County Commissioner Chuy Garcia, a more than 14 point increase from the initial round of voting. In the midst of the Laquan McDonald video imbroglio, however, Burns decided to resign city council to pursue a lucrative corporate career.

Other black members of city council who supported Emanuel's reelection or received money from his super PAC, such as Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr., apparently lacked Burns's golden parachute. The venerable but ineffective congressman Bobby Rush also endorsed Emanuel's reelection, offering the generality that Emanuel had the "tenacity, the ability, the commitment, and the experience" to face Chicago's challenges. There is little point in having black leaders if black voters cannot rely on these leaders' predictive judgment to honestly assess the qualifications of a candidate for higher office. In the case of Emanuel's reelection, far too many black leaders failed to lead.

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In a move intended to rehabilitate his damaged standing among black voters, Emanuel recently appointed former Urban League President Andrea Zopp as a deputy mayor. As impressive a background as Zopp presents, the mayor's move is cynical. Zopp joins the Emanuel administration fresh off the loss of a Democratic U.S. Senate primary in which pre-election polls proximate to the primary showed that an overwhelming number of black voters did not support her.

It's bad enough that a majority black and Latino city has been represented by two neglectful white administrations (Richard M. Daly and Emanuel) for nearly a quarter century. But it's downright insulting when white politicians attempt to anoint black leaders who have not shown an ability to gain the support of black voters.

There are, I fear, deep-seated reasons why no person of color has been elected mayor since Harold Washington's historic election as the first African-American mayor of Chicago in 1983. One is the corruptibility of too many black and Latino leaders in a city that continues to thrive on the politics of quid pro quo. Too often in these transactions, the individual black leader advances while the interests of black and brown voters do not. Second, blacks and Latinos in Chicago distrust each other and thus fail to form the necessary coalitions to elect a candidate of color.

But the less tangible reason is the most damning: After a quarter century of white rule, buffeted by social disadvantages of unfathomable magnitude, black and brown Chicagoans now suffer from a diminished faith in their own ability to govern their city.


Can social media help students learn? Mark Dries, CC BY-NC-ND

Fully 92 percent of American teenagers go online daily. More than half of them do so several times a day and a quarter are online "almost constantly."

I'm a mother of two teenagers who fall into that latter category. And as a parent and a teacher educator, I work on ways in which we might capitalize on teens' social nature and fondness for technology to promote something positive.

A question I wrestle with is: can social media help students learn? Or is it just wishful thinking?

Over the past decade, my colleagues and I at the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education have worked with hundreds of middle school teachers to integrate technology with meaningful learning. Our research suggests that a one-to-one computing environment, where every student has access to an Internet-accessible device such as a tablet, netbook or laptop, can be a powerful complement to middle-grades teaching practices.

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Learning through Twitter

Most research on the use of Twitter for learning has been conducted with undergraduate and graduate students. Research with teenagers, however, has found that students use social media for self-expression, communication, friendship maintenance and information.

So, recently, one of our partner teachers explored the potential of social media to promote learning. Ryan Becker, a teacher at a public middle school, wondered if Twitter might be an effective way to extend classroom learning and to link students to "real world" science.

Working with 128 eighth graders over two years in his physical science classes, Becker first helped each of his students establish a Twitter account specifically for their science learning.

He provided them with a starter list of accounts to follow, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (e.g., @NASA, @SpaceStation, @MarsCuriosity); the radio program Science Friday (@SciFri); Emily Lakdawalla, a science writer and blogger; and @realscientists, a Twitter account that rotates weekly among scientists from diverse branches of science who share interesting details about their lives and their work. He also encouraged students to expand the list of accounts based on their own science-related interests.

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Next, students got down to some real work. Both during class and for homework, students were asked to read and tweet regularly about science. They posted pictures and videos to illustrate scientific concepts, such as "acceleration" or "friction."

They tweeted about their learning, posting personal examples of Newton's First Law and summarizing chemistry in a mere 140 characters. They tweeted about class projects in order to generate ideas or update others on their progress. And they used Twitter to inspire each other, such as posting videos of successful Rube Goldberg machines, a device that performs a simple task in a complicated fashion, when they were building similar machines in class and sharing their own personal connections and observations.

Based on this Twitter project with middle schoolers and Becker's subsequent doctoral research with high school students, we found students learned through Twitter in multiple ways.

How Twitter helped students

First, selecting whom to follow based on their own interests helped to personalize the curriculum for students - an approach that is gaining rapid momentum through recent philanthropic and federal funding efforts.

Second, by tweeting about their daily science learning, students found an immediate and potentially unlimited audience for their tweets. Students who were interested in space, for example, could be followed by classmates or an astronomer. They could tweet questions directly to accounts covering missions throughout our solar system.

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In almost all cases, the tweets reached a larger audience than was otherwise possible in a classroom.

Third, using Twitter expanded students' literacy opportunities. For example, most of the tweets students encountered included links to science-related, informational text, such as blogs and research studies, all of which were related to students' self-identified interests.

Having to distill their own learning into tweets also called for students to use concise language to convey complex ideas, a challenging skill for many. They even integrated different writing genres into their work, such as these sci-kus (haikus that are science-related).

Finally, Twitter served as an assessment tool. Although the research design didn't enable us to measure student learning, we were struck by how well students' tweets provided quick insight into students' understandings and misconceptions.

Because tweets are sent and received instantaneously, students' thoughts and questions could be viewed in real time. Learning how well students were understanding the latest science concepts in turn helped their teacher adjust how and what he taught next.

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An earlier study by California State University researcher Carol VanVooren and middle school teacher Corey Bess showed that the use of Twitter helps improve student learning. In that study the researchers found that when teachers used Twitter to reinforce classroom instruction, students performed better on standardized tests.

Challenges of Twitter-based learning

Despite this promising evidence, our research on using Twitter with middle and high school students revealed a number of challenges.

For example, most students in Becker's classroom did not have Twitter accounts, which was not surprising given that most teens favor Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat as their top social media platforms. Students needed guidance on how to structure a tweet and how to assess the reliability of content - both tasks that took time during the school day. Valuable learning time was also eaten up by the undependable nature of technology, such as inconsistent Wi-Fi and inadequate bandwidth.

Overall, however, our research found the benefits of Twitter far outweighed the drawbacks. Embracing Twitter as part of class - as opposed to teaching the type of stand-alone social media unit so often found in schools - helped students grapple with many of these issues in an authentic way.

Two years of survey data from the 128 eighth graders revealed that over 90 percent of students felt Twitter enabled them to follow real science in real time and to interact with others outside of class. This also helped them to make connections between science and their lives and personal interests.

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Clearly, we need a lot more research on the use of social media in middle and high schools to better understand its ultimate potential for promoting learning. But in the meantime, in this media-saturated era, teens can benefit from the opportunity to experience the power of promising digital technologies alongside knowledgeable adults.





Penny Bishop, Associate Dean and Professor of Middle Level Education, University of Vermont
By Wendy Gutierrez

When I was 18 years old, my parents came into my room and told me that my aunt, who still lived in Cuba, had died. She was my father's only sister and the last time we had seen her was eight years earlier--the day my family and I boarded a plane to Miami to start a new life.

My father was upset and on the verge of tears--and angry. When I asked how she died, they looked at each other and my mother reluctantly said it had been an accident. As she spoke, the anger grew stronger in my father's eyes until he finally said that her ex-boyfriend, who worked for the same company as my aunt, killed her while at work. She left two young children behind.

Although my aunt was not killed in the United States, her story is all too familiar to the three or more women who are murdered by their boyfriends or husbands on average each day in the U.S. A recent article on our country's rampant domestic violence problem stated that women in the United States are more likely to be killed by intimate partners than by any other group of people.

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According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, women are much more likely than men to be victims of on-the-job intimate partner homicide. Spouses, boyfriends/girlfriends and ex-boyfriends/ex-girlfriends were responsible for the on-the-job deaths of 321 women and 38 men from 1997-2009. Many abusive partners target their victims at their places of employment because it's the easiest way to find them. They often harass or stalk them as a way of asserting control. Still, most people do not think of domestic violence as a workplace issue due to the misconception that it only occurs in the privacy of one's home.

Workplace violence is especially prevalent in low-wage workforces and it disproportionally impacts women of color. Two-thirds of low-wage workers are women, many of whom are forced to remain in abusive relationships because they lack the financial stability to leave. Like my aunt, many women have families to support. While a victim might be able to move out of a dangerous living situation, it is much more difficult to change jobs. This forces them to choose between their safety and the ability to provide for their families.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 70 percent of U.S. workplaces do not have a formal program or policy that addresses workplace violence. Many victims and survivors of domestic violence are often harassed at work or receive threatening phone calls but never report it to their supervisor for fear of being fired. Unfortunately, this fear is justified: in all but six states an individual can be fired for being a victim of domestic violence.

Anyone who has been affected by domestic violence can probably attest to the fact it is not only a personal matter, but one that affects entire families and communities, and can endanger not only the victim, but others around them -- including co-workers. Statistics show that a woman is killed by an intimate partner at work about twice a month, proving that domestic violence can and often does follow victims to the workplace. Employers and supervisors need not be violence experts, but they should recognize and respond to warning signs that might indicate an employee needs help. These signs can include sudden changes in a person's behavior, such as being late or absent from work on a regular basis, and displaying a fearful and/or anxious demeanor.

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Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution, employers are in a unique position to address this issue and put policies in place to protect their workers. However, many employers do not think about violence affecting their employees until an incident occurs at the workplace. For the sake of my aunt and the millions of others who are victims of domestic violence, this needs to change. Rather than reacting to specific incidents, workplaces should adopt a more comprehensive approach. They can do this by focusing on protections and policies that create a culture of prevention -- not reaction--and by training employees to recognize and respond to specific instances of violence.

Feeling safe in the workplace should be a right for every worker, and employers and supervisors have a responsibility to protect their employees. My aunt should have been able to report to someone at work that she was being harassed, given the option to change her schedule or go on paid leave to keep herself and her family safe. Women in this country and around the world have the right to live lives free from violence and to have resources made available to them when this isn't the case.

Perhaps it was my family's experience with workplace violence that led me to my current job at Futures Without Violence, a non-profit organization whose vision is to end violence against women and children around the world.

At FUTURES, I am part of the team leading Workplaces Respond to Domestic and Sexual Violence, a national project and resource center that works to increase the safety and economic security of workers. We provide technical assistance and resources to employers, workers' rights groups, labor unions, and federal agencies to help cultivate a culture of prevention and create resilient workplace communities.

I want to work for an employer whom I know cares about my wellbeing and recognizes the added value of keeping their workers happy, healthy, and safe. I want to be equipped with the resources and knowledge necessary to help a co-worker that might be in need, and I don't ever want to be left wondering if there was anything more I could have done to prevent a tragedy.

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HATAY, TURKEY - APRIL 10: 32 year old Syrian refugee Felek Ramadan, who had been held as a captive by Syrian regime about a month, pour tea for her daughter at her home in Hatay province of Turkey on April 10, 2016. Felek Ramadan who were exposed to beating, insulting and physical violence during his imprisonment in Assad Regime force's prisons in Syria's Homs, tries to start a new life in Turkey's Hatay. (Photo by Cem Genco/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

By Andrea Eisinberg

The war in Syria - considered the humanitarian crisis of the 21st century - is now in its fifth year. It continues to dismantle the country and force millions to seek refuge in neighboring countries. Up to 2.7 million refugees have entered Turkey - the largest Syrian refugee population of any host country. Though women and girls make up more than 55% of the total Syrian refugee population in Turkey, there has been little research on--or response to--the gender-specific impacts of forceful migration.

As many Syrian men have fled to Europe or joined the combat, women have filled the traditionally male role of head of household. Shifting gender roles have incited violence in refugee communities and gender-based violence has become a significant feature of the conflict. More than half of female refugees need psychological services and have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or forced or early marriage. Most Syrian children live outside of refugee camps in Turkey, where only 25 percent of them attend school--heightening the risk of early marriage and sexual exploitation for Syrian girls.

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Although Turkey has contributed over $5 billion to assuage the refugee crisis, there has been little effort to ensure refugees' rights, and even less attention on the gender-specific issues that female refugees face. Humanitarian assistance is officially provided to only 10 percent of refugees at government-run camps, while outside the camps non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attempt to reach the majority of refugees living in urban areas without support. Strict regulations dictate NGOs response, making it difficult for them to work with refugees and, in turn, slowing down service provision for survivors of gender-based violence.

Under the assumption that the war would end and refugees would return to Syria, Turkey has treated refugees as "guests" and denied them employment and educational opportunities - which for many women has increased their vulnerability to gender-based violence. Syrian women report distress over their "guest" status and unstable lives in Turkey. One study finds that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an important mental health issue prevalent among female refugees in Turkey.

The humanitarian response in Turkey has primarily focused on emergency response and immediate needs; few NGOs target groups with particular needs such as disabled persons, LGBT persons, or women. Now that the majority of refugees in Turkey are no longer in a state of emergency and it has become apparent that they may stay permanently, Turkey needs to devise a long-term solution that will ensure the realization of refugees' fundamental rights.

In January 2016, the Turkish government announced the release of a work permit that would allow refugees to work legally. Though this amended labor law is a step in the right direction, it should be followed by a comprehensive integration plan that prioritizes the needs of women and girls to effectively combat gender-based violence by addressing the root causes. An integration phase should involve language courses, job training, social preparation and any knowledge or skills-training that will facilitate the integration of refugees into Turkish society.

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A gender-responsive plan that prepares refugees to integrate into Turkish society and removes barriers that inhibit their freedom of movement and the right to work will be the most durable solution for refugees experiencing gender discrimination. An integration plan will provide female refugees with self-reliance and the ability to access the rights that will allow them to support themselves and their families. Ensuring that all Syrian children are in school is one of the most effective ways to stop child marriage. A gender-responsive integration plan should come in parallel with other interventions to combat gender-based violence among refugees, including expanding multi-sectoral service centers and promoting gender sensitivity within the existing humanitarian response.

Given that refugees' social structures have been destroyed and that women make up the majority of displaced Syrians, female refugees will play an important role in overcoming many of the challenges they face in the coming years. The international community, together with the Turkish government, should focus on expanding refugees' access to appropriate and quality services in addition to developing a gender-sensitive integration framework. This will allow Syrian refugees to overcome key challenges and regain a sense of humanity and normalcy in their lives. The resilience of female refugees depends on the opportunities they receive to create sustainable and safe communities for their families in Turkey, with the hope of eventually rebuilding Syria.
I had reservations when I went to see The Christians at the Wilma Theatre because I could see that the play was not about so called apostolic or traditional Christianity like Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism or Anglicanism, but about evangelical, fundamentalist Christianity, or the kind of Christianity that tends to interpret the Bible literally. (God created the world in seven literal 24 hour days).

Ads for the play gave the fundamentalist focus away with depictions of a minister holding a bible. Religious fundamentalism has always been one of writer Gore Vidal's pet peeves. He used to refer to Christian fundamentalists as bible thumpers when he wasn't calling them Holy Rollers. Vidal believed that fundamentalism was "a sign of a breakdown in the economy of the state," and he said that wanted no traffic with a God who is "warden of the prison."

Growing up, fundamentalist Protestants were for us Catholics a strange breed as most of them had strange prohibitions against dancing or alcohol while others believed that the only thing you had to do to "be saved" was to say that you "accepted Jesus." Once you "accepted Jesus," the work was over. Just saying the words "I believe" was enough. It was almost like Saint Augustine's saying, "Love God and do what thou wilt."

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Holy Rollers didn't interest me as a kid, mostly because I found their services to be plain and boring. The occasional fundamentalist wedding I did attend was always devoid of mystery. While there was singing and sermonizing, there were no rituals, candles, incense, icons or statues or vestments, just wood paneling, a big holy bible and lots of hand clapping.

I was encouraged to see The Christians by a former minister's wife who told me that she had seen the play and she was very impressed.

"Everyone in the audience bowed their heads," she said. "They were praying and singing along with the choir onstage." I could scarcely believe my ears. When was the last time you saw a Wilma audience, or any city theatre audience for that matter, bowing their heads in prayer? "I mean," I told her, "what happened to the Octoroon agnostic element?" "No," she assured me, "this was really good. The play raises some serious questions about God. Go see it!"

So I took my friend's advice and headed over to the Wilma to see the play with a secular buddy, a 23 year old I met recently at a Center City Bach concert. S, to my surprise, had an enormous desire to see The Christians, which sort of surprised me, considering that he's never been a part of any religious tradition. Part of the reason he wanted to go was because he had heard so much about the Wilma, especially from the rush of online articles and replies to my column on the Wilma, published in this newspaper about a month ago. S wanted to see what the Wilma was all about, whether the audiences there laughed inappropriately, gave robotic standing ovations or grouped together in cliquish same age clusters in the lobby. (Okay, Wilma fans, please take the latter with a grain of salt).

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We caught The Christians on an ordinary weeknight rather than the press opening, so the audience was different. The ambiance was sedate, the tone softer. We were assigned fantastic seats, the second row, which surprised me because I had imagined that the Wilma brass would punish me for last month's critical column.



The Christians opens with a robbed choir belting out gospel songs in that give me that ole time religion mode. Seated directly in front of the choir and facing the audience are the church's head honchos: Pastor Paul (Paul Debory), looking slick and professional in a well matched suit and shiny shoes; the assistant pastor, Joshua (Delance Minefee); the well coiffed wife of Pastor Paul, Elizabeth (Erika Lavonn); and church board member, Elder Jay (Ames Adamson). After the gospel numbers, Pastor Paul rises and begins his sermon in the best charismatic style. This preacher man knows how to work a crowd. The Wilma audience, in fact, becomes the congregation of the church, so the experience is very much like stepping into an actual mega church and hearing this stuff "for real." This audience around me however was not bowing its collective head in prayer.

Pastor Paul announces that the church is finally out of debt because the bank has been paid back in full. O glorious day! The choir sways back and forth as Elizabeth's eyes glaze over (is that a tear?) and Joshua gleams. Everybody is happy, but not for long.

Pastor Paul drops a bomb when he announces that he's had a revelation from God.

A revelation, of course, can come via a thunderbolt, hunch, or a series of dreams, but Pastor Paul doesn't say how it happened only that God told him that there is no hell and that everybody is saved and goes to heaven. Everybody, meaning unbelievers, murderers, rapists, pickpockets, serial killers, terrorists, child molesters and even world tyrants like Adolph Hitler. Ditto for Jack the Ripper, Richard Speck, the Boston Strangler, Ted Bundy--all receive eternal glory in Heaven because there's no Hell. In a manner of speaking, Caligula is just the same as Mother Teresa. An after life of total equality!

The announcement causes disruption and schism. The first person to contest it is the Joshua, who states that he could never be coerced into believing or preaching such a doctrine. He announces God's own revelation to him that there is a hell. He resigns his position and goes off to start his own church.

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Choir member Jenney (Julie Jesneck) comes forward and says that while she doesn't believe that people should be good just because of the promise of a heavenly reward, there must be a hell because, after all, where is Adolph Hitler now? When Pastor Paul answers, "Heaven," it's too much for her, and she makes her exit.

The bespectacled gray haired Elder Jay also leaves, and eventually the entire choir stands up and walks out of the church. It's a disaster for Pastor Paul and Elizabeth, but wait, even Elizabeth is having second thoughts. She exits and returns, still unsure, and stays with the beleaguered pastor, at least for a while.

The Christians is actually the best play I've seen at the Wilma in a long time. S. was also captivated and took a lot of notes during the performance.

I told S during our walk down broad Street that The Christians is really a big advertisement for the pitfalls of fundamentalist Christianity. I explained that because it is the fundamentalist way to interpret the Bible individually--there's no central command post or teaching authority among fundamentalists-- ambiguous bible passages can be read and interpreted any number of ways. The wide open interpretive field has led to the creation of thousands of western Christian denominations or sects, each one insistent that its revelation is true and authentic. Talk about dueling banjos.

Getting on my high horse, I told S that this is not true in Orthodoxy or Catholicism, where the grounds for bible interpretation comes from the early Church Fathers and the first 7 Ecumenical Councils of early Church.

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"You know, S," I said,"When individual believers interpret scripture for themselves, what you are left with is anarchy and thousands of tiny fundamentalist Christian sects, from storefront churches to Dallas based glass cathedrals that resemble stadiums. "

S had no idea, for instance, that in the early Church there was no scripture at all, only liturgy or ritual and prayers. The Bible as such did not exist. There was no such thing as salvation from the Bible in early Christianity. But there was incense, candles, icons and ritual.

Of course, as S and I discussed, both sides in the debate in Pastor Paul's mega church are guilty of simplistic thinking. Even Joshua, as smart as he was to move on and reject Pastor Paul's Marxist revelation, goes too far afield after hearing a story about a young non Christian boy who was killed while saving somebody's life. Joshua adamantly claims that the boy went to hell because he did not affirm belief in Jesus before his death.

"That's the trouble with fundamentalism," I told S. "It pretends to know the mind of God when one cannot possibly know the mind of God. This kind of Holy Roller mentality acts thoughtlessly with self righteous, Pharisaical fury and spiritual pride when it suggests without any doubts that "so and so went to hell."
The travesty that happened in Nevada crystallized that a counteraction that needs to be taken in order to save our broken democracy. The Wild West that is Nevada politics dove deep into the election madness of 2016. The perpetrators of injustice were the not so noble folks that run the Nevada election boards. Their illegal and immoral actions were of course inspired by the Mad Queen herself HRC. It does appear that her unquenchable lust for power may have unhinged her from reality. We offer for your edification Exhibit A. There is a rumor that she will continue her run for president even if she is indicted by the FBI. It is highly likely the Democratic nominee will be the last line of defense against the the disaster that would be Trump as president. It is some major cray cray to believe they will offer up a candidate to take on Trump that is under an FBI indictment. The possible trading of favors by HRC as Secretary of State to countries that gave money to the Clinton Foundation could have this matter drag on for many months. This ax hanging over Hillary's head could linger beyond election day in November.

It is reprehensible acts like pay to play with the powers of Secretary of State and rigging elections that demand a specific counteraction be included if US citizens are ever to have a true democracy once again. The key to ordinary citizens taking back their democracy is for jail time to be handed out to politicians and powerful business people who have truly earned it. This is the right time for jail time for the criminals in the power elite. Hillary has been stealing votes and victories in every primary and caucus that has taken place. Combine this with Goldman Sachs paying out 5 billion dollars as the only penalty for their extreme malfeasance which led to the near collapse of our economy. The sensitive souls at the DOJ included a clause which enables them to save 1 billion off their penalty through a combination of government incentives and tax credits. Extraordinary crimes get committed against all citizens and the government plays the role of enabler by not meting out the kind of punishment that could stop future crimes of a similar nature. These outrageous atrocities against ordinary American citizens scream for real justice. That means jail time. Money can be replaced but time in jail is precious time lost forever.

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The drama in Nevada was a crescendo of Team HRC getting away primary after primary caucus after caucus with breaking of rules, breaking the law, election tampering and voter suppression. Each time they got away with these tactics, it made them bolder so that in the next state election they raised the bar of their transgressions higher and higher. This extraordinary manipulation culminated in Nevada where they made up new rules to help Hillary get undeserving delegates and told Bernie supporters to shut up and eat it. This ripped apart existing procedures that were in place to insure a fair process to elect Nevada delegates. It does not feel like an exaggeration to describe this as a rape of democracy. The will of the HRC delegates was brutally forced upon the unwilling Bernie delegates. No matter how many delegates were at stake this was an immoral and unlawful act by Team HRC. The DNC is the obvious enabler in this matter because they have not only allowed but encouraged Team HRC to do whatever it takes for Hillary to win the nomination. As anyone who has attempted to discipline a child let alone a criminal knows, strict boundaries are needed or it encourages continued and bigger attempts to go beyond vital proper limits.

This is also exactly what happened when the big banks caused an economic meltdown because they all lied about the value of subprime mortgages. The SEC provided absolutely no oversight to Wall Street. This resulted in its own crescendo of crime that nearly brought down the world economy. Wall Street is notorious for finding obscure ways to rig their system to cheat common investors. It is still quite possible because of negligent oversight by the toothless SEC that the danger of another economic meltdown is a distinct possibility. Whether it is cheating to win elections or cheating investors out of millions of dollars unless some powerful people go to jail for these serious crimes, these perpetrators will commit bolder and bolder transgressions until they get some serious blowback.

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Everyone knows that big money has corrupted our politics and economic system and this must be changed. However, controlling the money flow is not enough. These criminals that are corrupting elections and rigging the economy also need to spend some serious time in jail. A penalty of 5 billion dollars is just a matter of a money exchange to Lloyd Blankenpuss of Goldman Sachs. Will this stop him and his bankster cronies from trying to cheat again? No way. Will righteous demands by Bernie supporters that they were robbed by Hillary's cheating ways do anything to slow her cheating down. Not at all. Jail time for big time criminals in politics and business is vital to stopping the continued destruction of our democracy and a fair economy. It would be great if someone came up with a clever saying that rolls of the lips. Something that could be easily chanted by thousands upon thousands in DC and New York. Perhaps something like this "Jail time for Criminals in Congress, Jail time for the Wolves of Wall Street." It is becoming clearer that the only way to change the rigged system, is to demand real justice for the obvious criminal acts committed against common citizens. They have stolen our freedom and we need to take it back by demanding complete justice not the partial justice the government is doling out.

The key purpose of punishment for a crime is to insure that others do not commit similar offenses. If the punishment does not fit the crime, then the crimes continue. The more serious the crime the more serious needs to be the punishment. Our society is in desperate need of ALL serious crimes having serious consequences. The extreme slippery slope of injustice for the rich and powerful all started when Nixon got pardoned. Ever since then the government has been unwilling to put the biggest politicians and business people in jail even even though that is what their crimes demanded. The great detective writer Dashiell Hammett had a brilliant summation of our current quandary when he was describing the prohibition era in San Francisco in the "Maltese Falcon." He wrote, "The place is run by the cops, the crooks, and the big rich." The thread between these three is they all have the capacity to live above the law and that is how they seize power. Certainly not every business person or law enforcement official lives above the law. However, those that do have great great power in our country. A tragic irony about our times versus Hammett's time is that many of the big rich business people and many politicians have blatantly become crooks. Also in Hammett's time police corruption was vast and easy to hide. Now they are probably more corrupt business people and politicians than corrupt cops or even flat out criminals. Until we start putting these criminals in business suits in jail with some substantial time behind bars, they will continue to commit substantial crimes. These enormous crimes have been cheating the majority of US citizens out of what is promised to us in the US Constitution. It says, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." So the question must be asked, are powerful people like Nixon and Lloyd Blankenfeld of Goldman Sachs who have lived way above the law but avoided jail time going to continue to cheat justice and maintain an unjust system or are ordinary citizens going to demand justice and be the ultimate victors?

Read other articles by Tom Pappalardo at www.politicsnpop.com . His specialty is creative solutions and unique perspectives that come with a few laughs.


Overlooking rice paddies in East Bali, Indonesia.

Every year I reflect and try to remember the most important lessons I learned. I do this exercise to analyze myself, identify patterns and have a note to my future self. Another motif is a hope to inspire you to make a change.

Taking care of my mind and body. Becoming better every day. Building a business that provides me financial freedom and impacts the world. These are the things I care about the most. In the recent years, I made many mistakes and wrong decisions. I acquired bad habits but at the same time, I learned many lessons. The school of life allowed me to understand myself and what I want from life.

Today, I am dedicating this post to my younger self. Below are some of the things I would tell my younger self at different stages of my life.

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Infant to a teenager

At this stage of life, you can not do much. You don't have an opinion. You have to follow everything without questioning and accept things as people tell you.

Play more. Play, smile, laugh and be free. People become angry, sad, sick, selfish, greedy and poor because they don't play enough. Don't get discouraged by others, you have so much happiness inside of you, enjoy it.

Love yourself and the world. Love is the answer. I mentioned you people who don't play enough become sad for life. Your love can heal them.

14-year-old myself

Now you collect experiences, ideas, choose role models and recognise emotions. You question yourself to find your identity.

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Try new things. Have fun building and breaking. Read books that don't look good for teachers or parents. Watch movies and everything possible to form your own opinion. Most important question everything.

Listen more. Actively listen and analyze what you are hearing. Question everything and try to make connections. Relate. Any fool can judge and critique but only smart ones will try to empathize and make connections.

You have no limits. If anyone tells you can't do something, they're showing their limits. Most of the time these people will be the closest to you, your family, friends, lovers. Love them but don't listen to their limitations on you.

Don't expect anything. No one owes you anything. If you want something, work for it. You are the only one responsible for your life.

17-year-old myself

You already know what you want in life. Be brave and ask yourself what makes you excited. What idea sounds so surreal that it gives you chills when you think about it? What is it that keeps you awake at night? That scary idea is your real life calling. Even if you don't know where it's going to lead, even if everyone else thinks it's stupid. Believe in yourself and go for it. Don't ask for permissions and just do it.

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Make no excuses and find a way. To make you more confident, I'll tell you that no one knows what they are doing. It just looks that they know.

Make self-development a priority. Read more about the things that excite you, question everything. Learn how to become a better speaker, writer, storyteller, son, friend, leader.

Pursue your dreams. Start creating a plan to achieve your goals. Focus on what excites you and collect the information about your calling.

Start writing. Clear communication is a key to personal and professional success. Practice writing every day. Write about your day. The show you have seen, your feelings, fears and dreams, love and the perfect world. Make it interesting.

Don't try to be important. Your ego will demand attention, ignore it. Serve anyone without expecting anything in return. Amazing things will happen once you shift your mindset and start enjoying helping others. You will see how paying it forward comes back in the most beautiful and unexpected ways.

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Meditate. This may sound like a woo-woo but it will solve most of your problems. Calmness, peace of mind, confidence and stability. These are some of the benefits you will gain from meditation.

Don't be childish. Don't give up for your ego pressure. It's fine to break your word. If you made a stupid promise or a stubborn statement just because you wanted to be different. Admit your mistakes and move on.

Fear nothing. If it doesn't threaten your life, fear nothing. Want to talk to that attractive girl in school? Do it. Want to start a blog? Do it. Want to speak at an event? Do it. All these acts outside your comfort zone will scare you to death but will enrich your life 10x.

Life has no rules. Everything is made up. If you decided to drop out of school make sure to develop a plan what are you going after and do it immediately. It's not worth your time suffering and letting your creative potential fade.

Be bold. Stand for yourself. If you believe in something, go all in and don't soften when people start pouring their sh*t on you.

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21-year-old myself

This is your golden age. Decisions you make at this age will show the first signs of success in the upcoming years. You're young, free and full of energy. Your body and mind can quickly recover after a failure. You have the power but you lack knowledge. Step out of your comfort zone. Journal daily, work on your habits and start making meaningful connections. Fall in love. Go out and meet like-minded people. Join meetups, groups and events to get exposed to crowds to start building self-confidence. Connect with everyone to start shaping relationships with people from different fields.

Don't be fooled by the surface. You already know what you want from life. It may look attractive to work in one or the other industry but most of the time you will be fooled by the surface. Don't question yourself just because someone is successful selling running shoes. You only see success in the mass media. Nobody talks about behind the scenes. How much energy and effort it takes to become good at something not to mention becoming great.

When you love, love with all your heart. Love is scary because it makes you vulnerable. But it's the ultimate life experience. If you love, love with all your heart. You will get hurt but don't abandon love. It comes and goes. Love yourself, people and life anyway.

Always do good. You want to be the bad boy. You want to break the rules. You want to be recognized. This is your ego. Looking for an external approval. Always do good. It will make you feel good internally.

Take care of your body. You will have to spend the rest of your life in this body. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Make regular exercising your priority. Don't overeat junk food.

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Don't drink too much. It's nice to have drinks with your friends and do stupid things. But it's not worth wasting your best days laying in bed with a hangover. Drink responsibly.

Give up sugar. You don't need sugar. Tea and coffee taste amazing without sugar. Enjoying a cake and ice cream only on the weekend has a different meaning. Your thinking will become clearer, your body will perform at a higher level.

Apply the 20/80 rule. You learned that people who work hard get what they want. Unfortunately, it's not true. You can work little, be smart about it and get what you want. Learn what works and do more of it. Ignore the rest.

Master money consciousness. Invest your time in learning about money. How money is made, how money acts, how to manage and grow money. Learn the difference between assets and liabilities. Start building up your assets. Money is not the answer but focusing on making money will make your life easier.



Listen to your heart. You might be stubborn with your decisions, beliefs or ideas. This will make no good for you, listen to your heart. It has all the answers, it has all the solutions. Be courageous to let your mind connect with your heart.

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Let other people in. Your life is about making meaningful connections. Strangers can become your best friends, soulmates, business partners, mentors and even lovers. Keep the door open and make the entrance welcoming.

Think long-term. Thinking a year in advance is not a long term thinking, think 10-20 years in advance. Great things take time. Be patient.

Don't try to win alone. It's fine to ask for help, to not know everything, to be lost and vulnerable. People relate to real people with their strengths and weaknesses.

Don't judge. First, don't judge yourself. You're enough. Second, judging others is not fair. You don't know the context (you will never know all the context). It's creating negative emotions inside of you and that is worse than cancer.

What my friends have to say?

I asked my friends what would they tell their younger selves. I got tons of inspiring and touching responses. I'm surrounded by the most honest, creative, humble, supportive and loving people. I'm sharing my favorite ones with you.

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"It is awrite. You can love yourself. Even if no one else will." - Aarti V Raman



"Never stop asking 'but why?'" - Blair Jones

"Relax. Everything will go exactly as supposed to. And guess what? It's going to be even better than you could ever imagine today." - Charlie Man

"Love comes, love passes. Don't sacrifice your opportunities because of a temporary fascination." - Karolina Jasvinaite



"Trust your intuition and stand for yourself. Nobody knows better than you what is good for you!" - Helene Schmit

"Always believe in yourself, don't listen to what others say about you or your life. You are the only person responsible for your happiness." - Andra Tomescu

"Its ok if you took one wrong step, you didn't know it will turn out wrong! Be a little more focused and you're gonna be the Queen of this world one day!" - Divya Sharma

"Play now. Play tomorrow. Your Life is a game." - Caroline Weiler

"Don't worry. It's all going to be great, you will get more than you expected and you will be better than you think you could ever be!" - Akvile Zelnyte

"Don't worry and trust yourself more." - Viktorija Gorcakovaite

"Nobody cares how many hours you put in. Do what you have to do and go ride a bike." - Mariusz Ciesla



"It's ok to take a step back. It doesn't mean you gave up, it means you're mature enough to see that pursuing won't benefit." - Olivia Es

"Buy bitcoin." - David Bengoa

"Slap him and tell him to study hard and exercise." - Adhi Ariebowo

"Start following your dream TODAY!" - Guideaux Hiers

"Take small steps." - Heidi Pungartnik

"Go for a run." - Joshua Miller

"You are not too skinny, without shape, your nose isn't weird (you're actually stunning). Don't think you can't achieve higher and stop settling for mundane options. Have no fear. The world is an open space. Embrace it. Believe. And yes, you can do all those things you think are beyond you." - Claudia Monteiro



"Take dance classes, learn to play guitar, make more mistakes and meet more people." - Jacob Madden

"Do not allow fear of failure hold you back, be bold, be brave, have confidence in yourself and invest time in being the best you can be." - Joana Andriulyte



"Stop worrying about your stuttering and love yourself the way you are, because if you won't, then who will? And another very important: don't waste your time with a wrong person and the last one: start learning from your mistakes and don't be afraid to make them." - Gerda Gergardaite

"Better check yourself before you wreck yourself." - Donatas Laurinavicius

"Choose LOVE!" - Renars Garda

"Don't be afraid of chasing your dreams. Just do it!" - Nora Zakarauskaite

"There is a world of possibilities that the people who surround you may not know about." - Luke Ryba

"You can do and learn anything in this world." - Joachim John Harris

"Stay off Facebook." - Andy McLean

"Don't wait for the perfect moment to do something, it will never come. So do it now or forget it." - Ignas Butenas

Conclusion

There are many things I didn't mention. Just because I think certain paths I took in my life led me to mistakes that taught me more than any advice ever will. This exercise helped me to understand how many great things happened in my life. Without planning and expecting anything. I am grateful for all the challenges life gave me and all the people I got to know in my journey.

What would you tell your younger self?

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A lot of people like Chicago, but some only love it one season of the year.

"I've had a lot of clients in Chicago," says Miami public relations exec Julie Fogel, "and I dread going there in the brutally cold fall or winter months." But summer? "It's my favorite place to visit," she says. "The weather, the people, the ambience--it's absolutely phenomenal. The city comes alive."

Come to Chicago in July, and you'll find the lakeshore beaches hopping with volleyball players, restaurant patios buzzing with patrons, and fireworks going off from the Navy Pier.

That unfettered enthusiasm helped Chicago secure its spot as one of the top 20 summer destinations, according to the America's Favorite Cities survey. Every year, Travel + Leisure readers rank cities for qualities such as great food or excellent shopping. Readers also vote on best times of year to visit--including the classic, all-important summer vacation.

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More Americans are planning to take that vacation this season. According to a poll by the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, 59 percent of Americans will take some kind of summer getaway, up from 51 percent last year.

Since many of these vacations are still brief, major U.S. cities are appealing choices. San Diego, Los Angeles, and Honolulu typify the dream beachy vacation, and all made it into readers' top 20 picks.

While some cities likely didn't make the cut due to triple-digit summer temps (sorry, Phoenix), other cities managed to overcome heat-index issues, perhaps because of their great summer cuisine. Kansas City, with plenty of summer street festivals but nary an ocean breeze, landed within the Top 20 thanks partially to its summer-friendly barbecue.

Mention highly ranked Portland, ME, and naturally people start waxing poetic about that lobster. But the New England city also shares a quality with other cities that dominated the Top 10: it's joyfully emerging from winter's Gore-Tex cocoon, and locals are ready to party.

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In Providence, for instance, the Waterfire festival literally sets the city ablaze, with bonfires burning along the city's three rivers. And in Minneapolis, they'll do anything outside in summertime, whether it's strolling around lakes or racing boats made out of milk cartons at the annual Aquatennial.

"Every man, woman, and child in Minnesota spends the warmer months out and about, stockpiling vitamin D," says Annie D'Souza, a community manager for Yelp. "We're all just so thrilled that winter is over."

Read on for intel on readers' best summer vacation spots.

More from Travel + Leisure:

--By Katrina Brown Hunt
From those frustrating nonrefundable deposits to rentals that aren't technically legal, there are some landlords out there who don't adhere to the letter of the law. But because landlord-tenant law differs from state to state, it can be confusing to understand exactly where the lines are ... for both landlords and tenants. According to Nolo.com, if you're renting in Austin, TX, for example, state law doesn't limit how much landlords can charge for a security deposit, while California tenant laws limit landlords to requesting just two months' rent as a security deposit for an unfurnished apartment.

The best defense tenants have to combat unscrupulous landlords is to know the laws in their jurisdiction. If you encounter any of these warning signs, screening your landlord could give you peace of mind -- or help you decide if you'd be better off looking for somewhere else to live.

1. Your landlord won't let you see a CO

Some rentals require a landlord to have a certificate of occupancy (CO), but in certain circumstances -- like when you're renting a condo, for example -- you're probably safe to assume that your new home is covered by one. Likewise, if you're renting an entire single-family house, the landlord typically won't be required to apply for a CO. But if you're considering renting a basement, attic, or garage apartment, you should make sure it's a legal dwelling before you sign a lease. If it isn't, there's a good chance the place isn't up to code -- and that could mean it isn't safe. It could be a fire hazard, for example, if there's only one exit or if the wiring is faulty.

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2. Your landlord asks if you were born in another country

According to the Fair Housing Act, landlords can't legally ask about your national origin, how many children you have, if you have a girlfriend (or boyfriend), and many other questions that could point to ulterior motives. "Denying applications for discriminatory reasons, such as race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or disability, is illegal," says Shaolaine Loving, a Las Vegas, NV, landlord-tenant attorney.

So if your landlord asks whether you'd like directions to the nearest church, you don't have to answer. In fact, if a landlord were to ask you an unsuitable question and then deny your application, you'd probably have cause to file a housing-discrimination complaint. Of course, landlords do have the right to screen tenants, but their decision to rent should be based only on an applicant's credit history, income, rental history, and a criminal background check. Some optional screening guidelines are OK too, such as no smokers or no pets. (Landlords must allow service animals, however, as long as the applicant can prove the animal's service status.)

3. You're expected to pay a nonrefundable deposit

The term "nonrefundable deposit" for a rental should be a red flag. Why? A deposit is always refundable unless there are reasons not to refund it. For example, a pet deposit is refundable if there is no pet damage when the tenant moves out. What might not be refundable, however, is a fee. Tenants typically don't get fees back. Some landlords might charge a move-in, cleaning, or pet fee, for example. In those cases, tenants need to check the laws of their state to find out if local laws allow for fees in addition to the security deposit.

4. The security deposit is really high

Most landlords charge a security deposit before a tenant moves in, and this is perfectly legal in all states. The security deposit is a way for a landlord to cover any damages that might occur during the tenant's stay. But landlords are often limited in how much of a security deposit they're allowed to charge. Las Vegas landlord-tenant attorney Loving says it's illegal to charge more than three months' rent for a security deposit in Nevada, for example. Other states limit the maximum that a landlord can charge to one month's rent, and some states have no limits whatsoever. If your state doesn't limit the amount a landlord can charge, shop around to determine what other landlords in the area are charging -- before you hand over too much of your cash upfront.

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5. The terms of the lease don't sound right

You should understand everything in the lease. If not, get an explanation from your landlord, and be on the lookout for tricky language. Just because it's in the lease doesn't necessarily mean it's legal. "Any lease terms contrary to the law, like saying a tenant waives the right to sue or has to pay the landlord's attorney fees in the event of any dispute [is wrongful]," says Loving.

6. Your landlord drops by ... a lot

Beware of the landlord who lives nearby and can't resist the urge to pop over to get a look at your rental. And under no circumstances (barring an emergency) can landlords use their keys to enter whenever they like. When you become a tenant,

. Before you sign, scan your lease for a privacy policy and voice any concerns. Landlords typically can't even drop by unless they have a reason to, and are allowed only after they've given notice, which is usually 24 hours (except in the case of an emergency). Typical reasons include the following:

To make repairs.

To show the place to prospective renters or buyers.

To make a routine inspection (commonly annually, semiannually, or quarterly).

7. Your landlord raised the rent in the middle of your lease

Raising the rent is not illegal ... if it's done the right way. Unfortunately, an unscrupulous landlord might try to increase your lease in an unlawful way. If you have a signed lease, your landlord can't raise the rent until lease-renewal time. And if you live in a rent-controlled unit or are a Section 8 tenant, your landlord has further limitations on how much rent can be raised. Otherwise, landlords can raise the rent as much as they like.

8. Your landlord wants to sell (and wants you out immediately)

Property owners can sell their own property anytime, even with renters in place. But they can't simply kick out their tenants whenever they like, even if they're putting the property up for sale. They must give proper notice. If you have a lease, for example, unless there's an early-termination clause that allows your landlord to break that lease early, you have the right to live out the lease in the unit.

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Have you ever needed clarification on landlord-tenant law? Share your experiences and tips for securing a legal rental unit in the comments below!

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Change is one of most constant aspects of the human existence. The world is constantly birthing new technologies and trends that if one is not careful, you could be living in 1999 while in 2016. It's almost mind boggling the things that spring up at every turn. Cars can now be run on compressed air, brands like Airbnb now rule the thrift accommodation space, women can become men, and America is about to elect her first female president. Indeed even though Coca-cola remains a constant favorite among soda lovers, a lot more is changing.

Learning then becomes a very necessary part of a person's growth strategy. To thrive in the dynamic market space, one must continually amass knowledge. Else the ladder will keep getting taller while you remain on the same steps year in, year out. Entrepreneurs have the huge responsibility to keep reinventing and coming up with new ways to satisfy their clients and exceed expectations. As the market space is tilting more and more towards IT and digital, indeed more knowledge is needed to properly own that space.

Unarguably, IT is an important part of the 21st century business. A business that denies the presence and massive importance of IT, is one effortlessly living in denial. Interestingly, 42 percent of small businesses have no IT department, yet many of these businesses rely on technology-based solutions to fuel their future growth. One must be sure to ask the right questions on which solutions are best fitted to encourage steady business growth. For instance, a question was asked on how much benefit updating to windows 10 gives to one's business. Windows 10 was released back in 2015 and most business owners were left wondering if this change should be welcomed.

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Almost all changes that must be made in a business come on the tide of intense research. Little wonder most business owners are not so eager to change as it demands a lot of time to search out the benefits to one's business. In many cases, one can employ the services of an IT service provider who identifies the business flows that benefit from upcoming technologies, locates the best vendors for these technologies and possibly helps procure and deploy the process.
The World Humanitarian Summit kicked off this week with an estimated five thousand international organizations and companies set to convene in Istanbul. A key focus of this year's conference is Syria's ongoing civil war and how aid and services can be more effectively delivered. A recent report conducted by Local2Global explains that while local in-country organizations in Syria and throughout the region are responsible for 75 percent of the delivery of humanitarian services including immediate food, shelter as well as sustainable development such as education, health and livelihoods, they received only 0.3 percent of direct financing and 9.3 percent of indirect funding through sub-contracts since the conflict began. Given this strong reliance on local organizations to deliver key services and aid, the most significant question that must be addressed during this year's Summit is how to most effectively provide adequate resources and financing to local organizations as the main designers and implementers of both humanitarian relief and development projects inside Syria and for refugees. While many agree that more support for local organizations is needed, little has been done to change the status-quo.

The reasons for the lack of direct financing to local organizations stems from several issues, including a bias within the international aid and development community, which overvalues global standardized frameworks that often fail to address the importance of localized design and adaptation. This places the majority of funding in the hands of large international organizations, private sector contractors and NGOs who design projects and then, when needed, outsource and sub-contract to local in-country organizations. However, these sub-contracts do not treat local organizations as equal partners and often leave them out of the project design process completely. Sub-contracts often provide local organizations with very little funding, sometimes not including salaries, and a maximum of six months to one-year with which to achieve the outcomes and requirements for the project. This places enormous strain on local organizations and prevents them from building a strong foundation for success moving forward.

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As long-term projects and action-plans are established, more investment must go into financing locally designed solutions and projects that ensures ownership is placed back into local communities. When projects are designed by international organizations without the input and buy-in of local in-country organizations, even if projects are well funded, they often lack local ownership and are typically mismatched with the needs of the local community thus hindering sustainability. With a deep understanding of direct local needs and the ability to reach those most in-need, local organizations are uniquely positioned to design and shape highly impactful programs, as well as adjust and pivot, based on changing local conditions. For example, as livelihoods are being addressed for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, many international organizations have placed significant resources into agricultural employment projects. However, these livelihood projects do not produce sufficient jobs and are not cost-efficient, requiring large amounts of funding to pay for infrastructure, land and water. Local organizations by contrast have placed far more emphasis on supporting micro-business development through small loans and grants, allowing refugees to create businesses that address direct local community needs.

Despite the lack of support and financing in the last six years, local organizations have been highly resourceful in raising funds from the Syrian diaspora, as well as local private sector businesses. This initial financial support from the diaspora and private sector has empowered them to initiate pilot projects to test the viability of programs before launching them on a larger scale. Organizations such as Basmeh and Zeitooneh, based in Lebanon, were able to raise money from diaspora and local businesses for an informal education pilot project for refugees with Bridge Academy. The success of their pilot attracted funding from international donors such as the UK's Department for International Development (DfID) so that it could be built out further. Examples like this should be an indicator for how international organizations can play a role in facilitating the scaling of these local designs where needed.

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By Amanda Zeidan

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil-exporter, is kick starting non-oil growth by opening to foreign investment for the first time. Generational shifts in opinion on financial reform and regulation could lead Saudi Arabia to serve as the model for future-proofing the Middle East petro-state.

Political instability and economic volatility has often characterized the Middle East, but such characterizations downplay the resilience, albeit autocratic, the region has displayed to external shocks. Oil-exporting countries of the Middle East, with long-standing monarchies that often remain immovable to outside forces, are a reflection of a kind of resilience that necessitates home-grown transformation. The sharp decline in oil prices since 2014 has turned large surpluses in oil-exporting countries into growing deficits. MENA oil exporters were down $360 billion in export revenue in 2015. Concentrated credit allocation has compounded the effect of tumbling oil prices for governments with revenues almost completely dependent on oil exports.

In the past, several oil-exporting countries of the Middle East have enjoyed a degree of market integration with the global economy. Most members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), all of which are oil exporters, are relatively economically developed. Collectively, GCC countries make up over half of the world's oil reserves, closely tying MENA capital markets to the oil market. Though the banking sector in GCC countries is generally quite large, access to credit is often restricted to single borrowers or particular sectors, such as the oil industry and the state.

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Crowding in new players into a developing financial economy requires encouraging competition within the financial sector. A supply glut for oil-exporting countries and a decrease in demand from China is pushing central governments in the Middle East to consider new options. The problems caused by inefficient capital allocation are exacerbated by investment constraints related to persistent political and social instability, lack of regulatory and legal frameworks, and financial restrictions that make MENA countries unattractive destinations for investors. Recently, the media has taken note of Saudi Arabia's reform efforts as it races to implement financial and economic reforms as commodity prices remain uncertain. Regulation and supervision, in a region where competing narratives of insider advantage and popular discontent often make front page news, offer a unique opportunity to rescript that narrative and promote financial and economic growth.

Regional dependence on oil, and the industry's highly concentrated benefits, has contributed to an inefficient allocation of capital. This has increased the reliance on the government for employment and subsidies. Capital and power is further concentrated in the bloated public sector through pervasive government control of large banking systems and productive industry, as well as underdevelopment of the non-bank financial sector in these investment constrained economies. In addition, MENA ranks among the lowest in protecting creditors' rights as measured by the World Bank's Doing Business indicators, further encouraging lenders to give credit to only a few, well-connected borrowers.

In an autocracy, the leadership panders to a "selectorate" rather than an electorate. This often results in a high concentration of lending to individual borrowers or specific sectors and, in turn, crowds out small and medium-size. Banks are characterized by their selective habits, providing loans to borrowers that reflect the interests of state-owned enterprises. Meanwhile, advanced financial systems promote diversifying investments, mobilizing savings, facilitating trade, and mitigating risk. This in turn ensures that capital is given to the most efficient user, resulting in growth. Paramount to the success of financial intermediation is macroeconomic stability, which can only be achieved through a credible institutional environment.

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In order to increase efficient credit allocation in the MENA region, oil-exporters must pursue aggressive diversification of their financial sector. To reduce instability associated with increased global market participation, these reforms should be implemented gradually and accompanied by institutional reform. The Middle East is reaching an inflection point and a period of extraordinary politics may be around the corner.

Amanda Zeidan is pursuing a Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where she is pursuing a concentration in Global Business and Finance. She is currently an Allen W. and Allen M. Dulles Graduate Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and a Middle East Fellow at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy.
Shot of graduation caps during commencement.

With college graduation traffic clogging up the roadways in America's college towns and new high school graduates rushing online to confirm their enrollment, I can't help but think, in reflection, that indecisive liberal arts majors may be our future's best hope.

I can already hear the job-obsessed parents of eager, prospective college students choking on their morning coffee and feel the Engineering majors snickering.

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But after nearly a decade working in public higher education on the very front line, I am here to report back: The new "job factory" role American universities have awkwardly stuffed themselves into may be killing the modern college student's spirit and search for meaning.

And employers should be ready for the upcoming workforce's meaning deficit (and the potentially high turnover it may cause).

In an attempt to respond to knee-jerk, recession-induced societal cynicism of the cost of higher education, colleges have contorted themselves to become measured less by the thinking, global citizens they produce, and more by the graduation rates, job placement statistics, and average starting salaries they can advertise in admissions brochures.

When you live by statistics, you are defined by them, and the new definition of colleges and universities as job preparatory schools may be at the expense of nurturing the quintessential, uniting trait of our species - the search for meaning.

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The Search for Meaning (and a Job)

The human search for meaning doesn't flux with economic conditions or arbitrary college rating systems and researchers have repeatedly found that people live for more than a 9-to-5 job with a paycheck.

Parents, you can swallow your coffee now.

Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, in his book Man's Search for Meaning, referenced an early 1900's Johns Hopkins University study that asked 7,948 students at 48 different colleges around the world what they considered "very important to them" when considering a career.

Just 16% of respondents indicated that "making a lot of money" was important whereas 78% of respondents said that "finding purpose and meaning in life" was most important.

Fast-forward to 2001. In a similar study, researchers asked over 10,000 recent college graduates in the workforce to indicate what was critical in a "good" job. Respondents said that "interesting work," a "sense of accomplishment," and "adding something to people's lives" were far more important than "pay" and "job security."

And, as recently as 2012, psychologists Bryan Dik and Ryan Duffy found that 68% of college students surveyed considered a spiritual calling and sense of higher purpose critical to them when considering a career.

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There is a wide and disturbing disconnect, however, with how colleges are cultivating the spiritual search for meaning and purpose among their students.

Asking "Why?"

I recently spoke at a conference designed to support first-year college students in the transition to the second year.

I offered two sessions, entitled "Finding Your Authentic Purpose," and almost every student at both sessions was undeclared (meaning they had not chosen a major) and they all had one trait in common: They were all in anguish. Two, in fact, were near tears. Yes, tears.

Why?

They didn't know "what" they wanted to do with their lives. One of these students was a young woman sitting in the front row of a session.

To her, I asked a simple question, "Why are you in college?"

Her initial response troubled me: She said absolutely nothing.

I asked again, "Why are you here?"

She started turning red and fidgeting a bit.

Silence.

Then, I asked, gently, "Why is this such a tough question?"

She said, "No one has ever asked me that before."

Over 6 months into her college career and not one person, not one educator, had asked her why she was there.

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Jobs or People?

Colleges and universities must ask a tough question of themselves: Are they in the business of developing people or jobs?

If institutions want the answer to be people, they must pay close attention to developing students' sense of meaning and purpose in this complex world, and providing them the space and freedom to do so.

One of the answers from the modern institution is that "we need to prepare students for what the workforce needs."

What about preparing students for what they need?

Before students even see a lecture hall or lab for the first time, they are inundated with placement exams, prescribed four-year plans, given incessant advice and direction, and told to start preparing for job fairs.

The glaring problem? No one knows them yet - their stories, goals, dreams, desires, and reasons for even being there. How can colleges know what a student needs without first knowing why they are there?



Passion and Practicality are Not Mutually-Exclusive

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Faculty and staff are pressured more than ever not on how well someone can think about problems but on how fast they can expedite students from inputs to outputs in the system.

All of these tactics focus exclusively on the "what."

When students have to answer "why" questions, responsibility ensues. The brain and heart are activated, and students actually have to consider their situation, the multiple variables involved in their potential future, and decide a specific and immediate course of action based upon their assessment of these variables - independent of someone else's plan.

We used to call that "critical thinking" - and that may be what the workforce needs and why over 75 years of research on the meaning and meaningfulness of work has found that when people have meaning, purpose, and a sense of a calling in their work they are more committed, engaged, and satisfied.

Purpose is Needed in the Workforce

With Gallup finding that 7 in ten American workers are disengaged in their jobs, maybe a more passionate, purposeful workforce wouldn't hurt.

But there is hope. There are students who refuse to believe that a course catalog holds all of life's possible paths.

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It is easy to follow a parent's, advisor's, or instructor's plan for your life - to check off neat boxes on a curriculum sheet - and not have to decide for yourself. In the job factories we now call college, students have become excellent at it. Or, as author William Deresiewicz termed them, excellent sheep.

These students who choose to opt out are labeled by colleges as "undeclared" or the "liberal arts majors" bashed so frequently in the popular media

These students, however, by actively choosing for themselves not to try and fit into what society has prescribed for them, may indeed be at the forefront of our species' advancement. They may be the thinkers, innovators, and trailblazers.

For they have asked "why."

It's time for colleges to do the same.
Bloomberg via Getty Images A 1+ logo sits on the case of a OnePlus One smartphone in this arranged photograph at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday, March 2, 2015. The event, which generates several hundred million euros in revenue for the city of Barcelona each year, also means the world for a week turns its attention back to Europe for the latest in technology, despite a lagging ecosystem. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The next iteration of OnePlus line of phones, OnePlus 3, will be launched on VR, just like last year's launch of OnePlus 2. The company is also giving out LoopVR to consumers so that they can attend the launch virtually.

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei wrote a blog post announcing that they plan to "up the ante" with this year's launch. Last year, OnePlus distributed cardboard VR headsets for the launch of OnePlus 2, and this year, the company has tied up with AntVr company to distribute LoopVR.

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Those interested in getting the VR headset can go to this link and register with Amazon for the giveaway 'sale' that will take place on 3 and 7 June at 12 PM. The headset will be given out free, with users having to pay only the shipping charges. OnePlus is giving out almost 30,000 headsets this year.

According to reports, the OnePlus 3 launch will take place sometime in June. A leak on twitter by Evan Blass suggests that the phone will have a metal body with curved edges and a 3000 mAh capacity battery.

There's that logo. OnePlus 3 with AMOLED display and 3000mAh battery. pic.twitter.com/zvat9NaFd4  Evan Blass (@evleaks) May 17, 2016
An air ambulance carrying seven people on board crash-landed in a field in Kair village, Najafgarh near Delhi on Tuesday.

Air Ambulance with seven persons on board crash lands in Najafgarh: Delhi Police official.  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 24, 2016

According to reports, the Alchemist Airlines Air Ambulance had taken off from Patna and was on its to Delhi when it crashed at around 2:45 pm.

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News18 reported that the crash took place minutes before the plane would have landed at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, which is situated six nautical miles from the crash site.

Both the engines for the Alchemist Airways' C-90 Beechking aircraft failed one after the other, which forced the pilot to make an emergency landing in a field, reported NDTV.

Among the seven people on board, five were reported to have been injured and were being rushed to the hospital.

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Alchemist Airlines Air Ambulance that crashed in Delhi's Najafgarh area. 5 injured rushed to hospital. pic.twitter.com/ykLttAfRiW  ANI (@ANI_news) May 24, 2016
J&K Govt

Jammu and Kashmir Forest Minister Choudhary Lal Singh has offered a tentative apology and a strange explanation for what he claimed was a misunderstanding between him and a delegation of Gujjars -- both Hindus and Muslims -- who had lodged a police complaint against him for allegedly using a communal slur.

They (the Gujjar delegation) had come seeking my intervention to get their truck-loads of wood released from forest officials. While refusing to oblige them, what I said was that the temperature in Jammu that day was 47 degrees C due to reckless felling of green trees, and that this would not be tolerated anymore, Singh told The Indian Express.

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However, the farmers, in their complaint, alleged that Singh asked them if they've forgotten about 1947, referring to the massacre of hundreds of Muslims in Jammu region in riots during Partition.

"If I have inadvertently hurt anyone's sentiments or feelings, I am sorry for the same. My effort has always been to serve all the communities of the state," Singh said in a statement yesterday. He said he always entertained people, who called on him, irrespective of their caste, creed or religious affiliation and added his comments were misinterpreted.

(A member of the Kashmir Gujjar community looks out from the window of a mosque in Baba Nagri, east of Srinagar, June 8, 2015. REUTERS/Danish Ismail)

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"I was speaking to my Gujjar brothers in Dogri about the increasing temperature in Jammu. I had said that mercury would reach 47 degrees Celsius in Jammu. This was misunderstood by some people who linked it to 1947 when the country got freedom. 47 degrees should not be confused with the tragedies of 1947," PTI quoted him as saying.
Sikh Channel Delhi Unit/facebook

NEW DELHI -- A video clip of a 85-year-old woman being assaulted by her daughter in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji area went viral on the social media yesterday after which a police team visited the octogenarian's house.

The incident was recorded by a neighbour, who also reported the matter to the police, following which a police team was sent to the octogenarian's house but she refused to lodge a police complaint.

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The 85-year-old woman, who is a widow, lives alone in her fourth floor apartment in Kalkaji. Her 60-year-old daughter, who could be seen assaulting her mother in the video, often visits her house, a police official said.

"Both women will be counselled and we will ensure that this doesn't happen again," additional DCP (southeast) Vijay Kumar said.

In the video clip, the octogenarian can be seen standing in the balcony and then being forcefully dragged towards the room by her daughter. When she resists, she is slapped. Another woman in the opposite balcony, from which the video was shot, can be heard reprimanding her for doing so.

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Delhi Police has a scheme under which constables are sent to the residences of senior citizens living in their areas, to check on them and help them out if needed.

Records were checked but it emerged that the woman was not enrolled in the scheme. Police have now approached her for the same so that her situation can be monitored from now onward, a senior official said.

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HYDERABAD -- A 35-year-old "drunken" man jumped into a lion enclosure at Nehru Zoological Park on Sunday reportedly "to shake hand with a lion" but was rescued unhurt by the alert animal keeper.

Mukesh, a native of Sikar district in Rajasthan, crossed the barricade of the African lion enclosure despite warnings by the security staff, Nehru Zoological Park Curator Shivani Dogra said.

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"The lioness (Radhika) was inside the enclosure but the person was rescued unhurt by its keeper R Papaiah," the zoo officials said, adding the big cat had moved close to Mukesh but Papaiah diverted the lioness from him.

"After preliminary enquiry it was found that Mukesh was in an inebriated state and had jumped inside the enclosure to go near the lion. He has been handed over to Bahadurpura Police," Dogra said.

Mukesh works as a labourer with L&T Metro Rail in Hyderabad.

When contacted, Bahadurpura Police Station Inspector Harish Kaushik said Mukesh jumped into the lion enclosure in an intoxicated condition and he will be booked on the charge of trespass under IPC.

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"This kind of incident is creating fear among public, even after Nehru Zoological Park administration is trying its level best to make the zoo park a safe and secure place to visit," Dogra said.

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Bloomberg via Getty Images People stand outside a State Bank of India building that houses automated teller machines (ATM) in Nagpur, India, on Sunday, June 30, 2013. India's services growth slowed in June with the purchasing managers' index falling to 51.7 from 53.6 in May. Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Reserve Bank deputy governor S S Mundra has raised concerns over one-third of ATMs being non-functional and warned the banks of penal action if the compliance levels are not met.

Mundra quoted a survey of 4,000 ATMs conducted by a Reserve Bank team recently wherein it has found that almost one-third of these machines are not in working conditions. The ATMs surveyed were situated in various parts of the country and were of various banks, he said.

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"The survey results are not comforting in any way.

Almost one-third of the ATMs were found to be not working at that point," Mundra said in Mumbai at a banking event on Monday.

The RBI survey has also found many violations of various regulatory instructions such as on display material, facilities for differently abled, etc, he added.

"We will be taking necessary supervisory action in this regard," the deputy governor said.

The government and the RBI have taken financial inclusion as one of the top agendas and ATMs are one of the ways to attain that objectives, he said, adding despite that banks are being found not adhering to the compliance levels prescribed by the regulators.

Led by state-run banks, 56 commercial banks together had 1,00,671 on-site cash vending machines and 96,656 offsite machines as of February this year as per the RBI data.

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After the big push to install ATMs in remote places, where there is no physical presence of a bank, by the past UPA government, banks, especially private sector ones, have been going slow in putting up new cash vending machines of late.

While private sector lenders are pushing online and other tech-driven tools to widen their reach to cut cost, the state-run ones are going slow as there is no government push.

Though there has been an curtailment on free ATM transactions since November 2014, there has not been any increase in inter-bank ATM usages.

Most banks complain that without adequate user fees, ATMs are a loss-making business for them.

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RBB via Getty Images Display of chicken tandoor at food stalls outside Jamiatul Qureshi Masjid Camp, Pune(India). During ramadan there will be food stalls selling variety of snacks to break the ramadan fasting. It becomes compulsory for Muslims to start fasting during ramadan when they reach puberty.

A medical college in Karnataka has a strange unwritten rule that students have followed over years.

At the hostel of the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, a government institute run by the Department of Medical Education, whenever non-vegetarian food is served, the students go out to the open field to eat it.

According to a report in The Hindu, the cooks keep the containers with chicken curry and rice outside the kitchen so that the students can fill their plates and eat it sitting in the lawns or in the open field.

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They cannot eat it in their hostel.

We dont know who started it. When we came here as students, our seniors went to the field whenever non-vegetarian food is served. We have been following this practice and never questioned it, a student told The Hindu.

Among the 250 students in the hostel, there are about 150 who eat non-vegetarian food.

While there is no restriction on cooking chicken in the kitchen where vegetarian food is also prepared, it is not served in the dining hall.

While most students think it's a norm to eat non-vegetarian food outside the hostel campus, a few students find the rule strange. However, they say they don't want to raise their voice as it's a "tricky issue."

We feel insulted as we are not allowed to have our food in the dining hall," another student told the newspaper.

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Yes, we did go to that party, but am I not allowed to go anywhere with anybody? So, if I am seen outside with any woman, will I be married off to her? One has to understand ones responsibility towards a woman. The media keeps saying, Salman will get married on this date or that date. But when it (marriage) doesnt happen, its only the girl who suffers. Aise bolke aapne uski izzat ki dhajjiyan hi udaa di (you have stripped her of all her respect).
The Kingston Trio comes to Hutchinson

All three current members, have links to and experience with the original group.
Eagles Of Death Metal Dropped By Two French Festivals After Controversial Magazine Interview

Indie rockers The Eagles Of Death Metal were hailed as heroes and a symbol of resistance following concerts both during and after the terrorist attack at Le Bataclan in Paris just 6 months ago. But a single magazine interview has changed French perceptions of the band.

______________________________________________

The Eagles of Death Metal have been dropped from the lineup of two French festivals after the band's frontman Jesse Hughes made comments about the attack at Le Bataclan last year in magazine interview.

According to Stereogum, Hughes aroused the ire of the festivals with an interview with Taki's magazine, where he suggested that the attacks could have been prevented if French gun laws were less restrictive and that security at the venue was complicit in the attack. He also said that he later saw Muslims celebrating in the street during the attack.

Taki's is an English language digital news magazine published by Greek journalist Taki Theodoracopulos and edited by his daughter Mandolyna Theodoracopulos, focused on U.S. culture and politics with an editorial slant that falls in the paleoconservative end of the spectrum.

Rock en Seine and northern Frances Cabaret Vert issued a statement announcing the cancellation, stating that they were "in total disagreement with Jesse Hughes".

The Eagles of Death Metal were infamously performing at the Bataclan on November 13, 2015 when Islamic extremists attacked the venue as a part of a coordinated assault on Paris, killing 130 people and leaving 368 injured.

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A new appeals process is to be implemented to handle disputes for claims under FEMAs National Flood Insurance Program.The changes mean that private insurance contractors will not have the final decision on claims appeals  they will be made by FEMA. Also, policyholders will be able to see their case file including details of reviews, analysis and resolution of the claim.There is also a proposal to make it easier for the flood program to drop insurance contractors during annual contract negotiations and FEMA will have in-house lawyers for appeal lawsuits to reduce legal fees for the agency.The changes will begin to roll-out later this year.Chinas Insurance Regulatory Commission is clamping down on foreign insurers selling products in the mainland. Reuters reports that officials recently introduced a $5,000 limit for each purchase of insurance from international insurers. The CIRC will investigate claims of insurers offering or promoting foreign insurance products and insurers receiving payments from foreign firms.The new generation of art collectors in New York City can now get insurance coverage under a new underwriting agreement announced by XL Catlin and Arthur J Gallagher The Five for Five policy features five specialized insurance coverages Fine Art, Jewelry, Wine, Cyber Theft and Identity Fraud  on a single policy policy, for an annual premium of $500 with a $500 deductible.As well as young art collectors, the new policy is open to new collectors and is expected to roll-out to other US cities with emerging or established art scenes.
The Licensing Board was presented with the idea on Monday.

Licensing Board Considers Outdoor Restaurant Seating During Third Thursday

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The Office of Cultural Development is considering letting North Street restaurants have outdoor seating during the monthly Third Thursdays.

Shiobbean Lemme of the Office of Cultural Development brought the idea to the Licensing Board on Monday in hopes to find the best way to do it. The board said it liked the idea but wanted to see specific plans on how the alcohol service will be controlled by each restaurant during the popular street fairs.

"The theme for July is food and we were wondering if we could figure out a way to invite the 14 restaurants on the streetscape of Third Thursday to provide outdoor seating," Lemme said.

Lemme called the three hours or so during July's street fair a test run for what could be an ongoing addition to the downtown event. The restaurants wanting to participate would be asking for a one-day outdoor seating license for it.

"We think of it as a revenue generator for the businesses that are open," Lemme said.

She said the outdoor seating would provide "an element to the festival that is currently missing." In July, the construction on the northern portion of the road will be on the paving phase, which means the seating isn't expected to interfere with any digging. The board is supportive of the effort but wanted Lemme to return with the restaurants to finalize the details.

In other business, construction delays pushed back the opening of 7 Winter Grille, moving scheduled receptions in May and June to another location. But, the owners are hoping to open in July.

Manager Anthony Gianacopoulos said the renovations triggered American Disabilities Act compliance regulations. The restaurant has been closed for more than a year as plans and construction took place. Recently, the lift  or elevator  had to be redesigned three times.

"We are hopeful to have the lift ready to be delivered at the end of this month or in the first week of June," Gianacopoulos said.

First the contractors said the architect's measurements were wrong. The new design required the removal of at least six seats, maybe more. Again, the plans were sent back to the architect for another option. Ultimately, a design was crafted and the elevator shaft is now "framed out" and the lift itself was ordered last month.

The Licensing Board, however, has been urging the company to make use of its liquor license. Attorney Jeff Lynch said the investments made to the business show there is intent to open the restaurant and asked for a little more time before the board revokes the license.

"We can't afford to let this license just sit," Lynch said.

Board member Richard Stockwell said the board has been lenient with a number of restaurants in the same position, so he agreed to extend the same courtesy to Gianacopoulos.

"I think waiting until the end of July would not jeopardize the city in any way or the license," Stockwell said.

The Polish Community Club, on the other hand, is reaching the end of the board's leeway. That club has been trying to put the pieces back together after the former bar manager died. That required a new slate of directors, new managers, and financing. The hope was that at least some of that work was going to be completed in April and May. But on Monday, representatives failed to appear.

"It is one thing to not be here. If you are not here, that doesn't bode well," said board member Thomas Campoli said.

The Licensing Board will send a certified letter to club representatives with "strong wording" that at the next meeting the license could be revoked.

"The chairman of the board has gone overboard to give them every benefit there is," Stockwell said, adding that failing to appear is a "slap in the face."

The board also approved outdoor seating for Vongs; gave leeway for the closed Chameleons to reopen or sell its license; approved Hilltop Orchards' license to sell at the farmer's market; and approved Melissa Aitkin as the new manager of the Country Club of Pittsfield.
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Press Release: Statement by IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde at the End of her Visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan

Press Release No. 16/241



Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today at the conclusion of her visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan:

I would like to express my gratitude to the Kazakh authorities for welcoming me during my visit to Astana and for hosting an important regional roundtable discussion. During my visit, I had the opportunity to meet with President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Prime Minister Karim Massimov and the most senior members of their economic team, as well as high-level officials from other countries in Central Asia. I also met with representatives of the private sector and I had the pleasure of giving a speech and discussing Kazakhstans opportunities with students at Nazarbayev University.

During my conversations with the Kazakh authorities, I commended the country for its achievements during the 25 years since independence. The country faces new challenges due to the decline in commodity prices and the slowdown of key regional economies. The authorities have taken steps to address these challenges, notably floating the tenge, which will help the economy adjust. Going forward, it will be important to modernize policy frameworks, create more efficient and transparent institutions, and deepen Kazakhstans into regional and global markets.

The regional roundtable with senior government officials from neighboring countries provided a unique opportunity to share views on the economic issues facing the region. We were able to deepen the dialogue about the strong policy responses needed to tackle challenges and the many opportunities ahead. We at the IMF believe that Central Asia region can increasingly serve as a bridge between Europe and China and serve as a hub for new activities in logistics and communications, energy and green industries, and agriculture.

The IMF has enjoyed a strong relationship with the Kazakh authorities and the region for the past 25 years. We remain committed to this partnership as the countries move forward to face future challenges.
Imperial Valley News Center

Imperial County Roads - New Online Form to Report a Pothole

Imperial County, California - The Imperial County Department of Public Works (ICDPW) now has a new online tool that Imperial County residents can use should they wish to submit a report on the condition of a county road.

Imperial County residents, whom are concerned with the condition of a county road, can submit their concerns via an online form. The online form requests general contact information, such as who is filing the report and his/her address and telephone number, the location of the problem, and a description of the condition of the road or obstruction.

The online form can be accessed directly from the Countys website at www.co.imperial.ca.us or from ICDPWs website at: www.co.imperial.ca.us/publicwork. Individuals who wish to file a report, but do not have access to the internet, can do so by calling 1 (844) 558-5016.

ICDPWs mission is to preserve and enhance public safety and quality of life through reliable, cost effective infrastructure, provide quality and responsive service, and continually improve quality of service through optimal resource management.

For more information, please contact ICDPW at (442) 265-1818 or toll free at the phone number listed above.
Governor Brown Announces Appointments

Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:

Albert Lundeen, 58, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy executive director for strategic planning and media at the California Energy Commission, where he has served as acting deputy executive director for strategic planning and media since 2015 and was public information officer from 2014 to 2015. Lundeen was a media relations and legislative affairs manager at the Financial Information System for California from 2012 to 2014, a partner at Lundeen Macdonald from 2011 to 2012 and deputy director of public affairs at the California Department of Public Health from 2009 to 2011. He was press secretary at the California State Lottery from 2007 to 2009, communications director at Woodward and McDowell from 1995 to 2007 and legislative media consultant at the California State Assembly Democratic Caucus from 1993 to 1995. Lundeen was a television journalist at KTXL from 1987 to 1992, at KTVN Reno from 1985 to 1987 and at KCRA from 1982 to 1985. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Master of Arts degree in English from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100,176. Lundeen is registered without party preference.

Joseph Farrow, 60, of Sacramento, has been appointed to SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice, Information and Statistics. Farrow has been commissioner at the California Highway Patrol since 2008, where he has served in several positions since 1979, including officer in the North Sacramento Office, lieutenant in the Investigative Services Section and deputy chief in the Office of Special Representative. He earned a Master of Arts degree in organizational leadership from California State University, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Farrow is a Republican.
Ambassador Russell Convenes Forum on Women and Energy

Washington, DC - Ambassador-at-Large for Global Womens Issues Cathy Russell will convene experts, practitioners, and policymakers for Women and Foreign Policy: The Supply and Demand of Women and Energy at the George Washington Universitys Funger Hall May 24 from 2:00  4:00 p.m.

The event, held in cooperation with the George Washington University Global Womens Institute, will focus on womens access to energy and womens representation in the energy sector. U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall will provide closing remarks following a panel discussion moderated by U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Melanie Nakagawa.

This is the fourth event in a series of forums hosted by Ambassador Russell. The Women and Foreign Policy series looks at the relationship between gender inequality and foreign policy, with a focus on solutions and best practices.
U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Travel to Germany

Washington, DC - U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Dr. Jonathan Pershing will travel May 23  24 to Bonn, Germany to attend the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Bonn Inter-sessional Climate Conference.

This international climate change conference marks the first official meeting of the parties to the UNFCCC since the December 2015 adoption of the Paris Agreement at COP-21. The gathering follows just one month after more than 170 nations signed the Paris Agreement at an April 22nd New York City signing ceremony.

During meetings with UNFCCC officials and heads of delegations to the Bonn session, Dr. Pershing will discuss Paris Agreement implementation and steps to advance clean energy, reduce emissions and adapt to climate change impacts.
UK Train Passenger Praised for Refusing to Give Up Her First Class Seat to Old Woman
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At the age of 15, I persuaded my mother to buy me several large boxes of cigarettes. I didn't smoke and my Im pure as the driven snow, darling mama certainly was funding a potential habit. So why did she fork out the best part of 30 on cigarettes for me? Because, as a Young British Artists-obsessed GCSE student, I wanted to make like Sarah Lucas and fashion a self-portrait out of cancer sticks.

The bubble of my teenage pretentiousness was burst when almost all the cigarettes stuck down in the shape of my face were removed and inhaled by my far cooler schoolmates. The gluey shadow of my creation, with the odd strand of tobacco remaining, was a bit gutting - never mind the fact that Id unwisely chosen Benson & Hedges which a friend later described as like inhaling a Sunday roast.

But Ive had a healthy interest in the relationship between smoking and art ever since. So it was intriguing to see British artist Fullers sensitive response (more on which, later) to the legislation that came in this week banning UK tobacco companies from packaging their product in anything other than a drab olive green box covered in Smoking Kills warnings.

Marlboro packet, part of "Duty Paid" by Fuller

Thus signalling the final puttering out of the once colourful and lucrative cigarette advertising industry that was at first banned from sporting events, then television, then everywhere else and which relegated the once ubiquitous rows of colourful boxes from behind shop counters to beneath them.

The glamour of those little boxes, the cellophane packaging, the shiny card, the gilded wrappers and the satisfying noise of tearing them off all added to the appeal. Not to mention the fact that, from Marlboro to Lucky Strikes, the little-regimented wraps of tobacco came packaged in primary colours, the bold blues, reds and yellows of Modernism. There were lipstick style packs, such as Vogues, aimed at women; and French cigarettes were more exciting than any other kind. What you chose to smoke became a hallmark, an extended identity, a symbol of your personality. But now all the smokers in Britain are represented by unpleasant photos of blackened toes.

This is an excellent turn of events. Smoking is the biggest cause of premature death and kills more than 100,000 people every year in the UK, according to the department of health. There are currently 10m cigarette-smokers and a further 2.6m e-cig smokers in the UK according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). The law change is expected to save the nation a whopping 13bn.

Cigarettes will now be sold in standardised green packaging bearing graphic warnings of the dangers of smoking (PA)

But from the smoky sepia clouds puffed out on Film Noir to the red-lipsticked siren waving a cigarette holder, it is impossible to ignore the impact the killer industry has had in shaping a modern aesthetic. Artists have been depicting smokers as far back as the Mayans and there has been much written by art historians about 20th century paintings of smokers and the various connotations (class, really as it was mostly commoners who puffed away) and how that changed into the 21st century when it became a sign of wealth and gentility.

So it is nice to see Fullers large-scale work Duty Paid, recently on show at the Palm Tree Gallery and due to return to London in a couple of weeks time, for which he flattened the colourful cigarette boxes and transformed them into tombstones.

Part of "Duty Paid" by Fuller

Bristol-based Fuller, 35, who is best known for a hand-drawn map of London that took him a decade to complete, recently gave up smoking after almost two decades.

Smoking has been become a very political subject and that naturally changes its perceptions in art, he says. Youre taking something that has been very glamorous. But societys common sense has taken the appeal out them, certainly the sex appeal anyway.

Fuller next to "Duty Paid"

What Im really exploring is the ludicrousness of the whole thing, he says, referring to the words like smooth and the loaded, sensual copy that was used to market tobacco products.

Fuller describes his piece as a memento-mori, something that displays the foolishness of an addiction which pointlessly kills. Cigarettes have been used as shorthand for this kind of point often. From devoted smoker Sarah Lucas Lifes A Drag (Organs) sculpture, the twisted up shells of two cars covered in cigarettes, representing her lungs; to Chinese artist Xu Bings Tobacco Project, which includes a tiger skin rug (made using 500,000 First Class fags), many artists have successfully used cigarettes as a medium in themselves without them being stolen and smoked.

No movement poked fun more derisively and yet drew so much inspiration from the tobacco industry than Pop Art, and Claes Oldenburgs sculpture Giant Fagends (1967) is one of the darker, more overtly critical pieces to have come out of it. The stubbed-out, twisted, larger-than-life sculpture thrusts the grotesquery of it centre stage.

But as smoking becomes anachronistic and unpopular works like Fullers (not to mention the boxes themselves, which will doubtless become collectibles), will serve as testimony of a bygone era. Its actually an homage to the tobacco brands because theres an element of nostalgia there, he says.
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Catching a new Terrence Malick is like trying to grasp a feather in the wind; futile, and yet somehow utterly consuming.

It barely seems like yesterday that the UK finally got its release of the director's Knight of Cups, despite the fact it had premiered over a year ago at Berlin Film Festival; and, already, talk has shifted to Malick's next release, Weightless. The drama about interconnecting relationships has a reliably talented cast; boasting the likes of Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Michael Fassbender.

For a director who once left twenty years in-between films, it appears as if Malick has suddenly kicked up the creative gear; with both Weightless, and documentary Voyage of Time, in the pipeline for release this year.

Exactly when, and how, these films will be released remains a perpetual mystery to hardcore fans, yet a major hint has potentially been dropped by the BBFC.

Releasing the certification for Weightless (it's 15 thanks to infrequent strong sex and sex references, if you're wondering), the BBFC also happened to publish a release date of 24 June. That is, next month; bizarre for a film with no trailer, no official stills, and almost no previous hype outside of Malick's own reputation.

What's going on here? Is this just a mistake on the BBFC's part? Indeed, it would seem bizarre for Weightless to randomly drop in the middle of summer without a significant film festival premiere. With Cannes and Berlin having already floated past view, Malick could be holding off until Venice Film Festival in late August, but there's something particularly coincidental about the BBFC's date here.

The claimed release of Malick's feature surrounding the Austin music scene, filmed amongst live performances at Austin City Limits, also happens to be the same weekend as Glastonbury Festival. Filming even saw actors placed in the midst of live performances by Arcade Fire, Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes, Black Lips, and Patti Smith.

Knight Of Cups - Trailer

Obviously, this is all wild speculation; but it wouldn't seem entirely beyond Malick's wheelhouse to bypass the entire cinematic menagerie and launch a surprise premiere for Weightless at a music festival.

The director's fanbase is certainly both ingrained and loyal, so there's no great need to build hype through extensive film festival circuits; in fact, the whole thing could even turn out the cinematic equivalent of Beyonce's surprise Lemonade drop, though this would almost certainly just be a one-off first screening as opposed to wide release.

The BBFC certification also seems to confirm the rest of the cast; including Haley Bennett, Natalie Portman, Val Kilmer, Benicio Del Toro, Clifton Collins Jr, Angela Bettis, Berenice Marlohe, Florence Welch, and Holly Hunter. Although, knowing Malick, who knows which actors will actually make the very final cut.

Distributor Studio Canal has been contacted for comment.
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Just hours after Idina Menzel gave her support to the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend campaign, a new hashtag started trending on Twitter: #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend.

The former tag was spread in the hope Disney would let it go and give the Frozen character Elsa a same-sex partner in any future sequels. Marvel fans are also hoping The Mouse will give one of their favourite characters, Captain America, a male partner.

Throughout his on-screen adventures, Steve Rodgers has had two female partners of note: Peggy Carter in The First Avenger and Sharon Carter (Peggys niece) in Civil War.

Unfortunately for him, Peggy - arguably one of the best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - passed away, and his relationship with Sharon is pretty awful.

However, there is one partnership that makes a whole lot of sense: Steve Rodgers and Bucky Barnes. Both have risked their lives for each other, having continually been more than best friends - something many fans have picked up on.

Its not just the Bucky/Steve relationship being floated around. Some have posited that Cap should go off with Iron Man, the two obviously sharing a friendship despite almost killing each other in Civil War.

There is a huge demand for a LGBT character in a Disneys films. Recently, a shocking GLAAD report found that Disney failed to include a single LGBT character in its major 2015 movies, including those from its Lucasfilm and Marvel branches.

33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 Show all 34 1 /34 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 1. Captain America: Civil War Release date: 6 May 2016. Iron Man and Captain America are set to face off in this superhero blockbuster that will feature nearly all the Avengers but wont be an Avengers film. It will also mark the first time Spider-Man will feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Sony having made a deal with Marvel Studios. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 2. X-Men: Apocalypse Release date: 27 May 2016. Following the success of Days of Future Past, Apocalypse will follow the young X-Men team as the battle against Oscar Isaacs titular villain as he gathers his four horsemen; Magneto (Fassbender), Angel (Hardy), Storm (Shipp), and Psylocke (Munn). Expect carnage and no Wolverine. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 3. Suicide Squad Release date: 5 August 2016. The first supervillain film, Suicide Squad is also based in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe, where Batman and Superman live) and will introduce the world to Margot Robbies Harley Quinn and Jared Letos Joker. One of the more exciting upcoming DC films thats for sure. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 4. Doctor Strange Release date: 4 November 2016. Benedict Cumberbatch will debut in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Captain America and Iron Man live) as the Sorcerer Supreme. The film already has an incredible cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachael McAdams and Tilda Swinton. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 5. Untitled Lego Batman film Release date: 20 February 2017. Kicking off 2017 is the Lego version of Batman, who will lead his own spin-off, having already featured in the amazing Lego Movie. Will Arnett voices the titular character, while Zach Garfianakis - from the Hangover - will voice The Joker. But will he better than Leto? 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 6. Untitled Wolverine film Release date: 3 March 2017. Having not starred in X-Men: Apocalypse, Wolverine will return to the big screen in a solo film which was recently made R-Rated following the success of Deadpool. It is expected to be Hugh Jackmans last outing as the titular character. Fox 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Release date: 5 May 2017. Chris Pratt and the crew are returning to space in the sequel to the surprisingly successful Guardians of the Galaxy. According to director James Gunn, the film will not feature Thanos, even though he will to play a major role in phase MCU Phase 3. Cast includes newcomers Kurt Russell and Pom Klementieff, as well as, rumour has it, Sylvester Stallone. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 8. Wonder Woman Release date: 23 June 2017. Gal Gadot is returning to the DCEU in her very own film, marking the first female-led superhero film on this list. Chris Pine is on board to play Wonder Womans love interest. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 9. Untitled Spider-Man reboot Release date: 7 July 2017. Yes, it is another Spider-Man reboot, having previously been redone with Andrew Garfield as the lead. However, this time it is part of the MCU, with Tom Holland as the titular character, and a heavily rumoured cameo by Iron Man could be in the pipeline. We can dream. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 10. Untitled Fox film Release date: 6 October 2017. In a strange announcement, Fox decided to withhold the release of Gambit until a future, as-yet unannounced date, which could be here, or this could be a completely separate project. Many suspect Deadpool 2 could nicely fit here, Fox capitalising on the success of the first film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 11. Thor: Ragnarok Release date: 3 November 2017. Chris Hemsworth will be returning as the Norse God in his third solo MCU film. Flight of the Conchords Taika Waititi is on board to direct, and promises a fun adventure that will likely lead into Marvels next project, Infinity War. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 12. Justice League Part One Release date: 17 November 2017. Hot on the heals of Thor comes Justice League Part One, the first DCEU team-up flick which will see Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg work together to fight bad guys. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 13: Untitled Fox film Release date: 12 January 2018. Kicking off 2018 will likely be the second Deadpool film, but then again, this could very well be another X-Men team-up. Theres also talk of an X-Force film, with Deadpool and other mutants teaming up to fight evil. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 14. Black Panther Release date: 16 February 2018. The first non-white male-led superhero film in the MCU comes in the form of Black Panther, with Chadwick Boseman reprising the titular role, having also starred as the Panther in Civil War. Creeds Ryan Coogler is on to direct what could be a very exciting film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 15. The Flash Release date: 16 March 2018. The Flash will be the first DCEU film since Justice League, and sees Ezra Miller take the lead. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were supposed to pen the film before Disney snapped them up for the Han Solo-film, leaving Seth Grahame-Smith to take charge. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 16. Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 Release date: 4 May 2018. And so, we finally get to the point of all these Infinity Stones! Thanos will be the big bad, with the Avengers needing to team up to defeat their biggest foe yet. It has previously been described as the end of the Avengers as we know it. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 17. Ant-Man and The Wasp Release date: 6 July 2018. Peyton Reed will be back to direct this surprise sequel to one of the better received MCU films. While the name is ridiculous, at least Marvel are finally having a leading female superhero. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 18. Untitled Fox film Release date: 13 July 2018. Again, not much word on this one except it is thought to be X-Men spin-off New Mutants, something Josh Boone has been hit up to write. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 19. Animated Spider-Man Film Release date: 20 July 2018. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Amy Pascal - the team behind the live-action Spider-Man films - are producing this unrelated animated adaptation of the hero. Because you can never have too much Spider-Man, right? 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 20. Aquaman Release date: 27 July 2018. Another Justice League spin-off, Jason Momoa plays the leading man. Furious 7s James Wan is on to direct, but little else is known about the film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 21. Captain Marvel Release date: 8 March 2019. Weve hit 2019, and the first confirmed superhero film will be the first proper female-led MCU film. No-one is confirmed to be in the titular role of Carol Danvers just yet. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 22. Shazam Release date: 5 April 2019. Dwayne Johnson stars as the villain in this DCEU film which will be somewhat separate to the other DC films. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 23. Avengers: Infinity War Part 2. Release date: 3 May 2019. The conclusion to the long drawn MCU saga. Expect a big finish with at least a few planets being destroyed. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 24. Justice League Part Two Release date: 14 June 2019. Soon after the Infinity War story reaches its conclusion, so will the Justice Leagues. Not much is known, except Darkseid will likely be the villain for at least one of the parts. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 25. Inhumans Release date: 12 July 2019. The concept of Inhumans (or Marvels mutants) has already been introduced in TV, through Marvels Agents of Shield, yet the film is expected to introduce the Royal Family who have yet to be seen in the show. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 26. Cyborg Release date: 3 April 2020. Having debuted in Justice League Part One three years previously, Cyborg will finally be making his own outing, with Ray Fisher as the titular character. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 27. Untitled MCU film Release date: 1 May 2020. The first of three untitled Marvel films. There are a couple of contenders, the first is a likely sequel to Spider-Man with Sony, or a third Guardians of the Galaxy film, thus finishing the trilogy. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 28. Green Lantern Corps. Release date: 19 June 2020. Before you start to worry, this has nothing to do with the Ryan Reynolds-starring flick that hit cinemas a little while ago. Instead, this will be another DCEU film that will likely spin-off from Justice League after the Green Lantern Corps cameo in one of the parts. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 29. Untitled MCU film Release date: 10 July 2020. As well as Spider-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy sequels, a Doctor Strange or Black Panther one could fit in nicely here. Or perhaps Black Widow may finally get the solo-film she deserves. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 30. Untitled MCU film Release date: 6 November 2020. Some speculators also think a Blade film could fit in here, marking over 20 years since the first Blade. But many believe the character may be better suited to a Netflix series, as with Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Theres also talk of a Runaways film reaching cinemas at some stage. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 31. Untitled Ben Affleck Batman film Release date: TBA. Now were onto the TBA release dates, the first of which is a Batman solo film, written and directed by Ben Affleck. When this is due, no one is quite sure but expect it sooner rather than later if Batman v Superman is a success. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 32. Suicide Squad 2 Release date: TBA (rumoured 2017). A sequel to Suicide Squad is expected to come in 2017 according to recent reports, but nothing has been confirmed. If the first is successful, it should come as no surprise for Warner Bros to rearrange their schedule to fit in this surefire hit. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 33. Venom Release date: TBA. This is an odd one, as it has been confirmed Sony are wanting to release a Venom film completely unrelated to the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Venom, as you may know, is a Spider-Man villain, intrinsically linked to Spider-Man, so it seems odd they would release a film unrelated to the rebooted project and not linked to the MCU. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 Anything else? Well, now you mention it, theres also that sequel to Fantastic Four that has seemingly been dropped by Fox. Plus, theres the Gambit film which has been put on hold (but will likely fill an untitled Fox slot so we havent added it extra). Then again, it could be shoehorned in somehow Marvel

Cap and Buckys relationship isnt the only same-sex romance recently picked up on in Disneys films either: many fans have been hoping Star Wars characters Finn and Poe would end up together. Unfortunately, John Boyega revealed their relationship was merely a bromance rather than romance.
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James Bobin, 113 mins, starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman (voice), Sacha Baron Cohen, Michael Sheen (voice), Andrew Scott

Theres as much of Christopher Nolans Interstellar as there is of Lewis Carroll in this sequel to Tim Burtons 2010 Alice In Wonderland. This is a film about unpicking time and travelling into the past to redress old wrongs before they wreck the future. It is bursting with colour, slapstick and ideas but what becomes curiouser and curiouser is its lack of finesse.

With so many visual stunts and such exhaustively detailed mise en scene, the main characters risk receding into the distance. There is always so much else going on around them that we dont pay too much attention to the plight of Alice (Wasikowska) or of the poor deranged Hatter (Depp) pining for his lost family.

Burton remains as a producer but has handed over directing duties to James Bobin (hitherto best known for his work on the Ali G Show and Flight Of The Conchords for TV and for two Muppet movies).

Recommended Read more Johnny Depp pranks Disneyland goers as the Mad Hatter

The story begins (bizarrely) Master And Commander-style with a very spectacular storm at sea. Alice, the ingenue who disappeared down a rabbit hole in the first film, has somehow turned into a hardbitten ships captain. Back home in 1870s London, her mother (Lindsay Duncan) is in a parlous financial state, about to lose the family home. Alices jilted suitor Hamish (Leo Bill), now married to another woman, is keen to grind Alice down and to force her to take a menial office job. Its at this point she disappears through the looking glass.

In Wonderland, everyone is as glum as they are in London. Hatter is very depressed and feels betrayed when Alice suggests it will be impossible to bring his family back to life. The White Queen (Anne Hathaway) advises Alice that the only way of saving Hatter is travelling into the past. Alice, therefore, visits Time, a Wizard of Oz-like magus played by Sacha Baron Cohen (clearly modelling his portentous German accent on that of filmmaker Werner Herzog.) Alice steals his Chronosphere and heads back across the oceans of time.

The film is full of visual and verbal gags about the nature of time. Seconds are portrayed as little mechanical creatures that turn into minutes. The Chronosphere itself is the kind of device you might expect to find in an HG Wells story about time travel.

 Alice Through The Looking Glass Featurette - Return To Underland

In its quieter moments, Through The Looking Glass is dealing with yearning, guilt, and regret. We discover just why the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter again in splendidly imperious, Bette Davis-like form) is so keen to cut off peoples heads and learn dark secrets about the White Queens biscuit-eating childhood. Screenwriter Linda Woolverton shows considerable ingenuity in the way she creates backstories for Lewis Carrolls characters.

The performances are appealing; Depp plays the Hatter as an absent-minded, gap-toothed, slightly forlorn and foppish English aristocrat who has forgotten how to laugh. Wasikowskas Alice is resilient and single-minded: a no-nonsense Victorian action-heroine who defies the doctors description of her as a "textbook case of female hysteria." Theres an obvious poignancy in hearing the late Alan Rickmans instantly recognisable voice as Absolem, the sardonic caterpillar who beckons Alice back down to Underland.

Visually, the film impresses too. The use of 3D is far more inventive than in most movies blending live action and animation. There are constant switches in size and perspective and its scenes of characters running down corridors or falling from great heights. The colour is luxuriant; the costume and production design are lavish in the extreme.

For all its strengths, the film feels very overcooked. There is just too much thrown into the mix. In any given scene, there will always be a myriad of distractions. Instead of focusing on the plot, youll notice the extravagant whiskers of the Victorian gentlemen or the miniature portraits hanging in the background or the different shades in Alices multi-coloured kimono. There are so many trick shots and special effects, so much fairground spectacle, so much kitsch and bombast that the human factor here risks being squashed out of existence.
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You can imagine the panic spreading across Meghan Trainors team earlier this week, when fans spotted and started reposting shots from Trainors new video Me Too in which her waist had been very obviously digitally reduced. How did we miss this? HOW? Who signed off on this? Theyre gonna get it. Yes the labels saying it was management. Managements blaming the label. The editor said he just did as he was told. No, the directors in Mexico already on Ariana. Meghan just wants to have whoevers head it was on a stick. Someone get Vevo on the phone, like NOW!

For an artist whose entire shtick is based around celebrating the more curvaceous female form with songs like All About That Bass this could be career suicide. Her biggest hit literally calls out the use of Photoshop, and despite some criticising Trainors opportunistic take on en vogue faux feminism, personally Im relieved theres at least one less greased up bikini clad size six chanteuse just to give me a bit of variety when Im sweating on the treadmill watching The Box telling myself all my problems will melt away if I can just get that thin.

With Trainors new album due in a week, cynics claimed this was all a bit too fortunate timing, and a strategically constructed press stunt. But in reality, anyone with a cursory knowledge of a major label marketing department will tell you it's unlikely that much blue sky thinking went into an artist like Meghan's campaign. For a video that begins with Meghan somewhat refreshingly jumping around in a giraffe onesie brushing her teeth and driving a car with her girlfriend whilst some men bop around in the back, purposely photoshopping the final dance scene just to cause a stir does seem a bit long winded.

Recommended Read more Meghan Trainor removes video after claiming it was Photoshopped

It is difficult to believe that simply no one noticed until fans picked up on this. But I think this is testament to how desensitised we've become to these warped pop images. This stuff is nothing new, but Im not sure if people really realise the extent to which image manipulation happens, especially in pop music videos and even more so with female artists. I remember a music video director once telling me You should have seen Beyonces ass before we got in the edit. From personal experience I had a shot I requested to remove once from a video as I thought I looked flat chested (why I was bothered by this and not more focussed on whether the song and video itself were any good is just further proof of how deep these anxieties run). Before I knew it, thered been a quick-fix augmentation and I was told the director was insisting on keeping the shot in, although in retrospect Im not entirely sure this was the case. Ive had other episodes where I had literally no input on my body being distorted or stretched to look taller and thinner, and photos running to print. It is very difficult as you feel you are not in control of your own body or how it's being represented, and have heard countless stories from other artists, it being well known how widespread this practice is. You only need to glance across Meghan Trainors artwork discography and you will struggle to find an image that hasnt been retouched in some way.

Culture news in pictures Show all 33 1 /33 Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures 30 September 2016 An employee hangs works of art with "Grand Teatro" by Marino Marini (R) and bronze sculpture "Sfera N.3" by Arnaldo Pomodoro seen ahead of a Contemporary Art auction on 7 October, at Sotheby's in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 29 September 2016 Street art by Portuguese artist Odeith is seen in Dresden, during an exhibition "Magic City - art of the streets" AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 Dancers attend a photocall for the new "THE ONE Grand Show" at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, Germany REUTERS Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 With an array of thrift store china, humorous souvenirs and handmade tile adorning its walls and floors, the Mosaic Tile House in Venice stands as a monument to two decades of artistic collaboration between Cheri Pann and husband Gonzalo Duran REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A gallery assistant poses amongst work by Anthea Hamilton from her nominated show "Lichen! Libido!(London!) Chastity!" at a preview of the Turner Prize in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A technician wearing virtual reality glasses checks his installation in three British public telephone booths, set up outside the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands. The installation allows visitors a 3-D look into the museum which has twenty-two paintings belonging to the British Royal Collection, on loan for an exhibit from 29 September 2016 till 8 January 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 An Indian artist dressed as Hindu god Shiva performs on a chariot as he participates in a religious procession 'Ravan ki Barat' held to mark the forthcoming Dussehra festival in Allahabad AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Air Power', 1984, is displayed at the Bowie/Collector media preview at Sotheby's in New York AFP/Getty Culture news in pictures 25 September 2016 A woman looks at an untitled painting by Albert Oehlen during the opening of an exhibition of works by German artists Georg Baselitz and Albert Oehlen in Reutlingen, Germany. The exhibition runs at the Kunstverein (art society) Reutlingen until 15 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 24 September 2016 Fan BingBing (C) attends the closing ceremony of the 64th San Sebastian Film Festival at Kursaal in San Sebastian, Spain Getty Images Culture news in pictures 23 September 2016 A view of the artwork 'You Are Metamorphosing' (1964) as part of the exhibition 'Retrospektive' of Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo at Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany. The exhibition runs from 25 September 2016 to 1 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 22 September 2016 Jo Applin from the Courtauld Institute of Art looks at Green Tilework in Live Flesh by Adriana Vareja, which features in a new exhibition, Flesh, at York Art Gallery. The new exhibition features works by Degas, Chardin, Francis Bacon and Sarah Lucas, showing how flesh has been portrayed by artists over the last 600 years PA Culture news in pictures 21 September 2016 Performers Sean Atkins and Sally Miller standing in for the characters played by Asa Butterfield and Ella Purnell during a photocall for Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children" at Potters Field Park in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A detail from the blanket 'Alpine Cattle Drive' from 1926 by artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is displayed at the 'Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum for Contemporary Arts' in Berlin. The exhibition named 'Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Hieroglyphen' showing the complete collection of Berlin's Nationalgallerie works of the German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and will run from 23 September 2016 until 26 February 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A man looks at portrait photos by US photographer Bruce Gilden in the exhibition 'Masters of Photography' at the photokina in Cologne, Germany. The trade fair on photography, photokina, schowcases some 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries and runs from 20 to 25 September. The event also features various photo exhibitions EPA Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A woman looks at 'Blue Poles', 1952 by Jackson Pollock during a photocall at the Royal Academy of Arts, London PA Culture news in pictures 19 September 2016 Art installation The Refusal of Time, a collaboration with Philip Miller, Catherine Meyburgh and Peter Galison, which features as part of the William Kentridge exhibition Thick Time, showing from 21 September to 15 January at the Whitechapel Gallery in London PA Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Artists creating one off designs at the Mm6 Maison Margiela presentation during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer collections 2017 in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Bethenny Frankel attends the special screening of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Edition release on Blu-Ray and DVD in New York City Getty Images for Walt Disney Stu Culture news in pictures 17 September 2016 Visitors attend the 2016 Oktoberfest beer festival at Theresienwiese in Munich, Germany Getty Images Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Visitors looks at British artist Damien Hirst work of art 'The Incomplete Truth', during the 13th Yalta Annual Meeting entitled 'The World, Europe and Ukraine: storms of changes', organised by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev AP Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Tracey Emin's "My Bed" is exhibited at the Tate Liverpool as part of the exhibition Tracey Emin And William Blake In Focus, which highlights surprising links between the two artists Getty Images Culture news in pictures 15 September 2016 Musician Dave Grohl (L) joins musician Tom Morello of Prophets of Rage onstage at the Forum in Inglewood, California Getty Images Culture news in pictures 14 September 2016 Model feebee poses as part of art installation "Narcissism : Dazzle room" made by artist Shigeki Matsuyama at rooms33 fashion and design exhibition in Tokyo. Matsuyama's installation features a strong contrast of black and white, which he learned from dazzle camouflage used mainly in World War I AP Culture news in pictures 13 September 2016 Visitors look at artworks by Chinese painter Cui Ruzhuo during the exhibition 'Glossiness of Uncarved Jade' held at the exhibition hall 'Manezh' in St. Petersburg, Russia. More than 200 paintings by the Chinese artist are presented until 25 September EPA Culture news in pictures 12 September 2016 A visitor looks at Raphael's painting 'Extase de Sainte Cecile', 1515, from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence during the opening of a Raphael exhibition at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia. The first Russian exhibition of the works of the Italian Renaissance artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino includes eight paintings and three drawings which come from Italy. Th exhibit opens to the public from 13 September to 11 December EPA Culture news in pictures 11 September 2016 Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd perform during Otis Redding 75th Birthday Celebration - Rehearsals at the Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia Getty Images for Otis Redding 75 Culture news in pictures 10 September 2016 Sakari Oramo conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC Singers at the Last Night of the Proms 2016 at the Royal Albert Hall in London PA Culture news in pictures 9 September 2016 A visitor walks past a piece entitled "Fruitcake" by Joana Vasconcelo, during the Beyond Limits selling exhibition at Chatsworth House near Bakewell REUTERS Culture news in pictures 8 September 2016 A sculpture of a crescent standing on the 2,140 meters high mountain 'Freiheit' (German for 'freedom'), in the Alpstein region of the Appenzell alps, eastern Switzerland. The sculpture is lighted during the nights by means of solar panels. The 38-year-old Swiss artist and atheist Christian Meier set the crescent on the peak to start a debate on the meaning of religious symbols - as summit crosses - on mountains. 'Because so many peaks have crosses on them, it struck me as a great idea to put up an equally absurd contrast'. 'Naturally I wanted to provoke in a fun way. But it goes beyond that. The actions of an artist should be food for thought, both visually and in content' EPA Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures

The problem is the music industry just cant help itself. These tactics run so deep, the pop rule book is out of date but still referred to especially at major labels, and they just cant seem to shake the notion of how pop stars should or shouldnt look. If someone sees the opportunity to meddle or fix something, they probably will, and this will just be thought of as doing their job properly. The music industry is being slowly grabbed kicking and screaming into the future, with the last few major labels being pulled last digging their nails into the floor. Even if artists are allowed to be different, if you look closely youll still see how they fit into vague tropes or stereotypes, the curvy like Meghan or Adele, the pixi like Grimes, kooky Florence or girl next door Ellie Goulding or Carly Rae Jepsen.

I actually think it can be seen as a small triumph that, assuming this was a genuine error, Meghan and her team insisted the video be removed and re-posted quickly in its original form. It arguably turned what could have been a swift curtain call to fairly brief pop-life, into a move of empowerment. Or if this was all just an elaborately engineered publicity stunt Im still glad it hit the headlines, and that the discussion of body image and manipulation has that comes with it. Every time something like this is called out it helps demystify the process and expose what's really at work in the continual production of body images that add up to create the constant pressure most women feel about their body. So stunt or no stunt I for one enjoyed seeing Meghan in her full glory busting out a classic dance line up routine, with every frequency intact!

Little Boots' new EP Afterhours will be released in June via On Repeat Records.

Victoria is currently developing LOOP, an alternative city guide app curated by musicians
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Wild Beasts have announced the follow-up album to 2014s Present Tense, an apocalyptic album exploring sex and death.

Boy King, which was written in London and recording in Dallas, Texas, has a release date of 5 August.

The first single to be taken from it, Get My Bang was launched with a music video today - not seeing a huge departure in sound, but a little more emphasis on rock as opposed to Present Tenses layered, dancefloor-orientated lead single, Wanderlust.

"I think Boy King is an apocalyptic record," said frontman Hayden Thorpe. "It's about swimming in the abyss. When you think about sex, you've got to think about death, they're one and the same.

"It became apparent that that guitar almost became the character within the songs, that phallic character, the all-conquering male.

"I'm letting my inner Byron fully out. I thought I'd tucked him away, but he came screaming back like the Incredible Hulk."

Wild Beasts head out on a UK tour in support of the tour in the autumn, taking in dates at Bristol, Oxford, Sheffield, Cambridge, London, Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester.
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** Spoilers for Game of Thrones season 6 episode 5 **

This season of Game of Thrones has already brought about numerous huge revelations, many of which have stemmed from Bran and his visions.

In The Door, we learnt how Hodor got his name - from a bizarre time paradox that saw a young Hodors mind transported into the older Hodors body, leading to *that* emotional Hold the Door scene.

Unfortunately, Hodors death, Summers death, and the Three-Eyed Ravens death all stem from Bran waking up in the middle of the night and accessing weirwood.net without his mentors help.

The House Sigils in Game of Thrones Show all 36 1 /36 The House Sigils in Game of Thrones The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Bolton A red flayed man, hanging upside-down on a white X-shaped cross, on a black background. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Stark of Winterfell A grey direwolf on a white plain. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Blackfyre A black three-headed dragon on a red field, reversing the colors the Targaryen heraldry, as is the custom for bastard children. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Targaryen A red three-headed dragon on a black field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Whent Nine black bats on a gold field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Umber Four gold chains linked by a central ring on red. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Swyft A blue rooster on a yellow field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Reyne A red lion with a forked tail on a silver field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Redwyne A burgundy grape cluster on white. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Marbrand A burning tree on smoke grey. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Mallister A silver eagle on a blue field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Whitehill A white pile inverted on indigo, with a single four-pointed star above. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Lefford A golden pile on blue, a sun right in the sky. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Karstark A white sunburst on black. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Tyrell of Highgarden A golden rose on a green field The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Tully A silver trout on a red and blue background. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Tarth Yellow suns on rose quartered with white crescents on azure. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Tarly A red huntsman on green The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Selmy Three stalks of yellow wheat on a brown field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Royce A shower of pebbles on an orange field, surrounded by runes. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Mormont A black bear in a green wood on a white field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Martell of Sunspear A red sun pierced by a gold spear, on an orange field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Lannister of Casterly Rock A golden lion on a red field The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Greyjoy A golden kraken on a black field The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Frey The Twins and the bridge, on a grey field, surmounting an escutcheon of blue water. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Forrester A white ironwood tree on a black field embellished with a black sword. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Baratheon of Dragonstone The crowned black stag of Baratheon enclosed within the fiery red heart of the Lord of Light. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Arryn A white falcon and crescent moon on a blue field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Dayne of Starfall A sword and falling star on a lavender field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Dondarrion A forked purple lightning bolt on a black starry sky. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Crakehall A black and white brindled boar on brown. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Clegane Three black dogs on a yellow field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Bracken A red stallion on a gold field. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Blackwood A flock of black ravens surmounting a dead white weirwood tree. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Baratheon of Storm's End A crowned black stag rampant on a gold field. It only gained the crown after Robert usurped the Iron Throne. The House Sigils in Game of Thrones House Baelish A black mockingbird on a yellow field; Petyr Baelish's self-fashioned sigil.

As expected, the internet was outraged; Brans journey has led to almost every character he meets dying.

However, its not just keyboard warriors who are annoyed at the young Stark, even the actor who plays Bran is pretty aggravated by his character. Isaac Wright tweeted out Nice One, Bran, just hours after the episode aired in the US.

Yeah, nice one, Bran! You idiot! Why would you get our beloved Hodor killed? Anyway, if youre confused about how this time travelling fiasco is all working out in Game of Thrones, weve attempted to explain it in a piece titled How Bran, time travel and Hodor could legitimise some very strange theories.

 Game Of Thrones Season 6 Episode 6 Preview

Meanwhile, in other Game of Thrones news (because there is other GOT news), Khaleesi actor Emilia Clarke explained why she danced the funky chicken at her initial audition, while - during the episode - the penis was finally freed.
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Friends of the Earth is considering legal action after councillors voted to allow fracking in the North York Moors National Park  the first time the controversial gas-extraction technique has been approved in the UK for more than five years.

However the campaign group said the only real hope was that the decision could be overturned on a technicality as local people are not allowed to appeal a decision to grant planning permission to a developer.

North Yorkshire County Councils planning committee voted seven to four to permit UK firm Third Energy to frack for shale gas near the village of Kirby Misperton, despite 4,375 letters of objection and 36 in support.

A spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth said: The community cannot appeal  only the developers can appeal.

The only option available would be a judicial review, which we will consider.

A judicial review is always done on the legalities, the technicalities. Its never the actual decision, its the way in which the decision was reached.

So its something we will consider but it needs careful thought.

It is now feared that smaller energy firms will start submitting potentially thousands of applications for fracking operations, which could result in the largest industrialisation of the countryside ever carried out in Britain.

Fracking wells drill down into shale rock, then send down a mixture of water and other chemicals at high pressure to fracture the rocks and release the gas trapped within. However this only affects a small area around the actual well and in the US and Australia densities have reached as high as eight wells per square mile.

Third Energy was given permission to frack about half a mile from Kirby Misperton.

Local protester Sue Gough, who lives in Little Barugh, said: I just cant believe that the committee has approved this application and totally ignored those people who will be directly affected by fracking.

They have effectively now opened the floodgates for every fracking company to follow in Third Energys footsteps and bring about the industrialisation and destruction of not only Ryedale, but potentially the whole of North Yorkshire and swathes of the rest of the UK.

This is not scaremongering  we know about the risks to public health and well-being and the impact on the environment.

Councillors have heard for themselves how one resident has already become ill and frightened because of the constant drilling of this well that has already taken place prior to Third Energys intention to frack it.

Ian Conlan, from local campaign group Frack Free Ryedale, said it was just appalling that councillors had approved the application despite the strength of public opposition.

What faith can local people have in democracy if the members of the planning committee can just completely ignore both the strength of local opinion and the sound planning grounds that objectors have raised? It is a sham, he said.

He called on Barclays Bank, a subsidiary of which owns 97 per cent of Third Energy, to pull the plug on the firm and redirect their investments towards renewable energy that has genuine community support.

The last time fracking took place in the UK was 2011 when two earthquakes were caused while another company looked for shale gas near Blackpool. This led to a temporary ban.

The UK Government has said it is going "all out for shale" to boost the economy. In contrast, the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have said they will oppose fracking until further research is done into the impacts.

Campaigners against fracking oppose it because it is creating another fossil fuel that will produce greenhouse gases when it is used, but also because of concerns about the potential leakage of gases such as ethane into the atmosphere and pollution of groundwater.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA

Rasik Valand, Third Energy's chief executive, thanked the council for the decision.

I know that this not a decision that they have taken lightly, especially given the technical complexities and number of presentations made," he said.

"This approval is not a victory, but is a huge responsibility. We will have to deliver on our commitment, made to the committee and to the people of Ryedale, to undertake this operation safely and without impacting on the local environment.

"The purpose of this application is to establish if the gas seen in some samples in this hybrid sandstone shale formation can be made to flow, at what process conditions and for how long. If this flows then we will need to assess how it performs for some months before making any conclusions."
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Why are we asking this now?

Controversial plans to start fracking in North Yorkshire have been given the go-ahead despite fierce opposition.

The Government could now face legal action, after protesters said the decision "opened the floodgates for every fracking company ... to bring about the industrialisation and destruction" of large areas of the countryside.

What is fracking?

More properly known as hydraulic fracturing, fracking is a process in which liquid is pumped deep underground at high pressure to fracture shale rock and release gas or oil trapped within it.

How much potential is there for developing shale gas and oil?

Assessments by the British Geological Survey suggest there are an estimated 1,300 trillion cubic feet of shale gas resources in the Bowland Shale which stretches across northern England.

Recommended Read more Activists consider legal action as fracking allowed in national park

There are "modest" shale gas and oil resources in Scotland, with an estimated 80 trillion cubic feet in the Midland Valley and an estimated 6 billion barrels of shale oil in the area which stretches across Scotland and includes Glasgow and Edinburgh.

And there is an estimated 4.4 billion barrels of shale oil in the Weald Basin in southern England.

But it is not known how much can be extracted, with exploitable reserves thought to be much lower than the total estimated oil and gas.

Why is fracking controversial?

The process has been mired in controversy since it hit the headlines in 2011 for causing two minor earthquakes in Lancashire, prompting a temporary ban on fracking in the UK.

The ban was later lifted, with controls put in place to prevent tremors, but fracking continues to attract opponents who fear it can also cause water contamination, noise and traffic pollution.

Environmentalists also warn that pursuing new sources of gas - a fossil fuel - is not compatible with efforts to tackle climate change, and that the focus should be on developing cleaner sources of energy such as renewables.

Why is it backed by the Government?

Ministers believe the experience of the US, where shale gas has been widely exploited, shows it could boost tax revenues, create jobs, reduce reliance on energy imports and bring down household fuel bills, although experts have questioned whether it would have any impact on energy prices.

The Government sees gas as key to future energy supplies as it bids to phase out the most polluting electricity source, coal, by 2025, and has said it is going "all out for shale", with tax breaks and community payments to get the industry going.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA

What is happening in Yorkshire?

North Yorkshire County Council has backed an application by UK firm Third Energy to frack for shale gas at its existing drilling site near the village of Kirby Misperton, between Malton and Pickering, in North Yorkshire. It is the first council to green light fracking in the UK.

Where else has fracking been pursued?

Lancashire County Council turned down shale gas company Cuadrilla's planning application for exploratory drilling and fracking at two sites near Preston, in Lancashire, last June.

The applications have gone to a public inquiry which is due to put its recommendations to the Government by early July.

In 2014, Celtique Energie saw its application to drill a temporary well to test for oil and gas in the South Downs National Park, near the village of Fernhurst, West Sussex, turned down.

The refusal came after West Sussex County Council rejected a bid by Celtique for exploration near Wisborough Green, a conservation area just outside the South Downs National Park, the first time a council rejected a planning application from a shale firm.

Protesters stopped Cuadrilla drilling a test site in the West Sussex village of Balcombe in summer 2013.

In Scotland, a moratorium is in place against fracking.
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A hunter has shot and killed a rare 'grolar bear' in Canada as researchers warn the existence of the hybrid could ultimately spell the end of the polar bear, the world's largest land carnivore.

Didji Ishalook, 25, told the Toronto Star he thought he had spotted a polar bear or an Arctic fox near Nunavut on Hudson Bay. But DNA testing seems likely to show that Mr Ishalook actually shot a rare cross between the two species, who normally live in very different climates.

Polar and grizzly bears are increasingly mating with each other as the warming Arctic allows the two species to come into contact more often. A number of hybrids have been DNA tested in recent years.

However researchers have warned the existence of hybrid pizzlies or grolars could lead to the death of the polar bear species, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Normally grizzlies are put off going into polar bear territory because they struggle in deep snow.

 Park celebrates birth of polar bear triplets

But higher temperatures mean they have been extending their range in recent years with roaming males coming into contact with female polar bears.

Andrew Derocher, a biology professor at Alberta University, said it should not be a big surprise that grizzlies are heading north because everything is, the Post reported.

While first generation hybrid bears are equally grizzly and polar bear, further breeding with grizzlies will gradually reduce the level of polar genes.

I hate to say it, but from a genetic perspective, its quite likely grizzly bears will eat polar bears up, genetically, Professor Deocher said.

What were starting to see in the Canadian Arctic is three-fourth grizzlies.

How do they act? Probably more like grizzly bears, living on land.

As climate change continues, terrestrial habitat is going to increase, and the likelihood is the habitat for grizzlies, a terrestrial bear, is going to get better.

He said he believed that this process  coupled with the disappearance of prime polar bear habitat is the sea ice melts  meant that well start to see polar bears on their way out.

Temperatures in the Arctic have been rising dramatically in recent years, far ahead of the global average. The level of sea ice this year has been tracking well below the historic average.

The most controversial animal killings Show all 6 1 /6 The most controversial animal killings The most controversial animal killings Cincinnati Zoo worker shots and kills Harambe, the 17-year-old gorilla Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla was shot and killed by a Cincinnati Zoo worker after a three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure and was grabbed and dragged by Harambe. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, including controversy over the choice to kill Harambe. A number of primatologists and conservationists wrote later that the zoo had no other choice under the circumstances, and that it highlighted the danger of zoo animals in close proximity to humans and the need for better standards of care Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden The most controversial animal killings Walt Palmer (left), from Minnesota, who killed Cecil, the Zimbabwean lion (pictured here with another lion shot in Africa) Walter James Palmer has been named by Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force as the shooter of Cecil, a 13-year-old prized lion. He is now wanted by Zimbabwe officials on poaching charges. The lion was protected and the subject of a decade long study by the Wildlife Unit of Oxford University in the UK. He was outfitted with a GPS collar and was killed in Hwange National Park. The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said that two men were charged with poaching in connection to Mr Palmer The most controversial animal killings Kendall Jones hunting images Kendall Jones, a 19-year-old Texas Tech university student, has provoked worldwide fury after posting pictures of herself smiling next to animals she hunted, including a lion, rhinoceros, antelope, leopard, elephant, zebra and hippopotamus The most controversial animal killings Rebecca Francis hunting images Rebecca Francis, a huntress who has killed dozens of wild animals has been sent death wishes by furious social media users after a picture showing her lying down next to a dead giraffe was circulated. Rebecca Francis has a website and Facebook page dedicated to the animals she has killed in hunts across Africa and America. Francis, a prolific hunter who has also co-hosted the television show Eye of the Hunter, regularly posts pictures of herself posing next to dead bears, giraffes, buffaloes and zebras, among other animals. She uses a bow and arrow to kill her prey The most controversial animal killings The slaughter of Marius, an 18-month-old healthy giraffe in Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Zoo made the controversial decision to euthanise a healthy giraffe named Marius, which was later dissected and fed to lions as visitors watched. The slaughter sparked a furious backlash from social media users and zoo staff have received death threats by phone and email. Soon after the incident, Copenhagen Zoo faced an international outcry once again after four healthy lions were put down The most controversial animal killings Swiss Dahlholzli zoo kills healthy brown bear cub A Switzerland zoo faced heavy criticism from animal rights groups, after keepers put down a healthy brown bear cub to spare it from being bullied by its dominant male father. The 360 kg male bear Misha had already killed one of his 11-week old cubs in public and was bullying the second, staff at the zoo said, because he was jealous of the attention the cubs were receiving from their mother, Masha. Both adult brown bears had been donated to Berns Dahlholzli zoo in 2009. Campaigners condemned staff there for not separating the cubs, who are being referred to as Baby Bear Two and Baby Bear Three, and their mother from Misha after their birth in January Facebook

Polar bears are also affected by pollution in the sea such as PCBs  chemicals used in paint, pesticides and as a flame retardant among other uses  which concentrate in animals at the top of the food chain. These have been linked to cancer, brain damage and even causing the polar bears penis bone to snap off.

And Professor Derochar said while grizzlies might be winning the evolutionary race with polar bears at the moment, climate change could eventually bring about their demise too.

We wont have grizzlies or polar bears in this area, he said. If you roll the clock ahead another number of decades or a century, quite clearly its going to be no bears eventually.
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A Utah lawmaker is pushing for UK-inspired mandatory porn filters to be applied to the internet in the state.

The laws are being proposed by Republican senator Todd Weiler, who compared the effects of porn to the damage caused by tobacco in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune.

Speaking to the paper, he said: "I believe that pornography today is like tobacco was 70 years ago. 70 years ago people said tobacco's not addictive and it's not harmful, and that's what some people are saying about pornography today. I happen to believe that it is addictive and it is harmful."

He continued: "It's undermining marriages, it's undermining relationships, and ultimately if someone gets divorced, that affects the government, because we end up with more children and spouses on government welfare."

Weiler's anti-porn crusade had some success last month after his bill, which branded pornography a "public health hazard", was passed by Utah's governor Gary Herbert. However, the bill was purely ceremonial, and didn't introudce any bans or new legislation.

Now, he's pushing more concrete measures which would introduce mandatory porn filters to all internet-enabled devices, like laptops and smartphones.

If internet users in the mostly Mormon state wanted to view adult content, they would have to opt-out of the filter by contacting their internet service provider.

The raft of bills which would introduce these restrictions are in their early days. Weiler will have to wait until the Utah senate's next legislative session in January 2017 to put them forward.

The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub Show all 15 1 /15 The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>15) </b>James Rodriguez (Real Madrid) The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>14) </b>Diego Costa (Chelsea) The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>13) </b>Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>12) </b>Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG) The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>11) </b>Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) 2015 Getty Images The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>10) </b>Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich) 2015 Getty Images The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>9) </b>Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) 2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>8) </b>Eden Hazard (Chelsea) The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>7) </b>Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) 2015 Manchester United FC The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>6) </b>Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) 2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>5) </b>Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) 2015 Getty Images The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>4) </b>Neymar (Barcelona) The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>3) </b>Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2015 Getty Images The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>2) </b>David Beckham (retired) 2015 Getty Images The 15 most searched footballers on PornHub <b>1) </b>Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 2015 Getty Images

Work has already started, however, and Weiler claims he has looked to the UK for guidance, mentioning the Coalition Government's 2013 announcement that internet users would have to opt-out of automatic porn filtering.

Further restrictions, which will hide pornographic material behind age-verification blocks, were announced in the Queen's Speech this month. Details of how the verification process might work have not yet been revealed.

Critics of Weiler's proposals have said it wouldn't be feasible to reliably block all pornographic material, and have questioned whether the law would go against the First Amendment, which prevents the government from making any law to curb freedom of speech.

They have a few more months to prepare their opposition before the bills reach the state's legislature.
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Google could face a claim for billions of euros in back taxes after 100 police and tax investigators raided the companys offices in Paris as part of an investigation into alleged systematic fraud.

The army of investigators were looking for evidence that Google has full-scale business activity in France, not a mere branch office of its European headquarters in Ireland.

The internet giant is now certain to come under renewed, fresh pressure over its controversial tax affairs, which have seen its most senior executives in Britain hauled in front of parliamentary select committees to account for their legal avoidance measures.

If the French authorities decide that Google is flouting the terms of a France-Ireland tax treaty, the internet giant could face a trial for fraud and claims for several billion euros in back taxes, officials said.

The French crack-down is likely to renew criticism of the British Government, which reached a deal with the internet colossus in January involving a payment of UK back taxes of just 130m for the period 2005-2015.

The French investigation is understood to be quite separate from a claim by Paris against Google for 1.6bn in unpaid taxes filed in February.

A police car outside Google's Paris offices during a raid by investigators (MATTHIEU ALEXANDRE/AFP/Getty Images)

Over 100 tax officials and fraud squad officers raided the Google offices in Paris, close to Saint Lazare station, at 5am on Tuesday morning. The raid continued into the night.

The raiders were said to include three senior prosecutors and 25 information technology experts who were studying activities and records in Google computers.

The Paris financial prosectutors office said in statement that the raid was part of an investigation, started in 2015, into alleged serious tax fraud and conspiracy to launder money as part of serious tax fraud.

Specifically, the prosecutors office said that the investigators were searching for proof that the the company Google Ireland Ltd has a stable organisation in France. Under the bilateral France-Ireland tax treaty, Irish-based companies which have a stable or fully-functioning business in France are liable to pay French taxes.

Google has long claimed exemption from French business taxes on the grounds that its French business is an auxiliary enterprise, used only for advertising and research and similar activities.

Like many other multi-nationals based in Ireland, Google uses this exemption to pay business taxes at the low Irish rate  12.5 per cent.

Google is among a number of companies that have been attacked in Europe for paying low taxes by shuffling revenues across borders.

In a brief statement, the company said: We respect French legislation and are cooperating fulluy with the authorities to answer their questions.

Google boss Sundar Pichai denied any wrong-doing by the company (ERIC PIERMONT/AFP/Getty Images)

In January, the British Government was heavily criticised after it reached a deal with Google to pay only 130m in back taxes for the decade from 2005 to 2015.

At the time, the French Finance Minister, Michel Sapin, said: France does not negotiate on taxes.

During a visit to Paris in February  when news of the 1.6bn tax claim was leaked  the Google boss Sundar Pichai denied any wrong-doing.

We're a global company. We have to abide by tax laws everywhere, he said. We do abide by local tax laws in every single country.


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Google's Paris headquarters have been raided as part of an ongoing tax probe.

The headquarters in the ninth arrondissement were raided from 5am this morning, according to reports.

French newspaper Le Parisien said that around 100 tax officials entered the building.

Google is being investigated for the way it pays its taxes in France. It is accused of owing 1.6bn in unpaid taxes.

The latest raid follows searches at the Paris headquarters in June 2011.

Google pays taxes in Ireland, where it is charged at a lower rate than in France.

The raid comes after the European Commission tabled draft legislation to force major multinationals including Google opening up their books to disclose exactly where they are paying tax.

Google said: We comply with French law and are co-operating fully with the authorities to answer their questions.





In January, Google agreed to pay back 3 per cent in tax or 130 million, to the UK tax authorities in a deal slammed by MEPs as not fair competition even as the Chancellor George Osborne heralded the deal as a major success.

According to analysis by the Independent, Google could owe the UK six times more than it has agreed to pay, or 800 million.
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George Osborne is drifting further off course from his budget deficit reduction targets, new official figures showed today.

Public borrowing for April  the first month of the 2016-17 financial year - came in at 7.2bn. That was higher than the 6.5bn expected by economists.

The 12-month rolling sum of the deficit is now tracking at 75.6bn. The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast the deficit to fall to 55bn by next March.

Full year borrowing for 2015/16 came in at an upwardly revised 76bn - 3.8bn higher than the 72.2bn the OBR had expected in the March Budget.

Economists suggested that with the economy slowing down the chances of the Chancellor hitting his next full-year target are receding.

Borrowing would need to be 1.8bn a month lower than in 2015-16 in order to achieve the OBRs full-year forecast of 55.5bn said Martin Beck of the EY ITEM Club. This looks to be a tall order, particularly given that the recent weakness in activity appears to be dampening growth in tax receipts

Analysts added that Brexit would make the target unreachable entirely.

Should the UK vote to leave the EU in Junes referendum, the Chancellors fiscal targets and plans would undoubtedly be blown out of the water and there would need to be major adjustments said Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight.
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The campaign to elect a woman to lead the United Nations for the first time in its history is gathering pace with the field of official candidates for the job now evenly split between the genders.

With the second term of Ban Ki-Moon set to expire at the end of 2016, the final decision on who should replace him will ultimately rest with the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council, including Britain. London has openly supported finding a female Secretary General.

The contest of the worlds diplomat-in-chief has become at least partially transparent this time around with candidates being asked to make public pitches to the UN General Assembly. A first round of presentations happened in April; a second batch of runners will be heard next month.

Susana Malcorra, the foreign minister of Argentina, has jumped in (AP)

Unprecedented for certain, meanwhile, is the interest being shown in potentially picking a woman. After the Foreign Minister of Argentina, Susana Malcorra, a veteran of the UN system and a former Chief of Staff to Mr Ban, announced on 20 May her intention to seek the position, the full field of candidates became gender-balanced, with five men and five women running.

I think there is a huge achievement in what has already happened by it being an open process and that there is parity within the nominations, Shazia Rafi, a founding member of the Campaign to Elect a Woman Secretary General, told The Independent. It is five men and five men now and you have some very qualified women.

All eight Secretaries General so far have been men. Ensuring the ninth is not also a man is the urgent focus for Ms Rafis campaign, which uses the Twitter hashtag, #She4SG.

I think finally we are getting some recognition that the goal of the women peace and security agenda is the actual agenda of the UN and that everything that the UN deals withcomes from the women, Ms Rafi, a former Secretary General of Parliamentarians for Global Action, offered.

Women represent 51 of the global population, yet they had not have had that level of global recognition before, she added, saying that having a woman at the top could automatically change how the UN approaches conflict prevention in the world and confidence building.

The UN Security Council will have a first straw poll vote on whom among the candidates it might favour in July with the intention of revealing its final choice before the end of October. If there is no obvious consensus figure it is perfectly possible new candidates could jump in even at that last moment. One among those frequently mentioned is the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Because of her long experience with the UN system and a generally sound reputation within it, Ms Malcorras entry into the race is significant. Two things could stand in her way, however: Russias insistence so far that the winning candidate must come from Eastern Europe and possible British reluctance to vote for an Argentinian because of the Falkland Islands.

Moscows geographical preference could also crimp the candidacy of Helen Clark, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand and director of the UN Development Programme, UNDP. She and Antonio Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister who has also run the UNs commission for refugees, may have left the most positive impressions after the April round of presentations.

Britain, like the other permanent five members, is declining openly to back anyone, including Ms Clark, even though she is the former leader of a Commonwealth country. The UK Government believes it deserves some the credit, however, for the new openness being brought to what hitherto has been an entirely behind-closed-doors process, with the General Assembly interviews.

Those hearings have made a difference by highlighting the strengths of some candidates and the very clear weaknesses of others, a UK diplomat said, adding also that London wants to see as many women candidates as possible. We think its a good thing.

Certainly one of the most high profile women in the UN system at the moment, Ms Clark is also known to have made enemies at the UNDP, not least because of steps she took early on in her tenure significantly to reduce numbers at the agencys head office in New York.

That ruthless streak, as some describe it, could theoretically endear her to some governments who believe its time to have a UN leader willing to tackle some of the organisations bloat. On the other hand it runs up against an old adage that is applied to the murky business of choosing a UN leader: do the world powers really want a General or would they rather have a Secretary, who will be less likely to get too big for their boots?

That is a question that should also be applied to the persistent rumors about Ms Merkel. (Rumours is all they are since she has said nothing publicly about wanting to relinquish the chancellorship to take the post.)

Ms Merkel is a woman and could almost pass as an Eastern European. (She has Polish blood and grew up in East Germany.) But would Moscow, London, Paris and Washington really want someone of such stature running the shop in New York?
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Aberystwyth Universitys Mauritius campus has been criticised by a former vice-chancellor as madness, after just 40 students enrolled for its first two terms.

Professor Derec Llwyd Morgan, who ran the university in Wales for ten years from 1994, said the figures showed it was a bad decision to spend resources on the exotic island campus.

The adventure is madness, he told the BBC, [Aberystwyth] would be better concentrating their resources on high-quality staffing and attracting more domestic students."

The university said it was a level of recruitment that compares more favourably to the early phases of other international branch campuses.

Two other British universities  Wolverhampton and Middlesex  also have campuses open in Mauritius, which is popular for marine life studies and other scientific research projects.

Both Wolverhampton and Middlesex had around 90 students enrolled for their first year on their island, according to figures gathered by the countrys higher education regulator.

Earlier this academic year, Wolverhampton announced it was closing its campus after four years of study, in order to focus on its UK courses and traditional partnerships.

Quartier Militaire, Aberystwyths residential campus near Port Louis, Mauritius, offers courses in BSc degrees in Accounting and Finance and well as several Business courses to UK and international students at home and abroad.

The campus can take up to 2,000 students, despite only 40 enrolling between September and May this year. The population of Mauritius is fewer than 1.3m.

Aberystwyth admitted to spending around 600,000 on the venture by the end of April, mostly on staffing costs.

Recommended Read more University staff confirm strike action following pay dispute

Prof Morgan said: "They should never have opened this campus without ensuring there were enough students in Aberystwyth itself."

A university spokesman said the number of students at such an early stage in the development was "a positive and very successful start".

He added: "We do, however, hope to build on this significantly in the coming years."

"Establishing an overseas campus is becoming increasingly common for UK universities and we believe Aberystwyth University can play a key role in providing new opportunities for students to have access to quality education, students who otherwise could not access these types of courses due to travel or financial issues."
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Children who learn with no shoes on are more likely to behave better and obtain good grades than peers with footwear, a decade-long study has revealed.

Researchers at the University of Bournemouth found that pupils who leave their shoes outside the classroom are more likely to arrive to school earlier, leave later and read more widely  ultimately resulting in better academic achievement overall.

From observing thousands of children from 25 countries over ten years, academics say they want to encourage the practice to be adopted in UK primary and secondary schools.

There are already a number of schools in England where the policy has been implemented, following on from Scandinavian habits, where the practice is considered normal.

As well as visiting schools in New Zealand and Australia for the project, researchers studied childrens attainment at a school in west London after the habit was introduced, analysing the pupils academic results all the way up through to university.

Experts found that by removing shoes, classrooms were quieter, providing a calmer atmosphere where pupils were more willing to engage in learning activities.

In Scandinavia and other northern European countries, it is common practice to leave shoes outside the classroom during bad weather, so as not to bring in slush and snow from outside.

However schools in Spain, where it is more common to wear shoes indoors, also tested out the theory and found improved learning and pupil behaviour.

Experts believe having children remove their shoes for the classroom improves their learning because it makes them relax and feel at home, and have called on teachers in the UK to apply similar shoeless policies to give children the best possible chance of performing in their exams.

Professor Stephen Heppell, who led the research with the Centre for Excellence in Media Practice at Bournemouth University, said: Children are much more willing to sit on the floor and relax if they have no shoes on.

The last place a child would sit to read is an upright chair and weve found that 95 per cent of them actually dont read on a chair at home. When they go on holidays they read lying down.

Having conditions in the classroom that are like those at home means that more boys are reading in the classroom.

In shoeless schools children also arrive earlier and leave later, which translates into half an hour of extra learning a day on average.

Wearing socks inside also means schools spend around 20 per cent less on cleaning bills, according to Professor Heppel, and less money on furniture since children sit on cushions on the floor.

According to the academic, bullying in schools was also markedly reduced.

Because everything is going in their favour, he added, childrens academic standards tend to improve too.

The key to attainment is engagement and if children want to be there and enjoy being there, universally they do better. When they arrive late and leave early and are disengaged, their performance suffers. Kids with shoes on are less engaged than those without shoes.

Should schools in the UK wish to introduce a no-shoe policy, Mr Heppel advises that staff including head teachers and guests should also adopt the habit.

As for smelly feet, the academic said this was not a problem  childrens shoeless feet do not smell, it is the shoes that make them smelly.
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Thousands of campaigners from the Momentum movement, which grew out of Jeremy Corbyns Labour leadership campaign, will be drafted in to rally support for a Remain vote in the EU referendum, the groups leadership has confirmed.

In a boost to the Remain campaign, the group will mobilise its 100,000 registered supporters nationwide ahead of the 23 June referendum.

While not a youth movement, Momentum draws much of its support from younger voters. The Remain campaign is seeking to boost youth turnout in the referendum, with polls showing younger people are far more likely to vote to stay in.

Only 43 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds voted in the 2015 General Election, compared to two thirds of the wider population.

There had been uncertainty over whether Momentum would back a Remain vote, with some prominent left-wingers arguing that the European Union has become a vehicle for precisely the kind of austerity-driven economics the group opposes.

However, a motion of its national committee this weekend passed overwhelmingly, criticising the status quo in the EU, but concluding that Britain leaving the EU would be a victory for the nationalist right and their campaign against migrants.

A survey of Momentum members found that 66.5 per cent wanted the group to campaign for Remain.

Announcing the outcome yesterday, Emma Rees, a national organiser for Momentum, said: Although individuals will be free to take whatever position they wish, we will be now be mobilising our resources and networks and fighting hard to keep Britain in the EU, with a very different message to that of David Cameron.

Polling has shown that the votes of Labour supporters could be crucial in the referendum. While around two thirds back a Remain vote, little more than half say they are very likely to vote, according to research by GQRR.

Support for Brexit increases among older voters, who are more likely to vote, so the Remain campaigns ability to motivate soft Labour Remain voters to turn out could be pivotal.

Momentum will launch their campaign, under the banner Another Europe is Possible with a campaign event on Saturday attended by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis.

The groups decision came as senior Labour figures warned that the EU debate risked becoming a proxy leadership election in the Conservative party, that could turn off supporters of other parties.

Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle said the debate had so far resembled an unmistakably masculine playground spat taking place between Tory blokes fighting a proxy leadership election, pitting Boris Johnson with his blunder-bus against George Osborne with his dwindling hopes.

Meanwhile, the Remain campaign received a mixed response to a new video, aimed at increasing the youth vote, which portrayed the younger generation as workin, earnin, shoppin, ravin, chattin.

Britain Stronger In Europes #votin campaign, launched yesterday quickly started trending on social media, but was branded patronising by some.

Conservative MP and Brexit campaigner James Cleverly claimed the video, with its bass-heavy soundtrack and apparent disregard for the letter g, was clearly the brainchild of someone in their 50s.

However, fellow Tory Sam Gyimah, an education minister, said it was the job of us politicians to make politics engaging and accessible  less official, less formal, more casual.
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The eve before Bill Cosby returned to a Pennsylvania courthouse for a preliminary hearing in his sexual assault case, The Associated Press dropped a bomb, revealing that in 2005 the disgraced comedian admitted to having sexual relations with teens and paying off alleged victims.

Cosby, 78, has been criminally charged with drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former employee at his alma mater Temple University. He was arrested ten years after the assault complaint when a deposition in the lawsuit became public.

In the sworn deposition, Constands lawyer Dolores Troiani grills Cosby, accusing him of drugging women before sex, paying hush money to victims and hosting 17-year-olds at his home.

Troiani: She says that just days after ... she told you that she did not drink, you told her to come over to [your townhouse] and served her amaretto. Do you recall serving her amaretto?

Cosby: No.

That you told her to sit next to you on the couch and that you put your arm around her and began massaging her shoulder and arms suggestively. Did that occur? ... This occurred sometime after you met her parents.

I need clarification on time.

Shes 17 and I believe throughout the time she knows you she becomes 18 or 19. On a later occasion you had her masturbate you with lotion. Did that ever happen?

Yes.

Despite the admission, Cosbys lawyers have maintained his innocence throughout the years. Hes been accused of drugging and raping more than 50 women dating back to the 1960s.

Hes also been accused of sexual assault in 1976, involving 19-year-old Therese Serignese, who said Cosby drugged her with quaaludes during a consensual sexual encounter. In the deposition, Cosby admitted to paying off women through his William Morris agency to prevent his wife, Camille Cosby, from finding out.

Troiani: So, was the purpose of that to disguise

Cosby: Yes.

I have to finish my question. Was it to disguise that you were paying money to Therese?

Yes.

Who were you preventing from knowing that?

Mrs. Cosby.

On Tuesday, Constant chose not to take the witness stand in the hearing. Montgomery County Pennsylvania Judge Elizabeth McHugh told the district attorney its a risky move not to place the victim on the stand, but allowed the decision based on recent Superior Court ruling, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The detective took the stand and read Constands statement to police, saying she felt dizzy and delusional after Cosby gave her pills and alcohol: "I was lying on my left side with my knees bent. That was the last thing I remember."

More follows...
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Desmond Tutus daughter has announced she will relinquish her priesthood following her marriage to her female partner.

Reverend Mpho Tutu Van-Furth, the former Archbishop of Cape Towns daughter, said she had been forced to make the decision to leave the church after it refused to recognise her marriage.

Tutu Van-Furth married Dutch academic Marceline Furth in a small ceremony in the Netherlands.

Tutu Van-Furth was first ordained as a minister in 2004 and has campaigned against homophobia and racism since she was a teenager.

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.

Because the South African Anglican church does not recognise our marriage, I can no longer exercise my priestly ministry in South Africa, Ms Tutu-van Furth told City Press.

The bishop [of Cape Town] was instructed to revoke my licence. I decided that I would give it to him rather than have him take it.

Although same-sex marriage was legalised in South Africa in 2006, the Anglican church in the countrys law on marriage affirms: Holy matrimony is the lifelong and exclusive union between one man and one woman. There is a deep split in the South African church over LGBT issues.

Tutu, who won the 1984 Nobel peace prize for his work as an anti-apartheid activist, is an avid supporter of same-sex marriage and has campaigned against homophobia.
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A mural of Donald Trump locked in a kiss with Boris Johnson has been painted in Bristol.

It has been painted on a derelict building in Stokes Croft, Bristol by the group We Are Europe in a bid to encourage voters to vote to stay in the European Union.

The painting of one of the most prominent Brexit-backers and the presumptive US Republican candidate, who has also backed Brexit, kissing is above a slogan encouraging people to register to vote on 23 June.

The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit Show all 7 1 /7 The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 22 May 2015 In his regular column in The Express Nigel Farage utilised the concerns over Putin and the EU to deliver a tongue in cheek conclusion. With friends like these, who needs enemies? PA The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 13 November 2015 UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Mike Hookem, was one of several political figures who took no time to harness the toxic atmosphere just moments after Paris attacks to push an agenda. Cameron says were safer in the EU. Well Im in the centre of the EU and it doesnt feel very safe. Getty Images The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 19 April 2016 In an article written for The Guardian, Michael Gove attempts to bolster his argument with a highly charged metaphor in which he likens UK remaining in the EU to a hostage situation. Were voting to be hostages locked in the back of the car and driven headlong towards deeper EU integration. Rex The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 26 April 2016 In a move that is hard to decipher, let alone understand, Mike Hookem stuck it to Obama re-tweeting a UKIP advertisement that utilises a quote from the film: Love Actually to dishonour the US stance on the EU. A friend who bullies us is no longer a friend The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 10 May 2016 During a speech in London former work and pensions secretary Ian Duncan Smith said that EU migration would cause an increasing divide between people who benefit from immigration and people who couldnt not find work because of uncontrolled migration. The European Union is a force for social injustice which backs the haves rather than the have-nots. EPA The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 15 May 2016 Cartoon character Boris Johnson made the news again over controversial comments that the EU had the same goal as Hitler in trying to create a political super state. Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically. The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods. PA The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 16 May 2016 During a tour of the womens clothing manufacturer David Nieper, Boris had ample time to cook up a new metaphor, arguably eclipsing Goves in which he compares the EU to badly designed undergarments. So I just say to all those who prophecy doom and gloom for the British Business, I say their pants are on fire. Lets say knickers to the pessimists, knickers to all those who talk Britain down. Getty Images

Sharing a picture of the mural, which is called "The Kiss of Death, on their Instagram page the group wrote: Like what you see? Didn't think so [...] Register to vote and we can avoid our very own kiss of death?

Several pieces of Trump-inspired graffiti and art have been spotted during his transformation from extravagant real estate billionaire to presumptive nominee. Just recently, street graffiti on the side of a restaurant in Lithuania went viral after depicting Mr Trump in a similar kissing pose with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Both kissing photos are reminiscent of the 1979 photo of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German Chancellor Erich Honecker which can be seen today in graffiti form in the Berlin Wall.

Other artwork of Mr Trump includes a depiction of him by LA artist Illma Gore who sketched the businessman with a micropenis and displayed it at the Maddox Gallery in London.
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The Instafamous phenomenon took everyone by storm. The fashion world is still trying to stabilise itself after being thrown off-kilter by the unprecedented force of social media.

While models were chosen by photographers and upmarket fashion publications such as Vogue, who would be the driving force behind their success, now Instagram has truly arrived and deregulated the modelling industry.

Where once fashion houses introduced models debutante-style into the world, they now rise through the ranks in the unregulated channel of Instagram by building followers and commanding influence. As a result, many fashion houses seem to increasingly find themselves bowing to those online forces.

The esteemed former creative director of American Vogue, who continues to shoot editorials with the magazine, addressed this new reversal of power demonstrated by the rise and rise of Kendall Jenner and models such as Gigi Hadid, the ubiquitous pair who, alongside successful modelling careers, enjoy huge followings.

In a discussion at the fifth annual Vogue festival in London, Coddington discussed how the fashion industry had changed over five decades. One notable difference was the rise of Instagram models.

I used to be able to tell [who was going to be a famous model]," she was quoted by Fashionista by saying. I find it more difficult to predict now  now this whole thing is based on how many [followers] you have on Instagram, and not on the person, and that's a world I don't know.

It's much better when the girls are hungrier, and by hungrier I don't mean anorexic, I mean eager, she went on.

Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules Show all 9 1 /9 Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 8248.bin Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 8249.bin Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 8250.bin Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 8251.bin Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 8252.bin Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 8253.bin Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 8254.bin Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 8255.bin Age shall not wither them: Vogue's list of most glamorous women rewrites the rules 7631.bin

I've worked with Kendall. I didn't fall in love with her.

I didn't have time. It was so quick. It's much faster and you don't have time to have a relationship with these girls.

By the time I worked with Kendall she was already really famous.

She was quick to praise Jenners modelling skills after working with her a number of times since, adding: Shes a lovely girl.

Coddingtons profile was boosted by the Vogue documentary The September Issue, where she proved both popular with the audience and roundly admired by everyone within the seminal magazine.
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Robert Peston has revealed his use of cannabis as a teenager, claiming there was a lot of it around and it never did him or his friends any harm.

The political editor, who recently moved from the BBC to ITV in a reported 400,000 transition, spoke about his experiences in an interview for the BBC Radio 4 show, My Teenage Diary.

Recalling bits from his own diary, the 56-year-old said copious amounts of beer and cider were consumed while he was a teenager. From about the age of 12 or 13, cannabis was also thrown into the mix, according to the Radio Times.

Recommended Read more Robert Peston on death of his wife Sian Busby to lung cancer

We also, if Im honest, smoked a lot of dope, he told Rufus Hound. I didnt do hard drugs but from about the age of 12, 13 onwards there was a lot of dope around and we smoked it.

I'm not saying it's a good thing to smoke, Peston added. I'm just saying it happened, and if I look around at the people that I grew up with, I don't think it did any of us any serious harm.

It certainly didnt do me any serious harm.

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.

The son of economist Lord Peston, he also described his upbringing in north London in a relaxed household where he was introduced to various members of the political establishment.

My Teenage Diary airs on 31 May at 6.30pm on Radio 4
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Britain and America profoundly underestimated the chaos that would be unleashed by the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Tony Blair has admitted, in one of his starkest expressions of regret over the Iraq War.

With the long-awaited Chilcot Inquiry report into the war due to be published within weeks, Mr Blair said that the West had not foreseen the forces of destabilisation that fill the vacuum left by the dictators fall.

However, he offered no apology for the intervention to topple the Iraqi dictator, and suggested that the West should be prepared to put boots on the ground in the Middle East again if it wanted to defeat Isis.

Speaking at an event hosted by Prospect magazine, the former Prime Minister said: We underestimated profoundly the forces that were at work in the region and that would take advantage of the change once you topple the regime.

That's the lesson. The lesson is not actually complicated, the lesson is simple - it's that.

Tony Blair: A career of controversies Show all 11 1 /11 Tony Blair: A career of controversies Tony Blair: A career of controversies The Tony Blair 'selfie'.. A journalist takes a picture of Kennard Phillips 'Photo Op', depicting Prime Minister Tony Blair taking a 'selfie' in front of an explosion in Iraq, during a press viewing of the exhibition Catalyst: Contemporary Art and War Tony Blair: A career of controversies Protesters pictured outside the QEII Conference centre in London in 2011 as former British PM Tony Blair give his evidence in the Chilcot Iraq Inquiry Tony Blair: A career of controversies David Lawley-Wakelin, who disrupted Tony Blairs testimony at the Leveson Inquiry by bursting into the court Tony Blair: A career of controversies Blair giving evidence Tony Blair: A career of controversies Tony Blair visiting troops in Iraq in 2007 Tony Blair: A career of controversies Blair meeting with troops in Basra, Iraq in 2003 Tony Blair: A career of controversies Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks to British soldiers at Divisional Headquaters in Basra, May 2007 Tony Blair: A career of controversies British Prime Minister Tony Blair eats dinner with British troops in Basra, Iraq, 21 December, 2004 Tony Blair: A career of controversies Syrian president Bashar El Assad during his official visit to the United Kingdom in 2002. Mr Blair tried to engage Mr Garcia in a conversation about Syria. The former Prime Minister made clear he was very much in favour of military intervention last summer. Tony Blair: A career of controversies Syrian president Bashar El Assad and wife Asma during their official visit to the United Kingdom in 2002. Mr Blair tried to engage Mr Garcia in a conversation about Syria Tony Blair: A career of controversies Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's signature adorns a program he signed for an Iraq veteran during a reception at the Guildhall in London following the service of commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral honouring UK military and civilian personnel who served in Iraq

It's that when you remove a dictator, out come these forces of destabilisation - whether al-Qeada on the Sunni side or Iran and its militia on the other side.

However, he suggested that the Middle East would not be better off today were Saddam Hussein still in power.

There is a line today that's very common in western discourse, left and right, that says 'you know what, it would be better that these dictators stay in power', he said. I don't personally agree with it, but it doesn't matter if I agree with it or I don't. Wat the Arab Spring shows you is these countries with young populations, with radical forces operating within them, are not going to accept that.

Mr Blair did not comment on the Chilcot Report, which is due to be published in July, but his comments give a strong indication of his likely response to its findings. The report is expected to be particularly critical of planning for the conflicts aftermath, which saw Iraq descend into a bloody civil war, incubating the extremist forces which went on to establish Isis.

Mr Blair said that defeating the group, which controls major cities and swathes of territory in both Iraq and Syria, could require Western ground forces supporting local troops.

You have got to defeat these people on the ground, he said. The armed forces of America, the UK, France, other major countries have both experience and capability so even if we are using them in support of local forces, you have just got to decide what our objective Is our objective to defeat this enemy? My answer to that is yes.

He said that Western governments needed to be honest with our public about what it would take to defeat the group.

In my view, defeating them is absolutely fundamental because if we don't defeat them they are going to come and attack us here. This is not someone else's fight, it is our fight as well, he said.

The former Prime Minister fears Isis may get a stranglehold on Libya (PA)

He said it was important that Libya was not ceded to the militant group, and that if they were not dealt with they will come and attack us here.

We cannot afford to have Isis govern a large part of Libya  we shouldn't be in any doubt they need to be taken on on the ground, he said.

Ground forces currently fighting Isis in the Levant are mostly Kurdish, Iraqi government, Syrian government and other militant groups.

In Libya, where the group controls the central port city of Sirte, domestic Libyan forces have contained its advances beyond that area.

The UK is currently involved in a coalition of nations conducting air strikes against the so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Isis has been losing ground in the Levant in recent months, with Iraqi government forces now advancing on the city of Fallujah, which the group holds.

Mr Blair has previously called for Western ground forces to be used against Islamist militant groups. In an article for The Sunday Times in March he said they were necessary to beat Isis.

We must build military capability able to confront and defeat the terrorists wherever they try to hold territory, he wrote at the time.

This is not just about local forces. It is a challenge for the West. Ground forces are necessary to win this fight and ours are the most capable.
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To judge by most of the statements from leading business people, plus the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the business community seems to be against the idea of Brexit. Is that right?

Well, not all the business community is against Brexit, but the big guns are pretty much unanimous that it would be a bad idea to get out. The general view is that there will be some damage, though most business leaders qualify this by saying their own businesses will cope. They are more worried about the economy as a whole.

If there is a pattern, it is that big businesses, including foreign-owned ones, are anti-Brexit, while significant minority of smaller British-owned ones are Leavers.

Lets start with the organisations that represent business. What about the CBI?

Well, it came out firmly and aggressively against it. It produced a paper saying that leaving would cost nearly a million jobs and a loss of 100bn of national income by 2020. You can question these numbers, but what you cant question is that this is the view that the majority of its members want to get across.

And the others  for example, the Institute of Directors?

They are more nuanced. The IoD carried out a poll of its members showing that three-quarters of those responding wanted to stay in. But while it is in favour of remaining, it has hosted events presenting both sides of the argument.

A small majority of the members of the Federation of Small Businesses are in favour of remaining, as are the members of the British Chambers of Commerce. But the latest poll of the BCC members shows the Remain camp, while still a majority, is losing some ground. The BCC shift is interesting because its director-general, John Longworth, had to resign following comments that Britains long-term prospects could be brighter outside the EU.

The 10 happiest countries in Europe Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 happiest countries in Europe The 10 happiest countries in Europe Denmark Coulourful houses and boats seen in the Nyhavn district in Copenhagen The 10 happiest countries in Europe Switzerland The 10 happiest countries in Europe Iceland Iceland, Northern Lights The 10 happiest countries in Europe Norway Wheel deal: cycling in Norway Visit Norway The 10 happiest countries in Europe Finland Getty The 10 happiest countries in Europe The Netherlands The 10 happiest countries in Europe Sweden AFP The 10 happiest countries in Europe Austria Sean Gallup/Getty Images The 10 happiest countries in Europe Germany Getty Images The 10 happiest countries in Europe Belgium The city hall on Brussels' Grand Place is illuminated during a light show, December 30, 2015 Reuters

Lets move from organisations that represent business to the businesses themselves. How does the split stack up?

The heads of the majority of publicly quoted companies have been fairly cautious in their public statements. However, more than one-third of the FT100 chiefs did write a collective letter to The Times voicing their opposition to Brexit, warning that it would deter investment, threaten jobs and put the economy at risk. The companies included Rio Tinto, HSBC, AstraZeneca and Royal Dutch Shell. Large companies involved in cross-border movement of goods and people, including easyJet and Ryanair, are firmly pro-Remain. So too are the motor manufacturers.

But Toyota, notably, has insisted that whatever voters decide, it will keep its operations in the UK, and the pro-Remain stance of HSBC is slightly undermined by its former chief executive officer, Michael Geoghegan, coming out in favour of Brexit.

 EU referendum - key dates

And the other Leavers?

They are more of a varied bunch  mostly people who have built their own businesses, rather than having climbed the corporate ladder. For example, there is Tim Martin of JD Wetherspoon, John Moulton of Better Capital, David Ross, founder of Carphone Warehouse, and arguably Britains most successful inventor Sir James Dyson.

Sir James Dyson is one of the most notable pro-Brexit business figures (EPA)

Remind me  werent a lot of the companies that now want Britain to remain in the EU also in favour of it joining the euro?

Yes. And that is a weakness in their case now. The CBI, Unilever, Nissan and many others were strongly in favour of the euro, and warned that Britain would lose out if we failed to join. That proved completely wrong, and the wrong then, wrong now charge is a potent one.

But leaving the EU is a qualitatively different decision from not joining the common currency. It is a bigger decision. It would be much more disruptive. And it would be changing an existing arrangement, as opposed to retaining one.

Lets move from the opinion of the business chiefs to what we know about how their businesses might be affected. What can be said about that?

Lets start with the short-term impact. There is no doubt that a vote for Brexit would be a shock, and shocks are bad for business. People  be they consumers, producers or investors  are likely to postpone decisions until things become clearer. That is one of the uncertainties that must inevitably trouble anyone running a business. It is hard to see any possible positives and easy to see lots of potential negatives. That said, the world would not suddenly stop on its axis. So once the shock had subsided, the focus would shift to the new trade arrangement that would be negotiated.

Do we have any feeling for a shape of a new trade deal?

Not really. But the business communities on both sides of the Channel would want something fast. The rest of Europe has a large trade surplus with the UK. For example, the UK is the third-largest export market, after China and the US, for BMW cars. So European businesses would want to negotiate continued free access to the British market as much as British companies would want continued access to the EU.

There is a further dimension in that British exports have been relatively stagnant in recent years, largely as a result of slower overall growth in Europe. That is in contrast to exports to the rest of the world. But it is still a huge market. One shortcut might be were the UK to join Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland in the European Free Trade Association, but that would have some disadvantages to the UK vis-a-vis its present status of being a member of the EU but outside its two principal unifying projects, the euro and the Schengen agreement. But there would eventually have to be a deal.

This all sounds a bit negative. Are there positive elements for business in a life outside the EU?

Yes. There are two main points made by the Brexiters. One is that the UK would be free from excessive and inappropriate regulation by Brussels. This is seen, particularly by smaller businesses, as a major drag on their performance as well as being a serious irritation. The other is that leaving the EU would force them to look for new and faster-growing markets. In the long-run this might actually be better for growth, jobs and earnings. But that might not turn out to be the case and meanwhile there would be a lot of uncertainty.
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A car was pursued by a loyal 20,000-strong swarm of bees for two days after their queen got trapped in the boot.

The disgruntled swarm chased the 4x4 through Haverfordwest, west Wales, and attached themselves to the rear of the car where they remained for over 48 hours.

Carol Howarth, a 65-year-old grandmother, said she had never seen anything like it when thousands of the insects flew at the back of her silver Mitsubishi Outlander.

Five beekeepers, park wardens and passers spent hours trying to get the bees into a cardboard box in which they could be transported safely away.

However shortly after this was achieved, the wind blew off the lid of the box and the queen became lodged in the cars rear compartment once again.

The owner drove away unaware before the swarm returned to the car once more in an attempt to rescue their trapped matriarch.

Roger Burns, from Pembrokeshire Beekeepers Association, told the Milford Mercury: We think the queen had been attracted to something in the car, perhaps something sweet, and had got into a gap on the boots wiper blade or perhaps the hinge.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Show all 26 1 /26 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year A polar bear's struggle - Highly Commended Justins whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter's camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food. Justin Hofman / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Curious Encounter - Shortlisted Cristobal Serrano, Spain. Any close encounter with an animal in the vast wilderness of Antarctica happens by chance, so Cristobal was thrilled by this spontaneous meeting with a crabeater seal off of Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula. These curious creatures are protected and, with few predators, thrive. Cristobal Serrano / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Bond of brothers - Winner David Lloyd, New Zealand / UK. These two adult males, probably brothers, greeted and rubbed faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience, and David was honoured to have experienced and captured such a moment.The picture was taken in Ndutu, Serengeti, Tanzania. David Lloyd / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Fox meets fox - Highly Commended Matthew Maran, UK. Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts his persistence paid off. Matthew Maran / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Three Kings - Highly Commended Wim Van Den Heever, South Africa. Wim came across these king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands just as the sun was rising. They were caught up in a fascinating mating behaviour the two males were constantly moving around the female using their flippers to fend the other off. Wim Van Den Heever / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year One toy, three dogs - Highly Commended Bence Mate, Hungary. While adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. Bence photographed these brothers in Mkuze, South Africa they all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in three different directions! Bence Mate / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Clam Close-up - Shortlisted David Barrio, Spain. This macro-shot of an iridescent clam was taken in the Southern Red Sea, Marsa Alam, Egypt. These clams spend their lives embedded amongst stony corals, where they nest and grow. It took David some time to approach the clam, fearing it would sense his movements and snap shut! David Barrio / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year The Orphaned Beaver - Shortlisted Suzi Eszterhas, United States. A one-month-old orphaned North American beaver kit is held by a caretaker at the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Arlington, Washington. Luckily it was paired with a female beaver who took on the role of mother and they were later released into the wild. Suzi Eszterhas / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Ice and Water - Shortlisted Audun Lie Dahl, Norway. The Brasvellbreen glacier moves southwards from one of the ice caps covering the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Where it meets the sea, the glacier wall is so high that only the waterfalls are visible, so Audun used a drone to capture this unique perspective Audun Lie Dahl / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Teenager - Shortlisted Franco Banfi, Switzerland. Franco was free diving off Dominica in the Caribbean Sea when he witnessed this young male sperm whale trying to copulate with a female. Unfortunately for him her calf was always in the way and the frisky male had to continually chase off the troublesome calf. Franco Banfi / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Resting Mountain Gorilla - Shortlisted David Lloyd. The baby gorilla clung to its mother whilst keeping a curious eye on David. He had been trekking in South Bwindi, Uganda, whenhe came across the whole family. Following them, they then stopped in a small clearing to relax and groom each other. David Lloyd / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Painted Waterfall - Shorltisted Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal, Spain. When the sun beams through a hole in the rock at the foot of the La Foradada waterfall, Catalonia, Spain, it creates a beautiful pool of light. The rays appear to paint the spray of the waterfall and create a truly magical picture. Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year The Extraction - Shortlisted Konstantin Shatenev, Russia. Every winter, hundreds of Steller's sea eagles migrate from Russia, to the relatively ice-free northeastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. They hunt for fish among the ices floes and also scavenge, following the fishing boats to feed on any discards. Konstantin took his image from a boat as the eagles retrieved a dead fish thrown onto the ice. Konstantin Shatenev / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Shy - Shortlisted Pedro Carrillo, Spain. The mesmerizing pattern of a beaded sand anemone beautifully frames a juvenile Clarkii clownfish in Lembehstrait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Known as a 'nursery' anemone, it is often a temporary home for young clownfish until they find a more suitable host anemone for adulthood. Pedro Carrillo / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Red, Silver and Black - Shortlisted TinMan Lee, USA. Tin was fortunate enough to be told about a fox den in Washington State, North America, which was home to a family of red, black and silver foxes. After days of waiting for good weather he was finally rewarded with this touching moment. Tin Man Lee / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Isolated - Shortlisted Anna Henly, UK. Snapped from a helicopter, this isolated tree stands in a cultivated field on the edge of a tropical forest on Kauai, Hawaii. The manmade straight lines of the ploughed furrows are interrupted beautifully by natures more unruly wild pattern of tree branches. Anna Henly / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Sound Asleep - Shortlisted Tony Wu, USA. This adult humpback whale balanced in mid-water, headon and sound asleep was photographed in Vavau, Kingdom of Tonga. The faint stream of bubbles, visible at the top, is coming from the whales two blowholes and was, in this instance, indicative of an extremely relaxed state. Tony Wu / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year All That Remains - Shortlisted Phil Jones, UK. A male orca had beached itself about a week before Phils visit to Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands. Despite its huge size the shifting sands had almost covered the whole carcass and scavengers, such as this striated caracara, had started to move in. Phil Jones / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Ambush - Shortlisted Federico Veronesi, Kenya. On a hot morning at the Chitake Springs, in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Federico watched as an old lioness descended from the top of the riverbank. Shed been lying in wait to ambush any passing animals visiting a nearby waterhole further along the riverbed. Federico Veronesi / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Gliding - Shortlisted Christian Vizl, Mexico. With conditions of perfect visibility and beautiful sunlight, Christian took this portrait of a nurse shark gliding through the ocean off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas. Typically these sharks are found near sandy bottoms where they rest, so its rare to see them swimming. Christian Vizl / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Otherworldly - Shortlisted A school of Munk's devil ray were feeding on plankton at night off the coast of Isla Espiritu Santo in Baja California, Mexico. Franco used the underwater lights from his boat and a long exposure to create this otherworldly image. Franco Banfi / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year The Bats Wake - Shortlisted Antonio Leiva Sanchez, Spain. After several months of field research into a little colony of greater mouse-eared bats in Sucs, Lleida, Spain, Antonio managed to capture this bat mid-flight. He used a technique of high speed photography with flashes combined with continuous light to create the wake. Antonio Leiva Sanchez / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Under the Snow - Shortlisted Audren Morel, France. Unafraid of the snowy blizzard, this squirrel came to visit Audren as he was taking photographs of birds in the small Jura village of Les Fourgs, France. Impressed by the squirrels endurance, he made it the subject of the shoot. Audren Morel / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Unique Bill - Shortlisted Rob Blanken, The Netherlands. The pied avocet has a unique and delicate bill, which it sweeps like a scythe, as it sifts for food in shallow brackish water. This stunning portrait was taken from a hide in the northern province of Friesland in The Netherlands. Rob Blanken / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Family Portrait - Shortlisted Connor Stefanison, Canada. A great grey owl and her chicks sit in their nest in the broken top of a Douglas fir tree in Kamloops, Canada. They looked towards Connor only twice as he watched them during the nesting season from a tree hide 50 feet (15 metres) up. Connor Stefanison / Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year A dog jumps to catch a disc during a dog frisbee competition in Poznan via REUTERS

I left the cardboard box on the roof while we waited for the last few hundred bees to leave the boot but then a gust of wind blew it off and the queen fled back to the boot again.

I have been beekeeping for 30 years and I have never seen a swarm do that. It is natural for them to follow the queen but it is a strange thing to see and quite surprising to have a car followed for two days. It was quite amusing.
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Leaked Isis recruitment documents suggest an NHS doctor left his family in the UK to join Isis in Syria.

Issam Abuanza, 37, left his wife and two children at home in Sheffield to travel to Syria in 2014, the BBC reports.

After crossing in to Syria, he filled out a registration form, telling his Isis handlers he was a doctor specialising in endocrinology - the diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to hormones.

Another image on Issam Abuanza's Facebook page shows him dressed him combat fatigues, reading the Quran with an AK-47 assault rifle resting against his body (Issam Abuanza/Facebook)

Images on his Facebook account show him wearing doctors' scrubs and carrying a handgun in a holster, as he smiles and raises his index finger in the air in a gesture commonly associated with Isis.

Another photo shows him dressed him combat fatigues, reading the Quran with an AK-47 assault rifle resting against his body.

In February 2015, he posted about the burning to death of a captured Jordanian pilot by Isis, writing: "I would've liked for them to burn him extremely slowly and I could treat him so we could torch him once more."

A month earlier, he celebrated the terror attack at the Paris office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, writing: "Praise be to God for this terrorist act. God kill off their enemies, military and civilian, men and women, adult and children."

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

He has not posted anything on Facebook since October.

Abuana gained a licence to practice medicine in the UK in 2009, according to the BBC.

He qualified as a doctor in Baghdad in 2002, a year before the US-led invasion of Iraq. He worked at Glan Clwyd Hospital in North Wales from May 2007 to July 2009 and also worked at Scarborough Hospital between October 2012 and August 2013.

Before leaving to travel to Isis territory, he had been combining shifts as registrar with running online clothing company selling kaftan dresses. He dissolved the company three months before arriving in Syria.

 Isis - awards ceremony for Quran memorization

His sister, Najla Abuanza, told the BBC: "He used to be quite the dashing young man, very modern. I've no idea how he became like this or who showed him the path to terror."

She said her parents will "never forgive him. My dad's wish was to see him before he dies. He has spent all his money on him and his education and this is what he does."
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Five police control room staff working for the private security company G4S have been suspended following allegations they called 999 at quiet times to massage performance figures.

The workers, who are employed by G4S Public Services and work for Lincolnshire Police, are alleged to have made the bogus calls to ensure faster call answering times were recorded.

Lincolnshire Police, who confirmed the five workers had been suspended in a statement released on Monday, added that they will be seeking further information by interviewing these members of staff jointly with G4S.

Recommended Read more G4S guards accused of assaulting young offenders sacked

The statement added: These matters will now be dealt with through staff disciplinary procedures and the investigation must take its course.

"We have established that at no stage has there been any risk to the safety of members of the public arrangements have been made for the smooth operation of the force control room to continue and the service to the public will not be adversely affected."

Managing director for G4S Public Services, John Shaw, added: "We have suspended five employees today and have taken swift action to begin our investigation process.

"While I can reassure the public that at no stage did the actions of these people put the public or police colleagues at risk, I am nevertheless dismayed that this group of staff sought to influence important performance measurements. We continue to work closely with the force and share any data and other information required.

"There is no place for anyone in our organisation who behaves in this way and their actions undermine the commitment and the good work of their colleagues."

G4S and Serco face 50 million fraud inquiry Show all 4 1 /4 G4S and Serco face 50 million fraud inquiry G4S and Serco face 50 million fraud inquiry g4s2-afpgt.jpg AFP/Getty Images G4S and Serco face 50 million fraud inquiry g4s1-PA.jpg PA G4S and Serco face 50 million fraud inquiry g4s2-gt.jpg Getty Images G4S and Serco face 50 million fraud inquiry G4S-REX.jpg Rex Features

The Crown Prosecution Service has said that there is no evidence of criminal activity at this stage, instead the inquiry is an internal disciplinary matter. The alleged illegitimate test calls were made in October, November and December 2015. In November and December the handlers failed to meet targets, dipping to 90.19% in November and 89.24% in December.

Watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission supervised the probe. The Lincolnshire Police 999 call centre is the only one managed by G4S.

"These are incredibly serious allegations, said Labours Shadow police minister Jack Dromey. Emergency response times can mean the difference between life and death, and yet call data appears to have been purposely manipulated."

"Time and time again G4S have let down the public. This case raises serious questions about the ability of G4S to play a role in vital and sensitive public contracts."

Additional reporting by Press Association
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Children from at least 13 more schools across the UK have been evacuated after receiving a series of bomb threats from suspected hoax callers.

Counter terror police are investigating around 85 bomb threats made to schools over the past 24 hours, including seven new cases in Northern Ireland and a number of new reports from Scotland on Tuesday.

The threats follow a number of calls to approximately 27 schools across England on Monday, whereby an anonymous caller warned of a bomb on site that would take childrens heads off.

Thousands of children have been evacuated since Monday morning, the majority of whom are from primary schools. Some high school students also complained, however, of disrupted GCSE exams as a result of similar threats.

Canberra Primary in South Lanarkshire has been cordoned off and pupils have been moved to a school nearby, according to parents.

Separately, children from Carluke Primary in the same area were evacuated to nearby High Mill.

Dave Taylor, who has children at Carluke Primary, described a scene of concern and panic in South Lanarkshire.

He told Mirror Online: When you hear something like that its always a worry, especially when there are kids involved.

No alarm went off at the school. It was just a case of getting everyone out.

A Police Scotland spokesman added: Police Scotland would like to reassure the public that at present these do not appear to be credible threats, however they are being taken seriously.

Staff and police are working with local authorities and are currently searching school buildings.

Some schools as a precautionary measure, have been evacuated. Significant enquiries are underway.

Perth High School received a hoax threat but did not evacuate pupils on the advice of police.

The school added: As per national position this is not considered a credible threat.

Recommended Read more Thousands of UK pupils evacuated amid bomb scares

In Northern Ireland, the PSNI said they were investigating a series of malicious communications.

We will liaise with other UK police services who have received similar calls, to investigate who is responsible and whether these incidents are linked.

At this stage there is nothing to indicate the calls were terrorist-related, officials said.

The Department for Education said it was aware of the threats in England on Monday, but suggested that hysteria caused by the incidents may create an accumulative affect in spurring on more hoaxers.

The identity and quantity of callers has not been confirmed.
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One man has died and another is seriously injured after a crash involving a car and a heavy agricultural vehicle towing a digger.

Five other cars and a bus were also involved in the incident in Rutherglen, near Glasgow on Tuesday.

The man driving the car was pronounced dead at the scene and the male driver of the agricultural vehicle was taken to Glasgows Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Emergency services at the scene of an accident on Fernhill Road, Glasgow (PA)

Hospital staff have described his condition as serious.

Police have not revealed extensive details about the crash, however a witness told STV News the digger fell off a low loader trailer and landed on top of a car in the street.

Police Scotland said emergency services were called to the incident in Fernhill at around 11:05am.

Police at the scene of an accident on Fernhill Road, Glasgow (PA)

The bus and the five other cars which were also involved in the incident were not badly damaged, according to police.

A statement issued by Firstbus confirmed one of its vehicles had been at the scene of the crash.

Sergeant Alison McAuley said: "An extensive recovery operation, which is expected to last for several more hours, is currently under way and Fernhill Road is closed with local diversions in place.

"I would appeal to anyone who witnessed what happened to contact officers at the divisional road policing unit based at Motherwell on 101."
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A 16-year-old girl is in a serious condition after she was hit by a train during rush hour at Catford Bridge station in south-east London.

The girl was taken to hospital with head and leg injuries shortly before 8am.

Passengers praised the response of the driver, saying he minimised the distress for those on board the train.

According to Sarah Bowes, an events manager who was on the train at the time, the driver calmly informed passengers that a girl had jumped in front of the train, and to stay away from the windows.

In a short statement published on her Twitter account, she said people on the platform were screaming and crying after witnessing the incident.

However, the driver continued to give clear and calm announcements until everyone was able to leave the train.

This clear direction from him certainly minimised the distress caused to passengers on the train as the Metropolitan Police, (British) Transport Police, fire engines and trauma doctors arrived at speed.

The brilliant response of him and the emergency services mean that this 16 year old girl is now in hospital, she wrote.

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: We were called to Catford Bridge railway station after receiving reports at 7.53am on Monday of a person struck by a train.

BTP officers and colleagues from London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade attended the scene where a 16-year-old girl was treated for injuries to her head and leg. She has since been taken to a hospital where she currently remains in a serious condition.

The incident is not being treated as suspicious.

Southeastern services into London Bridge, London Cannon Street and London Charing Cross were disrupted.

Press association contributed to this report.
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The Foreign Office is being urged to relax its travel advice on Tunisia after the country has seen a 90% drop in British visitors since the beginning of year.

Britons are currently warned against all but essential travel to the north African country, guidance that has been in place since 31 British holidaymakers were killed in two terror attacks in 2015.

But the Tunisian ambassador to the UK, Nabil Ammar, told the BBC the Government should take into account security improvements that have been made over the last 12 months.

The Foreign Office said the safety of Britons is its main concern.

Mr Ammar, from Sousse, told the BBC there was now a gap between the "perception of the level of security, and the real security on the ground".

Recommended Read more How the Bardo Museum attack changed Tunisia tourism one year on

He said: "Every week terrorist cells are dismantled. Terrorists are arrested or neutralised. This should give a positive image, not a negative one.

"If you take statistics, you have much less chance to die in Tunisia or to have any harm in Tunisia than so many countries close to us."

He added that he respected the UK Foreign Office, but that it should not allow "the impression that this is not a safe country, and take into account all the progress made" in security.

Mr Ammar also argued that part of the solution against terrorism is to have a good economy, and that he wanted the tragedy of the attacks to bring the two countries closer together.

According to the Tunisian Tourist Board, there was a fall of more than 90% in UK visitors for the first four months of this year compared with the same period a year ago.

Between January and April 2015, Tunisia saw 84,225 visitors from the UK, but just 5,980 in the first four months of this year.

Thirty Britons were among 38 people massacred in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse in June last year - the worst incident of terrorism involving British people since the July 7 attacks in London in 2005.

Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui targeted holidaymakers on the beach and in a hotel before being shot dead by security forces. Terror group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility.

Three months earlier, IS terrorists opened fire on tourists at the Bardo National Museum in the capital, Tunis. British tourist Sally Adey, 57, from Shropshire, was among 22 people killed.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We know our travel advice can have a knock-on effect on local economy and political considerations, but we don't let this influence the advice we give. The safety of British nationals is our main concern.

"We are working closely with the Tunisians to understand the terrorist threat better and to help them to strengthen measures to protect tourists further. Our travel advice is under constant review and we will change it as soon as the security situation permits."
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Benefit sanctions are devastating for claimants and can lead to destitution, crime, suicide, and throw up barriers to employment, a wide-ranging report probing the effects of removing payments from Salfords residents has claimed.

The internal research, commissioned by Salford City Council, suggests that a sudden loss of income by removing benefits could damage mental health, create tensions within family relationships and cause individuals to commit a crime such as shoplifting.

It adds that evidence provided by Salford Central food bank, run by the Trussell Trust, shows that 64 per cent of referrals for emergency food between 2013-14 were made by claimants who were experiencing a benefit delay or change, which includes receiving a sanction. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has always strongly denied a link between sanctions and food banks.

Contrary to the DWPs insistence that the threat of sanctioning encourages social security claimants to move from benefits into work, the system at present causes damage to the wellbeing of vulnerable claimants and can lead to hunger, debt and destitution, the reports authors claim.

People on benefits are already struggling to afford food, heating and essential costs. They cant save so they have no financial safety net. They live in dread of being sanctioned which isnt the right frame of mind for job hunting, volunteering or going back into education, said City Mayor, Paul Dennett.

The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned Show all 16 1 /16 The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "One case where the claimants wife went into premature labour and had to go to hospital. This caused the claimant to miss an appointment. No leeway given" The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "Its Christmas Day and you dont fill in your job search evidence form to show that youve looked for all the new jobs that are advertised on Christmas Day. You are sanctioned. Merry Christmas" The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "You apply for three jobs one week and three jobs the following Sunday and Monday. Because the job centre week starts on a Tuesday it treats this as applying for six jobs in one week and none the following week. You are sanctioned for 13 weeks for failing to apply for three jobs each week" The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "A London man missed his Jobcentre appointments for two weeks because he was in hospital after being hit by a car. He was sanctioned" 2011 Getty Images The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "Youve been unemployed for seven months and are forced onto a workfare scheme in a shop miles away, but cant afford to travel. You offer to work in a nearer branch but are refused and get sanctioned for not attending your placement" 2013 Getty Images The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "You are a mum of two, and are five minutes late for your job centre appointment. You show the advisor the clock on your phone, which is running late. You are sanctioned for a month" The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "A man with heart problems who was on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) had a heart attack during a work capability assessment. He was then sanctioned for failing to complete the assessment" Rex The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "A man who had gotten a job that was scheduled to begin in two weeks time was sanctioned for not looking for work as he waited for the role to start" The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "Army veteran Stephen Taylor, 60, whose Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) was stopped after he sold poppies in memory of fallen soldiers" 2014 Getty Images The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "A man had to miss his regular appointment at the job centre to attend his fathers funeral. He was sanctioned even though he told DWP staff in advance" 2014 Getty Images The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "Ceri Padley, 26, had her benefits sanctioned after she missed an appointment at the jobcentre - because she was at a job interview" Jason Doiy Photography The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "A man got sanctioned for missing his slot to sign on - as he was attending a work programme interview. He was then sanctioned as he could not afford to travel for his job search" 2012 Getty Images The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "Mother-of-three Angie Godwin, 27, said her benefits were sanctioned after she applied for a role job centre staff said was beyond her" The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "Sofya Harrison was sanctioned for attending a job interview and moving her signing-on to another day" The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "Michael, 54, had his benefits sanctioned for four months for failing to undertake a weeks work experience at a charity shop. The charity shop had told him they didnt want him there" Getty The most ridiculous reasons people had their benefits sanctioned "Terry Eaton, 58, was sanctioned because he didnt have the bus fare he needed to attend an appointment with the job centre" Getty Images

The new report also places a particular emphasis on the plight of Salfords young people, claiming that the 18 to 25 age group are most the affected by sanctions. The council commissioned Connexions  the Government agency tasked with providing advice and guidance to young people  who highlighted significant numbers of young people were moving away from state support.

This impacts on them financially but also denies access to programmes of education, training and employment therefore exacerbating the issue. Their families are also negatively impacted as they may be feeding and clothing the young person from a limited household income, the report claims.

The report, DWP Benefit Conditionality and Sanctions in Salford  One Year On, continues: Despite the drop in numbers in Salford receiving a benefit sanction for those who are sanctioned the impact is devastating.

A financial shock such as a sanction causes both immediate and longer term impact as most people do not have the means to save, so have no safety net. This presents an emergency need for money to buy food, pay for heating and essential travel costs.

The report says that the rate of people being sanctioned in the area has not reduced over the previous 12 month period. But, critically, it adds: Register sizes are decreasing and we believe this is in part due to a growing number of disappeared. These are claimants who drop their benefit claim or who move off benefit but do not take up employment. The Government has refused to publish destination data.

The DWP, however, claim that this assertion is "simply untrue", adding that at Salford JCP the average sanction rate for Jobseeker claimaints has fallen by 41 per cent in the year to December 2015 compared to the previous year.

 Duncan Smith on benefits

The Salford report concludes: From the wide range of responses we have received from Salford agencies working with claimants, despite the fall in sanctions, the impact of sanctions both on claimants and services within the City cannot be overstated and the harsh regime will be expected to include additional groups as Universal Credit rolls out nationally this year.

The report follows on from an interim study, published in October 2014, which suggested that sanctioning could lead to extreme hardship, reliance on loan sharks, shoplifting and depression. The fresh findings appear to reinforce this bleak picture of life on a benefit sanction in the City of Salford.

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said: Its only right that there are conditions attached to receiving benefits  this is nothing new. Sanctions are a long-standing part of the welfare system and are only applied where people fail to engage with the support on offer.

The number of people sanctioned has fallen substantially in the past year.

Rebecca Long Bailey, the Labour MP for Salford and Eccles, said to The Independent that the research "shows charities are increasingly having to step in to support claimants who are thrown into crisis due to delays and sanctions".

Ms Bailey added: As an MP, I have seen some truly horrific cases, where the effects have been severe damage to my constituents mental and physical health, as well as the tragic case of David Clapson, who was found dead in his flat from diabetic ketoacidosis, two weeks after his benefits were suspended. His sister discovered her brothers body and found his electricity had been cut off, meaning the fridge where he stored his insulin was no longer working. They must know that sanctioning people with diabetes is very dangerous but the system treats people as statistics and numbers.

This report shows where we are in Salford today, one year on from the original report. Sadly, it illustrates the devastating impact sanctions have on the lives of people who are already struggling to make ends meet.
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Claims that British-made cluster bombs have been used by Saudi Arabia in the on-going conflict in Yemen are being urgently investigated by the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said.

Amnesty International said this week it had found an unexploded UK-manufactured BL-755 cluster bomb during field research in Yemen near the Saudi border.

The UK is a signatory to an international convention against the use of such weapons, described by experts as one of the nastiest in the history of warfare.

Challenged over the reports in the House of Commons, ministers said that the UK had not supplied such weaponry to Saudi Arabia since 1989, and had not supplied or maintained cluster bombs since 2008. Defence minister, Philip Dunne, suggested the weapon found by Amnesty could have been from a previous conflict in the area.

However, Mr Hammond said that the UK, which supports Saudi Arabias military campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, said that Britain had always been clear that it did not support the use of cluster munitions.

We believe we have an assurance from Saudi Arabia that cluster munitions have not been used in the conflict, but as I said earlier, the MoD is urgently investigating the allegations, he said.

We need to be careful, there is no evidence yet that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions, he added.

Saudi Arabia is not a signatory to the treaty banning cluster munitions, which was ratified by the UK in 2010.

The Government has come under pressure to suspend all arms sales to Saudi Arabia over allegations from the United Nations and several NGOs that Saudi forces have breached international humanitarian law by targeting civilians during its intervention in Yemens civil war, which began in March last year.

 Yemen: Saudi-led coalition allegedly drops cluster bombs on Yemen

Ministers have said that the Saudi government is investigating the claims, but have expressed impatience with the process.

Amnesty Internationals arms control director, Oliver Sprague, said it was not good enough for ministers to politely seek assurances from Saudi Arabia over their own behaviour.

Cluster bombs are one of the nastiest weapons in the history of warfare, rightly banned by the UK and more than 100 other countries, so its truly shocking that a British cluster munition has recently been dropped on a civilian area in Yemen, he said.

Despite the deaths and injuries of thousands of Yemeni civilians at the hands of the Saudi-led coalition, British arms manufacturers are still sending shedloads of UK arms to Saudi Arabia and others in the coalition  and theyre being waved on by ministers as they do so.

Its a scandal. Weve written to David Cameron demanding that the UK stop sending arms to the Saudi-led coalition which are all too likely to end up killing Yemeni farmers and their families.

Britain obstructs global ban on use of cluster bombs Show all 2 1 /2 Britain obstructs global ban on use of cluster bombs Britain obstructs global ban on use of cluster bombs 28554.bin AFP/GETTY IMAGES Britain obstructs global ban on use of cluster bombs 28556.bin REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, the SNP MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, who raised the issue in the Commons, said: The UK Government has shown continued inaction in this vital matter which has led to the deaths of Yemeni men, women and children from the continued use of British bombs  UK ministers must apologise immediately and halt all arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
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David Cameron could face a no-confidence vote by his own MPs over his handling of the EU referendum, it has been reported.

The Daily Mail newspaper says dozens of Tory MPs are angry at the Prime Minister for his conduct during the campaign, including endorsing a Treasury dossier on the effects of Brexit described by Boris Johnson as hoax.

Senior party figures are quoted as saying Mr Cameron should set a date for his departure in order to avoid an attempt by his own MPs to remove him.

If there is a narrow win for Remain, and he is still in office after June 23, the only way he is going to avoid a vote of no-confidence is to name the date when he is going to go, one MP, speaking anonymously, reportedly said.

If he says that, while he still has much work that he wants to do, he will be gone by the end of 2018 then that might head off some of the opposition.

Though the MPs would be most incensed by a narrow win for Remain, the MPs are said to be looking for an end-point on the Cameron leadership whatever the result.

 What to believe about the EU referendum

Under Tory rules a leadership contest can be triggered if 50 Conservative MPs write to the chairman of the partys backbench 1922 committee.

No public running tally of the letters is given so their number could be at any level.

Boris Johnson is believed to want to succeed Mr Cameron when he steps down (Getty)

A similar plot to oust Mr Cameron was said to be taking place in 2012 and 2013 during the coalition government. It was reported in June of 2013 that around 30 Tory MPs had written to the 1922 committee to call for Mr Cameron to be ousted  though nothing ultimately came of this attempt.

Some MPs publicly dropped their bids by 2014, citing a change in fortunes.

What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? Show all 8 1 /8 What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? Welfare payments will be slashed One of the most controversial parts of the Conservative manifesto was to cut benefits for the working age poor by 12 bn over the next three years. But during the campaign they only said where 2 bn of these savings would come from. That leaves 10 bn still to find. Some experts think the only way they can close that gap is by means testing child benefit  with millions of families losing out Getty What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? There will be tax cuts for those in work and those who die The Tories will increase the threshold at which the 40p rate of tax becomes payable to 50,000 by 2020. They havent said so but it is also likely that at some point in the next five years they will abolish that 45p rate of tax altogether for the highest earners. They also want to increase the effective inheritance tax threshold for married couples and civil partners to 1m Getty What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? There will be an in/out EU referendum in 2017 The next two years are going to be dominated by the prospect of a referendum on Britains membership of the EU. First off David Cameron has the daunting task of negotiating a deal with other EU leaders an acceptable deal that he can sell to his party so he can go into the referendum campaigning for a yes vote. This may be unachievable and it is possible that the Tories may end up arguing to leave. Opinion polls show Britain is divided on EU membership, one poll this year showed 51% said they would opt to leave compared to 49% who would vote to stay in Getty What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? There will be more privatisation of the NHS Having won the election the Tories now have a mandate to go further and faster reforming the NHS. In order to make cost savings there is likely to be greater private involvement in running services, while some smaller hospitals may lose services they currently provide like A&E and maternity units Getty What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? There will be many more free schools  and traditional state schools will become a thing of the past The Tories plans to create 500 new free schools and make 3,000 state schools become academies. They will also carry on reforming the Department of Education and remove more powers from local authorities over how schools are run Getty What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? On shore wind farms will be a thing of the past and fracking will be the future Government spending on renewable energy is under real threat now the Lib Dems are no longer in power with the Tories. Subsidies are likely to be slashed for off-shore wind farm and other green energy supplies. Meanwhile there will be generous tax break for fracking as ministers try and incentivise the industry to drill for onshore oil and gas Getty What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? There maybe more free childcare  but not necessarily In the campaign the Tories pledged to double the amount of free early education for three- and four-year-olds from 15 hours a week to 30. The extra hours would only be offered to working families where parents are employed for at least eight hours a week. However they have not said where the money will come from to fund the pledge Getty What does five more years of the Tories mean for Britain? Workers' rights could be reduced The Tories want to slash business regulation, merge regulator and cut costs. The Lib Dems stopped them from reducing the employment rights of workers in power  but these are now under threat Getty

In the last parliament Mr Cameron announced that he would step down before the 2020 general election; since then, MPs have been busy positioning themselves to replace him.

One noted potential successor is Boris Johnson, who has risen to renewed prominence during the EU referendum campaign after he backed the Out camp.

Polls on the state of the EU referendum campaign are currently mixed. Phone polls show significant leads for the Remain campaign, but others conducted online show the race broadly neck-and-neck.

Last week the polling industry descended into a row over which polls were more accurate  with YouGov, which produces online polls, saying phone polls include too many graduates.

The companys former president Peter Kellner however warned that online polls, including YouGovs include too many Ukip voters.

An analysis released by ComRes last year, which conducts both kinds of polls, suggested that phone polls tend to be more accurate.
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British expats have lost their battle for the right to vote in the EU referendum.

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of both the High Court and Court of Appeal stating expats are not eligible to vote on 23 June, because they have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years.

The appeal had been brought by London-born war veteran Harry Shindler, 95, who has lived in Italy for 35 years, and solicitor Jacquelyn MacLennan, 54, from inverness, who has lived in Belgium since 1987.

They argued the 15-year rule, contained in Section 2 of the EU Referendum Act 2015, was an unjustified restriction on their EU right to freedom of movement and an infringement of their common law right to vote.

What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence.

The ruling will be a blow to many expats living in other EU countries, who fear a Leave vote will lead to them being deprived of EU citizenship and its associated rights.

Those living abroad for more than 15 years are deemed to no longer have a "closeness of connection" to the UK to justify giving them a vote.

More than two million British expats will be affected by the Supreme Court's decision.

 EU referendum - key dates

Responding to the earlier appeal court judgement, Mr Shindler said: "I am still waiting for the Government to tell us why British citizens in Europe can't vote in this referendum.

"The Government had agreed to scrap the 15-year rule before the Referendum Bill was passed, agreeing it was arbitrary and undemocratic."

Harry Shindler fails the 'closeness' test, despite being born in London, fighting in the nation's armed forces and still being a taxpayer (PA)

Mr Shindler fails the "closeness" test, despite being born in London, fighting in the nation's armed forces and still being a taxpayer.

The UK passport holder was in the Second World War landings at Anzio. His big fear is that a Brexit vote could lose him EU citizenship and seriously disrupt his way of life in Italy.

In 2014 he was awarded an MBE for his services to Anglo-Italian relations. He still pays taxes on his pension to HM Revenue and Customs.

Ms MacLennan, who specialises in EU competition and environmental law and is a partner in the Brussels office of a global law firm, said: "Brexit would have a huge impact on my personal and professional life.

"Excluding two million citizens like me from voting - as the Government recognises - is unjust and unfair."

Additional reporting by PA
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A judge has thrown out an appeal by the Crown Prosecution Service against a decision to acquit protesters who tried to blockade the worlds biggest arms fair.

In April Stratford Magistrates Court ruled that there was compelling evidence to suggest unlawful activity was occurring at the bi-annual DSEI gathering in Londons docklands.

He acquitted eight protesters who had blocked a highway with the aim of shutting down the event on the basis that they were potentially preventing a greater crime from occurring.

Recommended Read more MPs to investigate evidence of illegal weapons sales at DSEI arms fair

The CPS said it would appeal the ruling, but its appeal has now been rejected  with a judge now accusing prosecutors of not having read the judgment properly.

The CPS application repeatedly significantly misrepresents the contents of the judgement delivered at the end of the case and therefore seeks to challenge the decisions reached on wholly erroneous bases, district judge Angus Hamilton said, rejecting the appeal.

The very least the CPS should do is read the judgment fully and, if appropriate, frame their application based on what was actually decided rather than what they seem to believe was decided.

He added that the CPS's appeal was both "frivolous" and "misconceived".

Raj Chada, partner and head of protest team at Hodge Jones & Allen, which represented some of the protesters, said: From shambles to farce, the CPS has received a slap in the face in their efforts to appeal this decision.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA

It should abandon its application and concentrate on the real wrong-doing at DSEI  weapons that are being used to commit heinous crimes throughout the world.

Adeela Khan, solicitor at Hodge Jones & Allen, said: The CPS needs to start to respect the decisions of the UK courts, like this one and the High Court, which stripped diplomatic immunity from Prince Nasser of Bahrain, and pursue the real criminals instead of our clients.

MPs on the House of Commons Committee for Arms Export Control are to investigate the alleged illegal sale of weapons at arms fairs as part of their inquiry into the trade.

DSEIs organisers say it complied with all relevant arms control regulations in 2015, that it allowed government agencies full access to its premises, and that it is constantly tightening its compliance procedures.

A CPS spokesperson said: We are considering our position regarding an appeal in this case.
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Isis will not be defeated without the deployment of ground forces against them, Tony Blair has said.

Speaking at an event hosted by Prospect magazine, the mastermind of Britains involvement in 2003 invasion of Iraq reiterated his call for greater military involvement in the conflict.

If you want to defeat these people, you're going to have to go and wage a proper ground war against them, he said.

Recommended Read more Jeremy Corbyn still prepared to call for Tony Blair war crimes probe

The former Labour Prime Minister said it was important that Libya was not ceded to the militant group, and that if they were not dealt with they will come and attack us here.

"We cannot afford to have Isis govern a large part of Libya  we shouldn't be in any doubt they need to be taken on on the ground, he said.

Ground forces currently fighting Isis in the Levant are mostly Kurdish, Iraqi government, Syrian government and other militant groups.

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

In Libya, where the group controls the central port city of Sirte, domestic Libyan forces have contained its advances beyond that area.

The UK is currently involved in a coalition of nations conducting airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Isis has been losing ground in the Levant in recent months, with Iraqi government forces now advancing on the city of Fallujah, which the group holds.

Mr Blair has previously called for Western ground forces to be used against Islamist militant groups. In an article for The Sunday Times in March he said they were necessary to beat Isis.

We must build military capability able to confront and defeat the terrorists wherever they try to hold territory, he wrote at the time.

This is not just about local forces. It is a challenge for the West. Ground forces are necessary to win this fight and ours are the most capable.

Mr Blair is reportedly expected to be criticised in the Chilcot Report into the events of Iraq War, which is due out in July after years of preparation and analysis.
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A French ship joined the international effort to hunt for the black boxes and other wreckage of EgyptAir Flight 804 on Monday, searching for clues to what brought the plane down, as Greek and Egyptian authorities disagreed on what happened to the plane during the crucial final minutes before it crashed into the Mediterranean, killing all 66 people on board.

Five days after the air disaster, questions remain over what happened to the doomed jet before it disappeared off radar at around 2.45 a.m. local time Thursday.

Egyptian authorities said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight reported by the Greek defence minister suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit. But so far no hard evidence has emerged.

A 2013 report by the Egyptian ministry of civil aviation records that the same Airbus 320 made an emergency landing in Cairo that year, shortly after taking off on its way to Istanbul, when one of the engines "overheated." Aviation experts have said that overheating is uncommon yet is highly unlikely to cause a crash.

The head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services, Ehab Azmy told The Associated Press that the plane did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared off radar, challenging an earlier account by Greece's defense minister.

In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 Show all 5 1 /5 In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May Egyptian army In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May Egyptian army In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May Egyptian army In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May

Azmy, head of the National Air Navigation Services Company, said that in the minutes before the plane disappeared it was flying at its normal altitude of 37,000 feet, according to the radar reading. "That fact degrades what the Greeks are saying about the aircraft suddenly losing altitude before it vanished from radar," he added.

"There was no turning to the right or left, and it was fine when it entered Egypt's FIR (flight information region), which took nearly a minute or two before it disappeared," Azmy said.

According to Greece's defense minister Panos Kammenos the plane swerved wildly and dropped to 10,000 feet before it fell off the radar.

Greek civil aviation authorities said all appeared fine with the flight until air traffic controllers were to hand it over to their Egyptian counterparts. The pilot did not respond to their calls, and then the plane vanished from radars.

Egypt, which is sending a submarine to search for the flight recorders, has also refuted earlier reports alleging that search crews had found the plane's black boxes  which could offer vital clues to what happened in the final minutes of the flight.

Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes. Some wreckage, including human remains, has already been recovered.
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A bomb threat has been made against an American Eagle plane at Los Angeles International Airport.

Passengers were evacuated after flight AA5391 landed safely and the FBI carried out a security search.

The plane, which is part of the American Airlines brand, was grounded on the tarmac after flying in from Houston, Texas.

The plane reportedly landed at a more remote location of the airport, at a secure distance from the terminal and other planes.

Security staff responded to the threat shortly after 8.30am Tuesday morning.

Passengers appeared to be searched and assessed once they had exited the plane, and were then transported to the terminal via buses waiting for them at the airport steps.

LAX airport were notified of the threat after someone had called a phone center in Houston regarding the plane, according to the LAX police department.

Emergency staff with sniffer dogs went on board about 9.30am.

They were joined by police, the FBI, armoured vehicles and firetrucks.

No one has been reported injured and airport operations were said to continue as normal as the the search on the plane was carried out.

Authorites are on high alert after an EgyptAir plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea last week and bombs exploded at Brussels Airport in March.
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A young boy with autism reads to dogs at a shelter every week to help them become more sociable and get rehomed.

Jacob Tumalan, 6, takes part in the Rescue Readers group at the Carson Animal Shelter in California, and has been reading to the dogs for six months.

Recommended Read more This nonspeaking teenager wrote an incredibly profound letter explaini

If I read to the dogs they will come out of their cages and find homes, Jacob said. They have to find new homes because they are alone, he told NBC.

He first visited the home, where his aunt works, a year ago before deciding he wanted to help the dogs.

Jacob reading to a dog at the Carson Animal Shelter, California (ABC/ YouTube)

Jacob visits the animals on Thursday afternoons after school. He sits on a mat in front of the cages while he reads and his work is said to have had a positive effect.

After finding out that one dog, named Pirate, had an issue with cats, he decided to read it a feline based book to help.

Aaron Reyes, the deputy director of the Los Angeles department of Animal Care and Control, said the dogs relax and calm down when Jacob reads to them.

Reading the dogs has also helped Jacob's own skills and he reads at the level of an eight or nine year old (Lisa Dekowski-Ferranti ) (Lisa Dekowski-Ferranti)

As well as helping the dogs, his volunteering has also helped him to improve his reading. He now reads at a third-grade level, which is equivalent to an eight- and nine-year-old.

His mother also says he is more relaxed around the dogs.

The dogs from Instagram Show all 6 1 /6 The dogs from Instagram The dogs from Instagram Noodle the Dachshund is just over a year old and comes with her own hashtag (#OodlesOfNoodle) The dogs from Instagram Three-year-old Staffie Ramsey was malnourished when he was adopted as a puppy but is now big and boisterous with ripped muscles and a cheeky grin The dogs from Instagram Winny the Welsh Corgi has been credited with the breed's upsurge in popularity The dogs from Instagram Bruno the miniature Dachshund has 66,700 followers The dogs from Instagram Mika the Husky has 58,900 followers The dogs from Instagram Elle the French Bulldog has 8,868 followers

My son has always had a big problem with loud noises and a lot of activity around him, Katie Tumalan told ABC news.

When hes there, he looks like hes pretty focused and he could block a lot of that out. At times hell cover his ears, but he stays in tune with the dogs while reading his books, so thats pretty awesome to me.

However, reading to animals is not a new technique. Battersea Dogs Home, one of the UK's oldest animal shelters, has also used reading to help animals be re-homed.

Rob Young, Centre Manager at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, said: "Many of these animals are shy or nervous, but they enjoy the comfort of having a human companion close by. Reading to the animals allows the dogs and cats to become comfortable around different people.

"As a result dogs and cats searching for new homes are more confident when meeting prospective owners which we hope will help them find their way into a new home faster.

Autism affects around 700,000 people in the UK, according to the National Autistic Society, and there is currently no recognised cure.
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A man has been arrested after he was caught wheeling the dead body of his wife in a cart down the street in New York.

Anthony Lopez, 31, was charged with second-degree murder of his wife, 26-year-old Obiamaka Aduba.

Mr Lopez had 52 previous arrests, according to the New York Police Department, six of which were related to domestic violence.

The police was also aware the couple had a domestic history, as reported by the New York Times.

He strangled his wife to death with a ligature.

Shortly after 7am on Friday morning, a resident called the police to report Mr Lopez wheeling a body on a metal trolley.

He shaved his head to disguise himself from the police but he was arrested on Saturday morning in Harlem.

The 31-year-old from Staten Island was also charged with a misdemeanour complaint from earlier this month, when he threw a brick through the car windshield driven by a person described as a friend/acquaintance.

The district attorney of Richmond County, Michael McMahon, said, Every loss of life is a tragedy, and the horrific circumstances surrounding the victims death makes this case no less troubling.

He encouraged people to call the countys domestic violence hotline.

According to data from the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, there were 65 intimate partner homicides in 2014.

In the same year, there were also more than 12,000 arrests or arraignments due to intimate partner strangulations.
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Louisiana is close to signing a new law which would make any violent attack on police officers, firefighters and emergency services staff a hate crime.

The so-called Blue Lives Matter bill, a play on the name of Black Lives Matter, a national movement which shines a spotlight on police shootings of black people, has been named a first of its kind.

As the son and brother of a sheriff, I have the greatest respect for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect our communities, state and nation, said Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards in a statement to NBC News. The members of the law enforcement community deserve these protections, and I look forward to signing this bill into law."

House Bill 953 was authored by state representative Lance Harris following the death of Texas sheriffs deputy Darren Goforth, who was shot and killed in 2015.

It looked like it was strictly done because someone didnt like police officers, like a hate crime, Mr Harris told CNN.

I certainly do think there is a need for it. If youre going to have an extensive hate crime statute then we need to protect those that are out there protecting us on a daily basis, Harris said.

There is a concerted effort in some areas to terrorize and attack police and I think this will go forward and stop that.

Ferguson Anniversary Protests Show all 11 1 /11 Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Police take a mug shot of a protester who was detained in Ferguson, Missouri, August 10, 2015. Protesters regrouped in Ferguson, Missouri, on Monday evening after a state of emergency was declared, aimed at preventing a repeat of violence the night before on the anniversary of the police shooting of unarmed black man Michael Brown. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests St Louis County police officers arrest an anti-police demonstrator in Ferguson, Missouri August 11, 2015 Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Protesters march in the rain, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, in Ferguson, Mo. Sunday marks one year since Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Demonstrators, marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown, march along West Florrisant Street in a driving rain on August 9, 2015 in Ferguson, Missouri. There are reports that two people were shot when gun fire broke out during protests later in the evening. Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on August 9, 2014. His death sparked months of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and drew nationwide focus on police treatment of black offenders. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests A St. Louis County police officers respond in an MRAD vehicle after shots were fired during a protest march on August 9, 2015 on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Missouri. Over 50 shots were reportedly exchanged on the day marking the one year anniversary of the death of an unarmed black teen, Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a white police officer, throwing America's troubled race relations into harsh relief. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Protesters yell as police form a line across West Florissant Ave., Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, in Ferguson, Mo., before shots were fired near the protest. The one-year anniversary of Michael Brown's death in Ferguson began with a march in his honor and ended with a protest that was interrupted by gunfire. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Protesters fall to the ground to take cover after shots were fired in a police-officer involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015. Two people were shot in the midst of a late-night confrontation between riot police and protesters, after a day of peaceful events commemorating the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white officer one year ago. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests A white woman holds a black woman as they pray during a rain storm at the site of last year's riots on the one year anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015. Hundreds of people marched, prayed and observed a moment of silence in Ferguson, Missouri, on Sunday, a year to the day after a white police officer shot the unarmed black teenager to death, igniting months of protests and a national debate on race and justice. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests A woman reacts after shots were fired in a police-officer involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015. Two people were shot in the midst of a late-night confrontation between riot police and protesters, after a day of peaceful events commemorating the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white officer one year ago. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Police take cover as a barrage of gunfire erupts along West Florrisant Street during a demonstration to mark the 1-year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown on August 9, 2015 in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on August 9, 2014. His death sparked months of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and drew nationwide focus on police treatment of black offenders. Ferguson Anniversary Protests Ferguson Anniversary Protests Amarion Allen, 11-years-old stands in front of a police line shortly before shots were fired in a police-officer involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015. Two people were shot in the midst of a late-night confrontation between riot police and protesters, after a day of peaceful events commemorating the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white officer one year ago.

State law mandates that anyone convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime can be sentenced to up to six months in prison and fined $500. If convicted of a felony, that person can get an extra five years behind bars and fined up to $5,000.

Anti-Defamation League regional director Allison Padilla-Goodman said in a statement that police are already protected under Louisiana laws and the new bill defers attention from identity-based crimes, like race and religion, to professional-based crimes.

The bill confuses the purpose of the Hate Crimes Act and weakens its impact by adding more categories of people who are already better protected under other laws, she wrote.
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A man has offered a free six-month trip to the Caribbean to someone who can help his girlfriend with rehabilitation after she fractured her hip.

On a post on Facebook, Jeremie Tronet, 29, who runs a kite surfing centre on Union Island in the Grenadines, appealed for a physiotherapist and their plus one to fly out to treat his girlfriend.

Mr Thronet said he will cover the cost of flights, accommodation and food, and also provide kite-surfing lessons and excursions to local islands.

Zoe Schaffer-Jennett, 27, who worked as a kite surfing instructor, fell three metres into a concrete ditch and fractured her femur.

She was moved to Martinique Island for surgery, where three screws were inserted to reattach the femoral head during a four-hour long operation.

Zoe Schaffer-Jennett had three screws screws inserted to reattach the femoral head during a four-hour long operation (Jeremie Tronet/Facebook)

Ms Schaffer-Jennett will need daily help from a physiotherapist to learn to walk again after the operation. Her recovery could take between five to six months.

The couple are appealing for a physical therapist, orthopaedic surgeon or someone who works in a rehabilitation centre to help them. To apply for the job, email zoesurgery@gmail.com.
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What's a trip abroad without some good local cuisine?

Barack Obama didn't want to miss out Monday night in Hanoi, so he hit the town with renowned chef-turned-television host Anthony Bourdain. The pair dined together at Huong Lien, a bun cha restaurant that serves the grilled pork and noodle dish thought to originate in Vietnam's capital city.

Obama, who arrived Sunday night for his first presidential visit to Vietnam, shared the meal as part of a Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown episode that will air on CNN in September.

The US reporters in the White House press pool that was accompanying Obama in the presidential motorcade were not allowed to follow the pair inside the restaurant, which was crowded with local patrons. But social media lit up with photos from those who were present for the surprise visit, which was not listed on the president's public schedule.

Bourdain made clear that the most powerful man in the free world was eating at an ordinary, local hole-in-the-wall. A photo on his Instagram account showed a fan cooling down the joint as he and the president chatted over beers.

By the time Obama left the restaurant, a huge crowd had gathered outside, according to a pool report, and cheers erupted at the sight of the president. Obama shook hands before entering his limousine.

Total cost of the meal was $6 (4), according to the TV chef. Bourdain tweeted that he picked up the check.

Copyright: Washington Post
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Hillary Clinton has boosted her attack on presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, accusing him of wanting the housing crisis of 2008 to happen so he could make a profit.

In a new campaign video, the businessman turned Republican was quoted in an interview from 2006.

He said: I sort of hope that happens because people like me would go in and buy."

"If there is a bubble burst as they call it, you know, you could make a lot of money," he added.

Ms Clintons team said in an email that while Mr Trump was rooting for the crisis, nine million Americans ended up losing their jobs and five million lost their homes.

The move comes amid heightening tensions over more than half a dozen battleground states during the election campaign.

Ms Clinton has been accused herself of not facing up to the big banks before the credit crisis, and instead blaming homebuyers.

In a video entitled Hillary Clinton lying for 13 minutes straight, she was filmed at a presidential roundtable in December 2007 saying: Now who is exactly to blame for the housing crisis? I think theres plenty of blame to go around Homebuyers who paid extra fees to avoid documenting their income, should have known they were getting in over their heads.

That video has been viewed close to 8 million times.

The campaign has become increasingly nasty as Mr Trumps latest shot was to air an Instagram video that features the voices of two women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault, and that his wife was an enabler of Mr Clintons behaviour.

He also targeted Crooked Hillary by pointing to issues like foreign donations to her familys philanthropic organization over the last 10 years.
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US presidential candidate Donald Trumps proposed plans to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un have been dismissed a useless by a senior North Korean official who claims the gesture is only election propaganda.

Mr Trump announced last week that he would have no problem meeting with the North Korean leader in order negotiate an end to Pyongyangs nuclear programme.

But North Korean ambassador to the United Nations So Se Pyong has said dismissed the plan as nonsense.

Mr So told Reuters that the gesture was a kind of propaganda or advertisement Just a gesture for the presidential election.

Recommended Read more Trump would talk to North Korea to seek end to nuclear programme

The ambassador said that the decision ultimately rests with leader Kim Jong-Un, but that he saw the visit as useless.

Mr So reiterated statements made by Mr Kim earlier this month pledging that North Korea will not use their Nuclear weapons first  only if the state is invaded.

As a responsible nuclear state we will never use them first, said Mr So, who is an ambassador to the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament. If the United States use their nuclear weapons first, then we have to use [them] also.

If the United States gives up their hostile policies and changes their attitude, then we also [can] have relations as a normal country.

People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Show all 8 1 /8 People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Miley Cyrus 'God he thinks he is the f***ing chosen one or some shit!  Honestly f*** this sh*t I am moving if this is my president! I dont say things I dont mean!' Jemal Countess/Getty Images People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Whoopi Goldberg 'I dont think thats America. I dont want it to be America. Maybe its time for me to move you know' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Samuel L. Jackson 'If that mother**er becomes president, Im moving my black ass to South Africa' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Raven Symone 'My confession for this election is, if any Republican gets nominated, Im gonna move to Canada with my entire family. Is that bad? I already have my ticket. I literally bought my ticket, I swear' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Cher 'If he were to be elected, I'm moving to Jupiter' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Neve Campbell 'Im terrified. Its really scary. My biggest fear is that Trump will triumph. I cannot believe that he is still in the game ... [I'll] move back to Canada' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Jon Stewart 'I would consider getting in a rocket and going to another planet, because clearly this planets gone bonkers' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Randy Blythe 'He could just be a clown. If he is the president, though, I am leaving America 'till he's gone'

He added that North Korea had proposed high level military talks with South Korea, but that these had been refused.

Despite harsh UN sanctions against North Korea following claims that the state had tested a hydrogen bomb, Kim Jong-Un held an historic national congress at the start of May, during which he hailed the great success of North Koreas nuclear progress.

Mr Trumps willingness to enter talks with North Korea comes in contrast to Barack Obamas failure to meet with these leaders in person despite campaign promises.
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An Australian politician has made an historic and heartfelt apology for the state of Victorias profoundly wrong anti-gay laws that saw thousands of people convicted for their sexuality.

Daniel Andrews, the Victorian premier, apologised for the abominable laws that represented nothing less than official, state-sanctioned homophobia.

Mr Andrews highlighted cases in which men were convicted for same-gendered sex; for being the victims of sexual assault; one case in 1976 when a hundred men were arrested for the thought crime of loitering with homosexual purposes; and one case in which two women were convicted for offensive behaviour after they were caught holding hands on a tram.

On behalf of the government, the parliament and the people of Victoria, for the laws we passed, and the lives we ruined, and the standards we set, we are so sorry. Humbly, deeply sorry, he said in parliament.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in Victoria in 1981 and since a change in the law two years ago, six men convicted under the anti-gay laws have successfully had their criminal records expunged.

Read Mr Andrews speech in full:

Speaker  its never too late to put things right.

Its never too late to say sorry  and mean it.

Thats what brings us all to the heart of our democracy here, in this Parliament where, over the course of decades, a powerful prejudice was written into law.

A prejudice that ruined lives.

A prejudice that prevails in different ways, even still.

That law was written in our name  as representatives, and as Victorians.

And that law was enforced by the very democratic system to which we call ourselves faithful.

So it is our responsibility to prove that the Parliament that engineered this prejudice can also be the Parliament that ends it.

That starts with acknowledging the offences of the past admitting the failings of the present and building a society, for the future, that is strong and fair and just.

In doing so, Speaker, well have shown this moment to be no mere gesture.

In doing so, well have proven that the dignity and bravery of generations of Victorians wasnt simply for nought.

And that, I hope, will be the greatest comfort of all.

Speaker, there is no more simple an acknowledgement than this:

There was a time in our history when we turned thousands of ordinary young men into criminals.

And it was profoundly and unimaginably wrong.

That such a thing could have occurred  once, perhaps a century ago  would not surprise most Victorians.

Well, I hold here an article that reports the random arrest of 15 men.

Police Blitz Catches Homosexuals, the headline reads.

And said a police officer: we just seem to find homosexuals loitering wherever we go.

This was published in Melbournes biggest-selling weekly newspaper  in December 1976.

A decade earlier, in 1967, a local paper said that a dozen men would soon face court for  quote  morals offences, and urged the public to report homosexuals to the police with a minimum of delay.

A generation earlier, in 1937, Judge MacIndoe said John, a man in his 20s, was not quite sane, and gaoled him for three months on a charge of gross indecency.

In 1936, Jack, a working man from Sale, faced a Melbourne court on the same charge  and he was gaoled for ten years.

This, Speaker, is the society we built.

And it would be easy to blame the courts, or the media, or the police, or the public.

It is easy for us to condemn their bigotry.

But the law required them to be bigoted.

And those laws were struck here, where I stand.

One of those laws even earned the label abominable.

And in 1961 alone, 40 Victorian men were charged with it.

In the same year, a minor offence was created that shook just as many lives.

Premier Daniel Andrews poses with former victims and representitives, before making an apology to the Victorian Gay community at Parliament House (Getty Images)

The penalty was $600 in todays terms, or one months imprisonment.

The charge? Loitering for homosexual purposes.

This was the offence used to justify that random police blitz in 76.

A witness said: Young policemen were senttoentrap suspected homosexuals.

[Officers] dressed in swimwearengaging other men in conversation.

When the policeman was satisfied the person was homosexual, an arrest was made.

When we began this process, Speaker, I expected to be offering an apology to people persecuted for homosexual acts.

But it has become clear to me that the State also persecuted against homosexual thought.

Loitering for homosexual purposes is a thought crime.

And in one summer in 1976, in one location alone, one hundred men were targeted under this violation of thought; something for which there was no possible defence.

All in our lifetimes, Speaker.

In our name.

Young people. Old people. Thousands and thousands of people.

I suppose its rare when you cant even begin to conceive what was on the minds of our forebears in this Place.

But I look back at those statutes and I am dumbfounded.

I cant possibly explain why we made these laws, and clung to them, and fought for them.

For decades, we were obsessed with the private mysteries of men.

And so we jailed them.

We harmed them.

And, in turn, they harmed themselves.

Speaker, it is the first responsibility of a Government to keep people safe.

But the Government didnt keep LGBTI people safe.

The Government invalidated their humanity and cast them into a nightmare.

And those who live today are the survivors of nothing less than a campaign of destruction, led by the might of the State.

I had the privilege of meeting with four of those survivors.

One of them was Noel Tovey.

He was sent to Pentridge in 1951.

On more than one occasion in jail, he planned his suicide.

Max was singing an aria from La Traviata when the police arrived, he recalled in his book.

I was very naive. I knew having sex with men was against the law but I didnt understand why it was a crime.

At the hearing, the judge said, You have been charged with the abominable crime of buggery. How do you plead?

The maximum sentence was fifteen years.

Afterwards, only two people would talk to me. I couldntget a job. I was a known criminal.

And its ironic.

Eventually I would have been forgiven by everyone if I had murdered Max, but no one could forgive me for having sex with him.

And Noel, in his own words, considers himself one of the lucky ones.

I also met Terry Kennedy.

He was 18 when he was arrested.

When I wanted to go overseas, Terry told me, and when I wanted to start my own business, there was always that dreaded question:

Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence?

I lied, of course.

Then the phone rangIt was an inspector from the St Kilda Police Station. Hed found me out.

With a curse like that always lurking over our heads, we always had to ask ourselves [this question]  just how far can I go today?

Thats the sort of question which, in some form or another, must have been asked by almost every single LGBTI person.

It is still asked today  by teenagers in the schoolyard; by adults in the family home.

Yes, the law was unjust, but it is wrong to think its only victims were those who faced its sanction.

The fact is: these laws cast a dark and paralysing pall over everyone who ever felt like they were different.

The fact is: these laws represented nothing less than official, state-sanctioned homophobia.

And we wonder why, Speaker  we wonder why gay and lesbian and bi and trans teenagers are still the target of a red, hot hatred.

We wonder why hundreds of thousands of Australians are still formally excluded from something as basic and decent as a formal celebration of love.

And we wonder why so many people are still forced to drape their lives in shame.

Shame: that deeply personal condition, described by Peter McEwan as the feeling of not being good enough.

Peter was arrested in 1967.

He soon fled overseas to escape his life.

The fourth man I spoke with last week, Tom Anderson, met his own private terror when he was 14.

For weeks, he was routinely sexually assaulted by his boss  a man in his 40s.

His parents, in all good faith, took Tom down to the Police Station to make a formal statement and get his employer charged.

And he was.

But so was Tom.

This child victim of sexual assault was charged with one count of buggery and two counts of gross indecency.

Can you believe, Speaker, that the year was 1977?

Today, Tom carries with him a quiet bravery that is hard to put into words.

And he told me about the time  one day, just a few years ago  when his home was burgled.

Im a grown man, he said, but the moment the police came around to inspect the house, and I opened the doorI became that 14-year-old boy again.

I couldnt talk. I was frozen. I was a grown man and I couldnt talk.

This was life for innocent people like Tom.

We told them they were fugitives living outside the law.

We gave them no safe place to find themselves  or find each other.

And we made sure they couldnt trust a soul.

Not even their family.

A life like that. What do you think that does to a human being?

What do you think it does to their ability to find purpose, to hold themselves with confidence to be happy, to be social, to be free?

Dont tell me that these laws were simply a suppression of sex.

This was a suppression of spirit.

A denial of love.

And it lives on, today.

While the laws were terminated in the 1980s, they still remain next to the names of so many men  most of them dead  a criminal conviction engraved upon their place in history.

I can inform the House that six men have now successfully applied to expunge these convictions from their record.

Many more have commenced the process.

This wont erase the injustice, but it is an accurate statement of what I believe today:

That these convictions should never have happened.

That the charges will be deleted, as if they never existed.

And that their subjects can call themselves, once again, law-abiding men.

Expungement is one thing, but these victims wont find their salvation in this alone.

They are each owed hope.

And all four of the men I met told me they only began to find that hope when they met people who were just like them.

Peter McEwan  back in the country, and emerging from years of shame  started meeting weekly with some gay friends at university in 1972.

We realised we were all outlaws together, he said, and we learnt to say that we are good.

We learnt to say black is beautiful, women are strong  and gay is good.

Once I learnt I was good, it led me to question everyone who said I was evil and sick.

Gay men had taken on board the shame. Through each other we found our pride.

Then he paused for a second and he said:

Pride is the opposite of shame.

Hes right.

Pride is not a cold acceptance; its a celebration.

Its about wearing your colours and baring your character.

The mere expression of pride was an act of sheer defiance.

These people we speak about  they werent just fighting for the right to be equal.

They were fighting for the right to be different.

And I want everyone in this state, young or old, to know that you, too, have that right.

You were born with that right.

And being who you are is good enough for me  good enough for all of us.

Here in Victoria, equality is not negotiable.

Here, you can be different from everybody else, but still be treated the same as everybody else.

Because we believe in fairness.

We believe in honesty, too  so we have to acknowledge this:

For the time being, we cant promise things will be easy.

Tomorrow, a young bloke will get hurt.

Tomorrow, a parent will turn their back on their child.

Tomorrow, a loving couple and their beautiful baby will be met with a stare of contempt.

Tomorrow, a trans woman will be turned away from a job interview.

And tomorrow, a gay teenager will think about ending his own life.

Thats the truth.

There is so much more we need to do to make things right.

Until then, we cant promise things will be easy.

We cant guarantee that everyone in your life will respect the way you want to live it.

And we cant expect you to make what must be a terrifying plunge until you know the time is right.

But just know that whenever that time comes, you have a Government thats on your side.

You have a Government that is trying to make the state a safer place  in the classroom, in the workplace.

You have a Government that is trying to eradicate a culture of bullying and harassment so that the next generation of children are never old enough to experience it.

You have a Government that sees these indisputable statistics  of LGBTI self-harm, of suicide  and commits to their complete upheaval.

You have a Government that believes youre free to be who you are, and to marry the person you love.

And you have a Government that knows just one life saved is worth all the effort.

Speaker, as part of this process, I learnt that two women were convicted for offensive behaviour in the 1970s for holding hands  on a tram.

So let me finish by saying this:

If you are a member of the LGBTI community, and theres someone in your life that you love  a partner or a friend  then do me a favour:

Next time youre on a tram in Melbourne, hold their hand.

Do it with pride and defiance.

Because you have that freedom.

And here in the progressive capital, I can think of nothing more Victorian than that.

Speaker, its been a life of struggle for generations of Victorians.

As representatives, we take full responsibility.

We criminalised homosexual thoughts and deeds. We validated homophobic words and acts.

And we set the tone for a society that ruthlessly punished the different  with a short sentence in prison, and a life sentence of shame.

From now on, that shame is ours.

This Parliament and this Government are to be formally held to account for designing a culture of darkness and shame.

And those who faced its sanction, and lived in fear, are to be formally recognised for their relentless pursuit of freedom and love.

It all started here. It will end here, too.

To our knowledge, no jurisdiction in the world has ever offered a full and formal apology for laws like these.

So please, let these words rest forever in our records:

On behalf of the Parliament, the Government and the people of Victoria.

For the laws we passed.

And the lives we ruined.

And the standards we set.

We are so sorry. Humbly, deeply, sorry.
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A British-born mother convicted of a string of grievous offences faces being deported back to UK from Australia after her visa was revoked.

Kelly Webb, 30, moved to the country from Britain when she was two years old and has since been to prison 11 times for offences including the fatal stabbing of her stepfather in 2002.

The mother-of-five, who has a history of hard drug abuse, is currently serving an 18-month sentence for burglary and is being held at Maribyrnong Detention Centre in Victoria.

Webb told Australian radio station 3AW she never became a naturalised Australian citizen and has not visited Britain since she left in 1988.

She said: Ill die of a broken heart [if deported]...I just want to be a mum to my kids.

The Australian government introduced a law in 2014 allowing authorities to cancel visas if a person is imprisoned for longer than a year, as part of a strict clampdown on immigration.

Webb slammed the law as cruel and sad and insisted the deportation threat was the wake-up call that I need to deal with her drug addiction.

Britain and Australia top places to die Show all 3 1 /3 Britain and Australia top places to die Britain and Australia top places to die 406588.bin Chee-Onn Leong Britain and Australia top places to die 418356.bin junjie Britain and Australia top places to die 418357.bin Marek Slusarczyk

She continued: I need to stay in this country - I need to work on myself.

She finished by publicly appealing to the Australian authorities, saying: Please just give me a chance. I will never ever do anything wrong ever again.

Webb has no family in Britain and will be separated from her children, aged between one and nine years old, if she is deported.

In November last year a 51-year-old British citizen who has lived in Australia for 50 years was told he would be deported for lighting an illegal scrub fire under the new legislation.

The Independent has contacted the Victoria Department for Justice and Regulation for comment.
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The leader of the Christian Church in Samoa has called for the country to bring in a blanket ban on Islam.

Reverend Ma'auga Motu, secretary general of the Samoa Council of Churches, said the council was pressing the government to prohibit the religion on the Pacific island.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi last week called for a review of religious freedom provisions in the Samoan Constitution.

He indicated that the islands supreme law could be edited to include more reference to Christian doctrines and teachings in the body of the text rather than merely in the preamble.

Meanwhile Reverend Motu said the prime minister should go a step further in banning Islam, and told RadioNZ the religion poses a future threat to the country.

He said: We are not going too far, no. We are still wanting our own people to be prevented from this kind of influence.

There are so many people who are good people but still there are some dangerous people among them who might come and threaten our peace.

Obama calls for new beginning between US and Muslims Show all 6 1 /6 Obama calls for new beginning between US and Muslims Obama calls for new beginning between US and Muslims Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters Obama calls for new beginning between US and Muslims Gil Cohen Magen / Reuters Obama calls for new beginning between US and Muslims REUTERS/Larry Downing Obama calls for new beginning between US and Muslims Reuters Obama calls for new beginning between US and Muslims Tarek Mostafa / Reuters Obama calls for new beginning between US and Muslims Getty Images

The reverend also asserted he did not mind about inevitable comparisons to Donald Trump, who proposed a ban on Muslims entering America at an election rally in December.

Samoas chief Imam hit back by saying Christians on the island should be more open to other religions and not discriminate.

Imam Mohammed Bin Yahya warned that Samoa might have difficulties trading with non-Christian nations if the countrys constitution was changed drastically.

During the 2001 census 0.03% of Samoan residents confirmed they were Muslim, with the island dominated by the Christian faith.
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A fearless gay couple stood up to the homophobic and racist shouts of 800 far-right protesters by kissing in front of them and giving them the finger after accidentally stumbling across a far-right protest in Madrid.

Gregor Eistert had been unaware that far-right organisation Hogar Social de Madrid, which is known for campaigning to keep refugees out of Spain, was staging a protest in the city as he walked hand in hand with David Fernandez, looking for a place relax.

"It was a beautiful day, so we wanted to find a table outside," Mr Eistert told The Independent.

"When we came to Plaza del Dos de Mayo in Malasana, we noticed a crazy amount of police. I asked one of the people who had stopped to watch what was going on. They said something about a protest."

The primary purpose of the protest was to challenge the welcoming of refugees to Spain, but after seeing the two men holding hands, protesters allegedly began to shout abuse, using homophobic slurs.

"When they marched towards us, David and I were standing in the front row holding hands," said Mr Eistert, who was born in Austria and is currently studying in Madrid on the Erasmus programme.

"First we caught some disgusted looks from some people of Hogar Social Madrid (those who were marching), and then they started insulting us. We knew it wouldnt help much screaming back. Thats when David suddenly grabbed me and we started to kiss."

When asked if he was afraid, Mr Eistert said: "I was a bit intimidated, and we both were quite nervous when we saw the huge crowd watching us.

"But we didn't want to hide or let go of each other's hand. After all we are living in a free country.

Above all, Mr Eistert said he felt sad that there is still so much intolerance: "We're in 2016  it should be the most normal thing to kiss someone when you feel like kissing them."

The peaceful act of defiance was sadly interrupted when a policeman approached them and requested they leave the square.

"We kept on kissing until the police said we'd have to stop now and leave," said Mr Eistert.

"I guess the police just wanted to secure the area and avoid riots and/or fights... However, in removing us from where we were the police acted rather harshly."

Luckily, Mr Eistert has not previously been a victim of any kind of homophobic abuse and says he generally feels safe in Madrid.

"I've never had bad experiences when I was out in the street walking hand in hand with David. But I know that, very sadly, incidents against gay couples in Madrid are increasing lately."
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The Turkish President has approved a new government after the country's Prime Minister dramatically resigned.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's trusted ally, Binali Yildirim, announced the new cabinet after a meeting on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old replaced Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday following a reported falling-out, and is said to be backing controversial constitutional reforms that would expand Mr Erdogan's powers.

Ahmet Davutoglu resigned earlier this month (Getty Images)

The issue was one of several that the President and former Prime Minister were thought to be at odds over, including military operations against Kurdish groups in south-east Turkey.

I feel no reproach, anger or resentment against anyone, Mr Davutoglu said after announcing his resignation. No one heard or will ever hear a single word from my mouth, from my tongue or my mind against our President.

Mr Yildirim was elected as leader of the AKP unopposed on 22 May. He has served as transport and communications minister since 2002, with a short interruption in 2015, and is a founding member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

He was implicated in a corruption scandal in 2013 but denied wrongdoing and has generated controversy by appearing to support gender segregation and overseeing growing government surveillance and censorship.

 Turkey ratifies bill to strip MPs of immunity

Many fear that Turkey is moving towards an executive presidency that will concentrate too many powers in Mr Erdogan's hands, in the wake of a crackdown on critics in the media and government.

As the country faces security threats including increased attacks by Kurdish and Isis militants, parliament is in disarray after a government-backed constitutional amendment left 138 politicians vulnerable to prosecution.

The move officially strips immunity from prosecution but has been condemned as a move to expel opposition members, following calls from Mr Erdogan for pro-Kurdish MPs to face terrorism charges.

Negotiations also continue over Turkey's possible ascension to the European Union after the controversial refugee deal was agreed with a package of concessions on visa-free travel.
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The controversial EU refugee deal with Turkey could be helping reduce deaths at sea by preventing treacherous journeys across the Aegean.

New figures by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) showed that no asylum seekers were reported drowned so far this month in the passage between Turkey and Greece.

Crossings in flimsy smugglers dinghys have seen countless disasters, including one that claimed the lives of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, his mother and brother.

The refugee route between Greece and Turkey has effectively been closed (Getty Images)

But despite fears that the closure of the route, now patrolled by Nato ships, would force refugees on longer and more dangerous routes, casualties appear to be falling.

According to IOM figures, at least 1,370 migrants have died at sea so far this year  25 per cent lower than the same period in 2016.

Of the 13 recorded in three incidents up to 21 May, none were on the route over the Aegean Sea.

"We attribute this drop in fatalities to the extremely sharp drop in arrivals from Turkey in Greece, IOM spokesperson Joel Millman said.

"Obviously as the Turkish-Greece route appears suspended, we hope this is the beginning of a sound management policy of refugees and migrants who wish to make the crossing and don't take these enormous risks.

"It is possible, I want to stress possible, that the period of stark fatality since 2013 may have run its course by now, maybe we'll see a safer summer."

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

A group of 10 people are believed to have drowned off Sardinia on Saturday, part of a voyage IOM believes left from Algeria, while two bodies were recovered this month off Egypt and one body was found off Spains North African enclave of Ceuta.

An estimated 191,134 migrants and refugees have reached Europe by sea so far this year, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

The number of refugees arriving in Italy, dominantly crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya, remains high.

An estimated 2,700 migrants have been rescued at sea over the past 24 hours and another 850 were turned back after being intercepted by the Libyan authorities.

Giovanna di Benedetto, from Save the Children Italy, told The Independent the number of refugees arriving in the country was rising, with another four landings due on Tuesday.

According to the charitys figures, 33,200 asylum seekers had arrived by sea between 1 January and 22 May this year, including 5,400 unaccompanied minors.

In the first four months of last year, 26,000 migrants including 1,700 unaccompanied minors had made the journey.

 Libya coastguard braces for fresh refugee wave

Ms di Benedetto said that humanitarian workers did not believe the increase was directly related to efforts to close the people smuggling route across the Aegean.

At the start of last year we saw a lot of Syrian families arriving in Italy but they dont come any more, she added.

It is a completely different group of people that arrive in Italy  mostly from sub-Saharan countries and East Africa.

The largest group arriving in Italy are from Nigeria, at 15 per cent, followed by Gambia, Somalia, the Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Guinea and Senegal.

Italy is not subject to the terms of the EU deal with Turkey, which sees any refugees arriving clandestinely in Greece detained and deported back across the Aegean if their asylum applications fail.

Border closures through the Western Balkans route formerly used by migrants journeying into Europe have left thousands stranded across the continent.

Greek authorities were evicting refugees from the Idomeni camp, at the Macedonian border, on Tuesday, while a survey of the Calais Jungle has shown that the majority of its 6,000 residents are still determined to reach the UK.
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The number of attacks on asylum seekers and refugee accommodation is exploding in Germany after a record year for political violence in the country.

Releasing national crime statistics for 2015, the interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, warned that violence by right and left-wing extremists was increasing at an unprecedented rate.

The increase in right-wing politically motivated crime (PMK) is seen particularly in xenophobic offences, he said.

Firefighters tackle a fire in a planned refugee home in Bautzen, Germany, 21 February, 2016 (PA)

The number of attacks on asylum seekers accommodation has increased more than fivefold on last year.

This is unacceptable and will be strongly prosecuted by the police and judiciary.

Political crime rose by almost a fifth in 2015 to a total of almost 39,000 recorded offences  23,000 from the right-wing (up 35 per cent) and 9,600 on the left (up 17 per cent).

The German interior ministry said the figures represented a new high since political crimes started being recorded separately in 2001, which it attributed mainly to a 44 per cent increase in violent crime by right-wing extremists.

But the number of violent crimes committed by the left wing were even higher, rising 35 per cent to 2,246 incidents, largely directed against the police.

 Hundreds arrested in Germany as far-right party meets

The sharp increase in politically motivated crime points to a dangerous development in society, Mr de Maiziere said. We are witnessing a growing and increasingly pronounced readiness to use violence, both by right and left-wing extremists.

The surge has been attributed to the impact of the refugee crisis, with the far-right attacking migrant shelters and marching in waves of anti-immigration protests being met by attacks from left-wing activists.

Attacks on asylum seekers have been reported, as well as efforts by vigilante mobs to clean up Cologne after a string of sexual assaults and robberies on New Year's Eve stoked tensions.

As the number of homes for asylum-seekers swelled, so too did crimes targeting them, which more than quadrupled to 1,031, including four attempted murders, eight explosives offences, 60 assaults and 94 arsons.

Vandalism including the spraying of swastikas and racist and neo-Nazi slogans on migrant accommodation was also included in the category, with only a quarter of the crimes being solved so far.

Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Show all 13 1 /13 Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Women protest against sexism outside Cologne Cathedral on 5 January after the assaults Oliver Berg/EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Women protest against sexism in Cologne following the rash of sex attacks on New Year's Eve Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police initially failed to mention the assaults in report the following morning EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police officers patrol in front of the main station of Cologne, Germany AP Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks German far-right supporters demonstrate at Cologne`s train station (Reuters) Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016. Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police used pepper spray to control supporters of Pegida, Hogesa (Hooligans against Salafists) and other right-wing populist groups as they protested against the New Year's Eve sex attacks on 9 January, 2016 in Cologne, Germany Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police use a water cannon during a protest march by supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016 Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police use pepper spray against supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida, in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016. Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Artist Mira Moire protests naked in Cologne against the mass sex attacks on New Year's Eve AP Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks A demonstrator holds a sign in German that reads 'No violence against women' during a demonstration in the wake of the sexual assaults on New Year's Eve, outside the cathedeal in Cologne, Germany, 09 January 2016. EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Counter demonstrators hold up a sign reading "Against sexism, against racism" as they protest against a demonstration of the islamophobic movement PEGIDA at the train station in Cologne, Germany, on January 9, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Demonstration by a womens group on Saturday (AP) AP

Mr de Maiziere said the figures for 2016 so far showed that attacks could rise further, with 350 offences recorded in the first three months of this year  triple the figure for the same period in 2016.

Included in this category of crimes were the spraying of swastikas and other neo-Nazi symbols on refugee centre walls, as well as arson attacks.

Hate crime also soared by 77 per cent to 10,373 in 2015, mostly crimes motivated by xenophobia, followed by anti-Semitism, racism and religion.

The Federal Government is employing all means to use the rule of law to defend against racism, xenophobia and violence to defend, Mr de Maiziere said.

But the whole of society is also called on to oppose this increasing radicalisation, both in deed and word.

Police use a water cannon during a protest march by supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016 (Reuters)

The rise of the anti-Islam Pegida group and growing success of anti-immigration party the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) have been seen as evidence of political polarisation.

With the arrival of more than one million asylum seekers in Germany last year, around 150,000 cases of unauthorised entry were recorded and more than 230,000 of people overstaying.

Germans committed three quarters of the offences recorded in 2015 but crimes by foreigners increased 13 per cent, including document forgery, pickpocketing and burglary.

When immigration-related offences were removed from the figures, the number of offences in Germany was almost unchanged from 2014 at just under 6 million.

The largest group of foreign-born offenders were from Turkey, followed by Romania, Poland, Serbia and Italy.

Syrians were involved in 2.6 per cent of the crimes, Afghans 1.8 per cent and Iraqis 1.6 per cent.
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Terrorist cells in the EU are probably stockpiling explosives for future attacks, a senior Europol security official has said.

Europol, the EUs police agency, said it had foiled 211 terror plots in the last year, however the threat of similar attacks on the scale of those in seen Paris in November 2015 and Brussels in March remained a concern.

The Head of the European Counter Terrorism Centre at Europol, Manuel Navarrete Paniagua, warned on Monday that large clandestine stockpiles of explosives are likely being set up by terrorist groups, EUobserver reports.

Speaking at a briefing of Europols EU Terrorism Situation & Trend Report due to be released next month, Mr Paniagua told members of the EU Parliament: We have some information reported by the member states that terrorists groups are trying to establish large clandestine stockpiles of explosives in the European Union to be used eventually in large scale home attacks.

More than 4,000 so-called foreign fighters have been identified in the EU and entered into a Europol database.

Mr Paniagua said: Using the terrorist financial tracking programme, we provided last year more than 2,700 leads regarding foreign terrorist fighters to the member states."

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

A key conclusion of the report suggests "jihadist terrorism" remains the top threat to security in the EU, with recent attacks suggesting better coordination among terrorists than previously believed.

Mr Paniagua said terror groups collective use of explosives and firearms suggests they pose a rapidly evolving threat.

A further concern addressed by Mr Paniagua was that of jihadis using refugee flows to enter Europe in order to carry out attacks against Western targets.

We found no evidence of the systematic use of this flow to infiltrate terrorists into the European Union. But they do, they use it, we have some cases, some of the people that perpetrated the Paris attacks were eventually disguised in this immigration flow, said Mr Paniagua.

In May, Europol said it will deploy around 200 counter-extremism officers and investigators at refugee arrival centres in Europe, especially those with large numbers of arrivals such as in Italy and Greece.

On Sunday, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, a close aide and a possible successor to leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said lone wolf attacks in the US and Europe were dearer to us than the biggest action by us in Iraq and Syria.

The audio message, released by Isiss al-Furqan media wing, was the first time Adnani had been seen or heard in a recording since last October.
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A prominent British historian has rejected an Israeli academic prize worth hundreds of thousands of pounds after engaging in many discussions about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Professor Catherine Hall from University College London turned down the 225,000 research award, describing her decision as an independent political choice.

Professor Hall, who specialises in colonial history, was due to be presented with the prize from the Dan David Foundation during a ceremony in Tel Aviv on Sunday night but declined to attend.

It is believed she was motivated to reject the award after talking with the Palestinian boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which several prominent British academics have become involved in since its launch in 2005.

It was announced in February that Professor Hall, also a feminist political activist, would be this years recipient of the award.

In a statement published on the British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) Facebook page, Hall said: I have withdrawn from the prize  this was an independent political choice.

[It was] undertaken after many discussions with those who are deeply involved with the politics of Israel-Palestine, but with differing views as to how best to act.

BRICUP meanwhile claimed Professor Halls decision was a significant endorsement of the campaign to end ties with Israeli institutions, saying she had placed principle above financial gain.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

The Dan David award was launched in 2002 by late entrepreneur and philanthropist Dan David and is one of Israels most prestigious academic prizes.

Winners are awarded in three fields  Past, Present and Future  and Hall was due to be given this years Past prize for her pioneering of gender history research.

Organisers said that cash winnings from the award will instead be distributed as grants for young history students at Tel Aviv University and across the globe.

Ariel David from the foundation's administrative board said: "This will give Israelis of all backgrounds, whether Jewish or Arab, as a well as international scholars, the opportunity to meet at this beautiful campus and engage in academic discussion, research and discovery."

The Independent has contacted Professor Hall for comment.
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Greek authorities have sent in more than 400 riot police in a bid to evacuate the countrys largest makeshift refugee camp of Idomeni on the Macedonian border. The government spokesman for the refugee crisis, Giorgos Kyritsis, said on Monday the police would not use force and expected the operation to last between a week and ten days. The operation began at dawn on Tuesday. About 20 buses carrying riot police were seen heading in to the camp, with an estimated 700 police participating in the re-settlement.

Recommended Read more Police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at refugees on Greek border

Buses carrying people from the camps began leaving two hours after the evacuation started, leaving for a new refugee camp in the city of Thessaloniki in the north, about an hour away. Authorities and police say people will be moved to newly completed camps with better conditions. Camp residents have already been asked to leave and have been offered the option of heading to organised camps by the government. Police reported about 400 people voluntarily left Idomeni on Sunday and headed to Thessalonik or the nearby town of Polycastro.

 Greek government aims to clear Idomeni refugee camp

Greek authorities pan to reopen the railway line which runs through the camp, and is the countrys main freight line to the Balkans, which has been blocked by protesting camp residents since March 20. The camp, which was originally planned for 2,500 people, has been home to about 8,400 people from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq who were heading to Europe.

A bus moves a migrant family to an organized camp during an operation to evacuate the makeshift refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border (AP)

The numbers climbed to an estimated 14,000 when Macedonia shut its border in March, but numbers have since declined following alternative options of places to stay. The border closing led to increasingly worse conditions in the camp, which were made poorer due to heavy rain. In a bid to combat the worsening conditions, aid agencies set up large marquee-style tents to help house people and Greek authorities provided portable toilets.

Greek policemen stand next to migrants at a makeshift refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border (AP)

Recently, the camp has become more semi-permanent with reports indicating refugees setting up makeshift shops selling cooking items and food.

In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee children at the Moria camp in Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees queuing for food at the Kara Tepe camp in Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees' tents at the Kara Tepe camp in Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees at the Oxy transit camp in Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees waiting to board ferries to the Greek mainland in Mytilene, Lebos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees waiting to board ferries to the Greek mainland in Mytilene, Lebos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees waiting to board ferries to the Greek mainland in Mytilene, Lebos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos The graves of drowned refugees in Mytilene, Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos A building used to house unaccompanied children at the Moria camp in Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees queuing to register at the Moria camp in Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees at the Moria camp in Lesbos In pictures: Refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugees arriving on smugglers' boats from Turkey in Lesbos

An estimated 54,000 refugees and migrants have been trapped in Greece following Balkan and European countries shutting their borders to stop the flow of people. On the eve of the evacuation operation, few at the camp appeared to welcome the news.

It's much better here than in the camps. That's what everybody who's been there said, Hind Al Mkawi, a 38-year-old refugee from Damascus, told Associated Press on Monday evening.

I've heard [of the pending evacuation] too, she said. It's not good ... because we've already been here for three months and we'll have to spend at least another six in the camps before relocation. It's a long time. We don't have money or work  what will we do?

Abdo Rajab, a 22-year-old refugee from Raqqa in Syria, has spent the past three months in Idomeni, and is now considering paying smugglers to be taken to Germany clandestinely.

We hear that tomorrow we will all go to camps, he said. I don't mind, but my aim is not reach the camps but to go Germany.
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Isis attacks have caused extensive damage to a Syrian airbase used by Russian forces, satellite imagery reveals.

Four helicopters, 20 lorries and a supply depot were destroyed in a series of fires at the T4 airbase, images acquired by the intelligence company Stratfor suggest.

The T4 base, also known as Tiyas, is located in Homs province near the city of Palmyra, and sits near a strategic crossroads leading to Deir ez-Zor, the Syrian capital of Damascus and Raqqa, the de facto capital of Isis.

Satellite images acquired by Stratfor and taken on 14 May show the T4 base in Homs province before the fire (Stratfor/AllSource Analysis/DigitalGlobe)

Satellite images taken on 17 May and acquired by Stratfor show the the extent of damage at the T4 base in Homs province (Stratfor/AllSource Analysis/DigitalGlobe)

The Isis news agency Amaq reported on the destruction at the air base on 14 May, releasing a statement to say: "4 Russian attack helicopters and 20 trucks loaded with rockets burn inside T4 Airbase, east of Homs, after a fire breaks out nearby."

The Stratfor report states: "Around the same time, loyalist forces reported that an accidental explosion had taken place in an ammunition storage area at the air base."

After analysing satellite imagery of the base, the US geopolitical intelligence think-tank concluded: "Ordnance impact points are visible, especially around the structurally reinforced aircraft shelter and the cargo truck marshalling area.

"The imagery strongly suggests that the explosions that destroyed approximately 20 vehicles and four Russian attack helicopters were not accidental but were related to Islamic State artillery fire."

Satellite images taken on 14 May and acquired by Stratfor show the four Russian Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters before they were destroyed (Stratfor/AllSource Analysis/DigitalGlobe)

Satellite images taken on 17 May and acquired by Stratfor show the destroyed wreckage of four Russian Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters (Stratfor/AllSource Analysis/DigitalGlobe)

Along with the four Russian Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters, the Stratfor report said a Syrian MiG-25 jet also appears to have been damaged.

A spokesman for Russia's Defence Ministry said reports of the destruction of Russian helicopters "were created by propagandists of [Isis]".

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

Major General Igor Konashenkov told the Russian news agency TASS: "[T]he rumours about the destruction of a group of Russian helicopters and two dozen trucks were created by the propagandists of [Isis] who unsuccessfully tried to sell this alleged piece of news about ten days ago.

He added: "As for the photos of the Syrian airbase, the burnt aircraft and motor vehicles, as well as numerous craters created by reactive shell explosions have been present there for more than one month.

"This is the result of fierce fighting for this aerodrome between the Syrian government troops and militants of terrorist groupings."

 Russian fighter jets return

However, Stratfor analyst Sim Tack told the BBC: "So what the imagery tells is that first of all this was not an accidental explosion. It shows very clearly that there were several different sources of explosions across the airport, and it shows that the Russians took quite a bad hit.

"An entire combat unit was wiped out - four helicopters total - as well as some damage to some of the Syrian planes on the airport, and also very notably a logistics depot, likely one that was being used to supply those specific combat helicopters.

He added: "The IS account that was released after the attack is very accurate. And it's also one of the reasons that leads us to belive this was indeed an IS attack rather than an accidental explosion, because that first statement shows the knowledge that the Islamic State had about what exactly was destroyed in the attack."
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Kurdish and Syrian rebels are launching offensive on Isis territory near Raqqa after the US-led coalition vowed to take back the groups centres of gravity.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said the Northern Raqqa Liberation Campaign aimed to liberate Syrians from Isis oppression.

The rebels are expected to push south from their frontline in northern Raqqa Governorate but it was unclear whether they would attempt to take Raqqa city, which has been the de-facto capital of the so-called Islamic State since 2014.

The SDF announced the start of the Northern Raqqa Liberation Campaign with a press conference on 24 May 2016 (SDF)

The Raqqa Liberation Brigade and Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) forces will accompany SFD during the campaign, commander Rojda Felat said in a statement.

The campaign is aimed at repelling terrorist attacks on Shadadi, Tal Abyad and Kobani, ensuring the security of our people.

The SDF is among the rebel groups receiving training and support from the US-led coalition to act as partners on the ground.

An additional 250 members of US special forces arrived overnight on Monday ahead of the Raqqa campaign, the Kurdish Hawar news agency reported.

Activists from Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) documented military manoeuvres and preparations for battle by the SDF and its dominant component, the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), over the weekend.

SDF troops were expected to push south from their territory in northern Raqqa province (shown in yellow) into Isis territory (black) near its de-facto capital (Liveuamap)

It said American troops had been training rebels near Ayn Issa for several months but that the operation was expected to be limited to a small geographic area.

The size and the numbers of the military forces being prepared for the attack are not enough to launch a major military action - they are not enough to face Isis in large areas, RBSS said.

Recently, Isis has strengthened their presence in the northern region by increasing the numbers of their troops in the nearby villages, not to mention trenches, barricades and minefields.

The launch of the SDFs campaign came as activists reported intensive reconnaissance flights in the region and coalition air strikes in Raqqa city and the surrounding countryside.

Thousands of leaflets have been dropped on Isis-controlled areas urging civilians to flee in recent days, despite the terror groups tight controls on movement in its territories.

A pamphlet dropped by the US-led coalition depicted a family fleeing a ruined Raqqa littered with the bodies of dead militants into the brightly-coloured countryside, with the caption: This is the time you have been waiting for. It is time to leave Raqqa.

The US-led Coalition started dropping these leaflets on Raqqa urging civilians to leave on 19 May (RBSS)

American officials at the anti-Isis Operation Inherent Resolve command centre confirmed that the US-led coalition had produced the leaflet and distributed it in Raqqa.

Driving Daesh (Isis) out of Raqqa is one of our objectives and we continue to put pressure against it, a spokesperson told The Independent.

We have dropped leaflets in efforts to inform the innocent civilian population and reduce civilian casualties.

Asked how urging civilians to flee would make a difference if Isis continues to prevent them leaving its territory, the CJTF spokesperson said it was aware the group uses human shields.

The Coalition ensures all operations comply with respects the law of armed conflict, he added.

Coalition forces work very hard to be precise in our airstrikes and the safety of non-combatants on the battlefield is of the utmost concern to us.

Mitigating civilian casualties is a key component of the air campaign, and that is why we use precision weapons.

Analysts have interpreted a recent increase in Isis suicide bombings as a response to pressure from coalition bombing and military operations (Reuters)

Officials said the US-led coalition aims to avoid civilian casualties to the maximum extent but did not rule them out entirely.

Targets are reviewed for validity, then vetted with available intelligence and subjected to a collateral damage estimate before any strike, according to CJTF protocol.

Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, the commander of Operation Inherent Resolve announced an important part in the anti-Isis campaign last week.

The focus of the campaign is shifting more toward taking back the enemys centres of gravity in Iraq and Syria - Mosul and Raqqa, he said. Thats what were about today.

He hailed recent victories driving Isis out of key areas of Iraq and re-stated the coalitions commitment to working with partners, including the Iraqi security forces, Syrian Democratic Forces and moderate Syrian opposition.

We dont want to rush them and achieve fragile victories, Lt Gen MacFarland said. We want to make sure that their victories are irreversible.

The latest air strikes recorded by the US-led coalition, on Monday, included four strikes near Raqqa, targeting an Isis military garrison and tactical unit, while another hit militants in Ayn Issa.Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said the UK has 1,100 military personnel in Iraq and Syria and had intensified our efforts to defeat Daesh.

Timeline: The emergence of Isis Show all 40 1 /40 Timeline: The emergence of Isis Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2000 Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (pictured here) forms an al-Qaeda splinter group in Iraq, al-Qaeda in Iraq. Its brutality from the beginning alienates Iraqis and many al-Qaeda leaders. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2006 Al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. strike. Al-Zarqawis successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, announces the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2009 Still al-Qaeda-linked ISI claims responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 155 in Baghdad, as well as attacks in August and October killing 240, as President Obama announces troop withdrawal from Iraq in March. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2010 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi becomes head of ISI, at lowest ebb of Islamist militancy in Iraq, which sees last U.S. combat brigade depart. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2012 In Syria, protests (pictured here starting in Daree) have morphed into what president Assad labelled a real war with emergence of a coalition of forces opposed to Assads regime. Syria group Jabhat al-Nusra are among rebel groups who refuse to join, denouncing it as a conspiracy. Bombings targeting Shia areas, killing more than 500 people, spark fears of new sectarian conflict. Sunni Muslims stage protests across country against what they see as increasingly marginalisation by Shia-led government. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2013 Al-Baghdadi renames ISI as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Isis, as the group absorbs Syrian al-Nusra, gaining a foothold in Syria. In response, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri (Bin Ladens successor) concerned about Isis expansion orders that Isis be dissolved and ISI operations should be confined to Iraq. This order is rejected by al-Baghdadi. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - January Isis fighters capture the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, giving them base to launch slew of attacks further south. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis declares itself the Caliphate, calling itself Islamic State (IS). The group captures Mosul, Iraqs second largest city; Tal Afar, just 93 miles from Syrian border; and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. These advances sent shockwaves around the world. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Around the same time Isis releases a video calling for western Muslims to join the Caliphate and fight, prompting new evaluations of extremists groups social media understanding. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis take Baiji oil fields in Iraq - giving them access to huge amounts of possible revenue. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August James Foley is executed by the group as concerns grow for second American prisoner, fellow reporter Steven Sotloff. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August Obama authorises U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, helping to stall Isis along with action by Kurdish forces following the deaths of hundreds of Yazidi people on Mount Sinjar. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release video showing Steven Sotloffs murder prompting Western speculation his executioner is same man who killed Mr Foley. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Obama tells us that America will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release a video appearing to show David Haines, who was captured by militants in Syria in 2013, wearing an orange jumpsuit and kneeling in the desert while he reads a pre-prepared script. It later shows what appears to be the aid worker's body. Rex Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Peshmerga fighters scrabble to hold positions in the Diyala province (a gateway to Baghdad) as Isis fighters continue to advance on Iraqi capital. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Aid worker Alan Henning is killed. Self-imposed media blackout refuses to show images of him in final moments, instead focuses upon humanitarian care. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Isis raise their flag in Kobani, which had been strongly defended by Kurdish troops. The victory goes against hopeful western analysis Isis had overextended itself, while alienating much of the Muslim population through the murder of Henning. Victory causes fresh waves of Kurdish refugees arriving in Turkey. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - November American hostage, who embarced values of Islam, Peter Kassig and 14 Syrian soldiers are shown meeting the same fate as other captives. But intelligence agencies will be poring over the apparently significant discrepancies between this and previous films. Seramedig.org.uk Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis has released a video revealing the murder by burning to death of a Jordanian pilot held by the group since the end of December 2014. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have released videos which appear to show the beheading of Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February American aid worker, Kayla Mueller was the last American hostage known to be held by Isis. She died, according to her captors, in an airstrike by the Jordanian air force on the city of Raqqa in Syria, though US authorities disputed this. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have posted a gruesome video online in which they force 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian hostages to kneel on a beach in Libya before beheading them. Egypt vowed to avenge the beheading and launched air strikes on Isis positions. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February The British Isis militant suspected of appearing in videos showing the beheading of Western hostages has been named in reports as Mohammed Emwazi from London. Rex Features Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - March Isis triple suicide attack has killed more than 100 worshippers and hundreds of others were injured after the group members targeted two mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Iraqi forces have claimed victory over Isis in battle for Tikrit and raised the flag in the city. EPA/STR Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 35 people queuing to collect their wages and injured 100 more. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis media arm released a 29-minute video purporting to show militants executing Ethiopian Christians captives. The footage bore the extremist groups al-Furqan media logo and showed the destruction of churches and desecration of religious symbols. A masked fighter made a statement threatening Christians who did not convert to Islam or pay a special tax. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis has been "incapacitated" by a spinal injuries sustained in a US air strike in Iraq. He is being treated in a hideout by two doctors from Isis stronghold of Mosul who are said to be "strong ideological supporters of the group". Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis has also claimed responsibility for killing 300 of Yazidi captives, including women, children and elderly people in Iraq AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis attack on Prophet Mohamed cartoon contest in Texas was its first action on US soil. Two gunmen were shot and killed after launching the attack at the exhibition. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi have been named as the attackers at the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isiss deputy leader, Abu Alaa Afri, a former physics teacher who was thought to have taken charge of the deadly terrorist group, has been killed in a US-led coalition airstrike. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May US special forces have killed a senior Isis leader named as Abu Sayyaf in an operation aiming to capture him and his wife in Syria. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Iran-backed militias are sent to Ramadi by the Iraqi government to fight Isis militants who completed their capture of the city. Government soldiers and civilians were reportedly massacred by extremists as they took control and the army fled. Charred bodies were left littering the city streets as troops clung on to trucks speeding away from the city. Ramadi is the latest government stronghold to fall to the so-called Islamic State, despite air strikes by a US-led international coalition aiming to stop its advance in Iraq and Syria. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis rounded up civilians trapped in Palmyra and forced them to watch 20 people being executed in the historic citys ancient amphitheatre. The Unesco World Heritage site was overrun by militants, threatening the future of 2,000 year-old monuments and ruins. Thousands of Palmyras residents fled but many are still living within the city walls, while the UN human rights office in Geneva said it had received reports of Syrian government forces preventing people from leaving until they retreated from the city. Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May A group of Isis-affiliated fighters have captured a key airport in central Libya. The militants took control of the al-Qardabiya airbase in Sirte after a local militia tasked with defending the facility withdrew from their positions. Affiliates of Isis, already control large parts of Sirte, the birthplace of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a former stronghold of his supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June The US Air Force has destroyed an Isis stronghold after an extremist let slip their location on social media. According the Air Force Times, General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said that Airmen at Hulburt Field, Florida, used images shared by jihadists to track the location of their headquarters before destroying it in an airstrike. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Kurdish forces captured a key military base in a significant victory in Raqqa as well as town of Tell Abyad. YPG fighters, backed by US-led airstrikes and other rebels, consolidated their gains, when they seized the key town on the Syria-Turkey border. They are now just 30 miles to the north of Raqqa and have cut off a major supply route deep inside Isis-held territory. Ahmet Silk/Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has released gruesome footage claiming to show the murder of more than a dozen men by drowning, decapitation and using a rocket-propelled grenade as it seeks to boost morale among its fanatical supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has begun carrying out its threat to destroy structures in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, blowing up at least two monuments at the Unesco-protected site as Syrian government troops made advances on the Islamists positions. AFP

There is a long way to go and political progress needs to match military progress on the ground, but we should be encouraged, he told the House of Commons.

This may be a long campaign, but it is one we have to win and it is one we will win.

An audio message by Isis spokesperson Abu Mohammed al-Adnani appeared to hint at looming territory losses on Saturday, saying the group would not be defeated even if it returns to the desert as an insurgency.

The Soufan Group security consultancy cautioned that driving militants out of Mosul and Raqqa could see Isis lash out with more terror attacks like the waves of bombings seen in Baghdad and on the Syrian coast in recent days.

If the group adopts the same scorched earth approach to its much larger capitals in Iraq and Syria, the fighting and loss of life will be significant, analysts said.

It is uncertain whether or not the group will attempt to become a clandestine caliphate when it loses Raqqa and Mosul, but it is certain the group will persist in some fashion.

Isis has not publicly acknowledged mounting efforts against it in Raqqa, with propaganda outlets focusing on battles around Fallujah, where militants were fighting to stave off an advance by Iraqi forces on Tuesday.

 Iraq army launches assault to retake Fallujah from ISIL

As air strikes continued in Raqqa, Isis propaganda agency posted photos claiming to show Syrian civilians undertaking Sharia courses and a video of an awards ceremony for young Quran memorisation students.

The footage appeared to show dozens of children inside the city on 19 May, with many wearing Isis headbands and waving flags as they were given certificates and money by militants.

The US has previously admitted dozens civilian deaths during its air strikes campaign, while activists with RBSS have documented more deaths in recent weeks.

The group said that the US-led coalition must provide safe havens and routes out of Isis territory for civilians if it continues asking them to leave their homes.

This planned military action should not only rescue people from Isis, but it also should provide them with serious guarantees against falling under control of another extremist organisation, spokesperson Hamoud Almousa said.

Someone should care about the heavy losses that would affect civilians due to the upcoming military operation.
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The news that Angelina Jolie Pitt - Oscar-winning actress and political campaigner - will be joining the academic team at the UKs prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) has been encouraging debate and splitting opinion online and among the student body most of Tuesday.

Along with former foreign secretary, William Hague, Jolie Pitt will be joining other LSE fellows, scholars, and activists to help promote gender equality and enhance womens economic, social, and political prospects among Masters students.

Professor Christine Chinkin, director of the Centre for Women, Peace and Security at the university, naturally praised the selection, deeming it essential in advancing knowledge and influencing global and local policy-making, with Jolie Pitt urging other academic institutions to follow suit.

Though, despite what the university and Jolie Pitt, herself, have both said, the appointment of one of the worlds most famous women has split opinion.

The Independent has spoken to two LSE students - one who supports the announcement, and one who opposes - about what they think of Jolie Pitt teaching at their university:

Joel Pearce, 19

Second-year BSc Government student

People have criticised Angelina Jolies appointment for being a cynical move to attract students and publicity to the university, but I think thats missing the point.

As both an ambassador and special envoy for the UN, she has years of experience of activism, research in the field, and has played a big role in drawing attention to the issue of sexual violence in conflict. I think shes exactly the kind of person LSE students should be learning from.

Appointments like this are the antidote to detached and elitist academia - not because shes won an Oscar, but because she has an insight into the issues that cant be found in textbooks.

Universities have a long history of appointing visiting professors who have experience in areas like politics and journalism. Angelina Jolie is no different - even if she is a bigger name.

Anonymous, 20

First-year BSc International Relations and History student

Angelina Jolies new role as visiting professor in practice at LSE is out of her realm.

In recent years, Jolie has used her status for worthy causes and has given an insight into the the topic of women in conflict, but, to teach Masters students at one of Britains most prestigious universities, and to join the ranks of elitist professors who have reached the top of their fields, requires more than a surfaced insight into a topic.

 Angelina Jolie slams UN on Syria crisis

Unfortunately, LSEs track record doesnt help its case; in 2008, the institution granted a PhD degree to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi - former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafis son - after large donations from the Gaddafi Foundation were pledged to the university [LSE director later said the university acted in the best interests of the school, adding its training of Libyan professionals was of merit]. Although the two cases may seem very different, theyre similar in that they both undermine our supposedly meritocratic society, where merit and achievement are meant to be the only factors that distinguish someone in their academic or occupational careers.

It also tarnishes the hard work students have put in to gain a place at LSE. How can someone who has worked through the education process, obtained a bachelor degree, and finally landed a place for a Masters at the university be taught by someone who - with respect - has a limited amount of experience and no qualifications to their name?

Although it would be an honour to meet Jolie for all the admirable humanitarian work she has immersed herself in, appointing her as a visiting professor at LSE only serves to undermine the university, its students and professors and, ultimately, our meritocratic society.
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The students union (SU) at Hull University (HUU) has become the latest to announce it is to break away from the National Union of Students (NUS) following the controversial election of Malia Bouattia.

Having conducted a referendum, HUU said it will officially disaffiliate from the NUS after 811 students chose to leave the national student campaigner, while just 476 chose affiliation. Overall, 1,306 students took part in the voting process, around 9.5 per cent of the full-time student population.

The news has come shortly after the SUs at Lincoln and Newcastle voted to disaffiliate from the NUS with Exeter, Warwick, and Surrey, so far, emerging as the ones to remain affiliated, although Surrey did not hold a referendum.

Around a dozen other SUs from across the country have yet to announce their referendum results, including the prestigious Oxford and Cambridge institutions.

If more SUs opt to leave, the financial implications for the NUS could prove severe. One student has claimed Hulls disaffiliation means the NUS will lose 50,000 - half of the chief executives salary and, according to the HUU financial statement for 2014/15, the NUS confirmed its affiliation fee to stand at 51,083.

SUs from across the nation have been campaigning after a controversial NUS National Conference in Brighton last month, with particular discord being felt over the election of the new National President, Malia Bouattia, who faced allegations of anti-Semitism.

Ms Bouattia, though, has strongly denied the claims.

Politicians also criticised delegates for presenting arguments against commemorating the Holocaust during a debate.

Prior to the referendum taking place, HUU said in a statement the NUS provided it with a benefits statement which listed the value of the discounts received by the SU as part of purchasing its services as 56,244.75. It later emerged the correct figure was actually 39,137.52 - 17,106.23 less - than originally stated.

HUU confirmed calculation errors had occurred in the benefits statements of other SUs, but that the NUS had contacted all those affected.

HUU added: We received eight complaints in total from individual students who would have changed their vote from affiliate to disaffiliate in light of the miscalculated figure. Following a review of those complaints, our chief returning officer is satisfied the referendum result is valid.

Outgoing NUS National President, Megan Dunn, said she was disappointed at hearing of the result. She added: Disaffiliation means breaking up the national movement and it will disadvantage Hull students and undermine the position of HUU, NUS, and students unions across the country.

 Malia Bouattia interview

NUS is already acting on students concerns, working on a new democratic framework and weve promised to be more transparent and impactful. The only way to improve our national union is to be a part of it. I would love to welcome HUU back to NUS to be part of this process and benefit from the difference this work will make.

While Lincoln SU president, Hayley Jayne Wilkinson, described how, as a group of elected officers, they no longer felt confident the NUS represented the views of Lincoln students, the head of Newcastles SU, Dominic Featon echoed this sentiment.

He said it was clear Newcastle students felt the NUS no longer represents their views, does not prioritise correctly, and is not effective at achieving change.

Laura-Jane Tiley, head of Exeters SU - known as the Guild - described how the interests of Exeter students are best-served by being part of the NUS. She said: Like the Leave campaign, we do believe the NUS needs to change, but that the best way of doing this is to remain a part of the organisation.

The Independent has contacted HUU for further comment on the decision.
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Travel publisher Lonely Planet has revealed its top 10 European countries to visit this year. This list is topped by the Greek Peloponnese peninsula, the southernmost region of mainland Greece characterised by a mountainous interior and indented coastline, as well as historic sites such as Olympia and Mycenae and the Nemean wine region, which is gaining international recognition. British Airways recently launched flights to its largest city, Kalamata, from Heathrow.

Greece was closely followed by Aarhus, the Danish city poised to take up the post of European Capital of Culture next year, as well as European Region of Gastronomy. As part of ongoing regeneration, the country's second-largest city - on the east coast of Jutland - has seen its harbourfront enhanced with new public spaces such as Dokk1 and ARoS mueseum, which is crowned with a striking, multicoloured glass walkway.

As well as big-hitters such as Venice and the Dordogne, Lonely Planet's list includes more controversial destinations, including Lviv in western Ukraine, which is hosting 100 festivals this year; and Texel in the Netherlands. Two-thirds of the Dutch island is protected as a nature reserve - a haven of sand dunes and pine forests favoured by migratory birds.

Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Show all 10 1 /10 Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Peloponnese, Greece Traditional stone village Maria Toutoudaki/Getty Images Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Aarhus, Denmark ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum - Your Rainbow Panorama ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Venice, Italy Gondolas moored on the water Justin Foulkes/Lonely Planet Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Dordogne, France Chateau de Castelnaud in the Dordogne Valley Andrew Montgomery / Lonely Planet Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Lviv, Ukraine Aerial view of the old town tunart/Getty Images Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Warwickshire, England The Royal Shakespeare Company Royal Shakespeare Company Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Extremadura, Spain San Francisco Javier church in Caceres's old town Santiago Urquijo/Getty Images Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 East Coast Tenerife, Spain Anaga Mountains, Taganana Westend61/Getty Images Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Texel, Netherlands Texel's crimson-coloured lighthouse for views across the islands Sara Winter / Shutterstock Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 Northern Dalmatia, Croatia Northern Dalmatia's historic 'Master's road' Marin Tomas / Getty Images

The list was compiled by Lonely Planet's global team of experts, whose recommendations took into account recent experiences, current and up-coming projects, destinations on the up and favourites that have put into practice surprising innovations. Last year's top 10 was topped by Akureyri in Iceland, with Baku in Azerbaijan also making the cut.
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Q What are the certainties about MS804?

An Airbus A320 departed from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris at 11.09pm, local time, on Wednesday 18 May, destination Cairo. Three hours 20 minutes later, while flying at 37,000 feet, Egyptair flight MS804 disappeared from radar screens about 150 miles north of the Egyptian coast. Sixty-six people were known to be on board: 56 passengers, seven crew and three Egyptian security officials. Wreckage and human remains from the flight has been found in the Mediterranean Sea.

Seven Acars messages relating to technical issues with the plane were sent minutes before the flight disappeared. These are messages intended for engineers, and comprise a coded explanation - but we do not know exactly what. Two of them indicating that smoke alarms had been activated.

Q So there was a fire on board - what caused it, then?

We dont know for certain that there was a fire on board. The smoke detectors can also be triggered by condensation, for example of the kind that can occur in the event of a sudden decompression.

On-board fires can be started by accident - for example when a wiring bundle short circuits, or a battery overheats. They can be started by negligence, eg someone smoking in the toilet. Or they can be started deliberately - with an incendiary device, or simply inflammable fuel and a match or lighter.

 EgyptAir Flight 804: Sisi says 'all scenarios possible'

Q Was terrorism involved - and if so, how?

That cannot be ruled out at this stage, though it is significant that no credible claim of responsibility has been made so far. It is possible that a device was placed on board in Paris, Cairo (where the plane had been located prior to flying to the French capital) or a previous stop. However, searches are made of holds and the cabin before each flight. And it is believed that the security officers on board the staff are responsible for conducting the search, as well as guarding the aircraft while it is on the ground.

It is also too early to rule out the possibility that a terrorist was on board, either in addition to the 66 people we know were on the plane, or indeed among them.

In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 Show all 5 1 /5 In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May Egyptian army In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May Egyptian army In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May Egyptian army In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May In pictures: Wreckage from EgyptAir flight 804 EgyptAir wreckage The Egyptian army published photos showing wreckage and debris from EgyptAir flight 804 on 21 May

Q An Egyptian investigator said that evidence found in the sea indicated an explosion on board?

This whole tragedy has been characterised by a sequence of conflicting statements - and leaks - made by people involved with the investigation. One source said that the pattern of human remains suggested an on-board explosion - though this has been refuted by the government in Cairo. If traces of explosives were found on material recovered from the sea, that would be more convincing.

Q What other explanation could there be?

A catastrophic mechanical failure; some have speculated that a sudden, uncommanded thrust reverser deployment could be responsible, as it was for the Lauda Air Boeing 767 crash in Thailand in 1991. On the flight deck, there could have been pilot error or deliberate human intervention. A collision with another object, whether a missile or a drone, is also possible.

Q When will we know?

Most of the aircraft is believed to be up to two miles below sea level in a particularly deep part of the Mediterranean. While this is a less daunting prospect than the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, MH370, it is still likely to take weeks rather than days.
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Warwickshire has been named as one of Europe's top destinations to visit this summer.

It was described by travel guide experts as "brimming with beauty" and praised for its "bucolic hills, sublime castles and historic market towns".

Lonely Planet ranked the county as number six in its Best in Europe 2016 list.

Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon is hosting events throughout the year to mark the 400th anniversary of his death, while visitors to Warwick Castle can see its restored 22-tonne trebuchet - a huge catapult - in operation.

Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list Show all 10 1 /10 Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 1. Peloponnese, Greece GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 2. Aarhus, Denmark ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 3. Venice, Italy GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 4. The Dordogne, France REUTERS Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 5. Lviv, Ukraine GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 6. Warwickshire, England GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 7. Extremadura, Spain GETTY Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 8. East Coast Tenerife, Canary Islands Getty Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 9. Texel, the Netherlands REUTERS Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list 10. Northern Dalmatia, Croatia GETTY

The Peloponnese in Greece took the number one spot in Europe this summer, followed by Aarhus, Denmark in second place and Venice, Italy at number three.

Lonely Planet's editorial director, Tom Hall, said: "Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2016 list offers up our recommendations for travellers seeking an authentic experience in Europe this summer - for those looking for local recommendations, or for those hoping to absorb some traditional life while they're away.

"Whether they are firm holiday favourites that have something new to offer, or places you may never have come across, these destinations should be on any traveller's wish list this summer."
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The public reaction to news that the activist, campaigner, humanitarian and Hollywood megastar Angelina Jolie Pitt is to take up a teaching post at the London School of Economics was tiresomely predictable.

First came the requests from hormonal adolescent boys, barely out of their teen bedrooms and into student halls of residence, for some private lessons from the prof. Then came the Twitter jokers, suggesting that she was picked by the elite establishment due to her humanitarian work and her voiceover work for KungFu Panda.

Finally, the intelligentsia came out sniping. Here follows a selection of very British views on the appointment of a world-renowned public speaker to a visiting role at an international higher education institution: The cult of celebrity continues to flourish; a mockery to those who value education; this sort of thing devalues academic completely.

 Angelina becomes uni lecturer

According to Miles Goslett, writing for Louise Menschs new venture, Heat Street, it sounds like a total swizz and a desperate marketing ploy. Ms Jolie Pitt, he cruelly notes, once tried to become a funeral director but she didnt finish the course.

Perhaps the most unfair of critiques came from those who sought to link her appointment to the awarding of honorary degrees: a practice which has, in fact, become increasingly discredited as figures as diverse as Robert Mugabe and Kermit the Frog were handed the accolade.

Such bitchiness is academic snobbery at its worst. The role of a visiting professor is time-honoured and well understood  and it is incredibly useful. For all the mudslinging, one might expect that to send your son or daughter to the LSE would now mean trusting in a Hollywood starlet to educate young minds in the finer point of political theory. But that's not what is happening here.

Jolie Pitt  together with her political friend and ally, the former British foreign secretary William Hague  will deliver occasional lectures, at least one a year, to students working towards a new LSE qualification: a Masters degree in women, peace and security. She will be a professor in practice, drawing on her work with the UN as a global negotiator, to help students better understand the impact of war on the worlds women.

There is nothing new about this type of university appointment, and its far more sophisticated than simply throwing a little stardust on proceedings. At Harvard, the film maker Spike Lee had a similar arrangement in the 1990s. He taught film theory from the benefit of his own practice. Ian Rankin, the crime novelist, is a visiting professor on the prestigious creative writing course at the University of East Anglia. He gives practical advice about the writing craft to those ambitious to follow in his footsteps. No such soul searching about the void at the heart of the academy resulted from their appointments.

More surprising to some may be the 2015 arrival of comedian Ruby Wax as visiting professor in mental health nursing at the University of Surrey. She holds an MA in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from the University of Oxford, but was appointed due to her contribution to the public discourse on mental health, for which she has already received an OBE. She presents occasional lectures and workshops to students sharing her expertise and insights on mental health.

Just like Wax and Rankin, Jolie Pitt will speak to students based on her experience in the field  and what experience she has. She is a goodwill ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, a campaigner on refugee rights, an activist on female genital mutilation and has addressed world conferences on the use of rape as a weapon of warfare. Two years ago, she co-hosted a four-day summit in London aimed at ending sexual violence in war, during which she discussed the academic issues at hand, in very practical terms, with world leaders and policy experts on a global scale.

If she had done all this but not starred in the tacky Tomb Raider film franchise, what objection would there be to her addressing students of the LSE? I cant imagine any.

Whatever your view on the effectiveness of the UN and its choice of goodwill ambassadors, Jolie Pitt has as much influence in her area of expertise as Wax, Rankin, Lee  and a whole host of other visiting professors who are not, and never will be, household names.

The objection to Jolie Pitts arrival at the LSE is nothing more than snootiness from those who cherish the ideal of the ivory tower, and want universities to steer well clear of the grubby business of applying political theory in practice. That way lies obscurity and irrelevance, something that the LSE  like the Hollywood star it has employed  is far too sensible to risk.
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I was hoping not to write about the Chilcot report again until it is published, on 6 July. Not least because I dont know what is in it. But duty calls. Tim Shipmans report, with which The Sunday Times led its front page, is actually a careful and well-sourced summary of what to expect, but it has triggered the usual regurgitation of ever more ill-informed and offensive ways of saying, I didnt agree with the war.

Most notably from a spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn, who confirmed that the Labour leader stood by his reply last year to the question, should Tony Blair be charged with war crimes, which was: If hes committed a war crime, yes. Everyone whos committed a war crime should be. Note the weasel if, which turns the insinuation into a statement with which, formally, no one could disagree.

The one thing that is clear, even if it wasnt in Chilcots remit, is that the decision to join the US military action in Iraq was lawful. The short proof is that no legal action has even been started in 13 years. To use a term such as war crime about a leader of your party is wild, ignorant and illogical. If you believed that Blair was a war criminal, how on earth could you have remained a member of the Labour Party?

So what did The Sunday Times say? For those without a Times subscription, Shipmans version of his story for the free Red Box email (which I recommend), is here. The first paragraph said:

Tony Blair, Jack Straw and Sir Richard Dearlove will face serious damage to their reputations from the Chilcot report into the Iraq War, which has delivered an absolutely brutal verdict on the mismanagement of the occupation.

The idea that Blair could suffer any further damage to his reputation is an alarming and frankly implausible idea, given the vitriol by which his critics discredit themselves already. But the important bit is not the absolutely brutal, a phrase which rings the Pavlov bell for the haters, but the mismanagement of the occupation.

The significance of the story is that most of the Chilcot report is devoted to what happened after the invasion of Iraq. The section on the occupation will be longer than that on the build-up to it  even though that is where public attention is expected to focus, Shipman reports.

No one disagrees that the planning for the aftermath of the invasion, mostly the Americans responsibility, was misconceived, and that the management of it, a joint responsibility, was disastrous. It will be interesting to see what the Iraq Inquiry report has to say about it.

The part of The Sunday Times report that puzzled me, however, was this:

A senior source who has discussed the report with two of its authors has revealed that Blair wont be let off the hook over claims that he offered British military support to the American president at the time, George W Bush, a year before the 2003 invasion.

This looks like the old signed-in-blood nonsense, based on the fallacy that Blair could have committed the UK to military action in advance of a decision by the Cabinet and a vote in the House of Commons. It was not a secret that Blair supported Bush in confronting Saddam Hussein, by force if necessary. But Blair persuaded the President to take his case to the UN, where he secured a unanimous vote to offer Saddam a final opportunity to comply with previous UN resolutions. Again, it will be interesting to see what not being let off the hook means.

The one thing that should be no surprise whatsoever, though, is that Chilcot is not going to find that Blair took us to war on a lie, (a) because he didnt and (b) because Shipmans sources might have mentioned that bit if it were in there.

Even Tom Bower, author of the hostile, one-sided and selective Broken Vows, doesnt think that Blair lied about Saddams weapons of mass destruction (on BBC Daily Politics, 10 March 2016).

Previously from the Iraq Inquiry Coverage Rebuttal Service. See also here and here.
A housing charity has said the accommodation crisis in Ireland could be eased by taking students out of the private rented sector

Students should be rapidly taken out of private rented homes countrywide to help ease the accommodation crisis, a leading housing charity has said.

Bob Jordan, chief executive of Threshold, said tax breaks could be reintroduced immediately to encourage developers to build more on-campus accommodation at colleges and universities.

These could be pre-fabricated or modular buildings which could be put up "fairly quickly," he said.

Speaking before a parliamentary watchdog investigating the chronic shortage of homes and rising homelessness, Mr Jordan said students should be taken out of the "mainstream" of private rented accommodation in towns and cities nationwide.

The move would "free-up immediate supply in the rented sector".

"Student accommodation should be on campus - purpose-built student accommodation that takes students out of the mainstream market," he told the special Dail committee on housing and homelessness.

"Students require a particular type of accommodation, they require it for a particular period of time and it should be affordable.

"There is an opportunity there to do that."

Mr Jordan suggested a reintroduction of the Section 50 tax break, which allowed developers to claim tax back for building, converting or refurbishing student accommodation.

The relief was one of a number of construction tax breaks phased out after the property crash.

Mr Jordan also criticised universities and colleges for increasing rents of on-campus accommodation in recent years so "it has become as expensive as it is in town, so there's no benefit to it".

"Any measure that it being introduced around student accommodation needs to make sure it is priced at an affordable rent for students and, let's face it, their parents," he told TDs on the committee.

Maureen O'Sullivan, Dublin Central TD, said fears were mounting about accommodation around Grangegorman, where a "massive influx of students" is expected with the opening of the new Dublin Institute of Technology campus.

"I am hearing stories of landlords who have had tenants for a number of years now telling them they have to leave because they are sub-dividing what was an adequate bedroom into two bedrooms for students because students will take that," she said.

Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, Independent TD for Longford-Westmeath, said he had lobbied for public-private partnerships to build student accommodation in Athlone - which has 5,500 students - but claimed the government was against it.
The survey also showed the number of people working in Ireland is just shy of two million

Unemployment has dropped to 8.3%, official figures have shown.

The labour market survey also showed the number of people working in Ireland is just shy of two million, after 46,900 workers took up new jobs in the last year.

The report by the Central Statistics Office revealed significant falls in the number of people who have been out of work for more than a year.

The long-term unemployed rate is down from 6% to 4.7% in the year to the end of March but it still makes up more than half of those without a job.

The figures from the Quarterly National Household Survey also showed the total number of unemployed people was down to 179,500.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan said job creation had been steady over three and a half years, and was also "broad based".

"The data released today show that the numbers at work continue to grow and that the level of employment is now just shy of the two million mark," he said.

"We have now seen 14 consecutive quarters of employment growth.

"This growth remains broad-based, with 12 of the 14 sectors reported by the CSO showing annual growth. Only a strong economy supporting people at work can pay for the services needed to create a fair society."

Mr Noonan reiterated government pledges to create 200,000 jobs by 2020, including 135,000 outside of Dublin.

The 8.3% unemployment rate is the lowest the figure has been since the end of 2008, when the country was in the midst of a deepening recession.

The Department of Finance said the real rate for the end of April was down to 7.9% and forecast that the numbers in work will pass the two million mark before the end of June.
Live exports have slumped as the combined impact of a weaker sterling, sluggish demand on the Continent, and a lack of progress on opening the Turkish market hit the trade.

Numbers are down by over 20pc since the start of 2016, but the decline has accelerated in the second quarter with a drop of more than 30pc in recent weeks.

It has resulted in nearly 30,000 fewer animals being exported in 2016 compared to 2015, with the exports to Britain down by 70pc, and trade with the North back by 1,000hd per week.

Exports outside of Europe have dried up completely, and live exporters that bought thousands of light stores in anticipation of the opening of the Turkish market are worried that delays will result in the weanlings missing the specifications required for this market.

"We were told that the market would be open by the first week in May. A lot of exporters have hundreds of animals waiting in yards that are now in danger of being too old or heavy to meet the buyer's requirements," said one source.

Expectations had been raised within the industry about the opportunity in Turkey when French stock were excluded from the burgeoning market this year.

However, France has subsequently become a bigger competitor in traditional Irish markets in Italy and Spain, as it looks for new markets for the 120,000hd that it sold into the Turkish market last year.

"At this rate, 2017 could see Irish cattle supplies reach their highest levels for more than a decade," said Bord Bia's beef analyst, Joe Burke.

"If Britain votes to stay in the EU, and the pound strengthened again it would help," he added.

While the Tunisian market opened briefly for Irish stock last year, exporters are not optimistic about securing any orders from north Africa while international oil prices remain depressed.

'Precarious'

While prices have strengthened at the factories and marts this week, farmers fear that a perfect storm is looming when an additional 50,000 head of stock hit the market over the coming months, and the additional 100,000 calf births from 2015 begin to filter through.

ICSA beef chairman Edmond Phelan has described the situation as "precarious" and added that the "need for live exports has never been greater".

Cull cows supplies from the dairy herd have also subdued demand on the Continent, with Italian culls up by 30pc, while culls in Britain are up by over 10pc as the dairy crisis deepens.

As a result, Italian U grade prices have slipped to the point where they are just 15c/kg ahead of Irish returns.

There are also concerns that the Turkish market will be no silver bullet, as buyers there are looking for weanlings that are already in demand among Irish farmers.

"Weanlings weighing less than 300kg and under 12 months of age are already a strong seller and the 21-day holding requirements are also problematic," said the ICSA's Mr Phelan.

Referring to the 30pc drop in dairy calves to the Netherlands, Mr Phelan said that it was crucial that as many dairy calves as possible were exported.

"Extra output, far from being a panacea, is only likely to add fuel to fire," he said.
Farmers are threatening to withdraw their goodwill from a new 4.5m public cycleway planned for a stretch of the Ring of Kerry.

While the vast majority of the 172 landowners along the 32km route claim to support the concept, there is growing resistance to the compulsory purchase order (CPO) mechanism being adopted by the County Council.

"This area needs the Greenway badly because it would be a perfect fit with the type of activity holidays that are not completely weather dependent that this region can offer," admitted local part-time sheep farmer, Denis O'Connor.

"So it can't come soon enough. But a CPO is a deadly blunt instrument that takes one man's livelihood and turns it into another's good time."

Kerry County Council first announced that it had secured funding for a cycleway to be constructed along the old railway line between Glenbeigh and Valentia back in 2014.

Senior county engineer, Tom Sheehy said that the council held a series of meetings with local landowners over the course of three months in 2014 before it concluded that a CPO was the best way to proceed with the project.

"We found that there were at least 10 landowners spread out along the route who were adamant that they would not let the project through their land," said Mr Sheehy.

"At that point we had a choice to let the funding go or to push on because it was important for the area."

While 15,000/ac had been suggested as a payment for land along the route initially, a CPO will involve independent land valuers that are likely to push for values above and below this level.

An independent report estimated that the cycleway would bring an additional spend to the Kerry region of 7.3m from domestic and foreign tourists.

The local town of Cahirsiveen suffered a 10pc drop in population in the most recent census, compared to a 28pc increase in neighbouring Kenmare.

"We know the goodwill of farmers is vital, and we recognise that the CPO has put a dent in that, but we still believe it will be successful," said Mr Sheehy.

County Council officials will be meeting with IFA representatives next week to discuss proposals to build in a subsidy for farmers that participate in maintaining the route.
Pictured in Bandon Mart at the launch of the Mart Modernisation scheme were (l-r) Sean Coughlan CEO ICBF with Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and Sean O'Sullivan CEO Cork Marts. Photo: Denis Boyle.

A 300,000 scheme to subsidise the roll-out of new electronic boards at marts throughout the country has been announced.

ICOS had warned the potential of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme would be "diluted" unless screens, which cost up to 10,000, were installed which would keep farmers up-to-date on star ratings.
Allied Irish Bank (AIB) has maintained its momentum from 2015 and has reported strong profitability, increased lending, and reductions in impaired loans in the first three months of the year.

In a trading update released to shareholders this morning, AIB posted a net interest margin (NIM) of 2.09pc, an increase on the 1.97pc for the full year of 2015.

New lending drawdowns increased by 17pc in the period as the bank held on to leading market shares in both retail and business sectors.

AIB chief executive Bernard Byrne said the bank has continued the positive trend from 2015.

"Our focus on growth, a more efficient operating model and improved funding costs enabled us to pass on a 4 reduction of 25bps to variable rate mortgage customers and a 2,000 contribution to switching costs.

"We look forward to increasing our payments to the State to around 6.5bn when we pay a further 1.8bn in capital and interest in July on the maturity of the Contingent Capital Notes."

Excluding currency costs performing loans increased by 500m, which AIB said was driven by increased new lending and restructures offset by redemptions.

Impaired loans were down by 1bn to 12bn due to ongoing case by case process of bringing in restructuring soluitions.

Irish mortgages in arrears fell by 4pc in the three months with similar declines visible in both early and late stage arrears. AIB said the number of accounts in arrears in both the owner-occupier and buy-to-let portfolios dropped by 29pc and 27pc respectively since December 2014.
The EU is expected to present a proposal enabling the free flow of data across the bloc later this year. Photo: Bloomberg

Ireland has joined other EU nations in calling for the removal of barriers to data flows both within and outside of the 28-nation bloc.

In a letter to the European Commission, signed by Innovation Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor and Communications Minister Denis Naughten, 14 nations urged Brussels to ensure current legislation does not stop the development of new technologies.

Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK joined Ireland in signing the letter.

"It should be ensured that data can move freely across borders, both within and outside the EU, by removing all unjustified barriers to the free flow of data and that regulation does not constitute a barrier to development and adoption of innovative data-driven technologies," the letter reads.

Signatories encouraged the Dutch minister of economic affairs Henk Kamp to "move the single market into the digital age".

"As both consumers and businesses can benefit significantly from cross-border e-commerce within Europe, we need to step up efforts to make it easier to trade online across the internal market and not impose new burdens on businesses," they added.

The document also outlines the benefits of online platforms such as Amazon or Facebook. However, it warned against implementing "one-size-fits-all" regulation for them.

The letter from ministers across Europe comes a year after the Commission launched the European Single Market strategy. The strategy was largely developed to help European businesses compete against their US counterparts.

"The Digital Single Market should be characterised by openness towards innovation and new business models, by stronger competition and minimal barriers, and a favourable environment for new entrants," European ministers wrote.

"A market-based approach where businesses do not face unjustified burdens, can operate freely across borders like they do in their home countries, and all legislation is digital by default is equally essential."

The letter backs up the Commission's vice president, Andrus Ansip, who has openly spoken of his desire to remove barriers to data flows.

While he said localising data in some countries is very popular, he deems it as a "dead end".

The calls from European ministers come during discussions around Privacy Shield, the controversial deal to facilitate data transfers to the US, which is to succeed Safe Harbour.

Privacy Shield has been criticised by Europe's data protection watchdogs for its vagueness and say it is potentially open to abuse.
Here are the main business stories from this morning's papers:

Irish Independent

* Ryanair's senior and middle management have agreed to a 12-month pay freeze as it tries to keep a lid on costs amid a more competitive European landscape fuelled by cheap oil.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary said Ryanair had managed to push unit costs 2pc lower during its financial year that ended in March, despite significant expansion. He said the airline is targeting a 1pc drop in unit costs in the current financial year.

* Ireland has joined other EU nations in calling for the removal of barriers to data flows both within and outside of the 28-nation bloc.

In a letter to the European Commission, signed by Innovation Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor and Communications Minister Denis Naughten, 14 nations urged Brussels to ensure current legislation does not stop the development of new technologies.

* A software provider which this year became the first Irish company listed on Australia's stock market has secured a multi-million dollar US hospital contract.

Dublin-based and Sydney- listed Oneview Healthcare signed the multi-year contract with NYU Langone Medical Center, a healthcare provider linked to New York University.

The Irish Times

* AIB may look to rid itself of some non-performing loans as the bank bids to deal with some of its more problematic loans.

According to a report in The Irish Times, the bank is considering the sale of some of its mortgages, however has not made any final decision in relation to this.

* Ryanair has signalled its intentions to cut prices across Europe yesterday, which may spark an air fare price war after the airline posted a 43pc increase in profits last year.

The firm carried over 106 million passengers in the 12 months ended March 31st and generated revenues of 6.54bn.

* Kleinwort Benson has been sold by its parent company Oddo to both management and French asset manager Amundi, in a deal believed to be worth over 130m.

According to a report in The Irish Times, the Dublin-based firm a number of senior management in the company have taken a stake in it as part of the deal.

Irish Examiner

* Ryanair is predicted to be extending its share buyback programme, which will have returned around 800m to investors when it reaches its scheduled end in September.

According to a report in the Irish Examiner, Ryanair is around 80pc through its initially planned buyback programme and is expected to increase this by 300m.

* Shares in Manchester United rose yesterday following the sacking of manager Louis Van Gaal. United's main stock listing in New York was up 2.4pc at one point yesterday.

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is widely expected to take over at the helm of the club.

* Retired champion jockey Tony McCoy can console himself with his retirement from the sport with accumulated profits at his firm jumping to 2.85m last year.

The 20-time champion jockey retired last year after an illustrious career in the sport.
Forecourt retailer Maxol is to create 50 new jobs in Mayo after a 2m investment that will see the firm restore its station on Newport Road and open a new outlet in Castlebar.

The Castlebar outlet is due to open in May with the Newport Road location due to open in June.

The investment at independent dealer Duffys in Castlebar has led to the creation of an additional 20 jobs in the areas of retail supervisors, shop sales assistants and deli sales positions.

Maxol general manager Brian Donaldson said he was delighted with the double investment.

"The creation of 50 new permanent jobs will be of huge benefit to the areas and local economy.

Maxol is, and always has been, about the people  about our customers that come through the doors. Today customers requirements are about the full forecourt service and choice of quality fresh food for all times of the day. The consumer has always been our focus and will remain so with our planned future openings and redevelopments," he said.
A CRC spokesman said the board had decided to 'discontinue payments into the CRC defined benefit-pension scheme.' Photo: Tony Gavin

The Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), which was embroiled in controversy over executive pension top-ups, has confirmed that it is closing down a staff pension fund.

This move is set to mean that 47 ordinary workers, who still work at the CRC, will lose out on their pension payments.

The CRC hit the headlines in late 2013 and early 2014 when it emerged that some public donations were used to supplement executive pay and pensions.

A statement from the care centre for people and children with disabilities, which has headquarters in Dublin, confirmed it had now closed its staff defined-benefit scheme.

Defined-benefit schemes, apart from those in the public sector, have become increasingly difficult to fund due to low investment returns, the fact they are supposed to guarantee set levels of pension, and because people are living longer.

A CRC spokesman said the board had decided to "discontinue payments into the CRC defined-benefit pension scheme".

The move to close the staff retirement scheme comes after a recent HSE internal audit found that former CRC chief executive Paul Kiely had been receiving a total remuneration package of 242,865 before he retired.

This was made up of a State-funded salary of 106,900, a CRC-funded salary of 116,949 and a separate CRC-funded allowance of just over 19,000.

It also emerged that after stepping down, Mr Kiely received a retirement lump sum of 200,000.

The Public Accounts Committee was told that his pension, when drawn down, would be more than 90,000 a year.

Now a statement from the CRC said the staff pension scheme was not capable of meeting regulatory demands on funding levels.

"Having received comprehensive professional advice that the scheme was not capable of meeting the minimum funding standard, and that the scheme was significantly off track, the board resolved that the CRC was no longer in a position to continue to fund the scheme on an ongoing basis."

Closure

The CRC has 300 employees, with 47 in the defined-benefit pension scheme.

Most staff are not affected by the decision as they are in the public-sector pension scheme.

A staff member affected by the closure said employees were called into a meeting on Friday and told there were 50 current staff, 50 deferred members and 50 retired members. The plan has a deficit of 30m, with assets of 28m. He said pensioners would get preference over available funds.

The huge deficit and the legal priority that has to be given to pensioners would mean that long-serving staff would be left with annual pensions of as little as 7,000 a year, he said.

He and his 46 colleagues did not get a public-sector pension, even though they are subject to Croke Park and Haddington Road pay cuts.

It is understood there are attempts being made to have the 47 CRC staff transferred into the public-sector scheme.
With less than a month before the UK votes on whether or not to leave the European Union, its government issued its starkest warning yet about the dangers of a so-called Brexit.

A vote to leave could be expected to trigger a year-long recession, sparking a decline in the value of sterling and cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, the UK Treasury or finance department said yesterday.

Britain's most senior official in Brussels, meanwhile, said British banks and financial services firms would face trade barriers if the country left the EU.

"If Britain leaves it will lead to barriers to trade and that will damage the British economy, jobs and growth," EU financial services commissioner Jonathan Hill said.

British banks and other financial firms would have to set up a separate subsidiary with its own capital within the trading bloc, which is "neither cheap nor simple", Mr Hill said.

That is currently the case for other non-EU banks, including US and Swiss lenders that operate within the single market.

In London, the Treasury said that under a "cautious" forecast Britain's gross domestic product in 2018 would be 3.6pc points lower, post Brexit, than the current forecast of a 4.3pc increase.

Under a "severe shock" scenario, GDP would be 6 percentage points lower than otherwise, and house prices would fall about 10pc. The figures are included in a Treasury document assessing the short-term economic consequences of Brexit.

"The British people must ask themselves this question: can we knowingly vote for a recession?" Chancellor George Osborne said in a speech at the headquarters of home-improvement chain B&Q in England. "Does Britain really want this DIY recession?"

Mr Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron are leading the remain campaign.

Their ruling Conservative Party is split down the middle on the issue, putting both men's careers on the line.

In November, Cameron offered a more optimistic view, saying Britain was a "thriving country" and "whether we could be successful outside the European Union is not the question".

Iain Duncan Smith, who quit as work and Pensions Secretary in March, accused the government of focusing on the negatives.

"They have today chosen only to produce the downside," he said. "That makes this report categorically unfair and biased."

Private equity investor Jon Moulton of Better Capital, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom and Capital Economics chairman Roger Bootle joined more than 30 economists, politicians and business leaders in signing a statement saying the Treasury has consistently got forecasts wrong.

"The real risk to the economy is to stay tied to the failing single currency with an obligation to pay its bills," they wrote in the statement, emailed by the official Vote Leave campaign. "If we vote 'leave', we will substantially cut the current-account deficit and thus will be able to stabilize the economy. The same old scare stories simply don't wash."

The Treasury's warning of recession echoes that given by Bank of England Governor Mark Carney earlier this month. He is to testify at Parliament's Treasury Committee today in what could be a fraught exchange.

The pro-Europe sides' emphasis on risk is aimed at pushing undecided voters - estimated in polls to make up as much as a quarter of the electorate - into the "remain" camp. Recent polling has suggested that the "leave" side is losing ground.

A Brexit "is the self-destruct option," Mr Cameron said yesterday. "The stakes couldn't be higher, the risks couldn't be greater, and in my view, the choice couldn't be clearer. Leave Europe and put at risk what we've achieved. Stay in Europe and stay on the right track."
Star Wars superfans in a primary school in Kerry had their dreams come true when Chewbacca made an appearance at their school straight from the set.

Star Wars filming is in full swing this week in County Kerry, and one local school in the Gaeltacht village of Ballyferriter got to meet Chewbacca himself when he dropped by yesterday.

Chewie (actor Peter Mayhew) stayed in the school for over half an hour, where the kids welcomed him by playing the Star Wars theme tune on the tin whistle and taught him a few words of Irish.

He was fully in character, seven and a half foot tall, a witness told DailyEdge.ie

The kids learned to play the Star Wars tune on the tin whistle and one of the teachers was on the guitar when he came in.

We taught him a few words of Irish. We tried to get him to say Ta forsa an fheirtearaigh leat, which means Ballyferriter force is with you, the witness said.

He gave out sweets and lifted a few of the children up, with some dressed in Star Wars merchandise and holding light sabers.

The visit was thanks to two Star Wars superfans who sent pictures and scrapbooks to the crew, who then organised for Chewbacca to drop in.

My nephew Ruadhan Daly and other classmates of Ballyferriter NS sent artwork to the Star Wars set. And then.... pic.twitter.com/TAoO2nSyCi  Garret Daly (@garretdaly) May 24, 2016

Basically two of the local children have a huge interest in Star Wars and sent pictures and scrapbooks to the crew. Theyd taken photos from afar of the set and somehow got their drawings to the right people  probably through social media.

Theyve been bringing them in every day  lightsabers, teddys  and theyve been dressing up as the characters too. Star Wars costumes have become the official school uniform.

Thats as good as school days get, we think.

The production of Star Wars: Episode VIII is currently underway in the Dingle Peninsula, where strict security measures are in place.
Adam Driver, who plays evil Kylo Ren in Star Wars Episodes VII and VIII, has been putting in the hours at a local gym in Dingle

It's hard work being the villain of the galaxy - and it requires regular training, even when filming on location.

Adam Driver, who plays evil Kylo Ren in 'Star Wars' Episodes VII and VIII, has been putting in the hours at a local gym in Dingle while filming in west Kerry.

The 32-year-old has been arriving at West Kerry Fitness on John Street, often as early as 5am, with his personal trainer Simon Waterson.

Owners Shane Finn and Mark Evans are happy to oblige by opening early and sometimes staying open late.

"He's the most down-to-earth guy you could meet and he's very nice to us," Shane Finn told the Irish Independent.

"He loves Dingle and says it's so secluded they can train here without any trouble."

Yesterday, following his training session, Driver presented the gym with a 'Star Wars' T-shirt as a memento and wrote on it, "To Shane and Mark from Adam and Simon. Keep your coffee on the dark side", a reference to the coffee they serve in the gym, which Driver describes as "the best in Dingle".

Filming in west Kerry is ahead of schedule and is due to wrap today.

Most of the filming took place on Ceann Sibeal in Ballyferriter, where the Jedi temple set was built, but yesterday it was the turn of Dunmore Head in Dun Chaoin.

Gardai and security staff cordoned off the Wild Atlantic Way viewing point at Coumeenole, while access to the beach was closed yesterday to facilitate filming.

A third site at Fearann near Ceann Sibeal was also used and it's understood the production team is also considering a fourth location in west Kerry.

There have also been sightings of key cast members around the town.

Video of the Day

Mark Hamill, who has reprised his Luke Skywalker role, was spotted at the Skellig Hotel, while Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, was seen in the Courthouse pub during the week.

Also spotted around town was Carrie Fisher, who plays Princess Leia.
Charlie Murphy, Enda Walsh, and Elvis Costello will all head to the land of the tribes this summer for the Galway International Arts Festival.

Over its 35 year history, the GIAF has evolved into a mix of the brilliant, bold and bizarre.

This year seems no different; gargantuan praying mantis will swarm the streets, trash bags will be transformed into eye catching works of art and Tony and Olivier award winning playwrights, directors and actors will show case unseen work.

Festival favourite Enda Walsh will return staging his latest theatrical work 'Arlington [a love story]' starring Charlie Murphy and The Stag's Hugh O'Conor.

He will also present a new installation piece Kitchen featuring the voice of actress Eileen Walsh.

Acclaimed theatre company Druid will stage Beckett's classic Waiting for Godot at the Mick Lally Theatre with Aaron Monaghan and Marty Rea taking on the lead roles.

"It's a fantastic festival to be part of," director Garry Hynes said. "It's the location and the energy that sets it apart."

The work of acclaimed designer Eileen Gray will be celebrated in Coisceim's dance piece Invitation to a Journey.

Brit pop icons Suede, Liberties native Imelda May, Elvis Costello, The Gloaming and Damien Dempsey will all take to the stage at the Absolut Big Top.

Over the course of the festival which runs from July 11 - 24, the streets will be filled with dynamic street performance.

Spainish theatre company Sarruga will bring their gigantic insects to town, while French urban artist Francisco de Pajaro will transform refuse sacks and cardboard boxes lying on street corners into art.

Commenting on this years programme, Galway International Arts Festivals Artistic Director Paul Fahy described the festival as "a creative collision like no other.
A MAN in his 30s has been shot dead in Dublin's north inner city this morning.

The incident happened at Avondale House Flats, North Cumberland St at approximately 10am.

It is understood that the man was shot as he sat in a car. Witnesses described two gunmen leaving the scene, and that "three to six shots" were fired.

It is understood that the victim was known to gardai, and had a number of previous convictions. However, he was not thought to have been a major criminal player.

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He is a nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

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It is thought to be the seventh murder of the Kinahan-Hutch feud which has spiralled out of control since the start of the year.

The latest victim had been living at Avondale House, off North Cumberland Street.

This address was previously searched by gardai as part of the investigation into the Regency Hotel shooting last February 5.

The victim was recently issued with a Garda Information Message warning him that his life was under threat.

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The gunmen are reported to have fled the scene on foot after their getaway vehicle failed to start. They got into another vehicle nearby.

Emergency services remain at the scene.

Associates of the latest gangland murder victim had been linked to the murder of Davy Byrne.

Five people have now been killed since Byrne was shot dead at the Regency Hotel last February 5.

Patrick Hutch has been charged with that killing.

More to follow
A bride has returned from her honeymoon to discover a video of her singing at her wedding went viral in her absence.

Siobhan Friary treated her guests, and her new husband Stephen, to a rendition of 'The Prayer' during their wedding ceremony in Westmeath.

A few guests filmed the performance and shared it online, where it's been watched thousands of times.

"We're only home from our honeymoon in Portugal, I can't believe the reaction the video got," Siobhan told Independent.ie.

"My husband asked me if I would sing at our wedding but I was nervous and didnt know if I would be able to do it with all the emotions on the big day.

"But it's great, I'm delighted with the incredible feedback and support from friends and family and the comments of people who have seen the video."

Siobhan, who describes singing as her passion, set up the Lir Music Academy recently.

"I never expected the video to do so well, I've never uploaded a video of myself singing before so never thought anything of it. Then we got back from our honeymoon and the phone hasnt stopped.

"If anything comes out of it, it would be fantastic. I've only just set up my music academy and it's a very exciting time in my life," she added.

Siobhan's proud uncle Ray Wadey recorded the video.
A former Sinn Fein councillor and one-time political ally of the party's deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has appeared before the Special Criminal this evening charged with possession of firearms with intent to falsely imprison another man.

Jonathan Dowdall and his father Patrick have both appeared at a sitting in Special Criminal Court charged with firearms offences.

Jonathan Dowdall (38), with an address on the Navan Road in West Dublin, was charged with possession of a sawn-off shotgun and a .44 calibre magnum handgun on January 15th, 2015, with intent to falsely imprison a man named Alexander Hurley.

His father Patrick (59), with an address on the Navan Road, Dublin 7, was also charged with possession of a sawn-off shotgun and a .44 calibre magnum handgun.

Jonathan Dowdall was charged at Clontarf Garda Station earlier this evening. He was wearing a navy blue Nike sweater, and sat beside his father who was wearing a grey jumper.

Giving evidence, Detective Garda Colm Finnerty told the court Patrick Dowdall was charged at Swords Garda Station. When charged, Patrick Dowdall replied: "I didn't use any firearms on anybody. I've never had a firearm in my life."

Legal representatives for both Jonathan and Patrick Dowdall, who were represented separately, said they reserved their position in regards to the jurisidiction of the court in regards to the case.

The defendants were remanded in custody to Portlaoise Prison until Friday.

Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald said: I have noted the arrest and charging of Jonathan Dowdall.

"He very publicly left Sinn Fein, supports and campaigns for a political rival in Dublin Central and has long severed all links with the party.
A Northern Ireland woman who converted to Islam and wanted to bring up her children under the Islamic State in Syria has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Trainee maths teacher Lorna Moore (34) was planning to take her three young children to the war zone - including an 11-month-old baby.

Moore - who had been living in Walsall, West Midlands, but is originally from Omagh, Co Tyrone - was also accused of failing to tell authorities her husband Sajid Aslam (34) had fled the UK to join Isil .

Sentencing her at the Old Bailey yesterday, Judge Charles Wide described Moore as a "very strong character" and said she "knew perfectly well of your husband's dedication to terrorism. One of the troubling things about you is your facility for telling lies," he added.

Sentencing her, he said Moore had told "lie after lie" to the jury during her trial and that some of her evidence was "nonsense".

As part of the same trial, Ayman Shaukat (28) was also convicted of preparing terrorist acts by helping Aslam and Muslim convert Alex Nash (22) to travel to Syria.

Aslam left Britain for Syria in August 2014. Within months, Moore had booked flights to Palma, Majorca, but her final destination was given away in a text from Nash's pregnant wife in Turkey saying "see you there".

Moore insisted she would "never" put the lives of her children, now aged three, nine and 10, in danger, adding: "They mean the world to me."
A judge has ordered the closure of an Indian takeaway because of an "imminent risk to health" after "rancid" kebab meat was allegedly found on the premises.

District Judge Liam McNally granted a closure order at Coleraine Magistrates Court yesterday regarding the 'Eastern Tandoori' in Dungiven, Co Derry.

An environmental health officer told the court he visited the premises last Thursday and "found several major contraventions" of hygiene legislation.

He said there was a tub containing "rancid" kebab meat along with another "mouldy" tub.

The officer said the premises was "dirty" and a lack of hot water meant there were issues about cleanliness.

He told the court he served an emergency prohibition notice because of the "imminent risk to health" and returned to the premises on Friday saying he would be going to court on Monday to seek a closure order and that he informed the owner he had the opportunity to be present in court to make counter submissions.

No representative from the business, nor a legal representative on their behalf, were present at the court.

The officer said he had brought the food he had seized to a Justice of the Peace on Friday who had confirmed the meat was unfit and a 'Condemnation Order' was made regarding the food.

District judge McNally said he was satisfied the closure order should be made.
A man who asked hospital patients to perform sexual acts on him was on very heavy medication at the time, a court heard.

Gerard Nolan (33) also shouted at a young child in the hospital waiting area.

His lawyer said Nolan was "a very gentle person" and had no recollection of his behaviour.

Gda Sgt Michael Ahern said on March 12 last officers had arrested Nolan under the Mental Health Act.

They had taken him to Tallaght Hospital, where he agreed to be admitted as a voluntary patient.

The sergeant said doctors refused to accept him because he had only been released from hospital that morning.

Sgt Ahern said Nolan began shouting at patients and asking them to perform sexual acts on him. He also shouted at a small child.

The court heard that Nolan had seven previous convic- tions, mostly for public order matters.

Defence lawyer Gabby Deane said the defendant had serious mental health issues.

She said Nolan was on very heavy medication at the time of the incident, and had no memory whatsoever of his behaviour.

She said he was involved in a serious accident in 2007 and suffered injuries to his brain and back.

The court heard that Nolan was constantly on medication.

Ms Deane said he was also homeless for a period, as his parents were unable to cope with his health difficulties.

The court was further told that Nolan was "a very gentle person" and being abusive to a child was something that would be completely "out of character" .

Nolan, with an address at Killininny House, Firhouse Road, Dublin 24, admitted before Tallaght District Court to threatening and abusive behaviour.

Judge John Lindsay applied the Probation Act.
Gardai have arrested a man after another male was found dead in his house in Dublin.

The discovery was made at a property at Summerville Park, Rathmines on Monday night.

Gardai received a call at approximately 11.30pm that an incident had occurred at a house.

Gardai and the Dublin Fire Brigade attended the scene where they discovered the body of a 59-year-old man.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The body remained at the scene and it was preserved overnight.

Dr Marie Cassidy attended the scene yesterday morning and later carried out a post mortem on the body at the City Morgue, Marino.

Gardai have now launched a murder investigation. A 67-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday morning in Dublin in connection with the incident and is currently being detained at Rathmines Garda station.

He is being held under the provisions of section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 as amended.
The elderly and people with a disability will have to go on longer waiting lists for home help and home care packages. (Stock image)

The elderly and people with a disability will have to go on longer waiting lists for home help and home care packages, it was confirmed yesterday.

Too much of the HSE's budget for these vital supports has already been spent this year, leaving it with no option but to scale back on activity.

The HSE confirmed that because of pressures on hospital emergency departments in the first quarter of the year it had to over-spend on providing home help and home care packages in order to free up beds.

However, to avoid going massively over-budget at the end of the year - estimated to be around 14m by the Department of Health - it is now having to rein in spending until it is back on track.

The knock-on effect, as funds are being rationed, is that more people will have to wait longer for home supports.

A HSE spokesman said the target to deliver 10.4m home help hours and have 15,450 people receiving home care packages in 2016 remains unchanged. An additional 20m was allocated for home care this year.

While there are no cuts in funding, the pace at which it is spending its funding in this area will have to slow down. This should "balance itself out over the next few months", said the spokesman.

The crisis was spelt out to Health Minister Simon Harris and Disability Minister Finian McGrath in internal Department of Health briefing documents.

Several areas of the health service are now having to pull back on the flow of funds after over-spending earlier in the year in the run-up to the General Election.

Meanwhile, the HSE also confirmed that it is ending routine eye screening of fifth and sixth class primary school children.

The Association of Optometrists condemned the decision saying that while it accepted the HSE's argument that the effectiveness of the service was questionable, the service is being removed and not replaced or reformed.

Spokeswoman Lynda McGivney Nolan warned it will "further reduce eye-care services for children which are already highly compromised by waiting lists of up to five years for non-urgent cases and six months for urgent cases".

A HSE spokesman insisted yesterday: "Screening is now undertaken at an earlier age to ensure children with low vision are identified at the earliest possible stage and can access treatment services.

"Vision screening in schools is recommended at school entry. A review of the evidence suggests that vision screening at older age-groups results in very few or no new cases of eye pathology. Most countries do not advocate school-exit screening."

Also yesterday, the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine, which represents emergency consultants, responded to revelations in the Irish Independent that 50,000 patients are leaving emergency departments before discharge. A spokesman said: "Inevitably there will be many these who suffered an adverse medical outcome as a result."
Zika will be infecting people within the United States in the next few weeks, the country's top disease expert has warned.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the US should be doing more to prepare for the onslaught.

More than 500 people in the country have contracted the virus, but they have all travelled to Latin America - the epicentre of the outbreak.

"We already have Zika in the United States. But it is travel related," said Dr Fauci, speaking in a television interview on Sunday.

"The concern is that we will have local transmission; in other words, people who get infected in the United States, get bitten by a mosquito, but who have never left the continental United States.

"We fully expect that that will happen as we get to the more robust mosquito season in the next month or so."

It comes as Zika is now a notifiable disease in Ireland.

Health Minister Simon Harris signed the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulation, 2016, yesterday, meaning doctors will have to notify health authorities of any confirmed cases of the virus. Health authorities will then investigate cases and work to prevent its spread.

There have been a number of confirmed Zika cases in Ireland, but these have been in people who have travelled to Zika infected countries.

In the US, Dr Fauci said that the disease's arrival there was inevitable, so the priority should be in limiting mosquito breeding grounds and installing screens in homes.

"We need to make sure that those local outbreaks don't become sustained and don't become disseminated," he said.

"That's the reason why we need to have a very, very forceful preparation right now before that happens."

Zika is transmitted via mosquitoes and, it is now known, sexual contact.

While most people develop a fever which passes quickly, pregnant women have given birth to babies suffering from severe brain damage. In some cases, adults have also become paralysed from the virus.

The Centre for Disease Control says there are currently 157 pregnant women in the US who have been diagnosed with Zika.

On Thursday, the Senate passed a $1.1bn (1bn) plan to combat Zika and scientists in the US are working on a vaccine, which is the main use of the government funding.

"We're right now very aggressively developing the vaccine," said Dr Fauci.

But Republicans are arguing against the funding, with some politicians saying they will only back the plan if the government accepts cuts to Obamacare. The Republican party has not agreed to the $1.9bn (1.7bn) that healthcare experts have told US President Barack Obama is necessary, and instead is suggesting a separate $622m (554m) proposal, which uses previously allocated funds to combat the spread of Ebola. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

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President Michael D Higgins has criticised the slow roll-out of Ireland's refugee programme as new figures show that only a handful of the thousands of refugees we pledged to take in have arrived here due to paperwork delays.

He was speaking at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul when he said if paperwork delays were slowing down the programme, all governments would have to overhaul the process and "get on with it".

"We need to look at the process and the process shouldn't have taken so long to have gotten right, but it isn't only an Irish situation, all of the countries in Europe who made a pledge have a responsibility.

"All countries in Europe must approach it and look at its circumstances... if, for example, the reason we are not meeting the obligation is because the paperwork in either Greece or Italy isn't in position, you change the process and you get on with it," he said.

Mr Higgins said he wasn't looking to lay blame on anyone for the slow uptake - just 10 refugees have so far arrived here.

"I'm not really interested in applying blame on any particular person or institution but in trying to understand why it is that it hasn't happened," he said.

He addressed a number of round-table events at the summit which hopes to look at how aid funding is raised and distributed to best solve emergencies such as the refugee crisis, climate change and conflict.

He called for an end to empty promises and urged more action to be taken to tackle humanitarian crises around the world.

World leaders have been "gravely failing the most vulnerable on our planet", he said.

Outgoing general secretary of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon called the summit because "global humanitarian action is unprecedentedly strained", he told the opening ceremony.

A number of divisive topics are on the table over the course of the summit including the possibility of a financial transactions tax and the expansion of a voluntary "solidarity levy" to fund humanitarian aid.

However, head of Trocaire Eamonn Meehan has said the summit lacks any real teeth as any agreements reached are not binding and key world leaders, such as US President Barack Obama, are not attending.
THE murder of Gareth Hutch is part of an unprecedented cycle of evil, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said.

The Tanaiste has committed that armed checkpoints will not be scaled back as long as outrageous incidents such todays shooting continue.

She described the killing as the latest outrageous attack on law and order.

Ms Fitzgerald insisted the Government and An Garda Siochana are confronting the ruthless gangs intent on violence and revenge who she said have no place in any community in this country.

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Major investigations are underway in relation to recent shooting incidents and every necessary resource is available to An Garda Siochana.

We will continue to provide all necessary resources to provide high visibility policing to reassure communities, including extensive armed checkpoints across the city.

There has been absolutely no scaling back in these operations, nor will there be as long as these outrages threaten public order in this country, the minister said.

Fianna Fails spokesman on Justice Jim OCallaghan said todays murder was shocking but unfortunately is not surprising.

It is not acceptable that this brutality is taking place on the streets of our capital. Over the last few months we have seen a spate of gangland killings dominate the media, beginning with the callous shooting in the Regency Hotel in Whitehall, he said.

The Dublin South Bay TD said that despite the ministers condemnation and promises to crack down on criminal gangs, the feuding has continued.

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Fianna Fail is repeating our partys call for a new Serious and Organised Crime Unit to be established with a remit to include co-operation with Interpol and other police agencies.

This unit, if adequately resourced, could spearhead the fight against these crime gangs, he said.

The residents of Dublin need to see the battle against these criminal gangs intensified, to prevent further attacks like the ones we saw this morning.

Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald, who represents the area where todays shooting took place, appealed to anyone with information to come forward.

There is no excuse for the fear inflicted on the people of the inner city by criminals who believe they can flout the law and put the lives of innocents in jeopardy, she said.
Three women handed themselves into a police station yesterday asking to be prosecuted for buying abortion pills.

Alliance for Choice members Kitty OKane (69), Colette Devlin (68) and Diana King (71), said they were protesting against Northern Irelands strict abortion laws.

We feel very angry that its illegal. Were angry that women are placed in this situation. That women who can afford to travel to England can have a legal abortion but women who cant afford to travel can only access nine week abortion pills for 60. Were very angry about that. Were very angry that women are being criminalised, said Diana King.

A PSNI spokesperson said: Three females attended Strand Road police station last night in connection with the procurement of abortion pills, contrary to section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act.

Police enquiries into the matter will continue.

A crowd cheered as the women entered the police station. Supporters held sign that said: "Abortion: Punishment is the crime" and "Stop regulating my uterus!"

The women hope to trigger a trial to showcase the archaic nature of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, which makes abortion in Northern Ireland illegal except in extremely rare circumstances.

The protest was prompted by a case earlier this year where a woman in Belfast was given a suspended sentence for buying abortion bills to terminate her pregnancy.

In 2014 and 2015, there were 16 terminations in Northern Ireland compared to 185,000 abortions carried out in the UK according to the Department of Health.
Hillary Clinton on the presidential campaign trail. Insets (clockwise from left): Times Square in New York City and Boston Harbour, two of the destinations targeted by Norwegian Air International; Bernie Sanders

Hillary Clinton has urged US President Barack Obama not to grant Norwegian Air International a permit that would enable the Ireland-based carrier to launch flights between Cork and the United States.

Ms Clinton - who has raised money in Ireland for her presidential campaign - is the latest political heavy-hitter to wade into the debate, with rival democratic runner Bernie Sanders having already said the permit should not be granted. He claimed it would set a "dangerous precedent".

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A spokeswoman for Ms Clinton claimed that "too many questions have been raised about Norwegian Air International's practices and plans".

Norwegian Air International (NAI) is based in Dublin but is a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle. NAI wants to use Ireland as its base in order to avail of EU open skies rights that will give it unfettered access to the US market.

But US aviation unions have been vehemently opposed to NAI's plans, claiming the airline will use cheap crew and undermine labour standards, resulting in jobs losses in both America and Europe.

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Permit

Opponents insist that NAI is using Ireland to circumvent stringent employment laws in Norway. But NAI has dismissed such arguments, while the US department of transportation has already signalled that it intends to grant the permit.

Answers to objections had to be submitted by yesterday and the final permit decision must now clear a review by executive presidential agencies.

"Workers in the US airline industry deserve rules of the road that support a strong workforce with high labour standards - not attempts by airlines to flout labour standards and outsource good-paying jobs," claimed Ms Clinton's spokeswoman on labour, Nikki Budzinski.

"Hillary Clinton urges the Obama administration against moving forward with final approval of Norwegian Air International's application."

Ms Clinton, a former US secretary of state, is the frontrunner in the contest with Mr Sanders to secure the Democratic nomination for the White House. But a new poll also shows Ms Clinton is now almost in a dead heat with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump among voters.

The Clintons have leveraged their connections with Ireland to garner financial support for her current, and previous, presidential bid.

NAI's battle to secure a permit to fly to the United States has been backed by the Government and a number of state agencies such as Failte Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, the DAA and Shannon Airport.

The Irish Airline Pilots' Association is among a number of groups in Europe and the US that have opposed NAI's plans.

The airline hopes to fly between Cork and Boston this summer, but that timetable is now likely to be pushed back. NAI intends to launch a service between Cork and New York next year.

A spokesman for NAI said yesterday that the airline remained confident that the US department of transportation would approve its permit. The agency has already pointed out that it can see no reason why NAI's application should be impeded.

"Approval of NAI will result in more US aviation sector jobs, enable Norwegian to expand its already large pool of American crew, and deliver much needed competition and affordable fares to consumers on both sides of the Atlantic," said the spokesman.
HOUSING Minister Simon Coveney has said he's not happy about adult hostels being used to accommodate homeless children.

Of course I'm not happy about it, he told reporters ahead of a conference on housing at Dublin Castle this morning.

But I mean there's a lot of things linked to homelessness I'm very unhappy about which is why there's a sense of urgency now to change and improve the outcomes for many people who are relying on the State to find a home.

Mr Coveney was responding to a report that homeless children are sleeping in adult hostels, in one instance on blow-up beds.

The latest homelessness figures show more than 1,000 homeless families with 2,121 children in emergency accommodation.

The Irish Times reported this morning that four families in Dublin had to be accommodated in adult hostels in the last week as there were no other options available.

Focus Ireland director Mike Allen said the use of such accommodation for children is gravely concerning. He warned that unless there's a radical response, there's a risk of families with children sleeping rough.

Asked what the government could do to tackle the issue, Mr Coveney replied: We need to work with those that are providing emergency accommodation.

The primary responsibility for that is of course on local authorities but we need to support them with the resources that they need.

That's why for example I intervened to ensure that we could try and keep a a hostel not too far from here called Bru Aimsir open for a longer period than was planned and Dublin City Council are trying to be very helpful in that regard.

There's a hundred beds there. It is a good quality emergency facility but we need to move people on from emergency facilities sooner than we've been able to to date and that again points back to the problem in terms of lack of supply.

Mr Coveney raised the issue of the latest homelessness figures at the Housing Agency's annual conference.

It is not acceptable that families are living in hotel rooms, he said.

It's not acceptable to be honest that we're spending nearly 50m on hotel rooms this year to accommodate families in totally unsuitable accommodation.

It's not acceptable that many of them will be there for more than six months.

This is a product of a failed housing market that government has a responsibility to address directly.

And that is my number one focus for the lifetime of this government however long it lasts, Mr Coveney added.
Dublin's inner-city communities are under siege from murdering criminals who have carried out seven killings in the last 100 days, the Dail was told.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said special efforts "above and beyond current policing" were urgently needed to tackle the latest threat to decent communities.

Mr Martin said after the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin special new measures were enacted to tackle criminal gangs, especially through seizing assets. He said that another vicious crime spree in Limerick a decade ago was also met with a strong coordinated response from the authorities.

The Fianna Fail leader said that Dublin's inner city communities were losing the kind of anti-drug and other supports they had. "There has been a sustained erosion of the supports they have enjoyed," he said.

The Taoiseach said he utterly condemned the latest killing and had no doubts about the suffering such events had on local people. He said he had been invited by Dublin Central Independent TD Maureen O'Sullivan to visit the area.

"I intend to take up that invitation," Mr Kenny told TDs.

Mr Kenny said he recently asked the Garda Commissioner whether she felt she had the resources needed. He said the Commissioner believed she had adequate resources and he believed gardai will challenge these killers who are motivated by a feud between two rival gangs.

"There has been absolutely no scaling back in terms of the operations or the resources available to the Gardai," Mr Kenny insisted.
A PRIMARY school was evacuated this morning after it received a bomb threat.

Independent.ie can reveal that a person called Scoil Colmcille in Donaghmede this morning to say there was a device in the building.

Students, including a number of children with autism, were immediately ordered to evacuate and gardai were contacted.

Officers carried out a search of the premises and were unable to find any device.

The Defence Forces' Explosive Ordnance Defence (EOD) unit was not contacted to deal with the situation as it was declared a hoax.

A garda investigation will now be launched to establish the identity of the person who made the call to the school on Newbrook Rd in Donaghmede, Dublin 13.

A source said: "This was a very scary situation for the children involved.

"Thankfully nobody was hurt but this is a very serious issue and will not be taken lightly."

A spokesman for the Garda press office said: "Gardai in Coolock attended the scene of an incident at a school on Newbrook Rd, Coolock at 10.45am today.

"It proved to be a false report. Gardai in Coolock will now carry out an investigation into the incident."

Meanwhile, hundreds of school children were evacuated from a national school in Limerick this morning after a separate hoax bomb alert.

Gardai were called to act after a message was sent to Milford National School claiming there was a device in the building.

A primary school in east Cork, in the Whitegate area, was also evacuated briefly this morning amid a similar security issue.

Schools across Northern Ireland were also impacted by a series of "malicious communications" made earlier today.

The PSNI have said that there is no indication that the hoax bomb threats are "terrorist-related".

It is understood that up to seven schools were evacuated this morning - and parents were called to collect their children.

It follows similar 'not credible' threats to schools across England and Scotland yesterday. Again, many schools were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
A 26-year-old man has become the youngest Irish person to reach the top of Mount Everest.

Rob Mortell, from Limerick, confirmed he reached the 9,000-metre peak when he sent a message from his GPS tracker yesterday.

The previous Irish record was held by 27-year-old Mark Quinn, also from Limerick, in 2011. Samantha OCarroll, from Cork, reached the summit aged 28 in 2004.

Jordan Romero, from the US, reached the summit aged 13 in 2010. Age restrictions introduced since that mean that climbers must be at least 16-years-old.

Rob, a tax intern, left Ireland on March 17 and was the only Irish person who attempted the climb this year.

Climbing Mount Everest is, I guess for me its a 'why not?' sort of question. I think a lot of people look at Mount Everest when theyre children, they learn about it and as you grow older you think of all the reasons why you shouldnt do it, you know - too difficult, too expensive, too cold, too high but once you start addressing those problems you try to raise the money, you get the skills, you learn to cope with the cold, then things seem a lot more manageable, Rob told Gavan Reilly on Today FM's The Last Word, a week after he left Ireland.

Rob trained for four years before taking on Mount Everest. In 2013 he scaled the Matterhorn in Switzerland and in 2014 he climbed the Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America. In October 2015 he reached the peak of Ama Dablam, beside Mount Everest.

When you think about it as a child, you think of it as this big monstrosity of a mountain but so is the rest of the world and as you grow older the rest of the world becomes more manageable but whats funny is that you look at Everest still and it is still that monstrosity that takes so much time and investment and strain on your body to adjust to these altitudes, he said.

Rob has a GPS tracker so people at home can see his location and mark his achievements. Theres also an SOS button that goes to a rescue helicopter along with his exact location.

Three people were killed in recent days while trying to reach the peak of Everest.

Indian climber Subhash Paul died on Sunday night and two others from India were reported missing.

A Dutchman died on Friday and an Australian woman hours later, after suffering from altitude sickness on Everest. Dozens of other climbers have developed frostbite or become sick near the summit in recent days.

Favourable weather has allowed nearly 400 climbers to reach the summit from Nepal since May 11, but the altitude, weather and harsh terrain can cause problems at any time.

Thousands of people have summited 29,035-foot Mount Everest since it was first conquered by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. But more than 250 people have died in the attempt.

Trekking companies were anxious to see foreign climbers return to Everest after two years of disasters.

Last year, Nepal's devastating earthquake caused the climbing season to be cancelled, and climbing attempts were largely abandoned in 2014 after an avalanche above the base camp killed 16 Sherpa guides.
Summer holidaymakers and winter skiers are set for a cheap air fares bonanza this year, according to Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary.

The airline boss said yesterday that the airline's average fare was likely to fall by about 7pc by the end of September, and by between 10pc and 12pc over the winter and into early spring next year.

Lower fuel costs, more intense competition in Europe's skies and more available capacity are providing the perfect planetary alignment for consumers, who will be the beneficiaries of the airline dogfight.

Terror attacks in Paris and Brussels have also forced airlines to keep prices low to entice flyers.

But sun-seekers might still have to cough up bigger fares for destinations such as Portugal and Spain.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Ryanair chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said that the most intense competition out of Dublin at the moment, for instance, was to destinations in Italy, Germany and Belgium.

He said more German consumers had opted to fly to Portugal and Spain this summer instead of Turkey, where there have been a number of terrorist attacks in recent months.

He said the fare war was still bubbling away on specific markets, but insisted Ryanair would face any challenge from rivals.

"We'll start it, and we'll finish it," he said. Ryanair's average fare fell 1pc to 46.67 in its last financial year.

Mr O'Leary was speaking yesterday as Ryanair reported another set of record results. Its profit in the 12 months to the end of March soared 43pc to 1.24bn, while revenue rose 16pc to 6.53bn. It expects to make a 1.4bn profit in the current financial year.

The airline carried 106 million passengers in its last financial year, which was 18pc more than in the previous 12 months.

Ryanair's bookings for the summer season are 2pc ahead of what they were last year, but at "lower pricing than last year", according to Mr O'Leary.

However, he claimed that Ryanair had been luring those extra passengers at the expense of rivals.

Interviewed on business news channel Bloomberg yesterday, Mr O'Leary joked that he became emotional when an assistant at the station told him how cheap her ticket to Malaga with Ryanair was.

"I got very upset. In fact, I started to cry as she explained what a great deal she got," he said.

And he insisted that despite competitors now squaring up to Ryanair with cheaper fares as they benefit from low fuel prices, the Dublin-based carrier would emerge on top.

Overhang

"If there is a fare war in Europe, Ryanair will be the winner," he said.

"Lower fares will overhang the company's performance over the next 12 months," he conceded, adding that fares would remain subdued in the current quarter of its financial year, and also in the second quarter.

Mr O'Leary said the airline's fuel bill this financial year would be about 200m lower than last year, and he expected almost all of that saving to be passed on to customers.

Ryanair has been expanding rapidly. It now has 84 bases and in the past year has announced new bases at cities such as Prague, Bucharest, Vilnius and Sofia.
Dublin is the only European country offering the pre-clearance service, which means passengers can avoid immigration queues and can collect their bags once they land in the US.

The much-vaunted pre-clearance service at Dublin Airport, which saves passengers two hours in transit, is under threat.

The Irish Independent has learned that there are serious issues with the service offered to passengers by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Passengers currently travelling from Dublin Airport to America can save up to two hours of queuing at immigration in the United States by pre-clearing in Ireland.

Dublin is the only European country offering the pre-clearance service, which means passengers can avoid immigration queues and can collect their bags once they land in the US.

However, department officials have warned Transport Minister Shane Ross that while preclearance "operates very well", there have been difficulties with "CBP manpower resources and hours of operation" in Dublin Airport.

The transport department said all flights to the US that wanted to do so were precleared in 2015, but it warned that the service was now in doubt.

"With increasing passenger numbers, there is a risk that all flights will not preclear in 2016 unless permanent additional resources are provided by US CBP," the department brief stated.

A spokeswoman for the CBP acknowledged queries by the Irish Independent last night but did not provide a response.

Business and travel organisations here have warned that a reduction in the pre-clearance service would have major consequences for Ireland.

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) said preclearance in Dublin attracted passengers from the UK and other European countries.

"We would have grave concerns of any indication that the pre-clearance service was going to be cut back or reduced in any way shape or form," said ITAA president Cormac Meehan.

"The current service is excellent and we would like to see it retained. Some of the airfares out of Dublin would be more competitive than what they might achieve coming out of the UK."

The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) CEO Mark Fielding has called on Mr Ross to clarify the situation. He said: "It is a boon for the economy to have it ... You can't have it that some flights will have it and others won't."
Prague is the cheapest city in Europe for booze, with a beer costing just 1.63 on average, according to a new survey.

The Czech capital knocked Budapest, last year named the best for bargain hooch, off its perch in the Post Offices annual alcoholic drinks barometer.

It calculated the total price of 12 different beverages, from a bottle of lager to a dry martini, in 16 locations across Europe to produce its rankings.

Prague, Czech Republic - 28.74/37.11 Budapest, Hungary - 30.20/38.99 Krakow, Poland - 33.82/43.67 Riga, Latvia - 49.95/64.50 Tallinn, Estonia - 53.11/68.58 Palma, Majorca - 56.72/73.24 Berlin, Germany - 57.54/74.23 Amsterdam, Netherlands - 58.14/75.07 Barcelona, Spain - 60.56/78.19 London, England - 60.70/78.38

Unsurprisingly, Eastern European cities dominated, taking all the top five spots - but popular destinations that are not considered cheap, including Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona and London, also snuck into the Top 10.

Prague topped the table with an accumulative cost of 28.74/37.11 for the dozen drinks, including a 2.03 glass of wine and a 3.65 vodka and orange.

Marbella, Spain, was the most expensive location surveyed, where a beer costs 4.43, a cocktail 10.37 and a scotch and soda 11.20.

Its total cost of the 12 beverages came to 71.93/92.88.

Dublin ranked 11 out of 16 destinations overall, with a glass of wine averaging at 6.11 and a bottle of lager at 5.80.

The most expensive single drink recorded across the 16 locations was an 8.90/11.50 dry martini in London, though the UK capital ranked ninth overall.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said:

Our research shows that the cost of a special celebration evening out can vary dramatically, depending on your choice of drink and which city you visit.

Check out prices before booking a city break because some advance homework can help to ensure the bar bill doesnt bust the celebration budget.

The survey follows the unveiling of Deutsche Bank's annual Sin Index, which ranks cities according to the cost of drinking, smoking and dating. It found that Melbourne is the most expensive city in the world to buy booze and cigarettes, while Zurich is the costliest place to wine and dine a date.

Manila and Bangalore were cheapest, respectively, in the two categories.

NB: Exchange rates correct on date of publication.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
AROUND the world today there are approximately 125 million people  almost 20 times the combined Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland populations  in need of humanitarian assistance.

Humanitarian aid saves lives when disaster strikes. Sadly, however, the humanitarian system is creaking and is increasingly unable to respond adequately to growing need.

Much of the pressure on the system stems from a failure of politics to tackle the underlying causes of humanitarian crises. Rather than act to resolve these crises, the political system often exacerbates them.

Globally, there are 60 million people displaced, more than at any stage since the end of World War II. Almost one-fifth of these people are Syrian, whose country has been torn apart by five years of brutal conflict. Far from focusing on ending this war, world powers have played active roles in fuelling it. The permanent members of the UN Security Council are the worlds biggest arms dealers  often their main priority is not peace. Syria has become a bloody proxy playground for regional and international powers to compete against each other for influence.

Other major sources of displacement  Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia  generate little more than a shrug of the shoulders from an indifferent international community content to write-off failed states but unprepared to deal with the human consequences.

The climate crisis, meanwhile, is largely driven by the worlds most developed economies, who continue to maintain an over reliance on fossil fuels despite knowing with absolute certainty that those fuels are causing droughts, storms and floods across the globe.

It is in this context that the World Humanitarian Summit met in Istanbul this week. The Summit was called by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as an historic coming together of world leaders to act with greater urgency, coherence and solidarity to end conflicts, address needs and reverse the growing deficit of humanity.

The Summit was billed as the humanitarian equivalent of the UN Climate Summit held last December in Paris, but sadly it was destined to disappoint. Heads of states from all countries were expected to attend but fewer than half actually did.

With a scheduled meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council coinciding with the summit, senior ministers from most EU Member States were absent when Ban Ki-moons called for a more coherent political approach to easing humanitarian need.

This is a sad commentary on Europes growing indifference to suffering outside its borders. Unwilling to agree on how to offer protection to just 160,000 displaced Syrians, Europes recent deal with Turkey has given a dangerous signal that the EU regards civilian populations as commodities to be traded, and international law as a voluntary code of conduct.

The failure of the political system to buy-in to Ban Ki-moons vision is reflective of the general malaise surrounding the international communitys interest in and willingness to tackle humanitarian crises.

The global community has all too often failed to fund humanitarian responses - the UNs 2016 appeal for Syria is just 14 per cent funded, while other appeals, for countries such as South Sudan, Yemen and Iraq, are just one-quarter funded  but the real failure has been the lack of political will to tackle the underlying causes of the crises. Ultimately, the majority of the worlds humanitarian crises are caused by political failure, and no amount of interventions by humanitarian agencies can disguise that or adequately rebuild broken lives.

International humanitarian law is flouted almost daily in every conflict around the world. Conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, to name but a few, are characterised by attacks on civilians and civilian medical facilities, with little recourse for those responsible beyond public condemnation.

Ultimately, the international community must recommit itself to international humanitarian and human rights law. Ban Ki-moons vision for a global summit to secure commitment and agreement on these issues was admirable and desperately needed. It is a damning indication of global political apathy that so few governments have heeded his call.

Of course, there were some positives to salvage from the Summit. In particular, the emphasis on increasing the focus on local organisations in humanitarian responses is welcome. Many countries facing crisis have a functioning civil society capable of responding to crisis, what they need is funding from outside bodies and governments in order to do so. A shift from remote-management of humanitarian assistance to genuine partnership with communities will strengthen the quality and relevance of humanitarian assistance.

Yet, even this progress is a far cry from Ban Ki-moons vision of securing political agreement to prevent and end conflict and uphold international law.

The World Humanitarian Summit was billed as a step towards ensuring the humanitarian system is fit to respond to the challenges it faces. Sadly, it appears that it will instead act as a symbol of the disjointed and incoherent system that millions of people around the world rely on for their very survival.

Eamonn Meehan is the Executive Director of Trocaire.
A new Glassdoor survey, which compared equality measures in European countries and the US, found the gender pay gap is wider in Ireland than anywhere else in the study. No surprise there, given our troublesome combination of paltry paternal leave, lack of flexi-jobs and steep childcare costs.

The study shows the pay difference between Irish men and women who have at least one child and those with no children is 31 percentage points. To put this into perspective, there's just a three-point difference for Belgium, Spain and Italy.

We all know that women fall down when they take time off to have a baby, and then need a more flexible schedule to look after it because childcare is still primarily the mother's responsibility. Lots of professional women then either leave the workforce, choose to go part-time or avoid looking for promotions, while their male colleagues soar ahead.

From September 2016, the free access to pre-school will be widened to cover children between the ages of three and five-and-a-half, who are not already in primary school. We will also have the introduction of statutory paternity leave of two weeks.

But don't start jumping up and down. Research by wealth management company Killik last month found British mothers with two children in a creche needed to earn at least 40,000 (51,650) a year when the mother returns to work if she and her family are not to be left out of pocket.

This is the point at which a mother's salary after paying income tax would outweigh the money she must find for childcare, commuting and pension contributions - meaning she would be left with just 4 (5.16) a day for other needs.

We have to push for a culture among employers that recognises the value of working mothers to the workplace. This means investment in affordable childcare - whether provided by companies themselves or subsidised by the Government - and the possibility of flexible hours or working from home, for men as well as women, so childcare is not seen as something only women do.

Our workplace discrimination laws need to be strengthened and implemented properly.

These laws do exist, but a mother (and it's always the mother) can't continually call in to ask for time off because her child is sick. All working parents deserve greater protection. That's parents, mind you, not just mothers. Of course, childcare is only a part of the picture.

There's much more going on with the pay gap: unconscious bias (or just plain discrimination), less financial recognition for roles disproportionately taken up by women, lack of confidence which prevents women from asking for higher pay and a long list of issues that join up and conspire to result in women being paid less.

There are those who will argue that it's only when part-time and full-time jobs are compared that women look underpaid.

Part-time jobs pay less and women know this when they enter them.

It's 2016 and here we are, still looking around at one another with confused faces about why a woman might choose to work half a job.

We've fully persuaded ourselves that being a 'working mother' is a problem for the modern woman, while the 'working father' is not even mentioned without sniggering.

The problem is that our current understanding of 'working mother' is that of babysitter, teacher, nurse, cook and maid all rolled into one frazzled fembot. And what about our understanding of dads who work? Well, they're just men.

They don't call themselves 'working dads' or worry about 'having it all'. For a man, a career and children is a given. Good, old-fashioned sexism strikes again. There's also those of us who are economically infertile - women who would love to have children if work was more flexible, if parental leave and childcare were both parents' responsibilities.

Writing in 'The Pool' recently, journalist Daisy Buchanan said: "Thinking about it is like playing an unsolvable game of sudoku. If we had a baby, we'd need more space. We can't afford to rent anywhere bigger in London, so we'd need to move away. But we have jobs that are in London and we can't afford to feed or clothe the baby without the income those jobs provide.

"When working, we'd need to pay for childcare, which, if you're earning an average UK salary, seems to leave you with about a fiver of take-home pay. This is all before the baby needs wild luxuries, like a school uniform and Calpol."

Any of this sound familiar?

What do men have that we don't? The answer: a wife. But we can balance out the scales of inequality by shoving the ironing board in front of them every evening.
Miss Great Britain, Zara Holland, is taking part in the new series of Love Island

Miss Great Britain, Zara Holland, will be hoping to find romance as a contestant on the new series of ITV's Love Island.

The 20-year-old beauty queen, from Hull, has been single for two years and said she is "a bit sick of going on dates and it not working out".

Holland, who describes herself as " loud and funny, and very strong", said she would like to "find a nice boyfriend".

She said: "Guys go really quiet on me and don't text back. One time I went to a party with a guy and he got back with his ex-girlfriend there. I think I attract weirdos."

The model said she wants prospective love interests to get to know the real her, but that men do not approach her to speak to her.

"Some guys do like to send messages on Instagram just so they can say they've had a message from Miss Great Britain," she said, "But I'm just a normal girl, and I think that's part of the problem. I want guys to know me for me."

She added: "I don't get chatted up much, either. There was a guy the other day who said his friend fancied me, but he wouldn't come over because he thought I'd turn him down."

TV presenter Caroline Flack is returning to front the ITV2 show, which sees singletons "marooned" together in a villa, hoping to find love.

The former X Factor presenter said she was not much of a matchmaker in the love department and added: " I wouldn't take love advice from me, to be honest."

Another former Miss Great Britain, Sophie Gradon, who wore the crown in 2009, is also a contestant. The 30-year-old, from Newcastle, who is now a marketing manager, famously used to date rugby player Danny Cipriani.

She said: "Suddenly I was in the papers being called a 'Kelly Brook lookalike', which is nice, as she's stunning!

"My relationship with Danny was intense. I fell in absolute lust with him. He bowled me over with charm. He's a very special man. You fall completely in love with him, and I did."

She said her party trick is that she can "drink a lot", adding: "I'm a Geordie. I wish I could do the splits or get my leg over my head but no, my party trick is just doing shots."

The other female contestants include Malin Andersson, a 23-year-old make-up artist from Bedford, Cara De La Hoyde, 25, who is a circus performer from Kent, and 22-year-old Olivia Buckland, who is a sales executive from Essex.

The six male contestants include Scott Thomas, a 27-year-old entrepreneur and club promoter from Manchester, 24-year-old Welsh barman and fitness instructor Tom Powell, and Nathan Massey, also 24, a carpenter from Essex.

Joining them is also Rykard Jenkins, a 25-year-old personal trainer from Kent, Daniel Lukakis, 23, from London, who trained as an osteopath and physiotherapist but is now a model, and Javi Shephard, a 27-year-old surveyor from York.

As befits the format of the show, viewers could be treated to mystery contestants being added at any stage to even out the numbers.

The final couple left in the villa will win a 50,000 cash prize.
Australian actress Rebel Wilson is heading to the West End to join the cast of Guys and Dolls.

The Pitch Perfect actress will play the part of Miss Adelaide for an eight-week run at London's Phoenix Theatre.

Wilson said: "A lot of people who know me from my more recent film work have no idea how much theatre has influenced my life.

"I saw my first musical at age 14, a show called 42nd Street, after one of my family's dogs had unsuccessfully auditioned to be in it. It blew me away and I've loved musical theatre ever since."

The 36-year-old from Sydney trained at the Australian Theatre for Young People and starred in a number of productions while there.

She added: " I then went on to write and perform in my own productions before being snapped up to do screen work. I am delighted to be making my West End debut in Guys and Dolls and to be playing such an iconic role as Miss Adelaide is truly an honour. Hopefully I crush it... but you'll have to come and see me to find out."

Wilson will be on stage from June 28 to August 21 and further casting for the play will also be announced.

The current cast features Nigel Lindsay as Nathan Detroit and Samantha Spiro, known for playing Barbara Windsor in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, as Miss Adelaide.

The play first premiered on Broadway in 1950 and has gone on to enjoy huge success all over the world.
Sacha Baron Cohen arrives at the LA premiere of Alice Through The Looking Glass (AP)

A new Ali G film could happen "one day" but Sacha Baron Cohen may be too old to return in the role, according to his long-time collaborator.

James Bobin, who was a director and writer on Da Ali G Show before forging a successful career in Hollywood, suggested Cohen, 44, could play the father of his comic creation if he was reprised for the big screen.

The pair, who also worked together on Borat and Bruno, reunited for Disney's latest film Alice Through The Looking Glass, which Bobin directed and Cohen stars in as Time.

Speaking at the film's LA premiere, Bobin told the Press Association: "An Ali G movie? Who knows. He's probably too old nowadays. Maybe Ali G's dad?

"I love all those characters. These days it's harder because everyone knows who he is. One day maybe."

Cohen briefly resurrected Ali G at this year's Oscars when he appeared on stage dressed as the fictional character from Staines.

Despite huge success on television series in both the UK and US, the character's previous film outing in the 2002 movie Ali G Indahouse was panned by critics.

Bobin, who also directed The Muppets and its sequel Muppets Most Wanted, said he believed Cohen was an "amazing character actor" and they remained close friends.

He said: "Sacha lives here in LA and so do I. I've known him for a long time, our kids are a similar age, so we hang out quite a lot. But I haven't actually worked with him for like 10 years.

"Having him back on set was like having an old friend back. It was lovely.

"I knew he could do this because we created those characters - Ali G, Borat and Bruno - together and that was when we had to go into the real world and no one ever said to him 'I don't believe you're these people'."

:: Alice Through The Looking Glass is released in UK cinemas on Friday.
Actor and comedian Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a pre-trial hearing on sexual assault charges in Norristown, Pennsylvania May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Makela

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a pre-trial hearing on sexual assault charges in Norristown, Pennsylvania May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Makela

Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a preliminary hearing in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Matt Rourke/POOL

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a pre-trial hearing on sexual assault charges in Norristown, Pennsylvania May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Makela

Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a preliminary hearing in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Matt Rourke/POOL

Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a preliminary hearing in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Matt Rourke/POOL

Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a preliminary hearing in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Matt Rourke/POOL

Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a preliminary hearing in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Matt Rourke/POOL

Bill Cosby has been ordered to stand trial on sexual assault charges relating to allegations which date back to 2004.

The confirmation came at a hearing that hinged on a decade-old police report in which a woman said the comedian gave her three blue pills that put her in a stupor, unable to stop his advances.

District Judge Elizabeth McHugh ruled prosecutors had sufficient evidence to bring Cosby to trial and she set his arraignment for July 20, at which time the TV star will enter a plea and a trial date will be set.

Cosby, 78, could get 10 years in prison if convicted.

"Mr Cosby, good luck to you, sir," the judge said. "Thank you," he replied.

Andrea Constand, the former Temple University employee who said Cosby violated her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004, was not in the courtroom and the judge ruled that she would not have to testify.

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Instead, prosecutors had portions of her statement to police read into the record.

She told police in 2005 that the comedian penetrated her with his fingers after giving her pills that made her dizzy, blurry-eyed and sick to her stomach, her legs "like jelly".

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"I told him, 'I can't even talk, Mr Cosby.' I started to panic," she told police.

In his own statement to police, also read in court, Cosby portrayed it as consensual sexual activity, saying Ms Constand never said "no" as he put his hand down her trousers.

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Cosby's lawyers argued unsuccessfully that reading Ms Constand's statement instead of putting her on the stand would be hearsay and would deprive him of his right to confront his accuser.

Such testimony from law enforcement officers is common practice at preliminary hearings in Pennsylvania, which have a far lower burden of proof than trials.

Expand Close Actor and comedian Bill Cosby departs the Montgomery County Courthouse after a pre-trial hearing on sexual assault charges in Norristown, Pennsylvania May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Makela / Facebook

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In her statement, she said Cosby told her the pills were herbal medication.

She said he also urged her to sip wine even though she said had not eaten and did not want to drink.

Ms Constand told detectives Cosby positioned himself behind her after telling her to lie down on the couch. She said she awoke with her bra askew and did not remember undoing it.

In excerpts read in court from his own statement to police in 2005, Cosby said he and Ms Constand had had other "petting" sessions before.

Cosby also told police the pills were over-the-counter Benadryl that he takes to help him sleep. He said he gave Ms Constand one and a half pills and she did not ask what they were.

During Tuesday's hearing, Cosby lawyer Brian McMonagle questioned why Ms Constand continued to see the comedian and even returned to the house to meet with him after the alleged assault.

Detective Katherine Hart testified that Ms Constand told detectives in 2005 she went back to Cosby's home to confront him about what had happened.

Ms Constand also told detectives she contacted Cosby after moving to Canada because she wanted tickets to one of his comedy shows. Mr McMonagle said Ms Constand brought a present for Cosby.

Prosecutors reopened the case last year after dozens of women levelled similar allegations and after Cosby's sealed deposition in Ms Constand's lawsuit was made public.

He settled her lawsuit for an undisclosed sum in 2006 after testifying about his extramarital affairs, his use of quaaludes to seduce women and his efforts to hide payments to former lovers from his wife.

Cosby has not entered a plea since his December 30 arrest. He is free on one million dollars (683,786) bail.

He is also fighting defamation lawsuits across the country for allegedly branding his accusers liars and is trying to get his homeowner insurance to pay his legal bills.

Constand is now a massage therapist in Toronto.
Two journalists have gone missing in Colombia's northeast conflict zone while covering the disappearance of a Spanish reporter feared kidnapped this weekend, the government said.

Television news channel Noticias RCN said in a statement there had been "a possible kidnapping" of a reporter and a cameraman in Norte de Santander province, near the border with Venezuela. The reporter is Diego D'Pablos and cameraman is Carlos Melo.

The journalists were in El Tarra municipality to cover the disappearance of fellow reporter Salud Hernandez, who writes for Spain's El Mundo and local newspapers, who was last seen in the area on Saturday.

The heads of the army and the police will go to the province to direct search operations for Hernandez and the other journalists, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Tuesday.

Military sources and local media have speculated Marxist rebels or crime gangs operating in the area may be responsible for the disappearances, but the government has not yet classified them as kidnappings.

Three other reporters in the region to cover Hernandez's disappearance were briefly held by armed men who identified themselves as members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group, before being released.

The country has been in peace talks with bigger rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) since the end of 2012 and recently agreed to start negotiations with the ELN.

Santos has said no talks will begin until all ELN hostages are freed. The 2,000-strong group has increased oil pipeline bombings in recent months and continued kidnappings in what many see as an attempt to pressure the government into beginning talks.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has jumped to the defence of the Foreign Office's new cat, after an MP raised "fears" it could be an EU spy.

Tory Keith Simpson, a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, pressed Mr Hammond on whether Palmerston had been sufficiently checked for bugs by GCHQ chiefs.

He was concerned that the new cat, appointed "chief mouser" at the Foreign Office in Whitehall last month, could be working for the EU Commission.

Mr Hammond offered his "categorical" assurance that Palmerston was "performing" his duties well.

During Foreign Office questions in the Commons, Mr Simpson said: "There is a serious point here. Can I ask you whether Palmerston has been security cleared or not?

"You may recall that the Chancellor's cat Freya had access to the Foreign Office, No 10 Downing Street and it was thought that she might have been got at by a foreign power.

"So can I ask you, has he been positively vetted by the security service and scanned for bugs by GCHQ and can you assure the House and the more paranoid element in the Brexiters of Palmerston's British provenance and that he isn't a long-term mole working for the EU Commission?"

It follows similar theories of espionage that plagued Chancellor George Osborne's wandering cat Freya.

To laughter, Mr Hammond said: "After careful consideration we appointed Palmerston the cat last month as chief mouser to the FCO to complement the work of our contractor and I'm pleased to report to the House that he has settled in perfectly and is performing his services more than satisfactorily."

He added: "He's definitely not a mole.

"I can categorically assure you that Palmerston has been regularly vetted. As for being a sleeper, he is definitely a sleeper - I'm told very often in my office.

"But unlike Freya, who went missing for two years, his attendance record has been 100% and my experts tell me that that pretty much rules out the possibility of him being a Commission employee."

Palmerston is now a social media rival to the Foreign Secretary following the success of his official Twitter account.

Mr Hammond said: "I should also tell the House that while Palmerston has so far only caught three mice, his Twitter account, DiploMog, has attracted 8,158 followers with a rate of growth that implies he will overtake me by the summer recess," he said.

Speaker John Bercow intervened to boast about his own well-performing cat.

He said: "May I congratulate the Foreign Secretary on following my excellent example in Speaker's House where for five years we've had a first-class cat which has done the necessary and of course its name is Order."
TV talk show host James Corden has surprised Chewbacca mask lady Candace Payne with the chance to meet the actor behind the Star Wars creature.

Ms Payne's wildly popular video of her hysterically laughing while wearing a toy Chewbacca mask has gained more than 140 million views on Facebook since she posted it last week.

On Corden's Late Late Show, which airs in the US, the British star read a message to Ms Payne from Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, who said he had carved out time to meet her during an upcoming visit to her home state of Texas.

Earlier in the show, Ms Payne appeared in a skit alongside Corden and Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams in which the three wore the masks that emit Chewbacca's distinctive roar.
Romero Juca at a press conference about a leaked phone recording at his offices in Brasilia (AP)

A minister in Brazil's new government has taken a leave of absence after he was secretly recorded apparently plotting to oust the former president in a bid to stall a huge corruption probe.

Planning minister Romero Juca is under investigation in the multibillion-pound kickback scheme at state oil company Petrobras.

Even some allies of acting president Michel Temer called for the firing or resignation of Mr Juca, who is also a senator, who seems in the recording to be plotting how to remove Dilma Rousseff.

Mr Juca initially said he would remain in office only to announce a few hours later that he was taking a leave of absence.

Ms Rousseff, Brazil's first female president, was suspended from office by the Senate earlier this month for allegedly using accounting tricks to hide deficits in the budget to bolster support for her embattled government. She has repeatedly said she did nothing wrong.

"This shows the true reason behind the coup against our democracy and president Rousseff's mandate," tweeted Ricardo Berzoini, former minister of political relations who lost his post when Ms Rousseff was suspended.

"Their objective is to stop the Petrobras probe, to sweep the investigations under the rug."

Mr Temer, who was vice president, took over after distancing himself from Mr Rousseff and whipping up votes in Congress for her suspension. He will remain in power while the Senate conducts a trial.

The day began with a published transcript of a conversation between Mr Juca and Sergio Machado, a former senator who until recently headed another state oil company, Transpetro.

Soon after the transcripts were published by the newspaper Folha de S Paulo, Mr Juca called a news conference and said his comments had been taken out of context.

He said he was not pushing to impeach Ms Rousseff, but rather noting that things would be different under a different government, especially in Brazil's struggling economy.

By the afternoon, the newspaper posted on its website the hour-plus recorded conversation broken up into two parts. Mr Juca never mentions the economy.

The recording is sure to deepen Brazil's political crisis. Rousseff supporters and the president herself have long argued her administration was the victim of a coup orchestrated by opposition politicians, in large part to dilute the Petrobras investigation.

Over the last two years, dozens of the country's elite, from MPs to wealthy businessmen, have been tried and jailed in a probe so large that it has shocked even Brazilians long inured to graft in politics.

Ms Rousseff's popularity was hit by the investigation. Much of the alleged wrongdoing took place while her Workers' Party was in power over the last 13 years, though she herself has never been implicated.

Although she was hurt politically by the probe, Ms Rousseff refused to do anything to tamper with an investigation that she said Brazil badly needs.

The leaked recording was of a March meeting at Mr Juca's house, weeks before Brazil's lower Chamber of Deputies voted to send the impeachment measure to the Senate.

In the conversation, Mr Juca said he wanted to keep Judge Sergio Moro out of the Petrobras investigations related to him, others in Mr Temer's inner circle and Senate President Renan Calheiros.

"We have to solve this. We have to change the government so the bleeding is stopped," Mr Juca said in the recording, according to the newspaper account.

Mr Juca initially said the "bleeding" to which he referred had to do with Brazil's economy, which is expected to contract nearly 4% this year after an equally dismal 2015.

He denied trying to stop the Petrobras probe.

A few hours later, Mr Juca said he would take a leave of absence.

"I don't want these manipulations to harm this new administration," he said.

Some of Mr Temer's allies were quick to say Mr Juca should be fired only 12 days after being sworn in.
Vehicles of the Iraqi security forces are seen on the outskirts of Falluja. Photo: Reuters

Iraqi troops and local militias were on the outskirts of Fallujah last night as the long-awaited assault on Isil jihadists holding the city began.

Residents of nearby western Baghdad and the United Nations high commission for refugees reported that scores of Fallujah families had managed to escape the city, responding to warnings from the prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, to leave.

The assault was supported by an advance bombardment, including aerial bombing. The US-led coalition said it had struck 21 targets in and around the city in the last week, including three on Sunday.

The city has been suffering from the effects of siege for months, with residents starving and dying from lack of medicine. Many Iraqi politicians, especially those from predominantly Sunni Muslim Anbar province, are fearful of what will remain after yet another assault on a city that has become a byword for Islamist militancy. It suffered two battles in 2004 as American forces sought to seize it back from some of the same insurgent forces that went on to form Isil. The destruction embittered parts of the community for years to come.

Expand Close Shi'ite fighters forces launch a rocket towards Islamic State militants on the outskirts Falluja. Photo: Reuters / Facebook

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Mr Abadi visited the forward operating command post yesterday morning, dressed in black fatigues.

He issued a warning to Isil. "Zero hour for the liberation of Fallujah has arrived. The moment of great victory has drawn near and Daesh has no choice but to flee," he said, using an Arabic name for Isil.

On Sunday, he had warned the remaining residents, said to number in their tens of thousands, to leave while they could, or to post white flags on their roofs. Isil had been trying to prevent an exodus with threats of force, after putting down opposition from local tribes earlier in the year. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Expand Close Fighters from Iraqi Shiite group Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada gather near Falluja. Photo: Reuters / Facebook

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Whatsapp Fighters from Iraqi Shiite group Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada gather near Falluja. Photo: Reuters

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
An image grab taken from a video uploaded on the official Facebook page of the Egyptian military spokesperson on May 21, 2016 and taken from an undisclosed location reportedly shows some debris that the search teams found in the sea after the EgyptAir Airbus A320 crashed in the Mediterranean.

This still image taken from video posted Saturday, May 21, 2016, on the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman shows an Egyptian ship collecting wreckage of EgyptAir flight 804

A photo from the Facebook page of the Egyptian armed forces shows debris recovered from EgyptAir flight 804

Relatives of the Christian victims of the crashed EgyptAir flight MS 804 react during an absentee funeral mass at the main Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt,

The mystery over the MS804 disaster took a new twist after it was claimed the pilot carried out a "sudden descent" in a bid to extinguish a fire on board.

Aviation sources in Paris say that Mohamed Ali Shoukair told Egyptian air traffic controllers that he needed to attempt an emergency landing as the plane was filling up with smoke.

According to the French TV station M6, a conversation of "several minutes" took place as Mr Shoukair struggled to keep control of the aircraft.

The claims contradict the investigators' account of the crash, as they say there was no radio contact from the pilot before MS804 crashed into the sea. And EgyptAir officials have denied M6's report, insisting: "[The] claims made by the French TV station are not true. The pilot did not contact Egypt air control before the incident."

Plunging

Emergency descents can be dangerous as they can cause major changes in cabin air pressure and, it was speculated, may have led to the plane plunging 37,0000 feet into the Mediterranean Sea.

Expand Close Relatives and friends of EgyptAir hostess Yara Hani (portrait), who was on board Flight 804 mourn during prayers at a church in Cairo. Photo: Getty / Facebook

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Whatsapp Relatives and friends of EgyptAir hostess Yara Hani (portrait), who was on board Flight 804 mourn during prayers at a church in Cairo. Photo: Getty

It was not the only controversial theory behind the crash to be offered yesterday, as a Turkish newspaper quoted an airline pilot as saying he saw a "an unidentified object with green flashing lights" pass over Istanbul just one hour before the air disaster.

"Then it disappeared all of a sudden. We are guessing that it was a UFO," the pilot told 'Hurriet Daily News'.

Egyptian investigators say it is too early to say for sure what caused the crash.

It comes as the first body parts of the victims were returned to Cairo last night in preparation for the grim task of identifying those who lost their lives in the disaster.

Expand Close A photo from the Facebook page of the Egyptian armed forces shows debris recovered from EgyptAir flight 804 / Facebook

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And in France, the Paris airports authority said it had no plans to tighten security further after the EgyptAir crash after airport workers expressed concern on Sunday about weak spots in the systems.

Pauline Godebout, an airline desk officer, said there were "sometimes" identity checks at entrances to terminals at Charles de Gaulle airport.

"But they don't do it all the time. I think it's a budget issue. It's expensive and there are so many doors to the airport that it's very difficult to secure them all."

An airports authority spokesman said that security had already been stepped up after recent terrorist attacks.

He said people entering the airport were sometimes required to produce identity documents before being allowed in, but this was not done systematically to avoid creating long queues outside.

"Spot checks of people's identities are carried out on a random basis," he said.

"We have to strike a balance between security and inconveniencing travellers.

"The question is, do you really increase security or are you just moving the risk to another area?"

Identity checks were introduced outside Brussels terminal entrances after two suicide bombers blew themselves up in March in the check-in area. However, the Paris spokesman pointed out that they "created queues of hundreds of people" that could also be a target.

"There is nothing to indicate a security flaw at Charles de Gaulle," he said.

But Celine, a parking attendant, expressed concern that a lack of manpower and funding left the airport vulnerable to an attack.

"For an airport, I think the level of security here is really not enough. We are responsible for identifying abandoned bags.

"We deal with about five alerts a week. And I think the police response is too slow. Even when they seal off the area, it's still not enough to protect us. It takes the bomb disposal squad between 30 minutes and an hour to arrive, and that's easily enough time for a bomb to go off."

Scared

Asked if she thought a bomb could be planted on a plane on the ground at the airport, she said: "I think it could happen. There are checks but they're not systematic enough."

She said she had been "really scared" since the Brussels bombings and was relieved that she was quitting her job in a week after a six-month contract. "I can't wait to go," she said.

Meanwhile, families of the 66 victims were warned it might be weeks before bodies are recovered, as the Egyptian government admitted a submarine being used in the search might be unable to operate at extreme depths. The submarine can reach depths of 9,800 feet but parts of the Mediterranean are even deeper. It is not even clear whether the submarine will be able to recover the black box recorders - even if it locates them.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A bus moves a migrant family to an organized camp during an operation to evacuate the makeshift refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the northern Greek village of Idomeni (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Greek authorities began a dawn operation to evacuate the country's largest informal refugee camp of Idomeni, blocking access to the area and sending in more than 400 riot police.

The government's spokesman for the refugee crisis, Giorgos Kyritsis, said on Monday that the operation on the Macedonian border was expected to last about a week to 10 days.

The camp, which sprung up on what began as an informal pedestrian border crossing for refugees and migrants heading north to Europe, is home to an estimated 8,400 people.

Greek police and government authorities have said the residents will be moved gradually to newly completed, organised camps.

Journalists were barred from the camp, stopped at a police roadblock a miles away on a highway junction leading to the nearby village of Idomeni. Twenty buses carrying various riot police units were seen heading to the area while a police helicopter observed from above.

More than 54,000 refugees and migrants have been trapped in financially struggling Greece since Balkan and European countries shut their land borders to a massive flow of people escaping war and poverty at home.

Expand Close Greek policemen stand next to migrants at a makeshift refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the northern Greek village of Idomeni. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Greek policemen stand next to migrants at a makeshift refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the northern Greek village of Idomeni. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

The vast majority are from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Nearly a million people have passed through Greece, most arriving on islands from the nearby Turkish coast.

In March, the European Union reached an agreement with Turkey meant to stem the flow and reduce the number of people undertaking the short but perilous sea crossing to Greece, where many have died after their overcrowded boats sank.

Under the deal, anyone arriving clandestinely on Greek islands from the Turkish coast after March 18 faces deportation back to Turkey unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece.

But few want to request asylum in the country, which has been struggling with a six-year financial crisis that has left unemployment hovering at around 24%.

The government has been trying to persuade people staying in Idomeni, who include hundreds of families with young children, to leave the area and head to organised camps.

This week it said its campaign of voluntary evacuations was already working, with police reporting that eight buses carrying about 400 people left Idomeni on Sunday. Others took taxis heading to the country's main northern city of Thessaloniki or a nearby town of Polycastro.

On the eve of the evacuation operation, few at the camp appeared to welcome the news.

Abdo Rajab, a 22-year-old refugee from Raqqa in Syria, has spent the past three months in Idomeni, and is now considering paying smugglers to be taken to Germany clandestinely.

"We hear that tomorrow we will all go to camps," he said. "I don't mind, but my aim is not reach the camps but to go Germany."
Maria Kukucova (centre) appears in court in Malaga, Spain, where she is accused of killing her former partner, British millionaire Andrew Bush. Photo: PA

A Slovakian model on trial in the fatal shooting of her British millionaire ex-boyfriend tearfully claimed he pulled out a pistol and it went off while they struggled for it.

Prosecutors say Maria Kukucova shot Andrew Bush twice in the head and once in the shoulder at his home in the southern beach resort of Estepona on April 5, 2014, and are seeking to have her imprisoned for 20 years.

Ms Kukucova (26) testified she didn't know how many shots were fired because the first one was so loud that she went temporarily deaf, hearing nothing just after it.

"I didn't want to cause him any harm," Ms Kukucova said, sniffling and trying to hold back tears. "The gun just went off. I only wanted to break free from his grasp."

Her jury trial in Malaga is expected to last at least three days.

Bush was 48 and owned a jewellery store in Britain where Kukucova had worked before he moved to Spain.

The two broke up about a month before the killing following a relationship of more than two years. Kukucova testified she spent two days alone inside his house and that he arrived after a trip with a Russian girlfriend, Maria Korotaeva.

Mr Bush told Ms Korotaeva to go outside the home and get into his car after finding Mr Kukucova in his home, and he and Ms Kukucova started fighting, the suspect testified.

She said he pointed the gun at her and that it went off during their struggle. Kukucova fled to Slovakia and turned herself in four days later.
Russian national Maria Korotaeva leaves the court in Malaga, Spain, where Mayka Marica Kukucova is accused of killing her former partner, British millionaire Andrew Bush Credit: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

Maria Korotaeva arriving at court in Malaga, Spain, where Mayka Marica Kukucova is accused of killing her former partner, British millionaire Andrew Bush Credit: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

A jury has heard how a Slovakian model accused of murdering a British millionaire at his luxury home in Spain went on the run across Europe before handing herself in to police.

During her trial at a court in Malaga, Maria Kukucova, 26, described a violent struggle between herself and her ex-boyfriend, Andrew Bush, before she shot him at his luxury home near Marbella on the Costa del Sol.

Kukucova broke down in tears when images of Mr Bush's body, with two gunshot wounds to the head, were shown to the court at the Ciudad de la Justicia.

She was temporarily escorted from the room by police officers.

Giving evidence, Kukucova said Mr Bush, 48, had begun to "shout" at her, "hit" her and "shoot at" her after he returned to the house unexpectedly while she was collecting her things on April 4 2014.

Her defence lawyer, Carlos Larranaga, said that "she shot him" during the scuffle, but Kukucova insisted she did not realise that he was dead.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Maria Korotaeva arriving at court in Malaga, Spain, where Mayka Marica Kukucova is accused of killing her former partner, British millionaire Andrew Bush Credit: Steve Parsons/PA Wire Maria Korotaeva arriving at court in Malaga, Spain, where Mayka Marica Kukucova is accused of killing her former partner, British millionaire Andrew Bush Credit: Steve Parsons/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp Maria Korotaeva arriving at court in Malaga, Spain, where Mayka Marica Kukucova is accused of killing her former partner, British millionaire Andrew Bush Credit: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

She said: "I was terrified. He was shouting that he was going to kill me and my family.

"I just wanted to get away. I didn't want to hurt him."

She described how she fled the house in Mr Bush's Hummer, before making her way to Madrid, meeting her boyfriend and then travelling by bus to France and finally Slovakia.

The 4x4 was found abandoned near a hospital near Malaga on April 6. Kukucova then handed herself in to authorities and was detained on suspicion of "consumed intentional homicide" before being extradited to Spain.

She has not entered a formal plea.

Also giving evidence, Mr Bush's then girlfriend, Russian national Maria Korotaeva told the court how she had been in the Hummer when her boyfriend was killed, but had no idea what had happened.

She and Mr Bush arrived at the house around 10.30 in the evening and realised something was wrong when she saw women's clothing and used plates around the house, she said.

When she came across Kukucova in an upstairs bedroom, she ran outside to the car.

She said: "About five minutes later Andy came to the car and said everything was alright and not to worry. He said he loved me."

Ms Korotaeva described how, minutes later, Kukucova emerged, fully dressed, with a suitcase.

"She told me Andy had given her the keys to the Hummer to get to the airport."

Ms Korotaeva told the court: "Then she called me by my Russian name and said 'Masha, please get out of the car'.

"I didn't want to call the police on her so I got out and she left."

Disruption broke out in court when Judge Ernesto Carlos Mazana, challenged Mr Larranaga for questioning Ms Korotaeva over her next moves.

The court heard that she tried to phone Mr Bush and his sister Rachel before emergency services arrived almost an hour later.

In a heated argument Mr Larranaga said: "Everything I ask is treated as irrelevant. I can't defend like this - it's impossible."

Kukucova held his arm affectionately as the court took a short break.

Mr Bush's daughter Ellie, 21, also gave evidence.

She told the court that her father, a jewellery store owner from Bristol, was her "only parent" growing up and said: "He was all I had."

She and Kukucova were brought to tears as she described how they had been good friends "from the beginning" of the defendant's two-year relationship with her father.

The trial will continue to the end of the week.
Austria has apparently stepped back from the brink of being the first EU country to elect a far-right head of state, electing a 72-year-old Green candidate to the country's presidency yesterday in a surprise move that will be welcomed by Europe's political establishment.

According to the BBC, postal votes counted yesterday gave Alexander Van der Bellen the victory by a narrow margin over Norbert Hofer (pictured) of the Freedom Party.

Mr Van der Bellen won by the slimmest of margins, with 50.1pc of the vote, according to Austria's 'Kurier' newspaper.

"It's now clear: Alexander van der Bellen will be the new president," Austria's 'Die Presse' newspaper reported.

Mr Hofer came within an ace of victory, with 49.9pc. He conceded defeat in a statement posted on to his Facebook page yesterday afternoon.

Mr Hofer's failure to become the EU's first far-right head of state will be a blow to Europe's burgeoning populist movements, including France's Front National and Germany's Alternative for Deutschland (Afd) who had hoped that a Hofer victory would provide the catalyst for continent-wide electoral gains.

It will also come as a huge relief in Brussels and among Europe's establishment parties who have been under assault in recent years from populist movements angry over uncontrolled immigration and economic austerity and had warned that a Hofer victory would "change the character" of Europe.

Among them was French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who expressed his "relief" at learning Mr Hofer had failed to win the election.

"Relief to see the Austrians reject populism and extremism," Mr Valls wrote on Twitter, "everyone in Europe should learn from this."

Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, said: "We would like to congratulate Mr Van der Bellen on his victory in the Austrian Presidential election.

"This is a clear sign that Europe is beginning to realise that hate and fear politics are not the answer to the many challenges we are facing as a continent. "As we approach our standing committee meeting in Vienna, I look forward to meeting the new president and working with him to help the Jewish community."

News of Mr Hofer's defeat received a predictably muted reaction in his home town of Pinkafeld, a picture-postcard small town an hour's drive south of Vienna.

"I'm disappointed. When I saw the result on the TV I switched it off, I couldn't watch," said 74-year-old Irene Schutter, a retired school cleaner drinking coffee in the town's market square.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Brussels' police chief has been injured during clashes at the end of a major anti-austerity demonstration attended by 50,000 people in the centre of the Belgian capital.

Police chief Pierre Vandersmissen was treated for a head injury after he fell to the ground as rocks were thrown by a minority of protesters when most of the marchers had already disbanded.

The demonstration was called to protest the centre-right government's social and economic policies, which trade unions say cut deep into the foundations of Belgium's welfare state.

In all, two police officials and eight protesters were injured in the clashes, during which police fired water cannons. About a dozen people were detained.

It was a repeat of previous anti-austerity protests when the violence of dozens overshadowed the march of tens of thousands.

Under the slogan "Our cup runs over" the main unions joined in the march, united in their opposition against moves to increase workers' flexibility at work, longer careers before pensions kick in and less pay under tougher conditions.

The trade unions say the free market policies of Liberal Prime Minister Charles Michel over the past two years are costing an average family about 100 euro (76) a month, while the promise of many extra jobs remains elusive.

Instead the trade unions want the government to tackle tax evasion.
Google's offices in Paris have been raided by police

French police have raided Google's Paris offices as part of an investigation into "aggravated tax fraud" and money laundering.

The raid is the latest regulatory headache for the US search engine and email company, which like other Silicon Valley firms, faces increasing questions about its complex tax arrangements.

France's financial prosecutor's office said the raids were carried out with the assistance of the police anti-corruption unit and 25 information technology experts.

French newspaper Le Parisien, which first reported the news, said the raid took place at dawn and involved some 100 investigators.

"These searches are the result of a preliminary investigation opened on June 16 2015 relative to aggravated tax fraud and organised money laundering following a complaint from French fiscal authorities," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

"The investigation is aimed at finding out whether Google Ireland is permanently established in France and if, by not declaring some of its activity on French soil, it has failed to meet its fiscal obligations, in particular with regard to corporation tax and value added tax."

Google and other US technology firms typically base their European subsidiaries in Ireland or other low-tax jurisdictions such as Luxembourg, allowing them to do business with customers across the continent while minimising their fiscal obligations - a technique known as profit-shifting. European regulators have increasingly pressed the firms to pay taxes in the jurisdictions in which they do business.

Google is under pressure elsewhere. Earlier this year the company agreed to pay about 130 million pounds in back taxes to the UK government, a deal which drew the attention of European investigators.

Google's rivals have faced similar pressures. In December Apple agreed to pay Italy 318 million euro (242 million) in taxes for several past years.

A statement from Google said: "We comply with French law and are cooperating fully with the authorities to answer their questions."
A car is left in flames at the scene where suicide bombers blew themselves up at a bus station during morning rush hour in the coastal town of Tartus, Syria. Photo: Sana/AP

A SERIES of bomb attacks during morning rush hour have killed at least 78 people in two government strongholds on Syria's Mediterranean coast, state media say.

The bombs targeted bus stations in the city of Tartous and Jableh, a town to the north, and Jableh hospital.

The two places have until now escaped the worst of the war.

Reports on the number of fatalities varied, with one report saying more than 120 people died.

A news agency linked to Isil claimed the jihadist group was responsible for the attacks.

The agency, Amaq, cited an Isil source and said militants had targeted "gatherings of Alawites", a reference to the heterodox Shia sect to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs.

Russia - a key backer of Mr Assad - has a naval base in Tartous and an airbase near Jableh, from where it has conducted air strikes on Isil targets across Syria.

Blast

The state news agency, Sana, cited a police source as saying that 45 people were killed and many others, most of them women and children, were injured in Jableh.

It reported that two bombs exploded at the main entrance of the town's bus station.

Near-simultaneous car and suicide bombings hit the main bus station in Tartous.

Jableh's bus station was also targeted, along with the town's hospital.

A suicide bomber also blew himself up at the entrance of the emergency department at Jableh National Hospital, Sana added.

The fourth blast reportedly occurred near the offices of Jableh's electricity directorate, on the outskirts of the Amara residential district.

In Tartous, more than 33 people were killed and 47 injured, Sana said. A car bomb was detonated at the main gate to the city's bus station, while a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest inside the facility, it added.

Another bomber blew himself up in a residential area in the west of the city, according to Sana.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group which relies on a network of sources on the ground, reported that 73 people were killed in Jableh and another 48 in Tartous.

It said the two bombings at the bus station in Jableh were suicide attacks.

Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said terrorist groups were resorting to bomb attacks against civilians because they were unable to fight the Syrian army.

"We will not be deterred," he told al-Ikhbariya TV.

"We will use everything we have to fight the terrorists."

Russia said the attacks underlined the fragile situation in Syria.

The Kremlin expressed concern at the blasts and said they underscored the need to continue peace talks between the government and opposition.

"Of course, a rise in tension and terrorist activity cannot but heighten concern.

Fragile

"It is further proof of how fragile the situation is in Syria and demonstrates the necessity to continue active steps towards resuming talks," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Asked whether Russia would consider its decision in March to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, Mr Peskov pointed to a statement by President Vladimir Putin, noting that the country's infrastructure allowed for a "very flexible approach".

Isil, which is fighting both government and rebel forces trying to topple Mr Assad, has killed scores of people in suicide bombings in Damascus and Homs this year.
People gather at the scene after a pair of suicide bombings attack in the city of Aden in Yemen. (AP)

At least 40 people, most of them army recruits, have been killed in two bomb attacks claimed by Isil in the Yemeni city of Aden.

In the first, a suicide bomber targeted young men queuing to enlist at the home of a senior army commander.

Shortly afterwards, there was a second blast at a nearby army base.

Aden is serving as the temporary home of Yemens government while it seeks to regain control of the capital, Sanaa, from the Houthi rebel movement.

Pro-government forces and troops from a Saudi-led coalition regained control of Aden last summer, but they have struggled to prevent deadly attacks by local affiliates of Isil and the rival jihadist group, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (Aqap).

Horrible

In the first attack yesterday, a bomb exploded beside a group of recruits who were lined up outside the home of a general in the Khormaksar district, which acts as a bridge between the mainland and a peninsula where much of the city lies.

A bomb planted at the gate of the Badr army base exploded a short time later.

Brig-Gen Nasser, the commander of Yemens Special Security Forces, said 34 people had been killed in the first attack and seven in the second.

However, local officials said the first blast had left 40 dead and the second had caused no casualties.

One Aden resident described the scene of the suicide bombing as horrible, saying victims body parts had been blown dozens of metres away by the blast.

Isil later issued a statement on social media saying one of its members had blown himself up amid a group of apostate soldiers and that an improvised explosive device had been detonated nearby.
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By Abe Hardesty of the Independent Mail

Sam Anderson could not have picked a better spot or time to have his first heart attack.

Anderson, an 81-year-old Belton resident known well among friends for his devotion to physical fitness, suffered a heart attack at about 11 a.m. Friday in the wake of his routine workout at the Anderson Area YMCA.

He underwent quadruple bypass surgery at the AnMed Health Center on Monday, where he rested comfortably Monday night.

Among the 72 hours in between Friday and Monday, the most important times were the first eight minutes after Anderson lost consciousness  and a heartbeat  just minutes after completing a 1.5-mile run.

A friend hailed YMCA Wellness Director Wally Weathers, who teamed with maintenance services staffer Angel Cater to perform CPR until professional help arrived.

"They jumped in as soon as they saw him go down. One of the doctors told us that was probably the difference between life and death," Carol Anderson said Monday, shortly after her husband's three-hour surgery. "Another said if he was going to have a heart attack, that was one of the best places he could have been."

"They're real heroes," Carol said of the YMCA staff. "If this had happened at home, he probably wouldn't have had a chance."

The Andersons completed a morning workout when Sam sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee. Carol, who spent 31 years as a teacher at Palmetto High and Tri-County Tech, made a trip to the locker room.

When she returned, she saw Weathers and Cater working frantically to push her husband's heart back into action.

"I went berserk. I saw them over him, pounding on his chest. They never let up, thank goodness," Carol said. "I couldn't tell if his heart was beating."

Weathers could not detect a pulse when he reached Anderson seconds after the attack. He instructed one staff member to call 911, another to get the automated external defibrillator (AED), and another to contact Cater.

Less than a minute after Anderson slumped in the chair, the portable AED was in place, providing electric shocks that restored heart rhythm, and Cater was making sure the air passage was clear.

"We got the machine on him in about 40 seconds. At that stage of things, every second counts," said Weathers, who used four rounds of compression. The Medshore EMS crew used another round on the way to the hospital.

Anderson, who served 20 years in the Air Force, has remained active since retirement. He typically gets exercise at the YMCA five times a week.

Weathers and Cater, a former aquatics director, typically teach the first-aid and CPR classes at the YMCA, where they have a combined 31 years of experience.

"It all happens so fast ... having that second person who knows what should be taking place at every step makes a world of difference," Weathers said. "When Angel got there, she knew exactly where I was in the process."

Cater sang the praises of the AED machine. "It makes a huge difference," she said. "They really save lives."

Weathers has used the machine four times over the years but until Friday, the machine had not directed him to use the shock technique.

As part of the Heart & Stroke Safe Community initiative, AnMed Health has given AEDs to area police departments, schools and other public places.

"When it works perfectly, the patient bypasses the emergency room and goes straight to the catherization lab," said AnMed spokesman Ross Norton. "AEDs not only save lives," Norton said, "they also improve quality of life post-event by buying precious minutes."

Satish K. Surabhi, who performed emergency techniques Friday and was part of the cardiac team that performed surgery Monday, expects "a complete recovery" by Anderson.

"They (YMCA staffers) did the right things at the right time for a patient who had no blood flow," Surabhi said.

Follow Abe Hardesty on Twitter @abe_hardesty
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By Kirk Brown of the Independent Mail

Mike Gambrell is South Carolina's newest state senator.

As his wife, Reene Gambrell, held a Bible, the Republican from Honea Path took the oath of office Tuesday afternoon on the Senate floor at the Statehouse in Columbia.

Gambrell is replacing Billy O'Dell, who died Jan. 7 as the result of heart problems. O'Dell, a Republican from Ware Shoals, had represented Senate District 4 since 1989.

In a brief speech after he was sworn in as a senator, Gambrell praised his predecessor as a "consummate Southern gentleman who loved South Carolina."

"I believe in being a team player, and I want what is best for the citizens of the state of South Carolina and also Senate District 4," Gambrell said. "I pledge to work with the men and women of this body to bring good-paying jobs to our state, to make sure we have the best public education system possible and protect our most vulnerable citizens against those who would do them harm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my word is my bond, and I believe in being a straight-shooter," he added. "That is the way I was raised, and that is the way I am."

Before arriving in the Senate chamber on Thursday, Gambrell bid farewell to his colleagues in the state House of Representatives, where he had served since 2007.

"I will never forget each and every one of you," said Gambrell, who is relinquishing his House District 7 seat.

House Speaker Jay Lucas urged Gambrell "to go over to the Senate and show them how it's done."

Gambrell won three elections earlier this year for the opportunity to serve the remaining months of O'Dell's term. Gambrell finished first in the March 22 Republican primary but narrowly failed to collect the majority of votes. He then defeated Williamston Town Councilman Rockey Burgess in an April 5 runoff before winning a May 17 special election in which he was the candidate on the ballot.

Burgess and Gambrell are both competing in the June 14 Republican primary for a full four-year term in Senate District 4, which includes eastern and southern Anderson County, part of Abbeville County and western Greenwood County.

Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter@KirkBrown_AIM
PHOTOS BY KEN RUINARD/INDEPENDENT MAIL Clemson University students walk near a passing Catbus on College Avenue in downtown Clemson.

SHARE Tate Bowers, a Clemson University student, walks his bicycle along College Avenue near a newly build Campus View apartments on Earle Street in Clemson. Bowers said he lives on campus to avoid having to commute, but also said many students walk from the new apartments close to campus. Campus View apartments garage overlooks new construction of housing near Earle Street in downtown Clemson. Clemson University students use Catbus to get around campus and away from campus. City of Clemson parking garage is one option for parking besides trying to find spaces on the street level in downtown Clemson.

By Mike Eads of the Independent Mail

The student apartment boom in Clemson has some homeowners fearing downtown will be overtaken by bars and loud partying. Others aren't so sure.

Charlotte Holt managed downtown rental properties owned by her parents, Albert and Berniece, before they recently sold them.

"The downtown is a lot more attractive than it ever was in the 1970s," said Holt, a retired Clemson employee. "There were a lot of hotels and it was pretty ramshackle. We all have fond memories of going in and out of those places, but they were ugly. It's prettier downtown now and more pleasing to the eye, but the traffic is much worse."

Developer Tom Winkopp has built several student housing projects in and around Clemson. Local parking and traffic has gotten worse in recent years because so many students have been commuting from his and other apartment communities out away from campus, choosing newer accommodations over university dorms built in the '50s and '60s.

"The university hasn't addressed that problem for so long, and all of the newer student housing got built 2-3 miles away," said Winkopp, a 1988 graduate of Clemson. "That created parking needs. The CAT bus has helped, but when gas went to $4 a gallon that dictated building downtown."

Winkopp said millennials want proximity to campus and comfortable living conditions, including their own bedrooms and bathrooms. His University House project in the 300 block of College Avenue will target that demographic. Campus View, which opened in 2014, and the still under construction Earle Street complex also are geared toward students.

The university also is getting in on the updated student housing trend with Core Campus and Douthit Hills. The former isn't expected to impact the downtown area directly, but the latter almost certainly will create more traffic for Riggs Drive and other neighborhoods east and north of campus.

Some homeowners have complained to city officials that all of the apartments and street level retail space will pack Clemson's downtown with students and turn it into something like the bar and restaurant scenes in bigger college towns like Athens, Georgia, or Austin, Texas.

Those comparisons are problematic because Clemson isn't nearly as diverse economically or demographically as those aforementioned places. Clemson is much smaller and its economy depends much more upon Clemson University  and serving the needs of those students, retirees and university employees and their families  than Athens relies upon the University of Georgia or Austin relies upon the University of Texas.

"We are having growing pains, and you certainly don't want to ever lose the character of what you have," Winkopp said. "People fear that what happened in those towns will happen here, but we don't have the industries around here like Austin and Athens have."

That's little solace to residents along Riggs Drive, which sits on the northern edge of the Earle Street project. Many can look out their back windows and see the construction not too many feet beyond the tree line separating their properties.

Neighbors registered complaints with city officials as the Earle Street project made its way through the planning process last year. A handful even took the city's board of architectural review and Winkopp to court over his University House project, which was called the Dukes Center at the time. The neighbors' suit was eventually dismissed after Pickens County judge Letitia Verdin found the city board properly vetted Winkopp's project. The opposition failed on both projects, and each should be open sometime next year.

One longtime homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, said the city should have used "step down zoning"  smaller projects in between big ones like Earle Street and residential neighborhoods like Riggs Drive.

"The residents weren't listened to, I don't think," said the homeowner. "We have trouble getting in and out now because of the traffic, and Douthit Hills will create even more. They say that because all of these students are going to being living downtown they aren't going to have cars; well, I'm sorry, but that's B.S."

Clemson professor Fran McGuire chairs the city's planning commission, which recently rejected a bid to change commercial zoning to allow for taller hotels in neighborhoods near downtown. He gets why some downtown homeowners may dread the encroachment of housing and retail space for students.

"The campus is coming closer to them and it's a scary thought," said McGuire, who joined Clemson's faculty in 1981 from upstate New York. "You may hear students having a party and you didn't used to hear that."

Alan Grubb and Derek Hodgin  two of the plaintiffs in the suit against Winkopp and the city  said the city is charging headlong into these developments because they will generate more property tax revenues, and not considering the long-term effects on things like fire protection and downtown traffic.

They each said these projects could be slowed down, or rethought, if more people would sound off to City Council members.

"I've had people come up and say, 'I'm so glad you sued Tom Winkopp,' and I say, 'Well, where were you?'" said Grubb, a Clemson history professor who arrived the school in 1970.

Holt, for her part, hopes the developments will create more parking space with their garages, as well as retail space for "a few more nice restaurants." She also understands why some neighbors worry about more traffic and trash downtown as more and more students move into the area.

"The university is the reason Clemson exists, so you can't be too anti-student because that's our livelihood," said Holt, 68. "I taught there and my dad taught there. We're all sort of torn; we have mixed feelings about the construction. It's too bad we can't coexist more comfortably."

Clemson Mayor J.C. Cook said putting beds downtown works because it generates more tax revenues for the city and eliminates the need for students to drive everywhere. He said cities like Clemson need to evolve or they will die.

"It's been changing since 1889, when Clemson University got built," said Cook. "That's the way of the world and all we can try to do is make the best of it we can."

McGuire admitted that there don't appear to be an easy answers.

"I don't know ... I think Clemson needs to decide what it really wants to be," said McGuire. "This could be Clemson city's tipping point."
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra has invested undisclosed amount in digital storytelling platform for women, SheThePeople.TV, according to reports. has invested undisclosed amount in digital storytelling platform for women, SheThePeople.TV, according to reports.

Report says that Mahindra has invested in his private capacity in the video platform, which is building a much-needed digital media space.

Women need a space that quenches their intellectual hunger, engages and empowers them with relatable content, Mahindra was quoted as saying.

The funds will help SheThePeople.TV with future expansion plans as it launches new initiatives including forums, events and regional languages, says report.
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Today, we are all witnessing creation of history. Not just for the people of our three countries, but for the entire region. To build bonds of connectivity is the most basic of human urges. Today, we seek to fulfil it. We are grateful to Excellency Rouhani for hosting this unique event. Thank you President Ashraf Ghani, for your presence. It truly holds a special significance. It is a privilege to be here. Excellency Rouhani, President Ghani and I have just held detailed discussions on a range of issues. The agenda for economic engagement is a clear priority for us. We stand together in unity of our purpose. To carve out new routes of peace, and prosperity is our common goal. We want to link with the world. But, better connectivity among ourselves is also our priority. It is indeed a new dawn for the region.Iran, Afghanistan and India are deeply aware of the richness and reality of our ancient links. Through centuries, art and culture, ideas and knowledge, language and traditions have formed a common bond between us. Even through turmoil of history, our societies never lost touch with each other. Today, we meet to write new chapters in our engagement.Excellencies, The Agreement on the establishment of a Trilateral Transport and Transit Corridor signed just a while ago can alter the course of history of this region. It is a new foundation of convergence between our three nations. The corridor would spur unhindered flow of commerce throughout the region. Inflow of capital and technology could lead to new industrial infrastructure in Chahbahar. This would include gas based fertilizer plants, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and IT. The key arteries of the corridor would pass through the Chahbahar port of Iran. It's very location, on the mouth of Gulf of Oman, is of great strategic significance. Afghanistan will get an assured, effective, and a more friendly route to trade with the rest of the world. The arc of economic benefit from this agreement would extend beyond our three nations. Its reach could extend to the depths of the Central Asian countries. When linked with the International North South Transport Corridor, it would touch South Asia at one end and Europe at another. And, studies show that as compared to the traditional sea routes, it could bring down the cost and time of the cargo trade to Europe by about 50%. Over time, we could even look to connect it with the strong sea and land based routes that India has developed with the Indian Ocean Region and South East Asia.The world of 21st century offers unique opportunities. But, it also poses its own set of challenges. Today, the nature of global engagement requires an attitude more suitable to this century, not the mindset of the century gone by. Today, the watch-words of international tiesare trust not suspicion; cooperation not dominance; inclusivity not exclusion. This is also the guiding philosophy and driving spirit of the Chahbahar Agreement. This will be a corridor of peace and prosperity for our peoples. Motives of economic growth, and empowerment would drive it. It will build our security without making others vulnerable. It would break barriers among our nations and encourage new benchmarks of people-to-people contacts. And, help us to eventually build what we all desire and deserve - a friendly and healthy neighbourhood.The world around us is changing in fundamental ways. And, the lack of comprehensive connectivity is not the only challenge that limits our national growth. Political turmoil and undercurrents of economic stress continue to spread in West Asia. In the Indo-Pacific,rise a mix of political competition and economic opportunities is putting pressure on the existing Asian order. Global economy is yet to fully come out of uncertainty and weakness. Our present growth and future prosperity is under threat from the spread of radical ideas and physical terror. Amidst this landscape, our three countries are blessed with the most potent resourceour youth. Our three nations are estimated to have more than 60 percent of their population under 30 years of age. They are an asset in our national and regional development. We want them to walk the road to knowledge and skills; industry and enterprise. And, not fall victim to the path of guns and violence. I am confident that economic fruits of the Chahbahar Agreement will expand trade, attract investment, build infrastructure, develop industry and create jobs for our youth. The Agreement will strengthen our ability to stand in mutual support against those whose only motto is to maim and kill the innocents. Its success will be a positive vote for peace and stability in the region.It is my strong belief that trade and transit routes should only be a starting point of our journey to greater connectivity. In my vision, the full spectrum of connectivity agenda between Iran, Afghanistan and India should span:
"India has come a long way in encouraging free enterprise - from tiny shops to large internet start-ups, the spirit of entrepreneurship is alive. Doing business is now more reputable than just a few decades ago, as is getting rich. Graduates increasingly want to start businesses or work for start-ups rather than join an established consultancy or a bank. What was now needed was to continue improving the environment so that everyone had a better chance." This was stated by Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India on May 21, 2016 while addressing ministers, bureaucrats and bankers at the fourth Knowledge Hub organised by the State Government in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

In his lecture, the Governor focused on how far has India come in building a start-up environment but said there was some still way to go. Starting with historical three conditions for free enterprise to flourish, namely, i) Level playing field with easy entry and exit; ii) Access to input and output markets; and iii) Protection of property rights, the Governor added two more for them to be politically viable, namely, i) broadening access to capabilities and ii) a basic safety net.

Dr Rajan pointed out that India started doing away with the Licence/Permit Raj in the 1990s, and opened up business to entry and competition. Recently, the government has moved to transparently auctioning resources like spectrum and coal mines, thus ending the monopoly of a few over resources, that could have been termed the Resource Raj. The government has reduced the Inspector Raj by doing away with a number of entry barriers for start ups, he said, quoting the example of Prime Minister's initiative on compliance based on self certification through a mobile app, the move in the Union Budget to reduce regulatory burden for startups with no inspection to be conducted in certain areas for three years; and self-certified compliance with environment laws for startups under 'white' category.

The Governor also spoke about finance which was weighted against new and untried firms the world over. However, by targeting priority sector norms specifically at micro and small enterprises, while also including medium enterprises, banks have been able to show significant improvement in lending to this sector. Loans extended by public sector banks to small and medium enterprises under priority sector norms, for instance, have gone up from Rs. 4 lakh crore as at end March 2012 to Rs. 7 lakh crore as at end March 2015. Performance of private sector banks is even better having risen from Rs. 109 thousand crore to Rs. 232 thousand crore in the same period. The outstanding credit to medium and small enterprises thus has grown 6% of GDP to 7.7% of GDP between 2012 and 2015. VC/PE funding has increased 22 times from $ 250 million in 2011 to $ 5500 million in 2015. The Governor described other ways in which the government and the Reserve Bank have taken initiatives to ease small business financing.

Going forward, the Governor stated that there were some continuing infirmities that especially hurt new firms, such as, infrastructure and logistics, which he said were weighted against the small. Similarly, difficulties in land acquisition were also weighted against the new. However, there was competition between states to reform these laws. Further, progress on resolving distress quickly, such as, enactment of the new bankruptcy code, would help assure a clean exit to firms that failed, and a redeployment of their resources in more useful ways.

Pointing out that the government had delivered on prescribing moderate and predictable taxes generally, and granting income tax exemption for 3 years as also on capital gains for startups, the Governor said that now what was necessary was to reduce any remaining uncertainty about tax demands and automation of significant parts of the tax process.

The Governor stated that it was necessary to broaden access to capabilities by providing decent education and health to individuals. "Aam aadmi attaches no value to free enterprise if he cannot participate by getting a job or starting a firm," he said. The Skill India programme of the government was rightly directed towards imparting needed skills, including vocational training, he pointed out. In addition, the Governor argued that we should ensure a basic affordable safety net for individuals  unemployment insurance, basic health care and old age pensions. "If insurance is not explicitly provided up front, it will be implicit in a democratic society," he said and added that safety net can also encourage people to take risks which they would shy away from otherwise.
1. Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram to share the cover of new-york based magazine Complex

My new cover! Thank you @ComplexMag and @The_SummerMan for an awesome interview and shoot.#OwnItAll A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 23, 2016 at 2:15pm PDT

PC has shot a couple of times for magazines but this one definitely is the hottest one till date, claims social media.

2. Anushka and Virat spotted together in Bangalore!

Virat Kohli And Anushka Shrama Spotted Together  [ #ViratKohli #Virat #anushkasharma #anushka #ViratAnushka #AnushkaVirat #RCB #India #Cricket #Ipl #Bolly #Bollywood ] A photo posted by B O L L Y W O O D (@bollywoodpagal) on May 23, 2016 at 11:03pm PDT

We still arent sure if the couple has patched up but a photograph of the duo is going viral and it has sparked some strong patch up rumors.

3. A new still from Salman and Anushkas Sultan surfaces online

New stills of #SalmanKhan and #AnushkaSharma from #Sultan! A photo posted by Salman Khan (@salmankhanfanclub) on May 23, 2016 at 11:36pm PDT

After some wrestling stunts, a new still from Sultan is going viral. The chemistry between Salman and Anushka is definitely sweet in the still.



4. Rani Mukerji to do a cameo in Aditya Chopras Befikre!

While rumors of SRKs cameo in the film are almost true, new reports claim that Rani Mukerji too has a cameo in the film.

5. Akshay Kumar has pitched in for insurance for stuntmen in Bollywood

According to Bollywoods Khiladi Kumar there is no insurance for stuntmen in the Hindi film industry and he wants that to change.

6. Nana Patekar should have won National Award for Natsamrat, says Irrfan Khan

According to Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, Nana Patekar should have won the National Award for his brilliant performance in Marathi film "Natsamrat" since he was too good in the film.
topnews

Recently there was a huge buzz when Rishi Kapoor had slammed the Gandhi clan for naming national assets after themselves. Remember how Rishi Kapoor had taken twitter, to tweet out stuff like "baap ka maal samajh rakha tha?" He had expressed his displeasure over the fact that lots of Indian assets are named after the Gandhis, and that it's time it should be changed. In fact, he had later even clarified his stand that he is not against the Congress, but the assets' names should definitely be changed.

Looks like Rishi's angst hasn't really gone down well with the Congress party. Which is why they decided to name a public toilet after him, yes! As bizarre as it may sound, Congress workers in Allahabad gathered in Shivaji Park area of the city and hung a board bearing Rishi Kapoors name outside a Sulabh Shauchalya. According to the workers, naming public assets after the Gandhi family is justified because the country prospered after achieving freedom due to them.

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Congress had even responded recently by hinting the actor was trying to favour BJP. Congress spokesperson, PC Chacko, had said, "It was merely an attempt by some people to get into the good books of those in power."

But really, this one was kind of below the belt! We wonder how Rishi Kapoor would respond to this.
When celebs shoot at a public location, it is but obvious that the crowd gathers to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars but sometimes this whole process creates quite a ruckus. A massive crowd was present to watch Brad shoot in Las Palmas, in the Spanish Canary Islands. While the crowd was getting crazier, Brad spotted a small girl who was stuck in the massive stampede.

Brad Pitt was shooting for his upcoming romantic thriller, Allied. In this film, he plays the role of Max Vatan, a spy assassin who falls in love with another assassin during his mission to kill a German official.

Twitter

During the shoot, what Pitt did deserves a lot of respect. While many who would have been at his place would not have known the next wise step, he himself jumped to help her. He used minor help of his bodyguards and they successfully managed to pull the girl to the other side of the barricade into the safety zone.

Wait till you see these pictures that will melt your heart.

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Watch the video here:

From an onscreen hero to a super-hero, we just got another reason to have a crush on him, isn't it? #TeamBradPitt!
thetimes.co

The legendary British actor Sir Ian McKellen was at his eloquent best at a recent gathering in Mumbai sharing interesting anecdotes from his stellar career. His spontaneous wisecracks had everybody in splits and the actor spoke openly about the homosexual aspect of his personal life. Sir McKellan opened up about his sexual orientation when quizzed by host Aamir Khan about the roughest and most depressing phase of his life. While the 'Hobbit' star was quick to set at rest doubts of having faced difficult times in his professional career, he admitted that in personal life it was his homosexuality that he found difficult to deal with in his younger days.

"One aspect which was difficult for me was being a gay man in England. It was legal but you had to be 21. It did inhibit me if I had love scene with a girl as I couldn't fake it. I did try to avoid romantic parts," the 76-year-old actor was quoted saying.

It was at 49 when Sir McKellen officially declared his homosexuality to the world by which time almost everyone knew about his homosexual orientation. When asked by Aamir if it was difficult to come out in the open, the Shakespearean actor disagreed and said , "It wasn't difficult. I was well-established and confident."

The only worry for Sir McKellen was about losing female fan following. However the same disappeared when there was no decline in his fans mails from women folks. The actor also narrated the story of a female fan who wrote to him citing her disappointment on learning about his homosexual status as she fantasized him as a sex figure. But later on she realised that the actor was her fantasy and she could carry on with it unabated.

ibimes

He also took an indirect jibe at Sec 377 of IPC that criminalises homosexuality. When Aamir pointed out that our laws were made by Britishers, Sir McKellen quipped, "We changed it long back in England but you are holding on to it to protect yourselves from western culture."

The two-time Oscar nominee also revealed how declaring his homosexuality openly made him a better actor and changed his relationship with everything around him.
How much do we all love our early morning breakfast of bread butter or jam! It is healthy, easy to carry and good to taste. But the bad news is no matter how good your bread tastes or how fond of it you are, a new study has revealed that 84% of Delhis bread contains cancer-causing chemicals. In a recent research done by CSE (Centre for Science and Environment), some of the top notch brands in Delhi have been detected with residues of Potassium Bromate and Iodate. Here are answers to all the possible questions related to this chemical and a good alternative for good old bread before authorities completely ban it.

What is causing the cancer?

qzprod.files.wordpress.com

Potassium bromate is the main culprit - it has been classified as a category of 2B carcinogen which is mostly cancerous for humans. This is the reason it is banned in most countries. Not in India of course because of easy-going food regulations.

Why are they using these chemicals in bread?

www.sproutingwholeness.com

According to a research, the chemical Potassium Bromate and Iodate offers high quality finish to the bread and helps the bread rise evenly while baking.

Is it just India using this chemical?

s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com

In 1990, it was banned first in the UK and then followed by other countries as well. This chemical is completely banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Nigeria, Peru and Columbia as well. These countries made a conscious effort to minimise the use of this after it was proved to be carcinogenic.

What problems can one have because of this chemical?

www.carehospitals.com

It can be the cause for tumors in kidneys and thyroid as well.

What do all brands in India have this chemical?

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According to the study, Potassium Bromate/Iodate were mostly found in sandwich bread, pav, bun and white bread. The premium brands of bread like Harvest Gold and Britannia were found with higher levels.

What are the food chains using the same chemical?

images.teamsugar.com

Fast food chains like KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Subway, McDonald's and Slice of Italy have been detected with samples of this chemical in their bread. Only Dominos did not deny using it - each other brand denied usage.

What's the alternative?

www.santoshfreshbaked.ca

The best alternative for bread is good old Roti. It is not only nutritious but you can also have different versions of it.It is also much healthier than any bread you eat!
Maharashtras Marathwada region has become a tragic tale of agrarian holocaust where thousands of farmers are ending their lives every year.

AP

Although the government claims to have taken scores of steps to contain this trend of suicides by farmers, farmer suicides in Marathwada region have been increasing with each passing year.

In 2016 till April alone, the suicides have crossed a staggering 400 mark compared to 2015 where in the same period of time, 92 more farmers have embraced death over life which speaks volumes of the colossal failures of government schemes that were launched in last August to contain suicides.

CM Devendra Fadnavis led BJP government had constituted a special task force to curb this menace but now this force has conceded that the states efforts to put brakes on cases of suicides wont show results soon.

PTI

Read Also: In Drought Struck Latur, These Psychics Find Water Better Than Government's Groundwater Department

A total of 1130 farmers had committed suicides in eight districts of Marathwada region in 2015, which comes to roughly three suicides a day. In the past 16 months, 1548 farmers have been reportedly dead in Marathwada region which is reeling under the fourth successive drought with wells, rivers, and dams gone dry.

In 2015, Beed, from where Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde hails, had witnessed nearly 300 farmer suicides. In 2016, in just over four months, it is again on top with 75 suicides. Nanded comes third with 62 suicides.

AP

Other districts where farmers in large numbers have committed suicides are Latur 55, Osmanabad 54, Jalna 43, Parbhani 39 and Hingoli 26, according to officials at the Aurangabad divisional commissionerate which monitors the farmer suicides.

Till May 7, in 2016, 392 farmers were reported dead. In 2015, the figure of suicides stood at 300 in the same period.

It is true that compared to last year, this years figure of farmer suicides is on the much higher side, said Jitendra Papalkar, Aurangabad Deputy Commissioner (revenue).

Osmanabad was picked by the BJP government as zero suicide district but despite tall claims the district witnessed 54 suicides since January.

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Read Also: 50% Of Water Supply To Maharashtra Breweries Cut To Help Marathwada Drought Survivors

Officials have been citing two main reasons for farmer suicides: crop failure and mounting debts.

Crop failure due to massive drought and mounting of debts are cited as the main reasons for suicides. Kishore Tiwari, the government incumbent for Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavlamban Mission, believes that this issue of suicides is so deeply encrypted in the region that it will take time before even a slight turn around happens.

PTI

We have launched a number of schemes to halt the suicides of farmers in Marathwada and other parts of the state. Among the plans includes Food Security Act, critical illness, waiver of fees, counselling for farmers as also vigorous implementation of crop insurance. Since farmer suicides are growing, it is clear that our effort will take time to yield results, he said.

Tiwari also claimed that the government has aggressively launched the crop cultivation campaign in Marathwada and now farmers are encouraged to grow crops which consume less water.

PTI

One acre of sugarcane crop guzzles water of 100 acre of cotton crop. This difference is stark. Therefore, in places like Latur, Beed and Osmanabad which have been hit hard by water shortage, it will be in their own interest if farmers shun sugarcane crop and instead prefer food crops, he said.

The government also provides free seeds of the crops which consume less water in order to make farmers grow less and less Sugarcane which guzzles the a massive chunk of irrigation water available in the state.
A team of around 180 experts including professionals, software developers and researchers from the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) Bengaluru was in Simhastha Kumbh held in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, recently with a special mission.

PTI

They camped in the city for 44 days studying the pulse from the ground where thousands of devotees visit every day for the Kumbh. The team's mission is to make gatherings like Kumbh accident free. This is how Divyakant Tahlyan, a civil engineer and research fellow in this team, explains it.

"Living in a camp for 44 days and walking 8-10 km every day amid a sea of saffron is once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, quantifying human behaviour in a mathematical algorithm is a challenge of another magnitude."

The IISc team is working with experts from the University of Amsterdam on the research project led by Ashish Verma, a professor of civil engineering department at the IISc and a transportation expert.

Reuters

The system involves an early warning mechanism that could alert crowds in advance in case of any accidents, Verma explains the project.

"It's a three-year project. We'll build a software that can take live crowd numbers and calculate disaster threats real-time and warn of the same 20-30 minutes in advance. We are creating benchmarks on data collection and crowd dynamics, also because this is the single largest gathering of people, unrivalled by any other community celebrations across the globe."

According to the Madhya Pradesh government, the Kumbh Mela which concluded on Saturday, saw a footfall of over 7.5 crore devotees.

Reuters

Even though the month long gathering was relatively event free, a tent collapse on May 5 had left seven people dead.

With the data they gathered, the IISc team is hoping that they will be able to effectively prevent such mishaps from harming valuable human lives, said Verma.

"The data collected from Kumbh is massive. We'll feed this data into simulators to give early warnings about a possible chaos or stampede. It will take a minimum of two years to finetune and prepare a model that will work perfectly for any programme in the world."
An Indian climber identified as Subhash Paul, has died on Mount Everest, taking the death toll from the ongoing Himalayan climbing season to five.

CDN/ Representational Image

Two other climbers who were also with Paul's team have been untraceable since Sunday at the mountain's so-called "death zone" near the summit.

Paul lost his life Monday night while being rescued to lower camps from near the summit point. He was being taken to safety after falling sick on the summit.

BP24/ Representational Image

Another member of the team, Sunita Hazra, who went missing, was later traced and rescued by Nepalese officials.

Paul was the fifth mountaineer and the second Indian to be killed on Mount Everest this year.

Wtop

This climbing season is the first since an earthquake in Nepal last year that killed at least 18 people on Everest. Nearly 400 climbers have reached the summit from the mountain's Nepalese side since 11 May, thanks to good weather.
Serving curry could land you behind bars! Yes, as unbelievable as it may sound, this has happened. Thankfully it is not in India, but in the UK.

unileversolutions/ Representational Image

So, this is what happened. Mohammed Zaman, the owner of an Indian restaurant in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, UK, was on Monday sentenced to six years imprisonment for causing the death of a customer Paul Wilson, who had bought takeout curry from his restaurant.

The Independent

In January 2014, Wilson, who was allergic towards peanuts had ordered chicken tikka masala with no nuts, but the curry he was given had been cooked with a ground nut mix containing peanuts.

North Yorkshire Police

The curry caused Wilson to suffer a severe anaphylactic shock and die. Three weeks later another customer with a peanut allergy bought a meal from one of Zaman's six restaurants and had a reaction requiring hospital treatment.

The court, which found Bangladeshi born Zaman guilty of manslaughter, also noted that Zaman had used cheaper ingredient to cut corners, and acted in a "reckless and cavalier attitude to risk" and "put profit before safety" at all his outlets.

This is the first of its kind conviction in the UK.
It has taken a deep seated commitment to realise this benchmark. The country has recorded two years without a single rhino being poached, with the help of a strong political will directed towards conservation as well as community-led conservation programmes, which have helped the country get there.

There are 645 rhinos living in Nepal, the highest number recorded by the country.

National Geographic

It takes a whole country to achieve conservation success like zero poaching, and Nepal has just done that one more time, said Shubash Lohani, deputy director of WWFs Eastern Himalaya Ecoregion programme. This rare success gives us a hope for a better future for rhinos.

Nepal is now positive that they will complete another 365 days without any incident by May 2, 2017, to complete a third effective year.

India has also recorded fewer incidents of poaching in the past few years. Between 2006-2015, 200 rhinos have been killed by poachers in India. In April 2016, a rhino was poached only hours after Prince Williams visit to Kaziranga National Park, bringing the years total to 7 for the first four months of the year.

While rhino conservation efforts are paying off in Asia, rhinos in Africa are bearing the brunt of the illegal trade of horns.

WWF Nepal

For the past six years, the number of poaching deaths has been on the rise in Africa. Every year sees a new record number of rhinos being killed. In Southern Africa alone, there have been 1,338 rhino deaths at the hands of poachers in 2015!
A used car dealer was more than surprised when he was told that the Prime Minister would be visiting his dealership to buy a car for his wife.

Image Credit: PA

David Cameron visited Witney Used Car Centre in Oxfordshire to purchase a 1,495 blue Nissan Micra for his wife Samantha. He, like an ordinary customer, inspected the vehicle and told his security to stand behind the car, so that he could check the brake lights. He also returned the following day to complete the deal.

The car dealer also joked about the cars colour, mentioning that he fortunately picked up a blue colour and not red, since red is the colour of the Labour party.

Meanwhile, many of the Twitter breed didn't consider the move as humble and therefore chose to bash the PM for being cheap.

'Ooh look at me, being normal and buying a cheap car for my wife... You know, because we're like you...' Knob off. https://t.co/ws1wYCRHJI  Simon. (@1Hanmdd) May 23, 2016

Tight as a duck's arse. https://t.co/k6cu3o8IfK  Elizabeth Windsor (@Queen_UK) May 23, 2016
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The Eurogroup meeting on Tuesday in Brussels will, by all accounts, sign off on the first review of the Greek program (third bailout) and unblock up to 10 billion euros in financing for the Greek state. over the coming year, Nevertheless, an agreement on a possible course for Greek debt relief depends, in large part, on a compromise between European creditors and the IMF
The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has thrown its weight behind the decision of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State to ban cattle grazing in the Southwest state.

Fayose had in a statement issued Monday by his Special Adviser on Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, prohibited the movement of cattle from one place to the other in the state, warning that anyone caught disobeying the directive would have their cattle confiscated.

The directive was in response to the attack on Oke-Ako, in Ikole local government area of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Two persons were killed in the attack, the community sacked and while several others were injured.

Reacting to the governors directive, Afenifere in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin on Monday, described the decision as a courageous move.

It said Fayoses action was a timely move to strengthen the civilization that places higher value on human lives above cows.

We have sacrificed enough blood in the unending cycle of bloodletting by Fulani herdsmen, the latest being those killed in Ekiti two days ago, Mr. Odumakin said.

The responsible action of the governor should jolt the Federal Government that has appeared largely indifferent to the murderous activities of the Fulani herdsmen to act responsibly over this matter.

We fully endorse this action which is in conformity with the resolution of the 2014 National Conference that cattle breeders must embrace ranching as against grazing reserves being canvassed in certain quarters.
Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu recently said the Federal Government will establish six new Universities of Science and Technology in a bid to increase access to tertiary education in the country.

This plan is both heart warming and challenging. Over the years, lack of space to admit more students has been a critical challenge confronting tertiary education in the country.

About 1.5 million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) annually but only 150,000 candidates, or 10 percent, get admitted. According to data recently released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), 66,000 candidates who chose the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as their first choice would sit for the universitys aptitude test (or post-UTME) for the 2016/2017 academic session but UNN has only 9,000 admission spaces available.

This is one of the main justifications for the creation of additional universities in the country.

Inability to secure admission into public tertiary institutions has forced parents who can afford it to seek admission for their children in private universities.

The same reason has also led some parents to send their children abroad, including to neighbouring West African countries. It is not in the countrys strategic interest that many young Nigerian boys and girls study in some foreign universities where quality is neither guaranteed nor is the curriculum compatible with Nigerias national educational philosophy and goals

Besides space expansion, the fact that the six new universities are science and technology based underscores the decision by government to lay more emphasis on science. One of the realities of the modern world is that development in human society is dependent on the scientific and technological advancements achieved by it. The future of the world, the minister said, depends on science and technology. The minister also announced that government will establish a technical school in each state and vocational centres at the ward and local government levels.

Governments resolve to strengthen science and technical education at the basic level of education is commendable because it is the foundation upon which science at the university level is built. Science, Technical and Vocational Education was incorporated into the Nigerian education system as a national development strategy. Its broad goals, according to the countrys National Policy on Education, include training and imparting necessary skills to individuals who shall be economically self-reliant. It also aims at providing trained manpower in applied sciences and technology.

Establishing schools is one thing, but government must provide the workshop equipment needed for practical lessons in order to make science and technical education functional at basic and senior secondary levels. This should be helped by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technologys establishing the Scientific Equipment Development Institutes (SEDIs) in Enugu, Minna and Lagos. These institutes were founded decades ago with a core mandate of designing and producing machines and equipment required by school workshops and laboratories. The Federal Ministry of Education should reject any request to import such machines and should see such as part of the corrupt practices that characterize our national life. The little fund that may be provided to SEDIs by government should be judiciously used for the purpose it was appropriated.

Although the Minister of Education has said the six new science universities would be sited in the countrys six geo-political zones, we advise that unnecessary sentiments should be avoided when deciding the site of the universities in the respective zones. Recall that 12 federal universities were established by former President Goodluck Jonathans administration in 12 states of the federation that had no federal universities. The influence of political sentiments is noticeable in the siting of these 12 federal universities.

Apart from establishing these new science universities, government should also expand facilities in already existing universities. This will increase the total space available in our universities. While increasing quantity, we must also work for greater quality, without which the emphasis on science and technology shall be a mirage.

Source:DailyTrust
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Job Title: Hook-up Manager

Job Description

Africa

NIGERIA

Posted 4 hours ago

Reference : ANO/2016/HKUP/JGA/AMO

Scope of work

As a Hook-up & Offshore Manager, you will have to:

Manage and support Company Offshore Team involved in the supervision of CONTRACTOR Hook-Up and Offshore works at SITE.

Ensure proper reporting (progress, planning) and status of Hook-Up and Offshore activities of the package. To conduct daily meeting with Company Offshore Representative during offshore work execution.

Organize and participate to Hook Up and Brownfield Offshore works preparation with CONTRACTOR

Organize necessary pre-audits inspections and/or subcontractors qualification in preparation of the hook up and Brownfield offshore works

Review and comment all Contractors procedures and documentation for offshore works.

Participate, in liaison with TEPM and SITE teams to the preparation of all SIMOPS procedure and dossiers.

Organise and participate at SITE to Risk Assessments, Offshore Kick Off meetings with CONTRACTOR, its SUBCONTRACTOR and COMPANY operations.

Coordinate with TEPM logistic, marine, HSE and QA/QC for offshore works preparation and execution.

Coordinate Contractors offshore schedule with TEPM schedule of operations and to anticipate potential clashes of activities

Propose and resolve issues arising from hook-up and brownfield offshore works by prompt coordination and initiatives.

Follow-up progress of activities performed by CONTRACTOR and SUBCONTRACTORS ensuring that safety, environment, cost, planning and quality are respected. To report any deviation and/or potential issue which could impact the schedule or the performances of the offshore works.

Interface with engineering team (discipline leads) and construction team of the package for any technical issue arising in the preparation and execution of the offshore works.

Coordinate with TEPM any COMPANY or Contractor visit to SITE.

Ensure that HSE is given the highest priority.

Qualifications / Background

10 years experience in similar position.

Knowledge in technical disciplines (Instrumentation, structure, process, piping, etc.).

English mandatory.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said although former President Goodluck Jonathans name has been mentioned in all transactions it is currently investigating, the immediate past Nigerian leader was not yet its target.

The clarification was made against the backdrop that Mr. Jonathan has gone into temporary exile in Cote dIvoire to evade arrest by the anti-graft agency.

Former close aides, ministers, top politicians and a cousin to the ex-president are presently either being prosecuted, under probe or in custody for their roles in the alleged mismanagement and diversion of billions of dollars under the past administration.

In their separate statements voluntarily made to the anti-graft agency, the accused persons claimed the payments they received, majority of which came from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, was approved by Mr. Jonathan.

However, a top source in the EFCC yesterday said while investigators are building up a solid case, Mr. Jonathan is not the target.

The source said; The ex-President has been implicated in all transactions we are investigating; he was virtually involved in everything.

We are building up our investigations but he is not the target. We cannot say we are not after him in terms of some transactions he approved.
The Kaduna State Government has immortalized a former Governor of the State, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa by renaming the state-owned General Hospital in Kafanchan after the late politician.

The decision to immortalize the late governor followed the approval of the Kaduna State Executive Council on Tuesday.

According to a statement by the Special Assistant to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, the hospital will henceforth be known as Patrick Yakowa Hospital in honour of the selfless service rendered to the state by the late governor.

Recall that Mr. Yakowa died in an helicopter crash in 2013 in Bayelsa State. He took over as governor of Kaduna state in 2010, to replace his then boss, Governor Namadi Sambo, who had been drafted by then President Goodluck Jonathan as Vice President.

General Hospitals in the major cities in Kaduna State are named in honour of citizens who had made notable contributions to the state.

For instance, the General Hospital in Zaria bears the name of Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, an activist who fought for Nigerias independence; the eminent name of Dr. Barau Dikko, the first medical doctor from Northern Nigeria and first President of the Northern Peoples Congress, graces the hospital in Kaduna that was recently accredited as a teaching hospital.

General hospitals in Kaduna are also named after the revered late Chief of Kagoro, Gwamna Awan, and Alhaji Yusuf Dantsoho, a respected public servant.

The only exception to this naming trend among the general hospitals in the major cities of Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria is the one in Kafanchan. That has now been remedied by the action of the Kaduna State Executive Council, the statement said.
Lagos State commissioner for housing, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, has disclosed that the state plans to build 50 housing units in each local government in a bid to create new settlements across the state.

If you want to reduce rural-urban migration, you must be able to stimulate socio-economic activities in rural areas and their environs. For instance, look at Epe, it is close to Lekki where we have the Free Trade Zone. So, people can conveniently live in Epe and Lekki which is just about 10 minutes drive to the FTZ, Gbolahan told newsmen in an interview.

 we cannot say we want to have 200 housing units in a place like the Lagos Island for instance. The area is already congested. This is why we must find a way around it.

So, with 50 housing units in each LGA, and with our one-in-sixteen model that is on the way, it means we just need like three blocks to develop 50 housing units in each LGA. This means that we wont need so much land for the houses. Again, because of the problem of productivity of workforce, we want people to live near where they work; while we are working on other social infrastructure. With that, we will be able to have growth, Gbolahan said.

Speaking further, Gbolahan noted that Lagos land mass is just 3, 750 square kilometres; Now we have to go vertical way of construction in order to accommodate more houses and people. So, in our estates, we encourage four floors and as physical infrastructure facilities improve, we can move up to six floors. Our physical planning regime will change.

When that time comes, the Physical Planning Ministry will adjust the policy of government where it says you cannot go above four floors in certain areas. Rapid population is a major concern. The growth rate is 2.8 percent; but is housing growth rate commensurate with population growth rate? The answer is no. So, we have to find a way of making the hinterland liveable, making economic activities expand to those places so that it will help in reducing rural urban migration, Gbolahan noted
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday night arrived in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia to represent Nigeria at the 51st Annual General Meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB), holding this week.

Mr. Osinbajo, who was in Lagos State earlier in the day where he represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning and handing over of Patrol Vans, Power Bikes and other security kits to Security Agencies in the State, was received on arrival at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport by top Nigerian government officials.

A statement by Mr. Osinbajos spokesman, Laolu Akande, said the Vice President would among other activities, participate in the high level panel/African leaders round-table on energy and climate change.

Mr. Akande said the session would also feature other African leaders.

The statement said Osinbajo would also speak on the high level panel on Jobs for African Youth-Turning the Demographic Dividend into Economic Dividend.

The vice president is expected to return to Abuja tomorrow on Wednesday.
Governors of the six states in the South-south geo-political zone will assist the authorities in unraveling masterminds of renewed pipeline bombings in the Niger Delta region, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, declared Monday.

Wike also assured that no militant sabotaging the nations economy would be shielded by the governors from the military operations in the Niger Delta.

Lamenting the negative impact of pipeline bombings on the economy especially as it affects crude oil revenue, the Rivers governor said his colleagues in the South-south were strongly opposed to the use of violence to settle grievances.

Towards this end, he said the governors will be meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on June 7 to fashion out modalities on containing the emerging security situation in the oil-rich region.

The Niger Delta Avengers, a new militant group, has claimed responsibility for the destruction of oil and gas pipelines in the region, vowing to continue its campaign of violence until Nigeria, an oil-dependent country, is brought to its knees.

Speaking yesterday at the Government House, Port Harcourt when he received Nigerias military high command, led by Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, Gov. Wike stressed that South-south governors cannot fold their arms and watch oil production threatened by militants in light of dwindling revenue by states.

The Rivers governor said: What is happening affects our state revenue. We shall help the military to fish out militants blowing up oil pipelines in the region.

As a government, we cannot support economic sabotage. What is going on is economic sabotage. Production is being negatively affected, with the revenue of states dwindling.

There are ways to channel grievances and it is wrong to do what will negatively affect the people of the region.

Wike also stated that the Rivers government was concerned about the resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta, stressing that it had been negatively affecting development in the crude oil and gas-rich region.

While applauding the military officers for the sacrifice they had been making in providing security for most parts of Rivers state, the governor charged them to redouble their efforts in Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Abua/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas of the state.

In his response, Gen. Olonisakin admitted that the military was having sleepless nights over the resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta, pointing out that Recent activities of the militants have led to the sabotage of oil and gas infrastructure.

The CDS also stated that the countrys economy was being threatened by the resurgent militancy, hence the need to put a stop to the insecurity in the Niger Delta region.

The Defence chief also urged Wike to reach out to his colleagues in the Niger Delta to resolve the conflicts in the region.

Gen. Olonisakin said the top military officers were in the Niger Delta to interface with the leadership of the military joint task force in the region code named Operation Pulo Shield and other service commanders, on how to put an end to criminality in the region and protect the nations economy from total collapse.

Our correspondent reports that Gen. Olonisakin was accompanied on the visit to the Rivers Government House by Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar. There were many GOCs, FOCs and AOCs, that accompanied them.
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has asked the state governor, Nyesom Wike, to apologise to people of the state and refund N10 billion he allegedly took from the state coffers to sponsor last Saturdays national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Governor Wike was chairman of the PDP National Convention Planning Committee, which took place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State but was inconclusive as new national officers of the party could not be elected due to court orders.

Reacting to the outcome of the highly-publicized event, the Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ikanya, in a statement issued on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, described the outcome of the national convention as disastrous and a signal that the end of the once greatest political party in Africa is not far from sight.

The statement reads: As much as we sympathise with the endangered party of the torn umbrella, we hereby unreservedly condemn Chief Nyesom Wike for wasting a whopping sum of N10 billion belonging to the good people of Rivers State on this charade, especially in these lean times. This is not only condemnable but also abhorrent and unacceptable to the good people of Rivers State. We therefore request Chief Wike and his cotravellers to account for and return this huge sum to the Rivers State treasury as we cannot continue to fold our hands and watch him mortgage the future of Rivers State through his shocking financial recklessness.

Mr. Ikanya also lampooned PDP leaders who turned up for the ill-fated convention, saying that they should have known better.

Those PDP leaders who gathered in Port Harcourt to waste the scarce resources of Rivers State are as guilty as their host, Chief Wike. For crying out loud, they should have known that the so called National Convention would be a charade in view of the court order barring any such exercise and with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stating from the very beginning that it would neither participate nor recognise the outcome of the purported convention, he said.

The Rivers APC also sympathised with the sacked PDP Acting National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, saying he was lured with a fake promise that he would be supported to contest and win election during the convention as the partys substantive chairman.

Mr. Sheriff, it would be recalled, canceled the national convention citing respect for court injunctions but it was a face-saving measure after indications emerged that the partys governors, on whose back he rode to office as acting national chairman in the first place, were going to sack him from office.

The statement, however, wondered how Sheriff, despite his wealth of political experience, could fall prey of the treacherous acts of Wike, who it claimed together with out-voted former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, destroyed PDP when they ensured that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and other party pillars were forced out of the party, thus inadvertently laying the foundation for the PDPs loss of power in the last general elections.

We wonder why Sheriff is crying that he was betrayed at Port Harcourt, Rivers APC said, adding: If we may ask, does a leopard change its spots? If Wike could betray and ridicule Amaechi, who did everything humanly possible to make him Obio-Akpor Local Government Chairman, his Chief of Staff and nominated him as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, then we wonder why Sheriff or any other PDP leader should trust him not to betray them.
The downward decline of the Nigerian economy will dominate debate when senators resume plenary on Wednesday.

The decision to debate the state of the economy was sequel to the adoption of a motion urgent national importance moved by Senator Bassey Albert Akpan (PDP/Akwa Ibom North East).

According to Senator Akpan, the recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that the economy has slipped into full recession, which was confirmed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was so weighty to be ignored.

He, therefore, prayed the Senate to devote a session, as soon as possible, to debate the issue with a view to proffering necessary solutions in the interest of the country.

In his remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki sought the leave of the Senate to step the matter down till Wednesday.

When he put the question  whether to step down the matter till Wednesday  to a voice vote, it was unanimously endorsed by senators.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir David Lawal has dismissed as false, a report in a national daily that some top officials in his office are collecting as much as N50 million from candidates seeking appointments into the Board of Grade A Federal Agencies and Parastatals.

The report published on Monday with the caption Fraud rocks Board Appointments, alleged among other things that the Office of the SGF was involved in cash-for-board appointments scandal.

Reacting to the report, Mr. Lawal insisted that his office is not known to join issues with the Press on unfounded allegations made in the Press.

The SGF pointed out that board appointments, just like other political appointments, are the sole prerogative of President Muhammadu Buhari, hence, his office should not be linked with this particular baseless, mischievous and politically motivated publication.

In a statement he issued to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, Lawal said he had to refute the report, If only to set the records straight as well as protect unsuspecting members of the public from possible fraudulent activities by scammers, using the name of the OSGF.

The OSGF wishes to first clarify that, it does not make political appointments, including those into Boards of Parastatals, as this is the prerogative of the President.

Neither is the Office involved in employment activities, which is the responsibility of the Federal Civil Service Commission or the respective Agencies as the case may be.

He noted that with regards to the appointment of Boards of Federal Government Parastatals and Agencies, there is a Presidential Committee on Board Appointments with membership drawn from the six (6) Geo-political Zones of the Federation, none of whom is an official of the OSGF.

The Committee, which liaises with all the States of the Federation, is saddled with the responsibility of identifying and recommending qualified and eligible nominees for Board appointments for Mr. Presidents consideration.

The Committee is composed of men of unimpeachable integrity and honesty in whom Mr. President reposes unqualified confidence to carry out this assignment to his satisfaction, he added.

He lamented that it is, therefore, a sad and regrettable reflection of the level of degeneration of some journalists to have made such crude and mischievous allegation of corruption in the ongoing process of Board appointments.

If the so-called reporter has bothered to cross-check his facts, he would have found that it is a common knowledge that appointments into Federal Agencies and Parastatals are not done by covert means but through verifiable processes such as the Federal Character principle, qualification, experience and suitability as specified in the laws establishing the Boards, he added.

He stressed that it needs to be further reiterated that the so-called Hajia Mohammed or the Olori as mentioned in the Newspaper publication are not known to his office, and anybody who claimed to have had any dealings with her for any Board position did so at his/her own risk.

He said The OSGF and, indeed, all Government offices have authentic and verifiable channels of communication with prospective nominees for Public Offices and the process does not require any so-called syndicates or intermediaries as mentioned in the publication.

Mr. Lawal recalled that his office has had cause in the recent past to warn members of the public about the existence of criminally minded persons who send telephone text messages to inform them that their names have been shortlisted for Federal Government appointments.

He, therefore, advised members of the public to ignore the activities of these syndicates who are indeed fraudsters and out to defraud unsuspecting persons in the name of the OSGF.
Controversy lingers on as reason for the suspension of President Muhammadu Buharis two-day visit to Lagos state remains undefined and triggers much fuss across quarters.

First, reports indicated he cancelled visit owing to health challenge while some said he it was scheduling difficulties and as conspiracy theorists race to conclusions about the internal affairs of the All Progressive Congress.

Further to the later speculation, it is claimed that the suspension of the visit on Sunday has a political undertone, as Buhari was unhappy with the All Progressive Congress, APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu.

It is reportedly said that Bola Tinubu had a meeting with Labour organised under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress without due clearance from the presidency.

Yesterday, the NLC suspended the largely unsupported strike action embarked upon a couple of days ago to force the Federal Government to reverse the price of petrol hiked to N145 and resolved to resume negotiations with the government.
The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, yesterday, banned grazing of cattle in the state, saying those interested in cattle farming should get their own private cattle ranch. According to him, a bill to make the movement of cattle from one location to another criminal in the state would soon be sent to the State House of Assembly.

His announcement followed the attack by suspected Fulani Herdsmen on Oke-Ako in Ikole local government area of the State where two residents were killed. While he made the move to safeguard the lives and property of the people of his state, he was widely condemned by several sections of the political class and activists in the country. But Twitter welcomed the bold move.

In this country, we have seen Governors ban sale of alcohol in their states. But Governor Fayose cannot ban grazing again in peace?  Ebube D Statesman (@akaebube) May 24, 2016

Shouldnt we support Fayose and his Ekiti hunters to defend their people against the Libyans?  Omadi (@iamtenseven) May 24, 2016

If you go to a mans sitting room and defecate,he is well within his right to break your head with a pestle. Ayo Fayose has done no wrong.  Baba Oni Gas (@manmustwack) May 24, 2016

Fayose is not a Twitter activist

He is a Governor with a duty to protect lives & property

Do your political correctness but leave him alone  Ebube D Statesman (@akaebube) May 24, 2016

These herdsmen are raping women,burning houses,sacking communities and killing tons of humansbut Fayose is your problem You are Mad  Tomide (@Tomyboiz) May 24, 2016

Dear @AAAjimobi Fayose has led the way and u should follow. Our people in Oyo have bn killed by the Fulani Herdsmen for ages.No action taken  A Big Nwa (@Oddy4real) May 24, 2016

The problem here is not Fayose, the problem is the sectional Okporoko we have in Abuja.. Fayose is responding to his sickening divisiveness  Nnayelugo (@Eloka51) May 24, 2016
Cotton Bouncing Into Tuesday Barchart - 1 hour ago Following Decembers 3c drop to start the week, cotton is trading 30 to 48 points higher into Tuesday. Cotton continued to sell off into the new week, with December going home limit down. The other front... CTZ22 : 77.45 (+1.73%) CTH23 : 77.17 (+1.89%) CTK23 : 76.94 (+1.84%)

Cattle To Follow Monday Rally Barchart - 1 hour ago December live cattle printed another new LoC high, now at $154.20, Feb also printed a new high on Monday, but the April and June contracts remained under their mid-Sep levels. Feeder cattle futures traded... LEV22 : 151.600s (+0.75%) LEZ22 : 154.125s (+1.12%) LEG23 : 156.975s (+0.93%) GFV22 : 175.675s (+0.23%) GFX22 : 179.150s (+0.45%)

Morning Wheat Trading Lower Barchart - 1 hour ago Wheat prices working lower through the morning session of Tuesday. The winter wheat contracted had Monday losses of >10 cents.. h MGE futures were down by 3 to 3 3/4 cents on the day. CBT prices dropped... ZWZ22 : 834-0 (-0.57%) ZWH23 : 853-4 (-0.55%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.6861 (-0.61%) KEZ22 : 931-4 (-0.69%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.8970 (-0.73%) MWZ22 : 950-4 (-0.76%)

Lean Hog Futures Face Tuesday Market Barchart - 1 hour ago December lean hog futures dropped $1.20 out of the weekend, but the other front months closed mixed and within a dime of UNCH. December hogs are now a $2.52 discount to the Feb contract and anticipating... HEZ22 : 87.925s (-1.35%) HEJ23 : 93.900s (+0.05%) KMZ22 : 97.750s (-0.26%)

Front Month Soy Futures Gaining Barchart - 1 hour ago Soy futures are trading with morning strength of 1 to 2 cents in beans, and meal up by $1.70 to $2.30/ton BO prices are down by 25 to 45 points. The new week of soybean trading started with double digit... ZSX22 : 1372-0 (unch) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.2712 (unch) ZSF23 : 1381-2 (unch) ZSH23 : 1389-6 (unch)

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The presence of a fox at a Safestore self-storage property in Wimbledon, England, has created tension between the business and local animal lovers after word spread that the facility operator was planning to have the fox shot today by a pest-control company. Safestore has denied any intent to kill the animal and issued a statement saying it wanted to trap and relocate it, according to the source. The fox, named Cyril by locals, has reportedly lived on the property at Gap Road for several months.

"Our primary goal is to ensure Cyril the fox is safely away from harm, not trapped in our store, and get his health checked over by The Fox Project. We then plan to return him to his natural habitat nearby, Safestore officials said in a statement. "Thank you to South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) who have been advising us and assisting us by attracting Cyril into a safe box so he can be taken to The Fox Project without stress or harm."

Tony Jenkins, co-founder and director of SNARL, tried to trap the fox yesterday and is skeptical of Safestores intentions. I think they are backtracking, he told the source. They are now saying the pest controller is coming but only to advise them on how to deal with the situation. That could be done over the phone, so I think thats wrong.

Jenkins described the fox as very, very friendly. Hes not doing any harm. He seems to like their site.

Mistrust appears to have been created because an employee at the Safestore location reportedly denied knowing the fox was on the property until someone called the facility today asking about it. Its all news to us, the employee told the source. We dont know what its about. Safestore definitely doesnt have a nuisance fox.

Safestore has received several inquiries about the fox and its intentions via social media and has been releasing responses and updates on the situation via Facebook and Twitter. The companys last tweet was several hours ago: @NaD_jilali @SNARLLondon he is in very good hands and will be treated with the utmost care - we will continue to update our progress!

A previous update via Twitter indicated The Fox Project, a charity rescue and rehabilitation group, would check the health of the fox once it is trapped to determine if it needs treatment or can be released quickly back into the wild.

Safestore Holdings PLC operates 131 self-storage facilities, including 95 facilities it owns in the U.K. and 24 in France. Its wholly owned properties comprise more than 5 million square feet of storage space, while its entire portfolio serves approximately 49,000 customers.
This content is from: Research

In a tumultuous year, new analysts rise to the top as their firms compete for leading spots in the 51st annual ranking.
Australia is a legitimate economic crime hotspot, which could present brokers and insurers with opportunities according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.In PwC s 2016 Global Economic Crime Survey, it was found that 52% of Australian businesses experienced economic crime in the last two years with cybercrime numbers showing a startling rise.65% of Australian organisations experienced cybercrime in the last two years with more than 1 in 10 reporting losses over $1 million.PwC Partner and Forensic Services Leader, Malcolm Shackell, said that the current state of economic crime does not paint a good picture of the Australian business landscape."I think its fair to say were a legitimate economic crime hotspot - its not a good picture, Shackell said.The high rate of economic crime exposed in part reflects our serious approach to reporting but given we are lagging on early detection mechanisms, it reflects our reliance on doing what we have always done.Shackell told Insurance Business that the statistics trending up in the latest report could present an opportunity for brokers and insurers across various lines including fidelity, D&O and cyber.As cybercrime numbers rise at record-breaking levels, Shackell noted that ignoring cyber threats are no longer an option.The problem isnt going to go away, Shackell told Insurance Business.What we are seeing is traditional types of economic crime are now being committed with a cyber angle to themYou cant ignore the statistics that are coming out of this report and what we are seeing anecdotally.There is more cybercrime activity out there than ever before and insurance is one way to protect yourself, at least as far as financial loss is concerned to protect yourself against that particular threat, so I think it is one way and a very useful way but of course, it is not the only way.In Australia, it [cybercrime] has gone from almost statistically insignificant five or six years ago to 65% of respondents saying that they had experienced cybercrime so that is a huge jump.To now be the number one economic crime, ahead of asset misappropriation which has been the top one for twenty years, that is telling you something I think.In terms of particular risk, and if cybercrime is your risk, you deal with risk through prevention, detection and then reaction and part of that reaction or reaction-recovery paradigm is insurance and that would be cyber insurance.Shackell stressed that cybercrime is not just a worry for large business in Australia as small and medium sized businesses present an alluring prize for cyber criminals.Sometimes what you see with small to medium size businesses, like anything they dont necessarily have the resources around prevention, detection, cyber teams that you might see in larger organisations that can fund that kind of thing and that makes them, arguably, a more attractive target, Shackell continued.With cybercrime now a legitimate threat to Australian businesses, Shackell stressed that businesses need to transfer awareness to action.The awareness of cybercrime as an issue is definitely on the increase and that is one of the statistics that comes out of the report so the awareness level is rising, Shackell continued.One of the things we are not necessarily seeing, and hopefully we will see it in the next couple of years, is organisations and boards and senior executives being aware of the problem then translates to actual actions around trying to mitigate the problem.
Collaborate across corporate functions, including IT, HR, Legal, Operations, and Finance, in setting cyber-strategy;

Invest in making the workforce cyber-smart, and provide rewards and disincentives to encourage a cyber security-supportive culture;

Consider technology as only of the several lines of cyber defence; and

Insure for cyber-threats the organisation cannot mitigate.

Cyber risk has many obvious impacts on a business but one international broker has revealed the issues cyber-attacks have on employees of affected businesses.According to a new Willis Towers Watson report, employees judge organisations experiencing data breaches as lacking a learning culture that flourishes with high integrity and puts the customer at the centre of business activity.The report, entitled Inside Threat: Why Employee Behavior and Opinions Impact Cyber-Risk, shows employees opinion of data breach companies. The report also puts a fundamental emphasis on employee culture as a first line of defence against cyber-risk.These data are significant because they offer an inside view of workforce culture and for the first time reveal the vulnerabilities within companies experiencing cyber breaches based on the ultimate insiders  their employees, commented Patrick Kulesa, global research director, on the findings.The Willis Towers Watson analysis was based on survey results from over 450,000 employees corresponding to a period during which significant data breaches were identified within their firms. The results were then benchmarked against global high-performance companies and global information technology staff.Willis Towers Watson said that, as expected, survey findings show significant gaps in favourable opinion scores between employees in data breach groups and each benchmark, particularly in three areas of workforce culture  training, company image, and customer focus.Compared to the IT employee group, IT employees in data breach companies gave low scores to training and perceived training of new employees. The analysis points to the vulnerability of new staff as a potential serious source of cyber-risk if not effectively trained.Also compared to the IT employee group, the analysis shows that frontline IT staff in data breach companies report less favourable views of perceived pay-for-performance for their role  a potential barrier for efforts to identify and manage cyber-risk.Compared against both benchmarks, employees in data breach companies suggest a widespread lack of customer focus. This is a critical issue from a risk management perspective, as it could set the stage for poor decision making and undermine efforts to counteract theft of online customer information.There is broad awareness of the human element as a risk factor in data security breaches. However, to more effective manage cyber-risk, organizations need to better understand how the various elements of their workforce culture shape their employees behaviour, and ultimately, either reduce or drive their exposure to cyber-risk, said Adeola Adele of Willis Towers Watsons FINEX North America practice.To address cyber-risk stemming from inside threats, Willis Towers Watson experts suggest the flowing prevention priorities for organisations:For a full report on the Willis Towers Watson analysis, visit the Willis Towers Watson website
Global reinsurance business Gen Re, a Berkshire Hathaway business, has appointed a new CEO, said to be the secret weapon of one of the leading lights of the insurance industry.Kara Raiguel will take on the new role, replacing the retiring Tad Montross the Wall Street Journal reported.In a memo to Gen Re staff obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the leader of Berkshire Hathaways reinsurance business and the man often thought of as the successor to Warren Buffett, Ajit Jain, call Raiguel his secret weapon, and welcomed her to the role.Ever since the most unwelcome news of Tads retirement, there has been a good deal of uncertainty at Gen Re, Jain wrote.I can well understand that, and while I regret that any anxiety may have been caused by my failure to communicate with you before now, it is the case that important issues have required careful consideration.As to the CEO position, I have happily selected my colleague at the Reinsurance Division, Kara Raiguel.Kara, an actuary by background, has been a key player at our Reinsurance Division for over fifteen years (and for the last ten, she has been my secret weapon). It would be difficult to overstate her accomplishments during that time.She has overseen the establishment of our significant workers compensation operation in California; she led our foray into the Indian reinsurance market; she established and managed the formation of our municipal bond insurer; and she has played a leading role in the underwriting of some of our largest retroactive reinsurance transactions.In short, Kara is a true renaissance woman in the insurance and reinsurance industry.Jain thanked Montross for his work with the business and noted that the business is well-placed for the future thanks to his leadership.I must say I am very impressed by the platform, the client relationships, the product portfolio and the rock-solid balance sheet.I know as well as anyone how difficult this business can be, and Tad has done an unbelievable job of both addressing old mistakes and avoiding new ones. Failing to do either, and do it well, has resulted in disaster at other companies in our industry. Tad has masterfully navigated Gen Re through these challenges. While the reinsurance industry will be going through a shake-out over the coming years, I have no doubt that we will be one of the few winners in that process.Jain noted while he is impressed with the current state of the Gen Re he feels that Gen Re has become less relevant in the marketplace than it once was, and has tasked Raiguel with a boosting the business over her first ninety days.That concern, together with the serious headwinds that the reinsurance business is facing and will continue to face, requires us all to consider whether and what actions might be taken to best position Gen Re for the next chapter, Jain continued.So, for the next ninety days or so, I have asked Kara to have as her first priority and chief objective to determine how best to grow Gen Res book of business without sacrificing the underwriting discipline and integrity that has been the hallmark of the past few years, as well as how best to broaden the business relationships without doing damage to the platform.
Insurance rates for cargo will likely see a short-term spike in the wake of global regulations that require verification of the weight of all containers prior to loading them onto ships, according to a JOC.com report.The International Union of Marine Insurance, a London-based group, has expressed concern about the impact of the new regulation, an amendment to the International Maritime Organizations SOLAS convention. The amendment will take effect July 1.Not all shipping and logistics companies, nor shippers, will be ready for this new resolution and this is likely to affect the cargo insurance sector in the short term, the IUMI stated.According to the IUMI, possible issues include increases in risk exposure because of supply-chain disruptions, the refusal of unweighed containers, and delays for time-sensitive or perishable cargo.We urge all stakeholders to prepare as best they can for this regulation as it is likely to cause short-term upheaval, said IUMI political forum chair Helle Hammer.More importantly, all stakeholders must be aware of the insurance implications  which can change from region to region  if they find themselves in breach of the new regulation, particularly ships masters who are likely to come under pressure to accept containers without the approved weight verification.
Experts are cautioning insurance buyers and sellers not to overreact to the recent federal court decision finding data breach defense coverage under a commercial general liability (CGL) policy.

Buyers would be mistaken to think the ruling means that they do not need a cyber policy if they have a CGL policy, and insurers might want to think twice before narrowing their general liability language to guard against cyber claims when the marketplace is clamoring for broader coverage.

The April 12 decision in Travelers Indemnity vs. Portal Healthcare Solutions by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit presented facts that may not apply to other carriers CGL policies or to other insureds situations.

Travelers had argued that its 2012 and 2013 CGL policies did not require it to defend its insured, Portal Healthcare Solutions, which was being sued over a data breach by patients of a New York hospital that had hired it to secure its data.

This a positive decision for policyholders in not just the data breach context, but also with respect to other claims involving privacy issues, such as blast fax and ZIP code cases.

Defining Publication

The 2012 and 2013 policies  under Coverage Part B Personal and Advertising Injury  obligated Travelers to pay if Portal became legally obligated to pay damages because of an advertising or website injury arising from the electronic publication of material that  gives unreasonable publicity to a persons private life or  discloses information about a persons private life.

The insurer had argued that there was no personal injury or publication as defined by the policies because release of the records was not intentional and they were not viewed by a third party. But the court said an unintentional publication is still publication. The court also said the definition of publication does not hinge on third-party access.

Stephanie Snyder, senior vice president for Aon Risk Solutions, said the Travelers ruling turned on defining publication in a digital age and was not that surprising.

The private healthcare information was viewed as being published. When information is published it really does fall under a CGL advertising injury personal injury type of coverage, and it really comes down to the definition of what is published information, said Snyder.

Whereas some CGL policies might have an explicit exclusion for this type of injury, this Travelers policy did not, she noted.

Snyder said the other noteworthy aspect of the decision is that only defense costs would be covered. Youre not talking about any of the expense costs, she said, citing public relations, notification, credit monitoring and computer forensics costs that might be picked up by a cyber policy. None of those are taken into account by this particular ruling.

Weve seen other litigation going back where everyones trying to force coverage into a CGL in the case where they dont buy a cyber policy, she said. But where we are starting to see cyber policies become more the norm, I think these types of cases will fall by the wayside.

Taking Notice

Christopher Keegan, cyber and technology risk practice leader with broker Beecher Carlson, agrees that whether there is coverage comes down to the facts. However, when youve got a word like publishing in the policy, if you can find some element of publishing there, then the courts are going to pick it up and interpret it in a way thats going to help the insured. Thats a good thing, I think, he said.

He said a case like this makes people take notice of an issue and forces underwriters to consider whether they are covering things in a CGL, for instance, that they did not intend to cover. It highlights it for us and brings it to our attention in a way thats like, OK, we know this exists. What are we going to do about it?'

He said cases like this are likely to arise where insureds have not bought a cyber policy and seek to leverage whatever policies they do have to find coverage.

Theyre trying to take advantage of less-clear wording in those policies. Once you get lawyers involved in the process, thats what happens, he said.

In these cases, he said, the businesses are really inviting litigation because they are going to get some pushback from underwriters who had no intention of covering what they claim.

Keegan suggests that this is when the broker has to advise his clients: Do you really want that situation? Or in the midst of a breach wouldnt you rather have an insurer thats going to be saying, Hey, were standing behind you. Were going to provide some of the services that are provided under the cyber policy, and have the underwriters be on your side rather than litigating those issues?

Keegan suggested that even this case is not yet finished because it will take some time for this to work its way through the legal system and states before everyone can understand its applications.

Beyond Data Breach

Linda Kornfeld, an insurance recovery lawyer at Kasowitz Benson Torres & Freidman in Los Angeles, says the case goes beyond its data breach context.

This a positive decision for policyholders in not just the data breach context, but also with respect to other claims involving privacy issues, such as blast fax and ZIP code cases, she said. Kornfeld said the decision is in line with other cases where courts have broadly interpreted the publication language, finding that the undefined term is ambiguous and should be interpreted in the policyholders favor.

She said that while there was no evidence that anyone accessed personal information in this case, the potential to do so existed had someone run the right Google search. According to the court, that possibility, even if it never became a reality, was enough to trigger the defense duty, Kornfeld said.

Marketplace Pressure

While buyers need to understand what is covered and what isnt, insurers do as well. Keegan believes the case offers a lesson for insurers to make sure that they understand what the exposures are and how to explain them for their own benefit.

That process is evolving. ISO has developed exclusions carriers can use to say, We want to take this risk or, We dont want to take this risk.

But theres a long way to go, he said, adding that many insurers are only now looking at cyber exposures and aggregations. Its not that easy, he said. Youve got to anticipate all of the things that are going to happen.

While underwriters may want to be more precise in explaining what is covered under certain policies, perhaps even insert a full exclusion in a general liability policy, carriers have other factors to weigh, including the competitive marketplace with attentive brokers and customers.

Keegan said carriers and brokers are competing with one another for clients and at some point a carrier that is pulling back on a wholesale basis is going to lose business to its competitors.

For example, putting in a full exclusion could leave a hole that even a cyber policy wont fill. You can imagine what insureds are going to think about when someone says, Were removing coverage for you and were not giving you an option to actually fill the gap,' he said.

He said brokers and others in the marketplace want to push for broader coverage and where theres some interpretation involved in policies. Keeping coverage open to certain risks is advantageous to sellers and their buyer clients.

Calling All Policies

Its not only general liability policies that are being challenged by cyber.

Any number of different policies cover cyber risk in some way, shape, or form. As a result of that, were finding situations where two or three policies may respond to a particular situation, said Keegan.

Joshua Gold, an insurance recovery attorney with Anderson Kill in New York who specializes in cyber, said the main takeaway from the Travelers ruling is that policyholders need to look to all of their policies for coverage, not just to general liability or even just to cyber.

The case is an important reminder that non-cyber-specific insurance policies may provide vital insurance protection for cyber-related claims, he said.

He also said the ruling offers hope that defense costs for cyber claims will be found in general liability policies and contends that could be significant.

Theres always an issue with these type of claims that you are going to attract a class action lawsuit so just getting the defense component of that can be hugely valuable, he said. This can be a big deal.

Gold agrees that the Travelers ruling is noteworthy for what it says constitutes publication of data in a breach of privacy. The court found that publication occurs upon disclosure of the medical data, does not need to be intended, and does not require proof that any actual third-party saw the data.

Its a good development for policyholders but I would not put all of my eggs in that basket, he said, stressing that most businesses need multiple policies and need to understand all of their exclusions.

Buyers should know before a claim where their coverage for cyber is, he said and this requires looking at all policies.

Gold said his firm has secured coverage for businesses for claims under various traditional policies including property, crime, general liability, business owners, errors and omissions, and directors and officers.

As for how insurers may react to the Travelers ruling, Gold agrees with Keegan that the marketplace will have its say although reactions will vary.

My guess is that underwriters will all do their own thing on this, Gold said. While some will be completely spooked by the Travelers decision and narrow their offering, other underwriters will realize its a competitive marketplace and they might be able to offer a broker and client something better. So like everything its always hard to generalize but I am quite sure there will be very different reactions, he said.

Cyber Gaps

While most businesses should buy a cyber policy, they should not assume then that they are completely covered if they do, Gold said.

A lot of cyber policies have tons and tons of exclusions and can be confusing so I dont think you can just rely on the cyber policy either, he said.

Los Angeles policyholder attorney Kornfeld wonders how long traditional policies may be of help in cyber situations.

As a policyholder, I would not rely upon this ruling as a substitute to purchasing cyber coverage because the industry is working hard, through exclusions and other language, to push data breach and cyber risks away from the traditional coverages, such as GL (general liability) policies like that at issue in this decision, and toward cyber specific coverages, she wrote.

Richard Caplan, with the national law firm LeClairRyans Atlanta office, echoed the caution that cyber policies themselves are not a panacea. He said a lot can hinge on the meaning of certain key words and phrases in a policy.

Some who buy cyber insurance assume it covers all first-party costs in the event of an incident  like investigation, notification and credit monitoring. But it only covers third-party claims or lawsuits.

If your cyber coverage only kicks in when a third party makes a claim, then practically speaking you may not have any coverage at all, he warns. For now, perhaps the most important thing to do is make sure you do not fall into the category of someone who thinks they are covered when they are not.

Evolving Coverage

In recent testimony on Capitol Hill before a House homeland security subcommittee, Adam Hamm, North Dakota insurance commissioner, cautioned lawmakers and the public about cyber coverage.

Speaking on behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) prior to the Travelers ruling, Hamm said many businesses probably do not realize that most standard commercial lines policies do not cover many cyber risks and thus they need a special cybersecurity policy.

But they need to know that cyber policies differ and the market is far from being standardized, he said.

Commercial insurance policies are contracts between two or more parties, subject to a certain amount of customization, so if youve seen one cybersecurity policy, youve seen exactly one cybersecurity policy, Hamm said.

All these nuances mean securing a cybersecurity policy is not as simple as pulling something off the shelf and walking to the cash register. Insurers writing this coverage are justifiably interested in the risk management techniques applied by the policyholder to protect its network and its assets. The more an insurer knows about a businesss operations, structures, risks, history of cyber attacks, and security culture, the better it will be able to design a product that meets the clients need and satisfies regulators, Hamm said.

Topics Carriers Cyber Agencies Claims Underwriting
Risk Strategies Company announced Tuesday that it has acquired John Buttine Inc., an insurance brokerage in New York City with a specialty focus on media-related businesses and services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Established in 1946, John Buttine specializes in providing insurance placement and risk management services for advertising agencies, magazine publishers, trade and public show organizers and associations.

Risk Strategies said John Buttines specialization in media-focused businesses is a natural complement to the core business of DeWitt Stern, a Risk Strategies member company based in New York City. DeWitt Stern, which was acquired by Risk Strategies in 2014, is a national brokerage for media, entertainment and fine arts, counting film and media companies as well as performance venues and live theater among its client base.

Jack M. Buttine, president of John Buttine, and the firms 13 staff members will join Risk Strategies as part of the transaction and operate from DeWitt Sterns New York City office. John Buttine will continue to operate under its current name for the foreseeable future.

Risk Strategies is a privately held, national insurance brokerage and risk management firm based in Boston. It provides risk management advice and insurance placement for property/casualty, healthcare and employee benefits risks, serving commercial companies, non-profits, public entities and individuals. Risk Strategies has offices in more than 25 locations across the U.S. and more than 550 staff members.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions New York
The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York (IIABNY) applauded a New York Senate committees action to protect employers from surprise insurance premium increases in their workers compensation policies.

The Senate Labor Committee approved IIABNYs bill during its meeting Tuesday at the State Capitol in Albany. The measure has now been placed on the calendar for the full state Senate to consider.

Workers compensation insurance is a major expense for New York employers, said IIABNY Chair of the Board John H. Smith, Jr.

For decades, insurers have had to notify businesses in advance of large premium increases for other types of insurance. Not so for workers compensation, Smith said. This important bill will put Workers compensation under the same rules.

New York Senate Bill 4399A, sponsored by Sen. Joseph E. Robach (R-56th District), would require insurers to give employers at least 30 days advance notice when their renewal policy premiums for workers comp will increase by more than 10 percent over the previous policies premium.

The requirement would apply when the premium increase is within the insurers control. It would not apply to factors required by state rules beyond the insurers control, such as a change in the state-approved loss costs (rates minus overhead costs and profit), discounts and surcharges driven by the employers past loss experience, and growth in the employers payroll. Workers comp premiums are based on the amount of payroll.

IIABNY said New York insurance law has required insurers to provide advance notice of premium increases for other types of business insurance since 1986. However, that law does not apply to workers comp insurance.

Employers often receive the bills for their workers comp renewal premiums shortly before payment is due. This leaves them little time to look for other coverage at a lower cost. IIABNY said it developed the language for Sen. Robachs legislation to address this unfair situation.

We commend the Senate Labor Committee for approving this measure to protect New York employers, Smith said. We now encourage the full Senate to pass it.

Topics Workers' Compensation New York Politics
Shortly after 7 p.m. on January 12, 2015, a message from a secure computer terminal at Banco del Austro (BDA) in Ecuador instructed San Francisco-based Wells Fargo to transfer money to bank accounts in Hong Kong.

Wells Fargo complied. Over 10 days, Wells approved a total of at least 12 transfers of BDA funds requested over the secure SWIFT system.

The SWIFT network  which allows banks to process billions of dollars in transfers each day  is considered the backbone of international banking. In all, Wells Fargo transferred $12 million of BDAs money to accounts across the globe.

Both banks now believe those funds were stolen by unidentified hackers, according to documents in a BDA lawsuit filed against Wells Fargo in New York this year.

BDA declined comment. Wells Fargo, which also initially declined comment on the lawsuit, said in a statement to Reuters that it properly processed the wire instructions received via authenticated SWIFT messages and was not responsible for BDAs losses.

BDA is suing Wells Fargo on the basis that the U.S. bank should have flagged the transactions as suspicious.

Wells Fargo has countered that security lapses in BDAs own operations caused the Ecuadorean banks losses. Hackers had secured a BDA employees SWIFT logon credentials, Wells Fargo said in a February court filing.

SWIFT, an acronym for the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, is not a party to the lawsuit.

Neither bank reported the theft to SWIFT, which said it first learned about the cyber attack from a Reuters inquiry.

We were not aware, SWIFT said in a statement responding to Reuters inquiries. We need to be informed by customers of such frauds if they relate to our products and services, so that we can inform and support the wider community. We have been in touch with the bank concerned to get more information, and are reminding customers of their obligations to share such information with us.

SWIFT says it requires customer to notify SWIFT of problems that can affect the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of SWIFT service.

SWIFT, however, has no rule specifically requiring client banks to report hacking thefts. Banks often do not report such attacks out of concern they make the institution appear vulnerable, former SWIFT employees and cyber security experts told Reuters.

The Ecuador case illuminates a central problem with preventing such fraudulent transfers: Neither SWIFT nor its client banks have a full picture of the frequency or the details of cyber thefts made through the network, according to more than dozen former SWIFT executives, users and cyber security experts interviewed by Reuters.

The case  details of which have not been previously reported  raises new questions about the oversight of the SWIFT network and its communications with member banks about cyber thefts and risks. The network has faced intense scrutiny since cyber thieves stole $81 million in February from a Bangladesh central bank account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Its unclear what SWIFT tells its member banks when it does find out about cyber thefts, which are typically first discovered by the bank that has been defrauded. SWIFT spokeswoman Natasha de Teran said that the organization was transparent with its users but declined to elaborate. SWIFT declined to answer specific questions about its policies for disclosing breaches.

On Friday [May 20], following the publication of this Reuters story, SWIFT urged all of its users to notify the network of cyber attacks.

It is essential that you share critical security information related to SWIFT with us, SWIFT said in a communication to users.

Reuters was unable to determine the number or frequency of cyber attacks involving the SWIFT system, or how often the banks report them to SWIFT officials.

The lack of disclosure may foster overconfidence in SWIFT network security by banks, which routinely approve transfer requests made through the messaging network without additional verification, former SWIFT employees and cyber security experts said.

The criminals behind such heists are exploiting banks willingness to approve SWIFT requests at face value, rather than making additional manual or automated checks, said John Doyle, who held a variety of senior roles at SWIFT between 1980 and 2005.

SWIFT doesnt replace prudent banking practice he said, noting that banks should verify the authenticity of withdrawal or transfer requests, as they would for money transfers outside the SWIFT system.

SWIFT commits to checking the codes on messages sent into its system, to ensure the message has originated from a clients terminal, and to send it to the intended recipient quickly and securely, former SWIFT executives and cyber security experts said. But once cyber thieves obtain legitimate codes and credentials, they said, SWIFT has no way of knowing they are not the true account holders.

The Bank for International Settlements, a trade body for central banks, said in a November report that increased information sharing on cyber attacks is crucial to helping financial institutions manage the risk.

The more they share the better, said Leo Taddeo, chief security officer at Cryptzone and a former special agent in charge with the FBIs cyber crime division in New York.

Systemic Risk

SWIFT, a cooperative owned and governed by representatives of the banks it serves, was founded in 1973 and operates a secure messaging network that has been considered reliable for four decades. But recent attacks involving the Belgium-based cooperative have underscored how the networks central role in global finance also presents systemic risk.

SWIFT is not regulated, but a group of ten central banks from developed nations, led by the National Bank of Belgium, oversee the organization. Among its stated guidelines is a requirement to provide clients with enough information to enable them to manage adequately the risks related to their use of SWIFT.

However, some former SWIFT employees said that the cooperative struggles to keep banks informed on risks of cyber fraud because of a lack of cooperation from the banks themselves.SWIFTs 25-member board of directors is filled with representatives of larger banks.

The banks are not going to tell us too much, said Doyle, the former SWIFT executive. They wouldnt like to destabilize confidence in their institution.

Banks also fear notifying SWIFT or law enforcement of security breaches because that could lead to regulatory investigations that highlight failures of risk management or compliance that could embarrass top managers, said Hugh Cumberland, a former SWIFT marketing executive who is now a senior associate with cyber security firm Post-Quantum.

Cases of unauthorized money transfers rarely become public, in part because disagreements are usually settled bilaterally or through arbitration, which is typically private, said Salvatore Scanio, a lawyer at Washington, D.C.-based Ludwig & Robinson. Scanio said he consulted on a dispute involving millions of dollars of stolen funds and the sending of fraudulent SWIFT messages similar to the BDA attack. He declined to name the parties or provide other details.

Theoretically, SWIFT could require its customers, mainly banks, to inform it of any attacks  given that no bank could risk the threat of exclusion from the network, said Lieven Lambrecht, the head of human resources at SWIFT for a year-and-a-half through May 2015.

But such a rule would require the agreement of its board, which is mainly made up of senior executives from the back office divisions of the largest western banks, who would be unlikely to approve such a policy, Lambrecht said.

Fight over Liability

This week, Vietnams Tien Phong Bank said its SWIFT account, too, was used in an attempted hack last year. That effort failed, but it is another sign that cyber criminals are increasingly targeting the messaging network.

In the Ecuadorean case, Wells Fargo denies any liability for the fraudulent transfers from BDA accounts. Wells Fargo said in court records that it did not verify the authenticity of the BDA transfer requests because they came through SWIFT, which Wells called among the most widely used and secure systems for money transfers.

BDA is seeking recovery of the money, plus interest. Wells Fargo is attempting to have the case thrown out.

New York-based Citibank also transferred $1.8 million in response to fraudulent requests made through BDAs SWIFT terminal, according to the BDA lawsuit against Wells Fargo.

Citibank repaid the $1.8 million to BDA, according to a BDA court filing in April. Citibank declined to comment.

For its part, Wells Fargo refunded to BDA $958,700 out of the $1,486,230 it transferred to an account in the name of a Jose Mariano Castillo at Wells Fargo in Los Angeles, according to the lawsuit. Reuters could not locate Castillo or verify his existence.

Anatomy of a Cyber Heist

The BDA-Wells Fargo case is unusual in that one bank took its correspondent bank to court, thus making the details public, said Scanio, the Washington attorney. BDA acknowledged in a January court filing that it took more than a week after the first fraudulent transfer request for BDA to discover the missing money.

After obtaining a BDA employees SWIFT logon, the thieves then fished out previously canceled or rejected payment requests that remained in BDAs SWIFT outbox.

They then altered the amounts and destinations on the transfer requests and reissued them, both banks said in filings.

While Wells Fargo has claimed in court filings that failures of security at BDA are to blame for the breach, BDA has alleged that Wells could easily have spotted and rejected the unusual transfers. BDA noted that the payment requests were made outside of its normal business hours and involved unusually large amounts.

The BDA theft and others underscore the need for banks on both sides of such transactions  often for massive sums  to rely less on SWIFT for security and strengthen their own verification protocols, Cumberland said.

This image of the SWIFT network and the surrounding ecosystem being secure and impenetrable has encouraged complacency, he said.

(Additional reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston and Alexandra Valencia in Quito; editing by David Greising and Brian Thevenot)

Related:

Topics Cyber Fraud New York
Chubb has launched Chubb Easy Solutions, its proposition for brokers and their small and medium sized clients in Europe.

Backed up by a dedicated underwriting team, Chubb Easy Solutions provides cover through a simplified underwriting process, enabling brokers to obtain quotes by telephone, via email or through Chubbs bespoke web-based platform.

Quotes are issued within 24 to 48 hours from when a request is received, which reflects the Chubbs strategy to provide speedy service to SMEs, one of its core customer segments in the region, the company said in a statement.

Chubb Easy Solutions brings together legacy Chubbs strong middle market and dedicated broker service expertise with legacy ACEs experience and investment in innovative online platforms and tools, Chubb said.

The proposition is currently available in France, Spain and Portugal and will be rolled out to other key European markets, including Germany, Italy and Benelux over the following months.

The product range available through Chubb Easy Solutions currently includes D&O liability, marine, construction, casualty, environmental liability, and business travel insurance, and the range will be expanded in future to include cyber risk cover and a series of industry-specific solutions, the company said.

With more than 22 million SMEs in the European Union, small and medium sized companies are a hugely important part of the European economy and account for more than two thirds of non-financial employment, said Fabien Vaillant, SME segment leader and Chubb Easy Solutions manager for Continental Europe at Chubb.

However, in spite of their significance, these businesses are sometimes overlooked by insurers. At Chubb, we want to give European SMEs the same comprehensive insurance cover and high quality of service that bigger companies typically enjoy, Vaillant said.

Source: Chubb

Topics Europe Chubb
Britain would face trade barriers if it left the European Union and its single market, the EUs financial services commissioner Jonathan Hill said on Monday.

Hill, a Briton appointed to the European Commission by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, stepped up warnings on the consequences for the City of London financial district if Britain votes to leave the 28-country bloc in a June 23 referendum.

Financial services are Britains biggest export earner and are flourishing, with London last year rated the worlds most competitive financial center by the Global Financial Centres Index, Hill told students at the London School of Economics.

This was hardly a sign of a City drowned or strangled in red tape as is sometimes claimed, he said.

If Britain leaves it is certain that there will be barriers to trade and that will damage the British economy, jobs and growth, Hill said.

Outside the EU, British banks and other financial firms would have to set up a separate subsidiary with its own capital within the trading bloc, which is neither cheap nor simple, he said.

His comments came as Prime Minister Cameron and finance minister George Osborne also warned on Monday of the economic consequences if Britain votes to leave the EU, or Brexit.

Hill disagreed with those campaigning to leave the EU, or Brexit, who say Britains financial sector could flourish outside the EU by negotiating attractive trading terms.

If Britain chooses to become a competitor rather than a partner, why wouldnt they (the EU) seek a competitive advantage in the new relationship? To build up their financial services sector, Hill said.

The Grassroots Out campaign for leaving the EU, however, said separately that Brexit was the best option for financial services in Britain.

If we stay in the EU, the City will be under siege. It will have to deal with wave after wave of attacks from Brussels, but will be powerless to fight back, said Steven Woolfe, financial affairs spokesman for the UK Independence Party.

Woolfe, a member of the European Parliament, said the financial services sector could add 25 billion pounds ($36 billion) to Londons output and create more than 200,000 jobs across Britain by 2020 if free of burdensome EU regulation.

A Franco-German axis was seeking to favor French insurers and German banks over institutions in the City of London under new EU rules being kept out of sight until after the referendum, said Wolfe, a former hedge fund lawyer and former adviser to Barclays bank. He did not elaborate.

Brexit would allow Britain, Switzerland and the United States to join forces and block bad EU regulation that affects their countries as well, Woolfe added.

The British government has negotiated reforms which it says will stop Brussels from imposing financial rules on the City, but Woolfe said they contain no guarantees for British financial services.

($1 = 0.6896 pounds) (Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by Mark Potter and Susan Fenton)

Related:

Topics Europe London
At first glance, Bermudian re/insurance companies appeared to start the year with a bang, reporting a 21 percent increase in consolidated gross premiums written (GPW), according to a new report published by Standard & Poors.

However, that picture is slightly misleading because much of the Bermudians overall growth was driven by a few companies that had made major acquisitions during the past 18 months, S&P indicated in its report titled Bermuda Re/Insurance Quarterly Insights: Still Holding Their Own.

For instance, the combined XL Group plc and Catlin Group Ltd. increased GPW by 76 percent. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.s acquisition of Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd. increased GPW by 34 percent. Lastly, Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd.s acquisition of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. increased GPW by 24 percent.

If these newly merged companies are excluded from the GPW calculations for Bermudian re/insurers, growth would be only 4 percent during the first quarter of 2016, compared to the same period in 2015, said the report.

In addition, the overall GPW growth was driven upwards by outlier companies, such as AXIS Capital Holdings, which reported a 17 percent jump in GPW during the first quarter as a result of increases in multiple lines of business driven by quota shares and multiyear deals, S&P added.

When the results are re-examined after the removal of AXIS results, the Bermudian industry growth would have been less than 1 percent, the report said.

Pockets of Strength

Overall, aggregated GPW rose to $16.12 billion in the first three months of 2016 from $13.38 billion in the same period in 2015, said S&P, noting that this was driven by pockets of strength across a few lines of business such as accident and health insurance, U.K. motor reinsurance, and mortgage reinsurance.

Most other lines, such as agriculture, marine, energy, property and property catastrophe continued the market trend of pricing weakness, S&P said.

S&P Global Ratings believes this shows continuing trends of fierce competition and a soft global reinsurance market that have caused the Bermudians to look to diversify premium streams.

Underwriting Profits Remain Strong

Despite the market headwinds, S&P said underwriting profitability remained strong for the Bermudians. In the first three months of 2016, the industry delivered a calendar-year combined ratio of 88.7 percent, compared with 86.1 percent in the same period in 2015.

S&P explained that this deterioration was mainly driven by a 160 basis point (bp) increase in the calendar-year loss ratio, and a 90 bp increase in the acquisition expense ratio.

While continuing to benefit from favorable reserve releases, they dropped Q1 2016 to $511 million (a 5.6 percent favorable impact on the loss ratio), from $615 million in Q1 2015 (a 7.8 percent favorable impact on the loss ratio).

If we were to exclude the reserve releases, the accident-year loss ratios remained somewhat flat at 60 percent in both periods, S&P said.

The acquisition expense ratio worsened due to increased paid commissions. The ratings agency said that this was not surprising, given the fierce competition in the market to write profitable business and the premium companies are paying to assume such risk.

The report noted that the best underwriting results belonged to RenaissanceRe with a combined ratio of 72.6 percent, while the worst belonged to Maiden Holdings Ltd. at 98.9 percent.

The industry annualized return on shareholders equity (ROE) declined to 8.7 percent in Q1 2016 from 12.8 percent in the first three months of 2015, S&P affirmed.

All Bermudian companies experienced a decline in their ROEs in first-quarter 2016 compared with the prior-year period, the report said, attributing this to difficult market conditions and low investment income, which are acting at drags on net income. Overall net income dropped by 28 percent to $1.27 billion in Q1 2016, compared to $1.76 billion during the same period in 2015.

S&P said that the Bermudians net investment income was down 13 percent year-over-year, largely due to the global equity and credit market volatility in the first few months of 2016.

The hardest hit was Endurance, which saw investment income decline 73 percent due to poor performance of alternative investment funds and high-yield loan funds, the report continued. However, Maiden performed the best with investment income growth of 28% as the company increased its allocation to fixed-income securities and lowered its cash position.

We expect the Bermudians to continue to focus on strengthening their value proposition and enhancing their client relationships, recognizing the changing market dynamics as a number of cedents are centralizing their reinsurance purchases, the S&P report went on to say.

Source: Standard & Poors

Topics Carriers Trends Profit Loss Pricing Trends Reinsurance
The state attorney general is suing a Cincinnati roofing company over more than a dozen complaints that the company took insurance checks but the work was either never finished or was done improperly.

Attorney General Mike DeWine says American Property Claims Specialists LLC and its owner, David Nelson, violated the states Consumer Sales Practices Act and Home Solicitation Sales Act.

DeWine says the company told consumers their roofs were damaged and that their insurance would cover the repairs. He says homeowners signed over insurance checks to the company, which never completed the work.

WCPO-TV reports the lawsuit seeks reimbursement for the victims, an injunction to stop any violations and civil penalties.

Nelson couldnt immediately be reached for comment.

DeWine says losses total about $52,000.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Ohio
Three senior executives of specialty transportation insurer Baldwin & Lyons have abruptly retired and the insurer said it has retained independent legal counsel to review issues raised by their departures.

For now, the Indiana-based company is disclosing few details about the resignations of the firms chief executive officer, chief financial officer and deputy chairman. However, letters from two of the departing executives point to a conflict with the boards executive chairman over the companys direction, recent hirings and business practices.

Baldwin & Lyons announced on May 19 that Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President Joe DeVito; Deputy Chairman Gary Miller; and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer G. Patrick Corydon had retired after 31, 51 and 38 years with the company, respectively.

The company noted in its announcement that it retained an independent legal counsel to conduct a comprehensive governance review, including a review of certain matters brought to the boards attention in connection with the retirements ofDeVito, Miller and Cordyon.

At the same time, Executive Chairman Steven Shapiro thanked the executives for their many years of service and said in prepared remarks that the insurers succession plan is in force.

Strategy Dispute

In a May 15 regulatory filing, Baldwin & Lyons elaborated further, noting that the three executives retired due to their disagreement with respect to the companys recent leadership changes, overall strategy and other matters. The filing said that the board authorized an independent committee from among its membership to conduct a comprehensive governance review, and that the independent counsel will assist both that and an investigation into issues raised within the executives written notices of retirement.

Baldwin & Lyons immediately named permanent and interim replacements. W. Randall Birchfield, executive vice president of sales and underwriting, is the insurers new CEO and has joined the board of directors. Birchfield joined the company in September 2013 as vice president of Underwriting. Prior to joining Baldwin & Lyons, he was with Allstate Insurance Co., Farmers Insurance Co., American International Group and Progressive Insurance Co.

Michael Case, senior vice president of Claims & Legal, general counsel and secretary, has the added title of COO; and Douglas Collins, assistant vice president and director of Accounting & Finance, is interim chief financial officer.

The company said a search is underway for a permanent CFO, with both internal and external candidates being considered for the job.

Resignation Letter

Baldwin & Lyons said little else. But DeVito and Millers resignation letters, which the company included in a recent regulatory filing, add a few more wrinkles.

DeVitos May 15 resignation letter and two follow-up letters suggest he had major issues with Shapiro and the boards plans for the company, as well as what he perceived as diminished leadership resulting from Shapiros actions.

Among DeVitos concerns expressed in his initial letter:

That Shapiros nomination to executive chairman and subsequent actions he took have significantly reduced my authority, and thereby my ability, to properly and appropriately run the company. DeVito wrote that he believed Shapiro gained that position not due to any qualifications or background that would merit the appointment but rather as a result of his familys ownership of stock.

Absent that, he would not have been considered to be the person primarily responsible for the strategy and operations of our great company, DeVito wrote.

DeVito also took issue with Shapiros hiring choices, as well as some business decisions made under Shapiros chairmanship.

Since the time of [Shapiros] assignment to Executive Chairman,the company has become much more deeply engaged in a series of ever increasing and deepening related-party transactions, including insurance and investment activities, that have generated a series of inquiries, both internal and external. If we have any issues here, it puts the entire enterprise at risk, including our A.M. Best rating, major program customer and market value of the company, DeVito wrote. If there is even the hint of a problem, the rating goes down, we lose the largest program we have, and investors will flee. It is my strong recommendation that the board should immediately hire an independent counsel to investigate and report findings and action regarding all related-party transactions, both current and planned.

Millers resignation letter, dated May 16 and addressed to DeVito, was much more brief. He explained that he would retire effective June 1, due to the boards recent changes in management and authority and the resulting changes in the companys direction, culture and business practices.

Shapiro has been lead director of Baldwin & Lyons since 2010 and was first elected to the board in 2007. He was elected executive chairman last October. Shapiro has been vice president of SF Investments (now New Vernon Wealth Management), a broker/dealer in securities since 1991, and is a principal and chief investment officer with New Vernon Investment Management. He has been a member of the Investment Committee and the co-chair of the Strategic Planning Committee at Baldwin & Lyons. Shapiro served on the board of directors of First Mercury Financial Corp. until its sale in February, 2011.

The insurer, which debuted in 1930, focuses on trucking and public transportation risks. Its subsidiaries include Protective Insurance Co. with licenses in all 50 states and all Canadian provinces; Sagamore Insurance Co., which is currently licensed in 47 states and authorized on an excess and surplus lines basis in Florida; Protective Specialty Insurance Co., specializing in E&S coverages and B&L Insurance, Ltd., which is domiciled and licensed in Bermuda. The insurance subsidiaries serve various specialty markets, including large fleet trucking and public transportation liability, transportation industry independent contractors, professional liability, property and casualty reinsurance, private passenger auto and small fleet trucking insurance.

Hollmer is editor of CarrierManagement.com, where this article originally was published.

Baldwin & Lyons CEO Joe DeVitos resignation letter:

Topics Excess Surplus
A U.S. appeals court on Monday threw out a jurys finding that Bank of America Corp. was liable for mortgage fraud leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, voiding a $1.27 billion penalty and dealing the U.S. Department of Justice a major setback.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York found insufficient proof under federal fraud statutes to establish Bank of Americas liability over a mortgage program called Hustle run by the former Countrywide Financial Corp.

The Justice Department claimed Countrywide, which Bank of America bought in July 2008, defrauded government-sponsored mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by selling them thousands of toxic loans.

But in a 3-0 decision, U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Wesley said the evidence at most showed that Countrywide breached contracts to sell investment-quality loans, and that there was no proof it intended any deception.

The trial evidence fails to demonstrate the contemporaneous fraudulent intent necessary to prove a scheme to defraud through contractual promises, Wesley wrote.

Bank of America said it was pleased with the ruling. A spokesman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, whose office pursued the case, had no immediate comment.

The lawsuit was filed in 2012 following a whistleblowers complaint, and remains one of the biggest government enforcement cases to go to trial in connection with the U.S. housing meltdown and financial crisis.

A federal jury had in 2013 found Bank of America and Rebecca Mairone, a former midlevel Countrywide executive, liable for fraudulently selling shoddy loans originated through its High Speed Swim Lane program, also called HSSL or Hustle.

The Justice Department said the program rewarded staff for generating more mortgages and emphasizing speed over quality, and resulted in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac being lied to about the quality of loans they bought.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were seized by the government in September 2008 and remain in conservatorships.

Following the verdict, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in 2014 imposed a $1.27 billion penalty on Bank of America and ordered Mairone to pay $1 million.

Bank of America was sued under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, a law adopted after the 1980s savings and loan scandal targeting conduct affecting federally insured financial institutions.

The Justice Department has relied on FIRREA for several financial crisis-linked cases in part because it provides 10 years from the time of the alleged fraud to bring cases.

Joshua Rosenkranz, a lawyer for Mairone, called the case a massive government overreach, and said Mondays decision could have ramifications for other mortgage-related enforcement actions against banks.

But he said the decision was also narrow because it did not address a closely watched issue over whether the government could sue a bank under FIRREA for conduct affecting itself.

No appeals court has addressed that issue, which has emerged in other cases against banks.

The case is U.S. v. Countrywide Home Loans Inc et at, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 15-496.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Topics USA Fraud
A new tactical diversion squad through the Drug Enforcement Agency will help north central West Virginia fight the states growing drug problem.

WBOY-TV reports that starting next month the diversion squad will assist local law enforcement in catching drug dealers, finding pill mills and identifying false prescriptions.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia, says that the squad will also coordinate its efforts with local law enforcement and share information to prevent doctors from overprescribing pills.

Capito says Charleston currently uses the diversion squad and has seen several drug convictions as a result.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Virginia Drugs
Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in April totaling $113,600 against insurance companies, agents and brokers who he said violated state insurance regulations.

The list, which Kreidlers office releases periodically, is broken down by insurance company and below that by agent.

Insurance companies

IDS Property Casualty Insurance Co., De Pere, Wisc.; fined $10,000 for failure to notify the commissioner in July 2009 that it was going to start using consumers credit scores as one of the factors to determine whether it would insure their homes.

GuideOne Elite Insurance Co., West Des Moines, Iowa; fined $20,000, for incorrectly applying schedule rating plans and failing to deliver complete policies to consumers within a reasonable time, for a total of 146 violations of state insurance laws and rules.

Ohio Security Insurance Co., Keene, NH; fined $15,000 for attempting keep full premiums on commercial policies after the policyholders canceled them, and not obtaining the commissioners approval for the fully earned premium forms or making them part of the policy.

Unitrin Auto and Home Insurance Co., DeWitt, NY; fined $20,000 for allowing 148 licensed producers to sell policies for the company without being appointed for six weeks at the end of 2014.

North River Insurance Co., Morristown, NJ; The United States Fire Insurance Co., Wilmington, Del.; fined $2,000 for filing their annual special liability insurance reports with the commissioner 48 days after the deadline.

Dentegra Insurance Co., Wilmington, Del.; fined $20,000 for failing to list its correct legal name on specific documents that were given to the Icommissioner and to consumers.

First American Property & Casualty Insurance Co., Santa Ana, Calif.; fined $4,500 for allowing 74 insurance producers to conduct business on its behalf for 50 days without being appointed, involving 3,230 transactions.

California Casualty General Insurance Co., Portland, Ore.; fined $5,000 for allowing two insurance producers to issue 307 policies from January until April 2014 without being appointed.

Great Northwest Insurance Co., St. Paul, Minn.; fined $4,500 for allowing five insurance producers to issue 209 policies from May until July 2014 without being appointed.

WFG National Title Insurance Co., Columbia, SC; fined $5,000 for allowing one title insurance agent to issue 915 policies from August until October 2014 without being appointed.

Federated Life Insurance Co., Owatonna, Minn.; fined $2,100 for allowing six insurance producers to issue 14 policies worth nearly $22,000 in written premium from August until September 2014 without being appointed.

Agents and brokers

Pend Oreille Title Co., Newport, WA; fined $2,000 for failing to submit its annual data reports for 2013 and 2014.

Willoughby McIntosh, Portland, Ore.; fined $3,000, for not being licensed to sell insurance products in Washington and selling two annuities to a Washington consumer that were not approved for sale in the state, and giving the consumer false information that the annuities would earn 8 percent interest per year and provide a lifetime income stream.

Marc A. Perez, Puyallup; fined $250 for failing to submit $505 for a contractors bond and insurance policy to the insurance company, and the contractors bond and policy were canceled.

BJK Inc., dba Grays Insurance Team, Colorado Springs, Colo.; license revoked for failing to forward more than $334,000 in policyholders premium payments to the insurance company, Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co.

Oleg Derlyuk, Vancouver, Wash.; fined $250 for failure to respond to an inquiry about the status of his license.

Bejay Barber, Matthews, N.C.; order to cease and desist because Barber is not licensed to sell insurance in Washington state, as his license expired in November 2015.

Topics Agencies Washington
Irvine, CA, May 24, 2016- The Orange County District Attorneys Office has charged an Irvine, California business owner and his bookkeeper with fraud for allegedly underreporting payroll to their workers compensation insurance company by $2 million, and for failing to report $6.5 million in taxes owed to the state. Investigation Solutions, Inc. (ISI) reported the fraudulent activity to the DAs Office in late 2011 and aided in the investigation until charges were filed last week.

Both Ronald Scott Dee, business owner of Venetian Stoneworks, and his bookkeeper, Pamela Palmer Quast, were charged with six felony counts of misrepresenting facts to their workers compensation carrier last Friday. Each was also charged with 28 felony counts of failing to file a tax return, 28 felony counts of failure to pay taxes and 24 felony counts of failure to pay disability insurance deductions.

Ironically, it all started with a phone call by Dee to his insurance carriers claims administrator. Dee expressed a concern about insurance fraud by one of his employees who was injured on the job.

As the claims adjuster spoke with the injured worker, she learned that his finger was amputated by an old table saw used without proper guards, in violation of OSHA standards. The injured claimant mentioned three earlier employee injuries on the same table saw which were never reported. Further, the injured employee mentioned receiving paychecks from two companies owned by Dee, but only worked for one. The second company, The Plumbing Studio in Santa Ana, uses undocumented workers who are all related to each other, he said.

With this information, the case was referred to Investigation Solutions, based on the suspicion of fraud that Dee and Quast had not been reporting all workers compensation injuries and appeared to be underreporting payroll using two companies. Further investigation found the company, founded in 2006, did not have workers compensation insurance until 2009, because they reportedly had no employees until that time.

Based on ISIs initial review, a fraudulent activity report was filed with Orange County DA and Department of Insurance in late 2011. Evidence pointed to Venetian Stoneworks underreporting payroll, misclassifying employees and/or calling them independent contractors and failing to report claims. ISI continued to assist the Orange County DAs office in obtaining evidence.

In addition to insurance fraud charges filed several weeks ago, Dee and Quast were also charged with underreporting payroll and failing to file tax reports with the Employment Development Department between 2006 and 2013. Dee may have pocketed taxes that were withheld from employee paychecks rather than forwarding it to the state, the DAs Office stated. If convicted on all charges, both face penalties of more than 60 years in state prison. A pre-trial hearing is set for August 17.

About Investigation Solutions, Inc.

Investigation Solutions, Inc. is a multi-line claims investigation company providing nationwide field investigation, surveillance and SIU services to the insurance, legal and self-insured communities. For more information, please visit Investigation-Solutions.com

Media Contact:

Tim Cloney

760.827.4948

TCloney@Investigation-Solutions.com

Topics Workers' Compensation Fraud Talent
You've probably heard of the term private equity (PE). Roughly $3.9 trillion in assets were held by private equity (PE) firms as of 2019, and that was up 12.2 percent from the year before.

Investors seek out private equity (PE) funds to earn returns that are better than what can be achieved in public equity markets. But there may be a few things you don't understand about the industry. Read on to find out more about private equity (PE), including how it creates value and some of its key strategies.

Key Takeaways Private equity (PE) refers to capital investment made into companies that are not publicly traded.

Most PE firms are open to accredited investors or those who are deemed high-net-worth, and successful PE managers can earn millions of dollars a year.

Leveraged buyouts (LBOs) and venture capital (VC) investments are two key PE investment sub-fields.

What Is Private Equity (PE)?

Private equity (PE) is ownership or interest in an entity that is not publicly listed or traded. A source of investment capital, private equity (PE) comes from high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) and firms that purchase stakes in private companies or acquire control of public companies with plans to take them private and delist them from stock exchanges.

The private equity (PE) industry is comprised of institutional investors such as pension funds, and large private equity (PE) firms funded by accredited investors. Because private equity (PE) entails direct investmentoften to gain influence or control over a company's operationsa significant capital outlay is required, which is why funds with deep pockets dominate the industry.

The minimum amount of capital required for accredited investors can vary depending on the firm and fund. Some funds have a $250,000 minimum entry requirement, while others can require millions more.

The underlying motivation for such commitments is the pursuit of achieving a positive return on investment (ROI). Partners at private equity (PE) firms raise funds and manage these monies to yield favorable returns for shareholders, typically with an investment horizon of between four and seven years.

2:10 Private Equity Fundamentals

The Private Equity (PE) Profession

The private equity (PE) business attracts the best and brightest in corporate America, including top performers from Fortune 500 companies and elite management consulting firms. Law firms can also be recruiting grounds for private equity (PE) hires, as accounting and legal skills are necessary to complete deals and transactions are highly sought after.

The fee structure for private equity (PE) firms varies but typically consists of a management and performance fee. A yearly management fee of 2% of assets and 20% of gross profits upon sale of the company is common, though incentive structures can differ considerably.

Given that a private-equity (PE) firm with $1 billion of assets under management (AUM) might have no more than two dozen investment professionals, and that 20% of gross profits can generate tens of millions of dollars in fees, it is easy to see why the industry attracts top talent.

At the middle market level$50 million to $500 million in deal valueassociates can earn low six figures in salary and bonuses, while vice presidents can earn approximately half a million dollars. Principals, on the other hand, can earn more than $1 million in (realized and unrealized) compensation per year.

Types of Private Equity (PE) Firms

Private equity (PE) firms have a range of investment preferences. Some are strict financiers or passive investors wholly dependent on management to grow the company and generate returns. Because sellers typically see this as a commoditized approach, other private equity (PE) firms consider themselves active investors. That is, they provide operational support to management to help build and grow a better company.

Active private equity (PE) firms may have an extensive contact list and C-level relationships, such as CEOs and CFOs within a given industry, which can help increase revenue. They might also be experts in realizing operational efficiencies and synergies. If an investor can bring in something special to a deal that will enhance the company's value over time, they are more likely to be viewed favorably by sellers.

Investment banks compete with private equity (PE) firms, also known as private equity funds, to buy good companies and to finance nascent ones. Unsurprisingly, the largest investment-banking entities such as Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), and Citigroup (C) often facilitate the largest deals.

In the case of private equity (PE) firms, the funds they offer are only accessible to accredited investors and may only allow a limited number of investors, while the fund's founders will usually take a rather large stake in the firm as well.

That said, some of the largest and most prestigious private equity (PE) funds trade their shares publicly. For instance, the Blackstone Group (BX), which has been involved in the buyouts of companies such as Hilton Hotels and MagicLab, trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

How Private Equity (PE) Creates Value

Private-equity (PE) firms perform two critical functions:

Deal origination/transaction execution

Portfolio oversight

Deal origination involves creating, maintaining, and developing relationships with mergers and acquisitions (M&A) intermediaries, investment banks, and similar transaction professionals to secure both high-quantity and high-quality deal flow: prospective acquisition candidates referred to private equity (PE) professionals for investment review. Some firms hire internal staff to proactively identify and reach out to company owners to generate transaction leads. In a competitive M&A landscape, sourcing proprietary deals can help ensure that funds raised are successfully deployed and invested.

Additionally, internal sourcing efforts can reduce transaction-related costs by cutting out the investment banking middleman's fees. When financial services professionals represent the seller, they usually run a full auction process that can diminish the buyer's chances of successfully acquiring a particular company. As such, deal origination professionals attempt to establish a strong rapport with transaction professionals to get an early introduction to a deal.

It is important to note that investment banks often raise their own funds, and therefore may not only be a deal referral, but also a competing bidder. In other words, some investment banks compete with private equity (PE) firms in buying up good companies.

Transaction execution involves assessing management, the industry, historical financials and forecasts, and conducting valuation analyses. After the investment committee signs off to pursue a target acquisition candidate, the deal professionals submit an offer to the seller.

If both parties decide to move forward, the deal professionals work with various transaction advisors, including investment bankers, accountants, lawyers, and consultants, to execute the due diligence phase. Due diligence includes validating management's stated operational and financial figures. This part of the process is critical, as consultants can uncover deal-killers, such as significant and previously undisclosed liabilities and risks.

Private Equity (PE) Investment Strategies

There are plenty of private equity (PE) investment strategies. Two of the most common are leveraged buyouts (LBOs) and venture capital (VC) investments.

Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs)

LBOs are exactly how they sound. A company is bought out by a private equity (PE) firm, and the purchase is financed through debt, which is collateralized by the targets operations and assets.

The acquirer (the PE firm) seeks to purchase the target with funds acquired through the use of the target as a sort of collateral. In an LBO, acquiring private equity (PE) firms are able to assume control of companies while only putting up a fraction of the purchase price. By leveraging the investment, PE firms aim to maximize their potential return.

Venture Capital (VC)

VC is a more general term, frequently used in relation to taking an equity investment in a young company in a less mature industrythink internet companies in the early to mid-1990s. Private equity (PE) firms will often see that potential exists in the industry and more importantly in the target firm itself, noting that its being held back, say, by a lack of revenues, cash flow, and debt financing.

Private equity (PE) firms are able to take significant stakes in such companies in the hopes that the target will evolve into a powerhouse in its growing industry. Additionally, by guiding the targets often inexperienced management along the way, private-equity (PE) firms add value to the firm in a less quantifiable manner as well.

Oversight and Management

Oversight and management make up the second important function of private equity (PE) professionals. Among other support work, they can walk a young company's executive staff through best practices in strategic planning and financial management. Additionally, they can help institutionalize new accounting, procurement, and IT systems to increase the value of their investment.

When it comes to more established companies, private-equity (PE) firms believe they have the ability and expertise to take underperforming businesses and turn them into stronger ones by increasing operational efficiencies, and with it earnings. This is the primary source of value creation in private equity (PE), though private equity (PE) firms also create value by aiming to align the interests of company management with those of the firm and its investors.

By taking public companies private, private equity (PE) firms remove the constant public scrutiny of quarterly earnings and reporting requirements, which then allows them and the acquired firm's management to take a longer-term approach in bettering the fortunes of the company.

Management compensation is also frequently tied more closely to the firm's performance, thus adding accountability and incentive to management's efforts. This, along with other mechanisms popular in the private equity (PE) industry, eventually lead to the acquired company's valuation increasing substantially in value from the time it was purchased, creating a profitable exit strategy for the private equity (PE) firmwhether that's a resale, an initial public offering (IPO), or an alternative option.

Investing in Upside

One popular exit strategy for private equity (PE) involves growing and improving a middle-market company and selling it to a large corporation for a hefty profit. The big investment banking professionals cited above typically focus their efforts on deals with enterprise values (EVs) worth billions of dollars. However, the vast majority of transactions reside in the middle market at the $100 million to $500 million range, and the lower-middle market below $100 million.

Because the best gravitate toward the larger deals, the middle market is a significantly underserved market. There are more sellers than there are highly seasoned and positioned finance professionals with extensive buyer networks and resources to manage a deal.

The middle market is a significantly underserved market with more sellers than there are buyers.

Flying below the radar of large multinational corporations, many of these small companies often provide higher-quality customer service, and/or niche products and services that are not being offered by the large conglomerates. Such upsides attract the interest of private-equity firms (PE), as they possess the insights and savvy to exploit such opportunities and take the company to the next level.

For instance, a small company selling products within a particular region may grow significantly by cultivating international sales channels. Alternatively, a highly fragmented industry can undergo consolidation to create fewer, larger playerslarger companies typically command higher valuations than smaller companies.

An important company metric for these investors is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). When a private-equity firm (PE) acquires a company, they work together with management to significantly increase EBITDA during its investment horizon. A good portfolio company can typically increase its EBITDA both organically and by acquisitions.

Private equity (PE) investors must have reliable, capable, and dependable management in place. Most managers at portfolio companies are given equity and bonus compensation structures that reward them for hitting their financial targets. Such alignment of goals is typically required before a deal gets done.

Investing in Private Equity (PE)

Private equity (PE) is often out of the equation for people who can't invest millions of dollars, but it shouldn't be. Though most private equity (PE) investment opportunities require steep initial investments, there are still some ways for smaller, less wealthy players to get in on the action.

There are several private equity (PE) investment firmsalso called business development companies (BDCs)that offer publicly traded stock, giving average investors the opportunity to own a slice of the private equity (PE) pie. Along with the Blackstone Group, there is Apollo Global Management (APO), Carlyle Group (CG), and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), best known for its massive leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco in 1989.

Mutual funds have restrictions in terms of buying private equity (PE) due to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules regarding illiquid securities holdings, but they can invest indirectly by buying these publicly listed private equity (PE) companies. These mutual funds are typically referred to as funds of funds.

Average investors can also purchase units in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that holds shares of private equity (PE) firms, such as ProShares Global Listed Private Equity ETF (PEX).

Private Equity and Crowdfunding

Private equity crowdfunding allows companies or entrepreneurs to obtain financing. The investor is offered debt or equity in exchange for partial ownership of the business. Oftentimes, private equity crowdfunding is shortened to the term equity crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding can be used by companies to raise money, similar to how individuals can raise money for causes via GoFundMe. Examples of online platforms for equity crowdfunding include Wefunder, AngelList, Crowdfunder, SeedInvest, and CircleUp. With private equity crowdfunding, however, entrepreneurs and businesses generally have to give up equity to get the investment.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has created regulations to allow companies to access capital. There are regulations, such as limits on the aggregate amount of money and on the number of non-accredited investors.

The Bottom Line

With funds under management already in the trillions, private equity (PE) firms have become attractive investment vehicles for wealthy individuals and institutions. Understanding what private equity (PE) exactly entails and how its value is created in such investments are the first steps in entering an asset class that is gradually becoming more accessible to individual investors.

As the industry attracts the best and brightest in corporate America, the professionals at private-equity (PE) firms are usually successful in deploying investment capital and in increasing the values of their portfolio companies. However, there is also fierce competition in the M&A marketplace for good companies to buy. As such, it is imperative that these firms develop strong relationships with transaction and services professionals to secure a strong deal flow.
What Is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)?

The term Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) refers to a group of 13 of the worlds major oil-exporting nations. OPEC was founded in 1960 to coordinate the petroleum policies of its members and to provide member states with technical and economic aid. OPEC is a cartel that aims to manage the supply of oil in an effort to set the price of oil on the world market, in order to avoid fluctuations that might affect the economies of both producing and purchasing countries.

Countries that belong to OPEC include Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela (the five founders), plus Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates.

Key Takeaways The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is a cartel consisting of 13 of the worlds major oil-exporting nations.

OPEC aims to regulate the supply of oil in order to set the price on the world market.

The arrival of fracking technology for natural gas in the U.S. has reduced OPECs ability to control the world market.

The organization was established in 1960 by its founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

While OPEC does ensure that there is a steady supply of oil in the global market, it has come under fire for holding considerable power in the industry, which allows it to keep prices as high as possible.

1:03 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Understanding the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

OPEC, which describes itself as a permanent intergovernmental organization, was created in Baghdad in September 1960 by founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. The headquarters of the organization are in Vienna, Austria, where the OPEC Secretariat, the executive organ, carries out OPECs day-to-day business.

The chief executive officer of OPEC is its secretary-general. His Excellency Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo of Nigeria was appointed to the position for a three-year term of office on June 2, 2016, and was re-elected to another three-year term in July 2019.

According to its statutes, OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and shares the ideals of the organization. After the five founding members, OPEC added 11 additional member countries as of 2019. They are, in order of joining, as follows:

Qatar (1961)

Indonesia (1962)

Libya (1962)

United Arab Emirates (1967)

Algeria (1969)

Nigeria (1971)

Ecuador (1973)

Gabon (1975)

Angola (2007)

Equatorial Guinea (2017)

Congo (2018)

Ecuador withdrew from the organization on Jan. 1, 2020. Qatar terminated its membership on Jan. 1, 2019, and Indonesia suspended its membership on Nov. 30, 2016, so as of 2020 the organization consists of 13 states.

It is notable that some of the worlds largest oil producers, including Russia, China, and the United States, are not members of OPEC, which leaves them free to pursue their own objectives.

Some of the worlds greatest oil-producing countries, such as Russia, China, and the U.S., do not belong to OPEC.

OPEC's Mission

According to the OPEC website, the group's mission is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic, and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers, and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.

The organization is committed to finding ways to ensure that oil prices are stabilized in the international market without any major fluctuations. Doing this helps keep the interests of member nations while ensuring they receive a regular stream of income from an uninterrupted supply of crude oil to other countries.

OPEC recognizes the founding nations as full members. Any country that wishes to join and whose application is accepted by the organization is also considered a full member. These countries must have significant crude petroleum exports. Membership to OPEC is only granted after receiving a vote from at least three-quarters of its full members. Associate memberships are also granted to countries under special conditions.

80.4% The percentage of crude oil reserves held by OPEC countries in 2021.

Special Considerations

Oil prices and OPEC's role in the international petroleum market are subject to a number of different factors. The advent of new technology, especially fracking in the United States, has had a major effect on worldwide oil prices and has lessened OPECs influence on the markets. As a result, worldwide oil production increased and prices dropped significantly, leaving OPEC in a delicate position.

OPEC decided to maintain high production levels and consequently low prices as of mid-2016, in an attempt to push higher-cost producers out of the market and regain market share. However, starting in January 2019, OPEC reduced output by 1.2 million barrels a day for six months due to a concern that an economic slowdown would create a supply glut, extending the agreement for an additional nine months in July 2019.

Demand for oil dropped during the global crisis, which began in 2020. Producers had an overabundance in supply with no place to store it, as the world experienced lockdowns cutting down demand. This, along with a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, led to a drop in oil prices. As a result, the organization decided to cut production by 9.7 million barrels per day between May and July 2020. Oil prices continued to experience volatility, leading OPEC to adjust production levels to 7.2 million barrels per day as of January 2021.

OPEC faces considerable challenges from innovation and new, green technology. High oil prices are causing some oil-importing countries to look to unconventionaland cleanersources of energy. These alternatives, such as shale production as an alternative energy source, and hybrid and electric cars that reduce the dependence on petroleum products, continue to put pressure on the organization.

Advantages and Disadvantages of OPEC

There are several advantages of having a cartel like OPEC operating in the crude oil industry. First, it promotes cooperation among member nations, helping them alleviate some degree of political hostilities. And because the organization's main goal is to stabilize oil production and prices, it is able to exert some influence over production from other nations.

OPECs influence on the market has been widely criticized. Because its member countries hold the vast majority of crude oil reserves (80.4%, according to the OPEC website), the organization has considerable power in these markets. As a cartel, OPEC members have a strong incentive to keep oil prices as high as possible while maintaining their shares of the global market.

The Bottom Line

OPEC is an organization that controls petroleum production, supplies, and prices in the global market. The group was established in 1960 and is made up of 13 different oil-producing companies. It holds considerable influence in the marketplace and is often criticized for inflating oil prices to the benefit of its members. But it isn't immune to challenges, notably geopolitical tensions, oversupply and drops in demand, and the adoption of new, green technologies.

What Does OPEC Do Exactly? OPEC coordinates and consolidates the policies about petroleum production and output involving its member nations. It promises a stable oil market that offers petroleum supplies that are both efficient and economic.

What Are the Main Goals of OPEC? OPEC's main goal is to maintain oil prices at a profitable level for its members while keeping the market as free as possible from restrictions. The organization ensures its members receive a steady stream of income from an uninterrupted supply of oil.

What Countries Are in OPEC? OPEC is made up of 13 member nations. The five founding members are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, while the other full members include Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, and United Arab Emirates.

Is the U.S. Part of OPEC? The United States is not part of OPEC. This means that the country has control over its own production and supply without any interference from the organization.

Who Left OPEC? Countries that left OPEC include Ecuador, which withdrew from the organization in 2020, Qatar, which terminated its membership in 2019, and Indonesia, which suspended its membership in 2016.
ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM) is a multinational company that engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas, electric power generation, and coal and minerals operations. It also manufactures fuels, lubricants, and chemicals. ExxonMobil operates three core business units: Upstream; Downstream; and Chemical.

The top shareholders of ExxonMobil are Andrew P. Swiger, Darren W. Woods, Neil W. Duffin, Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock Inc. (BLK), and State Street Corp.

ExxonMobil has created a business division to commercialize low-carbon technology solutions, including carbon capture and storage. The entity, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, plans to invest $3 billion on lower-emission energy solutions through the year 2025.

ExxonMobil's 12-month revenue was $285.6 billion for FY 2021 with a net profit of $23 billion. The company's market cap was about $360 billion as of March 2022.

Key Takeaways ExxonMobil is one of the world's largest companies in the world by revenue and market capitalization.

The company is an integrated oil and gas enterprise with operations around the world.

Top shareholders include corporate insiders and large mutual fund companies.

"Insider" refers to people in senior management positions and members of the board of directors, as well as people or entities that own more than 10% of the company's stock. In this context, it has nothing to do with insider trading.

Top 3 Individual Insider Shareholders

Andrew P. Swiger

Andrew Swiger owned a total of 1.2 million ExxonMobil shares, representing 0.03% of the company's total shares outstanding. Swiger has been a senior vice president since 2009 and principal financial officer since 2013. Prior to that, he served as president of ExxonMobil Gas & Power Marketing between 2006 and 2009, and as executive vice president of ExxonMobil Production Co. from 2004 to 2006. Swiger has served in various other roles since he first joined the company in 1978 as an operations engineer.

Darren W. Woods

Darren Woods owned a total of 1.0 million ExxonMobil shares, representing 0.02% of the company's total shares outstanding. Woods is chair and chief executive officer (CEO), roles he has held since January 1, 2017. Prior to that, he served as president and as a member of the board of directors after being elected to those roles in January 2016. He served as senior vice president between 2014 and 2016, and as company vice president and as president of ExxonMobil Refining and Supply Co. from 2012 to 2014. Woods has served in numerous other roles for the company since first joining Exxon Co. International in 1992 as a planning analyst.

Neil W. Duffin

Neil W. Duffin owned a total of 627.8 thousand ExxonMobil shares, representing 0.01% of the company's total shares outstanding. Duffin is president of ExxonMobil Global Projects Co., a role he has held since Jan. 1, 2017. He also was appointed vice president of the company at that time. Prior to that, he served in a number of roles, including as president of ExxonMobil Development Co., and as vice president of ExxonMobil Production Co. Duffin joined Mobil Oil Corp. in 1979, which later merged with Exxon to become ExxonMobil.

Top 3 Institutional Shareholders

Institutional investors hold more than 51% of ExxonMobil's total shares outstanding.

Vanguard Group Inc.

Vanguard Group owned 353 million shares of ExxonMobil, representing 8.34% of total shares outstanding as of Q1 2022. Vanguard is known for its line of low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, with over $6.5 trillion in global assets under management (AUM) as of 2022. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is one of the company's largest ETFs with about $199 billion in AUM. ExxonMobil comprises less than 0.85% of VOO's holdings.

BlackRock Inc.

BlackRock owns 283.3 million shares of ExxonMobil, representing 6.6% of total shares outstanding, as of February 2022. The company is primarily a mutual fund and ETF management company with approximately $8.68 trillion in AUM. The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) is among one of BlackRock's largest ETFs with approximately $254 billion in AUM. ExxonMobil comprises about 0.3% of IVV's holdings.

State Street Corp.

State Street owns 252.1 million shares of ExxonMobil, representing 5.7% of total shares outstanding as of February 2022. The company is primarily a manager of mutual funds, ETFs, and other assets with approximately $3.5 trillion in AUM. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is among one of State Street's largest ETFs with approximately $339 billion in AUM. ExxonMobil comprises 0.7% of SPY's total holdings.
Monsanto (MON) is a multinational company that provides seeds and agriculture products to farmers and other clients worldwide. The company was founded in 1901, and now employs over 20,000 people around the world.

Its business is divided into two main divisions: seeds and genomics, and agricultural productivity. It had a market capitalization of almost $50 billion and net sales of $13.5 billion for the fiscal year 2016, a 10% decline from the year before.

Since then, the well-known German pharmaceutical company, Bayer, acquired the company in 2018. In the last year, the price of Bayer stocks dropped by more than 40%.

Monsanto was most commonly known for producing genetically modified (GMO) seeds and the herbicide glyphosate known as Roundup. They produce cotton, soy, corn, alfalfa, sorghum, and canola, which are all sprayed with Roundup to manage the surrounding weeds that may otherwise reduce how much of each crop they could produce.

Key Takeaways Monsanto produces seeds and agriculture products to distribute worldwide.

The company is also known for producing genetically modified seeds and the herbicide Roundup.

Bayer acquired the company last year.

Monsanto had a market cap of nearly $50 billion and is considered to be one of the more controversial companies in history.

Controversies

The production and use of this controversial chemical combination has put Monsanto in the spotlight, making them subject to glaring documentaries, global protests, lawsuits, and unyielding criticism. But even before they began producing genetically modified seeds and Roundup, there were a few skeletons in Monsantos closet. Until the early 1980s, the company produced Agent Orange - a tactical herbicide, Aspartame sweetener, and other chemicals and plastics.

Few companies in history have ever elicited stronger opinions than Monsanto has. The company, its owners, and its supporters all claim that it is a sustainable agriculture company with good intentions for the future, its customers, and the world. On the other side of the spectrum, many people believe that the chemicals and genetically modified seeds that they produce have the ability to cause cancers, birth defects, and other health issues. One way to avoid the potential risk is to choose organic foods, which are produced in a different manner.

Despite the arguments on each side, Monsanto is not the only company producing these types of products. Countless other companies, many of which are listed in the section below, produce similar seeds, crops, chemicals, and other products.

Monsanto was one of the first companies to experiment with genetically modified organisms and crops, but there have been many others since. There are positives and negatives to the incredible growth that this industry has seen over the years.

Major Competitors Of Monsanto

Major competitors for Monsanto in the seeds and genomics space include multinational American giant Dow Chemical Company (DOW), agricultural genomics firm Evogene Ltd., and the seed and chemical supplier Syngenta (SYT), which is based in Switzerland.

Major competitors for Monsanto in the agricultural productivity division include retail fertilizer supplier Agrium (AGU), insecticide and herbicide producer American Vanguard (AVD), and fertilizer producer CF Industries Holdings (CF).

Other notable agricultural competitors include CVR Partners (UAN), Chinese Green Agriculture, Israel Chemicals, The Mosaic Company, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Rentech Nitrogen Partners, Syngenta, Terra Nitrogen Company, Eastman Chemical, Dow Chemical, FMC Corporation, and Honeywell International.
Running for office costs moneya lot of money. That's why candidates collect millions of dollars in contributions. And so, too, do the political action committees (PACs) established in their name.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, candidates in the 2020 presidential cycle drew almost $4 billion in donations. The organization said more than $1 billion was raised by Joe Biden and an additional $580 million came from outside money. Donald Trump raised about $774 million in donations and another $314 million from outside money.

But once the political campaign is over, the volunteers leave, the printers are turned off, and the buttons are put away, where does all that leftover money go?

Key Takeaways Candidates raise millions and billions for themselves and through political action committees during political campaigns.

There are rules in place for how money can be used after a campaign ends.

Permissible uses include charitable donations and donations to other candidates while personal use is prohibited.

Campaigns may refund money to donors or redistribute it with their permission if they drop out.

Super PACs may use leftover campaign cash to support the same candidate in other elections.

Candidate Campaign Committees

These are the official committees run by the candidate and their campaign team. The Federal Election Commission has rules in place to control how money is spent after a candidate bows out or after an election is officially over.



Permissible Uses

The contributions can be used in the following ways:

Donations to charities as long as the candidate does not receive any compensation from the organizations before it is spent and the donation is not used by the charity to benefit the candidate.

A donation of a maximum of $2,000 to another federal candidate, and donations to state or local candidatesall subject to state law.

Gift/donations of nominal value on special occasions to anyone besides the candidate's family.

Unlimited transfers to a local, state, or national political party committee like the Democratic or Republican National Committees.

Transfer to a future election campaign committee of the same candidate. For example, Bernie Sanders transferred $12.7 million from previous campaigns to his 2020 presidential committee.

Create a Leadership PAC to back other candidates and a political agenda. Critics say these can be used as slush funds since there are fewer restrictions.



Personal Use Is a No-No

Candidates are not allowed to use any remaining funds for personal use after all campaign-related debts are settled. Personal use is defined as a commitment, obligation or expense of any person that would exist irrespective of the candidates campaign or responsibilities as a federal officeholder.

In other words, campaign funds may not be used for an expense that exists independent of the campaign. Expenses that are automatically considered personal use include:

Household items

Mortgage or rent for a personal residence

Salary payments to the candidate's family unless they provide a bona fide service to the campaign and the payment reflects the value for the service in the free market



Candidates who are unopposed are allowed to have a separate contribution limit.

General Election Refunds

The amount of money any individual can donate to a single candidate is capped. The Federal Election Campaign Act limits contributions to $2,900 per election for the 2021-2022 federal election cycle.

One important point to note is that the primary election and general election count as two separate elections. This means that it is possible for someone to contribute $5,800 to a federal candidateonce during the primary and another time during the presidential campaign.

But if your candidate drops out of the race before the general election or loses the primary race, $2,900 of your donation must be refunded to you within 60 days. Alternatively, the candidate can redesignate or redistribute their general election funds with the contributor's permission.

Political contribution limits are adjusted or indexed for inflation. The 2019-2020 contribution limit was capped at $2,800.

Super PACs

Ideally, contributions should not be lying around and should be spent as quickly as they come in to maximize the chances of the candidate winning. However, a super PAC can have money left if those at the helm were reluctant or inept.

Where you see a lot of money left over in the super PAC after the candidate drops out, that will probably tell you something about how seriously the super PAC took the race, to begin with, according to Robert Kelner, chair of the Election and Political Law Practice Group at the law firm Covington & Burling.

Super PACs cannot coordinate with a federal candidate or donate to a national political party committee. They can, however, continue to use the money to support the same candidate in other elections or another federal candidate in future elections. Although a super PAC's treasurer isn't legally obligated to refund any of the money to donors but often do. In 2016, the Jeb Bush super PAC Right to Rise said it would refund $12 million to donors.

Can Politicians Keep Campaign Funds? Politicians cannot keep any campaign funds for themselves. Contributions must be used during the campaign to pay for related expenses. They are not intended for personal use. Any money that is left over after a candidate drops out or once the election is over must be used to pay off debts. Funds can also be used for other purposes. For instance, a candidate may donate an unlimited amount to a federal, state, or local political committee or they may be refunded to donors.

Can Campaign Contributions Be Refunded? Candidate campaign committees can be refunded to donors after the candidate drops out. This must be done within 60 days. They may also redirect the funds elsewhere with the donor's permission. Some candidates may also choose to refund contributions to donors for moral or ethical reasons, or for legal purposes if a donor has exceeded the maximum allowable contribution.

Are Campaign Contributions Subject to Taxes? All political organizations are subject to taxation under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, they may have filing requirements with the IRS. Donors who wish to make contributions to political campaigns should note that they do not count as charitable donations and, therefore, cannot be used to claim a tax deduction.

Can You Deduct Campaign Expenses? You cannot claim any campaign expenses for a political candidate as a deduction on your annual tax return. This means that anything you've spent out-of-pocket is not eligible from your gross incomeeven your time.

The Bottom Line

Political campaigns can raise millions and even billions of dollars through personal and business donations. This money can be used to pay for travel, administration, salaries, and any other campaign-related expenses. Candidates must keep diligent records of where the money comes from and how much is spent. But if a campaign ends (for whatever reason), it must find ways to disperse the funds. This includes spreading it out to other candidates, gifts, and refunds to donors. But candidates are prohibited from using these funds for personal use.



Correction - July 6, 2022: A previous version of this article incorrectly specified the amount that Donald Trump raised during his 2020 campaign.
What Is the Lost Decade?

The Lost Decade is commonly used to describe the decade of the 1990s in Japan, a period of economic stagnation which became one of the longest-running economic crises in recorded history. Later decades are also included in some definitions, with the period from 1991-2011 (or even 1991-2021) sometimes also referred to as Japan's Lost Decades.

Key Takeaways The Lost Decade originally referred to an extended period of slow to negative economic growth, lasting almost ten years, in Japan's economy during the 1990s.

Stagnant growth in subsequent years has led the period since 1991 to sometimes be referred to as Japan's Lost Decades (plural).

Misguided government policies after a real estate bubble are considered to be the main culprits for the Lost Decade.

Within the US economy, the first decade of the 21st century, which was bookended by two stock market crashes, is often compared to Japan's Lost Decade.

Understanding the Lost Decade

The Lost Decade is a term initially coined to refer to the decade-long economic crisis in Japan during the 1990s. Japans economy rose meteorically in the decades following World War II, peaking in the 1980s with the largest per capita gross national product (GNP) in the world. Japan's export-led growth during this period attracted capital and helped drive a trade surplus with the U.S.

To help offset global trade imbalances, Japan joined other major world economies in the Plaza Agreement in 1985. In accord with this agreement, Japan embarked on a period of loose monetary policy in the late 1980s. This loose monetary policy led to increased speculation and a soaring stock market and real estate valuations.

In the early 1990s, as it became apparent that the bubble was about to burst, the Japanese Financial Ministry raised interest rates, and ultimately the stock market crashed and a debt crisis began, halting economic growth and leading to what is now known as the Lost Decade. During the 1990s, Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) averaged 1.3%, significantly lower as compared to other G-7 countries. Household savings increased. But that increase did not translate into demand, resulting in deflation for the economy.

The Lost Decades

In the following decade, Japan's GDP growth averaged only 0.5% per year as sustained slow growth carried over right up until the global financial crisis and Great Recession. As a result, many refer to the period between 1991 and 2010 as the Lost Score, or the Lost 20 Years.

From 2011 to 2019, Japan's GDP grew an average of just under 1.0% per year, and 2020 marked the onset of a new global recession as governments locked down economic activity in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic. Together the years from 1990 to the present are sometimes referred to as Japan's Lost Decades.

The pain is expected to continue for Japan. According to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, recent growth rates imply that Japan's GDP will double in 80 years when previously it doubled every 14 years.

What Caused The Lost Decade?

While there is some agreement on the events that led up to and precipitated the Lost Decade, the causes for Japan's sustained economic woes are still being debated. Once the bubble burst and the recession happened, why did it extend into an entire Lost Decade? (Or two? Or three?!) Demographic factors, such as Japan's aging population, and the geopolitical rise of China and other East Asian competitors may be underlying, non-economic factors. Researchers have produced papers delineating possible reasons why the Japanese economy sank into prolonged stagnation.

Keynesian economists have offered several demand-side explanations. Paul Krugman opined that Japan was caught in a liquidity trap: consumers were holding onto their savings because they feared that the economy was about to get worse. Other research on the subject analyzed the role played by decreasing household wealth in causing the economic crisis. Japan's Lost Decade, a 2017 book, blames a "vertical investment-saving" curve for Japan's problems.

Monetarist economists have instead pointed to Japan's monetary policy before and during the Lost Decade as too restrictive and not accommodative enough to restart growth. Milton Friedman wrote, in reference to Japan, that "the surest road to a healthy economic recovery is to increase the rate of monetary growth to shift from tight money to easier money, to a rate of monetary growth closer to that which prevailed in the golden 1980s but without again overdoing it. That would make much-needed financial and economic reforms far easier to achieve."

Despite these various attempts, Keynesian and Monetarist views on Japan's extended economic malaise generally fall short. Japan's government has engaged in repeated rounds of massive fiscal deficit spending (the Keynesian's solution to economic depression) and expansionary monetary policy (the Monetarist prescription) without notable success. This suggests that either the Keynesian and Monetarist explanations or solutions (or both) are likely mistaken.

Austrian economists have, on the contrary, argued that a period of extended economic stagnation is not inconsistent with Japan's economic policies that throughout the period acted to prop up existing firms and financial institutions rather than letting them fail and allowing entrepreneurs to reorganize them into new firms and industries. They point to the repeated economic and financial bailouts as a cause of (rather than a solution to) Japan's Lost Decade(s).
What Is a Minimum Wage?

A minimum wage is the lowest wage per hour that a worker may be paid, as mandated by federal law. It is a legally mandated price floor on hourly wages, below which nonexempt workers may not be offered a job or agree to work.

Key Takeaways The minimum wage is a legally mandated base pay for nonexempt hourly workers.

The federal minimum wage in the United States as of 2022 is $7.25 per hour.

States and local municipalities can set their minimum wage rates, but the state rate must be above the federal rate to qualify.

Understanding a Minimum Wage

Minimum wage laws were first introduced in Australia and New Zealand in an attempt to raise the income of unskilled workers. Most modern developed economies, as well as many underdeveloped economies, enforce a national minimum wage. Exceptions include Italy, Sweden, Norway, and Singapore.

The first minimum wage law in the United States appeared in 1912 when Massachusetts set a minimum hourly rate for women and children under age 18.

In 1938, the federal government established a minimum wage of $0.25 under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Adjusting for inflation, that wage is worth $4.94 today.

As of 2022, the federal minimum wage rate in the United States is $7.25 per hour, unless the worker falls into a category specifically exempted from FLSA.

The government periodically assesses the federal minimum wage level with changes in inflation or the cost of living and the rate has not increased since July 2009. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 ordered the minimum wage to be raised from $5.15 in three increments, rising to $5.85, $6.55, and then finally to $7.25.

President Joe Biden campaigned to raise the federal minimum wage. As of Feb. 3, 2022, the minimum pay for government workers, except for U.S. Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission employees, increased to $15 per hour.

Federal Minimum Wage vs. State Minimum Wages

Even though the United States enforces a federal minimum wage, individual states, cities, and localities may pass different minimum wage requirements as long as the stipulated hourly wage is not lower than the federal minimum wage. An employer who is subject to the federal and state minimum wage requirement must pay the higher of the two.

States usually set a minimum wage that is reflective of the cost of living in the region. For example, the state of Massachusetts has a minimum wage of $14.25 per hour, increasing to $15 in 2023, while Montana has a minimum wage rate of $9.20.

As of 2022, minimum wage rates exceeded the federal rate in 30 of the 50 states. At $15.20 per hour, the District of Columbia has the highest minimum wage. The second highest is $15, paid to parts of New York and by employers with over 25 employees in California, and the third highest is $14,49, which is the minimum wage in Washington State.





As of Jan. 1, 2022, only five states have not adopted a state minimum wage: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee.



The map below shows the minimum wage set at each state level. Some states have set their minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage, others have matched the federal rate, and a select few dont have a minimum wage requirement. In the latter case, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 will apply.

Some states have special exceptions to their minimum wage rules:

Georgia and Wyoming both have a minimum wage of just $5.15. However, employees covered under the FLSA are subject to the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

In Minnesota, small employers with annual sales of less than $500,000 pay a minimum wage of $8.42rather than the regular state minimum of $10.33.

In Nevada, the minimum wage is $1 less than the specified minimum if health benefits are included. As of Jan. 1, 2022, that reduced amount is $8.75.

In Oklahoma, the minimum wage is $2 for employers with fewer than 10 full-time employees at any single location and employers with $100,000 or less in annual gross sales.



Florida residents voted in November 2020 to increase the states minimum wage incrementally, beginning at $10 per hour on Sept. 30, 2021, until it reaches $15 per hour in September 2026.

State Minimum Wages vs. Municipal Minimum Wages

In some cases, cities and municipalities within a state may set a higher minimum wage for residents who live within areas with higher costs of living. Within the state of Illinois, whose minimum wage is $12, the city of Chicago has a minimum wage of $14$15 for certain industries enacted in January 2022.

Minimum Wage Exceptions

Tipped Workers

Low-wage laborers in the United States can be exempt from the minimum wage if a sizable portion of their income is derived from tips. A lower minimum wage of $2.13 per hour may apply to tipped employees who regularly receive more than $30 in tips per month or if the total tips retained in addition to the hourly wage rate are equal to or greater than the federal minimum wage. Where the employees total tips and hourly rate fall below the minimum wage, the employer is expected to compensate the employee for the shortfall.

Students

A full-time student working for a university, retail store, or service establishment cannot be paid less than 85% of the minimum wage. Although students may work up to eight hours per day, they cannot work more than 20 hours per week when school is in session. Students in a technical or vocational program cannot be paid less than 75% of the minimum wage throughout their active enrollment in the program.

Employees Under 20 Years Old

Workers under 20 years of age may be paid $4.25 per hour by federal law until they pass a three-month probationary period, after which the employer must convert their pay structure to the federal minimum wage rate.

Physical or Mental Disabilities

Workers with physical or mental disabilities can be paid less than the federal minimum wage, according to the FLSA. Disabilities that can affect production capacity include blindness, cerebral palsy, alcohol and drug addiction, mental illness, and developmental disabilities.

The $15 Minimum Wage

Minimum wage laws were designed to end the exploitation of workforces and ensure that a country's working population does not fall below the poverty line. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established the minimum wage affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and federal, state, and local governments.

In 2022, debate surrounds the establishment of a $15 minimum wage. President Joe Bidens American Rescue Plan attempted to raise it, however, his administration only succeeded in raising the minimum hourly wage of government employees to $15.

Proponents argue that an increase in the minimum wage helps meet the goal of a living wage, where employees earn enough income for a satisfactory standard of living. They also claim a boost increases worker productivity, reduces income inequality, spurs economic growth, and improves employee retention.



$15 Per Hour Many companies, like Amazon, Target, Aldi, Chipotle, and CVS, have increased their hourly rate to $15 per hour, independent of a mandatory federal minimum wage increase.

Critics argue that companies, not the government, should decide how much employees should be paid and that a minimum wage does not always boost the spending power of a population and can instead lead to higher unemployment. A small change in the price for low-wage labor could have a large effect on its demand, leading to increasing unemployment among low-wage workers. Minimum-wage laws may also lead to job outsourcing, where companies may decide to move their facilities to countries where labor costs are lower.



What Are Efficiency Wages? Efficiency wages are the level of wages paid to workers above the minimum wage in order to retain a skilled and efficient workforce. Efficiency wage theory posits that an employer must pay its workers high enough so that workers are incentivized to be productive and that highly skilled workers do not quit.



Which State Has the Lowest Minimum Wage? Georgia and Wyoming both have a minimum wage of just $5.15. However, employers in these states subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay their employees the $7.25 federal minimum wage. The same rules apply to the five states that have no minimum wage: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Is the Minimum Wage Meant to Be a Living Wage? A living wage is the minimum income deemed necessary for a worker to meet their basic needs. In 2021, the U.S. poverty level for a family of four was an income of $26,500, which equates to $13.25 per hour, above the current minimum wage. Critics argue that the federal minimum wage, which has failed to keep up with the cost of living since the late 1960s, does not meet this criterion and fails to meet a living wage standard.

The Bottom Line

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that established the minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour in 2022. The government periodically assesses the federal minimum wage level, however, the rate has not increased since July 2009. Individual states, cities, and localities may pass different minimum wage requirements as long as the rate is higher than the federal minimum wage rate.
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Midleton , County Cork, to visit the statue, Kindred Spirits, dedicated to the charity provided to the Irish during the Earlier this year Rachel Robison, a proud member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, traveled to, County Cork, to visit the statue, Kindred Spirits, dedicated to the charity provided to the Irish during the Great Hunger by her tribe. Just 13 years after their own terrible hardships they raised a total of $170 to aid the Irish, which would be the equivalent of $71,000 today.

In 1831 the Choctaw Tribe was forced by the American army, at gunpoint, to march across mountains, 500 miles to Oklahoma. The trek was called The Trail of Tears. The tribe was stripped of their land in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.

These are Robisons thoughts on the experience of visiting the Great Hunger memorial on Easter Sunday, the anniversary of the Easter Rising, 1916.

~~~~~~~~~

In late March of 2016 I traveled with my husband to Ireland in celebration of his 40th birthday. As a proud member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, it was important to me to make time to visit the monument by Alex Pentek, Kindred Spirits. Kindred Spirits is a structure made up of nine giant stainless steel eagle feathers.

By creating an empty bowl symbolic of the Great Irish Famine formed from the seemingly fragile and rounded shaped eagle feathers used in Choctaw ceremonial dress, it is my aim to communicate the tenderness and warmth of the Choctaw Nation who provided food to the hungry when they themselves were still recovering from their own tragic recent past, wrote Pentek.

Quite unexpectedly I ended up at the monument, in Midleton on, Easter Sunday (March 27, 2016) which happened to be the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising in Ireland. This was a rebellion against British rule that paved the way for the independence of the Republic of Ireland. Fourteen of the 16 rebel leaders were executed by the British by firing squad after the six-day uprising, during which rebels seized buildings across Dublin and declared an Irish republic.

After viewing the Kindred Spirits monument we walked a few blocks over to Church of the Most Holy Rosary where the Sunday Easter service was underway. As we entered the 120-year-old Roman Catholic church we were just in time to hear the priest speak about the significance of the story of the resurrection.

The priest stated, Goodness always wins; love always wins.

No matter the hardship, oppression, and suffering people may endure, the righteous and moral path always comes out ahead. His vision of the resurrection was a teaching of hope and faith where the spirit of the light will always re-emerge and prevail after the dark.

I could not help but relate all of these together: Penteks monument honoring the Chahtas generosity to the Irish people only 16 years after they had been forced to walk to Oklahoma; the Easter Rising where the Irish people decided that they would be under the rule of the British no more; and this priests retelling of Christs resurrection from death as a symbol of hope, faith, and the power of love.

I look at where our people are today and I see Chahtas all over the world thriving, not just surviving. During a time when we had suffered such grave hardship, deep soulwound loss of both land, family, and cultural identity we still worked to help others in need.

We rise by up lifting each other.

Faith, Family, and Culture.

Faith in that the light will always prevail over the dark; Family in that we are one people, one world, and we take care of one another; and Culture so that the spirit of generosity, compassion, love, and resilience of our people will continue to live throughout the lives of our children, grandchildren, and beyond.

Yakoke (Thank you).

Read more: How Choctaw Indians raised money for Irish Great Hunger relief
Hillary Clinton has urged President Barack Obama not to grant Norwegian Air International a permit to launch flights between Cork and the United States.

Her comments follow those of fellow presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on the deal. Another 32 US Congressmen have also written to President Barack Obama urging his administration to block the granting of a foreign carrier license that would allow the first US flights from Cork airport.

The deadline for comment on the deal is now closed and it seems a decision on the deal will be imminent.

American lawmakers try to block Norwegian Air Shuttle from expanding its transatlantic route https://t.co/bHVNPtr3TB pic.twitter.com/IVz1pjs1EQ  The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 17, 2016

A statement from Clintons labor campaign director Nikki Budzinski said "Hillary Clinton urges the Obama Administration against moving forward with final approval of Norwegian Air International's application.

Too many questions have been raised about NAI's practices and plans."

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) approved Norwegian Airs application last month and has signaled that it will grant the permit.

Norwegian Air International (NAI), based in Dublin, is a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle. Their plan is to use Ireland as its base, to avail of European Unions open skies rights that will give it unfettered access to the United States market.

US aviation unions are opposed to NAI's plans. They claim the airline will use cheap crew and undermine labor standards and that this will result in jobs losses on both sides of the Atlantic.

Critics of the deal suggest that the company is attempting to circumvent the strict employment laws in Norway. NAI denies this.

Clintons statement continued Workers in the US airline industry deserve rules of the road that support a strong workforce with high labor standards - not attempts by airlines to flout labor standards and outsource good-paying jobs.

"Hillary Clinton urges the Obama administration against moving forward with final approval of Norwegian Air International's application."

In Ireland the NAIs plans have been backed by the Government and state bodies including Failte Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, the Industrial Development Authority, the Dublin Airport Authority. and Shannon Airport. Among those in opposition are the Irish Airline Pilots Association.

Read more: Plea for Irish Americans to support Boston-Cork air route

In opposition to the deal Sanders released a statement on his website which reads:

Norwegian Air Internationals attempt to undermine international labor laws by outsourcing cheap labor from Thailand and other low-wage countries is unacceptable.

It continues: We must do everything we can to prevent a global race to the bottom in the airline industry.

Irish pilots have criticised Norwegian Air for making Cork-Boston flight an election issue https://t.co/5sskfr7uZi pic.twitter.com/DiEWxV3Hyr  TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) May 20, 2016

NAI plays to fly between Cork and Boston this summer. This scheduled will, most likely, now be pushed back. There are also plans for a service between Cork and New York in 2017.

On Monday the NAI issued a statement saying the remain confident that the US DOT will approve their permit. The DOT has said they see no reason why the NAIs permit application should not be granted.

A spokesperson said Approval of NAI will result in more US aviation sector jobs, enable Norwegian to expand its already large pool of American crew, and deliver much needed competition and affordable fares to consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
A 34-year-old Northern Irish woman in England will serve 2 years and 6 months in prison after planning to take her three children, including an 11-month-old baby, to Syria to be with her husband who had moved there to join ISIS.

Lorna Moore, 34-years-old and originally from Co. Tyrone, is one of the so-called Walsall group of 12 living in the West Midlands town who went to or attempted to travel to Syria last year with the intention of joining ISIS.

Moore, a mother of three, was training to be a math teacher. She had been raised a Protestant in Omagh but converted to Islam before marrying her husband, Sajid Aslam, 34, whom she met while studying at university in Manchester in 2000.

In February of this year, a jury found her guilty of failing to inform British authorities that her husband was planning to join ISIS. She has now been sentenced by Judge Charles Wide to two years and six months in prison.

During Moores sentencing at the Old Bailey, Judge Wide called her a "very strong character" and told her that she "knew perfectly well of your husband's dedication to terrorism," the BBC reports.

He also told her that some of the evidence she gave had been nonsense and that "one of the troubling things about you is your facility for telling lies."

During the trial, Moore maintained that she had suffered psychological and physical abuse from her husband.

She said that she had sought advice from a Muslim cleric on how to divorce Aslam, but that she had been told she would have to take him back and that "a white Muslim is not a special Muslim.

Aslam, who worked as a supply teacher, departed from the UK in August 2014, driven to the airport by Ayman Shaukat, another of the Walsall group, who was sentenced to 10 years for assisting Aslam and two others from the group, Alexander Nash and his pregnant wife, Yosuma Jan, in leaving the country to join ISIS.

He later confirmed his arrival in Syria by by sending a link to Shaukat to the music video for the song I Made It by Cash Money Heroes.

While Aslam was making his journey, Moore took their children to a Butlins holiday camp in Skegness.

Co Tyrone Muslim convert Lorna Moore among those to be sentenced over 'Islamic State' plan https://t.co/bnmTu9T866 pic.twitter.com/HkGubhkBPM  The Irish News (@irish_news) May 23, 2016

She has claimed that her long-term plan was to take her children to live with her family on their farm in Omagh, but the prosecution argued that he actual plans were revealed by her move to book flights for herself and her children to Palma, Majorca and a text message she received from Nashs wife after they had arrived in Turkey, their last stop before Syria, saying see you there.

Shortly after, Nash and Jan were detained by Turkish police and sent back to the UK. Nash has been jailed for five years; charges against his wife were dropped after he took sole responsibility for the plans.

Aslam is believed to still be in Syria. According to an earlier BBC report, he said that he was teaching children in refugee camps. However, the article also noted that his sister told jurors that he was eager to "start a dialogue with police about coming home."

Other individuals from Walsall charged or implicated include Jake Petty, 25, also known as Abu Yaqoob Britany, whose mother, Sue Boyce, a Christian minister, had to identify his dead body from video footage on social media.

Petty was the first to leave in 2014 and was followed shortly after by his friend Isaiah Siadatan. Kerry Thomason, Siadatans wife, then attempted to leave the country with their two children  she was pregnant with their third  but was apprehended by police.

Siadatan is thought to have been killed last year in Syria. Thomanson admitted to preparing for acts of terrorism by planning to join her husband in Syria. Judge Wide described her as naive and, citing threats her husband had made against her family, gave her a two year suspended sentence.

With these cases, police have claimed that women in the Walsall area were being encouraged to travel to Syria and give birth to their children in ISIS-controlled territory.
With the anniversary of last year's Berkeley balcony tragedy approaching, the US pastor who comforted the victims families last summer has called on Irish parents to allow their children to visit the US on J-1 visas.

"Parents will always worry, but you have to allow them to go, said Fr. Brendan McBride, who works with the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center in San Francisco and who arrived on the scene within hours of the Berkeley tragedy to comfort the injured and the victims friends and family.

"Most people will tell you, they dip their toes in the States through the J-1 program, he continued.

"This was a horrific tragedy, but I don't think parents would want their kids not to have the opportunity to see what the States is all about. Some come back and make careers."

On June 16, 2015, six young Irish and Irish-American students tragically lost their lives when the balcony they were standing on collapsed, causing them to fall to the ground from the fourth floor.

The six victims - Olivia Burke, 21; Eoghan Culligan, 21; Lorcan Miller, 21; Niccolai Schuster, 21; Eimear Walsh, 21; and Irish-American Ashley Donohue, aged 22 - were celebrating a 21st birthday when the balcony they were standing on collapsed due to dry rot. Victims Ashley Donohue and Olivia Burke were cousins.

Read more: Irish President honors balcony tragedy victims in Berkeley

A further seven Irish students were injured in the balcony collapse: Hannah Waters, Aoife Beary, Clodagh Cogley, Niall Murray, Sean Fahey, Jack Halpin and Conor Flynn, all aged between 20 and 22. Fr McBride met with them and their families again when he returned to Ireland last Christmas.

"I was home at Christmas and we met the parents. It was a lovely event and it was nice to meet them again, he told the Irish Mirror.

"The kids were there at different stages of their recuperation. Some of them were, hopefully, getting back to normal life.

They will always be connected to us."

Recalling the bedside vigils and pain of the families in the aftermath of the accident, Fr. McBride revealed that he still gets upset when he thinks back on the hurt felt by those left behind. Regardless, he urged parents not to allow their children to miss out on the J-1 experience because of a once-off incident.

I do get emotional sometimes thinking about it, because it draws you back to the pain of the parents," McBride said.

"It is a really tough time for families because while they are living it all year, it all comes back again.

"We will have an anniversary Mass and event, it helps the community to gather. They need to be with their own around that time."

Although early reports of the collapse claimed too many people were on the balcony at the time, it was later discovered that the wooden-frame suffered from dry rot because it had not been properly protected from water damage during the construction of the relatively new apartment complex.

In March, the California District Attorney ruled there would be no criminal charges of manslaughter brought against any one individual or company involved, citing a lack of evidence.

Although the balcony collapsed due to water trapped on the deck during construction, which in turn led to extensive rot, the materials used were all in line with building code regulations and, as such, the Alameda County District Attorney, Nancy OMalley, felt a disregard for human life" could not be proven nor could it be shown that "the deadly consequences of those actions were reasonably foreseeable.

Read more: No criminal charges in Berkeley balcony tragedy, insufficient evidence says DA

H/T: Irish Mirror
A former Sinn Fein Councillor and his father appearing at an out-of-hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court this evening have been charged with firearms offences and intent to

commit false imprisonment.

Jonathan Dowdall (37) and Patrick Dowdall (59) were arrested this evening by members of the Special Detective Unit.

Mr Jonathan Dowdall, with an address at Navan Road, Dublin 7 and Mr Patrick Dowdall, with the same address, were both charged with possession of "what appeared to be a sawn off shotgun and a .44 calibre magnum revolver" at their home address on January 15, 2015.

Both men were also charged with the intent to commit the offence of false imprisonment of one Alexander Hurley, on the same date.

Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce, of the Special Detective Unit, told State Solicitor Michael ODonovan that he arrested Jonathan Dowdall this afternoon in Clontarf, Dublin 3.

He said he explained to Mr Dowdall the reason for his arrest in ordinary language and cautioned him.

Mr Dowdall made no reply, the court heard.

The detective sergeant detained Mr Dowdall at Clontarf Garda Station and told him he would be taken before the next sitting of the Special Criminal Court 1 where he would be charged with the offences.

Mr Derek Cooney BL, for Jonathan Dowdall, said there was no application for bail at this juncture.

Detective Garda Colm Finnerty, of the Special Detective Unit, told State Solicitor Michael ODonovan that he arrested Patrick Dowdall this evening at 6.30pm outside Swords Garda Station, Co Dublin.

He said he explained to Mr Dowdall the reason for his arrest in ordinary language and cautioned him.

Mr Patrick Dowdall said at the time of arrest: "I didn't use any firearms on anybody, I never used a firearm in my life."

The detective garda detained Mr Dowdall at Swords Station and told him he would be taken before the next sitting of the Special Criminal Court 1 where he would be charged with the offences.

Ms Annemarie Lawlor BL, for Patrick Dowdall, told the court that the DPP had no objection to the granting of legal aid.

The barrister also asked for a transcript of today's hearing before Friday and that if legal aid was granted, that today would be marked as a trial date.

Ms Lawlor then told the court that both men were on prescribed medication and asked that the warrant reflect this.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judge Flann Brennan and Judge Ann Ryan, remanded both men in custody to Portlaoise Prison until Friday morning, May 27, when bail applications are expected to be made.

An order was made that both accused be charged and tried before Special Criminal Court 1.
Update 5pm

A series of hoax bomb alerts to schools across the country is being condemned.

Institutions in Limerick, Dublin, Cork, Carlow and Waterford all received communications claiming that devices had been left at the buildings this morning.

The PSNI has also begun investigations following seven similar alerts in the North - while dozens of incidents were reported in Great Britain yesterday.

No devices have been found and all reports have been declared hoaxes.

Deputy Leader of the Green Party Catherine Martin says its a reminder to schools to ensure they have emergency procedures in place: I would commend the staff for how quick they reacted and prioritised children safety and indeed the local gardai.

It is at times like this we see how important the policies and procedures in case of emergency how they come into play and staff work under pressure to protect children that are feeling scared.

Update 3.30pm

Investigations have been launched following a series of hoax bomb alerts at schools across Ireland.

It is understood schools in Limerick, Dublin, Cork, Carlow and Waterford all received communications claiming that devices had been left at the buildings this morning.

The PSNI has also begun investigations following seven similar alerts in the North this morning.

No devices have been found and all reports have been declared hoaxes.

Gardai and the PSNI are liasing with each other as inquiries continue.

Update 1pm

A school in Limerick has reopened after it was closed earlier following a bomb threat writes David Raleigh

Twenty gardai were deployed to Milford National School to carry out a search after the threat was phoned in.

It is believed the hoax threat was phoned in from an automated system.

Other hoax bomb threats were phoned in from an automated system at three other Irish schools and several UK school today, according to a source.

Three units of Limerick City & County Fire and Rescue Service, were deployed to Milford National School after the hoax threat was made shortly after 10am this morning.

"It may be a possible hoax as several other hoax calls from an automated system were received to UK schools and three other Irish schools today," a source said.

"All students have been evacuated. Approximately twenty Gardai are searching the premises," they added.

The school was declared safe just before 1pm this afternoon.

Earlier

A school in Limerick has been evacuated after a report of a bomb at the school writes David Raleigh

Twenty gardai have been deployed to Milford National School to carry out a search.

Three units of Limerick City & County Fire and Rescue Service, have also been deployed to the school.

"It may be a possible hoax as several other hoax calls from an automated system were received to UK schools and three other Irish schools today," a source said.

"All students have been evacuated. Approximately twenty Gardai are searching the premises," they added.
Greek authorities began a dawn operation to evacuate the country's largest informal refugee camp of Idomeni, blocking access to the area and sending in more than 400 riot police.

The government's spokesman for the refugee crisis, Giorgos Kyritsis, said yesterday that the operation on the Macedonian border was expected to last about a week to 10 days.

The camp, which sprung up on what began as an informal pedestrian border crossing for refugees and migrants heading north to Europe, is home to an estimated 8,400 people.

Greek police and government authorities have said the residents will be moved gradually to newly completed, organised camps.

Journalists were barred from the camp, stopped at a police roadblock a miles away on a highway junction leading to the nearby village of Idomeni.

Twenty buses carrying various riot police units were seen heading to the area while a police helicopter observed from above.

More than 54,000 refugees and migrants have been trapped in financially struggling Greece since Balkan and European countries shut their land borders to a massive flow of people escaping war and poverty at home.

The vast majority are from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nearly a million people have passed through Greece, most arriving on islands from the nearby Turkish coast.

In March, the European Union reached an agreement with Turkey meant to stem the flow and reduce the number of people undertaking the short but perilous sea crossing to Greece, where many have died after their overcrowded boats sank.

Under the deal, anyone arriving clandestinely on Greek islands from the Turkish coast after March 18 faces deportation back to Turkey unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece.

But few want to request asylum in the country, which has been struggling with a six-year financial crisis that has left unemployment hovering at around 24%.

The government has been trying to persuade people staying in Idomeni, who include hundreds of families with young children, to leave the area and head to organised camps.

This week it said its campaign of voluntary evacuations was already working, with police reporting that eight buses carrying about 400 people left Idomeni on Sunday.

Others took taxis heading to the country's main northern city of Thessaloniki or a nearby town of Polycastro.

On the eve of the evacuation operation, few at the camp appeared to welcome the news.

Abdo Rajab, a 22-year-old refugee from Raqqa in Syria, has spent the past three months in Idomeni, and is now considering paying smugglers to be taken to Germany clandestinely.

"We hear that tomorrow we will all go to camps," he said. "I don't mind, but my aim is not reach the camps but to go Germany."
A Slovakian model accused of killing a British millionaire at his luxury home in Spain broke down as images of her former partner's body were shown in court.

Mayka Kukucova was escorted from the courtroom at the Ciudad de la Justicia in Malaga on the second day of her trial, where she is charged with murdering former jewellery store owner Andrew Bush, from Bristol.

The 26-year-old said Mr Bush began to "shout" at her, "hit" her and "shot at" her when he returned to the house unexpectedly after a trip while Kukucova was collecting her things on April 4, 2014.

Her defence said "she shot him" during a violent struggle, but Kukucova insisted she did not realise the 48-year-old was dead.

Giving their evidence today, forensic medics showed the court images of Mr Bush's body, explaining that he had suffered three gunshot wounds.

They said the third, to Mr Bush's head, was the cause of his death.

Kukucova, speaking only to answer questions from her lawyer translated into Slovakian, said she fled the luxury mansion near Marbella on the Costa del Sol in Mr Bush's Hummer.

She then abandoned the 4x4 - which was found close to a nearby hospital two days later - and made her way to Madrid, where she met her boyfriend.

The pair took a bus to France and then to Slovakia, where she handed herself in to police.

She was detained on suspicion of "consumed intentional homicide", before being extradited back to Spain.

Kukucova has not entered a formal plea.

On Tuesday, the prosecution suggested she may have been still in love with Mr Bush.

One lawyer asked her: "Were you jealous after seeing pictures of Mr Bush together with his new girlfriend online?"

A police officer, who attended the scene on April 4, told the court he found Mr Bush's body "face down on the floor, near the front door".

He said: "There was blood everywhere. A revolver was in his left hand."

The forensic medic said that when he arrived at the scene he had heard about a possible suicide.

But he added: "I only had to take one look to tell the police that this was not a suicide."
In a research note published yesterday, analyst Emer Lang said the home loan lender will have a return on equity of 2.3% and 3.7% in 2017 and 2018.

That compares with valuations on European banks which suggest they currently have much higher returns on equity.

Shares in PTSB  in which the Government sold a 25% stake to investors over a year ago  have been under pressure for some time.

Nonetheless, PTSB shares climbed 6% yesterday to 200 cent, but are down over 56% since the start of the year.

The slide quickened in the last three weeks since it became clear that Fianna Fail, with the support of Sinn Fein and other deputies, would secure the support in the Dail to legislate to empower the Central Bank to impose some sort of controls over mortgage rates.

PTSB could have the most to lose if the legislation were to pass into law, because it is the most exposed to mortgage lending of the Irish banks bailed out during the crisis.

Fiona Hayes at Cantor Fitzgerald said the shares had been oversold in recent weeks.

Ms Lang at Davy said that while the mortgaging pricing environment remains a downside risk to the banks margins, and while legislation to cap mortgage rates remains on the table, the passing into law of the legislation is likely to be drawn out.

PTSBs plans to sell off the remainder of its UK lending book, CHL, will boost the lender even though the disposal will likely be delayed to next year, she said.

However, intensifying mortgage pricing pressures will continue to weigh, driving our 2018 return on equity  adjusted for surplus capital  from 5% to 3.75%  versus 8.4% a year ago, the Davy analyst said.

Factors which are largely outside the banks control include a disproportionate regulatory cost burden  up to 62m per annum  increased political-competitive pressure on mortgage rates, and the impact of a Brexit-driven delay in deleveraging its residual UK portfolio, she said.
The written proposal to Monsanto offered $122 a share in cash, Leverkusen-based Bayer said yesterday.

Its shares dropped as much as 4.1%, extending losses since the potential deal was first revealed.

Monsanto shares posted muted gains, rising 6% to $107.67, signaling investors remain sceptical about the deal.

I dont think they will get it at $122 because I dont think Monsanto will accept that price, said Andrea Williams at Royal London Asset Management.

Buying St Louis-based Monsanto would allow Bayer to tap growing demand at a time when farmers must boost productivity to feed an estimated 10bn people globally by 2050.

Bayer chief executive Werner Baumann is hoping that rationale will win over sceptical investors  and overcome a public backlash in Germany against Monsantos genetically modified seeds  as he seeks to pull off the biggest corporate takeover ever by a German company after less than a month at the helm.

The offer represents a 37% premium to the May 9 closing price.

A similar deal earlier this year suggests Bayer would need to offer $145 a share for Monsanto, according to an analyst.

The stock plunged by the most in seven years last week when it confirmed having made an offer, without disclosing the financial details.

What we saw last week was an uneducated reaction in the media and the press because we did not communicate the details of our proposal, Mr Baumann said yesterday.

We are utterly convinced of the rationale of the proposal, he said.
Santander InnoVentures, the Spanish banks fintech venture capital fund, last year estimated blockchain technology could save banks up to $20bn (17.86bn) a year.

Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology which allows multiple users to manipulate data in a secure way without the need for a central authority, or middle man, to approve the changes.

In financial services, for example, trades are often verified by central clearinghouses which typically take a fee and can take days to process the transactions.

Cutting out those time and cost constraints could yield significant benefits for financial services companies and, by extension, cities with strong financial sectors, according to PwC Europe, Middle East and Asia blockchain leader Steve Webb.

Dublins International IFSC is among the global hubs well-positioned to capitalise on this latest disruptive technology, he said.

Dublin obviously has a very successful role to play in the finance community and if you look at the potential benefits for fund management and actually the service providers that service funds, theres any number of potential business use cases.

Theres the whole clearing and settlement use case and the transfer agency, for example.

For places like Dublin, one of the first things to think about is where have you already got a beneficial community; a community which has a unique benefit and is to an extent a global centre and what some of the activities that could be explored?

For Dublin, I would have said funds is definitely an area to look at because some of the other centres like Luxembourg will also be looking, Mr Webb said.
The Italian-US carmaker said all its vehicles meet European rules after Bild am Sonntag reported that Germanys Federal Motor Transport Authority determined the carmaker allegedly used illegal software to manipulate emissions controls.

Fiat Chrysler dropped up to 5.9% to 5.94, the lowest intraday price since late February, at one stage in Milan trading yesterday. That made Italys FTSE MIB Index the days worst performer in Europe.

A dispute between German regulators and the Fiat came to a head last week, when Fiat refused to meet German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt to discuss findings of an emissions probe and his Italian counterpart told Dobrindt to effectively leave Fiat alone.

Under EU rules, Italy is responsible for testing Fiat cars because the carmakers regional operations are centred in the country, a regulation that the manufacturer reiterated through a spokesman yesterday.

If the Italian authorities are content with Fiats vehicles then, unless the German authorities can demonstrate to the Italians that they are missing something in their interpretation, we dont expect any repercussions for the car maker, Arndt Ellinghorst, an analyst at Evercore ISI in London, wrote in a report to clients.

Volkswagens revelation in September after a US probe that it rigged diesel-engine software to pass official tests has put the car industrys credibility under tighter scrutiny.

The scandal prompted Germany to set up a commission to look into emissions readings across all manufacturers.

Mitsubishi Motors recently acknowledged separately that it manipulated fuel-economy tests on vehicles in Japan, and Daimler is checking for possible irregularities in its model certifications at the behest of the US Department of Justice.

The German Transport Ministry said on Sunday in response to the Bild report that after Fiat refused to give an opinion before the inquiry commission, the motor transport authority, or KBA, relayed measurement data to its counterpart in Italy and the European Commission.

The Italian model-approval authorities are called upon to assess the results and to take action, the German ministry said.

Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that Volkswagen plans to abandon centralised decisionmaking in a new strategy being unveiled in mid-June to rebound from its emissions-cheating scandal, acccording to excerpts of a speech from an internal management meeting at the carmakers Wolfsburg headquarters. n Bloomberg
More than 76,000 options on the Ftse 100 Index changed hands on average each day this month through the end of last week, the most in six years.

Traders are pricing in a 20% jump in UK equity volatility through June.

With Bank of England governor Mark Carney saying this month that leaving the EU could lead to a UK recession, global fund managers have become even more wary of a market that was already their least favoured.

Their allocation to the UKs equities has fallen to the lowest levels since 2008, according to a Bank of America survey published last week.

Investors are extremely anxious about Brexit, said Guy Foster, the head of research at Brewin Dolphin in London.

Nobody wants to own anything UK-facing going into the referendum.

Even as polls suggest the campaign to remain in the EU is winning, the Bank of America report showed that investors consider the issue the biggest tail risk in the world.

Sterling, whose plunge this year has helped make the Ftse 100 one of the regions best-performing gauges, is near the most undervalued its ever been, the note said.

There are many people who, even if you told them the outcome of the vote, dont know what the impact will be, said Ben Kumar, an investment manager at Seven Investment Management in London.

There is no consensus, and its very difficult to position most portfolios for that, he said.

A measure of Ftse 100 volatility expectations has jumped almost 40% since March, while actual market swings have dropped.

Eight of the 10 most-owned options on the index are bearish.

Bank of England officials have said the weakening economy may not be due only to Brexit concerns.

A report last week revealed signs of cooling in the labour market, with job creation in the first quarter running at a fraction of the pace seen at the end of 2015.

Credit Suisse said the following day that investment and employment decisions being postponed until after the June 23 vote partly explain the slowdown.

Morgan Stanley warned UK and European equities could fall as much as 20% in the event of Britain exiting the union.
Investment company D2 Private Ltd and its director and owner, Deirdre Foley, sought permission to bring proceedings after inspectors appointed by the Workplace Relations Committee, along with gardai, entered the firms offices at Harcourt Terrace in Dublin last Thursday.

Mr Justice Anthony Hunt yesterday gave D2 Private permission to challenge the inspectors rights to enter its premises and take certain documents and material, saying he was satisfied the company had an arguable case.

The judge said the permission did not mean D2 Private would succeed in its challenge.

The court heard last Friday that the inspectors were appointed by the Workplace Relations Commission after the Dublin stores closure in June 2015, shortly after its sale by its previous owners, the Gordon Brothers Group, to Natrium Ltd.

Eoin McCullough SC, for D2 Private, said Natrium is a joint venture made up of D2 Private Ltd and Cheyne Capital Management in the UK.

Approximately 460 people, either directly employed by Clerys or by various concession holders in the store, lost their jobs.

Counsel said that, as part of their investigation, the two inspectors rely on certain provisions of the 1977 Protection of Employment Act and the 2015 Workplace Relations Act, including powers to enter premises and take documents.

After entering D2 Privates offices last week, the inspectors demanded to be furnished with certain books and records and a laptop belonging to a company employee.

The laptop was taken by the inspectors, the court heard.

The documents include correspondence the company had with parties including the liquidators and directors of OCS Operations, the company that operated Clerys before Natrium acquired it.

Ms Foley and D2 Private reject the inspectors assertions that they have the power to enter the premises or to lawfully take the computer or materials sought.

Barrister Breffni Gordon, for the jobs minister, who has responsibility for the Commission, said his client opposes the application.

He said the investigation was being conducted to see if a criminal prosecution should be brought arising out of the redundancies.

Last Friday, Judge Hunt accepted an undertaking that the laptop would be kept by a solicitor for the Department and not interfered with pending further court order.
A spokesperson for Texas-based Phillips 66 said that the sales process is ongoing, saying that it had attracted strong interest to date.

The sale will be closed if appropriate value is achieved and provided government approvals are received.

The Irish Examiner last week revealed that a number of firms had expressed an interest in the refinery, including Canadian company Irving Oil, private equity firm ArcLight Capital, PTF PlusOne and Valero Energy.

Family-owned Irving Oil is believed to be in pole position and remain the most likely winning bidder.

Irvings interest in Whitegate could stem from the refinerys potential to act as a supplier of feedstock crude oil for its other operations, according to an industry expert.

Global energy consultancy firm FGE Energys head of refining Steve Sawyer said keeping feedstock costs down could be partly behind Irvings interest in the refinery.

Whitegate is a very simple refinery and something like a third of its output is fuel oil.

"In a bit more detail, thats low sulphur, straight-run residue which is a very good feedstock  and I wouldnt be at all surprised if Irving looks to that refinery to supply some of its feedstock needs, Mr Sawyer said.

Mr Sawyer said the rationale for Irvings interest in the refinery was the clearest of all the companies thought to be on Phillips 66s shortlist.

Using Whitegate to give feedstock would mean the refinery staying in operation.

Mr Sawyer warned, however, that Phillips 66 will want the best value, not necessarily maintaining the highest number of jobs, unfortunately.

A spokesperson for P66 declined to comment when asked if a commitment had been sought from potential bidders that the refinery would remain operational and jobs maintained as part of any deal.

About 160 employees and a further 130 contractors are employed at Whitegate.

The other most likely option for the future of Whitegate is to close the facility and use it as a storage terminal which would result in the loss of most if not all jobs.

Turning the refinery into a biodiesel plant as has happened elsewhere across Europe could be another way of ensuring Whitegates future but this seems unlikely given the shortlist of interested parties.

I must admit, another option for me [is] whether the facilities there could be turned into a biodiesel operation a bit like Total are doing to some of their refineries in Europe; turning them into a biodiesel operation in Europe, the FGE analyst said.

French oil company, Total, Europes biggest refiner, last year announced its intention to convert its La Mede refinery into a biorefinery as part of a 200m investment.

Mr Sawyer said that none of the parties understood to be interested in Whitegate has a track record in such transformations, however, and added that it would be an entirely new venture for them.

The refinery has been on the market since November 2015 when Phillips 66 again decided to seek a buyer having pulled the plug on an earlier sales process the previous year due to a lack of interest.
Meagan Richards was celebrating her graduation from the University of Texas in Austin when she had a bit of a mishap with a graduation cap.

The student was filming fireworks at the end of graduation day, as she did so some students in front of her performed the traditional cap toss and unfortunately for Meagan she took one of them right into the face.
The Bord Bia-managed national sustainability programme for the food and drink industry was launched in 2012.

It has grown and developed to include over 50,000 farmer members and over 500 food and drink manufacturers.

The programme sets out Irelands ambition to become a world leader in the delivery of sustainable, high-quality food and drink products.

Musgrave chief executive Chris Martin said as a family business it is determined to leave a positive and lasting legacy for future generations.

At Musgrave, we are focused on growing good business through long-term partnerships that achieve sustainable, profitable returns, enrich everyday lives and contribute to a healthier, more prosperous and environmentally-conscious society, he said.

Musgrave said it is committed to build on its sustainability credentials and to achieve measurable targets in key areas.

Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter said the recognition of Musgrave as the first retail verified member of Origin Green marks a new milestone in the programmes development.

As the worlds first national sustainability programme, its extension to the retail sector opens up new opportunities to build on the sustainability of the Irish supply chain from farm to fork, he said.

Musgrave and its retail partners support more than 45,000 jobs in over 1,400 stores and offices across seven brands in three markets, with total retail sales of 4.4bn.
Using 2011 census figures, the Housing Agency has estimated that 230,056 houses are unoccupied in this country. Meanwhile, there are 6,000 homeless people, including 2,000 children, and 150,000 on the local authority housing waiting lists.

According to new figures from Focus Ireland, 366 families and 731 children in Dublin have become homeless in the first four months of this year alone.

In Paris, London, and the US, property owners face tax penalties if they leave properties vacant over a long period; these penalties increase with each year of vacancy. Minister for Housing Simon Coveney said the Government may well look at using the tax system to penalise the owners of vacant homes when it publishes its housing strategy in July.

Conor Skehan, chairman of the Housing Agency, described the vacant homes as an enormous stock of houses that already exist.

We have to try to find a way to work in an integrated way to see what we can do to use these houses quickly [to help solve the housing crisis], he said.

Mr Skehan said that, aside from offering refurbishment grants, the Government should consider offering short-term taxation breaks to house owners that rent out vacant property.

He said vacant houses were a normal part of a housing market but that Irish vacancy levels were above normal and that there were complex reasons behind this such as delays in repairs, conveyancy, connection to services, or that they were in an area where people do not want or need houses.

Mike allen, Focus Ireland

Focus Ireland director of advocacy Mike Allen said he was concerned that, with the high tourist season about to begin, we may soon hear of a family sleeping in a park as they can not access emergency accommodation. He also expressed concern that the Government still is not grasping the scale of this problem and how fast its deteriorating.

Mr Allen called for a moratorium on evictions as, if they continue at this rate, the consequences will be appalling. He also said the sale of housing to vulture funds and the high volume of rental properties being repossessed has to be addressed. The 15% increase in rent allowance was described as too little too late.

A total of 125 families became homeless in Dublin in January, 83 in February, 84 in March, and 74 in April.

The latest increase last month brings the total number of families living in emergency accommodation in Dublin to a record 888 with 1786 children.

Responding on RTE Radio to the homeless figures, which he described as totally unacceptable, Mr Coveney said that, of the 12,000 houses built in Dublin last year, virtually none of them were available for less than 300,000 and yet this was all that 40% of buyers could afford. Therefore, he said, there is a mismatch in the types of houses for sale and market needs.

The Housing Agency hosts its annual conference at Dublin Castle today. This years event will examine how to achieve affordability in the Irish housing market.
Ciara Byrne called the Neil Prendeville Show on Corks RedFM to say that she is slowly coming to terms with the loss of her partner Diarmuid Twomey. When her daughters Lily and Katie, aged four and two, call out for him she tells them that Daddy got lost in the dark and went to heaven.

What happened is nothing more than a tragic accident. It appears he got hypothermia and wasnt in his right senses. The outcome was devastating for us all especially considering where he was found. As time goes on you never really forget it, you just learn to live with it. He will be forever in our hearts and always with us.
It said the Government must significantly increase the public capital programme to get the projects off the ground.

An analysis by Construction Information Services of the top 100 infrastructure projects shows how the recession had ravaged capital investment.

On average, projects have been delayed for three to four years. The projects range from national infrastructure like Dublin Airport to waterworks and roadwork improvements.

Other projects analysed are essential flood defences for towns along the Shannon that should begin immediately. Federation director general Tom Parlon said that the costof about 60% of the projects amounted to 6bn alone  a significant proportion of the Governments 27bn public capital programme.

Mr Parlon said the federation was hoping to engage with the Government in the coming months to develop alternative sources of funding for infrastructure.

Considering that there is only a 10bn allocation for transport, the Construction Industry Federation believes that a number of these essential projects are at risk of being delayed indefinitely, he said.

The negative impacts on job creation, balanced regional development and the attraction of foreign direct investment to Cork, Limerick, and Waterford will transform the two-tier recovery into a permanent two-tier economy.

A significant expansion of the road network occurred during the 1990s and the 2000s, particularly the development of motorways.

The completion of the regional network connecting urban centres like Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Sligo must happen, said Mr Parlon.

The Government has had ambitious plans to increase housing supply up to 25,000 each year by 2020 but without an increase in investment in infrastructure, there was a risk that the houses would be inadequately serviced by road, rail, water, and broadband.

We risk creating unsustainable ghost communities in the regions. Unfortunately, reallocating investment from capital projects, like national roads, rail and air transport, to housing- related infrastructure will only exacerbate this issue, said Mr Parlon.

The EU Commission recently identified significant infrastructural deficiencies in transport, water, and housing because of a decline in investment.
The Impact union is also calling on management at the organisation to engage with staff over proposed restructuring plans.

Five of the six staff at Childminding Ireland were issued with individual redundancy notices approximately six weeks ago, even though Impact says the State-funded body is not experiencing financial difficulties and has produced no business plan to justify redundancies.

In a statement last night, Bernadette Burke, Childminding Ireland CEO, said they were undergoing a restructuring and that all staff have been invited to apply for roles in the new structure.

However the total number of new posts is less than the current staffing numbers, so unfortunately there will be some redundancies.

Ms Burke said Childminding remains committed to resolving this dispute through agreement if possible.

Impact official Barry Cunningham said the union believes Childminding Ireland is illegally threatening redundancies to force staff out of their jobs before replacing them with others.

He said while management claims the staff will be able to apply for as-yet-unspecified new roles in a restructured organisation, the union believes the new roles will be constructed to exclude them.

Childminding Ireland is a representative body, not a childcare provider. Yet it has indicated that it will, in future, insist that administrative, communications, and accounts staff have childcare qualifications, said Mr Cunningham.

There is no objective reason for this. The real rationale is simply to get rid of the well-qualified and loyal staff they currently have.

Impact has issued Childminding Ireland with notice that the industrial action will commence on June 7.

It says this allows management a final opportunity to resolve the issue through negotiations in the Workplace Relations Commission.
TDs are due to begin debating the OHiggins report in the Dail tomorrow, but Ms OSullivan has yet to clarify her position despite calls to do so from opposition parties and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

Ms Fitzgerald has reiterated her view that the Garda commissioner will clarify the instructions she gave to her legal team regarding Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe.

Opposition TDs have said Ms OSullivan should make a statement in advance of the two-day Dail debate on the OHiggins report.

The Irish Examiner has reported on revelations that Ms OSullivans legal counsel sought on numerous occasions to challenge Sgt McCabes integrity and motivations for coming forward. However, after attempts to discredit the whistleblower, her legal team later said they would no longer be pursuing this line.

Yesterday, both Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein reiterated calls for clarity from Ms OSullivan on the issue.

Fianna Fail justice spokesman Jim OCallaghan said: I think it should be clarified. While we dont have all the papers there appear to be inconsistencies there.

It would be beneficial for her, beneficial for the report, the general public, and the entire process.

Sinn Feins Jonathan OBrien said: Its going to be increasingly difficult for her to maintain any public confidence. In my opinion she needs to come out as quickly as possible to clarify the situation.

She is going be the person who is tasked with reforming the culture within the gardai and will also be responsible for implementing the recommendations in the report.

To have some credibility she is going to have to rectify or at least clarify the media report, said Mr OBrien.

It had been expected that Ms OSullivan would make another statement after Ms Fitzgerald told the Dail last week that it would be helpful in terms of answering some of the points made by the deputy.

It is understood there were intense communications between Garda headquarters and the Department of Justice late last week in a bid to craft a statement.

But there have been concerns around the breeching of client-lawyer privilege.

Mr OBrien yesterday questioned this as he said Ms OSullivan had sought legal advice in her position as Garda commissioner and not in a private capacity.
Ministers will also discuss a memo on the new budget process. This system which is part of the programme for government aims to give parliamentary ownership and more transparency to the budget system.

Health Minister Simon Harris is to bring a motion for approval by Cabinet to allow for the establishment of an all-party group to come up with a 10-year plan for the health service.

Welcoming the move Social Democrats joint leader Roisin Shortall said the motion is broadly based on one which was circulated and signed by 89 TDs last week.

The fundamental basis of this motion was to form an All-Party Committee that would report within six months with a view to agreeing a 10-year strategy, said Ms Shortall.

This strategy would have the ultimate goal of achieving a single-tier universally accessible health service while switching the emphasis to a primary care model of healthcare.

The amendments proposed by the minister to do not alter that premise and therefore we are happy that he seeks Cabinet approval for the motion and agreement on the establishment of the All-Party Committee at the earliest opportunity.

Ministers are also due to discuss water charges at todays meeting with fine Gael tabling a counter motion to a Sinn Fein motion to scrap Irish Water. Yesterday, junior minister John Halligan first said he would likely be supporting the opposition motion, but later rowed back on this after viewing Fine Gaels counter motion.

Separately, Taoiseach Enda Kenny is expected to announce 11 nominations to the Seanad later this week.

Among those tipped for positions in the Upper House are former health minster James Reilly, who lost his Dail seat in the general election.

If appointed to the Seanad, Mr Reilly could stay on as deputy leader of the Fine Gael parliamentary party.

There is also speculation that Averil Power will be chosen after Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone lobbied for her nomination. The former Fianna Fail TD competed for but missed out on a seat in both the general and Seanad elections.

Other names being tipped for a Seanad nomination are Anne Marie Dermody, who ran for the Dail in Dublin South West, as well as Sean Barrett, Paudie Coffey, and Michelle Mulherin.
To his shock, Cork East candidate for the Social Democrats Ken Curtin was removed recently from the reading rota at Cobh Cathedral by its administrator, Fr John Mc Carthy.

He went public on the row and yesterday had a very fruitful meeting with the Bishop of Cloyne, William Crean, who was unaware of Fr Mc Carthys move before he heard about it in the media.

Bishop Willliam Crean and Mr Curtin, a committed Catholic, spent just under an hour discussing Mr Curtins issues with the Churchs blanket opposition to abortion.

We didnt reach a firm conclusion but I got a good opportunity to present my case and the bishop listened. He meanwhile re-iterated how the right to life is a core Church belief,  he said.

However, Bishop Crean said he would like Fr McCarthy to be present when any final decision is agreed around Mr Curtins future as a minister of the word.

I'd a fruitful pastoral meeting with Bishop Crean today. We will be meeting again on Wednesday afternoon when Fr. John will also be present.  Ken Curtin    (@kencurtin) May 23, 2016

Mr Curtin, who stood for the Social Democrats in the most recent election, said Bishop Crean did not express an opinion around abortion in the case of fatal foetal abnormalities or around the grounds for abortion in a pregnancy caused by rape.

The former branch secretary of Cobhs Fianna Fail cumann said he has received a lot of support from priests outside the diocese who also believe the Church should not be alienating Mass-goers.

Mr Curtin had expressed fears that Fr McCarthys decision could set a national precedent for ministers of the word, ministers of the eucharists, and choirs and would be a retrograde step when Mass attendance is falling.

He said while he may have campaigned for a yes vote in the same-sex marriage referendum and joined a party that is seeking a repeal of the Eighth Amendment, his faith is important to him.

Im not a holy Joe but I am religious compared to most of my peers. I have a deep faith and am active in my Church and I have a major interest in scripture, he said.

Reverend James Moore, the Cloyne diocesan secretary was also present at the meeting.

Last night he said that it was a cordial and fruitful meeting , pastoral in nature and confirmed that the two men will meet again with Fr John McCarthy. Mr Curtin stood as a candidate in the Cork East constituency, but failed to be elected.

He also campaigned for a yes vote in the marriage equality referendum.
The Democratic presidential hopeful called on the incumbent Barack Obama to refuse a licence to Dublin-based low-cost carrier Norwegian Air International (NAI) to operate transatlantic flights from Ireland under the terms of the EU-US Open Skies Agreement.

This is despite her welcoming the Open Skies Agreement in 2011 when, as secretary of state, she said restrictive inter-government deals before the landmark agreement had stifled competition. They kept airlines from entering certain markets. They forced shipping companies to fly inefficient routes with half-empty airplanes. And, by stifling competition, they kept air fares artificially high, she had said.

However, over the weekend, Ms Clinton added her voice to the mounting movement against NAIs plans to operate a Cork to Boston service this year, and a Cork to New York service next year, citing concerns about NAIs practices and plans.

Hillary Clinton urges the Obama administration against moving forward with final approval of Norwegian Air Internationals application, Hillary for America labour campaign director Nikki Budzinski said in a statement.

Too many questions have been raised about NAIs practices and plans.

Her intervention has been viewed as a significant setback in the Irish and EU campaign to secure the new service from Cork Airport.

The US Department of Transportation (DoT) tentatively approved NAIs licence application last month, triggering a consultation process which concluded last week. It was hoped a final decision on the licence would be made in a matter of weeks.

Concerns are mounting that the increased political opposition to NAI could delay the decision, and threaten the already postponed launch of the Cork to Boston service.

Ms Clintons intervention came just weeks after her rival for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination, Bernie Sanders, also called for NAIs licence application to be refused.

Norwegian Air Internationals attempt to undermine international labour laws by outsourcing cheap labour from Thailand and other low-wage countries is unacceptable, said Mr Sanders.

We must do everything we can to prevent a global race to the bottom in the airline industry.

Mr Sanders was echoing critics of NAI who have repeatedly accused the Irish-based airline of operating under a flag of convenience in an attempt to skirt more stringent Norwegian labour and tax laws.

NAIs opponents have claimed the airline will undermine competition by hiring pilots contracted through Asia, where labour costs are lower.

The airline has repeatedly denied the claims and said it has given written guarantees to the US DoT that it will only hire US and EU staff.

It has also pointed out the DoT has found it to be fully compliant with the terms and conditions of the Open Skies Agreement.

Norwegian is confident the DoT will approve NAIs application, said a spokesman. Approval of NAI will result in more US aviation sector jobs, enable Norwegian to expand its already large pool of American crew, and deliver much-needed competition and affordable fares to consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
A new infrastructure fund is to be set up by the Government to provide local authorities with finance for building roads and bridges to access landbanks to be used for social housing.

The Government will also provide experts to help local authorities speed up designs for such projects.

They are among the proposals Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney is examining for a new housing strategy to be published at the end of July.

It will first prioritise tackling homelessness and also powering up the construction sector to rebalance the lack of proper, affordable housing over the next three years.

Mr Coveney outlined some of the proposals when he met with city and county councillors in Cork yesterday. He plans to task all local authorities to come up with action plans which would feed into the new national strategy.

He said there were around 240,000 vacant homes in Ireland, the majority of which are owned by the private sector. Vacancy and dereliction are issues the minister wants addressed swiftly. Mr Coveney said emergency accommodation, in particular, would have to be built in Dublin and surrounding counties along with Cork.

He spoke as figures released by Focus Ireland showed 74 families were homeless in Dublin in April. The increase brought the total number of families living in emergency accommodation in Dublin to a record 888, with 1,786 affected.

The minister said a new strategy will also be drawn up for population growth in Cork, Waterford, and Limerick and is demanding that houses of the right quality be constructed in the right places. This new planning framework will be launched next summer and will replace the national spatial strategy.

Mr Coveney said he would also consider introducing emergency powers as a last resort to ensure the housing crisis was tackled.

His target is 25,000-35,000 new housing units built per year over the next few years. About 22,000, it is envisaged, will be provided by local authorities and voluntary housing agencies. He indicated some properties could also be acquired through lease from the private sector.

The minister also pointed to plans for strategic development zoning (SDZ) to ensure large scale housing projects are processed faster, but also to ensure houses are built in the right places and with a proper mixture of public and privately-owned homes. My priority is to give housing the priority it deserves at budget time. Im looking for an ambitious plan which is realistic, said Mr Coveney.

He said there was also potential to free up student accommodation and to provide downsized properties for elderly couples with grown-up children in order to free up family homes.

We have a lot of work to do to get back to a normal situation and rents becoming affordable. There was a 16% growth in rent in Cork city in the last year, which is unsustainable, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Coveney said he was embarking on a significant review of commercial rates.

Furthermore, the minister said he was looking at introducing incentives for businesses to locate in disadvantaged areas.
Following separate investigations by the office of the Data Protection Commissioner they had pleaded guilty to the offences at Dublin District Court in April.

Yesterday, Judge William Hamill noted they complied with orders made on the last date for The Irish Times Ltd to give 3,000 to suicide prevention charity Pieta House and Littlewoods to donate 5,000 to the same cause. After being furnished with the receipts, he struck out the cases.

At the original hearing last month, Tony Delaney, Assistant Data Protection Commissioner, told the court the important message for companies involved in electronic marketing is that there has to be robust testing of technology behind their databases.

The offence, which falls under the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Privacy and Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011, can result in a criminal conviction and a fine of up to 5,000 per incident.

Mr Delaney had told the court that a woman, who had an account with online retailer Littlewoods, had opted out of receiving their marketing emails. However, she continued to get more of them and, in 2014, the data protection watchdog gave them a warning, after which they agreed to donate 2,500.

The emails resumed last year when two more were received by the woman. One of them was a marketing email titled show how super your mother is offering a Mothers Day bargain.

The woman had been inadvertently opted back in to receive messages. As a consequence, she received more emails after she thought the problem had been resolved. It also caused a credibility issue for the office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Mr Delaney said.

Littlewoods counsel, Shelley Horan BL, said it was an accident and the company co-operated with the investigation and also entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity. Counsel said Littlewoods addressed the issue and agreed to pay 1,078 prosecution costs.

In relation to The Irish Times Ltd, the Assistant Data Protection Commissioner had told the court a man subscribed to the Get Swimming weekly newsletter but, after three or four issues, opted out last year and received a confirmation email. However, he received the next issue and then made several further attempts to unsubscribe.

After a number of weeks of still receiving the newsletter, he contacted the customer care team. Later, he received an email with a promotional offer and another newsletter. Mr Delaney said the man found it distressing and 64 other users were also affected but the fault had been corrected.

Defence counsel Eoghan Cole had said The Irish Times Ltd was disappointed to find itself before the court and accepted it had fallen short of the required standard. He also asked the court to note that costs would be paid and they had co-operated fully. Steps were taken to remedy the problem which was caused by human error, counsel had said.
Mr Kelly, the former environment minister, claimed she only pulled back when Brendan Howlin threatened to withdraw from the race.

Ms OSullivan denied any suggestion she was set to support her colleague until the ultimatum was made, as the fallout from the replacement of Joan Burton continued to engulf the party yesterday.

Speaking on Tipp FM in his first substantial public comments since his failed attempt to become leader on Friday, Mr Kelly said Ms OSullivan wanted to facilitate a contest to ensure grassroots supporters had their say.

Mr Kelly failed to force a leadership race as he did not gain any backing from Labours six other TDs. He said Ms OSullivan told him on numerous occasions she wanted a contest, but that Mr Howlins desire for a consensus candidate meant she ultimately pulled back from offering support.

Mr Kelly said: Its very clear that one particular TD wanted to facilitate a contest. Jan told me on numerous occasions that she favoured a contest. I mean, she might have supported Brendan but she favoured a contest.

With myself and Brendan putting our names forward, it really fell to three TDs [Ms OSullivan, Brendan Ryan, and Sean Sherlock, as outgoing leader Joan Burton and chairman Willie Penrose were not publicly backing any candidate] to make a decision for 4,000 people. They didnt want to be disenfranchised.

A senior party source said Mr Kelly was adamant he only lost support after Mr Howlin told a private parliamentary party meeting last week that he would not run if a second candidate emerged.

However, Ms OSullivan last night told the Irish Examiner: I never told Alan Kelly I would second him. I supported the person I believed was best for the job.

Speaking on Newstalk yesterday, Mr Howlin also denied claims he gave TDs an ultimatum, saying while a consensus candidate was discussed among TDs, he never said he would withdraw his candidacy if he did not get his way.

Asked if he told Ms OSullivan specifically that if one of you guys nominates or seconds Alan Kelly Im out of here, Mr Howlin said: I didnt hear Jan say that and that would not be the character of our discussion. I did put forward the notion that we should have a consensus and I wanted that consensus to be unanimous.

Both Mr Kelly and Mr Howlin said yesterday they want the drama of recent days to end, with Mr Kelly saying that was last Friday, Im moving on, I think Brendan will be a very good leader.

However, Mr Kelly admitted he was upset at the outcome and criticised the partys internal rules for preventing the voices of 4,000 grassroots members from being heard.

He said he did not turn up for Mr Howlins announcement as leader last week because it would have taken focus away from the Wexford TD.

The fallout from the Labour leadership race is expected to be raised in an internal meeting between Mr Howlin and Mr Kelly this week, where they are set to discuss the latters future role in the party.

Mr Howlin stressed yesterday that their relationship is strong and not pugilistic.
The newly appointed junior jobs minister said he was not influenced in any way, after it emerged he held talks with Housing Minister Simon Coveney and Alliance TD Shane Ross just hours before the row-back occurred.

Moments after 39 Right2Water TDs consisting of Sinn Fein, the Anti-Austerity Alliance, People before Profit, and opposition Independents published a motion to scrap Irish Water  to be discussed tonight and tomorrow  Mr Halligan said he was strongly considering whether to support the plan.

The Waterford TD told Today FM: I think I will be voting in favour of it [the motion] because I dont think its [Irish Water] fit for purpose.

Mr Halligan said this was possible, because, under the agreement with Fine Gael, Independent Alliance TDs have to have a vote of conscience and, in conscience, I dont agree with Irish Water.

However, just hours later the junior jobs minister  who has faced criticism over whether he should take up the role, as he is not paying water charges  said he will now support the Fine Gael-led Government position.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Halligan said this was because Ive already said I will support the programme for government and he insisted his change of mind is not a climbdown, as water charges will be abolished.

He said he held a meeting with fellow Independent Alliance TD Shane Ross  who could not be contacted last night  after the motion was published, but stressed his colleague did not tell him to back out of plans.

Nobody tells me what to do, he said.

Mr Halligans change of view  which also followed a phonecall from Mr Coveney  means the new Government, which has just one seat more than needed under its minority deal with Fianna Fail, has avoided a third threat to its stability just three weeks after forming.

However, despite the avoidance of another high-profile clash, Labour leader Brendan Howlin yesterday said the new coalition is intrinsically unstable and that any significant issue will knock it over.

The Right2Water TDs motion will be put before the Dail tonight before it is voted on tomorrow. It calls for Government to immediately abolish the fees and set a date for a referendum preventing future water privatisation.

Fine Gael will put down a counter motion supporting the existing plan to allow an independent commission to review water charges, while Fianna Fail last night put down a similar but separate counter motion to avoid being seen to vote with Government.

Sinn Fein TD Eoin O Broin and Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy yesterday denied the Right2Water motion  which cannot be passed without Fianna Fails support  was focussed on causing divisions within Government rather than scrapping charges.

Mr Murphy told reporters: Its a sign of how cynical politics is that this is seen as a manoeuvre.
The 38-year-old woman, who is from the UK, has already been found not guilty of sexual assault relating to allegations she had sex or simulated sex with her child when he was between six and seven.

On Friday, the jury convicted the womans 64-year-old partner, also from the UK, of nine counts of raping his son from the age of six years old and child cruelty. They acquitted him of raping the child with a poker.

The child gave evidence that it was his father who raped and beat him and locked him in a box for six hours. The charge of cruelty which the woman was convicted of was a general charge of allowing the abuse to happen at the hands of her partner.

The boys father faced nine counts of raping the boy, nine counts of raping the boy with a poker and one count of cruelty.

The mother faced two counts of sexual assault relating to allegations she had sex with the boy and one count of cruelty.

Both parents had pleaded not guilty to the allegations which are alleged to have occurred between 2009 and 2011 in their Waterford home. The parents had originally faced a total of 82 charges but 60 of these were withdrawn last week following legal argument.

After the jury delivered its final verdict, Mr Justice Robert Eagar indicated he intended to grant the woman bail until sentencing. However gardai strongly objected, saying the woman was a flight risk.

Her partner was remanded in custody on Friday after his conviction. He will be sentenced on July 11. Prosecuting counsel Pauline Walley SC said the womans partner was her only tie to Ireland and now that he has been jailed gardai believe she may flee.

A Waterford garda told the court the woman has four other children who are in care and who she has no contact with. Most of the rest of her family, including her mother, live in the UK.

The family home where the abuse occurred has since been sold and the woman lives in rented accommodation in another county.

The garda said she has no means to support herself in Ireland. Her partner had been receiving social welfare but payments stopped before the trial.

In support of bail, the womans defence counsel said she has surrendered her passport to gardai and her partner is willing to keep paying her rent from custody.

Mr Justice Eagar said in light of the garda objections he would remand the woman in custody. She will be sentenced separately from her partner on July 4.

The child had told gardai that his mother willingly had sex with him while his father watched and filmed it. However during evidence at trial he said his mother had been forced to have sex with him by the father and she complied because he threatened to kick her out of the house if she didnt.

The boy told the jury he loved his mother and that she was a nice woman. He said that when he told her he had been raped by his father she gave out to the man.

After the child was taken into care just before his eighth birthday his mother continued to have access visits with him. These visits ceased when the child was sent to the UK to receive specialised residential care because of his sexualised behaviour.
Last year three navy ships rescued 8,592 people during the course of their humanitarian missions off the coast of Libya. The numbers are continuing to mount since LE Roisin arrived to participate in the resumption of rescue operations this year.

LE Roisins first rescue mission started at 7.31am yesterday, when Italian coastguard officials spotted a wooden barge crammed with migrants some 39 nautical miles north-west of Libyan capital Tripoli.

By 12.24pm she had brought onboard 207 men, 52 women, and 15 children.

As they were being given food and water, the LE Roisin crew received word that the Italian authorities had spotted an inflatable dinghy 10 miles nearer the Libyan coast.

The ship raced to the scene where she picked up a further 95 men and 26 women.

Both the wooden barge and dinghy were destroyed by LE Roisins crew as they were a danger to other shipping using the area and they didnt want them to fall back into the hands of people-smugglers.

During her first operation on Monday, May 16, the ship rescued 125 migrants in the same area of operations from another dinghy.

LE Roisin is expected to take all migrants to an Italian port where they will be handed over for processing by the Italian authorities.

As the weather improves in the Mediterranean Sea, people-smugglers are launching even more migrant boats, many of which are totally unseaworthy.

Yesterday search and rescue teams from the medical humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also rescued 788 people from unseaworthy boats in six rescue operations in the central Mediterranean Sea.

MSF director Jane-Ann McKenna said crises and conflicts across the world continue to cause people to flee in their millions.

Refugees and migrants are looking for a safer or better life. It is not acceptable to treat them as criminals, or worse, let them die in their search for it, said Ms McKenna.
Michael Anthony Tony Lynch, who would be 68 years old today, lived at Fermanagh St in Clones, Co Monaghan. He was last seen at 2pm on January 6, 2002.

Gardai in Clare are investigating a possible sighting of Mr Lynch in the county last month.

On April 15, a young man travelling from Cork to Ballyvaughan in Clare picked up a hitchhiker in Mallow. The driver was approached by a man at a local filling station who asked for a lift to the next village.

While chatting in the car, the man asked if he could continue to Ennis.

During their conversation, the hitchhiker called himself Gerry and mentioned he was from Clones. He also said he had lived in Dublin for a time and mentioned a connection with Parteen in East Clare.

On arriving in Ennis, he dropped the man off on the Limerick Road close to the West County Hotel. The man is understood to have set off on foot in the direction of Clarecastle and the Clare Abbey roundabout.

The driver described the man as being about 70 years old, 5ft 10in in height, of medium build and with a moustache and bald. The man was carrying a green gear bag on his shoulder.

At the time he was wearing a black fleece coat, black trousers and a black woollen hat and also appeared to be familiar with Ennis town.

The original description of Mr Lynch was that he was 5 foot 11, of medium build, with grey receding hair.

Sgt Joe Downey said: Its only a chance but its a chance that this is the missing man. This motorist became a bit worried after the conversation and thought the man might need some assistance.

He checked a missing persons website and found details about missing man Mr Lynch whom he believed might be the man he picked up in Mallow on April 15. He was concerned enough to contact gardai, Sgt Downey added.

Gardai from Monaghan travelled to Clare and spoke to the young man while the missing mans family have also been contacted.

If anyone knows anything about this man or has any information, please contact us in Ennis and we will follow it up, wouldnt it be great for the family of this man if we could find him, Sgt Downey added.
Speaking at the World Humanitarian Summit, organised by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, President Higgins said it was time for political leaders around the world to move beyond talking about aspirations and undertake real action.

To achieve the changes which the Secretary General calls forth requires much more than any re-statement of aspirations, he said.

It requires a profound and integrated re-think of international politics, and of our theory and practice of economics, development and trade; it requires a reform of the representational structures of the worlds peoples; and indeed it demands little less, I suggest, than a new paradigm of thought and action, grounded in a reconciliation between ethics, economics, ecology and cultural diversity.

President Higgins was speaking at the gathering of some 6,000 world leaders and heads of state at the summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

It was organised as part of an effort by Ban Ki-Moon to reform the global emergency aid system and reduce the gap between the needs of victims of disasters and conflict on the one hand and available funding for support programmes on the other.

The summit comes at a time when more than 60 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their home countries and the economic cost of violent conflict has reached an estimated $14 trillion  13% of the global economy.

President Higgins said concrete action was needed to help these people, and pointed out that deep political and intellectual failures of world leaders needed to be acknowledged.

For too long, empty pledges and fine words have died in our mouths  now is the time to turn promises into action for this generation.

So, let us honour those who have worked so hard to prevent, reduce and respond to conflicts, who have helped pick up the pieces in a broken world. But let us not shrink from the reality of the deep political and intellectual failures, with which we must deal, from which we must depart, he said.

President Higgins said described the current challenge facing the world as a moral test.

Let us then not seek evasions. Let us strive to realise the great promise of security, prosperity and human flourishing that can flow from a comprehensive and positive shared global solution to the great challenges and the great opportunities of our times.
The issue is entirely separate from the fire safety remedial work which must be undertaken in the Dublin Docklands complex.

Last October, the Dublin District Court issued a fire safety order on Longboat Quay which requires the safety issues to be completed by next year to avoid evacuation of the 600 residents.

At the time of the order, owners in the complex were told they have to contribute 1.2m towards the fire safety remedial work. The remainder of the 2.5m total cost is being funded by Dublin City Council and a receiver for some of the apartments. The owners may now also have to pay at least some of the cost of the roof repairs.

However, the Irish Examiner understands that major savings on the fire safety remedial works have been made following a series of tests conducted in the University of Jordanstown in Northern Ireland. Whatever money has been saved will most likely be put towards the roof repairs.

The total cost is expected to be known within the next two weeks, at which time negotiations with the residents on funding will commence, according to one source close to the process.

Theres no sign of the local authority stumping up for the whole thing, so that leaves the developer and the owners. The company that developed it is gone. That leaves the owners, unless something happens, the source told the Irish Examiner.

Longboat Quay was completed in 2006 by a Bernard McNamara development company, Gendsong. The company has since gone into receivership and Mr McNamara went through a bankruptcy process in the UK.

Mr McNamara has always denied liability for the fire safety and other deficiencies. Currently, he is in negoatations with Dublin City Council to contribute professional assistance to the remedial works.

Nina Buckley, who owns her three-bedroom apartment in Longboat Quay, said owners have been told very little about the problems with the roof.

I dont know how much its going to cost, but more importantly I dont know who is going to pay for it, she said.

One of the main tests in the University of Jordanstown was to create a model of an apartment using identical materials to that used in Longboat Quay. The test involved setting the model on fire and detailing how the fire progressed.
Ms Crossan is the fourth Irish author to win the Childrens Books Ireland Book of the Year Award and the Childrens Choice Award.

The three other winners of both categories were Celine Kiernan for Into the Grey in 2012, Sheena Wilkinson for Groundedin 2013, and Oliver Jeffers for Once Upon an Alphabetin 2015.

Ms Crossans novel chronicles the story of Grace and Tippi, conjoined twins under constant medical and psychological care. The teenagers have to negotiate a world of prejudice, friendship, first love, and gossip, but they also face physical and mental challenges because they are joined at the waist.

Originally from Dublin, Ms Crossan, who writes for teens, gave up her job as an English teacher to become a full-time writer. She lives in Hertfordshire in England with her husband and their daughter.

Sarah Crossan

The judges said Ms Crossans signature blend of lyricism and realism addressed complicated dynamics of family, identity, sisterhood, and difference.

Told in verse and in the first person, this elegant, sensitive story will stimulate reflections and convers-ations about discrimination, diversity, difficult choices, and the bonds of love, said the judges.

The winner of the Childrens Choice Award is picked by children who read and judge the nine shortlisted titles and then vote for their favourite.

Ms Crossan is also shortlisted for this years Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award (CliPPA). The winner of the only prize for childrens poetry in Britain will be announced next month.

Wexford artist Lauren ONeill, who received the Honour Award for Illustration, impressed the judges with the way she met the challenge of bringing Gulliver, a beloved classic novel, to a new generation.

The judges liked the way Mary Webbs retelling of the story interweaves with Ms ONeills captivating and immersive illustrations.The red ribbon for marking page position evokes a continuity of literary heritage while Webb and ONeill skilfully capture the original tales humour and satire.

An engaging read-aloud for junior classes and a valuable book for readers about the futility of war and the importance of respecting different perspectives.

Louise ONeill

The Honour Award for Fiction went to Louise ONeill, an Irish Examiner columnist who lives in Clonakilty, for Asking for It. The judges said reading the book was a harrowing, intense, thought-provoking experience.

Examining issues of consent, victim-blaming, and rape culture, ONeills scalding exploring of sexism, scapegoating, sexual assault, and the ethics of using and abusing social media offers immense crossover appeal for young adults and adults alike, said the judges.

Father and daughter duo John and Fatti (Kathi) Burke from Dublin received the Judges Special Award and the Eilis Dillon Award for Irelandopedia  a compendium of maps, facts, and knowledge about Irish Life.

The CBI Book of the Year Awards, founded in 1990, are open to books written in English or Irish by authors and illustrators born or resident in Ireland.
Garda Shane Coakley arrested three people from Galway carrying out the scam collections in Cork City on November 24, 2015.

The collections were not authorised by the charity Suicide Aware, and permission had not been granted by gardai.

We all know the problem with suicide in this country, said Judge Leo Malone.

It is a particularly mean thing to do  without the authority of the charity and without permits from An Garda Siochana  some people were duped into contributing to that worthy cause. It was an opportunistic offence, scamming the public.

Shane Sweeney, aged 30, of 79 Castlepark, Ballybane, Galway; Ann Marie Barrett, aged 40, of 175 Castlepark, Ballybane; and Roseanna Cleary, aged 32, of 75 Castlelawn Heights, Headford Rd, Galway, all pleaded guilty to carrying out collections without permits in Cork City centre last November.

Insp Adrian Gamble said Garda Coakley detected the offences at various times that day. The defendants had collection buckets and posters in the name of Suicide Aware. These were confiscated from them as was a small amount of money, no more than 50 between the three of them.

This money will now be sent to the charity to which the duped members of the public believed they were donating in the first place.

Judge Malone said that a jail sentence was merited in the case of Sweeney, as his previous convictions included a similar collection scam in Dingle, Co Kerry, last year.

However, following submissions from Donal Daly, solicitor, the judge said Sweeney could do 160 hours of community service instead of four months in jail.

He said Cleary could perform a similar period of community service.

Barrett was fined 500 as her only convictions were under the Road Traffic Act, while Cleary had more criminal convictions related to theft.
ITS midnight. Its a weeknight. Its time for bed. And Im absolutely definitely going now. Ill just refresh my Facebook feed one last time. And check my email. And flick through the channels. Then Ill go to bed. Except 15 minutes later, Im still here, postponing the inevitable. And despite the upcoming morning regret, I already know Ill do it again tomorrow night.

Why do so many of us have an inability to go to bed? And can night owls ever become early birds? To find out more, I spoke to the experts, asked some converts, and tested the theory myself.

First of all, why do we stay up too late? Theres lots written about the addictive quality of screens and box-set binging, but staying up late existed long before smart phones and Netflix. I remember wanting to stay up as a child, and today Im still that kid, begging to postpone bedtime. Only now theres no adult voice of reason  that role is mine  and it seems Im not very responsible.

Yes, I think the way we were taught as children to go to bed has an impact  I remember from my own childhood, it was almost like a punishment, says holistic sleep therapist Deirdre OConnor (deepsleepclinic.com).

Now, we need our own inner parent. So maybe get your partner to help you, or set an alarm for bedtime  and put it far enough away that you have to get up and turn it off.

Deirdre OConnor, who is a holistic sleep therapist

For me, its more than an ingrained rebellion against bedtime  after a long day working and looking after kids, I need that hour thats just for me. Postponing bedtime is about elongating the me-time  once I go to sleep, the very next thing that happens is the alarm clocks call and the morning rush.

One woman who valued her me-time is Kerry Manning. I was living in Westport, across the road from a night club  Im 51 and was pretending I was 31. If someone called me at 10 oclock and suggested going for a drink, I went. Then Id write my blog (Fabuliciousfifty.com) till 1 or 2am. But when Manning moved house, changed job, and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, coping with change made her reassess her sleep habits.

I put my phone on silent at 9pm every evening and eventually switched my morning alarm off too. Im reading Ariana Huffingtons book The Sleep Revolution  apparently your body will wake up when its had sufficient sleep so you shouldnt be worrying about the alarm in the morning, because if your body needs eight hours sleep its about when you go to sleep not when you wake up. Now I go to bed around 9 or 10, and wake up naturally. Its very freeing to wake up at 6am without the beep of an alarm clock.

But even knowing how healthy sleep is, for many of us bedtime itself is a chore. The prospect of climbing stairs and brushing teeth isnt appealing  staying on the couch is just easier.

OConnor has a tip. What used to stop me going to bed was thinking Now I have to get up and do all that stuff! it felt like such an effort. So I do it earlier when I have the energy  like getting into pyjamas and brushing teeth.

In the interests of research, I decided that for three nights Id go to bed at 10.30pm. I generally dont feel tired during the day, but perhaps theres a higher plane I know nothing about. Plus I wanted to see  can night owls become morning larks?

Cork woman Louise Murphy did just that, and her path to a sensible sleep time was through music. I was always a night owl  listening to music and writing  Id have the headphones on, in bed, listening to heavy metal and rock. Id be dozing and then this big blaring screech would come on and Id get the fright of my life and be wide awake again!

The change came in the form of classical music. Someone sent me one of Ludvico Einaudis songs and I liked it, so I downloaded the album, and listened to it one night going to bed. By the third song I was asleep.

Louise Murphy with her son Luke. The Cork mother used classical music to aid sleep.

After that, Louise made a conscious decision to switch from rock to classical, making sleep easier and more inviting. Now, as mum to a toddler, she goes to bed around 10.30 every night. I still play classical music sometimes but mostly Im so tired I just fall asleep straight away, says Louise, who blogs at TatooedLadyWithBaby.com.

But what if you dont have enough hours in the day and cant go to bed early? Many self-employed people use night-time to work, as do parents who do creche collection and play catch-up when the kids are in bed. And lots of us rely on couch-time for personal admin, or simply staying in touch with friends.

Sleep therapist Jean OHanlon agrees. People are so busy these days that night-time is the only time they have to contact friends and family  getting back to that Facebook message or that text.

OHanlon has some suggestions for beating the system. Being on the laptop or phone will increase your agitation  the blue light rays can create a very alert state, so the melatonin thats normally produced at night-time isnt being produced by the brain, and then you want to stay up because youre not sleepy. So try blue blocker glasses  theyre like sunglasses, but with an orange screen to block the penetration of blue light into the brain, says OHanlon, who uses them herself.

If you put them on, youll start feeling really sleepy within about half an hour to an hour. You can buy them online. A similar option is to download software called F.Lux which changes the background colour of your device as the evening progresses.

So did my three early nights make a difference? Yes, but for me it was marginal  I was less tired when the alarm clock went off, and then the rest of the day ran as normal. Its taught me that my usual seven hours per night is plenty, but I need to avoid going overboard  staying up till 1am on a weeknight, binge-watching Orphan Black.

Yes its more sensible to go to bed earlier, but so is cutting out cake or coffee  and wheres the fun in that?

Jean OHanlons telltale signs that youre staying up too late:

Jean OHanlon: sleep expert.

Feeling un-refreshed in the morning.

Having to drag yourself out of bed

Being unable to function until youve had your first coffee

Concentration difficulties during the day

Feeling anxious, irritable or more prone to emotional outbursts

Increased hunger, or cravings for sugary foods or caffeine

Weight gain or difficulty losing weight despite good efforts
Amy Heaphy, aged 26, who had an address at Loughmahon Court, Mahon, Cork, was convicted on charges of possessing small quantities of diamorphine, better known as heroin, cannabis, and Upjohn tablets at Cork University Hospital on April 29, 2011, for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying to another person.

Heaphy pleaded guilty to that charge and to several shoplifting charges, with sentencing adjourned in April 2012 to give her a chance to deal with her drug issues and to gather over 700 compensation for the shops where she stole goods.
ITS an unofficial place-name with nostalgic rather than negative overtones, but people from outside Cork can still be startled to hear Leesiders of a certain vintage use the term Jewtown.

For locals, it denotes the quarter of the city comprising Albert Road and its environs, where a community of Jewish refugees settled on their voyages seeking refuge from persecution in Europe. For writer Simon Lewis, however, Jewtown was more a state of mind, representing an element of his ancestry that he had never really contemplated before.

My great-grandmother Esther Cristol came from Lithuania during the pogroms and her family ended up in Cork, via Cobh, around 1883. They lived there, then moved around Ireland, to various parts of the country, from Cavan to Dublin. The people they married would have come from the same villages and towns in Lithuania but via a different route  into Belfast then down to Cavan and ultimately Dublin.

My great-grandmother was a playwright, she had one play that was staged in Dublin. I joined a writing group when I moved to Carlow about five or six years ago in an attempt to meet people. Derek Coyle, who runs the group, brought up the idea of writing poetry and suggested I explore my own past. I discovered it was a world that hadnt really been written about and the name Jewtown, it was so jarring  it wasnt derogatory but it drew me in.

Lewis was inspired to dig a little deeper into the Jewish community in Cork. Dermot Keogh, a professor in UCC, had written The Jews in 20th Century Ireland; there were two pages on Cork which were a summary of the census records and there was a small map of the area. There were also the writings of David Marcus and information I found through a Jewish genealogist called Stuart Rosenblatt who has a volume of history of the Irish Jewry of Cork where he gathered information such as newspaper articles and minutes of meetings of the Jewish community of the time.

Lewis used the information he had gathered to create his first volume of poetry, called Jewtown, which last year won the Hennessy Poetry Prize.

While inspired by the Jewish community in Ireland, the parallels with todays refugee crisis are obvious and intentional.

The poems are really about any immigrant who comes to Ireland with no language, very little money, possibly with lots of skills they are unable to use because of the barriers they face  how do they survive? These people in Lithuania were fleeing war; their lives had been gradually restricted by Tsarist Russia to the point were they were being put in the frontline of the army which was assassination, more or less. It was safer to flee than to live in Lithuania and take that risk.

Most of them would have undertaken an arduous journey on very dangerous steamboats, landing wherever they could and often not where they wanted to be. I would be very surprised if initially, anyway, any of those people thought I want to live in Ireland. The goal was to get to New York. They would have been thrown off wherever and would have made a home for themselves.

Lewis was raised Jewish but no longer practises. I still have the knowledge of the traditions  even if I did practise, it would be very difficult in Carlow.

Cork is in a similar situation now; while the Jewish links to the area known as Jewtown are remembered in the naming of a local amenity  Shalom Park  its Jewish residents are long gone, along with the citys synagogue on South Terrace, which closed in February this year. Lewis attended the final service there, an event that inspired a poem in his collection.

Shalom Park, Albert Road, Cork.

Even though I hadnt been to a synagogue in a good number of years, the community had been good to me over the last few years and I wanted to pay my respects and say goodbye on the last Sabbath. It was a very odd ceremony. In a way I am no longer part of that community but at the same time, it was a familiar experience to me. There were so few people from Cork. They were trying to get on with it, not get emotional about it.

One of the poems in the Jewtown collection  Side of a Tram  mentions one of Corks most well-known Jewish residents:

I like to look at the advertisements  /

Suttons Coal, Gibneys Wine, Cashs Bread/

and wonder will one of us ever appear/

on signs like these. Will we see/

a Goldberg plastered on the side of a tram?

It was a nod to Gerald Goldberg because he was the most famous Jewish man in Cork, says Lewis. He still has a lot of living relations and there is a fondness in Cork for him and his wife, Sheila, who did a lot of good work in the arts.

Goldberg, who served as the citys Lord Mayor in the 1970s, is mentioned on plaque on a pedestrian bridge in the city that he opened. Appropriately, its quite near to the synagogue. Its my favourite bridge in Cork, if only because of its nickname, the Passover, laughs Lewis.

While the general perception may now be that the Irish werent particularly welcoming to Jewish refugees, Lewis doesnt necessarily agree.

I think the Irish were more welcoming than might have been the culture at the time. Fascism wasnt just centred in Germany  it was a European and possibly worldwide phenomenon. I think any Jews that were in Ireland were treated fairly well, with the exception of what happened in Limerick in 1904, which was known as the Limerick pogrom, but that was about the only real targeting of Jewish people.

I think a lot of Jewish people would have had a vendetta against Eamon De Valera. My reading of it is that he just didnt want to get involved; the intention wasnt to be anti-Jewish; it was more Let us not get ourselves into a war here. While history may not judge Irish people or De Valera well, I dont think that viewpoint is very fair. Jewish people have done very well in Ireland and that wouldnt have happened without being treated at least with apathy.

Lewis says he was completely taken aback to win the Hennessy Poetry Prize with his first collection.

I only started writing poetry about a year before I started writing Jewtown, which took me about five years. It was a real learning journey for me; the earlier poems have survived, obviously much edited, but theyre there. Maybe the collection is my immigration to poetry in a way. I feel like the luckiest person in Ireland when it comes to writing. I look for excuses as to why I won it. Maybe the poems were good enough and maybe I should just accept that.

Lewis is kept busy in his day job as a principal of an Educate Together school in Carlow.

Educate Together is the only type of school I could work in because I dont have a Christian background. I dont say that to be mean, its a fact, and is not a criticism of schools but of the system. We need more diverse role models in schools, people from different faith backgrounds.

As for his future writing plans, he is happy to go with the flow for the moment.

Im going to get over the shock of it actually being published for a while. I wont stop writing but for the moment Im going to enjoy it and bask in all of this; its lovely and is opening up lots of doors and conversations.
DREAMING of building your own home? Many Irish people do, while others extend and renovate their current homes. In either situation, applying for planning permission is a cause for trepidation.

Planning permission is obtained from your local planning authority and the cost of submitting an application to build a house is 65. But each authority has its own guidelines for building and applicants plans must conform to these.

Ask for a meeting with your area planner, before you decide on your design. Discuss with them what you want to build and find out if your ideas fit with local guidelines. Dont set your heart on a design that wont even be considered. Having this meeting early could save you a lot of money, time, and paperwork.

Decide whether to engage an architect. I spoke to Carole Pollard, president of the the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland(RIAI).

Naturally, she believes all planning applicants will benefit from using an architect  a qualified one.

There are plenty of people holding themselves out as architects, but the difference is a registered architect has at least five years training and two further years experience, she said. You are getting someone who knows what they are doing.

You can check the register on their website, www.riai.ie.

Fees charged by architects vary considerably, and the price you will pay is dependent on many factors  from the size of the house to the natural lie of the site. Best advice is to look for quotes and recommendations from people in your area. Given the variables, how can clients keep down overall planning costs?

Being good at making decisions is cost-efficient, Ms Pollard said.

Think carefully about what you need from your home, she said. Do you want a big, open family area, or a separate playroom/study for children? Will you need a downstairs bedroom in the future?

If you know what you want, you can give your architect a well-thought out brief and that will dramatically cut down on the amount of consultations and redraws to get to the final plans, Ms Pollard said.

Your architect may give you a work-sheet, at your initial consultation, to help you with this, listing the major decisions to be made.

Although you should know what you want, dont get too fixed on a particular design before you meet the architect.

You are paying them for their expertise in design, so listen to them, Ms Pollard said. They will work with your brief, but are also taking into account particular features in the site, or local planning preferences, that they know will help get your application approved.

Of course, you do not have to engage an architect to design your home.

There are books of standard plans available for far less and websites where you can purchase plans. Given the savings to be made, do the RIAI acknowledge these as a valid option?

It may appear cheaper up-front, but be careful of it costing more in the long-run. A few thousand on an architect is only a small percentage of the build cost. But, down the line, having a well-constructed home that has been signed-off by a registered architect makes it much more valuable. Plus, if you by an off-the-shelf plan, it may not be suitable for your site and ground conditions.

Pollard added: I would also be concerned about the age of the plans. Building regulations now are stringent and complex. Can you be sure that the plan you buy will fulfil all requirements?

If you forego an architect, there are a number of Irish sites, including www.xplan.ie and www.irish-house-plans.com, selling plans from just a few hundred euro.

Depending on the condition of your site, applicants should also be prepared for additional costs of other experts. Engineers and land surveyors may be needed to dig trial holes on-site. If you run into problems getting permission, a planning consultant may be needed and can cost as much again as an architect.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Tayto Park are holding an Animal Stampede event next Sunday May 29 as part of Love Your Zoo week.

They are inviting parents to bring their children dressed as their favourite animal and take part in a parade through the park, led by Mr Tayto himself. Under 12s who come dressed up will receive free admission. The parade takes place at 1.30pm but there is a full day of activities planned, starting with Dinosaurs Alive at 11am. Families will also get the chance to encounter owls and chicks and hear talks about meercats, coatamundis and Corsac foxes.

In order to receive free admission children must be dressed as animals, other costumes such as Disney characters or superheroes will not be accepted.Only children that arrive dressed in costume receive free admission.

The offer doesnt include The Eagle Sky Adventure Zone and Eagles Nest attraction, or birthday parties.
THE year before last, 180,000 people died in 42 conflicts around the globe.

Wars will happen. But even wars have laws. Almost 70 years since the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the failure to ensure respect for international humanitarian law has never been more apparent.

The World Humanitarian Summit is being held against a background of a world where innocent civilians are killed without consequence, homes, hospitals, and schools are destroyed by bombs and millions of people are on the move, enduring treacherous and often deadly journeys to find safety and dignity.

Leaders are tasked with an ambitious agenda seeking to reinvigorate commitment to humanity and to the universality of humanitarian law.

Conflict, which is the greatest driver of protracted displacement is one of the key areas which governments are being asked to address, and is an area where the Irish Government has significant experience.

As the new programme for a partnership government states: Our own experiences of conflict on this island give us a unique perspective on conflict resolution, and in particular on the value of dialogue and patient, sustained diplomacy.

This experience should be brought to bear at the summit, but also as Ireland vies for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2020. A recent Oxfam report has stated unequivocally that rather than resolving conflict and seeking peaceful political solutions, the Security Council is routinely undermining its own resolutions and directly contributing to the crisis in Syria  which has displaced more people than any other emergency today.

In total, 125m people are affected by disaster and conflict worldwide. There are few places where this need is more evident than the sea of tents at the Nyarugusu and Nduta refugee camps in western Tanzania where thousands of people are currently caught up in a largely invisible and underfunded emergency.

Election tensions in Burundi last year led to weeks of violent protests and tens of thousands of Burundians have fled to neighbouring countries, with the majority (130,000 people) arriving in Tanzania.

One image in particular did the rounds on social media in Tanzania last summer. Two smiling Maasai tribesmen, holding up a sign that read Refugees are welcome to Tanzania, Africa.

Cant see the Facebook post? Click here

This gesture of welcome, of solidarity, of humanity from very poor people, stood in sharp contrast to a wealthy Europe focused on shutting people out rather than saving lives.

Despite the challenges faced by developing countries, they get on with it, matter of fact, providing a place of refuge. The numbers dwarf the efforts of wealthier regions  developing countries host over 86% of the worlds refugees, compared to 70% ten years ago.

During May 2015 alone, Kagunga, a tiny border village along Lake Tanganyika, saw more than 50,000 Burundian refugees arrive  the equivalent of the entire urban population of Waterford landing at Cobh in Co Cork over the course of four weeks.

The majority were taken to Nyarugusu camp, already home to 65,000 Congolese refugees, making it the third- largest refugee camp in the world.

Today Oxfam will be connecting the discussions taking place at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul to refugee camps including Nyarugusu, through a series of mini-summits. A reminder that these are the people who will be affected by the commitments made in Istanbul.

People like Daphrose (47) from Burundi who now lives in Nyarugusu with her eight children, two of whom are orphans she took under her care while registering at the camp. She fled to Tanzania in May 2015 when her neighbours were killed by armed groups.

Daphrose has been a refugee her entire life: My life as a refugee started when I was three. It has been a difficult life, full of struggles. I have had a life of constantly running.

In 2005, Daphrose went back to Burundi from her previous stay in Tanzania, hopeful that peace had returned. She explained how it was during this time that she lost her husband.

We had resettled back in the small piece of land that was given to us by the resettlement team. One day when we were in the field digging, the soldiers came and took my husband away with no explanation. I started trembling as I was full of fear. Two of them raped me and then the others took my husband. That was in my husbands village, where he was born. I continued living there after that happened. I did not have any other place to go, I had no options. I was three months pregnant.

This feeling of helplessness is pervasive in camps like Nyarugusu and the recently opened Nduta.

Another woman, Justina, who at age 27 is already a refugee for the second time in her life, told us: A refugee is a person who does not have any options, they are not able to do the things they would like in life. A refugees life is reliant only on help. I dont feel good being a refugee. I dont feel good at all.

The only way for hope to be realised for people like Justina and Daphrose is if the commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit are truly transformative. From Europes shores to Syria and beyond as well as those caught up in the forgotten crises of our world in countries like Tanzania, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, and South Sudan.

More than 60 years since the 1951 Refugee Convention, the need to uphold it has never been more vital.

At national level, this means ensuring those in need of protection are offered safety in Ireland by increasing options for safe and legal passage: including the provision of temporary humanitarian visas, expanded opportunities for family reunification, and through a widening of the current Syria Humanitarian Assistance Programme to include refugees from other countries.

The current Irish refugee protection programme was a useful first step, but the process is too slow and only a handful of families have been able to seek refuge since its inception last year.

We are in the middle of the worst refugee crisis since World War II with more than 60m people  half of them children  fleeing war, human rights abuses and entrenched poverty.

In the refugee camps of Tanzania and beyond, its clear that now is the time for world leaders, especially those governing countries with the resources to respond, to show the same generosity as the worlds poorest countries.

Jim Clarken is chief executive of Oxfam Ireland, currently visiting refugees in Nduta and Nyarugusu camps in western Tanzania and attending the World Humanitarian mini-Summit in Nyarugusu today.
He announced the full removal of the embargo at a news conference, saying the move was intended to step towards normalising relations with the former war enemy and to eliminate a lingering vestige of the Cold War.

At this stage both sides have developed a level of trust and co-operation, he said, adding that he expected deepening co-operation between the two nations militaries.

Mr Obama is seeking to strike this balance with Vietnam amid Chinese efforts to strengthen claims to disputed territory in the South China Sea, one of the worlds most important waterways.

Lifting the arms embargo will be a psychological boost for Vietnams leaders as they look to counter an increasingly aggressive China, but there may not be a big jump in sales.

Vietnamese president Tran Dai Quang thanked Obama for lifting the embargo.

US politicians and activists had urged the president to press the communist leadership for greater freedoms before granting it.

Vietnam holds about 100 political prisoners and there have been more detentions this year.

The United States partially lifted the embargo in 2014, but Vietnam wanted full access as it tries to deal with Chinas assertive land reclamation and military construction in nearby seas.

Vietnam has not bought anything, but removing the remaining restrictions opens the way to deeper security co-operation.

After three days in Vietnam, Obama will head to Japan for an international summit and a visit to Hiroshima, where he will be the first sitting US president to visit the site of the first atomic bomb attack.

He arrived in Hanoi, Vietnams capital, late on Sunday, making him the third sitting president to visit the country since the end of the war.

Four decades after the fall of Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, and two decades after president Bill Clinton restored relations with the nation, Obama is eager to upgrade relations with an emerging power whose rapidly expanding middle class beckons as a promising market for US goods.
Speaking at the B&Q headquarters in Hampshire, Mr Cameron said a Leave vote would create the worlds first DIY recession as the country inflicted economic harm on itself just as it was recovering from the crash of 2008.

And he said the threat to families financial security and the nations economy meant that a Remain vote was the moral choice in the referendum, exactly a month away on June 23.

New Treasury analysis of the short-term impact of withdrawal from the EU suggested that between 520,000 and 820,000 jobs would be lost, while house prices would fall by between 10% and 18%.

Public sector borrowing would rocket by between 24bn (31bn) and 39bn, said the report.

However, prominent Vote Leave campaigner Iain Duncan Smith said the warning should not be believed by anyone as it was not an honest assessment but a deeply biased view of the future.

Mr Cameron said Britain was now back on the right track after the financial crisis, and urged voters not to put that at risk.

As the Bank of England has said and the IMF has underlined, and the Treasury has now confirmed, the shock to our economy after leaving Europe would tip the country into recession, he said.

This could be, for the first time in history, a recession brought on ourselves. As I stand here in B&Q, it would be a DIY recession.

Chancellor George Osborne urged wavering voters to consider whether they were ready to knowingly vote for recession.

In a rebuff to Leave campaigners who suggest some economic pain is a price worth paying for winning back sovereignty from Brussels, Mr Osborne said:

Its not your wages that will be hit, its not your livelihoods that will go, its not you who will struggle to pay the bills. Its the working people of Britain who will pay the price if we leave the EU.

Mr Cameron rejected the idea that a moral case for Brexit might trump economic concerns.

The economic case is the moral case, he said.

The moral case for keeping parents in work, firms in business, the pound in health, Britain in credit, the moral case for providing economic opportunity rather than unemployment for the next generation.

Where is the morality in putting any of that at risk for some unknown end?

After six years of austerity, Britain now had a lower deficit, a growing economy and increasing numbers of jobs, claimed Mr Cameron.

After all the pain, all the sacrifice by the British people, why would we want to put it at risk again? he said.

It would be like surviving a fall and then running straight back to the cliff-edge. It is the self-destruct option.

Mr Cameron singled out Ukip leader Nigel Farage as he rejected the stance of Brexit campaigners who viewed the economic cost as a price worth paying for getting out of the EU.

There are people out there who say yes, there would be a hit to our economy, but it is somehow worth it for other reasons  I have heard Nigel Farage, for instance, say that many times, said Mr Cameron.

I profoundly disagree. I think, particularly because we have this special status within the EU we have a special deal in Europe and with that in mind it is certainly not worth the huge risk and downside to our economy of voting to leave.
The cheerful characterisation, made during a police briefing 12 hours into the crisis, was at stark odds with the terrifying description the hostages have given of the hours they were held at gunpoint inside the Lindt Cafe in December 2014.

During a coronial inquest, New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Jenkins testified that he was told the hostages were jovial by an official giving him a handover briefing as Jenkins took over as commander of the crisis during the final hours of the siege.
Jerry Skinner, who is leading Australian law firm LHDs compensation claim against Russia and Putin in the European Court of Human Rights, says he is confident of success but admits the case, like that of Lockerbie, may take years.

The Malaysian Airlines Boeing (BA.N) 777 crashed in eastern Ukraine in pro-Russian rebel-held territory on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board, including 28 Australians.
The explosions in the cities of Tartus and Jableh were the first to target civilians in those areas in the course of Syrias civil war, now in its sixth year.

The targets included bus stations and a hospital, and mark an escalation in the conflict as world powers struggle to restart peace talks in Geneva.

Several rounds of talks were held in the Swiss city earlier this year, with no breakthrough.

Syrian state media said at least one suicide bomber, followed by a car bomb, struck at a bus station in Tartus. More than 33 were killed and many injured, said an Interior Ministry official.

Separately, Syria news agency Sana reported that four explosions rocked Jableh, south of Latakia city.

The attacks included three rockets and a suicide bomber at the emergency entrance of the Jableh national hospital.

Russia keeps a naval base in Tartus and an air base in Latakia province. Insurgents maintain a presence in rural Latakia.

The co-ordinated and near-simultaneous attacks marked a major security breach of government strongholds that have remained calm throughout the war.

Tartus and Jableh are home to thousands of internally displaced people from violence-stricken areas across Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group based in Britain, put the death toll at more than 100.

It said there were four explosions in Jableh, including three suicide bombings and one car bomb, and four in Tartus, including two suicide bombers and one car bomb.

In Jableh, dozens were killed when a car bomb exploded near a bus station, followed by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive belt inside the station.

Two men blew themselves up at the electricity company and outside the emergency entrance of a city hospital.

Dozens more were killed in Tartus when a car bomb went off in the bus station, and two men blew themselves up when people gathered, according to the observatory.

Syrian cabinet minister Omran al-Zoubi said: We will not be deterred... we will use everything we have to fight the terrorists.

A news agency linked with IS said its militants were behind the multiple attacks.
Now, scientists believe, the time of the tentacled ones may have arrived.

Around the world, experts have catalogued a significant increase in numbers of cephalopods  which include octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish  over the past six decades.

As populations of many fish species fall, the multi-limbed creatures, the biggest, most intelligent and mobile molluscs on the planet, appear to be flourishing.

Zoe Doubleday, from Australias Environment Institute at the University of Adelaide, said: Our analyses showed that cephalopod abundance has increased since the 1950s, a result that was remarkably consistent across three distinct groups.

Cephalopods are notoriously variable, and population abundance can fluctuate wildly, both within and among species.

"The fact that we observed consistent, long-term increases in three diverse groups of cephalopods, which inhabit everything from rock pools to open oceans, is remarkable.

The brainy invertebrates have evolved some extraordinary adaptive traits, including suckered tentacles, camera-like eyes, colour-changing skin and complex learning behaviour.

One group of scientists who mapped the octopus genetic code said the animal was so strange it could be viewed as an alien from another world.

Cephalopods may be able to cope with changing environmental conditions, such as rising temperature, better than many other marine species, said Dr Doubleday.

Overfishing may have also contributed to their success, the researchers believe.

The study, published in the journal Current Biology, was prompted by concern over declining numbers of the Giant Australian Cuttlefish at its chief breeding ground in South Australias Spencer Gulf.
Burma At a Southern Plantation, Laments for Lost Land

As the new government vows to tackle legacy disputes over land confiscations, old grievances resurface at a rubber plantation operated by one of Burmas largest conglomerates.

SHWE YAUNG PYA, Mon State  Some four hours drive from Rangoon off the main road to Moulmein in Mon State, the Shwe Yaung Pya Agro rubber plantation is well on its way to full commercial operations.

Orderly rows of young, deep-green rubber trees stretch for miles across Bilin and Thaton townships, the most mature plants yielding milky white sap for the rubber industry long seen by previous governments as a potential driver of national economic growth.

It is a tranquil view, revealing little of the plantations origins some 11 years ago in a former conflict zone, or the smoldering discontent that recently came to light among residents in the area.

About 20 former farm owners challenged the basis on which their lands moved into the hands of plantation owner Max Myanmar, during a recent visit to the vicinity by The Irrawaddy.

They had no choice but to relinquish their holdings in territory that had been earmarked by the then military government for the commercial rubber venture, these residents said.

They had accepted compensation payments only under pressure, they insisted, and had suffered ever since.

To this day, I feel that since losing my land, my life has been tough. I no longer feel mentally strong; its as if I have lost a hand, or a leg, said septuagenarian former farm owner Maung Win in a complaint over land loss echoed in thousands of other legacy cases sitting on the desk of Burmas new National League for Democracy (NLD) government, which has vowed to make resolving land issues a priority.

At the Max Myanmar headquarters in Rangoon, chief operating officer Dr. Thaung Han did not accept the allegations.

The fact that the company had only planted on a part of the 5,000-acre area allocated showed that it had not taken land that owners did not want to sell, he said. Compensation payments had been fair, he added.

The plantations Managing Director Maung Maung Htet, who has worked at the site since its early years, took a similar view: It is not possible that people who accepted compensation did not want to sell, he claimed.

Making a Plantation

Max Myanmar is no stranger to the hot-button issue of land ownership. Of Burmas crony conglomerates, it has been among the most active in recent years in engaging with controversies around lands acquired during the period of military rule that ended in 2011.

It has been extensively involved with local and international initiatives promoting ethical land policies, and adopted an anti-land grabbing policy itself.

It was praised for returning land outright to farmers near Chaung Tha village and Ngwe Saung sub-district in Irrawaddy Division, and it negotiated several improved compensation deals with farmers and others in various other locations.

But in a new era under a new government, it and other private companies face fresh scrutiny over land acquisitions that took place in another time.

Bilin Township today has a bucolic air, with local people including ethnic Karen, Mon and Burmans engaged mainly in small-scale farming, fishing and running family businesses like shops. There is little development, and migration to Thailand for jobs is still common. Modest tourism has been tested in the area, which is only about an hour and a halfs drive from the famous Golden Rock pilgrimage site known as Kyaiktiyo.

In 2005, however, Bilin and neighboring Thaton townships were on the outer reaches of a bitter conflict zone. Villagers suffered the brunt as the Burma Army launched a major offensive against the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU) throughout much of the southeast.

Forced labor, forced portering, extortion and other human rights abuses around that time by the Burma Army, and to a lesser extent by the Karen armed group, pushed some 3,000 people from Bilin and Thaton into refugee camps in Thailand, where they were reported to still be living in 2013.

In that context and with the country under military rule, human rights groups say, it was unthinkable for locals to speak out when 5,000 acres of their land was earmarked by the former junta, first for a sugar plantation that soon failed, and then later for commercial rubber.

In May 2005, Max Myanmar chief Zaw Zaw, then just 38 and engaged in helping to construct the then new capital Naypyidaw as well as a range of other business ventures, turned up in the area with Lt-Gen Maung Bo, at the time commander of the Burma Armys Southern Command and chief of the Bureau of Special Operations4, who died in 2009.

The men had arrived to inaugurate the plantation that Max Myanmar would operate under the governments plan to turn huge swaths of the south over to private commercial agriculture, growing mainly palm oil and rubber. By 2013, an estimated 5.2 million acres of land had been similarly earmarked or appropriated for commercial agriculture throughout the country.

U Zaw Zaw, chairman of the company [Max Myanmar] briefed Lt-Gen Maung Bo and party on cultivation of rubber. Lt-Gen Maung Bo urged officials concerned to extend cultivation of rubber in the interests of the State, the region and in their own [sic], reported the state-owned New Light of Myanmar newspaper on May 9, 2005.

Max Myanmar had no prior experience in the rubber business at the time, and an assessment of the plantation operation carried out at the firms behest in 2013 suggested that the idea to do so wasnt necessarily its own.

While still unclear, it appears that starting and successfully running the rubber plantation was a requirement for Max Myanmar to receive other more profitable lands or opportunities, such as hotel concessions, stated the report produced for the company by the international law firm BSR.

Little is known still about the exact nature of the deals made by some of the countrys largest firms with close links to the military during a period that saw vast parcels of land, much of it in ethnic areas, turned over to private interests.

Farmers from Kachin State recently visited Rangoon to protest over the granting of huge concessions to the Yuzana Company, owned by Htay Myint, which left them dispossessed.

By 2013, the area of land handed over was equivalent to the size of the nation of Israel, based on information in government statistics.

Paying Compensation

Max Myanmar insists that it made efforts to ensure fair compensation for landowners from the beginning of the rubber operation, and to engage with all key local stakeholders, including local KNU and NLD representatives in the then tense conflict zone.

Some of the land had been abandoned for years due to the armed conflict between the KNU and the Burma Army, according to Maung Maung Htet, the plantations managing director. Parts of the territory were scrubland, hilly or pocked with holes.

We paid low for virgin land and higher for cultivated areas. We paid for places where we couldnt plant anything. We even paid for a graveyard, he said.

We wanted to settle everything peacefully, he added.

In some cases, KNU officials helped negotiate prices per acre downward by as much as half, Maung Maung Htet said, suggesting that this was related to the companys pledge to build a school, roads and health clinics for the impoverished local community.

It has since carried out a range of such projects in local villages, though Aung Moe Tun, head of Shwe Yaung Pya village tract, said that some locals were disappointed that the level of assistance has not matched promises made.

Group chief operating officer Thaung Han was adamant that the fact that the company had not planted rubber on the whole allocated 5,000 acres was an indication of its good intentions. We didnt take land that holders didnt want to sell. Thats why we have only used over 3,000 acres, he said.

A company website provides some information on the process of compensation paid out yearly as the Shwe Yaung Pya plantation expanded.

In the first year, 2005-06, the plantation paid out 182,900,000 kyats (about US$205,000 at the then exchange rate) for 914.5 acres, or around $225 per acre.

More payments followed in subsequent years and by the end of 2013, according to the information, a total of 698,400,000 kyats (roughly $600,000, using current exchange rates) was paid out. The number of individuals who received payments is not provided.

Max Myanmar may have expected final closure on the matter of compensation after 2013, when it made additional payments to an unspecified number of farmers who thought they were not properly compensated to the fullest, according to the website. Some land had also been returned to farmers who wanted to work and retain their ownership rights.

Unhappy

Yet in the village of Zee Won, the residents who gathered to meet this reporter insisted that they remained deeply unhappy about the entire basis upon which they settled with the company.

People were afraid to speak their minds under military rule and the previous government, said Way Lay, a representative of the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), who was present at the meeting.

In a survey conducted by the group three years ago of 94 household representatives from close-by Zee Won and Shwe Yaung Pya villages who had accepted land compensation, just eight were recorded as saying they agreed with the deal they had made. Former farm owners from other nearby villages were not surveyed.

Villager Aye Kyi told The Irrawaddy in Zee Won that she felt she had no choice but to accept a 2,850,000 kyats (around $2,400) compensation payment in 2013 for her seven-acre farm.

I was afraid, because the local authorities threatened that if I didnt accept the compensation, I could end up with nothing, said the former landowner, who now has two daughters working on the plantation. In 2013 it employed more than 600 workers, according to the BSR report.

Maung Win said that in order to cope psychologically with the loss of his land, he turned on himself.

We were told that the government owns the land, the water, and the natural resources. I knew I was just going to feel pain if I didnt forgive my loss. So I told myself I didnt deserve the land anyway. Were all just made of soil. It was the only way I could console myself and reconcile my feelings.

Villager Hnin Kyi said: I had five acres of paddy, which they took and planted rubber on. Then they asked me to take 200,000 kyats an acre in compensation for it, so I got 1 million kyat [about $1,000]. I couldnt complain, but I was not satisfied with the money and I am still thinking of my paddy field.

Of course, I want my land back, because that land is all I had. This wish has lingered in my mind until now. I raised my children on paddy I grew on that land, she said.

Kyin Oo of Shwe Yaung Pya village tract said: We are like stupid people. We are uneducated. So they [business people and local authorities] can do anything to us. They threatened that we could lose our land and get nothing if we didnt accept the compensation. So we couldnt do anything except take it.

Other villagers expressed similar sentiments. Some complained that the gradual expansion of the plantation, which is surrounded by barbed wire, was cutting into land they use for grazing animals and collecting firewood, making their lives increasingly difficult.

Saw Min Thein, a KNU district officer at nearby Dawzangyi village, said he lacked detailed knowledge of the Shwe Yaung Pya case, but added that land disputes were a growing problem in the wider area due to a lack of clear land policy.

Villagers were often afraid, and felt unable to complain when private businesses arrived and declared they had government backing for land claims, he said.

Human rights groups have alleged in general terms that in remote areas, local KNU officials have sometimes been susceptible to pressure or bribes from business interests over land, to the detriment of villagers rights.

Open for Talks

Thaung Han said that if a sizeable number of villagers wished to raise concerns, the company was willing to give the matter consideration. But it would be difficult for the company to do something if a few people come and knock on the door for additional compensation every now and then, he added.

The chief operating officer expressed concern that agendas might have been at work as the recent compensation claims surfaced in the run-up to the annual update of the US Treasury Departments Burma sanctions list, which was announced last week.

Our chairman wants to be removed from the sanctions [list]. Some people are aware of that. So its a very good opportunity for them to make a new claim, he said in an interview at the company offices earlier this month.

And if, for the benefit of local people, he [Zaw Zaw] might be willing to open negotiations about returning compensated land and adopting a business model similar to small-holder farms, its also convenient for some people to exploit that situation, said Thaung Han.

Zaw Zaw was placed on the US blacklist in 2009. A leaked US diplomatic cable two years earlier described him as an up and coming crony who actively seeks favor with the senior generals who ruled the country at the time.

Trying to Be a Role Model

Disputes arising from past land appropriations for commercial agriculture as well as other projects including industrial zones, special economic zones, hotel zones, pipelines and ports look set to present the new government with one of its thorniest problems in the years to come.

It is due to set up a commission to investigate thousands of complaints, many involving land appropriated by the military, government ministries and private firms, according to Ba Myo Thein of the Upper Houses Farmers Affairs Committee. At least 80 new complaints have been received since the new government took office, he said.

Information about land-grabbing under the former military regime is growing, along with peoples awareness of the problem and willingness to speak out about it, said Vicky Bowman of the Myanmar Center for Responsible Business.

Companies will continue to be exposed to legal action and community protests until national land policy is improved, she said.

It was significant that Max Myanmar had negotiated and settled with landowners in Chaung Tha, she said, adding that to her knowledge it was the only one to have done this.

Meanwhile, in brief comments earlier this month, Max Myanmars chairman, Zaw Zaw, struck a conciliatory note on the dispute at the rubber plantation that he said still hasnt become profitable.

We will try our best to be transparent and responsible to the villagers, he said.

We care very much about transparent and responsible business, as we are now trying to be trusted by the international community and the public. We are trying hard to be a role model.
Burma At Least a Dozen Die in Latest Hpakant Landslide

More than a dozen gem prospectors die when piles of mining waste collapse in Hpakant Townships jade mining area, where dangerous landslides are increasingly common.

MANDALAY  More than a dozen gem prospectors died when piles of mining waste collapsed in Kachin States Hpakant jade mining area, according to local authorities.

Local police told The Irrawaddy that the collapse happened Monday night at a Yadanar Kyel company excavation site, where at least 100 prospectors searched for leftover gem deposits.

Weve exhumed 13 bodies and sent 10 people who suffered injuries to receive medical care, said a senior police officer from the Hpakant Township police station, adding that he believed the number would increase. He said police were trying to identify the deceased in order to inform their families.

Police said heavy rains had forced them to stop rescue efforts temporarily, but would resume when circumstances allowed. Weather and soil conditions could trigger another collapse, making the situation unsafe for rescuers.

According to locals, the waste pile collapsed suddenly after heavy rains, and gem collectors did not have time to run to safety.

The soil was so soft and because it was dark, most of the gem collectors couldnt run, said La Taung, a local Hpakant miner.

Deadly landslides are not uncommon at mining sites in Hpakant Township, where a massive collapse in November killed over 100 people.

Hpakant Township residents staged protests in February, blocking dump trucks from depositing waste and calling for mining companies to improve safety in the area. Protestors called off the demonstrations after a week, when they participated in negotiations with local authorities and mining companies.

Mining companies agreed to follow waste piling rules and regulations and local authorities agreed to increase oversight and take stronger action. However, after the collapse on Monday, locals said they doubted that the mining companies had followed existing regulations.

The authorities must take strict action to prevent further deadly incidents, because the upcoming monsoon season will naturally cause more collapses, said local miner Aung Moe. They need to check up on mining companies and warn prospectors before the situation worsens.
Burma Doctor Wins Citizen of Burma Award

A doctor who promotes health care joins a political science educator, a storytelling group and a band of charity buskers as recipients of the diaspora-run award.

RANGOON  Dr. Than Min Htut, a medical doctor who provides health care and promotes reproductive health access in villages in rural Shan State, has been announced as the recipient of the 2016 Citizen of Burma Award.

The award, given by members of the Burmese diaspora, has been bestowed since 2010 to those deemed to have done exceptional work for the good of Burmese society.

This year, additional awards were given to a political science educator, a musical group and an educational storytelling group.

In addition to using his background as a medical doctor to treat patients in need, Than Min Htut also has been working on building schools, digging wells and setting up homes for senior citizens.

I am happy to receive this award, but I feel like more work needs to be done, he told The Irrawaddy.

The US-based Citizen of Burma Award organization also honored Khin Ma Ma Myo, the founder of the Myanmar Institute of Peace and Security Studies and the director of the Women, Peace and Security Initiative.

Khin Ma Ma Myo, a Japan- and UK-educated academic, participated in the Union Peace Conference in January representing womens issues, and she is an expert on government institutions, politics and gender issues.

Another awardee, The Storyteller Group, was founded by a group of young people who go to schools, orphanages and community centers to tell educational and entertaining stories.

The final award recipient was Pan Ye Lan, which means Flower Lane in Burmese. A musical group, Pan Ye Lan busks around the country to collect donations for the poor and drum up support for National League for Democracy (NLD) campaigns.

A formal award ceremony will be held on Saturday in Rangoon. The Citizen of Burma Award recipient will receive US$10,000, and the three additional awardees will be given $1,000 each.
Burma Prison Term Like From the Old Days, Says Burmese Penis Poet

A young poet gets six months in jail for defaming former President Thein Sein, making him one of the first political activists sentenced under Burmas new government.

RANGOON  A court in Burma sentenced a young poet to six months in jail on Tuesday for defaming former President Thein Sein, making him one of the first political activists sentenced since Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi took power in April.

Maung Saunghka, 23, used his Facebook account to publish a poem featuring a tattoo of a president on his penis. He was charged for defaming Thein Sein under Burmas Telecommunications Law, used to curb free speech in several other recent cases.

Because Maung Saunghka has spent more than six months in jail since being arrested, he will be freed on Tuesday. But the case highlights the limits of control that Suu Kyis government, elected in November on pledges of democratization, has over the government where the military plays an outsized political role.

It also draws attention to a continued use of the Telecommunications Law to stifle dissent. The act, enacted as part of an opening up of the telecoms sector in 2013, bans use of a telecoms network to extort, threaten, obstruct, defame, disturb, inappropriately influence or intimidate.

Im glad I can go home freely, but Im disappointed about the verdict, said Maung Saunghka after leaving the court.

Even though we have a democratically elected government, the verdict was like from the old days.

The judiciary in Burma has for decades been an instrument of oppression by the junta against democratic opposition activists, many from Suu Kyis party, jailing them for long terms on show trials.

Despite Suu Kyis victory in November, the military-drafted Constitution guarantees it control over the Home Affairs Ministry, which oversees the courts. It also controls two other security ministries and controls 25 percent of seats in the Parliament.

Last year, NGO worker Patrick Kum Jaa Lee was sentenced to six months in jail for commenting on a picture showing a foot standing on a photo of army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. Several more people were charged under the same law this year.

Suu Kyis government released scores of political prisoners shortly after taking power, but 64 people remain behind bars and 138 are awaiting trial for political actions, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog.

It is unclear whether the NLD plans to reform the Telecommunications Law or how far it intends to change other oppressive laws from the military era.

Human rights advocates raised alarm that its draft of a revised law regulating public demonstrations keeps many military-era curbs on free speech.
Burma Rangoon Bus Lines to Be Dramatically Reduced

The Rangoon divisional government is poised to drastically slash the number of bus lines, many of which overlap and contribute to mounting congestion in the city.

RANGOON  Bus lines in Rangoon Division are to be reduced from 357 to only 50, according to Hla Aung, chairman of the Rangoon Division Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committee (known by the Burmese-language acronym Ma Hta Tha). The volume of buses that would ply the reduced number of routes has not been specified.

The move was announced in a meeting between Hla Aung and the Rangoon Division Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein on Sunday. The goals discussed were: reducing traffic congestion, which has reached chronic levels in Rangoon in recent years as an unintended consequence of economic reforms; reducing the financial burden faced by bus travelers; and providing an all-around higher quality service for the public.

Although over 7,600 buses are registered with Ma Hta Tha, currently between 4,500 and 4,800 city buses are plying 357 bus lines across Rangoon Divisions 33 townships, according to Hla Aung.

A regular criticism from Rangoons residents is that public bus routes regularly overlap. This is believed to heighten congestion and greatly reduce efficiency in the service.

Hla Aung confessed that Ma Hta Tha has issued many permits for private bus lines operating on the same route, which had deflated profits. Ma Hta Tha would not comment on the effect this has had on congestion, but noted that up to 20 bus lines are plying the same route on certain stretches.

At the very least, we can resolve this disarray by re-routing these bloated bus lines, said Hla Aung.

Myo Win, owner of the private Hlaing Dagon bus line, who was present for the Sunday meeting at the office of the Rangoon divisional government, praised the initiative but made a formal recommendation that the divisional government renew the Ma Hta Tha committee and invite bus line owners to participate, so that they could raise any issues directly with the government.

There is a stubborn old man mindset [at Ma Hta Tha]. We must change it, said Myo Win.

Myo Win also recommended support for the use of CNG (compressed natural gas) fuel in buses, raising passenger fees, and switching to an electronic iPay card payment system. He explained that, by changing the payment method in this way, bus owners could guard against cheating by drivers and bus conductors, who may overcharge passengers or skim money off of fees paid in cash.

Hla Aung declined to comment on whether the number of vehicles would be decreased under the new plan, or when implementation would start. He said the project would be led by the Rangoon divisional government. He claimed that Ma Hta Tha had no authority to determine bus lines, since they are not an executive agency and merely oversee the operations of private bus lines.

Ma Hta Tha was founded in 1962 by retired military generals, but has collaborated closely with the government at each stage of its history. Ma Hta Tha collects 2 percent of the daily revenue of bus lines in Rangoon; five percent of this amount is spent on Ma Hta Thas administrative costs, according to Hla Aung. However, the Parami, Shwe Than Lwin and Shwe Ae Thay bus lines are not overseen by Ma Hta Tha. Parami comes under the military-owned conglomerate Union Of Myanmar Economic Holdings.

It is widely speculated in Rangoon that overly long bus routes also contribute to congestion in downtown areas of the city, with buses from many different lines culminating in too narrow a space. In order to ease traffic further, it follows that Ma Hta Tha should designate shorter bus routes, with multiple transit points across the different townships of Rangoon.

Hla Aung said he personally agreed with this view, but he added that the implementation of such changes were up to the new government.
Anti-Muslim Agitator To Stay In Jail

Despite the courts rejection of the plaintiffs evidence, Nay Myo Wai, a politician accused of defaming Suu Kyi, sees his bail denied.

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division  A court in the Irrawaddy Divisions Kangyidaunt Township on Monday refused a bail request from the ultra-nationalist politician Nay Myo Wai, who has been accused of defaming the president, the army commander-in-chief and the state counselor on Facebook.

The court accepted a lawsuit filed against him last week by Wai Yan Aung, an executive member of the Burma Teachers Federation, under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law and accused him of defaming President Htin Kyaw, Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. Article 66(d) carries a punishment of up to three years imprisonment for using a telecommunications network to commit defamation.

We applied for bail because my brother [Nay Myo Wai] has a breathing problem. But our application was rejected since he has not had medical treatment recently. We will try again at the next court hearing, said Sandar Oo, Nay Myo Wais sister who is also acting as his lawyer.

Nay Myo Wai is a supporter of the Buddhist nationalist group Ma Ba Tha and serves as chairman of the Peace and Diversity Party. In recent years he has earned a reputation as a frequent propagator of anti-Muslim sentiment online. Nay Myo Wai was arrested on May 4 and has remained in custody since then in Irrawaddy Divisions Pathein Prison.

During the first court hearing yesterday, the plaintiff Wai Yan Aung testified but the printouts of screenshots of Nay Myo Wais allegedly defamatory Facebook posts were not admitted into evidence.

I submitted 11 printouts from U Nay Myo Wais accounts defaming the heads of the state. But they were rejected at the request of his lawyer, saying, the evidence was not strong. I will submit stronger evidence, Wai Yan Aung said.

The next hearing will be on May 24 when the plaintiff will testify again.
As it does every month, it is expected that Microsoft will be offering AAA games for free for the month of June to members of their Xbox Live Games with Gold program. However, the Redmond tech titan is yet to make any official announcement in this regard.

Usually, Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry Hryb aka Major Nelson announces the roster of games for the ensuing month some time around the last week of the current month. Hence, as May is drawing to an end, Xbox users and fans have begun speculating that Microsoft is likely to maintain the impetus it created with their April release, Vine Report stated.

In April, Microsoft released a roster it dubbed as "April blockbusters" for members of the Xbox Live Games with Gold program. The momentum of releasing major titles was maintained even for May. Now, with June knocking on the door, it is expected that Xbox will once again surprise its members with AAA games.

There are rumors that as the E3 event this year kicks off in June, Microsoft may be pushed to deliver AAA games for its Xbox Live Gold members. Some of the titles that are anticipated this month on Xbox Gold Live include "Ryse: Son of Rome" and the hit racing game "Forza Motorsport 5." Already, its games have been released for the Xbox One.

Meanwhile, Xbox Live Gold members who have not yet downloaded some of the free games offered in May can still do so, since three out of the four offered games are still available. These include "Defense Grid 2," "Costume Quest 2" and "Costume Quest 2."

Last year, as far as free game offerings are concerned, Microsoft apparently got a lead on Sony. Hence, it is speculated that the Redmond tech giant will not give up on this lead soon and will keep on delivering amazing titles for Xbox 360 and Xbox One, The Bitbag reported. Nevertheless, gamers should not expect to see too much indie-title unlike in PS Plus free games.

Watch the "Games With Gold June 2016 predictions" below:
It remains uncertain on which side of the table will win the battle. Recent news and updates regarding Verizon and the strike of the union workers continue to dominate the headlines. It stands to reason that the union workers will not give up, and strikers will prolong the agony until Verizon offers a fair deal. However, as talks are underway, many are insinuating that the strike will end sooner than expected.

Verizon has been in the bargaining table before with the unions, and now, it is back to where it once left off. With the unions representing about 40,000 striking workers, the talks are underway. However, strikers still want to keep up the heat on the company while picketers continued targeting Verizon wireless stores from Massachusetts to Virginia, reports Fortune.

Also, the strikers are involving local politicians to aid their cause. Just recently, the Syracuse, N.Y. city council voted in favor of a resolution that supported the cause of the strikers and criticized Verizon for a "campaign to destroy good jobs."

"It's great to get that support from our public officials to see that they're standing behind us for good middle class jobs and against the corporate greed of Verizon," Nikki Tonas, a 19-year-old Verizon employee who works as a fiber network technician and union rep, said after the vote.

Standing with workers in Brooklyn today against #Verizon Wireless corporate greed. Living Wages, pic.twitter.com/HVUMLOwMrt  Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) May 23, 2016

Meanwhile, the Syracuse resolution, which did not include a pledge to stop doing business with Verizon, marks the 16th municipal vote in favor of the strikers across the region. Other cities passing measures backing the strikers included Braintree, Cambridge and Boston in Massachusetts as well as the towns of Babylon and New Paltz in New York, according to the same post.

On a different note, iTech Post formerly reported of the issues pertaining to the rising complaints that have led to the involvement of the White House and its great oval office. Along that line, notions of the tyranny and the division ending with the involvement of nation's seat of government arise.

Tons of beautiful CWA families at yesterday's #VerizonStrike. It's always been about our families. #StandUp2Vz pic.twitter.com/ZnSxM9czyd  CWA (@CWAUnion) May 20, 2016

The strike has taking its toll not only on Verizon but its workforce and other segments as well. Unless Verizon comes up with a fair plan and deal, the strikers are more than willing to prolong their agony until their aspirations are met. Nonetheless, speculations that the Verizon strike will end sooner or later still remains unsettled until both parties meet an agreement.
American automobile giant General Motors recently announced that it will be compensating all its customers who purchased a 2016 model GM SUV after the company had exaggerated the fuel efficiency of its new cars by 1 mile to 2 miles per gallon.

The compensation program worth $100 million will cover roughly 135,000 retail customers, who may receive an average of $450 to $900, as the company overstated fuel efficiency on specific 2016 SUVs. In fact, GM discovered that specific 2016 models of the company's GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles were given the erroneous fuel economy sticker, Tech Times reported.

As per the provisions in the compensation program, people owning the affected models have the option to choose to receive a debit card worth anything between $450 and $900. Alternatively, they can also opt for a vehicle protection plan good for 48 months or 60,000 miles.

The vehicle protection plan will be in addition to the 36-month/36,000 warranty offered by GM. It will commence after the expiry of the original factory warranty of the vehicle.

The company further stated that all customers who are leasing any one of the vehicles that are covered by GM's compensation program will only receive the debit card. The compensation program is meant to repay car owners, who are possibly spending additional money on fuel compared to what they expected for their vehicle, owing to the wrong fuel economy stickers.

GM, however, said that the value of the debit card provided to the customers will be subject to specific factors like whether the vehicle was purchased or leased or whether the vehicle is a front-wheel or all-wheel drive, Detroit News quoted the company spokesman Jim Cain as saying.

People who have purchased the specific GM 2016 SUVs or people who are on long-term lease will receive the maximum payouts. On the other hand, those who took the vehicles on short-term lease will receive the minimum compensation values.

General Motors will be dispatching letters to the affected customers regarding the compensation offer starting Wednesday, May 25.

Watch "GM deceiving consumers on MPG for nearly ten years?" below:
Facebook received backlash from the social media community when they took down a picture of plus-size model Tess Holliday.

Australian feminist group Cherchez La Femme has expressed their anger after the social network rejected an advert for their event 'Feminism and Fat', which aims to promote body positivity. The advert shows plus-size model Tess Holliday's picture wearing a bikini. Facebook initially took the photo down, and told the organizers that the advert "depicts a body... in an undesirable manner." Facebook added that these kinds of ads are not allowed on the site "since they make viewers feel bad about themselves".

The Facebook team also suggested that they replace the ad with an image of someone 'running or riding a bike,' as it is more appropriate given the theme of their event.

The social network has now restored the image and issued an apology for the move. "Our team processes millions of advertising images each week, and in some instances we incorrectly prohibit ads," the statement said. "This image does not violate our ad policies. We apologize for the error and have let the advertiser know we are approving their ad."

Jessamy Gleeson, one of the producers of the Melbourne-based "Feminism and Fat', told BBC that she was furious about what happened. "They're not policing women's bodies when it comes to acceptable standards of beauty elsewhere," she said.

"I can see that they were attempting to try to tackle eating disorders - that makes sense - but at some point you have to consider that women of different weights exist on Facebook." Gleeson has added.

This was not the first time that Facebook has been slammed for censorship of photos, Irish Times reported.

In March, Facebook took down an image of topless Aboriginal women in the ceremonial paint as part of a protest, because it violated the site's 'community standards.' The social network was accused of having double standards, pointing out that the photo of celebrity Kim Kardashian posing with only body paint covering her body was not taken down.
Cupertino tech titan Google and the multinational semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm have joined hands to improve Android Auto, including and introducing the long demanded wireless mode.

At its 2014 I/O conference, Google announced the infotainment feature called Android Auto, which was launched in March 2015 and has been so far rolled out in 29 countries across the globe. Currently, an estimated 100 car models across 40 brands use Android Auto, and the Cupertino tech giant now plans to extend it to more cars, Tech Times reported.

Aside from the 11 countries where this feature was originally rolled out, Google has made Android Auto available in several other countries including Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, India, Panama, Costa Rica, Russia, Ecuador and Austria. Recently, the company mentioned in a tweet that the app will also be launched in Puerto Rico.

The app, Android Auto, displays useful information automatically, besides organizing them into simple cards. However, in order to use the features of the app, customers require a smartphone in their car.

"To use Android Auto, you need an Android Auto-compatible vehicle or aftermarket radio and an Android phone running 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher," Google said in a post, adding, "When you connect your Android phone to the compatible vehicle or radio, Android Auto will display applications on the vehicle's screen."

The partnership between Google and Qualcomm will, however, change all this as the two companies aim to embed this Android OS in the infotainment system of a car directly. The new program will enable car manufacturers to develop infotainment systems having Android as a common platform, thereby making it easier to link the car with other services and applications.

At the 2016 I/O conference, Google also showcased a car that operated on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 Automotive processor by connecting the chipset to the infotainment system of the vehicle. In fact, Google showcased a Maserati with the model infotainment system through Android Auto. The car possessed a large 4K touchscreen instead of the regular console and an additional 720p display positioned where one usually finds the speedometer.

In fact, the new platform will significantly help reduce software development time for system integrators, developers as well as OEMs. Google's Android engineering director Patrick Brady said that the collaboration with Qualcomm will be helpful in developing potent car infotainment systems meant for this digital age.

Watch the Android Auto review below:
Genesys is using a channel-centric strategy to address the needs of midsize organisations in Australia.

Contact centre software vendor Genesys is generally associated with enterprise-scale environments. For example, one of its high-profile local customers is the Australian Tax Office.

But the company understands that businesses of all sizes want to differentiate themselves though superior customer service, ANZ channel director Vaughan Webster told iTWire; hence the introduction of Genesys Business Edition.

Genesys channel partner Generation-e's managing director Biagio La Rosa explained that unlike the enterprise version  where everything has to be built from scratch  Genesys Business Edition comes as a preconfigured appliance with a set of templates for quick deployment.

"That is a really smart approach," he said, especially as the product still provides the flexibility needed for customisation where required.

"It's resonating with the marketplace" and "the demand has been fantastic."

So far, most deployments for Generation-e clients have been on-premises, even though Genesys Business Edition is also available from the cloud.

The current expectation is that telephony-related systems are expected to run on-site, he said, but "that will change with the launch of Skype for Business Online." (Genesys provides native integration with Skype for Business.)

According to Webster, the market segments showing interest in the Business Edition match those for the full Customer Experience Platform: financial services, insurance, telcos, retail, travel, utilities and government departments.

Genesys Business Edition suits midmarket businesses with between 50 and 200 contact centre agents, said La Rosa. They are being squeezed from below by start-ups and disrupters, and from above by enterprise-scale competitors. To compete by improving their service, these businesses need advanced features previously found only in enterprise systems, but with much easier deployment, which is exactly what the Business Edition provides.

In particular, they need to integrate voice and other channels, design routing rules based on recent communications, automatically present agents with relevant information based on the caller's history, and provide agents with the ability to bring other employees with relevant expertise into a conversation.

Arranging things so the first person the customer talks to is able to settle the matter without having to transfer the call is associated with higher net promoter scores, La Rosa said.
Bitdefender has previewed the first commercial solution offering real-time memory scanning and monitoring of VMs from the hypervisor.

Bitdefender Hypervisor Introspection (HVI) is a new framework to secure virtualised environments from advanced cyber-attacks and provides a higher levels of security, visibility and actionable insights than previously available.

It was developed in close collaboration with Citrix and operates at the hypervisor level, where it has rich insight of a VM's memory, while remaining completely isolated from potential attacks.

Available as a technology preview, Bitdefender HVI tightly integrates with the Direct Inspect API released by Citrix as part of XenServer 7, the first commercial hypervisor capable of virtual machine introspection.

It also has real-time memory scanning and monitoring for guest virtual machines, providing high visibility into advanced targeted threats. Unlike in-guest security tools, which are not isolated from threats and vulnerable, this new approach allows HVI to detect and block threats, including targeted attacks like Carbanak, Turla, APT28 and NetTraveler, even without knowing the vulnerabilities used by the hackers.

Bitdefender HVI runs in a privileged position relative to the threat environment  below the OS with hardware-enforced isolation. Attackers cannot disrupt it or evade detection as they have with traditional endpoint security tools. It runs as an agentless solution that works alongside any existing in-guest endpoint security solution to discover deep threats that have managed to remain hidden from the enterprise. HVI can also remove these threats by automatically injecting a remediation tool in the virtual machine, if desired.

The proliferation of breaches and successful attacks on major enterprises shows that existing security solutions are not able to stand up to the rapid advancement in attack tools and techniques in the world of cybercrime, said Harish Agastya, vice-president, enterprise solutions at Bitdefender. HVI gives organisations the edge they need to protect themselves, now and in the future."

By working with Bitdefender, Citrix XenServer has become the first commercial hypervisor with virtual machine introspection, enabling customers to easily detect and block sophisticated security threats at the hypervisor level, said Marc Trouard-Riolle, principal product marketing manager, core infrastructure at Citrix. Hypervisor Introspection is truly a game-changer in the world of cyber security. Its a sophisticated solution for our customers, yet easy to use as part of XenServer deployment.
There is a sliver of gold on Queenslands Sunshine Coast  Noosa and its famous Hastings Street where formal dress is shorts or bathers, Gucci of course.

Noosa Council services more than 56,000 people in its local government area, has 343 full-time equivalent staff, operates an annual budget of $119 million and has $980 million worth of assets. Its a wealthy little hamlet with some discerning ratepayers.

Increasingly, the organisation had been using ad hoc systems and procedures based on Microsoft Visio, Excel, and Word to manage processes but these lacked consistency and were difficult to access. At the same time, there was only minor standardisation or collaboration between different council operations  too many silos  resulting in a lack of process efficiency in everything from onboarding of new staff to handling council resident issues.

While Noosa Council has a long and proud tradition, we also recognised that we are a council that needs to continually develop new ideas and new ways of operating. As a result, were now deploying new versions of financial, HR, asset management, property and rating software this year as part of our digital transformation journey. The roll-out of these new technologies will be supported by Promapp which will assist with the mapping of procedures ensuring the successful application of new IT applications and their widespread adoption internally, says Justin Thomas, ICT manager, corporate services, Noosa Council.

Noosa Council decided to deploy Promapp following a comprehensive market review. It was selected based on its ease of use and deployment, affordability and appealing licensing model.

We wanted a SaaS (Software as a Service) turnkey solution delivered from the Internet and had heard of other councils that were achieving great operational results following their own Promapp deployment. It has easy to use features and can rapidly draw down documents from the Internet which meant that we did not need to invest in additional IT infrastructure. At the same time, its document outputs are really attractive.

We were also attracted by Promapps Local Government Shared Process Library which will enable us to share knowledge and learn from the experience of other councils throughout Australia and New Zealand  how theyre currently operating and managing their own processes, performance and customer service, says Thomas.

The library itself includes over 1000 processes developed by councils and uploaded to the cloud for sharing, including processes for activities such as building consents, resource consents, wastewater management, environmental health and environmental monitoring. The library also includes an extensive set of processes for dealing with land information, parking, libraries and museums, recreation and leisure, community development, animal management and compliance as well as customer service and service delivery.

A key use for Promapp will also be in supporting the documentation of public interactions and being able to clearly see how these pass through the organisation. This will enable the organisation to support a reduction in call handling times resulting in a boost to overall frontline customer service. Promapp will simultaneously reinforce the handling of internal HR issues and provide process support for a seamless approach to council meeting agenda construction and reports.

We wanted business process documentation to assist with day-to-day processes as well as to support a cultural change in the organisation to one that would be receptive to supporting consistency and being open to change. From an IT perspective, Promapp will also support the range of policies and strategies that set the path for future Noosa Council operations.

Promapp is a key focus for Noosa Council ultimately enabling us to maximise the use of smart ICT systems to drive both efficiencies and good governance practices. It will be progressively rolled out in the months ahead and will deliver new capabilities which will support cultural change, keep everyone on track and nurture innovation to support our overall council service offering, says Thomas.
Students from Australia, the US, Germany, Brazil, India, and China are being asked to debunk popular idioms using GE technology. The winner will receive a 10-week paid internship at a GE Global Research Centre, a US$100,000 scholarship, and appear in a GE video.

General Electric (GE) is an archetypical American multinational conglomerate corporation. It operates in diverse areas including appliances, power and water, oil and gas, energy management, aviation, healthcare, transportation and capital and does this via home appliances, financial services, medical devices, life sciences, pharmaceutical, automotive, software development and engineering industries. It has a very rich tapestry.

GE is launching an international competition that encourages engineering students at universities around the world to think innovatively, challenge conventional thinking, and solve problems creatively.

It is called Unimpossible Missions and students will be asked to think of a well-known idiom that can be debunked using GE technology, following recent experiments by GE scientists that pushed back the boundaries of whats possible.

GE successfully tackled three seemingly impossible missions: making a snowball survive in hell, talking to a wall, and catching lightning in a bottle  you can see the videos by clicking on the links.

GE wants to inspire the next generation of workers to do the same. GE is partnering with more than 125 of the best engineering universities in the world to reach students through an open innovation challenge.

The winner will receive a 10-week paid internship at a GE Global Research Centre, a scholarship and will be featured in one of the next Unimpossible Missions films.

David Arkell, HR leader at GE Australia and New Zealand, said, At GE we firmly believe in tackling the challenges that everyone else thinks of as impossible. Its that mentality among our thousands of staff around the world that ensures we stay innovative and nimble as a business.

According to a Data61 report earlier this year, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) knowledge is associated with 75% of the fastest growing occupations and innovation.

As Australia transitions to a knowledge economy, its vital that the next generation of engineers and scientists also have that innovative mentality. This competition is one way were encouraging them to challenge conventional wisdom and think differently, said Arkell.
Shareholders meetings, AGMs, extraordinary general meetings and more  all public companies (and we venture most membership-based Associations and conferences) need a secure mobile voting app and do not need more paper votes and returning officers.

Computershare, a leading global share registry provider, and Lumi, a global market leader in real-time audience insight technology, have introduced mobile voting at an annual general meeting (AGM) via a shareholders own mobile device, with real-time voting results.

Pilots conducted at AGMs in Sydney in April and May provided positive feedback from shareholders describing the app as simple, intuitive and easy to use.

This at-meeting mobile voting solution is now part of Computershares suite of digital meeting services from a long-standing partnership with Lumi. The new app changes the way shareholders can vote when attending a meeting: either by using Lumis connector keypad or their own handheld device via the AGM Mobile app  effectively enabling a hybrid AGM to be held.

Shareholders selecting a mobile option download the app and log in to the meeting using their unique credentials. They can access information on the meeting, submit questions to the Board and vote on all motions put to the meeting.

The AGM Mobile app is fully integrated with Lumis proven architecture. This makes it possible for data from the app and from the traditional keypad voting system to be collated and results for each vote to be issued instantly.

We see huge potential for our new AGM mobile app to transform the way companies conduct their meetings, both in Australia and around the world, said Oliver Bampfield, managing director, Lumi Australia.

Whether shareholders are sophisticated investors or small retail security holders, our latest offering is an extension of our existing mobile solutions and true omnichannel service that caters for all types of companies and their shareholders' needs, said Greg Dooley, managing director, Computershare Investor Services. We believe Computershare and Lumi are driving industry change by enabling the hybrid and virtual AGMs of the future.
Epson has launched its next-generation G7000-Series projectors which it says are designed specifically to suit any meeting space and include enhancements offering increased brightness and motorised lenses.

Epson touts the new G-series projectors, consisting of six models, as delivering up to 8000 lumens of colour brightness and 8000 lumens of white brightness, and with other features including the world's first zero-offset ultra-short-throw lens with 0.35 throw ratio making them ideal for space constrained venues and digital signage applications.

The G-Series range consists of the G7905UNL, G7500UNL, G7400UNL, G7200WNL, G7000WNL and G7800NL models.

Craig Heckenberg, general manager, business division, Epson Australia, said, "The Epson G-Series offers bright, brilliant images combined with advanced features, making them some of the best-selling projectors in Australia and New Zealand.

The new G7000-Series raises the bar with higher brightness, 4K enhancement resolution, new motorised lenses, and advanced technology to captivate any audience. They also underscore our commitment of delivering a broad portfolio for any company who requires a high quality projection solution for their meetings.

Epson lists a number of additional features including, among others:

 Nine Optional Interchangeable Lenses: Increased installation flexibility allows users to choose the motorised lens most suited for their environment; variety of ranges include an ultra short-throw, two short-throw, one wide-throw, four middle-throw and one long-throw. A quick-release lever enables fast, easy lens exchange.

 Versatile Connectivity: Supports the full range of inputs, including HDBaseT, HDMI, DVI-D, VGA, and 5-BNC, for easy integration with any system.

 4K Enhancement Technology: A revolutionary technology that accepts 4K signal and improves 1080p experience for movies. Available on select models, and

 Collaboration Features: With Split Screen function4, two different sources can be projected side-by-side, and free Epson Moderator5 software allows up to 50 Windows, Mac, iOS or Android devices to be connected over the network with up to four displayed on the screen simultaneously.
The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised a re-elected Coalition government would allocate $60 million in funding to the national mobile blackspot program.

Turnbull announced the funding pledge while campaigning in the Victorian marginal seat of Corangamite which has four mobile black spots.

He said the third round of funding would be allocated to addressing problems for mobile users in another 900 blackspots around the country  and would improve mobile coverage along major transport routes, in small communities and in locations prone to experiencing natural disasters as well as addressing unique mobile coverage problems such as areas with high seasonal demand.

And, Turnbull said, eliminating mobile back spot locations would unlock opportunities for farmers and businesses previously affected by little or no mobile connectivity.

Better mobile coverage means a quicker response to car accidents or bushfires, tourism operators can attract more guests, children can research school assignments online or adults can study at university online, farmers can sell their crops on the futures markets while sitting on the tractor, and people dont miss out on business or social calls or texts.

The government previously announced blackspot funding of $100 million in the first round of the blackspot program and in the second round a further $60 million was committed.

Vodafone welcomed the announcement, with chief strategy officer Dan Lloyd saying Vodafone would like to see whichever party wins the 2 July election commit to a permanent and expanded Mobile Black Spot Programme as soon as possible.

Lloyd said the Coalition had listened to Australians in regional and rural areas by committing an additional $60 million in funding to the blackspot program.

Unreliable mobile coverage and lack of competition is hurting regional and rural Australia, and businesses, farmers and residents in the blackspot areas are missing out on the economic and social benefits of world-class, competitive mobile services enjoyed by those in the major cities.

We are very supportive of the Mobile Black Spot Program model, as it not only increases coverage where it is needed, but also competition, giving customers the opportunity to choose their provider and get a better deal.

While the total funding of $220 million wont fix all of the mobile black spots in regional and rural Australia, it will start to address the mobile class divide which exists between these areas and the major cities.
Vocalcom is a cloud-based call centre software disruptor. Its founders motto is Never try to adapt or change old school solutions to new challenges, but rethink and revolutionise it.

Vocalcom has inked a deal with Quality Connex, a Sydney-based cloud software and consulting company, as its exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand.

Under the terms of the agreement, Quality Connex has exclusive rights to sell the Vocalcom suite of cloud omnichannel contact centre solution and its native built-in solution for Salesforce in the region. These solutions help enterprises, contact centres and business process outsourcing companies to provide a rich customer engagement as well as improve collaboration and communications.

Alexandre Oddos, chief operating officer of Vocalcom, said, Quality Connex has successfully designed, built and supported Vocalcom cloud software for the past two years in the Australian market. This exclusive arrangement is recognition of the significant strategic growth that has been achieved and the customer success delivered by Quality Connex in supporting cloud-driven innovation while at the same time increasing Vocalcoms brand recognition in the Australian market.

Frost and Sullivans Australian Contact Centre Market 2015 report found that that the contact centre market grew by more than 12% over 2013 to cross $260 million in 2014. At the same time, the research company forecasts that the hosted contact centre market will exceed a compound annual growth rate of 7% between 2014 and 2021 while the cloud contact centre solutions market will increase significantly with compound annual growth rate expected to exceed 35% in that same time frame.

Sarel Roets, chief technology officer, Quality Connex, said, We are thrilled that our success to date has been recognised with our appointment as exclusive distributor for Vocalcom in Australia and New Zealand. Our relationship has blossomed based on a true team approach to delivering cloud solutions to the market. As the only vendor able to provide a true cloud omnichannel offering Quality Connex has benefitted from both new avenues to market and the appetite for cloud-based software in Australian business."

Quality Connex provides a range of consulting services to private and public sector organisations and has successfully deployed Vocalcom solutions across Australia and New Zealand within a range of vertical market sectors. Both Vocalcom and Quality Connex have a mutual understanding of the skills and expertise required to improve their customers business in support of delivering a truly superior customer experience.
Australian-listed, US-based blockchain software solutions group for the payments industry, DigitalX, has formed its first strategic partnership in the Latin American region with telecommunications giant Telefonica to market its AirPocket solution to the telcos customers in the region.

DigitalX executive chairman Zhenya Tsvetnenko says the partnership also paves the way for the AirPocket app to be marketed in the United States before the end of May.

Under the deal announced on Tuesday, Telefonica will market AirPocket  to be launched on Apples App Store and Google Play  across Latin America via an SMS marketing campaign.

Based in Boston in the US, DigitalX (ASX:DCC) started life as bitcoin trader and miner Digital CC, which listed on the ASX in 2014  after a reverse takeover of small listed energy company Macro Energy  and rebranded as DigitalX a year ago.

"The Telefonica partnership is transformational for our company, and I am not only talking from a revenue opportunity perspective. The fact is, this deal puts our emerging technology company on the global stage and cements our position as a first mover in providing a blockchain application of commercial scale, Tsvetnenko said.

"This is a major milestone in the commercialisation of our technology as it opens a very lucrative market for DigitalX given the large Latin American population working in the US.

"These migrant workers will now have an additional means to financially assist their friends and family back home.

"The agreement shows that AirPocket isn't only well-suited for transferring cash between end users, but is also an ideal way for transferring digital funds and paying bills in a secure and timely fashion."

Tsvetnenko says Telefonica, which has nearly 232 million telecommunication access points in Latin America, is one of the largest telcos in the region and is among the top five biggest telecommunications groups in the world.

And, the strategic agreement with Telefonica allows consumers in the United States and Canada to use AirPocket to transfer funds directly into mobile phone accounts of users on the Telefonica network in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Uruguay. DigitalX has flagged that additional countries will be added as part of the broader rollout.

DigitalX earns a commission on the value of the funds transfer, which can range between US$2 and US$70 per instance.

Our partnership with Telefonica is a significant development for our company and the AirPocket application. The agreement with a Tier 1 telecommunications provider puts AirPocket into a very strong position, DigitalX chief executive officer Alex Karis said.

Telefonica provides access to a very large and lucrative market given that the telco controls a large percentage of the mobile phones in Latin America.

To be able to partner with a company like Telefonica validates AirPockets enormouspotential as a secure-value transfer and digital-funds transfer service. We look forward to continuing to expand our offerings across this region.

Oscar Namuche, Telefonica chief international officer, said, Telefonica is always aiming to expand its digital channels beyond borders adding further value to our customers. This partnership will enable millions of Latin American expatriates who have access to a smartphone to send Movistar airtime to their home countries in an easy, clear and transparent way, so they can continue to contribute to their home and families.
The market share of Windows phones has sunk below 1%, according to the latest smartphone sales report from technology analyst firm Gartner.

The number of phones made by Microsoft sold in the first quarter of 2016 came to 2.4 million, giving it a percentage of 0.7. In the corresponding quarter in 2015, Microsoft had sales of 8.27 million units giving it a 2.5% share.

Overall, smartphone sales worldwide grew by 3.9% to 349 million units compared to the corresponding quarter in 2015, according to Gartner. Predictably, Android sales were the highest (84.1%).

Apple saw its share fall with 51.6 million units sold compared to 60 million in the corresponding quarter in 2015.

In terms of brands, Samsung extended its lead over Apple taking 23.2% market share compared to Apple's 14.8%. In the first quarter of 2015, those figures were 24.1% and 17.9% respectively, in a quarter when 336 million smartphones were sold.

Apple also saw its first double=digit drop year-on-year, with iPhone sales down by 14%, according to Gartner.

Another notable feature was the fact that Chinese vendors in the top five gained 17% of the total sales.

Garther's research director Anshul Gupta was quoted as saying: "In a slowing smartphone market where large vendors are experiencing growth saturation, emerging brands are disrupting existing brands' long-standing business models to increase their share.

"With such changing smartphone market dynamics, Chinese brands are emerging as the new top global brands. Two Chinese brands ranked within the top five worldwide smartphone vendors in the first quarter of 2015, and represented 11% of the market. In the first quarter of 2016, there were three Chinese brands  Huawei, Oppo and Xiaomi  and they achieved 17% of the market."

According to Gartner, Oppo had the best performance, moving into the fourth position with unit sales growth of 145%. Like Huawei and Xiaomi, Oppo grew strongly in China, taking share from Lenovo, Samsung and Yulong.

Huawei saw strong smartphone demand in Europe, the Americas and Africa, while Xiaomi and Oppo saw their smartphone sales in the Asia-Pacific region rise by 20% and 199%, respectively.
Oracle and Googles fierce court fight over the code inside Android went to a jury on Monday after closing arguments that sharply differed on the most basic issues.

The federal jury in San Francisco is now deciding whether Googles use of copyrighted Java code constitutes fair use, an exemption that would free the company from having to pay Oracle damages.

At issue is "declaring code" that's part of 37 Java APIs Google used. Google says it simply used selected parts of Java to create something new in the form of Android.

What fueled the success of Android is all the things that went into it that are new and different, said attorney Robert Van Nest of Keker & Van Nest, representing Google.

That makes Android a transformative work, so its a fair use of the copyrighted code, Van Nest said. He also gave other reasons its fair use, including that Google only used a small part of Java, that Android isnt a substitute for Java and that its use of the code didnt harm the market for Java.

Oracles attorney argued Google copied the code because it couldnt build a mobile OS fast enough without it.

They knew they were breaking the rules, they knew they were taking shortcuts, and they knew it was wrong, said Peter Bicks of Orrick Herrington.

Google described the declaring code as nothing more than functional components it needed to call resources and make the Java programming language more effective. Oracle argued the relatively small amount of code has outsize significance.

"If this wasn't important, why did Google copy it?" Bicks asked the jury.

After Google used the code to build Android, Oracle said it considered developing a phone platform but concluded it couldnt compete with the free OS. It also saw Java licensing revenue from companies like Samsung shrink.

The companies used competing metaphors to help a jury of average citizens see the issues their way. Google compared the declaring code in the APIs to a filing cabinet with labeled folders, while Oracle said it was something more creative and substantial, like the books, chapters and topic sentences in the Harry Potter series.

This is the second time a jury has considered the fair use issue. Jurors in Oracle and Googles last trial, in 2012, couldnt reach a verdict on that issue. If this jury finds the Java in Android isnt covered by fair use, the trial will immediately turn to the question of damages. Oracle wants US$8.8 billion.

Both sides invoked bigger issues in their closing arguments to the jury. Google said the fair-use exemption protects the kind of innovation that Northern California excels at. Oracle, itself a 132,000-person behemoth valued at more than $160 billion, cited Googles far-reaching influence.

It takes somebody with strength and courage to stand up to somebody like Google, Bicks said.
Later this year, Google Maps users will start seeing new ads as they're driving down the road and planning trips using its mobile app.

The company announced a new promoted pins feature on Tuesday that will show users special pins on the map with a brand's logo in different situations, like when they're planning trips, driving by and searching for places to go. For example, when someone searches for "coffee," they might see a pin with a Starbucks logo show up on their map, while another user might have Maps suggest that they stop by a McDonalds while following directions.

Alongside that, advertisers will be able to set up pages that let users explore what items they have on hand and view special offers.

These changes mean that Google should be able to make more money from Maps, and advertisers will be able to try and reach users at times when they're most likely to go and visit a physical location. It's part of a push from the company's advertising division to create more ads targeting smartphone users.

Previously, Google only showed ads inside Google Maps that were basically copies of traditional search ads, and they weren't able to specifically target the company's mapping software.

Jerry Dischler, Google's vice president of product management for AdWords, said that the company is still honing its first release of promoted pins. In general, Google is trying to optimize for two things: making sure people see the ads, and not distracting folks as they're trying to operate a car.

That's why even though the Maps app will show promoted pins as users are driving, Google isn't going to call them out in the middle of navigation. However, Google also doesn't have any plans to make it possible to turn them off.

With the launch of these products, Google is building on the tools it has to try and get users to visit physical businesses from the web. Tuesdays launch comes almost two years after Google released AdWords store visits, a tool that uses anonymized location information from customers to tell businesses how many people visited retail locations after seeing their ads online.

In some ways, these ads are similar to ones run by Waze, the mapping and navigation app that Google bought in 2013. Right now, the Waze team continues to operate independently of Google Maps, and the ads users see in Waze are separate from the ones in Maps.

Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google's senior vice president of ads and commerce, said that would continue for the near future, but that at some point, Waze and Google Maps will integrate their advertising products.

All of this comes as Google has also announced a number of other changes to its advertising products, including a redesign of AdWords that lets marketers bid differently to reach users on mobile, desktop and tablet devices.
The federal government this month officially extended the length of time someone with a STEM degree can work on a student F-1 visa from 29 months to three years.

Students are eligible to work on their F-1 visa for one year under the government's Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. But in 2008, near the end of his second term, President George W. Bush's administration made it possible for students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields to get a 17-month extension beyond the initial year.

And now, President Barack Obama has increased the STEM extension to 24 months. That change went into effect May 10.

The reason for the STEM extensions in 2008 and in 2016 are the same: Giving students more time to work using an F-1 visa means they will have a better chance of winning an H-1B visa in the oversubscribed visa lottery.

The OPT program prompted a lawsuit against the government by the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech). It argued that the increase in STEM workers creates unfair competition for technology workers, particularly since student workers are less expensive to employ.

In extending the OPT visa, the administration imposed some news rules, including requiring that OPT worker's salary is "commensurate" with "similarly situated U.S. workers."

WashTech won a legal victory in August 2015, when a U.S. District Court judge ruled that the government erred in not seeking public comment when it extended the OPT program in 2008. Following that ruling, the government issued the new STEM rule. This time, the U.S. did post the OPT changes for public comments, and more than 40,000 people and groups responded.

The case suffered a setback earlier this month when a federal appeals court technically dismissed it because the lawsuit didn't cover the new regulations drafted by the Obama administration. But the ruling does not foreclose WashTech's ability to update and continue the case in lower court or to file a new case.

"So far, the OPT case has been turned into something out of Bleak House," said WashTech's attorney, John Miano, in a reference to the Charles Dickens' novel of judicial dysfunction.

The only thing that appears certain is that Miano will continue his legal challenge over OPT.

"We will get a final decision on the question of whether DHS (the Departmentof Homeland Security, which has oversees immigration) can allow non-students to work on student visas someday," said Miano.
As if the jury deciding the Oracle v. Google trial didn't have enough on its plate already.

Deliberations were interrupted Tuesday when the 10-member panel ran into technical problems trying to review evidence from the case given to them on a PC.

The jurors apparently wanted to look at some of the source code for Googles Android OS and couldnt get the large files to open.

You lawyers should not have done this to the jury; you should have tested it out yourselves, an irritated Judge William Alsup told lawyers for the two sides, who huddled with the courts IT specialist to try to figure out the problem.

The IT person seemed momentarily flummoxed that the jury would want to look at source code until the judge told him it was central to the trial.

You all have sabotaged the system so bad I dont know what to do, Alsup told the lawyers at one point, threatening to make them print out the millions of lines of code on paper.

In the end, the lawyers wrote some instructions for the jury telling them how to open the files.

Deliberations in the case began Monday after lawyers for the two sides gave their closing arguments. The jury has to decide whether Googles use of Java in Android was protected under the "fair use" exemption in copyright law, or whether Google needed a license from Sun  now owned by Oracle.

If the jury decides Googles use of Java was fair, the case is over  pending a likely appeal by Oracle. If they decide it was not, the trial moves to a second phase to calculate damages.

The jurors meet at the San Francisco federal court from early morning until 1 p.m. each day, and they can review evidence from the trial to help them with their task. After the computer problems Tuesday, they broke for the day without a decision. It's not known how long they'll take, but it could be a few more days.

The jury can also submit questions to the judge, and they had a few for him on Thursday, leading to more tension between Alsup and the lawyers.

The jury wanted to know if they could take their hand-written notes from the trial home to review in the evening. Oracle was fine with that, but Googles lawyers said the jury ought to deliberate as a whole.

The judge didnt like that. Its not even evidence, its just their handwritten notes, he snapped. Im very suspicious -- you must think you're gonna lose this case.

"No, your honor," Googles lawyer said, but stuck to her position.

"This is one of the best juries in the history of our courthouse," Alsup said. "They're not going to deliberate with someone else; that's a fallacious argument."

The jury also wanted to know if individual members can review evidence alone if they arrive at the court early or stay late, and if they can take home with them instructions given to them by the court.

Neither side wanted to grant those requests, and Alsup again grew irritated.

"Its up the jury how they decide this case," he told the lawyers.

In the end, he asked both sides to put their objections in writing by midnight. For the time being, all three jury requests were denied.
In a surprise move Tuesday, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise said it would spin off its enterprise services business and merge it with CSC to create an IT services giant with U$26 billion in annual revenue.

It's the latest step by CEO Meg Whitman in her effort to turn around one of Silicon Valley's oldest companies. Just last year, Hewlett-Packard split itself into two vendors, with HPE selling data center products and services, and HP Inc. selling PCs.

Now, HPE will slice itself up further, doubling down on its bet that a smaller company will be able to move faster and attract new business in a world increasingly dominated by the cloud.

HPE said it expects to complete the "spin-merger" by March 2017. The combined company will be led by Mike Lawrie, CSC's chairman, president and CEO. Whitman will have a seat on the board, and the remaining directors will be nominated half by HPE and half by CSC.

HPE called it the logical next step in the turnaround of its Enterprise Services business, which has been struggling for years to expand its sales and improve profitability. Tuesdays move essentially undoes HPs 2008 acquisition of services company EDS, for which it paid around $13.9 billion.

With cloud services becoming more a part of life for enterprises, selling technology services is becoming a harder and harder business to compete in, said Charles King, industry analyst at Pund-IT.

He and other analysts wondered about the timing of the deal, noting that it may have been in the works as far back as October, when HP first split itself into two.

Since then, HPE has positioned itself as a transformation partner for large businesses, promising to help them adapt to emerging technologies like big data analytics, mobility and the cloud.

Selling customers on that message could become harder after it spin-off its services division, however.

Without a strong services business, how do you be a partner in strategic transformation? asked Gartner analyst Thomas Bittman.

He speculated that HPEs Technical Services division, which has been adding new types of services to its roster, will pick up some of the slack. He hoped to get more details when he speaks with HPEs leadership team Wednesday.

HPE will also be more free to partner surgically with other services providers, which could be interesting he said, pointing to areas such as managed security.

King had similar concerns. It brings into question the kinds of competitive disadvantages HPE might face going up against companies like IBM, Dell and Lenovo that have sizeable services organizations, he said. He too expects HPE to lean on partnerships.

In a statement, Whitman said customers would benefit from a "stronger, more versatile services business, better able to innovate and adapt to an ever-changing technology landscape."

HPE shareholders will own approximately 50 percent of the merged company, and HPE said theyll gain about $8.5 billion in expected after-tax value.

Merging the businesses will also yield cost savings of about $1 billion in the first year, HPE said, but there will also be costs to spinning out the division.

There was no mention of layoffs in Tuesdays announcement, but HPE already said last year it would cut 33,000 jobs by 2018, in addition to 55,000 job cuts it had already announced.

Its got to be incredibly difficult for the HP services employees, whove already been whipsawed by layoff after layoff, King said.

HPE also announced its financial results Tuesday. Second quarter net revenue hit $12.7 billion, the company said, up 1 percent from a year earlier. It was the first time in five years the businesses that comprise HPE have grown year over year, the company said.

Net profit was $320 million, up from $305 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Investors reacted well to Tuesdays news, sending HPE shares 11 percent higher after the close of regular trading, to $18.10. Shares in CSC soared 28 percent after hours, to $45.50.
If you manage your whole LAN in the cloud, why not add in the desk phones, too?

That's what Cisco's Meraki division has done. Its first phone, the MC74, can be managed on the same dashboard Meraki provides for its switches, Wi-Fi access points, security devices, and other infrastructure.

Cisco bought Meraki in 2012 when it was a startup focused on cloud-managed Wi-Fi. The wireless gear remains, but Cisco took the cloud management concept and ran with it. Now Merakis approach is the model for Ciscos whole portfolio.

Merakis goal is to simplify IT, said Pablo Estrada, director of marketing for Ciscos cloud networking group. The idea appeals to smaller companies with small or non-existent IT staffs, but also to some large enterprises that need to set up and run networks at remote offices, he said. Since Cisco bought Meraki, the customer base has grown from 15,000 to 120,000.

The MC74 extends Merakis platform to phones, giving customers the chance to combine voice calling with their data networks and remove a separate system that can be complicated to manage. The MC74 is available now in the U.S. and will gradually roll out to other countries.

While Merakis cloud has a single pane of glass in its software to manage different kinds of infrastructure, its phone literally has a single pane of glass: an elegant, smartphone-like touchscreen. Other than volume and mute buttons and the corded handset, all the controls pop up on that screen.

Cisco is working on added features for Meraki phones that would tie them into the companys broader communications portfolio later this year. For example, if two employees were in a text chat on Ciscos Spark messaging app and decided to switch to voice, a user with a Meraki phone might be able to make that shift with one click, Estrada said.

The MC74 has a list price of US$599. Service to tie it into the public switched telephone network is list-priced at $8.95 per month. A Meraki cloud license for one phone costs $150.

Meraki is also upping its game in Wi-Fi. Two new access points, the MR52 and MR53, are equipped for so-called Wave 2 of the IEEE 802.11ac standard. That standard boosts Wi-Fis theoretical top speed to 2.3Gbps (bits per second) from 1.3Gbps in the first wave of 11ac. But the main point of the Wave 2 APs is to be able to serve more devices in the same area, Estrada said.

Along with the new access points, Meraki is introducing wired switches with ports equipped for 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps. Those are to handle the higher throughput from Wave 2 access points without upgrading to 10-Gigabit Ethernet, which requires better cabling. Theres no formal Ethernet standard for these speeds, but the Meraki switches use NBase-T, a specification that should make them upgradable to the standard via software, Estrada said.
Enterprises' initial entrance into the cloud is over and they witnessing the arrival of the Cloud 2.0. That's the word from Diane Greene, senior vice president for Google's cloud businesses.

The first phase of the cloud involved testing the waters, figuring out how companies could save time and in-house effort by having apps and services run in the cloud and using the cloud to store data. The top concerns were security and reliability.

Fast forward several years, and enterprises that have moved to the cloud have resolved most of their worries, figured out if they want a private, public or hybrid cloud, and chosen their vendors.

Now CIOs want to do more than store their data and run their apps in the cloud.

They want to use that crush of data to figure out business issues, such as why sales are going crazy in Europe or why certain laptops are selling in North America but not in Asia. Companies want to know what patterns are appearing in the data, and what the anomalies mean.

With the cloud and machine learning-based analytics tools, enterprises now are in a better position to get those answers.

"It's just a given now that you have a more cost-effective and reliable way of computing," Greene told Computerworld during Google I/O last week. "The 2.0 of the cloud is the data and understanding the data. Now that you're in the cloud, how do you take advantage of it so your business can operate at a whole new level."

Greene called the cloud the biggest technology revolution in her lifetime, and said machine learning is changing the way companies use the cloud and think about its potential.

"The revolution of the cloud is about the economics of scale," she added. "It's really about data. All of a sudden everybody can share the data We've turned a corner in how we think. Machine learning generates incredible value to a company. It's the ability to get insights you weren't getting before. The cloud is enabling people to create a lot more value."

Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, said he agrees with Greene that IT has entered the second generation of the cloud.

"Machine learning is vital to sifting through huge amounts of data and determining, on the fly, what it means," Moorhead said. "Cloud 2.0 cannot happen without machine learning to analyze the data. There is just too much data and traditional data sorting methods don't cut it."

One issue is that companies have a continually growing data store in the cloud.

In its on-premise set up, a company might have once had a huge data storage system but it was too expensive, time consuming and unwieldy to analyze the data in it. Whatever was there generally stayed there, doing no good for the company storing it.

Now a combination of the cloud and machine learning is enabling businesses to wrestle that data into intelligible answers to big questions.

Machine learning, which came out of the study of pattern recognition and computational learning, is perfect for this. The technology uses algorithms that learn from the repeated use of data, enabling them to become better and better at finding insights and answers without being expressly programmed on where to look for them.

The more data machine learning has to work with, the better it learns.

With bigger stores of data, machine learning can do a better job of answering questions for businesses. The technology could help an oil company find information for finding the next great oil pocket, a grocery story chain on how to sell more butter, or for an automaker to build a safer, more energy-efficient automobile.

"Companies are digital pack rats because it doesn't pay to throw data away," said Greg DeMichillie, director of product management for Google's cloud platform. "Now it's how to make sense of this needle in a hay stack  What we see is people don't want to take their server from on-premise to a cloud and leave it as is. We've only begun to scratch the service on how machine learning can make it better. It helps you answer the questions you didn't even know before to ask."

Machine learning, according to DeMichillie, is bringing on the next transformative wave in IT and the cloud.

"It's the only way to make sense of the data that we have," he said. "At the scale we're talking about, it's just not possible without the cloud. Most companies would never have the ability to build out a machine-learning infrastructure. It's not economical for an on-premise environment."

Jorel Perez, a San Antonio-based mobile web developer who works for a Fortune 500 financial services company, said he sees companies increasingly focusing on what they can do with all the information they have in the cloud.

"We're starting to realize how much data we actually have, Perez said. "hey're like, 'Wow! We actually have a lot of data.' We're tracking a lot of things. Now they're like, 'What do we do with it?' What can we do beyond initial queries?"

Dinesh Ganesan, a consultant with Octo Consulting Group, which works with government agencies, said many enterprises are looking to Google for help with their cloud analytics.

"[Amazon Web Services] has data analytics tools, but there's a perception that Google has much more muscle there," Ganesan said. "This is Google's strength  analytics and deep learning. Everybody knows deep learning is very cool. Sure. But what is your use case with it? Google needs to step in there and show them that it's not just cool but can do things for them."

Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst, said it might be premature in declare the Cloud 1.0 as over.

"The cloud is growing faster than we imagined a few short years ago but that does not mean all the problems we worried about a few short years ago are now solved," Kagan said. "Most enterprises today are not able to sort their mountain of data and information yet. This mountain of information can either be a gold mine or just a big mountain depending whether you can sort and access what you have."

Perez said the cloud may be moving into the 2.0 era and he's looking forward to what this might mean for the enterprise.

"We've just started that timeline," he said. "Cloud 1.0 has just ended. I think we have started Cloud 2.0 but there's still more to come."
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Besides being a special emissary of the United Nations, Angelina Jolie has got her hands full. Also, there has been some information regarding Angelina Jolie's major milestone by shifting from the glitters of Hollywood life and finding solace in teaching a course on ending violence against women.

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is to join the London School of Economics (LSE) as a visiting professor on a new masters course on women, peace and security, the school announced on Monday and The LSE said the course, which starts next year, is the first of its kind globally and will be run by the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security which was launched last year by Jolie and Britain's former foreign secretary, William Hague, according to the Huffington Post.

Angelina Jolie would also not be alone since Hague will join her in LSE as a visiting professor as well. Moreover, the partnership was sparked by Jolie's 2011 directorial debut "In the Land of Blood and Honey" that was set against the backdrop of the 1992-95 Bosnian war in which an estimated 20,000 women were believed to have been raped, reports the same post.

This notion is no longer unverified because even Jolie has affirmed the information regarding her teaching ordeal in LSE. "I hope other academic institutions will follow this example, as it is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance women's rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict," Jolie said in a statement as cited by Jakarta Post.

"I am looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students, as well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations," Angelina Jolie added on to say.
It appears that Samsung wants to retain the top spot by unleashing strong and unparalleled devices. There are notions of leaked images showcasing the different specs, features and pricing of the Samsung Galaxy C5, and Samsung Galaxy C7 N.

Just days before its speculated May 26 unveiling, Samsung's purported C-series smartphones, the Galaxy C5 and C7 have been divulged in new promotional images and this is not the first time Samsung's Galaxy C5 and C7 smartphones have surfaced online in leaked images, reports University Herald.

All the more, it gives a comprehensive view of the smartphones and the latest revelation of the first promotional images seems to be one of the freshest designs for the South Korean phone maker's mid-range smartphones yet, reports the same post.

Samsung's designs have been noted to render unsurprising details since most phones only differ in terms of size. As for the specs, the Galaxy C5 is speculated to have 5.2-inch full-HD display, powered by Snapdragon 617 and comes with a 4GB of RAM. It also has a 16 MP rear camera and an 8 MP front camera. For the Samsung Galaxy C7, it would feature a 5.7-inch full-HD display, also powered by Snapdragon but in 625 SoC range and comes with a 3000mAh battery.

Despite the leaked images that have surfaced on the web, Samsung is tight-lipped on its upcoming devices Galaxy C5 and Galaxy C7, but hype around them has gained momentum over the last few weeks as the release date is drawing close and the handsets are said to be a new floated C series, according to IBT.

It remains uncertain on whether the released and leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy C5, C7 N would materialized. Also, as the specs and the features are revealed, it is still unsettled on whether Samsung's new product segment is ready to take on and baffle the world of smartphones.
The last time fans saw "Star Trek" on screen was when it descended into "Darkness" when the crew of the Enterprise, headed by Captain Kirk, leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. This cult-classic has initiated a ton of fanbases, jobs, creativity and industries. Stemming from design to technology. Now, the franchise is going another step further.

But their story isn't over, yet. A trailer has been released and it seems "Star Trek" is going "Beyond." Screencrush has it that the release in IMAX was attended by director Justin Lin, producer JJ. Abrams and some members of the "Star Trek" cast. Exclusive footage and some special announcement of the upcoming sequel was released.

So if you're a "Star Trek" fan and want a break from the monotony of daily life, mark your calendars free on July 20. Head down to the Comic-Con at San Diego this summer. Put your costumes on at the Embarcadero Marina Park South. It's an outdoor venue, so maybe minimize the leather and thick costumes. The event is said to be the first-ever outdoor IMAX world premiere, enabling viewers to see the it in the biggest screen possible while sitting out under the stars, next to the ocean. According to IMDB, "Star Trek Beyond" sees the U.S.S. Enterprise crew exploring the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

The event isn't exclusive to Comic-Con attendees, and while those in attendance at the fan event in Los Angeles have already secured invites, tickets will be available to purchase relatively soon.

If you're not able to make it, then watch out for "Star Trek Beyond" in theaters on July 22.
Entering its second month in the negotiations, the Verizon 2016 Strike still continues. Both parties have not reached a final agreement yet.

Verizon is still parking at the negotiations table with union leaders representing over 40,000 Verizon workers that are on strike since April. Though negotiations are on-going and quiet since both executive parties promised to keep their communications at a minimum before the final verdict is reached, the Verizon workers on strike still want to continue pushing the company to the boiling point.

The heat is on while Verizon strikers continue to march in front of Verizon wireless stores in Massachusetts and Virginia. Fortune has it that these two states are where the most affected workers are coming from. Previously, the Obama administration has stepped in and pushed Verizon to end this issue as unemployment claims continue to rise since the Verizon 2016 strike has entered its second month.

On Monday, the Syracuse, N.Y. city council voted in favor of a resolution siding with the strikers and condemning Verizon for a "campaign to destroy good jobs." This happened because strikers are asking political support from their regions.

A tenured Verizon employee named Nikki Tonas says, "It's great to get that support from our public officials to see that they're standing behind us for good middle class jobs and against the corporate greed of Verizon."

Other cities passing measures backing the strikers included Braintree, Cambridge, and Boston in Massachusetts; and the towns of Babylon and New Paltz in New York.

A spokesman for the union groups declined to comment about the ongoing talks as initially promised when the Obama administration stepped in.

A website called Stand Up To Verizon has been set up to push the strike further, making sure the heat is still being felt by the company.
There are concerns that Apple may end up the same way as Blackberry. This comes after the company's dismal performance in the market recently.

Business Insider reported that top Apple follower Marco Arment is worried that the company may meet the same fate as Blackberry. He claimed that Blackberry was initially great at creating phones and even dominated the market before the iPhone came about.

While Blackberry was a genius at creating a device for email and phone calls, it was not enough. Apparently, Apple's iPhone changed the way people used smartphones with the introduction of the App Store.

This time, though, there are concerns that Apple may be following Blackberry's footsteps. Amazon, Facebook and Google have been focusing on the development of advanced AI, futuristic assistants as well as future interfaces in efforts to find the next things that our devices should be for.

"Today, Apple's being led properly day-to-day and doing very well overall," Arment wrote in a blog post. "But if the landscape shifts to prioritize those big-data AI services, Apple will find itself in a similar position as BlackBerry did almost a decade ago: what they're able to do, despite being very good at it, won't be enough anymore, and they won't be able to catch up."

According to The Register, Microsoft has overtaken Apple in Britain's biz slab sales. The iPad Pro, which was released in October, sold only 107,000 units in the U.K. This is lower compared to Surface Pro's 275,000 units sold.

"One of the problems facing Apple is price, the other is familiarity and applications," Tim Coulling, senior analyst at Canalys, said. "It is a difficult market for Apple."

Meanwhile, Warren Buffett's recent investment in Apple has shown a deviation from the investor's portfolio. Forbes noted that Buffett usually places his money in high quality businesses that have had long histories of success. Only time will tell whether the risk is worth it or not.
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Ascension Wisconsin, now the second-largest health care system in the state with the addition of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare's health care operations in southeastern Wisconsin, said Tuesday that it plans to set up a northern and a southern region, each led by a president.

The health system, part of Ascension Health, also includes Columbia St. Mary's and Ministry Health Care, the parent of Affinity Health.

Ascension expects to announce the presidents for the two regions in 90 to 120 days.

The health system also announced that Daniel Neufelder, president of Ministry, has decided not to be considered for president of the northern region.

Neufelder has been president of Ministry since December 2014. He previously was president of Affinity Health System, which became part of Ministry in 2012. He will remain in his position until a new president for the northern region has been hired and settled into the job.

"We were sorry to learn of Dan's decision not to continue with the organization, as Dan has been a key member of the leadership team for Affinity, Ministry and Ascension for many years, but we respect his decision to begin a new phase in his life," Bernie Sherry, a senior vice president of Ascension, said in a statement.

Ministry Health has 14 hospitals in Wisconsin and one in eastern Minnesota, including Affinity Health's hospitals in Appleton, Oshkosh and Chilton. It became part of Ascension in 2013.

Wheaton became part of Ascension in March.

The three Wisconsin health systems that now are part of Ascension have combined operating revenue of $3.5 billion and more than 24,000 employees, including almost 1,000 physicians.

Ascension, based in St. Louis, had net income of $637.8 million on operating revenue of $20.5 billion in its fiscal year ended June 30.
David Lewandowski, opening team manager, unpacks items for the new Portillo's restaurant under construction in Brookfield. Credit: Michael Sears

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As Wisconsin's first Portillo's restaurant takes shape along W. Blue Mound Road in Brookfield, food service expert Darren Tristano has, in the same breath, both a warning and an endorsement.

"They've got something called the cake shake, which, if you can avoid it, I would," deadpanned Tristano, who is president of Chicago-based Technomic Inc., a research and consulting firm for the food service industry. "Because it's highly addictive and incredibly craveable."

While folks in America's Dairyland probably don't needa new way to ingest cake and ice cream  the cake shake is created by mixing a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream in a milkshake blender  it soon will be available here, along with Italian beef, hot dogs, hamburgers and other Portillo's menu offerings.

Portillo's is preparing to open its doors in mid-July, Keith Kinsey, the restaurant chain's chief executive, said in an interview.

Portillo's will begin training employees  about 200 in all  for the new diner-themed restaurant as soon as work on the interior is far enough along.

Portillo's has been a popular Chicago-area eatery for decades. The company started in 1963 when entrepreneur Dick Portillo opened a food trailer he called the The Dog House in Villa Park, Ill. Since the mid-2000s, Portillo's has been expanding outside metropolitan Chicago, first in California, then in Indiana and Arizona.

The Brookfield location won't be Wisconsin's only one, just its first, Kinsey said.

"It just fits in with the Wisconsin community," Kinsey said. "We're looking all over. Madison is definitely one we'd be looking at, a nice college town. Some more around the Milwaukee area. There are several locations that, in general, we are focusing on."

Almost two years ago, Dick Portillo sold the business to the private equity firm Berkshire Partners, although he has remained involved in his namesake business. Kinsey, a former executive at Noodles & Co., was hired as CEO last year. Among his goals is to help the company grow but maintain the food and service it's known for in its current markets.

"It's the quality of the food. It's the service we have by the people on the team. It's the attitude, the atmosphere that's inside a Portillo's. And then, it's the cleanliness," Kinsey said.

Portillo's also has a catering business and ships its food around the nation.

In its restaurants and drive-throughs, Portillo's prides itself on getting freshly made food to customers quickly.

"They do work fast. They usually have a number of people (taking orders) out in the drive-through," Tristano said. "So you could be 10 cars deep and ordering food. It moves very quickly."

The restaurant itself will seat about 200, with a patio that can accommodate about 45 customers, Kinsey said.

Tristano said Portillo's has been able to attract customers spanning multiple generations.

"They've done incredibly well with the millennials and Gen Z, so they're getting a stream of older customers and younger coming in," Tristano said.

Kinsey said many in the Milwaukee area already are familiar with Portillo's from visits to its Illinois locations. He predicts those customers will lead new people to the Brookfield location.

"Those individuals just start all the energy going," Kinsey said. "That person who has had our food really gets the buzz started with the non-user."

In metro Milwaukee, there might be no one more excited about Portillo's coming to the Milwaukee area than Rik Helfer of Waukesha. For years, he has been driving to and from the Portillo's in Vernon Hills and Gurnee, Ill. He's been posting photos on Facebook tracking construction progress on the Brookfield location.

Helfer said he was working in suburban Chicago years ago when co-workers took him to a Portillo's for the first time. He immediately was impressed with everything about the restaurant, including the employees and the atmosphere  and the food.

"I fell in love with the hamburger," he said. "I had a piece of chocolate cake. Ever since then I've been hooked. It's a higher quality of food."

Kinsey said the most popular item on the menu is Italian beef.

"The hot dog is right up there, too," he said.

Kinsey said the Brookfield location, which is part of the under-construction The Corridor development just west of Calhoun Road, will have 1950s-'60s diner decor, such as a jukebox, partly as a nostalgic acknowledgment of the old Karter's diner that once operated along W. Blue Mound Road.

"We're carrying some of that theme inside," he said.
UW-Madison students work on a wind turbine that will be entered in a national competition next week. Credit: James Runde / Wisconsin Energy Institute

SHARE WiscWind members Mamyrkhan Kassymov (left) and Walker Willis assemble wiring to be able to measure the electrical output of the turbine prototype and manage the charging of a battery. James Runde / Wisconsin Energy Institute

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With the aim of helping make electricity more available in rural parts of India, a team of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has designed a wind turbine that could provide power to cellular phone towers.

The Badgers' team, WiscWind, of 15 engineers and business students will compete this week in New Orleans at a national competition hosted by the American Wind Energy Association and sponsored by the Department of Energy.

UW is among 12 schools selected to compete in the competition, the wind industry's version of the national Solar Decathlon. A Wisconsin team, from UW-Milwaukee, competed in that several years ago.

The quest: "to solve remote power needs," the Department of Energy says, by developing a cutting-edge wind energy technology for use in off-the-grid settings.

Each team had to write a business plan, set up a deployment strategy and build and test a wind-turbine design in an on-site wind tunnel.

The Badger team's finished product was still being refined last week in a machine shop on campus.

"I just came upstairs from the wind tunnel," UW junior Alex LeBrun said Friday evening, a day before the team was slated to depart for New Orleans. "There are always improvements that can be made, so we're seeing how many can be made."

The team's vision is an elegant renewable power source that doesn't require its own bulky and costly wind tower.

They developed and tested a model of a cylindrical wind turbine using vertical axis helical blades, with a total "real-life" size that's about 6 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter.

The blades feature a spiral shape so the impression is that of a model of a DNA molecule. Picture the double-helix, DNA-strand staircase at Milwaukee's Discovery World Museum, only much smaller.

This style of machine was chosen because it's efficient in capturing the wind and because it has fewer mechanical and moving parts, meaning it should be easier to maintain than a typical wind turbine, said Benjamin Kufahl, a student and team leader.

The machine is efficient in capturing the wind and converting it into electricity. But it's difficult to manufacture, so the group turned to a local prototyping facility, Midwest Prototyping in Blue Mounds. Midwest used 3-D printing technology to print the blade.

The project was spearheaded by Scott Williams, research and education coordinator at the UW-Madison-based Wisconsin Energy Institute. He worked with other faculty across the campus to help develop a proposal for the team two years ago.

"Because it's an interdisciplinary competition, we saw it as an opportunity for the institute to get involved and bring students from all across the campus to the institute to work together," Williams said.

Developing a project for India, where the power grid is unreliable but the wind and solar resource is strong, wasn't the plan at first.

"When the teams were out talking to potential customers, what they found is that for a small scale in the U.S., solar is starting to compete favorably with wind, so they ended up looking at other markets where wind could compete on a smaller scale," Williams said.

Cellular towers in India can be tied to the electrical grid, but power outages are so frequent they need diesel generators for when they're off-grid, he said.

"If you can replace the diesel generators with renewable energy, that's a big cost savings to the customer," he said.

The business plan calls for a combination of wind and solar power as well as the use of batteries to store a portion of the electricity generated from the renewable sources.

For students, the project meant a lot of work, though they ended up obtaining independent study credit for their effort.

"It's a great introduction to the renewable energy industry, and it's a great exposure to wind power specifically," Kufahl said. "That's one of the goals for the Department of Energy, to prepare another generation of engineers and businessmen who are going to be renewable energy-minded and have experience with wind power, because that's one of the fastest growing sources of energy production in the U.S."

Kufahl, who grew up in Wausau and graduated this month with a mechanical engineering degree, has been hired at a supercomputing company in Chippewa Falls.

No matter how the team fares in the judging that starts Tuesday, the Badger team members say they're pleased with the experience.

"I got involved because it was an opportunity to make something from scratch," said LeBrun, who is majoring in mechanical engineering. "I have a fabrication or machining background, and for me it was an opportunity to create something brand-new."

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Lin-Manuel Miranda has freely acknowledged that the road to "Hamilton" was paved by "1776," the 1969 musical by Sherman Edwards (music and lyrics) and Peter Stone (book) about the crucial weeks in Philadelphia culminating in the Declaration of Independence.

That's among the reasons "Hamilton" came to mind Monday night, as Milwaukee Opera Theatre presented a one-night concert rendition of "1776" to a wildly enthusiastic audience in a sold-out Turner Hall Ballroom. Directed by Paula Suozzi and involving a star-stuffed cast of more than two dozen performers, it's assured a permanent place in the annals of Milwaukee theater history.

The passionate, principled and abrasive John Adams is the Hamilton of "1776." He's also a character Matt Daniels has long wanted to play. Now I know why: Working off book, Daniels was galvanic, fully capturing the great fire burning within a patriot often maligned as a cantankerous and priggish fussbudget.

Daniels' magnetism was up close and personal for much of the audience, thanks to Suozzi's ingenious staging.

Transforming the entire main floor of the ballroom into the room where the Continental Congress met, Suozzi strategically sprinkled the cast among the audience, seated at tables arranged in a semicircle around John Hancock (Rana Roman), Congress Secretary Charles Thomson (James Zager) and music director and pianist Jack Forbes Wilson's upstage orchestra.

Hence men like Adams made their arguments  and sang their numbers  while seated or moving among the audience, making the debates more lively and making delegates of us.

Little wonder that the audience burst into applause when Thomas Jefferson (a charismatic Nathaniel Stampley) first spoke, or when  spoiler alert  Jefferson's Declaration was finally adopted. As presented here, the Founding Fathers' story becomes our story, a point further underscored by Suozzi's multiracial, cross-gender casting and the cast's contemporary dress.

Much of that story is spoken rather than sung, resulting in delightful, humanizing exchanges between Adams and his foil, Benjamin Franklin (a wonderful Jonathan West, part sage and part clown).

There's also more pointed exchanges between Adams and John Dickinson (a terrific Andrew Wilkowske), the inspiring patriotism of a dying Caesar Rodney (Cynthia Cobb) and comic relief from both a soused Rhode Islander (Robert Spencer) and a cranky custodian (Ray Jivoff).

Musical highlights included Natalie Ford singing Jefferson's praise as his adoring wife, a Wilkowske-led anthem to conservatism, Tiana Sorenson's poignant homage to a fallen soldier and Tim Rebers' spellbinding rendition as Edward Rutledge of "Molasses to Rum," the musical's best and darkest number.

But it's the joyous and inspired end of this "1776" I'll remember most.

As percussionist Michael Lorenz sounded a pealing Liberty Bell, the delegates signed the Declaration and then stood within and behind the audience, creating a final iconic image of an inclusive America enfolding everyone  and endowing each of us with the inalienable right to all the Declaration promised.

Read more about this production at Tap Milwaukee.com.

TAKEAWAYS

Red States, Blue States: In voting yes or no, Suozzi's delegates used red (signifying yes) and blue (signifying no) paddles, which added clarity while calling wry attention to the great contemporary divide in contemporary American geography and politics. The fractious Continental Congress prompts Adams' memorable opening line: "I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, that two are called a law firm, and that three or more become a congress." The audience ate it up.

Red, White and Blue: Jason Fassl's lighting reflected how hard it can be for red, white and blue to come together, particularly in a country spawned in blood (not for nothing does Franklin, in characterizing the new America, recognize that it's "rougher" and "more violent" than Britain). Many of those moments, here, are bathed in red light.

Much of the rest of the time in this "1776," the house lights remained up, reflecting Suozzi's inclusive vision of a story that belongs to all of us, red and blue (and every other imaginable color) alike  and that requires all of us to participate if it's going to work.

People, Property and the Pursuit of Happiness: As with "Hamilton," multiracial casting in a show about the birth of the nation necessarily advances a more inclusive vision of America. The delegate from the most northern colony and the most southern colony were played here, respectively, by a black man (James Carrington) and a black woman (Marti Gobel). A black woman (Cobb) also played the delegate who gave up most: Delaware's Caesar Rodney forfeited the prospect of effective treatment in Britain for his skin cancer when he signed the Declaration and thereby committed treason (that cancer would kill him).

Most significantly, it is a black man (Stampley) who embodied the tortured Jefferson  a lifelong slave owner who, as a Virginia legislator and as author of the Declaration, advanced positions to limit or abolish slavery. Defending a passage in the Declaration draft that had condemned the slave trade, Stampley's Jefferson offered moving testament to the conflicts and contradictions at the heart of the American experiment  and to all Jefferson hoped to accomplish by substituting the phrase "live, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" for John Locke's "life, liberty and property." That substitution relates in part to Jefferson's thinking on race, a story best told in Garry Wills' "Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence" (1978).

Wonder Woman: In addition to being Milwaukee Opera Theatre's artistic director  during a ferociously busy month in which it was producing three very different shows  Jill Anna Ponasik unexpectedly found herself added to the cast Monday night, when an ailing Melissa Kelly Cardamone was unable to go on as Abigail Adams.

This last-minute change didn't even give Ponasik time to don a costume; she went on in boots, jeans, and a red Wonder Woman tee. Or maybe that wardrobe choice was deliberate, since all of it is oddly appropriate for channeling the smart and iconoclastic Abigail, who was home running the Adams farm in Massachusetts while John was in Philadelphia. Singing the Adams' glorious correspondence with Daniels' John, Ponasik conveyed the puckish humor, witty repartee and deep-seated love at the heart of this storied relationship.

As it happens, Abigail's part in this couple's incandescent correspondence  as well as letters this brilliant woman wrote to luminaries including Jefferson, both Madisons and Martha Washington  has been collected in a handsome new volume from the Library of America.

"This Is Our Hamilton": So said Milwaukee theater legend Ruth Schudson to me, during intermission. Schudson's reference could have been generational, reflecting what this show means to theater fans and artists like her who were adults when it debuted  in the same Broadway theater, as it happens, where "Hamilton" would open 46 years later. Schudson told me she watches the film version of "1776" every July.

But Schudson might just as readily have been referring to Milwaukee, in the context of Milwaukee Opera Theatre's great gift of this production to a city that won't be seeing "Hamilton" anytime soon  but that's loaded with talented theater artists and a strikingly collaborative spirit.

Turner Hall was filled with those artists Monday night, and their outpouring of support and love for their performing colleagues was no less extraordinary for being fully deserved. To steal and bend a lyric from "Hamilton," it's the latest reminder, coming toward the end of another great theater season here, of how lucky we are to be alive right now.
Five stats that say the Brewers will be better in 2023 (and five that say they won't)
Jacqueline An

Helene An's life has been marked by upheaval, resilience and reinvention.

An, who grew up in French colonial Vietnam, fled to Saigon in 1955 after the Communist invasion. Twenty years later, she again had to flee her home on just an hour's notice. The mother of five daughters settled in San Francisco with her family and opened the city's first Vietnamese restaurant.

Taking skills learned as the youngest of 17 children in a family known for entertaining, An became the founder and chef behind her family's five California restaurants, including Crustacean Beverly Hills, where she's known for feeding celebrities French onion pho and lobster corn dogs and hosting Oscar parties.

Working with her daughter, Jacqueline, An shares family history and restaurant recipes in her first cookbook, "An: To Eat. Recipes and Stories from a Vietnamese Kitchen" (Running Press, $35).

Jacqueline An shares her thoughts on Vietnamese cooking, her mother's strengths and the recipes they want the world to remember.

Q.You start the cookbook with culture and history, along with recipes. Is the goal of the cookbook to preserve family stories or introduce recipes to new audiences?

A. For me, definitely the preservation part is a key part. I was very fortunate to spend as much time as I have with my mother and grandmother. Having my own children, I want to make sure those amazing stories and that family journey and recipes are passed on.

Q.What do you want people to know about your family?

A. My mother is just someone with such determination. To this day, she's still running all five restaurants. That strong work ethic she learned from her mother and father. It has just been passed on through her and her stories.

Even though we lost everything through the war, we grew up listening to the stories about my grandfather and my great-grandmother, who was such an entrepreneur. As a Vietnamese landowner in the late 1800s and early 1900s, she was one of the most powerful women of her time.

These stories are such an inspiration for us. They weren't afraid of failing. That's what I wanted to capture.

Q.How have recipes been passed down in your family?

A. Recipes were all oral. Traditionally, it is passed on through cooking with your mother, your aunt, your sister, your cousins, and through practice.

My grandmother never looked anything up. I wanted to write it down and really capture it so it wouldn't get lost.

Q.For people who don't know Vietnamese cooking, what do you want them to understand?

A. It is always balance and using a lot of herbs and spices. If you're using a lot of oil, you use a lot of herbs to balance the fat. With crispy rolls, for example, a very traditional Vietnamese dish, it is fried, so you want to balance it with the fresh herbs and wrap it in butter lettuce.

That's the basis of Vietnamese cooking. It is very much about balancing that flavor profile. That is key.

Q.What tools are most important in the Vietnamese kitchen?

A. If you have a good wok, you can do so many things, like cooking for a small family and steaming. You need a wok and a pot for soups. Those are the two basics.

Q.Tell us about the pictures throughout the cookbook.

A. We lost so many pictures, but we were fortunate that when my mother left (Vietnam) she grabbed a handful of photos. She only had an hour to pack up her things and go with my sisters.

However, my grandmother, Diana, actually came to America in 1968 just traveling. She came to the U.S. and that's how we got started in the restaurant business. In order to stay at that time, you needed a business visa. So she decided to buy a little Italian deli, saying that way I can go back and forth to Vietnam and the U.S. She had some photos here, and we were fortunate.

Q.That deli eventually became the foundation for your family's restaurant business?

A. My mother never thought, "I want to be a chef and restaurateur." Her father was a governor of a province in Vietnam, her grandfather was a big political figure in Vietnam. She grew up as the youngest of 17 children....

When we're cooking together, she'll always reminisce about what the chefs taught her back home. Having all those influences, inspired by a French chef, a Chinese chef and a Vietnamese chef (working in the family home), it is why she became so known for the creative Vietnamese cuisine. She was inspired by her early years.

Q.What's the most essential ingredient in the Vietnamese kitchen?

A. You need to have good fish sauce. It is a basis for a lot of the dishes. That is one of the key ingredients. We also use a lot of different herbs in our cooking, like the tia to (perilla) leaves. That's one of my mother's favorite ingredients. That's key.

When my mother and grandma first came over, you couldn't find fish sauce and a lot of things. You had to make them by hand. A lot of these things now you can find at Whole Foods.

Q.You include a section in the book, a crash course on how to eat pho. What do people need to know?

A. Pho is becoming so popular now. It is all about the broth. Sometimes people who don't know much about Vietnamese food think it is the noodles. But the broth has to be very clear and clean. You wouldn't see any film or fat.

We spend a lot of time cleaning that layer of fat that comes from the bone and a good beef stock. The key thing for a good pho broth is a really clean flavor and clarity of the broth.

We actually did a variation of the beef pho, it is pictured on the back cover on the book, the French onion pho that was a James Beard favorite last year. My father is the inspiration for this dish. He always told my mother when he was a little boy in Vietnam, he'd see the soldiers take a French baguette and dip it into the pho.

Q.When did you personally first go back to Vietnam?

A. I went back in 2000. Vietnam opened back up to the public in 1997. It was probably one of my best travel experiences. Everything was pretty much still how it was before. Now it is so much more modern.

I remember, I had fashion magazines in my hand, and the little girls and people working in the shops had never seen a fashion magazine. They asked me, "Can we keep this?" Of course, now, fashion there is such a big thing.

Q.How often do you go back now?

A. I've been back several times since. We still have a lot of relatives there. Of course, they want us to bring clothes, makeup, things they can't get in Vietnam.

I bring back a lot of things we take for granted. ... Six or seven years ago, they didn't have any convenience cooking. I brought back a microwave oven. In Vietnamese households you don't really use them, but they wanted one. Foodwise, they have everything. They never ask for American spices, but always the technology.
SHARE Michalene Melges Hans Melges Kristian "Max" Melges Maverik "Buddy" Melges

By of the

Authorities in Lake Geneva Monday asked the public for help in their search for a missing Lake Geneva woman and her three sons.

Michalene Melges, 40, Hans Melges, 14, Kristian "Max" Melges, 12, and Maverik "Buddy" Melges, 10, were seen leaving their residence in the 900 block of S. Lakeshore Drive on Tuesday, May 10, according to a post on the Lake Geneva Police Department Facebook page.

According to police, Michalene Melges rented a van in Lake Bluff, Ill., May 9 and the van was returned to a rental company in Plano, Texas, May 13.

She and her sons may be traveling with their two dogs, King, an English black lab, "Gigi" or "Geneva," a white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and two lizards, according to police.

Foul play is not suspected. However, Lake Geneva police asked that anyone with information call (262) 248-4455.

Michalene Melges is the former daughter-in-law of famed sailor Harry C. "Buddy" Melges Jr.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A frayed safety net

More than a quarter of the hospitals in the Pittsburgh area closed in the first decade of the 21s century, drastically reducing the amount of charitable care available to the poor. The failure of the remaining hospitals to provide adequate care to low-income patients and the inability of free and government-funded clinics to fill the gap has left the region's health safety net badly frayed.
Viola Jacobi sits with her great-great-grandson, Andrew Donlon, 11, at a party marking her 112th birthday last July. Viola died Sunday two months shy of her 113th birthday. Credit: Angela Peterson

It was starting to look like we'd need another birthday cake for Viola Jacobi, her 113th, coming up on July 25.

"Not quite. Just two months short," said her daughter Lois Tessmer.

Viola, or more often just Vi, died in her sleep Sunday afternoon at the Lutheran Home in Wauwatosa where I had joined her family for this remarkable woman's last two birthday parties, her 111th and 112th.

Vi is candle-count royalty in Wisconsin and beyond. At 112 years and 302 days of age, she was the 21st oldest living person in the world, according to charts kept by the Gerontology Research Group, and the fourth oldest in the United States.

By one measurement, she lived longer than anyone in Wisconsin history, at least for people who spent their lives and died here. A woman named Bertha Harris, who was born in Friendship, Wis., lived to be 113 years and 59 days, but she spent most of her life in Michigan, Arizona and Texas. She died in March 2015.

The next oldest after Vi was Anna Balsiger of Monroe, who had been around 112 years and 215 days when she died in 2001. Humans who live to 110 or more are called supercentenarians, and only one in 1,000 centenarians are in this elite longevity club, according to Robert D. Young, director of the Gerontology Research Group supercentenarian research and database division.

The oldest known living person in the world right now is Emma Morano of Italy, who is 1161/2 years old. She is one of only two living people verified to be 116.

Vi Jacobi didn't set out to break any age records and never thought it was a big deal. She was born Viola Kirchner in 1903 and grew up on the family farm near what's now 76th and Hampton in Milwaukee. The Wauwatosa High School grad married Conrad Jacobi in 1926, and they raised four children. Twelve grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren followed.

Vi survived breast cancer and skin cancer. She never smoked and didn't drink much. She drove a car well into her 90s, including to her job at a florist.

"When you think of it, she worked until she was 96, and she lived in her own house until she was 106," Lois said. "She had a very long, good life."

Lois, 86, of Wauwatosa, and her sister, Judy Wold, 74, of Red Wing, Minn., visited their mom frequently at the Lutheran Home, often bringing her flowers that she loved. They were there earlier on the day Vi died, but left with no indication that the end was so near. Her hearing and eyesight were failing, and most days she did not recognize her family members.

"I'm presuming she knew we were there because when I left I kissed her on the cheek, told her I loved her and said that I'll see you soon," Judy said. "It was time. She was getting really, really frail. She died in her sleep. When she wakes up, she'll just find out she's in a better place."

I'll remember Vi best from her party last year. She was having a good day and crying tears of joy as one family member after another moved in close to speak to her. She squeezed my hand and said she had no idea how she lived so long. In her quiet squeaky voice, she invited me to come back for her next birthday.

Her daughters are glad their mother found loving care at the Lutheran Home. "There were aides that wouldn't even have her that day, and they would come in and check to see how she was," Lois said.

Carey Bartlett, client relations vice president at the Lutheran Home, said they were honored to know and care for Viola. "Although we are all struggling to say goodbye, we are comforted by the joy and life lessons she shared with us."

Judy knew her mother could go at any time, but it came as a shock even at 112. "I wasn't ready. I'm only going to be 75, and I wasn't ready yet," she said.

Visitation is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by a Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 120 Nashotah Road, Nashotah. Viola's final resting place is Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee alongside her husband, Conrad, who died in 1989. She also was preceded in death by a son, Kenneth, and a daughter, Marcia.

Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or email at jstingl@jrn.com. Connect with my public page at Facebook.com/Journalist.Jim.Stingl
Paul Williams demonstrates an interactive projector at the TechForce Training Center. Credit: Michael Sears

By of the

The center first opened nearly 100 years ago, when it was seen as state-of-the-art because it had bowling alleys.

Now the old St. Francis Social Center on N. 4th St. is being reborn as a high-tech job training school complete with iPad Airs and smart boards that transform classroom walls into touch-screen teaching tools.

The facility, which has been renamed the Milwaukee TechForce Training Center, is set to celebrate its grand opening Tuesday.

The City of Milwaukee and its partners hope to train 150 people at the center and place them in technology jobs by next year  with that number increasing to 600 by 2020. The project is the result of a partnership that includes the city's Housing Authority, the Adult Learning Center, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Employ Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools and St. Francis parish.

"You know what the new recipe is here?" said Tony Perez, secretary of the Housing Authority. "The parish. They've got a lot of buildings, they've got a lot of stuff, they've got a lot of willing, intent volunteers ... this is what makes it unique."

The facility is located inside the Adult Learning Center, which helps workers who've lost their jobs and others study for General Educational Development (GED) tests. That center already serves about 120 students per semester, and has been staffed with the help of approximately 3,500 volunteer hours, said Herb Hayden, the ALC's executive director.

The $1.2 million TechForce Training Center, part of the city's new push to boost training for technology jobs, was developed with the help of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant.

High-technology job training also has been in the spotlight since Milwaukee was named a "TechHire Community" by President Barack Obama in March. It was one of 15 cities chosen as part of a national effort to provide resources and opportunities for people to learn skills needed for getting jobs in computer science and information technology fields.

Part of the idea behind the center is to train workers through universities and colleges, as well as at short, intensive "coding boot camps" and online classes that can quickly train people for well-paying jobs.

"We need more ways to connect people to available jobs, and the Milwaukee TechForce Training Center is an important new link in the pathway to in-demand tech fields," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. "TechForce is a new home for training and workforce development opportunities in Milwaukee."

Others helping with the city's TechHire program include the Milwaukee 7, Metropolitan Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce, the Water Council, the Center for Healthcare Careers of Southeastern Wisconsin and IT United of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County.

The Obama administration estimates more than half a million of the currently open jobs are in areas such as software development and cybersecurity, jobs that officials say pay 50% more than the average private-sector job.

The grand opening comes about a week after another job training announcement.

Last week, Barrett and the White House announced Milwaukee was one of 16 cities to benefit from a $21 million youth employment grant. That effort aims to connect young people  whether or not they're currently in school  with career readiness, summer employment, career services and year-round job opportunities.

Milwaukee TechForce Training Center Grand Opening

Tuesday, 10 to 11 a.m.

1916 N. 4th St.

Milwaukee, WI 53212
A container ship is loaded with shipping containers after the ships original containers, loaded with imported items, were offloaded at Port Everglades on May 5 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The U.S. Commerce Department announced that the trade deficit expanded by 43.1% to a seasonally adjusted $51.37 billion in March, the largest monthly percentage increase since December 1996. Credit: Getty Images

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For all his bullying, narcissism and self-contradiction, there is one point on which presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump cannot be criticized. In attacking our nation's longtime free trade policies and deals, the real estate tycoon has brought necessary attention to a huge elephant in America's policy room, one that's run wild and must be stopped by the nation's next leader.

While Trump's been especially vocal on the topic, he's far from alone in taking this stand.

Bernie Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, has also decried the "disastrous trade policies" of the past 25 years.

In fact, even Hillary Clinton, who most experts expect to beat Sanders and face Trump in November's general election, now says she opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement that she, while secretary of state, described as the "gold standard" of trade deals.

This is a big shift. For the past 70 years, all presidential hopefuls have held up free trade as key to bringing about prosperity and peace to America and the world.

Now, following Trump's lead, all this year's candidates are saying Washington's way of promoting trade has, in actuality, been quite perilous and has undermined American prosperity to the advantage of our trading partners.

What did Trump so presciently see?

First, he saw the problematic approach to trade policy taken by establishmentarians such as Robert Zoelleck, a former World Bank president and deputy secretary of state, who in a Wall Street Journal op-ed this month argued for the TPP, which has yet to be ratified by Congress, by focusing on the impact America's trade agreements have had on national security.

To insiders like Zoelleck, the main purpose of trade and globalization policy is not to enhance the incomes and welfare of ordinary Americans; it's to shore up allies against Russia and stop the Chinese from doing what is never precisely articulated.

This position is held by the very people who uttered nary a whisper when General Electric, rather than investing back home, decided to move its high-tech aviation electronics division to Shanghai through a joint venture with a state-owned Chinese company. These are the people who promoted and profited from the offshoring of millions of American manufacturing jobs in the name of making China a responsible stakeholder in the global economic system.

To Trump, Sanders and those who share their view, such an approach is the height of inconsistency.

Neoclassical economists and the foreign policy establishment, however, see the nonreciprocal opening of American markets as an allegedly cost-free way of buying friends and persuading countries with tiny economies to host U.S. troops and join us in supporting supposedly critical issues at the United Nations.

This approach long has been thought of as cost-free because leading Anglo-American economists  not, mind you, Japanese, Korean, German or Singaporean economists  argued that free trade is always and everywhere a win-win proposition.

So opening American markets to foreign competition, even when it's been clear the competitors are operating under mercantilist, export-led growth policies, has been said to be a big win for the vast majority of Americans. Of course, it's been admitted, there always will be a few workers or companies who suffer displacement, but it's also been promised they'll be compensated by the vast majority of winners. That's how it's been argued, anyway.

All this has been based on the counterintuitive concept of comparative advantage, first articulated in 1817 by British economist David Ricardo and elaborated upon in the 1930s by Swedish economists Eli Heckscher and Bertil Ohlin. The theory essentially holds that countries should concentrate on producing what they do best and trade for the rest.

What countries produce best, according to the theory, is determined by their endowments of land, labor and capital. And therefore, countries such as the United States, with skilled labor and lots of land and capital, ought to produce agricultural and advanced manufactured products and trade those for toys, clothing and other products from countries with lots of cheap labor. America ought to sell computer chips and airplanes to China in return for T-shirts, underwear and lychees, the theory would say.

This all sounded good for a long time, but as noted in the early 1980s by economist Paul Krugman, this theory rested on a host of far-fetched assumptions: fixed exchange rates, no cross-border flows of investment or technology, constant full employment, no cost of entry into or out of business, no government intervention such as Social Security or minimum wages, no unions, and, very important, no economies of scale.

In other words, the world of free trade theory always has been make-believe, and increasing globalization made it more so.

Indeed, in the late 1990s, Ralph Gomory, a former chief scientist at IBM, and William Baumol, a former president of the American Economic Association, demonstrated that in the real world, where many countries and products were experiencing rapid technological change, immense cross-border flows of investment and technology, and frequent fluctuations in economic growth and employment, trade is as likely to be a zero-sum (I win, you lose) proposition as a win-win situation. The outcome of trade all depends on the situation, they concluded.

Trump and Sanders probably haven't read all these analyses. But they have seen that none of the forecasts by Republican or Democratic administrations for new job creation and reduced trade deficits with Japan, China, Korea or other global partners ever came true. For instance, America's $2 billion trade surplus with Mexico has turned into a $50 billion deficit since the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect. Instead of shrinking, America's trade deficit with China  which stood at $80 billion in 2011  has ballooned to nearly $400 billion. America's free trade agreement with South Korea has seen U.S. exports decline, imports double and 11,000 jobs quickly lost.

It's hard to deny that Trump and Bernie have been right about trade.

Clyde Prestowitz is the founder and president of the Economic Strategy Institute.
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland meets with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in the Hart Senate Office Building on Thursday. Credit: Getty

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Jenny Beth Martin's commentary headlined "Johnson protecting your guns" argues that Judge Merrick Garland's record on guns is the logic behind refusing Garland an up-or-down vote in the Senate (Opinions, May 20).

Her alarmist rhetoric is wrong on two points. First is that there are 350 million guns in our country and no one, not even President Barack Obama, will take them away. Second, Obama was elected by a majority of the American people in 2012 and has more than 225 days remaining in his term. A recent poll shows that 58% of the people in Wisconsin agree and oppose the Senate GOP leadership obstructionism on the presidential Supreme Court nominee.

Gun violence severely impacts members of our community, resulting in loss, trauma and post traumatic stress. Wisconsin's criminals have more and better quality firearms compared to other states. Women in domestic violence situations and people contemplating suicide are too often victims of gun violence. There are some common sense, evidenced-based laws that can be passed to make our communities and families safer. A full nine-member Supreme Court is required to lay to rest any doubt on laws that are designed to make our communities safer.

Sixty-nine percent of the American people want the Senate to give the nominee a vote; Sen. Ron Johnson is welcome to play to his constituency and vote the way he sees fit on Garland. Johnson is playing partisan politics, pure and simple. He is working for the gun manufacturers, not the people of Wisconsin.

Paul Geenen is Milwaukee Chapter Lead of Organizing For Action (OFA) and lives in Whitefish Bay.
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Coming down on Leon's

This is regarding "Civil rights group to meet with owner of Leon's" (May 20).

Wow! This is awful. Apparently, a guy goes to Leon's Frozen Custard to order food. He's also apparently told he must place his order in English. He makes a complaint and then every progressive from the federal and local governments and media come pounding down on Leon's.

The self-righteous, indignant army of protectors of freedoms, the League of United Latin American Citizens, is calling for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to launch a federal investigation into the "English only" rule. So, the poor kid behind the counter happens to not understand Spanish. What's he or she supposed to do?

If a deaf person came in and tried to order, would the staff be required to know sign language? The majority of fast food places appear to accommodate most of us regardless of our shortcomings, and the biggest shortcoming is not the English language.

Many jump to the Internet to lambaste Leon's with boycotts and condemnations on social media outlets. With all of this nonsense most want to ignore the fact that Leon's owner's family is Hispanic, but this is a fact so easy to ignore.

Ray McInerny Sr.

New Berlin



Don't force language

America is a unique country made up of a variety of people from different cultures. But here we have the League of United Latin American Citizens, which discriminates by attempting to subject a private business to speak a certain language (Spanish) to its customers who demand it ("Civil rights group to meet with owner of Leon's," May 20).

It makes sense for Leon's to serve its customers in English because English is the prevailing language in the United States. If some businesses want to serve their customers in another language, that is fine, too, as long they are not forced to speak certain languages, because that would discriminate against others who don't speak those particular languages.

Mike Deubig

West Allis



GOP response to Zika?

As reported in the media, the Zika virus now festering in South and Central America is a growing concern in the United States, primarily because of the known brain damage it causes in newborn babies.

And its effect on Republican ideology is about to be tested. Of course, a President Donald Trump would keep the immigrating mosquitoes out by extending the great, great Mexican wall across the entire Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic seaboard and make Brazil pay for it. But that's not going to happen.

Scientists predict that the Zika virus will soon migrate north into the United States, giving Republican political leaders yet another opportunity to demonstrate how their conservative principles can be applied to any problem. Of course, first they will deny the science until Zika is well-embedded in the southern Gulf states. Next, they will insist on a tax cut for the wealthy, because the rich will invest it all in the free market to eventually develop a cure. But that won't happen.

Then they will consider a bill to provide women with free protection from being bitten by mosquitoes, but some religious voting groups will find that offensive and the bill won't make it out of committee. Since Zika also can be passed through sexual contact, the fundamental Republican solutions fit perfectly  strict abstinence (which may be tough for some married couples) or discuss it with your family or your preacher  all centers of Zika expertise.

In spite of these best efforts, and undoubtedly somehow due to Barack Obama, it's likely the Zika virus could infect hundreds or maybe thousands of American women, let's call them enablers, carrying a fetus that they are told will be born with severe brain damage. Pro-life conservatives will call it God's will and insist that these women should have no control over what is happening in their bodies. Once these children are born, and if Republicans have succeeded in trashing Obamacare, we all will see the power of the marketplace as private insurance companies rush to cover these unfortunate children for the rest of their "natural" lives. Right!

In meeting the Zika virus challenge, "we the people" will need innovation, imagination, intelligence, compassion and practicality in our leaders that goes way beyond any ideology.

Bob Heritsch

Brookfield
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Two of Gov. Scott Walker's top financial contributors were named Tuesday by Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to the leadership team of a key fundraising committee to support Donald Trump.

Diane Hendricks, a Beloit billionaire who is co-founder and chairman of ABC Supply, was picked as one of the vice chairs of Trump Victory committee. The committee will raise money for the RNC, the Trump campaign and 11 state party committees.

Elizabeth (Liz) Uihlein, president of Pleasant Prairie-based Uline Corp., was also named to the committee.

Last year, Hendricks gave $5 million to Unintimidated PAC, a super pac that was formed to support Walker's failed presidential bid, records show. She also gave $500,000 to Walker in his 2012 recall campaign, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Uihlein and her husband Richard Uihlein, who live in Lake Forest, Ill., gave Walker's Unintimidated PAC $3 million, records show.
SHARE Poll Wisconsin's voter ID law is being challenged in court. Should the law be upheld or struck down? Upheld Struck down vote View Results Upheld: 54% Struck down: 46% Total Responses: 2515

By of the

Madison Defending Wisconsin's tightened voting laws against a discrimination lawsuit, state lawyers offered testimony Tuesday from suburban clerks who favor the laws and raised questions about opposition to the measures.

State Department of Justice attorneys are pointing out, for instance, that one critic of Wisconsin's photo ID requirement for voters worked for years for a senator who backed the measure.

The federal lawsuit by liberal groups against the voting laws kicked off last week with testimony from Todd Allbaugh, a former staffer for then-Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) who said some GOP senators were "giddy" over the prospect the state's 2011 voter ID law could keep some people from voting.

Responding to that testimony, the state attorneys are noting that Allbaugh worked as a top aide to Schultz and that Schultz co-sponsored earlier versions of the voter ID law, including in 2001 and also in 2005, when Schultz served as the Senate majority leader.

The 2005 bill passed both houses of the Legislature but was vetoed by then Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat.

Allbaugh said last week that he was bothered by the fact that in private in 2011 some Republicans appeared excited at the prospect that the law would help them win elections. He said Tuesday that he wasn't opposed to having some state photo ID requirement but felt the current one was too restrictive and was put in place for partisan advantage rather than pure election oversight.

Other GOP senators have said that the lawmakers believed they would benefit from the law because it would cut down on voter fraud by Democrats. It has not been shown that there's any widespread fraud that the photo ID law would prevent.

The high-profile trial on Wisconsin's voting laws, including the photo ID requirement, is in its second week before U.S. District Judge James Peterson. The lawsuit was brought by One Wisconsin and Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund, which argue Republican elected officials intentionally meant to make it harder for minorities to cast ballots through a series of laws and rules adopted over the past five years.

Among the other laws being challenged are ones limiting early voting and eliminating straight-ticket voting.

To help rebut the discrimination claims, the state Tuesday brought forward clerks for the cities of Cedarburg and Port Washington, who said that the voting laws had generally worked well in their communities. Those GOP strongholds are smaller, wealthier and less racially diverse than Democratic bastions such as Milwaukee and Madison.

Constance McHugh, the Cedarburg clerk, said she and local voters were happy with rules requiring IDs from voters and allowing local officials to open only one office for early in person voting in each municipality.

"There have mostly been positive comments that (voters) are glad or relieved that we are finally accepting photo ID," she told the court.

On cross-examination, McHugh said that what worked for her city might not work as well in communities such as Milwaukee.

Also Tuesday, Hillary Clinton published an opinion column praising the lawsuit and questioning cases in the state such as a veteran of the battle at Iwo Jima who couldn't vote in February because his Veterans Affairs ID card didn't meet the state's photo ID requirements.

"This is just flat-out wrong. We should be making it easier to vote in America, not harder," Clinton wrote.
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By of the

A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Menominee tribe against the federal Drug Enforcement Administration over a raid and confiscation of the tribe's industrial hemp crop.

In the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Green Bay in November, the Menominee had argued that the tribe, in cooperation with the College of the Menominee Nation, should have the right under the Farm Bill to cultivate industrial hemp in the same manner as Kentucky, Colorado and other states.

However, U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach ruled that the definition of "state" in the "hemp statute" included in the Agricultural Act of 2014 does not include Indian tribes.

In October federal agents seized about 30,000 marijuana plants from the tribe's reservation near Shawano.

Gregory J. Haanstad, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, contended that the seizure constituted a raid on an unlawful marijuana growing operation and not the destruction of an industrial hemp crop as the tribe had asserted.
Michaelene Melges is seen with her sons (from left) Hans, Kristian and Maverik in photos released by Lake Geneva city police.

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By of the

A Lake Geneva woman found in Savannah, Ga., with her three young sons after the four were reported missing was charged Tuesday with three felony counts of interfering with child custody, according to state court records.

Michalene Melges, 40, was also charged with three misdemeanor counts of contributing to truancy and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, according to the records.

Melges, along with Hans Melges, 14, Kristian "Max" Melges, 12, and Maverik "Buddy" Melges, 10, were reported missing Monday by Lake Geneva police.

Michalene Melges rented a van in Lake Bluff, Ill. May 9, she and her sons were seen leaving their residence on May 10 and the van was returned to a rental company in Plano, Texas, May 13, according to police.

An arrest warrant was issued for her, and she and her sons were found safe Tuesday by Savannah police and FBI agents and taken into protective custody, according to a news release from the City of Lake Geneva Police Department.

Melges is the former daughter-in-law of famed sailor Harry C. "Buddy" Melges Jr.

She and Hans Erik Melges were divorced earlier this year, according to state court records.
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TeleSur |  

The Democratic Party will allow Sanders to have a prominent say in writing its platform this year.

The Democratic Party said on Monday it will give U.S. presidential contender Bernie Sanders a prominent say in writing its platform this year, a gesture that could ease tensions between Sanders camp and party leaders, whom Sanders has accused of favoring rival Hillary Clinton.

Sanders has remained steadfast in his long-shot battle with Clinton for the Democratic nomination for the November presidential election, even though he lags her in the delegate count with only a few state contests remaining.

The divisiveness among the Democrats stands in contrast to the Republicans, whose party leaders are slowly rallying behind Donald Trump, their presumptive nominee.

Sanders tenacity appeared to be paying off: The U.S. senator from Vermont will be allowed to name five members to the 15-member committee that writes the platform at the Democratic Partys national convention in late July in Philadelphia even if he is not the nominee. Clinton will name six.

The party said in a statement the split was based on the results of state votes to date in an effort to make this the most representative and inclusive process in history.

The partys chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, will name the committees final four members.

The Democratic Partys rules allow the chair to name all 15 members, suggesting that the party was trying to accommodate Sanders and his fervent supporters, who still pack rallies by the thousands as he campaigns in California, which will hold its primaries on June 7.

Via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

DNC To Offer Bernie Sanders Platform Input: Washington Post | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC
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Maan News Agency |  

BETHLEHEM (Maan)  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Monday his rejection of a French initiative for an international peace conference to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stating once again that he would only consider direct negotiations with Palestinian leadership without Palestinian preconditions.

Peace just does not get achieved through international conferences, UN-style, Netanyahu said following a meeting with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. It doesnt get to fruition through international diktats or committees from countries around the world who are sitting and seeking to decide our fate and our security when they have no direct stake in it.

You said that direct talks are very difficult right now, Netanyahu added, speaking to Valls. And youre right. They are, but theyre the only way to proceed towards peace.

Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed Frances efforts this year to organize a peace conference which will reportedly aim for the establishment of a future Palestinian state along 1967 borders and a shared capital of Jerusalem.

Members of the Middle East Quartet  the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States  as well as members of the Arab League and other nations are set to work together starting in late May or early June on a number of aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including economic development, security, and incitement.

Israeli and Palestinian authorities would only be included in the peace process starting in the fall.

On Monday, Netanyahu urged Valls to encourage (Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas to accept this French initiative: direct negotiations without preconditions, between the Israeli prime minister, the Palestinian president in Paris.

However, Netanyahu demanded that these hypothetical negotiations be based on the precondition of two states for two peoples, a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state.

Netanyahu also echoed past comments on his willingness to immediately enter direct negotiations with Abbas.

Im ready to clear my schedule and fly to Paris tomorrow  well, I think tomorrow were expanding the government, but the day after tomorrow, Manuel, Netanyahu said. And its an open offer. I will clear my calendar, and I hope that this is taken up by you and by the Palestinians.

In a visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank last week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault made a barbed allusion to Netanyahus recurring affirmation that Abbas was always welcome to meet with him, saying that words werent enough.

I know his (Netanyahus) stances, Ayrault said at the time. He has one option, which is direct negotiations. I note that this option is blocked.

Ayrault also warned that an upcoming report from the Middle East Quartet, which is expected to form a basis for the peace initiative, would likely not sit well with Netanyahu.

I told Mr. Netanyahu: Do not expect praises.

The Palestinian Authority has expressed hope for the initiative, and in April shelved the submission of a new anti-settlement resolution to the UN out of fear that doing so could thwart progress of new French proposals.

All past efforts towards peace negotiations have failed to end the decades-long Israeli military occupation or bring Palestinians closer to an independent contiguous state.

The most recent spate of negotiations led by the US collapsed in April 2014.

Israel claimed the process failed because the Palestinians refused to accept a US framework document outlining the way forward, while Palestinians pointed to Israels ongoing settlement building and the governments refusal to release veteran prisoners.

A number of Palestinian activists have criticized pushes for a two-state solution as unsustainable and unlikely to bring durable peace, proposing instead a binational state with equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians.

Via Maan News Agency



Related video added by Juan Cole:

CCTV: French prime minister visits Israel pushing for peace
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The leftist Beirut daily al-Safir reports that security in Syria broke down dramatically on Monday, as seven bombs timed to go off simultaneously hit soft targets in the Syrian Mediterranean cities of Jebleh and Tartus, killing some 150 persons and wounding 225

, the vast majority of them innocent noncombatants. Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), took responsibility for the carnage. The cities that were struck are vital transportation hubs.

Al-Safir says that the bombs were timed to hit commuters and students going to their exams. The Daesh claim of responsibility explicitly mentioned that the victims were hit because they were `Alawite Shiites. (Daesh, a hard line Salafi group, poses as a champion of Sunni Muslims).

The attacks were carried out, it said, by ten suicide bombers, two of them driving car bombs. They split into two teams of five each to target the two cities.

It is worth mentioning that Russia has naval docking rights at Tartus, and used an airport near the city to bring in the heavy military equipment it used to attack al-Qaeda, Daesh and other groups. It is thus a highly symbolic target.

It is near to the port of Latakia, the lifeline of the capital of Damascus.

Jebleh is in Latakia Province, a regime stronghold.

Some had attributed the attacks to the Freemen of Syria (Ahrar al-Sham), which on its twitter feed expressed satisfaction at the killing of Shiites. And, there were questions about the Daesh claim of responsibility, since it used a vocabulary different from its usual one.

Al-Safir says that the attacks were likely intended by Daesh to send the message that despite its losses in other provinces (it was expelled from Palmyra, e.g.), it is still relevant. Tartus, the capital of the province of the same name, and Jebleh in Latakia are Alawite Shiite population centers that oppose Daesh and other Sunni fundamentalists and are bedrocks of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. On the other hand, al-Safir points out that Tartus has doubled in size because of an influx of Sunni refugees, so that the numbers of Sunnis and Shiites in the city may just about be even. That is, many of the victims were likely displaced Sunnis.

That point brings up another theory, evident on social media from Tartus, in which locals speculated that the refugee population contained covert Daesh cells who carried out the attacks.

The hard line Salafi fundamentalists, including al-Qaeda, took neighboring Idlib province to the east and seemed poised to conquer Latakia and expel its Alawites when, in fall of 2015, Russia intervened and pushed the Salafis out of Latakia.

The proximity of al-Qaeda and the Freemen of Syria to these cities on the face of it makes it more likely that they are behind the bombings, though the tactics used are those of Daesh. Daeshs population center is very distant, in eastern al-Raqqa Province.

The attacks put the lie to rumors that Tartus was relatively safe because of a secret international agreement.

In Jebleh the bombs went off at 9 am, 2 at a civil transportation garage and a third at the municipal electricity offices. A fourth was set off a the entrance of a hospital emergency room, killing and wounding medical personnel.

In Tartus, the gate of the city was closed for a while. The hospitals are calling for blood donations.

About a year ago, an attempt to set off a car bomb in Tartus was foiled.

-

Related video:

Euronews: ISIL claims responsibility for multiple deadly attacks in Syria
VANCOUVER, May 24, 2016 /CNW/ - American Lithium Corp. (TSXV: Li) ("American Lithium" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the outstanding share capital of 1067323 B.C. Ltd. ("1067323"), an arm's-length privately-held British Columbia based mineral exploration company. At the closing of the acquisition, the Company's total Nevada lithium brine portfolio will increase to 20,790 acres (8,413 hectares), including 18,552 contiguous acres (7,508 hectares) in Fish Lake Valley, Esmeralda County, and 2,240 acres (907 hectares) in Washoe County.

1067323 holds the rights to acquire a series of 193 placer and 44 lode claims, over 4,870 acres (1971 hectares) in Fish Lake Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada (the "Colorado Property"). Additionally, 1067323 holds the rights to acquire the San Emidio property ("San Emidio Property"), representing a series of twenty-eight (28) placer claims, over 2,240 acres (907 hectares) in Washoe County, Nevada. The Company will issue 6,000,000 common shares to acquire all of the outstanding share capital of 1067323.

American Lithium CEO, Mike Kobler commented, "In acquiring the Colorado and San Emidio properties, we have increased our Nevada portfolio of highly prospective lithium brine projects to over 20,000 acres. The acquisition of the Colorado property completes our Fish Lake Valley acquisition strategy at 18,550 contiguous acres and positions American Lithium as the dominant claim holder in this important lithium brine basin. The acquisition of the San Emidio property located in north Nevada now moves us to the next stage of our strategy as we begin to diversify our asset base by identifying and acquiring the best lithium properties in the state." Mr. Kobler continued, "The San Emidio property was the focus of extensive exploration programs carried out over a four year period including a gravity geophysical survey completed in 2011, which indicates that an earlier discovered near surface lithium brine anomaly occurs on the west side of a basinal low. The proximity to a feature of this nature and the presence of lithium in the brines are criteria that are necessary for the formation of a Silver Peak style lithium brine deposit."

San Emidio Project

Project generator Lithium Corporation completed exploration programs on the San Emidio property from 2009 to 2012, including sediment and brine geochemical studies, gravity geophysics, and two phases of direct push drilling. Anomalous lithium values were detected during the brine sampling program with assays ranging from trace to the highest lithium value of 80 mg/L. The gravity survey defined a basinal depression proximal to the San Emidio lithium in brine anomaly, similar to that seen in the area of the producing brine field in Clayton Valley, which is a direct analog of the San Emidio prospect. The direct push drilling confirmed the presence of lithium in the brines and outlined a lithium-in-brine anomaly approximately 1 km wide, and more than 5 km long, within which anomalous lithium enriched brines with concentrations ranging from trace up to 23.7 mg/L were encountered at depths ranging from 24 to 39 meters subsurface. As is the case at Clayton Valley, lithium concentrations in brines at San Emidio may be reasonably be expected to increase at depth.

To acquire an eighty (80%) interest in the San Emidio Property, 1067323 is required to make payments of cash and common shares, and incur exploration expenditures, as follows:

An initial cash payment of US$100,000 .

. Incurring exploration expenditures of not less than US$600,000 , consisting of US$100,000 on or before the first anniversary, an additional US$200,000 on or before the second anniversary, and an additional US$300,000 on or before the third anniversary.

, consisting of on or before the first anniversary, an additional on or before the second anniversary, and an additional on or before the third anniversary. Issuing 300,000 common shares of the Company, with 100,000 common shares issuable following the acquisition of 1067323, 100,000 common shares issuable on or before the first anniversary, and 100,000 common shares issuable on or before the second anniversary.

Once 1067323 has earned an eighty (80%) interest in the San Emidio Property, it can acquire the balance of the property, subject to a two-and-one-half (2.5%) percent net smelter returns royalty, through the payment of US$1,000,000.

Colorado Property

To acquire a one-hundred (100%) interest in the Colorado Property, subject to a one (1.0%) percent net smelter returns royalty, 1067323 is required make the following cash and common share payments:

An initial cash payment of C$200,000 (paid).

(paid). Issuing 400,000 common shares of the Company following the acquisition of 1067323.

All securities issued in connection with the acquisition of 1067323, the San Emidio Property and the Colorado Property, will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period. Closing of the acquisition of 1067323 remains subject to a number of conditions, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, and such other conditions as are customary in transactions of this nature.

Michael Collins, P.Geo. is the Company's designated Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

ABOUT American Lithium Corp.

American Lithium Corp. is actively engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of lithium deposits within mining-friendly jurisdictions throughout the Americas. American Lithium holds options to acquire Nevada lithium brine claims totaling 20,790 acres (8,413 hectares), including 18,552 acres (7,508 hectares) in Fish Lake Valley, Esmeralda County, and the 2,240 acre (907 hectare) San Emidio Project in Washoe County. The Company's Fish Lake Valley lithium brine properties are located approximately 38 kilometers from Albemarle's Silver Peak, the largest lithium operation in the U.S., approximately 3.5 hours from the Tesla Gigafactory. American Lithium is listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol "Li". For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.americanlithiumcorp.com.

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
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Scorpio Gold Corporation ("Scorpio Gold" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:SGN) reports results from the 2016 exploration drilling program on the Paris target at its 70% owned Mineral Ridge project, located in Nevada.

The Paris target is a previously undrilled area located NNW of the Solberry deposit. It was targeted as one of several possible northwest strike extensions of the Drinkwater mineralization based on rock chip sampling and limited historic underground workings. Significant faulting to the northwest of Drinkwater has offset and obscured the Drinkwater trend. First-pass drilling in 2016 intersected mineralization in 19 of 24 RC holes collared over a 150 x 450 meter area. Based on a review of the geology and assay results, Paris is not considered a continuation of the Drinkwater trend. No further drilling is currently planned in the Paris target area.

Table 1. Paris Target Area - Significant Drill Results

Hole Azm Dip From To Width From To Width Gold Gold No. (deg) (deg) (ft) (ft) (ft) (m) (m) (m) (OPT) (g/t) MR161953-954 0 -90 No Significant Results MR161955 0 -90 120 125 5 36.58 38.10 1.52 0.017 0.58 MR161959 0 -90 No Significant Results MR161960 0 -90 130 140 10 39.62 42.67 3.05 0.013 0.43 MR161961 0 -90 210 215 5 64.01 65.53 1.52 0.071 2.43 MR161962 0 -90 270 275 5 82.30 83.82 1.52 0.047 1.61 MR161963 0 -90 250 265 15 76.20 80.77 4.57 0.060 2.05 MR161964 0 -90 150 155 5 45.72 47.24 1.52 0.019 0.65 230 235 5 70.10 71.63 1.52 0.018 0.62 MR161965 0 -90 60 65 5 18.29 19.81 1.52 0.015 0.51 MR161966 0 -90 20 30 10 6.10 9.14 3.05 0.052 1.78 180 185 5 54.86 56.39 1.52 0.016 0.55 MR161967 0 -90 135 145 10 41.15 44.20 3.05 0.011 0.38 MR161968 0 -90 105 110 5 32.00 33.53 1.52 0.017 0.58 MR161970 090 -45 110 115 5 33.53 35.05 1.52 0.010 0.34 MR161971 091 -47 105 110 5 32.00 33.53 1.52 0.017 0.58 185 190 5 56.39 57.91 1.52 0.016 0.55 MR161972 092 -46 No Significant Results MR161973,975 0 -90 No Significant Results MR161974 0 -90 85 90 5 25.91 27.43 1.52 0.031 1.06 MR161976 0 -90 455 460 5 138.68 140.21 1.52 0.189 6.48 MR161978 0 -90 190 195 5 57.91 59.44 1.52 0.023 0.79 450 455 5 137.16 138.68 1.52 0.052 1.78 MR161979 0 -90 380 385 5 115.82 117.35 1.52 0.061 2.09 MR161980 0 -90 295 310 15 89.92 94.49 4.57 0.032 1.11 325 330 5 99.06 100.58 1.52 0.024 0.82 MR161981 0 -90 400 415 15 121.92 126.49 4.57 0.039 1.35

All holes presented in Table 1 were completed by reverse circulation (RC) drilling. True width is estimated at 80-100% of downhole width. Scorpio Gold utilizes the analytical services of ALS Minerals (Reno, Nevada), an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 (CAN-P-4E, CAN-P-1579) accredited testing laboratory, and Bureau Veritas (Reno, Nevada), an ISO 9001 certified testing laboratory. External check assays to verify lab accuracy are routinely completed. Further details are presented in the Company's quality assurance and quality control program for the Mineral Ridge project, available at: MR QAQC.

About Scorpio Gold

Scorpio Gold holds a 70% interest in the producing Mineral Ridge gold mining operation located in Esmeralda County, Nevada with joint venture partner Elevon, LLC (30%). Mineral Ridge is a conventional open pit mining and heap leach operation. The Mineral Ridge property is host to multiple gold-bearing structures, veins and lenses at exploration, development and production stages. Scorpio Gold also holds a 100% interest in the advanced exploration-stage Goldwedge property in Manhattan, Nevada, with a fully permitted underground mine and 400 ton per day mill facility. The Goldwedge mill facility has been placed on a care and maintenance basis and can be restarted immediately when needed.

Scorpio Gold's President & CEO, Peter J. Hawley, PGeo,, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the content of this release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

SCORPIO GOLD CORPORATION

Peter J. Hawley, President & CEO

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.
TORONTO, May 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seabridge Gold (TSX:SEA) (NYSE:SA) today outlined its 2016 exploration plans at its 100%-owned KSM Project in northwestern British Columbia. The program calls for 10,000 meters of core drilling designed to expand by as much as 800 meters the block cave shapes that confine the current resource estimate. Drilling is planned to begin by mid-June following a winter of relatively light snow accumulation.

Commenting on the program, Seabridge Chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk said that our geological team believes the mineralized zone on the west limb of the deposit projects to the south and that the block cave shapes in our resource are limited by drill data, not geology. Extending the footprint of these block cave shapes should enable us to increase the potential mining rate for Deep Kerr higher grade material, which could result in improved economics for the project. In addition, drilling will target the less-explored eastern limb of the Deep Kerr deposit to test its potential expansion at depth.

Over the past three years, Seabridge has successfully targeted higher grade zones beneath KSMs near surface porphyry deposits, resulting in the discovery of Deep Kerr and the Iron Cap Lower Zone. Last year, sizeable resource expansions were obtained from these deposits and drilling also confirmed the potential for significant resource additions below the Mitchell deposit.

Fronk noted that once again we have designed and funded this exploration program based on our firm expectation that it will increase our gold resources on a per share basis. We are also convinced that the Deep Kerr resource can improve KSMs economics and we expect the updated KSM Prefeasibility Study now in progress will demonstrate this point.

The Deep Kerr deposit has grown substantially since its discovery in 2013, but remains open to the south and at depth. Exploration drilling in 2015 expanded the inferred resource to more than one billion tonnes grading 0.53% copper and 0.35 g/T gold (11.3 million ounces of gold and 11.8 billion pounds of copper) as of March 2016. Deep Kerr consists of a broad zone of altered rock representing several relic intrusions measuring about 2,000 meters north-south and at least 1,600 meters in depth. Drill testing in the deposit has demonstrated exceptional continuity of mineralized material which has enabled rapid growth of the resource.

Deep Kerr Undiluted Inferred Mineral Resources NSR Cutoff

(C$/tonne) Tonnes (000) Copper

Grade (%) Copper

(millions of

lbs) Gold

Grade

(g/t) Gold (000

of ounces) Silver

Grade

(g/t) Silver (000

of ounces) Moly

Grade

(ppm) Moly (000

of lbs) 8 1,570,700 0.41 14,193 0.29 14,645 1.8 90,898 24 83,084 12 1,455,200 0.43 13,791 0.31 14,504 1.8 84,214 25 80,182 16 1,309,200 0.46 13,273 0.32 13,469 1.8 75,765 26 75,022 20 1,168,000 0.50 12,871 0.34 12,768 1.9 71,349 27 69,505 24 1,008,200 0.53 11,777 0.35 11,345 2.0 64,829 27 59,996 28 831,600 0.58 10,631 0.38 10,160 2.1 56,147 28 51,320 32 692,300 0.63 9,613 0.40 8,903 2.1 46,742 28 42,723

The updated undiluted Inferred Mineral resource was derived from four conceptual cave shapes. The cave shapes are based on cave footprints developed in PCBC using a CAD$24 diluted NSR shut-off. These footprints were extruded approximately 500 meters vertically to create the conceptual cave shapes. Within these conceptual cave shapes a C$24 cut-off was used to determine the updated undiluted Inferred Mineral resource tonnes, grade, and contained metal as highlighted in bold in the table above. The tonnes, grade, and contained metal for the other NSR cut-offs shown in the table above are shown to provide readers with a relative sense of the distribution of material within the conceptual block cave shapes at different cut-offs.

Resource estimates included herein were prepared by Resource Modeling Inc. under the direction of Michael Lechner, who is independent of Seabridge and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Lechner is a highly-regarded expert in his field and frequently undertakes independent resource estimates for major mining companies. Mr. Lechner has reviewed and approved this news release.

Exploration activities by Seabridge at the KSM Project are conducted under the supervision of William E. Threlkeld, Registered Professional Geologist, Senior Vice President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. An ongoing and rigorous quality control/quality assurance protocol is employed in all Seabridge drilling campaigns. This program includes blank and reference standards, and in addition all copper assays that exceeded 0.25% Cu are re-analyzed using ore grade analytical techniques. Cross-check analyses are conducted at a second external laboratory on at least 10% of the drill samples.

Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold projects. The Companys principal assets are the KSM Project located near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada and the Courageous Lake gold project located in Canadas Northwest Territories. For a full breakdown of Seabridges mineral reserves and mineral resources by category please visit the Companys website at http://www.seabridgegold.net/resources.php.

All reserve and resource estimates reported by the Corporation were calculated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Classification system. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the potential expansion of the Deep Kerr inferred resource by up to 800m; (ii) drilling at Deep Kerr commencing by mid-June; (iii) the mineralized zone on the west limb of the deposit projecting to the south and the block cave shapes in the Deep Kerr resource being limited by drill data, not geology; (iv) the potential to expand the mining rate at Deep Kerr and that an increased mining rate could improve economics of the KSM Project; (v) the potential for significant resource additions below the Mitchell deposit; (vi) the expectation that exploration this year will increase resource ounces per share; (vii) the expectation that the Deep Kerr resource will improve KSMs economics and that the planned PFS will demonstrate this; and (viii) the estimated amount and grade of mineral resources. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are based on Seabridge's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The principle assumptions are listed above, but others include: (i) the presence of and continuity of metals at the Project between drill holes, including at modeled grades; (ii) the capacities of various machinery and equipment; (iii) the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices; (iv) exchange rates; (v) metals sales prices; (vi) block net smelter return values; (vii) conceptual cave footprints, draw points and heights; (viii) appropriate discount rates; (ix) tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; (x) financing structure and costs; (xi) anticipated mining losses and dilution; (xii) metallurgical performance; (xiii) reasonable contingency requirements; (xiv) success in realizing proposed operations; (xv) receipt of regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and (xvi) the negotiation of satisfactory terms with impacted Treaty and First Nations groups. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable over the relevant period.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the material identified as mineral reserves or mineral resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals or settlement of an agreement with impacted First Nations groups; the effects of competition in the markets in which Seabridge operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Seabridge's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in the Corporation's Annual Report Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). Seabridge cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive.

When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Seabridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Seabridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Seabridge or on our behalf, except as required by law.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Rudi Fronk"

Chairman & C.E.O.
The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit [official website] on Monday overturned [opinion, PDF] a 2013 jury verdict that found Bank of America liable for fraud and imposed a penalty of more than $1.2 billion. The Second Circuit determined [LA Times report] that there was not enough evidence provided to establish that the Countrywide Financial unit of Bank of America committed mail and wire fraud during the years leading up to the financial crisis. Countrywide was not the only company selling questionable mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at the time, but the verdict against Bank of America was held out as the first time banks were held liable for mortgage fraud in events leading to the crisis. However, the Second Circuit stated that there must be proof of fraudulent intent in the setup of the contracts. The Court stated:

The government did not provein fact, did not attempt to provethat at the time the contracts were executed Countrywide never intended to perform its promise of investment quality. Nor did it prove that Countrywide made any later misrepresentations as to which fraudulent intent could be found.

Despite this decision, financial institutions have paid out billions of dollars in settlement agreements since 2008.

The effects of the 2008 financial crisis are still reverberating through the legal system. Last month a federal judge unsealed an opinion [JURIST report] from late March ruling that the government did not have grounds to designate the major insurance company, Metlife, as too big to fail, a designation only four firms have received. The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) [official website] determined in 2014 that financial distress at Metlife could significantly affect the national economy and therefore the company deserves increased federal scrutiny. The judge held, however, that such a designation was unsupported by substantial evidence and disregards the costs that Metlife will inevitably suffer. In February Morgan Stanley [corporate website] agreed to pay about $3.2 billion to settle charges [settlement agreement, PDF] that it misled investors in residential mortgage-backed securities [JURIST report]. In September the US Department of Justice [official website] unveiled a new policy [text, PDF] for white-collar crimes, which targets individuals accused of crimes instead of the companies [JURIST report].
The UK Supreme Court [official website] on Tuesday upheld lower court rulings [press release] that determined citizens who have lived outside of the UK for more than 15 years will not be allowed to vote in the June 23 EU referendum. The statute, the EU Referendum Act 2015 [statute information] was challenged by two citizens that have been living abroad for decades. Harry Shindler, a 94-year-old World War II veteran, and Jacquelyn MacLennan, a 54-year-old lawyer, argued [case details] that the statute infringed on their common law right to free movement. The court, however, refused permission to appeal the lower court decisions. Lady Hale, Deputy President of the Supreme Court, recognized the deep concerns these citizens have over this issue, but she also stated that the court could not find a sufficient legal basis for the challenge. More than two million [BBC report] British expatriates will be affected by this decision.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron [official profile] announced [JURIST report] in February that the UK will hold the referendum on June 23 to vote on whether the nation will remain a part of the EU. The EU [CNN backgrounder] is a partnership of 28 European countries for political and economic purposes, with its own currency adopted by 19 member nations. It began in the 1950s as the European Economic Community to promote a single economic market without trade barriers. The UK became a member in 1973 and held a referendum [BBC backgrounder] in 1975, with voters electing to remain in the union. The Treaty on the European Union was signed in the Netherlands in 1992, and an EU Constitution was approved by the member nations in 2004. In the years since, many in the UK have voiced concerns about remaining in the EU, with critics saying it has too much control over UK citizens.
PSA Groupe, as PSA PeugeotCitroen now likes to be known, has turned itself around since the dark days of 2012 when it made an annual loss of EUR5bn. This, let us remind ourselves, was a volume player that was seen as spread thinly with sales across two poorly differentiated brands while also overly reliant on the depressed European car market where it also possessed excessive and costly manufacturing capacity.

CEO Carlos Tavares took over in 2014 with a plan to bring the group back into profit. The future would be based on a rationalisation of the product portfolio and much better differentiation of the brands with DS turned from a Citroen sub-brand to an upscale brand in its own right. The product engineering strategy was also in the process of being given an overhaul. Platforms were consolidated into two new modular and flexible structures that could support multiple models. By focusing on a more compact range, PSA would be able to improve market coverage and improve margins by targeting the most profitable segments.

Brand strategies would also need to be aligned with engineering and new product development. DS would become a premium line expressing sophistication and French glamour, French modernity and style. Peugeot would be a more tech-driven brand with strong engineering and design values, while Citroens appeal would centre on affordable comfort, allied to design quirkiness.

The internationalisation of sales would also turn PSA into a truly global player. This is still a work-in-progress, but recent initiatives to develop sales in Iran and also extend PSAs cooperation with Chinese partner Dongfeng, underline the importance of this strategy.

After a plan to cooperate with GM in Europe on small car architectures was ended, group small cars would be on EMP1 (now morphed to the Common Modular Platform or CMP). Medium and large cars would be on an engineering architecture called EMP2. The key is to offer broad geographic reach and lower cost through modularity for cross-range component use and grouped volumes. The EMP2 strategy would, it was hoped, lead to appropriate coverage of all world body styles, namely the C, D, F and premium segments, alongside major advances in weight and fuel-consumption reduction as well as better packaging, more features and enhanced styling freedom.

Four years on, how is PSA Groupe performing? The short answer is: all things considered, pretty well. In 2015 it was back in profit (with a very respectable net profit of EUR1.2bn) well ahead of expectations and substantial progress can be seen in all elements of the Back in the Race recovery strategy outlined by Carlos Tavares. The company is confident enough to move on from the recovery theme to the next stage in its latest business plan: Push to Pass.

To take the engineering strategy, the current C4 Picasso and 308 were the first vehicles on the new EMP2 platform and PSAs latest LCVs have also been successfully developed on it. In Paris this week, we got a look at the latest vehicle to be added to the platform, the new 3008 SUV. This is a very important vehicle for the Peugeot brand as it sits in a high-margin and high-growth market segment. The styling of the vehicle was well received by attendant media, the overall look seen as a significant improvement on the much more MPV-like predecessor.

Peugeot brand CEO Maxime Picat described the importance of the more overt SUV-styling in the latest 3008. The MPV segment is decreasing, he said. Buyers want more SUV-like vehicles, but with characteristics that can make it a practical family car. I want an SUV to drive, sporty, but with the practical ability to take my four kids. We are a group with three brands and we can use those brands to hit different market segments. We have a very strong Citroen C4 Picasso which is good for those who want a more MPV-like experience. But it is another strategy for Peugeot. Higher ground clearance, larger wheels and bigger dimensions are among the characteristics that emphasise the bolder SUV theme in the new cars design.

Picat also confirmed that plug-in hybrids are the way forward in terms of electrification for EMP2 vehicles in the future. All C- and D-cars, including SUVs, will have new plug-in hybrid powertrains. It will start with 3008 in 2019. For the smaller cars, like 208 or 2008, we will launch an electric version of them.

Engineering the 3008 on the EMP2 platform means that a number of significant structural enhancements can be claimed over the previous model. Peugeot says that an average of 100kg has been saved over the previous generation through the use of lighter materials where possible, including high-strength steel. There is also a thermoplastic boot floor and tailgate. The wings, front suspension arms and rear seat frames are made of aluminium.

Plenty of attention has been lavished on the interior (i-Cockpit), impressive array of advanced driver assistance systems and engine offerings (four gasoline models including a 1.2L 6-speed manual with CO2 average of just 115g/km and five diesels that can reduce CO2 emissions to 100g/km). There is even an innovative option that will allow you to charge  in the boot  an electrically assisted scooter for last mile mobility, a nice way to address the increasingly complex modal and journey options that are starting to influence the way we move around cities (it weighs 8.5kg and can travel up to 25km/h and has a range of 12km on a full charge). Park up and then complete your journey on the two-wheeler, which also collapses so that you can easily wheel it while walking or stand with it on a train, bus or tram.

The internationalisation of the strategy for PSA and Peugeot is clearly going well. PSA is preparing to sign a final agreement for a joint venture with IKCO in Iran that will make Peugeot cars in a market that could grow strongly now that sanctions are being lifted. We are still targeting to industrialise new cars such as the 2008, 208 and 301 at the end of next year in Iran. Everything is going smoothly, says Picat.

PSA recently said that it would like to reach 1m vehicles in China and SE Asia by 2018 and has also strengthened its partnership with Dongfeng in China to include a new platform for EVs. Global ambitions for PSA inevitably beg the question about a possible return to North America and when it could happen. The company is being cautious. Carlos Tavares recently said the company will embark on a ten-year programme to restart operations in North America.

The 3008 certainly looks like a model that US consumers could be attracted to. North America is back on our radar, but there is a ten-year timespan, so there is no rush. I do not want to push the metal there; we have to find the most favoured solution to enter the market. We have not decided brands and models. Clearly this [3008] is nice, it could be one solution, but there are others. We are still working on it and we are going to take our time with this. If we go back it is to stay there for the long-term.

With the 3008, Peugeot is laying down an important marker that it can efficiently develop models in relatively high-margin segments as part of a broader group strategy to increase profit. At this point, the styling, packaging and the strategy look right. The success or otherwise of the 3008 (to be followed by the bigger 5008, also on EMP2 architecture) will be an important element in the planned development of the Peugeot brand and ultimately the success of the Push to Pass group business plan. Attractive styling in the SUV/crossover segment is likely to be even more important as the segment becomes more crowded. Being more SUV and a little less crossover (or MPV) is probably a wise move and this generation 3008 has certainly moved styling in that direction, but not too far.

See also: Peugeot reveals revamped 3008 compact SUV
KEARNEY  Stealing radiators from irrigation well engines landed a Kearney man in prison.

Christopher Burns, 29, is serving a 16- to 18-year prison sentence for 10 counts of felony burglary between Sept. 1, 2009, and Feb. 15. Burns took the radiators, valued at between $500 and $1,500, from fields throughout the county.

With good time, he could be eligible for parole in eight years and could be discharged in nine. Buffalo County District Judge John Icenogle gave Burns 143 days credit for time already served in jail.

Burns pleaded guilty to the charges in August in exchange for the dismissal of 10 other felony burglary counts.

In September 2009, farmers and landowners in northern Buffalo County began reporting radiators stolen from irrigation well engines. In December, a rural Kearney man reported seeing a suspicious person near an irrigation engine in a field southwest of Riverdale. The man confronted the suspect, who identified himself as Chris Watoon.

The suspect fled in a Pontiac Grand Prix. The rural Kearney man obtained the license number of the vehicle, which was found to belong to Burns parents.

At the scene, a deputy sheriff found wrenches, screwdrivers and a knife lying on the well engine.

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What was once known as The Great Bridge of Kilkenny, now looks despairingly bleak, its fine features wiped away over the years by trundling trucks while it has been raped on one side by persons unknown.

What was once known as The Great Bridge of Kilkenny, now looks despairingly bleak, its fine features wiped away over the years by trundling trucks while it has been raped on one side by persons unknown.

Built in the likeness of the romantic, Roman bridge in Rimini, Italy, it was once a feature of the citys pride, a noble structure, the gateway to the city with a corn mill on either end accommodating the St Cathedrals Close episcopal flock- Standing like a magnet for smaller mills and mill races around it while providing the stability for fine houses and a huge number of traders in the vicinity. It was also an ecclesiastical gateway from St Canices to the cathedral in Leighlin, Co.Carlow.

Socially it served a huge purpose, lovers met on the bridge and many protests over the centuries went over the bridge while invaders, dignitaries and those bent on destruction of the city used it while the notorious Nore felled a number of bridges at this point from 1190 to 1762 but not since. Simply, put, it has been a conduit for every facet of human endeavour in Kilkenny since the 10th century.

It was the start and finish of the Old City Walls and led to the city centre via Greens Gate, marked on the Archaeological Survey (Ref. Map 4a: 40) and now destroyed above ground level.

This structure, of international architectural significance played a huge part in the economic life of the city. And the latest bridge on the site built in 1766 by George Colles, based on a design by George Smith (1763-7), a pupil of George Semple, has provided Kilkenny at its border to the east with real character and yet it is left in a desperate state. This is in stark contrast to the treatment of classical bridges in other cities, especially on the Continent where they are celebrated and feted.

Greens Bridge has been described as one of the four or five finest bridges in Ireland (Craig 1982, page 279). It was renovated in 1835, with parapets added and this only added to its status. It is of major international architectural significance.

But after the vandalism of 1969, all we are left with is a bridge, almost characterless, threatened to be overrun by vegetation to the sides and on its parapet. On which drivers fight over who has the right of way to pass over and where pedestrians take their lives in their own hands crossing it. There isnt room for two trucks to pass on it and sometimes it can be very scary when you dive over with a truck coming against you. It is being ground into submission, shaking it to its foundations.

Survival

Over 19,000 vehicles per day go over it. It was not designed for this. How long more can the structure survive under such a burden? What would happen traffic if the bridge had to close? The city would come to a standstill and accusations would fly.

Whether or not a new bridge is built over the Nore to accommodate the ridiculously named, Central Access Scheme (CAS), something has to happen with Greens Bridge and Environment Minister Phil Hogan and the new management in County Hall and the councillors need to show some attention to this structure. Enough money has been spent on High Street.

In 1969, when a lot of the real damage was done, the stones from one side of the bridge were removed as a temporary measure by Kilkenny Corporation and replaced by the awful looking railing we now have, kept in place by concrete splints placed on top of the wonderful limestone arches with grotesque looking pipes running along it.

One of these pipes, is in a state of decay with parts of it are falling off looks shocking. Another pipe, bright blue in colour leads no where and carries nothing, no liquid no solids just comes to an end at the Greenshill side of the bridge. What a statement for a medieval city to make. How can this be tolerated?

And as you look at the bridge from the brewery side of you can see all the weeds coming out of the crevices, undermining the very fabric of the structure but thats nothing compared to the state of the bridge on the far side.

Stolen

Trees, probably sally and other vegetation are beginning to take over the river banks, upstream, on either side of the bridge and are encroaching on the stone walls that keep the bridge upright. And it is a far cry from the unkept promises made almost 20 years ago when the local authority said it would return the Great Bridge of Kilkenny to its former glory. We are still waiting.

Former city and county engineer, Don OSullivan, a man of some vision, came up with a plan to restore the bridge to its former glory using the original Tiberius Bridge over the River Marecchia in Rimini, Italy as his guide. Mr OSullivans decision was predicated by what happened in 1969, when Kilkenny Corporation removed the far side of the bridge. The stones were, carefully numbered and kept for safe keeping in the Corporation Yard from where they were stolen. It is rumoured but not proven that they were used as a boundary wall not too far from where they were stolen.

And its not just the bridge, the mill races, the flood water gullies all around it, that are in danger, the area around it as far as the boundary wall with the brewery all need to be part of the integrated plan for the bridge. For example, as you turn left over the bridge on to Greenshill there is another site which is in much need of restoration, Part of it is for sale and inside this plot, is an area by the river bank which has a sign saying fishing rights are reserved, and close to the bridge wall at this point is a beautiful old water pump which could easily be restored while the flood relief apertures at the wall of the bridge at this point are all boarded up and the former mill-race on the far side never sees water now. Its all a mess and it needs someone with a bit of vision to restore it. Maybe the Keep Kilkenny Beautiful (KKB) committee might take up the cause and if they did, things would happen. I wonder will any of the newly elected councillors have the gall to have this historical site brought back to what it should be, a jewel in the heritage of the city.

On the city side of the bridge, you used to be able to walk down to the rivers edge and go for a swim and it was there you would meet the late Gerry Dunne and other residents who always had a good story to tell.

That is now cut off and you have to walk under the arch on a slanted stoned walkway, taking a serious risk to your safety to get to the other side.

If you walk to the end of Greensbridge Street from Troysgate there is a walkway to your right with barriers on either side of it, to stop you running headlong into the water. Before that there is a grass incline on the green area and this was the old road from the city leading to Greens Bridge and underneath, there is a little walkway, littered and if it were cleaned up, it could be become a graffiti zone. Wouldnt our own free, outdoor art genius, Mick Minogue love that?

Archaeology

As part of the city flood relief scheme, a huge underwater archaeological examination of the area around the bridge was undertaken, much of the work was done by local thatcher and diver, Jimmy Lenehan. Excavation within, and slightly beyond the east river bank revealed five surviving sections of the collapsed 16th century bridge including two piers, two sections of collapsed masonry and a bridge abutment.

The walls of the western most extent of a post-medieval mill building with associated river bank revetment walls were also revealed on the

southern side of the bridge abutment remains.

It appears that before the first bridge was built there in the 10th century, it was a ford for many highways which converged at this point. And this was alluded to by Ann Tierney in her survey of The Bridges of The River Nore.

However we learn from Hogans book on Kilkenny (1884) that a bridge had to be built at what is now Greens Bridge because the old ford (shallow crossing point) was converted into a mill pond for one of the new mills built by the clergy and Hogan credits, Flemings, 12th century settlers from Flanders with the building of the bridge.

Description

The bridge completed in 1766 has five limestone arches elliptical in design (shaped like a flattened circle) giving each arch the appearance of a gearwheel. There are two-arch culvert on the Greens Hill side and on the other side there are two little passageways under an older road, leading to the bridge which can still be seen as an incline at Greensbridge Street.

The spandrels (space between the arches) are elaborately ornamented with Palladian (Italian 16th century) motifs and highlighted by dressed stone arch pieces. As explained earlier the stone a parapet survives only on one side. There are other little additions on the brewery side to do with water services and a permanent metal ladder brings you to the service area for the water services.

The fauna

The most common animal life around Greens Bridge are Daubentons bats. Some roost under the bridge while hundreds more fly under the bridge eating the little mayflies and stone flies which come to the surface in the summer.

There a number of other bird species here apart from the migratory sparrows including the dipper, a little river bird which feeds on grubs, large and small insects. And the wonderfully sounding and brightly coloured Kingfisher lives within a stones throw of the bridge and Jimi Conroy - local Conservation Ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service would not divulge the exact nesting place because kingfishers are an endangered and protected species. It speaks volumes of the river water quality that we have such an abundance of wildlife surrounding the Great Bridge of Kilkenny.

The most common fish species at Greens Bridge is the Lamprey eel. There are three different kinds present under the bridge, in the shade. The brook lamprey does not migrate and stays around the bridge all its adult life. The migratory sea lamprey can grow up to 40 inches in length and returns in spring from the Atlantic Ocean. Smaller fish species include minnows and sticklebacks while upstream, freshwater pearl mussels survives and are found no where else in the world.

Interestingly there are no pike left in the river after they were removed using electrical pulse a few years ago.

However, the most fascinating animal to grace Greens Bridge is the playful otter. A romp of otters live downstream in a holt near the Ossory Bridge. You will see them feeding on white trout and eels, near the bridge, sometimes on their backs, on summer evenings and are visible from the bridge itself. Nocturnal, over the last number of years, they seem to have lost their fear of humans. I hope that nothing untoward happens to them.

Origins of the name

No one living seems to know the origin of the name Greens Bridge and one of the few references to it centres around a Greene family who acquired the land in this area on October 21, 1631. According to PM Egans excellent book on Kilkenny, and he thought this is where the name Green Street and Greens Hill came from. They had strong connections with Kilkenny Castle and left as quickly as the came in 1856 but the name of Greens Bridge stuck rather that the Great Bridge of Kilkenny which was replaced by the bridge of 1763..

However in her excellent thesis of 1996, Ann Tierney detailed the history of the bridge and said that the great merchant John Rothe in his will of 1619, bequeathed to his son John: All my messauges in the Greene Street of the Irishtowne which she felt discounted Hogans theory.

And in a court case from 1631, Ann Tierney revealed how a Thomas Gafney was found seised of one orchard called Krainesboroughs Orchard, adjoining Greene-street, in the Irishtown. And she quoted John Hogans Kilkenny : The Ancient City of Ossory, The Seat of its Kings, The See of its Bishops & The Site of its Cathedral as her source.

We are also told by Hogan that: During the flood of 1763, people gathered on Johns Bridge to observe the collapse of Greens Bridge. As they stood transfixed on events upriver, Johns Bridge also collapsed, plunging all who stood on her into the murky, swollen Nore below. Sixteen people died. To this day locals and visitors alike speak of ghostly shapes, leaning on the walls of the new structure, gazing in the direction of Greens Bridge.

Thanks

Thanks to Declan Macauley and Damien Brett of the Local Studies Service of Kilkenny County Library and all the other very helpful staff at Johns Green who work so diligently on our behalf, often without thanks.

Thanks to Jimi Conroy - local Conservation Ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service for being so accommodating

Thanks to the wonderful Mary Flood of Kilkenny Family History at Rothe House

Thanks to Sean Kerwick, published author and regular contributor to Irelands Own.

Thanks to Ann Tierney for her thesis Survey of the Bridges of the Nore in Co Kilkenny (1996)

Thanks to Coilin ODrisceoil, archaeologist for his brilliance
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http://palisaderadio.com/denis-laviolette-eyes-on-junior-explorers-as-market-turns/

Palisade Radio is brought to you by First Majestic Silver Corp., one of the worlds purest and fastest growing silver mining companies.

Palisade Radio Host, Collin Kettell: Welcome back to another episode of Palisade Radio. This is your host, Collin Kettell. On the show with us today is Denis Laviolette. He is a geologist. He is new to the program. Just a little background on Denis, he has worked with some major companies including Kirkland Lake, Lake Shore Gold, Goldcorp, Xtra-Gold. He then moved over to the capital market side of the business with Pinetree Capital and he has now been doing quite a bit of work with us here at Palisade Global. Denis, welcome to the program.

Mining Analyst, Pinetree Capital Ltd., Denis Laviolette: Thanks, Collin, happy to be here.

CK: We were having a discussion over the last couple days just talking about all of the consolidation that we have seen in the sector. The junior market and the gold market as a whole is a cyclical business, but each cycle as they come and go differs slightly and there are things to look for. You had identified to me the other day how much consolidation you have seen. A lot of the primo projects have been picked up by majors or larger companies leaving a bit of a vacuum for smaller companies coming to make new discoveries. Can we start off by just talking about what you have seen with a lot of the consolidation going on?

DL: Yeah, I mean there are a lot of names and we used to watch it. I think back at Pinetree when things were still kind of weaning down and we were looking at production profiles and PA-staged projects and stuff, and you know- a lot of the those companies are gone now. You had Gold Canyon; you had Carlisle Gold; Mega precious, some of those kind of projects, just to name a few. But basically, slowly but surely, we saw these projects get gobbled up, and now that sentiment is changing and things are improving- you know, everybody is looking to, sort of the next bracket outside of the majors to invest and play the cycle or what is seemingly like an up and coming cycle here. But basically, yeah, a lot of that is gone.

Same thing in the junior space, actually tons of blood has been spilt in the junior explorer space. You have got tons of those companies are now weed companies and a lot of those assets are nowhere to be found. A lot of those claims have been dropped etc, etc, and overall basically, yeah, that is what I have been noticing anyway at least. There is some great stuff out there. There are still a lot of companies that have survived. They may not have been the sweetheart names that people thought in the last cycle at the tail end. There are a lot of those names that are gone now. But there is a lot of kind of sleeper names that sort of were able to keep the wheels on the bus and get a little bit of work done and have a great story coming back into this the market. I guess to talk on that we have been seeing some stuff. There are a few players in West Africa that have some good stuff that are coming back into this with strong, strong targets. A lot of grass roots, a lot of reconnaissance work has been done; cheap stuff. These are really things that unlock value on projects and really help to guide drilling.

There is going to be a lot of companies ready to sandbag some projects and put out some nice numbers. I think it is a good chance to kind of keep our eyes peeled for the newsreel and see what people are doing and jump on some of these names because there are lots of good ones out there. But I am sure we are going to see tons sprout up; lots of these projects that were gone and were actually worth quite a bit of money back in 2010, 2011 sort of area. They will be back.

CK: Yeah, there are just so many factors that go into to the changing of the cycle. Of course you have the cycle itself which at a certain point one thing just get over sold enough. Money comes in, contrarian money, and things turn around. That is probably one of the major driving factors on this bear market where we had a full five years of depressed markets. You then have the commodities, certain things of the commodities starts to move up that is going to start to lift the market. Then you have factors in individual bull markets such as a lot of the companies, a lot of the good assets are already taken and majors always need to replace ounces in the ground. We have just had such a traumatic past four or five years that like you said a lot of things have been wiped out; companies have even shifted their attention to other sectors like medical marijuana.

Now that money is coming back in you are seeing just- what looks like tremendous movements of some of these small stocks. Some of them are up a 100, 200, 300%, and yet that is really a very small movement off the bottom. So, my next question for you is what are you looking for or what should investors look for coming from a background in geology? There is lot of semi-advanced projects. What do you look for to invest in that might be the next takeover target but something still quite far away from that so there is a lot of value to be created for investors coming in now?

DL: Well, a couple of things. You gotta look at it from a financial perspective, I think you want to look at companies that their management teams are able to conserve capital and deploy that capital in the ground and I am showing a track record for that. I mean obviously in the last cycle as we say there are a lot of greedy executives and sort of misguided management teams that were sort of throwing money frivolously at these projects and wild cat drilling, everything. There were a lot of teams that really took their time and did their homework in soil sampling and trenching, and whatever sort of low-hanging fruit they could do before going and throwing the big bucks behind a drill to sort of tackle these projects.

Often times when I look at these things I like to talk to the management teams or at least get a sense of what they are all about. I like to look at the burn rate, a lot of these junior companies. Like what are their overheads? Do they have massive offices that they do not need right now? I do not want to see somebody who is burning $60 - $70,000 a month just in corporate G & A. I could just imagine if we are going to bolt on a camp somewhere whether it is a foreign country or whether it is here or who knows? But I could just imagine if they have a big, elaborate camp, etc, a couple of drills churning, they are going to be burning $200,000 to $400,000 a month. Obviously we are not seeing $10M, $15M private placements closing for junior explorers right now.

So, I want to see teams that are capable of using small amounts of money $2M, $3M and really unlock value with that- like is there blue sky? That is something important to me when I am looking at a project. Is there size potential? Is the blue skies or targets? What kind of story have they hobbled together? The story is super, super important right now not only just to help propel the market, I think  the junior market  and get some more investment dollars into it. I want people telling good stories. Look at the stories. See if they have something there, if they have some kind of tested theories or something that they have worked on for the past few years, kind of grind it through. Yep- they are pretty sure this is there or this would be a good thing to test, and that they have got the capital. They have the capability of getting the capital to do so. I mean are we talking about drilling thousand meter holes, or 800 meter holes or something try to get down into some big, massive geophysical target? No, I think those ones- you kind of got to be careful with those. But if they have a whole bunch of soil grading that they have done, soil sampling that they have done and some nice, geochemical anomalies as a result of that outside of what they have previously explored that they are looking to potentially check out. Maybe the first time around they had half a million ounces or less and right away from the footprint of these geochemical targets or whatever else that they have done. You can see a chance that they can really unlock something here.

Exploration is a funny business. It is never a sure thing, but you just want to see- it is a combination of teams. It is a combination of the financial, I guess- state of that company and also the project itself. Is it big enough to be worth it? Has all their hard work yielded something, some sort of target that is worth looking after? That to me is the exciting part of this business and it makes investing a lot more fun because it is less of a crap shoot and you actually get to see the story unfold. If your favorite target gets drilled and nothing comes out of it, well, maybe it is time to walk away from that one.

A lot of people last time did not do that. They over promoted these things and often times, too, companies did not want to test these things, test these targets. They wanted to save them. They did not want to kill the project. I guess I am rambling on a little bit about this, but ultimately, yeah, I look at all these things. It is a combination of all the factors. When evaluating a junior explorer it is a risky business. It is all about the teams. It is all about the people, the projects, what have they done. Are they the type that roll up their sleeves, get into it get passionate about a project or the type that does not really care or they just want to raise $10M - $15M and go hog-wild drilling and have a nice big office and all that?

CK: Well, we started a wildly successful series called Palisade Mine Tours via Palisade Research, www.palisade-research.com and Denis, you have been helping out with that doing some of the site visits putting together some of the stories. The first one that we did was on a company called Canarc Resources which is a good timing for us on that. They just had their project acquired, in fact, last week by Endeavour Silver. You also made your way down to Paraguay for Latin American Minerals, and more recently a great company called Northern Vertex which is based near Las Vegas actually in Arizona. Maybe let us talk quickly just about Northern Vertex because you were just out there. They have a nice sized deposit but it is a little small. Talk to us about the upside potential on something like that.

DL: Yeah, I think that is a good example. I mean Northern Vertex a lot of people quickly dismiss the project as not big enough. It had a few hundred thousand ounces at a fairly modest grade for a heap leach project. It had a five-year mine life and that was that. They said, Well, it is too small. When you really get down there, you get boots on the ground, you talk to the guys, you see the project, I mean they have got parallel structures that has cropped right out of the desert. They have done their homework. These things, it is so amazing like that project alone I remember we went there and the quartz veins are very resistive to erosion so they kind of stick out like spines out of the landscape. I think I showed a picture of that in the article so feel free to read that whoever is listening that wants to check out a little bit more about the story.

But, basically, in a nutshell, you can really see the veins sticking out of the ground and they stuck to the patented claims which was the core sort of claims of their overall ground package, very small posted sample on what they actually own over there. It is just that it is easier to move patents at. It is easier to get them permitted. It is easier to move things closer towards mining and get things permitted so they focused on that. Yeah, it is a small resource on that. They have moved it ahead to PFS stage or feasibility stage and they are ready to go on that stuff. But if you look just to the south of it there is an equally large trend of exactly the same stuff, same sort of veining sticking right out of the desert. It is on their property. There you go. Is that a double? I do not know. If the grade holds up and from what sampling they have done on that stuff it seems like it is pretty much analogous to what they had on the Moss vein which is their core stuff of the patents.



There are all kinds of stuff in between. This area is just riddled with these little tiny old mines from a couple hundred of years ago, the 1800s and stuff like that, high grade stuff that are basically little off shoots to the main sort of vein systems that they are seeing, these little high angle skinny things. But, hey, you never know. You might be able to make some high grade pockets out of that, some little high grade cherries and add another couple 100,000 ounces on these things. To dismiss it as a 300,000 ounces deposit that is it- that is all, five year mine life and whatever is kind of silly.

Now have they been able to display to the market that they have this massive upside potential? Well, that is a different story. I think the management team is going to do that. They are pushing to do that and show that size potential. That is something that is on their list of things to do. But they have done a great job of what they have done. They focused on what they needed to focus on first. Once you really peel the petals off of this thing you really see that, yeah, it is a bigger story. There is more there and could be a huge project.

CK: Much of your background in geology you spent some time in Africa, in West Africa. You were mining gold there. You even had your own company, your own gold mine. It is a story for another day. But a couple other stories  and these are companies we are invested in and working with  that have defined substantial resource kind of in line with Northern Vertex, a little bigger in fact, Xtra Gold, Asante Gold, maybe you can use those as examples the different jurisdiction. Just briefly talk on that, what you see the upside potential in something like that. And, of course, if you do build up enough ounces that becomes a potential target for a bigger company to take over or a nice sized mine to be built.

DL: Yeah, I mean- speak on some past experiences in terms of Xtra Gold. I am a director of Xtra Gold, just FYI, so maybe a little biased here. But Xtra is a great example. It is a good story. We were working hard out there drilling away; Yves, Jim, and the whole team, everybody working hard and basically we started that. It was total grassroots bush and it was found with soil geochemistry. We did a regional VTEM over the whole thing and really honed in and vectored in on some great targets.

The first couple targets we checked out ended up being what we spent 90% of our money on. At the time there was a big push for let us find ounces, let us define ounces, what is your resource guys? Let us get us a resource. We left a lot of targets untouched. In the past few years Yves has done a fabulous job of keeping the trenches going, keeping the guys going and Jim and stuff. The things moved ahead substantially, and a lot of these other soil anomalies were things that we obviously knew or had a good chance of being something interesting to follow up on and possibly add ounces. We just did not have the time or the budget to get to them at the time. But over the past few years those have been massively developed into some exciting targets. Xtra Gold is going to come in to this with a great plan and really some awesome stuff to drill from day one here.

The other thing, too- what is interesting about Xtra in small scale mining in West Africa; Xtra is a cash flowing company. It has all the G & A and everything has been paid for via mining and not a lot of junior exploration companies can tilt that they have cash flows. I think everybody is pretty proud of that and Jim has done a fabulous job of organizing that. Overall, projects like that, those are the ones that you want to invest in I think. I am not just saying that just because I am a director or I am biased in any way- which I should maybe disclaimer or something. But I think those are the ones that you want. They have toughed it out. They have really developed the targets going back into this with some cash in our jeans and ready to drill it out the cash flow from the alluvial stuff that some subcontracted out. We take some residuals on. That is a great little model. It is a good company. It has got huge ground package.

I mean this is a completely underexplored greenstone belt in Ghana. No one has ever found anything there until we came in there really. That is one to watch. You are right there. You are right around all kinds of majors. Newmont is just up the road like there are all kinds of stuff, and another one that just threw this out there- Another one we are looking at, too, is Savary Gold. I think that is a great little story. You have Don Dudek up there. Those are the Avion guys that had Hounde and they sold that to Endeavour. And just to the south they have got the whole extension of that belt, tons of targets, tons of stuff. They had been plugging away at that with his team and they found something before. They sold it to Endeavour just north. They know that they are rocks. They know the area. They have done their homework. They have found all kinds of stuff down there and they are going to go at it. I mean those are the ones that I feel safe and can sleep easy at night if I am investing in those companies. They have good little targets. If they miss, well, it is too bad, it is so sad, I guess. But I would rather bet on that.

CK: Yeah, maybe one good thing to sum the interview up here, Kaminak, obviously, just got bought out last week. The Yukon has been an area that has been heating up quite a bit. One company that we have talked about in the past, also a disclaimer, we are invested in and working with is Northern Freegold. You cannot necessarily compare two deposits just because they are in the same area, but that seemed like something that was picked up for the ounces in the ground. Northern Freegold has got 2 to 3 million ounces up in Yukon next to infrastructure road electricity and you will get evaluation discrepancy between what Kaminak had picked up for $500M in a $10M market cap with similar amount of ounces in the ground. That is pretty interesting to look at.

DL: Hey, Yukon, Yukon, Yukon. That is pretty cool. Yukon never got a lot of love. I think it had a couple years of love, but never saw the premiums, right? You had Ryan gold. He has some other things out there, some were remote discoveries that were really not given I guess they never really got the value that they probably should have and that has something to do with infrastructure or seasonal mining. There are all kinds of restrictions and kind of things, pitfalls I guess, to mining up in the Yukon, in remote areas though they are priced and discounted because of all that stuff, but, ultimately, I think this bodes well for the Yukon. There are a lot of great projects, a lot of great geology and stuff that is there and to see this acquisition I think really is a great catalyst for something like Northern Freegold. That is one that we have identified as a great undervalued target ounces and everything.

But, yeah, overall an acquisition in the Yukon is going to help the whole thing. There are a lot of good teams out there that have worked really hard to find projects. They have been plugging away with this for a while and they do not get a lot of love because no one has been interested in the Yukon, no major companies go there and whatever, and all kinds of stigmas, right? Until something like this happens you never know. Lucky for us we are in there first, right?

CK: There you go. Well, that is another interview for you. I just wanted to say for any of our audience members listening, Denis and I are currently in Toronto and our teams always all over Canada and other places. We actually just met up and had some drinks with some listeners from Palisade Radio. Feel free to shoot any of us an email. My email in particular is collin@palisadeglobal.com. Always happy to hear from listeners and happy to chat and potentially meet up. Denis, thank you so much for coming on the program and hope to have you back soon.

DL: Thanks Collin.

Denis Laviolette, V.P. Investments for Palisade Global Investments:

Denis brings more than 10 years of experience as an exploration geologist and mining professional, having worked on three different continents. During his time in Northern Ontario (Timmins, Kirkland Lake and Red Lake), Norway and Ghana, he took on a diverse array of tasks, including advanced mine operations, start-up mine management, QA/QC, grass roots exploration, and financing and acquisitions. Denis has also worked as a mining analyst with Pinetree Capital Ltd. (Pinetree) in Toronto and now serves as a mining analyst and VP of Corporate Development for Brownstone Energy (Brownstone). His responsibilities include market/portfolio analysis, appraising and vetting assets on a technical basis, providing valuation estimates, and reviewing corporate financial statements. Denis is currently a director of Xtra-Gold Resources Corp, Northern Sphere Mining Corp. and Tartisan Resources Corp. He received his B.Sc, Earth Science (Geology) from Brock University.

Palisade Global Investments Limited holds shares of certain companies discussed in this interview. We receive either monetary or securities compensation for our services. We stand to benefit from any volume this interview may generate. The information contained in such write-ups is not intended as individual investment advice and is not designed to meet your personal financial situation. Information contained in this report is obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The opinions expressed in this interview are those of Palisade Global Investments and are subject to change without notice. The information in this interview may become outdated and there is no obligation to update any such information. Do your own due diligence.

By Palisade Radio
Gold Hits 4-Week Low Amid Firmer U.S. Dollar

(Kitco News) - Gold prices are lower and hit a four-week low Tuesday, pressured In part by a firmer U.S. dollar index on this day. World stock markets were mixed and choppy overnight. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward firmer openings when the New York day session begins. Global equity traders continue to closely watch crude oil prices, which are weaker so far Tuesday. Trading days on which oil prices are lower tend to limit buying interest in stocks. Notions of an ongoing world oil glut are keeping crude gains in check. Oil traders are awaiting the June 2 OPEC meeting in Vienna, Austria. By Jim Wyckoff, contributing to Kitco News; jwyckoff@kitco.com

Follow Jim Wyckoff @jimwyckoff

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

kitco news
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are lower and scored a four-week low in early U.S. trading Tuesday. The recent rally in the U.S. dollar index remains a bearish outside market force for the precious metals markets. June Comex gold futures were last down $10.30 an ounce at $1,241.00. July Comex silver was last down $0.103 at $16.325 an ounce.

World stock markets were mixed and choppy overnight. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward firmer openings when the New York day session begins. Global equity traders continue to closely watch crude oil prices, which are firmer in early U.S. trading Tuesday. Trading days on which oil prices are lower have tended to limit buying interest in stocks. Notions of an ongoing world oil glut are keeping crude gains in check. Oil traders are awaiting the June 2 OPEC meeting in Vienna, Austria.

The other key outside market finds the U.S. dollar index higher Tuesday and hitting a seven-week high. The greenback has been trending higher for the past three weeks.

In overnight news, Germanys gross domestic product grew by 0.7% in the first quarter and was up 2.7% year-on-year. The numbers were better than expected. However, the closely watched German ZEW economic expectations index dropped to 6.4 in May from 11.2 in April, it was reported Tuesday. A reading of 12.3 was expected.

U.S. economic data due for release Tuesday includes the weekly Goldman Sachs and Johnson Redbook retail sales reports, new residential sales, and the Richmond Fed business survey.

(Note: Follow me on Twitter--@jimwyckoff--for breaking market news.)

Wyckoffs Daily Risk Rating: 2.5 (Trader and investor market risk aversion is not elevated today.)

(Wyckoffs Daily Risk Rating is your way to quickly gauge investor risk appetite in the world market place each day. Each day I assess the risk-on or risk-off trader mentality in the market place with a numerical reading of 1 to 5, with 1 being least risk-averse (most risk-on) and 5 being the most risk-averse (risk-off).

Technically, June gold futures bulls still have the overall near-term technical advantage, but are fading badly. Bulls next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above solid technical resistance at $1,270.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is closing prices below solid technical support at $1,225.00. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $1,252.80 and then at Mondays high of $1,256.80. First support is seen at $1,235.00 and then at 1,230.00. Wyckoffs Market Rating: 6.0

July silver bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage, but have also faded badly. Prices hit a six-week low overnight and a downtrend is in place on the daily bar chart. Silver bulls next upside price breakout objective is closing futures prices above solid technical resistance at $17.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $16.00. First resistance is at Mondays high of $16.59 and then at $16.75. Next support is seen at $16.20 and then at $16.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.0.

By Jim Wyckoff, contributing to Kitco News; jwyckoff@kitco.com

Follow @KitcoNewsNOW
(Kitco News) - Gold remains on the defensive Tuesday, with prices falling to a four-week low, and there are some concerns that the lack of Asian demand could lead to lower prices in the near term.

In the first quarter, gold saw unprecedented investor demand, which created the best rally in 30 years; however, a key pillar was missing as demand from China and India was down, a trend that has continued through the second quarter.

We are seeing gold prices under pressure as markets reprice U.S. interest-rate expectations but there is a risk of a sharper drop as Asian demand remains weak, said Bernard Dahdah, precious metals strategist at Natixis. Without Asian demand, this rally is not supported by strong fundamentals.

Tuesday, June Comex gold futures last traded at $1,235.10 an ounce, down more than 1.3% on the day.

Dahdah said that according to his firms research, Indian demand is down by about 50% and Chinese demand is down by about 25% compared to last year. According to the latest data from the World Gold Council, China consumed 241.3 tonnes of gold in the first quarter of this year, down 12% from the first quarter of 2015. At the same time, India consumed 116.50 tonnes in the first three months of the year, down 39% compared to the same time frame last year.

A disappointing monsoon season in India could also lead to lower gold demand as farmers will have less money to purchase the yellow metal, he added.

Analysts at Commerzbank also noted weaker Asian demand. In a note Tuesday, the Germany-based firm quoted Swiss export data that showed only 23.6 tonnes of gold was export to mainland China and Hong Kong in April, the lowest level since August 2014.

The continued weakness of Asian gold demand is presumably weighing on the gold price, the analysts added.

However, Commerzbank analysts said that they see the recent weakness in Asian as a short-term trend.

Alex Thorndike, senior precious-metals dealer at MKS, described the trading activity on the Shanghai gold exchange as insipid.

He noted that the lackluster activity is reflected in premium, which was between 50 cents and $1 above the London market.

Despite some concern, in the marketplace analysts remain optimistic that golds rally remains in place. Georgette Boele, coordinator of foreign exchange and precious metals strategy at ABN AMRO, said that gold is still relatively inexpensive compared to other safe-haven assets.

In general I think investor demand will continue to drive gold more than jewelry demand, and dont discount Chinese investor demand, she said.

Dahdah said that he could see Asian demand pick up if there is a big downward push in the market.

By Neils Christensen of Kitco News; nchristensen@kitco.com

Follow @Neils_C
(Kitco News) - Unionized workers Tuesday initiated a strike at the Tasiast mine in Mauritania, reported Kinross Gold Corp. (TSX: K; NYSE: KGC).

The company had reported two weeks ago that unions filed a strike notice.

In its earnings report released earlier this month, Kinross reported that Tasiast production came to 47,078 gold-equivalent ounces in the first quarter. The companys global output in the January-March period was 687,463 gold-equivalent ounces.

Kinross Gold Corp - Delayed Quote

The company remains open to re-commencing negotiations on a new collective agreement and to resolve other outstanding items with union representatives, Kinross said. The company does not expect the strike to affect development of the Tasiast phase one expansion.

When completed, the expansion is expected to nearly double production at Tasiast, Kinross has said. The company expects the expansion to reach full production by the end of the first quarter of 2018.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Follow @KitcoNewsNOW
BREMERTON  Harrison Medical Center has been designated as a teaching hospital, a first step toward creating a residency program to train new doctors.

The Bremerton hospital received the designation last month from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Harrison officials expect to file an application this fall to receive approval for a teaching program, and they hope to host the first class of residents in 2018.

Dr. Michael Anderson, interim medical director for Harrison parent group CHI Franciscan Health, said the aim of the residency program is to help stave off a looming shortage of primary care physicians in Kitsap County. Anderson said an assessment conducted by Harrison found the county could have a shortage of 30 or more physicians in the next five to 10 years as the population grows and older doctors retire.

'It's an investment in the future for Kitsap County to make sure we have adequate physicians,' Anderson said.

Naval Hospital Bremerton hosted a residency program beginning in the 1980s. That program is being phased out.

Harrison hired a former interim director of the Naval Hospital's residency program, Dr. Michael Watson, to head its effort. Watson said he's working with many health care groups in the county to round out Harrison's teaching program, including The Doctors Clinic, Kitsap Mental Health Services, Kitsap Public Health District and Peninsula Community Health Services.

'The goal isn't to have a Harrison residency but to truly have a community-based residency,' Watson said.

Residents will complete a three-year course of study in Kitsap, working in a wide variety of health care settings. The program could host eight new residents each academic year. If all goes to plan, the first residents will graduate in June 2021.

Harrison Foundation has pledge $1.5 million over three years to cover startup costs for the program. Watson said the hospital secured an additional state grant for $500,000 over the next two years. Harrison can receive federal funding for the program once it launches.

Anderson said residents still will be based in Bremerton after Harrison consolidates its hospital services at an expanded Silverdale campus by 2020. CHI Franciscan plans to open a primary and urgent care clinic within the city before it closes its East Bremerton hospital.

For information on the program, contact Watson at michael.watson@harrisonmedical.org.
This gate between NAD Park and Jackson Park has some neighbors upset.

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By Josh Farley of the Kitsap Sun

BREMERTON  Most nights, Jay Kneib sits on his porch and watches the world go by on Shorewood Drive. He's used to seeing kids on bikes, families pushing strollers and dogs on leashes often going in opposite directions.

"It's a phenomenal number of people going both ways," he said.

That is changing.

Kneib's house is just south of the entrance of NAD Marine Park, which borders Jackson Park Navy housing. A pathway has long connected the two, but Navy officials attached a lock on a gate between them about two weeks ago, limiting access.

That came as a great frustration to Kneib, who has started a petition asking the Navy to reconsider its decision to lock it.

"Good fences make good neighbors," Kneib said, channeling a Robert Frost poem. "Locked gates do not."

The Navy disagrees. While Jackson Park  also known as The Landings  might not have an entry gate as other area military housing does, it is a military base so "only those with proper authorization should be on the property," Navy spokeswoman Silvia Klatman said.

Klatman said there also were concerns about users coming through the gate for "unauthorized purposes," including committing crimes.

"The gate was secured to better control access and increase the safety and security of the installation," Klatman said.

Bremerton police say there have been 10 calls for service to the park in 2016.

Kneib points out that even with the gate closed, others could make the journey east and go around the fence or bypass the barrier on nearby Ostrich Bay's beach. Given how easy it is to pass, its only purpose is "keeping honest people honest," he believes.

"They're tilting at windmills," he said.

He's watched many from the Navy base make the trek on foot to get some ice cream at nearby Dairy Queen. Likewise, Bremerton residents have used the gate on bikes to head north to destinations like Silverdale, without having to ride along roads and highways, he said. He's also concerned that bike commuters have used the access point to get to and from work, and now cannot.

Kneib's gotten the ear of Eric Younger, Bremerton City Council president, who also represents the area. Younger called the lesser-known park's walkway a "trail that rivals Green Lake" and said he's concerned about the Navy's closure of the gate.

"If it's not a security issue, I think the fence should be open," Younger said.

Kneib said the gate has been open for decades, excluding a brief time following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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By Kitsap Sun Staff

PORT ORCHARD  A 26-year-old Poulsbo man pleaded guilty to a count of first-degree rape of a child for repeatedly sexually assaulting a child known to him, with the last assault taking place about five years ago.

Matthew Byron Hereld pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced last week in Kitsap Superior Court to eight years to life in prison but will serve six months of the 93-month sentence under a special sentencing option for sex offenders. Hereld will remain under supervision for the rest of his life and will have to register as a sex offender.

The assaults came to the attention of authorities when the victim, who is now 15, told an out-of-state police officer that he was raped repeatedly by Hereld when the victim was between the ages of 6 and 10 years old, according to court documents.
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By Cal Thomas

In releasing his list of potential Supreme Court nominees, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has begun to solidify his support among conservatives as perhaps no other announcement could do.

The record of any of the 11 judges currently serving on federal or state benches may calm the fears of those who are not committed "NeverTrump-ers."

A clear sign of how well these men and women would perform on the court is the reaction by Hillary Clinton, who calls them "extreme ideologues." Today, if one wishes to return to the boundaries set for government by the Constitution, the left considers that extreme. Violating constitutional boundaries is considered "progressive."

CNN.com writes, "John Malcolm, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation who compiled and published the foundation's list of eight potential Supreme Court nominees in March, called Trump's selections 'excellent' ... and (the list) should be reassuring to those conservatives who have had doubts about Trump's judicial appointments."

Malcolm responded to my request for an analysis of their philosophy and rulings:

Steven Colloton, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2003. He earned a law degree from Yale and clerked for the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, a conservative icon.

Allison Eid is an associate justice on the Colorado Supreme Court. Prior to her judicial service, Eid was Colorado's solicitor general and a law professor at the University of Colorado. She clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas, another conservative favorite.

Raymond Gruender was named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit by President Bush in 2004. Among his decisions that will delight conservatives was a written opinion that the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 did not give female employees the right to insurance coverage for contraceptives used solely to prevent pregnancy. Judge Gruender also dissented from a panel ruling that upheld an injunction striking down a South Dakota law requiring abortion providers to inform patients that an "abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being."

Joan Larsen is an associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court and before that a professor at the University of Michigan School of Law. She clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, which would make her nomination especially poignant. Of interest to conservatives is her statement after being named to the Michigan court. Promising to be a "strict constructionist," she explained, "I believe in enforcing the laws as written by the legislature and signed by the governor. I don't think judges are a policy-making branch of government."

Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania has been a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit since 2007. His ruling that a jail policy of strip-searching all arrestees does not violate the Fourth Amendment was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012. The following year, he dissented from his court's decision on a New Jersey law requiring applicants for licenses to carry handguns in public to show "justifiable need," citing the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The others on Trump's list also have stellar conservative credentials. The question is: will he follow through, or change his mind, as he has done on so many other issues?

A Washington Post editorial said that by publishing their names now, Trump "has practically guaranteed that none of the judges he offered will be seen as fair over the next several months, their every ruling scrutinized for evidence that they are applying for the job  even if they try to conduct their duties evenhandedly." The Post also chastised Clinton and Sanders for applying litmus tests to judges they would nominate, but it's no secret that liberal presidents name liberal judges and conservatives presidents mostly, but not always, nominate conservatives.

The Heritage Foundation would be a good source for Trump, as it was for Ronald Reagan, who used its 1980 "Mandate for Leadership" as a guide for his first term on many domestic and foreign policy issues. Trump would improve his credibility and knowledge of important issues if he did the same.
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By John Crisp

What seemed impossible only a few months ago now seems at least feasible: Donald Trump could become the next president of the United States.

Who has the most to fear from a Trump presidency? Muslims? Mexicans? Women? The disabled? The poor? What Trump really thinks about these groups is elusive, but at one point or another during the campaign for the nomination, he has treated all of them with dismissive contempt, exclusionary condescension and ridicule.

But large groups of people are abstractions, easy to attack from a podium at a rally full of fired-up supporters. Do individuals have anything to fear from a Trump presidency?

How about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl? Last week his trial was rescheduled from August to Feb. 6, when he will face charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, a crime that bears the potential penalty of life in prison.

By February, we'll have a new commander in chief, probably either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. What does that mean for Bowe Bergdahl?

By way of review: Bergdahl was on duty with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan in 2009 when he wandered away from his post and was captured by the Taliban. He was held for five years in harsh conditions and was occasionally tortured. Time was running out for a sick and exhausted Bergdahl when he was repatriated in exchange for five Guantanamo Bay prisoners.

The prisoner swap was controversial, and President Obama took a lot of predictable heat from the right. But I argued in its defense at the time  and still do. The circumstances of Bergdahl's absence from his post in Afghanistan were unknown, and no commander in chief should leave an American soldier to his fate in enemy hands without the opportunity to defend himself against any allegations.

Further, I argued for leniency for Bergdahl  and still do. He volunteered to serve his country out of patriotism, but without enough self-awareness to realize that he wasn't suited for military life. After 26 days of basic training the Coast Guard rejected him for psychological reasons. Nevertheless the Army, in need of troops, inducted him under a special waiver that ignored evidence of his mental instability.

And then the Army sent him into a poorly managed war that, by 2009, America had mostly lost interest in. He was put into combat and subjected to mental stresses that he was ill-equipped to handle.

Should any soldier be permitted to leave his post with impunity? No. But life in prison? That's way too harsh.

So Bergdahl will go on trial in February. One potential commander in chief, Hillary Clinton, defended the prisoner swap. She said, "This young man, whatever the circumstances, was an American citizen  is an American citizen  was serving in our military  The idea that you really care for your own citizens and particularly those in uniform, I think is a very noble one."

On the other hand, if Trump wins, here's the attitude that he brings to the job of commander in chief: "We're tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who's a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed  Thirty years ago he would have been shot."

These are two very different attitudes. Of course, it's worth noting that Trump, a scion of the rich and powerful, never served in combat or even in the military, and that he managed to avoid the Vietnam War draft with four student deferments and questionable recourse to a medical disqualification for bone spurs in his foot.

Yet he doesn't hesitate to criticize Sen. John McCain, who spent more than five honorable years in the Hanoi Hilton: McCain is "a war hero because he got captured. I like people who weren't captured."

I suspect that showing McCain a little respect or showing Bergdahl a little compassion will not destroy our nation's military discipline, and it might assure other patriotic volunteers that they won't be left behind or sent to prison for life if they are unable to stand up to the stresses of combat. This is something that Trump, commander in chief or not, will never be able to understand.
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Larry Brixius, Poulsbo

Hospital should include mental health in plan

May is Mental Illness Awareness Month, and there are some encouraging things happening in this country. Congress is looking to pass a bill (surprise!), on facilitating early diagnosis and treatment of mental illness (H2646 and S2680), with the help of Sen. Patty Murray. State legislators have increased funding for Western State Hospital and a new head (desperately needed) has been appointed. And Kitsap County commissioners have approved allocation for $5.5 million from a sales tax designated to help mental health programs.

However, Washington state is still ranked in the bottom 10 percent in the nation in mental health care. And at a recent town hall meeting in Poulsbo, we heard that Harrison Medical Center, which is expanding its hospital in Silverdale, has no plan to include bed for mental health care. This, despite the fact that Kitsap County has less than 25 percent of the recommended number of mental health care beds for our population.

Shame on Harrison Medical Center and Franciscan Health System!
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Mark Moshay, Bremerton

Trump can't be commander in chief

I am a Navy veteran and served as a DOD civilian for 38 years.

Last summer Donald Trump said something I will never forgive him for, absent a sincere apology  which I doubt will ever happen!

He disparaged one of the most famous POWs from Vietnam, Sen. John McCain.

I was outraged, and I would have thought the outrage would have gone "viral" but it didn't. I cannot believe that among the millions of active duty, vets, and supporters that there was so little reaction. Shameful!

Later Trump used our military and veterans as a campaign ploy by claiming to raise money for us. Supposedly, he raised $6 million dollars for vets  yet no one has seen any evidence of the money being given to any vet group.

The last straw for me were his numerous comments about how quickly he would take our sons and daughters to war. Much of the time he talks as if he's some hardened warrior ready for a fight.

The truth is Donald Trump never donned a real uniform in his life. He's never been on active duty and never been in harm's way, yet this blustering braggart talks about using our troops as an extension of his ego.

I don't care what your politics are, if you truly support our troops you will not even consider making this dangerous man our next commander in chief.
Stuff reports:

One of New Zealands most prolific burglars has died in custody. Prison, police and judges could not stop Stacey Spinks life of crime. In the end it was a suspected heart attack that stopped the man whose brazen skills led to him racking up over 300 burglary convictions.  His offending was continual. He had over 300 convictions for burglary alone, with many others for breaching sentences, impersonating police officers, escaping, and shoplifting.

The man obviously could not be rehabilitated. Burglary is a lesser offence than violent offending. I dont think you should have a three strikes and youre locked up forever for burglary. But how about 100 strikes and youre out? By out I mean an automatic 10 year (maximum sentence) prison sentence for every burglary conviction after you reach the threshold?

No sentence seemed to deter him. Twelve times he was caught impersonating a police officer. He even handed over a police business card at commercial premises where he asked about security measures.

There comes a point where you accept someone can not be deterred. Then the focus is on community safety. If we know beyond a slither of a doubt that the moment he is out he will carry on, why let him out?

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The Herald reports:

New Zealand freediver William Trubridge has backed a campaign urging fast food giant McDonalds to stop sourcing its fish from New Zealand waters after the leak of a report which revealed the unreported capture of a rare dolphin. The leaked report of a 2013 investigation by the Ministry for Primary Industries, titled Operation Achilles, followed the unreported capture of a Hectors Dolphin, a close relative of the critically endangered Mauis dolphin.

This is just the latest part of a ten year campaign by a German group targeting the NZ fishing industry.

And the media report the propaganda without any critical analysis.

The Mauis dolphin is very endangered. Only around 55 remain.

But that is not the dolphin which was caught in 2013. So they are calling for a boycott of all NZ fisheries, because a non-endangered dolphin was caught by accident three years ago.

Mr Trubridge, who earlier this month broke two world records by diving to 124m and back on a single breath, is supporting the campaign. What decent human being or company could possibly buy fish from an industry that fights for the right to kill every last Mauis dolphin?

But no Maui dolphin has been caught or captured let alone killed in recent years. The area they are in is highly protected. And the industry is not fighting for any right to catch or kill any dolphins, let alone Maui.

 Mauis and Hectors dolphins are the smallest and rarest marine dolphins on earth and live only in New Zealand.  Mauis dolphins have declined from an estimated 1800 in the 1970s to less than 50 as a result of fishing.  The closely related Hectors dolphin is also threatened, with several populations numbering fewer than 100 individuals.

Now note they talk of Hector as having several populations of under 100. Makes you think that perhaps there are just 400 or 500 Hectors dolphins in total. In fact there are around 7,400. Why did the NZ Herald not bother to tell us the total number? I presume because they just repeat the data fed to them by the German group.

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The White House announced:

Our Nation has always been guided by the belief that all young people should be free to dream as big and boldly as they want, and that with hard work and determination, they can turn their dreams into realities. Schools help us uphold this ideal by offering a place for children to grow, learn, and thrive. During National Charter Schools Week, we celebrate the role of high-quality public charter schools in helping to ensure students are prepared and able to seize their piece of the American dream, and we honor the dedicated professionals across America who make this calling their lifes work by serving in charter schools.

Charter schools play an important role in our countrys education system. Supporting some of our Nations underserved communities, they can ignite imagination and nourish the minds of Americas young people while finding new ways of educating them and equipping them with the knowledge they need to succeed. With the flexibility to develop new methods for educating our youth, and to develop remedies that could help underperforming schools, these innovative and autonomous public schools often offer lessons that can be applied in other institutions of learning across our country, including in traditional public schools.
The order paper is here.

ANDREW LITTLE to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in his Minister for Building and Housing? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements; if so, why? TODD MULLER to the Minister of Finance: How will Budget 2016 build on the Governments commitment to a more productive and competitive economy while delivering responsible fiscal management? GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Finance: What is his answer to Fran OSullivans question, Was John Keys brain fart on the tax front an involuntary exercise or was it calculated? KEVIN HAGUE to the Minister of Conservation: Is she confident that the Department of Conservation can carry out its work considering the inflation-adjusted reduction in Vote Conservation allocation it has endured under her Government? JAMI-LEE ROSS to the Minister for Building and Housing:What steps has the Government taken to dismantle Auckland Urban Limits that were identified by the Productivity Commission report in 2012 as a key problem for the citys housing supply and affordability? PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister for Building and Housing:Does he stand by his statement when asked about the housing crisis, that the idea that suddenly happened in May 2016 is a figment of some peoples imagination? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements; if so, how? ALFRED NGARO to the Minister of Transport: What recent progress has been made on construction of the Governments Western Ring Route motorway in Auckland? STUART NASH to the Minister of Police: Does she believe the Police have sufficient funding to meet the expectations of the public? TODD BARCLAY to the Minister for Communications: What recent announcements has the Government made to improve New Zealands response to cyber security incidents? MARAMA FOX to the Minister for Social Development: In the revamp of CYFS, will she be strengthening the appeals process for the review of decisions that may prevent incidences such as the death of Moko Rangitoheriri; if so, how?

National: Four questions on Budget 2016, Auckland urban limits, Auckland motorways and cybersecurity

Labour: Four questions on confidence in Housing Minister, tax cuts, housing and Police

Greens: One question on conservation funding

NZ First: Two questions on PM standing by his statements

Maori Party: One question on child abuse

Government Bills 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm and 7.30 pm to 10.00 pm

Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill  committee stage

This Bill amends the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 to require smoke alarms and insulation in residential rental properties.

Introduced: December 2015

1st reading: December 2015, passed unanimously

Select Committee report: April 2016, supported with amendments, Greens dissenting

2nd reading: May 2016, passed 107 to 14 with Greens opposed

There is no time limit for the committee stage but it is estimated to be a three hour debate as the bill has two parts and preliminary provisions to debate.

There are two SOPs from the Minister and Metiria Turei. Dr Smiths are minor amendments. Tureis seeks to give tenants rightts to renew tenancies as of right, and for a minimum fixed term of three years. It also lists 30 things that must be provided for in all rental houses.

Taxation (Transformation: First Phase Simplification and Other Measures) Bill  committee stage continued

The bill amends the following statutes relating to taxation in order to facilitate easier communication with Inland Revenue, simplify tax rules and provide for the sharing of information. The Acts amended are: the Income Tax Act 2007; the Tax Administration Act 1994; the Goods and Services Tax Act 1985; the KiwiSaver Act 2006; the Child Support Act 1991; the Student Loan Scheme Act 2011; the Gaming Duties Act 1971 and the Accident Compensation Act 2001.

Introduced June 2015

1st reading: October 2015, passed unanimously

SC report report: March 2016, supported unanimously with amendments

2nd reading: April 2016, passed unanimously

There is no time limit for the committee stage but it is estimated to be a four hour debate as the bill has three parts and preliminary provisions to debate.

There are two SOPs from the Minister and Julie-Anne Genter. Michael Woodhouses are minor amendments. Genters seeks to set up a register of foreign trusts.

Human Rights Amendment Bill  committee stage

This bill establishes a full-time Disability Rights Commissioner within the Human Rights Commission, and make changes to the role and structure of the commission.

Introduced: October 2011

1st reading: November 2013, passed 105 to 15 with Greens and Mana against

SC report: April 2014, supported with amendments by majority, Labour and Greens dissenting

2nd reading: May 2015, passed 73 to 48 with Labour, Greens and Maori Party against

There is no time limit for the committee stage but it is estimated to be a three hour debate as the bill has two parts and preliminary provisions to debate.

There is one SOP from the Minister with minor amendments

Extending Sitting 9 am to 1 pm Wednesday

Hineuru Claims Settlement Bill 2nd reading

Ngai Te Rangi and Nga Potiki Claims Settlement Bill 1st reading

Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Bill 1st reading

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Matt Gallaher, the owner and chef at Emilia Restaurant, talks with Deirdre Matheson in the kitchen.

By Mary Constantine of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Three weeks ago Chef Matt Gallaher opened his second Knoxville restaurant, Emilia. Named after his grandmother, Emily Jackson, and sister, Emily Cowan, the new eatery at 16 Market Square comes a mere 3 1/2 years after he debuted Knox Mason at 131 S. Gay Street.

The success he found at the Gay Street eatery has quickly wound its way to his Market Square venue, where guests have discovered a menu unlike the rustic Southern cuisine served at Knox Mason. Instead Gallaher chose to create an Italian-themed restaurant.

"I love Italian food. Tandy Wilson's City House is easily one of my favorite restaurants in Nashville, and so is St. Cecilia in Atlanta. I chose that because I felt there was a void of simple fresh homemade Italian food downtown, plus the space was large enough to allow us to make everything from scratch and keep sauces simmering on the stove," he said.

The menu includes steamed Prince Edward Island mussels, house-made focaccia, Genovese-style fisherman's stew, Mitchell Farm rib-eye steak, as well as specialty pastas such as bucatini carbonara, Campanelle with braised lamb and spring peas; and polenta and meatballs pomodoro. Prices average $7 or $8 per antipasti dish; $5 for side dishes; and $13-$34 for main courses.

The interior was designed by Caroline Farris who has many titles including special events coordinator/social media/PR expert and restaurant manager. She selected an understated design with whitewashed brick walls decorated with acid-washed mirrors and a selection of plates, some of which are from family members.

The eatery has bench seating down one wall similar to that at Knox Mason, as well as four-top tables for larger parties.

A simple gray shelving unit at the center is where guests check in. And to the back is the bar with an industrial-look shelving unit.

"I knew if we were going to do Italian food that I wanted to do fresh pasta. With our pasta extruder we have the flexibility to do different shapes as we want, and with the farmers market right outside we will be able to buy specifically for our pasta menu," he said.

Gallaher is a staunch supporter of the Market Square Farmers Market and serves on the board of Nourish Knoxville, a nonprofit organization with a focus on creating relationships between the community and its farmers.

"I was approached early last year to be on the board of Nourish Knoxville and said no many times. I felt I was too busy, and the meetings were on Monday, which is my only day off. I was so reluctant but Charlotte Tolley (executive director of Nourish Knoxville) was persistent. After the first meeting I knew I had made the right decision. Knox Mason wouldn't be what it is if not for our farmers market, and the Market Square wouldn't be what it is without the farmers market," he said.

Gallaher said the primary reason for opening a second restaurant was to give his staff an opportunity to grow.

"I was reflecting on the success we have had at Knox Mason and the good feelings that come along with all that, and I realized that just by being there I was hampering the growth of my staff. I'm not a sit-at-home-and-do-nothing type. I can't run a restaurant and not be there, so I started looking for another spot without a clear vision of what the restaurant would be," he said.

As a former staff member at Blackberry Farm, he knows the importance of personal growth. He began his time there as a line cook and quickly worked his way up to sous chef. He wants his staff to have the same opportunities.

"I'm fortunate to have a great staff. I've known Sean Richards for 11 or 12 years. We worked together at Blackberry. He has been with Knox Mason from the start, and now he's the chef de cuisine there. Josiah Montgomery is the sous chef. Blake Sallee does all of our baking at Knox Mason and works with Emilia one or two days along with Adjryche Channing, a very experienced chef who worked at Blackberry Farm. Channing also works on the line in the kitchen."

Other Blackberry Farm alumni on staff includes Emilia's chef de cuisine Steven Leitner and sous chef Joe Cunningham. He also mentioned Connor Coffee who serves as Emilia's general manager. The New York native has extensive hospitality experience and wine knowledge which he said is a great compliment to the team.

"Right now I am so proud of the staff that we have at Knox Mason and Emilia. These guys are irreplaceable, loyal, talented and dedicated. They have wives and family and are working tons of hours. I want to make sure they are not spread too thin because, to be honest, it's more about the people for me. I get so much satisfaction seeing Sean in his new role and Blake take on more responsibility. I take great pride in that because it's a team sport. I could not do this without great people, and I am very conscious of letting them know how much I appreciate their hard work," he said.

There are more than 10 restaurants on Market Square. Three more restaurants are slated to open in the downtown area by the end of summer, but Gallaher isn't worried about too much competition.

"I love the idea of Knoxville having quality options. My only fear as a small-business owner is that the real estate and development gets so expensive that chains or out-of-towners are the only ones to afford a start-up business here. Knoxville has more talent here than I have seen in past years. and I just hope in 10 years we are able to preserve some room for them downtown."

Emilia Italian Restaurant

Where: 16 Market Square

Hours: 5-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday;5-9 p.m. Sunday

Lunch and brunch will soon be offered

Phone: (865) 313-2472
SHARE Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan, shown here during a naturalization ceremony Sept. 15, 2015, is being asked to issue an arrest warrant for Alma Soto Soto, who has disappeared with her 5-year-old son during an international child custody dispute. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel

An undocumented immigrant ordered to return her son to Mexico in this region's first case under an international child abduction treaty has fled with the child, court records allege.

If true, it is the third time mother Alma Soto Soto has disappeared with the 5-year-old boy since she first spirited him away from Mexico and his father in 2013. The boy's Mexican father, Eugenio Garduno Guevara, is now asking Chief U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan to issue an arrest warrant for Soto and engage law enforcement in the hunt for the missing child.

Document: Emergency petition filed in U.S. district court for Soto's arrest

Varlan last month ordered Soto, who was living illegally in Knoxville, to return the boy to Mexico in a rare case brought under The Hague Convention of 1980 International Child Abduction Remedies Act so a court there could decide which of the warring parents should have custody of the boy Guevara fathered out of wedlock with Soto.

Soto fled Mexico with the boy and entered the U.S. illegally in 2013 after the couple, who had been living together and sharing custody, split up. Guevara spent two years tracking down mother and child, using the Mexican police, The Hague Convention treaty, the U.S. State Department and Facebook, before finding the pair living in Knoxville.

Soto was supposed to bring the boy to Mexico on May 16 but has disappeared, according to a petition filed in U.S. District Court by Memphis attorneys Suzanne Landers and Lucie K. Brackin.

"Father alleges that instead of complying with the court's order, mother has fled with, abducted, and is concealing the child and the child's location from Father yet again," the petition stated. "On May 17, 2016, father was advised by mother's sister that mother and the child were still located in the United States, but mother's sister would not share the location."

The attorneys are asking Varlan to issue an arrest warrant and assistance from law enforcement, including the U.S. Marshals Service.

"Mother has established herself to be a flight risk, having first abducted the child from Mexico to the United States on April 14, 2013, and now having blatantly disregarded the court's order requiring that she present herself in La Luz, Michoacan, Mexico, with the child," the petition stated.

"Father asks that the foregoing warrant of arrest also direct law enforcement to take any measure necessary to assist in locating mother and the child, and to take any necessary action to bring mother and the child into custody."

Guevara and Soto had the boy out of wedlock in Mexico in 2010 but lived together with him until March 2013 when Guevara moved out. A month later, the boy and his mother disappeared. Guevara eventually found mother and son via a photograph posted on Facebook, showing Soto and the boy at the Wichita Falls Park in Wichita Falls, Texas. But she again disappeared with the boy. The pair resurfaced in late May 2015 in Knoxville when she sought custody through Knox County Juvenile Court.

In the first ruling in the federal court system here under The Hague Convention treaty, Varlan said Mexico was the proper venue for the custody battle and rejected Soto's claims the boy would not be safe in Mexico. The treaty was designed to prevent parents from court shopping among countries in custody cases.

A second case involving the international treaty is now pending here involving a father living in London and a Bangladeshi mother living in Knoxville with the couple's twin babies.
Anna King, Anderson County Sheriff's Office, charged with aggravated assault. (Special to the News Sentinel)

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By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel

CLINTON  A woman who aimed a pistol at police after first threatening to shoot herself has pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault and been placed on unsupervised probation for three years.

Anna King, 47, was threatening to commit suicide on Aug. 2, 2014, in the front yard of her Jonathan Lane home in Oak Ridge, and her boyfriend had called police, according to police records and General Sessions Court testimony.

Three officers arrived to find King pointing a 40-caliber Beretta at her head and neck before she leveled the handgun at one of the officers.

Officers John Prickett and now-former officers Leslie Miller and Christopher Carden testified during a preliminary hearing in November 2014 that they repeatedly and loudly told King to drop the gun. Miller said she fired one time toward King after she leveled the handgun toward her. Carden testified he fired three times.

"She fell on her back," Carden testified. "I thought we'd hit her." None of the gunshots, however, struck King.

After the gunfire, King put her weapon under her chin and was trying to pull the trigger when one of the officers deployed a Taser and she was subdued, according preliminary hearing testimony.

"Mrs. King, you're so fortunate you didn't get shot by those police officers," Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge told the defendant following her best interest plea Monday. That agreement is not an admission of guilt but a decision made because a stiffer sentence might be imposed after a trial.

As part of her plea, King will be receiving a mental health evaluation and treatment, according to court records.
By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel

A man who authorities allege was swindling inmates under the nose of one of this nation's premier financial news organizations, staging elaborate kidnappings to extort bank executives and getting away with murder, was certain the FBI would grant him immunity, new court records show.

All the agents needed to do, Michael Benanti said, was Google him.

"I'm really somebody," Benanti told the FBI. "I'm somebody big. I have a reputation.  You can go to the websites and look at me.  When you Google my name, you'll understand. It's first two pages, Google my name. My company is for seven pages of Google."

The 43-year-old Pennsylvania man is charged in U.S. District Court in Knoxville in a 23-count indictment accusing him of a series of violent crimes in at least four states.

All arise from an alleged plot to kidnap bank executives and their families and force those executives to essentially rob their own financial institutions so Benanti could funnel money back into a business from which he was stealing. One of those alleged kidnappings occurred in Knoxville, one in Oak Ridge and one in Elizabethton, Tenn.

His co-defendant, Brian Witham, 45, of Maine, has already pleaded guilty. Benanti and Witham were captured after a car chase in North Carolina in November.

The pair first met in federal prison in the 1990s, both serving time for robberies. When Benanti was freed in 2008, he launched Prisoner Assistant, a firm he said would help future ex-cons by investing money for them while they were behind bars and teaching them financial skills. Witham joined the firm upon his release.

The Wall Street Journal profiled the firm in 2014  unaware the company was, according to the FBI, a sham from which Benanti was stealing. The FBI didn't know much about the firm either when FBI Agent Jeff Blanton and FBI Task Force Officer Matt Gryder first met Benanti in the Asheville, N.C., Jail, following his November arrest.

At that point, Benanti was being held on charges related to a stolen vehicle and chase. The FBI was just beginning to piece together the extortion case and was quickly learning Benanti may well have killed his girlfriend a few weeks earlier, according to records. He has not been charged in that death.

Transcripts of the conversations between Benanti, Blanton and Gryder, a Johnson City Police Department officer assigned to the FBI's violent crimes task force, were made public Friday as Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lewen defends a bid by Benanti's attorneys to get evidence against him tossed out.

The transcripts show he first tried to convince the FBI to grant him immunity because he was a "decent guy." When that failed, he turned to grandiosity, citing his fame as founder of Prisoner Assistant. When still no offer of immunity came, Benanti, who had repeatedly declared he would not "rat," offered to do just that.

"I'm willing to wear wires," he said. "I am willing to go wherever you want. You got cases in, wherever the (expletive) you want, I'll do it. I'll give you a period of 6 months I'll work for you, whatever. I just want my life back."

Blanton again told him no immunity would be offered.

Benanti next offered to continue to run Prisoner Assistant, taking in both inmates' cash and their dirty secrets, but allow the FBI to access all of it.

"I am willing to turn it over and still be the head and the CEO and you guys can use it as an information gathering tool," he said. "You guys have free access to all the information that comes through the door, whether it's letters that could be passed on this that and the other. There is a lot of high-ranking gang members. There's a lot of people. The more market, the more valuable tool it becomes."

Blanton responded, "The FBI is not going to run a business. Basically you're talking about money laundering through your company."

Benanti never talked about the extortions directly, and the agents left. Benanti believed he had outfoxed them, the transcripts showed.

"Well. Played that out all right didn't we?" Benanti said aloud while alone in the cell. "Dirty, dirty (expletive)."

Later, in a parting shot to Gryder over the lack of an immunity agreement, Benanti said, "You're going to regret it."

Benanti is facing hundreds of years in a federal prison. His trial is set later this year.

SEE ALSO:

New FBI records add possibility of murder to list of alleged bank extortionists crimes

Partner in cross-country bank extortion scheme confesses his role

East Tenn. extortion defendants plotted bank scheme in federal prison, prosecutor says

Suspects in East Tenn. bank extortion heists arrested in North Carolina
Colored tubes protrude from a participant's hat during the Destination Imagination Global Finals 2015 opening ceremonies at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Wednesday, May 20, 2015. Former Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin welcomed a record-setting 16,700 young participants to the event, which bills itself as "the world's largest celebration of creativity and innovation". (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL)

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By News Sentinel Staff

KNOXVILLE  The Destination Imagination Global Finals kick off Wednesday at the University of Tennessee.

The competition runs through Saturday and is filled with hands-on events, workshops and challenges for students. According to a news release from UT, more than 17,000 people  8,000 of them student participants  from 20 countries are expected to attend.

Events will be held across the UT campus as well as in off-campus locations in Knoxville.

This is the 16th year the competition will be held in Knoxville.

Destination Imagination is designed to help students become the next generation of innovators and leaders by teaching creativity through science, technology, engineering, mathematics, arts and service-learning, according to the news release.

The student participants have advanced to the global contest by winning at the local, state and regional levels.

The opening welcome ceremony is at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday in Thompson-Boling Arena and includes vocal pop group The Exchange and performance group Step Afrika!, according to the news release. A closing ceremony will be at the same time and place on Saturday.

Portions of the opening ceremony and other aspects of the contest will be live streamed at ditv.globalfinals.org.

Most events are closed to the public, but a "Try DI" public event is 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in World's Fair Park. During the event, teams will present prototypes of a "Ford of the Future" to company representatives.

Learn more about the public event and register to participate here.
SHARE Chris Hammond/special to the news sentinel Pfc. Roy Edward Hicks. Signs planned for installation at 10 locations along state Route 61 in Anderson County will include the Purple Heart medal, and will say Purple Heart Highway rather than trail. Funds for the project are now being raised. Signs planned for installation at 10 locations along State Route 61 in Anderson County will include the Purple Heart medal, and will say Purple Heart Highway rather than trail. Funds for the project are now being raised. (Image and picture courtesy of Chris Hammond)

By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel

CLINTON  When Pfc. Roy Edward Hicks came back from World War II  shot in the left arm during a battle in the Philippines  he was a changed man, his great-nephew said.

Hicks, who died in 1993, "wouldn't talk about the war and was very quiet. He was a totally different person, and his family all assumed that whatever he went through over there was pretty bad," said Chris Hammond, a teacher at Central High School in Knoxville. "I'm sure he had post-traumatic stress syndrome, but back then they called it 'shellshocked.' "

Finding and researching his great-uncle's military records has led Hammond to jump-start the Anderson County Purple Heart Highway Project to pay tribute to veterans wounded in wars. It's an effort to raise funds to put 10 highway markers along the 28 miles of state Route 61 that crosses Anderson County from the Union County line to Roane County.

Since the highway touches most of Anderson County's small communities, and many veterans came from those areas, "we just thought that highway would be a good way to honor all the veterans that have given so much," the Powell man said. "Maybe they (wounded veterans) gave their lives. Maybe they lost mobility in a limb. Maybe they came back changed. Those are hefty prices to pay. I can't imagine what they went through."

The highway designation idea jelled about 10 months ago, and became official on April 27, when Gov. Bill Haslam signed legislation offered by state Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, declaring the roadway the Purple Heart Highway.

According to that declaration, private funds to pay for making and installing the signs must be paid to the state Department of Transportation within a year of the legislation going into effect.

Hammond said he reached out to local veterans' groups, Anderson County commissioners and other officials about the project, which "really started picking up steam."

Leon Jaquet, Anderson County's director of Veterans' Services and commander of American Legion Post 172, "graciously volunteer to spearhead it," Hammond said.

Jaquet said he went to the local posts of the American Legion Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans to spread the word.

Nearly $1,000 has been raised. The goal is just under $2,000. Plans are for a dedication ceremony on or near Aug. 7, which is Purple Heart Memorial Day. Donations may be sent to: Leon Jaquet, American Legion, P.O. Box 363, Clinton TN 37717.
SHARE Ryan Haynes (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

GOP vs. itself

A group of Middle Tennessee Republicans have drawn a line in the sand with their party  specifically state GOP leader Ryan Haynes of Knoxville and two other leaders  over decisions made surrounding the wife of a political director whose consulting firm was working with candidates challenging incumbent lawmakers.

According to The Tennessean, the 11-member Wilson County Republican Executive Committee passed a resolution Monday calling for the Tennessee Republican Party to consider holding a special session in an effort to fire Haynes; Brent Leatherwood, the state party's executive director; and Walker Ferrell, the party's political director.

Last month, 27 House Republicans called for Ferrell to be fired after it was revealed that his wife, Taylor Ferrell, had been working for two challengers of incumbent Republicans. The lawmakers argued that Walker Ferrell could potentially share party information and referrals to assist his wife  and accused party superiors of condoning it.

The Wilson County group said three of targeted incumbents are U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, and state Reps. Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma, and Courtney Rogers, R-Goodlettsville.

Taylor Ferrell called the accusations false and based on "wrong information."

According to the resolution, Haynes and Leatherwood "chose to do nothing to correct this injustice against elected Republicans."

"We want them all fired because it destroys faith in the process," Jeff Hartline, vice-secretary of the Wilson County Republican Party Executive Committee, said Monday.

According to Hartline, it would take one-third or 22 members of the Tennessee Republican Party's executive committee to hold a special session to consider the matter.

Leatherwood did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Legalize it?

Local resident Steve Cooper wants signatures so he can get a pair of marijuana-related referendums on the Knox County ballot in August.

He wants a recreational-use referendum and a medical-use referendum before voters. State law against marijuana use supersedes local policy, but Cooper has said he wants to send legislators a message.

He needs more than 16,000 signatures of Knox County registered voters, but is shooting for 20,000.

"We will be having events this (today) and Wednesday at Legacy Tattoo on Western Avenue and Friday at Vapor Trails on Chapman Highway and we will be back at Off The Wall (smoke shop on Kingston Pike) on Saturday," Cooper wrote in an email. "The response is still very positive. However, this weekend someone tried to sabotage our efforts by stealing our street signs. Guess some people don't like the idea of change."

Cooper has about 11,000 signatures and three weeks left to meet the petition deadline.
By Richard Locker of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE  State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris has told Gov. Bill Haslam that he's "troubled" and "uncomfortable with your mischaracterization" of legislation ordering legal action against the federal government over its refugee resettlement program in Tennessee.

In a letter to Haslam on Monday, Norris, R-Collierville, took strong exception to the governor's remarks on Friday about Senate Joint Resolution 467. Haslam declined to sign it, which has no practical effect other than signifying the governor's position.

In a brief message outlining why he didn't sign it, the governor noted that SJR467 directs the attorney general to initiate legal action regarding refugee placements in the state and authorizes the House and Senate speakers to hire outside counsel if the attorney general declines.

"I trust the attorney general to determine whether the state has a claim in this case or in any other, and I have constitutional concerns about one branch of government telling another what to do," Haslam wrote.

The governor's message also said he's asking state Attorney General Herbert Slatery to "clarify whether the legislative branch actually has the authority to hire outside counsel to represent the state.

"I also question whether seeking to dismantle the (federal) Refugee Act of 1980 is the proper course for our state," the governor's message continued. "Rather, I believe the best way to protect Tennesseans from terrorism is to take the steps outlined in my administration's Public Safety Action Plan, which enhances our ability to analyze information for links to terrorist activity, creates a Cyber Security Advisory Council, restructures our office of homeland security, establishes school safety teams, and provides training for active shooter incidents and explosive device attacks."

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey was the resolution's sponsor but Norris shepherded it through the Senate, where it passed a 29-4 vote. The House concurred 69-25.

Norris said Tuesday that he's "not upset with Bill Haslam personally. We need to get on with the business of keeping Tennessee safe."

In his letter, the senator wrote that he was troubled by the governor's statement "and I am uncomfortable with your mischaracterization of this important resolution. First, as we have discussed, the resolution should not have been necessary in the first place. The attorney general should have acted on his own long before now."

Despite legislative clamor during last year's Syrian refugee crisis, Slatery did not try to block resettlement of refugees in the state. He issued an advisory opinion Nov. 30 that Tennessee cannot refuse to accept refugees the federal government has processed and admitted to the United States because "such a refusal would impinge on and conflict with the federal government's authority to regulate the admission of aliens to the U.S. and thus would violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution."

Norris also wrote that the resolution "is not about 'dismantling the Refugee Act' as you said. It is about enforcing it." He said Haslam's safety and homeland security commissioner, Bill Gibbons, testified before a legislative committee in December that the federal government is not providing adequate information to the state regarding the refugees it's sending to Tennessee.

"He recently confirmed that is still the case," Norris wrote. "Alabama and Georgia have taken action. Why can't Tennessee?"

Norris said one of the goals of the governor's Public Safety Action Plan, released in January and cited in Haslam's message on Friday, is to enhance the state's ability to analyze information for links to terrorist activity, but that federal officials are not providing the information needed for such analysis even though the state has rights to such information under the Refugee Act.

"It is ironic that your administration appears reluctant to enforce those rights," Norris wrote. "We also need to know who is resettled, where they are resettled, whether they have been property screened for contagious diseases like tuberculosis and measles, and whether they have been properly vaccinated."

The governor's press secretary, Jennifer Donnals, said later on Tuesday, "I'm sure the governor and Leader Norris will have a chance to talk about this at some point but the governor stands by his statement issued Friday."
Brad Campbell, 23, of Talbott, Tenn.

SHARE An overlook from Panther Creek State Park. (AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS/NEWS SENTINEL)

By Don Jacobs of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Authorities said a properly worn life jacket "would have likely made a difference" in the Monday drowning of a 23-year-old kayaker on Cherokee Lake at Panther Creek State Park.

James Bradley "Brad" Campbell of Talbott drowned Monday afternoon while fishing in a cove on Cherokee Lake, according to Matthew Cameron, spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Campbell was the fourth drowning this year in Tennessee in which the victims were not wearing properly fitted life jackets, Cameron said.

Cameron emphasized the proper use of life jackets because of the expectation people this Memorial Day weekend will converge on waterways for relief from forecast heat.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 75 percent of boating accident victims drown and 85 percent of those fatalities were not using a life jacket.

Cameron said Campbell was accompanied by Jonathon Derrick Jones when Campbell "overturned his kayak and went overboard." Campbell probably would have survived if he was equipped with a properly fitted life jacket, Cameron said.

"Jones entered the water but was unable to locate him and flagged down a passing boater who called 911 for help," Cameron said.

Jones had a life jacket, but Cameron wasn't sure Jones had donned the device when he heard a splash and turned "to see Campbell go overboard and into the water."

It was unclear why Campbell was unable to regain the kayak to pull enough of his head from the water to breath.

Volunteers with the Hamblen County Rescue Squad recovered Campbell's body at 7:36 p.m. Monday. They had been searching about an hour when they found the body.

Cameron said the investigation of Campbell's death is continuing. The body was sent to the Regional Forensic Center in Knoxville for an autopsy. He said there was no indication of alcohol or drug involvement in Campbell's death.

Jones and Campbell had gone to the park together to fish, Cameron said. Campbell previously had rented kayaks, "so we can only assume he was proficient in using one."

"When we say that numbers don't lie, what we mean is that properly worn life jackets greatly increase your chances of survival while boating," he said.

Two weeks ago, 70-year-old Richard Rolen apparently drowned in Douglas Lake when he fell overboard while fishing. Fishermen found his body, which was clad with a "partially inflated" personal flotation device, Cameron said.

The investigation into why Rolen's flotation device was not fully inflated is continuing, Cameron said. Authorities, however, said it appears Rolen's flotation device "was not properly buckled at the time of the accident."

Emergency responders continue to look for the body of Jeremy Cross, 36, whose kayak overturned on Percy Priest Lake in early April. Cross did not have the benefit of a life jacket, Cameron said.

Last week, Cameron said, authorities recovered the body of Adam Vongsa, 33, in the Cumberland River below Cheatham Dam in Middle Tennessee. Vongsa's boat capsized and he was not wearing a life jacket, according to Cameron.

"Our message to boaters and anglers has always been to wear a life jacket," Cameron said. "Our message today is that those life jackets must be of the appropriate size and properly worn to be effective. They are nearly always the difference between life and death on the water."
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A prostitution sting in Knoxville last week that resulted in 32 arrests  including two local ministers  brought home the horrors of human trafficking. While the Knoxville Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are addressing the problem in the streets, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker is sponsoring legislation to fight the human trafficking scourge across international borders.

Human trafficking is a sanitized term for slavery, which is outlawed around the globe but persists in the dark corners of societies worldwide. Most traffickers target girls in their early teens or even younger for the sex trade, but criminals also run slavery rings involving domestic, farm, restaurant and factory workers. Stamping out slavery should be the goal of every civilized nation.

In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam last year signed a bill giving TBI jurisdiction over investigations of human trafficking, which occurs when a minor engages in any commercial sex act or an adult is coerced into a commercial sex act. The agency has been conducting stings across the state with local law enforcement, resulting in 98 arrests and citations since May 2015. In last week's sting operation, undercover agents placed ads on backpage.com that garnered more than 300 contacts, according to the TBI. More than two dozen people responded to an ad in which agents posed as a juvenile girls.

Twenty-seven men were arrested at a North Knoxville motel during the course of the sting. They included Jason Evan Kennedy, 46, head of the children's ministry at Grace Baptist Church of Knoxville, and Zubin Percy Parakh, 32, who serves as creative pastor with Lifehouse Church in Oak Ridge. Kennedy and Parakh were charged with felony trafficking because they specifically sought out an underage girl for sex, authorities said. Five women were charged with prostitution, three of whom have taken up authorities on their offer to help them out of the sex trade.

Slavery is a global problem, with as many as 27 million people around the world toiling in bondage. The United Nations estimates that about eight in 10 are forced into prostitution, and experts say an overwhelming majority have been raped, assaulted and otherwise abused while in captivity. Surprisingly, the U.N. has found that in many countries a majority of the traffickers are women.

Under a bipartisan bill in Congress co-sponsored by Corker, a nonprofit foundation would be created to raise $1.5 billion to free the enslaved and punish their criminal masters. The United States would allocate $251 million for the foundation over eight years. Another $500 million would come from foreign governments, and $750 million would be raised through the private sector. The U.S. government also would offer diplomatic support and additional resources for law enforcement, economic development and training assistance.

Prostitution used to be considered a "victimless" crime, but experts increasingly are seeing prostitutes as victims. That certainly is the case with whose ensnared by traffickers. Justice and human decency demand that authorities relentlessly pursue those depraved individuals who prey on the world's most vulnerable populations.
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I could not believe John G. Stewart wrote it was U.S. Sen. Eugene McCarthy's fault that the Vietnam War lasted so long. I have to admit it was a very creative interpretation of the 1968 election, stating that McCarthy's failure to support Hubert Humphrey led to the tragic Richard Nixon presidency, but then I saw that Stewart had worked for Humphrey's campaign and it all seemed to fit.

Many McCarthy supporters did refuse to vote for the Democratic nominee for president in 1968 for a very good reason  he refused to denounce Lyndon Johnson's war. Indeed, it was Humphrey's silence that led me to the decision not to vote in that election. All he needed to do was admit the U.S. military adventure in Vietnam had failed and put forth an exit plan and he would have had my vote, and probably thousands of others.

Additionally, recent historical research has revealed that Nixon had endeavored to sabotage the Paris peace talks before the November 1968 election. Through various third-party intermediaries, Nixon contacted the representatives of the Saigon government offering them incentives to stonewall any possible agreement that might end the fighting until the Republicans came into office in early 1969. Humphrey knew of this collusion but chose to remain silent and failed to inform the American public for reasons known only to himself.

There was silence, but it was certainly not by McCarthy and his supporters. If their voices had been followed, the war would have ended in 1969 and thousands of lives would not have been lost in Vietnam.

Disclaimer: I worked for the 1968 McCarthy campaign in Indiana while attending college. Additionally, I volunteered for service in the United States Navy in 1970 and was honorably discharged in 1976.

Michael Downs, Knoxville
By Lee Hyo-sik





Jung Tae-soo, former CEO of Paris Croissant

An appeals court recently upheld a lower court's ruling, dismissing a lawsuit filed by Jung Tae-soo, former CEO of Paris Croissant, against the company.

Jung has been arguing that he was unfairly dismissed by Korea's leading bakery two years ago.



But the courts have ruled that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate his claims.

The Seoul High Court said that "Jung defied the firm's personnel appointment and committed other unruly acts, making it hard for the company to entrust him with any assignments. The company's decision to sack him is justified."

The court also dismissed Jung's demand that the bakery give him additional severance payment.

In March 2013, Jung was appointed to the CEO, but stepped down from the post in May 2014, holding him responsible for the bakery's poor performance. But he wanted to continue to maintain his board seat but the company refused to do so.

He then was assigned to a temporary advisory position for six months, and ordered to return his corporate credit card and vehicles.

After Jung refused to follow company orders, Paris Croissant held a shareholders' meeting in September 2014 and stripped him of his board seat.

Jung then filed a lawsuit against the company to nullify his dismissal, claiming that he was wrongfully sacked.
Han Geum-ju, a Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance employee, takes a special car offered by the insurer for employees who've been noted for excellent customer service. / Courtesy of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance



By Yoon Ja-young

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance's special car service for its employees is getting positive feedback from workers as well as helping upgrade its customer service. Those who have been noted for excellent customer service are offered a ride to work, during which they have an interview to share their stories with other employees.

Han Geum-ju, a Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance employee who works with the customer service team, is one of the employees who got a ride to work, following a compliment from a customer on the insurer's website, regarding how Han helped him renew his car insurance policy on the very last day before the contract expired.

"I called the center in the afternoon to find out how to renew my contract and got all the information, but I failed to apply for renewal during their operating hours as I was too busy during the day. It was already past 6 p.m. I gave up, even though failing to renew the contract before expiration means I will be levied a penalty by the regulator," the customer wrote.

However, he got a phone call from Han with whom he had consulted in the afternoon. "She said she was concerned because I didn't call again. She helped me so sincerely so I could renew the policy, without paying the penalty."

He said it was especially touching to see someone caring about him, more than just for business.

To recognize Han's efforts and share her episode with other employees, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance sent the "complimentary taxi" to Han's home one morning. On her way to work, she was interviewed. The program is similar to popular TV programs where celebrities are interviewed in a taxi.

"Insurance companies have a lot of contact with customers, and they have tended to focus on resolving consumer complaints," a spokesperson for Samsung Fire & Marine said.

"However, to satisfy customers, we also have to listen to voices that are satisfied with our services, on top of improving shortcomings. In that way, we can enhance the self-esteem of our employees as well as expanding customer satisfaction."

The insurer's efforts to expand customer satisfaction led to various special events. Every month, the company awards employees who were noted by customers for their excellent services. It aims at openly encouraging employees who have contributed to customer satisfaction, at diverse customer contact points such as sales, compensation or call centers.

"Customers are behind the continuous growth of our company," said Lim Tae-jo, head of the insurer's customer policy team. "We will continue making efforts to expand their positive experiences."
Korea Exchange (KRX) KOSPI CEO Kim Won-dae speaks during a press conference at KRX's Seoul office on Yeouido, Tuesday. / Courtesy of KRX



By Nam Hyun-woo

The Korea Exchange (KRX) said Tuesday it will extend trading hours by 30 minutes, staying open until 3:30 p.m., beginning Aug. 1 to invigorate domestic stock markets and enhance international competitiveness.

Also, foreign exchange markets will open for 30 minutes longer to "enhance connectivity with stock markets."

However, the labor union of the bourse operator slammed the KRX, claiming the plan has been "hastily" made to qualify the country to join Morgan Stanley Capital International's (MSCI) developed market index.

The union said the extension of trading hours will only aggravate the working conditions of dealers.

The benchmark KOSPI, secondary KOSDAQ and KONEX will open at 9 a.m. and close at 3:30 p.m. The trading hours of derivative markets will also be extended by 30 minutes to 3:45 p.m. The gold market too will stay open until 3:30 p.m.

In the case of after-hours trading, trading time will be shortened by 30 minutes so that trades after regular hours will still end by 6 p.m. as they do now. After-hours trading will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3:40 p.m. to 6 p.m.

This is the first time that trading hours are being extended in 16 years, when the bourse operator abolished the one-hour lunch break in 2000.

"Domestic trading exchange markets have lost their momentum and been stagnant in recent years, posting 4 trillion won to 5 trillion won in daily trading volume during the past decade," said KRX's KOSPI Market CEO Kim Won-dae during a press conference.

"Korea's capital market is swayed by external factors, but the short regular trading hours limited the opportunity to reflect global changes in trading swiftly," Kim said.

He said short operating hours hamper the KRX from engaging in more linked transactions with bourses in China, such as the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE).

The SSE closes at 4 p.m. (KST), while Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing closes at 5 p.m. Given that the Singapore bourse also stays open until 6 p.m., the KRX believes the 3 p.m. closing time has been blocking market changes in Greater China from being reflected in the domestic market.

The KRX said it decided to extend its trading hours because about 29 percent of its daily trade volume is concentrated between 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The bourse operator expects the extension will increase the daily trading volume and draw extra investments from foreign investors.

"If we just look into domestic markets, the effect will be limited," said Kim. "However, we expect positive effects from a broader perspective because the extension will help traders more accurately reflect foreign factors into their trading."

The move was followed by the extension of operating hours of foreign exchange market. Seoul Foreign Exchange Market Committee said in a statement that currency trading on the Seoul market will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Extending the foreign exchange trading hours is one of the ways that the government seeks to meet MSCI's demands for improvements to the won's convertibility that will place Korea on its review list for the developed market index.

Hours before the announcement, the KRX union held a press conference to urge the KRX to scrap the plan, saying the bourse operator is swayed by the demands from MSCI.

Kim said that the KRX has been pushing for the extension since 2014 and it has not been influenced by the national drive to join the MSCI developed market index.
Han Kang, author of "The Vegetarian" and winner of the Man Booker Prize, introduces her new book "The Elegy of Whiteness" at a press conference, Tuesday. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soon



Man Booker Prize winner says honor came unexpectedly

By Park Jin-hai

Han Kang, the author of this year's Man Booker International Prize winning "The Vegetarian," said the award win was unexpected.

"I was in the U.K. to discuss my new book The Elegy of Whiteness that will be published there. I didn't expect the award," said Han, during a press conference at a book cafe in Seoul, Tuesday, to introduce her new book.

"The Vegetarian," a three-part novel first published in Korean in 2007, tells the story of Yeong-hye, a homemaker who has nightmares which cause her to become a vegetarian. It won the respected Man Booker prize last week for its English translation completed by British translator Deborah Smith in 2015.

"During the awards ceremony, I kept my composure and stayed calm because it was a book that I finished writing 11 years ago," she said. "It felt surreal and strange in a good way for my book to get the award after all those years and in a place so far away from my own country."












/Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency



By Lee Han-soo

Kim Min-jung and Kim Na-kyung are the first fraternal twins to make the finals of a Miss Korea pageant.

The twins, 21, decided to enter the contest last winter and each entered a separate local competition, in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.

Na-kyung was second in the Miss North Gyeongsang Province event on April 7, while Min-jung won the Daegu competition on May 22.

The twins attend Keimyung University. They graduated the same elementary, middle and high schools.

Although the twins are fraternal, they have similar looks, height and even personalities. They say they also have similar tastes in fashion and men, and recognize each other as their best friend.

The twins will join Miss Korea training next month and compete in the main event on July 8.

Even though there will only be one winner, the twins consider the experience more of a sisterhood memory than a competition.
South Korea's opposition parties on Tuesday urged the presidential office to support a controversial bill that will enable parliament to open hearings more often, adding that the move will not lead to disruptions in state affairs as claimed by the government.



The remarks came amid speculation that President Park Geun-hye may veto the controversial bill. Park is expected to determine whether or not to endorse the bill after she returns home from her overseas trip.



The revision to the National Assembly Act, which was passed last week, was handed over to the government for final review and presidential endorsement.



Earlier this week, Lee Suk-joon, the top official in charge of government policy coordination at the Prime Minister's Office, called the bill "very worrisome," stressing that the revision would restrict state affairs "very much."



"If (Park) rejects the bill, parliament will stage a veto against the administration," said Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea. "The bill is not an issue that can be refused by Cheong Wa Dae."



Park Jie-won, floor leader of the minor opposition People's Party, echoed the view, adding that the implementation of the bill is an opportunity to bring orders to civil servants.



"If the ruling Saenuri proposes a veto to the president on the law that comes out of agreement, the move will distort the parliamentary process," he added.



The latest tension surrounding the bill came under the spotlight as the government has been struggling to reach a broad understanding with the opposition parties in the past several weeks.



Earlier this month, the president had vowed to hold regular talks with local party leaders in a symbolic gesture to expand communications with opposition parties following the ruling party's defeat in the April 13 polls.



Sources said the ruling Saenuri Party has started a study to find constitutional flaws in the latest bill.



The opposition parties, meanwhile, joined forces in protesting against the government's move to promote what it calls a performance-based payment system for both public and private companies.



The policy, advocated for by the government, aims to boost labor flexibility and create more jobs for youth.



Woo said the government's bid to conduct checks on firms adopting the performance-based payment system can be seen as a move to force companies to accept the new policy.



The People's Party also claimed that wage-related polices should be decided by workers and companies, and not via a unilateral decision by the government.



Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, meanwhile, is deliberating on the hearings bill as it seeks to build cooperative ties with the opposition forces that will lead the new National Assembly that begins its four-year term next Monday.



Officials said they are looking at how to handle the bill, including the option of letting the bill be automatically discarded at the end of the outgoing Assembly's term on May 29.



"We will explore various ways to deal with the bill in light of broad national interests," a source told Yonhap News Agency over the phone.



Legal experts and political circles have raised the possibility that should the bill be left untouched until the end of the current legislature's term, it will be scrapped. This option, pundits said, would provoke the opposition less than any move to veto it.



"As it was haphazardly passed at the National Assembly without an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, some have pointed to improper procedural issues," a government official said, requesting anonymity. (Yonhap)




By Kim Se-jeong



Seoul National University (SNU) has equipped one of its women's restrooms with a scream-detecting sensor which triggers a siren and emergency lights, as part of its efforts to prevent crimes against women.



The "smart toilet" is gaining public attention following a recent murder case in which a schizophrenic man killed a 23-year-old woman in a public restroom near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul.



According to the school, Tuesday, the university installed the palm-size sensor on the restroom wall inside its Civil and Environmental Engineering Department building for a test run.



The device's key technology is able to distinguish screams from other noises by analyzing sounds at different decibels  when a decibel level similar to a scream is detected, it sets off an exterior alarm, according to Prof. Han Moo-young of the department.



"This device alone can't save all women under threat in restrooms, but it will save at least one and that's enough," Han said, adding that the sensor is particularly useful when there are no other means of calling for help, like a bell.



The sensor was manufactured by a small company, which will begin selling it on June 30 after addressing any problems following the test run at the SNU.



The device can also recognize heat and smoke, said Han, and other functions can be added, such as automatic reports to a janitor's office or the police.



Installing the device itself can deter a person from committing a crime, Han said. Also, if a crime happens, the siren will frighten the perpetrator and alert other people outside.



In the murder case, the suspect stabbed the victim to death in a restroom. Regarding the cause of the crime, he told police that he disliked women's dismissive behavior toward him.




By Kang Seung-woo

South Korea is seeking to strengthen military cooperation with African countries on the occasion of President Park Geun-hye's planned trip to Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya, a defense ministry official said, Tuesday.

The ministry hopes that stronger military ties with African nations will weaken North Korea's military presence there and help draw African support for international sanctions on Pyongyang.

Park will embark on a trip to Africa, today, accompanied by Vice Defense Minister Hwang In-moo, according to the ministry. Following the trip she will also travel to France before returning home on June 5.

"We cannot reveal details of how we will boost cooperation with the African countries at the moment, but we plan to gradually expand military personnel exchange programs," the official said.

Among the three African countries, Uganda has maintained long-standing military ties with North Korea.

Since Uganda established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1963 following its independence from Britain in 1962, Pyongyang has been a close security partner for the African country.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in power for three decades, made three visits to Pyongyang in the late 1980s and early 1990s and met North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un.

According to a United Nations (U.N.) report in February, Uganda hosted 45 North Korean police officers who provided training for the country's paramilitary police as recently as December 2015.












By Jun Ji-hye



A chain of recent defections by North Koreans indicate that the country is becoming more unstable under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, officials and experts said Tuesday.



The Ministry of Unification confirmed, Tuesday, "a few" North Korean restaurant workers recently deserted their workplace in China. The confirmation came a day after local media reported that two or three female North Koreans moved to Thailand after leaving their restaurant in either Xian or Shanghai with eventual plans to come to South Korea.



The latest incident followed the mass defection in early April by a group of 13 North Koreans who fled from a restaurant operated by Pyongyang in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, northeast China.



Experts say that the North handpicks workers who are loyal to the regime and have high social status before sending them overseas to work at the restaurants. The increasing defections among those chosen mean that doubts among the elite about the North Korean system have been growing amid tougher international sanctions.



They say that the sanctions following the North's fourth nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch the following month, as well as Seoul telling South Koreans not to visit North Korean restaurants overseas, appear to have been effective.



"It is a fact that North Koreans have recently fled from an overseas restaurant," said a unification ministry official on the condition of anonymity. "But we cannot confirm anything about their current situation."



The official said that the April defection may have affected the latest one, adding that the government is seeking to verify relevant information.



Some observers said that continuous defections of those with high social status might be a prelude to the possible collapse of the Kim regime.



Ahn Chan-il, head of the World North Korea Research Center, said that they may have decided to flee to the South because they believed that the North Korean system cannot be maintained much longer.



"The restaurant staff might have undergone a change of mind as they listened to reports of things taking place in the world beyond North Korea," Ahn said.



The isolated state has operated as many as 130 restaurants in 12 countries, including China, Vietnam and Cambodia, as a means to earn hard currency that is suspected of being used to help bankroll Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.



Following stronger sanctions imposed in early March by the United Nations Security Council as well as major nations, including the United States, such restaurants have faced hardship, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS).



The NIS noted that some 20 North Korean restaurants in China and the United Arab Emirates have shut down or suspended their operations.



One defector, who was among 13 North Koreans who fled to the South last month, reportedly testified that they decided to defect as they thought there was no more hope for the North Korean system amid the tougher international sanctions.



Sources said that complaints among restaurant staff had grown even more ahead of the Seventh Workers' Party Congress as the Kim regime kept pressuring them to send more money back to the North in preparation for the event despite the restaurants' financial difficulties.



The four-day-long congress, held 36 years after the last one took place in 1980 under Kim Il-sung, was wrapped up May 9.



Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, noted that the strengthened crackdown by the Kim regime on some 5,000 restaurant staff working aboard in the wake of the April's mass defection might also have been one of the reasons for the additional defection.



"The North is expected to tighten monitoring restaurant staff to prevent further defections," he said. "There is also the possibility that the regime will reduce the number of female workers dispatched to overseas restaurants."



Pyongyang, meanwhile, has claimed that South Korea kidnapped the group of North Koreans who defected to Seoul last month. It has called for Seoul to permit their North Korean family members to have a face-to-face meeting with them.



On Tuesday, the North's propaganda media called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is scheduled to visit Korea today, to support efforts to repatriate the defectors.




By Kim Bo-eun



A controversy has sparked after the police announced they would confine "potentially dangerous" mentally-ill people to a psychiatric hospital as a means to prevent crimes, following the recent murder of a young woman by a man with schizophrenia.



National Police Agency (NPA) Chief Kang Shin-myung said Monday that if police officers find a person who could inflict harm on others due to being mentally ill, they will have the person's mental condition checked by a psychiatrist and request the local authorities hospitalize the person.



"We will also work with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to set up a system through which we will share the information of discharged mental patients who have aggressive dispositions," Kang said during a press briefing in Seoul.



Under the "administrative hospitalization" system, police can hospitalize mentally-ill people who are likely to harm others without their or their guardians' consent after obtaining approval from local authorities. The "emergency hospitalization" system also allows police to force mentally-ill people "who urgently need to be isolated from society" to be hospitalized for up to 72 hours.



In an attempt to address concerns of arbitrary decisions by police, the NPA said it would draw up a medical check list by which it can "objectively determine the mentally-ill person's chances of committing crimes."



It added that it would create a network with local health centers so that those who are discharged from the hospital can receive regular checkups.



However, critics say this plan infringes on the fundamental rights of the mentally-ill, as it discriminates against them by branding all of them as potential criminals.



The Korea NeuroPsychiatric Association issued a statement the same day, saying "Prejudice and stigmatization of the mentally-ill, based on inaccurate information, can be an attack on the weak in society and result in building hatred against them.



"We need to caution against building prejudice against the mentally-ill and provide support for them," it said.



Data shows the crime rate of people with mental problems is far lower than that of people in the general population. According to a 2011 report from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, crimes committed by the former constitutes less than 10 percent of that committed by the latter.



"If mentally-ill people are tagged with being potential criminals, those who have mental problems may avoid their treatment, and this could result in more danger to society," a health ministry official said.



Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice also announced it would introduce a system which requires mentally-ill criminals to receive treatment starting in December.



Under this system, when mentally ill criminals receive a suspended sentence or are put on probation, they will be ordered to receive treatment in addition to being monitored.




/Courtesy of Twitter



The Japanese parliament is moving to ban hate speech against Koreans and other foreigners in the country.

The anti-hate speech bill is pending in the lower house after passing the upper house on May 13. The bill will be put to a vote this afternoon. Experts predict the bill will pass without any hiccups because it was proposed by the Liberal Democratic Party that holds the majority.

Koreans living in Japan would benefit from the legislation because they have been a frequent target of hate speech by conservative politicians and activists, especially when Seoul-Tokyo relations sour.












By Yi Whan-woo





Ban Ki-moon

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon remains tightlipped over speculation that he may run in the 2017 presidential election as a conservative candidate.

He has never clearly said whether he will join the race or not. However, many liberal politicians think that there has already been a behind-the-scenes deal between Ban and President Park Geun-hye.

"If Ban doesn't have the intention to run, he should have clearly said so," said Rep. Park Jie-won, floor leader of the minority opposition People's Party, Tuesday. "I expect he will run as a candidate for the Saenuri Party."

Ban's possible presidential bid is a keen issue ahead of his six-day trip to Korea, which begins on Wednesday.

His visit mainly includes doing what is seen as the usual routine for the U.N. chief.

He is scheduled to attend banquets, deliver speeches and meet participants at the Jeju Forum in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, the 2016 Rotary International Convention in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and the UNESCO-designated Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province.

He will then attend the U.N. Department of Public Information (DPI)/NGO Conference in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, before returning to New York.

Nonetheless, some critics questioned whether Ban, a former Korean foreign minister, may use these events to build relationships and draw support from people across the country.

There is growing speculation that he may join the ruling Saenuri Party after his term at the U.N. ends in December.












By John Redmond



English teachers and scholars will meet for the annual national conference of Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (KOTESOL) at Sangji University in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Saturday.



The theme of KOTESOL's 2016 National Conference is "Our Provinces."



"According to conference chair Michael Free of Gangneung-Wonju National University, provinces is more than just the geography, but includes the many domains of ELT, such as motivation and assessment, as well as interdisciplinary fields such as the use of art, film and music, and new concerns, such as an increased awareness of the importance of social justice in education,'" the organizer said.



The conference will feature eight hours of presentations, including a plenary session by emerging scholar Theron Muller, and more than 35 other teacher-led sessions.



"This conference, unlike many in Korea, recognizes the reality that not all Korean students are the same, nor are their teachers or classroom settings," the organizer said. "It's not just one size fits all.'"



Recent surveys of teachers in Korea indicate that the traditional conferencing model does not suit many teachers, and KOTESOL is addressing these concerns.



"Teachers have indicated they want more time to discuss what they hear, they want to share with others on the day and they don't want hours of lectures," Free said.



"Our conference timetable reflects this, with longer breaks, shorter and longer sessions to fit individual preferences, and more socialization. In the same way, we mix some research sessions alongside highly practical workshops  there's really something for everyone."



KOTESOL, also called Korea TESOL, is perhaps best known as a multicultural teachers' society. It has more than 600 teachers as members. Nearly a third of all members are Korean.



The KOTESOL National Conference rotates across the peninsula each spring in a different location. The annual KOTESOL International Conference is held each year in Seoul. More than 1,200 teachers are expected to attend the autumn international conference this fall.



KOTESOL was founded in 1992, and is the official Korean affiliate of TESOL International (USA) and IATEFL (United Kingdom), as well as a partner in the Pan Asian Consortium of Language Teaching Associations.




By John Redmond

The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AustCham Korea) will host a Spring Sundowner on the terrace at Marriot Executive Apartments in Yeouido on Thursday.

The evening will feature an unlimited buffet-style wine selection and spring BBQ.

AustCham Korea represents both Australian and Korean businesses. It was formed over 20 years ago with more than 250 members. It aims to promote Australian businesses in Korea through providing information, connections and representation.

Tickets for the event are 55,000 won for AustCham members and 65,000 won for nonmembers.

Payment can be made to Shinhan Bank account number 100-026-545750.

For more information, email admin@austchamkorea.org or phone (02) 2010-8832.
China's imports of North Korean goods nosedived 22.3 percent on-year in April, data showed Tuesday, after tightened U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang have started to bite.

China imported $161.3 million worth of North Korean goods last month, compared with $207.8 million for the same month last year, according to Chinese customs data compiled by the Beijing unit of South Korea's Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

The plunge in the imports of North Korean goods suggested that China, the North's economic lifeline, has been strictly implementing the latest U.N. sanctions, which were adopted in early March following the North's fourth nuclear test in early January and long range missile launch a month later.

China's exports to North Korea fell 1.53 percent on-year to $268 million last month.

In April, bilateral trade between North Korea and China were down a sharp 10.5 percent compared to the year before to $429 million, according to the latest data.

The U.N. sanctions ban exports of mineral resources, including coal, iron, gold and rare earth metals, from North Korea, if the proceeds are used for the North's nuclear or arms program.

The data showed China's imports of North Korean coal plunged 38.34 percent on-year to $72.2 million last month. Coal accounted for nearly half of China's total imports from North Korea. (Yonhap)
/Yonhap



By Lee Jin-a

More than 10 North Korean women appeared in the state's anti-smoking campaign video to encourage men to quit, according to Yonhap News Agency Tuesday.

"It is very unusual that a group of female citizens appear in the state-owned media and express their opinions," said Jeon Yong-sun, the research professor at the Institute of Humanities for Unification in Konkuk University. "The state is trying new methods to decrease the rate of North Korean male smokers, which stood at more than 50 percent."

In the 40-minute campaign video aired Friday by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the women spoke about what they think of male smokers.

"I think a person who begins to smoke from the early morning is very rude and has no common sense," said a woman at the beginning of the video.

Another said: "Men don't listen to women's advice to quit smoking. They don't think smoking is bad for their health."

In the following interviews, women continued to criticize smoking. They said: "We need to raise our voice against male smokers so men no longer smoke a cigarette;" "We, women, will be really happy if men give up smoking," and "Mother becomes very anxious when she finds out her son is a smoker."

As the state recently intensified its non-smoking campaign, some suspect Kim Jong-un, also known as a heavy smoker, has quit for his health.

UPI, an international news agency, reported last December that Kim is suffering health problems due to his soaring weight and smoking.
By Neil Armstrong

Swimming at our local pool is cheap. At 3,500 won each for adults and 2,500 won for children, a small family still has enough left over from a 10,000 won note to buy the kid one of those cream-colored processed imitation sausages. Swimming in South Korea is cheaper than swimming in the UK. It is cheap, period. What's more, last time, on the way out, we were even presented with a partial refund of 4,000 won. An alert, fastidious employee had noticed the multiculturality of its customers and, in accordance with the local or national law, returned the statutory discount. This reimbursement of nearly half the price applied to all multicultural' families.



Like everyone else, I find few things more thrilling than receiving a cash bonus simply for being me. But what did this policy say to and for the next family in line? They had arrived on the bus and, for use of the same water, were charged nearly double.

A cut price swim at the municipal pool is not the only financial dividend that can be drawn from an international marriage. Even within the same building, you can get a whopping 50 percent off monthly gym membership. In South Korea, there is a financial generosity about the place toward non-monocultural family units. The Korean government seems to be responding to a sense within the zeitgeist that emigration, immigration, multiculturality and the various other conditions of trans-boundary existence are always and everywhere states of special material demand, and that they are consequently due reparation via local taxpayers' largesse. There is a raft of goodies on offer to people rash enough to spread their lifelong partnership over different time zones.

Acknowledging as taking precedent the needs of any group classified as distinct by social policy formulators could be said to be placing that group in a kind of higher moral regard. But putting that argument to the side, what this assistance comes down to is one thing: money. Successive recent governments in South Korea have instituted a number of programs and policies to help foreign spouses adjust and settle, including free language classes, employment and cultural centers, and various forms of social service support. Undoubtedly there is significant room for refinement and expansion given changing demographics and labor pressures, particularly with regard to the employment permit system . But these efforts toward practical societal  not financial  assistance are undertaken, one guesses, in the cause of harmony. The economic discounts scattered on top, such as cheaper use of municipal facilities, however, could be the seeds of future social division.

Sure, cheap access to the pool was perhaps not instituted for those, like me, for whom going swimming at standard tariff rates is not prohibitively expensive, although I was still offered the discount. It targets those "multicultural" families who are less well off. But, you might then think, what about those "monocultural" families who are less well off? Not suffering unemployment or limitations due to disabilities; just averagely, ordinarily not that well off. Where is their discount?

The preferential rates enjoyed by multicultural families using the same water in the same lane becomes a de facto punishment of the "solely" or "only" Korean family member, who is now a passive target of well meaning but clumsy social policy discrimination. This person, this "monocultural family member"  quite possibly burdened with financial pressures at least as great as the "multicultural family member"  is being charged nearly double for the same service. At some point, when they consider the injustice of this pricing anomaly, they will inevitably feel resentful, cheated, at odds with their own government and, ultimately, plunged into petty ethnic rivalry.

There is no intrinsic superiority of multi over mono in cultural regards, and no government should be asserting that there is by expressing it in financial ways. If a government's inclination is to assist the less well off to enter the swimming pool, then all the people are available for means testing. After a brief chat, it was decided we ought to gratefully refuse the swimming pool discount.

Neil Armstrong is a textbook author in Changwon. Write to aex_nba@yahoo.co.uk.
By Bernard Rowan



The Korean miracle of advancement has included many positive developments. They include longer life and better life quality, higher incomes, and a national economy known for innovation and technological change. South Korea's national economy ranks among the best among middle powers. However, no advance fails to create threats and other opportunities. Chief among those might be the declining birthrate and aging society that characterize present-day South Korea.

These days, the government's proposal to end alternative ways to fulfill compulsory military service receives much critical scrutiny. The Park government is making plans to stop allowing young men to fulfill their service duty by working in other nonmilitary roles. Among many, engineering colleges and universities object.

I agree with this proposal, though not without noting some important questions. South Korea's population goes down. The birthrate goes down. These demographic trends occur in advanced societies, in particular the last one. Unless South Koreans increase childbirths or allow more immigrants, these trends won't change. I don't think ever-growing population grounds the good society, but an imbalance between the generations creates hazards for a society's vitality. South Korea must face this threat.

North Korea has a large standing army and more in reserve. While the theater of battle includes assets that make up for a smaller sized army, South Korea cannot afford to let the army's reserve capacity and active strength decline into the future. I think it invites miscalculations by the North and other possible enemies.

Machiavelli wrote that citizen armies in republics are preferable to hiring auxiliary or mercenary forces. No one cares about South Korea like South Koreans, let alone stand ready to die in battle. While we have to discount the notion that a million-man army is necessary, South Korea may have trouble fielding its current force after the next several decades, if nothing changes.

Of course, there's a difference between fulfilling military service duties and standing in the army or an army reserve. We should admit that readiness and security ground the strong army. A national military, even with good allies, depends on her citizens opting in. A tradition of military service strengthens the nation's human capital and culture for defense and patriotism. Don't scoff or end this tradition.

I'd like to see more effort on experimenting with female volunteers, in noncombat roles. This has started to be the case in other countries, including advanced nations, and I don't see why Korea's female population should continue to stand in the rearguard. South Korea must drop its traditionalist and outdated bias.

Koreans also need to open their country to more immigrants. This won't itself fill an army or reserve. It provides a support to population with adults to work in more jobs and promote economic growth. Some solutions to Korea's population problem need greater openness to a less homogenous and uniform culture and society.

I realize that both of these suggestions look neo-Confucian, conservative, or patrilineal. However, I think all could find purpose in a Confucian society properly imagined to include these changes. South Korea may gradually move in this direction already, despite critics on the left and right.

In a world where some democratic societies shift the burden of defense to lower status young males, I admire South Korea's purpose to have national service. I never took part in national service, so I have no room to preach. There's no better way to learn the importance of defending a country. The military must work to cure the problems of hazing and other misogynist and misanthropic behaviors in military barracks. Loyalty to nation isn't a cult of code and bad behavior mistaken for honor.

During the Korean War, many people escaped to the peninsula's edge near Busan. Too many scenarios could see Koreans facing war in the South. And while I think the chances of armed conflict are lower than Kim Jong-un would have everyone believe, security means readiness in the face of possible to probable threats. Those will continue to need a strong Korean army based in the abilities and power of the Korean people.

Koreans also need to gain even greater control over their national defense and stop relying on the United States overtime. I say that because I think the American and Chinese footprints stabilize the status quo, but that status quo is hardly best. Korea should unify after the death of Northern autarchy and state communism. Not to slow their instance, the South Korean people must continue to invest in their national defense.

Bernard Rowan is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University, where he has served for 22 years. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at HanyangUniversity. Reach him at browan10@yahoo.com.
Company seeks profitability by reducing fixed costs



By Kim Yoo-chul



LG Electronics is scaling down its handset business as it prioritizes profitability over external growth.



In a quarterly report recently filed by LG Electronics to the Korea Exchange (KRX), the number of employees working in LG's mobile business by the end of the first quarter was 7,321.



This was a cut of more than 10 percent compared to last year when the division had 8,049. On a quarterly basis, the number was cut by 139.



"LG Electronics should be quick and remain adaptive with greater flexibility in its management of human resources," the company's mobile chief Cho Juno told employees via e-mail recently.



LG Electronics said a steady decrease of employees at its handset business "doesn't necessarily mean" that the LG Group affiliate has plans for massive restructuring of its workforce.



"The latest measure is part of the company's moves to save fixed costs amid growing market uncertainty," LG said.



With the rapid rise of Chinese companies that have been selling smartphones with improved features, LG Electronics' global position in handsets is being questioned.



Although LG has a solid brand image with its handsets receiving a positive response from fans mainly due to strengths in display quality and camera technology, LG maintains a limited foothold in the U.S. and some European countries instead of China.



Officials said the continued struggle is mostly due to the company's reluctance to launch heavy promotional campaigns in China, the world's top handset market, and even in its target markets.



LG Electronics fared well in its first quarter performance, but its handset business again disappointed the market with an operating loss of 7 percent and sales down 12 percent, year-on-year.



Handset losses were up in the first quarter due to lower shipments and increased advanced marketing expenses for the G5. North America made up as much as 52 percent of its total handset sales, LG said.



It is expected that LG's handset business will face continued pressure as only 3 million G5s have been sold since the device's availability in late March.



The LG report said it expects a 2.7 percent global share for the first quarter, down from 4.3 percent in 2014.



"LG Electronics' fundamentals continue to look challenging. We would not chase any potential excitement around G5 sell-through. To the downside, the most significant risk is also in smartphone success and poor sell-through, particularly, a lack of high-end success will disappoint investors," said Bernstein Research in its recent notes.





Relocation



LG hopes to offset the late recovery of its handset business by investing more in the vehicle component-related business, which LG Group has identified as the group's next cash cow.



The number of staff in this division was 4,057 at the end of the first quarter, up from 1,649 a year earlier, according to the company.



Cho said in the e-mail that his division will continue sending mobile personnel to other divisions such as vehicle components.



"This is because other LG units want to work with seasoned mobile personnel," he said. "Therefore, efforts to relocate employees will be accelerated."



Unlike Samsung, LG Electronics relies more on the volatile business-to-consumer (B2C) business as most of the firm's profits come from the sale of home appliances, televisions and handsets, the segments that Chinese firms are clearly dominating with their price advantage.



The company is using clients secured by LG Display and LG Chem to boost its profile in the car-infotainment business and dashboards amid an emergence of connected vehicles.



"LG Electronics is in a transitional period," Cho said in the e-mail.



But the company still needs more time to se tangible results from the relocation of its mobile personnel to other units, according to analysts.



Its vehicle component division has recently been generating much excitement, but for the first quarter remained "tiny" in terms of sales and even more loss-making in terms of profitability.



"A meaningful contribution from the General Motors (GM) deal should not kick in before the end of 2017," said the research firm. "High growth in the car infotainment business is what drove sales up 55 percent year-on-year, but the first quarter sales for the division remained low."




Samsung refutes claims of liquidity shortage at SHI



By Kim Yoo-chul, Nam Hyun-woo



The financial regulators asked Samsung to help the group's shipbuilding affiliate, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), update its self-rescue plan.



"The Korea Development Bank (KDB), SHI's main creditor, isn't satisfied with details of the self-rescue plans submitted by the shipbuilder. SHI's biggest shareholder needs to assist it," a source at the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said Tuesday.



Samsung Group affiliates own a 24 percent stake in the shipbuilder. But the submitted plan doesn't include a capital injection from the group or the purchase of new shares.



Samsung Electronics is the biggest shareholder of SHI holding 17.62 percent, followed by Samsung Life Insurance with 3.38 percent and Samsung Electro-Mechanics with 2.39 percent.



The source added Samsung Electronics needs to check SHI's accounts to prove that its cash flow and financial soundness are "safe."



"Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has lots of assets to sell and that means HHI's self-rescue plan is persuasive as the shipbuilder's biggest stakeholder has no responsibility unlike SHI," said the source.



SHI's submitted plan to KDB includes raising about 300 billion won in cash by selling stock, company-owned real estate and the Samsung Hotel Geoje.



HHI's plan seeks to raise up to 1 trillion won in cash by selling core- and none-core assets.



"We want Samsung affiliates to join the restructuring move to take their share of responsibility. If that happens, supportive measures by creditor banks will follow," said the source.



Despite growing pressure, Samsung is unlikely to help SHI, given the low debt ratio that SHI has, which it sees as manageable, and its high-level of internal cash reserve  3.61 trillion won in the first quarter of this year.



The debt ratio of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) is over 7,000 percent, while that of SHI is 250 percent. SHI also has 2.08 trillion won in cash-equivalent assets.



"This isn't an issue in which the group will step in. An additional cash-injection isn't needed for the time being as today's struggle that SHI is facing is due to market factors," said a source at Samsung. He added the group audited SHI's accounts and management in 2014.



"Reviews on SHI management were completed and it was ordered to stop seeking orders below market prices. Since then, SHI hasn't been taking orders from ship owners asking for heavy discounts to boost profitability," the Samsung source said.



The financial authorities are worried about SHI's heavy exposure in the offshore plant business, which has relatively higher risk than standard shipbuilding.



Mentioning the latest analysis by the Korea Valuation Institute, the FSC source said SHI may face a "serious order shortage" starting next year given this high exposure and the growing possibility for order cancellations.



SHI had an operating profit of 6.1 billion won during the first quarter of this year; however, this is a 77 percent decrease, year-on-year.



SHI didn't win any significant new orders during the first three months of the year.




Two female K-pop stars who were recently caught up in allegations of having indecent overseas sponsors have failed to appear in court on the date of their scheduled hearing.

According to the Seoul Central Court on May 20, one of the celebrities failed to attend the third round of hearings for her trial. According to her lawyer, she was out of the country at the time due to overseas activities and would not be able to attend.

The other celebrity previously submitted documents stating that she would be absent on the day of her hearing.

Regarding one of the celebrities, the prosecution stated, "We sent her a court summons to come testify and confirmed that she received the message. However, we are currently unable to get in contact with her."

"We will attempt to persuade her to attend the court hearings," they added.

Last month, four celebrities were reported on claims of overseas prostitution involving sponsors. Three of those involved claimed they were innocent, while one admitted to the charges and was fined 2 million won (approximately $1679 USD).

The three still under investigation are an actress, an ex-girl group member, and a rookie celebrity.
News / National

by Pamela Shumba

THE Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo yesterday refuted reports that she ate poisoned food at the weekend.Online media on Sunday reported that Moyo fell ill after attending the Culture Week National Launch at Godlwayo Cultural Centre in Insiza's Avoca, Matabeleland South.Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko was guest of honour at the event on Saturday.The false information spread through some social media platforms, resulting in the Minister's friends, colleagues and relatives phoning her to inquire about her health.Moyo, who is also the Zanu-PF's Women's League Deputy Secretary, described the authors of the report as immoral and unreliable."It's not true that I fell sick after eating food at the function. I enjoyed my day just like everybody else and the food we ate was first class. I never had any kind of illness and I never even visited the toilet in Insiza or along the way."This is the kind of unethical journalism that we don't accept in our society. Nobody even called me to verify if this was true or not," said Moyo.She said she was shocked when her relatives and colleagues started calling her to find out if she was recovering."I'm really upset and I wonder what the motive was. I received information from my aide and my phone was inundated with calls from all over inquiring about my health. Everybody was concerned about me."If these people don't respect my being as a person, they should at least respect Zimbabweans and stop telling lies."Whoever is responsible for that report must apologise to the people of Zimbabwe. The Culture Week launch was one of the most beautiful functions that I ever attended and the food was first class. It's not fair for people to try and taint it," said Moyo.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

The Joice Mujuru-led Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party is in the process of publishing a book documenting the atrocities allegedly committed by President Robert Mugabe and his government since 1980.The book titled The National Grievances, authored by the party's Masvingo provincial spokesperson Retired Colonel Kudzai Mbudzi will soon be distributed throughout the whole country.Mbudzi said it was time for Zimbabweans to come face to face with reality."We can't continue to pretend as if we don't know the truth" he told TellZim publication. "Zimbabweans have been taken for granted over the years but it's now time for them to be told the truth. People need to know how the Mugabe regime destroyed our economy."We shall not hide behind the finger leaving millions of people confused - it's their right to know and as a party, we are there to document how it happened so that people will be in a position to map their way forward," said Mbudzi.According to Mbudzi, The National Grievances is a must-have book which gives a blow by blow account of Zimbabwe's demise since 1980."The book summaries our grievances as a people and it also exposes Mugabe as a very deceitful leader who rules with an iron fist. It narrates how innocent people in Zanu-PF were persecuted by Mugabe as well as giving a vivid illustration of how Mugabe allowed himself to outgrow his usefulness. There are sections that give detailed information on how Mugabe created pseudo hope in ZimAsset and his endless lies about sanctions."In fact the book exposes Mugabe as Zimbabwe's problem number one. Today, at the age of 92, Mugabe is totally useless, as would be the case with any nonagenarian great grandparent," said Mbudzi.The book which has about 25 chapters/topics also touches on how Mugabe created an economy of sex workers and vendors and how tertiary education, particularly in universities and colleges, was cheapened.The book also highlights Mugabe's concerted efforts in stifling the media, building the Gushungo dynasty, manipulation of Christians and Mujuru's strategy to rescue Zimbabweans.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

A DOMBOSHAVA kraal head Shepherd Kombe had sex on countless occasions with his daughter-in-law allegedly as payment for debt.The money was for rentals.Kombe who is in his early 50s and popularly known as Pidigori in Mungate Village, bedded his son's wife Shelter Ndawi, 30.Shelter is married to Shepherd's son Kudakwashe Tsvanhu and they have two children.The illicit affair was exposed through a text message that was discovered by Shepherd's wife following a tip off.Shepherd and Shelter have been having sex regularly at Mverechena Hotel since December 2015 before the affair was exposed last month.Kudakwashe confirmed the story and is alleging that headman Murape and Chief Chinhamora are refusing to hear his case after Shepherd approached them over the case behind his back.Shelter also confirmed that she had been having an affair with Shepherd saying she is prepared to testify before the chief how she was lured into having sex with him after she failed to pay his money."One of his tenants failed to pay rentals and the tenant informed him that he would get the money from me since I owed her money," said Shelter."My father-in-law kept visiting me during the night asking me to pay the money since Kudakwashe was in Harare with his second wife."I ended up admitting to his demands and we had protected sex several times since I was also being sex-starved by Kudakwashe who is ever with his second wife in Harare."Kudakwashe took the matter to my parents and he was told to stop verbally abusing me in connection with the case if he wanted to forgive me."I apologised to my mother-in-law and was taken to one of the relatives where I was asked to sign a document to confirm the matter," she added.Shepherd's wife, who is yet to come to terms with the incident, said she was letting God do His will adding that this was one of the most horrible things that ever happened to her."When I was first informed about it, I surely couldn't believe it. I thought the informant was only trying to tell me that she was having an extra marital affair."It was when I saw messages between the two that I started to believe it" she said.She said although her daughter-in-law had apologised about the affair, she had not been able to go to church after this incident.Shepherd could neither confirm nor deny the allegations threatening to sue H-Metro over the story."Why do you disturb me with such a story here at work, I am only prepared to answer questions from the chief not H-Metro, get away from here," he shouted."I will sue you if that story is published," he threatened.Kudakwashe added that he was disappointed that the two headmen were refusing to hear his case."My wife confessed that she had sex with my father and I took the case to headman Murape," said Kudakwashe."My father threatened headman Murape and asked him to hear the case privately and I refused to bow to his demands and that led headman Murape to refer me to Chief Chinamhora."Chief Chinhamhora refused to hear the case saying he cannot go against Murape and he referred me to civil court."Today (yesterday) I approached civil courts and they referred me back to the village head, I'm stuck maybe it is now survival of the fittest," said Kudakwashe.
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

Read more
PRESS RELEASE

Obama To Release Sanitized Kill List from 2009 to Present

May 23, 2016 (EIRNS)The Washington Post reported, late yesterday, that the Obama Administration is about to publish "a long-delayed accounting of how many militants and non-combatant civilians it has killed since 2009," a report that stems from the new drone guidelines that Obama announced in a speech at the National Defense University (NDU) in May of 2013.

The problem is, that, as the Post characterizes it, the report will be defined as much by what wont be in it, as by what will. CIA drone strikes in Pakistan wont be included, for example, as those are classified as covert operations. Theres also the question of whether or not military drone strikes considered to be "self defense" actions will be included. The Administration, as is well known, is rather elastic in its definitions, including of the term self defense. Then, theres the matter of whos a terrorist and who isnt. One way that the Administration has gotten around the problem is by declaring that every military-age male in the vicinity of a drone strike is a terroristsomething that has been hotly disputed by both watchdog groups and local activists. Since Obamas NDU speech, the number of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan has declined significantly, but has risen sharply elsewhere, particularly in Somalia; and now in Yemen, following two years of decline. There have been two strikes in Libya this year.

The Post report does not discuss the principle of sovereignty, a principle which Obama routinely ignores in some countries, while calling it inviolable in others (depending on whos doing the violating). After the Saturday strike targeting Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansour (for which the Pentagon took credit), Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif denounced it as a violation of Pakistans sovereignty, and the U.S. admitted that Islamabad was not informed of it until after the fact, just as with the May 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden. Kerry said yesterday that he had talked to Sharif, but wouldnt indicate when that conversation took placebefore or after the raid.

"We have long said that Mansour posed an imminent threat to us and to Afghan civilians," he said. "This action sends a clear message to the world that we will continue to work with our Afghan partners."
PRESS RELEASE

Obama CMS Plan Would Kill Patients with Cuts in Medicare Drug Payments

May 23, 2016 (EIRNS)A proposal by the Obama administrations fascist medical austerity enforcer, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is receiving almost universal condemnationfrom doctors, patients advocate groups, politicians of both parties, even the drug companies, themselvesbut, because of a clause in the Obamacare Act, the Administration can implement it without asking anyones "permission."

The Obama proposal wouldin the words of one doctor who took to the pages of The Wall Street Journal this morning to attack the scheme"use financial incentives to push doctors to make value-based care decisions and prescribe cheaper treatments," both to patients and doctors/hospitals. This would include drugs for treatment of cancer and arthritis, among others, under the guise of "reducing the high price of health care."

So far, the "proposal" has received condemnation from Republican lawmakers, who say Obama should withdraw it. Two dozen Democrats, representing lower-income constituents, also signed a letter which said that rural practices could not absorb the reimbursement cuts (leading to possible closure), and another 60 Democrats signed a separate letter with an "extensive list of questions and concerns."

Health providers also showed concerns, with several doctors stating that "lower cost" drugs were simply not an option in many targeted cancer protocols, and Dr. Jeffrey Vacirca, CEO of NSHOA Cancer Center, the largest community oncology center in New York State (meaning, it treats poor people), writing that the "new policy ... will jeopardize this access [to drugs] by inserting the government between doctors and patients in an unprecedented way." Vacirca called the Obama plan, "a dangerous experiment on the medical care provided to seniors," and "as clear a threat to the American health-care system as I have ever seen in my 18 years as a doctor."

All this is of no concern to killer Obama, since, as The New York Times points out,
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Poor pensions given to the pensioners have irked senators who questioned the understanding of government who expected them beneficiaries to travel from different parts of the country into towns to collect such paltry amounts.Some pensioners are reportedly getting $20 per months.Lilian Timveos said pensioners were staying for more than a week waiting for their pensions."What policy have you put in place, so that they can actually just go and collect their money without waiting for long? I am from Zvishavane, we have pensioners who come from Mberengwa, they stay in Zvishavane for a week. It is US$5 to and from Zvishavane and they only get about US$20," she said.Public Service, Labour and Social services minister Priccillah Mupfumira said they are all aware at the moment of the liquidity challenges facing the country."Treasury has a challenge almost every month, trying to meet the requirements including payment to our pensioners. Under normal circumstances, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development would inform the Public Service Commission and the Ministry, if there are any changes to the payment for wages and salaries," she said."If we are informed, we would pass on the information to our pensioners. I have noticed with concern that there have been incidences where the pay dates have been changed at the last moment without adequate time for us to inform our pensioners. It is regrettable, however, we are taking some action to advise and inform the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to ensure that any changes must be communicated well in time so that the pensioners do not waste their money coming and having to wait for long."She said it has happened and it is something which we will actively pursue with the relevant Minister, otherwise we would have our normal dates but because of the challenges that we are facing it happens sometimes we cannot pay on the due dates.But Timveos said since these pensioners are coming for something like US$20, can the Minister look into this, is it really worthy for our pensioners to leave their homes just for that little money."Should it not be noble for the Minister to review this and make it worth travelling for and wait for so long?" she said.Mupfumira said the Ministry and the Public Service Commission is seized with that issue and was looking at other ways of payment, including using cellphone service providers."We are in the process of getting bio-metric data so that we confirm the people who are really living and surviving and we want to come up with a situation where people would be able to use even plastic money in their areas they live instead of travelling to get that payment," she said.
PRESS RELEASE

Al-Monitor Calls on U.S. To Accept Russian Proposal for Joint Bombing Campaign against ISIS and Nusra Front

May 23, 2016 (EIRNS)Al-Monitor, a prominent news outlet covering the Middle East, published an unusual editorial by its Week in Review team, calling on the Obama Administration to take up the Russian proposal for a joint bombing campaign in Syria against the Islamic State and Nusra Front. After detailing the May 19 proposal by Russian Defense Minister Shoigu, the Al-Monitor editorial stated,

For our part, we find the Russian offer, at minimum, worth exploring, and would encourage steps toward joint action. The United States and Russia are aligned, in accordance with numerous UN Security Council resolutions, in efforts to defeat Jabhat al-Nusra and IS... There is no viable political settlement or cessation of hostilities in Syria without an eventual military defeat of both organizations.

The editorial dismissed the idea of an expanded train-and-equip program for Syrian rebel forces, which has failed repeatedly in the past. It also denounced the U.S. for blocking Russian efforts to get two Saudi-backed salafist groups, Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam, onto the UN Security Council list of terrorist organizations. The two groups have engaged in joint military operations with Nusra repeatedly, in violation of the ceasefire agreements. In fact, Al-Monitor noted a May 21 report from McClatchy News that a top leader of Ahrar al-Sham, Labib al-Nahhas, was allowed to travel to Washington last December, where he lobbied for American support with leading U.S. think tanks. Al-Monitor concluded:
If Im ever dragged into court for a financial fraud, I want to throw myself on the mercy of Judge Richard C. Wesley.

Wesley is the U.S. appeals court judge in New York who, with his colleagues Reena Raggi and Christopher F. Droney, found a loophole in federal fraud law big enough for the nations second-largest bank to fit through without even scratching a fender.

In a ruling written by Wesley and issued Monday, the three judges tossed out a $1.3-billion judgment against Bank of America for stuffing thousands of lousy mortgages into the portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2007 and 2008 by pretending they were high-quality loans. Their ruling turned on the curious question: When is a fraud not a fraud, but just, sort of, a lie?

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(Countrywides Hustle program) was...the vehicle for a brazen fraud...driven by a hunger for profits and oblivious to the harms.  U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff

Anyone concerned about white-collar crime should be find the appellate courts logic appalling. One who does is Dennis Kelleher, a former corporate lawyer who is now CEO of the financial watchdog group Better Markets. You wonder why the American people are so cynical, he told me after the decision came down. Its because theres an endless reservoir of ways to figure out how to hold no one accountable for illegal conduct.

In Mondays decision, the appellate judges didnt actually question that the mortgages sold to Fannie and Freddie by BofA (originally via Countrywide Financial, the subprime lender BofA acquired in 2007) werent the quality they were claimed to be. Indeed, they didnt really address at all that question, which was analyzed in great detail by the trial court judge who imposed the $1.3-billion penalty, New York Federal Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

Rakoff found that Countrywide/BofA set up a mortgage program known as the High Speed Swim Lane (HSSL), or Hustle, to crank out low-quality mortgages at great speed. Under the leadership of BofA executive Rebecca Mairone, Rakoff concluded, the conventional quality-control measures for mortgages were thrown out the window. (Rakoff hit Mairone with a $1-million penalty, which was also overturned by the appeals judges.)

The program transferred responsibility for vetting the loans from quality-focused underwriters to volume-focused loan specialists who were using automated credit software. The program also eliminated rules that paid lower commissions for low-quality loans than for good loans, and cut the turnaround time for processing mortgages to 15 days from six weeks or more.

With speed and volume taking primacy over quality, a huge percentage of these loans were destined to fail. Sure enough, more than 42% of the loans were materially defective, Rakoff found. As far as Fannie and Freddie knew, however, they all still met Countrywides contractual representation that all the loans were investment quality.

HSSL was from start to finish the vehicle for a brazen fraud, Rakoff ruled, driven by a hunger for profits and oblivious to the harms thereby visited, not just on the immediate victims but also on the financial system as a whole. Fannie and Freddie, he concluded, would never have purchased any loans from the Bank Defendants if they known that Countrywide had intentionally lied to them.

So how, you might ask, could Bank of America wriggle out of that one?

The answer is through what Kelleher calls a hyper-technical decision. The judges based their ruling on the contracts that Countrywide had reached with Fannie and Freddie, pledging to provide those government-sponsored firms with investment quality mortgages. There was no evidence, the appellate judges found, that the executives who signed those contracts intended at the time to stuff the pipeline with toxic junk. Things just turned out that way.

Because there was no intent to defraud when the contracts were signed, the judges decided, this whole affair is merely a case of breach of contract, not fraud. The penalties for a breach are much lower than those for fraud--often, the guilty party merely has to give back the money it got from breaking the contract. According to the judges analysis, a mere breach of contract cant be elevated into a case for fraud.

There are a few problems with this analysis. One was pointed out presciently by Judge Rakoff in a 2013 ruling in the case, when he observed that under the federal mail fraud statute the banks misrepresentations were continuous and ongoing: every time it sold Fannie or Freddie a substandard loan, it was arguably lying.

The biggest danger with the courts exoneration of the bank, however, is that it provides a road map for white-collar wrongdoers to evade responsibility. Breach-of-contract damages, as Kelleher says, have zero deterrent effect -- theres no downside for committing the fraud. You either get away with it and pocket the gains, or you get caught and have to return the money. The way to stamp out fraud, however, is to make the cost of punishment greater than the potential gains.

That course was closed off by the appeals judges. Since few businesses enter into contractd plotting in advance to make them vehicles for fraud, theyve crafted an all-purpose get-out-of-jail-free card.

Its quite possible that the appeals court happened upon a loophole that had been lying around for years. If thats the case, Congress should close it, quick. On the other hand, Judge Rakoff anticipated and rejected that argument, and even pointed out that Congress closed the loophole by amending the mail fraud statute -- in 1909. Its also likely that the government will appeal the latest ruling to the full 2nd circuit court, and thence, if necessary, to the Supreme Court.

The loophole that Judges Wesley, Raggi, and Droney identified should hearten anyone motivated by pure greed in financial dealings. For the rest of us, its a ticking time bomb, until Congress or the courts extinguish the fuse.
The commercial satellite market might be ready for a reusable rocket, but the U.S. government is taking a more cautious approach.

The director of launch enterprise for the U.S. Air Force Space Commands Space and Missile Systems Center said Tuesday that it could be a long time before the government agrees to use a reusable rocket to blast national security payloads into orbit.

We do require very high design margins, said Claire Leon at a panel on new strategies and technology for the launch market at the Space Tech Expo in Pasadena. I think we have a long way to go.

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For years, a joint venture of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. had a monopoly on the lucrative national security satellite launch market. But last year, entrepreneur Elon Musks SpaceX received approval from the Air Force to compete for Pentagon contracts, pitting the Hawthorne firm against United Launch Alliance.

In April, the Air Force announced that SpaceX had won an $82.7-million contract to launch a government GPS satellite for the Air Force. ULA did not bid for the contract, saying at the time that it did not have the accounting systems in place to make a compliant bid.

A former executive of the firm later said in a speech at the University of Colorado in Boulder that the venture could not compete with SpaceX on launch costs.

SpaceX has listed the starting price for its Falcon 9 rocket at $62 million. Brett Tobey, who resigned after the speech, said that on ULAs best day the venture would bid at about $125 million.

If SpaceX is able to routinely reuse its rockets -- it has landed Falcon 9 first stages back on land once and twice on a drone ship at sea -- it would cut its costs even more.

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In an interview after the panel, Leon said the government would want to see a track record of the reusable rockets success with commercial customers. Theres also a rigorous analysis test and qualification process that the reusable rocket would have to pass, she said.

SpaceXs next launch is set for Thursday and the company will again try to land its rocket booster on the sea platform.

MORE ON SpaceX

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samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

For more business news, follow me @smasunaga
Patrick Soon-Shiong has developed a reputation for big ideas.

His boldest mission is to fix the healthcare system and turn cancer into a treatable condition using super computers, genomics and big data.

But its Soon-Shiongs business acumen and adept skills as a negotiator that have made him a billionaire and an outsized figure in Los Angeles.

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His most recent venture is a $70.5-million investment in newspaper group Tribune Publishing, parent of the Los Angeles Times. That makes him the companys No. 2 shareholder and plunks him into the middle of the newspaper industrys liveliest takeover fight, a white knight in Tribune Publishing Chairman Michael Ferros efforts to ward off Gannett Co.

Forbes estimates Soon-Shiongs net worth at $11.8 billion as of Monday. In building his fortune, and distributing some of it through philanthropy, the entrepreneur has steadily woven himself into the fabric of Los Angeles institutions.

After buying Magic Johnsons minority stake in the L.A. Lakers, the surgeon could be seen courtside, rubbing shoulders with pop stars such as Will.I.Am and actor Denzel Washington. When L.A. County and the University of California wanted to reopen Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital in South L.A., Soon-Shiong and his wifes foundation gave a $100-million underwriting guarantee.

Mondays announcement of Soon-Shiongs investment in Tribune Publishing was accompanied by a notice that the company had reached an agreement with one of Soon-Shiongs companies to license more than 100 technology patents and to produce video at his NantWorks firms subsidiary, NantStudio.

Through machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence in which computers learn from data they collect, Soon-Shiong said the printed page could be transformed into virtual reality with the help of a smartphone or tablet. He compared it to the newspaper in Harry Potters wizarding world, where images move and change.

Hes a man of big ideas and big resources, said Dr. Eric Topol, director of Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, who interviewed Soon-Shiong about the cancer effort at a Scripps conference in March. What no one knows yet is whether he can fulfill these lofty expectations hes set forth.

Born in South Africa, Soon-Shiong is the son of a practitioner of traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

After earning medical degrees in Johannesburg and Vancouver, British Columbia, he joined UCLA Medical School in 1983 as an assistant professor in the gastro-intestinal surgery division. He later became director of UCLAs pancreas transplant program and was the first to perform a pancreas transplant on the West Coast.

In 1991, he invented the medicine that helped create his fortune. The drug called Abraxane was not so much a new drug as it was a repackaging of Taxol, one of the top-selling cancer drugs. When it was approved in 2005, a group of top oncologists questioned whether the expensive drug was just old wine in a new bottle.

Indeed, the new drug may never have made it to market without Soon-Shiongs aggressive business style and his insistence that he remain in charge of his idea -- a rare accomplishment in the pharmaceutical industry.

In the end, he showed the drug was more tolerable than Taxol and sold it to Celgene for $2.9 billion in 2010.

Soon-Shiong now leads NantWorks, a growing network of start-up companies, which include NantHealth, NantKwest and NantOmics. The companies have significant operations in Culver City.

NantWorks website says the Nant name comes from the Apache word nantan, which means leader or he who speaks for the people.

But Soon-Shiongs businesses have not been without controversy.

He was once sued by his brother, Terrence Soon-Shiong, who sided with an investor in a lawsuit over a diabetes research firm. Patrick Soon-Shiong said he won an arbitrators award, but ended the conflict by paying investors $37 million, $32 million of it to his brother, and leaving the company.

More recently, NantKwest prompted a lawsuit from investors when it announced that it was restating its financial statements just months after selling shares to the public in July.

Those accounting errors related, in part, to Soon-Shiongs compensation package of stock and options, which NantKwest has valued at almost $148 million, according to corporate filings. That was one of the highest pay packages for any CEO last year.

Soon-Shiong has also been criticized for what some say are exaggerations about his work. There have been questions, for example, about his assertions that NantHealth can analyze a human genome in 47 seconds.

In an interview with The Times in January, Soon-Shiong said he was used to the critiques.

The fact that there are doubters means its big and important, he said.

In January, Soon-Shiong announced he had convinced a group of pharmaceutical companies to work together in an effort to conquer cancer. The effort -- which he calls Cancer MoonShot 2020 -- will focus on using the human immune system to control tumors.

The project calls for conducting dozens of small-scale clinical drug trials with as many as 20,000 patients over the next three years, followed by larger trials. Its focus is the emerging field of immunotherapy, which seeks to use the bodys own immune system to fight cancer.

Soon-Shiong is one of more than two dozen experts on a blue ribbon panel that is advising Vice President Joe Biden on a separate national research initiative also dubbed the cancer moonshot.

Despite his lack of experience with media, biotech industry experts say Soon-Shiongs involvement with Tribune Publishing could make sense.

He has the ability to see where technology will lead you even when there is high risk, said Ahmed Enany, the president of the Southern California Biomedical Council, an industry trade group. Its both positioning and good luck.

Times staff writer James Rufus Koren contributed to this report.

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samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

For more business news, follow me @smasunaga
The burgeoning mobile-payment industry that allows consumers to buy stuff in stores with their smartphones has been led by technology giants such as Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google.

Now, Wells Fargo & Co. wants a piece of the action.

The San Francisco-based bank is expected to announce Tuesday that its Wells Fargo Wallet will be available this summer for customers who download the banks app on their Android phones. The bank said about 5 million, or 38%, of its app customers have such phones.

We want customers to use their Wells Fargo accounts, said Jim Smith, executive vice president and head of Wells Fargo Virtual Channels. The way we do that is just make it convenient and make it part of their daily routine.

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Wells Fargo joins JPMorgan Chase & Co., which announced its own mobile-payment service last year, in taking on Apples Apple Pay and Googles Android Pay as well as offerings from Samsung Electronics Co. and others.

With mobile wallets such as the one Wells Fargo plans, consumers enter their credit card information in their phones before shopping with merchants who use NFC, or near-field communication, technology. The consumer holds the phone over a payment terminal and taps a button on the phone or enters a PIN. The credit card is then charged and the sale is completed.

Wells Fargo customers already can use their Wells Fargo credit and debit cards as payment sources  along with cards issued by other financial institutions, if they choose  when they use Apple Pay, Android Pay and other providers to make a purchase.

So the Wells Fargo Wallet would, in effect, allow its customers to bypass the Android Pay app and use only the Wells Fargo app to buy something.

The bank said the service mainly would benefit the bank strategically, at least at first, by giving it a richer understanding of the quickly evolving payments landscape that would enable Wells Fargo to be better informed to innovate.

The service would not be available on Apple iPhones because Apple places limits on the outside use of its technology. But Wells Fargo customers can keep using Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay with a Wells Fargo account as their payment source.

About 2.8 million Wells Fargo customers currently use their Wells Fargo cards as a payment source for third-party mobile wallets.

To lure customers from those apps, Wells Fargo is touting the fact that customers will be able to instantly check their account balances before and after making a purchase with Wells Fargo Wallet, without having to move back and forth from a different mobile wallet.

We think this will introduce a whole new segment of customers, Smith said. For the 5 million Android phone users we have, its integrated right into their experience.

JPMorgans payment service called Chase Pay uses a different technology, called CurrentC, so the number of merchants and retail locations available for its service varies from those using the NFC technology.

CurrentC is being deployed by a consortium of retailers. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is developing one based on its existing smartphone app.

While mobile-wallets have drawn the attention of Silicon Valley and Wall Street, the conflicting technologies, confusion about which merchants accept which mobile wallets and security fears have limited consumer adoption, analysts have said.

Also, the idea of paying for goods and services at the point of sale with a phone app, instead of with a conventional credit or debit card, continues to draw a guarded response from Americans so far, the analysts said.

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Even so, the total value of mobile-payments transactions this year is expected to reach $27.1 billion, more than triple from last year, and could reach $210.5 billion in 2019, the research firm EMarketer Inc. estimates.

The Federal Reserve Board reported in March that the use of mobile banking continues to rise and that 28% of smartphone users had made a mobile payment in the prior 12 months. But many of those transactions involved paying bills.

The shift from plastic to phones for buying goods and services in stores also is part of a broader trend toward consumers making more financial transactions with their phones.

Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase plan in the next few months to roll out ATMs that let customers withdraw cash using their phones instead of debit cards. Wells Fargo expects to have about 5,000 ATMs equipped for smartphone use by the end of the year. Bank of America already has about 600 such ATMs operating, mostly in the Bay Area, and will add thousands more by the end of the month.

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FOR THE RECORD

11:21 a.m.: A previous version of this story said that Bank of America had not yet rolled out ATMs that allow customers to withdraw cash using their smartphones.

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Twenty years ago, the big talk was that paper checks were going to go away in five years, Smith said. Im reluctant to make any predictions about the demise of plastic cards, but youre going to start to see ever-increasing use of mobile wallets.

Bryan Yeager, an analyst with EMarketer, said its questionable whether Wells Fargos latest move will accelerate the mobile-wallet business, but he said that if other financial services industry players join the bank it could make a difference.

When it comes to keeping your money safe and secure, making sure fraud doesnt happen and not having third-party advertising, the banks have a pretty good reputation, Yeager said. When you look at surveys of who consumers trust when making payments, banks and financial services firms top out on the list.

But Dave Godsman, emerging payments executive at Bank of America, said his bank currently has no plans to match Wells Fargos mobile-payments service.

Were enabling our customers to choose whatever wallet they prefer, he said.

Times staff writer James Rufus Koren contributed to this report.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

MORE BUSINESS NEWS

The date on the milk carton says its expired, but is it?

Patrick Soon-Shiong, already trying to cure cancer, dives into a newspaper takeover fight

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james.peltz@latimes.com

Twitter: @PeltzLATimes

UPDATES:

10:24 a.m: This article was updated with a statement about Wells Fargos strategic goals.

This article was originally published at 3 a.m.
Think how many times youve checked a carton of milk or wedge of cheese in your fridge and saw that it had passed the date on the package. The typical response is to throw it away.

However, experts say the problem is often not with the food or beverage but with the system used for notifying consumers about the products expiration date.

Most people think expiration dates tell you when food is spoiled or unsafe, said Dana Gunders, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. In fact, what it usually tells you is the manufacturers recommendation for when the food is at peak quality.

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The reality, she told me, is that the use by, best by or sell by dates on most foods and beverages vary from state to state and are largely arbitrary. Theres no exact science behind this practice, Gunders said.

Legislation introduced last week in Washington aims to change that.

The Food Date Labeling Act would eliminate confusion over inconsistent labeling that is said to contribute to an estimated 40% of food going uneaten in this country. It would establish national standards for informing consumers when food is at its peak freshness and when it may be unsafe to eat.

It also would make it easier for businesses and consumers to donate uneaten food to nonprofit groups and charities, which would go a long way toward reducing hunger nationwide.

This measure is really about common sense, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told reporters at a Washington news conference. The date is irrelevant to food safety.

He introduced the bill in the Senate, while Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) introduced identical legislation in the House.

Pingree noted that 20 states restrict donations of any food with a date on the package that has passed, regardless of quality or safety.

We could feed a lot more people if we werent throwing it away, she said. Theres no good reason for not fixing these problems.

Their bills are based on advice and recommendations from the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, nonprofit groups and industry representatives.

Berkeley-based Gunders told me the proposed legislation would clarify expiration dates by removing ambiguity from whats being communicated to consumers. Packages would say best if used by, which would specify when a product is at its freshest.

It wouldnt mean that its bad once that dates passed, just that freshness may be fading.

Packages also would feature an expires on date for riskier foods such as meat and fish to definitively show when there could be a health risk.

A 2013 report by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic found that more than 90% of consumers toss out food once it hits the date on the package. Yet many consumers couldnt say what sell by or use by actually mean.

Americans waste 160 billion pounds of food annually, the report found, observing that the rate of food loss in the United States far exceeds that of much of the rest of the world, with the average American consumer wasting 10 times as much food as the average consumer in Southeast Asia.

Misinterpretation of the date labels on foods is a key factor leading to this waste, it concluded.

Gunders cited the example of milk. Some states require a sell by date of just 12 days after the milk was pasteurized, after which it could no longer remain on store shelves. Other states mandate a use by date of 21 days after pasteurization to indicate when the milk will taste best.

Milk is actually an extremely safe product, Gunders said. It will typically taste fine about a week after the date on the carton. If it smells OK, its probably perfectly safe.

Changes at the federal level, which would supersede state rules, are necessary because thats the only way national standards can be put in place. Without such consistency, Gunders said, it would be hard to get the food industry to play ball.

There are thousands of food companies out there, she said. Theyll all make these changes only if everyone has to do it.

I reached out to some of the leading food-industry trade associations. Their position is that they dont yet have a position on the new bills but, generally speaking, they support efforts to reduce food waste.

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For example, a spokeswoman for the Grocery Manufacturers Assn. said her group will work with retailers and other industry groups to reduce consumer confusion around date labeling. The organization is committed to giving consumers the information they need to make informed decisions regarding the safety and quality of the products they purchase and consume.

Some big-name companies, however, already have gotten behind the Food Date Labeling Act.

Steve Armstrong, chief food law counsel for Campbell Soup Co., called the proposed legislation a really welcome development for the food industry. Paul Bakus, president of corporate affairs for Nestle, said at last weeks news conference that this is no-duh legislation, by which he meant, I think, it would be totally stupid to reject such a sensible move.

Blumenthal said he believes his bill is worthy of bipartisan support. It is, although the current political climate always makes such things problematic.

This much is certain: Our current food date labeling is almost meaningless, resulting in vast amounts of food and beverages ending up in landfills or down the drain.

Blumenthal and Pingree arent proposing anything revolutionary. They just want to make sure consumers have the right information to make the best decisions on behalf of themselves and their families.

Thats the very definition of no-duh legislation.

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David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.
Toyota Motor Corp. announced Tuesday a partnership with Uber Technologies in which the Japanese automaker will invest an undisclosed sum in the ride-hailing company and establish a car-leasing option for Uber drivers.

Through the partnership, the two companies will explore collaboration ... in the world of ridesharing in countries where ridesharing is expanding, taking various factors into account such as regulations, business conditions, and customer needs, Toyota said in a prepared statement.

The partnership will also expand on Ubers vehicle-leasing program, which offers cars to its drivers through Enterprise Holdings Inc. -- the parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car and National Car Rental.

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Both Uber and Toyota declined to comment on the size of Toyotas investment. A Toyota spokesman said both companies are still in the early stages of developing [their] strategy and, aside from the vehicle leasing option, no other specific plans have been made.

The partnership follows a growing number of investments by traditional auto manufacturers in on-demand transportation services.

German carmaker Volkswagen announced Tuesday a $300-million investment in Uber rival Gett, a service that is available in 60 cities and connects passengers with taxis and black town cars. Gett Chief Executive Shanhar Waiser said in a prepared statement that the partnership provides the Volkswagen Group with the technology to expand beyond car ownership to on-demand mobility for consumers.

General Motors made a $500-million investment in Lyft earlier this year and also took a seat on the ride-hailing companys board of directors. The two companies announced plans to build an Autonomous On-Demand Network that will leverage GMs autonomous vehicle development and Lyfts ride-matching, routing and payments software.

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It is unclear whether Toyotas partnership with Uber will involve autonomous vehicle development. Uber itself has already made investments in developing self-driving cars. The company opened its Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh last year, snapping up engineering talent from Carnegie Mellon University.

The company announced last week that a test car from that facility, a hybrid Ford Fusion, will soon be driving through the streets of Pittsburgh -- with a driver behind the wheel -- collecting mapping data and testing its self-driving capabilities.

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tracey.lien@latimes.com

Twitter: @traceylien
After four years as president and chief executive of the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles, Greg Kimura is stepping down at the end of June, the museum has announced.

The organization said it was launching a search for his successor.

Kimura  the first hapa, or person of mixed race, to head the museum  said in a phone interview Monday that he had given himself three main goals since he was named president in January 2012. First, in the aftermath of the Great Recession, he wanted to make the museum a resonant and sustainable institution. Second, he wanted to expose the Japanese American story to a broader audience, and third, to reach out to a younger generation of Japanese Americans.

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I came in with a pretty bold agenda, and for the most part I feel Ive accomplished that, Kimura said.

Established in 1985 in Little Tokyo, the museum was founded to commemorate and convey the Japanese American experience, including the pivotal incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II by the federal government. Kimura cited how one special exhibition in particular helped to expose more visitors to the heart of that mission.

The biggest success was Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, he said of the exhibition that ran from October 2014 to May 2015. That exhibition broke every record at the museum  attendance, museum store sales. It gave us tremendous media exposure. The exit of the Hello! exhibition led right to Common Ground: The Heart of the Community, the museums permanent exhibition tracing Japanese American history from the early days of immigration, through World War II to present day.

In a good year, Kimura said, the museum attracts about 100,000 visitors, but Hello pushed fiscal year 2015 numbers over 200,000.

A smaller exhibition Kimura cited as especially powerful was Before They Were Heroes: Sus Itos World War II Images, an exhibition of photography taken while Ito served with the decorated 442nd Regiment during World War II. Last year, the museum acquired the Eaton collection, important art and artifacts made by Japanese Americans during the internment, before it could be auctioned off and potentially dispersed.

One of the challenges of the job, Kimura said, has been to find a new audience for a museum founded on a historical event. However, the museums mission remains profound and timely, Kimura said.

The core story the museum tells  which is a cautionary tale about what happens when we let prejudice and racism take over in times in crisis  that story is all the more relevant right now, he said.

Kimura moved to Los Angeles from Alaska, where he was CEO of the Alaska Humanities Forum, the state humanities council. He has a masters in divinity from Harvard and a doctorate in philosophy of religion from Cambridge. When asked about his future plans, he noted that he has been a college professor and is an ordained Episcopalian priest, but declined to give specifics of his plans.

Norman Y. Mineta, the former congressman, secretary of Commerce and secretary of Transportation, is chairman of the museums board of trustrees, which will provide executive leadership until an interim CEO is named. The trustees also will work with the Center for Nonprofit Management to search for a permanent successor to Kimura, the museum said.

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Sumner M. Redstones trust has two newly minted trustees who are expected to replace the media moguls two long-time advisors, Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and attorney George Abrams.

The ailing media tycoon, through a spokesman, announced Tuesday that Thaddeus Jankowski and Jill Krutick are replacing Dauman and Abrams on the powerful irrevocable trust, which eventually will make decisions about Redstones controlling shares in Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp.

Both Jankowski and Krutick are allies of the moguls daughter, Shari Redstone. There are seven members of the Sumner M. Redstone National Amusements Inc. Trust, and Tuesdays additions to the group have considerable financial and legal credentials.

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Jankowski is executive vice president and general counsel of National Amusements, the Redstone family firm that also includes a movie theater chain. He is intimately knowledgeable about the business affairs of the Redstone familys Boston-based business, working for the family for 35 years.

He was a key figure in Shari Redstones efforts to expand the National Amusements cinemas. At National Amusements, Jankowski reports directly to Shari Redstone.

Krutick is a former Wall Street equity analyst, spending 15 years at the brokerage firm Salomon Smith Barney, covering Viacom and other media companies. She more recently served as senior vice president for investor relations at Warner Music Group, leading communications with Wall Street analysts and investors.

She has a second career as an abstract impressionist artist, the statement said.

Tuesdays move follows Redstones removal late Friday of Dauman and Abrams from their roles as trustees and directors of National Amusements Inc.

National Amusements is the vehicle that holds the Redstone familys nearly 80% of the voting shares of CBS and Viacom.

The appointments had been expected. And the timing is important: Because the Sumner M. Redstone National Amusements Inc. Trust is an irrevocable trust, changes needed to be made before Redstone dies or becomes incapacitated.

After that time, no changes can be legally made to the structure of the trust.

Abrams and Dauman filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts courts on Monday to try to block the changes from taking effect. In the suit, Abrams and Dauman charged that Shari Redstone is manipulating her father to make changes that will give her a clear path to control the two media companies.

Redstone struggles to speak, and during a deposition earlier this month, he did not answer when asked to provide his given name, which is Sumner Murray Rothstein.

This is my trust and my decision, Redstone said Tuesday, according to the statement. I have picked those who are loyal to me and removed those who are not.

The statement also said Shari Redstones daughter, Kimberlee Korff Ostheimer, has been elected to the board of directors for National Amusements Inc., alongside her mother.

Ostheimer is a lawyer who practiced at the Legal Aid Society before leaving the work world to care for her children. She is a 2004 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and received her law degree at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2008. Her husband, Jason Ostheimer, co-runs Advancit Capital, Shari Redstones investment group.

I am honored to be named as a fourth generation director and look forward to contributing to the continued success of the company my family has built over the last 80 years, Kimberlee Ostheimer said in the statement.

She is one of seven beneficiaries of the Sumner M. Redstone Trust, along with her siblings, two cousins and her two young children.

Jankowski and Krutick also will serve as directors to the National Amusements board.

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meg.james@latimes.com

@MegJamesLAT
Burt Kwouk, an actor who played martial arts expert Cato in the comic Pink Panther films, has died. He was 85.

Kwouks agent, Jean Diamond, said in a statement that he passed peacefully on Tuesday. She didnt give a cause of death.

Born in northwest England in 1930 and raised in Shanghai, Kwouk had his first major film role in 1958s The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman.

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Kwouk appeared in the James Bond films Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice as well as the 1967 Bond spoof Casino Royale, and had roles in popular 1960s TV series Secret Agent, The Avengers and The Saint.

In 1964, Blake Edwards cast him in A Shot in the Dark, a comedy centered on Peter Sellers bumbling Inspector Clouseau. Kwouk appeared in half a dozen more Pink Panther movies as Cato Fong, a manservant whose job was to attack Clouseau when he least expected it.

Other film appearances included Norman Jewisons sci-fi thriller Rollerball and Steven Spielbergs World War II drama Empire of the Sun and the 1980s British World War II TV series Tenko.

Kwouk made screen appearances into his 80s, including a regular role in the long-running British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine.

In 2011, Kwouk was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.

Diamond said Kwouks family would be holding a private funeral, with a memorial service at a later date.

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News / National

by Bongani Ndlovu

PRAISE poets (imbongi) captivated the heart of Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko as they stole the show when he officially opened the National Culture Week celebrations on Saturday at Godlwayo Cultural Centre in Avoca, Matabeleland South province.imbongi were led by Lerato "Ngqindi" Ndlovu, Albert Nyathi and Simayedwa Khumalo.imbongi performed during the chiefs' procession before the VP's speech. VP Mphoko took the opportunity to share his totem with the scores of people gathered."AbakoMphoko ongogo zabantu, omahlavukazi, esadlula emaninini zadikiza iz'bumbu. Nxa ngikukhangele so kuthi diki diki," said VP Mphoko."Isizwe esingela masiko kasiso sizwe. Ngijabule kakhulu ngibona lamhlanje ukuthi zithe zingena izinduna zakithi zabongwa ngamaxhiba, zabongwa ngezangelo zabo, ngazawa umzimba wami uhlasimuka. ("A country without culture is not one. I was glad upon seeing the chiefs' procession; they were being praised by imbongi. I felt ecstatic,") said VP Mphoko.Before the VP's address a praise poet Simayedwa Khumalo recited a poem bemoaning shunning of culture by Zimbabweans.VP Mphoko was enthused by her performance that he called on director of culture in the ministry of Education Reverend Paul Damasane who was master of ceremony, to co-opt her in educating children.VP Mphoko was dressed for the occasion as he wore a navy blue suit, with a leopard skin cape and matching head gear complete with walking stick.During the chief's procession the imbongi took turns to outwit each other with superlatives for the various chiefs that would enter the arena.Each chief was accompanied by his villagers while imbongi gave praise by reciting their totems.However it was host chief Vezi Maduna who stole the show when he entered the arena accompanied by a "regiment" engaged in stick fighting much to the delight of invited guests.The men's skills with the sticks was captivating as they parried blows from opponents, feinting in one direction and striking in another, breaking away from an opponent with quick footwork.They were not pulling back with their blows with each sending a loud crack as their sticks struck each other to defend their positions.As all this was going on Ngqindi praised Chief Maduna with his totems."EMafu enkonjeni, emathayi, emawandla, enzakala, edambisamahubo, emzila kawulandelwa, ungawulandela uyazibambelela, ekhokhozela njengenqina lisiya edlomodlomo, eVezi Ozivezayo," praised Ngqindi.Some in the crowd felt the same like the VP, with others trying their hardest to remember their own totems.Another major highlight were school children from Zezani in Beitbridge who performed a Venda dance that required them to be given some token of money to leave the stage and the VP stood from his seat to appease the young girls.Senator Tambudzani Mohadi, the Beitbridge Senator also supported the young girls by lying down on the dusty ground in typical Venda fashion as they waited to be appeased of which the VP obliged.VP Mphoko toured stalls of various traditional products such as baskets, food, side chairs and stools. National Gallery of Zimbabwe and Amagugu International Heritage Centre also exhibited their products at the celebrations.Traditional foods such as cooked beef, offals, goat meat, isitshwala among other things were served.Black Umfolosi also serenaded the crowd with their melodious acapella voices with Jeys Marabini, a favourite of chief Maduna, wrapping up an eventful day.The event kick-started a week-long launch with Mashonaland Central expected to launch theirs today at Tendai Hall in Bindura, the launch in Mashonaland East will be at Marondera High School and in Harare it will be at Long Cheng Plaza tomorrow. Midlands, celebrations will be at Gonawapotera Secondary School on Thursday and the Bulawayo launch will be at Nkulumane Hall on Friday, Matabeleland North's launch will be in Tsholotsho at Giraya Dam, in Masvingo the launch will be at Danhamombe High School while in Manicaland the launch will be in Mutare at Mount Mapende.On Saturday Matabeleland South will launch the week in Umzingwane District at Nswazi Cultural Centre and in Mashonaland West the launch will be in Hurungwe at Chiedza Primary School on June 3 .
Americas Revolutionary War was typically fought with long rifles, swords and cannon.

British Maj. John Andre (J.J. Feild) employs a much different weapon, however, in Hypocrisy, Fraud and Tyranny, Episode 305 of AMCs TURN: Washingtons Spies.

Knowing the Continental dollar is sharply devalued, Andre intends to trigger an economic collapse by flooding the colonies with bogus currency. To accomplish this, Andre approaches counterfeiter Henry Dawkins (Happy Anderson) at a New York jailhouse.

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I have the power to release you from this place this instant, Andre says. But first I need the truth.

Did Dawkins counterfeit money as charged? And can he do it again? His answer to both questions is yes.

Also assisting the Redcoats is newspaper publisher James Rivington (John Carroll Lynch), whose printing presses churn out the funny money.

Fortunately for the Patriots, Rivingtons business partner is Robert Townsend (Nick Westrate) from the Culper Spy Ring. Townsend sends word to Gen. George Washington (Ian Kahn) that a dozen teams will distribute the phony currency in New York and beyond.

We received this news too late, Washington bitterly tells Maj. Ben Tallmadge (Seth Numrich) and Caleb Brewster (Daniel Henshall). Youre dismissed!

Refusing to give up, Ben and Caleb strategize with Anna Strong (Heather Lind), a former signaler for the spy ring. Anna currently dwells at the Continental Armys Middlebrook, N.J., encampment after suffering heartbreak in her Setauket hometown on Long Island.

Frustrated that Washington wont allow her to serve in an official capacity, Anna contributes unofficially. She theorizes that fake dollars could be passed to privateers trading on the black market.

Ben and Caleb rush to a privateer hideout and spot Lt. Gamble (Adam J. Harrington), one of Andres top officers.

No matter what else happens, Ben orders, the money gets burned.

Gamble is captured during a firefight but wont reveal where the other British agents are dispersing counterfeit bills.

Now its time to avenge Gambles murder of Nathaniel Sackett (Stephen Root), a civilian who helped establish Washingtons spy network. Caleb utters Sacketts name as he executes Gamble.

Meanwhile, Capt. John Graves Simcoe (Samuel Roukin), commander of the Queens Rangers, returns to Setauket after surviving an ambush orchestrated by Patriot spy Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell).

Abes wife, Mary (Meegan Warner), urges her estranged father-in-law, Richard Woodhull (Kevin R. McNally), to refrain from telling Simcoe about the spy ring. Abe heads the ring but Simcoe mistakenly thinks the leader is Robert Rogers (Angus Macfadyen).

Simcoe is evil, Mary emphasizes to Richard. Does it concern you that you would be sacrificing your son to the man who had you shot? After all, Simcoe once tried to assassinate Richard and blame it on the rebels.

Heeding Marys plea, Richard vilifies Simcoe as brutal and unchecked in a letter written to a British colonel. Simcoe discovers the unfinished document and threatens Richards life.

As for Rogers, hes determined to slay his rival Andre. After learning that Townsend might possess useful information, Rogers sets off for New York. But Townsend is skittish and could quit the spy ring if confronted by a stranger.

Abe tries to stop Rogers by clobbering him with a rock. He fends off the attack, however, and shoves Abe into a cellar.

I like you, boy, Rogers says. And thats why Im not gonna kill you. But we will never see each other again.

Abe soon realizes he can dispose of Rogers by letting the Queens Rangers do the dirty work.

Weve just been robbed, Abe lies to Simcoe. Youre not going to believe it, but it was Robert Rogers!

Simcoe has only one question.

Which way did he run?
As performer after performer appeared on the outdoor stages, the Virada Cultural festival in Sao Paulo quickly turned into a massive protest against Brazils new acting president, Michel Temer, and the conservative government he installed following the impeachment of his predecessor less than two weeks ago.

One rock band, Nacao Zumbi, led the crowd in chants that echoed through the center of the city: Temer out! Temer out!

Rapper Criolo performed in front of a giant electronic sign that proclaimed Never Temer, playing on a double meaning. In Portuguese, temer means to fear.

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The newest force opposing Brazils interim government is not a political party but the countrys popular musicians, filmmakers, writer and artists, whose organization and legacy of left-wing activism make them formidable adversaries.

I knew there would be some demonstrations, but I had no idea they would be everywhere, on practically every stage, said Erica Alves, a 29-year-old electronic musician who performed at the festival Sunday and led her fans in anti-government chants. She said it felt strange leading a political rally for the first time in her life. But I think its important for artists to speak out now, she said.

They already have scored one victory. Upon launching his government, Temer announced that he was folding the Ministry of Culture into the Ministry of Education, part of an effort to reduce bureaucracy and cut spending amid one of Brazils worst recessions in decades.

But on Saturday, after a week of protests in which artists occupied public buildings in 18 states, Temer reversed that decision. The new culture minister called it a gesture to the creative community, but it also was the first public defeat of the new government. The occupations continue.

Until two weeks ago, Temer was vice president, a position to which he was elected in 2014 in a cross-party alliance with President Dilma Rousseff. But he assumed the top job after Brazils senate voted to put Rousseff on trial for accounting irregularities in the national budget.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

It is unclear when the trial will begin, but it must be completed within the 180-day period that Rousseff has been suspended from office. If convicted, she will be permanently removed, in which case, Temer could remain in office until her term ends in 2018 and new elections are held.

There also is a possibility that he could be removed before then, if investigators looking at campaign financing in the last election can substantiate allegations that he and Rousseff received illegal donations.

While Rousseff saw her ratings plunge over the past two years, to the point that a majority of Brazilians favored impeachment, a recent poll found that Temer, a 75-year-old lawyer, is even more unpopular.

Critics view the impeachment as a power grab orchestrated by members of congress facing corruption allegations and trying to avoid prosecution. Many say that Rousseff is innocent of any crime and that she is a victim of a coup d'etat.

They also accused Temer of trying to balance the budget on the back of the poor while his wealthy allies avoid paying their fair share.

Brazils artists and intellectuals have a history of left-wing activism dating back to before the countrys last military dictatorship, which ruled from 1964 to 1985. During that period, the artists community became even more organized and unified as it worked to oppose the regime. There are deep historical roots to the artistic communitys opposition to the government, says Laurindo Leal Filho, sociologist and media analyst at the University of Sao Paulo. In general most of our artists have tended to come from a more critical tradition.

At the beginning of the dictatorship, the arrival of censorship served as a fuse, and led even less politically active artists to take a stance, he said. The attempt to remove the Ministry of Culture may have served as the same fuse for them to oppose Temer now.

The artists now protesting the new government include several who lived through the oppression of the 1960s and 1970s. Rock legend Caetano Veloso, who was exiled during the dictatorship and now writes a newspaper column, modified one of his songs last week to include the lyric I hate you, Temer.

Political conservatives have struck back against the artists and chided them for accepting government arts funding.

You say there has been a coup etat [sic] in Brazil, tweeted Lucia Guimaraes, a columnist at the right-leaning newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. Then then you take millions of $ from coup plotters to make your film, tour [the] country with your band?

The most aggressive shot taken at Temer came last week from the Cannes Film Festival in France, where acclaimed Brazilian director Kleber Mendonca Filho and the cast of his movie Aquarius stood on the red carpet holding signs denouncing a coup in Brazil and declaring, The world cannot accept this illegitimate government.

We hit a nerve, he said from France this week in a chat over Facebook. It was a reaction to what was happening, using the gigantic media presence in Cannes in our favor. What we did was an act of self-defense.

The artists job is to present an artistic portrait of their society, and to make sure that portrait is honest, he said. If you, as an artist, have a talent for that type of interpretation, your art has a political dimension and its up to society to understand and react.

MORE ON BRAZIL:

Three months before Olympics, Brazil suddenly has a lot to resolve

Olympic leaders hopeful amid Brazilian political turmoil

Impeachment or coup? As vote on presidents future nears, Brazilians take to streets in protest

Bevins is a special correspondent.
Tony Gwynn dipped in his lower right cheek for more than 30 years, his family says, and he died from cancer of the right parotid salivary gland in 2014.

Now, the San Diego Padres legends widow and two children want to hold the tobacco industry responsible for his death.

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Alicia Gwynn and her children, Tony Jr. and Anisha Gwynn-Jones, filed a lawsuit Monday at San Diego Superior Court seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages against eight defendants, including Altria Group Corp. and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. LLC.

Altria is the parent company of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., which produces Skoal and other smokeless tobacco products.

The tobacco industry had a responsibility to disclose the risk they knew of to him, lead attorney for the plaintiffs David S. Casey told the Associated Press. They did not. At the time he made a choice with them  marketing to try tobacco at a time  it was not disclosed that it was dangerous.

Altria spokesman Brian May told the Associated Press in an email that the company had no comment.

Gwynn started using dip as a freshman at San Diego State in 1977, according to the lawsuit, and used one and a half to two cans of the product every day until 2008. He had two operations before he was 54 for cancer in his right cheek, between August 2010 and February 2012.

Also named as defendants are two people who ran an intramural softball team called Skoal Brothers, which the lawsuit says provided free smokeless tobacco products.

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According to the lawsuit, defendants continued to deluge Tony during his college years with countless free samples of dip tobacco products they purposely adulterated to make more addictive. All the while, they did not mention either the highly addictive nature of their products or their toxicity.

It added: Once Defendants got Tony addicted to their products, he became a self-described tobacco junkie who used 1 1/2 to 2 cans or tins of Defendants Skoal per day, the lawsuit states. Sadly, the nicotine in the tobacco ultimately caused Tonys cancer and killed him.

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Dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers, acrobats and more than 100 costumed elephants set the scene for the Kandy Esala Perahera, one of the largest Buddhist festivals held annually in southeast Asia.

The spectacle, with nightly torch-lit parades of elephants, is on the itinerary of an 11-night Ceylon Express International tour of Sri Lanka.

The August trip also includes a visit to an elephant orphanage and to Yala National Park, where participants see elephants in the wild.

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Other stops include visits to ancient cities, the tea country of Nuwara Eliya and a beach resort.

Dates: Aug. 7-18

Price: From $2,795 per person, double occupancy (single supplement from $895). Included are accommodations, breakfast and dinner, tours, transfers, entrance fees and special festival tickets with seating at Queens Hotel, Kandy.

International airfare, personal expenses and visa fee are not included.

Info: Ceylon Express International, (800) 423-9566

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Angelenos who travel to Ogden, Utah, may do a double take when they see this citys Spanish Colonial Revival-style Union Station.

Thats because the train depots in both cities were designed by John B. Parkinson, who lived from 1861 to 1935 and often worked with his son and fellow architect, Donald D. Parkinson.

Both stations are on the National Register of Historic Places.

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What makes the 1924 Ogden depot special, however, is that it is home to four museums that deal with Western heritage, as well as two art galleries.

The interior of the station also has two huge murals painted by Edward Laning that show the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Admission to all four museums costs $5 for adults 18 to 61. A $15 family pass admits up to two adults and eight dependent children.

Ogden is about 38 miles north of Salt Lake City and was a major railroad center in the past. Ogdens Union Station is at the west end of the historic 25th Street in the heart of downtown Ogden, just a long stones throw from the Roosters microbrewery.

Once the junction of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, Union Station no longer serves as a railroad hub. (L.A.'s station remains an Amtrak-serviced train destination.)

In 1997, Amtraks Pioneer became the last long-distance passenger train to stop at the station. You can still get to Ogden by train from Salt Lake City, where Amtrak stops. The FrontRunner commuter rail line uses the nearby Ogden Intermodal Transit Center.

Heres a rundown on its museums and galleries:

Utah State Railroad Museum has a number of pictorial and interactive artifacts and displays, including a collection of huge locomotives and other rolling stock, as well as the safe that once held the Golden Spike used to join the rails of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, which is about 50 miles from Ogden. The actual spike is in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.

John M. Browning Firearms Museum has many original models of firearms designed by Browning, including rifles, shotguns, pistols, machine guns and cannons. Browning designs serve as the basis for many models made by Winchester, Colt, Remington and other companies.

Kimball Classic Car Museum houses vehicles that are examples of the Golden Age of motorcar history. They range from a 1901 single-cylinder Oldsmobile to a 1930 16-cylinder Cadillac. Many have running boards, huge fenders, oversized headlights and rumble seats.

Utah State Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is the newest addition to the Union Station museums. It has displays that tell the story of artists, champions, entertainers, musicians, ranchers, writers and people past and present who have promoted the western way of life. The Utah Cowboy Hall of Fame is part of the museum.

Myra Powell Gallery, home to the stations permanent art collection, features Utah artists and has monthly photography exhibits. The Gallery at the Station has for-sale works by contemporary artists.

Info: Union Station Museums, (801) 393-9890

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This winter, a small group of advocates, teachers, parents and students began meeting each week at a church in Portland, Ore., to figure out how their schools could do a better job of preparing the next generation to fight climate change.

Together, they wrote a resolution that, with some changes, was unanimously adopted by the Portland Public School Board on May 17. The district, the board resolved, will abandon the use of any adopted text material that is found to express doubt about the severity of the climate crisis or its root in human activities.

But a few days after the vote, the story took on a life of its own, mostly outside Portland: Some websites called the move a ban on specific books, while another claimed that the district would scan its libraries and remove all books that werent up to snuff. One of the advocates fielded emails calling him an idiot and a d-bag.

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The Heartland Institute, a conservative group, posted on its blog that the school district was demanding that their unshakable faith in catastrophic anthropogenic global warming be the only thing taught in school. In an email, Heartlands director of communications, Jim Lakely, said the resolution was harmful because it teaches kids in Portland public schools the falsehood that the science is settled. He said hes concerned that kids will be indoctrinated instead of taught how the scientific method works.

The story of how an attempt to bring a school districts textbooks up-to-date with modern science turned into something much more politicized shows how touchy it can be to try to regulate how schools teach about an emerging field.

It feeds into the more politicized context of climate change, said Josh Rosenau, programs and policy director for the National Center for Science Education. I certainly think that climate education is important and should be accurate  but I tend to be a bit leery when a single subject is singled out for any reason.

Americas culture wars have filtered through school boards for decades. Ground zero was Texas  its the second-biggest state and its textbooks were frequently adopted by other states, giving it outsized market clout. There, tensions flared over such topics as creationism and sex education. Recently, a woman named Mary Lou Bruner, who has written that school shootings spring from a curriculum that teaches evolution, made it into a runoff election for a seat on the Texas State Board of Education.

Many believe schools will be a place where their children will learn fundamental, core values, said Trey Kay, a journalist who produced a documentary on the Texas textbook controversy and whose podcast, Us and Them, covers culture wars. Its possible that a teacher or principal or a whole curriculum is going to teach knowledge and values that are contradictory to what theyre being taught at home.

Texas, though, has lost some of its clout since many states are teaching the Common Core, which creates a larger market for books that teach similar lessons.

Since there are thousands of school districts in the U.S., its hard to track where each one stands on climate change. Currently, Rosenau said, he is unaware of any other district that has gone as far as Portland.

In 2008, the Los Angeles Unified School Board passed a resolution that mandated environmental awareness education for elementary school students that included the concepts surrounding global warming and climate change. California has since adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, a set of common learning goals in science perceived to support the teaching of global warming.

One can only hope that Mount St.Helens erupts again and spews Global Warming on you morons.  Email to the Portland school board

So how did Portland come to adopt the resolution? A former Portland public school teacher turned environmental advocate named Bill Bigelow teamed up with teacher Tim Swinehart to write a book called A Peoples Curriculum for the Earth. Then they embarked on a project, sponsored by the environmental group 350 PDX, focused on how schools should deal with climate change. They scrutinized their own city, and were appalled by what they found.

In two textbooks found in almost every Portland high school, they found passages on climate change that they considered understated and out-of-date. They thought the district should begin looking through its materials systematically.

Soon, teachers, parents and students joined their meetings, and began discussing language for a resolution to deal with this civilization-changing crisis, Bigelow said. Among their suggestions was that the district sever ties with fossil fuel companies and their allies.

After a few meetings, Bigelow looped in Mike Rosen, an environmental scientist who joined the school board in July. Rosen helped shepherd the resolution, and along the way, it shed the language about the district cutting those connections.

The way Rosen saw it, the resolution called for a comprehensive curriculum that addresses the issue. Ideally, he said, textbooks would present climate change as the prevailing truth, but still mention that there are skeptics  who are wrong. Thats what teaching is about, Rosen said.

Then the board meeting came, and a few environmentalists, including high school junior Gaby Lemieux, testified. She supported the resolution, saying, I dont see a whole lot of climate education in my school.

The vote passed without controversy, and made few waves in Portland  an eco-friendly mecca where few question the science behind climate change.

Then, the story hit the Internet. Headlines declared, among other things, that the district had banned books. Theres been a huge misconception, said Christine Miles, a spokeswoman for the district. Were updating scientific materials for our students.

The district, she said, was accused of being un-American.

Im not saying that were going to burn the textbooks. Im not saying that were going to destroy the textbooks.  Portland school board member Mike Rosen

The confusion might stem from Bigelows testimony. At the school board meeting, he pointed to two textbooks  a modern history book and a science book  that he said dont adequately characterize climate change. The text is thick with the skeptical language of might and could and may, he said at the time.

That could explain why the story took on a life of its own, Rosenau said. And, in fact, Lakely, the Heartland Institute spokesman, said his organization opposed what he characterized as a ban on textbooks that use the words might, may and could about climate science. The resolution, however, doesnt actually use those terms.

Bigelow and Rosen felt a backlash. Rosen and the other board members got a vulgar email that said: One can only hope that Mount St.Helens erupts again and spews Global Warming on you morons.

These screeds, Rosen said, missed the point. Im not saying that were going to burn the textbooks. Im not saying that were going to destroy the textbooks, he said. What were talking about is getting up-to-date texts.

Lemieux, the student, was excited to see the resolution generate so much interest. Its wonderful that it made it into one of the top trends on Facebook, she said. But its not about taking anyones freedom of speech away. Its not about that at all.

joy.resmovits@latimes.com

Follow me: @Joy_Resmovits.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti denounced Donald Trump as a bigoted demagogue and con man Tuesday morning as the presumed Republican presidential nominee prepares for his latest visit to Southern California.

During a conference call with reporters and Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Henry Vandermeir, Garcetti said Democrats simply cant afford to give [Trump] a free pass for his incendiary rhetoric targeting women and ethnic groups such as Latinos and Muslims.

What we cannot do with Donald Trump is normalize him as a candidate, Garcetti said. Hes a racist. Hes a bigot. Hes sexist.  He cant just turn into a normal candidate who says some kind of crazy things.

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Such ritualized displays of disapproval have become a regular feature of local politics in blue states and cities since Trump all but locked down the GOP nomination earlier this month.

Although Orange County remains the Republican Partys most populous power base in California, it isnt exactly Trump country: A Trump appearance in Costa Mesa last month led to violent protests in which 17 people were arrested.

On Wednesday, Trump will make a campaign stop at the Anaheim Convention Center, followed by an evening fundraiser at the Los Angeles home of real estate investor Tom Barrack. Tickets to the dinner start at $25,000.

Once a political punchline, Trumps candidacy has grown increasingly worrisome for Democrats as Clinton remains bogged down in an effort to decisively push Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders out of the nomination contest. Some recent national polls show Trump surpassing Clinton in the general election, with many Sanders supporters saying they would refuse to support Clinton as the Democratic nominee.

TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >>

Garcetti  whose stylish decorative sense and fondness for digital services such as Instagram have led some observers to dub him a millennial-friendly hipster mayor  said hes confident that Sanders enthusiastic young backers would come around to supporting the partys eventual nominee.

Millennials are smart about their finances, and they see a kind of recklessness in Donald Trump, Garcetti said.

Im not concerned, he added. Democrats will have one of the starkest choices theyve ever had this November regardless of age, ethnicity or geography.

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peter.jamison@latimes.com

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A Pennsylvania man charged in the Celebgate investigation pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally hacking the Apple and Google email accounts of Hollywood celebrities and stealing their videos, photos and naked selfies.

Ryan Collins, 36, of Lancaster, Penn., pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act after Los Angeles-based FBI agents identified him as one of those who hacked into Hollywood stars emails and other communications and stole images.

Collins has agreed to plead guilty to one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information, according to authorities. He is the first person to plead guilty in connection with a widespread celebrity hacking investigation that began in 2014.

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Federal prosecutors say Collins used a phishing scheme to obtain the user names and passwords of his victims between November 2012 and September 2014. Prosecutors say he sent emails to victims that appeared to be from Apple or Google and asked the account-holders to provide their log-in data.

Collins used this information to access at least 50 Apple accounts and 72 Gmail accounts, where he collected personal information, including nude photographs and videos, according to court documents.

In some instances, Collins used a software program to download the entire contents of the victims Apple iCloud backups, according to the plea deal.

We continue to see both celebrities and victims from all walks of life suffer the consequences of this crime and strongly encourage users of Internet-connected devices to strengthen passwords and to be skeptical when replying to emails asking for personal information said David Bowdich, the assistant director of the FBIs Los Angeles field office.

Federal authorities learned of Collins hacking while they were investigating Celebgate  the widespread posting of stolen, nude celebrity photos on the Internet in September 2014.

Although authorities said they did not uncover evidence linking Collins to the posting of photos on public websites, they learned of his phishing scheme as they reviewed the victims email accounts.

As part of the plea agreement, authorities have agreed to transfer the case to federal court in Harrisburg, Penn., near Collins home. It is there that he will enter his guilty plea and appear for sentencing.

Prosecutors are recommending a prison term of 18 months, according to the plea agreement. The sentencing judge however is not bound by that recommendation and may impose the statutory penalty of five years in prison.

Today, people store important private information in their online accounts and in their digital devices, said U.S. Atty. Eileen M. Decker. Lawless unauthorized access to such private information is a criminal offense. My office remains committed to protecting sensitive and personal information from the malicious actions of sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @LACrimes

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Film stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans made a surprise visit to El Cajon on Monday morning to support a local teen battling cancer.

The three stars traveled from Hollywood to see 18-year-old Marvel Comics superfan Ryan Wilcox, a junior at Grossmont High School who has been isolated at home for several months as he undergoes chemotherapy, blood and marrow transfusions, and other treatments in his fight against leukemia.

The actors  who starred together in Avengers, part of the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe  visited Wilcox for about an hour Monday at his familys Fletcher Hills home, after flying into nearby Gillespie Field.

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I was so surprised; I was like, What?! when I saw them, Wilcox said. I told them how much I liked them, and their movies. They asked me which one was my favorite. ... They are so awesome. This was overwhelming. It was great.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

The trio came bearing Marvel gifts, signed Wilcoxs bedroom wall, talked with him about movies and posed for photographs, said the teens mom, Amy Wilcox. Paltrow took several photos during the visit and put them on her Instagram feed.

The teens favorite superhero is Captain America, who is depicted by Evans in the Marvel films, including the current blockbuster Captain America: Civil War.

Amy Wilcox said she and her husband, Mike, knew about the visit, but their son had no idea. The couple also has three daughters who were there for the surprise.

She said Paltrow recorded the teens reaction when he answered the door and then sent her the cellphone video as a keepsake.

It was so nice of them to take time out from their [lives] to do this, Wilcox said. Gwyneth gave me the biggest hug, saying it was from one mom to another.

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Earlier this month, Evans made a personal video thanking Ryan Wilcox for supporting the Marvel films, and encouraging the teen in his battle against cancer. The actor had heard about the students health struggles through various social media and outreach from Grossmont High administrators.

That video also was a surprise and was played for Wilcox during a lunchtime rally at the campus earlier this month, with several thousand people in attendance.

Pearlman writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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by Stephen Jakes

A Senator Lilian Timveos has claimed that it ia not only the Kuwait that is engaged in trafficking of Zimbabwean women for sex slavery purposes in that country, but also the China and Brazil were involved.Asking the home affairs minister Ignatius Chombo on measures his ministry is taking to curtail the human trafficking, Timveos said she noticed that he arrested those people who engaged in human trafficking of women and girls to Kuwait."I do not think it is enough for you to just arrest them. I want to know what measures or policy you have in place that such trafficking is brought to an end because in this country, it is now a serious crime that is rampant in Zimbabwe. What policy have you put in place to ensure that our children are not trafficked to other countries? It is not only Kuwait but I hear also China, Brazil and other countries, and our children are going there. What policy do you have as a Home Affairs Ministry to ensure that our children are not trafficked and forced in to slavery in these countries" she asked.Chombo said it is true, it is a painful and an embarrassing situation for someone to be trafficked to another country without information on where she will be working."As she gets there, her passport is taken away and stays there while she is forced to work long hours being treated as a slave. That is what happened to our girl children who went to Kuwait. This is not to say we did not have legislation," Chombo said."Two years ago, the Government passed the Human Trafficking Act and realised that it is a very important issue. Those people who engage in human trafficking are using their offices to ensure that the documents are obtained for one to go out of the country or their own premises to facilitate human trafficking. This happened without our knowledge. So, when the Government became aware of it, the Government then investigated and realised that there are more than 32 people who are engaged in this. Some are in Kuwait and others within the area but around 20 of them are here in our country."Chombo said together with the police, they arrested them because they engaged in criminal activities."That is the duty of the police to ensure that they are brought to book. We have about seven who are on the run. No matter where they go, we will still apprehend them and bring them to book because of the trauma they have caused to our children. A Committee is there that is chaired by Home Affairs and was put in place by the Government. We work together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Services, Women Affairs, Foreign Affairs, the President's Office as well as the police. The Committee also works with the United Nations Office on the drug situation in South Africa. It also works with IOM Chief of Mission who is here," he said."There was a meeting on how this matter can be addressed. So, you will hear of the report on television. This is what is known as the National Action Plan on how we can publicise and raise awareness in the country because a person will have been called to come and work. It is his right to go and do that but you realise that for these low paying jobs, there is a challenge. If it is an issue of teachers at universities, nurses and doctors, in most cases, what they have agreed in the contract is fulfilled, but in these low paying jobs whereby one thinks a favour is being done, where health certificates and police clearance is forged, is where the serious challenge is."Chombo said there is going to be a serious campaign to educate Zimbabweans that these issues are also taking place and are occurring in Zimbabwe."We used to hear them happen in neighbouring countries. These issues have people who are behind the scenes who are international criminals and are syndicates. They work behind the scenes and that is why we work with Hon. Mupfumira. We do not want the victims to be known or even their faces to be shown because they might be in danger from those syndicates. So, we want to thank the police for apprehending these criminals, bringing them to book and ensuring that it does not happen again," he said."Here as Members of Parliament, when we go back over the weekend to our constituencies to give feedback, let us go  inform and educate people that if they see an advert that is attractive, especially for housemaids, they should enquire the authenticity of this from the police. We also said that we need a bilateral agreement with countries that want to recruit Zimbabwean labour so that we know where our children are going to work. We are taking serious and strong measures to this particular issue.""We also went to the Embassy of Kuwait and requested that they stop giving visas to Zimbabwean people; and that they give us a record of all Zimbabweans who have gone to Kuwait in order to check on them. So, I think our Government is on its feet trying to address the issue. Some of the girls returned today, by the way," he added.
The contentious dispute over faculty pay at California State University campuses is set for a formal resolution this week when the Board of Trustees meets in Long Beach.

Frustration over salaries for professors and lecturers pushed members of the California Faculty Assn. to the brink of a massive strike that would have disrupted operations last month across all 23 Cal State campuses. But a last-minute deal kept professors off the picket lines and in their classrooms at the largest public university system in the country.

The tentative agreement negotiated last month between the faculty union and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White would increase faculty salaries by 10.5% over three budget years. As part of the compromise, the union agreed to double the time it would take for a professor to be vested for retiree health benefits.

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Union members approved the plan on May 3. A board of trustees committee will vote Tuesday on whether to ratify the deal, followed by a vote by the full board on Wednesday. Their blessing would mark the final approval needed to implement the pay raise.

Cal State officials will also announce the new president of Stanislaus State during this weeks trustees meeting. The school serves more than 9,000 students and operates two locations in the Central Valley.

Its current president, Joseph F. Sheley, is set to retire on July 1.

This will be the fifth new president appointed this year to lead a Cal State campus. Two women were selected in January to head the San Jose State and Sonoma State universities, and two women were named in March to lead CSU Channel Islands and Chico State. The appointments reflect Whites push for more diversity in hiring.

Other items on this weeks agenda include:

Graduation roadblocks: Across the country, the average four-year graduation rate for public universities is about 34%. Across the Cal State system, the average is about 17%.

Gov. Jerry Brown has been sharply critical of Cal States performance, and White said he wants to raise that rate to 24% by 2025. University officials will update the trustees on their progress toward that goal.

Among other things, they are focusing on the bottleneck courses that students need to take in order to graduate. They have also targeted super seniors who enroll in more than the required units to complete a bachelors degree.

Follow the Times education initiative to inform parents, educators and students across California >>

Budget crunch: Trustees will receive a full update on Browns May budget revision, which included a one-time $25 million boost to the system. That money was earmarked for efforts to improve graduation rates.

The infusion is still far below the $101.3 million in extra funds the university has been seeking on top of the money thats already included in the states proposed budget. Cal State lost more than $1 billion in funding during the recession, White said, and the system is still about $135 million below 2008 funding levels.

Financial pressures have forced university officials to juggle the costs of academic support programs, faculty compensation, much-needed maintenance and upgrades to buildings and technologies, among other priorities. To make ends meet, White said, officials had to turn away about 30,000 applicants who fulfilled all admissions requirements last fall.

The Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday, and the meetings are open to the public. A live stream of the open sessions can also be viewed here.

rosanna.xia@latimes.com

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Expo Line, meet the real world: A car on tracks, a broken-down train

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Los Angeles County commuters who woke up early Monday morning to ride the new Expo Line extension quickly encountered one of the ugly realities of the Los Angeles public transit system: its proximity to traffic.

At 5 a.m. Monday, just before the start of morning rush hour, a driver in a Toyota sedan crashed through a fence and onto the light-rail tracks, which run at street level along Exposition Boulevard.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority hastily assembled buses to shuttle commuters past the crash. But the accident, which blocked eastbound and westbound trains for two hours, snarled schedules on the first morning that 9-to-5 commuters  many of them new transit riders  could take advantage of the $1.5-billion extension.

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The timing is a little ironic, Metro spokesman Dave Sotero said, laughing. You just have to shake your head and say, Geez, why does this keep happening when it does? 

The crash echoed a similar incident three months ago, the day after the debut of the Gold Line extension to Azusa, when a truck crashed through a barrier on the 210 Freeway and burst into flames, damaging a stretch of tracks in Pasadena.

Monday, some commuters joked about cars taking revenge on the rapid spread of rail lines across Los Angeles County. On social media, others echoed the popular refrain, This is why we cant have nice things.

Jason Slagle, 44, of Jefferson Park arrived at the Expo/Crenshaw station just after the crash. Normally, only 10 to 20 people wait for trains at 5 a.m., he said. Monday, there were nearly 100 commuters  and many of them looked confused.

Its unfortunate timing, because there are going to be people who tried today and wont do it again, said Slagle, who commutes by Metro and Metrolink to Burbank. The attitude will be, I tried it, there were delays, I was late to work, Im not going to do that again. 

Ive always said commuting here is a soul-sucking endeavor.  Josiah Davis, 31, a new Expo Line commuter

Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo said the agency worked as hard as it could to minimize more delays, adding that he hoped new riders would give it another shot.

After all, officials said, the rest of the morning went more smoothly on the 6.6-mile extension, which connects the lines previous terminus in Culver City to West Los Angeles, Sawtelle and Santa Monica.

For every frustrated commuter who shared a photo of a packed car or a full platform, another posted a selfie grinning next to an Expo Line sign or with a bicycle, rejoicing over getting to work without a car.

Riders experience cramped conditions during the first day of Expo Line trains running to Santa Monica, on Friday, May 20. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

Ive always said commuting here is a soul-sucking endeavor, said Josiah Davis, 31, who set up a mobile hot spot and opened his laptop as the Expo Line zipped through Culver City.

Davis spent years trying all the extremes to improve his commute from a seaside apartment in Long Beach to a Santa Monica start-up. He tried a bicycle, a motorcycle, a 5:15 a.m. drive and a trek involving two trains and a bus that could take three hours.

Ive literally been counting the minutes until I could make this trip, Davis said. On Monday, he started the timer on his watch, then boarded a Blue Line train in Long Beach and transferred to the Expo Line in downtown L.A.

When he alighted in Santa Monica, the timer said one hour, 27 minutes.

A few riders sighed about long waits for trains, and long lines to add money to their fare cards  a common hiccup with new lines, particularly those that draw riders who are new to transit.

Later in the morning, a train broke down near the Pico station and stayed there for 15 minutes, delaying trains behind it. That trip from Santa Monica to Los Angeles, advertised as 48 to 50 minutes, took just over an hour.

A couple on vacation from Madrid tutted as the train slowed to a stop near USC and waited for nearly five minutes before continuing on.

But for the most part, riders took it in stride, and marveled over the change to their commutes.

Armando Cobian, 21, of Exposition Park used to ride his bicycle 12 miles each way to reach Santa Monica, where he goes to community college and pedals tourists to Venice Beach in a pedicab.

His commute took an hour each way  45 minutes, if he was really hurrying  but now, its perfect, Cobian said.

By 9:30 a.m., the Expo Line was empty enough that he could rest his bike next to him, and gaze out the window as the train zipped toward the Pacific Ocean.

laura.nelson@latimes.com

For more transportation news, follow @laura_nelson on Twitter.

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Two carjacking suspects who reportedly used the gay dating app Grindr to lure their victims have been arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department, officials said Tuesday.

The carjackings occurred over the last two weeks in the high desert communities of Victorville and Adelanto, according to deputies.

On both occasions, the victims had blindly met the suspects using the dating application Grindr, the Sheriffs Department said.

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The first carjacking was reported May 15 when Steven Thomas, 24, of Victorville met up with a victim and robbed him, deputies said.

Thomas, who was on parole for possessing stolen property, stole the victims wallet and vehicle at gunpoint near the intersection of Muskrat Avenue and Air Expressway in Adelanto, deputies said.

A few days later, deputies tracked Thomas to Desert Hot Springs and arrested him.

A week later, deputies got a report of another carjacking. Again, the victim met the carjacker through Grindr.

Deputies were called on Monday to the area of Yates and Ridgecrest roads in Victorville, where the victim reported his car was stolen.

Authorities said Allan Soto, 24, of Adelanto used force to steal the victims vehicle.

A sheriffs helicopter located Soto a few hours later and he was arrested.

The vehicles were later returned to the victims.

It is unclear whether Soto and Thomas were working together or if this is part of larger operation.

Citizens are encouraged to be diligent and safe when using any type of social media dating applications, the Sheriffs Department said.

Grindr says it takes user safety and privacy seriously. The company said it is cooperating with law enforcement, but will also respect user privacy.

As part of both joining the app, and on our page, we educate users on best practices around safety, a Grindr spokesperson said in a statement. Its important to have fun, but be smart and do it safely.

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For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

UPDATES:

2:12 p.m.: This story was updated with a comment from Grindr.

The post was originally published at 12:21 p.m.
A brush fire near Lake View Terrace that quickly grew to 184 acres and temporarily forced the closure of local roads is now about 60% contained, authorities said Tuesday.

Hundreds of firefighters from across the Los Angeles area battled the wind-whipped fire that began Monday near the 11300 block of Wheatland Avenue and quickly spread into Angeles National Forest, officials said. Its unclear what sparked the blaze, dubbed the Wheatland fire, but authorities said no structures were threatened .

By late Monday, the fire was confined to the forest east of Kagel Canyon, officials said. The U.S. Forest Service took over as the primary agency leading the firefight.

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Flames burned in unpopulated areas, away from homes, and the ridges of area hills blocked the blazes path, fire officials said.

Wheatland Avenue north of Foothill Boulevard was initially closed, as was Foothill between Wheatland and Christy avenues, but those roads have since reopened. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has also turned power back on in the area surrounding the fire.

The fire sent a plume of black smoke that was visible across the area, especially to motorists along the 210 Freeway.

The blaze is expected to be fully contained by Tuesday evening.

Staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.

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sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more local and breaking news, follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini.
The Los Angeles city attorneys office announced Monday that it is aggressively enforcing a new state law requiring pregnancy clinics to inform clients of their reproductive rights.

City Atty. Mike Feuer said his office is working in coordination with the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs to ensure clinics follow the law because women need timely, accurate and complete information on their family planning options.

Were not going to wait, Feuer told reporters. Waiting for a day or a week or a month to enforce this law threatens the health and safety of women who during that time period may not be informed of their choices.

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The law, dubbed the Reproductive Fact Act, requires licensed facilities primarily providing family planning or pregnancy-related services to notify customers that the state offers free or low-cost access to a variety of family planning services, including prenatal care, abortion and contraception.

Unlicensed facilities offering pregnancy-related services must provide notice that they are not licensed by the state as medical facilities and have no medical personnel overseeing services under the new law, which went into effect in January.

Pregnancy centers that fail to follow the law could face a $500 fine for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent violation, the city attorneys office said.

Feuers office sent notices to six pregnancy centers last week as the first step in ensuring the law is enforced, he said, because other clinics in the state have tried to dissuade women from terminating pregnancies.

It is not clear whether the six clinics that received letters have violated the law, according to the city attorneys office. The letters simply serve as notices that the clinics have to comply with the law, Feuer said.

We are in compliance, weve been in compliance since Jan. 1 and we have no intentions of challenging that law, said Talitha Phillips, chief executive of Claris Health, which received one of the letters. It doesnt really change our operations in any way at all. Our clients have always been made aware of that information.

Some facilities have sued to prevent the law from being enforced in the state, arguing that requiring such disclosure violates their 1st Amendment rights by forcing them to contradict their religious principles and antiabortion message to clients.

The 1st Amendment does not allow the government to target its political opponents and force them to speak a message they disagree with, said Matt Bowman, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing multiple clinics in their suits against the new law.

A government that does that, Bowman said, threatens everyones freedom of speech. At least three of the six clinics contacted by the city attorneys office are fighting the law with the organizations help.

Some cities in California have opted not to enforce the law until the challenges from those centers have made their way through the court system, Feuer said.

An investigation by the National Abortion Rights Action League found that online ads for many centers across the country were vague and misleading, and that some paid to advertise their facilities to people searching online for information about abortion. When NARAL sent trained investigators posing as possibly pregnant women to 45 of the estimated 167 pregnancy counseling centers in California, many gave them medically inaccurate information about the risks and ramifications of getting an abortion.

At a news conference Monday morning, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinez said her office has received complaints about at least two clinics in the San Fernando Valley. One woman called Martinezs office and said she was never told abortion was an option, Martinez said.

If a pregnancy center keeps information from a woman, or pressures her into making ill-informed decisions about her pregnancy, they are creating dangerous delays and roadblocks, Martinez said.

The clinics are often deceptive and take advantage of women when they are at their most vulnerable, she added.

In a statement, NARAL praised the city attorneys decision to stand up against anti-choice bullies that are using the courts to interfere with womens reproductive health choices.

Other cities should follow Los Angeles lead, the organization said.

It is the law of the land, said Amy Everitt, the groups state director. Violators who deliberately withhold that information should be held accountable.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more local and breaking news, follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini.
A threat made Tuesday morning against an American Eagle flight at Los Angeles International Airport was not credible, FBI officials said.

The threat was reported at 8:37 a.m. PDT against Flight 5931, which was flying from Houston to Los Angeles, said Polly Tracey, a spokeswoman for American Airlines.

The nature of the threat was not immediately clear.

While an assessment is always conducted following a threat, there is no known credible threat to the aircraft or passengers at this time, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

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The FBI is working with airport police to determine the person or group responsible for making the threat, she said.

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The flight, operated by Compass Airlines, departed at 7:18 a.m. CDT from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, according to the website Flightaware. The plane landed at 8:43 a.m. PDT safely on Runway 25 Left at LAX and taxied to a remote pad.

Officials said 67 passengers and four crew members were aboard the Embraer 175 aircraft.

After exiting the plane, passengers boarded buses and were taken American Airline terminals to catch connecting flights.

Police worked with bomb-sniffing dogs and the Los Angeles Fire Department to screen the flight.

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For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

UPDATES:

11:11 a.m.: This story was updated with FBI officials saying the threat was not credible.

This story was originally published at 9:59 am.
Vallejo police are searching for a father who they say purposely ignited a fire that killed his 5-year-old son and injured other family members on Sunday.

Darrylone Shuemake Sr., 53, is wanted in connection with the death of his son, Dayleon Seil-Shuemake.

He is on the run, Vallejo police Lt. Jeff Bassett told reporters at a news conference Monday. He is expected to be dangerous.

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Authorities said Shuemake intentionally set fire to his family home in the 800 block of Stella Avenue, trapping his son inside.

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He likely used an accelerant to set the fire in the master bedroom, Bassett said.

Firefighters arrived at 9:53 a.m. to find the home in flames. Several neighbors were also trying to rescue the boy, according to the Vallejo Fire Department.

Firefighters found Dayleon in a rear bedroom that was fully engulfed.

The boys mother and his 13-year-old half-brother suffered burns as a result of the fire. They were taken to an area hospital.

Anyone with details about Shuemake is urged to call the Vallejo Police Department at (707) 648-4321.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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It was one of the most closely watched cases in recent years of a black man dying after being in police custody.

With Baltimore reeling from demonstrations that sometimes had become violent, Marilyn J. Mosby, Marylands attorney for the city, acted within weeks of the death of Freddie Gray to bring murder and manslaughter charges against six police officers.

I heard your call for no justice, no peace. Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man, Mosby said just over a year ago on national television during a news conference.

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Civil rights activists praised the prosecutor for swift and comprehensive action.

But the acquittal of one police officer Monday, just months after a mistrial of another, has left those activists deeply frustrated. Legal experts said the outcomes suggested that the other officers in the case could also go unpunished.

Its not looking great. These are weak cases, said Steve Levin, a former federal prosecutor in Maryland who has represented police officers in criminal trials. Its easy to bring charges against officers. But its much harder to prove them.

Officer Edward Nero, 30, was found not guilty Monday of reckless endangerment, second-degree assault and two counts of misconduct in office -- all charges that grew out of what prosecutors argued was Grays illegal arrest.

Prosecutors said Nero -- one of three officers on bike patrol who chased and arrested Gray on April 12, 2015 -- assaulted Gray by detaining him without justification. The reckless endangerment charge was from Nero putting Gray in a police van without buckling the seat belt.

Its easy to bring charges against officers. But its much harder to prove them.  Steve Levin, former federal prosecutor in Maryland

In his ruling Monday, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams said there were no credible facts to show that Nero was directly involved in Grays arrest. Testimony suggested that Nero played a minimal role in putting Gray in the van and that his actions were in line with his training, the judge said.

The ruling was a second blow to the prosecution. The trial of another officer, William G. Porter, which ended in a hung jury in December, is scheduled for retrial in September. Porter is charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

Legal experts say the cases against many of the officers involved are weak.

To prove these officers are guilty for many of these charges, like involuntary manslaughter, the prosecution has to convince a jury or judge that they did not only fail to do their duty but that they also put Gray at a high risk for dying, said David Jaros, a law professor at the University of Baltimore.

He said the strongest case is likely to be against Caesar Goodson Jr., who drove the van in which Gray suffered spinal injuries that resulted in his death a week after his arrest.

He could face up to a 30-year sentence if found guilty of second-degree murder, the most serious charge against any the officers. His trial is scheduled to start June 6.

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On Monday, national and local activists lamented the Nero case but said they still hoped for convictions in future trials.

The Nero verdict is a reminder that we must continue to push for policies and laws related to the police department that explicitly call for the preservation of life and that have clear lines of accountability, said DeRay Mckesson, a Black Lives Matter activist and former candidate for Baltimore mayor. He called the verdict disappointing but not unexpected, adding that he was reminded that this is one of six trials as we seek accountability for the death of Freddie Gray.

A statement from the NAACP echoed similar views. We await justice for Freddie Gray, it said. We respect the legal process and pray that the family of Freddie Gray will receive justice for his tragic death.

After several high-profile incidents in which officers were not indicted -- including the deaths of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and 43-year-old Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y. -- activists had cheered the quick action of state officials against the Baltimore police officers.

But now some activists and legal experts are suggesting that Mosby acted too quickly, questioning whether a May 21, 2015, grand jury indictment of officers left enough time for investigation.

Mosby is under a gag order while other cases proceed, and her office did reply to a request for comment.

Indictments in some other high-profile cases took months or longer, not weeks. In June, a state grand jury indicted former North Charleston, S.C., police Officer Michael Slager on murder charges in the death of 50-year-old Walter Scott, whom Slager shot two months earlier as Scott ran away after a traffic stop. This month, Slager was indicted on federal charges.

In another high-profile case, Chicago Officer Jason Van Dyke was indicted in December on first-degree murder charges in the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in October 2014.

Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer and associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said the Baltimore cases have become a referendum on how police interact with racial minorities and residents of poor neighborhoods. Gray lived in the Gilmor Homes public housing complex, near where he first encountered Nero and Brian Rice, another officer on bike patrol, who is due for trial on July 5.

Youre rarely going to find moral justice in criminal prosecution of police officers, he said. But people will look for it, and they might be let down.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

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The U.S. Justice Department intends to seek the death penalty against Dylann Roof, the man charged with killing nine black parishioners last year in a church in Charleston, S.C., Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch said Tuesday.

The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision, Lynch said in a brief statement that said the department had considered all relevant factual and legal issues.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

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Roof is awaiting trial on federal hate crime charges in connection with the June 17 shooting at Emanuel AME Church, which contributed to a national conversation about race relations and also led to the removal of a Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina Statehouse grounds.

Roof is also charged with nine counts of murder in state court, and South Carolina prosecutors have already announced plans to seek the death penalty when he stands trial next year. Solicitor Scarlett Wilson has said she wants her case to be tried first.

Roof, who is white, appeared in photos waving Confederate flags and burning or desecrating U.S. flags, and purportedly wrote of fomenting racial violence. Survivors told police that he hurled racial insults during the attack. He was arrested a day after the shootings when a motorist spotted his Confederate license plate.

Federal prosecutors charged Roof with hate crimes one month after the shooting, saying he was motivated by racial hatred and a desire to commit a notorious attack when he opened fire inside the church.

To carry out these twin goals of fanning racial flames and exacting revenge, Roof further decided to seek out and murder African Americans because of their race, Lynch said at the time.

FULL COVERAGE: Gunman kills nine at historic black church in South Carolina

Though the Justice Department says its committed to seeking the death penalty, federal executions are exceedingly rare. The last time a federal defendant was put to death was in 2003. And President Obama has said hes deeply concerned about the death penaltys implementation.

Roofs attorneys in the federal case have said their client would be willing to plead guilty if the death penalty were not on the table.

Joey Meek, a friend with whom Roof spent time in the days before the shootings, pleaded guilty last month to lying to federal authorities. He has agreed to help with the prosecution against Roof.

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UPDATES:

3:14 p.m.: This article has been updated with more details.

2:41 p.m.: This article has been updated with more background information on the case.

This article was originally published at 2:33 p.m.
News / National

by Patrick Chitumba

TWO gold miners have died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning while searching for gold in a mine shaft. Lypson Musandipa, 32, from Gokwe and Vincent Ngonya from Kwekwe met their death at Mount Morgen Mine in Lalapanzi, which is owned by Berlin Chitiki.Chitiki told The Chronicle that Ngonya was underground at around 10AM when he detected carbon monoxide and climbed up to the surface to inform him."I told him that we needed to get a compressor and pump out the carbon monoxide before any mining operations could continue. I then left the mine and went to Gweru knowing that the miners were on the surface and well," said Chitiki.He said at around 2PM on the same day, he received a phone call to the effect that two miners were not responding to communication from the surface.Chitiki said he called the police who accompanied him to the mine. "I was told that when I left the mine, Ngonya went down the shaft saying he had come across a reef with gold and couldn't be deterred by carbon monoxide. So Ngonya went down saying he was going to close the spot where he suspected that the deadly gas was emitting from," said Chitiki.He said after some time, Musandipa followed to check on Ngonya and that was the last time he was seen alive.Chitiki said the police had to go down and later brought out the two bodies.The bodies were taken to Mpilo Central Hospital for post-mortem.
Fergusons city attorney has announced plans to step down, just a few weeks after the St. Louis suburb engulfed in racial unrest since Michael Browns 2014 death announced it was replacing her as local prosecutor.

Stephanie Karr, Fergusons city attorney since 2004 and prosecutor since 2011, announced her resignation Monday in writing, calling the decision mine alone and pledging to stay on the job until her successor is hired.

Karrs departure marks the latest top Ferguson official to step aside since the shooting death of 18-year-old Brown, who was black and unarmed, by white police Officer Darren Wilson spawned often-violent protests over police treatment of minorities in the largely black suburb. The city manager, municipal judge and police chief already have resigned.

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Karr declined a request for an interview Tuesday by the Associated Press.

Karr had been criticized by a U.S. Justice Department investigation of Fergusons justice system after Browns death.

Wilson was cleared of wrongdoing and resigned in November 2014.

But a federal investigation found significant racial bias in Fergusons criminal justice system, leading to a settlement in March between the Justice Department and Ferguson over reforms. The Justice Department also accused Karr of retaliating against attorneys who challenged her and dismissing friends tickets.

Karr lately has drawn public scrutiny for her role in pressing prosecutions of protesters accused of having failed to comply with law enforcement officers during the citys unrest, even in instances the Justice Department cited as constitutional infringements.

At least five protesters have been acquitted in recent weeks, with private lawyers acting as prosecutors for Ferguson, including Karr, having billed the city more than $11,000 for those cases.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

In her resignation letter, Karr commended Ferguson leaders for their grace in the tumult in the months that followed Browns death.

I will always have an undying admiration for those officials and employees who served during the later part of 2014, she wrote. They taught me a new meaning of strength, courage and commitment. I am astounded by the grace with which they carried out their service to the citizens of the city during very difficult circumstances.

My thoughts will continue to be with prior and current officials and employees and those who make this community home, she added. I will always hope for the future of this great city.

MORE NATIONAL NEWS

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Freddie Gray verdict leaves activists frustrated and wondering about the cases against other officers
Donald Trump is focus of Bernie Sanders pitch in San Bernardino, no mention of terrorist attacks

'Donald Trump will not become president of the United States,' says Bernie Sanders at outset of San Bernardino rally pic.twitter.com/VkihFAt3xB  Kurtis Lee (@kurtisalee) May 25, 2016

Bernie Sanders delivered a blistering denunciation of Donald Trumps candidacy at the outset of a raucous rally in San Bernardino on Tuesday night, insisting the billionaire businessman will be doomed this fall.

Donald Trump will not become president of the United States, Sanders said. The American people are not going to support a candidate who insults Latinos ... who insults Muslims, who insults women.

Applause erupted among the roughly 5,000 supporters gathered in an events center here.

Sanders, who trails Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the popular vote and the delegate tally, has barnstormed throughout California in the run-up to the June 7 primary. The rally on Tuesday night followed events during the day in Anaheim and Riverside.

Sanders has largely avoided overtly criticizing Clinton and focused on Trump, assailing him and Republicans as out of touch with the American people.

Still, citing a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that showed him beating Trump in a head-to-head matchup, Sanders insisted that hes the best candidate to defeat the New York real estate mogul.

If the Democratic Party wants a candidate to defeat Trump and defeat him bad, we are that campaign, he said.

Noticeably absent from Sanders hourlong address was the December terrorist attack in San Bernardino in which 14 people were shot to death by a married couple inspired by Islamic State extremists. During debates this spring and on the campaign trail, Clinton asserted that Sanders lacked experience in foreign policy and national security.

Sanders supporters remain committed to his underdog campaign.

Among them is Arthur Moore, a 61-year-old retiree.

Ill write his name in if hes not the nominee, Moore said outside the events center before the rally. Im done with the Clintons.
Good morning. It is Tuesday, May 24. Heres what is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

In Little Saigon

Latinos and Vietnamese transformed the demographics of Central Orange County over the last two decades. Increasingly, Latinos are now working in Little Saigons booming shopping and dining district, in some cases learning Vietnamese to get ahead. But few get past the ground floor. Los Angeles Times

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Tech and politics

Silicon Valley is uniting around one thing: They dont like the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Many in the tech capital believe the businessman doesnt understand or appreciate how their work fits into the global economy. At least [Hillary] Clinton is not going to go in and burn the place down. But Trump comes in, and God knows what happens, said Reed Galen, a GOP consultant who advises tech companies. Los Angeles Times

Younger voters

There are more young voters on the rolls this year in California. But who will they vote for? And will they even vote? Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Water wars: Lake Mead is at its lowest point since it began filling behind the Hoover Dam in 1935. That has water officials in California, Arizona and Nevada scrambling to make up for the lost water supply. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Transit woes: That didnt take long. Commuters excited to ride the new Metro Expo Line extension found a driver had crashed through a barrier and on to the at-grade tracks Monday morning, prompting Metro to bring in buses before the light rail line could get back on track. Ive always said commuting here is a soul-sucking endeavor, said one commuter. Los Angeles Times

Ready, set, go: The race is on between the automobile and the new Metro Expo Line train. Wall Street Journal

Gas leak cleanup: L.A. County health officials ordered the Southern California Gas Co. to stop cleaning homes in the Porter Ranch area Sunday. Health reps determined the utilitys contractors were not properly trained or equipped to clean homes affected by the gas leak at Aliso Canyon. The work will not resume until SoCal Gas provides necessary assurance that it can carry out the cleaning in compliance with the Public Health protocol, according to a statement from the health department. Los Angeles Times

Business of news: Los Angeles billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong is now the second-largest shareholder of Tribune Publishing, the parent company of the Los Angeles Times. The news came the same day that Tribune Publishing rejected the Gannett Co.s second bid for the company. By bringing Soon-Shiong on board, the companys CEO Michael Ferro may have effectively ended the possibility that Tribune Publishing will be sold. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Knowing your rights: Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer says his office will go after crisis pregnancy centers that are not complying with a state law requiring them to tell women about their reproductive rights. The Reproductive Fact Act requires licensed facilities to tell pregnant women the state offers free or low-cost contraception, abortion and prenatal care. An investigation by the National Abortion Rights Action League found many centers gave women medically inaccurate information about abortion and its ramifications. Los Angeles Times

Senate endorsement: Gov. Jerry Brown endorsed state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris in her bid for the U.S. Senate. The announcement was a blow to Rep. Loretta Sanchez, the other Democrat in the June 7 primary. For what its worth, Brown and Harris share the same political consultants. Los Angeles Times

Opposing weed: The California branch of the Teamsters union opposes the state ballot initiative to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The labor groups truck drivers and warehouse employees say theyre concerned about how the drug would be transported and distributed. We favor a highly regulated and tiered model of distribution, similar to the way alcohol is regulated, where theres an independent distributor that doesnt grow or sell marijuana, said a lobbyist for the group. BuzzFeed

Pet safety: A proposed state bill would allow Californians to break car windows and free dogs that appear to be overheating. To draw attention to the bill, three Republican lawmakers spent 21 minutes in a hot car. These owners, they just dont realize how hot it can get, and I wanted to create legislation that enables us to be proactive, said Assemblyman Marc Steinorth (R-Rancho Cucamonga). Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

Police shootings: Between 2000 and 2015, San Francisco police officers were involved in 95 shootings, 40 of which were fatal. Most of those shot by officers were armed, according to police records. Were trying to figure out what we can do in terms of de-escalation (training), time and distance, anything to not have more officer-involved shootings, police Chief Greg Suhr said before his resignation. San Francisco Chronicle

Dirty apartments: The city of San Francisco is suing a landlord over his rodent- and feces-infested units in Nob Hill and the Richmond District. Other problems included gas leaks, broken windows, lead paint and mold. This is an egregious set of violations, said City Atty. Dennis Herrera. SFGate

Revenge killing: A 45-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday to helping kill an Orange County man in 1995. Shannon Ray Gries allegedly took part in the death of Gonzalo Ramirez after a friend accused the victim of raping her. Gries is expected to be sentenced in July. He could face 25 years to life in prison. Los Angeles Times

Tough road: In shelters along the southern border, migrants and deportees sleep side by side. Both groups of migrants underscore why people flee Mexico and neighboring poor and violent Central American countries and what happens to them after they are deported. Desert Sun

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Crossing the border: Columnist Robin Abcarians Uber ride from San Diego to Tijuana never even got out of the driveway. From not having the right app to not having the right driver, the whole experience was an epic failure. Los Angeles Times

Cute pursuit: Officers with the California Highway Patrol were engaged in one of the slowest pursuits ever this weekend when they tried to corral a gaggle of baby geese off the eastbound I-80 in Berkeley. We returned them to their natural habitat. Nobody was taken into custody, said CHP Officer Sean Wilkenfeld. Los Angeles Times

Beer in the land of wine: Stone Brewing of Escondido will expand to Napa by opening a taproom and restaurant in the iconic Borreo Building. Not only is it literally made of stone, its one of downtowns most iconic links to the 19th century and a landmark thats been vacant for the past 15 years, said Greg Koch, Stone CEO and co-founder. San Diego Union-Tribune

Off the beaten path: Meet the residents of Darwin, a small Mojave Desert town without stores, paved roads, streetlights or sewers. Vimeo

Income inequality: The income gap between the rich and poor in Orange County is widening. The 90th percentile of Orange County families earned 11 times more than the 10th percentile in 2014: $203,000 a year, compared with $18,000. Orange County Register

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will have clouds and a high of 61 degrees. Sacramento will have a high of 75 with the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms. There will be low clouds in Los Angeles as temperatures reach a high of 69. Riverside will have clouds and a high of 69. San Diego will be 68 degrees and cloudy.

AND FINALLY

Todays California Memory comes from Beth Anselmi:

I moved to California from Chicago in 1986. Among the many wonders of California to a native Midwesterner was the incredible winter weather. During that first year, we frequently checked out a date-stamping Polaroid camera from the local library so we could take pictures of ourselves doing things in winter that couldnt be dreamed of from the snow drifts back East. My favorite remains a trip to a remote beach in January where we were treated to a mother whale and her calf relaxing only a few yards from shore. We were mesmerized and I knew I was home.

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.
Chinas leader, its strongest in years, runs the government, commands the army, and directs a tightly disciplined party that takes a dim view of opposition. His security forces and censors work to minimize public expressions of dissent, while the partys official media dismiss protests as the work of nefarious foreign powers. One central challenge he faces is widespread belief that officials in his party are corrupt. He works hard to show how seriously he takes this problem, but this effort is undermined by a high-profile publication referring to the great and possibly illicit wealth his brother-in-law has accumulated.

We could be talking about Xi Jinping in 2016, the year the Panama Papers revealed that his sisters husband sequestered funds offshore. We could just as easily, though, be talking about Chiang Kai-shek in 1946  the year that Theodore White and Annalee Jacoby published Thunder Out of China, an influential bestseller that presented the Nationalist Party as riddled with corruption and struggling to maintain control of the country. If we had Chiang rather than Xi in mind, however, we would have referred to brothers-in-law  plural  because the Nationalist Party strongman had two, H.H. Kung and T.V. Soong, who many saw as lining their pockets.

When commentators liken Xi to a past leader, they tend to pick Mao Tse-tung, the man whose Communist Party forces drove Chiang into exile in 1949. We find it at least as useful, though, to place Xi beside Chiang. Xis party may still include the word Communist in its name, but the country is far more consumerist than it was in Maos day. To think clearly about Chinas future, we need to think of Xi as facing challenges, such as disgust with ill-gotten riches, that only Chiang confronted.

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In 1946, Chiangs Republic of China was one of the Big Five Allies that had just defeated the Axis powers, and had secured one of the five permanent seats on the newly formed United Nations Security Council. Bankrolled by the United States and free, after more than a decade, of Japanese invaders, China seemed poised to take its place near the top of the global order.

Seventy years later, many point to China as the next superpower. Xis party is not, like Chiangs, one that can boast of recently helping to defeat a military foe, but it can  and does  point to other significant accomplishments. Official rhetoric presents former leader Deng Xiaoping and his successors as changing a country that, upon Maos death 40 years ago, was reeling from the devastation of the Cultural Revolution. It is, according to Xi, ready to put past humiliations at foreign hands and periods of domestic chaos behind it.

Corruption, however, could stand between China and great-power status  as it did 70 years ago.

As economic growth slows and environmental degradation mounts, the benefits of single-party rule may be sliding out of focus for many.

Heres a statement from a 1946 issue of the China Weekly Review that reads as though it came from a recent edition of the Economist: [T]ales of corruption in public office have recently become so frequent and commonplace that they are no longer news. When Chiang launched an anti-corruption drive that year, commentators questioned his sincerity as they do Xis today. Was Chiang trying get the situation under control or dispel criticism? Is Xi trying to solidify his power, reform the system or both?

The parallels dont stop there. Chiang insisted that modernizing China and valuing millennia-old Confucian ideas could go together. Now, after a period when the Communist Party blamed Confucianism for keeping China weak, Xi quotes Confucius as a great thinker. The Confucius Institutes that the Communist Party now funds around the world would have appalled Mao in 1966, but Chiang would have thought them a great idea had someone suggested it to him in 1946.

When Americans read Thunder Out of China, many were surprised to learn that Maos Communists represented a viable threat to Chiang. Reviewing the book in the New York Times, Harvard University professor John King Fairbank explained that Communism has gained in China and will continue to do so in proportion as there is bad government.

The party Xi heads derives its legitimacy not from ideology  the idea that China is a workers paradise is laughable in light of the growing chasm between rich and poor  but from performance. As economic growth slows and environmental degradation mounts, the benefits of single-party rule may be sliding out of focus for many. Party cadres, with bloated bellies and bank accounts, make just as attractive targets for frustration as they were in 1946.

This does not mean that we predict that Xis party is heading toward the kind of fall that Chiangs experienced. The troubled state of the world may actually benefit leaders such as Xi, who work hard to present themselves as strong figures capable of guaranteeing stability in perilous times.

Will there be more thunder out of China in the next year or next decade? Neither we nor anyone else knows, but the fissures White and Jacoby identified in the old China of 1946 can be found in the new China of 2016.

James Carter is a professor of history at Saint Josephs University in Philadelphia. Jeffrey Wasserstrom is a professor of history at UC Irvine and editor of the Oxford Illustrated History of Modern China, to which Carter contributed one of the chapters on the Nationalist era.

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A funny thing happened when conservative media leaders met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week. The summit was meant to quell right-wing anger over news reports that the sites trending topics links are chosen by curators with a liberal bias. It was Facebooks effort at transparency. But it ended up revealing as much about conservative thought as it did about social media.

It turns out that conservatives take subtle ideological prejudices quite seriously. They confronted Zuckerberg to raise the issue on unconscious bias where it can crop up, Republican pollster and writer Kristen Soltis Anderson told CNN. She went on to explain that the meeting was an important step toward Facebooks correcting for the left-leaning views of its employees.

Others on the right werent satisfied that Zuckerberg would move to address the underlying issue. The real problem is that Facebook, Twitter and Google have systemically targeted conservatives, probably unknowingly, as a way to push liberal social policies, according to the Conservative Review.

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The notion that bias can be both systemic and unconscious  and, in fact, is probably unconscious precisely because it is so systemic  is normally an argument made by liberals. During presidential elections, left-wing pundits invoke unconscious bias to parse the reasons why voters do and do not respond to a particular candidate. If you believe in a slogan such as Make America Great Again, do you quietly long to return to an era when women and people of color had fewer chances at success? If you loathe the idea of Hillary Clinton becoming president  for reasons both related to her politics and her public persona  are you, deep down, kind of sexist?

But conservatives tend to dismiss the possibility that racism or sexism can manifest itself even among people who dont think of themselves as racist or sexist. Pockets of bias remain, but this country has reached the stage at which no success is beyond the reach of any American for reasons other than personal failings, declared the Weekly Standard in 2012, as part of a debate over the role Barack Obamas race played in his reelection. Unless there is a smoking gun such as a Ku Klux Klan membership card, many on the right think allegations of bias are nothing more than political correctness run amok  until, apparently, they see themselves as victims.

Unless there is a smoking gun such as a KKK membership card, many on the right think allegations of bias are nothing more than political correctness run amok.

In the wake of the Facebook summit, however, some conservatives are holding fast to the view that unconscious biases are not worth examining at all. It seems a growing number of conservatives decided they must embrace the same tactics of the left and turn into professional grievance mongers and shake down artists, wrote blogger Erick Erickson. Perhaps hes worried that if his colleagues validate the existence of unconscious ideological bias, they should logically acknowledge other types of bias as well  such as prejudices based on race and gender.

Just as a dispassionate analysis of Facebook trending topics links might show an inadvertent bias toward liberal views, there is a wealth of academic research supporting the notion that unconscious racial and gender bias is real too. Hiring managers show a preference for resumes with male names at the top. Juries are more likely to see black people as instigators of violence and white people as acting in self-defense. The list goes on.

Because sites such as Facebook claim to be data-driven and ideologically neutral, its easy to forget that they, too, are run by humans with political beliefs. Although Facebooks trending topics are first surfaced by an algorithm, as it explained in its defense, using the algorithm didnt prevent the recent dust-up.

Similarly, a new investigative report from ProPublica alleges racial bias in a computer algorithm used by police departments to predict the likelihood of a person committing a crime in the future. Even though the risk score doesnt directly ask about a suspects race, its biased against black people  and has resulted in black defendants being falsely flagged as future criminals.

Both conservatives and liberals should agree: Neutrality is a lie, and technology wont save us.

Ann Friedman is a contributing writer to Opinion.

MORE ON THIS ISSUE:

Facebook investigation reveals no evidence of bias against conservative topics, company says

Mark Zuckerberg says many conservatives dont trust Facebook to show content without a political bias

Theres no evidence Facebook suppressed conservative news, Mark Zuckerberg says

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
In a place normally preoccupied with drafting code and dazzling investors, suddenly everyone in Silicon Valley has an opinion about the presidential election. And it tends to be the same opinion.

The innovation economy has a serious distaste for Donald Trump. The masters of this world complain that his ignorance about their work and its relationship to the global economy is horrifying. Rank-and-file programmers are quick to call him a clown, or worse. The unity is notable in an environment where groupthink is frowned upon and nobody ever seems to color inside ideological lines.

Trump has practically written a playbook on how not to court this well-heeled group that other politicians seem desperate to shower with affection.

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At least Clinton is not going to go in and burn the place down. But Trump comes in, and God knows what happens.  Reed Galen, GOP strategist

Ambitious start-up CEOs who swore off talking politics for fear of offending investors are enlisting in campaigns to discredit Trump. Longtime valley Republican stalwarts who have voted for every GOP nominee for decades say they cant do it this year. The libertarian-minded innovators who just want to get government out of their way have less faith in Trump than they do in even Hillary Clinton, the Democrat with big plans to grow the bureaucracy.

At least Clinton is not going to go in and burn the place down, said Reed Galen, a GOP consultant who advises tech companies. But Trump comes in, and God knows what happens.

The grievances that innovation leaders have with Trump are almost too many to list. They are baffled by an immigration policy that they warn would be disastrous for their workforce. Trumps trade agenda, they say, threatens to tear apart global business relationships crucial to tech industry success. The candidates threat to boycott Apple as it tussled with law enforcement over encryption technology will not soon be forgotten.

Just last week, Trump drew yet more chortles with his suggestion that the tech sector was a financial house of cards poised for collapse.

I use both iPhone & Samsung. If Apple doesn't give info to authorities on the terrorists I'll only be using Samsung until they give info.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016

He has pushed me over the edge, said Vivek Wadhwa, a highly respected technology entrepreneur and academic who has always avoided engaging in politics, save for the time he spent $500 to dine with another prominent Indian American, Bobby Jindal. (Wadhwa said the event was a waste of time.) It was unimaginable for me to say this even two weeks ago, but I am going to become very vocal and campaign against him. I feel too strongly not to get involved.

When it was revealed this month that one of the valleys most successful entrepreneurs, Peter Thiel, had signed on as a California delegate for Trump ahead of the states June 7 primary, the backlash against him was brutal. The buzz in the valley was that Thiel had gone off the rails. Im utterly ashamed we have him as an investor, wrote Paul Carr, the editorial director of the tech news site Pando. The headline called Thiel a jerk, only in coarser language.

The usual valley liberals are, of course, piling on against Trump. But the uneasiness of many conservative free-marketeers in the tech world has touched off speculation about which of them are primed to start writing checks for Clinton.

Among those being courted by Democrats is venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, who spent $100,000 trying to help elect Mitt Romney in 2012. He made clear where he is headed with his tweet this month of #ImWithHer, a Clinton slogan. He mocks Trump persistently on social media.

Other past rainmakers for the GOP find themselves paralyzed.

From the corner conference room in his 23rd-floor office, with its sweeping views of San Francisco Bay, high-stakes tech investor and longtime GOP activist Alex Slusky talked about how Florida Sen. Marco Rubio sat in that very room for a tutorial on the innovation economy. He talks about how former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was also enamored with the sectors inner workings, as was Ohio Gov. John Kasich and, of course, Rand Paul, the Kentucky senator who made tech a central focus of his campaign.

Trump?

He hasnt done anything to reach out, said Slusky, who has voted for every GOP presidential nominee since he organized his high schools Ronald Reagan reelection effort.

Slusky foresees leaving the top of his ballot blank this year. None of us have even met him, he said. The majority of active Silicon Valley Republicans I know are not supporting Trump today.

Trumps tough talk and big promises are not comforting to Slusky. His wall to Mexico? We have to get products over that wall, Slusky said. Maybe he just acted crazy to clear the primary field. But to be convinced of that, I need to see the craziness stop.

Slusky himself immigrated to America from Ukraine. He figures about half the CEOs of the tech companies he invests in are also immigrants  not because he seeks them out, but because thats just how tech is. Its not a hospitable world for anti-immigrant nationalism.

Horrifying thought that this could be a future president of America. https://t.co/rb3QtuGXhb  Vivek Wadhwa (@wadhwa) May 14, 2016

I am not sure we have ever had a moment here where as many people have wanted to be a part of the political process, said Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, a bipartisan organization founded by Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and other tech leaders that pushes to liberalize immigration laws and is leading valley opposition to Trump.

Among those who have been drawn into the fight is Branko Cerny, a founder of a start-up that helps busy people organize their lives. The Prague natives success at raising money for his business earned him a speaking spot onstage of the Startup Conference, a tech networking event last week in Redwood City. Typical of Silicon Valley, most of the people there were either born abroad or lived abroad at some point in their lives.

Cerny said he had been invited to a number focus groups hosted by high-net-worth individuals in Silicon Valley who are strategizing against Trump, though he acknowledged that the voters drawn to Trump are not especially open to hearing counter-arguments from ultra-wealthy Silicon Valley elites.

There is a lot of talk about how can we do more harm than good if we get involved, he said. A lot of really smart people are out of ideas for how to prevent that.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

MORE POLITICAL COVERAGE

Californias seeing a surge in voter registration  but the impact on the June election isnt clear

Two white-haired politicians  Bernie Sanders and Bill Clinton  call a California truce

Thanks, but no thanks -- Hillary Clinton says no to a debate in California

evan.halper@latimes.com

Follow me: @evanhalper
Bernie Sanders calls Hillary Clintons debate snub insulting

Bernie Sanders takes the stage in Santa Monica. pic.twitter.com/7JKszwK9KX  Kurtis Lee (@kurtisalee) May 24, 2016

Bernie Sanders, trailing in delegates and running out of time in his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination, told a crowd of supporters Monday evening that it was insulting that Hillary Clinton was refusing to debate him in California.

I think its a little insulting to the people of California -- the largest state, Sanders said, addressing a rally on the astro-turf football field at Santa Monica High School.

She is not prepared to have a discussion with me about how she is going to help California address the major crises we face, he said.

Shes scared! Shes scared! the crowd chanted.

Earlier in the day, Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, backed out of a debate with Sanders. The two candidates had agreed earlier this spring to hold a debate in May.

The last time the pair debated was in New York in April.

For Sanders, who also held a rally in East Los Angeles in the afternoon, his criticism of Clinton was a deviation from his standard stump speech. Though he has battled the partys establishment, he has largely avoided direct attacks on Clinton during recent events across California.

Still, his disdain over the debate was hard to hide Monday evening.

Clinton, he told supporters in Santa Monica, is acting very nervous lately.
California, the state with a well-earned reputation for disinterest in things political, has been overrun by a vast and historic burst of new voters.

And those voters will storm the polling places, rescuing the state from its usual self-flagellation over poor turnout and determining the winner of the contested June 7 presidential primary.

Or it hasnt. And they wont.

The answers rely on two circumstances that were unclear as Mondays deadline for registering to vote came and went. One is how voters are counted in this state. The other is whether those new voters, however large their cohort is, will defy tradition to show up.

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Most state and local officials and voting experts believe that there has been a surge in new registrants. Its just that its hard to prove it beyond a doubt. The numbers tend to confuse rather than clarify.

According to data from the office of Secretary of State Alex Padilla, hundreds of thousands of registrations occurred between mid-March and mid-May.

They show an increase of more than 220,000 Democrats, or a nearly 3-percentage-point boost in their numbers, which hit 7.7 million. Republican numbers rose by nearly 70,000, for a 1.45-percentage-point increase and a total of 4.8 million. And the ranks of non-partisan voters  which have been the fastest-growing in California for years now  actually fell by 20,000 to total 4.1 million, a drop of half a percentage point. None of that appears hugely significant.

But statistics kept by voting specialist Paul Mitchell suggest a far larger group has jumped into the pool.

By his count, more than 2 million fresh voters will be included by the time the tallies from Mondays deadline are completed. According to counts made by his firm, Political Data Inc., there already has been a boost of 218% in Democratic registration, of 78% in Republican registration, and 74% in nonpartisan registrations.

Registrations among Latinos are up 123%, he said. Sign-ups among those 24 and younger are up 87% and those 25 to 30 are up 188%. The latter two categories would suggest a boost for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The timing, however, is important. The figures compare the 2012 pre-primary period with 2016s. In 2012, there was no Democratic primary because President Obama was seeking reelection. And since competition begets registration, disinterest in 2012 may have set up a more positive view of todays registration.

Indeed, a comparison of official registration numbers shows the contested 2008 race had a bigger impact. Among Democrats, for example, more than 535,000 voters joined up in the four years before that election; the current gain over four years ago is just over 94,000.

Additionally, the numbers Mitchells firm collects include all manner of registrations, whether they come from voters who have never cast a ballot or those changing their party or address. So his figures probably overstate the actual number of new voters.

To know definitively how many new voters have registered, California would need to calculate the number of new registrants who have never taken part in an election, how many voters have been taken off the rolls for failing to vote and how the political alliances of the new voters square with the old voters. (A probable Sanders voter replacing another probable Sanders voter would be a net gain of zero.)

The state doesnt know that.

Mitchell calls the current numbers an historic surge in pre-primary registration  more akin to what we would have expected before a general election. Purges of inactive voters, which are being applied by counties according to their own processes, serve to greatly underestimate the number of new voters in the secretary of states tabulations, he said.

Orange County recently dropped 108,000 voters who had not cast ballots in the last four state elections and had not replied to inquiries about their status, he said. So an increase of more than 100,000 new voters would leave the county basically stable under the states calculations.

You have this real uneven implementation happening in huge waves at local counties, Mitchell said.

Darry Sragow, a longtime Democratic strategist and publisher of the nonpartisan California Target Book, which assesses state races, took a more cautious view of Californias new voters.

The net numbers that are being reported by the secretary of state do not shed light on whats going on under the surface, he said. How many of the new registrants are first-time registrants and how do they differ from the significant number of voters who are being purged from the rolls?

As for the impact, he said, its not clear if voters are registering to support a candidate or to vote against one  say, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

To suggest a surge is only because of passion for Sanders  and there is passion  and overlook the fact that the notion of a Trump presidency is an awful thought to a lot of Democrats misses the point, he said.

County officials confirm heightened interest this year.

By Friday, Los Angeles County had seen 196,000 new registrants, according to Dean Logan, the registrar-recorder/county clerk. Another 141,000 people had either changed their address or political party. Over the weekend, another 40,000 people registered, in both categories combined.

Thats pretty phenomenal, more in comparison with what weve seen in the lead-up to a presidential general election, Logan said.

The attraction of millennials to registering as independents  and the continued Democratic race  seem to have driven much of the action in the Los Angeles area. Both independents and Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary; only Republicans can take part in that partys primary.

The fact that Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, regardless of delegates, still seem to be socking it out until the end  that continues to be a motivating impact, Logan said.

Among the new registrants, more than 61% were under the age of 20. The second largest group of registrants in Los Angeles County was aged 30 to 39.

Though that suggests a Sanders vote, all manner of political entities are sponsoring voter registration drives this season, and the voters being drawn in could be more diverse than age alone suggests.

Latino organizations have sought to register voters in order to cast ballots against Trump. Candidates have their own voter drives.

Environmental activist Tom Steyer gave $688,000 to local and state Democratic groups for registration efforts in Los Angeles and seven other counties. He also gave $250,000 to the state Democratic Party for its registration programs. (Clinton is the Democratic favorite in pre-primary polls, while Sanders has the edge among independents).

At a recent Los Angeles forum on voting sponsored by the Public Policy Institute of California, Secretary of State Padilla said that, as elsewhere, the 2016 race is central to big registration numbers. That is particularly true in California, where the U.S. Senate race has been humdrum, and there is only one statewide measure on the June ballot.

Obviously the presidential is driving a lot of energy, excitement and attention, he said. The increase in registration online and in person-to-person contacts are all signs of a public thats paying attention and getting ready to turn out to vote.

But will they?

Voting specialist Mitchell noted that so far early voting has not been dominated by the new voters. Percentage-wise, non-Latinos and voters over 55 have predominated.

It could be that young voters will catch up by June 7, or it could be that the act of registering was far more exciting than the reality of voting.

It could be that theres a little rush of cathartic exercise in registering and not a rush to actually pick among the 34 Senate candidates and ballot measures and I-dont-know-who-my-congressman-is, Mitchell said. The voting isnt as exciting as that moment when you see something on TV, horrific or exciting, and get your laptop and register to vote.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker. For more on politics, go to latimes.com/decker and subscribe to the free daily newsletter.

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by Stephen Jakes

The controversial Zanu PF youth member Energy Mutodi has claimed that a gruesome hit squad is currently operating throughout the country targeting Zanu PF members perceived to be loyal to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa."A gruesome hit squad is currently operating throughout the country targeting Zanu PF members perceived to be loyal to Mnangagwa and in support of his alleged presidential ambitions," he said."Financed by a former convict and self-proclaimed tycoon who has made headlines in the recent days for corruptly obtaining tenders, the hit squad that is reportedly loyal to a Generation 40 faction has already carried out successful missions."Mutodi said Espinah Nhari, a prominent Zanu PF women's league member who was secretary for administration died in a mysterious accident, while an Indian businessman and some war veterans have also fallen victim according to reports."An operative holding on to a list of targeted individuals has not responded to calls since morning. Be warned. If you are a politician, activist or journalist belonging to or perceived to be loyal to an anti-G40 faction," he said."Death or serious injury can occur at any time. Take measures to protect yourself by not hanging out in late hours, answering unknown calls, attending meetings in private places organized even by close friends, asking for a lift from strangers or familiar individuals not directly related to you, traveling long distances while alone or without an escort and traveling home almost at a fixed time while making stop overs."Mutodi said if booked in a hotel, do not hire anyone into room and always alert hotel security of your vulnerable situation."So far, four Harare hotels are unsafe. Sometimes assailants may use innocent looking baits to lure a victim. Be clever and do not associate with strangers even if they appear kind or beautiful to you or even if they say they once met you. Death occurs unexpectedly so always be vigilant. You are in the midst of war," he said.
Political tension ramps up at legislative hearing on Newsoms gun control initiative

Backers of a gun control initiative proposed for the November ballot argued during a legislative forum Tuesday that it is needed to make California safer, while opponents said it will unfairly harm law-abiding gun owners and is primarily aimed at getting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom elected governor.

Newsom turned in 600,000 signatures last week for an initiative that would require background checks for ammunition purchasers, ban large-capacity magazines, make gun thefts a felony and require those convicted of serious crimes to give up their firearms within 14 days.

The Assembly and Senate Public Safety committees held a joint hearing on the proposal Tuesday in anticipation of the measure qualifying.

Craig DeLuz, head of the Firearms Policy Coalition, told lawmakers that most of the provisions in the initiative have been rejected by the Legislature or the governor as too extreme or unworkable.

He said the real purpose of the initiative is to get Newsom elected as governor in 2018.

Its for one individual to get his name in the paper so he can run for higher office, DeLuz told the lawmakers.

That drew a rubuke from state Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), chair of the Senate panel.

I do take offense at the personal attacks on the proponents of the intiative, Hancock said during the hearing.

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) responded, saying the initiative is unnecessary.

I am equally offended that the person who came up with this initiative isnt here today to address this body, she said. Thats incredibly disrespectful.

Newsom, who has fueded with legislative leaders who are pursuing their own gun control bills, did not attend the hearing, instead participating in a memorial service held for California Highway Patrol officers, a representative said.

Attorneys for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which co-wrote the initiative, told lawmakers it will plug serious loopholes in Californias tough gun laws.

We believe reasonably that more can and should be done to protect California families and keep lethal weapons out of dangerous hands, added Ari Freilich, a staff attorney at the center.

The initiative was criticized by Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Michele Hanisee, president of the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys of Los Angeles, who predicted many people will not obey the new laws requiring them to get rid of high-capacity magazines.

The initiative places additional burdens on an already overburdened court system, she added.

None of the lawmakers at the hearing commited to endorsing the initiative.

Lawmakers raised questions about the cost of enforcing the initiative, but the Legislative Analysts Office said the bulk of costs may be recovered by fees authorized by the measure.

Hancock said she is interested in alternative approaches to addressing gun violence, including a look at improving mental health services.
Antidepressants didnt get to be the third-most commonly prescribed medication in the United States for nothing. In fact, says a new study, the medications taken by more than 10% of American adults may be so ubiquitous because they are used to do so much.

Depression medication, a new study suggests, has become a do something drug for primary care physicians to offer when a patients complaints may only be vaguely related to depression.

In a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. on Tuesday, researchers reported that close to three in 10 antidepressant prescriptions written between 2006 and 2015 by general practitioners in Quebec, Canada, were for conditions for which the medications have not been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

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Doctors treated insomnia and pain  both of which are closely linked to depression  with antidepressants. But they also prescribed antidepressants to treat migraines, menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders and digestive system disorders.

Anxiety disorders and panic disorders were also common reasons for physicians to prescribe an antidepressant. Those conditions pushed prescribing of antidepressants for reasons other than strict depression to 45%. But they, too, are widely seen as variants of depression, and a wide range of antidepressants have been found safe and effective in treatment of those conditions.

Over the decadelong study period, the percentage of antidepressant prescriptions that were written for treatment of depression fell continuously.

One upshot, said the authors, is that its not enough for physicians to send a patient with generalized symptoms of distress off with an antidepressant prescription.

The mere presence of an antidepressant prescription is a poor proxy for depression treatment, said the authors of the report, published Tuesday in JAMA.

Beyond that, the authors wrote, the findings suggest there is a need for more and better research on the safety and effectiveness of using antidepressants to treat conditions other than depression.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

The studys design was simple: When 158 participating physicians noted in an electronic medical record that they were prescribing one of several classes of antidepressant, they got a pop-up query asking what indication  the medical term for the condition being treated  prompted the decision. Of 101,759 prescriptions written, 55.2% were for depressive disorders and 18.5% were for anxiety disorders. But insomnia, pain, panic disorder, fibromyalgia, migraine and obsessive-compulsive disorder prompted most of the rest. Conditions such as nicotine dependence, sexual dysfunction and urinary and digestive system disorders also accounted for a much smaller proportion of antidepressant prescriptions.

The new report updates older research that found that primary care providers were routinely prescribing antidepressants without any diagnosis at all. One 2011 study found that in the 12 years leading up to 2007, 56% of antidepressant prescriptions written by physicians other than psychiatrists came without a formal diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorder.

Columbia University psychiatrist Mark Olfson, one of the authors of that 2011 study, said the new data appear to reflect some progress and is somewhat reassuring. The prescribing decisions reflected in the new study frequently reflected good practices backed up by solid research, he said. As an example, Olfson said, the use of trazedone  an antidepressant that is sedating  is increasingly seen as a safer medication for insomnia than benzodiazepines, which can cause dependency and other unwanted side effects.

Many antidepressants have also been shown effective in blunting certain kinds of chronic pain, making them a safer bet for most patients than highly addictive opioid pain relievers or over-the-counter medications that can pose hazards for the heart or liver.

In some cases, theres a simple financial explanation for the fact that the FDA has not approved a specific antidepressant for treating a condition other than depression, said Olfson: Its a costly process to get the agency to approve a new indication for a drug, and the common physician practice of prescribing medications off-label is perfectly legal. In many cases, he noted, a drugs manufacturer did not want to undertake the expense and bother of seeking the agencys blessing.

Theres still a lot to be done to sharpen antidepressant prescribing, said Olfson. But a lot of this [prescribing] is lined up with reasonable targets.

melissa.healy@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @LATMelissaHealy and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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Inspired by the biological processes that drive natural selection, Caltech biochemical engineer Frances Arnold launched a field called directed evolution and revolutionized the way researchers design more effective drugs and create cleaner industrial processes.

This week, Arnolds pioneering work was recognized with a Millennium Technology Prize, making her the first woman to win the prestigious award. The prize is awarded every two years by the Technology Academy Finland and comes with $1.1 million in cash. Previous winners include Linux creator Linus Torvalds and blue LED inventor Shuji Nakamura, who went on to win the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics.

Arnold began her career in renewable energy, and she has spent a lot of time thinking about the damage humans are doing to the environment. By mixing up DNA in test tubes and putting it into microbes that pump out specialized proteins, she aims to create cleaner, more environmentally friendly methods to make the products we use every day.

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The 59-year-old mother of three draws from many fields to do her research, and consequently has been elected to all three branches of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine  the first woman to achieve this rare feat.

The Times caught up with Arnold on the night before she received the prize in Helsinki, Finland, to discuss her groundbreaking work.

You started off as a mechanical engineer. How did you make your way into biology?

I was employed at the Solar Energy Research Institute in the late 70s when Carter was president, and as a country, we had a goal of renewable energy development. Novel idea, huh? But then Reagan was elected, and then the political climate changed a lot.

I decided to go back to college and get a PhD  only this time I wanted to do it in the emerging field of biotechnology. I made a small switch from mechanical to chemical engineering and started learning some biology, and fell in love with engineering proteins.

What drew you in?

Engineering the biological world was even more interesting than engineering the mechanical world. Because to me, nature is the best engineer  having created, over 4 billion years of evolution, some pretty amazing molecular machines.

You manipulate DNA to modify the types of proteins known as enzymes. What do these proteins do?

Enzymes catalyze all the reactions of life. Theyre what allow you to extract materials and energy from your environment and turn that into muscle and tissue and fat. Thats all done by enzymes. Theyre pretty remarkable chemists  theyre even better than Caltech chemists.

I wanted to make enzymes that would solve human problems, not just problems for a cell that makes them.

What kinds of problems did you have in mind?

I was interested in the industrial side: How do you use biology to make the chemicals and products we use in our daily lives? That has developed now to where its a really vibrant industry.

Can you give me some examples?

You can make biofuels with enzymes. You can cure diseases with enzymes. You can clean your clothes better with enzymes.

The blockbuster diabetes drug Januvia made by Merck is manufactured now using an enzyme. In the past, it was manufactured using a chemical process that involved toxic metals and tons of organic solvent waste. Theyve replaced that completely.

How did you get the idea for directed evolution?

It came in almost a fit of desperation.

I was an assistant professor at Caltech, which has lofty aspirations for doing really important work, and I was pretty clueless. I didnt know how to make proteins. So I started doing lots of experiments simultaneously, and I realized thats exactly what nature does.

How long does it take for you to evolve a protein with the particular qualities you want?

Sometimes its one generation; sometimes its 31 generations. It really depends on where you start, how good is your starting point and how far you have to go  and thats entirely determined by the application.

Arent you nervous about manipulating DNA?

Weve been modifying the biological world at the level of DNA for thousands of years. Weve made corn that can feed people, and weve made chickens that have big breasts and weve made cats with stripes.

Now with these new techniques of being able to actually go in to cut and paste DNA, we could do that in a very directed fashion.

You have four brothers and three sons. It sounds like youre surrounded by men at work and at home!

Yeah, its true.

Ive always made a conscious effort to have as diverse a group as possible. I love the fact that new ideas can come from anywhere. Its impossible to predict  and its not always the smartest people on paper that come up with the best ideas.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

amina.khan@latimes.com

Follow @aminawrite on Twitter for more science news and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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May 25, 8:57 a.m.: This article has been updated with new information throughout.

This article was originally published at 11:21 a.m. on May 24.
On Friday, President Obama will visit Hiroshima, Japan, becoming the only sitting U.S. president to visit the first city targeted in a nuclear attack. While the exact details of Obamas trip have yet to be revealed, deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes said last week that the president would visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial to lay a wreath, tour the memorial grounds and deliver a statement reflecting upon what his impressions are. Obama will be accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Many Hiroshima residents hope Obamas visit will rekindle global interest in nuclear disarmament  a topic Obama addressed in a major speech in Prague in 2009. More than 70 years have passed since a U.S. B-29 dropped the atomic bomb known as Little Boy on the city on Aug. 6, 1945, in the closing days of World War II. Another nuclear bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki on Aug. 9.

Heres a look at the Hiroshima bombing and its effects.

How many people died in the bombing and how many were exposed to radiation?

About 350,000 civilians and military personnel were living in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing. Thousands were killed instantly. By December 1945, about 140,000 people in Hiroshima are believed to have died as a result of intense radiation and other immediate consequences of the blast, such as fires.

More than 6,000 of the dead were junior high school students, who had been mobilized that Monday morning by Japans government to clear fire breaks in the city because authorities feared Hiroshima was going to be bombed with conventional weapons  just as many other Japanese cities had been in the previous months.

Also among the dead were a dozen U.S. POWs who were being held in Hiroshima, and 20,000 Koreans who were brought to the city as forced laborers.

Col. Paul W. Tibbets stands beside the B29 Superfortress bomber the Enola Gay in 1945 in an unknown location. He piloted the flight that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. (Associated Press) (Test)

What kind of bomb did the U.S. drop on Hiroshima, and where did it land?

Little Boy was a uranium bomb packed with about 110 pounds of fissile material. As it turned out, less than 2 pounds of that material actually underwent fission. The bomb never hit the ground, but exploded about 2,000 feet above the city  a height intended to cause maximum damage. (Ironically, the Yagi antenna used to achieve this midair detonation was designed and patented by a Japanese inventor.)

Little Boy detonated above a hospital, about 1,000 feet from the Aioi Bridge, the aiming point. The force of the blast was equal to about 16,000 tons of conventional explosives.

How far did the damage extend?

More than 90% of Hiroshimas buildings were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Intense thermal rays from the fireball extended more than two miles from where the bomb exploded, or the hypocenter. Almost everyone within three-quarters of a mile perished. Only a few concrete and stone buildings were left standing.

Temperatures at the explosion altitude reached 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit. On the ground, railroad ties burst into flames, glass bottles melted and roof tiles bubbled. Windows more than 16 miles away were broken. After the initial blast, the air pressure at the epicenter dropped sharply, creating a strong reverse wind. About half an hour after the blast, a sooty radioactive black rain began to fall. Parched survivors drank this contaminated precipitation.

Fires burned for three days after the detonation. One of the few buildings near the epicenter to survive was the Bank of Japan building, which was about 1,200 feet from the hypocenter. It reopened within days of the blast.

Is there radiation still left in Hiroshima?

Radiation released the instant the bomb detonated is called initial radiation. The amount that remained on the surface after the explosion is known as residual radiation. While the initial radiation in Hiroshima was intense, residual radiation faded rapidly and a week after the blast was one-millionth the original level, scientists say. Nowadays, there is no residual radiation from the A-bomb affecting humans in Hiroshima.

How does radiation harm the body?

Radiation penetrates human cells, damaging their chromosomes and causing serious health effects. These effects do not always manifest right away, but can appear days, weeks or years later. In the first two weeks after the blast, many survivors experienced nausea, fatigue, fever and diarrhea, as well as blood in their vomit and urine.

Between late August and October 1945, many victims who initially appeared healthy developed symptoms, including hair loss, bleeding gums, purple spots on the skin, cold sores and intestinal bleeding.

Other disorders appeared later, including keloid scars, cataracts, leukemia, and other cancers. Leukemia cases spiked seven to eight years after the bombing. Radiation caused some stillbirths and microcephaly  the small head syndrome now associated with the Zika virus.

How many survivors are alive today?

About 187,000 people classified by the Japanese government as survivors were alive last year, according to the official 2015 census.

Sources: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum; Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima.

Follow @JulieMakLAT for news from Asia
In the bare dirt courtyard of a low-slung building in a small farming village, a group of girls chase one another in a round of kabaddi, a local schoolyard game a bit like Red Rover.

It could be any small village school in a desperately poor rural area of India  except that these girls have barely escaped a 21st century system of slavery.

More children are sold into prostitution in India than in any other country. In villages such as Simraha, it is not uncommon for girls as young as 12 or 13 to be sold.

The school keeps them safe and away from the home-based brothels that they were growing up in.  Ruchira Gupta

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Twelve-year-old Aarti Kumari combs her hair at the Kasturba Gandhi Girls School.

At this school, many of the children playing games, doing homework, helping with dinner and making crafts are the daughters of prostitutes. They are members of a marginalized caste known as the Nat community, which is trapped in a system of hereditary prostitution.

Their school, not far from the border with Nepal in the Indian state of Bihar, is part of a national program of girls boarding schools called Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, intended specifically for minority groups. Founded by the nonprofit organization Apne Aap, its supporters and the Bihar state government, the school aims to break the bonds of caste and inequality.

The school keeps them safe and away from the home-based brothels that they were growing up in, said Ruchira Gupta, Apne Aap's founder. Otherwise, they would join their mothers in prostitution.

The Nat group has been relegated to the margins of Indian society since the 1870s, when it was classified as a criminal tribe by British colonial rulers.

Gupta's group works to get the girls out of the reach of men who might sell them  by enrolling them in the boarding school but allowing weekend visits with their mothers and siblings. It's not a five-star school, Gupta said. But it's neat and clean.

For most of the 100 girls at the school, it's the first time any member of their family has been offered access to education. A few graduates of the school are even heading off to college  with ambitions of becoming lawyers and doctors.

But many struggle to achieve a much smaller ambition: avoiding being caught up in systemic prostitution.

At the school, fathers regularly put pressure on the girls to do their family duty and start working as prostitutes. Some fathers have tried to snatch the girls back.

By keeping costs down, Apne Aap is able to keep the girls in school for about $160 a month per student. But keeping them safe is a long-term commitment, Gupta said.

Many people think: Oh, enroll a child in school, Gupta said. But keeping that child in school is even harder.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The girls and their math teacher, Shruti Priya, observe the Durga Puja festival that honors the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo -- hence the victory of good over evil.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Neelam and Urmila, both 14, pass the time playing during the high holiday season. The girls overcome caste stigma by forming friendships that take away the boundaries of caste and class.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The school girls play a game of kabaddi during recess.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The girls get three meals a day at the boarding school.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The girls work on homework.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The girls are still vulnerable to sex traffickers who routinely prowl the outside of the school hoping to abduct them into a life of prostitution. Here two young school girls listen to men call out to them from the field, trying to get their attention.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

All the girls supported by Apne Aap are given photo identification to show that they are members of the group. This serves as protection when a trafficker accosts her, because he immediately knows that Apne Aap staff will follow up if she goes missing.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) (Test)

The young girls develop strong bonds at the boarding school and have the opportunity to act carefree, a luxury most do not have in their communities.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The girls pray together inside their communal bedroom that sleeps 20 during the five holy days of Durga Puja.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

A view from the roof of the boarding school, situated not from from the Indo-Nepal border town of Bihar, one of the poorest districts in India.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times )

Twelve-year-old Karishma enjoys a shy moment laughing with her friends inside the boarding school, where she lives with some other 100 girls.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Rukhsar Khatun has her hair combed by a schoolmate. Rukhsar attends the school with her sister Shahana, not pictured. Their father had forced his two other daughters into prostitution, and he pulled Rukhsar and Shahana out of the school in 2011, beating their mother when she protested. Their mother ran away with the girls so she could return them to the school and now lives in a secret location.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) (Barbara Davidson)

The girls observe the Durga Puja festival, which honors the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo, hence the victory of good over evil.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The girls get three meals a day at the boarding school, which is also supported by the local government. They are served food in shifts so as to accommodate all the children fairly.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Sabhyata, 12, sleeps after reading a book.

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Thousands of young girls in India and Nepal are sold for sex and imprisoned in urban brothels in Kolkata, New Delhi and Bombay. The girls thrive when given an education.

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Think of it as a North Korean Best Buy  a shop stuffed with refrigerators, karaoke machines, laptop computers and flat-screen TVs. But with a square footage closer to a typical American 7-Eleven than a big-box store, the Pothonggang Information Technology Center has to be selective about what products it puts on its shelves.

So its telling that nearly one whole wall of the shop was crammed last week with solar panels, inverters and battery packs designed to store up the suns energy. The cheapest panel, a 50-watt Chinese import, was selling for about $35 at the official exchange rate  about a typical months wage for a factory worker  while a 200-watt, 24-volt version was going for about $160.

Were selling about 150 panels a month, said the clerk, who had never before seen a foreign reporter walk into his shop and declined to give his name. Our government has made using natural energy a priority, so from last year weve been selling them quite actively. At first, it was individual families, but now factories and offices are buying them too.

Beset by crippling power shortages for decades, North Koreans are turning to solar power in a major way. With cheap panels readily available in neighboring China, a gray market expanding in North Korea, and a green-energy drive endorsed by supreme leader Kim Jong Un, theres been a remarkable flowering of photovoltaic panels across the insular country.

Though North Korea has not published any figures, the panels can be seen on the balconies of nearly every apartment building in the capital, Pyongyang, and many streetlights are powered by the sun. Larger arrays, along with solar water heaters, have been affixed to industrial sites such as the Kim Jong Suk Pyongyang Silk Factory and the Jangchon collective farm on the southeastern outskirts of the capital. A large solar field was installed last fall on Pyongyangs Ssuk Island near a new showcase complex called the Sci-tech Center, a sort of exploratorium/library/research hub, which also boasts of having geothermal technology.

Solar panels, and a solar powered streetlight, at a farm complex on the outskirts of Pyongyang, North Korea. The worker housing in the distance has solar water heaters on the roof. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times )

To be sure, solar power is nowhere near being a cure-all for North Koreas overall energy needs; hydropower and coal-fired plants are the overtaxed workhorses of the socialist states crumbling grid. David Von Hippel, a researcher with the Nautilus Institute in Berkeley who has been studying the countrys power infrastructure since the 1990s, estimates solar accounted for just 0.1% of all electricity generated in the country in 2015.

Nevertheless, solar is having an outsized effect on ordinary peoples lives. It may be a small amount of electricity but its used for things that really matter a lot, he says. You cant use it very well to run a factory or light a whole office building, at least with the number and size of solar panels theyre using. But if it gives you access to charging your phone or using your computer or DVD player or having some lights at night, its a great thing.

An analysis based on Chinese customs data and other information by Von Hippel and another researcher, Peter Hayes, estimates that 100,000 or more North Korean households in the country of 24 million had acquired solar panels through the end of 2014. Von Hippel says the country has imported roughly 15 megawatts of photovoltaic systems through last year -- a third of that in 2015 alone.

If it gives you access to charging your phone or using your computer or DVD player or having some lights at night, its a great thing.  David Von Hippel, a researcher with the Nautilus Institute in Berkeley

Probably more North Koreans have electricity now than they have since the 1990s, because of solar panels, says Curtis Melvin, a researcher at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University who is known for his analysis of satellite imagery of North Korea. Kim Kyong Il, a senior researcher at Pyongyangs Academy of Social Sciences, told the Associated Press last year that up to half of power in some rural areas may be coming from solar.

The largest solar farms in the secretive country, Melvin said, are at an air force facility on the west coast (about 1.3 acres of panels) and at a casino in the Rason Special Economic Zone in the northeast (1.2 acres), though he hasnt yet been able to calculate the size of the one at the Sci-tech complex in Pyongyang.

Although the grass-roots adoption of solar has been rapid in North Korea, the installed capacity is still minuscule compared with industrial-sized projects elsewhere. Riverside County's Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, by contrast, is a 550-megawatt project -- 36 times bigger than all of North Korea's estimated capacity. But it fully powers roughly the same number of U.S. households -- 160,000 -- because Americans consume so much more electricity, whereas North Koreans use their panels for one or two appliances.

The vast majority of the solar equipment being used in North Korea is Chinese-made, but the country claims to have several facilities that are producing solar equipment.

This spring, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said in a video report that the country was now producing its own indigenously designed solar panels based on research at Pyongyangs Kim Il Sung University. The Pyongyang Times said the panels were being made at a place called the Jinheung Solar Energy Battery Plant.

State-run media have also mentioned a Kwangmyong LED and Solar Cell Factory. At the Pothonggang Information Technology Center in Pyongyang, the clerks selling solar panels said some were produced in North Korea  and boasted that they were superior to their Chinese rivals.

North Koreas interest in renewable energy is not a recent fad. The country has been pursuing such technology since the collapse of the Soviet bloc, which left it cut off from the cheap fuel imports on which it had long relied. North Korea has extensive coal deposits, but produces essentially no oil of its own.

Renewable energy also fits nicely with the countrys political philosophy of self-reliance, or juche, promulgated by founding father Kim Il Sung.

Solar panels seen on individual balconies at an apartment building in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times )

Thats been the case since the 1990s, but its been a matter of making things happen, says Von Hippel.

In 1998, Von Hippel was part of an American team that installed seven wind turbines in a North Korean village called Unha. The purpose of the project, he says, was to show North Koreans and Americans can work together on something, anything.

It did work and they continued to use it really hard until it basically broke a few years later, he adds. One major issue was upkeep, he says, because it was never very easy to get in touch and exchange information long distance. It became even harder because the politics went downhill.

Kim Jong Un, who came to power in late 2011, has made solving the nations electricity shortages a major priority. The country adopted a new Renewable Energy Law in 2013 that prioritizes research and production, and Kim highlighted the need for more power during his key speech at the Seventh Workers' Party Congress this month  the first such top-level political gathering in North Korea since 1980. Before the meeting, North Korean authorities said they had completed work on two new hydropower plants.

How much power those facilities will generate is unclear. While North Korea relies on hydropower for more than 60% of its electric generation, many of the facilities do not have significant reservoirs, leaving them particularly vulnerable in droughts, as happened in 2014. Melvin and other analysts believe the country is also working on a new coal-fired plant in Pyongyang, but details are scant.

Solving North Koreas persistent energy shortages is intimately related to efforts to halt its nuclear weapons program. Back in 1994, Washington and Pyongyang inked a deal called the Agreed Framework that called on North Korea to freeze building and operating nuclear reactors that the U.S. suspected were part of a covert nuclear weapons program.

In exchange, North Korea was to receive two proliferation-resistant nuclear power reactors as well as shipments of heavy fuel oil, and the two countries were supposed to work toward normalizing economic and political relations. But that deal fell apart in 2003, and since then North Korea has become increasingly brazen about its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Von Hippel believes that failing to address the North Koreas energy needs will virtually guarantee that any solution to the nuclear weapons issue will be unachievable and unsustainable. Cooperation on renewables, he says, may be a path forward.

I think theres a lot of people at the line agency level in [North Korea] who would be overjoyed to do this kind of cooperation, but you have to get past the party-level and the state-level folks, he says. I think there are people in [South Korea] who want to do this kind of cooperation.

But they have their own gatekeepers at the political level, he says. Its kind of stuck until theres some kind of high-level decision on one side or the other, or both, I guess, and probably involving the U.S. That will break the jam and create the opportunity for these kind of exchanges.

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julie.makinen@latimes.com

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Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann abruptly resigned Monday amid intense criticism from his ruling Social Democratic Party and growing support in the country for a right-wing populist party with a strong anti-migrant message.

Faymann, whose party was routed in April 24 elections, told a news conference in Vienna that he was resigning immediately as both chancellor and party leader after more than seven years in power. The move was remarkably hurried in a country famed for its political stability and where successions are usually first lined up long in advance.

Faymann had appeared shaken by the hostile reception he received at a rally May 1 and said Monday he asked himself if he still had the strong backing of his party.

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And I have to answer no to that question, he said. The government needs a new start with new power. If you dont have that support, you cant do the job.

The Austrian government faced criticism for issues such as unemployment in addition to its handling of the migrant crisis that is challenging countries throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Vienna Mayor Michael Haeupl will take over temporarily as party leader while Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, from the conservative Austrian Peoples Party, will take over running the grand coalition government for the time being. Snap elections are possible in the Alpine country that has been one of the main transit nations and destinations for many of the hundreds of thousands of migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan arriving in Europe in the last year.

Faymann, 56, was under attack for his center-left partys dramatic fall in recent elections amid a sharp shift to the right in Austria and for his zigzag course on refugees  at first allowing some 90,000 Syrians into the country of 8.5 million but then slamming the door shut in March in a futile attempt to shore up dwindling support that, analysts said, was too little, too late.

Its a sign of the increasing nationalism in Europe, said Thomas Jaeger, a political scientist at Cologne University, of Faymanns surprise resignation, noting that working-class voters had been abandoning the Social Democrats in droves in Austria over the refugee question. People think their countries need to close the gates. Faymann at first tried to combat that sentiment and then he did an about-face. That cost him a lot of credibility.

The country and especially Faymanns Social Democratic party were still struggling to sift through the wreckage of the first round of the April 24 election for a new Austrian president. Even though the post is ceremonial with limited powers, both the Social Democratic party and its coalition partners were routed, failing to reach the second round for the first time in post-World War II history.

The far-right Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer finished first with 35% of the vote. Hofer is favored to win the May 22 runoff election against the second-place finisher, independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen.

A far-right party in Austrias northern neighbor, the Alternative for Germany, has also surged to record high levels, winning nearly 25% in a recent state election and getting 15% in national opinion polls. In Denmark, a far-right partys rise has led the government in Copenhagen to tighten restrictions on migrants.

Kirschbaum is a special correspondent.
Some men and boys hoisted big plastic bags filled with belongings onto their shoulders and other people picked up whatever they could carry Tuesday on their way out of Greeces largest informal refugee camp in Idomeni.

Greek authorities began evacuating the site near the border with Macedonia, providing buses for hundreds of refugees who were being relocated to organized facilities.

About 2,000 of the more than 8,000 people at the camp were moved Tuesday, with officials saying the evacuation could last more than a week.

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There were no reports of violence at the camp, which as recently as March was home to more than 14,000 people, most of them fleeing war or poverty in such places as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Many people moved on from the tent city as they found other places to live.

As long as the movement of people from Idomeni is voluntary in nature [and] were not seeing use of force, then we dont have particular concerns about that, Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency, reportedly said in Geneva. It often does help to move people into more organized sites.

The Save the Children aid agency said it was concerned about the lack of services in the facilities where the refugees and migrants are being relocated.

Authorities managing the relocation process need to take into consideration whats in the best interest of each family or child  which is easier said than done in a process where groups of vulnerable people are being relocated en masse, said Amy Frost, team leader for Save the Childrens response to the refugee crisis in Greece.

Many of the children, especially lone children, have been through enough trauma already, either back home, along the journey or where theyve been staying for weeks in transit facilities lacking basic services. Additional relocations to formal camps need to be managed sensitively to ensure the process is not adding to their trauma.

Idomeni is a small village with a rail link leading to Macedonia and Central Europe and became the most-used crossing point for many of the million people who streamed into Greece over the last year from the Turkish coast.

But Macedonia shut its border this year, causing a humanitarian logjam at the site. The rail line has been shut for about 65 days, causing grief for transporters and exporters.

Many refugees refused to leave when the border was closed, believing the status would change back and migrants would be allowed to make their way to wealthier European countries such as Germany. But as the borders remained closed, the number of people at the camp grew.

Reports of intermittent violence among camp residents and police, including on the Macedonian side, and health, food and sanitation problems became a hallmark of life in Idomeni amid bad weather. The aid group Doctors Without Borders pulled its team of doctors and medical workers from the camp temporarily last week for security reasons.

Under the terms of a March 18 agreement between the European Union and Turkey, migrants and refugees arriving after midnight on March 20 are subject to a fast-track asylum process that will see them returned to Turkey if they are deemed to not be in need of asylum. The agreement has served as a deterrent to refugees and migrants making the sea crossing to the Greek islands, the European Unions southeastern frontier, from the Turkish coast, with the numbers dropping from several thousands a day to about 100, officials said.

As part of the deal, the migrants and refugees in Greece before midnight on March 20 will be relocated. The agreement foresaw 6,000 relocations within a month and at least 20,000 by mid-May. Little has been done.

Greek authorities said Tuesday that the number of refugees and migrants housed on the Greek mainland and islands totaled 54,000. There were 50,000 on March 21, a day after the pact went into effect, indicating that European leaders have not resolved how to deal with the unprecedented numbers of refugees flowing into the continent and how many each nation should accept.

The Idomeni evacuations began as Turkey hosted the World Humanitarian Summit, a U.N.-backed meeting to tackle the needs of the 130 million people around the world who need aid to survive. It was attended by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who emphasized the burden imposed on financially strapped Greece by the refugee crisis.

We in Greece are in the midst of a multidimensional humanitarian challenge, Tsipras said at the summit in Istanbul. After six years of economic crisis and harsh, unfair austerity measures, poverty and unemployment [have] risen dramatically. At the same time, Greece is on the front line of an unprecedented wave of refugees.

Petrakis is a special correspondent.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora has accused the Zimbabwe Republic Police of acting as if they are the security department of the ruling Zanu PF afrt6er they attempted to block the Bulawayo schedule party's mass protest."Once again the MDC-T had to seek the intervention of the courts for it to proceed with the Bulawayo chapter of the march against Poverty and Corruption. As much faced with a notice for a peaceful march the Police predictably sought to ban it," he said. "In doing this the Police acted typically as the security Department of a timid Zanu PF. Ironically, when Zanu PF arranged the so called one million man march, against itself the Police were loudly silent. The MDC T has drawn the line in the sand: Never again shall we allow discrimination of a black people by a black government. We shall jealously guard our constitutional right to demonstrate peacefully."He said those who stand in our way will be prevailed upon."Our march is against the endemic and debilitating poverty to which Zimbabweans have been consigned by this evil regime. It is a march against the theft of our $15 billion by the state officials and their criminal associates. It is also a march against the cancerous scourge of corruption afflicting our state and its administration," Mwonzora said. "Zimbabwe probably has the highest unemployment rate on earth and yet this government promised 2,2 million jobs three years ago. We demand these jobs. Black Zimbabweans like Patrick Nabanyana, Itayi Dzamara and others remain missing in a country led by a black government."He said they demand that government distinguishes itself from that of Ian Smith."To add insult to injury in an effort to mop up the little US dollars that Zimbabweans are holding in the economy the government has conceived this evil plan to introduce the bond notes. The currency black market, spurred by the government big wigs with unlimited access to bond notes will again flourish. In this way, the ruling party wants to fund its violent campaign in 2018. Zimbabweans shall not stand idly. Together we will resist this evil: we shall overcome. Victory is certain," Mwonzora said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

ZIMBABWE Liberation War Association Secretary-general Victor Matemadanda yesterday accused Bulawayo Provincial Minister of State Affairs Eunice-Sandi Moyo as a lier and a member of the former Vice president Joice Mujuru party."She (Moyo) has been one of the leaders of Gamatox. We know how she moved from there to the current set-up, but then she goes on to lie to the First Lady (Grace Mugabe) pretending to be loving the First Lady and First Family when we know she is still linked to (expelled former Vice-President Joice) Mujuru," he claimed."If we have people like Sandi Moyo, who think their other side is not known, then they will keep lying to the President (Mugabe), so that people will not get a chance to give the correct story about these people. We as war veterans have decided to tell it as it is."Matemadanda said they had documented numerous alleged misdeeds by Grace's juniors. He claimed Moyo was running a vehicle project for women in Bulawayo on behalf of Mujuru and that the Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister was closer to the axed vice-president than to Grace and was also clandestinely campaigning to dislodge Mnangagwa and his counterpart, Phelekezela Mphoko."We are prepared to prove that and if there is going to be commotion and confusion in the women's league for the good, then we will be happy about that because we are not fabricating or creating stories," he said."We are saying what we know is true. We hope this is going to save our party because it was near collapse as a result of these people, who always lie to the First Family and we now want to expose them."Moyo yesterday dismissed Matemadanda's accusations, saying she had no time to respond to his allegations."He (Matemadanda) just wants to create confusion. I don't belong to the war veterans' association. He is not a spokesperson of Zanu-PF, so I don't listen to what he says," she fumed."I know where I belong and I belong to Zanu-PF. He has been going all over the country fighting everyone."What does he know about me that is not known by my friends? Matemadanda is not my friend. We want to focus on women's league issues and I don't have time for his allegations," Moyo said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Welshman Ncube's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has dismissed President Robert Mugabe's attacks on the opposition and prediction of a Zanu-PF victory in 2018 as "a winter dream"."The MDC will not be distracted by any threats or any of Mugabe's theatrical talk meant to portray himself as 'the chosen one' when he is 'not the chosen one': MDC spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi said."We have the people and the required formula to boot Mugabe out of office in a free and fair election with or without State-sponsored political violence."Mugabe is on his way out and only a mad person will vote for the fragmented and lifeless Zanu-PF that has no chance of surviving future elections. The people of Zimbabwe should start working on the future"Chihwayi said Mugabe has evidently failed to eradicate corruption, resuscitate local industry, empower the people and productively organise and fund local farmers to promote food production.Addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at Chamisa Primary School in Gutu recently, Mugabe described his foes as ideologically bankrupt and with no capacity to defeat him at the ballot box."We have ideology as Zanu-PF, something that opposition parties do not have, whether its MDC-T, MDC-N or MDC-Z. I do not know or whether its Makoni's Mavambo/Dawn/Kusile, or that small party, which calls itself People First, what is People First?" he asked rhetorically.Mugabe said, come 2018 polls, other contenders to the country's top post will be shocked.Chihwayi said it is cheap politicking for Mugabe to say "the opposition is wasting its time" instead of stepping down."Contrary to Mugabe assertions, the opposition in Zimbabwe is alive and working on a post-Mugabe era," he said."The MDC embraces the idea of an all-inclusive bigger political project that will restore both economic and political sanity in Zimbabwe."
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central province is reportedly plotting to impose Provincial Affairs minister Martin Dinha to stand as a candidate in the July 23 by elections to replace3 the late Mazowe North MP Edgar Chidavaenzi.Sources said the campaign was being spearheaded by Zanu-PF political commissar and the leader of the party in the province Saviour Kasukuwere. Dinha refused to comment on the matter.The party is supposed to hold primary polls on Thursday.President Robert Mugabe last Wednesday reportedly left Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere with an egg on his face at a meeting with party provincial chairpersons after he accused him of fuelling the chaos rocking the ruling party.Impeccable sources yesterday said that Mugabe called for the meeting initially at the ruling party headquarters before switching it to the State House.Zanu PF insider said Mugabe asked for a meeting with chairpersons that was organized by Kasukuwere to get a clear picture of what is going on across the country.
An Allentown man is accused of driving another man from Philadelphia to Allentown on the promise to "hook up with chicks," but instead stabbing the passenger and leaving him injured and naked on a city street, police said.

Craig Hansford, 56, of the first block of East Wyoming Street, was arraigned Monday night on two counts of aggravated assault and a single count of simple assault. Hansford was sent to Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Police said they were called at 6:42 a.m. Monday to Armour and Wyoming streets and found the victim naked and suffering from serious cuts, stabs wounds and bruises all over his body.

The victim was taken to St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill, where it was discovered the man had significant injuries to his ribs, torso and head, including a lacerated liver and lungs, police said.

Police said the man is expected to survive his injuries.

The victim told police he met Hansford at a bar in Philadelphia, and they traveled to Allentown to "hook up with chicks," according to police.

When they got to Hansford's Allentown home, police said, the pair began to argue and Hansford attacked the man with what he believed to be a screwdriver.

Police said the victim identified Hansford in a photo lineup.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A known drug dealer with a lengthy criminal background was nabbed during a cocaine sale in a Bethlehem parking lot, city police said.

Dennis Gonce (Courtesy photo)

Dennis Gonce, 48, of the 1400 block of East Fifth Street in Bethlehem, at about 3 p.m. Monday was parked in an Audi in the lot of Ahart's Market near Montclair Avenue and Broadway.

Police witnessed Gonce exit the Audi when another man pulled into the lot. Gonce then gave the man cocaine in a plastic bag for $60, police said.

Police later recovered the cocaine from the other man. Police said they searched Gonce and also seized 34 prescription pills of the nerve pain medication, Lyrica.

Police said Gonce has prior convictions across multiple states for possession with intent to deliver heroin, cocaine possession, eluding law enforcement and battery.

Gonce is charged in Monday's case with possession with intent to deliver drugs and possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned before District Judge Jacqueline Taschner, who set bail at $75,000.

In lieu of bail, Gonce was taken to Northampton County Prison.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Stream escapes spill threat after Route 33 crash, official says

Monday evening's rush-hour crash that closed Route 33 North in Northampton County was the result of a southbound driver losing control and crossing the grassy median, Pennsylvania State Police said.

The driver, a 22-year-old man from Monroe County, was injured and faces a citation, state police at Belfast said Monday night.

The crash occurred just after 5:40 p.m. on the northbound side of the highway in Palmer Township, between the Route 248 and Tatamy interchanges.

Christopher R. Fehnel, of Kunkletown, was driving a 2012 Dodge Durango south on Route 33 approaching mile-marker 7.3 in the left, passing lane, police said.

He lost control of the SUV and drove off the road in a southeast direction, causing the vehicle to rotate counterclockwise through the median, Trooper Robert Hooper wrote in a news release.

The Durango entered the right lane of Route 33 North at mile-marker 7.2, into the path of a 2012 International Harvester tractor-trailer driven by Kevin D. Beers, 43, of Burnet, Texas, police said.

Beers veered left, but the rig collided with the rear passenger side of Fehnel's Durango, pushing the SUV into the northbound eastern guardrail, police said. The tractor-trailer continued northwest into the grassy median before coming to a stop.

Fehnel had to be freed from the wreckage by the Palmer Municipal Fire Department and was taken by Suburban EMS to St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill for evaluation of injuries suffered in the crash, police said.

Both drivers wore seat belts, and police indicated neither had any passengers.

Diesel and transmission fluids spilled as a result of the collision, and possibly affected the Schoeneck Creek that flows under the highway, township fire Marshal Jim Alercia said. Northampton County emergency management officials responded to contain the spill.

Authorities closed northbound Route 33 for about an hour.

Multiple troopers assisted at the scene, as did Fast Lane Towing.

Fehnel faces a citation under state law for roads laned for traffic, Hooper said.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
New York City stage actor Joseph McGranaghan will serve as a guest artist at two upcoming theater workshops in the Lehigh Valley.

Equity actor Joseph McGranaghan will join American Monarch Theatre Company as a guest teaching artist for two upcoming summer workshops offered at the State Theatre and in Northhampton in 2016.

McGranaghan, a member of the Equity stage actors' union, will help with workshops next month in Easton and Northampton, each hosted by the American Monarch Theatre Company.

McGranaghan is an actor, writer and teaching artist. He has worked off Broadway with various companies. He is certified in hand-to-hand stage combat, has been choreographer/fight director for several Shakespeare productions for young performers and is trained in contemporary and classic English drama.

He'll participate in the Nail That Audition workshop to be held at 11 a.m. June 11 at the Easton Hospital Gallery in the State Theatre. Cost is $30.

He'll also be in the intensive weekend workshop Prep for Success. The two-day session for dedicated actors will be 1 to 5 p.m. June 16 and 17 at 3D Dance in Northampton. Cost is $100.

The American Monarch Theatre Company was founded in August 2015 by Easton husband and wife John Andreadis and Colette Boudreaux. The company will participate in a preview party for the State Theatre Freddy Awards on Thursday, May 26.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Easton police announced an investigation Tuesday into two, separate incidences of occupants of a minivan offering candy to juvenile males.

Easton police say they took reports of two, separate incidents a little more than 90 minutes apart May 23, 2016, on the city's South Side of occupants of a minivan offering candy to boys. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

There was no attempt at physical contact with the boys, in what police Detective Matthew Rush in a news release termed suspicious activity.

Both incidents occurred Monday on South Side and involved a green minivan, police said.

The first boy was approached about 3:15 p.m. in the area of Folk and Lincoln streets by the van occupied by a lone male driver.

The second boy was approached about 5 p.m. in the area of the 200 block of West Wilkes-Barre Street, with four male occupants in the van.

Police had a limited description of the occupants, including that they appeared to be in their 20s and had short, dark hair with little or no facial hair, according to the release.

Police ask anyone with information on the incident to call Rush at 610-250-6639 or the Easton Police Department Anonymous Tipline at 610-250-6635.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
John Morganelli

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli

(Rudy Miller)

Legalizing online gambling in Pennsylvania will boost crime and gambling addictions, according to Northampton County's district attorney.

District Attorney John Morganelli said he doesn't oppose brick and mortar casinos, but making gambling legal online is going a step too far, he said at a news conference Tuesday.

A gambling addict may have the self-discipline to stay home from a casino but will be tempted to gamble if it's as easy as turning on a computer.

"People gamble away their salaries, their savings, their lives," Morganelli said. "The people who cannot fight their addiction lose everything."

Morganelli will call on district attorneys across the state to take a position against online gaming and will contact local legislators Wednesday to share his opinions.

Online gamers use electronic cash, which can prevent them from understanding how much they're losing. And the electronic cash is harder to trace than regular cash, which means electronic gambling can help promote money laundering and tax evasion, Morganelli said.

He noted the case of Lehigh University class president Greg Hogan, who got so sucked into online gambling he eventually robbed a bank to try to recoup his losses.

"His online poker addiction drove him to become someone else, someone that not even his closest friends or family recognized," Morganelli said.

He mentioned a Catholic nun embezzled $850,000 from the university where she worked to cover up her gambling losses.

He said the suicide and bankruptcy rates go up in major gambling areas. Scam websites posing as legitimate online gambling sites open the door to identity theft, he said.

"It is my hope that Pennsylvania legislative leaders scrap any idea of the expansion of gambling in Pennsylvania," he said. "In my view it will clearly lead to an increase in crime, poverty among those who can least afford it, addictions and social instability."

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The Delaware River is seen in August 2015 from Mount Tammany in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area/Worthington State Forest. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

Day-use hours have a new, shorter definition at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and are included among new rules announced for the federal park spanning the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border.

The new limits are included in the park's "Superintendent's Compendium of Designations, Closures, Permit Requirements, and Other Restrictions," revised for 2016.

John J. Donahue, superintendent for the national recreation area, announced the changes in a news release Friday afternoon.

"There are several changes in our regulations this year that the public should be aware of before planning a visit," he stated in the announcement. "We expect that these changes will result in better and safer experiences for our visitors and improved protection of park resources."

Changes for 2016, according to the announcement, include:

Hours of operation: All "day use" recreation sites that were previously open from 6 am to 10 pm are now open from sunrise to sunset. Milford Beach, Smithfield Beach and Turtle Beach swimming and picnic areas are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. George W. Childs Recreation Site and the Dingmans Falls Visitor Center parking area will be open at 8 am and will close at sunset. A complete list of day use sites subject to the new hours of operation is available in the compendium. Exceptions include those who are actively engaged in fishing or hunting, hiking on the Appalachian Trail, or on an authorized overnight river trip.

Picnicking: Groups of 20 or more people must use a designated picnic area designed to accommodate large groups. Groups of 30 or more require a permit. Designated picnic areas for large groups include: Turtle Beach, Namanock Recreation Site and Watergate Recreation Site in New Jersey and Milford Beach, Smithfield Beach, Toms Creek Picnic Area and Hialeah Picnic Area in Pennsylvania.

Glass containers: Are prohibited at the following locations: Adams Creek, George W. Childs Recreation Site, Hacker's Falls, Indian Ladders/Hornbecks Creek, Raymondskill Falls (from the park boundary to the confluence with the Delaware River) and Tumbling Waters/Mill Creek in Pennsylvania and Van Campens Glen and Karamac in New Jersey.

Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages: Several sites have been added to the list of areas where the consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. A full listing of these locations is available in the compendium.

Swimming and wading: Swimming and wading are prohibited (unless actively fishing) at the following locations: Van Campens Brook, Big Flatbrook Creek from Blewitt Tract to the Delaware River and along the river at Kittatinny Point in New Jersey and at George W. Childs Recreation Site, Adams Creek, Toms Creek and the portion of Dingmans Creek lying between a point about 100 feet upstream of Dingmans Falls and the Dingmans Falls Visitor Center parking lot in Pennsylvania.

In addition, swimming is prohibited in the Delaware River within 50 feet of designated motorized and non-motorized vessel launch and retrieval sites at Smithfield Beach, Dingmans Launch, Kittatinny Point Launch and Bushkill Launch; within 50 feet of the top of any waterfall; and when conditions are determined to be unsafe in the Delaware River.

Fires and cooking: Ground fires are prohibited throughout the park except in designated areas such as authorized campgrounds and in fire grates at river campsites. Lighting personally owned grills, stoves, lanterns or other food heating/preparation devices is prohibited throughout the park except at designated picnic sites where such devices and activities are allowed. Those areas include: Milford Beach; Toms Creek Picnic Area; Bushkill General Store Picnic Area; Smithfield Beach; and Hialeah Picnic Area in Pennsylvania; Turtle Beach; Watergate Recreation Site; Blue Mountain Lake (Dam Area); Crater Lake (Picnic Area Only); and Namanock Recreation Site in New Jersey.

Personally owned camping stoves are permitted to be used along the Appalachian Trail in accordance with regulations. Lighting or maintaining a ground fire, grill, stove, lantern or other food heating/ preparation device is prohibited at Kittatinny Point in New Jersey and at George W. Childs Recreation Site in Pennsylvania.

Adams Creek closure: The Adams Creek drainage, from the lower waterfall pool upstream to the park boundary, including the Sproul Road and Long Meadow Road trailheads, is closed due to public hazard from May 1 to Sept. 30. This includes the upper waterfall and pool.

River camping: Camping is permitted in designated areas for boaters who are on an authorized overnight river trip. Camping is limited to one night per site. Campers must vacate sites by 11 a.m.; sites are limited to 10 people and five tents; and tents must be set up within 50 feet of the fire grates. Alosa River Campsites are available by reservation only. A list of authorized one-, two- and three-day river trips can be found in the compendium.

Commercial vehicles: Commercial vehicles are prohibited on all park roads, with one exception: Commercial vehicles can travel on Route 209 north to the intersection with Bushkill Falls Road and south from Milford to the intersection with the Route 206 (Milford) toll bridge. Legislation allowing some specific commercial traffic exemptions on Route 209 is pending.

Fishing: The use of crayfish, clams, mussels, reptiles or amphibians as fish bait is prohibited unless it is a commercially produced, preserved and packaged product.

Parking: Parking is permitted in designated parking areas while vehicle occupants are participating in a recognized recreational activity within the park. Parking outside of designated parking areas is prohibited with some exceptions outlined in the compendium. Parking at Johnny Bee Road off of Route 209 near Dingmans Falls is limited to four hours while vehicle occupants engage in recognized recreational activities in the park. Illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed and towed.

Climbing, jumping or diving: These activities are prohibited at all waterfalls and waterfall pools and the Karamac bridge abutments.

Visit the park's website at nps.gov/dewa for more information, including maps of areas for public assemblies, demonstrations and gatherings; alcoholic beverage closures and hunting restrictions on the Pennsylvania side.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Lehigh Valley stop rescheduled on historic solar-powered flight

This handout file photo from Solar Impulse 2 taken on May 21, 2016, shows ground crew members towing the experimental solar-powered aircraft to the runway in preparation for takeoff in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is set to soar Wednesday, May 25, 2016, from Dayton, Ohio, to Lehigh Valley International Airport on the 13th leg of a bid to fly around the world with solely solar power. (Getty Images | For lehighvalleylive.com)

UPDATE: Solar-power flight into the Lehigh Valley going 'smoothly'

Postponed from Tuesday night, the flight of a solar-powered plane into the Lehigh Valley has been rescheduled for Wednesday night.

The Solar Impulse 2 is set to arrive about 9 p.m. at Lehigh Valley International Airport outside Allentown, in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.

It is coming in from Dayton, Ohio, on the 13th leg of an attempt to make aviation history with the first-ever around-the-world solar flight.

The flight had been scheduled Tuesday, until the plane was contacted by fabric in a mobile hangar set up during the stopover in Dayton.

"After a final inspection of our engineers, no damage to the Solar Impulse 2 was discovered," read a statement Tuesday afternoon from media representatives for Solar Impulse 2.

The plane is the creation of Swiss aeronautics pioneers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg and is capable of flying day and night without the use of any fossil fuels.

Wednesday night's landing is set to be broadcast live at www.solarimpulse.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Solar-powered flight into Lehigh Valley is postopned

A handout image released by Solar Impulse on May 13, 2016, shows the Solar Impulse 2 aircraft approaching to touch down in Tulsa, Oklahoma, late the previous day. (European Pressphoto Agency | For lehighvalleylive.com)

UPDATE: Lehigh Valley stop rescheduled on historic solar-powered flight

Tuesday's flight of a solar-powered plane to the Lehigh Valley is postponed due to a mishap in Ohio.

Media representatives for the Solar Impulse 2 announced the postponement Monday night.

Powered entirely by solar panels and using no fossil fuels, the plane had been set to travel 17 hours from Dayton International Airport to Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.

Monday night's statement read as follows:

"During a failure of the cabinet of the Solar Impulse mobile hangar the plane was briefly touched by the hangars fabric. The cabinet distributes the fan power needed to keep the mobile hangar inflated.

"After a first check by the engineers, no damage is being seen on the plane. However this will have to be studied more carefully over the next few days and as such the flight from Dayton to Lehigh Valley has been postponed.

"The airplane safety and risk mitigation is of paramount importance and hence Solar Impulse wants to ensure that the structures that was touched is in perfect working order.

"For the newest updates, please sign to our blog on http://blog.solarimpulse.com/. We will keep you updated."

The plane began its solar journey in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi and has been to Oman, India, Myanmar, China and Japan, Hawaii and California. It is now midway across the United States, heading to New York to position for the crossing of the Atlantic and is due to arrive back in Abu Dhabi by late July.

Its four electric engines are powered by more than 17,000 solar cells built into its carbon-fiber wings.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Charles H. Williams

Charles Williams

(Courtesy Photo)

The attorney for a Slate Belt man argued Tuesday his client was illegally arrested after firing a gun inside his home while his wife and her young son were inside.

Attorney Matthew Goodrich argued police should have waited for an arrest warrant before picking up Charles Williams on New Year's Eve 2015.

The 45-year-old Washington Township, Northampton County, man allegedly fired a gun inside his home in the first block of Rainbow Drive late Dec. 30, 2015.

Williams went missing that night, and in the morning officer Molly Brown was directed to obtain a warrant for his arrest from Senior District Judge Sherwood Grigg. His office wasn't open yet, so she drove down South Main Street, where she saw a man in a hoodie she suspected was Williams.

When she yelled "Good morning" to him, he kept walking. She called to him again, and she said she recognized him and saw a gun sticking out of his right pants pocket.

Goodrich questioned whether Brown could recognize Williams from the other side of the street, much less see that he was carrying a gun. He was licensed to carry the gun, Brown admitted.

Goodrich emphasized police have no right to detain random citizens.

Goodrich also wants to prevent jurors from hearing a 911 recording on the night in question. He called the transmission confusing because multiple dispatchers are talking over one another.

Northampton County Judge Paula Roscioli will rule on the matter after Goodrich and Assistant District Attorney Erika Farkas submit legal briefs. The trial is tentatively scheduled for August.

Williams is charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and three counts of recklessly endangering another person.

The following charges were dismissed by Judge Grigg at the preliminary hearing: four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, and single counts of harassment and simple assault.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
News / National

by Staff reporter

As Zanu-PF's march-hyped million man march gets underway tomorrow ,long suffering Zimbabweans say the demonstrating party members would best use the opportunity by telling president Robert Mugabe to step down, rather than massage the increasingly frail non agrarian's ego.The controversial demonstration, a brainchild of the former liberation movements youths league aligned to the party's generation 40 faction has now been grudgingly embraced by the embattled vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa's supporters after Mugabe was recently reported to have arm twisted war veterans to support it.Opposition parties and civil society groups yesterday continued to pile pressure on Zanu-PF to call off their planned million man march in solidarity with President Robert Mugabe tomorrow, describing it as useless waste of resources.The march, expected to cost at least $600 000 comes at a time the national economy is on a brink with banks facing crippling cash shortages.The MDC-T said people should instead use the march to call on Mugabe and the government to immediately step down.
Lehigh Valley sharing in $17.5 million in intersection upgrades

Route 512 (Pennsylvania Avenue) at Robinson Avenue in Pen Argyl is seen May 16, 2016, the day Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced a $160,500 grant for upgrades to the intersection from Act 89 of 2013 fees on motorists. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylve.com)

Municipalities in Lehigh and Northampton counties are receiving more than $300,000 in all from $17.5 million in grants announced last week for intersection improvements across Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced two rounds of grants, one totaling $12 million for traffic signal upgrades paid for by Act 89 of 2013, the state's transportation funding plan that raised a host of fees on drivers.

The other grants total $5.5 million, coming from the Automated Red Light Enforcement program in place at 28 intersections in Philadelphia.

Of both rounds of grants, the largest sum for the Lehigh Valley region is $160,500 from Act 89 dollars, going toward upgrades of Route 512 (Pennsylvania Avenue) and Robinson Avenue in Pen Argyl.

"This is the main intersection in Pen Argyl and woefully outdated," borough Manager Robin Zmoda said in an email. "This project is part of the enhancements Pen Argyl Borough would like to complete in order to assist in the revitalization efforts in Pen Argyl and the entire Slate Belt region.

"The upgrade will allow for safer pedestrian, improved (Americans with Disabilities Act) crossings and smoother traffic flow through the busy intersection -- an overall modernization of the intersection."

Here are the other local grants announced by Wolf through the grant programs:

From Act 89 "Green Light-Go" grants:

Lehigh County

Heidelberg Township, $4,917 to install an uninterruptible power supply system at the intersection at Route 309 and Route 4029 (Northwest Road).

South Whitehall Township, $8,000 to improve traffic signal retiming at the intersections of Route 1002 (Tilghman Street) and Parkway Road, Route 1017 (Mauch Chunk Road) and Scherersville Road, and Route 1017 (Mauch Chunk Road) and Route 1021 (Perma Avenue).

Upper Macungie Township, $35,000 to install traffic signal emergency vehicle pre-emption systems at the intersections of Route 6222 (Hamilton Boulevard) and Continental Way, Route 6222 (Hamilton Boulevard) and Trexlertown Shopping Center, Route 6222 and Trexler Mall Entrance, Route 6222 (Hamilton Boulevard) and Route 2012 (Lower Macungie Road), and Route 3008 (Cetronia Road) and Route 2015 (Schantz Road).

Northampton County

Bath, $2,895 to install a video detection camera at the intersection of Route 512 and Barrall Avenue.

Upper Nazareth Township, $7,000 to install emergency vehicle pre-emption at the intersection of Route 248 and Route 946.

From Automated Red Light Enforcement grants:

Northampton County

East Allen Township, $67,409 to install video detection along the approaches to the intersection of Route 329 (Nor-Bath Boulevard) and Route 3023 and the addition of a westbound advance left-turn phase to be added to the signal timings.

Walnutport, $24,000 to improve the existing signal at the intersection of Route 145 and Main Street by replacing LED modules and the addition of an emergency vehicle pre-emption system.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
In 2016, many families will see their child or children off to college for the first time, others will see their children return.

For these families, this can be an extremely stressful time, as the cost of third level education continues to spiral, having a huge impact on family budgets and household spending.

People First Credit Union have this year increased their Student Bursary Award from 1,000 to 4,000 to help support a student attending third level college for the first time. It can be a very stressful time for both students and parents financially and People First Credit Union would like to remind their members that the credit union is here to help. To apply for the Bursary Award simply visit www.peoplefirstcu.ie/downloads.

People First Credit Union have just launched a new education loan at 6.5 % which can help families in the Portlaoise and Abbeyleix areas cover these costs.

Research commissioned in 2015 by the Irish League of Credit Unions, found that 72% of parents who support their children through 3rd level education struggle to cover these costs. Monthly income and savings continue to be the most popular way in which parents fund their childs college education with credit union loans being the next most popular method.

Sean Dunne, CEO, said: The significant cost of third level education puts phenomenal pressure on both parents and students starting or returning to 3rd level education this year. The student registration fee combined with monthly rent and bills, books and materials, food and day to day expenses are a significant financial burden to many families.

We are keenly aware of the huge financial burden which 3rd level education places on students and their families in our area. People First Credit Union is available to support both parents and students as they prepare for the academic year. We offer a very competitive student and education loan rate of 6.5 %. We encourage anyone who is looking to finance their education or who simply want some advice on planning ahead or budgeting to call into their local credit union and speak to a member of staff. Planning ahead where possible is the best way to prepare for these expenses.
A Scotsman now living in Portarlington has just returned from a gruelling 100 mile hike across his native mountains, all for a charity that helped his son Finn.

Gary Tonner arrived back footsore but happy to his Lough Gate home last Wednesday, having raised nearly 7,500 for the charity 22q11 Ireland by dong the 100 mile West Highland Way Walk.

It was bloody awful but I enjoyed it, we got the views and the good weather, but it was constant pounding on sharp jagged rocks. The last day we did 17 miles in 26 degree heat, he told the Leinster Express.

His brother Dave and friend Chris Mannering did the hike with him, sleeping in anything from b&bs to hiking huts for the six day ordeal.

Finn aged 2 and a half was born with a heart murmur, and underwent openheart surgery at three months.

After tests, he was diagnosed with the genetic disorder 22q11 deletion syndrome, also known as Di George Syndrome.

Gary and his wife Rosanne were totally shocked.

We had never heard of it, and the professors knew little about it either, he said.

The couple found the support group 22q11Ireland and got in contact with them.

They were a fantastic support and a font of information to us, Gary said.

Finn has been in physio all his young life due to low muscle tone, which has caused his spine to curve to develop scoliosis.

He has to wear a body brace for 23 hours a day until he stops growing in his teens, with hopes this will avert a need for spinal surgery.

Finn will always have ongoing issues. He has 180 different symptoms. But his heart is good now. He doesn't speak yet, his milestones are delayed, but he is great, he is full of divilment like his brothers, said his proud dad.

Finn has three older brothers, Adam, Cian and Daragh .

The support they got drove the tired hikers on.

The support via social media and the power of it to fundraise was stupendous, with people sharing our posts and strangers donating, one person we don't know gave 500, said Gary.

He particularly thanked everyone who supported him in his local pub, the Barrow Lodge.

The support we got makes the pain of recovery a lot easier. I'm happy I've done this, said Gary, an engineer based at Intel.

22q11 Ireland is a non-profit organisation that supports over 150 families affected by 22q11 deletion syndrome.

It was founded by Anne Lawlor after her daughter was diagnosed. The disorder affects one in 1,000 people.

Gary still hopes to make his target of 8,000. Donate at give.everydayhero.com/ie/ 100-mile-west-highland-way-walk-for-22qireland or see his facebook page.
Lets put it this way, hes in a palliative hospice. I know that any day could be the day.

Theyre the heartbreaking words of Ticknevin woman Tracy McGinnis who is a full time carer for her oldest son Brendan, who was born with Congential CMV.

Normally having the condition known as CMV, or Cytomegalovirus, in healthy adults does not cause any symptoms, unless they have a weakened immune system.

However, if a pregnant woman contracts the virus she can pass it to her unborn child, which is an altogether more serious matter.

In Tracys case, she was working in her native US (shes from Arizona originally) as a counsellor with young children, a hotbed of infections, and believes she may be picked it up in the first trimester of her prengancy.

After Brendans birth, she spent almost eight years, from 2007, establishing and running a foundation to promote awareness of CMV in the US.

Today, she is now living with her partner and their sons Declan (7) andBrendan (now 12) in Ticknevin, near Carbury, where she says its quiet apart from the odd cow.

Brendan is non-verbal, has a very serious and complicated version of epilepsy, has osteoporosis, scoliosis, is significantly cognitively impared, has regular lung infections and cannot hold his head up for more than 20 seconds at a time.

In recent times he has become intolerant to feeding and is now on a feeding pump which needs to be switched on and off during the night.

Theres a reason that her poignant and beautifully written blog is called transitioningangels.com

Tracy knows that Brendans long term prognosis is not good. Lets put it this way hes in palliative hospice. I know that any day could be the day.

We almost lost him during a bout of pneumonia, she says.

It is utterly needless to say, but worth saying anyway, the future of healthcare forchildren in Ireland matters greatly to her.

And the recent decision to locate the new childrens hospital at St. James rather than in Blanchardstown has exercised her greatly.

It has to be all about the children, she stresses. It has to be whatever is best for them.

Campaigning group

Shes part of a group of mothers called Extra Special Kids who are campaigning for a reveral of that decision.

There are several good arguments against St. James, but what hit home for her, in particular was a suggestion that Luas would be a good mode of transport for people getting there.

Its hard to see how youre supposed to do that with somebody who is wheelchair bound, vomiting, seizuring, Im like a small hospital.

You cant do that on the Luas.

How am I going to do that from Ticknevin anyway?

Even if I lost Brendan tomorrow, Id still fight for this, she adds.

Outcomes cant improve if they dont have maternity hospital co-located.

At St James there is no room for future expansion and there is poor air quality.

Traffic into city centre will create tremendous delays for emergency services and there are restrictions there for helicopter flight.

And she noted there is a saving of 200 million to be made by choosing Connolly over St James.

Its a greenfield site so easier, cheaper and faster to build.

They could flip the sites. Put the satellite hospital at St.James and the NCH at Connolly.

There will be much easier access off the M50 coming from north, south, east and west.

An argument put forward in favour of St Jamess Hospital is that a large number of the medical professionals want it there.

But she believes that that view has been misrepresented. She is aware of some medics who say the opposite.

When it comes to childrens lives it has to be stopped  it all boils down to that, she said.

Extra Special Kids is considering the possibilty of appealing the recent decision to build the hospital at St. James.

A decision by An Bord Pleanala can be appealed to the High Court, and that is where she believes this is headed.
A local historian wants an archeological investigation into the location of Rathangan Castle to take place prior to the construction of 72 proposed houses at the Rathangan Lodge site.

Jack Kinsella has applied for permission to build a residential development on the Bracknagh Road.

A decision is due by Kildare County Council on June 6 and members of the public could make submissions until last week.

An archaeological assessment has been submitted by the applicant in relation to Rathangan Castle. It proposes a conservation architect be hired to monitor topsoil removal and other ground works.

It said if any discoveries are made, the work should be stopped in the vicinity until the various authorities are consulted.

It also suggested a buffer zone be created around an area where shards of medieval pottery were found during archaeological testing in 2006.

However, Rathangan historian, Seamus Kelly, who also worked on the Woodquay project, points out the exact location of the castle is not known.

I would like to see an architectural exploration followed by an excavation prior to building, he said.

 I have nothing against the development but you dont excavate with bulldozers, you use forks and spoons. I am calling for them to map out a ground plan for the castle and its walls.

Find the structures, preserve them as ruins and put a proper name plaque up and let people go in and see them.

He said the castle was one of the most important border castles of the 16 century and saw the Earl of Kildare battle the OConnors of Offaly.

Its as much a part of Rathangan as the Rath and a core element of the Rathangan medieval and early medieval village along with the Church, which was where the Church of Ireland is today, he added.

There are references to the castle on the 1840s first edition 6 Ordinance Survey map and there are eight references to the building in the book History of the 11th Earl of Kildare 1537-1586 which indicates its importance.

Kelly also refers to the castle in his book Ramble in Rathangan.

The last known reference was found in The Development of Ireland 1598. Kelly points out this research indicates it was founded in the 1300s and ceased to be lived in after 1598.

It was a living, working castle and it played a huge part in the action during that time.

He asks where the shards of pottery that were found are today. He questions why the site was listed for protection in the 2002 Rathangan Local Area Plan but omitted from later plans. He also points out that coins dating from the 18 century were also found there by locals.

Seamus Kelly will give a talk on the history of the castle on Sunday May 29 at 11.15am. Venue to be decided. All welcome.
News / National

by Brett MuVet

So now we have This Flag campaign. It has become so successful that Ministers in the Junta are waiting in car Parks late at night to threaten Pastors. As minister of IT he threatened to remove the said Pastor from Twitter.. #THINGSTHATSHOULDSHOCKSUPA . Twitter is not owned by the Junta comrade. #THINGSTHATSHOULDSHOCKSUPA . You are much better at selling cranes than being a minister.Where have you ever heard of such despicable tactics? Oh in Zimbabwe, done by the Junta on a daily basis.Another minister on his Twitter account- I thought Junta had banned their members from social media?- says the entire movement is sponsored by the West. What exactly was sponsored? A cellphone, Facebook and maybe data bundles??? As educated as you are, surely you should know that a cellphone can take videos, they are uploaded and shared on social media. Are you that ignorant that you cant understand that as Zimbabweans we actually can see for ourselves that you have messed up the entire country and the only solution left is for you to leave office?What we have seen is the power of just one person, backed up by the vision and the courage to follow through. Imagine if there were 2 such people? Imagine 10? What about 100? 10000?This is the time for everyone out there to stand up. We now need to speak out. Wherever you are in this world, Diaspora, at home, whether you are young, old, whether you want to go back to Zim or not, whether you're born to Zim parents who don't live there anymore, if you have just an ounce of Zimbabwe Blood in you, STAND UP. Tell everyone in your circle of influence, use social media, visit government departments of other countries and tell them we have an illegal Junta raping our country.This is just one initiative. Done by an ordinary person. Its time we combine these efforts to form one big Initiative. Our opposition parties don't seem too keen to form a coalition, maybe we the people should show them the way and form our own coalition, led by just normal people, who actually have the interests of Zimbabwe at heart, and not these "Permanent interests" that politicians keep telling us about.It doesn't need a bolt of lightening to realize that as 20 or so different opposition parties entering the same presidential race, all fielding different candidates in the 210 constituencies, the Junta stand to benefit the most. It is absolutely vital for some form of coalition to be formed going into 2018.These are interesting times indeed, where we have a lot of new activists standing up and being counted. The church has a massive base, mostly made up of decent morally upright people, who would make great presidents, ministers and Directors of Parastatals.One thing is for certain, if the opposition parties don't form a coalition, there will be a massive gap in the politics of Zimbabwe, which will be easily filled by a coalition of activists, people who don't have dirty records, compromised histories and massive amounts of baggage. Be warned, Politicians are now on borrowed time. Activists find each other and form the very thing that we are all talking about. A united front against the Junta.
Independent Leitrim County Councillor, Enda Stenson, has led a call to Irish ex-pats and family living in the UK to vote against the Brexit this June.

In a motion before Leitrim County Council's May meeting, Cllr Stenson called on all local authority members here and across Ireland to contact their relatives and friends in the UK, to urge the electorate there to vote that the UK remain part of the European Union.

Cllr Stenson said that a potential Brexit - with the UK leaving the EU - would have a detrimental effect on the Irish economy and, in particular, the agricultural industry.

If Brexit happens we will be in dire straits in the country, especially in counties like Leitrim, he warned .

We'll have the border up again and everything that this entails for us and that is simply wrong.

He asked that the motion also be circulated to other local authorities to garner more support.

Fianna Fail's councillor, Paddy O'Rourke, backed the motion stating that the campaign for the Brexit was being led by those who don't know the real benefits of being in (the EU).

However not all councillors were in support of the motion.

His party colleague, Fianna Fail councillor, Justin Warnock said that he couldn't support the motion.

It is wrong of us to ask our relations in England who have been begging for a vote here in Ireland for many years, to vote against the Brexit. he noted.

Furthermore, he cheekily added, if Britain does decide to leave the EU maybe they will leave the six counties behind them.

The Referendum on whether the UK will remain in the European Union will be held on June 23.
Counties of Ireland Jewellery are commemorating the Easter Rising with the launch of The 1916 Jewellery Collection.

The collection has been inspired by the events of 1916 and will be launched in the Leitrim Design House, at The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, on Wednesday May 25 at 7.30pm. All are welcome to join in celebrating this work.

For this brand new collection COIJ have collaborated with two Irish artists, jeweller designer/engraver Pierce Healy and visual artist Amanda Jane Graham.

Graham's design acknowledges the essential role of women in the GPO during 1916 and honours the Irish Women's Council "Cumann Na mBan" with this beautifully engraved in the pendant.

Healy demonstrates his master skills in engraving, creating a contemporary design of beautiful mark making that is reminiscent of Irish Craft since millennia.

The 1916 Jewellery Collection is a stunning range of jewellery hand-made in the Northwest of Ireland and presented in unique hand-made gift boxes. It is the perfect gift for that special someone, to celebrate an anniversary or event or just to treat yourself. COIJ can personalise any piece by engraving or setting stones. They are happy to hear your ideas and to create the perfect gift just for you.

The 1916 Jewellery Collection prices start from 69.00.

Available from The Leitrim Design House, The Dock, Carrick-onShannon and Soraya Ricalde Jewellery Studio, Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton www.countiesofirelandjewellery.com. Call Marion on 087 2595973 or email countiesofirelandjewellery@gmail.com

John & Maggie Carty

Later the same evening of this launch John & Maggie Carty perform in The Dock at 8.30pm so two great reasons to come along and there is lots more happening in the Leitrim Design House over the summer.

Save the date of June 9 when they will be launching Brid Lyons' beautiful collection of ceramics and Aria-V, a stunning jewellery collection from 4pm.

Explore your own creativity by checking out their upcoming workshops on Saturdays in July which include Weaving, Millinery, Willow and Pottery.

Visit www.leitrimdesignhouse.ie or phone 071 9650550 to book your place.

For more information follow the on Facebook-www.facebook.com/TheLeitrimDesign House.com The Leitrim Design House, The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.
The other day, a very senior German Minister said to me, Whenever I go into a European Union meeting with my British colleagues, their very first question is: Excuse me, please tell me the way to the exit?. They are spending so much energy trying to get out that they spend none building the alliances to try to win the things that we want. Canning and Castlereagh would be spinning in their graves. The truth of it is that there are things we can win in the European Union, but we will not win them by removing ourselves from it.

So said Paddy Ashdown yesterday in the Queens speech debate which touched on the imminent EU referendum. You can read the full speech here.



And it wasnt just Paddy.

So why take the risk? I understand that for some the economic consequences are a price worth paying in order to regain sovereignty and democracy, which many believe have been lost through our membership of the EU. Indeed, my understanding from the Daily Telegraph and the Scotsman is that the good people attending a Vote Leave rally in Stirling 10 days ago were told that they should consider the Declaration of Arbroath, written by one Abbot Bernardno relation, I think, to Bernard Jenkinas providing a clarion call for leavers: We fight not for riches nor honour nor glory, but for freedom. Thus the idea of Scottish independence in the EU was a cruel lie because no state can be truly free in the EU. As such, the logic must go, the UK cannot be free within the EU. The words of the declaration are beguilingif I have misquoted them, I am sure the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, will correct mebut in reality they are a siren call. The problem raised is a false one and the solution proposed illusory. The EU is not some self-created superstate run by unelected bureaucrats; it is an international body, based on the rule of law, in which the UK is represented at every level. It is a voluntary union, not a forced marriage. So why should we contemplate a divorce? What benefits could that bring? Leaving the EU would not lead us back to some halcyon days of parliamentary democracy, nor to the days when Britannia ruled the waves.

That was Julie Smith.

Former Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski had some double-edged words of praise for the UK a few years ago. He expressed frustration at us, but he first stressed the assets that we have put into the European pool: Britain  You have given the Union its common language. The Single Market was largely your brilliant idea. A British commissioner runs our diplomacy this was in 2011 You could lead Europe on defence. You are an indispensable link across the Atlantic. Apart from hiring the guy as our brand ambassador, we should realise what our friends realise and have been saying for months: we need you, we want you, you have so much to give. Stop messing around. As the noble Lord, Lord Kerr, said, being in the EU strengthens our voice in the US, the UN and the Commonwealth.

And finally Sarah Ludford.
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LABOUR TD Jan OSullivan does not believe there are going to be "any major problems at all in the local party as the fallout over the lack of a leadership contest continues.

And she said she believes Alan Kellys time will come, citing his relative inexperience as to why he failed to secure a seconder in his leadership bid.

But the move  which saw Brendan Howlin become Labour leader by default  has caused recriminations in the local Labour party, as many believed it would be Ms OSullivan who would second his nomination, and potentially trigger a contest.

However, multiple sources have indicated this would not have happened, because Mr Howlin would then have stood aside.

For his part, Mr Kelly told his local radio station Tipp FM this Monday that the former Education Minister had told him directly that while she supported Mr Howlin as leader, she would have liked to have seen a contest.

These views were reflected by Cllr Joe Leddin and Labour stalwart Joe Kemmy, who said members were left disenfranchised.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader, Ms OSullivan insisted: I am satisfied I gave my support to the person who was the best candidate at this time. And I dont think anybody would expect that one would nominate, or second, somebody that you honestly didnt believe was the right person for the job. We felt we needed the experience of somebody like Brendan Howlin at this particular time.

Ms OSullivan said she does not think there will any more fall-out following a local meeting, where questions were asked of her decision not to back Mr Kelly.

We did have the resignation of one member, and its known Gerry Burke has resigned. Joe Kemmy has spoken out on his own personal view. I believe that to be his personal view, and I don't think we are going to have any major problems at all in the party, locally, she said.

Ms OSullivan was speaking at an event in the city to mark a year since the marriage equality referendum was passed.
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News / National

by Sparkleford Masiyambiri

Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T, is once again on the brinks of yet another split as its Vice President, Thokozane Khupe, feels threatened by the coming on board of the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF), Joyce Mujuru into play as a possible grand coalition ahead of 2018 polls is poised to take shape.Tsvangirai is ready to embrace Mujuru for him to add value to his political relevance in the country after his accelerated loss of fame due to successive defeat by his arch rival President Robert Mugabe since the formation of his party in 199.In spite the political fortunes associated with this move, Khupe is forcefully against this idea as she stands to be muzzled out of the political limelight when Joyce Mujuru, whom she believes is more powerful that her comes on board.Comparatively, Khupe's perspective and fears are genuine considering the fact that Mujuru is better than her in all respects. Mujuru is educated with a doctorate degree, and in addition she possesses the rare war credentials which Tsvangirai wants to tap on. These are traits absent in the miserable Khupe as well as her party president whose professional qualifications are unknown from certificates of attendance. These are merely hard facts which characterise these personalities.In the face of this unequal contest, Khupe is contemplating breaking away from Tsvangirai to form her own political movement which makes her to retain her personal ego. Therefore, another MDC edition is on the cards ahead of the anticipated grand coalition.The grand coalition is projected to affect numerous posts held by different people in the various parties which are expected to constitute it. However, the most contested post is that of the head of this movement.The leaders of the numerous parties like Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T), Joyce Mujuru (ZPF), Dumiso Dabengwa (ZAPU), Tendai Biti (PDP), and Welshman Ncube (MDC-N) among others are coming in as principals representing their respective parties. Considering that all these politicians are driven by selfish personal egos, surely, nominating and agreeing on a presidential candidate is a real mammoth task.Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC is rocked by divisions and power wrangles in the recent months, especially at Harare's Town House. The Acting mayor Chris Mbanga, who replaced the suspended mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni, who was suspended by government for insubordination, is defying the resolution to recall him. This comes after he barred the controversially appointed new town clerk, James Mushore, from executing his job at Town house.
RELIEF has been expressed by relatives of children attending a primary school in Limerick which was evacuated following a bomb scare that it was likely a hoax call.

Milford National School in Castletroy was evacuated this Tuesday morning following the call.

Gardai confirmed the alarm was raised after a phone call was received at the school shortly after 10am. It is understood that the call was a hoax, with a number of other schools around the country reported to have received similar calls.

While the school has yet to comment officially, pupils were allowed back in shortly before midday when the building was declared safe.

As up to 20 gardai searched the premises, students and their teachers rested on the green area in front of the school building. Some ran around, while others just remained sat down soaking up the sunshine.

Parents were informed of the evacuation by a text message which was sent at 10.51am this morning.

It read: "Milford NS has been evacuated this morning. All the children and staff are safe in the sunshine. Please do not contact the school as gardai are clearing the school as a precaution. Updates will follow at 11.30am and 12.30am today."

A further text, sent at 11.30am, read: "All children are still safe and enjoying the sunshine. Gardai have advised it will be safe to re-enter the school in the next 30 minutes".

Shortly after this time, the gardai gave the all-clear for children to return into the school building. They did so, class by class, led by their teachers.

Some students, however, were given the option to go home for the day.

Tess O'Halloran, Rhebogue, whose two grandchildren attend the school, was on the scene as soon as the text message came through.

She said: "We were notified immediately after the school was cleared out. I knew there was plenty of green area well away from the school, so I wasn't really concerned, but I just said as I was in the area I would come down and see. Obviously it is a huge relief that it was a hoax] But you have to take these things seriously. When you read a text like that straight away, it doesn't really sink in."

Principal Diarmuid Moore has said the school will be issuing a statement following a board of management meeting later this afternoon.

It is believed that several other hoax calls were received from an automated system at a number of other Irish and UK schools.
News / National

by Thobekile Zhou

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Tendai Biti has said rival President Mugabe has created a class of super rich Zanu-PF cabal.He said 'Mugabe is indeed the godfather of corruption'.In his Africa Day statement titled ' Day 2016; reflections of a continent in need of new leadership' he said Mugabe's legacy is that of corruption.Below is part of his statement :'... greatest story of failed and lethargic leadership is to be found in Zimbabwe where President Mugabe in his advanced years is determined to drag the nation with him to his grave.In the 36 years that he has been at the helm of the country, Zimbabwe has regressed from being a country moving towards a middle income economy into one of the poorest in the world, competing for the poorest nation gong with war torn countries such as Somalia.In 36 years of Mugabe's indolent leadership, Zimbabwe has moved from being the bread basket of Africa to becoming a basket case. Three decades of independence has produced a nation with 91% unemployment with 83% of its people living on less than US$1.25 per day.Parallel to the heart rending poverty and squalor which has become characteristic of Zimbabwean life, Mugabe has also created a class of the super rich. Through organized looting of state resources, patronage, naked corruption, nepotism and outright theft, Zimbabwe has been looted beyond imagination.By Mugabe's own admission US$15 billion worth of diamonds was looted in the short period between 2009 and 2015. In addition, various scandals involving high ranking officials in Mugabe's establishment have been made public but albeit there has been no action thus proving beyond doubt that Mugabe is indeed the godfather of corruption.In any case one does not have to dig any far to see evidence of the legendary looting that Mugabe and his cabal have presided over. The shameless crooks in the regime publicly display their ill-gotten wealth and even boast of being untouchable.If Mugabe and his henchmen's sins had only been to loot the economy then he would have long been rid off, arrested and rightly locked away for a very longtime. However Mugabe has also systematically disempowered citizens by embarking on periodic reigns of terror, particularly during election years.Since 1980, Mugabe's party has consistently unleashed horrific orgies of violence on innocent citizens and also abducted and murdered hundreds of opposition activists. He has also consistently rigged the outcome of elections and thus robbed the people of Zimbabwe their right to chose leaders of their preference.As another election looms on the horizons, the ZANU PF cult is engaging its default mode of violence. They also continue to shamelessly blow scarce resources in meaningless festivities such as birthday bashes and confused solidarity marches' while bring back the moribund Zimbabwean dollar so as to provide easy cash for sustaining patronage ahead of the election.Given the dire circumstances facing our country, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) takes the opportunity of this year's Africa Day to once again call for the resignation of Mugabe and his failed regime and pave way for the setting up of the National Transitional Authority (NTA).The NTA will among other things stabilize the economy, rehabilitate the electoral process, embark on national healing and reconciliation and align the laws with the constitution.At a continental level, as another decade beacons for Africa our hope is that progressive African leaders and genuine pan-Africanists should coalesce together and address the twin evils of underdevelopment and democracy deficit.That 50 years after independence Africa still has the bulk of fragile states such as Eretria, Somalia and Zimbabwe is surely unacceptable. A new generation of young transformational leaders that put the people first ahead of personal interests is called for.It is time for the real transformation of the African continent.
May 24, 2016, 5 AM

Twenty United States forever stamps showing pets will be issued Aug. 2 in Las Vegas, Nev.

By Michael Baadke

The United States Postal Service will issue its set of 20 Pets forever stamps on Aug. 2, with a first-day ceremony in Las Vegas, Nev.

The 1 p.m. event will take place in South Seas Ballroom F at Mandalay Bay Resort, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., in association with SuperZoo, a national trade show for pet retailers.

Postal Service representatives have told Linns that the ceremony will be open to the public.

The 20 stamps are being issued together in a double-sided pane of 20, described as a booklet by the Postal Service. Each stamp shows a photograph of one pet: puppy, betta fish, iguana, hamster, goldfish, kitten, rabbit, tortoise, guinea pig, parrot, corn snake, mouse, hermit crab, chinchilla, gerbil, gecko, cat, horse, parakeet and dog.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) chairman Larry Mavima has claimed that the ongoing strike is costing $250,000 a day.He sais to date about $14 million overall has been lost as its workers continue their strike over unpaid wages.Workers, who downed tools on March 29 after going unpaid for 15 months, have refused to end their strike after the government paid them $3 million, about four percent of the $68 million they are owed in unpaid wages."A day we are making more than $250,000 losses due to the strike. We have asked the workers to bear with us because as long as we are not moving trains, we do not make money. The government is failing to meet its costs and it shows how difficult things are," Mavima is quoted saying.Mavima said government has given the NRZ an opportunity to move grain, but workers remain on strike.He said that it was hard to engage with workers as their unions were dysfunctional."They have disowned their unions and this has made the situation difficult to deal with," he said.The strike by the 4,000 NRZ workers has halted operations at the company, causing delays in the transportation of imported wheat and maizefor drought relief. The parastatalis saddled with a $144 million debt.Last year, the volume of goods moved by NRZ tumbled to 2,8 million tonnes from 3,5 million in 2014.
News / National

by Staff reporter

"Before Tsvangirai dies... It is understood that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is suffering from stomach cancer and only has a couple of years to live. One good thing he must do before he joins his ancestors is to call for the removal of sanctions he begged America, Britain and their allies to impose on the innocent people of Zimbabwe... #Ngaaenehake ."

Dogged opposition leader and former prime minister in the government of national unity, Morgan Tsvangirai, is recuperating in a Johannesburg hospital after undergoing a medical operation on Wednesday.There were suggestions that Tsvangirai, 64, had been diagnosed with stomach cancer leading to Wednesday's procedure that was carried out by a leading gastric cancer expert at the Johannesburg hospital.Zimpapers political editor tweeted,Well-placed sources said Tsvangirai and his family had decided on the surgery on the advice of a panel of doctors, following a magnetic resonance-imaging scan and a subsequent biopsy last week.Tsvangirai's medical condition took centre stage in Parliament yesterday during a debate on the president's speech when Zengeza East MDC MP, Alexei Musundire, criticised Mugabe and his family for shunning local health facilities - including his daughter Bona's recent decision to give birth overseas.But furious Zanu PF legislators fired back pointing out that Tsvangirai was also allegedly shunning local health facilities, as examplified by his operation in South Africa.MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that Tsvangirai was recovering well in the South African hospital where he had the medical procedure after recently being taken ill."On the advice of his doctors, he had to travel to South Africa for treatment where he successfully underwent a medical procedure and is recuperating well. We are happy that our president is recovering well and we wish him a speedy recovery."We kindly request the nation and the party to give the president and his family the necessary space and privacy as he recovers. The nation and the media will be kept updated," Mwonzora said.
News / National

by Thobekile Zhou

A pressure group- Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (Yard) is planning to hijack Zanu-PF's Wednesdays One Million Man March.In a statement, the Temba Mliswa outfit urged 'youths to be bold and raise their voices calling a spade a spade.'"The historical impact of the march must not be underestimated. It is an opportune time to register the displeasure as youths to the authorities Youths should arise in their hundreds and thousands and be counted in this march that is guaranteed to be peaceful as it has been organized by Zanu-PF," said Delight Benge, the Yard national commander in a statement."We urge the youths to be bold and raise their voices calling a spade a spade. At the march, youths should raise their placards, flags and written material that spell out the displeasure with lack of economic stability in Zimbabwe. (President Robert) Mugabe must be reminded that we have had enough of this ruthless, insensitive government."
News / Press Release

by Obert Chaurura Gutu, MDC-T National Spokesperson

At a time when the bankrupt Zanu PF regime is literally begging for cash to fund the day to day activities of government,the thoroughly clueless and visionless Zanu PF leadership,headed by the nonagenarian President Robert Mugabe,has since approved a $400 million dollar deal as a tender to a misguided high school drop out and ex-convict who has gone to town with a blank cheque splashing gifts and insulting anyone and everyone who dares question the source of his "wealth." It is a matter of public record that one Wicknell Chivhayo is an ex convict. It's also public knowledge that the Gwanda power project is yet to take off. There is no evidence of public works having commenced on the project to date.The majority of Zimbabweans are incensed by the crude and ostentatious manner in which one Chivhayo has been splashing ill-gotten tender money including spoiling Grace Mugabe and her family with gifts and free restaurant meals in upmarket restaurants in Dubai. Simply because one Chivhayo has "donated" some of his dirty money to bankroll the Zimbabwe national team,the Warriors,as well as purchasing air tickets for a few stranded Zimbabwean ladies in Kuwait , he is now the new national superman. And even his dirty past has been sanitized as money changes hands in high office towers. How cheap!The MDC is deeply appalled by the fact that the solar tender to one Chivayo's company, Intratek, was not awarded based on proper tender procedures. Even the Energy Minister, Sameul Undenge, has since publicly admitted that the award of this tender was dodgy and also that the advance payment of $5 million to Intratek was downright criminal and clearly improper.Surprisingly,however,Undenge is now unashamedly and desperately trying to absolve himself of any improper and downright corrupt conduct.This is a very shameful and disgraceful act of dereliction of duty on the part of Minister Undenge.In any normal and functional democracy,Minister Undenge should have been immediately fired from Cabinet that is,if he hadn't seen it fit and proper to voluntarily resign in shame.It is apparent that corruption and graft are easily tolerated within the rogue Zanu PF regime.President Robert Mugabe has never fired any Cabinet Minister for corruption.The long and short of it,therefore,is that Mugabe himself is the face of corruption and willing and dealing.Through some opaque and corrupt so-called indigenization process, a little known ex-convict by the name Wicknell Chivhayo won the tender under very suspicious circumstances. There is also overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that Chivayo is nothing but a front for some highly placed and extremely corrupt Zanu PF regime functionaries and apologists.Chivayo is nothing but a runner for well-connected local and international criminals and wheeler dealers.Only recently,President Robert Mugabe publicly disclosed that at least $15 billion worth of diamonds from Marange/Chiadzwa diamond fields was unaccounted for. It would appear that corruption is part and parcel of the Zanu PF regime's DNA.Once again,the MDC would like to call for the immediate resignation of Robert Mugabe and his Cabinet.As for Energy Minister Samuel Undenge,he is the alpha and omega of corruption within the country's energy sector.Only recently,he was in the news for awarding a so-called public relations contract to a dodgy and briefcase company fronted by one Psychology Maziwisa and Oscar Pambuka.Samuel Undenge is not a fit and proper person to remain as a Cabinet Minister.He is essentially a common law criminal masquerading as a government official.What a shame!The MDC calls upon the country's law enforcement agencies to immediately launch criminal investigations against Samuel Undenge,Wicknell Chivayo,Pyschology Maziwisa,Oscar Pambuka and all other persons who are either directly and/or indirectly connected with the corrupt shenanigans that have been taking place at the Energy Ministry.
You've probably heard you need to exercise for 30 minutes a day to be healthy, but if you make your workouts more intense, you may be able to get away with spending much less time working up a sweat.

The "30 minutes a day" rule comes from the current U.S. government exercise guidelines, which recommend that people engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. (This works out to about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.) But the key word here is "moderate" exercise. If your workouts involve vigorous exercise, they can be shorter, experts say.

"You can get more bang for your buck with vigorous exercise," said Dr. Edward Laskowski, co-director of Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.

Specifically, new research suggests that a type of workout known as interval training may allow people to get fit in much less time than is required with traditional endurance exercise. Interval training involves the following steps: warm up for a few minutes, go "all out" for about 30 seconds, recover at a slow pace for a few minutes and then repeat this cycle several times before cooling down.

A recent study found that a 10-minute interval training workout, which involved just 1 minute of total sprinting time, was just as good as a 50-minute endurance workout done at a moderate pace in terms of getting people fit. Men in the study who did the interval-training workout showed similar improvement in aerobic fitness, metabolism and muscle function as men who did the endurance workout.

"This is good news for a lot of people," Laskowski said. "We can really get a good training effect in a shorter period of time" with interval training, he said. Laskowski recommended that people warm up for about 3 minutes, do about three to four interval cycles, and then cool down. This would take about 17 minutes if a person did four 30-second intervals of intense exercise, with 3 minutes of rest in between each, and a 3-minute warm-up and cooldown. [How to Start an Exercise Routine and Stick to It]

Although studies are finding that interval training may offer similar fitness benefits as endurance workouts, researchers still need to conduct more studies on the long-term effects of interval training, Laskowski noted.

But studies have found that interval training can be tolerated by lots of different groups, including people who are obese or have heart disease, Laskowski said. Some studies have even found that people enjoy interval training more than traditional endurance training.

"People seem to like high-intensity interval training because it is efficient and effective also," Laskowski said.

Still, it's a good idea to see your doctor before you start interval training. Some types of exercise may not be good to perform at high intensities, Laskowski said. For example, running may not be good for people with knee arthritis, because this activity is hard on the joints. But people with knee arthritis may still be able to do interval training on a bike or in the pool without damaging their joints, Laskowski said.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
There likely aren't many occasions when you'd want to swallow a tiny robot. But what if such an ingestible bot could be put to work inside your body, targeting a foreign object or patching up an internal wound, before decomposing without a trace?

A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has proposed a new, minimally invasive way of using biocompatible and biodegradable miniature robots to carry out tasks inside the human body. The design of the bots is inspired by origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.

Made primarily from dried pig intestines (commonly used for sausage casings), the tiny robots look like a cross between a caterpillar and an accordion. A tiny magnet allows them to be maneuvered by a tuneable external magnetic field, the researchers said. [The 6 Strangest Robots Ever Created]

The researchers have already demonstrated origami-inspired robots capable of swimming, climbing and carrying a load twice their weight, but creating an ingestible device that can operate inside a stomach presented a whole new set of challenges, said Shuhei Miyashita, who was part of the MIT team that developed the robot but is now a lecturer of intelligent robotics at the University of York in the United Kingdom.

"The toughest problem we had to solve was that of getting the robot to work in such an unpredictable environment," Miyashita told Live Science. "The robot design was re-created so that it can still walk when flipped upside down and can correspond to the change of the stomach anatomy."

Building a tiny bot

At the heart of the robot's layered structure is a material that shrinks when heated. When this happens, carefully placed slits cut in the outer layer cause the initially flat structure to fold into a series of box-like segments, the researchers said.

This design allows the robot to rely on so-called "stick-slip" motion, in which parts of the robot stick to a surface due to friction during certain movements, but then slip free when the weight distribution changes as the robot's body flexes.

But, because this particular robot is designed to work in a fluid-filled stomach, the team redesigned the robot to be more like a fin so that it also provides thrust by propelling water, effectively allowing the machine to swim as well as crawl.

"It is really important to see such small robots enable both actuation [or movement] and biodegradation," said Hongzhi Wang, a professor of materials science at Donghua University in China, who works on self-folding origami-inspired materials but was not involved with the new study. "It has great potential applications to health care."

How it works

In a paper that was presented at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, held May 16-21 in Stockholm, Sweden, the team from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory described how they created a synthetic stomach to test the device and devised a two-step process for hypothetically removing a watch battery that had been swallowed. The scientists also demonstrated how the robot can patch the wound the battery leaves behind. [7 Weird Things People Have Swallowed]

A 3D-printed open cross-section of the stomach and esophagus was lined with a silicone rubber mold, which matched both the shape and physical properties of a real-life stomach. The synthetic organ was then filled with a liquid that simulated the properties of gastric fluid.

In the study, one of the robots was rolled up and encased in a pill-size capsule of ice. Once the device reached the stomach, an external array of metal coils created a magnetic field that interacted with the robot's magnet and could be tuned to make the capsule roll toward the ingested watch battery.

The magnet causes the capsule to attach itself to the battery and when the robot rolls away again, it dislodges the battery from the stomach lining. Both the robot and the battery are then naturally passed out of the digestive system, the researchers said.

A second robot is then ingested in the same way, but this time the ice is left to melt and the robot unfolds. The same magnetic array is used to guide the robot to the wound site, which the robot covers before it eventually dissolves. The robot's structure also includes a dissolvable layer impregnated with drugs designed to aid healing, the scientists said. Larry Howell, a professor of mechanical engineering at Brigham Young University in Utah, who works on origami-inspired mechanisms and medical devices, said the new research marks a valuable step forward in creating robots that can carry out medical procedures inside the body.

"The idea of ingesting the robot in an ice capsule for initial delivery, and having it be biodegradable so that it decomposes afterwards, has the potential of having reduced long-term impact compared to some surgical alternatives," Howell told Live Science.

Miyashita said it could be at least six to eight years before these robots reach the clinic, though. Control accuracy needs to be improved, he said, adding that rigorous animal and human testing will need to be conducted first.

Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
JERSEY CITY, N.J.  Four innovators received awards at the fifth annual Genius Gala at Liberty Science Center in New Jersey, turning Friday night here into a geekfest.

The brilliant recipients included paleontologist Jack Horner, astrophysicist Kip Thorne, architect Frank Gehry and social psychologist Ellen Langer from Harvard University.

Buzzing drones snapped photos of the guests outside the event, and R2-D2s zipped around the cocktail reception. [See Photos of the Genius Gala Geekfest]

During his acceptance speech, Thorne said he felt "like a fraud" and that he's "not a genius." Thorne honored the colleagues he worked with while discovering gravitational waves this past September. Albert Einstein famously predicted the existence of gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time, about 100 years ago, in 1915.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) team determined that the gravitational waves were emanating from two black holes that at first circled each at half the speed of light and eventually collided about 1.3 billion years ago.

However, Einstein also famously predicted that gravitational waves would never be detected.

"He said that humans [would] never detect these gravitational waves, because they're so weak," Thorne said. "This superb LIGO team proved him wrong, in the process of proving him right."

It's no surprise Einstein had his doubts. The collision produced waves "that carried off as much power as 50 times all the stars in the universe put together," but by the time LIGO detected these waves, they were fluctuations about a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a proton, Thorne said.

The four awards were interspersed with performances from other brainy guests. Pianist Peter Dugan and violinist Charles Yang, who were trained at Juilliard School in New York, performed a haunting cover of "House of the Rising Sun" by the band The Animals. And American chess champion Fabiano Caruana went head to head with Baltimore Ravens player and Massachusetts Institute of Technology math doctoral student John Urschel in a round of blitz chess. (Caruana won the match, but Urschel put up a good opposition.)

Horner was honored for his life's work studying dinosaurs, including his discovery that some of the animals were social, caring parents. Horner advanced in the field of paleontology despite his dyslexia, which made it impossible for him to graduate from college.

Gehry spoke about how he wants to create buildings that "engender feeling."

Langer, who has been called the "mother of mindfulness," was also the first tenured female professor in psychology at Harvard. She spoke about her work in this area, and urged people to question their worlds and embrace uncertainty.

"Most of us, much of the time, are mindless," she said. "Science only gives us probabilities, which is better than not having anything. However, those probabilities are translated as absolute facts, and when you know something absolutely, there's no reason to pay any attention."

Liberty Science Center also announced that it would open the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, with a planned debut in December 2017. The center is also holding drone festivals, including the Liberty Cup, a drone race that will take place this summer, said Paul Hoffman, president and CEO of the center.

Follow Laura Geggel on Twitter @LauraGeggel. Follow Sara G. Miller on Twitter @saragmiller. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
Scientists have collared an elusive snow leopard in the remote, rugged mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

The female cat was collared in the Sarychat-Ertash Strict Nature Reserve of Eastern Kyrgyzstan by biologists with the wild cat conservation organization Panthera, the State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry and the National Academy of Sciences. The mama cat showed signs of having lactated in the past, suggesting she had given birth to at least one cub. This was the second time in six months that conservationists had succeeded in spotting and collaring a fertile female snow leopard in the country.

The sighting suggests the population of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in this region could be recovering, after decades of relentless poaching, according to the scientists involved. [See Images of the Rare Snow Leopard Being Collared]

"It is so exciting to have two young productive females collared early in this study. It is a clear indication that Sarychat-Ertash, a place where snow leopards were nearly extirpated in the 1990s, is once again a stronghold for the species," Tom McCarthy, executive director of Panthera's Snow Leopard Program, said in a statement. "Kyrgyzstan can be very proud of this turnaround."

Mysterious creatures

The mysterious snow leopard lurks in the frigid, mountainous regions of 12 different countries in Asia. Yet these majestic creatures are often incredibly hard to spot; they glide silently through the snow on big, padded paws, and their thick, mottled white coats provide the perfect camouflage against the rocky, snow-flecked areas they prowl. The big cats are also highly reclusive by nature, meaning many locals who live alongside the cats have never seen them.

For decades, shepherds have hunted the cats to keep them from preying on their flocks. Poachers have also targeted the majestic snow beasts for their fur and internal organs, which are prized in Chinese medicine.

The snow leopard has been listed as endangered since at least 1986 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. However, in recent years, scientists and lawmakers have increased conservation efforts dramatically, expanding the size of protected regions and using everything from camera traps to DNA analysis of snow leopard poop to learn more about the elusive creatures. Those efforts have begun to pay off, and researchers estimate that the population is on the rise in Sarychat-Ertash, with between 4,500 and 10,000 snow leopards now living throughout Asia.

Supporting their young

Six months ago, scientists collared the first snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan. That animal was an adult female that was later spotted prowling with three large cubs. The radio collar allowed the scientists an unprecedented look at a snow leopard's life.

"Through collaring, we learn of snow leopards' migration corridors, food preferences and threats to their survival," Abdikalik Rustamov, director of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry of the Kyrgyz Republic, said in the statement.

For instance, after collaring the first snow leopard, researchers were able to analyze 45 kill sites from the predatory cat. This helped them to deduce that mother cats hunting for food for their cubs need to catch prey at least every three to four days.

The fact that there is enough habitat and prey to support female snow leopards and their babies, and that they feel safe enough to breed, are signs that conditions in Kyrgyzstan are improving for the big cats, the researchers said. That may be good for the broader snow leopard population, as the snowy heights of Kyrgyzstan potentially serve as a critical corridor through which the majestic cats can travel from the northern end of their habitat in Russia to China, where more than half of the snow leopards live, according to the researchers.

Follow Tia Ghose on Twitter and Google+. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
News / Regional

by Nqobile Tshili

A MAN from Pelandaba suburb in Bulawayo allegedly committed suicide after striking his wife with the back of an axe on the forehead, hours after the couple had visited a police station for counselling on their marital problems.Emmanuel Mapetero, 40, and his wife Tsitsi Kwindingwi allegedly sought counselling services at West Commonage Police Station before going home where they fought again on Saturday.Mapetero was allegedly accusing his wife of infidelity and after attacking her, she escaped and headed to the police station.When she returned home with some cops, her husband had already taken his life.Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango said it was sad that a life was lost after the couple had sought counselling."We're investigating a sudden death by hanging. The deceased was having challenges with his wife and had earlier sought counselling services from the police," said Insp Simango.She urged members of the public not to resort to violence as this does not solve their problems.Insp Simango said people should seek assistance from elders in their communities, church leaders, and the police among other people who can assist them to solve disputes.A source said the incident occurred when Mapetero accused his wife of cheating resulting in the couple seeking counselling from the police.But hours after returning from the police station, a fight erupted again resulting in Mapetero hanging himself."They were having marital problems. Mapetero was accusing his wife of infidelity. On Saturday they went to West Commonage Police station where they were counselled. But it seems they failed to understand each other so when they returned to their home they fought again," said the source.The source said Mapetero struck his wife with the back of an axe on the forehead but she managed to escape to safety."Kwindingwi escaped and went back to the police station where she reported the attack. She went back home in the company of two police officers and found her husband dead," the source said."He had locked the gate and doors of the house. Police officers had to break the door of one of the rooms to gain entry. They found him hanging from the roof trusses in a corridor."
News / Regional

by Staff reporter

The Star of the group Ithemba lensindiso keeps rising with the group set to release their third album just in time for summer.Speaking to Funani Ncube who sounded excited about the new Kalanga project he said it was all systems go and they were ready to dish out a sample of their new songs at the yearly BuKalanga event that will be taking place at the Hilbrow Theatre on the 13th of August 2016.The group manager Frank Mihha Ndlovu also took the opportunity to encourage fans of all artists to buy original.The whole video and CDs with the hit Kolema can be found at Regional Funeral Services on Alexander Street Beria, said Mihha.There are plans for a huge event in Zimbabwe towards the end of the year, keep checking with Byo24.com.
A woman has escaped being issued with penalty points after a speed detection van incorrectly identified her vehicle travelling along a road in Longford town last year.

Judge Seamus Hughes said it was he had never come across a case of its type in all his time serving as a District Court judge after striking out a summons issued against Deirdre Gannon of 5 Palmers Lawn, Palmerstown Manor, Dublin 20.

Concerns over the validity of the case arose as soon as Ms Gannon, who works in an administrative role for a private health care company, took the stand.

She said she was nowhere near the scene of the alleged incident after a speed camera van allegedly detected her car travelling along the R198 at Aughedegnan, Longford on November 18 2015.

It wasnt my car, she said.

I wasnt in Longford. I have documents here.

Ms Gannon also said the picture which allegedly showed her car on the busy regional road last November was unclear.

The car was outside the house (in Dublin) and was never in Longford, she added, while revealing that while she was the owner of the said vehicle at the time, it now belonged to her mother.

Ms Gannon, who broke down crying in the witness box, supported her case by showing the court a mobile phone picture of her car in an effort to differentiate it from the one on the summons.

When both were shown to Inspector Padraig Jones, he without hesitation agreed with Ms Gannon.

Judge Seamus Hughes did likewise as he complimented Ms Gannon while also remarking the irregularities around the case.

Your absolutely correct, he told Ms Gannon as he struck out the summons.

If I could award you costs I would.

I have never come across a case like that before.

You are 100 per cent honest and you are to be commended for that, the judge concluded
The Tain March, now in its second year, is set to pass through Longford next Monday, May 30 as it makes its way from Rathcroghan, Co Roscommon to Omeath, Co Louth to walk in Queen Maeve's footsteps.

Marchers will be welcomed for celebrations in Clondra, Longford town, Ballinalee and Granard, with each community organising their own small welcoming party.

A spokesperson for The Tain March Festival explained: This year we offered free workshops to the children of fifth and sixth class in national schools in Clondra, Longford town, Ballinalee and Granard.

The children have, over the past number of weeks, been preparing for participation in the march in Longford town and other celebrations locally. Ann and Annette from Creative Ardagh have delivered the workshops to the children at the national schools. The ladies have familiarised the children with the story of 'The Tain', the ancient Irish epic of Queen Maeve, her warrior army and the famous brown bull of Cooley.

The spokesperson also revealed that the children learned how to make basic costumes with shields and swords which they will don on May 30 and 31.

The march will arrive into Clondra at approximately 10.30am on Monday morning, May 30. It will stop for approximately 15 minutes with the children of Clondra National School. They will continue to Longford Town where they will meet the children of St Emer's National School at Annally Car Park at approximately 1pm. Anyone else wishing to join the march can also meet here. The group will march through Longford town to the Market Square at around 1.30pm, where there will be food, music and storytelling.

Longford's Queen Maeve, who has already been chosen, will lead the march and following the party on the Market Square, she will lead the group out of town at approximately 2.30pm in the direction of Ballinalee, where they will end the day by celebrating in the Stag's Head.

The march will set off again from Ballinalee village at approximately 9.30am on Tuesday, May 31 after meeting the pupils of the local National School. They will then continue on towards Granard, where they will be met by local schoolchildren at approximately 12.30pm.

For more information on The Tain March Festival, which runs from May 28  June 6, visit http://www.tainmarch.ie/
Local News, Crime, Home & Garden, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 24 2016

Following investigations that revealed unlawful housing discrimination against potential applicants with Section 8 housing vouchers, a settlement was completed with three real estate brokerage firms.

New York, NY - May 23, 2016 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today that his office has secured settlement agreements with three real estate brokerage firms operating in New York City, Nassau County, and Westchester County, following investigations that revealed unlawful housing discrimination against potential applicants with Section 8 housing vouchers. Local regulations prohibit discrimination in housing on the basis of lawful source of income, a category that includes government vouchers as well any legitimate occupation.

Turning away individuals from an apartment based on a lawful source of income is a blatant form of discrimination, Attorney General Schneiderman said. Everyone deserves a fair shot at renting an apartment in New Yorkespecially during a time when many are struggling to find affordable housing. We will not let unscrupulous companies create unlawful barriers to renters, and my office is committed to ensuring that everyone is treated equally under the law, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income.

"New York is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, and programs like Section 8 are critical tools to keep hardworking families living in our City, said Scott M. Stringer, New York City Comptroller. These companies essentially told New Yorkers 'no Section 8 residents need apply,' mirroring decades of discrimination against our City's most vulnerable residents. The settlements announced today by Attorney General Schneiderman send a clear message that these unlawful actions have no place in New York.

"New Yorkers face so many hurdles finding affordable housing, and discrimination against source of income should not, and will not, be one of them, said New York City Public Advocate Letitia James. "I applaud Attorney General Schneiderman for his investigation to hold these firms accountable for keeping tenants from homes they are entitled to. We will never stop fighting to ensure that every New Yorker has a safe and decent home."

In 2014, the Attorney General reached agreements with three NYC real estate brokers and two Buffalo landlords for discrimination against prospective tenants who received government assistance.

In 2015, the office received a complaint that Empire State Equities, which manages properties throughout Manhattan and the Bronx, rejected a prospective tenant with a Section 8 voucher. The individual was initially told that Empire would not accept programs, but when told that such a denial was unlawful discrimination, Empire claimed that it would accept Section 8, but said that there was a months-long waitlist for the apartment.

The Attorney Generals office then conducted undercover phone tests, asking if Section 8 vouchers would be accepted by Empire. Each time, the testers were told they would be put on a waiting list that ranged from three to four months. Meanwhile, testers who called about the same properties but did not mention Section 8 were told that the units were immediately available. The Attorney Generals office then took testimony from the manager of Empire, who explained that a waitlist was essentially used to reject unwanted prospective tenants.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) also conducted compliance testing to determine if Douglas Elliman and Crifasi Real Estate engaged in unlawful housing discrimination. Douglas Elliman has over 70 offices in the country, including several that list properties in Nassau County, while Crifasi lists properties in both Westchester and New York City.

The OAG found that representatives from both companies twice told undercover testers that Section 8 and other government assistance programs would not be accepted at certain properties. The OAG also discovered that Crifasi had no written policy for employees regarding compliance with fair housing rules. Douglas Elliman had a written policy that prohibited source of income discrimination and related training for its employees, yet several listings in Nassau County nonetheless indicated that current employment was required for tenants.

All companies have agreed to certain reforms, including:

Forwarding the OAG any complaints and documentation about housing discrimination

Developing new non-discriminatory policies

Maintaining rental information about certain properties to provide to OAG for review to ensure compliance with the law

Douglas Elliman and Crifarsi have also agreed to have their employees attend a Fair Housing training program.

Crifasi will pay a $40,000 fine to New York State, Douglas Elliman will pay $35,000, and Empire will pay a $13,000 penalty.

The Civil Rights Bureau of the Attorney Generals Office is committed to promoting fair housing policies and combating discrimination faced by all New Yorkers. To file a civil rights complaint, contact the Attorney Generals Office at (212) 416-8250, email or visit www.ag.ny.gov.
Local News, National & World News, Health & Wellness, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 24 2016

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today joined forces and called on the U.S. House of Representatives to get serious about combatting the spread of Zika Virus.

Washington, DC - May 22, 2016 - As the Memorial Day Holiday weekend approaches and New York families head outdoors, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today joined forces and called on the U.S. House of Representatives to get serious about combatting the spread of Zika Virus, which has already been contracted by over 1,300 Americans including over 100 here in New York and thousands more in Latin America.

Schumer and Gillibrand also noted that local health department officials have already been forced to draw down on funds allocated for other public health preparation and emergencies to instead fund Zika prevention programs. The two senators say this is unacceptable and are urging swift action by the House to address Zika head on.

With so many women and families across the country looking for action, it is critical that members of Congress immediately follow the Senates swift action and approve at least $1.1 billion in emergency Zika funding as soon as possible so that we can help stem the spread of this awful virus, said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. Its high time for the House of Representatives to get serious about beating Zika and these federal dollars are the best way to shield the U.S. When it comes to fighting this epidemic, a stitch in time will save nine, and so, I will do everything in my power to make sure emergency funding is signed, sealed and delivered to New York.

Temperatures are rising, New Yorkers are heading outside, and mosquitoes are multiplying, but our doctors and scientists still dont have the resources they need to prevent and protect us against the rapidly spreading Zika virus, said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

We cant wait until mosquitoes in New York are spreading Zika to address this problem. We need to take action now to protect families and stop the spread of Zika. The Senate approved a $1.1 billion funding bill last week so the CDC, NIH and other federal agencies can speed efforts on the development of a vaccine and start taking immediate steps to stop Zika. But the House has its own plan that would rob millions from critical Ebola prevention funding and instead put it toward Zika. This is unacceptable; Congress needs to come together and pass a compromise plan that fully funds Zika prevention and response efforts and send it to the presidents desk so we get to work to stop this spreading epidemic and protect our communities before its too late.

Last week the Senate approved $1.1 billion in federal funding to give the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of State and other federal entities the resources necessary to help prevent the spread of Zika to the United States and develop a vaccine to protect against the virus. However, that funding is still being held up by the United State House of Representatives which has passed its own bill that provides no new funds for Zika and would take $352 million already allocated to help prevent the spread of Ebola and use it for Zika instead.

Schumer and Gillibrand are urging Congress to compromise and pass a plan that fully funds the Zika prevention and response programs before its too late to combat the problem and stop Zika from spreading to the United States.

Already there have been 1,380 confirmed cases of Zika in the United States and U.S. territories, including 279 pregnant women. In New York, there have been at least 114 confirmed cases. The funds would also include support for Puerto Rico, where women and families are especially threatened. So far, there have been 806 confirmed cases in Puerto Rico, including 122 pregnant women.
Local News, Business & Finance, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events

By Allison Gayne Published: May 24 2016

A free business clinic is being made available to LIs business community by Teachers Federal Credit Union in Hauppauge on Thursday, June 9.

National customer service expert and author Randi Busse, Founder and President of Workforce Development Group, Inc., will be guest presenter during TFCU's free TFCUniversity's Business Clinic program on Thursday, June 9, 2016 entitled Creating a Culture of Ownership in Your Company."

Hauppauge, NY - May 23, 2016 - Teachers Federal Credit Union (TFCU), one of the countrys largest credit unions, will host its next free TFCUniversity Business Clinic for the Long Island business community on Thursday, June 9 at TFCU Headquarters in Hauppauge.

Featuring national customer service expert and author Randi Busse, Founder and President of Workforce Development Group, Inc., the presentation, entitled Creating a Culture of Ownership in Your Company, will help business managers, owners and executives learn to inspire and motivate employees. This free event begins with networking and breakfast at 7:45 a.m., followed by the program, which runs from 8:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Register at here.

Employee engagement is critical to business success and growth. When employees take ownership and understand the companys mission they are more effective and motivated. Ms. Busse is a nationally respected speaker and consultant on this subject matter. Everyone who attends this program will receive valuable tips, strategies and tactics that they can immediately use in their businesses, said Robert G. Allen, Teachers Federal Credit Union President and CEO.

The American business workplace is changing and managers and owners must recognize this and respond. Across the board, leaders dont recognize the signs of employee disengagement. By the time they do, it is often difficult to change or employees have left for other opportunities. The program that I am offering at TFCUniversity will assist business leaders to demonstrate the behaviors they want employees to emulate with customers, said Ms. Busse.

Ms. Busses program includes how to inspire employees to go from compliant to committed, teach employees what great service looks like, show employees how their behaviors are connected to the success of the business; and how to hold employees accountable for delivering a superior customer experience.

This and all forthcoming TFCUniversity quarterly events will be held in the morning at TFCU Headquarters, located at 102 Motor Parkway in Hauppauge, N.Y. For more information, visit www.tfcu4u.org or call (631) 698-7000.

Teachers Federal Credit Union (TFCU), one of the countrys largest credit unions, is a full-service, not-for-profit financial institution. TFCU was founded on Long Island in 1952 and now has over $5 billion in total assets, serves more than 250,000 members and has 25 full-service branches throughout Long Island including: Amityville, Bay Shore, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Central Islip, Commack, East Northport, Farmingville, Hauppauge, Holbrook, Huntington, Manorville, Merrick, Nesconset, North Babylon, North Massapequa, Oakdale, Patchogue, Port Jefferson Station, Riverhead, Rocky Point, Selden, Shirley, Smithtown, South Setauket, and Wading River. Members also have access to services at more than 5,000 shared service centers located across the country. TFCU offers financial services to people and businesses located in Nassau and Suffolk counties More information is available about TFCU by visiting www.teachersfcu.org or by calling (631) 698-7000.
School & Education, Local News, Health & Wellness, Press Releases

By WFSD News Published: May 24 2016

Moriches Elementary School nurse Teresa Ergul, RN, was recently recognized by the Suffolk County Association of School Nurses (SCASN) with the prestigious Excellence in School Nursing Award.

Moriches, NY - May 23, 2016 - Moriches Elementary School nurse Teresa Ergul, RN, was recently recognized by the Suffolk County Association of School Nurses (SCASN) with the prestigious Excellence in School Nursing Award for Suffolk County for excellence in practice and contributions to the district and the nursing profession. In addition to receiving the award, she will have a scholarship given in her name to a graduating senior in the William Floyd School District who plans to pursue nursing as a career. She is also past president of the Suffolk County Association of School Nurses (SCASN)

BOE Nurse Recognition: Teresa Ergul, Mary Alvar and Denise Todaro with William Floyd Board of Education Trustee Robert Guerriero.

Additionally, Claire McCarthy, RN, William Floyd High School nurse, was recently installed as president of the SCASN. Nurse McCarthy is the fourth William Floyd nurse to serve in this role for SCASN joining Ergul, Lead Nurse Jacki ODonnell, RN, and fellow William Floyd High School nurse, Mary Alvar, RN.

William Floyd nurses are recognized throughout the county and state as leaders in our field, said Nurse ODonnell. We are respected for the high standards of nursing we adhere to in our practice here in the district.

SCASN provides educational and networking opportunities to the more than 400 school nurses in Suffolk County. The organization also studies and discusses standards related to the profession and exists to support school nurses in providing the physical, social and emotional well-being of the students in their schools.

The William Floyd Board of Education also recognized the hard work and efforts of district nurses at a recent Board of Education meeting for National School Nurse Day.

National School Nurse Day is celebrated each year in May and is a time to recognize the specialty practice of school nursing. This celebration, sponsored by the National Association of School Nurses, applauds the contributions that school nurses make every day to improve the safety, health and academic success of all students.
Tech & Science, School & Education, Local News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 24 2016

On May 10, the Green Vale School celebrated A Knight of Science, an all-star exhibit where students from 1st to 8th grade showcased various projects for faculty, family and friends.

Old Brookville, NY - May 20, 2016 - On May 10, the Green Vale School celebrated A Knight of Science, an all-star exhibit where students from 1st to 8th grade showcased various projects for faculty, family and friends. This was the fourth straight year Green Vale and its community hosted a school-wide STEM event.

Green Vale, whose official school mascot is a knight, continues to be at the forefront of students study of science, technology, engineering and math with its strong partnerships with the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.





A Knight of Science is a celebration of our students excellent work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, Science Department Chair Dr. George Pasquale said. Its an opportunity for our students to demonstrate creative ways of applying concepts theyve learned to real world situations. The variety of work presented testifies to the depth of their understanding and the distinctive features of their interests and imaginations.



The award-winning Rocket Club had several rockets on display, while the Marine Science Program showed photos of its field work over the last year. First and second grade had weight bearing towers and marble runs on display, while third grade created unique animal posters and dioramas. Working with the Technology Department, fourth grade students demonstrated Arduino circuits, while fifth grade exhibited its engineering prowess via the construction of bridge models.





In the Upper School, sixth graders displayed and demonstrated their self-built underwater ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles), while the seventh grade showcased its science projects. Rounding out the exhibits was the eighth grade demonstrating its various Rube Goldberg projects.

The Green Vale School, located in Old Brookville, Long Island, is an independent school

specializing in Early Childhood through Middle School situated on a 40-acre campus on the doorstep of New York City. Green Vale has been providing students with an uncommon core of academic excellence and character development since 1923  inspiring students to excel, to lead and to care.
Opinion / Columnist

Sikhumbuzo Moyo is writing on his privacy not a party spokesperson but an ardent member of Zapu.

It is painful and it is unfortunate to all Zimbabweans to go back to stateless states whereby by money has got no characteristics. "money is used as a medium of exchange'money is loved by people, it used as a measurement of value, it is used as a measurement of wealth" Now it is a blasphemy made by Zanu government to print valueless bond notes and try to persuade people to think that the bond notes have got characteristics which are similar to those of real money. People need to be educated and have knowledge about the dangers which are created by the Zanu government. Foe how long will people suffer under this regime ?. The country with a skeleton reserve bank which does not print any money is not a good country.The term bond itself when described it is a loan whereby someone the bearer has to pay a certain agreed amount which is paid with interest.The government does not care about the suffering Zimbabweans.The people are going to be forced to use those bond notes which will not bring any impact or revive the economy.We need real money ,we as Zimbabweans we must know that Zimbabwe is our land ;our heritage, our country which we got through armed resistance.It is painful to see our beloved country becoming ruins Yilizwe bani elibalekelwa yiziphofu ?.Ziboneni zona?.Patrick Chinamasa,Really if you are the really minister of finance why don't you solve this issue with the governor and print really money?.The banking system in Zimbabwe is not good, the best solution is for people to keep their money in their houses because banks are no longer safe. The problems like high crime rate [theft of money] will soon escalate because people will panic and withdraw their money from the banks in fear of that what happened back with the bearer checks will happen again, People were carrying bags just to buy little groceries.Enough is enough !!!!ZAPU when in government will do away with all this seek and hide type of governance. ZAPU leads and people follow.ZAPU will always reject all these unfair practices done by Zanu and thus why ZAPU pulled out of this marriage of inconvenience because ZAPU as a democratic party did not want to make this which will enforce its members [ministers] to be forced to follow a policy of self impeanchment. FWAS or example the honourable president DR DUMISO DABENGWA was a minister of home affairs in the unity accord government but when seeing that the things were not going according to ZAPU policies and agreement, he led ZAPU out of the unity accord which is a good achievement and all Zimbabweans are happy with that and they want ZAPU all over Zimbabwe and everyday ZAPU IS GROWING PEOPLE ARE JOINING IN MULTITUDES.
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Columnists Press Releases
Opinion / Columnist

Whenever I think of the manner in which the ZANU PF government has ridden roughshod over the lives of the people of Zimbabwe, I always remember what Victor Hugo once said: 'An invasion of an army can be curtailed, but not an idea whose time has come', but I love to rephrase that into: 'An invasion of an army can be curtailed, but not a REVOLUTION whose time has come'.I strongly believe that the people of Zimbabwe have bravely endured the sickening oppression they have been subjected to by the ZANU PF government for more that three and a half decades, to breaking point, such that they can no longer take it anymore, and that the time has come for them to openly and massively stand up against this wayward regime.I am not calling upon any action that is not constitutional, but for the over-burdened people of Zimbabwe to finally reclaim their voices and powers so as to boldly resist the gross abuse they have suffered at the hands of ZANU PF.In the 1980s, Zimbabweans endured silently as this genocidal regime massacred over 20 000 people - mostly Ndebele - in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.Similarly, over the past one and a half decades, the people of Zimbabwe have been subjected to gross human rights abuses, including threats, abductions, arrests, stifling of the media, beatings up, burning of their homes, various forms of torture, and killings - forcing multitudes into exile.Zimbabweans then silently suffered the indignity of failing to support their families, due to the ZANU PF government's skewed economic policies, which have led to massive company closures and under-performance, resulting in unemployment, failure to pay salaries and terminal benefits.This has led to a country whereby, husbands can not even take care of their wives, parents can not feed their children and send them to school - not to mention a disastrous land grab policy that has worsened the already dire food crisis caused by the drought, pushing over 4 million Zimbabweans to the brink of starvation.As if this was not horrid enough, government hospitals do not have the necessary life-saving medications and equipment, resulting in the needless loss of lives of the already suffering majority of Zimbabweans, as they can not afford the expensive medical costs at private facilities.Whilst this is happening, those in power are lost as to what to do with their abundant wealth - which was accrued through means that are largely suspected of being less than honest.The country's natural resources, which should be benefiting the majority of Zimbabweans, have largely benefited only a few - to the extent that at least US$15 billion worth of diamond revenue can just vanish into thin air.The list of injustices perpetrated by the ZANU PF government on the people of Zimbabwe is endless and needs an entire book of its own, but the $15 billion question is: what should the suffering Zimbabweans do?Has sitting back and doing nothing helped improve the lives of the majority of the people of this nation?How much success has been achieved through mere grumbling and complaining without real concrete action?Has our fear of the brutal state machinery helped us in any way?I am sure that the answer to all these questions is an unequivocal NO!Nothing has improved through our quietness, fear and inaction.It is understandable that, due to ZANU PF's history of cruelty and brutality, people would be naturally apprehensive.Nevertheless, fear is a luxury we can no longer afford.If ever we seriously want an improvement in our standards of living, we all have to harness our fears and take control.As they say, courage is not the absence of fear, but one's ability to control that fear.We all experience fear when dealing with such a brutal and inhuman government - it is natural - but there comes a time when we need to make a decision - it is either we die from hunger, oppression and poverty as cowards, or we take charge of our fears and be determined enough to go out there, confront our oppressors and make our demands heard.Any veteran of the country's liberation struggle will tell you that they were naturally afraid when they were fighting the merciless minority Rhodesia regime.However, they will also tell you that they were driven by a strong conviction to liberate the country, in the hope of a better and brighter future for all Zimbabweans.Such a conviction supersedes any fear that one might have.When we are faced with the full wrath of the ZANU PF repression machinery, we must always remember why we are doing it.We have the constitutional right to peacefully demonstrate and petition, and we need to optimally utilise this right.We no longer have anything to lose.The ZANU PF government has already stripped us bear of all our livelihood, but we at least have our dignity and the future of our children to protect.The situation in Zimbabwe will never improve on its own.If ZANU PF failed to achieve anything meaningful in the last 36 years, why would anyone think that they can suddenly have a 'Road to Damascus' moment?In fact, even in the Biblical 'Road to Damascus', Saul of Tarsus needed to be boldly confronted by Jesus Christ in a very powerful and forceful manner for him to change his ways - he just did not wake up one morning and realise that what he was doing was wrong and that he needed to repent.Bad governance, like a disease, is progressive - it only gets worse if no concrete measures are taken, as such, the situation in Zimbabwe will only get worse if we do not do anything as a matter of urgency.Besides, most of the well-publicised anti-government demonstrations held this year - for example, the Dzamara, and the MDC-T protests - were relatively without much notable incidents.This should also serve as encouragement for all of us to go out in full force to demand our rights be respected by this government.Needless to say, whatever the ZANU PF government's response, we will never - and should never - be deterred in our firm and unshakable stance against the ZANU PF government's brazen callousness against the people of Zimbabwe.We have already been abused for 36 years, so why should we now fear the pain of baton sticks, whips, or even arrest?Is the pain of a baton stick more sever than that of not being able to send our children to school?Is a whip more painful than the hunger we are facing everyday of our lives?Will prison be more antagonising than the years of excruciating pain we are facing due to diseases that are not healing because of the non availability of medication in government hospitals?Can the tears shed due to tear-gas canisters ever be more than the tears we shed everyday as a result of not being able to put food on the table for our families?When you watch your own family suffer every day, can there be any pain worse than that?Surely, one should be willing to lay down even their own lives for those they genuinely love - for there is no greater love than that.Nevertheless, none of us will be breaking any law, as we will be within our constitutional rights.If we just sit back and watch, the situation will become so irreversibly horrid, such that what we experienced in 2007 will seem like Christmas.We need to go into the streets in our numbers.Let us make our voices be clear - both men and women, the employed and the unemployed, young and old, students, Christians, and those of all religions.Let every street in every town be filled with the sounds of our anguish.Let our feet be the tanks, and our voices be the bazookas of our revolution.This is not about politics, but about everyday life for everyday living.This is about our life. This is about our children. This is about our future. This is about our very survival - and we can not dare compromise.Let us put politics aside and think of our families.This has become bigger than any political entity - and no one can afford to play politics with people's lives.These are bread and butter issues, and they affect all of us.No one can stop a revolution whose time has come - and Zimbabwe is ripe for one.Similarly, in 2018, it is our patriotic duty to vote in our numbers - dwarfing any other previous election - in order to hammer in the final nail in the ZANU PF coffin.The power is in our hands.We can choose to continue suffering, or we can choose to stop it right now.Nothing good is ever easy.All good things have to be fought for, and we need to be committed and be willing to endure with perseverance all retribution, persecution, and temptations to quit.Let us all come together and put all our fears behind us, and boldly confront the ZANU PF government - let our huge numbers be our strength - for even the world's worst dictators have crumbled in the face of a nation united. Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist and commentator, writer, and journalist. He writes in his personal capacity, and welcomes any feedback. Please feel free to call/WhatsApp: +263782283975, or email: tendaiandtinta.mbofana@gmail.com, or follow on Twitter: @Tendai_Mbofana
Opinion / Columnist

Restorationist Drum Today

It is indeed pleasing to note that the Restorationist Movement and or lobby is on fire with the Agenda for the Restoration of our country, Mama Matebeleland (Mthwakazi).Before going further it must be noted that Restorationist politics is self-determinationist politics and these are very different from secessionist politics. I will explain later the difference between self-determination (Restorationism) politics and Secession politics for the benefit of Mthwakazi activists.There is no doubt that Mthwakazi Nationalism is on the rise and creating necessary and much needed waves. It is also pleasing to note that the government of Zimbabwe is becoming increasingly rattled by the increasing calls for the Restoration of our state from colonial Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, as an oppressor, is in a state of anxiety over the issue as evidenced by Mnangagwa's recent comments on the issue.Mnangagwa's comments come after the publication and launch of Jonathan Maphenduka's book, "Rule by Conquest: The Struggle in Mthwakazi" and many other forms of agitations carried by formations from the Restorationist Movement and or lobby such as the Mthwakazi Peoples' Congress (MPC), Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF), Matebeleland Liberation Organization (MLO), uMhlahlo wesizwe sikaMthwakazi (uMweM), Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) and many contributions from individuals on the subject matter.The Restorationist Movement in its various forms and strands has been doing a great job in pushing the Agenda forward. The movement is getting stronger and stronger in selling the idea to the people of uMthwakazi and to the international community. Long may the movement gain in strength and unity of purpose in pursuance of this just, moral and right cause.And it is true that this " idea whose time has come" (Mthwakazi Restoration) is reaching a critical stage of mass re-orientation of our people towards realizing the need to recover uMthwakazi as a state from colonial Zimbabwe. The recovery and restoration of uMthwakazi state from colonial Zimbabwe will indeed offer a permanent solution to the Matebeleland Question.Every effort that has been made for the past 35 years by our own compatriots in their many strands of political churches has been skirting on the edges of the solution. Now the real idea of the solution has come and people of Matebeleland must welcome this idea (Mthwakazi Restoration) and take it to heart with the full understanding that it will be a long and perilous journey as opposed to a short relay race to freedom.We all know that the Matebeleland Question arises from the fact that Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) is currently a submerged nation in Zimbabwe (Mashonaland). This therefore means that Matebeleland is a colony of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is a colonizer and colonizing entity in Matebeleland. The exercise of Zimbabwe's authority and power over Matebeleland is therefore illegitimate.We also know that Cecil John Rhodes' Order-in-Council declared Matebeleland and Mashonaland as British Protectorates in 1891 and by 1923 annexed the two separate territories to the British Crown so that King Lobengula's subjects, the Matebele became the subjects of the British and so did the Mashona who became subjects of the British Crown too through this colonial declaration act.We also know that the misleading and deceptive treaties that were signed with the British and the Boers by King Lobengula such as the secret Grobler treaty with Boers (December 1887), where Matebeleland is meant to have agreed to be a protectorate of South Africa, the Moffat treaty (February 1888) and the Rudd Concession (October 1888) were fraudulently signed and obtained with the full understanding that King Lobengula was the legal and executive authority over Matebeleland Kingdom.It is therefore clear that the act of deceptively snatching of our Matebeleland Kingdom from King Lobengula by Cecil Rhodes and his cronies using fraudulent means still recognised that King Lobengula was the legal authority and or legal institution or custodian of the Kingdom whom they had to deal with to achieve their nefarious goals of deception and fraud. When the King realilized he had been deceived and tried to disavow these agreements, their legal fraud was eventually complemented by acts of war and genocide against the Matebele to effectively take over the Kingdom and attach it to the British Crown fully.Therefore in pursuance of people-hood and nationhood via the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Mthwakazi citizens need to recover and restore their territory from Zimbabwe as a Nation. The legal route therefore is one avenue among many avenues that would need to be adopted to get redress and restoration of our nation via legal means. The existence of Matebeleland under Zimbabwean rule is a dispute that needs to be settled at international law. We have a strong case in our hands. We need to put our hands together to push our case up the hill for recognition at international level.At the Lancaster House talks, these two separate colonies, Matebeleland and Mashonaland must have been decolonized separately but what happened is that Matebeleland became a submerged nation to the Mashonaland territory in 1980. Submerged and colonized nations have a right to self-determination at international law.In the circumstances that the peoples of Matebeleland (Mthwakazi) find themselves in and in pursuance of the Restoration of our state, Costellino (2014) contends that the vehicle for our true and genuine decolonization can only be fulfilled via self-determination politics as enshrined in the 14th December 1960 UN Declaration on Granting of Independence to Colonial countries and Peoples.Based on the vehicle of self-determination politics with which we are supposed to be pushing our agenda, it is therefore a misnomer to call ourselves secessionists or allow ourselves to be called secessionists by the hostile Zimbabwean media and government.Liberation movements like ZANLA, ZIPRA, ANC, and SWAPO were never secessionists but were self-determinationists, who pursued liberation politics to recover territories that were taken via colonialism as enshrined in the UN Declaration on Granting Independence. Nelson Mandela, Joshua Nkomo, Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Mwalimu Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba, Kwamen Nkrumah and many others were not secessionists. They were selfdeterminationists and pursuing self-determination that is recognised by international law.Secession, according to Costellino (2014) is different from self-determination in that it is about a part of a country breaking from that entity to form a new state that never existed before usually due to gross marginalization and gross human rights violations of a section of the peoples who form part of that state.Matebeleland is not seeking to form a new state. It has never been part of Zimbabwe (Mashonaland). It has always existed separately as a stand-alone territory from Zimbabwe (Mashonaland) until the Order-in-Council of 1891 where it was declared together with Mashonaland as British Protectorates and then governed together as Southern Rhodesia. Therefore we are not seeking to secede from Zimbabwe but to decolonize Matebeleland from Zimbabwe and decolonization politics is self-determinationist politics and self-determination politics is indeed restorationist politics. We are seeking to recover and restore an already existing state that was once under the umbrella of white colonialism and is now under the umbrella of a black colonial power, namely Zimbabwe (Mashonaland).My contribution today is therefore a challenge to Restorationists in their different and respective political formations and churches to discard the language of secession in their narratives and fully adopt Restorationist/Self-determinationist narrative that locates our struggle very well within the umbrella of International law recognised by the United Nations.
Opinion / Columnist

We hear things are not okay in Joice Mujuru's Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) camp, with reports indicating that the over-ambitious Didymus Mutasa has relapsed to his infamous power seeking behaviour.Those born in my generation would attest that we grew up hearing that Mutasa had hilariously declared from the onset of his indecorous political career that he would want to become the Vice President of this country, no matter the leadership matrix in ZANU PF.His insatiable hunger for power also became undeniably translucent during his last days in ZANU PF, when he belligerently boasted against all odds that he wanted to take over the party's Chairmanship.Mutasa was Secretary General then.With such a poignant history of wrestling for power, it came as no surprise that Mutasa later ganged up with other power hungry characters such as Joice Mujuru and her cabal and plotted to unconstitutionally grab power from President Robert Mugabe.Fortunately the cabal was caught in its treasonous tracks and was unceremoniously expelled from ZANU PF in 2014, only to regroup and form what they termed ZimPF.For those who knew Mutasa and crew for their unquenchable thirst for power, it was a given that with the passing of time, the new political entity would be blighted by power conflicts, for it was obvious that leopards such as Mutasa would never lose their spots.True to measured expectations, we now hear reports that ZimPF has been afflicted by shattering power struggles as Mutasa, Bright Matonga and Sylvester Nguni wrestle to unseat each other and also to topple Mujuru.It was obvious that Mutasa, who held the post of Secretary for Administration in ZANU PF but found himself openly demoted to the uninspiring rank of 'elder' in ZimPF, would somehow unfurl his true colours to fight for a more powerful position in the new political entity.Nonetheless, the elderly politician missed the fact that his dark political past, characterised by his personal use of violence and sometimes murder to pummel his opponents to submission, is now a stark political liability to his colleagues, which they cannot accommodate without backlash from the electorate.To ZimPF's partners from western countries, the civil society sector and vocal opposition political activists such as Jealous Mawarire, Mutasa is viewed as a corrosive character that should be tucked away from the public glare as his political misdemeanours are seen as likely to chip away the assumed integrity of the newly created party.This became a slap in the face of the over-ambitious Mutasa who had seen himself positioned at the apex of that party due to his purported political seniority.Notably, Mujuru is acceding to the unrelenting pressure from his other political partners and is seemingly ready to sideline Mutasa and eventually ditch him from any political designs in ZimPF.Mutasa is seeing this as the greatest betrayal of all time and would fight tooth and nail to propel himself from the dungeons of his 'eldership' to the higher echelons of that party.However, even if Mujuru is to ditch Mutasa, it appears the ZimPF project would soon come to naught as other ever-scheming characters such as Mujuru herself, Nguni, Matonga and other power hungry cabal members are sure to put the party asunder.No one else but the uninhibited power hungry ZimPF officials would destroy the party before its first political steps.It is only therefore convenient and misleading for the ZimPF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, to claim that some shadowy forces have infiltrated them, leading to the current power wrangles in that party.The talk of infiltration either by Government or by its supposed agents is a tired and puerile political ploy that has been overused by the MDC-T and now adopted by ZimPF.All opposition political parties would like to blame Government for their self-inflicted misfortunes and inherent ideological deficiencies.It is with this in my mind that we would not hesitate to write the obituary for ZimPF, for it will definitely buckle under the weight of over-ambitious and ever-scheming power thirsty characters such Mutasa and crew.
Editors note: Below is Thomas Joscelyns testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National Security, on the remaining detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. For the PDF with footnotes, click here.

Chairman DeSantis, Ranking Member Lynch, and other members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to testify today. I have been writing about Guantanamo and the detainees held there for more than a decade and I visited the detention facility in 2008. I have reviewed most, if not almost all, of the publicly available files created by the U.S. government on the individual detainees, as well as the habeas decisions issued by the courts. This material constitutes thousands of pages of source files, which I have summarized in databases containing dozens of variables on most of the men who have been detained. The Guantanamo detainees are a regular part of my coverage at The Long War Journal, which was among the first publications to report that former detainee Ibrahim al Qosi, who is a senior al Qaeda figure, had rejoined the fight.

The key points in my testimony today are as follows:

Guantanamo has always posed risk management problems for the U.S. government. Early on, U.S. officials decided to divide the detainee population into categories based on risk. This process was incredibly difficult as it must take into account numerous factors, including sometimes murky, contradictory or uncorroborated intelligence. This process hasnt been perfect, as some detainees were misidentified as low threats, transferred or released, and then rejoined the jihad in a significant capacity. In addition, in some cases detainees were misidentified as being more senior in jihadist organizations than they really were.

Even so, various bodies in the U.S. government have collected significant intelligence on most of the detainees. And the detainees dossiers have been reviewed multiple times by U.S. officials.

In January 2010, President Obamas Guantanamo Review Task Force finished its work on the detainee population. It should be noted that the task force did not recommend any of the 240 detainees it evaluated be outright released.

Instead, the task force approved for transfer, or eventual transfer after conditional detention, 156 of the 240 detainees it reviewed  that is, nearly two-thirds of the detainee population. The task force made it clear that the term transfer was used to mean release from confinement subject to appropriate security measures. The term release was used to mean release from confinement without the need for continuing security measures in the receiving country. Again, no detainees were approved for outright release. In other words, the task force determined that there was at least some risk involved in the detainee transfers.

As of May 19, 2016, 80 detainees remain at Guantanamo. Only 15 of them were approved for transfer by President Obamas task force. The majority of the detainees, 65 in all, were either referred for prosecution or slated for continued detention under the law of war (2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force). Therefore, the detainee population today is mostly comprised of detainees who President Obamas own task force deemed too dangerous to transfer.

The Obama administration has established a Periodic Review Board (PRB) process to evaluate the cases of the 65 detainees previously deemed too dangerous to transfer. The PRB has issued 28 decisions thus far. The PRB has approved for transfer  again, subject to appropriate security measures  21 of the 28 detainees. In some cases, detainees were approved for transfer by the PRB just months after the PRB itself ruled that continued detention remained necessary to mitigate the threat posed by the detainee. In the remaining seven instances, the PRB concluded that detention remained necessary.

In its most recent assessment, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that 204 former detainees were confirmed or suspected of reengaging in jihadist activities. The overwhelming majority of these recidivists were transferred or released by the Bush administration. But the number of recidivists transferred by the Obama administration has begun to climb as well, and it is likely only a matter of time until more of them are considered recidivists.

In sum, the U.S. government has taken on more and more risk in approving detainee transfers. The government seeks to mitigate this risk and some of its practices are likely somewhat effective (such as transferring detainees to countries that are not currently embroiled in jihadist insurgencies). Still, history shows that it is often difficult for the U.S. government to ensure that appropriate security measures are enacted by host countries.

Overview of the Guantanamo Detainee Population

President Obamas Guantanamo Review Task Force noted in its final report, which was submitted in January 2010, that it had reached decisions on the appropriate disposition of all 240 detainees who were held as of January 2009 and subject to President Obamas Executive Order. Below is a brief overview of the task forces decisions for these 240 detainees. This is intended to be used as a comparison to the current population, which is also summarized below.

The task force approved 126 of the 240 detainees (52.5%) for transfer. Another 30 Yemeni detainees (12.5%) were placed in conditional detention, meaning they could be transferred if certain conditions were met. Therefore, the task forces plan called for the eventual transfer of nearly two-thirds of the detainee population (65%). These detainees are represented in the green and yellow slices of the pie chart below.

The remaining detainees were either referred for prosecution (36 detainees, or 15% of the population) or slated for continued detention under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (48 detainees, or 20% of the detainees). Those referred for prosecution in either a court or a military commission are represented in the blue slice of the pie chart below. The detainees slated for continued law of war detention are represented in the red slice.

Although President Obamas interagency task force approved nearly two-thirds of the detainees for transfer, its decisions did not mean that these same detainees were considered innocents who posed no threat. It is often reported that these same detainees were cleared for release, but that is not accurate. As the task force made clear, appropriate security measures needed to be put in place.

It is important to emphasize that a decision to approve a detainee for transfer does not reflect a decision that the detainee poses no threat or no risk of recidivism, the task forces final report reads. The task force continued:

Rather, the decision reflects the best predictive judgment of senior government officials, based on the available information, that any threat posed by the detainee can be sufficiently mitigated through feasible and appropriate security measures in the receiving country. Indeed, all transfer decisions were made subject to the implementation of appropriate security measures in the receiving country, and extensive discussions are conducted with the receiving country about such security measures before any transfer is implemented.

In other words, many of the detainees approved for transfer were thought to pose at least some risk.

The task force also explained that its transfer decisions did not reflect a conclusion that the detainees were improperly held in the first place. It is also important to emphasize that a decision to approve a detainee for transfer does not equate to a judgment that the government lacked legal authority to hold the detainee, the task forces participants wrote. The task force continued:

To be sure, in some cases the review participants had concerns about the strength of the evidence against a detainee and the governments ability to defend his detention in court, and considered those factors, among others, in deciding whether to approve the detainee for transfer. For many of the detainees approved for transfer, however, the review participants found there to be reliable evidence that the detainee had engaged in conduct providing a lawful basis for his detention. The review participants nonetheless considered these detainees appropriate candidates for transfer from a threat perspective, in light of their limited skills, minor organizational roles, or other factors.

As mentioned above, 30 Yemeni detainees were placed in conditional detention. Their status was more nuanced than much reporting lets on and they were not cleared for release as is sometimes reported. The task force found these Yemeni men could be transferred if the security situation improves in Yemen, an appropriate rehabilitation program becomes available, or an appropriate third-country resettlement option becomes available. The task force considered the Yemenis placed in conditional detention to be a lower risk than the detainees slated for continued detention under the 2001 AUMF, but they were also thought to be more of a threat than the Yemenis approved for outright transfer. Even if one of the three security conditions was satisfied, the task force said, the 29 Yemenis approved for transfer would receive priority for any transfer options over the 30 Yemeni detainees approved for conditional detention.

It should also be noted that the Bush administration approved some of these same detainees for transfer. The task forces final report states that 59 of them had been approved by the prior administration for transfer or release. An additional 11 detainees were ordered released by a federal court as a result of habeas litigation. Thus, the task force reported, a total of 70 detainees subject to the review were either approved for transfer during the prior administration or ordered released by a federal court.

Given that the task force approved 156 detainees for transfer (including the Yemen detainees approved for eventual transfer after conditional detention), this means that President Obamas interagency body approved an additional 86 detainees for transfer.

Overview of the current Guantanamo detainee population

Since the task force finished its final report, the detainee population has been reduced, primarily due to transfers, but also other reasons. Most of the detainees approved for transfer have been transferred.

80 detainees remain at Guantanamo today.

The pie chart above summarizes the detainee population as of May 19, 2016. Comparing it to the previous chart reveals how the situation has evolved.

Just four (4) of the remaining detainees were approved for transfer by the task force and 11 additional Yemenis were placed in conditional detention. This means that only 15 of the remaining 80 detainees (18.75%) were approved for transfer by the task force. The remaining 65 (81.25%) were either slated for prosecution or have been successfully prosecuted (32 detainees), or they were placed in continued detention under the 2001 AUMF (33 detainees).

The evolution of the detainee population is best seen by comparing the two charts. Whereas the green (approved for transfer) and yellow (conditional detention) slices dominated the pie in 2009, the blue and red slices account for most of the pie chart today.

According to the Guantanamo Review Task Force, the 33 detainees remaining at Guantanamo who were placed in continued detention under the laws of war were determined to be too dangerous to transfer but not feasible for prosecution. Detainees were placed in detention under the AUMF only if (1) the detainee poses a national security threat that cannot be sufficiently mitigated through feasible and appropriate security measures; (2) prosecution of the detainee by the federal government is not feasible in any forum; and (3) continued detention without criminal charges is lawful.

The decision to prosecute 32 of the remaining detainees was based on standards used by federal prosecutors across the country. The task force reported that cases were referred for prosecution if the detainees conduct constitutes a federal offense and the potentially available admissible evidence will probably be sufficient to obtain and sustain a convictionunless prosecution should be declined because no substantial federal interest would be served by prosecution. The task force also listed [k]ey factors in making this determination, such as the nature and seriousness of the offense; the detainees culpability in connection with the offense; the detainees willingness to cooperate in the investigation or prosecution of others; and the probable sentence or other consequences if the detainee is convicted.

In sum, more than four out of every five (65 detainees) of the remaining 80 detainees were considered too dangerous to transfer by President Obamas task force.

Overview of the Periodic Review Board (PRB) process

President Obamas March 7, 2011 Executive Order (EO) 13567 established a Periodic Review Board (PRB) process to review whether continued detention of particular individuals held at Guantanamo remains necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States. The PRB is a discretionary, administrative interagency process and its decision-making panel consists of one senior official from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State; the Joint Staff, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. There are four stages of review listed on the PRBs website: initial review, file review, full review, and subsequent full review.

Thus far, 28 detainees have had their initial reviews completed. Four (4) of these 28 detainees subsequently had their full review completed as well. The decisions are publicly available on the PRBs website. A review of these unclassified files revealed the following:

President Obamas Guantanamo Review Task Force previously determined that 24 of these detainees should remain in continued detention under the 2001 AUMF. That is, these 24 detainees were considered too dangerous to transfer but not feasible for prosecution. The remaining four (4) detainees were referred for prosecution. Thus, the task force did not approve any of them for transfer.

In 21 of the 28 cases, the PRB determined that detention was no longer necessary or does not remain necessary to mitigate the threat posed by the individual detainee. This means that the PRB has approved 21 detainees for transfer who were previously denied transfer by the task force. Nine (9) of these 21 detainees have since been transferred.

In approving the transfer of these 21 detainees, the PRB notes that the standard security assurances or appropriate security assurances must be enacted by the receiving country, as determined by the Guantanamo Detainee Transfer Working Group. This language reflects the fact that the detainees are not being approved for outright release, and the PRB recognizes at least some level of risk is involved. The PRBs decisions often cite reasons why the officials believe this risk can be mitigated (ranging from the detainees stated desire to start a new life, to medical conditions, to a family support network). Still, the language of the PRBs decisions takes into account that the transfers are not, in general, risk free.

The PRB has approved for transfer all four detainees who have gone through the full review process. In each instance, not only was the detainee considered too dangerous to transfer by the Guantanamo Review Task Force, but he had also been previously denied transfer by the PRB itself. A brief overview of one of these decisions follows:

Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab Al Rahabi (Internment Serial Number 37): On March 5, 2014, the PRB determined that continued law of war detention of [Rahabi] remains necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States. The PRB cited Rahabis significant ties to al-Qaida, including his past role as a bodyguard for Usama Bin Ladin and a prior relationship with the current amir of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, the PRB cited Rahabis experience fighting on the frontlines, possible selection for a hijacking plot, and significant training as reasons for the PRBs concern. In March 2014, the PRB did not think that the risks posed by Rahabi could be sufficiently mitigated. In December 2014, however, the PRB found the risks he presented could be adequately mitigated based on the testimony of Rahabi and his family members.

I have previously written about another one of these cases, that of Fayez al Kandari. The differences between the PRBs decisions in 2014 and 2015 are striking. In July 2014, the PRB concluded that Kandari almost certainly retains an extremist mindset and had close ties with high-level al Qaeda leaders in the past. The PRB was also skeptical of Kuwaits ability to handle a detainee such as Kandari, noting a lack of history regarding the efficacy of the rehabilitation program Kuwait will implement for a detainee with his particular mindset. The PRB said it appreciate[d] the efforts of the Kuwaiti government and encourages the officials at the Al Salam Rehabilitation Center to continue to work with the detainee at Guantanamo. In September 2015, however, the PRB claimed that Kandari had demonstrated a willingness to examine his religious beliefs and engaged more openly with the Board. The PRB noted [Kandaris] willingness to engage with Kuwaiti officials and rehabilitation center staff members, comply with security requirements, and disassociate with negative influences since his last hearing. In 2015, the PRB also said that Kandaris threat can be adequately mitigated by the Kuwaiti governments commitment to require and maintain the detainees participation in a rehabilitation program and to implement robust security measures to include monitoring and travel restrictions.

In seven (7) of the 28 cases the PRB ruled that continued detention remains necessary. In some of the more recent cases, the PRB has cited the detainees ties to senior al Qaeda personnel who have plotted against the West.

The number of recidivists continues to rise

In March, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released the most current statistics on recidivism. The figures are as of January 15, 2016.

The number of former Guantanamo detainees confirmed or suspected of rejoining the jihad has grown to 204, according to the ODNI. Nearly two-thirds of the jihadists, 128 in total, are at-large. The remaining 76 ex-detainees have been killed, died of natural causes, or were re-captured.

The overwhelming majority of the ex-detainees on the ODNIs recidivist list, 185 out of 204 (91 percent), were transferred or released during the Bush administration. An additional 19 recidivists (7 confirmed, 12 suspected) were freed from Guantanamo during President Obamas tenure.

The U.S. governments list of one-time Guantanamo detainees who have rejoined the fight has grown significantly since 2008, when the first statistics were made public.

In June 2008, the Department of Defense reported that 37 former detainees were confirmed or suspected of returning to the fight. On Jan. 13, 2009, a Pentagon spokesman said that number had climbed to 61. In April 2009, the Pentagon told the press that same metric had risen further to 74.

The estimated number of recidivists more than doubled between April 2009 and October 2010, when the ODNI released an updated analysis saying that 150 former detainees were on the list. Since then, the ODNIs assessment has climbed further, leading to the latest figure of 204 former detainees confirmed or suspected of rejoining jihadist networks.

The ODNI tracks former Guantanamo detainees who are involved in both terrorist and insurgent activities, including those thought to be planning terrorist operations, conducting a terrorist or insurgent attack against Coalition or host-nation forces or civilians, conducting a suicide bombing, financing terrorist operations, recruiting others for terrorist operations, and arranging for movement of individuals involved in terrorist operations.

The U.S. intelligence communitys assessment does not include those jihadists who have communicated with other former detainees or past terrorist associates about non-nefarious activities. The production of anti-American propaganda is not enough to be considered a recidivist either, according to the ODNI.

In order to be considered a confirmed recidivist, a preponderance of information must identify a specific former GTMO detainee as directly involved in terrorist or insurgent activities. The suspected category requires [p]lausible but unverified or single-source reporting that identifies a specific former GTMO detainee as being directly involved in terrorist or insurgent activities.

The current estimate includes 118 confirmed and 86 suspected recidivists, for a total of 204. Therefore, the reengagement rate is approximately 30 percent. However, this rate may be misleading.

It is likely that U.S. intelligence does not track all of the jihadists who were once held at Guantanamo, so even more former detainees could have rejoined terrorist or insurgent groups without the ODNIs knowledge. There is also a lag time in the ODNIs reporting. A February 2010 review of GTMO detainees release dates compared to first reporting of confirmed or suspected reengagement shows about 2.5 years between leaving GTMO and the first identified reengagement reports, the ODNI previously reported. It is possible, too, that some of the suspected recidivists arent really engaged in jihadist activities.

Former Guantanamo detainees have served jihadist groups in a variety of capacities, ranging from suicide bombers to leadership positions. Both the Taliban and al Qaeda have filled senior roles with alumni from the detention facility in Cuba.

Ibrahim al Qosi, who was held at Guantanamo from 2002 to 2014, reemerged as one of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsulas (AQAP) most prominent figures late last year. Qosi received a favorable plea deal from prosecutors in the military commission system in 2010. Two years later, he was sent to his native country of Sudan. Since December 2015, AQAP has released several messages featuring Qosi.

Another Guantanamo alumnus, Hamed Abderrahaman Ahmed, was arrested by Spanish authorities in February and charged with running a recruiting network for the Islamic State. Ahmed was held in Cuba from February 2002 to February 2004, when he was transferred to Spain. He was allegedly operating a jihadist network in the city of Ceuta, which borders Morocco on the North African coast, at the time of his arrest.

The Obama administration notes that the number of confirmed or suspected recidivists transferred since early 2009 is much lower than the figure from the Bush years. This is, of course, true. One factor is that many of the Obama administrations transfers have been to countries where the jihadists are not waging insurgencies. This is, on balance, a smart way to transfer otherwise risky detainees. It means that former detainees who may wish to rejoin the jihad will have a more difficult time doing so. We can hope that these detainees choose to follow a different path in the new country where they were placed. However, this may also only serve to delay some detainees recidivism. Given that President Obamas task force previously determined that none of detainees should be outright released, and most of the remaining detainees were deemed too dangerous to transfer, we should expect the number of recidivists to continue to rise.

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.
ABCNews.com(STOCKTON, Calif.) -- A fired up President Clinton has made it clear as he blazes the campaign trail in California, he is going to fight back at Donald Trump.



In Stockton, California, on Monday, President Clinton joined the ranks of his wife, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, and called for Trump to release his taxes returns. Trump has declined to release his taxes until an audit is completed.



Her opponent who never tires of telling us how much richer he is than the rest of us wont release his tax returns, said an animated Bill Clinton. The crowd loudly booed at the Trump reference.

Clinton continued, Do you really think hes going to be a force in raising working peoples incomes? A woman from the crowd shouted No!

WATCH: @BillClinton: Trump "never tires of telling us how much richer he is," but wont release tax returns. https://t.co/RVSon45f0z  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 23, 2016

Hillary Clinton has released more than 20 years of tax returns and have made them public on her website.



The president switches his campaign efforts to New Mexico Tuesday.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Opinion / Columnist

It is quite misleading that a local tabloid can publish unsubstantiated information that the University of Fort Hare students had blasted Presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Jacob Zuma of South Africa. It had come as an oversimplification for a rather complex issue to say that the students blasted President Mugabe; otherwise it would have been better to say that they blasted President Zuma if at least they had succeeded in their endeavour to present their grievances.The facts gleaned from the South African press revealed that the University of Fort Hare students who failed to secure residence on campus wanted to be paid allowances as they had no money and they wanted to be addressed by their President Jacob Zuma pertaining to their welfare on campus. The students claimed that the university management had not met all of their demands.Students who did not live in residences on campus wanted to receive allowances for accommodation and transport before the end of the first semester. The real thing is that this colorful anniversary was slightly marred by the student protests. The students who wanted to disrupt President Zuma's address picketed outside the hall singing. However police maintained a heavy presence and ensured that the programme proceeded without any challenges.What was reported by the hostile media was the anti-thesis of reality to say that the students blasted President Mugabe. Instead the head of state received a standing ovation as he received a hero's welcome. President Mugabe saluted the University of Fort Hare describing it as the institution of anti-colonialism. The university is identified with the evils of colonialism; and this galvanized our commitment to fight against all forms of oppression.It was at the University of Fort Hare where President Mugabe was born academically and where he discovered his African identity and African personality. We have to identify ourselves with this institute of higher learning where most African leaders were educated. President Mugabe hailed Fort Hare's legacy of producing great leaders not only in the country but Africa as a whole.It is quite interesting to note that the institution had produced five heads of state, a remarkable achievement. The university has helped us a lot as there are many graduates in this country who passed through this institution under the Presidential Scholarship scheme. In fact we should glorify President Mugabe for establishing and supporting the programme.
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Opinion / Columnist

The news of a newborn arriving in a family is an exciting one and it definitely brings smiles and cheers along with it. The idea of celebrating the joy immediately pops up, hence parents and family members began to plan about the future of the newly born baby.However, there has been much hullabaloo in the private press about the visit to Singapore by President Mugabe. Firstly, President Mugabe had a busy schedule which did not permit him to go and welcome his grandson, Simbanashe Chikore in the month he was born. This is the reason why he had to follow the First Family in Singapore to meet his grandson.Some sections of the media were imprudently attacking First Lady, Dr Amai Grace Mugabe saying she was stuck in Singapore. What surprises most is that those authors in the private media were quite certain that the visit to Singapore by First Lady was meant to provide moral support to her daughter, Mrs Bona Chikore, who had gone there for her maternity delivery.In the African culture, whenever a new baby is born family members, relatives and friends get together to honour and welcome the new baby. Baby welcome is one of the most exciting occasions as it simply means celebrating time for everyone.There was indeed nothing wrong for President Mugabe to meet face-to-face with his grandson Simbanashe Chikore as well as joining his family in celebrating the life of the new baby. Isn't it normal that like any other grandfather who would be naturally excited about welcoming his grandson, President Mugabe had to go to Singapore to meet his new grandson? President Mugabe has every reason to celebrate the birth of his first grandson.Psalms 127 verse 3 says 'Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him'. This means that every child is special; hence his/her arrival must be celebrated.Unfortunately, some sections of the media and opposition parties fail to realize and appreciate the pleasure of celebrating the birth of President Mugabe's grandson. As it stands, it seems all those who associate with President Mugabe are opponents of the private press.For instance, the private media and opposition parties were criticizing the choice and decision made by Mrs Bona Chikore to go and deliver in Singapore. Surely, this is a matter of choice. Was Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of MDC opposition party not rushed to South Africa for his treatment recently? Why then the private didn't condemn Tsvangirai on his foreign trip?To say First Lady was stuck in Singapore is a like an insult to the First family. Whilst in Gutu President Mugabe revealed that First Lady was attending to their grandson in Singapore. Additionally, President Mugabe highlighted that doctors in Singapore had said that the new baby should reach at least one month before he is flown back home. Why then should they rush to travel back with the baby who had not yet reached the stipulated time frame given by doctors? Doctors should have a final say in recommending that the baby is now fit to travel.Some online websites were nonsensically saying that the baby was adopted. Surely, why should people move around spreading false information that the baby was adopted? People should just mind their own business and leave the First family alone, celebrating the birth of their bundle of joy, Simbanashe.
The Malahat Review invites writers who identify as Indigenous to submit their unpublished work to an issue on contemporary Indigenous writing in Canada.

To be published in January 2017, Indigenous Perspectives will celebrate the aesthetics, concerns, contributions, and achievements of Indigenous authors living in or from Canada, recognizing their crucial role in providing a truly complete picture of what it is like to be alive in North America in the past, future, and especially today.

Submissions are welcome from all First Nations, Metis, and Inuit writers. Recognizing that the current international boundaries imposed on the continent are not necessarily compatible with Indigenous peoples own sense of place, we invite non-Canadian Indigenous writers with close connections to Indigenous communities within Canada to submit their work or to query in advance.

Indigenous Perspectives is being guest-edited by Philip Kevin Paul (poetry), Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (creative nonfiction), and Richard Van Camp (fiction). The guest editors are interested in submissions of exciting contemporary Indigenous writing by poets and short-story and creative-nonfiction authors whose work makes vivid their experience of being alive in the world.

Read about all three of the guest editors on the Indigenous Issue Editors page.

The issue will also feature reviews of new books by Indigenous authors as well as the winner of the Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize, which is open to all writers, Indigenous and non-Indigenous The final judge of the prize is Lee Maracle.

The Malahat Review, a literary quarterly published by the University of Victoria, acknowledges that it operates on the unceded territory of the Coast and Straits Salish people, including the Lekwungen family group, Checkonien, and Sungayka village.

Submission Guidelines

Poetry submissions may consist of three to five previously unpublished poems on any subject and in any style.

Submissions of previously unpublished short fiction may be up to 6,000 words in length, on any subject or any style. Unless the stories are very short (i.e., less than 1000 words long each), no submission may consist of more than one story.

Previously unpublished submissions of creative nonfiction may range from 1,000 to 6,000 words in length on any subject or in any style.

If you feel your literary work falls outside these three categories, please feel free to send a query to the editor at malahat@uvic.ca. Your query will be forwarded to the appropriate guest editor.

The Malahat Review seldom publishes unsolicited book reviews. Please query first.

Eligible writers must self-identify as Indigenous, be Canadians, Canadian residents, or non-Canadians with close connections to Canada. Brief biographical notes must be enclosed in all submissions.

Language of composition: All submissions must be written in English or translated into English.

Works by eligible writers in all genres translated into English from any Indigenous language or French will be considered. Translators may be Indigenous or non-Indigenous. When submitting a translated work, please include a copy of the original text and a copy of a letter of permission from the author or copyright holder and/or first-language publisher.

Contact information, (full, name, mailing address, and email address) must appear on the first page of all submissions.

All submissions must be paginated.

Poetry submissions must be single-spaced; fiction and creative nonfiction submissions must be double-spaced.

For fiction and creative nonfiction, please include the word count on the first page of your submission.

All submissions must be sent to The Malahat Review via the following email addresses: Poetry: ippoem@uvic.ca Fiction: ipstory@uvic.ca Creative Nonfiction: ipnonfic@uvic.ca

No submissions in any genre sent by regular mail will be considered.

Required file formats: doc, docx, and pdf.

Poetry submissions must be saved in a single file; please do not submit each poem in your submission in a separate file.

For all genres, please include your cover letter as the first page of your submission.

Previous publication is considered to be any appearance in print or online, including on or in a newspaper, newsletter, magazine, anthology, chapbook, book, e-book, website, electronic magazine, personal blog, Twitter, Facebook, or other social-media platform. Please note that even if the print run or circulation of the print publication where the work has previously appeared is small, this is still considered previous publication. No work that has been excerpted elsewhere is eligible for submission; nor is a work that has been revised since its original publication.

is considered to be any appearance in print or online, including on or in a newspaper, newsletter, magazine, anthology, chapbook, book, e-book, website, electronic magazine, personal blog, Twitter, Facebook, or other social-media platform. Please note that even if the print run or circulation of the print publication where the work has previously appeared is small, this is still considered previous publication. No work that has been excerpted elsewhere is eligible for submission; nor is a work that has been revised since its original publication. The Malahat Review discourages simultaneous submissions.

The Malahat Review purchases first world serial print and digital rights and, upon acceptance, pays $60 CAD per published page plus a one-year subscription starting with the issue after the one in which the accepted work has appeared. Two copies of the issue in which the accepted work has appeared are sent to each contributor. Copyright reverts to the author upon publication.

Queries*: malahat@uvic.ca

Submission Deadline: August 19, 2016

*All content-related queries will be forwarded to the appropriate guest editor.
Opinion / Columnist

ZAPU held celebratory event to mark Culture day which was celebrated throughout the world on Saturday 21 May 2016, at which the party said embracing, appreciation and celebration of cultural diversity is the surest way to understanding Devolution of Power as a governance system.The event was hosted by Matebeleland South and was held in Mzingwane District.The event reminded the multitudes who attended how ZAPU has remained the only party in the country that has followed our culture since the time of the liberation struggle when ZAPU, under the leadership of Dr Joshua Nkomo went for consultation rituals at Njelele before embarking on the liberation struggle.According to tradition one can't go straight through to Njelele without undergoing a cleansing period of at least a week. This led to the establishment of eMshasheni where people camp while undergoing the ritual cleansing.Speakers at the event reminded ZAPU followers and the general public of the need to revert back and stick to our traditional cultures in order to avert some of the problems bedeviling the country.Mrs Banda, Matabeleland South Secretary of Culture and Spiritual affairs bemoaned the dumping of our culture which has resulted in our people losing their identity. She said preservation of indigenous identities is the first step towards implementing sustainable Devolution of Power.Mrs Banda said only if we know who we are could we be able to implement Devolution of Power successifully since the concept demands high levels of tolerance and accommodation of different peoples and cultures.Speaking at the same event, Mrs Mildredth Mkandla, National Secretary for ZAWU, the party's women's wing urged tolerance and appreciation of diverse cultures while preserving ones own.She educated the people on different other cultures in Africa which included Tshangani in the Low Veld of Zimbabwe, the Korekore in Zimbabwe's Mashonaland, Ethiopian, Masai in Kenya and Ghanaian.She said it was important to know and interact with different other cultures since the world has become a global village whose citizens have become one huge family.Mkandla took a swipe on those who are against Devolution saying they do not understand the concept of culture and diversity.She said the way Devolution is being explained by the ruling elite is as if its all about resources and political power, while its multifaceted and has its roots in the celebration of multi cultures within closed geographical boarders.She said Devolution instills a sense of ownership of a governance system and patriotism.Mkandla rubbished the ruling elite's insinuations of secession and dismissed them as malicious and a desperate and deliberate ploy to deny Zimbabweans Devolution.
Third, the neutrality of economic growth is an illusion because there is a strong case that Western businesses dominate the discourse and denounce growth alternatives as too costly for consumer welfare, leveraging for profit-friendly policies. In the past, such lobbying served to open up developing countries prematurely, initiate redistribution towards the top and weaken political organisation. Foucault emphasises the importance of such power relationships in analysing discourse. It is necessary to see growth as an economic policy generating winners and losers and which is inextricably linked to increased trade, integration between countries and human expansion. In short, growth is a close companion of globalisation, which has seen arguably more public discussion because its adverse effects are embedded in a more tangible and present discourse (e.g. changing nature of labor, production etc.).

Opening the black box of growth must also call for the identification of concrete responsibilities and accountability: with growth goals, either no one or everyone (i.e. the entire government) is blamed if they are not achieved. Governments should include more nuanced policies in their economic agenda (such as literacy rates, poverty, material deprivation, infrastructure, security etc.) that may correlate with growth, but that enable people to identify clearly labeled accountabilities (with each minister).

Creating momentum for alternatives through language and concepts: the how

The arguably more practical part of the quest for growth alternatives focuses mainly on the political economy of wealthy countries ranging from cutting/ redistributing work time (e.g. Keynes), measuring growth differently (e.g. by happiness), a post-consumer society focusing on the revival of the Arts, Sciences and relationship-building through a Plenitude Economy to substituting growth with the structuring of collective existence to achieve the good life (as coined by Aristotle) aided by a basic income and reduction in consumption. With regards to poorer countries, it is less about alternatives than about competing theories on how to escape poverty in the first place: theories range from development aid to import substitution industrialisation and increasing-returns to scale activities .

"The limits of [our] language are the limits of [our] world"

This (incomplete) numeration suggests that it is not necessarily a lack of alternative ideas - these ideas are all well and long known - about which we should worry, but their portrayal and acceptance. I argue that the final crucial element in realising them in practice lies in Foucault's idea of rendering social constructs explicit through language. Wittgenstein holds that the limits of language can prevent us from going further in our thinking about what can possibly be (or not be) in the world. In arguing that "the limits of [our] language are the limits of [our] world", his final proposition holds that, "[w]hereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." Realising that language and concepts are limiting and heavily biased is a first step in opening up a more pluralistic debate.

First, we need to make our language more tangible and qualitative when talking about growth - it is not just a number; it can also be unsustainable, rigged, biased, irrelevant etc., words that stakeholders in media, politics and business are encouraged to incorporate on a daily basis. In Foucault's understanding, it is particularly crucial how figures in authority use language towards a subordinate audience. As such, authority has the ability to perpetuate or break with established perceptions of growth. Second, it is absolutely essential to incorporate underlying concepts of growth such as work, performance, value-creation, and consumption permanently in the debate about growth and alternatives. Introducing such familiar but contextually rare vocabulary helps pushing Wittgensteinian boundaries of thought. Third, to speak about growth differently also means measuring growth differently. Measurement informs policy decisions to a major extent. The search for new ways of measuring growth has only just begun, and measurement should always be closest to what society believes growth to be, e.g. prosperity. Politicians and academia bear an equal responsibility in asking how something can and should measure our well-being that "measures everything, [ ] except that which makes life worthwhile".

Where do we go from here

When growth is portrayed as a conditio sine qua non, it will turn into a selffulfilling prophecy because authorities act upon this notion. Any alternative to economic growth must have as its foundation an alternative discourse that starts by asking why, repoliticises growth by asking what socio-economic goals, as well as revisits the power of language and concepts as a means - the how - to give way to growth alternatives. It is absolutely imperative to understand growth as a normative concept, because as we do so we understand it as a choice. This in turn is crucial in understanding alternatives also as choices and not as idealised images. In doing so, we change the realm of action and establish legitimacy for alternatives which would otherwise not come to fruition.
Why is this opposition system being introduced now?

Eduardo Kleinberg: It had to happen eventually. Perhaps the issue of Mexico implementing the Madrid Protocol, and now the TPP [the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement announced in October last year and signed in February this year], accelerated the process. It is something that had to happen eventually and maybe it is also because of this international treaty that Mexico has subscribed.

We are very happy that Mexico has finally decided to implement an opposition system. We have been asking for it for a very, very long time. We thought that implementing Madrid Protocol before having an opposition system was not very beneficial, because we would not be in the same positon as other countries participating in the Madrid Protocol.

How will it work?

Juan Carlos Hernandez: It is a pre-registration opposition system as opposed to a post registration. Interestingly, applications will be published 10 days after they are received by the Mexican trademark office. This is prior to the formal exam that the trademark office conducts. This could have an impact on the way that trademarks are published because some applications are filed with errors as to the class number or the description of goods and services. This is going to be interesting because we are going to have to be very careful as to what is published. Maybe people could be distracted by errors in the class and certain trademarks could not be detected appropriately.

The trademark office will continue to conduct their own substantial exam. What is also interesting is that if the opposition is favourable for the opponent, the trademark office will issue a formal rejection, saying the reasons the registration was not granted. But if the opposition does not prevail, the trademark office will just issue the registration certificate. The opponent will not be given the reasoning of the trademark office for the granting of the registration.

What has been the reaction among IP practitioners in Mexico?

Eduardo Kleinberg: In general terms it has been received well because in our opinion it is something that was missing from our system: you did not previously have the opportunity as a trademark owner to raise your hand and object to the filing of another trademark. In any country where there is an opposition system it was well received by the practitioners.

But we do not believe that it went far enough. It is a mild system because, even when the trademark examiner will receive your objections and will take them into consideration, they will continue with their own substantial exam and they will grant a registration and you may not even know what their considerations are for granting the registration.

If the mark is denied they will issue their argument as to why it was denied. If it is granted you will not even know if they did or did not really consider your arguments. You will still have the possibility of proceeding to an annulment action but what is relavant about an opposition system is that you can file arguments and that they should be considered in a very strict manner. We do not know if that will happen or not.

When will it come into effect?

Juan Carlos Hernandez: It has to be approved by the executive power. After it is approved, it will be published in the federal gazette, them it will come into effect 90 days after this publication. We expect the executive powers approval to be granted in the following weeks. It shouldnt be more than two months but this could vary.

How will this system compare to others around the world?

Juan Carlos Hernandez: It will be similar to most pre-registration opposition systems. I would say the main difference would be this element in which the opponent that loses will not know what the reasons of the trademark office for granting the registrations were. We do not have a mediation stage like in other countries. There will be results fast. Mexico has a very fast trademark procedure. You may have a registration granted in four months, sometimes even less, which is an advantage for trademark holders. So one of the main advantages and one of the way it differs from other systems is it is going to be a swift system.

Will the trademark office be able to cope?

Santiago Zubikarai: We believe the trademark office will be able to cope with this new system. The intention of the system is not to be like a trademark examination process. When the trademark office receives the application it will have 10 days to publish the application in the intellectual property gazette. You would then have one month to file the opposition. Then the proceeding will continue as usual. Therefore we do not expect it to put any excessive burden on the trademark office when this opposition system comes into effect. On the other hand, we will potentially be giving the Mexican trademark office additional elements to protect trademarks that could possibly affect third party rights. In so doing, we also hope that we will reduce the number of annulment actions that are filed against trademark registrations.

Juan Carlos Hernandez: I would like to add that what Santiago said was very important because trademark hijacking was becoming an important problem in Mexico. For instance, a person would try to obtain the registration of a well-known trademark that was well known for restaurant services, and they would try to register in class 32 for beverages. Since the rightful owner sometimes didnt have a registration on that particular class, some of the lets call them bad faith applications did go through. The Mexican trademark office was making notable efforts to try to stop this practice and continues to do so. We believe this opposition system will help the rightful trademark owners to avoid the situation and will also be a good complement for the efforts that the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property is pursuing.

Will these proceedings be popular?

Santiago Zubikarai: Its so new here that it is going to take a while for trademark users to clearly understand the benefits of that. We believe that it will be used as in any other country. I would expect that they will file an opposition in Mexico the same way that they oppose in any other country when they consider their trademark may be invaded by a similar mark. I would expect that trademark owners will use this important tool, which could be less costly than having to go to the annulment action.

Juan Carlos Hernandez: What is also relavant here is it is not only trademark application or registration owners that will be able to file oppositions. One element of this system is that you will be able to file an opposition based on any of the prohibitions for the registration of a trademark that are included in the law. This could include trademarks that are contrary to public order or to morality. It includes trademarks that should not be granted based on copyright. So the possibility of filing oppositions is not limited to trademark ownersit could also extend to groups or to copyright holders that could be considered affected by the granting of a registration.

What should clients be taking into account ahead of the system coming into effect and once it is live?

Juan Carlos Hernandez: They should take into account two main aspects. First, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property makes important efforts to reduce the number of registrations that are unrightfully obtained but trademark hijacking is something that is going on. The second thing they should consider is the procedure itself. They should be acquainted with how it works, and the advantages and disadvantages. We are constantly saying that one important thing is the annulment procedure is maintained but we should also take into account the annulment procedure entails litigation and it is a more considerable investment in time and money. So we would advise the general publicbecause it is not only trademark holdersto become acquainted with the system and to use it.

Madrid and the TPP were factors in the opposition system being set up. Are there other elements to the trademark system that will potentially be changed?

Eduardo Kleinberg: We do expect that besides this opposition system, in the near future there is going to be an important change to the law. That is what IMPI has been discussing for a long time. To implement TPP in Mexico there is going to be a lot of changes that need to be added to the law, for example non-traditional trademarks that we do not have in Mexico that are going to be added to our system. There is a lot of new procedures that are going to be included. It cannot be just patches, it needs a completely new law. Thats what the trademark office is looking for. It is not going to be immediately but it is going to be in the future and not far away.

Separate from the oppositions proceeding, how have trademark filing figures been trending in the past few years?

Santiago Zubikarai: Trademark filing in recent years has been consistently increasing. It is one of the largest trademark offices in Latin America, behind Brazil.

We have seen a considerable increase of filings that are coming from the Madrid System. A lot of foreign applicants are not using it for the protection of trademarks here in Mexico and I expect that the inclusion of an opposition system will only enhance the number of filings here in Mexico. Basically what we see is that the opposition system will ultimately make the trademark system of Mexico stronger and as such it will reassure people about protecting their intellectual property here in Mexico.

Eduardo Kleinberg

Eduardo Kleinberg has been a Partner of the firm since 2003 in the Intellectual Property area and Managing Partner since 2014.

He is President of the Intellectual Property Commission of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers of Mexico (Confederacion de Camaras Industriales de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos also known as CONCAMIN). He is designated by CONCAMIN as the permanent representative of the Mexican private sector with respect to the Intellectual Property chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), Past-President of the Mexican Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AMPPI), Past-President of the Mexican chapter of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), Member of the Nominations Committee of AIPPI, Member of the Permanent Committee on Trademarks of AIPPI, Past-President of Licensing Executives SocietyMexico (LES-Mexico), Member of the Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), Member of the International Trademark Association (INTA), Member of the Inter-American Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (ASIPI), President of the Non-Traditional Trademarks Committee of ASIPI, Past-President of the Copyright Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce Mexico, Member of the Association of European Trade Mark Owners (MARQUES), Member of the Mexican Franchise Association.

Juan Carlos Hernandez

Juan Carlos Hernandez is partner of the firm in the Intellectual Property area in the Mexico City office. His practice focuses on planning and consulting in the field of intellectual property, both nationally and internationally, including aspects related to trademarks and slogans, copyright, industrial secrets, domain names and new technologies. He also has wide experience in negotiating and drafting contracts.

He is the author of various articles and publications and speaker in intellectual property forums.

Santiago Zubikarai

Santiago Zubikarai is Associate of the firm in the intellectual property area in the Mexico City office. His practice focuses on trademark filing and prosecution, including international registrations provided by the Madrid System, designing strategies related to trademark and copyright protection, conducting trademark and copyright searches and drafting and reviewing license, franchise, assignment, advertising, copyright and software license agreements, as well as agreements with artists for their participation in several events. He also practices litigation in the field of intellectual property, including enforcement in all instances.

Has also prosecuted and obtained permits for reproducing monuments from the Mexican Institute of Fine Arts and the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History.
What are the measures to commence Customs enforcement proceedings?

According to the Customs Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in China, there are two options available to commence Customs enforcement proceedings. They are enforcement per application and ex-officio action.

What are the features of each measure and how does it proceed?

Enforcement per application is a measure actively pursued by an intellectual property right holder. When suspected infringing goods pending for importation or exportation are discovered, the right holder of an IP right may lodge an application with Customs at the port of entry or exit to detain such goods.

The main features of this measure are:

 The IP right holder can directly submit an application for detention to initiate the proceeding without recording its IP right with Customs in advance.

 Accordingly, Customs is not required to inspect and check whether the exported or imported goods may infringe upon the IP right which is not recorded with Customs.

 The holder of an IP right shall provide Customs with a bond which does not exceed or is equivalent to the value of the goods. This bond is designed to compensate for the losses suffered by the consignee or consignor due to an improper application for seizure. The payment of expenses for warehousing, maintenance and disposal of the goods will be made after the goods are detained by Customs.

 Customs is not authorised to investigate the case and make a decision. Instead, the holder of the IP right shall bring the case before a court. The detained goods will be released if no injunction or notification for asset preservation is issued by a court within 20 working days from the detention.

Where requesting Customs to detain suspected infringing goods, the holder of an IP right shall present a written application and relevant evidentiary documents, and provide evidence that can sufficiently prove the identified infringement.

In order to apply for this measure, the application should include the following particulars:

1) The name, place of registration or nationality of the holder of the IP right,

2) The name, particulars and any other relevant information relating to the IP right,

3) The names of the consignee and consignor of the suspected infringing goods,

4) The particulars of the suspected infringing goods, such as name, packaging and volume,

5) The possible ports, time, means of transport, etc related to the importation or exportation of the suspected infringing goods.

Ex-officio action is a measure initiated by Customs officers. When there are goods suspected of infringing a recorded IP right, Customs shall immediately notify the holder of the IP right of such suspected infringement in writing.

The main features of this measure are:

 The IP right must have been previously recorded with Customs.

 The Customs can suspend the suspected infringing goods and issue written notification to the holder of the recorded IP right.

 The holder of the IP right is required to submit the seizure application to Customs within three working days from the written notification.

 The holder of the IP right shall provide Customs with a bond; a general guarantee is available for this procedure.

 Customs shall investigate the case and make a decision. If Customs cannot determine whether the suspected infringing goods have infringed the recorded IP right, Customs shall notify the holder to bring the case to court.

 Customs has the discretion to confiscate and dispose of the infringing goods, and to impose an administrative punishment if infringement is determined by Customs.

With this measure, the holder only needs to submit an application to confirm that the suspended goods are infringing goods and the holder has applied for seizure of the suspected infringing goods within the above mentioned three working days. The remaining actions are up to Customs.

Each year, we help our clients take hundreds of Customs enforcement actions by undertaking the ex-officio action. When the goods are seized, we would recommend our clients further pursuing the matter either by lodging civil litigation or sending cease and desist letter to leverage the effectiveness of the enforcement action. We ever helped one of our client obtained written undertaking to refrain from any future infringement and obtained compensation over 50,000 ($7,700) from the infringing exporter.

Although it is not compulsory to record IP rights at the General Administration of Customs (GAC), whats the benefit of doing so? Do you recommend to do so?

Recording IP rights with the GAC can achieve a certain deterrent effect for potential infringers because the GAC database is accessible to the public. In other words, a potential infringer can search the database for such recordals and understand the degree of risk depending on the presence or absence of IP reordals. On the other hand, if a prestigious brand has no valid IP recordals on the GAC database, it definitely captures the attention of numerous counterfeiters in China.

Making good use of cross-border protection can greatly reduce the incidence of unauthorized shipping activities in the supply chain and distribution channels. If IP rights are recorded with Customs, the details of a licensed vendor (shipping agents or factories) can be recorded under each particular right. Any party who is not listed with the IP recordal may have its shipment detained by local ports. If the shipment is unauthorized, one can address the issue by way of trademark infringement or breach of contract.

The GAC recently issued a formal notification to remove entirely the official fee for IPR Customs recordal (800 per IP right, namely each trademark, patent or copyright). Such exemption was made with effect from November 1 2015.

Customs measures can be regarded as successful in that most seizures by Customs are ex-officio discoveries of goods being exported. According to the statistical data of the GAC for 2014, China Customs intercepted 27,000 consignments and detained 24,000 batches of infringing goods at the border. The quantity of infringing goods amounted to 92 million units. It is worth noting that most of this infringement was identified in shipments for export, which amounted to 99.6% of the total number of infringing goods. Because of that it is highly recommended that an IP rights owner records its IP rights at GAC.

What types of IP rights can be recorded with the GAC? Whats the procedure to record an IP right with GAC? What documents are required for recordal?

At present, the right owner can record trademark, copyright and patent, as well as the exclusive right of Olympic symbols and the exclusive right of World Expo symbols.

The procedure to handle the recordation of IP rights through the registration system include:

1) Submitting the new account application on the online database of GAC,

2) Recording the IP rights under the GAC account of the particular IP rights owner.

Generally speaking, the IP right owner shall provide the following documents to complete the Customs recordal:

 A copy of the related business license or Certificate of Good Standing, or personal identification certificate of the IP rights owner,

 A copy of the Chinese registration certificate for trademarks, patents or copyrights with photographs of the works certified by the copyright registration authority (other evidence of copyright ownership may be accepted in place of the voluntary copyright registration certificate). If an invention patent is the subject of a Customs recordal, a copy of the patent register issued within six months prior to the application for Customs recordal must be submitted to the GAC if the invention patent grant has been announced for more than one year. If a utility model or design patent (granted after October 1, 2009) is the subject of a Customs recordal, a patent right evaluation report made by the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) must also be submitted. Please note that certificates of the last renewal, certificates of change of name or address of the registrant, approval of assignment also serve as prerequisites for submitting a Customs recordal.

 A power of attorney executed by the authorized signatory of the IP rights holder. Notarization and legalization is not required.

Apart from registration, is there any other method to safeguard your IP rights at the border?

Apart from registration, Customs training is another opportunity to safeguard the rights of the IP right owner. Generally speaking, Customs training can allow Customs officials to better understand your recorded IP rights and to pay more attention to such rights in their inspection of shipments, provide Customs officials with a simple and quick image, if any, to verify the products which infringe your IP rights, and establish a smooth and healthy channel of communication with Customs so as to improve the IP protection on behalf of the right owner.

The three-day time limit is sometimes difficult for foreign IP right owners. What tips do you have for them in this situation?

From the point of view of the IP right owner, the most burdensome aspect of Customs enforcement is the requirement to submit a bond payment to the relevant port Customs where the goods have been temporarily seized. Trademark rights owners that have a recordal with the GAC may submit a bank guarantee letter (also known as a General Bond) instead of having to make a cash bond payment following each seizure notice.

As with the verification of seizure, it is very important that the IP rights owner has a procedure in place for its designated agents or local business unit to handle bond payments as soon as positive verification is made. For a product that is frequently counterfeited, such seizures can involve tens of thousands of units and multiple shipments from many different ports in China. In other words, if this procedure is followed, it can result in frequent and voluminous seizures.

It is always advisable to maintain IP recordal information up-to-date, especially the details of authorized suppliers, so that authorized shipments will not be seized. This therefore requires that the IP right owner is familiar with its suppliers and distributors and takes efforts to keep such information current.

On what ground will Customs authorities arrange for criminal proceedings to be brought against the infringing party?

Customs will communicate with and transfer the case to the public security authority for criminal investigation when the criminal threshold is satisfied. In practice, among the criminal cases transferred from the Customs to the public security authorities for criminal investigation, counterfeit trademark cases form a large percentage of such cases. When the requirements and thresholds are satisfied in trademark cases, Customs will communicate and refer the case to the competent public security authority for criminal investigation, as a start of the criminal proceeding.

Where the infringer, without authorization, uses a trademark identical to the registered trademark on identical goods, the threshold for criminal liability for trademark infringement is as follows:

1) The turnover of unlawful business operation is no less than 50,000 or the amount of illegal gains is no less than 30,000;

2) Counterfeiting no less than two kinds of registered trademarks with the turnover of unlawful business operation no less than 30,000, or the amount of illegal gains no less than 20,000;

3) Other serious circumstances.

A seller shall be convicted of selling counterfeit goods when he knowingly sells counterfeit goods and the sales income is no less than 50,000 according to Article 214, PRC Criminal Law and its correspondent judicial interpretation.

Criminal liability shall be imposed when:

1) forging or producing, without authorization, the labels of registered trademarks or selling the labels forged or produced without authorization with the number amounting to 20,000 pieces or more, or the turnover of unlawful business operation amounting to 50,000 or more, or the amount of illegal gains is no less than 30,000;

2) forging or producing, without authorization, the labels of two or more registered trademarks or selling the labels of two or more registered trademarks forged or produced without authorization with the number amounting to 10,000 pieces or more, or the amount of unlawful business operation is no less than 30,000, or the amount of illegal gains is no less than 20,000.

Michael Fu

Michael Fu graduated from University of New Hampshire School of Law in 2013 with a Master in Intellectual Property. He focuses his practice on intellectual property law. He passed the Chinese bar in 2006 and is a member of Beijing Lawyers Association. He has served many Fortune 500 Companies and leading multinational companies on overall intellectual property strategy.

Tracy Shen

A graduate of Emory University School of Law in 2015 who passed the Chinese bar in 2006, Tracy Shen has been working as an attorney at law for over 10 years focusing her practice on IP protection, infringement investigation and various disputes resolution. She provides comprehensive legal service for international and domestic corporations on IP prosecution and enforcement. She also has abundant experience in IP portfolio management and trademark registration strategy.

Kevin Yang

A graduate from Hong Kong Baptist University, Kevin Yang is an expert in providing consultancy on China Customs IPR practice. Besides that, he has years of experience in assisting clients across industries on various IPR programs in China and the ASEAN regions. Mr Yang also acts as a liaison with Chinese authorities and conducts regular meetings in various formats on border protection.
INTA's representative office in Brussels opened on September 16 2006, and Christina Sleszynska, now Chief Representative Officer for Europe, joined one month later. Although a number of policy issues, such as the review of the EU Customs Regulation and ACTA, have kept the Europe team highly engaged, most of that time has been dominated by the debate over EU trademark reforms, which started in 2008 and culminated in December last year with the publication of a new EU Trade Marks Directive and EUTM Regulation. But that is not the end of the work.

The lobbying on the reform is done, but now we have the implementation of the legislation, which is a different ball game, says Sleszynska. In particular, INTA will be monitoring the secondary legislation, which includes issues such as the elimination of the graphical representation requirement, which comes into effect in October 2017. It will also be examining how the new provisions on counterfeit goods in transit are interpreted, a subject on which guidance from the European Commission is expected shortly. We dont want to see any nasty surprises, says Sleszynska. We have been working with a number of European and national trade and IP associations to communicate our views in particular by way of a joint letter to the Commission.

Another topic that is being closely followed is legislation on plain packaging. The United Kingdom, Ireland and France have adopted plain packaging legislation. Other countries, such as Hunagry, Slovenia, Norway, Sweden and Belgium are considering similar legislation. We send comments stating INTAs position wherever we can, says Sleszynska. Having volunteers in a range of countries, who can speak local languages, is a great help.

She now leads a team of three in the Brussels office, who liaise with INTA committee members on policy issues both at an EU level and in member states. In addition, Sleszynska and her team have direct responsibility for three global committees: Design Rights, Geographical Indications (GIs) and Brands & Innovation. She says designs and GIs are now being looked at as IP rights on their own footing and INTA is monitoring the consultations underway on revising the EU Designs Directive and extending GI protection to non-agricultural products in Europe.

Aside from advocacy, the Europe office is looking at opportunities to submit amicus briefs in significant cases. It recently filed a brief before the EU General Court for the first time in DHL Express v EUIPOChronopost (WEBSHIPPING), arguing that proper reasons for lack of use of a trademark refer to circumstances unconnected with the proprietor rather than those associated with commercial difficulties or failure to challenge infringing acts.

The Europe office has been equally engaged internally, with a particular focus on enhancing communications and growing membership in the region. The Europe Global Advisory Council, tasked in part with advising the Association on expanding its corporate membership and better communicating throughout the region, has been particularly helpful in this respect.

Looking ahead, Sleszynska predicts that one topic likely to gain attention in the coming year is the EU Digital Single Market initiative, and in particular legislation on IP enforcement and the role of intermediaries. Proposals from the EU Commission are expected at the end of this year, and INTA is hosting a Digital World Conference in Brussels on December 1 and 2. Put the date in your diary: it will be a good opportunity to wish the office a happy 10th anniversary.

To keep up with Europe office activities follow @intabrussels on Twitter

Contact details

Christina Sleszynska

Chief Representative Officer, Europe

Email: CSleszynska@inta.org

Tel: +32 3 880 3720

Contact details

Helene Nicora

Representative Officer, Europe

Email: hnicora@inta.org

Tel: +32 2 880 3722

Contact details

Milesh Gordhandas

Advisor, Europe Office

Email: mgordhandas@inta.org

Tel: +32 2 880 3721
On its 125th anniversary, WIPO is considering how the Madrid System will look in the future and the Secretariat will submit a paper to the next session of the Working Group on the Legal Development of the Madrid System, which takes place in June this year.

The Madrid System was founded in 1891 but has continued to develop since then, for example with the introduction of the Madrid Protocol in 1989. We have to keep thinking about how the System should evolve, Muls told the INTA Daily News. Asked how the System rated today, he said: Our clients are pleased but we feel there is always room for improvement.

Today, changes are partly being driven by the increasing number and range of jurisdictions covered by the system, as more members join including regional systems such as EUIPO and OAPI. The growing use of technology is also playing a part, says Muls, and so are users demands: Users seek simplified processes to navigate the system. We have to consider how we can make it accessible while maintaining the quality of the output.

During Sundays meeting, Muls also provided an update on filing trends and recent accessions to the Madrid System, as well as new electronic tools. Gregoire Bisson, Director of the Hague Registry, provided an update on design developments.

There was also a discussion on better use of the Madrid System, focusing on class headings in International Registrations. This was moderated by Asta Valdimarsdottir, Director, Operations Division, Madrid Registry, Brands and Designs Sector, and included Yang Guoming, Deputy Director, International Registration Division, Trademark Office, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China (SAIC), Jennifer Chicoski, Administrator, Trademark Examination Policy and Procedure USPTO, and Julio Laporta, Deputy Director, Operations Department EUIPO.

WIPO yesterday released the new Madrid Monitor database, which will serve as the primary search tool for international registrations. The new search tool integrates in one application functionalities and information accessible through ROMARIN, the WIPO Gazette of International Marks, Madrid E-Alert and Real-Time Status. WIPO is demonstrating Madrid Monitor at its booth in the Exhibition Hall.
My prediction is that IP laws are actually going to get weaker and narrower over time, not stronger, cautioned Hornick. He explained that 3D printings alarmingly fast march toward ubiquity has great potential to disrupt traditional business models, and therefore the value of intellectual property, as customization becomes commonplace. Hornick pointed to the changes in the music industry due to streaming as an example of this phenomenon.

Hornick believes that 3D printing has the ability to take us back to being makers not buyers. This possibility is worrisome to brand owners, and stands to disrupt traditional business models. Companies such as Boeingwhich also registered a patent for a 3D printer that uses multiple printers to print an object while it levitates at their centerare already using 3D printing to print every part of a product, which poses a threat to the existence of parts manufacturers. This is an example of 3D printing within control, which can be more easily regulated, and the products of which can be more easily protected by IP rights, says Hornick.

The real risk for IP owners is that people who were once consumers will become producers away from control, printing products at home, where brand owners have no chance of catching infringements. The best protection for brands will be customization itself, as even designs protected by trademarks and patents can be copied relatively easily. Even trademarks themselves will be easy to copy, print and affix to generic copycat designs.

The principles of intellectual property apply to 3D printing just like they do to anything else, Hornick says, but the number of potential targets and the scale of potential infringement is much larger because companies and individuals will be able to make anything they want away from control. He cited a prediction made by the Gartner Consultancy Group that by 2018, companies will lose $100 billion worth of intellectual property due to 3D printing, but said that the danger to intellectual property will depend on how much 3D printing grows proportionally away from control, compared to within the space of democratized manufacturing, which can be more easily monitored.

Hornick speculated that brand owners will react in five different ways: Lawyer up, increased litigation, try to license the technology, demand legislation, or lock it up. But before 3D printing can become a truly serious threat to intellectual property, it has to be completely outside of control, and were n
A panel of academics debated this subject at a session yesterday titled Nontraditional Trademarks, Innovation, and Competition: Friends or Foes? The session was moderated by Lisa Ramsey of University of San Diego School of Law.

The doors to trademark protection are wide open in the EU, said Martin R.F. Senftleben of VU University Amsterdam, who opened the debate. EU law does not exclude any sign, provided theyre distinguishing in character, he added. His view was that shape and color marks can deprive others from entering into meaningful competition. Senftleben offered three solutions to deal with this concern: exclude the marks from registrability, which he called a radical solution; accept them on a condition of acquired distinctiveness; or register them and review the scope of protection later.

Senftleben told registrants that EU courts are alive to the point that colors and shapes need to be kept free for the benefit of consumers and competition. This is why there are hurdles in place, such as the prohibition on functional signs. He argued that by allowing these signs to be registered the courts are giving industry an incentive to invest in obtaining more of them. Senftleben concluded that functionality exclusion is a better tool to deal with the anticompetitive concern than acquired distinctiveness.

Peoples eyes process colors differently, argued the next speaker, Ann Bartow of University of New Hampshire School of Law, whose argument focused on color marks. Getting judges to make the right decision on colors is quite difficult, she said, noting that it may be tricky when dilution comes into play. She said it is hard to see a company using a color mark alone. There is text or symbol on it with the color, she explained. Bartow argued that colors are always functional even where this is unintended. She argued that there are only a handful of colors which are appealing to be used on a particular good or service and that these must be left free for all in commerce to use. Aesthetic function and color exhaustion are both underappreciated, she warned.

Michael Handler of University of New South Wales said nontraditional signs are easier to obtain in Australia than in the U.S. or EU. However, Australian courts are aware of the competition issues, especially regarding shapes. He said there is no ground of refusal in law for functional trademarks and functional shapes, and that you can get a mark registered if you can show future acquired distinctiveness. He suggested that there should be a functionality exclusion in law.

Panelists were of the view that shapes and colors raise more concerns than other nontraditional signs. Sound marks dont strike me as too far away from slogan; Im less troubled by that, said Handler. They also agreed that trademarks should not be used to protect cultural symbols where copyright protection has expired.
Opinion / Columnist

It is unfortunate that the ordinary citizens bear the brunt of every bungling made in this country. The rampant corruption in this country is having a bearing on the poor citizens.Let us look at Zesa Holdings for instance. After wasting public funds in profligacy, they want to resort to hiking electricity tariffs. This hike will increase the price of goods and services. The producers will simply factor that increase on their goods and the retailers will do likewise. The burden will be passed on until it reaches the final point in the supply chain, who is the ordinary citizen. Unfortunately he has nowhere to transfer the burden to.As if that is not enough, the ordinary citizens received another bombshell from the Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZMA) this week. The sad news is that as from July 1 2016, patients will be required to pay doctors cash upfront. Their argument is that they are paying tax to Zimra for claims they would not have been paid by the medical societies.Although government attempted to allay fears, uncertainties still exist, for people think it is one of the usual talk shows sometimes associated with politicians. They could be justified to think as such, for there are many other government pronouncements that were never followed up with action. Yes government might say it is illegal and it ends there. Doctors will still continue to demand cash upfront from the poor patients and the two doctors, Adrin Musiiwa and David Parirenyatwa might never come to know about it.A case in point can be seen at the Ambassador House. The ministry of primary and secondary education declared over and over again that no pupil will be sent home for not paying school fees. Contrary to that proclamation, the School Development Committees/Associations (SDC/A) and the heads of schools are just sending pupils home without any fear. They know their ministry has no teeth and would not stop to exploit that knack for talk shows.Hopefully, this is not the case with the ministry of health and child welfare this time around because here is a matter of life and death. The government must be firm but fair to all parties involved in this issue. The actors in this life threatening development involve doctors, medical aid societies, patients, Zimra and government itself. All of these players should not feel shortchanged and a compromise must be reached for the sake of the health system of this country. The economy is not good for all, thus, a balance must be struck to make sure every player survives.Patients are religiously paying their dues. It becomes very iniquitous to demand cash upfront from them. It is better to increase the premiums ensure availability of service than to double dip from their shallow pockets. There have been unconfirmed reports that government is not remitting civil servants' contributions to Public Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS). If the allegations happen to be true, government must then play its part to solve this issue. Directing doctors to accept medical aids is not enough. Government workers' contributions must be remitted to their respective medical aid societies.We know the tax man needs his dues but demanding them from claims that have not been paid is a bit unjust. It is quite excessive for doctors to borrow money to pay Zimra. Their case is justified and Zimra must exercise a bit of patience on these doctors. They offer essential services to the nation which must not be tempered with.The greatest rot is in the medical aid societies themselves. Government has winked at this rot for too a long time. For instance, not much was done after it was exposed that the executives and board members at PSMAS were awarding themselves mega salaries. The problems in PSMAS have their genesis in these jumbo salaries. On which planet can a firm survive while dishing out such salaries?The medical aid societies must adjust themselves in line with the prevailing macro-economic environment. They must cut their expenditures and channel the bulk of their income towards the health needs of the contributors. It does not help to have a well paid staff and beautiful buildings when the owners of the money are not getting benefits. These medical aid societies must not be profit making entities.Medical aid societies such as PSMAS are now overwhelmed by subscribing members. It is high time that government allows its workers to choose alternative medical aid societies of their choices. That sector must be opened to allow new players which can offer better services. It does not help anyone to contribute for years without visiting a doctor and the one time you decide to do so, cash upfront is demanded from you.----------------Rufaro Mufundirwa can be contacted at rufumufundirwa@gmail.com
Opinion / Columnist

On 25 May 2016, Africa commemorates the 53rd anniversary of the formation of the Organisation for African Union (OAU) now the African Union (AU).It has been a momentous journey for Africa, from colonialism to independence and post independence development. Africa has achieved a lot as a continent since 1963 with some of her great success stories being to achieve political independence in the bulk of the continent with only the people of Saharawi being the ones still fighting for self determination.In terms of the economy, Africa has been averaging around 6% growth every year over the last decade with the World Bank projecting that the GDP of sub-Saharan Africa will reach US$29 trillion by 2050.Human development has also seen a marked improvement with millions of formerly disadvantaged Africans accessing education and health facilities.The AU has also developed and strengthened regional arms as it seek to be more influential in shaping the continent's governance and economic frameworks through such initiatives as the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and institutions like the AU organ for peace and security.Resultantly, peace and stability has improved significantly across the continent with a few hot areas remaining in parts of West Africa and the horn of Africa region.In spite of all these positive developments and with over 5 decades after the first meeting of the OAU, democracy is sadly in intensive care on the continent.While soon after independence it was the tragedy of military coups that scarred the face of African governance, now it is the third term syndrome and the curse of rigged elections.The result of these two twin evils has been that Africa continues to be saddled by a failed generation of leaders driven by the will to power. Across Africa, tin pot dictators such as Paul Biya of Cameroon, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Omar al-Bishar of Sudan, Theodore Basongo Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, Pierre Nkurunzinza of Burundi, Idriss Deby of Chad and Dos Santos of Angola continue to be permanent features of failed African leadership.These infamously brutal men continue to weigh down on the critical progress which the continent is making on the human development front. By denying citizens of their respective countries the right to genuinely chose leadership, this group of delinquent leaders effectively blocks the progress of the entire continent.However, the greatest story of failed and lethargic leadership is to be found in Zimbabwe where President Mugabe in his advanced years is determined to drag the nation with him to his grave.In the 36 years that he has been at the helm of the country, Zimbabwe has regressed from being a country moving towards a middle income economy into one of the poorest in the world, competing for the poorest nation gong with war torn countries such as Somalia.In 36 years of Mugabe's indolent leadership, Zimbabwe has moved from being the bread basket of Africa to becoming a basket case. Three decades of independence has produced a nation with 91% unemployment with 83% of its people living on less than US$1.25 per day.Parallel to the heart rending poverty and squalor which has become characteristic of Zimbabwean life, Mugabe has also created a class of the super rich. Through organized looting of state resources, patronage, corruption, nepotism and outright theft, Zimbabwe has been looted beyond imagination.By Mugabe's own admission US$15 billion worth of diamonds was looted in the short period between 2009 and 2015. In addition, various scandals involving high ranking officials in Mugabe's establishment have been made public but albeit there has been no action thus proving beyond doubt that Mugabe is indeed the godfather of corruption.In any case one does not have to dig any far to see evidence of the legendary looting that Mugabe and his cabal have presided over. The shameless crooks in the regime publicly display their ill-gotten wealth and even boast of being untouchable.If Mugabe and his henchmen's sins had only been to loot the economy then he would have long been rid off, arrested and rightly locked away for a very longtime. However Mugabe has also systematically disempowered citizens by embarking on periodic reigns of terror, particularly during election years.Since 1980, Mugabe's party has consistently unleashed horrific orgies of violence on innocent citizens and also abducted and murdered hundreds of opposition activists. He has also consistently rigged the outcome of elections and thus robbed the people of Zimbabwe their right to chose leaders of their preference.As another election looms on the horizons, the ZANU PF cult is engaging its default mode of violence. They also continue to shamelessly blow scarce resources in meaningless festivities such as birthday bashes and confused solidarity marches' while bring back the moribund Zimbabwean dollar so as to provide easy cash for sustaining patronage ahead of the election.Given the dire circumstances facing our country, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) takes the opportunity of this year's Africa Day to once again call for the resignation of Mugabe and his failed regime and pave way for the setting up of the National Transitional Authority (NTA).The NTA will among other things stabilize the economy, rehabilitate the electoral process, embark on national healing and reconciliation and align the laws with the constitution.At a continental level, as another decade beacons for Africa our hope is that progressive African leaders and genuine pan-Africanists should coalesce together and address the twin evils of underdevelopment and democracy deficit.That 50 years after independence Africa still has the bulk of fragile states such as Eretria, Somalia and Zimbabwe is surely unacceptable. A new generation of young transformational leaders that put the people first ahead of personal interests is called for.It is time for the real transformation of the African continent.Released by;Tendai Laxton BitiPDP President'Another Zimbabwe is Possible'
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) was awarded a $152 million contract for advance planning for the construction of the third aircraft carrier in the Gerald R. Ford class, Enterprise (CVN 80), named in honor of the U.S. Navys first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65).

The work, which includes engineering, design, planning and procurement of long-lead-time material, will be performed at the companys Newport News Shipbuilding division through March 2018.

Construction on Enterprise is slated to begin in 2018 with delivery to the Navy in 2027. The new Enterprise will eventually replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) when the aircraft carrier enters the fleet.

We are eager to begin planning and purchasing long-lead-time material for the next Enterprise, said Mike Shawcross, Newport News vice president of CVN 79 and CVN 80 construction. Advance planning allows us to begin applying lessons learned from CVN 78 and CVN 79 more effectively, while providing stability to our workforce and the industrial base, in order to deliver the ship at the lowest cost possible.

HII said its shipbuilders have captured thousands of lessons learned in the process of building Gerald R. Ford, most of which are being implemented as cost-saving initiatives in building the second ship in the class, John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). These initiatives will continue on Enterprise, and HII said it will work with the Navy to identify additional cost-saving initiatives for future Ford-class carrier construction.
Japan and Canada share "serious concerns" over reclamation and militarisation in the South China Sea, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday, in an apparent reference to China's maritime activity.

China and the United States have traded accusations of militarising the South China Sea as Beijing undertakes large-scale land reclamation and construction on disputed features while Washington has increased its patrols and exercises.

Abe's comment, made at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, came ahead of a Group of Seven summit later this week, where maritime security, along with the global economy and terrorism, will be among main issues.

"As for the South China Sea, we share serious concerns over unilateral actions that raise tensions, such as large-scale reclamation, the building of facilities and militarisation," Abe told reporters.

"It is a significant achievement that we have agreed to cooperate to secure rule-based, free, safe seas," he said, referring to his talks with Trudeau.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea. 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 on the waterway but worries about China's growing military reach into sea lanes through which much of Japan's ship-borne trade passes.

Trudeau steered clear of the maritime dispute in his comments and instead chose to focus on economic ties with Japan.

"As part of our delegation, Canada's trade minister is here. She will be meeting with Japanese companies and is expected to make a number of announcements as part of her visit," he said.

He did not elaborate on the plans of International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland in Japan.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka)
Afai Southern Shipyard (Panyu Guangzhou) Ltd. and CoCo Yachts B.V. announced that the second of the two new fast ferries, Hai Jing, was delivered to Zhuhai High Speed Ferry Company on April 22, 2016. During the sea trials a top speed of 38 knots at full load was measured.

According to the builder, special attention has been given to ensure high level of outfitting in the passenger accommodation, both on main and upper deck. Both exterior color design and interior design has been made by Spear Green from Australia. With noise levels of average 74 dB(a) on main deck and 70 dB(a) on the upper deck, it is a great vessel to travel.

Coco Yachts and Afai Southern Shipyard have cooperated on several projects since 2012. Coco Yachts is responsible for the basic design, including hull lines, construction drawings, weight calculation, power-speed calculations, FEM structural calculations and noise and vibrations calculations, while Afai Southern Shipyard is responsible for the production drawings for construction, machinery and systems.

There are presently five more CoCo Yachts designed fast ferries under construction at AFAI Southern Shipyard. One Coastal Cruiser 322 for Cosco Xiamen, one Coastal Cruiser 199 and one Coastal Cruiser 300 for Peng Xing Ferry Company, one Coastal Cruiser 300 for Zhuhai ferries and one Coastal Cruiser 298 for Sanya.
The Captain of the Port for Oregon and southern Washington canceled the captain of the port order on the motor vessel Sparna allowing the vessel to leave its mooring at Kalama, Wash., Monday.

The Sparna, a 623-foot bulk grain carrier, briefly ran aground near Cathlamet on the Columbia River , March 21, resulting in the ship needing to undergo temporary repairs

We have inspected the Sparna and have approved the temporary repairs to make the vessel seaworthy, said Lt. Cmdr. Ben Russell, chief inspections department, Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Portland. Our inspection team has monitored the planning and implementation of the repairs over the last two months. We are comfortable with the outcome and wish the crew of the Sparna a safe voyage across the Pacific Ocean.

The original COTP order was put in place immediately after the grounding incident and required the ship undergo emergency repairs to the hull before departing to a foreign shipyard for permanent repair. All repair work was completed to the satisfaction of the Coast Guard and the vessels flag state of Panama.

The boulder that was lodged inside the hull of the vessel during the incident was incased in steel and concrete and is still aboard the Sparna.
1917 - The first U.S. convoy left Hampton Roads, Va. to cross the North Atlantic after entering World War I. During the 18 months of war while American vessels escort convoys through the war zone, 183 attacks are made by submarines, 24 submarines are damaged and two are destroyed.

1918 - USS Olympia (C 6) is anchored at Kola Inlet, Murmansk, Russia, to protect refugees during the Russian Revolution.

1939 - Vice Adm. Allan McCann's Rescue Chamber is first used to rescue 33 men from the sunken USS Squalus (SS 192). Four Navy divers receive the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions on May 24-25 to rescue the trapped men.

1945 - Patrol bomber PBM aircraft sink Japanese Special Coast Defense Ship No.21 off the China coast, Task Force 58 attacks airfields on southern Kyushu. In return, the Japanese attack U.S. positions and ships at Okinawa and kamikazes strike USS William C. Cole (DE 641), USS Sims (APD 50), LCS (L) 121.

1961 - USS Gurke (DD 783) notices signals from 12 men from Truk Island who are stranded for three months first at sea and then on an island. USS Southerland (DD 743) investigates the situation and notifies Truk Island, and provides provisions and supplies to repair their outrigger canoe. The men are picked up on June 7 by the motor launch Kaselehlia.

1962 - Aurora 7 (Mercury 7) is launched and piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Malcolm Scott Carpenter. Aurora 7 completes three orbits in 4 hours, 56 minutes at an altitude up to 166.8 statute miles at 17,549 mph.\

(Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division)
CMA CGM has introduced a new westbound call at Port Kelang on its REX 2 service connecting Asia with Red Sea.

CMA CGM has decided to replace its REX2 westbound Singapore call with Port Kelang. This new routing grants the full coverage and transit time improvements through the shippers Feeder network in Asia.

As from m/v E.R TIANSHAN voy. 125REW, expected to call at Port Kelang on June 16, 2016, all southeast Asia cargo will be routed via Port Kelang instead of Singapore, new REX 2 rotation being as follows: Shanghai - Ningbo - Kaohsiung - Shekou - Port Kelang - Jeddah - Ain Sukhna - Aqaba - Jeddah - Djibouti - Port Kelang - Singapore  Shanghai.
Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. has launched M/V Harvey Blue-Sea (Hull 250) on April 29, 2016 for Harvey Gulf International Marine, Inc. of New Orleans, La. The Harvey Blue-Sea is the second of two 340 Class Multi-Purpose Service Vessels (MPSV), designed by VARD Marine.

The launching event was held at Easterns Allanton facility with hundreds of Eastern employees, several representatives from Harvey Gulf and guests in attendance. Father Roy Marien of Saint Johns Catholic Church of Panama City, Florida, performed the blessing of the vessel.

Joey DIsernia, Easterns President, opened the ceremony by welcoming guests and sharing the long successful history between Eastern and Harvey Gulf. He talked of the capabilities of the Harvey Blue-Sea, and once delivered, will be one of the most sophisticated US Flag MPSVs in service in the world. The Harvey Blue-Sea will feature a 250MT AHC Knuckle Boom Offshore Crane with lift capabilities in up to 4,000M of water, a helideck and accommodations up to 150 crew and offshore workers.

Harvey Gulfs Owner Representative, Captain Pat Hughes, shared a few words about the history between Eastern and Harvey Gulf, the quality of craftsmanship and praising the leadership at Harvey Gulf and Eastern. Easterns Julie Mathis christened the vessel. In attendance was Captain Pat Hughes, Harvey Gulfs Operation Manager.

The Harvey Blue-Sea is the second of two MPSVs under construction at Eastern, from a design provided by VARD Marine. The Harvey Blue-Sea is expected to deliver in early 2017, after outfitting and sea trials are completed. The lead vessel, the Harvey Sub-Sea, is also currently under construction. Eastern has delivered 11 vessels previously to Harvey Gulf, including Offshore Supply Vessels, Light Construction Vessels and Ocean Service Tugs. Eastern is also actively building a Multi-Purpose Field Support Vessel (MPFSV) Hull 243 for Harvey Gulf, the Harvey Stone.

Harvey Blue-Sea

HGIM Designation: 340 Class MPSV

ESG Hull #: H250  2nd Vessel in the Series of 2

Design: VARD Marine

Vessel Type: Multi-Purpose Service Vessel (MPSV)

Contract Date: October 15, 2013

Launch Date: April 29, 2016

Delivery Date: 1st Quarter 2017

Vessel Dimensions: (LOA) 340x 73x 29-3

Regulatory: ABS +A1, HELIDK, Offshore Support Vessel (Heavy Lift), Circle E, +AMS, +ACCU, +DPS-2, NBLES, ENVIRO+, GP, UWILD, MLC 2006, SPS (Special Purpose Ship) 2008, CRC Capable.

Certifications: USCG, Subchapter I, Subchapter L, SOLAS/IMO

Power Generation: Wartsila: DE 690VAC

Generators: Wartsila: 6L32 US EPA Tier 2, IMO II, 4 x 3,170kW (12,680kW)

Propulsion: Schottel: SRP 3030 FPP (VFD) Z-Drives, 2 x 4,489HP (8,978HP)

Tunnel Bow Thrusters: Schottel: STT 5 FPP (VFD), 3 x 2010HP (6,030HP-DP)

Offshore Crane: One National Oil Well Varco, Hydralift 250MT SUBSEA Knuckle Boom Offshore Crane/w Active Heave Compensation, 4,000M Water Depth

Deck/Stores Crane: One North Pacific Telescoping Crane Model MCT-327 3,200 LB at 16 (1.5 MT at 3m)

Helideck: One Helidex: Aluminum Offshore Helideck 22.2m diameter sized for a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter with reception area seating for 24 persons.

Moon Pool: One Mid-ship CL. 24 x 24 Moon Pool w/Main Deck Closure

ROV/LARS: The vessels electrical system is arranged to power two 250HP ROV/LARS Systems, 4,000M Water Depth Operations.

Stabilizing System: HOPPE Marine, Roll Dampening

Stabilizing Tanks: Two Active

Anti-Healing System: HOPPE Marine, 4,400 GPM

Anti-Heeling Tanks: Four Passive

Accommodations: Berthing: 150 Crew and Industrial Offshore Workers

The 340 Class MPSV features the following capacities:

Deadweight Tonnage: 5,737 LT

Total Fuel Oil (w/day-tanks): 288,927 gals.

Fuel Oil Day-tanks: 36,620 gals. (2 tanks)

Drill/Freshwater/Ballast: 915,539 gals.

Emergency Genset F.O. Day-tank: 2,111 gals.

Ships Potable Water: 121,997 gals.

Maximum Speed: 13 Knots.

Cruising Speed Endurance: 40 Days at 12 Knots

Clear Deck Cargo Area: 8,100 sqft.

Deck Loading: 2,048 lbs/sqft.
Autonomous ships, smart on-board systems: At the Maritime Future Summit on September 5, industry leaders will discuss the future of shipping. For the first time SMM hosts a conference dedicated to digital shipping.

Cyber Ships: What may sound like a word from a science fiction novel to some is a hot topic in the maritime business world today. Low-crew and no-crew concepts are buzzwords in the shipping sector, and some initial trials with unmanned ships are already being undertaken.

Visionary ideas drive the evolution of humanity, and the maritime industry is no exception. With its Maritime Future Summit, SMM provides a platform for the industrys movers and shakers to think the unthinkable, said Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH.

The Maritime Future Summit will celebrate its debut on September 5, one day ahead of the SMM opening day. Under the chairmanship of Professor Volker Bertram of World Maritime University, two expert panels will discuss the topics Building Ships for The Future and Digitalization and Automation.

In his keynote address, Knut rbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL Maritime, will share some thoughts on current mega trends which pave the way for the future. In economically challenging times such as these, innovative technologies play an essential role in strengthening our industry, he said

At the Maritime Future Summit, software experts and executives from leading manufacturers of propulsion technology will exchange views on major industry trends.

Shipbuilding: What the ships of the future will look like Achieving the greatest possible efficiency is a key objective for designers of tomorrows ships.

Paolo Tonon, CEO of Maersk Maritime Technology (MMT), will explain the Maersk Vision. MMT might be called the Workshop for the Future of the worlds biggest containership-owning company. More than 140 engineers are working on improving the fleet in service and developing innovative solutions for tomorrows ships.

Dennis Morais, Chief Engineer at SSI, will demonstrate how the design and building of ships can be optimized using computer technology. The Canadian company SSI is well known for its software application ShipConstructor. Morais presentation at the Maritime Future Summit is titled Vision 2030, reflecting the commitment of SSI to inspiring the maritime sector with the dynamic impetus of the innovation-driven computer industry.

High-technology will also be the focus of the lecture presented by Mary Etienne, Business Development Director at the computer company Dell. The expert will explore what future-proof technologies such as the Internet of Things can do for the maritime industry.

Digitalization and automation drive innovation Experts agree: Smart Shipping and Big Data are the most important building blocks for tomorrow's shipping world. From ship design to routing and trim, through to maintenance and management, the future success of shipping companies will depend on a perfect network infrastructure connecting their fleets with their land-based operations.

Matthias Schulze, Chief executive of the maritime business unit of the technology giant Siemens, will explain how advanced propulsion technology can boost the efficiency of ships sustainably, and what systems are most likely to be successful in the future. Willie Wagen, Director - Market Innovation at the Finnish ship engine manufacturer Wartsila, believes the industry has reached a historic turning point. He will describe his company's conceptual strategy for supporting the shipping sectors transition into a new era.

In his closing address, Carsten Wiebers, Global Head of Maritime Industries at KfW IPEX Bank, will investigate to what extent new technologies are fit for practice. Where would I place my bets?  Hearing a banker's answer to this question should be especially intriguing since ultimately, visions need financing to become realities.

The topic of digitalization will be the leitmotif of this year's SMM where classification societies and software vendors will present solutions custom-tailored to optimize ship operation. Increasing efficiency and improving the environmental footpring of shipping will be the themes for the exhibits in Hall A5, which will be entirely dedicated to innovative Green Propulsion technologies.
Opinion / Columnist

The economic problems that are currently a talk in every Zimbabwean`s lips have driven people into believing and applauding any Tom and Dick who comes over saying that he/she can come up with solutions to how the economic problems of this country can be solved. For that reason " #ThisFlag campaign" by one cleric known as Evan Mawarire has the opposition media jumping over it and getting excited for the coming into the political sphere of that cleric-turned-political activist who has exchanged some bible verses for political activism.Cleric Mawarire has decided to follow under the footsteps of the late Bishop Abel Muzorewa who in the 1970s decided to get seriously into politics while the church congregation stood precariously waiting for his stewardship in the church. Bishop Muzorewa went on to become the Prime Minister of the short-lived Zimbabwe-Rhodesia in 1979 and Evan Mawarire thinks that with his #ThisFlag campaign that could catapult him into that position which the late Bishop attained. This his history Mawarire and this writer cannot see it repeating itself here. Stand guided by this one cleric Mawarire.For those in the dark over this campaign, Cleric Evan Mawarire who heads a-yet-to be named church with seventy congregants in all around the country, has " #ThisFlag campaign" which he is urging Zimbabweans to come out in their numbers confronting the government to force it to fix well the deteriorating economic situation in the country. Mawarire has recorded his videos and posted in various social media communication channels like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter etc. making it possible for his followers to get to watch and listen to his videos. This has taken the private media by storm and got an opportunity to make him appear as if he is superhuman being. This is seen in how they have jumped into writing about his #ThisFlag campaign as something which has never happened in the country.Reports in the private media coming some few days ago have pointed to the fact that Evan Mawarire`s #ThisFlag campaign has taken Zimbabweans by surprise to the extent that everyone needs to be associated with it. The private media brings a picture which shows that every Zimbabwean is now for Mawarire`s $ThisFlag campaign. They want to make those who have not yet seen the videos to believe that it is necessary to hunt for it. The private media have thrown away good ethical journalism which call for true reporting with well researched information in the process writing out a story without facts.Headlines in the private media like "Zimbabweans join the flag protest, #ThisFlag protest rattles---------Mugabe henchmen, ZANU PF panics over #ThisFlag campaign", and a host of others not mentioned here picture a situation standing as if this #ThisFlag campaign is everywhere in the country. Such a type of reporting is sending a wrong message to the readers and it is meant to make people believe that Mawarire has just turned to be someone important on space of some few days. It signals unethical way of informing people about a situation. Such reportage without tangible evidence to support those facts is wrong and uncalled for.In one of those newspapers reports, the readers are told that Mawarire`s #ThisFlag campaign has accumulated about eleven thousand followers in his Facebook page making him a hero of the opposition`s spin-doctors. Surprisingly the same newspapers are failing to inform their readers that eleven thousand followers are just like a drop in the ocean in a country with about fourteen million people. Why is it that the so called eleven thousand followers of Mawarire are turned to be rattling ZANU PF failing to compare that number with more than thirteen million in the country who have not bothered to notice Mawarire`s political mischief. What makes the private media to believe that Mawarire`s #ThisFlag campaign would change the situation in the country by making people to revolt against the only government which brought peace to the once downtrodden citizens.The private media should not forget that the #ThisFlag campaign by Mawarire is not the first euphoria to hit the social media with people showing enthusiasms over it. Before the 2013 harmonized elections the social media was awash with Baba Jukwa, a faceless Facebook page which used to post sensitive information about ZANU PF becoming a favourite to those who were in the opposition politics. Baba Jukwa made quite a large number of some followers as it campaigned vigorously for the opposition using that Facebook page. That Facebook was a favourite with the opposition political groups as it daily posted messages that were damaging to the ruling party ZANU PFThose who followed baba Jukwa thought that ZANU PF was going to be finished as damaging posts against the revolutionary party were posted on daily basis with some sensitive information which could have been discussed in the Politburo meetings finding its ways into that baba Jukwa Facebook page. Baba Jukwa even went on to claim that he was going to announce the 2013 harmonized elections so that people were not going to be disadvantaged like what allegedly happened in the 2008 elections which took almost a month with elections results unannounced. Surprisingly when the 2013 harmonized elections were held baba Jukwa disappeared in the social media without notice and failing to announce elections results as promised. This happened after baba Jukwa has discovered that the opposition political parties had been whitewashed by the ruling party in both the presidential and parliamentary elections.So the #ThisFlag campaign by Mawarire is nothing to celebrate about as it would suffer the same fate as the faceless Facebook page known as baba Jukwa. The same private media which has now taken upon itself to spread the word of #ThisFlag campaign would be ashamed in the near future as Mawarire is not going to sustain his campaign the same way as what baba Jukwa encountered. It would be a matter of time before the same opposition media houses to write positive things about the ruling party as #ThisFlag campaign would not be able incite the peace loving Zimbabweans to turn violently against government.Well it is a fact that Zimbabwe is under some economic difficulties which have of late left the country facing some liquidity problems but could that make people like Mawarire to proffer economic solutions through revolting against the government. Why is it that the same newspapers are not asking Mawarire to come up with a host of solutions to the economic problems if he thinks that he has more? What makes him believe that if ZANU PF is revolted against then economic problems in the country would be solved?Zimbabweans should guard against such people like Mawarire who only come up with issues that draw attention of the international community with no solutions to the economic problems of country. The Arab springs that caused the overthrow of some governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya some few years ago did not come with economic solutions in those countries. Today in those countries there is no peace as violence and wars are happening on daily basis.Libya today is run by warlords with no government in place but when people like Mawarire`s calibre were celebrating the demise of the Libyan government headed by Murmur Gadhafi, they thought they would get their own Canaan where they would feed themselves with honey and milk but alas things are bad.So the private media should guard against that and stop fuelling violence through coverage of such people like Mawarire because the security forces would not just let people disturb the prevailing peace in the country for the sake of selfish gains by certain unruly individuals without them fighting back. Let the private media know that Zimbabweans want this peace and tranquillity to remain in place. It should be known that economic problems cannot be solved by demonstrations and revolting against the government but through peaceful negotiations for possible peaceful solutions.---------------------John Mukumbo
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The 78 research vessel designed and engineered by Boksa Marine Design (BMD) in 2015 is headed to the building phase beginning in June.

BMD contracted with the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) in February 2015 for the design of a new vessel to replace its current research vessel, the 71 R/V Bellows.

Originally built in 1968, FIO has operated the research boat since 1979 as a floating laboratory for scientists and students studying in the waterways of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas.

FIO is a Florida Academic Infrastructure Support Organization, collaboratively working with 27 educational institutions and agencies from across the state to maximize marine research and education resources. The goal of the Florida Institute of Oceanography is to provide a forum for addressing the challenges facing our oceans and develop strategies for promoting greater understanding, scientific advancement, civic engagement, natural resource management and public policy which preserves and protects ocean resources.

The new design will address the limitations of a vessel that was built more than 40 years ago and has become increasingly more expensive to maintain. Similarly, the design will ensure the vessel meets the known and anticipated requirements of varied research missions in the years to come.

At 78 in length and 26 at the beam, the new ship will be both longer and wider than its predecessor. The design will offer the new vessel more working space, including separated wet and dry labs, a larger work deck, separate galley and more comfortable arrangements for berthing.

Anticipated missions for the new vessel will include a variety of over-the-side operations including water sampling, bioacoustics, sediment coring, and fisheries research.

Were excited to be a part of this new project. The vessel has a rich history of scientific education and discovery and we hope the new boat will continue the institutes ongoing mission, said Nick Boksa, president of Boksa Marine Design.

Design plans were finalized in October 2015. Since that time, Boksa Marine Design has been working with the FIOs Ships Advisory Committee on its shipyard bid package as well as the shipyard selection process.

On May 1, Duckworth Steel Boats based in Tarpon Springs, Fla. was awarded the contract to build the new vessel. A new name for the vessel has not been chosen.

A keel laying ceremony is scheduled for June 2016. Completion of the boats construction is estimated to take between 12 and 24 months.

During construction, Boksa Marine Design will provide detailed engineering and construction oversight. In 2014, BMD also provided systems and mechanical engineering services for FIOs other research vessel, the 115 R/V Weatherbird II.
Winners of International Student Design Competition for a Safe Affordable Ferry to be revealed at the Ferry Safety and Technology Conference

Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) has announced that the winners of its Safe Affordable Ferry Competition will be made known at the Ferry Safety and Technology Conference. The conference, in its second year, will be held in downtown New York, June 2-3.

The competition, a project of the WFSA, challenges teams of Naval Architecture students to design a vessel that would serve a population dependent on ferry transportation. The requirements of this years competition were to design a RoPax ferry able to transport 185 passengers plus a crew of 15. The vessel, which would also take vehicles (including trucks), would be required to complete a 468 Nm round trip among the five islands surrounding Indonesias Savu Sea, at a service speed of 14-18 knots.

Awards for first, second and third place in the Competition will be presented on June 2 by Dr. Bekir Sitki Ustaoglu, Head of the Technical Cooperation Division, Asia Pacific Region, of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), on behalf of Nicolaos Charalambous, Director, Technical Cooperation Division of the IMO. Both Charalambous and Ustaoglu have been very active in organizing and following up on Safety Forums in various parts of the world in which information is exchanged among government and industry participants in the regions relying on ferries.

For this years competition, 25 student teams from universities and schools all over the world registered, but, according to Dr. Weisbrod, Only nine teams stayed the very arduous course and actually submitted designs. Information about the winners will be posted on the WFSA website, and disseminated through the trade press when the awards are announced.

Indonesia is the fourth largest nation in the world in terms of population and extends across the western Pacific from the Indian Ocean to the South Pacific, an archipelago consisting of 922 permanently inhabited islands. The current administration is committed to strengthening the nations maritime presence and to enhancing inter-island commerce and exchange by an expanded and improved ferry system.

The Savu Sea area is important for Indonesia. The administration has felt that a good ferry system, with safety built in, would enhance interisland trade, social interaction and economic development. Tourism- and the attraction of more visitors, is another driver for a ferry serving this region. The islands adjacent to the Savu Sea are noteworthy because of a non-human inhabitant- a species of large lizards known as the Komodo Dragons (Varanus komodoensis) and because of a long-gone civilization of hobbit people (Homo floresiensis) who lived on Flores Island approximately 50,000 years ago.
South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has revealed an additional self-restructuring plan amid the falling shipbuilding orders.

The companys creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, will now decide on the new self-rescue plan which proposes a further cut in DSMEs workforce and wages, as well as temporary closure of docks, the Korea Herald reports citing industry sources.

The company plans to separate its lucrative defense business, including special vessel, put it in its subsidiary and list it. DSME also denied rumors on the sale of their naval business, however the company said that they are reviewing it.

The company will slash its workforce and wages. It officially planned to cut 3,000 jobs over the next three years but is now considering the additional reduction due to mounting pressure on the high intensity self-restructuring plan from creditors.

DSME has signed a memorandum of understanding to sell its headquarters building in Seoul to Koramco as the preferred bidder at a price of KRW180bn ($151.6m), local reports said.

The sale of the headquarters building is part of the debt-ridden shipbuilders self-rescue measures as it attempts to stabilise its severely weakened financial position.

The yard also plans to sell its subsidiary yard in Romania. The overseas assets sales were requested by the shipyards major creditor Korea Development Bank.

The countrys top three shipyards suffered a combined operating loss of 8.5 trillion won (US$7.21 billion) last year, due largely to increased costs stemming from a delay in the construction of offshore facilities and an industrywide slump. But a huge chunk of the loss, some 5.5 trillion won, came from Daewoo Shipbuilding.

The company managed to turnaround its net profit for the first quarter of 2016 recording KRW 31.4 billion (USD 2.7 million) against a loss of KRW 1.12 trillion in the previous quarter.
South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and Sovcomflot have agreed to delay a liquefied natural gas carrier being built for the Yamal LNG project in Russia.

According DSME statement the vessel, which was originally scheduled for June this year re-set the delivery date, will now be delivered in January 2017. No details have been disclosed on the reasons of the delay.

In March 2014, DSME) signed with Russia's largest shipping company Sovcomflot to build 170000CBM level Polar special (ARC7 Ice-class) icebreaking LNG ship.

The vessel is a prototype for a series of 16 Arctic LNG carriers, and will be the first to load at the liquefaction and export plant in Port of Sabetta (Ob Bay, Kara Sea), currently under construction.

The vessel will be operated under a long-term time charter agreement between Sovcomflot and Yamal LNG.
The long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) of Sovcomflot, which runs one of the worlds largest tanker and gas carrier fleets, has moved a step closer.

Economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev was quoted by local Russian news agencies as saying that the government might get around RBL24bn ($357m) roubles from selling a 25% stake in the nations top line, Sovcomflot.

He said the IPO would happen this year. The Russian state-controlled tanker giant was waiting for investor sentiment to turn before embarking on its listing.

The shipping line has more than 100 tankers in its fleet including crude and LNG plus nine bulk carriers. A listing has been on the cards for the Sergei Frank controlled company for a number of years.

Ulyukayev has discussed how privatisation plans are moving ahead across a number of industries as the Kremlin looks to rein in its budget deficit.

Meanwhile, the first quarter ending March 31st saw a 9.2 percent increase in Sovcomflots net profit reaching USD 103.1 million.

Time charter equivalent (TCE) revenues were up by 0.4 percent to USD 290.8 million, while the companys EBITDA rose by 6.6 per cent to USD 187.5 million.
Indian Merchants Chamber provides a platform to urban developers to address various issues pertaining to the restructuring of Mumbai City



Mumbai, May 23, 2016: Mumbai has a real opportunity to be developed as an international cruise terminal, said Mr. Sanjay Bhatia, Chairman MbPT at a day-long conference organized by the Urban Development Committee of the Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) in association with Apli Mumbai titled Mumbais PortLands  from Vision to Action on 23 May 2016 at the BSE in Mumbai.



Addressing the gathering Mr. Bhatia said that complete transparency in functioning and consultation with all stakeholders as well as coordination of all government bodies involved had to be maintained at all stages of the development of the Portlands. However, many issues pertaining to the ease of doing business also need to be simultaneously resolved. There is a need to generate financial resources from within the system rather than looking outside it. The creation of a separate department of Portland development was being considered. Based on the draft plan for the development of the Portlands, MbPT will prepare an economic and financial project report. In this context, the monetization of land as in CIDCO projects may be considered. The development of infrastructure may take two to four years, depending on the speed of receiving the necessary clearances.



In his remarks Mr. Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD, BSE, said that tourism and fisheries is an important part of the Indian economy today, which contributes to the GDP even more than the manufacturing sector. There is a need for it to be developed in a systematic manner. If well developed, the PortLands area can even compete with the BKC as a leading office centre in Mumbai. With some planning and vision, London and New York have converted themselves into leading tourism centres and there is no reason Mumbais cant do the same.



Speaking on the theme of the Conference, Ms. Meera Sanyal, Chairperson Urban Development Committee, IMC, said that just two years ago Mumbaikars thought that the PortLands were the dark spots of the country. However, the dark veil over the PortLands has been gradually lifted with progressive public policies. However, a lot more needs to be done. In this context, the Rani Jadhav document is very well done and needs to be made more available in the public domain. We need to integrate the development of the PortLands with that of Mumbai city via physical connections. The development of fisheries, tourism, wellness and recreation are all interlinked and they all can be simultaneously achieved through the development of the PortLands. The Conference would attempt to combine all inputs and present them to the policymakers.



In his welcome remarks IMC President Mr. Dilip Piramal said that both the Urban Development Committee of the Indian Merchants Chamber, and the APLI Mumbai citizens forum have been constantly championing the redevelopment of the PortLands, as a unique opportunity to revive and rejuvenate Mumbai city. Young entrepreneurs from Mumbai are migrating to the rest of the country and the world. The development of the Portlands would help stem some of the flow of this talent. He added that Mumbai needed bureaucrats like Mr. Bhatia to make a tangible difference to the socioeconomic conditions of the metropolis.




ABBs environmental friendly Azipod propulsion system brings greater fuel efficiency to diverse shipping segments



ABB today announced the total fuel savings of the entire installed Azipod fleet since being launched is estimated to be more than 700,000 tons. Assuming the average family car uses one ton of fuel annually, this savings corresponds to the annual fuel consumption of 700,000 cars.



The gearless, steerable propulsion system reduces fuel consumption by up to 20% and achieves decimeter accurate maneuverability without the aid of tugboats. It is installed on an extremely wide range of vessels, including the worlds largest cruise ship (6,600 passengers), the most advanced icebreaker, one of the largest crane vessels in Asia, a 105-meter luxury superyacht, and most recently, an innovative cargo transfer vessel. According to Clarksons Research, the leading shipbroker and research firm, the number of vessels with electric propulsion is growing at a pace of 12 percent per year, three times faster than the worlds fleet.



A pioneering technology leader, ABB is celebrating Azipod propulsions 25th anniversary this year. The electrical propulsion system - where the electric motor with propeller is mounted inside a streamlined pod capable of 360 degree movement beneath the ship - has evolved to become the industry standard for the marine industry. The system can drive and steer the ship at the same time.



Azipod propulsion units are the market-leading solution for todays modern large cruise ships. The system is also dominating the growing icebreaking and icebreaking cargo ship sector. The most advanced port icebreaker will feature four Azipod propulsion units placed in an innovative design to allow the vessel to operate either bow or stern first, keeping ABB at the cutting edge of icebreaking technology.



The entire installed Azipod propulsion unit base has accumulated 12 million operating hours in merchant, offshore and special vessel segments. Our engineers continue to innovate, like they did 25 years ago, to ensure Azipod propulsion meets the demands from a diverse range of ship owners. Much has changed in the shipping sector since we introduced the first Azipod but the desire for efficiency, maneuverability and reliability remains the same. The fact that Azipod propulsion remains the dominant force in podded electric propulsion shows our commitment to meet our customers needs, said Juha Koskela, the managing director of ABBs Marine and Ports business.




How the Democrats Could Lose the Presidency--Again

In 1967, the United States was digging itself deeper into the war in Vietnam.

The anti-war movement was being forged by the youth, energetic and willing to stand up to establishment values. They were the peace-loving environmentally-friendly hippies, the more radical but fun-loving Yippies, and those who held weekday establishment jobs and resented the structure and rules of an older generation that had survived the economic depression of the 1930s, the war years of the 1940s and early 1950s, and now wanted the Happy Days comfort of the 1950s.

But it was during this decade that the Cold War emerged; the right-wing surfaced and declared anyone with non-establishment views were Communists. The witch hunts of the 17th century colonies had morphed into the fear, panic, and undermining of the Constitution by the demigods of business and government who decided that anyone with liberal views, especially those in the arts and sciences, were anti-American and needed to be condemned.

A string tied the country to Southeast Asia where a civil war had begun, one that led Americans to believe in a false political philosophy known as the Domino Theoryif Vietnam fell to the Communists, then Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand would next fall to the Communistsand then, like dominos, one country after another would fall until the Red Menace would eventually invade and overcome the United States.

John F. Kennedy sent military advisors into Vietnam to save the south from Communism. And then, Lyndon B. Johnson escalated the war. By 1967, more than 400,000 Americans were in combat, the majority of civilians were cheering what they believed would be a successful end of Communismand the anti-war movement was developing.

From Minnesota, U.S. Sen. Eugene McCarthy, a white-haired 51-year-old former teacher and college professor became the political leader of the anti-war movement, catching up to the political activism of the youth.

The media, always behind the cutting edge of society, didnt report about McCarthyand largely ignored the increasing youth marches and rallies. After all, Johnson was president, soldiers were in Vietnam, and the youthand the millions of anti-war, pro-civil rights, pro-environment liberalswere just rabble to be ignored.

The establishment media were certain that McCarthy had no chance to defeat the incumbent president. But in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, McCarthy got 42 percent of the vote to Johnsons 49 percent. That shook up the party and the media. In the Wisconsin and Oregon primaries, McCarthy won even more delegates. Johnson, a Southerner who had pushed through Congress a liberal agenda, especially in Civil Rights, surprised the establishment by announcing that in the interest of the country, and because he didnt wish to further divide it, he would not run for re-election.

Robert F. Kennedy soon entered the primary, dividing the anti-war vote, but was murdered in June 1968.

At the Democratic convention in Chicago two months later, McCarthy faced Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, a long-time liberal with strong ties to labor and the civil rights movement, but tainted by having supported his presidents war record. The largely peaceful anti-war movement clashed with the political establishment and the largely-conservative police who wanted people to believe that the hundreds of injuries to the youth were caused by the youth deliberately banging their heads onto police billy clubs.

Humphrey won the nomination, but lost the presidency to Richard Nixon, who would resign six years later, enmeshed within scandal. Had hundreds of thousands of McCarthys supporters not become disillusioned with establishment politics, and not been nursing their own injuries from the convention three months before the general election, Humphrey might have become president, the nation might have been freed from the war sooner than 1975, thousands of Americans would not have died or sustained permanent war injuries, and Nixons unconstitutional attacks upon the opposition would not have added a blemish to American history.

Flash forward almost five decades.

From Vermont comes Bernie Sanders, a 74-year-old white-haired liberal senator who is challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Only the rabid right-wing, who believe lies are facts and propaganda is truth, doubt Clintons intelligence or her knowledge of domestic and foreign affairs. But, even within her own party, she is seen as the embodiment of establishment politics, with a moderate, even conservative, edge. Her wall of advisors protect her from the masses; she seems aloof, while Sanders seems to be the kindly, intelligent Jewish grandfather with a soul burning for social justice that liberals identify with.

Sanders began drawing crowds of hundreds, and then thousands, mostly liberals and the youth who believe they are alienated from having a voice in the American system and who, like the youth of the 1960s, have an idealism that cries for social, economic, and political equality and justice, the same political agenda that defines Sanders.

But the media of 2015, like the media of 1967, barely noticed Sanders. Although his rallies drew as many as 20,000, the media still ignored him, reporting about Clinton, the Democrats establishment candidate, while also acting as the megaphone for every ridiculous and absurd statement the Republicans eventual nominee, Donald Trump, uttered.

Soon, like McCarthy, Sanders began winning primaries while also getting significant vote totals in those primaries that Clinton won. And the mainstream media still devoted significantly more air time and column inches to Trump than to most of the Republican contenders, or to Clinton, Sanders, or Gov. Martin OMalley, who eventually dropped from contention.

Hillary Clinton, not completely dissimilar to Hubert Humphrey, will likely be the Democratic partys nominee, even though Sanders says he is in the campaign to the end. Its probable that millions of Americans who would prefer to see Sanders become president will be justifiably disappointed. Many may vote for a third party candidateperhaps, liberal Jill Stein, the Green Partys nominee. Perhaps, they will stay home, disgusted by the process and not vote. To prevent that, the Democratic National Committee needs to incorporate much of Sanders political philosophy into its planks, the Clinton campaign needs to give Sanders and his senior campaign staff significant roles in the campaign and possible presidential administration.

If that does not happen, and if history repeats itself because Sanders supporters vote for the Green party or sit out the election, Hillary Clinton will not become president, and Donald Trump and his Ego of Ignorance will occupy the White House for at least four years. This nation cannot succumb to the rule of the fool who is masquerading as a Republican leader.

[Dr. Brasch is author of Unacceptable: The Federal Governments Response to Hurricane Katrina , the first major book that looked at the causes, problems, and effects of the storm. He and Rosemary Brasch, two years before Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, had written a series of articles that predicted the United States was not prepared for a major disaster.]

[Dr. Braschs current book is Fracking Pennsylvania, which looks at the impact of fracking upon public health, worker safety, the environment, and agriculture. The book--available at local bookstores and amazon. com--also looks at the financial collusion between politicians and Big Energy.]

By Walter M Brasch PhD

http://www.walterbrasch.com

Copyright 2016 Walter M Brasch



Walter Brasch is a university journalism professor, syndicated columnist, and author of 17 books. His current books are America's Unpatriotic Acts , The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina , and Sex and the Single Beer Can: Probing the Media and American Culture . All are available through amazon.com, bn.com, or other bookstores. You may contact Dr. Brasch at walterbrasch@gmail.com

Walter Brasch Archive

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Opinion / Columnist

We are living in a Global Village where its imperative for nations to extend an olive branch to all and sundry with regards to political, economic, social and even military issues.The cooperation in this regard has to be done within the rubric of reciprocity. No nation can thrive in isolation and one wonders if the schizophrenic Donald Trump is an advocate of an isolated America. The narcissistic demagogue Donald Trump seem to be undeterred in his self destructive mode.Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican Party Presidential nominee and a microscopic scrutiny of what he stands for is necessary at this juncture. Other Republican aspiring candidates like Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush have fallen by the wayside. Hillary Clinton has been calling out Donald Trump for his zealotry, hateful, divisive rhetoric since the very beginning of this campaign.In a bid to combat ISIS Donald Trump has called for a complete ban of all Muslims from entering the American nation. He would also "bomb the hell out of ISIS," and if that doesn't work, he would go after the wives and children of Islamic State fighters thereby ordering the U.S. military to use torture or deliberately target civilians.Trump has thus been viewed as a misogynist by his stance on muslim women and his anti- abortion stance. This "plan" to contain ISIS shows how woefully unprepared Trump is to handle the threat of terrorism and ISIS. For all intents and purpose that will be a knee-jerk reaction to the threat of terrorism. One wonders if that will be a silver bullet to the global menace of terrorism. Such ill-advised innuendos do reflect Donald Trump inadequate understanding of terrorism and potray him as a run off the mill politician.Utterances by Trump are irresponsibly inflammatory and have opened a pandora's box in the international arena if the recent agregious terrorist acts are to go by. Donald Trump is an advocate of islamophobia and his stance on Muslims reflects an eloquent illustration of the fulfillment of Francis Fukuyama's thesis of Clash of Civilisation.It's no coincidence that his incendiary words have led to so much hateful action.Donald Trump reckless outbursts flies in the face of efforts being made by Obama in the Middle East and the Islamic community with regards to Nuclear proliferation.The GOP front-runner is wildly uninformed when it comes to foreign policy.His proposals when it comes to dealing with immigrants and refugees have potrayed him as xenophobic and racist.His calls for the construction of a Wall to stop Mexican immigrants have been met with contempt.However, he is anti-Iran deal and pro-Israel and has castigated what he consider to be bad blood between US President Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin of Russia which is why some pundits have argued that he intends to usher in a New World Order.Donald Trump has dilly-dallied on several issues and his campaign has been replete with fascist undertones.Trump is one such loose cannon that needs serious handholding. Donald Trump's venomous verbiage against Muslims, Africans, Afro-Americans,immigrants and women raises eyebrows of even a disinterested bystander.Typical of an unrepentent bigot, he has spewed vitriol to anyone without fear of opprobrium and needlesss to its antithetical to vociferous calls and efforts for peace and harmony in the entire globe.Trump excoriated the US Supreme Court for legalising same-sex marriage because he believes the decision should have been made at a state level. The real estate developer thus hinted that he is not pro- gayism and lesbianism.On nuclear proliferation, he has said Japan and South Korea should not rely on the US so much and would benefit from having their own weapons.In International Relations parlance Nuclear Deterrence or Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)is a military stalemate,the basic premise being that each side has so many nuclear weapons in its arsenal, that strike/counter strike would destroy both combatants and that can preserve peace unlike in a Unipolar world where ''massive retaliation'' can be an unfortunate eventuality and in this case Trump can be credited.In the light of the scourge of Terrorism threatening to tear America asunder, Donald Trump has resorted to manufacturing a Rally 'Round the Flag Effect, which is the propensity for the American public to put aside political differences and support the President during international crises. Rally 'Round the Flag effect occurs when political leaders assume the victim mantle and depict any other foreign threat ''real'' or ''imaginery'' as an onslaught on the country which everyone across the political divide has to resist with zeal and gusto. Though being villains here and there the leaders portray themselves as victims.There exists a school of thought which suggest that when Uhuru Kenyatta faced the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment prior to the Kenyan Election he employed the rally 'round the flag strategy and rallied the nation behind him accusing the ICC of meddling in the internal affairs of Kenya. The same applies to Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the exists a school of thought which suggest that his supporters are victims of this strategy as they view the sanctions as imperialistic shenanigans hell bent on subtly effecting a regime change and establish political jurisdictions congenial to western investors. The masses are bombarded with relentless rhetoric that that the US and the West want a political party that panders to its hegemonic whims and caprices therefore the masses have a moral obligation to jealously guard their sovereignty and territorial integrity.The Rally 'round the Flag effect makes the public close ranks and inflame the patriotic consciousness.-----------Wilton Nyasha Machimbira is a Political Scientist.For feedback and comments can be contacted on wiltonnyash@gmail.com
Australian Tax Office Declares War On Bullion

The Australian Tax Office has started aggressively auditing Australian bullion dealers. One smaller dealer who had their own range of bullion rounds manufactured has taken the drastic decision to close their business. In Australia, there has always been a goods and services tax (GST) on collectors coins eg: proof coins, but generic bullion coins and bars have not attracted the 10% GST.

Below is Part 11 and 12 of the act dealing with the GST on bullion:



11. To be the metal gold, silver or platinum, the item must have the character of the metal rather than the character of a thing made from the metal. Items such as jewellery that happen to be made of gold, silver or platinum are not gold, silver or platinum for the purposes of the definition of precious metal in the GST Act. They no longer have the character of the metal gold, silver or platinum. They have the character of jewellery made from gold, silver or platinum. They are therefore not precious metal for the purposes of the GST Act.

12. A factor that can point to whether something has lost its character as the metal gold, silver or platinum is whether it is traded at a price that is determined by reference to the prevailing spot price for the metal. If something is not usually traded at a price determined by reference to the prevailing spot price of its metal content it is not being traded for its metal value only. This suggests that it does not have the character of the relevant metal. It has another character. An example is proof coins. As noted at paragraph 38, proof coins are traded at a price that reflects the quality of the finish over and above what is necessary to trade the metal value. The price is not determined solely by the metal value of the coin. The price is determined by reference to the spot price and by reference to the quality of the physical characteristics of the coin.F1 The latter indicates that proof coins are not traded for the metal value only and therefore indicates that they do not have the character of the metal, but rather the character of manufactured articles, that is, coins made from the metal. This means that proof coins are not precious metal.

What seems to have changed is how the ATO is seeing the character of bullion coins, rounds and bars.

Any coins, rounds or bars that are not traded for the metal value only and therefore indicates that they do not have the character of the metal, but rather the character of manufactured articles, that is, coins made from the metal. Therefore, they are not precious metal for GST purposes.

In contrast, bullion coins do not have the year of manufacture on them and are mass produced and freely available. Bullion coins are stamped to guarantee the fineness and the backing of the government as currency.



In summary whilst your coins are made of fine metals, this does not make them precious metal for GST purposes. The relevant test is not what the coin is called but whether it has the character of the metal. To be considered precious metal for GST purposes the coin must be no more than the form which facilitates the precious metal and it must be subject to fluctuating prices.



This could have huge potential ramifications for large mints like The Perth Mint whose lunar series of coins dont currently have any GST charged on them but are certainly collected for their character over and above the metal value in the coins.

Some of the bullion dealers I spoke to are nervous, and some are annoyed, with good reason.

Paul Behan

www.ozcopper.com

 2016 Copyright Paul Behan - 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.




Opinion / Columnist

The 25th of May is a significant day in the life of every African. It signifies and reflects the aspiration of African to be liberated and break free from the bondages, shackles and chains of colonial bondage and neo-colonialism.This is a day where Africans come together and unite against poverty, unemployment and abuse of one by another. This day unites all Africans in celebrating our diverse cultures and traditions. Therefore we must raise political awareness and consciousness around the world about the state of affairs in Africa and the struggles African face everydayFor many years now Africa day has always been known as the day where African and their needs are put into light .This dates back to 1963 when the OAU was formed in Ethiopia. This was the organization formed to tackle issues that affect African and their state of beingSo we must all work together to pursue their objectives and build a better Africa. We can therefore say without fear of contradiction that Africa day derives its values from the message of Ubuntu that it carries. As citizens of Zimbabwe and as Africans we are challenged to renew our commitment to the kind of unity and solidarity that carried our forefathers to victory daring the subjugation of colonisation.The brighter day is rising upon Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe belongs to this new and powerful period, The Zimbabwean people must possess common fundamental sentiments which are everywhere manifest, crystallised into one common controlling idea. The regeneration of Zimbabwe means that a new and reformed electoral system must be put in place.---------Isabel Moyo can be contacted by email - zapuyouthfrontrsa@yahoo.com
A Glade Spring man pleaded guilty Friday in Henry County Circuit Court to two counts of arson of personal property, waived his right to a jury trial and was found guilty of the charges by a judge.

Judge David V. Williams ordered a presentencing report for the defendant, Derek Eugene Boone, 28, of 13333 Saint John Lane, Glade Spring, and scheduled the next court hearing for Aug. 18 at 3:30 p.m.

Boone also is charged in the city of Martinsville with eight counts of arson (seven involving vehicles and one involving a building) and three counts of grand larceny, but a hearing that had been scheduled for Monday in Martinsville Circuit Court was rescheduled for June 23 at 2 p.m.

In Henry County, Boone is charged with setting fire to or burning, by an explosive device or substance, a 2003 Nissan Maxima belonging to Lisa Divinie of 442 Shamrock Drive, Eden, North Carolina, and a tractor-trailer belonging to Ronald Eggan of Lake Forest, California, on June 29, 2015.

A summary of the commonwealths evidence alleges the following:

On June 29, 2015, Zachary Mize was working at Mize Automotive at 141B Dye Plant Road, near the River Hill Bridge, getting ready to stop working for the evening, when he heard something outside that sounded like a bomb. He went out back to investigate. He noticed a 2003 Nissan Maxima parked there at the business that had recently been worked on, that was in flames. Mize attempted to deploy a fire extinguisher on the vehicle but was unable to and called 911, Lisa Divinie owned the Nissan, which was a total loss.

Next to the Nissan was another vehicle owned by Sylvia Donovant. That vehicle received a fair amount of damage but is repairable.

Not long after Mize called 911, the local 911 center received multiple calls about different vehicle fires, two of which were in Martinsville. A fourth fire was called in -- at the Walmart parking lot.

In the Walmart parking lot was a tractor-trailer. The trailer portion is a car hauler that was hauling multiple vehicles. Eggan (the owner of the tractor-trailer) had an appointment to meet a man in Henry County to take delivery of a Cadillac that was shipped from California to Henry County.

The occupants who were asleep in the sleeper section of the tractor-trailer were awakened by someone knocking on the tractor door, letting them know that at least one of the vehicles on the trailer was on fire. After they got out, fire was observed coming from the Cadillac and spreading to two or more other vehicles on the trailer.

At all four fire scenes, fire departments were called in, the fires were suppressed, and ultimately the city and county fire marshals offices were called to investigate.

The city fire marshals office obtained a surveillance video on Memorial Boulevard that showed an individual setting one of the fires. A BOL (be on the lookout) was put out for a Ford Mustang that was believed to have been involved in each of the four fires. Also, at the Walmart parking lot, witnesses Isaiah Hairfield and Dustin Wallace noticed the Mustang driving through the parking lot and could place it at the scene at about the same time the fires were started on Eggans tractor-trailer. Surveillance video from the Walmart security system would show this Mustang in the parking lot at that time.

The city and county fire marshals offices did a joint investigation.

Officers were led to a hotel in the Collinsville area. The Ford Mustang was located there and deputies began to knock on doors, trying to find the owner of the Mustang. Deputies located Derek Eugene Boone. Boone granted Ted Anderson (then city fire marshal but now city fire chief) permission to enter his room and had a consensual conversation that led to Anderson being permitted to search the clothing bags and other luggage of Boone. Anderson also asked to search the Ford Mustang, Boone agreed, and Anderson searched the vehicle. Inside, there were noticeable parts that did not belong to the Ford Mustang, including pieces that belonged to an Infiniti automobile and what appeared to be swaths of cloth for automobile upholstery.

Later Boone was interviewed at the Martinsville Police Department.

"During the interview, Mr. Boone ultimately confessed to setting all four fires in both Henry County and Martinsville. He confessed to setting the fire on Dye Plant Road as well as setting the fire to the Cadillac on the car hauler trailer of Mr. Eggans. Mr. Boone was charged in Henry County with two counts of arson of personal property valued at more than $200. At the conclusion of the interview, warrants were taken out for Mr. Boone for his arson in both the county and the city and Mr. Boone has been jailed in both jurisdictions without bond pending resolution of these matters," the commonwealths summary of evidence alleges.

MARTINSVILLE CIRCUIT COURT

A Martinsville woman must pay nearly $46,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to a total of three counts of welfare and Medicaid fraud. The commonwealth nolle prossed (discontinued further prosecution of) 19 other similar charges against the defendant, Natasha Layne Rogers of 2346 Figsboro Road.

On each of the three charges to which she pled guilty, she was sentenced Thursday in Martinsville Circuit Court to five years of incarceration, suspended for five years, five years of probation and five years of good behavior.

Rogers will make payments of $200 per month until the $45,994.05 in restitution is paid.

Rogers entered the pleas as part of a plea agreement.

Andy Hall, Martinsville deputy commonwealths attorney, said in an interview the charges involved Rogers not reporting her husbands income when she applied for food stamps and Medicaid over a number of years.

According to court records, the 22 original charges were alleged to have happened between 2009 and 2014.
SAN FRANCISCOThe Erotic Service Providers Legal Education Research Project (ESPLERP) has appealed the Order issued March 31 by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White dismissing its lawsuit to overturn California's anti-prostitution law, Penal Code 647(b). ESPLERP filed a Motion of Appeal today to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

ESPLERP's suit, ESPLERP v Gascon, was originally filed in March of last year by the group and three sex workers, collectively represented by First Amendment attorneys H. Louis Sirkin and D. Gil Sperlein. Following Judge White's dismissal of the suit, ESPLERP head Maxine Doogan stated that "we may have no option but to appeal to the Ninth Circuit, where we are confident that the merits of our case will finally be recognized and we will be granted relief."

One of the core arguments of ESPLERP's suit to which Judge White gave no weight in his opinion accompanying his Order to dismiss is that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v Texas, the 2003 case that legalized homosexual conduct between consenting adults, established a "liberty interest" for the plaintiffs to engage in paid sexual transactions.

Jerald Mosley, a former supervising deputy attorney general for the State Department of Justice, opined, "Appeal of the trial court's ruling is necessary to resist the denigration of sex workers and to affirm Lawrence v Texas' articulation of individuals' right to privacy in their sexual conduct. The issue is whether we need to submit our personal relationships for court inspection before we are allowed to claim our constitutional right to privacy."

Added longtime human rights activist Mike Chase, "This case is about whether the government may intrude into the private lives of consenting adults by criminalizing their sexual behavior. Lawrence v Texas said that it may not. Americans have a constitutional right to privacy regarding their sexual behavior."

While ESPLERP's case is primarily funded by individuals making small contributions, additional donations may be submitted here.
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LOS ANGELESPopular adult film performers BiBi Noel and Akira Lane join James Bartholet and co-host Lauren Phillips on this weeks installment of Inside The Industry.

The show airs 7-9 p.m. PST on the LA Talk Radio Program.

The guests will discuss their new projects and take calls live from the listening audience.

Inside the Industry is continuing its series of weekly on-air contests. According to Bartholet, "We are also running our Exxxotica/Inside The Industry Contest, where four lucky winners can get a free pass to attend Exxxotica in Chicago in July."

This week contestants can also win a free signed DVD or a free promotional item from Pipedream Products.

Fans can call in live to (323) 203-0815 during the broadcast, or join the conversations in the chat room at InsideTheIndustry.net or AdultDVDTalk.com.

The program is heard and rebroadcast daily on LATalkRadio.com and InsideTheIndustry.net. Inside the Industry is also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Inside the Industry is sponsored by Streamate, AVN, 1amdollusa.com, Pipedream Products, Adam & Eve and Black Tie Limousines.

Fans can enter weekly contest giveaways that include DVDs or an autographed 8-by-10 photos. To submit an entry, email [email protected]

Producers who would like to send information to be discussed on the air, performers who want to be booked as guests on the program, or companies that wish to advertise on the program can email [email protected]
The Orson Welles Cinema in Cambridge

The Orson Welles Cinema on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge a few days after an electrical fire caused it to close on May 24, 1986.

(David Henry photo)

CAMBRIDGE - Thirty years ago, a popular movie house came to a dramatic end after a 17-year run.

Fire broke out in the lobby of the Orson Welles Cinema on May 24, 1986 and the staff safely evacuated 60 Saturday matinee patrons from the theater near Harvard Square. The damage was deemed extensive and it did not reopen.

Named after the late maverick filmmaker, the two-level complex once housed a three-screen movie theater, restaurant, book store and film school.

Tommy Lee Jones, later an Oscar winning actor, was its first house manager. During much of the 1970s, the theater was managed and programmed by Larry Jackson, who worked with Welles on his unfinished film The Other Side of the Wind and was later an executive with Miramax, Orion Pictures and the Samuel Goldwyn Company. more

Manager Bill White told the Associated Press at the time of the blaze that the oil in the popcorn maker apparently caught fire. He said he quickly reached for a fire extinguisher, but ''by the time I got over there, it was out of control.''

Two nearby businesses, Chi Chi's Mexican restaurant and Videomax, a video rental outlet, sustained heavy smoke and water damage.

Landlord Ralph Hoagland cancelled the theater's lease, according to The Harvard Crimson, after deciding in early 1987 that the damage was too substantial to repair.

Investigators concluded the fire was caused by faulty wiring in the popcorn popper. However, a conservative Catholic group claimed that God had destroyed the theater for daring to show Jean Luc Goddard's controversial film Hail Mary six months earlier.

Former theater manager Garen Daly is at work on a documentary about the legacy of the Orson Welles Cinema. He has fond memories of the theater.

"(The Orson Welles Cinema) did things differently. It ran retrospectives with unusual themes. It dug into the archives and revived films not normally seen," Daly told the website Wellesnet. "It curated films and brought directors like Nicholas Ray, Francois Truffaut and others. Yet it was the combination of excellent programming, plus a film school, a restaurant and a book store devoted to film that truly made the difference... The Orson Welles was all about the love of film, the exploration of film and the how it brought people together."
Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby smiles as he arrives at the Montgomery County Courthouse for a preliminary hearing, Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in Norristown, Penn.

(AP photo)

NORRISTOWN, Pennsylvania - A judge has found sufficient evidence to hold Bill Cosby on felony indecent assault charges in the case involving former Temple University staffer Andrea Constand.

The criminal case will now go to trial. CNN reported that Cosby's next court date will be on July 20.

Cosby, 78, could get 10 years in prison if convicted, according to The Washington Post.

"Mr. Cosby, good luck to you, sir," Montgomery County Judge Elizabeth A. McHugh said.

"Thank you," the Shelburne resident replied.

The Pennsylvania ruling came after Cosby's attorneys argued that a deposition he gave in a separate matter could not be used as evidence against him.

Constand, 43, a former Temple University staff member said Cosby gave her pills and sexually assaulted her in his home outside Philadelphia in 2004. Cosby reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2006.

In addition to the criminal case, Cosby faces a tangle of civil cases in Massachusetts and elsewhere with more than 50 women having stepped forward saying he sexually abused them over the decades, often by giving them Quaaludes, a sedative pill.
HOLYOKE -- When Ajmal Jackson Brown enrolled in a web development class during his first year at Hampshire College, he was unaware the effect a few months of coursework would have on his life.

"I had no passion for technology until college," Brown said. "Then I realized I could become not only a consumer but a creator of technology."

As a child growing up across the country in Oakland, Brown said there was a divide between those that work for technology companies and others that use products made by such start-up and global brands.

Now a recent graduate of Hampshire College, Brown has spent the past four years studying both computer science and the culture of technology-focused institutions.

He has founded a coding academy called MyRise to spark an interest in technology in minority groups underrepresented in the field.

The typical computer engineer, Brown said, is a white man from a middle class upbringing who took computer courses in middle and high school before enrolling as a computer science major in college.

A 2015 Fortune survey of nine of the top tech companies in the country found their workforces were lacking in diversity. The majority of employees at Microsoft, Facebook, Intel and other big tech names are white. The second largest diversity group at each company is Asian.

At the social media giant Facebook, 57.1 percent of 12,691 employees are white and 34.1 percent are Asian. Just under four percent are Latino and about 1.5 percent are Black. Of Google's 57,000 employees, 60.9 percent are white and 30.5 percent are Asian. About 4.4 percent are Latino and just under two percent are Black.

About one of every four employees at both companies are women.

"When you're not tracked into AP computer science as a teen, that's where the breakdown occurs, that's why we have low diversity rates in tech," he said.

The coding academy seeks to spark such an interest in students of color, young women and teenagers from low-income backgrounds.

"MyRise is quite literally my rise out of poverty," Brown said. He arrived at Hampshire College four years ago with a few suitcases, a computer and a couple of hundred dollars. Between classes, Brown gained paid clients for web projects and built both a savings account for himself and a career track. He hopes MyRise will offer such options for his students as well.

The first class of MyRise students were enrolled this year. During a 10-week period, nine high schoolers from Holyoke and Springfield public high schools would meet at the Holyoke Public Library. In those 10 weeks, students learned basic command line and built a website for a paying client.

Students without access to a laptop were given one, thanks to the support of Stone Soup Leadership Institute, an organization based on Martha's Vineyard that works to inspire young leaders around the world.

This month, MyRise's first class of graduates completed the coding academy. Each student was presented with a certificate of completion and a check from their client for completing their web project. Additionally, savings accounts were set up for teenagers without one and students were encouraged to deposit their earnings.

The academy is not only about tech but to teach teens of financial literacy and other life skills, Brown said.

Marianne Larned, executive director of the Stone Soup Leadership Institute, said the organization has funded projects from Boston to the Philippines. Her support of MyRise was the result of meeting Brown and believing in his goal.

Of the seniors, 100 percent are heading to college and several intend to study computer science.

Brown will run two more cohorts of the coding academy this summer and is accepting applications from interested teens. More information is available on the MyRise website.
Forty years ago this week a story on the first free soup kitchen in Northampton since the great depression. A group of about twenty five volunteers operating as the Employed-Unemployed Council of Hampshire County provided a free dinner at an area church. The group cited a crackdown in unemployment compensation laws and cutbacks in the state's General Relief Welfare, for creating a need for this service.

Ten year earlier, Congress voted to increase the minimum wage from $1.25 an hour to $1.60 by February 1969. They also voted to give farm workers minimum wage coverage for the first time.

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 22 - May 28. 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 22 - May 28 is embedded at the top of this article.

From the May 23, 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 this week Westfield State University graduated its first class as an university, and later in the week the region bid farewell to the Oprah Winfrey Show as she aired her last episode. Three hundred fans watched it on the big screen at the Rave Theaters in West Springfield.

A year ago 1,000 people attended the world premier of the Sci-Tech band documentary video. The free event was held at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield.

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.


Harvard.jpg

The Harvard Yard.

(Wikimedia)

As the cost of attending college rises nationwide, a group of Ivy League alumni proposed a radical solution: eliminate the cost for undergraduate students.

A group of Harvard University alumni formed a collective called "Free Harvard, Fair Harvard" to propose the idea. Organizers say Harvard earns so much every year from its $37.6 billion endowment that tuition for the school's roughly 6,700 undergraduate students should be free.

Members sought to implement this idea by having five candidates run for the Board of Overseers. None garnered enough votes to join the board.

Though disappointed about the vote results, Ron Unz told the New York Times the group partially achieved their goal. "I do think we certainly got a lot of media coverage and focus out there about the absurd, disproportionate size of Harvard's investment income compared to their annual tuition, and it could be that will start more pressure on the issue going forward," he said.

Tuition for the 2015-2016 school year is $45,278. The cost of tuition, room, board and school fees is just over $60,000. More than 65 percent of the school's students receive financial aid and the average grant this school was $46,000.

The Cambridge institution has increased investment in financial aid from $96.6 million to $166 million annually in the past nine years.
LOS ANGELES, CA  Zero Tolerance has released How To Train Your Teens Ass 2 this week. The all-anal sequel stars Yhivi, along with Ziggy Star, Renee Roulette, and Anna Deville.



Its boot camp for buttholes, says Dom B from Zero Tolerance. These hot little legal teens get more than they bargain for! Their backsides will never be the same now that theyve been properly trained.



How To Train Your Teens Ass 2 is available now from Zero Tolerance. To check out the hardcore trailer and exclusive images click here.
Pets Best is a pet insurance company with more than 60 employees

The company now offers employees a day of paid time off when a pet dies

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/companies/article79407932.html#storylink=cpy
The health care industry is expected to see continued growth over the coming decade, but employers may have trouble keeping up with the demand.

A group of industry leaders, government officials and educators met on Monday to discuss the potential labor shortfall and how the solution could come from multiple avenues.

MATT HUDSON For the Independent Record

Full Story: http://helenair.com/news/local/government-health-care-officials-meet-to-discuss-projected-labor-shortage/article_899c77b9-9140-5107-8f9a-bd11426ada67.html
Entries are now open for the 2023 Food Manufacture Excellence Awards, which this year are offering even more chances to win with the launch of another new category.
by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, May 23, 2016

Advertising in cars may not be just around the corner.

One of the promises of self-driving cars is that advertising or some form of interactions with the would-be drivers and passengers would be appropriate to occupy the time if not the attention of those in the car.

Various entities, including the auto industry and tech companies like Google, are going full speed ahead to create cars that drive themselves.

Meanwhile, consumers are hardly lining up to get one.

A new study by the University of Michigan taking a look at consumer attitudes about such cars found that most people  by a lot  dont want a car that drives itself.

The study comprised a survey of 618 licensed drivers with demographics matched to the U.S. Census population.

The university conducted the same study a year ago and found that the market has not really changed much over the year.

While most (84%) consumers dont want a self-driving car, some (39%) would be OK with a partially self-driving car.

And this is pretty much across the board, since theres little difference in view by age group.

Its not only desiring a self-driving car that troubles consumers, most (67%) would be very or moderately concerned about even riding one even if it was the only vehicle available.

On the other side, car makers are moving full speed ahead on embedding more technology inside cars.

For example, Audi is promoting its virtual cockpit, comprising a large LCD screen with an animated instrument cluster.

And BMW is looking at a future where a car parks itself, pulls out of its spot and re-parks in the garage back at home.

And Google continues to add miles to its fleet of autonomous vehicles.

If self-driving cars ever are accepted into the market, the resulting issue will be what a person in the car does while it is being driven by itself.

They could read a book, watch a movie or enjoy the scenery.

Marketers may come up with some other ideas.
by Sara Guaglione , May 23, 2016

today announced Dayan Candappa has been named the new global editor-in-chief.

Candappa replaces Peter Goodman, who left the company amid a round of layoffs earlier this spring.

Candappa will be based out of IBT Medias New York City headquarters and will report directly to co-founder and chief content officer, Johnathan Davis.

"We believe Dayan will help us drive even greater modernization of the user experience, more data-driven reporting and will be putting video and social media at the forefront of our strategy, Davis stated.

Candappa will lead editorial operations of International Business Times around the world and will run the US newsroom directly.

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He will work with Davis and the editorial team to refine the brands voice, broadening distribution, and working on the user experience across the Web site, newsletters, video and social media, according to a statement.

IBT Media is continuing with its goal of building the news business of the future, one that is always looking for the most effective, innovative way to report the news and tell great stories, all while growing readership for its sites," Candappa stated.

Candappa previously worked at Thomson Reuters for the past 16 years, in a range of roles including regional editor for both Asia and Americas, deputy managing editor, global markets editor, Asia treasury editor and chief financial correspondent of the Gulf.

Goodman was editor-in-chief of IBT for two years before he and at least 15 other IBT editorial employees left the company amid a restructuring. Goodman has since returned to The New York Times as a London-based economics correspondent.

He previously worked for the NYT as a national economics correspondent from 2007 to 2010.
by Blake Crist , Eric Pakurar , May 23, 2016

The future is here and it has taken the form of Amazons Echo, a combination wireless speaker, virtual assistant, and smarthome hub. What makes the Echo feel like a prop out of the Jetsons is not just its innovative hardware  Amazon has essentially created an entirely new category  but rather several new opportunities for a range of services and products. Its no surprise that The New York Timesgave it a rave review.

With Echo, stating the command, Alexa, opens the doors to myriad commands and functionality  from hearing the news or weather to controlling any number of connected smarthome devices to ordering an Uber or Dominos pizza. The possibilities are seemingly endless. And because its designed to be used primarily in the home or kitchen, CPG brands have plenty of opportunity to capitalize on Echo. Here are a few:

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Demonstrate that restocking is a breeze

Amazon has already put its focus on automated replenishment services with Dash," its branded ordering buttons. The Echo makes this even easier for consumers by removing the physical button. Run out of Doritos or Dasani water bottles? Just ask Alexa to add them to your Prime cart and theyll be delivered.

While there isnt much brands can do to actually influence interaction with the Echo, they can dedicate communications to educating their consumers. Without interactions taking place in-store at the shelf, a brand cant really influence shoppers to add a given product to their cart. But by creating dedicated social media posts, content that comes along with a delivery, or display advertising on Amazons website, CPG brands are still able to get their message in front of Echo users.

Make content only a call away

Echos hands-free nature is particularly beneficial, especially when the user is in the kitchen. Gone are the days of dirty hands smearing the pages of cookbooks or the screen of your phone or tablet. Now users ask Alexa to read the next step in a recipe and they are well on their way to preparing a delicious feast for the family.

For almost all consumable food CPG brands, recipes are a major pillar of their content strategy. This type of content, which has resigned to living on the back of product boxes or on digital hubs, is perfectly suited to being activated with the Echo. Whether its to inspire new recipes using a Kraft product as the base or to just whip up some macaroni and cheese in a pinch, integrating this functionality could help the brand further its imagine of being a convenient option for you and your family.

Deliver products on a whim with other services

A hallmark of the Echo is the openness of its ecosystem. Amazon lets competitors like Spotify (which is a challenger to its Amazon Prime music service) get in on the action. Although delivery of products is currently limited to the Prime service, those gates could be opened in the future to other providers like Peapod or Jet.com. It would behoove brands to proactively push for this capability and work directly with other delivery services to spread awareness on the integration.

Integrate content with other actions

Brands should begin building partnerships with other extensions within the Echo. While Windex may not have an app or dedicated command of its own integrated with Echo, it could sponsor a cleaning playlist within Spotify (which lives on Echo). This will still allow for opportunities for brands to own a moment of engagement without forcing them to develop an entirely new platform that works with the device.

Sponsor generic tips and tricks with your brand

While advertising within Echo is virtually non-existent, its possible to imagine a future in which brands could bid to be included in the answers to questions. When a person asks how to remove a red wine stain, Alexa could answer with content that has been sponsored by Tide. If asked the weather report, perhaps Benadryl chimes in with the days pollen count. Couple this with the ability to order products instantly and this becomes an exciting possibility for CPG brands to consider.

Its imperative that CPG brands look at the Echo and future devices in this category as a new medium and not just as an extension of existing mobile or digital strategies. Those who recognize and take advantage of these opportunities will surely find a special place in our homes.
by Aaron Baar , May 24, 2016

Sure, faucets can look pretty, but if theyre not functional, theyre not very useful. American Standard, known for its toilets, tubs and sinks, is looking to make a name for itself in the plumbing faucet category as well.

Via a new campaign from agency Solve in Minneapolis, the company is out to show off its redesigned faucets and fixtures that can meet every family members needs in a variety of ways.

American Standard has a long history in the industry, but we needed a campaign that was going to call attention to the new designs, Jeannette Long, vice president of brand marketing at American Standard, tells Marketing Daily. It introduces us in the faucet category, and reinforces the fact that American Standard is a leader in the category and that weve designed the faucets for you.

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A television spot uses a static overhead shot of a sink (with an American Standard faucet) where various activities take place. As the shots move from rinsing out a cup of coffee, to cleaning a hot wok, to washing a dog, and more, a voiceover explains that consumers, when choosing a new faucet, arent thinking about all of the faucets possible uses. At American Standard, we design products with your life in mind, the voiceover says. Because its not enough to look beautiful; it has to work beautifully.

A lot of the category is about being jewelry for your kitchen, but American Standard has a better sensibility about the products it makes, Shawn Hansen, account director at Solve, says. The realities of what people do in their home is what the campaign is built on.

In addition to the television spot (which will run on home improvement cable networks and digitally on Hulu), the brand has created a music video using the same imagery set to Sophie Parks Perfect Day, to run in showrooms across the country. The campaign also includes print advertising running in home decor titles for consumers and interior design magazines for architects and designers.
by P.J. Bednarski , Staff Writer @pjbtweet, May 24, 2016

As if the existing warnings and statistics arent enough, comScore is now circulating a infographic that explains, by their analytics, the current state of ad blocking and ad fraud and adding some new exclamation points.

Bottom line: Theres a lot of fraud. There's a lot of blocking.

It says that men, 18 to 24 year-old, are twice as likely to block desktop ads than the average U.S. user; women in that bracket are men are just 42% more likely. Thats bad because thats an age bracket advertisers want. The obvious, ominous extension of that statistic is that as these people age, they take their habits with them to the next demo bracket, while another bunch of young avoiders take their place.

Whats more, comScore analytics says higher income Americans use ad blockers 27% more often than people in other income groups.

But as it turns out, thats not so alarming all by itself because comScore also says that worldwide, more than half of all ads dont have a chance to be seen--its all spidery and full of bots that classify it as Sophisticated Invalid Traffic, or what, curiously is called IVT. This graphic report says that 80% of worldwide fraud was sophisticated as of December 2015, growing three times faster than the ordinary kind of phoniness.

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In the U.S., 48% of desktop ads are actually viewable; counting only video ads, that figure drops to 41%. Only 38% of the seen ads are delivered programmatically; the rest are the result of direct sales.

As Ive pointed out before, stats of all sorts should be taken with several shakers full of salt because comScore, like others reporting up and down stats of all sorts, is in the solutions business. In this case, it has its fraud-sniffers that are built into its audience verification for clients.

But whatever way an advertiser or publisher effectively fights fraud and blocking comScore reiterates common sense solutions, too.

Like, for ad blocking, try creating better advertising theres a chance consumers can tolerate over the long haul. Duh! And for viewability problems, use publishers or delivery methods that actually prove the ads have a chance to make an impact--that is, that they are viewable. All of that is easier said than done, I guess, but invalid traffic and low viewability, as comScore says with some understatement, can wreak havoc on campaign performance.

Last year, comScore also pointed out that a cluster of bad actors seem to do most of the damage; 79% of campaigns have less than 5% non-human traffic, accounting for 25% of the total. But 14% of ad campaigns have phony traffic that has 5%-20% non-human traffic, 45% of the total, and 7% have non-human traffic of 20% or more. Thats another 30% of the total pie. Thats not exactly one bad apple, but its not the whole bushel of trouble, either.

pj@mediapost.com
The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, May 24, 2016 12:21 PM

With the GOP primary in their rearview mirrors, Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are gearing up for their next big venture: opposing President Obamas plan to give up U.S. control of the open Internet. The U.S. is planning to cancel the Commerce Departments contract with Icann, which could lead to authoritarian regimes censoring the global Internet.

The House passed a bill that banned Obama from cancelling the contract until 2017, giving the next president the chance to decide to retain U.S. control on the open internet.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal 
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, May 24, 2016

As scary as established diseases may be, theres something even more terrifying about new ones, especially when theyre infectious and somewhat mysterious (HIV, Ebola, and SARS leap to mind). While the Zika virus isnt new in itself, its rapid spread in South America and likely jump to the U.S. are novel enough to inspire the same kind of fear  and with fear, unfortunately, comes rumor and misinformation, including some pretty bizarre conspiracy theories.

Predictably social media is one of the main vectors for the spread of false beliefs about Zika  but on the plus side social media technology also allows public health authorities to identify these rumors and, hopefully, dispel them via the same platforms. On that note a new study by researchers at George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Georgia documents some of the most popular (and damaging) misconceptions about Zika on social media, showing how they are propagated and suggesting ways to combat them.

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By analyzing Twitter conversations in real time over the first four months of this year, the researchers uncovered a number of alarmingly inaccurate and baseless allegations. For example, one conspiracy theory prevalent on social media holds that microcephaly (babies born with small heads and brains) is actually the result of pregnant women getting the MMR vaccine, and pharmaceutical companies are supposedly covering this up to make money by selling Zika vaccines to adults.

Although this is transparently false (where were all the MMR-induced cases of microcephaly before?) for poorly educated first-time parents in developing countries with little experience of vaccines, it may be sufficient to deter them from getting either the MMR or Zika vaccines.

Happily, social media also offers the means to correct misconceptions about disease, the authors point out, by allowing public health workers to swiftly identify the inaccurate rumors and intervene before they have a chance to spread and gain acceptance. One author, Prof. David Broniatowski of George Washington University, stated: This is a promising approach to the fast response to disease, and could help counteract the negative impact of these conspiracy theories in future.

Of course, social medias faculty for spreading rumors and falsehoods extends far beyond disease. In fact, in 2013, a report from the World Economic Forum warned that deliberate or accidental spreading of misinformation, termed digital wildfires by the report, could result in mass stock sell-offs as well as even more serious consequences like panicked mass evacuations. Subsequently some academics have suggested that governments need to create emergency response systems to swiftly dispel misinformation online.
by Sara Guaglione , May 24, 2016

After a successful partnership in Australia, Bauer Xcel Media and GumGum have expanded their partnership to the United States.

In-Image and In-Screen ads from GumGum, an in-image advertising platform, will be served across regular image content, in galleries and across slideshow content for several Bauer Xcel Media brands in the U.S.

Titles include In Touch Weekly, Life&Style, J-14, Closer Weekly, Twist, M Magazine and Womans World, a print magazine that just got its own Web site in January.

Given the high engagement rates with image content online today, this expanded partnership represents a significant opportunity for Bauer Xcel Media and GumGum to drive revenue through targeted advertising while delivering a positive user experience, a statement from the company reads.

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Bauer Xcel Media, the international digital business of German-based Bauer Media Group, and GumGum began partnering exclusively in the Australian market in March.

In-image ads appear over a lower section of a contextually relevant image. A spokesperson told Publishers Daily that GumGum's image recognition technology identifies the content of images and their solution places relevant ads over content.

For example, a photo of Kate Middleton on Closer Weekly could display a banner ad for Olay skincare products at the very bottom of the image.

GumGum works with the majority of Fortune 100 brands, including Toyota, Disney, Clorox and L'Oreal. Advertisers will now have access to Bauer's inventory through GumGum.

Image content is a significant part of our engagement strategy, and our partnership with GumGum provides our advertisers with high-quality placements that unlock the value of this content through innovative in-image and in-screen ad formats, stated David Park, head of business development for Bauer Xcel Media US.
New research, presented this week at the European Society of Human Genetics conference in Barcelona, Spain, demonstrates that men whose blood cells lack Y chromosomes are more susceptible to Alzheimers disease. The team hopes that, in the future, these findings might help develop an early warning system for Alzheimers. Share on Pinterest Could the percentage of cells lacking a Y chromosome predict disease outcomes in men? Alzheimers disease affects more than 5 million Americans; that equates to 1 in 9 people over the age of 65. By 2050, the number of individuals with the condition is predicted to rise to 14 million . Despite the huge number of Alzheimers cases, the molecular mechanisms behind it and the exact risk factors are still poorly understood. The primary risk factor for Alzheimers disease is advanced age, but there do seem to be other parameters involved. For instance, there appears to be a genetic susceptibility. Other researchers have investigated links between Alzheimers and high blood pressure, low folate intake, and high cholesterol levels; levels of mental and physical activity are also thought to play a role. Recent research, examining an unusual but prevalent genetic change in men, may have unearthed a new clue to the etiology of Alzheimers.

Loss of Y chromosome Females have two X chromosomes, while men have one X and one Y. Among other things, the Y chromosome contains code that triggers the development of the testis. Over recent years, it has been noted that in some men, the Y chromosome slowly degenerates as they age. This is referred to as loss of Y (LOY). Studies looking at the effects of this age-related decay of the Y chromosome have tentatively linked it with certain cancers. Some researchers believe that, in the future, LOY measurement may act as an early warning system for individuals who are particularly susceptible to some cancers (resource no longer available at www.nature.com) . Men are known to live shorter lives than women and are more likely to develop non-sex-specific cancers. Some scientists believe that the loss of the Y chromosome could help explain this gender difference.
Older adults who experience greater fluctuations in blood pressure over 5 years may be subject to faster cognitive decline, suggests a new study published in the journal Hypertension.

Share on Pinterest Researchers say controlling blood pressure variability may preserve cognitive function.

Blood pressure is the strength with which blood pushes against the walls of the arteries.

There are two measurements that indicate a persons blood pressure: systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These are measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Systolic blood pressure represents the pressure caused by the heart pumping out blood, while diastolic blood pressure represents the pressure caused by the heart filling with blood.

A systolic blood pressure of less than 120 and a diastolic blood pressure of 80 is classed as normal, and this is written as 120/80 mm Hg.

It is well established that having high blood pressure  140/90 mm Hg or higher  can raise the risk of numerous health conditions, including heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.

But increasingly, studies have shown that fluctuations in blood pressure over time may also pose health risks, with one study published last year suggesting that blood pressure variability may raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

Now, new research  led by Bo Qin, Ph.D., of Rutgers Cancer Institute in New Brunswick, NJ  suggests that for older adults, fluctuations in blood pressure may speed up decline in cognitive function.
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"Fermented milk has been promoted as a nonpharmacological treatment for hypertension, mainly because of the lack of undesirable side effects, but as yet, there is insufficient evidence to support this according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)," explained lead investigator Belinda Vallejo-Cordoba, of the Center for Food Research and Development, Sonora, Mexico."The most studied bioactive peptides derived from dairy proteins are antihypertensive peptides; however, existing studies need to be evaluated before a health claim may be associated with products. With this in mind we have carefully reviewed in vitro and in vivo and clinical studies of fermented milk containing antihypertensive peptides."The team of investigators established that the most common strategy to select fermented milks with antihypertensive potential was to identify angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides by in vitro studies. However, they observed that some strains inhibiting ACE activity in vitro did not reduce blood pressure in rats. They evaluated 13 studies with spontaneously hypertensive rats and seven randomized controlled clinical trials in which an antihypertensive effect was demonstrated. Most were based on Lactobacillus helveticus.Scientifically proven health claims and acquisition of exclusivity rights of using novel food ingredients in functional food products has been observed as a critical factor in ultimate success of these food products in the market. The investigators note that several fermented milk products already on the market attribute their antihypertensive effect to the bioactive peptides present in the fermented milk and draw attention to the fact that some of these commercial products possess intellectual property rights. However, they point out that these products may also contain minerals such as potassium and calcium, which may have a positive effect on blood pressure."Although much research related to antihypertensive peptides has already been done, there is a great need for exploration of new lactic acid bacteria that possess the ability to generate this bioactivity as well as good technological properties for the production of fermented dairy products. As commercial fermented milks with antihypertensive effects are scarce and most of the current products are based on Lactobacillus helveticus, there is a great opportunity here," commented Dr.Belinda Vallejo-Cordoba.The authors recommend future studies to include in vitro lactic acid bacteria screening for ACE-inhibitory effects, in vivo studies with spontaneously hypertensive rats, and clinical trials to test the efficacy of the fermented milk product. "It is also important to develop the regulatory legislation that allows the introduction of health claims for functional dairy foods, especially in countries where this subject is underdeveloped," Dr.Belinda Vallejo-Cordoba concluded.Source: Eurekalert
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"We have two separate vaccines for hookworm that have each been tested on their own," said David Diemert, M.D., PI for the clinical trial and associate professor of microbiology, immunology, and tropical medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. "We would like to combine them into a single product, so we have one vial offering the greatest protection against hookworm. What we need to know is if by combining these two vaccines, the immune response to either of them is impaired. We want to know whether there is competition between the vaccines and if there are any safety risks with combining them."There is a parallel clinical trial underway in Africa, funded by the European Commission, where all volunteers have been given both vaccines. In Brazil, some volunteers are given one of the vaccines, while others are given both vaccines, creating greater comparisons. For the clinical trial, GW is partnering with the FundaAAo Oswaldo Cruz in Brazil, University of California - San Francisco and Johns Hopkins University, as well as the Sabin Vaccine Institute.In addition to the U01 grant, Diemert and Bethony also received an R34 planning grant from the NIH to vaccinate volunteers in Washington, D.C., and then infect them with hookworm to test the efficacy of the vaccine. They want to use the lowest dose to illicit the highest immune response. This is the next step after last year's clinical trial, in which healthy volunteers were infected with hookworm in order to establish a controlled infection model.Source: Newswise
Infectivity of the New Clone

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Infection and Spread of Cloned Zika Virus

Luciferase Signal and Use in Drug Discovery

The Significance of Cloning Zika Virus

The virus has undergone mutation over the years which has made it more infectious for mosquitoes and thus results in a faster spread of the disease. This can be investigated by comparing the infectivity of the current strains with the old ones. The chikungunya virus is a mutation of the Zika virus.

The evolution of the virus has resulted in higher concentration in the infected individual's bloodstream and is, therefore, able to cross over to the fetus in the womb and causes birth defects.

Understand the infectious nature of the disease

Develop vaccines

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Track viral replication invivo using luciferase reporter gene activity

Zika Virus Outside Africa

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2819875/ Chao Shan, Xuping Xie, Antonio E. Muruato, Shannan L. Rossi, Christopher M. Roundy, Sasha R. Azar, Yujiao Yang, Robert B. Tesh, Nigel Bourne, Alan D. Barrett, Nikos Vasilakis, Scott C. Weaver, Pei-Yong Shi; "An Infectious cDNA Clone of Zika Virus to Study Viral Virulence, Mosquito Transmission, and Antiviral Inhibitors" http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2016.05.004

The clinical isolate of the Zika virus used in the study was of Asian lineage and taken from a 3 year old Cambodian. This was used as the template for cloning the infectious cDNA clone. 5 fragments that covered the entire viral genetic sequence were cloned and assembled into the full-length clone. This newly synthesized cDNA was termed pfLZIKV.The pfLZIKV RNA transcript was used to transfect vero cells to determine the infectious nature of the clone. Cytopathic effects were noticed in the transfected cells, displaying infectivity. Vero cells are cell lineages used in cell cultures.When the cloned DNA was injected into laboratory mice A129 (which lacked / interferon), there was weight loss on the first day and greater indication of virulence on the second and the third day.Injection of the cloned DNA into mice with no  and  interferons showed neurological symptoms.After this, the researchers used the cloned virus to infect artificial human blood and allowedmosquitoes to feed on it. After 14 days post feeding the mosquitoes were tested for the presence of the virus in their legs as well as bodies. The cloned virus showed greater infection and dissemination than the original virus. Apart from the infective ability demonstrated by the newly cloned virus, this experiment showed that A.aegypti was highly effective in transmitting this virus and spreading disease.These tests are an indication that the cloned DNA was infectious and could be transmitted bylike the wild type strain and so can be used for experimental studies.The scientists included the Renilla luciferase gene into the cloned DNA as it can act as an indicator of growth. When this recombinant DNA was transfected into vero cells, luciferase signals were detected. This can be used to detect antiviral drug discovery, as the signals will be absent if the drug works on the transfected cells.Luciferase is the enzyme that causes fireflies to glow. This tracker can help in keeping a track of the virus when introduced into mosquitoes and even aid the screening of potential antivirals.Zika virus is a Flavivirus and is closely related to viruses that cause dengue fever and West Nile fever . Zika was initially transmitted from one monkey to another through a mosquito bite. It made its first appearance in humans in 1952 in Uganda and remained limited to the African continent. In 2007, after the increase in travel and trade across the world, the virus resulted in outbreaks in countries outside Africa.Zika causes symptoms like fever, muscle and joint pains, rashes, and conjunctivitis, which last around 2-7 days. Earlier, the rates of hospitalization due to the illness were low but lately, it has been associated with birth defects like microcephaly and serious illnesses like Guillain-Barre Syndrome (immune system disorder which causes weakening of the muscles and paralysis).The change in its severity, mutation and the unavailability of a drug or vaccine make this study a major breakthrough. The cloned virus is genetically similar to the strain that is currently prevalent in the United States of America.The cloned virus can be used to:The increased spread of the Zika virus is largely due to the nascent population, who have been unexposed to Zika or associated infections and who do not have the necessary anti-bodies to fight the disease. To understand the virulence and the spread of the disease an effective recombinant DNA with a marker will aid in study and drug trial. In the words of the lead author Pie-Yong Shi "The new Zika clone, together with mosquito infection models and the UTMB-developed Zika mouse model, represent a major advance towards deciphering why the virus is tied to serious diseases. The new clone is also a critical step in developing a vaccine and anti-viral drug against Zika."Source: Medindia
The recent legalization of cannabis for medical purposes in some US states has reinvigorated the debate over cannabis in Germany. Support for medical cannabis has been rising in Germany.



Legislators recently passed a law that will enable severely ill patients who lack treatment alternatives to get dried cannabis flowers and cannabis extracts from pharmacies with a prescription from their doctor. The law will go into effect in the spring of 2017. Convinced that treatment with cannabinoids can have more benefits than risks, a growing number of physicians and pharmacologists have been making calls for more clinical research as well as broader use of medical cannabis.

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Cannabinoids are useful for treating a broad range of conditions including Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and gastrointestinal illnesses such as Crohn's disease.

New Evidence Highlighting the Clinical Efficacy of Cannabis Therapy
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Writing this week in the journal, a team of researchers led by University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka describes a novel strategy to predict the antigenic evolution of circulating influenza viruses and give science the ability to more precisely anticipate seasonal flu strains. It would foster a closer match for the so-called 'vaccine viruses' used to create the world's vaccine supply.The approach Kawaoka and his colleagues used involved techniques commonly employed in virology for the past 30 years and enabled his group to assemble the 2014 flu virus before the onset of the epidemic. "This is the first demonstration that one can accurately anticipate in the lab future seasonal influenza strains," explains Kawaoka, a UW-Madison professor of pathobiological sciences who also holds a faculty appointment at the University of Tokyo. "We can identify the mutations that will occur in nature and make those viruses available at the time of vaccine (virus) candidate selection."Influenza depends on its ability to co-opt the cells of its host to replicate and spread. To gain access to host cells, the virus uses a surface protein known as hemagglutinin which, like a key to a lock, opens the cell to infection. Vaccines prevent infection by priming the immune system to create antibodies that effectively block the lock, prompting the virus to reengineer the hemagglutinin key through chance mutation."Influenza viruses randomly mutate," notes Kawaoka. "The only way the virus can continue to circulate in humans is by (accumulating) mutations in the hemagglutinin."To get ahead of the constant pace of mutations in circulating flu viruses, Kawaoka's group assembled libraries of human H1N1 and H3N2 viruses from clinical isolates that possessed various natural, random mutations in the hemagglutinin protein. The viruses were then mixed with antibodies to weed out only those that had accumulated enough mutations to evade the antibody. Because the sources of the viruses were known, the patterns of mutation could be mapped using "antigenic cartography."The mapping, says Kawaoka, identifies clusters of viruses featuring novel mutations which, according to the new study, can effectively predict the molecular characteristics of the next seasonal influenza virus. Such a prediction, says Kawaoka, could then be used to more effectively develop the vaccine virus stockpiles the world needs each flu season.The method described by Kawaoka and his colleagues is conceptually different in that it mimics the mutations that occur in nature and accelerates their accumulation in the critical hemagglutinin protein."Our method may therefore improve the current WHO influenza vaccine selection process," Kawaoka and his group conclude in the Nature Microbiology report. "These in vitro selection studies are highly predictive of the antigenic evolution of H1N1 and H3N2 viruses in human populations."Source: Newswise


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Consumers believe that turmeric milk is an anti-inflammatory alternative to caffeine drinks. Studies have shown that curcumin, the compound found in the turmeric root is an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties."Anything that helps relieve inflammation can also prove helpful in improving complaints of indigestion, diabetes, heart disease, even cancer. It's also good for acne, for it's a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, and is useful in disinfecting cuts and burns," says Daljit Kaur, senior nutritionist at Delhi's Fortis Escorts Heart Institute.According to a study published in thecurcumin helps block rogue proteins that trigger Alzheimer's disease. Another study published in thefound that curcumin may help suppress body fat growth and reduce weight gain.Researchers at the Government Medical College in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, published a study in the journalin 2013 that said curcumin could help treat depression."As such there's no fixed amount of how much turmeric one should have in a day," Kaur clarifies, "but one-fourth to half a teaspoon is more than enough."Mumbai-based cold-pressed juice company RAW Pressery offers HEAL (Rs.100), a 125ml booster shot that contains a nutritious blend of turmeric, coconut milk, cayenne pepper and pineapples."There was a growing demand among our customers to have a turmeric-based drink. So we launched HEAL in July last year," says Anuj Rakyan, the managing director of the company that offers over 15 juices in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune."Turmeric is fat soluble, which means it dissolves in fat. Hence, some of the best ways to derive the full nutritional benefits of turmeric is to have it with milk or even ghee," adds Rakyan. "We use coconut milk since many people are lactose intolerant or are vegan." RAW Pressery sells about 150 bottles of HEAL a day.Besides milk and curries, turmeric can be added to biscuits, cakes, tea, smoothies, soups and even salads. Pepper or cinnamon can be added to lighten the bitter taste, suggests Kaur."Like with so many other things (ghee, home-made curd, coconut oil), the West is waking up to the benefits of items in the Indian pantry. Only if we could spot the gold dust languishing in our kitchens and not wait for a health fad starting in another part of the world to direct us," says Kaur.Source: Medindia
Vaccination has turned out to be a boon for mankind. Childhood immunization has protected children from several deadly diseases, and is in the process of eliminating several diseases. Smallpox has been unheard of since the last few decades.

Polio is also on its way out. Unfortunately, newer ailments are also appearing, making vaccine research an important and continuous process.

Myth 1:Vaccines can cause sterility.

Fact: The statement that vaccines cause sterility is a myth. If you do a little bit of online reading on the subject, you will find several convincing articles that vaccines like oral polio vaccine cause infertility. This is one reason why some parents avoid the oral polio vaccine in their children, which is interfering with the elimination of the virus. However, this is only a myth and vaccines are not associated with any fertility issues. Awareness and involvement of local community leaders before vaccine administration can help dispel some of the fears regarding vaccines and make vaccination programs successful. Any information should only be obtained from reliable sources.

Myth 2: Once a vaccine dose is missed, it should not be given at a later date.

Fact: If a child or an adult misses a vaccine, the vaccine should be given at a later date. It is better to be late rather than skip a dose.

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Myth 3: Most new vaccines have not been adequately tested.

Fact: Vaccines are introduced in the market only after adequate testing. As new diseases become increasingly common, it is necessary to increase a persons immunity with new vaccines so that they can handle any infection. In fact, even after the vaccines are introduced for use, they are monitored for any adverse effects that could arise from their use in large populations.

Myth 4: Chicken pox vaccine should be administered to adults even if they have suffered from chicken pox in their childhood.

Fact: Once a person has suffered from a chicken pox infection, they are immune for life and does not require a vaccine. Thus, the infection itself acts as a vaccine. However, since the disease may be associated with complications, vaccination is a better option.

Myth 5: Vaccines in adults are not important.

Fact: Vaccines prescribed in adults can save several lives. The flu vaccine protects several elderly from complications like pneumonia, which otherwise can be life-threatening. The HPV vaccine given in adolescent girls protects them against cervical cancer which is a common killer among women.

Myth 6: Regular homeopathic treatment can act as a vaccine and prevent infections.

Fact: There is no substitute for vaccination. Neither allopathy nor any of the alternative fields of medicine have any alternative that is as effective as vaccination against deadly diseases.

Myth 7: Since polio is almost eradicated, I can stop vaccinating my child.

Fact: It is a fact that polio is being eradicated; however, unless it is officially declared as eliminated, vaccination should not be stopped. In fact, the disease is on its last leg and is now present only in 2 countries- Afghanistan and Pakistan. Any break in the administration of the vaccine can result in loss of decades of effort to conquer the disease.

Myth 8: Vaccines contain mercury and aluminium which are toxic.

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Fact:Vaccines do contain aluminium or mercury-containing preservative but the amounts used are very little and there is no report of any toxicity caused by them.

Myth 9: Taking repeated injections for vaccination increases the risk of HIV.

Fact: One of the ways in which HIV spreads is through reuse of inadequately sterilized syringes. However, adequate precautions are taken during vaccination to prevent the spread of HIV. Syringes are not reused and are disposed soon after administration of the vaccine.

Myth 10: Diseases are natural processes, vaccinations are unnatural.

Fact: Vaccinations are not unnatural. Human body develops immunity after a disease process. Vaccination is nothing but making your children get immunity against the disease without making them actually sick.
NATO's eastward enlargement and the recent deployment of NATO's ballistic missile defense system in Eastern Europe has been a featured topic of anti-NATO cartoons in pro-Kremlin media outlets.[1] The following is a sampling of such cartoons published in Russia's government-funded news agencies, Sputniknews.com and Ria.ru, and on the social media accounts of pro-Kremlin activist groups, Studiya 13[2] and Sharzh I Pero.[3]

NATO As A Tool For The U.S. To Approach The Russian Border



Vk.com/13studiya, Vitaly Podvitsky, May 4, 2016.

The U.S. tries to scare NATO members with the "Russian Threat" in order to move close to the Russian border.



Vk.com/13studiya, Vitaly Podvitsky, May 13, 2016.

U.S.' Eagle pointing at NATO bases in Europe: "My bases!"

Russian bear, sitting next to "Iskander" missile system: "My targets"



Vk.com/13studiya, Vitaly Podvitsky, May 4, 2016.

Uncle Sam, handing the keys to the tank to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg: "So, as you understand, my friend, the direction is eastward!"

On the road sign: Russia

In top right, former U.S. Secretary of State (1989-92) James Baker, who promised that NATO would not expand eastward: "NATO will not advance even one inch towards the east!"



Ria.ru, Vitaly Podvitsky, April 27, 2016.

The fearless and defiant Russian Bear messes up NATO's game, which is overseen by Uncle Sam.



Sharzhipero.ru, April 4, 2016.

On the gun: "NATO"

On the grip: "U.S."

Cartoon by pro-Putin media outlet Sharzh I Pero, Cartoon published by Sharzh I Peroon April 4, 2016, the anniversary ofNATO's founding and the dateof NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's visit to the U.S.

NATO's Enlargement And Military Presence In Eastern Europe



Ria.ru,Vitaly Podvitsky, May 18, 2016.

NATO's ballistic defense system in Eastern Europe will backfire on NATO itself.



Vk.com/13studiya, May 15, 2016.

Russian bear to a Polish soldier standing atop crates of explosives near NATO ballistic missile defense system. Banner on crates: "Let's save Poland from Russian aggression!" Russian bear: "Hey, 'panowie' [gentlemen in Polish], I knew that Russophobia reduces the level of intelligence, but did not expect to that extent!"



Vk.com/13studiya, May 12, 2016 .

Aliens, watching NATO and Latvian soldiers try to hide military equipment: "Boring... Well, now wave to them with a Russian flag and throw a couple of packages of toilet paper"



Vk.com/13studiya, Vitaly, May 4, 2016

New NATO chief military commander in Europe Curtis Scaparrotti: "[What do you mean,] I do not understand the Russians' concerns?! By promoting NATO forces in Eastern Europe, we are just seeking to get closer to them."



Ria.ru, Vitaly Podvitsky, April 29, 2016.

The Statue of Liberty is sinking in Europe. Russian bear: "You cannot miss it!". On the torch: "Missile defense system".



Ria.ru, Vitaly Podvitsky, April 19, 2016 .

The Russian bear watches NATO's expansion on Russia's border. In the box next to him are Russia's past victories:1945 (the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany); 1812 (Napoleon's expulsion from Russia); 1242 (the Novgorod Republic's victory under Alexander Nevsky over the German and Estonian invaders in the Battle of the Ice).



Sputniknews.com,Vitaly Podvitsky, March 31, 2016.

NATO army arrives at the Russian border and cries: "The Threat! It's here!"

However, on Russia's side, there is only a man walking a dog.

U.S. Officials Are Pathetic People



Vk.com/13studiya, Vitaly Podvitsky, May 18, 2016

U.S. Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning portrayed dancing in stockings and wearing lipstick in front of a puzzled soldier. The Russian media mocks Fanning, the first openly gay leader of a U.S. military service. In Russia, LGTB people face legal and social discrimination.



Vk.com/13studiya, Vitaly, May 6, 2016

New NATO chief military commander in Europe Curtis Scaparrotti loses his pants and exposes his pink feminine underwear: "NATO forces are ready to fight against Russia this very day. Ooops!"



Ria.ru, Vitaly Podvitsky, April 5, 2016.

While leaving his post as NATO chief military commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove tries to avoid the shadow of the Russian soldier.

NATO Portrayed As Agent Of Destruction



Sharzhipero.ru, April 4, 2016.

Cartoon by pro-Putin media outlet Sharzh I Pero, published on April 4, 2016, NATO's 67th anniversary and the date of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's visit to the U.S. NATO is portrayed as a bearer of death.



Sharzhipero.ru, April 4, 2016.

NATO portrayed as an aggressive military organization.



Sharzhipero.ru, April 4, 2016.

NATO is portrayed as a bearer of destruction, through bombings.

NATO's Military Operations As Mass-Killing Operations



Sharzhipero.ru, April 4, 2016.

"Merciful angel" refers to a wrongly translated name of a NATO operation in Yugoslavia in 1999, "Noble Anvil". In Yugoslavia, the operation was incorrectly called "Merciful Angel", as a result of a mistranslation. The cartoon was published on April 4, NATO's anniversary and the day of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's visit to the U.S.



Sharzhipero.ru, April 4, 2016.

"The essential harvest" refers to a NATO Operation in Macedonia launched in 2001.



Sharzhipero.ru, April 4, 2016 .

"Achilles" was a NATO operation launched in 2007, as part of the war in Afghanistan. The cartoon was published on April 4, NATO's anniversary and the day of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's visit to the U.S.

*Elena Voinova is a research fellow at MEMRI

Endnotes:
Trans Adriatic Pipeline: history, significance, opportunities

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will be held in the Greek city of Thessaloniki May 17.It is expected that the event will be attended by senior representatives of Azerbaijan, Greece, Georgia, Bulgaria and the European Commission, as well as representatives of shareholding companies of the project.TAP, which is a part of the largest Southern Gas Corridor project, envisages the transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to the EU countries. The project aims at providing European countries with an alternative source and route of gas supplies, promoting energy security of Europe.The consortium of the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field development in late June 2013 selected the TAP project over Nabucco West as the route to transport its gas to Europe.The TAP's shareholders passed the Resolution to Construct on the development and construction of the TAP project on December 17 2013. That followed the announcement earlier the same day by the Shah Deniz Consortium that it had taken the Final Investment Decision on the Shah Deniz Stage II project.The contracts on the purchase of Azerbaijani gas from the second phase of Shah Deniz field development (Shah Deniz-2 project) were signed Sept. 19, 2013 with Shell, Bulgar gas, Gas Natural Fenosa, E.ON, Gaz de France, Hera, Enel, Axpo, DEPA.At the beginning of March 2016, the European Commission approved the agreement between the Greek government and the Consortium on TAP's construction. TAP is included to the list of the European Commission's common interest projects.The 870-kilometer pipeline will be connected to the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, and run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before coming ashore in Italy's south.The length of TAP's Greek part will be about 550 kilometers. The pipeline will start near Kipoi on the border of Turkey and Greece and stretch until the border of Greece and Albania.The Albanian part of the pipeline will be roughly 215 kilometers in length. It will start near the Korce city of Albania on the border with Greece. TAP's landfall in Albania will be located 17 kilometers north-west of Fier, up to 400 meters inland from the shoreline.TAP's route across the Adriatic Sea will take the pipeline approximately 105 kilometers along the seabed from the Albanian to the Italian coast.As of today, the official cost of the TAP project has not been disclosed.The Consortium on TAP's development expects to receive funding from a number of international institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), as well as export credit agencies of several countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which are involved in the supply of goods and services.The commercial lenders will mainly finance the TAP project. Currently, TAP is working on drawing up a financial plan that will take into account the ratio of debt and equity.TAP's shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).Earlier, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said that bank is considering financing of up to 1.5 billion euros for TAP.In particular, the EBRD is considering up to 500 million euros of the bank's own money for TAP plus the bank will try to arrange with other banks up to one billion euros in a syndicated loan.Gas can be also supplied to several countries in Southeast Europe, including Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and others via TAP by its joining the so-called Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP).TAP has already signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with the developers of this project, in particular with the Plinacro natural gas transmission system operator of Croatia, BH-Gas company of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Geoplin Plinovodi company of Slovenia.Moreover, a OA and IAP working group has been created which regularly holds meetings in order to synchronize the time of implementation of both projects and agree on the technical issues of connection.Bulgaria can receive gas via the planned Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) with the length of 182 kilometers. The initial capacity of IGB will be 3 billion cubic meters of gas. Bulgaria and Greece signed an agreement in December 2015 on adopting a final investment decision on the IGB project.TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year. However, it is possible to bring this volume to 20 billion cubic meters by installing additional compressor stations and modernizing the existing ones. Increasing TAP's capacity makes it possible to transport gas from other sources via this pipeline and this is an important element of the EU's diversification policy.
At 7:40 a.m. one overcast Friday morning, a spontaneous gladness crept up on me.



My younger son and I had just taken our seats in the car to head to Fairyland Elementary. I turned the ignition in my 2002 Toyota Camry, with now nearly 260,000 miles on it, and.....it started! Again! As it has, had, and does time and time again!



As our ride shook off its nights slumber and roused itself with a stretch and a yawn in preparation of a full day of taxiing, Thank you Lord that the car started rose from within me.



I do not normally think this.



And while Im not sure what the vehicles opinion on the matter was, I figured this sentiment of gratitude that had just tapped me on the shoulder should star in our morning prayer on the way to school.



The car starting was a grace on a planet where there is much atrophy, break-down, confusion, and despair.

Something went right in a land where so much goes, well, wrong.And of course, realizing that caused other slender and portly gifts to cross ones mind as well. So as we drove, I enumerated a cast of merely a few normal but needful gifts that our Father had so reliably delivered to us.One reason for this sudden realization of solid goodnesses and simple provisions around me was that I wasnt rushing. Another rare feature in my waking hours.Of course, I suspect the Holy Spirit was commandeering this whole enterprise and gladly so. But my antennae may have been picking up on wavelengths normally on a different frequency, because I was simply not in a hurry. Gratitude and a frantic pace are like Red Sox and Yankees fans. They dont hang out together if they can help it.In my momentary discovery, another addendum to my gratitude was inserted; I was thankful that I wasnt rushing some place. There was enough space in what promised to be a full day to notice something good.And this thought took my memory by the hand down another corridor where I glanced, in my minds eye, at one of those square placards that our Catholic friends at Memorial Hospital have placed directly in our line of sight at the elevators, the space where everyone must wait...it reads, Have you thanked God today?I always appreciate that little prodding. Its a post-it note in the real-world that urges us to give attention to the One who is most-real and whose breath-loaning business and reliable affection is the heartbeat of an active planet.Id been trying an experiment prior to that moment. A self-imposed restriction. An anti-dote to the venomous, but well-meaning, bad habit of over-crammed schedule-itis I was falling into with regularity. I had imposed a 10 minute of silence rule at the beginning of each time I was in the car by myself.Sometimes I cheated. But for the most part, I was a stickler about it.Heres why. Without effort, like many of you, I can easily have a phone stuck to my ear or be dictating an email, a text, a note or a thought to Siri nearly every moment of the day that I am not meeting with someone. The silence rule didnt stop that entirely. But it sure limited it. To good effect.Have you ever just sat there for 10 minutes?Multiple times a day?Sometimes its maddening. But sometimes Id lean into it and find myself able to breathe deeply. Id discover the Lord bringing insights and reflections to mind about certain thorny situations. Id find myself noticing shapes, colors, and textures around me.John Ortberg recollects asking his spiritual mentor, Dallas Willard, the secret to cultivating a healthy spiritual life.Willard, the late sage from University of Southern California, responded succinctly, You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.Ortberg furiously jotted down the advice, then said, Okay, what else you got?Willard replied, Thats it.Our own sage of Hinkle, Don Dutton, an elder in our congregation, once similarly told me, I just try never to get in a hurry.I didnt ruthlessly eliminate all hurry. But that season of practice did indeed stem the nervous tide of hurry and kept the rush of moments from flooding my attention to the life that our Lord has entrusted to me and to which he has called me.And I am thankful for what such a habit worked into me.Perhaps you might give it a try sometime. It would work for shorter intervals too, and even with kids in the car. What if the first 5 minutes, everyone was sitting in silence?Spooky? Perhaps. But it might produce some divinely sanctioned and propelled sanity and health.Itd be swell if we could come to notice what the dying priest at the end of Bernanos work Diary of a Country Priest witnessed with satisfying consolation in his own final episode while life slowly snuck away from him.An attentive friend perched bedside expresses his regret that the local parish priest wont make it there to issue the final consolations from the church as the ailing man moves from this world to the next, but the young dying priest, isnt similarly alarmed. Nearly unable to speak, his final words are formed as a sort of reassuring benediction to himself and to his friend:Does it matter? Grace is everywhere.The everywhere graces, the heavenly favors, the divine surprise parties often greet us when we least expect it and cannot deserve it.But of course there is an aspect of this kind to realization that is most apparent to those who decide to carve out seeing space in their lives.-----

Eric Youngblood is the senior pastor at Rock Creek Fellowship (PCA) on Lookout Mountain. Please feel free to contact him at eric@rockcreekfellowship.org.
The Deputy Foreign Minister for International Economic Relations, Dimitris Mardas, met at the Foreign Ministry today, 24 May, with the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), Asaf Hajiyev.



During the meeting, Mr. Mardas was briefed on the institutional role and operation of PABSEC. The two sides agreed to look at the potential for PABSECs further upgrading.
In his intervention at todays meeting of the EU General Affairs Council (GAC), in Brussels, the Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis, noted that at the last meeting of the European Council, my country took what is generally admitted to be a disproportionate burden for the EU as a whole, receiving the theoretical assurances of its partners that it will not be left on its own in dealing with the issue. Greece met its obligations in a direct and complete manner, receiving little help from its partners. We see that the solidarity of our partners is waning at a time when the problem is growing worse. The promised European assistance is coming in dribs and drabs.



In his intervention, which focused on the refugee and migration issue, Mr. Xydakis expressed his disappointment at the fact that only 360 refugees have been incorporated into the relocation programme over the past two months, while 56,000 people have currently accumulated in Greece. Mr. Xydakis stressed the increase in applications for asylum, noting that Greece needs support and personnel from the services competent for processing asylum applications, while the number of specialized personnel provided by the 28 member states remains insufficient.



At the same time, he noted that the stranding of some 56,000 persons in Greece  due to the sudden closure of the borders  and the urgent need to meet their food and shelter needs is putting an excessive burden to the beleaguered Greek administration and is jeopardizing social cohesion. Mr. Xydakis subsequently briefed his colleagues on the efforts toward the peaceful evacuation of Idomeni, which have already begun and are proceeding smoothly.



Mr. Xydakis referred to the EU-Turkey agreement, which he described as fragile, highlighting that it has had satisfactory results so far in the area of reducing flows, proving that Turkey can control and even stop the flows. But he also noted the concurrent inability of the EU and the member states to adequately meet the demands of this difficult agreement.



Mr. Xydakis also addressed the issue of the recognition of Turkey as a secure third country, noting that this recognition cannot be an issue for Greece alone, but is an issue for the 28 EU member states as a whole.



The ineffective management of the refugee issue by Europe is creating increased xenophobia and instigating a crisis for the European project as a whole, thus assailing the very idea of Europe, Mr. Xydakis stated, stressing that we need to defend Europes values and the common European idea.



With regard to the upholding of the European Unions fundamental values, with a focus on the process of integrating migrants, Mr. Xydakis noted that Europe must insist on mutual respect. Respect for the secular nature of the European democracies must coexist with respect for the identity of the refugee or migrant who comes to Europe. Moreover, reception and incorporation  not assimilation  of the refugee and the migrant are at the hard core of European values and constitute a component part of the rule of law, he stated.



Finally, Mr. Xydakis referred to the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI), saying that, in countries showing high divestment, the EFSI should approve investment plans, taking a greater risk than that usually taken by the European Investment bank.



The GAC agenda included preparations for the June European Council, the main topics of which are the refugee/migration crisis, employment issues, growth and competitiveness, and external affairs. Moreover, the GAC looked at issues of monitoring rule of law and upholding the fundamental values of the EU, with a focus on the process of integrating migrants into the European Union.
Theres a movement happening in East Tennessee. Waistlines are slimming and muscles are growing. Certified Personal Trainer Hannah Davis is taking the fitness community by storm, and now one of her workouts is featured in SELF magazine.

Ms. Davis spread is part of SELFs Trainer-To-Go section. It features an expert trainers workout, along with photo examples and tutorial text. The page is designed to be ripped out and torn into workout cards that readers can take to the gym. The workout feature will include seven abdominal exercises from Davis Operation Bikini Body Abs E-Book.



Im really excited to be featured in SELF Magazine for the first time, said Ms. Davis. This is my fourth workout spread in a major magazine publication, but this one Im most proud of because I actually read SELF regularly and love the content they share.

Ms.s Davis has been featured in Cosmopolitan and Womens Health Magazine workout spreads alongside fitness professionals such as Todd Durkin and Harley Pasternak. She also served as a fitness expert on the advisory panel for Cosmopolitan Magazine.

As the editor of a magazine that centers around health and fitness, Id thought Id seen it all, said Michele Promaulayko, former editor-in-chief of Womens Health Magazine and current Yahoo Health online editor-in-chief.

Before founding personal training brand Body By Hannah in 2007, Ms. Davis graduated at the top of her class from New York Citys Academy of Personal Training. Her many certifications enable her to train clients for weight loss, muscle hypertrophy, corrective exercise, specific sports, and work with prenatal and postnatal clients.

Currently, Ms. Davis resides in Cleveland, where she trains privately and teaches group classes in her downtown studio. Clients travel as far as Atlanta to train with her.

For more information, and to purchase Ms. Davis Operation Bikini Body E-book, visit www.bodybyhannah.com.
CHI Memorial Community Health  Hixson is hosting a community health fair this Thursday, from 9 a.m.  noon. The event will increase the awareness about the resources available at this office, including referrals to many social services agencies in the area. Several of those agencies will be on site providing information about the services they offer.

Everyone should know about the great services and programs that can help them on the journey toward a healthy life, says Erricka Hill, LMSW and practice manager, CHI Memorial Community Health  Chattanooga and Hixson. Some people dont know help is available. Others dont have transportation to get the help they need. By bringing these services and agencies together in one convenient location, we hope to remove some of the barriers people have to getting the health care they need.

The community health fair will have information and enrollment assistance for insurance through Medicare, Medicaid and the health care exchange. Screenings and education sessions include glaucoma, heel bone density, stroke awareness, diabetes education and nutrition counseling.

This event is free and open to the public. There will be information about good health, door prizes, food, games and more!.

CHI Memorial Community Health  Hixson is located at 3905 Hixson Pike, Suite 103, Chattanooga, TN 37415. The office provides primary health care for teens and adults; well-woman checks; adult physicals; screenings; diagnosis and management of chronic diseases; counseling; lab and x-ray services; and educational programs. CHI Memorial Community Health  Hixson is managed by a team of nurse practitioners through a collaborative agreement with a primary care physician. For more information, please call (423) 756-1062.
Not only has Dalton States new website streamlined how Roadrunners find information, but it has been recognized three times for the sleek redesign.

Dalton States website, developed by Third Wave Digital, received Best in Class from the Interactive Media Awards, Educational Digital Marketings Silver Award, and a Special Merit from CASE for Total Website Design and Organization.

The mobile-responsive site, which features graphic elements, photos, and videos, is a cleaner, more user-friendly site. The site reorganized several areas making it easier to navigate. It launched in the summer of 2015.

Our strategic partner, Third Wave Digital, created a fabulous framework from which we can share news and information about Dalton State College, said Pam Partain, director of Marketing and Communication. Our web design committee included 10 folks from across campus who worked with us and with Third Wave to develop a rich and engaging experience for visitors to our site, particularly prospective students. We are thrilled with the result and the platform it provides us to tell the great stories of Dalton State. Misty Wheeler and Jonathan Marks do an outstanding job keeping the website fresh with vibrant and engaging content, but the real stars are the students, faculty, staff, and alumni who share their stories of the exciting work going on here and the Colleges ability to transform lives.
In an effort to build stronger relationships with the people and communities served by the college, Cleveland State has implemented a new Advisory Board and recently held the first meeting.



Last year, the college with assistance and input from students, community members, business leaders and other key stakeholders engaged in a strategic planning process. From that process, the Cleveland State 2020 Community First Plan was created. One of the items identified as a goal for the college was to be a significant community partner throughout the service area. Through this advisory board, CSCC seeks to gain greater knowledge about educational and workforce needs and partnership opportunities throughout the service area. The board will also serve as a vehicle for enhancing communication to community members about the CSCC mission, people, programs, needs, events and future plans.



We are starting something that is a new vision for Cleveland State, stated Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC President. In our strategic plan, we identified an initiative that we thought would be very helpful and that is to start an advisory board. CSCC has been serving our community for almost 50 years, and it is really important to us to be as engaged as possible and connect with the communities within the five counties that we serve; thats why we started this advisory board.



After Dr. Seymour provided the welcome and discussed the purpose and expectations of the Advisory Board, David Knopp, Director of Institutional Research, provided the group with the 2016 CSCC Fact Book and a presentation which included information on student demographics, finances, employee credentials, enrollment numbers, graduate information, job placement and transfers. Seymour and other vice presidents discussed the Cleveland State 2020 Community First Plan. A tour of the newly created welding lab was a highlight of the day for the board members.



The day ended with the board engaging in an activity that allowed the representatives from each county to discuss the top challenges facing their county that CSCC could help address. The next exercise allowed members the opportunity to brainstorm credit and non-credit courses the college can offer that might address the challenges and/or community needs. The next meeting will take place in November at which the college will provide information about the Pathways Project. Led by the American Association of Community Colleges, Cleveland State was one of only 30 colleges in the United States and the only one in Tennessee to be selected for the AACCs Pathways Project.

Advisory Board Committee Chair Tracey Wright, said, I am excited about the diversity of experiences of the members of our advisory board. The wide range of sectors of the community that they represent should aid the college in being better informed and connected throughout our five-county service area. While a majority of the time at this meeting was spent sharing data and information to better acquaint the members with the college, future meetings will allow more time for the board members to discuss and share information.
PIGEON  Youth for Christ USAs National Leadership Development Team recently selected Todd Cramer, Bluewater Thumb Youth for Christ executive director, to participate in the YFC Great Lakes Executive Leadership Forum.

I have had the privilege of working with Todd for several years. I love his passion for the YFC mission to reach lost kids with the Gospel and his excellence in leadership, stated Dirk Case, associate field director for YFC/USA. When the opportunity came to give recommendations of staff within the Great Lakes Region to participate in the National Executive Leadership Forum, I put Todd at the top of my list. It is an honor to work side by side with him and his team to reach young people in the Thumb of Michigan.

The Executive Leadership Forum is an exclusive two-year cohort learning experience designed for executive and emerging leaders, selected from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota. Ten leaders are selected for each forum based on recognition in the movement as high-potential, high capacity leaders.

The cohort of leaders is assembled to grow and learn together through a deep focus on spiritual formation, leadership strategies and competencies, and best practices for leading a non-profit ministry. YFC/USAs desire is to see each participant discover and live in their kingdom calling  to become the leader they are uniquely created, gifted, and called to be.

Cramer has served with Bluewater Thumb YFC as a campus life director in the Akron-Fairgrove, Reese, Ubly and Unionville-Sebewaing communities prior to assuming his current role as executive director.

YFC is a youth focused ministry that seeks to combine healthy relationships with creative programs to help young people make good choices, establish a solid foundation for life, positively impact their schools, and become life-long followers of Jesus Christ.

For more information about Bluewater Thumb YFC, call 989-453-3239, or visit www.facebook.com/BluewaterThumbYFC or www.bluewaterthumbyfc.org.
WHEATLAND TOWNSHIP  Two people were injured in a two-vehicle accident that took place on Deckerville Road near North Sandusky Road Saturday afternoon.

According to the Sanilac County Sheriffs Office, deputies were dispatched to the scene around 1:20 p.m. to find a privately-owned transportation bus was west bound on Deckerville Road before rear ending a van, which was stopped in the westbound lane attempting to turn south.

Christina Grover, a 25-year-old Deckerville woman, told deputies she experienced a brake failure on the bus she was driving, which caused the collision. As a result, the 15-year-old male driver of the van and mother, 40-year-old Rhonda Stone, were transported by Sanilac EMS to Mckenzie Hospital for treatment of their injuries. The teenager had a permit to drive with a parent, and was not at fault in the accident. All persons involved in the crash were wearing their seatbelts.

Deputies were also assisted at the scene by the Deckerville Fire Department and Deckerville Police Department.
BAD AXE  A 50-year-old female inmate was pronounced dead after she was found alone and unresponsive in her cell at the Huron County jail during the weekend.

According to the Huron County Sheriffs Office, it was the first death at the jail in the last 30 years.

Around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, a corrections officer found inmate Nancy K. Bouchard unresponsive in her cell. Bouchard had been booked earlier that morning  at around 2:45 a.m.  after being arrested by the Elkton Village Police Department for a felony-related firearms offense that had taken place earlier in the village.

CPR was initiated by the corrections officer and responding deputies, with Central Huron Ambulance Service personnel arriving shortly thereafter. Bouchard was eventually pronounced dead by ambulance personnel and an investigator from the Huron County Medical Examiners Office was called.

Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson said there have been some suicide attempts in the jail during his nearly eight-year tenure as sheriff, but no deaths. He also cited a few health-related emergencies during that time.

Every once in a while somebody will be sick, or going through withdrawals, to where we have to get an ambulance, he said. But as far as somebody dying, thats an infrequent situation.

An autopsy on Bouchard was performed on Sunday and a toxicology report has been requested. Hanson said it will be a couple of weeks before results are available.

Were still digging into this, he said.

Hanson said Bouchard was found in a two-person cell but was the only one occupying it. He added they have video surveillance of the cell.

No further information will be released at this time, as the investigation is expected to be lengthy, he said.
BAD AXE  A Harbor Beach man was hauled away to prison this week on a variety of charges that stem from a stolen checks case almost two years ago.

A jury found Nathaniel J. Jock guilty on four counts of uttering and publishing and four counts of forgery on March 30.

Jock was sentenced to one year and six months in the Michigan state prison system with a maximum term of 28 years in the stolen checks case. The maximum penalty that could be imposed was doubled because of his habitual offender-third status. He was given credit for 149 days already served and ordered to pay $550 in restitution.

In June 2014, Jock was living with another man and while staying at the residence, he took four checks that belonged to the man. Between June 16, 2014, and July 17, 2014, Jock cashed the four checks at local banks.

Jock was arrested in January 2015 and originally charged with uttering and publishing, however, the forgery charges were later added. Jock disappeared for some time and as a result, court proceedings were delayed  later resulting in an absconding charge.

The 31-year-old was set to appear for sentencing on Monday in Huron County Circuit Court.

Prior to 2013, Jocks record was clean, his attorney Jill Schmidt told the court, but she said her client suffered from an unstable life in his early years.

Id say it was a very tragic upbringing, Schmidt said, noting her client was placed in foster care and neglected by his parents when he was a young teenager.

He was not living in the best circumstances when these checks were written, Schmidt said of the 2014 case.

Schmidt was confident her client could make a turnaround in his future.

I think hes a salvageable person, she said.  I think he could do it.

Jock declined his opportunity to speak, which left Huron County Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski addressing the restitution Jock still owes from another case.

In 2013, Jock was sentenced to 120 days in jail after being convicted of larceny in a building. He was ordered to pay $11,007 in restitution and as of Monday, he still owes $10,068.

You had a clean record up until 2013, Huron County Circuit Judge Gerald M. Prill told the defendant. Then all of theses incidents happen and they had negative impacts.

Prill advised Jock he looks at the probation departments recommendation when determining jail versus prison sentence in every case. Unfortunately for Jock, he was considered a poor probationer by the department.

Jock was sentenced to one year and six months in the Michigan state prison system with a maximum term of 28 years in the stolen checks case. The maximum penalty that could be imposed was doubled because of his habitual offender-third status. He was given credit for 149 days already served and ordered to pay $550 in restitution.

In a case connected to the 2014 matter, Jock was sentenced to one year and two months to four years for violating terms of his probation. Jock also received a 365-day sentence for absconding bond  a charge he picked up when he couldnt make it from Saginaw to the Huron County Courthouse. He pleaded guilty to both charges in April.

All sentences will run concurrently.
CASS CITY  Along with focusing on caps, gowns, and graduation diplomas, Cass City School seniors included horsepower as part of their last day of school celebration Friday.

Tractors of all kinds, shapes and sizes were lined up in the high school parking lot.

We are a farming community. We celebrate that, said Superintendent Jeff Hartel. The last day for seniors here is tractor day, when they can ride their tractors to school.

The lineup of tractors included John Deeres, Fords, International, and others including the newly developed unique $500,000 T-4 Holmer Exxact 12-row sugar beet harvester.

The harvester is so large a six-foot senior standing beside it is level with the tires.

Despite the uniqueness of the harvester, a toy tractor was the biggest draw. A faded John Deere No. 11, peddle tractor displayed between two Ford tractors was quickly surrounded by students.

This is so top of the line  who can drive this? quipped a student who admired the toys simplicity  and perhaps recalled a childhood memory.

Some students rode their horse to school instead of a tractor. Weve done senior ag day for about 10 years. Its an FFA program, and they get creative with it, Hartel said.

As part of senior/ag day, there was a slide show of memories showing a baby picture along with a graduation photograph of the 70 seniors. There was also a presentation of T-shirts and/or a momento from the college each senior plans to attend.

We did the T-shirt handout last year for the first time. It was well received. Most of the colleges sent us T-shirts from where the senior plans to attend, said Guidance Counselor Secretary Ruth Fluegge. Delta College sent cooler bags and some other colleges sent lanyards.

That aspect of senior day was coordinated by Fluegge, Dean of Students Christin Hempton, Senior Class Adviser Stephanie Champagne and others, Hartel explained.

About 85 percent of our seniors are going on to college, Fluegge said.

The districts enrollment is 998.
The Chattanooga Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office to increase seat belt enforcement through June 5, surrounding of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

If you ask the family members of those unrestrained people who were killed in crashes, theyll tell youthey wish their loved ones had buckled up, said Lt. David Gibb. The bottom line is that seat belts save lives. If these enforcement crackdowns get peoples attention and get them to buckle up, then weve done our job. There is no good excuse for not wearing a seat belt.

The Red Bank Police Department is also partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office.

"If you ask the family members of those unrestrained motorists who were killed in crashes, they will tell youthey wish their loved ones had buckled up, said Sgt. Rusty Aalberg. The bottom line is seat belts save lives. If these enforcement crackdowns get motorists attention and get them to buckle up, then weve done our job. There is no good excuse for not wearing a seat belt.

This year, Tennessee celebrates its 30 year anniversary of seat belt legislation. The state first enacted a mandatory seat belt law in 1986. The law was updated in 2004 to make seat belt violations a primary offense. In 2015, the law was again updated to more than double the fine for seat belt citations.



Tennessees current seat belt use rate is 86.2 percent. This classifies Tennessee as a low use state on a national level. According to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, 343 individuals killed in traffic crashes last year were not wearing a seat belt. This group makes up over forty-eight percent of all those killed in passenger vehicles.



We are putting an emphasis on nighttime seat belt enforcement, said Tennessee Highway Safety Office Interim Director Jason Ivey. The problem of unbelted vehicle occupants becomes worse at night. Nationally, 59 percent of vehicle occupants who were killed in traffic crashes overnight in 2013 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash, compared to 43 percent during daytime hours. We are observing a similar trend at the statewide level. Looking at the last five years of data, there are significant differences in restraint use at night versus during the day.



For more information on seat belt safety, visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.
A last-minute request from the Office of the Secretary of Defense kept the press out of a controversial congressional hearing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on Monday, according to a staffer with knowledge of planning.

The hearing, hosted by the House Armed Services Committee's seapower and projection forces and readiness subcommittees, was announced May 16, but had been in planning much longer, according to the congressional staffer, who requested anonymity in order to discuss the event freely.

The field hearing, aboard the Eisenhower in Norfolk, was billed as an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the Navy with officers directly in charge of operational units and to get a cross-section of perspectives from communities across the fleet.

"At the very last minute, OSD decided they had an objection to media presence," the staffer said, adding that the Navy had been amenable to having media aboard the Eisenhower.

A spokesman for Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's office did not immediately respond to emailed request for comment from Military.com.

In deference to the request, the staffer said, the event became a closed-press congressional delegation, or CODEL, enabling members of the two subcommittees to hear from the naval communities aboard the Eisenhower in a private setting, while a public hearing on Navy force structure and readiness was set for Thursday on Capitol Hill.

The change of plans came in the wake of criticism from a Virginia State delegate, Republican Scott Taylor, who accused the Seapower committee's chairman, Virginia Republican Randy Forbes, of using the troops aboard the war ship for a "photo op" to further his political ends. Taylor is running against Forbes for the congressional seat held by Rep. Scott Rigell, a Republican who is not seeking reelection. The primary is June 14.

The original hearing plan had lawmakers hearing from Adm. Philip Davidson, head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command; Capt. Randy Stearns, commodore of Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic; Capt. Scott Robertson, commander of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy; Capt. Greg McCrae, deputy of Submarine Squadron 6; and Capt. Paul Odenthal, commander of Naval Construction Group Two.

The staffer told Military.com that all the same officers spoke to the two subcommittees today. In addition, the four Navy captains will appear in the Thursday hearing, the staffer said. In addition, the person said, lawmakers had the opportunity to talk with the leaders of a helicopter squadron, observe the operations of a guided-missile destroyer, and more.

"What made this hearing unique was, instead of just the flag officers, we were going to talk to the captains who actually do [day-to-day operations," the staffer said. "This was kind of a unique time to get the operators' perspective. Because the media's not there, we chose to call this the listening session."

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Texas Republican Mac Thornberry, will be present for the Thursday hearing on Navy structure in support of the subcommittees' investigation into readiness concerns, the staffer said.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
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.
The Iraqi offensive to retake Fallujah threatened the lives of thousands of civilians trapped in the ISIS stronghold, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross warned this week.

"Fallujah must not be allowed to become another Ramadi," Katherine Ritz, the top Red Cross representative in Iraq, said in reference to the city west of Fallujah that was left a ghost town following the siege by the Iraqi security forces earlier this year.

"Civilians must be spared and allowed to leave Fallujah safely, while houses and other civilian infrastructure must not be targeted," Ritz said in a statement Monday.

The UN also warned against attacks that failed to take into account the risk to civilians.

"We're very concerned about the fate of the civilians that remain in Fallujah as the military operations are undertaken," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. The humanitarian situation obviously remains very fluid."

The UN estimated there were about 50,000 civilians left in Fallujah, a city of about 300,000 before the U.S. invasion in 2003. The American military has estimated that Fallujahs population could range from 60,000 to 90,000, while other estimates range from as low as 25,000 to as high as 100,000.

Fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq in Syria, of ISIS, took Fallujah against little resistance in January 2014, making it the Iraqi city held longest by the militants. The fall of the city resonated in the U.S. military. In 2004, nearly 100 U.S. troops were killed in vicious street fighting to take the city.

According to Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve in Baghdad, Fallujah is believed to be defended by about 800-1,200 ISIS fighter who have built up defenses with interlocking fields of fire and improvised explosive devices. ISIS snipers were also preventing civilians from fleeing, Warren said.

Fallujah had not been a priority in the overall U.S. and Iraqi strategy that focused on retaking northwestern Mosul, the main ISIS stronghold in Iraq, but the plan changed in recent weeks as ISIS used Fallujah as a base to launch a wave a suicide truck and car bomb attacks in Baghdad that led to a political crisis for the central government.

Last week, Warren said that U.S. commanders had to talk Iraqi forces out of withdrawing troops from the field to protect the capital, but on Sunday Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that the offensive to retake Fallujah had begun.

In a TV address that day, Abadi said, "We will tear down the black banners of the strangers who kidnapped the city. The clock of Fallujah liberation has rung, and the final victory is close."

On Tuesday, Iraqi forces reportedly were hitting Fallujah with artillery. The Washington Post quoted Lt. Gen. Raeed Shakir Jawdat, the Iraqi federal police commander, as saying that the offensive had already killed scores of ISIS fighters in fighting for outlying villages.

"Now the enemy is collapsing, and we are hunting them," Jawdat said.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

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The senior members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Tuesday said they expect Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald to publicly apologize for drawing a parallel between wait times at VA hospitals and lines at Disney theme parks.

"It's one thing to wait for a roller coaster, but it's another thing to wait for a blood transfusion. The two should not be comparable in one statement or another," Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia and chairman of the panel, said as he opened the hearing. "The Secretary owes the veterans of the United States of America and this committee an apology."

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut and the ranking member of the panel, agreed, saying McDonald's personal expression of regret nor one passed along to the committee by VA Deputy Sloan Gibson in opening remarks is enough.

Gibson told the panel that he and McDonald both "deeply regret the distraction [McDonald's comments] may have caused and the perception that it created that access to care is anything other than our absolute top priority."

"We're expecting perhaps more from him in a way of an apology," Blumenthal said. ""There is a strong feeling here that we all make mistakes, and the best way to handle them is to make an apology and move on. Actions speak louder than words and his actions can speak louder than those words" from Monday.

Gibson conceded the lawmakers' point, saying that his delivering an apology "doesn't take the place of him [McDonald] saying it."

McDonald continued to draw heat Tuesday for saying VA health care aspires to be like a Disney theme park in how it measures success -- by overall customer satisfaction, not "the number of hours you wait in line."

McDonald's comments during a breakfast meeting with reporters on Monday instantly drew a barrage of criticism, though the secretary hasn't yet apologized for the remarks.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, a Republican from Florida, called the comparison "just plain wrong" and The American Legion noted "that people don't die while waiting to go on Space Mountain."

One veterans group, Concerned Veterans for America, said it's not calling for his ouster because Gibson is "as bad as" the secretary, while even Disney Corp. weighed in to say it takes wait times very seriously.

"One of the things we take great pride in is if you have a wait time at our parks, your wait is enjoyable," a spokesman for Disney Theme Parks told the online news site Independent Review Journal. "If you wait at the Haunted Mansion there are musical tombstones that will sing to you.

"There is a flowing honey wall at the Winnie the Pooh ride. We designed animated crabs for The Little Mermaid waiting area which will interact with you and play games while you wait," the spokesman said. "We take every facet of the guest experience very seriously. If you have to wait, you should have fun while doing it."

Dan Caldwell, vice president for political and legislative action at the Concerned Veterans for America, on Tuesday said, "Were it not for the fact that we have no faith in the Obama administration to appoint a competent, reform-minded secretary, and the fact that McDonald's deputy, Sloan Gibson, is just as bad as him, CVA would likely be calling for Secretary McDonald's resignation today."

CVA's criticism of McDonald is hardly surprising. The secretary has regularly called out CVA as a Koch brothers'-backed group whose aim is to privatize VA health care. CVA officials deny they want to see the VA fair be privatized, but do want improved accountability.

"Secretary McDonald has every right to disagree with us," Caldwell said, "but what he does not have a right to do is engage in petty and false attacks against our organization."

McDonald's reference to Disney is also not unusual. He has been touting the corporate giant as a leader in customer service for at least two years. In the past, however, he has not specifically made an analogy between wait times at VA hospitals and those at the Disney theme parks.

"We want the veterans' experience with the VA to be as good as the best private sector experiences -- like if you took your family to Disney," he said in February 2015 during an interview on Meet the Press.

During other presentations he has talked up the book, "If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently, written by Fred Lee, a former hospital executive and management expert who also worked for Disney. Lee is also on the VA advisory board.

Joe Davis, national spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars, said McDonald is right about the importance of the veteran's overall experience in dealing with the VA.

"[He] is correct in part, in that the time spent waiting in line is directly proportional to the quality of someone's experience once they get in the door," Davis said. "Veterans are conditioned to waiting in lines their entire military careers.

"What veterans don't like is not getting what they earned or were promised. Directly proportional," he said.

-- Bryant Jordan can be reached at Bryant.jordan@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at@BryantJordan.
Man Charged With Hate Crime For Saying He Hates White People, Stabbing A White Man

By Mae Rice in News on May 24, 2016 4:23PM



Leroy Willis, 45, of Roseland (Chicago Police Department)

A 45-year-old man faces several charges, including a felony hate crime charge, for stabbing and attempting to rob a man on a Loop bridge late Sunday night, police said.

Police said only that Leroy Willis of Roseland face a felony hate crime charge for "[uttering] a

derogatory racial statement" during an attempted robbery on the Washington Street Bridge. However, his victim, a 49-year-old white man, gave the Tribune a bit more detail, reporting that his attacker said "I hate 'expletive' white people. Give me your wallet." (We believe the expletive was "fucking.")

Willis has also been charged with a felony count of aggravated battery and aggravated attempted robbery, police said. He was found and charged promptly because his victimhigh-rise security guard Todd Light, the Sun-Times reportsended up detaining his attacker until police arrived.

Light told the Sun-Times that Willis appeared "out of his mind," and said that once Light fought back and got his attacker on the ground, "he started apologizing to me and explaining about his dead mother."

We've reached out to Light for more detail on the incident, and the ACLU for more historical and legal context on hate crime charges against white people, which strike us as unusual. We will update this post when we hear back.
DETROIT - The man who's driven Downtown Detroit's real estate boom with close to $2 billion in investment will speak at the 2016 Mackinac Policy Conference.

Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures, will speak Wednesday, June 1, about Detroit's progress and "what the future holds for the city" during a talk with conference Chair Dennis Archer Jr.

The billionaire businessman has been busy in the first half of 2016 expanding his Detroit real estate empire. To date, Gilbert's Bedrock Detroit controls over 90 properties in downtown Detroit and Cleveland, Ohio.

In Detroit, he has around 14 million square feet of real estate in his collection. His companies under the Rock Ventures umbrella employ over 15,000 people, most working in Downtown Detroit.

Most recently, Gilbert bought the historic Grinnell and Sanders buildings on Woodward Avenue. The buildings are down the block from the Nike Community Store, which opens Thursday in another Gilbert-owned building.

News broke May 9 that city officials selected a group that includes a Dan Gilbert company to build a massive, mixed-use development in Brush Park and Eastern Market.

According to the request for qualifications put out by the city in January, the entire project, which could cost around $267 million, would build around 1,000 units of mixed-income housing and around 30,000-45,000 square feet of retail on roughly 25 acres of space.

The RFQ also called for development of a vacant 2.5-acre parcel in Eastern Market at 3480 Russell Street, and Eastern Market's open-air Shed 4, which the city wants turned into a closed shed and apartments.

Gilbert also recently acquired the parking garage beneath the former Hudson's site downtown, which will allow him to build a mixed-use high-rise building on the site by 2020.



Other key events at this year's Mackinac Policy Conference include presentations by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.

Guest speakers this year number in the dozens. Among them: Dan Ammann, president of General Motors Corp; Mona Hanna-Attisha, of Hurley Medical Center and a key figure in the exposure of Flint's water crisis; Rick DeVos, founder of ArtPrize in Grand Rapids and an entrepreneur; Sal Khan, founder of the Khan Academy; and Daymond John, co-host of "Shark Tank."

Organizers said the discussions should be inspirational, and will touch on higher-level solutions to the city's problems.

"As you can imagine, it's very important to touch on big issues," Archer said in a May press briefing.

Ian Thibodeau is the business and development reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. He can be reached at ithibode@mlive.com, or follow him on Twitter.
1Old Nat.jpg

On June 7, Old National Bank will begin construction of this 19,700-square-foot building at The Corner@Drake, off the northwest corner of Stadium Drive and Drake Road.

(Courtesy Image)

Old National Bank's new West Michigan headquarters will have retail banking on its ground floor and executive offices on its second floor.

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Old National Bank plans to build a regional headquarters for West Michigan at the growing shopping center at Stadium Drive and Drake Road.

On June 7, the bank will begin construction of a 19,700-square-foot building at The Corner@Drake, the retail center that opened in 2014 off the northwest corner of Stadium and Drake and has become home to a Costco warehouse membership club.

The bank hopes to have thenew facility up and running by April 1, 2017.

The two-story building will house a state-of-the-art banking center with drive-thru service on the first floor and executive offices and other banking services on the second floor.

The facility will also have a cyber cafe, a fireplace and a community room where nonprofit partner organizations can hold meetings.

It will be located at the 40-acre shopping center, just south of a recently built Consumers Credit Union banking center.

In November of 2014, Costco became the anchor tenant at The Corner@Drake. Since then the location has provided space for Costco, the credit union and a Field & Stream outdoor specialty store.

"We are absolutely bullish on Southwest Michigan," Phil Harbert, regional president of Indiana-based Old National, stated in a press release. "This new building continues to show our support for the area and it is continued reinforcement of the Old National commitment to the state of Michigan and the growth that it holds for out organization."

Based in Evansville, Ind., Old National entered the West Michigan market nearly three years ago with the acquisition of the southwest Michigan holdings of Bank of America.

It has eight banking centers in the area, each of which houses about five employees. It also has a regional corporate operations in rented space on 10th Street near West Main Street. That work, which involves about eight workers, will relocate to the new location.

Its new location will be the workplace of about 15 workers when it opens, said Joe Kiser, community relations manager for Old National. He said a ground-breaking ceremony at 4 p.m. on June 7 will start construction work.

A ground-breaking ceremony is expected to be attended by local dignitaries and members of the bank's advisory board here. Among them are various members of the business community including: Tim Terrentine, executive vice president of Southwest Michigan First; Bob Borsos, an attorney with the Kreis Enderle law firm; Joseph Gesmundo, co-founder of AVB Inc.; and Bjorn Green, president and chief executive officer of Tower Pinkster Architects & Engineers.

Tower Pinkster is responsible for the architectural work on the new location. AVB Construction will build the structure. Among its leaders is Gesmundo, who is also the developer of The Corner@Drake.

Old National is involved in commercial and retail banking, trust banking, correspondent banking, insurance and brokerage services. It has assets of more than $12 billion.

Old National's area banks are at: 318 W. Michigan Ave. in Kalamazoo; 3201 Portage St. in Kalamazoo; 220 N. Drake Road in Kalamazoo; 5810 Gull Road in Kalamazoo; 6338 Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo; 6660 S. Westnedge Ave. in Portage; 4431 W. Centre Ave. in Portage; 118 N. Kalamazoo St. in Paw Paw.

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PITTSFIELD TWP, MI -- The Pittsfield Township home destroyed in a fire last week may have been too damaged for investigators to identify the specific cause.

Thomas Alan Owens, 69, set his house on fire early Monday, May 16, investigators say. Owens escaped from the fire with severe burns, but died several hours later at the University of Michigan hospital.

"Several residents reported an explosion prior to the fire which could have been caused by an accelerant such as gasoline igniting", said Sean Gleason, Pittsfield Township fire chief.

Beyond that, he said, that may remain the only information about how Owens started the blaze.

The fire fully engulfed and destroyed the home, 2881 Stone School Road; Firefighters demolished the remnants of the residence later that day.

Owens was set to head to trial May 16 in Washtenaw County Trial Court for four charges of criminal sexual conduct.

He had been charged in July with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim under 13, one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim, age 13 to 15, and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim under 13 for incidents from 2007 to 2011.

Police believe Owens had planned to commit suicide after setting his house on fire, but he was critically injured.

Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com.
FBI Agents Shot During Contentious Arrest In South Suburbs

By Mae Rice in News on May 24, 2016 3:26PM



Crime scene tape (Photo by LukaTDB via Shutterstock)

Two FBI agents suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds while executing an arrest warrant in Park Forest's Rich Court area on Tuesday, the FBI said. The suspect they were trying to arrest was found dead in the home the agents were trying to enter.

Before the incident this morningfor which the FBI did not give an exact timeFBI officials issued a warning to parents with kids in the local Park Forest-Chicago Heights school district, which is located just south of Chicago. Parents were told that school would start late Tuesday due to "an unsafe situation in the community," and that kids who walk or ride the bus to school should be kept at home until parents received further notice.

The school district has since issued that further notice, visible here:

We have been notified by the Park Forest Police Dept. that the situation on Rich Court has been resolved. Students who are walkers can proceed to school. The busses will resume transportation at 9:15 AM. School is in session. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have presented to parents, however the students safety is our first concern.

The FBI did not provide further information on the suspect or the reason for the arrest.
Brian Tungl

On Monday, May 23, Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge David. S. Swartz sentenced Brian Scott Tungl of Mount Morris after he pleaded no contest to a felony charge of embezzling more than $50,000 worth of equipment from the district.

(Lindsay Knake | MLive.com)

ANN ARBOR, MI -- The former Dexter schools IT director who stole more than $300,000 from the district will serve six months in jail and two years probation.

On Monday, May 23, Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge David S. Swartz sentenced Brian Scott Tungl of Mount Morris after he pleaded no contest to a felony charge of embezzling more than $50,000 worth of equipment from the district.

Tungl, 46, started stealing equipment such as laptops and iPads from Dexter Community Schools in 2011. He stole more than $300,000 worth of technology and equipment, school officials say.

He also deleted the district's inventory list before resigning in late 2014. Police opened an investigation into employee theft in February 2015.

"He's a hardened criminal who damaged every member of Dexter Community Schools," said Michael Wendorf, Dexter school board president. "Today, justice is served. Tonight, he sits in jail."

In addition to jail time and probation, Tungl must complete 500 hours of community service and will pay restitution. A restitution hearing is not yet scheduled.

Dexter Community Schools requested Tungl pay $426,000 in restitution.

More than a dozen Dexter schools employees, school board members and students attended the sentencing.

Tungl betrayed the trust of the community and his colleagues by his actions and hurt thousands of students, residents and school employees, Wendorf said in a victim impact statement on behalf of the school district.

Vincent Haisha, Tungl's attorney, asked the court to sentence Tungl to probation only.

Tungl is "completely humble" and is an "upstanding citizen," Haisha said. "I don't think this one sole incident is damning enough to throw him away in prison."

Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Paul Barnett requested incarceration in Tungl's sentencing, saying his action was not an isolated incident, but a series of conscious decisions to steal from children.

Swartz said he was appalled by Tungl's lack of remorse or apology; Tungl did not speak at the sentencing.

"That's certainly his right, but it does appear to the court he lacks remorsefulness you would think would be appropriate," Swartz said.

Haisha said he advised his client to wait to speak until after the restitution hearing.

"Well, maybe that wasn't the wisest advice counsel ever gave," Swartz replied.

Tungl started taking items as soon as he started working in the district in 2011, Dexter schools Superintendent Christopher Timmis previously told The Ann Arbor News. He took computers, replacement computer batteries, portable hard drives, a TV, a stereo set, cell phones, cameras, iPads and other pieces of equipment.

In the summer of 2014, school district officials started questioning Tungl's purchases and inventory lists, but Tungl worked to get rid of evidence that he'd taken anything. Much of the equipment turned up in Tungl's possession.

District employees spent more than 1,000 hours investigating Tungl's thefts, Timmis said.

Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com.
A red flag alert that conditions in Northern Michigan are ripe for wildfires remained in effect until Tuesday evening, but there's no state ban on using fireworks or building campfires in the tinder-dry woods, state officials say.

The only state fire restrictions in effect are no permits are being issued for debris burning, said Jim Fisher, state wildland fire supervisor.

That may be good news for people planning a first summer weekend of camping out.

But Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials urge caution, even if the fire danger tapers off for the Memorial Day weekend, as expected.

The National Weather Service says the dry air and temperatures in the 80s that are creating the fire danger should switch to more humid weather with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms for the rest of the week.

"We always get out the message if you have a campfire, keep it small," said Bryce Avery," DNR fire suppression specialist in Lansing.

Clear the ground of any dead debris, grass and vegetation for 10 feet around a campfire, too, Fisher said.

Fireworks can present a fire hazard, but there is no state law against using the pyrotechnics outdoors, even when there is an elevated danger of wildfires, he said.

Only a governor's order banning all outdoor fires would prevent their use, Avery said. "They don't come along very often."

Several local ordinances in communities around the state, however, do ban fireworks, except for the day before, the day of and the day after national holidays such as Memorial Day. Examples of municipalities with such partial fireworks bans are Bay City, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Grand Blanc.

Avery said, though, common sense should apply when using fireworks, such as setting them off on bare ground or paved areas, and making sure they don't land in areas with dry grass and other wildland fire fuels.

And those festive sky lanterns that are sent aloft with a small flame burning inside? No restrictions on their use, Fisher said.

"To be honest, we haven't seen fires from those," he said.

In the last week, DNR crews have seen 42 fires that burned a total of 100 acres, Fisher said late Tuesday morning, May 24. "We've been keeping them small," he said.

Fire crews have been staged through the weekend and into Monday night to stand ready for any wildfires, Fisher said.
Both translators and interpreters alike should better understand cultural diversity and prepare for ever-changing social demands, said Frans De Laet, a renowned translator, interpreter and professor from Brussels, Belgium, at a lecture held last Friday by the China International Publishing Group in Beijing.

Professor Frans De Laet at a lecture held last Friday by the China International Publishing Group in Beijing. [Courtesy of Translators Association of China]

When tracing the history of modern translation, which started at the end of the 18th century following the first Industrial Revolution, Laet, the Secretary General of the International Federations of Translators and an associate editor with Babel, an international journal of translation, believes the exchange among countries gradually and slowly changed the landscape of translation.

Evolving from the booming industrialization era, the demand for efficient translations, such as simultaneous interpreting had been created at the same time when war criminals from WWII stood trial after the foundation of United Nations in 1945.

"We need, by all means, to avoid disastrous wars," professor Laet said.

Along with constant social transformation, the interpreting service has expanded from conferences to other aspects of the world, which gave birth to community interpreting.

"Community interpreting has become an important form of interpreting with the interpreters who can help in courts, hospitals and administrations," the professor explained.

What if a kid was hit by a car and was sent to a hospital where the communication in Dutch was rough? It would be clear that an interpreter was needed, Laet continued.

The professor pointed out three characteristics of community interpreting, understood as a translational process with no prepared texts, interpreting with the purpose of handling problems and the depressed feelings and neutral stance of the interpreters.

The context of community interpreting is usually unstructured, emotional and dialectical for problems which may include administrative ignorance, medical urgency, financial aid and theft.

"All this will be reflected in your language," the professor said.

However, the interpreter's feelings should be neutral which means they should show no streaks of sympathy, aversion, grief, disagreement or defense, he continued.

In addition to community interpreting, Laet suggested that translators and interpreters understand and respect cultural diversity when they are shuttling between different languages.

"The color of red may not have the same feeling among different countries. In Belgium for example, it means creation," the professor said. So, he advised translators to check who is going to read and follow their audience's common practice when working on translation and interpreting.

For example, he said, English is usually read from left to right, while, in Arabic countries they are read in a reversed direction from right to left.

"Without being aware, you'll have a very bad publication," he said, "We have to better understand cultural diversity [in this respect]."

The lecture also touched on the topics of translation and interpreting for people with impaired physical conditions, the application of new technologies, the important role of speakers' body gestures and the acceleration of translation speeds.

"To interpret at a very, very high speed, [the translators and interpreters] should not look at words but look at senses," he said.
Twenty photographers from 16 countries have been invited to capture the essence of Beijing life during the annual Vision 2016: World Photographers Focusing on Beijing, which started on Monday, May 23, 2016.

Two international photographers taking part in the 2016 World Photographers Focusing on Beijing showcase their certificates and souvenirs at the event's inaugural ceremony on May 23 at the Capital Museum in Beijing. [Photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]

These photographers, some of whom have attended the event multiple times in the past, will spend the following week capturing what they find to be the beauty and essence of the Chinese capital. There will also be a day when they will form one-on-one pairs with Chinese photographers to capture and compare the photos of the same subject.

Beyhan Ozdemir, a photographer from Turkey, is attending the activity for the fourth time. He said his Beijing-themed photos include shots of a teahouse, restaurants, traditional Beijing drinks and shoe-making.

He said his plans are similar to those of his previous attendances and would include photographing cultural places, modern architecture and Beijing specialties. Although he has attended it more than once, he said that "there are always new things to be found through the lens," implying that there are new changes in Beijing every time he comes.

Since it was established in 1999, the annual gala for international photographers has helped promote the fame of Beijing across the world through the images taken by these visual artists, which more tend to feature different perspectives than those of their Chinese counterparts.

The event's growing popularity attracted this year's sole sponsor, Fun Capital, a developer of shopping districts and amusement parks, since the "mingling of international perspective and Chinese cultural elements" matches the company's pursuit, said Liu Pengfei, assistant to the GM of the company.

Liu praised the photographs captured during previous years' events, acknowledging that sometimes foreign photographers do a better job than Chinese photographers in showcasing Beijing through images. He ascribed the reason to their attention to detail, which is worth admiring and learning from.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
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A Tender for private companies to work on a US$2.2 billion upgrade of the railway linking Myanmars two largest cities will be called at the end of this year, an official said yesterday.







Work on the Yangon-Mandalay railway, led by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, is scheduled to start next year and should be complete by 2025, said U Ba Myint, general manager of Myanma Railways, under the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Bids for purchasing items for the railway upgrade project, which will be implemented in phases, will be called at the end of the year, he said.

Passengers are turning to rail travel because there are more and more car accidents these days. That is why we have to improve the safety of our railway system.

The transport and communications minister has asked the Japanese ambassador to fast-track the project, he said.

Travelling the 622 kilometres (386 miles) by train between Yangon and Mandalay now takes at least 16 hours, but will take just eight once the project is finished. The former deputy transport minister told parliament in 2014 that trains would eventually travel at up 100km (62 miles) an hour.

Upgrades will be based on a JICA study. Japan is famous for its trains, especially the Shinkansen, a high-speed cross-country rail network.

The Japanese government and private sector have been working with Myanma Railways for some time. In 2014, JICA signed an overseas development assistance loan agreement to modernise the Yangon-Mandalay line.





Last year, Mitsubishi Corporation and Hitachi signed a 2.4 billion yen ($20 million) deal to supply and install railway signalling systems on part of the line. Later the same year Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe committed to a $250 million soft loan to modernise Yangons 46km circular railway.

Japan is not the only country interested in upgrading Myanmars railways. China has long had ambitions to link a deep-sea port at Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State by rail with Muse on the Myanmar-China border.

The line would have passed through Ann, Minbu, Magwe, Mandalay and Lashio, but was put on hold in 2014.

Translation by Zar Zar Soe
A Row has broken out over the transfer of government staff to a joint venture between state-owned Myanma Petroleum Products Enterprise and Singapore-based Puma Energy, which was set up last year to distribute aviation fuel, in the first of a number of planned privatisations.





The former civil servants say they want to continue working as government staff, as they fear that being classified as employees of a private company will leave them worse off financially.

The 77 staff work in the aviation fuel department at Yangon International Airport, said U Thant Zin, managing director of Myanma Petroleum Products Enterprise in the Ministry of Electricity and Energy.

At a press conference in Yangons Mayangone township on May 20, MPPE officials insisted that the staff had agreed to the change in status.

We did it in accordance with civil service regulations [governing transfers], not under chapter 10 of the law concerning outside duty. The decision was made with your approval, U Thant Zin told staff members who attended.

MPPE entered the joint venture with Singapore-based Puma Energy last September, to import, store and distribute jet fuel to 11 airports across the country.

National Energy Puma Aviation Services is based at the No 1 Refinery in Thanlyin township southeast of Yangon, where there is a storage facility, and also at Yangon International Airport.





Under section 233(d) of the civil service regulations, the staff would receive superannuation pensions and reduction pensions for long service, said U Thant Zin, adding that the department would compensate staff with shorter service.

But employees have written to the government complaining about the terms of their transfer.

Section chief U Aung Ko Oo, a 16-year veteran who has now been transferred permanently to the private company, said, We wanted to transfer for three years under chapter 10, which governs external service. After three years, we would be able to decide whether or not to continue working for the company.

He said the 77 staff, including assistant directors and other gazetted officers, were transferred last September.

We are government officials, but we are prepared to work with this company under civil service regulations. On October 1 we learned that the transfer was permanent, though we were never properly informed, said another section chief, U Myo Ko Ko.

Other staff members said 44 of the 77 had received no compensation or other job opportunities, and wanted to keep working for the government.

The joint venture between Puma Energy and MPPE is the first of several such planned ventures between the Ministry of Energys state-owned enterprises and private companies. The ministry has said it plans to transform many of its state-led companies into joint ventures with foreign partners to improve efficiency and boost profits.

MPPE holds a monopoly on distributing jet fuel in the country at 11 domestic airports.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun and Khien Thazin Han
Profits jumped dramatically last year for Jintong Rubber Company, a subsidiary of Yankuang Group in east China's Shandong Province, only after a change in ownership.

The hydraulic hose manufacturer's 19 management, technical and sales personnel purchased 45.5 percent of its capital stock in January 2015, one of the first steps in an overhaul of the structure of Yankuang, a state-owned enterprise (SOE) specialized in coal mining and machinery manufacture. After the buy-out, Jintong's profits in the first three quarters was three times the total of 2014.

"Mixed ownership binds the company with its shareholders, who, acting in their own best interests, will be more concerned about the firm's growth," said Liu Guangping, general manager of Jintong.

Mixed ownership and employee equity stakes, together with recruitment of professional executives and managers, will be coming to many SOEs this year. China is determined to deal with SOEs this year, seen as an important part of supply-side structural reform, but the success of Jintong does not mean it an easy task.

China has about 150,000 SOEs, many of which are uncompetitive with declining profits. This year, changes are planned in the powers of directors and managers; in investment, mergers and acquisitions; and in information disclosure and transparency, among others. For example, by the end of 2017, more than 80 percent of key SOEs in Tianjin should have mixed ownership and some 600 of poorest performers will exit the market.

Hebei Province aims to cut the number of SOEs supervised by the province from 29 to 19 this year. Chongqing will deal with 200 zombie or shell SOEs.

Despite the wide consensus, reform remains a tough nut to crack for China's SOEs and progress is not as rapid as expected.

The desire of SOEs to carry out reform on their own is not strong compared with the zeal of the 1990s, according to Zhang Bingjun, board chairman of TEDA Investment Holding Co. Ltd in Tianjin.

The government plans to significantly relax restrictions on entry into markets such as electricity, telecommunications, petroleum and natural gas, to encourage private companies to increase investment in these areas and take ownership of some SOEs.

SOE reform is an urgent task for supply-side structural reform. It will be difficult to achieve results without transforming SOEs into real market entities in terms of technology and efficiency, said Li Yining, a Peking University economist.

Mixed ownership reform is happening in third and fourth-tier subsidiaries of SOEs, according to Li Jin, vice president of China Enterprise Reform and Development Society. Due to their huge size and heavy burdens, most SOEs at the central and provincial levels are not suitable for substantial mixed ownership for now, he said.

Private enterprises want to have a say in the running of mixed ownership firms, otherwise, they will have little interest, said the researcher. Transparency must be guaranteed, he added.
China has again come forward with aid to refurbish two gifts it gave to Myanmar more than 30 years ago  the National Theatre and Thuwunna Stadium, both built in the 1980s. Chinese technicians are already surveying the two structures.





Chinese ambassador Hong Liang said on May 20, China gave these two buildings as a present. But the buildings are getting old and need refurbishing as a sign of the goodwill and friendship between our two countries.

Next month marks the 66th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic relations between Myanmar and China.

China has sent 12 technicians to prepare for the refit, and initial reports indicate that though the structure of both buildings is sound, considerable renovation is needed.

In the National Theatre, the stage area and lighting equipment needs replacing and much of the decoration is in bad shape. Thuwunna Stadium needs new decor, air conditioning and a fire safety system. No budget or timetable have yet been established, the ambassador said.

We are awaiting the technicians report, but we expect the budget to be huge. We hope the work can be completed quickly, he said.

Agreement was reached on the project at the China-Myanmar Providing Assistance Workshop in March last year, and a feasibility study was completed in January.





The 1500-seat National Theatre was completed in 1990 at a cost of K215.47 million. Thuwunna Stadium, completed in 1986, covers 69,500 square metres and has 10,853 seats.
Over 200 cartoons drawn by children are being exhibited at Lokanat gallery to mark the 21st anniversary of Ploketoke cartoon journal.





The exhibition runs from May 21 to May 25, and features the work of five- to 16-year-olds.

Childrens drawing skill and creativity has grown in leaps and bounds in the past six years, Daw Swe Swe Latt, assistant editor of Ploketoke cartoon journal and organiser of the event, told The Myanmar Times.

Visitors to the gallery even doubted if they are drawn by adult painters, she added.

The works are predominantly oil-on-paper, realist in style, and depict pastoral scenes of Myanmar and portraits of ethnic people.

Ploketoke is a monthly publication that has been running since 1995, which features Myanmar fairytales, stories, and comic strips and comic stories for children aiming to instill good manners and etiquette in them.





Since 2010, it has organised annual exhibitions of childrens artworks, inviting children who are showing interest in drawing to send in their entries.

This year the number of entrants has increased, Daw Swe Swe Latt said.

About 179 children from several schools submitted over 200 paintings this year, all of which are on display at the gallery.

Daw Swe Swe Latt believes there should be greater efforts to organise childrens art exhibitions to grow their passion for drawing. This, she says, would complement the artistic encouragement children receive at home and at school.

Scores of state-run schools and international schools encourage children to paint and attend art classes, she said. Parents also encourage their children who have a passion for drawing to pursue it as a leisure activity because painting lets them express what they feel  and it is also much fun.
Contrary to rumours reportedly sweeping Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State, the number of Muslims living in Aung Mingalar quarter is actually falling, immigration officials say. A headcount, undertaken this past weekend in response to heightened tensions surrounding the enclave, has found barely 4000 residents, down from 4304 a few months ago and more than 4500 counted after violence erupted throughout the state in 2012.





The enclave was held by security forces during the 2012 riots, and has been under armed guard since. Until recently, security around the perimeters had been relaxed somewhat, although the ghettos food supply still comes largely from the IDP camp market. Sources told The Myanmar Times yesterday that since the headcount, no one has been allowed in or out of the quarter.

Last week, a government official said some Rakhine residents had written to Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu asking for the population of Aung Mingalar to be counted because they feared that many more people had entered the quarter and were staying there illegally.

The official, who asked not to be named, said the complainants included local monks and elders from various civil society organisations.

The claims by Rakhine ultra-nationalists of a growth rate surge in this isolated enclave is ludicrous, and could be a trigger for an expulsion, said David Mathieson, Myanmar researcher for Human Rights Watch.

This is an important first test of the government to stare down extremists and ensure security for all residents of Sittwe, especially extremely vulnerable Rohingya Muslims.

Some within the nationalist community have demanded copies of the headcount, and rumours circulated yesterday that ghetto residents had been secretly removed to skew the count. These are preliminary results. The final figures will be issued by the state government, said U Thar Tun Aung, a senior official of Sittwe immigration department. We need to find out why the number has fallen, if people were fleeing, and where they went, he said.





Police have also confirmed that there is no rise in the quarters population. Sittwe Special Branch officer Ko Phoe Lone said a few people were found to be staying in the homes of relatives who were not registered in Aung Mingalar and did not match the names in the household lists. We found only two, he said.

U Tun Aung Kyaw, secretary of the Arakan National Party, said the climate around the enclave remained highly sensitive. We dont want any conflict in Sittwe because of this quarter. It should be controlled in accordance with the law. The main thing is to ensure that security is adequate, he said, adding that there had been no problems with Aung Mingalar since the 2012 outbreak of violence. However, he said, the quarter should be relocated if security could not be guaranteed.
Thai police shot dead a Rohingya man who escaped from an immigration detention centre yesterday in a mass breakout in the countrys south where scores of migrants are being held.





The man was killed as he threw rocks down a hill at officers scrambling to catch up with him and 20 other men who escaped after cutting through metal bars at the centre, the commander of Phang Nga province police said.

He was throwing rocks at police from higher up the hill. That could kill the police so they had no choice but to shoot, Major General Worawit Panprung told AFP.

Two of the group of Muslim Rohingya were later caught, but police are hunting for the remaining 18 who escaped earlier.

Southern Thailand has long been known as a nexus for lucrative smuggling networks through which persecuted Rohingya Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, and Bangladeshi economic migrants, pass on their way to Malaysia.

For years Thailand turned a blind eye to  and was even complicit in  the well-worn trafficking trade in the deep south.

It is not clear if the men who escaped were among hundreds detained in Thailand last year as the trafficking network collapsed following the discovery of migrant graves on the Thai-Malaysia border.

Rights groups say around 400 Rohingya  including women and children  are being held indefinitely in immigration detention centres across Thailand.





Authorities say they will release the migrants to a third country if one offers to take them.
The Kachin Independence Organisation has vowed to boycott the cornerstone of the new governments peace plan if fighting between the Tatmadaw and the ethnic armed groups is not resolved first.





State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said the government will hold a 21st-century Panglong Conference styled along the lines of landmark talks held by father, Bogyoke Aung San, in 1947.

Colonel Naw Buu, spokesperson of the KIO, told The Myanmar Times yesterday that the government must put an end to the ongoing clashes before holding the national peace conference and inviting all parties to the dialogue table.

The government must work to get peace between the Tatmadaw and the ethnic armed groups first. If they hold the peace conference they must have ceasefires with ethnic armed groups. If not, the conference will be meaningless, he said.

U Tin Myo Win, who served as Daw Aung San Suu Kyis personal physician and is now an adviser to the peace process, said the planned conference will take place in July.

Last week, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that the future conference would be based on the nationwide ceasefire accord signed last year with a minority of ethnic armed groups. But she added that the talks would need flexibility, including amendments to the political dialogue framework and the inclusion of all ethnic armed groups.

Currently, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) is engaged in clashes in Hpakant and Mansi townships.

The KIO questioned why the NLD government has stayed silent on the recent fighting, which included several bomb blasts in and around the jade-rich town and the murder of a local official.





We dont understand why the government doesnt say something about the fighting and why they will talk about only the conference, Col Naw Buu said.

The KIA already announced that it plans to launch counter-attack against the Tatmadaw after government troops seized their battalion in Hpakant township in a joint offensive by the Tatmadaw and a Shan militia.

On May 22, an explosion was reported at the Tai-Leng Literature and Culture office in Hpakant township. The blast caused damage to a fence and the building but did not injure anyone.

Daw Nanda Hlaing, who worked as head of 100 households in Hpakant, was shot dead on May 22 in her home by two unknown assailants, according to the Hpakant township police force.

We are still doing investigation on this case. We dont know yet who committed this shooting, said a police officer.

KIA officials denied responsibility for the bombings and the gun shooting and said there are many armed groups in Hpakant township.
India has shown its readiness to deal with the problem of chemicals used to produce drugs that are trafficked into Myanmar through its porous northern borders, according to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime.





Officials from Myanmars powerful neighbour participated this week in a special session on the inter-regional flow of drugs and precursor chemicals, as part of a weeklong meeting on illicit narcotics held by Mekong countries and the UNODC in Bangkok.

China and India are the main sources of precursors, needed for the production of methamphetamine and heroin, in the region. Narcotics are often trafficked in the opposite direction.

The involvement of India in the talks was welcomed as advancing regional cooperation in dealing with the drug issue, according to the UNODC.

The involvement of senior officials from India is an important step toward eventual inter-regional collaboration, said Jeremy Douglas, the UNDOCs regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Police Brigadier General Kyaw Win, joint secretary of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control in Myanmar, also welcomed the involvement of India. Myanmar authorities struggle to contain the drug problem, and the country continues to be the second-largest producer of raw opium in the world. Meanwhile, the production of methamphetamines is steeply on the rise.

The participation of the delegation from India will contribute greatly to technical discussions on regional precursor chemical control, and we hope it will contribute to greater engagement in the future between the Mekong region and India, said Pol Brig Gen U Kyaw Win.





At a special meeting for Mekong countries held last month as part of the global UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs, no groundbreaking or new approaches were discussed as country representatives vouched for their ongoing commitment to the current strategy, which advocacy groups say is repressive and has failed to stop the problem.

Myanmars Health Minister U Myint Htwe has yet to reveal how he plans to deal with the problem, which advocacy groups say needs a harm reduction approach. The military-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs coordinates most current approaches that are aimed at a drug-free Myanmar in 2019.

Six Mekong countries have signed a memorandum of understanding on drug control: Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Social and political activist Ko Yar Pyae, also known as Ko Myo Thu Win, was arrested in Hmawbi township on May 22 on accusations of defaming Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in remarks on Facebook.





The complaint was made by Daw Thiri Nay Lin of the Peace and Diversity Party, whose chair U Nay Myo Wai is facing similar defamation charges in Pathein in Ayeyarwady Region.

I saw [Ko Yar Pyaes] Facebook status. He was cheering when U Nay Myo Wai was detained. So I followed his account and he was making defamatory posts about Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing, she said. Ko Yar Pyaes court hearing has been set for June 6.

Meanwhile, bail was denied yesterday for U Nay Myo Wai, an extreme nationalist activist who is charged with defaming State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Htin Kyaw and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. U Nay Myo Wai was arrested on May 4 for suggesting improper relations with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had helped the president and the commander-in-chief achieve power.
Just weeks after parliament approved closer Myanmar-Russia military relations  with some MPs saying it would help to upgrade the Tatmadaw  President U Htin Kyaw shook hands with Russias President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi.





Coinciding with U Htin Kyaws preparations for the meeting, the Admiral Vinogradov of the Russian Pacific Fleet docked near Yangon to enhance long-standing friendship between the two counties.

Russia seems set on improving its relations with Southeast Asia, warming to the region after Western nations imposed sanctions for its role in the Ukraine conflict.

Myanmar, first shunned by the US and now deemed a foreign policy success, could be driven closer to Russia as it seeks to diversify its military relations, some experts say.

US President Barack Obama this month decided to extend sanctions against Myanmar, obstructing closer US-Myanmar military ties.

From [the] Tatmadaws perspective, the international sanctions and isolation certainly leave them with less options than they would like, said Yun Sun, an analyst at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank.

It doesnt mean that Russia is their only option, but it is understandable that they would also like to diversify their international relations.

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has not called for sanctions to be lifted, with some analyst suggesting she may want to maintain pressure on the Tatmadaw.





Other Western nations also have been reluctant to improve military relations with Myanmar.

In June 2013, the UKs chief of defence staff was the first Western military chief to visit the country since the junta era. The following year, the UK started a tentative training of Myanmars armed forces which drew widespread criticism at a time when democratic reforms seemed all but irreversible.

While the West imposed sanctions, Russia supplied the military junta with weapons, and continues to do so. Russia plans to deliver three fighter jets worth about US$15 million each to Myanmar by the end of 2016, according to various Russian news publications.

Gregory Poling, an analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that while he did not think the US had made the right decision by extending the sanctions, he did not think of it as a reason for closer Myanmar-Russia relations.

Myanmar military authorities would certainly like to bolster relations with the US, and so chafe at the restrictions on the [military-to-military] relationship, but that is not necessarily a driver of the relationship with Moscow, he said.

Russia is also an important player for security.

Russia remains the dominant military partner of Vietnam, and a major supplier of arms to Malaysia and Indonesia, so it maintains a role as a major bilateral security partner for some Asian states, said Mr Poling.

But as a trade partner, Russia lags far behind China and analysts dont think regional dynamics will change as a result of increased Russian interest. The total value of trade between ASEAN and Russia was $22.5 billion, compared with a 2020 target set at US$1 trillion for the regional blocks trade with China, Thai scholar Kavi Chongkittavorn wrote for Nikkei Asian Review.

Analysts say Russias engagement has disappointed ASEAN member states in the past.

Russia might do more in Southeast Asia, but people do not expect it to become a key player like US, China, or even Japan, any time soon, said Ms Sun.
Nationalist Buddhist monks from Ma Ba Tha are holding large-scale religious conversion ceremonies in Muslim enclaves, drawing criticism from local residents.





One such recent ceremony convened in Mandalay drew massive crowds and earned the ire of local residents who accused the monks of trying to enflame religious tensions in a township already haunted by intercommunal violence.

Over 3000 witnesses gathered to watch 71 people convert to Buddhism in Meiktila on May 6, according to ceremony leader U Aggadaja.

The senior Ma Ba Tha monk said his event was the largest religious conversion ceremony held yet in Myanmar. I never persuade them, he told The Myanmar Times. This ceremony is meant to express welcome to those who want to enter Buddhism.

But for some religious minorities, the ceremony came off as an attempt to marginalise. U San Win Tun, secretary of the Interfaith Association in Meiktila, said the ceremony was unlike anything held in the town before.

Almost all the participants converted by the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion  as Ma Ba Tha is called in English  were Muslim. The event also included eight Christians and five Hindus.

Most of those who converted said they had Buddhist partners. But Daw Khin Than Myint, 52, was born as a Buddhist. She said she converted to Islam before marrying her husband.





She said she knew she wanted to convert back as soon as her family was pushed into a refugee camp following violent riots that erupted in the township in 2013. The conflict, prompted by a shop dispute and fanned on anti-Muslim sentiment, left more than 40 people dead and 12,000 displaced. The two main Muslim communities in the township were razed.

Daw Khin Than Myint said her family stayed at the camp for one month and three days. Fifteen days after we arrived back home my eldest son entered into the monkhood. And then the whole family, including my husband, entered into Buddhism, she said.

With tears in her eyes she told The Myanmar Times that her in-laws will no longer speak to the family. For that loss I feel sad. Since we re-entered Buddhism we stopped having any contact with them, she said.

Her daughter, Ma Phyu Hnin Thwe, said it was only when the entire family eagerly pressed the conversion that her father agreed to join them in the ceremony. When we got back from refugee camp we didnt have even a penny, but had a gold bracelet. We sold it, and with the money we made a Buddhist altar, she said.

Ma Ba Tha monk U Aggadaja said that so many people wanted to convert in Meiktila because there are many Muslims in the township. After the ceremony, 22 more people came up to us and told us they also want to convert, he said.

U Aggadaja said he has no intention of inciting conflict as the previous riots hurt both sides.

On April 27, a rumour came out that unofficial mosques would be repaired and opened. The nationalist youths became quite intense, so we tried to control the situation by making sure the unofficial mosques did not open, he said by way of explaining his peace-making abilities.

But residents in the community were not impressed by the monks fanfare and accused him of trying to alienate, if not provoke, the township.

This is a personal affair. We never hold a ceremony like this for religious conversion, said U San Win Tun from the Interfaith Association. He added that the conversion ceremony also appeared to go against Ma Ba Thas own law, which makes conversion a legal and administrative affair.

They announced they would hold a ceremony, but it is not official. Myanmar has race and religion protection laws now, so religious conversion requires the involvement of the ministries for religious affairs and home affairs,U San Win Tun said.

But Taung Thar Lay Meiktila Sayadaw said the ceremony had been held according to the Religious Conversion Law, and that necklaces with religious pendants had already been given to all those converted. They would also be handed religious books soon, he said.

The Religious Conversion Law was one of four legislative pieces backed by Ma Ba Tha and quickly signed into effect by then-president U Thein Sein. The law requires that a Myanmar citizen wishing to switch religions must obtain prior approval from a township religious conversion registration board. The conversion process also requires an interview and set period of study.

Rights groups, interfaith networks and the international community slammed the bill as a major setback for religious freedom and tolerance in Myanmar. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom said the legislation risks inciting further violence against religious minorities by enflaming already pervasive discrimination.

The International Crisis Group called the monks fomenting the nationalist agenda a populist political force that cloaks itself in religious respectability and moral authority.

But the group has also proven itself a political force to be reckoned with, and has threatened to make life difficult for the National League for Democracy if the new government shows any sign of repealing the controversial laws.

The other arms of the race and religion package appear to have failed to gain much traction, or, in the case of the Monogamy Law, largely backfired against the stated purpose of protecting Buddhist women from polygamous Muslim spouses and instead struck largely among Buddhist households, providing legal recourse for cheated spouses. But the Religious Conversion Law seems to have hit closer to the intended mark.

Most locals were hesitant to comment on the ceremony out of fear of stirring conflict. U Min Aung, a Muslim leader in Meiktila, said the violence of 2013 had such a big impact on the community that it was still recovering from the recent trauma. He added that changing ones religion would not alter bloodlines or reverse the fact that there are many interfaith families in Meiktila.

A well-known political activist, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said most participants in the recent religious conversion ceremony had come from outside the town. He said he feared it was meant to stir religious tensions.

I know everyone can change their religion if they desire to do so. Some of our friends also change their religion. But they held a big ceremony this time, like they were celebrating a victory. It is not the right time. It seems they want to pick a fight, he said.

But U Aggadaja called the criticism an assault on Buddhism and said it wont stop him from holding more ceremonies. I dont worry because the religion law indicates we could sue those people, he said.
Without transparency, a government cannot earn a good public reputation, and ministerial and departmental spokespersons must be answerable to the media, Minister for Information U Pe Myint told senior government officials yesterday.





In a meeting announcing the newly appointed spokespeople for all government ministries, U Pe Myint said effective communication with the press must be established.

We are elected by our people. Thats why we need to be a people-oriented government  And the media is a channel through which we can communicate to our people, he said.

The MOI chief also said that being an effective spokesperson has many advantages.

By regularly responding to the news media, we can earn recognition that the government department is transparent. The foundation of the clean government and good governance we have claimed is transparency. People will not accept us being a clean government and possessing the ability of good governance if we do not have transparency, he said.

If we do not prioritise transparency, then there will be some misunderstandings and there will be speculation and rumours based on these misunderstandings in spoken and written media. This will lead to disaster for government departments, he added.

Under former president U Thein Seins administration, the Ministry of Information led training programs for spokespeople. However, many reporters from both domestic and foreign media outlets viewed the previous governments press mechanism as deeply flawed.

U Ye Htut, the former minister for information, admitted that the governments relations with the press under the previous administration did not work well.





In fact, only the Presidents Office and very few ministries had active spokespeople, he said, adding that most ministerial spokespeople, when asked questions by the press, had to get answers from their ministers and deputy ministers.

U Ye Naing Moe, a founder of the Yangon Journalism School and a columnist, said senior officials at the meeting discussed difficulties they faced in disseminating information to the media.

They said sometimes they were not provided with the required information to disclose to the press. Sometimes, they said reporters repeatedly ask questions that have been answered in the press conference held earlier, he said.

U Ye Htut said three conditions are required for an active and workable press mechanism.

Departments should set specific policies and levels of secrecy that a spokesperson can disclose; the spokesperson must be granted the chance to attend all the important meetings concerning the departments policies and functions; and the spokesperson must have direct communication with his minister, he said.

He added that he had expected the current government to have better spokespeople than the previous government had, but that so far this has not been the case.
A small farm house, a bamboo grove, a bicycle, a skipping rope and a flock of chicken and ducks  this is virtually the whole world for an 11-year-old girl living with AIDS.

Shasha, an 11-year-old girl living with AIDS, sits idly at home dressed in the uniform from the school she cannot attend because of her disease. [Photo / bjnews.com.cn]

Shasha, an alias, lives in a remote mountain village in Ningxiang County in China's southern province of Hunan. Her mother died in 2006, and she was later diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

Word of her disease quickly spread through the village after her father also died of AIDS in April 2015. Throughout the next year, she was forced out of school twice by her fellow schoolmates' parents.

Shasha has to stay at home. Mr. Yin, principal of her former primary school, comes to teach her at home once a week; it is her only contact with the outside world.

"Everyone's afraid of me"

On an April morning last year, a parent/teacher meeting was held in the school to discuss whether Shasha should stay.

Standing timidly at her grandfather's side, Shasha understood nothing about their harangue of mosquito bites and blood transmission, but was nevertheless frightened to see a hysterical parent cry out, "You cannot study at the school!"

"Everyone's afraid of me," said the sensitive 11-year-old. "I'm all alone all the time."

Even her two best friends began drifting away from her. Whenever she went to her friends' house, their parents would send her back with several pieces of fruit.

Whenever she asked them to play "rubber band skipping," they would always find an excuse for not going.

This kind of isolation was also found at home, as her grandmother makes her use separate tableware, a washbasin and a bucket. And she can only cuddle with a plush toy bear while sleeping at night.

Shasha's sister, who goes to a boarding school, is her only friend. She buys her biscuits, candies, beautiful hairpins and toys when she comes back every weekend.

The 11-year-old girl always looks forward to spending time with her sister, playing games and watching cartoons on TV.

Perpetual solitude

For most of the time, Shasha needs to cope with solitude.

Chicks, ducks and the plush toys that her sister has given her, as well as the bamboo grove surrounding her home, have all become Shasha's friends. She thinks blankly while sitting at the farm house, remembering the days when she would play games with her friends at school.

But now, she is always by herself, either do a bit of math homework Mr. Yin leaves with her or with the chicks and ducks at the farm.

Every afternoon, the ducks that leave to seek food outside march back home and Shasha always recognizes immediately which ones belong to her family.

She has gained interest in riding a bicycle that her father gave her before he died. Shasha used to ride it to school but now she can only ride it in the yard.

Outside the yard, there's a slope that she loves to ride on. "I feel free as the wind when riding down the slope," Shasha said.

For Shasha, time is not easy to kill. After getting up at eight or nine in the morning, all she can do is idle blankly in the bamboo grove, feed her chicks three or four times, play "Fruit Ninja"  a mobile phone game  hundreds of times, and listen to the rustling bamboo leaves blowing in the wind.

On May 12, Shasha stayed at home alone. She took out a notebook with the lyrics of her school song written on it. "Greet the rising sun; say goodbye to the sunset; we learn knowledge and pursue our dreams," she sang.

But no one listens.

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At every session I have assisted as an interpreter  regardless of the sector or the topic  capacity building has been the most iterated phrase. The dire need requested by almost every government institution is usually expressed at the end of these sessions, under discussions about the way forward and/or challenges.





In general, I believe people already have a certain amount of capacity. Sadly in the case of Myanmar, despite innate abilities many of us since childhood are taught and surrounded by an environment that condones a certain expectation of I say and you listen. Agree to disagree is something that is almost nonexistent in our society. For the sake of a conversation and to keep up appearances, we may agree to disagree, but then many usually will dismiss the conversation entirely, especially if the counterpart is regarded as a threat or disliked.

Even back in the 1980s, I do not recall teachers encouraging us to question or to debate. Those were the days when the countrys education system was considered a strength and certainly better than what followed after 1988. Yet except for a handful of university professors who were either trained or educated overseas who encouraged us to excel, many professors would simply use the parrot teaching or recital method.

Problem solving and analytical or critical thinking were not part of the pedagogy. Questioning your teacher and parents was considered disrespectful and rude. Instead we were pushed just to pass the exams with flying colours. The concept of learning to gain an understanding was not part of the education system. It was not quality education we were asked to excel at, but rather the quantity of grades we should obtain when sitting for an exam.

Many teachers past and present could contradict me, but the proof of my point is here and now. Fast-forward 30 years from my classroom days and many individuals are struggling to catch up with the fast pace of the changes taking place in Myanmar, trying to understand the overwhelming tasks that now rest upon the many working-level civil servants. The responsibilities they must shoulder are simply stupendous.

There are many UN agencies and numerous foreign organisations, including INGOs, that are actively engaging with the new Myanmar government. In their meetings, capacity building is something that many Myanmar senior officials and policymakers repeatedly request. It isnt that there is a lack of funding or interest to provide these trainings. Many agencies are eager to help, but the trouble is most of the capacity-building sessions are mostly attended only by the working-level civil servants who are considered foot soldiers by their superiors. Many of them are also required to submit a report about the particular training to their immediate boss so that those in charge might flip through a few pages of the report to justify and compensate the absence from the training.

But how revealing these reports re-written into Myanmar are is anyones guess. Almost all the capacity-building sessions are conducted in English by a non-Myanmar consultant or adviser. These sessions can last anywhere from one day to five days with a series of trainings. Those attending the session must also continue their day job, and submit a report or even report about the training. With so much busy work involved, just how effective can the training be?





For example, environmental protection has become an important issue in Myanmar, particularly related to mining and the Environmental Conservation Department under the new Ministry of Resources and Environmental Conservation. So many personnel have been called in for the many environmental-related capacity trainings  for projects related to oil, power, mining, fisheries, forestry and land surveying  that one wonders how can they even digest or apply the training.

During a recent three-day workshop on the Myanmar National Spatial Data Infrastructure, a training deemed vital for decision- and policymakers, the only officials present were mid- and junior-level government officers from various departments and ministries. Some interested local CSOs and private companies had travelled to Nay Pyi Taw to attend, and a panel of speakers had flown in from as far as Canada along with experts from the region to share their knowledge, expertise and experience. If senior-level staffers are not even attending such important workshops, where is the credibility that illustrates that policymakers of Myanmar are serious about wanting evidence-based data?

How effective can the subsequent decisions and policies be when the bosses who are always requesting these capacity-building trainings from various donors or development partners are themselves curiously absent?

How productive can these sessions be when some of them are repetitive, demonstrating a lack of coordination and, in some cases, a sense of competition among some of the development partners conducting these trainings?

The real fault stymieing capacity development isnt the participants inactivity, but the lack of interest from the decision-makers and the flawed pedagogical approach. The frequency of these trainings, their target audience and involving trainers with realistic understandings of the staffers constraints should all be harmonised and coordinated among stakeholders. Otherwise all the time and money spent will simply be wasted, creating more confusion for everyone involved.

Most importantly, as long as the top decision-makers are convinced that they are already knowledgeable in making informed decisions based on subjective interpretation of contentious information while continuously leaving the learning and implementation part to others, Myanmar will continue with the blind leading the blind.

Khaing Tun is an independent consultant and interpreter in Nay Pyi Taw.
[May 23, 2016] Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) Leader Sonitor Technologies to partner with Hospital IT and Oslo Medtech to Host IT Solutions Symposium in Norway

Sonitor Technologies, a global leader in real-time indoor positioning technologies, today announced that it will sponsor and participate in an international symposium on building sustainable public healthcare systems of the future. The symposium, hosted by Oslo Medtech (www.oslomedtech.no), a member organization that helps support the development of innovative medical technology and eHealth products and services for the Norwegian and global healthcare markets, will be held on May 24, 2016 at the Oslo Medtech premises in Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, in the Forum meeting room. Globally, healthcare systems face an array of increasing challenges, including meeting the needs of an aging global population and growing number of consumers requiring acute and chronic care. Climbing medical costs are also putting pressure on global healthcare systems, ultimately challenging them to provide sustainable levels of care. There is a growing understanding in the US healthcare market that technologies such as Sonitor's real-time location systems (RTLS) can play a significant role in delivering operational intelligence. This insight can drive efficiencies that improve staff workflow, patient throughput, resource and asset management, and patient safety, all helping to address healthcare challenges today. During this symposium, representatives from European and United States healthcare facilities will share their knowedge and experience in applying innovative health IT solutions such as RTLS to deliver world-class and cost-effective care.



"There are a myriad of health IT applications making an impact on the healthcare system today, and RTLS is certainly one of them both clinically and operationally," said Arne yen, Group President and CEO of Sonitor Technologies. "With a reliable, highly accurate RTLS hardware backbone, hospitals, long term care facilities, and their patients worldwide are benefitting from a growing list of highly productive applications which run on it including asset management, patient and staff workflow, duress and safety, and environmental monitoring to name a few. In this symposium we'll discuss how RTLS is being used today and how it will enable healthcare system of the future to function efficiently to best serve its patients and stakeholders." Success of these applications requires strong integration between the RTLS and best-in-breed software solutions. Hospital IT, led by CEO Flemming Hegerstrm, delivers a software platform that integrates with Sonitor's open integration RTLS to automate and streamline processes. This workflow optimization and process improvement ultimately helps European healthcare facilities accelerate on-boarding of new staff, increase productivity and efficiency and free caregiver time to focus on delivering better, faster care. Hospital IT's SmartSolution platform is seamlessly integrated with leading electronic medical records systems for long term healthcare and hospital facilities.

"We are very excited to welcome such esteemed hospitals and users to our forum, and to hear more about how the innovative technology of our member companies Sonitor and Hospital IT improve operational efficiency, quality and patient experience in US hospitals and elsewhere," said Kathrine Myhre, CEO of Oslo Medtech. "Part of innovating is sharing ideas and experiences, between US and Norwegian hospitals, companies and users, and we are so pleased to provide a platform for this." About Sonitor Technologies Sonitor Technologies' tiered resolution Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), with patented High Definition Ultrasound capabilities, are specifically developed and designed for indoor positioning in complex environments. Sonitor has developed the healthcare industry's most advanced open integration RTLS platform, Sonitor Sense, a wireless system which supports a wide range of applications to make hospital operations more efficient. Sonitor is selected by world-class partners to build industry-leading solutions for global deployment. For more information please visit www.sonitor.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160523006521/en/

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Blended learning is a so-called "

Between the revolving door of the Office of the Emergency Manager and the recent scandal involving kickbacks for principals , a disruption sounds like the last thing the Detroit Public Schools system needs. But

A.L. Holmes, housed in an old brick building located near Hamtramck, the Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport and the I-94 freeway, serves a high-poverty urban population. But over the past four years, the school has become a center of high-tech learning and innovative classroom models. As a result, A.L. Holmes showed consistent improvement, enough to be recognized as a

"When we first started, we had one or two students at grade level, and now we're looking to have 50 percent of the class," says Principal Tammy Mitchell. "We've grown from a persistently low-performing school to a reward school because of our continued growth."

A.L. Holmes Elementary School Principal Tammy Mitchell



Progress has been so steady that parents who have moved their families out of the community still transport their children back to A.L. Holmes, according to Mitchell. "That's huge here, and it has to do a lot with our blended learning program and the growth they're seeing in their children."

Lighting the fire with Matchbook

After receiving a $2.8 million school improvement grant from the State of Michigan in 2011, A.L. Holmes invested in technologynetbooks, iMacs, smart boards and broadbandand contracted

Matchbook is a national nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia that brings blended learning to schools in the bottom five percent of academic performance. A. L. Holmes was its prototype. They're now working with Michigan Technical Academy's charter elementary and middle schools in Detroit and Redford, as well as Merit Preparatory Charter School in Newark, New Jersey.

At the start of the 2011 school year, Matchbook targeted reading and math in A.L. Holmes's third through eighth grades. Students received instruction from online teachers along with the school's teachers.

According to the

As their blended learning methods evolved and adjusted to the school, online teachers were phased out. Holmes turned to the "station-rotation" classroom model, where students were divided into small groups that rotated between computer work, teacher instruction and assignment work. A.L. Holmes then expanded blended learning to all students, K-8.

Leenet Campbell-Williams, former principal of the school and now its blended learning project director, says that growth is still steady. Campbell-Williams and Mitchell agree that there is still a lot of room for improvement, but the tools they acquired are working.

Because of the program's success over the past two years, A. L. Holmes ended its partnership with Matchbook.





Teachers are key



Any digital device with a screen and broadband brings excitement into a classroom full of children. "Today's students are digital learners," Campbell-Williams says.

Campbell-Williams adds, "Removing the teacher is really removing a very important relationship. Even before you get down into some of the mechanics of it all, the drills and the content, it's relational. I think that's another big piece that I hope we don't lose in education."

Better data, better students

Miguel Davis, client solutions director at





Depending on the definition of "blended learning," most schools use some form of it, even if they only incorporate the digital with their students once a week or month.



"I think people would be really surprised with all of the innovation that's happening here in education," Davis says. "Nationally, there are schools doing really neat and interesting things that are getting results for kids."

But what are the benefits of blended learning for at-risk students in struggling urban schools?

"In particular, for schools that have populations that might be multiple grade levels behind, the benefit is getting better student data," Davis say. "It becomes more and more challenging, when you have students at all different levels, to figure out exactly where the gaps are for students, and how to teach to them at their level."

Those data systems provide valuable information to teachers, helping them diagnose and intervene with students who have gone grade levels without filling in foundational gaps they need to be successful.

A.L. Holmes's station-rotation model is one creative example of the ways schools are combating those gaps.

"It opens up the ability of the teacher to work one-on-one or in a small group setting with students, as opposed to being that person at the front of the room who's providing the same message to 30 students at a time," says Davis.

Training the teachers

Campbell-Williams says the evolution of their blended learning model forced the school to help its teachers, in addition to the students, learn new skills.

"Teacher development has become huge here, because not only do they learn technology skills, they learn how to really analyze data," she says.

Data helps find the students who struggle to keep up, and struggling students are easier to work with in small groups.

"Students can get lost in classes with 35 filled seats," says Campbell-Williams. "Low-performing kids shouldn't always stay low, they should move throughout the process."

Campbell-Williams hopes what they've learned in the process can be used throughout the Detroit Public Schools.

"It's a new way to deliver education and is actually a viable solution."

This story is part of a series on online education in Michigan. Support for this series is provided by

Mark Wedel has been a Michigan freelance journalist since 1992. For contact information, visit
A kindergarten headmaster has been sacked after giving children dairy drinks that allegedly made them ill, The Beijing News reported yesterday.

Tan Biyu has been dismissed from her post, said Xichuan Kindergarten, one of 30 kindergartens in Liuzhou City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that gave children beverages that caused a variety of symptoms, including headaches, bellyaches, vomiting and nosebleeds, it reported.

The kindergartens were supplied by Hongri Dairy Farm, and the labels on the containers said they were either milk-based or yogurt drinks, the paper said.

An initial investigation found that Hongri was not licensed to produce milk products, and the company did not respond to questions about its operational practices, it reported.

Tests showed that the products did not contain toxins or illegal additives, but protein levels were lower than normal, according to the Liuzhou food and drug watchdog.

The drinks were tested for the presence of 13 substances, including arsenic, lead, copper and benzoic acid. But parents have called for more detailed tests to check for microorganisms, it reported.

The company produced 10 dairy products and inspectors are investigating a range of possible violations, the paper said.

In the meantime, Hongri will have its license revoked and faces other serious penalties, said officials.
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The Rotary Club of Sunyani Central with their Canadian partners have donated a Blood Bank Refrigerator worth 24,750 to the Sunyani Municipal Hospital.

The Refrigerator was stocked with blood after over 70 students and staff of St. Vitus Technical School at Bakoniaba in Sunyani donated blood.

The presentation was done by the Rotary Club of Sunyani Central president, Mr. Frank Kofi Owusu Debrah and other members.

Mr. Debrah who is also the Planning Officer at the Sunyani Polytechnic said they were motivated by the desire to end the avoidable deaths of patients at the Hospital due to lack of blood.

He told Joy News correspondent, Precious Semevoh that the Club's hope is that the Blood Bank Refrigerator would help to reduce maternal death, deaths from surgery and from accidents by making blood available when is needed.

In a related development, a similar donation was done at the Bechem government hospital few weeks ago.

According to him, they have plans of assisting the hospitals to organize a lot of blood donation exercises to keep the fridge stocked with blood always.

Mr. Owusu Debrah said the Sunyani Central Rotary Club is expecting three more Blood Bank Refrigerators which would be donated to other health facilities in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Receiving the items, the Sunyani Municipal Hospital administrator, Zakariah Yakubu promised to put it to good use and hopes that others will emulate the kind gesture of the Rotary Club. He also called for further support for other departments of the Hospital including renovation of the almost 90-year facility.

Some of the students of St. Vitus Technical School were grateful for the opportunity to donate blood as they felt happy that the blood donated can save a life. They also encouraged other students to help the blood bank by donating more blood.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected]
The Ashanti Regional Police has stepped up patrols in the Kumasi metropolis, Joy News has gathered.

This is in reaction to the recent spate of armed robbery and crime violence in the Metropolis and its environs.

Safety of residents in the Kumasi Metropolis has been threatened following the recent attacks.

On May 20, a police officer with the Regional Police SWAT team was shot dead.

Also, a resident was killed by armed robbers after they trailed him to his house at Ahenema Kokoben.

These incidents and others have served as rude awakening to the Police Administration resulting in a crunch meeting held on May 23 to consider the best way of protecting lives and properties in the region.

At the end, the Regional Police Command decided to set up a new taskforce headed by three senior officers to deal with the incidents of violent crime in the Metropolis.

Speaking to Joy News, Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Police Command, ASP Mohammed Tanko said the current arrangement is targeted at ending crime and its related activities in the Metropolis.

He disclosed, We have resolved to extend our patrols to other places where hitherto we didnt have a patrol especially those places that are very much on the fringes of the Metropolis.

Touching on plans to arrest the growing confidence of armed robbers in Ahenema Kokoben, ASP Tanko said the police command has decided to increase the number of checkpoints in the area.

He also said the number of men who patrol the area has been increased to ensure that enough men are available to handle the robbers.

He disclosed this will come at a cost since officers will have to spend less time in the office and more in the field monitoring the men manning the various checkpoints.
Baghdad (ICRC) -- Fierce fighting is underway around the Iraqi city of Fallujah, raising serious concerns about the well-being and safety of civilians still trapped in and around the city. The situation is particularly worrisome for the tens of thousands of men, women, children and elderly who remain stuck inside the town  the largest in Anbar province  who have already had very limited access to food, water and basic healthcare for the past two years.

Fallujah must not be allowed to become another Ramadi, said the ICRCs head of delegation in Iraq Katharina Ritz, referring to a nearby town that was severely damaged and left scattered with explosive remnants of war after intensive fighting there earlier this year. Clearing Ramadi of explosive weapons and rebuilding its homes and disrupted water and electric systems could take months, if not years to complete.

Civilians must be spared and allowed to leave Fallujah safely, while houses and other civilian infrastructure must not be targeted", Ritz continued. People of Fallujah have already suffered enormously as a result of relentless fighting in the area. Humanitarian agencies must be given access to reach them and provide relief.

The ICRC has been seeking access to Fallujah for months, but has so far not been able to get the safety guarantees and commitment it needs by all parties. It stands ready to provide humanitarian assistance to communities affected by the violence.
South Sudanese government soldiers have carried out a wide range of often-deadly attacks on civilians in and around the western town of Wau, Human Rights Watch said today. Soldiers have killed, tortured, raped, and detained civilians and looted and burned down homes.

The abuses in the Western Bahr el Ghazal region took place during government counterinsurgency operations that intensified after an August 2015 peace deal. The attacks underscore the need for the national unity government to take immediate steps toward accountability for crimes by all warring parties since the start of South Sudan's conflict in December 2013. With all eyes on the new national unity government in Juba, government soldiers have been literally getting away with murder in the country's western regions, said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. The new government should immediately call a halt to the abuse, free all arbitrarily detained civilians, and support the creation of a war crimes court that can investigate and prosecute those responsible, including at the highest levels of authority. Since December 2015, newly deployed, mostly Dinka, soldiers from the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) have attacked ethnic Fertit civilians in villages and neighborhoods of the town of Wau. The abuses have forced tens of thousands of people to flee, leaving villages and entire neighborhoods empty, Human Rights Watch found during a research mission to Wau in April 2016. In the neighboring region of Western Equatoria, Human Rights Watch documented the army's similarly abusive counterinsurgency tactics, also along ethnic lines, in February 2016. A surge in abuses began in late December and continued into the spring, after large numbers of new soldiers from Northern Bahr el-Ghazal and Warrap were deployed in and around Wau. Local authorities told Human Rights Watch that the deployment was part of a counterinsurgency operation against mostly Fertit rebels based southwest of Wau. Human Rights Watch documented numerous killings, most of which were reportedly committed by the newly-deployed Dinka soldiers. On April 9, researchers visiting Wau hospital saw the body of a man whom witnesses had seen soldiers shoot dead, in apparent retaliation for the killing of a soldier earlier that day by civilians. Shortly after the man was killed, the soldiers also killed two brothers and wounded their sister, again in retaliation, witnesses said. On February 18, government forces retreating from combat with rebels outside of Wau fired indiscriminately on civilians in mostly Fertit neighbourhoods, killing at least two men in front of a police station, including a Fertit policeman. Later that day, near the same police post, witnesses said a soldier executed three young Fertit men on the basis of their ethnicity. Soldiers have also unlawfully detained scores of Fertit men for up to five months, without charge or access to legal assistance, in two facilities, one of them within Wau's main military barrack, behind the commander's office. Former detainees told Human Rights Watch that they saw inmates die in detention. At least eight former detainees said they were kept in cramped cells and forced to sleep next to a latrine, exposing them to various skin parasites. Most said they were beaten with electric wires or rubber tubes, often while their arms were tightly tied behind their backs for hours; others reported being given electric shocks. There's a machine they connect you to and it makes your body shiver, recalled a 25-year-old man who was detained for more than three months after he was accused of milling grain for rebels in his village. It has electricity. They took me to the machine and put the wires on me. The soldiers also attacked civilians and committed abuses during operations outside of Wau in December in the villages of Moimoi, Ngumba, and Khorkanda, among others. Witnesses said soldiers attacked, burned, and looted houses and killed civilians, including two elderly women who had been unable to flee before the troops arrived. The soldiers are under the command of Chief of General Staff Paul Malong and two other senior officers - Lieutenant General Jok Riak and Major General Attayib Gatluak Taitai  all of whom also held positions of command over troops who conducted a brutal offensive in Unity state last year. Since late 2015, local authorities, including the governor of the newly created Wau state, Elias Waya Nyipuoch, and community leaders have been reporting the spate of abuses to the army and other national government officials. While the three commanders would have known about the reported abuses since at least that time, they took no steps to investigate them or to prevent further abuses. However, in March, President Salva Kiir sent a fact-finding commission composed of high-ranking officials on a week-long mission to Wau. The commission met with victims and witnesses and with the army, and sought to reconcile communities, according to a member who spoke to Human Rights Watch. But it has yet to submit its findings to President Kiir and the abuses have continued. In a letter to Human Rights Watch dated May 5, the SPLA categorically denied the findings that Human Rights Watch had presented in a meeting  specifically, allegations of indiscriminate killings of civilians, arbitrary arrests or looting and destruction of property. In early May, following months of complaints by community leaders and local authorities and a condemnation of the crimes by United Nations peacekeeping mission, UNMISS, South Sudan's army moved the soldiers out of positions in and around Wau town, residents reported. However, beyond establishing the fact-finding commission, the SPLA and other government authorities have failed to criminally investigate or prosecute the alleged crimes. The new national unity government should ask the African Union (AU) to promptly establish the hybrid tribunal envisioned in the August 2015 peace agreement to try serious crimes in South Sudan. National authorities should also investigate and fairly prosecute human rights violations. The UN peacekeeping mission should also report publicly on the abuses and the government's response. South Sudan's top army commanders need to rein in their forces, thoroughly investigate abuses and ensure that those responsible for abusing civilians are fairly held to account, Bekele said. They should know that they too could face international and criminal sanctions if they don't take concrete action in accordance with the law.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) says that it will extend disaster insurance coverage to more African countries to help transform how they cope with drought and floods  from responding only after disasters strike to managing the risks before.

Investment in early response and risk management are humanitarian finance reforms being considered at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, where WFP announced that an innovation commitment of US$1.6 million from the Government of Denmark will be used to support the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Replica insurance policies.

In order to provide Replica coverage to more countries, WFP will also receive the support of the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, which says that it especially appreciates the role ARC can play in building and enhancing people's resilience to food shocks, in cooperation with governments.

WFP is transforming the way we assist vulnerable communities to cope with natural disasters, from disaster response to risk management, said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin. Countries themselves need to own and manage their disaster risk first and foremost.

Early and predictable response saves lives and livelihoods, she added. Insurance is one of the most powerful ways of helping governments and WFP to respond to the needs of vulnerable people, enabling them to bounce back from shocks.

Transforming how the humanitarian system is financed will not happen overnight. Full replication could take years. From Istanbul we are calling on humanitarian donors to invest in early response. It's a win-win for all, said Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chair of the ARC Agency Governing Board.

WFP helped the African Union to create a sovereign disaster insurance pool, ARC, in 2012. A total of 32 African states have signed the ARC treaty and ARC has insured seven countries over the last two years with coverage of over US$300 million.

For countries that have demonstrated their long-term commitment to this mutual insurance system by renewing their policies for the third year running, WFP will help scale up these efforts by taking out matching policies, replicating the countries' own efforts.

In so doing, WFP aligns its financing and operational response with government-led efforts, doubling the coverage available to vulnerable people. WFP, by supporting ARC's Replica policies, can help ARC insurance reach 150 million people by 2020 and contribute to the Elmau G-7 Climate Insurance targets of 180 million people protected in Africa by 2020. By 2030, WFP aims to have insurance finance for half its overall natural disaster aid expenditures in Asia as well as in Africa.

In addition to WFP, the START Network, a consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations, is looking to launch Replica in partnership with ARC and its member states.

Donor contributions will now allow WFP to pay premiums for replica insurance policies in African countries, allowing the organization to match insurance policies already taken out by governments to respond early to drought and floods and doubling the number of people covered.

Early response makes economic sense. With donor resources stretched to the limit and humanitarian needs only increasing, investing in shifting the humanitarian system from responding late to disasters to one that manages risk and is predictably financed could save billions of dollars a year over time. It could also improve the impact of donor investments as affected countries can increase their own capacity to manage increasing droughts and floods.
INVITATION TO MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

What: African Union High Level Panel on Humanitarian Effectiveness in Africa

Theme: One Africa, One Voice, One Message at the World Humanitarian Summit

When: 24th May, 2016

Where: Istanbul, Turkey

Who: The Department of Political Affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA); United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR); United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons; Intergovernmental Authority on Development and Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

Why: The High Level Panel will provide space for dialogue between Africa's leaders and people, and the wider global community on ways of creating an effective and inclusive humanitarian system.

The African Union will present a Common African Position (CAP) on Humanitarian Effectiveness at the Summit, as its contribution in shaping a future Agenda for Humanity proposed by the Secretary General of the United Nations. The CAP encapsulates Africa Union's (AU) vision on humanitarian issues in line with its Agenda 2063, and represents the voices and concerns of Africa's leaders and people in shaping a future humanitarian architecture.

To deepen dialogue on this vision, the AU will host a High Level Panel on Humanitarian Effectiveness in Africa. The High Level Panel will be convened under the theme: Humanitarian Effectiveness in Africa. The theme underscores AU's Humanitarian Agenda in the next decade and the call by Africa's leaders and that of the UN Secretary General for a future humanitarian system which is effective, relevant and fit for purpose.

Objectives:

The main objectives of the AU High Level Panel on Humanitarian Effectiveness in Africa are to: Announce Africa's commitments on effective humanitarian response in line with the 5 Core Responsibilities announced by the UN Secretary General; and engage the wider global community on Africa's long-term vision on humanitarian issues particularly in addressing underlying structural causes of forced displacement and sustainable durable solutions.

Expected outcomes: In advancing Agenda for Humanity, the African Union will commit to five Core areas:

Commitment to the humanitarian imperative, especially the recommitment to the humanitarian principles and principled humanitarian action;

b) Commitment to humanitarian effectiveness, particularly in ensuring timely protection and assistance of persons affected by humanitarian crises;

c) Commitment of the AU to strengthen the role of States in humanitarian action;

d) Commitments and undertakings of the AU to reform of the humanitarian architecture. In this regard, the AU will seize the opportunity to announce the establishment of the African Humanitarian Agency;

e) Commitments and measures of the AU to put in place predictable financing and alternative resource mobilisation for effective humanitarian response.

Participants:

H.E. Aisha Abdullahi - AU Commissioner for Political and Humanitarian Affairs

Professor Chaloka Beyani - United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

H.E Maya Sahli Fadel - Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa

Dr. James Mwangi - Managing Director Equity Bank/Representative of the Private Sector.

H.E. Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya  Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

Amb. (Eng.) Mahboub Maalim  Executive Secretary of Intergovernmental Authority on Development

Ms. Phaladi Gogontlejang and Ms Esther Muiruri  Youth Representatives

Background: The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, in Istanbul on 23-24 May 2016, is a global call to action by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Summit was called for by the Secretary General of the United Nations during the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, in September 2013, as part of his transformative Agenda announced in 2012. This was in response to persistent failures experienced in the global humanitarian system, as a result of the rapidly changing humanitarian landscape.

To reach a consensus on what such an Agenda would entail, the World Humanitarian Summit consultations were carried out in all regions of the world, Africa inclusive. Based on the recommendations of global consultations, the Secretary General of the United Nations, has released a Report on the World Humanitarian Summit titled One Humanity: Shared Responsibility In the report the Secretary General has called for an Agenda for Humanity, in five Core Responsibility areas, namely; global leadership to prevent and end conflicts; uphold norms that safeguard humanity; leave no one behind; change people's lives-from delivering aid to ending need and invest in humanity.

THE COMMON AFRICAN POSITION ON HUMANITARIAN EFFECTIVENESS

It is with this picture in mind that the Executive Council in its Decision Ex.CL/Dec.817 (XXV), called for a political process to define Africa's priorities and the changes it would like to see in a future humanitarian architecture.

This is not the first time Africa is calling for such changes. Africa's leaders as well as voices of its people and civil society, have reiterated the call for change in the way humanitarian response is carried out on the continent. The Common Position is a reminder of previous calls by Africa's leaders to put mechanisms in place to effectively respond to crises. Indeed numerous measures were deployed in the past, but for a number of reasons, these measures were not well orchestrated. As a consequence, solutions to address humanitarian crises on the continent remained ineffective.

The CAP which has been conceived in wider lenses of Africa's own long-term vision encapsulated in Agenda 2063, underscores need for a new discourse. The new discourse is premised on the conviction that Africa can find own solutions to its own problems.

The Common African Position therefore represents Africa's appreciation and it's understanding of the humanitarian landscape and the required intervention that is necessary for achieving sustainable solutions to humanitarian crises.

The Common African Position, emphasizes the primary responsibility of Member States in humanitarian response. It calls for strengthening of State capabilities particularly in ensuring that States play a central role in providing security to affected populations and relief workers and in guaranteeing humanitarian space.

The World Humanitarian Summit is therefore timely. Africa's leaders as a collective will join the rest of world in shaping a new humanitarian Agenda.

AFRICA'S COMMITMENTS AT ISTANBUL

It was therefore on the basis of this rapidly mutating context and failures experienced in the global system, that it was felt necessary for the African Union to present its case at the World Humanitarian Summit in shaping a future humanitarian architecture.

As underscored by the Executive Council and the Assembly of the Union, time is ripe, it is Africa's moment to orchestrate the long awaited change, to better serve people afflicted by humanitarian crises.

AFRICAN UNION AND MEMBER STATE PARTICIPATION AT ISTANBUL

Therefore, in light of the importance of this first ever World Humanitarian Summit to bring change, Africa's leaders need to be part of this process of change. This is not only for historical purposes but, to unequivocally voice Africa's concerns and aspirations. Africa's attendance at the highest level of the Union, the Commission, Member States and Regional Economic Communities, is therefore crucial.

At Istanbul, the African Union will present its Common African Position on Humanitarian Effectiveness, as its contribution to the Summit. It is of paramount importance that Africa speaks with one voice as called for by the Executive Council and the Assembly.

The Summit will be attended at the highest level of Heads of State and Government. This provides a good opportunity for Africa's leaders to demonstrate solidarity with affected people and join the rest of the world in taking forward the Agenda for Humanity.

Journalists are invited to cover the Event.
The Secretary-General met yesterday with H.E. William Ruto, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya. They exchanged views on the main peace, security and humanitarian challenges facing the region, including recent developments in Somalia, South Sudan and Burundi. They also discussed the assistance of the United Nations to regional efforts aimed at addressing these challenges.

The Secretary-General expressed his concern about the intention of the Kenyan Government to end the hosting of refugees in Dadaab citing economic, security and environmental burdens. He recognized the extraordinary humanitarian role Kenya has played over the years as one of the world's foremost refugee hosting countries, but pointed to the potentially devastating consequences of prematurely ending refugee hosting for hundreds of thousands of people. The Secretary-Generalnoted the upcoming visits of the Deputy-Secretary General and the High Commissioner for Refugees to Kenya which will provide another opportunity to further engage on thisissue.

The Deputy President and the Secretary-General also exchanged views oncurrent developments in Kenya includingpreparations for the 2017 elections. The Secretary-General underscored the need for a peacefulelection process with full respect for human rights.

Istanbul, 23 May 2016
The African Union Commission (AUC) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeepers Training Centre (KAIPTC) have concluded the training programme designed for the human rights observers that are to be deployed to Burundi. The training programme was held at the KAIPTC in Accra, Ghana and was financially supported by GIZ-Ghana.

The KAIPTC is a regional Centre of Excellence for the delivery of training and research in the areas of conflict prevention, management and peace building. The KAIPTC has to date offered over 230 courses in diverse aspects of peace support operations for over 11,000 military, police and civilian personnel. This course was designed by Experts aiming at building and enhancing the capacities of the Human Rights Observers involved in multi-dimensional peace operations to ensure human rights compliance, address human rights violations and mainstream human rights principles and practices.

The special objectives of the course were to enhance participants' ability to understand, identify and apply international legal, policy and institutional frameworks for the promotion and protection of human rights; provide participants with practical skills and strategies to advocate and support the implementation of human rights mandates; and expose participants to the challenges of human rights promotion and protection and equip them with the knowledge and skills required to overcome them.

Amb. Salah S. Hammad, Senior Human Rights Expert, representing H.E. Dr. Aisha L. Abdullahi, Commissioner for Political Affairs, addressed the Closing Ceremony of the Training Programme and thanked the KAIPTC for its efforts to train the African Union Human Rights Observers that are to be deployed to Burundi in conformity with decisions of the AU Peace and Security Council.

The AUC and the KAIPTC discussed ways and means to enhance the existing working relationship and recommended that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) should be signed between the two institutions as a platform to strengthen this important partnership.

The proposed MoU is expected to avail opportunities for cooperation and non-exclusive partnership in the following areas:

Training programmes for the human rights observers for deployment by the AU; The development of a well-designed roster of personnel trained in areas needed by the KAIPTC; Assist the AU in policy development and the provision of resource persons for common programmes in the area of Human rights, rule of law and other peace support operation courses that may be needed by the AU; KAIPTC will develop other training support AU might require.
24.05.2016 LISTEN

One more corruption index in the National Democratic Congress repertoire of siphoning state cash was unveiled in Parliament at the weekend, when it emerged that the cost of the 5.7 kilometre Achimota-Ofankor stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway was inflated from GH40.4 million to a staggering GH128 million.

The original contract was awarded to the China Railway Corporation by the New Patriotic Party administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2008, but the contract could not be executed until the NPP was sent packing from the Castle in the December 2008 polls.

When the NDC took over, the contract was reviewed, sending the contract sum to a whopping GH128 million.

At the weekend, Parliament was dragged into the gargantuan scheme of what Mr. Justice Jones Victor Mawulorm, sitting at the Supreme Court, described as a create loot and share syndrome of this administration, when the Speaker, Mr. Edward Doe Adjaho, chided the Roads and Transport Committee for failing to exercise adequate oversight role in what The Chronicle can conveniently refer to as the Achimota-Ofankor Road scam.

The Speaker said, with such a huge overrun, the committee had failed Parliament and the entire nation.

According to the House, a number of unrelated expenditures ballooned the original cost of the project from GH40.4 to GH128 million. The unrelated expenditure included the purchasing of a BMW seven series saloon car at a cost of US$160,305 for the use of Mr. Joe Gidisu in his capacity as the sector minister at the time.

The car had a comprehensive insurance cover of US$6,672 a year, VAT on it was US$17,424.54, and attracted National Health Insurance Levy of US$3,484.91.

An obviously disappointed Mr. Doe-Adjaho said the usual lame excuse that there was no money to do proper due diligence on the project, before approving the budget for the project, was a lame excuse.

You don't need money to go round to be able to raise the red flag, because, every year, the committee recommends the appropriation of the budget for the ministry, and that in considering the estimates, due diligence could have been done to detect such expenses outside the normal budget.

Like Rip Van Winkle, American novelist Washington Irvings' fictional character, Parliament has slept for too long over this matter. Former Road Minister Joe Gidisu's BMW addition to the cost of the Achimota-Ofankor Road broke out in the year 2011, prompting deceased President John Evans Atta Mills to issue an order for the vehicle to be parked at the Castle, then seat of Government.

Unfortunately for the good people of Ghana, this is not the only time that Parliament has looked the other way when costs of delivering projects have been inflated. Since the return of the NDC to Government House, value for money has become a stranger to the way contracts are awarded, supervised, and executed in this nation.

From Waterville, Africa Automobile, Isofoton, and Woyome, through the former Ghana Youth Employment Agency to roads and school blocks construction, costs have hit the roof with our Honourable Members powerless to act. The Smartty's bus branding episode, and several allegations throughout the country of projects bloating in costs, tells the story of a rotten society.

The Chronicle is unable to fathom why Parliament has not interested itself in the ubiquitous US$250 million out of the US$1 billion Eurobond money that bungling state officials, including Mr. Seth Terkper, Minister of Finance, have deposited in a foreign bank account, and allegedly used to buy treasury bills from the government.

According to the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the amount handed over to Mr. Terkper was the cedi equivalent. Up till now, nobody has been able to establish how much the cedi equivalent of the US$250 was, when it was handed over.

One mystery surrounding the transaction is that Mr. Terkper himself appears not to know that at the time the money was handed over to him it was in cedis.

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that corruption has found a new lease of life under the Mahama administration. The fact that the President himself went on a tour of the regions to account to the people, without talking of the cost components of the projects executed, gives broad hints about the sleaze that has dogged this administration.

Like Rip Van Winkle, Parliament has slept for too long on its job of policing government contracts.

The House has to wake up to its responsibilities to the state, or it would become irrelevant in the fight against corruption.
In general, Chinese people are spending more to get services, and domestic consumption contributed to more than 66 percent of China's economic growth last year. For urban dwellers, it is estimated their spending on services will account for about half of their total consumption by 2020, rising by 2 percent year-on-year since 2014.

To meet their increasing demand for user-friendly services, traditional State-owned manufacturers should put in more efforts to make service-oriented products, such as housekeeping robots, which, in turn, can help expedite the SOE reform during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period.

China also has to raise the proportion of the service sector in the country's foreign trade, which is expected to rise from 12.3 percent last year to more than 16 percent in 2020, as well as break the monopoly that exists in the service sector.

It will take time and forward-looking policies to deal with the structural contradictions and challenges facing the SOE reform. The implementation of certain proposals, such as recruiting managers in a professional manner and according to market norms, is of equal importance to the SOE reform.

The Fifth Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China last year made clear the central government's ambition to develop a mixed-ownership economy by involving State-owned market players. To break fresh ground in this regard, the SOEs need more financial and institutional support to "go global" following the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The author is president of the China Institute for Reform and Development in Hainan province.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
Airtel, the Smartphone Network swept four of the biggest accolades at the Ghana Information Technology and Telecom Awards (GITTA) held at the plush Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel on Saturday 21 May 2015.

The highly competitive industry awards, now in its 6th year, recognizes ICT and telecom industry players for their outstanding performance across different categories.

Airtel Ghana bagged four of the biggest awards  Best Data and Internet Service Provider, Best use of Social Media and Marketing Campaign of the year for its Too Much campaign. Airtel Ghanas CEO and reigning CIMG Marketing Woman of the year was also crowned the telecom CEO of the year for her inspirational leadership that has driven Airtel to become Ghanas fastest growing telecom network.

Best Data and Internet Service Provider of the Year

Airtel Ghana picked the most coveted award  Best Data and Internet Service Provider of the year for its superior internet and data service offering, its leadership in data and digital innovation which, saw the company being the first to launch world class innovations such as free Facebook, bundles on Facebook and dual scratch cards that allow customers to load either data or talk time directly from the same scratch card and for providing exceptional internet experience for its customers. The award also recognised the companys ability to grow its data customer base and leapfrogging to number 3 in data customer market share.

With Mobile voice subscription for the telecom industry peaking at circa 130.97% as at March 2016 (NCA report), industry growth is expected to be driven predominantly by data penetration which stands at about 68.18%. Airtel has over the year under review consistently grown data customers ahead of the industry with customer market share standing at 16.89%.

Speaking to the companys phenomenal performance in data, Jean Claude Domilongo, Airtel Ghanas Director in charge of its Internet Business said, this is a validation of our position as the clear leaders in data and digital innovation in the country. Our motivation has always been to give our customers the best data, digital and internet experience on our network. We have been on this journey with our cherished customers and we would like to dedicate this award to them  for making us the number one telecom company for data and internet services.

Best use of Social Media

Airtel Ghana has consistently led the way in effectively using social media to engage and connect with its customers and followers. The company has the industry largest number of followers on Facebook with more than 624,000 followers. The companys recognition also includes the effective use of social media to provide relevant content that inspires and connects with customers and followers, a proactive strategy to engage with customers, respond to queries and customer complaints in a timely manner.

Airtel Ghana has been recognised previously by Socialbakers as the most social devoted brand in Ghana.

Marketing Campaign of the year

Airtels Too Much through the line campaign was recognised as the Marketing Campaign of the year. This years award makes it two years in a row that the company is winning this category  speaking to the creativity of the Brand and Marketing Communications team at Airtel Ghana.

Lucy Quist crowned CEO of the year

Airtel Ghanas multiple award winning CEO, Lucy Quist, who is also the reigning CIMG Marketing Woman of the year was crowned the telecom CEO of the year for her exceptional leadership, contribution to the telecom industry, her ability to inspire and lead her team to deliver extraordinary results that has transformed Airtel Ghana into the fastest growing telecom company in Ghana and leapfrogging to the number 3 position for data customer market share. The award was also in recognition of her selfless dedication to inspire young people to believe in themselves and to fully realise their potentials.

Since assuming the role of CEO of Airtel Ghana in May 2014, Lucy Quist has led the transformation of the company and refocused her team on delivering exceptional experiences for customers, delivering world class innovations to enrich customers experience and pursing a differentiated strategy that has positively positioned Airtel Ghana for growth. Under her leadership, the company has successfully launched breakthrough innovations and sub brands dedicated to serving different customer segments. During this time, Airtel has become a well sought out employer for young talents, won multiple corporate and CSR awards, and became the most loved brand in the daily lives of Ghanaians.

During the 2015 edition of the awards, Lucy was celebrated with a Special Recognition by the Telecom Industry for her mercurial rise to become the first Ghanaian woman to lead a multinational telecoms company and for shaping industry thinking.

In December 2015, Lucy launched Airtel Ghanas newest CSR initiative  Evolve with STEM  which she passionately leads to inspire belief and empower young people to pursue education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Since launch, the initiative has impacted over 1,000 pupils and inspired many Ghanaians and Corporates to set up other initiatives to promote STEM.

In a brief remark at the awards, Lucy said I am truly honoured to be recognised as the telecom CEO of the year. My appreciation goes to the awards committee and everyone who nominated me for this prestigious award. It has been a great year for Airtel Ghana  a year in which we grew our voice and data customers ahead of the industry and launched breakthrough innovations in data and Airtel Money. At Airtel, our commitment has always been to deliver superior value for customers and all stakeholders and this award is a recognition of the effort we put in every day to make this happen. I dedicate this award to my team at Airtel, who work tirelessly to provide the best experience for our customers. I dedicate this also to our cherished customers for choosing us as their network and to my family for their continuous support and encouragement.

Airtel is Ghanas fastest growing telecommunication network providing superior communication, connectivity and collaborative solutions to all its customers.

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.
From 25 May to 2 June 2016, the Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, will undertake a visit to the five countries of the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger).

This will be his first visit since the establishment of UNOWAS following the merger of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel (OSES), in January 28, 2016. This mission expresses the United Nations commitment to support countries of the Sahel region in the effective implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS).

Mr. Ibn Chambas will meet national authorities of the G5 Sahel countries, representatives of diplomatic corps accredited in the respective countries, as well as officials from the United Nations system.
The Writer

24.05.2016 LISTEN

Every year, thousands of young Africans join an exodus from their families small, often struggling farms in the countryside. Their dream  sometimes fulfilled, often not  is to find a more rewarding and stimulating life in the continents rapidly growing cities. Few return, but even fewer ever completely sever their ties.

Its a complicated connection and one I deeply understand. My own exodus to the city as a young man opened up a lifetime of opportunity that culminated with serving as president of Nigeria, Africas largest economy. But not only did I retain my ties to agriculture, I have now returned to my roots. Im a farmer againat Obasanjo Farms Limitedand Ive never been happier.

Working the land once more has given me a better perspective on two of the biggest challenges facing Africa today: how do we provide employment opportunities to the millions of young Africans, who are the worlds largest population of people under 25 years of age so they can stay in the village and farm? And how do we put an end to the seemingly endless cycles of food crises that are, as I write, playing out again with dismaying familiarity in parts of eastern and southern Africa?

Capitalizing on a $1 Trillion Food Market

Fortunately, more and more Africans like myself are seeing these issues as intertwined. We see agribusiness as Africas biggest opportunity to not only end hunger and malnutrition, but also as Africas best hope for generating income and employment, particularly in rural regions. The World Bank estimates that by 2030, demand for food in our rapidly growing urban areas will create a market for food products worth US $1 trillion. This market needs to be owned and operated by African farmers, African agriculture businesses and African food companies.

But one thing is clear to me as I return to farming: to achieve its potential, African agriculture needs a fresh infusion of innovation and talent.

I have many fond memories of my childhood in a small farming settlement near Abeokuta, the capital of Nigerias Ogun State. By the age of five, I was accompanying my papa to the fields where we grew cassava, maize, plantain, oil palm and other crops. A proud Yoruba man, my father was considered the most successful farmer in our village. While living with few modern amenities, we grew plenty of food, and we enjoyed the cultural wealth of our Yoruba traditions and history.

Ultimately, this way of life was unable to withstand pressures that would soon intensify  population growth, political turmoil, land scarcity and soil degradation.

Embracing Agriculture as a Calling and Career

Today, African farmers need several things that my father lacked but which farmers elsewhere in the world take for granted. We need improved crop varieties developed to resist disease and tolerate drought. We need access to modern inputs, like fertilizers. We need markets where farmers can profit from their labor and thus justify investments in improved production. We need affordable credit that all small businesses require and extension services that help us keep abreast of sustainable farming practices.

But ultimately we need people. Specifically, we need Africas best and brightest to embrace agriculture as a calling and a career.

Recently, I agreed to chair the selection committee for the new Africa Food Prize, an award that aims to recognize outstanding individuals or institutions taking control of Africas agriculture agenda. It started out in 2005 as the Yara Prize. But moving it to Africa in 2016 and rechristening it the Africa Food Prize has given the award a distinctive African home, African identity and African ownership. It is also a substantial award: $100,000 for the winner.

The hope is that the Prize itself and its cadre of winners will signal to the world that agriculture is a priority for Africa that all should embrace. It can call attention to the individuals who are inspiring and driving innovations that can be replicated across the continent.

I sometimes portray my return to farming as coming full circle. But in reality, while I cherish my childhood memories, I dont want to return to the past. I want to be part of the future, where farming in Africa is a lucrative, exciting entrepreneurial pursuit and young people aspire to be farmers because they see talented men and women building a rewarding career in farming and farm-related work.

I hope that the Africa Food Prize quickly becomes a symbol of all that agriculture in Africa can offer and that one day soon, we will see a shift, when young people in urban areas will look longingly to countryside and think: there lies the land of opportunity.

You can nominate someone for the Africa Food Prize here.
24.05.2016 LISTEN

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has said it is unhappy that the Ghana Education Service (GES) tasks external examiners to set the End of Term Examination questions for pupils in basic schools.

It said teachers, head teachers and circuit supervisors must rather be equipped with the necessary skills and expertise to adequately assess the pupils at all levels because it was the surest way to give the pupils quality education and demystify examination in the country.

Mr. Mathew Adjarjah, the head of Professional Development Unit of GNAT, stated GNAT's position at an Assessment Training Workshop at Cape Coast for 120 Subject Teachers, drawn from five regions across the country, at the weekend.

The Association said the practice was an affront to the teaching profession, and it had the tendency of compromising professionalism, therefore, it must be discouraged at all levels.

Teachers don't set questions anymore, we are told that some people bring their own schemes and sometimes those schemes are in conflict with the GES approved ones, GNAT complained.

They have topics that are not in the syllabus and because of that some of the questions are irrelevant to the pupils.

The workshop, organised by GNAT, was aimed at upgrading the skills and knowledge of teachers on Assessment, Processes and Procedures in Writing Good Test items and the Use of the Assessment Results to improve teaching and learning in schools.

The beneficiary Regions are Volta, Eastern, Greater Accra, Central and Western.

Mr. Adjarjah said teachers played very critical roles in the assessment of pupils and the GES syllabus served as guide for them to prepare their planed lessons for the term and set questions at the end.

Therefore, that responsibility must not be taken away from them.

He said it was wrong for external examiners to set questions because they did not consider the peculiar environments of the schools.

Teaching is a profession, therefore, the teachers who are in the classroom must have a say on how the pupils are assessed, he said.

In any case when the required results are not attained, the whole society point fingers at the teacher but in taking the assessment decisions, the teachers are never consulted, he complained.

Mr. Albert Adusei, the Second National Trustee of GNAT urged the participants to make use of the new skills acquired to help improve students' performance and the quality of education in their respective Regions.

The participants were taken through topics such as Test Format; their uses and test planning, Preparation of Test Blueprint, Tables of Test Specification, Test Data Analysis and Uses and Utilisation of Test Results.

Some of the participants who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said the practice showed that the GES did not have confidence in its teachers, but they were competent enough to set the examination questions.

They said some teachers were becoming lazy as a result and appealed to the GES to consider ending it in the interest of the pupils and education in the country. GNA
Following the conclusion of the first round of the Dialogue, UK Special Envoy to the African Great Lakes, Danae Dholakia, said:

I strongly welcome the resumption of the internationally mediated Burundi Dialogue in Arusha from 21-24 May facilitated by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa. I congratulate President Mkapa for his clear and even-handed approach, which has provided a strong foundation on which to build. As the President noted in his closing comments, there were some key opposition and civil society representatives who were, for one reason or another, not able to attend. I commend his initiative to hold a further consultative event with opposition and civil society voices unable to come to Arusha, and his commitment to doing this in the next two weeks.

I fully agree with President Mkapa in urging all sides to participate fully in this process, in the spirit of negotiation and compromise. For the sake of the people of Burundi, swift progress is essential. I strongly welcome his desire to hold the next full dialogue session in the week commencing 16 June. No party should seek to block or slow down this momentum. In particular I strongly support President Mkapa's call for everyone to give this dialogue a chance to succeed by ceasing all armed and political violence. I sincerely hope that all parties can reach an agreement which provides the basis for sustainable peace and security in Burundi, built on the strong foundations of the Arusha Agreement. The UK stands ready to support the attainment of that goal.
24.05.2016 LISTEN

My lack of affection for the NDC Government is nothing new. I don't like their policies, I don't like the lying and I don't appreciate the lack of foresight. To cap it all, I don't believe in social democracy, whatever it means.

I well and truly do not think much of the President and the person who used to be my buddy and very good confidant when he was deputy minister has turned coat and become the least respected financial person in my closet of professional associates.

I have said many times before that this Government will never fix dumsor.

There are congenital liars in the NDC Government. There are NDC persons whose first statements in any situation is to spin a lie and then blame it on the collective failure of the people of this country. And it is always someone else's fault, never their policies and programs.

As I sit in darkness again writing this, I wonder why I should not start a massive campaign with dumsor in centerfold, letting the people of this country understand that this incompetence is an acquired skill.

Our Government is incompetent to perfection. Nothing anybody can say or do will convince me otherwise and our ministers and executive are a mess of Ananse story tellers.

I don't want a continuous power crisis in my life, so please join in and let's rid this country of this political party for the last time.

Let dumsor turn around and make a beeline for some other country's grid and let the NDC government leave this office and never show its face here again.

Here is what has occupied my mind all week. I didn't write this but I was educated after I read it. I am passing it on with permission.

There are two fundamental problems with the EC's position. The first is that they are stretching not automatically void to absurd and illogical conclusions to suit their ends. The basic question is whether those NHIS registrants are lawfully on the register, whether their registrations were automatically void or not. The only reasonable interpretation of that statement by the court is that the registrations were voidable because of certain unique circumstances, notably the fact that they were made under a law deemed valid at the time.

They would have been automatically void if the used documents that the law didn't allow at all, like a birth certificate or baby-weighing card. However, the court having previously declared the use of the cards unconstitutional, the registrations cannot be said to accrue any rights at all. Robert Clegg is simply wrong on that point.

The simple reason is that in order to accrue rights under article 42 you must establish that you qualify to register. No matter how anyone looks at it, those who used the NHIS cards to register have not established qualification and therefore cannot have acquired any rights capable of maintenance. How does the use of a void card give anyone any rights?

The accrual of rights argument is poor and does not take into proper consideration, the constitutional precondition to the acquisition of those same rights.

The judgment is clear that the presence of the NHIS registrants on the register makes the register not credible or accurate. I would go on to say that a true and proper interpretation of the 2014 judgment would mean that the presence of those names on the register is unconstitutional even if the whole register is not. This is why the court ordered their removal and the court could do so because the order was consequential upon the judgment of 2014 as well as the declarations of 2016!

.

The second problem with the EC's position is this reliance on the court's statement that the legitimate way to treat those NHIS people is to have them removed by established legal processes and the court's affirmation of the EC's independence.

On those bases, the EC is saying that they are to determine how to remove those names with reference to their known processes. This is also a flawed argument. First of all the court also affirmed its power to correct the EC when it goes wrong notwithstanding its independence. This point is such a key feature of judicial review jurisprudence that it need not be debated.

Now, if we look at the processes in place for the EC to delete names, which the EC itself refers to as the Exhibition and challenge process, where can it be said that the situation of the NHIS registrants may properly be dealt with? The court says delete and give opportunity to those who qualify to register again. Where in the current law does it say when a name is deleted that person must be given the opportunity to register again? Nowhere!

This is because a category of persons constituted by the NHIS registrants was not contemplated by the law. I am referring to Ghanaians who otherwise qualify but used the NHIS card to register. If you are a foreigner or a minor or dead person and your name is deleted you cannot have any opportunity to re-register as contemplated by the Supreme Court order (b) for obvious reasons. So clearly there is no current EC process that allows total compliance with the orders of the court. Clearly then, the court, when referring to legitimate legal processes could not have been referring to those existing processes. It's a fallacy to claim otherwise. Rather, the lawful processes would include orders of the Supreme Court under article 2(2). Does the EC have power to delete names from the register?

The answer is yes, following a review of a challenge by the EC itself or a third party. My contention is that if it is a power the EC has under law, whether statutory or constitutional, then the Supreme Court can order the EC to do so.

As an aside, let's remember that under article 45(a) of the constitution, the EC is empowered to revise the register at such periods as may be determined by law. Let's also remember that the Supreme Court's orders constitute law.

Now, under the relevant constitutional instrument, the EC can delete names following a review and the court has done such a review through the proceedings in this case and has come to the conclusion that notwithstanding any good faith registration under a law that was then in force or whatever, the continued presence on the register of the NHIS registrants is not proper. I would argue, is unconstitutional because it is clearly inconsistent with the constitution even if the whole register is not thereby rendered unconstitutional. Having completed its review of the registrations of that category of persons, the court now says EC should go and delete those names pursuant to its powers under article 2(2). The court never ordered the EC to go and do so using its so-called existing legal processes.

That would be absurd especially since those processes would clearly not achieve the aim of the orders. I have already demonstrated why this is so. My view is that the court declined to say that the NHIS registrations were not automatically void (emphasis on the word automatically) because to do so would put the 2012 elections in jeopardy and the court had to skillfully find a way around that, in spite of all the previous relevant authorities holding the contrary view. It has nothing to do with any accrual of rights!

We must always bear in mind that this case is a constitutional case involving interpretation and enforcement of constitutional provisions. It is not about the enforcement of the EC rules under constitutional instruments. The reliefs granted and orders made were only in respect of the constitutional issues before the court and the court has spoken.

If the law upon which the registrations were based is void, how can the registrations and the cards have any legitimacy? This position flies in the face of the courts own jurisprudence in a long line of cases, which the principles of equity cannot overcome.

However, in this case, the court says the continued presence of such names on the register is unreasonable and renders the register not reasonably accurate or credible and has therefore ordered their deletion

Bye bye NDC.

Ghana, Aha a y din papa. Alius atrox week advenio. Another terrible week to come!

Sydney Casely-Hayford, [email protected]
Ahead of the Wold Health Assembly African Ministers of Health met on Saturday and adopted key health policy instruments that will provide the strategic direction for the continent for the next fifteen years. These health policy instruments were finalised by Member State Health experts meeting in Addis Ababa in April this year for consideration by health ministers.

I am confident that the Africa Health Strategy will provide the strategic direction that is needed to create better performing health sectors and address the major challenges impeding our efforts to reduce the continent's disease burden said Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, the Commissioner for Social Affairs at the African Union Commission.

The revised African Health Strategy provides the overarching superstructure to address Africa's broad health and development agenda in the next 15 years. To strengthen health systems the strategy addresses issues related to health financing, governance and improved multi-sectoral partnerships. The framework also refocuses service delivery, community empowerment and seeks to expand social protection to address equity. The blueprint also prioritises human resources for health, commodity security, regulatory and support environment for provision of quality medicines and technologies, disease surveillance and disaster management.

I commend the increasing role played by the African Union Commission in positioning health at a very high level on the continental agenda. These health policy instruments are important reference frameworks for addressing the unfinished agenda of the MDGs and for meeting the new SDG agenda said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the Regional Director for Africa, World Health Organisation.

During the meeting the Ministers of Health also adopted the Maputo Plan of Action (2016-2030) and the Catalytic Framework to end AIDS, TB and Eliminate Malaria in Africa by 2030. The revised Maputo Plan of Action provides a framework for the full implementation of the continental policy framework on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. The action plan seeks to catalyse the expansion of contraceptive use, reduce levels of unsafe abortion, end child marriage, eradicate harmful traditional practices, eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls and ensure access to services by young people.

The Catalytic Framework provides a business model for investing for impact to end AIDS, TB and Eliminate Malaria in Africa by 2030. The framework focusses on three strategic investment areas, each with clear catalytic actions. These areas are health systems strengthening, generation and use of evidence for policy and programme interventions and advocacy and capacity building.

During the meeting the Ministers of Health adopted the concept document on the establishment of the African Health Volunteers Corps which will operate within the umbrella of the recently established Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Through this dedicated Corps the Africa CDC's capability to assemble, equip, and mobilise a deployable roster of volunteer medical and public health professionals will be assured. This will ensure rapid and effective responses to public health emergencies to Member States and address matters of global concern including health impacts of natural disasters and humanitarian crises.
Stan Dogbe

24.05.2016 LISTEN

Assault on a journalist by presidential staffer, Mr Stan Dogbe, murder of radio broadcaster George Abanga and the absence of Right to Information Law are among key factors that have led to Ghanas drop in the latest global world press freedom ranking by the US-based Freedom House.

In a statement, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) notes that for ten years now Ghana has remained one of two or three countries on the African continent rated as having a free press freedom environment. This ranking has always reflected extremely positively on Ghanas reputation in the global community as far as press freedom is concerned.

But in its recently released ranking for 2015, Ghana has been downgraded from Free to Partly Free. In a report that extensively cites MFWAs work, Freedom House notes that Ghanas decline in ranking is as a result of stepped-up attempts to limit coverage of news events and confiscation of equipment; increases in violence directed at journalists by the police, the military, political party members, and ordinary citizens.

Other reasons for the decline, according to the report, are violations against journalists that went unpunished by the state; inaction by the President on a petition by 155 journalists on the attack by his staffer on a journalist; and attacks on journalists by political party activists and security forces.

The report also cited censorship attempts through a Content Authorisation Law by the National Media Commission; and directive of the Information Services Department (ISD) requiring journalists working with foreign media organisations to seek approval from ISD before filming and after filming, submission to the ISD for approval before filming. Also cited is the power crisis that had a heavy toll on media businesses in the country.

This decline in press freedom ranking comes after MFWA had warned about increasing incidents of press freedom violations and the possibility of such trends affecting the countrys ranking.

The MFWA urges the government, security agencies and political parties to act in ways that fosters press freedom and protects press freedom. The MFWA wishes to also remind President Mahama about the petition submitted by the Foundation and 155 journalists to which he has since not acted on. We also call on journalists to adhere to professional standards and safety principles in the discharge of their duties.

The full report on Ghanas ranking can be accessed here.
Geneva (AFP) - Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom on Tuesday launched his candidacy to lead the World Health Organization, insisting it was time for an African to occupy the key UN job.

"The fresh view we can bring from our continent and the perspective of a developing country can help improve the global health situation," Tedros told reporters in Geneva, as he announced his desire to succeed WHO chief Margaret Chan of Hong Kong when she steps down next year.

Tedros, a doctor by training, highlighted the experience he acquired during his seven years as Ethiopia's health minister until 2012, when he implemented widespread reforms that among other things allowed the country to slash its infant mortality rate by two thirds.

He also said he had held top international health jobs and helped guide the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria through far-reaching reforms.

The 51-year-old said that uptil now global health had been seen "from the rest of the world's perspective only", adding: "But as you know, Africa and many of the developing countries carry most of the burden," he said.

"It's time for a director-general who has lived some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today, as I have lived in Africa."

His candidacy has the unanimous backing of the African Union and Tedros is among the first to officially throw his name into the hat.

Former French health minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has also been campaigning for the post in Geneva this week on the sidelines of WHO's main annual assembly, and Pakistan has thrown its weight behind the candidacy of former health minister Sania Nishtar.

Candidates have until September 22 to join the race and next May the WHO will elect the winner, who will take the over as director-general in July 2017.
An Afghan man reads the news of Taliban leader's death on a local newspaper in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, May 23, 2016. U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed on Monday that Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was killed in a U.S. airstrike. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

The killing of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour has created new doubts about the future of peace in Afghanistan. Mansour was killed in a drone attack deep inside Pakistan's Balochistan province while reportedly driving a rental car. He was apparently eliminated for opposing the peace and reconciliation efforts in the war-ravaged country. But it is unclear how his death will help usher in peace in Afghanistan, when it could easily add to the existing confusion, making the achievement of peace and stability a distant dream.

The killing of Mansour came after last week's meeting of the four-nation Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), comprising Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the U.S., in Islamabad to explore ways to bring Taliban and Afghan representatives to the negotiating table. The group has pinned hopes on Mansour to deliver peace, as he was leading the group when the first direct talks with Taliban were held in July last year in Pakistan. However, Mansour failed to deliver. Instead of opting for peace, to show his power as a chief of a militant organization, he not only distanced himself from the talks but also increased attacks inside Afghanistan.

It is not known if the QCG group in the last meeting discussed or approved any policy to act tough with the Taliban in order to force them into peace talks. The other possibility is that the U.S. would have decided to deal with rebels in its own way, by bypassing the other partners. The attack is a major departure in U.S. policy, as the country rarely targets senior Afghan Taliban leaders living in Pakistan.

The Americans have shown their intentions. President Barack Obama said in Vietnam that Mansour was a hurdle in peace in Afghanistan and also responsible for several lethal attacks on the coalition forces and Afghan civilians. The implied meaning of Obama's message is that all militant leaders opposing the peace process will be targeted in future. This policy will get support from the Afghanistan government, which wants to eliminate the militants instead of sharing powers with them through any peace agreement.

The removal of Mansour will delay the start of any peace talks for an unspecified time. For the Taliban, there are more pressing issues aside from dialogue with the government. They will have to tackle the issue of succession first. There are reports that the rebels' council is holding consultations and a new "Emir" or chief will be chosen soon. But the problem may not end with the selection of a new chief, as he would have to win the support of all factions and field commanders before thinking of talks.

The Taliban have set certain pre-conditions for a dialogue, such as the implementation of Sharia law and the expulsion of all foreign troops. As the conditions cannot be fulfilled immediately, it will become difficult for the new leader to sell the idea of talks to the hardcore fighting cadres. It is likely that the new chief will try to speed up attacks in order to show that he was no less ferocious than his predecessors.

Pakistan's position has also become critical. The most important aspect is how to respond to the first-ever U.S. drone attack in its Balochistan region. The popular belief that it has clout over the Taliban and can force or coax them to join the peace process is also under scrutiny. There is growing skepticism about Pakistan's capability and intentions to deliver peace in Afghanistan due to the growing influence of India in Kabul.

Pakistan's prestige and position has been weakened after the killing of the top Taliban leader on its soil. There could also be domestic backlash after the attack, as opposition, media and civil society groups may demand answers from the government and the powerful army about the violation of its sovereignty.

The killing of Mansour also demonstrates the American sense of frustration in Afghanistan. After years of military and diplomatic efforts, the situation has not improved. The killing of Mansour may lead to a set of unintended consequences, such as the rise of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. It would be nightmare for everyone if the Taliban started joining Da'esh due to further fragmentation of their movement. Any such scenario will complicate the already fragile security situation in Afghanistan.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
24.05.2016 LISTEN

The Excellent Leadership Group (ExLA Group) under the auspices of the ExLA Group Gender Programme (EGGP) has officially launched an event website for the Young African Women Congress (YAWC) on Tuesday 24th May, 2016 in Accra, Ghana ahead of the upcoming Young African Women Congress scheduled for July 4-8 this year.

The website, www.yawcafrica.org is solely meant for the activities of the Young African Women Congress (YAWC) which is an annual programme by the Gender desk of ExLA Group.

The launching of the website officially marks the commencement of registration for the congress and will among other relevant purposes, serve the general public with event details of the YAWC 2016 including details of registration, confirmed speakers, promoters, schedule of congress activities as well as sponsors and partners.

YAWC 2016 will bring together 450 young educated women between the ages of 20 and 35 years from different countries on the African continent. It is scheduled over a 5 Day span featuring well renowned women leaders, educationists, feminist activists, politicians, artists, entrepreneurs and corporate executives across the African continent. Each day comes in at least three segments (Keynote Addresses, Group Discussions and Plenary Sessions) to address the subject tabled for the congress.

The Young African Women Congress (YAWC) 2016 takes off in Ghana from the Monday 4th to Friday 8th of July 2016 on the University of Ghana, Accra - Ghana under the theme: The Modern Woman Leader; Revising the Status Quo. Each delegate is required to pay a subsidised participation fee that will take care of her accommodation, feeding and other expenses.

Visit www.yawcafrica.org for more information and registration.
The new policy by the United Nations (UN) that requires countries contributing troops to UN Peacekeeping missions to pre-finance their operations will not hamper the Ghana Armed Forces peacekeeping effort, a senior military officer has told Myjoyonline.com

The Director of Studies at the Ghana Armed Forces Staff and Command College, Col. Irvine Nii Ayitey Aryeetey, has explained that the policy is beneficial to countries participating in UN Peacekeeping operations.

With the system we are operating now, the UN will show you what items to bring into the operational area. You get those items and they reimburse you. We [Ghana] were one of those who first started this system, he said.

According to Col. Aryeetey, Ghana was already using the system in its peacekeeping missions, except in Lebanon, where the system is still being changed.

In the past, the United Nations provided all equipment and logistics needed for peacekeeping operations and participating nations only had to send only personnel.

One good thing is that when we use that equipment and the mission closes down, we bring them back home to use, Col. Aryeetey said of the new arrangement. Now we are in Mali. We are using our own equipment. Once that operation is over, we shall bring the equipment back home, he said.

He said parliament and the government of Ghana understood the new system and were cooperating very well. He said the new system would not in any way hamper Ghanas peacekeeping operations.

The Peace Operation Module, he explained, is part of the curriculum of the senior division course of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff and Command College. It is a three-week course, which is supposed to train middle level officers, their counterparts in the other security services and other affiliate institutions in the preparation, planning, and management of peace operations at the operational level.

Participants of the module this year are made up of 65 students of the college, from 11 African countries who are on one year course; 26 participants from outside, 50 weekend masters students who are doing peace operations as their elective subject.

A section of participants

He said the 26 participants from outside are made up of personnel from the police, prisons, the Ministries of Defence and Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the media and UN agencies.

The Deputy Minister for Defence, Mr. Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, urged participants to take the course seriously.

I am duly informed that the Peace Operation module will culminate with an ECOWAS Combined Joint African Exercise (CJAX) from 6-10 June, 2016, the aim of which is to train you the participants to acquire practical skills needed in a joint, multinational and interagency environment in order to develop a better understanding of the challenges involved in planning peace support operations, he said.

The Commandant of the College, Air Vice Marshall Issifu Sakib Kadri, used the occasion to show appreciation to CDH Financial Holdings for its support to the support it has given to the college, especially in the area of ICT.

The Group Chief Executive of CDH Financial Holdings, Kwadwo Adu-Sarkodie, CDH had over the years committed itself to supporting the college because it values the contribution of the college and the armed forces in the promotion of peace in the country and beyond.

As a business, we know the value of peace. Without peace, we cannot do business, he said. He said his board and management were happy with the fact whatever they gave to the college was put into good use.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
24.05.2016 LISTEN

By D.I. Laary, GNA

Accra, May 24, GNA - Two University of Ghana Student Groups have signed partnership agreement with the Samuel Wellington- Botwey (SWEB) Foundation to support persons with disabilities.

The AIESEC branch of the University, signed up a deal package worth about GHa19,000 to cover engagement of international interns and promoting initiatives, such as SWEB brand ambassadors, campus events, and time with SWEB geared, towards helping the foundation tackle disability concerns and raise funds.

The Leadership of ENACTUS, in a separate move, also agreed in a deal to support the Foundation with technical assistance to achieve its core objectives under a Mushroom Project hailed as MUSHLIFE, to enhance conditions of persons with disabilities who are directly involved in the project.

Both groups champion excellent leadership development and entrepreneurial action to transform economies and improve living conditions.

The organisations, in the Memorandum of Understanding setting out the working arrangements, agreed that each of the partners are necessary to complete the Foundation's Mushroom Project and also project initiatives by SWEB to alleviate the plight of disabled people in Ghana.

'By this Memorandum, we agree to work together in the true spirit of partnership to ensure that there is a united, visible and responsive leadership of the Project and to demonstrate the financial, administrative and managerial commitment to the project,' Mr William Dennis, President of Enactus, said.

He said the Group would provide the requisite training, marketing plans and monitoring techniques to ensure the successful completion of the Mushroom project, aiming to engage many youth with disabilities.

Executive Director of SWEB Foundation, Mr David Norden Botwey, expressed gratitude to the Students' leadership for partnering with the Foundation to deliver public service to disabled persons, who were largely marginalised and excluded from many important national issues.

He appealed to corporate organisations and individuals to support the Foundation in varied ways to mitigate physical, social and economic barriers challenging persons with disability in the country and to ensure an inclusive society where nobody was excluded from benefiting from national resources.

Under the agreement, SWEB Foundation would use AIESEC's global internship programme to bridge its human resource gap by getting access to innovative and young talented individuals to help carry out its development agenda.

The Foundation would be provided with 20 international English speaking interns from across 126 countries to work for six months to one year, while the brand ambassadors would be the face of SWEB's services and promote its 10-K Patrons initiative on campuses.

The 10-K Patrons Project is an initiative by SWEB, aimed at recruiting 10,000 individual and corporate donors to support the activities of the Foundation to carry out projects and programmes to mitigate barriers facing persons with disability.

It is to position SWEB as a top brand Ghanaian disability-focused institution among AIESEC's global network of partners and other competitors as a firm supporter of entrepreneur and innovative leadership development of youth with disabilities.

AIESEC is a global youth network that provides young people with leadership development and cross-cultural internship and volunteer exchange experiences across, with a focus to empower young people so they can make a positive impact on society.

It was originally an acronym for Association Internationale des Atudiants en Sciences Aconomiques et Commerciales but today it is no longer used as an acronym but simply as the name of the organisation.

ENACTUS is also is an international youth organisation that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilise university students to make a difference in their communities, while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders.

GNA
By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA

Kumasi, May 23, GNA - The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) has condemned what it says is the resort to lies, deception and tribal politics by the ruling party and its supporters.

It said it found it ridiculous that anybody should engage in such shameful ploy in their desperate bid to hold on to political power.

A press statement signed by Mr. Enoch Kobby Amoako Gyimah, KNUST-TESCON President, in Kumasi, said it was important to recognize that students were discerning and would not be swayed by such pranks.

It stated that the group had faith in the students and that they would make the right judgement on voting day.

The statement mocked the government over alleged attempts to claim credit for on-going improvement of roads at the university campus.

The group aligned to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) said this was being done by the University's Administration.

Reports in the social media that the government was implementing that project was completely false and must be disregarded.

Again it said it was untrue that the university hospital was also built by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government as their rivals in the Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) would want Ghanaians to believe.

GNA
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Britain has granted a political refugee status to Maldives former President Mohamed Nasheed, his lawyer Hassen Latheef told Xinhua on Monday.

File photo shows Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed addressing a virtual press conference in Male, capital of Maldives, on Nov. 24, 2010. Mohamed Nasheed announced resignation in a televised speech on Feb. 7, 2012 following overnight protests and demonstrations. [Xinhua]

Nasheed, who was sentenced to 13 years in jail last year on charges of terrorism, left for Britain in January to undergo an urgent back surgery.

The Maldives government said the former president had signed an undertaking to return after his treatment and had left his brother to act as a guarantor.

A government spokesperson told Xinhua from capital Male that they had heard of Britain's decision but would refrain from commenting further at the moment.

"We have heard about Britain's decision and will be discussing it," the spokesperson said.

A criminal court sentenced Nasheed to 13 years in jail last year on charges of terrorism, which Nasheed said was an act of political revenge by the present government.

Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said the trial, which lasted less than three weeks, was "blatantly politicized" and was widely criticized in the Maldives and abroad.

His party said Nasheed was repeatedly denied legal representation and the right to appeal.

Nasheed was elected into office in 2008 and in February 2012, he was ousted in a coup.
business Nirma joins race to acquire Lafarge's India assets: Sources French cement maker Lafarge has been looking to sell its 11 million tonne cement assets in India. It had shortlisted companies like Piramal GRoup, JSW Group and Cemex, learns CNBC-TV.
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Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang (R) shakes hands with U.S. President Barack Obama in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, May 23, 2016. Obama arrived at Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi late Sunday night, kicking off his first visit as U.S. president and the third consecutive one by a U.S. president to Vietnam since the two countries normalized ties. [Xinhua/Yan Jianhua]

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and visiting U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday adopted a joint statement on advancing bilateral comprehensive partnership.

During talks held after welcoming ceremony, Quang affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance and desires for stable, extensive and effective development of Vietnam-U.S. relations, reported Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA.

Obama, for his part, said he will urge the U.S. congress to adopt the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as well as pledge to support Vietnam through robust technical assistance and capacity-building programs to effectively implement and meet the high standards of the TPP.

The two countries resolve to focus on fostering cooperation on economics, trade, investment, science and technology, human resource training, and climate change, reported VNA.

The two sides agreed to continue further cooperation on dealing with war legacy, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Vietnam welcomed the U.S. government's decision to fully lift arms embargo on Vietnam, said VNA.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a series of economic deals.

Also on Monday, the visiting U.S. president met with General Secretary of Vietnamese Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

At the invitation of the President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang, Obama is touring Vietnam from Monday to Wednesday.
The more property investors you have in a market, the harder it is for property values to go up. This might seem strange at first.

When investing in property its not too dissimilar from investing in stocks. When looking at potential stocks to buy, you be interested in looking at their financials. This means youd be looking at things like earnings, debt, price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios, among many others.

And its the same when it comes to property. But instead of financials, you might look at vacancy rates, distance to the CBD, and the surrounding amenities. However, theres one huge difference that applies to property and not stocks market. And thats the level of investors.

The more property investors you have in a market, the harder it is for property values to go up. This might seem strange at first. If there are more buyers and demand is higher, wouldnt prices go up?

But if there are more property investors in the market what happens? The Australian Government starts by channelling more money to building more dwellings (mostly apartments). This not only increases the supply of property (causing prices to stagnate or decrease) but it also gives the construction industry more jobs.

So effectively its a win-win-lose scenario. First home buyers have the benefit of property price stagnating, so they can save up for a deposit. Construction workers get jobs. But property investors have to sit and wait longer for property prices to appreciate. And many times they sell out for a loss.

Therefore, you wouldnt to buy when there are a lot of investors; prices would take years to appreciate.

How Stock Investing Compares to Property

Now lets put this in contrast to stock investing. When it comes to stock investing, the more investors the better. It creates liquidity and volume, which can help you get in and out of positions.

But, generally speaking, a large amount of investors in the property market arent desirable. Despite that, Australias largest landlord lender, Westpac Banking Corporation [ASX:WBC], recently lowered the deposit needed for investors.

Instead of providing a 20% deposit, Westpac and St. George have decreased this figure to 10%. This means investors can now obtain loan-to-valuation ratios (LVR) of 90%.

The reason why theyve lowered the deposit requirements is obvious enough. They want to be more competitive. And maybe decreasing the amount for an investment deposit isnt so bad after all.

Banks are now increasing their strict regulations on overseas investors. For example, if a foreign buyer wishes to buy Australian property, they can only buy off the plan or new. And in addition, their deposits have been raised to 30% in some cases.

This means their LVR is 70%, which could put off many investors by the sheer amount of cash needed. Hence decreasing the amount of overall investors.

Yet I want to make it clear that Im not suggesting that the Aussie property market is overvalued. There are pockets within the Melbourne and Sydney markets that are in need of a correction. However, on the whole there are plenty of opportunities out there to get great properties at par or below market value.

All you have to do is research, just like when you invest in stocks. You wouldnt simply buy a blue chip stock just because you believe itll go up. Look what has happened to BHP Billiton [ASX:BHP]. If you bought five years ago, youd be down 58% on your investment.

So why do the same thing when you buy property? Study the area, do your research, and in the long term youll be rewarded.

Harje Ronngard,

Junior Analyst, Money Morning

PS: Most people think great deals in Aussie property are already all gone. This is the worst attitude to have. Why would you take financial advice from a friend or something a self-proclaimed guru told you?

Instead why not do your own research and take control of your financial future. But where do you start?

If youre interesting in property then check out Money Mornings property expert, Callum Newmans report Australian Real Estate Game Plan. In Callums report hell tell you the eight letter word that really drive property values. Its the ultimate guide to help you start your future property plan, and its free!

To get your copy of Callums report, click here.
The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.
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Authority of the Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of Boko Haram's chief bomb maker by his colleagues in one of their camps in the Sambisa forest.

The group's bomb maker was shot while trying to flee their camp, Col. Sani Usman, the Army spokesperson said in a statement reaching Xinhua.

He said the slain terrorist was a high ranking officer in the command structure of the group.

According to Usman, his killing is a major breakthrough in the clearance and rescue operation by the Nigerian military and confirmation that all is not well within the Boko Haram terrorists camp.

The military spokesperson said the bomb maker, apart from his high status in the command structure of the Boko Haram terrorists, was one of their capable hands involved in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

He was appointed after the demise of their chief scientist called Abu RPG who has been killed long ago in one of the operations conducted by the troops.

The bomb maker was killed by one of the body guards of their leader, Abubakar Shekau, as he was about to run away because of the intensity of military "Operation CRACKDOWN."

Usman said one "Julelebeeb" who was appointed to take over as the new bomb expert for the sect was also reported to have gone blind.

According to Usman, his two eyes were shattered by shrapnel, in the process of preparing an IED to consolidate his appointment as the sect's new bomb expert.

Usman said the development would impact negatively on the terrorists' capacity on IED preparation, suicide bombing and their ability to sustain their criminal acts.

He said troops were continuing with the clearance and rescue operations successfully in order to completely clear Boko Haram terrorists wherever they might be hiding in Sambisa and environs.
Police are circulating a surveillance photo of a suspected beer thief in hopes of finding the two suspects who allegedly assaulted a store clerk during the heist Sunday night.

About 7:30 p.m. May 22, two men walked into Safeway, 235 Tennant Station, and stole multiple cases of beer, according to Morgan Hill Police.

As the two suspects exited the store, they were confronted by a Safeway employee, police said. They dropped the beer and punched the clerk in the head and face several times.

The suspects eventually fled the scene in a white PT Cruiser, according to police.

Detectives were able to get a photo of one of the suspects from inside the store just before the crime occurred. Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information about this crime can contact MHPD Det. Fernando Del Moral at (669) 253-4964.
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The Egyptian armed forces killed 13 militants during raids against militants' hideouts in the country's restive North Sinai province on Monday, a military spokesman said.

Weapons, ammunitions and landmines were found at the site, and three cars and two motorcycles belonging to the militants were destroyed in the attack, according to a statement.

The forces also found 100 barrels full of explosive materials and five bags of ammonium nitrate.

Egypt has been facing a growing number of anti-government terror attacks since the military ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and later blacklisted his Muslim Brotherhood group as a terrorist organization.

Most of the attacks have been carried out by the Sinai-based "Sinai State," an offshoot of the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Increasing terror attacks have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers nationwide, which led the army to launch a substantial anti-terrorist operation in Sinai, killing so far hundreds of militants.
Brazil has taken a battering. Hurt by negative sentiment over political turmoil and weak oil prices, the country has had a torrid few years. But emerging market specialist Carlos Hardenberg of Franklin Templeton does not believe this is the end for the Latin nation. He thinks Brazil will generate sustainable returns over the long term, and that there are plenty of opportunities to choose from other than oil related stocks.

Hardenberg, manager of the Templeton Emerging Market Investment Trust (TEMIT) said while the recent crisis in Brazil had hurt the country substantially, the pessimism was also a driver to allow the government to push through necessary reforms, which had not done in the past because everything went so well for a long time.

They have to stay competitive; they have to make sure entrepreneurs stay in the country; therefore they have to introduce necessary reforms, says Hardenberg.

One large advantages in Brazil is it has three million engineers and entrepreneurs of European-descent who are very innovative, according to Hardenberg. And unlike other emerging markets, he praises Brazils independent legal system that functions well and an independent press, helping to monitor the government policy effectively. In Brazil they have developed a competitive airline. They also do a lot of technology in automobile and they are constantly making their industry competitive, says Hardenberg, Another blessing is that they do have natural resources. They have kind of the best things from both worlds. Opportunities: Mid-caps and Technology Moving away from large blue-chip emerging market companies, Hardenberg and his team are upping exposure to mid-cap companies and companies that are able to develop sustainable technology advantages. Alternative sources of technology and cars is a sector he sees potential for growth in the future  and prices are coming down as there is more competitive, making it more attractive to invest in. We found a company in Brazil that is developing filter system particularly for automobile sector. Thanks to contagion from the VW emissions scandal they become competitively cheap. They are doing very well at the moment, Hardenberg says. He also invests in a company in similar sector Korea that enables battery-driven cars to have a balanced cooling system. Another area that Hardenberg likes is e-commerce, saying: We are investing in a company which is the largest in Latin America and they have various business models. eBay (EBAY) in fact took a 90% stake. Tony Cousins, chief executive and chief investment officer at Pyrford holds a different view, saying Asia excluding-Japan is the opportunity in emerging market. He particularly likes Malaysia and Taiwan as they have current account surplus and factories construction keep expanding. 2015  A Year of Underperformance Hardenberg admitted the trust underperformed last year thanks to a failure to exit the commodities selloff on time, losing investors 23% in 2015. Long term things look better however; the trust has a 6.3% 10 years annualised return while it has generated 9.9% year to date. The trust is trading at a discount of 13.1%.
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Alexander Van der Bellen, winner of Austria's presidential election, speaks to press in Vienna, Austria, May 23, 2016. Alexander Van der Bellen, an independent candidate but backed by the Green Party, was elected as Austrian president in the election, gaining only slightly more votes than the right-wing candidate Norbert Hofer, Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka announced on Monday. [Xinhua/Qian Yi]

Austrians rejected a possible right-wing president in the 2016 presidential election.

Alexander Van der Bellen, backed by the green party was elected to be the next president by a narrow margin, according to Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka's announcement on Monday.

In the neck-and-neck race, Van der Bellen got 50.3 percent of the ballot, only 31,026 votes more than Norbert Hofer's 49.7 percent votes. The intense breathtaking presidential election was closely followed in Austria and abroad.

Van der Bellen was born in Vienna in 1944. His grandfather was a politician who once lived in Russia but left the country with family to settle in Austria.

In 1976, he was appointed associate professor at the University of Innsbruck and then became professor of economics at the University of Vienna.

Van der Bellen started his career as a politician by joining the Social Democratic Party (SPO), but he switched to the green party, became its chief, then resigned after the September 2008 election.

In 2010, he became commissioner of the City of Vienna for Universities and Research.

Van der Bellen is the first environmental activist to become Austrian president, and will be the first president of the state since WWII not backed by mainstream political parties.

Austria's president is seen as a ceremonial role but swears in the chancellor and can dismiss the cabinet -- powers not been used by presidents since the world wars.

Meanwhile, Norbert Hofer, the youngest candidate of the election from the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), conceded defeat.

Hofer said in his Facebook account: "I will remain loyal to you (the public) and make a contribution to a positive Austria. Please do not be discouraged, the use of this election campaign is not lost but an investment for the future."

Current Austrian President Heinz Fischer joined numerous domestic and international leaders and officials in congratulating his successor Alexander Van der Bellen.

Fischer said he is convinced the former Greens party leader will meet the challenges he will face in his new role.

"A main component of this will be to both unite and to represent all Austrians, particularly where differences of opinion are to be found," he said, adding he "absolutely" trusts Van der Bellen to be able to do.

Fischer invited Van der Bellen for talks on Tuesday. The official handing over of office between the two will take place on July 8.
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.

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.
While the flow of overseas money into Canadas real estate markets does not appear to be ceasing any time soon, a recent analysis published in a Chinese publication actually revealed a more circumspect approach among foreign investors.



In a breakdown piece for the South China Morning Post, Zeppelin Real Estate Analysis managing director Stephen Chung noted that the influx of foreign funds belied the amount of thought that Chinese nationals put into their investments.



Overseas buyers do not necessarily have sales volume and prices in Canadas most in-demand citiesnamely, Vancouver and Torontoas their primary considerations, Chung said.



Despite the cost, this does not mean their real estate is riskier than most, or more over-valued than most, he stated.



The mortgage rate trend is the key. If mortgage rates remain (historically) low, the real estate market might continue to survive or even thrive, but watch out for QE trends and changes, if any, Chung advised would-be investors.



The executive of the HK-based consultancy added that the risk of a bubble burst, which is dependent on the income-to-mortgage-payment ratio, should not discourage Chinese nationals from considering Canadian markets.



The risk is there but not evenly distributed. British Columbia and Ontario occupy the first and second top risky spots, with the former a long way ahead, Chung said.



Based on a 75 per cent mortgage payable over 30 years at 2.5 per cent and taking into account household income and income tax, there is not much to be concerned about  save for British Columbia where mortgage payments as a percentage of household income before tax stand at about 36 per cent, he explained. Post-tax, this rises to 49 per cent. Other provinces and territories appear reasonable.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Grandmas cholesterol is OK, but maybe the doctor should be asking about her social life, too.

Think about health during the senior years, and a list of common ailments pops to mind. But thats not the whole story. New research suggests factors such as loneliness and whether theyve broken any bones since middle age also play a role in the well-being of older adults.

In fact, layering on that extra information better predicts whether a seniors next five years will be fairly robust or whether theyre at higher risk for death or disability than just focusing on what chronic diseases they have, researchers reported Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Aging is not a linear process of wear and tear, said University of Chicago biopsychologist Martha McClintock, who led the study. Its a different way of thinking about aging.

Using a government study of 3,000 middle-aged and older people, the researchers compared the medical conditions that doctors look for in the average check-up  blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, cancer  with information about psychological health, mobility, hearing and other sensory capabilities, and additional characteristics of day-to-day functioning.

Of course having a cluster of serious diseases and being frail can mean a greater risk of death. Having uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure was particularly risky on top of other illnesses.

But factoring in the extra harder-to-measure characteristics showed some seniors with chronic diseases actually were more likely to survive the next five years than their medical charts indicate. And about half who by disease diagnoses alone would be considered healthy really were more vulnerable to decline, the study found.

Those extra factors are harbingers, theyre canaries in the coal mine of some biological processes that are aging, said McClintock, who hopes the findings spur policymakers to focus more on these other nondisease conditions of aging.

The work may help redefine how doctors determine older patients vigor and quality of life, said Dr. John Haaga of the National Institute on Aging, which funded the research.

We really have to look at more than the collection of diagnoses that they have. Weve got to look at some of these life circumstances and really ask a few questions about mental health, about recent events, that will help trigger more watchful care, he said.

Among the findings:

Poor mental health, which affects 1 in 8 older adults, makes people more vulnerable to certain illnesses. The researchers werent measuring a diagnosis of depression, long known to complicate overall health. Instead, they asked whether people feel lonely, if theyre socially isolated, if they have trouble sleeping, if theyre anxious or stressed or have low self-esteem.

Why did that matter? Separately, McClinton has studied the biology behind social isolation in rats caged separately or in groups, and found the loners got more aggressive breast cancer sooner, with a worse prognosis. The isolation triggered physiologic changes  hormones that overreacted to the stressors of everyday life, and differences in fatty breast tissue that supported the growth of cancer cells.

Breaking a bone any time since age 45 is a marker of future health problems. Thats surprising, and needs further study, said NIAs Haaga, adding that meanwhile its something doctors might consider.

A broken hip during the senior years has long been known to send patients on a downward spiral. But this study implicated long-healed fractures of any type as early as middle age to poor health later on. Those breaks might be an early signal of bone-thinning osteoporosis, or the beginning of balance and muscle problems that increase the risk of later frailty, Haaga speculated.

Good mobility  no trouble walking quickly or getting up from chairs  is one of the best indicators of well-being. Indeed, prior fractures were a risk for poor later mobility.

Obesity seems to pose little risk to seniors as long as theyre otherwise in good physical and mental health  without the diabetes or heart disease that so often accompanies extra pounds. Haaga noted theres controversy about whether being overweight in the senior years is helpful.

Sensory function  problems with hearing, vision and smell  also plays a role in seniors vulnerability. McClintock said it contributes to social isolation, mobility and nutrition.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Whether a strict Texas voter ID law should be struck down, upheld, or, perhaps, adjusted is now up to 15 federal appeals court judges.

The full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday about the law, which requires voters to present one of seven specific forms of photo ID to cast a ballot.

The state and other supporters of the law say it prevents fraud. Opponents, including the U.S. Justice Department and civil rights groups, say in-person voter fraud is extremely rare and that Texas' law discriminates by requiring forms of ID that are more difficult to obtain for low-income, African-American and Latino voters.

It was unclear when the full court would rule. Last year, a three-judge panel of the court upheld a district judge's finding that the law was illegally discriminatory in its effect. But a majority of the full court decided to re-hear the case.

The three-judge panel's ruling wasn't a full victory for the law's opponents. It rejected parts of the district judge's ruling, finding, for instance, that the law didn't amount to an illegal "poll tax." And the panel told the lower court to re-examine the question of whether the bill was passed to purposely discriminate against minority and low-income voters.

Such questions were back on the table at Tuesday's hearing, with Janai Nelson, of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, saying the law was passed during a legislative session rife with race-tinged debate on illegal immigration and that it resulted in a bill that requires IDs that black and Latino voters are less likely to have.

Texas' solicitor general, Scott Keller, said there is no proof of any discriminatory intent in the law's passage, or that it has affected voter registration or participation. Chief Judge Carl Stewart said there is evidence that some individual voters' rights were abridged, but Keller said that the evidence was insufficient to warrant overturning the law.

A recurring issue in the hearing was whether the law could be saved if judges find that there was no discriminatory intent behind the law, but that it nevertheless had some discriminatory effect. Although several states' voter ID laws have been upheld by the courts  arguments Tuesday often centered on Indiana's  opponents of the Texas law, and some of the judges, noted that the other states allow use of a wider variety of IDs, including college student IDs and federal and state employee cards, among others.

"Why didn't the Legislature just do that in the first place?" Judge Catharina Haynes asked at one point during discussions on whether the law should more closely follow laws upheld in other states.

Lawyers for Texas argued in briefs that the state makes free IDs easy to obtain, that any inconveniences or costs involved in getting one do not substantially infringe upon the right to vote, and that the Justice Department and other plaintiffs have failed to prove that the law has resulted in denying anyone the right to vote.

Opponents countered that trial testimony indicated various bureaucratic and economic burdens associated with the law  for example, the difficulty in finding and purchasing a proper birth certificate to obtain an ID. A brief filed by the American Civil Liberties Union cites testimony in other voter ID states indicating numerous difficulties faced by people, including burdensome travel and expenses to get required documentation to obtain IDs.

Despite being struck down by a federal district judge in 2014, the law has been enforced in recent elections. The initial decision came so close to Election Day that a 5th Circuit panel allowed it to be enforced that year to avoid voter confusion.

Just last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal to stop Texas from enforcing the law pending the current appeal. But the court said it could revisit the issue as the November election approaches.

The three judges who ruled on the law last year were chief Judge Carl E. Stewart, nominated by President Bill Clinton; Haynes, nominated by President George W. Bush; and U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown, an appointee of President Barack Obama who was on temporary assignment to the appeals court.

The full 15-member court includes 10 judges nominated by Republican presidents and five nominated by Democrats.
WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP)  A judge has sentenced a North Texas woman to six years in prison for neglecting her disabled adult daughter and keeping her in a large crib in filthy conditions.

The Wichita Falls Times Record News (http://bit.ly/1syQJkO ) reports that a district court judge on Monday sentenced Robin Payne. The Wichita Falls woman was accused of leaving her daughter in a feces-smeared crib while cashing the young woman's Social Security checks.
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.
'Our focus is to stabilise cedi' ...
Obama: Vietnam making economic progress, still lagging on religious freedom 24 May, 2016 by Staff , |

HANOI (Christian Examiner)  On his final visit to Asia, President Barack Obama praised Vietnam's economic progress and played up its shared security interests with the United States as China flexes its military muscle in the waters off Vietnam's coast.

Obama pledged during an address before an audience in Hanoi to provide additional equipment and training to the Southeast Asian nation's Coast Guard and lift the ban on weapons sales to further enhance security  both actions evidence of a fully normalized relationship between the two countries once locked in war for nearly three decades.

"In the South China Sea, the United States is not a claimant in current disputes. But we will stand with partners in upholding core principles, like freedom of navigation and overflight, and lawful commerce that is not impeded, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, through legal means, in accordance with international law," Obama said.

"As we go forward, the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and we will support the right of all countries to do the same."

But Obama said Vietnam, in spite of its rising middle incomes, increased educational opportunities and decline in infant mortality, still has progress to make. While Obama said "no nation is perfect" and rattled off his list of perceived problems in the U.S.  racism, income inequality, bias in the criminal justice system and big money in politics  he pointed to Vietnam's lagging record on human rights.

Unlike President Ronald Reagan or more recently George W. Bush, who both spoke of human rights and freedom abroad, President Obama also dislocated the discussion of rights from the accompanying American ideals ensconced in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. Instead, he pointed to the United Nations as the model for human rights.

"I've said this before  the United States does not seek to impose our form of government on Vietnam. The rights I speak of I believe are not American values; I think they're universal values written into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They're written into the Vietnamese constitution, which states that 'citizens have the right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and have the right of access to information, the right to assembly, the right to association, and the right to demonstrate.' That's in the Vietnamese constitution. So really, this is an issue about all of us, each country, trying to consistently apply these principles, making sure that we -- those of us in government -- are being true to these ideals," Obama said.

In particular, Vietnam has the greatest distance to travel in the areas of free speech and religious liberty, the president said.

Obama said free speech "fuels the innovation economies need to thrive" and helps create new ideas. He also said it allows candidates to run for office on open platforms, which in turn gives the people a voice in governance.

Religious liberty and the right to associate freely, he said, are also important.

"When there is freedom of religion, it not only allows people to fully express the love and compassion that are at the heart of all great religions, but it allows faith groups to serve their communities through schools and hospitals, and care for the poor and the vulnerable," Obama said. "And when there is freedom of assembly  when citizens are free to organize in civil society  then countries can better address challenges that government sometimes cannot solve by itself."

Obama said upholding human rights is not a threat to society, but creates stability and stokes progress.
Advanced GI surgeon Dr. Alex Rosemurgy has zero tolerance for hospital infections with his patients.

Patients with cancer who get an infection are less likely to be cured of their cancer, Dr. Rosemurgy said.

That vital fact has lead Dr. Rosemurgy and his partner, Dr. Sharona Ross, to launch new strategies to reduce infections at Florida Hospital Tampa.

We changed the air handling system, we changed the way we bring people into the hospital, we changed the pre-operative process-- like the way patients prep themselves, Dr. Rosemurgy said.



Instead of testing patients to see if they have MRSA (a serious antibiotic resistant infection) when they arrive at the hospital, this new protocol essentially assumes every patient will have it and has them follow a preventive protocol.



Night Before Surgery

Before surgery, every patient gets a prep kit with a protocol to follow the night before surgery. First, they have to swab their nose with iodine. Then, they must rinse their mouth with an anti-microbial agent, and finally, wash down their bodies with that same antimicrobial agent, three times before the operation.



I was so comforted, because Ive seen hospitals have serious problems with germs, said patient Genny Pavlovic, who is being treated for pancreatic cancer. Germs are relentless and this just made me feel so reassured.



Pavlovic has had an infection, in the past, at another hospital and says it made everything more difficult. She was happy follow this protocol the night before surgery to help prevent that from happening again.



Its totally, totally, important, she said, and totally easy.



Keeping Patients Warm

Another new protocol being implemented involves keeping patients warm before and during surgery.



We have them warm in the pre-op holding area. They wear full length jackets. The intent is to get their body temperatures up before going into the OR, Dr. Rosemurgy explained.



Once in the often chilly operating room, special blankets are used to keep a patients body temperature at normal or a little above.



White blood cells and the cells involved in fighting infection dont work if theyre cold, Dr. Rosemurgy said. Its like when you get an infection when you get sick. Your body temperature goes way up. You get a fever, right? The reason your body does that is to kill the bacteria, before it kills you.

Impressive Results



The results of implementing the new infection control procedures for Dr. Rosemurgys and Dr. Rosss patients have been impressive, particularly for complex pancreatic cancer.



We were able to reduce the infection rate by more than 50-percent for patients with bad problems, like pancreatico-duodinectomies, Dr. Rosemurgy said, adding, It was already half of the national standard, but we brought it down by another half.



For some less complex cases, the results were even better: no infections for an entire year.



Chasing Zero

That led to a hospital-wide program called Chasing Zero.



We want to have no infections anywhere, for anybody, Dr. Rosemurgy said.



Besides improving patient outcomes, the Chasing Zero program also revealed an added benefit: getting patients more involved in their own care increased their satisfaction.



I think its really wonderful. Its completely reassuring, Pavlovic said.

Immune Enhancing Drinks



Dr. Rosemurgys team is also implementing another new protocol they hope will help to lower infection rates and improve outcomes even more. Patients are being asked to drink immune enhancing drinks five days before they come to the hospital. Once they arrive at the hospital, theyre also given drinks high in carbohydrates to help their glucose metabolism while theyre under anesthesia.



Cost of Hospital Infections

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 1.7 million patients get a hospital acquired infection (HAI), each year.



Dr. Rosemurgy says the Chasing Zero infection control procedures cost the hospital about a hundred dollars a patient, but end up saving a lot more. Most importantly, of course, it helps to save lives, but financially, it also saves the cost of treating patients who acquire infections, which can be quite high. On average, the cost of treating a patient with a hospital acquired infection runs about $25,000.



In addition, hospitals nationwide now face financial penalties if their infection rates are too high. As part of a national effort to reduce hospital acquired infections, the CDC is collecting data from hospitals on several common infections-- including bloodstream and urinary tract infections. Hospitals that fall short of benchmarks must pay fines. Click here to see recently released results.



And click here for CDC data and statistics on Hospital Associated Infections (HAIs):




A 10-year-old Palm Bay boy was in his bedroom asleep when a car slammed into his home, narrowly missing him.

A car slammed into a Palm Bay home on Dallum Avenue

The car nearly hit a 10-year-old boy

Driver charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident

The accident happened at 2 a.m., Monday, along Dallum Avenue.

I heard a loud bang, and the next thing you know the wall imploded, says homeowner Glenn Whelpley.

Whelpley was about to turn in for the night when his quiet house got really loud.

Car was right here, car was in my house, he described from the hallway.

A vehicle with headlights blaring had smashed right through the front of the home, just feet away from his 10-year-old son, Danny, who was jolted out of a deep sleep.

I heard his voice and told him to stay in bed, Whelpley tells News 13. He said it's kind of like This is exciting, Dad. I'm like No, our house just got run over.

Palm Bay firefighters arrived and were able to get to Danny after he waited quietly inside.

Whelpley says a ditch in the front yard slowed the vehicle down.

If that ditch wasnt out there and it was a straight away flat run, Im sure she would have gone through the whole house, he says.

I was half asleep, then you hear a big BOOM! neighbor Cornel Chambers tells News 13.

Chambers says the driver then backed out of the home, then backed into the truck in the driveway and then sped off.

We heard all these tires spinning. Then we saw her shoot across the street, he says.

Police said that 50-year-old Paige Oak was the driver of the vehicle, where she drove through another yard and smashed into another parked car.

Police were able to catch Oak after a brief foot chase.

Oak stood in court today and is being held on a $100,000 bond for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.
A woman and 5-year-old girl have been identified as the victims killed in crash on Florida's Turnpike that shut down the northbound lanes Wednesday.

5-year-old girl, 25-year-old passenger killed in crash

Rear tire separated, SUV struck guardrail, FHP says



Some passengers not restrained were ejected, troopers say

Rebekah Pollard, 25, and Esibel Varona, 5, were killed in the accident that happened on the northbound lanes of the Turnpike at mile marker 250 in south Orange County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Pollard was not wearing a seat belt, and Varona was not in a child safety seat, troopers said.

According to the FHP, a 2005 Chevy SUV driven by Nicole Varona was traveling north on the Turnpike just after 11:30 a.m. when a rear tire separated.

The vehicle lost control and struck a guardrail. Two passengers were ejected from the SUV, and a car hauler behind the SUV ran over the passengers, according to the FHP.

Nicole Varona, 26, Leonel Cobo, 26, and Emilia Varona, 12, incurred serious injuries. The adults were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Nicole Varona and Emilia Varona were both not wearing seat belts, and it's not known whether Cobo was wearing one, troopers said.



A 3-year-old passenger, Kaley Pollard, was not hurt. The children were taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

The driver of the car hauler also was not hurt.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent was beaten to death in Mexico this week after three Mexican men he befriended and drank with learned he was a federal agent, Mexican officials said.

Mexican officials told the Arizona Daily Star the body of 23-year-old U.S. Border Patrol Agent Jorge Luis Salomon was found Wednesday near a small town about 40 miles south of the border, his head smashed repeatedly with heavy rocks.

Two men were in custody and three others were being sought Thursday by U.S. authorities, said Susan Herskovits, an FBI spokeswoman in Phoenix. She told the Associated Press the FBI was assisting the investigation being led by Mexican state and federal police.

Mexican authorities had in their custody 18-year-old Francisco Javier Rosas Molina, and they continued to search for three others. The three men are Jose Arturo Arreola Lopez, 20, Jesus Cesar Abusto Villa Villareal and Edna Yardis Montoya Medina.

The Sonora state prosecutor in Cananea, Saul Ballesteros, said Salomon had apparently met Rosas Molina earlier this week near the border at Naco.

"He struck up a conversation and began a friendly relationship, giving him a ride and spending several hours drinking and talking with him and some of his companions," Ballesteros told the Star.

Salomon had told Rosas Molina that he was an agent, but later told the young man's companions he was a construction worker, Ballasteros said.

"That's when Rosas Molina identified him to the others as a Border Patrol agent, and that appears to be the reason that they killed him," said Ballesteros.

Salomon was beaten and his head bashed repeatedly with rocks. His Ford pickup was stolen along with other belongings, including a gold chain and medallion, said the prosecutor.

A passer-by discovered the body early Wednesday and notified Mexican police. Later, police tips led authorities to Rosas Molina, who had the agent's truck and medallion, said Ballesteros.

Ballasteros said that Rosas Molina has admitted involvement in the slaying.

Ballesteros said there isn't any evidence to suggest Salomon was involved in drug trafficking or people trafficking.

Border Patrol spokesman Rob Daniels said Salomon joined the Border Patrol in late 2000, and was stationed in Naco, Ariz.

Salomon was buried Thursday in Naco, Sonora, where his mother and father live.

Jorge Luis Salomon Sr. said his eldest son had always dreamed of being a law enforcement officer and worked hard to become an agent.

"I wasn't happy about it, but it's what he wanted," the father said as he followed the hearse carrying his U.S.-born son's body. "I have always been very proud of my son, of all of my sons."
With Unity in the Community, Plainview will mark Juneteenth 2016 with a two-day celebration on June 17-18, with a parade, picnics and other activities.

This years celebration marks the 151th anniversary of the day -- June 19, 1865 - at the conclusion of the Civil War, when Union soldiers lead by Major Gen. Gordon Granger landed at Galveston. In addition to bringing news that the Civil War had finally ended, Granger announced that all blacks in Texas and throughout the newly restored nation were free.

Grangers General Order No. 3 simply read, The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with the Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.

Juneteenth started out as an information holiday celebrated in Texas, but through the years it spread to neighboring states and its now observed throughout the United States.

In Plainview, its an annual celebration which has been held each year for almost two decades.

This year, activities begin Friday, June 17, with a hamburger cookout sponsored by Atmos Energy. Grilled by Atmos Energy employees, the hamburgers will be served free of charge beginning at 5 p.m. at Givens Park.

On Saturday, June 18, events will begin with the traditional Juneteenth Parade at 10 a.m. Participants are asked to be at the old Furrs Supermarket parking lot at Second and Broadway no later than 9 a.m.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and move north on Broadway to the Santa Fe Depot, jog one block west along 12th Street, and continue north on Walter Griffith Street before disbanding at Givens Park.

A program will follow at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, following the parade, in the open-air shelter at Givens Park. After welcomes offered by various city and county officials, Justice of the Peace Sheron Collins will be keynote speaker.

A picnic and other activities, including food and activity booths, begin at 1 p.m. in Givens Park.

As part of its effort to help educate local and area residents about the history and heritage surrounding Juneteenth and the black community, the Plainview Juneteenth Committee has been taking orders for special T-shirts showing this years theme, Unity in the Community. Those shirts will be sky blue with white lettering.
The documentary, Letter from Italy, 1944: World Premiere Performance, has received two Emmy Award nominations. The movie was created by five-time Emmy Award winning filmmaker Karyl Evans, of North Haven.



Letter from Italy, 1944: World Premiere Performance is introduced by actress Meryl Streep and addresses the timely national issue of post-traumatic stress disorder. It follows the story of a soldier, Dr. John K. Meneely Jr., a doctor trained at Yale Medical School who served as a medic in the elite 10th Mountain Division during World War II. He returned home to his family from war in Italy with PTSD.



His story is told by his daughters, both Connecticut residents, Grammy-nominee Sarah Meneely-Kyder, who wrote the oratorios lush musical score, and poet Nancy Meneely, who wrote the lyrics. The musical drama is presented by the GMChorale, a 100-member choir based in Middletown, and its artistic director, Joseph DEugenio, along with soloists and an orchestra.



 Press Release






PLAINVILLE  Doris Kannenberg has been named grand marshal of the towns Memorial Day parade on Monday



The 85-year-old Korean War veteran was named marshal by the local American Legion.



Doris is the perfect person to have this honor, said Scott Saunders, vice chairman of the Town Council and chairman of the parade committee.



Kannenberg grew up in New Britain and spent time living in Southington before settling down in Plainville. Her four brothers had previously joined the service and wished her good luck when she did the same in 1953.



I wanted to learn something new, she said.



Kannenberg, who had been working at General Electric, said her interest in airplanes led her to enlist in the Air Force. A few female friends, who were supposed to also enlist, backed out.



I took the oath and said, now what did I do?  she said.



Kannenberg spent most of her time in the service entering information into IBM machines, which were relatively new. She went through basic training and traveled around the country. She met actor Robert Taylor in Colorado and also spent time in Utah, Nebraska, and Texas.



I went to places I never thought I would go before, she said. It was quite a life.



Though her three years in the service brought her unique adventures, they were also filled with uncertainty.



I never knew what was going to happen, she said.



Kannenberg returned to GE in 1956. She later started a family and became a member of the American Legion.



The parade will step off at 9 a.m. on the corner of Whiting Street and Main Street and will end at Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of Whiting Street and Maple Street.



Kannenberg will say a prayer and lay a wreath at the Korean War monument. Essay winners from the town schools will read their submissions about the meaning of Memorial Day.



Kannenberg says that if she were young enough, she would join the service again.



People have to know that service personnel are working hard to keep the peace, she said. They come from everywhere.






WALLINGFORD  Dozens of local police and fire personnel will be attending funeral services for Auburn, Massachusetts, police officer Ronald Tarentino Jr., who was shot and killed on duty last weekend. Tarentino is the brother-in-law of Carm Ticino, a 30-year veteran of the Wallingford Police Department.



The death of any police officer is certainly a grim reminder of the dangers of our occupation, but when it hits that close to home, certainly it means a lot more, said Wallingford Police Chief William J. Wright. Were just trying to wrap ourselves around (Ticino) and his family now and support him where we can.



Wright will be traveling with 30 of his officers to attend Tarentinos funeral services this week, along with officials from regional police and fire departments.



Tarentino was fatally shot early Sunday morning in Auburn, Massachusetts by Jorge Zambrano during a traffic stop. Tarentino was 42 years old with a wife and three children.



Zambrano, 35, was shot and killed 18 hours later in a shootout with police which left one state trooper injured. Zambrano is reported to have a lengthy criminal history and has been arrested multiple times since being released from prison in 2013, where he served seven years for drug trafficking and assault and battery on a police officer, among other charges.



Wright said Ticino and Tarentinos wives are sisters.



They were very, very close. Carm is very much a family person... He often spoke of (Tarentino) and the work he was doing up in Massachusetts, Wright said. If Ron is half the guy that Carm is, than it just magnifies the loss, and Im certain that is he from how highly Carm spoke of him.



Ticino works to train other officers in the Wallingford Police Department. He has a crucial role in the department, according to police spokeswoman Lt. Cheryl Bradley.



He wears many hats here in the police department, Bradley said. He works basically wherever hes needed.



Wright also spoke highly of Ticino.



Carm has been a member of the Wallingford Police Department for 30 years. Hes highly regarded. His title is our training officer, but certainly hes much more than that. He has his hands in just about everything thats going on, Wright said. Our condolences and our sympathies to his family and officer Tarentinos family and certainly the Auburn Police Department. A sad case, terrible.



Ticino left Sunday to be with family in Massachusetts. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.



A wake for Tarentino will be held Thursday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Josephs Church in Charlton, Massachusetts. Funeral services will be on Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Josephs with burial following at the Greenville Baptist Church Cemetery in Leicester, Massachusetts.



Donations in Tarentinos honor can be made to the Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr. Memorial Fund, c/o Savers Bank, 38 Auburn St., Auburn, MA.



Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.



ltauss@record-journal.com 203-317-2231 Twitter: @LeighTaussRJ






Courtesy photo

InCube Labs of San Antonio has been awarded a $10 million subcontract to work with the University of Pittsburgh on developing an implant that could improve or restore bladder function in patients who have suffered spinal cord injuries.

The funds awarded to InCube are part of a U.S. Department of Defense contract awarded to the University of Pittsburgh. The amount of the universitys overall contract hasnt been publicly disclosed.
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Toddlers are able to two-step to their hearts' desires in a miniature version of New Braunfels' Gruene Hall, recreated to include its historic aspects and, although tiny, is fit for fun.

A family from Bellville, near Houston, contracted Lilliput Play Homes to build a kiddie replica of the hall for their daughter, the Pennsylvania company told mySA.com.

Stephen Chernicky, owner of the play house business, said he worked with the Quinn family throughout a four-to-five month planning process to draw up "Grace Hall" to ensure the likeness between the 140-square-foot version and the original.

RELATED: Disabled Texas boy's Make-A-Wish ask for wheelchair-accessible tree house granted

Grace Hall was completed in 2015 and Chernicky said out of the hundreds of unique and elaborate playhouses he has built to date, the Bellville product is one of his favorites.

Walking away from that playhouse, I thought it was one of the cutest weve done, he said.

Chernicky explained that Lilliput Play Homes are caricatures.

We take the most interesting features and incorporate them into playhouses, he said.

Creating the replica version involved including rustic elements of the historical site, which has not changed physically since its establishment in 1878, according to GrueneHall.com.

RELATED: Take a look inside this tiny home built for San Antonio Spurs' Matt Bonner

The facade of Grace Hall includes a replica sign and elongated, rectangular windows for tot-eye views. The country scene is pulled together with a water tower, emblazoned with the name Grace."

The interior features furniture built from weathered, reclaimed wood, faux plank walls, a Texas flag on the ceiling, imitation hardwood floors and a stage with a mural backdrop for the Quinns to boot scoot and boogie.

Lilliput Play Homes operates out of McMurray, Pa. but is able to ship worldwide and the Lone Star State is a popular spot for business. The starting rate for these kinds of homes is $4,000 and up, Chernicky said.

RELATED: The tiny 'Tot Rod' trend is putting kids in miniature slammed, classic cars

LilliputPlayHomes.com offers a variety of pre-designed homes, which are packaged with instructions for assembly by the customers as well as custom builds like Grace Hall.

The owner said his company can build whatever customers dream of, click through the gallery above to see a portion of Lilliputs wide array of jaw-dropping play homes.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye








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SAN ANTONIO  One year after historic flooding tore through Central Texas, residents are still reeling from the deadly natural disaster and officials are readying for the next potential emergency.

Texas Task Force 1, a statewide urban search and rescue team under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is currently going through boat and rescue training as a precaution to the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend after floods ravaged the region during that time last year.

Two children remain missing after torrential rains ripped through Wimberley and San Marcos last May, killing 11 people in what Governor Greg Abbott called "the highest flood we've ever had recorded in the history of the state of Texas."

When the Blanco River crested at 43 feet, it beat the previous record set in 1929 when it rose to 32 feet. And it crested during one of the wettest months in Texas history, according to the National Weather Service. At one point, the river rose 20 feet in one hour.

RELATED: Missing family's dog found alive in tree after Wimberley floods

William Charba, who would now be 7-years-old, and Leighton McComb, 4, were last seen at 100 Deer Crossing in Wimberley. Charba's parents and grandparents died in the floods. McComb's mother Laura and brother Andrew, 6, also died in the floods. Her father, Jonathan McComb survived.

"Since we did have such a significant rain event last Memorial Day, we are on a more heightened alert," said Deborah Foster, public information officer for the San Antonio Fire Department.

The task force was deployed to Hays County last May, rescuing a family from the second floor of their flooded Wimberley home, Foster said.

"(The flood) hit Wimberley and it hit Wimberley hard," she said, adding that if another major event were to occur this week, the task force would be ready.

San Antonio experienced 2.97 inches of rain May 23-25 last year and more rain is on its way for the weekend this year. There is a chance of thunderstorms Thursday and Friday, with possible flooding, said Cory Van Pelt, forecaster for the National Weather Service. He said the rain could possibly carry into the weekend as well.

RELATED: SeaWorld criticizes San Antonio Express-News investigation as 'biased'

In San Marcos, the city is focused on being "stronger together." Immediately following the flood, the community rallied together behind the "SMTX Stronger Together" logo that was created during the tragic weekend, said Kristi Wyatt, director of communications for San Marcos.

On Tuesday, a flag bearing the "stronger together" logo was raised at San Marcos City Hall to honor the victims of the flood as well as the first responders and volunteers who continue to work to better the community.

"We're doing this for our community," Wyatt said. "We are making a difference and we're stronger if we do this together."

RELATED: Toyota plans to resume production at San Antonio plant after damage from severe storms

More than 800 homes were damaged in San Marcos after the flood and Wyatt said work is being continued to rebuild parks, roads and city infrastructures. She said search parties continued throughout the year looking for the two missing children.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
SAN ANTONIO  Authorities shut down the entire 2300 block of East Houston Street for about an hour Tuesday as police officers and a SWAT team coaxed a possible suspect in an early morning fatal shooting out of an apartment complex.

After about an hour, the suspect emerged from the small East Side apartment complex with his hands in the air and was taken into custody. Dozens of law enforcement officers could be seen on the street and the SWAT team parked an armored truck in front of the apartment complex, which has about 10 units.
Foundation of a Dream is raising funds to help build the Helotes Humane Societys planned permanent home for a new clinic, thrift store and administrative offices. Through June 1, supporters can buy a brick with three lines of engraving, at 18-20 characters and spaces per line, for $50. Add a logo or clip art for an additional $12. Order online at http://polarengraving.com/HelotesHumaneSociety Contact: 422-6242

Camping will be allowed at Government Canyon State Natural Area for the Memorial Day weekend from 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 27, through 2 p.m. Monday, May 30. For more information, call 688-9055

Wednesday, May 25

Severe Weather and Disaster Preparedness Training will be offered 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood. The St. Bernard Project works with the San Antonio Office of Emergency Management to help homeowners develop a family emergency plan and help businesses make a business continuity plan in case of disaster. Learn about the documents that are needed after a disaster and how to safely store them, what to ask an insurance agent to ensure you have proper coverage, ways to physically protect your home or business and more. Free. Contact: 207-9080

Alamo Ranch POA has its annual meeting 4 p.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 740-4976.

Astronomy in the Park will be presented by the San Antonio Astronomical Association 8 p.m.-10:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Raymond Rimkus Park, 6440 Evers Rd, Leon Valley, weather permitting. Its billed as the longest running free public star party in the San Antonio metro area. Contact: 262-8384

Thursday, May 26

Year of Mercy Family Movie Night will feature Mother Teresa with Olivia Hussey at 6:45 p.m. at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church Parish Hall, 13715 Riggs Road. Popcorn and drinks will be provided, but feel free to bring your own food. Father Anthony Male will speak before the movie about Catholicism in Indian and the Congregation of the Missionaries in Charity. Contact: 695-8791, ext. 116

Helotes City Council will meet at 7 p.m. at the council chambers, 12951 Bandera Road. For details, go to www.helotes-tx.gov and click on agendas.

Friday, May 27

Lions Club Bingo is at 7 p.m. at the Helotes Lions Club, 14690 Bandera Road, on the east side of the highway between Floores Country Store and El Chaparral. Contact: 695-2356

Saturday, May 28

Pet adoptions will be conducted 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. by the Helotes Humane Society at PetSmart at Bandera and Loop 1604. Contact: 422-6242

Anime Fest celebrates all things Japanese, anime and manga from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Igo Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway. There will be food and activities including a Smash Bros. tournament and a cosplay contest. For all ages. Contact: 207-9080

Essential Oils 101 will be offered at 1 p.m. at Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood. Learn the basics about essential ols and how they can be used to take care of all kinds of summer-related concerns naturally. For adults. Contact: 207-9210

Not in Our Town - film screening and discussion will take place 3 p.m.-4 p.m. at Maverick Branch Library, 8700 Mystic Park. This 30-minute film documents the deadly hate attack on the Sikh community in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where six worshipers were killed by a white supremacist at the Sikh temple. The film is part of the Not in Our Town: Working Together for Safe, Inclusive Communities initiative. For all ages. Contact: 207-9060

Sunday, May 29

Lions Club Bingo is at 2 p.m. at the Helotes Lions Club, 14690 Bandera Road, on the east side of the highway between Floores Country Store and El Chaparral. Contact: 695-2356

Senator Frank L. Madla Jr. Natural Area Board of Directors meets at 6 p.m. at Grey Forest City Hall, 18502 Scenic Loop Road. For the agenda, go to greyforest-tx.gov/madla-park/board-agendas/ Contact: 695-3261, ext. 1

Family night and free dance at John T. Floores Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road. Doors open at 6 p.m. Live music by MC & The Mystyx. Contact: 695-8827

Monday, May 30

Memorial Day  Most local, county, state and federal offices are closed. Public libraries also are closed.

Coming up

MarketPlace at Old Helotes will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 4 at 14391 Riggs Road. The family-friendly event features all kinds of artisans selling their unique jewelery, crafts, artwork, clothing and more. And theres plenty of good food and drink, too. For a booth map, go to http://www.helotesmarketplace

J.D. Elizondo will be performing an eclectic fusion mix along with a few jazz and blues favorites from noon to 12:40 p.m. June 4 at Maverick Library, 8700 Mystic Park. Contact: 207-9060

All numbers have a 210 area code unless otherwise noted. To have your event listed, send the details, including date, time, place and contact phone number, to dfuentes@express-news.net
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A four-legged parade marshal will be at the helm of this years Live Oak Memorial Day Parade.

Sgt. Rambo, named 2015 Military Dog of the Year by the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards, will lead the annual parade on Saturday, May 28, alongside his handler and constant companion, Lisa Phillips. Its the first time an animal will be the parade marshal.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Forest Bluff and make its way to Live Oak City Hall.

Phillips, a Converse resident, has had Rambo for four years. Hes also my service dog, and hes the love of my life, she said.

Rambo, a German shepherd, is missing his left front leg. He was injured in a training accident while on active duty in 2011 that resulted in the need to amputate the leg at the shoulder joint to prevent any further pain or nerve damage.

This is our second parade where hes been the grand marshal, Phillips said. Rambo rode in last years Universal City Veterans Day Parade.

Weve been a part of multiple events throughout San Antonio. Were doing one at Morgans Wonderland the following day, Phillips said. Last year, we did 46 events, some traveling out of state and flying.

Rambo, who will turn 8 the day before the Memorial Day parade, was a regular on several Alamo Honor Flights, a nonprofit organization that flew area World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., where they could visit the National World War II Memorial and other monuments.

Hes pretty laid-back. If theres people calling his name, hell look. And if he sees me look one way, hell look that way, too, Phillips added.

In 2005, during Phillips four-year military service before receiving a medical discharge, she began caring for Gizmo, a working military dog she was able to adopt while on duty. Once Gizmo was retired, Phillips said his health began to decline. I had to get a second job to provide for him the medical care he deserved, she said.

Gizmo died in 2006 from kidney failure, she said.

According to the Animal Welfare Institute, the U.S. Defense Department reports 2,700 military working dogs (MWDs) in service in about 600 war zones, and an additional 200 working through contractors. In 2010, MWD teams found at least 12,500 pounds of explosives.

While military working dogs are now eligible for adoption, they were basically considered equipment when it came to returning them to a home base. If placement was not possible in the country where the dog had been serving, any potential adopter in the United States had to pay to transport the dog stateside, according to the Animal Welfare Institutes website.

The Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act, passed in 2013, authorizes the secretaries of the various military services to transfer retired military working dogs back to Lackland AFB or another location for adoption when no suitable adoption is available at the military facility where the dog is located, according to the Animal Welfare Institute.

As an organization, many of our heroes have been adopted by their former handlers, Phillips said. The tricky thing is, most dogs have multiple handlers throughout their careers. Rambo got injured early on. Through networking on Facebook, it (Phillips adoption of Rambo) was a perfect fit.

The organization that Phillips chairs, Gizmos Gifts, is a nonprofit that seeks to raise money to care for dogs that have lingering medical conditions after they are retired.

Were supporting about 30 dogs right now, and about 15 have been adopted by prior handlers, she added.

Rambo and Phillips recently returned from an Honor Flight San Antonio that took 26 World War II veterans to Washington, much like the Alamo Honor Flights.

Were head over heels in love with our WWII veterans, we owe them so much, so were excited to be with them again, Phillips said.

Rambo will be decked out for Saturdays parade.

Hes going to be wearing his Marines vest with his rank  and patches, Phillips said. He knows something special is about to happen when he gets to put on his vest.

jflinn@express-news.net
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SAN ANTONIO  National Weather Service forecasters are expecting up to three inches of rain in San Antonio and surrounding areas from Wednesday night through Friday, but early indicators suggest the threat of severe weather will taper off before most begin the Memorial Day Weekend.

NWS meteorologist Aaron Treadway said San Antonio should remain hot and humid for the remainder of the day Tuesday until late Wednesday night.

By 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, downpours are expected to begin sweeping through the South Central Texas region from the west. Forecasters said it is too early to predict the exact areas within San Antonio that will be hit the worst.

MORE: Hays County still feeling aftermath of historic Memorial Day flooding a year later

It will really pick up during the day on Thursday and start tapering off late in the day on Friday, Treadway said. We are looking at threats across the boards of hail and high winds, especially on Thursday during the afternoon and the evening.

Isolated flash flooding is also a possibility in the area.

RELATED: 10 inventive tips to battle hail ahead of San Antonio, South Central Texas storms

As for Memorial Day weekend, isolated showers are in the forecast Friday evening through at least Sunday, though the threat of severe weather is likely to end Friday.

Temperatures are expected to hover in the high 80s to low 90s throughout at least Sunday as well.

As May comes to a close, Treadway said climate predictions show a drastic decrease in rainfall.

MORE: New Braunfels will hire up to 30 new 'reserve' officers to help patrol rivers for tubing season

He said rain in the region should start winding down in June, paving the way for a dry July and August.

mdwilson@express-news.net

Twitter: @MDWilsonSA
KYODO  The Japan Times reports that thieves drained a total of 1.4 billion ($12.7 million U.S.) from ATMs at Japanese convenience stores, a coordinated effort using counterfeit credit cards containing account information stolen from a South African bank.

According to investigators, its believed that an international organization stole the millions in cash on May 15 in Tokyo and 16 other areas with more than 100 thieves carrying out the attack, which took about three hours. The news source adds that in each of the approximately 14,000 transactions, the maximum amount of 100,000 ($900 U.S.) was withdrawn from ATMs using the fake credit cards.

The Deccan Chronicle notes that Standard Bank in South Africa acknowledged the heist and put its losses at around $19 million, saying its a victim of a very sophisticated and coordinated fraud incident. This involved the withdrawal of cash using a small number of fictitious cards at various ATMs in Japan, the bank said in a statement.

The news source adds that similar robberies have occurred in recent years, including a pair of heists totaling about $45 million from a group of cyber thieves who were able to disable withdrawal limits on ATMs around the world.

The lengths thieves will go to steal consumer information is astonishing, said Gray Taylor, executive director of Conexxus. What is also astonishing is that the sudden and extensive foreign activity it experienced during this fraud did not trigger alerts that would have shut down the theft.
The May issue of NACS Magazine included an article, excerpted here, written with support from Vitamix, a NACS Hunter Club member. The complete article is available online.

Blenders have been around for more than 80 years, producing tasty ice cream treatsperennial favoritesand more recently, juice concoctions that have appealed to an evolving consumer palate that favors nutrition.

In response, dedicated smoothie shops have begun springing up at a strip mall near you, while grocery stores have begun preparing smoothies onsite, offering freshly made temptations that directly target the convenience stores grab-and-go customer. While their appeal of smoothies doesnt approach that of a coffee program, consumers are clearly trending away from sodas and toward drinkable whole foods.

Convenience store retailers can tap into this escalating foodservice opportunity by implementing a smoothie programa low-cost addition to an existing beverage program that offers robust margins and healthy returns.

Far from an insignificant sales blip, the smoothie market (away from home) represents sizable opportunities, according to a 2015 Mintel Menu Analysis study:

$14.8 billion annual sales (freshly prepared smoothie bought away from home market)

3.1 billion drinks each year (based on the 2015 Smoothie Tracker Fielded monthly by ORC International).

Average sale of $4.77 per drink

Convenience stores lag far behind other channels in capitalizing on these sales, however, with just 7% and 9% of dollar and unit shares, respectively.

While the numbers point to market share opportunities for c-stores, more significant is the case for higher price points and margins. The c-store numbers (whereby unit share exceeds dollar share) suggest that their average price is lower than the market [price] in general, said Scott Hackman, business insights director for Vitamix. Smoothies at smoothie shops and coffee shops can cost up to twice as much as a smoothie at a QSR  It is clear that people are willing to pay extra for smoothies that align with the trends related to health and wellness and customization.

In terms of demographics, convenience store smoothie buyers track gender-neutral, according to the 2015 Summer Smoothie Trackers study released by intelligence firm ORC International. With an even 50-50 split between men and women, smoothies rate highest among the key 25-34 age demographic (33.7%), followed by 18-24 (25.7%) and 35-44 (13.4%).

In contrast to most foodservice programs, a smoothie offering requires minimal cost and infrastructure for the convenience store operator. For low volume locations, or locations that just want to dip their toe in the water of crew-serve smoothies, the only investment that they need to make is in a blender, said Brian Harvanec, senior product manager for Vitamix. And they just need a small amount of counter space for the blender and a refrigerator to keep their purees after opening.

While aspirations for improved health are contributing to the smoothies ascending appeal, building a program that nurtures that interest is a matter of quality, Harvanec said. Its not a matter of simply, If you blend it, they will come; but rather, if you blend it well, they will come again.

As with any new food and beverage offering, profitability and return on investment will attest to practicality. And no matter your programs scale, smoothies offer generous margins, according to Harvanec. In many cases, the cost of the equipment (per drink) will be less than the price of a straw, he said. Because smoothies require little capital investment and generally yield high margins, it doesnt take many drinks per day to justify the addition.

Jerry Soverinsky is a Chicago-based freelance writer. Hes also a NACS Magazine contributing writer.
Find out how retailers search for new ideas in this weeks NACS Convenience Matters podcast.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.  Convenience retailers are always looking for new products or concepts to delight their customers. Sometimes they are able to incorporate them into an existing business, and sometimes it leads to an entirely new business.

The latest NACS Convenience Matters podcast talks about how retailers can reinvent their businesses.

Our 2008 NACS Chairman Richard Oneslager, president of Balmar Management Group in Denver, Colorado, talks about how he finds new ideasand even business opportunities, such as his new concept, the Bottle Shopin the episode Finding New Ideas. All podcast episodes are available at www.nacsonline.com/podcasts and on iTunes by searching for Convenience Matters.

Our industry is full of entrepreneurs who often venture beyond our channel to bring new ideas to market in other formats. Richard shares how he navigated the process, said podcast co-host Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives.

A new podcast is released every week, focusing on topics related to convenience stores. If youre looking for some more inspiration, browse through the NACS Ideas 2 Go videos, featuring hundreds of segments on everything from foodservice to dog parks.
Yesterday, we looked at a section of a Stanford Law School conference at the end of March. The panel on pre-IPO funding included the SEC/s head of enforcement, Andrew Ceresney. In the question and answer section, Ceresney and a member of the audience, Marc Fagel, the former regional director of the SECs San Francisco office, now Gibson Dunn partner, asserted that SEC enforcement actions and speeches were changing the conduct of regulated firms.

As well show today, evidence in the SECs own public records contradicts that flattering self-assessment.

The reason Fagel posed this question wast simply to give Ceresney a softball after suffering the indignity of interacting with a lowly retiree, or to reconfirm Fagels solicitude for the firms subject to SEC oversight. It was also to try to throw cold water on the information presented by the first audience member to address the panel. As youll see, the speaker described how the agency has been letting major private equity firms off the hook for misconduct (you can also watch this segment here from 1:36:30 to 1:40:00)

Questioner: Hi. This is a question regarding private equity. One of thePrivate equity has a lot of investments in pre-IPO companies so I feel like the question is relevant. Both Blackstone and KKR had recent enforcement actions and Blackstone was fined for not disclosing accelerated monitoring fees but KKR was not even though it was engaged in effectively the same behavior. KKR was fined for broken deal expenses but Blackstone was not even though they were engaging in the same behavior. So my question is to Mr. Ceresney here, is the SEC engaging in, uh, symbolic enforcement actions to send a message, or if you are guilty of, you know, of the same violation of, violations, should you expect an enforcement action? And so, what kind of resource constraint issues does that present for the SEC? Andrew Ceresney, Director of Enforcement Division at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: Sure, um, Im not going to ask your name [laughter] or your affiliation. No, I mean, you know, Im guess just going to talk about publicly available information, I dont know what information you have. I know what information I Have. We did bring obviously bring actions against Blackstone relating to accelerated monitoring fees and also legal discounts, you didnt mention that, and well as a case against KKR relating to broken deal expenses and failure to disclose how they were allocating, et cetera. In each of those cases has different facts, different issues, but they do boil down to essentially um a failure to disclose information to their investors how they were allocating fees and what they were doing vis-a-vis fees. And were seeing, were seeing that, time and again, an weve seen it time and again, I think youll see more cases in this realm. To me, you asked are we are bringing these cases just symbolic. No, I mean I think these have real victims, in the sense that the investors in the private equity firms ultimately were deprived of money they should have gotten and ultimately as part of these settlements theyre getting the money they should get and that is the primary purpose of these enforcement actions. Does that, do these enforcement actions have an impact on the industry as a whole? Yes, and we want them to have that impact. And in fact as I said at the beginning tonight, in the private equity industry, youve seen tremendous change I think in response, really I think in large part to these actions post Dodd-Frank, now theyre being examined by our examiners, were in there, were in there to see, and information that investors thought that they had they didnt actually have and now theyre actually demanding changes to partnership agreements and other things too in light of the information theyve now learned, and asking questions that they didnt ask before and I think thats a great thing. I think it demonstrates, people always ask me how do you measure the effectiveness of your enforcement program, you know, is it just the numbers for enforcement and I always have to say its not just the numbers. It is the quality of the actions we bring and impact it has on the industry. And this I think is a good example of the impact it has on an industry.

Notice what happened. Ceresney didnt deny the real issue, that the SEC is engaging in selective enforcement. Ceresneys patter about I dont know what you know, I know what I know insinuates that this challenge to the SECs enforcement actions is based on inside information, and Ceresney isnt going to go there in his reply.

But Gretchen Morgenson of the New York Times broke the story of how Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, KKR and TPG were all taking what are now called accelerated monitoring fees on a single deal, Biomet, Thus the fact that KKR, which wasnt sanctioned for taking accelerated monitoring fees, when Blackstone was, was not a state secret. Nevertheless, that misdirection was part of Ceresneys pretext for not giving a straight answer.

Instead, Ceresney shifted ground and mentioned the other types of misconduct the agency has addressed in its distressingly short list of private equity settlements to date. He gave the bureaucratic patter that each case was different (as in, If I could only tell you, there were good reasons some firms got off and others didnt) and implied the agency was in fact being consistent. He also said SEC would be filing more cases.

But again, that does not mean, for instance, that a case against KKR for accelerated monitoring fees is in the offing. The SEC is still going through its initial examinations of private equity firms, and out of those are coming its initial enforcement actions. The SEC wont conduct another exam of firms it has just reviewed and sanctioned for at least a couple of years. So unless a big media story puts pressure on the agency, its unlikely to give a second hard look at firms like Blackstone and KKR, who were part of its first round of exams and enforcement actions, any time soon.

Ceresney devoted most of his non-answer to an apple-pie-and-motherhood speech about what a great job the SEC has been doing in changing behavior. That would be nice if it were true. It isnt, and its hard to believe that Ceresney didnt know that he was telling a boatload of whoppers.

The SECs own annual filings from private equity investors, the Form ADV due in at the end of March, shows that private equity firms are continuing to engage, on a widespread basis, in abuses that the SEC regards as serious enough to merit fines. While those filings came in the very day Ceresney was on his panel, former exam chief Andrew Bowden was claiming (on what we believed was pretty dubious intelligence) in the late summer and fall 2014, well away from the ADV reporting cycle, to be learning of changes in behavior. Thus the SEC believes it has insight on changes in the degree of compliance on an ongoing basis, and further communicates it with the public. The Form ADV disclosures suggest the SEC needs to do a better job of cross-checking the self-serving palaver that lawyers for the firms it regulates are serving up, particularly in informal venues, versus what they say in the far more carefully crafted documents they provide to the agency

For instance, Ceresney mentioned an enforcement action involving legal discounts. The SEC fined Blackstone for failing to disclose accelerated monitoring fees and for legal fee discount abuses. Specifically, Blackstone negotiated legal fee discounts based on the volume of business it was generating, due largely to the activities of the funds it was managing on behalf of investors (buying and selling companies generates lots of legal fees). But even though the bulk of the legal work was taking place at the private equity fund level, Blackstone, the fund manager, was taking the biggest legal fee discounts for itself.

This years Form ADV submissions shows that a boatload of firms are admitting (present tense) to taking legal fee discounts. A few of many examples: Ares, Leonard Green, Hellman & Freedman, Silver Lake, JC Flowers, MS Capital Partners, Altamont Capital, ArcLight Capital, BV Investment Partners, Castanea Partners, Cresney & Company, Constitution Capital, Fenway Partners, First Reserve, Freeman Spogli, GI Manager, Riverstone Investment, Sumeru Equity Partners, The Gores Group, THL Managers IV, Technology Crossover Ventures, and TSG Consumer Partners. The relevant sections from the Silver Lake and Hellman & Freedman Forms ADV at the end of the post.*

Understand what this means. Ex post facto disclosure of an abuse is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Investors are stuck in these funds. They cant sell them in the secondary market without taking a meaningful hit. The SECs long-standing policy on investor protection is that disclosure must take place before the deal is consummated.

Bear in mind that the private equity firms could have written the disclosures to indicate these practices were a thing of the past if theyd actually cut it out as a result of the Blackstone fine. But the ones Ive looked at are consistent with the conduct being ongoing.

So what do we make of confessionals to verboten conduct in these Form ADV filings? At a minimum, the firms regard the odds of them being sanctioned as being so low that they apparently dont see a meaningful risk in admitting they are cheating their investors. To our knowledge, the SEC does not regard an admission in a Form ADV as a mitigating factor.

However, in addition to relying on the fact that the SEC wont go after a comparatively small potatoes violation across the industry, so they are unlikely to be fined, the GPs may also seek to use well-known investor complacency as a defense. Weve been told that some limited partners who read about the Blackstone legal fee discount settlement did look to see if that conduct violated the limited partnership agreement. It didnt, one assumes because the general partners have succeeded in waiving their fiduciary duties. The only party that can assert a violation of fiduciary duty is the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act. The Form ADV disclosures may be intended to set up the argument, Look, the limited partners know about this conduct and arent complaining. So how can you possibly think there is real harm here? The flip side is that the investors have signed such one-sided agreements that there is no point in them complaining.

By contrast, one of the rare successes you can see in the current batch of Form ADVs is not the result of SEC action. Unite Here published a detailed study of questionable private jet usage by Leonard Green, including many flights to non-business locations like the Hamptons and the Virgin Islands on non-business times of year like weekends and major holidays. Leonard Greens limited partnership agreement authorizes the use of private class travel. Weve learned that two East Coast public pension funds pressed Leonard Green for answers as to who was paying for this flights and didnt get straight answers. Its likely that they had company. Leonard Greens latest Form ADV says it is only charging its flights back to the fund at commercial rates.

Ceresneys response is dishonest in other respects. For instance, limited partners are most assuredly not demanding, much the less getting, changes in limited partnership agreements based on what the media and the SEC has exposed. As weve explained, citing experts, private equity limited partnership agreement are take it or leave it contracts. The little negotiation that does take place is on a few headline terms, like key man language and the percentage of portfolio company fees that will be offset against management fees. As CalPERS described long-form in its private equity workshop last fall, it is well-nigh impossible for limited partners to win improvements in terms that it has accepted in past deals from the same GP:

And thats before you get to the fact that this is now a sellers market for private equity, with investor desperate for returns committing even more money to alternative investments, above all, private equity. The Financial Times reported that the hottest funds are increasing fees and tightening other terms.

Similarly, the fact that the a group of state treasurers plus the New York City Controller wrote the SEC for help in getting more transparency in private equity is proof that to the extent that limited partner are asking more questions, they arent getting satisfactory answers.

Moreover, CalPERS and CalSTRS continued protectiveness of general partners suggests that little has changed despite the SEC airing industry dirty laundry. In addition, the big wake-up calls to investors havent come from the enforcement side as much as the former head of examinations Andrew Bowdens speech setting forth the extent and severity of private equity abuses in May 2014. That and follow-on in-depth exposes at the Wall Street Journal and New York Times did get investors attention. But as we pointed out at the time, by September 2014, Bowden was already walking back his tough talk, at least in part because investors werent acting on the SECs revelations.

Last but not least, Ceresney seemed bothered by being asked a question by someone who was clearly technically knowledgeable about private equity and the SECs enforcement actions yet apparently not working in or on behalf of the industry. He is presumably accustomed to questioners who are either unsophisticated members of the public or securities industry professionals who have predictable interests (i.e., they are seeking clarification on issues in play, they are pressing the SEC to be even more company-friendly). And he apparently was not alone in being put off by the drift of the query. This is the screenshot right after Ceresney finished his reply:

Yet again, we have more confirmation that SEC is content to engage in a peace with honor strategy as far as private equity misconduct is concerned: Say you intend to go to war, beat a hasty retreat, but nevertheless declare victory. But as with Vietnam, too many people are watching for the SEC to get away with celebrating a climbdown.

_____

From the Silver Lake Form ADV:

The Adviser and the Funds will generally engage common legal counsel and other advisers in a particular transaction, including a transaction in which there may be conflicts of interest. From time to time, members of the law firms engaged to represent the Funds invest in the Funds, and also represent one or more portfolio companies or investors in the Funds. In the event of a significant dispute or divergence of interest between a Fund and the Adviser, the parties may engage separate counsel in the sole discretion of the Adviser, and in litigation and other circumstances separate representation may be required. Legal counsel of the Adviser and the Funds renders legal services to the Adviser and the Funds and does not represent the interests of any investor in a Fund. Additionally, the Adviser and the Funds and the portfolio companies of the Funds engage other common service providers from time to time. In such circumstances, there may be a conflict of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Funds and/or portfolio companies, on the other hand, in determining whether to engage such service providers, including the possibility that the Adviser will favor the engagement or continued engagement of such persons if it receives a benefit from such service providers, such as lower fees, that it would not receive absent the engagement of such service provider by the Funds and/or the portfolio companies. In certain circumstances, advisors and service providers, or their affiliates, may charge different rates or have different arrangements for services provided to the Adviser or its affiliates as compared to services provided to the Funds and/or the portfolio companies, which may result in the Adviser or its affiliates receiving a more favorable rates or arrangements with respect to services provided to it by a common service provider than those payable by the Funds and/or the portfolio company, or the Adviser or its affiliates receiving a discount on services even through the Funds and/or the portfolio companies receive a lesser, or no, discount. For example, both the Adviser and the Funds benefit from a 10% discount from our primary outside

law firm for non-transactional work. In addition, time spent by attorneys in such law firms personal planning department, whether for transactional or non-transactional matters and whether for the Adviser or the Funds, is billed at a 30% discount to the law firms regular hourly rates, reflecting what we understand to be the law firms prevailing market rate for those lawyers services. In practice, this 30% discount tends to benefit the Adviser and individuals affiliated with the Adviser as the Funds do not have a regular need for personal planning advice.

From the Hellman & Freedman Form ADV:
Ivy's powerful grasp could lead to better medical adhesives, stronger battle armor (Nanowerk News) English ivy's natural glue might hold the key to new approaches to wound healing, stronger armor for the military and maybe even cosmetics with better staying power.

New research from The Ohio State University illuminates the tiny particles responsible for ivy's ability to latch on so tight to trees and buildings that it can withstand hurricanes and tornadoes. (Not to mention infuriate those trying to rid their homes of the vigorous green climber.)

The researchers pinpointed the spherical particles within English ivy's adhesive and identified the primary protein within them.

"By understanding the proteins that give rise to ivy's strength, we can give rise to approaches to engineer new bio-inspired adhesives for medical and industry products," said Mingjun Zhang, the biomedical engineering professor who led the work.

"It's a milestone to resolve this mystery. We now know the secret of this adhesive and the underlying molecular mechanism," said Zhang, who focuses his work on finding answers in nature for vexing problems in medicine.

The study appears today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ("Nanospherical arabinogalactan proteins are a key component of the high-strength adhesive secreted by English ivy").

Like many scientists before him, Charles Darwin among them, Zhang found himself captivated by English ivy - the physics of it, the sheer strength of it.

"Ivy has these very tiny hairy structures that have a wonderful interaction with the surface as the plant climbs. One day I was looking at the ivy in the backyard and I was amazed at the force," Zhang said.

"It's very difficult to tear down, even in a natural disaster. It's one of the strongest adhesive forces in nature."

When he and his team took a look at the ivy's glue with a powerful atomic-force microscope, they were able to identify a previously unknown element in its adhesive.

The tiny particles inside the glue on their laboratory slides turned out to be primarily made up of arabinogalactan proteins. And when the scientists investigated further, they discovered that the driving force behind the curing of the glue was a calcium-mediated interaction between the proteins and pectin in the gelatinous liquid that oozes from ivy as it climbs.

Zhang said particles rich in those proteins have exceptional adhesive abilities - abilities that could be used to the advantage of many, from biomedical engineers to paint makers.

Zhang, a member of Ohio State's Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, is particularly interested in bioadhesives that could aid in wound healing after injury or surgeries. Others, notably the U.S. military, are interested in surface-coating applications for purposes that include strengthening armor systems, he said.

Many plants are excellent climbers, but scientists have had limited information about the adhesives that enable those plants to affix themselves to walls, fences and just about anything in their way, he said.

"When climbing, ivy secretes these tiny nanoparticles which make initial surface contact. Due to their high uniformity and low viscosity, they can attach to large areas on various surfaces," Zhang said.

After the water evaporates, a chemical bond forms, Zhang said.

"It's really a nature-made amazing mechanism for high-strength adhesion," he said.

The glue doesn't just sit on the surface of the object that the ivy is clinging to, he said. It finds its way into openings invisible to the naked eye, further solidifying its bond.

To confirm what they found, Zhang and his collaborators used the nanoparticles to reconstruct a simple glue that mimics ivy adhesive. Advanced bioadhesives based on this research will take more time and research.

In addition to its strength, ivy adhesive has other properties that make it appealing to scientists looking for answers to engineering quandaries, Zhang said.

"Under moisture or high or low temperatures, it's not easily damaged," he said. "Ivy is very resistant to various environmental conditions, which makes the adhesive a particularly interesting candidate for the development of armor coatings."
Gigantic ultrafast spin currents (Nanowerk News) Scientists from TU Wien (Vienna) are proposing a new method for creating extremely strong spin currents. They are essential for spintronics, a technology that could replace todays electronics.

In our computer chips, information is transported in form of electrical charge. Electrons or other charge carriers have to be moved from one place to another. For years scientists have been working on elements that take advantage of the electrons angular momentum (their spin) rather than their electrical charge. This new approach, called spintronics has major advantages compared to common electronics. It can operate with much less energy.

However, it is difficult to create such a spin current, which is required in spintronics. In the journal Physical Review Letters ("Ultrafast and Gigantic Spin Injection in Semiconductors"), physicists from TU Wien (Vienna) have now proposed a new method to produce gigantic spin currents in a very small period of time. The secret is using ultra short laser pulses.

A laser pulse hits nickel (green). Spin-up-electrons (red) change into silicon (yellow). Electrons with both spin-orientations change back from silicon into nickel.

Magnets and Semiconductors

For every electron, two different spin-states are possible; they are called spin up and spin down. The electron spin is responsible for ferromagnetism: when many electron spins in a metal are aligned, they can collectively create a magnetic field. Therefore, using ferromagnets to create spin flux seems like a straightforward idea. There have been attempts to send an electric current through a combination of magnets and semiconductors, says Professor Karsten Held (TU Wien). The idea is to create a flux of electrons with uniform spin, which can then be used for spintronic circuits. But the efficiency of this method is very limited.

Karsten Held and Marco Battiato found another way. In computer simulations, they analysed the behaviour of electrons in a thin layer of nickel when it is attached to silicon and hit with ultra short laser pulses. Such a laser pulse has an overwhelming effect on the electrons in nickel, says Marco Battiato. They are swept away and accelerated towards the silicon.

An electric field builds up at the interface between nickel and silicon, which stops the current. Electrons still keep on migrating between the nickel layer and silicon, but the motion in both directions cancel each other, there is no net charge transfer.

Spin Up and Spin Down

But even when no electric charge is transported, it is still possible to transport spin. In the nickel layer, there are both spin-up electrons as well as spin-down electrons, says Karsten Held. But the metal atoms influence both kinds of electrons in different ways. The spin-up electrons can move rather freely. The spin-down electrons however have a much higher probability of being scattered at the nickel atoms.

When the electrons are scattered, they change their direction and lose energy. Therefore, the majority of the electrons which do make it all the way to the nickel-silicon interface are spin-up electrons. Electrons which move in the opposite direction have equal probabilities of being in the spin-up or spin-down state.

This spin-selective effect leads to a dominance of spin-up electrons in the silicon. This means that a spin current has been injected into the silicon without creating a charge current. Our calculations show that this spin-polarization is extremely strong  much stronger than we could create with other methods, says Marco Battiato. And this spin flux can be created in femtoseconds. Time is of the essence: todays computer processors operate with gigahertz frequencies. Billions of operations per second are possible. Even higher frequencies in the terahertz range can only be reached with extremely fast elements.
Quantum cycles power cold-atom pump (Nanowerk News) The idea of a pump is at least as old as the ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Archimedes. More than 2000 years ago, Archimedes allegedly invented a corkscrew pump (link is external) that could lift water up an incline with the turn of a handle. Versions of the ancient invention still bear his name and are used today in agriculture and industry.

Modern pumps have achieved loftier feats. For instance, in the late 1990s, NIST developed a device that could pump individual electrons, part of a potential new standard for measuring capacitance (link is external).

While pumps can be operated mechanically, electrically or via any other source of energy, they all share the common feature of being driven by a periodic action. In the Archimedean pump, that action is a full rotation of the handle, which draws up a certain volume of water. For the NIST electron pump, it is a repeating pattern of voltage signals, which causes electrons to hop one at a time between metallic islands.

But physicists have sought for decades to build a different kind of pumpone driven by the same kind of periodic action but made possible only by the bizarre rules of quantum mechanics. Owing to their physics, these pumps would be immune to certain imperfections in their fabrication.

Now, a team of physicists working in collaboration with JQI Fellow Ian Spielman and NIST postdoctoral researcher Hsin-I Lu has created just such a pump. By periodically jostling many individual atoms, the researchers were able to shift an entire atomic cloud without any apparent overall motion by its constituents. The team is the first to test this predicted behavior, which arises in what they call a geometric charge pump. The work follows close on the heels of two recent papers that examined topological charge pumps, which demonstrate a distinct but related effect. The new result was published May 20 in Physical Review Letters ("Geometrical Pumping with a Bose-Einstein Condensate").

Frame from a movie demonstrating the periodic motion that drives shifts in the position of an atomic cloud. (Image: S. Kelley/NIST)

The experiment builds on other work by Spielman and his team that involves the precise manipulation of cold atomic clouds known as Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), in which each atom occupies the same quantum state. These cold atoms are a useful platform to study theoretical ideas that cant be tested with ordinary condensed matter systems, says Spielman. For example, he explains, its not obvious how to experiment with periodic changes in a solid crystal like sodium chloridecommon table saltthat shares its two-part structure with the BEC. The organization of the crystal is too rigid to be easily modified in place.

The idea of a quantum pump dates back to 1983, when a physicist at the University of Washington asked a theoretical question (link is external): What would happen if quantum particles, confined in a one-dimensional array, saw their potential energy landscapethe backdrop that influences their motiongently deformed and then returned to its original shape? From the point of view of the particles, everything would look the same at the beginning and the end of this cycle, so its natural to expect that nothing would happen. However, due to a quantum phenomenon known as Berrys phase (link is external), the paper predicted that the particles motion could actually be modified.

Berrys phase is a consequence of quantum physics, but it has a direct analogy to motion on a curved surface. Imagine an arrow pointing straight up, grazing the equator of a sphere. If it is transported along a path toward the north pole, then brought back down a different path to the equator and finally returned to its original spot, it will no longer be pointing straight up. The arrow will be rotated by an amount that depends on the path it took. This mismatch between the initial direction that the arrow points and the direction it ends up pointing is due to the curvature of the sphere. Berrys phase is the imprint a quantum particle gains as it is transported along a curved path, although this movement isnt necessarily through physical space.

In fact, in the JQI pump, the curvature comes from energy differences that atoms experience over time. Each atom in the BEC sees an energy landscape with a left and a right welltroughs that the atoms tend to fall into. The repeating pattern of wells, all arranged in a line, is generated by interfering lasers at just the right frequency and power to trap rubidium atoms with the right quantum properties.

In the new experiment, each atom initially sits in its left well, which starts out as a deeper trough. As time increases, the left well becomes shallower and the right well gets deeper. This tends to tip atoms from the left well to the right well. To complete the cycle, the change happens in the other direction, and the atoms tip back into the left well. In the end each atom again sees the same energy landscape, and the density within each well is the same as when it started. Despite this, the entire cloud of atoms has been shifted by a small amountsmaller, in fact, than the distance between lattice sites. (Click here (link is external) to see a short animation of several pump cycles.)

By adjusting the power of the lasers and an applied magnetic field, the researchers traced out different paths through this see-sawing energy space, allowing the atoms to sample different amounts of curvature and thus different Berrys phases. This allowed experimenters to adjust the amount that the cloud was displaced in each cycle, an effect they measured by transferring a small percentage of the atoms into a different quantum state and measuring the amount of light they absorbed.
Here are some things to know about voting in Collier County

elections
SHARE Melissa Fay Greene, author, "The Underdogs." Alyssa Kapnik/Special to the Eagle

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

"The Underdogs"

By Melissa Fay Greene

c. 2016, Ecco

$27.99, $34.99 Canada; 352 pages

Your dog did it again. You were just thinking about going for a walk, and he starting bouncing before you said a word. He hopes to share your snack before you even realize you're hungry, and he often beats you to bed. Your dog knows you perhaps better than he knows himself, and in "The Underdogs" by Melissa Fay Greene, you'll see how that could be a real lifesaver.

Karen Shirk had always loved dogs but as a college student, she had other things on her mind  until the sunny afternoon when she fell flat on the sidewalk and ended up in ICU, diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease that would put her in a wheelchair.

Depressed, bored, and uninterested in life, Shirk figured her days would be spent in that chair  until she was urged to get a service dog. When Shirk couldn't find or secure one that was already trained, her caregiver told her to train one of her own.

That led Shirk to Ben, a GSD who bonded with her so tightly that he literally saved her life one night. Energized and with purpose, she was soon out of the wheelchair, and she knew she wanted to give others  children, in particular  the benefits of canine helpers. She founded 4 Paws for Ability, a nonprofit organization that trains dogs for people who wouldn't otherwise have access to a four-footed assistant.

Without a Goldendoodle named Casey, for example, young Connor would have felt as though he had no friends. Little Lucy, suffering from PTSD, didn't want a dog; she was afraid that her parents might love a dog more than they loved her, and that was scary. Logan didn't know he needed Juke, or the tracking skills that Juke possessed. Iyal's father was against a 4 Paws helper, until he saw the change that Chancer made in his son. And Shirk herself, a lover of big dogs, never thought that a little one would capture her heart.

If you've read this far, and you're a dog lover, it should come as no surprise that your dog (and dogs in general) can do amazing, wonderful things  and yet, says author Melissa Fay Greene, science has been slow to concur. In "The Underdogs," she explores that eked acceptance, and how canine emotions and intelligence go hand-in-paw with the work that service dogs do.

That's a powerful, uplifting smile-on-your-face tale that's somewhat marred by its telling: Greene is a renowned novelist, and this work of nonfiction often reads like a novel. Normally, I think that would be fine but we're given physical descriptions of every person we meet in this book (great in a novel; meaningless here), as well as a lot of conjecture that get in the way of a story that could easily stand by itself.

Still, there's no dog-person in the world that wouldn't be able to find treats inside this book  and that includes me, who actually enjoyed it, overall. If you need more fodder for your Dogs-Are-Best stance, "The Underdogs" will make you howl.

"Trombone Shorty"

By Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier

c. 2015, Abrams Books for Young Readers

$17.95, $21.95 Canada; 40 pages

"Just wait til you're older!" Oh, how you hate hearing that! Wait til you're grown. You need to get bigger. You can't do that now, you're too little. But why not? Why can't you start dreaming of someday right now, while you're still a kid? As you'll see in the new book "Trombone Shorty" by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier, dreams can come true at any age.

In the New Orleans neighborhood called Treme, "you could hear the music floating in the air" day and night. The house where Troy Andrews grew up was filled with music, too, and Troy loved the trombone. He hoped to be a musician some day.

Each year, when Mardi Gras rolled through Treme, Troy and his neighbors would dance along with the bands in the parades. Man, that was fun! There were balloons, beads, and music, which "made everyone forget about their troubles for a little while."

That also made Troy want to become a musician even more, so he and his friends created instruments from odds and ends they found around Treme; Troy was happy to find a beat-up trombone, and he fixed it up good. That's the best part of being a musician: You can make music from almost anything.

So he was ready. At the next parade, he grabbed his trombone, jumped right in, and started marching with the band. Because he was a little guy and the trombone is a big instrument, Troy 's brother gave Troy the nickname of "Trombone Shorty," which is what everybody called him from then on.

"I took that trombone everywhere," Troy says, "and never stopped playing."

He even took it to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and he played along with the musicians. He was so loud and so good that Bo Diddley called Trombone Shorty onstage and asked him to jam.

Trombone Shorty knew then that he could have his own band, so he did. Every day after school, his band practiced their music until they were able to perform "all around New Orleans "  and they still perform today!

Lately, you've played air guitar to a Prince song, and were a drummer on your kitchen table. If your kids caught your love of music, they might likewise dream the dreams found inside the award-winning "Trombone Shorty."

With the same laissez les bon temps vibe you get from merely standing on a New Orleans sidewalk, author Troy Andrews tells of coming up poor and finding riches in his city's songs. It's a story that'll make your children want to dance with music they can almost hear from the pages of this book; those silent songs are underscored by illustrations from Bryan Collier, himself an award-winner.

Be sure to check out the author's notes. Show your kids the pictures.

While you could surely read this tale aloud to a 2-year-old, I think kids ages 4-to-7 will like it better. If they love music, especially, "Trombone Shorty" will be a book they won't be able to wait for.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. She has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. Terri lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.
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By Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News

Teenager Tristan Hunt can talk to sharks. He's also the main character in a chapter book series by Florida author and marine scientist Dr. Ellen Prager, who weaves fact and fiction in her three-part series about ocean life.

"The kids go on an adventure somewhere else in each book," said Prager, 54, who is originally from the Boston area. "This time, they start at Monterey Bay Aquarium and go to Grand Cayman."

Tuesday, Prager will visit Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to host a book signing and trivia event for fans of her series or the ocean in general. Her visit to Collier County from her home in St. Petersburg will begin the same day with a presentation at the Collier County School District where middle school students will listen in on a lecture about marine life.

"The kids have been reading the books and always have great questions for me," Prager said. "They can ask me questions about science and the ocean and sometimes ask about writing books ."

The trivia night at Rookery Bay will play off what they learned in class. Students are encouraged to bring their parents tonight and the public is invited, too.

"The main topic is the ocean and sea life, so there will be some specific questions about animals that live here and their habitat," said Sarah Falkowski, the reserve's education coordinator. " There will be a book giveaway and prizes from Rookery Bay afterwards."

The event goes from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Refreshments will be served. Register at rookerybay.org/calendar. Walk-ins are also welcome. It will cost $10 for nonmembers to attend, and the event is free to members.
Seattle Times Debbie Nickerson, left, director of the Northwest Genomics Center, chats with investigators Jessica Chong, center, and Michael Bamshad. Accelerating the pace of discovery is one goal of UW's new genetic data website, Chong says.

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By Jonel Aleccia, Seattle Times

SEATTLE  It took Karen Park and Peter Lorentzen more than a year to decide to post details of their 3-year-old son's rare genetic condition on social media  but it took just six days to hear back from another family whose child shares one of Milo's anomalies.

When Bo Bigelow and Kate McCrann put up a website about their daughter, Tess, 6, who has another little-known genetic mutation, a doctor who studies kids with the same problem wrote back within 12 hours.

"We are so thrilled that we are laughing and crying at the same time," Bigelow wrote in a blog post about that day. The two families, who live on opposite coasts  one in San Francisco, one in Portland, Maine  say they now understand the power of publicly sharing their families' most personal information.

That's why they're among the first to join a new University of Washington website that aims to combine the massive reach of the Internet with genetic data to help families facing undiagnosed rare diseases find answers."

Without a diagnosis, there's no prognosis," said Park, the San Francisco mother of Milo, now 5, who has significant developmental delays and physical problems, but no identified cause.

The site, called MyGene2, went live in March and now has more than 100 profiles posted by families, researchers and clinicians  with more added daily. It's one of the first advanced, searchable platforms that makes it easy to share clinical and scientific information about genetic mutations that may underlie unknown conditions.

"There are tens of thousands of families with information sitting in silos," said Dr. Michael Bamshad, a UW professor of pediatrics and chief of the division of genetic medicine, who co-founded the site. "One of the obstacles to gene discovery is the sharing of data."

For years, even decades, some families have endured what Bamshad calls the "diagnostic odyssey," trying multiple doctors and tests in their search for a definitive cause for unusual conditions. In cases where they were offered gene testing and a little-known mutation was detected, the results might be published in a medical journal seen by a limited audience, if at all.

That slow process has delayed discovery of genes that underlie so-called Mendelian disorders, named after Gregor Mendel, the Austrian monk who first identified the basic rules of genetics in the 1860s. They are conditions that typically rise from mutations in a single gene, often passed on through family inheritance.

Of some 8,000 Mendelian conditions, scientists have identified genes for only about half, Bamshad said.

ACCELERATING DISCOVERIES

Accelerating the pace of discovery is one goal for the new website, said Jessica X. Chong, analysis group leader for the UW Center for Mendelian Genomics. It's a repository for a wealth of information, from results of whole exome sequencing to photos and personal essays that describe the impact of a disorder on a patient's life.

"You can put (information) up on MyGene2 in 30 minutes, but a paper might take a year," Chong said. "With this, families have the same access that researchers have."

That's important to Park, 45, a financial adviser, and Lorentzen, 44, an assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley, who suspect that mutations in two genes, KDM1A and ANKRD11, may be responsible for Milo's differences.

Such mutations are so rare, however, that there's been little research and scant awareness.

The couple, who have two other sons without genetic problems, kept Milo's condition private for a long time. But they, like Bo Bigelow, read a 2014 New Yorker magazine story about a child with an ultrarare disease and his parents' quest to find a cause.

That inspired them to create a website, Milo's Journey, and to post their son's story on social media. That quickly led to the discovery of two other children, one in the U.S. and one in another country, with the KDM1A mutation.

Locating others will be key to Milo's future, said the couple, the first family to post on the MyGene2 site.

"In the world of ultrarare disorders, at the end of the day, it's parents who are going to identify other families and these super-rare syndromes that don't yet have names," Park said.

Finding a community and sharing information might provide a bigger pool of patients for research, and more support for families, said Bigelow, whose daughter, Tess, has a rare mutation in the USP7 gene.

She's 6 but functions at about the level of an 18-month-old  and doctors can't say why.

"For us, it's all about community," said Bigelow, 42, a lawyer in Portland, Maine, who created a blog and podcast about his daughter. "When you have a child with a rare disease, you have no community at all. You're alone in the world. You come to believe that you'll always be alone."

Bamshad and his collaborator, Debbie Nickerson, a UW professor of genetic sciences, hope that thousands of families, clinicians and researchers eventually will learn about the site and start posting to it, boosting the number of potential matches.

Dr. Heather Mefford, an associate professor of pediatrics in UW's division of genetic medicine, said she plans to use the site, but volume will be key.

"I work on epilepsy and we need several hundred cases to find multiple patients with mutations in the same gene with rare disorders," she said. "Once you have a critical mass of patients, you might start to make some progress."
Andrea Melendez/The News-Press Trish Routte, spokeswoman for Southwest Florida Crime- Stoppers, left, and Fort Myers Interim Police Chief Dennis Eads appeal to a witness who provided vital information about the ZombiCon shooting during a new conference Tuesday in Fort Myers. They think the information could lead to an arrest.

By Ben Brasch, The News-Press

After sorting through hundreds of tips in the fatal ZombiCon shooting, Fort Myers police are asking one tipster in particular to call back.

The caller offered vital information between Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 about the crime three weeks after the shooting rocked downtown.

"This particular tipster has information that detectives obviously feel is very credible, but we feel that there's more information that they have that they perhaps just didn't think was important at the time, but we're here to say right now that that information is critical, and we absolutely need to hear from that person," said Trish Routte, spokeswoman for Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, said at Tuesday.

She said the person should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477) on Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to answer specific questions from local Crime Stoppers staff about the information he or she provided. Between Crime Stoppers, the Fort Myers Police Department and the FBI, the reward for information leading to a conviction is $36,000.

"That's $36,000 for a phone call. For a simple phone call that you could make that makes all the difference in solving this case, one of probably the biggest cases in our community's history," Routte said.

The Oct. 17 shooting at the ninth zombie-themed charity event killed Expavious Tyrell Taylor and injured several others in the heart of downtown Fort Myers. Because of the shooting, the city installed an expansive camera system to help monitor downtown, and the City Council voted in December to ban ZombiCon from downtown Fort Myers.

"We know there is one person out there, one person, that can make all the difference," Routte. "The Taylor family deserves justice, they deserve closure, they deserve to know that the person who shot Expavious is behind bars. The families of the four other men shot need justice, and I think as a whole needs and deserves justice in the case."

RELATED:

She described the shooting as "probably one of the worst nights we can remember in Fort Myers history."

"We're personally invested in this case. I think closure in this case means something to us. I know it means something to Chief Eads," she said as Interim Chief Dennis Eads nodded.

When asked about all of the leads in the case, Eads said: "This is probably the best I could think of."

He said that officers are still reviewing numerous videos frame by frame to extract any information they can.

When asked if the department could protect the tipster, Eads said: "I think so, yeah, absolutely."

He said officers need the witness to call again because they can tell more than what a video can show.

"They called initially because it was the right thing to do, and they want to do the right thing. For whatever reason, they haven't called back. Maybe they expected something to take place just based on what they had, but it's just not enough. So we need to get them to call back so we can get some more information," Eads said.

When asked what happens if the tipster doesn't call, Eads said: "We'll continue doing what we're doing."

Routte added that the tipster has the option to remain anonymous throughout the process, but the most important thing is that they come forward.

"If there was ever a moment in our community that one person can make a difference, this is that moment," she said.
Decreased risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, weight maintenance and reduced risk of osteoporosis are just some of the benefits of hitting 10,000 daily steps.

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By Joseph Hernandez, Chicago Tribune

We've heard it before: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Such a cliche, right?

But a single step will start you on the path toward better health, and you'll need to accrue significantly less than a thousand miles. In fact, you just need 10,000 steps.

That magic number may seem daunting but is much easier to reach than you think. Clocking in at roughly 5 miles, this guideline meets the U.S. Surgeon General's recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate activity a day.

The result? Decreased risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, weight maintenance and reduced risk of osteoporosis are just some of the benefits of hitting 10,000 daily steps, according to the American Heart Association.

Citing 2013 research in the National Runners' Health Study and National Walkers' Health Study, the AHA argues that moderate-intensity walking is as beneficial as vigorous running, although runners end up exercising twice as much in the same amount of time as walkers. That said, any spurt of activity is beneficial to health, according to the group.

It all begins with that one step. If you're starting from the beginning, nonprofit group Shape Up America offers tips on building up to the magic number. The first tip? Get a pedometer. (Luckily, many smartphones now offer walking apps to track your daily steps, among other things.)

Shape Up says most people walk between 900 and 3,000 steps, but it's easy to build up to 10,000 without strain. Setting daily goals  2,500 the first week, 3,000 the next  helps scale your walking until you eventually reach 10,000.

And don't think that you have to knock out 10,000 steps all at once. The AHA's Russell Pate, a professor of exercise science in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, suggests breaking up walks into manageable 10- to 15-minute chunks.

"It's not a skill-dependent form of activity," Pate said. "It's the most accessible form of physical activity."

Build in a walk on your lunch break or walk after dinner with a friend or loved one. A few simple changes  even pacing while on the phone  will get you to the magic number in no time.

"You can do it almost anywhere," Pate said.
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Authorities are investigating a report of another suspicious incident in North Naples, but officials arent using the term stranger danger in this case.

About 11:45 a.m., a caller said she had seen a man walking into a wooded area with a 3- or 4-year-old, according to authorities. The man and the boy were near the intersection of Pine Ridge and Livingston roads.

Collier County Sheriffs deputies searched the area by ground and air, but didnt locate the man or the boy.

The caller described the man as Hispanic, 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, medium build, straight dark hair, wearing dark blue shorts, a white T-shirt and a dark ball cap. The caller said the man was carrying two scooters. The boy is described as about 3 feet tall with dark hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and unknown color shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to call CCSO at 239-252-9300 or to remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477.
Galt police Officer Sylvia Coelho greets Freeway Frida, a 5-year-old German shepherd who survived on a highway median in Northern California for five weeks with a broken leg. (Galt Police Department)

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By Joseph Serna Los Angeles Times (Tns)

When officers in Galt finally corralled Freeway Frida, she didn't put up much of a fight.

She barked and nipped, but after being stranded on a median on Highway 99 for five weeks with two broken bones and no food or water, she quickly submitted to her rescuers.

"She was very thin, very emaciated," said Michael Johnson, medical director at the VCA Bradshaw Animal Hospital in Elk Grove south of Sacramento. "To still be alive seems miraculous to me."

According to police, the 5-year-old German shepherd fell off a truck on April 10. By the time they located her she weighed just 44 pounds, about half of what a dog her age should weigh.

No one knows how she survived, but some guess that she must have subsisted on the scant rainwater that fell along the highway and whatever she could forage in the bushes between the north and southbound lanes of Highway 99.

Although she was stranded on the median for such a long time, her presence did not go unnoticed.

Her fall off the truck had triggered a wave of frantic 911 calls from witnesses who had watched her tumble from the vehicle.

But by the time police and California Highway Patrol officers got to the area  a three-quarter-mile-long stretch  the dog had disappeared.

Then, a few days later, drivers began reporting an injured dog running on the freeway. Again, the pup wasn't found. Another few days went by, and again, more reports came in.

The calls stopped early last week, officials said, and no drivers reported seeing the dog for about five days.

But on May 14, a driver called police to report a dog on the highway about 6:30 a.m. Galt police Officer Sylvia Coelho was working a rare weekend shift when the report came in.

"I'm like, 'OK. We're going to find this dog,'" said Coehlo, perhaps the Galt Police Department's biggest animal lover. "I never work weekends. It was meant for me to work that Saturday."

Coehlo and fellow Officer Christina Hill drove their cruisers down Highway 99 looking for the injured animal. Hill spotted her first.

"She gets on the freeway. 'OK, I see the dog.' So we know the dog exists," Coehlo laughed.

But the median separating the northbound and southbound lanes is protected by guardrails and blanketed in a thicket of oleander bushes. The dog disappeared again as Hill parked her car along the southbound side and Coehlo positioned herself on the northbound side of the median in case the dog made a break for it across the highway and into traffic.

When a CHP officer also showed up, the group hatched a plan to capture the furry fugitive.

As idling motorists looked on, Hill chased the dog toward the CHP officer while Coehlo blocked off its escape route. After about 45 minutes, the dog was caught.

"She fights, she bites. We're saying, 'It's all right, it's all right,'" Coehlo recalled. "And those big brown eyes just staring up at me She didn't fight us after that at all."

The dog was taken to the animal hospital and has gained more than 10 pounds since she was rescued. The media nicknamed her Freeway Frida, but the officers call her Agent 99, Coehlo said.

The dog didn't have a chip or tags and wore only a flea collar. She had a broken tibia and fibula and tendon damage, Johnson said. He's not sure whether her leg will ever fully heal.

Meanwhile, calls are flooding into the Police Department with people asking about adopting her.

Coehlo, whose father was a volunteer with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, grew up rescuing dogs, cats and rats and anything else that crossed her path. Initially, however, she wasn't interested in taking in the dog.

"When my dad passed away, I inherited his dog and it was so heartbreaking when it passed away," she said.

But Coehlo has visited Freeway Frida twice since the rescue. The two are bonding and her husband said this week that he'd be fine if they took in a third pet to go along with their two cats.

"Look what happens," Coehlo said with a chuckle. "All that pain goes away when those big brown eyes look at you."



2016 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____

Topics: t000002537,t000030662,t000398476,t000002707
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Two issues we identified as important going into 2016 were to see Collier County's economy diversified and for future planning to move forward as developable land in the county wanes.

Diversifying the economy is significant because the community must better prepare for the inevitable next economic downturn. This area has long relied on tourism, construction and real estate, each of which demonstrated vulnerability during the Great Recession. Agriculture was a mainstay for decades, but is susceptible to weather and market conditions, as well as plant diseases.

Future planning rose to the top as a 2016 concern after county government staff unveiled a map last year showing less than 10 percent of the land in Collier doesn't already have its future determined. In a county of about 350,000 people, most of the land along the coast is spoken for and three-quarters of Collier's 1.5 million acres isn't developable. Projections show the area east of Collier Boulevard will someday be home to nearly a half-million people, compared with 100,000 today.

It's encouraging to see important steps on the horizon this week for both issues.

Economic development

Technology companies and corporate headquarters are attractive fits for an area that's environmentally sensitive.

So there is intrigue as Collier commissioners Tuesday consider whether to join the state in offering economic incentives to lure a corporate headquarters referred to by the disguised name "Project Nikita." It could result in 560 new well-paying jobs.

As is customary with corporate relocations or expansions, the identity of the company isn't revealed until a deal is sealed.

Commissioners will be asked to provide a total of more than $1.1 million in matching money to two state incentive programs that create jobs. Collier's partner is Enterprise Florida, a state economic development agency that brought the potential deal to business leaders several weeks ago. The agency would ante up $2.5 million from one state fund used to convince businesses to relocate or expand in Florida, and up to $2.8 million from another job-creating program because the positions are in a desirable industry.

The company has promised a capital investment of $63.3 million and jobs that would average nearly $50,000 a year.

A commission commitment to the incentives would allow negotiations to continue. Even if the name of the company isn't immediately revealed, we're hopeful commissioners will move ahead toward the goal of economic diversification.

The commission meets starting at 9 a.m. at the Collier County Government Center, U.S. 41 East at Airport-Pulling Road.

Future planning

The first of four long-range plans county staff is updating is for the "rural fringe," which is 77,500 acres east of Collier Boulevard and north of U.S. 41.

Public meetings began after the first of the year. These culminate at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in a session at South Regional Library, 8065 Lely Cultural Blvd., East Naples.

According to county staff, about 28,000 acres is designated for future development ranging from one home per 5 acres to one home per acre to clustered villages that include commercial uses. Another 8,400 acres would be low density or agriculture and nearly 41,000 acres would be protected from growth.

At this meeting, staff will summarize what's been said at prior sessions and share what's been suggested for improvements.

The three other plans are for Golden Gate, Immokalee and the 185,000-acre area around Immokalee to the Hendry County line.

More information: www.colliergov.net/GMPrestudies

Memorial Day

County and city offices in Southwest Florida close next Monday for Memorial Day, as will district administrative offices and public schools in Collier and Lee counties. Collier County Public Schools also aren't in session Friday.

AAA estimates more than 38 million Americans will travel this coming weekend, a number only topped in 2005 before the Great Recession. Memorial Day gas prices are expected to be their lowest in 11 years, AAA says, so 89 percent of travelers are expected to drive.
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Economic development can be risky business.

Collier County can look to its neighbor to the north as evidence.

On one hand, there are success stories such as Hertz's well-documented move of its global headquarters from New Jersey to Estero, where it now employs more than 625. Notably, others have followed, including a Hertz equipment rental company and most recently, eMaint, a maintenance management system relocating from New Jersey to south Lee County and bringing 150 new jobs over time.

On the other hand, there is the equally well-documented controversy surrounding VR Laboratories, a health drink bottling company that received $5 million of incentives from Lee County to create 200 new jobs and ended in a downward spiral. Lee went to court, seeking to recoup nearly $4.7 million paid.

Even so, Collier commissioners made the right call Tuesday by agreeing to partner with the state in pursuing an undisclosed company to relocate here to create 560 new well-paying jobs over several years.

"We have to take some well thought-out leaps of faith," Commissioner Tim Nance correctly noted.

Given Lee County's successes, it's exciting to see what we've been waiting years for  Collier County may land one as well.

Corporate welfare?

Some will scoff that it's corporate welfare to provide more than $1.1 million in matching money to supplement $5 million-plus from Enterprise Florida, a state economic development agency.

Critics should find comfort, however, that County Manager Leo Ochs noted the local share is coming from money Collier derived from the state's gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe. As for the state's share, whatever Collier's contribution has been toward that money in Florida's budget, if the corporation goes elsewhere that would just mean this county has supported locating a business in another community.

As we see Gov. Rick Scott making one announcement after another across Florida about relocating and expanding businesses, creating dozens of jobs each time, we're thankful Enterprise Florida brought this potential deal to Collier business leaders several weeks ago rather than going somewhere else.

Any effort to lure a new company raises questions about investing instead in local businesses to help them grow. However, the county's economic development program offers such incentives. There is no more recognizable home-grown private industry in Collier than medical device manufacturer Arthrex. In March, commissioners awarded Arthrex a package worth up to $573,000 over four years to create 350 new jobs at a 161,000-square-foot addition in Ave Maria.

Tuesday's commission decision was encouraging because a corporate headquarters could be environmentally friendly while bringing a capital investment of $63.3 million and future taxes the company would pay into county coffers. If the deal comes to fruition, it's progress toward diversifying our economy from its continued reliance on tourism, construction, real estate and agriculture.

Where to live?

In approving the incentive package, commissioners appropriately discussed the question of where these employees  they would make an average annual wage of nearly $50,000  will find housing affordable in Collier.

A recent national realty report showed a buyer needs to earn $80,483 to qualify for a loan for a median-priced house of $439,900 in the Naples area. Commissioner Tom Henning correctly noted that the average wage for these jobs would put a home within reach of a couple while a single person may not want a home that size anyway.

Even so, it was encouraging to see commissioners weighing the impact that the cost of housing is having on the workforce and the importance of an ongoing staff review. Tuesday's discussion also turned to concerns about a rental shortage and a need for more elder housing.

According to county staff, steps are in progress this summer that could lead to hiring an expert or consultant who would deliver a workforce housing plan to commissioners in 2017.

Any relocating or expanding business should be pleased to see county leaders are trying to address this aspect of setting up shop in Collier County.
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Bob Naegele, Naples

Conduct

On Tuesday evening, May 17, I attended the Collier County School Board workshop on the 2017 budget. At the end of the discussion, a board member asked about the transgender bathroom issue.

Attorney Jon Fishbane said he would have a report ready for the June board meeting. The board momentarily debated if the subject should be on the agenda for discussion and public comment.

Then board member Kathleen Curatolo said she would support having it as an informational item, but with no public comment, because of all the "extremists" who would sign up to speak. Finally, after her rant, the board decided to allow public comment at the June meeting.

On my way home from the meeting, I heard U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi on the radio, uttering the same words.

I hope all you "extremists" will exercise your First Amendment rights at the June School Board meeting.
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Michael Grover, Altamonte Springs

Courage to say no

Regarding medical marijuana and thalidomide:

There is an important reason why marijuana has not been approved by the FDA as medicine to treat serious illness. The arguments that it is both effective and safe is strongly challenged by every medical and health organization, which warn the public of the significant danger it poses to children and our seriously ill.

In 1960, the FDA received an application to approve a new drug for treatment of the symptoms of morning sickness. The drug appeared to be effective, and was being prescribed in 20 other countries around the world. The scientist who had the responsibility to decide if it should be licensed for use in America, Dr. Frances Kelsey, refused to approve it because she believed there was insufficient proof it was safe and without dangerous long-term side effects. She was put under intense pressure by the drug company and political lobbyists, but didn't give in.

In the following year, there were an estimated 10,000 severely deformed children born in those countries that were already using thalidomide. In 1962, President Kennedy awarded her a presidential medal for her courage in preventing this catastrophe from occurring in America.

Because of this near tragedy, Congress passed legislation requiring substantial evidence of both effectiveness and safety before a drug could be licensed and prescribed by physicians. There is ample scientific and medical data proving that potent marijuana in its raw state, either smoked or consumed, can be dangerous to both the physical and mental health of regular users.

Special interests are manipulating the public, politicians and the media into legalizing this street drug  they need to be challenged for their dishonesty before it's too late. Dr. Kelsey had the courage to do the right thing  do we?
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William C. Howey, Naples Retired lieutenant colonel, Marine Corps

Opt out

What has happened to this country?

Students may now "opt out" of the Pledge of Allegiance. The poor little princes and princesses of today cannot spend 15 seconds reciting a pledge to the country in which they were lucky to have been born.

Obviously our family and educational systems are broken. Todays kids, their parents and some educators dont have a clue about how many million honorable men and women have died for our freedom. They all pledged themselves to this country every day in school and upon their enlistment to defend this country and our way of life  for what?

I personally spent 32 years of my life proudly wearing the uniform of our once great country, and today I am ashamed and wonder did I waste all those years. I then spent 15 years teaching high school. Was that another waste?

I will be 80 years old this year and I will continue to pledge allegiance to my country until the day I die. I would still be willing to put on the uniform, and serve my country, so tell me, who do you "opt-outers" serve?

If you dont want to pledge allegiance to your country, you cant be counted upon to do much of anything for it, therefore, you dont deserve the endless freedoms you receive because of the sacrices of so many who did, and still do, believe in the Pledge of Allegiance.

OK, if you dont like to pledge for your country, I suggest you move to China, Russia or, better yet, North Korea.

Some of you "opt-outers" will claim you have the freedom to opt out. Good leftist thinking. My freedom is to say, give me the patriots any day.
Marco Island Academy, a tuition-free, public charter high school, is rated in the top 2% of America's Most Challenging High Schools by The Washington Post in 2016. The list is comprised of public, charter and private schools across America. Out of the 22,000 schools that were evaluated, only 2,300 made the list. Marco Island Academy (MIA) made the list at #255- landing the school in the top 2% in the nation. The rankings are based on results from the 2014-2015 school year.



Last year, MIA achieved a 97.3% graduation rate, with 85% of the graduates going on to attend post-secondary programs. Schools are ranked by the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of students who graduated.



Marco Island Academy college preparatory program focuses on the Cambridge program. The Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma is an international curriculum and examination system with an emphasis on the value of broad and balanced study. Students gain an in-depth understanding of a variety of subjects, and must master a broader range of skills critical for success in college and beyond. When students pass an AICE class, they receive high school credit. If they pass the AICE exam, students also receive college credit. Rather than computer based testing, the majority of AICE examinations use pencil and paper. Students must respond to each question with a written explanation using evidence to support their answers.



MIA students are demonstrating a mastery of the AICE curriculum. Highlights from the May/June 2015 Cambridge Examination Cycle include a:

95% IGCSE Biology pass-rate,

98% IGCSE History pass-rate,

100% IGCSE English Language pass-rate,

88% AICE Marine Science pass-rate

91% AICE Thinking Skills pass-rate

91% AICE General Paper pass-rate.



There are several reasons for the students outstanding results. The overall education system on Marco Island is excellent. Tommie Barfield Elementary and Marco Island Charter Middle School provide a solid foundation for many of the students who enter Marco Island Academy. The school also has students who move from many different geographic regions including France, England, Sweden and Germany. The Cambridge international curriculum serves the overall student population very well. MIA offers a block schedule with only four classes each semester. The schools start time is later, beginning at 8:25 am. Prior to the first day of school, the principal, assistant principal, and dean of students meet with every incoming student and parent. They discuss his or her goals for the future. The administration has high expectations for each student. The team uses the information gathered from the initial meeting to devise a plan to help the student achieve success, both personally and academically. Everyone at the school works together as a team to best meet the needs of the students. Ultimately, this combination of hard-working students, passionate teachers, and a dynamic administration has produced dramatic results.



MIAs Class of 2016 continues marked post-secondary success with acceptances to a variety of competitive and exemplary institutions. MIA students have received acceptances from the following post-secondary programs: Alderson Broaddus University, Alma College, Barry University, Bemidji State University, Bunker Hill Community College, Coker College, Colorado State University, Cornell University, Earlham College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Ferris State University, Flagler College, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Florida Polytechnic University, Florida Southern College, Florida State University, Jamestown University, Johnson & Wales University, Liberty University, Michigan State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New College of Florida, Northern Michigan University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Penn State University, Penn State University Schreyer Honors College, Philadelphia University, Princeton University, Ringling College of Art and Design, Rollins College, Saint Leo University, Savannah College of Art and Design, Stetson University, University of Alabama, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of Notre Dame, University of Tampa, University of Tampa Honors College, University of South Florida, University of West Florida, United States Coast Guard, Valdosta State University, West Point Military Academy, Wittenberg University.



Although the scores and statistics are outstanding, this is not what matters the most to the school. Success is measured by whether the students develop into thoughtful, engaged, and responsible young adults. MIA prepares students to take the next step and pushes them to pursue their dreams.



As graduation rapidly approaches, part of me selfishly feels a sense of loss. I will miss seeing the seniors smiling faces on campus and hearing about their latest achievements. However, when I think of the future doctors, lawyers, educators, scientists, and artists who are graduating this year, I am greatly encouraged. These bright young students give us hope for a brighter future.
Above Board Chamber of Florida is pleased to present Maximize Your Exposure, Expose Yourself from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 9 at Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe Street in Fort Myers and on Monday, June 13 at the Hilton Naples, 5111 Tamiami Trail N., in Naples.



Gaining exposure for your business is an important part of growing your company, but done incorrectly can ruin your companys reputation and force you to close your doors. Join the Above Board Chamber in June to learn valuable advice from our panel of top experts. Panelists will share their personal experiences, mistakes to avoid, and proven strategy.



Fort Myers panelists include: Hope Daley, Co-founder and Executive Producer of Guerilla Media; Erica Queenie Castner, Founder of Queen of Results; Keith Grossman, Grossman Law & Conflict Management; and Barbara Langdon, Market Momentum, LLC. Connie Ramos-Williams, President and Chief Marketing Officer for CONRIC PR & Marketing will serve as emcee.



Naples panelists include: Laurel Lofton, Waterman Broadcasting; Matthew Dykes, Co-founder and CEO of Guerilla Media; Barbara Langdon, Market Momentum, LLC; and Sue Huff, E. Sue Huff and Associates. Ingrid Fuller, President of Fuller Online Solutions will serve as emcee. The sponsor of the Naples luncheon is David M. Kover & Associates, LLC.



Reservations for June are now being accepted. Price includes lunch, beverage, networking and panel discussion. Registration for the Fort Myers luncheon is $25 for members and $30 for guests before Thursday, June 2. After June 2, registration is $30 for members and $33 for guests. Cost for the Naples luncheon is $25 for members and $30 for guests before Monday, June 6. After June 6, registration is $28 for members and $33 for guests. To register, visit aboveboardchamber.com.



Annual sponsors for the Above Board Chamber of Florida are CONRIC PR & Marketing and Fuller Online Solutions. Non-members may attend up to two meetings at the guest rate, and are then encouraged to join the Above Board Chamber of Florida as a member. Membership benefits include lower rates, complimentary press release distribution on ABC website, and promotions across social media.



The Above Board Chamber of Florida is dedicated to bringing people of all faiths together within the community, in the workplace and amongst one another. Its mission is to supply members with the tools that will allow them to take every aspect of their lives Above Board. For more information or to become a member of the Above Board Chamber, contact Jeanne Sweeney at 239-910-7426 or visit www.aboveboardchamber.com.
Emergency personnel work the scene of a car crash at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Creekside Boulevard on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in North Naples. Authorities on scene said two cars were involved in the crash and three people were taken to the hospital with injuries. (David Albers/Staff)

By Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas of the Naples Daily News

At least one person is injured following a crash at U.S. 41 North and Creekside.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, officials were dispatched to the intersection in front of Trader Joe's on one side and Patio Cafe on the other, about 8:20 a.m. It wasn't reopened until after 10 a.m.

Authorities had closed northbound lanes of 41, with the only option to turn right onto Creekside.

The intersection is just one traffic light south of the large intersection with Immokalee Road.

Details about the number of injured or their injuries were not immediately available.




Eamonn Wynne

Eamonn Wynne

William Grant and Sons say they remain committed to bottling Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey at Annerville, Clonmel, following the recent announcement that the company is investing in a new, state of-the-art pot still whiskey and malt whiskey distillery in Tullamore, bringing whiskey production back to the town for the first time since the original distillery closed in 1954.

This announcement is great news for the brand. Sales of Tullamore Dew are growing by 15% each year and building our own distillery will secure our production needs for the long term. We remain committed to bottling at Clonmel and that is not going to change as a result of this announcement, a company spokesperson told The Nationalist.

The company employs more than 60 people at its Clonmel facility.

Work on the new Tullamore distillery, a 35 million investment that will utilise the latest in green technology, is scheduled to begin later this year, subject to planning permission, and will support in the region of 100 construction jobs during the two-year building phase. When combined with the new Tullamore Dew Visitor Centre, scheduled to open next September, the total number employed by the firm in the town will rise to around 25.

William Grant and Sons bought the brand from C&C almost two years ago.
WASHINGTON  The House passed a bill by a voice vote Monday that will make it easier for mortgage originators to take a new job across state lines or move from a federally regulated bank to a nonbank lending shop.

The bill (H.R. 2121) creates a 120-day transition period so loan officers can accept a new job and start work immediately. Currently, loan officers have to meet educational and testing requirements of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Mortgage Licensing Act before starting a new job.

The Mortgage Bankers Association welcomed the House's action.

"This is an important piece of bipartisan legislation which will help all lenders recruit experienced mortgage loan officers without unnecessary barriers to employment mobility and job opportunity," said David Stevens, the president and chief executive officer of MBA. "MBA now urges the Senate to consider this bill expeditiously."

The Senate Banking Committee passed similar SAFE Act amendments last summer as part of a larger regulatory reform bill (S. 1484). But it is unclear if the full chamber will act on the bill.
Pesticides, fungicides, food and autism

Impact on the developing brain

Pesticide use increases alongside autism cases

(NaturalNews) Modern fungicides that coat common fruits and vegetables have been shown to trigger gene changes in neurons similar to those of people afflicted by autism and Alzheimer's disease.Researchers from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill conducted the study in an effort toprovide insight into the environmental substances that contribute to autism. The team's work, published in the journal, highlights an innovative way to narrow in on chemicals that could impact the normal functioning of the brain.Autism spectrum disorders are a class of neurodevelopmental disorders that affect about one out of 100 children. Core symptoms of autism include difficulties with communication and social interactions, obsessive interests and repetitive behaviors.Mark Zylka, PhD, senior author of the study and associate professor at the UNC Neuroscience Center, and colleagues, exposed the brain cells of mice to more than 300 different pesticides and fungicides . The researchers then sequenced the RNA from these neurons to decipher which genes were affected by the chemicals. A network of computer programs helped the team establish which chemicals might cause gene expressions associated with autism."Based on RNA sequencing, we describe six groups of chemicals," Zylka said in a press statement. "We found that chemicals within each group altered expression in a common manner. One of these groups of chemicals altered the levels of many of the same genes that are altered in the brains of people with autism or Alzheimer's disease."Through this work, the researchers were able to identify six groups of chemicals that produce gene expressions similar to people with autism. The chemicals included both pesticides and fungicides . The fungicides, called strobilurins, made their way into the U.S. food supply towards the end of the 20th century, just before data revealed that there had been a massive spike in autism. The fungicides in the class included pyraclostrobin , trifloxystrobin, fenamidone, famoxadone, azoxystrobin, fluoxastrobin and kresoxim-methyl, according to"We cannot say that these chemicals cause these conditions in people," Zylka noted. "Many additional studies will be needed to determine if any of these chemicals represent real risks to the human brain."In particular, the researchers found that these chemicals reduced the expression of genes that play a pivotal role in communication between neurons. Whenever certain genes are not expressed, they can interfere with the normal functioning of the brain. In addition, the team found that these chemicals caused an increase in genes believed to trigger inflammation in the nervous system, otherwise known as neuroinflammation, which is often seen in autism and neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, the fungicides increased the production of free radicals, which damage cells and obstruct neuron microtubules."Disrupting microtubules affects the function of synapses in mature neurons and can impair the movement of cells as the brain develops," Zylka explained. "We know that deficits in neuron migration can lead to neurodevelopmental abnormalities. We have not yet evaluated whether these chemicals impair brain development in animal models or people."Jeannie T. Lee, MD, PhD, Professor of Genetics and Pathology at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study, commented on the significance of the research:"This is a very important study that should serve as a wake-up call to regulatory agencies and the general medical community. The work is timely and has wide-ranging implications not only for diseases like autism , Parkinson's, and cancer, but also for the health of future generations. I suspect that a number of these chemicals will turn out to have effects on transgenerational inheritance."Adding to these remarks, Carol Povey, director of the Centre for Autism at the National Autistic Society, told"This new study confirms again that the causes of autism involve many complex and interacting factors, including genetics, the environment and the development of the brain."We urge that the results of this study are digested thoughtfully, and that people do not worry unnecessarily. As the author has made clear, this study absolutely does not mean that chemicals cause autism, nor can we understand fully the risks that these chemicals may have for the human brain until further studies are carried out."What is important for the more than 1 in 100 people on the autism spectrum is to make sure that they have access to the right support from people who understand autism. That's why the National Autistic Society is launching the biggest ever autism awareness campaign this Friday to help the public learn more about the 700,000 autistic people in the UK."Zylka's team reviewed data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, which keeps tabs on pesticide use throughout the country. Additional information was obtained from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of agriculture , which test foods for pesticide residues.Steer clear of food contaminants with GMO.news powered by Fetch.news. Among the chemicals considered, pyridaben was the only one that decreased in usage since 2000. While rotenone usage has stayed stable since 2000, the usage of the rest of the fungicides significantly increased over the last decade. In fact, according the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , the amount of pyraclostrobin present on food could be harmful to human biology. Other research has associated pyraclostrobin usage with the collapse of the bee colonies The fungicide class the researchers analyzed can be found on leafy green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and kale. The researchers added that the use of these fungicides on other food crops is increasing. Previous research has shown that the fungicide trifloxystrobin can impair the motor function of rats for many days. The same affects held true for its sister fungicide, picoxystrobin, at even smaller concentrations."The real tough question is: if you eat fruits, vegetables or cereals that contain these chemicals, do they get into your blood stream and at what concentration? That information doesn't exist," said Zylka. "Also, given their presence on a variety of foodstuffs, might long term exposure to these chemicals -- even at low doses -- have a cumulative effect on the brain,"noted.Zylka and his colleagues hope that their research will foster other scientists and future epidemiological studies to examine the impact these fungicides have on the developing brain."Virtually nothing is known about how these chemicals impact the developing or adult brain," Zylka said. "Yet these chemicals are being used at increasing levels on many of the foods we eat."
As the prescription opioid epidemic intensifies, calls for accountability mount

Shameless opioid marketing is exacerbating ignorance of integrated pain management strategies

(NaturalNews) Practicing physician Ronald Hirsch is fed up with all the incessant marketing and over-prescription of opioid painkillers going on in the field of medicine. He knows that big money is influencing the incessant marketing of opioids . Hospital staff members are often trained to try and please patients by offering them pain relief at every opportunity. Vague patient-reported pain rating scales are highly inaccurate, not evidence-based, and do not seek to find the causes. This leads to over-prescription, abuse and complete ignorance of safe pain management strategies.This incessant opioid marketing is driving patients to dependence on the pills, even in the riskiest circumstances, such as exposing fetal development to opioids during pregnancy (potentially leading to birth defects). As public ignorance grows, and doctors become more like drug pushers, something different has to be done. There must be some form of accountability, especially as drug companies like Purdue Pharmaceuticals continue to rake in billions selling their opioids, at the expense of their patients' long-term failing health and opioid dependence.As the opioid epidemic heightens, Dr. Hirsch is calling on Congress to "hold hearings and compel the top executives from Purdue Pharmaceutical, the Joint Commission, Press Ganey, and CMS and hospital administrators to appear and testify as to their role in this national epidemic." He believes finding a solution is not enough, and that "those responsible for this crisis need to be held accountable."In 2003, the FDA warned about the misleading advertisements coming from the manufacturer of Oxycontin, Purdue Pharmaceuticals. Not looking out for people's best interests, Purdue Pharmaceuticals was engaged in misleading patients and the medical community with its fraudulent marketing on oxycontin's efficacy (or lack thereof). Hospital patients are often in a great deal of pain and do not understand that pain's origins, complexity, or how it is connected to their lifestyle over time. As suggested in the "National Pain Strategy" put forth by the U.S. HHS: "Chronic pain is a biopsychosocial condition that often requires integrated, multimodal, and interdisciplinary treatment , all components of which should be evidence-based."Many well-meaning physicians try to curb their patients' pain, but even though their intentions are good, their methods are disastrous.shone a light on the devastating story of one woman who nearly lost her life due to a two-week prescription of oxycodone that she was taking to block out the pain of her arthritis.Looking for some sort of quick relief, patients may expect doctors to give them some pills to take the pain away. Doctors, feeling pressured to meet the demands of patients, often give in and prescribe opioids. Even if a doctor feels opioids are unnecessary, they will prescribe them anyway. Patient satisfaction surveys often determine whether doctors are going to get paid,Patient satisfaction surveys are how hospital administrators judge the performance of the physicians practicing in the hospital. Doctors looking for higher scores try to please their patients even when a prescription is probably not in the patient's best interests, health-wise.So, as the makers of opioids run their misleading advertisements and pound propaganda into the medical community, what they are really doing is defrauding patients out of true healthcare and hurting people tremendously. Maybe it's time for accountability , as Dr. Hirsch explains. After all,
Seeking justice for disabled daughters

HPV vaccines a dangerous scam

(NaturalNews) Teen girls and their mothers in Ireland are setting an example for how to build an influential movement to fight back against a mainstream vaccine consensus that pushes the dangerous human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine on girls as young as eleven.The support group REGRET (Reactions and Effects of Gardasil Resulting in Extreme Trauma) has garnered significant media attention, support from major politicians, and has even had one member file a lawsuit seeking to have the license for an HPV vaccine revoked.HPV is not a single virus, but rather a large family of related viruses. Most HPV viruses are completely innocuous, while a few varieties lead to genital warts and some can play a role in the development of cervical cancer. Two vaccines have been approved for HPV: Merck's Gardasil, which protects against two strains blamed for 70 percent of cervical cases, and GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix, which protects against those strains plus two others blamed for 90 percent of genital warts.REGRET was started by parents of girls who suffered serious adverse effects after being vaccinated with Gardasil as part of Ireland's school vaccination program. The group has recorded at least 100 instances of such severe damage. Ireland added Gardasil to its school vaccination program in 2010 , for girls aged 11 to 16.REGRET has two major goals. One is to raise awareness about the risks of the HPV vaccine, to enable other teens and parents to make informed choices about vaccination. Judging by the number of media stories published and aired about the group, and the fact that mainstream politicians have raised their concerns on the floor of the legislature, the group is starting to have some success.The other major goal of REGRET is to get assistance for their injured daughters. According to the group, many of the girls have suffered such severe side effects from the vaccine that they are unable to attend school regularly. Because their illnesses are poorly understood, many of the girls are not receiving proper medical care.One REGRET mother, nurse Fiona Kirby, has taken the fight all the way to Gardasil manufacturer Merck. In 2015, she filed a lawsuit asking the court to withdraw the license for Gardasil to be used in Ireland, and to issue an order barring the Health Products Regulatory Agency (HPRA) from including the drug in any national vaccine programs.Kirby says her own daughter developed flu-like symptoms after receiving her first dose of Gardasil in 2011, but that the symptoms cleared up on their own. The symptoms returned after her daughter's second shot, but this time they came with muscle wasting nausea so severe that it led to weight loss. Shortly after, she was hospitalized with bilateral pneumonia. She now suffers from permanent disability and needs continuous care.Serious side effects from the HPV vaccine are much higher than for other vaccines, warns Dr. Diane Harper, who has spent 20 years studying the virus and worked on the development of Gardasil. These side effects have included death.Indeed, for women in Western countries with access to good medical care, the risks of the vaccine probably outweigh the risks of the cancer it claims to prevent, Harper has said.This is because cervical cancer is very rare in Western countries, and has a very high survival rate if caught early, due to yearly Pap smear testing. Harper emphasizes that because the long-term effectiveness of the HPV vaccine has not been proven, vaccinated women still need to receive annual Pap smears.Harper has also pointed out that although the drug is recommended for girls as young as nine in some countries, no safety or effectiveness tests have been carried out on girls under the age of 15.(Photo credit: Health Impact News)
India disagrees with World Health Organization's report about the most polluted cities in the world.

In the previous report of The Guardian, India had 16 cities listed in the top 30 cities with polluted air. From the data gathered by WHO, the outdoor pollution has grown eight percent. Aside from India, coutries with cities with air pollution are Zabol, Iran, Gwalior, India, Allahabad, India, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jubail, Saudi Arabia, Patna, India, Raipur, India, Bamenda, Cameroon, and Xingtai, China.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar disagreed to the report and he said the report is misleading. The Environment Minister said they will release their data that will prove WHO's report is not true.

"We will come out with the statistics as people should know the whole picture. There are many cities in the western countries as well that are suffering. So, let citizens know that pollution problem is all over, in different categories and degrees," Javadekar said in a report by The Quint.

Meanwhile, The US Embassy in India conducted a workshop about combatting air pollution in North India, which being held in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Lucknow from May 17 to 26.

The series of workshop are organized by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. The aims of the scheduled workshops are to provide a platform for the US and Indian air quality experts to discuss and formulate best practices to control air pollution in North India.

"The objective of these workshops is to provide a forum to initiate and strengthen collaboration between US and Indian air quality experts, consider best practices to combat air pollution in North India and build consensus and strategy for follow-on action," an official statement released by embassy in a report by American Bazaar Online.
Google officially announced on Friday at the Google I/O 2016, that the long awaited Project Ara will finally be available for developers this coming fall and will officially be out in the market for consumers by 2017.

After several seasons of delay and series of hindrances, Google finally reveals with confidence that there is no more stopping to the launching of this highly anticipated technological breakthrough.

With six ports using standard UniPro, each supporting up to 11.9 Gbps, each Ara module uses as much power as USB 3.

With 5.3 inch screen, Google's modular phone is known with the lego-like features as it contains six modular slots allowing users to swap modules even at power on.

What's interesting is that the modules eject by touching the module's picture on the map available on the right side of the device or by the easier way of using voice command, as reported by Tech Times.

The original plan on Ara was that Google will provide the endoskeleton to act like PC mother board and allow users to upgrade its parts should new innovations arrive. Plans however changed since they found it more relevant to just have the processors and other significant components such as processors compacted in one module.

"When we did our user studies, what we found is that most users don't care about modularizing the core functions," said Rafa Camargo, lead engineer on Project Ara. "They expect them all to be there, to always work, and to be consistent." "Our initial prototype was modularizing everything...just to find out users didn't care," he added, according to CNET.

ATAP, Advanced Technology and Products, a Google division specifically assigned to turn wild fantasies to technological reality stated that Ara will come with expanded memory module, camera, speaker and an E-Link display.

Ara, formerly Spiral 2 was supposed to be released on the market last year in Puerto Rico with everything set for its launch. But for some unknown reasons, the launching was postponed and most of the Ara hopefulls barely knew if the project was still alive.

The problem grew worse with Paul Eremenko, original Project Ara team head left followed by Regina Dugan, an official ATAP member who left Google for Facebook where she ran Building 8 a division working with the same goal ATAP.

ATAP confirmed that there are 30 people from the team who are already using Ara as their primary phone, as per Softpedia.

Take a closer look at Project Ara through this video.




Conspiracy theorists believe that NASA, together with the world government, is trying to cover-up a massive hole at the North Pole, which they believe to be a passage way to an inner earth that is complete with vegetation, animals, human civilizations and inner sun.

In a recent YouTube video posted by SecureTeam10, the conspiracy theorists group provided series of images and videos that was allegedly taken down by NASA revealing a giant, stable hole in the North Pole. According to them, NASA is a part of worldwide cover-up to hide the, what they claim to be, an entrance to inner earth.

The hollow earth theory was first proposed by Edmund Halley, a distinguished English scientist who studied the comet that bears his name, in 1692, explaining that the Earth consists of a hollow shell about 800 km (500 miles) thick, two inner concentric shells and an innermost core.

John Symmes, an American army officer, followed through Halley and proposed the "theory of concentric spheres and polar void" in 1818.

According to the report from the Inquisitr, Symmes planned to an expedition to explore the hollow with the help and funding from the government. However, he didn't get the help he needed and died in 1829 without achieving his lifelong dream.

Not soon after, many hollow earth theorists planned expeditions to explore the massive hole. However, due to some rare coincidences, some members of their expedition team died in an accident.

Mirror reported that Polar explorer Admiral Richard E Bird detailed in his diary his success of reaching inner Earth. According to him, he entered the hole and travelled 1,700 miles among mountains, vegetations, lakes, civilization and mammoth-like monster animals.

During the Nazi regime, the hollow earth theory is very much celebrated. According to the video, Adolf Hitler even ordered a research journey for a similar opening in the Antarctica. According to an article in Crystal Links, there are theories going around that Hitler with his men have found a refugee by entering the giant hole leading to inner Earth and up until now they are still enjoying their safe haven inside.


A supersonic jet plane designed for the future. The last one among the trilogy; Sky Whale, Progress Eagle & Flash Falcon, this is Oscar Vinal, an airline designer's interpretation on how a futuristic car is supposed to be.

Mdolla reports that Flash Falcon is considered to be the product of the extensive study on present and future technology. With an unusual speed measuring up to that of Mach3, you can travel from New York City to Paris in three hours.

Equipped with two decks Flash Falcon has 250 comfortable seating capacities and environment friendly characteristics.

The power thrust is generated by superconductive fans combined with combustion chambers specially designed for futuristic supersonic jets such as Flash Falcon.

Its electric combustion engines simultaneously controls exhaust gasses downward, rear and in front. It can also swing to different directions to alleviate the plane at moderate to extreme movement such as take off, landing and maneuver.

Flash Falcon is powered by engine housed at a very passenger inaccessible place built through the most lightweight materials of the 21st century.

It has an amazing ability to perform a landing and takeoff vertically which is rarely seen on any aircraft. It is also the only one with wing shock supporting the weight of its wings during its stay on the land. Such wings are also designed with flexibility to automatically inline and adjust depending on the aircraft condition and need, as per Live Science.

Significant data are provided to the pilots through the holographic windows. These also provide the pilots with extended views and wider range of control options.

A "Sound Boom Eraser System" is also included to act as a noise cancellation device should the jet infiltrate the sound barrier.

Flash Falcon supersonic jet currently is at the stage of intensive study and development but is anticipated to rock the reality in about 15 to 20 years, according to Behance.

Watch this video for more.
If you love eating bacon, you may find this interesting.

Farmers in Washington claimed that marijuana pig feeds help to make pigs grow bigger, and add more savory. While the state is about to embark on a first-of-its-kind legal market for recreational marijuana, the farmers of new cannabis growers have found alternatives to what to do with the excess stems, roots and leaves of the cannabis.

Susannah Gross, an owner of a five-acre farm north of Seattle, joined a group experimenting with a solution to make a marijuana into appetite-enhancing properties.

Four pigs were given feeds with supplemented potent plant leavings. After four months, the pigs' weight turned into 20 to 30 pounds heavier than the half-dozen other pigs.

"They were eating more, as you can imagine," Gross said in a report by GMA.

Matt McAlman, the medical cannabis grower was the one who provided pot leftovers and leavings to Gross. McAlman hopes there will be more alternatives for the use of pot leftovers to come up.

Since the cannabis leftover can be fed to pigs, he said there is a possibility to have pot chickens and grass-fed beef.

William von Scheneidau, a farmer in Seattle, also made left over leaf trims from a nearby marijuana farm as feeds for his hogs. Scheneidau owns the BB Ranch in Seattle, he came up with the idea of making the left over trims as hog feeds when an owner of weed dispensary told him they had extra stalks, leaves, and stems.

Scheneidau was also the butcher of Gross' pigs, and he held "Pot Pig Gig" at the famous Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle in Marc. The weed-fed meat was quickly sold out, and the buyers said the meat seems to taste more savory, Daily Mail reports.

Marijuana was legalized in Washington in 2015, thus leading to the explosion of the production. However, only cannabis buds are allowed to be consumed.
The American passport can get you virtually anywhere around the world, with access to over 160 places, including European nations.

Here are some visa-free countries you can mark for your next travel.

Europe

Europe never fails to make it on top of anyone's travel bucket list. Just recently, the European Commission is planning to extend visa-free travel for people from countries like Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo. Tourists will be able to travel freely within the 26 Schengen countries for three months, but would still require a visa to enter Britain.

Austria is one of the Schengen member countries Americans can visit. Cities in Austria offer a wide range of cultural experiences, from museums to amazing festivals. Also, tourists can take the perfect "walking holiday" in many Austrian sites including St. Anton am Arlberg, Kitzbuhel, Wildschonau Valley, Zell am See-Kuprun and The Alpbach Valley to name a few.

Middle East

The United Arab Emirates is becoming one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Its famous and most populous city, Dubai, is best known for its soaring skyscrapers, vacation islands, world-famous attractions, shopping districts and festivals.

Some of the places to visit are the island Palm Jumeirah, the famous hotel Burj Al Arab, the world's tallest building Burj Khalifa and its famous observation deck, and the Ski Dubai among others.

Africa

The jungles of South Africa are a popular travel destination for those who are adventurous and are wildlife enthusiasts. Places to visit are the scenic port city Cape Town, Johannesburg, the surfing city Durban, Port Elizabeth and Kimberley. Kruger National Park is also a famous reserve and safari.

Southeast Asia

In the Southeast Asian region, Malaysia is one of the most popular places to visit. Malaysia is home to sprawling rain forests and rich natural sites, which are abundant in Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) region, as well as modern structures like the Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur.

Latin America

Argentina is one popular country to visit in the South American continent. Travelers can feast on the country's legendary steak and catch a glimpse of the glaciers and the peaks of the Andes. Argentina is also famous for its vineyards and grasslands.
A dying veteran of the Vietnam War had one final wish: to say goodbye to his beloved horses.

Roberto Gonzales, 65, was visited on Saturday by his two horses, Sugar and Ringo, at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. The hospital staff helped in coordinating the reunion and farewell between Gonzales and the two faithful equine companions he had missed a lot during his hospitalization.

Gonzales, who was also one of the hospital's first patients when it opened in 1974, had wished to see his horses one last time. The hospital gladly obliged and helped arranged for Sugar and Ringo's 150-mile trip to the hospital.

Surrounded by his family outside the front doors of Audie L. Murphy Hospital, Gonzales was greeted by his horses, who both nuzzled up to their dying friend.

"Horses are his life," Rosario, Gonzales' wife, said in an interview with CNN. "We've been training and raising horses for 30, 40 years." According to Rosario, her husband is the only handicapped licensed horse trainer in Texas, and said that despite his condition, he continued to train and race horses around Texas.

Gonzales was left paralyzed when he was shot while fighting in Vietnam in May 1970.

On a recent visit to a hospital to have a back wound checked, it was found that Gonzales had also developed liver problems and that his kidneys are shutting down.

In his final moments, Gonzales' dying wish was to say goodbye to his loved ones.

Coincidentally, Gonzales' final meeting with Sugar and Ringo took place on May 21, which is the same date of his life-changing injury in the jungles of Vietnam about 46 years ago.

"When the horses came up to him, he actually opened his eyes," Rosario Gonzales said. "They came up to him and I think they were actually kissing him."
A Peninsula mother is now accused of killing her childrens father.

Investigators have arrested Tiffany Li along with her current boyfriend and another man. All three are believed to be connected to the murder of Keith Green  a Millbrae man first listed as missing several weeks ago

San Mateo County Sheriff's office announced the arrests on Monday.

The Sheriff's office said the arrests began Friday afternoon when authorities took Olivier Adella, 40, into custody at his Burlingame, California home a few miles south of San Francisco.

Authorities early Saturday morning raided the nearby Hillsborough home of Tiffany Li, 30, and her boyfriend Kaveh Bayat, 29. They were then taken into custody.

The three were arrested in connection with the death of Green, 27, whose body was found dumped near a freeway. All three are facing two charges: murder and conspiracy for murder.

Green and Li had two children together.

Police say Green was last seen alive when he left the home where he was staying to meet Li at the Millbrae Pancake House the night of April 28. Green was reported missing the next day and his mobile phone was found in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park a few days later.

Green's body was found May 11 in Sonoma County, about 80 miles north of the restaurant. The San Mateo County coroner hasn't released a cause of death, but investigators say Green was slain.

"His body was not in good shape, being it was outdoors. We needed dental records to confirm his body," San Mateo County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Salvador Zuno said.

Zuno said that a cause of death has been determined, but won't say exactly what it was or whether one of the suspects was the mastermind behind the attack.

All three remained jailed Monday and it's unclear if any of the suspects have lawyers. All three suspects are expected to be arraigned Tuesday. Legal expert Dean Johnson said that if convicted, they could face life without the possibility of parole.

"Unless one of the suspects has made submissions or one of the suspects testifies against the others, this is going to be a circumstantial evidence. Those are very complex but can be very strong," Johnson said.
A woman and her 3-year-old were killed in an Amtrak crash in San Leandro, California, Tuesday afternoon, after a train traveling from San Jose to Sacramento crashed into their SUV.

Capitol Corridor Train 532 struck the SUV on the tracks at 1:30 p.m. near Washington Avenue in San Leandro, according to Amtrak.

San Leandro police identified the victims as 30-year-old Vanessa Henriquez and her 3-year-old daughter, Saidy.

San Leandro Police Department spokesman Lt. Robert McManus said the SUV was parked on the track on the other side of the guardrail. "There is a construction zone which could have created some confusion," McManus said. Both mother and child died on impact, he said.

The family was in shock Tuesday. Jose Nelson Portillo confirmed to NBC Bay Area that it was his sister-in-law and niece in the SUV. He said the family has a boy with autism, and Hernriquez was on her way to pick him up.

Breaking- Amtrak train hits car along the tracks in San Leandro. Listen to witness here: #Amtrak @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/qNOAjNOXXd  Elyce Kirchner (@ElyceK) May 24, 2016

One witness said the conductor tried to stop the train and was concerned when he got closer to the wreckage.

"I went down there, and the conductor came out of the train," said Weston Pokorny. "He said, 'Please tell me people got out of the car.' He was checking the train. I said no one got out of the car."

There were no injuries to the 39 people on board, Amtrak said. All passengers were transported by bus to an Amtrak station to continue on to Sacramento.

The maximum train speed in that area is 79 mph, but it was not immediately known how fast the train was going, Amtrak said.

"I dont know what speeds the Amtrak train was traveling at but do know that as they pass these rail passings they do go at a very high rate of speed which would explain why that car was trapped in the tracks," McManus said.

Emergency crews and paramedics could be spotted at the scene of the crash, which showed the SUV trapped underneath the train.

"The train basically dragged the car all the way down - it stopped pretty fast, but it was too late," a man who was eating lunch at a nearby restaurant told NBC Bay Area. "I suddenly turned around and heard this impact ... Wham!"

According to police, the train pushed the SUV to what appears to be an eight and a quarter of a mile down the train tracks.

"I heard the screeching and then bang," said Western Pokorny, who spoke with the conductor moments after the crash.

"He said, 'Please tell me they got out of the vehicle.' I said, 'No one got out the of the vehicle they are gone.'"

On Monday, a man was hit and killed by an Amtrak train traveling from San Jose to Sacramento in San Leandro, officials said. Train No. 528 was traveling from San Jose to Sacramento when it struck the man around 10:30 a.m. near Davis Street and Orchard Avenue, Amtrak said.

There were two more train-related accidents Monday. The first accident occurred at 6:45 a.m. when Caltrain No. 305 struck and killed a man in Burlingame. Also on Monday morning, a person was hit and trapped underneath a train at the BART Embarcadero Station in San Francisco.
California taxpayers have had to foot the bill for dozens of court settlements and judgments involving California Highway Patrol Officers after interactions with the public that resulted in civil rights lawsuits being filed. NBC Bay Areas investigation of state records found that the majority of the officers involved in those lawsuits remain on the force a year or more after the cases are settled.

Under current state law there is no way to determine whether or not any of those officers were disciplined, re-trained or even investigated internally for the behavior that resulted in taxpayer payout to the citizens.

After a spate of highly publicized incidents involving use of force, communities across the country seek more oversight and accountability from their local law enforcement agencies. Now, these records uncovered by the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit have some critics raising questions about the state agency responsible for keeping our highways safe.

NBC Bay Area reviewed all settlements and judgments against the California Highway Patrol stemming from civil rights lawsuits alleging mistreatment by officers. Since January, 2006, a total of 45 cases cost taxpayers more than $25 million ($25,428,032.09) in judgments and legal fees.

Still, State Senator Loni Hancock, who represents the East Bay, told NBC Bay Area she was troubled to learn how much these lawsuits cost state taxpayers.

That indicates were wasting the taxpayers money, Hancock said.

As Chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee, Senator Hancock has been raising the issue of law enforcement accountability for years in Sacramento. California is one of the few states in the nation that does not reveal police officer discipline records.

While it is unclear whether the officers involved in these cases were disciplined, NBC Bay Area reviewed state salary data and found that many of officers remained on the force years after the allegations of abuse were filed.

NBC Bay Area tracked 53 officers named in the 45 lawsuits. According to public employee salary data for 2015, at least 33 of those officers remain on the force.

It s been almost two years since Olegs Kozacenko nearly lost his life during an encounter with two California Highway Patrol officers over a traffic ticket. Still, nearly two years later neither the CHP nor the state Attorney General s office will confirm whether or not the officers involved were ever disciplined for their actions, citing the law officer s...

CHANGES AT CHP

CHP Commissioner Joseph Farrow acknowledges theres a rift between many communities and law enforcement, but says his agency is working to bridge that gap.

The more information I provide, I think the better off we are at the end of the day, Farrow said. To the average person that [$25 Million] is a lot of money. I think in all those cases I think you did assume that nothing was done, no training, no lessons learned, and I don't think that's true at all.

Farrow says that force is rarely used during traffic stops. In 2015, Farrow says his officers made more than 4 million contacts with the public statewide, which resulted in only 791 use of force incidents.

In addition, statistics show his agency saw a dramatic decline in citizen complaints in recent years. It is a stat Commissioner Farrow believes demonstrates progress in the right direction.

"Within our organization I think a lot of things are being done. There are teachable moments. There is a lot of training that is being conducted and I think that's important for people understand. [Just] because one doesn't always see the end result, you cant assume that nothing is done, Farrow said.

TRANSPARENCY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

But we have to take Commissioner Farrows word for it since all discipline, re-training, and firings remain secret and blacked out from public scrutiny in California. Its a system that bothers critics like civil rights attorney Micaela Davis with the ACLU.

We need accountability at all levels of law enforcement, Davis said. When there's a huge settlement like this, it told us that the department must've had serious concerns with the officers behavior in that case, that what we really need to do is make sure the public is able to see what action the department took to correct that behavior and punish that officer.

Thats exactly why State Senator Mark Leno wants to make law enforcement internal disciplinary records public.

To know nothing is to breed suspicion, Leno said. The State Senator is currently sponsoring a bill to release all records about sustained complaints against police officers.

Its twenty five million dollars that were not spending on education or on health care, Leno said of the legal payments. We've got to make some changes. And the basic belief system here is more information is better. Transparency is a positive thing and results in greater safety, greater trust, better communities.

Although similar attempts to change the law have previously failed, Senator Leno believes the time is right now to pass these reforms.
Former President Bill Clinton attended fundraisers Tuesday in San Francisco and Fremont, while his wife - Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton - is set to join him Wednesday for private event in Atherton.

About 10 a.m., Bill Clinton was spotted entering the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco where he'll speak before heading to Fremont for a fundraising lunch. He waved "Hi, everybody," gave a big grin, and walked inside.

Students from Sacred Heart Cathedral who are part of the Bay Scholars Program were chosen to hear him speak.

"I hope that Bill is able to diffuse the negativity and the parties against party and actually push us to learn what our government is really about," said George Stratigos of Sausalito. "I don't like attack ads."

After the San Francisco event, Bill Clinton visited the home of a Fremont tech executive.

The small group inside the Fremont fundraiser said they were energized by the experience and look forward to casting their ballot for Hillary Clinton. The fundraiser cost between $1,000 to $10,000 to attend, depending on access to Bill Clinton.

While the Clintons visit the San Francisco Bay Area, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continued to hammer the Clintons. He thrust himself into the Clinton's marriage on Monday, going after Hillary Clinton in an Instagram post using the voices of two women who claimed they were sexually assaulted by her husband, Bill.

He starts to bite on my top lip and I try to pull away from him, Juanita Broaddrick is heard tearfully saying in the black-and-white Instagram ad that shows Bill Clinton with a cigar in his mouth.

Bill Clinton has never been arrested or charged with any such crime.

The ad ends with Hillary cackling as a photo of the two Clintons appears with the title Here We Go Again?

Trump tweeted, Is Hillary really protecting women? with a link to the explosive video.

Trump has made it clear that he intends to make Bill Clintons infidelities an issue in the campaign, charging that Hillary Clinton was his enabler.

And in other Clinton news, Hillary Clinton said she will not debate Bernie Sanders before California's Democratic primary on June 7.

Sanders told a crowd of supporters on Monday that the snub was "insulting."

But 18-year-old Fiorella Martinez said that despite the bickering among candidates, she thinks it's "really cool" to see Bill Clinton campaigning for his wife.

She came to San Francisco to see politics in person, as opposed to hearing about it second hand in the media and on Twitter. "I'm going in with an open mind," she said. "I'm here to learn.

Bill Clinton arrives in Fremont for #Hillary fundraiser. pic.twitter.com/ukUuR091na  scott budman (@scottbudman) May 24, 2016
The embattled Santa Clara County jail is back in the spotlight Monday after two sheriff's correctional deputies self surrendered for an alleged beating of an inmate.

Sgt. James Jensen said Phillip Abecendario and Tuan Le will be charged with assault and a three-year jail sentence could be on tap if the the men are convicted.

The arrests of the deputies culminated a long investigation by the sheriff's department.

As NBC Bay Area reported, inmate Ruben Garcia said he was severely beaten by two deputies in July 2015. Garcia was assaulted in an interview room and then dragged "chained and half-naked" before being kicked and punched back in his cell, according to the district attorney's office.

"My client is, of course, happy about it in some sense ... but it's not going to be the restitution that he'd really needs for the injuries he suffered because they're 'life altering'," said Robert Powell, Garcia's attorney.

Subsequent investigation revealed that at least two dozen inmates saw at least part of the incident, Deputy District Attorney John Chase said. The officers filed no reports documenting or explaining why they used force, Chase said. Both deputies have been on administrative leave since February.

Garcia filed a lawsuit against the county and the two accused deputies. He said the incident happened about a month before fellow inmate Michael Tyree was beaten to death in August 2015, allegedly by three guards. Those guards are facing murder charges in that case.

Garcia remained skeptical about his case even after Monday's arrests.

"I'm not confident about it because they're in a position where it gets swept under the rug or they take a lesser charge or whatever," he said.

Garcia told NBC Bay Area then that he filed the lawsuit because the deputies had broken his jaw and caused permanent nerve damage. But right now the focus is on the criminal case.

"We can't have jail guards administering their own form of punishment to inmates who are waiting for their trials or serving their sentences," prosecutor John Chase said.

"My main focus is to bring transparency and accountability to the Department and my Association," said Sgt. Amy Le, President-elect of the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers' Association. "I look forward to working with the Sheriffs Office, the Board of Supervisors and the community to regain public trust. We share a responsibility to make our jails and community safe for everyone."
Officers and a police dog boarded a plane to investigate a threat that was later determined to be "non-credible" Tuesday morning after the jet landed at Los Angeles International Airport, according to airport police.

Airport police Officer Rob Pedregon told The Associated Press the Transportation Security Administration received a phone call Tuesday about a possible threat to Compass Air Flight 5931, which departed from Houston Tuesday morning and arrived in Los Angeles at 8:43 a.m. The plane was marked as American Eagle.

American Airlines confirmed the flight received a "non-credible threat." An investigation will be conducted to identify the person or group behind the threat, according to the FBI.

KNBC-TV

Passengers were screened as they walked off an exit staircase and onto the tarmac. Passengers said they learned of the threat after they landed.

"Out of an abundance of caution, LAX authorities are screening the flight," the airline said in an email. "We hope to have our passengers on their way soon."

Aerial video showed several law enforcement and fire department vehicles near the plane with an armored police vehicle positioned behind the jet.

Passengers remained on board during most of the investigation, conducted in a remote part of the airport. Officers in tactical gear and a K-9 boarded the plane at about 9:30 a.m. and passengers exited the plane a short time later.

Earlier Tuesday, another threat was phoned in to the same airport in Houston. Passengers exited and baggage was removed from the Delta flight, and authorities determined there was no safety threat.
A Rohnert Park man has sued the city and a police officer for pulling a gun on him when he was taking a video in front of his house, alleging his freedom of speech and right to assemble were violated.

Auto mechanic Don McComas filed a civil rights lawsuit May 18 in federal court in San Francisco, seeking compensatory and exemplary damages, injunctive relief, costs and attorney fees. His lawyers, Daniel Beck and Evan Livingstone, allege that their client's First and Fourteenth amendments were violated when the officer pulled out a gun in retaliation for plaintiff exercising his right to record police activity.

McComas took video of the officer July 29, 2015 on his cell phone, which he later posted on a now-viral Facebook post, which was up, but then taken down at some point.

The city attorney's office did not respond Tuesday to a request by NBC Bay Area seeking comment. But in October 2015, a city investigation found that Police Officer David Rodriguez's actions were reasonable and did not violate city policy, citing McComas' "agitated behavior" and a "bulge" in his pocket.

In an earlier claim filed with the city, McComas alleged he was mocked, harassed and threatened by Rodriguez. The claim also alleges that the officer falsified his report to the city. Those particular claims are not in the lawsuit.

But McComas did stick to the allegations of feeling "threatened" by Rodriguez last summer, while he was hitching his boat up in his driveway when the officer started driving around his neighborhood.

In McComas' cell phone video, the officer is seen getting out of his cruiser, drawing his gun in a residential neighborhood and telling McComas to take his hand from his pocket.

McComas said: "No, I haven't done anything," the lawsuit states.

Rodriguez then held his own weapon in a "ready position" and advanced to McComas in a "threatening manner," the lawsuit alleges.

In an earlier interview, McComas' attorney, Beck, told NBC Bay Area that as far as he knows, McComas had one criminal brush with the law in his life: speeding in a hot rod and evading the police when he was 19. He described McComas, a husband and father, as a regular guy.

The case was assigned to Hon. Thelton Henderson, with a case management date set for Aug. 22.
Acting San Francisco police Chief Toney Chaplin hosted an invitation-only meeting Monday in the Bayview neighborhood, one of many he intends to hold throughout the city, he says.

The discussion centered on police reforms and last week's fatal officer-involved shooting that left a young African-American woman dead.

While some are happy to see the new chief reaching out and are listening to what he has to say, others are still holding out their trust after three fatal police shootings in six months.

"I feel like a lot of young people feel targeted," said resident Jacqueline Flin.

While the latest shooting is still under investigation, Chaplin says he's focused on use-of-force reforms. He says the department is also making it harder to get hired.

"We are now vetting them harder than before," he said. "As (former Chief Greg) Suhr used to say, most of the officers involved in the racist texts scandal would not have been hired."

Suhr resigned last week and was replaced by Chaplin.

Most residents seem willing to work with Chaplin, though Phelicia Jones of the Justice for Mario Woods Coalition wondered how an invite-only meeting might be perceived.

"Where is the community?" she asked.
The death of a 5-year-old boy Sunday morning in a two-alarm house fire in Vallejo has turned into a murder investigation, with police looking at the boy's father as a possible suspect, Vallejo police said Monday.

Vallejo police are looking for 53-year-old Darrylone Shuemake Sr., who they believe used an accelerant to set the house on fire while his son Dayleon was still inside.

"I couldnt speak to his motivations or what he was expecting," said Lt. Jeff Bassett of the Vallejo Police Deaprtment. "Obviously, that is a dangerous situation. A rational person would expect in this circumstance you could kill or severely injure someone, and thats exactly what happened."

The fire also severely burned Dayleon's mother and 13-year-old older brother.

The fire broke out in the 800 block of Stella Street at 9:54 a.m., and callers reported heavy smoke and a 5-year-old possibly trapped inside the single-family residence, according to officials.

According to police, both police and fire crews responded to the scene and found the house engulfed in flames. While several residents were able to escape the fire, the child was found dead inside the master bedroom. Vallejo police believe the child succumbed to the fire.

Shuemake is considered armed and dangerous, and the Vallejo Police Department is asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Vallejo Police Department or their local police agency.

Neighbors are in mourning. They say Dayleon brought joy to their street. He was always outside playing basketball and loved the Warriors.

"He always had a smile on his face. He wanted to be like Steph Curry. He was always outside with his little friends they would be bouncing balls and riding bikes," said Raylene Hepler.

Neighbors described the couple's relationship as stormy. They say they were constanly fighting.

"I saw a couple of weeks ago the father was pushing the mother around in the yard," said Dorothy Aimes.

Neighbors say despite the turmoil, little Dayleon always put on a happy face.

On Sunday, Vallejo police detectives, fire investigators and crime scene personnel were called in to investigate the scene.

Fire crews were "met by many neighbors trying to assist in getting the one victim out, who was found in a back bedroom of a fully involved bedroom," said fire department spokesman Mark Libby.

The sight of flames and thick smoke pouring from windows prompted the fire department to call a second alarm and make an "aggressive interior attack in an attempt to locate the victim," Vallejo fire officials told NBC Bay Area via Twitter. However, efforts to "immediately try and rescue the victim" were unsuccessful.

Neighbor Jossilene River said she heard screams coming from the house.

"I heard like a lady screaming for help and to call 911," she recalled.

Jeff Ames, who lives nearby and saw the flames and smoke, called the police and even tried to extinguish the fire. He "took the hose and went in the building," but only made it into the living room, he said.

Ames said he hosed down the female burn victim, but regrets being unable to do more. "I feel a certain grief," he said.

The teenage boy burned in the fire was treated and released. The mother's condition is unknown, and she was still being treated for burns Monday night.

The Vallejo Police Department is encouraging anyone who may have additional information on the fire to contact Detective Jason Martinez at (707) 648-4279 or Detective Mat Mustard at (707) 648-4514.

Pete Suratos and Rhea Mahbubani contributed to this report.
Three people were hit by trains in three separate accidents across the Bay Area Monday, resulting in two deaths.

The first accident occured at 6:45 a.m. when Caltrain No. 305 struck and killed a man in Burlingame. Less than four hours later, a Capitol Corridor train headed for Sacramento struck and killed a pedestrian on the tracks. Within the same hour, a person was hit and trapped underneath a train at the BART Embarcadero Station in San Francisco.

All three train services are back and running at normal operating schedules. No additional injuries were reported in the three accidents.

Bay City News contributed to this report.
As Chicago braces for a potentially violent summer, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a new plan aiming to restore credibility to the citys embattled police department.

A proposed ordinance would include civilian oversight, an inspector general and a community safety oversight board that would replace the controversial Independent Police Review Authority.

City aldermen were briefed on the plan Monday at City Hall, but say they have many questions that have been left unanswered.

What does all that look like? said Ald. David Moore. Whats the process? Whos involved in all that process?

Aldermen say they would prefer focus be on solutions to fighting crime.

We need to take a look at just all hands on deck in the South and West sides and starting putting all of the resources there and start finding out what are the issues there, said Ald. Gilbert Villegas.

Just this past weekend, as temperatures warmed to near summer-like weather, 45 people were shot, five of them fatally. Officials say shootings are up 50 percent in the city over the same time period last year.

Among the victims, was Yvonne Nelson, a city worker who was shot and killed Friday while leaving a Starbucks a block from Chicago Police headquarters. Nelson was an innocent bystander.

"No person should be shot for walking out of a coffee shop," said Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza. "It's unacceptable as a city and it's an embarassment. It really is."

Emanuel participated in a prayer breakfast Sunday with faith and community leaders to call for safety in city neighborhoods.

"Violence in Chicago  no matter when or where it occurs  is simply unacceptable," he said in a statement. "The vast majority of the violence is being driven by gang members with illegal guns, and the Chicago Police Department is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to keep our city safe  including one of the biggest raids against gang members in CPD history that led to the arrest of 140 individuals last week."

Emanuel hopes to move on the proposed ordinance next month.
Elton John, Julia Roberts, Will Ferrell, Blake Shelton and Kobe Bryant are among more than 65 stars who have signed on for "The Red Nose Day Special."

The charity event, set to air Thursday, May 26 (9-11 p.m. ET) on NBC, raises money for children in need in the United States and around the world.

They join previously announced participants like Ellen DeGeneres, Jack Black and Paul Rudd. The special will be hosted by Craig Ferguson.

The special will feature Roberts recent trip to Phoenix to visit projects that take care of children who are facing serious health issues without the means to afford basic medical treatment, according to a news release from NBCUniversal.

It will also feature rapper Chris Ludacris Bridges visiting a food bank in Atlanta at a school where 50 percent of the students are living below the poverty line.

There will be plenty of music during the special, with John and Shelton set to perform special songs. Paul Shaffer will be on hand as musical director of the Red Nose Orchestra.

The Red Nose Day Special also will bring the laughs, with Tracy Morgan, Jay Pharaoh and Sarah Silverman among the many comedians scheduled to appear.

Red Nose Day has raised more than $1 billion globally in the last 25 years. It launched in the U.S. in 2015 as a special day to come together, have fun and make a difference for kids who are most in need.

In its inaugural year in America, more than $23 million was raised for the Red Nose Day Fund, with the money now at work in all 50 states across America and 15 countries through programs to keep children and young people safe, healthy and educated.

People are encouraged to get involved, have fun and raise money by buying red noses sold exclusively at Walgreens, organizing fundraising events and watching and donating during the television special.

For more information, visit www.rednosedayusa.com and follow @RedNoseDayUS on Twitter and @RedNoseDayUSA on Facebook and Instagram using #RedNoseDay.
Two DePaul University students were robbed at gunpoint early Monday on the schools Lincoln Park campus, according to a safety alert sent out by the school.

The alert states three robbers held up two students at gunpoint

A 21-year-old man was on the southwest corner of Belden and Bissell about 12:20 a.m. when he was approached by three people who pulled out a handgun and demanded his belongings, according to Chicago Police and a safety alert posted on DePauls website. Information on the second victim wasn't immediately known.

One of the robbers, a juvenile female, was taken into custody after a witness saw her and flagged down a DePaul security guard, police said. Two other males believed to have been involved in the robbery escaped and remained at large Mlonday night.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call police or DePaul Public Safety.

Public Safety would like to remind everyone to be aware of their surroundings and use the escort service while on Lincoln Park campus, according to the alert.

Students say they've received five such emails, warning them about a nearby robbery or rape in the past week.

Incidents of battery, armed robbery and aggravated assault have been reported through the school's safety alerts.

"It's absolutely terrifying to have to call your mom and say, 'Hey, this is the fifth report in eight days, but don't worry I'll be OK,'" said student Ginny McElwain. "It just makes me feel unsafe, especially since I walk to work."

Police are warning of a string of robberies on the city's North Side, including the Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods.

One resident said they witnessed a robbery last week in the 1300 block of West Henderson.

"I heard the victim asking for his keys back," said witness Jamie Witowski. "He said, 'Can I at least have my keys?' And the robber responded with, 'Stay away, sir. Stay away.'"

Another robbery was reported Saturday afternoon when a man forcefully took a 79-year-old woman's purse as she waited for a bus at Lake Shore Drive and Addison.

It was not clear if any of the incidents are related.
Two FBI agents were shot Tuesday morning while attempting to serve a warrant to a man who was later found dead in his south suburban Chicago home.

The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the suspect as 50-year-old Melvin Toran. Court records show Toran had a long criminal history, including a conviction for murder in 1986.

He was paroled from prison on Feb. 18, 2013, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

SWAT teams were seen swarming Toran's home on Rich Court in Park Forest around 8:30 a.m. Multiple neighbors told NBC 5 they noticed the police activity as early as 6 a.m.

FBI special agent Garrett H. Croon said two agents suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds during the attempted arrest of Toran, who was later found dead in his home.

The commotion caused Park Forest-Chicago Heights School District 163 to delay their start time until 9:15 a.m., temporarily requesting parents to keep their children indoors and home from school while the FBI activity was ongoing.

One neighbor seemed surprised to find that Toran was a wanted man, saying that he "seemed nice" and had always been seen walking his dog.

Toran was a high-ranking gang member, according to the Chicago Tribune. The FBI was reportedly trying to arrest him on narcotics trafficking charges after Toran allegedly sold heroin to an undercover agent.

Toran's manner of death has not been released.
A Lake Geneva mother and her three children have been found safe, police say, calling off a massive, multi-state search for the family that mysteriously vanished two weeks ago.

"We can confirm at this time that Michalene Melges and her three sons have been located and are safe in Georgia," the City of Lake Geneva Police Department announced Tuesday. "We will offer further updates at the appropriate time. We would like to thank the media and citizens for their concern and assistance in this matter."

Lake Geneva police also confirmed Michalene Melges is in police custody and faces charges for violating a child custody agreement. The children were reported to be in child protective services while their father traveled to meet them.

The family was found by Savannah Police as well as the FBI, according to NBC 5's affiliate TMJ4.

Melges and her three sons  14-year-old Hans Melges, 12-year-old Kristian Max Melges and 10-year-old Maverick Buddy Melges  were last seen May 10 leaving their upscale family home in the 900 block of South Lakeshore Drive.

Police uncovered records showing the 40-year-old mother rented a van in Lake Bluff, Illinois the day before they were last seen. The van was returned four days later, police said, to a rental facility in Plano, Texas on May 13.

On Monday, police asked for the public's help in finding their whereabouts, reporting that the family had possibly been traveling with their two dogs, an English black lab and white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

"Everybody we've talked to at this point says this is out of character," Lt. Ed Gritzner told NBC affiliate TMJ4 Monday. "Especially since she had called the boys in school excused and then didn't show up when they were supposed to be back."

Further details surrounding their disappearance or how they were found have not yet been released.
Lake Geneva police are searching for a 40-year-old mother and her three young children after the four disappeared after leaving their home nearly two weeks ago.

Michalene Melges and her three sons -- 14-year-old Hans Melges, 12-year-old Kristian Max Melges and 10-year-old Maverick Buddy Melges -- were last seen leaving their home in the 900 block of South Lakeshore Drive on May 10.

Michalene Melges rented a van in Lake Bluff, Illinois on May 9 and the van was returned to a rental company in Plano, Texas on May 13, police said.

The family may be traveling with their two dogs, King, an English black lab, and Gigi or Geneva, a white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

"Everybody we've talked to at this point says this is out of character," Lt. Ed Gritzner told NBC affiliate TMJ4. "Especially since she had called the boys in school excused and then didn't show up when they were supposed to be back."

The boys' parents are reportedly divorced, but police said the disappearance is not believed to be a custody issue, though nothing is being ruled out.

Police said foul play is not suspected.

Anyone with information on the familys whereabouts is asked to call (262)-248-4455.
A suburban Chicago woman has reportedly been accused of having sexual contact with a 15-year-old boy numerous times, including encounters in local cemeteries.

Randal Perlman, 52, has been charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, police said. She appeared in court Monday and her bond was set at $200,000, according to jail records.

Prosecutors say that Perlman first started communicating with the boy through Instagram. Perlman allegedly arranged to pick up the boy near his home on several occasions and drove him to various cemeteries, a public park and an abandoned school where she would engage in sexual conduct, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The publication reports prosecutors also said Perlman made an admission to police regarding the charges.

According to the Tribune, Perlman was on probation in Kane County for contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2015 after she allegedly gave the same boy marijuana. As part of her probation, she was prohibited from having contact with him.

Perlman, of Elgin, is next expected to appear in court on June 17. It was not immediately clear if she had an attorney.
A 24-year-old woman was shot while driving on Chicagos South Side Monday night, police said.

Just after 11 p.m., the woman was driving alone in the Englewood neighborhood when she was viciously gunned down near the intersection of 71st and Wentworth, according to police.

She told authorities she had been heading westbound when someone pulled up, jumped out of another car and started shooting, striking her multiple times and causing her vehicle to veer off the road.

Chicago police said they don't know why the woman was targeted or if the shooting was totally random.

The woman was transported to Oak Lawns Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the head.

Chicago police have been increasingly responding to shootings aimed at drivers. Illinois State Police report at least 20 expressway shootings so far this year. The most recent, Thursday night, when a truck driver was critically wounded on the Dan Ryan.

Police have no suspects in custody in connection with the womans shooting. It is unknown if it was gang-related.
Six Connecticut men have been charged with staging car crashes so they could make fraudulent insurance claims, according to federal prosecutors.

U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly said on Tuesday that five Norwich residents and one New London resident have been indicted by a federal grand jury on fraud and conspiracy offenses.

Daly said the men staged about 50 accidents, many of them single-vehicle crashes on remote roads and with no witnesses other than the driver.

After each crash, the defendants filed fraudulent property damage and personal injury insurance claims, leading to insurance payouts ranging from about $10,000 to about $30,000, officials said.

Prosecutors said five of the defendants are citizens of Haiti, three of whom are legal U.S. residents. Three are free on bond, two are detained and one remains at large.

An indictment charges Mackenzy Noze, also known as Ken Ken, 31, of Norwich; Jonas Joseph, 32, also known as James, of Norwich; Frandy Dugue, 39, also known as Jimmy, of Norwich; Carlins Calixte, 32, of Norwich; Jacques Fleurijeune, 26, also known as Magic, of New London; and Pierre Jeudy, 56, of Norwich.

Fleurijeune, Jeudy and Dugue were arrested on May 20. Noze and Calixte were arrested on May 23.

Noze and Fleurijeune are detained, Dugue, Calixte and Jeudy were released on bond and officials are searching for Joseph.
Ansonia schools remain closed on Tuesday, the day after an anonymous post on an after school app indicated a possible threat and school officials plan to address concerns during a board of alderman meeting tonight.

The city put all four of its schools on lockout at 1:15 p.m. on Monday and canceled all after school activities for the day after learning of the potential threat, according to a statement on the school department website.

Dr. Carol Merlone, Ansonia's school superintendent, said the post was made in reference to Ansonia High School, though police said it was unclear which school might have been the subject of the posting.

Police responded to all schools on Monday to ensure students were safe as they were being dismissed and all students were dismissed without incident, police said.

Merlone decided to close all Ansonia Schools today and said the decision was made " in conjunction with law enforcement."

A Facebook post on the Ansonia Public Schools page on Tuesday morning said the school district, Mayor David Cassetti and Police Chief Kevin Hale are inviting parents to a brief community update at the beginning of a special Board of Aldermen meeting at 7 p.m. at the Ansonia High School.

"The update concerns the reported threatening incident that occurred yesterday afternoon. In an effort to keep you informed and our children safe, this update will provide you with the latest information available.Please make every effort to attend this important community update at 7 p.m. in Ansonia High School, and of course the special meeting of the Board of Aldermen regarding the budget," Merlone wrote in a statement.
One of the city's expenses that saw the budget ax for the next year is payments for festivals and parades.

Historically, the city had been very generous to organizations that put on music festivals, parades and other large scale events. Hartford has provided police, firefighters, public works and other personnel to make sure the events went smoothly.

The citys cost after reimbursements or the portions that the organizers would contribute was $700,000 for the year" said Melissa McCaw, who's in charge of budgeting and grants for the City of Hartford.

A city thats facing a shortfall of $10 million and were incurring $700,000 in expenses, we had to think differently about how to approach this.

The groups that put on its respective events will be responsible to pay for the costs that the city would otherwise have to pay for. That's a model used by many other cities around the country because such events require extra police and fire staff to ensure the events are safe.

We were waiting for that shoe to drop and we realized that we had to start thinking creatively and quickly on our feet because the parade couldnt just be stopped," said Ana Valentin-Jackson, who chairs the board of the Puerto Rican Parade, slated for Sunday, June 5.

For the 2016 parade, Valentin-Jackson said her group struck a deal with the city to pay for some public works costs like trash collection. In future years, however, she said the event will need help from sponsors and other groups to make the event go smoothly.

She said there is no way the parade in Hartford will go away, even if the costs skyrocket.

Its the one staple event for the Puerto Rican community to celebrate our traditions, our culture and where we come from.

Valentin-Jackson is open to making the parade a shared event among cities that groups from around Connecticut would help coordinate.

McCaw, with the City of Hartford, said that could be an event the city would love support as a region.

I think we can make it bigger and better. I think theres a great opportunity and thats a wonderful example," McCraw said.
A group of male students from James Hillhouse High School in New Haven is holding a feminine products drive through June 2 so they will be readily available for women in public restrooms.

The idea came about after the founder of The Kiyama Movement (http://www.kiyamamovement.com/#what-is-the-kiyama-movement) read an article about how 86 percent of women do not always have the necessary products with them.

"We don't argue about the cost of toilet paper, they just make it available. So why should we argue about the cost of feminine products? They should be made available to females of all ages and they're not," Michael Jefferson, the founder of The Kiyama Movement, said.

The Kiyama Movement is made up of a group of 15 to 20 young African American men focused on promoting self-improvement. It teaches students about respect for life, sexual responsibility, commitment to fatherhood, respect for womanhood and economic accountability.

The group of young men is raising awareness and gathering supplies in the hopes that if a female classmate or teacher needs feminine products, they will have them.

They also hope it will inspire a nationwide movement.

"We care about women and we feel they should have the things they need just as much as we should," Terrance Mallory, a senior, said.

The students said the response from their female classmates has been positive.

"It is a little embarrassing to talk about at first, but they've actually come to like it and have supported us, donated very well," Patrick Moye, a senior, said.

Students said they hope raising awareness will help to eradicate gender inequality.

I am extremely proud of each and every one of them for attacking this issue," Kermit Carolina, the supervisor of youth development and engagement for New Haven Public Schools, said.
Late night host James Corden has surprised "Chewbacca mom" Candace Payne with the chance to meet the actor behind the "Star Wars" creature.

Payne's wildly popular video of her hysterically laughing while wearing a toy Chewbacca mask has gained more than 140 million views on Facebook since she posted it last week.

On Monday's "Late Late Show," Corden read a message to Payne from Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, who says he has carved out time to meet her during an upcoming visit to her home state of Texas.

Earlier in the show, Payne appeared in a skit alongside Corden and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams in which the three wore the masks that emit Chewbacca's distinctive roar.

Payne said in her video she had bought the mask at her local Kohl's store as a gift to herself but worried her son might claim it as his own.

Payne's video broke a Facebook Live record and earned her the nickname "Happy Chewbacca Mom."

In the wake of the video, Kohl's representatives traveled to Payne's home and gave her more masks for her kids, "Star Wars" toys and $2,500 in gift cards. They also gave her 10,000 reward points for her birthday.
An NBC 5 investigation discovered the Texas Department of Transportation is failing to protect drivers from some concrete bridge posts that sit close to the edge of freeways, presenting a hazard.

Deaths have occurred at some locations where state and federal guidelines suggest protective barriers should have been installed.

After NBC 5s investigation, TxDOT agreed to install barriers in at least five freeway locations identified by the NBC 5 Investigates team.

Across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, NBC 5 Investigates found places where giant concrete bridge support posts sit out in the open, unprotected, even though state and federal guidelines suggest guardrails could help reduce the risk of a death in a crash.

There are many reasons why drivers may run off the road. It could be wet pavement, a distraction in the car, even a drunken or drowsy driver. But some families and safety advocates question if TxDOT has made some run-off-road crashes worse by failing to install guardrails that could have prevented people from slamming into concrete pillars.

Ron Roberts brother-in-law Toby Tappen died in 2013 after hitting a bridge post on Spur 482 under Texas Highway 183 in Irving near the former site of Texas Stadium.

Its just one of the saddest things Ive ever had to go through, said Roberts.

Investigators said Tappen had a medical problem, possibly a heart attack behind the wheel, and ran off the road.

The medical examiner determined it was the impact from the bridge post that killed him.

I believe that as strong as Toby was, that had the impact not killed him, I believe he might have had a chance to survive, said Roberts.

TxDOTs safety guidelines suggest protective barriers like guardrails if a bridge post sits less than 30 feet from the edge of a freeway, or if the post is less than 16 feet from the edge of a freeway ramp.

But on the freeway ramp where Tappen died, the post is only about five feet from the road and there was no guardrail.

Roberts said that leaves no margin for error.

I mean, a blowout, anything could cause a car to swerve and hit that, he said.

Tappen was not the first person to die at the Spur 482 location. In fact, photos of his crash show crosses on the side of the road from another fatal crash in the same spot. In Irving, police records show at least five people have died hitting the same bridge posts at Spur 482.

In 1991 a Navy petty officer from Alabama died after colliding with those posts. A police report said he was driving too fast on a wet road.

In 2002, 2006 and 2007 three crashes killed two drunken drivers and a passenger in one of the vehicles. Then in 2013, Toby Tappens crash, which was caused by a medical emergency.

I dont think it would take a whole lot to put something there. You put some kind of guardrail or some kind of barrier, said Roberts.

Protective barriers like guardrails are designed to flex, catching cars and re-directing them into the roadway. In many cases that can protect the occupants of the vehicle from more serious injuries

So why didnt the state install barriers on Spur 482 where concrete bridge posts sit just feet from the edge of the freeway?

NBC 5 Investigates interviewed TxDOT Director of Operations, Randy Hopmann. When asked if people are dying in crashes why wouldnt TxDOT protect a location, Hopmann responded, It depends on the cause of the crash. Theres variables in each of these things.

Hopmann said the drivers actions often contribute to the crash.

In an email to NBC 5, TxDOT even suggested Toby Tappen was partly to blame because he was driving without a valid drivers license.

But TxDOT still agreed it would go back and look at the bridge posts on Spur 482.

If we believe there is something TxDOT could do to prevent further crashes from occurring in a particular location we will take corrective action necessary, said Hopmann.

Just three days after NBC 5 Investigates interviewed Hopmann, TxDOT agreed the Spur 482 location should have a barrier. TxDOT has installed a temporary barrier there because the bridge is slated for construction.

That location is not the only one where NBC 5 Investigates found unprotected bridge posts too close to the road.

NBC 5 Investigates drove some of the busiest freeways in Dallas and Tarrant counties, identifying and measuring unprotected bridge posts.

On State Highway 121 at Sylvania near downtown Fort Worth, unprotected bridge posts measure about 15 feet from the side of the road.

Remember, on the main lanes of a freeway, barriers are recommended if the post is less than 30 feet.

Other bridge posts came up short as well.

NBC 5 Investigates spotted other locations on Interstate 20 and Helms Trail in Forney, along Interstate 20 and Kleburg Road in Balch Springs and on Interstate 35 at US Highway 67 in Dallas.

After NBC 5 Investigates measured, TxDOT agreed all of those locations should have barriers.

Thats something TxDOT needs to catch without you or I having to run around with tape measures, said former administrator with the United States Department of Transportation, Brigham McCown. He now runs a nonprofit transportation safety group.

McCowns concerned TxDOTs own engineers didnt catch these problems.

Because these things shouldnt be missed, they should be caught right away, said McCown.

NBC 5 was not the first to notify TxDOT of unprotected bridge posts in recent months.

I couldnt believe how many unguarded bridge columns there were, said Mark Boswell, whose nephew, Collin Boswell, died in a crash in December.

On US Highway 80 and at Pinson Road in Forney, Collin Boswell hit an unguarded bridge post that was just 27 feet from the edge of the road.

Boswell is convinced a guardrail would have made a difference in his nephews crash.

He had a small car, a light car, it would have bounced off the rail, said Boswell.

Police initially found the crash was caused by a rain-soaked road, but months later the medical examiner also determined Collins blood alcohol level was above the legal limit.

If Collin was responsible for the accident, I dont believe he was responsible for the death, said Collins father, Philip Boswell.

After Collins dad and uncle questioned why there was no guardrail, TxDOT agreed a guardrail should be installed.

I cant really speculate on why it was not installed originally, but Im happy to report that our Dallas District did go out and look at the site and they took corrective action promptly, said Hopmann.

The Boswell family has since discovered other locations with unprotected posts and TxDOT agreed to install guardrails at six of them.

TxDOT has already put up a rail at Interstate 635 and MacArthur Boulevard in Irving after the Boswells raised concerns.

Its showing a significant problem and they need to deal with it now, said Philip Boswell.

Hopmann said he couldnt speculate on why guardrails werent installed originally during construction at US 80 and Pinson Road.

I cannot say it was a mistake. Theres engineering judgment call on every location, said Hopmann.

Hopmann said the guidelines are not hard and fast rules and, engineers sometimes have different opinions of whether guardrails will help or not at a particular location.

In fact, NBC 5 Investigates found at least four more spots where unguarded posts are less than 30 feet from the edge of the road but TxDOT still said barriers are not needed, including one location on the westbound side of Interstate 30 at US 80, which measured about 23 feet.

TxDOT said it constantly re-evaluate locations, studies new crash reports and drives the freeways looking for areas that would benefit from additional safety measures.

If something needs to be done, if a change needs to take place, then we take appropriate action, said Hopmann.

But whats not clear is why TxDOT did not take action in places like that bridge on Spur 482 until NBC 5 Investigates pointed them out.

Hopefully TxDOT is going back and looking at their procedures right now to figure out how these things could get missed, said McCown.

Some families now wonder how many more unprotected bridge posts are out there across the state.

We hope that by drawing attention to the problem that something can be done, said Roberts.

If you see a location anywhere in the state where an unprotected post appears to close the road, send in the location to investigate@nbcdfw.com and NBC 5 Investigates will take a look.
Dallas-based AT&T announced Tuesday it will expand high speed GigaPower service to unserved areas of southern Dallas in the next year.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings praised the announcement at a City Hall news conference Tuesday.

"It checks a box that the folks in southern Dallas are going to have the same power that people in northern Dallas have," Rawlings said. "Quality of life goes up, efficiency goes up, productivity goes up, incomes go up  we start to close that gap."

City Council members who represent southern Dallas attended the announcement.

Councilman Erik Wilson said better internet connections and cheaper land costs will help southern Dallas better compete with areas to the north.

"This is a huge event, huge opportunity for southern Dallas," Wilson said. "A much needed, long overdue needed asset, but I'm glad that it's here and we're going to take full advantage of it."

Councilwoman Tiffinni Young said her Fair Park-area district lacks reliable internet service in many areas.

"Less than a mile from their headquarters and we are struggling with no internet, and so I'm happy that they have stepped up to the plate," Young said.

Other competitors offer cable or satellite based options in southern Dallas areas. And AT&T already serves some portions of southern Dallas with fast service, but those areas will greatly expand, the company said.
The Dallas Zoo welcomed a new arrival when one of the elephants rescued from Swaziland this spring gave birth to a calf.

The African elephant calf, born at 10:15 p.m. May 14, was the first born in the United States in nearly two years. Zoo elephant keepers had stayed in the barn for several nights to monitor the herd.

Our entire animal staff, from keepers to veterinarians to the nutrition team, is involved in caring for this remarkable calf, Dallas Zoo DVM and vice president Lynn Kramer said. He is doing well; playing hard and nursing often. And Mlilo is proving to be a very attentive and patient mother.

The calf, who hasn't yet been named, weighs about 175 pounds and stands about 3 feet tall. His trunk is about 1 foot long.

The calf's mother, Mlilo, is one of five elephants from Swaziland provided sanctuary by the Dallas Zoo. Mlilo arrived showing signs of a possible pregnancy, but tests were inconclusive.

The small risk of moving a potentially pregnant animal was far outweighed by the certain death she and her calf faced in Swaziland, Dallas Zoo president and CEO Gregg Hudson said. This birth validates the critical importance of our rescue efforts and why we worked so hard to get these animals to safety as quickly as possible.

Zoo officials said it could be several months before the public can see the calf as the process of introducing the Swaziland elephants to the other Dallas Zoo elephants is ongoing.

Online: DallasZoo.com
Dogs attacked two Dallas police officers Monday who were called by a man who had been bitten by the dogs, police said.

James Demaree said the dogs ripped his grocery sack as he walked by in the 2200 block of Lea Crest Drive near Overton Road, and then the dogs circled behind him as he tried to pick up his things.

"I turned around for this one back here, that one bit me on the leg," Demaree said.

The man said he called police and then sat in the squad car watching as the dogs attacked the officers.

"He had a big board, and he was trying to get them to back out. He pulled out a gun and tried to pop them one," Demaree said.

Dallas Police Lt. David Smith said the dogs were immediately aggressive as the officers tried to help the victim retrieve items.

"Both officers then had to draw their service weapons and each one fired one shot at the dogs, as the dogs were attempting to fight the officers," Smith said.

It happened in the same neighborhood where Dallas Animal Services launched a crackdown on strays last year. Officials said the crackdown started there because the neighborhood had more complaints about loose dogs than any other Dallas neighborhood.

Neighbors said there are still many loose dogs in the area and these two dogs had been a frequent menace.

"They tried to attack the police and everything, and it's very dangerous, over here with these pit bulls," said neighbor Charlotte Monroe. She said the two dogs were loose Monday morning as children went to school.

"We couldn't go to work, couldn't go to the store, couldn't do nothing. They start chasing grown people," Monroe said.

Dallas Animal Services officers were called immediately after the officers were attacked Monday and both dogs were eventually captured. The dogs were placed in quarantine for 10 days to determine if they have rabies. In a statement Monday evening, animal services officials said there were no signs of gunshot wounds to the dogs.

Owner Margarita Cuello apologized for what happened. She said she kept the dogs for protection, but they had always been good to her children. She said she did not know the dogs had gotten loose.

The joint response by police and animal services officers was different than what happened after the May 2 attack on 52-year-old Antoinette Brown by a pack of dogs near Fair Park. Animal services officials said police did not tell them about the attack until four days later. Those dogs were only surrendered to Dallas Animal Services by their owner on the fifth day after the attack. Neighbors said they ran free for days after the attack, threatening other people.

Smith said police and animal services officers are working more closely now to be sure dogs that bite are no longer a threat to neighbors.

"We've always responded to animal bites and animal attacks, but because of recent events that have occurred, our response has been ramped up," Smith said.

A police commander was placed in charge of Dallas Animal Services by the Dallas city manager to improve response and coordination between the two agencies after the fatal attack.

Joyce Roseburrow, a neighbor of the man bitten Monday, said she was not surprised about the attack. She keeps brook sticks on her front porch to defend herself if she goes outside.

"I got two of them, one for my neighbor and one for me," she said. "When we go walking, we use these."

Dallas Police and Dallas Animal Services are still investigating the attacks. They refuse to release the name of the owner from the fatal Fair Park area attack, but officials have said animal control citations have been issued to that owner and criminal charges are possible for the woman's death.
The summer travel season is here, so keep the following fact in mind when you buy an airline ticket: Non-refundable means non-refundable.

Jim Robinson learned that the hard way.

Robinson had planned three trips last year with his wife of 45 years. They were flying three different airlines - United, Delta and American. The flights were booked and the tickets were bought when Jim became critically ill.

"Last year, I just seemed to fall apart," he said. "I was in the hospital eight times in the first eight plus months of the year."

His heart stopped pumping effectively, and doctors implanted a left ventricular assist device to keep him alive as he waited for a heart transplant. Doctors gave him a letter saying he could not travel at this time. Jim sent the letter to all three airlines.

United and Delta refunded the cost of the airfare, but American did not. The airline sent him an email saying the tickets are non-refundable and don't meet the airlines exception requirements.

"I say a rule is a rule to some degree, but when something is extraordinary - out of the box so to speak - I think the airlines ought to be flexible and also think a bit out of the box," Robinson said.

The airline offered a compromise, agreeing to waive the $400 change fee so Jim could use the funds "for one year". But Robinson knew his recovery would be far longer than a year, so he contacted NBC 5 Responds.

"I had nothing to lose, and hopefully with your track record I had something to gain," he said. "And low and behold, yes I did!"

After NBC 5 Responds contacted American, the airline gave Robinson his money back. While he's thankful, he has something even better to celebrate.

"I got a call the Thursday of Valentine's weekend and they told me they had a new heart for me," said Robinson smiling.

His heart transplant was a success, and doctors say he can travel next year.

"I already have a cruise lined up for next March!" said Robinson.

He plans to celebrate his second chance at life while making more memories with his family.

American apologized for the delay in processing the refund. A spokesman wrote:

"When initially submitted to American, the letter from the doctor stated that he would be eligible to fly again in the future. At that time, the ticket was still valid for five additional months. We waived any change fees, which would enable him to make changes to his flight without any additional charge. Now that the tickets have reached the point of expiration, and he is unable to travel, we have processed a full refund. Again, we apologize for the confusion that occurred in processing this specific refund."
An 18-year-old was convicted of murder Monday in the killing of an Iraqi man who was taking photos of his first snowfall in Texas.

Nykerion Nealon faces up to life in prison in the death of Ahmed Al-Jumaili, 36, who was outside his Dallas apartment complex taking pictures of snow with his wife and brother on the night of March 4, 2015, when he was fatally shot.

Police said at the time that Nealon told officers he had been hunting for people he thought had shot at his girlfriend's nearby apartment complex that evening. Police said they didn't believe Nealon knew Al-Jumaili.

Defense attorney Russell Wilson argued that his client was at the apartments when the shooting took place but someone else pulled the trigger.

But a friend of Nealon's testified that Nealon pulled the trigger, and prosecutors said Nealon had searched online for how to beat a murder charge and how to survive prison shortly after the shooting, according to local media.

The jury deliberated for two hours before finding Nealon guilty, WFAA-TV reported. The sentencing phase is set to continue Tuesday.

Al-Jumaili had fled violence in Iraq to reunite with his wife, who had moved to Dallas earlier. He saved money for more than a year for the move by providing Internet connections to Iraqi homes, his father-in-law, Mohammed Altaae, told The Associated Press last year.

"For a young man and a young woman, oh, God, so many dreams together," Altaae said. "They wanted to have children and educate them well."

Al-Jumaili had been in Texas just three weeks when he was killed.
Police said a 59-year-old man in a wheelchair was fatally struck by a pickup truck in Dallas Sunday night. [[380487661,C]]

Dallas police said the man  later identified as Columbus Locket  was riding west on East Ledbetter Drive near Haas Drive when a 1990 Chevy pickup crashed into the back of his wheelchair at 9:56 p.m.

Locket was then thrown from the wheelchair. He was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to Dallas Police Department's Sr. Cpl. Melinda Gutierrez.

No further details have been released.
A SWAT team with guns drawn screened an American Eagle jet as a precaution Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport after a non-credible threat was received about the flight from Houston, officials said.

Four crew members and 76 passengers were escorted from the twin-engine regional jet more than an hour after it landed without incident.

Seven SWAT officers and a police dog drove up in an armored vehicle and went through the plane, which was kept on a remote stretch of runway during the search.

The threat against American Eagle Flight 5931, operated by Compass Airlines, was not legitimate, American Airlines spokeswoman Polly Tracey said.

The Transportation Security Administration received the threat, LAX police Officer Rob Pedregon said. Officials did not release details about it, and the TSA referred inquiries to local law enforcement.

The FBI would try to determine "the person or group responsible for making the threat," spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

The response was normal for LAX but would have been unusual for most other U.S. airports, said Jeff Price, an aviation safety expert who has written a textbook on the subject and trains airport workers nationwide. That's because LAX is historically one of the most targeted airports in the country and has a SWAT team based there.

"A lot of other airports wouldn't have responded at that level unless they had additional information about the credibility of the threat," Price said. "In this case, you've got them, you might as well use them. If it turns out to be nothing, great. If something bad happens, the question is going to be: `Why didn't you do it?"'

Jerry Bridges, a construction worker building hangars at LAX, said he has noticed more drills at the airport since EgyptAir Flight 804 crashed overseas last week. Investigators are trying to determine what brought down the jet during a trip from Paris to Cairo.

"LAX has heightened our security posture and enhanced our counter-terrorism security measures" in light of the EgyptAir 804 crash, airport officials said in a statement May 19.

Bridges said he thought the large law enforcement response was part of a drill at first. He took pictures and video of the SWAT team boarding the plane after he heard there might be a bomb threat.

"If that thing did have a bomb, we're not even an eighth of a mile away," he said. "It's pretty scary."

The plane took off from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. When it landed in LA, airport police, city police and fire crews responded. The SWAT team searched the outside of the plane before walking up a staircase and into the aircraft to screen it.

Eventually, passengers and crew exited down a portable staircase and got on buses to be taken to a terminal.

American Airlines released the following statement to NBC 5:
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said Tuesday he regrets remarks he made comparing long wait times at VA health care sites to waiting in line at a Disney amusement park.

"It was never my intention to suggest that I don't take our mission of serving veterans very seriously," McDonald said in a written statement. "If my comments Monday led any veterans to believe that I, or the dedicated workforce I am privileged to lead, don't take that noble mission seriously, I deeply regret that. Nothing could be further from the truth."

McDonald's statement came after a Republican senator called for his resignation and GOP lawmakers and veterans' service groups slammed his remarks as insulting and inappropriate.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said McDonald's "preposterous statement is right out of Never Never Land" and said the VA leader has shown he cannot ensure that veterans receive health care in a timely manner

"Dismissing wait times when veterans can often wait months for an appointment is negligent and a clear sign that new leadership is needed at the VA," Blunt said as he called for McDonald to step down.

McDonald said at a breakfast Monday that the VA should not use wait times as a measure of success, comparing waits for VA health care to the hours people wait for rides at Disney theme parks. McDonald said a veterans' health-care experience was more important than the time spend waiting for an appointment.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called McDonald's comments "disgusting and beyond the pale," although he stopped short of calling for him to step down.

"This is not make-believe. This is not Disneyland, or Wonderland, for that matter," Ryan told reporters. "Veterans have died waiting in line for their care."

Republicans said McDonald's comments were especially egregious since he took office in 2014 after his predecessor was forced out amid a scandal over chronically long wait times at VA health care sites and reports that as many as 40 patients died while awaiting care at the Phoenix VA hospital. Similar problems were discovered at VA health sites nationwide, along with a widespread practice among VA employees of creating secret lists to cover up the long wait times and receive VA bonuses.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state, a member of the Republican leadership, said McDonald's comments were hard to believe. "When you go to Disneyland, you aren't wondering if you are going to live long enough to make it to Space Mountain," she said.

Democrats called Blunt's comment a blatant bid to boost his re-election chances.

"Senator Blunt of all people should know another resignation at the VA will likely only make things worse," said Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, Blunt's likely Democratic challenger.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who is known for his own verbal miscues, supported McDonald.

Referring to himself as "an expert at wrong choice of words," Reid said McDonald "could have done a better job talking about Disneyland, but he didn't. He is a good man, he's doing his best under very, very difficult circumstances. So I support Secretary McDonald all the way."
The commissioner of the IRS said Monday that Republican allegations that he misled congressional investigators probing his agency "are without merit," and said he would not appear at a congressional hearing this week examining whether he deserves to be impeached.

In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., IRS chief John Koskinen said he has not had time to prepare for Tuesday's hearing because of travel and work required for an unrelated hearing. Koskinen, who was not subpoenaed to appear, said he would be willing to testify in the future.

In an attached seven-page statement, Koskinen denied charges lodged against him in an impeachment resolution filed last October by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. Chaffetz, whose resolution is co-sponsored by 73 GOP lawmakers, accuses Koskinen of hindering congressional investigators trying to gather evidence about how the IRS mistreated conservative groups earlier this decade, actions the agency has acknowledged and apologized for.

The election-season impeachment effort has not won forceful backing from House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., enjoys only lukewarm support among Republicans and is strongly opposed by Democrats, making it almost certain to go nowhere this year.

In his statement, which was provided by Judiciary panel Republicans, Koskinen acknowledged the "strong feelings" and "understandable frustration" that many in the GOP have had with the investigations, in which data containing requested emails was destroyed. Koskinen conceded there have been "acknowledged errors" by the IRS.

But he added: "The Constitution reserves the use of impeachment to 'treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors.'" He said none of his actions "viewed in light of all the facts come close to that level."

Chaffetz will testify to the Judiciary committee Tuesday. In an interview last week, Chaffetz said, "What's the justification for keeping him in office when he provides false testimony?"

A spokeswoman for Goodlatte said the IRS chief was given a chance to defend himself "and it is up to him to take advantage of that opportunity."

Conservatives who have long targeted the IRS were outraged when the agency admitted in 2013 that it subjected conservative tea party groups seeking tax-exempt status to excessive scrutiny. A chief focus of congressional committees that have conducted investigations has been Lois Lerner, who headed the IRS office that processes applications for that status and who subsequently retired.

Chaffetz' impeachment resolution accuses Koskinen of inadequately responding to congressional subpoenaed documents including Lerner's emails and misleadingly claiming none of those emails had been lost. It also says Koskinen waited several months before telling Congress that data containing Lerner's emails had been destroyed.

In March 2014, IRS workers erased 422 backup tapes containing up to 24,000 of Lerner's emails, an event that Chaffetz' impeachment resolution calls "the destruction of evidence."

In his statement Monday, Koskinen said that was "clearly a failure" of IRS procedures. He noted that the Justice Department and the IRS inspector general concluded the erasures were an accident and added, "No one has even suggested, nor could they suggest, that I was somehow personally involved in the erasure of the tapes."

He said when he told Congress in June 2014 that all emails had been preserved, "That was my honest belief at the time" because he wasn't yet aware of the erased tapes.

Koskinen said he learned in April 2014 of a separate crash of Lerner's computer hard drive, but didn't tell Congress until that June because he waited until his agency understood how much data had been lost.

Koskinen said the agency has provided 1.3 million pages of documents, including 78,000 Lerner emails, and spent more than $20 million and 160,000 man-hours of work to respond to the investigations.

To impeach a federal official, a majority of the House must vote for conviction, but it then takes a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate to actually remove the official from office.

The Senate's minority Democrats would be able to prevent Republicans from reaching that margin, even in the unlikely scenario that the process reached that point.
A class action lawsuit against Fitbit may be bolstered by the release of a new study claiming the company's popular heart rate trackers are "highly inaccurate," CNBC reports.

Researchers at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona tested the heart rates of 43 healthy adults with Fitbit's PurePulse heart rate monitors. Results found that the Fitbit devices miscalculated heart rates by up to 20 beats per minute on average during more intensive workouts.

The study, commissioned by the law firm behind a class action suit taking aim at three Fitbit models that use the PurePulse heart monitor, found the trackers "cannot be used to provide a meaningful estimate of a user's heart rate."

But Fitbit said in a statement posted by the blog Gizmodo that the study is "biased, baseless, and nothing more than an attempt to extract a payout from Fitbit."
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders continued their efforts to court Southland voters Tuesday, with both appearing in a series of local events two weeks ahead of the California primary election.

Clinton joined Rep. Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, in a discussion on foster care in South Los Angeles, then spoke at a boisterous campaign rally at a union headquarters in Commerce.

"We've got to get incomes rising," she told a standing-room-only crowd in Commerce. "We've got to get more good jobs. And here's how we're going to do it: We're going to do it by investing  investing in infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy. Because some country is going be the clean-energy superpower. It's going to be either Germany, China or us. I want it to be us."

Clinton on Monday declined an invitation to debate Sanders in California prior to the June 7 primary, saying she wanted to focus her attention on defeating Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump in the general election.

"And somebody may come along promising that he can make the economy great without telling you what he would do other than slash taxes," Clinton told the Commerce crowd. "Donald Trump's tax plan was written by a billionaire for billionaires, best as I can tell."

Clinton appeared in Riverside later Tuesday.

Sanders, meanwhile, held a morning rally at the Anaheim Convention Center, again pushing his campaign themes of boosting the minimum wage  while taking some pot shots at Anaheim's biggest corporate resident, the Walt Disney Co.

"Anybody here work for Disney?" he asked the crowd. "Anybody here making a living wage who works for Disney?"

"Let us be clear," he said, "the $7.25 federal minimum wage is not a living wage, it is a starvation wage. I believe we should raise that starvation wage in every state in this country to $15 an hour. Life would be a little bit different for some of the employees here working for Disney if the minimum wage here was $15."

California's minimum wage is $10 an hour, but it will increase to $15 an hour by 2022 under legislation approved earlier this year.

Sanders also took issue with companies who use foreign labor to manufacture products.

"If they want us to buy their products ... it is time for them to build those products right here in America, not in China," he said.

Sanders appeared at rallies later in the day at Riverside Municipal Auditorium and the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino.

Sanders used a rally at Santa Monica High School Monday night to criticize Clinton for not debating again before the June 7 California primary.

Sanders said it was "insulting to the people of California  our largest state  that she is not prepared to have a discussion with me about how we address the major crises we face."

"A number of months ago our campaign and her campaign reached an agreement on a number of debates, including one here in California," Sanders told the crowd, estimated by the campaign to be at 6,750, referring to commitments each campaign agreed to last winter to add debates to a schedule set by the Democratic National Committee.

Jennifer Palmieri, the Clinton campaign's communications director, said Clinton plans "to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses."

"We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands,'' Palmieri said.

Clinton was also in Los Angeles Monday, conducting fundraisers in Holmby Hills and Hancock Park, 15 days before the June 7 California primary.

Clinton began her visit with a $2,700 per person early evening fundraiser at the Holmby Hills home of Bryan Lourd and Bruce Bozzi, according to an invitation obtained by City News Service. Individuals raising $10,000 were designated as co-hosts of the event and had their pictures taken with Clinton.

The maximum individual contribution under federal law for a candidate seeking his or her party's presidential nomination is $2,700.

Lourd is the managing partner of the Creative Artists Agency talent agency. Bozzi is a co-owner of The Palm restaurants chain. The event was also hosted by Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Vogue.

An evening fundraiser in Hancock Park followed, with tickets priced at $1,000. Individuals raising $20,000 will have a photo taken with Clinton.

"Another day, another posh Hollywood fundraiser for Hillary Clinton,'' said Natalie Strom of the Republican National Committee.

"As her bitter and divisive primary campaign drags on into June against a socialist from Vermont, she turns to her Hollywood friends to finance her scandal-plagued effort to secure the nomination. Unfortunately for Clinton, not even the pages of Vogue could portray her disaster of a campaign in a good light.''

There was no response from the Clinton campaign.

The trip is the 68-year-old Clinton's 12th to the Los Angeles area since she declared her candidacy on April 12, 2015, and second this month. She held 26 fundraisers during her previous visits.

The 74-year-old Sanders began his day Monday with a rally in the predominantly Latino Eastside community of Lincoln Heights, emphasizing immigration reform, an end to deportations, protecting voting rights and boosting wages.

"In this country, if you work 40 hours a week, you should not be living in poverty,'' said Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist who would be the nation's first Jewish president.

"That is why I was so proud to work with the workers in the fast food industry who went out on strike from McDonalds and Burger King who stood up and told this nation they cannot make it on the starvation minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. They demanded, and I support a $15 an hour minimum wage -- $15 an hour and the right to form a union."
Detectives were asking for the public's help Monday to find a missing U.S. Army veteran, possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, authorities said.

Benjamin "Ben" Vogt, 38, was last seen on Saturday at 9:50 p.m. in Carson, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Vogt left in his 1999 blue Dodge Durango and said he was going to a rest stop, possibly along a highway, deputies said. His license plate number is 4TWB526.

Vogt served two tours in Iraq and appears to suffer from PTSD and depression. He is 5 feet 6 and weighs 255 pounds. He has brown eyes, short black hair and wears glasses, according to the department.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts was asked to called the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau Missing Person's Detail at 323-890-5500.

City News Service contributed to this report.
A man convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two 15-year-old girls about three weeks apart last year in Lancaster repeatedly lashed out Tuesday at a judge who sentenced him to 100 years to life in state prison.

In comments that were interrupted by outbursts from Joseph Kenneth Cornett, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Henry J. Hall said a "monster" had been stopped and he wanted the two teens to know that "none of this is their fault."

"It's Mr. Cornett's fault," Hall said.

Cornett repeatedly broke in as the judge spoke, saying at one point, "Call me a monster. You're a monster."

As statements were read from the victims and one of their mothers about the impact of the attacks, Cornett maintained, "I didn't rape nobody ... I never kidnapped nobody ... I was high on PCP. They got in the car on their own."

At another point, he told the judge, "Stop talking ... Come on with the double-life sentences, man ... so I don't have to be around this no more."

One of the victims addressed the defendant in a statement read in court on her behalf.

"You raped me. You took away my freedom," she said.

The other victim called Cornett a "bad person" and said she will not let the crime "drive me down."

Cornett's sentencing had repeatedly been delayed. He was forcibly extracted from his jail cell this morning and brought to court on a stretcher in handcuffs.

Cornett was found guilty March 24 of two counts each of forcible rape, committing a lewd act on a child and kidnapping to commit rape, along with one count each of sexual penetration by a foreign object, assault with intent to commit rape, assault with intent to commit sodomy, assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury, furnishing marijuana to a minor and possession of PCP.

Jurors also convicted him of seven counts of resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer.

Deputy District Attorney told jurors "the defendant is nothing more than a serial rapist" who attacked one of the victims after she accepting a ride from him on April 13, 2015, and targeted the other teen while she walking home from school last May 6.

Investigators tied the Lancaster man to the unsolved rape case from April following his arrest in connection with the attack in May.

The victim of the earlier attack had run away from home and ducked into a garage where she encountered Cornett and two other men, Hatami said. Cornett offered to drive the teen home, but instead took her "all the way out into the desert ... pulled her into the dirt and he raped her," the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor told jurors that Cornett then told the girl, "Let's do this again. And this time, let's do it right, with no screaming," before raping her again.

Hatami acknowledged that the teen smoked marijuana provided to her by Cornett and that she had run away from home, but said "that didn't mean she deserved to be raped."

The girl who was attacked in May was walking home from school when Cornett stopped his car and told her she could be arrested for jaywalking.

Cornett "promised to take her home" but instead drove her to an abandoned trailer, ordered her to get out of the car and assaulted her, according to Hatami.

The girl "pleaded with the defendant to let her go" and then ran out of the trailer without any pants, underwear or shoes when he wasn't looking, the prosecutor said.

The girl sought help from a motorist, who called 911 while others nearby rushed to the scene and some confronted Cornett. The bystanders chased Cornett, who jumped into his car, which ultimately got stuck in a sandy ditch.

When Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies arrived, "he resisted ... grabbed one of the deputies ... (and) had to be Tased, I believe, three times," Hatami said.

The prosecution was barred during the trial from introducing any evidence about Cornett's alleged admission that he was HIV-positive. The judge said he believed that Cornett had falsely made that claim.
Police were searching for an armed man who robbed two people within minutes at the University of California, Irvine, police said.

The robberies were reported around 6 p.m. when the first victim was approached at an ATM by a man who told the victim he had a gun, according to the UCI Police Department.

About 15 minutes later, the second victim was robbed by a man who appeared to have a weapon, according to UCI Police Department.

Campus police sent out a "zotAlert," which is used in emergency situations, police said.

Neither of the victims were injured.

The robber was seen driving a red Chevrolet or Ford sedan, police said.
A $5,000 reward was being offered to find a man who police say viciously attacked a small dog in Boyle Heights and left its body in the street.

In the afternoon of May 14, a witness reported seeing small dog jumping out of a van in the 1600 block of East First Street and the driver chasing after it on foot, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The man caught the dog and allegedly punched the animal, then repeatedly slammed it onto the sidewalk until the dog died, the LAPD said. The man got back into the van and drove off, leaving the dog behind.

The driver was described as about 50 to 60 years old, 6 feet 1 inch tall and 280 pounds. He had gray hair and was balding.

A witness snapped a photo of the van, police said. It appeared to be a gray 1996 to 2000 Dodge Caravan with an off-color rear bumper.

PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man.

"This little dog endured an agonizing, terrifying death when his head was bashed against the sidewalk by a disturbed and violent man," said PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange in a news release. "PETA is urging anyone with information about this man to come forward now so that he can be held accountable for his crimes and stopped from hurting anyone else."

Anyone with information was asked to call animal cruelty Det. Alfredo Reyes at 213-486-0450.
An Uber driver who was stabbed in the back Sunday at a Southern California bar said he was just trying to pick up passengers when a group of men got aggressive and he felt he had to intervene.

Moe Elhilu went to pick up passengers at 2:15 a.m. at 17817 Lakewood Boulevard at Flux Bar.

The bar owner, Melissa Gutierrez, said the men involved in the attack were not customers at her business. Many of the customers that night were having fun as part of gay pride weekend in nearby Long Beach.

A group of men began to harass the crowd, Elhilu said.

"They started wanting to fight, using profanity  I saw a large blade like a hunting knife," Elhilu said.

As he got out to open the door for his passengers, two men and two women, the attackers became hostile, he said.

Elhilu said he heard the group of men demand money from his passengers.

A good Samaritan from inside Flux bar tried to break it up and ended up getting stabbed several times himself.

At some point, Elhilu was stabbed, but he didn't realize it at first.

He assumed he had been punched, until he touched his back.

"I put my hand behind my back while I was driving  it felt wet," Elhilu said. "I put my hand out and saw my hand red with blood."

The Uber driver dropped off his passengers in Long Beach then called 911.

Elhilu cannot drive for several weeks, but as soon as the time is up, he will be back driving for Uber. He said he needs the money.

"They just wanted to hurt somebody," Elhilu said.

He believes the attackers got away in a gray older model SUV.

"It's just kind of sad this violence would happen, especially effecting our clients," Gutierrez said. "We have such fun-loving customers and we don't have issues like this."
Body parts recovered from the crash of EgyptAir Flight 804 showed signs of burns and were so small that they suggested the jet was brought down by an explosion, a member of the team examining the remains said Tuesday. But the idea of a blast was promptly dismissed by the head of Egypt's forensic agency as "baseless" speculation.

The cause of Thursday's crash of the EgyptAir jet flying from Paris to Cairo that killed all 66 people aboard still has not been determined. Ships and planes from Egypt, Greece, France, the United States and other nations are searching the Mediterranean Sea north of the Egyptian port of Alexandria for the jet's voice and flight data recorders, as well as more bodies and parts of the aircraft.

Egypt's civil aviation minister has said he believes terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure or some other catastrophic event. But no hard evidence has emerged on the cause, and no militant group has claimed to have downed the jet. Leaked flight data indicated a sensor detected smoke in a lavatory and a fault in two of the plane's cockpit windows in the final moments of the flight.

An Egyptian forensic team was examining the remains of the victims for any traces of explosives, according to a team member and a second official, both speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

The team member said the fact that all 80 body parts recovered so far were very small and that some showed signs of burns suggested an explosion.

"There isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head," said the forensic official, who examined the remains.

He said at least one part of an arm has signs of burns  an indication it might have "belonged to a passenger sitting next to the explosion."

"The logical explanation is that an explosion brought it down," he said, adding that if there was a blast, the cause was not known.

But Hisham Abdel-Hamid, head of the Egyptian government's forensic agency, dismissed the suggestion, telling the state-run MENA news agency: "Whatever has been published is baseless and mere assumptions."

France's aviation accident investigation agency would not comment on anything involving the bodies or say whether any information has surfaced to indicate an explosion.

Other experts were divided on whether the state of the remains necessarily suggested an explosion.

Philip Butterworth-Hayes, an aviation systems expert, said such damage was unlikely if the plane was intact when it hit the water.

"Normally an impact is not going to do that to a human body in a seat belt," he said, adding that in some aircraft hit the water, bodies are found relatively intact.

"Normally the human frame can withstand quite severe deceleration, which is what happens when a plane hits the water," Butterworth-Hayes said.

But David Learmount, a consulting editor at the aviation news website Flightglobal, said a water impact could have such a devastating effect on those in the plane.

"Hitting water after a fall from that height is like hitting a cliff face," he said.

There also have been contradictory reports over the last moments of Flight 804.

Greece's defense minister said radar showed the aircraft turned 90 degrees left, then a full 360 degrees to the right, plummeting from 38,000 feet (11,582 meters) to 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) before disappearing at about 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).

But the head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services denied that, saying the plane did not swerve or lose altitude and disappeared from radar while at its normal altitude of 37,000 feet.

A Greek military official insisted that all radar data available to Greek authorities showed the plane swerving and losing altitude. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Egypt's investigative team said 18 batches of wreckage have been brought to Cairo's criminal investigation units for examination.

It added that priority was to locate the flight data and cockpit voice recorders  the so-called "black boxes"  and to retrieve more bodies.

A French patrol boat is carrying a doctor to help with the search for remains. Anything it finds would first be reported to Egyptian authorities and French justice officials, the French Navy said.

Relatives of the victims were giving DNA samples to the forensic team in Cairo to help identify the remains, a security official said. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
Broward Sheriff's Deputies are working to determine what led up to a fatal shooting at a Deerfield Beach home Monday, calling it a "complicated incident."

It happened around 6:30 p.m. in the 4100 block of Northwest 6th Street in Deerfield Beach.

BSO responded to a report of a burglary in progress. When deputies arrived, they found an adult male, described by the homeowner as a burglar, with what appeared to be a gunshot wound.

Fire rescue crews responded and attempted to administer aid to the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as 25-year-old Josue Louissaint.

The man who shot Louissaint and who lives at the home, 21-year-old Danny Vu, was being questioned by police.

A woman who was with Louissaint fled the scene but was taken into custody, officials said.

According to Vu's father, Louissaint attempted to make his way into the home and Vu blocked the door. That's when Louissaint reportedly dropped his gun and Vu picked it up and began shooting.

The Vu family told NBC 6 they do not own a firearm.

BSO is hesitant to label the shooting as a home invasion or burglary. But neighbors were told by officers it could have been either.

"They just told us we're not allowed to go in, someone got shot. And the person was trying to rob someone, he got shot by the owner that lives in the house," said Daniel Ibrahim, neighbor.

"It could have been a home invasion, or some kind of theft, or it could have been something completely different. Right now, we don't know what led to this shooting and what led to this man's death," said Gina Carter with BSO.

According to Louissaint's family, he was involved in gang activity and running drugs, but he had been cleaning up his life since being released from jail. His family also said Louissaint constantly felt he was being threatened.

The woman who fled the scene but was later apprehended, Valentina Blanc, was Louissaint's girlfriend, according to family. They said she was also involved in gang activity.

Homicide and Crime Scene Unit investigators responded to the scene, and the investigation is ongoing.
A City of Opa-locka commissioner who was expected to face corruption charges was killed early Tuesday after crashing his car into a tree in an apparent suicide at Opa-locka Executive Airport, according to a report.

Commissioner Terence Pinder was scheduled to turn himself in to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office Wednesday, the Miami Herald reported.

The State Attorney's Office said Pinder was set to face bribery and unlawful compensation charges. The charges were related to bribes Pinder allegedly solicited to help a local businessman, who was acting as an informant, to help get approval from the city to operate a solid waste transfer station, officials said.

"No such charges or offenses are worth taking one's life," State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. "This is a tragedy for Terrence Pinders family and friends, a tragedy for the City Of Opa-locka and a tragedy for the people of Opa-locka that circumstances surrounding the citys operation have gone this far."

Miami-Dade Police confirmed there was a fatal crash at the airport, saying the car drove about 100 yards onto airport property before hitting the tree. Sources told the Herald Pinder crashed his car into the tree while driving more than 100 mph.

Police said a woman walking her dog came across the crash scene around 8 a.m. Tuesday. City officials confirmed the death of Pinder in a statement.

"It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of Commissioner Terence K. Pinder," the statement read. "He was known and loved by the young, the elderly and the community at large. He will be missed in 'The Great City of Opa-locka.'"

Mayor Myra Taylor also released a statement on Pinder's death.

"Our thoughts and hearts go out to the loss of our great colleague, friend and brother, Commissioner Terence K. Pinder. The entire Opa-locka community joins in sending our condolences to the Pinder family," her statement read.

The vehicle was towed from the airport and was taken to the medical examiner.

Opa-locka has been facing financial troubles for months. The Herald reported Monday that the city's top financial officer said the city will run out of money after next week's payroll.

Meanwhile, the FBI has begun a corruption investigation into the city's leaders, the Herald reported. Pinder's expected surrender was for state charges and wasn't related to the federal investigation.

A special commission meeting had been scheduled for Tuesday night, where commissioners were expected to hear a resolution to request Gov. Rick Scott to appoint a financial oversight committee. The meeting was later canceled.

Friends spent Tuesday mourning the death of Pinder, saying he was not married and had no children.

"Men like that make me pull my pants up, put a belt on and tuck my shirt in my pants," Artis Grant said. "I mean, he had nothing but a positive influence on me since I have known him."

"He was one of the first telling us that we were going to run out of money, he was one of the first telling us that the city finances was in trouble," Alvin Burke said.
Authorities say a man has been rescued after the small plane he was flying crashed in North Florida.



Officials tell news outlets that 20-year-old Abdulaziz Qoutrah of Daytona Beach was flying from Ormond Beach to Gainesville on Monday afternoon. His 1977 Cessna 152 aircraft experienced engine troubles and crashed in a heavily wooded and marshy area in Melrose, which is roughly 60 miles south of Jacksonville.



Qoutrah was extricated from the plane and airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries. Officials say no one else was on the plane.



The Florida Highway Patrol and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.
Everything about Giancarlo Stanton is epic: his physique, his contract, the distance of his home runs.

And his latest slump.

The Miami Marlins' $325 million slugger began the week 1 for 21 over the past six games with one single, one walk and 17 strikeouts.

His numbers over the past 15 games weren't much better: 5 for 52 with 28 strikeouts and one RBI.

"I keep working at it," Stanton said before Monday night's game against Tampa Bay. "It's not the ideal place I want to be. But as long as you don't curl up into a ball, you'll be all right."

Manager Don Mattingly agreed.

"Why would he curl up in a ball?" Mattingly said. "He'll be fine. He's a guy I truly don't worry about, because I know the track record is there. It's going to come around."

During the slump, Stanton has been prone to swinging at outside breaking balls. He did manage a line-drive single Sunday to end an 0-for-19 drought.

Stanton began the week batting .211, but Mattingly has resisted the temptation to sit him for a game. The manager said his slugger looked more comfortable during last weekend's series against Washington, and Stanton confirmed that was the case.

"I felt good, and had a bad three days feeling good," Stanton said. "It's going to be magnified in times like this."

With the Marlins' cleanup hitter scuffling, they scored a total of 14 runs while losing series against the Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.

"If I showed up the last two series, we probably would have won them," Stanton said. "That's a good and not-so-good sign at the same time."

Stanton has 192 career homers, but has always been a streaky hitter. He batted .193 in his first 15 games this year, and then batted .353 with six homers during a 10-game stretch.

Mattingly said he expects Stanton to become more consistent with time.

"He's only 26," Mattingly said. "There's no reason to think your swing can't get better and take little bites out of slumps. Part of that may be better pitch selection, and him understanding when he's not getting pitched to, and being willing to take the walk."
A federal judge in Tampa has sentenced a 76-year-old doctor to 25 years in prison for the deaths of three patients who were prescribed pain medications at his clinic.



U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore told Edward Neil Feldman at sentencing Monday that the doctor "became a drug pusher'' and will have the "rest of his life to think about that.''



The Tampa Bay Times reports Feldman showed no remorse. Feldman suggested he didn't know he was breaking the law and asked the judge to show mercy on his 66-year-old wife Kim Feldman. She's scheduled for sentencing Tuesday. She managed her husband's office.



The Feldmans were convicted during a 17-day trial on multiple counts in a drug and financial conspiracy. Edward Feldman was held accountable for the three deaths.
South Florida is one of the top places in the country when it comes to the number of veterans living here. NBC 6 has discovered police went undercover at the Veterans of Foreign Wars in South Beach and what they found is shocking.

The VFW is closed after police executed a search warrant, which landed a worker behind bars. Undercover officers said they discovered the VFW was a place to buy cocaine and gamble illegally.

Images show what the VFW says it stands for: Support for the military, those who fought overseas, and community. Miami Beach political leaders, police and fire, are all there frequently, but undercover detectives detected something wasn't right.

Police indicate on two occasions, they made undercover buys from Miguel Socerio at the VFW and later he allegedly led them to larger deals. He's charged with cocaine trafficking.

Veterans are angered by what was allegedly going on.

"I'm kind of embarrassed about the whole thing," said Tom Norman, VFW member. "The things that went down. Un-American you know, I'm an American. I believe we ought to do things by the law."

A few days ago, the arrest of Resty Cardova, a bartender at the VFW, shut the doors.

Undercover officers said the gaming machines meant for amusement were actually part of an illegal gambling operation. The detectives tracked money changing hands. The arresting officers said Cardova also had "Xanax pills, clear plastic bags with powdered cocaine," and the narcotics and slot machines were impounded.

"You would like a place like our VFW here on the beach to be almost held to a higher standard. So it was disappointing to read about the illegal gambling going on and the potential drug deals that were going on inside," said Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco.

The commissioner and veteran advocates now worry the VFW locations could be used by those out to make a quick buck on vets who are coping after a return from combat.

"It concerns me if someone was taking advantage of them," Norman said.

The VFW said it's conducting a full investigation into these allegations and the finances.

Police still have more work to do on their end. They want to know more about what everyone thought was a safe, family, All-American location.
A group of angry U.S. military veterans lined up in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue to say that Donald Trump would make a "reckless and dangerous commander in chief."

Monday's protest on the street below his luxurious apartment was led by a Marine Corps veteran, Alexander McCoy. He accused the presumptive Republican nominee of being "a fraud" for saying he collected $6 million for struggling veterans at a January fundraiser.

McCoy says Trump has failed to show where that money went.

A Trump spokesman says the candidate did raise $4.5 million.

About a dozen anti-Trump protesters held up signs, including one that said, "Vets vs. Trump." They said they were being used as props for the presidential campaign, as well as what they called "props for hate."
A Bronx man was arrested early Tuesday after he allegedly tried to join ISIS and later helped an undercover informant who he thought was trying to join the terrorist organization, according to a criminal complaint.

Sajmir Alimehmeti, 22, was arrested in the Bronx by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and is charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization, according to a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Alimehmeti is charged today with actions that show a clear intention to support a terrorist organization that is hell-bent on murder and mayhem," said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

According to the complaint, he tried to travel to the Middle East to join ISIS on two occassions in 2014 but was blocked each time by British authorities. Then, this year, he allegedly tried to help an undercover informant who claimed to be attempting to join the organization.

The complaint alleges that Alimehmeti first traveled to the United Kingdom in October of 2014 in an attempt to continue on to the Middle East but was denied entry to the country when British authorities at Manchester Airport found nunchucks and camouflage clothing in his luggage.

He tried again that December, according to the complaint, and was again stopped in the United Kingdom after British authorities at Heathrow Airport in London found images of ISIS and improvised explosive devices on his cellphone.

"As alleged, Alimehmeti continued his quest to support ISILs deadly terrorist agenda, after being denied entry into Europe with a bag full of military gear," said NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton. "When he returned home, to the Bronx, he allegedly turned to helping others join the terrorist organization as he built his own arsenal of weapons."

Alerted by UK authorities, the FBI went to work, introducing Alimehmeti to undercover law enforcement informants who posed as ISIS recruits interested in traveling to Syria, according to court papers.

A year after the second attempt, Alimehmeti tried to get a new passport and claimed he had lost his old one, according to the complaint. But he allegedly told undercover agents that he already had $2,500 to travel to Syria but needed to get a new passport in a different name because his had rejection stamps from the United Kingdom and was "already in the system."

Late last year and earlier this year, Alimehmeti began communicating with undercover agents, according to the complaint. When meeting with the agents, the man allegedly expressed interest in joining ISIS, telling one who he thought was set to head overseas, "I'm ready f---ing go with you, man...You know I would... I'm done with this place."

He then bought that informant a phone to be used overseas and allegedly talked about "apps" that would encrypt his communications. He also bought two informants boots to use while fighting with ISIS at a sporting-goods store in Manhattan. The complaint also alleges that Alimehmeti also took one of the agents to John F. Kennedy Airport so the agent could fly to join ISIS.

According to the complaint, Alimehmeti played two ISIS-produced music videos that depicted prisoners being beheaded for the undercover agents. He allegedly told the agents that the videos helped him stay motivated while exercising.

Photos from the complaint show him posing in his Bronx apartment with what appears to be an ISIS flag. He also allegedly bought knives, steel-knuckled gloves, a pocket chainsaw, handcuffs and masks, and had MP3 files containing lectures by former al-Qaida official Anwar al-Awlaki.

The court papers said Alimehmeti told the undercover contacts he and his brother "had our own plan" to travel from Albania to Syria but that his brother had been arrested in Albania.

In a footnote, the FBI said in court papers that Alimehmeti's brother was arrested on weapons and assault charges in Albania last August.

At his initial court appearance Tuesday, Alimehmeti, who's also facing fraud-related charges, remained silent and stared at his feet as his team of public defense lawyers asked the judge to set bail at $200,000.

Defense lawyers Sylvie Levine and Sabrina Shroff insisted that Alimehmeti wasn't being charged for criminal action, but instead "conversation that was consistently prompted by undercover law enforcement."

But prosecutor Brendan Quigley said Alimehmeti's "repeated support for ISIS shows that he's both a flight risk and a risk to the safety of the public."

He also pointed to Alimehmeti's past arrests dating back to 2010, including robbery, assault, forcible touching and public lewdness. Alimehmeti has served probation and a year in jail for the crimes.

The judge, Gabriel Gorenstein, acknowledged the defense attorneys' claims that Alimehmeti was being charged without ever acting on his intentions, but said that those arent the charges, and that his willingness to join and support a known terror organization was enough to keep him locked away.

Alimehmeti is scheduled to appear again in court on June 7.

More than a half dozen individuals have been arrested since mid-2015 by the task force in New York and New Jersey on similar charges.

The investigation was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprised largely of FBI agents and NYPD detectives, and the NYPD's Intelligence Division.
Police are searching for a sexual abuse suspect who they say attacked the same woman twice in less than two weeks in Manhattan.

The suspect, 49-year-old Jeffrey Mahon, followed a 23-year-old woman near 65th Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side the afternoon of Tuesday, May 3, then pulled her by the arm and grabbed her buttocks, according to police.

The woman was able to break free of Mahon's grip and run away.

Then at about 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 15, the woman again encountered Mahon in the area of 45th Street and Eighth Avenue in midtown, police said. She was getting out of her car, and Mahon tried to touch her.

She got back inside her car and locked the doors, police said. Mahon banged on the hood of her car before running away.

Police say that despite the fact that she was attacked twice by Mahon, the victim does not know him.

Mahon's last known address is in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
More than 600 students from New York City, New Jersey, Long Island and Westchester were recognized at an Anti-Defamation League ceremony Tuesday for combating bullying in public schools.

The "No Place for Hate ceremony" was held at NYU's Skirball Center for Performing Arts and recognized students who have started LGBT groups and other initiatives.

Other students were honored for starting social media campaigns, including Instagram accounts, to further the discussion of diversity.

Griffin Cubero credits the campaign with helping her fit as transgender at Queens High School for Sciences

"Without No Place for Hate I don't think that community would have existed for me and I don't know if I would have had the courage to come out," she said. "I don't know if I would have had the courage to transition. I just really don't think I would be here today."

Many campaigns involve social media.

"When it's student-led, it seems to have a ripple effect," said Artis Jordan, a teacher at Freehold Township High School in New Jersey.
A new study suggests that infants left to CIO  "cry it out" or cry themselves to sleep will not suffer any emotional, behavioral or parental attachment problems, Today.com reported.

Researchers in Australia studied infants 6 months through 16 months and found that CIO did not produce any more signs of stress in the babies than a "gentler" method, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics.

The lead author of the study, Michael Gradisar, an associate professor and clinical psychologist at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, said "graduated extinction was better in reducing the number of times the infants woke during the night, as well as the amount of time they spent awake during the night."

The new study adds to existing research showing that children sleep better when parents adopt the extinction method, said Dr. Marc Weissbluth, a professor of clinical pediatrics, emeritus, at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
A man who was badly injured during last years Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia finally met the group of first responders who saved his life.

Finally, I know the identity of these brave individuals and have been able to thank them  even have lunch with four of my guardian angels, said Robert Hewett.

On May 12, 2015, Hewett, 58, was sitting in the first car of Amtrak 188 when it derailed in Philadelphia, killing eight people and injuring more than 200 others.

Right before I lost consciousness, I crashed head-on with another gentleman, Hewett said. I woke up laying on a pile of rocks. All my clothes had been ripped off. I couldnt move my legs. I couldnt see out of my right eye.

Hewett said fires burned in the field near where the train careened off the tracks, but he was too badly hurt to move himself to safety. So he waited.

"I was scared laying there," Hewett said. "I couldn't move, I couldn't get away. I started yelling for help."

Eventually, that help came. First responders carried Hewett away from the scene.

"I remember [the rescuer] saying, 'This guy's gotta go now or the whole back of his head's coming off,'" Hewett recalled.

Hewett was the first derailment survivor to arrive at Hahnemann Hospital but the last to leave. He suffered several fractures, a collapsed lung and spent seven weeks in a medically induced coma. The severity of his injuries required lengthy and extensive medical treatment.

After watching Hewett recount his rescue on the one-year anniversary of the crash earlier this month, Lisa Hogan knew her husband, Philadelphia Fire Lieutenant James Hogan, was one of the men who rescued him. Hogan then reached out to Hewett and helped identify all of the first responders who came to his aid and rushed him to Hahnemann Hospital, including Lt. Hogan, firefighter Michael Flacco, Philadelphia Police Officer Padraic Feeney, Officer Kevin McGorty, Officer Bryan Turner and Officer Sean King. Hewett, his wife and their two children met with all of his rescuers except for Turner and King and had lunch with them in Center City back on May 18.

Emily Hewett

We all now share a very special bond and I look forward to continuing to stay in touch, Hewett said. We are forever grateful for what these first responders do every day.




Bill Cosby was ordered Tuesday to stand trial on sexual assault charges after a hearing that hinged on a decade-old police report in which a woman said the comedian gave her three blue pills that put her in a stupor, unable to stop his advances.

District Judge Elizabeth McHugh ruled that prosecutors had sufficient evidence to bring Cosby to trial in the lone criminal case brought against him out of the barrage of allegations that he drugged and molested dozens of women. A trial date was not immediately set.

High profile Civil Rights Attorney Gloria Allred attended Bill Cosbys hearing in Norristown on Tuesday. Allred said this case is one more example of Cosbys pattern with women. NBC10s Harry Hairston tells us more.

Cosby, 78, could get 10 years in prison if convicted.

"Mr. Cosby, good luck to you, sir," the judge said.

"Thank you," said the former TV star, who stood up briskly after the ruling and seemed chipper and unsurprised. He hugged one of his lawyers.

The judge set an arraignment for July 20, at which time he could enter a plea. But Cosby waived his right to appear at that proceeding. That sets the case on a trajectory for trial.

During his twenty years on the bench, Retired Judge Michael Donio, presided over many civil and criminal cases. Now the judge tells us what he thinks about the Bill Cosby trial, which is going to court.

The preliminary hearing was not the face-to-face confrontation between accuser and accused that some had anticipated: Andrea Constand, the former Temple University athletic department employee who said Cosby violated her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004, was not in the courtroom, and the judge ruled that she did not have to testify at this stage.

Comedian Bill Cosby did not address reporters as he left the Montgomery County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon after a judge ruled that he will face trial in the charges that he drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand in his Cheltenham home in 2004. NBC10s Pamela Osborne and Rosemary Connors are outside the courthouse with a breakdown of whats next for Cosby.

Instead, prosecutors had portions of her 2005 statement to police read into the record.

While authorities in recent months have paraphrased her account and quoted fragments, this was apparently the first time that large sections of her statement  or Cosby's, for that matter  were made public.

Constand told police in 2005 that the comedian penetrated her with his fingers after giving her pills that made her legs "rubbery" and "like jelly." ''Everything was blurry and dizzy. I felt nauseous," she said.

"I told him, 'I can't even talk, Mr. Cosby.' I started to panic," she told police.

She said she awoke with her bra askew and did not remember undoing it.

In her statement, she said Cosby told her the pills were herbal medication. She said he also urged her to sip wine even though she said had not eaten and didn't want to drink.

Cosby's lawyers argued unsuccessfully that reading Constand's statement instead of putting her on the stand would be hearsay and would deprive him of his right to confront his accuser. But having a police officer read someone's statement is common practice at preliminary hearings in Pennsylvania, which have a much lower burden of proof than trials.

In his own 2005 statement to police, excerpts of which were also read in court, Cosby portrayed it as consensual sexual activity, saying Constand never said "no" as he put his hand down her pants. A seemingly relaxed Cosby said he and Constand had had other "petting" sessions before.

Cosby also told police the pills were over-the-counter Benadryl that he takes to help him sleep. He said he gave Constand one and a half pills and she did not ask what they were.

During the hearing, Cosby attorney Brian McMonagle questioned why Constand continued to see the comedian and even returned to the house to meet with him after the alleged assault.

Detective Katherine Hart testified that Constand told detectives in 2005 that she went back to Cosby's home to confront him about what had happened.

Constand also told detectives she contacted Cosby after moving to Canada because she wanted tickets to one of his comedy shows. McMonagle said Constand brought a present for Cosby.

Earlier Tuesday, the comedian walked into the courthouse on the arm of an aide, waving to people waiting outside. He looked healthier than he did when he was charged in December, and was not carrying a cane this time.

Prosecutors reopened the case last year after dozens of women leveled similar allegations and after Cosby's sealed deposition in Constand's lawsuit was made public.

He settled her lawsuit for an undisclosed sum in 2006 after testifying about his extramarital affairs, his use of quaaludes to seduce women and his efforts to hide payments to former lovers from his wife.

The testimony and the barrage of allegations have all but destroyed Cosby's nice-guy image from TV's "Cosby Show."

Cosby's lawyers are trying to get the case thrown out, arguing that a previous prosecutor a decade ago made a binding promise that the comic would never be charged. On Monday, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court rejected a request to delay the preliminary hearing while Cosby pursues a dismissal.

Cosby has not entered a plea since his Dec. 30 arrest. He is free on $1 million bail.

He is also fighting defamation lawsuits across the country for allegedly branding his accusers liars and is trying to get his homeowner insurance to pay his legal bills. Cosby has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.

Constand is now a massage therapist in Toronto.
A Pennsylvania mom is speaking out after she says employees at a local YMCA shamed her for breastfeeding her son during a class for toddlers Monday morning.



Kate Haslam, 35, takes her 19-month-old son, West, to a toddler gym class every Monday morning at the Spring Valley YMCA in Limerick, Pennsylvania. This Monday started off just like any other, but little West was hungry, so Haslam sat on a balance beam along the wall in the classroom and breastfed her son.



That's when she says things went downhill. A YMCA employee asked Haslam to leave the classroom and breastfeed outside because she was making people "uncomfortable," Haslam said. When the mom protested, telling the employee it's against the law to tell her to breastfeed elsewhere, Haslam said, two other YMCA officials got involved, pressuring her to move.

Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA President & CEO Shaun Elliott, who oversees the Spring Valley YMCA, called the incident a misunderstanding.

Elliott said the employee wanted Haslam to move from the balance beam she sat on to breastfeed so that children in the class could use it, and that the employee is "distraught" that Haslam interpreted the request in the way that she did. Haslam said that the employee did also point out that "a couple of members had expressed to her that they were uncomfortable" with Haslam breastfeeding.

"But that, quite frankly, is a challenge for them to deal with," Elliott said of the other members who expressed concerns. "She was just being honest with the woman. In no way, in her mind, was she communicating that it was inappropriate for her to breastfeed."

Elliott said breastfeeding is accepted anywhere in the facility and that the Y's policy is clear. He said the staff "tried to do the right thing" and will improve the way it's communicated in the future.

"The Y is an inclusive place where we want to make everybody feel comfortable, and to the extent we can get better, we're always happy to try to improve," he said.

The YMCA also posted a message from Elliott on its Facebook page in response to angry comments from members and others about the incident.
The U.S. military and government agencies will answer questions this week for people in Montgomery and Bucks counties who are worried about their drinking water and their health.

Last week, residents in Warminster, Horsham and Warrington were offered free bottled water by the government after the Environmental Protection Agency issued new guidelines for whats considered safe levels of two unregulated chemicals -- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) -- in the public water supply. Those chemicals were in firefighting foam used at Willow Grove Naval Air Station and Warminsters Naval Air Warfare Center.

Testing results for Horsham Townships water supply, made public Monday, were deemed safe. State Representative Todd Stephens said results complied with the EPAs new, more stringent standards which are now 70 parts per trillion instead of 600 parts per trillion.

While bottled water is no longer being given out to Horsham residents on the public water supply, the number of private wells affected has doubled, according to a Philly.com report. The Navy continues to provide water to people with private wells that exceed the new levels for PFOS/PFOA.

The new more stringent EPA standards serve to validate the need for a health risk assessment and blood testing so we can be informed about our exposure level and protect our families if necessary, Stephens, who lives in Horsham, stated in a press release Monday.

Concerns about contaminated groundwater on and around the military facilities have grown in recent years as more information was revealed about the harmful effects of PFOS/PFOA toxicity, which include links to cancers, low birth weights and liver problems. More than a thousand people -- enlisted and civilians -- have joined a private Facebook group to share information primarily about health concerns. Many worked at Willow Grove and are now battling cancer. A good number of others are family members whose loved ones have died of cancers. In the last week, some have written heartwrenching accounts of their diagnoses to Senator Stewart Greenleaf who expects to host a meeting of all local, federal and state agencies involved this week at his district office.

"We must do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety and health of the people in these communities," said Greenleaf.

The open house informational sessions are being held at the Horsham Township Community Center at 1025 Horsham Road Tuesday, May 24, 2016 from 5 - 7 p.m. and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Heres what you can expect, according to the public notice put out by Horsham Township:
Police found a pair of gunshot victims blocks apart along a busy thoroughfare that divides Philadelphia and the Main Line late Monday night.

Philadelphia Police officers rushed to the City Avenue Shopping Center at 77th and City Avenue in the city's Overbrook section around 10:40 p.m. after receiving calls about gunfire.

"Officers responding found a male laying on the ground... just outside a car," said Lt. John Walker with Southwest Detectives.

The man, who is in his 20s, was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Hospital where he was listed in critical condition with three gunshot wounds, said Walker.

"(Officers) find a second victim at 75th and Haverford suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest," said Walker.

The second victim was taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition, said Walker.

No arrests have been made and police have not yet revealed what led to the shooting but investigators believe the car near where the man was found played a role.

"We know that something happened inside this car but we're not quite sure what and we're not quite sure how the second victim wound up from here to up there at 75th Street," said Walker as he stood near the car.

It's possible the men shot each other, said police.

Investigators asked anyone with information to contact Philadelphia Police.
A tow truck driver managed to drive himself to the hospital after he was shot in the chest in Philadelphia early Monday evening.

The 30-year-old man was inside his vehicle with a 28-year-old passenger on the 1400 block of Blavis Street at 5:46 p.m. when an unidentified gunman opened fire.

The 30-year-old man was struck once in the left side of his chest while his passenger suffered a graze wound to his left shoulder. Police told NBC10 the victim managed to drive himself to Temple University Hospital which is located about a mile and a half away from the shooting. He then parked at the entrance of an emergency room.

The tow truck driver is currently in critical condition while his passenger is stable. Police say both men are expected to survive.

Both victims know the gunman who shot them and even gave police his nickname, according to investigators.

"The shooter is known to the victims," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. "He's described as a male who is wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt who was last seen in a Saturn Ion, Burgundy in color."

Police plan on checking nearby businesses for any surveillance video of the shooting.
IF YOU DIG CHILI AND BEER, what intriguing sound, when heard from the other room, is going to summon you more quickly to the kitchen? The opening of the bottle and the glug-glug of the foam filling up a pilsner glass? Or the slice-slice of a knife against a cutting board, as a piquant pepper gets turned into something that can festively, and flavorfully, top a bowl of chili? It's a hard call, but most chili peeps, and beer sippers, would likely look for the box that says "both" before casting their vote. And the reason why both sounds would hold such sway? Because of this: A hearty, ingredient-excellent chili and a deep-toned craft brew are one of the most timeless, don't-mess-with-it pairings of the food/drink world. If you need to experience both together -- if a side of chips with a beer is only a chili substitute, and if a glass of iced tea with your chili is fine but not quite your jam -- head for Temecula, and the Pechanga Resort & Casino, on the second Saturday in June.

THAT'S JUNE 11, which is when The 8th Annual Pechanga Microbrew Festival and Chili Cook-off sets up appetite-stoking shop. There'll be an octet of homemade, meaty, beany, peppery chilis to sample, all created by chefs on staff at the wine country resort. And there shall be "craft and small production brews" hailing from the region (think Riverside, San Diego, and points dotting OC and LA). Are your chili tastes limitless? They are. Is there a designated driver ticket? For sure -- it's $30. Will there be live music? One practically needs live accompaniment when indulging in spicy, sudsy goodness. Is there a beneficiary? There is indeed: Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley.
It will no longer cost money to sit on grass at San Franciscos beloved Dolores Park.



A day after SFist ran a snarky piece criticizing a permitting process where large parties of 25 or more would have to reserve and pay for pieces of lawn as well as picnic tables, the citys Recreation and Park Department on Tuesday announced it has reversed course. At least a little bit.

The reversal-in-part comes after a phone call from Supervisor Scott Wiener, who is running against Supervisor Jane Kim for the 11th district California Senate seat to replace outgoing Democrat Mark Leno.



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Wiener said he worked out a deal with the parks department to continue charging for picnic tables. But anyone, no matter how big the group, can sit on the parks grassy lawn without a reservation or without fees ranging from $33 to $260, depending on how large the group.

I do share concerns about reserving lawn areas in the park, given that green space is extremely limited on weekends due to large crowds, Wiener wrote on his blog. To address this concern, I worked with Rec & Park to change its reservation policy by limiting reservations to picnic tables.



Wieners call came after Kim tweeted: I'm opposed to the plan to rent space at Dolores Park. Our city's not for sale and it shouldn't be for rent either. Plus, a Change.org petition was started in the name of no picnic reservations at Dolores!!! By Tuesday afternoon, the petition had 13,000 supporters - 6,000 more than the morning. One source said the park and rec department was getting an "avalanche" of opinions on all sides.

In an interview Tuesday, Kim's spokeswoman Ivy Lee said, "the supervisor doesn't believe you shouldn't commodify and rent out grass. Picnic tables is one thing. But it's grass."



The park is not in Kims district. It's in Wiener's.

Dolores Park, with its glorious palm trees and sweeping views of the city, must have some type of political clout. The park and rec department still requires permits for lawn areas  yes, grass  in these parks: Golden Gate Park, Duboce, Precita, Allyne, Buena Vista, Cayuga, Marina Green, Kimbell and others.

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Park and rec spokesman Elton Pon told NBC Bay Area the permits and fees are not to make the city rich, they are to manage the chaos.

Dolores Park presents some unique challenges, Pon said, where on a sunny weekend, as many as 15,000 people hang out, have fun and create a lot of trash. The park district estimated that it costs the city $750,000 to pick up trash left at Dolores. Park and rec officials declined to comment on why Dolores Park was getting special attention.



Wiener, however, made sure to make a dig at Kim in his statement regarding Dolores Park. There are parks in Supervisor Kims own district  for example, South Park and Victoria Manalo Draves  where park space can be reserved for picnics and parties. Its unclear why Supervisor Kim opposes this longstanding program at Dolores Park but not in her own district. In addition, Supervisor Kim voted, in 2013, to establish the fee schedule that authorized these precise fees. While Im thrilled that Supervisor Kim is now interested in Dolores Park  after many of us have spent years and huge effort to renovate the park and make it more usable by the community  its important for politicians to avoid hypocrisy.



Kim's spokeswoman said the supervisor wasn't interested in getting into a "tit- for-tat" with Wiener.




Schools across the country and in the United Kingdom reported getting threats Monday, and at least four schools in San Diego County were temporarily locked down as a result of threats, the FBI and the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) confirmed.

What it sounded like was a male voice that sounded computerized according to school police, SDUSD spokesperson Linda Zintz said. She said she could not comment on the specific threat because the investigation was ongoing.

The district said it is not unusual for threats to ping in other places when there are threats here.

After being locked down earlier Monday due to the "unsubstantiated threats" Lincoln and Clairemont High Schools resumed classes normally. Bonsall West Elementary, which received a similar threat, canceled classes.

Oneonta Elementary School in Imperial Beach was locked down after the school received a phone threat late Monday morning, Sheriff's deputies said.

Deputies searched the school, but didn't find anything and the lockdown was lifted.

The lockdowns at Lincoln High School and Clairemont High School were lifted around 1 p.m. Monday, school officials confirmed, saying "nothing suspicious found on campus."

The lockdowns lasted around an hour.

Bonsall West Elementary in Oceanside received a bomb threat through an anonymous computer-generated phone call Monday, Oceanside Police confirmed.

Students were evacuated immediately, and officers and staff searched the school.

Classes were canceled for the remainder of the day.
A 12-year-old boy in San Diego County is now one of the worlds youngest Junior Master Scuba Diver, earning the certification on a recent trip to Fiji.

The Winston School in Del Mar hosted a pep rally Tuesday to celebrate student Tennessee Cumming's record-setting achievement, school officials said.

Cumming, who lives with his family in Rancho Santa Fe, officially became a Junior Master Scuba Diver on May 17, when school officials say he completed the required dives for certification by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) at the Korolevu dive site, a part of Rainbow Reef on the island of Taveuni in Fiji.

While there are plenty of Junior Master Scuba Divers, Cumming completed the certificate at a younger age than any other diver.

He turned 12 during that trip to Fiji.

The young diver is no stranger to challenges. School officials say Cumming has been several developmental disorders, including ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, oppositional defiance disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, as well as a processing disorder.

Despite these hurdles, he found an outlet in his passion for scuba diving.

The boy first took to this hobby through a Bubblemaker introductory diving program that he experienced on a family trip to Bora Bora, according to school officials. At the time, Cumming was only eight-and-a-half years old.

Each time he finished completing several dives on that trip, his parents say the boy would gleefully declare it was the best day of his life. They never heard him say anything like that before.

According to his parents, there was nothing Cumming seemed to enjoy so much before that, except building Legos and playing with his brother.

It isnt just about collecting certification cards for Cumming.

His so-called "Dive Nanny," Elizabeth Bethy Driscoll, says he is genuinely devoted to the sport of diving and becoming the best that he can be. She says he has repeated courses because they were fun.

Diving is an activity that truly brings Cumming joy, which makes his new status as the world's youngest PADI Junior Master Scuba Diver a special dream come true.
The San Diego City Council will consider a law to ban the synthetic drug known as spice, which has been a growing issue city, according to officials.

If approved, the ordinance would be the first of its kind in California.

Spice is a chemical mixture sprayed on to a plant substance that users can then smoke or ingest to achieve a similar effect to marijuana.

But the drug can lead to medical emergencies such as seizures, comas and hallucinations.

Law enforcement has seen a jump in the number of emergency-room visits attributed to the drug, with several people overdosing.

Since last November to March of this year, officials say there have been 650 spice cases. Of them, 120 cases have been in Downtown San Diego.

Current laws ban certain chemical combinations used in spice but manufacturers began experimenting with chemical combinations that were not covered.

"The unpredictability of the potency, combined with the changing chemical structure with which they are made, makes it a game of Russian roulette when users decide to ingest a synthetic drug," Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said the current laws are inadequate for criminal enforcement of spice.

Last year, authorities arrested two drug dealers involved in a spice overdose.

But they say they were unable to prosecute the dealers because the drugs sold did not include the five chemical compounds prohibited by state law.

On Monday, Zimmerman warned against the use of spice and even had a warning for manufacturers who have been changing up the chemical makeup of spice to continue selling it.

Those of you who have been exploiting this loophole, and now continue to sell this dangerous drug, you should expect enforcement action, she said.

The proposed ordinance would prohibit the manufacture, sale, distribution and possession of spice, bath salts and other drugs that mimic the effects of marijuana.

Officials say this ordinance is unique because it allows them to hold dealers responsible if the drug has a similar chemical structure or has similar effects on the body and brain as marijuana.

Officials say the spike in cases related to spice has cost the city millions of dollars to respond to.

"I mean, you can get a sense of what we could be spending this money on if not for this foolishness. And that's why we gotta stop it," San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria said.
A San Diego teenager who is battling cancer welcomed Captain America, Iron Man and Pepper Potts into his home, just two weeks after his classmates stood behind him in support.

Ryan Wilcox, 18, is a Grossmont High School student who is also a die-hard "Captain America" and "Avengers" fan.

In a video played at the school May 6, Chris Evans offered Wilcox well wishes and told him to "stay strong."

The clip not only went viral but prompted "Avengers" co-star Gwyneth Paltrow to suggest a trip to San Diego.

The trip became a reality Monday when Paltrow, who plays Pepper Potts in the "Avengers" movies; Evans, who portrays Captain America; and Robert Downey Jr., also known as Iron Man, showed up on the Wilcox family's doorstep.

"I saw this car pull up and I saw them walking. I was just like  what?" Ryan told NBC 7's Greg Bledsoe in an interview Monday.

The stars spent some time with Ryan in his room and even signed his wall. They left behind souveniers and a lot of memories.

"We're all a little numb. I knew for a couple days it was gonna happen but until you see them walk through that door, you don't know how you're going to feel. And they just were awesome. They didn't want cameras, they wanted to do it quietly," said Ryan's mom, Amy Wilcox. "They came into our home, sat on our couches and just visited with us."

She said the trio sat down with the family and just talked.

After his classmates plea for a visit from Captain America went viral, 18-year-old Ryan Wilcox got quite a treat from Chris Evans and his school on Friday. NBC 7s Artie Ojeda reports.
An overturned cement truck closed the ramp between westbound State Route 52 and northbound Interstate 5 Tuesday, causing heavy traffic and delays for hours amid the busy morning commute.

According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials, at around 4:45 a.m., a Peterbilt cement truck was traveling northbound on I-5 at about 57 mph when, for unknown reasons, the driver lost control and veered off the right side of the freeway.

The cement truck tipped onto its side, crashing into some trees along the right shoulder of I-5, coming to rest just north of the westbound SR-52 transition.

The driver was uninjured but some oil and diesel spilled in the crash. The truck was full of 100,000 pounds of cement mixture at the time.

CHP officials issued a SigAlert and blocked off traffic to three lanes starting at 5:38 a.m. Officials estimated the area would remain closed to traffic until approximately 9 a.m. while crews worked to clear the crash.

As of 8:30 a.m., traffic was still snarled in the area, as commuters tried to get to work. Two right lanes on northbound I-5 were completely blocked. Traffic was backed up to State Route 54.

By 9:10 a.m., the SigAlert remained in place and one lane had re-opened. An alternate route for commuters would be to travel along northbound Interstate 805 from SR-52.

Meanwhile, traffic was also heavy on northbound Interstate 15 after a separate rollover crash.
The University of California, San Diegos Algae Biofuels Program was ranked one of the best in the nation by the U.S. Department of Energy.

This is the fourth consecutive year UC San Diego has retained the number one ranking for its algae program.

The program, headed by Stephen Mayfield, a biology professor at UC San Diego, focuses on developing renewable transportation fuels from algae. Professor Mayfield directs the California Center for Algae Biotechnology, also called Cal-CAB.

UC San Diego was ranked number one among 27 other programs in the nation at universities and national laboratories. The programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The program was praised last year for producing the first surfboard made entirely from algae by UC San Diego researchers.

UC San Diegos algae biofuels program is no longer funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
An 11-month-old girl died after she was left inside her parents' parked car Monday in South Florida, possibly for hours, according to police.

Emergency responders were called to the 3500 block of West 86th Terrace in Hialeah around 4:10 p.m. The baby was found unconscious and taken to Palmetto General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police said the baby had been left inside her parents' parked vehicle with the engine turned off. It's not clear how long she was there, but police said it may have been a few hours. The child's name has not been released.

The temperature outside climbed into the upper 80s on Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

"In 10 to 15 minutes, a temperature of a car that's parked with the engine not running could go from 80 degrees to 130 degrees," explained a member of the fire rescue team.

Authorities have not taken anyone into custody or filed charges in connection with the case. Police are working with the Miami-Dade state attorney's office to investigate.

Hialeah Police also issued the following statement: "We are aware of the public interest and multiple information requests for this case. However, we will not be releasing any further information at this time while the case remains open and active. This is a very significant incident and an equally important investigation. We do not wish to comprise the integrity of the investigation or release incomplete information until the investigation is finalized."

According to HeatStroke.org, the child is the first to die in a vehicle in Florida this year and the eighth nationwide.

Janette Fennell, president and founder of Kids and Cars, a nonprofit organization focused on improving child safety around cars, recommends the following tips to parents:
The French navy said Monday that one of its ships has joined the search for the wreckage of EgyptAir Flight 804, focusing especially on the hunt for its flight recorders, as questions remain over what caused the Airbus 320 to crash over the Mediterranean, killing all 66 on board.

Five days after the plane crashed, human remains of the victims arrived at a morgue in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, where forensic experts were to carry out DNA tests, according to the head of EgyptAir, Safwat Masalam.

Security official at Cairo morgue said family members had arrived at the building to give DNA samples to match with the remains, which included those of a child. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the press.

Questions remain over what caused the Airbus 320 to crash and what happened to the doomed jet in the final minutes before it disappeared off radar at around 2.45 a.m. local time Thursday.

Egyptian authorities said they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, and some aviation experts have said the erratic flight suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit. But so far no hard evidence has emerged.

A 2013 report by the Egyptian ministry of civil aviation records that the same plane made an emergency landing in Cairo that year, shortly after taking off on its way to Istanbul after one of the engines "overheated." Aviation experts have said that overheating is uncommon yet is highly unlikely to eventually cause a crash.

The head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services Ehab Azmy told The Associated Press that the plane did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared off radar, challenging an earlier account by Greece's defense minister.

Azmy, head of the National Air Navigation Services Company, said that in the minutes before the plane disappeared it was flying at its normal altitude of 37,000 feet, according to the radar reading. "That fact degrades what the Greeks are saying about the aircraft suddenly losing altitude before it vanished from radar," he added.

"There was no turning to the right or left, and it was fine when it entered Egypt's FIR (flight information region), which took nearly a minute or two before it disappeared," Azmy said.

According to Greece's defense minister Panos Kammenos the plane swerved and dropped to 10,000 feet before it fell off radar.

Greek civil aviation authorities said all appeared fine with the flight until air traffic controllers were to hand it over to their Egyptian counterparts. The pilot did not respond to their calls, and then the plane vanished from radars.

It was not immediately possible to explain the discrepancy between the Greek and Egyptian accounts of the air disaster.

Egypt, which is sending a submarine to search for the flight recorders, has also refuted earlier reports alleging that search crews had found the plane's black boxes  which could offer vital clues to what happened in the final minutes of the flight.

Ships and planes from Britain, Cyprus, France, Greece and the United States are taking part in the search for the debris from the aircraft, including the black boxes. Some wreckage, including human remains, has already been recoved.

The French vessel is equipped with sonar that can pick up the underwater "pings" emitted by the recorders. It is specialized in maritime surveillance, and rescue and marine police missions.

The 80-meter (262-foot) ship left its Mediterranean home port of Toulon Friday with a crew of 90, including two judicial investigators. The search area is roughly halfway between Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria and the Greek island of Crete, where water is 8,000 to 10,000 feet (2,440 to 3,050 meters) deep.

The official website of the Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Directorate, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, gave details of a 2013 incident in which the same plane had to make an emergency landing.

It said that the EgyptAir A320 GCC took off from Cairo airport heading to Istanbul at 2:53 and that when it reached an altitude of 24,000 feet the pilot noticed that one engine had overheated. A warning message appeared on the screen reading, "engine number 1 stall." After checking on best measures to take, the pilot headed back to Cairo airport where a maintenance engineer inspected the engine, disconnected it, and sent it to be repaired.

There were no injuries, no fire, and no damage to the plane, the report read, adding that the engine had a technical problem.

The report is one of over 60 reports classified as incidents, serious incidents and accidents that took place between 2011 and 2014. Among them, 20 involved A320 Airbus planes, the highest among any other aircraft.

Experts contacted by AP said that while an overheated engine is not a common problem, it doesn't cause a crash.

David Learmount, a widely respected aviation expert and editor of the authoritative Flightglobal magazine, said, "engine overheat is rare but it happens."

He said that the pilot can shut down the engine and aircrafts can operate with a single engine.

"I don't think engine overheat alone has ever caused an aircraft to crash. An engine fire could cause a crash but has not done so in the modern aviation era," he added.
What to Know House Resolution 5233 would repeal a referendum, approved by D.C. voters in 2013, that granted the District budget autonomy.

It allowed Washington to spend local tax collections and non-Federal funds without congressional approval.

Senior advisors to the president said they would recommend he veto the bill.

The White House announced President Barack Obama could potentially veto the congressional measure to take away Washington, D.C.s ability to spend its own money without approval from Capitol Hill.

House Resolution 5233 would repeal a referendum, approved by D.C. voters in 2013, that granted the District budget autonomy. It allowed Washington to spend local tax collections and non-Federal funds without congressional approval.

The House bill is expected to go to the floor on Wednesday. However, senior advisors to Obama said they would recommend the president veto the bill.

The residents of the District and their elected leaders deserve to have the same ability as other U.S. residents and elected leaders to determine how to use their local revenues to address their unique needs, a statement of administration policy read. Such authority is fundamental to a well-functioning democracy, and the Congress denying the District this authority is an affront to the residents and elected leaders of the District.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) expressed her appreciation to the Obama administration for signaling their intention to veto.

I am enormously grateful to the White House for strongly supporting D.C. home rule and condemning this latest effort by House Republicans to trample on the will of our voters, Norton said.  Budget autonomy has tremendous benefits for the Districts finances and daily operations, and Congress would lose nothing. The White Houses veto threat will give us momentum as we battle to keep the repeal bill from moving in the Senate or being attached to an omnibus later this year.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe says he's confident he followed the law in accepting donations that now appear to be part of a federal criminal investigation.

McAuliffe defended his actions Tuesday to reporters at an event in Alexandria. A law-enforcement official told The Associated Press on Monday that McAuliffe is the subject of a federal investigation looking at donations to his 2013 gubernatorial campaign.

McAuliffe said he believes the investigation centers around a donation connected to Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang. Federal law forbids foreigners from contributing to U.S. political campaigns, but McAuliffe said Wang has held a green card for nearly a decade and is a legitimate donor.

"We went back and checked, and our lawyers to the campaign said this man had been fully vetted, and clearly had the right," McAuliffe told reporters. "He owns a big company in the United States of America; he's a major donor to Harvard University. He's on the board of New York University."

"Do your own research on this gentleman," he said.

McAuliffe said he's confident that Wang was entitled to donate and said no one has alleged wrongdoing by McAuliffe.

The governor said he believes the investigation involves the donation from Wang because "[t]hat's all I've gotten from the press reports. As I say, I haven't talked to anyone."

McAuliffe said he didn't believe he'd ever met the donor in question but had met people from the man's company.

"It's concerning, and I'm sad for Virginia," said John Whitbeck, chairman of the Virginia Republican Party. "He's every body's governor, and Republican or Democrat alike we rely on our elected officials to conduct themselves with integrity."

The former governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell, was convicted in 2014 of accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from a wealthy businessman in exchange for promoting a dietary supplement. McDonnell, a Republican, has appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court; as of late April, the court appeared poised to overturn his conviction.

McAuliffe is a Democrat and a longtime friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton. He said he's also confident the investigation won't harm Hillary Clinton's presidential bid.
Two Maryland men are charged in a northern Virginia jewelry store robbery that led to a shootout with police that left a bystander wounded, police said.

Through our investigative efforts with the detectives, we were able to piece together where they were and who they were, Fairfax County Police Chief Col. Ed Roessler Jr. said.

Police arrested 24-year-old William Franklin and 26-year-old Jasminder Sethi Monday. Both are from Waldorf, Maryland. Franklin is charged with robbery and a firearm offense, and Sethi is charged with robbery, police said.

Federal agents caught Sethi about 200 miles away from Springfield trying to board a flight out of Newark Airport in New Jersey. Franklin was arrested in Waldorf.

Efforts to reach the suspects' families for comment were unsuccessful, according to the Associated Press.

Police said they're still trying to determine the men's roles.

An officer confronted a man leaving Dubai Jewelers in Springfield Saturday and they exchanged gunfire, Roessler said. A shot, likely from the suspect, struck a passing driver, he said. He's confident the bystander will survive.

The suspect crashed a car, carjacked another, then fled on foot, police said.

They shot at a police officer, they injured a community member," Roessler said. "This is huge. Weve taken two violent individuals off the street and were about to bring them to justice.

Internal affairs will review the actions of the officer who confronted the gunman in the busy shopping center.

"This officer is a hero," Roessler said.

Muhammad Rayaz, who stared down the barrel of a gun during the robbery, said 80 percent of his inventory at the store was taken in the robbery.
What to Know The fire chief is looking at having his firefighters wear ballistic vests to keep them safe.

The 2,400 vests needed for the career and volunteer firefighters cost between $400 and $500 each.

Other fire departments across the country are already using the ballistic vests to protect their firefighters.

Firefighters in Prince Georges County, Maryland, have been hit by violence while out trying to battle fires recently, including the shooting death of a firefighter last month.

The fire chief is looking at having his firefighters wear ballistic vests to keep them safe. There are details to be worked out, but the need for protection has never been more apparent in the past few weeks.

Two firefighters were shot, killing one, after they forced their way into a home to help a man they believed was in medical distress. Chief Marc Bashoor tried on a shirt-type ballistic vest weighing up to four pounds and said firefighters could begin wearing the protective layer between now and October.

Bashoor said the 2,400 vests needed for the career and volunteer firefighters cost between $400 and $500 each. But there are several questions that need to be answered first.

Number one, does our member feel safer doing their job with that vest on? said fire spokesman Mark Brady. And number two, will it provide them that protection if, in the event, it should happen again? We owe it to our membership, our volunteer and career, to look into the possibility of purchasing and issuing ballistic vests.

The chief said he will look into what is working and get comments from within the department before moving forward. Other fire departments across the country are already using the ballistic vests to protect their firefighters.
President Barack Obama and his family are in their final months of living in the White House, and speculation on where they will move is now focused on the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood.

Sources tell the National Journal the Obamas will rent a house in the quiet, upscale neighborhood of Northwest D.C.

Knowledgeable real estate agents pointed News4 to 10 Kalorama Circle, which is private and has hidden-away, off-street parking. It was available for lease for $9,500 per month and went off the market last week, agents said.

When News4 called the real estate agency for the house and identified ourselves, the phone went dead. No one answered follow-up calls.

Neighbors said the Obamas would fit right in.

"There are 30 kids on our street. It's become a very neighborhood-y place to live," historic preservationist and longtime resident Sally Berk said.

The heavily wooded area abuts Rock Creek Park and, filled with embassies, is already heavily patrolled by federal law enforcement officials.

President Barack Obama said in March that his family may stay in Washington "a couple of years" so his younger daughter doesn't have to change high schools.

The president was asked at a lunch in Milwaukee whether his family plans to return to Chicago after his term ends Jan. 20, 2017.

"You know, we haven't figured that out yet," he said. "We're going to have to stay a couple of years in D.C. probably, so that Sasha can graduate. 'Cause transferring somebody in the middle of high school ... tough."

The Obamas officially move out Jan. 20, less than eight months from now.
What to Know Leo Fisher testified about seeing Andrew Schmuhl shoot his wife and thinking she was dead.

Police officers testified that Fisher and his wife were found suffering from multiple stab wounds and struggling to stay alive.

Schmuhl's lawyers are conceding Schmuhl attacked the couple but are saying he was taking many medications around the time of the attack.

A lawyer almost killed in a bizarre and brutal attack in his Virginia home testified Monday he thought the intruder killed his wife.

Leo Fisher took the stand for the prosecution Monday in the trial of Andrew Schmuhl, the lawyer accused in the Nov. 9, 2014, attack on Fisher and his wife, Sue Duncan. Fisher is a partner in an Arlington law firm that fired Schmuhl's wife, Alecia, two weeks prior to the attack.

Fisher told the jury that once inside their McLean home, Schmuhl used a Taser on him, tied him up and tied up his wife. Schmuhl never identified himself but questioned Fisher about Alecia Schmuhl for hours until, "The next think I know, he knocked me over backwards, he puts the pillow on me, he cuts my throat and starts stabbing me," Fisher said.

Fisher said his wife started screaming and Schmuhl shot her.

"He brought up a gun and he shot her, and I saw her hair go 'boom' and I thought he killed her," Fisher said. "She fell to the floor."

The bullet grazed her scalp.

Fisher said he was in and out of consciousness but remembers his wife covered in blood while they struggled to call 911.

Fisher told the jury that his life has significantly changed since the night of the attack.

"My tongue now bends to the left, he said. I can't feel or move the left side. It's very difficult for me to move food around and chew it."

Fairfax County Police officers described the gruesome scene they found. They testified that Fisher and his wife were suffering from multiple stab wounds and were struggling to stay alive.

Duncan testified Friday that Schmuhl came to the door of their home flashed a badge and said he was going to arrest Fisher. When asked why he was there, he said Fisher had a hit out on a Mexican drug cartel, Duncan testified.

She testified tearfully that during the attack, she thought her husband had been killed and she played dead so it would stop.

Schmuhl's lawyers are conceding Schmuhl attacked the couple that night but are using an "involuntary insanity defense," saying their client was taking many medications around the time of the attack. They say his wife was the mastermind of the plan, which was poorly executed by her foot soldier husband.

A judge ruled last month the Schmuhls will have separate trials. Andrew Schmuhl's lawyers asked for separate trials when they learned his wife might use the defense that she's been a victim of years of spousal abuse and was programmed to do whatever her husband asked.

Alecia Schmuhl will go on trial in the fall.
Several women who had second thoughts about or were dissatisfied with a dating service tried to cancel, but the service wouldnt let them out of their contracts.

Shelina said she paid $7,000 to sign up with DC Singles, a dating service that uses a "comprehensive search process" to help "thousands of singles find love," according to its website. Within hours, she regretted her decision and immediately called the company to cancel but was told it was non-refundable.

Theres no way I can believe that if you have not started service on me that I cannot cancel my contract, she said.

NBC4 Responds learned there many complaints similar to hers with the attorney generals offices in Virginia and D.C.

Theresa said she paid $3,000 to DC Singles and tried to cancel hours after signing the contract but was told it was too late.

DC Singles contract discloses the fee is "non-refundable," however both women said no service was performed because they canceled the same day they signed up.

Although neither attorney general's office would confirm whether or not there's an investigation into DC Singles, D.C.s consumer affairs office said it's always a red flag when it sees a pattern of complaints with any business.

If we see a pattern or practice of consumers that feel like they're not being dealt with fairly, then the attorney general is always concerned, said Philip Ziperman, director of consumer protection at the D.C. Attorney Generals Office.

Two other DC Singles customers who filed complaints said they paid thousands of dollars and gave the service a try but said the company fell short and didn't match its criteria as promised. Both asked for refunds and were denied.

NBC4 Responds found the owner of DC Singles runs similar dating services nationwide with numerous complaints of dissatisfied customers.

The company said it makes no guarantees of a match that meets all the criteria and it will, if warranted, provide a refund, although it has no legal obligation to do so.

After carefully reviewing the circumstances involving each of the four women who spoke with NBC4 Responds, the company resolved each of their complaints for a total of more than $14,000.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering up to $5,000 for information that helps the bureau solve an armed robbery in Waterbury, Vermont.

On April 14, at approximately 10 p.m., a robber struck the Champlain Farms convenience store on North Main Street in Waterbury.

In surveillance pictures released to the media along with the announcement of the $5,000 reward, the robber is seen pointing what appears to be a rifle at the store clerk. The robber's face is obscured by a hoodie and what appears to be a dark bandana.

ATFs immediate concern is public safety," special agent in charge Daniel Kumor said in a news release. "We are confident the public can assist in providing critical information which will ultimately result in an arrest."

Kumor asked anyone with information about the armed robbery to call the Burlington, Vermont ATF office at (802) 8654020 during business hours or (800) 8003855 after hours, or the Waterbury Police Department at (802) 244-7339.
(NECN: Julie Loncich)  A talent show at Mount Ida College in Newton, Mass., ended in a large fight, resulted in heavy police presence and landed one student in court.

The fight broke out before 11 on Thursday night as 800 people gathered to watch a talent show put on by the diversity inclusion club. By the time officers arrived, only a 100 people -- including students and guests -- still lingered.

A few people didn't calm down, said Lt. Bruce Apotheker of the Newton Police Department. They were acting disorderly. One of the individuals even bumped into the officer.

That individual is 21-year-old Randy Carius. He is a Mt. Ida student and now faces a charge of assault and battery on a police officer. Three others received court summons. Newton police said it was an unusual disturbance on a normally quiet campus.

What's very rare is for us to call for mutual aid because we have a pretty good-sized department, Apotheker said.


The man suspected of killing of an Auburn, Massachusetts, police officer Sunday had dozens of misdemeanors on his record, including several violent encounters with police.

According to court documents, in December 2007, Jorge Zambrano punched an officer and went after police with a knife. After serving nearly seven years in prison, Zambrano was released in 2013.

In January of this year, Zambrano allegedly attacked a Worcester police officer during a traffic stop.

After being released on personal recognizance, Zambrano was arrested in Clinton for assault and battery. Days before the shooting death of Officer Ronald Tarentino, Zambrano was arrested for driving with a revoked license, again, released on personal recognizance.

A former Massachusetts judge says Zambrano was likely released because of low-level misdemeanors.

Zambrano was killed after exchanging gunfire with police in Oxford, Massachusetts. Officer Tarentino was killed during this exchange.

Authorities say Zambrano also shot a state trooper who is expected to recover.

Tarentino's body was escorted into Boston by multiple police vehicles on Sunday morning, then back to Morin Funeral Home in Leicester. Tarentino had been with the Auburn Police Department for two years.
A New Hampshire funeral home owner has sued the owners of a nearby motorcycle museum, saying their accusations about his crematorium have defamed him and his business.

The Citizen of Laconia reports Peter Mayhew of Mayhew Funeral Home in Meredith and his wife say Douglas and Leslyee Frederick slandered them by accusing them of "business conduct that is abhorrent to a civilized society."

The Fredericks own the American Police Motorcycle Museum next door and have repeatedly told public officials that emissions from the crematorium carry human ashes onto their property. Douglas Frederick also has complained about a bad smell and has asked state environmental officials to visit. A message was left seeking comment Tuesday.

The Mayhews are seeking "enhanced damages" of the Fredericks' "unfounded criticisms."

A hearing has been scheduled for Friday.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is questioning why accused cop killer Jorge Zambrano was allowed to walk out of court despite numerous encounters with police just weeks before he shot and killed Auburn Police Officer Ronald Tarentino.

In an interview on Boston Herald Radio on Tuesday, Baker said he found it "odd" that Zambrano was allowed to go free and only "slapped on the wrist" despite a lengthy criminal history and several missed appointments with his probation officer.

"The issue here is why would someone who had this much experience with the criminal justice system literally two times in a row, walk out of court?" Baker asked.

Zambrano gunned down Tarentino following a traffic stop on Sunday. He was shot and killed later in the afternoon after a day-long search and shootout with law enforcement.
An ammonia leak at a food storage facility has shut down roads, and closed businesses in Portland, Maine.

Crews are on the scene at Advance Pierre Foods on Milliken Street, where a hazmat team responded to a leak from a tank or pump at dangerously high levels.

Workers at a nearby window making company said one of their employees smelled the toxic gas early in the morning and called firefighters.

No workers were inside the building at the time and there are no injuries, but people living near the industrial park are on high alert.

As hazmat teams work to contain the gas and continue to close Milliken Road they are asking neighbors to report any suspicious smells and stay inside.

Portland Fire Chief David Jackson said there were no employees in the part of the building with the leak. Employees will not be allowed to operate in either one of the facilities for the time being.
A Massachusetts man already awaiting trial for allegedly sexually assaulting several women near the Boston University campus faced a judge on new assault charges, including rape.

Steven Lent of Quincy was arraigned on 19 charges Tuesday after being accused of strangling and raping an escort he had met online on March 5.

Another escort who was waiting outside the Quincy apartment called 911 when she heard the victim's blood curdling screams according to court documents.

When police arrived at Lent's apartment on Quincy Shore Drive, they saw a naked woman running from the building. She told officers the suspect threatened her with a knife and tackled her when she tried to run, before sexually assaulting her.

Lent told police the victim made up the story, after trying to extort him because she saw him wearing an ankle monitoring device, and knew he'd be in trouble if he was caught with an escort.

This isn't Lent's first run-in with the law: last year he was charged with multiple assaults in Boston near Boston University, allegedly targeting female students.

The 27-year-old had been out on bail when this latest case took place.

Lent to be held without bail until a dangerousness hearing in June. It's unclear who his lawyer is in this case.
A reputed mobster has been indicted on weapons charges stemming from a search of his Connecticut home by federal agents who were looking for a half billion dollars' worth of stolen artwork.

A federal grand jury Tuesday indicted Robert Gentile, 79, on one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and one count of possession of an unregistered silencer. Both charges carry possible sentences of up to 10 years in prison.

Federal authorities said they seized a .22-caliber Browning semi-automatic pistol, a 9 mm Walther semi-automatic pistol, a .38- caliber RPB Industries, M11-Al semi-automatic pistol, and an unregistered silencer during the May 2 search of Gentile's Manchester property.

Authorities were in the house as part of an investigation into the 26-year-old heist of 13 paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Gentile's attorney said.

The alleged New England Mafia member has been targeted by federal authorities since a gangster's widow claimed that her husband gave Gentile two of the paintings, which included works by Rembrandt, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas and Johannes Vermeer. No one has been arrested.

"These are the same tactics employed by the government to pressure him to give information that he maintains he simply does not have," attorney A. Ryan McGuigan, said Tuesday.

Authorities have searched Gentile's home before, including one time with ground penetrating radar.

Gentile is currently in federal custody awaiting trial in a separate gun case.

Prosecutors say Gentile had spent time in the home while on supervised release and could face additional prison time if he is found to have violated the terms and conditions in that case.
A Pittsfield, Massachusetts, man with an extensive criminal history has been sentenced to up to six years in prison for assaulting his pregnant girlfriend and cocaine possession.

The Berkshire Eagle reports that Timothy Lewis pleaded guilty to six charges Monday in Superior Court.

Prosecutors say the 39-year-old Lewis punched the mother of his unborn child in the stomach and pushed her to the ground on May 4, 2015.

Responding officers were told by the woman that Lewis had a large quantity of drugs in his car, which was found in a hidden compartment.

Lewis previously has been convicted on several occasions in Massachusetts on drug and larceny charges, and he has a record of drug and larceny charges, and at least one prior conviction, in New York.
A 16-year-old male student was arrested and charged in connection with an altercation that occurred at North Middlesex Regional High School Tuesday morning, 2016, leaving one student injured.

The juvenile male student, from Ashby, surrendered to police and is charged with assault and battery with intent to do serious bodily injury.

According to police, a 16-year-old student at the North Middlesex Regional High School in Townsend, was brought into an administrative office after reporting that he was involved in an altercation with another student around 8:46 a.m.

The student was conscious and alert when he came into the office but began to slip in and out of consciousness after a few minutes.

Fire officials said they sent an ambulance to the school around 9:24 a.m. A police spokesman said one student was transported.

The juvenile is will likely be arraigned on May 25, 2016.

The names of the students are not being released at this time.
Police have arrested a 31-year-old Groton man on drug and weapons charges after a raid at U.S. Wholesalers, a vehicle wholesaler located at 114 South Road, in Groton on Monday morning. They also seized several vehicles.

The raid was part of an investigation into the sales of heroin and opioids in southeastern Connecticut, officials said on Monday afternoon.

Police believe the suspect was obtaining the heroin in bulk, cutting it, packaging it and selling it at the street level.

Police said they seized drugs, a weapon, along with business assets, including three campers and five cars, including a Bentley luxury sedan and several commercial vehicles, ATVs, motorcycles and motor-scooters, police said.

"A lot of the narcotics trafficking, they are not leaving their money out for us to locate. Their actually investigating it into properties and/or merchandise that they can liquidate when they need it, but still have it there and try hide it from law enforcement officials," Lt. John W. Varone, detective commander for the Groton Police Department, said.

The suspect is being held on a $500,000 bond.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans are attending a White House summit on gun violence Tuesday.

Attorney General Maura Healey will also be attending the summit.

Massachusetts has taken steps over the years to tackle gun violence.

The summit will be attended by representatives from all 50 states. The summit comes after the president took a number of executive actions aimed at curbing gun violence. Healey is pushing for national changes as well.

Healey is heading up a group of Attorneys General who want the Centers for Disease Control to study gun violence as a public health issue, a priority its prevented from currently doing.
A group of churches in Dereham have launched an ambitious project which aims to meet needs in the town, including the provision of food and skills training.

A group of churches in Dereham have launched an ambitious project which aims to meet needs in the town, including the provision of food and skills training.

Emilys art boosts growing Yarmouth foodbank A pupil at a primary school in Bradwell has been selling her pictures in order to raise money for the Yarmouth and Magdalen Foodbank, which is expanding its capacity and is seeking more volunteers. Read more

Patrick Regan helps Norwich to bounce forwards On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope. Read more

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

Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. 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
Catching viruses before they spread is hard. They often originate in remote areas, and spread by insects. Further, location makes it difficult to analyze blood samples for infections in order to treat them early.

The challenge is urgent. Once infectious diseases such as Yellow Plague and Ebola spread, they are much harder to contain and manage. That means it's essential to catch outbreaks quickly, especially when diseases can be spread rapidly by mosquitos. For if you can identify them quickly, you can quarantine and treat patients before they infect others.

+ Also on Network World: Challenges for IoT: Connectivity, protocols, funding +

The problem is experts are often geographically distant from outbreaks, and traditional methods of sending samples to remote clinics for analysis often result in delays, allowing epidemics to spread further.

To expedite the analysis of samples and fight outbreaks, researchers are turning to IoT-enabled digital pathology microscopes.

Project Requirements

A simple lens attached to a smartphone can capture and send an image. Such images are often not granular enough for pathology, though. Also, sending a complete picture of a microscope slide with the blood sample with resolution adequate for a diagnosis is hard due to bandwidth constraints and the need to inspect different parts of the blood sample.

And if you send a high-resolution image of just a part of the sample, it may not provide the pathologist with enough details. Whats needed is a remote-controlled digital microscope that a pathologist can controlpan or zoom to the part of interest.

Digital pathology converts glass slides into digital slides that can be viewed, managed and analyzed on a computer monitor. Its typically done in a lab where the pathologist can control which part of the sample is to be seen. In our project, the pathologist could be a thousand miles away from the blood sample to be analyzed.

We also needed to design a unit that was affordable and rugged so that it could be deployed in remote clinics where field workers would prepare blood samples for inspection by remote pathologists.

Prototype development

To expedite prototype development and keep costs down, we decided to adapt the controls of an existing microscope rather than developing a new system from scratch. Three alterations were made to a commercial microscope:

Stage control, which adjusts the position of the microscope slide horizontally (pan) so that a pathologist can put the lens above the part of the blood sample to be analyzed

Remotely operated focus controls that allow pathologists to zoom in and out

A high-resolution camera attached to the ocular lens to take and transmit the images to the cloud platform

The diaphragm and light intensity controls of the microscope werent modified for this phase of the project.

Project insights

We found that by retro-fitting an existing microscope with IoT capabilities (rather than designing a new one), we were able to keep costs well below budget. Mounting the digital motors to control the adjustments on the microscope was a delicate process, and it took several design cycles to achieve both sensitivity and sturdiness. Having manual knobs similar to a regular microscope (versus a mobile app) made it easier for pathologists to learn how to remotely control the microscope.

Time is of the essence in responding to an epidemic. IoT now enables pathology experts to remotely detect viral outbreaks from blood samples and quickly quarantine and treat the infected. A new tool in the fight against epidemics!
If something goes wrong with a patch, it's usually a problem that emerges after people download and install the patch. But in this case, fixes issued for May's Patch Tuesday batch just plain won't install at all for some people.

The most recent batch of bug fixes was issued on May 10, and within days people were complaining of problems with the installation. It's always the same problem: Windows Update runs for a long time stuck at 0% progress before finally failing to install.

+ Also on Network World: How to go back to Windows 7 or 8 after an unwanted Windows 10 upgrade +

The site AskWoody.com came up with a fix: install a single patch manually, KB3153199, separately from the others. While some reported success, it didn't work on my machine. The three patches on my machine break down as one Windows 7 fix and two .Net 3.5.1 fixes.

Windows Update had been trying daily to install the patches and failing. So, I tried something radical: I restarted the PC. After 12 days of uptime, that turned out to be the fix. The updates all installed, eventually. It took a while, but they did come down. No more failing at zero percent.

Stop automatic installs of patches?

This latest foul-up has people like Computerworld blogger Michael Horowitz advocating not allowing automatic installs of patches and waiting a few days after Patch Tuesday or other fixes are issued.

"Waiting a few days gives Microsoft time to pull back or fix any bad patches. It also gives experts, such as Woody Leonhard, time to come up with workarounds to whatever issues crop up," Horowitz argues.

I don't blame him, but there are potential problems with waiting, too. Once Microsoft issues a fix, that tells the bad guys where the problems are and they can target them.

Horowitz also advocates installing .Net Framework updates separately from OS updates because .Net updates tend to cause failures during the install. This I can agree with. There are times when .Net is really more of a hassle than it's worth.

I asked Microsoft for comment, and a spokesperson said they had nothing to share regarding Windows Update.

So for now, if you are stuck, try a reboot. That always seems to be the universal fix. That or a hammer.
Who is The Daily News Athlete of the Week? Here are the 7 nominees.

high-school
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Rain likely. High 67F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Cloudy. Some light rain is likely. Low 44F. S winds shifting to NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
The Irving K Barber School of Arts and Sciences at the University of British Columbia, Canada, hosts a multidisciplinary group of physics, engineering and radiation oncology scientists. It is interested in detecting and understanding the damage in cells and tissues caused by ionizing radiation used in cancer treatments. Currently the radiation dose a patient receives is prescribed based on population averages and does not take the individual patients radio sensitivity into account. The ultimate aim of the group is to help personalise prescriptions based on an individuals response to radiation.

Dr. Andrew Jirasek from the University of British Columbia in Okanagan, Canada, with his Renishaw inVia Raman microscope.

In some cases, it is possible to use Raman spectroscopic techniques to detect radiation damage in patients. The group is conducting research to find out if it is possible to make an early detection tool based on Raman spectroscopy, either prior to first treatment or within the first few fractions of treatment.

Associate Professor Andrew Jirasek is a physicist by training who has specialised in accurately measuring radiation treatments for cancer patients. Together with his colleagues, Dr. Jirasek was the first to apply Raman spectroscopy to look at the unique cellular changes that occur following radiation. He says. This is a very powerful technique. We can record and analyse information about how the molecules and cellular constituents change throughout treatment. Dosage can then be adjusted to be more precise and targeted. He continues, Previously, the only outcome of treatment was disease status; for example, tumour size. Our hope is that Raman analysis will provide accurate treatment evaluation sooner. Like many other diseases, timing with cancer treatment is everything. The sooner successful therapy is implemented, the better for the patient. After conducting cell and animal model experiments, the group is now about to test the system on prostate cancer patients.

Describing the choice of the Renishaw inVia Raman microscope for this work, Dr. Jirasek said:
On May 12th, the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force traveled to Springfield, Illinois to lobby lawmakers to fully fund the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, which provides free mammograms and Pap testing for uninsured women aged 35 to 64.

According to Anne Marie Murphy, the task force's executive director, Gov. Bruce Rauner has proposed a 71 percent cut in funding to free screening and the complete elimination of the cancer treatment program for uninsured and underinsured women.

"We have a lot of women in our community, this is the only option they have to get the screenings," Murphy told NBC Chicago. "The budget shouldn't be balanced on women's lives."
Designing an Ultrasound Sticker that can Image your Internal Organs

Professor Xuanhe Zhao

In this interview, we speak to researchers from the Zhao lab at MIT about their new ultrasound sticker that can provide non-invasive imaging of internal organs for up to 48 hours.
Anantpur: Years of drought, zero agricultural activity and the subsequent loss of income has led to a massive crisis in several villages of Andhra Pradesh's Anantpur district. It goes beyond poverty, beyond want of food and shelter and takes on dimensions of social degradation and decay. Women in Andhra Pradesh's Anantpur district are being forced into prostitution to make ends meet.



Rama Devi of Kadiri town, Anantapur, says she lives life in an abyss that's now beyond relief or a U-turn.



It's been an ugly road for her. After two years of no rains, her husband deserted her and her three children. She earned less than Rs 30 a day as a farm labourer and her ill and hungry children would cry for food. Suddenly, selling her own body seemed like a solution.



"There had been no rain for years, and no work. My friend said how long will you live without work. He said he has a job that can ensure a good future for my children. So I took up the job as a sex worker. I had no other option. Many a times clients would beat me, force me to drink alcohol and travel to different cities along with them. But I have to tolerate everything," Devi said.



She is being paid Rs 3,000 a month for selling her body.



It has come at a heavy price too. She is seen as a social outcast, stigmatised and branded. She fears for her life now. Her children also bear the brunt of discrimination.



"My children hate me. I feel bad. Lot of people are doing this here but nobody gets to know their problems. If government comes and helps, women can be engaged in better work. I also did not want to become a sex worker. Sometimes I feel I want to die and not live such a life. I want government to ensure nobody becomes like me or suffers like me," Devi added.



Though she has resigned herself to fate, Devi raises the need for urgent corrective action -- for the administration to step in with alternate employment for many women like her. She appeals for strong action against touts who misuse people's poverty and ignorance.



Anantapur district is among the worst hit by two years of drought with fallouts rattling social structures. It is impacting the present and future of hundreds of people.





The low socioeconomic status and lack of employment leaves women in drought-affected areas with no option. Many women are willingly becoming sex workers to help their families, while others are being duped by agents who sell them to brothels across the metro cities.







Naga Laxmi, another victim of poverty thrust on her by drought, had fallen prey to one of the dozens of agents operating in the area. She agreed to move to Delhi after an agent promised her Rs 10,000 a month as a house maid in the national capital.



Laxmi was brought by an agent and sold in a red-light district as a sex slave.



"They would beat us for refusing clients. Even a 10-year-old girl was given injections. She cried a lot but customers forced themselves on her too. Once they put chili in my eyes and mouth. My face got swollen and I could not eat food for several days," Laxmi said.



After months of trauma, Laxmi was rescued in 2015.



NGO Rural and Development Society (REDS) working in Kadiri helped her set up a grocery store. Laxmi joined the NGO and is working with them to spread awareness among the locals. The NGO warns gullible villagers of touts and agents. They are acquainting women with alternate business possibilities and providing financial help.



The NGO officials point out that corrective measures can take place on a wider level only with after there is proper understanding of the drought and the reasons behind it. They also point out that mindsets also need to change.



"Government or politicians are not interested in social issues. For them women and children are the last priority. There is relief only for agricultural-based activity, and not for such victims. This is the reason why the situation remains the same," said REDS Secretary C Bhanuja.



As per the NGO's own records, 440 women in the region are now local sex workers. Moreover, 848 girls have been trafficked to brothels in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata.





Most are duped by agents taking advantage of their poverty. According to social workers awareness and education, a slow process, is the only remedy.



"We are taking care of distressed sections of society who are prone to migration and prostitution. Government has released funds to handle the situation. This is also a social problem and not just drought related. We are taking helps of NGO also to reach out to people who are facing problems," said Anantpur District Collector Kona Sasidhar.



Poor socioeconomic factors, years of withering agriculture, lack of employment and rising poverty in rural pockets of Andhra Pradesh has led to a massive crisis.



For the situation to improve, corrective measures need to reach deep down and to the last person bearing the brunt of drought.
China is ready to work with India to accelerate negotiations and resolve this historic issue at an early date to move forward bilateral relations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday will begin his four-day visit to China with an aim to strengthen ties between the two Asian economic giants as he will deliberate on a range of key issues including the contentious ones with the Chinese leadership.Mukherjee is likely to raise the issues of China blocking India's bid to get a UN ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar and its stand that New Delhi must sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to get membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).Responding to Mukherjee's remark that India wants fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement to solve the border issue, China said both the countries have been taking positive steps to manage the border dispute and that it is ready to "accelerate" talks to resolve the vexed issue "at an early date".The President will be meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Le Keqiang and other top leaders.This will be the first visit of Mukherjee to China as President though he had visited the country a number of times in different capacities. The last Presidential visit to China was by Pratibha Patil in 2010.Ahead of his visit, Mukherjee said China joining hands with India in the fight against terrorism will have "its own impact", indicating that the two countries must comer together to deal with the challenge.Mukherjee will begin his visit by arriving in the highly industrialised Chinese city of Guangzhou tomorrow. The city which has strong business links with India has an economy of over $1 trillion.He will be the first Indian leader to visit Guangzhou where Chan Buddhism originated and later spread to Japan and Korea.Besides interacting with the Indian community, which has over 3,000 businessmen, Mukherjee will also addressIndia- China Business Forum to highlight the investment opportunities in India.There, the President will have meetings with the Governor who is also the party secretary and attend a lunch for him in his honour.On the second leg of the visit, he will travel to Beijing where he will hold wide-ranging talks with the Chinese leadership on key bilateral, regional and global issues.(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat appeared before the CBI on Tuesday in a sting operation case where he is alleged to have offered bribes to rebel MLAs to support the Congress during the floor test in the state assembly.



Rawat claimed innocence before leaving for the CBI headquarters in Delhi. "I was intentionally framed in the case. Whatever I have to say, I will disclose it before the CBI," he said.



"I will appear before the CBI. I have only accepted that I met that gentleman (in the video) who met me posing as a journalist. He (journalist) is the accused in the whole case," he added.



Rawat was asked to appear by the CBI to clarify on the sting operation that surfaced in April in which he is allegedly offering money to the rebels MLAs in exchange for their support.



The sting was considered to be one of the triggers which led the Center recommending President's Rule in the state in March.







On April 29, the CBI registered a preliminary enquiry. The man behind the sting operation Umesh Kumar has also been examined by the CBI.



Rawat was first summoned by the CBI on May 5 but he failed to appear and sought more time.
A Geneva auction house raked in more than $4 million Sunday for a collection of "grand crus" from Burgundy's renowned Domaine de la Romanee-Conti wine estate.



The 1,407 bottles that went under the hammer beat expectations and sold for a total of 4.2 million Swiss francs ($4.3 million, 3.8 million euros), with a single three-litre jeroboam of 1999 Romanee-Conti snatched up for 60,000 Swiss francs by an anonymous buyer.



Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, which takes its name from its most famous vineyard, is widely considered to be one of the world's finest wine producers.



"We're very happy with the results," the head of the Baghera Wines auction house Michael Ganne told AFP.

Stored in perfect conditions for the past 15 years at the heavily-guarded Geneva Freeports customs-free zone, the bottles belong to a single investor who has asked to remain anonymous.



The collection is "unique" and "historic", Ganne said ahead of the sale, explaining that it is extremely rare for more than 100 bottles from the prestigious estate to be auctioned at once.

Some 50 people had gathered at the Geneva auction house, but much of the activity happened on the phone or through written orders, mainly from wealthy Asian buyers, Ganne said.



About 85 percent of the bottles presented were snapped up, he said.



Seven grand crus produced between 1952 and 2011 at the producer's Romanee Conti, La Tache, Richebourg, Romanee-Saint-Vivant, Grands Echezeaux, Echezeaux, and Montrachet vineyards were sold off in 266 batches.



In addition to the jeroboam of 1999 Romanee-Conti, the top lots included 12 bottles of an 1988 Romanee-Conti bought for 144,000 Swiss francs.



Grand crus -- literally 'great growth' in French and indicating wine from France's best vineyards -- produced by the tiny Domaine de la Romanee-Conti are so expensive largely because they are so rare.



Only 200 bottles are expected to be made there this year, and more than 100,000 people are on a waiting list to acquire a single bottle, Ganne said.



The second half of Sunday's auction offered up around 3,000 bottles of grand crus from Bordeaux, as well as American wines, vintage champagne and Cuban cigars, which together sold for 2.0 million Swiss francs.
Bengaluru: Just a day before the 2013 Karnataka Assembly election results, this journalist met Siddaramaiah at his house in Bengaluru. A tense Siddaramaiah was discussing post-result strategies with his close aides.



He asked me what I thought of his chances. Trying to be polite and objective, I said, "If the Congress wins, you will be the next chief minister."



With a faint smile Siddaramaiah replied that there was no doubt about Congress' victory as it was expected to win about 120 seats. "But, I don't think they will make me the chief minister because I am not close to the high command in Delhi and also an outsider to the party."



I said, "Precisely for the same reason you will get the top post. Congress high command knows that you can rock the boat because you are an 'outsider' with no party 'loyalty'. Others like Mallikarjun Kharge will keep quiet even if they don't get the CM's chair because they are scared of high command."



He had a broad smile on his face, but said nothing.



Finally, Congress returned to power in Karnataka after nine years and Siddaramaiah become the chief minister.



He realised that being an "outsider" in Congress is much more beneficial to him than trying to become an "insider". In the last three years, he deftly used the "outsider" card to save his chair whenever there was a demand for his ouster. He has cleverly divided the MLAs and his ministers into two unofficial groups -- original Congress and outsiders. He makes sure that these two groups keep fighting with each other.



After three years in office, local media is busy speculating about Siddaramaiah. Top Karnataka Congress leaders including SM Krishna, BK Hariprasad, M Mallikarjuna Kharge, B Janardhana Poojary and others have openly expressed dissatisfaction over his leadership. They claim that if the high command won't change the chief minister, the party is doomed in the 2018 Assembly elections.



They also point out that an upper caste mobilisation is taking place under the new BJP state chief BS Yeddyurappa and Vokkaligas are rallying behind the Gowdas.



The 85-year-old Krishna has made several trips to New Delhi to convince the high command to change the CM. "It is true that not everybody is happy with the government. We are all disciplined soldiers of the Congress. We express our views in party forums, not before the media," he told News18.



Kharge, known for his political shrewdness, refused to comment but added that the "chief minister's post is not vacant".



According to Siddaramaiah's close aides, he sees no threat to his chair. He believes that a weak high command cannot remove him even if it wants to.



"There is no demand for my removal. It's all media speculation. I will complete the full-term and will lead the party in the next election."



He also added that some ministers may be dropped and some new faces included in the next two-three weeks. Commenting on Yeddyurappa's predictions that Siddaramaiah would be the last Congress chief minister of Karnataka, he said, "Yeddyurappa himself is highly corrupt. He is the only Karnataka chief minister who went to jail. He has no chance. He is just day dreaming".



Still an "outsider" Siddaramaiah looks comfortable in the saddle. But original Congress leaders look worried and tense about their and party's future as Karnataka in the only big state ruled by the party.
Seoul: From the way it chooses smartphone components to the models it brings to market, Samsung Electronics has undergone a painful process of breaking from its past to reverse a slide in its handset business.



For example, the world's largest smartphone maker agonised over camera specs for its flagship Galaxy S7 until the last moment - ultimately defying industry convention by opting for fewer pixels in exchange for improved autofocus features and low-light performance, a move that contributed to early success.



It also pared back its product line-up, overcoming internal resistance, enabling it to streamline production, an executive said.



The handset business has now stabilised, and had its best profit in nearly two years in January-March, though historically low smartphone industry growth still leaves Samsung looking for the "next big thing".



"We've now gotten to a point where we can secure a baseline profit even if the market stagnates, so long as we don't make a bad mistake," said Kim Gae-youn, vice president in charge of Samsung's smartphone product planning. "I'm confident we can hold our ground."



After peaking in 2013, a sharp drop in mobile profits exposed Samsung as slow to adjust to the changing market: its budget devices were overpriced and unappealing versus Chinese offerings, and the 2014 version of its Galaxy S flopped.



That prompted a cull among executives and stoked investor worries Samsung might not be able to recover as rivals including Apple and China's Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi gained market share at its expense.



There was no sweeping, across-the-board fix. Rather, Samsung embarked two years ago on an overhaul that included a shift from a phone-for-all-needs approach towards a line-up that emphasized economies of scale.



It revamped design, using metal frames and curved screens, and gave high-end features such as organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens to its low- and mid-tier products.



Camera Conundrum



As Samsung prepared to launch its Galaxy S7 phones this year, executives went back and forth over whether to use a 12-megapixel rear camera that shoots better in the dark and has improved auto focus, or stay with a 16-megapixel count. At the last moment, they opted for 12-megapixels - a rare step down in an industry fixated on higher numbers.



This meant a change in approach for a company known to tout the highest specs for its flagship products, and executives required convincing, Kim said. They were swayed by data showing consumers want more than just a high pixel count.



"In the past, based on our past decision-making process, we never would have gone back," Kim said in an interview at Samsung's headquarters campus in Suwon, south of Seoul.



The move worked. More than half of US S7 buyers surveyed cited camera quality as a key selling point, compared with a third of all smartphone buyers in the first quarter, according to Kantar US Insights.



The same mindset shift gave Samsung confidence to release a Galaxy 7 series that looks similar to its predecessor. This incremental upgrade drew initial scepticism, but the S7 phones have beaten expectations and could set a new first-year sales record for the South Korean firm.



Samsung must still convince investors its recent improvement is sustainable, and that innovative products are in the works to grow revenue. Some attribute its rebound partly to Apple's weaker performance, and cost-cutting.



"I think they will try to imbue the Note (phone) with a more transformative change such as new technology under the new leadership, than the fine-tuning we saw with the Galaxy S7," said Kim Hyun-su, a fund manager with IBK Investment & Securities, which holds Samsung shares.



Long-time mobile chief J.K. Shin ceded day-to-day management in December when Dongjin Koh became president of the handset unit in the biggest leadership change to date under the conglomerate's heir-apparent Jay Y. Lee.



Samsung's operating profit is expected to be flat this year and grow just 3 per cent next year, according to 43 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.



Less is More



Slimming down its product portfolio was another departure from the past, when Samsung launched variations to soak up as much demand as possible. As market growth stalled, that approach was no longer cost effective.



It phased out unpopular models and created common platforms, with more phones using the same parts. Researcher Counterpoint says Samsung has shed close to a third of its product portfolio.



That move also had to overcome internal resistance.



"If you're in the trenches, you want to have a machine gun, a grenade, a mine on hand," Kim said. "There are also different needs depending on individual markets, so regional sales staff naturally can't be happy when the company moves to rationalize and restructure from a global structure. The transition process is painful."



The product cull paid off; the revamped models helped Samsung recover in big markets such as India. "There was a feeling the sheer number of phones in the market was confusing for customers," said a Samsung India executive, declining to be identified as he was not authorised to speak with the media.



Despite a solid first quarter, analysts remain cautious about Samsung's outlook, with researcher Gartner predicting global smartphone sales growth will slow to 7 per cent this year.



Samsung has also yet to recover in China, the world's top smartphone market, where it ranks sixth with 7 percent market share, according to Strategy Analytics, well behind local rivals such as Huawei, Xiaomi and OPPO.



Samsung's Kim says his focus now is on premium-end smartphones - those costing $600 and above - where not all industry players have the muscle to compete.



"There's still room for growth in the market," he said. "This segment wants innovation, which has turned it into an area that requires huge capital equipment investments."
Lahore: The Nawaz Sharif government has been issued a notice by a Pakistani court on a petition challenging the prime minister on his more than 70 foreign tours which has cost the exchequer over 600 million rupees.



The Lahore High Court on Monday issued the notice on a plea by barrister Javed Iqbal Jafrey, who pleaded that Sharif extravagantly spent public money on his foreign tours, and on his and family's projection in the media.



Jafrey alleged that the prime minister was spending public money to get medical treatment in London at a time when there are no medicines at hospitals and the country was mired in foreign debts.



"It is unfortunate that the prime minister fails to establish state-of-art hospitals in the country where he could go for his own medical treatment," he said, adding that taxpayers' money was been used by the premier and his family for their "lavish" foreign tours.



Sharif is currently in London, along with family members, for medical check-up.



But speculation is rife that he has gone there to meet former president Asif Ali Zardari for "advice" on the "PanamaPapers" documents leak in which the names of his two children has figured for having off-shore companies.



Petitioner Jafrey also told the court that millions was being spent on media advertisements to promote the prime minister and his political party (PML-N). Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah sought a reply from the government on Wednesday, overruling LHC registrar's objection to the petition.



In February, the National Assembly was told that 638 million rupees had been spent on Sharif's foreign trips. He has lived at least every fifth day of his tenure out of the country.



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had informed the National Assembly that Sharif has spent a total of 185 days abroad in 65 foreign tours with accompanying staff of 631 officers between June 2013 and February 2016.



After he came to power in June 2013, Sharif has often visited abroad, despite criticism by Opposition and media.



According to the data provided in the Assembly, Sharif visited Britain 17 times, spending about two months in the UK, of which 32 days were listed as official stay while 24 were listed as transits.



During each transit, Sharif has stopped for at least a couple of days which cost the exchequer 137.8 million rupees. After the UK, Sharif spent most of his time in the US, visiting the country for 18 days. He has visited Saudi Arabia five times, followed by China, which he visited four times. Turkey was Sharif's another favoured destination which he visited at least once every year.
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Kang the Conqueror - the powers and origin of the next big MCU villain

Here's everything you need to know about Kang the Conqueror, the next big MCU villain
US$50M TRADE DEAL

The announcement was made by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, following bilateral discussions at the Diplomatic Centre in St Anns.

The trade agreement was reached against the backdrop of Venezuelan citizens protesting outside of the Diplomatic Centre about the inability of their countrymen being unable to access many basic goods (including food and medicine) within their nation, which continues to be gripped by social and political unrest. (See Page 5) Recalling that his countrys liberators found refuge in TT and the mutual respect which both nations share for each other, Maduro announced key agreements on energy and security which he and Rowley had reached at the end of their discussions. We have also decided to increase the trade flow between the two nations, Maduro said, adding this involves establishment of a revolving US$50 million fund by his government.

He explained that through this fund, We will be able to strengthen the trade flow between TT and the eastern part of Venezuela. In noting that Maduro was the first foreign Head of State to be hosted by his administration, since it assumed office last September, Rowley said TT was, pleased that financing has been put in place to enable cross border trade of manufactured items. Observing that the people of TT and Venezuela share common challenges, Rowley said, We look forward from TT to provide some significant relief to the people of Venezuela. Expressing satisfaction with the agreements on trade, security and energy which both countries agreed upon at the end of yesterdays bilateral discussions, Rowley said the groundwork began in conversations between both governments since last September.

Describing Maduros visit as very productive and very useful, the Prime Minister declared, As we move on to the execution phase, the outcomes of these decisions will have far reaching positive consequences for the people of Venezuela and the people of TT. Speaking afterwards with reporters about the trade agreement, Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon identified chicken, butter, ketchup, rice and black beans as some items which could be going to Venezuela under this agreement.

Indicating that her ministry had already provided the Venezuelan government with a list of manufactured goods in TT, Gopee-Scoon said details will be fleshed out when the Venezuelan vice trade minister and a delegation of Venezuelan private sector representatives, visit this country next week.

She also gave the assurance that there would be, easy and swift payment to manufacturers within a reasonable time frame as well. Asked which local manufacturers would be providing goods to Venezuela under this agreement, Gopee-Scoon said her ministry would inform the media accordingly as the details are fleshed out in the coming weeks.

Gopee-Scoon, who served as foreign affairs minister in the former Patrick Manning administration, said that Government recognised the current state of affairs in Venezuela.

However she said the agreements reached between both nations yesterday was part and parcel of the continued strong diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Gopee-Scoon was one of several ministers who were part of Rowleys delegation at yesterdays bilateral talks. Attorney General Faris Al Rawi, Finance Minister Colm Imbert, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses, Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, Minister in the Ministry of the AG and Legal Affairs Stuart Young, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and Energy Minister Nicole Olivierre were the other members of the Governments delegation.

Maduros delegation included Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Delcy Rodriguez, Petroleum and Mining Minister Eulogio del Pino, Industry and Commerce Minister Miguel P?rez Abad, Vice Minister for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Alexander Y?nez Deleuze and Venezuelan Ambassador to TT Coromoto Godoy Calderon.
TT, Venezuela talk prisoner exchange

The talks which Dillon will have with his Venezuelan counterparts in Caracas next week will also be aimed at clamping down on the flow of illegal drugs and guns into TT, in order to curb crime in this country. We agreed after discussions that we would take steps, on both sides of the border, to ensure our immigration and judicial processes repatriate our citizens currently in various states of detention on both sides of border, Rowley said.

Agreeing with Maduro about the need to strengthen cross border security, Rowley said, We also discussed at length the common purpose of reducing illicit activity in western Venezuela in so far as it affects the waters and territory of TT. The Prime Minister said he and Maduro agreed that the security services of both countries meet as a matter of urgency and re-establish the joint TT-Venezuela security operation coordinating committee.

Rowley added that Dillon will also discuss this matter on May 30 and this will usher in a new era of security cooperation between both countries. Speaking afterwards with reporters, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said the matter of repatriation of the five TT nationals was not contingent on any type of trade or relief from this country being offered to Venezuela.

The issue of Trinidadian citizens who have been held in detention in Caracas, is the subject of judicial process in Caracas.

We have been tracking this issue since we came into office, Al-Rawi.

On a time frame for the repatriation of the five TT nationals and some 18 Venezuelan nationals detained in TT, Al-Rawi said both countries have agreed that these matters should be handled with alacrity.

Asked what would happen to these persons once they are repatriated, the AG replied, Thats a matter for us at the AGs Office to manage in conjunction with the Minister of National Security. Saying all persons have the benefit of being innocent until proven guilty, Al-Rawi explained, These are allegations in a foreign territory.

The method for designation of terrorism, if thats your question, is one which only happens after conviction. When a reporter asked if these persons would be subject to this countrys judicial system when they are repatriated, Al-Rawi replied, Why so pessimistic? Lets get the facts first. Law ought not to be done on the side of a room.

There is a judicial process to be followed and due process must be followed. Al-Rawi said matters arising out of yesterdays talks with Maduro would not cause any diplomatic problems with the United States or any other country TT has ties with.
Doctors charged for drunk driving

One of the doctors was found a mere one microgram over the legal limit of 35 micrograms per 100 milliliters of breath and yesterday a magistrate granted him a bond and commented that perhaps the time had come for consideration to be given to persons within a certain range in violation of the Breathalyser Act, on how they should be treated in terms of conviction. The other doctor was over the limit by seven mircrograms .

Dr Sarah Albert, 20, of Gulf View in La Romaine, who works at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) as a medical intern, was first to appear before Magistrate Natalie Diop .

She pleaded guilty to the charge .

Court prosecutor Sgt Raymond Dhookoo said that on Saturday, Dr Albert drove a vehicle at Hilda Lazarri Terrace, San Fernando near Rising Star night club, with the content of alcohol in her breath being 42 micrograms per 100 milliliters of breath .

It was 12.32 am, the prosecutor added, and when WPC Kezzy Ann Griffith administered a breathalyser test, she gave a reading of 42 mircrograms, which was seven over the legal limit .

Albert was represented by attorney Subhas Panday, who in mitigating, said, To whom much is given, much is expected. Albert had attended a birthday party, he said, and had three drinks of rum and coke. She decided that she would have no more and left, Panday said. Albert was fined $1,500, owing to the fact that she exceeded the limit by a mere seven micrograms, and she pleaded guilty .

Next to appear was Dr Nicholas Boodhai, 24, of San Francique, Penal who also attended the party and upon driving away from Rising Star at 1.40 am, was stopped in a road trafic exercise .

The alcohol content in the breath of the medical inntern who is also attached to the SFGH, was one microgram over the legal limit of 35 micrograms per 100 milliliters of breath .

The arrest of both doctos and several other drivers in the vicinity of Rising Star night club early Saturday morning, stemmed from a police exercise spearhead by Cpl Jaipersad Barran and included PCs Sujeet Ramcharan, Leonard Thomas, Alex Mohammed and WPC Griffith. A police report stated that when both doctors were transported to the San Fernando Police Station, they were placed in separated cells where they remained in there for two hours. They were released from the cells after the police party who conducted the exercise, had returned to the station and began writing the charges and granting the doctors their own bail. Panday told magistrate Diop that perhaps the time has come for persons found to have exceeded the alcohol consumption limit within a certain range at the lowest, should not be made to have the conviction hanging over their heads forever .

Perhaps a presidential pardon, he added, should be granted to have the charge expunged from their criminal records .

The magistrate agreed, saying that within a certain range, the law should be flexible on how such persons should be treated in as far as their arrest and conviction were concern. Boodhai was ordered to sign a bond in the sum of $2,000 to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 12 months .
Wife, mom of jailed Muslims write Maduro

On Friday, relatives of the other men, Asim Luqman, Andre Battersby and Leslie Daisley, delivered similar letters to the Venezuelan Embassy in Port-of-Spain.

All the letters were addressed to Maduro in care of Venezuelas ambassador to TT, Coromoto Godoy-Calderon, pleading with him to have their husbands and sons released on humanitarian grounds.

The wives, children and other relatives of the incarcerated men stood on the picket line on St Anns Road yesterday with placards in their hands awaiting the arrival of Maduro, who was due to meet with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the Diplomatic Centre, St Anns. They were supported by the Islamic Front as well as the attorney representing the family in TT, Nafeesa Mohammed.

Mohammed said that even though Maduros visit had to do with energy, she was confident the men could be released on humanitarian grounds.

Omar Abdullah of the Islamic Front said he hoped their message could assist in reuniting the men with their families. Crying as she spoke, Asima Luqman, daughter of Asim Luqman, told Newsday she was in the hotel when Venezuelan police invaded it and took them all into custody.

My father is innocently locked up. We were enjoying ourselves and liking the country when they took us from the hotel. We could not bathe. We were locked up for ten days. How could fathers and women and children go and overthrow their country? Two of my birthdays have passed and I cannot even talk to my father. Sadika Mohammed, wife of Dominic Pitilal, said she was concerned about her husbands welfare, claiming the jailed men were subjected to extortion because they have to eat, obtain water and medicine. I am pleading with President Maduro and Prime Minister Rowley to intervene, she said.

The men have been in prison since March 19, 2014, on allegations of being engaged in terrorist activities. At the time they were taken into custody, the men were seeking visas to go to Saudi Arabia for a pilgrimage. They have not been charged and were due to appear in court yesterday.
Carib fires 14

The categories of workers sent home include supervisors, clerical assistants, forklift operators, industrial relations assistants and process technicians I and II.

At about 8 am yesterday, four monthly-paid workers and ten weekly-paid workers received letters informing them they were being sent home due to a restructuring exercise designed to sustain (CBLs) competitive advantage and improve its operational efficiencies. The National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) is the recognised union for CBL staff.

The unions Labour Relations Officer at CBL, Carl St Rose, told Newsday there was additional security present on the Champs Fleurs compound of CBL at the time of the letter distribution.

Those who got a retrenchment letter were escorted off the compound shortly afterwards.

To treat the workers like that, having them escorted out by security when some of them have worked there for more than 30 years, its ridiculous and insulting, St Rose declared.

The letters also informed workers they have 45 days within which their job status would be finalised. Newsday understands this means negotiations between CBL and NUGFW as to the final number of staff lay offs. Rumours swirled yesterday morning that 50 CBL workers were being retrenched.

Questioned about this, St Rose explained that management first raised the possibility of firing 50 workers during a meeting held in September 2015 but the matter was not discussed in the seven months since then.

He said with CBL having what he estimated to be a 95 percent market share of the local beer market and being the only TTbased beer manufacturer, management has yet to justify their need for restructuring. They said at the time that it was to help ensure their survival on the market but they have yet to show cause for sending people home. The NUGFW would be delivering a formal response to CBLs Chief Executive Officer, Ian MacDonald, sometime today , requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the matter. Contacted by Newsday, MacDonald said, It has not been an easy decision for us but we must do what we have to do in order to safeguard the companys competitive advantage locally, regionally and internationally as well as increasing our operating efficiencies in keeping with industry standards.

Due diligence has been followed on our part and we will continue to work with affected employees during this sensitive time. The Caribbean Development Company (CDC) was established in 1947 and went on to launch its flagship product, Carib Lager beer, in 1950.

Referring to CBL as CDC, MacDonald noted that since last year, CDC began discussions and engagement for re-organised work structures, aimed at improving overall productivity at the plant.

As such, several employees have been affected by this restructuring exercise.
Solo: Coconut drink not dangerous

Where is the food fraud? the company asked.

Solo explained that on February 16, the FDD went to the business places of some retailers and removed the Solo product from their respective shelves without giving prior notice to the company.

The company said on various occasions it had discussions with a FDD official regarding the tweaking of the label.

An FDD official visited Solos plant to see how the product was produced and to examine the labels.

Solo said the official was satisfied and was later shown an amended label, removing the word water and leaving the word coconut and the product was returned to the shelves of the companys retailers with no objection from the FDD.

Solo said two months after its product was removed from supermarket shelves and then returned with amended labels it received a letter, dated April 19, from the FDD requesting clarification on the use of the term coconut as the common name of the product.
Maduro drives himself

President Maduro arrived in a private aircraft shortly after 9.15 pm, with his entourage led by wife Cilia Flores and including a ministerial delegation comprising Minister of Industry and Commerce Miguel Perez Abad; Minister of Foreign Affairs Delcy Rodriguez; Vice-Minister for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Alexander Y?nez Deleuze and Minister of Petroleum and Mining Eulogio del Pino.

On disembarking from the aircraft, they were met by Special Branch officers who quickly advised Maduro that there was a vehicle nearby on the tarmac waiting to take him to Port-of-Spain.

However, Maduro told shocked police that he did not need any driver and wanted to drive the vehicle himself.

Accompanied by two burly bodyguards from Venezuela, the President placed himself behind the wheel of the vehicle with his two bodyguards seated in the back seat and signalled to Special Branch officers that he was ready to go.

Newsday understands there was a very small contingent of Cabinet Ministers to greet Maduro because the Venezuelan Authorities had first informed local authorities he was expected to be at Piarco at 5 pm. The time was then changed to 7 pm and then a third time to 9.15 pm. Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses and Energy Minister Nicole Olivierre were present to greet Maduro.

According to reports, when the President arrived at the Hyatt Regency he advised his bodyguards to remove the number plates from the vehicle he drove and asked that it be kept in a particular area of the hotel compound for his specific use.

President Maduro and his team then went to the third floor of the Hyatt which was booked for him and his entourage. Armed guards were on duty inside and outside the Regency.

Yesterday, police sources told Newsday that while it is very unusual for a visiting President to drive himself, Maduro probably did this for security reasons and would have had full security support of his personal security team.
Carmona lobbies Maduro

Because I am a lawyer, because I am an international jurist there are some things I always leave with leaders, Carmona said to Maduro, who made a courtesy call at Presidents House. Maduros wife, Cilia Flores, and several members of his administration accompanied him. Carmona said the rule of law; the rules of natural justice and due process were matters of concern to all leaders.

We must not in fact become terrorists in our dealing with terrorism, the President told Maduro. A terrorist is entitled to due process and the rules of natural justice.

There cannot be peace without justice. This is why it is so important throughout the world to have a strong judiciary that is independent and that will be fair. Switching to Spanish, Carmona also added, We must believe in hope, always. On the small arms trade, Carmona lobbied Maduro to help this country stem the flow of guns from the South American mainland.

The TT Head of State also called for assistance in accessing funding to tackle climate change.

On this point, Carmona ventured to make a suggestion. It is possible that we might have excessive energy with the closure of the steel industry in Point Lisas, he said.

TTEC can, in fact, possibly provide Venezuela with electricity. The President added, But it is not my job to create the situation, it is my job to create the idea. Maybe it is something you can speak to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Energy (Nicole Ollivierre) about. Maduro replied, it is a brilliant idea.

The (Venezuelan to TT)Ambassador (Coromoto Godoy Calderon) has mentioned this. He said climate change was affecting Venezuela, drying up its Guri Resevoir. Its almost a desert, Maduro said.

He cited regional thinker Norman Girvan, who died in 2014, and called for a single Caribbean entity. We have a common history and a common fate, Maduro said.

The world of slaves is over. The Venezuelan president wrote a long note in Spanish in the official visitors book, which ended, Long live our friendship. He said he was glad to see Carmona again and  with some doubt over his future back home palpable  joked that each meeting was fortuitous.

Every time we see you its lucky, Maduro said. Carmona quipped that he would buy a lotto ticket. There has not been the political will in the past to join our people, the President said.

But the will has always been there at ground zero.
City prison inhumane, close it down

It is absolutely terrible.

They should close down, he said.

Edwards was speaking with Newsday during an interview at his Laventille Road.

He reported on the conditions he experienced at the Port-of- Spain Prison saying there can be six to nine men in a cell measuring six by seven feet; there are no mattresses and he had to sleep on the floor or on a double decker bed with only a metal sheet; cells are not ventilated; there is no lighting; alot of cockroaches; too many hours spent in cells between airing out; you have to urinate in a cup and push it through the cell bars to empty into a bucket and worst of all, you have to defecate in a piece of a paper and throw it in a bucket for one of the inmates to later empty.

The conditions are very, very terrible, he said. On the lack of time spent outside the cells Edwards speculated that it may have been reduced following the July 2015 jail break. Edwards was convicted in 1988, for the murder of Laventille shopkeeper Faustin St Louis and remained at the Port-of- Spain Prison until his sentence was commuted in June 2000 and he was moved to the Maximum Security Prison in Golden Grove. When attending court in the capital however, he was housed at Port-of-Spain prisons as is the case with all prisoners.

Edwards said the conditions at MSP are a lot better and there are three men to a cell which has a toilet and bathroom. He added that the infrastructure was better than (Portof- Spain) by far and inmates are allowed a longer period outside.

He reported that there were a lot more programmes for inmates at MSP than Port-of-Spain.

The Port-of-Spain Prison, commonly known as the Royal Jail, was built in 1812 and is more than 200 years old.

The Prison Officers Association (POA) has also complained about conditions at the prison and in 2008, association PRO Wendell Mitchell reported an infestation of cockroach, pigeons, cats and its posing a real health and safety risk for officers. Edwards also expressed support for Archbishop Joseph Harris petition for there to be a pardoning of remand prisoners who have spend more time in prison awaiting trial than the maximum sentence allowed on conviction for the crime they were charged for. He said it is worthy of consideration.

Edwards said he agreed with an easing up of Remand but also asked for consideration for elderly people on life sentences who no longer are a threat to society.

He pointed out that Oliver Forde who has been in jail for 41 years and former death row inmate Andrew Douglas who had visited schools and shared his story. He said that those on minor offences who are freed are likely to re-offend but those incarcerated for 25 years, are not looking to come out and do something foolish to go back inside.
The Bear Attacked, So She

'Popped It Right in the Nose'
Upcoming virtual-reality headsets based on Google's new Daydream VR system won't be as sophisticated as Facebook's Oculus Rift.

But they could give more people a taste of VR and make better games and applications affordable.On Wednesday, Google said it will develop a range of VR headsets that promise to be more comfortable and durable than its ultra-cheap Cardboard headset. Google will make one and share design guidelines with other manufacturers.

There will also be a wireless motion controller - functioning like a fishing rod, a steering wheel or a pointer - to permit more-sophisticated VR experiences.Sophisticated systems such as the Rift and the HTC Vive are expensive, limiting their appeal to gamers and other tech enthusiasts. Alternatively, cheaper VR headsets that tap the power of smartphones are typically tied to one manufacturer's phones, such as Samsung's or LG's.Daydream headsets will work with a range of phone brands. Gartner analyst Brian Blau says he believes the Daydream-powered devices could prove to be a "thorn in the side" of both Samsung and Oculus, which teamed up to make a similar VR headset, called Gear VR, late last year.

You'll need a higher-end phone running the upcoming "N'' version of Android. Existing phones won't have the right hardware, and cheaper "N'' phones won't either, so you might have to spend a few hundred dollars more for a top-of-the-line model.Google says at least eight manufacturers, including Samsung, HTC, and Huawei, will make compatible phones this fall. It's a matter of adding sensors and good-enough screens, among other things.
In a new development, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL) or National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, a French regulator has asked the company to not only censor some search results in France but also globally and needless it is something that has proven to be unacceptable for the company. The crux of the matter lies in the much discussed 'right to be forgotten' issue in relation to people who might want certain links about them removed from search engine results for a particular set of circumstances and the ruling was passed two years ago by the European Court of Justice. The ruling caused a lot of heartburn since it meant that even factually accurate links would need to be censored if according to that ruling the link in question is outdated or irrelevant to the person in question.

However, CNIL now wants the search engine giant to remove those links from their results page all over the world and not only in Europe or France, as the case may be. Google has stated that they are in now way obligated to censor search results on a global scale if local laws do not stipulate that and are ready to fight the case at France's highest court. The matter has been covered in the Business Insider at length : - "The right to be forgotten stems from a controversial 2014 ruling by the European Court of Justice, and allows European citizens to appeal to have links removed from search results under certain circumstances (if it's outdated or irrelevant, say) - even if the information is factually accurate. However, it only applies within Europe: A French citizen could successfully appeal to Google to have links to websites about them removed from search results seen by people browsing Google from France. But someone living in America who searched for their name would see the full uncensored search results. That's what CNIL wants to change. It wants successful right to be forgotten applications to be applied across the globe to properly protect citizens' privacy."
Over the past few weeks, there has been intense speculation in the business pages about the impending merger between German major Bayer and American agrochemical and associated biotechnology company Monsanto and rightly so due to the possibility of creating the largest agricultural supplier on a global level. There have been talks about the merger for some time and last week Monsanto decided to issue a statement on the issue, stating that it Bayer had in fact placed a bid. However, Bayer have finally made their bid official with an offer of a whopping $64 billion for the American company that would be made entirely in cash with a blend of debt as well as equities.

According to the reports, Bayern have prepared a deal according to which it will pay Monsanto, $122 for each share and that takes into account a 37% premium on the price of the share as on the 9th of May, 2016. However, something that has without doubt made the whole deal a great one for Monsanto is the fact that Bayer's bid will also wipe out the total of $9 billion in debts that the American company has on its books. However, Bayer's shareholders do not seem to be too happy with the whole thing sicne $15 billion is going to be raised from shareholders and as a result the shares of the company has falled 13% over the past two weeks. Werner Baumann, CEO of Bayer had this to say about the impending deal, "We have long respected Monsanto's business and share their vision to create an integrated business that we believe is capable of generating substantial value for both companies' shareholders."

Deals of such size often prove detrimental for further development and as such, a Professor at the Warwick School of Business named John Colley echoed the same thoughts, "This is an enormous offer in a number of ways. German businesses have generally avoided megabids, opting instead for lower risk but slower organic growth. Bayer has dispensed with that approach," he said. "It is a classic transfer of value from the bidder's shareholders to those of the target. Few megabids go well and research shows more than half destroy value. Only around a quarter deliver on their promises."
Even though scientists have observed a fall in the population of fish species, it is interesting that cephalopods - including octopus, cuttlefish, and squid, have actually risen in the past 60 years.

According to experts from the University of Adelaide, who investigated the global database of cephalopod catch rates to check out their long-term trends: "Our analyses showed that cephalopod abundance has increased since the 1950s, a result that was remarkably consistent across three distinct groups," said Zoe Doubleday of the University of Adelaide and lead author of the study. "Cephalopods are often called 'weeds of the sea' as they have a unique set of biological traits, including rapid growth, short lifespans, and flexible development.

"These allow them to adapt to changing environmental conditions (such as temperature) more quickly than many other marine species, which suggests that they may be benefiting from a changing ocean environment."

With plummeting ocean temperatures, scientists are concerned about the habitability of the world's oceans for its marine species. Still, the study shows that all the species are not declining.

The study stemmed from research on the decreasing population of the Giant Australian cuttlefish, which is currently on the rebound.

"There has been a lot of concern over declining numbers of the iconic Giant Australian cuttlefish at the world-renowned breeding ground in South Australia's Spencer Gulf," Doubleday said. "To determine if similar patterns were occurring elsewhere, we compiled this global-scale database. Surprisingly, analyses revealed that cephalopods, as a whole, are in fact increasing, and since this study, cuttlefish numbers from this iconic population near Whyalla are luckily bouncing back."

Have human activities, such as global warming and climate change caused the rise in cephalopod numbers?

"Cephalopods are an ecologically and commercially important group of invertebrates that are highly sensitive to changes in the environment," said Bronwyn Gillanders of the University of Adelaide and co-author of the study. "We're currently investigating what may be causing them to proliferate - global warming and overfishing of fish species are two theories. It is a difficult, but important question to answer, as it may tell us an even bigger story about how human activities are changing the ocean."

The findings were published May 23 in Current Biology.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 26F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 16F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
New Delhi:

President Pranab Mukherjee today sought more information and clarification on few points from the Health Ministry over the decision to bring an Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination NEET that seeks to keep state boards out of its purview. The need for more information was conveyed to Health Minister J P Nadda who called on the President this afternoon to brief him about the need for bringing the Executive Order before the latter leaves for China today.

The meeting lasted for more than half-an-hour and the minister is learnt to have briefed the President on three set of issuesdifferent exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

Health Ministry sources said that during the meeting, some fresh information was sought by the President. The Ministry is in the process of sending them, sources added.

The President had earlier asked Naddas ministry to explain the reason for taking the Ordinance route to keep state boards out of the ambit of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The meeting between the President and the Health Minister was satisfactory, the sources said.

The Ordinance was on Saturday sent to the President.

Nadda was to attend a global health summit in Geneva but had to cancel the trip to meet the President.

The Ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier on Friday, is aimed at partially overturning a Supreme Court order which said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET.

The President has also sought the opinion of in-house legal experts on the Ordinance. The assent of the President is still awaited.

Clarifying that the exemption is only for the state government seats, government sources had said the state seats which are earmarked in the private medical colleges have also been exempted.

Different states earmark seats in various private medical colleges for state quota so that students from one state can get seats in another state. The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24.

Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET held on May 1.

Health Ministry sources said that seven states will take medical exams as per NEET while in six other states, around 4 lakh students have already taken the examinations.

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London:

Britain has granted political refugee status to ousted former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, his lawyer has claimed. A prominent human rights campaigner and Maldives first democratically elected president, 49-year-old Nasheed had been allowed to go to Britain in January for the for spinal cord surgery following a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and the UK.

His lawyer Hasan Latheef claimed yesterday that Nasheed had been granted political refugee status, but the British government is yet to comment.

In the past year, freedom of the press, expression and assembly have all been lost. Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work from exile - for now, Nasheed said in a statement confirming his exile.

The Madives government said yesterday that it was disappointed that the UK government had agreed to be part of this charade, adding that British ministers were helping with efforts to circumvent the law.

Nasheed became Maldives first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was supposed to return to Maldives after the treatment, but remained in London where his wife and daughters have been living since he was jailed.

Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on terrorism charges after allegedly illegally ordering the arrest of a judge in a trial that put a spotlight on instability in the Maldives.

The jail term was widely criticised by international bodies, including the United Nations, and foreign governments.

A popular figure on the world stage, Nasheeds case was championed with the help of a international legal team that included Amal Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of the American actor Georg Clooney.

He was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain for his treatment.

Cameron described Nasheed as his best friend in 2011 and this year hosted the ex-president, his wife and Amal at Downing Street after he arrived in London.

The Maldives stripped Nasheed of his pension entitlements and health insurance last month, after demanding he return from medical leave in Britain.

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New Delhi:

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has chalked out plans and listed the top focus areas of the environment ministry for the next three years. The list includes strict compliance of environmental laws, use of technology for reducing air pollution and capacity building of municipal bodies, Javadekar said. Mentioning the achievements of Environment Ministry over the last two years, Javadekar said their efforts resulted in increase in the forest cover, better monitoring of industrial pollution, representation of countrys interest in COP Paris meet and passage of CAMPA bill.

In last two years, 2000 environmental requests were approved which helped unlock an investment of Rs 10 lakh crore which had a potential of generating 10 lakh jobs, he said. Javadekar outlined the roadmap for next three years, saying the ministry will continue taking initiatives for sustainable development.



A law will be passed for compliance which will act as a deterrent for violation (of green norms). Secondly, to use technology for monitoring of the pollution norms all over the country and thirdly, build capacities in the local bodies because they are the ones who actually deal with the situation of waste management and other things, Javadekar said while addressing a press conference on ministrys achievements in the last two years.



Javadekar noted that Delhis air pollution has reduced. He said periodic review meeting were held by his ministry with five neighboring states including Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in order to implement short-term and long term action plans. There are four-five states that impact air pollution in Delhi and they do not come under Delhi municipal jurisdiction. We called all of them including officials from Delhi government and asked them to prepare a plan. The battle against pollution has to be fought collectively, he said.



Conservation and development can coexist, says Javadekar



Meanwhile, Javadekar has asserted that India can preserve its rich biodiversity while ensuring the development. It is a myth that ecological conservation and development can not coexist. It is not correct to see environment and development as being two ends of a spectrum, where one must be compromised in order to enhance the other, Javadekar said, speaking at an International Biodiversity Day event held in Mumbai last evening.

He said that the concerns of livelihood should be addressed equally while framing policies for environmental protection. The Centre will formulate a policy for conservation of the rich biodiversity of Western Ghats while ensuring that the livelihood of five crore people residing in the region, spread across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is not adversely affected, he said.



India is one of the recognised mega-diverse countries of the world, harbouring nearly 8 per cent of recorded species and representing four biodiversity hotspots, he said. The minister conceded that jan andolan (peoples movements) were necessary for biodiversity conservation, and added that many success stories of the environment conservation had not been highlighted by the mainstream media.



Prof R Sukumar of the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, in his key-note address called for using ecology and sociology as the basis for conservation in India. He also advocated a landscape approach to ecological conservation instead of national parks protected area approach.



(With inputs from PTI)

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Washington:

Accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of being "totally unscrupulous", friend-turned-foe Prashant Bhushan has claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party leader can even join hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for personal gains. Bhushan's remarks come even as Kejriwal-led Delhi government and the Modi-led Centre have been at loggerheads over a range of issues over the past one year.

Bhushan, an activist-lawyer who founded Swaraj Abhiyan along with Yogendra Yadav after leaving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) last year, said he regrets having not "recognised" such traits of Kejriwal early on.

"He used people like me and Yogendra to gain credibility, and at the same time ensured that he enjoys majority in decision-making bodies of AAP so that he can go ahead with his agenda," he said.

Responding to a question, Bhushan alleged that Kejriwal is not interested in fighting corruption.

"He does not want accountability for himself," Bhushan said, alleging that he has been hearing a lot of corruption cases about AAP MLAs.

"Arvind has Manmohan Singh syndrome, who never took money himself but allowed others around him to take money," the former AAP leader alleged.

Talking about assembly elections in Punjab, Bhushan said an Aam Admi Party government in the state will be much worse than that of the Congress.

"It would be rudderless and chaotic," he said while asserting that AAP is not a credible alternative in Punjab. "Congress, in fact, is a much nicer choice in Punjab. In my view they would be better than AAP. They (Congress) have experience. There is no principal left in AAP," he said. Swaraj Abhiyan, he said, is not ready yet to jump into politics.

"This will take about a year," he said in response to a question.

Before joining electoral politics, he said, Swaraj Abhiyan wants to establish within itself the principles of transparency, accountability and democracy.

"We do not want to repeat the mistakes we did in the case of AAP," he said, adding that people like him were taken for a ride by Kejriwal.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Washington:

A Senate panel has approved a legislation which blocks USD 300 million US military aid to Pakistan unless the Defence Secretary certifies to the Congress that Islamabad is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani terror network. The Senate Armed Services Committee, which renewed blockage of USD 300 million coalition support fund to Pakistan subject to action against the Haqqani network like previous year when it passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)-2017 last week, has however argued in favour of continuing security assistance to Pakistan.



NDAA-2017 is scheduled to come up before the Senate for voting, during which several Senators are expected to bring in amendments to this bill. Senate version of the NDAA differed with that of the House on many issues, including Pakistan. The House version of the bill, which was passed last week, calls for blocking USD 450 million of the USD 900 million US aid to Pakistan in coalition support fund. The Senate version has reduced both the figures to USD 300 million and USD 800 million, respectively.



However, for release of this fund, both seek certification from the Defence Secretary that Pakistan is taking demonstrable action against the Haqqani network. NDAA 2016, which ends on September 30 this year, makes it mandatory for the Defence Secretary to certify that Islamabad is taking action against the Haqqani network for the release of last USD 300 million of the coalition support fund to Pakistan.



The Defence Secretary has not taken a decision yet, Navy Captain Jeff Devis, the Pentagon spokesman, told reporters yesterday when asked if Ashton Carter has issued the Congress-mandated certification. In its report accompanying NDAA-2017 sent to the Senate, the Senate Armed Services Committee noted that Pakistan has been a long-standing strategic partner of the US and believes that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to be strong and enduring.



The Committee, which passed NDAA-2017 before the weekends US air strike on Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in the Af-Pak border region, in its report noted that since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Pakistan has been a vital partner in US efforts to combat terrorism in South Asia.



The committee believes that stability in the region cannot be achieved without stability in Pakistan itself and that fostering a strong, stable, and secure Pakistan is consistent with the national security goals of the United States, the report said, adding it recognises that some have criticised security assistance for Pakistan in recent years.



However, the committee believes that security and stability within the borders of Pakistan is vital to the stability of the region and to transregional efforts to combat terrorism more broadly, the report said.

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New Delhi:

Facebook reversed its decision to ban an image intended for advert featuring a plus-size model promoting positive body image, labelling the photos depiction as undesirable. Australian feminist group Cherchez La Femme sought to promote an ad for its 'Feminism and Fat' panel discussion but the social network giant banned the image saying that it does not comply with their health and fitness policy.

When the organisers questioned Facebooks this move, Facebook Ads Team wrote Ads like these are not allowed since they make viewers feel bad about themselves, said the letter to organiser Jessamy Gleeson, who posted a screen-shot of it online.

Now reinstating the image, Facebook now says, To be clear, the image complies with our advertising policies. We have now approved the image and apologise for any offence this caused.

The Ad featuring Tess Holliday was aimed at building body positivity when it comes to sharing pride in their respective bodies. Debate on feminism and body positivity is not new, it has been there and telling women what accurate representation of their body is can sometimes beget immense rage from public.

The main point here is its not Facebook only which sees measures correct body type or size but advertising and scoops of misrepresentation has left our minds so obsessed with perfect bodies that we dont even get a chance to realise how beautiful and unique we are in our own ways.
New Delhi:

An incident of inhumanity was caught on camera in Delhis Kalkaji area when a woman was seen thrashing her 85 year old mother. The video of the incident went viral on social media getting over two lakh views in two days.

The neighbour who recorded the video also informed police after the incident, following which a police team was sent to probe the matter.

However, the old lady denied to register a complaint. The 85-year-old woman, who is a widow, reportedly lives alone in her fourth-floor apartment in Kalkaji. While her 60-year-old daughter, who could be seen assaulting her mother in the video, often visits her house.

The video clip shows octogenarian standing in the balcony and then being forcefully dragged towards the room by her daughter. The lady slaps the old woman when she resists. Another woman in the opposite balcony, from which the video was shot, can be heard reprimanding her for doing so.

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Washington:

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he would have no problem asking the Congress for a declaration of war against terrorism.

It would not bother me at all doing that, we probably should have done that in the first place. This is a war against people that are vicious, violent that we have no idea who they are or where they come from, Trump, 69, told Fox News yesterday when asked if he would support asking Congress for a declaration of war to fight terrorism.

We are allowing tens of thousands of them into our country now, so on top of wars on foreign land, wait until you see what happens in the future. It is probably not going to be pretty, Trump said.

Meanwhile, Trump met Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in New York, fuelling speculation that this was part of his vice presidential search. Corker, however, refuted such reports.

We talked more about China, Russia. You know, I will tell you what is interesting. I met my counterpart last week from China. The fact that he is challenging some of the status quo, it is causing these countries to think a little bit differently about the US and I say that in a positive way, Corker told reporters after meeting Trump.

A new poll by Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Trump is leading his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, 68, by four per cent in a hypothetical November match up.

In the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Clinton is leading Trump 46-43. But both the polls are within the sampling error.

Trump, who so far has self-funded his campaign, would hold his first fund raiser today in New Mexico. About 25 people are expected to attend this fund raiser of USD 10,000 per person.

Last week, Trump had signed agreement with the Republican National Committee in this regard. He has set a target of USD one billion for fund raisers.

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Dubai:

Dubai is all set to woo tourists with the worlds first Bollywood-themed amusement park where visitors will be able to enjoy immersive 3-D and 4-D rides and stunts from movies such as Krrish and RA.One and savour a Mughal-e-Azam style banquet.

Dubai Parks and Resorts complex, a Dh 10.5 billion (about USD 2.75 billion) venture, will have 16 cinematic rides, six themed restaurants and 30 live shows inspired by contemporary Hindi-language blockbusters such as superstar Salman Khans Dabangg, Shah Rukh Khans Don, Aamir Khans Lagaan and Hrithik Roshans Krrish as well as classics like Sholay and Mughal-E-Azam among others.

General Manager Bollywood Parks Dubai Thomas Jellum said he is sure that apart from Indians, people from other countries will also come to Dubai to experience the vibrant celebration of Indias film industry at this attraction, spread over 1.7 million square feet.

The theme park will also include Broadway-style live shows with fine-dining. Tourists will have to shell out extra at Rajmahal, a 850-seat theatre that will house a separately ticketed Broadway-style Bollywood musical. The theme park will have a glittering opening ceremony in October attended by some of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Jellum said.

Unveiling an exclusive preview and tour of the upcoming park at a press conference here, Chief Destination Management Officer of Dubai Parks and Resorts Vinit Shah said he and his team members have tried to take all the ingredients that go into a Bollywood movie to create an experience that stays with people visiting the park.

We went directly to the production houses to talk about the films for the concept development and for insights for the story development for our rides, Shah said.

Director, Branding and communication, Muna Harib Al Muhairi and Director Marketing, Neelabja Chowdhury said they have started selling annual passes for its parks, which will grant pass holders unlimited year-long access to as many as 100 rides and attractions across its three theme parks and one water park, among other benefits.

Dubai Parks and Resorts is encouraging sales of the passes by throwing in exclusive preview access to the parks with early purchase, they added.

They said that the immersive 3-D and 4-D rides and stunts will offer visitors a first-hand look at behind-the-scenes action from movies such as Krrish and RA.One.

The Bollywood Boulevard zone will be home to Rock On, a restaurant with a live rock band recreating a scene from the 2008 film of the same name, starring Farhan Akhtar.

In Mumbai Chowk, Don-the Chase will bring to life the classic car-chase sequence from the film, while the Rustic Raven zone will shine the spotlight on movies with a rural focus.

The Lagaan corner will be set up as a carnival, with a Ferris wheel, carousel and games. The ride Sholay The Hunt for Gabbar will have visitors fighting the bad guys.

The Bollywood Film Studios Hall of Heroes area will provide a sneak peek into the making of movies, including the coming-of-age drama Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Retail outlets such as Chalte Chalte, the Bollywood Studio store, Desi Emporium and Mumbai Bazaar, will sell movie memorabilia and themed merchandise.

The park, which is located half an hour away from downtown Dubai, will also have 30 live shows, across six stagesRock On, Crossroads, Mumbai Express, Rangmanch, Stars on Steps and Cinema Circle.
Mumbai:

Bollywood actress Ileana DCruz says while it is the responsibility of a celebrity to look into the brands they are endorsing, blaming them in case of faulty products is unfair.

The parliamentary panel on consumer affairs, in its recommendations on the Consumer Protection Bill-2015, has called for stringent provisions, including jail term up to five years and penalty of up to Rs 50 lakh if a celebrity endorsed product misfires.

I think it is very easy to target an actor. When it comes to a food brand, you really dont know the specifics, what goes in the making. And if an honest mistake happens in the factory, you cant blame the actors by saying You are responsible for selling this to people, Ileana told PTI.

The Happy Ending actress feels it can be unfair to a certain extent to put blame on the actors completely, but says the job comes with responsibilities too.

To a certain extent, it could be a little bit unfair. But yes, people do look up to you which is why brands choose you as the face. I think if you are endorsing a certain kind of product then you are pretty much going out there and saying you believe in it, she said.

There is a certain amount of responsibility, but blaming it completely on the actors is not right. We dont want the worst for you, we want good things for you, the 28-year-old Barfi! actress said.

Ileana today unveiled the new range of shoes of the footwear brand Skechers. For the actress, it is important to have a personal connect to be the face of a brand.

I have a connect with this brand. When youre doing something as big as a launch, there is a tiny bit of responsibility... It makes you nervous. It is very important to have a personal connection with the brand you are endorsing, the Main Tera Hero actress said.

On the occasion, Ileana launched an exclusive collection of footwear for women. Asked why many actress dont endorse fitness products, she said, Very true. I like that women are getting involved in it now because they look much hotter in fitness gear, she said. The actress will be next seen in Akshay Kumar-starrer Rustom.

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New Delhi :

Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today announced the top 13 smart cities under the smart cities mission of Modi led government. In a bid to qualify, states and local administrations had to provide "smart answers" to a template with 43 questions and more than 2.5 million citizens weighed in on which urban problems needed to be solved first. The cities which did not make it in the first round were asked to focus on deficiencies and prepare for a fast-track screening for round 2 of announcements. The contest for the remaining cities will begin in September this year.

1. What is a smart city?

A smart city has different connotation in India and there is no one way of defining it. We can say smart cities are those that have internet connectivity, e-governance along with quality infrastructure such as waste management and efficient public transport.

2. What is governments smart cities mission all about?

Governments smart cities mission aims to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of Smart Solutions. The 20 cities selected in January were Pune, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Visakhapatnam, Solapur, Davangere, Indore, the New Delhi area, Coimbatore, Kakinada, Belgaum, Udaipur, Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana and Bhopal.

Last year, a list of 97 cities submitted by states was picked up during a competition. The choices were judged on infrastructure, service levels, and track record. It is the first time, a MoUD programme used competition method to select cities for funding and using a strategy of area-based development.

3. Smart cities that top the chart!

Lucknow, Warangal, Dharamshala, Chandigarh, Raipur, New Town Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Panaji, Port Blair, Imphal, Ranchi, Agartala and Faridabad.

4. Financial assistance to the smart cities

While 20 smart cities were selected during 2015-16 as per guidelines, another 40 would be selected during 2016-17 and the remaining 40 during the next financial year. Each city selected in different rounds of competition will be given central assistance of Rs. 200 crore in the first year and Rs. 100 crore each during the subsequent three financial years. State governments and respective urban local bodies will also provide the same amount. PM Modi had described smart cities as those with "very high quality of life comparable with any developed European city".

The central government has said it plans to create 100 new smart cities by 2022.

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Washington:

Accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of being totally unscrupulous, friend-turned-foe Prashant Bhushan has claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party leader can even join hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for personal gains.

He (Kejriwal) is totally unscrupulous...The day it suits him, he will join hands with Modi. I have no doubt about it, Bhushan, who is currently on a private visit to the US, told a small group of Indian-Americans and Indians here last night.

Bhushans remarks come even as Kejriwal-led Delhi government and the Modi-led Centre have been at loggerheads over a range of issues over the past one year.

Bhushan, an activist-lawyer who founded Swaraj Abhiyan along with Yogendra Yadav after leaving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) last year, said he regrets having not recognised such traits of Kejriwal early on.

He used people like me and Yogendra to gain credibility, and at the same time ensured that he enjoys majority in decision-making bodies of AAP so that he can go ahead with his agenda, he said. Responding to a question, Bhushan alleged that Kejriwal is not interested in fighting corruption.

He does not want accountability for himself, Bhushan said, alleging that he has been hearing a lot of corruption cases about AAP MLAs.

Arvind has Manmohan Singh syndrome, who never took money himself but allowed others around him to take money, the former AAP leader alleged.

Talking about assembly elections in Punjab, Bhushan said an Aam Admi Party government in the state will be much worse than that of the Congress.

It would be rudderless and chaotic, he said while asserting that AAP is not a credible alternative in Punjab. Congress, in fact, is a much nicer choice in Punjab. In my view they would be better than AAP. They (Congress) have experience. There is no principle left in AAP, he said.

Swaraj Abhiyan, he said, is not ready yet to jump into politics. This will take about a year, he said in response to a question. Before joining electoral politics, he said, Swaraj Abhiyan wants to establish within itself the principles of transparency, accountability and democracy.

We do not want to repeat the mistakes we did in the case of AAP, he said, adding that people like him were taken for a ride by Kejriwal.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Obamas diplomacy-dominated Russia policy downplays Moscows highly dangerous cyber activities

(Cyberwar.news) The Obama administrations diplomacy-heavy foreign policy has led to its failure to highlight Russias highly capable and increasingly dangerous cyber activities to the detriment of U.S. national security, according to experts and intelligence officials interviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.

In fact, the threat of cyber intelligence-gathering and cyber warfare by Russia against the U.S. is not merely real but pressing, yet Moscow has been allowed to keep its activities largely under wraps because the White House refuses to publicly identify them.

By comparison, some 20 years worth of aggressive Chinese military and intelligence cyber attacks and hacking of government and private sector systems that have harmed national security have been given much more public attention, the WFB noted.

The news site reported further:

Less information has been made public about the nature and scope of Russian cyber activities, and the Obama administration has sought to avoid highlighting the threat over concerns doing so would upset its diplomacy-oriented national security strategy. The reliance on diplomatic solutions continues despite a major increase in threatening Russian activities, both cyber and conventional, including military aggression in Europe.

The primary Russian agency that conducts cyber activities and spying is the Federal Security Service, known by the acronym FSB. It closely resembles its Soviet-era predecessor, the KGB. Also, the SVI spy agency and the GRU military intelligence service are two additional main players behind Russias aggressive clandestine cyber war activities and intelligence gathering.

The Russians are so good we dont usually see them, James Lewis, a cyber expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Free Beacon, adding that some Russian criminal organizations have better cyber capabilities than most governments.

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The FSB hackers do classic political military espionage, and its a tribute to their success that they got into State, DoD and White House networks last year, Lewis said. The frightening thing about those incidents is that it may have been practice events for new teams. They really are [our] peers in cyberspace.

Yet, Obama and his senior staff have made few references to this Russian threat, which have included attacks on unclassified White House networks. Russian hackers were also believed to have penetrated the Joint Chiefs of Staff email system in 2015, forcing a shutdown of the system that lasted for weeks.

In addition, Russian hackers targeted the private email server used by Hillary Clinton while she served as secretary of state, the WFB reported, noting that of the emails released by the State Department as part of an FBIs investigation, four were identified as fake emails from Russian hackers attempting to penetrate the system.

The WFB noted further:

Russian cyber activities are focused mainly on intelligence gathering and military reconnaissance of critical infrastructure networks as advance work for a future conflict, or what the military calls preparation of the battle space.

Last year Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Congress that Russia had bypassed China as the United States principle cyber threat.

While I cant go into detail here, the Russian cyber threat is more severe than we had previously assessed, he said.

More:

Cyberwar.news is part of the USA Features Media network. Check out our daily headlines here.

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NEW MILFORD - The Town Council confirmed Mayor David Gronbachs appointment of a new finance director Monday night over the objection of three Republican members who questioned his qualifications.

W. Lee Palmer Jr., currently director of human resources for the town of Darien, will replace longtime Finance Director Ray Jankowski, who retired earlier this year.

Gronbachs choice as the towns new personnel director - Greg Bollaro - won unanimous support from the council.

All five Democrats on the council supported Palmers appointment, and three of the four Republicans - Paul Szymanski, Tom Esposito and Peter Bass, voted against it.

Szymanski said that Palmer has very little experience managing muncipal finances, and he wasnt offered the permanent job after his sole stint as a finance director - an interim position for the town of Hamden in 2004.

Palmer has worked as human resources director for the town of Darien for just under a year. Before that, he was human resources director for the Norwalk public school system for about a year.

He served as human resources director at two Illinois school districts between August 2005 and June 2014, and operated his own human resources and management consulting firm in between.

Prior to his service in local school and municipal government, Palmer worked for the state of Connecticut for 28 years in a variety of human resources positions.

Gronbach said after Monday nights council meeting that Palmer explains the brevity of his recent stints on turnover above him. He was recruited to the Norwalk position by a school superintendent who then left, he said, and then the same thing happened with the town manager who hired him in Darien.

He lives in Middlebury, so its a great commute for him, Gronbach said. Hes still got a fire in his belly for this.

Palmer will start at a salary of $95,000, down from the $112,000 that Jankowski was making. Gronbach said the town will see additional savings because Palmer is a retired state employee who receives his health insurance through the state.

Palmer was paid $155,000 a year in Norwalk, according to an article about his appointment there in The Hour.

Bollaro, currently a human resources specialist for the state Department of Corrections, will earn $71,500 in the personnel director role, down from the $78,000 that New Milford has been paying Alan Chapin, who also announced his retirement following Gronbachs election in November.

Bollaro, a New Milford resident, has worked for the state since December 2013. Previously he was an executive recruiter with Abraham & London Ltd. for eight years, and a manager with Darden Restaurants for eight years.

He holds a bachelors degree in communications and human relations from Western Connecticut State University.

Palmer holds a bachelors degree from Syracuse University and a masters degree in public affairs from the University of Connecticut.

Jankowski announced in December that he was retiring effective Feb. 5. He had held the position for 26 years, through the tenure of six different mayors from both political parties.

Chapin announced in March that he will retire Aug. 1 after 11 years in the position. He is on leave until then, which is why the town is naming Bollaro to the job in an interim capacity until Aug. 1, followed by a permanent appointment.

Prior to his service with New Milford, Chapin was a selectman in Washington for 23 years, including 10 years as first selectman. He is the cousin of state Sen. Clark Chapin, who announced he was not seeking re-election after his wife, former New Milford Mayor Pat Murphy, lost her re-election bid in November to Gronbach.

Gronbach and town councilors met behind closed doors for more than an hour Monday night before voting on the appointments, first discussing the appointments among themselves, then calling Palmer in to meet with them, and then calling Bollaro in.
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If you're looking to retire after serving our country, Connecticut may not be the right place to hunker down.

In honor of Military Appreciation Month financial website WalletHub investigated where military retirees are likely to have the best retirements. Unfortunately for Connecticut, that state is not here. The state placed within the bottom ten states for military retirees, along with neighboring Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York.

States were compared on three key metricseconomic environment, quality of life, and health carethat included factors such as housing affordability, job opportunities, homeless veterans, VA facilities, and more.

Connecticut was ranked the sixth worst state, placing 43rd in economic environment, 27th in quality of life, and 45th in health care. The state was also ranked fifth in fewest VA health facilities per 10,000 veterans, behind Mississippi, District of Columbia, Delaware, and Rhode Island.

Related: State-to-state comparison of veteran homelessness

Connecticut was followed by the District of Columbia, Indiana, Oregon, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Topping the list were Alaska, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Florida.

Jason Burke, Director of Veteran and Military Affairs at Quinnipiac University, told WalletHub the choice of where to retire really comes down to two basic factors.

"First, it should be a place they want to live and work," Burke said. "If they are truly retiring from the workforce, they should consider a state that does not tax retirement pay. Overseas is an option as well."

Burke also suggested continuing work in the government sector, due to a likely easier transition into work.

"Continued government service would be optimal based on occurring additional service-time as well as salary not off-setting your retirement pay," Burke said. "I know of civilian companies that may low-ball a potential new hire based on their retirement pay income. It's not ethical but it happens."

Take a look at the slideshow above to see how Connecticut compares to the bottom and top states.

To read WalletHub's full report, including their methodology and more expert input, click here.
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Why does Trader Joe's boxed macaroni and cheese taste like Annie's? Probably because the well-known name brand makes the product for the national supermarket chainat least according to rumors.

Trader Joe's doesn't have a factory where it makes its own products, and instead sources them from well-known brands and sells them under the Trader Joe's sub-brands at a discount.

The privately held grocery chain based in Monrovia, Calif., closely guards this information and is notoriously secretive about its relationships because it wants its customers to develop loyalty to its own brand. The big brands don't want consumers to have this information because Trader Joe's sells their products at discounted prices. If you were Frito-Lay, you wouldn't want people to know they can buy the same bag of Stacy's pita chips for a couple dollars less at Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's can keep its prices down because it doesn't spend big marketing dollars on advertising beyond its own Fearless Flyer, nor does it have a complex coupon program. And buying directly from the manufacturers keeps costs low.

Consumers are often making guesses about Trader Joe's brand relationships based on packaging, ingredient lists and taste. Is Gordon Biersch making Trader Joe's beer? Is Strauss Family Creamery providing the European Style Organic Plain Whole Milk Yogurt? Is Trader Joe's buying its canned tomatoes from Muir Glenn?

We reached out to Trader Joe's to answer these questions and they never got back to us. We also spoke with a few of the big brands and all told us they couldn't discuss this matter with the media.

Double Rainbow supposedly makes some of the Trader Joe's ice cream and so we called the company to ask if this was the case and a woman who refused to provide her name said, "I'm not at liberty to disclose that information. You have to run a taste test. That's what I would suggest."

And so that's what we did. We decided to investigate 11 of those rumored relationships and closely examined ingredient labels and conducted our own taste tests. We also looked at pricing at the big brand purchased at Whole Foods and the similar (or exactly the same) product at TJ's.

You'll find the results above, and we hope you'll share some of your own assumptions about Trader Joe's products in the comments. Together, we might be able to figure this out.
Independent study confirms government's failure to live up to commitments on Indigenous issues and evidence-based decision-making.

OTTAWA, May 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Today more than 250 prominent university professors from across Canada, including legal scholars, political scientists, water scientists, and environmental scientists, released a statement of concern regarding Site C, a hydroelectric dam on the Peace River in northeastern British Columbia. A letter supporting the concerns raised by this group has been issued by the President of the Royal Society of Canada.

"Based on evidence raised across our many disciplines, we have concluded that there were significant gaps and inadequacies in the regulatory review and environmental assessment process for the Site C Project," reads the statement of concern. "Our assessment is that this process did not accord with the commitments of both the provincial and federal governments to reconciliation with and legal obligations to First Nations, protection of the environment, and evidence-based decision-making with scientific integrity."

The statement and supporting analysis provides a detailed review of First Nations, legal, and environmental issues.

The President of the Royal Society noted: "It is troubling that the Site C Project is proceeding even though there are outstanding court cases on First Nations treaty and Aboriginal rights issues which have not yet been resolved. Past projects often neglected or ignored Aboriginal peoples and their concernswith adverse and lingering consequences. Those days are supposed to be over."

The researchers also concluded that it was inappropriate to initiate construction prior to ongoing court decisions in cases brought by affected First Nations. They also queried whether the process for approving Site C should be reconsidered, given the federal government's removal of permanent objector status to the United Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

As the Royal Society of Canada President asked: "Why is construction underway when these matters are still to be addressed by the courts in two First Nations cases? That in itself would seem to be an infringement of Aboriginal interests. It also undermines all the goodwill over the past few years towards accommodation and reconciliation. That is not the blueprint for Canada in the twenty-first century. Work on the Site C project should be discontinued for this reason alone."

The statement of concern also noted that it was "particularly troubling that the assessment process did not comprehensively assess cumulative environmental effects and impacts." The researchers found that the number and scope of significant adverse environmental effects arising from the Site C Project are unprecedented in the history of environmental assessment in Canada. They called upon both governments to explain why the unprecedented imposition of these effects would be justified by Site C, whose electricity output is presently unnecessary and for which less expensive and less damaging alternatives exist.

The researchers also concluded that there was a lack of evidence-based decision-making with scientific integrity. They expressed strong concern about the review process, noting that the Site C project was entirely exempted from any review by the BC Utilities Commission, and that the regulatory review was limited to an environmental assessment Joint Review Panel conducted over a compressed nine-month period by a three-person panel.

As noted in the statement, "As acknowledged by the Joint Review Panel, the review process was characterized by insufficient time, resources and information that compromised the potential for a well-informed, comprehensive decision-making process. The Panel stated explicitly in their report that they did not have sufficient time or resources to properly assess certain key issues, including the costs of the Site C Project, and thus recommended that the Site C Project be referred to the BC Utilities Commission, which has not occurred."

The document's authors launched a website (www.sitecstatement.org) and held a press conference at 10:30 a.m. EST on May 24 to explain the scientific reasons underlying the statement.

The Statement of Concern makes four recommendations:

The federal government to revisit the Order in Council approving the Project 1 by directing the Department of Justice to complete an analysis of (i) whether the Project infringes upon the treaty and aboriginal rights guaranteed by the Constitution Act, 1982 (s. 35) , and (ii) whether any such infringement can be justified under the framework established in Sparrow. 2 We expect the present government, with its strong commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, will make public the analysis received from the Department of Justice. 3 We ask that the federal government suspend the issuance of further permits or authorizations pursuant to the Order In Council until this analysis has been completed and publicized;

by directing the Department of Justice to complete an analysis of (i) whether the Project infringes upon the treaty and aboriginal rights guaranteed by the , and (ii) whether any such infringement can be justified under the framework established in We expect the present government, with its strong commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, will make public the analysis received from the Department of Justice. We ask that the federal government suspend the issuance of further permits or authorizations pursuant to the Order In Council until this analysis has been completed and publicized; Both governments to explain why the unprecedented imposition of numerous significant adverse environmental effects is justified by a Project whose electricity output is presently unnecessary and for which less expensive and less environmentally damaging alternatives exist;

The provincial government to refer the Project for review and recommendations under Section 5 of the BC Utilities Commission Act ;

; Both governments to delay issuance of any further permits or authorizations until the courts decide on the First Nations' issues at stake, and until the BC Utilities Commission has completed its review.

"It's rare that scientists speak out collectively about controversial topics. Many of us had come to our own conclusions about Site C. Once we began doing research and consulting with each other, we realized that we needed to speak publicly," said Dr. Karen Bakker, Director of the Program on Water Governance at the University of British Columbia.

Press Conference

Date: Tuesday, May 24

Time: 10:30 am ET

Location: Charles-Lynch Press Conference Room, Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Phone in: 613-233-1979 / 866-696-5910 code: 8920160

For a full list of authors and signatories, and for more background on our research, please visit www.sitecstatement.org.



1 On October 14, 2014, the Governor in Council issued Order in Council P.C. 2014-1105 approving the Project.

2 R v. Sparrow [1990] 1 SCR 1075 set out criteria to determine whether governmental infringement on treaty and aboriginal rights can be justified. How this functions in the context of treaty rights was set out in R.v. Badger [1996] 1 S.C.R. 771 and Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada (Minister of Canadian Heritage), [2005] 3 S.C.R. 388.

3 Prior to the previous federal government's approval of the Order in Council, it may have sought advice from the Department of Justice on the s. 35 issues involved. Any prior advice from the Department of Justice is secret (as a matter of solicitor-client privilege) and not available to the present government.

SOURCE 200 Canadian scholars and Royal Society of Canada

For further information: Media contact: Heather Badenoch: (613) 859-8232; [email protected]; Available in British Columbia: Dr. Karen Bakker (Vancouver; French and English): (778) 847 2663; [email protected]; Dr. Gordon Christie (Vancouver): 604.221.0707; [email protected]; Dr. Rita Wong (Vancouver): 604.653.4006; [email protected]; Available in Saskatchewan: Dr. Carrie Bourassa (Regina): (306) 519-1745; [email protected]; Available in Ontario: Dr. Pekka Sinervo (Toronto): (647) 283-3074; [email protected]
TORONTO, May 21, 2016 /CNW/ - The GTA multi-ethnic Christian Community will hold a Music Festival in support of the people of Fort McMurray. The fire conditions in northern Alberta remain extreme, 17 wildfires are burning, with two still out of control. These fires cover an estimated 503,674 hectares.

WHEN: Sunday, May 22, 2016

12:00noon  8:00pm



WHERE: Nathan Phillips Square

Concert Stage



HEADLINERS: Fakhar Mushtaq

Rena Gaile

Celeste Zugec

Lorraine Harris (Lorraine Harris' two daughters were air lifted from the midst of this fire.)

The Festival goers will be encourage to donate to their favorite charity to help their fellow Canadians whose lives have been devastated by this natural calamity.

"Canadians are the most giving people in the world. They all want to do something," said Jay Banerjei, a local businessman. "The Christian Music Festival will encourage the public to continue to give to the victims of this natural disaster."

"This Christian Music Festival is an exciting way for a diverse group of multi-ethnic people to express our united faith and freedom, while helping their fellow Canadians," said Rev. Paul Johnson, Executive Director of Open Doors Canada, one of the sponsors. "I hope many will come to Nathan Phillips Square and take advantage of this unique opportunity to experience these talented musicians."

SOURCE Open Doors

Image with caption: "MEDIA ADVISORY - Multi-ethnic Music Festival fundraiser for Fort McMurray (CNW Group/Open Doors)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160521_C1643_PHOTO_EN_696508.jpg

For further information: Paul Estabrooks, 905 815 3342, [email protected]; Jay Banerjei, 647 273 1119, [email protected]
MONTREAL, May 24, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - May 25 is World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day. It is the ideal occasion to talk about this neurodegenerative disease, which affects three times as many women as men and which is more prevalent in Canada than anywhere else in the world.

A very full month of May!

The Quebec Division of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada held two events during MS Awareness Month, for which Patricia Paquin is the spokesperson. From May 5 to 7, the MS Carnation Campaign raised public awareness of this disease through the sale of more than 100,000 carnations over the Mother's Day weekend. As well, the Women Against Multiple Sclerosis (WAMS) movement raised $270,167, ending its season on a high note on May 13, with the gala luncheon honouring Senator Celine Hervieux-Payette, P.C.

Finally, the MS Walk, which will be held in 17 towns and cities across Quebec on May 29, will close the MS Society's May activities. That will be the time to take one more step to end MS, in the company of actor Debbie Lynch-White, event spokesperson, who will take part in the Montreal MS Walk.

The funds raised during these activities will finance the work of researchers in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada, who are world leaders in MS research, as well as services offered to people affected by the disease.

Research for a future without MS

As neurologist Dr. Marc Girard notes, MS research has made giant steps in the last few years, and now it is time to focus more on progressive MS, a form of the disease for which no medications are available yet. "We are optimistic because, of all the neurological diseases, MS is the one for which research is providing the most tangible results."

Ongoing and future research is working toward three major goals:

Determine the possible causes of MS; one of the triggers might be a vitamin D deficiency;

Speed up the discovery of treatments for the progressive form of MS (11 drugs are available to control attacks in relapsing-remitting MS, but there are none for progressive MS);

Assess the potential of therapy involving mesenchymal stem cells, which are present in many body tissues, for the treatment of MS.

About multiple sclerosis (MS)

Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world. MS is a chronic, often disabling, disease affecting the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is one of the most widespread neurological diseases affecting young adults in Canada. It is most often diagnosed in people 15 to 40 years old, who will live with its unpredictable effects for the rest of their lives. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada provides services for people with MS and their families and supports research with the aim of discovering the cause of this disease and a cure. For more information, visit mssociety.ca.

In addition to our spokespersons, Patricia Paquin and Debbie Lynch-White, and the Executive Director of the Quebec Division, several people who have MS plus a neurologist who specializes in the disease will be available for interviews:

Carolanne Dufresne, from Quebec City

Since she was diagnosed in November 2015, young Carolanne's life has been turned upside-down. But at age 18, she has confidence in research and would like to send a message of hope to everyone in her situation.

Pascale Lavallee, from Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu

Pascale is a young woman in her twenties. After being diagnosed with MS five years ago, she took stock of the disease and decided that she would not let herself be slowed down by its progression. In Asia one day, in Russia the next, Pascale intends to make her dreams come true, no matter what!

The interview will have to be done by Skype or e-mail.



Katia Prevost, from Montreal

Ten years ago, Katia received her diagnosis of MS. It was hard for a young professional 32 years old to say good-bye to her career and learn to live with new constraints. Thanks to her unusually bubbly personality, Katia chose to organize activities for people in the same situation as her.

Dr. Marc Girard, neurologist

Dr. Girard is a neurologist specializing in MS. He is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Neurosciences at Universite de Montreal and a research neurologist at the CHUM's MS clinic. He has also been actively involved with the MS Society for several years; among other things, he gives lectures and writes articles for people who have the disease.

https://mssociety.ca

https://www.facebook.com/SocieteSPCanada

SOURCE Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

For further information: Soline Le Martret, Communications Coordinator, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Quebec Division, 514 8497591, ext. 2283, [email protected]
OTTAWA, May 20, 2016 /CNW/ - Innovative Medicines Canada will publish the results of their 2016 report on access to medicines in Canadian public drug plans, detailing the significant delays Canadians face in accessing medicines compared to international comparators at a press conference, with Executive Director, Communications Isabelle Robillard and Brett Skinner, Executive Director of Health and Economic Policy. Larry Taylor will also be present to explain the impact on patients suffering from diabetes.

Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2016



Time: 10:00 am - 10:45 am



Location: National Press Theatre

150 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A8

About Innovative Medicines Canada

Innovative Medicines Canada is the national voice of Canada's innovative pharmaceutical industry. We advocate for policies that enable the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines and vaccines that improve the lives of all Canadians. We support our members' commitment to being valued partners in the Canadian healthcare system.

SOURCE Innovative Medicines Canada

For further information: Heather Brennae, Media Relations, Telephone: 613-236-0455 ext. 527 , E-mail: [email protected]
TORONTO, May 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Coinciding with Newcomer Day in Toronto, Community Foundations of Canada is pleased to announce a $750,000 contribution from the Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees (Welcome Fund) to a new cross-sectoral leadership group led by Toronto Foundation that has come together to test new approaches to address the overall housing affordability gap, which is particularly acute in Toronto. The Welcome Fund was seeded by Manulife, and quickly augmented by CN's historic $5 million donation, as well as by generous support from GM.

Established to respond to an urgent gap in accessible and affordable housing, the Welcome Fund provides an important investment in community-driven solutions to support the successful settlement of families recently arrived from Syria and help them transition into suitable permanent housing.

Approximately 2,000 government-assisted refugees from Syria have arrived in Toronto, with over 1,000 more expected to arrive by the end of 2016. A new partnership has been created by the Toronto Foundation with the City of Toronto, COSTI Immigrant Services and a consortium of landlord and property management groups. The Welcome Fund will contribute $750,000 to this partnership for a new pilot program that will identify new reduced-rent units to meet the immediate housing needs of government-assisted Syrian families and bring the business community, landlords, settlement services organizations and the City together to create innovative solutions to tackle the gap in affordable housing. Landlords will be asked to make in-kind contributions to further reduce rental costs.

"As someone who has represented GTA residents in Parliament for many years, I am very familiar with the important and dedicated services that COSTI provides to newcomers to Canada and how much its work benefits communities within the region," said John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. "I am very pleased that generous private sector donors and the Community Foundations of Canada are supporting that work, with funds that will help Syrian refugees find housing, build connections with their new communities, and better integrate and thrive in the GTA."

"I am a strong advocate for private-public partnerships to deliver services and supports that our residents and businesses need," said Toronto Mayor John Tory. "The Welcome Fund helps Toronto close the affordable housing gap for Syrian refugees. Through this fund, our new residents will successfully transition into permanent housing in Toronto. My sincere thanks to Community Foundations of Canada, Manulife and CN for establishing the fund."

"The Welcome Fund will allow refugees to afford suitable housing while they learn English and search for employment," said Mario Calla, Executive Director, COSTI Immigrant Services. "It will ease the stress of housing as they get established."

"Shifting refugees from temporary to more permanent homes is the first step in helping people and families to settle into their new lives in Canada," said Andrew Chunilall, Chief Operating Officer at Community Foundations of Canada. "We thank CN, Manulife, GM, and other participating partners for their support, and invite other organizations to step forward to assist with our continued rollout of the Welcome Fund across the country."

"Our work is built on strong collaboration and this pilot is a great example in action. We have convened a cross-sectoral leadership group to meet the immediate housing needs of government-assisted Syrian refugees coming to our city. At the same time, we are exploring innovative approaches and partnerships to tackle the ongoing affordable housing challenge in Toronto,'' said Rahul Bhardwaj, President and CEO, Toronto Foundation.

"CN has a great history of helping those arriving at our shores settle in places across our great country," said Paul Deegan, Vice President of Public and Government Affairs at CN. "We hope our $5 million donation to the Welcome Fund will encourage other Canadian businesses to join in contributing to this urgent cause. As that financial aid reaches organizations across the country, including here in Toronto, CN is proud to support refugees with their transition to a better life, filled with the same dreams for their families and children that all Canadians share."

"The arrival of 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada is only one step among many for these new Canadians as they begin the next phase of their lives," said Marianne Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Canada. "The Welcome Fund was established to provide housing and job preparedness, which would not happen without the leadership of these great local organizations in Toronto."



"Community Foundations Canada is turning the outpouring of community support across Canada into actionable housing for Syrian refugees," said David Paterson, Vice President of Corporate and Environmental Affairs, General Motors of Canada. "In addition, GM employees and our dealers across Canada are pleased to offer support, work, skills training and apprenticeship opportunities to support these new Canadians."

About Community Foundations of Canada

Community Foundations of Canada is the national network for Canada's 191 community foundations which help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work, and play. Community foundations contribute time, leadership and financial support to initiatives that benefit community most, directing grants and other investments towards everything from shelter, education, and care for those in need, to the arts, environment and recreation. To learn more visit www.communityfoundations.ca.

To learn more about partnership opportunities related to the Welcome Fund, please contact JP Bervoets, Vice President, Partnerships and Public Engagement, at [email protected].

SOURCE Community Foundations of Canada

For further information: Media Contacts: Community Foundations of Canada, Tina Barton, Manager, Partnerships, Tel: +1 (613) 236-2664 ext. 304, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @CommFdnsCanada; CN, Patrick Waldron, Senior Manager, Media Relations, Tel: +1 (514) 399-8803, Email: [email protected]; Manulife, Brooke Tucker-Reid, Media Relations Consultant, Tel: +1 (647) 528-9601, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @Manulife or @ManulifeNews; Toronto Foundation, Julia Howell, Vice President, Communications and Marketing, Tel: +1 (416) 902-2035 ext. 231, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @TorontoFdn
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has been told to apologise and refund the N10 billion from the State coffers which he wasted on ...

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has been told to apologise and refund the N10 billion from the State coffers which he wasted on last Saturdays inconclusive National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) made the demand in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, and issued on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.Rivers APC said: The well advertised PDP National Convention in Port Harcourt has come and gone with its disastrous outcome. With the party now factionalised into three, the demise of the once greatest political party in Africa is not far from sight.As much as we sympathise with the endangered party of the torn umbrella, we hereby unreservedly condemn Chief Nyesom Wike for wasting a whopping sum of N10 billion belonging to the good people of Rivers State on this charade, especially in these lean times. This is not only condemnable but also abhorrent and unacceptable to the good people of Rivers State. We therefore request Chief Wike and his cotravellers to account for and return this huge sum to the Rivers State treasury as we cannot continue to fold our hands and watch him mortgage the future of Rivers State through his shocking financial recklessness.Rivers APC berated PDP leaders who turned up for the ill-fated convention, saying that they should have known better.Those PDP leaders who gathered in Port Harcourt to waste the scarce resources of Rivers State are as guilty as their host, Chief Wike. For crying out loud, they should have known that the so called National Convention would be a charade in view of the court order barring any such exercise and with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stating from the very beginning that it would neither participate nor recognise the outcome of the purported convention, Rivers APC said.The party sympathised with PDP Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, who was unceremoniously removed in Port Harcourt after being lured with the fake promise that he would be made to contest and win election as the partys substantive chairman.The statement, however, wondered how Sheriff despite his wealth of political experience could fall into the hands of treacherous Wike who, together with out-voted former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, destroyed PDP when they ensured that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and other party pillars were forced out of PDP, thus inadvertently laying the foundation for the partys loss of power.We wonder why Sheriff is crying that he was betrayed at Port Harcourt, Rivers APC said, adding: If we may ask, does a leopard change its spots? If Wike could betray and ridicule Amaechi, who did everything humanly possible to make him Obio-Akpor Local Government Chairman, his Chief of Staff and nominated him as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, then we wonder why Sheriff or any other PDP leader should trust him not to betray them.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, has called on his colleagues across the country to ban cattle grazing in their states as a step to s...

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, has called on his colleagues across the country to ban cattle grazing in their states as a step to stop the incessant killings of farmers by atrocious herdsmen.The Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said this while speaking on Rave F.M, Osogbo during a programme, Frank Talk, monitored by our correspondent on Tuesday.Fayose had on Monday banned cattle grazing in Ekiti State following the attack on Oke Ako community in Ikole Local Government Area of the state where two persons were killed and others injured by suspected herdsmen.The governors aide said President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected by Nigerians to protect their lives and property was doing nothing to protect the defenceless people from frequent attacks by the rampaging herdsmen, who were his kinsmen.He said, The people are angry because the person elected to secure their lives is keeping quiet and taking side with these Fulani criminals, I dont want to call them herdsmen. Herdsmen to my mind do not carry Ak-47.These people are another version of Boko Haram that should be tackled headlong. We saw the Agatu killings and we dont need to wait till they kill over 400 people before we act. That was why we took this step (banning cattle grazing) in Ekiti. I want to believe other governors will emulate this.Virtually all those who called during the programme urged governors especially those in the southern part of the country to emulate Fayose to liberate their people from the fear of herdsmen.One of the callers, Femi Adetunji, commended Fayose for taken the step, saying this would stop his people from being constantly terrorized by the herdsmen.Another caller from Moro, Vincent Olufemi and Michael Folayan also condemned the activities of the herdsmen and called on other governors to follow Fayose in this direction.Some of the callers said they never agreed with Fayose on any issue before the ban but expressed their support for him on the new policy.
The organised labour unions in Bayelsa State have suspended their industrial action over unpaid salaries and pension arrears.

The organised labour unions in Bayelsa State have suspended their industrial action over unpaid salaries and pension arrears.The workers unions shelved the industrial action after an extensive meeting on Monday with the state government.In attendance at the meeting were the government representatives and leadership of the Bayelsa State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.Workers in the state had last Thursday proceeded on an indefinite strike over months of salary arears owed by the state government.They commenced the strike after 21-day ultimatum they issued to the government on April 28, 2016, elapsed on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.Currently, workers in the state civil service are owed four months salaries, employees of local government councils are battling to survive over 12 months of unpaid wages while pensioners are owed about seven months.The suspension of the strike on Monday was made known in a communique issued in Yenagoa and jointly signed by Head of Service, Dr. Peter Singabele; Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite; State NLC Chairman, Ndiomu John-Bipre; and the Chairman of TUC, Mr.Tari Dounana.The organised labour accepted the governments position to pay 50 per cent of monthly salaries with effect from February 2016.The government, is however, expected to effect full payment of workers salaries as soon as the allocation from the Federation Accounts accruing to the state improves.The 50 per cent of salaries payable to workers, according to labour, was not a downward review of workers salaries.The resolutions reached at the meeting according to the communique indicate that, Labour has accepted the position of the state government to pay 50 per cent of monthly salaries to workers effective from February 2016 and expects the government to effect full payment of workers salaries as soon as the allocation from the federal account accruing to the state improves.Labour equally states clearly that the 50 per cent of salaries payable to workers is not a downward review of workers salaries. That is to say, that the outstanding 50 per cent shall be paid as soon as the federal allocation to the state improves to complete the monthly salaries of workers.That in line with the ongoing payment of January 2016 salaries to workers, the government should facilitate the process of payment of salaries to the outstanding MDAs and parastatals, including pensioners without further delays.That a monthly meeting should be scheduled between labour and government in order to have a joint review of the economic recovery of the state.The communique also said in view of the state governments policy on the payment of primary school teachers, labour should commence the process of negotiating with the government on the way forward.It said that the Bayelsa State Government should negotiate with banks to suspend deductions arising from loans until the economy of the state improved or otherwise direct payment should be made to workers.The meeting agreed that no disciplinary action should be taken against any public servant arising from his or her role(s) either by omission or commission geared towards the prosecution of the suspended industrial action by organised labour.The communique said that labour suspended the strike in the light of strong appeals and interventions from the state government and other well meaning Bayelsans and in accordance with the tenets of Trade Union Negotiations, as well as to pave the way for further negotiations between the government and labour.The communique also indicated that the organised labour reserved the right to resume strike without prior notice to the state government, if it (government) failed or reneged in any of the terms of the agreement.
Two out of the five Borno emirs forced to flee their domain by Boko Haram terrorists, have returned to their palaces. The News Agency of...

Two out of the five Borno emirs forced to flee their domain by Boko Haram terrorists, have returned to their palaces. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the emirs fled to Maiduguri two years ago when the insurgents took control of their domain in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of the state.The insurgents took control of the area in August 2015 and announced establishment of Caliphate rule, forcing residents including the emirs to flee. The insurgents were however mauled down by the military who took total control of the area and restored normalcy. The two emirs, Alhaji Muhammadu Askirama of Askira, and Alhaji Ismaila Mamza of Uba, returned to their respective palaces on Tuesday in company of Borno Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mamman Durkuwa.Speaking at a short ceremony at their palaces, the emirs commended the Nigerian military for their gallantry in routing the Boko Haram terrorists. They expressed optimism that terrorism would end soon in the country, going by the successes being recorded by the military. Also speaking, Durkuwa assured the emirs that the government would undertake projects to restore life back to the area. The deputy governor urged residents to be law abiding and report any sign of security threat to relevant agencies.NAN reports that three other emirs yet to return to their domain include the Emir of Bama, Alhaji Kyari El-Kanemi, Emir of Dikwa, Muhammad Ibn Masta, and Chief of Gwoza Alhaji Muhammad Timta. The three are still residing in Maiduguri, the state capital.(NAN/AFP)
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday picked hole in a medical report submitted to his court by Peoples Democrat...

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday picked hole in a medical report submitted to his court by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Olisa Metuh.Metuh had submitted the report issued by one Dr. O. O. Oyeleye, a Consultant Neurosurgeon at the National Hospital, Abuja, to support his application for adjournment on health ground.The medical report contained information that Metuh, who was absent in court on Tuesday, required bed rest in the hospital.The judge faulted the report on the ground that it did not state the duration of Metuhs supposed bed rest.Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited are being tried for alleged unlawful receipt of N400million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and money laundering.They allegedly received the money for contracts that were not executed.They were also accused of engaging in money laundering to the tune of $2million.
The defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, on Sunday employed harsh words to condemn the administration of former...

The defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, on Sunday employed harsh words to condemn the administration of former President, Goodluck Jonathan.According to a statement by MEND's spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, Jonathan ran the country aground and pauperized the Nigerian people to the alarming degree we all experience today.After a rigorous and robust analysis, debate and review of political events in Nigeria within the past 12 months; particularly as they affect the Niger Delta region, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has resolved to continue to respect the unilateral ceasefire of hostilities declared May 30, 2014 against key economic interests of the Nigerian State," the statement said in part.The painful but necessary resolution to respect the ceasefire was borne out of MENDs belief that as President Muhammadu Buhari marks his first year in office, he deserves more time to stabilize the country that was ran aground by the ill-fated, corrupt and visionless immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan which pauperized the Nigerian people to the alarming degree we all experience today.It also condemned and dissociated itself from the recent activities carried out by a group known as the Niger Delta Avengers.
15 Ways to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Cincinnati-Style Chili

Cincinnati-style chili is celebrating its 100th birthday on Oct. 24.

By Danny Cross, Maija Zummo and CityBeat Staff Oct 24, 2022

Certain cities are in part defined by their native cuisines. Although at times stereotypical, one cannot debate the value of partaking in a hot slice of New York-style pizza in the Big Apple, a hunk of deep dish in Chicago or a greasy cheesesteak topped with Cheez Whiz in Philadelphia...
Adams Oshiomhole, the Edo State governor has once again explained why he took side with the Federal Government on the increment of petrol ...

Adams Oshiomhole, the Edo State governor has once again explained why he took side with the Federal Government on the increment of petrol pump price.Oshiomhole said the fundamentals and economic indices were different from what they were a few years ago.This, he said Nigerians must undergo some pain before reaping the gains.The governor said it did not make economic sense for the government to spend more than half of its earnings on fuel subsidy to the detriment of other development programmes.Speaking at a special thanksgiving service organised by Apostle Charles Osazuwa, Senior Pastor and founder of Rock of Ages Christian Assembly International, RACAi, Benin City, to round off a seven-day programme of the church, yesterday, Oshiomhole said that the former government of President Goodluck Jonathan spent as much as N1.2 trillion on fuel subsidy.He said, I have listened to our chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and he reminded us that Minister of Petroleum, Kachikwu, has been under fire. I believe the fire will continue for some time. Despite what he is going through, the minister recognised that we cant be too busy to come to the church to ask God to help us to do the job.
In Nigeria, theres been the Nollywood, Kannywood and now the newly incorporated Callywood, as Governor Ayade of Cross River State has ...





I am here with some of my team from the UK and USA, respectively, to help discover and make stars here in Cross River State.

Many of you know about Hollywood Meets Nollywood film, Turning Point, and how I cast 2 Cross River State actors in it (Igoni Archibong and Ebbe Bassey) with Igoni playing lead alongside all the Hollywood actors. Igoni went along to win 2 Best Actor In A Leading Role Awards and travelled back to the US to receive his NAFCA trophy. I did a similar casting call before the shooting of Turning Point and that was how I discovered Igoni. This gave me the inspiration to keep trying to discover more stars in Cross River State and thankfully, our action Governor, His Excellency Ben Ayade, has an even larger vision for you all.

I did a similar casting call before the shooting of Turning Point and that was how I discovered Igoni. This gave me the inspiration to keep trying to discover more stars in Cross River State and thankfully, our action Governor, His Excellency Ben Ayade, has an even larger vision for you all.

I am here with my team to train new actors, cinematographers, scriptwriters etc to international standards and this is a casting call for everyone in Cross River State who is talented and has never been given a chance.

I am here to give you that chance and am very easily accessible. I want Callywoods answer to James Bond! I want Callywoods answer to Dracula! I want Callywoods answer to Samuel L Jackson! I want Callywoods answer to Jamie Fox! I want Callywoods answer to Meryl Streep! I want Callywoods answer to Leonardo Di Caprio! I want Callywoods answer to Game Of Thrones! I want Callywoods answer to Oscar Award Winning scriptwriter David Seidler! I want Callywoods answer to Steven Spielberg! I want Callywoods next best cinematographer! I want Callywood 10-year-old method actors! I want Callywood soulful actors! I want Callywood child actors! I want Callywood musical actors! I want Callywood stunt actors! I want Callywood elderly actors! If you are that person, I am here for you and will fully train you. All I want from you is talent and myself and my talented team will do the rest.

To inspire you further and to bring out the best in you, I will collaborate with Hollywood on every Callywood film that we make and ensure that the Callywood stars stand out and are recognised and acknowledged internationally. If you have watched Beast Of No Nation with Idris Elba playing a support role to the lead 12-year-old Ghanaian actor Abraham Attah, you will get my drift. This is your chance to prove that you have it in you.

In Nigeria, theres been the Nollywood, Kannywood and now the newly incorporated Callywood, as Governor Ayade of Cross River State has launched Calabar Nollywood and has also appointed multi-award winning British/Nigerian movie producer, Egor Efiok to run it.A few months ago, Egor won an Award Of Excellence in Hollywood and shared photos of her award and the event and it is pleasing to see that Governor Ayade really does have a sharp eye for talent and is excited to have her back in Nigeria as he looks forward to working with her in Callywood.Egor Efiok in her message to Cross Riverians who want to be a part of Callywood said,
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has declared a state of emergency on tomato farming in the state, following the outbreak of a dest...

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has declared a state of emergency on tomato farming in the state, following the outbreak of a destructive pests.The Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Maigari Daniel Manzo, who disclosed this at a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, said 80 per cent of tomato farms have been ravaged by a pest which blights tomato, called Tuta Absoluta.Manzo said over 200 tomato farmers in three Local Government Areas of the state were affected by the destructive pests, adding that the farmers had suffered loses worth one billion naira in the last one month.I want to say that Governor Nasir El-Rufai has declared a state of emergency on tomato in the state. This is as a result of invasion of the crops by a pest named tomato blight botanically known as Tuta Aboluta.In the past one month 12 local government areas of the state who produce tomatoes have lost 80 per cent of their tomatoes harvest.In three local government areas about 200 famers have lost One billion naira worth of their tomatoes. So you can imagine the magnitude of the lose.It is so severe that even Dangote who has established a tomato processing plant in Kano, had to shut down production the commissioner said.
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed a report that he is on exile in Cote dIvoire. The report, published yesterday by a nati...

I was Vice President for two years and President for six years. I did everything I could and I served my country very well. This is what they keep saying anytime Im outside the country. I was in Ecuador; they said I was on exile. This is my second time in Cote dIvoire and Im rounding off my visit.

It is a wicked attempt to link me with the renewed Niger Delta crisis.

The report, published yesterday by a national newspaper, claimed that Dr. Jonathan had been given asylum in that Francophone country. His associates were alarmed at the report.But Dr. Jonathan yesterday said it was all false. He told The Nation on the phone: Im not on exile. I have no cause to go on exile. It is a wicked and malicious report.Also yesterday, Dr. Jonathan told his former cabinet members that he was not on exile in Cote dIvoire.He said he could not have been running away from any problem in the country let alone going on exile.The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said although Jonathan had been implicated in all transactions under its investigation, the ex-President was not yet its target.The Federal Government is said to be looking into the rumour.One of the intelligence agencies is believed to have sent its operatives to Cote dIvoire to verify the report.According to a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Suleiman Olanrewaju Abubakar, the ex-President spoke with him and others from Abidjan, following the report.Abubakar said Jonathan was only in transit in Cote dIvoire being his second visit to the West African nation since he left office.He said Jonathan actually spent his Christmas break in Cote dIvoire and his visit to this country is not new.The ex-minister quoted Jonathan as saying: I am not on exile, I can never be on exile, I am going to come back to Nigeria.I cannot run away from any problem, I am going to face whatever problem that exists in Nigeria.Abubakar added: The ex-President assured me and others that he was only in transit in Cote dIvoire which he has visited thrice since handing over power to President Muhammadu Buhari.A top source in EFCC, who spoke yesterday with our correspondent said Jonathan was not yet the target of the anti-graft agency.The source said; The ex-President has been implicated in all transactions we are investigating; he was virtually involved in everything.We are building up our investigations but he is not the target. We cannot say we are not after him in terms of some transactions he approved.It was learnt yesterday that the Federal Government was probing claim that Jonathan was allegedly on exile in Cote DIvoire.It was gathered that one of the intelligence agencies deployed its operatives in Cote DIvoire to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the claim.A source in the agency said: The Federal Government is concerned about the report and it is trying to verify it. Our agency has deployed our officers to find out the situation with the ex-President in Abidjan.This may involve relating with sister security agencies in Cote DIvoire, the government of the Francophone country and the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan.Until we get the actual situation report from our team, we cannot yet give you the status of Jonathan in the French-speaking nation.
John Oyegun, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says politics is not all about money, because if it were to be abou...

John Oyegun, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says politics is not all about money, because if it were to be about financial strength President Muhammadu Buhari would have lost the 2015 presidential election.Speaking when Tina Agbarha, a female governorship aspirant in Edo state, paid him visit at the partys secretariat in Abuja, Oyegun said there would be a level playing ground in the primary election.He told the aspirant to place less emphasis on role of money in politics, saying you should take interest in politics and campaigns seriously because not everything is about money in politics.I urge you to increase your level of participation in electioneering processes because it is not all about money. If it were all about money President Muhammadu Buhari would not win, he said.The people trusted him, and so I encourage you to take what you are doing very, very seriously.The chairman asked all aspirants to collapse their structures and unite behind whoever emerges the flag bearer in the election.Earlier, Agbarha thanked the chairman for the free nomination and expression of interest forms for women and urged him to create more opportunities for women in the party.Fielding question from reporters, the aspirant said one of the things she would do if elected was to address the high maternal mortality rate in the country.Agbarha said she would make healthcare free and accessible.During my tenure, we will work to reduce maternal mortality because life is important; life first, every womans life counts, she said.She said, among other things, that she would also launch women into small and medium scale businesses so that they help their homes.
Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has arrived Lusaka Zambia, to represent Nigeria at the 51st Annual General Meeting of the Af...

Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has arrived Lusaka Zambia, to represent Nigeria at the 51st Annual General Meeting of the African Development Bank, holding this week.He was spotted with African Development Bank President and former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, Dr Adewunmi Adesina.Among other activities, Prof. Osinbajo would be participating in the AGM'S High Level Panel/African Leaders Roundtable on Energy and Climate Change, which will also feature other African leaders. He would also speak on the High Level Panel on Jobs for African Youth-Turning the Demographic Dividend into Economic Dividend. He returns to Abuja on Wednesday, May 25.See more pictures below:
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II Tuesday voiced his opposition against child marriage saying its time to peg marriage age in ...

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II Tuesday voiced his opposition against child marriage saying its time to peg marriage age in the Nigeria.Addressing a conference of Northern Muslims Religious Leaders Forum on Primary Health care in Kano, the former Central Bank Governor explained that the reproductive health challenges associated with such practice is enough to discouraged the age long tradition.Sanusi II said that Nigeria Muslims are ardent followers of Maliki school of thought like Morocco, Malaysia and Egypt, stressing that these brotherly countries had since pegged marriage age .In Sanusi II words  I believe the time is ripe to take a stand on this age long practice of early marriage, and coincidentally we subscribed to Malikiyya school of thought like Morocco, Malaysia and Egypt who had since pegged marriage age to 17, 19 and 18 respectively.The emir stated that the role of a woman as a housewife are numerous and highly demanding, as he further stressed the need to allowed our women to attained maturity status before marriage.Sanusi II who frowned at cultural practices that encourages polygamy noted that most of those who engage in this practice do not have the necessary economic power to support himself.The emir who took his audience through historical lane explained in the past, cities like Kano, Katsina, Aghadez, and Timbuktu hold economic power of the Sahel region, and this economic prospect had since shifted to coastal cities around the globe.Commenting on wife battery, the emir said that Islam abhors assault on women and he enjoined those involved in the act to desist from such practice.Sanusi II disclosed that I dont expect my in-law to lay his hand on my daughter, but I have since urged her to retaliate any form of assault from her husband.
UEFA have fined Liverpool and Manchester United for illicit chants during their Europa League last-16 tie.Both clubs have also been punished for the throwing of objects by fans and crowd disturbances, with United fined 44,342 and Liverpool 43,577.Liverpool have also been sanctioned for setting off fireworks and a late kick-off, while United were charged for stairways blocked at their stadium.The Anfield side must also pay for damage caused by fans at Old Trafford.Both clubs' fines include 15,290 suspended for two years.Rival fans were seen fighting in the stands, seats were thrown and flares were lit during the 1-1 second-leg draw at Old Trafford, during which five men were arrested.Some fans of both clubs sang songs related to tragedies involving the other side as Liverpool won the tie 3-1 on aggregate.Europe's governing body was made aware of the allegations of chanting about the Munich disaster and the Hillsborough tragedy.In 1958, eight United players were among 23 people who died after their plane caught fire and crashed in Munich.The Hillsborough tragedy saw 96 Liverpool fans die at an FA Cup semi-final tie with Nottingham Forest in 1989.Before the second leg, police had to remove a banner on the M602 motorway in Salford designed to taunt Liverpool fans heading to Old Trafford.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, says the Federal Government is in the process of repatriating from Jersey the stol...

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, says the Federal Government is in the process of repatriating from Jersey the stolen 300 million pounds.Onyeama stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference organised as part of activities to mark the one year anniversary of President Mohammadu Buharis administration.Jersey, an independent, English-speaking territory with a mix of British and French cultures, is the largest of the Channel Islands located between England and France.The minister said that the money in Jersey would have been repatriated but for a last minute objection by the people, who were supposed to forfeit it.We are just in the process of repatriating that in the UK itself. Sometimes very often what happens is that the people, who have ownership or who claim to have ownership (of the money) might bring up a defence.Like if you take the one in Jersey, it is like 300 million pounds or thereabout; now everything had been done to repatriate the money.It was no longer contested and then at the last minute, an objection was raised by the people, who were supposed to forfeit those funds.According to the minister, the important thing is that the process has been engaged.He said Nigeria would not relent in seeking to repatriate the alleged stolen funds.He also said that the process of repatriation of looted funds stacked in other countries like Switzerland and the US was in progress.
As part of activities marking its Diamond Jubilee celebration, the Nigerian Navy (NN) has donated drugs and foodstuff to Internally Displa...

As part of activities marking its Diamond Jubilee celebration, the Nigerian Navy (NN) has donated drugs and foodstuff to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camped in Dalori 11, Maiduguri, to alleviate their sufferings.Chief of Administration, Nigerian Navy Headquarters, Rear Adm. Obiora Medani, while making the donation, said the exercise was timely.According to him, the Medical Rapsody in Borno is meant to express our own empathy to the good people of the state for the trauma they have suffered in the hand of the insurgents.He said the Rapsody was also to tell to the people of the state that they were not alone, especially the women and children.He added that in commemoration of the celebration, the NN is also conducting medical rhapsody in all its commands across the country.Items donated include: drugs, treated mosquito nets, beverages, biscuits and soft drinks.In his remarks, Gov. Kashim Shettima who spoke through his Deputy, Alhaji Usman Durkwa, commended the armed forces for their successful counter-insurgent operations in the North-East.
Troops of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence corps (NSCDC), yesterday, stormed the creeks of Bayelsa State in search of the fleeing s...

Troops of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence corps (NSCDC), yesterday, stormed the creeks of Bayelsa State in search of the fleeing suspected bombers of a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Ikienghenbiri community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.Sources from the community said armed NSCDC operatives arrived at the area on speedboats and gunboats and moved to adjoining creeks to locate the whereabouts of suspects identified as Suoyou, Iyelawei and Fynboy.The suspects were said to have fled the community following the Sundays attack on Agips Tebidaba-Brass pipeline that passed through the area.The suspects allegedly destroyed the trunkline with dynamites causing massive fire and thick smoke that unsettled the community.One of the suspects was arrested by troops of NSCDC with support from the surveillance contractor and the community folks.Speaking on the incident in a statement, yesterday, the Bayelsa State command of the NSCDC said its operatives were particularly mandated to find a suspected leader of the gang identified as Suoyou.The statement by the commands spokesman Mr. Dauzuo Izonfate, admitted that the arrested suspect was in their custody and would soon be arraigned and diligently prosecuted.Izonfate said the ongoing operations in the creeks, particularly in Southern Ijaw, would surely lead the operatives to the hideout of the suspects adding that their identities and pictorial images had been known.He said: We want to state that the suspect we arrested in connection with the attack on Agip pipeline at Ikienghenbiri in Southern Ijaw is in our custody. NSCDC, in its resolve to protect and secure the critical national assets in the state as mandated by our Commandant-General will arraign and diligently prosecute the suspect.We are on the trail of other suspects who are on the run and we will surely nab them. We thank the Ikienghenbiri community for their efforts in helping us tackle the menace of vandalism in the state.We are also appealing to other communities to toe a similar path in this collective war against pipeline vandalism, economic sabotage and environmental pollution.Izonfate warned aggrieved youths in the state to explore other peaceful means of expressing their demands instead of resorting in damaging critical national assets and polluting the environment.We are fully committed, motivated and ever ready to protect our national assets and government property in the state, he said.
Nigerian Economist , Pat Utomi says Nigerians may start queuing to buy essentials such as salt if the government fails to deal with the ...

Nigerian Economist , Pat Utomi says Nigerians may start queuing to buy essentials such as salt if the government fails to deal with the fundamentals of the economy.Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Thursday, Utomi said Nigeria should learn from history to fix the problem facing our economy.He said, ''A similar economic crisis in the early 1980s saw Nigerians queue up to buy essential commodities such as milk and rice because the foreign reserves were down and importers could no longer access forex.If you go back, it is good to go back, there is nothing new about what we are experiencing, it has been experienced in history. So if we can draw lesson even from our own history and what is going on elsewhere, he said.I came home from grad school to Nigeria in 1980 and people were pouring Champagne into bucket of water and washing their hands in it. I mean that kind of madness needed ultimately to be reined in and when supply crashed and reality was beginning to settle, we said we dont devalue, that time our currency was a block currency was just determined from the Central Bank, it was a block currency.So central bank will say this is our currency and we continue to say this is our exchange rate we will not devalue, we were not changing the fundamentals of our economy, we were still mono-product, we were still dependent, were not selling. And one day Central Bank of Nigeria could not pay due credit from all those who have supply arrangement with Nigeria and they stop supplying Nigeria and a few month later what were we doing, we were queuing up to buy sugar. It was called essential commodities, we were queuing up to buy salt.If we dont deal with the fundamentals we will queue again. It is not a matter of exchange rate. We are talking about symptoms; lets deal with the fundamentals of a producing economy, diversifying the base of our economy which is not a light bob that you can switch on and off.''We need to be working on critical issues, the fundamentals of our economy; right now Nigeria economy to be very fair is a lot more diversify than people realize, most of it has happened without any serious incentives, plans or anything. I mean we base our GDP and Nollywood and co came into big play, nobody worked a strategy for that industry, just out of work fellows in television and whatever picked up their cameras and began to shoot this things, people laughed at first and it became an industry.''How do you creative incentives for those kinds of things to become real industry? Those are the issues that are really at stake. We must continue this conversation so that the incentives that are coming will be clear to people, because it is all about incentives.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has declared former senator and Peoples Democratic party flagbearer for the last gubernator...

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has declared former senator and Peoples Democratic party flagbearer for the last gubernatorial election in Osun state wanted.The declaration is in connection with a case of receiving and misappropriating the sum of over N700, 000,000.00 from the Office of the National Security Adviser, between June and November, 2014.Omisore has been elusive and refused to report to the Commission after invitation was extended to him on April 7, 2016 requesting him to come and make clarification on the ongoing investigation.Instead of responding to the Commissions investigation Omosore had approached the Federal Capital Territory High Court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf consequently ordered that Omisore should only be arrested through a due and legal process.The EFCC thereafter obtained a warrant to effect the arrest of the politician.
Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has described the decision of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its nationwid...

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has described the decision of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its nationwide strike as a victory for Nigeria.Mohammed, who gave the commendation on Monday on the sideline of an interactive session with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Lagos, expressed delight over the suspension of the industrial action.Nigeria has won, and I want to take this opportunity to thank the NLC for reconsidering their position and agreeing to join us in negotiation, he said.So, it is not who has won, but (it is) Nigeria that has won.On May 18, the Ayuba Wabba-led faction of the NLC embarked on a nationwide strike to protest governments decision to increase the pump price of petrol from N86:50 to N145:00Mohammed also expressed the federal governments commitment to actualising its change agenda through sustained communication between it and Nigerians.According to him, stakeholders meetings will further enhance information flow between government and the citizenry.There is nothing like the government continuously engaging the people; you notice that we started this about a month or so ago when we started with our town hall meetings, he said.We started in Lagos, moved to Kaduna; we will be in Kano on Friday.We have also been meeting with sectoral groups; weve met with the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria); we are going to meet with the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission.I believe that it is the beginning of trying to bridge the gap between the governed and the government and it is extremely fruitful.Weve heard you, and learnt a lot as well; but more importantly is that weve been able to explain to you why certain actions were taken.He said that his ministry would hold quarterly meetings with the CSOs in order to engage Nigerians on national issues.This is not going to be a one-of engagement, he said.The next time we (will) come with three or four ministers, depending on what issues are prevalent.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is billed to leave Abuja Monday night for Lusaka, Zambia to represent Nigeria at the 51st Annual General Mee...

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is billed to leave Abuja Monday night for Lusaka, Zambia to represent Nigeria at the 51st Annual General Meeting of the African Development Bank, holding this week.A statement from the State House, Abuja stated that Osinbajo would be participating in the AGMS High Level Panel/African Leaders Roundtable on Energy and Climate Change, which will also feature other African leaders. He would also speak on the High Level Panel on Jobs for African Youth-Turning the Demographic Dividend into Economic Dividend.The Vice President would return to Abuja on Wednesday
Former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Part...

Former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is going through crisis because the party failed to prepare for life after power.He also said the PDP is suffering from mistakes of the past.Okupe who was a guest on Channels Television breakfast programme yesterday said failure on the part of the leaders of the PDP has further deepened the crisis rocking the party. He said, The crisis you are seeing today came into play because there was lack of cohesiveness on the part of the leadership and follower-ship and that is why the centre cannot hold and the party is paying seriously for that. What you are seeing now are flurry signs and symptoms of failure of leadership.Before we left government or shortly after we left government, people ought to have come together knowing that we were likely going to suffer what is called electoral defeat syndrome, which has become exaggerated in our present circumstances is responsible for this he stated.He went further, We love our party and we do not want PDP to scatter, even though we lost an election to All Progressives Congress, APC, it was evident that APC will not get its act together and if they do not get their acts together, a third force will emerge and that is the dream of many Nigerians. According to him, APC remains a party of strange bed fellows with various interests and cannot be compared to the PDP with a solid background.The APC, is not an association as such, its a conglomeration of various interests. They still do not have a party. They are not strong on ground, there are many places where they do not exist. PDP is the only party in Nigeria that has a culture, a strong background and a record of performance, yes we have some issues.There are evidence against our people involved in embarrassing forms of corruption, but thats what happens in any human organisation he maintained. He however said; The truth of the matter is that what PDP is suffering today is from the collective actions that we have taken in the past. From our failure to obey our own rules. For entrenching impunity as a standard practice in our party; for allowing people to use money to buy offices, to buy candidacy. These are consequences of those actions. 2 0
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A federal judge Monday dismissed Atlantic City from lawsuits filed by survivors of two drowning victims from 2013. (Tim Hawk | For NJ.com)

NEWARK -- A federal judge Monday dismissed lawsuits against Atlantic City filed by the estates of two people who drowned off its beach in 2013.

U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler granted the motion by the financially crippled city to dismiss it from lawsuits representing the late Samuel Jackson Jr. and Thewinco Caesar, both of whom drowned July 27, 2013.

The 21-year-old Jackson of Lowell, Mass., and Caesar, 22, of Darby, Pa., were pulled from the ocean around 7 p.m. and taken to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Media reports at the time stated the two were part of a larger group swimming near a jetty at the beach off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, north of the Claridge Casino Hotel.

Their survivors, Jackson's father and Caesar's mother, filed suit last year, charging that the city should have posted signs warning of the dangers of swimming at the beach. The suits also charged the city, which owns the beach property, failed to provide adequate safety measures. Each sought in excess of $150,000.

The complaints also said the city was negligent by allowing swimmers near jetties and underwater piping that presented a "hazard to unsuspecting persons" such as Caesar and Jackson, according to Kugler's order.

But Kugler said the complaints showed no evidence that the installations presented any dangers or how they may have contributed to the drownings.

In dismissing the lawsuits, Kugler left the door open for Cooper and Jackson to amend their complaints to see if they can show how the installations allegedly caused injuries, and how lifeguards allegedly breached their duty of care.

The court earlier dismissed Atlantic County and the state of New Jersey from the lawsuits.

The plaintiffs' attorney, Sean Quinn of Philadelphia, did not respond for comment.

Barbara Ann Johnson-Stokes, who represented the city, had no comment.

Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
PARAMUS - Police have released video of firefighters battling a fierce school bus fire after the 22 passengers - all high school students - escaped unharmed.

The bus caught fire Monday in front of Eastbrook Middle School on Spring Valley Road, according to Paramus Police Chief Kenneth R. Ehrenberg.

"Upon police arrival, the driver of the bus, identified as Jose Rodriguez of Paterson, had safely evacuated 22 students from the bus," Ehrenberg said in a statement. "No one was injured."

Rodriguez, who drives for the Jordan Bus Company, had picked up the students at Paramus High School just before the fire started, police said.

"He noticed smoke as he was driving north on Spring Valley Road and he immediately pulled the bus over," Ehrenberg said.

The fire started in the engine and did not appear suspicious, the chief said.

The students were turned over to staff at Eastbrook Middle School.

Firefighters from Paramus Engine Company 2 extinguished the blaze, "which totally consumed the bus," Ehrenberg said.

As a result of the fire, 20 to 40 gallons of diesel fuel spilled onto the roadway and an adjoining parking lot.

"This required the response of the Paramus and Bergen County HazMat Teams," Ehrenberg said.

Spring Valley Road was totally closed for about three hours.

Rodriguez was working Tuesday morning and not available for comment, a bus company dispatcher said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Students in the NJ LEEP program. (Courtesy NJ LEEP)

NEWARK -- For the 73,000 children in the state's largest city, the odds of going to college are not good.

According to the most recent New Jersey School performance Report, one high school in Newark - Barringer Arts Academy - has the lowest average SAT score of any high school in the state, and the second lowest graduation rate of any high school in the state, just 35.69 percent.

According to the latest Census estimates, only about 13.7 percent of the city's population has a college degree, as compared to nearly 40 percent statewide. An education advocacy group last year received a $1.5 million grant as part of an effort to increase the population's college graduation rate to 25 percent by the year 2025.

But 130 kids in the city say they have found a way to defy the odds.

The New Jersey Law and Education Empowerment Project, or NJ LEEP, a competitive, after-school, college-prep program that students apply to enter during the summer after their eighth grade year, started modestly nine years ago. Looking for a way to motivate Newark students, the nonprofit, which is affiliated with Seton Hall's law school, targeted teens interested in the law, and in going to college. The first summer, 27 kids took part in the program.

This year, 600 students applied to take part. About 45 were accepted into the college-bound program, which goes from the summer before ninth grade through senior year of high school. Students attend classes and seminars after school, on Saturdays, and over the summer on topics ranging from constitutional law debate and expository writing to SAT and ACT prep and how to fill out college applications. They complete internships and take a college philosophy course.

The 30 seniors in this year's cohort continued an NJ LEEP tradition that has remained constant since its first year - 100 percent of them were accepted to college.

The students "have very high expectations individually, and as a cohort," Matthew Feinstein, NJ LEEP's executive director, said in a phone interview about the program.

After four years together, "there's a collegiality...they really want to see each other succeed."

The program hosts a graduation gala each year celebrating the college acceptances and scholarships awarded to its students. (Courtesy NJ LEEP)

The class's statistics fly in the face of the citywide numbers. Every student received at least some financial aid along with their acceptances. The students will be attending schools across the country, including the University of Chicago, Georgetown University, Wellesley College, The College of the Holy Cross, Smith College, New York University and Rutgers University, and others.

Students in the program said if not for NJ LEEP, they likely would not have been accepted into those schools.

"Living in Newark, you hear about Essex County College and Rutgers, and that's about it," said Adjo Agbobli, a 17-year-old who attends Bard High School Early College in Newark. NJ LEEP offered her a "knowledge of schools and the college application process" that she hasn't seen anywhere else, she said.

Agbobli, whose family moved to Newark from Togo in West Africa in 2002, received acceptances to the University of Massachusetts and the College of New Jersey, and a full scholarship to Rutgers.

The program's secret? Fostering ambition, according to Agbobli's classmate, Adrian Morquecho.

"There's just such a passion for everything they do here," he said. "In high school there is a sense of complacency...kids (might) look at a state school, but they don't want to grow out of their shells."

Morquecho, 17, a student at Technology High School in Newark, will be attending the University of Chicago on a full scholarship.

From each eighth grade cohort that joins NJ LEEP, Feinstein said, about 70 percent make it through all four years of the program. More than 80 percent of those students go on to graduate college, he said. Operating with funds from grants and donations from foundations and private corporations, the program has an annual budget of about $1.3 million, and all students attend for free.

By the time they graduate, Feinstein said, they've gotten more than an education on getting into college.

"It's academic skills, social and emotional skills," he said. "It's how to engage yourself... and (ultimately), how to be successful."

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at

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NEWARK -- With his middle-aged paunch, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo no longer has the slim physique of the young athlete he once was, and it's partly Sam Brummer's fault.



Brummer, a WWII veteran who died in November at age 93, was the longtime proprietor of Hobby's Deli, a Newark institution where DiVincenzo and other Essex County power brokers would meet for power noshes.



"Hobby's, of course, is a historic place," DiVincenzo said Tuesday, addressing a crowd gathered at Essex County Veteran's Park that included Brummer's widow, Rona, and the couple's children and grandchildren. "It's put a few pounds on me."

But he doesn't blame Brummer. In fact, DiVincenzo was hosting the gathering to honor the departed veteran of war and pastrami, who 72 years ago took part in the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France, which turned the tied of the war in favor of the Allies. Monday will be the first Memorial Day since Brummer's passing seven months ago.



After emotional tributes from friends, family and fellow vets, a bronze plaque commemorating the military and culinary exploits of the Bronze Star winner was unveiled in the park's Staff Sgt. Jorge Oliveira Plaza, named for a New Jersey Army National Guardsman and detective sergeant in the Essex County Sheriff's Office, who was killed in 2011 during his third tour of duty in the Iraq War.



"At age 17, in 1939, Sam, his mother and sister escaped the anti-Semitism of Poland as Hitler began marching," the plaque reads, adding that Sam was drafted by the U.S. Army three years later. "On June 6, 1944, after 12 hours pinned down on their landing craft, his unit finally landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy. They suffered 80% casualties as they fought their way through France."



"We all live more safely because of the sacrifices made by Sam and his fellow service men and women," the inscription on the plaque concludes, "and are proud to honor him, and them."

Brummer's plaque is the third one placed in Veterans Park, in addition to Oliveira's in 2011 and one honoring all service men and women in 2009, and DiVincenzo said others would be added in future years.



While Brummer was an Army veteran, members of the nation's other armed services were saluted in a medley of military hymns performed by bagpiper Jack McGarry of the Essex County Emereld Society Pipes and Drums.



Sam's sons Marc and Michael, now the co-owners of Hobby's, were among family members who attended the Noon ceremony, joking that it was one of the few lunch hours they had spent away from the restaurant.

"And we're sitting here wondering if Table 32 has not been served yet," said Marc, 54, who lives in Livingston.



After the war, Sam Brummer went into the restaurant business, and in 1962 he bought Hobby's Delicatessen and Restaurant, already a venerable downtown Newark lunch spot that had been in business on Branford Place for half a century. For years, Brummer and his sons have sent salamis to U.S. troops stationed overseas.

After experiencing anti-Semitism first-hand as the Nazis and their influence spread through Europe, Brummer was sensitive to Hobby's racially diverse clientele. His son Marc recalled how Brummer put a stop to a practice under the prior ownership, when waiters would quietly signal to the kitchen that an order had come from African-American patrons, who would then be subject to inferior service.



Among the ethnically and racially mixed crowd gathered at Veterans Park on Tuesday was Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex), who nodded affirmatively as the story was recounted. Oliver has long been a regular at Hobby's, and her favorite is the pastrami sandwich, "with onion rings, of course."

"Today, we're here in memory of all those who have served in or armed forces, but especially to honor Sam Brummer," Oliver said.



More than a few tears were shed when Brummer's grandchildren, Aaron, David and Karli, took turns reading from a speech that their grandfather had made four years earlier, when he was honored by the county during an Essex County Veterans Day ceremony in 2012.



"I stand before you today with an immense feeling of pride," read Aaron Brummer, 21, an aspiring filmmaker. "To really understand how I feel at this moment, you have to understand that I came to this country as a teenager, with my mother and my sister in 1939 to escape vicious anti-semitism in Poland and the rise of Hitler in Germany. I came here not knowing a word of English, but craving freedom. I desperately wanted to be an American. As we pulled into New York Harbor, I remember racing to the top deck of the ship we were on, the President (Warren) Harding, and getting my first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty, the very symbol of hope and freedom that I had always read about."



Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Irvington Township is selling the Servicemen's Clubhouse Association for $850,000 to a developer who wants to demolish the vacant, dilapidated building to construct a Taco Bell. The Volunteer Network for Veterans Inc. is against the sale and is planning a rally to save the building.

(Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger)

The Servicemen's Clubhouse Association building is one of the few edifices left in Irvington with the distinction of being around for 200-plus years.

Get a good look at it now, while it's still standing on Springfield Avenue. Taps won't be played at its funeral, nor will there be a 21-gun salute to remember the place in which veterans had gathered since 1921.

The township is close to wrapping up an $850,000 deal with a developer, who plans to demolish the vacant, dilapidated building and put up a Taco Bell.

This does not sit well with Volunteer Network for Veterans Inc. - the last veterans group to occupy the building,which was closed in 2014 because township officials determined it was a hazard.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

The organization, led by president James Gibbs Jr. and secretary Brenda Jenkins, has been trying to convince the township to renew a long-standing lease agreement to maintain the building for veterans purposes.

"Why would you want to tear it down?'' asked Gibbs, whose group is holding a rally on Friday in front of the building.

"We'd like to keep the building because it belongs to the veterans.''

Gibbs Jr., whose 30-year Army career began 1969, said he has a connection to the clubhouse because it is where he helped veterans for several years before starting Volunteer Network for Veterans Inc.

The township, however, doesn't think its such a good idea to hang onto the building.

John Sowell, spokesman for Mayor Tony Vauss, said the administration inherited an old building that is structurally unsafe and hasn't been active in two years.

He also said Irvington needs to increase ratables to keep property taxes down. As a bonus, the proposed Taco Bell is expected to create about 30 jobs.

Sowell, who said there is a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the township to serve veterans' needs, also indicated that no workable alternative -including funding - has been suggested for preserving the building.

"We don't think we're doing anything wrong,'' he said. "Sometimes, people are not accepting of that.''

Gibbs Jr. and Jenkins definitely disagree. They want the relationship the township has had for nearly a century with the Serviceman's Clubhouse to continue.

Irvington Township is selling the Servicemen's Clubhouse Association for $850,000 to a developer who wants to demolish the vacant, dilapidated building to construct a Taco Bell. The Volunteer Network for Veterans Inc. is against the sale and is planning a rally to save the building.

In a 1921 resolution, commissioners honored the township's servicemen by dedicating the building as a place for them to gather, meet and conduct social activities.

Over the years, lease agreements were signed for the building to be used by veterans groups from all wars. The documents started out as one-year agreements, but became 25-year leases at some point.

Last year, Gibbs wrote to Vauss, asking that the township to renew its lease for another 25 years. However, business administrator Musa Malik said the township could not sign a lease for a building that was closed by a previous administration and already deemed a hazard. After the township engineer evaluated the building again last year, he said the Vauss administration decided that it should remain closed.

But in making his pitch for the renewal, Gibbs said the clubhouse had historic value: Moses Baldwin, one of Irvington's original settlers, had owned the property.

Township historian Alan Siegel said the Baldwin family members were talented engravers and silversmiths. One of them, he said, worked for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, designing currency and stamps.

During the clubhouse's heyday, Siegel said the two-story building was active with pancake breakfast fundraisers, dances and dinners. Refreshments were served on Memorial and Veterans Day. Since the late 1980s, as members aged, the various veteran groups that gathered there began to dwindle.

When Michael Steele was mayor, from 1990 to 1994, the Servicemen's Clubhouse had new life. He said the township renovated the building and rented space from the organization to operate social service programs.

Given the history associated with the clubhouse, Steele hopes the town reconsiders its position. Steele and the veterans group believe the house, because of its history, is eligible for preservation funding and grants if it can be saved. The veteran organization, which has been meeting in different places to serve veterans, thinks the building could be kept open if the administration accepts its proposal.

MORE CARTER: Newark's Mr. Willie builds homes that improves lives

"It's one of the last surviving historical buildings,'' Steele said.

When Gibbs Jr. started his organization in 2012, he said veterans received help with obtaining benefits. They also received food, clothing and job referrals, but the building was not in good shape.

If the township had maintained the building under the terms of the lease, Jenkins and Gibbs Jr. said the clubhouse would not have deteriorated over the past 20 years.

"I just don't understand why the building wasn't kept up,'' said Jenkins, who wants her organization to continue providing veteran services. "It shouldn't be in the condition that it's in today.''

The bungalow-style, two-story home slopes in the front and the floors are sagging. Tree limbs cover a tattered roof, with holes in the eaves. The white and yellow paint is peeling. In the basement, tree stumps support the building's columns.

So another historical building in Irvington is being lost.

"If you drive through town, you're going to be hard pressed to find a building that old still sitting there,'' Siegel said.

Revolutionary War buildings are gone. Clinton Avenue School, too. So are the township's three movie theaters and its catering halls. Preservation New Jersey has written to Vauss, saying the clubhouse is irreplaceable.

It won't be, unless this veterans organization can do something to save it.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL
Wawa loyalists looking to fill up on a Shorti hoagie or Sizzli breakfast sandwich now have more options than ever to satisfy their cravings as the convenience store chain expands its footprint along the East Coast.

Some 50 years after Wawa after opening its first store in Folsom, Pa., the privately held company now boasts more than 720 locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania Delaware, Virginia, Maryland and Florida. Expect that total to grow even more this year.

Wawa spokeswoman Lori Bruce said the chain plans to open roughly 50 new stores in 2016. Half of those will be located in Florida, according to Bruce, but there are also new locations planned in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

"We look forward to continuing to expand our reach and serving more people with the Wawa experience than ever before," Bruce said.

Find out if a Wawa is coming near you in the map below, which includes future locations that are currently under construction.

Wawa, which said in March that it planned a massive hiring surge, has also announced plans to open its largest store in Center City Philadelphia.

In addition to opening new stores, Wawa is also renovating older ones.

The chain gave a facelift to more than 40 stores last year, according to Philly.com, and plans to renovate 175 other stores this year and next year.

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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A 20-year-old city man has been accused of criminal trespass and possession of marijuana, police said today. (Journal File Photo)

BAYONNE -- A 20-year-old city man has been accused of criminal trespass and possession of marijuana, police said today.

On May 18 at 11:52 a.m., Jordan Daly and a 22-year-old city man were arrested in the area of Parkview Terrace after Daly "was observed" trying to enter a home while the 22-year-old acted as a "lookout," police said.

Daly was charged with criminal trespass and possession of marijuana over 50 grams with the intent to distribute it within 1,000 feet of a school and within 500 feet of a public park, according to police.

Police said the 22-year-old was charged with possessing marijuana under 50 grams.

Daly was taken to the Hudson County jail in Kearny on a $15,000 bail with a 10 percent option, while the 22-year-old was later released on bail set at $5,000 with a 10 percent option, police said.

Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Bayonne Police car

A 46-year-old city man was charged last week with driving while intoxicated and hitting another car, police said today.

(Journal File Photo)

BAYONNE -- A 46-year-old city man was charged last week with driving while intoxicated and hitting another car, police said today.

On May 15 at 6:55 p.m., Jeffrey S. Hanks was driving a gray Hyundai south on Avenue E when he crossed over into the opposite lane of traffic near 12th Street and struck the rear driver's side of a GMC truck, police said.

Hanks continued driving south until he pulled over at 11th Street and Avenue E, where officers found him asleep in the driver's seat, according to police.

The driver's door couldn't be opened because of damage from the crash, and the Bayonne Fire Department responded to help remove Hanks from his vehicle, police said.

Police said the GMC truck's driver declined medical attention, while Hanks was taken to Bayonne Medical Center as a precaution.

Hanks was charged with driving while intoxicated within 1,000 feet of a school and issued summonses for failure to maintain driving within a lane and reckless driving, according to police. He was later released.

Police couldn't immediately be reached about what substance police officers suspect Hanks was intoxicated on.

Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Bayonne Police car

Bail for an 18-year-old city teen was set at $50,000, cash only, after he was accused last week of a $10 robbery, police said today.

(Journal File Photo)

BAYONNE -- A cash-only bail for an 18-year-old city man was set at $50,000 after he was accused of a $10 robbery last week, police said today.

On May 16 at 4:20 p.m., Anthony A. Carr was arrested in the area of Evergreen and Orient streets after a 16-year-old boy told police Carr took $10 from him and punched him in the face, according to police.

Police said Carr was taken to the Hudson County jail in Kearny.

In a separate teenager-related incident on May 15, a 16-year-old Jersey City boy was charged with stealing a $250 bike in the area of 45th Street and Avenue E, police said.

The victim, who saw the boy remove the bike from the alleyway outside his home, notified police and confronted the 16-year-old, according to police. The boy was later released, police said.

Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard are bringing attractions to Jersey City and the Hudson River as part of this year's Fleet Week New York.

Liberty State Park in Jersey City will host a free event on Sunday, May 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring performances by the U.S. Coast Guard Silent Drill Team, the U.S. Navy Band and the U.S. Marine Corps band. Attendees will also get to take in parachute, helicopter, and search and rescue demonstrations by the Navy and Coast Guard.

Military tactical vehicles, a U.S. Navy dive tank and more exhibits will also be on display throughout the day.

Fleet Week events will take place on the Hudson River from Wednesday, May 25 to Monday, May 30, and ships should be visible from waterfront areas of Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken.

The annual week of events kicks off Wednesday with the Parade of Ships at 10 a.m., as four U.S. Navy ships, two U.S. Coast Guard cutters and three Royal Canadian Navy ships make their way into New York Harbor.

For a more detailed schedule of events, visit Fleet Week's website.

Nicholas Zeitlinger may be reached at nzeitlinger@jjournal.com.
JERSEY CITY -- Sally Whitmore never thought she would be a grandmother.

As a young girl, Whitmore grew up in Poland during World War II. One day, she and her family were physically torn apart and taken to Auschwitz concentration camp. Her mother went one way, Whitmore went another.

She spent several weeks at the notorious death camp where thousands of Jewish men and women were either killed or died of diseases and starvation, before being transferred to a different camp.

"Even if you only spent a few hours there, you never came out the same," Whitmore said of her time in concentration camps.

Now at 87 and living in Wayne, Whitmore has four children, seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. She was one of 11 survivors at City Hall this afternoon as the city acknowledged Holocaust Remembrance Day, which took place earlier this month.

Inside a packed Council Chambers, Mayor Steve Fulop gathered with survivors around a white candle lit to remember those who did not survive the "hell" of concentration camps, as Whitmore described it. As the Yavneh Academy Choir of Paramus sang many of the survivors stood somber, hand in hand, and wiped tears from their eyes.

Fulop said commemorating the Holocaust is especially personal to him, having had family members that both survived and died in concentration camps. He shared the story of his grandparents, living on the border of Romania and Hungary when the Nazis stormed through.

"My grandparents did nothing but live there," he said.

His family, too, was forced into a concentration camp. His aunt Eva, just a baby at the time, was separated from her family and never seen again.

This is a picture of Eva, my mother's sister, who died in the gas chambers at Auschwitz by the Nazis. This is the only... Posted by Steven Fulop on Thursday, May 5, 2016

Regina Resnik moved to Bayonne in 1950 when she met her husband Victor. She gave her children -- two daughters and one son -- an "American Dream" upbringing, sending them to college to go on and become a doctor, lawyer, and City Hall worker in Newark.

But before beginning a new life in the United States in 1947, her teenage years were anything but a dream.

When she was about 17, Resnik and her sister were separated from their parents after being forced into Auschwitz.

"I didn't know what to expect," Resnik said of her initial reaction to living in the concentration camp.

All of her hair was cut off, she was stripped of everything but her shoes. Suitcases of clothes were taken away and later replaced with dresses that were entirely too large to wear.

Of the 1,095,000 Jews who were deported to Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945, 960,000 were killed, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

After finally being liberated, Resnik and her sister struggled to find a train to bring them back to Romania. They eventually made it back to their country in hopes of reuniting with their parents.

But their mother and father never returned.

She moved to the United States to live with her aunt and uncle. She enrolled in school to learn how to read and write in English and said she became "Americanized" very quickly.

As for Whitmore, she was miraculously reunited with her mother in April 1945. But two days after Europe celebrated the end of the war, Whitmore's mother died on May 10.

Telling Jersey City students that she hopes her story leaves an impact on them, Whitmore said what the "sick, sick, people" did to the innocent lives in concentration camps should never be seen by today's youth.

"I hope that this tragedy will never be (repeated.)"
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JERSEY CITY -- "Bitch, I will have you killed," a 33-year-old Jersey City allegedly yelled to a woman as he drove passed her home in violation of a restraining order on April 8, according to authorities.

Fredrick Carr, of Bidwell Avenue, is also alleged to have added, "And I have the money to do it," according to the criminal complaint.

He is charged with contempt of court for being in the vicinity of the woman's home in violation of a restraining order and with making terroristic threats, the complaint says.

Carr made his first appearance on the charges yesterday afternoon in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.

The criminal complaint did not have details on Carr's arrest and did not identify the relationship between him and the woman. A police report on the incident was not immediately available.
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Pioneer The Eel, an intriguing new indie-rock trio, will perform at Jersey City's Funhouse on Friday, June 3.

There's nothing fishy about Pioneer The Eel, an intriguing new art-rock trio that's been making a big impression in Jersey City.

After two successful appearances at Lucky 7 and a slot at the Harsimus Cemetery's Pushin' Up The Daisies festival, the Bloomfield-based combo will perform at the all-ages space the Funhouse on Friday, June 3.

A big part of Pioneer The Eel's appeal comes from the group's unusual lineup --two guitars and a small drum kit. No bass, no cymbals. That sounds like it might come across as overly angular or cerebral, but listen to the tracks available on Soundcloud and you'll hear a surprisingly groove-oriented, effusive sound that's beguiling in its textures and simplicity.

Guitarists Craig Monaco and Victor Fernandes, along with drummer Wayne Green, have been friends for over a decade. Pioneer The Eel came together last year after previous band projects fizzled out. There's no agenda here, no desire to fit themselves into a prescribed genre. "Just music, really," says the band's Soundcloud page modestly. But fans are clearly responding to the trio, which plans to release its debut album this summer.

"It all came together very organically, " explained guitarist Tom Monaco. "The three of us have been friends for over 15 years, and when our last band fell apart, we just started playing. I had this hollow body guitar that had a really thick sound, so it was hard to play in a rock band. But I started using it for this, and it sounded amazing. Victor plays a Telecaster that has a brighter sound, which is a nice contrast, and Wayne plays mostly toms with mallets and tambourine instead of using cymbals. We all had some difficult things going on in our lives, so we started writing songs about that stuff, and that's how it all came together."

Two of the members share a house in Bloomfield, whose living room provides both a practice space and recording studio. The band's debut album was recorded there, with help from a few friends.

Monaco noted that Pioneer The Eel -- even before actually playing together -- received a lot of support and encouragement from Tom Barrett, frontman of Jersey City's Overlake.

"Overlake has always been an influence and an inspiration because of how awesome they are," Monaco said. "But when Tom heard what we doing, he was the one who really told us to go for it, which meant a lot at the time." In fact, Pioneer The Eel played its first-ever show with Overlake at Clash Bar, and its first Jersey City with them at Lucky 7.

Ask Monaco to describe his own band, and he stumbles for an answer. "People have compared us to Radiohead and someone who saw us at the Pushin' Up The Daisies festival said we had a very tribal sound," he said. "I don't know, that's always a hard question to answer. We've been compared to bands like the Walkmen and Grizzly Bear.

"But sound? We just play what we like," he said, "There's reverb, there's speed. There's no cymbals, no bass. It's just our weird little thing. People seem to like it and they've been telling us to record, so we're hoping the album is received well this summer. And people, especially in Jersey City, have been really nice. So we're feeling pretty good about things."

If you're wondering about the name, Monaco said Pioneer The Eel doesn't actually mean anything. "We had come up with a couple of names that were really serious but nobody really liked them, so I was just free flowing ideas and spitting out words and writing them down, and I came up with Pioneer The Eel," he said. "And now we're stuck with it."

IF YOU GO:

Pioneer The Eel will be at the Funhouse (32 Center Street, Jersey City) on Friday, June 3. Showtime is 8 pm and admission is a requested donation of $5. Also appearing will be Youth In Bloom, Pedal Head, NGHTCRWLRS, and Other Rooms.
BEDMINSTER -- Angela Bamford is a determined young woman whose goals are to educate women and eradicate illiteracy in her home country of Ghana.

The former Milford resident took a big step in that direction when she graduated from Raritan Valley Community College recently.

"It's definitely not easy to be an international student in America," she said, "but regardless of the barriers, educating yourself is the key to breaking poverty, to breaking illiteracy, and to being the better version of you." Then, she said, "we can go back to our countries and be the change we want to see."

Bamford's seen a lot of change herself. At 12, she was the tallest in her class and was recruited by a modeling agency, which led to her competing in the first ever Fashion Week in Ghana. Modeling led to commercials, and they led to her recruitment by a band and a record deal.

"We were big enough, we got to perform for the president," she said of her group, D3, "which stands for Three Diamonds."

Bamford was 15 when she joined D3, and stayed with it several years, going on a video tour in Ghana and pulling in a nomination for best new act of the year at the Vodaphone Ghana Music Awards. Then Bamford put on the brakes.

"I decided my education should come first, even though the singing was fun and we were starting to make money. I figured I could go back into music later."

She loves to travel, "and I am very curious," Bamford said, so she signed up for an exchange program to study in America, and ended up attending North Hunterdon High School her senior year. She credits her host family, Richard and Laura Shaw and their four daughters, for her drive to succeed. "They called me their fifth daughter," she said. "I had to hold my own."

At Raritan Valley Community College she carried a five-class load each of the four semesters she was there, served as president of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society this year, and held down three jobs to finance her stay in the U.S.

She worked as a part-time nanny, and worked on campus in the advising counselor's office and as a tutor. She also served as a Student Ambassador, and has been involved with such campus groups as Rotaract, Sister to Sister, the campus radio station and The Record student newspaper. And she graduated magna cum laude.

"Balancing three jobs and all that was crazy," she said recently. For motivation, she thinks of her three siblings and six half-siblings back in Ghana, and her mother. "They're the reason why I'm here and working hard," Bamford said.

"My mother never went to school and because of that she's had some struggles. I decided at a very young age that wouldn't happen to me. I can secure a better future for my siblings. With my success is their success."

When Bamford's mother was young, "educating women was not a big thing in my country," she said. "I'm very passionate about educating women; when you educate a woman, you educate a village."

To that end, she's working toward starting a news network in Ghana "that will broadcast unfiltered news," she said. "The news here about Ghana is always negative. You never hear the wonderful things Africans are doing in the world." And she plans to "use that access to information, through quality content, to eradicate illiteracy."

First things first, though. Bamford has to decide where she'll go to study liberal arts and communications. Possibilities include Rutgers and Montclair in New Jersey, Syracuse University, or possibly Cornell in the spring.

She says she's already had "two amazing years" at RVCC. "I have a family at RVCC. From President Michael McDonough, Dean Diane Lemcoe, Dean Richeleen Dashield to Donyea Collins, Greg DeSanctis, Ronnie Weyl, my professors Carl Lindskoog, Ronald Tyson, Bick Treut, Mark Bezanson, among others, I had a family that supported me and pushed me to be the best. For that, I will forever cherish my experience at RVCC."

Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Woody Johnson, Suzanne Johnson

Feb 6, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and wife Suzanne Johnson on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors award ceremony at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

(Mark J. Rebilas)

Woody Johnson is getting on board the Trump train.

Johnson, the Jets owner and establishment Republican hand, is throwing his support and fund-raising muscle behind Donald Trump's bid for the White House, according to Bloomberg.

Johnson, described by Bloomberg as a "major player in fundraising circles," had been the finance chairman for Jeb Bush's failed campaign for the GOP nomination.

Johnson had been mum on whether he'd back Trump, whose insurgent run toward the nomination has fractured the Republican Party and even threatened its existence. But the New York Times reported that Trump and Johnson had met privately on Monday to hash out their differences.

"Woody's a great guy," Trump told the Times after that meeting. "Woody will support me. He's a terrific guy, he's been a friend of mine a long time."

During the primary campaign, Trump had mocked Johnson's fund-raising prowess as emblematic of the back-channel power-broking he was fighting against.

But now Trump is lining up wealthy donors to raise an estimated $1 billion for his and other campaigns down the Republican ticket.

"First of all, I actually feel that I could run the same kind of campaign that I ran before," Trump told the Times. "But we're raising money for the Republicans, for the [Republican National Committee], for Congress, and the Senate."

This, in modern American political parlance, is what's known as principled plutocracy.

Dom Cosentino may be reached at dcosentino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @domcosentino. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.
TRENTON -- A fugitive from Trenton who's been featured on the Mercer County Sheriff's Office's Most Wanted list for nearly two years has been apprehended in Tulsa, Okla., authorities said.

Trokon Williams. (Tulsa County Jail photo)

Trokon Williams, 24, was arrested Monday afternoon by agents from the Northern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Task Force, a U.S. Marshals' task force.

The Oklahoma agents were acting on information discovered and supplied by Mercer County sheriff's detectives, sheriff's spokesman Ernest Cerino said.

Williams was placed on Mercer's Most Wanted in June 2014.

He failed to appear for a pre-arraignment court hearing in Mercer County on June 7, 2013 for an aggravated assault charge. He is accused of causing bodily injury to a victim with a cutting instrument during a March 2013 fight, officials have said.

His last known address had been on Jarvis Place in Trenton's West Ward.

Williams was in the Tulsa County Jail Tuesday, awaiting extradition hearings seeking to return him to New Jersey, Cerino said.

Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler said Tuesday that Williams' arrest shows most wanted lists work. "This was a great example of coordinated efforts among law enforcement agencies," he said.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- Jerry Jellig, the embattled superintendent of the South Brunswick school district, has resigned amid outrage among members of the community who had been calling for his removal.

The board unanimously voted Monday night to approve the resignation, according to the board's attorney, Derlys Maria Gutierrez. A video of the meeting showing the vote was posted on the school district's website.

The Board also unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Gary McCartney as interim superintendent for a year, Gutierrez said in an email.

The board had placed Jellig on administrative leave earlier this month at a meeting that was attended by hundreds who had come to protest and demand Jellig's removal.

The outrage developed over the past year in which allegations arose that Jellig had intimidated union members, had not been transparent with spending, and had acted inappropriately with female staff, according to John Lolli, president of the South Brunswick Education Association (SEBA), in a previous report.

The SBEA had filed several grievances against Jellig's administration last year over the alleged intimidation of two teachers last fall for attending an afterschool union meeting, according to Tom Hayden, a state teachers union representative, in a previous report.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.
DOVER, DEL. - A disgraced former Marlboro Township mayor serving a 25-year sentence in a Delaware state prison for raping a young girl has reportedly had his appeal rejected by the Delaware Supreme Court.

Matthew Scannapieco, 72, who served as Marlboro's mayor from 1992 to 2003, pleaded guilty in May 2015 to the repeated sexual abuse of a child, first-degree rape and unlawful sexual contact in the first degree.

Matthew Scannapieco pleaded guilty in May 2015 to the repeated sexual abuse of a child, first-degree rape and unlawful sexual contact in the first degree.

The attacks started in 2006 when the girl was 6 years old, shortly after Scannapieco moved to Delaware and following his guilty plea to charges of tax evasion and accepting $245,000 in bribes in New Jersey.

The assaults continued until 2008 when he was sentenced to 21 months in prison on those federal corruption charges.

After the mother of the victim reported the incident to police, Scannapieco admitted to detectives that he had sexual contact with the female relative between 50 and 60 times when she was a child.

Following his sentencing, however, Scannapieco argued in an appeal that Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis erred in allowing the victim's stepfather to make an impact statement at his sentencing, the Associated Press reported.

Davis imposed the maximum allowable sentence of 25 years on Scannapieco, citing the former mayor's lack of remorse, his need for treatment and the age and vulnerability of the victim as some of the reasons for the heavy sentence.

However, the Delaware Supreme Court rejected Scannapieco's late last week, the Associated Press reported.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.